PRINCETON, N. J.
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BX 5037 .S5 1829 v. 3 Y
Sharp, John, 1645-1714.
The theological works of the
Shelf.... Most Reverend John Sharp,
Digitized by tlie Internet Arcliive
in 2014
https://archive.org/details/theologicalworks03shar
THE
THEOLOGICAL WORKS
JOHN SHARP, D.D.
LATE ARCHBISHOP OF YORK.
A NEW EDITION, IN FIVE VOLUMES.
OXFORD,
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS,
MDCCCXXIX.
OF
THE MOST REVEREND
THE
CONTENTS.
SERMON I.
Against too great anxiety about worldly affairs.
Phil. iv. 6.
Be careful for nothing ; but in every thing hy prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God. Page 1 '
SERMON II.
About the nature, obligation, and efficacy of prayer. 23 t
From the same text.
SERMONS III. IV.
About the conditions and requisites of prayer.
Matt. vii. 7.
Ask, and it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 41
SERMON V.
Concerning extemporary prayer.
1 Cor. xiv. 15.
What is it then ? I will pray with the Spirit, and I will
pray with the understanding also. 80
SERMON VI.
About the profitableness of prayer.
Job xxi. 15.
— What profit should Z(oe have, if' we pray unto him ? 103
ABP. SHARP, VOL. III. b
iv
THE CONTENTS.
SERMON VII.
The duty and obligation of liaving and frequenting public
prayers, &c.
1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.
/ exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men ;
Jbr kings, and for all that are in authority. 121
SERMON VIII.
An account of what is meant by loving God with all our
heart, and soul, and mind.
Matt. xxii. 35 — 40.
Then one of them, xohich was a lawyer, asked him a
question, tempting him, and saying. Master, which is the
great commandment in the law ? Jesus said unto him. Thou
shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great
commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shall
love thy neighhour as thyself. On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets. 141
SERMON IX.
In what respect or upon what accounts this precept of
loving God is the first and greatest commandment ; and re-
ligion, or that universal duty we owe to God, not variable,
uncertain, and arbitrary.
Matt. xxii. 37 — 40.
Jesus said unto him. Thou shall love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like unto it, Thou shall love thy neighbour as thy-
self. On these two commandments hang all the law and the
prophets. 155
SERMON X.
Of the natural and necessary fruits and effects of love to
God ; and of the little countenance either the law or the
THE CONTENTS. v
gospel have given to the doctrines of merit and works of
supererogation, as they are taught in the church of Rome.
Matt. xxii. 37, 38.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, aiid with all thy
mind. This is the first and great commandment. 170
SERMON XI.
Whether those people, who though they exercise devotion
towards God, yet do it with great dulness and deadness of
affection, can be said to love God with all their hearts and
souls ?
Matt. xxii. 37 — 40
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy-
self. On these two commandments hang all the law and the
prophets. 185
SERMON XII.
Concerning our obligation to observe the sabbath in
general.
Exodus xx. 8.
Remember the sabbath day, to Tceep it holy. 201
SERMON XIII.
Concerning our obligation to observe the sabbath in
general ; and of the change of the sabbath from the seventh
to the first day of the week. 218
From the same text.
SERMON XIV.
Of the change of the sabbath day ; the great advantages
of strictly observing the Lord's-day ; and the manner of ob-
serving it. 235
From the same text.
VI
THE CONTENTS.
SERMON XV.
Preached in St. James's chapel on Palm-Sunday, 17 12.
A description of the joys of heaven.
Heb. iv. 11.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest. 255
SERMON XVI.
All oaths not unlawful ; and against perjury.
James v. 12.
But above all things, my brethren, swear not. 277
SERMON XVII.
^ Several arguments against common swearing and cursing.
From the same text. 293
SERMON XVIII.
More reasons against swearing and cursing in our ordinary
conversation. 309
From the same text.
The Four Sermons on the Imitation of Christ con-
tain as follow ; viz.
SERMON I.
Our obligations to live as Christ lived.
1 Pet. ii. 21.
— leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps.
326
SERMON II.
A casuistical discourse on the same text. 348
SERMON III.
Of Christ's piety, diligence, and charity. 368
From the same text.
SERMON IV,
Of Christ's humility and meekness, and acknowledging
God in his actions. 385
From the same text.
A SERMON
ON
PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
Be careful for nothing ; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests he
made known unto God.
This is the philosophy that was taught by Christ
and his apostles, and ought to be learned and prac-
tised by all of us, if we would make good the name
we give ourselves of being Christ's disciples. We
should take no thought for our lives, as our Saviour
expresseth it, but in all things depend upon the
Divine providence, without whom a sparrow doth
not fall to the ground, and by whom the very hairs
of our heads are numbered.
We should cast all our care upon him that careth
for us, as the apostle expresses it, and be so satisfied
with every thing that comes from his hands as to
rejoice evermore, and in every thing to give thanks,
which is the will of God concerning us.
We should not discompose our minds either with
tormenting reflections upon our present circum-
stances, or with solicitude for what is to come : but
leave the government of the world to God, refer to
him the management both of the public and our
private affairs, no further concerning ourselves about
the events of either, than only to do our own duties
in our place and station, and by hearty prayer and
supplications and thanksgivings to recommend our-
selves and all our concerns to the mercies of God.
ABP. SHAKPE, VOL. III. B
A
2
A SERMON
This, I say, is the Christian philosophy ; and O,
what happy lives should we all of us lead, if we
lived up to it ! what outwai'd condition could be
made so bad as to render us miserable ! how many
anxieties and fears and disquietudes should we be
freed from, which do imbitter oftentimes the most
prosperous fortune, and what ease and comfort
should we find in the most calamitous ! In our pros-
perity we should rejoice in the enjoyment of that
portion of good things which God had vouchsafed
to us, and even in our heaviest afflictions we should
in hope and patience possess our own souls.
But, alas ! though we call ourselves Christians, yet
few of us do practise this point of Christianity, or
so much as endeavour to do it : where is our indif-
ference to the world, and our dependence on God?
where is that moderation of ours which St. Paul, in
the verse before my text, requires us to make known
unto all men; that equanimity and contentedness
which we ought to express in every estate and con-
dition in which God hath placed us ; that absolute
resignation of our souls to the will of God ? Alas ! we
are so far from letting this be known unto all men,
that on the contrary we live in the world, and pur-
sue our designs, as if there was no God that took
care of human affairs, or from whom we were to
expect either rewards or punishments ! Our life is a
perpetual drudgery, our heads are always full of
care and thoughtfulness, anxiously labouring for
this or the other thing, carrying on this or the other
project, without either looking up to God in the
choice of our designs, or depending upon him in the
management of them, or acquiescing in the success
and event that he gives them.
ON THILIPPIANS IV. 6.
3
But since we are thus affected, what wonder is it
that the most of us live miserable all our days, some
starving in the midst of plenty, others murmuring at
their low condition ; both sorts discontented at every
thing, fearful of every thing, restless and impatient,
and ever complaining ? These are the natural effects
of carefulness without depending upon God.
Let us all therefore, if we mean either to live like
Christians, or to enjoy a tolerable happy life in this
world ; let us, I say, charge ourselves with the prac-
tice of St. Paul's advice in my text, to he careful
for nothing; hut in every thing by prayer and
supplication and thanksgiving, to make our re-
quests known unto God.
JBe careful for nothing ; that is the first part of
the advice here given us ; and of this point I shall
treat at this time : and that which I shall now do, is
to give an account of this precept or advice, and
with what limitations and restrictions it is to be un-
derstood : indeed, if we do not rightly inform our-
selves about this, we shall make mad work of it.
Some, when they hear it said, he careful for
nothing, in general terms, take no thought for your
lives, and the like, will be apt to draw very com-
fortable doctrine from hence to themselves in favour
of their idle, dissolute lives. This advice suits with
their humour as much as is possible ; for they matter
not how little care they take. All the happiness
they court in this world is a life free from thought-
fulness and business, and wholly employed in the
present pleasures that are before them.
These are the sluggards that Solomon so often
speaks against, that would spend their days in a pro-
found ease and rest, without forecasting or design-
B 2
4
A SERMON
ing, without employing either their heads to think, or
their hands to labour, but living from hand to mouth,
and taking what chance, or their provident fore-
fathers, without any care of theirs, have given to
them.
But this precept we are upon gives little encou-
ragement to men to live at this rate : for though
the proposition be so worded as to seem to forbid all
manner of carefulness, yet it means nothing less.
Indeed it is impossible to live without caring, at
least to live happily : the souls that God Almighty-
hath given us are in their own nature infinitely ac-
tive and vigorous, and their powers must constantly
be exercised in pursuing some design or other,
doing some work or other, otherwise we shall live
the lives of plants or brute creatures, but not of
men : and what designs soever they pursue, their na-
tures will incline them to attend to, and lay out
themselves vigorously upon. The blessedness of
mankind doth not consist in sitting still, but in being
constantly busy, constantly in action ; only that ac-
tion and business ought to be such as is suitable to
the nature of our spirits, that is to say, such as is
exercised about the noblest and best objects, and is
managed by the rule of reason and viitue.
Careful then we must be. But what then doth
St. Paul mean when he saith, he careful for
nothing ? Why certainly he doth not exclude all ob-
jects from our care, but only those of one kind, that
is to say, the things of this world, the things that
concern our bodies and our outward condition ;
such as food or raiment, wealth or reputation, the
success of our designs, and the like. We are to be
careful for none of these things, but to refer our-
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
5
selves wholly to God's pleasure concerning them.
But there is another sort of things which it concerns
us all to be infinitely careful about, that is to say,
the affairs of our souls ; to serve God, to do good in
our generation, to get virtuous habits, to live inno-
cently, and piously, and usefully, and by that means
to lay up a good foundation against the time to
come, that we may obtain eternal life. As to these
things, we must not say we will refer it to God to
work them in us ; he made our souls, and we will
trust them with him. No, (as one of the ancients
expresseth it,) he that made us without ourselves,
will not save us without ourselves. Our care about
these things cannot be too great ; nay, in truth, if
we do not lay out the greatest part of ourselves
about them, we are in danger of falling short of our
aims. For the gate that leadeth to life is, as our
Saviour tells us, a strait gate, and whoever will en-
ter into it must not only seek, but strive ; that is,
must use the same diligence, and earnestness, and vi-
gorous application, that those do who strive for
mastery. We must press forward, as St. Paul tes-
tifies of himself, towards the mark, in order to our
obtaining the prize of our high calling in Jesus
Christ ; imitating those that run in a race, who put
out their whole strength to be first at the goal.
Lastly, if we will obtain salvation, we must work it
out with fear and trembling, as the same apostle
hath told us ; that is, our highest care, solicitude,
and watchfulness, will be little enough to effect it.
This therefore is the first thing to be observed in
the explication of this text, that it is the care of
worldly things only that is here forbidden us. But
what, then, is all care for worldly things forbidden us
B 3
6
A SERMON
by our religion ? God forbid ! for that would open
a door to sloth and laziness, and all the evil conse-
quences of it. No certainly, (which is the second
thing I desire to take notice of in the explication of
this text,) for all this command of being careful for
nothing, a just care even for worldly things, is not
only allowable to Chnstians, but incumbent as a
duty upon them. We are so to take care of food
and raiment, as honestly to labour for them ; and
he that will not work ought not to eat, as this very
apostle hath elsewhere told us. We are so to take
care of our family, as by our diligence and good hus-
bandry to make competent provision for them, suit-
able to their degree and quality, otherwise we are
worse than infidels, as he tells us in the same place.
What wants, or necessities, or evil circumstances so-
ever we are under, or do fear may come upon us,
we are to take such care of ourselves as to use all
the means we lawfully can to get out of them, or to
avoid them. We are not to think we are so to de-
pend upon God for all outward things as to abandon
the use of means ; though we must in all conditions,
and for all things, male our requests known to God
hy prayer and supplication, yet we must never ex-
pect to obtain what we pray for, unless we ourselves
contribute our endeavours towards it. It is enthu-
siasm even to madness, to think that all we have to
do in this world is to give up ourselves wholly to
contemplation and devotion : and as for the things
that are necessary for our outward being and conve-
niency, only to look up to God for them, as if he was
to find us with meat from heaven, or cure our
diseases without our making use of physic. No !
God's blessing and our care always go together. If
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
7
we do not stir to help ourselves, and vigorously put
forth all those powers that he hath given us for that
purpose, we do in vain look for help from above,
how earnest soever our prayers and supplications be.
Care therefore we must, even for our worldly con-
cernments, if we would have any of them to prosper :
nay, so necessary is this worldly care I speak of, that
it is questionable whether any man can light into
such circumstances of life, that he can be lawfully
excused from it.
All those that have callings (as the greatest part
among us have) are certainly bound to follow them
with a conscientious care and diligence : and as for
those whose circumstances do not oblige them to
follow any particular direct calling or profession, yet
ought they to have care too : idly and slothfuUy
they must not live ; some designs and business they
must pitch upon, wherewith to employ themselves
innocently and usefully; otherwise they wiU not be
able to give any tolerable account of their time or
their talents unto God : and no design can be pur-
sued to any purpose, without care and application of
mind. But if it be thus, what kind of care is here
forbidden ? or what are the limits or the measures
with which we ai'e to bind our cares for earthly
things, and which if we transgress we sin against
the precept that is here given us, of being careful
for nothing f Why, in answer to this, I say, in the
third place, that all the unlawful cares here for-
bidden may conveniently enough be reduced under
these two heads ; immoderate care and solicitous
care : of both these I shall speak ; but of the first
more largely, because it requires a little more ex-
plaining.
B 4
8
A SERMON
First then, in the precept of being careful for
nothing, is forbidden all immoderate care for worldly
things ; that is to say, when the degree of our care
exceeds the worth of the thing cared for ; or, which
comes all to one thing, when our care for temporal
things, which are of smaller concernment, is greater
than for spiritual, which are much more momentous;
as when we take more care to be rich than we do
to be good ; when we study more to get a reputa-
tion amongst men, than to approve ourselves to
God ; when we are more solicitous to get out of the
present evil circumstances, in which we perhaps are,
than to avoid eternal damnation. What is excessive
or immoderate care, if this be not? and yet the
greatest part of mankind, God knows, are guilty of
it ; but it is just the same extravagance as it is for
a man to be more concerned at a prick of his finger,
than for a gaping wound in his side, through which
his soul is ready to depart. The greatest interest
we have to secure in this world is the everlasting
happiness of our souls, and, in order to that, the fear
and service of God. This therefore we ought in rea-
son to place our first and chiefest care upon : this is
to be our main design, and all our other designs are
to be subservient to this, and to be managed wholly
in subordination to it, so as they may best pro-
mote it. If now we do indeed thus think with our-
selves and thus act, then is all our care for the
world, how great soever it be, lawful and commend-
able. If we first seeJe the Jdngclom of God and the
righteousness thereof, then be we never so busy and
careful of our secular affairs afterwards, we do not
amiss ; our care is sanctified, it is not immoderate.
But when we either serve mammon only, and God
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
9
not at all, or would serve both God and mammon,
divide ourselves between religion and the world, and
not make religion our main business, to which the
other is to yield ; (as it is most usual amongst men ;)
in this case our care for the world is immoderate, it
is greater than it ought to be, and we are justly to
be reproved for it. And whatever we may at present
think of ourselves, we shall, it is to be feared, if we
do not amend this matter, prove at last the thorny
ground in the parable, where the good seed being
sown the thorns sprung up and choJced it ; that is,
as our Saviour interprets the parable, the cares of
this world and the deceitfulness of riches will ren-
der the word of God and all our good purposes un-
fruitful and ineffectual.
This point is of so great importance to every one
of us, that I cannot think it sufficient to have given
this general account of it, unless I also caution you
against some particular things, which, wheresoever
they are found, are either instances, or expressions,
or shrewd signs of an immoderate care for worldly
things ; such a care as cannot consist with the mind-
ing the better part, the one thing necessary.
And in the first place ; one instance of this unlaw-
ful care is the giving so much of ourselves to our
worldly business and concernments, of what kind
soever they be, that we do not allow ourselves suffi-
cient time for the exercise of devotion and acts of
religion properly so called.
Far am I from thinking it necessary that Chris-
tians should spend either all or the greatest part of
Iheir time in prayer and meditation ; no ! there is a
great deal of other work and business very needful
to be done, which our callings, and the way of living
10
A SERMON
God hath put us into, will exact from us, in which
we shall find enough, and sometimes too much em-
ployment for ourselves ; and I cannot say but this
worldly business, though it be drudgery and toil
in comparison of the work of religion, yet if it be
managed conscientiously, and in the fear of God, is
as truly an instance of serving God, and is as ac-
ceptable to him in its season, as even the being at
our I'eligious offices, and sometimes perhaps more.
But then whosoever doth so wholly attend upon
this, as to allow himself no time for the immediate
service of God, or but little and seldom, it is im-
possible that ever religion should prosper in such
a man's hands.
As God, who gave us all our time, ought in rea-
son to have some portion of it devoted to him, and
accordingly hath so commanded ; so, if he had not,
the very nature and temper of our minds would
have made it necessary, if ever we meant to preserve
them in a religious frame.
We may talk what we will, but it is no more pos-
sible to maintain the spiritual, divine life within our
souls, without frequent and constant retirements, and
taking times for reading and prayer and medita-
tion, than it is to maintain the life of our bodies,
\\nthout a constant supply of meat and drink.
I could heartily wish this was seriously taken no-
tice of; for the not observing this point hath, I am
afraid, done mischief to many souls. Several there
are that at some times, through some extraordinary
providence of God, and the motions of his holy
Spirit, are awakened to a very lively sense of their
duty, and very strong and \'igorous resolutions they
make ; and for some while they live up to them,
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. G.
11
that is, so long as that sense lasts, being very careful
of their actions, and having a very comfortable relish
of God and goodness upon their spirits.
Why now might not these men always live thus ?
why certainly with due care they might; and not only
so, but daily grow better and better ; but, alas ! we
see they often do not; for you shall find many of these
that began to live so well, after some time to lose all
their sense of piety, and to grow as careless and un-
concerned for their souls as ever they were. I do
not deny but there may be many concurrent causes
to produce this alteration in them ; but this I am very
confident of, that a main one is that I am now speak-
ing of; namely, the neglect of frequent recollections,
the not taking constant times of prayer and reading
and renewing their holy purposes, and fetching new
supplies of strength and vigour from the throne of
grace, but suffering worldly business or cares to steal
away their hearts insensibly.
This therefore you must fix as a certain immove-
able principle in your minds, that how urgent and
pressing soever the business of your calling or of
your lives be, it must not put the thoughts of religion
out of your head for any long while together : there
must be a time and leisure found for the minding the
work of that ; nay, so necessary is this, if you mean
to save your souls, that the allowing yourselves time
for eating and sleeping is not more.
To define or prescribe the precise portion of time
that every one is to give to God and the concern-
ments of his soul, is a thing not only unnecessary,
but unreasonable ; because the conditions of men are
so infinitely various, both as to their outward and
their inward circumstances : some men can allow
12
A SERMON
more time from their necessary business and occa-
sions than others can, and some likewise stand in
need of more retirements and set devotions and me-
ditations than others do : however, one day in a week
God Almighty has bound us all up to by consecrat-
ing it to his immediate service, and he that makes
no conscience of observing that day religiously, it is
certain he hath no sense of religion at all, but is
either a perfect worldling or epicure.
But one day in a week, spent in devout exercises,
will hardly, I fear, be sufficient to secure, much less
to advance our spiritual concernments. We every
day think fit to give food and refreshment to our
bodies ; why is it not as fit we should every day be
as kind to our souls, by giving them the repasts of
prayer and other holy exercises ; whoever doth not
take that course, will, I dare say, advance but little
in holiness and virtue. Nay, if we mean to thrive in
spirituals, so far must we be from letting our busi-
ness hinder or stifle our daily devotions, that we must
live so above it, and have our thoughts so loose from
it, as to be at leisure several times in a day to raise
up our minds unto God, and to think of the great
work we have undertaken, and to implore the Divine
grace to carry us on in it, to thank him for his con-
tinued mercies to us, and to reinforce our purposes
and resolutions of serving him all the days of our
life.
O that we would all thus have our conversation in
heaven, thus maintain communion with God, while
we are a doing the work of this world !
But, however, if we cannot or will not raise our-
selves to this pitch of devotion, yet, as we love our
souls, no business, no worldly care, must hinder us
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6. IS
from setting apart every day some portion of our
morning and evening for religious uses ; and not only
doing so ourselves, but allowing all our servants the
same liberty, and calling upon them to make use of
it : but I leave this.
In the second place, our care is then also immo-
derate and unlawful, whenever it puts us upon the
use of unlawful or suspected means for the gaining
our ends ; let our designs be what they will, never so
innocent, never so laudable, nay, never so necessary
to our wellbeing, or even being in this world, yet if
for the accomplishing of them we can find in our
hearts to strain a point of conscience, or to engage in
any practice that we have reason to believe is against
the laws of God ; this is an undeniable argument that
we love the world better than God, are more the ser-
vants of mammon than we are of our Lord Jesus :
for if we will be his disciples, we must not do the
least evil that good may come of it ; if we do, our
damnatioti is just, as St. Paul hath told us.
They therefore that, in their conversation or deal-
ing with others, can cheat, or overreach, or defraud ;
nay, can deliberately tell a serious lie, or make use
of the least indirect art or trick for the serving their
own ends ; such men have their affections too much
set upon the things of this world to be ever able to
approve themselves sincere disciples of Jesus Christ ;
and of the same strain are those that practise any
superstitious art for the bringing about their worldly
purposes ; as for instance, applying to wise men, as
they call them, for the resolving hidden questions,
making use of charms, or other magical tricks, for
the recovery of stolen goods, or the cure of diseases,
or the like. These things are perfectly unlawful to
14
A SERMON
Christians, as being a departing from the ordinary
methods of Providence (wherein alone we are to
seek for help under our necessities) to ways of the
Devil's finding out.
The sum of this point is this : so long as we pro-
secute our designs in honest and regular ways our
care is laudable ; but to make use of the least indirect
means for the bringing them about (nay, though it
were for the saving our own lives) is an argument
of immoderate worldly care ; and we ought not to
do it.
But, thirdly, our cares for this world are not only
immoderate, when they put us upon the practice of
such courses as are apparently unlawful for the
bringing about our designs, but also in this other
instance, when our hearts are so set on the business
we are upon, as that we lose all sense of what is fit
and decent with respect to ourselves or others ; when
for the bringing about our worldly ends we matter
not how we defraud either our bodies, or our credit,
or our families, or our neighbours, of what is their
due ; though perhaps nobody can say, that by any
one of these single instances we do any thing that is
directly unlawful or forbidden, or, if it is, at least it
is not commonly thought so. ^
To explain myself a little. To our bodies we are
unjust, when we drudge and toil, and take more
pains in our worldly concerns than our strength or
our health will bear, or when out of covetousness we
deny ourselves the necessary refreshments and sup-
ports of life.
And so likewise we are unjust to our credit when
we do not live Uke ourselves ; that is, suitably to
that degree and quality we are in, or to that estate and
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
15
fortune that God hath blessed us with ; but out of a
scraping penurious humour live meanly and sordidly.
The same thing makes us also defraud our family
of their due ; namely, when we do not make neces-
sary provision for them, such as befits our condition,
or when, to save charges, we do not give our children
that education which their birth and our estates en-
title them to.
Lastly, our neighbour hath also a due from us,
which our worldly-mindedness doth too often hinder
us from paying, but which yet God will severely re-
quire from us : as, for instance, when it makes us
churlish, or unkind, or inhospitable to those about
us, when it shuts up our hearts and our hands
against the poor, and those others that have need of
our charity.
All these are instances of inordinate care, and in
whomsoever we meet with them, we may too truly
say of that man, that he is too much addicted to this
world, his heart is viciously set upon it.
And thus much let it suffice to have spoken of
immoderate care for worldly things, together with the
usual expressions and instances of it, which is the
first thing here forbidden : but this is not all.
In the second place, as our care for worldly things
ought not to be immoderate, so neither ought it to
be solicitous ; that is another, and indeed the main
thing that we are cautioned against both in this text
and in some other passages of the scripture, that
speak of care in an ill sense. They mean such a
care as is accompanied with fear and anxiety, at-
tended with doubts and distrusts ; such a care as
grates upon our minds, and disturbs our repose ; such
a care as is restless and impatient for success, and
16
A SERMON
discontented at all success that is not just according
to its own desires. Lastly ; such a care as will needs
carve for itself, and will not let God govern the world.
This is that solicitous care that is here spoken of:
Se careful for nothing, saith the apostle ; Take no
thought for your lives, saith our Saviour.
What, no care, no thought? that, I have already
told you, is idle and extravagant : hut thus ; Let not
your concerns for the most necessary things of this
life distract your minds, or draw you off from an en-
V tire dependance upon God and submission to his will ;
but whatever circumstances you are in, whatever
designs you are carrying on, endeavour to preserve
yourselves in an even, peaceful, composed temper,
absolutely resigned to the will of God : set not your
hearts so much on any thing in this world, as to de-
sire it with passion and anxiety ; nor let any disap-
pointment transport you to anger or impatience.
Take care to do your parts towards the effecting
your designs by doing your honest endeavours, and
using such means as a prudent man in such cases
would do. And likewise take care to recommend
yourselves and your concerns heartily to God by
prayer ; but when you have done this, trouble not
yourselves about the success, much less doubt of his
goodness or providence, but leave the event of all
wholly to him. Let him do as he sees fit, and what-
ever it be that he sends, be the issue of things an-
swerable to your expectation, or be it not, murmur
not, repine not, but let your heart rest satisfied, and
thank the divine Goodness. You are perhaps in poor
and low circumstances in the world, you have just
enough to live from hand to mouth, and that is all :
why, do not disquiet yourselves for this, nor torment
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
17
your minds how you and your poor children shall be
able to live in time to come, when age or sickness
shall seize upon you : leave that to God : do you for
the present labour honestly to get a livelihood, and
commit the rest to him ; thank God for the present,
and be not solicitous for what is future ; and thus in
all other cases wherein you happen to be concerned.
This, my brethren, is that spirit and temper which all
of us that call ourselves Christians should labour after;
for this was the temper of our Lord Jesus, and this he
hath most earnestly recommended to all his followers.
I own, that to bring ourselves to such an indif-
ference to the things of this world, as this temper
supposeth, is a very high attainment, and seems ex-
tremely difficult to flesh and blood. But yet, me-
thinks, to flesh and blood, assisted by the omnipotent
Spirit of Christ, it should not be difficult ; or if it be,
I am sure we shall surmount those difficulties, if we
could once prevail upon ourselves seriously to set
about this work.
Now for the engaging all of you so to do, I shall
briefly lay before you some of those arguments and
reasonings that are made use of in the New Testa-
ment for the enforcing this duty ; which is the second
head I proposed in speaking to this point.
Many excellent discourses upon this subject are to
be met with in the gospels and the writings of the
apostles ; but none, I think, more strong, more mov-
ing, more persuasive, than our Saviour's discourse in
the ten last verses of the 6th of St. Matthew, where
indeed the chief arguments that can be offered
against this worldly carefulness and solicitude that
we have all this while been speaking of, are summed
up, and brought together in one view.
ABP. SHARPK, VOL. IH. C
18
A SERMON
These, therefore, I shall just give an account of,
and so conclude. His first argument, why we should
not be careful or solicitous for the things of this
world is, that the greatest blessings and enjoyments
which we have, come to us without our care and so-
licitude, and therefore why should we trouble our-
selves much about the least ? Thus, (in the 25th
verse, where he begins this discourse,) / smj unto
you, saith he. Take no tJwught for your life, what
ye shall eat, and what ye shall drink ; nor yet for
your bodies, what ye shall put on. Is not the life
more than meat, and the body than raiment f
The force of which argument lieth here :
God hath given you your lives without any care
or study of yours ; and is he not much more able to
give you food to maintain that life without your
care ? God hath given you your bodies without any
labour of yours ; and is not that a more desirable
and extraordinary gift than the clothes that cover
that body ? If therefore God hath taken care to give
you the greater things without your study and con-
trivance, can you imagine that he will refuse to give
you the lesser?
A second argument against care and thoughtful-
ness our Saviour gives us in the next verse; Behold,
saith he, the fowls of the air: for they sow not,
neither do they reap, nor gather into barns ; yet
your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not
much better than they f What can be more strongly
said to the present purpose than this ? If God takes
care of the meaner sort of creatures that have life in
them, the fowls of the air, so that they shall be
provided of all things that they need, and that with-
out any care of theirs, is it not unreasonable to sus-
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
19
pect his kindness to mankind, who are a thousand
times more dear to God than the fowls are ? Can it
be supposed that God will forget them, when he re-
membereth the fowls of the air, and the beasts of
the field, and the most inconsiderable things that
creep upon the face of the earth f And as for matter
of clothing, as our Saviour goes on, who can be
more gorgeously and splendidly appareled than the
flowers of the field ? ayid yet they toil not, neither
do they spin ; yet admirable clothing God hath given
to them, even that beauty, that Solomon in all his
glory was not arrayed like one of them : and can
we imagine, as our Saviour urges, that these poor
things, which to day flourish, and to-morrow are
withered or burnt, that these shall partake of the
care of God Almighty, and that mankind shall be
neglected and overlooked by him ?
It is therefore a very unreasonable thing to be
anxious and solicitous about either food or clothing,
which yet are the most necessary things in the
world ; since we see these creatures that take no
care at all about them are yet continually supplied
out of the divine bounty. And certainly if God's
providence extends to the meanest of his creatures,
much more will it be concerned to make provision
for the best and the worthiest, supposing they live as
they ought to do, and do not by their wickedness
put themselves out of God Almighty's care and pro-
tection.
A third argument our Saviour useth upon this oc-
casion is drawn from the unprofitableness of our
cares for worldly things : Which of you, saith he,
by taJcing thought can add one cubit to his staturef
If you had never so much a mind to be taller than
c 2
20
A SERMON
you are, yet you cannot, with all your solicitous en-
deavours, add an inch to your height. Nay, as he
elsewhere speaks, with all your care you cannot
make one haw icliite or hlacJc ; but those things
come by the providence of God, and not by your
care : and the case is the same as to all other worldly
events ; you may harass your minds as much as
you please, to obtain this or the other thing, but still,
unless God pleaseth to send you the thing you de-
sire, you are never the nearer obtaining it. You
can no more procure to yourselves health, or great-
ness, or children, or long life, unless God pleaseth to
give you them, than you can add half a yard to
your stature. For the success of all your endea-
vours about these things depends upon such causes
as you have not the disposal of, but only God Al-
mighty. To what purpose therefore should you
place your care and thought upon such things as are
not in your power ; especially, in the fourth place,
considering that God hath prescribed you a method
of obtaining all those things you stand in need of
without an anxious care and thoughtfulness : and
that is the fourth argument our Saviour here useth.
Seek ye Jirst the kingdom of God and his right-
eousness, and all these things shall be added unto
you. That is to say, In vain it is to bestow your
whole care and endeavours upon worldly things,
when you may come by them a much easier way,
and a way too that is certain, and will not fail you ;
and that is this : do but make it your main business
to secure to yourselves the kingdom of heav^en, and,
in order thereunto, to possess yourselves of that
righteousness and purity and holiness, that will
qualify you for it ; and then God will take care that
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
21
you shall never want food nor raiment, nor any
other thing that is needful for you in tliis world. If
you will study to serve God, and approve yourselves
to him by living piously and virtuously, you need
not trouble yourselves any further ; for God will re-
ward your pains with heaven and eternal happiness
at last ; and as for all earthly things that are fit for
you, they shall be added to you over and above ;
for he that hath provided for you such a glorious,
eternal city, will certainly order matters so that you
shall want no viaticum, no necessary provisions in
your journey to it.
And then he concludes all with these words :
Take therefore no thought for the morrow, hut let
the morrow take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Which
words contain a fifth argument against all solicitude
for future things ; and it is to this effect.
Why should you be concerned for to-morrow, or
for that which is to come, when that concern is not
only fruitless and unprofitable, as has been said, but
is extremely uneasy and troublesome, and tends to
make your lives really more uncomfortable and
grievous than otherwise they would be ? God knows,
the condition of mankind in this world is always
hard enough ; there is no man in such prosperous
circumstances, but that every day of his life he meets
with enough to disturb and discompose him. His
cares to get rid of the present encumbrances lie suflS-
ciently heavy upon him ; where then is the wisdom
of adding new cares about future things to those
present ones that every day brings upon him ? If
therefore you be wise, let every day have its proper
care, (and indeed it requires some virtue to be able
c 3
9a.
A SERMON ON PHILIPP. IV. 6.
to bear that care,) but do not encumber yourselves
with the cares of other days that are not yet in
being ; those will come soon enough without your
anticipating them ; it is sufficient that you manage
the present to the best advantage ; but as for what
is future, it is time enough to think of struggling
with the inconveniences of that when it comes.
Why should you torment yourselves before you
need ? sufficient, abundantly sufficient, for the exer-
cising your patience is the evil and trouble that
happens to you every day, and you need not increase
it by putting upon your shoulders new loads of that
which is to come.
These are our Saviour's reasonings upon this ar-
gument ; and admirable ones they are. I know
nothing like them, nothing comparable to them, to
be met with in the most refined writings of the phi-
losophers. I leave them with you, and I pray God
they may ever have a due effect both upon you and
me.
A SERMON
ON
PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
Be careful for nothing ; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made
known unto God.
I HAVE done with the first part of this text,
which is a caution against the sin of worldly careful-
ness, that 1 despatched the last time.
I now come to the other branch of it, which is a
recommendation of the duty of prayer : In every
thing, saith the apostle, hy prayer and supplica-
tion, &iC.
Prayer then, you see, is the argument I have be-
fore me ; and a very noble argument it is, and withal
a very useful one : for prayer is, or ought to be, the
continual exercise of our life ; for it is to our souls
what meat and drink are to our bodies, their repast,
their support, their nourishment. Prayer is the
great universal instrument by which we fetch down
blessings from above, and get ourselves possessed of
whatever we want. Prayer is our defence and pre-
servative against sin and against temptation, it is
the security of our virtue, and the especial means to
advance it.
Prayer is the wing of our souls, whereby we raise
up ourselves above this lower world to the God
above, and with whom while we therein converse
we become more and more transformed into his na-
ture.
' c 4
\
24 A SERMON
Lastly ; whatever anticipations of heaven there be
here upon earth, whatever foretastes we Christians
have in these bodies of the happiness of eternity,
they are all brought about by the means of prayer.
Fit therefore and just it is, that what is so great
a duty and so great a privilege should be much in
our mouths, that it may be more in our hearts, that
we should be often called upon and stirred up to the
practice of it, and instructed how so to practise it as
to obtain effectually all the great and glorious bene-
fits which it is designed by God to derive upon us.
I do not think there is need of spending time in
giving an account of the terms of my text, for they
are all plain enough. As for the phrase here used,
let your requests he made known unto God, the
word is in the original aiTYjfxaTa, that is, all those
things that you have need to ask of God, or to ad-
dress yourselves to him about ; it is the general
word to comprehend all kind of things to be prayed
for or against.
Well, but are not all these things known to God
already? How then should we make them known
to him ? I answer, Yes certainly ; our heavenly
Father knoweth what things we have need of hefore
we ask him, as our Saviour hath told us : all there-
fore that is meant by that expression is, that we are
to utter these things, we are to express them or pre-
sent them to God by the way of prayer and suppli-
cation. Well, but what is the sense of these terms,
prayer and supplication, here used ? are they the
same, or do they mean different things ? I answer,
In our language we commonly put them for the
same thing ; in the Greek they are often dis-
tinguished, especially when they are joined to-
ON PHILIPriANS IV. 6.
25
gether: but then the difference is no more than this,
that the word Trpoaevyri, which we render prayer,
doth usually signify such a kind of prayer as is put
up for the good things we need ; but the word Se^c76if,
which we render supplication, signifies such a prayer
as is put up against the evil things we fear. They
both of them come under the name and notion of
prayer, but they have their different objects ; the
one we properly call petition, the other deprecation :
but thus much for the critique on the text.
I now come to my business : In every thing,
saith the apostle, hy prayer and siijiplication with
thanksgiving let your requests he made hnown
unto God.
These words may be taken two ways, either as
commanding a duty, or as proposing an instrument
or means for the obtaining what we desire or stand
in need of.
Prayer certainly falls under these two considera-
tions, and we cannot have a true notion of it without
taking in both of them ; that is to say, without con-
sidering it both as it relates to God as due to him,
and as it relates to us, as useful for the procuring of
what we want. Under both these notions therefore
I shall now discourse of prayer : and accordingly
these three things I propose to do.
First, I shall discourse of the nature and obliga-
tion of prayer, considered as a religious duty we owe
to God.
Secondly, I shall discourse of the efficacy and suc-
cessfulness of prayer considered as an instrument
for the procuring blessings to ourselves : and.
Thirdly, I shall discourse of the requisites or con-
ditions of prayer, which we must take care to ob-
26
A SERMON
serve, if we would have our prayers either acceptable
to God, or beneficial to ourselves.
The two first of these heads I shall despatch at
this time.
First, I shall begin with prayer, considered as a
religious duty.
It may perhaps, at the first hearing, appear strange
to some, that prayer should at all be accounted a
duty of religion ; that is to say, any act of piety to-
wards God, to which mankind should in duty be
obliged : for, say they, all acts of religion, in the
very nature of them, ought to respect the honour of
God ; whereas prayer seems only to respect our own
benefit, and little, if at all, God's honour : when a
beggar asketh an alms at your door, doth he thereby
mean to do you any worship or respect, or rather
purely to serve his own needs ? certainly the latter.
It is true, to give thanks for benefits received,
(which is one part of prayer, in the large sense of
the word,) is an instance of respect and honour done
to God ; but prayer strictly so called, that is, the
putting up requests to God for mercies which we
want, seems not to be so, but only to respect our-
selves. Thus perhaps it may be said : but those
that reason at this rate seem not to have sufficiently
considered this matter. Though prayer be put up
for the obtaining benefits for ourselves, yet that doth
not hinder but that it may be an act of religion pro-
perly so called, and an instance of that honour which
we are bound to perform to God. And certainly we
must think so, if we will ever believe God's own de-
clarations in this matter, or reflect on the nature of
prayer itself.
First, as for the holy scriptures, prayer is always
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
27
therein accounted an act of God's worship, and
strictly enjoined as such to all mankind. In the
50th Psalm, ver. 13, &c. where God is declaring to
his people how he will be served ; Thinkest thou, says
he, that / ivill eat hull's flesh, or drinJe the Mood of
goats f Offer unto God thanksgivings; and pay
thy vows unto the Most High, and call upon me
in the day of troiible. As therefore he that offereth
unto God thanksgivings is in the same Psalm said
to honour God, {he that offereth me thanhs, he
honoureth me,) so he that calleth upon God honoureth
him also. Nay, so great a part doth prayer make of
rehgion, that the whole of it is sometimes expressed
thereby, and to call upon God, to pray to God, and
to seek God, is in the scripture language the same
thing as to walk religiously before God ; nay, it is
sometimes put to express and signify the whole con-
dition that is required of us in order to salvation.
Thus, Romans x. 12, 13. the same Lord over all is
rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall he saved.
And on the other side, the character by which wicked
men, such as have no sense of piety and religion, are
described in scripture is, that they do not practise
this duty of prayer, they do not call upon God, as
you may see. Psalm liii. 4.
I wish this was seriously taken notice of by those
that live in a general neglect and disuse of this point
of piety. Whatever other laudable qualities they
have to recommend them, yet if they live without
praying, without calling upon God, they must be
numbered among those that have no fear of God he-
fore their eyes, but are workers of wickedness, as
that Psalm expresseth it.
28
A SERMON
But, in the second place, let us consider the nature
of prayer itself. I grant that prayer hath this pecu-
liar to it, that it doth more directly and immediately
in its own nature respect our benefit, than any of the
other acts of piety and religion strictly so called :
but yet, if we will seriously consider it, we shall find
that for all this it doth as necessarily respect God,
and is as great an instance of his service, as any of
the others. For prayer, if we will form true notions
of it, is a payment of that homage we owe to God
as he is Creator and Governor of the world ; it is the
owning him to be the sovereign Lord of all his crea-
tures, and that he hath a right to order and dispose
of them as he pleaseth : it is the acknowledging our
dependance upon his providence for all we have and
for all we are ; actually pi'ofessing, to his honour,
that in him we live, move, and have our being, and
that from him descends every good and perfect gift.
Now surely these are actions that do directly re-
spect God, and are prime instances of that honour
and service that we poor ci'eatures are able to pay
him, even every whit as much as fear, or love, or
thanksgiving is.
There is more in prayer than speaking to God, or
representing our desires to him, though that be all
that is generally taken notice of in it ; that which
makes it a virtue, and stamps religion upon it, is, the
acknowledgment it makes of our own vileness and
impotence, and of God's sovereign power and good-
ness ; and in the dependance it professeth upon him,
and him only, for the supply of our wants, and the
obtaining whatever good we do desire : in this, I
say, consists the very life and soul of prayer ; and if
we take away this, it has nothing valuable in it ; nor
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
29
indeed will it find any acceptance with God, or an-
swer from him.
By this account it appears that prayer and thanks-
giving do not so much differ as one would imagine ;
they are both the expressions of our dependance
upon God, and making our acknowledgments to
him ; only the one (that is, thanksgiving) looks
backward, and considers the mercies or benefits ac-
knowledged as already given ; the other (that is,
prayer) looks forward, and considers them as yet not
given, but only as desired and expected ; that is all
the difference.
To make this notion of prayer yet a little plainer,
if I can : to every religious prayer that we put up
(if we put it up as we should do) there will go these
four things :
First of all there is supposed a sense of our wants,
and a desire of the supply of them, but withal a con-
viction of our own impotence and inability to help
ourselves.
Secondly, there is supposed a sense of God's pre-
sence and providence and goodness, and a belief that
God doth see our condition, and knows what we want,
and hath also that love and kindness for his creatures,
that upon prayer he will supply our necessities, and
give us either what we pray for, or what is more
convenient for us.
Upon these considerations there follows, in the
third place, a looking up to God, a waiting upon him
for those blessings we stand in need of ; disclaiming
all help in ourselves, and entirely depending on his
care and kindness for the supply of whatsoever we
desire. Now, in the fourth and last place, when we
come to form this sense, and those desires, and this
30
A SERMON
dependance, into direct addresses to God ; when we
make expression of them by actual application to the
throne of his grace, whether in thought alone, or in
thought and word too, then is our prayer completed.
This I take to be a true account of this duty of
prayer, which, being admitted, we may from hence
observe, in the first place, not only that prayer hath
an immediate respect to the honour of God, as well
as any of the other duties of piety, most properly so
called, and consequently is no such mean, selfish busi-
ness as some profane wits are apt to account it ; but
also that it is a duty which we do so indispensably
owe to God, that we must be horribly injurious to
him, as well as to ourselves, if we neglect it : nay,
we must first be supposed to be none of his creatures,
before we can be excused from it ; for is not every
creature, in the very nature of creatureship, bound to
renounce all self-sufficiency, and to take all opportu-
nities to acknowledge to his Creator the sovereignty
he hath over him, and to express his dependance
upon him for every thing he hopes for ? But what is
this but the very essence of prayer, as we have de-
scribed it ? nay, though we had no advantage of our
own to be promoted by prayer, as being sure that
God would supply all our necessities without our
asking him, yet even in this case would prayer be as
necessary a duty as it is now, because it would for
ever become us to pay our homage to God, and to
own him as the Author of all those blessings we ex-
pect from him ; it will for ever be as reasonable, and
as great an instance of piety, to depend upon God
for his mercies to come, and to express that depend-
ance by address of prayer to him, as it will be to ac-
knowledge his mercies past, and to express that
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
31
acknowledgment by address of thanksgiving to
him.
Secondly, from this account we have given of
prayer, it appears not only that it is a duty that we
owe to God, but that it is a duty we owe to him only ;
and that no being in the world besides himself hath
right thereto.
For if prayer be one of the principal instances of
that honour, and an expression of that dependance
that we owe to the Creator and Governor of the
world, (as we have seen it is,) then certainly to be
prayed unto is, and for ever will be, one of his in-
communicable peculiarities ; one of the rights and
prerogatives of his sovereign Majesty, incompatible
to any creature. And consequently to invoke, or
pray to any creature in a religious way, though it be
the highest creature in heaven, whether angel or
saint, not excepting the blessed Virgin herself, must
needs be an affront done to God, as giving that ho-
nour to one of his creatures that is only proper to
himself. How the papists will be able to justify their
practices in this matter, either to God or the world,
I know not ; let them look to it. Their ordinary
distinctions, I fear, will not bring them off: but I
have not time to insist upon this matter.
Having thus considered prayer as a duty, or an
act of religion respecting God, I now come to con-
sider it as an instrument or a means that God hath
appointed for the obtaining benefits to ourselves ;
which is the second point I am to speak to.
Here then my business is to treat of the efficacy
of prayer ; to shew that it is not any vain, unprofita-
ble advice that the apostle here gives us, hij prayer
and supplication to maJee our requests known unto
32
A SERMON
God in every thing that we need ; but that prayer,
whenever it is put up as it ought to be, will be really
effectual for the obtaining what we want ; that it
will be a means to supply us with the good things
we desire, or to prevent the evil things we fear, when
all our other cares and endeavours will not. For
prayer is not breath spent in vain, such as, when it
is out of our mouths, mingles for ever with the com-
mon air, but it pierceth the clouds, and reacheth the
ears of the King of the world, and opens his hand
to dispense his blessings upon those his servants that
sent it.
This is a point that all of us ought to fix deeply
in our hearts, and as firmly to believe it as we be-
lieve any thing ; that so in all conditions, and upon
all occasions, we may be encouraged to have re-
course to this expedient of prayer, and may put up
our prayers likewise with the greater faith and hope
and constancy. I shall therefore, at this time, offer
something for the confirmation of your faith in this
matter.
I meddle not here with the atheistical crew ; a
set of men, in this profane age, that endeavours to
jeer all devotion out of the world, making the whole
business of the returns and answer of prayer, which
pious men so much talk of, a mere piece of fancy,
the effect of an overheated brain, attributing all the
events that come either upon the good or upon the
bad, either to chance or necessity, or mechanical
powers as blind as that, and saying in the language
of those learned persons which Job mentions, chap,
xxi. 15. What is the Almighty, that we should
serve him f and what pn^fit should ice have, if we
should pray unto him ? With these, I say, I here
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
33
meddle not, both because I hope there are no such
persons here present, and because it is not now my
work to enter upon a point of the first principles of
natural and revealed religion ; as for instance, the
being of a God, his providence over the world, his
dispensing rewards or punishments to men accord-
ing to their good or evil actions, and the truth of the
holy scriptures, which are the grounds upon which
our belief of the efficacy of prayer is founded.
Those that I now apply myself to are such as
own both natural religion and Christianity, as I
hope all of you here do. And my design is to en-
deavour to possess you with as lively a sense as is
possible, of God's readiness to hear all your prayers,
and to grant all the requests you put up to him, if
you go to work heartily and seriously, and with the
observation of all those conditions and requisites the
holy scripture hath prescribed to you in this matter.
I might here largely insist on the general belief and
practice of all mankind in all ages, for the proving
the point we are now upon. No sort of men that
ever owned a God, or professed any religion, but
they constantly thought that they received benefit
by the sacrifices and prayers they put up to God;
and accordingly the main of their religion was al-
ways made up of those exercises.
I might likewise largely insist on the many il-
lustrious instances and experiences that good men
in all ages have had, and still daily have, of the effi-
cacy of their prayers, testified in such mercies and de-
liverances, and they so circumstantiated, that there
is no room for any doubt that they were owing
purely to the goodness of God, that heareth the sup-
plications of his people.
ABP. SHARPE, VOL. MI. D
34
A SERMON
I say, these things might very well be insisted on
in this argument ; but I rather choose to confine my-
self to the holy scriptures, as affording matter the
most effectual, both for our conviction and encou-
ragement.
And four things we may there take notice of,
very pertinent to our purpose :
First, That God hath in the scriptures made the
most express promises, that he will hear his people
when they pray unto him.
Secondly, He hath in all times most remarkably
made good these promises, as appears by many in-
stances and examples.
Thirdly, He hath given other testimonies what
mighty force and power the prayers of his servants
have with him.
And, fourthly, lest we should think it was all
one, whether we prayed or no, he hath declared that
our prayer is so necessary in order to the obtaining
the good things we stand in need of, that without it
we shall not have them. Of these four things very
briefly.
First of all, God hath in scripture given such ex-
press declarations of his willingness and readiness to
hear and answer the prayers that are put up unto
him, nay, hath tied up himself by the most solemn
promises so to do : The Lord, saith the Psalmist, is
7iigh unto all them that call upon him in truth.
He will fulfil the desires of those that fear him :
he also will hear their j)ra7/er, and will save them,
Psalm cxlv. 18, 19. The eijes of the Lord are over
the righteous, and his ears are ojten to their pray-
ers. Psalm xxxiv. 15. And accordingly one of the
attributes that is given to God in scripture is, that
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. G.
he is a God that heareth prayers, and therefore
to him shall all Jlesh come, Psalm Ixv, 2. And ac-
cordingly he himself invites every creature so to
do, promising deliverance upon their application to
him : Call upon me, (saith he, in the fiftieth Psalm
quoted before,) call upon tne in the day of trou-
ble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify
me.
Thus much for the Old Testament ; and then, for
the New, hear what our Saviour saith to his apo-
stles, John xiv. 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my
name, that will I do; and again he repeats it. If ye
shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. But
if it should be thought that this promise was made
to the apostles only, and doth not concern us, let us
hear what St. John writes to all Christians, 1 John
iii. 21, 22. Brethren, if our hearts condemn us not,
then we have confidence towards God. And what-
soever we ask, we receive of him. And again, our
blessed Saviour in those words of his in the famous
sermon upon the mount, which concerns all Chris-
tians to the end of the world; Ask, saith he, and it
shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you : for every one
that asketh receiveth ; and he that seeketh findeth ;
and to him that knocketh it shall be opened, Matth.
vii. 7, 8. What promise can be more gracious, more
comfortable than this ? especially if we take notice
how our Saviour enforceth it in the following verses:
JVhat man, saith he, is there among you, whom if
his son ask bread, will he give him a stone or if
he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent f If ye
then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children, how much more will your heavenly
D 2
36
A SERMON
Father give good things unto them that ask him ?
As if he had said, If ye who are not always willing
to give, but, on the contrary, are often covetous and
close-handed, without bowels of pity or affections,
yet when your children ask victuals, or other neces-
saries of you, you are ready to supply them with
what they want ; can you doubt that God, who is
infinite goodness and love and bounty, will be back-
ward to supply you with every good thing, if ye ask
it of him ? Assure yourselves God hath greater kind-
ness and affection for his creatures, than any parent
can have for his children ; if, therefore, you would
not question the readiness of a parent to give bread
to his hungry child when he asketh it of him, much
less ought you to call in question the readiness of
your heavenly Father to grant whatsoever requests
you make unto him, provided the thing you request
be good for you.
But, secondly, as the holy scriptures give us many
promises and assurances that God will hear our pray-
ers, so they afford us many instances of his making
good those promises at all times and to all persons,
and that in a most wonderful manner. To mention
all the miraculous returns of prayer that are re-
corded in the book of God would put me upon tran-
scribing too great a part of the scripture; indeed we
have no instance there of any good man that ever
put up his prayers in vain ; but of wonderful amazing
things, eflfected by the prayers of good men, we have
instances a multitude.
The prayer of Moses quenched the devouring fire,
Numbers xi. 2.
The prayer of Elias brought down fire from heaven,
1 Kings xviii.
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
37
The prayer of Elisha restored the dead to hfe,
2 Kings iv. 33.
The prayer of Hezekiah slew 185,000 of the As-
syrians in one night, 2 Kings xix.
The prayer of David stopped the destroying an-
gel, when his hand was lifted up to destroy Jerusa-
lem, 2 Sam. xxiv.
The prayer of Jonah delivered him out of the
fish's belly, Jonah ii. 1 ; to number no more in-
stances.
If it be said, that these examples signify nothing
to us, who live in an age where no miracles are to be
expected, pray we never so heartily ; I answer, they
do signify a great deal to us for all that ; for we may
from such examples draw a good argument to the
world's end of the efficacy of the prayers of good
men : for if in those days they were so prevailing
with God as to move him to leave the usual methods
of providence, and to step out into extraordinary ac-
tions, nay, even to do violence to the course of na-
ture, that he might answer them, then surely we
have reason to believe that God will not be deaf to
the prayers that we now put up, which require no
such things, but only those blessings which he dis-
penseth to mankind in the ordinary way of his pro-
vidence.
But, thirdly, it is worth our while to take notice
what a mighty force and virtue the holy scripture
attributes to the prayers of good men ; this, me-
thinks, is lively set forth to us in the story of the
battle between the Israelites and the Amalekites in
the seventeenth of Exodus. There we find, that so
long as Moses held up his hands in prayer the Israel-
ites prevailed ; but when he let them fall, then the
D 3
38
A SERMON
Amalekites had the better ; so that in order to the
obtaining a complete victory, Moses's hands were
held up to the going down of the sun, that is, (as
the Chaldee Paraphrase renders it,) his hands were
stretched out in prayer unto the going down of the
sun. Again, when the angel, in the thirty-second of
Genesis, with whom Jacob wrestled, (who, indeed,
as the ancient fathers do unanimously conclude, was
no other than the Angel of the covenant, the Son of
God, that did in the fulness of time appear in hu-
man fleshy I say, this Angel would have been gone
from him upon the breaking of the day : No, saith
Jacob, / will not let thee go, unless thou Mess me ;
and accordingly a blessing he obtained. Earnest
prayer doth a kind of violence to God, if we may be
allowed so to speak ; as a prince, saith the Angel
there to Jacob, hast thou power with God and with
man, and hast prevailed.
Again, when God was so grievously displeased at
the people of Israel for making the golden calf, saith
he to Moses, Let me alone, that I may destroy this
people, and hlot out their name from under heaven ;
intimating, that if Moses by prayer interceded for
them, he would prevent their destruction ; and this
indeed the event shewed ; for notwithstanding what
God had before said of his purpose to destroy them,
yet upon Moses's prayer he repented of the evil, and
was prevailed upon to spare them. Lastly, how pre-
valent the prayers of good men are with God ap-
pears from this, that when God is absolutely re-
solved not to have mercy upon a people, he ex-
presseth his unalterable purpose to this effect, that
though his chiefest favourites, such as Noah, and
Daniel, and Job, should intercede with him on be-
ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
39
half of that people, yet their prayers should do them
no good, as you have it four times repeated in the
fourteenth chapter of Ezekiel : which is as much as
to say, that if any thing in the world could prevail
with God to spare that people, it should be the
prayers of such men.
But, fourthly and lastly, to conclude ;
Let it be further considered, for the shewing the
efficacy of prayer, that the scriptures have declared
it so necessary in order to the obtaining the good
things we stand in need of, that if we do not pray
for them we shall not have them.
This is sufficiently evident from that passage in
St. James, chap. iv. ver. 2. Ye lust, saith he, and
have not: ye hill, and desire to have, and cannot
obtain: ye fight and war, and yet ye have not;
and why so ? because, saith he, ye ash not. That
is to say, all your coveting and envying, and fight-
ing and contending,' bring you in no kind of profit;
you are never a whit, by these means, the nearer
the obtaining what you desire ; and the reason is,
because praying to God, which is the chiefest means
of obtaining, is not practised by you.
All these things considered, I think every man in
the world, that hath any sense of religion, must needs
be convinced that serious and solemn prayer is not
only of great use, but of absolute necessity for the
obtaining what we want ; that there is no prosper-
ing in our affairs without it ; and when it is put up
devoutly and heartily, and in that manner it ought
to be, it never faUs to bring down the blessing of
Heaven upon us.
I should now proceed to the third head proposed
to discourse of, and that is, of the requisites or condi-
D 4
40 A SERMON ON PHILIPPIANS IV. 6.
tions of prayer, that we must take care to observe, if
we would have our prayers either acceptable to God
or beneficial to ourselves ; but this I shall reserve fop
another time. Now to God, &c.
A SERMON
ON
MATTHEW VII. 7.
Ask, and it shall be given yon, ; seek, and ye shall find ;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
This text is a part of our Saviour's famous ser-
mon on the mount, which may be justly called a
summary of all Christian duties. In these words
he is treating of the great Christian instrument of
obtaining from God whatever we stand in need of,
and that is, hearty prayer to him. He had delivered
to his disciples, in the former chapter, a form of
prayer for them to use, and now he comes to recom-
mend and enforce the constant practice of that duty,
by giving them assurance, that if they did practise
it, they should not fail of having their requests grant-
ed, and being supplied with every thing they stood
in need of.
A great and unspeakable comfort this is, to be able
at all times certainly to say. Whatever is fit for me,
it shall be given me, if I do but ask it, if I do but
seek it, if I do but knock at the gate of mercy for
it. And yet this every Christian may say, if our Sa-
viour's affirmation may be relied on ; for words can-
not be contrived to express more plainly or more
strongly the constant, never-failing efficacy of hearty
prayer, than these are which our Saviour here deli-
vers ; Ask, saith he, and It shall be given you ; seek,
and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall he opened
unto you : which promise of his, for the further pos-
42
A SERMON
sessing our minds with a steadfast belief of it, he
repeats again in the next verse by way of an uni-
versal proposition ; For every one that ashetJi re-
ceivetJi ; and he that seeketh findeth ; and to him
that knocketh it shall be opened : and the more to
enforce this, he doth in the next words put the case
of an ordinary father, who, though he may be sup-
posed to be otherwise a churlish or unkind sort of
man, yet, if his son when he is an hungry should
ask bread of him, he could not be thought so hard-
hearted as to give him a stone for bread, or a ser-
pent for a fish ; If, therefore, as our Saviour infers,
we that are evil know how to give good gifts unto
our children when they ask us, how much more will
our heavenly Father, (who has nothing of evil or
churlishness in his nature, but is perfect love and
goodness itself,) how much more shall he give good
gifts unto them that ask him ?
But then, though all this be so, though God hath
by his Son Jesus made this plain promise, that every
one that asketh shall receive, and though we may
be as certain as we are of any thing that God will
to all Christians always make good this promise, yet
we cannot imagine that every thing that any of us
ask shall be granted to us ; for we may ask foolish,
unreasonable things : neither can we imagine that
every kind of asking will prevail with God to hear
us ; for we may ask in such a manner that our peti-
tions shall rather be affronts than prayers, and so
may justly merit indignation and contempt rather
than acceptance : so that before we can apply this
promise to ourselves, or expect that God should make
it good to us, it is absolutely necessary that we should
rightly understand it ; that is, know both what we
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
43
are to ask, and how we are to ask, if we hope to re-
ceive the comfortable effects of our Saviour's words.
And indeed this is the only material point to be
discoursed of from this text ; that God will, on his
part, always perform what our Saviour hath given
his word for, I hope nobody among us doubteth, and
therefore it is needless to insist on the truth of that.
All that is to be done is, to shew what and how we
may so ask, so seek, so knock, as that we may re-
ceive what we ask, find what we seek, and obtain
admittance upon our knocking.
My business then, at this time, is to give an ac-
count of the requisites or conditions of prayer, which
we are to take care to observe, if we expect to have
our prayers answered.
Now these requisites or conditions of prayer are,
as I just now intimated, either such as concern the
matter of our prayers, or the things we are to pray
for ; or, secondly, such as concern the manner of our
prayer, or the qualifications with which they are to
be accompanied : both these therefore must be here
considered.
I begin with the first, the matter of our prayers,
or the things which we are to ask at God's hands.
Now here the general proposition is, that the
things which we ask of God (if we mean he should
answer our prayers) must be such as are agreeable
to his will. This is the rule laid down by the apostle
in the First Epistle of St. John, chap. v. ver. 14. This,
saith he, is the confidence that we have in him, that,
if we ash any thing according to his will, he hear-
eth us: and most certainly if we do not ask accord-
ing to his will, he will not hear us. Well, but how
shall we know what things are agreeable to God's
44
A SERMON
will, and wliat are not, that so we may know what
things we are to pray for ? In answer to this inquiry,
I lay down these four propositions.
First of all, it is certain that whatsoever is not
just is not agreeable to the will of God, and conse-
quently ought not to be prayed for ; as, for instance,
to pray for revenge upon our enemies, to desire God
to prosper us in our wicked courses, and the like :
in these cases the matter of our prayer is unlawful
in itself ; and consequently to put up such prayers
to God must needs be an affront to the divine Ma-
jesty, because it is to suppose him inclined to abet
and patronise our impious desires and designs.
But, secondly, several things may be very just in
themselves, but yet it will be very unjust in us to
ask them ; as, for instance, when we ask good things
but to evil purposes : now here also our prayers must
needs be disagreeable to the will of God : Y^e ask,
saith St. James, and receive not, because ye ask
amiss ; and why so ? ye ask that ye may consume
it upon your lusts. I wish we all did seriously ex-
amine our own hearts as to this point, when we put
up such earnest prayers to God for this or the other
worldly thing that we have set our hearts about. As
for wealth, or learning, or success in this or the other
project we have in hand ; have we not at the bottom
some secret ends of pride and vainglory, or covet-
ousness, or luxury to be served hereby, if God should
grant our request ? If we have, in vain it is to put
up our prayers to God, or if he do hear them, it will
be in anger, and by way of punishment to us.
But, thirdly, the matter of our prayers may be
lawful in itself, and we may ask with honest and
innocent designs, and yet the things we ask may
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
45
not be according to the will of God : the reason is,
because God perhaps sees they are not convenient
for us, or he sees that some other things will better
befit our circumstances. And truly this is the case
of all that sort of things which we call worldly bless-
ings : we cannot tell when they are good for us, or
whether it be not better for us to be without them ;
and therefore we cannot tell whether it be agreeable
to God's will that we should have them or no ; and
consequently we cannot, with assurance of success,
pray for them. We cannot, for instance, positively
and absolutely put up such a prayer as this : Lord,
remove this sickness from me ; Lord, grant me a
long life ; Lord, let me have children, and the like.
To desire these things absolutely is to desire some-
thing that, for any thing we know, may be evil to
us, or at least will not be so great a good as the
being without it; and therefore we may be sure God,
if he loves us, will not grant it. Thus it fared with
St. Paul, in the twelfth of the Second Epistle to the
Corinthians, who upon his being apt to be exalted
above measure for the abundance of the revelations
that were vouchsafed to him, there was given him,
as he tells us, a thorn in the flesh, that the messen-
ger of Satan might buffet him; that is, in all proba-
bility, he had some great infirmity of body inflicted
on him, which would sufficiently abate the tumour of
his mind, because it did expose him and his preach-
ing to the contempt of the false teachers, whom he
elsewhere calls the ministers of Satan. Well now,
upon this he tells us that he prayed thrice unto God
that it might depart from him. What now was God's
answer ? No other than this ; My grace is sufficient
for thee : for my strength is made perfect in iveak-
46
A SERMON
9iess : that is to say, It is enough for thee that this
is sent to thee for thy good, and that I support thee
under it ; as for the removal of it, it is not so con-
venient, because my strength and power, that goes
along with thee in thy preaching, is the more illus-
triously shewed in this thy weakness.
But what then, are we not to pray against any
particular temporal evils that we lie under, or for
any particular temporal blessing that we want ? I
answer. Yes, certainly, we not only may, but in some
cases ought : but then we are always to do it with
submission to the divine will ; we may put up our
requests for any lawful thing, but then it must con-
stantly be with this condition, if God sees it fit for us,
if it be agreeable to his will ; so long as we pray for
outward conveniences with that reserve or limita-
tion, our prayers are allowable enough, and will,
without doubt, (if all the other requisites be there,)
find a gracious answer from God ; that is to say, he
will either give us in kind what we pray for, or
something that is better for us.
Our Saviour hath given us a most remarkable ex-
ample both of this kind of prayer and of this kind
of answer. Three times in his agony did he fall down
before God, and in the most earnest manner that
could be, with strong cries and groans, as St. Paul
in the Hebrews expresseth it, prayed, that that cup
might pass from him, (that is, that painful ignomi-
nious death that was then approaching :) neverthe-
less, saith he, not as I will, hut as thou wilt. What
answer now had he of this earnest prayer ? Why, St.
Paul tells us, Heb. v. 7. that he was heard in that
he feared; or, as the expression may be better ren-
derai, he was so heard as to be delivered from his
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
47
Jear ; not from suffering death, but from the fear
of it ; for an angel from heaven was sent to strengthen
him, as St. Luke tells us. God granted his request,
not in kind, but by giving that which was much
better for him.
But it may be said, are there no particulars then
ij that we can ask of God absolutely, and with assur-
ance that they shall be granted? I answer, in the
fourth place, we may peremptorily ask all spiritual
blessings in particular, and be assured, if the other
requisites of our prayer do concur, we shall obtain
them. There is this difference between spiritual
blessings and temporal ; we are not certain, as I said,
whether the temporal things that appear most desir-
able will be real blessings to us or no, and therefore
we cannot positively ask them of God. All that we
can do as to these things is heartily to recommend
ourselves and our circumstances to God's wisdom and
goodness, desiring him to give us what he sees most
prosperous or most convenient for us ; and as for
j this or the other particular thing we think we need,
if we do mention it in our prayer, it must be with
entire submission to God, whether he will grant it
us or no.
But now spiritual things, such as the pardon of
our sins, and all kinds of virtue, and graces of the
Holy Spirit, and the like, these are always blessings ;
blessings to us and to the world, and we can receive
no hurt from them ; and therefore we may confidently
and absolutely ask them of God, and we may be earn-
est and importunate with him for them, and take
I no denial at his hands ; all along supposing that we
ask them upon no other terms than upon what he
hath promised them.
48
A SERMON
The sum of this whole point concerning the mat-
ter of our prayers is this : we must not pray for
unlawful things ; we must not pray for lawful things
with a design to put them to an ill use, to make
provision with them for the flesh to fulfil the lusts
thereof; we must not pray for any particular worldly
thing, but with absolute resignation of ourselves
and our wills to God's will ; so that the chief matter
of our prayers, or the things that we are importu-
nately to ask of God, will be temporal mercies in
general, and spiritual mercies both in general and
particular : I say, the temporal mercies in general ;
that is to say, we are to pray for the peace and hap-
piness of the whole world, and more especially of
the church and kingdom unto which we belong ;
and as for our own private concernments, we are
most heartily to recommend ourselves and all our
affairs to the mercy and to the protection of God,
desiring him to take care of us, and to dispose us
into such outward circumstances as will most tend
to his glory and the good of the public, and the ad-
vantage of our own souls. He knows what is best
for us, and therefore to him we offer ourselves ; we
beg of him to give us all good things, and to keep
us from all evil things, (which was Socrates's prayer ;)
but as to what things are good or evil for us, we
leave it to his wisdom to determine.
But then for spiritual mercies we are to be a
great deal more particular. We are not only to
pray for the pardon of our sins, and the grace of
God's holy Spirit, and eternal life in general, but
we are to consider all our particular infirmities and
wants and necessities, and to beg God's favour in
the one, and supply of the other. We are to men-
ON MATTHEW VII. 7. 49
tion to God all our particular sins, as we happen to
fall into them, and to implore his mercy and for-
giveness : we are to mention to him all our parti-
cular weaknesses of nature, and the temptations we
are exposed to, and to beg his grace to overcome
them. We are daily to pray to him to carry on the
good work he hath begun in us ; to strengthen and
confirm our purposes and resolutions to serve him ;
to enable us to give up ourselves with more cheer-
fulness and sincerity to him ; to help us to watch
over our thoughts and words and actions, that we
be not drawn into any sin ; to increase every day
our faith in Christ, our hope and trust in him, our
dependance upon him, and our love to him ; to make
us more meek, and more humble, and more tempe-
rate, and more charitable ; to give us a greater and
more lively sense of his presence, and his goodness,
and his infinite love to us, that we may make more
pure returns of love and thankfulness, and be more
forward to every good work. In a word, whatso-
ever is matter of our duty, that ought most espe-
cially to be the matter of our prayers ; and what-
ever we pray for of that kind, God will always grant
it us, if we be not wanting to ourselves ; and not
only so, but, together with those things, which are
the greatest blessings he can bestow, he will, upon
our general prayer, give us every other thing that
we stand in need of ; for our Saviour will never fail
to make good his promise, Seek ye first the king-
dom of God and his righteousness, and all other
things shall he added unto you. And thus much
let it suffice to have spoken of the first point requi-
site to our effectual asking any thing of God ; name-
ABP. SlIARPE, VOL. III. E
50
A SERMON
ly, that the matter of our prayers be good, and such
as is agreeable to the will of God.
I now come to my second general head ; namely,
in what manner we are to ask of God, if we mean
that our prayers should be effectual.
Now as to this, several things the holy scriptures
require of us, which it will highly concern us to
observe, if we would put up our prayers so as that
they may be acceptable to God.
I cannot make a better distribution of them than
into these two heads :
I. First, The things that are necessary for the
preparing or disposing us to pray as we should do.
II. Secondly, The things that must accompany
our prayers, if we would have them effectual.
I. The first sort of things I call preparatives to
prayer, and they are these three :
1. First, that we purge our hearts from all actual
affection to sin.
2. Secondly, that we have fit and becoming ap-
prehensions of ourselves and our own condition.
3. Thirdly, that we have fit and becoming appre-
hensions of God.
II. The second sort of things which must accom-
pany our prayers, as they are set forth in the scrip-
tures, are these four :
1. First, that our prayers be fervent and constant.
2. Secondly, that we pray in faith.
3. Thirdly, that we put up our prayers in the
name of the Lord Jesus.
4. Fourthly, that to our prayers for any thing, we
add our own endeavours to obtain it.
I shall, at this time, confine myself to the first of
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
51
these heads, namely, what concerns our preparations
for prayer, or the qualities and dispositions we must
possess ourselves of, in order to the putting up ac-
ceptable i^rayers to God, referring the prosecution of
the latter head to some other opportunity.
Now the first thing required of us for the pre-
pai"ing and disposing us for the putting up our
prayers as we should do, is, that we purify our
hearts from all actual affection to sin ; that we come
not to God with any of our wickedness about us,
but that we do, at least in purpose and desire, put
them away from us : this is so absolutely necessary,
that there is no praying without it. Jf 1 incline
unto wickedness with imj heart, saith David, the
Lord will not hear me. We know, saith the man
in the gospel, that God heareth not sinners : but if
any man he a doer of his will, he will hear him.
Nay, God doth not only not hear sinners, but their
prayers are an abomination to him : The sacrifices
of the wicked, saith Solomon, are an abomination
to the Lord. But what then, are not wicked men
to pray? Yes, certainly, how else shall they ever
come to be good? But they must leave off their
wickedness ; or, if that cannot be done at once, or
in a moment, they must at least sincerely purpose
and resolve against it, and then put up their prayers
to God. If they do not do this, they affront God
instead of praying to him, they defy him, and put a
mockery upon him. For is it not a plain mockery,
is it not a defiance of his justice and holiness, to
come and to pretend seriously to beg pardon for my
adultery, or my drunkenness, or the like, and to im-
ploi'e the grace of the Holy Spirit to forsake these
sins, when yet at the same time I know in my own
E 2
52
A SERMON
heart that I mean, the next opportunity or occasion
that offers itself, to commit them over again ? Till
therefore we can seriously resolve to quit our evil
courses, to forsake every known, wilful, open sin, that
we are conscious to ourselves we live in, let us not
think oui'selves prepared and qualified to put up our
prayers to God. That is the first thing.
Secondly, another thing required in order to the
disposing of us for prayer is, that we have fit and
just apprehensions of ourselves and our own condi-
tion. Now this consists of two things ; first, in get-
ting our hearts deeply affected with a sense of our
wants ; and secondly, with a sense of our own mean-
ness and unworthiness. First of all, we must en-
deavour to get our minds seriously affected with a
sense of our manifold wants and necessities. If we
be not heartily sensible of what we want, it is im-
possible we should heartily pray for redress and sup-
ply ; and without such earnest prayer, as I shall
shew hereafter, we are not to expect that God will
hear us. We are then fit and prepared to pray as
we should do, when we have the same real feeling
of our spiritual needs that a hungry stomach has of
the need of meat and drink. Thus, without doubt,
was the devout Psalmist affected ; As the hart, saith
he, panteth after the b?'ooks of ivater, so longeth
my soul after thee, O God. My soul is athirst for
God, yea, even for the living God, Psal. xlii. 1, 2.
Would we therefore bring ourselves to a praying
temper, let us often take an account of the state of
our souls, and examine what wants we have to be
supplied, what sins to be pardoned, what evil affec-
tions to be mortified, what virtues and graces of the
Holy Spirit to be attained. And when we have
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
53
done this, let us make it our business to impress the
most lively sense of these things upon our souls that
is possible : to which purpose let us often represent
to them, that it is no trifling employment we go
about, when we make our addresses at the throne of
grace, but an affair of the last importance to us ; our
work there is to get strength and power against our
corruptions, to obtain deliverance from the wrath of
God due to our sins, and to get our natures trans-
formed into the image of God by righteoiisness and
true holiness. We are undone for ever, if we fail in
any of these things ; we cannot live without them ; we
need them more a great deal than the air we breathe
in ; sure therefore it will concern us to be in good
earnest. Let us think with ourselves, was I now a
slave amongst the infidels, and had for some years
endured the misery of that condition, should I not
be deeply sensible of my chains ? should I not groan
after a redemption ? should I not pray with the ut-
most earnestness, if I had any hopes that my pray-
ers would work my deliverance ? Why, under as
hard a bondage I am, if I seriously consider it, so
long as I live under the power and dominion of any
sin ; nay, and a far harder; for death will put an end
to the misery of my bodily captivity, whereas it will
only be the beginning of the sorrows and miseries of
my spiritual.
Can I then be insensible of my danger ? Can I be
cold and indifferent, when I am to beg of Heaven so
great a blessing as to be rescued from the bondage
of the Devil into the glorious liberty of the sons of
God! O my soul, think of these things ; think of thy
pressing necessities : remember thou art undone, if
God do not take pity on thee ; and how dost thou
E 3
54
A SERMON
think he should pity, if thou dost not pity thyself?
Let us never leave our souls, till, by these and such
other considerations, we have wrought them to a
hearty feeling of their own needs, and to most vehe-
ment desires of having them supplied ; which is one
great step towards a praying temper.
But, secondly, as we must get our hearts affected
with a sense of our wants, so must we also with a
sense of our own meanness and unworthiness. Of
all kinds of men the proud, and those that are full
of themselves, are the most unfit for prayer, and the
most offensive to God when they make addresses to
him. He resisteth them, he heholdcth them afar
off, as the scripture expresseth it ; that is, with an
eye of scorn : but the liumble he giveth grace to ;
the broken and the contrite heart he will never
desjnse. Accordingly we find that all the men that
have been dearest to God, and most powerful in
their prayers, have been of this temper. Abraham,
who was styled the friend of God, and from whom
God would hide none of his counsels, yet when he
approacheth to his Maker, thinks himself no better
than dust and ashes : Sehold, saith he, / have taken
upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust
and ashes. David styles himself a ivorm, and no
man. Job, who *was one of the powerful intercessors
with God that Ezekiel speaks of, his way of speak-
ing to God is, Behold I am vile, what shall I an-
swer thee ? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth ;
I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
But that which doth most remarkably shew the
necessity of this humble temper, this mean sense of
ourselves when we approach to God, is the parable
of the Pharisee and the Publican that went into the
ON MATTHEW VII. 7. 55
temple to pray; which our Saviour delivers in the
eighteenth of St. Luke : The Pharisee stood and
prayed thus with himself; God, I thanJe thee, that
I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust,
adulterers, or even as this Publican. I fast twice
in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Thus far the Pharisee ; and without doubt he said
nothing but what was true. But the Puhlican, stand-
ing afar off, ivould not lift up so much as his eyes
unto heaven, hut smote ivpon his breast, saying,
God he merciful to me a sinner. What now was
the effect of these prayers ? Verily, saith our Sa-
viour, this man went down to his house justified
rather than the other. This man, this Publican,
who was a great sinner, yet coming with humility
and contrition, with a hearty sense of his own vile-
ness, and a great shame for having offended God,
this man was justified; his prayer was accepted, and
he himself acquitted : whereas the other, the Pha-
risee, who was no scandalous sinner, but framed his
outward conversation according to the precepts of
the law, yet because he thought too highly of him-
self, was not sensible of his defects, but took a vain
complacency in the goodness of his own perform-
ances, and despised others ; this man and his prayer
were rejected. And so shall it ever fare with men of
that temper ; for, as our Saviour concludes the para-
ble, every one that exalteth himself shall be abased;
hut he that h umbleth himself shall he exalted. But
then we must take care that we be not abused with
false shows of humility : this humility and sense of
our un worthiness, that I speak of, doth not consist in
bitter declamations against ourselves, and presenting
unto God, by way of confession, long catalogues of
E 4
56
A SERMON
such sins as it is to be hoped we were never guilty
of ; no, there may lie great pride and vanity under
this veil of modesty. The temper of the Publican,
which our Saviour recommends to us, is another
kind of thing ; it is more quiet and still, it hath
more sense, but less noise and boisterousness : it is a
prostration of our souls before God in the most feeling
apprehensions of our own nothingness : it represents
us to ourselves neither better nor worse, but just as
we are, that is to say, the creatures of God, that had
been nothing without him, that are now nothing of
ourselves, but all that we are or have is from him,
and so must all that we hope for be : so that we
have no kind of thing in the world but our sins and
follies that we can call our own ; and those, God
knows, are so far from affording matter of boasting
to us, that they ought to fill us with shame and con-
fusion. So far are they from entitling us to the fa-
vour of God, or any blessing from him, that we look
upon them as instances of great ingratitude for
those he hath already vouchsafed, and which render
us utterly unworthy of his mercies for the time to
come. Upon a lively sense and apprehension of these
things, we absolutely quit ourselves ; we renounce
all creature-dependencies, we throw ourselves at the
footstool of the great God, confessing our meanness,
ashamed of our follies, bewailing our unthankful-
ness, acknowledging our inability to help ourselves,
and professing to rely on God, and God only, for
every thing we expect, or desire, or hope for.
And thus much of the second requisite to a due
preparation and disposition of mind for prayer.
I proceed to the third and last, and that is, the
possessing our minds with worthy and becoming ap-
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
57
prehensions of God : now this likewise consists in
two things especially :
First, In having a lively sense of God's greatness
and majesty.
Secondly, A full and hearty belief of his goodness.
Of these two things briefly, and I have done.
First, in order to the further preparing and dis-
posing our minds for prayer, we must labour to pos-
sess our hearts with a deep sense of God's infinite
and incomprehensible majesty. Would we be in a
temper and disposition to pray as we should do ; let
it be deeply impressed upon our minds, who it is
that we pray to ; even no other than the sovereign
Lord of heaven and earth, that was from everlasting
and is to everlasting. It is he that by his breath
made us and every thing that is ; and by the same
breath of his mouth can sink us and the world into
its first nothing. It is he. in comparison of whom all
nations are not so much as a drop of the bucket to
the ocean, or a dust of the balance to the whole earth,
before whom ten thousand times ten thousand glori-
ous angels do daily minister. It is he that hath all
perfections in himself and of himself, being infinite
in knowledge and wisdom and power, and all other
excellencies. He that is present to us and to all the
world at the same time, he'mg about our beds, and
about our paths, and under statidmg all our ways,
so that there is not a thought in our hearts, nor a
word in our tongues, but he hnoweth it altogether.
Lastly, it is he that is all holiness and purity, all per-
fect light, and in him there is no darkness at all,
nor can he behold the least iniquity with approba-
tion. These conceptions, these apprehensions we are
to have of God, if we would put ourselves into a
58
A SERMON
temper fit to approach him ; and not only to have
them in our understandings, but to impress them
most powerfully upon our hearts ; to get a lasting
sense of them upon our spirits, that so at all times,
when we come before God, we may behave our-
selves to him as becomes us ; and certainly, if we
were thus affected with the excellencies of his Ma-
jesty, we should so behave ourselves : we should
prostrate ourselves before him in the lowest humi-
lity of our souls and bodies : we should be careful of
our thoughts when we speak to him, that they did
not wander from him, and spend themselves vainly
and unprofitably when they should be fixed upon
him. We should be careful of our words, that they
were never rude and unseemly, but such as became
such poor creatures to so great a King. In a word,
we should take care to perform all our oflSces of
worship to him with the greatest fear and rev^e-
rence, with seriousness and attention, with modesty
and zeal, with the least straying of thought or dis-
composedness of mind that the infirmities of our
nature will allow of.
But, secondly, among all the rest of God's excel-
lencies and perfections, we ought more particularly,
in order to the praying as we should do, to get our
hearts possessed with a sense of his goodness. This
is that, which above all other things, will put life
and vigour into our prayers, will both stir us up to
this duty, and support us in the performance of it :
He that cometli to God, saith St. Paul, must believe
that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that
diligently seek him. Whoever is fully persuaded of
this, will affectionately seek God, and will find the
greatest comfort in the world in so doing; but he
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
59
that is without this sense of the love and kindness
of God will but move heavily in his devotions, all
his services will be coldly and languidly performed,
because they are in a manner forced, they sprang
not from love and hope, but from fear and awe.
Let us therefore take care to represent God to
ourselves, the most kind, and loving, and benign Be-
ing that is conceivable. Let us be persuaded heartily
that he loves us, and takes care of us; that he pities
our infirmities, and hath a sense of our wants, and
is as ready to relieve us, and to give us whatsoever
we stand in need of, as we can be to ask him. Cer-
tainly we have all the reason in the world to believe
this : the notions we have of his nature do lay the
grounds for such a belief ; the revelations he hath
made of himself in his word do confirm it ; and all
his dealings with mankind, from the beginning of
the world to this day, are but so many experiences
that we have of the truth of it. Can he that made
us at first, and that still preserves us, renewing his
mercies and compassion upon us every moment ;
(nay, there is not a minute of our lives wherein we
are not indebted to him for a thousand benefits ;)
can such a Being be harsh, or severe, or penurious
to his creatures ? can he be forgetful of them, or
want bowels of pity, when they cry to him ? He
that sent his own Son to die for us, shall he not with
Mm freely give us all things f He that gave us the
greatest blessings, shall he not give us less ones ?
as the apostle argues. No, let us assure ourselves,
no father doth in that degree pity his children, as
the Lord is merciful to them that fear him ; so the
Psalmist tells us : nay, a heathen poet could say.
That man is more dear to God than he is to himself :
60 A SERMON ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
and if we do not feel more effects of his love, (though
those that we do feel are not to be named,) it is be-
cause we will not open our hearts or our hands to
receive them. The communications of God are as
ready at hand as the air we breathe in, and they
press into all rightly-disposed souls : but those souls
that are narrow and sensual, that grovel upon the
earth, and will not cast up their eyes, though it were
to make a purchase of the stars, it is no wonder
that those men continue in darkness, and partake
but little of the light of God's countenance ; since
they love darkness better than light, they value the
gratification of a sensual brutish appetite before the
possession of the greatest good in the world.
Thus have I given you an account of those gene-
ral qualifications or dispositions that are requisite in
a man to make him fit for prayer : and this, I be-
lieve, I may say, that whosoever will take care to
get his mind into such a frame as I have been now
representing, it will be very easy to him to perform
all such other particular conditions required in the
scriptures to make his prayers acceptable, and which
yet remain to be spoken to : that is to say, he will
herel)y be the better enabled to pray fervently and
constantly, he will be in a better disposition to ask in
faith ; he will the more easily see the necessity of
putting up prayers in the name and for the merits
of our Lord Jesus. He will be the more inclined to
be in charity with all the world, when he comes to
beg mercies for himself ; and, lastly, he will hereby
be convinced how necessary it is, that to his prayers
for good things he should also add his own endea-
vours for the obtaining of them : but another time
must be taken for that.
A SERMON
ON
MATTHEW VII. 7.
Ash, and it shall be given you ; seeJc, and ye shall find ;
hiock; and it shall be opened unto you.
The last time I preached upon this text, my de-
sign was to give an account of the requisites or con-
ditions which we are to observe in our prayers, if
we expect to have this promise of our Lord's in the
text made good to us ; that is to say, how we are to
ask, and seek, and knock, in order to the receiving
what we ask, finding what we seek, and obtaining
admittance upon our knocking.
Now these conditions or requisites of prayer are
either such as concern the matter of our prayers, or
the things we are to pray for ; or, secondly, such as
concern the manner of our prayers, or the qualifica-
tions with which we are to put them up.
The first of these I have already largely discoursed
of; and what I said upon this head may be reduced
to these four propositions :
First, Whatever is not just or lawful in itself
ought not to be the matter of our prayers ; for to
ask such things is really to affront God Almighty.
Secondly, Several things may be very just in
themselves, and yet it will be very unjust in us to
ask them ; as, for instance, when we ask either
things that we need not, or ask them to evil pur-
poses, for the making for the flesh to fulfil the lusts
thereof.
62
A SERMON
Thirdly, Even such things as we think we have
need of, and which we may very lawfully pray for,
yet if they be things of a temporal nature, we cannot
ask them absolutely and peremptorily of God, but
only with this condition, if God sees them fit for us ;
for all temporal blessings we must put up our
prayers with such perfect submission to God, as to
say from our hearts with our Saviour, Not my will,
O Lord, hut thine he done. And the reason is, be-
cause we are at no time certain, whether any of
those outward things we desire are really good for
us : they may prove either real evils to us, or there
may be something which is much better for us, for
which reason it is very unfit we should be our ewn
carvers, but refer ourselves entirely to God, who
alone knows what our true interests are.
And therefore, fourthly and lastly, there remains
but one kind of thing which we can positively, and
with assurance of success, pray to God for ; and
these ai'e all spiritual blessings ; all the things that
concern either our living a holy life here, or a happy,
eternal life hereafter ; these we may peremptorily
ask of God, and depend upon him that he will gi-ant
them, provided we ask as we should do ; for these
can never be hurtful either to us or to the world,
and therefore will alway be agreeable to the will of
God.
In the second place, as for the requisites that con-
cern the manner of our prayers, or the qualifications
with which we are to put them up, I distributed
them into these two heads :
First, those that are necessary for the preparing
or disposing us to pray as we should do. Secondly,
those that must accompany our prayers, if we would
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
63
have them effectual. The first sort of things I call
preparatives to prayer ; and those I likewise treated
of in the former Sermon, and therefore I shall now
only name them. In order to a due preparation for
prayer, or the getting ourselves into a devout praying
temper, there are these five things required : first,
that we purge our hearts of all actual affections to
sin ; that we come not to God with any of our
wickednesses about us, but that we do, at least in
purpose and design, put them away from us.
Secondl)^ that we endeavour to get our hearts
deeply affected with a sense of our manifold wants
and necessities.
Thirdly, that we get our hearts affected with a
lively sense of our own vileness and unworthiness,
upon account of our manifold sins and transgres-
sions.
Fourthly, that we be duly sensible of the infinite
greatness and majesty of that God to whom we do
approach in our prayers, that so we may make our
applications with that decency, and seriousness, and
attention, and fear, and reverence, that become such
poor creatures to so glorious a Majesty.
Fifthly, that we endeavour to possess our minds
' with a firm belief and feeling apprehension of God's
I infinite goodness, really looking upon him to be
what he is, a most kind, indulgent, compassionate
j Father to all his creatures, that he is as ready to
give us whatever we want, as we can possibly be to
ask it.
And thus much of preparation for prayer : I
come now, in the second place, to treat of those
I other things that must accompany our prayers, and
which it will concern us to observe, if we would
64
A SERMON
have our prayers acceptable ; and they are likewise
five :
First, that our prayers be fervent and constant.
Secondly, tliat we pray in faith.
Thirdly, that we pray in charity.
Fourthly, that we put up our prayers in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Fifthly, that to our prayers for any thing we add
our own endeavours. And these I design for the
heads of my following Discourse.
The first condition that must accompany our
prayers for the rendering them effectual is, great
fervour and constancy ; that is, that we do in the
most hearty, serious, and affectionate manner, put up
our requests to God ; and likewise that we persevere
in so doing. Both these things are necessary ; for
whatsoever prayers we put up with coldness and in-
differency, in such a careless, languid way, as if we
mattered not whether we were heard or no, we can
never expect they should be effectual, though we ap-
proach to the throne of grace never so often. And
on the other side, be we never so earnest, yet if it be
but for once or twice, or by fits and starts, as we are
in an humour ; if we let our suit fall, if we do not
continue and persevere in it, there is little likelihood
we shall attain what we pray for. We must join
both together, great fervency and intenseness of
mind, and great constancy and perseverance : and
this is the full importance of our Saviour's command
in the 18th of St. Luke, That men ought always to
pray, and not to faint. This is that which is meant
by seeking and knocking in ray text ; we must not
only ask, but we must seek, we must knock; in
each of which expressions the latter still imports
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
65
some further degree of earnestness and application of
I mind, than was implied in the former. Surely this
is that which the apostle speaks of in that advice of
his, of continuing instant in jwayep, Rom. xii. 12.
of praying always with all prayer and supplica-
tion, and watching thereunto with all perseverance,
Eph. vi. 18.
But of all other passages of scripture, the neces-
sity and efficacy of this importunity in prayer that
we speak of, is most lively set forth to us by our
blessed Saviour in that remarkable parable of his in
the eleventh of St. Luke's Gospel ; Which of you,
saith he, shall have a friend, and shall go unto him
at midnight, and shall say unto him. Friend, lend
me three loaves ; for a friend of mine in his jour-
ney is come unto me, and I have nothing to set he-
fore him ? And he from within shall answer and
say. Trouble me not: for the door is now shut, and
my children are with me in bed ; I cannot rise and
give thee. I say unto you. Though he will not rise
and give him, because he is his friend, yet be-
cause of his importunity he will rise and give him
as many as he needeth. And then follows the ap-
plication of the parable, in the same words as are in
my text ; Ash, and it shall be given you ; seek,
and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be opened
unto you.
It is true, we cannot from this parable draw this
conclusion, that God is like the man here spoken of,
that he wants kindness to his friends, and that if he
doth grant their i-equests, it is not so much out of
love, as that he may be freed from the trouble of
their importunities : this is decent enough to be said
of a man, and therefore our Saviour so puts the pa-
ABP. SHARPE, VOL. III. F
66
A SERMON
rable : but it cannot be applied to an infinitely wise
and good God, who never can be disturbed by others,
nor is he put to any disturbance or trouble, in order
to the conferring his benefits. But thus much cer-
tainly the very frame of the parable leads us to con-
clude ; that many things that God will not give us
without our prayers, he will give us, if we pray to
him for them. And those things that God will not
grant upon our slight and lazy prayers, he will grant
if we be earnest and importunate and constant in
them : so that it concerns every person, if he would
obtain what he prays for, to take this course, both to
pray fervently, and to continue in so doing. For
instance, do you find that you do not make such
advances in virtue and goodness as you desire ; but,
notwithstanding your good resolutions, you are
under the power of many corruptions, which your
nature or your former customs do strongly incline
you to ? You think now that prayer to God for his
grace to assist and strengthen you is a good remedy
in this case ; and so certainly it is ; but you are
mistaken, if you think that praying once or twice,
though it be very heartily, will do the business. Nor
are you to conclude, that because you do not on a
sudden find that strength or assistance which you
expected when you prayed for it, that therefore God
hath no kindness for you, or that he will not answer
your prayers. Much less are you to reason thus
with yourself : God knows that I want the as-
sistance of his Spirit to overcome my vicious affec-
tions, and he knows that I heartily desire it, and he
knows that I have more than once prayed for it, and
therefore to what purpose should I be further trouble-
some to him with my prayers ? No, this is never the
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
67
way to obtain what we desire ; let us rather redouble
our devotions ; let us rather continue to knock more
earnestly and more importunately at the gate of
mercy for the supply of our wants. If we use this
method, if we thus, with zeal and diligence and pa-
tience, keep waiting upon God, there is no manner
of doubt but that he will at last fulfil the desires of
our souls, and give us such a measure of his grace
and Spirit as shall enable us to conquer all difficul-
ties, to overcome all temptations, and to vanquish
every lust, every corruption that can make head
against us.
Some perhaps may be apt to wonder why God
should require this importunity we speak of as a
condition of his answering our prayers ; why he
should not as well grant our requests at the first
time of our putting them up, if we put them up
seriously and heartily, as after many repetitions of
them. But the answer is easy : for the same reason
that God requires us to pray at all, in order to the
obtaining his benefits, for the same reason it is ne-
cessary we should pray with fervency and constancy ;
his goodness is such that he would supply us with
every thing we stand in need of without praying,
were it not that praying is good for us ; that he sees
we receive many advantages thereby, besides the ob-
taining the direct blessing we pray for ; and there-
fore it is that he hath so indispensably ordered it.
We do not pray to inform God of our wants, or to
persuade him by our arguments to supply them :
but God hath therefore obliged us to pray, because
it is eternally reasonable, and makes much to the
improving in us all those qualities in which the per-
fection of our natures doth consist, that we should
F 2
68
A SERMON
continually depend upon him for every good thing
we need ; of which dependance prayer is the proper
expression.
Indeed, if we considered well, we should find the
benefits that come to us by prayer (without taking
the granting or answering of our prayers into the
consideration) are inestimable. Prayer raiseth up
our souls above this world, and makes them capable
of the communications and impressions of the divine
nature. It is the most natural means in the world
to allay all troublesome passions, to revive and
strengthen all good purposes and resolutions, to fill
the mind with joy and peace and consolation, in
all circumstances and conditions of life. Lastly, it
is the best exercise of all those virtues and graces
that we have, as well as it is the proper means and
instrument for the getting those we have not.
Since now all these good ends are served by prayer,
all these benefits are attained by it, it cannot be
thought unreasonable that God should require that
this prayer should be fervent and constant. Nay, if
God had not required it, reason must tell us that it
ought to be so, since all the aforesaid ends will there-
by be the better served ; all the aforesaid benefits
will be thereby obtained in a greater degree and pro-
portion.
But I proceed to the second condition which God
requires in our prayers, in order to their being effec-
tual, and that is, that we ask in faith.
This is a condition ordered by our Saviour to his
apostles, in St. Matthew xxi. 22. All things, saith
he, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye
shall receive. And thus also St. James speaks to all
Christians, in the first chapter of his Epistle, and the
ON MATTHEW VII. 7. 69
5th and 6th verses ; If any of you lack ivisdom, let
him ash of God, that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ash in faith, nothing wavering. For
he that ivavereth is lihe a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed. For let not that man
think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
The question here is, what it is to ash believing, or
to ask in faith. Is it to ask with a full persuasion
and assurance that that which I pray for shall cer-
tainly be granted me ? No, certainly ; a great many
may ask in faith that have not this full assurance or
persuasion. I must own indeed that to pray in faith
doth sometimes, in the New Testament, signify to
pray with a confidence that what is prayed for will
be granted ; and I cannot deny but that the words
of our Saviour I now quoted, in their primary sense,
and as they were spoken to the apostles, had a re-
spect to such a faith as this ; for he spoke them upon
occasion of the sudden withering away of the fig
tree, which he had cursed the day before : at which
when the apostles much marvelled, our Saviour saith
to them, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall
not only do this which is done to the fig tree, hut
also if ye shall say to this mountain. Be thou re-
moved, and be thou cast into the sea ; it shall be
done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in
prayer believing, ye shall receive. No doubt our
Saviour here speaks of praying with such a faith as
implied a full persuasion and assurance that they
could do any extraordinary thing, work any miracle
for the confirmation of the truth of the gospel : and
such a faith God did in those times inspire the apo-
stles with, and others the first planters of the gospel:
F 3
70
A SERMON
and it is of such a faith that St. Paul speaks, when
he says. If I had all faith, so that I could remove
mountains. But then we are to remember that this
sort of faith was one of the miraculous gifts which
were conferred upon the apostles, and was peculiar
to their times, and was altogether as extraordinary
as the gift of tongues was ; so that we of this age
have nothing to do with it.. Praying in faith, as it
concerns us, is quite another thing, and can imply
no more than one of these two things :
First, the praying with a hearty belief both that
God is able to grant the requests I put up to him,
and that, for the sake of Jesus Christ, he will do it,
supposing that it will be for his glory and my good ;
and also supposing that I perform all the conditions
that are required on my part towards the obtaining
of it. This is praying with faith ; and thus every
one that prays ought to be affected, otherwise he
doth great injury to God, or is guilty of unbelief in
the promises of Jesus Christ. But then this is quite
a diiOTerent thing from praying with a persuasion or
assurance that the thing we pray for shall be granted
us ; for that supposeth both that we are certain that
that we pray for is for God's glory and for our good,
and likewise that we are certain that we have per-
formed all the conditions that are required on our
part for the obtaining of it : but I doubt very few
can satisfy themselves as to both these things.
But, secondly, there is another notion of praying
in faith besides this, and which I believe is chiefly
intended by St. James, in that passage of his I before
quoted ; namely, taking faith in the ordinary signi-
fication of it, that is to say, for a firm adherence to
the doctrine of Christ, a constancy in the profession
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
■71
and practice of the Christian religion ; so that to
pray in faith is to pray to God with a full purpose
of heart, (let what will come,) to believe and to live
like a Christian, not to use any indirect means, or to
depart from the sincerity of my Christian profession,
for the gaining any ends whatsoever. This, I say,
seems to be the sense of the apostle in this place.
His design, in this chapter, is to comfort the Chris-
tians under their persecutions ; Count it all joy,
saith he, wheii ye fall into divers temptations;
Ttnowing this, that the trying of your faith worh-
ehh patience. But let patience have her perfect
worTt, that ye may he perfect and entire, wanting
nothing. But now, lest it should be objected that a
man may want wisdom and discretion to manage
himself under these trials and temptations, and so
for want of that miscarry ; to obviate that, he tells
them, in the next verse, how they may furnish them-
selves with that wisdom and discretion that is neces-
sary for them, namely, by asking it of God : Hut
then, saith he, it ivill he fit that they ask it in faith,
not wavering ; that is to say, they must keep close
to God, having no inconstancy or uncertainty in
their minds as to that point. They must not be
like some of the Jewish Christians at that time, who,
for fear of persecution, were at any time ready to
forsake Christ. No ; if they were of this humour,
they were no l)etter than waves of the sea, driven
and tossed by every wind; and such men must
never think they shall receive any thing of the
Lord; heing double-minded and unstable in all
their ways. If they will obtain wisdom, let them
behave themselves in persecution as they ought ; let
them stick fast to their profession, and let them never
F 4
72
A SERMON
waver in that ; and then they shall be sure to be as-
sisted of God.
Taking now this for a true account of this pas-
sage, it appears, that for us to pi'cnj in faith doth not
so much consist in a confidence that our prayers
shall be heard, (which is the common opinion,) but
in putting up our prayers in a firm belief of Chris-
tianity, and hearty resolution to adhere to it, in a
constant practice of what it requires, fixing it firmly
in our hearts that we will not depart from any point
of our duty, nor use any unwarrantable means, nor
do the least thing that is inconsistent with the reli-
gion we profess, though it were for the gaining the
greatest worldly good or advantage ; and certainly,
whoever comes to God thus qualified, his prayers
will never fail of acceptance.
Thirdly, another condition that God requires in
our prayers, in order to their being effectual, is, that
we pray in charity. This is a thing which our Sa-
viour hath laid great stress upon ; for he hath ex-
pressly and particularly mentioned it in that form of
prayer which he taught his disciples, and which all
Christians ever since have constantly used to put up
to God among their daily devotions. Nay, he hath
so mentioned it, that every one that saith that prayer
must be intolerably impudent in saying it, if he be
not in charity with all the world. For if you mind
it, we cannot use the Lord's Prayer without making
a solemn profession before God that we desire the
forgiveness of our sins upon no other terms than our
forgiving those that have offended us : Forgive us
our trespasses, say we, as we forgive them that
trespass against us. And, which is further observ-
able, when our Saviour had delivered this prayer to
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
73
his disciples, to be for ever used by them, he makes
no reflection, no observation upon any other of the
petitions but only this, (which seems to be a further
enforcing of this business of charity,) a putting an
emphasis upon it in an extraordinary manner. If,
saith he, just after he had concluded the prayer, ye
forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you : but if ye forgive not men
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive
your trespasses, Matthew vi. 14. Nay, so indis-
pensable a qualification he hath made this, of being
j in charity with all men, in order to the putting up
our prayers to God, that he tells us plainly, that
though we are just a going to say our prayers,
though we have brought our sacrifice to the altar,
in order to the offering it up to God, yet if we even
then remember that our brother hath ought against
us, if we then call to mind that we are at difference
i with any man, that we have done any injury that
we have not made satisfaction for, that there is any
breach between us and our neighbour, which through
our fault is not made up ; in that case we are to
leave our sacrifice, unoffered as it is, before the al-
tar, and go our ways, and first to be reconciled to
our brother, and then afterwards to come and offer
our gift. Matt. v. 23, 24. I heartily wish this point
was seriously considered by all those that pretend
to be the disciples of Jesus Christ ; if it was, there
either would be more charity or less pretence of re-
ligion and devotion ; men would either live peace-
ably, and maintain perfect love and friendship and
society one with another, or they could not say their
daily prayers without their flying back in their faces :
they would blush to think of the impudence with
74
A SERMON
which they approached the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Fourthly, another condition that is required of us
in our prayers, in order to the having them accepted,
is, that we put them all up in the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Three or four times doth our Saviour mention this
condition to his disciples ; lVhatsoeve9\ saith he, ye
shall ask in my name, that ivill I do, John xiv. 13.
And again, in the next verse. If ye shall ask any
thing- in my name, I will do it. And again, in the
next chapter, and the l6th verse, that whatsoever
ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may
give it you: and so again in the sixteenth chapter and
the 23d verse, Verily, verily, I say unto you, What-
soever ye shall ask the Father iti my name, he will
give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my
name : ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may
he full. This is a piece of duty and honour that all
we Christians to the world's end do owe to our Mas-
ter Jesus Christ ; and indeed without the payment
of it we have no warrant to expect that our prayers
will find acceptance. Certain it is, that it is upon
the account and for the sake of Jesus Christ, and the
merits of that sacrifice which he once offered upon
the cross, and which he now, as our High Priest,
continually exhibits and presents to God our Father
in the highest heavens : it is, I say, for the sake and
in the consideration of this, that God hath made any
promise to mankind, that he will be merciful or
gracious to them, or that he will accept any sacrifice
of prayer or praise that they offer to him. It is to
this that we owe the pardon of our sins, and the
grace and the assistance of the Holy Spirit, and the
ON MATTHEW VII. 7. 75
J
favour of God, and the peace of our conscience, and,
in a word, all the benefits, both spiritual oi- temporal,
j or eternal, that we hope for from our prayers. And
I therefore infinite reason is there, that we should make
acknowledgments of this to God whenever we make
approaches to him : Christ is the standing, perpetiial
Mediator between God and man ; and through him
only we can have access to the Father : and therefore
to present our petitions, either in our own name,
or in any other name but his, is to forsake that me-
thod which God hath put us into for the obtaining
benefits from him. Indeed, one of the two great
offices that our Saviour now executes in heaven, and
which he will execute to the end of the world, is, to
present the prayers of all his servants unto God, and
with them to present the merits of his own sacrifice,
that in the consideration thereof they may be ac-
cepted ; and in this chiefly consists the exercise of
I Christ's everlasting priesthood. Our prayers, without
his presenting them, would not be effectual ; it is his
j intercession that procures the answer and return of
j them. And therefore certainly in us, that know this
j method of God's hearing and granting of prayer, it
I would be intolerable to put up any prayers without
mention of, or respect to, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let others therefore, who are not so well instructed
in the Christian dispensation, address to whom they
please, and l)y what mediators they please, whether
in heaven or in earth, as there he gods many, and
lords many so called: but to us there is but one
God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in
him, and one Mediator between God and man, the
Ltord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we
by him, as the apostle hath told us.
76
A SERMON
But, fifthly and lastly, another condition required
of us, if we would receive benefits by our prayers, is,
that to our prayers we join our own endeavours for
the obtaining what we pray for. We are then to
expect the answer of God to our petitions when we
do vigorously put out all that strength he hath given
us, and make use of all those means he hath pre-
scribed us for the effecting our desires. To think
that God will do our work alone without any con-
currence of ours, save only our saying, Lord, have
mercy upon me ! is most foolish and ridiculous ; it is
just the madness of those men that the orator laughs
at, who, when a storm of great hailstones fell upon
their heads, they cried mightily to God to deliver
them from the danger, but never stirred a step to
seek for shelter. If God had made us mere engines
and machines, I grant it were reasonable to expect
he should carry us on to the end he made us for,
without any help of ours ; but since God hath given
us reason to direct us, and eyes to see with, and hands
to act with, and feet to go with, and hath so contrived
our natures, that happiness is to be the reward of our
own choice, and not the effect of irresistible power,
it is the extremity of folly to think that our prayers,
without our endeavours, will do us any good ; nay,
indeed it is impudence to wish it : he that desires to
obtain any blessing, either spiritual or temporal,
without his doing all he can towards it, his prayer is
just of the same strain of modesty, as if he should say
in these terms, Lord, give me this or the other bless-
ing which thou seest I want, but at the same time
be pleased to forget that thou hast made me a ra-
tional creature ; deal with me as if I were a stock or
a stone, and could do nothing towards the helping
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
77
myself. I want this blessing; O let me have it,
though it be against all the reason in the world that
I should have it ; and thou thyself canst not grant
it me, but thou must depart from all those wise and
good rules and methods which thou hast set down
to thyself in the government of the world.
Doth not such a prayer as this deserve to be an-
swered? Yes, certainly, but with indignation and
scorn ; and yet such prayers as these do we all make
to God when we pray without endeavouring : as, for
instance, when we pray to God to forgive us our sins,
and yet take no care to amend our lives ; when we
pray to God to strengthen our good purposes and
resolutions, and yet take no care to think, and to
consider, and to renew them frequently ; when we
pray to be delivered from this or the other particu-
lar sin that we are too apt to fall into, and yet do
not guard ourselves against it ; take no care to avoid
those temptations that usually betray us into it, nor
make use of those remedies which prudence and re-
ligion do furnish us with for the avoiding it. Above
all things therefore it concerns us, that at the same
time we pray to be good, we sincerely, in all our ac-
tions, do endeavour to be so ; that at the same time
we pray for God's grace and holy Spirit, we do what
we can to allure and draw him down into our hearts,
by purifying ourselves from all worldly and carnal
lusts, and by cherishing and encouraging all the good
motions we feel in our souls. No, a great many have
found to their cost the vanity of such an imagina-
tion : they have prayed most heartily and feelingly
against such particular sins as they are most inclined
to, and for the attainment of such particular virtues
as they most needed ; and yet it has often happened.
78
A SERMON
that, on the very same day when they have made
these devout prayers, they have been overtaken by
that sin they prayed against, and rather gone back-
wards than forwards, as to the virtue they aspired
after. How now comes this to pass ? did not God
hear their prayers ? They indeed are apt to think
so, and to charge him with unkindness for it ; but
they are much to blame for so doing : there is no
doubt but that God did thus far liear and grant
their petitions, that he did all that was needful on
his part for the preventing those sins and increasing
those virtues which were the subject of their prayers.
He gave grace and strength sufficient to the men for
the producing those effects they did desire : but the
men did not do their part ; they did not make use
of that strength, they did not watch over themselves
as they should have done ; they did not endeavour
to avoid those temptations which used to betray
them into that sin, nor take those opportunities
which God put into their hands for the improWng
of their virtue ; and here the fault of the miscarriage
is to be laid. God is always ready and willing to
send down his influences and communications upon
every soul that is prepared and disposed to receive
them : and that grace which he affords shall always
have that effect we desire, if we do but cooperate
with it, if we by our sloth and negligence do not be-
tray the cause of God to the common enemy.
Christians, therefore, all of you that hear me this
day, if ever you mean to be good, if ever you mean
to be happy, if ever you expect God's favour and
acceptance in this world and in the other, let me
desire you to consider and remember this : as the
gi'eat business of your life, in order to the attaining
ON MATTHEW VII. 7.
79
these ends, must be to pray to God most earnestly
and constantly for his dh'ection, and assistance, and
influence, and blessing, in all that you go about;
and as you must put up your prayers in faith, and
charity, and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
our great Mediator ; so it will also concern you par-
ticularly, if you would have these prayers effectual,
to contribute yourselves to the efficacy of them, by
using your earnest endeavours to work in and for
yourselves all that you desire God to work in you
and for you. You are, on the one hand, so to pray,
as if God was to do all, and you could do nothing,
(as it is certainly true ;) and yet, on the other hand,
you are so to labour and endeavour, as if the whole
success of the business did depend upon yourselves,
(and this is true also :) if you fail in either of these
things, you will be disappointed in your aims ; but
if you join both together, you may depend upon it
that God will give you every thing that is needful
for you : and however things go, you shall at least
be tolerably happy in this world, but unspeakably
for ever happy in the next.
Which that we may all be, God of his infinite
mercy grant, &cc.
A SERMON
ON
1 COR. XIV. 15.
What is it then ? I will pray with the spirit, and I will
pray with the understanding also.
This text, at the first view, seems a little remote
from the business of this day, which is to commemo-
rate the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the apostles,
and the manifold and wonderful gifts which he then
conferred vipon them : but when it comes to be ex-
plained, you will see it perfectly falls in with that
argument ; the subject-matter of this text, as you
will find, being one of those spiritual, extraordinary
powers of the Holy Ghost then given to them ; which
are the proper objects of our meditation on this day.
There is none of us so ignorant as not to have
heard of this term of jprmjing by the Spirit, or so
little acquainted with the state of religion in this
nation, as not to be sensible what a bone of conten-
tion it has been, and still is amongst us. All parties
do agree that we ought to pray hy the Spirit as
much as we can ; that is, that we ought by all means
to endeavour after the assistance of the Holy Spirit
in our prayers, and that then we pray most effec-
tually to God when we are most assisted by him.
Thus far, I say, we are all agreed ; but then, here
we come to be divided ; some of us think, (namely,
those that are of the communion of the church,) that,
as the measure of the Spirit's assistance is now af-
forded in the world, all the influence we are to ex-
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15.
81
pect from the Spirit in our prayers is exciting in us
pious desires, and devout affections, and faith in God,
and resignation of ourselves to him, and those other
qualities and dispositions of mind that tend to make
our prayers acceptable to our heavenly Father.
But as to the form of our prayers, whether they
be long or short, whether they be put into words, or
sent up in thoughts and wishes, or if put into words,
whether they be conceived on a sudden or premedi-
tated, or whether they be in a set form of our com-
posing, or in a form of words appointed us by others,
we think these things no way concern our praying
hy the Spirit ; we think we may as much pray by
the Spirit in one way as in the other.
If we make any difference it is this, that at all
times we think it more decent and more suitable to
the reverence and dread we ought to have of the
divine Majesty, to offer up to him such prayers as
we have well studied and thought on, than the sud-
den eruptions of our minds, especially in our more
solemn addresses to the throne of grace ; but then
when we come to worship God in public, we think
it not only a matter of decency, but of duty too, if
any set form be enjoined us by authority, to let alone
our private conceived prayers, and to make use of
that form.
On the contrary, there are others among us that
think we may expect the same assistance of the Spi-
rit in our prayers that the apostles and other first
Christians in the miraculous times did, and that God
doth inspire his servants, especially his ministers,
both with the matter of their prayers, and with the
form too ; putting not only the things that they
should pray for into their hearts, but, the very words
ABP. SHARPE, VOL, III. G
82
A SERMON
and phrases into their mouths ; and they account
that this is the only prayiiig hy the Spirit ; from
whence they conclude, that no set forms of prayer
are to be allowed, especially in the public service of
God, because they are human inventions, of man's
making, and not dictated or inspired by the Holy
Ghost : the result of which sort of notions and prin-
ciples is this, that upon occasion hereof not only a
great disgust is taken at our worship, but men think
themselves obliged in conscience to separate from
our communion, because our church is so far from
enjoining, that she discourages those spiritual pray-
ers, tying us up to a set form of service. How, say
they, can we join with your church, when your ser-
vice is only will-worship ? You have no praying by
the Spirit among you, but every one reads his pray-
ers out of a book : can that be a pure apostolical
church of Christ that thus suppresses and stifles the
gifts of the Spirit, expressly contrary to the apostle's
command, who bids us not to quench the Spirit f
This, as I take it, is the state of the difference
amongst us, as to the point of prmjing hy the Spi-
rit; not that I would insinuate that all the Dissenters
carry the matter so far as I have now represented ;
for a great many of them do allow of forms of prayer,
nay, and zealously contend for them ; but others are
as much against them, and that upon the grounds I
have now mentioned.
Having so fair an occasion now given me, (the
argument of the day being the gifts of the Spirit,) I
mean with all plainness and brevity to discuss this
matter ; and I hope I shall put it in so fair a light,
that there can no doubt remain with any one on
what side of the question the truth lies : and I will
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15.
83
do my endeavour likewise to manage this dispute
with such temper, that even they that are of a differ-
ent opinion shall have no reason to be offended ;
for I often think of a saying of Mr, Chillingworth's,
" I would in the pulpit use none as enemies but the
" Devil and sin."
The method I shall take in the discussing this
point shall be to make out these four following propo-
sitions ; which, if they can be made out, all the diffi-
culty that seems to be in this argument does per-
fectly vanish.
First of all, therefore, I shall shew that praying
by the Spirit, in the sense that the apostle meant, is
so far from being a perpetual duty required of all
Christians, that, as far as we know, no Christian
now living can with reason pretend to that gift.
Secondly, I shall shew that that which is now
called praying by the Spirit, that is, the conceiving
of prayers on a sudden, without study and premedi-
tation, and expressing our conceptions with great
fluency and movingness of words and gestures, is so
far from being the immediate effect of the Spirit of
God, that, generally speaking, it is the effect of art
or industry, or a present heat of temper.
Thirdly, I shall shew, that if there be any other
notion of praying by the Spirit in scripture, such as
is to be extended to all times and ages of Chris-
tianity, and is not peculiar to the apostolical age,
that notion will every jot as well fit and suit with
set forms of prayer, as with those prayers that we
call extemporary.
Fourthly, I shall shew that though we should
suppose that God, even in these days, doth assist
men both as to the matter and even the words of
G 2
84
A SERMON
their prayers, yet we have more reason to believe
that the public prayers of the church were indited
and contrived by that Spirit of God, than we have to
believe that any private man's prayers are, and con-
sequently that when we use them we pray as much by
the Spirit as when we use sudden conceived prayers.
I begin with the first of these propositions, which
is this ; that praying hy the Spirit, in the sense of
the text I am now upon, (which indeed is the chief
text that gave rise to this expression, and accord-
ingly the meaning of the expression ought to be go-
verned by the meaning of the text ; I say, praying
hy the Spirit, as the apostle here speaks of it,) is so
far from lieing a perpetual duty required of aU Chris-
tians, that it is much to be doubted whether any
Christian now living can with any reason pretend to
that gift.
And the reason is evident, because this was one of
the extraordinary, miraculous gifts, which God, for
the gaining credit to Christianity, and supplying the
necessities of the then infant church, was pleased to
confer upon the apostles and other Christians of
that age ; which gifts, as Christianity got footing in
the world, did by degrees wear out, and at last per-
fectly ceased.
Now that praying hy the Spirit was one of those
extraordinary graces, it is plain enough from the
whole discourse of the apostle in this chapter ; for,
according to him, praying with the Spirit, and sing-
ing with the Spirit, and hlessing with the Spirit, are
but so many several exercises of the gift of lan-
guages, or that power which the Christians were
then endowed with of speaking in unknown tongues
which they had never learnt.
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15.
85
I shall make the matter very plain to you. The
church of Corinth, to whom St. Paul writes this
Epistle, was at that time favoured with many emi-
nent gifts of the Spirit : but it seems several of those
that had these gifts did not make that use of them
which they were given for ; for whereas the gift of
tongues was chiefly bestowed for the conversion of
infidels, to be a sign, (as the apostle speaks in ver. 22.
of this chapter,) tiot to them that believe, but to them
that believe not ; those men took a pride in exercis-
ing this gift in the Christian congregation, making
prayers, and hymns, and thanksgivings, at their pub-
lic meetings, in a language that the people under-
stood not, and consequently from which they could
receive no benefit. This abuse now it is the design
of the apostle in this chapter to reform, and at the
same time to regulate the exercise of their other
several gifts ; and the great rule which he lays down
in this matter is, that all things in the church ought
to be done with decency and order, and to the edifi-
cation of the congregation ; and that no spiritual
gift is any further valuable than as it is employed
to the benefit of others, and consequently either let
them not at all make use of their gift of languages
in the church, or if they will make use of it, let
them either themselves, or some other for them, in-
terpret to the people what they mean, so that the
whole congregation may understand and be edified.
If we now take this key, we shall have an easy en-
trance into the sense of this whole chapter.
At this time I shall concern myself with no more
of it than what is needful for the giving light to my
text ; let it be observed therefore, that two verses
Ijefore my text the apostle gives this advice, namely,
G 3
86
A SERMON
in the 13th verse; Wherefore, saith he, let him that
speaketh in an unknown tongue (he means of speak-
ing in the Christian assemblies) pray that he may
interpret. This advice he backs with this reason, in
the verse before my text, For if I pray in an un-
hnown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my tinder-
standing is unfruitful. As if he had said. The ne-
cessity of speaking in a known tongue, or at least of
interpreting what is spoken in an unknown tongue,
doth appear from hence ; that if any of us do in
the congregation pray, for instance, in an unknown
tongue, it is true the Spirit within him prayeth, or
he doth indeed pray by the Spirit, but nevertheless
if he make none but such prayers, or do not inter-
pret such when he makes them, his mind, his mean-
ing is unfruitful, yields no profit to the hearer, others
receive no benefit, no edification by what he pray-
eth : that is plainly the sense of this verse. And
then it follows in the words of my text. What is it
then'? I will pray with the Spirit, I will pray with
the under standiiig also : I will sing with the Spi-
rit, I will sing with the understanding also ; that
is. If I do sometimes make use of my gift of tongues,
that the Spirit hath bestowed upon me, either in
praying or singing of psalms, yet I will also take
care so to pray and sing as to be understood ; I will
not be so wholly taken up in praying and singing
by the Spirit, but I will pray and sing also as others
do, that have not that gift of the Spirit ; that is, in a
language that the congregation understands as well
as myself; or if I do pray by the Spirit, I will at
least take care to interpret.
That this is the true and the only sense here of
praying by the Spirit and praying with the under-
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15.
87
standing, is undeniably plain from what follows in
the four next ensuing verses ; fpr thus the apostle
goes on in verses 16 — 19 : Otherwise when thou
shalt bless with the Spirit, (that is, praise God,) how
shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned
say Amen at the giving of thanks, seeing he un-
der standeth not what thou say est f For thou verily
givest thanks well, biit the other is not edified. I
thanJe my God, I speak with tongues more than
you all: yet in the church I ivould rather speak
Jive words with understanding, that by my voice I
might teach others, than ten thousand words in an
unknown tongue.
You see here all along, that speaking by the Spi-
rit is speaking in an unknown language; and speak-
ing with the understanding is speaking words that
others may understand.
Taking this now to be a true account of the text,
as without doubt it is, we have got these four things
by it :
First of all, in general, that the gift of praying
by the Spirit was in the number of those miraculous,
extraordinary gifts, that were in a plentiful manner
showered down by the Holy Spirit upon the apo-
stles on this day of Pentecost, and, by laying on their
hands, communicated to others afterwards during
that age.
Secondly, for the more particular account of this
gift, it was a branch of the gift of tongues, or ra-
ther, to speak properly, it was one of the instances
by which the gift of languages was expressed.
Thirdly, that this faculty of praying by the Spirit
was so far from being the most useful or edifying,
or the most desirable gift in the church, that St.
G 4
88
A SERMON
Paul prefers prophesying (that is, the gift of preach-
ing or interpreting scripture) far before it, as you
may see in the four first verses of this chapter : nay,
he prefers praying in the ordinary way, before pray-
ing by the Spirit, telling us, that he had rather
speak five words in the church to be understood,
than a thousand in an unknown language, though
yet that language was inspired by the Spirit.
Fourthly, from all that has been said it appears,
that no man now living can with any greater reason
pretend to this gift of prmjing hy the Spirit, in the
sense the apostle speaks of it, than he can to the
power of speaking strange languages without ever
having learnt them, or than he can to the power of
discovering thoughts, or curing all diseases, or fore-
telling things to come, or any other of the spiritual
gifts that the apostle here treats of.
But it may be asked, is there no other notion of
praying hy the Spirit than that we have now men-
tioned ? Did not the Holy Spirit of God furnish his
servants with matter to pray for in those days, as
well as languages to pray in ? and did he not inspire
them to pray in a known language, as well as in an
unknown ? and this immediately, so that when they
prayed they might be truly said to he filled with the
Holy Ghost ?
I answer, perhaps it might, nay, for my part, I
think it probable it was so ; we have many reasons
to incline us to believe that in the first age of Chris-
tianity, when the church was propagated and go-
verned in an extraordinary way, and there were
many sudden emergent necessities to be supplied,
which could not at that time be provided for in the
regular way that God hath since taken care they
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15. 89
shall be ; I say, it is very probable, that, as God did
inspire some with a miraculous gift of interpreting
scripture, and applying types and prophecies, and
others with a gift of composing psalms and hymns
for the benefit of the church, and others with the
gift of foretelling things to come, he did others also
with the gift of jyrayer, prompting and enabling
them, in an extraordinary manner, to put up such
petitions, as their own spirits could never have
suggested to them, but which were suitable to the
present exigency and necessities of the church : and
of those persons it may be truly said, that they
prayed by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost : and I
must confess, of this way o[ praying hy the Spirit I
would interpret that famous and difficult passage of
St. Paul, in Rom. viii. 26, 27. where he hath these
words : Likewise, saith he, the Spirit helpeth our
infirmities: for we know not what we should pray
for as we ought: hut the Spirit itself maketh in-
tercession for us with groanings that cannot be
uttered I and he that searcheth the heart knoweth
what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of
God.
It is plain that he is here speaking of those that
had the first-fruits of the Spirit, that is, were en-
dowed with extraordinary gifts, such as we have
been all this while speaking of. This appears from
the 23d verse, and therefore it is most likely that
the Spirifs helping their infirmities, and making in-
tercession for them, which is extraordinary exciting
and directing some particular persons to put up
prayers for the congregation, and inspiring them
with strong desires and earnest groans after such
90
A SERMON
and such things ; which though they could not fully
comprehend the meaning of, yet God, who knew the
mind of the Spirit, saw that they were for the good
of the church.
Thus I am sure St. Chrysostom (the hest inter-
preter of scripture of all the ancients) expounds the
place, whose words, because they are remarkable,
and give a clear account of the text, I shall translate
to you.
Having named this text, he tells us, " That it
" was a very obscure passage, because many of those
" miracles which were done in the time when St.
" Paul wrote that Epistle were now ceased in the
" world. Therefore," saith he, " in order to the
" opening the sense of this place, it will be necessary
" to acquaint you with the state of things at that
" time : now what was that ? Why, God bestowed
" several gifts on all those that undertook the pro-
" fession of Christianity ; which gifts were also
" called by the name of the Spirit. One, for in-
" stance, obtained the gift of prophecy, and did fore-
" tell future events ; another had the gift of wisdom,
" and instructed the people ; another had the gift of
" healing, and he cured the sick ; another had the
" S\f^ 9f Jiower, and he raised the dead ; another
" had the gift of tongues, and he spake in several
" languages. Moreover, with all these there was a
" ffif^ of prayer, which is also called by the name of
" the Spir'it; and he that had this prayed for all
" the multitude. For, because, not knowing many
" of those things which are good for us, we desire
" those that are not, (as it is said here, we know
" not what to pray for as we ought,) the gift of
" jyrayer came upon some man, and he stood up in
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15.
91
" the name of all, to desire that which was good for
" the church in common, and taught others to do it.
" And he that was thought worthy of this gift stood
" with much compunction, and many groans, (such
" as prostrate a man's mind before God,) and asked
" those things that were for the public benefit ; cor-
" respondent whereunto in our time is the minister
" of the congregation, when he offers to God the
" prayers for the people." Thus far St. Chrysostom.
But now taking all this for granted, that men
in those days, especially the public ministers of the
church, were thus immediately inspired by the Holy
Ghost in their prayers for the congregation ; yet it
doth not from hence follow, that any Christian now
either is so inspired, or ought to expect it. For this
you see was one of the charismata, one of the spiri-
tual gifts peculiar to that age ; and there is not the
same reason that it should be vouchsafed now :
and if any one would make us believe he is endowed
with such a gift, he ought in reason to give us evi-
dence of his having some of the other gifts that were
then common in the church : if he can infallibly ex-
pound all difficult passages of scripture, or read the
Hebrew Bible in his mother-tongue, having yet never
learned that language ; then we may be inclined to
believe that he can pray hy the Spirit, as those apo-
stolical persons did.
But what then is the sense of St. Paul when he
bids you not to quench the Spirit'^ 1 Thess. v. 19-
Is not this a command that concerns all Christians ?
And is not the meaning of it that they should not
stifle the inspiration of the Spirit when they are at
prayers by any set form, but freely speak as the
Spirit gives them utterance ?
92
A SERMON
I answer, that this text also refers to those ex-
traordinary gifts of the Spirit we have been all this
while speaking of; as appears by the precept which
follows after it, Que?ich not the Spirit, despise not
prophesyings. And therefore it doth no way con-
cern us otherwise than by way of accommodation ;
and the plain sense of it is no more than this, that
those Christians whom God had blessed with those
miraculous powers, whether they were the gifts of
healing, or oj" to7igues, or any of the rest, they
should be very careful that they did not, either by
their careless life, or their neglect to make use of
them to good purposes, occasion God's withdrawing
of them : for if they made an ill use, or no use of
them, he that gave them would take them away ;
that heavenly fire of the Spirit would by these
means be extinguished in their hearts.
And thus much let it suffice to have spoken on
the first point, which I have been the longer upon,
for the sake of explaining those texts of scripture
which have moved so many scruples in men's minds.
Secondly, I now come to the second point, which
is this ; that that which we nowadays are used to
call praying hy the Spirit, that is, the conceiving
prayers on a sudden, without study or premedita-
tion, and expressing our conceptions with great
fluency, and movingness of speech and action, is not
often, as we are apt to take it, the immediate effect
of the Spirit of God, and inspiration ; but, generally
speaking, the work of art or industry, or the present
heat of a man's head.
Far am I here from disparaging the gift of volun-
tary and extemporary prayer, or crying down the
use of it ; it is certainly, as all other accomplish-
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15.
93
ments that a man has, the very gift of God, and
great benefit may redound both to a man's self and
others by a prudent and discreet use of it. And
much further am I from denying the necessity of
the Holy Spirit's concurrence or assistance in our
prayers ; on the contrary, I believe that whosoever
is not assisted by the Spirit when he prays, cannot
pray as he ought to do, and I doubt not but both
those that pray in a form, and without one, if they
be pious, good persons, are assisted by the Spirit
when they pray. But this I say, the faculty of
praying plausibly, fluently, and movingly, in an ex-
temporary way, if we consider it in itself, is not in
these days an inspired gift ; but rather a gift of na-
ture, or an acquisition of art, or rather, to speak
properly, a gift acquired by art in a person that has
a nature and genius fitted for it. My reasons for
this are very briefly these :
First of all, there are as certain rules and methods
for the attaining this faculty of voluntary extempo-
rary prayer, as there are for the attaining any other
art and science. The truth of this appears both
from the books that have been written to teach men
the gift of praying, and the experience of many
that have been eminent in this gift, who, if they be
asked, cannot deny but that they came by it in the
same way that they come by other acquired gifts ;
that is to say, by reading the word of God, and
other divine books, by study and meditation, by well
digesting in their minds the several heads of matter
that are either to be confessed or prayed for, or
thanks returned for them ; by treasuring up in their
memories, out of the scripture and other good books,
apt and fit phrases for the expressing these matters;
94
A SERMON
and, lastly and principally, by much use and exer-
cise ; and there is no doubt but whoever useth this
method shall in a little time attain to a competent
skill and readiness in this gift of extemporary
prayer ; supposing he hath but a sufficient stock of
natural parts, and a genius that lies that way. I
add these two last things, because every art requires
a peculiar capacity and fitness of temper in him that
is to learn it ; so that though it have in it certain
and fixed maxims and precepts, and so is teachable,
yet it is not teachable to every person, because every
person is not qualified with natural abilities for the
learning of it. There are several that may prove
very good mathematicians, that yet would make but
very bad orators, because their parts are suited very
well for one science, but not so well for the other ;
and this rule holds in this very gift we are speaking
of, as well as others. Those that have a competent
memory, and a good assurance, and a ready presence
of mind to recollect things on a sudden, and a dex-
terity in putting them handsomely together, and ex-
pressing their conceptions easily and naturally ; these
are much better contrived in their natures for the
gift of prayer, and shall much sooner obtain it, than
those whose natural talents lie another way ; yet for
all this, the whole thing is an art notwithstanding.
And that it is so is in the second place very easily
discoverable to any diligent observer, even from the
way of the management and performance of it. For,
if ever we have given ourselves to observe the
prayers of this kind, we shall find, that though the
speaker doth not confine himself to any particular
set form, but varies his prayers every time ; yet, in
the compass of a few prayers, both the same heads
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15.
95
of matter will return, and the very same set of
phrases and expressions likewise ; though perhaps
not marshalled just in the same method or order :
so that any one that has been long used to a parti-
cular person, may, upon the reading of a prayer
copied from his mouth, be able to say, without a
mistake. This prayer is of the composure of such a
man. If now this be true, doth it not shew that
the gift of praying on a sudden is rather the effect
of art and use than of the immediate inspiration of
the Spirit? Nay, is it not an evidence that these
sort of prayers are not so sudden and extemporary
as we take them for ? but are really owing to a set
form or scheme both of matter and phrases, which
the person that useth them hath fixed in his mind,
though we discover it not ?
But, thirdly, there is this further evidence that
the faculty of extemporary prayer is not from the
immediate inspiration of the Spirit, but from some-
thing else; because those that are happiest at this
kind of way cannot always pray alike ; but at
several times find a great difference in their per-
formances : sometimes they can with great freedom
pour out their souls unto God, as the word is,
at other times they are much straitened in spirit ;
sometimes a great plenty of matter offers itself to
them, and they can utter it with great volubility of
tongue and aptness of expression, and excite strange
passions and affections in the hearers ; at other
times they are barren and dry, and their words come
with difficulty ; and, whilst their inventions are at
work in searching for new matter, they are forced
to fill up the intermediate spaces with such words
and phrases as come first to hand, or are most at
96
A SERMON
their tongue's end, or else with the repetition of the
same thing over again. It is no disparagement to
any man's parts sometimes to be reduced to these
inconveniences ; for the eloquentest man in the world,
if he speak without premeditation, and thinks him-
self obliged to speak a considerable time, cannot avoid
them. But, in the mean time, this is a shrewd ar-
gument, that these kind of prayers are not dictated
or indited by the Holy Ghost ; for he cannot be
supposed to be ever at a loss for furnishing those
tongues that he makes his instruments with what is
next to be spoken.
But, fourthly, if what has been said be not true ;
if the faculty of praying eloquently and devoutly on
a sudden be not a natural gift or acquired art, but
the immediate inspiration of the Spirit, as some of
us have thought, it will be a hard matter to rid our-
selves of several consequences which we should be
loath to own.
I only name these two : first, it will follow from
hence that all those prayers that are made in this
way, have in them as much divinity, as much infal-
lible truth, and are of as great authority, as the word
of God ; and that, if they be put into writing, they
ought to be as much reverenced by us, and by all
Christians, as the holy scripture ; for, according to
this doctrine, the Holy Ghost is as much the author
of these, as he is of the inspired books.
And, secondly, another consequence of this doc-
trine is this ; that upon supposition hereof we must
be forced to father upon the Holy Ghost, not only all
the indecencies, all the indiscretions, all the vain re-
petitions or impertinences, that any extemporary
prayers that have been put up in the church have
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15.
97
had in them : but if there have been any thing
worse than these ; if ever any rude language hath
been given to God Almighty ; if ever any false re-
presentations have been made of his attributes ; if
ever any unsound doctrines have been couched in
prayer, tending to faction or rebellion, or the like, all
these things must have the patronage of the Spirit,
who must be supposed to be the author or inspirer
of them.
But I take no pleasure in mentioning these things,
and therefore I will not insist upon them, but pass
on to the third general proposition I am to make out ;
and that is this : If there be any other notion of
praying by the Spirit in scripture, such as is to be
extended to all times and ages of Christianity, and is
not peculiar to the first ; that notion will every whit
as well suit with forms of prayer, as with these that
are conceived upon the sudden and present occasion.
There is a spirit of prayer spoken of in scripture,
which I doubt not but God hath endued, and doth
and will endue his people with to the end of the
world ; and perhaps this phrase of praying in the
Spirit, or by the Spirit, may in one or two texts be
used in the same signification. So that to pray by
the Spirit shall mean the same thing as to have the
spirit of prayer. And in this sense nobody will
question that jiraying by the Spirit is a perpetual
duty, is of perpetual use, and denotes a perpetual
assistance of the holy Spirit of God.
But now, what is this spirit of prayer ? why, no-
body that reads the scriptures, and considers how
that term is there used, but will be satisfied that it
imports neither more nor less than the grace of
praying as we ought to do : just as the spirit of wis-
ABP. SIIARPE, VOL. HI. H
98
A SERMON
dom, or the sjnrit of knowledge, or the spirit of truth,
or the spirit of meekness, are those several graces
and virtues of wisdom, knowledge, truth, and meek-
ness, that are wrought in us by the Holy Spirit.
So that whoever reverently and humbly addresseth
himself to God Almighty, seriously acknowledging,
on one hand, his own vileness and unworthiness and
manifold necessities ; and on the other hand, God's
infinite power and wisdom and goodness ; professing
to depend upon him entirely ; dreading his displea-
sure, earnestly seeking his grace and favour, and de-
voutly rendering thanks to him for all his mercies ;
such a man hath the spirit of prayer. When he
prays with this mind, with these dispositions, with
these devout affections, he truly prays hy the Spirit ;
because these qualities are wrought in him by the
Spirit of God ; he had not had them but through t?ie
influence and assistance of the Holy Ghost. But
now, I beseech you, what is all this either to praying
by a form, or praying in an extemporary way ? why
may not I be thought to have these qualifications,
these devout affections, this ardour and fervency of
mind towards God, when I pray in words ready made
to my hands, as well as when I pray in words that I
thought not on before ? and, consequently, why must
I be said to pray by the Spirit in one way, and not
in the other ? Add to this, in the last place, which is
the fourth proposition I am to speak to, that though
we should suppose that God, even in these days, doth
assist men, both as to the matter and even the words
of their prayers ; yet we have as much reason to be-
lieve that the public prayers of the church were
indited and contrived by that Spirit of God, as we
have to believe that any private man's prayers are,
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15.
99
and consequently that when we use them we pray
as much by the Spirit as when we use extemporary
prayer.
This proposition is so evident, that I need speak
very few words towards the clearing of it. The
thing lies here ; whether is it not at least as likely
that when a company of learned, religious, devout
men are met together, by the command of authority,
to consider of a public standing Liturgy to be used in
the church, and spare no care, nor pains, nor study,
to form one as exactly as may be, according to the
will of God declared in holy scripture ; and not only
so, but earnestly desire of God the assistance and
direction of his Spirit to go along with them in that
work ; I say, whether is it not at least as probable
that such men as these, taking this method, shall be
extraordinarily assisted by the Spirit in the carrying
on this undertaking; nay, (and if the Spirit now-
adays does vouchsafe such inspirations,) shall be im-
mediately inspired both as to the matter and the
words that they agree upon, as it is probable that a
particular person that comes up in a congregation
shall, without any premeditation or care of his, be
thus inspired ? Can we reasonably imagine that
God's Spirit will indite a prayer for this latter man,
will dictate to him what he is to say, and will take
no care of the former, give them no assistance in the
forming of their prayers? Sure the thing is incon-
ceivable ! And yet this is directly the case of our
Common Prayer on one hand, and extemporary pub-
lic prayer on the other ; so that if we will not be
partial in our giving judgment, we ought to think
that when we pray by the public Liturgy we pray
at least as much (if not more) the prayers of the
H 2
100
- A SERMON
Spirit, as when we go along with a man that uses
his extemporary faculty.
And thus have I gone through the four points I
proposed ; and I hope by this time you are convinced
what little force there is in all that noise that has
been made about praying by the Spirit, to make us
quit our public Liturgy for extemporary prayer.
I might add abundance of things more, (if I would
enter into a common-place,) both about the needful-
ness and expediency of a set form of service in the
worship of God, but my business was only to explain
a text : only one thing further I cannot but take
notice of, because my text leads me to it. You may
observe here, that St. Paul joins those two things to-
gether, prmjing with the Spirit, and singing with
the Spirit. What is it then ? (saith he) / will pray
with the Spirit, I will pray with the understanding
also : I will sing with the Spirit, I will sing with
the understanding also. Praying, and singing of
psalms, as they do now, so they did in those times,
always go together in the public worship of God.
Well now, what do we infer from hence ? Why,
you shall see: if praying by the Spirit be extem-
porary praying, in opposition to a form, then certain-
ly singing by the Spirit must be extemporary sing-
ing, in opposition to the reading of psalms out of a
book : if we be for the one, we ought not certainly
to be against the other ; and yet there is none of us
that I know of, (except the quakers perhaps,) but
are so far from being against it, that they are zeal-
ous for the singing psalms that are in the end of
the Bible. Here we can dispense with a form, and
a constant form in the worship of God, and think
too that this form will well enough consist with sing-
ON 1 CORINTHIANS XIV. 15. 101
ing by the Spirit ; and is it not then unreasonable
that we should scruple at a form of prayers, (a form
too that hath much fewer exceptions to be made
against it than those psalms have,) only upon this
account or pretence, that we cannot pray by the
Spirit in the use of it ? If we think that we sing
by the Spirit in a set form of words, in God's name
why should we not as well think that we may pray
by the Spirit in a set form of words also ? For I am
sure there is no difference in the world.
But I will hold you no longer ; I come to a con-
clusion ; and that is this, that all we who are of the
communion of the church of England ought not only
to be contented and satisfied that we have ever since
the reformation had a Liturgy, and so good a one,
but also most heartily to thank God for the conti-
nuance of it to us, and for the affording us such
peaceable times, that we may without fear or dan-
ger, every day in the year, if we please, serve God
in it ; this is a blessing that the primitive Christians
would have purchased with the dearest things they
had in the world, though too many of us do make
slight of it : but whatever prejudice some persons
may lie under, as to our service or way of worship,
I dare affirm, with the greatest assurance in the
world, that it is a certain and safe way to salvation
to all those that make use of it, provided they add
the other qualifications of sincere piety, and sober-
ness, and righteousness, in all their conversation,
which the gospel of Christ requires of all its profes-
sors, and without which no man living, in any com-
munion whatsoever, shall ever see the face of God.
Our worship is right, and sound, and agreeable
both to the word of God and the platform of primi-
H 3
102
A SERMON ON 1 COR. XIV. 15.
live practice : and if our lives and conversations be
but as unblameable as it is, I am as sure as I am
that Christ's religion is true, that no man that useth
it shall fail of being saved.
Let us, therefore, go on in the way we are in ; let
us take all opportunities of resorting to God's house,
and there offering up our solemn sacrifices of prayer
and thanksgiving in those methods that the law
hath appointed us ; but, above all, let us come with
humble, penitent, and contrite hearts, sensible of our
sins, and solicitous for God's favour and mercy, and
thankful for his mercies, and full of resolution to
obey him, to love him, and to serve him all the days
of our lives ; and if we come thus qualified, assuredly
we pray by the Spirit, we bless and thank God with
the Spirit, we sing with the Spirit, as much as in
these days it is given to any one to do ; and God
will hear our prayers, and accept our thanksgivings,
and reward our service with all the happiness and
conveniences of this life that he sees fit and proper
for us ; but to be sure with everlasting glory and
felicities in the life to come : to which God bring us
all, for the sake, &c.
A SERMON
ON
JOB XXI. 15.
— What profit should we Jiave, if we pray unto him f
The whole verse is this —
What is the Almighty, that we should serve him'^
and what profit should we have, if we pray unto
him f
So said the atheists in the days of Job, and so we
may hear some among us say now: for it is no
strange thing, in this age, to hear men talk against
the duties of religion as well as the doctrines of it,
and against no duty more than that of praying to
God, of which Job here speaks. This, though one
would think it should be the most natural, the most
reasonable duty in the world, considering that we
are all the creatures of God, and do and must de-
pend upon him continually for all the good we hope
for, either here or hereafter, yet it is accounted by
some amongst us a very unphilosophical, absurd
thing: if we would place religion in acts of justice
and beneficence, and such other moral virtues, they
could be content so far to own it ; nay, they would
not be against the exercising our devotions to God
by way of hymns and praises for his excellencies and
wonderful works, though yet he stands in need of
none of our service ; but as for this business of pray-
ing to him, and tiring him every day with our peti-
tions, and supplications, and intercessions, in which
H 4
104
A SERMON
the godly people spend most of their time, there is
no sense, no reason in it, nay, they have unanswer-
able reasons to prove that all this is labour lost, and
time spent very unprofitably.
It is my design, at this time, to vindicate this part
of religion from the cavils and exceptions of this sort
of men, and to give an answer to them that are apt
to ask, with those that are here represented in my
text, What profit should we have, if we pray unto
God^
Now methinks, to those that put such a question
as this, it should in reason be a sufficient answer to
represent these following things :
First of all. That all good men who have ever
seriously applied themselves to Gjod by prayer, have
always had, and still have, many and great instances
and experience of God's answering their prayers :
and there is no devout man (and such kind of men
only are capable judges of this matter) but is ready
to attest the truth of this ; so that here is constant
experience on the side of prayer against their philo-
sophical doubt.
Secondly, It has been the general belief of all na-
tions, in all ages, that God hears the prayers of good
men, and answers them ; and accordingly all nations
have always made use of this way for the obtaining
those benefits they stood in need of, and for the re-
moving those evils they were pressed with, so that
as there is experience on the side of praying to God,
so there is likewise the universal consent and prac-
tice of all the world.
Thirdly, If we may believe God's revelations, which
he hath made in the holy scriptures, we are certain
that there is great profit and advantage to be found
ON JOB XXI. 15.
105
in praying to God ; for God hath in those scriptures
made the most solemn promises that he will hear
and grant all the prayers of his servants, if they be
put up to him as they ought to be ; and a great
many instances we find in these scriptures wherein
God hath remarkably made these promises good.
Fourthly and lastly, God hath in these scriptures
laid so great a stress upon this duty of prayer, and
declared it to be so necessary, in order to the obtain-
ing the good things we stand in need of, that he
hath told us, without our prayers we shall not
have them ; so that surely all these things consider-
ed, it is not in vain that we should serve God, nei-
ther is it without profit that we should pray unto
him.
Well, but all this doth not satisfy that sort of
people which we have to deal with : what do we
talk to them of experience and revelations, so long
as the thing itself is against reason, so long as in
the nature of the thing it is absurd to think that
our prayers should help us in any distress ?
Now for the proof of this, they argue four several
ways : some argue from the immutability of God's
nature ; others from his essential goodness ; others
from his eternal decrees ; and lastly, others from the
frame of the world, and the established course of
nature. From all these topics they draw arguments,
and they think very strong ones, to prove that our
prayers signify nothing as to any real benefit we re-
ceive from them.
Well ! let us, at this time, examine these their ar-
guments one by one, and see what force there is in
them for the inferring this conclusion ; I am confi-
dent you will be satisfied that there is none at all,
106
A SERMON
though yet I shall give them all the weight they are
capable of.
The first argument, against the needfulness or effi-
cacy of prayer, is drawn from the immutability of
the nature of God ; and it runs thus : to suppose
that our prayers are at any time effiectual, or, which
is all one, that God doth at any time grant the re-
quests that are put up unto him, is to suppose that
he doth upon our prayers bestow something upon us
which without our prayers he would not have done;
which is in effect to say, that our prayers can pro-
duce a change, an alteration in the mind of God ;
for before our prayers he was not inclined or dis-
posed to give us such and such blessings, but after
our prayers he is : so that, according to this doc-
trine, God is so far from being immutable by his
nature, that it is in the power of the most con-
temptible man in the world to make him alter his
purpose, which is very impious to affirm, and di-
rectly contrary even to our own scripture proposi-
tions, which declare, that icith God there is no
variableness, nor shadow of turning, James i. 17.
and that the Strength of Israel, as he cannot lie,
so neither can he repent : for he is not a man, that
he should repent, 1 Sam. xv. 29-
This is the argument ; but, in truth, if it be ex-
amined, it is a mere fallacy. God's hearkening to,
or being moved by the prayers we put up to him,
doth not in the least clash with his attribute of im-
mutability. It is true, when upon our prayers God
is pleased to give us those things we pray for, which
without our prayers he would not have done, it can-
not be denied but that there is a change somewhere;
but if the matter be examined, it will be found to
ON JOB XXI. 15.
107
be in us, and not in God. God's mind was always
the same towards us ; that is, he resolved, that if we
humbly and heartily begged such or such things at
his hands, we should have them ; but if not, we
should go without them. When therefore upon our
prayers we obtain that grace or that blessing which
we had not before, it is not he that is changed, but
we. We, by performing the conditions he required
of us, do look with another aspect to him, do entitle
ourselves to another kind of dealing from him, than
we could claim before. We have made ourselves ca-
pable of receiving those benefits which before we
were not.
To put this yet into a clearer light, if it be pos-
sible. Suppose a father had a son that had carried
himself very unworthily and disobediently to him,
whereupon he is so displeased that he casts him off,
and resolves never to receive him again, unless he
comes and humbles himself, acknowledges his fault,
and begs pardon : (which is the same thing with the
prayer we are now speaking of :) but if he will do
thus, he will be reconciled to him. We will suppose
now that the son, by extremity of want, or other
straits that he is reduced to, doth at last become
sensible of his folly, and that sense puts him upon
returning to his father, and closing with those con-
ditions of pardon he is pleased to offer him ; and ac-
cordingly, with the prodigal in the gospel, he comes
home, and falling down before his father, he saith,
Father, I have sinned against heaven and hefore
thee, and am no more worthy to he called thy son :
he confesseth his faults, and implores his father's
forgiveness. Upon this, as it followeth in the para-
ble, the father receiveth him, takes him home to
108
A sj:rmon
him, clothes him anew, grants all the requests he
puts up to him, and makes a feast for his return.
Here now is a most visible alteration. The son that
M^as before in a most deplorable condition as can be,
is now put into happy circumstances. The father
that had before abandoned him, now receives him,
and rejoiceth in him. But is this alteration pro-
duced in the father or in the son ? Not in the fa-
ther certainly ; for he acts punctually according to
his first resolutions or determinations that he had
set down with himself, which indeed were infinitely
just and reasonable. But the alteration is in the
son, who, by performing the conditions which his fa-
ther required of him, hath rendered himself a differ-
ent object from what he was before ; he was before
an object of his father's wrath and displeasure ; he
is now an object of his pity and kindness : and ac-
cordingly, as he felt before the effects of the former,
so now he feels the effects of the latter. But these
different effects do no more argue any change or in-
constancy in the father, than it doth imply a change
or inconstancy in any person ; that he is differently
affected towards persons that have contrary quali-
ties. The application of this is so easy to the case
we are upon, that every body may make it.
And thus much of the first objection against
prayer, drawn from God's immutability. The se-
cond is drawn from another attribute, and that is,
God's infinite and essential goodness ; and thus it
proceeds. If God in his nature is the most perfect
love and goodness that is conceivable, then it is
certain he manages the affairs of the world in the
best way that is possible : as he most truly knows
what is most convenient for his creatures, and as his
ON JOB XXI. 15.
109
power can easily effect what he knows to be so; so, if
his goodness be equal either to his knowledge or his
power, it shall certainly., and eternally take effect,
let all the world do what they can to the contrary :
to suppose otherwise, is to suppose that it is possible
for God to order and manage things better than he
doth ; which is as much as to say, that God is not so
good as he may be conceived to be. If this now be
admitted, what need is there that any of us should
spend our breath in prayers for any thing. If it be fit
that the things we desire should be given us, God's
goodness is such, that he will give it us, whether
we ask it or no. As he hath no need to be told of
our wants, so needs he not to be importuned for a
supply of them. On the other side, if what we pray
for be not fitting or convenient for us, then all our
praying, be it never so importunately, will be to no
purpose; for God will do nothing but what is for the
best.
This is the objection : but to one that considers
well, it will appear to have no manner of force in it.
It is granted that the goodness of God is infinite,
and that he governs the world in the best way that
is possible, and consequently he always will do that
which is best, let us behave ourselves how we please.
All this is granted : but doth it from hence follow,
that we shall have all such things as we stand in
need of, whether we pray for them or no ? Not in
the least. The plain state of the matter is this :
the same God that will do always what is abso-
lutely best for his creatures, knows that it is best for
them, that in order to the partaking of his benefits
they should pray for them ; if they do not, why then
he knows it is best that they should be denied them.
110
A SERMON
So that the necessity of God's acting for the best
doth not in the least destroy the necessity of prayer,
in order to our obtaining what we stand in need of:
God will do always that which is best ; but we are
mistaken, if we think it is for the best that we
should have our necessities supplied without the use
of prayer. God will always take care of that which
is most fit and convenient for his creatures, but he
sees likewise, that it is then only fit and convenient
that they should have this or the other mercy or
blessing conferred upon them, when they heartily
and earnestly pray for it.
This is the plain state of the case ; from whence
appears what little force there is in the objection.
The truth is, this objection, if there was any weight
in it, would as much strike at the use of all other
means for the obtaining of what we want, as it does
at prayer : for tlius we may argue, for instance ; if
God sees it fit for me and for the world that I should
recover of this sickness that I now lie under, or that
I should live seven years longer, he will certainly
take care that it shall be so, since his goodness is as
infinite as his power ; and whatever he can do, he
will do, if it be for the best to be done. And there-
fore what need is there that I shall apply to a phy-
sician, or use any means for the recovery of my
health ; or to what purpose should I take pains for a
livelihood, or so much as be at the trouble of put-
ting meat to my mouth for the prolongation of my
life?
This is just the very same argument that is used
in the objection : but now, if any will be so easy
as to be convinced hereby that there is no need of
taking physic in the ease of sickness, or of eating
ON JOB XXI. 15.
Ill
and drinking for the preserving their lives, I will
allow they have reason to be convinced that there is
no need of praying for the obtaining good things at
the hand of God ; but otherwise not.
But, thirdly, other people argue against prayer
upon another topic ; their objection is drawn from
the eternal decrees of God : they suppose that all
things that come to pass in the world (even the least)
were foreordained by God from all eternity that
they should so come to pass, and it is impossible tliey
should happen otherwise ; there is no event, no action
so small and inconsiderable, but it is an object of
God's predestination, and therefore must as certainly
take place in its succession, as it is certain God's
counsels are more steadfast than man's. Now, upon
this supposition, what can our prayers signify ? what-
ever shall befall us is already decreed, be it good or
bad : and can we by our prayers hope to reverse the
decrees of Heaven, or make void the counsels of God ?
If it be good, it will come upon us without our pray-
ers ; if it be bad, our prayers cannot prevent it.
This is the objection : but in answer thereto I
desire to represent these four things :
First, this objection proves too much to prove
any thing ; for it concludes as much against the use
of any human means or endeavours for the attaining
of any thing, as it doth against prayer ; which was a
fault I took notice of in the last objection. May not
every lazy, careless person use the same pretence of
eternal decrees, whenever he is called upon to mind
his business, or to take care of his health, or to look
after the salvation of his soul ? May he not say, As to
the first of these, it is certain that God, long before
I was born, determined the circumstances 1 should
112
A SERMOxN
be in, as to riches and poverty, and such kind of
things ? If he hath predetermined me to be rich, I
shall certainly be so, without any care of mine. If
to be poor, all my endeavours and diligence in my
business will be to no purpose. Thus again, as to the
other case ; I can live no longer, and shall die no
sooner than my appointed time, and therefore what
matters it what dangers I run into, or what riots and
debauches I am guilty of? Thus again, as to the
business of our salvation, I am from all eternity either
elected or reprobated ; if I be one of the elect, then
I shall certainly at last come to heaven, let my life
be what it will, and therefore what need I think of
repentance and holiness, and those other conditions
they so much talk of? If these things be necessary,
God will work them in me ; he that hath designed
the end will certainly take care of the means : on the
other side, if I be in the number of the reprobate, to
what purpose should I, by a solicitous and serious life,
torment myself before the time ; all my care and en-
deavour about my salvation cannot but be in vain,
since the decrees of God are irreversible.
Thus you see the objection is as much levelled
against all endeavours, and indeed against all human
actions, as against prayer. I must confess I cannot
answer the argument, if we admit the doctrine of
God's decrees to be so as is represented in the objec-
tion. But yet for all that, there is none of us do be-
lieve this argument to be conclusive, or if we do, it
is certain we practise as if we did not ; for whatever
we pretend to believe about God's having predeter-
mined and foreappointed all events that happen, yet
this doth not hinder us from proposing several pro-
jects and designs to ourselves, and pursuing them
ON JOB XXI. 15.
113
eagerly, and taking a great deal of pains for the
bringing them about ; so that at least both we and
all mankind do practise as if we thought our endea-
vours might be available for the obtaining our ends,
and that God's decrees were not all in all.
But, secondly, supposing God hath predetermined
every event that comes to pass in the world, this doth
not take away the necessity of prayer : I grant it
gives it another kind of necessity than that we plead
for ; but still prayer there must be, in order to the
obtaining benefits. For he that predestinated to the
end must be supposed to have predestinated to the
means too ; and, consequently, if God hath decreed
that we shall have this or the other thing that we
want, he must have decreed likewise that we shall
pray for it : (supposing that prayer be a means to
obtain benefits, as we are assured it is :) and we shall,
by the virtue of his decrees, as necessarily do the one
(that is to say, pray) as obtain the other, (that is,
his benefits.) It is true, prayer, upon this supposition,
is no virtue ; nor indeed is any action we do : but,
however, it is necessary ; and so the force of the ob-
jection is overthrown.
But, thirdly, which I desire may be well consi-
dered, the very ground of the objection is not so evi-
dent but it may be very justly called in question. It
may very justly be doubted whether God's predesti-
nation doth extend to all things and events ; that is,
whether God from eternity decreed every particular
that is done or comes to pass, so that it could not
be done or come to pass otherwise than it doth : it
is a great deal more probable that he did not ; but
that having created a sort of beings with thinking,
rational souls, capable of acting freely, doing well or
ABP. SHABPE, VOL. III. I
114
A SERMON
doing ill, (of which kind we find ourselves to be,) he
resolved to manage these beings in a way suitable to
their own nature ; that is to say, not necessarily to
determine or tie up their choice or their actions, but
to leave them to the use of their liberty, so that they
might choose or refuse to act this way or the other,
or not act at all ; and accordingly, as they used this
liberty well or ill, so to reward or punish them. It
is true, he foresaw whatever would come to pass,
and therefore hath made such provision that, let
what will come, all shall at last be to the glory of
his goodness, and the benefit of the world; but he
did not order or decree whatsoever was to come to
pass. That which he decreed was, that if men did
well improve those talents he gave them, and used
those means he afforded them for being happy, (of
which means prayer is one, and a chief one,) they
should attain their end : if they did not, they should
go without his blessing, and reap the fruits of their
carelessness and folly in misery both here and here-
after. Taking now this to be the true state of the
matter, all the difficulty concerning the needfulness
or efficacy of prayer, or any other means, doth per-
fectly vanish ; for we see from hence that it is ab-
solutely necessary that we should pray, and use such
other means as God hath appointed ; and if we do
use them, they will be available ; if we do not, we
shall suffer the consequences of our neglect.
But, in the fourth and last place, some would say
further, that it is not so doubtful a matter whether
that doctrine of God's decrees, as the objection re-
presents it, be true or no ; for it is certain that it is
not true : for (say they) how can that be true which
is attended with such a train of absurdities and bias-
ON JOB XXI. 15.
115
phemy, as no man of sense or religion can possibly
own ? If it be admitted that God did from eternity
decree every event and every action that ever came
to pass or was done in the world, and that they could
not come to pass or be done otherwise than they
were, what will be the consequences thereof, but
such as these ; that the holy blessed God is the direct
cause and the author of all the sins and wicked-
nesses and villainies that ever were committed, and
of all the misery and calamities that ever were suf-
fered in the world ; that no man is to be commend-
ed or praised, or to be reproved and found fault
with, for any thing that he doth ; that there never
are nor can be any such things as virtue and vice, any
such things as rewards or punishments among men :
which are positions so blasphemous, so destructive
of all religion, nay, of all human society, that none
can think of them witliout horror.
But I proceed to the fourth and last objection
that is brought against the efficacy of prayer, and it
is urged by another sort of men, and goes upon an-
other hypothesis. It is of those that hold the neces-
sity of all events upon mechanical principles. They
believe the world to be a great machine, and what-
soever comes to pass therein is the effect of those
fixed and unalterable laws of motion which are
established in it, so that whatsoever happens among
mankind hath a natural and a necessary cause to
produce it; and therefore, however in common speech
we call those things that are grateful to us the bless-
ings of God, or if they be grievous to us, we call
them the punishments of God for our sins, yet they
do and must happen promiscuously and indifferently
to the good and to the bad : and therefore to what
1 2
IIG
A SERMON
purpose is it to pray for the obtaining good things,
or removing evil things from us, unless we can sup-
pose that by our prayers we can stop the course of
nature, or prevail with God to stop it for our sakes?
This is the objection ; and two things I have to
say in answer to it.
First, though it should be granted that all out-
ward events owe their production immediately to
outward and necessary causes, and that God doth
not interpose in the hindering or furthering of them,
but leaves second causes to work according to their
nature ; yet there is one whole kind of things, and
those too that either are or ought to be the great
matter of our prayers, that the objection doth not at
all reach to ; that is to say, those that we call spiri-
tual things ; such are, not only the pardon of our
sins, and the favour of God, but all the perfections
and accomplishments of our minds, wisdom and vir-
tue and holiness, and the consequence thereof, eter-
nal life. These, I hope, cannot be called the results
of necessary outward things, but are the effects of
God's grace and our own endeavours. These there-
fore, I hope it will be allowed, we may reasonably
and with assurance of success pray for, notwithstand-
ing any thing said in the objection to the contrary ;
because for the attainment of these things we must
be immediately obliged to the divine assistance,
which cannot be had without prayer ; prayer being
the same thing for the attaining this assistance and
influence, that opening our eyes is for the receiving
the light of the sun. Spiritual things then we may
and must pray for ; that is the first thing.
But, secondly, even for the outward events that
come to us in this world, such as health or sickness,
ON JOB XXI. 15. 117
poverty or riches, peace or war, good or bad weather,
plenty or scarcity, and all the other good or evil cir-
cumstances of life, though it be acknowledged that
all these have natural causes, yet they have not such
natural causes as are necessary ones : they come to
us in a natural way, but they do not come to us in
such a necessary, unavoidable way as the objection
supposeth. For here is the thing ; granting that
God Almighty, in his government of the world, doth
not usually step out into extraordinary actions be-
yond or above the course of nature, yet he hath so
contrived the course of nature, that such events, as
we speak of, may be hindered or may be forwarded,
may come to pass or may not come to pass, may
happen this way or may happen another way, as
men behave themselves towards God, and as he sees
best for them ; and this without any violence done
to nature, or without transgressing the laws of it :
so that there is room enough, abundantly enough,
left both for our endeavours and our prayers ; and
accordingly as we use them or not use them, so
shall the success and the event prove. It is a great
mistake to think that the affairs of this outward
world are managed wholly by mechanical powers,
or, which is the same thing, by necessary causes ;
nay, the wills and the actions of mankind have a
mighty influence upon them, as is visible in most of
these things I mentioned ; such as health and sick-
ness, riches and poverty, peace and war, victories
and overthrows, and other such like ; and nobody, I
hope, will say that the actions of men are necessary.
But, besides, the angels and separate spirits, who are
in great numbers every where, and are the invisible
ministers of God's providence ; they likewise have a
I 3
118
A SERMON
mighty efficacy in producing the events that come
to pass in the world ; for they have not only an in-
fluence over the actions of mankind, by suggesting
to their minds upon such and such occasions a thou-
sand things that perhaps they would otherwise never
have thought on, but they have also a mighty influ-
ence over those powers of nature that seem to act
most necessarily ; I mean the elements, as we call
them, from whose various combinations arise storms
and tempests, fruitful or barren seasons, sickly or
healthful years. Both these causes, I say, (the free
as well as the necessary agents of this world,) these
invisible ministers of God^ so dispose and direct and
order, as that they shall produce such events as God
sees fittest for mankind, whether it be by way of
judgment, as a punishment for their sins, or by way
of mercy, as a testimony of God's acceptance of them ;
and all this too comes to pass in a natural way, that
is, in the common and usual method of God's provi-
dence in the government of the world : but then, I
add further, whenever there happens a just occasion
for God to exert his extraordinary power above or
against the course of nature, he will not fail to do
that likewise : and abundance of instances of that in
his government of the world he hath given us, and,
for any thing I know, doth yet give us.
These things considered, we have no reason to
imagine, that because things are commonly dispensed
to us by the ministry of second causes, of which we
can give some natural account, that therefore God
had no hand in bringing such things to pass in the
world, but that they come fortuitously or necessarily,
and cannot be hindered or forwarded by the prayers
and endeavours of mankind. No, certainly, though
ON JOBXXI. 15.
119
the effect, whatsoever it was, was produced imme-
diately by second causes, yet it was God that, by the
ministry of his providence, laid the train of these
causes, and so ordered and managed them as that
righteous and good ends should be served by the
effects that they produced ; so that, as our blessed
Saviour hath told us, not so much as a sparrow doth
Jail to the ground, but that it may be truly said,
it is by the will of our heavenly Father. Every
event that comes upon us is from him ; and, if it be
beneficial to us, it is and ought to be accounted a
blessing of his, let it come what way it will, whether
by seeming chance, or our own industry, or the help
of friends.
On the other side, whatever comes cross to us, his
hand is even in that also ; that is, so far as to suffer
it to fall upon us as a punishment for our sins, and
a means to awaken us to our duty. From whence
it follows, that it is so far from being needless and
impertinent to pray unto God for the things of this
present life, as the objection would conclude, that,
on the contrary, it is absolutely necessary, in order
to our well-being ; for God being the sole Governor
of the world, and the absolute Disposer of all events,
however they be administered by second causes, it
would be absurd not to depend upon him, and to
pray to him continually for every good thing we
want or desire, or for the removal of every evil thing
that lies upon us.
Thus have I gone through all the objections that
are made against prayer ; and I hope I have given
such full answers to them, that all of you will join
with me in this conclusion, namely, that notwith-
standing any thing that is urged in any of them, we
I 4
120
A SERMON ON JOB XXI. 15.
not only may, but we ought to adhere to these rules
and precepts which are so often pressed upon us by
Christ and his apostles ; that is to say, that we should
alwmjs pray and not faint; that we should ask that
we may receive ; that we should seek that we may
find ; that we should knock that it may he ojjened
unto us ; that we should jjray without ceasing, pray
continually ; that we should every where lift up holy
hands, and watch unto prayer with all perseverance ;
and, lastly, that we should he careful for nothing,
hut in every thing hy prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving still make our requests knoivn unto
God. Sure I am, all those that have ever seriously
and heartily, for any competent time, applied them-
selves to this practice, will bear testimony that these
things are not in vain, but that they produce real
effects ; that besides the comfort and satisfaction
that is reaped by these exercises, and which is in-
expressibly greater than any enjoyment of this world
can afford us, there is a real blessing that does at-
tend them, and that all good men's prayers are an-
swered effectually, if not always in the particular
manner they pray for, yet in mercies and blessings
and benefits that are much more useful for them,
and more befitting their circumstances. Nay, I
doubt not to affirm, that it is as much by our pray-
ers as by any other endeavour, that not only parti-
cular persons and families, but also cities and states
and kingdoms are preserved and supported.
And so much for this argument. Consider what
you have heard, and the Lord give you under-
standing in all things.
A SERMON
ON
1 TIMOTHY II. 1, 2.
I exhort therefore, that, Jirst of all, supplications, frayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made Jbr all men;
Jbr kings, and Jbr all that are in authority.
The design of this Epistle is to give instructions
to Timothy how he ought to execute the episcopal
office which was committed to him in the church of
Ephesus : and the first injunction that is given him
about that matter is, that he should order public
supplications, and prayers, and intercessiotis, ajid
thanksgivings to he made for all men ; for kings,
and all that are in authority. I say, that he should
order these things publicly to be done ; for that these
words are to be expounded of the public devjotions of
the church was never doubted that I know of; and
may be fully made good from what follows after in
this chapter.
But how comes the apostle here to make a dif-
ference between prayers, and supplications, and those
other things? Why, certainly, his design was to
make a just enumeration of all those offices or parts,
of which the public worship or service of the church
is to consist.
And those are four :
First of all, liriani, which we here render suppli-
cations, but may more propei ly be rendered depre-
cations, that is to say, such prayers as we put up to
God for the pardon of our sins, and the averting from
122
A SERMON
us all those evils that we deserve upon account of
them.
Secondly, TrpocT^vya), or petitions, by which are
meant those prayers we put up for all the spiritual
and temporal blessings we stand in need of.
Thirdly, tvTev^ei$, or intercessio7is, by which are
meant those prayers that we are to put up for other
men.
And, lastly, evyapitiTiai, or giving of tlianhs, which
every body knows to be meant of that tribute of
praise and thanksgiving we owe to God Almighty
for all his mercies and benefits both to ourselves and
others.
Of these four things, according to St. Paul, ought
the public liturgy of the church to be made up.
And that service, where any one of them is wanting,
must consequently be defective.
But this is not the point I mean now to dwell
upon ; that which lies uppermost in my text, and
most obvious to be observed from it, are these three
things ; which I shall therefore make the heads of
my following discourse.
First of all, in general, the obligation that is upon
us to have public prayers, and to resort to them.
/ exhort first that supjiUcations and prayers be
made.
Secondly, More particularly the obligation that is
upon us, in our addresses to God, to pray for others.
/ exhort that supplications, and prayers, and in-
tercessions be made for all men.
Thirdly, (which more immediately concerns us on
this day,) the obligation that is upon us to pray and
give thanks for kings especially ; and that follows
in the next verse,ybr kings, and all that are in au-
ON 1 TIMOTHY II. 1, 2.
123
thority ; that under them we maij lead quiet and
peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty.
First, I begin with the duty of having and fre-
quenting public prayers, which is here recommended
to us.
It is the fault of a great many among us, and
even of some that have otherwise a hearty sense of
religion, that we do not set that esteem and value
upon the public worship of God, that in the nature
of the thing, and by the laws of Christ, it doth call
for. If we do but say our prayers devoutly in our
closets, (and I would to God that all of us did but
that,) we think we have done enough : we have
done all that is needful for the discharge of that part
of our duty which concerns the worship of God.
The church prayers we may spare well enough, and
so likewise prayers in our family. And though we
do perhaps now and then attend the public worship,
yet it is not so much for the sake of the prayers, as
for the curiosity of hearing a sermon, or it may be
for the avoiding the scandal that our absence at such
times would bring upon us : but certainly this is not
a right notion of the worship of God ; so far from
that, that I must needs say, it is a very absurd one.
We do readily own, that to serve God in private is a
necessary duty ; nay, so necessary, that there is no
living a holy Christian life without it : we acknow-
ledge likewise, that as the thing is infinitely rea-
sonable in itself, so it is attended with manifold ad-
vantages of several sorts : but then we say, that
public prayer, joining with our brethren in the ser-
vice of God, whether it be at church, or in our own
families, must needs have the preeminence in abund-
ance of respects. Give me leave to name a few of
124
A SERMON
the many : Would we take the readiest course to
have our prayers effectual, to obtain from God what
we pray for ? why, certainly, then we must pray
with other devout people, that come together to ob-
tain the very same thing that we desire. In com-
mon reason one would think that the united force of
a number joining together, to make a request, should
have more power than a petition from a single man,
whoever the person be that is addressed to : but
we have more cause to think so with reference to
those prayers we make to God ; Christ Jesus having
given us his promise, that wherever two or three of.
us are gathered together in his name, there he will
he in the midst of us. Not but that he will be
present to every devout soul that prays as he should
do ; but the promise is more express to those that
join their prayers together. Nay, our Saviour, even
when the occasion led him to discourse of private
prayer, such as ought to be performed in the closet,
yet being to give a form of prayer, he delivers it in
such words as are most proper to be used in a con-
gregation, speaking in the plural number; Oiir
Father, which art in heaven, give us this day our
daily bread ; forgive us our trespasses ; and so on :
intimating hereby, that it was his design that all his
disciples should join their prayers together. But
this is not all : Do we think it our duty to pay ho-
nour to God in our devotions, to give him the glory
that is due unto his name ? why, certainly, this is
never so properly done, as when we assemble to-
gether with our fellow Christians to express our de-
pendance upon him, and to set forth his praise. In
true speaking, to give honour and glory to God is
to publish to others the sense we have of his adorable
ON 1 TIMOTHY II. 1, ^.
125
perfections, of his infinite kindness and benefits, and
of the continual need we stand in of his bounty and
influences ; but this can no way be done so effec-
tually as by joining in the expression of those things
with the religious assemblies of our brethren. Nor
indeed can we be more properly said to serve God
by our devotions in private, than we can be said to
honour him. And yet all of us think there is some
service due from us to God, and we think likewise
that we serve him by our prayers. This is so common
and obvious a notion, that if a man do but hear the
service of God mentioned, he is naturally apt to ap-
ply that word to praying to him, and worshipping of
him, as looking upon that as the principal part of
that service we owe to God. Why, this is true ; but
praying to God in private is doing him no service in
the proper sense of the word ; there we rather serve
ourselves than God Almighty. To serve one is pro-
perly to promote the interest of that person whom
we pretend to serve ; to do his business with all
those among whom we are employed. This now
is truly and properly done, with respect to God,
when we resort to the public assemblies to pay our
devotions and acknowledgments to him ; for by that
means we really do our parts, that all the world
should honour and fear and worship God as well
as ourselves : nay, and contribute a great deal to
the keeping up a sense of religion among men, which
is the truest service we can pay to God. For were
it not for the public, stated meetings for the worship
of God, and the instructing men in the true religion
out of the holy scriptures, not only the spirit of Chris-
tianity, but the very face of it, would be in danger
to be lost in the world. But further, that I may yet
126
A SERMON
more recommend to you the use of public prayer,
let me desire you to consider this : is it reasonable
to worship God in a way suitable to our nature ? If
so, then we must certainly think ourselves obliged
to assemble together for the celebrating his praises,
and the putting up our joint petitions to him for
the things we stand in need of. Man by his own
nature is a sociable creature, and is so contrived that,
in order to the serving his necessities, he must join
in society with others of his own kind : and can it
be thought reasonable to have society with one
another in all other things pertaining to life, and yet
to have no society with one another in matters of
religion, which is certainly of higher concernment
than any worldly affairs whatsoever ? Is it necessary
to our happiness that we should every day commu-
nicate together in our businesses, and in our enjoy-
ments, and must we never communicate together
in owning the Author of our society, the Head of our
community, and paying our acknowledgments for
the daily benefits we receive from him ? For what
did God Almighty give us speech ? was it only for
the transacting our temporal concerns one with
another, and not rather for the setting forth the
praises of our Maker, which is certainly the noblest
use it can be put to? And yet that end of our
speech would be wholly lost, if it were supposed
that we were only to perform our devotions in pri-
vate; for private devotions are as well performed
with the mind as with the tongue. Add to this,
that the most and the greatest benefits and blessings
which we every day and hour enjoy, and do every
day and hour stand in need of, are common benefits,
in which we all have a share, as well as this or the
ON 1 TIMOTHY II. 1, 2.
127
other particular person. Such are the air we breathe
in, the food we eat, the light we see by, the peace
and liberty and safety we enjoy ; above all, the ad-
vantages of the gospel, and the promises of eternal
salvation : these are public and common blessings ;
and therefore is it not infinitely reasonable that we
should all join in public and common assemblies, to
offer up our sacrifice of praise to God for these bless-
ings, and to implore the continuance of them ?
Once more, and I have done with this head.
Have we ever seriously considered the nature of
our religion, and the duties of our common Chris-
tianity? If we have, we must needs look upon our-
selves to be indispensably obliged to frequent the
public assemblies that are appointed for the Chris-
tian worship. It is a very false opinion that some
people amongst us are apt to take up, that Chris-
tianity is no more than a sort of more refined phi-
losophy, and that Christians are but a set of men
that have truer notions about divine matters, and
that therefore ought to live better than the rest of
the world. It is enough, according to this account,
to entitle any man to the name of a Christian that
he doth believe the doctrines of Jesus Christ, and
that he doth live a moral, virtuous life, though he
exercises no acts that express his relation to that
body or society which we call the church. But cer-
tainly this is a great mistake : for when Christ came
to plant his rehgion in the world, and by the means
of that to bring us to everlasting happiness, his de-
sign was not only to give us such a system of doc-
trines to be believed, and precepts to be practised
separately by every person, without relation to one
another, but to mould and form all his disciples into
128
A SERMON
one common body or society, or, as we ordinarily ex-
press it, into one church ; and, in order thereunto,
he appointed that every one who would embrace his
religion should be entered into that church or so-
ciety by baptism ; and, when they were so entered,
they should continue to exercise all acts of member-
ship and communion with that society. And, that
they might be the more effectually obliged to this,
he appointed that the ordinary means, or conduits,
or channels, in which he did convey his grace and
Spirit to believers, should be this exercise of com-
munion with his church ; the joining in her public
prayers and sacraments : so that if we would par-
take of the divine influences which Christ hath pur-
chased, and without which we cannot expect to per-
form the terms required to our salvation, there is sl
necessity we should be members of his church. And
if we be members of his church, there is a necessity
likewise we should perform those acts by which
that membership is expressed ; and the chiefest of
those acts are to meet together for the profession of
our faith in Christ, for the worshipping God by
prayer and thanksgiving, and for the receiving the
holy sacrament.
Nay, I may add further, Christ hath so strictly
combined all his disciples in a church or society,
and so indispensably tied all that believe in him to
join in the public duties of religion as members of
that society, that it is in virtue of the relation we
have to that society, and our willingness to join in
those duties, that God accepts even our private pray-
ers and devotions ; so that if we voluntarily cut oflf
ourselves from communion with Christ's church, and
refuse to join in the public service of God with
ON 1 TIMOTHY II. 1,2.
129
other Christians, we have no reasonable grounds to
expect that God will have any regard to the peti-
tions we put up in our closets.
These things that I have now said may be, I
hope, of some force, to convince us of the great rea-
son, nay, of the great necessity that is upon us, not
to make a slight business of the public service of
the church, but to attend it both seriously and con-
stantly, as we have opportunity. Sure, after what
has been said, none of us will think it an indifferent
matter, whether we be present at the public prayers,
or whether we be absent. No ; if we have any re-
gard to the honour of God, if we have any regard to
our own benefit, if we have any regard to the duties
which either natural religion or Christianity doth
oblige us to, we shall think ourselves obliged to be
very diligent and very constant in attending the
public service of God. And if our circumstances be
such, that either we have not opportunity of resort-
ing to it, or if, having opportunities, our other ne-
cessary business and way of living will not allow us
to attend it ; yet in that case these considerations
will oblige us to take care that the worship of God
be daily performed in our families. If we can no
more than one day in the week be present at the
public assemblies, yet we should every day in the
week join with the catholic church in our own fa-
milies, in offering up the solemn sacrifice of prayer
and thanksgiving for ourselves and all others. In
this case every master of a family is allowed to be a
priest, or he may depute that oflBce to whom he
pleaseth ; but if no care be taken of the worship of
God in families, especially where they are not allow-
ed, or have not opportunity to resort to the public
.MiP. SIIARPE, vol,. III. K
130
A SERMON
prayers, I must confess I think the master of that
family has no great sense of God and religion, and
has a severe account to make for the trust com-
mitted to him.
But I leave this head of the public service in
general, and come, in the second place, to that part
of it upon which more particular stress is laid in
the text, and that is, intercession for others : Let
prayers, and supplicafiofis, and intercessions be
made for all men. This was the apostle's order,
and accordingly it has been practised in the church
ever since, a very considerable part of the public de-
votions of Christians being always made up of inter-
cessions for others; and thus it is likewise in our Li-
turgy, which in this respect, as well as others, is con-
formable to the ancient liturgies of the church.
I desire to insist a little on this point likewise,
because I fear we are often apt to be too cold and
unconcerned in this part of our daily prayers, not
praying with the same fervour and attention in those
offices that concern others, as we do in those that
concern ourselves ; whereas certainly it is both our
duty and our interest so to do. For let us consider :
most of those prayers we make for others are such
wherein we ourselves have a great concernment;
that is to say, it is to our benefit if they be granted,
and we ourselves are likely to suffer if they be not :
such are all the intercessions in our Liturgy that
are made for public persons, kings, and governors,
magistrates, ministers, and the like. In the happi-
ness and prosperity of all these, and in God's bless-
ing and directing them in their several offices, we
have so great a share, (whether we look upon our-
selves as members of the nation or of the church,)
ON 1 TIMOTHY II. 1, 2.
131
that we are not kind to ourselves, if we do not most
earnestly and affectionately join in the prayers that
are put up to God for them. And then as for those
other intercessions of our Liturgy which do not
seem so immediately to affect us as those I have
been speaking of, namely, such prayers as are made
for all sorts of private persons, and under any neces-
sity, spiritual or temporal, even our enemies ; I say,
even as to these, we have the greatest reason and
the greatest obligation to bear a solemn and a se-
rious part in them. For is it for nothing that God
has joined us together in one common body ? Is it
not for this, that when any one of the members suf-
fers, all the rest should be affected ? Would not we
ourselves desire most heartily that others should
help and assist us all the ways they can, when we
are in any extremity, and stand in need of their as-
sistance? And is it not reasonable we should do the
same for them ? and can we assist them at an easier
or cheaper rate than to put up our prayers for them ?
And yet, as easy and as cheap a way as this is, it is
perhaps as truly beneficial to them, supposing we
pray with fervour and devotion, as if our good-will
was shewed in a more laborious or expensive in-
stance.
It is the complaint of a great many, that they
would do good if they knew how, but that they are
not in circumstances, or they want opportunities of
serving the public, or doing acts of charity. But let
no man pretend this ; for every person may truly
serve every other person ; may do good, express his
charity to all the world, and to every individual in
it, by heartily joining with the church in her inter-
cessions for them. This is an opportunity we all of
K 2
132
A SERMON
lis have; nor is there any in such poor circumstances
but may do as much good this way as the richest,
the greatest, and the ablest man.
But it will be said, Do we by our prayers really
benefit those we pray for ? Do they receive any ad-
vantage from hence ? I answer, We do certainly by
our prayers both benefit others and ourselves too :
ourselves we do certainly benefit ; for whether God
thinks fit or no to answer the prayers we put up to
him for others in the same way that we do desire,
(as sometimes M^e may pray for things that God
judgeth not expedient to be granted, and sometimes
those whom we pray for do not their parts towards
the obtaining of the things we desire for them,) yet
certainly whatever we pray for of this kind is for
our great benefit. We shall not lose the reward of
our charity ; that kindness and love and compassion
we express for others shall not go unrewarded ; but
God will, with advantage, return into our bosoms
the good wishes and prayers we make for them.
But then as for the benefits that those we pray for
receive from our intercession, 1 doubt not, but that
they likewise are very great ; I doubt not, but that
both the public and every private man among us
doth fare much better in all respects for the prayers
that'the church puts up for them ; I doubt not, but
that kingdoms and states are preserved and sup-
ported as much by the prayers of the good, as by
the counsel of the wise or the valour of the mighty.
And as for our private, personal concerns, I should
think that man made a sorry bargain, that would
forego his title to and his interest in the prayers of
the church for any worldly good whatsoever. The
truth of the matter is, God is, in his own nature,
ON 1 TIMOTHY II. 1,2. 133
infinitely willing and ready to bestow upon us all
things that are needful to us ; but he hath made our
prayers also to be a necessary condition for tlie ob-
taining those things ; and having formed us into a
church, and made us one body, of which our Lord
Jesus is the head, he hath further made our joint
prayers, our supplicating and petitioning in a body,
to be necessary for the obtaining the mercies and
blessings which are needful, either to the church in
general, or any member of it in particular. So that, as
God hath ordered the disposal and distribution of his
favours, every one of us both stands in need of other
people's intercessions for the obtaining the things
we want, and is also indebted to these intercessions
of others, when we receive the things we prayed for:
so that there is both a necessity that other people
should continually pray for us, and that we should
also continually pray for them. Sure I am St. Paul
is of this mind, for as he was a most zealous inter-
cessor himself for others, and a most zealous re-
commender of that practice to all those that he
wrote to, so he also sufficiently declares how much
he himself stood in need of other people's prayers :
though he was an apostle and an inspired man, nay,
a particular favourite of Heaven, and consequently
might be presumed to have as much power with
God upon his own single account as any man what-
soever, yet he frequently begs of the church that
they would be earnest in prayer to God for him : /
beseech you, brethren, (saith he to the Romans,
ch. XV.) / beseech you for the Lord Jesus Chris fs
sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive
together with me in your prayers to God for me.
And again, to the Corinthians, You also helping
K 3
134
A SERMON
together by 'prayer for us, that for the gfts bestow-
ed upon us, by the means of many persons, thanks
may be given by many oti our behalf. Where he
plainly declares, that the grace bestowed upon him
was to be accounted the effect of the church prayers,
and as such it ought to be a matter of their thanks-
giving. Lastly, saith he, in the fourth of the Colos-
sians. Continue iti jjrayer,atid watch in the same with
thanksgivings, withal praying for us also, &c. You
see how solicitous and concerned the apostle was to
have the benefit of the church prayers ; and if such
a man as he could be supposed to need them or to
desire them, how much more must we be supposed
to do both ! and consequently how much more are
we concerned in the duty here recommended to us
of making supplications, and prayers, and inter-
cessions, and thanksgivings, for all men ; for kings
and all that are in authority !
And that leads me to my third and last head.
Prayer and intercession, you see, are to be made
for all men. But then the apostle adds, for kings,
and all that are in authority : which is as much as
if he had said. It is our duty to pray and give thanks
for all men, but more particularly and especially for
kings, and all that are in authority. And certainly
there is great reason for this, that, above all other
persons in the world, kings, and princes, and govern-
ors should have daily prayers offered up to God for
them ; not only because we owe most to them, as
being obliged to them under God for the peace and
quietness and security we enjoy in the possession of
our just rights, and therefore we must be presumed,
in point of gratitude, to think ourselves obliged to
pray for them ; not only because they most need our
ON 1 TIMOTHY II. 1, 2.
135
prayers, as having of all other persons the most dif-
ficult and intricate post to manage, and being to
combat with the greatest temptations of all sorts;
which if we do well consider, we should want com-
mon humanity, if we were not so far concerned for
them, as most heartily to put up our prayers to God
on their behalf, to assist and direct them. But also
in this other respect, which comes nearer to us, and
which I touched on before, namely, the influence that
their actions and successes have upon the whole body
of men under their charge. The good or evil fortune
that happens to princes is of an universal concern-
ment : we do all of us partake in the happiness or in
the disasters of their government : they cannot do
amiss, but it some way or other affects the commu-
nity ; and we private persons feel the consequences
of their miscarriages. As, on the other side, their
happiness and prosperity, their viitue and goodness,
their attending to wise and sober counsels, their love
of piety and encouragement of the true religion, are
public blessings : every person among us has a share
in the benefits of them ; so that by praying most
earnestly for them, for their wealth and happiness,
for their advancement and increase of true wisdom
and piety, we do in effect pray for the same blessings
to be derived upon our country. In praying for their
welfare, both spiritual and temporal, we do in con-
sequence pray for the good of all our neighbours, our
relations, our families, whose happiness is wrapt up
in their good government, and doth in a great mea-
sure depend upon it.
And the same reasons that oblige us to pray for
kings will oblige us to give thanks for them also ;
which is the other thing we are to consider in this last
K 4
136
A SERMON
part of the apostle's charge, Let intercessions and
giving of thanks, saith he, be made for all men ;
for kings, and all that are in authority. And this
is our solemn business on this day, wherein we are
met, according to the ancient and laudable custom of
this and other nations, to celebrate the anniversary
of her majest3'^'s hai)py accession to the imperial
throne of this kingdom. A blessing without doubt
this is, though there was no more in it than the
having a lawful sovereign quietly and peaceably
succeed to the crown of her ancestors ; I say, this
very thing alone, though there was no regard had to
other considerations, is, without doubt, a great bless-
ing, and must be acknowledged to be so by all those
that will compare the benefits and advantages we
receive by a peaceable, uncontested succession to the
government, with the horrible mischief and dismal
consequences either of anarchy, or of a government
not confirmed by the people, and therefore to be
maintained by force and violence. And, in truth,
when St. Paul gave this exhortation to give thanks
for kings, and those that were in authority, the
people to whom he wrote could have no greater in-
ducement to put it in practice than this I have now
mentioned; namely, that at that time they had a
government peaceably settled amongst them, by
which they were kept from confusion ; and they had
magisti'ates who took some care of property ; but
yet the supreme governor, the king at that time, was
no other than Nero, as wicked and brutish a prince
as ever sat on a throne ; and those that had authority
under him, the Roman governors, that were sent by
him into the provinces, took generally more care of
themselves than of the people committed to their
ON 1 TIMOTHV II. 1, 2.
137
charge ; and all of thein to a man were opposers and
persecutors of the Christian religion. Yet even at
such a time, and in such a juncture as this, did the
apostles order that intercessions and thanJesgivings
for kings, and all in authority, should be put into
the public liturgies.
O how ought this consideration now to prevail
with all Christians, most devoutly and cheerfully to
offer up their prayers and thanksgivings to God for
virtuous and good princes ; princes that are in the
same interests and of the same religion with their
people ; when, according to St. Paul's rule, they are
bound to pray and give thanks for any prince, even
such a prince as Nero ! This will perhaps appear a
hard saying to some ; but it will be mollified, when
we consider that there is a great difference between
our prayers and between our thanksgivings for kings,
as to the extensiveness of them, and the degree of
fervour with which we put them up. We ought to
pray for all our princes and governors, be they good
or bad, with the heartiest zeal we can raise up our-
selves to : but it is unreasonable, and in the nature
of the thing it is impossible, that our thanks to God
should be as zealous and as unreserved for a bad
prince as for a good one. In the former case we
can only thank God for the common benefits of go-
vernment and civil society, that by his influence are
continued to us; just as we thank God for the air
we breathe in ; though sometimes we may light into
such an air as is not very wholesome ; but yet, as
bad as it is, we could not live without it. But in all
other respects we can no otherwise thank God for
a bad prince, than we can thank him for our misfor-
tunes and afflictions and punishment : they are de-
138
A SERMON
signed for our good, and, if we make a right use of
them, they will prove so ; and even for this we have
reason to return thanks unto God. But the case is
infinitely different when it pleaseth God to bless a
people with pious and wise and virtuous princes ;
here our thanks will be as enlarged and as unconfined
as our prayers ; but the pleasure and satisfaction we
feel in our happy condition will raise us to greater
degrees of fervency, both in the one and in the
other.
Can there be a greater blessing to a nation (con-
sidering how much the fortune of the public and of
every private person depends upon the qualifications
of those that are to govern us ; I say, can there be
a greater blessing to a nation) than to have such
princes placed upon the throne, (be they kings or
queens, or bear they what style they will,) as are
not only descended from ancient monarchs of the
kingdom, but have also been always educated
amongst their own people, and trained up from
their infancy in the knowledge of the constitution,
and in the profession of the religion established?
Such princes, as in no time of their life have had
any blemish cast upon them that could taint their
reputation, even in a private condition : such princes
as are not only zealous defendants and patrons of
God's religion and God's church, by giving all coun-
tenance and encouragement both to the ministers
and professors of it, but also by their own unblame-
able conversation, by their eminent piety and devo-
tion, by the examples they give in their own per-
sons of modesty, humility, and charity, and univer-
sal goodness, do recommend this religion and church
to all about them : such piinces as are careful ma-
ON 1 TIMOTHY II. 1, 2.
139
nagers of the public revenue ; not squandering it
away in luxury and unnecessary pomps, nor hoard-
ing it up to make themselves rich, but paying out
of it to every one their just dues, and employing the
rest upon the public service : such princes as are as
tender and careful of their subjects' rights as of their
own ; nay, are more willing to recede from their
own prerogative, than to do a hard or unacceptable
thing to their people ; so far from injuring their sub-
jects in any respect, that they make it their business
to oblige them all.
In a word, such princes as have nothing in their
view, have no other design in the world but to be as
good and to do as much good as they can.
Sure such princes as these, when God is pleased
to bestow them upon a nation, and especially when
they have this testimony from their people of the
truth of this their character, namely, that whatever
differences or disputes may happen amongst their
subjects between themselves, they all agree in pro-
fessing their love and honour and esteem of their
prince ; I say, sure such princes as these must be
accounted rare and uncommon blessings, and accord-
ingly all their people, that have any sense of God's
mercies, will every day thank God for them.
As for us of this nation, I doubt not but we are
all so sensible of the happiness we enjoy under her
majesty's government, that there is no honest man
in the kingdom (excepting perhaps some few that
are carried away by new speculations in politics)
but doth heartily join with us on this day, both in
offei'ing up our solemn thanksgivings to God for
placing such a sovereign over us, and also in most
earnest and affectionate prayers to him that he
140 A SERMON ON 1 TIMOTHY II. 1, 2.
would prosper the queen in her concerns ; that he
would direct and influence all her counsels, both
public and private ; that he would heal all our divi-
sions, and unite the hearts of all her subjects ; that
he would give success to her arms by sea and land ;
that in her days religion and piety and righteous-
ness may more and more flourish ; and, lastly, that
God would bless her with health and long life, even
a life so long, that none of us here present may ever
celebrate any other inauguration to the throne than
what we do at this day.
May God Almighty accept the thanks and hear
the prayers we now put up to him, for the sake of
our Lord Jesus Christ. To whom, with the Father,
6cc.
A SERMON
ON
MATTHEW XXII. 35—40.
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a ques-
tion, tempting him, and saying. Master, which is the
great commandment in the law ? Jesus said unto him.
Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
with all thy soul, and zcith cdl thy mind. This is the
first and great commandment. And the second is like
unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On
these two commandments hang all the law and the pro-
phets.
The Pharisees and Herodians, as we find in the
15th verse of this chapter, had taken counsel toge-
ther how they might entrap our Saviour in his talk,
and for that end they put several ensnaring ques-
tions to him. One was about paying tribute to
Caesar ; another was aljout the resurrection : which
questions they put so cunningly, that tliey believed
it was impossible for our Saviour to answer them,
but he must render himself obnoxious either to the
government, or to one of the two parties that set
upon him ; but he avoided the snare by his prudent
answer to their question. Now one that was there
present, a lawyer, as he is called in the text, a scribe,
as he is called in the parallel text of St. Mark, that
is to say, one of the doctors or expositors of the Jew-
ish law; I say, this man hearing Jcsus's answers, and
perceiving that he had answered well, as St. Mark
tells us, he also thought fit to ask Jesus a question,
tempthig him, saith the text ; that is, not with a
142
A SERMON
malicious mind, as the others did, but by way of
trial of him, that he might make yet a further expe-
riment of Jesus's wisdom and abilities, just as the
queen of Sheba is said to tempt Solomon, when she
put her questions to him.
The question which the lawyer asked was this ;
Which was the greatest commandment in the law
of Moses ?
This question, it is likely, was one of those that
were much agitated among the Jewish doctors at that
time; some perhaps teaching that the law of circum-
cision was the great commandment ; others, that the
law of sacrifices was ; others, that the moral duties
of the law, those of loving God and our neighbour,
were the greatest commandments : and of this opin-
ion this lawyer himself was, as appears by St. Mark;
and our Saviour did confirm him in his opinion ; for
his answer to the question was this. Thou shalt love
the Lord thy God icith all thy heart, and ivith all
thy soul, and tvith all thy mind. This is the first
and great commandment. And the second is like
nnto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
On these tivo commandments, saith he, hang all the
law and the prophets. That is to say, the founda-
tion of all religion is first of all the love of God, and
next to that the love of our neighbour : all the other
duties prescribed either by Moses or the prophets,
are summed up in these two, and may be reduced
to them. He that saith, Love God and love your
neighbour, doth in effect tell you your whole duty ;
for all other points of religion are comprehended and
contained in these two. These are a summary of the
whole law.
In treating on this argument, I shall first consider
ON MATTHEW XXII. 35—40.
143
that which our Saviour here calls the first and great
commandment, and that is, to love God with all our
heart, and soul, and strength ; and secondly, after-
wards, that which he calls the next unto it, and that
is, the loving our neighhours as ourselves.
In speaking to the first point, I shall do these
things :
First, Give some account what is meant by loving
God.
Secondly, Shew in what respects or upon what
grounds this is the first and greatest of the com-
mandments.
Thirdly, Make some inferences from this doctrine.
Fourthly, Observe some practical cases about the
love of God.
As to the first of these, what is meant by loving
God with all our hearts, and minds, and souls, I
need not speak many words ; for nature must needs
teach every one what this saying imports. It seems
as impertinent to offer to instruct any body to know
when they love another, as it is to give marks where-
by they may know when they are hungry or thirsty:
some things are more easily felt than they are de-
scribed.
But yet, nevertheless, it is fit something should be
said upon this head ; and the rather, because I must
confess there is some difference between divine and
sensual love, the love of God and the love of the
things of this world : the latter is usually accom-
panied with much greater passion and transports
than the former ; though yet the love of God, if it
be sincere, will be as powerful, and produce as real
and visible effects, as the love of any sensible object
that is most dear to us in the woild. But I would
14i
A SERMON
not have any persons take measure of their love to
God by what they feel in themselves, when they are
carried out with some fervent passion towards some
visible object : I would not have them think that
they do not love God sincerely because they do not
feel in themselves such violent transports and con-
cussions of fear and hope, of desires and longings, of
joy and delight, of impatience and restlessness, and
the like, that perhaps they may have sometimes felt
when their heart has been set upon some thing or
person in the world. The love of God is not often-
times so passionate and boisterous as the animal, sen-
sual love ; but yet it is always as real and perma-
nent ; it is as strong and effectual as the other, but
more still and calm. And the reason is clear, be-
cause the seat of the one is in the intellectual, rea-
sonable nature ; the seat of the other is in the sensi-
tive.
I doubt not indeed but that sometimes it comes
to pass that the more ardently and intensely a man
love God, the more will he draw his very animal
passions to conspire with that love, and to shew
themselves upon all occasions as vigorous in ex-
pressing it, as when they have a visible object to
employ themselves about.
Holy David seems to have been a person thus af-
fected : his love and devotion to God seems to have
been accompanied with all the violences and raptures
of passion that the highest sensual love can be.
But this is a temper that is not always nor by all
men to be expected ; and therefoi'e I am to give
such an account of the loving of God as may be
true, and yet be v.ithout that fervour of passion I
have now spoken of.
ON MATTHEW XXII. 35—40.
11-5
Now four things I dare say every body will see to
be necessarily required to the true, sincere love of
God, even of those whose temper is least susceptible
of passionate impressions.
Namely, first of all, that we have a great esteem
of God. Secondly, that we have an earnest desire
to be made partakers of his perfections. Thirdly,
that w^e heartily endeavour to recommend ourselves
to his favour by doing such things as are pleasing
and acceptable to him. Fourthly, that we do so far
dread his displeasure, that we would not for any
worldly consideration incur it.
The first thing implied in the love of God is, a
great and just esteem of him ; that is to say, that
we have such worthy apprehensions concerning God,
and be so well persuaded of the adorable perfections
of his nature, and withal of his infinite kindness and
goodness and love to us, that we look upon him as
incomparably the best, the most excellent, the most
amiable Being in the world. Such is the contrivance
of human nature, that we cannot love any thing that
we have not first some understanding, some know-
ledge, some notion and apprehension of; and withal
such an apprehension or notion as represents the
thing to be lovely and desirable. Our opinion and
fancy first leads the way, and then desire and affection
foUoweth after : how is it possible a man should love
that which he has no notion of ; or, having a notion
of it, how is it possible he should love it, when the
notion of it speaks the thing to be unlovely? So
that in order to our sincere loving of God, we must
both acquaint ourselves with his nature, and like-
wise represent him to ourselves as the most amiable
of all beings ; and then we cannot for our hearts
ABP. SHARPE, VOL. III. 1.
146
A SERMON
keep our affections from running out after him.
When once God appears to us what he really is in
himself, the possessor of all perfections, the foun-
tain of all good, the author of all that happiness
that we either have or can hope for ; when once we
are heartily persuaded that every good, every desir-
able thing is in God in full perfection, and that all
the excellencies we admire in this world, all the
charming things that here attract our hearts, are all
of them but so many rivulets derived from the in-
exhausted ocean of his perfections, but thin and
scanty and imperfect emanations from his infinite
fulness ; that what is here most glorious, most beau-
tiful, most rich, most delightful, is but a faint sha-
dow, or copy, or representation of his eternal good-
ness, and glory, and beauty, and blessedness, when
we have such apprehensions of his nature, as that
we believe there is nothing frightful or unlovely in
God ; that he is perfect light, and in him is no
darkness at all ; (as the apostle speaks ;) that he is
such a Being as that all reasonable creatures that
have any knowledge of him must needs love ; and
such a Being, that if it was possible to suppose there
was not a God in the world, yet all wise and good
men would most heartily wish that there were :
and, lastly, when we have such an idea of God, as
to look upon the enjoyment of him to be the su-
preme happiness we are capable of, and that in pos-
sessing him we are in effect put into the possession
of every thing that is good, every thing that is de-
sirable ; all pleasure, and all riches, and all honour
being bound up in his favour ; he being at all times
able to make his friends as great and as happy as he
pleaseth, and never failing to make those happy that
ON MATTHEW XXII. 35—40. 147
love him : I say, when we have such just and right
notions and apprehensions of God as these, then,
and not till then, do we begin to love him ; then
will our souls cleave to him ; then shall we cry out
with David, Whom have I in heaven but thee, and
there is none upon earth that I can desire in com-
parison with thee! so that the first step to, or the
first expression of, love to God, is a just apprehension
and esteem of him.
But, secondly, to love God implies an earnest de-
sire of being made partakers of his perfections. It
is an inseparable property of love, that it puts into
the heart a strong desire and inclination to assimi-
late ourselves in all those qualities which we ac-
count amiable in the person beloved. It is non-
sense to talk of loving and admiring a person for
such and such accomplishments that he is possessed
of, and yet at the same time to approve ourselves
in such qualities as are directly contrary to them.
If therefore we do sincerely love God, we shall cer-
tainly desire above all things to be made like unto
him, to be united to him as much as we can, by pos-
sessing our minds and spirits with all those lovely
qualities whereby we are capable of expressing his
image and similitude. We shall so admire his wis-
dom, his purity, his justice, his mercy, his bene-
ficence, his faithfulness and truth, that we shall look
upon it as the greatest interest we have in the world
to be made righteous as he is righteous, merciful as
he is merciful, wise, and pure, and faithful, and
true, as we find him to be. We shall look upon all
sin and wickedness and impurity as the greatest
blemishes and impurities, the greatest evils in the
world. We shall not endure in ourselves any hu-
L 2
148
A SERMON
mour or quality, any habit or custom, that speaks
opposition to his rectitude and goodness. We shall
breathe after a participation of his nature ; we shall
hunger and thirst after his righteousness ; we shall
endeavour to bring our minds and spirits in all
things to a conformity with those ideas which God
in his holy word hath given us of himself; nay, so
heartily shall we be in love with virtue and good-
ness, and all other qualities that accomplish our
souls, and render us like unto our Maker, that if it
was put to our choice, whether we would possess the
whole world without them, or them without the con-
veniences of the world, we should certainly choose
the latter.
From this will follow, in the third place, a serious
care to approve and recommend ourselves to God in
all our actions. As love doth naturally work to-
wards the assimilating us in our natures and tem-
pers to the person we love, so it will also put us
upon the framing all our carriage and behaviour and
conversation in such a way as we believe is pleas-
ing and acceptable to the beloved object. Can we
with any justice pretend that we love our friend, at
the same time we make it our business, in his sight
and presence, to do those things which we know he
hates, and hath declared over and over again that
he looks upon himself as affronted by the doing of
them ? This is our case with God Almighty. He is
not indeed properly injured, or receives any damage
by any thing we can do ; for as our best services
add nothing to his blessedness and glory, so neither
do our worst actions detract any thing from it : but
yet he hath declared that there are some sorts of
actions that are highly pleasing and acceptable to
ON MATTHEW XXII. 35—40. 149
him ; and, on the contrary, that others are very dis-
pleasing and unagreeable ; and such as, if they be
done, he looks upon as an affront and dishonour to
him. And, that we might not be at a loss to dis-
tinguish between them, he hath given us his laws
and commandments for the rule by which we are to
govern our actions and conversation ; which laws he
hath partly writ in our hearts, and partly revealed
to us in his holy word. Here, therefore, above all
things, we must shew our love to God. We cannot
pretend to love him, unless we do heartily and sin-
cerely endeavour in all our actions to observe these
laws : we cannot pretend to love him, (on the con-
trary we do plainly affront him,) if we willingly and
knowingly allow ourselves in those actions that are
plain transgressions of these laws.
Here then let us fix ; whenever we are talking of
our love to God, let us try it by this mark : do we
sincerely endeavour to keep God's commandments ?
is it the stud}^ and design of our lives to frame our
actions as near as we can to the rule that God hath
given us to walk by ? and do we constantly avoid,
to the best of our power, the doing of that which we
see and know is plainly repugnant to God's laws ?
This, I am sure, is every where in holy scripture re-
presented both as the most proper expression, and
the surest argument of our love to God. Thus God
himself, in the second commandment, joins these two
things together, as inseparable the one from an-
other; for thus he speaks in the twentieth chapter
of Exodus, / will shew mercij unto thousands of
them that love me, and keep my commandments.
So that loving God and keeping his commandments
are but two terms expressing the same thing ; and
L 3
150
A SERMON
thus again our Saviour more expressly in the four-
teenth of St. John, He that hath my command-
ments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me :
and again. Ye are then my friends (that is. Ye do
then truly hear affection to me) if ye do whatsoever
I command you : and, lastly, St. John in his First
Epistle, Whoso keejjeth his word, in him is the love
of God perfected; that is to say, he both truly loves
God, and loves him in perfection, as far as the state
of human nature in this world is capable.
It was very well becoming the wisdom and good-
ness of God, and exceedingly for our benefit and
comfort, that the Holy Spirit should in the scrip-
tures thus plainly and fully declare what that is in
which the love of God doth principally consist, and
by what marks and characters we may truly know
whether we love God or no. It is not so easy a mat-
ter for every body to know whether he hath that
esteem and veneration of God, or whether he doth
form such lovely ideas of him in his mind as he
ought to do ; (which is one of these instances or ex-
pressions I have mentioned of the love of God ;) nei-
ther is it so easy a matter for a man to know whe-
ther he hath such ardent longings and breathings
after a participation of the divine nature, as the sin-
cere love of God will inspire a man with, (which
was the other character I gave of it.) But every
man may know whether in his life and conversation
he doth sincerely endeavour to observe God's laws,
whether he doth really frame his life so as to study
to perform those things which God hath command-
ed, and to avoid those things which God hath for-
bidden : this, I say, every body may know and find
out, by examining the principles upon which his ac-
ON MATTHEW XXII. 35—40.
151
tions turn, the designs by wliich they are managed ;
and therefore this is a mark by which every man,
even the plainest and the dullest, may know whether
he sincerely loves God or no.
Let us all therefore stick to this mark ; let us take
this both for the truest expression of our love to God,
and the best evidence we can give ourselves of it.
Let none of us judge of ourselves by the warmth and
fervour we do sometimes feel in our minds towards
God ; let us not upon any account that we have now
and then very devout affections, that we can pray
with great earnestness and vigour, that we feel a
great joy and delight in our spiritual exercises, that
we are sometimes raised up above ourselves in our
contemplations and devotions ; I say, let none of us
upon this account be too forward to conclude that
we sincerely love God. For if this zeal and heat of
affection be not accompanied with a steady, constant
endeavour to recommend ourselves to God by an uni-
form obedience to all his commandments, it will sig-
nify nothing. And, on the other side, let none of us
that are dull and flat in our prayers, that feel none
of those raptures and spiritual consolations, and that
lively communion with God, that other men talk of ;
that have none of those ardours and flames of love,
none of that transport and exaltation of spirit in
their holy offices ; but go on in a dull, insipid road
of duties, (as they are apt to fancy it ;) I say, let
none of those upon these accounts be in the least
troubled or cast down, as if they had not the true
love of God within them. For those very people, in
as low a dispensation as they think themselves to be,
if they be so wrought upon by the motives of the
gospel, that they do unfeignedly set themselves to
L 4
152
A SERMON
live honestly and virtuously and godly in their
whole conversation, they have assuredly the love of
God abiding in them.
In a woid, let all sorts of men, how brisk or how
dull soever their passions and affections are toward
God, judge of their state and condition by this : Do
they heartily and steadily endeavour to approve them-
selves to God by an innocent and virtuous and re-
ligious course of life ? Do they make a conscience of
keeping all God's commandments as far as they know
them, and as far as they are able to keep them ? Do
they indulge themselves willingly and knowingly in
no action, or in no course of life, that their consciences
tell them is displeasing to God ? If they can satisfy
themselves that they do this, they have all the reason
in the world to be assured that they love God in that
degree that he will accept ; and that whether they
have or have not the comfort of it here, they will
certainly have the reward of it hereafter.
But, fourthly and lastly, there is one thing more
to be added to the full explication of this precept in
my text besides what I have said ; and that is, that
the love of God we are speaking of implies such a
degree of intenseness, as that whoever pretends to
love God must have so great a regard to the favour
of God, and so great a dread of his displeasure, that
he would not for any consideration in the world run
the hazard of forfeiting the one, or incurring the
other.
And this is that which I take to be the full mean-
ing of that phrase. Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and ivith all thy soul, and
with all thy mind. It is an idle thing to go about
to distinguish nicely about the sense of these several
ON MATTHEW XXII. 35—40.
153
words. This undoubtedly is the meaning of all :
that we should cleave entirely to God with all the
powers of our souls and bodies ; we should endeavour
to serve him with every faculty that he hath given
us ; we should not give up ourselves to him by halves,
dividing ourselves between God and the world ; but
all other interests, all other considerations must yield,
where God and our love to him are concerned.
The plain English of all is, that we must love God
above all things ; that we must mind his service
above all other concernments ; that we must preserve
our duty to him entire and inviolable, whatever come
of our other affairs. And if it should so happen that
our worldly profit, or pleasures, or interests, are in-
consistent with our love to God, we must quit them
all, rather than depart from the laws of our heavenly
Father.
And this is that which our Saviour hath told us
in the tenth of St. Matthew, (with which I conclude
this point and this Discourse,) He that loveth father
or mother more than me is not worthy of me : and
he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me ; and he that taketh not his cross, and
followeth after me, is not worthy of me. Or, as he
expresseth. Luke xiv. 26. 7f any man come to me,
and hate not his father, and his mother, his wife,
and children, brethren, and sisters, yea, and his
own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Not that
a man ought to hate any of these ; but he ought to
love them all less than Jesus Christ : he ought to
postpone them ; he ought to slight and forsake and
abandon them, whenever he cannot keep them, and
preserve his love, his duty, his fidelity to God. Thus
much for this time.
154 A SERMON ON MATT. XXII. 35—40.
" O God, who hast prepared for them that love
" thee, such good things as pass man's understand-
" ing ; pour into our hearts such love towards thee,
" that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain
" thy promise, which exceeds all that we can desire,
*' through Jesus Christ our Lord." To whom, &c.
A SEHMON
ON
MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
Jesus said unto Jdm, Thou shall love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
This is the first and great commandment. And the se-
cond is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. On these tzvo commandments hang all the law
and the propliets.
I BEGUN to treat on this text the last Lord's day,
and the method I proposed was,
First, To give some account what is meant by
loving God with all our heart, and soid, and mind.
Secondly, To shew in what respects, or upon what
grounds, this love of God is the first and greatest of
the commandments.
Thirdly, To make some inferences from this pro-
position of our Saviour, that to love God with all
the heart and soul is the first and greatest of the
commandments.
Fourthly, To observe some practical case about
the love of God.
As to the first of these points, what it is to love
God with all our hearts, and souls, and minds ; I
shewed you that it must necessarily comprise in it
these four things :
First, That we have a great and just esteem of
God.
Secondly, That we have an earnest desire to be
made partakers of his perfections.
156
A SERMON
Thirdly, That we heartily endeavour to recom-
mend ourselves to his favour, by doing such things
as are pleasing and acceptable to him.
Fourthly, That we so far dread his displeasure,
that we would not for any worldly consideration
incur it.
On these things I dwelt the last Lord's day, and
therefore shall not now enlarge upon them, but pro-
ceed to the second general point of my proposed
method, and that is, to shew in what respect, or
upon what accounts, this precept of loving God is
the first and greatest commandment.
Now, I say, it is so, and must be accounted so, for
these following reasons :
First of all, in regard that in the order of nature
it is before the other commandments, and is, as it
were, the foundation of them.
The other duties of the law^ are built and ground-
ed upon this, and do derive their obligation from it.
For instance, the duty we owe to our neighbour, to
be just and faithful in our dealings, to be merciful
and charitable, to be quiet and peaceable, as like-
wise the duties we owe to ourselves, to be chaste
and modest and temperate ; these are acknowledged
to be necessary, indispensable precepts. But now
from whence doth our obligation to them arise?
How comes it that they do bind our consciences to
the performance of them ? Is it because they are
things reasonable in themselves, and agreeable to
the frame of human nature ? or is it because the
practice of these things is the natural means to
make our lives more easy and comfortable in this
world? Why, I grant that both these things are
true, and both of them are likewise considerable
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40. 157
motives to engage us to the practice of them ; but
yet, in strict speaking, neither of them is sufficient
to lay a direct obhgation upon our consciences to
the practising of them without something else, and
that is this : the authority of the great God, (whom
we are all bound to love and serve with all our
hearts, with all our minds, and with all our
strength,) that hath made these things to be our
duty, that hath prescribed it as a law to us, to be
Just and charitable, chaste and temperate, and the
like : I say, it is this that layeth the direct obliga-
tion upon conscience ; so that were we not bound
in conscience to serve and love God, neither should
we be bound in conscience to practise those other
things.
The truth is. were there no God in the world
whom we were bound to love and serve, there would
be no such things as love and conscience in the
world : it is the consideration of God in the action
that makes any action to be religious or irreligious ;
and it is the consideration of God's authority that
makes any thing to be a duty in point of conscience,
or to be a sin against conscience : and therefore,
since to love and cleave to God is the first duty, and
that which gives the stamp of conscience and reli-
gion to all the rest, it must needs be the first and
greatest of all the commandments.
Secondly, this law of loving God with all our
hearts and souls is the greatest of all the rest in
regard to its excellency and dignity, because it em-
ployeth and exercises the powers of our souls in the
highest and noblest operations, and about the best
object they are capable of. To love God is cer-
tainly the highest perfection and accomplishment of
15.S
A SERMON
human nature ; for hereby we are made like unto
God ; we are made partakers of his divine nature ;
for God is love : as we are men, the perfection and
happiness of our nature consist in the improvement
of those two faculties, our understandings and our
wills. The understanding is improved and per-
fected by the knowledge and contemplation of the
best objects ; the will is improved and perfected by
love and adhesion to the best objects. Now, though
it be true that the knowledge of God and his per-
fections (which is transcendently the best and no-
blest object in the world) is absolutely necessary to
the perfection and happiness of our natures ; for if
we had no knowledge of him, it is impossible we
should love him ; yet it is the loving of God, the
admiring and adoring his infinite goodness, the being
firmly united to him in our wills and affections ; it
is this that makes us truly perfect and truly blessed :
for if we knew and understood never so much of
God and his perfections, yet, if we did not bear good-
will and affection to him, if we were not by love
transformed into his spirit and" temper, we should,
for all this knowledge and vmderstanding, be still
but in the rank of devils ; to whom it is rather a
torment than a happiness that they know so much
of the infinite goodness that is in God, when their
wills and aflfections, their nature and inclination, are
at so great a distance from him.
In a word, the blessedness of mankind consists in
the divine life ; and the very root of the divine life
is the sincere love of God. Whoever truly loves
God cannot but be happy, because he hath the na-
ture of God in him; and whoever doth not love
God cannot but be miserable, because he is at the
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40. 159
greatest distance from the greatest good. To love
God is to be really put into a possession of all that
God himself can bestow : for it engages all his wis-
dom and power, his care and providence for our be-
nefits ; all security and welfare, all rest and peace,
all joy and delight and comfort, do attend upon it.
And therefore, since the love of God is the sum of
our happiness, it must in reason be accounted the
sum of our religion too ; the first and greatest of
all the commandments, as our Saviour here express-
eth it.
But, thirdly, it must needs also be so in another
respect, or upon another consideration, and that is
this ; that it is our hearty love of God that gives
worth and value to all our other religious perform-
ances ; it is upon account of that, that God has any
regard, or sets any esteem upon our other duties.
No sacrifice, as one expresseth it, is acceptable,
which is not kindled by this heavenly fire ; no offer-
ing sweet and pure, which is not seasoned by this
holy salt. Love doth of itself recommend us to our
heavenly Father ; but our other performances do
not so, but upon love's account ; they are more or
less acceptable, according as they more or less pro-
ceed from, or are accompanied with, love and affec-
tion to him.
It is natural to think this, because all mankind
proceed by the same measures in judging of the ac-
tions that are done unto themselves. Let one be
never so civil to us, make never so great profession
of serving us, be never so prodigal of his bows and
cringes, of fair words and compliments ; nay, though
he do us some real favours and courtesies, and pre-
sents us with gifts that are in themselves valuable ;
160
A SERMON
yet if in the mean time w e know that this pretended
humble servant hath all this while no real kindness
for us in liis heart, and that all this obliging carriage
and behaviour doth not in the least proceed from
any respect to us, but merely to serve himself upon
us, do we in that case value the civilities that are
done us? do w'e think ourselves obliged to the man
for them ? So far from that, that we are apt to de-
spise both him and them. Whereas, on the other
side, every ingenuous man will take kindly whatso-
ever is said or done to him, when he kno\vs it pro-
ceeds from real good-will. Love, though from never
so mean a person, is a present for the greatest and
highest upon earth, and procures the acceptance of
every thing it brings along with it. Nay, the veiy
slips and offences and miscarriages that others are
guilty of towards us, if they proceeded from love, if
there was no bad meaning in them, but the man in-
tended kindly to us, though it was his misfortune to
be mistaken ; I say, even these, if they be not ac-
cepted with favour, yet will obtain an easy pardon,
even from the most inexorable natures.
And certainly thus also we must needs apprehend
the case to stand between God Almighty and our-
selves. We cannot reasonably imagine that any ser-
vice we offer to him, though it be in those instances
that he hath strictly enjoined and commanded, will
find his acceptance any further than it proceeds from
hearty good-will, and from a soul that values liis
favoiu', and really sets itself to please him. To
think to recommend ourselves to God by our pray-
ers or our fasting, by our devout discourse, or by
our attendance on his worship ; nay, even by our
moral honesty, and our acts of mercy and charity.
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
161
which are the most valuable sacrifices ; when at the
same time God sees and knows that our hearts are
not right to him, that we have no true love to him,
nor any real affection to his commandments ; but do
these things either for vainglory, to he seen of men,
that we may get a reputation of sanctity ; or for the
pleasing of others, to whom, by these ways, we hope
to recommend ourselves. Or, lastly, for the serving
any by-end or selfish design, which we think by
these methods may be promoted; I say, for any
man to think that these kind of services will be ac-
ceptable to God, is the greatest nonsense in the
world. So far is he from looking kindly and fa-
vourably upon such kind of performances, that our
Saviour calls such people by no better name than
hypocrites ; nay, tells them plainly, they have their
reward; that is to say, their serving their own
worldly ends being the business they aimed at, it is
enough if they gain that ; other rewards they are
not to expect from God Almighty.
But, on the other side, whosoever heartily loves
God, and endeavours in all his actions to approve
himself to him ; such a man never fails of God's ac-
ceptance, in every instance of duty that he applies
himself to. Every service that he offers is kindly
taken, and the more it expresseth his sincere love,
still the more value doth God set upon it. Nay, our
very failings, and infirmities, and miscarriages, so
long as there is this principle of love in our hearts,
will find his pity and compassion, but not his anger.
In a word, it is love that sanctifies all the actions of
our duty, and makes them of a sweet-smelling sa-
vour to God ; and it is love that will be the best
cover, and make the best apology, for the worst of
ABP. 8HARPE, VOL. III. M
1G2
A SERMON
our errors : and therefore, since it is of such mighty
worth and value with God, as that upon account of
it all other duties do receive their estimation, great
reason had our Saviour to affirm it the first and
great commandment.
But, fourthly and lastly, to love God with all our
hearts, and souls, and minds, is the first and great
commandment, in regard of the universal influence
and efficacy it hath to put us upon observing all
God's commandments. Such is the force and power
of love, that wherever it gets possession, it brings all
the powers of the soul and body into a compliance
with the will of the beloved, in all the instances
wherein that will hath declared itself. So that we
can no sooner think what it is that God would have
us to do in any instance, or how it is that he would
have us behave ourselves in any emergency ; but, if
we sincerely love him, we shall readily put ourselves
in a posture of obeying him.
Fear may go a great way towards the deterring
men from some practices, and at some seasons ; but
when the fright is over, the man naturally returns
to his former inclinations and habits. But love is a
principle that changes the bent and temper of the
mind, and by a gentle and easy violence (if it be
proper to speak so) carries us on to a cheerful and
steady and uniform obedience to every thing that
we think is pleasing and acceptable to God. If any
man love me, saith our Saviour, he will keep my
words ; it is impossible he should do otherwise : if
we can once bring ourselves to love God, it is need-
less to bid us to be kind to our brethren, to be sin-
cere and honest in our dealings, to abstain from
whoredom and drunkenness, and all such impurities ;
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37— 40.
103
to take all opportunities of worshipping God, and
offering up our prayers and thanksgivings to him,
both in public and private. For these actions will
come of course, because we know that it is such
things as these, that God, whom we love, takes
pleasure in, and hath required of us. Nay, though
any of the commandments should at the first ap-
pearance seem hard and severe to flesh and blood,
yet the true love of God will easily surmount these
hardships. Nothing will be difficult to him that
sincerely loves. When Jacob had served Laban
seven years for his daughter, and in that service had
underwent as many labours and difficulties as can
easily be supposed, yet the text tells, that these
years seemed to Mm hut a very few days, for the
love he hare unto her. It is the property of love
to think nothing grievous or painful that leads to
the obtaining of what we desire ; or that recom-
mends us to the person that is the object of our love.
And if love be thus powerful when it is placed
upon earthly objects, where the attractions are so
small, and where oftentimes blind passion is inter-
ested more than reason ; O how powerful must it
be, when it is placed upon the most charming and
lovely and glorious object in the whole world ! and
where true understanding and reason doth so fully
and entirely close with that object, that with its ut-
most force and vigour it recommends it to all the in-
ferior faculties, and sets them on work in the pur-
suit of it.
Since therefore the love of God is of such uni-
versal influence, and is so necessarily productive of
obedience to all the holy commandments, we must
needs be convinced that it is what our Saviour here
IM 2
164
A SERMON
styles it, the first and great commandment, and
unto which all other commandments are to be re-
duced.
And thus much let it suffice to have spoken on
my second general head. I now proceed to the
third, which is, to draw some inferences, or to make
some application of this doctrine.
Our Saviour here tells us, that to love God with
all our heart, and soul, and mind, is the first and
great commandment, and in conjunction with the
second, (that of loving our neighbour as ourselves,)
it makes up the whole law, and the prophets ; is
in effect the summary of both, there being no other
duty there commanded, but what may be reducible
to one of these two heads.
The first thing I would take occasion to observe
from hence is this : that relig-ion, (taking that word
as it signifies that universal duty we owe to God,
and by which we are to recommend ourselves to his
favour,) I say, that religion is not so variable, un-
certain, and arbitrary a matter as some men do
perhaps suppose it, but is a constant, fixed, perma-
nent, immutable thing ; the same now that it was
in the days of the old law ; and the same then that
it was in the days before the law was given ; and
the same, both then and now, that it shall be a
thousand years hence, if the world should last so
long. True religion, and that which is from God,
was, and is, and ever will be the same in substance
in all countries, and in all nations, and among all
sorts and conditions of men whatsoever ; and the
sum of it is, to love the Lord our God with all our
hearts, and with all our minds, and with all our
strength ; and, next to that, to love our neighbour
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
165
as ourselves. This was the religion that the pa-
triarchs and all the pious men of old lived in, and
by which they obtained God's favour and acceptance,
when as yet there was no revealed, instituted religion
in the world. And this, as our Saviour tells us,
was the sum of that religion which God, when he
thought fit to make known his will by revelation,
gave to the Israelites by Moses, and which he con-
tinued by a perpetual succession of prophets to press
upon them ; and lastly, that this likewise is the sum
of that religion which hath Jesus Christ for its au-
thor, and who was the last and the greatest prophet
that came to declare God's will to mankind, and
whose religion is to continue in force for ever ; I say,
that this is the sum of the Christian religion no
man can in the least doubt, that hath ever read the
New Testament. If our Saviour could truly say,
that the sum of the Jewish religion, as it was de-
livered by Moses and the prophets, did consist in
those two things, the love of God and of our neigh-
bour, I am sure we have much greater reason to
say, that the religion that he taught may be summed
up in these two duties : for, in the Jewish law, there
were a great many precepts that were about matters
of an indifferent nature, and seem wholly foreign,
and no way to look towards this business of loving
God and our neighbour ; but, in our Saviour's insti-
tution, there is hardly any one thing recommended
to us that doth not directly relate to this matter ;
that is not either an instance wherein we are to ex-
press our love to God and our neighbour, or a means
whereby we may be furthered in the practising of
those duties, or an argument and motive and en-
couragement to excite us to the practising of them.
M 3
166
A SEliMON
It is the design of all his doctrines to give us right
notions of God and our neighbour, to teach us how
excellent, how good God is in himself, and how kind,
how gracious to us ; and, therefore, what infinite
reason we have to love and serve him, and to love
and serve all mankind (who are our neighbours) for
his sake ; it is the design of his precepts to give us
rules in what manner and in what degree we are to
express our love to God and our neighbour, and to
oblige us, under the highest penalty, not to fail in
our duty in these matters ; it is the design of his
promises to encourage us in the constant and sincere
performance of these duties, notwithstanding what-
ever temptations we meet with to the contrary, by
offering to us greater assistances for the performance
of them, and proposing greater rewards to the per-
formance of them than mankind had ever yet heard
of : and lastly, it was the design of his whole life
and conversation in the world, to give us a true
pattern and example of love to God and man, in all
the several instances wherein it will be our duty to
express it.
Love therefore, as it was the sum of the old law,
so it is likewise the sum of the new ; or, as St. Paul
expresses it, to TiXog jyji napayyeXiag, it is the end,
the perfection, the utmost design of the evangelical
dispensation, to teach us fo love (namely, to love
God first, and then our neighbour) otit of a imre
heart, and good conscience, and faith unfeigned,
as you have it, 1 Tim. i. 5 ; so that, putting all this
together, we have an easy and a true notion of that
religion which is from God, and we can never be at
a loss to find out in what it doth consist ; it is not a
thing to be altered at pleasure ; both the law of na-
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
167
ture and the law of God, both the natural dispensa-
tion, under which all men are born, and the revealed
dispensation, as we have it either in the Old or New
Testament, do sufficiently instruct us in the main
heads of it : nay, I dare be bold to say, so long as
mankind do retain their nature, and are not trans-
formed into another sort of creatures than what God
made them at first, it is impossible that there should
be any true religion but what may be summed up in
these two things, namely, to love God and our
neighbour.
There is this difference indeed between the three
dispensations, that of nature, that of Moses, and that
of Christ, as to this matter ; that the first teacheth
these duties very imperfectly. Mankind, through
the universal corruption and degeneracy of the
world, having lost the true notions of God, and of
the way wherein he would be loved and served ; and
it was the design of the second dispensation, that of
Moses, to restore and revive these notions among
the Jews, and to oblige them more strictly to the
performance of those duties by more explicit pro-
mises and threatenings ; but yet this dispensation of
Moses was very imperfect, and very insufficient for
the bringing all mankind to that pure love of God
and man that was required to the perfection of hu-
man nature, and therefore, wheii the fulness of time
was come, God sent his own Son, our Lord Jesus,
into the world, not to alter the principles of man-
kind, or to set up a religion that was never heard
of in the world, but to perfect what was deficient in
the law of nature or in the law of Moses ; to build
upon and to improve the old foundation of loving
God and our neighbour, that so all mankind might
M 4
168
A SERMON
be put into a capacity of performing acceptable ser-
vices to God, and arriving to that perfection and
happiness which in their creation they were designed
for. This work, I say, our Saviour undertook ; and
this work he did effectually perform and execute :
first, by instructing mankind more plainly and per-
fectly than ever they were instructed before, how,
and in what instances, they were to express their
love to God and man ; secondly, by requiring of
them a greater measure, or degree, or in tenseness
of love both to God and man, than mankind had
hitherto thought themselves obliged to ; thirdly, by
laying before them a great many new arguments
and motives and inducements, to the practice of
those duties which they hardly ever thought on be-
fore ; fourthly, by procuring greater aids and helps,
and assistances for the performance of this duty
than ever was afforded under either of the other dis-
pensations ; fifthly, by setting a plain and easy, but
withal a perfect example, in his own life, of the prac-
tice of these duties in all the several instances of
them ; sixthly, by proposing greater rewards to all
good men, that would sincerely endeavour to recom-
mend themselves by universal love to God and man,
than either the light of nature or the law of Moses
did make over ; and, lastly, by purchasing remission
of sins by his death and passion, for the encourage-
ment of all mankind to set themselves to the prac-
tice of this true religion, how faulty or negligent
soever they had before been in these matters.
This now to me seems a true scheme and a ge-
nuine representation of the Christian religion. As to
the main duties requiied in it, it seems to be the
same in substance both with natural religion and
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
169
the religion of the Jews; and the sum of them lies
in this, to love God with all our heart, and to love
our neighbour as ourselves ; though, both as to the
instances of expressing these duties, and the strict-
ness with which it requires them, and the argu-
ments it gives for the engaging us to them, and the
assistances it offers for the performing of them, and
the unvaluable promises it makes to all that sin-
cerely lay out tliemselves in them ; I say, in all
these respects, there is no comparison to be made
between Christ's religion and the other, Christianity
having incomparably the advantage, upon every one
of these accounts, both of the heathen and the Jew-
ish religion.
But this is that which I aimed at, and all that I
desire to observe at this time, that religion is not a
fictitious or arbitrary thing ; one thing to-day, and
another to-morrow ; one thing in this kingdom, and
another in a distant region ; but the true religion,
the rehgion which is of God, is eternally the same,
and consists in this which I have so often repeated.
That we love the Lord our God with all our heart,
and with all our mind, and with all our soul ; and
that we love our neighbour as ourselves. And thus
much of my first inference.
Several other observations I have to draw from
this text, but they will furnish matter for my next
Discourse ; and therefore I here break off, desiring
God to give a blessing to what hath been said.
Now to God the Father, &c.
A SERMON
ON
MATTHEW XXII. 37, 38.
Jesus said unto him. Thou shall love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the Jirst and great commandment.
I HAVE in two former Discourses shewed you both
what it is to love the Lord our God with all our
heart, and soid, and mind ; and, secondly, that this
is indeed the first and greatest of all the command-
ments.
The business I am now upon is to make some ap-
plication, to draw some inferences from this point,
and one of them I mentioned and insisted upon the
last Lord's day.
I proceed now to a second inference from this
point, and it is this : Is it the first and principal
part of our duty to love God, and afterwards to love
our neighbour ? then we may learn from hence how
preposterous those men's notions are, who place the
sum of religion in the performance of those duties
we owe to ourselves, but lay but very little or no
stress on those that properly and immediately con-
cern God. There are some among us that pretend
to own religion, but place it in a great measure, if
not altogether, in the practice of that which they call
moral honesty, without any regard to the love of God
in their mind, or expressing their sense and venera-
tion of him in their actions. It is enough, in their
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37, 38.
171
opinions, to secure all the interest of their souls, that
they are men of honour and justice, that they are fair
and gentle in their dealings, or that they are true to
their words, civil to their friends, kind to relations ;
that they scoi-n to do any base or infamous action ;
that they do to all men as they desire to be done to
themselves ; and, lastly, that they are not scandal-
ously lewd, or debauched, or profligate in their con-
versation ; but then as for the duties of piety, pro-
perly so called, such as hearty faith in Jesus Christ,
love and trust and dependance upon God, devoting
themselves to the service of him and Christ, and ex-
pressing their sense and dependance on him by pray-
ers and thanksgivings, and other acts of worship ; all
this they are perfect strangers to. They maintain
no communion with God in their closet, nor is there
any face of Divine worship appears in their family.
They do not much resort to the holy assemblies at
the accustomed times, and when they do, it is
rather to comply with the custom, or to gratify some
piece of curiosity, than for any ends of devotion ; and
as for the most solemn part of the Christian worship,
that of commemorating the death of our Lord in the
holy sacrament, they have never any thing to do with
it, unless perhaps they have some secular turn to be
served by their coming thither.
But what shall I say of this sort of men ? We dare
not indeed call them atheists, because they pretend
to believe a God, and they pretend likewise to live
soberly and honestly, as being God's commandment :
but we can in no sense call them Christians. For if
it should prove that they believe in Jesus Christ,
(which whether they do or no, we know not,) yet
they are far from living like his disciples. Nay, we
172
A SERMON
may truly say, that however they may own both God
and Christ in notion and opinion, yet really they
deny both in their actions and conversation ; and
may be truly said to live without God in the world.
So that, in truth, it is but in a very improper sense
that they can be said to have any religion at all.
The very life and soul and spirit of all religion, as I
have often said, is to love God with all our heart and
mind. This is the principal part of it ; nay, this is
the very sum of it. But now these men have a
religion without the love of God ; that is to say,
they are religious without having that wherein reli-
gion chiefly consists. But it will be said. Are not
honesty and justice and regularity of life, are not these
instances and expressions of love to God ? Right ;
they are so, when they proceed from a good principle ;
when they flow from such a lively sense of God, and
hearty affection to him, and serious desire of recom-
mending ourselves to his favour, that we do sincerely
endeavour to put in practice every thing arid all
things that we know he hath commanded ; among
the which we are deservedly to account acts of jus-
tice, and mercy, and sobriety, and generosity, and
the like ; I say, when such actions proceed from this
principle they are really instances and expressions
of our love to God ; but without this principle they
are not at all. Otherwise we must say that a perfect
atheist does express his love to God when he practises
these things, (as certainly such a man may live in the
practice of all these things,) when yet he doth not
believe that there is any God at all.
But now if a man has this principle of the love of
God within him, if he do his actions out of the power
and influence of that, it is certain he cannot rest in
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37, 38.
173
such performances as these. That principle will
carry him a great deal further, and will put liim
upon doing a great many other things besides these ;
more especially it is impossible it should suffer him
to live in a constant neglect of those duties that do
more immediately and directly concern God himself.
It is a vain thing for any man to pretend to love God
that never worships him, or but very rarely ; nay,
that is not frequent in the performances of his divine
offices, and that too out of conscience. It is impos-
sible we should persuade ourselves that we love God
when we find in ourselves no affections to him, no
desires after him, but our hearts are quite dead as to
all the things whereby communion between him and
us is maintained ; when we can live day after day
without reflecting on his benefits to us, or our own
miscarriages towards him. If we did truly love God,
we should have a hearty sense of his power, his
wisdom, his justice, and his providence. We should
feelingly own our continual dependance on him, our
infinite obligations to him, and the hourly needs we
stand in of his mercy and bounty. We should ar-
dently desire to have his favour, to be at peace and
friendship with him, to have him for our guide and
protector in all the stages of our life, and especially
that he would vouchsafe us the continual assistance
of his grace, that we may not in any instance start
aside from our duty, nor fail at last of safely arriving
to his glorious kingdom.
Now, I say, wherever a man feels this sense, these
desires, these breathings after God and goodness, he
cannot for his heart avoid the expressing of them in
a constant and serious devotion. He will pray to
God in private, he will pray to him in public, he will
174
A SERMON
exercise acts of repentance for his former follies and
sins, and over and over again renew his vows and
purjDoses of better obedience ; he will shew that he
entirely depends upon God, by returning the most
hearty thanks and acknowledgments for every good
thing he receives, and begging of him the supplies of
what he needs ; he will most seriously and importu-
nately, both in his closet and in the congregation,
recommend to his heavenly Father the care both of
himself, and of all that he loves in this world, im-
ploring the continuance of his mercies, both private
and public ; and that he would avert the judgment
and punishment which he and all of us have de-
served by our manifold transgressions and provoca-
tions. Above all, he will make his most earnest
supplications at the throne of grace, that neither he
nor any other devout soul may ever want the help
and assistance of God's grace and Spirit to conduct
them, in the fear and love of God, through all the
varieties and vicissitudes of the temptations of this
world. All these, I say, are the natural and neces-
sary fruits and effects of love to God wherever it is
entertained in any man's heart, and therefore, let
men pretend what they will, if they can live without
praying or worshipping God, it is certain they have
not the love of God in them.
And the same thing we say as to the business of
professing our faith in Christ Jesus, owning his reve-
lations, believing his doctrines, and communicating
in his sacraments, and giving up ourselves to him as
our Lord, our Priest, our Saviour. These are in-
deed things that are but of small consideration, and
very lightly regarded by such persons as I before
spoke of. For, as they have laid the scheme of reli-
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37, 38. 175
gion, the natural indispensable duties of morality are
all in all ; but for faith in Christ, and relying upon
him for salvation, and the like, you must excuse
them, if they have no great regard for those matters.
But this also, I say, doth certainly proceed from, and
is an undeniable argument of their being devoid of
the love of God, and consequently of their wanting
the main, essential part of true religion : for it is ob-
vious to every one, that among the expressions of
our love to God, this must eternally be one, and a
principal one ; namely, that we do heartily and rea-
dily close with all those methods that he hath pro-
posed and declared for the bringing us into favour
and reconciliation with himself; that we should joy-
fully embrace all those directions and instructions
that he hath been pleased to afford us for the walk-
ing acceptably before him.
Though, therefore, (as I observed before,) the
whole of our religion (our Christian religion, I speak
as to the duties required of us in it) is compre-
hended in these two things, the love of God and of
our neighbour ; yet this very first duty (the love of
God) doth likewise include in it a hearty belief of,
and a firm adhesion to the doctrine and revelation of
our blessed Saviour, as to all the parts of it : for
supposing that God sent him into the world out of
pure kindness to us, to help our ignorance, and to
strengthen our weakness, and to heal our sicknesses,
by teaching us how we ought to love and serve God,
by encouraging us in that service with the most
forcible arguments, and the most gloi"ious promises ;
and, lastly, by laying down his life to obtain a pardon
of our sins, and rising again from the dead, that we
might have peace and strong consolation in our own
176
A SERMON
minds, through the hopes of another life ; I say, sup-
posing that all this is done for us by our Saviour,
(as we are sure it is,) will not the love of God con-
strain us in this case, with our whole hearts, to em-
brace this kind Messenger, and this kind message
from God to our souls ? Will it not be joyful news
to every soul that loves God, to hear of such a Sa-
viour, such a Mediator ? Or can any such forbear to
thank God most affectionately, for this wonderful
condescension of his in sending his own Son among
us ? Can they forbear to yield the most firm belief,
to give the most hearty entertainment to ev^ery
thing that this Son of his doth deliver as the will of
God? O, certainly, all that love God must needs
be filled with inexpressible joy and satisfaction for
this unspeakable grace and favour to us, and must
so entirely, with heart and mind, give into this new
dispensation that Christ hath set on foot, as with
the most fervent zeal to list themselves among the
number of his disciples, with the greatest sincerity
to embrace all his doctrines, to study and inquire
into his revelations, to meditate on his arguments,
to comfort themselves with his promises, to instruct
themselves fully in the duties he hath obliged them
to ; to set themselves cheerfully and vigorously,
with all their might, to the practising of them : and,
lastly, to resolve to own him and his religion, to
trust in him, and to depend upon him as their Lord,
their Saviour, their Redeemer, to the last breath of
their lives. All this now every one that sincerely
loves God will most naturallv and necessarilv do,
supposing that the gospel of Christ be proposed to
them, I will not say, with that fulness and clear-
ness and evidence which God at first gave, but
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37, 38.
177
even with that degree of evidence that every think-
ing, considering man among us may have at this
day.
Away therefore with that religion which consists
only in the outward practices of that which we call
moral honesty : there is no heart nor life in it ; it is
a religion without the sincere love of God : for
wherever that takes place, it will so entirely possess
our minds with the sense of what we owe to him
and our Lord Jesus, that it will be the delight of
our lives, and the greatest joy of our hearts, to en-
joy communion with both in all the instances of
piety and devotion which our Saviour hath recom-
mended in the gospel. The true love of God will
make us both devout in the way that nature
teacheth, and also in the way that Jesus Christ hath
taught us in the Nev/ Testament.
But I proceed, in the third place, to another in-
ference from my text ; and that is this : since the
great precept, both of the law and the gospel, is, that
we should love the Lord our God with all our
heart, and with all our soul, and with all our
mind ; since, I say, this is the first and great com-
mandment, then we may see what little countenance
either the law or the gospel has given to the doc-
trines of merit, and works of supererogation, as they
are taught in the church of Rome. It is one of their
doctrines, that the good works of justified persons
are truly meritorious of eternal life ; so the council
of Trent teacheth, .and pronounceth an anathema
against all such as deny it ; or if ye will have it in
the words of the Rhemish translators of the English
Testament, take it thus : " Men's works," say they,
" done by the grace of Christ, do condignly or wor-
ABP. SH.\RPE, VOL. III. N
178
A SERMON
" thily deserve eternal joy ; so as works can be no
" other but the value, desert, price, worth, and me-
" rit of the same." Thus the Rhemish Testament.
They have also another doctrine, that a man may
do good works more than he is bound to do, more
than any precept of God doth require of him ; and
these they call works of perfection, or works of su-
pererogation ; and these, to be sure, are of all others
most meritorious.
One would at first wonder for what reason these
doctrines were set on foot, or what ends they served
to ; for that they do not any way minister to the
promoting true piety is visible enough, because the
direct tendency of them is rather to puff up men's
minds, and to fill them with presumption and self-
confidence; to make them proud and vain and as-
suming ; which are qualities very different from those
that our Saviour seems to have recommended to us ;
and the wonder will still increase, to consider how
they have applied these doctrines, and to what a de-
gree they have extended them ; for it is a current,
received maxim among them, that a man may not
only merit for himself, but for other folks ; and that
if any man have suffered more than he deserved, or
hath done more good works than he was obliged to,
all those merits that he obtains hereby, over and
above what is needful for the satisfying for himself,
are not lost, but may be communicated to others
that want them, and shall really be available to their
good to whom they are thus communicated. I say,
one that looks no further than the business of virtue
and piety would be apt to wonder much at this
strange opinion : but then when we are once let
into the secrets of these doctrines, and come to
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37, 38.
179
know the true use they are put to, we shall not be
much surprised at them. For here lies the thing :
every man being thus capable of meriting in his
works, and merits being thus transferable and com-
municable to others, here is a plausible foundation
laid for a fund or stock of merits in the church ;
which fund or stock is to be in the keeping and
disposal of the chief pastor ; and out of this fund or
stock he may supply every one's necessities, that
hath no merits of his own, by his indulgencies ; and
the effect of these indulgencies is, that they do re-
deem out of purgatory : so that purgatory brought
in indulgencies, as they are now used ; and, for the
support of indulgencies, these doctrines of merits
and works of superei'ogation were contrived.
But now let us a little look into this doctrine of
merits and supererogation, and examine it by my
text. Our Saviour's speech that we are now upon
doth imply, that it is our duty to love God with all
our hearts, and souls, and minds, and to love our
neighbour as ourselves; for he saith it is a com-
mandment, nay, and the first and great command-
ment.
I desire now to know how a man can be strictly
and properly said to merit any thing by doing that
which is his duty to do ; much more how he can be
said to earn or merit such a reward by doing his
duty, as doth amount to a thousand times more in
worth and value than his duty comes to ? I pray let
this be reconciled to the common principles of rea-
son. We own indeed that a man by doing his duty
hath acted like an honest man : but nobody thinks
that he merits any thing thereby, much less that he
truly merits eternal life thereby, as the council of
N 2
180
A SERMON
Trent determines. Will any man say, that because
a debtor pays the hvmdred pounds that he hath
given his bond for, that therefore he merits of his
creditor? why, he owed it him, and had been unjust
if he had not paid it him ; but there are no thanks
due to him for it. Well, but suppose this was a dis-
putable point ; nay, suppose, if you will, that there
were some thanks due to him ; yet will any man be
so senseless as to say, that because the debtor pays
the hundred pounds according to his bond, that
therefore the creditor is in justice bound to give him
a thousand pounds for the paying that hundred
which then it was his duty to pay ? And yet this is
the case between God Almighty and us. We owe
to him, as our Saviour here tells us, all the love, all
the service, and, consequently, all the good works
we can do in our whole life. It is a duty indispen-
sably incumbent upon us to love the Lord our God
with all our hearts, and souls, and minds ; and we
are false and unfaithful stewards of his benefits if we
do not. But now, how we come to oblige God Al-
mighty by this, nay, so far oblige him, that he
should be bound in strict justice, for the little ser-
vice we have done him, to bestow eternal life and
glory upon us ; (which is ten thousand times of more
value than the service of our whole life, had it been
never so exact and perfect, could amount to, or
could pretend to ;) I say, how this should come to
pass, or what reason there is in it, I am sure no man
living can give an account of. Well, but there is an
answer to this. It will be said, that M^e do not so
much pretend to merit by those good works that we
are strictly and indispensably obliged to, as by those
good works we are not obliged to. If we perform
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37, 38. 181
services to God more than we are strictly bound to,
more than he hath required of us, these sure may
plead some merit, though strict duties may not.
As for instance, two men may be both supposed to
live innocently and virtuously and Christianly, and
both of them at last go to heaven ; but one of them
doth much exceed the other in devotion and prayers,
in fastings and austerities, in alms and charity :
both did what they were bound to ; but one of them
did more than he was bound to : both observed the
precepts of the gospel ; but one of them went be-
yond that, and proceeded even to the observance of
the evangelical counsels, the rules of perfection : and
here it is that the foundation of merits is to be laid.
And this is indeed the full strength of what can be
said for works of supererogation. But to this I
answer, the distinction here between doing our duty
and doing more than our duty ; between evangelical
precepts and evangelical counsels, is vain and idle.
For I would ask this question : are these extraordi-
nary performances that we are not bound to, these
that you call evangelical counsels, or directions to
perfection, but not strict precepts ; I say, are these
true instances or expressions of our love to God, or
of our love to our neighbour, or are they not ? If you
will say they are not, how can they recommend us
to God ? What reason hath he to be pleased with
them, or to take any notice of them ? You may as
well say, that to sit down and say over the letters of
the alphabet a hundred times a day, or to go about
the streets and count all the signs between the one
end of the city and the other ; I say, you may as
well imagine that these works are meritorious, as
that the other are, whatsoever they be, supposing
N 3
182
A SERMON
they be not instances and expressions of our love to
God ; and therefore, certainly there can be no merit
or supererogation in works of that nature.
Well, but you will say, these works you talk of
are really instances and expressions of your love to
God ; you fast so often for God's sake ; you go so
many pilgrimages for God's sake ; you say so many
prayers more than you are obliged to for God's sake ;
you renounce the world, and vow a perpetual poverty,
for God's sake : all these things you do out of the
pure love of God ; yet every one of these things is
more than you are in duty bound to by the laws of
Christianity. Why, all this seems very well, but yet
it will be spoiled by asking one question more, and
that is this : Do you think you can love God more
than you can do ? Do you think you can do things
to please him more than it is in your power to do ?
If you say you cannot, (as indeed all men in their
wits must acknowledge, for no man can do more
than he can do,) then all these fine things are come
to nothing ; for you were bound to do, for the love of
God, all these things that you have now talked of;
(supposing, indeed, that they did really recommend
us to God, and were such expressions of our love as
he delights in, which for my part I shall never believe
of them;) I say, you were bound to do all these things,
because you are bound to love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and ivitli all your soul, and
with all your mind. It is your indispensable duty ;
nay, as our Saviour tells you, it the first and great
commandment. Now if you can do more than all this
amounts to for the expressing your love to God, I
will yield that you may do more than God requires
of you, and consequently may merit something from
ON MATTHEW XXII 37, 38.
183
him. But till you can love God more than with all
your heart, and soul, and strength, I am sure you
cannot do any thing for the expressing your love to
God, which it is not your duty to do ; and if it be
your duty to do it, where are your works of super-
erogation ?
This, I think, is enough to have said in confutation
of these absurd opinions, though abundance more
might be offered to shew how reasonable they are.
But my text hath led me thus far, and I will not go
further than it leads me, especially upon so invidious
an argument.
As for us, let us all endeavour to love God, and to
serve him with all our hearts, in all those instances
which he hath recommended to us by our Lord Jesus.
Let us do our duty to him and to our neighbour as
well as we can ; and, when we have done our best,
let us earnestly beg of him to forgive us our failings,
to pardon our infirmities, to pass by all the slips and
faults and miscarriages we have been guilty of to-
wards him. I am sure all of us, even the best of us,
do need his pardon ; nay, do need it every day. Nor
have we any other merits to plead but those of Christ
Jesus. Nay, though we could be so happy as to live
without sin in this world, and to do our whole duty,
yet still we merit nothing from God's hands, still we
have no way in the world obliged him ; still the case
between God and us is but the same as it is between
the master and the servant in our Saviour's parable,
with which I shall conclude, because indeed it is the
sum of all that I have said, and may serve for a re-
capitulation of my whole discourse upon this point.
You may find it in the seventeenth chapter of St.
Luke's gospel, and the 7th verse ; Which of you, saith
N 4 -
184 A SERMON ON MATT. XXII. 37, 38.
he, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will
say unto him hy and by, when he is come from the
field, Go and sit down to meat? And will not rather
say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup,
and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten
and drunken ; and afterward thou shalt eat and
drink ? Doth he thank that servant because he did
the things that were commanded him f I trow not.
So likewise ye, ivhen ye have done all those things
which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable
servants : we have done that thing which was our
duty to do. Thus far our Saviour. From whence
we may gather, that those that do all these things
which God hath commanded them are but unprofit-
able servants ; and therefore how unprofitable must
they be, that do not an hundredth part of that which
God hath commanded us ! And yet I doubt this is
the case of even good people among us. May God
forgive the best of us all our neglects and miscar-
riages, and inspii'e us both with power and will to
serve him better ; and this for the only merits of his
dear Son Jesus Christ. To whom with the Father
and the Holy Ghost, &c.
A SEHMON
ON
MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind. This is the first and great commandment. And
the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets.
The method I have proposed in treating of this
text was.
First, To explain the duty here commanded, that
is to say, what is implied in loving God with all our
hearts and souls.
Secondly, To shew upon what accounts this may be
truly said to be the first and great commandment.
Thirdly, To make some application of this doctrine,
by drawing some useful inferences from it. And,
Fourthly, To speak to some practical case about
loving God ivith all our hearts.
Three of these heads I have already gone through
in several Discourses : I now come to the fourth and
last.
Now the case I have to speak to, concerning the
love of God, is the case of those who, though they
exercise devotion towards God, yet do it with great
dulness and deadness of affection ; whether these
people can be said to love God with all their hearts
and souls ?
The case is this : prayer and devotion and the
worship of God, are (we know) the most proper in-
186
A SERMON
stances and expressions of our love to him ; and it is
readily acknowledged on all hands, that those per-
sons who do not practise these things, who can live
without praying and worshipping God, have no true
love of God in them. But now what shall be said
of those persons that do indeed say their prayers, and
that perhaps both in public and private, but yet they
say them without any vigour or life, their affections
are dead and flat in these holy exercises, they find no
relish nor sweetness in them ? Other people talk of
a great pleasure and delight^ they take in these duties,
and look upon it as a most agreeable employment to
sing praises to God, and to pour out their souls in
most fervent devotion to him ; but they take no sa-
tisfaction in these kind of things. On the contrary,
it is with great reluctancy oftentimes that they can
obtain of themselves to engage in these exercises,
and while they are engaged, their minds are often
employed about other things, and glad they are when
they come to the end of their offices. What now
shall we say to these persons ? Is such a temper as
this consistent with that sincere love of God, and
that hearty sense of religion that is required of us ?
This is the case : but as thus generally put, it cannot
be answered by a single yea or no. It may so hap-
pen that a man that truly loves God may be in this
dull dispensation, though it doth more often happen
that this frame and disposition of mind is an effect
of lukewarmness. We must therefore take into
consideration several other circumstances in the per-
sons concerned, before a right judgment can be
made of their case. That which I can say about it
I shall reduce into these propositions ; and,
First of all, as it is certain that no man can be said
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
187
to love God, or to have any sense of religion, who
lives in a general neglect of prayer, and other exer-
cises of devotion ; so it is likewise certain that, gene-
rally speaking, all men that do sincerely love God,
supposing they be in health, and free from the dis-
orders that arise from hypochondriac melancholy,
will find their affection so carried out after God, that
they will with great vigour, and the utmost intense-
ness of mind, perform their devotions to him ; nay,
they will take a great pleasure and delight in so
doing. Not that they think God needs our services,
or is any way better by them ; but because they know
and feel that they themselves are really better by thus
lifting up their souls to God ; by adoring his excel-
lencies, and setting forth his praises ; by meditating
on his goodness, and paying their acknowledgments ;
by devoting themselves to his service, and recom-
mending the supply of all their wants to his fatherly
care and bounty. These being the proper methods
of growing and improving in all virtue and holiness,
\ the natural expressions of the sense we have of God,
and the love we bear to him, and the chief, if not the
only means of maintaining and enjoying a real com-
munion with him ; upon these accounts, as they will
take all opportunities that their time and business
allows them of approaching to God both in public
and private, so they will do it cheerfully and readily,
and their hearts and minds will go along with the
service. And so far will they be from looking upon
it as a burden or imposition, thus to pay their con-
stant tribute of prayer and thanksgiving to God, that
they will reap great satisfaction and content from so
doing. This we say, generally speaking, will be the
temper of those that truly love God.
188
A SERMON
But then, secondly, we say it is not to be expected,
that even the most devout i^ersons should at all times
perform their offices of religion with equal fervour,
or with equal attention, or with equal satisfaction :
it will unavoidably happen, what through the weak-
ness of human nature, or what through business
or unthought-of accidents, or twenty other things
which may distract the thoughts ; and what through
the dulness and unfitness of our present temper for
the exercise of these spiritual employments ; I say,
it will unavoidably happen that even the most de-
vout persons may be at some seasons very indisposed
for devotion. And sometimes, when they apply
themselves to the exercise of it, their minds shall be
altogether so taken up and diverted by other ob-
jects, (that have got the present possession of their
thoughts,) that they shall give little or no attention
to what they are about ; at other times, though
they bend their minds as much as they can to the
business they are doing, yet they shall find them-
selves very listless and cold and dull, and the whole
performance will be very flat and insipid. At other
times, it shall be even against the grain of their in-
clinations to say their prayers at all. There is no
man so spiritual in this world, but he must expect
now and then to suffer these inconveniences, even
through the natural indisposition of his bodily tem-
per, or through the distraction of his employments.
It is a vain thing to talk of sitting so loose from this
world, and having our affections so steadily placed
upon God, that we shall be always in a praying
frame. Human nature in this life will not bear it,
and they will run themselves upon great hazards
that do attempt it.
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
189
But then, here is the comfort against these incon-
veniences, that generally they do not last for any
long time. If we be at the present indisposed for
devotion, or dead and lifeless in the exercise of it,
yet in a little time we shall come to ourselves again.
The fervour of our desires and affections towards
God will return, and we shall perform our religious
offices with the same heart and life and vigour that
we used to do.
But then, thirdly, you are to remember what I
have now said only concerns those indispositions for
devotion, which every man now and then, at this or
the other time, may find in himself. But now
whenever it happens that this dulness and listless-
ness, and unattentiveness to our devotions grows
into a custom or habit, so that a man, generally
speaking, performs them negligently and carelessly,
and is hardly brought to them, and cares not how
soon they are over ; this is a bad sign, that the man
either doth not love God so sincerely as he ought to
do, (as not having that regard to his worship and
service, which the true notion of the love of God will
necessarily and indispensably put him upon,) or if he
did once love God, it is an argument that his love
wears off and decays apace, and if great care be not
taken to retrieve the fervour of his devotion, it is in
great danger of being quite lost and extinguished.
It is the experience of all mankind, that hath ever
made any trials in these matters, that so long as a
man doth heartily set himself to serve God, and to
keep up a lively sense of him in his mind, it is im-
possible for him so long to be negligent, or care-
less, or sHght, or perfunctory in his devotions ; he
can as soon forbear eating heartily when he is
190
A SERMON
hungry, as forbear the refreshing and entertaining
his soul by communion with God, in all the offices of
hearty prayer and devotion, as his affairs will allow
him, and he hath opportunities put into his hands.
The sense that he has of God's presence and good-
ness, and of his own dependance upon him, and of
the continual need he stands in of his gracious in-
fluences, will necessarily put him upon this. This, I
say, will be the frame and temper of his soul, so long
as the love of God is vigorous and powerful in him :
but as that declines, as the fervour of his mind to-
wards goodness and religion doth wear off, so in pro-
portion will the fervour of his devotion wear off also.
Every degree or step of advance which the Devil or
the world doth make into his affections, will pre-
sently shew itself, by taking off so many degrees
from the heartiness of his devotion ; and just as
worldly cares, and sensual pleasures, and an uncon-
cernedness for his spiritual and eternal interests do
prevail and get ground upon him, so he will grow
more feeble and languid, more careless and uncon-
cerned in the performance of his religious offices :
they will be more tedious and irksome to him, and
the less of his heart and soul will go along with
them : and if it should happen that those enemies of
God do get an entire victory over him, so as to ob-
tain the full possession of his heart, from that time
forwards he will have no devotion at all ; but how-
ever he may approach to God with his lips, his heart
will be far from him.
This, I say, the constant experience of all Chris-
tians doth always make good, and there is no doubt
to be made of the truth of it : the more we love
God, the more serious and cheerful we shall be in
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
191
our prayers, and other devout exercises ; but as the
love of God abates in us, so will our care and zeal
about those things abate likewise : and when it
comes to pass that we do not mind them, nor attend
to them at all, and are unconcerned at ourselves
that we are so regardless ; though yet perhaps we
have so much regard for our own old customs, or the
fashion of other people, that we do not quite leave
them off, or absent ourselves from them ; I say,
when things come once to that pass with us, it is a
strong argument either that we never had the true
love of God, or that we are fallen from it.
I desire seriously that all of you would consider
this, because I do not know any one single thing by
which you may more certainly make a judgment
concerning your progress in religion, and the love of
God, or great abatement and decay in it, than this
thing I have now mentioned. I do not say but that
there are many actions much worse in their con-
sequences, or more destructive of salvation, than the
j neglect of your devotions is. I do believe that whore-
dom and drunkenness, that pride and malice and
uncharitableness, that covetousness and extortion
and unjust dealing, and the like, do involve any man,
that is concerned in them, in a much greater guilt
than the bare neglect of the worship of God at due
times, or than the careless and negligent performance
of it doth : neither do I say, that all persons that
make a conscience of saying their prayers constantly,
and oftentimes too do it heartily, that all such must
of necessity be truly religious and hearty lovers of
God : for I am convinced that people may go so far
in religion as to make a conscience of worshipping
God both in private and public, and yet, for all that.
192
A SERMON
be very unconscientious in their other actions : now
I count, that if men's prayers and devotions have
not that influence upon their spirits and lives, as to
make them hate and avoid every thing that God
hath declared against, and to put them upon the
universal practice of purity, and humility, and meek-
ness, and charity, and all other virtues which God
hath recommended to us, it is not worth a rush, it
shall never avail them to render them accepted of
the great God, who is the searcher of hearts : far
am 1, therefore, from placing the whole or the
greatest part of religion in this business of devotion ;
but this is that which I say, if ye do sincerely love
God, and have a respect to his commandments, ye
will know it by this, that your own hearts will
strongly and powerfully incline you to be frequent
and diligent in your applications to the throne of his
grace. Ye shall not be able to pass a day without
some act of communion with him, either in public or
private, and, when ye come at the more solemn times,
or in a more solemn manner, to appear before God,
(as all Christians do on the Lord's day especially,)
ye will have a very serious regard to what you are
about; you will not endure it in yourselves to ap-
proach to the temple of God, and in order to the
solemn worship of him, as idle, unconcerned hearers
or spectators ; but you will put out your whole
strength and vigour in joining with every prayer,
and every thanksgiving that is there offered up ;
and you will be so far from looking upon these exer-
cises of religion as burdensome impositions, that
you will really take delight in them, and account
the day wherein you are thus employed as a good
day to your souls : thus, I say, you will certainly be
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40. 198
affected, if your hearts be right towards God : but if
ye find in yourselves that you have no relish of these
kind of things ; if you can either content yourselves
to live without praying at all ; or if, when you say
your prayers in private, you can content yourselves
with the mere saying of them, without any regard or
concern whether God minds them or no, (as indeed
there is little reason to think he should mind them,
when you do not mind them yourselves,) and this
not once or twice, but ordinarily and customarily ;
or when you come to worship God in the congrega-
tion, you come rather because you are used to come,
than upon any serious design of recommending your-
selves to God ; and when you are there, you take so
little notice of what ought to be your main business,
that were it not that your eyes and your thoughts
are employed upon other objects than what you
come for there, you should think the whole service
and attendance upon it to be a tedious, oppressive
thing ; I say, whenever you find your minds in this
frame and disposition for any long time together, you
may certainly conclude (whatever religion you pre-
tend to) that you have no hearty love to God, nor
his worship, nor his ways : or if you ever had any,
it is strangely gone and dwindled away ; and in case
you do not take care, by a more hearty and serious
exercise of devotion, to bring yourselves to a more
divine and heavenly frame of soul, you are certainly
but still in the rank of mere animal, sensual, carnal
men, and all your profession to religion and the love
of God will rather rise up in judgment against you,
than be of any advantage to you.
But there is another case about dulness and flat-
ness in devotion far different from that I have now
ABP. SHARPE, VOL. III. U
194
A SERMON
been speaking to, and which indeed the general
question, as I put it in the beginning, hath reference
to : this, therefore, I come, in the fourth place, to
speak to.
Fourthly, Therefore I lay down this as a certain
truth, that there are some people who may be very
much indisposed for all religious offices, and find a
great dulness and deadness of heart in the per-
formance of them, and this too for a long time toge-
ther, and yet for all that be true and sincere lovers
of God, and very devout and religious persons. It is
so far from being impossible, that it usually and fre-
quently happens, that some persons who used to be
very devout in their prayers and religious addresses,
and took great delight in them ; nay, and so fer-
vent they were in those holy exercises, as to be
raised up many pitches above their ordinary temper
in their devotions, and to feel strange transports of
love and joy and consolation, whilst they were thus
employed ; I say, it is no strange, unusual thing, to
see these very persons flag and abate so much, as to
their vigour and fervour of devotion, as hardly to be
able to pray at all ; and when they do force themselves
to perform their usual oflSces, they do it with so
much wandering of thought and distraction of mind,
with so much languor and feebleness, and with so
little comfort and satisfaction to their own minds,
that they verily believe all their devotion is gone,
all their love to God, which heretofore was the com-
fort of their lives, is quite extinguished. What now
shall we say to these people? Shall we say that
they have lost their first love ? shall we say that
they are fallen from all that sense of religion that
they formerly had ? Yes, we should say so, if their
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40. 195
decay in devotion did proceed from such causes as we
spoke of in the last particular, if they were so care-
less and negligent and unconcerned about these
matters, as those were we now represented ; but
we suppose the case to be quite otherwise with
them ; we suppose they have the same concern and
respect for all God's commandments that ever they
had ; we suppose they hate every thing that is evil
and wicked, and pursue every thing that is virtuous
and praiseworthy, as much now as they did before ;
we suppose that they have the same desires, and the
same affections towards God and his service, that
they formerly felt in themselves, and that it is their
great trouble and affliction, that they can pray and
worship God no better : in a word, we suppose that
they do as heartily wish and study and endeavour
to recommend themselves to God, and to enjoy com-
munion with him, as ever they did ; but it is their
misfortune that they cannot raise up their minds
and affections to him in their prayers and other
holy offices as they were wont to do : all their de-
light in those things is gone, all the sweetness and
comfort that they used to find in the worship of God,
whether in their closets, or in their families, or in
the church, or at the Lord's table, is quite vanished
and lost to them ; and this is the thing that troubles
them.
Why now, if this truly be the case of these per-
sons, they need not trouble themselves at all ; for I
dare confidently say to them, that, notwithstanding
all the deadness and dulness and flatness of their
affections towards God in the performance of their
religious duties, they are in a safe condition, and
they do as truly love God with all their hearts and
o 2
196
A SERMON
souls as ever they did, only they do not enjoy so
much the comfort and delight of it as they did
before.
The truth is, all this dulness and flatness, and in-
disposition for devotion, is to be charged upon the ill
habit of their bodies, rather than any vicious affec-
tions of their souls : if the temper of their bodies
was but well set right, the good inclinations of their
minds would presently return, and all the joys and
satisfactions and comforts along with them : but
now, how to do that, how to restore their natural
tempers to their former briskness and vigour, is the
work of another profession to direct, and not mine ;
only this it is proper for me to say upon this occa-
sion, that as this dulness and heaviness and listless-
ness of spirit in the exercise of religious offices, doth,
in such persons as I am speaking of, always proceed
from an indisposition of body, and most commonly
that indisposition proceeds from causes which they
cannot prevent, and for the redress of which they
must have recourse to the physicians ; so sometimes
it proceeds from such causes as they may prevent ;
and of those it is not out of my province to speak a
little : I say then, that as to the keeping up in our-
selves a constant briskness and cheerfulness and vi-
gour, in the offices of our devotion, a great deal lies
in the discreet and prudent management and con-
duct of ourselves as to this matter, and the contrary
effects we complain of are often to be ascribed to our
own imprudence and indiscretion. One point of
this indiscretion is this, when we are too eagerly and
violently bent upon our religious exercises, and do
not give ourselves reasonable rest and intermission ;
we would have our bodies so perfectly at the com-
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40.
197
mand of our spirits, that, by our good-will, they
should attend no other work but what serves to the
promoting their ends. Some persons, especially
young beginners in religion, are of this temper ; they
would be always praying or reading, or at least
have their thoughts employed upon some serious or
religious argument, and all that time that is not
thus spent, is, in their account, spent vainly and un-
profitably.
But whatever these persons think, this is never
the way to subdue the flesh to the spirit; on the
contrary, by this means they quite spoil the good
habits of their bodies, on which their cheerful serv-
ing of God doth all in all depend, and the conse-
quence hereof will be, that though perhaps they be-
gan very briskly, and found a great deal of peace
and joy when they first entered upon the way of re-
ligion and devotion, yet if they use themselves at
this rate for any long time, they will not hold out,
but will miserably flag before they be half at the
end of their journey : if therefore any one means to
go on vigorously and cheerfully in the love of God,
and avoid this dulness and flatness of affection that
is here complained of, let him not harass his mind
and his body with too constant seriousness and
thoughtfulness, but let him unbend himself at due
times, let him follow his worldly affairs and business
with all cheerfulness, let him not think that he is
always to be so intent upon the business of devotion,
but that he may recreate and divert himself as other
men do, and indulge his constitution in its innocent
cravings.
But I need not insist upon this, because there are
not many that stand in need of this sort of advice :
o 3
198
A SERMON
God knows, the most of us rather need spurs to
quicken our endeavours and our diligence in the
worship of God, than reins to hold us in. But there
is another point of indiscretion in the conduct of
ourselves, which I ought, upon this occasion, to cau-
tion against, because it often proves the cause of the
decay of our briskness and vigour in the service of
God, and makes religion and devotion very heavy
and burdensome to those that use it, and that is,
the too much tying up and fettering ourselves
with rules and forms of our own making. As for
instance, when we make resolutions to pray so often
every day, and so long, and in such a form ; to read
so much of a good book, to foi'bear wholly the use of
this or the other indifferent thing ; not to give above
such a portion of our time to our business, or to our
company, or to our recreations, or the like. This
exact methodizing of our actions and our devotions
beforehand, though it be very lawful, and though we
meet with it as recommended in many godly books,
nay, and at some time it serves really to good pur-
poses, yet it often proves a snare to him that thus
ties up himself ; (especially if he be a person of that
temper we are now speaking of ;) for though perhaps
the rules we set ourselves were very prudent, and
did exactly befit our circumstances at the time that
we made them, yet if our temper or circumstances
do alter, as they often do, they will cease to do so ;
and that which at first was both profitable and de-
lightful will in time prove not only inconvenient,
but intolerably troublesome, and, by degrees, per-
haps eat out the heart and briskness of his devotion
and religion : we should so order all our religious
exercises, as to put as little constraint upon our-
ON MATTHEW XXII. 37—40. 199
selves as may be ; and the way to do that is to
leave ourselves at liberty as to the particular modes
and methods, and times and circumstances of them :
if we do but secure the performance of our duty, we
do our work. The best way to secure it is, not by
binding ourselves to this or the other method, but
by making it as easy as we can to our present cir-
cumstances : we must relax, if we mean to keep up
the edge and fervour of our minds towards spiritual
things, and would not fall into that loathing and dis-
gust of them, nor feel that tediousness in them that
we are now complaining of; we must, I say, in-
dulge a great deal to our humours and tempers, and
not always be forcing ourselves upon this or the
other exercise, which is against the grain of our pre-
sent inclination : thus, for instance, if I find that my
attention will not hold out to the length of my or-
dinary devotions, why, in this case, let me not
scruple to shorten and contract them : if I cannot
pray with devotion and affection in my usual form,
let me take another that pleaseth me better at that
time, or use no form at all, but pray as my affections
lead me : if praise and thanksgiving do better fit my
present humour than confessing my sins, let me
choose that, and let the other all alone.
Thus also in all the other actions of religion,
where no express law of God hath interposed ; (for
as for the rules of devotion that you meet with in
books, they are no laws to you, though they may be
good directions ;) I say, where no express law of
God hath interposed, there it is the wisest way to
comply with our own inclinations, and not need-
lessly to cross and tease ourselves. By this means
we shall make religion and devotion, by degrees, na-
o 4
200 A SERMON ON MATT. XXII. 37—40.
tural and easy and pleasant to us, and in a great
measure avoid that coldness of affection, those wan-
derings of thought, that tediousness and dulness and
dryness of spirit, which the unnecessary restraint
and obligations that men lay upon themselves in
these matters are oftentimes the occasion of.
And this is all that I have to say upon this case.
Consider what ye have heard, and the Lord, &c.
A SERMON
ON
EXODUS XX. 8.
Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
His majesty, in his late letter to the bishops,
requires that all the clergy be ordered to preach
frequently against those particular sins which are
most prevailing in this realm ; as, namely, against
blasphemy, swearing, and cursing ; against perjury,
against drunkenness, and against profanation of the
Lord's day : and that they do also read to their
people such statute law or laws as are provided
against that vice or sin which is their subject on
that day.
I intend, at this time, to treat of one of these ar-
guments ; namely, that which concerns the observa-
tion of the Lord's day ; and for that reason the
statute that concerns this matter was now read to
I you, and I shall go on with the rest of the things
as I have opportunity.
The text I have chosen is the beginning of the
fourth commandment, which all we of this church
must needs own to be a law that obligeth us, be-
cause at the repetition of it by the minister, which
is done every Sunday and holy day, we do all make
this response ; " Lord, have mercy upon us, and in-
*' cline our hearts to keep this law."
Now, if there be any thing obliging in that com-
mandment, it is this, Remember the sahbath day,
202
A SERMON
to keep it holy ; for that is the sum and substance of
the commandment ; all the other things there men-
tioned are but either an account of the reason why
the seventh day is thus to be kept holy, or else an
account of the manner how it was to be kept holy.
My argument then is the sabbath day ; and in
treating of it, I shall divide my Discourse into four
parts.
The first shall be about our obligation to observe
the sabbath in general.
The second shall be about the translation of the
sabbath from the seventh day of the week to the
first.
The third shall be about the great necessities and
advantages of strictly observing the Lord's day, which
is our sabbath.
The fourth shall be about the manner of observ-
ing it.
I begin with the first head, concerning our obliga-
tion to observe the sabbath in general ; and this will
be more than enough to entertain our meditations
at this time. And here I am sensible I am entering
into a field of controversy, where my business will
not so much be to warm your affections, as to dis-
pute and argue ; but though my argument leads
me to talk dryly, yet I shall endeavour to talk as
plainly as I can.
For the preventing and avoiding disputes as much
as can be, I desire to premise these thi'ee things :
First of all, when we talk of our obligation to
observe the sabbath, we own that we use the word
sabbath in a very improper sense : for the word sab-
bath, as it is always used, both in scripture and eccle-
siastical writers, is constantly appropriated to the
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
203
Jewish sabbath, or Saturday ; and therefore it is
with some absurdity that a great many among us
do call our Lord's day by the name of the sahbatJi
day. If any foreigner heard us express ourselves
so, they would verily believe we meant Saturday,
and not Sunday : but, however, since it is customary
among us to call our Lord's day by the name of the
sabbath day, I do not refrain the use of it, especially
at this time, when I am not treating of the parti-
cular day we are to observe, but of a day of rest in
general, which may properly enough be called a
sabbath, on what day soever it fall, for sabbath sig-
nifies no more than a day of rest.
There are two things to be distinguished in the
sabbath, as it is used in scripture. First, that por-
tion of time in general that is to be set apart for
the more solemn worship of God ; and that is, one
day in the weekly revolution, or one day in seven.
Secondly, that precise particular day in the seven
that was thus to be set apart. Now under the Jewish
dispensation that was the last day of the week ; but
under the Christian dispensation it is the first day
of the week : so that we may properly enough,
when we speak in general of a day of rest in a
weekly revolution, call it a sabbath; though the par-
ticular day, on which we Christians rest, is not so
properly the sabbath as the Lord's day.
Secondly, whatever weight I lay upon the ob-
servation of the sabbath, yet I do not fetch it from
any obligation that is upon us from any of Moses's
laws in this matter. The laws that God gave upon
mount Sinai by Moses did never concern any but
the children of Israel, and those that dwelt among
them : nor were they ever designed or intended to
204
A SERMON
be laws to any other nation, and therefore the Ten
Commandments themselves, as they were delivered
by Moses, though we confess they do oblige us, yet
they do not oblige us at all by virtue of that promul-
gation, but upon other accounts ; namely, either the
reasonableness and goodness of the matter of them,
or some new authority that is stamped upon them.
Whatever therefore is wholly Jewish in the sabbath,
though it be never so plainly required by God's law,
doth no way concern us : and there are several laws
relating to the sabbath in the Old Testament that
are of that nature ; nay, and some even in the
fourth commandment, (which, as I said, our church
owns in the general to be a law to us,) namely, not
only the fixing the sabbath to the seventh day of the
week, but also the strict rest both of man and beast
on that day, which is there enjoined. But these
things, as I shall shew hereafter, were no part of the
law of the sabbath, as it is a law to us ; and there-
fore we have no reason to concern ourselves about
them.
The third and last thing I have to premise is
this. When I talk of shewing the obligation that is
upon all Christians to observe the sabbath, I would
not have you expect other sort of proof for it than
the thing affords. I will not be so positive as some
have been, to affirm that the observance of the
sabbath is bound upon us by the law of nature. No ;
nor dare I affirm that we have any direct, express
law of our Lord Jesus to oblige us to it. But it is
abundantly enough for our purpose, if we can shew
that there are evidences enow of its being a law
to all of us that believe in scripture ; and that it is
our duty to observe it ; and that we sin if we do
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
205
not, unless there be urgent necessity in the case to
excuse us.
Having premised these three things, I come to
the point ; and here I have two things to offer to
you.
And first of all, if we take the lowest hypothesis
that is laid down in this matter, I do not see but
that it sufficiently infers our obligation to observe
the sabbath. Those that give themselves the greatest
latitude and liberty in talking on this argument, yet
do own so much, as that it is impossible, even ac-
cording to their principles, to excuse a man from sin
(if he be a Christian) that lives in a constant neglect
of the Lord's day. For thus we reason :
It is for ever a law to all mankind, and it is
owned by all to be so, (because it is a branch of the
law of nature,) that some portion of that time that
God hath given us, some days of those many that he
affords us, should be solemnly consecrated to his
more immediate worship and service ; and there
ought to be a very frequent return of those days.
For the honour of God is concerned in these two
things, and without them it is impossible that even
a face of religion should be kept up in the world.
Now if God has not by any immediate revelation
set out those times or days, and the returns of them,
it falls to the public authority, in every country that
hath the care of religion, to do it : and what they
establish in this case doth bind the consciences of
all the subjects to its observance, even as if it was a
divine law. Just as in the case of paying part of
our estates by way of tribute, to the public use of
( our country. The law of nature as well as the law
of Christ oblige us to pay tribute to whom tribute
206
A SERMON
is due ; custom to whom custom. But now how
much, or in what way we are to pay tribute or
custom, that is not determined by the law of God,
but by the laws of the country where we live : and
they are to be the measure of every one's conscience
in that matter ; and he who in that case cheats the
king of those customs which the law gives him as
his due, doth offend against the law of God and na-
ture, as well as against the law of the land.
So, I say, it stands with reference to our dues to
God. He that defrauds God Almighty of that
portion of time, which by the laws of his country is
solemnly consecrated or devoted to him, may be
truly said to sin against God in that matter, as well
as to transgress a canon, or an act of parliament.
The case now standing thus, admit that there
was no particular law of God about this matter that
did any way concern us Christians, yet these two
things we find :
We find, in the first place, that whereas all other
nations were left to the discretion of their law-
givers, for the assigning those portions of time that
should be given to God's public service ; yet there
was one nation among whom that matter was per-
fectly taken care of by God himself, (who certainly
is the best judge of what proportion of our time is
fit to be given to him,) and he determined to make
it a perpetual law, that every seventh day that came
over their heads should be solemnly dedicated to
his service.
We find likewise, that though our Lord Jesus made
no new law in this matter, yet his disciples, from
the very beginning, thinking they could not follow
a better precedent than what God had set before
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
207
them in his laws to his own people the Jews; they
likewise pitched upon the same proportion, and reli-
giously set apart one day in every seven to their more
solemn assemblies for the worship of God. And ac-
cordingly that practice hath been ever since conti-
nued by all the Christians in the world ; and where-
ever Christianity hath been the established religion
of a country, the laws of that country, both ecclesi-
astical and civil, have appropriated that day to the
solemn worship of God.
Why now, I say, admit there was no more to be
said for the religious observation of one day in seven
among us, but this that I have mentioned, yet even
this is abundantly sufficient to lay an obligation upon
every man's conscience to do it, and abundantly suf-
ficient to convince him that he sins if he do not.
Though tlie gospel gives no command about the
sabbath, yet both the law of nature and the gospel
give this general command. That stated times should
be set apart for God's public worship : and if all
Christendom have agreed that one day in seven shall
be that stated time, every man, in my judgment, is
bound in point of conscience to the observance of
that day, unless some great necessity happens that
hinders him ; in which case, the most express law
of God, in such matters, might be dispensed with.
Thus, I am sure, we are wont to argue in twenty
other cases. It will be as hard to produce a plain
precept out of the New Testament, for the baptism
of infants, as it will be for the observing of the
Lord's day : but yet, since there is this general pre-
cept, that all nations should be made proselytes to
the gospel ; and the way of making a proselyte was
by baptism ; and since it was the practice of the
208
A SERMON
Jews, that when any family was made proselytes to
the law of Moses the children were baptized as well
as the grown persons ; and since, lastly, the whole
Christian church for many ages hath used that prac-
tice, I do think we do deservedly account it more
than a breach of a bare ecclesiastical law, to refuse
the bringing our children to baptism. Thus, again,
there is no law, either of nature or scripture, that
marriage shall be solemnized by an ecclesiastical
person. But yet, since there is this general resolu-
tion, both of nature and scripture, that all cohabita-
tion of man and woman without marriage is fornica-
tion ; and since the laws of the land and the church
have made it necessary to a marriage, that a min-
ister join the persons, I hope by all sober persons it
will be accounted more than bare formality, even
a necessary duty incumbent upon them by God's
laws, to be joined together in matrimony, as the
church appoints, before they live together as man
and wife.
1 might bring many more instances of this nature,
but these are abundantly sufficient to shew that
there is a vast difference, as to the obligation of con-
science, between laws that are purely human, as to
the matter of them, and laws that, as to the matter
of them, are divine, though the determination of
them, as to their particular circumstances, be left to
human prudence. In the former case, men are not
so strictly obliged; they do but offend against hu-
man authority at the most if they transgress them ;
but in the latter case, as they do directly transgress
the laws of men, so do they interpretatively trans-
gress the laws of God : and this is the case of the
sabbath.
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
209
But, secondly, to come to the other thing I have
to offer to you : we have hitherto proceeded from
the lowest hypothesis that is laid down as to this
matter ; and I think we may advance a great deal
higher. That which I have hitherto said only
amounts to this ; that by the law of God some por-
tion of our time should be dedicated to his service,
and that the return of those times should be fre-
quent. But that one day in seven should be thus
dedicated, that, as to us, is only of human appoint-
ment. From whence it seems to follow, that the
same authority that appointed that, might, if they
please, rescind or alter it ; and instead of one day in
seven, which is the notion of the sabbath, might
order us to keep one day in six, or one day in eight.
So that, after all, the law of the sabbath is but a
precarious thing, and depends altogether upon the
will of our governors. This is the great objection
that is to be made against that account I have
now given.
Now to obviate this, I say further, in the second
place, that there is so much to be urged, not only in
general, for God's requiring determinate, set times,
frequently returning for his public service ; but also
for his fixing those times to one day in every seven,
and that to continue as a standing law, in all the
countries of the world where his will is known ; I
say, there is so much, from reason and authority, to
be urged for this, that for my part I do not think it
is in the power of any human authority upon earth,
whether ecclesiastical or civil, to alter this constitu-
tion. Now if this can be made out, I think there
is as sure and effectual a foundation laid for the
perpetual obligation to o!)serve the sabbath, as the
ABP. SHARPE, VOI-. III. P
210
A SERMON
strictest of the Sabbatarians can desire. This thing
indeed is not to be made out by any single argu-
ment, but by a great many taken together. We
are to prove this matter, as we prove the truth and
divinity of the Christian religion, not by any one
single medium or topic, but from several considera-
tions amassed together and brought into one view.
And, first of all, let this be laid as a foimdation :
God, in the management and ordering of the very
first work he did, (which was the creation of the
world,) seemed to design that a seventh part of our
time should be consecrated to an holy rest for his
honour and service. God created the world in six
days, and rested on the seventh. What can be
the natural meaning of this, but to teach us that we
should work six days, and on the seventh rest from
our ordinary labours, and apply ourselves to re-
flection, both upon our own works, and more parti-
cularly on the works of God Almighty, in order to
the praising and celebrating his holy name. Cer-
tainly there is something of a moral instruction to
all mankind, intended by God, in thus ordering the
works of the creation. It had been the same thing
to him to have made and furnished the world in one
day, nay, in one minute of a day, as in six days : if
he had but spoke the word, at once all the creatures
of heaven and earth had been in the same actual
being and order that they were at the end of the
six days. But this method he chose to do all his
works in, that all the generations of the world, to
whom the history of the creation should come,
might from hence have a perpetual everlasting rea-
son and foundation to dedicate one day to a holy
rest after six days of labour. There is no possible
ON EXODUS XX. 8. Sll
account to be given of this manner of proceeding but
this.
But that is not all. In tlie second place, this is
the very account that God himself gave to the first
parents of mankind of this his proceeding. He did
not leave them to collect this conclusion from their
own reason ; but because he finished his work in six
days, and rested the seventh, therefore they should
finish their works in six days, and rest a seventh : I
say, he did not leave this matter with them, but he
expressly declared, and gave it in instruction to our
first parents, and to their children after them, that
they should do as he had done. For the very
first thing we hear, after the works of the creation
were finished, is this, as you have it in Gen. ii. 2. On
the seventh clay God ended his work which he had
made ; and he rested on the seventh day from all his
works which he had made. And God blessed the
seventh day, and sanctified it; that is, separated
it from common uses ; for that is always the notion of
sanctification. And why so ? It follows, because that
in it he had rested from all his works. Here is not
only an express declaration that God from the begin-
ning separated or consecrated one day in seven ; but
also the ground and reason for which he did so,
namely, because on the seventh day he had rested
from all his works.
What greater evidence now can we desire, for the
sabbath being of perpetual obligation to all mankind,
than these two things I have mentioned ? Here is an
everlasting ground and foundation laid for it in the
very works of the creation ; here is likewise an ex-
press declaration of God's will, that, upon that ground
and foundation, a perpetual holy rest on one day in
p 2
212
A SERMON
every seven should be established. And accordingly,
from the beginning of the world, that proportion or
quota of our time is by God consecrated to himself;
and, lastly, this consecration of the seventh day to
the service of God could have no respect to the
Jews, or any other particular nation, because it was
grounded upon the works of the creation, and was
made in the time of our first parents ; and therefore
must be supposed to be of universal concernment,
and to extend to all the children of Adam, to whom
the history of the creation should come. I do not see
what can be reasonably said against this way of ar-
guing. I am confident all that are acquainted with
the holy scripture will be satisfied with it : sure I am,
both our Saviour and St. Paul do reason after this
manner. St. Paul, in the eleventh chapter of the First
Epistle to the Corinthians, makes it his business to
prove the superiority of man above the woman ; but
pray mind what topic he proves it from ; why this
very topic we are now upon, the method of God's
creating them : the man, saith he, is not of the
ivoman ; hut the ivoman of the man. N^either ivas
the man created for the woman ; but the woman for
the man ; therefore ought she to he in subjection.
You see plainly here, that because God made man
first, and out of him created woman, and declared
withal that he therefore created her that she might
be a helpmate for the man, St. Paul doth from hence
conclude the perpetual obligation of woman to be
subject to the man.
Thus, again, our Saviour argues just after this
manner, in the business of putting away one wife
and marrying another. The Pharisees had brought
that case to him, whether such a practice was lawful :
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
213
he answers that it was not. They urged the per-
mission of Moses, who had allowed them to put away
their wives, if they gave them a writing of divorce-
ment. He tells them that this was permitted to
them only upon account of the hardness of their
hearts, (that is, the cruelty of their natures,) hut from
the heg'mning it was not so. How now doth he
prove this? Why he urgeth the manner of God's
creation of mankind : Have you not read, saith he,
that he which made them in the beginning made
them male and female, and said. For this cause
shall a man leave his father and his mother, and
shall he joined to his wife : and they two shall he
one flesh ? Wherefore, saith he, they are no more
two, hut one flesh. IV hat therefore God hath
joined together, let 7io man put asunder.
You see that our Saviour's argument here, that a
man should have but one wife, and that those two
should not be separated, is purely drawn from this,
that God created one man and one woman at the
first, and joined them together, and made them one
flesh. See Matthew xix. 3. and so on.
If now this be a good argument (as there is no
doubt but it is) that a man should for ever be obliged
to have but one wife, I cannot imagine but that it is
as good an argument, that every man should be
obliged to rest on the seventh day, after six days
labour; because this was the method that God took in
the creation of the world, and not only so, but he did
from that ground sanctify the seventh day to be a
day of rest to all the posterity of Adam and Eve.
I know of no objection against what I iiave said,
unless it be this ; it is indeed hardly worth mention-
ing ; but because some have urged it I will take no-
p 3
214
A SERMON
tice of it. They say the institution of the sabbath
was not so early as we pretend ; for the first com-
mand was given by God in Marah, after the chil-
dren of Israel came out of Egypt. But to this I
answer, that this is said without any reason, nay,
contrary to all reason. For though the command of
the sabbath was then first renewed, yet it was not
then first given, for it was given at the beginning of
the world ; and for this we have the express word
of the scripture, that God upon the finishing his
woi'ks blessed the seventh clay, and sanctified it.
Ay, but say they, these words are prophetical, or
spoken by way of anticipation ; that is to say, Moses
when he had given an account of the history of the
creation in six days, took that occasion to shew the
reason why God in following times appointed the
sabbath to the Jews. Very well ; they do indeed, in
saying this, make Moses an admirable orator as well
as an historian ; for they make him speak such
strange figures, and tell his story in such a way, as
never any good author did since his time.
Moses pretends to give us a plain history of the
creation, and of what happened thereupon. On the
seventh day, saith he, God elided his work ; and he
rested the seventh day from all his works that he
had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and
sanctified it : because that in it he rested from all
his works. Now, say these people, the meaning of
these words is no more than this : God rested the
seventh day from all his ivorks that he had made,
and twenty four hundred years after, in Marah, he
blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, to the
people of Israel. But I appeal to any man, whe-
ther this be not a plain force upon the words, and
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
whether any man of sense that should meet with
such a passage in any other historian could possibly
so interpret it. But this is our comfort; that though
some of the Je^\'s talk after this manner, yet the
discreetest, and those that are incomparably the best
and most judicious writers of that nation, are of an-
other opinion, and own the institution of the sabbath
to have been from the very creation of the world.
And indeed if there had not been such express
testimony of scripture for it, yet there are a great
many other arguments that would have persuaded us
thereunto. I will at this time mention but one thing.
What account can be given of all the world's
computing their time by weeks ; that is, counting
seven days, and then beginning again ; I say, what
possible account can be given of this, but that ori-
ginal distribution of time that God had observed in
the works of the creation, and had delivered to the
first parents of mankind, and they to their children ?
For men to reckon time by days and nights is ob-
vious to sense ; nay, and to compute time by months
and years hath a sufficient foundation in it from
natui'e ; for mankind cannot avoid observing the
course of the moon and of the sun, which makes
months and years : but why they should count
seven days, and then begin again, that hath no foun-
dation in nature, but must be taught them from the
tradition of their fathers, which could have no other
original than that which I am now insisting on.
And yet this way of computing time by a weekly
revolution obtained throughout all the world, as far
as we can judge, from the very beginning of time.
That the patriarchs did so, some hundreds of years
before the law of the sabbath was given to the chil-
r 4
216
A SERMON
dren of Israel, we have sufficient evidence from sun-
dry texts of scripture : that all the ancient nations,
of whom we have any history, both Egyptians,
Chaldeans, Greeks, Romans, nay, and the barbarous
nations too, I say, that they did so likewise, is
proved to us from the ancientest records that are
extant about them.
This practice now, that had no foundation in na-
ture, obtaining thus universally throughout the
whole world, and that from time immemorial, is to
me a demonstration that they had it from the first
parents of mankind, and that it was founded in
God's institution of the seventh day being set apart
to his service.
I do grant, indeed, they did not know the true
reason why they thus counted their days by sevens :
for the tradition of the creation of the world, and
the institution of the sabbath, was in time, and by
degrees, lost among them ; but yet thus still they
computed their time ; and we that have the scrip-
tures know upon what grounds that computation
was begun. But thus much of this point.
Two things now, I think, we have established :
First, that God, in the creation of the woi*ld, did
dii'ect to the observation of one day in seven to his
service.
Secondly, that he did expressly declare to our first
pai'ents, that it was his mind that this sabbath
should be observed : and these, I think, are very
good foundations to build our structure upon.
But there is a great deal more to be added; as,
namely, in the third place, it is very observable, that
when God came to give his body of laws to the
Jews 2400 years after the creation, and by them to
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
217
repair the ruins that idolatry and the evil customs
of the world had brought upon that people, he had
so great a regard to this first law of the creation
concerning the sabbath, that he took care to put it
among the ten icords, (as they are called in Deuter-
onomy,) I mean the Ten Commandments, which he
himself distinguished from the rest of the laws he
gave by Moses, by pronouncing them with his own
voice from heaven.
Fourthly, when our Saviour came to give a new
law, though he did abolish all the ceremonial laws of
Moses, yet the law of the Ten Commandments he
seems to have ratified and confirmed, and conse-
quently that law which concerns the observation of
a sabbath.
Fifthly, in pursuance of this, the apostles and the
first Christians, though they threw out of the fourth
commandment all that was perfectly Jewish and ce-
remonial, yet they retained the substance of it, and
accordingly did constantly charge it upon themselves
to set apart one day in seven for the public worship
of God : and this practice, thus begun by the apo-
stles, hath ever since continued in all ages, and in
all churches of the Christian world.
Whether now all these things taken together do
not evince that the law of the sabbath is more than
a mere human, ecclesiastical constitution, and that it
is not in the power of the whole church to abrogate
or to alter it, (which was the thing to be proved,) I
will leave you to be judges of.
But I cannot now fill up these three last heads ; I
must refer that, with the rest of my Discourses upon
this argument, to some other opportunity.
Consider what ye have heard, he.
A SEHMON
ON
EXODUS XX. 8.
Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
I HAVE entered upon this argument already, and
made one Discourse upon it : I now design to go on
with it.
The method I proposed was, to discourse upon
these four heads :
First, Of our oWigation to observe the sabbath
in general, taking that word as signifying no more
than setting apart one day in the weekly revolution
for the worship of God.
Secondly, Of the change of the sabbath from the
seventh day of the week to the first.
Thirdly, Of the importance of this duty, and
great advantage of strictly observing the Lord's
day.
Fourthly, Of the manner of observing it.
I began with the first of these heads ; namely,
concerning our oliligation to observe the sabbath in
general : and the first thing I urged was this. That
if we take the lowest hypothesis that is laid down
in this matter, and proceed only upon such grounds
as are allowed by those that talk the most loosely
in this matter, yet by this way of reasoning we may
sufficiently infer an everlasting obligation upon our
consciences to observe the sabbath : for admitting
that there is no particular law of God that concerns
us, which requires our observation of a sabbath, yet
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
519
it is granted on all hands, that there is a general
law of God, which requires that some portions of
that time he hath given us, some days of those many
that he affords us, should be solemnly consecrated
to his more immediate worship and service ; and
there ought to be a very frequent return of those
days. Now if God hath not, by any immediate re-
velation, set out those times or days, and the return
of them, it falls to the public authority, in every
country that hath the management of the affairs of
religion, to take care of it, and what they establish
in this case suitable to the principles of reason, and
the other notices we have of God's will, doth bind
the consciences of all the subjects to its observance,
even as if it was a divine law. Though there be no
particular law of God that obligeth us Christians to
observe one day in seven, more than one day in
six or eight, yet both the law of nature and the
law of the gospel give this general command, that
stated times should be set apart for God's public
worship : though therefore there be no particular
law of God in this matter, yet since the Christians,
from the very beginning, took up this practice in
imitation of the Jews, settin >- apart one day in seven
for the worship of God, and that practice, wherever
Christianity hath obtained, has been strictly bound
upon us by the laws both ecclesiastical and civil,
this is enough, in all reason, to lay an obligation upon
every man's conscience to observe this day.
But, secondly, -there are others do carry this mat-
ter a great deal higher, and do affirm, that God
hath not left us to the general dictates of nature,
and the example of the Jews, and the constitution of
the church or state grounded thereupon, as to the
220
A SERMON
proportion of the time that we are to dedicate to his
service ; but he himself hath sufficiently declared his
will in that matter, and has made it a standing, per-
petual law to all mankind to whom the knowledge of
his revelations should come, that one day in every
seven should be thus dedicated to him ; nor is it in
the power of any church or state to alter or vary from
this proportion. Now, for the proof of this, they
reason after this manner :
In the first place, God, in the very creation of the
world, did direct to the observance of one day in
seven to his service ; for what reason can be given
of his making the v»'Orld in six days, and resting on
the seventh, but this, that he might hereby lay an
everlasting ground and foundation for our observing
one day in seven as an holy rest ?
Secondly, he did expressly declare that this was
his meaning, and gave it in charge to our first pa-
rents, that they should rest on the seventh day as he
had done. The holy scripture tells us, that after the
heavens and the earth were finished, God blessed
the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it
he rested from all his works. Now what was thus
blessed and set apart by the order of God to our first
parents must certainly concern all the children that
came of them : thus far I went the last time.
I now proceed. Thirdly, when God came to give
his laws to his peculiar people the Jews, 2400 years
after the creation, and by them to repair the ruins
that idolatry and the evil customs of the world had
brought upon that people ; so great a regard had he
to this first law of the creation concerning the sab-
bath, that he took care to put it among the Ten Com-
mandments ; which he sufficiently shewed he had a
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
221
greater value for than all the rest of the laws he gave
by Moses, in that he pronounced them with his own
voice fi'om heaven ; in that he twice writ them upon
two tables of stone with his own finger ; in that he
ordered them to be laid up in the ark of the cove-
nant for an everlasting memorial. Now it is certain
that nine of those Ten Commandments are of a moral
nature, and are of everlasting obligation to all man-
kind all the world over : and is it not then very
probable that the remaining one (I mean the fourth,
which concerns the sabbath) is of the same nature,
and was intended to be of the same obligation to all
those to whom the notices of these things should
come ? To suppose otherwise, is indeed to charge
God with such a botch, such an ill-contrived method
of shuffling his laws together, as no prudent lawgiver
would be guilty of.
Add, in the fourth place, that when our Saviour
came to give a new law that should oblige all Chris-
tians to the end of the world, though he did not give
any particular law about the sabbath, yet he seems
to have confirmed the Ten Commandments, (of which
the law of the sabbath was one,) and to have adopted
them into his laws : for it is of these that he seems
to speak, when he saith, in the fifth chapter of St. Mat-
thew, / came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it,
or to fill it up. It is of these that he speaks, when, to
tlie man that asked him what lie should do to inherit
eternal life, he gave this answer. If thou wouldest
enter into life, heep the commandments. And,
lastly, it is of these Ten Commandments that St.
James speaks, when he saith. He that breaks one of
these is guilty of all ; that is to say, because they
are all bound upon us by the same authority.
222
A SERMON
These things seem to import, that it was never the
design of Christ to let the authority of the Ten Com-
mandments cease among mankind : and though they
were no law to us by virtue of their promulgation on
mount Sinai, yet by his exacting obedience to them,
they became laws to us : it is true, they all of them,
except this one, would have been so, though he had
never mentioned them, because nine of them are the
dictates of nature, and grounded upon eternal reason :
but his mentioning the commandments so often, and
laying stress upon them, and never once excepting
or excluding the fourth out of the number, is an ar-
gument that he meant that all of these, as they stand
in the Decalogue, should have authority with us : and
certainly this is the sense of the church of England
worship, because in her public offices these Ten Com-
mandments are given us as the measure of our duty
both to God and man ; and in the rehearsal of them,
in the Sunday service, we do as much ask pardon of
God for the breach of the fourth commandment, and
implore his grace that we may keep it for the future,
as we do with respect to any of the rest : and yet, if
there be any thing at all required in the fourth com-
mandment, it is the setting apart one day in seven
to God's service.
But, fifthly, to go on with our argument. As God
in the creation of the world directed to the observa-
tion of one day in seven, and gave it as a law to our
first parents, and renewed it afterwards in the Ten
Commandments, and these Ten Commandments were
adopted by Christ into this law, and consequently
the fourth commandment as well as the rest ; so in
the last place, in pursuance of all this, it is observ-
able that the apostles and first Christians, though
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
223
they threw out of the fourtli commandment all that
was perfectly Jewish and ceremonial, yet they re-
tained the substance of it, and accordingly did con-
stantly charge it upon themselves to set apart one
day in seven for the public worship of God : and this
practice, thus begun by the first Christians, hath ever
since continued in all ages and in all churches of the
Christian world. This is matter of fact, and it is so
evident, that none that I know do deny it ; and
therefore it is needless to offer to prove it.
It is true indeed that some churches, for a con-
siderable time after Christ, did observe both the Jew-
ish and the Christian sabbath : but sure this cannot
be brought as an argument against what we are say-
ing. It is plain, by their practice, they all made a
conscience of keeping one day in seven holy to God ;
but if, in imitation of the Jews, they would keep
Saturday as well as Sunday, this rather strengthens
our assertion, that they thought the law of the fourth
commandment to be obliging to them, than any way
to weaken it : it shews indeed, supposing they took
up this practice as a matter of duty, that they were
in doubt which was the right day they were obliged
to keep, and therefore for sureness they would keep
both ; but, in the mean time, it is a demonstration
that they thought themselves obliged to keep one
day in seven.
Thus I have represented to you, in as few words
as I can, the arguments that are brought for the
proving that the sabbath, or the observation of one
day in seven for religious uses, is more than a bare
human institution, and that it is bound upon us by
God Almighty himself. I must confess I think there
224-
A SERMON
is great weight in them ; but I will not censure any
man that cannot come up to these measures, provided
that he takes himself to be obliged in conscience to
observe the Lord's day, though he fetches that obli-
gation from other grounds and principles : but who-
ever doth not that, whoever hath so little sense of
religion as not to think himself bound to dedicate
one day in the week to join with his fellow Christians
in the solemn worship of God, such a man I can
hardly believe to be a Christian, though he never so
much calls himself by that name.
And thus much of our first head, namely, concern-
ing our obligation to observe the sabbath in general ;
that is, to set apart one day in seven for the more
solemn worship of God.
I now come to the second head, concerning the
change of the sabbath from the seventh day of the
week, as it was observed by the Jews, to the first
day of the week, as it is observed by the Christians.
And here the obvious question is, By what authority
was this done ? what law of the gospel have we to
shew for this change ? and, if we can produce none,
how comes it to pass that we Christians do not ob-
serve the seventh day of the week, as it is ordered
in the fourth commandment? God saith. Remember
the sahhath day, to heep it holy. Now all the world
knows that the sabbath day that is there spoken of
was the last day in the weekly revolution, that day
which the Jews observe for their sabbath, and not
the first day of the week, or Sunday, as we Christians
now observe : either therefore you must shew some
law of Christ, whereby he hath appointed Sunday to
be the day that is to be solemnly devoted to him, or
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
225
else, if we be obliged to observe any sabbath at all,
we are obliged to observe it according to the law of
the fourth commandment.
I have put the difficulty as strongly as I can, and
I doubt not but I shall sufficiently clear it, if you will
have the patience to attend to what I have to say
to it.
The first thing I say is this, that all this argu-
mentation proceeds upon a false ground ; it supposeth
that we were all under an obligation to observe the
same day of the week that the Jews were, unless
Christ should give a contrary command : but this is
a great mistake ; we are no more bound to observe
the sabbath, as it was a Jewish institution, than we
are bound to observe their new moons and solemn
festivals ; and this St. Paul himself hath told us in
Coloss. ii. 16. Let no man, saith he, judge you in
respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of
the sahhath days : which are a shadow of things to
come ; hut the hody is of Christ : that is to say, Let
no man censure or condemn you. Christians, for not
religiously observing those solemn days which the
law of Moses commanded the Jews to keep holy,
such as the new moons and the sabbaths ; for these
were the types and shadows of what was to come,
and so are vanished by the appearing of the sub-
tance which is Christ Jesus. These words do as
plainly shew as words can do, that, if St. Paul be to
be believed, we Christians are not bound to keep the
sabbath day as the Jews by their law were obliged
to keep it.
The truth of it is, no law of Moses did oblige any
but the Jews, to whom they were given, and those
that lived among them : so far indeed as the matter
ABP. SIIARPE, VOL. III. Q
226
A SERMON
and reason of those laws were of universal concern-
ment, so far all mankind that came to the knowledge
of them were bound to take notice of them : and
there was something in the law of the sabbath that
seemed to be of this nature, namely, that we should
keep one day in seven in memory of the creation; but
for the particular day that the Jews kept, that was
appointed them by God for a reason that did pecu-
liarly concern themselves, and therefore none but
themselves, and those that lived among them, were
obliged by it. This now being so, it is an impertinent
question to ask, what law of Christ hath abrogated
Saturday, and put Sunday in the place of it ; for what
needed there any authority of Christ to abrogate a
law that we were never bound to observe ?
But here it will be said, Doth not our church own
the fourth commandment to lay an obligation upon
us? and doth not that fourth commandment ex-
pressly require the observation of the last day of the
week, and not of the first ?
To this I will give two plain answers : first,
though our church owns the authority of the fourth
commandment as well as of the rest, yet it doth not
own an obligation to practise all that is required in
the fourth commandment ; for neither our church, nor
any other Christian church, from our Saviour's time
to this, did ever teach that Christians were bound to
" observe that strict bodily rest, both of man and beast,
whicl^ the fourth commandment seems to require,
and which the Jews practised. So far from that,
that several Christian councils have censured them
for Judaizers that thought themselves bound to follow
the letter of the Jewish law in this matter ; and they
likewise passed the same censure upon those that
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
believed they were obliged to keep the same day : so
that you see we may own the obligation of the fourth
commandment without thinking ourselves concerned
either to observe the same day, or the same rest on
that day, which that commandment requires.
But then, secondly, if it is strictly examined, it
will be found that the fourth commandment doth
not lay any greater stress upon one day of the week
than on another, but may as well and as properly be
applied to the day that we Christians observe, as to
that day which the Jews observed : for all that is there
required seems to be this ; that one day in seven,
that is, a seventh day after six days of labour, should
be dedicated to an holy rest, in memory of the ci'ea-
tion. Run over all the particulars of the command-
ment, and you will not be able to find one expression
that imports more : and therefore it was enough to
answer all the ends of that commandment, if any one
day in seven be set apart for that purpose.
Well, but it will be replied, Was not Saturday the
day of the Jewish sabbath? and doth not the com-
mandment expressly refer to that day ? I answer, I
do readily grant it ; but then, I say, that Saturday
was not appointed for their sabbath by virtue of this
commandment, but by a former law which was given
to the Jews in the wilderness of Sin, as you may see
in the sixteenth chapter of Exodus. In that chapter
you will find, that that which fixed the day on which
the Jews were to observe their sabbath, was the
ceasing of the manna to drop on that day, as it had
done for the six before ; that was the sign, as Moses
told them, by which they should know the day on
which God would have them to rest. Before this
they knew nothing of the day ; they only knew that
Q 2
228
A SERMON
God would have them to rest one day in seven, and
it is very certain, that on the seven-night before
(which would have been their sabbath, if they had
known of the day) they were so far from resting, that
they went a very long journey, as appears from that
chapter : but then it was that God fixed the day for
their sabbath, (and I shall by and by shew for what
reason he pitched upon that day ;) afterwards, when
they came to mount Sinai, he gave, in the fourth
commandment, a general law for the observance of it.
I cannot deny, indeed, that God's commandment
had reference to that particular day, which had been
so lately appointed them : yet the commandment is
put in such words, and such a reason is thereby given
for it, as would serve for any other day in the weekly
revolution as well as that.
To put this yet in a better light, if it be possible,
we own that all the Ten Commandments, though as
to the substance of them they were all of them of
perpetual obligation to mankind, yet, as they were
given on mount Sinai, there are several things added
to them, on purpose for the accommodating them to
the present state of the Israelites, to whom they were
given. Thus God puts a preface to them, which
wholly related to the Jews ; / am the Lord thy God,
which brought thee 07it of the land of Egypt, out
of the house of bondage : thus the threatening, in
the second commandment, of visiting the sins of the
fathers upon the children, to the third and fourth
generation ; and the promise in the fifth, of living
long in the land which the Lord their God had
given them. These are plainly added to the com-
mandments, with respect to that dispensation that
the Jews were then under ; and so we say, as to the
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
229
fourth, the bodily rest that is there enjoined, and the
precise day to which the commandment hath respect,
are by no means of the essence or substance of the
commandment, but are to be accounted as circum-
stantials added to it, the better to accommodate it to
the state of the Jewish church that then was.
The sum of all that I have said is this ; that the
owning an obligation upon us, to keep one day in
seven as a holy rest to God, doth not infer an obli-
gation upon us to keep that precise day God gave
to the Jews, neither doth the fourth commandment
require it; and therefore there needs not any new
law of Christ for the abolishing of that day and ap-
pointing another. All therefore that is here to be
inquired into is, what reason the apostles, who made
the change, had for so doing ? For if they had good
reason rather to pitch on the first day of the week
than on the last for the sabbath, there is no doubt
in the world but they were at liberty to do it ; and
what they did in this matter would oblige all of us
that come after them so far as the reason they pro-
ceeded upon doth continue. Now to give an account
of this is the second thing I have to do in order to
the answering of this difficulty : and this is that
which I say, that that very reason upon which God
proceeded in appointing Saturday for the Jewish
sabbath rather than any other day ; I say, that very
reason and ground did the apostles (and no doubt,
either by the command of Christ or the guidance of
the Holy Spirit) proceed upon in the pitching upon
Sunday for the Christian sabbath (if we may so call
it) rather than Saturday. To explain myself as to
this : you are to know that the great end and design
of God's appointing one day in seven to be kept holy
Q 3
230
A SERMON
was, that all mankind should remember the creation
of the world, and own that God which created hea-
ven and earth to be their God. This observation of
one day in seven was to be as a sign, or mark, or
badge, that they acknowledged and worshipped that
one God which made heaven and earth.
This is the account that the scripture all along
gives of this matter. Thus, in Ezekiei xx. 20. saith
God, Y^e shall hallow my sahhaths ; and theij shall
be a sign between me and you, that ye may know
that I am the Lord your God; and thus in Exod.
xxxi. 16. the children of Israel shall observe the
sabbath throughout all their generations for a per-
petual covenant. It is a sign between me and the
children of Israel for ever. A sign of what? Why,
a sign that the Creator of heaven and earth is their
God ; for thus it follows ; for in six days the Lord
made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he
rested; and this indeed is the true account and
meaning of the fourth commandment.
Now this account of the sabbath, you see, doth
equally concern both Jews and Gentiles. If the
sabbath was therefore appointed, that by the obser-
vation of it men might testify to the world that they
owned the one supreme God that made the world
to be their God, then certainly all men that profess
the true religion are equally concerned in the obser-
vation of it : well, but then how come the Jews to
observe one day, and the Christians another ? Why,
this is the thing I now come to give an account of.
You are to know that God, in delivering the
children of Israel out of Egypt, took upon himself a
new relation to that people ; he was their Creator
from the beginning, but from henceforward, after he
I
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
231
had delivered them out of the house of bondage, he
became their redeemer, their deliverer ; and under
that notion he vt^ould have himself to be acknow-
ledged in all the acts of v^^orship that that people
were to perform to him : there are an hundred in-
stances of this in the laws of Moses ; but it very re-
markably appears in this business we are now talk-
ing of; for when God comes to renew the command-
ment of the sabbath, (which was at the first insti-
tuted for the owning of the creation of the world,)
he adds a new consideration to it, and orders the
Jews, in the observation thereof, not only to recog-
nise him as the Creator of heaven and earth, (which
all mankind were bound to do as well as they,) but
also to acknowledge him as their deliverer out of
Egypt ; and for that purpose he pitched upon that
day, in the weekly revolution, to be their sabbath, on
which he had wrought their deliverance out of
Egypt, by drowning Pharaoh and his host in the
Red sea ; so that the Jews had a twofold reason
for observing the sabbath. As they were a part of
mankind, they kept the sabbath to acknowledge
thereby that they owned the supreme God, the
Creator of heaven and earth ; and this they did by
observing one day in seven, according to God's ori-
ginal institution : as they were embodied into one na-
tional society, called the people of Israel, they kept
the sabbath to acknowledge thereby that God had
delivered their nation from the bondage of Egypt ;
and this they did by observing that particular day
in the seven which God had appointed in the wil-
derness of Sin, in remembrance of their coming out
of Egypt.
If any one ask what proof I have for this, or how
Q 4
232
A SERMON
it doth appear that God therefore pitched on that
particular day to be the Jewish sabbath, because on
that day he wrought his deHverance for them out of
Egypt ; I answer, I have an express text of scripture
to vouch for it, which cannot well be interpreted in
any other sense than what I have now said. The
place I refer to is the fifth of Deuteronomy. There
the Ten Commandments are repeated ; but this is
observable in the repetition of them when the
fourth commandment comes to be repeated, that
no mention is made of the original, universal reason
of God's appointing the sabbath ; namely, the crea-
tion of the world in six days, as it is given in the
fourth commandment delivered in the twentieth of
Exodus ; but another reason for the observation of
the sabbath is put in the place thereof : I will read
the words to you as they are in the fifteenth verse
of that chapter ; and they are worth your observing ;
Remember, saith God, that thou wast a servant in
the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God
hrojight thee out thence with a mighty hand and
stretched out arm : therefore the Lord thy God
commandeth thee to heep the sahhath day.
These are the words of God in Deuteronomy ; but
what is the meaning of them ? Did God therefore
command the observation of the sabbath (that is,
one day in seven) because he brought the children
of Israel out of Egypt ? that cannot be ; for the rea-
son is quite otherwise given, both in the beginning
of Genesis, and in the delivery of the Ten Com-
mandments, in the twentieth of Exodus; by both
those places it appears that God therefore commanded
the observation of one day in seven, because that he
made the world in six days and rested on the
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
333
seventh : this therefore must be the meaning of this
text. God therefore commanded the observation of
that particular day in the seven as a day of rest to
the Jews, because that on that day he delivered his
people from the bondage of Egypt with a mighty
hand and stretched out arm.
These things now well considered, we have a suf-
ficient reason given us both why we should not keep
the same day of the week for our sabbath that the
Jews did, and likewise why we should keep the first
day of the week rather than any other in the weekly
revolution.
St. Paul tells us the observation of the 7iew moons
and sabbaths were shadows of things to come, but
the body is Christ. Now since it appears that the
day of the sabbath, as it was appointed to the Jews,
was in memory of their deliverance out of Egypt ;
and since that deliverance out of Egypt was but a
type of our redemption by Christ Jesus from the
spiritual bondage of the spiritual Pharaoh, that is to
say, the Devil ; then certainly, after this deliverance,
this redemption is actually wrought, the type is out
of doors ; and if that be no more to be remembered,
then is not the day which was set apart for the com-
memoration of it to be any further remembered
neither.
But that is not all: the Jewish day of the sab-
bath is not only vanished, nay indeed it would be
horrible superstition to observe it, but another day
is actually set up in the place of it by the apostles,
and that, without doubt, by the guidance of the Holy
Spirit ; and such a day, that no man can in the least
be surprised that it was pitched upon rather than
any other day in the weekly revolution ; for since
334
A SERMON ON EXODUS XX. 8.
both Jews and Christians do agree that one day in
seven is to be set apart for the acknowledgment and
worship of the one true God, the maker of heaven
and earth ; and since it is evident that in the Jewish
dispensation that day was so ordered, as that toge-
ther with the acknowledgment of the supreme God
it should put them in mind of that God's being their
redeemer and deliverer out of Egypt ; what can more
naturally fall into the thoughts of any Christian than
this, that as, with the Jews, we are to set apart one
day in every seven to the solemn worship of God,
the maker of heaven and earth ; so, as we are Chris-
tians, we are to pitch upon such a day for that as
shall at the same time put us in mind of the great
redemption and deliverance that was wrought for us
by our Lord Jesus Christ? And what day in the
weekly revolution can that be, but the day on which
God vanquished the Devil, and redeemed us out of
our spiritual bondage by raising up our Lord Jesus
from the dead, and thereby begetting us to a lively
hope of everlasting life ?
There is nothing more remains to be done upon
this argument, but to shew that the apostles of our
Lord did really, for this reason, pitch upon the first
day of the week for the solemn day of their worship:
but that being only matter of fact, and the proof of
it to be made by testimony, I believe you will rather
choose to take a man's word for it, than to be held
any longer to hear quotations.
A S E H M O N
ON
EXODUS XX. 8.
Remember to keep holy the sabbath day.
I HAVE made two Discourses upon this argument
already ; and my business hitherto has been to shew
that w^e Christians are obliged to keep one day in
seven as a sabbath or holy rest unto God ; and the
day we are to keep to this purpose is the first day of
the week, or Sunday.
As for the keeping one day in seven I shewed,
First, That God making the world in six days,
and resting on the seventh, meant by this action to
lay a foundation for an obligation on all mankind, to
whom the knowledge of it should come, to set apart
one day in every seven to the honour and acknow-
ledgment of that God that created the world.
Secondly, That God sufficiently declared that this
was his meaning by giving an express law to the
first parents of mankind, and in them to all their
posterity, that they should separate the seventh day,
and keep it holy in memory of the creation.
Thirdly, That though this commandment, through
the prevailing of idolatry in the world, was in
time forgot, yet when God came to restore the true
religion to his own people the Jews, and to give
laws about it, he took care to retrieve the memory
of this commandment among the rest of the laws of
the creation ; accordingly he put it into his two
236
x\ SERMON
tables wrote with his own hands, by which he suffi-
ciently distinguished it from the temporary laws
given to the Jews, and shewed that it was of obliga-
tion to all mankind for ever, since all the rest of the
Ten Commandments were certainly and indispen-
sably so.
Fourthly, When Jesus Christ came to give his
laws to all mankind, and to set aside all that was
perfectly Jewish in the worship of God, yet he all
along seems to be so far from abrogating any of the
Ten Commandments, that he lays great stress upon
them, and yet the law of observing one day in seven
is one of these ten.
Fifthly, All his disciples, from that time to this,
made a conscience of keeping this commandment as
well as the rest : nor was there ever any Christian
church known that did not observe one day in seven
as holy to God.
In the second place, as for the change of the day
from the sabbath to the Lord's day, and that it is
this latter day, the first day of the week, that we
Christians are to observe, and not the Saturday, as
the Jews observed ; I say, for the satisfying you
about this, I went upon these giounds :
First of all, that the observation of that particular
day, namely, Saturday, more than any other of the
seven, was perfectly J ewish, nor did the law that re-
quired it ever concern any other nation but that
people, and those that dwelt among them, so that
there was no need of having that day abolished.
Secondly, that the observation of that day is not
required in the fourth commandment more than
any other day in the seven ; but that it is sufficient,
for the fulfilling of that commandment, that any one
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
day of the seven be observed in the memory of the
creation.
Thirdly, that the reason why God pitched on that
day rather than any other of the seven, was not any
reason that did concern all mankind, but only the
Jewish nation ; namely, because on that day he de-
livered them from the bondage of Egypt, by drown-
ing Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea.
Fourthly, that for the very same reason that Sa-
turday, among all the days of the seven, was pitched
upon for the sabbath to the Jews, Sunday, among
all the days of the seven, was pitched upon for the
sabbath of the Christians : I say, both these days
were pitched upon for the same reason ; that is to
say, as in the old law, that of Moses, God would
have the Jews observe a sabbath in memory of the
creation, but yet would have it observed on such a
day, that, together with the creation, they might re-
member their redemption out of Egypt ; so in the
new law, that of J esus Christ, God would have the
Christians observe a sabbath in memory of the crea-
tion, but yet he would have it observed on such a
day, that together with the creation we might re-
member our redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ :
which redemption was then wrought and effected
when he rose from the dead : on that day was Sa-
tan and his host confounded ; and on that day was
salvation wrought for all mankind from a greater
slavery than ever Egypt was : and this is the reason
why we Christians observe Sunday for our day of
rest, and not Saturday : and indeed, if we should do
otherwise, we should shew ourselves Jews, and not
Christians : we should not seem to own our Sa-
viour's redemption ; in a word, we might as well
238
A SERMON
quit our baptism, and go back again to circumci-
sion.
Thus far I have already gone : there remains one
thing yet to be done upon this head, and then I
leave it ; and I shall despatch it very briefly : and
that is, in
The fifth place, to shew what evidence we have
that the Christians, from our Saviour's time, did pro-
ceed upon this ground that I have named, and did
keep the first day of the week for their sabbath.
Now, as to this, I only mention these few things :
That the first Lord's day that was kept was so-
lemnized on that very day on which our Saviour
rose from the dead. Then, as St. John tells us in
the twentieth chapter, then all the disciples as-
sembled together, and he takes notice of this circum-
stance, that it was the first day of the week ; and at
this meeting did Jesus first shew himself to them all,
that he was risen from the dead. But Thomas, it
seems, was not that day with them, and therefore
doubted of the truth of what the rest had told him
concerning our Saviour's shewing himself alive
among them. What now came upon this ? Did our
Saviour presently appear to him for his conviction ?
No, not at all; but he let him remain under his
doubt till the next Lord's day, till the day that the
disciples met together again in a solemn manner ;
and this the same St. John takes notice of in verse
26. of the same chapter : After eight days, says
he, the disciples were within, and then Thomas was
with them : and then came Jesus, and stood in the
midst, and spoke particularly to Thomas. So that
here we see the second and first Lord's day the dis-
ciples met together, and both those days were graced
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
239
and sanctified by the apparition of our Saviour
among them. That they met thus every first day
of the week during our Saviour's conversing upon
earth after his resurrection there is no doubt to
be made, though the Gospels do not mention it ;
but that on the eighth Lord's day from the resur-
rection they were solemnly assembled together the
scripture takes notice of with a witness. For on
that day, when they were all together with one ac-
cord, and in one place, then did the Holy Ghost de-
scend upon them in a visible manner, and endowed
them with the gift of tongues ; and by the virtue
thereof St. Peter preached so powerfully, that on
that day were added to the church three thousand
converts. We have not henceforward particular
mention made in the New Testament of their as-
sembling on the first day of the week ; but that they
did always hold their religious assemblies on that
day is abundantly plain from these two testimonies :
the first is out of the first of the Corinthians,
chap, xvi; there, in the second verse, St. Paul adviseth
that every one should bring in his offering, or his
alms, on the first day of the week, to be laid by for
the use of the poor ; which plainly implies, that on
the first day of the week they used to hold their re-
ligious meetings.
The other testimony is still more convincing, and
it is in the twentieth of the Acts, ver. 6 ; there St.
Luke tells us. We came, saith he, to Troas in five
days ; and there we abode seven days. And upon
the first day of the week, when the disciples came
together to break bread, Paul preached unto them
until midnight. It is not said here that St. Paul
called the Christians together on that day, but the
240
A SERMON
words imply, that it was the custom of the Chris-
tians to meet on the first day of the week, in order
to the religious worship of Christ, by hearing the
word preached, and partaking in the holy sacra-
ment, and therefore that opportunity St. Paul took
of preaching so long to them.
These two texts are undeniable evidences of the
practice of the church in those times as to this mat-
ter : but there is one thing more to be taken notice
of out of the scripture, that is beyond all that I
have yet said; and that is this: St. John, in his
book of the Revelations, doth in express words call
the first day of the week by the name of the hord's
day, and he brings it in so that any one may con-
clude that he did not impose that name upon it,
but that it was the usual name by which it passed
among all the Christians in those days ; and accord-
ingly by that name it is called even to this day :
what now can we conclude from hence ? Certainly
one of these two things ; either that that day was
appointed by our Lord himself for the Christian
sabbath, just as we call the sacrament of the com-
munion the Lord's supper, because it is appointed by
our Saviour ; and this some of the first Christian
fathers expressly assert ; or else at least that all
Christians had agreed together to consecrate and set
apart that day to the honour of our Lord, and in
memory of his resurrection, as the Jews set apart
the seventh day in memory of their deliverance out
of Egypt. Now which way soever we take it, it
proves sufficiently to us, that the first day of the
week was from the beginning the day that all
Christians were to observe for their sabbath ; or, to
speak in a more proper language, the day that they
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
241
were more solemnly to dedicate to the worship of
God and Christ Jesus,
All this proof now we have for the Lord's day-
out of the holy scripture of the New Testament;
and as for the following times, the proofs are infi-
nite. It is certain matter of fact, that all Christian
churches, from the apostles' time to this, have en-
joined and practised the religious observation of
the Lord's day as a Christian duty. Nor of all the
heresies or schisms that ever we read of to have
broke out in the church, (and abundance of such
there have been,) do we ever find any one that
called this point into question. Howsoever men
have differed in other points of Christianity, yet
never was there any sect of men, no, nor any single
man, that we know of, that ever denied or doubted
of our obligation to observe the Lord's day. And
this is a mighty thing, if it be well considered, to
our present purpose.
Having thus given you as plain an account as I
can of our obligation in general to dedicate one
day in seven to the solemn service of God, and the
reason for which we Christians dedicate the first
day of the week, rather than any other day of the
seven to that purpose ; I now come to shew, in the
third place, of what infinite concernment it is to re-
ligion, and the souls of men, that this day be strictly
and religiously observed.
And here I do solemnly address myself to all of
you, that you would seriously take this matter into
your consideration, and not (as we are wont to do)
look upon this business of the observation of the
Lord's day as so inconsiderable a duty, that a little
thing may excuse our neglect of it ; for assuredly
ABP. SHARPE, VOL. III. R
242
A SERMON
very great matters depend upon it, even no less than
the very being of Christianity, as well as the salvation
of our own souls.
You may perhaps hear some dissolute atheistical
men ask, What is one day better than another ?
Hath nature made any difference between days?
Nay, hath not your religion forbid the making any
difference? But you know this sort of men droll,
they do not argue ; they know very well that we do
no more believe one day to be better or more holy in
itself than another, than they ; but yet, if they would
consider, they would be as sensible as we that some
days ought to be employed differently from other
days, because the ends of piety and religion do ne-
cessarily call for it. But that is the thing they hate,
and for that reason they hate all days that are de-
voted to it.
You will hear others talk more gravely ; but yet
if not with as ill a design, yet to as mischievous an
effect as the former : they will tell you that every
day ought to be dedicated to God Almighty's service ;
and therefore Sundays and holydays do not so much
minister to religion, as to formality and superstition.
But I pray be pleased to consider, that though we
ought to dedicate every day to God Almighty's ser-
vice, yet this doth not hinder but that some days
should be dedicated in another manner, and to other
parts of his service, than it is possible for us to dedi-
cate every day. We grant that whoever lives with
a constant sense of God upon his mind, and makes a
conscience of performing his daily devotions, and fol-
lowing his calling and employment diligently and
honestly, and takes care to spend the remainder of
his time, that is not thus employed, as well as he can,
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
243
at least innocently ; I say, we make no scruple of al-
lowing that every such man may be said to dedicate
every day he thus spends to God Almighty's service.
But yet, for all this, it is absolutely necessary for us
to set apart some days in another manner, and to
another kind of service of God than this amounts to.
And since both the laws of God and man have fixed
upon the first day of every week for that purpose, he
seems neither to fear God nor reverence man, that
doth not strictly and religiously devote that day to
the more solemn service of God.
But I pray, if you please, let us look a little fur-
ther into this matter, and examine the merits of it,
and see what is to be said in point of reason for this
observance of the Lord's day, which we so earnestly
press, that it may not be said that we altogether rely
upon arbitrary authority, whether of God or man,
without any other intrinsic reason for this custom.
And in the first place, I pray think with your-
selves whether it is not really a great mercy and
kindness to all of us that one day in a week is by a
public law consecrated to a holy rest? Do you think
it is either for the good of man or beast that they
should be constantly drudging and toiling without
any respite, but just what the night gives them,
wherein they cannot work ? If such a weekly rest
was not appointed, would it not be the wish and de-
sire of all men that it should ? Or imagine that the
laws of God or man should oblige us to drudge all
the days of our lives in our employments without
any intermission, should not we look upon that as a
very hard and severe imposition ? Certainly any one
would think, not only servants, but masters too, that
follow their callings as they should do, should all be
R 2
244
A SERMON
of this opinion. That time therefore which God out
of his bounty hath ordered for our rest and relaxation
from our labours, and men, in obedience to him,
have ratified by their laws, we are the sullennest
perversest creatures in the world, if we do not joy-
fully and thankfully make use of it to those be-
nefits and advantages. But it will be said, might
not every man have been left to his own discretion
in this matter, and set apart such times of rest for
himself and his family, in order to the worship of
God, as he judged most convenient for his own af-
fairs ? Why should we all be tied to one day ?
I answer, if men were left to their own discretion
in this matter, God help poor servants, who, generally
speaking, were but like to have had a hard time of it ;
nay, and God help the masters themselves, for it is
much to be feared they would not have been a
quarter so kind to their own souls, as God and the
laws have been to them. But if it be seriously ask-
ed, why we should all be tied to one day ? I answer,
the reason is obvious, because otherwise the end of
setting apart any day could not have been attained.
The very reason of our consecrating some of our time
to God is, that thereby we might have opportunities
of joining together in his public worship, and being
instructed in the duties of our common Christianity;
but what opportunities could we have for this, unless
some common day be agreed upon for our assembling
for these purposes ?
But besides, I may urge another reason, which will
perhaps more open some people's eyes, to see the rea-
sonableness of such a common day, than any spiritual
consideration ; and that is this : that the setting apart
one such day to the observance of which all shall be
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
245
obliged, is least prejudicial to our worldly affairs.
For by this means, care is taken that no man shall
make advantage of the works of his calling on that
day, to the prejudice of any of his neighbours, be-
cause all men are by this law put under the same
obligations of resting from their labours. But now
if every man had been at liberty to appoint his own
time of resting for himself and his family, a great in-
convenience would have ensued upon that account.
The sum of this consideration is this ; that the rea-
sonableness and equity of the law of the sabbath, even
upon a political account, is so evident and so obvious,
that men of sense cannot but thank God for this in-
stitution, as one of the most wise and prudent things
that could have been contrived for the ease and be-
nefit of mankind.
But, secondly, let us advance a step higher, let us
leave the political consideration of the day, and come
to the religion of it. And this I have to say to
you :
You pretend to be Christians, and you hope for
salvation in another life ; and you hope for that sal-
vation likewise no otherwise, but in the way that
Jesus Christ hath appointed for the obtaining of it.
Now is not this a main part of Jesus Christ's religion,
that you should publicly, in the face of the world,
own his faith, and join with the rest of his members
in offering up to God the solemn sacrifices of prayer
and praise, and hearing his gospel preached, and par-
taking in his holy sacraments ? If this then be a part
of the religion that our Lord and Master hath taught
us, (as it certainly is, and a principal part too,) how
dare any of us think ourselves at liberty, whether we
will practise these things or no, on such days, as both
R 3
246
A SERMON
God, and the church, and the laws, have most so-
lemnly devoted, and set apart for the peiformance
of them ? It is a strange Christianity that will en-
courage a man to hope he shall live with Christ here-
after, without shewing himself a member of Christ
here. And how a man should shew himself a mem-
ber of Christ, that doth not shew himself a member
of his church, which is Christ's body, is a hard mat-
ter to conceive. And how a man should shew him-
self a member of Christ's church, that doth not make
a conscience of worshipping God with the church,
and partaking of the public ordinances of Christianity
at those solemn times that God hath appointed, is
every whit as hard.
But some men have got other notions of Chris-
tianity; it is enough, in their opinion, to approve
themselves good Christians, that they live soberly
and righteously, and now and then, when they have
occasion, make their addresses in private unto God.
Why this is very well, and I heartily wish that those
men that give this account of their religion, did really
practise even what they own to be their duty. But
yet if they did, they come very far short of the true
notion of Christ's rehgion : for they do not consider
that all the great promises of Christ, of the pardon
of sins, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, (without
which it is impossible to live a Christian life,) are
tied to the using the means of reconciliation which
Christ hath appointed ; which means are doubtless
public ones ; that is to say, these promises are chiefly
made to those that, with contrition and devotion,
join with their fellow Christians, in the solemn ad-
ministrations of the church, confessing their sins, and
imploring God's pardon, and partaking in his holy
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
247
word and sacraments ; which are both the signs and
the seals of his acceptance of us.
Whatever therefore people may pretend that they
serve God in private, (though it is much to be feared
they do not serve God at all, that do not make a
conscience of joining in the public worship on the
Lord's day,) yet it is infinitely to their loss, that they
do not serve him in that solemn way that Christ hath
appointed. For they have not the same reason to
expect God's blessing in their way, supposing they
did seriously endeavour it, because they do not take
the method he hath prescribed for the obtaining it,
and besides they live in a direct contradiction to the
laws of the gospel.
But, thirdly, let us go a step further. Admit that
Christ had laid no such great stress upon these pub-
lic means, but we were perfectly at liberty whether
we would make use of them or no, yet, whether would
not the necessities of our own souls require that we
should at least set apart one day in seven for the
purpose of devotion and religion, if ever we meant to
preserve in ourselves any sense of piety ? and con-
sequently, when the Lord's day is thus by God and
man consecrated to that business, whether it is not
every man's interest, as well as his duty, most strictly
and religiously to observe it ? I pray consider that
in this hurry of worldly affairs, the business in which
we are all engaged ; in this constant road of worldly
objects, which we every minute converse with, and
the continual temptations upon the account thereof
we are exposed to ; I say, pray think how it is pos-
sible for a man (be he never so well disposed) to pre-
serve in himself a sense of God or religion, unless he
takes times for frequent recollection, and abstracting
R 4
248
A SERMON
himself from all material objects, and applying his
thoughts to God and spiritual things. If we would
live to any great purpose, it is fit we should do it
every day ; but yet mankind cannot be brought to
this. It is very well, if we can but rescue so much
time from our other affairs, that we can afford half
an hour in our closets to God in the morning, and as
much in the evening : I say, even this is very well ;
but yet I am afraid a great many do not do this.
God help us, in what a miserable condition are we in
the mean while ! Assuredly our souls do require the
use of spiintual exercises, such as prayer and reading
and meditation, in order to the keeping them alive
towards God, every whit as much as our bodies do
require the use of meat and drink, in order to the
preserving natural life. And yet so besotted are we
by the objects of sense, that we can neither find time,
nor be in humour for these things. Is it not there-
fore happy for us, that since we cannot, or will not,
in this crowd of business take care of our souls our-
selves, that God hath taken such care of us, that
whether we will or no, we shall be obliged to spend
one day in seven for the benefit and advantage of
our souls ; that while we are all the week working
and labouring for the body, one day may be appro-
priated to their use and service ?
I say, it is a happy institution, and we should all
be undone if it was not thus. We should all, not-
withstanding our little devotions on the week days,
unavoidably sink into carelessness and sensuality, and
unconcernedness for God and religion, were it not
that there is every week a day appointed for us,
wholly to apply our minds to these spiritual matters,
and to consider what we have done amiss, and what
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
249
it is our great interest to pursue ; and to revive our
good resolutions, and fortify ourselves against the
temptations we are continually exposed to.
Sure I am, that all persons that do seriously apply
themselves to God and virtue are deeply sensible of
the truth of this. They find, that notwithstanding
their private devotions in their closets, notwithstand-
ing their reading the scripture and other good books,
the taking all opportunities likewise that they have
of resorting to public prayers on the week days ; I
say, they find, notwithstanding all this, that they
have need enough of the Sunday institution for the
keeping their mind in a good frame ; and they are
so far from looking upon it as an oppression when it
comes, that they esteem it the best and the most de-
lightful, as well as the most desirable day in the
week.
O, therefore, if we have any concernment for our
own souls, if we have any desire that the work of
God (I mean that work that tends to our eternal
salvation) should prosper in our hands, let us make
a conscience of strictly and religiously observing the
Lord's day, to those purposes it was designed for.
But then, in the fourth place, I have another thing
to say upon this argument : we are not only bound
upon our own account, and for our own benefit, to
this observation of the Lord's day, but also upon a
more public account, even for the sake of the religion
we do profess, our common Christianity I mean : of
which the observation of the Lord's day is one of the
greatest supports and preservatives.
I look upon this appointment of the Lord's day
to have been one of the great means that hath pre-
served the Christian religion to this day in the world.
250
A SERMON
and to be the great security for the continuance of it
among us. And if it was laid aside, I can hardly
imagine there would be a face of religion kept up
among us for many years together, but in a few ge-
nerations we should all turn heathen. When I speak
here of the appointment of the Lord's day, I would
not have you think that I lay any stress upon the ap-
pointment of the day ; but it is the work, the business
that is to be done on that day, that I lay weight upon.
The design of setting apart that day is, that all
men should join in the solemn worship of God ; that
they should be instructed in the doctrines of the gos-
pel ; that they should be taught from God's word
what they are to believe, and what they are to prac-
tise, in order to their salvation ; that they should
have the motives and arguments that the gospel
offers, for their living a holy Christian life, fairly pro-
posed to them ; that they should have an opportunity
seriously of thinking upon these things and examin-
ing the state of their own souls, and making new re-
solutions of living according to their Christian pro-
fession ; and humbly imploring the grace of God that
they may practise what they do resolve.
This, I say, is the proper business of the Lord's
day ; and taking it thus, were it not for this public
establishment of the Lord's day, I doubt whether it
would be possible, humanly speaking, to preserve the
Christian religion in the world ; for were not people
obliged to worship God frequently, and to hear their
duty told them, and that duty pressed upon them by
all the arguments that can prevail upon human na-
ture ; I say, were not this constantly used and prac-
tised among us, I cannot see but that in time we
should fall back to paganism.
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
251
But it will perhaps be thrown in our dish, that
we have little reason to brag of the good effects of
our Sunday preachments, for people are now no
better than they always were, and that is bad
enough : and of those that frequent our assemblies,
more come out of custom and curiosity, than for any
end of devotion. I answer, if people do not grow
better, it is a veiy great blessing of God that they
do not grow worse ; and I am sure that is owing in
a great measure to the keeping up the religion of
Sundays.
If we are generally so bad, even when we have so
many excellent means afforded us for growing better,
and we are forced, in compliance with the custom of
the country, to make a show of using those means ;
how bad, think you, should we be, if we had none of
those means, or, having them, never pretend to make
use of them !
If a man continue an atheist, or a hypocrite, or a
whoremonger, or a drunkard, when yet he comes
every Sunday to church, and there confesseth his
sins, and begs God's pardon, and cannot avoid the
hearing many terrible things denounced in the word
of God against him so long as he continues in his
sins ; do you think he would not be a ten times
worse atheist, or drunkard, or whoremonger, if he
never came to church at all, but so spent his time
that he should never have any thing of religion, not
perhaps the very name of it, sounding in his ears ?
Never therefore talk of what little reformation there
is among us, for all our coming to church, and how
many come, whether to serve other ends than those
of religion ; for assuredly it is foolish talk, if you
mean thereby to discourage people from that prac-
252
A SERMON
tice : a great many, undoubtedly, do receive infinite
benefits by their thus doing. Those that are virtu-
ously disposed are undoubtedly hereby rendered
more virtuous ; those that are viciously disposed, a
great many of them, no doubt, are in time, and by
degrees, brought off by the use of these means from
their dissolute and wicked course, and wrought to a
better mind. And as for those that give no visible
signs of amendment, and yet frequent our churches,
as for them, I say, nevertheless, great reason have
they to thank God, both for his appointing these
weekly days for his worship, and likewise for his
keeping them from that impudence in sinning, that
they do not despise Sundays, but will on those days
come to church, and do as their neighbours do. For
certainly, though they do not grow better hereby, yet
by using these means they are kept from growing
worse. And if they should give themselves over to
the total neglect or disuse of these public exercises
of piety, good God ! to what a deplorable condition
would they in time reduce themselves ! Whoever
therefore hath any serious desire, either that men
should grow better, or that they should not grow
worse ; whoever hath any hearty concern for religion
and piety, and would not have it quite banished out
of the world ; every such man must needs be con-
vinced, that it is of infinite concernment that the
strict observation of the Lord's day should be most
religiously kept up among us.
I have one thing more to add upon this point, and
I have done.
In the fifth place, if these arguments I have in-
sisted on will not prevail with you to make a con-
science of strictly observing the Lord's day, yet, I
ON EXODUS XX. 8.
253
beg of you, let other people's experience do it.
When reason doth not prevail, we appeal to experi-
ence ; and in this matter I appeal to all men that
have made trial of it.
And these two things I account all men that have
made trial will give their assent to.
First of all, whoever makes a conscience of strictly
observing the Lord's day, (supposing he doth it not
out of hypocrisy, but bears an honest mind towards
God ; I say, every such person,) never failed to grow
in virtue and goodness. God always accepted his
services ; and he finds the good effects of them in the
greater measure of grace and strength that is af-
forded to him for the living a holy and virtuous life.
Nay, some devout persons have extended this
point further ; they will tell you that they have al-
ways observed, that as they kept the Lord's day
more or less carefully, so has their business prospered
more or less successfully all the week after ; and that
they have particularly experienced, over and over
again, that when they have most fervently set them-
selves to serve God on Sunday, they have been re-
markably blessed the following week.
But, secondly, it hath been hardly known that any
one that was a notorious sabbath-breaker (which is
the word we usually express such offenders by) ever
came to good. Those persons that make no con-
science of observing the Lord's day, as they rarely
ever attain to a true sense of virtue and piety, so
most commonly they are given over to a reprobate
mind, and do grow worse and worse.
And this thing is very observable, that most of
these lewd and profligate people that have run into
all sorts of extravagancies, when they come at their
254 A SERMON ON EXODUS XX. 8.
death to reflect on their lives past, and to give an
account of what led them into all those excesses and
wickednesses, the most common thing that they im-
pute all to, was, their not observing the Lord's day.
But, when they should have been at the church
they gave themselves up to idle and vicious com-
pany, that by degrees perverted their manners, and
drew them into these mischiefs which it is now too
late to redress.
These things, I think, may be sufficient to possess
you all with a hearty sense of the obligation that is
upon us strictly to observe the Lord's day. I dare
not stay to enforce this further.
I pray God give us all grace that we may so serve
him here, both on this day and all the other days of
our life, that hereafter we may be partakers of his
eternal glory.
A SERMON
ON
HEBREWS IV. 11.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest.
I TAKE it for granted, that all that now hear me
do believe a future state ; and that we do not cease
to be when we leave this world, but that we must
live for ever either in happiness or misery.
I take it for granted, that none here doubts but
that there doth remain a rest for the people of God
in the other world ; and therefore this point I wholly
wave, and shall not trouble you with offering at a
proof of it.
My present business is to do what I can to per-
suade you all to the practice of the apostle's exhor-
tation in my text, to wit, to labour to enter into that
rest, in shewing you that it is a rest exceedingly
worth our labouring for ; that it doth richly deserve
all the diligence and pains and application that we
can possibly bestow towards the obtaining of it, be-
cause when it is obtained it will abundantly com-
pensate for them all.
Now you see that in order to the speaking justly
to this point, I am obliged to enter into a discourse
of the excellency of this rest, and to give some
account of the many blessings that are contained
in it.
And I hope nobody will think this to be an im-
proper argument at this season, since it was the
great business and end of our Saviour's death and
256
A SERMON
passion (which we commemorate this week) to pro-
cure this eternal rest for us, and the great business
of our Lord's resurrection (which we are to comme-
morate the next week) to assure us that he hath
effectually done it ; and that he will one day raise
us up to partake of that glory which he now pos-
sesses at the right hand of God.
To come then to my business, to give some ac-
count of the many blessings that are contained in
that rest which our Saviour hath purchased for us.
And O that I could do it so effectually, that we
might all fall in love with it ; that we could so affect
our minds with the solid happiness of the other
world, that we might be quite put out of conceit
with the trifles and vanities of this ; that we might
leave our fondness for these earthly tabernacles,
these dark prisons, wherein our souls are confined,
and groan after the glorious liberties of the sons of
God, and those heavenly regions wherein God and
angels do enjoy themselves in the fulness of blessed-
ness for ev^ermore.
But who is sufficient to declare the great things
that God hath laid up for those that love him ? The
apostle tells us, that eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to
conceive of them. And therefore little can it be
expected that any words of ours should describe
them.
Alas ! we are much in the dark about these mat-
ters ; we know not yet ichat we shcdl he, as St. John
has told us. We understand not a thousandth part
of the circumstances that will contribute to the bliss
of good men in that other state ; but though our con-
ceptions, as to these matters, be very naiTow and
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
scanty, and God hath not thought fit to reveal his
good pleasure, as to the particularities of this state,
yet so much hath he been pleased to discover to us
concerning it, and so much we are able to under-
stand of those discoveries, that it will not be an use-
less undertaking to give some general account or de-
scription of it.
And here we must be careful not to indulge our
own fancies, nor to take our estimate of that state
from such notions of happiness as we are too often
apt in this world to take up. But we must keep
close to the divine revelation : if we steer ourselves
by any other compass, every man will form such
ideas of heaven as suit best with his present desires
and humours and inclinations ; and then it will be
the Elysian fields, or the rabbin's garden of Eden,
or the paradise of Mahomet, or any kind of thing
that will give satisfaction to a man's sensual appe-
tite.
With some it will consist in victory and triumphs
over their enemies ; with others it will be stately pa-
laces, and crowns upon their heads, and sceptres in
their hands, and every thing that tends to the grati-
fying their worldly and ambitious desires.
With others it will be the most delicious eating
and drinking, and all manner of corporal pleasure ;
and lastly, with others, it will be a lazy unactive
life of gazing and contemplation.
It will concern us therefore, whenever we think
or speak of that happy state, to form our thoughts
and our notions according to those measures that
God hath given us in the holy scriptures, and not
rashly to conceive any thing of it but what we have
warrant for, either directly, or by consequence from
ABP. SHABPE, VOL. III. S
258
A SERMON
the discoveries that are there made. This therefore
I shall take as my rule in the discoursing of this
matter.
And here the first thing that offers itself to our
consideration is, the term by which it is expressed
in my text, namely, a rest, taking that word in the
most usual signification.
Rest, when it is applied to man, what is it but a
ceasing from all toil and trouble, a freedom from
every thing that is uneasy and afflicting ? Whoever
is at perfect rest is at perfect ease, is in that state
which the Stoics call indolency.
Now such a rest is the state of good men in the
other life ; not a state of idleness and doing nothing,
but a state that is perfectly free from all pain and
trouble and disquietness. It is a life of perfect
peace, a refreshment after all our labours and suffer-
ings, by which term the scripture sometimes ex-
presseth it.
There will be then nothing to disturb us, or cause
any allay or interruption to our quiet. All those
things that were apt to ruffle or discompose our spi-
rits, while we were tossed upon the sea of this
world, will then be far removed from us, and we
shall find a perfect calm both within and without
us.
This is indeed the sum of all that can be said
upon this head ; but yet, methinks, I wovdd not dis-
miss it so.
It will excite our desires after that rest, to think
a little more particularly of the evils from which it
will set us free ; and therefore give me leave to di-
late a little upon this head.
We shall then rest from sinning and offending
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
959
God, which is now one of the greatest troubles of
our lives. O what would not a good man give,
that he might always so govern himself as to per-
form a constant, steady, uniform obedience to the
laws of his heavenly Father ! But yet such, alas ! is
the infelicity of this present state, that even the best
of men do offend in many things, and have their
bitter reflections upon themselves for those offences.
But the other state we are speaking of will perfectly
set us free from this ; we shall not any more dis-
please God, nor behave ourselves ungratefully or un-
kindly to him ; we shall not any more have need of
sorrow and tears for our daily miscarriages ; we shall
not any more complain of the hardness of our hearts,
or our unfruitfulness under the means of grace, or
our frequent lapses and infirmities.
But we shall be holy as we desire, and Christ will
present us to his Father without spot or twinkle, or
any such thing, pure and without blemish. We
shall then also rest from all the temptations and al-
lurements to sin, with which we are here continually
assaulted. All the rubs and stumblingblocks which
are thrown in our way by the Devil or the world
will then be taken away. We shall not then have
the trouble of being always upon our guai'd, always
watching over ourselves, always conflicting with
dangers and difficulties, always in fear lest the
enemy should surprise us, or be too strong for us ;
for our warfare will then be over, we shall have
finished our course, and no tempter, no adversary
shall from henceforward have access to us. We shall
then also rest from all doubts and suspicions of our
own state. We shall not then any longer call our
own sincerity into question, or be in fear lest our
260
A SERMON
sins should not be pardoned ; or that God should
w ithdraw his grace from us, and leave us to our-
selves ; or that we are not yet arrived to that degree
of virtue and holiness and piety that our religion re-
quires of us.
For then our own senses will convince us that
those jealousies are vain, and that God is infinitely
good, and we everlastingly happy. We shall then
rest from all our divisions and quarrels one with
another, which in this state, it is to be feared, even
good men do sometimes too zealously pursue. There
will then be no parties or factions ; one will not say
he is of Paul, another of ApoUos, but we shall all
lay aside our heats and animosities, which our differ-
ent educations, and our different ways of thinking,
and our too much accepting of some men's persons,
may unhappily have engaged us in. And we shall
be all of one mind and one soul, and embrace one
another with open arms and a hearty love, and be
pei'fectly one household, under that one shepherd
the Lord Jesus.
We shall then rest from all that ginef and trouble
we now undergo upon account of other folk's mis-
fortunes. As the present state of things is, to see or
hear of the misery of others, though we ourselves
are in good circumstances, must make a good
natured man very uneasy. WhoeA'er hath any bowels
of humanity in him cannot but be very melancholy
at the dismal spectacles that are every day presented
to our eyes ; to see some ready to starve for want of
bread, others languishing under great pains of body;
to see one near relation ruined by cross and sad ac-
cidents, another taking bad courses, and growing
atheistical and profane : in a word, to converse
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
261
every day with miserable persons, as in truth the
world is nothing but a great hospital of such ; I say,
the reflections upon these things must needs make
our lives very uncomfortable, though our condition
otherwise be never so prosperous.
But in the other state we shall have none of these
objects before us, we shall have no use of our pity
and compassion, but all that we converse with will
be happy as ourselves. And as for those that our
gracious God hath justly punished for their obsti-
nate wickedness and impenitence, we shall be so in-
finitely satisfied of the fitness and reasonableness
and equity of his dealings with them, that we shall
have no more concern for them than if they were
not in being.
We shall then rest from all the labour and toil of
our employments, which is now one great part of
the curse derived upon us from our first parents.
We shall not then earn our living with the sweat of
our brows, nor exhaust our spirits in doing such
drudgeries as our callings do here necessarily require
of us. All the care, and the pains, and the burden
we undergo, in the providing for our families, in the
bringing up our children, in the despatching our bu-
siness, and all the anxiety and solicitude we have
about those things, will then be at an end. And
we shall live free from all manner of tormenting
thoughtfulness, and be able to enjoy ourselves, and
dispose of our time according to our own desires.
Lastly, to conclude this point, we shall then rest
from all our personal sufferings and afflictions, from
all troubles and inconveniences, and ill accidents,
that this mortal state doth expose us to ; we shall
then be free from all manner of sickness and diseases,
s 3
262
A SERMON
from hunger and thirst, from poverty and naked-
ness, from every thing that causeth grief and pain.
We shall then be no longer obnoxious to the trea-
chery of our friends, nor the malice of our enemies,
nor the idle slanderous reports of backbiters ; we
shall then be quit of all our troublesome passions and
appetites, such as anger, and fear, and grief, and im-
moderate love of any thing. We shall then be out
of danger of disappointments as to our designs, or
loss of our goods, or death of our dear friends, or
the oppression and tyranny of hard masters : in a
word, we shall be in a perfect rest from all discon-
tents, from every thing that renders our condition in
the least troublesome. And all our past sufferings
will be no further remembered by us, than only as
the remembrance of them contributes to the increase
of our joy and delight. And now is not such a
state of life as this which I have been now describ-
ing infinitely desirable ? Will it not abundantly
answer all the pains and labour that we can be at
for the acquisition of it ? And yet this that I have
named is the least part of the happiness of the other
state. I have hitherto considered that state only in
a negative way, as it is a rest from our labours,
which is the term by which my text expresseth it :
so that indeed I have rather told you what it is not,
than what it is. But I shall now come to consider
it with respect to those positive blessings which
make up the happiness of it. Which shall be the
second part of my Discourse.
And here several things do present themselves to
our consideration, as, first of all, the great change
for the better that shall then be made to the persons
of good men.
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
263
Secondly, the glory of the place where they shall
have their abode.
Thirdly, the agreeable company they shall there
converse with.
Fourthly, the delightful employment in which
they will spend their time.
And, fifthly, the unspeakable favours and commu-
nications of God to their souls.
Of all these as briefly as I can ; still taking the
holy scriptures for our guide.
And first, as for the vast improvement that good
men shall find in that state as to their persons, it is
enough to say, that both their souls and their bodies
shall then be advanced to the highest perfection that
they are capable of.
And first of all, that their souls will be so is plain
beyond contradiction from those words of the apo-
stle, Heb. xii. 23. where, describing the heavenly
Jerusalem, and the inhabitants thereof, he calls those
of mankind that shall have a place there, the spirits
of just men made -perfect.
But what is it to have our spirits made perfect ?
Wherein doth this perfection consist ? Why, we all
know there are two principal faculties in our souls,
the understanding and the will; and to these two
all our other powers are reduced. So that when
these two aie arrived to their full perfections, our
souls or spirits are made as perfect as they can be.
Now as to the understanding, the perfection of that
consists only in the comprehension and knowledge of
truth, as that of the will doth in the choice and love
of that which is good : so that then are our souls
or spirits made perfect, when they know and under-
stand as much as their capacities will allow them ;
s 4
A SERMON
and when they are carried out with the most fervent
desire and love towards the greatest good. And
both these perfections will the souls of good men be
advanced to in the other world.
First, they shall be perfected in knowledge. Here
in this world, as the apostle tells us, 1 Cor. xiii.
we know but in part; we understa?id but as
children ; we see but as through a glass, darhly.
It is but very little that we do understand ; and that
little that we do, it is but imperfectly, obscurely,
confusedly.
All that we know of God, and those other most
glorious objects, (which it is most our interest and
happiness to know,) is but as it were in a picture, or
by reflection, as from a glass. But as the apostle
goes on, when from children in this world we come
to be men of the other world, then that which is in
part shall be done away, and in that state we shall
see J'ace to face, and hnow even as we are kno wn ;
that is, we shall know fully and evidently, we shall
know God, and all those infinite other objects which
we desire to contemplate, as we know those that we
look upon and converse with ; as we ourselves are
known to others, not by our picture, but by being
personally seen by them, and acquainted with them.
And as our understanding will be thus made perfect
in knowledge, so our wills also will be made perfect
in love ; this indeed being a natural consequence of
that. For our minds having so thorough a compre-
hension and perception of God's infinite loveliness
and perfections, as they will have in that state, can-
not but represent him to us as the greatest good and
the most amiable object in the world. And here-
upon we cannot avoid the cleaving to him with our
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
265
whole hearts, and shall find the greatest pleasure and
satisfaction that is possible in so doing. All our
grosser loves will be quite burnt up in this new fire
that will be kindled in our breasts ; we shall see
such an infinite, inexhaustible treasm-e of good in
God, that we shall love, and admire, and delight in
him, incomparably more than in any other good in
the world. Nay, we shall love so long, and so in-
tensely, until our souls be quite transformed into the
nature of our beloved ; until we become as like God
as it is possible for creatures to be : his will will be
our will, his perfections will be our perfections, and
we shall in a manner be one with him ; and this is
the perfection of love. But, secondly, as our spirits
or our souls will be made perfect, so will also our
bodies. Reason indeed will tell us, that no earthly
gross bodies (such as ours now are) can be fit instru-
ments to serve the soul in such exalted operations as
these we have been now speaking of : but God hath
not left us to the bare conjecture of reason in this
matter ; he hath assured us by his apostle, that when
that time comes we shall be cloathed upon with an
heavenly tabernacle, 2 Cor. v. And again, in the
fifteenth of the First of Corinthians, that we shall
have spiritual immutable bodies ; because such flesh
and blood as we now have is not capable of entering
into the kingdom of God, as he there tells us. But
that by which we may best judge of the perfection
of our bodies in that day is what St. Paul tells us in
his Epistle to the Philippians, chap. iii. 21 ; namely,
that Christ will then fashion our bodies like unto his
glorious body ; that is to say, we shall then have such
bodies as our Saviour now hath, that he sits at the
right hand of God. Now how bright and illustrious
26&
A SERMON
that is, will in some measure appear from what the
apostles saw at his transfiguration, and St. Paul
afterwards, when our Saviour appeared to him in
order to his conversion ; so glorious was the splen-
dour of it, that it was insupportable to their mortal
senses. The apostles were put into an ecstasy, and
St. Paul was struck blind for three days : flesh and
blood could not bear the glory of it. Yet such bodies
as these, the apostle assures us, our souls shall be
cloathed with at the resurrection ; bodies as brigrht
and glorious as the light ; bodies as pure as the re-
gions are where we are to inhabit ; bodies so nimble
and agile that our souls may move them whither
and how we please, nor will they be the least clog
or encumbrance to us. But come we, in the second
place, to speak something of the mansions where
blessed souls are to inhabit. In what part of the
vast creation of God those mansions are placed, or
this country is situated, we do not know.
But sure we are they are in the purest regions of
the world ; sure we are they are out of the stench
and vapour of this corruptible earth ; because sure
we are that they are in heaven. Nay, as the scrip-
ture tells us, the highest heaven, or, as St. Paul ex-
presseth it, the third heaven. But wherever this
country is, that which may give us infinite satisfac-
tion that it is the most happy, the most delightful,
the most glorious country in the world, is this consi-
deration, that here it is that God keeps his court
and manifests his glory, and here it is that our Lord
Jesus in person dwells. For that all good Christians
shall go to that place where Christ keeps his per-
sonal residence is very clear from St. Paul, who
wisheth that he may be out of this body, that he may
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
be with Christ ; but most of all from our Saviour's
own words, (John xiv. 2, 3.) In my Father's house,
saith he, there are many mansions : if it were not
so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place
for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again, and receive you to myself; that
where I am, there you may he also. Now where
is it that Christ now is, but at the right hand of
God ; in that place which is here called the house of
God, and elsewhere the throne of God? in that
place where God doth after a peculiar manner exhibit
and shew forth his glory : that place therefore is the
happy country that good souls shall go to at the end
of the world. It is true, God, as to his essence, is
not in one place more than another, for he fills all
places, and is equally present in all places in the
world ; but yet this doth not hinder but that he may
manifest himself to others more in one place than an-
other. He hath often done so, as the scripture in-
forms us ; witness, to Moses in the burning bush, to
all the elders of Israel at the giving of the law. All
these at that time (as the text tells us) did see the
God of Israel. And thus, we say, he doth conti-
nually manifest himself in that part of the world
where our Saviour, as to his human nature, dwells ;
namely, in an external and visible manner. Hence
it is that that place is called the throne of his glory,
and the light inaccessible to mortal men. And that
is one reason why our Saviour describes the happi-
ness of heaven by this phrase, of seeing of God, and
St. Paul, of seeing him face to face ; not that God
can be seen by bodily eyes, for God is a perfect spirit,
and falls not under the perception of corporal senses.
One may as well talk of seeing a sound, as of seeing
268
A SERMON
God in the literal sense of seeing. But this is the
meaning of those expressions, (at least one part of
their meaning,) that God, in that part of heaven
where our Lord Jesus dwells, will be pleased to re-
veal himself in so much majesty, with such illustrious
and magnificent appearances, even to the very senses
of good men, that they shall be filled with ineffable
joy and delight ; and perceive, by the glory that they
see, that God hath his residence there. And now
must it not be a place beyond all imagination glori-
ous, where the King of the world keeps his court,
and where he never ceaseth to display the full beams
of his majesty to the senses of all his happy subjects ?
Must it not be a happy country which, besides all
the natural beauties and pleasures of it, is adorned
with the illustrious presence of the Son of God, who,
after all his sufferings, and all his combats with the
kingdom of darkness, is there triumphantly set as in
the fulness of power and glory, and made governor
and Lord both of angels and men ? Yet no worse a
place than this wall fall to the share of all good
Christians for ever to dwell in ; no meaner a pre-
sence than this shall they ever stand before ; no less
a glory than this shall they ever behold and be enra-
vished with : Father, saith our Saviour, / will that
those that thou hast given me be with me where I
am, that they may behold my glory.
But, thirdly, that which will render the condition
of good men in that state still more happy, is, the ex-
cellent company they shall converse with; for as they
are come unto mount Sion, (that I may use the
apostle's language,) as they are come unto the city of
the living God, to the heavenly Jei-usalem, to God
the Judge of all, to Jesus the mediator of the new
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
269
covenant, (of which we have already spoken,) so (as
the apostle goes on) they are come to an innumer-
able company of angels, to the general assembly
and church of the firstborn, written in heaven, to
the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb. xii. 22.
There is the general rendezvous of all angels and all
good souls ; there they live in one family, and con-
verse in the most familiar manner, and embrace one
another with the most tender love. There is no so-
litude there, no strangeness to one another, no self-
ishness and narrowness of soul, but the communion
of saints is in full perfection. There we shall know
and be known, love and be beloved by the gracious
sons of light, the holy angels of God ; who, in the days
of our pilgrimage here, did us many good offices that
we never knew of; who, whenever any sinner of us is
converted from his evil ways, rejoice at it in heaven ;
but will then much more rejoice, when we come to
be partakers of their glory and of their conversation.
There we shall rejoice in company of the patriarchs,
and prophets, and apostles, and martyrs, and all
those burning and shining lights in the world, whose
zeal for God and his religion, in their several gene-
rations, hath embalmed their names and memories
amongst all good men. Lastly, there shall we meet
and embrace all our righteous friends and acquaint-
ance, whose deaths we so much regretted. There
we shall again possess our husbands, our wives, our
children, that died in the fear of God ; for whom we
have always been so much concerned, and whose loss
(as we called it) was so very grievous to us : in a
word, all those good people whom we loved, and
whose company was ever dear to us, shall then be
again restored to us, or rather we to them ; and so
270
A SERMON
restored as never to be separated any more, but to
dwell together in perfect peace and joy, to enjoy one
another to eteraity, with all the endearments of love
and friendship without fear, without care, without
envy or jealousy, or any other perturbation. And
now how transporting a consideration must this
needs be to all those that have any sense of the
pleasure that arises from friendship and agreeable
conversation ! "SVho can ever l^e weary of such com-
pany ? or rather, who wiU not be so weary and unsa-
tisfied witli the short imperfect enjoyment we have
of one another in this world, that he will not long to
be admitted into that happy society above ?
Cicero, though a heathen, was so affected with
the thoughts of these things, (which yet he had no
stronger grounds for the belief of, but what natural
reason suggested to him,) that he cries out, in the
person of Cato, to this purpose, (the words are won-
derful, to be spoken by a heathen.)
" O how I long," saith he," to see and be present
" with those friends of mine departed, whom I have
" so much loved and honoured I nor is it them only
" that I have known, that I desire to go to, but all
" those brave men I have heard of, and read of, and
*' writ of. If I were once a going thither, none should
" draw me back ; if God should offer to^restore me
" to my youth, and to begin the u orld again, I
" would resolutely refuse it ; for wliat advantage is
" there in this life ? or rather, what pain and trouble
" is there not ? O happy day, when I shall depart
" from this sink of the world, from this unquiet tu-
" multuous company, and go to dwell with the as-
" sembly and congregation of divine souls ! " Thus
far Cicero.
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
271
But, fourthly, pass we on from the company that
good men shall have in the other state, to the manner
of life they there lead, the employments in which they
spend their days. And here, though we are much to
seek as to particulars, yet in general we may be sure
they are such as are suitable to such perfect natures,
and very becoming the place where they live, and the
presence of that God before whom they stand, and
the excellent company with which they do converse.
We need not doubt but that all the powers, both of
their souls and bodies, are employed to the best ends,
and the most excellent manner they are capable of.
It is not a dull inactive life they lead there ; but as all
their faculties are unconceivably enlarged, and ren-
dered most sprightly and vigorous, so there is a new
world of objects to employ and entertain them, and
that to their unexpressible satisfaction. Whether
they exercise their understanding in the discovery of
new mines of truth, in contemplating the infinite
perfections of God, in considering the admirable con-
trivance of his works, in searching out the stupen-
dous mysteries of his holy word, in pleasing them-
selves with the speculations of the eternal goodness
and righteousness of his laws, and the exact order
and regularity of his government of the world.
Or whether they exercise their wills in acts of the
most ardent love and devotion, and adherence to
God, and of the tenderest charity to all his creatures ;
or whether they exercise their memories in repeating
to themselves all the occurrences of their life past,
and how graciously every event of their lives was
ordered and managed by God's providence for their
own good, and the good of the world ; or whether
they exercise their eyes in viewing and contemplat-
272
A SERMON
ing the infinite variety of the creation, and the mag-
nificence of every part of it ; or whether they exer-
cise their tongues and ears in telling and hearing the
rare dispensations of God's providence in all parts of
the Arorld, from the beginning to the end thereof; or,
lastly, whether they exercise their whole man in so-
lemn acts of worship and adoration, and in receiving
orders from God, and readily putting them in execu-
tion, as the angels of God do ; I say, in all these in-
stances, the employment will be exceedingly delight-
ful, and will fill them with inexpressible joy and sa-
tisfaction. But of all the other works they exercise
themselves in, that of praise and thanksgiving is in
the scripture taken notice of as their peculiar office
and constant employment in that state : Thetj cease
not day anct night to cry out, Holy, holy, holy.
Lord God Almighty, ichich was, and is, and is to
come, Rev. iv. 8. There they fall down and cast
their crowns before the throne, saying. Thou art
worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and
power : for thou hast created all things, and for
thy pleasure they are and were created. Rev. iv. 11.
There they chaunt forth the praises of the Lamb,
saying, Worthy is the Lamh who was slain to re-
ceive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength,
and honour, and glory, and blessing. For he hath
redeemed us to God by his blood out of every kin-
dred, and tongue, and people, and nation ; and
hath made us unto our God kings and priests,
Rev. V. There they sing the song of Moses and the
song of the Lamb, saying. Great and marvellous
are thy works, O Lord God Almighty : just and
true are thy icays, thou King of saints. Who shall
not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name ? for
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
273
thou onlij art holy, Rev. xv. 3. And now consider
what pleasant, what cheerful lives they must needs
lead that are always thus employed. If in this dull
state^ where our souls are sunk down into the very
dregs of matter, and are thereby become in a gi-eat
measure insensible of God's infinite perfections, and
the unvaluable supplies and favours which we do
every minute receive from him, and are very diffi-
cultly brought to raise up our thoughts and affections
to him ; I say, if in this state it be yet so good a
thing to sing praises wito God, so joyful and plea-
sant a thing to be thankful, as David expresseth it,
O how delightful will it be to send forth his praises
when we find ourselves in perfect fi'eedom and live-
liness ! when our souls can spread forth their wings
in the vast regions of light and glory; when we have
a full view of the excellencies of God, and of his
astonishing goodness; when we can take a just esti-
mate of all the blessings that he hath heaped upon
us all our lives long ; when we can look back upon
all the dangers we have escaped, all the favours of
God to us, while we were in this troublesome world,
and at the same time look into our present happy
state that he hath put us into, and look forwards
also to those rivers of pleasure that are before us,
and will never cease to flow upon us from that
inexhaustible spring of goodness. O how trans-
porting will this be to us ! how will our hearts be
melted into love and joy, and how will that joy
break forth, and express itself in the most rapturous
and never-ceasing praises !
But, fifthly and lastly, to conclude ; as anothei
addition to the happiness of that state, let us furthei
ABP. SHARPE, VOL. III. T
274
A SERMON
consider the ineffable communications that God will
then be pleased to make to the souls of good men.
These in scripture are set forth to us under several
sorts of expressions. Good men shall then enjoy
God, and they shall be his sons, and they shall in-
herit all things : They shall drink of his pleasures
as out of the river ; they shall know the love of God
which passeth knowledge ; and they shall be filled
with all the fulness of God. And, lastly, the same
thing our Saviour principally seems to intend when
he describes the happiness of the other life, in the
term of seeing God ; it is true, as I said before, God
doth in that state exhibit his glory and majesty to
his people in a visible manner, to their v^ry eyes
and senses. Which appearance or representation
is that which the Jews call the shechinah, or God's
dwelling among his people. But though in this
case good men may be truly said to see God, yet
that phrase contains a great deal more in it. For
to see God, in the scripture language, is to enjoy
him ; to receive such favours from him as he will be
pleased to communicate unto us in that holy place
where he dwells ; to have a participation with him
in his blessedness ; for to see, in the scripture phrase,
is the same thing as to enjoy. Thus, to see good
days, in the thirty-fourth Psalm, is to possess ^hem,
to lead a happy life. To see life, and to see the
kingdom of God, is to be put into the enjoyment of
those blessings. To see God then is something more
than to dwell whole ages in gazing upon some out-
ward appearance or manifestation of God's presence,
(in which yet several have been so sensual as to
place the whole of the beatific vision ;) it is to have
ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
275
real enjoyment of him, and as sensibly to perceive
him ; to be as pleasingly and delightfully affected
with him, as we do perceive, or are affected with
any good in this world : in a word, it is to be made
partakers of all God's perfections as far as our capaci-
ties will bear ; and to receive such vital communica-
tion from his infinite love and goodness, as will make
us really and substantially and eternally happy, like
as he himself is.
And now I have said as much as I can in the
little time that is allowed me ; but I have not said,
neither can we think the thousandth part of the
blessedness and happiness of those good souls that
God thinks worthy of receiving into his kingdom.
It is enough to say it is unmeasurable and everlast-
ing as God himself is. Now blessed, for ever blessed
be God, who hath prepared such wonderful things
for them that love him : blessed be our Lord Jesus,
who hath made known to us the certainty of them,
and taught us the way how we may attain them :
blessed be the holy Spirit of God, who, if we be not
wanting to ourselves, will not fail to conduct us safely
to them, in making us meet to be partakers of this
inheritance of the saints in light.
O let us rejoice and be glad all the days of our
life ! O let us quit all our little trifling designs,
and set ourselves in good earnest to the purchasing
this pearl of great price ! O let us make it the
business and design of our lives to labour to enter
into this rest, which, as you see, is a rest so extremely
worth our labouring for !
" And thou, O blessed God, who hast prepared for
" them that love thee such good things as pass man's
T 2
276 A SERMON ON HEBREWS IV. 11.
" understanding, pour into our hearts such love to-
" wards thee, that we, loving thee above all things,
" may obtain thy gracious promises, which exceed
" all that we can desire, through Jesus Christ our
" Lord." To whom, &c.
A SERMON
PREACHED OCTOBER 5, 1690.
JAMES V. 12.
But above Jill things, my brethren, swear not.
I HAVE chosen these words of St. James for my
argument, which are as exactly levelled against the
sin of profane swearing as words can be : Above
all things, saith he, my brethren, swear not. Sure
that must not be a little thing concerning which
such words as these are used to dissuade us from it.
Sure, an apostle of Christ, that was inspired by the
Holy Ghost, would not have said. Above all things
have a care of such a sin, unless that sin had been
of a more than ordinary malignity ; nay, unless it
had been a sin of the most heinous nature. And
yet it is no other sin than swearing ; that sin which
is so common, and which is generally thought
so small a matter among all sorts of people, that
is here forbid in so earnest and so solemn a man-
ner.
But before I come to that I mainly design from
my text, it is fit I should give you some explication
of it, and vindicate it from such false glosses as
some among us are wont to put upon it. You know
there are a sect of men in our days that hold all
swearing utterly unlawful ; and, agreeably to their
principles, they refuse to give their promise or their
T 3
278
A SERMON
testimony upon oath, in all cases whatsoever, though
never so much by law required to it. The great
thing they urge for this principle is this text of St.
James I have now read unto you, and the other text
of our Saviour, in the fifth of St. Matthew. Our Sa-
viour there saith, verse the thirty-fourth, Swear not
at all ; neither by heaven ; for it is God's throne :
nor hy the earth ; for it is his footstool: and so on ;
hut let your conversation he. Yea, yea ; Nay, 7iay ;
for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
St. James here saith. Above all things, my hrethren,
swear not, neither by heaven, nor hy the earth, nor
by any other oath : but let your yea be yea ; and
your nay, nay, lest you fall into condemnation.
How, say they, can words be invented that shall
.more effectually forbid all sorts of oaths whatsoever,
and in what cases soever, than these words do ? And
suitably thereunto several of the primitive fathers,
say they, have utterly condemned the whole practice
of oaths among Christians.
I must confess, this that they urge doth, at the
first sight, seem very plausible, and would really
stumble an honest-minded man that looks no further
than the bare sound of words. I hope therefore I
shall not misspend either my time or my labour, if
I endeavour to give a plain account of this matter.
Two things, therefore, I propose to do upon this
text :
First, To explain the meaning of this prohibition
of swearing, and to shew that neither Christ nor his
apostles did intend hereby to forbid the use of oaths
in all cases, but only in some.
Secondly, To reprove from hence that extravagant,
ungodly practice (too much in use among us) of
ON JAMES V. 12.
279
swearing in our ordinary conversation ; which in-
deed is the only thing here forbidden.
I begin with the first of these points, (which will
be sufficient for your entertainment at this time,) to
give an account of those prohibitions about swear-
ing, and to shew that they were never designed to
be extended to all swearing whatsoever, but only to
swearing in some cases.
And here I have three things to offer : first, the
words themselves do not require such a general
sense.
Secondly, the practice both of our Lord and his
apostles do evidently shew that no such sense was
intended by them ; to which I shall add, in the
Third place, some other considerations which do
further clear this matter.
I am now to prove against the Quakers that all
swearing is not unlawful, nor can it be concluded
from these texts. Now, in order to this, let us con-
sider these texts.
And I first begin with our Saviour's law, in the
fifth chapter of St. Matthew, which indeed is the
original from whence St. James copies : / say unto
you, saith our Saviour, Swear not at all. It is a
general and uncontested rule in the interpreting of
scripture and all other writings, that the scope of the
author, and the subject-matter of his discourse, is to
fix and limit the sense of all his propositions ; so
that though a proposition be seemingly universal,
yet it is to be extended no further than the subject-
matter that then is treated about. Thus, for in-
stance, these two propositions. Take no thought for
your lives ; Be careful for nothing, are as general
and universal as words can make them ; but yet, it
T 4
280
A SERMON
is certain, all care and thoughtfulness is not here
forbid, but only that which is spent about food or
raiment, and such like worldly things, because that
is the subject-matter of our Saviour's discourse in
these texts. If therefore it doth appear that when
our Saviour saith in this place, Swear not at all,
the subject-matter of his discourse is not all oaths
whatsoever, but only oaths of one sort ; that is to
say, voluntary oaths, and such kind of voluntary
oaths too as were customarily sworn in common con-
versation ; I say, if this do appear, then certainly his
forbidding of all swearing is not to be extended to
all oaths whatsoever, but is to be limited to such
oaths as these.
Premising this, I come now to give an account of
the passage. You are to know that the Jews, in
our Saviour's days, were generally faulty as to this
business of oaths, in two respects :
First of all, the}' accounted no swearing directly
imlawful, but false swearing.
If a man did but swear that which was true, or
made good that Avhich he swore he would do, they
accounted him no transgressor of the commandment,
though he often made use of oaths where he needed
not : for the commandment, as they understood it,
was only against perjury. The commandment was,
27^0?^ shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God
in vain ; that is, as Moses himself interprets it, Lev.
xix. Thou shalt not swear hy my name falsely ; or,
as our Saviour here expresseth it. Thou shalt not
forswear thyself bid shalt perform thy oaths unto
the Lord: for vmdoubtedly it is the third command-
ment that our Saviour here hath reference to.
Secondly, they had another odd notion about
ON JAMES V. 12.
281
swearing : they would swear frequently by the crea-
tures ; as by the heavens, by the earth, by Jerusa-
lem, and the like ; and this they accounted no swear-
ing at all ; that is, they did not account it perjury if
such oaths were false, or were not performed. Thus
one of their own authors : " If any," saith he, " swear
" by the heaven, or by the earth, or by the sun, or
" the like, although the mind of the swearer be
" under those words to swear by him that created
" them, yet this is not an oath."
These, I say, were their generally received prin-
ciples about swearing, as doth yet appear by their
books. Now our Saviour, who came to give a per-
fect law of holiness and religion to mankind, seeing
of what mischievous consequences these notions and
practices were ; how much the name of God was
brought into contempt, and the religion of an oath
was profaned by them ; takes care in this sermon on
the mount to give his disciples better instructions
about these things; and as he had just before been
improving the sixth commandment about murder,
and the seventh about adultery, to higher instances
of duty than the letter of those commandments re-
quired, so he now comes to do the same with the
third commandment about swearing.
And thus he begins his discourse upon this argu-
ment, in the thirty-third verse of this fifth chapter
of St. Matthew : Again, ye have heard, saith he,
that it hath been said hij them of old time, Thou
shalt not forswear thyself hut shalt jjerform unto
the Lord thine oaths: (there is the letter of the
third commandment :) but I say unto you. Swear
not at all ; neither by heaven ; for it is God's
throne: nor by the earth ; for it is his footstool:
282
A SERMON
neither hij Jerusalem ; for it is the city of the g^reat
King. Neither shalt thou swear by thine head,
because thou canst not make one hair white or
black. But let your communication be. Yea, yea;
Nay, nay : for whatsoever is more than these
Cometh of evil. Two things our Saviour here im-
proves as to this commandment : first, whereas the
letter of it did only forbid false swearing, (at least
the Jews then generally thought so, and upon that
account were not scrupulous of swearing in their
ordinary conversation, so long as they swore but
truly,) he now commands that we should not swear
at all, but avoid all oaths in our conversation. And,
in the second place, whereas the letter of the law did
only forbid the taking the name of God in vain, but
did not forbid the taking the name of the creature,
(from whence they concluded that swearing by the
creature was not an oath,) our Saviour here teacheth
us, that swearing by heaven, or by the earth, or by Je-
rusalem, or by our heads, (which were the usual forms
of swearing among the Jews in their common conver-
sation,) are truly and properly oaths. For all these
things, when they are sworn by, have relation and re-
spect to God. Heaven is his throne, and the earth is
his footstool, and Jerusalem is his peculiar city, and
our heads are entirely at his disposal ; and therefore,
having this relation to God, the honour of his name
is concerned in them ; and we ought not to swear by
them in our conversation any more than by the name
of God.
But what then must we do? how must we be-
have ourselves in this matter of oaths? Why, he
tells you in the next verse. Let your conversation be.
Yea, yea ; Nay, nay ; for whatsoever is more than
ON JAMES V. 12.
283
these Cometh of evil. As if he had said, This is the
rule I would have you constantly to observe in your
commerce and dealing with men, and in your whole
conversation : when you have occasion to affirm a
thing, be constant to affirm it without an oath ;
when you have occasion to deny a thing, say, it is
not so, without an oath. When you have occasion
to promise that you will do a thing, or not do it,
promise, but do not swear : and when you have pro-
mised, be sure you be as good as your word : Let
always your yea he yea, and your nay he nay, as
St. James here expresseth it ; that is, let your words
and your deeds agree together. Not that we are
bound to use those precise words of yea and nay,
and those words only, as the Quakers most foolishly
interpret it : but thus ; Go no further in your com-
munication, or your common conversation, than
merely to affirm a thing, if it be true, to deny a
thing, if it be false, and to be true to your words in
whatsoever you promise. This is more becoming
you than the most solemn swearing in the world ;
and whatsoever is more than this, either proceeds
from some evil principle in your minds, or is sug-
gested to you by that evil one the Devil, who pro-
motes the interest of his kingdom by tempting you
thus to abuse your tongue.
Taking now together all this that I have said, it
appears, methinks, very plainly, that all swearing is
not here forbid by our Saviour, but only needless
swearing ; swearing when we can avoid it ; swear-
ing when we are not called to it ; swearing when
there is no necessity, nor any great charity to be
served by it : in a word, swearing in our common
conversation ; for it is plainly of such kind of swear-
284
A SERMON
ing and oaths that our Saviour here treats. That
he did not intend to treat here of such oaths as are
imposed upon us by authority ; whether to the giving
testimony to a truth in a business in controversy, or
giving security to the public for our performance in
any matter : I say, that our Saviour did not here
treat of such kinds of oaths is abundantly plain from
the oaths he instanceth in ; such as swearing by hea-
ven, or earth, or Jerusalem ; for these kinds of oaths
were never allowed in any court of judicature among
the Jews. Whenever an oath was exacted of any one,
it was always in the name of the God of heaven.
And then, secondly, this is plainer from the oppo-
sition that follows after this his command against
swearing : Swear not, saith he, at all, hut let your
eommunication he. Yea, yea ; N^ay, natj : it is our
communication, our ordinary, daily converse and
commerce with men, from whence our Saviour
would have all oaths banished ; and instead of which
he would only have direct affirmations or denials
used. But it by no means follows from hence, that
because we may not swear in our communication,
where there is no need of it, therefore we may not
swear upon extraordinary occasions, when we are
called to it for the sake of righteousness, and peace,
and truth.
And thus much (if not too much) about this text
of our Saviour's. As for the other passage of St.
James's, which is now the argument of my Discourse,
I need say nothing further about it, considering that
what has been already said doth sufficiently give an
account of it ; for undoubtedly, as I said before, St.
James in these words copied after our Saviour, and
only repeats his commandment, varying a little (and
ON JAMES V. 12.
285
but a little) his expressions. And therefore, what-
ever is the sense of our Saviour's passage, is certainly
the sense of his : only the last clause of this text I
think it worth while to take notice of to you, because
I believe it is not rightly translated : Above all
things, saith St. James^ my brethren, swear not,
neither by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any
other oath ; all that is plain : but let your yea be
yea; and your nay be nay ; that is, as I said before,
let your words and your actions be both of a piece.
That this is the sense is plain from that expression
of St. Paul, in the first of the Second of Corinthians,
verse 18. As God is true, our word toward you
was not yea and nay : that is, I did not say one
thing and do another. When our yea is yea, we are
true to our words ; but when our words are yea and
nay, we are false to them. This is the scripture
language about that matter. And then follows that
clause which I said was not rightly translated, lest
ye Jail into condemnation ; instead of Ino Kptatv,
into condemnation, the best copies read e/V lnoKplfriv,
into dissimulation, or lying. So that this is the
meaning of the passage ; I give it you in the words
of one of your best expositors : " This especial caveat
" I give you, that you permit not yourselves that
" custom of swearing by heaven or earth, or any
" other form of oath. Instead of such unnecessary
" customs, it will be much more for your turn that
" ye take care that your performance be agreeable
" to your words, that ye fall not into lying and false-
" speaking."
But, secondly, as it cannot be proved from these
texts that all swearing is forbidden to Christians ; so
further it is evident, both from the practice of our
286
A SERMON
Saviour and St. Paul, that all swearing is not forbid-
den. It cannot be imagined that our Saviour would
in his own actions contradict his own doctrine ; that
he should swear liimself, and yet forbid his disciples
the use of swearing. And yet nothing is more cer-
tain than that our Saviour did swear in the most
solemn manner that could be ; for he did answer
upon oath to the demands of the high priest, when
at his trial, in the twenty-sixth of St. Matthew, the
high priest said to him, / adjure thee, hy the living
God, that thou tell us whether thou he the Christ ;
Jesus answered him, and told him, he was. Which
was as much an answer upon oath, and was so ac-
counted by all that stood by, as if one in our days
should answer after he had kissed the gospels, " that
" he would swear the truth, the whole truth, and
" nothing but the truth. " For among the Jews,
the constant way of tendering oaths in their public
courts was by way of adjuration. The magistrate
did adjure them ; that is, he commanded them to
swear, in the name of the living God, to the truth of
such questions as he asked them ; and their answers
to those questions were always accounted oaths. And
for this practice they had the express law of God, as
you may see in the fifth of Leviticus, 1st verse, If a
man hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness
whether he hath seen or hnown of such a thing, if
he doth not utter it, he shall hear his iniquity. If
he hath heard the voice of swearing; that is, if being
adjured or required to answer upon oath, concerning
what he hath seen or heard, he doth not declare the
truth, he is perjured.
And then, as for St. Paul, so far was he from
thinking all oaths unlawful, that in several of his
ON JAMES V. 12.
287
Epistles he voluntarily makes use of them ; that is
to say, in weighty momentous matters, where the
truth of God's word, or the salvation of men's souls
was concerned : God is my witness, saith he in one
place ; As God is true, in another place ; / call
God for a record upon my soul, in another place ;
Before God I lie not, in another place. What are
all these expressions, but solemn forms of swearing ?
Indeed they are as truly and properly oaths as words
can make. And yet, I dare say, there is none of you
harbours a thought either that St. Paul was ignorant
of the Christian doctrine in this matter ; or that, if
he had believed the Christian doctrine to have forbid
all oaths, he would in any case have practised it
himself.
But, thirdly, there are a great many other con-
siderations, from whence the lawfulness of swearing,
when we are called to it, may be evinced, and the
frivolousness of the Quakers' objections against it
may be detected.
I will just touch upon some of them. First of all,
so far is swearing from being forbid in the Old Tes-
tament, that it is in some cases commanded, and
looked upon as a piece of religion. Thus, Deut. xiii.
4. Tliou shalt four the Lord thy God, and serve
him ; and thou shalt swear hy his name. And David
tells us. Psalm Ixiii. 11. All they that swear hy him
shall he commended: but the mouth of those that
speak lies shall he stopped.
Secondly, God himself is represented to us by the
apostle, as making use of this practice of swearing
for the greater confirmation of his promises. Thus,
Heb. vi. 13. When God made the promise to
Ahraham, because he could swear by none greater.
288
A SERMON
he swore hy himself. And being willing more
abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the
immutability of his counsel, he confirmed his pro-
mise by an oath. Thus far St. Paul. Now certainly
God would not have done this, had an oath been un-
lawful in itself.
Thirdly, all mankind hath been always sensible,
not only of the conveniency and lawfulness of oaths,
but of the necessity of them, both in order to the
securing human society, and the ending differences
between man and man. And accoi'dingly all man-
kind hath not only allowed them, but required them.
And this is that which St. Paul saith in the forecited
place, of the sixth of the Hebrews, an oath for con-
firmation is to men an end of all strife. Now cer-
tainly that which is so necessary, both for the peace
of the world, and the ending differences among men,
cannot be thought an unlawful or wicked thing.
Fourthly and lastly, even of those that have spoke
most against swearing, as there have been several,
both of Jews and heathens and Christians, in the old
time ; yet it doth not appear that any of these did
condemn or disapprove of all oaths, but only of such
as were needless and impertinent. Pythagoras, and
all his followers, gave it as a rule, that a man should
fear an oath ; but their meaning was, not to forbid all
oaths, but to caution men that they did not use them
rashly, and upon slight occasions.
The Essenes, which were a sect among the Jews,
talked as much against oaths as our Quakers ; but
yet, for all that, every one of them took a solemn
oath at his admission into their society.
I told you before, that several of our Christian
fathers talk much against swearing upon any occa-
ON JAMES V. 12.
sion; and this the Quakers urge against us as a
strong argument that the Christian doctrine about
swearing is different now from what it was in those
days. But they are much mistaken. These au-
thors, that speak most against swearing, speak against
it in no other sense than our Saviour and his apostles
do, of which I have given you an account. They
never designed to possess their hearers that all oaths
were unlawful, but only such as were unnecessary :
and their constant practice shews the truth of this.
For oaths before a magistrate, whether for giving
security to the public, or for rendering their testi-
mony to the truth of a thing, were as much in use
then as they are now : and yet we never hear of any
Christian that scrupled to take oaths in these cases,
provided that in the oaths they took they did not
swear by some false deity. On the contrary, we
have sufficient evidence in those times that Chris-
tians were as ready, when they were called to it, to
give their oath as any other people were.
But I have said enough upon this point. I would
not indeed have said so much, had it not been for
the Quakers, who think they have such a mighty
advantage against us as to this point.
But now, having proved that all swearing is not
unlawful, it is fit, on the other side, that mighty
care should be taken that we do not swear unlaw-
fully. In our conversation we must not swear at
all ; that is sufficiently taught us by our Saviour :
but when we are called upon by law to swear, then
we may do it, nay, we must : but then, at that time,
it infinitely concerns us to be wonderfully careful
both how we swear and what.
An oath is the most sacred thing in the world ;
ABP. SIIARPE, VOL. III. U
290
A SERMON
for it is the most solemn appeal to God that we can
make. The very notion of an oath is, that a man
thereby calls God to witness to the truth of what he
saith or promiseth ; nay, he doth not only appeal to
him as a witness, but as a judge and avenger. Every
man that swears an oath, whether it be in the way
of promise, or by the way of asserting the truth of a
matter of fact, is supposed to speak in these terms :
" I call thee, O God, the Lord of heaven and earth,
" who knowest the secrets of all hearts, I call thee
" to witness, that I uprightly and sincerely speak
" the truth in this matter." Or if it be a promis-
sory oath, " I call thee to witness, that I do sin-
" cerely mean and purpose to perform that which I
" do now promise. Nay, I do not only call upon
" thee as a witness of my truth and sincerity in this
" matter, but as an avenger of my sin, if I swear
" falsely. Those men, for whose satisfaction I take
" this oath, do not know my heart ; and for that
" reason I appeal to thee, who dost know it. Thou
" art the Lord of all : and accordingly as I deal truly
*' or falsely in this matter, do thou deal with me,
" both in this world and that which is to come."
This, I say, is the nature and importance of every
oath that is taken. O how infinitely then doth it
concern all men, whenever they are called to give
an oath, to consider extremely well what they are
going about, and to act in that matter with the
greatest caution, with the greatest reverence, and
with the greatest sincerity in the world ! How shall
a man for ever answer it to his own conscience, nay,
how can he ever expect to escape hell and damna-
tion, if he forswears himself ; that is, if he either
declares that for truth which he knows is not so, or
ON JAMES V. 12.
291
promiseth that which he doth not intend to per-
form ! Nay, that is not the only perjury : for a man
is guilty of that sin even when he is uncertain whe-
ther what he swears be true : and likewise when,
having promised a thing with an intention to per-
form it, he fails afterwards in the performance, pro-
vided it was in his power to perform it.
I am loath to say that there is too just occasion at
this time, and among ourselves, to speak against all
these sorts of perjury. But I am afraid it is too
true. Perjury, in all these kinds, seems to be too
frequently practised in this kingdom ; nay, I am
afraid it is one of the crying, reigning sins of the ^
nation. But if it be, good God ! in what a miser-
able condition are we, unless it please God to work
a reformation among us !
Perjury is one of those sins that, above all others,
calls upon God for his judgments upon a nation.
Thus God tells us by his prophet Jeremiah, in the
twenty-third chapter and the 10th verse, Because
of swearing the land mourneth. And God himself
has put a mark upon it, above all other sins, in the
third commandment: Whosoever taketh the name
of the Lord his God in vain, (that is, as I told you,
whoever forswears himself,) the Lord will not hold
that man guiltless. Such a man shall certainly be
punished severely.
And accordingly amongst the heathens it was the
general sense, that of all sinners whatsoever the per-
jured man was the worst : and such a one was par-
ticularly to expect the vengeance of God both upon
himself and his family.
And there is great reason for all this : for a man,
in forswearing himself, doth really defy God, and
u 2
292
A SERMON ON JAMES V. 12.
renounce all his hopes of mercy from him. For
whereas in the case of other sins there may be an
appeal made to God's mercy, yet in this case of per-
juiy there is none : for he that is perjured hath pre-
cluded himself of this benefit, because he hath braved
God Almighty, and hath, in effect, told him to his
face, that if he was forsworn he would desire no
mercy.
I pray God make us all sensible of the heinous-
ness of this sin, that so, upon all occasions, we may
preserve inviolable in our minds the sacredness and
religion of an oath ; and, whenever we are called
upon to swear, may, as the prophet expresseth it,
swear in truth, and righteoustiess, and judgment.
And thus much of the first head I proposed to
insist on. As for the other part of my argument
against profane swearing in our conversation, I shall
refer it to the next Lord's day.
Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Ghost, 6cc.
A SERMON
PREACHED OCTOBER 12, 1690.
James v. 12.
Above all things, my brethren, szoear not.
I HAVE already, in my last Discourse, given you
a large account of the meaning of this text, and like-
wise of that other command of our Saviour, in the
fifth of St. Matthew, from whence this is taken ; and
have shewed, that these prohibitions do not extend
to all oaths, but only oaths in our common conver-
sation, or heedless, unnecessary swearing, or taking
God's name in vain in our discourse.
This is that I now come to treat about, and which
St. James means when he says. Above all things, my
brethren, swear not.
I am sorry, indeed, there should be any occasion
for preaching against such a practice as this : one
would think that in a civilized nation, where learn-
ing and the arts flourish, and where politeness and
good breeding in our conversation is every where
pretended to ; and especially in a nation where the
authority of our Lord Jesus is owned, and his reli-
gion is professed, and that too with greater purity
than in our neighbouring countries ; I say, in such
a nation as this, one would think there was no such
thing as profane swearing to be heard in communi-
cation ; but we should, upon all occasions, use the
u 3
294
A SERMON
name of God with the greatest reverence in the
world.
But, alas ! to our shame, it is quite otherwise. No
practice is more common amongst us than swearing
and cursing : we outdo the very heathens in our
profane usage of the name of God ; no order or de-
gree of men is free from it. The gentleman and the
mechanic, the person of honour and the beggar, are
equally tainted with this vice. The mouths of several
of us are so used to oaths that they cannot tell a
story, they cannot pass a jest, they cannot transact
their business, nay, they can hardly ask a question,
or answer one, without an oath or a curse. It is the
seasoning of all their discourse ; it is to pass for the
evidence both of their wit and truth, and sense too.
Nay, the very children in the streets are perfect at
it. The many of those that are not taught to say
their prayers are yet taught to swear and damn
roundly in almost every sentence they speak. O
God, whither doth all this tend, and what will be
the conclusion of these things, if this deluge of pro-
faneness which overflows our land hath not, through
the mercy of God, and the care of the government,
some stop put to it !
I mean, at this time, most heartily to set myself
to shew both the sin, and the danger, and the folly,
and the inexcusableness of this vice. I will not pre-
tend to say any thing that is new to you upon this
argument : but I only desire that the plain, obvious
things which you have perhaps heard over and over
again, and which every one may readily suggest to
himself upon this occasion, may be seriously weighed
and considered by all of us. And if they be so, two
things I hope for : first, that some of those at least
ON JAMES V, 12.
295
that are guilty of this fault, will, upon the consi-
deration of these things, endeavour to break them-
selves of it ; and, secondly, tliat some others who
are not guilty of it, will yet be so sensible of the
mischief that it doth in the world, that they will
do what they can, as opportunity is offered them,
to correct this fault among those they converse
with.
And in truth, if those who are free from this sin
themselves would but have the charity or the cou-
rage (as it fairly comes in their way, and when they
may do it without offence or breach of good man-
ners) to discountenance it among those they have
dealings with, a good step would be made towards
the bringing it out of fashion. For there is so little
to be said for this naughty custom, even by those
that use it most, that if their friends and acquaint-
ance would take a little pains with them, there
might be hopes of their cure.
I hope I may go a great way towards the setting
the hearts of all serious and considering men against
this vice, by shewing this, that, taking all things to-
gether, there is no sin in the whole world that doth
afford more arguments against itself, or for the prac-
tice of which a man can say less in his own excuse
or justification, than this sin of profane swearing.
And if the case be thus with it, who but a fool or a
madman would ever use himself to it ?
Now, for the making out this point, there needs
no moi'e but to consider these following things, which
are all undeniably plain.
First, That it is a grievous sin in itself
Secondly, That it is attended with very mischiev-
ous consequences.
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296
A SERMON
Thirdly, That it is contrary to all good manners
and good breeding.
Fourthly, That it highly disserves and destroys
those ends that a man means to serve by it.
Fifthly, That what is pleaded in its justification
still makes it more unjustifiable.
And, lastly, That it is a fault that is very easily
avoided ; which still renders a man the more inex-
cusable for continuing in it.
Of each of these things in their order.
First of all, it is a very grievous sin in itself. No
man can doubt of that, that is in the least instructed
in the doctrine of Christianity. There is not any
one sin more plainly, more expressly forbid by the
law of our Saviour, than that of swearing: / smj
unto you, saith he, Swear not at all : neither by
heaven, nor by the earth, nor by Jerusalem^ nor
by your heads. All these forms of oaths which are
used in conversation are wholly forbid to Christians ;
not only those solemn ones where the name of God
is sworn by, but even the lesser ones, where God is
not named, but only the creatures ; all sorts of swear-
ing in conversation is prohibited by our Saviour ; nay,
his apostle St. James lays such a stress upon this
command of our Saviour's, that he says. Above all
things, my brethren, swear not; neither by heaven,
nor by the earth, nor by any other oath. Surely that
cannot be a slight sin that the ajxtstle is so vehe-
ment in his caution against ; Above all things, my
brethren, swear not. Why, he could not have said
more against murder, and adultery, and sacrilege,
and perjury. Not that I think that every oath a
man swears in his common discourse is a sin of so
horrid a nature as those I have now mentioned ; but
ON JAMES V. 12.
297
this is that I would remark from hence, that swear-
ing is as directly and expressly forbid to Christians
as any of these sins, and consequently must be a
great sin : and therefore, for my part, I do won-
der how any man can call himself or think himself
a Christian that lives in the practice of it. It is
a thing so strictly forbid, and withal so much in a
man's power to refrain, that I cannot believe a man
can have any reverence of his Saviour, or any regard
in the world to his authority, that can live in a prac-
tice so directly contradictory to his most sacred and
express laws. Why, a religious Turk will forbear
wholly the use of wine, (though there be more tempt-
ations to it than that of swearing,) because his pro-
phet hath forbid it : a devout papist will not eat
flesh on a fasting-day, be he never so much tempted
to it ; though yet that is not a commandment of
God, but only an ordinance of their church : but yet
we can live in the daily practice of swearing, which
is as expressly forbid by our Saviour as any thing in
the world, and pretend all the while to be Christians.
But it may be said, Are there not many sins that
Christians are too often guilty of, which yet, for all
that, do not hinder them from being good Christians ?
I answer, sins of ignorance are indeed consistent with
our Christianity ; nay, and so also are sins of infir-
mity : but then I much question whether the prac-
tice of swearing can fall under either of these no-
tions. A sin of ignorance it cannot be, because we
all know that it is a sin : and as for sins of infirmity,
they are chiefly committed in two instances ; that is
to say, either in the failure of a man's performance,
as, for example, when a man doth not his duty so
well as he should do in any case, or when he doth
298
A SERMON
it not so often as he should do ; or, secondly, when
through inconsideration or surprise he falls into
some sin, which, if he had been careful over his
own mind, he would have avoided. These, I say,
are sins of infirmity : but no man that understands
things can take that for a sin of infirmity which is
not barely an omission of our duty, but a downright
transgression of a known prohibition. No man can
take that for a sin of infirmity which is not barely
an irregularity or disorderliness of our passions and
appetites, but is a sin of the action ; of the action,
I say, which every man hath at his command, though
he hath not the motions or passions of his mind al-
ways in his disposal. And, lastly, no man can take
that for a sin of infirmity which is not one single
action, or an action only now and then, upon extra-
ordinary temptation, committed ; but is a habit of
action, a custom, a practice, a course that is as fre-
quently repeated as thei*e are temptations to it : no
man, I say, can think such a practice as this to be a
sin of infirmity, but must acknowledge it to be a
coui'se of wilful sin : and if so, then I am sure the
custom of swearing in our conversation is as much a
wilful sin as any other whatsoever. But how then
it can consist with a man's Christianity, that is to
say, with the state of grace and regeneration, or the
hopes of salvation in another woi'ld, let all such as
are concerned look to it.
But to go on with the sinfulness of this practice :
we may be apt to look upon it as a slight matter,
and to be therefore only evil because our Saviour
hath forbid it : but really there is a great deal more
in the thing. The taking of God's name into our
mouths upon every trifling occasion, and especially
ON JAMES V. 12.
299
swearing by it, is a thing really bad in itself, and
which the light of nature doth sufficiently shew to
be so ; and therefore all men that had any sense of
religion, even among the heathens, did very seri-
ously reprove the practice of it, as well as our Sa-
viour. Thus the philosopher in Stobaeus ; " Some,"
saith he, " advise men to be careful to swear the
" truth ; but I advise principally that a man do not
" easily swear at all." To the same purpose Epic-
tetus ; " Shun oaths, if it be possible." And so like-
wise Simplicius ; " We ought wholly to avoid swear-
" ing, except upon occasions of great necessity." And
Plato to the same purpose ; " The name of God is
" not to be made use of upon slight occasions." And
Hierocles tells us, " That the true way to preserve
" the reverence that is due to it is to abstain from
" swearing." There is an infinite reverence and
veneration due to the name of God, which all those
that use it slightly or commonly do violate. Here
then is the sinfulness of swearing in our discourse,
that it is an alfront to God, a violation of that ho-
nour and respect we owe to him, an impudent abuse
and prostitution of his sacred name, against all the
reason and religion in the world : in a word, the
sinfulness of common swearing and cursing lies in
this, that it is blasphemy ; which certainly all men
that have any sense of God must needs apprehend
to be a dreadful sin.
It is likely, many of those that are used to swear
and curse have other notions of this matter, and do
not dream that they are guilty of blasphemy while
they are calling to God to witness at every sentence
they speak ; while they are swearing by his name,
by his life, by his wounds, by his blood ; or while
300
A SERMON
they are, in his name, cursing, or damning, or con-
founding themselves or others. But this is truly the
blaspheming of God, whether they think so or no :
for I know no other notion of blasphemy, than that
it is an unworthy, injurious, and contumelious treat-
ing of God in our words and discourse.
Now, if oaths and curses in our common dis-
course be not of this nature, I know not what is.
What can be an indignity put upon God, or a pro-
fanation of his sacred name, if these be not ? Every
one must needs think so, that considers that the
practice of these things is a direct exposing his tre-
mendous name to contempt ; it is a making it vile
and cheap and despicable ; it is a prostituting it,
to serve the ends of our silliest humours, our most
foolish passions, and our. most diabolical furies and
transports: nay, more than all this, it is a most im-
pudent appeal to God to witness every foolish, tri-
fling, or wicked word that we speak ; and if there
be any imprecation added to it, (as there is in all the
Damn me's and Confound me's that are used among
us,) it is a downright braving and hectoring God
Almighty, and challenging him to do the worst he
can to us.
O poor creatures ! if God should vindicate his own
honour while we are thus defying him, and should
strike us dead for these execrable profanations of his
holy name, none could blame his justice. But in
what a miserable condition should we then be ! O
the prodigious degeneracy of mankind ! O the won-
derful patience and clemency of the Maker of them !
that they should continually thus dare God Almighty
to make them examples of his vengeance ; and that
he should, instead of taking them at their word.
ON JAMES V. la.
301
continue still to pour out his mercies upon them,
and thereby to engage them, if it be possible, to
repent !
I would to God that all of us, that have unhappily
got this custom of cursing or swearing, or are apt to
take the name of God idly or vainly into our mouths,
would consider seriously what we are doing when
we do so. Is it for us, who at the best are but dust
and ashes, but as we have made ourselves by our sins
are an hundred times worse ; is it for us, to take the
name of God into our mouths upon every little occa-
sion, and to sport ourselves with it ? for us, who are
grievous sinners, and obnoxious upon a thousand ac-
counts to the Divine vengeance, even for the most
innocent part of our lives ; for us, who are altogether
precariou^ beings, and cannot subsist one moment
without the continuance of that providence that
brought us hither, and the repetition every hour of
ten thousand mercies more than we take notice of; I
say, is it for us to make light of the name of that God
that made us, and doth every minute thus infinitely
oblige us? Can we use that name irreverently? Can
we, for the gratifying a silly humour, or for the want
of something else to say, or for the recommending
ourselves to a set of fools and brutes that we con-
verse with, toss that name in our mouths without
fear or without wit ? that dreadful name which all
mankind that hath sense do fear and reverence ?
that name, which we ourselves, if we have any re-
ligion, do invoke in our prayers, and think we can
never sufficiently express our veneration of it ? that
name which, when we do pray, we pray that it may
be hallowed and sanctified, and preserved from abuse
and profanation ? that name which is privy to all
302
A SERMON
our blasphemies ; and, for- any thing we know, may
confound us the next moment for our profanation of
it ? that name, which shall one day be exalted over
all the world, when God shall come to judge man-
kind, and call all the impious affronters of it to a
severe account for their blasphemies? that name,
which the devils themselves (as hardened as they are)
do fear and tremble at ? and, lastly, that name,
which all the holy angels of God in heaven do con-
tinually adore, and yet they do not adore it without
covering their faces ? (so imperfect, so nothing are
the highest of created beings in comparison of the
name, the majesty of him that created them ;) I say,
all these things considered, can any one, that hath
the least grain of sense, think that this is a name to
be taken into our mouths lightly, or rashly, or unad-
visedly ? Can any one without horror think of put-
ting it to common uses, to tell a story with, or to
answer a question with, or to express a passion with,
or to make an implement of it in our drunken hu-
mours to fill up our discourse when we are at a loss
for other words ; and, most of all, to call upon this
dreadful name (either in sport or passion) to damn
us, or those we speak to ? Blessed God, for thy infi-
nite mercies in Christ Jesus, forgive all of us, that
have ever thus abused and profaned thy holy name,
and let thy unspeakable patience and forbearance,
which thou hast expressed towards us, in not exe-
cuting speedily thy vengeance upon our blasphemies
and profanations, as they justly deserved, lead us, at
length, to such a sense of the honour of thy name,
and the veneration that is due to it, that we may
never more take it into our mouths but with that
reverence and godly fear that becomes the creatures
ON JAMES V. 12.
303
of Almighty God, and the disciples of our Lord Jesus.
Amen, O God, for Jesus Christ's sake !
But thus much of our first particular ; the sinful-
ness of profane swearing. The second thing I have
to represent about it (which is all that I shall trouble
you with at this time) is this ; that as it is a grievous
sin in itself, so it is also attended with very mischiev-
ous consequences, and that both with respect to the
public and ourselves.
First of all, to the public this sin is of very evil
consequence in this respect, in that it tends to abate
and take off that dread and reverence that men
ought to have for oaths, and by that means weakens
and loosens the bands of human society. All man-
kind have, in all ages, been aware that there is no
true hank to be had upon men, but by binding their
consciences ; and that is no otherwise to be done but
by concerning God Almighty in the matter, and or-
dering all those, of whom any security for their faith
and truth in any matter was demanded, to make
their solemn appeal to God, as a witness, and as a
judge, that what they said was true, and what they
promised they would perform. This is that we call
an oath ; and, accordingly, those oaths have been
from the beginning of society used among men as
the best and the only effectual means, both to oblige
men to do their duty in the particular places and of-
fices they were trusted with in the public, and to
oblige them likewise to speak the truth in any doubt-
ful, controverted matter, when they were called to
give their testimony. This, I say, hath always been
the practice of mankind in all ages, and continues
so to be at this day. And, suitable to this, Cicero
tells us of the Romans, that they had nullum vin-
304
A SERMON
culum ad astringendam fidem jurejurando arctius ;
" They had no tie so effectual for the securing a
" man's faith as his oath." And St. Paul, a greater
man than Cicero, hath told us, that among men, an
oath for confirmation is the end of all strife. Since
therefore so much depends upon an oath ; since the
public is so much concerned in it ; since the admin-
istration of justice is so much influenced by it ; it
will readily be acknowledged, that it is one of the
greatest concernments of human society, that all men
should be obliged to swear truly ; and nothing can
be of greater mischief to the public than that men
should be careless of their oaths, and swear hand
over head, as their humours, or their passions, or
their interest prompts them ; all the world will ac-
knowledge this. And we of this nation have as
much reason to be sensible of it as perhaps any
people in the world. Now, admitting this to be
true, I appeal to every man, whether any thing can
be more pernicious to human government and so-
ciety than such a practice ; which, if it be admitted,
doth naturally take off from men all that religion
and veneration they have for an oath, and makes it,
in a manner, an indifferent matter whether they
swear truly or falsely. Yet such a practice (and no
better) is that I am now speaking of, the practice of
oaths in our common conversation. If the Devil
himself was to study and contrive a way for the dis-
arming mankind of that natural reverence and ve-
neration they have for oaths, and bringing them,
without much scruple of conscience, to swear any
thing at any time, whether true or false, as their
own interests, or the importunity of others, did tempt
them to it ; he could not, in the world, pitch upon a
ON JAMES V. 12.
805 *
more effectual one than this ; to make oaths familiar
to them upon all occasions, to bring them into cus-
tomary use in ordinary conversation. That man that
can swear a hundred times a day, when there is no
reason for it, I cannot imagine what regard he can
have for an oath, when he is called upon to give it,
when there is reason. When a man is come to that
pass, that he hath used himself to call God to witness
for every thing that he saith ; nay, and to call upon
him almost every hour to damn him, and confound
him, pray what is there to hinder such a man, or
what reason is there to believe that he will not call
God to witness with the same freedom and uncon-
cernedness, wiien he is called to it in a court of jus-
tice ? Would you make a man's conscience different,
according to the different places he is in, so that he
may make a conscience of swearing in one place, but
yet shall make no conscience of swearing in all other
places whatsoever? I must confess, I am as willing
to believe well of mankind as is possible ; and there-
fore I dare not say but there may be such men found
in the world, that in spite of the natural consequences
of things, may be so honest, that though they do not
fear an oath in their discourse, yet would fear one
before a magistrate. But this I say, and I am sure
of it, that nothing in the earth doth more tend to
make men heedless and regardless of their most so-
lemn oaths than to inure themselves to the practice
of oaths in their common discourse. And I am very
much afraid, that to this practice, which hath so much
obtained among us, we do, in a great measure, owe
those many false oaths that have deprived men both
of their lives and their estates, that we, at this day,
do not without reason complain of And, therefore,
ABP. SHARPE, VOL. MI. X
306
A SERMON
certainly it concerns the public, if they would have .
tlie reverence of oaths kept up, if they would not
have faith and truth lost from among mankind, to
suppress, as much as is possible, this vile, detestable
custom of swearing and cursing in our conversa-
tion.
But secondly, to conclude ; this custom of swear-
ing is not only of very mischievous consequence to
the public, but to ourselves also. When I say this,
I do not mean the mischief that it doth to a man's
credit and reputation, by giving occasion to all the
world to believe that the man that useth it is a man
of no conscience, that he hath no religion nor no
truth, which yet is the constant fate of those that
are much given to swearing : I say, though this be
a very mischievous consequence of swearing, and a
necessary one too, and ought to be seriously con-
sidered by all those that give themselves up to this
practice ; yet I do not here insist on it : it will fall
more naturally under another head. But that which
I intend is this ; that there is this evil consequence
doth always attend the custom of swearing, that it
engages a man in a world of perjuries which he be-
forehand is not aware of, or, if he was, he would
tremble at the thoughts of them. It is an old ob-
servation, " He that sweareth continually," (they are
St. Chrysostom's words,) " both wilfully and unwil-
" fully, both ignorantly and knowingly, both in
" earnest and in jest ; such a man, being often
" transported by anger, and many other things, will
" frequently forswear himself." It is almost un-
avoidable, but a man that is much given to swear in
his discourse (a man that useth to bind every thing
he says, or every thing that he promiseth, with an
ON JAMES V. 12,
307
oath) must say a great many things that are not
true, and must likewise promise a great many
things which he never performeth. In a multitude
of oaths there cannot want perjury, (as a wise man
said.)
God help us ! As the condition of human affairs is
in this world, there is no man, that considers well,
that dare be accountable for the exact truth of every
thing that he hath occasion to say in conversation,
be he never so careful of what he saith. And if so,
in what a condition are those open sluices among us,
that vent every thing that comes into their heads,
and serves to fill up talk, whether it be news, or
stories of other persons, or fancies of their own, and
clinch all they say with bitter oaths and impreca-
tions ?
I dare say you are all sensible that those who
make a practice of swearing in their talk, make no
great distinction about this matter, and the occasion
upon which they use their oaths. But they come
from them in course, without thinking, without deli-
berating, upon all occasions.
How then is it possible that in such a multitude
of idle discourse as slips from them, they should not
many times a day overshoot themselves either in af-
firming more than is true, or in promising more than
they make good ? and yet, by their calling God to
witness to the truth of such things, they become
really and strictly perjured and forsworn ; if, indeed,
it be perjury to swear that which is false, or that we
are not certain is true ; or if it be perjury to say a
thing that we do not mean to do.
I would to God all that have accustomed them-
selves to take the name of God into their mouths
X 2
308 A SERMON ON JAMES V. 12.
upon slight occasions would seriously consider this ;
and withal, consider what a sort of crime perjury is :
what a horrid defiance it is of God Almighty, and
what a solemn address made to him to destroy us
and confound us, if he either have power or justice.
But I have said enough upon this head : as for
the four following which remain, I have not time to
treat of them as they deserve, and therefore I shall
reserve them to the next opportunity.
I pray God give us all such a lively sense of the
excellence and holiness of his nature, such a sense of
his greatness, his majesty, and power, and w^isdom,
and justice, and goodness, that we may, in all our
thoughts and words and actions, give him that ho-
nour and reverence and adoration, that is for ever
due to his most holy name.
To this God immortal and invisible be all glory,
&c.
A SERMON
PREACHED OCTOBER 26, 1690.
James v. 12.
Above all things, my brethren, swear not.
^ToU may remember the argument I am engaged
in, and consequently may know beforehand what
sort of discourse you are to expect at this time ;
that is to say, a hearty dissuasive from that practice
which is too much in use among all sorts of persons,
and may justly be accounted one of the reigning
sins of the nation ; I mean the practice of swearing
and cursing in our discourse.
I believe I said enough in my last Discourse to
convince any serious man, both of the gi*eat sinful-
ness of this practice, and of the evil consequences
that do attend it ; which were the two heads I then
proceeded upon.
I now come to lay before you some other conside-
rations, which, if they be added to what I have be-
fore represented upon this point, cannot but weigh
so far with all men that ever reflect upon their own
actions, as to set them perfectly against this prac-
tice ; since it will appear to be, upon all accounts
whatsoever, so infinitely unreasonable and inexcus-
able. I am sensible those who are not used to this
practice will think that I have already said enough
against it ; but I desire them to remember that I
X 3
310
A SERMON
do not preach to those that are innocent, but to
those that are guilty of this fault ; and for the rescu-
ing of such from so detestable a custom, all that can
be said is little enough.
I desire, therefoi'e, in the third place, those that
are apt to swear or curse in their common discourse,
would be pleased to consider, not only that it is a
grievous sin, and brings many evil consequences
upon mankind, as I shewed the last time, but also
that it is contrary to all good manners and good
breeding. This will perhaps be very surprising to a
great many : for it is probable several of the better
sort among us, that are given to this vice, did for
this reason take up the custom ; because they thought
it the best breeding, since the gentlemen and the
persons of quality they saw did so much use it ; and
from whom but from them should they take their
measures in these matters ? and as for the better
sort, that have really had a liberal education, sure
they should know good breeding better than that
sort of men, whose bread it is to be precise and for-
mal, and to teach others to be so.
Why, be it so. But then, I pray, be pleased to
consider what is that which we call good manners,
or good breeding. If there be any fixed notion of it
amongst mankind, it must be this ; to have an easy,
inoffensive, obliging way of address and behaviour,
to be more courteous and civil upon all occasions in
conversation, than the rustic, untutored part of man-
kind can be supposed to be. This, I say, must cer-
tainly be the notion of good breeding and good
manners ; because the contrary to it is always ac-
counted 01 breeding and ill manners ; that is to say,
all sorts of scurrilous, rude, unbecoming treatment
ON JAMES V. 12.
311
of any one. When we say that any man shews ill
breeding, or doth an ungenteel thing, we mean no
more than this, that he doth not behave himself
with that civility or decency towards others in that
matter, that a well-bred man ought to do.
I pray now apply this notion of good breeding to
the thing we have before us. I hope, as mad as
the world is, there is a very great number of men
that have a hearty sense of God and religion upon
their minds, and would be ready to shew it upon all
occasions, even with the loss of all that they have.
The honour of God is as dear to them as their own :
and so great a respect they have to his laws, that it
is a real trouble to them to see any affront or viola-
tion done to them in their presence. Why, now,
must it not be wonderfully grievous and uneasy to
all this kind of men, to hear at any time the name
of God blasphemed ? to see the most sacred laws of
our Saviour despised and trampled upon, to have
oaths and curses sounding in their ears upon all oc-
casions, and without any provocation ? Certainly it
must be thus : a man, that is truly religious, can no
more avoid the being concerned and wounded and
filled with deep resentments when God's holy name
is abused and profaned, than he can avoid it when
he hears himself traduced, and his parents and fa-
mily unjustly railed upon. Nay, and even those
that are not sincerely religious, but only would be
thought to be so, even these, though, I say, they
are not inwardly concerned at these practices, yet
they must appear as if they were so, whenever they
hear the name of God profaned : otherwise they do
not maintain the person and character they design
to go under.
X 4
312
A SERMON
These things now being so, where is the good
manners or the good breeding of swearing in con-
versation, provided there be but any one in the com-
pany that has either any sense of rehgion, or but
pretends to have any ? Why, it is so far from
that, that every oath, every curse, every thing that
is vented in contempt of God or of religion is really
an affront and indignity put upon those you con-
verse with ; and you use them every whit as barba-
rously when you treat them in this manner, as if
you should spit in theii' faces at every time you
would answer a question ; or give them the lie at
every thing they would affirm. I grant indeed that
swearing and cursing is no ill-breeding among those
that have banished all sense of God and religion from
their minds ; because there is, in that case, no af-
front, no rudeness offered to those you converse with,
but only to God Almighty, who, in that company, is
not supposed to be present.
I pray then let it be used only in such company ;
for if there be but one sober, virtuous man present,
he is as ungenteelly dealt with, as if you had offered
him a downright affront. Either therefore men
must forbear swearing, except where they are secure
of their company, or they must quit all their pre-
tences to civility and good manners.
But, fourthly, I desire it may be further consi-
dered, that this practice of profane swearing in our
discourse doth not really serve any of those ends
which it is made use of for : nay, in truth, it doth
really disserve them ; and therefore, certainly, all
men that are not mad, but would so act as to be able
to give a reason for what they do, must needs con-
clude this practice one of the most unreasonable in
ON JAMES V. 12.
313
the world, because it is destructive of those very
ends it pretends to serve.
I grant indeed some sorts of swearing may now
and then happen to do a good turn to them that use
it ; as for instance, a false oath in a court of justice
may now and then gain a cause ; or, if it do not, the
witness, we suppose, is well paid for his perjury ;
though of all men in the world, woe be to those that
serve their ends by these means ; for, if there be a
just God in heaven, the portion of such men (both
the swearers and the suborners) will be, of all others,
the most wretched and intolerable. It often jDroves
so in this world, but it will certainly prove so here-
after.
But now, to come to our point, as for this cus-
tomary swearing and cursing in our discourse, I do
not know any end it serves to. unless to honest
people, to teach them to distinguish between good
and bad company, and to give them a mark by
which they may know what conversation they are
to avoid. I can but think of three ends that people
can propose to themselves in the use of it ; that is,
either to gain more credit to what they say, or to
give reputation to their wit, or to express their cou-
rage.
But now, in fact, it is found that common swear-
ing and cursing is so far from promoting any of
these ends, that it is the most effectual way to dis-
appoint them all. I will touch a little upon each of
them.
In the first place, some may have a fancy that
they shall be better believed in what they affirm or
promise, if they bind it with an oath, or if they damn
themselves if it be not true that they say. But sure
314
A SERMON
these men must be little acquainted with the world,
that take up such a notion. Mankind are a great
deal better at this time of day than to be caught
with such flourishes. There are few that deal in
the world, but will much sooner believe a man that
doth not use to swear, upon his bare word, than he
will believe a common swearer upon his oath. Nay,
the very using of oaths, where there is no need of
them, gives a very just suspicion to any man that
there is no sincerity at the bottom. And indeed of
all men living, as the world goes, those that swear
most and damn themselves most are the least be-
lieved in any thing they say or promise : and there
is great reason for this. For why should a man go
beyond the common rules of conversation, unless he
meant to serve some private turns by it ? And how
can that man be supposed to make conscience of
speaking truly in any slight matter he affirmeth or
promiseth, that makes no conscience of affronting
and blaspheming the name of God ; in our religious
veneration of which all our obligation to speak truth
is founded ?
But, secondly, others perhaps may look upon the
use of oaths as an expression of their wit and good
parts. This is indeed a very low notion of wit ; but
yet some, I do believe, have taken it up. They
cannot but think that oaths are a grace to their dis-
course and a seasoning to their conversation. They
fancy that a repartee is not so brisk, or a story not
so well told, or a man's sense about any thing so
solemnly delivered, unless it be larded at every turn
with the name of God, or a curse upon themselves.
Indeed, from such people nothing (as they think)
comes gracefully, unless it be embellished with the
ON JAMES V. 12.
315
ornament of some silly word they have taken up,
either a round oath, or a curse, or the corruption of
one, or something that is near akin to it. But these
men are really to be pitied, if they think such kind
of phrases to be any ornaments to their discourse ;
for all men that have wit are sensible sufficiently,
that none but those that want it would endeavour to
supply its place by such kind of gibberish ; I call it
gibberish, for it really is so. A man that swears
and curses to add grace to his discourse, might as
well serve his purpose by repeating a word or two
out of Propria quce Maribus, or saying any scrap of
pedlars French ; which whether it would be an ar-
gument of wit in any one, I leave to all to judge.
Wit and profaneness are infinitely different things;
as likewise is wit and impertinency. There is in-
deed no sort of kindred between these things. I do
not deny but that some men, who are profane
enough, may have wit : but this I am sure of, no
man is therefore witty, because he is either profane
or impertinent. Nor was there ever any man ac-
counted a wit that had nothing to shew for it but
oaths or curses, or a set of insignificant words that
made nothing to his purpose. Nay, so far from that,
that those who most practise this way of conversa-
tion are most justly to be suspected to have the
least share of that which they would be thought to
have.
But, thirdly, though men do not much increase
the reputation of their wit by swearing, yet it may
be said they shew courage and bravery thereby.
Perhaps there are some that think so. Nor would
they swear or curse so often, but that they fancy
that they do hereby strike a terror into those that
316
A SERMON
hear them, and make them believe they have no or-
dinary mean persons to deal with. Alas, poor men !
in this too they are deceived ; for every body knows
that these hectors and bravos are the furthest from
true valour and courage of all in the world. They
may indeed by this trick fright children and silly
people, as it is likely they do ; and they would fright
them as much or more likewise, if they put on a
vizor painted with a devil's face. But all mankind,
that can distinguish between things, are sensible that
hectoring and swaggering is the worst argument of
courage ; nay, on the contrary, the most certain
argument of no courage that can be. True valour
and fortitude is no flash of passion, but a sedate com-
posed temper of mind grounded upon good reason,
and therefore it is always cool and even and tempe-
rate upon all occasions. But blustering of conver-
sation, and making use of a set of frightful words, to
amuse some and fright others, is only a sign that a
man pretends to courage and boldness, but hath it
not. This, I do believe, is the sense of mankind in
these matters. And therefore I do heartily wish
that all those that are apt, for the shewing their
magnanimity, as they may think it, or for the ex-
pressing their resentments of any thing, to break out
into oaths and damning themselves or others ; I say,
I wish they would consider how much they deserve
the reputation they would get by these practices,
and how poor and sneaking and cowardly they re-
present themselves hereby to all considering men.
But this is a small thing. It concerns them in-
finitely more to consider who that God is that they
are a braving and hectoring, that they may thus
shew their courage. Is it an equal match between
ON JAMES V. 12.
317
God Almighty and them ; they, to shew themselves
bold, will affront him ; to make themselves feared by
little people, will shew themselves fearless of him ?
But what do they think of God all this time ? do
they believe that he lives, and that he sees this im-
pudence of theirs, and do they not tremble ? If God
be holy and just, he will not suffer himself to be al-
ways thus affronted by rude men, without calling
them to account for it. If God be almighty, he hath
thunderbolts to revenge the blasphemy of bold, athe-
istical men : and it is out of his infinite mercy
that he doth not strike all blasphemers dead with
them. But he spares us, and we hope he will spare
us, that, if it be possible, we may be brought to re-
pentance. But let us not play the fool for ever, in
hopes of impunity : for a time will come when we
shall, as certainly as we are here present, be called
to an account, and a terrible one, for all the injuries
and abuses and profanations we have done to God
and his religion, unless it be our happiness to pre-
vent it by a timely repentance.
But, fifthly, to leave this, there is this further
thing to be said against this practice of swearing,
which will still render it more inexcusable ; as it
serves no end, so neither doth it admit of any apo-
logy to be made for it ; so far from that, that even
what is pleaded in its justification doth still make it
more unjustifiable.
I know but two things that any one that is ad-
dicted to this custom can urge in his own excuse ;
and you shall hardly talk with a sensible man but
he will readily pitch upon one of these things as
an apology for it ; that is to say, he is either pro-
voked to it by being put into a passion, or he doth
318
A SERMON
it when he is heated to it with wine and strong
drink.
But I beg of all those, that make use of these pre-
tences, to consider how very ridiculous they are.
You would not swear nor curse, but that you are
put into a passion, or that sometimes you have no
government of yourselves, having drunk to excess.
But can either of these things apologize for your
abusing and affronting the name of God, and trans-
gressing his most express laws ? if they can, why
then the most horrid blasphemies, adulteries, rapes,
and murders may be apologized for upon the same
account : for most of these villainies are the effect of
passion, and many of them of drunkenness too.
Would you admit it as a just excuse in your ser-
vant, when he hath told a gi'oss lie to you, to say
that he was under the passion of fear when he thus
abused you? or would you count it justifiable in
him to go and speak all the ill things he could of
you in the neighbourhood, and to have no other pre-
tence for it, but that you had some way or other
provoked and stirred up his passion of anger ? If the
same servant, when he came drunk home, should beat
or wound you, would you put it up, and say, Alas !
he was not himself when he did it ; he had drunk too
much, otherwise he would nof have used me thus ?
1 dare say every man, when it comes to his own
case, hath other notions of this matter, and will not
easily think that the committing one fault will be
an excuse for another that follows after it. A
murder is not less sinful because a man was in pas-
sion or in drink when he committed it ; he ought
rather the more to be sorry for it, because he hath
two crimes to answer for. And if it be thus with
ON JAMES V. 12.
319
swearing, as most certainly it is, the best apology
that is made for it is but a wretched one : for it
owns that he, that swears the most justifiably
hath always a double sin to ask God Almighty
pardon for, that of his swearing and cursing, and
that passion or drunken humour that led him into
it.
But then, after all, as bad as this apology for
swearing is, yet it is much to be questioned whether
it be true. I doubt much whether any swearer
can justly impute his oaths or curses purely to trans-
ports of passion or wine ; there is this strong reason
why he ought not ; there are a multitude of persons
in the world that are as subject to passions as other
men, and may now and then be overtaken with
drink. But yet, in their greatest excesses, both of
the one sort or the other, never find any temptation
in themselves to curse and swear in their discourse ;
be they never so angry, yet, their mouths not being
accustomed to oaths, they know not how to vent
their passions in that way ; and in their cups, though
they cannot perhaps avoid nonsense and imperti-
nency in their discourse, yet oaths and curses they
can avoid. This is a plain argument that, what-
ever men pretend, it is not their passion, or their in-
firmities of any other Sort, that betrays them to this
evil practice of cursing and swearing, but only a
wretched custom which they have unaccountably
contracted. It is a practice they first took up heed-
lessly, and in imitation of others ; and afterwards,
growing upon them by use, it is at last become in a
manner natural to them. So that this custom of
swearing is such an unaccountable sin, that a man
hath not so much as his lust, his passion, and infirm-
320
A SERMON
ities (by which he is wont to excuse all his other
crimes) to plead for it.
And this leads me to the sixth and last particular
I have to add upon this argument, and that is this;
that this sin of swearing is still the more criminal,
and the moi'e inexcusable in all of us, in that it is so
easily avoided. You have seen there are no ends to
be served by it ; nay, on the contrary, it is destruc-
tive of those ends that men pi'etend to in the using
of it. You have seen there is no apology to be made
for it, because these things that are most to be
pleaded in its excuse, rather make it worse than
better. Nay, you have seen that even our passions
and vices do not much tempt us to it. What then
can be the temptation to this sin, or where doth it
lie ? Is there any pleasure in it ? I dare say no man
will say there is. There can be no more pleasure in
using the name of God profanely, than in using any
other word or name ; unless it be a pleasure to af-
front God, by thus using his name out of pure hatred
to him. which is the utmost pitch of wickedness
that the worst of devils can arrive to. Is there any
profit or advantage to be got by it ? Sure there is
none, unless a man had money given him for every
oath. But I believe that is not done but upon so-
lemn occasions, where there is a deep malice to be
served, or an estate to be got, or to be secured by a
false oath. What then ? Is there any reputation to
be purchased by it ? ^Vhy, a man would venture a
great deal for that ; but yet, in this case, the thing
we are speaking of is so far from procuring a repu-
tation, or good name among men, that it is the cer-
tain way to ruin it. What then is the temptation
to swearing and cursing ? none in the world. Why
ON JAMES V. 12.
321
then do men use it ? For no reason in the world.
What then are we to attribute it to ? To an unac-
countable custom. Men, by accustoming themselves
to such a sort of company, have, in time, and l)y de-
grees, learnt a set of words and phrases, which they
cannot without some violence forbear to make use of
upon all occasions, and especially when they are dis-
ordered by drink or passion ; and if they had been
thus taught by their company to bark like a dog, or
to bray like an ass, there is no doubt but they would
have done it as naturally upon the same occasions.
And this, as far as I can judge, is the true account
of this unaccountable sin. I speak as to those that
use it most innocently.
And now, if this be the case, how easy is it for any
man, that hath never so much used himself to it, to
forsake it.
That which makes it so hard a matter for most
men to forsake some of their sins is, that those sins
are planted in the very make or constitution of their
natures. They are strongly inclined to them in
their tempers, or they have continual temptations to
them in the course of their lives, or they cannot part
from them, but they must part from that which is
extremely either pleasant or profitable or reputable,
or some way or other conducing to their ease and
conveniency. But now, though all or most of these
things may be pleaded on the behalf of men's other
lusts and vices, yet none of them can be urged in fa-
vour of this sin we are speaking of ; therefore what
should hinder but that every man, with a little con-
sideration, and a few trials, should as easily leave it
off as he first took it up ; or, if he do not, what can
be said in his excuse ?
ABP. SIIARPE, VOI>. in. V
322
A SERMON
To conclude this whole matter.
Having thus, as plainly as I can, represented to
you a few of those many things that are to be urged
by way of argument against this vice, I desire to
add a word or two more by way of advice, or ex-
hortation, and then I have done.
In the first place, I earnestly desire that all those
persons that are under the power of this sin would
seriously consider of these things ; and if, upon that
consideration, they are convinced that it is really
their duty and their interest to leave this silly as
well as impious practice, they would sincerely and
heartily endeavour so to do. Now, in order to the
breaking themselves wholly of this wicked custom,
there are but a few things needful to be done. The
main thing of all is, a peremptory resolution to for-
sake it. The next thing to that is, to keep a con-
stant guard and watch upon their words, that they
be not unawares surprised into oaths and curses.
It is heedlessness that makes this sin so very rife.
If a man would but carefully watch over his words
for some few weeks ; nay, I may say, for some few
days, he would not find it very difficult to break
himself of this custom. It was nothing but practice
that introduced it, and a little disuse of that practice
will as certainly destroy it.
But if a man should find it hard to contest against
an inveterate custom, let him call in other assist-
ances which are ready at hand : let him beg of his
friends to be his monitors, as to that matter, upon
all occasions : let him bind Iiimself voluntarily to
undergo such mulcts and penalties and forfeitures
as he thinks reasonable for every oath or curse he
pronounceth : but, above all, let him avoid all such
ON JAMES V. 12.
323
company and all such occasions as he finds are most
apt to betray him into these extravagancies. In
truth, I think the most profligate swearer, if he was
once in good earnest resolved to quit this practice,
might with a very little of this care and attention,
easily effect his purpose.
In the second place, I seriously recommend it to
all persons that have any concern for religion or
good manners, that they would, as they have oppor-
tunity, give their helping hand towards the reclaim-
ing of such of their friends and acquaintance as la-
bour under this infirmity, if indeed I may call it by
that name. We are really too tender generally to
the comj^any we converse with as to this point. I
do not desire any man to be rude, or to break the
respect that is due to the conversation he is in, upon
this account ; but there are so many ways of inof-
fensively reproving, at least of shewing our disgust
of this practice, without any breach of civility, that
indeed it can be imputed to nothing but an uncon-
cernedness for the honour of God and religion that
we do so tamely and patiently hear his name so often
blasphemed without the least expression of our re-
sentment at it.
We might do a world of good to mankind, as well
as express a mighty charity to our friends, if we
would make it our business to discourage and put
out of countenance, as it came in our way, all those
rude affronts that are daily and hourly put upon God
and religion in conversation : and certainly it disco-
vers a great deal of cowardice and pusillanimity in
us that we do it not. The atheists and the profane
are bold enough, even to impudence, in affronting
God and religion ; and we, who know we have a
y 2
324
A SERMON
thousand times a better cause, are mealy-mouthed,
and dare not open our lips in the vindication of that
God and that cause, which yet we do pretend is dearer
to us than all things in the world.
But, thirdly and lastly, it were to be wished like-
wise that the magistrates and the government would
take a little care in this matter. It is a shameful
thing, and a reproach to our nation, that those lewd
practices of swearing and cursing and damning, al-
most at every word, should be thus universally prac-
tised among us ; nay, even that a man cannot pass
the streets but he hears it ringing in his ears ; and
this without any notice taken of it, without the least
mark of disgrace or infamy put upon it. I do not
say but that we want some severer laws and punish-
ments for the effectual suppressing of these vices;
but yet even these laws we have, were they but
carefully executed, would put a great stop to the
inundation of this kind of wickedness that now
overflows us ; at least it would let people see that
these practices are really faults and crimes, which
now they hear nothing of, unless perhaps now and
then it be told from the pulpit.
O may God Almighty at last put it into the hearts
of all those that have any authority in this kingdom
sincerely to endeavour the suppressing of all atheism,
and blasphemy, and irreligion, and the profanation
of the name of God, that is now too rife among us ;
and may every one of us, in our places and stations,
contribute all we can to so good a work ! By this
means, and by this only, may we expect to see happy
days. Then, when righteousness, and truth, and
peace, and true devotion take place, and an uni-
versal reformation is made of our wicked and cor-
ON JAMES V. 12.
325
rupt conversations ; then, and not till then, ai'e we
capable objects of God's favour ; then, and not till
then, are we a people prepared and qualified for the
Lord to dwell among us.
O may God of his infinite mercy produce these
blessed effects among us, for the glory of his name,
and the universal happiness of this nation, and of
every soul in it !
Which God of his infinite mercy grant, for the
sake of his dear Son, &c.
Y 3
SERMON 1.
ON
1 PETER II. 21.
leaving us an example^ tliat ye should follow his steps.
The whole verse runs thus : For even hej'eunto
were ye called: because Christ also suffered for
us, leaving us an example, Ssf.
St. Peter here is exhorting servants to be subject
to their masters, and with patience and submission
to bear whatever hard usage they might meet with
from them : and the argument wherewith he en-
forceth this exhortation is the example of Christ.
He patiently for our sakes underwent a great load
of sufferings, and therefore highly reasonable it is
that we should not repine at any hard measures we
meet with in the world. The force and strength of
this argument lies in that which St. Peter addeth in
the last part of this verse ; namely, that Christ's life
was framed for our example ; that it was designed
to be a pattern for Christians to walk by ; and that
we are all of us bound to follow his steps. He left
us an example, (|c.
This point of the example of Christ is that I have
now designed to treat of ; and in speaking to it I
shall not restrain it to one instance, that of his suf-
ferings, (nor indeed do St. Peter's words so restrain
it, though it must be granted he brings it in upon
that occasion,) but I shall consider it in its full lati-
tude with respect to his whole life and conversation
in the world.
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
327
And in treating of this argument, I shall endea-
vour these three things :
I. First of all in general, To shew the great obliga-
tion that lies upon all Christians to follow Christ's
example.
II. Secondly, To explain the extent of this obliga-
tion ; how far, and in what instances, Christ's life is
an example to us, and doth obhge us to imitation.
III. Thirdly, To propose some of those virtues that
our Saviour was most eminent for, and which are of
the greatest use in human life, and seriously to re-
commend them to your imitation.
I begin with the first thing, the obligation that
lies upon Christians to follow Christ's example. And
this shall be my argument at this time.
And I think it the more needful to be insisted on
in regard of a notion that some people are too for-
ward to entertain, which asserts, that the life of
Christ was not designed for an example to us, but
for a means to procure God's acceptance of us. They
explain their mind thus : No man can be accepted
by God, and entitled to his favour, unless he be per-
fectly righteous in the eye of God. Now to make
a man so, he must either have a perfect inherent
righteousness of his own, or the perfect righteous-
ness of another must be imputed to him, as to all
intents and purposes to be made his own, and to be
looked upon as such. The former sort of righteous-
ness no man can pretend to ; nor is he obliged to
have it under the second covenant. The latter sort
of righteousness therefore is that we must rely upon,
and by which we are to expect to be justified. Now
this is no other than the righteousness of Jesus
Christ, who only was perfectly I'ighteous : this right-
Y 4
328
SERMON I.
eousness of his being made ours, being imputed to
us, is that that must make us perfectly righteous in
the sight of God, As therefore the end of Christ's
death was to satisfy for the breach of God's laws in
our stead, we having all sinned, and so deserved
God's wrath ; so the end of his life was actually to
fulfil the law in our stead, that we might be ac-
counted righteous before God, as if we had fulfilled
it ourselves. As his passive obedience, his death
and sufferings, were designed for this end to be im-
puted to all believers, for the excusing them from
the punishment due to their sins ; so his active obe-
dience, the righteousness of his life, was designed for
this end to be imputed to all believers to make them
appear righteous before God, though they were not
righteous in their own persons. Now the instru-
ment, say they, whereby this righteousness, this obe-
dience of Christ, both active and passive, is made
ours, the hand that conveys it to us, is no other
than a lively faith ; that is, in their sense, a believ-
ing in Jesus Christ, a disclaiming all our own right-
eousness, and confidently applying his righteousness
to ourselves. And whoever doth this, is, in God's
account, a righteous man without more ado, having
all Christ's righteousness so imputed to him as to be
made his own.
This is a scheme of Christian religion that some
men have laid down to themselves ; and if it be a
true one, then what becomes of the exemplarity of
Christ's life? what becomes of our obligations to
walk as he walked ? Why verily it all falls to the
ground. For since (according to this hypothesis)
the very design of Christ's life was to fulfil all right-
eousness, and all that righteousness of his is made
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
329
ours by faith ; what need can there be of our fulfil-
ling the same righteousness over again, by endea-
vouring to copy out Christ's example in our lives ?
I own that a great many good men may have been
bred up in the use of such expressions as these that
I have now been mentioning, but yet abhor the con-
sequences that I would draw from them : for all that
they mean by Christ's righteousness being imputed
to us, and made ours, is no more than this, that we
are justified and accepted by God purely and solely
for the merits of Jesus Christ, and that not for any
righteousness of our own. But they own, never-
theless, that we are all bound, nay even under pain
of damnation, to endeavour as much as we can to
be virtuous in our persons, and to imitate our blessed
Lord in all the instances of virtue and holiness that
he hath set before us. Now, if this be all their mean-
ing, God forbid that any man should open his mouth
against it; for it is undoubtedly the scripture doc-
trine, though the words whereby they express their
meaning are very improper and unscriptural. But
I would never dispute with any one about words,
where we agree in the sense. That which I op-
pose, and which all men that have any regard to
the honour of the gospel and the interest of souls,
must be concerned to oppose, is the antinomian prin-
ciple, that is to say, that the righteousness of Christ's
life is so imputed to believers, as to serve instead of
their own righteousness ; that Christ's perfect obe-
dience to the moral law hath discharged us from all
obligation to the observance of it. So that provided
we do apply tliis his obedience, this his righteous-
ness to ourselves by faith, there is no need of our
being righteous as he was righteous, and framing
330
SERMON I.
our lives after his holy example. This, I say, is both
an absurd and a pernicious doctrine, and not to be
endured among Christians.
If I should set myself to shew you this at large,
and expose this doctrine in all the parts and conse-
quences of it, and to shew how contradictory it is to
the account which the scripture gives of this matter,
I should spend more of my time and of your pa-
tience than I am now willing to do : and therefore
I will only I'emark two things concerning it, and
which are very obvious.
First, it supposes Christ not to have performed
that which he came into the world to do. Secondly,
it supposeth that he came into the world with a very
ill design.
First, I say, this doctrine disparageth Christ's un-
dertaking, and supposeth him not to have done that
which he came into the world to do. For did not
our blessed Saviour come into the world for this end,
that he might redeem us from all evil and misery,
and put us into a state of real happiness ? There is
nobody doubts of it. And now is not a state of sin
and wickedness a state of slavery to the Devil and
our own lusts, and a very great evil? nay, is it not
the gi'eatest evil in the world ? Nobody, that hath
any serious sense of things, will deny it. But now,
according to the aforesaid doctrine, that the right-
eousness of Christ is so imputed to believers that
they are thereby accounted righteous without being
so in their own persons, and that this is all the
righteousness required to qualify us for heaven ; I
say, according to this doctrine, after all that Christ
hath done or suffered for believers, they may remain
in this evil state for ever ; they may continue all
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
331
their lives long under the tyranny of vicious habits,
and be perfect bondmen to the Devil, (if vile affec-
tions and lusts can make a man so,) and go so into
the other world. Christ hath indeed by his death
delivered them from his Father's wrath, and the out-
ward punishment they were obnoxious to for their
sins ; and he hath likewise by his life covered them
over with an external robe of righteousness. But
still, for any thing he hath done to the contrary,
that venomous nature of theirs may still remain,
and they may carry it with them into heaven,
where, notwithstanding all the glories they may be
presumed to be encircled with, will be a plague and
a torment to them for ever. Either therefore Christ
must be supposed to have intended the destroying
of all sin and naughtiness out of men, as well as that
it should not be imputed to them ; to have meant the
furnishing their souls with an inward, real righteous-
ness and purity of their own, as well as the clothing
them with a righteousness of his ; or else he hath but
done them half that kindness which he pretended to
have designed them when he came into the world :
he is but half a physician ; he hath palliated our sores
and our diseases, but he hath not removed them.
But, secondly, the doctrine that asserts that the
life of our Saviour was not designed for an example
to us, but to be a fulfilling of the law for us, so that
thereby we are excused from our obedience to it ;
the doctrine that asserts that the righteousness of
Christ's life is made so much ours by faith that we
need not conform ourselves thereto in our practice,
doth not only render Christ imperfect or unsuccess-
ful in his undertaking, which was that I said before ;
but, which is far worse, makes it look as if he came
332
SERMON I.
into the world with a very ill design. This is a
most blasphemous consequence, but really it cannot
be avoided ; for let any man say, Suppose a man had
really a design to serve the interests of the Devil's
kingdom, and to promote and encourage all sorts of
vice and wickedness and debauchery in the world ;
how could he do it more effectually than by this
method, namely, to possess the world that he was
sent from God, and that he was sent with this in-
tent, that by the innocency of his life he might
make amends for the wickedness of theirs ; that all
his virtue and good qualities and laudable deeds
should be as much theirs, and they should be as
much rewarded for them as if they had done
them themselves, though in the mean time they
did not one of them nor any thing like them ;
and that all the crimes they should commit should
be put to his account, and they should never answer
for them, he having once for all paid the general
score of the sins of mankind. Only this condition
he strictly required, that they should firmly believe
all this, that they should with the greatest confi-
dence and assurance imaginable apply all those be-
nefits, all those privileges to themselves, that they
should from their very hearts disclaim all good deeds
of their own, and throw away every rag of their own
righteousness, and shroud themselves entirely under
the robes of his righteousness. If they did but this,
all was safe, nothing should hurt them ; no sin, no
habits of sin, though never repented of, should do
them mischief On the contrary, if they thought of
any other terms of obtaining God's favour, they were
under a great and dangerous mistake : I say, how
could any man do a greater disservice to all piety
ON 1 PETER II. HI.
333
and virtue, and all the interests of true religion ?
How could any man take a more effectual course to
destroy the fear of God from among men, and to let in
a flood of impiety and wickedness to overspread the
earth, than to preach such a doctrine as this, sup-
posing he had the means to make himself believed ?
And yet, according to the principles before laid
down, such as this in effect must be the doctrine of
our blessed Saviour. I dare say there is none that
calls himself a Christian can be so bad as to own
these consequences ; but yet I do not see how the
antinomian doctrine in this matter can be acquitted
of them.
Well ; but it will be said. Are there not texts of
scripture that do plainly seem to countenance this
antinomian doctrine, as you call it ? Doth not St.
Paul say, that to all believers their faith is imputed
for righteousness without works ? And doth not
the same St. Paul say, that he desires not to be
found in his own righteousness, but in the right-
eousness which is of God by faith f What will you
say to these texts ?
Why, I say, give me but leave to lay these texts
fairly before you, and then you yourselves shall judge
whether they make any thing for the doctrine I am
now disputing against. I am indeed the more will-
ing to take these two texts into consideration, be-
cause those I am now dealing with have them
always in their mouths, and do in a manner lay the
whole stress of their cause upon them.
The first text is in Rom. iv. 22. There St. Paul
tells us, that Abraham's faith was imputed to him
for righteousness ; and, that it was not written for
his sake alone, that it was so imputed to him ; but
384
SERMON I.
for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we be-
lieve on him that raised up Jesus from the dead.
Now from this text, say they, it is plain that faith
is imputed to all Christians for their righteousness ;
nay, more than that, the apostle tells us in the sixth
verse of this very chapter, that the blessedness of'
Christians is described by this, that righteousness
is imputed to them without works : so that here is
a righteousness imputed, and a righteousness imputed
without works ; how then dare we speak any thing
against an imputed righteousness ?
I answer, Nobody, that I know of, speaks any thing
against imputed righteousness in the apostle's sense,
but only against Christ's righteousness and virtue
and innocence and holy conversation being so im-
puted to us, as that there is no need of our right-
eousness and virtue and innocence and holy conver-
sation, which I am sure was not the apostle's sense,
nor ever entered into his mind. But I pray consider
this text a little more narrowly, and be not carried
away by the sound of a word. St. Paul here tells
us, that Abraham's faith was accounted to him for
righteousness, in the third verse ; in the fifth verse,
that it was reckoned to him for righteousness;
and in the twenty-second verse, that it was im-
puted to him for righteousness. All these phrases
mean the same thing. But is it here said, or is it
said any where else, that Christ's righteousness was
reckoned, or counted, or imputed to Abraham for
righteousness? nay, is it said any where in the
whole scripture that Christ's obedience or righteous-
ness should be accounted or imputed to any men in
the world for their own righteousness ? not a word of
it ! There is a vast difference (if any body will mind)
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
335
between these two propositions or expressions : To
a true believer his faith is reckoned or imputed for
righteousness ; and this, To a true believer the
righteousness of Christ is reckoned and imputed for
his righteousness : I say, there is a vast difference
between these two propositions : the meaning of the
former is, that under the covenant of grace (which
was procured by our Lord Jesus Christ) God is
pleased to accept of a true, sincere faith instead of a
perfect obedience to the law. Whosoever truly be-
lieves in Jesus Christ, and shews forth the fruits of
his faith by a sincere though not perfect obedience
to God's commandments, as Abraham did, (and
without this his faith is not a true faith,) such a
man is justified, is accounted righteous before God,
as much as if he had performed all the righteousness
of the law of works ; his faith is accounted to him
for righteousness.
But when we say that Christ's righteousness is
imputed to us, as if it was our righteousness, (which
is the other proposition,) it is capable of no other
meaning but this ; that, upon account of Christ's
obedience to God's laws, God will account us right-
eous, as much as if we had obeyed them ourselves-
The hoUness of his life is so made ours by imputa-
tion, that God esteems us holy persons upon the
account thereof, though we are not really so in our
own persons.
The former proposition, of faith being imputed
for righteousness, is certainly true, and I know no
Christians that deny it.
But the latter proposition, of Christ's righteous-
ness being imputed to us, hath no foundation in
scripture ; nay, it is certainly not true in that sense
336
SERMON I.
of the words that the natural, proper gi'ammatical
construction of them leads to. And thus much for
the first text.
Well then, (saith the objector,) it seems you plead
for a righteousness of your own, distinct from Christ's
righteousness : I must confess we do so. What
then ? Why, says he, that other text of St. Paul will
for ever confute and quash all such pretensions ; for
doth not he, in the third of the Philippians, verse 8,
(which is the other text I am to consider,) doth not
he there expressly say, / count all things as loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ
my Lord; and / desire to he found in him, not
having my own righteousness, which is of the law,
hut that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God hy faith ? Doth not
St. Paul here expressly declare against and renounce
all righteousness of his own ? I grant he doth so.
But what then ? If you will seriously mind what
kind of righteousness of his own he here declares
against, and what righteousness that is which he de-
sires to be possessed of, you will certainly be con-
vinced that he is so far from opposing our doctrine,
that he earnestly pleads for that righteousness we
are all this while contending for.
Let us look a little back into the occasion and
scope of these words. His design is, in this chapter,
to set forth the excellency of the Christian religion
above the Jewish, and to shew how mean, nay, how
altogether insignificant all those things the Jews so
much gloried in were in comparison of Christianity.
And he here reckons up all the magnificent things
they boasted of, and wherein they placed their right-
eousness, and tells us, that upon those accounts he
Ox\ 1 PETER II. 21.
337
had as much reason to be confident of his own estate
towards God, as any of them had : If any other
man, saith he in the 4th verse, thinketli he hath
wherein he might trust in the flesh, I have more :
I was circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of
Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin ; as touching the
law, I was a Pharisee ; (which was the strictest sect
among the Jews ;) a7id as for my %eal in the law, I
was a persecutor of the church; (than which nothing
could be more meritorious among the Jews ;) and as
for the righteousness which is hy the law, I was
blameless : there was no man could say but that I
lived up to the precepts of the law of Moses, and
was blameless in my conversation, as far as the letter
of it required. But what, after all this? should I
plead my confidence in any of these things ? No ve-
rily, (as he goes on in the 7th verse,) but those
things which were gain to me, I accounted loss for
Christ; that is to say, all these prerogatives, my
birth, my profession, my sect, my reputation, my
strict way of living, which might be thought to be
of great advantage to me ; now that I am come to
the knowledge of Christ, I abandon them all ; I see
that they are nothing worth ; nay, I account them
as a loss, as things like to be rather a hinderance to
me than a gain : Yea doubtless, (as he goes on in
the next verse,) / account all things but loss for
the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord:
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and I account them but dung, that I may win
Christ. And then comes in the verse that I am
now concerned with, that I might be found in
him, not having my own righteousness, which is
of the law, but that which is by the faith of Je-
ABP. SHAKPE, VOL. III. 7.
338
SERMON I.
sus C/irist, the righteousness which is of God by
faith.
This is the passage that is brought to establish
the doctrine of imputed righteousness ; this is the
text that doth so utterly blast all righteousness of
our own.
I pray mind what sort of righteousness of our own
that is which St. Paul here would not be found in.
Is it not the legal, pharisaical righteousness ? is it
not the righteousness which is by the law ? are not
these his very words ?
I pray mind what righteousness that is that he
would be found in. Is it not that righteousness
which is hy the faith of Jesus Christ ? He doth not
say the righteousness of Jesus Christ : it is not that
that he would be found in ; (if he had said so, that
indeed had been to the purpose ;) but that right-
eousness which is hy the faith of Jesus Christ ; that
is to say, that righteousness which is to be obtained
by believing in Jesus Christ, by becoming a Chris-
tian. Certain it is, that St. Paul doth not here op-
pose an inherent righteousness to an imputed one ;
but an outward, natural righteousness, to that which
is inward and wrought in a man by the Spirit of
God. The righteousness that he would be found in
is not the righteousness of Christ, made his, or im-
puted to him ; but it is a righteous, holy state of
soul, wrought in him by the Spirit of God through
the faith of Jesus Christ.
The clear sense then of these words is this ; That
which above all things I desire is, to be found in
Christ ; that is, to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ :
not having my own righteousness, which is by the
law; that is to say, not being content with those
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
339
outward privileges, and that outward obedience
which by my own natural strength I am able to
yield to the precepts of the law, (which is that
righteousness in which the Jews place all their con-
fidence, and by which they expect to be justified be-
fore God,) but that which is by the faith of Jesus
Christ ; that is, the righteousness which I desire,
and in which only I shall have the confidence to ap-
pear before God, is, that inward spiritual obedience
to his laws, which he doth require as the terms and
conditions of his favour and acceptance, and which I
can never attain to but by the faith of Christ, by
becoming a Christian. This is none of my own
righteousness, but the righteousness of God, as being
revealed from heaven by Jesus Christ, and wrought
in me by God's Spirit accompanying the preaching
of the gospel. And as it is his gift, so he will own
it, and reward it at the last day. I will appeal to
any man that will carefully read this whole passage,
whether he must not in his conscience believe that
this account I have given is the true sense and im-
portance of the apostle's words. And now, whether
they make any thing against our being righteous
and holy, as well as Christ was righteous and holy ;
against the necessity of walking as Christ walked,
do ye judge.
But I am sensible I have made too long a digres-
sion upon thdie two texts : but I thought it worth
the while to give a plain account of them. I now
return to my argument : and that which I have
further to say upon it shall be despatched in a few
words.
My business is to press upon you the obligation
and necessity of following Christ's example, if we
z 2
840
SERMON I.
would approve ourselves Christians: and in order
thereunto, besides what I have before said, I would
desire you to take into your consideration these two
or three things.
First, I beseech you, consider how solemnly our
Saviour and his apostles call upon you to the prac-
tice of this. As for our Saviour, I might quote
many passages in his discourses to this purpose ; but
I will only take notice of two, because I said I
would be short. And I mention one of them the
rather, because the beginning of it seems to favour
the pretences of those men we have been now talk-
ing of.
The text is in the eleventh of St. Matthew, ver.
28, 29. There our Saviour makes a general and
solemn invitation to all sinners to come to him :
Come unto me, saith he, all ye that are weary
and heavy laden, and I ic ill give you rest. What
words can be sweeter than these ? Whoever is op-
pressed with the guilt of his sins, it is but coming to
Christ, that is, as they usually expound it, believing
in him, and casting themselves wholly upon him,
and they shall have their burdens taken off, and be
at perfect ease and rest. But what follows ? Take,
saith our Saviour, my yoke upon you, and learn of
me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and then
ye shall find rest for your souls. Here our Saviour
shews that he means something more by coming to
him : coming to Christ, in his sense, is to take his
yoke upon ourselves, (and a most easy and comfort-
able yoke it is,) and to learn of him, to imitate his
example, to frame our minds and spirits and tem-
pers to a conformity with his mind and spirit and
temper ; to be meek and lowly in heart as he was ;
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
341
and so in all other instances. This is that which
every one must do, if he means to find rest for his
soul.
Again, when our Saviour gave that unheard-of
instance of kindness and condescension to his dis-
ciples in vouchsafing to wash their feet, pray mind
the application he makes of it, John xiii. 14, 15.
/ have given you, saith he, an example, that ye
should do to one another as I have done unto you.
If I, says he, your Lord and blaster, have washed
your feet, then ought ye to wash one another's feet.
You see by this, that his example was intended
by him to have all the force and obligation of a com-
mand ; only in this it had the advantage, that it was
more moving and persuasive.
As for the apostles, it would be endless to repeat
all the passages wherein they propose our Saviour to
us as a pattern and example of living; how they bid
us to look up to Jesus the author and finisher of
our faith, lest at any time we should be weary and
faint in our minds ; how they call upon us to walk
in his steps, to be followers of him ; nay, to be fol-
lowers of them, because they were followers of him !
How often do they mention his patience, his humi-
lity, his meekness, his boundless love and charity, as
arguments and encouragements to us to proceed in
those virtues ! Lastly, they lay such stress upon this
point of conforming ourselves to the example of
Christ in all things, that they make the very notion
of disci pleship to him to consist in it : Whoever,
says St. John, 1 Ep. ii. 6, saith that he ahideth in
him, (that is, pretends to be a disciple of his,) ought
himself also to walk even as he walked : without
this, he cannot be accounted a disciple of Christ.
z 8
342
SERMON I.
And indeed it must needs be true in the reason of
the thing : which is the second thing I would de-
sire you to consider. For what is it to be any one's
disciple, but to be a follower of him in the mystery
that he professeth. If a man sets up for a master in
any science or speculative matters, in that case, to be
a disciple of his is to embrace his notions and senti-
ments of the thing he pretends to teach. If he be a
teacher of some art, or matters of practice, why then
his disciples are those that conform themselves to his
methods and ways of practice in that art. This is
the notion that all the world has of a disciple.
If now we would know what it is to be a disciple
of Christ, the way must be to know what it is that
Christ professeth ; what mystery it was that he pre-
tended to teach to the world. If his business among
mankind was only to teach men some new notions
they knew not before, then I grant there is no more
required to the being his disciple, than only to be-
lieve and understand those notions he delivered:
or if his business was further, to gather together a
number of men that should openly profess such a set
of propositions, and to oblige them thereto, they
should all of them, upon the entrance of that profes-
sion, be baptized with water, as a solemn ceremony
of initiation into it ; then indeed to make one a dis-
ciple of his, it would be sufficient that he was a pro-
fessor and a baptized person, let him live what way
he pleased. But now, since, as all must acknow-
ledge, the chief skill that our Saviour professed was
that of living ; the main art and mystery he pre-
tended to teach was the art of ordering our conver-
sation so as that we might please God, and be ac-
cepted of him ; there must go more to the making a
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
343
disciple of his, than either belief, or profession, or
baptism. A man, if he will deserve that name, must
live as he lived, must conform himself to his man-
ners and precepts of living, and way of walking,
otherwise he doth not follow him in the art he pro-
fesseth, and consequently is no more his disciple than
a man because he wears a turban is the disciple of
Mahomet, though in all things else he be a Jew ; or
than a man of old was a Stoic, because he, like them,
walked in the Portico, though in the mean time he
held the principles of Epicurus.
This is so plain a thing, that though we may
sometimes, with a great deal of pains, cheat our-
selves, yet it is impossible to impose upon any indif-
ferent person in the matter. Let us suppose a hea-
then to have read the history of our Saviour, and
from hence to be informed what his pretences and
designs were in the world ; what good precepts he
gave for the conduct of men's conversation ; what a
kind of life he led ; how innocent, sober, chaste,
meekspirited, patient, humble, devout, charitable a
person he was: will he not from this conclude, that
surely all that pretend to be the disciples of this Jesus
are obliged, not only in conscience, but in decency,
and for their own credit, and the credit of their
Master, to live as he lived ; or, if they do not, they
shew they do not belong to him ? Shall any of us be
able, with all the art we have, let us pretend never
so much devotion to our Lord, let us make never so
many reverences at his name ; though we extol him
to the skies, though we profess we glory in nothing
so much as in being his disciples, though we are
zealous for his religion above all things, nay, though
we swear we would die for him if there was occasion ;
z 4
344
SERMOiN I.
yet, I say, can any of us, with all these artifices,
make the man believe that we are truly his disciples,
if we lead our lives in a contrary way to what he did ?
May he not truly and justly reply to us ; I hear your
words indeed ; you are very civil and complimental
to this person whom you call your Saviour ; but you
must pardon me, if I cannot believe you have any
real respect or inward veneration for him ! I cannot
think that you either truly believe in him, or expect
to be saved by him ; for, if you did, you could not
possibly live so contrary both to his precepts and his
practices as I see you do. He, as your own story
tells, was a meek, modest, quietspirited man ; but
you are all fire, when you are in the least provoked.
His character was, that he did not only forgive great
injuries, but did good to those that did them, and
prayed for his bitterest enemies : but you, on the
contrary, on the least affront, meditate a revenge,
and think your honour never safe till you have ef-
fected it. He despised the world, and was very well
contented with his innocent poverty : but you are for
getting no more than all you can, and that too by all
base and unjustifiable ways ; and, when you have done
all, you are not contented with what you have, but
still would have more. He was much a stranger to
all bodily pleasures, and very moderate in the use of
the good things of this life : but you cannot live
without luxury and uncleanness and drunkenness.
How can these manners comport with the being a
disciple of Jesus ?
I must confess, I cannot see how the subtiiest man
can answer these reproaches of a pagan. Either
therefore let us live like Jesus Christ, or throw away
the name of his disciples : to keep that, and yet not
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
345
do the other, is a piece of as great hypocrisy and
impudence as any man can be guilty of.
But, thirdly and lastly, to conclude all. If neither
of these two foregoing considerations will persuade
us to set ourselves to the imitation of Christ's ex-
ample, let it be considered further, that there is an
absolute necessity that we should do it, even to such
a degree, that we are no way capable subjects of the
mercies of Christ, or of any of the benefits he hath
purchased for mankind, if we do not.
The proof of this is that known maxim of the
apostle in 2 Cor. vi. 15. What fellowship hath light
with darkness f or what agreement hath Christ
with Belial'^ All Christians do agree, that whatever
they are to hope for in another world was purchased
for them by Christ, and that he is the bestower of it;
and that the sum of it consists in this, that they shall
be where Christ is, and shall for ever enjoy him.
Now I ask, can any man reasonably expect that
Christ should have any kindness for him, or confer
any of the benefits he hath purchased upon him, if
he be of a different spirit and temper from what he
was? Can he think that Christ intended any drop of
his blood, that was shed for man's salvation, for those
ungrateful wretches that had so little regard to him
that they would not so much as endeavour to frame
their minds and souls to his will, and copy out his
example in their lives? No man can with reason
think he did : for if the spirit and temper of Christ
was really amiable, was to be esteemed and beloved,
then the contrary spirit and temper is to be despised
and hated. And therefore, if we will suppose our
Saviour to make true estimates of things, he must
not, he cannot have any kindness for those that, not-
346
SERMON I.
withstanding all the obligations he hath laid upon
them, do still retain and hug those evil qualities,
* which of all things in the world are most contradic-
tory to his holy nature.
But supposing we could imagine that our Saviour
was as unaccountably kind as some presumptuous
men would have him; supposing he would save those
very persons that were most opposite and contrary
to him in their natures, and continued to their dying
day so to be ; yet it ought to be considered, whether
there be not a repugnancy in the nature of the thing,
that such men should be saved or made happy by
Christ. My meaning is, how good soever Christ's
intentions may be supposed towards them, yet their
own qualities, which they carry out of the world
with them, will put an eternal bar to their salvation.
For, as I said before, from St. Paul, what concord
hath Christ tvith Selial ? If the supreme happiness
of a Christian be to be with Christ, and to enjoy him,
what a small portion of happiness are such men like
to have in the other world ! nay, rather, what un-
easiness and torment shall they not have, if they be
put into that state ! Can it be any pleasure to them
to be continually in the company of one whom they
cannot heartily love, and whose nature and temper
is as contrary to theirs as fire is to water ? Are they
like to have any enjoyment of such a person, nay,
will it not rather be unsupportable to them to be
near him ? Can baseness, and lust, and sottishness,
and villainy and filthiness, receive any delight or
gratification from the society and communication of
perfect purity and holiness and charity ?
Ay ; but it may be said, that at the moment of
their deaths, Christ may, in kindness to them, quite
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
347
change their nature, and make them like unto him-
self ; and then all is well.
I answer, if it be so, yet still what I assert is true ;
namely, that every one must be, sooner or later, con-
formed to the life of Christ; must be possessed of his
nature and temper, before he is capable of the happi-
ness that he hath purchased for us.
But then, since the effecting so sudden, so mira-
culous a change in us, as is here pretended, is by no
means to be expected ; since Christ has made no
promises, given no encouragement to hope, that any
that live unlike him, shall, dying, be made like him ;
it will infinitely concern us all, while we are alive
and in health, to conform ourselves to the example
of our blessed Lord, and to possess ourselves of that
spirit and those qualities that he was so remarkable
for in the world : which is all that I meant to press
upon you ; and God Almighty grant we may all do
so, &c.
SERMON II.
ON
1 PETER II. 21.
leaving m an example, that ye sliouldJhUow his steps.
My argument here is the imitation of Christ, or
the following Christ's example. And in treating of
it, I proposed to do these three things :
First of all in general. To shew the great obligation
that lies upon all Christians to follow Christ's ex-
ample.
Secondly, To explain the extent of this obligation ;
how far, and in what instances, Christ's life is an ex-
ample to us, and doth oblige us to imitation.
Thirdly, To propose some of those virtues that our
Saviour was most eminent for, and which are of the
greatest use in human life, and seriously to recom-
mend them to your imitation.
The first of these points I have already despatched,
and shall not now trouble you with a repetition of
any thing about it.
I proceed therefore to the second, which is to give
an account how far, and in what instances, Christ's
life is an example to us, and doth oblige us to imi-
tation.
And here the case that comes to be discussed
is this : Are we Christians so to propose the life
of Christ as the pattern and model of ours, as to
take ourselves to be obUged to do every thing that
our Saviour did, and in the same manner that he
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
349
did it? or, if we be not bound precisely to do this,
what rules and measures are we to take in this
matter ?
It is a very weighty case, and deserves to be very
carefully considei'ed ; because, indeed, upon the well
adjusting of it does depend the resolution of a great
many particular cases of conscience, which daily hap-
pen in human life, and which, if men have not right
notions of this general point, do frequently bring both
inconveniencies upon themselves and harm to the
public.
Now what I have to offer for the resolution of
this case, I shall, for my more distinct proceeding,
comprise in six particulars. And the first of them
is this :
I. Our Saviour cannot be supposed to have given
us an example in all the passages of his life, because
in some of them it is not possible for us to imitate
him. Several of our Saviour's actions were wholly
extraordinary, and the immediate effects of a super-
natural, divine power. Such were all the miracles
and wonderful works he wrought for the confirma-
tion of his doctrine, and giving testimony to the
world that he was a Prophet sent from God ; as
his curing all diseases, casting out devils, opening
the eyes of the blind, making the lame to walk, and
the dumb to speak, feeding many thousands with a
very small quantity of meat, raising the dead to life,
fasting forty days and forty nights ; with many more
instances of the like nature. Now in these things,
I say, we cannot pretend that Jesus Christ was an
example to us, because they are above the powers of
human nature to perform.
Some of the Quakers indeed heretofore have been
350
SERMON II.
so extravagantly vain, as to think they could do
these things by the power of the divine Spirit that
was in them ; and accordingly, as I have read, some
of them have attempted to raise a dead man out of
his grave ; and others to fast forty days, as our Sa-
viour did. But their shameful disappointment in
the first enterprise, and their losing their lives in
the second, hath been a demonstration that it
was not the Spirit of God (as they pretended) that
they were acted by, but the spirit of error and de-
lusion.
II. But, secondly, neither was our Saviour an ex-
ample to us in all those actions of his life in which
we are capable of imitating him. He did several
things which it is not warrantable for us to do ; and
he did likewise several things which, though we can
be supposed to do them lawfully, yet we are not
obliged to do them ; nay, oftentimes it would be
highly inconvenient if we should. This is my se-
cond proposition ; and the reason of it is this : our
Saviour was not in the same circumstances that we
are in this world. He had a particular office com-
mitted to him by his Father, for the discharge of
which many things were necessary, and many other
things highly convenient to be done by him, which
would by no means be allowable in us ; and such of
them as would be allowable, yet would be very in-
discreet.
As for instance ; our Saviour, as being a Prophet
sent from God, was vested with an authority to re-
form religion, and the abuse of God's worship among
the Jews ; and by virtue of that commission and au-
thority, we see he drove the buyers and sellers out of
the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
351
changers, and the seats of them that sold doves ;
these being great profanations of the temple, which
was designed, aS our Saviour tells them, to be a
house of 'prayer, and not a place of merchandise.
But now for any of us to do such an action, who are
private persons, and have no commission from God,
nor wari'ant from public authority, though the cause
of religion was never so much concerned, would be a
thing highly reprovable. I mention this the rather,
because this fact of our Saviour's hath sometimes
been pleaded for the countenancing of all outrageous,
tumultuous, seditious actions, that bold and mistaken
zeal could prompt a man to. Men have thought
that, by this precedent, tliey were warranted to af-
front the ministers of religion, even when they were
doing their office, to disturb the public service, to
tear the Liturgy, to deface church windows and
monuments, to defile the font and the holy table,
and to do any extravagant action that tended, as
they thought, to the reformation of religion, and the
pulling down (as their phrase was) of Dagon and
superstition. But supposing these things they were
so hot against to be as corrupt and superstitious as
they would have them ; supposing them to be great
abuses in the worship of God ; to be very rotten rags
of popery ; to be every whit as idolatrous as they
were really innocent and decent and convenient ;
yet this would not in the least justify such actions :
though their design was good, and the work they
went about was good, the whole action was very
bad. Whoever makes a riot, or disturbs the public
peace or worship, or affronts authority upon account
or pretence of redressing abuses in, or reforming of
religion, imless he can give evidence that he hath
352
SERMON II.
an immediate commission from God, (having none
from man,) and shew too the seal of that commis-
sion, namely, all manner of signs and wonders and
miracles, however zealous he may be for religion,
yet he hath not a ^eal according to knowledge ;
and God will be so far from rewarding him for it,
that he stands justly accountable both to God and
man for his extravagancy.
But to leave this, and to give another instance or
two in the matter we are upon. Our Saviour, we
know, after he was baptized and entered upon his
public ministry, left his former employment and ha-
bitation : for before that, he lived at Nazareth, and,
as is probable, exercised the art of a carpenter ; for
he is, in the sixth of St. Mark, verse 3, called the
carpenter by the Jews. I say, he left his employ-
ment and habitation, and from henceforward gave
himself in a manner wholly to an ambulatory life,
going from place to place, to do good to all persons,
and to preach the gospel to all he met with. But
now for any of us to imitate him in this, to leave
our callings, and our employments, and our rela-
tions, and our way of living, and to travel about
from town to town, though we proposed to our-
selves ends of never so great charity to mankind in
so doing, yet it would be so far in us from being a
praiseworthy action, that if all of us thought our-
selves obliged to it, it would destroy all trade and
commerce, and settled way of living in the world.
This kind of life was indeed necessary to our Sa-
viour, and to his apostles too, because the discharge
of the office committed to them did require it. Our
Saviour's errand was to preach the gospel of his
kingdom in all places among the Jews; (and this
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
,'353
office he entered upon at his haptisni ;) and the
apostles, they were to preach tlie gospel, and to
gather churches throughout all nations. But now,
where the gospel is already preached, and churches
planted, and the government of them settled, for any
one to imitate this practice would probably be so
far from doing good, that it would do liurt ; at least
those that undertake it are no ways obliged to it.
Thus again ; our Saviour chose a life of great
meanness and poverty : he had not a house to lay
his head in, but lived wholly on the charity of
others ; nay, he obliged his apostles likewise to quit
all their fortunes, and follow him. This now in him
and them was very reasonable, because it did very
much tend to promote those ends for which our Sa-
viour came hither ; did much conduce to the spread-
ing of the gospel, and gaining it entertainment in
the world. But now, when all things are settled,
and the gospel is become the law of a nation, and
the profession of it is not only freed from danger
and persecution, but is creditable and advantageous,
for any man, upon account of conformity to our Sa-
viour's life, to vow a voluntary poverty, or to ^ive
all that he hath to the poor, and to go about seek-
ing a livelihood from the charity of others, as he
hath no warrant for it, so will it never procure him
a greater reward in the other world ; unless we sup-
pose God will reward a man for deserting his station,
which Providence has put him in, and rendering
himself less useful to the world, and indeed (which
is the tendency of it) doing his part toward the dis-
solving civil society.
You see, in the circumstances our Saviour was
placed in, the person and character he bore, and the
ABl'. SHARPK, VOL. III. A a
354
SERMON II.
office he was to execute, ought thoroughly to be con-
sidered, before we pass a judgment what actions of
his are to be imitated by us. If we be in a different
state and condition, in a different quality from what
he was in, it will often fall out, that the same action
will not become us that was extremely proper and
decent in him.
To give one instance more of this that is very
considerable.
I have already said, that our Saviour acted in one
respect as a public person ; that is, he was sent by
God with authority to reform religion in the world.
But now this office of his did only extend to affairs
of religion. He did not pretend any jurisdiction or
authority as to civil causes and concernments, as he
that now calls himself his vicar doth. Those he
left in the same hands in which he found them ; in
that respect" he was only a private person, and was
as obedient to the civil government and the laws as
any in the country where he lived. And hereupon
it was, that when a man came to him to desire him
to divide an inheritance between him and his bro-
ther, that it seems they could not agree about, he
solemnly refuses to have any thing to do in the mat-
ter, saying to him, Man, who made me a judge or a
divider over you ? Luke xii. 14. And again, when
the woman that was taken in adultery was brought
before him, (John viii.) and he was asked his opin-
ion, whether, there being sufficient evidence of the
fact, she ought not to be stoned, as the law of Moses
had commanded, he, instead of passing sentence
upon her, endeavours to shame the accusers, bidding
those of them that were without sin to cast the first
stone at her. And when, upon this unexpected an-
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
355
swer, they all sneaked away, and the woman was
left alone, all the censure that he passed upon her
was this, that since she was not already condemned,
neither would he condemn her; only let her be care-
ful that she sinned no more. Now, I say, this kind
of deportment and these answers were very prudent
and proper in our Saviour, who was no ways con-
cerned in the administration of justice, or the decid-
ing controversies between man and man about their
civil rights and titles. But if any of his followers,
who is a judge or a magistrate, and intrusted with
- the execution of laws, should take this carriage of
our Saviour's for a precedent for him to walk by,
and should give such answers when justice, accord-
ing to law, is demanded of him, he would very ill
employ his power, and could no way answer it to
God or man.
Well; but since by this discourse it appears that
there are some actions of our Saviour's that cannot
be followed, and some that must not, or at least can-
not, with prudence and convenience, be followed;
the question is, what measures we are to take in
this matter? How shall we know when to imitate
our Saviour, and when not ?
III. By way of answer to this in general, I lay
down my third proposition ; and that is this : The
great rule that is to direct us in this affair is our
Saviour's precepts and commands. In what matter
soever our Saviour has laid his commands upon us,
in that we are bound to follow his steps : but where
we have no law, no command, as to the particular
matter, there we may or may not imitate him, ac-
cording as the reason of the thing directs, or the
parity or disparity of our circumstances with those
A a 2
356
SERMON II
of our Saviour doth fall out. The truth is, the pro-
per end and design of examples is rather to invite
and encourage to their imitation, than to oblige.
No man can be directly obliged in conscience to fol-
low another man in his actions, merely because he
sees him do them ; for then he vi^ould be obliged
indiscriminately to do whatever that person did,
which, as I have shewed before, would be intoler-
able. But we therefore take ourselves obliged to
follow any person's example, either because that
person hath authority over us, and hath commanded
us to follow him in such and such things ; or whe-
ther he have commanded us or no, we are sensible
that those instances, wherein we take ourselves ob-
liged to follow him, are really matters of duty to us,
and bound upon us by some law of God. So that,
in proper speaking, it is the law of God, or of our
Saviour, commanding us to do or to forbear such
and such particular things, which creates our obliga-
tion to follow his example in those things, and not
his example itself : thus, for instance, if it had not
been our duty, by Christ's command, to pray con-
stantly, to forgive injuries, to deny ourselves, and to
take up the cross, and the like, his example in these
matters would not have been of obligation to us.
But now, since by his laws all these are matters of
duty to us, hence it comes to pass that we are in-
dispensably obliged to follow his example in every
one of these instances, even to that degree that we
cannot call ourselves Christ's disciples if we do not.
The main thing therefore that is to be done by
us, in order to our taking right measures about the
imitation of Christ's example, is, to inform ourselves
carefully about all the points and branches of our
ON 1 PETER II. ai.
357
duty, as they are laid down by our Saviour in his
holy gospel. When once we are rightly instructed
in these, we shall seldom be at a loss to know what
those things are in the life of our blessed Saviour,
that we are to charge ourselves with the imitation
of; and what those things are that do not so im-
mediately concern us to put in practice.
IV. But, fourthly, though, as I said, it is our Sa-
viour's laws that give force and obligatoriness to his
example, yet this doth not hinder but that we may
likewise receive great benefit and advantage, and
sometimes directions also, from actions of his, that
in strictness we either cannot, or are not bound to
imitate. For all these actions of his, both those that
were wholly miraculous, and those that related to
and were pursuant of that public office that was
committed to him, and those also that seemed the
most indifferent and arbitrary, and in which he hath
given us no command ; I say, all these do mightily
help us to make a judgment what manner of person
our Saviour was ; what his spirit and temper and
qualities were. Now certainly in these we are bound
always, and without exception, to imitate him, be-
cause he himself hath over and over again com-
manded us so to do; though we are not bound to do
those particular actions by which that spirit and
temper, and those qualities were expressed. So that
take any action of our Saviour's that is recorded in
the whole gospel, whether it be such a one as we
are bound to imitate him in, or such a one as we are
not bound, yet it will be, some way or other, of
great use to us in the conduct of our lives.
I shall explain my meaning in two or three in-
stances.
A a 3
358
SERMON II.
When we consider the nature and kind of those
many wonderful works that our Saviour wrought for
the confirmation of his doctrine, and find they were
not merely signs and pi'odigies, and such supernatu-
ral operations as did only tend to amaze and astonish
people, (as those were that are said to have been
wrought by Apollonius Tyaneus,) and likewise that
they did not consist in judgments, and in executing
the vengeance of God upon sinners and wicked men ;
(as did those miracles which Moses really wrought
when he brought the children of Israel out of the
Egyptian slavery;) but they were all of them mi-
racles of mercy, actions of kindness and charity and
beneficence to mankind ; that though they were pri-
marily intended to shew that lie was a Prophet sent
from God, yet they were done in such a way, that
still somebody or other had benefit by them : either
some blind man was restored to his sight, or some
sick man cured, or some lunatic brought to his right
wits, or some hungry man fed, or the like. I say,
though we cannot propose to ourselves to imitate
our Saviour in these miraculous works of his, yet
we may, from the nature of these works, be notably
instructed what kind of spirit our Saviour was of,
and what kind of dispensation that was that he
came to set on foot in the world. It appears plainly
from hence, that our Saviour was a preacher of
, mercy and a lover of mercy ; that he came to save
men, and not to destroy them ; that his kingdom
was to be a kingdom of love and peace ; and that he
himself was so far from being wrathful and vindic-
tive in his temper, (though never man was more
provoked than he was,) that, on the contrary, he was
beyond all expression kind, and benign, and com-
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
359
passionate, and longsufFering, and took the greatest
delight in the world to do good to all that came in
his way.
Now this very observation cannot but be of great
use to us; for it will teach us to set a higher value
upon those qualities of beneficence and charity, and
will let us see that we are not of the Christian spirit,
if we do not study to do good to all, according to
the ability that we have ; and that though we can-
not work miracles for the relief of necessitous and
miserable persons, as our Saviour did, yet we should
be as kind and as serviceable to them as we can.
Thus again, when we consider that action of our
Saviour's, of driving the buyers and sellers out of the
temple, we cannot but from hence observe what a
great zeal our Saviour had for the honour and the
reverent usage of places dedicated to God's service,
and how concerned he was that they should not be
profaned and put to a common use. Now though this
action of his, as I said, will not warrant us to do
the same, because we have not the same authority
that he had ; yet it will teach us that we ought
every one of us to behave ourselves reverently in
the house of God, and in our sphere, and, as far as
we lawfully may, to do our endeavours to vindicate
both places and things that appertain to God as
much as we can from profanation and contempt.
Thus again, when our Saviour washed the feet of
his disciples ; this action of his doth not pass any ob-
ligation upon us to do the same, in a literal sense,
either to our servants or friends : yet it plainly
shews what a mighty stress he laid upon all actions
of humility and condescension and obligingness, in
that, for the recommending such actions to us, he
A a 4
3G0
SERMON II.
would stoop to so mean an office as the washing his
disciples' feet. Now this will still add a greater
weight to tlie command that he hath given us in
this matter. For thus we are to reason; (as he him-
self applies this action, and it is such a reasoning as
hath the force of a demonstration ;) If Jesus Christ,
our great Lord and Master, descended so low as to
wash the feet of his servants, then sure the best of
us ought not to think ourselves too good to serve
our brethren even in tiie meanest instances.
Lastly, suppose any of us, in a case where our
rights and privileges are concerned, should be doubt-
ful how we are to behave ourselves, whether we
should insist upon them, or whether we should de-
part from them ; and the case is such, that we have
no express command of God to determine us either
way : why now, in this case, we have an example of
our Saviour that will be of great use to us, because
it shews what kind of principles he himself then
acted by, though he gave no command in the mat-
ter. For when the tribute-money towards the re-
pairs and service of the temple was demanded of
him by the Jewish officers, though he made it ap-
pear to them that he was not obliged to pay it, as
being, by a peculiar privilege and personal right,
free from that imposition, yet rather than offend
them, (as he expresses it,) rather than do a thing
that men might make an ill construction of, and
that might encourage others to refuse the payment
of their dues, he orders St. Peter to lay down the
money they demanded, though yet a miracle must
be wrought before that money could be come by.
See this history in the seventeenth of St. Matthew,
ver. 24.
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
361
Here now is an everlasting rule given to all Chris-
tians how they are to behave themselves in such
cases as these ; namely, that it is better to depart
from our rights than from our charity ; and that
privileges are not to be insisted on against a public
good, or when the insisting on them proves matter
of scandal, or gives ill example to others. /
The sum of what I have said upon this head
comes to this : though the general rules and mea-
sures of our following Christ's example be his laws
and precepts, yet all his actions, if we do not so
much attend to the particular action as to the mind
and spirit with which it was done, will be of wonder-
ful use to us, both for the reforming our judgments,
and directing our practice, and for the encourage-
ment of us in all godly and holy living. We ought
in all instances to be of the same spirit and temper
that our Saviour was ; and, if we are sure that we
are in the same circumstances that he was, then to
do as he did. And in any case that happens to us,
where we have no direct law of our Saviour's to
guide ourselves by, we may then have recourse to
his example ; (I mean the example of his genius and
temper ;) putting the question to ourselves, How
would my Lord have done in this case, had he been
in the same circumstances that I am now in ? And
if we resolve sincerely to act as we believe he would
have done in the case, according to those notices we
have from the history of his life, of his humour and
qualities and temper, there are few cases wherein
we shall fail of good direction.
V. My fifth proposition about this point is this :
In a matter where Christ hath laid his commands
upon us, yet we are not bound to come up to the
362
SERMON II.
precise measures of our Saviour's life; we are not
obliged to that degree of exactness and perfection in
our actions that he attained to : it is enough for us
that in these matters we follow him as far as we
can ; that we endeavour to imitate him according to
our measures, though we never reach that excel-
lency, that heroical virtue, that he gave proof of in
all his actions.
The reason of this is plain. As our Saviour was
an extraordinary person, so the instances he gave of
his virtue were sometimes extraordinary also. And
the duties he recommended to others he himself per-
formed, not only in full perfection, without any mix-
ture of sin and infirmity, but also sometimes in such
instances, and with such circumstances, as the weak-
ness of our present state and our course of life in the
world will not allow us to imitate.
To give an instance of this. He was much in his
devotions to God ; so ought we, because it is a plain
command. But he was so intense and fervent in
those devotions, that we may reasonably believe no
wandering thoughts, no distractions of mind did
ever discompose or interrupt him. Why in this too
we should imitate him as far as we can ; but yet to
attain to the same degree of fixedness and fervency
of spirit we must never expect, and therefore cer-
tainly we are not bound to it.
But further ; so great was the ardour and flame
of his devotion, that he spent whole nights in retire-
ment and prayer to God, as the gospel informs us.
But now for us to think ourselves obliged to do so
would be very unreasonable, and might draw great
inconveniences upon us. It is sufficient for us that
we be as earnest and as diligent and as frequent in
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
363
our devotions, both public and private, as our strength
and our necessary occasions will allow; but to tie
up ourselves rigidly to so many hours, or to whole
nights of prayer, in imitation of our Saviour, is more
than sometimes our constitution will bear, or, if it
would, there is no obligation upon us to do it.
VI. Lastly, to all this let me add one proposition
more, and then I have offered all that I have to say
upon this argument ; and it is this :
That in those very particular actions of our Sa-
viour, that he hath obliged us to imitate him in, yet,
as to the circumstances of them, he hath left us at
liberty ; and we are to govern ourselves by reason
and prudence, or by the custom of the country
where we live, or by the laws of our superiors.
Thus, for instance, our Saviour at his last supper
took b?'ead, and blessed, and brake it, and gave it
to his disciples, saying. Take eat, this is my body
which is given for you : do this in remembrance of
me: and so likewise the cup after supper. This
action now the ministers of the gospel are to imitate
our Saviour in as long as the worl4 lasts, because
he hath solemnly commanded that they should do
so. But they are not bound to imitate him in all
the particular circumstances of this action of his ;
they are not bound, when they celebrate this holy
supper, to do it just in the same manner, and at such
a time of the day, and in such a sort of place as our
Lord himself did, because this is nowhere com-
manded either by Christ or his apostles ; nor indeed
are these things at all of the essence of the action,
but particularly separable from it and adventitious
to it. I the rather choose to mention this instance,
because it hath afforded matter for many scruples
S6i
SERMON II.
and much dispute in our days. How comes it to
pass, say some, that you of the church of England
oblige all those that receive tlie sacrament among
you to receive it in the posture of kneeling ? Is not
this contrary to the practice of our Saviour? Did
not his apostles receive it at his hands in a different
posture, namely, in a table posture, and not in a
praying posture ? And is not every religious action
of our Saviour's to be imitated as far as we are ca-
pable of imitating it? This is the great argument
that is brought against our usage of kneeling at the
sacrament ; and is of such force with some, that, upon
account thereof, they dare not join in our communion.
I will not here enter upon a vindication of the
unexceptionableness, lawfulness, decency, and anti-
quity of this posture in receiving the sacrament, and
the fitness of it above all others, but shall just con-
sider the matter so far as my present proposition
leads me to speak of it. And tliat which I would
say is this : Those people that make the objection
against kneeling that I have now mentioned, do not
seem to consider the difference of an action and the
circumstances of an action. Gesture or posture is
not an action, but the circumstance of an action :
let us therefore be never so much bound to imitate
our Saviours or the apostles' actions, yet it doth not
from hence follow that we are bound to imitate their
gestures or postures in those actions. And if any
will affirm that we are, they ouglit at least to give
us some sort of proof for it, either from scripture or
the sense of the primitive church. The scriptures, I
am sure, can produce none; and the primitive church,
if we may judge of their sense by their practice, is
quite against them.
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
3G5
But I wish those that insist upon this would give
me an answer to this question : Why should we be
more obliged to imitate the posture of our Saviour
and his apostles, in receiving the holy sacrament,
than to imitate the time, the place, the habit in
which they did it ? Ought there not to be as much
regard had to these circumstances in any action as
to the former? Are they not all of equal moment
and consideration ? If I must be bound to partake
of the holy supper only in that posture in which it
was instituted and taken at first by our Lord and
his apostles, then I must likewise, by parity of rea-
son, be bound to receive it in such a place as they
did, that is to say, not in a church but in a chamber.
I must be bound to receive it at the time that they
did, that is to say, not in the morning and fasting,
but after supper. The minister that gives it me
ought to have on such a habit as our Saviour had,
that is to say, a long woven robe without seam, and
not a gown or surplice. But now since none do think
themselves obliged to observe these things, why
should they think themselves so tied up as to the
other ? unless they can shew that there is something
peculiar and particularly obligatory in this circum-
stance of gesture which there is not in the other
three. But this no man has ever yet shewed, nor,
I believe, ever will.
But I would further ask these our brethren. Do
they themselves observe that law which they would
impose upon others? Do they use that gesture in
taking the holy supper that our Saviour and his
apostles did ? If what they say be true, namely, that
the apostles received the sacrament at our Saviour's
hands in a table posture, then I am sure they do not.
366
SERMON II.
For the posture which our Saviour and his apostles
used in taking their meals, was not sitting, as we
practise, but lying or leaning on a couch, as may
be proved from several texts of scripture ; and par-
ticularly from the account that is given by St. John
of this very last supper of our Saviour's. But now I
never heard that any of our brethren used to receive
the sacrament in this posture, but they do it either
sitting or standing ; which is a quite different gesture.
But in answer to this, they say, that we are not ob-
liged to observe precisely that particular posture that
our Saviour used, but only in general that posture
which is used at meals, because he did so. Now the
custom of our country is to take our meals sitting,
and therefore in using that posture at the sacrament
we do sufficiently follow our Saviour's example.
To this I reply, first, that this is gratis dictum ;
those that say this, can give no reason why they say
so. If the principle they build their notion upon will
hold water, it will every jot as much prove the ne-
cessity of imitating Christ in the particular posture
he used, as of imitating him in the general, that is to
say, observing the common table posture used in our
country.
But further ; if the general received posture at
meals be the only allowable posture of receiving the
sacrament, (as must be concluded from this doctrine,
if any thing can be concluded from it,) then what will
become of them that receive the sacrament standing,
(as many do ;) that is no more the common posture at
meals than kneeling is. It is sitting that hath uni-
versally prevailed in our country ; and therefore to
receive the sacrament standing, or in any other pos-
ture but sitting, must, according to this doctrine, be
ON PETER II. 21.
367
irregular ; which yet, I hope, none of them will af-
firm. But, lastly, to conclude ; pray let this be con-
sidered : Why should the custom of any country be
sufficient to make standing or sitting to come in the
place of lying or leaning at the sacrament, and yet
the public law of a nation shall not be able to do as
much for kneeling ? Shall not a law made by public
authority, and confirmed by long usage of the church,
have the same force to establish kneeling in the place
of sitting, (there being no more unlawfulness in the
one posture than in the other,) as a custom brought
in by little and little, and without any public author-
ity, had to bring in sitting in the place of leaning ?
But I am sensible I tire you with being so long
upon this head. All the apology I have to make is,
that I thought it would serve some purpose to make
this matter as plain as was possible.
I have now done with my cases of conscience con-
cerning the extent of our obligation to follow Christ's
example, which, you see, I have resolved in six pro-
positions.
The next thing I am to do is, to propose some of
those virtues which our Saviour was most eminent
for, and which are of the greatest use in human life,
and seriously to recommend them to your imitation.
I pray God give a blessing to what has been said.
Now to God, &c.
SERMON III.
ON
1 PETER II. 21.
leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps.
I HAVE made two Sermons upon this text. In
the first of them I laid before you in general the
great obligation that lies upon us to follow our
Lord's example. In the second, I endeavoured to
shew the extent of this obligation ; how far, and in
what instances, Christ's life was an example to us ;
in what cases we are obliged to the imitation of it,
and in what cases not. I now come to the third
thing I proposed upon this text, and which indeed
is the principal thing I intended when I first pitched
upon it ; and that is, to give a more particular ac-
count of our Saviour's life, as it was designed for an
example to us ; and to draw some sort of picture of
him, as to those virtues and qualities which he was
most eminent and remarkable for, and in which he
chiefly proposed himself to our imitation, and most
earnestly to recommend them to your practice.
And indeed very great benefits and advantages
shall we reap to ourselves by seriously employing
our thoughts and meditations upon this subject. O
what a mighty check would the frequent considera-
tion of our Saviour's holy and immaculate life give
to the temptations of vice and lust with which we
are daily assaulted ! and how powerful a spur and
incitement would it be to us vigorously to pursue all
ON 1 PETER II. SI.
manner of virtue and holiness !■ We should think no
attainments too big for our courage and endeavour,
so long as we had but the holy Jesus before our
eyes. To consider what victories he obtained against
sin and the world, and the kingdom of darkness,
would inspire us with resolutions worthy of those
that pretend to be the followers of so great a Mas-
ter ; nay, we should not only receive encouragement,
but also very considerable assistances and directions
for the conduct of ourselves in this Christian war-
fare, from a due consideration of this example of
Christ. If we were thoroughly instructed in the
spirit and temper of our Saviour, it would be hard
to impose upon us with any false notions of religion,
or new-fangled modes of worship : we should be able
to give every duty its just value, and not be apt,
as it too frequently happens, to lay a greater stress
upon some things than God has laid upon them, and
to make others more inconsiderable than they really
are in God's account. In a word, we should not
want a very good and useful rule to steer ourselves
by in all cases and circumstances that we happen to
be engaged in, where the express laws of God seem
either to be short or too obscure. Let us all there-
fore be diligent and frequent in reading the Gospels
of the New Testament, wherein the history of our
Saviour's life is recorded : and let us from hence
thoroughly acquaint ourselves with the manner of
his conversation, and observe what a person he was ;
what kind of genius and disposition he had ; what
were the great ends and designs he pursued in all
his actions ; what duties of religion he was most
zealous in ; how in such and such occurrences he
behaved himself : and, when we have so done, let
ABP. SIIAUPE, VOI-. III. B b
370
SERMON III.
us in these things seriously propose him to our
imitation ; so shall we not fail of the aforesaid be-
nefits.
Now, if we consult those sacred writers, we can-
not, in the first place, avoid observing how devout
a person our Saviour was ; and that both in public
and private. Of his devotions in public he gave a
very early instance, when being brought to Jerusa-
lem by his parents (which was when he was but
twelve years old) he constantly frequented the tem-
ple : that was the place where they found him after
they had three days missed him, being in their jour-
ney homewards : and when they told him how long
they had been seeking him, and seemed to complain
that he had absented himself from them, his answer
is very remarkable, Luke ii. 49. How is it, saith he,
that ye sought me ? IVist ye not that I must be in
my Father's house ? Our translation doth indeed
render it, Wist ye not that I must be about my
Father's business ? But this sense, in the judg-
ment of the most learned critics, doth not so well
suit with the signification of the words : the phrase
ev Toli rov -TraTpog jxov being most naturally to be ex-
pounded in my Father's house ; and so some of the
best interpreters, both ancient and modern, have
translated it. This then is our Saviours answer:
Ye needed not, O my parents, have gone far to seek
me ; for if ye had well considered either the office I
am designed for, or the duty I owe to my heavenly
Father, ye might easily have concluded that his
house, his holy temple, was the place where ye
might have found me, it being there that my busi-
ness chiefly lies. And what he now declared he
made good in his practice all his life after. He was
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
371
constantly present at the public assemblies appointed
by law for the worship of God in all places where he
had his abode : nor do we ever find that either he
himself held separate religious meetings from the
established Jewish church, or encouraged others so
to do. On the contrary, when he was in the coun-
tiy, he failed not to frequent the synagogues on the
sabbath day, which were the places of public wor-
ship there: and when he was at Jerusalem, he was,
as he himself tells us, daily in the temple ; though
yet he knew that the synagogue worship was not
commanded by any express law of God, but was
only of human institution : and as for the temple,
though it was a place of worship of God's own ap-
pointment, yet he knew and declared that the ser-
vice of it was just upon the point of expiring, and
that the time was coming when men should no longer
worship there, John iv.
How religious was he in observing all the solemn
festivals of the Jewish church, not only those that
were of God's appointment, (as the sabbaths, and the
three great feasts of the Passover, Pentecost, and the
Tabernacles,) but those also that had no other au-
thority but what the laws of the land could give
them ! as we have an instance in the feast of the
Dedication, for the solemnizing of which we find
our Saviour making a journey to Jerusalem, though
yet that festival was only of human appointment,
John X. 22.
How zealous an assertor was he of the reverend
usage of places devoted to God's service ! for he
would not endure that the house of God should be
put to a common use, but whipped out those that
bought and sold in the temple, (though yet it was
B b 2
372
SERMON III.
only such things they bought and sold as were for
sacrifices and oblations to God,) declaring that the
house of God was a house of prayer to all nations,
and therefore ought not to be made a place of mer-
chandise.
How ready was he to submit to all the rates and
taxes that were imposed for the repairs of the temple,
and the defraying of the charges of the public wor-
ship there ! insomuch that though he was very poor,
and was besides a privileged person, yet he would
be at the expense of a miracle rather than not pay
the half shekel that was demanded of every son
of Israel, as a tribute to the house of God, Matt,
xvii. 24.
Any one now that reads and considers these pas-
sages of our Saviour's life, cannot but see a wide dif-
ference between his principles and temper and car-
riage in these matters, and those of many of his fol-
lowers in our days. Several there are among us that
would be thought Christians, who are so far from
being duly and constantly attendant on the public
worship of God, that they rarely join in it at all,
except invited by curiosity, or to save themselves
from the reproach of being infidels, and of no reli-
gion. Others are zealous for a public worship, and
do constantly attend it ; but unhappy it is for them
and for us that we cannot worsliip God in the same
way, but are parcelled out into several communions.
Sure every good man should think, that it is not a
little thing that should divide us from the established
church, when he considers that our Saviour paid such
regard to the public establishments, that he made no
scruple of communicating in the services and litur-
gies of the temple and synagogue of his time ; which
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
373
yet certainly were not the perfectest and most unex-
ceptionable, since the Scribes and Pharisees had the
chief management of them.
I might go on in comparing our Saviour's prac-
tices with some modern ones, and shewing the dif-
ference between them as to all the other instances
I have mentioned out of his life : but I take no de-
light in such a subject, and therefore will pursue it
no further.
All that I meant by the passages I have quoted
was, to give you some kind of taste of what nature
our Saviour's public devotion was ; from whence you
may easily gather, that if we mean to copy out our
Saviour's example, and to be devout as he was, it
will concern us to take all opportunities that our
occasions will allow us of worshipping God in pub-
lic, and not think it sufficient to say our prayers in
private. It will concern us, especially on the solemn
days appointed for this end, never to absent our-
selves without very great reason. It will concern
us likewise to worship God in public, according to
the laws and constitutions of the place where we
live, unless it do plainly and evidently appear to us
that there is something in the established worship
that we cannot join in without sinning against God.
It will concern us also, when we are at the public
assemblies, to behave ourselves decently and reve-
rently, as remembering we are in the presence of
God ; and at all other times likewise to make a dif-
ference between the house of God and houses to eat
and drink in, as St. Paul distinguishes them. Lastly,
it will concern us to contribute, according to our
measures and proportion, to the maintenance of a
decent, solemn worship of God among us. All these
B b 3
374
SERMON III.
particulars may, I think, be gathered from these pas-
sages of our Saviour's life that I have now quoted to
you.
These instances may serve to give you a taste of
our Saviour's devotion in public, and of the nature of
it, and of what principles he was acted by, and what
his temper and carriage was in matters relating to
the outward worship of God. Application hereof I
make none : I leave that to be made by every one's
self, as he finds occasion for it.
But further, which deserves our special considera-
tion : our Saviour was not more exemplary in his
devotions in public than he was in private ones.
He was much conversant with God by prayer and
meditation. He frequently took occasions of retir-
ing himself from all business and company, that he
might the more freely contemplate, and the more in-
tensely fix his thoughts upon spiritual things, and
the more ardently pour out his soul to God, and en-
joy communion with him ; and very considerable
portions of time did he spend in such devout priva-
cies. When the time came that he was to enter
upon his office, which was at his baptism, we find he
prepared himself for it by a retirement of forty days,
which he spent in fasting and prayer, in conflicting
with the Devil, and in all the exercises of faith and
trust and devotion towards God ; (in imitation of
which our forty days fast of Lent was appointed.)
Here he gained his first victory and triumph over
the Devil and his kingdom ; and here he experienced
all the sweetness of an uninterrupted converse with
God and angels, and found the influences of it his
whole life after.
And as he thus began the great work committed
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
375
to him, so in the same manner he carried it on,
though never any lived a more public life than he
did ; though never any was more crowded with
company, or had his hands fuller of business than he
had ; yet nevertheless he would either find or make
his times for his privacies and devotions : if he could
not have it in the day, yet would he take it from
his rest in the night ; nay, sometimes in such por-
tions as to continue a whole night in these his re-
tirements, as you may see in the first of St. Mark,
ver. 35. Luke vi. 12.
This practice of our Saviour's may convince us
how necessary it is that we should be frequent and
diligent in the performance of our private devotions ;
that we often take occasion to abstract ourselves
from worldly business, that we may the better be at
leisure for pious thoughts and meditations, for devout
prayer and other religious exercises. If our Sa-
viour found it needful so to do, who had attained to
the perfection of virtue, who had a constant pre-
sence of mind, who was master of himself and his
business, and could not be supposed easily to be pre-
vailed upon by any temptation either from without
or within ; how absolutely needful will it be for us
to put this duty in practice, who are pitiful, sorry,
weak creatures, apt every moment to be distracted
by worldly objects, and to be drawn away by the
temptations and allurements of sin that are round
about us !
People may imagine what they please about the
mighty feats that may be performed through the
strength of a good resolution. But when all this is
done, they will find that there is no getting such a
victory over their lusts and corruptions ; no living
B b 4
376
SERMON III.
such a Christian life as the gospel requires of us,
without the practice of earnest and ardent prayer to
God, and a constant attendance to reading and me-
ditation, and other such devout exercises. Though
we have formed our purposes, as we think, never so
strongly, and doubt not but we shall be sufficiently
able to stand upon our guard ; yet, if we do not
daily apply ourselves to the throne of grace for
strength and influence and support ; if we do not
frequently take times to recollect and renew our re-
solutions, and fortify our minds by strong considera-
tion, by repeating to ourselves the great obligations
we have to God, and the absolute necessity there is
of forsaking our sins and pursuing a course of virtue
and holiness ; and, lastly, by fixing our thoughts on
the vast, immense rewards that await us at the end
of our pilgrimage, if we behave ourselves worthily :
I say, if we do not daily give ourselves to the prac-
tice of these things, how good soever at the present
our intentions and purposes may be, yet there is
little hopes we shall make any great progress or ad-
vancement in Christianity, but shall at last insen-
sibly sink down into a state of carelessness and in-
differency as to those matters, if not return to a
worldly, sensual, or vicious life.
But, secondly, let us propose our Saviour to our-
selves as a person that, as he was very devout to-
wards God, so was he also very diligent in the busi-
ness he had to do in the world. He did not so
spend his time in solitude and abstractions, as to
hinder the discharge of any of the works of his call-
ing. On the contrary, he lived more publicly be-
cause of his frequent privacies. His retirements
served for no other purpose than to make him more
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
377
active and vigorous in doing good when he came
into company. He so managed his devotions to-
wards God, that they were no obstructions, but a
great furtlierance of the duties he owed unto men ;
and hereby, as he gave us the true notion and mea-
sures of a perfect life, so did he effectually confute
the superstitious fancies that too many of his fol-
lowers have entertained concerning religion.
There are a sort of men, we know, in the world,
that place the perfection of Christianity in living at
a distance from the concernments of the world.
With them, to serve God in the best way is to
dwell in a wilderness, or to be cloistered up within
the walls of a monastery, and to sit loose from all
the business of common life. And so far hath this
notion of religion obtained, that none are accounted
among the number of the religious but those that
have taken upon them this kind of life. I wish
there were not also some among us that are too
much popish in this respect, though they yet suffi-
ciently hate the name of papists. Are there not
those that make religion wholly to consist in doing
of duty, as they call it ? If they do but go to prayers
often enough, and hear sermons enow, and spend
their time in reading godly books, and such otlier
exercises and amusements, they think it is all that
is required of them ; it is with them the sum and
perfection of religion.
God forbid that I should blame any body for
doing these things ! on the contrary, I would en-
courage every one in the practice of them : for, as I
said before, they are necessary duties ; so necessary,
that it is impossible to be religious, to any great pur-
pose, without a conscientious respect unto them.
378
SERMON III.
But this is the thing I blame, the thinking that we
have no other work to do in the world but this.
The being so taken up with these things, as to neg-
lect all the other weighty business of our callings, and
the duties which our families, our neighbours, our
country do call for at our hands. As God hath not
confined religion to cloisters and deserts, so neither
hath he shut it up in churches or closets : but he
hath so contrived it that it may flourish in our
cities and in our fields, in our shops and in our
markets, even in all the places where our employ-
ment lies. God never intended that religion should
be an enemy to business and an active life ; but ra-
ther an instrument to promote the one and encou-
rage the other. We then serve God best when
we make our religious oflSces and contemplations a
means to advance the diligent pursuit of our call-
ings and the doing good in the world : we are
then most devout when we most benefit others :
and it is the most acceptable sacrifice to God to be
useful in our generations.
This, I am sure, was the thing that our Saviour
proposed to himself : for though, as I said, he had
his time of retirement, wherein he gave himself up
to meditation and prayer, yet the design hereof was,
that he might the next moment more illustriously
appear in the world as a pattern of good works.
His devotions did not spend themselves in unprofit-
able ardours, and for his own content and satisfaction
only; but they influenced his actions, and made him
more busy, more vigorous in the discharge of that
employment that God had committed to him : nay,
whenever the duties of his calling and the duties of
devotion, properly so called, came into competition,
ON 1 PETER II. ai.
379
we find that he made the latter give way to the
former ; as we have a famous instance in his pre-
ferring acts of charity before the exact observation
of the sabbath : and he backed his practices herein
with a memorable axiom, which he had made a
standing rule in all such cases, that God will have
mercy, and not sacrifice. Not that to offer sacri-
fices was not a duty, or that God would refuse them
when they were devoutly offered ; but that of the
two he rather delights in works of mercy ; and that
if both cannot come together, the former must give
place ; we then best expressing our love to God,
whom we have not seen, when we express our love
to men, whom we have seen, as St. John tells us.
And this leads me to the third thing, wherein we
are to propose our Saviour to our imitation, (and it
shall be the last I shall consider at this time,) namely,
his boundless love and charity.
Of all his other virtues and excellent qualities
this was most conspicuous in him, and this was that
which he most recommended to our practice. His
whole life was but one continued, illustrious expres-
sion of kindness and charity. Never was any person
in the world known to be so sweet, so obliging, so
compassionate, so kind, as was our Lord Jesus. How
eager, how insatiable a thirst had he to do all the
good he could to mankind ! how did he seek op-
portunity to oblige and to benefit every body ! He
went up and down to see ^vho stood in need of his
presence and assistance, either for soul or body ; and
whoso did, never failed of it. So intent was he upon
doing offices of charity to others, that he often neg-
lected himself, and would rather deny himself the
due satisfactions of nature, than that they should
380
SERMON III.
not he benefited. How many sick persons did he
restore to their health, blind to their sight, and lame
to^ their joints, and dumb to their speech, and pos-
sessed and distracted persons to their right minds !
nor w as he less kind to the souls than the bodies of
men. How zealous, how constant, how laborious,
how indefatigable was he in preaching the glad
tidings of God's grace and favour to all poor souls !
how did he take every opportunity of making men
better by his discourses ! No conversation that he
was engaged in, though the subject of it was never
so ordinary and indifferent, but he would improve
it to the purposes of doing good to men's souls, tak-
ing every occasion that offered itself in discourse to
raise up the minds of the hearers from carnal and
sensible things, to spiritual and heavenly.
O with what plainness and condescension would
he instruct the ignorant ! with what power would
he convince gainsayers ! with what freedom, and
with what authority would he reprove vice and sin
wherever he found it !
O how gently would he deal with weak persons,
never breaking a bruised reed, nor quenching the
flax that had the least smoke in it !
O how affectionately would he embrace all those
that came unto him, and how tenderly would he
even weep over those that obstinately refused their
own mercy! Witness the kind tears that ran down
his cheeks when he beheld his incorrigible city : O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, saith lie, thou that Mlledst
the prophets, and stoned them that were sent unto
thee, how often would I have gathered thee as a
hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but
ye would not ! but now your house is left unto you
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
381
desolate : and then the gentle Jesus wept ! What
should I say more of the large, intense, universal
charity and good-will with which our Saviour en-
deavoured to oblige the world ; the time would fail
to reckon up the instances of it : the sum of all is,
as he lived a miracle of love, so he died one. That
same Jesus, who had every moment of his life been
doing good to some one or other; and that same
Jesus, that had never received any other requital
from the world for all this goodness, but affronts and
injuries, contempt and reproaches; yet this same
Jesus, so far was his love from being abated by all
this unworthy usage, that, as if what he had hi-
therto done for mankind had signified nothing, he
offers up his precious life as a ransom for the world :
he voluntarily submits to all the outrages that malice
could invent, to lewd mockings and buffetings and
scourgings, to an unjust sentence of an unjust judge,
to a cruel, painful, ignominious death in ignominious
company !
This did the most innocent, the most virtuous, the
most noble of mankind do, that he might purchase
happiness for the world, not for his friends only,
but for his enemies, even those very enemies that
thus contumeliously treated him ; and at the same
time that they were expressing the utmost of their
cruelties and malice against him, loading him with
new torments, did not only forgive them, but, with
a generosity without example, prayed to God to for-
give them also ; nay, and made excuses and apo-
logies for them; Father, saith he,Jbrgive them; for
they know not what they do.
O how heroical was this goodness ! how unpa-
ralleled was this kindness ! Who can declare the
382
SERMON III.
greatness and the strength, the height and the depth
of thy love, O thou great Benefactor to mankind !
we can never utter it, but we stand amazed at it, and
we will for ever adore it. O holy and immaculate
Jesus! blessed, for ever blessed be thy glorious name,
O thou King of love, for thy inexhausted treasures
of love towards us, and the excellent example thou
hast hereby given to us!
And now we have some part of the picture of our
blessed Saviour, though it must be confessed it is
very rudely drawn, and infinitely short of the ori-
ginal; yet these are the lineaments in which he him-
self desired chiefly to be expressed and represented to
the sons of men. This is the temper, and these are
the qualities which he was most of all to be known
by, and which God most valued in him, and which
he himself hath most laid his commands upon us to
imitate him in.
And O that we would so long and so earnestly
fix our eyes upon this loving Saviour, as to be trans-
formed into his love I
O that we were so affected with his goodness, as
ourselves to become all goodness, all kindness to our
brethren ! O that this flame of love, that was in him,
would seize upon our hearts, and utterly turn out of
them all self-love and narrowness of spirit, that we,
with as extended arms as Jesus, did embrace the
whole creation of God ! O when will the time come,
that, laying aside all piques and quarrels and con-
tentions, all hatred and animosity, all parties and
factions, all wrath and bitterness and evil-speaking,
all malice and censoriousness, all sourness and mo-
roseness of temper, we shall be kind and affection-
ate one to another, bearing with one another, and
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
383
Jbrgiving one another, even as God for Chrisfs
salce hath forgiven us; doing all the good we can,
obliging all sorts of persons as much as is in our
power, being easy of access, ready to do kindnesses,
relieving, according to our abilities, every one's ne-
cessities, and, as much as in us lies, setting forward
the salvation of all men.
This is to imitate Jesus ; this is to walk as we have
him for an example ; and in vain do we call ourselves
his disciples if we do not thus walk, if we do not pos-
sess ourselves of this spirit and temper. If we would
have recourse to Jesus himself, and desire to know of
him what evidences he would have us give to him and
to the world that we are truly his followers and dis-
ciples, he hath already resolved us, John xiii. 35.
Hereby, saith he, shall all men know that ye are my
discij)les, f ye love one another. And if we further
desire to know of him how we must love one an-
other, what kind of love he expects from us, he hath
in the foregoing verse told us that also : A new com-
mandment, saith he, give I unto you. That ye love
one another I even as I have loved you, that ye
love one another.
Away therefore with all other marks of Chris-
tianity that fall short of this. Let us have never so
much knowledge in the mysteries of the gospel ; let
us have never so strong a faith in Christ, though it
were even effectual for the removing of mountains ;
let us be never so orthodox in our opinions ; let us
preach and pray never so fluently and affectionately ;
nay, though we spoke with the tongues of men and
angels ; nay, though we bestow all our goods to feed
the poor, and give ourselves to be burnt for martyrs ;
yet, if we have not the true love and charity that
384 SERMON III. ON 1 PETER II. 21.
was in Jesus, all signifies nothing. This the apostle
St. Paul does largely and eloquently set forth to us
in the whole thirteenth chapter of the First Epistle
to the Corinthians.
And so much for my third general point. Other
particulars remain to be spoken to, which I shall re-
serve to another occasion : in the mean time I will
conclude this Discourse with a Collect of our Li-
turgy :
*' Almighty God, who hast given thy only Son to
" be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an en-
" sample of godly life ; give us grace that we may
" alway most thankfully receive that his inestima-
" ble benefit, and also daily endeavour ourselves to
" follow the blessed steps of his most holy life,
" through the same Jesus our Lord."
To whom, with the Father, &c.
SERMON IV.
ON
1 PETER II. 21.
leaving us an example, that ye should Jbllow his steps.
The last time, I gave an account of some of those
particular virtues and qualities that our Saviour was
most eminent and remarkable for, and in which he
chiefly proposed himself as an example to us ; and
here the first thing I instanced in was his exemplary
devotion, both public and private; the second was
his diligence in the discharge of the duties of his
calling ; and the third was his fervent love and cha-
rity to mankind. I now proceed to some others.
The fourth great instance wherein we are espe-
cially to propose our Saviour to our imitation is his
wonderful humility. In this quality, and that other
of meekness, (which never fails to accompany it, and
of which I shall speak more by and by,) he him-
self doth particularly recommend himself as a pattern
to us in that memoral)le passage in the eleventh of
St. Matthew, last verse ; Come unto tne, saith he, all
ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will
refresh you. Take my yohe upon you, and learn
of me ; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye
shall find rest for your souls.
And certainly a greater example of humility and
lowliness there never was, though he knew that,
both upon the account of the excellency of his per-
son and the dignity of his office, he was the greatest
ABP. SH.\BPE, VOL. III. C C
386
SERMON IV.
of the sons of men, yet he made such condescensions
as never man did.
Was it not an astonishing condescension for the
greatest Prince in the world to make his first en-
trance upon earth in no nobler a guise and appear-
ance than as the son of a poor maid espoused to a
carpenter, and to take up his first lodging in no
better a place than a manger? Was there ever so
great an expression of lowliness of mind, as that he
who could command all the world should become a
servant to all the world? and yet, thus did our
blessed Saviour all the time he lived. He that was
the Sovereign of men and angels, yet toolt upon him
the form of a servant : he, of whom God himself had
said, Let all the angels of God worship him ; and of
whom it is said, that, de facto, the angels of God
came and ministered unto him, yet saith of himself,
that he came not to he ministered unto, hut to
minister : and this saying he made good in all the
periods of his life ; for while he was under the tui-
tion of his poor parents, he faithfully served them,
being, as St. Luke tells us, suhject unto them. So
subject indeed, that, if we may believe Justin Mar-
tyr, he submitted himself to follow his father's trade
and occupation ; and of this truly we have some in-
timation in the sixth of St. Mark. For whereas in
other places he is, by way of reproach, called the car-
pentex"'s son, in that place he is called the carpenter ;
from whence one may probably gather, that during
his minority he professed the same art that his re-
puted father Joseph did.
After he came to his own disposal, and to a more
public employment, he still made good the character
of a servant ; he had nothing of outward pomp or
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
387
greatness in his circumstances, that might attract
men's eyes, and recommend him to the esteem of the
world. On the contrary, the way of living that he
chose was mean and poor, his attendants a company
of fishermen, his income and revenue what providence
sent him, and the charity of others bestowed upon
him, living from hand to mouth, and waiting upon
God for his daily bread. It is true, the beams of his
divinity shone sometimes so brightly through this
cloud of his outward circumstances, in the mighty
works that he did, that the people were struck with
admiration of him, and thought him worthy of a
throne and empire, and would have invested him
therewith. St. John tells us, that once they would
by force have made him a king. But our humble
Saviour would not so quit his innocent poverty and
privacy, but withdrew himself from them, leaving
them to guess at what he aftervvai'd declared to
Pilate, that Jiis kingdom was not of this world.
But the meanness of his appearance, and his con-
tempt of worldly greatness, were not the only instances
of his humility : indeed if they had, he had not been
so recommendable to us upon that account; for though
he might prefer a cottage before a throne, yet in that
cottage he might be imperious enough among his own
domestics. But so far was he from that, that after
he had several times rebuked his own family for their
contentions about precedence, and their disputes who
should be greatest, telling them often that he that
was the least and humblest among them should be
the greatest in his esteem, he at last, in his own
person, gives them such a surprising example of hu-
mility and condescension, as, if it was considered,
would for ever put an end to all their ambitious
c c 2
388
SERMON IV.
thoughts and pursuits. He washed the feet of his
disciples one by one, and told them withal, that the
reason he did it for, was, that they might do so like-
wise one to another : Ye call me, saith he, John
xiii. 13, 14, 15, Master a^id Lord : and ye say well;
for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master,
have washed your feet ; ye also ought to wash one
another's feet. For I have given you an example,
that ye should do as I have done unto you. O how
ought the consideration of these things to take down
that high spirit, as we call it, that reigns in too many
of us ; to abate that tumour of pride and ambition
and vainglory, which is too apt, God knows, to blow
up our minds ! O what a rebuke hath our Saviour
here given to all that we call great, and brave, and
rich, and magnificent in the world ! how little valu-
able in the eyes of God hath he, by this his example,
made it appear to be ! and how ridiculous hath he
rendered those lofty looks, and that surly stateliness,
\hdii too often attend it !
Can any one that calls himself a disciple of Christ,
and seriously reflects upon these passages of the life
of his Master, be easily proud of that wealth or those
titles that fortune has given him above others? Who
art thou, that thou shouldest value thyself upon the
nobleness of thy birth or of thy relations, when thy
Lord was born in the stable of an inn ? Who art
thou, that thou shouldest pride it in thy rich clothes,
and thy great possessions, and thy splendid equipage,
and thy sumptuous way of living, and despise all
others that are inferior to thee in these respects,
when he whom thou adorest was meanly clad, and
lived in great poverty, and had not so much as a
house to lay his head in ? Who art thou, that thou
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
389
shouldest be so difficult and inaccessible, and so
mortally offended, if every punctilio of place and
ceremony and address be not observed towards thee,
when the Person, by whose name thou callest thyself,
and whose life thou pretendest to copy out, vouch-
safed even to wash the very feet of his servants, and
commanded thee to go and do likewise ? Not that
we are to think that these instances of our Lord's
humihty and self-denial do oblige any of his followers
according to the letter : far be it from any Christian
to think that he is bound, by virtue of our Saviour's
example in these particulars, to throw away his rich
attire, or to take upon him a voluntary poverty, or to
lay aside his titles of dignity, or to refuse those
respects or distances that are due to his quality. No,
no ; Christianity doth no way favour the principles
of Quakers or Levellers ; it certainly allows, and the
constitution of human affairs necessarily requires,
that there should be different orders and degrees of
men ; that there should be superiors and inferiors,
and men of all ranks and qualities ; and that every
man, according to his degree, should have his dif-
ferent way of living, and a different respect paid
to him. Those that are placed in a higher sphere
ought to be distinguished by several outward badges
and characters from the common crowd of mankind :
and whoever hath a plentiful portion of outward
goods allowed him in this life, may, without offence,
freely enjoy them, not only for the supply of his ne-
cessities, but even for his conveniency and delight. A
man may be a good Christian, and yet wear rich cloth,
and fare sumptuously, and have a great retinue, and
receive the respects, and keep the distances that are
due to the post and station he maintains in the world.
390
SERMON IV.
All that the example of our Lord calls for at our
hands in this matter is, that we do not one jot the
more esteem ourselves, or undervalue others, upon
account of these outward things ; but that we be
affable and courteous, and ready to serve others in
the meanest instances, whenever it is in our power ;
that we be poor in spirit in the midst of our wealth,
or state, or bravery ; that we use this world as if
we used it not ; that we keep our hearts so unen-
tangled by it, so loose from it, that we never forget
God, nor our neighbour, nor ourselves, so long as we
possess it, and are heartily willing to part with it
the next moment, if the cause of God or virtue doth
require that we should. Whoever is thus qualified,
thus disposed and prepared, is a true follower of our
Lord Jesus in his humility and poverty and conde-
scension, let his outward circumstances and way of
living be never so pompous and magnificent.
But besides our Saviour's infinite condescension,
he gave us other evidences of a great humility,
which it will highly concern us to imitate him in.
He was perfectly dead to the praise of men, and stu-
died only to approve himself to God. So far was he
from ostentating himself, from catching at the ap-
plause of the people, that he seemed studiously to
conceal all those qualities and actions of his that
might procure it. When he had done any great
work that was praiseworthy, he was so far from
publishing it himself, that he often laid a strict
charge upon those that had received the benefit of
it, that they should tell no man. No man, with a
thousandth part of his excellencies and perfections
and heroical actions, ever made so little a noise in
the world ; nay, even then, when his virtues and
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
391
wonderful works became so illustrious that they
could not be any longer concealed, yet even then he
was so far from pleasing himself in this, or assuming
any praise to himself upon account thereof, tliat, on
the contrary, he attributed nothing to himself, but
gave all to his Father, ascribing the whole glory to
him : / can do nothing, says he, of myself; the
Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
A.S I hear, I judge ; and my judgment is just, be-
cause I seek not my own, hut the will of my Fa-
ther ivhich hath sent me. When the woman, being
struck with admiration of his wonderful preaching
and his wonderful works, cried out in a transport.
Blessed is the womh that hare thee, and the paps
that gave thee suck ! see how he turns this accla-
mation, that seems to reflect some glory upon him-
self, to quite another purpose, namely, to the encou-
raging the by-standers in virtue ; Yea, rather, says
he. Messed ai e those that do the will of my Fa-
ther.
This now is that divine humility we are all to la-
bour after. We are not to think them the humblest
persons that make the largest declarations against
themselves, and entertain all companies with their
own infirmities ; for this possibly may be only an
art to catch praise : no, nor those that are really
sensible of their several defects, that know their own
poverty, and how far a great many others do out-
strip them in several accomplishments ; for this is
not always so much an effect of virtue, as of the
soundness of a man's understanding ; for it would
argue the man to be a fool, if he had other thoughts
of himself: much less is it the perfection of hu-
mility to think one's self the worst, or the meanest,
c c 4
392
SERMON IV.
or the most contemptible of mankind ; for it is cer-
tain such a notion of a man's self cannot be true
in all instances ; there can be but one of mankind
that is the worst, or the meanest, or the like. And
therefore, if all men be obliged, upon the account of
humility, to think themselves that man, it is manifest
that all of them, except one, hath false apprehensions
of himself. And sure it can be no part of any man's
virtue to think otherwise of himself than he reaUy is.
But he is the true humble man, and most imitates
our Saviour, who, though he knows he is possessed
of many excellencies and virtues which perhaps
others have not ; though he knows he doth many
commendable actions which ought justly to render
him esteemed, and taken notice of by others ; yet he
is not at all the more puffed up for this ; his designs
are braver and greater than to seek himself in any
thing that he doth : vainglory, and the desire of
praise, is no ingredient in any of his actions. On
the contrary, provided he but do the work that God
sent him hither to do, and maintain the post in
which he is placed, he cares not how meanly and
contemptibly he be thought on in the world. So
far is he from being his own trumpeter, or from
making popular applause the end of any thing that
he doth, that, so that the good be done, he matters
not whether any body knows that it was he that did
it : nay, though instead of the acclamations of the
neighbourhood, he should be pursued with their cen-
sures and reproaches, he is not a whit disturbed, so
long as that which caused them was well intended.
But though he be little concerned for his own
praise, and be indifferent whether he hath it or no>
he is highly concerned that God have his. And
ON 1 PETER II. 21 393
therefore, as he very well knows and considers that
whatever virtue he hath, whatever good action he
doth, is wholly owing to the mercies and favour of
God ; so is he ready always to attribute the glory of
all to him, looking upon himself as a poor indigent
creature, nay, as one that had been worse than
nothing, had he not been made what he is by the
divine bounty. So that, with the lowest prostration
of his soul, he continually adores' the riches of God's
grace to him, acknowledges himself to be infinitely
unworthy of the least of his mercies, and in every
instance of his life, whatever he doth, whatever he
possesseth, whatever he suffereth, that any way
seems to redound to his own praise, he refers it all
to the goodness of his heavenly Father, continually
saying with David, Not unto us, O God, not unto
us, but unto thij name T)e the praise.
Thus have I given you some kind of description
of the humble man, as our Saviour hath in his own
person represented him. I now pass on, in the fifth
place, to another thing, wherein he hath proposed
himself to our imitation, and that is, his extraordi-
nary meekness.
This, as I said before, is one of those qualities
that he would have us learn of him ; Learn of me,
saith he,ybr / am meek and lowly in heart. And
indeed he that was so eminently humble, as has
been said, must needs be a very meek person ; this
virtue being a natural and necessary consequence of
that : all anger and wrathfulness and hastiness of
temper, being generally the effects of pride, and an
overweening conceit and fond love of ourselves. If
we truly had those lowly thoughts of ourselves that
we ought to have, we should not be easily jjrovoked
394
SERMON IV.
or put out of our temper by any thing that could be
offered to us.
But to come to the point. Well might our Sa-
viour bid us learn of him to be meek, for no one else
could ever so teach us as he did. There was no-
thing of harshness or ruggedness in his disposition ;
but we may truly say of him, that he was the quiet-
est, gentlest, evenest-tempered man in the world:
that which we call good-nature was in him in per-
fection. He would neither give any offence to others,
nor take any offence at any thing that others could
say or do to him. As he would not be provoked, so
neither would he willingly provoke any. On the
contrary, he was full of humility and courtesy, af-
fable and sociable, ready to yield all innocent com-
pliances to the persons with whom he conversed : so
that in this sense he was a truly complaisant person,
as we express, if we may use such a word of such a
person.
His history affords instances enough for the mak-
ing this good ; witness his receiving little children
to his embraces and benedictions, whom yet his dis-
ciples repulsed as troublesome : his treating kindly
all that came to him, and answering their questions,
though sometimes impertinent enough, (except where
they proposed them on purpose for a snare to him :)
his conversing freely with all sorts of men, even pub-
licans and sinners, and accepting invitations from
them to their tables, whom the supercilious Phari-
sees so much despised, that they would not come
near them : his vouchsafing his presence even at a
marriage feast, and even adding to the entertain-
ment by a changing of their water into wine when
their own provision of wine was spent. Thus gentle.
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
395
thus complying was our blessed Saviour in all his
conversation. Nor was he more studious to avoid
giving offence to others than he was careful not to
take any offence at them : though never any re-
ceived greater provocations to anger and impatience
than he did, yet never was he known to be moved
thereby : his spirit always kept the same calmness
and evenness, nor were ever any undecent, passion-
ate speeches heard to come from his mouth. How
many interruptions in his discourses did he patiently
bear! how much injurious, contumelious language
did he unconcernedly put up ! O how great was his
mildness, when the barbarous, inhospitable Samari-
tans shut their gates against him, and denied him
the common civility of passengers ! he took no no-
tice of it, but meekly went his way. His disciples
indeed took it not so well, but were for calling for
fire from heaven, (as Elias did,) to consume the
town ; but our Lord was so far from approving
their motion, that he sharply rebuked that spirit of
revenge that was in them : Y^e know not, saith he,
what spirit ye are of; the gospel spirit and dispen-
sation is not like that of Elias, but a spirit of meek-
ness, and patience, and forbearance, and forgiving of
injuries. This is the spirit you must be acted by, if
you mean to be my disciples.
And a gi'eat instance of this kind of spirit did he
afterwards give us, when he was in the basest man-
ner betrayed into the hands of his enemies by one
of his own disciples and domestics. Instead of re-
proaching the traitor, or giving him bitter, reviling
terms, as most others in such circumstances would
have done, all he said was, Friend, ivJierefore art
thou come ? Betray est thou the Son of man with a
396
SERMON IV.
kiss ? And when at the same time, through the zeal
of one of his servants in his defence, an officer that
came to apprehend him happened to be wounded,
so far was he from approving this act of passion,
that he stretched out his hand and healed the man.
And the same meekness of behaviour that he shewed
at his apprehension did he continue all the time of
his trials, and to his death. No affronts that the
rude soldiers could put upon him, no buffetings, no
scourgings, no mockeries, no spitting upon him, no
reviling terms, could in the least work him to any
discomposure of spirit, or make him once complain,
or so much as to give out one harsh word against
those that thus treated him: so true was that which
the prophet foretold of him, He gave his hack to
the smifers, and his cheek to them that plucked off
the hair. He was oppressed., and he icas afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth.
O what an example have we here of meekness,
and patience, and gentleness, and longsuffering !
O how can we hear or read these things of our
Saviour, and not be ashamed and angry with our-
selves that we are so much unlike him in these qua-
lities ! How can we call ourselves his disciples, and
yet continue of so froward, so peevish, so wrathful,
so revengefid a temper as we many of us are ? In
good earnest, I doubt there are many among us that
pass for very good Christians, that are exceedingly
to be blamed upon this account ; though they seem
to be very well disposed towards God, and to have
obtained some victory over many of their other sins
and evil affections, yet this of anger and fretfidness
and impatience they fatally lie under. Every little
thing is able to vex them, and quite puts them out
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
397
of their humour ; tliey will be angry upon the least
occasion ; a laughter, or a jest, an unexpected an-
swer, an unforeseen accident, is sufficient to make
them lose their temper ; if a child be froward, or a
servant be negligent, or those they converse with
be impertinent ; if any thing happens cross to their
business, or a small loss doth befall them, or a little
pain seizes them, or the like, they are quite out of
patience, and oftentimes they are put into a rage;
and, when they are so, they care not in how unseemly
language they vent their passion. O how far is this
from the temper of the meek and patient Jesus !
But still further are they from it, and much more
to blame, that make it a piece of greatness of soul
and good-breeding to be quarrelsome and implacable
and revengeful ; that account it a point of honour
to be sensible of the least aff'rbnt, and not to put it
up without full satisfaction. What ! say they, pocket
up an injury without a revenge ! he is no gentleman
that doth it. Whether that be so or no, I know not ;
but sure I am, he is no Christian that doth it not.
No, no ; whatever our notions of honour be, if we
mean to have any benefit of our Christianity, we
must be of the temper of the holy Jesus ; we must
be meek, and gentle, and peaceable, and longsufTer-
ing, neither provoking others nor being easily pro-
voked ourselves ; rather suffering evil than doing any,
nay, and doing good against evil ; For hereunto
were we called, saith the apostle in my text, here-
unto were we called : because Christ also suffered
for us, leaving us an example, that we should fol-
low his steps: he did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth : who, ivhen he was reviled,
reviled not again ; when he suffered, he threatened
398
SERMON IV.
not; but committed Jiimself to him that judgeth
righteously.
And now I might proceed to discourse of some
other particular virtues, which were very conspi-
cuous in our Saxdour, and wherein he left us a noble
example to follow, shining forth as a light to the
paths, and a lantern to the feet, of all the ages and
generations of the world ; as for instance, his admir-
able courage and fortitude ; his great prudence in
the conduct of his life, for the bringing about the
ends he proposed to himself ; the ingenuous plain-
ness and simplicity he used in all his conversation ;
and, lastly, his hearty faith and trust in God, and
entire dependance on him, and absolute resignation
of himself to do his will in aU things.
But to treat of these things particularly would
engage me in too long a discourse, (and I would
finish my text at this time,) and therefore I shall
only now touch a little upon the last of them I now
mentioned, namely, his continual respect to God in
aU his conversation ; and with that I shall conclude.
It cannot but be taken notice of, that in the his-
tory of the great men among the pagans, who have
been often recommended to the world for patterns
of virtue, there is little of this divine temper of mind
to be met with. The pagan heroes seem to be set
out to us rather as self-sufficient, independent beings,
than as sei'vants and votaries of God Almighty. We
meet with great instances among them of the moral
human virtues; such as courage, and justice, and
temperance, and gratitude, and moderation, and be-
neficence, and love to their country, and the like ;
which indeed we cannot deny to be noble and ex-
cellent qualities : but we find little in their story of
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
399
spiritual and religious virtues, of their love to God,
and zeal for his honour and service, and entire de-
pendance upon him in all conditions of life : and yet
these are the things that must adorn and perfect
human nature, and most of all contribute to the
happiness of the world, and of every man in it.
This now was a great defect and inconvenience that
the world laboured under till our Saviour's appear-
ance. Their notions of virtue were in a manner
wholly calculated for the civil life ; and a man among
them might be accounted virtuous though he was
not sincerely pious : whereas in truth it is of the
essence of virtue that it should proceed from reli-
gion. That is the true virtue indeed, let the object
of it be what it will, that is founded in a hearty
sense of God and love to him ; that inclines a man
to live well, and to do good actions, not only because
it is decent and reasonable, brave and generous, con-
venient and useful so to do, but chiefly and princi-
pally because God requires it of us ; it is his will
and pleasure by whom, and to whom, and for whom
we live, and tends to his honour and glory that we
should thus exercise ourselves. This, I say, is the
true notion and idea of that virtue which we ought
all to labour after, and in which alone the happiness
and perfection of all created natures doth consist :
and this is that virtue which Christianity (which is
the only true philosophy) doth most affectionately
and earnestly recommend to our pursuit ; namely,
to be so heartily persuaded of the being of God, and
of his wisdom, power, goodness, and providence en-
compassing and watching over all creatures, and to
preserve upon our minds such a constant and lively
sense of these things, as to love God above all things.
400
SERMON IV.
to dread his displeasure more tlian death, to trust in
liim, and to depend upon him continually, to resign
up ourselves entirely to his conduct and government,
to live always as in his presence, and to do all our
actions, as much as is possible, with a design of re-
commending ourselves to him.
O what a glorious example hath our Lord Jesus
given us as to all these things ! he did truly ac-
knowledge God in all his ways ; he set God always
before him, and the design of all his actions was to
do him sei'vice. It was, as he himself tells us, his
meat and drink to do the will of his Father : nor
did he propose any other end in all that he did or
all that he suffered, but to bring glory to God's
name, and promote his honour in the world. He
minded not himself; he had no regard or considera-
tion of his own ease, or convenience, or reputation,
or any other thing that is most dear to flesh and
blood : but all his aims, all his studies were, that
God might be glorified, that his honour and service
might be advanced in the world. His whole life
was but one continued expression of dependance on
the divine providence ; for he possessed nothing :
nay, he had not so much as the common conveni-
ences of life to trust to ; and yet he lived as cheer-
fully and contentedly by the faith he had in God's
goodness, as if he had been possessor of the whole
world. It was enough for his support, and enough
too to repel the Devil, when he tempted him with
want of bread, to consider that niari liveth not hy
hread alone, hut by every word that i^roceedeth out
of the mouth of God. His meaning was, that God,
if it pleased him, could preserve life without human
means, and that was enough for him to be satisfied
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
401
with his present condition. He had no will of his
own ; but whatsoever pleased God, that was his will ;
and even when the bitterest cup was given him
to drink that ever was mingled for any of the sons
of men, I mean that dreadful agony which he under-
went for our sins in the garden, and the painful
death that followed it ; though as a man, as partaker
of the tenderness of human nature, he was so terri-
fied at it, that he could not forbear saying. Father,
if it he possible, let this cup pass from me ; yet so
entirely resigned was he even at that time to the
will of God, that he immediately corrects the desire
of flesh and blood in these words, Yet, O Father,
let it not be as I will, but as thou wiliest. He
would have God's will done, whatever it cost him.
What lessons now are we to learn from hence ?
why truly I am afraid almost to number them, con-
sidering how the temper of most of us that are his
followers generally stands. O what a wide differ-
ence is there between us (even those we may ac-
count the best among us) and Jesus our Lord and
Master as to these things ! How narrow and selfish
are our spirits ! how little regard have we to God's
will in all our concernments ! Our way is to lay out
ourselves upon a hundred things, and eagerly and
solicitously to pursue those designs, but without any
regard or deference to the pleasure of him that
made us and governs us. If our designs prosper, we
are pleased ; if we have what we desire, and can keep
what we love, we are at ease ; but if we be disap-
pointed, or if we happen to lose that dear thing we
had set our hearts upon, why then we are angry, we
are miserable, we are out of humour, like children,
and it requires a great deal of time, and no small
ABP. SHARPE, VOL. III. D cl
402
SERMON IV.
pains, to bring ourselves right again. Thus again,
as to our trust in God and dependance on him, we
do all of us readily own it as our duty so to do in all
circumstances ; but, in the name of God, how do we
practise it? Why, we are willing to trust God for
our livelihood, so long as we have something to live
on ; we are willing to trust God with any other con-
cern, so long as that concern goes on prosperously ;
but if our visible supports do chance to fail us, or if
the thing we are concerned for seem to go contrary
to our desires and expectations, why then our trust
in God is gone, and we are as anxious and as queru-
lous and as discontented, as if we were no Christians ;
or as if indeed there was no God that took care of
our affairs. The truth is, most of us do live too
much without God ; though we talk much of him,
yet we have little respect to him in our designs and
actions. We say our prayers to him perhaps, and
have our constant times of appearing before him for
religious worship, (and assuredly, as things go, even
this is a great virtue.) But take us out of our de-
votions, I doubt God is not much in our thoughts ;
at least our love, our fear, our sense of him, doth
not much influence either our words or our actions.
Indeed our conversation, generally speaking, is so
managed, as if we were no way concerned with God,
had nothing at all to do with him, save just at the
time we are making solemn addresses to him. But
all this is infinitely different from the spirit and
temper of our Lord Jesus, and the way that he lived
in the world. If we mean to follow his example, we
must be religious, as he was ; we must endeavour to
possess our hearts with such a vigorous sense of God,
and his presence, and sovereignty over us, as most
ON 1 PETER II. 21.
403
entirely to devote ourselves to his service ; so that
the fear and love and sense of him shall have some
power and influence upon the government of our
whole lives. We must make it the business of every
day's conversation to serve him, and promote his in-
terest in the world, and not think we have well ac-
quitted ourselves towards him by now and then of-
fering up a few prayers. We must acknowledge
him in all our ways, by owning all the good we do
enjoy or hope for to be the mere effect of his bounty ;
by bearing patiently and quietly all the hard things
we suffer, though, as we think, never so undeserv-
edly ; by reposing our trust and confidence in him
in all the extremities we are reduced to ; by apply-
ing to liim for succour or direction or support, under
all temptations and difficulties ; and, lastly, by re-
signing ourselves entirely (as far as the imperfection
of our present state will allow) to his will, being
heartily willing to be whatever he would have us to
be, being willing to do whatever he would have us
to do, and being willing to suffer whatever he thinks
fit to lay upon us. This is to lovC; this is to serve,
this is to honour and glorify God as our blessed
Lord and Master did ; this is to walk as we have
him for an example. And indeed this, and this alone,
is the true spirit of Christianity, and the true prin-
ciples from whence all the other duties of our reli-
gion, whether they respect our neighbours or our-
selves, will naturally flow. And for your encourage-
ment to labour after such a frame and temper of
soul, I will add this, that this is the certain and
never-failing method, not only to sweeten all the la-
bours and troubles that we meet with in this life,
and to make our passage through this world, in all
404.
SERMON IV. ON 1 PETER II. 21.
conditions and circumstances, easy and comfortable ;
but also to anticipate the joys of heaven, to have
some share of the happiness above, even while we
live here below, through the ineffable peace, and
contentment, and satisfaction, and pleasure that will
continually arise in our minds from the having our
wills thus united to God's will.
And thus I have said what I intended about the
life of our Saviour. God Almighty give a blessing
^to it, that we may all so consider this example which
Jlie left, that we may follow his steps.
Which God of his infinite mercy grant, 6cc.
if-'
END OF VOL. III.
1
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