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TERVOE,. 


FRDM-THE-  LIBRARY  OF 
TWNITYCOLLEGETORDNTO 


THE 


THEOLOGICAL    WORKS 


OF 


WILLIAM  BEVERIDGE,  D.D. 


SOMETIME  LORD  BISHOP  OF  ST.  ASAPH. 


VOL.  I. 
SERMONS   I.— XXIV. 


OXFORD : 

JOHN    HENRY    PARKER. 
MDCCCXLII. 


4-B 
\  . 


LONDON: 

PRINTED   BY   MOVES   AND  BAHCI.AV,  CASTT.K  STREET, 
LEICESTER  SQUARE. 


PREFACE. 


THE  character  of  Bishop  Beveridge  is  too  well  known, 
and  his  works  too  well  appreciated,  to  render  any  length 
ened  introduction  to  a  new  edition  necessary. 

A  life  spent  as  his  was,  partly  in  the  deep  and  laborious 
study  of  the  early  records  of  the  Church,  and  partly  in  the 
active  but  unobtrusive  duties  of  a  parish  priest,  affords  but 
few  materials  for  a  striking  memoir,  nor  does  it  seem  need 
ful  to  swell  the  bulk  of  these  volumes  by  extraneous  pre 
fatory  matter.  The  Sermons  speak  for  themselves,  nor 
would  any  analysis  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  more 
learned  and  elaborate  works. 

Born  in  the  year  1638,  the  circumstances  of  Beveridge's 
early  years  would  either  involve  him  in  the  confusion  and 
disputes  of  those  troubled  times,  or  they  would  throw  him, 
as  in  fact  they  did,  for  direction,  and  guidance,  and  comfort, 
amidst  those  confusions  and  disputes,  on  the  earlier  and 
better  ages  of  the  Church,  and  on  the  study  of  Ecclesiastical 
Antiquity,  yet  ever  with  a  view  to  the  elucidation  of  funda 
mental  truth,  and  the  promotion  of  practical  piety. 


IV  PREFACE. 

Beveridge  was  entered  a  member  of  St.  John's  College, 
Cambridge,  in  May  1653,  then  under  the  government  of 
the  well-known  Dr.  Anthony  Tuckney ;  and  it  is  remark 
able,  considering  the  works  by  which  they  were  distin 
guished  in  after  life,  that  the  compiler  and  author  of  the 
"  Pandectae  Canonum"  and  of  the  "  Codex  Canonum  Eccle- 
sise  Primitives  Vindicatus,"  and  the  author  of  the  "  Historia 
Literaria,"  should  have  been  entered  within  a  very  few  days 
of  each  other  members  of  the  same  College,  where,  no  doubt, 
was  laid  the  foundation  of  that  sound  learning,  perhaps,  of 
those  very  works  themselves  for  which  they  are  so  eminent. 
There  is  apparently,  no  trace  discoverable  of  any 
peculiar  intimacy  existing  between  them,  but  there  is  a 
coincidence  in  the  lives  and  pursuits  and  writings  of  Bishop 
Beveridge  and  Dr.  Cave  which,  in  the  absence  of  any  very 
remarkable  incident  in  the  history  of  either  of  them  separ 
ately,  it  may  be  interesting  to  mention  here. 

Both  were  born  within  a  year,  in  the  same  county,  and, 
though  not  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  each  other, 
yet  at  a  distance  of  not  many  miles — Beveridge,  at  Barrow- 
upon-Soar  near  Loughborough,  and  Cave  at  Pickwell,  near 
Melton  Mowbray,  in  the  county  of  Leicester.  They  were 
school-fellows  at  Oakham  school,  in  Rutlandshire,  where 
Cave  is  described  as  having  received  his  education,  and 
where,  though  Beveridge  spent  only  two  years,  yet  those 
were  probably  the  two  years  immediately  preceding  his  re 
moval  to  the  University.  Both  were  sons  of  the  incumbents 
of  the  above-named  parishes,  and  had  relatives  who,  in  the 
violence  of  the  times,  were  suspended  from  their  livings. 


PREFACE.  V 

Both  were  admitted,  as  we  have  seen,  members  of  the  same 
College,  within  a  few  days  of  each  other,  Cave  on  the  9th, 
and  Beveridge  on  the  14th  day  of  May,  1653  ;  and  as  neither 
was  ordained  till  after  the  Restoration,  they  were  employed, 
doubtless,  during  much  of  the  period  of  trial  which  inter 
vened,  on  the  subject  to  which  the  temper  and  tumult  of  the 
times  providentially  directed  so  many  others  —  the  primitive 
records  and  history  of  the  Church,  its  original  constitu 
tion,  government,  discipline,  and  worship.  Both  were  after 
wards  settled  as  parish  priests  in  the  same  diocese ;  Beve 
ridge,  as  vicar  of  Ealing,  to  which  he  was  presented  in  1661 ; 
and  Cave,  as  vicar  of  Islington,  to  which  he  was  admitted 
in  1662.  Subsequently  they  held  benefices  in  the  same 
neighbourhood,  in  the  City  of  London ;  Beveridge,  that  of 
St.  Peter's,  Cornhill,  which  he  held  from  1672  till  raised  to 
the  see  of  St.  Asaph  in  1704 ;  and  Cave,  that  of  Allhallows  the 
Great,  in  Thames  Street,  which  he  held  from  1679  till  1691, 
when  he  resigned  it  for  the  living  of  Isleworth.  Beveridge 
died  Bishop  of  St.  Asaph  in  1708  ;  Cave,  Canon  of  Windsor, 
in  1713. 

Beveridge's  attention  seems,  in  the  first  instance,  to  have 
been  directed  to  Oriental  learning  and  Chronology ;  his 
first  publication  being  a  "Treatise  on  the  Excellency  and 
Uses  of  the  Oriental  Tongues  and  a  Syriac  Grammar,"  in 
1658,  and  his  second,  "  Institutiones  Chronologicae,"  pub 
lished  in  1669.  But  the  two  great  works  by  which  he 
is  best  known  are,  his  "  2uvod/xov,  sive  Pandectae  Canonum 
SS.  Apostolorum  et  Conciliorum,  necnon  Canonicarum  SS. 
Patrum  Epistolarum  cum  Scholiis,"  printed  at  the  Theatre, 


VI  PREFACE. 

Oxford,  1672,  and  the  "Codex  Canonum  Eccl.  Primitive 
Vindicatus,  ac  Illustratus,"  which  followed  in  1679,  and  is 
inserted  in  the  second  volume  of  the  "  Patres  Apostolici " 
of  Cotelerius. 

The  great  work  on  which  Dr.  Cave's  reputation  mainly 
rests,  the  "  Historia  Literaria,"  though  it  was  not  until 
late  that  it  grew  to  its  present  bulk,  was  conceived  and 
commenced  early  in  life. 

The  Prefaces  to  these  volumes  alike  shew  the  working 
of  minds  weary  of  the  controversies  amongst  which  they 
lived,  deploring  the  decay  of  all  Christian  piety  in  the  din 
and  strife  of  tongues  around  them,  gradually  feeling  back 
their  way,  as  best  they  could,  to  primitive  doctrine  and 
practice,  and  tracing  these  back  to  their  source  through  the 
Catholic  tradition  of  the  Church. 

That  this  was  the  pervading  feeling  of  their  minds  will 
be  evident,  not  only  from  the  prefaces  to  those  works,  the 
"  Codex  Canonum  Illustratus,"  and  the  "  Historia  Literaria," 
but  from  the  tone  and  subject-matter  of  their  English 
works  also.  The  "  Primitive  Christianity  "  of  Dr.  Cave, 
which  he  said  had  lain  by  him  many  years  before  its  publi 
cation,  and  his  "  Lives  of  the  Apostles  and  Fathers,"  and 
the  Dedications  and  Prefaces  to  these  volumes,  evidence  a 
mind  throwing  itself  back  upon  the  contemplation  of  the 
Primitive  Church,  as  seen  in  its  government  and  worship,  and 
exemplified  in  the  lives  of  the  early  Christians ;  whilst  the 
English  works  of  Beveridge,  especially  his  Sermons  on  the 
Church,  and  that,  perhaps,  best  specimen  of  these,  on  "The 
Exemplary  Holiness  of  the  Primitive  Christians,"  together 


PREFACE.  Vll 


with  his  work  on  "  The  Great  Necessity  of  Public  Prayer 
and  Frequent  Communion,"  and  his  little  book  on  the 
Catechism,  evidence  the  yearnings  of  a  heart,  not  content 
with  merely  contemplating  that  picture,  but  bent  on  con 
forming  the  Church  of  England  to  that  model.  Nor, 
indeed,  did  any  one  on  record  more  nearly  succeed  in 
realising  his  wish,  or  was,  in  his  measure,  so  deeply  and 
widely  influential,  as  Beveridge. 

His  labours  earned  for  him,  in  his  day,  the  title  of  "  The 
great  Reviver  and  Restorer  of  Primitive  Piety,"  and,  doubt 
less,  are  not  lost  to  us.  They  are  amongst  the  seeds  which 
have  long  lain  hidden,  and  are  now  again  springing  up 
and  bringing  forth  fruit  an  hundredfold.  Of  course,  he 
speaks  of  the  Church  of  England  in  high  and  glowing 
language ;  but  he  speaks  of  her,  be  it  remembered,  as  one 
of  those  watchmen  who  should  never  hold  their  peace  day 
nor  night,  and  should  give  the  Lord  no  rest  till  He  "  esta 
blish,  and  make  Jerusalem  a  praise  in  the  earth."  He 
contemplated  her  as  a  true  branch  of  the  Church  Catholic ; 
and  as  such,  cannot  bear  it  should  be  said  of  her,  in  any 
sense,  "  Laudatur  et  alget ;"  but  would  fain  see  her  evincing 
her  Primitive  and  Catholic  character,  by  acting  up  to  her 
acknowledged  rules,  by  supplying  a  constant  round  of 
Daily  Services  and  Frequent  Communions,  exercising  a 
more  vigorous  discipline,  and  awakening  her  members  to 
a  higher  and  livelier  estimation  of  the  ministration  and 
ordinances  of  the  Church.  He  saw,  what  has  been  well 
called,  an  "  intrinsic  excellence"  as  yet  undeveloped,  which 
he  did  his  best,  first  by  deep  piety  and  learning,  and  after- 


yiii  PREFACE. 

wards  by  active  zeal  and  constant  watchfulness  as  a  parish 
priest,  and  as  a  bishop,  to  develope,  and  exemplify,  and 
improve  into  "  practical  influence." 

Hence  his  firmness  in  maintaining  things  as  he  found 
them,  and  endeavouring  to  give  life  and  vigour  to  her 
whole  existing  system,  and  his  resolute  opposition  to  the 
"  Scheme  of  Comprehension,"  as  it  was  called,  and  the 
projected  alterations  in  the  Liturgy.  Hence,  though  one 
may  well  wonder  how  any  one  could  tax  Beveridge  with 
want  of  piety  or  charity,  or  deem  him  a  formalist  or  a 
bigot,  yet  he  incurred  on  one  occasion  the  taunt  of  Tillot- 
son, — "  Doctor !  doctor  !  charity  is  better  than  Rubrics." 

However,  what  was  the  main  object  of  his  life  —  the  re 
storation  of  primitive  piety  and  zeal  in  the  English  Church 
— we  may  see  from  the  tone  and  subject-matter  of  his 
pastoral  works  before  mentioned,  his  Sermons,  his  book 
on  the  Catechism,  and  that  on  Prayer  and  Frequent 
Communion,  and  from  the  very  last  act  of  his  life,  a  bequest 
to  his  native  parish  of  Barrow,  and  to  the  neighbouring 
curacy  of  Mount  Sorrell,  for  the  maintenance  of  the  daily 
service,  and,  should  that  fail,  "which  God  forbid!"  for 
the  catechising  of  poor  children.  His  simplicity  and  godly 
sincerity  in  pursuing  this  end,  and  his  entire  disinterested 
ness  and  freedom  from  all  ambition,  is  plain  from  his 
known  character,  and  especially  from  the  fact  of  his  con 
scientious  refusal  to  succeed  Bishop  Ken,  when  deprived 
at  the  Revolution,  in  the  Bishoprick  of  Bath  and  Wells. 
He  asked  the  advice  of  Sancroft.  He  was  bidden  in  answer 
to  say,  "  Nolo,"  and  to  say  it  from  the  heart.  He  did  so ; 


PREFACE.  IX 

and  the  violence  with  which  his  refusal  was  assailed  is  a 
carious  proof  of  the  jealousy  with  which  one  scrupulous 
conscience  is  regarded,  and  the  real  difficulties  which  it 
may  throw  in  the  way  of  secular  policy. 

For  his  more  learned  works,  Bishop  Beveridge  is  known 
to  the  Church  Catholic,  and  these  were  published  under 
his  own  superintendence.  For  his  others  his  name  is 
endeared  to  the  Church  of  England  in  particular.  His 
Sermons,  written  from  time  to  time  to  meet  the  exigencies 
of  his  flock,  were  not  published  till  after  his  death,  and  for 
these  he  cared  to  be  known  only  to  those  to  whom  he 
spoke,  the  souls  over  whom  he  watched  during  so  many 
years  with  such  anxious  and  unremitting  watchfulness. 

There  are,  as  has  been  frequently  observed,  in  the 
works  of  Bishop  Beveridge,  occasional  tinges  of  those  opin 
ions  which  were  so  rife  in  his  early  years,  and  of  which 
Dr.  Tuckney,  the  Master  of  his  College  and  Professor  of 
Divinity,  was  the  well-known  maintainer  in  his  day;  and 
there  are,  on  the  other  hand,  here  and  there  in  his  Sermons, 
those  occasional  protests  against  the  characteristics  of  the 
Church  of  Rome,  common,  more  or  less,  to  all  our  divines. 
But  his  mind  was  too  essentially  practical  to  entertain 
Calvinistic  opinions ;  and  he  was  too  entirely  in  earnest  in 
teaching  positive  truth,  and  providing  real  food  for  his 
flock,  to  spend  his  time  and  waste  his  energies  in  the  bare 
contradiction  of  error.  Homeliness  and  naturalness  are  his 
great  characteristics.  He  writes  with  the  plain,  unaffected 
simplicity,  and  utter  carelessness  of  all  ornament,  of  a  man 
full  of  the  importance  of  his  subject,  who  felt  the  entire 


X  PREFACE. 

reality  of  every  word  he  uttered,  and  was  living  under  the 
habitual  influence  of  the  truths  he  taught.  And  we  may 
well  enter  into  the  feeling  with  which  the  excellent  Robert 
Nelson  speaks  of  the  preservation  of  the  Sermons  (not 
apparently  intended  for  the  press),  as  the  productions  of 
one  who  "  had  a  way  of  gaining  people's  hearts  and  touch 
ing  their  consciences,  which  bore  some  resemblance  to  the 
Apostolical  age,"  and  to  whose  Christian  instruction  many, 
within  Nelson's  own  knowledge,  "  owed,  under  God,  their 
change  of  lives." 

It  only  remains  to  state,  that  the  Sermons  are  carefully 
reprinted  from  the  best  edition  of  the  works,  published  in 
two  volumes  folio,  in  1720,  collated  with  the  late  edition  of 
the  Rev.  Hartwell  Home. 


CONTENTS. 


THE  TRUE  NATURE  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH,  THE  OFFICE 
OF  ITS  MINISTERS,  AND  THE  MEANS  OF  GRACE  ADMINIS 
TERED  BY  THEM,  EXPLAINED  IN  TWELVE  SERMONS. 


SERMON  I. 

(Page  1.) 
CHRIST'S   PRESENCE  WITH   HIS   MINISTERS. 

Matthew  xxviii.  20. 

And  lo  !  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
icorld. 

SERMON  II. 

(Page  2G.) 
THE  INSTITUTION  OF  MINISTERS. 

Acts  i.  26. 

And  they  gave  forth  their  lots,  and  the  lot  fell  upon  Matthias. 
And  he  was  numbered  with  the  eleven  Apostles. 

SERMON  III. 

(Page  44.) 
MANNER  OF  THEIR  INSTITUTION  WITH  US. 

2  Corinthians  iv.  1. 

Therefore  seeing  we  have  this  ministry,  as  we  have  received 
mercy,  we  faint  not. 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

SERMON  IV. 

(Page  59.) 
SALVATION  IN  THE  CHURCH  ONLY,  UNDER  SUCH  A  MINISTRY. 

Acts  ii.  47. 

And  the  Lord  added  to  the  Church  daily  such  as  should  be 

saved. 

SERMON  V. 

(Page  88.) 

THE  TRUE  NOTION  OF  RELIGIOUS  WORSHIP  TO  BE  PAID  BY 
MINISTERS. 

John  xii.  20. 

And  there  were  certain  GREEKS  among  them  that  came  up  to 
worship  at  the  feast. 

SERMON  VI. 

(Page  108.) 
A  FORM  OF  SOUND  WORDS  TO  BE  USED  BY  MINISTERS. 

2  Timothy  i.  13. 

Holdfast  the  form  of  sound  words  which  thou  hast  heard  of 
me,  in  faith  and  love,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

SERMON  VII. 

(Page  129.) 
CHRIST'S  CHURCH  ESTABLISHED  ON  A  ROCK. 

Matthew  xvi.  18. 

And  I  say  also  unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this 
roch  I  will  build  My  Church. 

SERMON  VIII. 

(Page  143.) 
CHRISTIANITY  AN  HOLY  PRIESTHOOD. 

1  Peter  ii.  5. 

Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house,  an 
holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices  acceptable 
to  God  by  Jesus  Christ. 


CONTENTS.  Xlll 

SERMON  IX. 

(Page  158.) 
THE  PREPARATORY  DUTIES  FOR  HOLY  ORDERS. 

Acts  xiii.  3. 

And  when  they  had  fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands 
on  them,  they  sent  them  away. 

SERMON  X. 

(Page  176.) 

THE  EFFICACY  OF  FAITH  ON  THE  MINISTRATION 
OF  THE  WORD. 

1  Thessalonians  ii.  13. 

For  this  cause  also  thank  we  God  without  ceasing,  because 
when  ye  received  the  Word  of  God  which  ye  heard  of  us, 
ye  received  it  not  as  the  word  of  men,  but,  as  it  is  in  truth, 
the  Word  of  God,  which  effectually  worheth  also  in  you 
that  believe. 

SERMON  XI. 

(Page  195.) 
MINISTERS  OF  THE  GOSPEL,  CHRIST'S  AMBASSADORS. 

2  Corinthians  v.  20. 

Now  then  we  are  Ambassadors  for  Christ,  as  though  God  did 
beseech  you  by  us  ;  we  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye 
reconciled  to  God. 

SERMON  XII. 

(Page  210.) 
THE  SACERDOTAL  BENEDICTION  IN  THE  NAME  OF  THE  TRINITY. 

2  Corinthians  xiii.  14. 

The  Grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  Love  of  God, 
and  the  Communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you  all. 


XIV  CONTENTS. 


THE  BEING,  LOVE,  AND  OTHER  ATTRIBUTES  OF  GOD,  AS  OUR 
CREATOR,  REDEEMER,  AND  SANCTIFIER,  ILLUSTRATED  IN 
TWELVE  SERMONS. 


SERMON  XIII. 

(Page  232.) 
THE  BEING  AND  ATTRIBUTES  OF  GOD. 

Exodus  iii.  14. 

And  God  said  unto  Moses,  I  AM  THAT  I  AM.  And 
He  said,  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  the  Children  of  Israel, 
I  AM  hath  sent  Me  unto  you. 

SERMON  XIV. 

(Page  248.) 
THE  LOVE  OF  GOD  IN  MAN'S  SALVATION. 

St.  John  iii.  16. 

For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only -begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life. 

SERMON  XV. 

(Page  265.) 
THE  MERITS  OF  CHRIST'S  PASSION. 

St.  John  i.  29. 

Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taheth  away  the  Sin  of  the 

World  ! 

SERMON  XVI. 

(Page  284.) 
SALVATION  THROUGH  FEAR  AND  TREMBLING, 

Philippians  ii.  12. 
Work  out  your  own  Salvation  with  fear  and  trembling. 


CONTENTS.  XV 

SERMON  XVII. 

(Page  300.) 
THE  CONSCIENCE  VOID  OF  OFFENCE. 

Acts  xxiv.  16. 

And  herein  do  I  exercise  myself,  to  have  always  a  Conscience 
void  of  offence,  toward  God  and  toward  men. 

SERMON  XVIII. 

(Page  320.) 

THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  PREFERABLE 
TO  ALL  OTHER. 

1  Corinthians  ii.  2. 

For  I  determined  not  to  know  any  thing  among  you,  save 
Jesus  Christ^  and  Him  crucified. 

SERMON  XIX. 

(Page  342.) 
THE  NEW  CREATURE  IN  CHRISTIANITY. 

2  Corinthians  v.  17. 
Therefore  if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature. 

SERMON    XX. 

(Page  364.) 

THE  NATURE  AND  ETERNITY  OF  HEAVEN'S  JOYS  AND  HELL'S 
TORMENTS. 

Matthew  xxv.  46. 

And  these  shall  a o  away  into  everlasting  punishment,  but 
the  righteous  into  life  eternal. 

SERMON  XXI. 

(Page  396.) 
THE  GLORIES  OF  CHRIST'S  CROSS. 

Galatians  vi.  14. 

But  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  by  whom  the  world  is  crucified  unto 
me,  and  I  unto  the  world. 


XVI  CONTENTS. 

SERMON  XXII. 

(Page  412.) 
THE  EXCELLENCY  OF  THE  SOUL  BEYOND  WORLDLY  GOODS. 

Matthew  xvi.  26. 

For  what  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world, 
and  lose  his  own  soul?  or,  what  shall  a  man  give  in  ex 
change  for  his  soul? 

SERMON  XXIII. 

(Page  432.) 
A  SPIRITUAL  LIFE  THE  CHARACTERISTIC  OF  A  CHRISTIAN. 

Romans  viii.  9. 

Now  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is 
none  of  His. 

SERMON  XXIV. 

(Page  448.) 
THE  OBLIGATIONS  OF  SUPERIORS  TO  PROMOTE  RELIGION. 

Psalm  ii.  11. 
Serve  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  rejoice  with  trembling. 


SERMON  I. 

CHRIST'S   PRESENCE  WITH   HIS  MINISTERS. 

MATTHEW  xxviii.  20. 

And  lo  !  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world. 

WE  are  here  assembled  in  the  Name  and  in  the  presence 
of  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord  ;  and  not  only  ours,  but  the  Lord 
of  the  whole  world,  having  absolute  and  supreme  dominion 
over  the  whole  creation  ;  not  only  as  He  is  God,  and  the 
Creator  of  all  things,  but  likewise  as  man  too, — His  human 
nature,  by  reason  of  its  union  to  the  Divine  person,  and  its 
perfect  obedience  to  the  Divine  will,  being  exalted  above, 
and  invested  with  power  over  all  other  creatures  whatsoever. 
For  even  as  He  is  the  Son  of  Man,  "  there  is  given  Him  Dan.  7. 14. 
dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  all  people,  nations, 
and  languages,  should  serve  Him."  And  "  He  having  hum-  Phii.2.8-n. 
bled  Himself,  and  become  obedient  to  death,  even  the  death 
of  the  cross,  therefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted  Him, 
and  given  Him  a  Name,  which  is  above  every  name ;  that  at  the 
Name  of  Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  heaven, 
and  things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth,  and  that 
every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord, 
to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father."  Hence  we  find  the  holy 
Angels  themselves  waiting  upon  Him  at  His  birth,  in  the 
wilderness,  in  His  agony,  and  at  His  resurrection,  when  they 
also  acknowledged  Him  to  be  the  Lord,  saying,  "  Come  and  Matt.  28.  6. 
see  the  place  where  the  Lord  lay;"  yea,  "all  the  Angels  Heb.  i.  6. 
of  God  worship  Him,"  and  are  commanded  so  to  do.'  And 
as  for  this  lower  world,  He  hath  "  the  heathen  for  His  in-  PS.  2.  s. 
heritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  His  pos 
session."  He  hath  "dominion  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  PS. 72.8,11. 


2  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.    the  river  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.     All  kings  are  bound  to 
'- — —  fall  down  before  Him,  and  all  nations  to  serve  Him." 


All  creatures,  therefore,  both  in  Heaven  and  earth,  are 
now  subject  to  our  Lord  Christ ;  and  He  orders,  governs, 
and  disposeth  of  them  all,  according  to  His  own  will  and 
pleasure,  and  so  as  shall  most  conduce  to  His  own  glory  and 

Eph.  i.  20-  His  Church's  good.  For  God,  having  "  raised  Him  from  the 
dead,  hath  set  Him  at  His  own  right  hand,  far  above  all 
principality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and  every 
name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that 
which  is  to  come,  and  hath  put  all  things  under  His  feet,  and 
made  Him  head  over  all  things  to  the  Church,  which  is  His 
body,  the  fulness  of  Him  that  filleth  all  in  all."  He  is  the 
head,  therefore,  not  only  of  the  Church,  but  over  all  things, 
to  or  for  the  Church ;  so  that  nothing  is  exempted  from  His 
dominion,  —  nothing  m  Heaven,  in  earth,  or  hell,  but  what 
is  subject  to  His  power ;  and,  therefore,  nothing  but  what  He 
can  do  for  His  own  Catholic  Church,  which  He  hath  pur 
chased  with  His  own  blood.  He  can  assist  it  with  His  grace, 
sanctify  it  by  His  Spirit,  protect  it  by  His  power  :  He  can 
make  all  things  in  Heaven  and  earth  work  together  for  its 
present  peace  and  future  glory — maugre  all  the  opposition 
that  men  or  devils  can  make  against  it. 

Thus  much  I  thought  good  to  premise  concerning  our 
Lord's  power,  in  order  to  the  explication  of  the  words  which 
I  have  now  read,  because  He  himself  taught  so  when  He 
spake  them.  For  being  now  about  to  send  His  Apostles 
into  the  world,  to  preach  and  propagate  the  Gospel  which 
He  had  planted,  He  first  shews  them,  as  it  were,  His  own 
commission ;  acquainting  them  with  the  power  He  had  to  send 
them,  and  that  in  such  words  as  comprehend  all  that  I  have 
said  concerning  it,  yea,  as  much  as  words  are  able  to  ex- 

Ver.  is,  19.  press.  "  All  power,"  saith  He,  "  is  given  unto  Me  in  Heaven 
and  in  earth  ;  go  ye,  therefore,  and  teach  all  nations,"  &c. 
As  if  He  should  have  said,  I  have  now  all  power  over  all 
things  in  the  world  conferred  upon  Me ;  by  virtue  whereof 
I  command,  empower,  and  commissionate  you  to  enlarge, 
settle,  and  govern  the  Church  that  I  have  founded ;  to  ad 
minister  the  Sacraments  that  I  have  instituted ;  and  to  per 
suade  mankind  to  embrace  My  Doctrine,  to  submit  to  My 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  3 

Discipline,  to  obey  My  Laws,  and  to  come  up  to  the  terms 
which  I  have  procured  for  them,  and  propounded  to  them, 
in  order  to  their  salvation. 

"  Go  ye,  therefore,"  says  He,  "  and  teach  all  nations  ;"  or, 
as  the  word  ^atojrftaars  properly  signifies,  "  make  all  nations 
My  disciples,  bring  them  over  to  My  religion,  that  both  Jews 
and  Gentiles  may  become  one  flock  under  Me,  the  great 
Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  their  souls."  And  this,  saith  He, 
I  would  have  you  do  two  ways,  — "  First,  by  baptizing  them 
in  the  Name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,"  and  so 
initiating  them  into  My  Church,  upon  their  consenting  to  the 
faith  which  I  have  published  to  the  world.  And,  secondly, 
"  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  com 
manded  you,"  that  so  they  may  be  My  disciples  indeed  ;  and 
not  only  by  an  outward  profession  of  the  faith  which  I  have 
taught  them,  but  likewise  by  performing  sincere  and  universal 
obedience  to  all  the  commands  that  I  have  laid  upon  them. 

When  our  Saviour  gave  this  charge  to  His  Apostles,  we 
may  easily  imagine  that  they  were  strangely  surprised  at 
the  hearing  of  it.  As  when  God  bade  Moses  go  and  bring 
the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  "  Moses  said  unto  Him,  Exod.  3.  n, 
Who  am  I,  that  I  should  go  to  Pharaoh,  and  that  I  should 
bring  forth  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  ^Egypt?"  So 
when  our  Lord  bade  His  Apostles  go  and  bring  all  nations 
out  of  their  idolatries  and  superstitions  into  the  profession  of 
His  religion,  the  Apostles  certainly  could  not  but  wonder  at 
it,  and  say,  at  least  within  themselves,  "  Who  are  we,  a  com 
pany  of  poor,  weak,  and  illiterate  men,  that  we  should  go  to 
all  nations — that  we  should  bring  them  off  from  the  religions 
of  their  forefathers,  and  that  we  should  ever  persuade  the 
world  to  believe  in  a  crucified  Christ?"  This  our  Lord 
foresaw,  and  therefore,  as  God  answered  Moses,  saying, 
"Certainly  I  will  be  with  thee;"  so  does  our  Saviour  here  [Exod.  3. 
encourage  his  Apostles,  saying,  "  And  behold  I  am  with  you  12^ 
alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

Words  of  very  great  importance  to  us  all — to  the  whole 
Church  of  God,  especially  to  the  Governors  of  it,  and  to 
those  that  administer  the  Word  and  Sacraments  in  it :  for 
asmuch  as  all  the  success  that  can  be  expected  from  the 
execution  of  any  ecclesiastical  function  depends  upon  the 


4  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.    performance  of  this  promise,  which,  therefore,  our  Lord  has 

-  so  worded,  that  there  is  not  a  word  in  it  but  what  hath  its 

emphasis,  and  is  much  to  be  observed  by  us ;  as  He  himself 

seems   to   intimate  by  prefacing  it  with   /5oO,  behold,  take 

special  notice  of  what  I  now  say  unto  you. 

Hence,  therefore,  we  shall  first  very  briefly  consider  the 
words  apart,  that  so  we  may  come  to  the  better  understand 
ing  of  the  whole.  First,  saith  He,  "I  am  with  you;"  I, 
the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  and  now  become  the  Son  of  Man 
too ;  I,  who  have  the  Angels  at  My  beck,  and  make  the 
devils  tremble  with  My  looks  ;  I,  who  in  your  sight  have 
caused  the  storms  to  cease,  the  blind  to  see,  the  lame  to 
walk,  the  dead  to  rise,  only  with  a  word  of  My  mouth  ;  I, 
who  was  delivered  for  your  offences,  but  am  now  raised 
again  for  your  justification  ;  I,  who  have  all  power,  both  in 
Heaven  and  earth  committed  to  Me ;  "  I  am  with  you." 
Not  I  will  be  with  you,  but  I  am  with  you — in  the  present 
tense ;  minding  them  thereby  of  His  Divine  essence  and 
power,  to  which  all  things  are  present.  And  therefore,  as 

Joha  s.  58.  He  elsewhere  saith,  "  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am."  So  here 
"  I  am  with  you"  at  all  times,  to  the  "  end  of  the  world,"  as 
really  as  at  this  present. 

And  then  it  follows,  I  am  //,£#'  vpZv,  "  with  you"  My  Apostles. 
For  that  these  words  were  spoken,  and  this  promise  made 
only  to  the  Apostles,  is  plain,  from  that  the  Eleven  only  are 

Ver.  16.  said  to  be  present  at  this  time.  And  that,  besides,  this  pro 
mise  is  made  only  to  those  who  now  received  commission  to 
go  and  convert  all  nations  to  the  Christian  faith,  to  baptize 
and  teach  mankind  the  commands  of  Christ;  which  com 
mission  being  granted  only  to  the  Apostles,  this  promise  also, 
annexed  to  it,  must  needs  belong  to  them  only.  But  then 
we  must  observe  likewise,  that  as  it  belongs  to  them  only, 
so  it  belongs  to  them  all  alike.  "  I  am  with  you,"  saith  He ; 
not  with  Peter  only,  or  any  one  or  more  of  you,  but  with 
you  all  equally,  one  as  well  as  another.  Yea,  saith  He, 
"  I  am  with  you,"  naffas  raf  q/Asgag,  "  every  day  ;"  wheresoever 
you  are,  whensoever  you  do  any  thing  towards  the  executing 
the  commission  which  I  have  now  given  you,  I  am  with  you 
in  the  doing  of  it.  And  that,  too,  sug  rr^g  ffuv7t\eia$  ro\j  a/uvo$, 

"  to  the  very  end  of  the  world  ;"  that  is,  so  long  as  I  have  a 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  5 

Church  upon  earth,  which  shall  be  till  My  coming  again  to 
judge  the  world:  all  this  while  I  promise  to  be  with  you, 
and  therefore,  as  long  as  the  world  shall  last. 

The  words  being  thus  explained  apart,  that  we  may  rightly 
apprehend  our  Lord's  meaning  in  the  whole,  there  are  two 
things  to  be  considered  : — 

I.  In  what  sense  the  Apostles  were  to  continue  to  the  end 
of  the  world. 

II.  In  what  sense  our  Saviour  here  promises  to  be  with 
them  all  that  while. 

As  for  the  first,  it  is  plain  that  our  Saviour  here  supposeth 
that  Apostles  were  to  continue  upon  earth  to  the  end  of  the 
world ;  for  otherwise  it  would  be  impossible  for  Him  to  be 
with  them  so  long,  and,  by  consequence,  to  perform  this  pro 
mise  to  them.  But  it  is  as  plain  likewise,  that  the  persons 
to  whom  our  Saviour  speaks  these  words  were  not  to  be 
here  so  long,  being  all  long  ago  dead.  And  therefore,  I  do 
not  see  how  we  can  possibly  understand  the  words  in  any  other 
sense  than  this,  even  that  our  Lord  spake  them  to  His  Apo 
stles,  not  as  private  persons,  as  Peter,  James,  or  John,  &c.  but 
as  Apostles  —  as  persons  now  placed  by  Him  in  an  office  that 
should  always  continue  in  His  Church.  So  that  the  promise  is 
made  not  so  much  to  the  persons  of  the  Apostles  as  to  the  office 
Apostolical ;  or,  at  least,  to  their  persons  only,  as  vested  with 
that  office,  and,  by  consequence,  to  all  persons,  to  the  end  of  the 
world,  that  should  ever  have  that  office  conferred  upon  them. 

For  our  better  understanding  of  this,  we  must  consider 
what  it  is  properly  to  be  an  Apostle  of  Christ,  or  wherein  the 
office  purely  Apostolical  consisted.  For  which  we  must  know, 
that  those  whom  the  Scriptures,  and  we  from  them,  call 
Apostles,  had  many  extraordinary  privileges  granted  to  them, 
which  were  not  essential  to  their  office,  nor  peculiar  to  them 
as  Apostles,  but  common  to  them  with  other  disciples,  and 
therefore  were  to  die  with  them.  As  for  example,  Were  they 
called  immediately  by  Christ  himself?  So  were  the  Seventy, 
who  were  the  ear  and  eye-witnesses  of  what  Christ  taught 
and  did  ;  so  were  many  others  as  well  as  they.  Were  they 
divinely  inspired  to  speak  all  manner  of  languages  ?  to  fore 
tell  things  to  come  ?  to  work  miracles  to  confirm  their  doc 
trine  ?  so  were  they  which  were  no  Apostles,  as  well  as  they 
that  were.  And  therefore  such  things  as  these  cannot  be 


6  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.  looked  upon  as  any  part  of  the  Apostolical  office,  but  only  as 
— extraordinary  favours  and  privileges  vouchsafed  to  the  per 
sons  of  the  Apostles. 

But  the  office,  properly  Apostolical,  consisted  only  in  such 
things  as  had  an  immediate  reference  to  the  propagating, 
edifying,  and  governing  of  the  Church  in  all  ages.  Indeed, 
our  Saviour  himself  gives  the  Apostles  a  particular  descrip 
tion  of  their  office,  in  the  very  commission  He  here  grants 
them  for  the  execution  of  it ;  commanding  them  to  convert  all 
nations  to  His  religion,  to  administer  the  Sacraments  to  them, 
and  to  teach  them  all  things  that  He  had  commanded  them. 
Under  which  is  contained  whatsoever  is  necessary  to  the 
instruction  and  government  of  His  Church  in  all  ages ;  as 
the  ordaining  persons  to  do  it,  censuring  those  who  refuse 
instruction,  comforting  and  encouraging  those  who  receive 
it,  and  the  like.  This  was  properly  the  office  Apostolical, 
which,  therefore,  was  not  to  die  with  the  persons  of  the 
Apostles,  but  was  to  be  transmitted  by  them  to  all  after-ages, 
as  our  Lord  himself  intimates  in  the  very  description  of  it ; 
for  He  here  bids  His  Apostles  go  and  make  all  nations  His 
disciples ;  which,  it  is  plain,  the  persons  He  spake  these  words 
to,  neither  did,  nor  ever  could  accomplish,  being  to  continue, 
as  we  know  they  did,  but  a  little  while  upon  earth,  wherein 
it  was  impossible  for  them  to  go  over  all  nations,  much  more 
to  persuade  them  all  to  embrace  the  Christian  faith.  And 
therefore  this  command  itself,  as  well  as  the  promise,  must 
needs  be  so  understood,  as  to  be  given  not  only  to  the  per 
sons  of  the  Apostles  then  present,  but  to  all  that  should  suc 
ceed  them  in  that  office  to  the  end  of  the  world.  So  that 
from  this  very  command,  we  reasonably  conclude  that  these 
words  were  meant  not  only  of  the  Apostles  themselves,  but  of 
their  successors  in  that  office  all  along,  until  all  nations  have 
received  the  Gospel  of  Christ; — much  more,  if  we  consider 
the  promise  annexed  to  it,  "  And  lo !  I  am  with  you  alway, 
even  to  the  end  of  the  world ;"  which  cannot  possibly  be 
fulfilled,  unless  there  be  Apostles,  or  persons  vested  with  the 
Apostolical  office,  alway  unto  the  end  of  the  world. 

Hence  therefore  it  was  that  the  Apostles,  having  received 
this  command  and  promise  from  our  Lord,  and  understand 
ing  from  thence  that  it  was  His  pleasure  that  they  should 
transfer  their  office  to  all  future  ages,  by  ordaining  others 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  7 

into  it,  took  care  to  do  it.      For  besides  the  Eleven,  to 

whom  these  words  were  spoken,  we  find  Matthias,  Paul, 

and  Barnabas,  admitted  into  the  same  office,  and  expressly 

called  Apostles  as  well  as  they.     So  is  Epaphroditus,  bishop 

of  Philippi,  called  by  St.  Paul  himself;  and  if  we  consult  Phil.  2.  25. 

the  ancient  records  of  the  Church,  we  shall  there  find  that 

James  bishop  of  Hierusalem,  Mark  of  Alexandria,  Timothy 

of  Ephesus,  Titus  of  Crete,  and  Clemens  of  Rome,  were  all 

called  Apostles.     And  as  Theodoret  observes,  rou$  vw  xa-  [Theod.  in- 

Xou/Asfous  'Ecr/ffxoVou£,  'AtfotfroXoug  wno/&ta£ov,  '  those  which  we  now  EpFsT.  i.  ad 
call  Bishops,  the  primitive  Christians  called  Apostles.'  And  ^\£' iii- 
so  indeed  may  all  Bishops,  rightly  ordained,  be  called,  as  652.  edit. 

Nocssclt 

having  the  same  office  in  the  Church  which  the  Apostles  Hal.  1771.] 
had;  and,  therefore,  the  office  which  Matthias  was  chosen  Acts  i.  20. 
into  is  called  'E^/^xo^,  the  office  of  a  Bishop.     Hence  St. 
Cyprian  sometimes  calls  Bishops  by  the  name  of  Apostles,  j^^1"* 
sometimes  Apostles  by  the  name  of  Bishops ;  and  the  reason  tian.  fratr. 
is,  because  Bishops,  as  St.  Hierom  expresses  it,  Apostolorum  xiv.'p.  ss. 
locum  tenent,  'they  supply  the  place  of  the  Apostles.'     Hence  ^^  ^  ' 
also,  not  only  St.  Cyprian,1  but  Irenaeus2  and  Tertullian,3  f^'?*011' 
assert  Bishops  to  be  the  Apostles'  successors,  and  reckon  up  [Hieron. 
the  succession  of  several  of  them  from  the  Apostles  them-  ad  Marcel- ' 
selves.  And  St.  Hierom4  himself,  having  affirmed  all  Bishops,  j^™; 
of  whatsoever  city,  great  or  small,  to   be  ejusdem  meriti,  P-  650 
ejusdem  et  sacerdotii,  he  adds,  cceterum  omnes  Apostolorum 
successores  sunt, — l  they  are  all  successors  to  the  Apostles.' 

And  therefore,  whatsoever  our  Lord  said  to  the  Apostles 
as  such,  all  succeeding  Apostles  or  Bishops  are  obliged  by  it 
as  well  as  they.     As  St.  Cyprian  observed  long  ago,  saying,  [Epist.ixvi. 
Christus  qui  dicit  ad  Apostolos,  ac  per  hoc  ad  omnes  prce-  p.^s'/edJ* 
positos,  qui  Apostolis  vicarid  ordinatione  succedunt ;  for  the  Fell-3 
office  is  the  same  now  as  it  was  then.    So  that  in  the  Apostles' 
days,  and  in  all  after-ages,  and  in  all  places  of  the  world,  as 
the  same  Father  words  it,5  Episcopatus  unus  est,  cujus  a  sin- 
gulis  in  solidum  pars  tenetur :  '  there  is  but  one  Episcopacy, 

1  [In  1.  c.]  s   [Cyp.  de  Unit.  Eccles.  p.  108.   "  Ut 

2  [Iren.    adv.    Haeres.   lib.   iii.    c.    3.  Episcopatum  quoque  ipsum,  unura  atque 
pp.  200,  201,  ed.  Grabe.    Cf.  User.  1.  iv.  inclivisum    probemus."— Cf.   Epist.   Iv. 
c.  63.     Euseb.  Hist.  Eccl.  V.  c.  6.]  "  Episcopatus  unus,  Episcoporum  mul- 

3  [Tertull.   de   Prsescr.    Hseret.    cap.  torum  concordi  numerositate  diffusus." 
xxxii.  p.  213,  ed.  Rigalt.]  —p.  112.] 

«  [Hieron.     Epist.    ci.    ad    Evangel, 
torn.  iv.  par.  2.  p.  803,  ed.  Ben.] 


8  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.  but  one  Episcopal  office,  a  part  whereof  is  wholly  possessed 
"  by  every  Bishop ; '  which,  as  it  quite  overthrows  the  su 
premacy  which  the  Bishop  of  Rome  pretends  to  over  all 
other  Bishops,  so  it  sufficiently  proves  the  true  sense  and 
meaning  of  the  words  in  my  text.  For,  seeing  the  office  is 
still  one  and  the  same  now  which  it  was  in  the  Apostles' 
days,  and  so  will  continue  to  the  end  of  the  world ;  seeing 
also  there  always  will  be  such  Apostles  in  the  Church,  our 
Saviour,  speaking  to  the  Eleven  as  Apostles,  might  well  say, 
"  Lo !  I  am  with  you  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

Having  thus  discovered  in  what  sense  the  Apostles  were  to 
continue  in  the  Church  to  the  end  of  the  world,  we  are  now 
to  consider  in  what  sense  our  Lord  here  promises  to  be 
always  with  them.  To  find  out  which,  we  need  not  have 
recourse  to  the  wild  and  extravagant  opinion  of  the  Ubiqui- 
tarians,  asserting  the  human  nature  of  Christ  to  be  every 
where  present.  Neither  is  it  sufficient  to  observe  that  His 
Divine  essence  is  present  with  them ;  for  so  it  is  with  every 
creature,  no  creature  being  able  to  subsist  without  it.  Whereas 
our  Saviour  here  promiseth  to  be  with  His  Apostles  in  some 
such  peculiar  sense  as  can  belong  only  to  them,  and  to  them 
only  as  His  Apostles.  And  that  we  might  not  be  mistaken 
in  a  matter  of  such  consequence  as  this,  He  himself  hath 
elsewhere  explained  himself,  and  left  upon  record  how  these 
words  are  to  be  understood.  For,  as  He  here  promises  His 
Apostles,  that  He  will  be  with  them  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
so  He  elsewhere  tells  them  that  His  Holy  Spirit  shall  be 
John  u.  16.  always  with  them.  "  And  I  will  pray  the  Father,"  saith  He, 
"  and  He  shall  give  you  another  Comforter,  that  he  may 
abide  with  you  for  ever,  even  the  Spirit  of  Truth ;"  which  is 
the  same  in  effect  with  His  own  being  always  with  them. 
For  the  Spirit,  proceeding  from  the  Son,  as  well  as  from  the 
Father,  and  being  of  the  same  nature  and  essence  with  Him, 
Wheresoever  the  Spirit  is,  there  is  Christ  also.  So  that, 
in  short,  our  Saviour  here  promiseth  His  Apostles,  that  He 
will  be  always  with  them  to  the  end  of  the  world,  by  His 
Holy  Spirit  accompanying  and  assisting  of  them  in  the  dis 
charge  of  their  Apostolical  office.  In  the  discharge,  I  say, 
of  their  Apostolical  office ;  for  we  are  still  to  remember  what 
I  observed  before,  even  that  these  words  were  spoken  to  the 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  '  9 

Apostles  and  their  successors  only  as  such  ;  and  therefore 
Christ's  presence  with  them  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  here  pro 
mised,  cannot  be  understood  only  of  His  illuminating,  or 
sanctifying,  or  comforting  presence,  which  He  vouchsafeth 
to  all  believers,  as  well  as  unto  them ;  but  it  must  be  under 
stood  in  such  a  sense  as  is  proper  to  the  Apostles,  Pastors, 
and  Governors  of  the  Church  in  all  ages :  which,  in  brief, 
amounts  to  no  more  nor  less  than  this,  even  that  Christ, 
having  constituted  such  an  office  in  His  Church  for  the 
government  and  edification  of  it  to  the  end  of  the  world ;  He 
here  promiseth  that  He  himself,  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  will  be 
always  present  at  the  execution  of  it,  so  as  to  make  it  effec 
tual  to  the  great  ends  and  purposes  for  which  it  was  designed. 

To  explain  this  more  fully  to  you,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
instance  in  the  several  parts  of  the  Apostolical  office,  and  to 
shew  how  Christ,  according  to  His  promise,  is  always  present, 
by  His  Spirit,  at  the  performance  of  them.  Now  the  first  and 
principal  part  of  this  office  is  the  ordaining  others  into  it,  and 
giving  them  power  to  ordain  others,  and  so  successively  to  the 
end  of  the  world ;  which  is  necessarily  supposed  in  the  pro 
mise  itself,  as  that  without  which  it  could  never  be  fulfilled. 

The  first,  therefore,  that  were  ordained  into  this  office, 
were  ordained  by  Christ  himself.  The  form  and  manner  of 
which  ordination  is  set  down,  where  it  is  said  that  Christ,  John  20. 21, 
coming  to  His  Apostles,  said  to  them,  "  Peace  be  with  you ;  22' 
as  My  Father  hath  sent  Me,  even  so  send  I  you.  And  when 
He  had  said  this,  He  breathed  on  them,  and  saith  unto 
them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost;"  where  we  may  plainly 
see  how  our  Saviour  would  be  with  His  Apostles,  after  His 
body  was  removed  from  them,  even  by  His  Holy  Spirit, 
which  He  therefore  breathes  from  Himself  into  them,  by  that 
means  consecrating  them  His  Apostles  and  vicegerents  upon 
earth ;  telling  them  withal,  that  as  "  the  Father  sent  Him,  so 
He  sent  them."  Whereby  He  certifies  them,  that  whatsoever 
power  He  had  received  from  the  Father  for  the  instruction 
and  government  of  His  Church,  He  now  left  the  same  with 
them,  or  rather  with  the  Holy  Spirit  which  He  breathed 
into  them  ;  and  by  consequence,  that  as  He  sent  them,  so 
were  they  to  send  others,  by  conferring  the  Spirit  upon 
them,  and  so  from  one  to  another  all  along,  that  the  Spirit 


10  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.    which  they  now  received  might  continue  with  them  and 
-  their  successors,  and  so  supply  His  place  upon  earth  until 
His  coming  again. 

Hence  the  Apostles,  being  thus  ordained  and  instructed  by 
our  Lord,  took  special  care  to  transfer  the  same  Spirit  to 
others  which  they  had  received  from  Him.  But  this  they  could 
not  do  after  the  same  manner  as  Christ  had  done  it  to  them, 
even  by  breathing  upon  them ;  for  that  way  was  peculiar  to 
Christ,  from  whom  the  Spirit  proceedeth.  Wherefore,  they 
being  doubtless  directed  thereto  by  the  same  Spirit,  trans 
mitted  it  to  others  by  laying  their  hands  upon  them,  which 
was  the  old  way  that  had  been  used  in  the  Church  before ; 
for  so  Moses  communicated  the  spirit  of  wisdom  to  Joshua, 
thereby  constituting  him  his  successor  in  the  government  of 

Deut.  34.  9.  Israel,  even  by  laying  his  hands  upon  him.  Thus  Paul  and 
Barnabas  were  ordained  by  the  special  appointment  of  the 

Acts  is.  3.  Holy  Ghost  himself;  for  it  is  said,  that  they  having  "  fasted 
and  prayed,  laid  their  hands  upon  them,"  and  so  sent  them 
out ;  who,  thereupon,  are  said  in  the  next  verse  to  be  sent  by 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  it  being  now  conferred  upon  them  by  the 
imposition  of  hands.  Thus  St.  Paul  communicated  xagiapa, 

2  Tim.  i.  6.  rou  0soD,  as  he  calls  it,  the  gift  of  the  Spirit,  unto  Timothy. 
And  wheresoever  we  read  that  the  Apostles  ordained  any, 
they  still  did  it  after  this  manner,  even  by  laying  their  hands 
upon  them ;  and  that  too  whether  they  ordained  them  into 
their  whole  office,  or  else  into  any  part  of  it.  For  the  whole 
care  of  the  Church  being  committed  unto  them,  they  had 
power  to  constitute  what  officers  they  thought  fit  under 
them  :  but  still  they  did  it  by  laying  their  hands  upon  them, 
and  so  communicating  of  the  same  Spirit  unto  them  which 
they  had  received  from  Christ.  As  when  they  found  it  ne 
cessary  to  have  Deacons  in  the  Church,  to  take  care  of  the 
widows,  they  ordained  them  by  laying  their  hands  upon 

Acts  G.  6.  them,  thereby  transferring  so  much  of  the  Spirit  upon  them 
as  was  necessary  for  that  office.  And  when  they  afterwards 
saw  it  very  necessary  that  there  should  be  other  officers  in 
the  Church,  which  we  now  call  Presbyters,  that  should  have 
power  under  them  to  preach  the  Gospel  and  administer  the 
Sacraments  in  places  where  they  themselves  could  not  be 
always  present ;  upon  these  also  they  laid  their  hands,  and 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  1 1 

by  that  means  communicated  so  much  of  the  Spirit  unto 
them  as  was  necessary  for  the  due  and  effectual  execution  of 
the  said  office. 

Thus,  therefore,  it  is,  that  the  Apostolical  office  hath  been 
handed  down  from  one  to  another,  ever  since  the  Apostles' 
days  to  our  time,  and  so  will  be  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
Christ  himself  being  continually  present  at  such  imposition 
of  hands  ;  thereby  transferring  the  same  Spirit  which  He 
had  first  breathed  into  His  Apostles,  upon  others  successively 
after  them,  as  really  as  He  was  present  with  the  Apostles 
themselves,  when  He  first  breathed  it  into  them.  Insomuch, 
that  they  who  are  thus  ordained  are  said  to  be  made  Bishops 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  himself,  as  well  as  the  Apostles  were.  Acts  20.  28. 
By  which  means  the  Holy  Catholic  Church  always  hath 
been,  and  still  is,  truly  Apostolical,  as  it  is  called  in  the 
Nicene  Creed.  And  the  several  parts  of  the  Apostolical  office 
are  now  as  effectually  performed  by  their  successors,  and 
others  ordained  under  them,  as  they  were  while  the  Apostles 
themselves  lived.  For  it  was  not  the  persons  of  the  Apo 
stles,  but  their  office,  influenced  and  assisted  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  that  made  the  Sacraments  they  administered  to  be 
valid,  and  their  preaching  of  the  Gospel  so  prevalent  upon 
those  that  heard  it.  Though  Paul  himself  planted  and  [iCor.s.6.] 
Apollos  watered,  it  was  God  only  that  gave  the  increase. 

And  so  it  is  to  this  day :  all  the  efficacy  that  there  is  or 
can  be  in  the  administration  of  any  ecclesiastical  office,  de 
pends  altogether  upon  the  Spirit  of  God  going  along  with 
the  office,  and  assisting  at  the  execution  of  it;  without  which, 
the  Sacraments  we  administer  would  be  but  empty  signs,  and 
our  preaching  no  more  than  beating  of  the  air.  Whereas 
on  the  other  side,  Christ,  according  to  His  promise,  being 
always  present  by  His  Holy  Spirit  at  the  administration  of 
the  several  offices  which  He  has  ordained  in  His  Church,  they 
can  never  fail  of  their  designed  effect,  if  the  persons  to  whom 
they  are  administered  be  but  rightly  disposed  and  qualified 
for  it.  By  this  means,  they  that  are  duly  baptized  are 
"  born  again,  not  only  of  water,  but  of  the  Spirit  also  ; "  and  John  3.  5. 
so  together  with  the  "  washing  of  regeneration,  they  have 
the  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Hence  also,  in  the  Sacra-  Tit.  3.  5. 
ment  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  the  worthy  receiver  does  really 


12  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.    by  faith  partake  of  the  mystical  body  and  blood  of  Christ, 

'• and  of  such  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  shall  enable  him 

to  walk  as  becomes  a  member  of  Christ.  And  whensoever 
we  read,  preach,  or  publish  the  Gospel  as  Christ  taught  it, 
the  Holy  Spirit  goes  along  with  it,  so  that  it  becomes  the 
[Rom.  i.  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth. 
And  seeing  our  Lord  thus  continually  accompanies  the  Apo 
stles  and  their  successors,  so  as  to  vouchsafe  His  Spirit  to  those 
on  whom  they  lay  their  hands,  and  to  co-operate  by  the  same 
spirit  with  those  who  are  so  ordained  by  them,  in  their  admi 
nistration  of  the  word  and  Sacraments  ;  hence  He  may  well 
be  said  to  be  always  with  them,  according  to  the  promise  He 
makes  them  in  my  text. 

But  besides  that  imposition  of  hands,  whereby  the  Apostles 
transmitted  the  Spirit  they  had  received,  together  with  their 
Apostolical  office,  down  to  succeeding  ages,  we  find  them 
sometimes  laying  their  hands  on  believers  baptized,  that 
thereby  the  Holy  Ghost  might  come  upon  them,  not  with 
respect  to  any  office,  but  only  to  confirm  and  strengthen 
them  in  the  Christian  faith. 

For  when  the  Samaritans  had  received  the  word  of  God, 
and  were  baptized  by  Philip,  who  was  no  Apostle,  but  only  a 
Deacon,  the  Apostles  at  Hierusalem  hearing  of  it,  sent  Peter 
and  John  unto  them,  who  having  laid  their  hands  upon 
Acts  s.  17.  them,  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost.  Philip  indeed,  having 
had  the  Apostles'  hands  laid  upon  him,  had  thereby  received 
power  to  baptize  them  with  water  and  the  Holy  Ghost ;  but 
it  seems  he  had  no  power  to  lay  his  hands  upon  them,  and 
by  that  means  to  confer  any  greater  measure  of  the  Spirit 
upon  them.  No,  that  was  to  be  done  only  by  the  Apostles 
themselves ;  who  therefore  sent  two  of  their  own  body,  as  far 
as  from  Hierusalem  to  Samaria,  on  purpose  to  do  it ;  which 
certainly  they  would  never  have  done,  had  this  been  an  use 
less  ceremony,  or  if  Philip,  or  any  one  under  an  Apostle, 
could  have  done  it.  So  that  this  instance  is  of  itself  suffi 
cient  to  prove  that  this  was  an  act  peculiar  to  the  Apostolical 
office ;  and  that  our  Saviour,  according  to  His  promise,  was 
really  present  at  the  performance  of  it,  seeing  the  Apostles 
had  no  sooner  laid  their  hands  upon  them,  but  they  imme 
diately  received  the  Holy  Ghost.  Another  instance  of  the 


Christ's  Presence  with  Pits  Ministers.  13 

same  nature  we  find,  where  St.  Paul,  being  at  Ephesus,  and  Acts  19.  6 
finding  some  disciples  there  baptized  only  with  the  baptism 
of  John  ;  he  laid  his  hands  upon  them,  and  so  they  received 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

Hence  the  Catholic  Church,  in  all  ages,  hath  not  only 
retained  this  Apostolical  rite,  which  we  now  call  Confirmation, 
but  hath  always  esteemed  it  an  essential  part  of  the  Aposto 
lical  office,  and  therefore  to  be  performed  by  none  but  the 
Apostles  themselves  and  their  successors  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  And  therefore  it  was  the  ancient  and  constant  cus 
tom  of  the  primitive  Church,  as  it  is  ours,  for  the  Bishop  of 
every  diocese  to  go  into  the  lesser  cities  and  villages  be 
longing  to  him,  and  there  lay  his  hands  upon  those  who  were 
baptized  by  Priests  or  Deacons,  that  they  might  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost,  as  we  learn  from  St.  Hierom  himself,  whose 
words  are,  Non  abnuo  hanc  esse  Ecclesiarum  consuetudinem,  ut 
ad  eos,  qui  [longd  iri\  minoribus  urbibus  per  Presbyteros  et  JJ 

Diaconos  baptizati  sunt,  Eniscopus  ad  invocationem  Sancti  iv.  par.  2. 

1      .         .    '  P-  ass.] 

manum  impositurus  excurrat. 


And  therefore,  how  any  Bishops  in  our  days  dare  neglect 
so  considerable  a  part  of  their  office,  I  know  not  ;  but  fear 
they  will  have  no  good  account  to  give  of  it  when  they  come 
to  stand  before  our  Lord's  tribunal.  And  as  for  others,  who, 
contrary  to  the  practice  of  the  primitive  Christians,  either 
refuse  or  neglect  confirmation,  when  they  may  have  it  ad 
ministered  to  them,  they  have  just  cause  to  suspect  that  they 
have  no  good  sense  of  religion,  nor  regard  for  the  gifts  and 
graces  of  the  Holy  Spirit  :  for  if  they  had,  they  would  use  all 
means  for  the  attainment  thereof;  especially  this,  which  hath 
been  found  effectual  for  that  end  by  the  Catholic  and  Apo 
stolic  Church,  in  all  ages,  where  persons  have  been  duly  pre 
pared  for  it  :  our  Lord  being,  according  to  His  promise  in 
my  text,  always  present  at  the  performance  of  this,  as  well  as 
of  any  other  part  of  the  Apostolical  office. 

There  is  one  thing  still  behind,  which  we  must  by  no 
means  omit,  especially  upon  this  occasion  ;  and  that  is,  the 
power  of  governing  the  Church,  which  our  Lord  left  with 
His  Apostles  and  their  successors,  to  the  end  of  the  world  ; 
but  so  that  He,  according  to  His  promise,  is  always  present 
with  them  at  the  execution  of  it.  For  this  power  is  granted 


14  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.    to  them  in  the  very  charter  to  which  this  promise  is  an- 
— nexed  :  For  here  our  Lord  gives  them  commission  not  only 


to  baptize,  but  likewise  to  teach  those  who  are  His  disciples, 
to  observe  whatsoever  He  had  commanded.  Whereby  they 
are  impowered  both  to  declare  what  are  those  commands  of 
Christ  which  men  ought  to  observe,  and  also  to  use  all 
means  to  prevail  upon  men  to  observe  them  :  Such  as  are, 
correcting  and  punishing  those  who  violate,  rewarding  and 
encouraging  those  who  keep  them.  But  our  Saviour's  king 
dom  being,  as  Himself  saith,  not  of  this  world,  but  purely 
spiritual,  He  hath  authorised  His  substitutes  in  the  govern 
ment  of  it,  to  use  rewards  and  punishments  of  the  same 
nature  ;  even  to  admonish  delinquents  in  His  Name  to  for 
sake  their  sins,  and  if  they  continue  obstinate,  and  neglect 
such  admonitions,  to  excommunicate  or  cast  them  out  of  His 
Church ;  and,  upon  their  repentance,  to  absolve  and  receive 
them  in  again.  This  power  our  Saviour  first  promised  to 

Matt.  16.  St.  Peter,  and  in  him  to  the  rest  of  the  Apostles.  But  it  was 
not  actually  conferred  upon  them,  till  after  His  resurrection, 

John  20. 23.  when,  having  breathed,  He  said  unto  them,  "  Receive  ye  the 
Holy  Ghost :  whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted 
unto  them;  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained." 
As  if  he  should  have  said,  I,  the  Son  of  Man,  having  power 
upon  earth  also  to  forgive  sins,  do  now  commit  the  same  to 
you ;  so  that  whose  sins  soever  are  remitted  or  retained  by 
you,  are  so  by  Me  also.  From  whence  it  is  plain,  both  that 
the  Apostles  received  power  to  remit  and  retain  sins,  and  that 
Christ  himself  concurs  with  them  in  the  exercise  of  that 
power ;  and  how  He  doth  it,  even  by  His  Holy  Spirit  now 
breathed  into  them. 

To  explain  the  full  extent  and  latitude  of  this  power, 
would  require  more  time  than  can  be  allowed  upon  this  day, 
whereon  'tis  to  be  exercised :  And,  therefore,  I  shall  observe 
only  two  things  concerning  it ;  whereof  the  first  is,  That  how 
great  soever  the  power  be,  which  our  Lord  committed  to  His 
Apostles  and  their  successors,  for  the  government  of  His 
Church  in  all  ages,  it  is  but  ministerial ;  they  act  only  under 
Him  as  His  ministers  and  stewards,  and  must  one  day  give 
an  account  to  Him  of  all  their  actions.  Yea,  whatsoever 
power  they  have  of  this  nature,  it  is  still  His  power  in  their 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  15 

hands ;  they  derive  it  continually  from  Him,  who  is  always 
present  with  them.  And  therefore,  as  they  themselves  need 
to  have  a  care  how  they  exert  this  power,  or  neglect  the  ex 
erting  of  it ;  so  others  had  need  to  take  care  too,  that  they 
neither  resist  nor  despise  it. 

The  other  thing  I  would  observe  unto  you,  is,  That  for  the 
better  execution  of  this  power,  it  hath  been  the   constant 
custom  of  the  Apostles  and  their  successors  in  all  ages,  to 
visit  the  Churches  committed  to  their  charge ;  to  inquire  into 
the  faith  and  manners,  both  of  the  clergy  and  laity  that  are 
under  them  ;  and  to  use  so  much  of  their  authority,  and  give 
such  orders  as  they  found  necessary  for  the  due  observation 
of  their  Lord's  commands.     Thus  we  find  the  Apostles  fre 
quently  visiting  the  Churches  they  had   planted  ;    and  St. 
Paul  particularly  keeping  a  solemn  visitation  at  Miletus, 
where  he  sent  for  the  Elders  of  Ephesus,  and  of  all  Asia  (as 
Irenseus  affirms,  and  the  context  itself  proves),  and  sum-  [iren.  adv. 
moned  them  to   appear  before  him  there,  where  he  gave  ^iT.pS.235.] 
them  many  Apostolical  admonitions  and  directions,  how  to 
feed  the  flock,  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  had  made  them  Acts  20.  28. 
overseers.     Afterwards,  we  find  it  recorded  in  Ecclesiastical 
History,  that  St.  John  often  visited  the  Asiatic  Churches,  as 
his  peculiar  province.    And  I  do  not  question,  but  where  we 
read  of  Pinytus  bishop  of  Gnossus,  and  Dionysius  of  Alex 
andria,  laying  their  commands  upon  their  clergy,  in  the  first 
ages  of  the  Church,  it  was  at  such  a  visitation  as  this.     And 
we  cannot  doubt  of  St.  Cyprian's  care  in  this  particular,  so  [Cyp.  Ep. 
long  as  he   resided  upon  his  bishopric,  seeing  that  in  his  et  bia? 
very  recess,  when  he  was  forced  to  retire,  he  visited  them,  JJj"^  P-  42> 
as  himself  saith,  by  his  letters,  sending  several  both  to  the  xim.  ed. 
clergy  and  laity,  still  extant  in  his  works ;  wherein  he  some 
times  reproves,  sometimes  admonishes  and  directs  them  how 
to  carry  and  behave  themselves  in  that  juncture. 

Indeed,  this  is  so  necessary  to  the  discharging  of  the  Epi 
scopal  or  Apostolical  office,  that  it  cannot  be  imagined  that 
ever  any  conscientious  Bishop  durst  neglect  it.     Insomuch, 
that  for  several  ages  after  the  Apostles,  we  have  no  ecclesi-  A^eiat^A.D. 
astical  law  or  Canon,  as  I  remember,  about  Episcopal  visita-  ^is-  Canon 
tions ;  because  there  was  no  need  of  them  till  about  the  sixth  Hardouin. 
or  seventh  century,  when  there  were  several  canons  made  1005.] ' ] 


16  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.    concerning  the  time  and  manner  of  keeping  them;  as  the 
sixth  council  at  Aries  decreed,  that  every  Bishop  should  go 


[ivo.  Lib.  about  his  diocese  once  every  year.  Ivo  quotes  an  ancient 
mrTv  de  canon  of  the  second  council  at  Seville,  that  every  Bishop 
Subiimitat.  snall  once  a  year  go  about  his  diocese,  and  confirm  and 
cap.  189.  p.  teach  the  people.  The  second  council  at  Braga  in  Portugal, 
4. 1561.]"  decreed,  That  Bishops,  in  their  visitations,  should  instruct 


van 


[2  Condi,  their  clergy  how  to  administer  the  Sacrament.  The  fourth 
at  Toledo,  That  they  shall  then  inquire  into  the  fabric  of 
Tom!  their  several  Churches,  and  examine  what  repairs  they 
iii.p.386.]  wanted.  Another  at  Augusta  Vindelicorum,  or  Augsburg, 
ToST-D.  as  some  think,  as  others  at  Ratisbon  in  Germany,  decreed, 
ess.  v.  cap.  That  when  the  Bishop  goes  about  his  diocese  to  confirm  the 

36.  ap. 

Hard.  Tom.  people,  the  Presbyters  shall  be  always  ready  to  attend  him. 
There  are  several  other  canons,  enjoining  Bishops  to  visit  at 


Magm  Se-    least  once  a  year,  and  directing  them  what  to  do  at  their 

lect.  Capi-        ...  ,  ,         T,  n     -,  ,  ,-,,... 

tui.  Eccies.  visitations  ;  but  none,  that  I  know  of,  that  they  shall  visit  in 
general  :  the  Church  taking  it  for  granted  all  along,  that  no 


cap.  32.]  Bishop  would  totally  omit  so  necessary  a  part  of  his  duty, 
but  would  some  time,  and  after  some  manner  or  other,  visit 
the  diocese  that  belonged  to  him  :  which  certainly  none  can 
choose  but  do,  who  considers  either  the  account  he  must  one 
day  give  of  his  stewardship,  or  the  encouragement  our  Lord 
Himself  has  given  him  to  do  it,  in  that  He  hath  promised  to 
be  always  with  him  in  the  discharge  of  his  office  ;  saying  to 
His  Apostles  and  their  successors  for  ever,  "  Lo  !  I  am  with 
you  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

Now  the  promises  being  duly  weighed,  even  that  our 
Lord  Himself  is  always  present  by  His  Holy  Spirit  with 
His  Apostles  and  their  successors  in  the  execution  of  the 
Apostolical  office  ;  many  useful  inferences  might  be  thence 
deduced.  I  shall  instance  in  some  few,  which,  I  hope,  will  not 
be  altogether  unworthy  of  your  consideration  at  this  time. 

Hence  therefore,  in  the  first  place,  I  observe,  how  much 
we  are  all  bound  to  acknowledge  the  goodness,  to  praise, 
magnify,  and  adore  the  Name  of  the  Most  High  God,  in  that 
we  were  born  and  bred,  and  still  live  in  a  Church,  wherein 
the  Apostolical  line  hath  through  all  ages  been  preserved 
entire,  there  having  been  a  constant  succession  of  such 
Bishops  in  it,  as  were  truly  and  properly  successors  to  the 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  17 

Apostles,  by  virtue  of  that  Apostolical  imposition  of  hands  ; 
which  being  begun  by  the  Apostles,  hath  been  continued 
from  one  to  another,  ever  since  their  time,  down  to  ours. 
By  which  means,  the  same  Spirit  which  was  breathed  by  our 
Lord  into  His  Apostles,  is,  together  with  their  office,  trans 
mitted  to  their  lawful  successors,  the  Pastors  and  Governors 
of  our  Church  at  this  time ;  and  acts,  moves,  and  assists  at 
the  administration  of  the  several  parts  of  the  Apostolical 
office  in  our  days,  as  much  as  ever.  From  whence  it  follows, 
that  the  means  of  grace,  which  we  now  enjoy,  are  in  them 
selves  as  powerful  and  effectual  as  they  were  in  the  Apostles' 
days.  And  if  they  prove  not  always  so  successful  now  as  they 
were  then,  that  cannot  be  imputed  to  any  want  of  efficacy  in 
them,  but  to  some  defect  or  other  in  those  who  use  them. 
For  they  who  are  duly  prepared  cannot  but  always  find  the 
same  effect  from  them,  because  there  is  always  the  same 
cause,  even  the  Spirit  of  God  moving  upon  His  Word  and 
Sacraments,  when  administered  by  our  Church,  as  well  as 
when  administered  by  the  Apostles,  to  whom  it  was  first 
given. 

And  here  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  observe,  what  I  have 
often  thought  of,  not  without  admiration,  how  strangely  the 
spirit  of  the  Apostles  hath  run  through  our  Church,  all 
along,  ever  since  the  Reformation,  diffusing  itself  from  the 
head,  which  first  received  it,  into  all  her  real  members ;  as 
may  easily  be  seen,  not  only  in  the  discipline  of  our  Church, 
but  likewise  in  its  doctrine,  manner  of  worship,  patience  under 
sufferings,  universal  charity,  and  particularly  in  its  loyalty 
and  submission  to  the  civil  magistrate ;  which  the  Apostles, 
assisted  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  did  not  only  press  upon  others, 
but  practised  themselves.  And  the  same  Spirit  hath  enabled 
our  Church  constantly  to  do  the  same :  insomuch,  that 
malice  itself  could  never  fasten  any  thing  of  rebellion  upon 
our  Church,  as  now  constituted,  nor  upon  any  of  her  mem 
bers  that  lived  faithfully  in  her  communion.  Many  of  them 
have  suffered  imprisonment,  sequestration  —  yea,  martyrdom 
itself,  as  the  Apostles  did ;  and  yet  all  have  been  as  free  from 
rebellion  and  treason  as  they  were :  which  to  me  is  a  great 
instance  of  the  same  Spirit  still  working  in  our  Church 
which  wrought  so  effectually  upon  them. 


18  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.  And  this  I  verily  believe  is  the  great  reason  why  the 
-  devil  hath  such  a  spite  at  our  Church,  still  stirring  up 
adversaries  of  all  sorts  against  it, — Papists  on  the  one  hand, 
and  Sectaries  on  the  other,  and  all,  if  possible,  to  destroy  it : 
even  because  the  Spirit,  which  is  ministered  in  it,  is  so  con 
trary  to  his  nature,  and  so  destructive  of  his  kingdom,  that 
he  can  never  expect  to  domineer  and  tyrannise  over  the 
people  of  the  land,  so  long  as  such  a  Church  is  settled  among 
them,  and  they  continue  firm  to  it.  And  therefore,  seeing 
he  cannot,  by  all  his  secret  plots  and  contrivances,  totally 
overthrow  it,  he  still  uses  the  utmost  of  his  skill  and  power 
to  draw  as  many  as  he  can  from  its  communion,  and  so 
make  them  schismatics;  that  so  being  separated  from  the 
body,  they  may  not  partake  of  the  Spirit  that  is  in  it,  nor,  by 
consequence,  receive  any  benefit  from  this  promise  of  our 
blessed  Saviour  to  the  Governors  of  His  Catholic  and 
Apostolic  Church  in  all  ages,  "  Lo !  I  am  with  you  alway, 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 

The  next  thing  I  would  observe  unto  you,  from  what  we 
have  now  discoursed  of,  concerns  us  of  the  Clergy,  who  are 
entrusted  with  any  part  of  the  Apostolical  office.  For  being 
ordained  by  those  who  succeeded  the  Apostles  in  a  direct 
line,  by  the  imposition  of  their  hands  upon  us,  we  received 
not  only  power  to  administer  the  Word  and  Sacraments, 
but  likewise  the  Spirit  of  Christ  to  accompany  and  influence 
such  administrations — by  whom,  therefore,  Christ  Himself  is 
always  present  with  us  whensoever,  we  are  employed  in  the 
work  that  He  hath  set  us.  Which  consideration,  methinks, 
should  strike  an  awe  and  terror  into  us,  and  make  us  dread 
the  thoughts  of  doing  the  work  of  our  Lord  negligently. 
And  therefore,  whether  we  minister  unto  Him  in  the  public 
Liturgy  of  our  Church,  read  or  preach  His  Holy  Word,  or 
administer  His  blessed  Sacraments,  let  us  all  be  persuaded 
to  have  an  especial  care  that  we  do  it,  not  after  a  careless 
or  perfunctory  manner,  but  with  all  that  reverence  and  godly 
fear  —  with  that  earnestness  and  devotion  — with  that  serious 
ness  and  intention  of  mind,  as  becomes  those  who  believe 
that  our  Lord  Himself  is  always  present  with  us,  not  only 
to  take  notice  of  what  we  do,  but  to  bless  and  sanctify  it  to 
the  salvation  of  men's  immortal  souls. 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  19 

Hence,  also,  it  concerns  us  all  to  carry  and  behave  our 
selves  at  all  times,  to  the  utmost  of  our  power,  as  becometh 
the  ministers  of  Christ ;  to  whom  the  Eternal  Son  of  God 
hath  vouchsafed  so  high  an  honour,  as  not  only  to  employ 
us  in  His  own  immediate  service,  but  likewise  to  reside 
Himself  continually  with  us.  And  therefore,  seeing  He  is 
pleased  to  honour  us  with  His  own  presence,  let  us  endea 
vour  to  honour  Him  too,  by  walking  in  holiness  and  right 
eousness  before  Him  all  the  days  of  our  life.  Especially,  let 
us  take  all  the  care  we  can  to  avoid  whatsoever  is  offensive 
to  Him,  or  unworthy  of  that  high  and  heavenly  calling  in 
which  He  hath  placed  us.  It  is  true  the  efficacy  of  the  Word 
and  Sacraments  is  not  impeded  by  the  wickedness  or  un- 
worthiness  of  him  by  whom  they  are  administered,  as  our 
Church  hath  rightly  determined ;  because  that  depends  not 
upon  the  person  but  the  office,  and  Christ's  promise  to  it. 
But  howsoever,  it  behoves  us,  who  attend  continually  upon  [Luke i.e.] 
Him,  to  walk  in  all  the  commandments  of  the  Lord  blame 
less  ;  lest  otherwise  we  bring  a  scandal  upon  our  profession, 
and  give  too  much  occasion  to  the  enemies  of  our  Lord  to 
blaspheme  His  most  sacred  Name:  especially  considering 
what  a  sad  and  dismal  thing  it  would  be  if  we,  who  are 
employed  by  Christ  to  persuade  others  to  obey  His  Gospel, 
should  not  obey  it  ourselves,  and  so  not  save  ourselves  as 
well  as  those  that  hear  us ;  but  be  instruments  in  God's  hand 
to  bring  others  to  Heaven,  and  yet  we  ourselves  be  cast 
down  to  hell :  which  is  not  only  possible,  but  impossible  to 
be  avoided,  unless  we  look  very  narrowly  to  ourselves.  I 
am  sure  St.  Paul  thought  so,  and  therefore  saith,  "  I  keep  1  Cor.  9. 27. 
under  my  body,  and  bring  it  into  subjection,  lest  that  by  any 
means  when  I  have  preached  to  others,  I  myself  should  be  a 
castaway."  And  if  so  great  an  Apostle  was  forced  to  take  so 
much  pains  with  himself,  lest  when  he  had  preached  salvation 
unto  others,  he  himself  should  not  attain  it,  what  cause  have 
you  and  I  to  do  so?  But  our  comfort  is,  that  our  Lord  is 
always  present  with  us,  and  therefore  we  can  never  want 
assistance  from  Him,  if  we  be  not  first  wanting  to  ourselves. 

Hoping  therefore,  that  this  consideration  of  Christ's  pro 
mise  to  us  will  have  its  desired  effect  upon  us  of  the  Clergy, 
I  shall,  in  the  next  place,  shew  what  use  others  also  may, 


20  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.  and  ought  to  make  of  it :  and  for  that  end  shall  apply  myself 
-  unto  you  all.  Seeing  therefore  that  our  Lord  hath  promised 
to  be  with  His  Apostles  and  their  successors  to  the  end  of 
the  world  —  seeing  the  succession  of  the  office  Apostolical 
hath,  without  interruption,  been  continued  in  our  Church  to 
this  day  —  and  seeing  therefore  that  Christ,  according  to  His 
promise,  is  always  present  by  His  Holy  Spirit  at  the  Word 
and  Sacraments,  as  administered  by  our  Church,  to  quicken, 
actuate,  and  make  them  effectual  to  the  salvation  of  our 
souls :  hence,  in  His  Name,  and  for  His  Sake,  and  your  own 
too,  I  humbly  pray  and  beseech  you  all,  that  you  would  take 
all  the  opportunities  you  can,  to  meet  your  Lord  and  Saviour 
in  the  public  offices  of  the  Church,  to  which  He  hath  thus 
promised  His  peculiar  presence.  And  think  it  not  enough 
to  be  there,  but  consider  all  the  while  in  whose  presence  you 
are,  and  deport  yourselves  accordingly.  And  while  we  read 
or  preach  the  Gospel,  call  upon  you,  exhort  and  pray  you  to 
observe  whatsoever  Christ  hath  commanded ;  still  remember 
2  Cor.  5. 20.  the  Apostle's  words,  that  "  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ, 
as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us,  we  pray  you,  in  Christ's 
stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to  God."  And  therefore  receive  it, 
not  as  the  word  of  man,  but  as  it  is,  indeed,  the  Word  of 
God  Himself. 

Above  all  things,  take  heed  that  you  have  not  men's  per 
sons  in  admiration,  so  as  to  think  the  Word  and  Sacraments 
one  jot  the  better  or  worse,  because  administered  by  one 
person  rather  than  another.  For  they  that  do  so,  it  is 
evident,  regard  the  person  more  than  the  office  ;  and  then  it 
is  no  wonder  if  they  receive  no  benefit  or  advantage  from  it. 
For  all  the  hopes  and  expectations  that  we  have  or  can 
have,  from  the  exercise  of  any  Ecclesiastical  office,  by  whom 
soever  performed,  are  grounded  only  upon  Christ's  promise 
to  the  office  itself,  to  be  present  with  it  by  His  Holy  Spirit ; 
without  which,  all  the  fine  words  and  phrases  in  the  world 
can  never  mortify  one  lust,  nor  convert  one  soul  to  God  and 
goodness.  And  therefore  ye,  whensoever  you  address  your 
selves  to  the  public  prayers  of  our  Church,  to  hear  God's 
Word  read  or  preached,  or  to  receive  the  Holy  Sacrament, 
still  keep  the  eye  of  your  faith  fixed  upon  Christ,  as  there 
really  present,  according  to  His  promise,  ready  to  dispense 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  21 

His  heavenly  blessings  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  working  to 
gether  with,  the  ordinance,  to  make  it  accomplish  the  end  of 
its  institution,  even  your  sanctification  in  this  world  and  your 
eternal  salvation  in  the  world  to  come.  Do  but  observe 
these  few  rules  in  all  your  solemn  devotions,  as  performed 
by  that  part  of  the  Catholic  Church  which,  by  the  blessing 
of  Almighty  God,  is  settled  amongst  you ;  and  then  I  dare 
assure  you,  in  the  Name  of  my  Lord  and  Master  Jesus 
Christ,  that  you  will  all  experience  the  truth  of  what  you 
have  now  heard,  even  that  Christ  is  always  present  with 
His  Apostles,  in  the  discharge  of  their  office,  to  the  end  of 
the  world. 

Moreover,  from  the  premises  duly  weighed,  you  may  all 
very  easily  observe,  what  reason  you  all  have  to  continue 
steadfast  in  the  communion  of  our  Church,  wherein  the  Word 
and  Sacraments  are  so  powerfully  and  effectually  adminis 
tered,  and  not  to  deviate  from  her,  either  into  Popery  on 
the  one  hand,  or  Schism  on  the  other.  For,  as  to  Popery, 
although  we  do  not  deny  but  that  the  Apostolical  succession 
hath  been  continued  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  yet  we  cannot 
but  affirm  also  that  they  have  made  very  bad  use  of  it,  or, 
rather,  have  most  egregiously  abused  it :  having  clogged  the 
several  offices  with  so  many  superstitious  ceremonies  that 
they  quench  the  Spirit  which  should  enflame  and  quicken 
them,  or  else  perform  them  so  imperfectly  and  irregularly, 
that  they  are  not  the  same  that  were  instituted  by  Christ, 
and  so  not  capable  of  having  this  promise  fulfilled  to  them. 
I  shall  instance  only  in  two,  —  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures, 
and  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 

As  for  the  first,  the  public  and  solemn  reading  of  the 
Word  of  God  by  a  minister  of  Christ,  lawfully  ordained  and 
appointed  thereunto,  I  look  upon  it  as  a  thing  of  much 
greater  consequence  than  it  is  commonly  thought  to  be : 
yea,  I  cannot  but  reckon  it  amongst  the  most  useful  and 
prevalent  means  of  grace  that  we  do  or  can  enjoy.  For 
although  it  be  our  duty  to  read  the  Scriptures  in  private, 
which  I  hope  you  all  do,  yet  none  of  you  but  may  find  by 
experience  that  a  chapter  once  read  in  public,  as  before 
described,  is  of  greater  force,  and  makes  deeper  impressions 
upon  you,  than  if  you  run  it  ten  times  over  by  yourselves. 


22  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.    And  the  reason  is,  because  the  same  Spirit  which  indited 

: the  Scriptures  accompanies  such  solemn  reading  of  them, 

and  sets  it  home  upon  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  them 
that  hear  it.  So  that,  besides  the  majesty  and  authority 
that  appears  in  the  Scriptures  themselves,  as  they  are  the 
very  Word  of  God,  much  more  than  any  exposition  of  them 
can  be ;  there  is  likewise,  at  such  a  time,  the  power  and 
efficacy  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ  then  present,  to  press  and 
enforce  it  upon  the  minds  of  all  such  as  duly  attend  to  the 
reading  of  them.  But  now,  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  all  this 
is  lost.  For  although  they  read  the  Scriptures  indeed,  yet 
they  read  them  as  they  do  their  prayers,  in  an  unknown 
tongue,  at  least  to  the  greatest  part  of  the  congregation,  and 
commonly  to  the  very  reader  himself.  By  which  means  the 
people  are  deprived,  not  only  of  the  Scriptures  themselves, 
but  likewise  of  the  assistance  of  God's  Spirit,  which  other 
wise  would  accompany  the  reading  of  them.  For  as  they 
order  the  matter,  the  Spirit  of  God  Himself  cannot  make 
His  own  Word  effectual  to  their  salvation  without  a  miracle. 
He  must  first  give  them  the  gift  of  tongues,  and  make  them 
understand  a  language  they  never  learned,  before  it  is  pos 
sible  for  Him  to  make  His  own  Word  of  any  use  or  advan 
tage  to  them.  For  He  never  works  upon  our  minds  but  in 
a  way  suitable  to  our  natures,  as  we  are  rational  creatures, 
so  as  first  to  clear  up  our  apprehensions  of  the  good  He 
propounds  to  us,  and  so  incline  our  wills  to  the  embracement 
of  it.  But  where  the  Word  of  God  is  propounded  in  an 
unknown  tongue,  it  is  impossible  for  the  people  to  have  any 
apprehensions  of  it  at  all,  for  the  Spirit  of  God  to  work 
upon,  and  to  clear  up  so  as  to  influence  the  will  by  them. 
By  which  means  the  Word  of  God  itself  is  made  of  little  or 
no  effect  to  those  who  live  in  the  communion  of  that  Church. 
The  same  reason  holds  good  also  as  to  the  Sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  as  administered  by  the  Romish  Church. 
For  the  whole  office  belonging  to  it  is  wrapped  up  in  a  lan 
guage  the  people  do  not  understand,  and  therefore  know  not 
what  the  priest  saith,  nor  whether  he  consecrates  the  Host  or 
no ;  only  they  see  him  perform  a  great  many  ceremonies  as 
unintelligible  as  the  language  he  speaks,  and  at  length  he 
puts  a  wafer  into  their  mouths.  Now,  what  is  there  in  all 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  23 

this  that  the  Spirit  of  God  can  make  use  of  to  the  comfort 
and  edification  of  the  people  ?  especially  considering  that 
the  priest  intends  not  to  minister  the  Spirit  of  Christ  unto 
them,  but  only  His  real  body,  as  they  are  bound  to  believe 
the  wafer  to  be.  But  if  it  was  possible,  as  it  neither  is  nor 
can  be,  to  convert  the  bread  into  the  body  of  Christ,  and 
give  it  to  the  people,  what  good  could  that  do  them,  if 
abstracted  from  the  Spirit  ?  For,  as  our  Lord  Himself  saith, 
"It  is  the  Spirit  that  quickeneth,  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing."  John  6.  63. 
But,  after  all  this,  I  do  not  see  how  the  promise  of  the  Spirit 
can  belong  to  the  Sacrament,  as  they  manage  it.  For  the 
promise  is  made  not  to  any  one  part  of  it  as  distinct  from  the 
other,  but  to  the  whole,  as  it  was  instituted  by  Christ.  And 
where  the  institution  is  not  rightly  observed,  neither  can  the 
promise  annexed  to  it  be  performed.  But  it  is  plain  that  our 
Saviour  instituted  the  cup  as  well  as  the  bread ;  and  it  is  as 
plain  that  the  Church  of  Rome  administers  the  bread  only, 
and  not  the  cup.  And  therefore  they,  by  depriving  the 
people  of  one  half  of  the  Communion,  do  thereby  deprive 
them  of  the  comfort  and  benefit  of  the  whole. 

And  therefore  were  there  no  other,  as  there  are  many 
arguments  to  deter  sober  and  considering  men  from  the 
communion  of  that  Church,  this,  one  would  think,  is  of  itself 
sufficient  to  do  it ;  even  because  those  great  means  of  grace, 
the  Word  and  Sacrament  itself,  are  so  administered  by  it  as 
to  be  made  of  no  use  at  all  to  the  people. 

And  as  for  Schism,  they  certainly  hazard  their  salvation 
at  a  strange  rate,  who  separate  themselves  from  such  a 
Church  as  ours  is,  wherein  the  Apostolical  succession,  the 
root  of  all  Christian  communion,  hath  been  so  entirely  pre 
served,  and  the  Word  and  Sacraments  are  so  effectually 
administered ;  and  all  to  go  into  such  assemblies  and  meet 
ings,  as  can  have  no  pretence  to  the  great  promise  in  my 
text.  For  it  is  manifest  that  this  promise  was  made  only  to 
the  Apostles  and  their  successors  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
Whereas  in  the  private  meetings,  where  their  teachers  have 
no  Apostolical  or  Episcopal  imposition  of  hands,  they  have 
no  ground  to  pretend  to  succeed  the  Apostles,  nor,  by  con 
sequence,  any  right  to  the  Spirit  which  our  Lord  here  pro- 
miseth;  without  which,  although  they  preach  their  hearts 


24  Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers. 

SERM.  out,  I  do  not  see  what  spiritual  advantage  can  accrue  to 
-  their  hearers  by  it.  And  therefore,  whatsoever  they  may 
think  of  it,  for  my  own  part,  I  would  not  be  without  this 
promise  of  our  Saviour  for  all  the  world,  as  knowing,  that 
not  only  myself,  but  the  whole  Catholic  Church,  is  highly 
concerned  in  it ;  it  being  by  virtue  of  this  promise  that  the 
Church  is  continually  acted,  guided,  and  assisted  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  so  the  ordinary  means  of  grace  are  made 
effectual  to  salvation,  which  otherwise  would  be  of  no  force 
or  efficacy  at  all.  And  therefore  to  speak  modestly,  they 
must  needs  run  a  very  great  hazard  who  cut  themselves  off 
from  ours,  and,  by  consequence,  from  the  Catholic  Church, 
and  so  render  themselves  uncapable  of  receiving  any  benefit 
from  this  promise,  or  from  the  means  of  grace  which  they 
do  or  may  enjoy. 

Upon  these,  therefore,  and  such  like  considerations,  which 
this  text  will  readily  suggest  to  your  serious  and  more  re 
tired  thoughts,  I  humbly  advise  and  beseech  you  all  in  the 
Name  of  Christ  your  Saviour,  and  as  you  do  tender  your 
salvation  by  Him,  that  you  would  not  hearken  unto  those 
who  go  about  to  seduce  you  from  our  Church,  but  that  you 
would  continue  firm  and  faithful  to  it.  For  so  long  as  you 
do  so,  I  dare  undertake  for  you  that  you  are  in  the  ready 
way  to  Heaven.  But  if  you  once  forsake  that,  whither  you 
will  next  go,  I  know  not ;  no,  nor  you  neither. 

But  when  I  speak  of  your  continuing  firm  and  faithful  to 
our  Church,  I  do  not  mean  that  you  should  only  talk  high 
for  her,  much  less  inveigh  against  her  adversaries,  or  damn 
all  those  who  are  not  of  her  communion ;  for  this  is  contrary 
to  the  Divine  and  Apostolical  spirit  that  is  in  her,  which  is 
a  spirit  of  meekness,  and  soberness,  and  charity.  But  my 
meaning  is,  that  you  firmly  believe  whatsoever  she,  from  the 
Word  of  God,  propounds  as  an  article  of  faith,  and  faith 
fully  perform  whatsoever  she,  from  the  same  Word,  requires 
as  a  necessary  duty  to  God  or  man ;  and,  by  consequence, 
so  live  in  the  communion  of  our  Church,  as  to  live  up  to  the 
rules  and  constitutions  of  it. 

And  oh!  that  all  we  who  are  here  present,  and  all  that 
profess  to  be  of  our  Church,  wheresoever  they  are,  would  for 
the  future  do  so!  What  an  holy,  what  an  happy  people 


Christ's  Presence  with  His  Ministers.  25 

should  we  then  be !  How  pious  towards  God,  how  loyal  to 
our  sovereign,  how  just  and  charitable  towards  all  men! 
This  would  be  the  way  to  convince  our  adversaries  of  their 
errors  and  mistakes,  when  they  see  how  far  we  excel  them 
in  virtue  and  good  works ;  and  this  would  be  the  way  too, 
to  secure  our  Church  against  all  the  attempts  that  men  or 
devils  can  make  upon  her.  For  then  our  Lord  Himself 
would  delight  to  dwell  amongst  us,  and  be  always  present 
with  us,  not  only  by  His  Spirit,  but  likewise  by  His  power 
too.  And  if  He  be  with  us,  we  need  not  fear  what  flesh  can  [PS.  56.  4.] 
do  against  us ;  so  that  we  may  lay  it  down  as  a  most  certain 
truth  that  our  Church  can  never  be  destroyed  but  by  itself. 
For  if  we  do  not  first  fail  of  performing  our  duty  unto  Him, 
be  sure  Christ  will  never  fail  of  performing  His  promise 
unto  us.  But  how  proud,  how  malicious  soever  our  adver 
saries  are,  and  whatsoever  designs  they  may  carry  on  against 
us,  He  that  sitteth  in  the  Heavens  will  laugh  them  to  scorn,  [PS.  2.  4.] 
our  Lord  will  have  them  in  derision :  He  will  abate  their 
pride,  assuage  their  malice,  or  else  confound  their  devices, 
so  as  to  make  them  fall  themselves  into  the  same  pit  that 
they  dig  for  others.  And  notwithstanding  all  their  endea 
vours  to  the  contrary,  He  will  settle  our  Church  upon  such 
foundations  that  the  gates  of  hell  itself  shall  never  be  able  [Matt.  16. 

18  1 

to  prevail  against  it.  Neither  will  He  only  continue  His 
Church  to  us,  but  likewise  His  Spirit  to  our  Church,  so  as 
always  to  perform  this  promise  in  my  text,  "  Lo !  I  am  with 
you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."  Amen. 

O  blessed  Jesu !  thou  eternal  Son  of  God  ;  to  whom,  with 
the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  everlasting  honour, 
praise,  and  glory,  from  this  time  forth  and  for  evermore. 


SERMON   II. 


THE   INSTITUTION   OF  MINISTERS. 


ACTS  i.  26. 

And  they  gave  forth  their  lots,  and  the  lot  fell  upon  Matthias. 
And  he  was  numbered  with  the  eleven  Apostles. 

SERM.  THIS  portion  of  Scripture,  appointed  for  the  Epistle  this 
-  day,  suits  as  well  with  the  work  that  is  to  be  now  done,  as 
it  doth  with  the  day  for  which  it  is  appointed.  It  is  ap 
pointed  for  the  Feast  of  St.  Matthias,  whose  memory  we 
this  day  celebrate;  of  whom  we  have  read,  that  he  was 
taken  into  the  number  of  Apostles  in  the  Church  of  Christ. 
And  there  are  several  persons  here  present  to  be  ordained 
now  into  the  sacred  ministry  of  the  same  Church  whereof 
he  was  ordained  an  Apostle.  And  therefore  I  shall  not 
insist  upon  the  words  themselves,  but  I  shall  take  occasion 
from  hence  to  discourse  of  Ordination  in  general,  under 
which  that  of  St.  Matthias  in  particular  will  come  in  of 
course. 

Now,  by  Ordination  in  general,  I  mean  the  setting  apart 
some  certain  persons  to  direct,  govern,  assist,  and  influence 
others  in  the  public  worship  of  Almighty  God,  and  to  ad 
minister  such  means  unto  them  as  He  hath  appointed  for 
their  eternal  salvation.  Concerning  which  we  shall  consider 
two  things : — 

I.  The  necessity  of  it.     And, 

II.  The  way  and  manner  of  performing  it. 

As  to  the  first,  we  need  not  say  much,  it  being  a  thing 
that  mankind  in  general  seems  to  be  agreed  in.  For  as 
there  is  no  nation  in  the  world,  but  where  they  profess  some 
kind  of  religion  or  other,  so  there  is  no  religion  professed  in 
the  world,  but  where  they  have  some  persons  or  other  set 


The  Institution  of  Ministers.  27 

apart  for  the  celebration  of  the  several  rites  and  ceremonies 
in  it ;  without  which,  indeed,  it  is  impossible  that  any  reli 
gion  should  subsist.  For  if  no  places  were  set  apart  for  the 
worship  of  God,  men  would  soon  worship  Him  nowhere ;  if 
no  times,  they  would  never  worship  Him :  so  if  no  persons 
were  set  apart  for  it,  none  would  ever  do  it  at  all,  at  least, 
not  so  as  they  ought. 

And  if  it  be  so  in  natural,  how  much  more  in  revealed 
religion,  of  which  this  seems  to  be  one  of  the  integral  or 
essential  parts ;  without  which  it  is  not  that  religion  which 
God  hath  revealed.  For  whensoever  He,  the  great  Creator 
and  Governor  of  the  world,  hath  revealed  His  will  and 
pleasure  to  His  creatures,  how  He  would  have  them  wor 
ship  and  serve  Him  that  made  them ;  He  hath  still  at  the 
same  time  constituted  certain  officers  amongst  them  to  assist 
them  in  it :  which  officers  being,  as  it  were,  His  own  domes 
tics,  or  immediate  servants  or  ministers,  waiting  continually 
upon  Himself  and  His  service,  He  always  hath  reserved  to 
Himself  the  constitution  or  ordination  of  them ;  not  suffer 
ing  any  one  that  had  a  mind  to  it  to  meddle  with  any  thing 
belonging  to  the  said  offices,  without  His  leave  and  order 
first  obtained.  And  if  any  presume  to  do  it,  He  doth  not 
only  make  what  they  do  void  and  of  no  effect,  but  He 
punisheth  them  severely  for  it ;  as  we  find  by  many  instances 
in  Holy  Scripture. 

Hence  the  Apostle  saith,  "  No  man  taketh  this  honour  Heb.  5.  4. 
unto  himself  but  he  that  is  called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron." 
That  is,  no  man  can  be  really  a  priest,  a  minister  of  God,  as 
Aaron  was,  but  such  as  are  called  and  constituted  by  God 
Himself,  as  he  was.  And  they  that  do  undertake  the  said 
ministry  without  such  a  call,  whatsoever  they  may  fancy  or 
pretend,  they  are  not  God's  ministers :  and  therefore  all 
they  do  is  in  vain,  and  to  no  purpose,  as  the  Apostle  saith 
elsewhere;  "How  shall  they  preach,  except  they  be  sent?"  Rom.  10. 
They  may  speak  the  same  words,  deliver  the  same  truths, 
press  the  same  duties  as  they  do  who  are  really  God's 
ministers,  but  this  is  not  preaching,  properly  so  called :  they 
do  not  publish  and  proclaim  the  will  of  God  with  any  power 
or  authority  over  their  hearers,  for  they  have  received  none 
from  God,  as  not  being  called  and  sent  by  Him. 


28  The  Institution  of  Ministers. 

SERM.        This  the  Apostles  and  first  Disciples  of  our  blessed  Saviour 
were  so  sensible  of,  that  when  they  wanted   an  Apostle, 


although  there  were  doubtless  many  excellent  persons  among 
them  that  might  think  themselves  fit  for  the  place,  yet  none 
of  them  would  undertake  it  of  their  own  heads ;  but  they 
all,  with  one  accord,  left  it  to  Almighty  God  to  determine 
and  declare  whom  He  had  chosen  and  called  to  it :  who 
having,  by  His  disposal  of  the  lots  they  cast,  accordingly 
acquainted  them  that  Matthias  was  the  person  He  pitched 
upon,  he  was  presently  numbered  with  the  Apostles. 

But  all  this  will  appear  more  clearly  under  the  second 
head,  which  I  design  principally  to  consider ;  and  that  is, 
the  way  and  manner  whereby  God  hath  been  pleased  to 
ordain  and  set  apart  persons  for  His  own  service  and  mi 
nistry.  In  speaking  to  which,  I  shall  not  trouble  you  with 
any  conjectures  how  this  was  done  in  the  Church  before 
Moses's  time,  but  shall  begin  there,  where  we  have  a  certain 
rule  to  walk  by. 

In  the  day,  therefore,  that  the  Lord  smote  all  the  first-born 
in  the  land  of  Egypt,  He  sanctified  to  Himself  all  the  first- 
Num.  3.  is.  born  among  the  children  of  Israel.  But  afterwards,  instead 
Ver.  12.  Of  them,  He  took  one  whole  tribe,  even  the  tribe  of  Levi, 
they  being  about  the  same  number  with  the  first-born  of  all 
Israel.  For  all  the  males  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  from  a  month 
old  and  upwards,  were  numbered  22,000 ;  and  all  the  first 
born  of  the  males  among  the  children  of  Israel  were  22,273. 
So  that  all  the  first-born  males  of  Israel  were  only  273  more 
than  the  Levites ;  which  odd  number  being  redeemed  at  five 
shekels  a-piece  by  the  poll,  the  whole  tribe  of  Levi  was 
from  thenceforward  set  apart  to  be  employed  wholly  in  the 
Num.  3.  3.  service  of  God,  instead  of  all  the  first-born  in  Israel.  And 
out  of  this  tribe  He  chose  one  family,  even  that  of  Aaron,  to 
minister  continually  to  Him  in  the  priest's  office ;  to  burn 
incense,  to  slay  and  offer  sacrifices,  to  instruct  the  people  in 
His  law,  and  the  like.  And  out  of  this  family  He  chose 
Aaron  himself;  and  so  the  first-born  of  that  family  all  along 
to  be  His  high-priest :  to  whom  He  appointed  not  only  the 
oversight  of  all  the  rest,  but  likewise  some  certain  offices 
which  no  other  priests  or  Levites  could  meddle  with. 

So  that  we  here  have  three  distinct  orders  of  men,  settled 


The  Institution  of  Ministers.  29 

and  established  by  God  Himself  to  minister  unto  Him,  —  the 
high-priest,  the  priests,  and  the  Levites.  Which  last,  in 
Moses's  time,  were  employed  wholly  about  the  tabernacle 
and  the  vessels  belonging  to  it  ;  but,  when  the  temple  was 
built,  they  were  also  made  treasurers,  and  judges,  and  * 
porters,  and  singers. 

Now,  God  having  thus  constituted  these  several  orders 
of  men  for  His  own  service,  He  gave  directions  how  they 
should  be  all  consecrated  to  their  several  offices.  First, 
Aaron  by  himself,  as  the  high-priest  ;  then  his  sons,  as  the 
second  or  ordinary  priests  ;  and  afterwards  the  Levites.  By  Lev.  s. 
which  consecration,  not  only  the  persons  then  in  being,  but 
their  posterity,  were  all  ordained  into  the  same  offices  that 
they  themselves  were.  By  Aaron's  ordination  into  the  office 
of  high-priest,  the  first-born,  or  eldest  sons  of  his  family, 
were  ordained  so  too.  By  his  son's  consecration,  all  their 
sons,  or  the  younger  sons  of  that  family,  were  ordained 
priests.  And  so  for  the  Levites,  when  they  were  conse 
crated,  all  the  males  that  should  ever  proceed  from  them 
were  consecrated  together  with  them,  as  being  then  contained 
in  their  loins.  So  that,  although  there  might  be  some  certain 
ceremonies  used  at  their  entering  upon  the  execution  of  their 
office,  when  they  came  to  years  of  discretion,  yet  they  were 
not  properly  ordained  or  consecrated  again;  but  the  office 
came  to  them  in  course,  or,  if  you  will,  ex  traduce:  the 
Ordination,  which  their  ancestors  had  from  God  Himself, 
being,  by  virtue  of  this  institution  and  command,  propagated 
and  derived  down  to  them.  And  thus  it  continued  all  along 
during  the  Mosaic  dispensation,  which  was  about  2000  years, 
even  until  the  death  of  our  blessed  Saviour  ;  which,  being 
typified  and  foreshewn  by  the  sacrifices  which  these  priests 
offered,  the  priesthood  itself  must  needs  continue  in  force 
and  virtue  till  that  was  accomplished. 

And  therefore  all  the  while  that  Christ  lived,  He  made  no 
alteration  at  all  in  it,  neither  did  He  ever  properly  abrogate 
or  repeal  the  laws  that  were  formerly  made  about  it,  but 
when  He  died  they  expired  together  with  Him  ;  both  the  time 
and  the  end  for  which  they  were  made  being  now  accom 
plished.  But  from  that  time  forward,  though  the  Jewish 
nation  still  continued  till  the  destruction  of  Hierusalem, 


23. 


30  The  Institution  of  Ministers. 

SERM.    which  was  forty  years  after,  yet  they  had  not  really  any 

: priesthood  among  them ;  the  time  for  which  it  was  ordained 

being  now  expired. 

When  our  Lord  therefore  was  upon  earth,  foreseeing  that 
all  the  Mosaic  orders  would  cease,  in  course,  upon  His  death, 
and  knowing  that  His  Church  could  never  subsist  without 
some  such  orders  of  men  set  apart  for  the  administration  of 
His  Word  and  Sacraments ;  before  He  died,  He  took  care  to 
lay  the  platform  of  others,  suitable  to  His  own  religion.  For 
which  purpose,  out  of  the  many  Disciples  that  followed  Him, 

Matt.  10.  He  first  chose  twelve  Apostles ;  to  whom  He  gave  commis 
sion  to  baptize,  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  to  work  miracles 
for  the  confirmation  of  it.  And  afterwards  He  sent  out 

Luke  10.  seventy  other  Disciples,  and  gave  them  power  also  to  preach 
the  Gospel  and  cast  out  devils  in  His  Name.  So  that  He 
still  kept  up  the  same  number  of  orders  in  His  Church, 
whilst  Himself  lived,  that  was  in  the  Jewish  Church ;  for  He 
Himself  was  truly  the  High  Priest,  of  whom  they,  under 
the  law,  were  only  types.  Then  there  were  the  twelve 
Apostles,  answerable  to  the  Priests  of  the  second  order; 
and  the  seventy  Disciples,  resembling  the  great  number  of 
Levites. 

But  all  this  while  we  do  not  read  that  the  Apostles  had 
any  solemn  consecration  to  their  office  during  our  Saviour's 
life.  It  is  said,  indeed,  in  Mark  iii.  14,  that  He  ordained 
twelve  ;  but  the  words  are,  l^o/V^  Swfoxa,  He  made  or  ap 
pointed  twelve  to  be  His  Apostles  or  messengers.  But  we 
do  not  find  that  He  ordained  them,  so  as  to  confer  any  Sacer 
dotal  power  upon  them.  He  promised  indeed  St.  Peter, 
and  the  rest  of  the  Apostles  with  him,  that  He  would  give 

Matt.i6.i9.  them  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  Heaven.  But  they  were 
as  yet  in  the  hands  of  the  Levitical  priesthood;  and  He 
would  not  take  them  from  thence  to  give  them  to  His  Apostles 
so  long  as  that  priesthood  continued  in  force.  But  He  was 
no  sooner  dead  and  risen  again,  but  He  presently  performed 
His  promise.  For  then  the  Levitical  priesthood  being 
expired,  and,  by  consequence,  the  keys,  which  He  had  before 
committed  to  it  by  His  servant  Moses,  returning,  in  course, 
into  His  own  hands,  He  then,  according  to  His  promise, 
gave  them  to  His  Apostles. 


The  Institution  of  Ministers.  31 

For  upon  the  same  day  that  He  rose  again  in  the  evening, 
His  Apostles  being  met  together,  He  came  to  them,  and  said 
to  them,  "  Peace  be  unto  you  :  as  My  Father  hath  sent  Me,  j0hn  20.21- 
even  so  send  I  you.    And  when  He  had  said  so,  He  breathed  23> 
on  them,  and  saith  unto  them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost : 
whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto  them ;  and 
whosesover  sins  ye  retain,  they  are   retained."     "  As  My 
Father   sent  Me,  even  so   I    send   you;"   that  is,  as   My 
Father  sent  Me  to   preach   the  Gospel,  by  anointing  Me 
with  His  Holy  Spirit,  even  so,  after  the  self-same  manner,  I  isa.  61.  i. 
send  you.     "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost;"  at  the  speaking 
of  which  words  He  breathed  upon  them,  and  so  issued  forth 
the  Holy  Spirit  from  Himself  into  them.     Which,  as  it  is 
an  undeniable  argument  of  the  Spirit's  procession  from  the 
Son  as  well  as  from  the  Father ;  so  it  was  the  highest  and 
truest  Consecration  of  the  Apostles  that  could  be,  far  beyond 
that  of  Aaron  and  his  sons.    For  they  were  anointed  only  with  Levit.  s.  12. 
material  ointment,  which  was  poured  upon  Aaron's  head, 
and  sprinkled  afterwards  upon  his  and  his  sons'  garments, 
together  with  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice.     But  this  was  only  Ver.  30. 
a  type   of  that  Holy  Spirit  wherewith  the  Apostles  were 
anointed  by  our  Lord,  when  He  breathed  it  immediately 
from  Himself  into  them. 

And  now  were  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  Heaven, 
according  to  the  promise  before  mentioned,  given  to  the 
Apostles.  And  therefore  our  Lord,  after  He  had  breathed 
upon  them,  saying,  "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost,"  presently 
adds,  "  whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto 
them ;  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained." 
Whereby  all  Sacerdotal  power  was  now  conferred  upon  the 
Apostles,  even  whatsoever  is  necessary  to  the  government 
and  edification  of  the  Church,  to  the  world's  end.  And 
therefore,  immediately  before  His  ascension,  the  eleven 
Apostles  being  met  together  again,  in  the  place  that  He 
appointed  them,  our  Lord  goes  to  them  again,  and  saith, 
"  All  power  is  given  to  Me,  both  in  Heaven  and  earth  :  go  [Matt.  23. 
ye  therefore,  and  make  all  nations  My  disciples,  by  baptizing 
them  in  the  Name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever 
I  have  commanded  you.  And  lo  !  I  am  with  you  alway, 


32  The  Institution  of  Ministers. 

SERM.    even  unto  the  end  of  the  world."     That  is,  I,  by  My  Holy 

— '- Spirit,  which  I  have  breathed  into  you,  am  now  with  you  ; 

and  so  I  am  always  with  you  and  your  successors  to  the 
end  of  the  world. 

Now  the  Apostles  being  thus  solemnly  ordained  and  con 
secrated  by  Christ  Himself,  and  having  received  so  ample  a 
commission  from  Him;  soon  after  His  ascension  into  Heaven, 
they,  with  some  other  Disciples,  met  together,  and  consulted 
how  to  fill  up  their  number  again :  for  Judas  Iscariot,  who 
was  one  of  the  twelve,  by  betraying  his  Master  had  lost 
both  his  office  and  his  life,  and  another  was  now  to  take  his 
Bishopric,  or  Apostleship,  according  to  the  prophecy  in  the 
[PS.  109. 8.]  Book  of  Psalms,  which  St.  Peter  put  them  in  mind  of. 

I  Acts  1  20  1 

And  therefore  they  all  agree  to  have  the  number  made  up 
again  out  of  these,  who  had,  like  the  other  Apostles,  been 
conversant  with  our  blessed  Saviour  all  along,  from  first  to 
last.  And  they  found  two  considerable  persons  among  them 
who  had  been  so, — Joseph,  surnamed  Justus,  and  Matthias ; 
both,  in  their  apprehensions,  equally  qualified  for  the  place ; 
yet,  nevertheless,  they  would  not  undertake  to  choose  either 
of  them.  Forasmuch  as  they  themselves  having  been  chosen 
by  Christ  Himself,  it  was  not  fit  to  take  any  into  their 
number  but  whom  Christ  Himself  had  chosen ;  and  there 
fore  they  resolved  to  refer  it  wholly  unto  Him. 

But  how  could  that  be  done,  now  that  Christ  was  gone 
from  them  into  Heaven  ?    There  was  no  other  way  but  to  cast 
lots,  which  should  be  the  person — a  way  that  had  been  com 
monly  used  in  such  cases.     For,  by  the  command  of  God 
Himself,  lots  were  cast  upon  the  two  goats,  which  should  be 
Lev.  16.  s.  the  Lord's  and  which  should  be  the  scape-goat.    The  land  of 
Josh.  is.  6.  Canaan  was  divided  among  the  twelve  tribes  by  lot.     Saul 
i  Sam.  10.   Was  chosen  king  of  Israel  by  lot.     The  several  ministrations 
and  charges  of  the  Priests  were  divided  amongst  them  by 
i  Chron.  24.  lot.     There  are  many  such  instances  in  the  Old  Testament 
of  referring  doubtful  cases  to  God's  decision,  by  casting  lots 
Prov.i6.33.  upon  them;  for,  as  the  Wise  Man  saith,  "The  lot  is  cast  into 
the  lap,  but  the  whole  disposing  thereof  is  of  the  Lord." 

This  course,  therefore,  the  Apostles  took,  to  know  which 
of  these  two  persons  our  Lord  would  have  taken  into  their 
number ;  but  before  they  cast  their  lots  they  first  address 


The  Institution  of  Ministers.  33 

themselves  in  a  more  solemn  manner  to  Christ  Himself, 
saying,  "  Thou,  Lord,  which  knowest  the  hearts  of  all  men, 
shew  whether  of  these  two  Thou  hast  chosen,  that  he  may 
take  part  of  this  ministry  and  Apostleship,  from  which 
Judas  by  transgression  fell,  that  he  might  go  to  his  own 
place."  Where  we  may  observe,  they  do  not  pray  that  our 
Lord  would  choose  one  now,  but  that  He  would  shew 
whether  of  the  two  he  had  chosen  already  ;  for  so  the  words 
run,  Ix  rolrw  ruv  dvu  tva  ov  ifsXsgw,  which  one  of  these  two 
Thou  hast  chosen,  —  as  supposing  that  He  had  chosen  one 
of  them  already,  though  they  did  not  know  which.  And 
therefore,  when  they  had  cast  lots,  and  the  lot  was  fallen 
upon  Matthias,  they  took  it  for  granted,  as  they  well  might, 
that  he  was  the  person  whom  Christ  had  before  chosen  to 
be  one  of  their  number ;  and  therefore,  without  any  more 
ado,  "  he  was  numbered  with  the  eleven  Apostles,"  so  as  to 
make  up  the  number  of  twelve  again. 

But  here  it  may  be  asked,  how  this  Matthias  should  be 
an  Apostle  of  equal  power  with  the  other,  seeing  he  was 
not  present  when  the  other  were  ordained  by  our  Saviour 
and  received  the  Spirit  from  Him?  I  answer,  that  the 
same  doubt  may  be  made  concerning  St.  Thomas,  for  neither 
was  he  present  when  our  Lord  breathed  His  Holy  Spirit 
upon  His  other  Apostles ;  and  yet  none  ever  denied  but 
that  he  was  an  Apostle  of  equal  authority  with  those  that 
were  then  present.  And  indeed  the  question  concerning 
both  may  be  clearly  answered  by  a  parallel  case :  for  we 
read  how  that  when  Moses  had,  by  appointment  of  God,  Num.  11. 
chosen  seventy  of  the  elders  of  Israel  to  be  endowed  with  His 
Spirit,  and  had  ordered  them  to  go  to  the  tabernacle  of  the 
congregation,  "  the  Lord  came  down  in  a  cloud,  and  spake 
unto  him,  and  took  of  the  Spirit  that  was  upon  him,  and 
gave  it  unto  the  seventy  elders  ;  and  it  came  to  pass,  that 
when  the  Spirit  rested  upon  them,  they  prophesied,  and  did 
not  cease.  But  two  of  the  seventy  remained  in  the  camp, 
Eldad  and  Medad;"  and  though  they  were  not  present, 
"the  Spirit  rested  upon  them"  also,  and  they  prophesied  as 
well  as  the  other.  And  this  remark  is  put  upon  them,  that 
"  they  were  of  them  that  were  written,  but  went  not  to  the  Num  :  l  25 
tabernacle."  The  case  is  the  self  same  here ;  for,  as  Eldad  26- 

D 


34  The  Institution  of  Ministers. 

SERM.    and  Medad,  being  chosen  by  Moses  into  the  number  of  the 
seventy,  received  the  same  Spirit  which  was  given  to  the 


other  sixty-eight,  although  they  were  present  at  the  place 
where  the  Lord  came  down  in  the  cloud  to  them  ;  so  here, 
Thomas  and  Matthias  being  in  the  number  of  the  twelve 
which  were  chosen  by  our  Lord  to  be  His  Apostles,  although 
they  were  not  present  at  the  place  where  our  Lord  gave  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  the  other  ten,  yet  they  received  it  as  effec 
tually  to  all  intents  and  purposes  as  the  other  did.  For 
wheresoever  they  were,  the  Holy  Ghost  breathed  upon  the 
Apostles  as  such,  rested  upon  them  also,  because  they  also 
were  chosen  into  the  number  of  Apostles,  even  Matthias 
himself,  as  I  observed  before. 

This  formal  admission  of  St.  Matthias  into  the  number  of 
the  Apostles,  was  upon  one  of  the  ten  days  between  the  as 
cension  of  our  Lord  to  Heaven,  and  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Acts  2.  Spirit  upon  the  day  of  Pentecost.  And  then  was  fulfilled 
what  our  Saviour  had  promised  His  Apostles,  saying,  "  And 
I  will  pray  the  Father,  and  He  shall  give  you  another  Com 
forter,  that  He  may  abide  with  you  for  ever,  even  the  Spirit 
John  14, 16.  of  Truth,"  which  therefore  is  called  another  Comforter,  be 
cause  he  was  to  supply  our  Saviour's  place  and  presence 
upon  earth ;  guide  His  Apostles  into  all  truth,  and  direct, 
assist,  and  order  the  affairs  of  His  Church  until  His  coming 
again.  And  therefore  it  was,  that  now,  upon  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  He  made,  as  it  were,  His  public  entrance  into  the 
Church,  appearing  visibly  to  the  Disciples,  and  enabling 
them  to  speak  all  manner  of  languages,  in  order  to  the 
conversion  of  all  nations  to  the  faith  of  Christ. 

Now  this  Holy  Spirit  of  Christ,  having  thus  taken  upon 
Him  this  office,  to  shew  that  he  could  and  would  do  for  the 
Church  whatsoever  our  Saviour  Himself  either  would  or 
could,  was  He  still  present  in  person,  as  well  as  by  this  His 
Spirit :  hence,  as  He  had  chosen  twelve  Apostles,  His  Spirit 
chooses  two  other  in  as  plain  and  apparent  a  manner  as 
Actsia.  1,2.  Christ  himself  had  done  it.  For  there  being  "  certain  Pro 
phets  and  Teachers  in  the  Church  at  Antioch,  Barnabas, 
Simeon,  Lucius,  Manaen,  and  Saul,  as  they  ministered  to 
the  Lord,  and  fasted,  the  Holy  Ghost  said,  Separate  me 
Barnabas  and  Saul,  for  the  work  whereunto  I  have  called 


The  Institution  of  Ministers.  35 

them,"  From  whence  we  may  observe,  that  he  had  before 
this  called  them  to  the  work  ;  and  now  he  expressly  com 
mands  the  Prophets  and  Teachers  there  present,  to  separate, 
or  set  them  apart  for  it.  He  did  not  employ  the  Apostles 
that  were  consecrated  by  our  Lord  to  do  it,  that  their  con 
secration  might  appear  to  be  wholly  from  Himself;  and  so 
the  Church  might  rest  fully  satisfied,  that  although  our 
Saviour,  the  head  of  it,  be  gone  to  Heaven,  yet  He  hath 
still,  and  always  will  have  one  upon  earth,  that  can  exercise 
His  power  so  effectually,  that  He  Himself  may  be  truly  said 
to  be  always  with  it,  as  He  said  He  would.  But  howsoever, 
notwithstanding  that  He  Himself  had  called  them,  yet  He 
would  have  them  publicly  ordained  by  the  persons  before 
mentioned,  supposed  to  be  the  Bishops  of  Syria,  to  shew 
that  whatsoever  call  from  Him  any  should  afterwards  pre 
tend  to,  yet  He  would  never  employ  them  in  His  work  and 
ministry,  until  they  were  publicly  ordained,  and  separated 
for  it,  by  the  governors  of  the  Church  empowered  by  Him 
to  do  it.  And  then  He  would  have  it  done  too  by  the  Im 
position  of  hands,  to  shew  that  this  was  the  way  that  He 
had  appointed  for  it.  For  it  is  said,  that  "  when  they  had  Ver.  3. 
fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands  on  them,  they  sent 
them  away,"  or  as  the  word  anshvffav  signifies,  they  dismissed 
them,  or  let  them  depart ;  for  they  were  not  properly  sent 
by  them,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  it  is  expressly  said  in  the 
following  words.  So  then  they  being  sent  forth,  exireppt'evTes, 
were  sent  forth  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  as  the  twelve  were 
sent  by  Christ,  so  were  these  two,  Barnabas  and  Saul,  sent 
by  His  Holy  Spirit,  and  so  were  as  truly  His  Apostles  as 
the  other.  And  therefore  one  of  them,  even  Saul,  otherwise 
called  Paul,  is  not  only  called  an  Apostle  of  Jesus  Christ, 
but  saith  expressly  that  he  was  so,  "  not  of  men,  nor  by  Gal.  i.  i, 
man,  but  by  Jesus  Christ,  and  God  the  Father,"  because  he 
was  thus  sent  by  the  Holy  Ghost  Himself,  the  same  God 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son. 

From  whence  we  may  observe,  by  the  way,  upon  what 
good  grounds  the  last  revisers  of  the  Common  Prayer  added 
two  newholydays  in  the  calendar,  which  had  been  omitted  in 
the  former  editions,  even  the  conversion  of  St.  Paul,  and  St. 
Barnabas's  day ;  for  these  being  Apostles  of  the  same  power 


36 


The  Institution  of  Ministers. 


SERM.    and  dignity  with  the  other  twelve,  there  was  all  the  reason 

'• in  the  world  that  we  should  commemorate  and  give  God 

thanks  for  them  as  well  as  for  the  other.  But  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  others,  the  Eves  or  Vigils  of  these  days  are 
not  appointed  to  be  observed,  so  as  those  of  the  others  are. 

Now  the  Apostles  being  all  thus  ordained  and  consecrated 
by  Christ's  Holy  Spirit,  they  were  thereby  invested  with  full 
power  and  authority,  not  only  to  preach  and  propagate  the 

[Acts2.47.]  Gospel,  and  to  add  to  the  Church  daily  such  as  should  be 
saved,  and  to  rule  and  govern  the  said  Church  at  present ; 
but  likewise  to  institute  and  establish  such  officers  in  it,  by 
whom  it  may  be  rightly  governed  according  to  our  Saviour's 
mind  in  all  future  ages.  In  order  whereunto,  the  twelve 
first  instituted  the  office  of  Deacons,  upon  occasion  of  the 
Grecians  murmuring  against  the  Hebrews,  because  their 
widows  were  neglected  in  the  daily  ministration.  For,  it 
not  being  fitting  that  the  Apostles  themselves  should  leave 
the  Word  to  serve  tables,  they  ordered  seven  men  of  honest 
report  to  be  chosen  out  for  that  work ;  which  seven  being  set 
before  the  Apostles,  they  prayed,  and  then  laid  their  hands 

Acts  6.  6.  on  them.  By  which  imposition  of  hands,  they  received  power, 
not  only  to  look  after  the  widows  and  poor ;  but  also  to  bap 
tize  and  preach  the  Gospel.  For  Stephen,  who  was  one  of 
the  seven,  was  no  sooner  ordained,  but  we  presently  find 
him  preaching  so  powerfully,  that  the  Jews  were  not  able  to 

Acts  6.  10.  resist  the  wisdom  and  the  Spirit  by  which  he  spake.  And 
Philip,  another  of  the  seven,  preached  Christ  so  effectually 
to  the  Samaritans,  that  they  received  the  Word  gladly,  and 

Acts  s.  as.  were  baptized  of  him,  and  so  was  the  Eunuch  too,  that  was 
treasurer  to  Candace,  Queen  of  the  ^Ethiopians.  And  this 
office  of  Deacons,  thus  instituted  by  the  Apostles,  hath  con 
tinued  in  the  Church  ever  since,  and  so  must  do  to  the  end 
of  the  world. 

But  these  Deacons  being  ordained  only  to  minister  in  the 
Church,  they  could  have  no  share  in  the  government  of  it ; 
which  was  the  main  thing  that  the  Apostles  were  to  take 
care  of:  and  therefore  considering  that  the  Spirit  which 
they  had  received,  must,  according  to  Christ's  promise,  abide 
with  His  Church  for  ever,  it  was  necessary  they  should  find 
out  some  way  to  transfer  it  upon  others ;  and  so  successively 


The  Institution  of  Ministers.  37 

from  one  to  another,  to  the  world's  end.  Now  they  found 
by  experience,  what  they  were  doubtless  directed  to  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  Himself,  that  upon  whomsoever  they  laid  their 
hands,  the  Holy  Ghost  presently  fell  upon  them.  Thus 
when  Philip,  the  aforesaid  Deacon,  had  converted  and  bap 
tized  the  Samaritans,  the  Apostles  sent  Peter  and  John  to 
them;  who  having  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands  on  them,  Acts  s.  17. 
they  received  the  Holy  Ghost.  Philip  did  not  so  much  as 
offer  to  lay  his  hands  upon  them ;  and  if  he  had,  it  would  not 
have  done  the  work,  because  he  was  only  a  Deacon,  and 
none  of  the  Apostles,  who  had  so  received  the  Holy  Ghost 
themselves,  as  to  have  power  to  confer  it  upon  others.  As 
we  find  St.  Paul  also  did,  by  laying  his  hands  upon  the  Dis-  Acts  19.  6. 
ciples  at  Ephesus. 

Hence  it  is,  that  this  power  always  was,  and  still  is,  appro 
priated  only  to  the  Apostles  themselves,  and  their  Successors, 
the  Bishops  of  the  Church.  And  it  is  that  which  we  now 
call  Confirmation,  when  a  Bishop  rightly  ordained,  after  the 
example  of  the  Holy  Apostles,  prays  for  those  that  are  bap 
tized,  and  lays  his  hand  upon  their  heads,  that  they  may  re 
ceive  the  gifts  and  graces  of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  to  confirm 
them  in  the  faith,  and  in  all  goodness ;  which  duly  per 
formed,  is  certainly  as  effectual  now  as  ever,  in  those  who 
are  rightly  disposed  and  qualified  for  it ;  as,  blessed  be  God, 
we  find  at  this  very  day,  to  our  unspeakable  comfort. 

The  Apostles  therefore,  finding  by  experience  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  was  given  by  the  laying  on  of  hands,  for  the 
confirmation  of  believers ;  they  could  not  but  conclude  this 
to  be  a  proper  way  also,  for  the  conferring  of  it  upon  those 
who  were  to  succeed  them  in  the  government  of  the 
Church.  Especially  considering,  that  this  was  the  way 
whereby  Joshua,  by  the  command  of  God  Himself,  was  con 
stituted  the  successor  of  Moses  ;  for  Moses  laid  his  hands  Numb.  27. 
upon  him,  by  which  means  the  spirit  of  wisdom  came  upon  JJ^3*^  9 
him.  From  whence  this  rite  was  commonly  used  by  the 
Jewish  Church,  in  the  constitution  of  their  governors ;  and 
the  Holy  Ghost  Himself  did  not  only  approve  of  it,  but 
appointed  it  to  be  used  in  the  ordination  of  Barnabas  and 
Saul.  Upon  these  and  the  like  considerations,  the  Apostles 
took  this  course  for  the  conveying  of  the  Spirit,  which  they 


38  The  Institution  of  Ministers. 

SERM.    had  received,  to  their  Successors  in  all  ages.     For  the  way 
ii 

-  whereby  Christ  bestowed  it  upon  the  twelve,  by  breathing 

on  them,  was  proper  and  peculiar  to  Himself,  from  whom 
the  Spirit  proceedeth.  But  this  was  a  way  which  both  they 
and  their  Successors  in  all  ages  would  be  capable  of:  for  their 

[iCor.6.i9]  bodies,  as  well  as  souls,  being  made  the  temples  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  at  their  Consecration,  whensoever  they  laid  their 
hands  upon  any  person,  so  as  to  touch  his  body,  with  a  de 
sign  of  transferring  the  same  Spirit  upon  him,  it  is  easy  to 
imagine  how  such  a  person  comes  to  be  endowed  with  it : 
especially,  seeing  the  Holy  Ghost  had  instituted  and  ap 
pointed  this  to  be  the  way  of  doing  it,  and  therefore  it  is 
impossible  it  should  ever  fail.  Insomuch,  that  as  the  same 
power  which  was  given  to  Aaron  at  his  Consecration,  was 
propagated  and  continued  in  that  Church  by  successive 
generation  from  father  to  son,  so  long  as  the  Church  itself 
lasted ;  so  is  the  same  Spirit  and  Power,  which  was  given  to 
the  Apostles  at  their  Consecration,  propagated  and  continued 
in  the  Church  of  Christ,  by  the  successive  imposition  of 
hands  from  one  to  another,  and  will  be,  so  long  as  the  world 
endureth. 

This  therefore  being  the  method  that  the  holy  Apostles, 
by  the  direction  of  the  Spirit  itself,  had  agreed  upon  before 
their  dispersions,  wheresoever  any  of  them  went,  so  soon  as 
they  had  converted  any  considerable  number  to  the  faith, 
enough  to  make  a  Church,  before  they  departed  from  them, 
they  still  laid  their  hands  upon  one  whom  they  judged 
the  fittest  among  them,  and  so  left  the  same  Spirit  which 
they  themselves  had,  with  him,  for  the  government  and 
edification  of  that  Church ;  for  whosoever  was  thus  or 
dained,  did  by  that  means  receive  the  Spirit.  And  there 
fore,  St.  Paul  having  thus  ordained  Timothy  at  Ephesus,  in 

2  Tim.  i.  6.  his  second  epistle  to  him,  he  useth  these  words:  "  Wherefore 
I  put  thee  in  remembrance,  that  thou  stir  up  the  gift  of  God 
which  is  in  thee,  by  the  putting  on  of  my  hands."  And 
what  this  gift  of  God  was,  he  declares  in  the  following- 
words,  saying,  "  For  God  hath  not  given  us  the  Spirit  of 
fear,  but  of  power,  and  of  love,  and  of  a  sound  mind."  As 
if  he  should  have  said,  For  that  Spirit  which  God  hath  given 
us,  even  me  and  thee,  is  not  a  spirit  of  fear,  but  of  power,  to 


The  Institution  of  Ministers.  39 

instruct  and  govern  the  Church ;  of  love,  to  regulate  our  pas 
sions  in  the  doing  it ;  and  of  a  sound  mind,  to  keep  both 
stedfast  in  the  faith.  Plainly  implying,  that  by  the  laying  of 
his  hands  upon  him,  God  had  given  the  same  Spirit  to 
Timothy,  that  he  himself,  the  Apostle,  had. 

But  elsewhere,  the  same  Apostle  tells  Timothy,  that  this 
gift  was  given  him  by  prophecy,  "  with  the  laying  on  of  the  lTim- 4- 14- 
hands  of  the  Presbytery."     From  whence  it  may  seem,  that 
some  of  the  elders  of  the  Church  joined  with  St.  Paul  in 
laying  their  hands  upon  him ;  and  yet  St.  Paul  ascribes  it 
wholly  to  the  laying  on  of  his  hands,  and  saith,  the  gift  was 
given  him  by  that,  and  only  with  the  other,  because  he  being 
the  only  Apostle  that  laid  on  his  hands,  and  so  the  only 
person  that  had  power  by  that  means  to  confer  the  Holy 
Spirit,  although   it  was   given   to    him,  together  with   the 
laying  on  of  the  other's  hands  upon  him,  yet  it  was  not 
given  by  that,  but  by  the  laying  on  of  St.  Paul's  hands,  as  he 
himself  saith.     As  it  is  in  our  Church  at  this  time,  and  so 
hath  been  in  the  Latin  for  many  ages,  in  the  ordination  of  a 
Priest ;  the  Priests  there  present  join  with  the  Bishop  in 
their  laying  their  hands  upon  him,  and  yet  he  is  ordained 
only  by  the  Bishop's  laying  on  his  hands.     For  how  many 
Priests  soever  lay  their  hands  upon  another's  head,  they  can 
never  make  him  a  real  Priest,  unless  there  be  a  Bishop  with 
them  ;   but  a  Bishop,  by  the  imposition   of  his  hands,  can 
make  a  Priest,  although  there  be  never  another  Priest  writh 
him.     Neither  doth  the  law  require,  that  any  Priests  should 
be  present  at  such  Ordination,  but  only  that  the  Bishop, 
with  the  Priests  present  (if  there  happen  to  be  any),  shall 
lay  their  hands  upon  him  that  is  to  be  ordained ;  the  imposi 
tion  of  the  Priests'  hands  being  only  to  signify  their  consent, 
that  such  a  person  should  be  received  into  their  order,  and  so 
take  off  the  blame  from  the  Bishop,  in  case  he  should  prove 
to  have  been  unworthy  of  it.     But  still,  it  is  only  by  the  im 
position  of  the  Bishop's  hands  that  he  is  made  a  Priest,  as 
St.  Paul   saith,   that  Timothy   received  the  Spirit,  by  the 
laying   on    of  his   hands,    notwithstanding   the    Presbytery 
joined  with  him  in  it. 

But  of  this,  the  Spirit's  being  given  by  such  imposition 
of  hands,  so  that  it  is  by  Him  principally  that  the  person  is 


SERM.    ordained,  we  have  a  very  remarkable  instance  in  the  Acts  of 


40  The  Institution  of  Ministers. 

ordained,  we  have  a  very  remarkable  instanc 
the  Apostles,  where  we  read  how  St.  Paul  having  ordained 
many  Elders  or  Bishops  in  Asia,  he  summoned  them  to  a 
Visitation  that  he  held  at  Miletus,  and  in  the  charge  he 
Ver.  28.  gave  them,  among  other  things,  he  said,  "  Take  heed  there 
fore  to  yourselves,  and  to  all  the  flock  over  which  the  Holy 
Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers,"  or  Bishops.  For  from 
hence  it  appears,  that  when  they  were  ordained  by  the  impo 
sition  of  the  Apostle's  hands,  the  Holy  Ghost  so  came  upon 
them,  that  He  constituted  them  in  the  office  they  were  or 
dained  to :  it  was  He  that  made  them  Bishops,  the  Apostle, 
and  whosoever  else  might  join  with  him  in  laying  on  of 
hands,  were  only  His  instruments,  the  Holy  Ghost  was  the 
principal  agent,  and  so  questionless  He  is,  and  always  will 
be,  in  all  such  Ordinations.  So  that  all  who  are  regularly 
ordained,  may  be  truly  and  properly  said  to  receive  their 
power  and  commission  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  is  then 
conferred  upon  them,  and  so  from  Christ  Himself. 

Having  thus  considered  the  course  that  the  Apostles,  by 
Christ's  direction,  took  and  instituted  in  the  Church  for  the 
conferring  of  Holy  Orders,  so  as  that  they  might  transfer  the 
same  Spirit,  which  they  themselves  received,  upon  those  who 
were  admitted  into  them,  and  so  continue  it  in  the  Church 
for  ever ;  we  may  further  observe,  that  besides  that  of  Dea 
cons  before-mentioned,  they  found  it  necessary  to  establish 
two  other  Orders  in  the  Church,  to  remain  through  all  ages : 
First,  their  own,  which  we  now  call  the  Order  of  Bishops, 
who  are,  therefore,  by  the  ancients  commonly  termed  the 
Apostles'  Successors,  because  that  by  a  successive  imposition 
of  hands,  continued  all  along  from  the  Apostles  themselves, 
they  receive  the  same  Spirit  and  Power  which  the  Apostles 
had,  not  only  for  the  administration  of  the  Word  and  Sacra 
ments,  but  likewise  for  the  government  of  the  Church,  and 
for  the  conferring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  by  the  imposition  of 
their  hands,  as  the  Apostles  did,  both  for  the  confirmation  of 
believers,  and  likewise  for  the  Ordination  of  persons  into 
their  own  and  other  offices  in  the  Church. 

The  other  Order  is  that  of  Priesthood,  which  being  insti 
tuted  for  the  due  administration  of  all  the  ordinary  means  of 
grace,  it  was  necessary  that  they,  who  were  admitted  into 


The  Institution  of  Ministers.  41 

this  Order  also,  should  have  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Fountain 
of  all  Grace,  conferred  upon  them,  to  influence  their  several 
administrations,  without  which  it  is  impossible  they  should 
ever  attain  their  end.  And  hence  it  is,  that  according  to 
the  practice  of  the  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church,  though 
not  in  that  of  Deacons,  yet  in  the  Ordination  of  Priests,  as 
you  will  see  presently,  the  Bishop,  when  he  lays  his  hand 
severally  upon  every  one  that  receives  that  Order,  saith, 
"  Receive  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  office  arid  work  of  a  Priest 
in  the  Church  of  God,  now  committed  unto  thee  by  the  im 
position  of  our  hands  :  whose  sins  thou  dost  forgive,  they 
are  forgiven ;  and  whose  sins  thou  dost  retain,  they  are  re 
tained."  Where  we  may  observe,  that  although  some  other 
words  are  inserted  to  determine  and  distinguish  the  office 
committed  to  them,  yet  all  the  same  words  are  repeated, 
which  our  Lord  Himself  used  at  the  Ordination  of  His  Apo 
stles;  which  the  Catholic  Church  always  judged  necessary, 
not  only  in  imitation  of  our  Blessed  Saviour,  but  likewise, 
because  that  the  persons  who  are  ordained  Priests  in  His 
Church,  are  to  preach  the  same  Word,  administer  the  same 
Sacraments,  and  exercise  the  same  power  in  the  Censures  of 
the  Church,  as  the  Apostles  themselves  did.  And  therefore 
it  is  necessary  that  they  should  be  endued  with  the  same 
Spirit,  ordained  after  the  same  manner,  and  entrusted  with 
the  same  power  of  the  keys  as  the  Apostles  themselves  were. 
By  which  means,  the  means  of  grace  and  salvation  admi 
nistered  by  Priests  thus  ordained,  become  as  effectual  to 
those  that  use  them  aright,  as  when  they  were  administered 
by  the  Apostles  themselves ;  the  Spirit,  which  they  receive 
by  this  imposition  of  hands,  being  always  ready  to  assist  at 
their  several  administrations,  and  to  bless  and  sanctify  them 
to  those  who  are  duly  prepared  and  disposed  for  them. 

Now  from  what  we  have  thus  briefly,  as  the  occasion 
would  permit,  discoursed  upon  this  subject,  I  shall  draw 
only  two  inferences ;  whereof  the  first  concerns  those  who 
are  now  to  be  admitted  into  Holy  Orders,  either  Priests  or 
Deacons.  For  from  what  ye  have  now  heard,  ye  may 
easily  see  the  duty  as  well  as  dignity  of  the  office  you  are 
called  to,  to  be  ministers  of  Christ  and  stewards  of  the  mani 
fold  mysteries  of  God.  And  therefore  I  hope  you  have  pre- 


42  The  Institution  of  Ministers. 

SERM.  pared  yourselves  according  to  the  directions  that  have  been 
-  given  you,  by  prayer  and  fasting,  for  so  great  an  under 
taking  ;  and  so  are  both  duly  disposed  to  receive  the  Power 
and  Spirit  that  shall  be  committed  to  you,  and  also  fully 
resolved,  by  the  grace  of  God,  to  exercise  and  improve  it  for 
your  Master's  use.  For  which  purpose,  as  I  do  not  doubt 
but  you  have  seriously  considered  what  questions  will  be 
propounded  to  you,  and  what  answers  ye  must  give  to  them ; 
so  I  must  entreat  you  to  keep  it  always  in  your  minds,  how 
solemnly  you  this  day  devoted  yourselves  to  the  service  of 
God  and  His  Church,  and  what  vows  and  promises  you 
made  in  His  presence,  to  be  diligent  in  praying,  in  reading 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  in  framing  your  lives  accordingly ; 
in  ministering  the  doctrine,  the  Sacraments,  and  the  disci 
pline  of  Christ,  as  the  Lord  commanded,  and  as  this  Church 
and  realm  hath  received  the  same ;  to  drive  away  all  erro 
neous  and  strange  doctrines,  and  to  maintain  and  set  for 
ward,  as  much  as  in  you  lies,  quietness,  love  and  peace, 
among  Christian  people,  and  reverently  to  obey  your  ordi 
nary,  and  those  to  whom  is  committed  the  charge  and 
government  over  you.  If  ye  do  these  things  according  as 
ye  then  promise,  ye  will  save  both  yourselves  and  them  that 
hear  you ;  but  otherwise,  after  all  your  preaching  unto 
others,  you  yourselves  will  be  castaways. 

The  other  inference  respects  all  here  present :  for,  from 
the  premises  duly  weighed,  you  cannot  but  all  infer  both 
the  necessity  and  dignity  of  those  Holy  Orders  which  are 
now  to  be  conferred  :  the  necessity,  in  that  the  means  of 
salvation  cannot  be  administered  effectually  without  them ; 
and  the  dignity,  in  that  they  are  effectually  administered  by 
them.  Upon  which  account,  you  cannot  but  acknowledge 
there  is  a  real  honour  and  respect  due  to  those  who  are 
thus  ordained,  though  not  for  their  own,  yet  for  their  office 
sake ;  and  for  His  sake  whose  officers  and  ministers  they 
are,  in  conveying  the  greatest  blessings  to  you,  that  you  are, 
or  ever  can  be  capable  of. 

iTim.  4. 12.  Wherefore,  as  St.  Paul  saith  to  Timothy,  "  Let  no  man 
despise  thy  youth,"  so  say  I  to  you,  do  not  despise  Christ's 
Clergy  for  their  youth,  or  poverty,  or  upon  any  other  ac 
count  whatsoever;  but  esteem  them  as  ye  ought,  for  His 


The  Institution  of  Ministers.  43 

sake,  whose  clergy  they  are :  and  thank  God  that  you  have 
such  a  Clergy  among  you,  as  is  ordained  according  to  Christ's 
own  institution,  and  endowed  with  the  same  Spirit  which 
He  breathed  into  His  Holy  Apostles,  handed  down  from 
them  to  us,  by  a  continued  and  uninterrupted  Succession ; 
which  is  the  great  glory  of  our  Church,  and  that  which  you 
can  never  sufficiently  thank  God  for :  as,  considering  that 
by  this  means  you  have  the  Word  and  Sacraments  so  truly 
and  powerfully  administered  among  you,  that  nothing  but 
the  extreme  neglect  of  yourselves  can  hinder  any  of  you 
from  being  happy  for  ever. 

But  that  you  may  all  be  so,  you  must  not  think  it  enough 
that  you  have  such  a  Clergy  ordained  among  you,  nor  that 
the  means  of  grace  are  so  duly  and  regularly  administered 
to  you,  but  you  must  exercise  yourselves  continually  in 
them,  otherwise  your  having  of  them  will  signify  nothing, 
unless  it  be  to  sink  you  lower  into  the  abyss  of  misery. 
Neither  must  you  use  only  some,  but  all  the  means  that  are 
appointed  for  the  begetting  or  increasing  of  true  grace  and 
virtue  in  you.  For  if  you  neglect  any,  you  had  even  as 
good  neglect  all ;  one  being  as  necessary  in  its  kind  as 
another,  and  all  assisting  one  another,  in  order  to  the  at 
tainment  of  the  end.  And  after  all,  though  you  use  the 
means,  and  all  the  means,  you  must  use  them  only  as 
means ;  and  therefore  not  rest  in  them,  nor  trust  on  them, 
but  only  upon  Him  who  hath  appointed  them,  and  hath 
sent  His  Holy  Spirit  to  move  in  them,  to  make  them  ef 
fectual  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  are  used. 

Do  but  this,  and  you  will  soon  find,  by  your  own  ex 
perience,  what  infinite  cause  you  have  to  bless  God  for  your 
living  in  a  Church  where  Holy  Orders  are  conferred,  and,  by 
consequence,  the  means  of  salvation  administered,  so  exactly 
according  to  the  institution  and  appointment  of  Christ  our 
Saviour :  to  whom,  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be 
all  honour  and  glory,  now  and  for  ever,  Amen. 


SERMON   III. 

MANNER  OF  THEIR  INSTITUTION  WITH  US. 

2  CORINTHIANS  iv.  1. 

Therefore  seeing  we  have  this  ministry,  as  we  have  received 
mercy,  we  faint  not. 

SERM.  THE  last  public  Ordination  that  was  held  here,  happening 
upon  St.  Matthias's  day,  from  his  formal  and  solemn  ad 
mission  into  the  number  of  the  Apostles,  I  took  occasion  to 
discourse  in  general  of  the  public  admission  of  persons  to 
serve  in  the  sacred  ministry  of  Christ's  Church,  which  we 
now  call  Ordination ;  shewing  both  the  necessity  of  it,  and 
likewise  the  ancient  way  and  manner  of  performing  it. 
Now,  this  falling  out  upon  St.  Matthew's  day,  who  was 
both  an  Apostle  and  Evangelist,  I  have  chosen  this  part  of 
the  Epistle  appointed  for  the  day,  from  whence  to  treat 
briefly  of  our  admission  into  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel 
here  spoken  of,  as  it  is  now  celebrated  in  our  Church, 
according  to  the  ancient  way  and  manner  before  mentioned. 
But  before  we  come  to  that,  we  must  observe,  that  the 
Apostle  having,  in  the  foregoing  chapter,  fully  declared  and 
proved  the  excellency  of  the  Evangelical  ministry  beyond 
that  of  the  Legal,  he  thence  infers,  that  he  and  others,  with 
whom  this  glorious  ministry  was  entrusted,  having  received 
so  great  a  mercy,  did  not  faint  or  grow  weary  in  the  execu 
tion  of  it,  nor  were  ever  discouraged  by  any  straits  or 
difficulties  they  met  with  in  it,  as  being  fully  persuaded  that 
their  faithful  performance  of  their  duty  in  it  was  a  matter 
of  that  extraordinary  consequence,  both  to  themselves  and 
others,  that  all  the  troubles  that  could  ever  befal  them  for  it 
should  never  in  the  least  dishearten  them  ;  but  they  were  re 
solved,  whatsoever  came  of  it,  faithfully  to  discharge  the  trust 


Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us.  45 

that  was  reposed  in  them :  "  Therefore,  seeing  we  have  this 
ministry,  as  we  have  received  mercy,  we  faint  not." 

And  this  certainly  is  left  upon  record,  as  a  standing  rule 
for  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel  to  walk  by  in  all  ages  and 
places  of  the  world ;  especially  those  of  our  Church  who 
have  the  same  ministry  or  authority  to  administer  the  Word 
and  Sacraments  conferred  upon  them  which  the  Apostle 
here  speaks  of,  by  being  ordained  regularly,  according  to 
the  way  and  manner  which  the  Apostles  themselves,  by  the 
direction  of  Christ  and  His  Holy  Spirit,  instituted  in  His 
Church,  and  with  all  the  care  and  diligence,  with  all  the 
decency  and  order,  with  all  the  piety  and  devotion,  that 
can  be  used  or  exercised  upon  any  occasion  whatsoever. 

But  this  being  what  I  principally  intend  to  insist  upon  at 
this  time ;  without  any  further  preface  or  apology,  I  shall, 
by  the  assistance  of  God,  run  through  the  whole  Office  of 
our  Church  for  the  Ordination  of  Deacons  and  Priests,  and 
shew  the  excellency  of  the  course  and  method  she  takes  for 
the  admitting  any.  of  her  members  into  the  ministry  of  the 
Gospel ;  that  so  they  who  are  to  be  ordained  may  under 
stand  what  great  obligations  lie  upon  them,  not  to  be  either 
idle  or  faint-hearted,  but  diligent  and  courageous  in  the 
discharge  of  the  office  committed  to  them :  and  all  others 
may  see  what  cause  they  have  to  bless  God  that  they  live  in 
a  Church  wherein  the  Apostolical  institution  is  so  strictly 
observed,  and  so  much  care  taken  in  the  choosing  and  or 
daining  those  who  are  to  have  the  charge  of  their  souls. 

First,  therefore,  that  all  the  pious  and  devout  members  of 
the  Church,  dispersed  over  the  whole  kingdom,  may  know 
the  times  when  it  is  to  be  done,  and  so  improve  the  in 
terest  they  have  in  Heaven,  for  God's  blessing  and  assist 
ance  in  the  management  of  so  great  a  work :  there  are  four 
set  days  in  every  year,  all  Sundays,  appointed  for  it ;  and  in 
the  respective  weeks  immediately  foregoing,  called  Ember 
Weeks,  three  days  are  set  apart  to  be  spent  in  fasting  and 
prayer  to  God,  that  He  would  so  guide  and  govern  the 
minds  of  His  servants,  the  Bishops  and  Pastors  of  His 
Church,  that  they  may  lay  hands  suddenly  on  no  man,  but 
faithfully  and  wisely  make  choice  of  fit  persons  to  serve  in 
the  sacred  ministry  of  His  Church ;  and  also  that  He  would 


46  Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us. 

SERM.  give  His  grace  and  Heavenly  benediction  to  all  that  shall 
'- —  be  then  ordained  to  any  Holy  Function,  that,  both  by  their 
life  and  doctrine,  they  may  set  forth  His  glory,  and  set  for 
ward  the  salvation  of  all  men. 

Now  whilst  all  good  people  are  thus  jointly  imploring 
God's  aid  and  direction  of  them  in  it,  the  Bishops,  in  their 
several  dioceses,  are  considering  whom  to  choose,  and  ex 
amining  the  fitness  of  those  who  offer  themselves  to  be 
admitted  to  any  Holy  Function,  either  of  Deacon  or  Priest, 
according  to  these  general  rules,  which  the  Church  for  that 
purpose  has  laid  down  before  them.  As  first,  That  none 
shall  be  admitted  Deacon,  except  he  be  twenty-three  years 
of  age,  unless  he  have  a  faculty ;  and  every  man  that  is  to 
be  admitted  Priest  shall  be  full  twenty-four  years  old. 
That  none  be  ordained,  either  Deacon  or  Priest,  who  hath 
not  first  some  certain  place  where  he  may  exercise  his 
Can.  33.  function,  nor  except  he  subscribe  to  the  three  articles  men 
tioned  in  Can.  36  ;  that  is,  first,  to  the  king's  supremacy, 
in  all  causes  and  over  all  persons,  as  well  Ecclesiastical  as 
temporal ;  secondly,  the  Book  of  Common  Prayer,  and 
ordering  of  Bishops,  Priests,  and  Deacons  ;  that  it  contains 
nothing  contrary  to  the  Word  of  God ;  that  it  may  be  law 
fully  used,  and  that  he  himself  will  use  that  and  none  other ; 
thirdly,  to  the  thirty-nine  Articles,  acknowledging  them  to 
be  all  agreeable  to  the  Word  of  God. 

And  besides  all  this,  none  must  be  admitted  to  Holy 
Orders  except  he  can  give  an  account  of  his  faith  in  Latin, 
according  to  the  said  thirty-nine  Articles ;  and  he  be  able  to 
confirm  the  same  by  sufficient  testimonies  out  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  And  moreover,  except  he  then  exhibit  letters 
testimonial  of  his  good  life  and  conversation,  under  the  seal 
of  some  College,  in  Cambridge  or  Oxford,  where  he  remained 
before,  or  else  of  three  or  four  grave  ministers,  together 
with  the  subscription  and  testimony  of  other  credible  per 
sons,  who  have  known  his  life  and  behaviour  by  the  space 
of  three  years  next  before. 

According  to  these  rules,  every  Bishop  in  his  diocese, 
either  by  himself,  or  some  minister  deputed  by  him,  is 
obliged  to  examine  those  who  come  to  be  admitted  into  the 
ministry  of  the  Church :  and  if,  upon  due  examination  and 


Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us.  47 

inquiry,  he  find  that  they  are  of  the  age  required,  have  a 
real  Title,  subscribe  to  the  thirty-nine  Articles,  and  can 
give  a  good  account  of  their  faith,  and  good  proof  of 
their  sober  and  pious  life ;  then  he  makes  choice  of  them, 
otherwise  he  rejects  them,  and  lays  them  aside,  as  unfit  for 
the  ministry. 

When  any  are  thus  approved  of,  and  chosen  by  the 
Bishop  to  be  admitted  in  to  Holy  Orders ;  he  appoints  them 
to  meet  him  at  the  Cathedral,  or  some  parish  Church  in  his 
diocese,  where,  after  Divine  service,  and  a  sermon  fitted  to 
the  occasion,  the  Archdeacon  or  his  Deputy  presents,  first 
those  who  are  to  be  admitted  Deacons,  to  him,  as  he  sits 
near  to  the  Communion-table,  in  the  presence  of  the  whole 
congregation  then  present.  Upon  which  the  Bishop  ad- 
viseth  him  to  take  heed  that  they  whom  he  presents  be  apt 
and  meet,  for  their  learning  and  godly  conversation,  to 
exercise  their  ministry  duly,  to  the  honour  of  God  and  the 
edifying  of  the  Church.  To  which  the  Archdeacon  answers, 
That  he  has  inquired  of  them  as  to  their  lives,  and  examined 
them  as  to  their  learning,  and  thinks  them  to  be  so,  even  apt 
and  meet  for  the  ministry  they  undertake.  After  which,  that 
the  whole  congregation  may  be  satisfied  as  well  as  the  Bishop, 
of  their  fitness  for  the  office ;  he  requires  that  if  any  of  them 
know  any  impediment  or  notable  crime  in  any  of  the  persons 
to  be  ordained,  for  which  he  ought  not  to  be  received  into 
the  ministry,  they  would  now  come  forth  and  shew  what 
that  crime  is.  So  that  if  any  of  you  know  any  such  crime 
or  impediment  in  any  of  the  persons  to  be  now  ordained,  it 
is  your  fault  if  they  be  ordained,  for  you  may  hinder  it  if  you 
will  —  nay,  you  are  bound  to  do  it,  by  discovering  what  ob 
jections  ye  have  against  it. 

From  whence  ye  may  observe,  by  the  way,  that  whatsoever 
disorderly  or  unworthy  persons  are  admitted  to  Holy  Orders 
ye  must  not  blame  the  Bishop  but  yourselves,  or  those  that 
know  them,  for  it.  For  it  cannot  be  supposed,  that  he  should 
have  the  personal  knowledge  of  every  one  that  comes  to  him 
for  Orders ;  all  that  he  can  do,  is  to  inquire  of  them,  and  con 
sider  what  credit  is  to  be  given  to  the  letters  testimonial 
which  they  bring  to  him,  wherein  it  may  be  possible  for  him 
to  be  imposed  upon.  But  they  who  do  not  only  personally 


48  Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us. 

SERM.    know  them,  but  know  them  to  be  of  so  wicked  and  loose  a 
in. 
- —  conversation  that  they  ought  not  to  be   received  into  the 

ministry,  and  yet  do  not  acquaint  the  Bishop  with  it,  either 
before,  or  when  he  requires  them  to  do  it  in  the  face  of  the 
congregation;  ought  to  bear  all  the  blame  now,  and  must 
answer  for  it  another  day. 

After  this,  if  no  crime  be  objected,  the  Bishop,  commend 
ing  those  that  are  to  be  ordained,  to  the  prayers  of  the  con 
gregation,  he  reads  the  Litany,  with  a  clause  inserted  in  it 
proper  for  the  occasion,  and  so  hath  not  only  the  joint  con 
sent  of  the  whole  congregation  that  they  should  be  ordained, 
but  also  their  joint  prayers  and  supplications  to  God  for 
them.  And  then  proceeding  to  the  Communion-service,  after 
the  Epistle  he  administers  the  oath  of  supremacy  to  them : 
wherein  they  solemnly  swear,  that  they  heartily  testify  and 
declare  that  the  king  is  the  only  supreme  governor  of  this 
realm ;  and  that  no  foreign  Prince  or  Prelate,  and  therefore 
no  Bishop  or  Pope  of  Rome,  hath,  or  ought  to  have,  any 
authority  or  jurisdiction  here  :  and  that  they  utterly  renounce 
all  such  foreign  powers,  and  promise  from  henceforth  that 
they  will  bear  faith  and  true  allegiance  to  the  King's  or 
Queen's  highness,  their  heirs  and  lawful  successors,  &c. 

From  which  oath,  as  imposed  on  all  that  are  ordained, 
there  are  several  things  worthy  to  be  observed.  As  first, 
how  careful  our  Church  is,  that  no  Papist  should  be  admitted 
into  her  ministry ;  for  he  that  takes  this  oath,  doth,  ipso  facto, 
renounce  Popery,  for  he  renounceth  the  Pope  himself,  and  all 
that  supremacy  and  authority  he  pretends  to  in  this  king 
dom.  And  then,  how  ridiculous  and  absurd  must  it  needs 
be  for  any  to  imagine  that  the  Clergy  of  England  should 
favour  Popery,  when  they  cannot  be  made  Clergymen  with 
out  renouncing  it !  Hence,  also,  we  may  observe  how  strictly 
all  that  take  this  oath  are  obliged  to  bear  faith  and  true 
allegiance  to  the  King  or  Queen,  and  their  heirs  and  suc 
cessors,  as  strict  as  any  oath  can  bind  them.  And,  therefore, 
what  they  who  were  ordained,  and  so  took  this  oath,  and 
afterwards  turned  traitors  and  rebels,  what  I  say,  they  will 
answer  for  themselves,  I  dread  to  think  of:  but  let  them 
look  to  that.  As  for  you  who  are  to  take  this  oath  now,  I 
advise  you  to  remember  it  as  long  as  ye  live ;  and  be  as 


Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us.  49 

faithful  in  the  keeping,  as  I  hope  ye  are  sincere  in  the  taking 
of  it. 

The  oath  being  thus  administered  to  every  one  that  is  to 
be  ordained,  the  Bishop  propounds  several  questions  to 
them ;  to  which  every  one  is  bound  to  answer  for  himself, 
according  to  what  is  prescribed  :  and  all  this  is  done  pub 
licly,  in  the  presence  of  the  people,  that  they  also  may  be 
witnesses  of  it. 

The  first  question  is, — 

"  Do  you  trust  that  you  are  inwardly  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  take  upon  you  this  office  and  ministration,  to  serve 
God,  for  the  promoting  of  His  glory,  and  the  edifying  of  His 
people?" 

A  great  question  indeed,  and  that  which  no  man  can  give 
a  true  and  positive  answer  to,  without  having  searched  very 
narrowly  into  his  own  heart,  and  seriously  considered  the 
bent  and  inclinations  of  his  soul.  But  it  is  a  question  very 
necessary  to  be  propounded :  for  the  Holy  Ghost  now  sup 
plies  the  place  and  room  of  our  Blessed  Saviour  in  His 
Church  militant  here  on  earth.  And  therefore,  as  it  was  by 
Him  that  the  several  offices  themselves  were  at  first  con 
stituted,  so  it  is  by  Him  that  men  are  called  to  the  exe 
cution  of  them ;  and  it  is  by  Him  alone  that  all  Ecclesiastical 
ministrations,  performed  by  such  officers,  are  made  effectual 
to  the  purposes  for  which  they  are  appointed ;  and  therefore 
the  Church  is  bound  to  take  care  that  none  be  admitted  into 
her  ministry,  but  such  as  she  believes  and  hopes  to  be  called 
to  it  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  she  can  have  no  ground  to 
believe  this,  but  only  from  the  testimony  of  the  persons  them 
selves,  none  but  themselves  being  acquainted  with  the 
motions  of  God's  Spirit  upon  their  own  hearts.  And  there 
fore  the  Bishop  requires  them  to  deal  plainly  and  faithfully 
with  him  and  the  Church,  and  to  tell  him,  whether  they 
really  trust  that  they  are  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  take 
this  office  upon  them?  To  which  every  one  is  bound  to 
answer,  "  I  trust  so ; "  not  that  he  knows  it,  or  is  certain  of 
it,  for  it  is  possible  that  his  heart  may  deceive  him  in  it ;  but 
that  he  trusts  or  hopes  it  is  so. 

But  what  ground  can  any  one  have  to  trust  that  he  is 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  take  the  ministry  upon  him  ? 


50  Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us. 

SERM.  TO  that,  I  answer,  in  short,  That  if  a  man  finds,  that  upon 
~~  due  examination,  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese  where  he  is  to 
serve  is  satisfied  of  his  abilities  and  qualifications  for  the 
ministry ;  and  that  his  great  end  and  design  in  undertaking 
it,  is  to  serve  God,  for  the  promoting  of  His  glory  and  the 
edifying  of  His  people :  he  hath  good  grounds  to  trust  that 
he  is  moved  to  it  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  being  only  by  Him 
that  any  man  can  be  duly  qualified  for  it,  and  moved  to 
take  it  upon  him,  out  of  so  good  and  pious  a  design  as  that  is. 
But  if  either  of  these  things  be  wanting  —  as  if  a  man  be 
not  fitted  for  the  office  —  he  may  conclude  he  is  not  called 
to  it  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  for  He  neither  calls  nor  useth  any 
but  fit  instruments  in  what  He  doth  :  or  if  a  man  be  moved 
to  it,  out  of  a  design,  not  to  do  good,  but  to  get  applause 
or  preferment  in  the  world,  he  may  thence  infer  that  he  is 
not  moved  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  but  by  the  spirit  of  pride 
and  coveteousness  to  it;  and  then  can  have  no  ground  to 
expect  that  the  Holy  Ghost  should  ever  bless  and  assist 
him  in  the  execution  of  his  office.  According  to  these  rules, 
therefore,  they  who  are  now  to  be  ordained  may  discern 
whether  they  can  truly  give  the  answer  required  to  this  great 
question  that  will  be  propounded  to  them.  As  for  their 
qualifications  for  it,  the  Bishop  hath  already  approved  of 
them ;  but  as  to  their  main  end  and  design  in  undertaking 
the  ministry,  that  must  be  left  to  God  and  their  own  con 
sciences,  who  alone  know  it,  and  so  can  best  judge  whether 
they  can  truly  say,  that  they  trust  they  are  moved  to  it  by 
the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  next  question  propounded  is, — 

"  Do  you  think  that  you  are  truly  called,  according  to 
the  will  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  due  order  of  this 
realm,  to  the  ministry  of  the  Church?" 

Which  question  seems  to  be  propounded,  that  the  Church 
may  know,  whether  they  be  fully  satisfied,  in  their  own 
minds,  of  the  legality  of  the  Orders  that  they  are  to  receive 
in  our  Church,  and  so  to  prevent  both  Papists  and  Schis 
matics  from  receiving  of  them.  For  none  that  are  really 
such,  can  truly  say,  as  every  one  who  is  ordained  is  bound 
to  answer,  "  I  think  so." 

In  the  next  place,  the  Bishop  asketh  them,  whether  they 


Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us.  51 

unfeignedly  believe  all  the  Canonical  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  New  Testament  ?  For  unless  they  do  so,  they  are  not 
fit  to  be  the  ministers  of  the  Word  and  Sacraments  con 
tained  and  prescribed  in  them;  and  therefore  every  one 
answers,  "  I  do  believe  them." 

Hitherto,  the  questions  have  been  only  concerning  their 
present  opinion  and  faith:  but  they  which  follow  concern 
their  future  behaviour,  and  diligence,  and  faithfulness  in 
discharging  the  office  committed  to  them ;  and  therefore  their 
answers  are  all  so  many  solemn  promises  made  to  God  and 
His  Church,  to  act  accordingly  :  obliging  themselves,  in  the 
presence  of  God,  that  they  will  diligently  read  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  and  gladly  execute  the  whole  office  of  a  Deacon 
there  declared  to  them ;  that  they  will  apply  all  their 
diligence  to  frame  and  fashion  their  own  lives  and  the  lives 
of  their  families,  according  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and 
reverently  obey  their  ordinary.  For,  being  asked  by  the 
Bishop,  whether  they  will  do  these  things  or  no,  every  one 
answers,  "  I  will ;"  or,  "  I  will  do  so  by  the  help  of  God ;" 
or,  "  I  will  endeavour  myself,  the  Lord  being  my  helper." 
Which  promises,  being  so  solemnly  made  before  God  and 
His  Church,  are  certainly  as  binding  as  if  they  were  made 
upon  oath,  and  ought  to  be  as  religiously  observed.  In 
somuch,  that  as  all  Christians,  as  such,  should  always  re 
member  and  keep  the  vows  and  promises  they  made  when 
they  were  baptized  ;  so  all  ministers,  as  such,  should  always 
remember  and  keep  those  vows  and  promises  which  they 
made  when  they  were  ordained.  For  which  purposes,  it  is 
very  convenient,  if  not  necessary,  for  us  often  to  read  over 
the  Office  of  Ordination,  or,  at  least,  that  part  of  it  which 
contains  the  answers  and  promises  which  we  made  to  God 
and  His  Church,  when  we  were  received  into  the  ministry 
of  the  Gospel. 

Now  every  one  having  thus  obliged  himself  faithfully  to 
discharge  the  office  that  shall  be  conferred  upon  him,  and 
to  behave  himself  according  to  the  precepts  of  the  Gospel, 
through  the  whole  course  of  his  life ;  the  Bishop  then  lays 
his  hands  severally  upon  the  head  of  every  one  that  is  to  be 
ordained  Deacon,  and  saith,  "  Take  thou  authority  to  exe 
cute  the  office  of  a  Deacon  in  the  Church  of  God  committed 


52  Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us. 

SERM.    unto  thee,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 

—  of  the  Holy  Ghost."     He  lays  his  hands  upon  them,  as  the 

Acts  6. 6.     Apostles   did    upon  those  whom   they  ordained    Deacons. 

And  so  he  gives  them  authority  to  execute  the  office  of  a 

Deacon,  not  in  his   own   name,  but  in  the  name  of  the 

most  Blessed  Trinity,  whose  ministers  they  are  now  made. 

And  therefore  the  Bishop  delivers  to   every  one  of  them 

the  New  Testament,  saying,  "  Take  thou  authority  to  read 

the  Gospel  in  the  Church  of  God,  and  to  preach  the  same, 

if  thou  he  thereto  licensed  by  the  Bishop  himself." 

By  which  means,  they  who  are  thus  ordained  are  now 
enabled  to  read  the  Gospel  with  authority,  as  the  ministers 
of  Christ,  whose  Gospel  it  is.  But  they  are  not  to  preach, 
except  they  are  licensed  to  do  it  by  the  Bishop  himself;  for 
the  supreme  care  of  all  the  souls  in  his  diocese  being  com 
mitted  unto  him,  it  is  not  fitting  that  any  should  undertake 
to  expound  the  mysteries  of  the  Gospel  there,  without  his 
leave  and  approbation. 

All  that  are  ordained  Deacons  having  now  authority  to 
read  the  Gospel,  the  Bishop  accordingly  appoints  one  of 
them  to  read  the  Gospel  on  the  occasion,  as  a  sign  and 
earnest  of  that  authority  which  is  now  committed  to  them. 
And  then,  if  there  be  no  Priests  to  be  ordained,  he  proceeds 
in  the  Communion. 

But  if  there  be  any  to  be  ordained  Priests  at  the  same 
time,  they  being  before  presented  to  the  Bishop,  to  be  ad 
mitted  to  the  Order  of  Priesthood,  after  the  same  manner  as 
the  Deacons  were,  and  with  the  same  cautions,  both  to  him 
that  presents  them  and  to  the  people  that  are  present ;  the 
Bishop  administers  to  them  also  the  oath  of  supremacy,  be 
fore  spoken  of,  and  then  reads  to  them  a  very  grave  and 
pious  discourse,  of  the  great  dignity  and  importance  of  the 
office  whereunto  they  are  called ;  exhorting  them,  in  the 
name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  be  studious,  diligent,  and 
faithful,  in  the  execution  of  it.  And  that  the  congregation 
of  Christ,  there  assembled,  may  also  understand  their  minds 
and  wills  in  those  things,  and  that  their  promise  may  the 
more  move  them  to  do  their  duty,  he  demands  them  to 
answer  plainly  to  such  questions,  which  he,  in  the  name  of 
God  and  His  Church,  shall  propound  to  them. 


Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us.  53 

Where  we  may  observe,  that  the  first  question  put  to 
those  who  were  ordained  Priests,  concerning  their  being 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  take  that  office  upon  them, 
is  now  omitted  :  for  these  having  been  ordained  Deacons 
before,  it  is  supposed  that  they  were  then  moved  by  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  to  take  the  ministry  of  His  Gospel  upon 
them,  and  there  is  no  need  of  any  further  call  from  Him. 
For  being  once  called  by  Him,  though  it  was  but  to  the 
lowest  office  of  His  own  institution,  the  Church  takes  it  for 
granted,  that  it  is  His  pleasure  they  should  be  promoted  to 
any  higher  office,  if  there  be  sufficient  reason  and  occasion 
for  it. 

But  the  first  question  here  is  the  same  with  the  second  in 
the  Ordination  of  Deacons,  concerning  the  legality  of  our 
Orders  ;  and  the  next  is,  Whether  they  be  persuaded  that 
the  Holy  Scriptures  contain  all  things  necessary  to  sal 
vation,  and  are  determined  to  instruct  the  people  out  of  the 
said  Scriptures,  and  to  teach  nothing  as  required  of  necessity 
to  salvation,  but  what  they  shall  be  persuaded  may  be  con 
cluded  and  proved  by  the  same.  To  which  every  one 
answers,  "  I  am  so  persuaded,  and  have  so  determined  by 
God's  grace."  Which  shews  how  necessary  it  is,  that  they 
who  come  to  be  ordained,  should  consider  these  things  be 
fore  hand,  for  otherwise  how  can  they  say,  they  have  so 
determined  already  ? 

The  other  questions  and  answers  are  so  framed,  that  they 
who  are  to  be  ordained  Priests  do  thereby  promise  and 
oblige  themselves,  in  the  name  and  by  the  help  of  God, 
that  they  will  give  faithful  diligence,  always  to  minister  the 
doctrine,  and  Sacraments,  and  the  discipline  of  Christ,  as 
the  Lord  hath  commanded,  and  as  this  Church  and  realm 
hath  received  the  same  :  that  they  will  be  ready,  with  all 
diligence,  to  banish  and  drive  away  all  erroneous  and 
strange  doctrines  contrary  to  God's  Word  :  that  they  will 
be  diligent  in  prayers,  and  in  reading  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
and  in  such  studies  that  will  help  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
same :  that  they  will  be  diligent  to  frame  and  fashion  them 
selves  and  their  families  according  to  the  doctrine  of  Christ : 
that  they  will  maintain  and  set  forward,  as  much  as  lieth  in 
them,  quietness,  peace,  and  love,  among  all  Christian  people  : 


54  Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us. 

SERM.  and  that  they  will  reverently  obey  their  ordinary  and  other 
— - —  chief  ministers,  unto  whom  is  committed  the  charge  and 
government  over  them.  For  being  asked,  whether  they  will 
do  these  things  or  no,  every  one  answers  for  himself,  "  I  will 
do  so,  by  the  help  of  God,"  or  "  the  Lord  being  my  helper." 
Which  shews  the  extraordinary  care  our  Church  takes,  that 
all  her  Clergy  may  not  only  be  orthodox,  and  virtuous,  and 
good  men,  but  faithful  also  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty ; 
in  that  she  admits  none  to  Holy  Orders  without  laying  upon 
them  the  highest  obligations  imaginable  to  be  so.  And  they 
who,  after  all  this,  prove  otherwise,  will  certainly  have  a  very 
dismal  account  to  give  when  our  Lord  shall  hold  His  gene 
ral  Visitation  at  the  last  day. 

After  this,  the  Bishop  having  prayed,  that  God,  who  had 
given  them  a  will  to  do  all  these  things,  would  give  them 
also  strength  and  power  to  perform  the  same :  he  then  desires 
the  congregation,  secretly  in  their  prayers,  to  make  their 
humble  supplication  to  God  for  all  those  things.  For  which 
secret  prayers,  silence  is  ordered  to  be  kept  for  a  space. 

There  is  something  like  to  this  in  the  Greek  Church, 
where  the  Bishop,  at  the  ordaining  of  a  Priest,  prays  once 
{jwffrixuc,  secretly  by  himself.  But  here,  every  one  in  the  con 
gregation  is  desired  to  do  it,  that  upon  so  solemn  an  occasion 
as  this,  all  sorts  of  prayer  may  be  used,  even  secret  as  well 
as  public,  and  that  every  one  by  himself,  as  well  as  altogether, 
may  lift  up  their  hearts  to  God,  and  humbly  supplicate  His 
Divine  Majesty  for  all  these  things  ;  that  is,  that  He  would 
give  those  who  are  now  to  be  ordained,  grace  to  do  all  these 
things  which  they  have  now  promised. 

Wherefore,  when  ye  hear  the  Bishop  desire  you  to  pray 
secretly,  as  ye  would  shew  your  dutifulness  and  obedience, 
not  only  to  him,  but  to  Christ  too,  in  whose  name  he  speaks, 
ye  must  fall  down  immediately  upon  your  knees,  and  in  the 
most  humble  and  earnest  manner  that  ye  can,  beseech  Al 
mighty  God,  the  fountain  of  all  wisdom,  grace,  and  goodness, 
that  He  would  be  pleased,  for  Christ  Jesus'  sake,  to  assist 
those,  who  are  now  to  be  ordained,  with  such  influences  of 
His  Holy  Spirit,  whereby  they  may  be  enabled  always  to 
perform  what  they  have  now  promised ;  and  so  both  save 
themselves  and  those  that  hear  them.  If  ye  do  this  heartily 


Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us.  55 

and  sincerely,  as  ye  ought,  it  will,  doubtless,  be  of  great 
advantage,  not  only  to  them,  but  to  yourselves  too.  For 
your  prayers  will,  one  time  or  other,  return  into  your  own 
bosom,  and  procure  as  great  a  blessing  for  you  as  you  desire 
for  them. 

Now,  the  whole  congregation  having  spent  some  time  on 
their  knees  in  secret  prayer  to  God  for  His  Holy  Spirit,  they 
all  rise  up  again,  and  humbly  confiding  that  God,  according 
to  His  promise,  hath  heard  their  prayers;  they  join  their 
forces,  as  it  were,  together,  and  with  one  heart  and  voice  call 
for  the  said  Blessed  Spirit  to  come  down  upon  them,  saying 
or  singing  that  Apostolical  Hymn  :  — 

11  Come,  Holy  Ghost,  our  souls  inspire, 
And  lighten  with  celestial  fire,"  &c. 

Which  done,  the  Bishop,  with  all  there  present,  prays  again, 
and  praises  and  worships  the  most  High  God  for  these  His 
inestimable  benefits  to  mankind,  in  sending  His  Son  to  be  our 
Saviour,  in  appointing  several  officers  in  the  Church  to  ad 
minister  the  means  of  salvation  to  us,  and  in  calling  the 
persons  now  present  to  the  same. 

And  when  this  prayer  is  ended,  the  Bishop,  with  the 
Priests  present,  lay  their  hands  severally  upon  the  head  of 
every  one  that  receiveth  the  Order  of  Priesthood,  the  re 
ceivers  humbly  kneeling  upon  their  knees,  and  the  Bishop 
saying  — 

"  Receive  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  the  office  and  work  of  a 
PriesJ  in  the  Church  of  God,  now  committed  unto  thee  by 
the  imposition  of  our  hands  :  whose  sins  thou  dost  forgive, 
they  are  forgiven ;  and  whose  sins  thou  dost  retain,  they 
are  retained.  And  be  thou  a  faithful  dispenser  of  the  Word 
of  God  and  of  His  Holy  Sacraments,  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen." 
Where  there  are  several  things  worthy  to  be  observed,— 

As  first,  that  although  the  whole  power  of  Ordination  be 
in  the  Bishop  alone,  and  the  imposition  of  his  hands  for  that 
purpose  is  sufficient  to  the  making  of  a  Priest ;  yet  the 
Church  hath  thought  good  to  order  that  the  Priests  which 
are  present  shall  lay  on  their  hands  too,  in  conformity,  I  sup 
pose,  to  the  ancient  custom  that  hath  obtained  in  the  Latin 


56 


Manner  of  their  Institution  wltli  us. 


SERM. 


rConcil. 


Hard.tom.i 
p.  979.] 


[Ap.  Hard. 

torn.  i. 

pp.  323,  4.] 


[II.  Condi 

Hispal.A.D 

619.  §  v. 
penunt  eT 


tionis  utu- 

lum  sedig- 


Pg°ium  Verce 


a  gradu  Sa 

cerdotalis 

veiLevitici 
quemper 


siti  sequo 

iudicio  ab- 

jiciantur." 
ffi.%%590 


Church  :  I  say  the  Latin,  because  it  was  never  heard  of  in 
the  Greek,  or  any  of  the  Eastern  Churches,  that  any  but 
Bishops  should  lay  hands  upon  persons  to  be  ordained.  But 
in  the  Latin,  there  is  an  ancient  Canon  for  it,  or  Decree  of  a 
Council,  held  at  Carthage,  Anno  Dom.  398,  which  saith, 
Presbyter  cum  ordinatur,  Episcopo  eum  benedicente,  et 
manum  super  caput  ejus  tenente,  etiam  omnes  Presbyteri  qui 
prcesentes  sunt,  manus  suas  juxta  manum  Episcopi  super  caput 
illius  teneant.  '  When  a  Priest  is  ordained,  the  Bishop  bless 
ing  him,  and  laying  the  hand  upon  his  head,  let  all  the  Priests 
also  that  are  present,  hold  their  hands  upon  his  head,  by  the 
hands  of  the  Bishop.'  And  from  thence,  I  suppose,  it  was 
that  our  Rubric  was  taken  ;  in  that  it  agrees  so  exactly  with 
it  in  every  particular.  And  the  reason  of  it  seems  to  be  the 
same  with  that  of  the  fourth  Canon  of  the  Council  of  Nice, 
That  three  Bishops  shall  be  always  present  at  the  Ordination 
of  a  Bishop.  INTot  but  that  the  Ordination  is  valid,  and  was 
always  reputed  so,  although  performed  only  by  one  Bishop  ; 
but  this  was  done  to  prevent  clandestine  Ordinations,  to  make 
the  work  more  public  and  solemn,  and  to  signalise  it  by  the 
concurrent  testimony  and  consent  of  several  persons  joining 
together  in  it. 

For  in  the  next  place  we  must  observe,  that  although  the 
Priests,  if  any  be  present,  lay  on  their  hands  also,  yet  it  is 
expressly  ordered  that  the  Bishop  shall  say  the  words, 
«  Receive  the  Holy  Ghost,"  &c.  For  if  a  mere  Priest  should 

J  . 

say  them,  or  any  one  but  a  Bishop,  the  Ordination  was 
always  reckoned  null  and  void.  For  this  was  a  judged  case 
in  the  second  Council  of  Seville,  Anno  Dom.  619,  which, 
understanding  that  a  Bishop  at  the  Ordination  of  one  Priest 

.  A  11- 

and  two  Deacons,  laid  his  hands  upon  them,  but  being 
troubled  with  sore  eyes,  so  that  he  could  not  read,  a  Priest 
blessed  them,  or  read  the  words  of  Consecration  ;  they  judged 
the  whole  action  to  be  void,  and  that  the  persons  who  should 

-I.-ITI  •  7  7 

nave  been  ordained,  did  not  receive  consecrationis  titulum,  sea 
ignominice  potius  elogia  ;  '  not  the  title  of  consecration,  but 
1  ratner  a  monument  of  ignominy  ;  '  and  therefore  were  not  to 
be  reputed  among  the  Clergy.     So  careful  was  the  Church 

,  ,  .  •    i         ^     T         •  i        u 

in  those  days,  that  every  thing  essential  to  Ordination  should 
be  performed  by  the  Bishop  himself:  and  so  is  our  Church 


Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us.  57 

at  this  time,  and  therefore  requires  that  the  Bishop  say  the 
words. 

And  then,  concerning  the  words  themselves,  I  observed 
the  last  time  the  reason  why  they  are  the  same  wherewith 
our  Lord  ordained  His  Apostles ;  only  there  are  some  others 
inserted  to  determine,  and  others  added  to  explain,  the  office 
that  is  now  conferred.  And  therefore  I  shall  observe  no 
more  about  them  now,  but  that  the  Bishop  pronounceth 
them,  and  so  confers  the  Order,  not  in  his  own  name,  but 
"  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,"  whose  Vicegerent  he  is  in  ordaining  persons 
to  minister  to  His  Divine  Majesty  in  this  sacred  office  of 
Priesthood. 

The  Priests  being  now  ordained,  the  Bishop  delivers  to 
every  one  of  them  kneeling,  the  Bible  in  his  hand,  not  only 
the  New  Testament,  as  it  was  in  the  Ordination  of  Deacons, 
but  both  Old  and  New,  or  the  whole  Bible  ;  and  when  he 
delivers  it,  he  saith, — 

"  Take  thou  authority  to  preach  the  Word  of  God  and  to 
minister  the  Holy  Sacraments,  in  the  congregation  where 
thou  shalt  be  lawfully  appointed  thereunto." 

So  that  now  they  have  authority,  not  only  to  read  the 
Gospel,  but  to  preach  the  whole  Word  of  God,  and  to 
minister  His  Holy  Sacraments  with  power  and  efficacy ;  the 
Holy  Spirit  which  they  have  now  received,  being  always 
ready  at  the  execution  of  the  several  parts  of  their  office,  to 
make  them  effectual  to  the  great  ends  and  purposes  for 
which  they  are  appointed.  But  although  they  are  by  this 
means  made  Priests  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  so  may 
effectually  administer  the  Word  and  Sacraments  in  any  part 
of  the  world  ;  yet  nevertheless  they  are  not  to  do  it  any  where, 
but  in  the  congregation  where  they  shall  be  lawfully  ap 
pointed  :  i.  e.  by  the  Bishop  of  the  place,  who  alone  can 
lawfully  do  it. 

When  this  is  done,  the  Nicene  Creed  is  sung  or  said,  and 
then  the  Bishop  goes  on  in  the  service  of  the  Communion ; 
which  all  they  that  have  received  Orders  are  required  to 
take  together,  and  to  remain  in  the  same  place  where  hands 
were  laid  upon  them,  until  such  time  as  they  have  received 
the  Communion ;  that  so  they  may  be  still  more  strictly 


58  Manner  of  their  Institution  with  us. 

SERM.  obliged,  upon  the  very  Sacrament  itself,  faithfully  to  per- 

— '• form  what  they  have  now  promised,  and  may  receive  further 

supplies  of  grace  and  assistance  from  our  Blessed  Saviour  to 
do  it,  by  partaking  of  His  most  precious  body  and  blood. 

Thus  I  have  laid  before  you,  the  method  and  design  of  the 
offices  which  our  Church  hath  appointed  for  the  Ordination 
of  Priests  and  Deacons ;  that  so  ye  may  understand  the  ex 
cellency  of  them,  and  be  the  better  prepared,  not  to  be  idle 
spectators,  much  less  disturbers  of  so  great  a  work,  but 
devoutly  and  heartily  to  join  in  the  prayers  that  are  made 
for  those  who  are  ordained.  Now,  from  all  that  hath  been 
said  upon  this  subject,  I  shall  speak  a  few,  and  but  a  few 
words  ;  first,  to  those  who  come  to  receive  Holy  Orders,  and 
then  to  all  those  who  are  present  at  it. 

As  for  you,  who  are  come  hither  to  take  upon  you  the 
office,  either  of  Deacon  or  Priest,  in  the  Church  of  Christ ; 
ye  have  heard,  and,  I  hope,  considered,  before  now,  the 
greatness  of  the  office  ye  undertake,  and  the  promise  ye 
must  make  before  ye  are  admitted  into  it.  Let  me  now 
beseech  you,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  whose 
servants  ye  are  now  to  be,  that  from  this  day  forward  ye 
look  upon  Him  as  your  great  Master,  and  lay  out  yourselves 
wholly  in  the  service  He  calls  you  to.  And  whatsoever 
difficulties  ye  meet  with  in  it,  follow  the  Apostle's  example, 
"  faint  not,"  nor  be  discouraged,  but  go  on  with  cheerfulness 
and  alacrity,  as  remembering  ye  serve  the  best  Master  in  the 
world ;  one  who  will  not  only  stand  by  and  assist  you,  but 
reward  you  at  last  with  a  crown  of  righteousness. 

As  for  the  rest,  I  shall  only  say,  that  from  what  ye  have 
heard,  ye  may  easily  see  what  cause  ye  have  to  thank  God, 
that  they  who  administer  the  means  of  grace  and  salvation 
to  you,  are  so  regularly,  so  solemnly,  so  Apostolically  or 
dained  ;  and  how  great  an  esteem  and  reverence  ye  ought  to 
have  for  all  who  are  thus  ordained,  though  not  for  their 
own  sakes,  yet  for  His  sake  whose  ministers  they  are,  and 
whose  work  they  do,  even  our  dear  and  ever-blessed  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ  :  to  whom,  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy 
Ghost,  be  all  honour  and  glory,  now  and  for  ever.  Amen. 


SERMON    IV. 

SALVATION   IN  THE  CHURCH   ONLY,   UNDER  SUCH  A  MINISTRY. 

ACTS  ii.  47. 

And  the  Lord  added  to  the  Church  daily  such  as  should  be 

saved. 

THE  Eternal  Son  of  God  having  taken  our  nature  upon 
Him,  and  in  it,  by  His  "  one  oblation  of  Himself  once 
offered,"  made  a  full,  perfect,  and  sufficient  sacrifice,  obla 
tion  and  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world  ;  "  He  is  Heb.7. 25. 
now  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  that  come  unto  God  by 
Him."  But  forasmuch  as  "  He  took  not  on  Him  the  nature  Heb.2. 16. 
of  angels,  but  the  seed  of  Abraham,"  "  the  angels  which  kept  jude  6. 
not  their  first  estate,  but  left  their  own  habitation,  are  all 
still  reserved  in  everlasting  chains,  under  darkness,  unto  the 
judgment  of  the  great  day."  And  as  for  those  who  partake 
of  that  nature  which  He  assumed,  and  in  which  He  suffered, 
and  so  are  capable  of  pardon  and  salvation  by  Him,  it  is 
much  to  be  feared,  that  a  great,  if  not  the  greatest,  part  of 
them,  also  will,  notwithstanding  what  He  hath  done  and 
suffered  for  them,  perish  everlastingly :  not  by  reason  of  any 
defect  or  insufficiency  in  His  merits  and  power  to  save  them, 
but  by  reason  of  their  own  obstinacy  or  negligence,  in  not 
performing  those  easy  conditions  which  He  requires  of 
them,  in  order  to  their  being  actually  vested  in  that  sal 
vation  which  He  hath  purchased  for  them.  But  whosoever 
among  the  sons  of  men  will  come  up  to  His  most  gracious 
terms,  and  submit  themselves  wholly  to  be  governed  and 
saved  by  Him,  He  will  take  care  that  they  shall  be  certainly 
saved,  and  advanced  to  eternal  glory  in  Heaven.  And  for 
that  purpose  He  always  so  orders  it  in  His  Providence,  that 
all  such  are  first  admitted  into,  and  made  members  of  that 


60 


Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 


SERM.    Church  which  He  hath  established  upon  earth;  as  the  Holy 


Ghost  here  witnesseth,  saying,  "  And  the  Lord  added  to  the 
Church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved." 

For  the  better  understanding  of  which  words,  we  shall 
briefly  consider, 

First,  What  is  here  meant  by  the  Church. 

Secondly,  Who,  by  such  as  should  be  saved. 

Thirdly,  What  by  the  Lord's  adding  to  the  Church  daily 
such  as  should  be  saved. 

As  for  the  first,  we  must  remember,  that  when  our  Lord 
was  upon  earth,  He  said  He  would  build  Himself  a  Church, 
Matt.  16. is.  and  that  upon  such  a  rock,  "  that  the  gates  of  hell  should 
not  prevail  against  it."  In  order  whereunto,  He  first  chose 
twelve  persons,  called  His  Apostles,  to  whom  He  revealed 
the  design  He  came  into  the  world  about,  and  the  great  mys 
teries  of  the  Gospel ;  and  then  sent  them  out  to  acquaint 
others  with  what  He  had  taught  them,  and  to  work  miracles 
for  the  confirmation  of  it ;  and  to  admit  all  such  as  would 
receive  it  into  their  society,  by  baptizing  of  them.  By  which 
means  He  soon  had  a  considerable  number  of  Disciples ;  out 
of  which  He  selected  Seventy  others,  to  whom  He  gave 
Luke  10.  i.  power  also  "  to  preach  the  Gospel,"  and  "  to  work  miracles." 
And  having  thus  laid  the  foundation,  He  soon  after  pur 
chased  to  Himself  an  Universal  Church  with  His  own  most 
precious  blood.  And  rising  again  the  third  day,  He  pre 
sently  took  care  to  settle  the  perpetual  government  of  it,  by 
granting  to  His  Apostles  the  like  Power  and  Commission 
which  He  had  received  from  His  Father,  for  that  purpose. 
And  then  He  gave  them  orders  "  to  go  and  preach  the 
Gospel  to  all  nations,"  and  make  them  His  disciples,  by 
"  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son, 
and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  to  teach  them  all  things  that 
He  had  commanded  them ;  assuring  them  withal,  that  He 
Himself,  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  "  would  be  with  them,"  and 
their  Successors,  "  to  the  end  of  the  world." 

Our  Lord  having  thus  done  all  things  which  were  neces 
sary  for  the  establishment  of  His  Church  upon  earth,  He 
ascended  up  into  Heaven,  there  also  to  take  the  supreme 
care  of  it.  And  ten  days  after,  upon  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
He,  according  to  His  promise,  sent  down  the  Holy  Ghost  in 


Matt.  28. 
19,  20. 


under  such  a  Ministry.  61 

a  miraculous  manner  upon  His  Apostles,  to  assist  them  in 
speaking  the  languages  of  all  nations,  in  order  to  their  con 
version,  and  to  set  home  what  they  preached,  upon  the 
hearts  of  those  who  heard  it ;  which  wrought  so  effectually 
with  them,  that  by  one  short  sermon  preached  the  same  day 
by  St.  Peter,  "  about  three  thousand  souls  received  the  Word  Acts  2.  41. 
gladly,  and  were  baptized."  And  from  that  day  forward, 
many  others  did  so ;  who,  therefore,  in  my  text  are  said  to  be 
"  added  to  the  Church,"  that  is,  to  the  society  or  congre 
gation  of  the  faithful  people  before  described ;  consisting  of 
the  Apostles,  as  the  governors  of  it,  and  of  such  as  were 
joined  to  them,  and  held  communion  with  them  in  the  Word 
and  Sacraments,  which  our  Lord  had  instituted. 

And  when  the  said  society  was  dispersed,  as  it  soon  was, 
over  the  whole  world,  it  was  still  the  same,  and  retained  the 
same  name,  being  still  called  the  Church.  And  not  only  the 
whole,  but  wheresoever  any  part  of  it  was  settled  in  any  city, 
and  the  territories  belonging  to  it,  that  also  was  called  the 
Church  of  that  city ;  as  the  Church  of  Hierusalem,  the  Church 
of  Corinth,  &c.  And  wheresoever  there  were  several  such 
cities  and  Churches  in  them  belonging  to  any  province  or 
country,  they  are  called  the  Churches  of  that  country ;  as  the 
Churches  of  Asia,  Macedonia,  &c.  But  as  every  private 
Christian  is  a  member  of  some  particular  Church,  so  is  every 
particular  Church  a  member  of  the  Catholic  or  Universal, 
which  is  always  meant,  when  we  read  in  Scripture  of  the 
Church  in  general,  without  the  addition  of  place  or  country. 
As  where  it  is  said,  that  "  Christ  also  loved  the  Church,"  and  Eph.  5.  25. 
"  Christ  is  the  Head  of  the  Church."  So  here,  "  And  the  Lord  ver.  23. 
added  to  the  Church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved,"  Sw^o^s- 
vov$,  or  such  as  are  saved,  as  the  word  may  be  rendered  ;  but 
the  sense  is  much  the  same  :  for  our  salvation  plainly  begins 
in  this  life,  although  it  be  perfected  only  in  the  other.  It 
commenceth  from  our  repentance  and  conversion ;  from  our 
being  saved  from  our  sins,  or  "  from  this  untoward  genera-  Acts  2. 40. 
tion,"  as  the  Apostle  in  this  chapter  words  it.  And  they, 
and  only  they,  who  are  thus  saved  from  their  sins  upon 
earth,  can  ever  attain  to  the  salvation  of  their  souls  in 
Heaven.  By  such  therefore  as  are,  or  should  be  saved,  we 
are  to  understand  such  as  being  pricked  in  their  hearts,  and 


62 


Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 


SERM.  convinced  of  their  former  errors  in  opinion  and  practice,  do 
-  heartily  repent  them,  and  gladly  receive  the  Word,  and  em 
brace  the  terms  propounded  in  the  Gospel  for  the  pardon  of 
their  sins,  and  for  the  assistance  of  God's  grace  and  Spirit, 
that  they  may  so  serve  Him  here,  as  to  enjoy  Him  for  ever. 
Such  as  these,  which  shall  certainly  be  saved,  "  the  Lord 
daily  added  to  the  Church." 

What  we  are  to  understand  by  that  phrase,  even  the 
Lord's  "  adding  them  to  the  Church,"  may  be  easily  and 
clearly  gathered  from  the  context ;  for  these  doubtless  were 
added  to  the  Church  after  the  same  manner  as  the  three 
thousand  were  upon  the  day  of  Pentecost.  Now  of  those  it 

Acts  2.  41.  is  here  said,  that  "  they  were  baptized,"  which  was  the  way 
that  our  Lord  had  instituted  for  the  admission  of  any  into 
His  Church.  And  then  it  follows  in  the  next  verse,  that 

Acts  2. 42.  "  they  continued  steadfastly  in  the  Apostles'  doctrine,  and  fel 
lowship,  and  in  breaking  of  bread,  and  in  prayers,"  that  is, 
they  constantly  professed  to  believe  the  doctrine  delivered 
by  the  Apostles  ;  they  held  constant  communion  or  fellow 
ship  with  them,  as  became  members  of  that  society,  whereof 
the  Apostles  and  their  Successors  were  deputed  governors  by 
Christ  Himself;  they  frequented  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  and  the  public  prayers  of  the  Church.  By  which 
means  they  were  so  added  to  the  Church,  as  to  continue  in 
it,  and  neglect  no  duty  which  was  enjoined  or  performed  by 
it.  And  thus  questionless  it  was,  that  "the  Lord"  afterwards 
also  "  added  to  the  Church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved." 

A  thing  much  to  be  observed  ;  especially,  when  the 
Church  of  Christ  is  so  slighted  and  undervalued,  as  it  is  in 
our  days ;  for  it  is  plain  from  these  words,  that  our  Lord  did 
not  only  thus  "  add  to  His  Church  daily  such  as  should  be 
saved ;"  but  He  hath  left  it  upon  record,  that  all  generations 
might  know  that  He  did  so,  and  by  consequence,  that  all 
which  shall  be  saved,  must  be  added  to  the  Church  as  they 
were.  Forasmuch  as  this  being  the  way  and  method  that 
he  hath  settled  in  the  world  for  the  saving  of  souls,  or  for 
the  applying  that  salvation  to  them  which  He  hath  pur 
chased  for  them ;  we  have  no  ground  to  expect  that  He 
should  ever  recede  from  it,  especially  considering  how 
strictly  He  Himself  hath  observed  it,  even  to  a  miracle ;  as 


under  such  a  Ministry.  63 

might  easily  be  shewn  from  several  instances  in  the  Holy 
Scripture.  I  shall  mention  only  three,  which  are  very  re 
markable. 

The  first  shall  be  that  of  Cornelius  the  Centurion,  whose 
prayers  and  alms  being  gone  up  for  a  memorial  before  God, 
God  was  pleased  to  send  down  an  angel  to  him.  What  to 
do  ?  To  reveal  the  mysteries  of  the  Gospel  to  him  ?  To  tell 
him  what  he  must  believe  and  do,  that  he  might  be  saved  ? 
No ;  his  commission  was  only  to  direct  Cornelius  to  send  for 
Peter,  the  Apostle  of  Christ,  who  should  tell  him  what  Acts  10. 6. 
he  ought  to  do.  And  at  the  same  time  that  He  sent  for 
him,  Peter  had  a  vision  from  Heaven,  whereby  he  was  fully 
assured,  that  he  ought  to  receive  the  said  Cornelius  into  the 
Church  ;  and  therefore  he  accordingly  did  so.  From  whence 
we  may  observe,  what  care  our  Lord  took,  what  supernatural 
means  He  used,  to  bring  Cornelius  into  His  Church,  in  order 
to  His  saving  of  him. 

The  next  instance  shall  be  that  of  the  Eunuch,  treasurer 
to  Candace,  queen  of  the  ^Ethiopians,  who  having  been  at 
Hierusalem  to  worship  God,  "  The  Angel  of  the  Lord  spake  Acts  8. 26. 
to  Philip"  to  go  to  such  a  place.  When  he  came  there,  he 
saw  the  Eunuch  sitting  in  a  chariot,  and  the  Spirit  bade  him 
go  near  to  that  chariot ;  which  when  he  had  done,  he  heard 
the  Eunuch  read  the  Prophet  Isaiah.  From  whence  Philip 
took  occasion  to  expound  the  whole  Gospel  to  him ;  inso 
much,  that  before  they  parted,  he  was  baptized,  and  "  so  ver.  38. 
added  to  the  Church."  At  the  same  time  that  the  Lord  sent 
His  angel  to  order  Philip  to  go  and  meet  the  Eunuch,  He 
could  have  sent  him  directly  to  the  Eunuch  himself.  And 
when  the  Spirit  spake  to  Philip  to  join  himself  to  the  cha 
riot  where  the  Eunuch  was,  He  could,  if  He  had  pleased, 
have  spoken  to  the  Eunuch  himself,  and  have  caused  him 
to  understand  the  Scriptures  without  the  assistance  of  any 
man.  Bat  it  seems,  that  our  Lord  having  now  established 
His  Church  upon  earth,  as  He  would  not  send  His  angel  to 
do  it,  so  neither  would  the  Spirit  Himself  undertake  to 
direct  the  Eunuch  how  he  might  be  saved  "  without  the 
Church ; "  but  only  to  bring  him  "  into  the  Church,"  that 
"so"  he  might  "be  saved." 

But  that  which  is  most  of  all  to  be  observed  in  this  case, 


64  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.  iSj  the  conversion  of  St.  Paul ;  to  whom  our  Lord  Himself 
~  was  pleased  to  appear  in  a  miraculous  manner,  and  to  con 
verse  familiarly  with  him :  and  yet  He  Himself  would  not 
make  known  any  part  of  the  Gospel  to  him  ;  no,  not  so 
much  as  that  He  was  the  Christ,  but  only  that  He  was 
"  Jesus,  whom  he  persecuted."  Yea,  although  Saul  asked 
Him  particularly,  what  He  would  have  him  to  do,  yet  our 
Lord  would  not  tell  him  Himself,  but  sends  him  to  the 
Acts  9.  6.  Church  to  know  it ;  "  Arise,"  saith  He,  "  go  into  the  city, 
and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou  must  do."  And  then  He 
appeared  miraculously  to  Ananias,  one  of  His  disciples,  in 
that  city,  and  ordered  him  to  go  to  Saul,  and  acquaint  him 
with  what  he  must  do.  By  which  means  he,  being  fully  in 
structed  in  the  Gospel,  was  "  baptized,"  and  so  "  brought  into 
the  Church."  From  all  which  it  is  plain  and  evident,  that 
our  Lord  is  so  resolved  to  "  add"  those  "  who  shall  be  saved" 
to  His  "  Church,"  that  He  would  rather  work  miracles  to 
bring  men  into  it,  than  save  any  without  it. 

Seeing  therefore,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  so  positively 
affirmed  that  the  Lord  added  to  the  Church  such  as  should 
be  saved,  and  likewise  hath  given  us  such  extraordinary  in 
stances  of  it ;  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  Fathers  so  frequently 
assert,  that  there  is  no  salvation  to  be  had  out  of  Christ's 
Holy  Catholic  Church  ;  but  that  whosoever  would  be  a 
member  of  the  Church  Triumphant  in  Heaven,  must  first  be 
a  member  of  the  Church  here  Militant  on  earth.* 

Now  that  which  I  principally  design,  in  discoursing  upon 
this  subject,  is,  to  inquire  into  the  reasons  of  it :  not  that  I 
think  it  necessary  or  possible  for  us  fully  to  understand  that 
infinite  reason  which  our  Lord  hath  for  all  His  actions,  and 
in  a  particular  manner  for  this.  It  is  sufficient  for  us  that 
we  know,  that  He  is  both  able  and  willing  to  save  us,  and  that 
this  is  the  way  wherein  He  is  pleased  to  do  it.  And  there 
fore  we,  who  can  never  be  saved  any  other  way  but  by  Him, 
are  obliged  by  our  own  interest  to  submit  to  it,  whether  we 
apprehend  any  reason  for  it  or  no.  Howsoever,  seeing  it  is 

*  Cyprian.  Ep.  4,  ad  Pompon,  p.  9,  ed.  Amst.  Ep.  73 ;  ad  Jnbajan.  p.  208.  Am- 
bros.  in  Psal.  xl.  [Tom.i.  p.  870,  A.B.  D.  ed.  Bened.  fol.  Paris,  1686-90.]  Augustin. 
ep.  ad  Dona,  post  Coll.  de  Symb.  ad  Catech.  lib.  4.  c.  10.  [Tom.  vi.  p.  i.  pag.  581. 
C.  cap.  x.] 


under  such  a  Ministry.  65 

a  matter  wherein  the  glory  of  His  name,  the  honour  of  His 
Church,  and  the  welfare  of  our  own  souls,  is  so  highly  con 
cerned,  by  His  leave  and  assistance,  which  I  humbly  beg 
His  Divine  Majesty  to  vouchsafe  unto  me,  I  shall  present 
you  with  some  such  considerations,  from  whence  ye  may 
conclude  it  to  be  both  reasonable  and  necessary,  that  they 
who  "  shall  be  saved"  should  be  "  added  to  the  Church." 

For,  first,  it  is  acknowledged  by  all  Christians,  that  in 
order  to  our  being  saved  by  Christ,  it  is  necessary  that  we 
know  and  believe  His  Gospel,  and  the  fundamental  truths 
revealed  in  it.  And  therefore,  as  God  would  have  all  men 
to  be  saved,  so,  for  that  purpose,  He  would  have  them  come 
to  the  "  knowledge  of  the  truth."  But  it  is  as  plain  also,  mm.  2.  4. 
that,  as  things  now  stand,  we  cannot  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth,  but  only  by  the  Church,  which  is  the  witness 
and  keeper  of  Holy  Writ,  and  so,  as  the  Apostle  saith,  "  the  iTim.  3.  is. 
pillar  and  ground  of  the  truth,"  by  which  the  truth  is  upheld 
and  maintained  in  the  world,  the  Gospel  preserved  and  pro 
pagated  ;  and  so  true  religion,  and  the  way  of  salvation  by 
Christ,  is  divulged  and  made  known  to  mankind.  Insomuch 
that,  although  I  do  not  doubt  but  that  whilst  the  Church 
was  confined  to  one  family,  God,  the  Creator  and  Preserver 
of  all  mankind,  did  manifest  Himself  in  an  extraordinary 
manner  to  some  that  were  not  of  that  Church ;  yet,  now  that 
the  partition-wall  is  broken  down,  and  the  Church  dispersed 
over  the  whole  world  ;  now,  I  say,  we  have  no  ground  to 
expect  any  such  extraordinary  revelations  :  but  they  that 
would  "  know  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom 
He  hath  sent,"  must  go  to  the  Church  for  it ;  where  they 
may  read  the  Scriptures,  and  have  them  truly  interpreted  to 
them,  and  so  fully  understand  what  God  would  have  them 
to  believe  concerning  Himself  and  His  Son.  For  what 
greater  revelations  can  be  expected,  than  either  by  an  angel, 
or  by  the  Spirit,  or  else  by  our  Blessed  Saviour  ?  Yet,  in 
the  instances  before  mentioned,  we  see  that  the  angel  would 
not  instruct  Cornelius,  the  Spirit  would  not  instruct  the 
Eunuch,  our  Lord  Himself  would  not  instruct  Saul,  in  the 
articles  of  the  Christian  faith  ;  but  they  all  sent  them,  every 
one  his  man,  "  to  the  Church,"  to  be  instructed  by  her. 
Wherefore  seeing  we  cannot  be  saved  without  the  knowledge 

F 


66  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.    of  the  Gospel,  nor  know  the  Gospel  but  by  the  Church,  it 

'- —  is  no  wonder  that  "  the  Lord  added  to  the  Church  daily  such 

as  should  be  saved." 

Moreover,  as  we  cannot  come  to  the  knowledge  of  God's 
Word  but  by  His  Church ;  so  neither  can  we  rightly  believe 
what  is  there  revealed,  nor  duly  perform  what  is  there  com 
manded,  without  the  assistance  of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  which 
is  given  by  the  ministry  of  the  Church,  and  shall  "  abide 
with  it  for  ever,"  as  our  Lord  hath  promised.  For  the  pro- 
John  14. 26.  mise  being  made  only  to  Christ's  disciples,  and  so  "  to  His 
Church,"  none  but  such  as  are  of  that  society  can  receive 
any  benefit  by  it.  And,  therefore,  when  they  who  heard  St. 
Peter's  sermon  were  solicitous  to  know  what  to  do,  the 
Acts  2. 38.  Apostle  said  to  them,  "  Repent,  and  be  baptized  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  you  shall  re 
ceive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;"  plainly  implying,  that  they 
must  first  be  "  baptized,"  and  so  "  received  into  the  Church," 
before  the  Holy  Ghost  would  come  upon  them.  There  are 
many  such  passages  in  the  New  Testament,  which  clearly 
shew  that  they  only  which  are  of  the  Church  can  partake  of 
the  Spirit  which  is  in  it ;  that  they  only  who  are  members  of 
that  body,  whereof  Christ  is  Head,  can  be  influenced  and 
assisted  by  that  blessed  Spirit  which  flows  from  Him.  And 
this  certainly  is  one  great  reason  why  "  the  Lord  addeth  to 
the  Church  daily  such  as  shall  be  saved." 

But  that  which  I  intend,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  to  insist 
chiefly  upon,  is  taken  from  the  method  and  means  of  sal 
vation  which  are  used  in  the  Church,  and  nowhere  else,  as 
they  ought  to  be.  I  know  it  is  by  Christ  only  that  we  can 
attain  to  salvation,  and  that  it  is  by  the  Spirit  only  that  we 
can  be  fitted  and  qualified  for  it.  But  howsoever,  we  must 
not,  we  cannot  expect  that  He  should  act  upon  us  imme 
diately  from  Himself,  without  the  use  of  those  means  which 
He  Himself  hath  prescribed  for  that  end ;  for  He  would 
never  have  prescribed  them,  but  that  He  designed  to  act  by 
them.  I  know  also,  that  the  efficacy  of  the  Word  and  Sacra 
ments,  and  all  the  means  of  grace  which  He  hath  ordained, 
are  not  to  be  ascribed  to  themselves,  but  only  to  His  Spirit 
moving  in  them,  and  working  together  with  them.  But  how 
soever,  in  that  He  makes  use  of  those  means  in  His  working 


under  such  a  Ministry.  67 

upon  us,  it  is  necessary  that  we  also  make  use  of  them,  if  we 
desire  to  be  wrought  upon  by  Him ;  and  by  consequence  that  we 
be  "  added  to"  and  continue  "  in  the  Church,"  if  we  would  "  be 
saved ;"  forasmuch  as  it  is  there  only  that  we  can  enjoy  those 
means  which  our  Saviour  hath  appointed  in  order  thereunto. 

To  prove  this,  we  need  only  consider  the  means  which 
Christ's  Holy  Catholic  Church  hath  prescribed  out  of  His 
Word,  and  the  excellent  course  she  takes  to  train  up  her 
children  for  Heaven,  and  fit  them  to  converse  with  the  holy 
Angels,  and  with  Christ  Himself  in  the  other  world  :  for  he 
that  duly  considers  this,  will  soon  acknowledge,  that  the 
like  is  nowhere  else  to  be  found,  but  only  in  the  Church. 

But  how  shall  we  know  what  the  Catholic  Church  hath 
always  done  in  this  case  ?  Must  we  read  over  the  Councils, 
consult  the  Fathers,  and  search  the  records  of  the  Church  in 
all  ages  ?  No  ;  we  need  not  give  ourselves  that  trouble  : 
for  whatsoever  means  of  grace  and  salvation  have  been 
used  by  the  Catholic  Church  in  all  ages,  the  same,  and  none 
else,  are  to  this  day  used  by  our  own.  Insomuch  that,  if  we 
do  but  cast  our  eye  upon  the  Church  we  live  in,  we  may  in 
that,  as  in  a  mirror,  behold  the  constant  practice  of  the  Uni 
versal  Church,  in  all  things  necessary  to  men's  salvation. 

This  therefore  is  that  which  I  shall  now  do,  even  briefly 
survey  the  constitution  of  our  Church,  and  consider  the  ex 
cellent  method  observed  in  it  for  the  bringing  of  souls  to 
Heaven.  In  order  whereunto,  I  must  first  premise  one 
thing  in  general ;  which  is,  that  the  Bishops  and  Pastors  of 
our  Church  having,  by  successive  imposition  of  hands,  con 
tinued  all  along  from  the  Apostles,  received  the  same  Spirit 
which  was  breathed  into  them ;  and  so  regularly  succeeding 
the  Apostles,  and  supplying  now  their  places  in  this  part  of 
the  world,  hence  they  cannot  but  have  the  same  power  and 
authority  which  the  Apostles  had,  to  confer,  by  the  laying 
on  of  their  hands,  as  they  did,  both  the  Spirit  which  they 
themselves  received,  and  so  their  whole  office,  upon  other 
Bishops  ;  and  likewise  so  much  of  it  as  is  necessary  for  the 
right  administration  of  the  Word  and  Sacraments  to  other 
inferior  officers  in  the  Church,  which  we  call  Priests  and 
Deacons :  of  which  there  are  so  many  ordained  every  year 
by  the  imposition  of  their  hands,  that  our  whole  Church  is 


68  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.  sufficiently  supplied  with  them.  So  that  there  is  no  parish, 
' or  particular  congregation  of  Christians  in  the  whole  king 
dom,  but  hath,  or  may  have  a  Priest  thus  ordained,  and  so 
rightly  qualified  for  the  effectual  administration  of  the  Word 
and  Sacraments,  and  other  means  of  grace  and  salvation 
among  them  :  the  Spirit  which  they  have  received,  being 
always  ready  at  the  execution  of  their  several  offices,  to 
bless  and  sanctify  what  is  done  by  them,  to  the  sanctifi- 
cation  and  salvation  of  those  who  attend  upon  it,  and  pre 
pare  themselves  for  it,  as  they  ought. 

But,  seeing  the  means  of  grace  thus  administered  by 
them  become  effectual  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  are 
used  only  by  this,  viz.  the  co-operation  of  Christ's  Spirit 
with  them ;  hence  all  that  desire  or  expect  any  real  benefit 
from  them  must  look  higher  than  the  means  themselves, 
trusting  upon  God  for  His  blessing  upon  them,  and  for  the 
assistance  of  His  Spirit  in  them,  according  to  the  promises 
which  He  hath  made  to  that  purpose;  without  which,  we 
have  no  ground  to  expect  they  should  be  performed  to  us. 

This  being  premised  concerning  the  means  of  grace  in 
general,  we  shall  now  consider  them  particularly,  in  the 
same  method  wherein  the  Catholic,  or,  which  is  all  one,  our 
Church  appoints  them  to  be  used.  By  which  we  shall  clearly 
see  what  an  excellent  course  she  takes  to  bring  up  her  child 
ren  in  the  true  faith  and  fear  of  God,  and  so  to  make  them 
heirs  to  the  crown  of  glory.  For  which  purpose,  it  is  neces 
sary  that  we  begin  at  the  first  admission  of  them  into  her 
communion  by  Baptism.  Concerning  which  we  may  ob 
serve,  that  the  errors  and  iniquities  of  the  times  and  place 
we  live  in  are  such,  that  there  are  many  heathens  amongst 
us,  persons  of  riper  years,  and  yet  not  baptized :  for  whose 
sakes  therefore,  our  Church,  to  shew  her  readiness  to  receive 
them  upon  their  repentance  and  conversion,  hath  appointed 
an  office  for  baptizing  of  them  :  for  which  there  was  no 
occasion  in  this  nation,  for  many  ages  until  now.  But  al 
though  there  be  many  such  persons  now  among  us,  abso 
lutely  considered,  yet  they  are  but  very  few  in  comparison 
of  those  who  are  baptized  in  their  infancy :  and  therefore 
I  shall  begin  with  those,  and  concern  myself  no  further  at 
present  with  the  other. 


under  such  a  Ministry.  69 

A  child  therefore  being  born  of  Christian  parents,  and 
by  them  offered  to  the  Church  to  be  received  into  her  so 
ciety  ;  the  Church,  in  obedience  to  Christ's  command,  ac 
cording  to  the  practice  of  the  Universal  Church,  expresseth 
her  willingness  to  receive  it.  But  withal,  considering  the 
frailty  and  mortality  of  the  parents,  she  requireth  some 
other  persons,  called  Godfathers  and  Godmothers,  to  be  spe 
cially  present  at  it,  as  witnesses,  proxies,  and  sureties.  As 
witnesses,  to  attest  upon  occasion,  that  this  child  was  bap 
tized  :  as  proxies  for  the  child,  by  whom  he  may  promise  (or 
they  in  his  name)  that  he  will  perform  the  conditions  of  the 
covenant  which  he  is  now  admitted  into  :  and  lastly,  as 
sureties  to  the  Church,  that  this  child  shall  be  brought  up  in 
the  Christian  religion.  So  great  care  doth  our  Church  take, 
that  all  who  are  admitted  into  her  society,  may  believe  and 
live  as  becometh  Christians. 

By  these,  therefore,  the  child  being  brought  to  the 
Church,  it  is  there  presented  to  the  Lord  (as  Christ  was  in 
the  Temple),  whose  minister  finding  it  there,  and  under 
standing  that  it  hath  not  yet  been  baptized,  puts  the  people 
in  mind  of  the  necessity  of  Baptism,  and  exhorts  them  to 
pray,  that  this  child  may  have  it  administered  effectually  to 
him.  Upon  which,  the  whole  congregation  there  present 
join  with  him  in  supplicating  the  Most  High  God  that  He 
would  wash  and  sanctify  this  child,  so  that  it  may  be  saved. 
Then  the  minister  reads  to  them  part  of  the  Gospel  con 
cerning  the  children  that  were  brought  to  Christ,  draws 
some  plain  and  proper  inferences  from  it,  and  gives  God 
thanks  for  the  same.  After  that,  he  addresseth  himself  to 
the  sureties,  and  acquaints  them,  that  as  Christ  hath  pro 
mised  to  hear  their  prayers  for  this  child,  which  they  have 
now  brought  to  Him ;  so  the  child  must,  for  his  part,  pro 
mise,  by  them  his  sureties,  that  he  will  renounce  the  devil 
and  all  his  works,  constantly  believe  God's  Holy  Word,  and 
obediently  keep  His  commandments.  Which  being  accord 
ingly  done,  by  questions  propounded  by  the  minister  in  the 
name  of  the  Church,  and  answered  by  the  sureties  in  the 
name  of  the  child ;  the  minister  prayeth  that  the  child  may 
have  grace  to  perform  what  he  hath  now  promised.  And 
then  having  asked  by  what  name  they  would  have  the 


70  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.  child  called,  he  poureth  water  upon  it,  and  calling  it  by  that 
-  name,  he  saith,  "  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost:"  which  being  the 
very  words  wherewith  our  Lord  commanded  this  Sacrament 
should  be  administered,  the  child  is  now  fully  and  perfectly 
baptized.  And  to  testify  her  acknowledgment  that  it  is  so, 
the  Church  immediately  receiveth  it  into  her  Communion, 
and  solemnly  declareth  it  to  be  now  a  Christian,  not  only 
by  words,  but  also  by  making  a  cross  upon  the  child's  fore 
head,  the  common  sign  whereby  Christians  were  always  dis 
tinguished  from  Jews  and  Heathens  :  the  minister  saying,  in 
the  name  of  the  Church,  "  We  receive  this  child  into  the 
congregation  of  Christ's  flock,  and  sign  it  with  the  sign  of 
the  cross,"  &c.  After  which,  the  minister  stirs  up  the  people 
there  present  to  give  God  thanks  for  this  favour,  and  to 
pray  unto  Him,  that  this  child  may  lead  the  rest  of  his  life 
according  to  this  beginning.  Which  done,  he  puts  the 
sureties  in  mind  of  their  duty,  now  incumbent  upon  them, 
to  see  that  the  child  be  taught,  so  soon  as  he  shall  be  able  to 
learn,  what  a  solemn  vow,  promise  and  profession  he  hath 
made  by  them,  and  all  other  things  which  a  Christian  ought 
to  know  and  believe  to  his  soul's  health  ;  and  then  to  bring 
it  to  the  Bishop  to  be  confirmed  by  him. 

This  is,  in  short,  the  substance  of  that  excellent  office 
which  our  Church  hath  appointed  for  the  public  Baptism  of 
infants.  But  in  case  of  extreme  necessity,  lest  the  child 
should  die  without  it,  she  admitteth  of  private  Baptism,  and 
absolutely  requireth  no  more  in  the  administration  of  it, 
than  what  is  essential  to  it,  even  that  the  child  be  baptized 
with  water,  "  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost."  But  if  it  lives,  she  requireth  that  it  be 
afterwards  brought  to  the  Church,  and  that  whatsoever  was 
before  omitted  of  the  public  office,  be  there  performed  to  it. 

Now  the  Church  having  thus  gotten  a  new  member  added 
to  her,  and  taken  security  for  its  education  in  the  faith  of 
Christ ;  for  the  better  performance  of  it,  she  hath  drawn  up 
a  short  Catechism  for  the  child  to  learn  (when  he  is  able), 
consisting  of  all  things  necessary  for  it  to  know,  and  nothing- 
else.  And  that  she  may  be  certified  whether  the  child  hath 
learnt  it  or  no,  and  likewise  contribute  what  she  can  towards 


under  such  a  Ministry.  71 

his  understanding  all  and  every  thing  contained  in  the  said 
Catechism,  she  commands  that  the  minister  of  the  parish 
where  he  lives,  do  frequently  and  openly  in  the  Church, 
examine  and  instruct  him  in  it. 

By  this  means  therefore  this  new  Christian,  now  come  to 
years  of  discretion,  understanding  what  his  sureties  promised 
in  his  name,  when  he  was  baptized,  is  by  them,  or  some 
other,  brought  to  the  Bishop  to  be  confirmed  by  him.  In 
order  whereunto,  he,  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  of  the 
congregation  there  assembled,  renews  the  solemn  promise 
and  vow  which  was  then  made  in  his  name,  ratifying  and 
confirming  the  same  in  his  own  person,  and  acknowledging 
himself  bound  to  believe  and  do  all  those  things  which  his 
Godfathers  and  Godmothers  then  undertook  for  him.  And 
that  he  may  be  enabled  to  do  so,  the  Bishop,  with  the  whole 
congregation  there  present,  jointly  pray  to  God  to  assist  and 
strengthen  him  with  His  grace  and  Spirit.  And  then  the 
Bishop,  after  the  example  of  the  Holy  Apostles,  lays  his 
hand  upon  the  child's  head,  and  prays  to  God  for  him, 
saying,  "  Defend,  O  Lord,  this  Thy  child  with  Thy  heavenly 
grace,"  &c.  After  which  the  whole  congregation  join  again 
with  the  Bishop  in  some  other  prayers  to  the  same  purpose. 
All  which  being  duly  performed  as  it  ought,  cannot  certainly 
but  be  very  effectual  to  the  great  ends  and  purposes  for 
which  it  is  used;  as  Christians  in  all  ages  have  found  by 
their  own  experience. 

Our  Christian  being  thus  confirmed,  he  is  now  looked 
upon  in  the  eye  of  the  Church  as  no  longer  a  minor,  but  of 
full  age  to  receive  and  enjoy  all  the  blessings  and  privileges 
which  his  Heavenly  Father  in  the  Holy  Gospel  hath  settled 
upon  him.  And  therefore  his  spiritual  guardians,  the  God 
fathers  and  Godmothers,  being  discharged,  he  is  now  to 
stand  upon  his  own  legs  :  and  well  he  may,  having  so  in 
dulgent,  pious,  and  wise  a  mother  upon  earth,  as  the  Church 
is,  to  take  care  of  him.  For  if  he  be  but  dutiful  and 
obedient  to  her,  and  follow  those  good  directions  which  she 
gives  him,  there  is  no  fear  of  falling.  For  she  considers 
what  potent  enemies  he  is  to  fight  with ;  that  the  flesh,  the 
world,  and  the  devil,  which  he  renounced,  will  all  strive  to 
recover  their  possession  of  him ;  and  therefore  she,  out  of 


72  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.  God's  Word,  furnisheth  him  with  such  spiritual  armour,  that 
-  if  he  be  not  failing  to  himself  in  the  use  of  it,  he  may  not 
only  withstand,  but  conquer  them  all.  She  considers  every 
distemper  he  can  be  subject  to,  and  finding  suitable  remedies 
prescribed  for  it  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  she  directs  him  how 
to  apply  them,  so  as  to  prevent  or  cure  it.  In  short,  she 
[Phii.2.i2.]  considers  the  great  work  he  has  to  do,  no  less  than  to  "  work 
out  his  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling,"  that  he  can  never 
do  it  without  the  assistance  of  God's  Spirit,  and  that  he  hath 
no  ground  to  expect  any  such  assistance  but  in  the  use  of 
those  means  which  God  hath  appointed  for  that  end :  hence 
she  often  calls  upon  him  to  use  those  means,  instructs  him 
how  to  do  it  aright,  assists  him  in  it,  and  so  keeps  him  in 
continual  exercise  and  employment  about  the  work  he  hath 
to  do,  that  he  may  "  be  saved." 

For,  in  the  first  place,  considering  that  in  order  to  the 
preventing  those  many  sins  which  are  occasioned  by  the 
prevailing  humours  of  the  body,  and  also  to  the  preserving 
his  mind  in  a  fit  temper,  both  to  perform  his  duties  unto 
God,  and  to  receive  Divine  illuminations  and  assistances 
from  Him,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  his  body  always  under ; 
and  considering  likewise,  that  God  Himself  hath  for  that 
very  purpose  commanded,  not  only  temperance  at  all  times, 
but  at  some  times  abstinence  and  fasting :  hence  the  Church 
hath  set  apart  some  certain  days  every  year,  whereon  her 
son  we  now  speak  of,  should  by  fasting  bring  his  body  into 
a  constant  subjection  to  his  soul;  lest  otherwise,  if  there  were 
no  set  times  appointed  for  it,  he  should  be,  as  most  are,  too 
apt  to  neglect  it,  and  never  fast  at  all,  or,  at  most,  but  very 
seldom,  and  so  to  no  purpose. 

Now  the  days  which  she  directs  him  to  spend  in  fasting- 
are  the  forty  days  of  Lent,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  every  year  before  Easter ;  and  the  three 
Rogation-days  immediately  preceding  Holy  Thursday.  Be 
sides  which,  she  appoints  three  days,  viz.  Wednesday, 
Friday,  and  Saturday,  in  each  of  the  four  Ember  Weeks, 
whereon  to  fast,  not  only  for  the  purposes  aforesaid,  but 
likewise  that  he  may  the  more  effectually  implore  a  blessing 
both  upon  the  Bishops  who  are  to  ordain,  and  upon  those 
who  shall  be  ordained  to  any  Holy  Function  the  Sunday  fol- 


under  such  a  Ministry.  73 

lowing :  which  if  he  neglect  to  do,  he  must  blame  himself,  if 
any  unworthy  persons  be  then  admitted  into  the  sacred  mi 
nistry  of  the  Church.  Whereas,  if  he  perform  his  duty  aright 
at  that  time,  he  may  upon  good  grounds  expect  a  greater 
blessing  from  the  Word  and  Sacraments  administered  by 
those  who  are  then  ordained.  Be  sure  his  prayers  will,  one 
time  or  other,  return  into  his  own  bosom ;  and  therefore, 
I  heartily  wish  that  all  the  devout  and  pious  souls  in  the 
Church,  would,  after  the  example  of  Christ  and  His  Apostles, 
join  together  in  fasting  and  praying  upon  so  solemn  occa 
sions  as  those  are.  What  a  glorious  Church,  what  an  ex 
cellent  Clergy  should  we  then  have  !  But  to  return  to  our 
Christian :  the  Lent  Fast  coming  but  once  a  year,  and  the 
Ember  Weeks  but  once  a  quarter,  for  fear  lest  his  body 
should  in  the  mean  time  grow  rampant,  or  his  passions 
headstrong  and  unruly,  the  Church  orders  him  to  fast  one 
day  in  every  week,  viz.  Friday,  the  day  whereon  our  Lord 
was  crucified,  as  also  the  Eves  or  Vigils  of  some  certain  Holy 
days,  the  better  to  perform  the  duties,  and  to  praise  God  for 
the  mercies  commemorated  the  day  following.  And  if  he 
be  temperate  in  all  things,  and  besides  that,  observes  these 
prescribed  by  our  Church,  as  really  days  of  fasting  and 
abstinence,  it  is  very  much  if  his  body  be  not  kept  in  due 
subjection  to  his  soul.  But  if  at  any  time  he  finds  it  is  not, 
he  may  add  some  more  days,  as  he  sees  occasion ;  especially 
Wednesdays,  which  were  also  observed  by  the  primitive 
Christians,  and  upon  which  our  Church  hath  appointed  the 
Litany  to  be  used,  as  well  as  upon  Fridays.  And  whatso 
ever  degrees  of  grace  and  virtue  he  shall  attain  to,  he  must 
never  think  that  so  long  as  he  continues  in  health,  he  stands 
in  no  need  of  fasting :  as  considering  that  the  great  Apostle 
himself  was  forced  to  "  keep  his  body  under,  and  bring  it  icor.  9.  27. 
into  subjection,  lest  that  by  any  means,  when  he  had  preached 
unto  others,  he  himself  should  be  a  castaway." 

By  this  means,  therefore,  our  Christian  keeping  his  mind 
continually  serene,  and  free  from  any  annoyance  or  disturb 
ance  from  the  humours  of  the  body,  is  always  in  a  right 
disposition  to  receive  such  impressions  as  are  necessary  to 
the  making  him  a  real  and  true  saint :  which  that  he  may 
be,  the  Church  useth  all  the  means  she  can  to  keep  his  soul 


74  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.  continually  possessed  with  a  deep  sense  of  God,  and  with  as 
—  high  apprehensions  of  the  great  mysteries  of  the  Gospel,  as 
it  is  capable  of.  For  which  purpose  she  so  orders  it,  that 
every  thing  relating  to  the  public  Service  which  she  requires 
him  to  perform  to  God,  as  well  as  the  Service  itself,  strikes 
an  awe  and  reverence  of  the  Divine  Majesty  into  him,  as 
being  set  apart  and  appropriated  only  to  that  use.  Thus 
she  appoints  some  certain  days,  wherein  to  lay  aside  all  other 
business,  and  apply  himself  wholly  to  this :  especially  she, 
out  of  God's  own  Word,  enjoins  him  to  keep  holy  the  first 
day  in  every  week,  which  is  therefore  called  the  Lord's 
Day,  because  devoted  to  His  service.  Besides  which,  to 
keep  the  great  mysteries  of  the  Gospel  always  fresh  in  his 
mind  and  memory,  she  prescribes  him  some  certain  days 
every  year,  whereon  to  commemorate  the  Nativity,  Circum 
cision,  and  Manifestation  of  Christ  to  the  Gentiles;  His 
Presentation  in  the  Temple  ;  His  Passion,  Resurrection,  and 
Ascension,  and  His  Mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  the  An 
nunciation  of  the  Blessed  Virgin ;  with  the  Lives  and  Deaths 
of  the  Apostles  and  Evangelists,  who  did  not  only  propagate 
the  Gospel  in  the  world,  but  sealed  it  too  with  their  own 
blood.  For  the  very  setting  apart  of  these  and  the  like 
clays  for  the  public  worshipping  of  God,  conduceth  very 
much  to  his  remembering  and  understanding  the  great 
things  transacted  on  them,  and  so  to  his  better  apprehend 
ing  and  admiring  the  power  and  goodness  of  God  discovered 
in  them. 

And  for  this  reason  also  it  is,  that  she  requires  him  to 
perform  his  public  devotions  to  God  in  God's  own  House,  a 
place  consecrated  wholly  to  Him  and  His  service.  And  for 
his  better  doing  of  it  there,  she  appoints  one  of  God's  own 
ministers,  a  person  set  apart  for  that  very  office,  to  assist  him 
in  it.  And  she  commands  this  person,  at  that  time,  to  be  in 
a  different  habit  from  what  he  wears  at  any  other  time  ;  and 
all  to  take  off  our  Christian's  thoughts,  as  much  as  may  be, 
from  all  things  else,  and  to  fix  them  only  on  God,  and  the 
great  work  he  is  now  about :  the  place,  the  minister,  the 
habit,  every  one  putting  him  in  mind  that  he  is  not  now 
about  any  common  or  worldly  employment ;  but  in  the 
special  presence  of  Almighty  God,  worshipping  Him,  and, 


under  such  a  Ministry.  75 

therefore,  botli  in  soul  and  body,  should  carry  himself  ac 
cordingly,  with  reverence  and  godly  fear. 

And  then,  as  for  the  Service  itself,  the  Church  hath  pro 
vided  him  such  a  Liturgy,  wherein  all  things  are  done  to  his 
edifying.  So  that  he  can  never  come  to  God's  House,  but,  if 
it  be  not  his  own  fault,  he  may  return  home  again  wiser  and 
better  than  he  came  :  for  he  can  want  for  nothing,  but  he 
there  prays  for  it ;  he  can  have  nothing,  but  he  there  gives 
God  thanks  for  it ;  he  can  be  ignorant  of  nothing  that  is 
needful  for  him  to  know,  but  he  is  there  taught  it.  And, 
lest  he  should  at  any  time  be  seduced  into  error,  or  tempted 
to  sin ;  lest  he  should  grow  flat  in  his  devotions,  cool  in  his 
charity,  remiss  in  any  duty  to  God  or  man,  or  careless  of  his 
own  eternal  good ;  she  hath  ordered  the  Holy  Scriptures  to 
be  often  expounded,  or  a  sermon  preached  to  him  :  and  that 
too,  not  by  any  one  that  will  undertake  it  (for  then  the 
remedy  might  prove  worse  than  the  disease),  but  by  one 
who,  by  fasting  and  prayer,  and  the  solemn  imposition  of 
the  Bishop's  hands,  is  ordained  to  that  office ;  by  one  who 
hath  subscribed  to  all  the  Articles  of  religion ;  by  one  who 
hath  publicly  declared  his  unfeigned  assent  and  consent  to 
the  use  of  all  things  contained  and  prescribed  in  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer ;  by  one  approved  of,  and  licensed  there 
unto,  by  the  Bishop  of  the  diocese  ;  who,  if  he  find  just  cause 
for  it,  is  empowered  and  obliged  to  take  away  his  license 
again,  and  to  suspend  him  from  the  execution  of  his  office. 
So  that  if  our  Christian  lives  under  a  minister  that  doth  not 
act  according  to  the  rules,  or  doth  not  preach  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  or  doth  not  perform  his  duty  in 
every  thing  as  he  ought ;  it  is  in  a  great  measure  his  own 
fault,  in  that  he  doth  not  acquaint  the  Bishop  with  it,  whose 
office  it  is  to  redress  such  grievances  as  these  are.  So  that 
if  he  will  himself,  he  may  be  sure  to  have  the  Word  of  God, 
rightly,  duly,  and  constantly  administered  to  him :  and  not 
only  the  Word,  but  likewise  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's 
Supper,  which  he  is  required  to  receive  as  often  as  possibly 
he  can,  to  put  him  in  mind  of  what  his  Saviour  hath  done 
and  suffered  for  his  sins ;  and  so  to  confirm  his  faith  in  Him, 
inflame  his  love  to  Him,  and  to  dispose  and  qualify  him 
the  better  to  converse  with  Christ  in  Heaven ;  to  which 


76  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.    nothing  contributes  more  than  frequent  addresses  to  Him 
—  in  this  Holy  Sacrament  upon  earth. 


Thus  therefore  it  is,  that  he  who  holds  constant  com 
munion  with  our  Church,  is  continually  employed  by  her 
about  some  or  other  of  those  means  which  Christ  hath 
ordained  for  his  salvation ;  and  to  which  He  hath  promised 
the  assistance  of  His  own  Spirit.  By  virtue  whereof,  the 
[Tit.  2. 12.]  Christian  we  have  hitherto  discoursed  of,  is  enabled  "  to 
deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  to  live  soberly, 
righteously,  and  godly,  in  this  present  world."  But  having 
spent  some  time  in  such  holy  exercises  as  these  are,  we  must 
suppose  him  at  length  to  be  seized  with  some  distemper,  in 
order  to  his  departure  into  the  other  world :  and  then  the 
Church,  to  shew  her  great  care  of  him  to  the  last,  requires 
the  minister  of  the  parish  where  he  lives,  to  go  and  give 
him  a  solemn  visit.  And  that  he  may  be  sure  to  have  the 
best  directions  that  can  be  given  him  at  that  great  juncture, 
she  herself  hath  drawn  up  an  Order  for  the  visitation  of  him, 
and  likewise  for  the  administration  of  the  Holy  Communion 
to  him ;  which  is  the  best  cordial  he  can  take  to  support  his 
spirits,  and  carry  him  through  the  great  work  which  he 
hath  now  to  do.  And  when  it  hath  pleased  Almighty  God, 
of  His  great  mercy,  to  take  unto  Himself  the  soul  of  this 
our  dear  brother,  the  minister,  by  the  order,  and  in  the 
name  of  the  Church,  commits  his  body  to  the  ground,  "  in 
sure  and  certain  hope  of  a  joyful  resurrection  to  eternal  life, 
through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

Thus  we  see  how  our  Christian,  from  his  first  admission 
into  the  Church  Militant  upon  earth,  is  conducted  and  go 
verned  all  along  by  her,  until  at  length  he  is  advanced  to 
the  Church  Triumphant  in  Heaven.  From  whence  it  is 
easy  to  observe,  what  an  excellent  method  she  proceeds  in, 
and  what  effectual  means  she  useth  for  the  attaining  so 
great  an  end :  and,  by  consequence,  how  necessary  it  is  for 
all  of  us  to  be  so  "  added  to  the  Church"  as  to  continue 
steadfast  in  her  communion,  and  carefully  to  follow  all  her 
directions,  if  ever  we  desire  "  to  be  saved."  For  although  I 
have  instanced  only  in  one  single  person,  we  are  all  equally 
concerned  in  what  hath  been  said  of  him :  yea,  every  one 
of  us  should  look  upon  himself  as  the  person  spoke  of  all 


under  such  a  Ministry.  .  77 

along.  For  I  hope  we  are  all  baptized,  and  so  admitted 
into  the  Church,  as  I  supposed  him  to  be  :  and  therefore 
if  we  do  but  observe  these  rules  which  she,  out  of  God's 
Holy  Word,  hath  laid  before  us,  as  I  supposed  him  to  do, 
there  is  no  doubt  but  that  we  also,  ere  long,  shall  be  glorified 
saints  in  Heaven. 

But  I  am  very  sensible,  that  for  all  the  great  care  that  our 
Church  taketh  of  all  her  children,  many  of  them  are  very 
undutiful  and  disobedient  to  her,  and  so  careless  of  their 
own  salvation,  that  they  do  not  only  neglect,  but  despise  the 
means  which  she  administers  for  the  attainment  of  it.  But 
what  then  doth  she  do  with  such  as  these  ?  In  short,  she, 
in  great  wisdom  and  prudence,  makes  use  of  all  the  fair 
means  that  can  be  thought  of,  for  the  reclaiming  of  them. 
But  if  that  will  not  do,  she  delivers  them  over  to  Satan,  for  [iCor.s.s.] 
the  destruction  of  the  flesh,  that  the  spirit  may  be  saved  in 
the  day  of  the  Lord.  But  seeing  the  excellency  of  our 
Church  appeareth  in  the  exercise  of  her  power,  as  much  as 
in  any  thing  else ;  it  may  not  be  amiss  if  we  take  a  short 
view  of  that  wise  and  excellent  method  which  she  observeth 
in  it. 

First,  therefore,  our  Church  being,  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
of  the  same  extent  with  the  kingdom  in  which  we  live,  and, 
as  so,  subject  to  the  same  prince  as  its  supreme  governor 
upon  earth ;  for  the  better  management  of  that  power  which 
Christ  hath  left  with  it,  it  is  divided  into  two  Provinces, 
over  each  of  which  there  is  an  Archbishop  ;  each  Province  is 
subdivided  into  several  Dioceses,  over  every  one  whereof 
there  is  a  Bishop :  in  every  Diocese  there  is  one  or  more 
Archdeacons  :  every  Archdeaconry  is  divided  into  several 
Deaneries,  and  every  Deanery  into  several  Parishes.  And  in 
every  Parish,  as  there  is  a  Priest  rightly  ordained  for  the 
administration  of  the  Word  and  Sacraments  to  all  the 
Christians  that  live  there ;  so  there  are  other  officers,  called 
Churchwardens,  chosen  every  year,  and  appointed,  not  only 
to  look  to  the  fabric  of  the  Church  belonging  to  the  said 
parish,  and  to  provide  all  things  necessary  for  the  worship 
ping  of  God  in  it,  but  likewise  to  inspect  the  lives  and 
actions  of  all  the  Christians  that  live  there  ;  to  take  notice 
of  all  that  live  in  any  notorious  sin,  or  neglect  the  means 


78  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.    which  God  hath  ordained  for  their  salvation,  and  to  certify 

'- and  present  their  names  to  such  officers  as  the  Church  hath 

appointed  to  consider  what  to  do  in  such  cases.  And  al 
though  such  persons,  being  Christians,  are  obliged  by  their 
religion  to  take  all  the  care  they  can  of  their  neighbours' 
souls,  and  therefore  to  acquaint  the  Church  with  their  evil 
and  pernicious  courses,  that  she  may  interpose  her  power 
for  the  reclaiming  of  them ;  yet  to  bind  them  more  strictly 
to  it,  when  they  are  admitted  into  that  office,  they  take  a 
solemn  oath,  in  the  presence  of  Almighty  God,  truly  and 
faithfully  to  execute  the  same,  to  the  best  of  their  skill  and 
knowledge.  And  that  none  of  them  may  be  ignorant  of 
what  they  are  to  present,  they  have  Articles  of  Inquiry 
delivered  to  them,  wherein  all  and  every  thing  and  person 
presentable,  is  plainly  and  distinctly  set  down. 

And  as  this  is  certainly  the  best  and  surest  way  that  the 
Church  could  ever  find  out,  whereby  to  understand  which  of 
her  members  either  neglect  those  duties  which  should 
further  their  salvation,  or  commit  such  sins  as  will  impede 
and  hinder  it ;  so  is  the  course,  too,  that  she  takes  for  the 
correcting  and  reforming  them.  For  as  the  Churchwardens 
are  obliged  to  make  their  Presentments  twice  a  year,  and 
may  do  it  oftener  if  occasion  require  it ;  so  is  the  Bishop 
obliged  to  go  about  his  diocese  once  every  three  years,  that 
he  may  understand  the  state  of  the  flock  committed  to  him, 
of  which  he  must  one  day  give  a  strict  account  to  the  great 
Shepherd  of  souls.  And  lest  any  thing  should  happen  in 
the  mean  time  that  may  require  a  more  speedy  examination, 
he,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  Primitive  and  Catholic 
Church,  hath  one  or  more  Archdeacons  under  him,  canoni- 
cally  ordained,  authorised,  and  required,  every  one  to  visit 
so  much  of  the  diocese  as  is  under  his  jurisdiction  once  a 
year,  or  oftener  if  need  be,  to  receive  the  foresaid  Present 
ments,  and  to  inspect,  and,  what  in  him  lies,  reform  all 
irregularities,  either  in  Clergy  or  Laity.  And  moreover, 
that  the  Church  may  never  want  an  opportunity  of  being 
informed  of  any  misdemeanours  that  she  is  bound  to  take 
cognisance  of,  she  hath  other  officers,  both  under  the  Bishop 
and  Archdeacon,  who  keep  her  courts  all  the  year  long,  as 
occasion  happens,  and  have  the  power  to  cite  all  delinquents 


under  such  a  Ministry.  79 

that  are  presented,  and  to  examine  and  try  all  such  Ecclesi 
astical  causes  and  matters  as  are  brought  before  them. 

But  here  we  must  observe,  that  as  the  Churchwardens  of 
every  parish  who  present  offenders  to  any  of  these  courts  are 
always  laymen,  so  the  Chancellors,  Commissaries,  Officials, 
and  other  officers  in  these  courts,  who  receive  and  examine 
such  Presentments,  are  ordinarily  laymen  too ;  and  it  is  but 
reasonable,  and  in  some  sense  necessary,  they  should  be  so. 
For  if  none  but  Clergymen  should  search  into  the  faults  of 
the  laity,  the  laity  might  be  apt  to  suspect  they  were  too 
severely  dealt  with :  whereas,  being  tried  by  men  of  their 
own  rank  and  brotherhood  before  sentence  is  passed  upon 
them,  they  cannot  blame  the  Church  for  it,  nor  imagine  that 
she  can  have  any  other  design  upon  them,  but  only  to  do 
them  good,  and  make  them  better.  Besides  that  the  causes 
which  are  brought  into  these  courts,  are  many,  and  take  up 
a  great  deal  of  time,  before  they  can  be  brought  to  an  issue ; 
and  therefore,  if  Clergymen  only  should  be  employed  in 
them,  it  would  take  them  off  too  much  from  the  ministry  of 
the  Word  and  Sacraments,  which  they  are  obliged  by  their 
office  continually  to  attend ;  especially  considering  that  the 
causes  are  not  only  many  but  diverse  too,  and  some  very 
intricate  and  mixed ;  so  that  to  search  into  the  bottom  of 
them  all,  and  fully  to  understand  what  is  just  and  meet  to 
be  done  in  every  one  of  them,  requires  great  knowledge  and 
skill  in  the  whole  body  of  the  Ecclesiastical  laws,  and  the 
Temporal  too,  so  far  as  they  any  way  concern  the  Church : 
which  no  man  can  attain  to,  without  making  it  his  constant 
business  and  study.  Which  not  consisting  with  the  many 
other  duties  incumbent  upon  those  who  are  ordained  to  any 
Holy  Function,  the  Church  always  found  it  necessary  that  her 
Bishops,  and  all  that  exercise  her  jurisdiction  under  them, 
should  have  some  of  her  other  members  learned  in  the  laws, 
to  direct  and  assist  them  in  the  administration  of  it,  and 
under  them  to  transact  and  try  all  causes  relating  thereunto. 
Which,  doubtless,  all  things  considered,  is  the  best  way  the 
Church  could  ever  think  of,  whereby  to  secure  her  governors 
from  being  maligned,  her  laws  from  being  violated,  and 
so  her  members  from  being  injured  through  mistake  or 
ignorance. 


80  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.        Neither  must  we  look  upon  this  as  any  novel  invention, 
but  as  the  sense  and  practice  of  the  Universal  Church  for 
many  ages  :  for  we  find  such  Ecclesiastical  officers  as  those 
are,  mentioned  near  1200  years  ago  by  Justinian  the  Em 
peror,  who,  in  his  Code  and  Novel,  sometimes  calls  them 
L.  42,  c.  de  by  their  Greek  name  Ecdicos  Ecclesicz,  or  Ecclesiecdicos  ; 
CteJ/          sometimes  by  the  Latin,  Defensores  Ecclesice,  that  is,  pro 
perly,  Church-advocates,  Ecclesiastical  lawyers  ;  and  some- 
L.  6,  c.  de  times  Episcoporum  Ecclesiecdicos,  the  Bishops'  Ecclesiastical 
Ecc?esiam    advocates,  which  he  reckons  amongst  lay  officers,  and  yet 
Novef  56     suPPosetn  them  to  be  in  every  Church,  and  to  take  care  of 
L.42,  c.  de  the  affairs  of  it  under  the  Bishop.     Before  this,  we  meet 
.    with  them  in  the  Novels  of  Valentinian  the  Third.     As  also 


L.  34,  c.  de  in  the  canons  of  the  fourth  General  Council,  held  at  Chal- 

Episcop. 

Audientia,    cedon,  A.  D.  451,  which  requires  that  Clergymen  and  Monks, 

Vaient         which  stay  at  Constantinople  without  having  any  business 

Novel,  tit.    there,   should   be    expelled    thence    by   the   Ecdic,    or,   as 

we  say,  the  Chancellor  of  the  Church.     And  elsewhere  the 

[Canon  11.  J  ' 

ap.  Har-     same  General  Council  reckons  these  Ecdics,  or  advocates, 

ii.pp.6oi  -2.]'  amongst  those  Ecclesiastical  officers  which  are  not  admitted 

Chaiced.      jnto  Holy  Orders,  and  yet  ought  not  to  give  any  money  for 

[Hard.  ii.    their  places.     From  whence  it  appears  that  these  lay  officers 

pp.  611-2.]   were  at  that  time  received  and  established  in  all  the  pro- 

Can.  2.        vinces  and  dioceses   of  the  Universal  Church  ;   for   other 

wise  this  General  Council,  consisting  of  above  six  hundred 

Bishops,  gathered  together  from  all  parts  of  the  Christian 

world,  would  never  have  made  any  laws  about  them. 

How  long  before  this  they  were  brought  into  the  Church, 

[Hardouin.  I  shall  not  undertake  to  determine.     Only  this  we  know, 

92cu2i'.]PP'  that  the  African  Bishops    assembled  in   council,  A.  D.  407, 

Condi.        made  it  their  request  to  the  Emperors  Arcaditis  and  Hono- 

Can.  97.      rius,  that  they  might  have  liberty  to  choose  and  constitute 

Church-advocates   out  of  those  who  pleaded  in  the   Civil 

courts,  who  might  manage  the  affairs,  and  defend  the  rights 

and  privileges  of  the  Church  there.     And  that  this  request 

was  readily  granted,  is  plain  from  the  rescript  of  the  said 

Emperors  to  that  purpose,  directed  within  six  months  after 

0  n  rp  to  the  Proconsul  of  Africa,  still  extant  in  the  Theodosian 

JL.  oo,  \^.  i  . 

Episcopis     code.     From  whence  it  seems,  that  those  advocates  were 
cier.  '        not  suffered  before  this  time  to  plead  for  the  Church  in  the 


under  such  a  Ministry.  81 

Civil  courts  of  Africa ;  but  it  doth  not  follow  but  they  might 
be  employed  before,  both  there  and  elsewhere  in  the  Eccle 
siastical.  And  it  is  very  probable  that  these  offices  began  to 
be  erected,  if  not  before,  at  least  soon  after  the  Empire  be 
came  Christian,  so  that  the  Church  had  free  liberty  to  exer 
cise  her  power  and  authority  in  it,  and  was  not  only  allowed 
to  do  it,  but  countenanced  and  assisted  by  the  secular  power. 
For  then  there  was  a  necessity  of  having  such  officers,  not 
only  for  the  reasons  before-mentioned,  but  likewise,  because 
the  Emperors  themselves,  in  favour  of  the  Church,  put 
forth  several  edicts  and  laws  concerning  Ecclesiastical  per 
sons  and  matters ;  which  being  drawn  up  in  the  same  form 
and  manner,  and  intermixed  with  the  Civil  laws,  could  never 
be  duly  executed  but  by  persons  skilled  in  the  Imperial,  as 
well  as  the  Ecclesiastical  laws,  and  in  the  way  and  manner 
of  proceeding  upon  them.  And  therefore  from  that  time 
forward  it  was  necessary  that  such  advocates  as  had  been 
trained  up  in  the  Civil  law,  should  be  appointed  and  em 
powered  to  order  and  manage  the  Ecclesiastical  courts  under 
the  Bishop  in  every  diocese,  that  so  both  the  laws  of  the 
Empire  that  had  any  relation  to  the  Church,  and  those 
which  were  made  by  the  Church  itself,  might  be  duly  exe 
cuted  in  due  form  and  manner,  so  as  not  to  contradict,  but 
be  assistant  to  one  another. 

But  at  what  time,  and  for  what  reasons  soever,  these 
officers  were  at  first  brought  into  the  Church,  it  is  manifest, 
from  the  aforesaid  Canons  of  the  Fourth  General  Council, 
that  the  Universal  Church  had  then  received  them  ;  and 
that  they  have  been  all  along  continued  ever  since,  can  be 
doubted  of  by  none  that  are  conversant  in  Church  history. 
Neither  can  any  man  yet  imagine,  that  the  Universal  Church 
for  so  many  ages  together  should  agree  in  such  a  thing  as 
this,  but  upon  very  good  grounds  and  reasons.  Howsoever, 
the  general  practice  of  the  Catholic  Church  is  a  sufficient 
obligation  as  well  as  warrant  to  every  particular  Church,  to 
observe  the  same  as  near  as  it  can.  And  therefore  it  was, 
that  our  Church  at  the  Reformation,  looking  upon  herself 
as  obliged  to  hold  communion  with  the  Catholic,  as  well  as 
to  separate  from  the  Romish  Church,  retained  this  ancient 
and  general  form  of  keeping  her  courts  by  advocates  learned 


82  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.  in  the  Civil  and  Canon  Law;  who  are  nominated  and  approved 
-  of  by  the  Bishop  in  every  diocese,  but  receive  their  power 
and  authority  not  only  from  him,  but  from  the  laws  of  the 
Church  ;  yea,  and  of  the  State  too,  there  being  scarce  any 
custom  or  usage  (upon  which  the  Common  law  of  the  land  is 
grounded)  in  the  whole  kingdom,  that  can  plead  longer  pre 
scription  than  this  can. 

But  seeing  these,  as  all  other  courts  in  the  world,  may  be 
liable  to  abuses  and  corruptions,  to  prevent  them  as  much  as 
may  be,  the  Church  in  her  Canons  doth  not  only  require  a 
solemn  oath  to  be  taken  by  every  one  that  shall  be  admitted 


Can.  127.  in*0  anj  office  there,  to  deal  uprightly  and  justly  in  the 
same,  without  respect  or  favour  of  reward  ;  but  hath  likewise 

Can.  134.  provided  suitable  punishments,  to  be  inflicted  upon  those 
who  shall  either  neglect  their  duty,  exceed  their  commission, 
or  do  any  thing  unbeseeming  the  place  they  are  in.  And 
if,  notwithstanding  all  this,  any  one  shall  be  unjustly  dealt 
with,  or  but  think  himself  to  be  so,  he  may  appeal  from  the 
lower  to  the  higher  Courts,  from  the  Archdeacon  to  the 
Bishop  ;  from  the  Bishop  to  the  Archbishop,  and  from  him 
to  the  Queen  :  who,  being  in  all  her  dominions  supreme 
governor  over  all  persons,  in  all  causes,  as  well  Ecclesiastical 
as  Temporal,  as  it  is  necessary  that  she  should  have  these 
Ecclesiastical  as  well  as  Temporal  courts,  under  her,  where 
such  causes  may  be  judged  ;  so  when  they  are  brought  up  so 
high  as  to  herself,  they  must  needs  be  finally  determined, 
forasmuch  as  from  her  no  appeal  can  be  to  any  other  court 
or  person  upon  earth. 

Now  these  courts  being  thus  established  in  the  Church, 
when  any  offender  is  presented  into  any  of  them,  he  is  cited 
to  appear  there,  which  if  he  neglect  or  refuse  to  do,  he  is 
pronounced  contumacious,  one  that  resisteth  and  contemneth 
the  power  that  Christ  hath  given  to  His  Church,  which  for 
many  reasons  was  always  judged  one  of  the  greatest  sins 
that  a  Christian  can  be  guilty  of;  and  therefore  is  proceeded 
against  accordingly.  But  if  he  appear,  his  cause  is  impar 
tially  searched  into  ;  and  if,  upon  due  examination,  he  be 
found  innocent,  he  is  presently  discharged  :  but  if  he  appears 
to  be  guilty  of  any  notorious  crime  which  the  Church  is 
bound  to  take  notice  of,  she  useth  all  means  possible  to 


under  such  a  Ministry.  83 

bring  him  to  a  just  sense  of  his  sin,  to  a  hearty  repentance 
for  it,  and  to  make  what  satisfaction  he  can  for  the  offence 
that  he  hath  given  to  all  good  Christians  by  it.  But  if  all 
other  means  prove  ineffectual,  she  casts  him  out  of  her  Com 
munion,  and  so  from  the  society  of  all  good  Christians,  ac 
cording  to  the  saying  of  our  Lord,  "  If  he  neglect  to  hear  Matt.i8.iy. 
the  Church,  let  him  be  unto  thee  as  an  heathen  man,  and  a 
publican."  But  so,  that  if  he  shall  afterwards  repent  and 
submit  himself,  the  Church  is  always  ready  to  receive  him 
into  her  bosom  again,  there  to  nourish  and  provide  all  things 
for  him,  that  he  may  be  saved. 

Thus  in  that  of  our  own,  I  have  briefly  run  through  the 
whole  Constitution  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and  the  several 
means  that  are  used  in  it,  and  in  it  only,  for  the  salvation 
of  men's  souls,  which  whosoever  seriously  considers,  can 
never  wonder  that  they  who  shall  "  be  saved,"  should  be 
"  added  to  the  Church." 

Nothing  now  remains,  but  to  shew  what  influence  the 
consideration  of  these  things  should  have  upon  our  minds 
and  actions,  which  shall  be  soon  dispatched.  For  if  we 
recollect  what  hath  been  said  upon  this  subject,  and  lay  it 
so  together,  that  we  may  take  a  full  view  of  the  whole 
method  observed  in  the  Church,  for  the  making  us  holy 
here,  and  happy  for  ever,  we  cannot  but  easily  see,  both 
what  necessity  there  is  of  our  being  "  added  to  the  Church  " 
in  general,  and  what  infinite  cause  we  have  to  give  our  most 
humble  and  hearty  thanks  to  God,  both  for  his  settling  and 
restoring  such  a  Church  as  this  is  to  us.  A  Church  wherein 
all  the  means  of  grace  and  salvation  are  so  duly  and  effec 
tually  administered  to  us,  that  if  we  be  not  failing  to  our 
selves  in  the  use  of  them,  we  cannot  but  be  saved.  A 
Church  so  exactly  conformable  to  the  Catholic  in  all  things, 
that  none  can  separate  from  her  without  making  a  Schism 
in  Christ's  mystical  body,  and  consequently  endangering  the 
salvation  of  his  own  soul.  A  Church  so  far  exceeding  those 
of  Rome  and  Geneva,  that  would  either  Papists  or  Sectaries 
lay  aside  their  prejudices,  and  impartially  consider  what  our 
Church  is,  and  compare  it  with  their  own,  they  would  need 
no  other  arguments  to  persuade  them  to  return  unto  her, 
and  to  live  and  die  in  constant  Communion  with  her.  A 


84  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.  Church,  to  say  no  more,  as  orthodox  in  its  doctrine,  as  re- 
—  gular  in  its  discipline,  as  grave  and  solemn  in  its  worship,  as 
agreeable  to  Scripture-rules,  as  well  accommodated  to  the 
whole  design  of  the  Gospel  for  the  bringing  of  souls  to 
Heaven,  as  any  Church  in  the  whole  world.  And  that  such 
a  Church  as  this  should  be  at  first  planted  amongst  us,  and 
after  it  had  been  destroyed  by  the  malice  of  the  Devil  and 
his  agents,  should  be  again  restored  to  us  by  the  immediate 
hand  of  God,  who  can  think  of  it  without  adoring  the  hand 
that  did  it? 

But  we  must  remember  to  shew  forth  His  praise  for  so 
great  a  mercy,  not  only  with  our  lips,  but  in  our  lives,  by 
giving  up  ourselves  wholly  to  His  service,  according  to  the 
rules  and  orders  of  the  Church,  which  He  hath  thus  graci 
ously  settled  amongst  us ;  that  as  we  have  the  best  of 
Churches,  we  may  be  likewise  the  best  of  people ;  and  so 
shame  our  adversaries  on  all  sides  into  an  hearty  compliance 
with  our  Ecclesiastical  Constitution,  by  letting  them  see 
how  far  we  exceed  them  in  true  piety  arid  devotion,  and 
read  the  excellency  of  our  Church  in  the  excellency  of  our 
lives,  who  hold  Communion  with  her.  By  this  means  as 
many,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  have  been  lately  "  added  to 
our  Church,"  there  will  be  daily  more  and  more.  This  also 
would  be  a  most  effectual  way  whereby  to  secure  and  defend 
our  Church  against  Heresy  and  Schism,  against  Popery 
and  Superstition,  against  Profaneness  and  Debauchery,  and 
against  all  those  diabolical  stratagems  and  devices,  those 
seditious  principles  and  practices  whereby  it  was  destroyed 
once,  and  was  like  to  have  been  so  again  but  very  lately. 
For  if  we  do  but  live  answerably  to  the  means  that  we 
enjoy,  and  serve,  and  please,  and  worship,  and  obey  God,  as 
our  Church  directs  us,  we  need  not  fear  what  men  or  Devils 
can  do  against  us,  nor  concern  ourselves  with  what  may,  or 

[2  Cor.  i.  what  may  not,  happen  hereafter ;  but  still  trust  in  God,  who 
as  He  hath  delivered  us,  He  will  yet  deliver  us.  We  have 
no  cause  to  doubt  of  His  kindness  and  favour  to  our  Church, 
having  had  so  great,  so  wonderful  experience  of  it  already. 

But  for  that  end,  we  must  be  sure  to  live,  as  in  the  true 
faith  and  fear  of  God,  so  also  in  humble  obedience  and  stead 
fast  loyalty  to  the  Queen ;  for  that  is  absolutely  necessary, 


under  such  a  Ministry.  85 

not  only  as  a  duty  in  itself  to  God,  but  likewise  as  a  means 
for  the  supporting*  our  Church,  by  strengthening  the  hands 
of  her,  whom  God  is  pleased  to  make  the  happy  instrument 
of  preserving  it  to  us.  And  therefore  I  cannot  but  admire 
with  what  confidence  we  can  profess  any  value  or  kindness 
for  the  Church,  and  yet  talk  or  act  seditiously  against  the 
Queen :  for,  that  is  to  pretend  to  uphold  the  Church  with 
one  hand,  and  to  endeavour  in  good  earnest  to  pluck  it 
down  with  the  other.  Be  sure,  all  the  real  members  of  our 
Church  are  as  faithful  subjects  to  the  Crown;  neither  can 
they  be  otherwise,  forasmuch  as  the  Spirit  which  runs 
through  the  whole  body  of  the  Catholic,  and  by  consequence 
our  Church,  as  I  have  shewn,  puts  them  upon  universal 
obedience  to  all  the  commands  of  God  ;  and  to  these 
amongst  the  rest,  of  "  honouring  the  King,"  and  being  sub 
ject  and  obedient  to  the  higher  powers.  And  hence  it  is, 
that  as  we  never  heard  of  any  rebels  in  the  Primitive 
Church,  so  neither  are  there,  nor  can  be,  any  such  amongst 
those  who  are  really  of  ours ;  which  is  the  great  glory  of  our 
Church,  and  a  clear  demonstration  of  its  Apostolical  Con 
stitution,  and  that  which,  if  duly  considered,  would  make  all 
the  Christian  princes  in  the  world  endeavour  to  reform  the 
Churches  seated  in  their  dominions  according  to  her  pattern 
and  example ;  and  to  protect  them  too,  when  they  are  so 
reformed  :  although  it  was  for  nothing  else,  but  to  keep  their 
kingdoms  quiet,  and  so  make  the  government  easy  to  them 
selves;  much  more,  if  they  respect  their  own  and  their 
people's  souls,  that  they  may  "  be  saved." 

But  that  we  may  all  be  so,  we  must  not  think  it  enough 
to  be  admitted  into  the  Church,  and  made  visible  members 
of  it.  For  though  all  that  shall  be  "  saved,  are  added  to  the 
Church ; "  yet  it  doth  not  follow,  that  all  who  are  "  so  added 
to  the  Church,  shall  be  saved."  It  is  true,  all  such  are  in  a 
state  of  salvation,  and  in  the  way  to  it,  but  except  they  con 
tinue  in  that  state,  and  walk  in  that  way,  they  can  never 
attain  to  the  end  of  their  faith,  even  the  salvation  of  their 
souls. 

Wherefore  I  humbly  pray  and  advise  all  that  desire  in 
good  earnest  to  be  saved,  that  you  would  not  content  your 
selves  with  being  members  of  the  Church  in  general,  nor 


86  Salvation  in  the  Church  only, 

SERM.  yet  with,  doing  only  some  of  those  things  which  she  re- 
—  quireth  of  you ;  but  to  use  all  the  means,  and  observe  the 
whole  method,  which  she,  out  of  God's  Holy  Word,  hath 
prescribed  for  that  end ;  otherwise  you  will  certainly  de 
prive  yourselves  of  something  that  would  have  been  very 
beneficial,  if  not  necessary  for  you  :  as  ye  may  easily  see,  if 
ye  will  but  look  back  upon  that  short  scheme  which  I  have 
now  given  you  of  it.  As  for  example,  I  suppose  ye  are  all 
baptized,  but  are  ye  confirmed  too  ?  If  ye  be  not,  ye  still 
want  one  of  those  means  which  the  Holy  Apostles  and  their 
Successors,  in  all  ages,  have  used,  whereby  to  obtain  the  gifts 
and  graces  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  for  those  who  are  baptized. 
And  suppose  you  are  confirmed,  do  ye  also  observe  the 
several  Fasts  of  the  Church  ?  If  ye  do  not,  it  will  be  very 
difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  keep  your  bodies  in  that  due 
frame  and  temper,  as  that  they  may  be  fit  temples  for  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  dwell  in.  And  supposing  ye  fast,  do  ye  also 
pray  to  Almighty  God,  both  publicly  and  privately  ?  And 
do  ye  perform  your  public  devotions  to  God,  in  that  form, 
after  that  manner,  and  at  such  times,  as  the  Church  hath 
appointed  ?  Do  ye  hearken  to  God's  Holy  Word,  as  read 
and  expounded  by  her  ?  Do  ye  receive  the  Sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  as  oft  as  she  is  ready  to  give  it  you  ?  If 
ye  neglect  all,  or  any  of  these,  and  the  like  means  of  salva 
tion  which  are  there  administered,  you  had  as  good  be  "  out 
of  the  Church"  as  "  in"  it,  and  have  no  more  ground  to  ex 
pect  to  "  be  saved,"  than  you  have  to  accomplish  any  other 
end  without  using  the  means. 

Whereas,  do  but  ye  truly  and  constantly  observe  all  and 
every  one  of  those  means  which  our  Church,  as  I  have 
shewn,  administereth  to  you,  and  trust  and  depend,  as  ye 
ought,  upon  the  promises  of  God  for  the  assistance  and  co 
operation  of  His  Holy  Spirit  with  them  :  and  I  dare  assure 
you  in  the  name,  and  in  the  presence,  of  my  great  Lord  and 
Master  Jesus  Christ,  you  shall  soon  find  them,  by  His  grace 
and  blessing,  effectual  to  the  great  ends  and  purposes  for 
which  they  are  ordained,  even  to  the  enlightening  of  your 
minds,  to  the  regulating  of  your  passions,  to  the  confirming 
of  your  faith,  to  the  mortifying  of  your  lusts,  and  to  the 
making  you  real  and  true  saints,  sincerely  pious  towards 


under  such  a  Ministry.  87 

God,  loyal  to  our  sovereign,  just  and  charitable  towards  all 
men  :  by  which  means  ye  will  be  fitted  and  qualified,  not 
only  for  the  pardon  of  your  sins,  by  the  blood  of  Jesus,  but 
likewise  for  Heaven  and  Eternal  Glory.  So  that  when  ye 
depart  out  of  this  world,  ye  will  be  admitted  into  the  blessed 
society  of  the  Holy  Angels,  and  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  [Heb.  12. 
perfect,  where  you  will  live  with  God  Himself,  and  laud  and  2a 
magnify  His  great  and  glorious  name,  both  for  His  conti 
nuing  His  Church  to  you,  and  for  His  "  adding  you  to  His 
Church,"  that  "  ye  might  be  saved,"  by  the  merits  and  medi 
ation  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ :  to  whom,  with 
the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour  and  glory, 
now  and  for  ever.  Amen. 


SERMON  V. 


THE  TRUE  NOTION  OF  RELIGIOUS  WORSHIP  TO  BE  PAID  BY 
MINISTERS. 


JOHN  xii.  20. 

And  there  were  certain  GREEKS  among  them  that  came  up  to 
worship  at  the  feast. 

SERM.        WE  are  here  met  together  at  this  time  to  do  the  work, 
the  great  work  which  we  were  all  made  for,  even  "  to  wor 


ship  Him  that  made  us."  And  therefore  it  will  be  very  sea 
sonable  to  consider  what  that  work  really  is,  and  how  it 
ought  to  be  always  done.  For  I  cannot  but  in  charity 
believe,  that  they  who  constantly  attend  the  places  of  God's 
public  worship  do  truly  intend  and  desire  to  worship  God 
there ;  and  that  their  failures  in  the  performance  of  it  do 
generally  proceed  either  from  ignorance  or  mistake  of  the 
way  and  manner  how  to  perform  it.  For  it  cannot  be  easily 
imagined,  that  if  people  did  rightly  understand  what  it  is  to 
worship  God,  they  should  ever  fancy  that  coming  to  Church, 
and  continuing  there  whilst  another  prays  and  preaches,  is 
all  the  worship  that  He  that  made  them  requires  of  them :  and 
yet,  to  our  shame  be  it  spoken,  this  is  all  that  is  done  by 
most  of  our  congregations,  instead  of  worshipping  God. 

The  truth  is,  we  have  in  a  great  measure  lost  the  right 
manner  of  performing  religious  worship,  in  a  crowd  of  dis 
putes  about  the  object  to  which  it  ought  to  be  performed. 
The  Church  of  Rome  hath  of  late  degenerated  so  far  from 
the  doctrine  and  practice  of  the  Primitive  and  Universal 
Church,  that  they  who  live  in  her  Communion,  do  commonly 
perform  the  same  acts  of  religious  worship  to  creatures, 
[Rom.  9.  which  they  do  to  the  great  Creator  of  the  world,  "  God 
blessed  for  ever."  This  we  justly  condemn  them  for,  as 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  89 

judging  it  one  of  the  greatest  sins  that  a  Church  or  person 
can  be  guilty  of.  But  in  the  midst  of  this  our  just  zeal 
against  the  Papists,  for  giving  as  much  worship  to  creatures 
as  they  do  to  the  Creator,  we  must  have  a  care  of  falling 
into  the  other  extreme,  even  of  giving  110  more  worship  to 
our  Creator,  than  what  may  be  given  to  a  creature ;  which  is 
the  great  fault  of  too  many  among  us.  For  the  reforming 
or  preventing  whereof  for  the  future,  it  will  be  necessary  to 
lay  aside  all  prejudices,  and  consider  impartially,  what  that 
is  which  Almighty  God  would  have  us  do,  when  He  com 
mands  us  to  worship  Him  ;  or  what  is  the  true  notion  of 
religious  worship,  properly  so  called,  as  it  is  distinguished 
from  all  other  duties  which  we  owe  to  God ;  and  is  commonly 
expressed  in  Scripture  by  the  word  rgttfxfojftfrg,  adoration,  and 
so  is  always  distinguished  from  Xargzta,  which  signifies  the 
serving  of  God  in  general,  and  not  only  that  particular  act 
whereby  we  are  properly  said  to  adore  and  worship  Him. 

This  therefore  is  that,  which  by  His  grace  and  assistance, 
I  shall  endeavour  to  do,  in  the  explication  of  the  words 
which  I  have  now  read :  "  And  there  were  certain  Greeks 
among  them  which  came  up  to  worship  at  the  feast." 

Where,  by  Greeks  we  are  to  understand  such  Gentiles 
who,  by  conversing  with  the  Jews,  or  else  by  some  other 
means,  had  attained  to  the  knowledge  and  embraced  the 
worship  of  the  true  God.     These  are  often  mentioned  in  the 
Acts  of  the  Holy  Apostles,  where  they  were  called  "  devout"  [Acts  2.  5 ; 
or  "religious  Greeks"  and  "proselytes;"  because,  although  H'.^lf' 
they  did  not  communicate  with  the  Jews  in  their  sacrifices  17;  21.12.] 
and  offerings,  and  other  rites  and  ceremonies  of  the  Mosaic 
law ;  yet  they  worshipped  the  same  God  as  they  did. 

Of  such  Greeks  or  Gentiles  as  these  were,  it  is  here  said, 
that  certain  of  them  were  now  among  the  Apostles  and  Dis 
ciples  of  Christ,  and  that  they  "  came  up  to  worship  at  the 
the  feast."  Where  there  are  three  things  to  be  observed 
concerning  them :  — 

I.  The  place  whither  they  came ;  "  they  came  up." 
II.  The  time  when ;  "  at  the  feast." 

III.  The  business  they  came  about ;  "  to  worship."  "  They 
came  up  to  worship  at  the  feast." 

I.  The  place  they  came  up  to  was  Hierusalem,  and  to  the 


90  The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship. 

SERM.  Temple  there;  which  being  then  the  only  place  upon  earth 
-  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  most  High  God,  by  His  own 
appointment,  it  was,  upon  that  account,  the  best  and  highest 
place  upon  earth,  all 'other  places  being  much  inferior  to  it. 
And  therefore  whatsoever  country  or  city  these  Greeks 
came  from,  they  might  be  truly  said,  as  they  are  here,  to 
"come  up,"  as  to  an  higher  place,  when  they  came  to  the 
Temple  at  Hierusalem. 

And  it  is  very  observable,  that  these  Greeks,  acknowledging 
the  true  God,  could  not  but  know  withal,  that  He  being 
every  where  present,  they  might  have  performed  the  same 
worship  to  Him  in  any  other  place,  which  they  did  at 
Hierusalem.  And  yet,  how  far  soever  they  dwelt  off,  they 
still  came  thither  to  do  it.  And  the  reason  was,  because 
their  very  going  to  worship  there,  was  a  professing  their 
acknowledgment  of  the  God  which  was  there  worshipped. 
And  besides  that,  they  knew  that  God  had  promised  to  meet 
them,  and  to  bless  them  in  such  places  where  His  name  was 
recorded,  in  a  more  especial  manner  than  in  any  other  place ; 
Exod.  20.  in  that  He  had  said,  "  In  all  places  where  I  record  My  name 
I  will  come  unto  thee,  and  I  will  bless  thee."  From  whence 
they  could  not  but  conclude  it  to  be  their  interest  as  well  as 
duty  to  go  to  Hierusalem  to  worship,  that  being  the  only 
place  at  that  time  where  God  had  recorded  His  name,  and, 
by  consequence,  where  He  had  appointed  to  come  unto  them, 
and  to  bless  them. 

And  certainly  this  promise  was  never  intended  only  for 
the  Old  Testament,  or  the  Temple  then  standing ;  for  it  runs 
in  general  terms,  "  In  all  places  where  I  record  My  name." 
And  he  must  have  very  mean  thoughts  of  Christ  and  His 
Gospel  who  can  suffer  himself  to  be  persuaded  that  the  name 
of  God  is  not  "  recorded"  in  our  Christian  Churches,  as  well 
as  it  was  in  the  Jewish  Tabernacle  or  Temple.  For  this  is  to 
prefer  the  Law  before  the  Gospel,  and  to  make  the  condition 
of  the  Jews  much  better  than  that  of  Christians :  forasmuch 
as  they  always  had  some  place  or  other  among  them,  where 
God  had  promised  to  come  unto  them,  and  so  to  be  especially 
present  with  them,  and  to  bless  them ;  whereas,  according 
to  this  opinion,  we  have  none.  But  he  that  rightly  con 
siders  the  nature  and  design  of  the  Gospel,  must  needs 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  91 

acknowledge,  that  as  it  excels  the  Law  in  many  particulars,  it 
comes  short  of  it  in  none ;  much  less  in  this,  which  is  of  so 
great  importance.  But  that  whatsoever  it  was  whereby  the 
name  of  God  is  said  to  be  "recorded"  among  the  Jews,  the 
same  is  in  as  high,  if  not  in  a  much  higher  manner,  among 
us  at  this  time ;  and  howsoever  it  was  that  God  was  "  specially 
present"  in  such  places  then,  without  all  doubt  He  is  so  still. 
What  it  is  that  constitutes  the  Shechinah,  or  Special  Pre 
sence  of  God  in  places  that  are  consecrated  to  Him,  and  so 
to  have  His  name  recorded  in  them,  it  is  not  necessary  for 
us  to  determine.  I  know  it  hath  been  the  received  opinion 
of  late,  that  it  is  the  attendance  of  the  Holy  Angels  there 
that  doth  it,  and  do  not  question  but  they  are  as  certainly 
present  in  our  Christian  Churches  as  ever  they  were  in  the 
Temple  at  Hierusalem,  for  that  St.  Paul  himself  assures  us  [iCor.  11. 
of.  But  God  is  not  therefore  said  to  be  present  in  such 
places  because  the  Angels  are  so ;  but  the  Angels  are  there 
fore  present  there,  because  He  is  so  in  a  more  especial 
manner  there  than  elsewhere.  And  the  specialty  of  His 
presence  seems  rather  to  consist  in  those  special  discoveries 
which  He  is  pleased  to  make  of  Himself,  and  those  special 
blessings  and  assistances  which  God  the  Holy  Ghost  vouch- 
safeth  to  His  people,  in  such  places  where  His  name  is 
recorded.  Hence,  several  of  the  learned  Rabbins,  by  the 
Shechinah  understand  the  Holy  Ghost.  But  I  ground  not 
this  opinion  upon  any  Rabbinical  notions,  but  upon  the  words 
of  St.  Paul,  where  he  saith,  "  Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  icor.s.  16. 
Temple  of  God,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you  ?" 
From  whence  it  is  evident,  that  it  is  the  inhabitation  of  the 
Spirit  which  makes  a  place  a  temple  of  God,  a  place  of  His 
special  residence.  And  therefore  as  the  Spirit  is  said  to 
dwell  in  the  real  saints,  because  He  actuates,  influences,  and 
assists  them  in  what  they  do ;  so  is  He  said  to  dwell  in  a 
Church  or  Temple,  because  He  is  there  always  ready  to 
bestow  His  special  grace  and  assistance,  even  all  manner  of 
Spiritual  blessings,  upon  all  such  as  come  thither  rightly 
disposed  to  perform  their  devotions  to  Him.  Which  seems 
also  to  the  purport  of  the  promise  itself,  "  In  all  places 
where  I  record  My  name,  I  will  come  unto  thee,  and  I  will 
bless  thee;"  that  is,  I  will  so  come  unto  thee,  as  to  bless 


92  The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship. 

SERM.  thee  in  a  more  especial  manner  than  in  any  other  place. 
—  And  then  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  Holy  Angels,  according 
to  the  general  sense  of  Scripture  and  antiquity,  are  always 
present  in  such  places,  to  admire  the  goodness  of  their  Lord 
and  Master  to  His  creatures  here  below,  and  to  be  ready 
upon  all  occasions  to  distribute  such  blessings  as  they  are 
capable  of  conveying  to  them.  As  we  see  in  the  story  of 
[Acts  s.  the  Eunuch,  treasurer  to  Candace,  Queen  of  the  ^Ethiopians ; 
who  having  been  to  worship  at  the  Temple,  an  Angel  was 
presently  sent  to  order  Philip  to  go  and  meet  the  said 
Eunuch,  and  to  bring  him  into  the  Church,  that  he  might 
be  saved. 

But  we  need  not  trouble  ourselves  with  such  nice  specula 
tions  about  it.  It  is  sufficient  for  our  present  purpose  that 
the  most  High  God,  according  to  His  own  promise,  and  the 
sense  and  experience  of  His  Church  in  all  ages,  is  present  in 
all  such  places  where  His  name  is  recorded,  in  a  more  especial 
and  peculiar  manner  than  He  is  elsewhere.  For  hence  it  is, 
that  pious  Christians  always  frequented  such  places  as  were 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  God,  and  so  had  His  name  recorded 
in  them.  Hence  it  was,  that  heretofore  they  were  so  zealous 
and  forward  to  erect  and  dedicate  such  places.  They  needed 
not  in  the  primitive  times,  as  we  do  now,  the  edicts  of  Em 
perors,  or  acts  of  Parliament,  for  the  building  of  Churches ; 
their  own  piety  and  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  salva 
tion  of  men  prompted  them  sufficiently  to  it.  Hence  also  it  is, 
that  the  very  setting  apart  and  consecrating  of  such  places  for 
the  service  and  worship  of  God  was  always  reckoned,  and 
truly  is,  a  very  great  act  of  religion,  in  that  we  thereby 
demonstrate  our  acknowledgment  of  His  power  and  sove 
reignty  over  us,  of  His  love  and  goodness  to  us,  and  likewise 
of  His  right  and  propriety  in  what  we  have,  in  that  we  pay 
Him  tribute,  and  do  Him  homage  for  it,  by  devoting  some 
part  of  that  land  or  estate  that  He  hath  given  us,  unto  Him 
of  whom  we  hold  the  whole.  Hence,  lastly  it  was,  that  the 
Greeks  in  my  text  came  up  to  Hierusalem,  that  so  they 
might  worship  God  in  His  own  house,  the  proper  place 
where  His  public  worship  should  be  performed,  and  where 
nothing  else  should  be  performed  but  what  hath  relation 
thereunto.  So  that  the  same  acts,  which  in  other  places 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  93 

may  be  acts  only  of  civil  respect  to  men,  when  performed  in 
the  Church  to  God,  they  become  acts  of  religious  worship 
unto  Him. 

II.  The  next  thing  to  be  considered,  is  the  time  when 
these  Greeks  came  up  to  worship  ;  at  the  Feast,  that  is,  the 
Passover,  as  the  context  sheweth  :  as  if  they  did  not  think  it 
enough  to  worship  God  at  any  other  place,  but  they  came 
up  to  the  Temple  to  do  it  there ;  so  neither  did  they  think  it 
enough  to  worship  him  at  any  other  time,  but  they  came  up 
at  the  Feast  to  do  it  then :  as  knowing  that  time  and  place, 
though  they  be  but  circumstances,  they  are  necessary  cir 
cumstances  of  religious  worship,  and  therefore  appointed  by 
God  Himself;  who  commands  that  a  due  respect  shall  be 

given  to  both :  "  Ye  shall  keep  My  Sabbaths,  and  reverence  Levit.  19.30. 

My  sanctuary."     Indeed,  take  away  all  distinction  betwixt 

holy  and  common  times  and  places,  and  what  would  become 

of  religion  in  the  world  ?     If  no  places  were  set  apart  where 

men  should  worship  God,  they  would  do  it  nowhere ;  and, 

if  no  times,  they  would  never  do  it.     Hence  it  is  that  God, 

and  under  Him  the  Church,  in  all  ages,  hath  taken  special 

care,  that  as  some  part  of  the  earth  which  we  live  upon,  so 

some  part  of  the  time  also  that  we  live  in  it,  should  be 

devoted  wholly  to  Him  who  gives  it  to  us.     And  they  that 

would  keep  their  hearts  always  in  an  holy  frame  and  temper, 

must  make  conscience  of  observing  such  times,  as  well  as 

places,  that  are  set  apart  for  these  holy  purposes :  as  the 

Greeks  here  did,  who  "  came  up  to  worship  at  the  feast." 

III.  But  that  which  I  chiefly  design  to  speak  to  is  the 
business  they  came  about ;  they  "  came  up  to  worship."     To 
worship  !  what  is  that  ?     Did  they  come  to  love  God,  to 
fear  Him,  to  trust  on  Him,  or  the  like  ?     No  surely,  they 
did  all  this  at  home  ;  at  least  they  were  bound  to  do  it  in  all 
places,  and  at  all  times,  as  well  as  at  Hierusalem,  upon  the 
Feast-day.    And  besides,  these  being  acts  purely  of  the  soul, 
and  so  confined  within  their  own  breasts,  none  could  take 
notice  of  them,  but  God  and  their  own  consciences  ;  whereas, 
to  all  religious  worship  it  is  plainly  necessary  that  there  be 
some  overt  act,  whereby  these  inward  motions  of  the  soul  to 
God  may  be  discovered  and  represented  unto  others.     But 
did  they  come  then  to  hear  God's  Word  ?     I  do  not  doubt 


94  The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship. 

SERM.    but  they  had  the  Law  or  Prophets  read,  and  perhaps  ex- 

-  pounded   to   them.      And   so   far  as   that  was   the   means 

whereby  they  learned  how  to  worship  God  aright,  it  had 

some  relation  to  it.     But  the  Scriptures  plainly  distinguish 

betwixt  reading  or  hearing  of  God's  Word  and  worshipping 

Neh.  9.  s.  0£  jjim  por  ft  js  written,  that  "  they  spent  one  fourth  part 
of  the  day  in  reading  in  the  Book  of  Law,  and  another 
fourth  part  in  confessing  and  worshipping  the  Lord  their 
God."  From  whence  it  appears,  that  these  were  two  several 
duties,  performed  at  several  times  of  the  day. 

But  what  then  did  they  come  to  do  ?     Did  they  come  to 
pray,  or  to  praise  God?     Questionless  they  did.     The  place 

[is.  56.  7.]  they  came  to  was  called  "  the  House  of  Prayer ;"  that  being  the 
great  work  it  was  designed  for.  Neither  can  it  be  denied 
but  these  are  such  acts,  without  which  it  is  impossible  to 
worship  God  aright.  But  yet  in  the  place  last  mentioned, 
although  they  "  confessed"  (under  which  is  comprehended  both 
prayer  and  praise)  and  "  worshipped"  both  at  the  same  time, 
yet  these  are  reckoned  as  two  distinct  duties.  And,  indeed, 
the  worshipping  of  God,  properly  so  called,  doth  not  consist 
so  much  in  these  acts  themselves,  as  in  the  way  and  manner 
of  performing  them. 

But  then  the  question  is,  how  this  must  be  done  ?  After 
what  manner  these  Greeks  did  it,  and  how  we  ought  to  carry 
ourselves  in  all  our  addresses  to  the  most  High  God,  so  as 
that  we  may  be  properly  said  to  worship  Him  ?  Which 
being  a  question  that  concerns  Almighty  God  Himself,  and 
His  worship  and  honour,  I  shall  not  undertake  to  resolve  it 
by  my  own  reason  or  judgment,  but  shall  consult  His  holy 
oracles,  where  we  have  many  things  which  singly,  much 
more  jointly  considered,  will  fully  discover  His  will  and 
pleasure  to  us  in  this  particular.  First,  therefore,  we  may 
observe,  that  the  Holy  Ghost  never  useth  any  word  whereby 
to  express  that  worship  which  is  due  to  God,  but  what  sig 
nifies  such  humble  gestures  of  our  bodies  before  Him,  which 
may  express  our  awe  and  fear  of  Him.  There  are  but  two 
words  that  I  know  of  in  all  the  Hebrew  tongue  that  are 
used  to  denote  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  or  are  ever  so 
translated  into  other  languages ;  and  they  are  "to?  and 
whereof  the  first  signifies  "falling"  down  in  ge- 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  95 

neral ;  the  other  "  bowing,  or  prostrating  ourselves  before 
Him  :"  and  so  they  are  commonly  translated,  as  well  as  by 
"  worshipping."  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Greek  word 
•7r£o<rxui/£w,  so  often  used  in  the  New  Testament,  and  particu 
larly  in  my  text.  From  whence  we  may  clearly  see  what 
the  Holy  Ghost  means  by  worshipping  God  :  for  how  can  we 
know  His  mind  better  than  by  the  words  whereby  He  de- 
clareth  it  ?  But  He  always  expresseth  the  "  worship  of  God" 
by  such  words  as  signify  our  "  bowing  or  prostrating  our 
selves"  before  Him :  and  therefore  we  may  certainly  conclude, 
it  is  His  mind  and  pleasure  that  we  should  always  perform 
our  worship  to  God  by  such  humble  gestures  as  these  are. 

In  the  next  place,  we  may  observe,  that  the  most  High 
God  doth  expressly  forbid  us  to  bow  down  to  any  image  or 
idol ;  as  in  the  Second  Commandment :  "  Thou  shalt  not 
make  to  thyself  any  graven  image,  nor  the  likeness  of  any 
thing  that  is  in  Heaven  above,  or  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  in 
the  waters  under  the  earth  :  thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself 
to  them,  nor  serve  them."  But  why  should  He  forbid  us  to 
do  this  to  an  image  or  idol,  if  it  be  not  an  essential  part  of 
that  worship  which  is  due  to  Himself?  Or  what  can  be 
more  plain,  than  that  He  commands  us  to  bow  down  to 
Himself,  in  that  He  forbids  our  doing  it  to  any  thing  else 
instead  of  Himself?  And  besides,  it  is  acknowledged  by 
all,  that  He  who  bows  to  an  idol  is,  by  virtue  of  this  com 
mandment,  guilty  of  idolatry,  in  that  he  worships  that  idol ; 
which  could  not  be,  unless  bowing  itself  be  an  act  of  religious 
worship  due  to  the  true  God. 

Moreover,  we  may  observe,  that  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  we 
might  not  be  mistaken  in  a  matter  of  so  great  importance, 
doth  often  explain  Himself  what  He  means  by  worshipping 
God  :  As  David,  inspired  by  Him,  cries  out,  "  O  come,  let  Ps«  95.  6. 
us  worship  and  bow  down,  let  us  kneel  before  the  Lord  our 
Maker."  Where  "bowing"  and  "kneeling"  are  plainly 
added,  to  express  the  several  postures  to  be  used  when  we 
worship.  So  also,  where  He  tells  us  how  the  saints  of  old 
were  wont  to  worship  God. 

As  for  example ;  when  Abraham's  servant  perceived  that 
God  had  prospered  his  journey,  it  is  said,  "And  the  man  Gen.  24. 26. 
bowed  down  his  head,  and  worshipped  the  Lord."     When 


96  The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship. 

SERM.    the  children  of  Israel  understood  God's  purpose  to  deliver 

Exod.4. 31.  them  out  of  Egypt,  then  "  they  bowed  their  heads  and 
worshipped."  When  God  appeared  to  Moses,  and  pro- 

Exod. 34. s.  claimed  His  glory,  it  is  said,  "And  Moses  made  haste  and 
bowed  his  head  toward  the  earth,  and  worshipped."  When 
Job  had  heard  the  several  messages  that  were  brought  him, 

Job  1.20.  concerning  God's  dealing  with  him,  it  is  said,  "Then  Job 
arose  and  rent  his  mantle,  and  shaved  his  head,  and  fell  down 
upon  the  ground  and  worshipped."  But  the  Scripture  is  so 
full  of  such  expressions  that  it  would  be  tedious  to  repeat  all 
the  places  where  they  occur  ;  but  I  cannot  omit  that  where  it 

Neh.  s.  6.  is  gai^  «  Ezra  blessed  the  Lord,  the  great  God,  and  all  the 
people  answered,  Amen,  Amen,  with  lifting  up  their  hands ; 
and  they  bowed  their  heads,  and  worshipped  the  Lord  with 
their  faces  to  the  ground."  From  whence  it  is  as  plain  as 
words  can  make  it,  that  this  was  the  ancient  way  of  wor 
shipping  God. 

But  some  perhaps  may  say,  that  these  instances  are  only 
out  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  therefore  may  not  concern  us 
now.  To  which  I  answer,  that  most  of  them  were  before 
the  Levitical  Law  was  made,  neither  was  this  ever  com 
manded  in  that  law,  which  was  to  expire  with  Christ ;  but  is 
grounded  upon  the  Law  of  Nature,  and  inserted  into  the 
body  of  the  Moral  Law,  as  I  observed  before.  Howsoever, 
to  put  the  matter  out  of  doubt,  we  have  as  pregnant  in 
stances  of  it  in  the  New  Testament,  as  in  the  Old.  For  the 
wise  men  that  came  from  the  East,  when  they  had  found  out 

Matt.  2. 11.  our  Lord,  "they  fell  down  and  worshipped  Him."  When 
Satan  had  shewed  our  Saviour  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 

Matt.  4. 9,  world,  and  tempted  Him,  saying,  "  All  these  things  will  I 
give  thee,  if  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me ; "  our  Lord 
answered,  "  Get  thee  hence,  Satan,  it  is  written,  Thou  shalt 
worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  Him  only  shalt  thou  serve." 
Where  it  is  manifest,  that  our  Saviour  by  worship  means 
that  kind  of  worship  which  the  Devil  would  have  had  per 
formed  to  him,  even  by  "  falling  down  before  him." 

Thus  it  was  that  our  Lord  Himself  was  often  "  wor 
shipped,"  as  we  read  in  the  Holy  Gospels  :  for  St.  Matthew 

Matt.  8. 2.  saith,  that  a  certain  "  leper  came  to  him  and  worshipped 
him."  And  how  he  did  it,  St.  Mark  acquaints  us,  saying, 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  97 

that  "  he  kneeled  down  to  Him."     From  whence  it  appears,  Mark  i.  40. 
that  "  kneeling  down  and  worshipping,"  in  the  sense  of  the 
Evangelists,  is  one  and  the  same  thing.     So  also  St.  Mat 
thew  again  saith,  that  Jairus  "  worshipped  "  our  Lord.     St.  Matt.  9.  is. 
Mark  and  St.  Luke  say,  that  "  he  fell  down  at  Jesus'  feet."     Mark  5. 22. 

i     .      i       T     •  *  i          ™     .       LukeS.  41. 

And  indeed  it  was  after  the  same  manner,  that  Christ 
himself  worshipped  in  the  garden.     For  St.  Luke  saith,  that 
"  he  kneeled  down  and  prayed ;"  St.  Matthew,  that  "  he  fell  JjStt  26  S' 
on  his  face ;"  St.  Mark,  that  "  he  fell  on  the  ground  and  Mark  H.SS. 
prayed."     Which  shews  that  He  used  all  these  several  pos 
tures  in  the  worshipping  of  His  Father :  nay,  it  is  much  to 
be  observed,  that  the  last  act  that  our  Saviour  did  before 
His  death  upon  the   cross,  was  an  act  of  worship  in  this 
sense :  for  St.  John  saith,  that  "  He  bowed  down  His  head  John  19.  so. 
and  gave  up  the  ghost."     And  seeing  our  blessed  Lord,  both 
in  His  life,  and  at  the  very  point  of  death,  worshipped  after 
this  manner,  it  cannot  be  imagined  but  that  His  Apostles 
did  so  too:   and  therefore  we  find  St.  Paul  "  kneeling  "  at  Acts  21.  5. 
his  prayers  upon  the  sea-shore,  and  St.  Stephen,  when  the  Acts  7.  eo. 
stones  were  flying  about  his  ears.  Which  certainly  he  would 
not  have  done  at  such  a  time,  if  it  had  been  a  mere  cere 
mony,  and  not  a  necessary  part  of  religious  worship. 

Hence,  when  Cornelius  supposing  St.  Peter  to  be  more 
than  a  man,  "fell   down  at  his  feet  to  worship  him,"  St.  Acts  10.25, 
Peter  took  him  up,  saying,  "  Stand  up,  I  myself  also  am  a 
man."     As  if  he  should  have  said,  This  is  the  worship  which 
is  due  to  God,  and  therefore  not  to  be  performed  after  this 
manner  to  me,  who  am  only  a  man.    So  also  when  St.  John, 
supposing  the  angel  that  spake  to  him  to  be  Christ  Himself, 
"fell  down  at  his  feet  to  worship  him;"  the  angel  forbade  Apoc.  19.10. 
him,  saying,  "  See  thou  do  it  not,  for  I  am  thy  fellow-ser-  [Chap.  22. 
vant ;  worship  God  :"  i.  e.  worship  God,  and  Him  only,  after  9'-' 
this  manner,  as  thou  wouldst  have  worshipped  me,  even  by 
falling  down  before  Him. 

But  we  need  no  other  arguments  to  prove  that  this  was 
the  notion  which  the  Apostles  had  of  religious  worship,  than 
the  testimony  of  St.  Paul,  which  makes  it  clear  and  unde 
niable.  For  he,  speaking  of  Christian  assemblies,  and  of 
praying  and  prophesying  there  in  a  known  tongue,  saith, 
that  if  one  come  among  them,  and  hears  them  prophesying  24,  25. 


98  The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship. 

SERM.    in  a  known  tongue,  "the  secrets  of  his  heart  will  be  made 

y 

manifest,  and  so,  falling  down  on  his  face,  he  will  worship 
God."  For  how  was  it  possible  for  the  Apostle  to  declare 
his  sense  of  "  religious  worship  "  more  fully  and  clearly  than 
he  hath  done  in  these  words,  which  so  plainly  teach  us,  that 
he  who  would  worship  God  aright  must  fall  down,  or  use 
some  such  reverential  posture  before  Him  ? 

Having  thus  discovered  the  mind  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in 
Scripture,  concerning  the  way  and  mariner  of  "  worshipping 
God,"  I  might  now  proceed  to  shew,  that  this  is  not  my  own 
private  opinion,  nor  the  judgment  of  our  own  or  any  other 
particular  Church  only,  but  that  it  hath  been  the  sense  of 
the  "  Catholic  Church,"  in  all  places  and  ages  since  the 
Apostles'  times ;  and  that  her  practice  hath  always  been  ac 
cordingly.  But  we  need  not  appeal  to  the  practice  of  the 
"  Church  Militant,  "  having  the  example  of  the  "  Church 
Triumphant"  itself  for  it.  For  in  the  visions  which  St.  John 

Apoc.  4. 10.  had  of  what  is  done  in  Heaven,  we  read,  that  "  the  twenty- 
four  Elders  fall  down  before  Him  that  sits  on  the  throne, 
and  worship  Him  that  liveth  for  ever  and  ever."  And  that 

Chap.  7. 11.  all  the  Angels  stood  round  about  the  throne,  and  "  fell  before 
the  throne  on  their  faces,  and  worshipped  God."  And  so 
frequently  elsewhere.  And  if  those  pure  and  spotless  crea 
tures,  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect/and  the  Holy 
Angels  themselves,  worship  the  most  High  God  with  so  much 
reverence  and  humility ;  what  cause  have  we  poor  mortals 
upon  earth  to  do  so  ?  Especially  considering,  that  we  hope 
ere  long  to  be  admitted  into  their  society,  and  to  do  as  they 
do  for  ever.  And  therefore,  we  had  need  to  imitate  them  as 
well  as  we  can  before-hand ;  that  so  when  we  come  amongst 
them,  we  may  not  think  it  any  new  or  strange  thing,  much 
less  superstition,  as  some  do.  For  they  who  go  out  of  this 
world,  with  their  minds  possessed  with  an  opinion  that  to 
bow  or  cringe  (as  they  profanely  call  it,  in  derision)  before 
Almighty  God  is  superstition,  are  very  unfit  to  go  to 
Heaven :  nay,  their  very  consciences  would  not  suffer  them 
to  go  thither,  if  they  might,  for  fear  of  being  guilty  of  super 
stition,  if  they  should  conform  to  the  discipline  and  orders  of 
the  Church  that  is  there  established.  But  let  them  indulge 
such  foolish  and  profane  conceits,  if  they  please,  and  see 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  99 

what  will  be  the  issue  of  it  at  long  run.  Let  us,  who  hope 
to  go  to  Heaven,  begin  to  worship  God  here,  as  we  hope  to 
do  it  there  for  ever;  even  by  using  all  such  humble  and 
awful  gestures  before  Him,  which  may  testify  our  acknow 
ledgment  of  His  presence  with  us,  of  His  greatness  and 
sovereignty  over  us,  and  of  His  goodness  and  mercy  to  us. 

He  that  impartially  considers  the  promises,  so  plainly  laid 
down  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  cannot  but  from  thence  con 
clude,  that  to  the  right  performance  of  that  duty,  which  is 
properly  called  "  the  worship  of  God,"  it  is  necessary  that 
we  "  bow  the  head,"  or  "  knee,"  or  "  whole  body,"  or  use 
some  such  "  outward  sign  and  expression  of  fear  and  reve 
rence  before  Him."  And  that  as  such  gestures,  when  used 
to  a  prince  or  parent  upon  earth,  are  a  sign  of  that  civil 
respect  which  is  due  unto  them  from  their  subjects  or  child 
ren  ;  so  the  same,  when  done  to  the  Creator  of  the  world,  are 
really  acts  of  that  religious  worship  which  is  due  from  His 
creatures  to  Him. 

But  after  all,  I  must  observe  unto  you,  there  is  one  thing- 
still  behind,  without  which  all  this  will  signify  nothing. 
That  ye  may  the  better  understand  what  this  is,  I  desire  you 
to  call  to  mind  our  Saviour's  words,  "  God  is  a  spirit,  and  John  4. 24. 
they  that  worship  Him,  must  worship  Him  in  spirit  and 
in  truth."  I  know  these  words  have  been  produced  of  late, 
to  prove  that  no  external  worship  is  now  required  of  us, 
and  that  several  learned  men  have  taken  off  the  argument 
several  ways.  But,  I  cannot  but  admire,  how  it  first  came 
into  any  man's  thoughts  to  imagine,  that  our  Saviour  should 
here  condemn  external  worship :  He  saith  indeed,  that  we 
must  "  worship  God  in  the  spirit ;"  but  doth  it  follow  there 
fore,  that  we  must  not  worship  him  in  the  body  too  ?  Did 
not  He  Himself  perform  external  worship  unto  God  ?  Did  rj0hn  19. 
not  He  bow  His  head,  His  knees,  yea,  His  whole  body  be-  30*1 
fore  Him,  when  He  prayed  to  Him  ?  Did  not  His  Apostles 
and  Disciples  do  so  too,  as  I  have  shewed  before  ?  How 
then  can  it  be  imagined,  that  He  should  condemn  that  which 
He  Himself  practised,  and  taught  others  also  to  do  ? 

But  it  is  plain,  that  our  Saviour  is  so  far  from  speaking 
against  external  worship  in  these  words,  that  He  only 
teacheth  us  how  to  perform  it  aright.  "  God,"  saith  He,  "  is 


100  The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship. 

SERM.    a  spirit,"  and  therefore  they  that  "worship  Him,"  must  not 
put  Him  off,  as  the  Jews  and  Samaritans,  of  whom  He  there 


speaks,  were  wont  to  do,  with  "  bodily  worship  only ;"  but 
they  must  "  worship  Him  in  spirit"  too,  and  by  consequence 
"  in  truth,"  that  being  the  only  "  true  worship"  which  is  thus 
performed  by  the  whole  man,  by  the  body  and  the  spirit 
both,  unto  Him  that  made  them  both.  So  that  this  seems  to 

PS.  5.  7.  be  the  same  in  effect  with  that  expression  of  David,  "  In  Thy 
fear  will  I  worship  towards  Thy  Holy  Temple,"  that  is,  I  will 
not  only  bow  my  head  or  body,  directing  myself,  at  the  same 
time,  towards  Thy  Holy  Temple,  but  I  will  do  it  in  the  fear 
and  dread  of  Thy  Divine  Majesty;  which  also  is  implied  in 
the  very  notion  of  worship :  for  that  being  only  a  sign  or 
expression  of  our  sense  and  fear  of  God,  there  cannot  be  any 
real  sign  or  expression  of  it,  and  therefore  no  true  worship. 
So  that  to  our  worshipping  of  God  in  truth,  it  is  absolutely 
necessary,  that  the  several  motions  of  our  bodies  before 
Him,  proceed  from,  and  be  attended  with,  suitable  motions 
of  the  soul  and  spirit  towards  Him. 

And  thus  indeed  it  was,  that  pious  and  devout  persons 
have  been  always  wont  to  worship  God  :  I  could  give  you 
many  instances  of  it,  both  in  the  Old  and  New  Testament. 
To  pass  by  others,  I  before  observed,  how  Job,  understanding 
God's  pleasure  towards  him,  fell  down  upon  the  ground,  and 
worshipped  before  Him :  but  did  not  he  worship  in  his  soul 
as  well  as  body  ?  Yes  surely,  for  as  he  lay  thus  prostrate 

Job  i.  21.  before  God,  he  said,  "  Naked  came  I  out  of  my  mother's 
womb,  and  naked  shall  I  return  thither ;  the  Lord  gave,  and 
the  Lord  hath  taken  away,  blessed  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  From  whence  it  is  plain,  that  the  prostration  of  his 
body  before  God  was  attended  with  an  equal  submission  of 
his  spirit  to  Him.  Thus  our  Lord  describes  two  men  going 
up  to  the  Temple  to  pray,  the  one  a  Pharisee,  the  other  a 
Publican ;  "  The  Pharisee,"  saith  He,  "  stood  and  prayed 
thus  with  himself,  God,  I  thank  Thee,  that  I  am  not  as 
other  men,"  &c.  From  whence  we  may  observe,  that  he 
used  no  reverence  at  all,  but  talked  proudly  and  malapertly 
to  Almighty  God  ;  and  therefore  our  Saviour  doth  not  say, 
that  he  prayed  to  God,  but  that  he  prayed  "  with  himself," 
or  as  it  is  in  the  Greek,  ngbg  tavrov,  he  prayed  '  to  himself.' 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  101 

But  the  Publican  "  standing  afar  off,"  and  signifying  thereby 
his  unworthiness  to  approach  to  God,  "  would  not  lift  up 
so  much  as  his  eyes  to  Heaven;"  but  fixing  them  upon 
the  earth,  which  he  could  not  do  without  bowing  down 
his  head,  in  this  humble  worshipping  posture,  "  he  smote 
upon  his  breast,"  saying,  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner;" 
which  shews,  that,  as  his  outward  carriage  before  God  was 
humble  and  reverent,  so  was  his  spirit  too.  And  therefore 
our  Saviour  saith,  that  "this  man  went  to  his  house  justified 
rather  than  the  other ; "  that  is,  this  man's  prayer  and  wor 
ship  was  accepted,  the  other's  not. 

Thus  also  it  was,  that  our  Lord  Himself  worshipped  God 
in  spirit  and  in  truth,  according  to  His  own  words :  for  at 
the   same   time   that  His  body   lay   prostrate   before   His 
Father  in  the  garden,  His   soul  was  submitting  itself  to 
Him;  "Father,"  saith  He,  "  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  cup  Mat. 26. 39. 
pass  from  me :  nevertheless,  not  My  will,  but  Thine  be  done." 
So  He  did  too  when  He  was  upon  the  cross ;  for  St.  John,  [19.  so.] 
as  I  observed,  saith,  "  He  bowed  His  head  and  gave  up  the 
ghost."     And  St.  Luke  saith,  that  "  He  cried  with  a  loud  Luke 23.46. 
voice,  saying,  Father,  into  Thy  hands  I  commend  My  spirit ; 
and    having   said   thus,    He    gave   up   the   ghost."     From 
whence  it  is  evident,  that  at  the  same  time  that  He  bowed 
His   head,    He   likewise    commended   His   spirit   into   the 
hands  of  God,  and  so  worshipped  Him  both  in  body  and 
spirit  too. 

Thus  also  it  is,  that  the  glorified  saints   and  Angels  in 
Heaven  are  represented  to  us  as  worshipping  God  there  ; 
for  as  they  fall  down  before  Him,  so  at  the  same  time  they 
cry  out,  "Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  Apoc.  4.11. 
honour,  and  power ;  for  Thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for 
Thy  pleasure  they  are  and  were  created : "  And  elsewhere 
having   declared  God's  goodness  to   His  Church,  in  deli 
vering  her   from   her   enemies,  they  fell   down  and  wor 
shipped,  saying,  "  Amen,  Allelujah."      And  this  certainly  is  Chap.  19.  4. 
to  worship  God  in  spirit  and  in  truth,  when  the  soul  at  the 
same  time  is  so  inflamed  with  love  unto  Him,  and  so  full  of 
the  sense  of  His  goodness  and  power,  that  it  breaks  forth 
into  praises  and  Allelujahs  to  Him. 

Thus,  lastly,  it  is,  that  the   Catholic  Church  upon  earth 


102  The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship. 

SERM.    liath  always  observed  this  rule  of  our  blessed  Saviour.     But 
I  shall  instance  only  in  the  Greek  and  Syriac  Churches  :  in 


the  Greek  they  have  their  ordinary  "  bowings,"  which  they 
properly  call  cr^oo-xuv^ara,  '  worshippings  ;'  and  their  extra 
ordinary,  which  they  call  ^ravolac, :  which  are  of  two  sorts, 
the  lesser  and  the  greater ;  the  lesser  are,  when  they  bow 
their  heads  only  to  the  ground  ;  the  greater,  when  they  lie 
prostrate  upon  it.  Now,  whensoever  they  perform  any  such 
external  worship  with  their  bodies,  their  souls  or  spirits  are 
likewise  employed  in  it :  for  we  find  in  their  public  service, 
that  when  they  make  their  three  ordinary  bows,  they  often 
say  the  rgitiaytov,  and  bow  at  each  part  of  it;  "Ay/og  o  ©so?, 
"  Ayiog  'Itf^ug&g,  "Ayios  'Adavuros,  sXsrjffbv  7j/J<a$,  '  Holy  God,  Holy 
Almighty,  Holy  Immortal  God,  have  mercy  upon  us.' 
When  they  come  first  into  the  chancel  or  choir,  and  make 
their  three  bows  towards  the  east,  they  repeat  the  words  of 
the  Publican,  "  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner."  After 
wards  when  they  bow,  they  sometimes  use  the  words  of  the 
[PS.  is.  i.]  Psalmist,  "  I  will  love  Thee,  O  Lord  my  strength,  the  Lord 
is  my  support  and  my  refuge."  Sometimes  they  say, 
[Ps.5i.i5.]  "  Lord,  open  Thou  my  lips,  and  my  mouth  shall  shew  forth 
Thy  praise : "  Sometimes  the  Gloria  Patri,  which  is  never 
said  without  worshipping  the  most  Blessed  Trinity,  that  is 
glorified  in  it.  And  as  for  the  Syriac  Church,  there  is  a 
Liturgy  used  in  Syria,  Chaldea,  and  all  the  places  there 
abouts,  which  is  all  in  the  Syriac  tongue,  except  the  Ru 
brics,  which  are  Arabic ;  in  this  I  find,  that  the  Priest,  when 
Litur.  Syr.  he  goes  to  the  altar,  makes  his  bow,  and  saith,  "  I  am  come 
p'  2*  into  Thy  house,  O  God,  and  worship  before  Thy  throne. 

O  King  of  Heaven,  forgive  me  all  that  I  have  sinned  against 
Thee." 

And  this,  as  might  be  easily  shewn,  hath  been  the  con 
stant  practice  and  custom  of  the  Church  in  all  ages  and 
places.  So  that  as  Christians  durst  never,  till  our  days, 
pray  to  Almighty  God,  without  either  kneeling  or  bowing, 
or  using  some  posture  of  adoration  before  Him ;  so  they 
never  used  any  such  posture,  but  they  still  lifted  up  their 
hearts  and  spirits  to  Him.  And  this  was  always  reputed 
the  "  true  worshipping  "  of  God ;  or,  as  our  Saviour  words 
24/j  n  it,  the  "  worshipping  of  Him  in  spirit  and  in  truth."  For 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  103 

as  where  the  Apostle  saith,  that  he  "will  sing  with  the  iCor.u.is. 
spirit,  and  he  will  sing  with  the  understanding  also,"  and 
that  we  should  "  sing  and  make  melody  in  our  hearts  to  the  EPh- 5- 19- 
Lord,"  He  doth  not  thereby  forbid  the  use  of  our  voices  in 
singing  (without  which,  there  cannot  be  properly  any  singing 
at  all),  but  only  requires,  that  our  hearts  should  go  along 
with  them :  so  when  our  Saviour  saith  that  we  should  "  wor 
ship  in  the  spirit,"  He  doth  not  thereby  forbid  the  using  of 
any  bodily  gestures  (without  which,  there  cannot  be  pro 
perly  any  worshipping  at  all),  but  only  requires  that  our 
spirits  go  along  with  our  bodies  in  the  performance  of  it. 
For  as  no  man  can  be  said  to  worship  God  at  all,  that  doth 
not  worship  Him  with  his  body ;  so  no  man  can  be  said  to 
worship  Him  in  truth,  that  doth  not  worship  in  his  spirit 
also. 

Now  these  things  being  thus  laid  down,  it  is  easy  to  de 
termine  what  the  Greeks  in  my  text  did,  when  "  they  came 
up  to  worship  at  the  feast."  For  we  cannot  but  suppose 
that  they  did  the  work  they  came  about,  that  is,  they  went 
to  the  Temple,  the  House  of  the  most  High  God,  and  there 
believing  and  apprehending  Him  to  be,  according  to  His 
promise,  specially  present,  they  bowed  their  heads,  or  pro 
strated  themselves  upon  their  knees  or  faces  before  Him ; 
and  in  this  humble  posture  they  confessed  their  sins,  and 
implored  His  mercy  in  the  pardon  of  them,  and  His  grace 
to  forsake  them,  acknowledging  Him  to  be  the  Almighty 
Creator  and  Governor  of  the  world,  and  that  they  had  no 
thing  but  wrhat  they  received  from  His  bounty  and  good 
ness  ;  or  something  to  that  purpose.  For  this  was  properly 
to  worship  God,  according  to  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  as 
used  in  Scripture,  and  interpreted  by  the  practice  of  the 
Universal  Church. 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  explain  the  ancient  and  true 
notion  of  "  Religious  Worship;"  which,  if  seriously  consi 
dered,  would  contribute  very  much,  as  to  the  advancement 
of  God's  glory,  so  likewise  to  the  settlement  of  His  Church 
among  us,  and  to  the  defending  of  it  against  its  adversaries 
on  both  sides.  For  as  for  the  Sectaries,  who  inveigh  so 
much  against  these  solemn  gestures  prescribed  by  our 
Church  to  be  observed  in  the  worship  of  God,  they  must 


104  The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship. 

SERM.    needs  be  convinced  of  their  error,  when  they  consider,  that 
'• such  gestures   are   necessary  to  be   observed  in   the  wor 


shipping  of  God,  whether  they  were  ever  prescribed  by  any 
Church  or  no  ;  and  that  whensoever  they  condemn  us  for 
the  using  of  them,  they  do  with  the  same  breath  condemn 
the  Patriarchs,  the  Prophets,  the  Apostles,  the  Martyrs,  the 
whole  Catholic  Church,  both  Militant  and  Triumphant ;  yea, 
and  Christ  Himself  the  Head  of  it,  who  used  them  as  well 
as  we. 

And  as  for  the  Papists,  from  this  Catholic  notion  of  reli 
gious  worship,  it  is  easy  to  observe,  that  they  have  little  or 
nothing  of  it  among  them  :  forasmuch  as  all  their  public 
services  being  performed  in  a  language  the  people  do  not 
understand,  whatsoever  outward  gestures  they  use,  it  is  im 
possible  they  should  worship  God  together  in  spirit,  as  they 
ought  to  do.  And  besides,  although  they  often  bow  or 
kneel,  it  is  usually  to  some  image  or  picture,  and  so  they 
worship  that  instead  of  God,  directly  contrary  to  His  com 
mandment.  I  know  the  learned  among  them  pretend,  that 
although  they  bow  to  images,  they  do  not  intend  to  worship 
them,  but  God  only :  but  they  may  pretend  what  they 
please,  I  am  sure  God  Himself  doth  not  speak  one  word  of 
directing  their  intentions  one  way  or  other,  but  only  of 
bowing  to  images,  "  Thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself  to 
them."  And  therefore  if  they  do  that,  be  their  intentions 
what  they  will,  be  sure  they  do  that  which  He  hath  plainly 
forbidden. 

Rom.  2.  22.  But  what  doth  the  Apostle  say,  "  Thou  that  abhorrest 
idols,  dost  thou  commit  sacrilege?"  We  who  abhor  the 
worshipping  of  images  and  idols,  shall  we  rob  God  of  the 
worship  that  is  due  to  Him  ?  God  forbid.  If  bowing  be  no 
act  of  religious  worship,  why  do  we  blame  others  for  giving 
it  to  images  ?  If  it  be,  why  do  we  not  give  it  to  Almighty 
God  ?  And  yet  of  all  the  duties  required  in  our  holy  reli 
gion,  what  is  more  commonly  neglected  by  some,  and  de 
rided  by  others,  than  this  is  ?  Which  plainly  shews,  that  for 
all  the  great  talk  they  make  of  religion,  it  is  but  talk ;  they 
are  not  in  good  earnest  about  it,  nor  have  that  sense  of  God 
upon  their  minds,  which  is  the  ground  and  foundation  of  it. 
For  if  they  had,  it  would  be  impossible  for  them  not  to  ex- 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  105 

press  it  all  the  ways  they  can ;  especially  this  way,  which  is 
so  natural,  that  they  who  do  not  express  their  sense  of  God 
by  it,  have  just  cause  to  suspect,  that  they  have  none  at  all 
to  express. 

For,  as  for  instance,  we  are  now  in  the  special  presence 
of  that  supreme  and  all-glorious  Being,  which  we  call  God, 
and  we  shall  presently  make  our  solemn  addresses  again  to 
Him.  Now  let  any  one  but  consider  who  it  is  before  whom 
he  is,  and  to  whom  he  then  speaks,  how  pure,  how  holy, 
how  great,  how  mighty,  how  infinite  He  is  in  all  perfection  ; 
and  withal,  let  him  by  faith,  as  it  is  the  evidence  of  things  [Heb.n.i-J 
not  seen,  behold  and  apprehend  this  Almighty  Being,  as 
specially  present,  according  to  His  Word  :  let  any  man,  I 
say,  that  hath  any  fear  of  God  upon  his  heart,  but  do  this ; 
and  then  let  him  forbear  to  manifest  it  in  his  outward  be 
haviour  if  he  can.  For  my  part,  I  think  it  to  be  impossible ; 
especially  considering,  that  as  God  hath  promised  that 
where  His  name  is  recorded  He  will  come  unto  us  and 
bless  us ;  so  our  Blessed  Saviour  hath  said,  "  Where  two  or  Matt.is.2o. 
three  are  gathered  together  in  My  name,  there  am  I  in  the 
midst  of  them."  From  whence  I  cannot  but  believe,  that 
He  is  as  really  in  the  midst  of  us  at  this  time,  as  that  we 
ourselves  are  here.  But  is  Christ,  whom  the  Angels  them 
selves  worship,  is  He  in  the  midst  of  us,  and  do  we  not 
worship  Him?  Is  it  possible  for  us,  firmly  to  believe,  and 
clearly  to  apprehend,  the  eternal  God  our  Saviour  to  be 
here  present,  and  yet  express  no  reverence  or  respect  to 
Him,  neither  when  we  come  into  His  presence,  nor  when 
we  go  out  of  it,  nor  while  we  are  in  it,  and  hear  His 
blessed  name  mentioned  to  put  us  in  mind  of  it  ?  No,  nor 
when  we  take  the  boldness  to  speak  unto  Him  neither? 
Surely  it  cannot  be.  For  such  a  faith  and  sense  as  this 
would  naturally  operate  so  much  upon  our  minds,  that  we 
could  not  choose  but  fall  upon  our  knees,  or  bow  down  be 
fore  Him,  and  so  worship  Him  both  in  soul  and  body  too. 

This  therefore  being  the  most  ancient,  the  most  proper, 
and,  as  I  may  truly  say,  the  most  natural  way  of  worship 
ping  God,  who  can  but  wish  it  was  revived  and  universally 
received  among  us  ?  Of  what  mighty  advantage  would  it 
be,  both  to  ourselves,  to  the  whole  Church,  and  kingdom 


106  The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship. 

SERM.  also  ?  For  by  this  means  we  should  effectually  obtain  what- 
-  soever  good  things  we  thus  humbly  desire  at  the  hands  of 
God,  as  the  fathers  have  frequently  observed.  By  this 
means  also  we  should  very  much  excite  both  our  own  and 
each  other's  affections  towards  God,  when  we  meet  to  per 
form  our  devotions  to  Him.  For  it  is  St.  Augustin's  ob- 

O 

servation,  that  as  all  such  motions  of  the  body,  whereby  we 
worship  God,  proceed  from  the  inward  affections  of  our 
souls  to  Him  ;  so  those  inward  affections  themselves  are 

[Tom.  vi.     increased  by  such  motions  {Aug.  de  cura  gerenda  pro  Mort. 

vmrti.p.520.  ^  ^     ^^  none  of  ug  kut  may  okserve  the  same  from  our 

own  experience,  that  the  more  humble  and  devout  we  are 
in  worshipping  God,  the  more  are  our  own  affections  raised, 
and  our  souls  enflamed  towards  Him:  how  much  more, 
when  we  see  all  about  us  testifying  their  acknowledgment 
of  God's  greatness,  power,  and  sovereignty  over  them,  in 
the  same  reverent  and  solemn  manner  that  we  ourselves 
do  it? 

Moreover,  this  would  be  the  most  effectual  way  whereby 
to  lay  that  spirit  of  schism  and  sedition,  of  profaneness  and 
irreligion,  which  is  gone  out  amongst  us.  For  by  this 
means  God  Himself  would  delight  to  dwell  amongst  us,  and 
then  that  wicked,  that  turbulent,  and  seditious  spirit  would 
soon  flee  from  us  ?  And  by  this  means  also  men's  minds 
would  be  so  over-awed  with  the  fear  of  God,  and  fortified 
with  such  strong  and  lively  apprehensions  of  Him,  that  they 
could  never  be  prevailed  upon,  either  to  leave  or  deride 
that  Church,  wherein  they  are  taught  and  required  to 
worship  God  so  purely  and  devoutly  as  they  are  in  ours. 

Neither  would  this  conduce  only  to  the  peace  and  quiet 
of  the  Church,  but  of  the  kingdom  too.  For  this  would 
keep  up  a  sense  of  religion  among  us ;  and  then  as  men 
would  fear  God,  they  would  honour  the  Queen  too.  But 
so  long  as  people  express  no  reverence  to  the  God  of 
Heaven,  how  can  it  be  expected  they  should  shew  any  to 
their  superiors  on  earth  ?  And  therefore  it  is  very  observ 
able,  that  one  of  the  first  steps  the  Devil  made,  in  order 
to  the  disposing  men's  minds  for  the  late  horrid  rebellion, 
was  to  take  them  off  from  bowing  or  kneeling,  or  using  any 
external  reverence  in  their  prayers  to  God  ;  as  well  know- 


The  true  Notion  of  Religious  Worship.  107 

ing,  that  when  that  was  once  done,  they  would  soon  cast  off 
all  sense  of  their  duty  and  allegiance  to  the  King,  as  we 
afterwards  found  they  did  by  woeful  experience.  Whereas 
they  who  constantly  worship  God  aright,  according  to  the 
rules  and  orders  of  our  Church,  by  their  frequent  and 
humble  addresses  to  Him,  have  their  minds  continually 
possessed  with  such  an  awe  and  dread  of  His  greatness  and 
power,  that  they  dare  not  for  their  lives  oppose  it  in  those 
to  whom  He  hath  committed  any  part  of  it,  and  so  hath 
made  them  His  vicegerents  upon  earth. 

But  I  must  remember,  that  we  come  not  hither  only  to 
hear,  but  to  do  what  we  have  now  heard;  that  is,  to  worship 
God,  and  that  we  are  to  do  it  now  at  His  holy  Table  :  where 
fore,  that  I  may  detain  you  no  longer  from  it,  I  shall  say 
no  more,  but  only  add,  that  could  we  be  all  persuaded  con 
stantly  to  perform  this  great  duty,  with  that  humility  and 
submission  both  of  mind  and  body  that  we  ought,  as  we 
should  always  live  in  the  true  fear  of  God,  while  we  are 
upon  earth,  so  we  should  be  always  ready  and  prepared  to 
go  to  Heaven,  where  we  hope  to  do  that  to  all  eternity, 
which  we  have  now  been  speaking  of;  even  worship  and 
adore  the  Almighty  Creator  of  the  world,  in  and  through 
His  Son  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ :  to  whom,  with 
the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  all  honour  and  worship 
given  of  us,  and  of  all  the  creatures  in  Heaven  and  earth, 
from  this  time  forth  for  evermore.  Amen. 


SERMON  VI. 

A  FORM  OF  SOUND  WORDS  TO  BE  USED  BY  MINISTERS. 

2  TIMOTHY  i.  13. 

Holdfast  the  form  of  sound  words  which  thou  hast  heard  of 
me,  in  faith  and  love,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus. 

SERM.  ALTHOUGH  we  are  apt  to  wonder  most  at  such  things  as 
VI-  seldom  happen  in  the  world,  yet  certainly  the  most  common 
and  obvious  things  that  be,  if  duly  considered,  deserve  as 
much,  if  not  much  more,  to  be  admired  by  us.  What  more 
common  to  all  mankind,  and  yet  what  more  strange  and 
wonderful,  than  that  by  certain  sounds  in  the  air,  or  by 
certain  characters  upon  solid  bodies,  we  should  be  able  to 
discover  our  thoughts  to  one  another  ?  Thoughts,  we  know, 
are  the  immanent  acts  of  the  soul,  a  spiritual  being,  and  so 
not  capable  of  any  external  representations ;  and  yet  for  all 
that,  we  can  make  such  sounds  and  figures,  utter  such  words, 
and  write  such  letters,  from  whence  other  persons  may  un 
derstand  what  we  think  as  well  as  we  ourselves.  And  this 
indeed  is  the  foundation  of  all  human  society  and  conversa 
tion  :  for  by  this  means  we  can  communicate  our  hopes  and 
fears,  our  joys  and  griefs,  our  desires  and  abhorrences,  all 
our  sentiments  and  notions,  to  one  another;  yea,  by  this 
means  we  can  converse  with  the  ancients,  and  know  what 
they  thought  that  lived  above  a  thousand  years  ago.  Of 
so  great  use  are  words,  whether  spoken  or  written,  to 
mankind ! 

And  yet  as  nothing  may  be  more  easily,  so  nothing  hath 
been  more  grossly,  abused  than  they;  for  though  we  can 
frame  ideas  and  notions  of  things  in  our  minds,  without  any 
relation  unto,  or  dependence  upon  words,  yet  having  been 


A  Form  of  Sound  Words.  109 

all  along  accustomed  to  express  our  thoughts  by  them,  we 
are  apt  to  be  more  intent  upon  words  than  we  are  upon 
things  themselves ;  and  so  to  accommodate  and  suit  our 
notions  to  words,  rather  than  words  unto  our  notions.  So 
that  whatsoever  words  we  commonly  use,  whereby  to  express 
such  or  such  things,  our  apprehensions  of  these  things  are 
according  to  the  words  whereby  we  are  wont  to  express 
them :  if  they  be  false,  our  apprehensions  being  regulated 
by  them  cannot  possibly  be  true ;  and  if  they  be  true,  and 
rightly  understood  by  us,  our  apprehensions  cannot  possibly 
be  false,  being  bound  up,  as  it  were,  and  confined  within  the 
sense  and  meaning  of  such  words.  But  it  being  very  hard 
and  difficult  to  find  out  fit  and  proper  words  in  any  lan 
guage,  whereby  fully  and  distinctly  to  express  the  nature  of 
things  and  our  own  ideas  of  them,  most  men,  to  save  them 
selves  the  labour  of  a  further  search,  take  up  with  the  first 
they  meet  with,  especially  if  they  be  but  generally  received : 
which  if  they  happen  to  be  false,  as  they  frequently  are,  they 
infallibly  lead  them  into  false  conceptions  and  erroneous 
opinions  of  the  things  themselves.  And  therefore  it  cannot 
but  highly  concern  us  all  to  be  very  cautious  and  wary  in 
the  choice  of  our  words,  especially  in  Divinity,  where  every 
mistake  is  dangerous,  and  many  damnable. 

This  therefore  being  a  matter  of  so  great  importance,  much 
greater  than  it  is  commonly  thought  of,  it  may  justly  chal 
lenge  to  be  the  subject  of  our  present  discourse  :  for  which 
end  I  have  chosen  these  wrords  of  St.  Paul  to  Timothy, 
"  Hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words,  which  thou  hast  heard 
of  me,  in  faith  and  love,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus." 

Where  we  may  observe  three  things :  — 

First,  That  some  time  before  the  writing  of  this  epistle, 
St.  Paul  had  given  to  Timothy  a  form  of  sound  words, 
though  not  in  writing,  yet  by  word  of  mouth.  This  is  plain, 
in  that  he  saith,  "  A  form  of  sound  words,  which  thou  hast 
heard  of  me."  Timothy  was  now  ordained  Bishop  of 
Ephesus,  the  metropolis  of  all  Asia  Proconsularis,  whither 
the  Apostle  sent  him  to  preach  and  propagate  the  Gospel ; 
and  that  he  might  rightly  understand  the  principles  of  that 
religion  which  he  was  to  preach,  and  cause  others  to  do  so 
too,  the  Apostle  puts  words  into  his  mouth,  such  as  would 


110  A  Form  of  Sound  Words 

SERM.  clearly  and  properly  express  the  great  truths,  which  he  was 
-  mostly  to  insist  upon  ;  which  he  therefore  calls  vyiaivovrug 
X6yovg,  "  sound  words,"  such  as  would  make  his  hearers  to  be 
sancc  mentis,  men  of  sound  judgment  and  right  notions  in  the 
mysteries  of  religion.  And  whosoever  doth  not  consent  to 
those  sound  arid  wholesome  words,  the  same  Apostle  else 
where  saith,  "  That  such  a  one  is  a  fool,  knowing  nothing," 
but  he  is  sick,  as  the  word  signifies,  or  as  our 


i  Tim.  6.  4.  translation  hath  it,  "  He  doats  about  questions  and  strifes  of 
words."  As  if  a  malignant  fever  had  affected  his  brain, 
distracted  his  mind,  and  made  him  delirious,  so  as  to  rave 
and  talk  nonsense.  For  so  all  do  that  use  any  other  than 
right  and  proper  words  in  the  mysteries  of  our  religion  ; 
whatsoever  they  say,  is  nonsense,  if  not  downright  blas 
phemy.  Hence  it  is  that  the  Apostle  so  often  makes  men 
tion  of  sound  doctrine,  in  opposition  to  the  extravagant  and 
corrupt  opinions  which  false  teachers,  even  in  those  days, 
instilled  into  the  minds  of  their  ignorant  and  unwary  dis 
ciples.  And  lest  Timothy,  through  any  mistake  or  inadvert 
ency,  should  fall  himself,  or  lead  others  into  the  same  errors, 
St.  Paul,  before  he  sent  him  to  preach  the  Gospel,  furnished 
him  with  such  a  form  of  sound  words,  which  if  he  did  but  con 
stantly  observe,  he  could  neither  be  deceived  nor  deceive. 

Secondly,  We  may  observe,  that  this  form  of  sound  words 
was  both  in  "  faith  and  love,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus;"  that 
is,  both  concerning  the  doctrine  and  the  discipline,  what  we 
are  to  believe,  and  what  to  do,  in  obedience  to  the  Gospel  of 
Christ.  For  as  faith  comprehends  the  one,  so  doth  love  the 
other  ;  and  St.  Paul  had  given  Timothy  a  form  of  sound 
words  in  both  :  but  first  in  faith,  and  then  in  love,  because 

[Gal.  5.  G.]  ^  is  faitn  that  works  by  love  ;  and  he  that  doth  not  rightly 
believe,  can  never  truly  obey  the  Gospel  of  Christ  as  he 
ought  to  do.  But  in  one  as  well  as  the  other,  St.  Paul 
instructed  Timothy  how  to  express  himself,  and  by  that 
means  hath  admonished  us  also  to  be  very  careful  how  to 
speak,  what  words  we  use,  whether  in  theoretical  or  prac 
tical  Divinity,  concerning  either  faith  or  manners. 

Lastly,  St.  Paul  did  not  think  it  enough,  to  give  Timothy 
a  form  of  sound  words,  but  he  chargeth  him  to  hold  it  fast, 
to  keep  it,  to  use  no  other  words,  but  such  as  exactly  agreed 


to  be  Used  by  Ministers.  Ill 

with  those  which  he  had  taught  him.  The  Greek  words 
are  VKOTU-TTUOIV  syss  ruv  vyiatvovTUV  Xoytov,  where  the  i/vrorucrwtf/s 
is  variously  rendered  by  interpreters.  I  shall  not  trouble 
you  with  any  critical  observations  about  it ;  but  only  observe 
in  general,  that  it  is  sometimes  used  for  a  pattern  or  ex 
ample,  sometimes  for  a  short  description,  or  delineation,  or  iTim.  1.16. 
summary,  or  compendium.  Thus  Clemens  Alexandrinus 
wrote  a  book,  which  he  called  vieorvvruteis,  which  Photius 
saith,  was  a  brief  exposition  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament ; 
out  of  which  the  ' Ex-tro/taj  IK  rov  Qsodorov  at  the  end  of  his 
works,  I  suppose,  were  taken.  And  in  this  sense,  the  word 
here  used  intimates  as  if  St.  Paul  had  given  Timothy,  if  not 
that  which  we  call  the  Apostles'  Creed,  yet  some  suchlike 
form  of  sound  words,  containing  the  sum  and  substance  of 
what  he  was  to  believe  and  preach. 

But  the  Apostle  lays  no  great  stress  upon  that  word. 
For  it  follows,  "  hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words,"  & v  vug 
spot  faouffag,  uv  not  fo,  which  words,  not  which  form  thou 
hast  heard  of  me.  So  that  it  is  not  so  much  the  form  as 
the  words  themselves,  which  the  Apostle  would  have  him 
to  hold  fast,  to  have  them  continually  in  his  mind,  and  in 
his  mouth  too,  whensoever  he  speaks  of  those  Divine  truths 
which  are  revealed  to  us  in  the  Gospel. 

What  these  sound  words  were,  which  Timothy  heard  of 
St.  Paul,  we  know  not :  but  this  we  know,  that  it  doth  as 
much  concern  us  to  use  sound  words  in  matters  of  divinity, 
as  it  did  him.  And  therefore  having  not  heard  them  at 
St.  Paul's  own  mouth,  as  he  did,  it  may  not  be  amiss,  if  we 
consider  of  the  most  certain  way  to  find  them  out,  that  we 
may  know  how  to  express  ourselves  in  all  the  Articles  of  our 
Christian  faith,  by  such  words  as  the  Apostle  here  calls 
sound  and  wholesome,  such  as  will  give  us  and  those  we 
speak  to,  occasion  to  frame  right  notions  and  conceptions 
of  those  things  which  belong  to  our  everlasting  peace. 

For  this  end  therefore,  I  shall  in  the  first  place  lay  down 
this  as  a  most  certain  and  undeniable  truth,  that  the  Scrip 
tures,  as  being  indited  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  the  lan 
guages  wherein  they  were  first  written,  do  contain  the  best 
and  soundest  words  that  possibly  could  be  invented,  where 
by  to  express  such  truths  as  are  necessary  for  mankind  to 


112  A  Form  of  Sound  Words 

SERM.    believe  or  know.     For  they  being  designed  on  purpose  to 
—  be  the  rule  both  of  our  faith  and  manners,  and  contrived 


for  that  end,  by  infinite  wisdom  and  goodness  itself,  it 
cannot  be  imagined,  but  that  every  thing  is  there  expressed, 
in  the  most  plain  and  perspicuous,  the  most  fit  and  proper, 
the  most  full  and  significant  words  that  could  be  desired  of 
Almighty  God,  whereby  to  discover  Himself  and  His  will 
to  our  capacities ;  to  which  of  His  infinite  mercy  He  is 
pleased  to  condescend,  in  all  these  books  which  are  ac 
knowledged  by  all  Christians  to  be  written  by  men  inspired, 
moved,  assisted,  and  directed  in  what  they  wrote,  by  the 
Spirit  of  God  Himself.  By  which  means  the  whole  Scrip 
ture  is  indeed  but  as  one  continued  form  of  sound  words ; 
which  if  we  do  but  hold  fast  and  understand  aright,  we  can 
neither  fall  either  into  Heresy  or  Schism.  And  whatsoever 
words  we  use  in  the  mysteries  of  our  religion,  are  either 
true  or  false,  sound  or  corrupt,  as  they  do  or  do  not  agree 
with  those  which  are  used  in  that  Holy  Writ. 

But  in  the  next  place,  we  must  consider  withal,  that  not 
withstanding  the  extraordinary  clearness  and  propriety  of 
speech,  whereby  Divine  truths  are  there  revealed  to  us,  yet 
there  never  was  any  error,  heresy,  or  schism  in  the  Church, 
but  what  was  pretended  by  the  authors  and  abettors  of  it  to 
be  grounded  upon  Scripture.  In  this  all  Heretics,  Greek 
and  Latin,  old  and  new,  agree.  They  all  plead  Scripture  for 
what  they  say ;  and  each  one  pretends  that  his  opinion,  be  it 
ever  so  absurd  and  ridiculous,  is  consonant  to  the  words  there 
used :  which  though  it  may  seem  strange  at  first  sight,  we 
shall  not  much  wonder  at,  if  we  do  but  consider  three  things. 

First,  That  most  men,  not  understanding  the  original 
languages,  read  and  consult  the  Scriptures  no  otherwise 
than  in  some  translation,  which  they  notwithstanding  look 
upon  as  the  Word  of  God ;  and  if  there  be  any  word  in 
that  translation  that  favours  any  erroneous  opinion,  they 
presently  conclude  that  the  Scriptures  do  so  too,  though 
they  be  as  much  against  it  as  that  translation  is  for  it.  As 
for  example;  in  the  first  promulgation  of  the  Gospel  to 
Gen.  3.  is.  mankind,  God  said  to  the  serpent  that  beguiled  our  first 
parents,  "  And  I  will  put  enmity  -between  thee  and  the 
woman,  and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed,"  tPS~)  Tj 


to  be  Used  by  Ministers.  113 

"  It,"  that  is,  "  the  seed  of  the  woman,"  which  is  Christ,  "  shall 
bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  His  heel;"  as  our 
translation  rightly  expounds  it.  But  the  vulgar  Latin 
renders  it,  Ipsa  conteret  caput  tuum,  as  if  a  woman  should  [Cf.Hieron. 
do  it  ;  which  the  Papists  interpreting  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  ~^^] 
ascribe  to  her  this  great  victory  and  triumph  over  Sin  and 
Satan,  and  are  taught  to  say  in  their  addresses  to  her,  Adoro 
et  benedico  sanctissimos  pedes  tuos,  quibus  antiqui  serpentis 
caput  calcasti.  There  are  many  other  absurd  opinions  as 
well  as  practices  in  that  Church,  which  this  one  word  hath 
been  the  occasion  of. 

Thus,  where  the  Apostle  speaking  of  marriage,  saith,  rb  [Eph.  5. 

'^ 


Itfr/v,  the  vulgar  Latin  again  translates  it, 
Sacramentum  hoc  magnum  est  :  from  whence  they  conclude 
matrimony  to  be  a  Sacrament,  such  a  one  as  Baptism  and 
the  Lord's  Supper. 

Thus  also  immediately  before  His  ascension,  our  Blessed 

Lord  said  to  His  Apostles,  Hogtv8svrs$  ouv  fj,afyr£v6art  ndvra  rd  [Matt. 
£0v/j,  /3aTr/£oi/r££  aCroOs,  which  the  vulgar  Latin  renders, 
Euntes  ergo  docete  omnes  gentes,  baptizantes  eos  :  which 
most  of  our  modern  European  versions  follow.  And  from 
hence  I  verily  believe  the  error  of  the  Anabaptists  and  Anti- 
psedobaptists  took  its  first  rise.  For  apprehending  our 
Saviour  to  say,  according  to  this  translation,  "  Go  ye  and 
teach  all  nations,  and  then  baptize  them,"  they  presently 
inferred,  that  persons  ought  first  to  be  taught,  and  then 
baptized  :  and  by  consequence,  that  children  not  being 
capable  of  the  former,  cannot  be  so  of  the  latter.  But  if 
they  had  understood  and  consulted  the  original,  they  would 
have  found  no  such  thing  :  for  [Aafyrtvu  never  signifies  to 
teach,  but  only  to  make  a  Disciple.  And  so  the  Syriac  and 
other  Oriental  translations  constantly  render  the  word. 
And  therefore  it  is  observable,  that  in  all  the  Eastern  Churches 
this  heresy  was  never  heard  of,  nor  any  where  else,  but  only 
in  such  places  where  the  vulgar  Latin  prevailed  :  which 
plainly  shews,  that  it  was  grounded  at  first  only  upon  that 
false  translation  of  the  word  /^aGrir  sugars  by  docete  ;  though 
afterwards  they  endeavoured  to  prove  it  from  other  places 
of  Scripture,  either  translated,  or  at  least  falsely  understood, 
as  this  is.  Many  instances  of  this  nature  might  be  pro- 

i 


114  A  Form  of  Sound  Words 

SERM.  duced,  to  shew  how  false  translations  of  the  Scriptures  have 
—  given  the  first  occasion  to  draw  such  opinions  from  them, 
which  are  directly  contrary  to  what  is  asserted  in  them. 
And  when  men  have  once  espoused  an  opinion,  whether  it 
be  true  or  false,  they  look  upon  themselves  as  obliged  to 
maintain  it. 

Secondly,  Although  there  be  many,  especially  of  late 
years,  who  are  able  to  read  and  understand  much  of  the 
original  text,  yet  they  also  are  to  seek  for  the  true  meaning 
of  many  places.  For  besides  the  «Vag  Xeyopsva,  many  other 
words  and  phrases  frequently  occur,  which  cannot  be  fully 
understood,  except  we  first  know  the  rites  and  customs  of 
the  Jewish  Church,  consider  the  context  and  scope  of  the 
places  where  such  words  are  used,  compare  one  place  with 
another,  and  observe  many  other  rules  requisite  to  the  right 
interpretation  of  those  holy  oracles :  which  most  men,  by 
reason  of  their  ignorance  and  sloth,  are  either  unable  or 
unwilling  to  do ;  and  therefore  are  apt  to  take  up  with  the 
first  sense  that  offers  itself,  without  giving  themselves  the 
trouble  of  a  farther  search. 

Thus  Clemens  Alexandrinus  observes  of  the  heretics  in 
[Strom.  his  days,  that  they  would  quote  Scripture  indeed,  but  not  in 
P.  8911.'  line  the  sense  which  the  context  required,  but  would  take  here 
ter  edbxon~  anc^  tnere  a  word,  and  apply  it  to  their  own  private  opinions ; 
1715.  Cf.  not  considering  what  is  signified  by  it,  aXX'  avrrj  -^i\y  a<xo- 

Strom.  1.  iii.  °  .  w  '       . 

p.  529.  line  %£<*fA9voi  rf  Xsje/,  but  abusing  the  naked  word  itself,  by 
putting  what  sense  they  please  upon  it.  The  same  may  be 
observed  of  many  in  our  days,  who  getting  a  Scripture 
word  by  the  end,  away  they  run  with  it,  and  never  leave  it, 
till  they  have  forced  some  erroneous  opinion  or  other  from 
it:  which  therefore  cannot  be  imputed  to  any  obscurity  or 
uncertainty  in  the  Scriptures  themselves,  but  to  the  dark 
ness  of  men's  minds,  and  the  perverseness  of  their  wills,  that 
they  either  can  not  or  will  not  take  the  pains  to  understand 
what  is  clearly  revealed  in  them.  And  to  this  head  most  of 
the  ancient  and  modern  heresies  may  be  referred. 

Lastly,  Although  some  do  understand  the  words  whereby 
it  hath  pleased  Almighty  God  to  reveal  Himself  and  His 
pleasure  to  us,  yet  the  things  themselves  signified  by  those 
words,  are  many  of  them  so  high,  mysterious,  and  Divine, 


to  be  Used  by  Ministers.  115 

that  their  finite  and  corrupt  apprehensions  are  not  able  to 
reach  them.  And  therefore  disdaining  to  believe  what  they 
cannot  comprehend,  they  detort  those  words  from  their  true 
and  proper,  to  such  a  sense  as  will  suit  with  their  under 
standings.  Seeing  they  cannot  apprehend  so  much  as  the 
words  signify,  they  will  make  the  words  signify  no  more 
than  they  can  apprehend. 

This  St.  Peter  observed  in  his  days ;  where  speaking  of 
St.  Paul,  he  saith,  "  As  also  in  all  his  epistles,  speaking  in  2  Pet.  3. 16. 
them  of  these  things  ;  in  which  are  some  things  hard  to  be 
understood,  which  they  that  are  unlearned  and  unstable 
wrest,  as  they  do  also  the  other  Scriptures,  to  their  own 
destruction."  Where  he  plainly  speaks,  not  of  the  words, 
but  things  themselves  ;  for  it  is  not  Iv  aTg,  in  which  epistles, 
but  Iv  ols,  amongst  which  things  in  those  epistles,  there  are 
dvffvoyra  nva,  some  things  hard  to  be  understood. 

Such  are  those  great  mysteries  of  the  most  Blessed  Trinity, 
the  divinity  and  incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  the 
like  ;  which  are  as  plainly  revealed  in  Scripture,  as  things  of 
.that  nature  could  be;  and  yet  many  have  had  the  impu 
dence  to  deny  them,  only  upon  that  account,  because  their 
reasons,  forsooth,  were  not  able  to  comprehend  them. 
These  are  they  who,  Lucifer-like,  aspire  to  be  like  God 
himself;  "Who  would  measure  the  water  in  the  hollow  of  [is.  40. 12.] 
their  hands,  and  niete  out  the  Heavens  with  a  span ;  who 
would  comprehend  the  dust  of  the  earth  in  a  measure,  weigh 
the  mountains  in  scales,  and  the  hills  in  a  balance : "  nay, 
which  is  worse,  they  would  measure  Heaven  by  earth,  eter 
nity  by  time,  God  by  themselves  ;  and  believe  nothing  of 
His  infinite,  eternal,  incomprehensible  essence,  but  what 
they  can  comprehend  within  the  narrow  compass  of  their 
own  reason,  although  God  Himself  hath  been  pleased  to 
affirm  it :  as  if  the  testimony  of  God  was  not  a  stronger 
ground  whereupon  to  build  our  most  holy  faith  than  human 
reason  ;  which  certainly  hath  nothing  else  to  do  in  such 
mysteries  but  to  search  into  the  truth  of  the  Divine  Reve 
lation,  which  being  either  supposed  or  proved,  we  have  all 
the  reason  in  the  world  to  believe  what  is  so  revealed, 
whether  we  understand  it  or  no.  But  these  great  masters 
of  reason  have  so  little  of  that  which  they  so  much  pretend 


116  A  Form  of  Sound  Words 

SERM.    to,  as  not  to  believe  this :  and  therefore  to  make  the  Scrip- 
-  tures  to  speak  nothing  but  what  they  can  comprehend,  that 


is,  nothing  but  what  themselves  please,  they  rack  every  word, 
particle,  and  sentence,  transpose  the  commas,  alter  the  ac 
cents,  violate  all  the  rules  of  true  construction ;  and  then  it 
is  no  wonder  if  they  force  the  Scriptures  to  say,  not  what 
God,  but  what  themselves  would  have  them.  And  by  this 
means  it  is,  that  the  most  pernicious  and  blasphemous  of  all 
heresies  were  first  broached,  which  whosoever  swallow  down 
are  certain  to  be  poisoned  and  undone  for  ever. 

Hence  therefore  we  may  observe,  how  that  although  the 
Scriptures  contain  none  but  sound  and  wholesome  words, 
such  as  Timothy  heard  of  St.  Paul,  yet  such  is  the  weakness 
of  men's  understandings,  such  the  corruption  of  their  judg 
ments,  such  the  perverseness  of  their  wills,  the  disorder  of 
their  affections,  and  the  pravity  of  their  whole  souls,  that 
they  extract  poison  from  that  which  was  intended  for  their 
food,  draw  error  out  of  truth,  heresy  out  of  the  Scriptures 
themselves,  so  as  to  learn  to  blaspheme  God  in  His  own 
words.  But  what  then  shall  we  do  in  this  case  ?  How  can 
we  be  ever  certain  that  the  words  we  use  in  matters  of  reli 
gion  be  sound,  and,  by  consequence,  our  opinions  orthodox, 
and  our  sentiments  of  God  and  those  eternal  truths  which 
He  hath  revealed  to  us,  such  as  He  Himself  would  have 
them  ?  Why  surely  for  this  end  it  is  necessary  that  we  in 
dulge  not  our  own  fancies,  nor  idolize  our  own  private 
opinions,  but  "hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words"  delivered 
to  us  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  in  that  sense  which  the  Catholic 
Church  in  all  ages  hath  put  upon  them. 

For  the  eternal  Son  of  God  having  with  His  own  blood 
purchased  to  Himself  an  Universal  Church,  we  cannot  doubt 
but  that  He  takes  sure  care  of  it,  that,  according  to  His 
[Matt.  16.  promise,  "  the  gates  of  hell  shall  never  prevail  against  it." 
For  which  end,  He,  the  head  of  this  mystical  body,  doth  not 
only  defend  and  protect  it  by  His  Almighty  power,  but  He 
so  acts,  guides,  directs,  and  governs  it  by  His  Holy  Spirit, 
that  though  errors  and  heresies  may  sometimes  disease  and 
trouble  some  parts  of  it,  yet  they  can  never  infect  the  whole  ; 
but  that  is  still  kept  sound  and  entire,  notwithstanding  all 
the  power  and  malice  of  men  or  devils  against  it.  So  that, 


to  be  Used  by  Ministers.  117 

if  we  consider  the  Universal  Church,  or  congregation  of 
faithful  people,  as  in  all  ages  dispersed  over  the  whole  world, 
we  may  easily  conclude  that  the  greatest  part,  from  which 
the  whole  must  be  denominated,  was  always  in  the  right ; 
which  the  ancient  Fathers  were  so  fully  persuaded  of,  that 
although  the  word  xaQo\ixb$  properly  signifies  universal,  yet 
they  commonly  used  it  in  the  same  sense  as  we  do  the  word 
orthodox,  as  opposed  to  an  heretic  ;  calling  an  orthodox  man 
a  Catholic,  that  is,  a  son  of  the  Catholic  Church :  as  taking 
it  for  granted  that  they,  and  only  they,  which  constantly 
adhere  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Catholic  or  Universal  Church, 
are  truly  orthodox;  which  they  could  not  do,  unless  they 
had  believed  the  Catholic  Church  to  be  so.  And  besides 
that,  it  is  part  of  our  very  creed  that  the  Catholic  Church  is 
holy,  which  she  could  not  be,  except  free  from  heresy,  as 
directly  opposite  to  true  holiness. 

He  therefore  that  would  be  sure  not  to  fall  into  damnable 
errors,  must  be  sure  also  to  continue  firm  and  steadfast  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Universal  Church,  as  being  grounded 
upon  the  Scriptures  rightly  understood :  for  so  every  thing 
is  that  she  hath  taught  us.  For  the  Catholic  Church  never 
undertook,  as  the  Romish  hath  done,  to  coin  any  new  doc 
trines  of  her  own  head :  no,  she  always  took  the  Scriptures 
for  the  only  standard  of  truth,  and  hath  accordingly  de 
livered  her  sense  of  them,  in  such  words  as  she  judged  to 
agree  exactly  with  those  which  are  there  used. 

And  therefore  it  is  observable,  that  the  Church  never  un 
dertook  publicly  to  determine  any  truth,  until  it  was  first 
denied ;  nor  to  interpret  the  Scriptures,  until  they  were  first 
perverted.  If  no  heretics  had  ever  risen  up  in  the  Church, 
the  Church  had  never  held  any  general  councils ;  and  if  the 
the  Scripture  words  and  phrases  had  not  been  first  abused, 
and  wrested  to  a  wrong  and  contrary  sense  to  what  they 
were  intended,  she  had  never  invented  other  words  to  ex 
plain  them.  But  when  the  enemy  had  sown  tares  in  the 
Lord's  field,  the  Church  could  not  but  endeavour  to  root 
them  out,  or  at  least  to  keep  them  from  spreading  any 
further :  when  wicked  men  had  offered  violence  to  the 
Word  of  God,  His  spouse  could  do  no  less  than  defend  it, 


118 


A  Form  of  Sound  Words 


SERM. 
VI. 


[Athanas. 
de  Synodis 
Arimini  et 
Seleucise 
Epist. 
Tom.  i. 
p.  920.  B. 
Ed.  Colon. 
1686.] 


and  declare  the  true  sense  and  meaning  of  it  to  her 
children. 

As  for  example,  that  great  fundamental  article  of  our 
Christian  faith,  upon  which  not  only  our  religion,  but  our 
eternal  salvation,  depends,  the  divinity  of  our  Blessed  Saviour, 
is  so  plainly,  so  fully,  so  frequently  asserted  in  Holy  Writ, 
that  the  Church  did  for  many  years  together  believe,  ac 
knowledge,  and  preach  it,  only  in  Scripture -words,  and 
needed  not  as  yet  any  other  words  whereby  to  express  it. 
But  when  it  was  once  denied,  and  the  Scripture-words  so 
far  abused,  as  that  a  quite  contrary  sense  was  extorted  from 
them,  then  it  was  time  for  the  Catholic  Church  to  appear  in 
its  behalf:  and  being  accordingly  assembled  in  a  general 
Council  at  Nice,  she  there  determined  that  the  Son  is  6//,oou<r/o£ 
r$  liar?/,  of  the  same  substance  or  essence  with  the  Father. 
Which  words  she  then  used  only  for  the  clearer  explication 
of  the  several  places  in  Scripture,  where  the  divinity  of 
Christ  is  asserted.  For  Athanasius,  who  was  present  at  the 
Council,  saith,  that  the  Fathers  gathering  the  sense  of  the 
Scriptures  concerning  our  Saviour,  tigfaausi  rb  opoovtiov,  pro 
nounced  him  to  be  o^ooUiog.  And  therefore,  though  the 
word  was  not  in  Scripture,  they  intended  no  more  by  it  than 
what  was  there  expressed  in  other  words. 

I  know  that  the  Arians  complained  that  the  word  ofi<r/a 
was  nowhere  to  be  found  in  Holy  Writ.  But  though  that 
Greek  word  be  not,  yet  certainly  there  is  no  word  in  all  the 
Greek  language  that  more  exactly  answers  to  the  most 
proper  name  of  God  rnrp.  than  ouov'a  doth ;  and  indeed  the 
word  Kug/o?,  which  the  Apostles  use,  and  whereby  the  Sep- 
tuagint  translate  nyT),  is  much  of  the  same  signification  in 
its  original,  from  the  old  word  Ku$w ;  the  same  with  g/>/  and 
Irtag'fcu.  And  besides  that,  the  Council  of  Nice  did  not 
invent  this  word,  but  it  had  been  used  in  the  Church  all 
along  before :  for  Athanasius  saith,  that  some  Bishops,  both 
of  Rome  and  Alexandria,1  had  used  it  150  years  before  that 
time ;  and  that  Eusebius  Caesariensis  himself  acknowledged 


Ed.  Colon.  1686.     Cf.  Epist.  in  Africanos 
Episcopos.     Tom.  i.  p.  937.  B.] 


KKtroi  f^o  (AIK;  ut 
opus  Strngov  i/vroygei^cts.    Athanas.  Nar- 
ratio  de  Concil.  Nicseno.    Tom.  i.  p.  251. 


to  be  Used  by  Ministers.  119 

as  much,  and  upon  that  account  afterwards  subscribed  to 

the  Council.     Who  those  ancient  Bishops  were  we  know 

not,  their  works  being  now  lost  :  but  Tertullian,  who  lived  [Tertuii. 

about  105  years  before  that  time,  in  his  Apology,  saith,  that  ei^Sfpfi 

the  Son  is  called  God,  ex  unitate  substantive  ;  and  in  his  ^J^^ 

book  against  Praxeas,1  that  the  three  persons  are  one  God,  et  Deum 

-,  .   -,  /»       t  •  i        i      dictum,  ex 

per  substantive   umtatem,  which   perfectly  agrees  with   tne  Unitate 
Greek  word  opoovffiog  :    and  seeing  they  that  lived  so  very  f^-j111" 
near  to  the  Apostles  used  this  word,  it  is  more  than  pro 
bable  that  they  also  were  not  the  first  inventors  of  it,  but 
that  they  had  received  it  from  the  Apostles  themselves. 

Howsoever,  this  is  certain,  that  in  the  writings  both  of  the 
Apostles  and  Prophets  we  frequently  meet  with  the  truth 
itself,  which  is  signified  by  this  word  ;  which  having  been 
confirmed  by  the  Council  of  Nice,  it  hath  been  constantly 
used  by  the  Universal  Church,  as  the  true  and  full  interpre 
tation  of  the  Holy  Scripture,  concerning  the  Divinity  of  our 
Blessed  Saviour  ;  and  so  generally  received  by  all  Christians 
of  all  ages,  that  after  the  Arians  were  once  silenced,  it  never 
met  with  any  considerable  opponents  in  the  world  but 
Mahomet  and  Socinus,  with  their  followers,  which  deserve 
not  the  name  of  Christians. 

The  same  may  be  observed  of  the  third  general  Council 
held  at  Ephesus  :  for  when  Nestorius  had  affirmed,  that  in  [Condi. 
Christ,  as  there  are  two  natures,  so  there  are  two  persons  Hard!  V 
likewise  ;   one   person,   as   He   was   God   begotten   of  the 
Father  ;  the  other,  as  man  born  of  his  mother  :  and  there- 
fore  that  the  Blessed  Virgin  could  not  properly  be  called 
:  the  Council,  for  the  determination  of  this  question, 


did  not  only  consult  the  several  texts  in  Scripture  relating  D.]  P' 
to  our  Blessed  Saviour,  but  considered  likewise   in  what 
sense  those  places  had  been  understood  by  the  Catholic 
Church  before  that  time;  for  which  end  they  caused  the 
Nicene   Creed,  and   several  passages  out   of  St.  Cyprian,  [cf.p.isn. 
St.  Basil,  Athanasius,  Gregory  Nazianzen,  and  many  others,  fp^J4  E  . 
to  be  read  in  Council.    And  from  thence  they  gathered,  and  P-  MOS.C.] 
therefore  pronounced,  that  according  to  the  Scriptures,  as  PP.'  uos/e. 

1  [Tertull.  adv.  Prax.  c.  xxv.  p.  515.       laritatera."    Cf.  c.  xii.  p.  506.    "  Unam 
"  Ego  et  Pater  unum  sumus,  ad  Sub-       substantial!!  in  tribus  coheerentibus."] 
standee  unitatem,  non  ad  numeri  singu- 


120 


A  Form  of  Sound  Words 


SERM. 
VI. 

[v.  Synodi. 
Epist.  ad 
Clerum  po- 
pulumque 
Constanti- 
nop.  ap. 
Hard.  i. 
pp.  1443-4. 
C.  D.] 


interpreted  by  the  Catholic  Church,  Christ,  though  He  have 
two  natures,  yet  He  is  but  one  person,  and  by  consequence 
that  the  Virgin  Mary  might  properly  be  called  Gsoroxoj, 
because  the  same  person  who  was  born  of  her  is  truly  God 
as  well  as  man  :  which  being  once  determined  by  an  uni 
versal  Council  to  be  the  true  sense  and  meaning  of  the 
Scriptures  in  this  point,  hath  been  acknowledged  by  the 
Universal  Church  ever  since,  till  this  time. 

I  might  instance  in  other  general  Councils,  wherein  the 
same  way  and  method  of  proceeding  was  religiously  ob 
served.  For  they  never  took  upon  them  to  form  new  ar 
ticles  of  faith,  but  only  to  explain  and  establish  the  old 
ones :  which  being  delivered  in  Scripture,  were  believed  all 
along  by  the  Catholic  Church  before  that  time.  And  cer 
tainly  whatsoever  hath  been  thus  approved  by  General 
Councils,  and  received  and  taught  by  the  Universal  Church 
in  all  ages,  we  have  all  the  reason  in  the  world  to  believe  it 
to  be  the  true  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  every  way  correspond 
ing  with  what  is  delivered  in  the  Scriptures,  though  it  be 
not  totidem  i:erbis  contained  in  them.  Be  sure  no  sober 
man  but  must  acknowledge  it  is  more  possible  for  himself, 
yea,  and  for  any  particular  Church,  to  err,  than  it  is  for  the 
Universal  Church  to  do  so :  and  therefore  it  must  needs  be 
the  safest  way  to  use  Scripture-words  in  such  a  sense  as 
the  Universal  Church  hath  always  put  upon  them,  and  by 
consequence  such  words  also,  whereby  the  Universal  Church 
hath  always  expressed  her  sense  of  God's  mind  as  revealed 
to  us  in  Scripture ;  and  to  look  upon  them  all  as  sound 
words,  such  as  St.  Paul  here  speaks  of,  such  as  will  convey 
right  and  sound  notions  of  the  Divine  mysteries  to  our 
understandings. 

I  have  insisted  the  longer  upon  this,  both  because  it  is  so 
necessary  to  our  being  sound  in  the  faith,  and  also  because 
of  the  great  use  that  may  be  made  of  it  in  defending  our 
Church  against  its  adversaries  on  all  sides.  For  our  Church, 
as  to  its  doctrine  as  well  as  discipline,  is  settled  upon  so  firm 
a  basis,  so  truly  Catholic,  that  none  can  oppose  what  she 
teacheth,  without  denying,  not  only  the  Scriptures,  but  the 
Scriptures  as  interpreted  by  the  Universal  Church.  So  that 
we  may  justly  challenge  all  the  world  to  shew  us  any  one 


to  be  Used  by  Ministers.  121 

point  or  article  of  faith,  wherein  our  Church  differs  from  the 
Catholic  in  all  ages,  since  the  Apostles'  days :  which,  I  think, 
is  more  than  can  be  said  of  any  other  national  Church  in 
the  whole  world,  there  being  no  other,  that  I  know  of, 
which  keeps  to  the  form  of  sound  words  delivered  in  Scrip 
ture,  as  interpreted  by  the  Universal  Church,  so  firmly  and 
constantly  as  ours  doth. 

Not  to  trouble  you  at  present  with  any  other,  there  is 
the  Church  of  Rome,  that  pretends  herself  to  be  the  only 
Catholic  Church  in  the  world.  Examine  but  the  words 
that  she  hath  taken  up  of  late,  the  great  words  whereby  she 
distinguished  herself  from  all  other  Churches,  and  you  will 
find  that  they  agree  neither  with  Scripture  nor  antiquity, 
much  less  with  both,  as  all  sound  words  do.  What  those 
words  are  which  she  insists  so  much  upon,  is  easy  to  be 
found  out,  for  we  have  a  form  of  them  prescribed  and  pub 
lished  by  Pope  Pius  IV.,  in  the  Acts  of  the  Council  of  Trent, 
and  inserted  into  their  Canon  Law ;  a  form  of  words  that 
every  one  is  bound  to  swear  to,  before  he  can  be  admitted 
into  any  degree  in  their  universities,  into  any  benefice, 
dignity,  or  preferment  in  their  Church,  or  indeed  into  any 
public  employment  whatsoever  ;  as  appears  by  the  bull  of  the 
said  Pope  to  that  purpose.  But  in  this  whole  form  of  words, 
except  the  Nicene  Creed,  with  which  it  begins,  to  make  the 
rest  go  down  the  better,  there  is  scarce  any  one  word  which 
can  properly  be  called  sound,  in  the  sense  that  I  have  now 
explained.  There  is  transnbstantiatio,purgatorium,  and  seve 
ral  such  novel  words,  which  many  of  the  Papists  themselves 
have  acknowledged  can  never  be  proved  from  Scripture : 
and  if  so,  I  am  sure  they  are  not  consonant  to  the  doctrine 
of  the  Universal  Church  ;  for  she  never  proposed  any  thing 
as  necessary  to  be  believed  but  what  she  could  prove  from 
Scripture. 

It  is  not  worth  our  labour  to  run  over  the  whole  form ; 
but  give  me  leave  to  single  out  one  paragraph,  because  of 
its  relation  to  the  conspiracy  which  was  yesterday  pre 
vented,  and  we  praised  God  for  our  deliverance  from  it. 
The  words  are  these :  Sanctam  Catholicam  et  Apostolicam 
Komanam  Ecclesiam,  omnium  Ecclesiarum  matrem  et  magis- 
tram,  agnosco ;  Romanoque  Pontifici,  Sancti  Petri  Aposto- 


122  A  Form  of  Sound  Words 

SERM.  lorum  Principis  Successori,  ac  Jesu  Christi  Vicario,  veram 

obedientiam  spondeo  ac  juro.  An  excellent  form  of  words 

truly,  for  a  man  to  swear  to,  directly  contrary  both  to  the 
Scriptures  and  the  Catholic  Church !  The  Church  of  Rome, 
as  now  established,  a  Catholic  and  Apostolic  Church !  The 
mother  and  the  mistress  of  all  other  Churches !  But  that 
is  nothing  in  comparison  of  what  follows  :  the  Bishop  of 
Rome,  Successor  to  St.  Peter,  and  the  Vicar  of  Christ ! 

And  if  you  would  know  in  what  sense  he  is  the  Vicar  of 
Christ,  their  authors  commonly  tell  you,  that  he  is  so 
Christ's  Vicar  upon  earth,  that  Christ  and  he  are  but  one 
and  the  same  head  of  the  Church ;  and  so  every  creature  is 
as  much  bound  to  be  subject  to  the  Pope,  as  to  Christ  Him 
self.  And  therefore,  Antonius  Puccius,  in  a  speech  he  made 
in  the  Lateran  Council  to  Pope  Leo  X.,  there  present,  was 
neither  afraid  nor  ashamed  to  use  these  words  to  him: 
Quasi  in  te,  uno,  vero,  et  legitimo  Christi  et  Dei  Vicario, 
Propheticum  illud  debuerit  rursus  impleri,  Adorabunt  eum 
omnes  Reges  Terra,  omnes  Gentes  servient  ei.  So  horribly 
hath  this  one  word  or  title  given  to  the  Pope  been  abused 
by  them !  It  hath  indeed  been  the  occasion  not  only  of 
their  pride  and  ambition,  but  likewise  of  all  the  villanies, 
persecutions  and  assassinations  that  have  been  executed  or 
attempted  by  them.  For  the  constant  use  of  this  word 
having  imprinted  in  their  minds  a  fancy,  that  the  Bishop  of 
Rome  sits  there  in  Christ's  stead,  to  manage  and  order  the 
affairs  of  the  whole  world,  whatsoever  he  commands,  be  it 
ever  so  wicked  and  impious,  ever  so  cruel  and  barbarous, 
they  look  upon  it  as  sacred,  and  reckon  themselves  obliged 
to  obey  it,  as  much,  yea  much  more  than  what  Christ  Him 
self  hath  commanded. 

But  if,  after  all,  you  ask  them  what  right  he  hath  to  this 
name,  how  he  comes  to  be  Christ's  Vicar  upon  earth,  more 
than  any  other  Bishop  ?  their  answer  is,  Because  he  is  St. 
Peter's  successor.  And  therefore  to  make  out  this  title,  it  is 
necessary  for  them  to  prove  two  things:  First,  That  St. 
Peter  himself  was  made  Christ's  Vicar  more  than  any  other 
Apostle ;  and  then,  That  the  Bishop  of  Rome  succeeds  him 
in  that  office. 

As  for  the  first,  they  quote  those  words  of  our  Lord  to 


to  be  Used  by  Ministers.  123 

Peter,  "  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  Matt.i6.is. 
Church."  But  it  is  plain  that  the  Catholic  Church  never 
understood  those  words  in  any  such  sense,  as  if  Peter  was 
by  them  constituted  the  Vicar  of  Christ.  And  besides,  it  is 
plain  also,  that  although  we  should  understand  the  words  of 
St.  Peter's  person,  yet  there  is  nothing  at  all  conferred  upon 
him  by  them.  For  our  Lord  speaks  not  in  the  present,  but 
only  in  the  future  tense;  and  so  doth  not  grant  him  any 
thing  as  yet,  but  only  promiseth  to  give  him  something 
hereafter  :  "  Upon  this  rock,"  saith  He,  "  I  will  build  my 
Church,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven."  And  therefore  to  understand  these  words  aright, 
we  must  consider  when  and  how  this  promise  was  fulfilled  : 
and  that  we  shall  find  to  have  been  after  the  resurrection  of 
Christ,  when  He  said  to  His  Apostles,  "  As  My  Father  sent 
Me,  so  send  I  you."  And  when  He  had  said  this,  He 
breathed  on  them,  and  said,  "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost;  John  20.  21, 
whosesoever  sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  to  them  ;  and 
whosesoever  sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained."  Now  was 
that  promise  fulfilled,  now  were  the  keys  of  Heaven  given 
to  St.  Peter  ;  but  not  to  him  only,  but  to  the  rest  of  the 
Apostles  with  him  ;  so  that  if  St.  Peter  was  then  made  the 
Vicar  of  Christ,  so  were  all  the  other  Apostles  as  well  as 
he  ;  and  by  consequence  all  other  Bishops  as  well  as  he  of 
Rome. 

But  after  all  this,  suppose  St.  Peter  was  the  chief  of  all 
the  Apostles  ;  suppose  our  Saviour  did  design  him  some 
peculiar  honour,  by  saying,  "  Upon  this  rock  I  will  build  My 
Church:"  What  is  all  this  to  the  Pope  of  Rome  ?  How 
comes  he  to  be  so  much  concerned  in  any  thing  that  was 
said  or  done  to  St.  Peter  ?  It  is  nowhere  recorded  in  the 
Gospel,  that  our  Saviour  ever  so  much  as  mentioned  the  city 
of  Rome,  much  less  the  Bishop  of  that  city  ;  which  certainly 
it  was  very  necessary  He  should  have  done,  had  He  de 
signed  him  for  His  perpetual  Vicar  to  the  end  of  the  world. 
He  that  pretends  to  so  high  an  honour  and  dignity  as  this 
is,  had  need  have  something  more  to  shew  for  it,  than  the  Epist!  ad' 


Bishop  of  Rome  hath  ;  who  hath  so  little,  that  it  was  a  thou- 
sand  years  after  Christ,  before  this  title  was  given  to  him.  ^s9> 
For  as  I  remember,  St.  Bernard  was  the  first  that  ever  1690.] 


124  A  Form  of  Sound  Words 

SERM.  called  him  xar'  Jj-o;^,  the  Vicar  of  Christ ;  and  therefore  it  is 
—  far  from  being  the  sense  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

But  since  this  word  hath  been  used,  and  this  title  hath 
been  given  to  the  Bishop  of  Rome,  what  mischief  hath  it 
done  in  the  world  ?  For  he,  conceiting  himself  to  represent 
Christ's  person  upon  earth,  and  to  be  invested  with  all  His 
power  and  authority,  at  length  began  to  look  upon  himself 
as  something  more  than  a  man ;  at  least,  far  above  all  mor 
tals  upon  earth  :  and  therefore  hath  taken  upon  him  to 
depose  kings,  to  absolve  their  subjects  from  their  allegiance, 
and  to  persecute,  murder,  assassinate  all  sorts  of  persons 
that  he  is  pleased  to  call  heretics ;  and  all  this  under  the 
pretence  of  religion,  and  authority  derived  from  Christ 
Himself,  as  being  His  Vicar  upon  earth. 

Oh  Blessed  Jesu!  that  ever  Thy  sacred  name  should  be 
thus  abused  by  the  sons  of  men  !  That  ever  any  one  should 
dare  to  pretend  power  from  Thee,  to  destroy  those  whom 
Thou  earnest  to  save  with  Thine  own  blood !  What  shall  we 
say  unto  Thee,  O  Thou  Redeemer  of  Men  ?  We  blush  and 
are  ashamed  of  ourselves,  that  ever  any  of  our  nature,  which 
Thou  wast  pleased  to  assume,  should  be  so  injurious  to 
Thee.  How  long,  O  Lord,  Holy  and  True,  dost  Thou  not 
judge  and  avenge  Thyself  on  all  those  who  thus  continually 
blaspheme  Thy  great  and  all-glorious  name,  and  use  it  to 
palliate  their  most  atrocious  crimes  and  barbarous  enor 
mities  ?  "  Abate  their  pride,  assuage  their  malice,  and  con 
found  their  devices,"  that  Thy  name  may  be  no  longer  dis 
honoured,  Thy  Gospel  perverted,  nor  Thy  Holy  Catholic 
Church  oppressed  by  them  ! 

I  have  taken  the  boldness  to  make  this  short  address  to 
our  Lord  and  Master  Christ,  as  being  confident  that  He, 
according  to  His  promise,  is  "  present  with  us,"  and  will  in 
His  good  time  grant  what  we  have  desired  of  Him.  In  the 
meanwhile,  we  must  learn  obedience  and  submission  to  His 
Divine  will ;  and  above  all  things,  take  care  to  keep  within 
the  bounds  that  He  hath  set  us,  and  to  continue  sound 
members  of  that  mystical  body  whereof  He  is  head.  For 
which  end,  we  must  be  sure  to  observe  this  Apostolical  rule 
to  "  hold  fast  the  form  of  sound  words :"  which  His  Apostle, 
judged  so  necessary,  that  he  minds  Timothy  of  it,  not  only 


to  be  Used  by  Ministers.  125 

here,  but  likewise  in  his  former  epistle  to  him,  saying,  "  O  ixim.  6. 20. 
Timothy,  keep  that  which  is  committed  to  thy  trust ;"  that 
is,  the  Fides  Depositum,  as  St.  Hierome  expounds  it,  "  that  [ffieron.in 
sound  faith  which  is  committed  to  thee:"  and  then  he  adds,  p.  1095.  Ed. 
"  avoiding  rag  f3z£faovg  Ktvotpuviag,  profane  and  vain  bab- Ben'^ 
blings,"  as  contrary  to  the  "sound  words"  before  spoken  of: 
or,  as  the  Latin  Fathers  generally  render  it,  devitans  pro- 
phanas  vocum  novitates ;  reading,  I  suppose,  xa/i/o^w^/aj  in 
stead  of  %evo<puvia$ ;  but  the  sense  is  much  the  same.  For  all 
new  ways  of  speaking  in  divinity,  especially  in  our  age,  is  at 
the  best  but  vain  babbling,  and  commonly  profane,  pos 
sessing  men's  minds  with  such  notions  and  conceptions  of 
things,  as  will  infallibly  lead  them  into  error  and  heresy. 
Read  but  the  wild  extravagant  opinions  of  the  first  heretics 
and  schismatics  that  disturbed  the  Church ;  and  afterwards 
take  a  view  of  those  which  after-ages  have  produced,  toge 
ther  with  such  as  have  been  either  revived  or  invented  in 
our  days ;  and  you  will  find  them  all  made  up  of  new  words, 
strange  phrases,  and  odd  expressions,  which  please  the  ears, 
and  then  debauch  the  minds,  of  them  which  hearken  to 
them.  We  need  not  go  far  for  instances ;  every  sect  amongst 
us  will  supply  us  with  too  many,  insomuch  that  they  may  be 
all  known  from  one  another  merely  by  their  words,  and 
new  modes  of  speaking  ;  whereby  they  would  seem  to  inter 
pret,  when  indeed  they  pervert  the  Scriptures,  and  "  wrest 
them  to  their  own  destruction." 

Hence,  therefore,  it  will  be  our  interest  and  wisdom,  as 
it  is  our  duty,  to  avoid  those  "  new  words "  and  phrases 
which  have  been  lately  started  in  the  Church,  as  well  as  the 
opinions  which  are  couched  under  them  ;  and  to  look  upon 
them  at  the  best,  but  superfluous  and  unnecessary,  upon  that 
very  account,  because  they  are  new.  For  nothing  certainly 
can  be  necessary  to  be  believed  or  spoken  in  our  days,  which 
hath  not  been  so  all  along. 

Especially  it  concerns  us,  who  are  to  instruct  others  in  the 
way  to  bliss,  to  use  none  but  "  sound  words,"  such  as  are  rundam 
consonant  to  the  Scriptures,  as  interpreted  by  the  Catholic 
Church  in  all  ages.     I  speak  not  this  of  myself;  it  is  the  ex-  °le*- 
press  command  of  our  Church,  in  the  Canons  she  put  forth 

,  i  rm         i  1111  i         r          •     •  \  apudJohan- 

iii  the  year  1571,  where  she  hath  these  words :  Imprimis  vero  nem  Day.] 


126  A  Form  of  Sound  Words 

SERM.  videbunt  (Concionatores)  ne  quid  unquam  doceant  pro  Con- 
—  done,  quod  a  Populo  religiose  teneri  et  credi  velint,  nisi  quod 
consentaneum  sit  Doctrines  Veteris  aut  Novi  Testamenti, 
quodque  ex  ilia  ipsd  Doctrina  CatJiolici  Patres  et  Veteres 
JEpiscopi  collegerint.  So  wisely  hath  our  Church  provided 
against  novelties ;  insomuch  that  had  this  one  rule  been  duly 
observed  as  it  ought,  there  would  have  been  no  such  thing 
as  heresy  or  schism  amongst  us ;  but  we  should  all  have 
continued  firm  both  to  the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the 
Universal  Church,  and  so  should  have  "  held  fast  the  form 
of  sound  words,"  according  to  the  Apostle's  counsel  in  my 
text,  in  the  sense  I  have  now  explained  it ;  which  therefore 
that  we  may  for  the  future  do,  I  shall  conclude  my  present 
discourse  with  this  brief  exhortation. 

Men,  Brethren,  and  Fathers, 

Give  me  leave  to  speak  freely  to  you,  of  the  Church  you 
live  in:  a  Church,  not  only  in  its  doctrine  and  discipline, 
but  in  all  things  else  exactly  conformable  to  the  Primitive, 
the  Apostolical,  the  Catholic  Church.  For,  was  that  no 
sooner  planted  by  Christ,  but  it  was  watered  by  the  blood 
of  Martyrs  ?  So  was  ours.  Did  the  primitive  Christians 
suffer  martyrdom  from  Rome  ?  So  did  our  first  Reformers. 
Hath  the  Catholic  Church  been  all  along  pestered  with  he 
retics  and  schismatics  ?  So  hath  ours.  Have  they  endea 
voured  in  all  ages  to  undermine,  and  so  to  overthrow  her  ? 
In  this  also,  ours  is  but  too  much  like  unto  her.  And  it  is 
no  wonder,  for  the  same  reason  that  occasioned  all  the  dis 
turbances  and  oppositions  that  the  Catholic  Church  ever 
met  with,  still  holds  good  as  to  ours  too ;  even  because  its 
doctrine  is  so  pure,  its  discipline  so  severe,  its  worship  so 
solemn,  and  all  its  rules  and  constitutions  so  holy,  perfect, 
and  divine,  that  mankind,  being  generally  debauched  in 
their  principles  and  practices,  have  a  natural  averseness 
from  it,  if  not  an  antipathy  against  it.  They  would  willingly 
go  to  Heaven,  but  are  loth  to  be  at  so  much  pains  for  it,  as 
our  Church,  out  of  the  Word  of  God,  prescribes  ;  and  there 
fore  would  fain  persuade  themselves,  that  many  of  her  pre 
scriptions  are  either  sinful  or  superfluous,  because  not 
suiting,  forsooth,  with  their  humour,  interest,  or  depraved 


to  be  Used  by  Ministers.  127 

inclinations.  But  all  their  little  objections  against  her 
are  grounded  either  upon  their  ignorance  of  what  she  pre 
scribes,  or  else  upon  their  unwillingness  to  perform  it. 
There  are  very  few,  either  of  the  Papists  or  Sectaries,  that 
know  what  our  Church  is,  and  therefore  all  their  zeal  j^om- 10< 
against  it  must  needs  be  "  without  knowledge."  And  they 
that  have  some  general  notions  of  it,  would  never  set  them 
selves  in  good  earnest  upon  the  observance  of  what  she 
commands,  and  therefore  cannot  know  what  advantage  it 
would  be  to  them. 

Whereas,  let  any  one  that  hath  a  due  sense  of  religion, 
and  a  real  desire  of  happiness,  let  such  a  one  make  trial  of 
our  Church  but  for  one  year ;  let  him  constantly  read  the 
Scriptures,  in  the  method  that  she  prescribes ;  let  him  con 
stantly  use  the  Common-Prayer,  according  to  her  directions ; 
let  him  constantly  observe  all  her  fasts  and  holy-days ;  let 
him  receive  the  Sacrament  as  often  as  she  is  ready  to  ad 
minister  it,  and  perform  whatsoever  else  she  hath  been 
pleased  to  command  ;  let  any  man,  I  say,  do  this,  and  then 
let  him  be  against  our  Church,  if  he  can :  I  am  confident  he 
cannot.  But  our  misery  is,  that  none  of  those  who  are  out 
of  our  Church,  and  but  few  of  those  that  are  in  it,  will  make 
the  experiment  :  and  that  is  the  reason  that  those  are  so 
violent  against  her,  and  these  so  indifferent  for  her. 

But  let  others  do  what  they  please,  and  answer  for  them 
selves  as  well  as  they  can  another  day ;  as  for  you  who  are 
here  at  this  time,  in  the  especial  presence  of  God,  I  humbly 
beseech  and  exhort  you  in  the  "  name  of  our  Lord  and 
Master  Jesus  Christ,"  that  as  He  hath  been  pleased  to  admit 
you  into  so  holy  and  pure  a  Church,  so  you  would  all  endea 
vour  to  live  up  to  the  rules  and  orders  of  it,  as  many  here 
present  do.  First,  keep  close  to  the  words  she  uses  in  her 
Articles  and  Common  Prayers :  by  this  means  you  will  have 
a  right  judgment  in  all  things,  and  "  hold  fast  the  form  of 
sound  words"  indeed.  By  this  means  you  will  be  secure 
from  heresy,  and  entertain  no  doctrine  but  what  is  Catholic 
and  orthodox.  By  this  means  whatsoever  happens,  you 
will  still  be  steadfast  in  the  faith  of  Christ,  and  not  suffer 
yourselves  to  be  imposed  upon  by  the  adversaries  of  our 
Church  on  either  side ;  for  if  they  cannot  fasten  "  new 


128  A  Form  of  Sound  Words,  fyc. 

SERM.    words"  upon  you,  it  will  be  impossible  for  them  ever  to 
—  deceive  you. 

But  then  you  must  remember  to  conform  to  the  discipline 
as  well  as  to  the  doctrine  of  our  Church,  not  hypocritically, 
indifferently,  and  partially,  but  sincerely,  constantly,  univer 
sally,  so  as  to  observe  and  do  whatsoever  she  commands, 
either  in  her  Liturgy,  Canons,  or  Constitutions.  By  this 
means  you  will  live  as  the  Primitive  Fathers  did,  and  come 
short  of  none  of  the  most  eminent  Christians  that  ever  lived 
since  the  Apostles'  times.  By  this  you  will  shame  the  ad 
versaries  of  our  Church  into  a  compliance  with  her,  when 
they  see  how  far  you  outstrip  them  in  all  true  grace  and 
virtue :  yea,  by  this  means  you  will  be  really  saints  on  earth 
and  glorified  saints  in  Heaven.  For  be  but  you  as  pious 
towards  God,  as  loyal  to  our  Queen,  as  sober  in  yourselves, 
as  faithful  to  your  friends,  as  loving  to  your  enemies,  as 
charitable  to  the  poor,  as  just  to  all,  as  our  Church  enjoins 
you ;  in  a  word,  be  but  you  as  conformable  to  her,  as  she  is 
to  the  Catholic  Church  in  all  things,  and  my  life,  my  eternal 
life  for  yours,  you  cannot  but  be  happy  for  evermore. 
Which  God  of  His  infinite  mercy  grant  we  may  all  be, 
in  and  through  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  to 
whom,  &c. 

The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of  God, 
and  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  &c. 


SERMON  VII. 

CHRIST'S  CHURCH  ESTABLISHED  ON  A  ROCK. 

MATT.  xvi.  18. 

And  I  say  also  unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this 
rock  I  will  build  My  Church. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Son  of  God  hath,  with  His  own  most  pre 
cious  blood,  purchased  pardon  and  salvation  for  us,  yet  we 
have  no  ground  or  reason  to  expect  that  we  shall  ever  be 
actually  possessed  of  it,  unless  we  use  those  means  which 
He  Himself  hath  prescribed  and  appointed  in  order  there 
unto  ;  which  being  duly  and  effectually  administered  only  in 
the  Church,  which  He  for  that  purpose  hath  "  established  " 
upon  earth,  He  therefore  "  addeth  to  the  Church  daily  such  [Acts 2. 47.] 
as  shall  be  saved."  And  that  mankind  may  never  want  an 
opportunity  of  obtaining  eternal  salvation  by  Him,  He  al 
ways  did,  and  ever  will  take  care  that  His  said  Church, 
wherein  they  may  obtain  it,  be  upheld  and  preserved  in  the 
world,  notwithstanding  all  the  opposition  that  men  or  devils 
can  make  against  it :  which  being  a  matter  of  so  great  im 
portance  and  comfort  to  us  all,  our  Saviour  did  not  think  it 
enough  to  acquaint  His  Apostles  with  it  when  He  was  upon 
earth,  but  He  hath  left  it  upon  record,  that  we  and  all 
generations  may  always  have  it  from  His  own  mouth,  and 
so  be  fully  assured  of  it,  in  these  words ;  "  And  I  say  also 
unto  thee,  that  thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will 
build  my  Church,  and  the  gates  of  Hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  it." 

In  speaking  to  which  words,  I  might  first  take  notice 
how  horribly  they  have  been  abused,  and  wrested  so  far, 
that  they  have  been  brought  in  as  an  evidence  for  that 

K 


130  Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock. 

SERM.  absolute  and  unlimited  power,  or  rather  tyranny,  which  the 
'- —  Bishop  of  Rome  pretends  to,  not  only  over  all  his  bre 
thren,  the  Bishops  and  Pastors  of  the  Church,  but  likewise 
over  all  the  Sovereign  Princes  and  Emperors  of  the  world. 
But  if  he  hath  no  better  title  to  the  Bishopric  of  Rome, 
than  he  hath  to  such  an  universal  bishopric  and  monarchy 
over  all  the  world  from  these  words,  the  See  is  certainly 
void,  and  the  conclave  may  choose  another  into  it  when 
they  please.  For  what  if  our  Lord  said  to  Simon,  "  Thou 
art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my  Church?" 
What  is  all  this  to  the  Pope  of  Rome  ?  How  comes  he  to  be 
so  much  concerned  in  these  words,  wherein  there  is  not  the 
least  mention  nor  intimation  either  of  Rome  itself,  or  the 
Pope  there,  much  less  of  any  such  universal  authority 
granted  to  him  ?  Certainly  he  that  lays  claim  to  such  an 
extraordinary  power,  as  derived  to  him  from  Christ,  (far 
greater  than  Christ  Himself  would  ever  exercise  upon 
earth,)  had  need  to  have  more  to  shew  for  it  than  these,  or 
any  other  words  in  the  Holy  Gospel  will  afford  him. 

But  this  being  a  cause  wherein  the  Bishop  of  Rome  hath 
been  so  often  cast  and  baffled  already,  and  we  having  so 
little  reason  to  fear  that  it  will  ever  be  tried  over  again, 
either  in  this  or  any  other  reformed  Church,  now  that 
princes  are  grown  wiser  than  to  give  away  their  crowns, 
and  subject  themselves  to  a  foreign  power  upon  such  ground 
less  pretences ;  I  shall  say  no  more  at  present  to  it,  but  only 
mind  you  in  general  of  the  proper  meaning  of  the  words. 

Our  Lord  having  asked  His  Apostles,  "  whom  men  thought 
Him  to  be,"  He  then  propounded  the  same  question  to  them, 
saying,  "  But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am?"  To  which  Peter 
in  the  name  of  the  rest  answers,  "  Thou  art  Christ,  the  Son 
of  the  living  God."  Upon  which  our  Lord  having  pro 
nounced  him  blessed,  for  being  enabled  to  give  so  true  and 
sound  an  answer  to  so  great  a  question,  he  adds,  "  And  I 
also  say  unto  thee,  thou  art  Peter"  (a  rock,  as  the  word 
signifies,)  "and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  My  Church:" 
that  is,  thou  shalt  be  one  of  those  upon  whom  I  will  build 
My  Church,  like  an  house  upon  a  rock,  that  shall  never  be 
moved. 

He  that  looks  upon  these  words  with  a  single  eye,  may 


Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock.  131 

easily  discern  this  to  be  the  natural  sense  and  meaning  of 
them;  especially  if  he  reads  them  by  that  light  which 
St.  Paul  hath  given  them,  where  he  tells  the  Ephesians, 
that  they,  and  so  the  whole  Church,  were  "  built  upon  the  Eph.  2.  20. 
foundation  of  the  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  Him 
self  being  the  chief  corner-stone."  For  it  is  plain  from 
hence,  that  the  Church  was  "  built  upon  the  foundation  of 
the  Apostles  and  Prophets;"  but  it  is  plain  also,  that  Peter 
was  one  of  the  Apostles,  and  therefore  that  it  was  built 
upon  him  as  well  as  upon  the  other  Apostles.  But  then 
it  was  built  upon  the  other  also  as  well  as  upon  him :  for 
St.  Paul,  who  perfectly  understood  our  Lord's  meaning, 
asserts  it  of  the  Apostles  in  general,  not  only  of  St.  Peter 
in  particular.  And  although  our  Saviour  in  my  text  directs 
His  discourse  to  St.  Peter  in  particular,  because  he  had 
spoke  to  Him  in  the  name  of  all  the  rest,  yet  He  doth  not 
thereby  exclude  the  other  Apostles,  but  rather  includes 
them  all  in  him.  So  that  as  he  had  spoken  the  sense  of 
all  the  rest  to  Christ,  so  all  the  rest  were  equally  concerned 
in  what  Christ  then  spoke  to  him:  as  appears  also,  from 
what  our  Lord  saith  further  to  him  in  the  words  following 
my  text ;  "  And  I  will  give  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom 
of  Heaven,  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  bind  on  earth,  shall 
be  bound  in  Heaven ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  loose  on 
earth,  shall  be  loosed  in  Heaven."  Where  we  may  ob 
serve,  that  our  Lord  speaks,  as  in  my  text,  not  in  the 
present,  but  future  tense ;  and  so  doth  not  give  St.  Peter 
the  keys  now,  but  promiseth  to  give  them  hereafter  to  him : 
"  I  will,"  saith  He,  "  give  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of 
Heaven."  But  that  this  promise,  though  spoken  only  to 
St.  Peter,  yet  was  meant  for  all  the  other  Apostles  as  well 
as  for  him,  is  plain  and  undeniable  ;  it  was  fulfilled  to  all 
the  rest  as  well  as  to  him  :  for  it  was  not  fulfilled  till  after 
Christ's  resurrection,  when  He  breathed  on  His  Apostles, 
and  said,  "Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost;  whosesoever  sins  j0hn2o.22, 
ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  ;  and  whosesoever  sins  ye  re-  23< 
tain,  they  are  retained."  Now  were  the  keys,  according 
to  the  aforesaid  promise,  given  to  St.  Peter ;  but  not  to  him 
only,  but  to  the  rest  of  the  Apostles  with  him.  Whereby 
our  Lord  Himself  hath  fully  demonstrated,  that  the  promise 


132  Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock. 

SERM.    which  He  here  made  to  St.  Peter,  was  intended  by  Him  for 

VII 

'- —  all  His  Apostles  as  well  as  for  him  ;  and  by  consequence 

that  this  part  of  it  likewise  was  so,  where  He  saith,  "  Thou 
art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  My  Church." 

And  then  it  follows,  "  And  the  gates  of  Hell  shall  not 
prevail  against  it."  Which  words  containing  matter  very 
proper  for  the  occasion,  by  His  assistance  who  spake  them, 
I  shall  endeavour  to  speak,  though  very  briefly,  to  them : 
and  for  that  purpose  shall  first  observe  in  general,  that  our 
Saviour  here  supposeth  that  the  gates  of  Hell  will  do  what 
they  can  to  destroy  His  Church ;  but  He  assures  us  withal, 
that  "  they  shall  not  prevail  against  it." 

First  therefore,  in  that  our  Saviour  saith,  "  that  the  gates 
of  Hell  shall  not  prevail  against  His  Church,"  He  plainly 
intimates  and  supposeth  that  they  will  do  what  they  can  to 
ruin  and  destroy  it :  where  by  the  gates  of  Hell,  He  means 
the  Devils  there,  sitting  as  it  were  in  council,  as  the  ancients 
were  wont  to  do  in  the  gates  of  their  city,  and  there  consult 
ing  together,  how  to  undermine  and  overthrow  the  Church 
that  Christ  hath  established  upon  earth. 

And  verily,  seeing  that  Christ  came  into  the  world  on 
purpose  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil,  and  that  it  is  in 
and  by  His  Church  that  He  always  doth  it,  it  is  no  wonder 
that  the  Devil  endeavours  all  he  can  to  destroy  that :  for  if 
that  could  be  once  effected,  he  would  meet  with  no  opposi 
tion  in  the  world,  but  would  tyrannise  over  all  mankind  as 
he  formerly  did,  and  still  doth  where  the  Church  is  not  yet 
settled.  Whereas  in  such  places  where  Christ's  Church  is 
established,  and  so  His  Word  and  Sacraments  are  rightly 
administered,  there  the  Devil's  power  is  opposed,  his  service 
neglected,  his  oracles  silenced,  his  stratagems  countermined, 
and  his  whole  kingdom  mightily  depopulated  and  laid 
waste. 

For  when  men  are  first  admitted  into  the  Church,  they 
renounce  the  Devil  and  all  his  works,  and  list  themselves 
under  Christ's  banner :  and  then  whatsoever  attempts  the 
Devil  may  afterwards  make  upon  them  to  recover  them 
again  into  his  possession,  the  Church  by  Christ's  order  keeps 
them  under  such  discipline,  and  supplies  them  continually 
with  such  spiritual  armour  of  God's  word,  whereby  they  are 


Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock.  133 

enabled  not  only  to  withstand,  but  overcome  them  all.     For 

she  keeps  their  bodies  under  by  fasting  and  watching,  and 

their  souls  above  the  world  by  praying  and  praising  God. 

She  keeps  their  minds  always  filled  with  an  holy  awe  and 

dread  of  God,  by  solemn  reading  and  expounding  His  Word 

to  them ;  and  their  faith  in  the  Gospel  strong  and  vigorous, 

by  frequent  receiving  of  the  Holy  Eucharist,  whereby  they 

"  are  able  to  quench  all  the  fiery  darts  of  the  wicked  one."  [Eph.6.i6.] 

And  they  who  carefully  observe  these  and  the  like  means 

of  grace  which  are  there  administered,  are  always  actuated, 

influenced,   and   assisted   by    Christ's   Holy  Spirit ;   which 

according  to  His  promise  runs  through  His  Church,  and 

resists  the  Devil  so  as  to  make  him  fly  from  them :  insomuch  [James  4. 

that  the  grand  adversary  of  mankind  can  never  attain  his 

malicious  ends  upon  any  that  hold  constant  communion  with 

the  Church,  and  live  up  to  the  rules  and  orders  of  it,  as  they 

ought  to  do. 

This  he  knows  well  enough,  and  therefore  hath  always 
had  an  implacable  enmity  and  hatred  against  the  Church 
ever  since  it  was  first  erected ;  and  hath  used  all  the  cun 
ning  and  policy  that  he  hath,  and  all  the  force  and  power 
that  he  ever  could,  some  way  or  other  to  subvert  it.  It  no 
sooner  appeared  in  the  world,  but  he  raised  up  oracles  to 
plead,  and  philosophers  to  dispute  against  it,  judges  to 
condemn,  and  emperors  to  persecute  it  with  the  most  ex 
quisite  torments,  that  he  with  all  his  art  could  put  into 
their  heads  ;  and  this  he  did  for  some  ages  together :  but 
when  he  saw  that  this  would  not  do  his  work,  but  that  the 
Church,  notwithstanding,  did  not  only  keep  its  ground,  but 
daily  obtained  more  and  more,  so  that  emperors  themselves 
began  to  favour  and  abet  it,  then  like  an  old  politician  as 
he  is,  he  betakes  himself  to  another  course,  and  endeavours 
to  divide  it  against  itself,  by  raising  an  intestine  war  in  its 
own  bowels.  For  which  purpose  he  seduced  many  of  those 
who  outwardly  professed  to  hold  communion  with  the 
Church  into  such  damnable  errors  and  heresies,  and  hurried 
them  on  with  so  much  fury  and  violence  in  the  defending 
and  propagating  of  the  same,  that  the  whole  Church  was  in 
danger  of  being  torn  into  pieces  by  them. 

But  maugre  all  his  attempts  to  the  contrary,  the  orthodox 


134  Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Roch. 

SERM.  faith  still  prevailed,  and  the  Church  was  settled  upon  the 
-  lasting  foundations  of  peace  and  truth :  which  the  Devil,  to 
his  great  grief  observing,  he  then  saw  there  was  no  other 
way  but  to  turn  himself  into  an  angel  of  light,  and  under 
that  disguise  to  insinuate  himself  into  the  Church,  and 
possess  as  many  of  the  members  of  it  as  he  could,  either 
with  superstitious  or  schismatical  opinions,  and  with  blind 
ungovernable  zeal  for  them,  more  than  for  all  the  great 
truths  and  duties  of  the  Gospel  besides ;  whereby  he  hath 
certainly  done  more  mischief  to  the  Church  than  by  all  his 
other  devices  put  together.  For  by  this  means  he  takes  off 
men's  minds  from  the  substance  of  religion,  and  employs 
them  continually  about  the  little  circumstances  of  it,  and  so 
draws  them  on  by  degrees  to  a  dislike  of  the  Church,  where 
true  substantial  religion  is  taught  and  practised,  until  at 
length  they  do  not  only  separate  from  it,  but  join  with  him 
in  opposing  it  with  all  their  might.  So  that  the  Devil  by 
this  means  hath  always  his  agents  upon  earth,  not  only 
amongst  the  professed  enemies  to  all  religion,  but  amongst 
the  professors  of  the  Christian  itself,  always  ready  to  carry 
on  and  execute  the  designs  which  he,  with  his  great  council 
in  the  gates  of  Hell,  projects  and  contrives  against  the 
Church,  whereby  to  disturb  its  peace,  and,  if  it  was  possible, 
overturn  the  very  foundations  of  it. 

But  blessed  be  God,  we  have  Christ's  own  word  for  it, 
that  "the  gates  of  Hell  shall  never  prevail"  against  His 
Church ;  and  therefore  we  need  not  fear  but  He  will  take 
care  of  it.  He  may  suffer  it  to  be  under  fiery  trials  for 
some  time,  the  better  to  purify  and  cleanse  it.  He  may 
suffer  some  corrupt  members  to  be  cut  off,  that  the  whole 
may  not  be  infected  with  them.  He  may  suffer  heresies 

[iCor.  11.  and  schisms  to  be  in  it,  that "  they  who  are  approved  of  may 
be  made  manifest,"  as  His  Apostle  tells  us.  He  may  suffer 

[Matt.  24.  "false  Christs"  and  "false  Prophets"  to  arise  in  it,  and  to 
"  shew  great  signs  and  wonders ; "  insomuch  that  "  if  it  were 
possible  they  should  deceive  the  very  elect,"  as  He  Himself 
hath  foretold :  but  after  all,  He  cannot  suffer  it  to  be  totally 
destroyed ;  for  He  hath  said,  He  will  not,  and  we  may  well 
take  His  Word,  who  cannot  lie,  for  it;  especially  having 
had  above  sixteen  hundred  years'  experience  of  it  already. 


Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock.  135 

In  all  which  time  the  gates  of  Hell  have  been  plotting  and 
conspiring  against  the  Church,  and  have  used  all  the  ways 
and  methods  that  wit  or  malice  could  suggest,  to  compass 
the  destruction  of  it ;  and  yet  they  have  not  done  it,  but  still 
the  Church  subsists  and  flourisheth  as  much  as  ever. 

And  it  is  well  for  us  and  all  mankind  it  doth  so ;  for 
if  Christ's  Church  should  be  once  destroyed,  all  hopes  of 
salvation  by  Him  would  perish  together  with  it ;  and  then 
the  Devil  would  have  his  ends.  For,  from  that  time  for 
ward,  mankind  would  be  in  the  same  condition  with  him ; 
inevitably  lost  for  ever.  For  all  the  means  of  grace  would 
be  taken  away,  and  by  consequence,  of  salvation  too.  The 
light  of  the  Gospel  would  be  extinguished,  and  the  whole 
earth  overspread  with  darkness  and  ignorance,  the  oracles 
of  Heaven  would  expire,  and  those  of  Hell  be  revived  again  ; 
the  motives  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  would  cease,  and  all  man 
kind  would  be  hurried  about  with  the  impetuous  suggestions 
and  temptations  of  wicked  and  impure  spirits.  In  short, 
Christ's  kingdom  would  be  thrown  down,  and  the  Devil's 
set  up  in  its  place ;  so  that  all  the  world  would  be  brought 
into  an  entire  subjection  to  him,  and  be  "  carried  captive  by  [2  Tim.  2. 
him  at  his  will,  into  that  everlasting  fire  which  is  prepared  ^'^  ^att< 
for  him  and  for  his  angels." 

But  what  do  I  mean,  to  suppose  that  which  cannot  be, 
and  therefore  ought  not  to  be  supposed?     No,  "  Heaven  Luke  21. 33. 
and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  Christ's  Word  shall  never 
pass  away."     He  hath  said,  that  the  gates  of  Hell  shall 
never  prevail  against  His  Church;  and  therefore  it  is  im 
possible  they  ever  should.     And  the  reason  is,  because  that 
He,  "  like  the  wise  man,"  that  He  Himself  speaks  of,  "  hath  Matt.  7. 24, 
built  it  upon  a  rock ; "  and  therefore  although  "  the  rain 
descends,  and  the  floods  come,  and  the  winds  blow,  and 
beat  upon  it,  it  cannot  fall,  for  it  is  founded  upon  a  rock," 
even  upon  Himself,  the  "  Rock  of  ages,"  in  the  first  place ;  and 
then  upon  "  the  foundation  of  His  Apostles  and  Prophets,  [Eph.  2. 
He  Himself"  likewise  being  "  the  chief  corner-stone."     So  2°'J 
that  the  Devil  may  as  well  undertake  to  destroy  Christ's 
real  body  in  Heaven,  as  His  mystical  upon  earth  :  for  so 
long  as  He  continues  there,  be  sure  His  Church  shall  con 
tinue  here,  and  never  cease  to  be,  till  time  itself  shall  do  so : 


136  Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Roch. 

SERM.    and  then  also  it  shall  not  be  destroyed  by  Hell,  but  trans- 
- —  lated  into  Heaven,  there  to  triumph  for  evermore ;  that  all 


the  world  may  know  how  true  our  Lord  is,  and  how  faith 
fully  He  hath  performed  what  He  here  spake  to  St.  Peter, 
saying,  "  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build 
My  Church,  and  the  gates  of  Hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  it." 

The  words  being  thus  explained,  it  is  easy  to  apply  them 
to  our  present  occasion  and  juncture  of  affairs.  For  as 
Christ  said  in  another  case,  I  may  now  in  a  great  measure 
[Luke 4.  say  to  you,  "This  day  was  the  Scripture  fulfilled  in  your 
ears:"  for  this  day  "the  gates  of  Hell"  conspired  the  ruin 
of  Christ's  Church  amongst  us,  but  could  "not  prevail 
against  it."  The  circumstances  of  which  conspiracy  are  so 
many,  that  it  would  be  tedious,  and  so  well  known,  that  it 
would  be  superfluous  to  repeat  them  here ;  and  withal  so 
sad  and  tragical,  that  the  very  relating  of  them  would  be 
too  great  an  alloy  to  the  joy  and  triumphs  of  the  day. 
Wherefore  I  shall  not  trouble  you  with  them,  but  only 
observe  in  general,  that  the  Church  of  Christ  established  in 
this  nation,  having  for  a  long  time  together  held  communion 
with  that  of  Rome,  had  thereby  contracted  many  errors  both 
in  opinion  and  practice,  which  when  she  came  to  herself  and 
had  her  eyes  opened,  she  was  so  sensible  of,  that  she  saw  it 
necessary  for  her  to  lay  aside  all  correspondence  with  so 
corrupt  a  Church  as  that  was,  and  to  reform  herself  ac 
cording  to  the  pattern  of  Christ's  Catholic  and  Apostolic 
Church :  which  she  accordingly  did,  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
with  so  great  prudence  and  piety,  that  she  became  both  in 
doctrine,  discipline,  and  worship,  one  of  the  best  and  purest 
Churches  that  ever  were  upon  the  face  of  the  earth ;  every 
way  exactly  fitted  to  the  great  ends  for  which  Christ  insti 
tuted  His  Church  in  general ;  even  for  the  advancing  God's 
glory,  and  for  the  bringing  of  souls  to  Heaven. 

This  the  Devil  perceived  all  along,  and  therefore  en 
deavoured  what  he  could  to  prevent  it ;  and  for  that  purpose 
put  so  many  rubs  in  the  way,  that  it  could  not  be  effected 
without  much  time  and  difficulty :  but  when,  notwithstand 
ing  his  endeavours,  it  was  at  length  accomplished,  so  that 
the  Church  of  Christ  was  planted  amongst  us  in  its  highest 


Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Roch.  137 

purity  and  perfection,  he  then  resolved  to  try  his  skill,  and 
exert  the  utmost  of  his  power  to  destroy  it  root  and  branch. 
In  order  whereunto,  having  before  this  spread  abroad  an 
opinion  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  that  it  was  both  lawful  and 
meritorious  to  assassinate,  murder,  and  destroy  all  princes 
and  people  that  would  not  submit  to  her,  he  now  possessed 
some  of  that  Communion  with  so  strong  a  belief  of  it,  how 
soever  contrary  to  the  principles  of  the  Christian  religion, 
that  they  looked  upon  it  as  their  duty  as  well  as  interest  to 
put  it  into  practice  ;  which  therefore  was  accordingly  at 
tempted  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  but  still  in  vain. 

But  when,  upon  her  decease,  King  James,  of  famous  and 
ever -blessed  memory,  succeeded  as  rightful  heir  to  the 
crown,  and  had  publicly  declared  himself  against  all  Popish 
errors  and  superstitions,  then,  being  acted  with  the  aforesaid 
diabolical  principle,  they  resolved  to  cut  both  him  and  his 
people  off  together  at  one  blow,  and  that  in  the  most  bar 
barous  and  savage  manner  that  ever  was  heard  of,  and  such 
as  cannot  be  thought  of  by  Christians,  no,  not  by  heathens 
themselves,  without  horror  and  amazement :  for  having,  in 
order  thereunto,  laid  in  a  great  quantity  of  gunpowder 
under  the  Lords'  House,  they  designed  therewith  to  have 
blown  up  both  the  King  and  the  three  states  of  this  realm, 
then  assembled  in  parliament,  all  together ;  that  so  having, 
Ahab-like,  first  killed,  and  then  taken  possession  of  the  [i  Kings  21. 
Church  and  Crown  of  England,  they  might  reduce  them 
both  into  a  slavish  subjection  to  the  court  of  Rome. 

But  this  is  too  doleful  a  subject  to  insist  on  long ;  neither 
should  I  have  mentioned  it  at  all,  but  that  both  the  day  and 
my  text  require  it.  Forasmuch  as  from  hence  we  may  see 
what  the  gates  of  Hell  have  attempted  against  our  Church, 
and  also  what  our  blessed  Saviour  hath  done  for  it;  who 
took  care  that  this  horrid  conspiracy  should  not  only  be 
timely  discovered,  but  that  too  in  a  wonderful  manner,  as 
King  James  himself  observed :  so  that  the  discovery  ap 
peared  as  plainly  to  be  from  Heaven,  as  the  invention  of  it 
was  from  Hell.  Insomuch  that  we  have  all  the  reason  in 
the  world  to  acknowledge,  as  we  do  in  the  service  appointed 
for  the  day,  "  That  it  was  Almighty  God,  who  of  His  gra 
cious  goodness  and  tender  mercy  towards  us,  prevented  the 


138  Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock. 

SERM.  malice  and  imagination  of  our  enemies,  by  discovering  and 
—  confounding  their  horrid  and  wicked  enterprise,  plotted  and 
intended  this  day  to  be  executed  against  the  King  and  the 
whole  state  of  this  realm,  for  the  subversion  of  the  govern 
ment  and  religion  established  amongst  us:"  and  that  this 
was  one  great  instance  of  our  Lord's  fulfilling  His  promise, 
that  "  the  gates  of  Hell  should  not  prevail  against  His 
Church." 

Neither  is  this  the  only  instance  we  have  had  of  it ;  for 
there  have  been  several  others  since,  and  one  especially  but 
very  lately.  For  the  Devil,  finding  by  experience  how  likely 
the  hellish  principle  before-mentioned  was  to  take  effect,  re 
solved  to  try  it  again  another  way :  for  which  end,  knowing 
full  wrell  that  when  a  branch  is  lopt  off  from  the  tree,  it 
partakes  no  longer  of  the  sap,  and  then  is  good  for  nothing 
but  to  make  tools  of;  hence,  under  one  pretence  or  other, 
he  separated  as  many  as  he  could  from  the  Church,  that  so 
he  might  have  them  at  his  own  beck,  and  fit  them  for  the 
work  he  designed  to  do  by  them.  Which  done,  he  puffed 
them  up  with  an  high  conceit  that  they  and  their  sect,  be 
it  what  it  will,  was  not  only  godly,  but  the  only  godly  party 
in  the  land  ;  and  therefore  that  they  not  only  might,  but 
ought  to  do  any  thing  to  promote  and  propagate  the  same. 
But  they  being  of  many  and  different  sects,  (and  he  cares 
not  which  they  are  of,  so  they  be  not  of  the  Church)  he  saw 
it  necessary  to  possess  them  all  in  common  with  a  panic 
fear,  that  Popery  would  prevail  again;  and  with  a  strong 
belief,  that  they  ought  to  do  as  much  to  keep  it  out,  as  the 
others  had  done  to  bring  it  in.  Upon  which  they  accord 
ingly  conspired  (I  dread  to  speak  it)  to  assassinate  the  King 
that  then  was,  his  royal  brother,  our  most  gracious  sovereign, 
and  all  loyal  subjects  of  all  orders  and  degrees:  which,  as  it 
was  the  greatest  wickedness  that  the  gates  of  Hell  could 
ever  invent,  so  it  was  certainly  the  most  effectual  course 
they  could  ever  take  for  the  ruin  of  Christ's  Church  amongst 
us.  But  here  again  we  may  see  Christ's  faithfulness  to  His 
promise,  who,  rather  than  the  conspiracy  should  prevail 
against  His  Church,  set  it  against  itself,  not  suffering  some 
that  were  engaged  in  it  to  be  at  rest  in  their  own  minds, 
until  they  had  discovered,  and  so  prevented  it  for  that  time. 


Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock.  139 

And  when  it  afterwards  broke  out  into  open  rebellion,  as 
ye  know  it  did  this  last  summer,  then  He  was  pleased 
openly  to  appear  in  behalf  of  the  King  and  Church ;  and 
by  a  little  handful  of  men,  in  comparison,  to  defeat  and 
disperse  the  rebels,  so  as  that  we  have  just  ground  to  hope 
they  will  never  be  able  to  disturb  the  peace  either  of  the 
Church  or  kingdom  any  more. 

This  I  thought  good  to  mention  now,  because  this  fana 
tical  was  so  exactly  like  to  the  Popish  conspiracy  we  this 
day  commemorate,  that  we  cannot  truly  express  our  thank 
fulness  to  God  for  His  preventing  the  execution  of  the  one, 
and  not  of  the  other  too  ;  insomuch,  that  unless  another  be 
appointed  by  authority,  I  see  no  reason  why  this  may  not 
for  the  future  serve  for  an  anniversary-day  of  thanksgiving 
for  our  deliverance  from  both ;  especially,  seeing  that  the 
service  for  the  day  is  for  the  most  part  so  composed,  as  it 
were,  by  the  Spirit  of  Prophecy,  that  it  may  be  equally  ap 
plied  to  the  one  as  well  as  to  the  other.  I  am  sure  we  shall 
always  have  infinite  cause  to  adore  the  goodness,  and  to 
magnify  the  power  and  mercy  of  the  Most  High  God,  for 
such  wonderful  deliverances  of  the  King  and  Church,  as 
both  these  were ;  and  to  look  upon  them  as  standing  monu 
ments  of  His  truth  and  veracity,  who  said,  that  the  gates  of 
Hell  should  not  prevail  against  His  Church. 

But  that  we  may  be  troubled  no  more  with  such  unna 
tural  and  hellish  conspiracies,  not  so  much  as  to  be  named 
amongst  Christians,  I  heartily  wish  that  all  such  would 
keep  these  words  of  Christ  continually  in  their  minds  ;  for 
then,  if  they  have  any  sense  at  all  of  His  religion,  they 
would  be  so  far  from  hearkening  to  any  temptations  against 
His  Church,  that  they  would  do  what  possibly  they  could 
for  it.  For  here  our  Saviour  plainly  intimates,  as  I  ob 
served  before,  that  all  attempts  against  the  Church  have 
their  rise  in  Hell ;  there  the  original  plot  is  laid,  and  what 
men  do  in  it  upon  earth,  is  only  to  put  the  Devil's  designs 
into  execution :  so  that  all  that  engage  in  such  conspiracies, 
do  in  effect  give  up  themselves  to  the  Devil,  to  be  employed 
by  him  in  those  horrid  projects  that  he  is  always  carrying 
on  against  the  Church.  Whatsoever  they  profess,  it  is  his 
work  they  do  ;  and  he  will  one  day  pay  them  their  wages 


140  Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock. 

SERM.  for  it :  they  are  but  his  instruments,  and  when  he  hath  done 
- —  what  mischief  he  can  with  them,  he  will  throw  them  into  the 
fire,  there  to  bewail  their  folly  and  madness  for  ever. 

Folly  and  madness  indeed  !  for  men  to  list  themselves 
under  Christ's  banner,  and  yet  fight  for  the  Devil  against 
him  ;  and  to  devote  themselves  to  his  drudgery,  who  hath 
no  other  rewards  to  give  them  but  eternal  flames ;  and  who, 
whatsoever  he  may  pretend,  cannot  promise  them  so  much 
as  the  pleasure  and  satisfaction  of  ever  accomplishing  his 
designs  :  for  all  this  while  they  do  but  kick  against  the 
pricks,  and  labour  to  destroy  that  which  Truth  and  Omni 
potence  itself  preserves. 

If  these  things  were  duly  weighed  and  believed  as  they 
ought,  we  should  hear  no  more  of  any  such  conspiracies 
carried  on  against  Christ's  Church,  by  those  who  profess 
His  Gospel ;  but  instead  of  that,  we  should  all  make  it  as 
much  our  business  as  it  is  our  duty,  to  promote  its  interest 
in  the  world,  and  especially  in  this  nation,  where  Almighty 
God  hath  appeared  so  miraculously  for  it,  and  Christ  hath 
so  faithfully  performed  the  promise  that  He  hath  made 
to  it. 

For  from  hence  it  is  evident,  that  the  interest  of  the 
Church  is  the  interest  of  Christ  Himself;  and  therefore, 
that  whatsoever  is  done  for  that,  He  reckons  it  as  done  for 
Himself:  for  indeed  He  is  the  supreme  manager  of  all  its 
concerns,  and  all  others  that  do  any  thing  for  it,  not  only 
under  Him,  but  by  His  assistance  too,  as  well  as  order. 
And  certainly  as  He  is  the  best  master  that  we  can  ever 
serve,  so  His  service  is  the  most  honourable  employment 
that  mortals  are  capable  of;  insomuch,  that  all  who  have 
been  so  happy  as  to  be  any  way  serviceable  to  Him  in  the 
preserving  of  His  Church,  have  as  much  cause  to  thank 
God  for  the  honour  that  He  hath  conferred  upon  them,  as 
for  the  success  that  He  hath  given  them  in  it:  especially 
considering,  that  this  is  the  highest  service  that  we  can  ever 
perform  to  our  great  Lord  and  Master  Christ,  as  conducing 
so  much  to  the  salvation  of  so  many  thousand  souls,  which 
He  hath  purchased  with  His  own  blood ;  that  they  may 
praise  and  glorify  His  name  for  ever,  as  for  His  other 
mercies,  so  in  a  particular  manner  for  the  many  great  and 


Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock.  141 

good  men  that  He  hath  raised  up  to  defend  that  Church, 
in  which  they  attained  salvation. 

But  so  long  as  there  are  Devils  in  Hell,  the  Church  will 
be  sure  to  have  enemies  upon  earth,  striving  all  they  can 
either  to  ruin  or  deprave  it ;  and  therefore  it  will  be  always 
necessary  to  be  upon  your  guard,  and  not  only  to  defend  it 
against  all  assaults,  but  to  prevent  them  too,  as  much  as 
may  be,  that  neither  superstition,  heresy  nor  schism  may 
ever  any  more  break  in  upon  it.  For  which  purpose  we 
may  observe,  that  when  the  Church  was  fallen  so  low,  as  in 
the  great  and  long  Rebellion,  that  no  ordinary  means 
could  raise  it  up,  then  God  Himself  was  pleased  to  do  it 
by  His  extraordinary  power,  in  the  miraculous  restoration 
of  it,  together  with  our  gracious  sovereign.  But  now, 
that  He  hath  not  only  set  it  up  again,  but  hath  supported, 
strengthened  and  established  it  by  civil  sanctions,  he  now 
expects  that  these  lawful  means,  which  He  by  His  Provi 
dence  hath  ordained  for  the  preservation  of  it,  be  duly 
administered  :  I  say  lawful  ;  for  as  for  unlawful  means, 
there  can  be  no  such  thing  in  Nature  :  for  nothing  that  is 
unlawful  can  ever  be  the  means  of  any  good,  much  less  of 
so  great  a  good  as  that  is.  And,  therefore,  it  is  plainly  the 
Devil's  device  to  put  men  upon  attempting  such  things  for 
the  Church,  which  he  knows  can  never  do  it  good,  but 
hopes  may  prove  its  ruin.  Be  sure  it  is  Christ  alone  that 
doth  or  can  defend  His  Church;  and  therefore  they  that 
would  be  subservient  to  Him  in  so  good  a  work,  must  take 
such  measures,  and  use  such  means  as  He  prescribes  or 
allows  of  in  His  Holy  Gospel.  And  if  that  be  done,  we 
need  trouble  our  heads  no  more  about  it,  but  leave  it  to 
His  protection,  who  hath  all  power  both  in  Heaven  and 
earth  committed  to  Him,  and  who  hath  given  us  His  own 
infallible  word  for  it,  that  the  gates  of  Hell  shall  never  pre 
vail  against  His  Church. 

And  verily,  as  ye  have  all  the  reason  in  the  world  to  con 
tinue  your  endeavours  for  the  peace  and  settlement  of  the 
Church,  considering  how  much  it  conduces  to  the  glory  of 
God,  to  the  ease  and  safety  of  our  gracious  sovereign,  to  the 
peace  and  welfare  of  the  whole  kingdom,  and  to  the  salva 
tion  of  your  own  and  all  the  souls  that  are  in  it ;  so  likewise 


142  Christ's  Church  established  on  a  Rock. 

SERM.  ye  have  all  the  encouragement  imaginable  to  do  it,  seeing 
—  you  serve  a  master  who  can  crown  your  endeavours  with 
success,  as  well  as  your  heads  with  glory  for  it :  and  that 
He  will  do  what  He  can,  you  may  now  be  confident  from 
your  own  experience,  as  well  as  from  His  promise,  as  con 
sidering  how  great  things  He  hath  done  already  for  it ; 
witness  the  occasion  of  our  present  meeting,  together  with 
His  deliverance  from  the  tumults  and  conspiracies,  and 
rebellions  lately  raised  against  them ;  and  making  them  all 
to  work  together  for  the  good  of  both  the  Crown  and 
Church. 

Let  us,  therefore,  mistrust  our  Saviour's  care  and  kindness 
for  our  Church  no  longer,  but  express  our  thankfulness 
unto  Him  for  what  is  past,  by  putting  our  whole  trust  and 
confidence  in  Him  for  the  future,  and  by  giving  up  our 
selves  entirely  to  His  service ;  that  we  may  so  live  in  His 
Church  Militant  here  on  earth,  that  we  may  also  live  in 
His  Church  Triumphant  in  Heaven,  through  the  same  our 
Saviour  and  mighty  Deliverer,  Jesus  Christ :  to  whom,  with 
the  Father  and  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour,  praise  and  glory 
now  and  for  evermore.  Amen. 


SERMON  VIII. 

CHRISTIANITY  AN  HOLY  PRIESTHOOD. 


1  PETER  ii.  5. 

Ye  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house,  an 
holy  priesthood,  to  offer  up  spiritual  sacrifices  acceptable  to 
God  by  Jesus  Christ. 

WHEN  the  Lord,  the  Lord  God  omnipotent,  had  by  the 
Word  of  His  power  commanded  all  things  out  of  nothing,  it 
is  written,  "That  God  saw  every  thing  that  He  had  made,  Gen.  i. si. 
and  behold  it  was  very  good."  Every  thing  was  just  as  He 
would  have  it,  exactly  fitted  to  the  ends  and  uses  for  which 
He  designed  it ;  and  therefore  it  was  "  very  good  "  in  His 
sight,  or  He  was  much  pleased  with  it :  and  so  He  hath 
been  ever  since  with  all  things  in  Heaven,  except  the 
apostate  angels ;  every  thing  else  moving  and  acting  there 
continually  according  to  His  will  and  pleasure.  Neither  is 
there  any  thing  that  He  hath  made  upon  earth,  but  what  is 
"  very  good "  in  His  eyes,  so  that  He  is  infinitely  pleased 
with  it,  except  mankind  ;  who  being  fallen  from  their  first 
estate,  are  so  far  from  being  very  good,  that  they  are  very 
bad  in  the  sight  of  God,  as  bad  as  bad  can  be  :  for  it  is 
written,  "  That  God  saw  that  the  wickedness  of  man  was  Gen.  6. 5. 
great  in  the  earth,  and  that  every  imagination  of  the 
thoughts  of  his  heart  was  only  evil  continually."  This  is 
the  case  of  man  in  general,  even  of  all  mankind,  from  first 
to  last.  There  never  was  a  mere  man  from  the  fall  to  this 
day,  that  was  every  way  such  as  God  made  him  ;  and  there 
fore  never  one,  that  did  any  one  thing  that  in  itself  was 
perfectly  good  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  so  pleasing  or  ac 
ceptable  unto  Him.  But  the  whole  race  of  mankind  being 


144  Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood. 

SERM.    corrupted  in  all  the  faculties  of  their  souls  and  members  of 

VIII 

— —  their  bodies,  and  always  therefore  acting  irregularly  and 
contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  He  is  always  displeased  with 
them,  and  with  every  thing  they  think  or  speak,  or  do  of 
themselves,  or  by  their  own  natural  powers.  So  that  He 
might  justly  have  condemned  them  all  to  the  same  ever- 

[Matt.  25.  lasting  fire, "  that  is  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  apostate 
angels ; "  and  would  certainly  have  done  it,  but  that  He 
knew  how  to  advance  the  glory  of  His  goodness  and  truth, 
in  restoring  them  to  a  capacity  of  pleasing  Him  again,  and 
enabling  them  accordingly  to  do  so,  if  they  will,  and  to  be 
willing  also  to  do  it. 

This  is  a  mystery  that  is  beyond  the  reach  of  human  un 
derstanding  ;  neither  could  any  man  have  thought  it  pos 
sible,  if  God  had  not  revealed  it  in  His  Holy  Word  :  but 
now  that  we  have  His  word  for  it,  we  have  surer  grounds 
to  believe  it,  than  we  have  to  believe  any  thing  that  we 
ourselves  can  understand.  From  whence  we  may  see  how 
much  we  ought  to  value  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  likewise 
how  far  the  Christian  exceeds  all  other  religions  :  for 
though  all  sorts  of  people  profess  some  kind  of  religion, 
whereby  they  hope  to  please  the  God  they  worship ;  yet 
none  have  any  sure  ground  to  believe  they  worship  the  true 
God,  nor  to  hope  that  He  will  be  pleased  with  what  they 
do,  but  only  they  who  believe  the  Holy  Scriptures,  both  of 
the  Old  and  New  Testament,  to  be  given  by  His  inspir 
ation  ;  which  seeing  none  but  Christians  do,  none  but  they 
can  be  ever  certain  that  any  thing  they  do  is  pleasing  unto 
God  :  but  they  may  be  certain  of  it,  and  ought  to  be  so,  in 
that  they  have  the  way  and  manner  how  to  do  it  most 
plainly  revealed  to  them  by  God  Himself  in  many  places  of 
His  Holy  Scriptures,  and  particularly  in  that  which  I  have 
now  read. 

The  Apostle  writes  this  Epistle  to  the  elect,  or  Saints  of 
God.  And  having  in  the  first  chapter  put  them  in  mind 
how  they  became  such,  even  by  being  born  again  by  the 

[iPet.  2.2.]  Word  of  God,  in  this  he  adviseth  them  as  "  new-born  babes 
to  desire  the  sincere  milk  of  the  same  Word,"  that  as  they 

Ver.  2.        were  born,  "  so  they  may  grow"  by  it.     "  If  so  be,"  saith  he, 

Ver.  3.        "  ye  have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious."     For  if  they 


Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood.  145 

had  once  tasted  of  it,  as  be  sure  they  had,  they  could  not 
but  long  for  more  of  the  Grace  of  Christ,  here  called  the 
Lord,  as  appears  from  the  following  words  ;  "  To  whom 
coming,  as  unto  a  living  stone,  disallowed  indeed  of  men, 
but  chosen  of  God,  and  precious  ;  ye  also  as  lively  stones 
are  built  up  a  spiritual  house."  For  the  Church  being 
wholly  built  upon  Christ,  and  all  our  hopes  of  salvation  de 
pending  upon  Him  ;  for  the  better  strengthening  and  con 
firming  our  faith  in  Him,  He  is  often  spoken  of  in  Holy 
Writ,  under  the  name  and  notion  of  a  "  rock  "  or  "  stone." 
"  Behold,"  saith  God  by  the  Prophet,  "  I  lay  in  Zion  for  a  isa.  28.  16. 

f  ,          '  /f  ,  J  Rom.  9.  23. 

foundation,  a  stone,  a  tried  stone,  a  precious  corner-stone,  a 

sure  foundation  ;  he  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste,"  or 

be  confounded.     "  And  the  stone,"  saith  David,  "  which  the  PS-  us.  22. 

builders  refused,  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner."     For 

that  this  stone  is  Christ,  appears  from  the  many  places  in 

the  New  Testament,  where  these  words  are  applied  to  Him, 

not,  only  by  His  Apostle,  but  by  Christ  Himself.     And  to  Acts  4.11. 

this  the  Apostle  alludes  in  this  very  place,  saying,  "  Unto  Matt'2i.42. 


whom  coming  as  to  a  living  stone,  disallowed  indeed  of 
men,  but  chosen  of  God,  and  precious  :  "  which  is  the  same 
in  effect  with  His  being  "  refused  of  the  builders,  but  chosen 
of  God  to  be  the  head  of  the  corner."  The  corner  or  foun 
dation-stone  upon  which  the  whole  fabric  resteth.  "  For  icor.  3.  11. 
other  foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid,  which  is 
Jesus  Christ." 

But  the  Apostle  here  calls  Him  a  "  living  stone,"  to  shew 
that  this  is  only  a  metaphorical  expression,  denoting  His 
firmness  and  stability,  together  with  the  great  need  there  is 
of  Him  in  erecting  the  house  here  spoken  of:  but  that  He 
is  not  such  a  "  stone  "  as  those  we  see  upon  earth,  that  are 
all  without  sense  and  life,  but  a  "  living  stone  ;"  a  stone  that 
hath  life  in  itself,  and  gives  life  to  all  that  come  unto  Him, 
and  are  built  upon  Him.  And  therefore  the  Apostle  having 
said,  "  To  whom  coming  as  to  a  living  stone  ;"  he  adds,  "  Ye 
also  as  lively,"  or  rather  as  living  "stones,  are  built  up  a 
spiritual  house."  He  is  such  a  living  stone  Himself,  that 
He  makes  them  also  who  come  unto  Him,  to  be  so  :  who 
therefore  as  such  are  built  up  a  spiritual  house  ;  an  house 
of  God,  a  temple,  wherein  the  living  God  Himself  is  pleased 


146  Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood. 

SERM.    to  dwell;  according  to  that  of  the  Apostle  to  the  Saints  at 

—  -  -  '•  —  Corinth,  "  Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God,  and 

Chap.  6.  19!  that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you?"     And  to  those  at 

Eph.  2.  19.  Ephesus,  "  Now  therefore  ye  are  no  more  strangers  and 

foreigners,   but    fellow-citizens   with    the    saints,   and    the 

household  of  God.     And  are  built  upon  the  foundation  of 

the  Apostles  and  Prophets,  Jesus  Christ  Himself  being  the 

chief  corner-stone;  in  whom  all  the  building  fitly  framed 

together,  groweth  unto  an  Holy  Temple  in  the  Lord.     In 

whom  ye  also  are  builded  together  for  an  habitation  of  God 

through  the  Spirit."     Whence  we  see,  that  the  whole  Com 

munion  of  Saints,  the  body  of  Christ,  are  the  spiritual  house 

spoken  of  in  my  text  ;  "  the  house  of  God,  or  His  habita 

tion,"  by  reason  of  His  Spirit  dwelling  in  them.    And  there 

fore  they  are  all  of  the  same  household,  the  "  household  of 

Gal.  6.  10.   God,"  as  it  is  here  called  ;  and  elsewhere,  "  the  household  of 

faith."     Because  it  is  by  faith  that  they  are  built  upon 

Christ  the  foundation  of  this  house.     Hence  it  is  that  they 

Jude,          are  all  advised  "  to  build  up  "  one  another  "  in  their  most 

holy  faith."     And  the  Apostle   often  speaks  of  "edifying" 

[i  Cor.  14.  the  Church,  "  edifying  "  the  "  body  of  Christ,  edifying  one 

12';  Rom.  '  another  in  love,"  that  "  all  things  may  be  done  to  edifying," 


'  and  the  like.  All  which  expressions  have  relation  to  this 
spiritual  house,  denoting  the  necessity  of  our  being  edified 
or  built  up  in  faith  or  love,  so  that  we  may  be  real  parts  of 
it,  and  grow  up  into  an  holy  temple  in  the  Lord. 

But  in  every  temple  of  the  Lord,  it  is  necessary  that  there 
be  a  priesthood  to  offer  sacrifices  suitable  to  such  a  temple. 
And  so  there  is  here  :  for  the  Apostle  having  said,  that  the 
saints  are  a  "  spiritual  house  "  or  temple,  he  adds,  that  they 
are  also  an  "  Holy  Priesthood."  As  they  are  the  "  living 
stones  "  of  which  this  temple  is  composed  and  consisteth,  so 
they  are  likewise  all  of  the  order  of  priesthood  :  "  an  Holy 
Priesthood,"  proper  for  such  an  house,  where  the  most 
Holy  God  resideth.  This  was  first  revealed  in  the  Old 

Exod.  19.  6.  Testament,  where  God  said,  "  His  people  should  be  unto 
Him  a  kingdom  of  Priests."  A  kingdom  wherein  all  the 
subjects  are  both  "kings"  and  "priests;"  or,  as  St.  Peter  a 

i  Pet.  2.  9.  little  after  my  text  expresseth  it,  "  a  royal  priesthood."  And 
how  they  come  to  be  so,  we  learn  from  St.  John,  saying, 


Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood.  147 

"  That  Jesus  Christ  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto  Rev.  i.  6; 
God  and  His  Father."    As  he  gives  His  Saints  a  "  kingdom,"  5' 10' 
so  He  consecrates  them  all  to  be  "  Priests ;"  not  such  as 
were  under  the  law,  when  the  "  Priesthood"  was  confined  to 
one  family,  and  offered  up  only  carnal  sacrifices,  but  they 
are  "  an  holy  Priesthood,"  ordained  "  to  offer  up  spiritual 
sacrifices,  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ." 

For  the  understanding  of  which  words,  it  will  be  neces 
sary  to  consider,  what  sacrifices  they  are  which  the  Saints 
offer  to  God ;  wherefore  they  are  called  spiritual  sacrifices ; 
and  that  these  spiritual  sacrifices  are  acceptable  to  God  by 
Jesus  Christ. 

First  therefore,  a  sacrifice  in  general,  is  properly  some 
thing  that  we   give  or  offer  to   God  for  our  own.      For 
though  we  have  nothing  but  what  He  first  gives  to  us,  yet 
when  He  hath  given  it  to  us,  we  have  a  civil  right  to  it ;  it 
is  our  own  in  respect  of  all  other  men :  but  when  we  give  it 
back  again  to  God,  divesting  ourselves  of  our  own  right  to 
it,  and  transferring  it  wholly  to  Him,  then  He  looks  upon 
it  as  a  sacrifice  offered  up  to  Him,  and  is  pleased  to  accept 
of  it  as  such.     Under  the  Law,  God  commanded,  that  oxen, 
and  sheep,  and  lambs,  and  suchlike  living  creatures,  should 
be  offered  up  in  sacrifice  to  Him ;  which  being  killed  by  a 
Priest,  were  consumed  either  by  fire  upon  the  altar,  or  else 
by  those  who  waited  at  it,  and  so  were  fed  as  it  were  at  God's 
table,  of  such  things  as  were  offered  to  Him.     But  these 
sacrifices  being  ordained  only  to  foreshew  and  typify  the 
"  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world,"  they  [j0hn  i. 
ceased  in  course,  when  "  He  had  offered  up  Himself  a  sacri-  ^eb  9 
fice  for  our  sins  upon  the  cross."    But  now  under  the  Gospel,  26-3 
other  kind  of  sacrifices  are  required  of  us.     We  are  now 
commanded  to  "  present  our  bodies  as  a  living  sacrifice."  R0m.  12.  i. 
Not  to  kill  them,  but  to  offer  them  up  alive,  as  a  "  living 
sacrifice,"  by  devoting  ourselves  wholly  to  the  service  of 
God ;  by  "  mortifying  our  members  that  are  upon  the  earth,"  COL  3.  5. 
and  "  crucifying  the  flesh  with  the  affections  and  lusts,"  by  S^5,.'  g4' 
keeping  our  bodies  under,  and  bringing  them  into  subjec-  2?.] 
tion  to  our  souls  ;  by  subduing  our  passions,  "  denying  un-  Tit.  2. 12. 
godliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  living  soberly,  righteously, 
and  godly,  in  this  present  world." 


148  Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood. 

SERM.        Hence  all  manner  of  good,  pious,  and  charitable  works, 
'• —  that  are  done  in  obedience  to  God,  and  for  His  service  and 


honour,  are  now  called  sacrifices.     As  where   the  Apostle 
saith,  that  the  things  which  the  Philippians  sent  him,  were 

Phil.  4.  is.  "  an   odour  of  a   sweet  smell,  a  sacrifice  acceptable,  well 

Heb.  is.  16.  pleasing  to  God."  And  "  to  do  good,"  saith  he,  "  and  to 
communicate,  forget  not;  for  with  such  sacrifices  God  is 
well  pleased." 

Indeed  under  the  Law  itself,  these  were  reckoned  the  best 
sort  of  sacrifices,  and  preferred  before  those  that  were 

i  Sam.  15.  ordained  in  the  ceremonial  law :  "  Behold,"  saith  Samuel, 
"  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken,  than  the 

PS.  si.  17.  fat  of  rams."  "  The  sacrifices  of  God,"  saith  David,  "  are 
a  broken  spirit ;  a  broken  and  a  contrite  heart,  O  God, 

Mic.  6. 6,  7,  Thou  wilt  not  despise."  "  Wherewith,"  saith  the  Prophet, 
"  shall  I  come  before  the  Lord,  and  bow  myself  before  the 
High  God  ?  Shall  I  come  before  Him  with  burnt-offerings, 
with  calves  of  a  year  old  ?  Will  the  Lord  be  pleased  with 
thousands  of  rams,  or  with  ten  thousands  of  rivers  of  oil  ? 
Shall  I  give  my  first-born  for  my  transgression  ?  The  fruit 
of  my  body  for  the  sin  of  my  soul  ?  He  hath  shewed  thee, 
O  man,  what  is  good  :  and  what  doth  the  Lord  require  of 
thee,  but  to  do  justly,  and  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk 
humbly  with  thy  God." 

There  are  many  such  places  in  the  Old  Testament,  where 
this  is  so  plainly  revealed,  that  the  Scribe  who  talked  with 
our  Saviour,  could  not  but  own,  that  for  a  man  to  love  God 

Mark  12. 33.  "  with  all  his  heart,  and  his  neighbour  as  himself,  is  more 
than  all  whole  burnt-offerings  and  sacrifices." 

But  sacrificing,  in  general,  being  a  public  owning  of  God 
and  His  sovereignty  over  the  world,  whereby  we  openly 
testify  our  acknowledgment  and  belief,  that  He  is  the 
Almighty  Creator,  possessor,  and  governor  of  all  things,  and 
that  we  are  obliged  to  Him  for  all  the  blessings  we  enjoy ; 
therefore  by  the  sacrifices  which  are  here  said  to  be  offered 
by  the  holy  Priesthood  spoken  of  in  my  text,  such  duties 
seem  to  be  more  especially  understood,  whereby  we  now  set 
forth  the  glory  of  God,  by  joining  together,  in  making  our 
public  profession  of  our  dependance  upon  Him,  and  our 
manifold  obligations  to  Him. 


Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood.  149 

Particularly  our  open  or  public  praying  to  Him,  and  to 
Him  alone,  for  all  the   good  things  that  we  want.     For 
hereby  we  plainly  discover  that  we  believe  Him  to  be  the 
Author  and  Giver  of  "  every  good  and  perfect  gift :"  that  we  [James  i. 
neither  have  nor  can  have  any  thing  but  what  we  receive  17'^ 
from  Him  :  and  that  He  is  so  just  and  true  to  His  word, 
that  He  will  give  us  whatsoever  He  knows  to  be  good  for 
us,  "  if  we  ask  it  of  Him  according  to  His  will."     And  L1  Jolm  5- 
therefore,  under  the  Law  itself,  their  public  prayers  always 
went  along  with  their   daily  sacrifices  both  morning  and 
evening,  and  were  performed  at  the  same  time,  even  while 
the  lamb  was  roasting  upon  the  altar:  and  this  was  itself 
also  reckoned  as  a  sacrifice  offered  up  to  God.     "  Let  my  PS.  HI.  2. 
prayer,"  saith  David,  "  be  set  forth  before  Thee  as  incense, 
and  the  lifting  up  of  my  hands  as  the  evening  sacrifice." 

Especially  considering  that  prayer  always  was,  and  ought 
to  be,  accompanied  with  praise  and  thanksgiving  to  God, 
which  is  so  properly  a  sacrifice,  that  it  is  often  called  by  that 
name.     "  I  will  offer,"  saith  David,  "  to  Thee  the  sacrifice  PS.  116. 17. 
of  thanksgiving."     "  And  let  them  sacrifice  the  sacrifices  of  Ps  107  22> 
thanksgiving,   and  declare  His  works  with  rejoicing"  (or 
singing).     And  this,  even  in  those  days,  was  more  accept 
able  unto  God,  than  all  their  other  sacrifices.    "  I  will  praise  ps.  g9.  30 
the  name  of  God,"  saith  he,  "  with  a  song,  and  will  magnify  31- 
Him  with  thanksgiving.     This  also  shall  please  the  Lord 
better  than  an  ox  or  bullock  that  hath  horns  and  hoofs." 
The  Apostle  also,  to  shew  that  this  is  properly  an  Evan 
gelical  sacrifice,  such  as  St.  Peter  speaks  of  in  my  text, 
saith,  "  By  Him  therefore,"  even  by  Christ,  "  let  us  offer  the  Heb.  is.  is. 
sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  continually,  that  is,  the  fruit  of  our 
lips,  giving  thanks  to  His  name." 

But  the  sacrifice  that  is  most  proper  and  peculiar  to  the 
Gospel,  is  the  Sacrament  of  our  Lord's  Supper,  instituted 
by  our  Lord  Himself,  to  succeed  all  the  bloody  sacrifices  in 
the  Mosaic  law. 

For  though  we  cannot  say,  as  some  absurdly  do,  that  this 
is  such  a  sacrifice  whereby  Christ  is  again  offered  up  to  God 
both  for  the  living  and  the  dead ;  yet  it  may  as  properly  be 
called  a  sacrifice  as  any  that  was  ever  offered,  except  that 
which  was  offered  by  Christ  Himself:  for  His  indeed  was 


150  Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood. 

SERM.  the  only  true  expiatory  sacrifice  that  was  ever  offered. 
-  Those  under  the  Law  were  only  types  of  His ;  and  were 
called  sacrifices  only  upon  that  account,  because  they  typi 
fied  and  represented  that  which  He  was  to  offer  for  the  sins 
of  the  world.  And  therefore  the  Sacrament  of  Christ's 
body  and  blood  may  as  well  be  called  by  that  name  as  they 
were.  They  were  typical,  and  this  is  a  commemorative 
sacrifice.  They  foreshewed  the  death  of  Christ  to  come; 

i  Cor.  11.  this  shews  forth  His  death  already  past.  "For  as  often," 
saith  the  Apostle,  "  as  ye  eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup, 
ye  do  shew  the  Lord's  death  till  He  come."  This  is  pro 
perly  our  Christian  sacrifice,  which  neither  Jews  nor  Gen- 

Heb.  is.  10.  tiles  can  have  any  share  in,  as  the  Apostle  observes ;  "  We 
have  an  Altar,  whereof  they  have  no  right  to  eat,  which 
serve  the  tabernacle."  An  Altar,  where  we  partake  of  the 
great  sacrifice  which  the  Eternal  Son  of  God  offered  up 
for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  and  ours  among  the  rest ; 
that  Almighty  God  may  be  reconciled  to  us,  and  receive  us 
again  into  His  love  and  favour,  and  make  us  happy  in  the 
enjoyment  of  it  for  ever.  Which  is  so  great  a  blessing,  that 
they  who  really  mind  their  own  good  and  welfare,  can  no 
more  forbear  to  partake  of  this  Sacrament  when  they  may, 
than  they  can  forbear  to  eat  when  they  are  hungry,  and 
have  meat  before  them. 

These  are  those  spiritual  sacrifices  which  the  holy  Priest 
hood  or  whole  body  of  Saints  offer  up  to  God.  The  Apostle 
calls  them  spiritual,  in  opposition  to  those  carnal  sacrifices 
that  were  offered  by  the  Levitical  priesthood ;  and  because 
they  are  of  a  spiritual  nature,  and  performed  in  a  spiritual 
manner,  being  offered  up  in  the  spirits  of  the  Saints  as  well 
as  bodies  ;  and  by  the  Spirit  of  God  Himself,  dwelling  in 
them,  and  so  consecrating  them  a  spiritual  house,  an  holy 
Priesthood,  and  enabling  them  to  offer  up  these  sacrifices  in 
the  name  of  Christ,  and  through  the  merits  of  that  sacrifice 
which  He  hath  offered  for  them  :  according  to  that  of  the 

[Heb.  is.  Apostle  in  the  place  before  quoted,  by  Him  "  therefore  let 
us  offer  up  the  sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  continually."  It  is 
by  Him  only  that  they  can  be  offered  up  so  as  to  be  accept 
able  unto  God :  and  when  they  are  offered  up  by  Him,  they 
can  be  acceptable  unto  God  no  otherwise  than  by  Him  too. 


Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood.  151 

As  we  are  here  taught  by  the  Apostle,  saying,  That  these 
"spiritual  sacrifices"  are  "acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus 
Christ." 

All  that  I  have  hitherto  discoursed  upon  these  words, 
being  only  in  order  to  clear  the  way  for  that  which  I  chiefly 
designed  in  the  choice  of  them,  even  to  shew  how  our  spiritual 
sacrifices  come  to  be  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ  (to 
our  unspeakable  comfort;)  I  shall  now  by  His  assistance 
search  into  the  bottom  of  it,  and  lay  it  as  open  as  I  can. 
For  which  purpose  we  may  first  observe,  that,  by  the  Le- 
vitical  law,  when  a  man  brought  "  an  offering  to  the  Lord,"  Levit.  i.  9, 
of  his  flock,  or  his  herd,  "  the  Priest  was  to  burn,  it  all  upon 
the  altar ; "  and  then  it  was  said  "  to  be  a  burnt  sacrifice,  an 
offering  made  by  fire,  of  a  sweet  savour  unto  the  Lord." 
What  we  translate  sweet  savour,  in  the  Hebrew  is  ritrYO  /Tn, 
1  a  smell  of  rest.'  Such  a  smell,  whereby  God  rested  satisfied 
with  the  sacrifice  from  whence  it  came,  instead  of  the  death 
of  the  offerer,  or  such  punishment  as  was  due  unto  him  for 
his  sins.  But  he  was  first  to  "  put  his  hand  upon  the  head  Ver.  4. 
of  his  burnt-offering  ;  and  then,"  the  text  saith,  "  it  shall  be 
accepted  for  him,  to  make  atonement  for  him."  The  death 
of  the  sacrifice  was  accepted  of,  instead  of  the  death  which 
he  must  otherwise  have  suffered  for  his  sin.  So  that  God 
was  thereby  atoned  or  reconciled  to  him,  and  well  pleased 
again  with  him,  as  much  as  if  he  had  not  sinned  :  not  by 
any  virtue  in  the  beast  that  was  killed  and  burnt,  but  by 
reason  of  the  typical  relation  it  had  to  the  sacrifice  of  the 
death  of  Christ,  whereby  He  offered  up  Himself  in  our 
stead,  and  so  made  an  atonement  or  propitiation  for  our 
sins. 

Now  as  the  Apostle  in  my  text  calls  our  devotions  and 
good  works  by  the  name  of  sacrifices,  so  he  asserts  them  to 
be  acceptable  to  God,  as  the  Legal  sacrifices  were.  St.  Paul 
expresseth  the  same  thing  in  the  very  words  of  the  Law, 
saying,  that  the  good  works  of  the  Philippians  were  "  an  PMI.  4.  is. 
odour  of  a  sweet  smell."  And  then  he  explains  it,  by  adding, 
that  they  "  were  a  sacrifice  acceptable,  well  pleasing  to  God." 
And  so  all  the  good  works  that  we  sincerely  perform  in 
obedience  to  the  will  of  God,  although  they  are  not  abso 
lutely  perfect  in  themselves,  yet  He  accepts  of  them  as  much 


152  Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood. 

SERM.  as  if  they  were,  and  is  as  well  pleased  with  them,  and  with 
-  him  that  doth  them.  He  looks  upon  them  as  good  works, 
such  as  He  would  have  us  to  do,  and  accordingly  rewards 
us  for  them,  by  giving  us  those  great  blessings  which  He 
hath  freely  promised  to  those  who  obey  and  serve  Him. 
Thus  therefore  our  spiritual  sacrifices  are  here  said  to  be 
acceptable  to  God :  but  not  for  any  worth  or  value  in 
themselves,  but  by  Jesus  Christ.  To  undertand  this,  we 
must  consider, — 

I.  There  is  nothing  which  we  do  that  is  acceptable  or 
well  pleasing  to  God  in  itself;  for  God  is  pleased  with 
nothing  but  what  is  exactly  agreeable  to  His  own  will :  but 
nothing  that  we  do,  is  so  in  all  points.  But  do  what  we 
can,  we  still  fail  either  in  the  matter,  or  in  the  manner,  or  in 
the  end,  or  in  some  circumstance  or  other.  So  that,  as  the 

Ecci.  7.  20.  wise  man  observes,  "There  is  not  a  just  man  that  doeth 
good,  and  sinneth  not,"  not  only  that  always  doth  good,  and 
never  sins,  but  that  doth  not  sin  in  the  good  he  doth,  by 
not  doing  it  as  he  ought  in  all  respects.  But  nothing  is 
good  that  is  not  all  good,  without  any  failure  or  defect  in  it. 
Which  seeing  nothing  we  do  is,  therefore  nothing  we  do 

[Habak.  i.  can  be  of  itself  acceptable  to  Him,  "  who  is  of  purer  eyes 
than  to  behold  iniquity,"  any  iniquity,  without  abhorrence 
and  indignation. 

In  the  next  place  we  may  observe,  that  as  all  our  spiritual 
sacrifices  are  thus  unclean  in  the  sight  of  God,  so  it  is  not 
in  the  power  of  any,  or  all  the  creatures  in  the  world  to 
cleanse  them,  so  as  to  make  them  acceptable  to  Him,  with- 

Acts  4. 12.  out  Christ :  neither  is  there  salvation  in  any  other ;  "  For 
there  is  none  other  name  under  Heaven  given  among  men, 
whereby  we  must  be  saved,"  whereby  we  can  be  saved  from 
the  wrath  of  God,  which  is  due  to  every  sin  and  transgres 
sion  of  His  law,  one  as  well  as  another  ;  to  the  defects  and 
imperfections  of  our  best  actions,  as  well  as  to  the  worst 
that  we  ever  did,  or  ever  can  do. 

John  is.  5.  And  therefore  Christ  Himself  saith,  "  That  without  Him 
we  can  do  nothing;"  nothing  that  is  truly  good,  nothing 
that  God  will  accept  of  without  Him :  insomuch  that  with 
out  Him  our  whole  lives  are  but  as  one  continued  sin  and 
provocation  against  Him,  in  whom  we  live ;  as  they,  who 


Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood.  153 

do  not  believe  in  Him,  will  one  day  find  by  woeful  ex 
perience,  notwithstanding  all  their  pretensions  to  virtue  and 
good  works :  for  whatsoever  they  may  pretend,  they  can 
neither  exercise  any  one  virtue,  nor  do  any  one  work  that 
can  be  properly  termed  good,  and  therefore  acceptable  to 
God,  without  Christ. 

But  by  Him,  St.  Peter  here  saith,  that  our  "  spiritual 
sacrifices  are  acceptable  to  God;"   and   so  doth  St.  Paul 
too,  where   he   saith,  that   "wre  are  accepted  in  the  Be- Eph.  i.  6. 
loved;"  in  Him,  of  whom  God  the  Father  said,  "This  is  Matt.  3. 17; 
My  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."     This  was  l7*  5' 
proclaimed  by  a  voice  from  Heaven  upon  two  several  oc 
casions,  at  His  baptism,  and  at  His  transfiguration ;   the 
better  to  assure  us,  that  He  is  the  beloved  Son,  in  whom 
God  is  pleased  to  manifest  His  love  and  favour  to  mankind : 
that  as  "the  law  was  given  by  Moses,  grace  and  truth  came  John  1. 17. 
by  Jesus  Christ."     All  the  grace  and  mercy  that  we  receive 
from  God,  comes  by  Him,  particularly  that  whereby  He  is 
graciously  pleased  to  accept  of  any  thing  that  we  sinful 
mortals  do :  and  therefore  in  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  the 
Apostle  prays,  that  "  God  would  make  them  perfect  in  every  Heb.  is.  21. 
good  work,  to  do  His  will,  working  in  them  that  which  is 
well  pleasing  in  His  sight,  through  Jesus  Christ."     It  is 
only  through  Him  that  God  enables  us  to  do  good  works ; 
and  it  is  only  through  Him  that  the  good  works  we  do  are 
well  pleasing  unto  God. 

But  how  this  comes  to  pass,  that  what  we  do  should  be 
acceptable  to  God  by  another,  even  by  Jesus  Christ,  is  a 
mystery  which  "  the  Angels  desire  to  look  into,"  and  the  [i  Pet.  i. 
more  they  look,  the  more  they  admire ;  and  so  shall  we,  if1" 
we  do  but  cast  our  eye  upon  what  is  revealed  of  it  in  God's 
Holy  Word  :  where  we  find, 

1.  That  this  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  of 
one  substance  with  the  Father,  and  that  in  the  fulness  of 
time  He  took  upon  Him  the  form  or  nature  of  man,  so  as 
to  be  in  one  and  the  same  person,  both  God  and  man ;  man 
in  general:  not  only  a  particular  human  person,  as  every 
one  of  us  is,  but  as  the  "  first  man  Adam"  was,  one  in  whom 
the  whole  nature  of  man  is  contained ;  who  therefore  is 
called  also  the  "  second  man;"  and  Adam,  that  is,  man  in  ]7?°r' 15' 


154  Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood. 

SERM.    general,  as  the  "  first"  was.    But  with  this  mighty  advantage, 
Ver  45  '  —  that  the  first  was  only  man  ;  the  second  not  only  man,  but 
God  too  :  God  of  the  same  nature  with  the  Father,  as  well 
as  man  of  the  same  nature  with  all  other  men. 

2.  We  there   find,  that  as  the  first  man  Adam,  and  in 

him  all  mankind  broke  the  law  of  God,  so  the  second  kept 

it  perfectly,  never  doing  any  one  thing  that  was  there  for 

bidden,  nor  leaving  any  one  thing  undone  that  was  there 

[Acts  10.     commanded.     But  "He  went  about"    continually  "doing 

is.']         3'  g°°d>"  an(i  "  fulfilling  all  righteousness  :  "  so  that  His  whole 


life  as  man,  was  one  continued  act  of  obedience  to  the  will 
of  God  ;  which  being  performed  by  Him  in  the  whole  nature 
of  man,  was  as  much  as  was  required  of  all  that  are  of  that 
nature,  and  more  too  :  forasmuch  as  no  more  was  or  could 
be  required  of  all  mankind,  than  the  obedience  of  so  many 
finite  creatures  ;  whereas  it  was  the  obedience  of  a  person 
that  is  infinite,  and  therefore  infinitely  surpassing  all  that 
could  ever  have  been  done  by  the  whole  race  of  mankind. 

3.  We  there  also  find,  that  He  was  thus   obedient  not 
only  through  the  whole  course  of  His  life,  but  to  death  itself, 

Phil.  2.  s.  "  even  the  death  of  the  cross."  He  did  not  only  suffer  that 
accursed  death,  but  He  suffered  it  in  perfect  obedience  to 
the  will  of  God  ;  but  death  being  due  only  for  sin,  He  never 
having  sinned,  could  not  suffer  it  for  Himself:  but  as  He 
suffered  it  in  the  nature  of  man,  so  He  suffered  it  for  all  that 
are  of  that  nature.  And  therefore  He  is  there  said  to  have 
Heb.  2.  9.  died  for  us,  and  for  our  sins  ;  to  have  "  tasted  death  for  every 
i  Tim.  2.  6.  man  ;  "  and  "  to  have  given  Himself  a  ransom  for  all,"  for 
all  of  that  nature  in  which  He  died.  So  that  His  death  was 
a  sufficient  price  for  the  redemption  of  all  mankind  ;  it  being 
equivalent  to  the  death  of  all  men  ;  and  of  infinitely  greater 
worth  and  value,  in  that  it  was  the  death  of  an  infinite 
person. 

4.  We  there  find  also  that  this  Divine  person,  having  thus 
suffered  death  in  the  nature  of  man,  He  in  that  rose  again, 
went  up  into  Heaven,  and  is  there  exalted  at  the  right  hand 

iTim.  2.  5;  of  God,  to  be  the  "Mediator  between  God  and  men,"  in 

whose  nature  He  is  now  there,  appearing  "  in  the  presence 

i  John  2.  2.  of  God  for  us  "  "  as  the  propitiation  for  our  sins,  and  for 

Heb.  7.  25.  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."    And  "  is  able  to  save  them  to 


Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood.  155 

the  uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by  Him,  seeing  He  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them." 

Lastly,  We  find  in  Holy  Writ,  that  they  who  believe  in 
this  Jesus  Christ,  are  said  to  "be  in  Him,"  to  "abide  in  [John  14. 4; 
Him,"  as  a  member  in  the  body,  or  a  branch  in  a  tree,  and  24.] 
so  to  "  partake  of  Him,"  and  of  all  He  did  and  suffered  Heb.  3. 14. 
upon  earth,  and  of  all  He  is  now  doing  in  Heaven ;  where 
He  looks  upon  them  as  His  own,  His  disciples,  His  servants, 
His  friends,  His  brethren,  His  sheep,  His  peculiar  people ; 
and   accordingly   takes   particular   care   of  them,  as   their 
Saviour,   their   Mediator   and  Advocate  with   the    Father, 
interceding  continually  for  them,  and  for  them  only :   "  I  John  17.  9. 
pray  for  them,"  saith  He,  "  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but 
for  them  which  Thou  hast  given  Me,  for  they  are  Thine." 

Now  these  things  being  thus  briefly  laid  down  together, 
we  may  easily  see  how  the  spiritual  sacrifices,  which  the 
"spiritual  house"  and  "holy  Priesthood,"  here  spoken  of, 
"  offer  unto  God,"  come  to  be  acceptable  to  Him  by  Jesus 
Christ.  For  this  spiritual  house  being  wholly  made  up  of 
such  as  "  come  to  Christ,"  and  "  believe  on  Him,"  as  we  Ver.  4,  6, 7. 
learn  from  the  context,  therefore  they  are  built  up  in  Him, 
as  St.  Peter  here  saith,  or  as  St.  Paul  expresseth  it,  "  In  Eph.2.22. 
Him  they  are  builded  together,  for  an  habitation  of  God 
through  the  Spirit."  So  that  they  have  a  near  relation  to 
Him,  and  an  interest  in  Him,  and  He  in  them  :  they  are 
wholly  His,  and  are  actuated  and  influenced  by  that  Holy 
Spirit  that  proceeds  from  Him ;  as  the  members  of  a  body  Rom.  s.  9, 
are  by  the  animal  spirits  that  flow  from  the  head.  It  is  by  ' 
this  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  so  by  Christ  Himself,  that  they 
offer  all  their  spiritual  sacrifices,  and  do  all  the  good  works 
that  are  required  of  them ;  according  to  that  of  the  Apostle, 
"  I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  which  strengthened  PhiL  4>  13. 
me."  But  what  is  done  by  Christ  or  His  Holy  Spirit,  is 
done  by  God  Himself.  And  so  far  as  any  thing  is  done  by 
Himself,  so  far  be  sure  He  is  well  pleased  with  it,  as  He  is 
with  every  thing  which  He  Himself  doth.  This  therefore 
is  one  reason  wherefore  the  spiritual  sacrifices  which  His 
people  offer,  are  "  acceptable  to  God  by  Jesus  Christ,"  be 
cause  they  are  offered  by  Him,  in  whom  God  is  well 
pleased. 


156  Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood. 

SERM.        But  although  they  be  thus  led  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  yet 
'      while  they  are  in  the  body,  "  the  flesh  lusteth  against  the 
" 


spirit;"  so  that  do  what  they  can,  there  are  many  blemishes 
and  imperfections  in  their  "  best  sacrifices,"  which  would 
hinder  their  being  "  acceptable  "  unto  God,  if  Christ  did  not 
cover  them  with  His  "  own  sacrifice."  But  He  having 
offered  up  Himself  as  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world,  by  virtue  of  that,  He  makes  atonement  and  reconci 
liation  for  all  the  sins  of  those  who  believe  in  Him,  and 
particularly  for  the  imperfections  of  their  duties  and  perfor 
mances  :  for  which  He  Himself  hath  borne  the  punishment, 
and  therefore  intercedes,  that  God  would  not  be  angry  or 
displeased  with  them  ;  but  be  graciously  pleased  to  accept 
of  the  "  imperfect  sacrifices  "  which  they  offer  Him,  for  the 
sake  of  that  absolutely  perfect  sacrifice  which  He  Himself 
had  offered  in  their  stead.  And  hence  it  is,  that  Almighty 
God  having  "  His  sacrifice  "  always  in  His  eye,  overlooks 
the  imperfections  of  theirs,  and  accepts  of  what  they  do, 
through  the  merits  of  that  death  which  His  only-begotten 
Son  hath  suffered  for  them. 

But  that  nothing  might  be  wanting  to  render  the  good 

works  which  His  servants  do  by  His  assistance  as  "  accept 

able  to  God  through  Him,  as  it  is  possible  for  them  to  be, 

He  doth  not  only  wash  out  their  spots  with  His  blood,  but 

He  adorns  them  also  with  His  own  righteousness,  that  per 

fect  righteousness  which   He  fulfilled   through   the  whole 

course  of  His  life.     For  that  also  being,  as  we  have  seen, 

performed  in  the  whole  nature  of  man,  and  therefore  appli 

cable  to  all  that  are  of  that  nature,  He  accordingly  applies 

it  to  all  that  by  faith  "  come  unto  Him  "  for  it  :  as  all  His 

faithful  people  be  sure  do  ;  as  well  as  St.  Paul,  when  he 

Phil.  3.  9.    desired  to  "  be  found  in  Christ,  not  having  his  own  righte 

ousness,  which  is  of  the  Law,  but  that  which  is  through  the 

faith  of  Christ  ;  the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  faith." 

Where  we  see   he  desired,   and   accordingly  had  another 

righteousness   besides   that  of  the    Law,  the  righteousness 

which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  "  who  knew  no  sin," 

2  Cor.  s.  21.  and  yet  "was  made  sin  for  us,  that  we  might  be  made  the 

iCor.  1.30.  righteousness  of  God  in  Him."     "Who  of  God  was  made 

jer.  23.  6.    unto  us  righteousness  as  well  as  wisdom."     "  The  Lord  our 


Christianity  an  Holy  Priesthood.  157 

righteousness."     So  that  we  may  every  one  say,  "  Surely  in  isa.45.  24. 

the  Lord  have  I  righteousness  and  strength."     "  Strength  " 

to   do   good   works,  and  "  righteousness "  to  make   them 

acceptable  when  they  are  done ;  as  they  may  well  be,  seeing 

it  is  the  righteousness  of  God  Himself,  who  is  "well  pleased" 

with  every  thing  that  He  Himself  doth,  and  with  nothing 

else. 

From  hence  therefore  we  may  see  how  the  "  sacrifices " 
which  His  people  offer,  come  to  be  "  acceptable  "  to  God  by 
Jesus  Christ,  even  because  they  are  offered  by  the  assistance 
of  His  Holy  Spirit,  cleansed  by  the  merits  of  the  death  He 
suffered  in  their  stead,  and  perfected  by  the  righteousness 
which  He  Himself  performed  in  their  nature.  And  being 
begun,  continued  and  finished  in  and  by  Himself,  He  looks 
upon  them  as  His  own  works,  and  is  therefore  well  pleased 
with  them,  as  He  was  with  every  thing  He  made  at  first ; 
when  it  was  said,  "  That  God  saw  every  thing  that  He  had  [Gen.  i. 
made,  and  behold  it  was  very  good." 

Now  what  a  mighty  encouragement  is  this  to  do  all  the 
good  we  can  in  the  world  ?  For  who  would  not  please  Him 
that  governs  all  things  in  it,  and  disposeth  of  every  thing  as 
He  Himself  pleaseth !  And  yet  we  see,  that  we  little,  we 
sinful  creatures  upon  earth,  may  do  such  things  as  are  "  ac 
ceptable"  and  well  pleasing  to  the  great  God  of  Heaven, 
though  not  in  themselves,  yet  by  His  only-begotten  Son 
Jesus  Christ :  but  for  that  purpose  we  must  all  do  such 
good  works  as  He  hath  set  us.  And  "  whatsoever  we  do  in  [Coi.s.ir. 
word  or  deed,  we  must  do  it  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus:" 
believing  and  trusting  on  Him  to  perfume  it  with  the  in 
cense  of  His  ointments,  that  so  it  may  be  "  acceptable  "  to 
God  by  Him,  and  then  it  will  most  certainly  be  so ;  for  we 
have  the  word  of  God  Himself  here  for  it,  as  we  have  now 
heard.  And  therefore  when  we  have  offered  any  sacrifice, 
or  performed  any  service  to  Him,  we  ought  not  to  doubt, 
but  be  fully  persuaded  in  our  minds,  that  although  there  be 
no  merit,  but  many  imperfections  in  it ;  yet  that  God  is  gra 
ciously  pleased  to  accept  of  it,  and  will  accordingly  reward 
us  for  it,  both  in  this  world  and  in  the  next,  through  the 
merits  and  mediation  of  His  Son  Jesus  Christ :  to  whom  be 
glory  for  ever. 


SERMON    IX. 

THE  PREPARATORY  DUTIES  FOR  HOLY  ORDERS. 


ACTS  xiii.  3. 

And  when  they  had  fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands 
on  them,  they  sent  them  away. 

SERM.  IT  is  our  great  happiness  that  we  live  in  so  pure  and  sin- 
IX-  cere  a  part  of  Christ's  "  Holy  Catholic  Church,"  that  as  we 
have  nothing  superfluous,  so  neither  is  there  any  thing 
wanting  that  can  any  way  conduce  to  our  eternal  Salvation 
in  it,  much  less  any  thing  that  is  necessary  in  order  there 
unto  :  as  amongst  other  things,  the  right  "  Ordination "  of 
those  who  administer  the  means  of  grace,  must  needs  be 
acknowledged  to  be.  For  seeing  we  can  have  no  grace  or 
power  to  do  good,  but  what  is  derived  to  us  from  God, 
through  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  use  of 
the  means  which  He  hath  established  in  His  Church  for 
that  purpose ;  unless  those  means  be  rightly  and  duly  admi 
nistered,  they  lose  their  force  and  energy,  and  so  can  never 
attain  the  end  wherefore  they  were  established  :  neither  is 
there  any  thing  more  necessary  to  the  right  administration 
of  the  means  of  grace,  than  that  they  who  administer  them 
be  "  rightly  ordained  "  and  authorised  to  do  it,  according  to 
the  institution  and  command  of  Him  that  did  establish 
them.  For  seeing  they  do  not  work  naturally,  but  only  by 
virtue  of  the  institution  and  promise  annexed  to  it;  unless 
that  be  duly  observed,  we  have  no  ground  to  expect  that 
the  promise  should  be  performed,  nor  by  consequence  that 
they  should  be  effectual  to  the  purposes  for  which  they  are 
used. 


The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders.          159 

And  certainly  there  neither  is,  nor  ever  was  any  provin 
cial  or  national  Church  upon  earth,  wherein  the  institution 
of  Christ  and  His  Holy  Apostles  in  this  particular,  hath 
been  more  punctually  observed,  than  it  is  in  ours.  For  as 
the  Bishops  and  Pastors  of  our  Church  have  by  a  successive 
Imposition  of  hands,  continued  all  along  from  the  Apostles, 
received  the  same  Spirit  which  Christ  breathed  into  them, 
for  the  effectual  administration  of  the  Word  and  Sacra 
ments  ;  so  do  they  after  the  same  manner  confer  the  same 
Spirit  upon  others,  even  by  "  laying  their  hands "  upon 
them,  according  to  the  institution  of  Christ,  made  known 
and  confirmed  to  us  by  the  practice  of  His  Apostles  and 
Catholic  Church  in  all  ages  since.  And  herein  it  is,  that 
the  essence  of  "  Ordination  "  doth  properly  consist.  Neither 
doth  our  Church  thus  strictly  observe  this  institution,  by 
using  this  Apostolical  "  Imposition  of  hands  "  upon  such 
occasions  in  general  only,  but  likewise  she  useth  the  same 
means  and  methods  that  the  Apostles  did,  for  the  preparing 
those  whom  she  intends  to  ordain  for  the  receiving  the 
"  Holy  Ghost "  by  such  "  Imposition  of  hands,"  and  for  the 
more  effectual  obtaining  it  for  them.  For  which  purpose 
she  appoints  certain  seasons  every  year  for  this  great  work, 
and  requires  that  all  her  members  join  together  at  these 
times  in  "  fasting  "  and  "  prayer  "  to  Almighty  God  for  His 
direction  of  the  Bishops  who  shall  then  ordain,  and  for  His 
grace  and  heavenly  benediction  upon  those  who  shall  be 
"  then  ordained  to  any  holy  function  : "  and  that  this  is 
exactly  agreeable  to  the  practice  of  the  Holy  Apostles  in 
this  case,  is  plain  from  these  words ;  "  And  when  they  had 
fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid  their  hands  on  them,  they  sent 
them  away."  They  first  "  fasted  "  and  "  prayed,"  and  then 
"  laid  their  hands  "  on  them. 

The  occasion  of  the  words  in  brief  was  this  :  there  were 
in  the  Church  of  Antioch,  five  persons  eminent  for  the  gift 
of  prophesying  and  teaching ;  and  as  they  were  on  a  certain 
time  together,  fasting  and  praying,  and  ministering  to  the 
Lord,  the  Holy  Ghost,  either  by  inspiration,  they  being 
Prophets,  or  by  some  particular  revelation,  said  to  them, 
"  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul,"  two  of  the  company, 
"  for  the  work  whereunto  I  have  called  them."  From  [Ver.  2.] 


160          The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders. 

SERM.  whence  we  may  observe,  how  necessary  it  is  that  they  who 
— '• —  are  admitted  to  the  sacred  Ministry  of  the  Gospel,  be  exter 
nally  as  well  as  internally  called,  and  publicly  ordained  to  it 
by  the  Church.  Saul  was  called  before  by  Christ  Himself, 
and  both  he  and  Barnabas  were  Prophets  divinely  inspired ; 
and  yet  for  all  that,  they  must  be  "  outwardly  called  "  and 
"  ordained  "  by  the  Chuch  too,  before  they  could  be  sent  out 
to  preach  the  Gospel.  Yet  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  so  God 
Himself  commands  it,  who  at  the  same  time  that  He  com 
manded  them  to  be  "  separated "  or  "  ordained "  by  the 
Church,  could,  if  He  pleased,  have  come  upon  them  without 
the  "  Imposition  of  hands,"  or  the  ministry  of  any  men. 
But  howsoever,  to  keep  up  the  order  which  Christ  hath 
established  in  His  Church,  He  only  signifies  His  pleasure 
that  He  would  have  them  "  ordained ;"  and  then  those  Pro 
phets  and  Teachers,  which  are  supposed  to  be  some  Bishops 
or  Pastors  in  and  about  Antioch,  must  "  lay  their  hands " 
upon  them,  that  so  they  might  by  that  means  "  receive  the 
Holy  Ghost "  and  power  to  administer  the  Word  and  Sacra 
ments.  Which  is  a  full  and  undeniable  argument  for  the 
necessity  of  persons  being  solemnly  and  publicly  ordained 
by  the  "  Imposition  of  hands,"  before  they  undertake  to 
minister  in  the  Church,  whatsoever  gifts,  or  parts,  or  "  in 
ward  calling"  they  pretend  to.  For  none  certainly  could 
ever  pretend  to  any  "inward  call"  to  the  ministry  more  than 
Paul  and  Barnabas  might ;  and  yet  it  seems  that  would  not 
serve  their  turn,  but  they  must  be  outwardly  called  ana 
ordained  by  the  Church  too,  before  they  presume  to  meddle 
with  any  holy  function :  and  questionless  the  great  reason 
why  this  is  so  punctually  described  and  recorded  by  the 
Holy  Ghost  in  Scripture,  was,  that  all  people  might  take 
notice  of  it,  and  not  expect  that  the  Holy  Ghost  should 
ordain  them  Himself,  when  He  would  not  ordain  those 
eminent  Saints  Paul  and  Barnabas  Himself,  but  leaves 
them  to  the  Church,  and  expressly  commands  them  to  be 
ordained  by  her :  "  Separate,"  saith  He,  "  Barnabas  and 
Saul  to  the  work  whereunto  I  have  called  them."  It 
seems  He  Himself  had  called  them  to  the  work,  and  for 
all  that  they  must  be  ordained  by  men,  before  they  would 
enter  upon  it. 


The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders.  161 

The  Holy  Ghost  having  thus  commanded  the  Prophets 
and  Teachers  there  present  to  separate  these  two  persons,  it 
follows,  "  And  when  they  had  fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid 
their  hands  upon  them,  they  sent  them  away."  From 
whence  we  may  observe, 

I.  That  although  the  Holy  Ghost  said  only,  "  Separate 
me  Barnabas  and  Saul,"  they  knew  well  enough  what  He 
meant  by  it,  even  that  they  should  "  lay  their  hands  "  upon 
them,  and  so  ordain  or  separate  them  "  to  the  work  where- 
unto  they  were  called."     Which  plainly  shews,  that  the  rite 
or  ceremony  of  "  laying  hands  "  upon  those  who  were  to  be 
set  apart  for  the  work  of  the  Ministry,  was  not  only  com 
monly  known  at  that  time,  but  looked  upon  as  necessary  to 
be  observed :  and  that  it  was  approved  of  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
Himself,  is  manifest  from  the  following  words :  for  so  soon 

as  hands  were  laid  upon  them,  it  is  said,  that  "  they  were  Ver. 
sent  by  the  Holy  Ghost." 

II.  We  may  observe  hence,  that  before  they  would  lay 
their   hands    upon    Barnabas    and    Saul,   they   fasted   and 
prayed ;  which   certainly  is  recorded   on  purpose  for  our 
imitation,  that  the  Church  in  all  ages  might  follow  so  good 
an  example,  and  not  lay  hands  upon  any  persons  for  the 
admitting  them  to  an  holy  function,  until  they  have  fasted 
and  prayed,  as  they  here  did. 

Now  we,  in  imitation  of  this  holy  example,  and  in  con 
formity  to  the  practice  of  the  Catholic  and  Apostolic 
Church,  being  now  assembled  here  upon  the  same  occasion 
as  these  were,  when  they  ordained  Barnabas  and  Saul,  even 
to  fast  and  pray,  in  order  to  the  "  laying  on  of  hands  "  upon 
persons  to  be  set  apart  for  the  sacred  Ministry  of  the 
Church ;  it  may  not  be  amiss,  if  we  consider  a  little  how 
reasonable  and  necessary  it  is  that  we  should  do  so.  It  is 
true,  this  one  instance  is  not  only  a  sufficient  warrant  for  it, 
but  it  lays  an  obligation  upon  us  to  do  it.  But  howsoever, 
as  we  cannot  imagine  but  they  had  great  reasons  for  it,  so  it 
must  needs  be  very  convenient  to  consider  what  they  were, 
both  to  justify  our  present  assembling,  and  to  excite  those 
who  are  to  be  ordained,  to  a  more  serious  performance  of 
these  two  great  duties  of  "  fasting  "  and  "  prayer,"  as  prepa 
ratory  to  their  Ordination. 

M 


162  The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders. 

First,  as  for  "  fasting,"  we  shall  soon  acknowledge  the 
great  use  of  that  in  order  to  the  fitting  persons  for  "  Ordina 
tion,"  if  we  do  but  consider  how  much  it  conduceth  towards 
an  holy  and  good  life,  and  to  the  fitting  and  qualifying  us 
for  the  service  of  God  in  general,  both  in  its  own  nature, 
and  by  virtue  of  the  promises  which  God  hath  made  to  it. 

In  what  sense  "  fasting "  in  itself  is  one  great  means  of 
our  being  and  doing  good,  we  shall  easily  understand,  if  we 
do  but  consider  two  things  : 

I.  That  the   soul,  the  seat  of  all  virtue  and   goodness, 
although  it  be  a  distinct  substance  from  the  body,  and  so 
is  capable  of  acting  separately  from  it,  even  whilst  it  is  in 
it ;  yet  so  long  as  it  is  tied  to  the  body,  and  actually  informs 
it,  so  as  to  be  but  one  part  of  that  composition  which  we  call 
man,  it  ordinarily  makes  use  of  the  organs  of  the   body, 
especially  of  the  animal  spirits,  in  all  its  actions.    And  these 
only  are  properly  called  "  human  actions,"  which  are  thus 
performed  by  the  whole  man  :  which  therefore  cannot  but 
depend  very  much  upon  the  temper  of  the  body  that  con 
curs  towards  the  performance  of  them,  as  we  find  by  daily 
experience  they  do  ;  for  if  our  bodies  be  out  of  tune,  so 
are  our  minds  too.     If  any  thing  affects  our  heads,  disturbs 
our  brains,  and  so  disorders  the  animal  spirits,  which  the 
soul  makes  use  of  in  its  operations,  they  are  likewise  dis 
orderly  and  irregular.     As  in  music,  though  the  artist  be 
ever  so  skilful,  yet  if  his  instrument  be  out  of  tune,  there 
can  be  no  harmony  or  melody  in  what  he  plays  upon  it. 
Yea,  none  of  us  but  may  easily  observe,  that  whatsoever 
humour    prevails    most   in   the    body,   as   phlegm,    choler, 
melancholy,  or   the   like,  our   actions   are   usually  tainted 
with  it ;  insomuch,  that  by  them  we  may  easily   discover 
what  that  humour  is  which  is  most  predominant.     From 
whence  it  plainly  appears,  that  so  long  as  the  soul  is  in  the 
body,  although  it  was  designed  to  rule  and  govern  it,  yet 
it  is  apt  to  be  governed  by  it,  and  to  indulge  and  humour 
it  so  far,  as  to  follow  not  its  own  reason  and  judgment, 
but  the  more  impetuous  inclinations  of  the  sensitive  part, 
although  it  be  to  its  own  ruin  and  destruction. 

II.  Hence  therefore  it   necessarily   follows,  in  the  next 
place,  that  "  fasting  "  and  "  abstinence  "  cannot  but  conduce 


The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders.  163 

much  to  the  exercise  of  true  piety  and  virtue,  in  that,  if 
duly  performed,  it  "  keeps  the  body  under,"  and  "  brings  it  [i  Cor.  9. 
into  subjection"  to  the  soul :  by  which  means  the  soul  being  ' 
kept  always  in  its  throne,  with  full  power  and  authority 
over  its  subjects,  the  inferior  faculties,  and  being  under  no 
restraint  from  them,  its  reasonings  would  be  always  clear, 
its  judgments  sound,  its  counsels  deliberate,  it  would  always 
act  like  itself,  a  rational  and  spiritual  substance,  and  so 
would  be  as  free  from  all  brutish  and  sensual  vices,  as  when 
separate  from  the  body,  which  inclines  it  to  them  ;  and  then 
it  will  begin  to  relish  spiritual  objects,  as  suitable  to  its  own 
nature :  for  it  will  look  upon  virtue  and  vice,  not  as  they 
are  falsely  represented  by  the  imagination  corrupted  with 
the  humours  of  the  body,  but  as  they  are  in  themselves,  and 
and  so  discern  clearly  how  lively  and  amiable  the  former  is, 
how  odious  and  detestable  the  latter,  and  by  consequence 
exert  all  its  power  to  follow  the  one,  and  avoid  the  other. 

To  explain  this  more  fully,  I  might  descend  to  parti 
culars,  and  shew  how  "  fasting  and  abstinence,"  by  "  keeping 
the  body  under,"  doth  of  itself  contribute  very  much  to  the 
mortifying  of  most  lusts,  and  to  the  quickening  the  contrary 
graces  in  us.  For  which  end,  I  need  not  instance  in  glut 
tony  and  drunkenness  :  for  these  being  directly  contrary, 
yea,  contradictory  to  true  fasting ;  where  this  is  rightly  ob 
served,  these  vices  must  needs  cease  of  their  own  accord,  and 
the  contrary  virtues  of  temperance  and  sobriety  take  their 
places.  The  same  may  be  said  of  luxury  and  uncleanness, 
for  that  proceeding  only  from  too  great  a  plenitude  and 
luxuriancy  of  humours  in  the  body,  if  the  body  be  kept  under, 
as  it  ought,  we  can  have  no  inclinations  to  such  vices  as  these. 

But  there  are  other  vices  also,  which  at  first  sight  may 
seem  more  remote  to  our  present  purpose,  as  not  depending 
so  much  upon  the  temper  of  the  body ;  and  yet  they  also 
may  be  very  much  prevented  or  cured  by  fasting.  As  for 
example :  Are  we  apt  to  be  angry  and  peevish,  to  fret  and 
be  disturbed  at  every  little  thing  that  happens,  as  many 
are  ?  This  commonly  proceeds  from  immoderate  diet,  or 
constant  feeding  to  the  full,  which  breeds  abundance  of 
choler,  and  overheats  the  animal  spirits,  whereby  they  are 
apt  to  take  fire,  and  be  enflamed  at  every  thing  that  occurs 


164  The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders. 

SERM.    contrary  to  our  present  desires.     But  by  fasting  and  con- 
-  stant  abstinence,  the  choler  would  be  abated,  the   spirits 
cooled,  and  so  the  mind  reduced  to  a  sedate,  meek,  and 
gentle  temper. 

And  so  for  self-conceitedness,  covetousness,  and  suchlike 
sins  as  proceed  commonly  from  the  corruption  of  the  fancy, 
caused  by  those  malignant  humours,  which  by  reason  of 
overmuch  eating  are  exhaled  from  the  stomach  into  the 
head,  and  there  disturb  the  imagination,  so  as  to  represent 
things  as  in  a  magnifying  glass,  and  make  them  seem  what 
they  are  not,  great  and  good :  fasting  prevents  the  very  en 
gendering  of  such  fumes,  and  by  consequence,  the  corrup 
tion  of  the  fancy  by  them.  By  which  means,  the  mind  is 
able  to  judge  all  things  as  they  are,  and  so  to  see  clearly 
that  there  is  nothing  in  ourselves  that  we  can  justly  be 
proud  of,  nor  in  this  world,  that  we  can  in  reason  desire  or 
covet  to  make  us  happy. 

And  then  on  the  other  side,  as  it  helps  towards  the  sup 
pressing  of  most  vices,  so  also  towards  the  exercise  of  grace 
and  virtue,  especially  to  the  due  performance  of  our  devo 
tions,  whether  public  or  private.  For  whence  comes  that 
dulness,  whence  those  distractions  which  we  commonly  find 
at  such  times  ?  whence,  I  say,  come  they,  but  from  that  hurry 
of  gross  vapours  in  the  brain,  which  obstruct  its  passages, 
and  crowd  about  it  so  disorderly,  that  the  soul  cannot,  with 
out  much  time  and  pains,  rally  them  together,  and  reduce 
them  into  such  an  order,  as  to  make  any  tolerable  use  of 
them?  And  therefore  as  these  distractions  are  caused  by 
overmuch  eating,  so  they  may  in  a  great  measure  be  cured 
by  fasting.  Hence  it  is,  that  none  of  us  but  may  find  by 
experience,  that  we  can  never  perform  any  spiritual  exercise 
with  that  life  and  vigour,  with  that  cheerfulness  and  alacrity, 
with  that  constant  presence  and  composure  of  mind,  as  when 
our  bodies  are  empty,  and  so  "  kept  under,"  as  to  be  in  "  due 
subjection"  to  the  soul. 

I  might  instance  in  many  other  particulars,  whence  to 
shew  how  fasting  doth  of  itself  contribute  much  to  the  ex 
tirpation  of  most  vices,  and  to  the  planting  and  growth  of 
true  virtue  and  goodness  in  us.  But  most  others  depend 
upon,  or  may  be  referred  to  these  already  mentioned ;  and 


The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders.          165 

therefore  there  is  the  same  reason  for  them,  as  there  is  for 
these :  so  that  we  may  justly  conclude  this  with  a  remark 
able  passage  of  St.  Jerome,1  in  his  Epistle  to  Celantia,  where 
he  saith,  that  fasting  and  abstinence,  Non  castitati  tantum- 
modo,  sed  omnibus  omnino  virtutibus  opitulatur. 

But  the  great  and  principal  reason  of  all,  why  it  doth  so, 
is  still  behind  :  and  that  is,  because  fasting  is  so  pleasing  and 
acceptable  to  Almighty  God,  that  he  hath  promised  a  bless 
ing,  a  reward  to  it,  whensoever  it  is  rightly  performed  ;  and 
that  too,  not  by  the  mouth  of  a  Prophet,  an  Apostle,  an  An 
gel,  but  by  His  own  Divine  mouth,  when  He  was  here  upon 
earth.  For  our  Lord  Himself  saith,  "  When  thou  fastest,  Matt.  6.  is. 
anoint  thine  head,  and  wash  thy  face,  that  thou  appear  not 
unto  men  to  fast,  but  unto  thy  Father  which  is  in  secret; 
and  thy  Father  which  seeth  in  secret,  shall  reward  thee 
openly."  From  whence  it  is  plain,  that  if  a  man  fast,  not 
out  of  a  vain  ostentation  "  to  be  seen  of  men,"  and  thought 
holy,  but  out  of  a  sincere  design  "  to  keep  his  body  under," 
and  so  fit  himself  the  better  for  the  service  of  God,  that  man 
shall  most  certainly  be  rewarded  for  it.  But  what  reward 
shall  we  have  ?  Why,  God  will  bless  and  sanctify  it  to  the 
great  ends  and  purposes  for  which  it  is  designed.  Fasting, 
as  I  have  shewn,  doth  conduce  much  to  our  being  holy,  but 
it  cannot  make  us  so  :  that  is  only  in  the  power  of  God,  the 
only  fountain  of  all  true  grace  and  holiness :  but  He  being 
well  pleased  with  fasting,  where  it  is  duly  performed,  doth 
by  His  own  grace  and  spirit  make  it  effectual  for  the  sub 
duing  our  lusts,  and  for  the  performance  of  all  holy  and 
good  works. 

For  our  better  understanding  of  this,  we  may  consider, 
that  although  God  can  work  either  with  means  or  without 
means,  or  by  contrary  means,  as  He  himself  sees  good,  yet  He 
ordinarily  makes  use  of  the  most  fit  and  proper  means  that 
can  be  used,  for  the  effecting  of  what  He  designs  ;  and  it  is 
presumption  in  us  to  expect  He  should  do  otherwise.  But 
fasting,  as  we  have  seen  already,  is  a  very  fit  and  proper 
means,  as  of  itself  conducing  much  to  a  virtuous  and  good 
life.  And,  therefore,  they  who  give  themselves  to  fasting 

i  ["  Nonadsolamhocfacitcastitatem:  Hieron.  torn.  iv.  par.  2Ja.  p.  818.  epist. 
non  enim  huic  tantummodo,  sed  omnibus  cix. ;  Paulin.  Episcop.  ad  Celantiam  de 
omnino  virtutibus  abstinentia  opitulatur."  Ratione  pie  vivendi.] 


166  The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders* 

SERM.  and  abstinence,  as  they  ought  to  do,  are  always  in  God's 
—  way,  using  the  proper  means  for  the  obtaining  of  true  grace 
and  virtue ;  and  so  need  not  doubt  but  He  will  bestow  it 
upon  them.  Whereas,  they  who  refuse  or  neglect  such 
means,  have  no  more  ground  to  expect  His  blessing  and 
assistance,  than  they  have  to  expect  that  He  should  work 
miracles  for  them. 

And  besides  that,  although  the  most  High  God,  the 
chiefest,  the  only  good,  be  always  ready,  and  free  to  commu 
nicate  of  Himself,  and  to  distribute  the  graces  of  His  spirit, 
it  is  to  those  who  are  rightly  disposed  for  the  receipt  of 
them,  whose  bodies  as  well  as  souls  are  fitted  for  the  inha 
bitation  of  the  Spirit,  or,  as  the  Apostle  words  it,  to  be  the 

[i  Cor.  6.  «  Temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  But  certainly  no  bodies  are 
so  fit  and  proper  for  so  Divine  a  guest,  as  those  which  by 
fasting  and  abstinence  are  kept  in  continual  subjection  to 
the  soul :  for  it  being  the  soul  that  is  primarily  inspired  and 
sanctified  by  the  Spirit,  unless  the  body  be  subject  to  the 
soul,  it  will  not  be  subject  to  the  Spirit  that  is  in  it ;  but  the 

Gal.  5. 17.  "  Flesh  will  lust  against  the  Spirit."  Whereas,  if  the  body 
be  kept  clean  and  pure,  always  at  the  beck  of  the  soul, 
ready  and  willing  to  observe  its  commands,  then  the  Spirit 
that  enlightens,  actuates,  and  quickens  the  soul,  will  with 
great  facility  diffuse  its  influences  over  the  whole  man,  so 
as  to  sanctify  it  throughout :  for  then  the  body  being  subject 
to  the  soul,  and  the  soul  to  the  Spirit,  as  the  Spirit  is,  so  will 
the  soul  and  body  be  in  their  capacities  pure  and  holy. 

Hence  it  is,  that  the  greatest  discoveries  that  God 
hath  made  of  Himself  to  men,  and  the  most  powerful 
effects  of  the  Spirit  upon  them,  have  usually  been  when 
they  were  fasting,  and  so  in  a  right  disposition  for  them. 

Exod.34.28.  Thus  "  Moses  was  fasting  forty  days  and  forty  nights," 
even  all  the  while  that  he  was  conversing  with  God 
upon  Mount  Sinai,  and  received  the  Law  from  Him. 

iKingsig.s.  "  Elias  had  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights,"  when  God 
discoursed  so  familiarly  with  him  upon  Mount  Horeb. 
Our  Lord  Himself  also,  though  He  had  no  need  of  it,  His 
body  being  always  perfectly  subject  to  His  soul,  yet  for  our 

Matt.  4. 2,  example  and  imitation  "  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights ; " 
even  all  the  while  that  he  was  in  the  Wilderness  overcoming 

Dan.  9.  s,    tjie  j)^'^  an j  }iaj  tjie  angejs  ^o  minister  unto  him.     Daniel 


The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders.          167 

was  fasting  when  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  to  acquaint  him 
with  the  precise  time  of  the  Messiah's  coming.  Cornelius,  Acts  10.  so. 
by  whose  conversion  the  door  of  Salvation  was  open  to  the  Gen 
tiles,  was  also  fasting  when  the  Angel  was  sent  to  instruct  him 
how  to  get  to  Heaven.  And  to  name  no  more,  in  this  very 
place  where  my  text  is,  the  Disciples  at  Antioch  were  fast 
ing,  wThen  the  Holy  Ghost  in  a  miraculous  manner  spoke 
unto  them,  saying,  "  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul,  for 
the  work  to  which  I  have  called  them."  By  all  which  it 
appears,  that  when  men  are  fasting,  and  so  their  bodies  are 
subject  to  their  souls,  then  God  takes  the  opportunity  of 
manifesting  Himself  and  His  pleasure  to  them,  and  also 
directing  and  assisting  them  in  the  way  to  bliss :  and  by 
consequence,  that  fasting  is  a  duty  of  greater  moment  than 
it  is  commonly  thought  to  be. 

Now  these  things  being  premised  concerning  fasting  in 
general,  it  is  easy  to  conclude,  that  it  is  very  reasonable  at 
least,  if  not  necessary,  to  fast  upon  such  occasions  as  these. 
For,  seeing  that  abstinence  and  fasting  conduce  so  much  to 
the  suppressing  of  vice,  and  to  the  exercise  of  virtue,  to  the 
correcting  the  errors  of  our  fancies,  and  the  disorder  of  our 
passions,  to  the  quickening  and  invigorating  our  Devotion, 
and  so  to  the  more  effectual  obtaining  the  good  things  we 
want  and  desire  at  the  hands  of  God ;  it  must  needs  be  very 
requisite,  that  we,  and  the  whole  Church,  join  heartily  and 
sincerely  in  it,  when  any  persons  are  to  be  admitted  into 
Holy  Orders,  that  so  we  may  the  more  effectually  implore 
the  grace  and  favour  of  the  All-wise  God,  in  "  guiding  and 
governing  the  minds  of  His  servants,  the  Bishops  and  Pastors 
of  His  flock,  so  that  they  may  make  choice  of  such  persons 
as  He  Himself  knows  to  be  fit  to  serve  in  the  Sacred  Ministry 
of  the  Church,  and  in  assisting  those  which  shall  be  ordained, 
with  His  own  grace  and  benediction,  that  both  by  their  life 
and  doctrine  they  may  set  forth  His  glory,  and  set  forward 
the  Salvation  of  all  Men,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 

And  as  for  those  who  are  to  be  ordained  to  an  Holy 
Function,  nothing  certainly  can  be  more  necessary  than  for 
them  to  bring  their  bodies  by  fasting  and  abstinence  into  a 
due  subjection  to  their  minds,  that  so  they  may  be  rightly 
prepared  and  disposed  for  these  great  blessings  we  pray  for, 


168  The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders. 

ix.  '  and  particularly  for  the  receiving  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  shall 
be  conferred  upon  them  at  their  Ordination;  that  there  be 
no  obstacle  or  impediment  in  themselves,  but  that  they  may 
be  ready  both  in  soul  and  body,  to  receive  not  only  power 
and  authority  to  administer  the  Word  and  Sacraments,  but 
likewise  such  aids  and  assistances  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  whereby 
they  may  be  enabled  to  do  it  "  carefully,  sincerely,  and 
effectually." 

And  this  seems  to  be  the  reason  why  the  Disciples  here 
fasted  both  before  and  at  the  Ordination  of  Barnabas  and 
Saul.  For  before  they  ordained  them,  or  so  much  as  had 
pitched  upon  whom  to  ordain,  they  fasted  ;  for  it  is  said, 
"  As  they  ministered  to  the  Lord  and  fasted,  the  Holy  Ghost 
said,  Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul."  From  whence  it 
seems  very  probable,  that  the  Church  being  very  much  en 
larged,  found  it  necessary  at  this  time  to  increase  the  num 
ber  of  their  Pastors,  and  not  knowing  whom  to  choose,  they 
set  apart  some  time  for  fasting  and  prayer  to  Almighty 
God,  that  He  would  be  pleased  to  direct  them  in  it,  who  ac 
cordingly  did  so.  For,  as  they  were  thus  ministering  to  Him, 
and  fasting,  "  the  Holy  Ghost  said,  Separate  me  Barnabas 
and  Saul."  Now,  what  they  did  then,  we  are  now  doing : 
it  is  upon  the  same  account  that  we  are  now  ministering  to 
the  Lord,  and  fasting.  And  although  we  have  no  ground 
to  expect  any  such  immediate  revelation  as  they  had,  yet  if 
we  do  but  perform  this  duty  as  sincerely  as  they  did,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  but  that  Almighty  God  will  hear  our 
prayers  as  well  as  theirs,  and  direct  the  Bishops  and  Pastors 
of  our  Church,  as  He  did  them,  to  choose  such  persons  as 
He  Himself  approves  of  and  would  have  ordained  to  the 
Ministry  of  His  Church. 

Neither  did  they  think  it  enough  to  fast  before,  in  order 
to  their  making  a  good  choice  of  persons  to  be  ordained, 
but  they  fasted  again  at  the  very  time  when  they  ordained 
those,  which  by  the  direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost  they  had 
made  choice  of  for  the  purposes  aforesaid,  even  for  the  more 
effectual  obtaining  the  Spirit  for  them,  and  for  the  better 
fitting  and  qualifying  of  them  for  the  receiving  of  it ;  which 
therefore  I  humbly  conceive  is  very  convenient,  if  not  neces 
sary,  to  be  observed  by  us  too. 


The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders.          169 

But  here  we  may  further  take  notice,  that  as  they  fasted, 
so  they  prayed  too  at  the  same  time ;  which  two  duties  are 
frequently  put  together.  Daniel  and  Cornelius  before-men 
tioned,  were  fasting  and  praying  when  the  Angel  came  to 
them.  Our  Lord  tells  us,  "  there  are  some  kind  of  Devils  [Matt.  17. 
that  cannot  be  cast  out  but  by  fasting  and  praying :"  and  to 
come  nearer  to  our  present  purpose,  "  when  St.  Paul  and  Acts  14. 23. 
Barnabas  had  ordained  them  Elders  in  every  Church,  and 
had  prayed  with  fasting,"  saith  St.  Luke.  From  whence  it 
appears  that  they  ordained  others  after  the  same  man 
ner  as  they  themselves  were  ordained,  even  with  fasting  and 
praying  :  and  doubtless,  the  same  course  ought  always  to  be 
taken  in  conferring  Orders ;  not  only  from  the  example  of 
the  Holy  Apostles,  though  that  would  be  sufficient,  but  like 
wise  from  the  reason  of  the  thing :  for  fasting  upon  this  oc 
casion,  is  chiefly  designed  for  the  fixing  our  thoughts,  for  the 
exciting  our  affections,  and  for  the  disposing  our  minds  the 
better  to  pray  and  supplicate  the  Divine  Majesty,  for  His 
direction  in  the  choice  of  fit  persons  to  be  ordained,  and  for 
His  blessing  upon  them  whom  they  have  ordained  to  any 
Holy  Function :  for  which  purpose,  no  better  means  can  be 
used  than  prayer  joined  with  fasting.  For  though  "  the  [James  5. 
effectual  fervent  prayer  of  the  righteous,"  of  itself  availeth  16'^ 
much,  when  it  is  joined  with  fasting,  it  availeth  more ;  as 
our  Lord  Himself  plainly  intimates  in  the  passage  before 
cited,  where  He  saith,  that  "  such  Devils  are  not  cast  out 
but  by  prayer  and  fasting  together."  Some  kind  of  Devils 
may  be  cast  out  by  prayer,  without  fasting ;  but  none  can 
withstand  them  when  they  go  together :  and  the  reason 
seems  to  be,  because  fasting  is  not  only  of  itself  acceptable 
to  God,  but  also  because  by  fasting  our  bodies  being  kept 
under,  our  hearts  will  rise  higher,  and  our  minds  be  more 
intent,  our  affections  more  pure,  and  our  desires  more 
earnest,  and  by  consequence  our  prayers  more  effectual  and 
prevalent  with  Almighty  God,  for  His  granting  the  good 
things  we  pray  for. 

Especially,  they  who  are  to  be  ordained,  must  be  sure  not 
only  to  fast,  but  to  pray  too  :  and  as  the  Church  prays  for 
them,  so  they  must  pray  for  themselves  too,  that  God  would 
vouchsafe  to  bestow  His  Spirit  upon  them ;  and  that  He  will 


170  The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders. 

SERM.  do  it  if  sincerely  desired,  we  have  the  word  of  Christ  Himself 
Luke  ii.  13.  f°r  ^>  saymg>  "  If  ye  then  being  evil,  know  how  to  give 
good  things  unto  your  children,  how  much  more  shall  your 
Heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask 
Him?"  Which  we  see  exactly  verified  in  my  text;  for 
Saul  and  Barnabas  having  fasted  and  prayed,  and  so  re 
ceived  Imposition  of  hands,  it  presently  follows,  that  "  they 
were  sent  forth  by  the  Holy  Ghost,"  which  was  conferred 
upon  them  by  the  "  Imposition  of  hands,"  according  as  they 
had  prayed  it  might. 

But  it  is  now  time  to  apply  what  hath  been  said  upon  this 
subject  in  general,  to  you  who  are  to  be  ordained,  and  whom 
it  more  particularly  concerns;  and  therefore  I  shall  now 
address  myself  wholly  unto  you. 

Beloved  Brethren, 

I  hope  you  are  all  sensible  of  the  greatness  of  that  Office 
which  you  now  desire  should  be  conferred  upon  you,  and  by 
consequence,  of  the  necessity  that  lies  upon  you  to  prepare 
yourselves  for  it.  And  you  have  now  heard  how  you  ought 
to  do  that,  even  as  the  first  Ministers  of  the  Gospel  did  it, 
that  is,  by  fasting  and  prayer  :  And  therefore  I  would  not 
have  you  look  upon  it  as  an  unnecessary  task  and  burden 
imposed  upon  you,  to  spend  this  and  other  days  this  week  in 
the  performance  of  these  great  duties ;  for  you  see  it  is  no 
more  than  what  the  first  preachers  of  the  Gospel  did,  and 
the  reason  of  the  thing  requires  from  you:  insomuch,  that 
you  should  rather  give  thanks  to  God,  that  you  are  put  in 
mind  to  do  those  things  which  are  so  necessary  to  the  pre 
paring  and  qualifying  of  you  for  the  great  work  you  are  now 
to  undertake.  Having  therefore  so  happy  an  opportunity 
put  into  your  hands,  let  me  advise  and  beseech  you,  to  be  as 
diligent  and  serious  in  the  use  and  improvement  of  it:  de 
vote  this,  and  the  other  days  set  apart  for  prayer  and  fasting 
upon  this  occasion,  wholly  to  your  performance  of  the  great 
duties  they  are  set  apart  for.  Think  it  not  enough  that  you 
have  the  prayers  of  other  devout  people  for  you,  nor  think 
it  sufficient  that  you  yourselves  are  here  present  this  morn 
ing,  and  join  with  us  in  the  public  prayers  of  the  Church, 
neither  yet  think  it  sufficient  that  you  have  heard  something 


The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders.  171 

of  the  usefulness  and  necessity  of  fasting  and  praying,  in 
order  to  the  preparing  yourselves  for  Ordination,  but  act 
accordingly.  Fast  and  pray  in  private,  as  well  as  public, 
that  you  may  be  worthy  "  to  receive  the  Holy  Ghost.'* 
And  in  your  private  devotions,  I  think  it  would  do  very 
well  if  you  observed  these  few  rules. 

1.  If  you  have  it  not  already,  get  the  Form  or  Office 
of  our  Church  according  to  which  you  are  to  be  ordained ; 
and  consider  seriously  what  is  there  said  concerning  the 
dignity  and  difficulty  of  that  office  which  you  are  now  to  be 
admitted  unto ;  and  do  not  content  yourselves  with  reading 
over  that  excellent  exhortation  and  instruction  which  is 
there  given  you,  but  weigh  every  word  and  sentence  in  it : 
for  there  is  nothing  in  it  but  what  highly  concerns  you  to 
understand  and  remember ;  for  it  is  supposed  that  you  have 
well  weighed  and  pondered  those  things  before  you  go  to  be 
ordained;  and  that  you  have  clearly  determined  to  apply 
yourselves  wholly  to  that  Office,  whereunto  it  pleaseth  God 
to  call  you. 

Having  thus  possessed  your  minds  with  a  due  sense  of  the 
greatness  and  excellency  of  that  work  you  are  called  to,  and 
of  the  end  and  design  of  your  being  called  to  it ;  in  the  next 
place  consider  seriously  the  several  questions,  which  in  the 
Name  of  God,  and  of  His  Church,  shall  be  put  to  you,  when 
you  come  to  be  ordained ;  and  do  not  resolve  to  give  those 
answers  to  them  which  the  Church  requires,  before  you  have 
considered  whether  you  can  really  and  in  conscience  do  it. 

As  for  example :  The  first  question  propounded  to  those 
who  shall  be  ordained  Deacons,  is  this,  "  Do  you  trust  that 
you  are  inwardly  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  take  upon 
you  this  Office  and  Ministration,  to  serve  God  for  the  pro 
moting  of  His  glory,  and  the  edifying  of  His  people?" 
Which  certainly  is  a  question  that  you  cannot  easily  answer, 
unless  you  have  duly  weighed  it  before-hand.  And  there 
fore  in  your  private  retirements,  search  impartially  into  your 
own  hearts,  and  bethink  yourselves  seriously,  whether  by 
the  Providence  of  God,  and  the  assistance  of  His  Holy 
Spirit,  you  are  fitted  and  qualified  for  that  Office,  and  sin 
cerely  desire  to  be  admitted  into  it,  for  no  other,  or  at  least 
no  greater  end  or  purpose,  than  that  you  may  promote 


172  The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders. 

SERM.  God's  glory,  and  edify  His  people.  And  if  upon  due  ex- 
- —  animation  you  find  it  is  really  so  with  you,  then  you  have  as 
good  ground  to  trust  that  you  are  "  moved  to  it  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,"  as  if  he  had  expressly  commanded  you  "  to  be  sepa 
rated  to  the  work  whereunto  He  hath  called  you,"  as  He  did 
here  to  Barnabas  and  Saul. 

I  shall  not  prevent  your  private  meditations  by  running 
over  all  the  questions  here,  but  only  desire  that  you  would 
all  do  it,  every  one  by  himself,  and  that  you  would  deal 
plainly  and  faithfully  with  God  and  your  own  consciences  in 
it ;  as  considering  that  every  answer  you  there  make  in  the 
presence  of  God,  upon  so  solemn  an  occasion  as  that  is,  is 
and  ought  to  be  accounted  every  jot  as  sacred  as  any  oath 
whatever,  and  doth  as  much  bind  and  oblige  you  to  the  per 
formance  of  what  you  there  promise.  And  therefore  such 
answers  are  not  to  be  made  rashly,  neither  must  you  venture 
upon  obliging  yourselves  to  God  and  His  Church,  by  such 
solemn  promises  as  these  are,  without  mature  deliberation 
and  sincere  resolutions  to  perform  them,  "  the  Lord  being 
your  helper." 

And  indeed  by  that  time  that  you  have  duly  weighed  the 
Office  you  are  to  be  admitted  into,  and  the  promises  you 
make  when  you  are  admitted  into  it,  you  will  soon  find  how 
difficult,  or  rather  impossible  it  will  be  to  discharge  the  one 
or  the  other,  without  the  special  grace  and  assistance  of  God 
Himself;  which  therefore  you  must  be  sure  to  pray  for  in 
private  as  well  as  public.  For  this  is  the  other  great  and 
necessary  duty  which  is  now  incumbent  upon  you,  and 
wThich  you  must  perform  with  all  the  seriousness,  vigour, 
and  earnestness  that  you  possibly  can ;  as  knowing  that  both 
your  own,  and  other  men's  salvation,  depends  very  much 
upon  it.  And  therefore  when  you  are  got  into  your  closets, 
where  none  sees  you  but  that  God  whose  Ministers  you  are 
now  to  be,  make  it  your  humble  and  hearty  request  to  Him, 
that  as  He  is  pleased  to  confer  this  Office  upon  you,  so  He 
would  vouchsafe  you  such  a  measure  of  His  Holy  Spirit, 
whereby  you  may  be  enabled  faithfully  to  execute  the  same 
according  to  His  will  and  your  own  promise. 

And  if  you  thus  sincerely  perform  both  your  public  and 
private  devotions,  and  prepare  yourselves  by  Fasting  and 


The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders.  173 

Prayer  against  the  time  of  your  Ordination ;  as  you  need 
not,  so  you  ought  not  to  doubt  but  God  will  then  hear  your 
prayers,  and  bestow  His  Spirit  upon  you,  so  as  not  only  to 
authorize,  but  likewise  to  assist  you  in  the  administering 
His  Word  and  Sacraments,  and  in  the  faithful  discharge  of 
the  Office  He  calls  you  to.  For  which  purpose  it  is  very 
expedient  that  while  the  Bishop's  hands  are  upon  your 
heads,  especially  when  he  saith  in  the  Ordination  of  Priests, 
"  Receive  the  Holy  Ghost,"  your  minds  be  fully  intent  upon 
Almighty  God,  and  your  faith  fixed  upon  the  promises  that 
he  hath  made  to  that  purpose,  in  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord : 
for  then  He  will  most  certainly  grant  your  desires,  and  you 
will  receive  the  Holy  Ghost  for  the  effectual  discharge  of 
your  duty,  both  as  Ministers  and  Christians,  that  you  may 
both  shew  others  the  way  to  bliss,  and  walk  in  it  your 
selves. 

Having  thus  considered  how  you  ought  to  prepare  your 
selves  for  your  Ordination,  and  how  to  carry  yourselves  at 
it,  I  must  desire  you,  in  the  last  place,  to  have  a  care  of 
yourselves  afterwards  too.  For  which  purpose,  when  you 
are  ordained,  always  keep  it  in  your  minds,  what  relation 
you  then  stand  in  to  Christ,  as  being  his  Ministers,  the 
"stewards  of  the  manifold  mysteries  of  God,"  and  behave  [i  Cor.  4.1. 
yourselves  accordingly.  For  remember,  that  the  efficacy  of 
the  Word  and  Sacraments  administered  by  you,  depends 
not  upon  your  small  qualification,  but  upon  Christ's  "  Institu-  [Art.  26.] 
tion,  and  His  promises  annexed"  to  it.  And  therefore  you 
may  be  instruments  in  God's  hand  for  the  saving  of  others, 
and  yet  you  yourselves  may  be  damned. 

This  St.  Paul  himself  was  very  sensible  of,  and  therefore 
saith,  "  I  keep  under  my  body,  and  bring  it  into  subjection,  iCor.  9. 27. 
lest  that  by  any  means,  when  I  have  preached  to  others,  I 
myself  should  be  a  cast-away."  And  what  a  sad  thing  would 
it  be,  that  others  should  be  brought  to  Heaven  by  your 
means,  and  yet  yourselves  shut  out?  For  the  preventing 
whereof,  I  would  advise  you  to  take  this  course : 

First,  Do  as  St.  Paul  did,  "  keep  your  body  under,  and 
bring  it  into  subjection,"  by  fasting  and  abstinence.  Which 
is  every  whit  as  necessary,  after  you  are  ordained,  to  the 
execution  of  your  Office,  as  it  was  before  in  order  to  your 


174  The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders. 

SERM.  admission  into  it:  and  not  only  to  the  due  execution  of 
-  your  Office,  but  likewise  to  your  performance  of  all  other 
duties  that  are  required  of  you,  in  order  to  your  eternal 
Salvation.  For  if  so  eminent  a  Saint,  so  great  an  Apostle 
as  St.  Paul,  was  forced  to  keep  his  body  under,  lest  after  all 
his  care  and  pains  in  shewing  others  the  way  to  Heaven, 
he  himself  should  miss  of  it ;  sure  you  and  I  had  need  to 
fast  and  pray  to  some  purpose,  lest  when  we  have  spent 
our  days  in  administering  the  Word  and  Sacraments  for 
the  Salvation  of  others,  we  ourselves  should  perish  ever 
lastingly. 

Moreover,  that  you  may  never  forget  the  duties  which  your 
great  Master,  Christ,  requires  of  you,  nor  yet  the  promises 
you  made  to  Him  when  you  were  ordained;  it  would  be 
very  well,  if  you  would  often,  especially  upon  fasting-days, 
read  over  the  offices  for  making  or  ordering  Priests  and 
Deacons,  and  consider  what  questions  were  then  propounded 
to  you,  and  how  you  answered  them.  I  need  not  tell  you 
what  advantage  this  would  be  to  you :  do  but  make  trial  of 
it,  and  you  yourselves  will  find  it  by  your  own  experience. 

Another  thing  that  I  would  mind  you  of,  is  this,  that 
although  your  Ordination  respect  not  the  Church  of  England 
in  particular,  but  Christ's  Holy  Catholic  Church;  so  that 
when  ordained  Priests  or  Deacons  here,  you  are  so  all  the 
world  over:  yet  so  long  as  you  continue  to  execute  your 
Office  in  our  Church,  be  sure  to  observe  punctually  the 
Orders  and  Constitutions  of  it ;  which,  as  it  is  your  duty,  in 
obedience  to  the  Church  you  live  in,  so  you  will  find  it  to 
be  your  interest  too.  For  our  Church  hath  taken  care  that 
all  the  means  of  Grace  and  Salvation  should  be  duly  ad 
ministered  to  all  that  live  in  her  Communion :  and  you  will 
be  now  in  the  number  of  those  to  whom  the  administration 
of  them  is  committed.  If  you  therefore  keep  close  to  the 
rules  that  she  hath  set  you  in  it,  it  will  ease  you  of  a  great 
deal  of  care  and  trouble,  for  you  need  look  no  further  for  the 
full  discharging  the  trust  reposed  in  you :  for  by  this  means 
you  will  discharge  it  faithfully,  and  will  be  found  to  have 
done  so,  when  you  come  to  stand  before  our  Lord's  tribunal 
at  the  last  day.  Whereas  if  you,  through  carelessness  or 
self-merit,  shall  neglect,  diminish,  or  alter  any  thing  that 


The  Preparatory  Duties  for  Holy  Orders.  175 

the  Church,  out  of  obedience  to  Christ's  commands,  hath 
provided  for  the  Salvation  of  those  committed  to  your  charge, 
or  any  of  them  by  that  means  perish,  their  blood  will  be 
required  at  your  hands. 

And  then,  lastly,  as  Christ  is  pleased  to  honour  you  so 
far  as  to  admit  you  into  His  own  Ministry,  endeavour  all 
you  can  to  adorn  it  with  an  holy  and  good  life.  Adjust 
your  actions  to  all  the  rules  that  He  hath  prescribed  in  His 
Holy  Gospel.  Live  above  the  world,  and  make  it  your  con 
stant,  your  only  care,  study,  and  business,  to  serve,  honour, 
and  obey  your  great  Lord  and  Master  in  Heaven.  In  short, 
"  as  He  who  hath  called  you  is  holy,  so  be  ye  holy  in  all  C*  Pet- 
manner  of  conversation ;"  that  so  you  may  shew  your  flock 
the  way  to  Heaven,  both  by  your  precept  and  example. 
Do  this,  and  you  will  save  yourselves,  as  well  as  them  that 
hear  you.  "  Which  God  of  His  infinite  mercy  grant  we 
may  all  do,  through  Jesus  our  Lord :  to  whom,  with  the 
Father,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour  and  glory,  now 
and  for  ever." 


SERMON  X. 


THE  EFFICACY  OF  FAITH  ON  THE  MINISTRATION 
OF  THE  WORD. 


1  THESS.  ii.  13. 

For  this  cause  also  thank  we  God  without  ceasing,  because 
when  ye  received  the  Word  of  God  which  ye  heard  of  us, 
ye  received  it  not  as  the  word  of  men,  but,  as  it  is  in  truth, 
the  Word  of  God,  which  effectually  worketh  also  in  you 
that  believe. 

SERM.  "  IN  you  that  believe;"  there  lies  the  emphasis,  and  the 
-  foundation  of  all  that  I  design  at  present  to  build  upon  these 
words.  St.  Paul  having  been  at  Thessalonica,  and  preached 
the  Word  of  God  to  the  inhabitants  of  that  city,  many  of 
them  hearkened  to  what  he  said,  not  as  spoken  by  a  philo 
sopher,  but  by  an  Apostle  sent  from  God ;  and  therefore 
"received"  it,  not  as  "  the  word  of  men,"  which  may  or  may 
not  be  true,  but  as  it  really  was,  the  infallible  "  Word  of  God" 
Himself.  For  this,  the  Apostle  here  tells  them,  "  he  thanked 
God  without  ceasing,"  ascribing  it  wholly  to  His  power  and 
goodness ;  and  puts  them  withal  in  mind  of  two  things : 
First,  of  the  great  force  and  efficacy  which  the  Word  they 
so  received  had  upon  them ;  "  the  Word  of  God,"  saith  he, 
"  which  effectually  worketh  in  you."  It  had,  it  seems,  its 
whole  effect,  its  end,  its  perfect  work  upon  them,  insomuch 
that,  as  he  saith  in  the  following  words,  "  they  were  now 
able  to  suffer  as  much  for  the  sake  of  Christ  as  the  Churches 
in  Judea  did."  And  then,  secondly,  he  acquaints  them  also, 
how  the  Word  of  God  came  to  have  so  much  power  upon 
them,  even  because  they  believed  it ;  "  which  effectually 
worketh,"  saith  he,  "  in  you  that  believe."  In  you,  and  none 
else,  and  in  you  only  as  believing  it,  without  which  they 


The  Efficacy  of  Faith,  frc.  177 

could  not  have  been  wrought  upon,  nor  would  have  received 
any  benefit  at  all  by  it.  According  to  that  also  of  the 
Apostle  to  the  Hebrews,  where  speaking  of  the  Gospel 
preached  to  the  Jews  under  the  Law,  he  saith,  "  The  Word  Heb-  4-  2- 
preached  did  not  profit  them,  not  being  mixed  with  faith  in 
them  that  heard  it."  But  the  Apostle  in  my  text  speaks 
only  in  the  present  tense,  og  sveeysTrai,  "  which  effectually 
worketh,"  not  which  wrought  only  when  ye  heard  it,  but 
doth  so  now,  ev  u^t/v  ro/fc  tfufrevouffiv,  '  in  you  believing,'  or  i  that 
do  believe.'  As  if  he  had  said,  Seeing  you  still  believe  the 
Word  you  heard,  it  still  continues  to  work  effectually  in  you. 

I  have  been  the  more  particular  in  explaining  the  words 
to  you,  that  you  may  better  see  into  the  ground  of  what  I 
would  observe  from  them,  which  is,  that  the  efficacy  of  God's 
Holy  Word  upon  our  minds  depends  upon  our  believing  it ; 
that  whatsoever  we  hear,  can  make  no  impressions  at  all 
upon  us,  unless  we  believe  it,  nor  any  longer  than  we  do 
believe  it.  But  so  long  as  we  continue  to  believe  what  is 
preached  to  us  out  of  God's  Word,  so  long  it  will  "  work  [Acts  26. 
effectually  "  in  us,  towards  the  "  bringing  us  out  of  darkness 
into  light,  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God." 

The  understanding  of  this  will  be  of  great  use  to  shew 
both  where  the  fault  lies,  that  so  many  in  our  age  are  no 
better  for  having  the  Word  of  God  so  often  preached  to 
them,  and  also  how  we  may  be  always  the  better  for  it :  for 
which  purpose  therefore  we  shall  first  consider  what  we  are 
to  understand  by  the  "  Word  of  God,"  and  then  what  by 
"  believing  "it. 

By  the  Word  of  God,  we  are  to  understand  the  whole  sys 
tem  of  Divine  Revelations,  as  they  are  now  contained  in  the 
Books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament;  "for  all  Scripture  2  Tim.  3.16. 
being  given  by  inspiration  of  God ;"  it  is  all,  one  part  as  well 
as  another,  equally  the  Word  of  God :  so  that  we  have  the 
Word  of  God  Himself,  that  whatsoever  is  there  commanded 
or  forbidden,  it  is  His  will  that  we  should  or  should  not  do 
it ;  that  whatsoever  is  there  threatened  against  impenitent 
sinners,  or  promised  to  the  penitent,  He  Himself  will  see  it 
fulfilled ;  that  whatsoever  is  there  recorded  to  be  said  or 
done,  was  accordingly  said  or  done,  just  as  it  is  there 
recorded ;  that  whatsoever  is  there  foretold,  shall  certainly 


178  The  Efficacy  of  Faith  on  the 

SERM.  come  to  pass;  and  that  whatsoever  is  there  affirmed,  is  in- 
-  fallibly  true,  as  being  affirmed  by  Him  who  cannot  lie.  And 
by  our  "  believing  "  all  this,  we  are  to  understand  our  being 
fully  persuaded  of  the  truth  and  certainty  of  it,  in  a  manner 
suitable  to  the  ground  that  we  have  for  it,  even  the  "  Word  of 
God"  Himself,  which  being  the  firmest  ground  we  can  have 
for  any  thing  in  the  world,  we  ought  to  be  persuaded  in  the 
highest  manner  that  can  be,  of  every  thing  that  is  there 
written. 

This  being  premised  in  general,  it  will  be  easy  to  demon 
strate  the  truth  of  this  proposition,  that  "  the  Word"  of  God, 
howsoever  it  is  preached  or  made  known, "  effectually  worketh 
in  them  that  believe  it."  For  we  find  by  constant  experience, 
that  a  firm  belief  or  full  persuasion  of  any  thing,  even  in 
this  world,  hath  that  power  over  our  minds,  that  it  carrieth 
all  our  affections  after  it.  If  we  really  believe  a  thing  to  be 
good  for  us,  we  cannot  but  love  it,  and  desire  it,  and  labour 
after  it,  and  be  glad  when  we  have  got  it.  If  we  really 
believe  a  thing  to  be  evil  or  hurtful  to  us,  we  cannot  but 
hate  it,  and  abhor  it,  and  shun  it,  and  be  troubled  when  it 
falls  upon  us :  and  this,  although  our  belief  or  persuasion  be 
grounded  only  upon  our  own  fancies,  or  corrupt  reason,  or 
upon  the  testimony  of  our  fellow-creatures  upon  earth ;  how 
much  more,  when  it  is  grounded  upon  the  testimony  of  God 
i  John s.  9.  Himself?  "  If  we  receive  the  witness  of  men,  the  witness 
of  God  is  greater."  It  is  indeed  the  greatest  that  can  be  in 
the  world.  And  therefore  such  things  as  God  Himself  hath 
attested,  and  we  accordingly  believe  as  we  ought  upon  His 
testimony  or  witness,  must  needs  prevail  the  most  power 
fully  upon  us,  and  "work"  the  most  "  effectually"  in  us,  that 
it  is  possible  for  any  thing  in  the  world  to  do. 

To  make  this  the  more  plain  and  easy  to  be  understood,  I 
shall  briefly  run  through  the  several  parts  of  God's  Holy 
Word,  and  shew  how  each  of  them  operates  upon  a  "  be 
lieving"  mind.  Now  all  that  is  there  written  may  be 
reduced  to  these  few  heads :  Commands,  Threatenings,  Pro 
mises,  Histories,  Predictions,  and  Affirmations.  Every  one 
of  which  hath  its  proper  and  peculiar  way  of  working  upon 
the  minds  of  men;  but  they  aU  do  it  "  effectually  "  in  those 
who  "  believe." 


Ministration  of  the  Word.  179 

I.  By  the  Commands,  I  mean  all  such  moral  laws  and 
precepts  which  are  recorded  in  Holy  Scripture,  as  enacted 
by  God  Himself,  or,  which  is  the  same,  by  His  Holy  Spirit 
in  the  Prophets  and  Apostles.  All  which  laws  have  equally 
their  authority  and  sanction  from  the  Supreme  Lawgiver, 
the  universal  Governor  of  the  World,  who  hath  been  pleased 
to  make  and  publish  them,  that  all  mankind  might  know 
how  to  govern  themselves,  their  thoughts,  their  words,  and 
their  actions,  all  according  to  His  Divine  will  and  pleasure. 
Now  when  we  read  or  hear  of  any  of  these  commandments,  if 
at  the  same  time  we  firmly  "believe,"  and  are  fully  persuaded 
in  our  minds,  that  they  are  prescribed  to  us  by  the  Almighty 
Creator,  Preserver,  and  Disposer  of  all  things  in  the  wrorld ; 
our  consciences  must  needs  be  touched,  and  our  hearts 
affected  with  a  quick  sense  of  the  many  obligations  that  lie 
upon  us  to  observe  them  with  an  holy  fear,  lest  we  should 
ever  break  them,  and  with  steady  resolutions  to  keep  them 
as  punctually  as  we  can :  as  we  see  in  the  children  of  Israel, 
when  the  Law  was  proclaimed  upon  Mount  Sinai  with  thun- 
derings  and  lightnings,  and  other  demonstrations  of  the 
Divine  glory  and  greatness,  whereby  the  people  were  con 
vinced,  that  it  was  indeed  the  Law  of  God,  and  that  He  Him 
self  proclaimed  it ;  how  were  they  were  terrified  at  it,  and 
resolved  to  keep  it !  they  desired  to  see  no  more  such  terrible 
sights,  but  were  ready  now  to  do  whatsoever  Moses  should 
tell  them  was  the  will  of  God.  For  they  said  to  him, 
"  Go  thou  near,  and  hear  all  that  the  Lord  our  God  shall  Deut.s.27. 
say ;  and  speak  thou  unto  us  all  that  the  Lord  our  God  shall 
speak  unto  thee,  and  we  will  hear  it,  and  do  it."  So  effectually 
did  the  Word  of  God  work  in  them,  so  long  as  they  believed 
it ;  and  so  it  doth  in  all  that  hear  of  the  laws  of  God,  so  long 
as  they  really  believe  them  to  be  His.  As  all  the  moral 
commandments  are,  which  we  find  written  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  although  they  were  not  promulged  in  such  an 
extraordinary  and  astonishing  manner  as  the  ten  were  upon 
Mount  Sinai,  but  by  the  still  voice  of  His  Holy  Spirit  in  the 
Prophets.  They  are  all  equally  the  commands  of  Almighty 
God ;  which  whosoever  believes,  when  he  hears  them  de 
livered  and  made  known  to  him,  he  must  needs  receive  them 
with  that  reverence  and  godly  fear,  that  will  work  up  his 


180 


The  Efficacy  of  Faith  on  the 


SERM.  mind  into  fervent  desires  and  sincere  endeavours  to  observe 
~  and  keep  them.  Insomuch  that  He  who  is  not  so  wrought 
upon  by  them,  may  be  confident,  that  whatsoever  he  may 
think  or  say,  he  is  not  fully  persuaded  that  they  are  the 
laws  of  the  Supreme  Judge  and  Governor  of  the  world ;  if 
he  was,  he  would  soon  find  them  "working  effectually"  in 
him. 

II.  Especially  if  he  considers  withal,  the  penalty  which 
God  hath  threatened  against  those  who  break  His  laws, 
nothing  less  than  death  itself.  When  God  commanded 
Adam  not  to  eat  of  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and 

Gen.  2. 17.  evil,  He  told  him  at  the  same  time,  "  that  in  the  day  that  he 
eat  thereof,  he  should  surely  die :"  which  if  Adam  had  be 
lieved,  he  would  never  have  eaten  of  that  tree.  And  there 
fore  the  Serpent  had  no  other  way  to  prevail  with  him  to  do 

Gen.  3.  4.  it,  but  by  persuading  him  that  "  he  should  not  die."  So  it 
is  to  this  day ;  in  that  God  was  pleased  to  threaten  the  first 
sin  with  death,  He  thereby  sufficiently  declared  that  all  sin 
should  be  punished  with  death,  which  the  Apostle  therefore 

Rom.  6. 23.  saith,  "  is  the  wages  of  sin ;"  of  Sin  in  general,  one  as  well 
as  another.  God  hath  threatened  death  against  every  sin, 
death  in  its  fullest  extent  and  latitude,  as  comprizing  under 
it  all  the  curses  and  miseries  that  mankind  is  capable  of. 
Hence  it  is,  that  He  denounced  so  many  curses  against  those 
"  who  would  not  observe  to  do  whatsoever  He  had  com 
manded."  And  how  exactly  they  were  all  executed  upon  the 
children  of  Israel,  may  easily  appear  to  any  one  that  compares 
what  Moses  hath  there  written,  with  what  Josephus  hath 
recorded  concerning  the  destruction  of  Hierusalem,  by  the 
Romans,  in  his  "  History  of  the  Jewish  War ;"  where  we 
find  all  the  curses  which  are  there  threatened,  so  literally 
fulfilled  upon  that  sinful  nation,  that  it  may  serve  as  a  com 
ment  upon  the  aforesaid  text.  And  howsoever  other  people 
may  flatter  themselves  for  a  while,  with  the  hopes  of  impunity 
for  their  sins,  notwithstanding  that  they  continue  in  them, 
the  curse  of  God  will  most  certainly  one  time  or  other  fall 
upon  them  for  it :  nay,  it  is  upon  them  already ;  for  God 

Gal.  3. 10.    hath  said,  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all 

Deut.27.26.  things  which  are  written  in  the  book  of  the  law  to  do  them." 
They  are  already  cursed,  whether  they  see  it  or  no,  and  they 


Deut.  28. 
[15.] 


Ministration  of  the  Word.  181 

shall  find  they  are  so,  whether  they  will  or  no,  when  Christ 
shall  say  to  them,  "  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into  ever-  Matt.  25. 
lasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  angels."  For 
this  we  have  the  Word  of  God  Himself,  which  if  men  did 
really  believe,  how  effectually  would  it  work  in  them!  it 
would  soon  turn  their  stomachs  against  all  manner  of  sin,  as 
that  which  brings  the  curse  of  God  upon  them,  and  so  is  the 
only  cause  of  all  the  troubles  they  meet  with  in  this  world, 
and  without  sincere  repentance  will  ruin  and  destroy  them 
for  ever. 

III.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Promises  which  God 
hath  made  to  those  who  keep  His  laws,  which  are  so  many 
and  so  great,  that  if  men  did  but  really  believe  them,  they 
would  need  no  other  arguments  to  persuade  them  to  do 
whatsoever  He  hath  commanded :  for  to  those  who  do  so, 
He  hath  promised  all  the  good,  all  the  best  things,  yea,  all 
things  that  are  in  the  world  ;  "  all  shall  be  theirs."  "And  iCor.  3. 21. 
all  shall  work  together  for  their  good."  And  who  can  for 
bear  to  do  that  which  he  believes  will  do  him  good,  although 
it  be  only  one  particular  good,  and  although  he  hath  no 
other  ground  to  believe  it,  but  because  a  wise  and  an  honest 
man,  as  he  supposes,  hath  told  him  so  ?  How  much  more, 
when  the  all-wise,  almighty,  all-good,  and  gracious  God 
hath  said,  that  "  they  who  obey  and  serve  Him,  shall  have 
all  the  good  things  they  can  desire,"  as  we  have  all  the 
ground  that  can  be  to  believe  it,  so  no  man  can  really  believe 
it,  but  he  must  strive  all  he  can  to  obey  and  serve  Him : 
which  whosoever  doth  not  do,  whatsoever  he  may  pretend, 
I  am  sure  he  doth  not  truly  believe  God's  Word ;  for  "  true  Gal.  5. 6. 
faith  worketh  by  love;"  but  "love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  Rom.  13.10. 
whole  law."  And  therefore  he  that  doth  not  endeavour  to 
the  utmost  of  his  power,  to  fulfil  the  whole  law  of  God,  we 
may  be  confident  that  he  doth  not  truly  believe  His  Word 
and  promise  to  them  that  do  so ;  and  that  is  the  reason,  the 
only  reason  that  it  hath  no  effect  upon  him. 

But  in  those  who  believe,  it  works  so  effectually,  that  it 
puts  them  upon  constant  endeavours  to  do  whatsoever  God 
hath  commanded ;  it  inspires  them  with  courage  and  resolu 
tion  in  it ;   it  keeps  them  "  steadfast,  unmoveable,   always  i  cor.  is. 
abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  forasmuch  as  they  know  58> 


182  The  Efficacy  of  Faith  on  the 

SERM.    that  their  labour  is  not  in  vain  in  the  Lord."     They  know, 

-  they  are  sure  that  all  the  pains  they  take  for  Him,  will  turn 

to  good  account  for  themselves :  they  have  God's  Word  for 

it,  the  best  security  in  the  world  ;  and  therefore  they  never 

think  that  they  can  lay  out  too  much  upon  it. 

And  as  the  Word  and  promise  of  God  animates  and  en- 
courageth  those  who  believe,  to  obey  Him  in  all  things 
which  He  hath  commanded,  so  it  enables  them  also  to  put 
their  whole  trust  and  confidence  on  Him  for  all  things  that 
He  hath  promised,  that  is,  for  all  things  that  can  any  way 
conduce  to  their  good  and  welfare  :  by  which  means,  what 
soever  happens,  their  "  hearts  are  always  fixed,  trusting  in 
the  Lord,"  to  defend  and  keep  them  according  His  Word, 
which  they  are  confident  can  never  fail ;  as  we  see  in  the 

Heb.  is.  s,  Apostle,  God  "  hath  said,  I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake 
thee  :  so  that  we  may  boldly  say,  The  Lord  is  my  helper,  and 
I  will  not  fear  what  man  shall  do  unto  me."  So  in  all  the 
promises  which  God  hath  made,  they  who  believe  can  boldly 
say,  that  He  will  make  them  good.  This  is  that  faith  which 
is  so  acceptable  to  God,  that  by  it  we  are  accepted  of  as 
righteous  before  Him,  through  His  beloved  Son,  in  whom 
all  His  promises  are  made  and  confirmed  to  us :  as  when 

Rom.  4.  3.  God  had  made  a  promise  to  Abraham,  it  is  said,  "  Abraham 
believed  God,  and  it  was  counted  unto  him  for  righteous 
ness."  Not  that  we  can  believe,  and  not  do  the  works  of 
God,  as  I  have  already  shewn ;  but  because  when  we  have 
done  all  we  can,  our  works  are  so  imperfect,  that  we  cannot 
be  accounted  righteous  for  them ;  and  therefore  God  is  gra 
ciously  pleased  to  accept  of  our  faith  in  His  promises,  and 
in  His  Son,  in  whom  they  are  made  ;  and  to  count  that  for 
righteousness  to  us,  in  that  we  are  thereby  interested  in  all 
the  merits  of  our  Blessed  Saviour,  in  whom  we  believe,  and 
by  whom  we  are  therefore  justified  before  God.  So  effec 
tually  do  the  promises  of  God  work  in  them  who  believe 
and  trust  on  them,  that  they  are  thereby  both  made  and 

[Col.  1.12.]  accounted  righteous,  and  so  "are  meet  to  be  partakers  of 
the  inheritance  of  the  Saints  in  light." 

Neither  doth  the  historical  part  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
want  its  influence  and  energy  in  those  who  receive  it  as 
attested  by  God  Himself,  and  accordingly  believe  it.  When 


Ministration  of  the  Word*  183 

we  read  there,  how  God  made  the  world,  and  what  great 
things  He  hath  since  done  in  it ;  if  we  really  believe  it,  we 
must  needs  be  struck  with  such  an  admiration  of  His  infinite 
wisdom  and  power,  as  will  make  us  fall  down  and  worship 
Him :  when  we  read  or  hear  of  the  dreadful  judgments  which 
He  hath  inflicted  upon  obstinate  sinners ;  if  we  really  be 
lieve  it,  we  cannot  but  dread  the  thoughts  of  falling  under 
His  displeasure,  and  so  live  in  fear  all  our  life  long :  when 
we  read  or  hear  of  the  great  deliverances  He  hath  wrought 
and  "  the  wonderful  works  that  He  hath  done"  for  His 
faithful  people  and  servants  in  all  ages  ;  if  we  really  believe 
it,  we  shall  be  thereby  inflamed  with  holy  desires  to  be  in 
the  number  of  His  faithful  servants,  and  encouraged  to  trust 
on  Him,  and  to  hope  that  He  will  do  as  much  for  us,  if  there 
be  occasion.     When  we  read  or  hear  of  the  great  sins  which 
the  best  of  men  have  sometimes  fallen  into  ;  if  we  really  be 
lieve  it,  our  hearts  must  needs  be  touched  with  the  conscience 
of  our  own  infirmities,  and  of  the  necessity  of  observing  what 
the  Apostle  hath  taught  us  in  that  case:  "Be  not  high- Rom.  11.20. 
minded,  but  fear."      When  we  read  or  hear  of  the  great 
troubles  and  afflictions  which  God's  own  people  have  met 
with  in  this  world ;  if  we  really  believe  it,  we  shall  the  more 
cheerfully  undergo  whatsoever  He  shall  be  pleased  to  lay 
upon  us,  and  with  "  Moses  choose  rather  to  suffer  affliction  Heb.  11.25. 
with  the  people  of  God,  than  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  sin 
for  a  season."     When  we  read  or  hear  of  the  virtues  and 
good  works,  for  which  the  Saints  of  old  are  commended  by  God 
Himself,  as,  that  Enoch  "  walked  with  God ; "  that  Noah  was  [Gen.s.24.] 
"  a  just  man,  and  perfect  in  his  generation;"  that  Abraham  [Gep.6.9.] 
was  "  strong  in  faith,"  giving  glory  unto  God ;  that  Job  was  [Rom.  4. 
not  only  patient,  but  thankful  for  all  his   troubles;   that  [joLi.si.] 
Moses  was  "  the  meekest  man  upon  earth  ;"  that  David  was  [Numb.  12. 
"  a  man  after  God's  own  heart ;"  that  Zacharias  and  Eliza-  njcts  13 
beth  were  "  both  righteous  before  God,  walking  in  all  the  ^2-] 
commandments  and  ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless,"  and 
the  like  :  if  we  really  believe  it,  what  an  emulation  will  it 
raise  in  us  to  come  as  near  them  as  possibly  we  can  ?     Es 
pecially  the  life  and  death  of  our   Blessed  Saviour,  who 
"did  none,"  and  yet  "  suffered  all  manner  of  evil;"  if  we 
really  believe  it,  it  would  not  only  make  us  ashamed  of 


184  The  Efficacy  of  Faith  on  the 

SERM.    our  former  sins,  but  careful  for  the  future  to  walk  in  His 
—  steps. 

But  as  to  what  is  recorded  concerning  our  Blessed  Saviour, 
I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  more  particularly  of  that  af 
terwards  ;  as  likewise  of  the  Prophecies  or  Predictions  that 
are  not  yet  fulfilled.  Wherefore,  passing  by  those  which 
are  fulfilled  already,  and  so  are  a  great  confirmation  of  our 
faith  in  God's  Word,  I  shall  haste  to  the  last  of  these  heads, 
to  which  I  said  whatsoever  is  contained  in  it  may  be  re 
ferred,  which  I  call  Affirmations  :  by  which  I  mean,  what 
soever  is  affirmed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  concerning  God  the 
Father,  the  Son,  or  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  any  other  truth  that 
is  there  revealed,  on  purpose  that  we  might  believe  it.  For 
whatsoever  is  so  affirmed,  if  we  accordingly  "  believe  it,"  it 
will  "work  so  effectually"  in  us,  as  to  cleanse  our  hearts  from 
all  erroneous  and  corrupt  opinions,  and  fill  them  with  a  due 
sense  and  right  notions  of  Divine  things,  according  to  that 

Acts  is.  9.   of  St.  Peter,  where  he  saith,  that  "  God  purified  their  hearts 
by  faith." 

IV.  To  make  this  as  plain  and  practical  as  I  can,  that  ye 
may  not  only  understand,  but  experience  in  yourselves  What 
power  this  part  of  God's  Holy  Word  hath  upon  them 
who  believe,  I  shall  briefly  run  through  the  Articles  of  our 
Christian  faith,  as  they  are  contained  in  the  Apostles'  Creed, 
and  shew  how  every  one  hath  its  particular  influence,  and 
all  work  together  to  cleanse  and  purify  the  hearts  of  those 
who  believe,  to  take  them  off  from  all  gross  and  sensible 
objects,  and  to  fix  them  upon  God  and  the  concerns  of 
another  life.  I  know  there  are  other  great  truths  revealed 
in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  are  not  expressly  named  in 
that  Creed  :  but  I  shall  only  instance  in  those  that  are  there 
expressed,  because  that  is  the  Creed  which  I  suppose  you 
can  all  say,  you  all  profess  to  believe  it,  and  it  is  that  which 
we  repeat  every  day  in  our  public  devotions.  And  therefore 
it  will  be  of  great  use  to  understand  how  you  ought  to  be, 
and  how  you  will  be  affected  with  every  Article  that  is  in  it, 
if  you  actually  believe  it,  whensoever  ye  hear  or  say  it :  and 
by  consequence,  how  proper  it  is  to  repeat  and  exercise  our 

Heb.  11.  6.  faith  upon  that  Creed  in  our  daily  prayers. 

First  therefore,  "  He  that  coraeth  unto  God,  must  believe 


Ministration  of  the  Word.  185 

that  He  is."  And  accordingly  our  Creed  begins  with,  "  I 
believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty  :  in  God,"  the  Lord, 
the  Lord  of  Hosts,  Jehovah,  Jah,  Being,  glory,  goodness, 
purity,  excellency,  super-excellency,  perfection  itself,  existing 
in  and  of  Himself,  "  God  blessed  for  ever."  And  who  can  [Rom.  i. 
believe  there  is  such  a  glorious,  amiable,  infinite,  incom 
prehensible,  eternal  Being,  and  not  love  and  honour  Him  ? 
Who  can  believe  in  Him,  and  not  adore  and  serve  Him 
with  "  reverence  and  godly  fear?"  It  is  impossible.  Such  [Heb.  12. 
a  belief  of  God  would  raise  up  our  hearts,  and  incline  all 
the  powers  of  our  souls  to  Him,  and  fix  them  so  firmly  upon 
Him,  that  nothing  would  be  able  to  withdraw  them  from 
Him.  And  if  we  believe  in  God  the  Father,  we  must  needs 
believe  He  hath  a  Son,  eternally  begotten  of  Him,  otherwise 
He  could  not  be  the  Father ;  which  by  consequence  must 
needs  "  work  so  effectually"  in  us,  as  to  confirm  and  settle  us 
in  the  belief  of  the  Divinity  of  our  Blessed  Saviour,  and  of 
the  most  glorious  Trinity,  the  foundation  of  our  whole  re 
ligion,  and  of  all  our  hopes  and  expectations  from  it.  But 
if  we  believe  also  that  this  God  the  Father  is  Almighty,  that 
He  can  do  whatsoever  He  pleaseth,  whensoever,  whereso 
ever,  and  howsoever  He  pleaseth  to  do  it,  that  nothing  can 
resist  His  will,  all  things  being  infinitely  below  Him,  and 
entirely  subject  to  Him :  who  can  imagine,  but  they  who 
feel  it,  what  impressions  such  a  faith  would  make  upon  our 
hearts  ?  It  would  cut  us  to  the  quick  with  fear  of  offending, 
and  desires  of  pleasing  God  Almighty  above  all  things  in 
the  world,  as  believing  that  nothing  can  do  us  either  good 
or  hurt,  but  just  as  He  pleaseth:  especially  if  we  go  on  to 
believe,  that  this  "  God  the  Father  Almighty,  is  the  Maker 
of  Heaven  and  earth  ; "  that  He  made  the  sun,  the  moon, 
and  all  the  planets  and  fixed  stars,  with  every  thing  that  is 
in  them,  upon  them,  about  them,  above  them,  or  beyond 
them,  farther  than  our  very  thoughts  can  reach ;  that  He 
made  the  Heaven  of  Heavens,  with  all  the  Angels,  Arch 
angels,  Cherubim  and  Seraphim,  and  all  the  pure  and  spot 
less,  glorious  and  most  perfect  creatures  that  reside  there ;  that 
He  made  the  earth  and  the  sea,  with  all  things  that  are  there 
in  :  and  that  He  did  not  only  thus  make  all  things  at  first, 
but  He  is  still,  He  is  always  the  maker  of  them,  continually 


186  The  Efficacy  of  Faith  on  the 

SERM.    upholding  them  in  their  being,  ordering,  and  disposing,  and 
—  governing  them,  as  He  Himself  sees  good.     Who  can  be 
lieve  this,  and  not  admire  the  glory  of  that  infinite  wisdom, 
and  power,  and  goodness,  that  shineth  forth  in  the  whole 

Rev.  4. 11.  creation?  Who  can  believe  this,  and  not  cry  out,  "Thou 
art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honour,  and  power, 
for  Thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for  Thy  pleasure  they 

Rev.  19.  6,  are  and  were  created."  "  Allelujah,  for  the  Lord  God  om 
nipotent  reigneth,  let  us  be  glad  and  rejoice,  and  give  honour 

Rom.ii.36.  to  Him."  "For  of  Him,  and  through  Him,  and  to  Him 
are  all  things,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever,  Amen."  And  as 
we  "  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,  Maker  of  Heaven 
and  earth,"  so  also  "  in  Jesus  Christ  His  only  Son  our  Lord :" 
that  He  is  Jesus,  that  is,  as  the  name  imports, "  the  Saviour," 
the  only  Saviour  we  have  in  all  the  world ;  that  this  Jesus 
is  the  Christ,  the  anointed  of  God,  to  be  a  Priest,  a  Pro 
phet,  and  a  King,  in  order  to  His  accomplishing  our  Salvation : 
that  this  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  Son  of  God,  the  only 
begotten  of  the  Father,  of  the  same  nature  and  substance 
with  Him  ;  and  that  He  is  the  Lord  of  the  whole  world,  and 
in  a  particular  manner  our  Lord  and  Governor.  Could  we 
live  with  a  constant  belief  of  all  this,  how  happy  should  we 
then  be?  Then  we  should  put  our  whole  trust  and  con 
fidence  in  Jesus,  and  in  Him  alone,  for  all  things  necessary 
for  our  Salvation  ;  then  we  should  apply  ourselves  to  Christ 
upon  all  occasions,  as  our  "  Priest,  to  make  atonement  for 
us  ;  as  our  Prophet,  to  instruct  us  ;"  and  "  as  our  King,  to 
defend  and  govern  us."  Then  the  only  Son  of  God  would 
be  our  only  joy  and  comfort ;  so  that  our  "  souls  would" 

[Luke  1.46,  always  "magnify  the  Lord,  and  our  spirits  rejoice  in  God 

47-]  our  Saviour."     Then  we   should   submit  unto  the  will  of 

Christ  our  Lord,  and  strive  above  all  things  to  serve,  and 
please,  and  obey  Him,  and  so  should  always  live  under  His 
conduct  and  protection. 

[Phil  26        "  Who,"  as  it  follows  in  the  Creed,  "  was  conceived  by  the 

7-]  Holy  Ghost,  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary ; "  that  is,  who  "  being 

in  the  form  of  God,  took  upon  Him  the  form  of  a  servant," 
or  became  man  too,  by  being  conceived,  not  in  the  ordinary 
way  as  other  men  are,  but  by  the  Holy  Ghost  Himself,  and 
born  as  miraculously  of  a  pure  virgin,  the  Virgin  Mary,  of 


Ministration  of  the  Word.  187 

the  stock  of  David  ;  so  that  both  His  conception  and  birth 
were  supernatural  and  miraculous,  as  being  effected  by  the 
immediate  power  of  God  Himself.  Which  is  such  an 
Article  of  our  faith,  that  if  firmly  believed,  it  would  make 
us  astonished  at  the  infinite  love  of  God  to  mankind,  that 
He  Himself  should  become  man,  and  for  that  purpose  alter 
the  whole  course  of  natural  causes,  which  He  hath  settled  in 
the  world,  and  all  to  reconcile  Himself  to  mankind,  and 
mankind  unto  Himself.  Who  can  believe  this,  and  not 
love  that  God  who  so  loved  us,  as  to  be  conceived  by  His 
own  Holy  Spirit,  and  born  of  a  virgin,  and  all  to  redeem 
and  save  us  ? 

But  how  did  this  wonderful  person,  this  God-man,  redeem 
and  save  us  ?  That  we  are  taught  in  the  next  words  of  the 
Creed,  "  He  suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  was  crucified, 
dead,  and  buried,  He  descended  into  Hell."  He  suffered 
all  the  punishments  which  the  law  of  God  had  threatened 
against  the  sins  of  men.  He  suffered  shame  and  reproach 
in  His  glorious  name ;  He  suffered  pain  and  anguish  in  His 
body  ;  He  suffered  grief  and  sorrow  in  His  soul.  This  He 
suffered  under  Pontius  Pilate,  a  Roman  governor,  and 
therefore  suffered  also  that  cruel  and  accursed  death  which 
the  Romans  inflicted  upon  notorious  malefactors  :  He  was 
crucified,  His  hands  and  feet  were  nailed  to  a  cross,  and 
there  He  hung  till  He  gave  up  the  ghost  and  died,  and  so 
offered  up  Himself  as  a  propitiatory  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of 
the  whole  world  ;  and  being  dead,  His  body  was  buried,  or 
laid  in  the  grave,  and  His  soul  went  down  to  Hell,  not  to 
suffer  there,  but  to  shew  that  He  had  suffered  enough 
already,  and  that  the  gates  of  Hell  could  have  no  more 
power  over  Him  or  His.  For  He  had  now  overcome  the 
Devil,  and  therefore  triumphed  over  Him  in  His  own 
kingdom. 

Is  it  possible  really  to  believe  all  this,  and  yet  not  be 
affected  with  it  ?  To  believe  that  the  only-begotten  Son  of 
God  suffered  so  much  for  our  sins,  and  yet  continue  in  them  ? 
To  believe  that  He  was  crucified  for  us,  and  yet  we  not 
"  crucify  our  flesh  with  the  affections  and  lusts  ?"  To  believe  [Gal.  5.24.] 
that  He  died  in  our  stead,  and  yet  not  live  to  His  honour 
and  glory?  To  believe  that  He  was  buried,  and  yet  we 


188  The  Efficacy  of  Faith  on  the 

SERM.  not  be  "buried  with  Him  by  Baptism  into  death?"  To 
Rom.  6. 4.  believe  that  He  went  down  into  Hell,  and  yet  that  we 
should  walk  in  the  ways  that  lead  thither  ?  That  He  hath 
overcome  the  Devil,  and  yet  we  should  be  overcome  by 
him  ?  It  is  impossible  !  Men  may  talk  of  what  Christ 
suffered,  and  profess  to  "  believe  "  it,  and  yet  be  never  the 
better  for  it :  but  if  they  did  what  they  profess,  if  they 
really  believed  that  such  an  extraordinary  person  suffered 
in  such  an  extraordinary  manner  for  sin,  yea,  and  for  their 
[2  Cor.  7.  sins  too,  it  must  needs  work  in  them  "  true  repentance,  not 
to  be  repented  of;"  so  as  to  make  them  not  only  ashamed 
of  their  former  sins,  and  heartily  sorry  for  them,  but  stead 
fastly  resolved  to  walk  for  the  future  in  newness  of  life. 
They  would  never  think  they  can  do  enough  for  Him,  who 
hath  done  and  suffered  so  much  for  them. 
PS.  16. 10;  But  what  saith  our  Blessed  Lord  in  David  ?  <  Thou  wilt 

Acts  2.  31. 

not  leave  my  soul  in  Hell,  neither  wilt  Thou  suffer  Thine 
holy  one  to  see  corruption."  And  accordingly,  though  He 
was  "crucified,  dead  and  buried,"  and  "went  down  into 
Hell,"  yet,  as  it  follows  in  the  Creed,  "  the  third  day  He 
rose  again  from  the  dead,  ascended  into  Heaven,  sitteth  on 
the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father  Almighty,  from  thence 
He  shall  come  to  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead."  We 
heard  before  how  low  Christ  humbled  Himself  for  us,  and 
here  we  see  how  highly  He  is  now  exalted  by  the  Father, 
and  all  for  us  too:  the  third  day  after  His  soul  and  body 
were  separated  upon  the  cross,  they  were  united  together 
again,  and  so  He  revived  or  rose  again  to  life,  and  soon 
after  went  up  in  both  so  united  into  Heaven,  and  was  there 

i  Pet.  3. 22.  set  "  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  Angels,  and  Authorities,  and 
Powers  being  made  subject  to  Him."  Neither  was  He  only 
thus  set  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  at  His  first  going  into 
Heaven,  but,  as  it  is  in  the  Creed,  He  sitteth  there  now,  as 

Eph.  i.  22.  "head  over  all  things  to  the  Church,"  as  King  of  Kings, 
and  Lord  of  Lords,  vested  with  absolute  authority  over  the 
whole  creation,  and  as  the  true  High-Priest,  appearing  in 
the  presence  of  God,  making  atonement  and  reconciliation 
for  all  that  believe  in  Him,  by  virtue  of  that  blood  which 
He  shed  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  when  He  was  upon 
earth.  And  that  seems  to  be  the  reason  why,  in  the  Revela- 


Ministration  of  the  Word.  189 

tions,  He  is  all  along  represented  as  a  Lamb  sitting  upon 
His  throne,  because  He  sits  there  as  the  Lamb  that  offered 
up  Himself  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  by  virtue  of  that 
"  one  oblation  of  Himself  once  offered,"  He  is  continually 
propitiating  or  reconciling  His  Father,  and  so  interceding 
with  Him  for  all  His  faithful  people,  that  their  sins  may 
be  pardoned,  and  their  persons  accepted  of,  or  accounted 
righteous  before  God.  This  He  always  did,  is  still  doing  at 
this  very  moment,  and  so  will  be  to  the  end  of  the  world ; 
when  He  will  come  to  earth  again,  and  summon  all  man 
kind  that  ever  lived,  together  with  those  which  shall  be  then 
alive,  to  appear  before  Him,  and  will  pass  His  final  sentence 
upon  every  one,  "  according  to  that  he  hath  done  in  the  2  Cor.  5. 10. 
body,  whether  it  be  good  or  evil." 

I  hope  I  need  not  tell  you,  that  if  ye  "  believed"  all  this,  it 
would  "work  effectually"  in  you,  you  could  not  surely  but  feel 
it  in  yourselves :  for  I  speak  to  them  who  believe,  did  not 
your  hearts  even  burn  within  you,  while  you  heard  what  a 
glorious  Saviour  ye  have  in  Heaven  ?  Do  not  your  souls 
leap  for  joy,  that  ye  have  such  an  advocate  "  ever  living  to  [Heb.  7. 
make  intercession"  for  you  ?  Do  not  you  still  find  yourselves  25-l 
refreshed  and  cheered  at  the  hearing,  that  He  who  loved 
you  so  well  as  to  lay  down  His  life  for  you,  is  now  "  at  the 
right  hand  of  God,"  and  hath  all  things  in  Heaven  and 
earth  entirely  at  His  command?  Hath  it  not  made  you 
ready  to  praise  and  magnify  His  name,  and  to  join  with  the 
choir  of  Heaven  in  singing,  "  Blessing,  and  honour,  and  Rev.  5.  is. 
glory,  and  power,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne, 
and  unto  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever."  And  when  you 
heard  that  this  glorious  person  will  come  one  day  to  judge 
all  mankind,  and  you  among  the  rest,  did  not  this  stir  up  in 
you  good  desires  and  holy  resolutions  to  prepare  yourselves 
for  that  great  account  you  must  then  give  to  Him  ?  If  you 
found  no  such  effect  in  yourselves  upon  the  hearing  of  these 
fundamental  Articles  of  our  religion,  you  may  conclude  that 
you  do  not  believe  them :  for  if  you  did,  you  would  not  only 
have  felt  all  that  I  have  said,  but  far  more  than  I  am  able 
to  express. 

The  same  may  be  said  of  all  the  other  Articles  which 
remain.     If  you  believed  "  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Lord  " 


190  The  Efficacy  of  Faith  on  the 

SERM.    and  "the  Giver  of  life,"  and  of  all  grace  and  holiness,  you 

—  could  never  hear  of  Him,  but  you  would  immediately  lift  up 

your  hearts  to  Him,  to  be  quickened,  and  sanctified,  or  made 

holy  by  Him.  If  you  believed  "the  Holy  Catholic  Church,"  or 

the  congregation  of  all  Christian  people,  without  which  there 

Acts  2.  47.  is  no  Salvation,  according  to  that  of  the  Apostle,  "  The  Lord 
added  to  the  Church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved ; "  if  you 
believed  this,  I  say,  you  could  never  hear  of  Christ's  Church, 
but  it  would  fill  your  hearts  with  joy  and  thankfulness  to 
God,  that  you  are  admitted  into  it,  and  strengthen  your  re 
solutions  of  living  so  as  that  you  may  be  saved  in  it.  If  you 
believed  "  the  Communion  of  Saints,'*  that  there  is  a  society 
or  company  of  persons  in  the  world,  which  God  is  pleased 
to  account  real  Saints,  His  own  faithful  servants,  His  elect 
and  peculiar  people,  which  He  hath  a  special  love  for,  and 
takes  particular  care  of,  both  in  this  world  and  the  next ; 
did  you  believe  this,  whensoever  you  hear  of  it,  it  would  put 
you  upon  longing  and  striving  all  ye  can  to  be  in  the  number 

Eph.  2. 19.  of  those  blessed  souls,  "  Fellow-citizens  with  the  Saints,  and 
of  the  household  of  God,"  and  so  "  meet  to  be  partakers  of 

Col.  1. 12.    the  inheritance  of  the  Saints  in  light." 

If  you  believed  "  the  forgiveness  of  sins,"  that  upon  your 
repentance  and  conversion  unto  God,  your  sins  will  be  all 
pardoned  by  the  blood  of  Christ ;  every  time  you  hear  of  it, 
it  would  "work"  more  and  more  upon  you,  to  turn  you 

Acts  26.  is.  "  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto 
God,  that  ye  may  receive  this  forgiveness  of  sins,  and  inhe 
ritance  among  them  which  are  sauctified  by  faith,  that  is  in 
Christ  Jesus." 

If  you  believed  "  the  resurrection  of  the  body,"  that  al 
though  your  bodies  must  return  to  the  earth,  out  of  which 
they  were  taken,  yet  they  shall  be  raised  up  again  to  stand 
before  Christ's  tribunal,  whensoever  you  hear  of  it,  it  would 
make  you  more  careful  to  live  in  your  bodies,  so  as  that  ye 
may  not  be  afraid  either  to  lay  them  down,  or  take  them  up 
again. 

And  as  for  "  life  everlasting,"  if  you  really  believed  that 

Matt.25.46.  " the  wicked  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment,  and 
the  righteous  into  life  eternal,"  what  a  mighty  change  would 
it  make  in  you,  whensoever  you  hear  of  it  ?  It  would  make 


Ministration  of  the  Word.  191 

you  dread  the  thoughts  of  continuing  in  a  state  of  wicked 
ness,  and  resolve  for  the  future  to  devote  yourselves  wholly 
to  the  service  of  Almighty  God,  that  when  you  go  out  of 
this  wicked  and  naughty  world,  you  may  live  with  Christ 
and  His  holy  Angels  in  perfect  glory  and  happiness  for 
ever. 

Thus  "effectually"  do  the  plain  Articles  of  our  religion 
"  work  "  upon  them  that  "  believe ; "  and  so  doth  the  whole 
Word  of  God  :  as  I  doubt  not  but  many  here  present  have 
found  by  their  own  experience,  who  when  they  have  heard 
any  part  of  it  revealed  to  them,  upon  their  "believing"  and 
"  receiving  "  it,  "  as  it  is  in  truth  the  word  of  God,"  they  have 
felt  it  to  be,  as  the  Apostle  saith,  "  quick  and  powerful,  and  Heb.  4. 12. 
sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  piercing  even  to  the 
dividing  asunder  of  soul  and  spirit,  and  of  the  joints  and 
marrow,  and  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents  of  the 
heart."  It  comes  upon  them  like  fire  upon  tinder,  or  such 
combustible  matter,  where  it  immediately  catcheth,  and 
spreadeth  itself  all  over  it.  Whereas,  upon  those  who  do 
"  not  believe,"  it  falls  like  a  spark  into  water ;  it  is  no  sooner 
there,  but  it  is  out.  And  that  is  the  great  reason  why  so 
many  hear  the  Word  of  God,  and  yet  are  never  the  better 
for  it :  because,  whatsoever  they  may  profess,  they  are  not 
fully  persuaded  of  it,  they  do  not  really  believe  it,  with  such 
a  faith  as  is  due  to  the  infallible  Word  and  testimony  of  God 
Himself;  no,  not  so  much  as  they  believe  what  they  see  or 
hear,  or  is  told  them  by  fallible  men.  And  then  it  is  no 
wonder  that  it  makes  no  impression  upon  them :  it  is  impos 
sible  it  should,  both  from  the  nature  of  the  thing  itself,  and 
from  the  just  judgment  of  God  upon  them,  for  not  believing 
what  He  Himself  hath  said. 

But  let  others  do  what  they  please,  let  us  do  what  we 
profess ;  even  believe  whatsoever  God  hath  revealed  to  us  in 
His  holy  Word ;  that  whensoever  we  hear,  or  so  much  as 
think  of  it,  His  grace  may  set  it  home  upon  our  hearts,  and 
make  it  "  work  effectually  "  in  us ;  that  it  may  be  always 
"  profitable  "  to  us  "  for  doctrine,  for  reproof,  for  correction,  2  Tim.  3. 
for  instruction  in  righteousness,  that  we  may  be  perfect, 
throughly  furnished  unto  all  good  works."  And  for  that 
purpose,  let  us  be  always  thinking  of  God's  Word,  and 


192  The  Efficacy  of  Faith  on  the 

SERM.    ruminate  by  faith  so  long  upon  it,  that  it  may  be  digested 
into  proper  food  and  nourishment  for  our   souls,  that  we 


2  Pet.  3.  is.  may  "  grow  thereby  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  That  whilst  others  live 
only  by  sense,  or  fancy,  or  at  the  best  by  corrupt  and  carnal 
reason,  so  as  to  be  moved  and  acted  only  by  them  in  every 
thing  they  do,  we  may  for  the  future  live  by  the  faith  of  the 
Son  of  God,  and  with  a  constant  belief  of  those  great  truths 
which  He  hath  revealed  to  us,  as  the  great  principle  of  our 
life  and  actions. 

What  holy  and  heavenly  lives  should  we  then  live  ?   Then 
we   should  repent  of  all  our  sins,  because  it  is  written  in 

Luke  is.  God's  Word,  that  "  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise 
perish."  Then  we  should  take  care  of  every  thing  we  do, 

Eccies.  12.  because  it  is  written,  "  God  shall  bring  every  work  into 
judgment,  with  every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or 
whether  it  be  evil."  Then  we  should  refrain,  not  only 
from  profane,  but  idle  talk,  because  it  is  written,  that 

Matt.i2.36.  "  every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give 
account  thereof  in  the  day  of  judgment."  Then  we  should 
be  humble  and  lowly  in  our  own  eyes,  because  it  is 

i  Pet.  5. 5.  written,  "  God  resisteth  the  proud,  and  giveth  grace  to  the 
humble."  Then  we  should  strive  all  we  can  to  walk  in 
all  the  Commandments  of  the  Lord  blameless,  because  it  is 

John  14. 21.  written,  "He  that  hath  My  Commandments,  and  keepeth 
them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  Me ;  and  he  that  loveth  Me,  shall 
be  loved  of  My  Father,  and  I  will  love  him,  and  will  mani 
fest  Myself  unto  him."  Then  we  should  love  the  world  no 

Uohn2.  is.  longer,  because  it  is  written,  "  If  any  man  love  the  world, 
the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him."  Then  we  should 

[Heb.  10.  never  "  forsake  the  assembling  ourselves  together,"  but 
should  take  all  opportunities  of  joining  in  the  public  wor- 

Matt.i8.2o.  ship  of  God,  because  it  is  written,  "  Where  two  or  three  are 
gathered  together  in  my  name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of 
them."  Then  we  should  not  be  cast  down  at  any  chastise 
ment  or  afflictions  that  God  is  pleased  to  lay  upon  us,  be- 

Heb.  12. 6.  cause  it  is  written,  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth, 
and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  He  receiveth."  Then  we 
should  never  despair  of  God's  mercy  in  the  pardon  of  our 

Uohn2.i  2.  sms>  because  it  is  written,  "  If  any  man  sin,  we  have  an  ad- 


Ministration  of  the  Word.  193 

vocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  Righteous,  and  He 

is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins."     Then  we  should  press  to-  [phil-  3. 

wards  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in 

Christ  Jesus,  because  it  is  written,  "  To  him  that  overcometh  Rev- 3- 21- 

will  I  grant  to  sit  with  Me  in  My  throne,  even  as  I  also 

overcame,  and  am  set  down  with  My  Father  in  His  throne." 

Yet,  could  we  always  live  with  a  firm  belief  of  what  is 
written  in  God's  Holy  Word,  we  should  live  in  the  other 
world,  while  we  are  in  this ;  "  our  conversations  would  be  [phii.s.2o.] 
always  in  Heaven,"  our  thoughts  and  affections  would  be 
still  running  upon  Almighty  God  as  present  with  us,  or 
upon  our  Saviour  as  interceding  for  us,  or  upon  the  work 
that  He  hath  set  us,  or  upon  the  account  that  we  must  give 
Him  of  it,  or  upon  the  reward  that  He  hath  promised  to 
those  who  do  it  faithfully,  or  upon  something  or  other  which 
we  find  there  written;  and  so  should  steer  an  even  course 
through  all  the  changes  and  chances  of  this  mortal  life,  till 
we  come  to  the  end  of  our  faith,  even  the  salvation  of  our 
souls,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  only  Saviour,  "  to  whom 
with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour  and 
glory,  now  and  for  ever."  Amen. 

Now  these  things  being  thus  plainly  laid  down  before 
you,  give  me  leave  to  deal  freely  with  you  concerning  what 
you  have  now  heard ;  for  it  concerns  you  all  very  much,  in 
finitely  more  than  any  thing  in  this  world  can  do.  You 
cannot  surely  but  know,  that  "  without  faith  it  is  impossible  [Heb.s.6.] 
to  please  God,"  that  your  sins  can  never  be  pardoned,  nor 
your  souls  ever  saved  without  it.  Now  by  what  you  have 
now  heard,  you  may  easily  perceive  whether  you  have  true 
faith  or  no,  whether  you  believe  the  Gospel,  as  you  are  there 
required,  to  the  saving  of  your  souls.  For  if  the  word 
preached  makes  no  impression  upon  you  ;  if  you  hear  ser 
mon  after  sermon,  as  many  do,  to  our  shame  be  it  spoken, 
and  yet  be  never  the  wiser  nor  better  for  it ;  if  you  be  not 
"doers  of  the  Word,  but  hearers  only,  deceiving  your  own  [James  i. 
souls  : "  you  may  then  conclude,  that  notwithstanding  your 
profession  of  the  Gospel,  you  do  not  believe  it.  You  believe 
it  no  more  than  they  who  do  not  so  much  as  profess  it ;  and 
therefore  are  as  yet  in  the  same  deplorable  condition  with 
them,  even  in  the  "  gall  of  bitterness,  and  in  the  bond  of  [Actss.23.] 

o 


194  The  Efficacy  of  Faith,  Sfc. 

SERM.  iniquity."  But  if"  the  Word  preached  work  effectually"  in 
—  you ;  if  it  stirs  up  your  hearts,  and  strengthens  your  resolu 
tions  to  obey  it ;  if  it  puts  you  upon  constant  and  sincere 
endeavours  to  live  according  as  you  are  there  taught,  you 
have  then  good  ground  to  believe,  that  you  do  really  believe 
it,  and  shall  as  certainly  obtain  what  is  there  promised,  as 
you  sincerely  perform  what  is  commanded  in  it. 

Wherefore,  in  the  name  of  Christ  our  Saviour,  I  beseech 
you  all  not  to  satisfy  yourselves  any  longer  with  the  bare 
hearing  of  God's  Word  ;  but  whensoever  you  hear  it  read  or 
preached  to  you,  "  receive  it  as  it  is  in  truth  the  Word  of 
God,"  and  act  your  faith  accordingly  upon  it,  that  so  it  may 
"  work  effectually "  in  you,  both  while  you  hear  it,  and 
whensoever  you  call  it  to  mind  again.  As  for  example,  you 
have  lately  heard,  how  you  ought  to  worship  and  glorify 
God,  and  how  to  serve  Him  daily,  in  His  house  of  Prayer, 
and  often  at  His  holy  table ;  these  things  have  been  plainly 
delivered  to  you  out  of  God's  own  Word. 

Now,  though  you  have  hitherto  seemed  not  to  regard 
God's  Holy  Word,  nor  so  much  as  to  believe  it  to  be  His 
Word,  in  that  you  have  not  done  it ;  yet  now  that  you  are 
[James  2.  put  in  mind  of  it  again,  "  shew  your  faith  by  your  works," 
manifest  to  the  world,  and  to  your  own  consciences,  that  you 
believe  God's  Word,  by  your  constant  performing  the  fore- 
said  duties,  and  whatsoever  else  you  hear  to  be  there  re 
quired  of  you.  And  whensoever  you  have  the  Gospel 
preached  to  you,  do  but  receive  it  with  faith,  and  you  cannot 
but  receive  benefit  and  comfort  from  it:  then  every  sermon 
you  hear  will  do  you  good,  and  you  will  have  cause  to 
thank  God  for  it ;  and  so  shall  we  also  who  preach  God's 
Word  unto  you  :  for  then  we  may  truly  say  to  you,  as  the 
Apostle  here  saith  to  the  Thessalonians ;  "  For  this  cause 
also  thank  we  God  without  ceasing,  because  when  ye  re 
ceived  the  Word  of  God,  which  ye  heard  of  us,  ye  received 
it  not  as  the  word  of  men,  but  as  it  is  in  truth  the  Word  of 
God,  which  effectually  worketh  also  in  you  that  believe." 


SERMON  XL 

MINISTERS  OF  THE  GOSPEL,  CHRIST'S  AMBASSADORS. 


2  COR.  v.  20. 

Now  then  we  are  Ambassadors  for  Christ,  as  though  God  did 
beseech  you  by  us;  we  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye 
reconciled  to  God. 

WE  live  in  an  age,  and  among  a  people  that  place  a  great 
part  if  not  the  whole  of  their  religion  in  hearing  sermons ; 
and  yet  we  find  but  few  that  are  ever  the  more  religious  for 
all  they  hear,  most  contenting  themselves  with  coming  to 
Church,  and  continuing,  or  perhaps  sitting  down  there  all 
the  while  that  the  prayers  are  read,  and  a  sermon  preached, 
and  then  going  home  again,  without  ever  concerning  them 
selves  any  further  about  what  they  have  heard,  nor  so  much 
as  thinking  of  it  any  more :  and  then  it  is  no  wonder  that 
they  are  never  the  wiser,  nor  the  better  for  it.  But  it  may 
justly  seem  a  great  wonder,  how  it  comes  to  pass,  that  the 
Word  of  God,  which  of  itself  "is  sharper  than  any  two-edged  [Heb.4.i2.] 
sword,"  should,  notwithstanding,  make  so  little  impression 
upon  those  who  hear  it :  but  though  they  hear  it  over  and 
over  again,  they  are  never  "  pricked  in  their  hearts,"  as  St.  [Acts2.37.] 
Peter's  hearers  were,  nor  any  way  touched  or  affected  with 
it ;  but  still  continue  just  as  they  were,  careless  and  uncon 
cerned  about  their  future  state,  and  every  thing  relating  to 
it,  how  plainly,  how  powerfully  soever  it  is  pressed  upon 
them. 

This  may  justly  seem  strange  to  one  that  considers,  how 
commonly  "  the  Word  "  of  God  is  preached  among  us,  both 
in  the  city  and  country :  but  several  reasons  may  be  as 
signed  for  it ;  one  of  the  chief  is,  that  men  in  hearing  the 
Word  preached,  usually  look  no  further  than  to  him  who 


196       Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors. 

SERM.    preacheth  it ;  taking  what  he  saith  to  them  as  coining  only 

'• —  from  him  their  fellow-creature,  a  man  of  like  passions  with 

themselves ;  and  therefore  regard  it  no  more  than  what  is 
said  by  any  other  man  :  whereas  if  they  really  believed  and 
considered,  that  the  Word  they  hear,  is  the  Word  of  God 
Himself;  and  that  he  who  preacheth  it,  preacheth  not  in  his 
own  name,  but  God's,  and  accordingly  received  it  as  the 
i  Thess.  Thessalonians  did,  "  not  as  the  word  of  man,  but  as  it  is  in 

2.  13. 

truth  the  Word  of  God,  which  effectually  worketh  in  them 
that  believe,"  they  would  soon  find  it  "  working  effectually  " 
also  upon  them :  it  would  then  come  with  that  power  and 
force  upon  them,  that  it  would  "  cut  them  to  the  heart,"  and 
Acts  2. 37.  make  them  cry  out  as  St.  Peter's  hearers  did,  "  Men  and 
brethren,  what  shall  we  do?" 

This  therefore  is  that  which  St.  Paul,  in  my  text,  puts  the 
Corinthians  in  mind  of;  and  the  better  to  prepare  them  for 
it,  he  first  acquaints  them  in  the  foregoing  verses,  that  God 
[v.  is.]  hath  reconciled  "  Mankind  to  Himself  by  Jesus  Christ,"  and 
[v.  19.]  that  He  hath  committed  the  Word  and  ministry  of  this  re 
conciliation  to  us,  the  Apostles  and  their  successors  in  all 
ages;  that  we,  in  His  name,  and  by  His  authority,  might 
publish  it  to  the  world,  and  persuade  men  to  accept  of  the 
peace  which  He  now  offers  to  them,  so  as  to  be  reconciled 
to  Him,  as  He  is  to  them  by  Jesus  Christ.  And  having  said 
this,  the  Apostle  draws  this  conclusion  from  it,  "  Now  then 
we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ,  as  though  God  did  beseech 
you  by  us,  we  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to 
God." 

This  is  a  truth  so  necessary  for  all  Christians  to  know 
that  it  is  the  first  thing  that  St.  Paul  put  those  he  wrote  to 
in  mind  of  in  all  his  Epistles  (which  he  wrote  as  from  himself 
only,  without  joining  any  other  with  him),  beginning  them 
with  saying,  "  Paul  the  Apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,"  or  "  Paul 
called  to  be  an  Apostle,"  or  the  like ;  that  they  to  whom  he 
wrote  might  know,  that  he  did  not  write  to  them  as  a  pri 
vate  person,  but  as  an  Apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  is,  as  the 
word  signifies,  a  legate  or  messenger  of  Christ,  sent  arid 
empowered  by  Him  to  write  :  that  so  they  might  receive  what 
he  was  about  to  write  to  them,  not  as  coming  from  him,  but 
from  Christ  Himself;  an  Apostle  being  in  effect  the  same 


Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors.       197 

with  an  Ambassador.  But  foreseeing  that  this  name  would 
in  process  of  time  be  appropriated  only  to  the  twelve,  and 
such  as  were  called  immediately  by  Christ  Himself,  as  he 
and  some  others  were  ;  therefore  in  my  text,  speaking  not 
only  of  these,  but  of  such  also  as  should  succeed  them  in 
any  part  of  their  Apostolical  office  in  all  ages,  he  alters  the 
phrase,  not  saying,  we  are  Apostles,  but  we  are  Ambassadors 
for  Christ.  A  word  that  is  commonly  known  to  signify  such 
as  are  sent  by  a  prince  to  a  foreign  country,  to  treat  in  his 
name  about  matters  of  state,  as  particularly  about  peace  and 
war.  And  so  Christ  Himself  useth  the  word,  where,  speak 
ing  of  a  king  going  to  make  war  with  another  king,  He 
saith,  that  "he  sits  down  first,  and  consults  whether  he  be  Luke  14. 32. 
able  to  meet  him  or  no :  or  else,  while  the  other  is  yet  a 
great  way  off,  he  sendeth  an  embassage,  and  desireth  condi 
tions  of  peace."  So  here,  although  Almighty  God  can  meet 
with  us  when  He  pleaseth,  and  we  are  no  way  able  to  with 
stand  Him ;  yet  howsoever,  He  is  graciously  pleased  to  send 
some  men  to  treat  with  others  in  His  name  about  peace  with 
Him,  to  acquaint  them  with  the  easy  conditions  that  He 
hath  made  and  expects  from  them,  and  to  assure  them,  that 
upon  their  performance  of  the  said  conditions,  he  will  be 
reconciled  to  them,  and  at  "  peace  "  with  them.  And  there 
fore  all  who  are  thus  sent  or  commissioned  by  Him,  to  act 
in  His  name,  are  properly  called  Ambassadors,  and,  as  the 
Apostle  here  saith,  "  Ambassadors  for  Christ,"  or  in  the 
place  and  stead  of  Christ.  As  it  was  He  that  procured  this 
peace  for  mankind,  so  He  is  the  chief  manager  of  all  things 
relating  to  it  ;  therefore  called,  "  the  Angel  ;"  or,  as  we 
translate  it,  "  the  Messenger  of  the  Covenant."  Because  He  Mai.  3.  i. 
was  sanctified  and  sent  by  the  Father  "  to  publish  and  de-  John  6.  57; 
clare  it  to  the  world,"  and  did  it  so  faithfully,  that  before  8' 
He  went  out  of  the  world,  He  could  truly  say  unto  the 
Father,  "  I  have  manifested  Thy  Name  unto  the  men  which  John  17. 6, 

Thou  gavest  Me  out  of  the  world, 1  have  given  unto 

them  the  words  which  Thou  gavest  Me ;  and  they  have  re 
ceived  them,  and  have  known  surely  that  I  came  out  from 
Thee,  and  they  have  believed  that  Thou  didst  send  Me." 
Where  we  may  likewise  observe,  that  like  a  wise  and  faith 
ful  "  Ambassador,"  He  kept  strictly  to  the  instructions,  and 


198       Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors. 

SERM.  to  the  very  words  which  the  Father  had  given  Him  :  in 
— — ! —  whose  Name  He  professeth  that  He  came,  and  spake,  and 
s.  38;  10. 25'.  acted  all  along  while  He  was  upon  earth. 

Wherefore  Jesus  Christ  being  the  Mediator  between  God 
[Matt.  28.  and  men,  and  as  such  having  "  all  power  given  Him  in 
Heaven  and  earth,"  for  the  transacting  the  great  business 
of  reconciliation  between  them  ;  when  He  was  about  to 
leave  the  earth,  as  man,  and  go  up  to  Heaven,  to  reside 
there  as  our  Advocate  with  the  Father,  He  delegated  some 
men  to  supply  His  place  upon  earth,  and  to  carry  on  the 
great  work  which  He  had  begun  amongst  men :  these  He 
called  His  Apostles  or  Ambassadors,  because  they  were  sent 
by  Him,  and  empowered  to  act  in  His  Name  and  stead,  and 
according  to  the  instructions  that  He  gave  them.  Which, 
that  the  world  in  all  ages  might  be  fully  assured  of,  He 
ordered  the  commission  which  He  granted  them  to  be  re- 
John  20.  corded,  where  it  is  written,  that  the  same  day  on  which  He 
rose  from  the  dead,  in  the  evening,  He  came  to  them  where 
they  were  assembled,  and  when  He  had  convinced  them  that 
He  was  the  same  person  that  had  been  crucified  three  days 
before,  by  shewing  them  His  hands  and  feet  that  were 
Ver.  21-23.  nailed  to  the  cross,  He  then  said  unto  them  again,  "  Peace  be 
unto  you.  As  My  Father  hath  sent  Me,  even  so  send  I  you. 
And  when  He  had  said  this,  He  breathed  on  them,  and 
saith  unto  them,  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost :  whosesoever 
sins  ye  remit,  they  are  remitted  unto  them ;  and  whosesoever 
sins  ye  retain,  they  are  retained." 

Where  we  may  observe,  that  He  sent  them  after  the  very 

same  manner  as  the  Father  had  sent  Him.    "  As  My  Father," 

saith  He,  "  sent  Me,  even  so  send  I  you."     And  therefore  as 

isa.  61.  i ;   the  Father  had  sent  Him  by  anointing  Him  "  with  the  Holy 

Acts  10.  33.  Ghost,"  for  the  office  He  was  to  perform,  which  was  sig- 

[Matt.  3.     nified  by  the  "  Spirit  descending  like  a  dove,  and  lighting 

upon  Him,"  when  He  was  baptized,  and  so  inaugurated  into 

the  said  office  :   even  so   He  sent  His  Apostles ;  for  "  He 

breathed  on  them,"  and  saith,  "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost ;" 

the  Holy  Ghost  proceeding  from  Him,  as  it  doth  from  the 

Father.     When  Christ   breathed   upon    His  Apostles,   He 

[Acts  10      thereby  "  anointed  them  with  the   Holy  Ghost,  and  with 

38-]  power,"  to  execute  the  office  which  He  now  committed  to 


Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ' s  Ambassadors.       199 

them.  And  that  they  might  know,  that  this  was  designed 
not  only  for  them,  but  for  all  that  should  succeed  them  in 
the  said  office  to  the  end  of  the  world,  when  He  afterwards 
gave  them  His  instructions  for  the  execution  of  it,  He  said 
to  them,  "  Lo  !  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  Matt.28.2o. 
the  world."  From  whence  the  Apostles  clearly  understand 
ing  that  their  office  was  to  continue  to  the  end  of  the  world, 
they  took  care  to  confer  it  upon  others,  by  laying  their  hands 
upon  them,  and  so  transferring  to  them  of  the  same  Spirit 
which  they  had  received  from  Christ,  the  same  way  that 
Moses  had  done  it  by  God's  own  appointment  to  Joshua.  Numb.  27. 
And  therefore  such  upon  whom  they  laid  their  hands,  are 
said  to  be  sent  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  particularly  Paul  and  Acts  13.  4. 
Barnabas.  And  the  same  St.  Paul  tells  the  elders  of 
Ephesus,  upon  whom  he  had  laid  his  hands,  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  had  made  them  Bishops  or  Overseers,  and  put  Acts  20. 28. 
Timothy  in  mind  of  the  gift  of  God  which  was  in  him  by 
the  laying  on  of  "  his  hands."  Thus  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  2  Tim.  i.  6. 
the  Apostles  received  immediately  from  Christ  Himself, 
hath  been  handed  down  from  them  to  others,  and  so  to 
others  successively  to  this  day,  and  will  be  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  And  all  such  on  whom  they  who  regularly  succeed 
the  Apostles  in  their  whole  office,  lay  their  hands  with  an 
intention  to  confer  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  in  the  Ordination  of 
Priests  among  us ;  they  also  receive  such  a  measure  of  it, 
whereby  they  are  qualified  and  commissioned  to  act  in 
Christ's  name  and  stead,  in  the  administration  of  the  Word 
and  Sacraments,  as  the  Apostles  themselves  did ;  and  there 
fore  are  properly  Ambassadors  for  Christ,  as  they  were  :  and 
Christ  is  as  really  with  them,  as  He  was  with  His  first 
Apostles,  in  the  execution  of  their  office  in  all  ages,  accord 
ing  to  the  promise  He  made  them,  of  being  "  with  them 
alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the  world." 

It  was  necessary  to  make  this  as  plain  as  I  could  in  few 
words,  that  ye  may  understand  how  we  came  to  be  Ambas 
sadors  for  Christ,  as  the  Apostle  here  speaks,  so  as  to  act  in 
His  name,  and  by  His  commission,  without  which  nothing 
we  do  can  signify  any  thing.  Any  man  may  read  the 
Scriptures,  or  make  an  oration  to  the  people,  but  it  is  not 
that  which  the  Scriptures  call  "  preaching  the  Word "  of 


200       Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors. 
SERM.    God,  unless  he  be  sent  by  God  to  do  it.     "  For  how  shall 

XI 

—  they  preach  except  they  be  sent?"     A  butcher  might  kill 

Rom.  10. 15.          J    •  J  . 

an  ox  or  a  lamb,  as  well  as  the  High  .Priest ;  but  it  was  no 
Heb.  5.  4.  sacrifice  to  God,  unless  one  of  His  Priests  did  it.  "  And  no 
man  taketh  this  honour  unto  himself,  but  he  that  is  called 
of  God,  as  was  Aaron."  Any  man  may  treat  of  public 
affairs  as  well  as  an  ambassador ;  but  he  cannot  do  it  to  any 
purpose,  without  a  commission  from  his  prince.  As  suppose 
a  foreign  nation  should  set  up  one  among  themselves  to 
make  a  league  with  England,  what  would  that  signify, 
when  he  is  not  authorized  by  the  king  to  do  it  ?  And  yet 
this  is  the  case  of  many  among  us,  who,  as  the  Apostle 
2  Tim.  4.  s.  foretold,  cannot  "  endure  sound  doctrine,  but  after  their  own 
lusts  heap  to  themselves  teachers,  having  itching  ears." 
But  such  teachers  as  men  thus  heap  to  themselves,  howso 
ever  they  may  tickle  their  itching  ears,  they  can  never 
touch  their  hearts :  for  that  can  be  done  only  by  the  power 
of  God,  accompanying  and  assisting  His  own  institution 
and  commission.  Insomuch  that  if  I  did  not  think,  or 
rather  was  not  fully  assured,  that  I  had  such  a  commission 
to  be  an  Ambassador  for  Christ,  and  to  act  in  His  name,  I 
should  never  think  it  worth  the  while  to  preach  or  execute 
any  ministerial  Office.  For  I  am  sure,  that  all  I  did  would 
be  null  and  void  of  itself,  according  to  God's  ordinary  way 
of  working ;  and  we  have  no  ground  to  expect  miracles. 
But  blessed  be  God,  we  in  our  Church,  by  a  successive  im 
position  of  hands,  continued  all  along  from  the  Apostles 
themselves,  receive  the  same  Spirit  that  was  conferred  upon 
them  for  the  administration  of  the  Word  and  Sacraments 
ordained  by  our  Lord  and  Master,  and  therefore  may  do  it 
as  effectually  to  the  salvation  of  mankind  as  they  did.  For 
as  they  were,  so  are  we,  "  Ambassadors  for  Christ." 

"  As  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us,"  or,  as  the  words 
may  be  rendered,  As  if  God  did  call  upon  you  by  us ;  by  us, 
as  He  did  by  Christ,  whose  Ambassadors  we  are,  and  proxies 
Heb.  1.1,2.  in  things  pertaining  unto  God.  So  that  "God,  who  at 
sundry  times,  and  in  divers  manners,  spake  in  time  past 
unto  the  fathers  by  the  Prophets,  hath  in  these  last  days 
spoken  unto  us  by  His  Son."  He  still  continues  to  speak 
by  those  whom  His  Son  hath  sent  to  speak  in  His  name.  As 


Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors.       201 

the  Son  Himself  said  to  His  Apostles,  and  in  them  to  all 

that  should   regularly  succeed  them;    "It  is  not  ye   that  Matt.  10.20. 

speak,  but  the  Spirit  of  your  Father  that  speaketh  in  you." 

Whatsoever  we  speak  according  to  the  instructions  which 

Christ  our  Master  hath  given  us,  "  it  is  in  truth  the  Word  of  iThes.2.  is. 

God."     It  is  God  that  speaketh  by  us ;  according  to  that  of 

David,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by  me,  and  His  Word  2 Sam. 23. 2. 

was  in  my  tongue."     For  we  speaking  only  what  Christ  our 

Lord  spake  before  us,  and  speaking  it  only  in  His  name 

and  by  His  authority,  as  what  He  spake  was  the  Word  of 

God,  so  is  that  which  we  speak  too :  for  we  speak,  or,  as  it 

were,  repeat  it  only  after  Him,  as  His  ambassadors,  sent  by 

Him  to  speak  it  in  His  place  and  stead. 

And  therefore,  it  follows  in  the  text,  "  we  pray  you  in 
Christ's  stead ;"  as  if  Christ  Himself  was  here  present.  For 
He  being  now,  as  to  His  body,  in  Heaven,  He  sends  His 
Ministers  or  Ambassadors  to  represent  Him,  and  supply  His 
place  upon  earth,  and  to  do  in  His  name  what  He  Himself 
did  when  He  was  here,  and  would  still  do  if  He  was  now 
present  in  body,  as  He  is  by  His  Spirit  and  power ;  accord 
ing  to  the  foresaid  promise,  which  He  made  to  His  Apostles 
and  Ambassadors  in  all  ages,  "  Lo  !  I  am  with  you  alway, 
even  unto  the  end  of  the  world : "  and  according  to  what  He 
told  them  upon  another  occasion,  saying,  "  He  that  heareth  Luke  10. 16. 
you,  heareth  Me  ;  and  he  that  despiseth  you,  despiseth  Me ; 
and  he  that  despiseth  Me,  despiseth  Him  that  sent  Me." 
Whereby  He  plainly  signified  what  He  afterwards  told 
them  in  express  terms,  that  as  "  the  Father  sent"  Him,  so 
"  He  sent  them,"  as  His  Ambassadors,  to  treat  in  His  name ; 
and  that  as  the  persons  of  ambassadors  are  always  reckoned 
sacred  and  inviolable,  so  what  an  ambassador  doth  in  the 
name  of  his  prince,  is  looked  upon  as  done  by  the  prince 
himself;  and  as  an  affront  offered  to  an  ambassador  reflects 
on  the  prince  that  sent  him,  so  whatsoever  is  done  to  the 
Ministers  or  Ambassadors  of  Christ  as  such,  is  done  to  Christ 
Himself.  They  who  "  hear  them,  hear  Him  ; "  and  they 
who  "despise  them,  despise  Him;"  as  they  who  "despise 
Him,"  whom  the  Father  sent,  "  despise  the  Father"  who 
sent  Him. 

From  hence  therefore  ye  may  see,  how  truly  the  Apostle 


202       Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors. 

SERM.    here  saith,  "We  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead  ;"  and  how  ne- 

cessary  it  is  for  you  to  hearken  to  what  we  say  in  His  name, 

lest  ye  be  found  in  the  number  of  those  who  despise  Christ, 
together  with  the  doctrine  that  He  teacheth,  and  the  advice 
that  He  gives  you  by  us  ;  for  it  is  "  in  His  stead"  we  pray 
you.  But  what  do  "we  pray  you  in  His  stead"  to  do? 
Nothing  but  what  is  really  for  your  good  ;  nothing  but  what 
tends  to  your  eternal  happiness  and  welfare ;  and  therefore 
nothing  but  what  it  is  your  interest  to  do,  whether  we  prayed 
you  to  do  it  or  no.  For  seeing  Christ  came  into  the  world 
for  no  other  end,  but  to  make  you  happy,  and  hath  done 
and  suffered  so  much  as  He  hath  for  that  only  purpose ;  ye 
cannot  imagine,  that  He  by  us,  or  we  from  Him,  should 
pray  you  to  do  any  thing  but  what  is  indispensably  necessary 
in  order  to  your  attainment  of  true  felicity.  And  although 
we  do  not  command,  but  only  "  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead," 
yet  it  being  in  His  stead  we  pray,  ye  ought  to  give  the  same 
deference  to  it,  as  if  we  commanded  you.  The  request  of 
an  earthly  prince  is  taken  by  his  faithful  subjects  as  a  com 
mand  :  how  much  more  when  the  King  of  Kings,  and  Lord 
of  Lords,  is  pleased  to  condescend  so  far  as  to  make  a  re 
quest  to  you  ?  That  surely  is  to  be  received  as  the  highest 
sort  of  commanding,  in  that  it  doth  not  only  signify  His 
will,  but  also  lays  a  fresh  obligation  upon  you  to  observe  it, 
seeing  He  is  graciously  pleased  to  deal  so  gently  and  kindly 
with  you,  in  such  a  way  as  that  your  obedience  to  Him  may 
be  your  own  voluntary  act ;  not  being  forced  into  it  only 
by  His  peremptory  command,  but  drawn  with  the  bands  of 
love. 

Love  indeed  !  the  highest  that  can  be  shewn  you.  For 
after  all,  what  is  it  that  we  thus  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead  ? 
nothing  else  but  to  be  reconciled  to  God  :  "  we  pray  you," 
said  the  Apostle,  "in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to 
God."  One  would  think  there  was  no  great  need  that  such 
a  request  should  be  made  to  you,  much  less  that  it  should 
be  made  in  no  less  a  name  than  His  that  made  and  governs 
the  world.  For,  who  would  not  of  his  own  accord  be  re 
conciled  to  God,  if  he  might  ?  If  men  would  but  consult 
their  own  real  interest,  this  certainly  would  be  the  first 
thing  they  would  all  strive  after.  And  yet  God  knows 


Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors.       203 

there  are  but  few  that  do  it :  and  therefore,  out  of  His  in 
finite  love  and  mercy,  He  is  pleased  to  send  His  Ambassadors 
one  after  another,  "rising  up  early,"  and  sending  them  to  [Jer. 7. 25.] 
call  upon  men,  and  to  pray  them  in  His  name  to  do  it.  And 
He  hath  sent  me  this  day  to  make  the  same  request  and 
prayer  to  you,  even  that  ye  would  be  reconciled  to  Him. 

But  that  ye  may  fully  understand  what  it  is  that  "  I  pray 
you"  in  Christ's  stead  to  do,  and  likewise  how  ye  may  do  it 
aright,  ye  must  take  notice,  that  "by  nature"  ye  are  all  Ephes. 2. 3. 
"  the  children  of  wrath,"  one  as  well  as  another.  For  He 
that  made  you  is  angry  with  you,  for  not  answering  His  end 
in  making  you,  which  was  to  serve  and  glorify  Him,  in 
obeying  and  observing  the  laws  which  He  for  that  purpose 
hath  set  you.  Whereas  ye  have  all  broken  His  said  laws, 
and  so  instead  of  glorifying,  ye  have  dishonoured  Him 
through  the  whole  course  of  your  lives,  and  therefore  are 
justly  fallen  under  His  displeasure :  but  He,  notwithstand 
ing,  hath  been  graciously  pleased  to  find  out,  and  put  you 
into  a  way  of  being  reconciled  to  Him ;  not  by  suffering 
your  sins  to  go  unpunished,  but  by  not  imputing  them  to 
you,  but  laying  the  punishments  which  were  due  unto  you 
for  them,  upon  another,  even  upon  His  only-begotten  Son, 
as  the  Apostle  here  acquaints  us  from  Him,  saying,  "  For  [2  Cor.  5. 
He  hath  made  Him  who  knew  no  sin,  to  be  sin  for  us,"  or 
an  offering  for  our  sins ;  that  is,  as  the  Prophet  expresseth 
it,  "  He  hath  laid  on  Him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  And  His  isa.  53.  6. 
only-begotten  Son  having  thus  borne  the  punishments  which 
His  justice  required  for  our  sins,  He  is  now  ready  to  extend 
His  mercy  to  us,  and  to  receive  us  again  into  His  favour, 
upon  such  easy  terms  and  conditions,  that  it  is  our  own 
fault,  unless  we  perform  them,  so  as  to  be  reconciled  again 
to  God. 

For  all  that  is  required  on  your  parts,  is  only  to  "  repent  Mark  i.  is. 
and  believe  the  Gospel."     This  was  all  that  our  Lord  Him 
self  called  upon  mankind  to  do,  when  He  first  entered  upon 
His  ministry,  and  the  substance  of  all  that  He  taught  after 
wards,  and  commanded  His  Apostles  to  teach.     He  Himself 
saith,  that  "  He  came  to  call  sinners  to  repentance,"   and  Luke  5.  32. 
told  His  disciples,  "That  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  Luke 24. 47. 
should  be  preached  in  His  name  among  all  nations."     First 


Matt.  28. 
19,  20. 


204       Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors. 

SERM.  "  repentance,"  and  then  "  remission  of  sins,"  but  both  in  His 
— — —  name ;  and  among  all  nations,  that  all  might  believe  in  Him 
for  it.  And  accordingly  when  the  people  desired  to  know 
of  St.  Peter  and  the  rest  of  the  Apostles,  what  they  should 
Acts  2.  ss.  do,  St.  Peter  said  unto  them,  "  Repent  and  be  baptized 
every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  re 
mission  of  sins."  They  must  not  only  repent,  so  as  to  for 
sake  their  former  superstitions  and  vices  of  all  sorts,  but 
they  must  also  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  so  as  to  be  baptized 
in  His  name,  and  become  His  disciples  indeed,  believing 
and  practising  all  that  He  hath  taught  them,  before  they 
could  be  reconciled  to  God,  so  as  to  have  their  sins  pardoned. 
This  is  that  which  Christ  Himself  also  gave  in  charge  to 
His  Apostles,  at  the  same  time  that  He  sent  them  out  as 
His  Ambassadors  into  the  world  :  "  Go  ye,"  saith  He,  "  and 
teach,"  or  rather  "  make  all  nations  disciples,  baptizing  them 
in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost ;  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I 
have  commanded  you :  and  lo  !  I  am  with  you  alway,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world."  These  are  the  instructions 
which  He  gave  them  and  their  successors,  together  with 
their  commission  to  be  His  Ambassadors  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  He  requires  them  to  go  and  call  upon  "  all  nations" 
to  become  His  disciples,  and  to  make  them  so  by  "  baptiz 
ing  them"  according  to  His  institution,  "in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost:"  and  then  "to  teach  them 
to  observe"  not  only  some,  but  "all  things  whatsoever  He 
hath  commanded,"  whether  with  His  own  mouth,  or  else  by 
His  Prophets,  Apostles,  or  other  holy  men  of  God,  who 
"  spake  as  they  were  moved  by  His  Holy  Spirit." 

These  therefore,  being  the  orders  and  instructions  which 
Jesus  Christ,  the  Lord  and  Saviour  of  mankind,  hath  given 
to  all  whom  He  sends  or  employs  as  His  Ambassadors  upon 
earth,  in  His  name  and  in  His  stead  I  pray  and  beseech  all 
here  present,  to  come  up  to  the  terms  which  He  hath  made 
for  your  reconciliation  to  God :  repent,  repent  of  all  your 
former  sins  ;  you  cannot  but  all  know,  every  one,  the  sins 
that  he  hath  hitherto  been  guilty  of,  and  is  still  addicted  to. 
If  ye  do  but  look  into  your  own  hearts  and  lives,  you  cannot 
but  see,  how  little  good,  and  how  much  evil  you  have  done, 


[2  Pet.  1, 
21.] 


Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors.       205 

since  ye  came  into  the  world.  You  cannot  but  be  conscious 
to  yourselves,  that  you  have  often  transgressed  the  laws  and 
commandments  of  Almighty  God  who  sent  you  hither,  by 
doing  what  ye  ought  not  to  do,  and  by  not  doing  what  ye 
ought ;  and  so  have  broken  also  that  solemn  vow  and 
promise  which  ye  made  to  God,  when  ye  were  baptized  and 
made  the  members  and  disciples  of  Jesus,  and  are  still  apt 
to  do  so  one  way  or  other  every  day. 

Now,  therefore,  I  pray  you  in  Christ's  stead  break  off  your 
sins,  all  your  sins,  by  repentance  and  amendment  of  life. 
"  Let  not  sin  reign  any  longer  in  your  mortal  body,  that  ye  [Rom.  6.12; 
should  obey  it  in  the  lusts  thereof;"  but  mortify  the  deeds8' 
of  the  body,  and  destroy  the  ill  habits  ye  have  contracted  by 
a  long  continuance  in  any  sort  of  vice  or  wickedness :  set 
yourselves  in  good  earnest  upon  "  denying  ungodliness  and  [Tit.  2. 12.] 
worldly  lusts,  and  to  live  soberly,  righteously,  arid  godly  in 
this  present  world."     Take  heed  that  your  hearts  be  never 
over-charged  with  "  surfeiting"  and  "  drunkenness,"  or  the  [Luke  21. 
"cares  of  this  life:"  be  just  and  righteous  in  all  your  deal 
ings,  and  if  ye  have  wronged  any  man,  be  sure  to  make  him 
restitution.      "As  ye  have  opportunity,  do  good  unto  all  [Gal. 6.10.] 
men,  especially  to  them  who  are  of  the  household  of  faith  ; " 
"  and  whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  unto  you,  even  [Matt.  7. 
so  do  ye  unto  them."     "  Love  the  Lord  your  God  with  all 12>J 
your  hearts,  and  with  all  your  souls ; "  "  Pray  without  ceas-  [i  xhes.  5. 
ing,  and  in  every  thing  give  thanks  unto  Him : "  "  Sanctify  n'p^3 
His  holy  name,  and  make  Him  your  only  fear  and  dread."  15-] 
Live  with  a  constant  dependance  upon  His  Word,  and  sub 
mission  to   His  will;   acknowledge  Him  in  all  your  ways, 
honour  Him  with  all  your  substance,  "  serve  and  worship  [Heb.  12. 
Him  with  reverence  and  godly  fear : "  let  your  hearts  be  ^ 
always  running  after  Him,  your  spirits  rejoicing  in  Him,  and 
your  whole  souls  be  reconciled  and  inclined  to  Him,  and  to 
those  holy  ways  that  He  hath  prepared  for  you  to  walk  in. 
Study  all  ye  can  to  promote  His  glory,  in  your  several  places 
and  stations  in  the  world :  and  for  that  purpose,  "cease  to  [isa.  1. 16. 
do  evil,  learn  to  do  well,  and  whatsoever  ye  do  in  word  or  [601.3.17.] 
deed,  do  all  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus : "  believe  on 
Him,  as  your  only  "  Saviour,  Mediator,"  and  "  Advocate  " 
with  the  Father,  "  who  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  [Heb.  7. 

25.] 


206       Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors. 

SERM.  those  who  come  unto  God  by  Him."  And  therefore  as  you 
-  thus  truly  repent  of  all  your  sins,  and  come  unto  God  by 
Him,  trust  also  and  depend  upon  Him  to  make  your  peace 
with  God  ;  nothing  doubting  but  that  He  will  intercede  so 
effectually  for  you,  that  for  His  sake,  and  upon  the  account 
of  His  merits  and  mediation  for  you,  your  sins  being  all 
pardoned,  God  will  be  reconciled  to  you,  and  you  shall  be 
reconciled  to  God,  and  restored  to  His  love  and  favour  again, 
as  much  as  if  ye  had  never  offended  Him  in  all  your  lives. 

Having  thus  prayed  you  in  Christ's  stead,  and  for  the 
most  part  in  His  very  words,  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  it  may 
seem  needless  to  use  any  arguments  to  persuade  you  to  it ; 
for  if  ye  will  not  hearken  to  what  Christ  Himself  desires  of 
you,  much  less  will  you  regard  any  thing  that  I  can  say  unto 
you.  But  in  this  also  I  shall  not  speak  in  my  own  name, 
but  His ;  and  in  His  "  stead  pray  you"  to  consider,  first, 
who  it  is  that  desires  this  of  you  ;  not  I,  your  fellow-worm, 
but  Christ  Himself,  Christ  the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  the 
only  begotten  of  the  Father,  the  Lord  God  Almighty : 

[Phil.  2.  6,  "  Christ,  who  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  no  rob 
bery  to  be  equal  to  God ; "  and  yet  for  your  sakes  "  made 
Himself  of  no  reputation,  and  took  upon  Him  the  form  of  a 
servant :  Christ,  wrho  being  thus  found  in  fashion  as  a  man," 
really  and  truly  man  as  well  as  God,  "  became  obedient  unto 
death,  even  the  death  of  the  Cross  ; "  and  all  to  appease  the 
wrath  of  God,  and  reconcile  Him  to  you:  Christ,  who  is 

[Eph.  i.  now  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  "  and  is  made  head 
over  all  things  for  the  Church,"  that  nothing  may  hinder 
their  reconciliation  to  God,  who  apply  themselves  to  Him, 
and  do  what  He  requires  in  order  to  it.  This  is  that  Christ, 
who  requires  you  to  do  what  ye  have  now  heard  ;  and  will 
ye  not  do  any  thing  ye  can  for  Him,  who  hath  done  and 
suffered  so  much  for  you?  For  Him  who  loved  you  so  as 
to  lay  down  His  own  life  for  you  ?  Surely  you  can  never 
deny  Him  any  thing,  much  less  when  He  desires  nothing 
of  you,  but  only  that  ye  would  be  reconciled  to  God.  This 
is  the  only  end  of  all  He  did  for  mankind  upon  earth,  the 
end  of  all  that  He  is  now  doing  in  Heaven,  and  the  end  of 
His  sending  me  at  this  time  to  solicit  and  pray  you  in  His 
stead  to  do  it :  and  if  ye  still  stand  out,  and  refuse  to  come 


Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors.       207 

in  upon  His  most  gracious  advice  and  request ;  what  favour 

can  ye  ever  expect  from  Him  ?     None,  certainly  ;  He  will 

be  so  far  from  shewing  you  any  kindness,  so  far  from  saving 

you  from  your  sins,  and  from  the  wrath  of  God,  that  He 

hath  told  you  beforehand  what  He  will  say  to  you  :  "  Be-  Jg0^1*24' 

cause  I  have  called,  and  ye  refused,  I  have  stretched  out 

My  hand,  and  no  man  regarded ;  but  ye  have  set  at  nought 

all  My  counsel,  and  would  none  of  My  reproof:    I  also 

will   laugh  at  your  calamity,  I  will  mock  when  your  fear 

cometh." 

And  your  calamity  will  most  certainly  come  ere  long, 
whether  ye  fear  it  or  no ;  greater  calamity  than  ye  are 
aware  of,  greater  than  ye  can  yet  imagine.  For  consider, 
in  the  next  place,  that  until  ye  are  reconciled  to  God,  as 
you  are  enemies  to  Him,  so  He  is  an  enemy  to  you :  He 
that  made  you  is  angry  with  you,  He  is  incensed  against 
you.  And  who  can  imagine  the  dismal  effects  and  conse 
quents  of  His  displeasure  ?  "  If  His  wrath  be  kindled,  yea,  [PS.  2. 12.] 
but  a  little,"  who  is  able  to  stand  before  it?  The  thoughts 
of  it  are  sufficient  to  make  the  stoutest  heart  among  us 
tremble :  to  have  Jehovah,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  Supreme 
Governor  of  the  World  ;  to  have  Him  angry  with  us,  who 
can  think  of  it  without  horror  and  amazement  ?  Who  then 
can  describe  the  deplorable  condition  which  they  are  in,  that 
lie  under  His  displeasure  ?  For  my  part,  I  am  so  far  from 
being  able  to  give  you  a  description,  that  I  dread  the  very 
thoughts  of  it ;  only  we  know  in  general,  that  "  it  is  a  fear-  [Heb.  10. 
ful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God ;"  that  all  31'^ 
that  He  continues  to  be  angry  at,  will  most  certainly  do  so, 
and  by  consequence  be  as  miserable  as  it  is  possible  for  them 
to  be  :  for  so  long  as  He  who  governs  all  things  in  the  world 
is  angry  with  you,  there  is  nothing  in  it  can  do  you  good, 
nothing  but  what  will  contribute  some  way  or  other  to  your 
ruin  and  destruction.  All  things  are  cursed  to  you,  those 
also  which  you  think  to  be  blessings:  and  all  the  judgments 
that  God  hath  threatened  in  His  Word  against  sinners, 
seeing  He  is  angry  with  you,  stand  ready  every  moment  to 
fall  upon  you.  And  if  He  should  once  open  your  eyes,  to  see 
Him  frowning  upon  you,  you  would  not  be  able  to  endure 
yourselves,  but  would  wish  with  all  your  souls  you  could 


-     208       Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors. 

SERM.    cease  to  be,  or  be  any  thing  rather  than  what  you  are,  "  the 
vessels   of  wrath  fitted  to   destruction:"    but  all  in  vain. 


[Rom.  9. 

22-]  All  the  world  cannot  help  you,  unless  He  that  made  and 

governs  it  be  reconciled  to  you ;  but  ye  must  be  punished 

2Thess.  i.  "  with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord, 
and  from  the  glory  of  His  power,  when  He  shall  come  to  be 
glorified  in  His  saints,  and  to  be  admired  in  all  them  that 
believe  in  that  day."  When  ye  will  be  cast  into  Hell  fire, 

Mark  9.  44.  "  where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched." 
If  these  things  were  laid  to  your  hearts  as  they  ought  to 
be,  they  would  make  you  very  restless  and  uneasy,  until 
you  have  made  your  peace  with  God,  and  done  all  that  ye 
have  heard  to  be  required  in  order  to  your  reconciliation  to 
Him.  And  how  happy  would  you  then  be  ?  As  happy  in 
the  love  and  favour  of  God,  as  the  other  are  miserable  under 
His  wrath  and  fury.  For  when  you  are  at  peace  with  God, 
all  things  else  will  be  at  peace  with  you;  He  that  made 

Job  s.  23.  them,  will  make  them  to  be  so :  "  You  shall  be  in  league 
with  the  stones  of  the  field,  and  the  beasts  of  the  field  shall 

Prov.  16. 7.  be  at  peace  with  you."  Yea,  "  When  a  man's  ways  please  the 
Lord,  He  maketh  even  his  enemies  to  be  at  peace  with  him." 
And  not  only  they,  but  all  things  else  shall  work  together 

[Rom.  s.  for  your  good,  so  long  as  ye  continue  in  His  favour,  who 
governs  and  disposeth  of  all  things  as  He  pleaseth.  For 
when  ye  are  reconciled  to  Him,  He  will  look  upon  you  as 
His  friends,  His  favourites,  His  children,  and  will  deal  ac 
cordingly  with  you.  He  will  take  you  into  His  own  par- 

[Ps.  91.4,  ticular  care  and  conduct.  He  will  "  hide  you  under  His 
wings,"  that  "  no  evil  may  come  near  to  hurt  you."  He  will 
bless  and  sanctify  all  occurrences  to  you.  He  will  provide 
all  things  necessary,  that  as  you  have  nothing  that  is  evil, 
so  ye  may  want  nothing  that  is  good  for  you.  He  will 

[PS.  4.  7.]  cause  "  the  light  of  His  countenance  to  shine  upon  you," 
and  manifest  His  special  love  and  favour  to  you,  that  you 
may  see  Him  smiling  upon  you,  rejoicing  over  you,  and 
delighting  to  do  you  good ;  in  which  blessed  sight  our  hap 
piness  chiefly  consisteth.  He  will  guide  you  by  His  counsel, 
assist  you  by  His  grace,  protect  you  by  His  power,  en 
lighten,  quicken,  actuate,  support,  and  strengthen  you  by 
His  Holy  Spirit,  that  you  may.  pass  through  all  "  the 


Ministers  of  the  Gospel,  Christ's  Ambassadors.       209 

changes  and  chances  of  this  mortal  life,"  so  as  to  come  at 
last  to  live  with  Him  and  His  Holy  Angels,  in  the  perfect 
vision  and  fruition  of  His  eternal  Godhead. 

But  what  do  I  mean,  to  offer  at  describing  the  happiness 
of  those  who  are  "  reconciled"  to  God  ?  When  to  be  in  His 
favour  is  itself  the  greatest  happiness  that  a  creature  is  capa 
ble  of,  and  such  as  none  can  apprehend  but  they  who  have 
it.  Yet  this  is  that  happiness  which  the  eternal  Son  of 
God  hath  purchased  for  mankind,  and  sends  His  Ambassa 
dors  about  to  invite  them  to  it.  It  is  in  " His  name"  I  come  to 
all  that  are  here  present  at  this  time,  and  "  pray  you  in  His 
stead,  be  ye  all  now  reconciled  unto  God ; "  now,  while  ye  may. 
Blessed  be  God,  ye  all  may  as  yet  be  "  reconciled"  to  Him, 
if  ye  will  but  take  the  course  for  it,  which  hath  been  now 
described  to  you  out  of  His  Holy  Word :  otherwise,  He 
would  not  have  sent  me  to  call  upon  you,  nor  brought  you 
hither  to  be  called  upon  to  do  it ;  but  if  ye  turn  your  backs, 
and  refuse  or  neglect  to  hearken  to  Him  now,  ye  know  not 
whether  He  will  ever  call  upon  you  any  more.  Wherefore 
I  "  pray  you"  again  "  in  his  stead,"  put  off  this  great  work  no 
longer,  but  begin  it  now.  "  For  why  will  ye  die?"  Why  [Ezek.  is. 
will  ye  destroy  yourselves,  when  ye  need  not?  Why  will 
ye  continue  any  longer  under  the  displeasure  of  Almighty 
God,  when  ye  may  be  restored  to  His  favour,  if  ye  will  but 
seek  it  ?  But  then  you  must  seek  it  in  His  own  way,  in  the 
constant  use  of  the  means  which  He  hath  appointed,  where 
by  to  obtain  His  grace  and  assistance  to  do  what  is  required 
of  you.  What  they  are,  ye  all  know:  and  therefore  I  need 
say  no  more.  But  as  I  have  "  now  prayed  you  in  Christ's 
stead,"  to  be  "  reconciled"  to  God,  so  "  in  His  name"  I  pray 
God  to  be  "  reconciled"  to  you,  and  to  "  open  your  eyes,  that  [Luke  19. 
ye  may  see  the  things  that  belong  to  your  everlasting  peace,  42'^ 
before  they  be  hid  from  you." 


SERMON    XII. 

THE  SACERDOTAL  BENEDICTION  IN  THE  NAME  OF  THE  TRINITY. 


2  COR.  xiii.  14. 

The  Grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  Love  of  God, 
and  the  Communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you  all. 

SERM.        IT  would  be  great  rashness  in  us,  who  know  so  little  of 

XII 

—  our  own,  to  enquire  into  the  nature  of  Him  that  made  us, 
any  further  than  He  Himself  hath  been  pleased  to  make  it 
known  unto  us  in  His  Holy  Word.  But  it  would  be  the 
height  of  impudence  and  presumption,  to  offer  at  explaining 
the  incomprehensible  mystery  of  the  most  glorious  Trinity; 
how  three  distinct  persons  subsist  in  the  same  individual 
nature,  so  as  to  be  all  one  and  the  same  God.  It  is  suffi 
cient  for  us  to  believe  what  is  written,  that  there  is  but  one 
living  and  true  God ;  that  "the  Lord  our  God  is  one  Jehovah, 
Deut.  6. 4.  one  Being,  the  Lord."  That  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy 
Ghost,  these  three  are  one  Being,  one  Jehovah,  one  God : 
that  the  Father  is  of  Himself,  the  Son  of  the  Father,  the 
Holy  Ghost  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  "yet  none  be 
fore  or  after  other,  none  greater  or  less  than  another ;  but 
the  whole  three  Persons  co-eternal  together,  and  co-equal." 
This  we  are  bound  to  believe,  because  it  is  revealed  by  God 
Himself,  and  therefore  revealed  by  Him,  that  we  may  be 
lieve  it  upon  His  word,  although  it  be  above  the  reach  of 
our  finite  understandings,  as  He  Himself  knows  it  is ;  and 
therefore  doth  not  require  us  to  understand,  but  to  believe 
it :  and  hath  made  known  as  much  of  it  as  He  thought 
good,  for  that  purpose  only,  that  we  might  know  what  He 
would  have  us  to  believe  concerning  it. 

Now,  one  very  remarkable  thing  revealed  in  the  Holy 


The  Sacerdotal  Benediction.  211 

Scriptures  concerning  the  most  glorious  Trinity,  is  this, 
that  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  although  they  be  all 
one  and  the  same  God,  yet  they  often  exert  and  manifest 
Themselves  and  Their  Divine  perfections  severally,  as  well  as 
jointly,  and  so  have  their  several  ways  of  working  in  the 
world ;  as  appears  from  many  places,  and  particularly  from 
the  words  I  have  now  read :  "  The  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  love  of  God,  and  the  communion  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you  all."  For  here  we  have  three 
Divine  Persons  distinctly  named :  the  "  Son,"  called  the  "  Lord 
Jesus  Christ;"  the  "  Father,"  here  called  in  an  especial  man 
ner  "  God,"  as  being  the  "  root"  and  "  fountain"  of  the  Deity,  as 
the  primitive  writers  style  Him ;  and  then  here  is  the  Third 
Person,  expressly  called  "  the  Holy  Ghost."  And  to  each  of 
these  Persons,  here  is  a  several  property  or  perfection  attri 
buted,  the  Apostle  wishing  to  the  Corinthians,  the  "  grace"  of 
one,  the  "love"  of  another,  and  the  "communion"  of  the  third: 
which  does  not  only  shew  that  they  are  three  distinct  Per 
sons  or  subsistences,  but  also  that  they  have  distinct  opera 
tions,  or  their  several  ways  of  working  and  manifesting 
themselves  in  the  world.  Which  if  rightly  understood,  would 
give  us  great  light  into  what  we  ought  to  believe  concerning 
each  Person ;  and  how  we  ought  to  exercise  our  faith  upon 
all  and  every  one  of  Them,  according  to  the  discoveries  which 
They  are  pleased  to  make  of  Themselves,  with  respect  to  us. 
And  therefore  I  shall  endeavour  to  explain  it  as  clearly  as  I 
can,  being  a  matter  of  so  high  a  nature  :  humbly  beseech 
ing  Him,  of  whom  I  speak,  so  to  assist  and  direct  me,  that 
I  may  say  nothing  but  what  is  agreeable  to  His  Holy  Word, 
and  becoming  His  Divine  Majesty. 

For  this  purpose  therefore,  we  must  first  consider  in  gene 
ral,  that  this  Almighty,  most  glorious  and  eternal  Being, 
which  we  call  God  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost, 
hath  been  graciously  pleased  to  shew  forth  and  manifest 
Himself  and  His  Divine  perfections  in  many  wonderful  ways, 
particularly  in  the  Creation  and  Redemption  of  the  world. 
In  the  first  He  manifested  His  infinite  wisdom,  power,  and 
goodness;  in  the  other  His  infinite  love,  and  justice,  and 
mercy,  and  truth  to  mankind ;  in  both  the  infinite  glory  of 
His  eternal  Godhead.  And  it  is  much  to  be  observed,  that 


212  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 

SxnM'    in  b°th  these  great  works  that  He  liath  done>  whereby  to 
-  set  forth  His  glory,  we  find  three  distinct  Persons  specified, 
or  particularly  named  by  Himself,  as  concurring  in  the  doing 
of  them,  and  each  in  a  way  peculiar  to  Himself.     The  ac 
count  that   He   Himself  hath  given  us  of  His   creation  or 
[Gen.  1.1.]  production  of  all  things  out  of  nothing,  begins  thus ;  "  In 
the   beginning  God   created  the  Heaven  and   the    earth." 
Where  the  word  in  the  original  D^rib^,  which  we  translate 
God,  is  of  the  plural  number ;  but  it  is  joined  with  a  verb 
of  the  singular,  as  it  is  almost  every  where  in  the  Old  Testa 
ment.     Now  although  I  will  not  say,  that  an  argument  can 
be  drawn  from  hence  to  convince  a  gainsayer,  that  there  are 
just  three  Persons  in  the  Godhead,  because  a  word  of  the 
plural  number  may  possibly  signify  more :  yet  seeing  that 
in  Hebrew,  where  there  is  likewise  a  dual,  three  is  the  first 
plural  number ;  and  seeing  the  first  must  in  reason  be  pre 
ferred  before  all  other ;    and  seeing  God  Himself  hath  in 
many  places  of  His  word  acquainted  us  that  there  are  three 
Persons  and  no  more  in  His  Godhead :  we  may  reasonably 
from  hence  infer,  that  God  calleth  Himself  by  this  name  of 
the  plural,  and  joins  it  with  verbs  and  adjectives  of  the  sin 
gular  number,  on  purpose  to  put  us  in  mind  of  the  Trinity 
in  Unity,  that  He  is  Three  in  One,  and  that  every  one  of 
these  Divine  Persons  is  to  be  adored  and  worshipped  alike ; 
that  being,  as  I  take  it,  the  true  notion  of  the  word.     For 
though  the  root  from  whence  nbs,  Eloah,  comes,  be  not 
preserved  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  it  is  in  the  Arabic  dialect ; 
where  *!!,  Alaha,  signifies  to  worship  or  adore:  and  accord 
ingly  ?!T'b^,  Eloah,  signifies  one  that  is  to  be  worshipped ; 
and  in  the  plural  number  Q^nb^,  Elohim, '  persons  adorable,' 
such  as  are  and  ought  to  be  worshipped  by  all  things  that 
are ;  as  He,  to  be  sure,  ought  to  be,  by  whom  all  things  were 
made,  and  were  made  by  Him  for  that  end,  that  He  might  be 
worshipped  by  them.     And  it  is  very  observable  that  in  the 
next  chapter,  when  the  creation  was  finished,  He  is  called  by 
two  names,  Crnb^  rnrp,  the  one  of  the  singular  number,  the 
other  of  the  plural;    the  one   signifying    His    essence,  the 
other   the    Persons   subsisting  in  it.     But  in  all  the  first 
chapter  of  Genesis,  while   He  was  doing  this  great  work, 
He  is  not  so  much  as  once  called  by  any  other  name  than 


in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  213 

bfc*  Adorandi,  or  Adorabiles,  l  persons  to  be  adored;'  but 
by  that  He  is  called  above  thirty  times  in  that  one  chapter : 
whereby,  I  humbly  conceive,  He  hath  signified  His  pleasure 
to  us,  that  when  we  consider  His  creation  of  the  world,  we 
should  ascribe  it  to  all  the  Three  Persons,  and  "  adore"  them 
for  it.  And  indeed,  that  they  were  all  concerned  in  it, 
appears  from  the  history  of  the  creation  itself:  wherein 
although  the  Creator,  as  I  have  shewn,  be  all  along  called 
O^ribg,  Elohim,  i  Divine  Persons,'  in  the  plural  number;  yet 
that  name  being  as  constantly  there  joined  with  a  verb  of  the 
singular  number,  the  unity  of  the  Divine  Nature  or  God 
head  is  likewise  signified  by  it.  In  which  sense  it  is  said  in 
the  second  verse,  "  And  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the 
face  of  the  waters ; "  that  is,  the  Spirit  of  that "  One"  God,  who 
is  JSlohim,  'Divine  Persons  ;'  of  which  the  Spirit  here  spoken 
of  must  needs  be  one,  forasmuch  as  He  operates  in  the  Crea 
tion,  which  none  but  God  the  Creator  could  do.  So  that  we 
have  here  "  two"  distinct  Persons,  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  God 
Himself,  whose  Spirit  He  is,  even  "  the  Father ;"  who,  as  I 
observed  before,  is  in  an  especial  manner  often  called  God. 

After  this  we  read,  that  God   made   all  things   by  His 
"  Word  ;"  "  He  said,  Let  there  be  light,  and  there  was  light."  Ver.  3. 
And  so  He  made  His  works  all  the  six  days,  until  He  came 
to  make  man,  He  made  them  all  by  His  Word :  not  by  any 
outward  "word"  spoken,  but  by  speaking  in  Himself,  by  will 
ing  them  to  be,  and  so  by  His  inward,  His  essential  Word  ; 
that  is,  by  His  eternal  and  only-begotten  Son,  as  we  are 
fully  assured  by  His  Evangelist  St.  John ;  who  by  His  di 
rection  begins  the  Gospel  of  His  Son  Jesus  Christ  with  this 
character  of  Him:  "In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  John  1. 1,2, 
the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the  Word  was  God  ;  the  same  3* 
was  in  the  beginning  with  God.     All  things  were  made  by 
Him,  and  without  Him  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was 
made."     And  to  the  same  purpose,  St.  Paul  speaking  of  the 
Son  of  God,  saith,  "  By  Him  were  all  things  created  that  are  Col.  1. 16 ; 
in  Heaven,  and  that  are   in   Earth,  visible  and  invisible;    p  * 
whether  they  be  thrones,  or  dominions,  or  principalities,  or 
powers  :   all   things  were  created  by  Him,  and  for  Him." 
And  elsewhere,  "  By  whom  He  made  the  worlds."     From  Heb.  1.2. 
all  which  it  appears,  that  the  Word  by  which  God  made  the 


214  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 


Sx?iM"    wor^>  was  His  onty  Son,  tnen  Wli^  Him  :  ^  His  Son,  then 

-  —  a  "Person:"   and  if  with  Him,  then  a  distinct  Person  from 

Him.     So  that  now  we  plainly  see  three  distinct  Persons 

manifesting  themselves  in  the  Creation  of  the  world  ;  God 

the  Father,  His  Son,  and  His  Spirit.    As  the  royal  Prophet 

PS.  33.  6.  also  long  ago  observed,  saying,  "  By  the  Word  of  the  Lord 
were  the  Heavens  made,  and  all  the  Hosts  of  them  by  the 
breath  (or  Spirit)  of  His  mouth." 

To  this  we  may  add  that  remarkable  passage  which  occurs 
in  the  formation  of  man,  as  both  explaining  and  confirming 
all  that  hath  been  hitherto  said  :  for  upon  the  sixth  or  last 
day  of  the  Creation,  when  God  was  pleased  to  make  man,  it  is 

Gen.  i.  26.  written  ;  "  And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our  own  image, 
after  our  likeness."  In  the  original  it  is  D^rib^  "i^S^.  And 
God  in  the  plural  number  said  in  the  singular,  "  He  said, 
let  us  make  man,  and  let  us  make  him  in  our  image,  after  our 
likeness  ;"  still  in  the  plural  number  :  which  shews  as  plainly 
as  words  can  do  it,  that  several  Persons  concurred  in  this 
great  work  ;  and  that  they  had  all  one  and  the  same  image 
and  likeness,  and  therefore  were  of  one  and  the  same  nature 
or  essence.  Neither  can  the  words  possibly  bear  any  other 
sense  :  all  that  the  Jews  and  Socinians  have  said  upon  them, 
according  to  their  blasphemous  doctrine,  makes  them  down 
right  nonsense  ;  whereas,  according  to  our  Christian  doc 
trine,  nothing  is  more  plain  and  easy.  For  when  the  most 
blessed  Trinity  was  pleased  to  make  man,  the  chief  and  lord 
of  all  earthly  creatures,  He  did  not  say  as  in  the  making  of 
other  creatures,  Let  there  be  a  man;  but,  Let  us,  the  Father, 
Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  make  man,  and  let  us  make  him  as 
like  unto  ourselves,  who  are  all  of  the  same  likeness,  as  a 
creature  can  be  made.  All  which  might  be,  as  in  effect  it 
was,  most  truly  and  properly  said,  according  to  our  common 
way  of  speaking  :  whereas  if  there  were  not  several  Divine 
Persons  then  in  being,  or  but  only  one,  to  whom  could  God 
say,  Let  us  make  man  ?  Who  but  a  Divine  Person  could  do 
such  a  work  ?  Or  how  could  He  say,  Let  us  make  him  in  our 
image,  after  our  likeness,  if  there  was  only  one  Person  in  the 
world,  in  whose  image  and  likeness  he  could  be  made  ?  No, 
all  the  wit  of  man,  and  of  the  Devil  himself,  can  never  in 
validate  the  invincible  force  of  this  place,  to  prove  that  there 


in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  215 

were  several  Divine  Persons  of  the  same  Divine  essence,  that 
severally  exerted  and  discovered  themselves  in  the  Creation 
of  the  world  in  general,  and  particularly  in  the  making  of 
mankind. 

And  as  it  was  in  the  Creation,  so  it  was  likewise  in  the 
Redemption  of  mankind :  the  world  was  made  by  the  Word 
of  God,  and  it  was  redeemed  by  the  same  Word,  the  Son  of 
God,  the  Second  of  the  Divine  Persons,  which  St.  John  calls 
"  the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost."  All  which,  ijohns.7. 
as  I  have  shewn,  co-operated  in  the  making  of  man  at  first ; 
and  so  they  did  too  in  the  saving  and  redeeming  him,  when 
he  was  fallen  from  the  state  in  which  he  was  at  first  made. 
For  whereas  there  were  two  most  critical  times  appointed 
for  the  effecting  our  redemption  ;  one  for  the  Incarnation  of 
our  Redeemer,  when  "  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  [Johm.u.] 
among  us,"  in  order  to  it;  and  the  other  for  His  Baptism, 
when  He  was  initiated  as  it  were  into  it,  and  actually  took 
this  great  work  upon  Him :  at  both  these  times  we  find 
all  the  Persons  of  the  most  glorious  Trinity  particularly 
mentioned,  as  concerned  in  it. 

As  for  the  first,  when  the  fulness  of  time  was  come,  that 
the  Son  of  God  should  be  incarnate,  God  sent  the  Angel 
Gabriel  to  acquaint  the  Blessed  Virgin,  that  He  should  be 
conceived  and  born  of  her :  and,  among  other  things,  saith 
unto  her,  "  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  Luke  1.35. 
power  of  the  Highest  shall  overshadow  thee  ;  therefore  also 
that  Holy  Thing  which  shall  be  born  of  thee,  shall  be  called 
the  Son  of  God."  Upon  the  saying  of  which  words,  and 
the  Blessed  Virgin's  expressing  her  consent,  by  saying,  "  Be-  Ver.  ss. 
hold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord,  be  it  unto  me  according  to 
Thy  Word  ;"  this  great  work  was  done,  the  Son  of  God  was 
conceived  in  her,  the  "  Word  was  made  flesh."  Now  here 
we  see  three  Divine  Persons  concurring  in  this  wonderful 
work  :  the  Son  of  God,  the  Holy  Ghost  or  Spirit  of  God, 
and  the  Highest  or  the  Father,  whose  Son  the  one,  and 
whose  Spirit  or  Power  the  other  is.  One  was  conceived  : 
He  was  conceived  by  another,  and  that  other  was  the  Power 
of  a  third  Person.  So  that  in  this  the  first  thing  that  was  ac 
tually  done  in  order  to  our  Redemption,  and  upon  which  the 
whole  work  depended,  the  whole  three  Persons  in  the  most 


216  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 

SERM.    Blessed  Trinity  were  most  graciously  pleased  to  shew  them- 
- —  selves ;  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  one  God, 
blessed  for  ever. 

And  so  they  did  likewise  most  wonderfully  at  the  Baptism 
of  our  Redeemer,  when  He  was  solemnly  inaugurated  into 
the  Office  He  had  undertaken  for  us,  and  accordingly  began 
Matt.  s.  16,  to  set  about  it.  For  it  is  written,  "And  Jesus,  when  He 
was  baptized,  went  up  straightway  out  of  the  water,  and  lo ! 
the  Heavens  were  opened  unto  Him  ;  and  He  saw  the  Spirit 
of  God,  descending  like  a  dove,  and  lighting  upon  Him : 
and  lo  !  a  voice  from  Heaven,  saying,  This  is  My  beloved 
Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased."  Here  all  the  three  Per 
sons  of  the  most  Holy  Trinity  did  evidently  appear  together. 
For  here  was  a  voice  from  Heaven,  saying,  "This  is  My 
beloved  Son,"  which  could  be  no  other  but  the  voice  of  the 
Father,  who  also  declared  Himself  to  be  so,  by  calling  the 
other  His  Son :  and  then  here  was  the  Son  of  this  Father, 
declared  to  be  so  by  the  Father  Himself:  and  here  was  also 
the  Spirit  of  God,  descending  like  a  dove,  and  lighting  upon 
the  Son,  and  so  anointing  Him  to  be  both  a  Priest,  a  Pro 
phet,  and  a  King  ;  who  is  therefore  most  properly  called 
the  Messiah,  or  Christ,  the  anointed  of  God,  and  every  way 
qualified  to  be  our  Mediator  and  Redeemer.  Yea,  it  is 
wonderful  to  observe,  the  three  infinitely  glorious  incompre 
hensible  Persons  were  pleased  upon  this  extraordinary  oc 
casion  to  manifest  themselves  severally  to  the  very  senses 
of  men,  to  their  eyes  and  ears :  for  the  Father  was  heard 
speaking,  the  Son  was  seen  in  the  nature  of  man  coming 
out  of  the  water,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  was  seen  in  the  shape 
of  a  dove  descending  and  lighting  upon  Him.  And  there- 
Aug.  in  fore  we  may  truly  say  with  St.  Augustin,  that  at  this  time, 
Job.  cap.  i.  Apparet  manifestissima  Trinitas  ;  Pater  in  voce,  Films  in 
^Tom  6s.  pt.  homine,  Spiritus  in  colamba  :  '  The  Trinity  appeared  most 
T)  PFd32  manifestly ;  the  Father  in  a  voice,  the  Son  in  a  man,  the 
Bened.  Holy  Ghost  in  a  dove.'  And  with  St.  Hierome,  Mysterium 
Trinitatls  in  JBaptismate  demonstratur :  Dominus  baptizatur  ; 

Hieron.  in^..  7  ?•     •      /     7  •  77  r* 

Matt.  3.       bpintus  aescenait  in  habitu  columbce ;  Jratris  vox,  testimonium 

tmn^par.  Filio  perhibentis,  auditur :  '  The  mystery  of  the  Trinity  is  de- 

i.  P.  12.]      monstrated  in  the  baptism  of  Christ;  the  Lord  is  baptized; 

the  Spirit  descendeth  in  the  likeness  of  a  dove ;  the  voice 


in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  217 

of  the  Father,  giving  testimony  to  the  Son,  is  heard.'  And 
hence  it  is  that  this  chapter  is  appointed  as  a  proper  lesson 
at  morning  upon  Trinity  Sunday,  because  the  great  mystery, 
which  we  this  day  celebrate,  is  so  plainly  and  fully  revealed 
in  it. 

And  it  is  much  to  be  observed,  that  as  all  the  three  Divine 
Persons,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  thus 
manifested  themselves  at  the  Baptism  of  our  Saviour ;  so 
He  Himself  requires,  that  all  who  would  be  His  disciples, 
should  be  made  so  by  being  baptized  in  the  name  of  all  the 
same  Persons :  saying  to  His  Apostles,  "  Go  ye  therefore  Matt.  23.19. 
and  teach,"  or  make  "  all  nations"  My  disciples,  "baptizing 
them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."  So  that  the  same  Divine  Persons,  which  so 
manifestly  appeared  at  the  Baptism  of  Christ,  are  all  to  be 
particularly  named  at  the  Baptism  of  every  Christian,  by 
Christ's  own  institution.  And  no  man  can  be  initiated  into 
the  Church  of  Christ,  and  so  made  a  Christian  any  other 
way,  but  by  being  so  baptized ;  this  being  the  only  way 
appointed  by  Christ  Himself  for  that  purpose  :  who  thereby 
hath  sufficiently  declared,  that  He  will  own  none  for  His 
disciples,  but  such  as  are  baptized  in  the  name  of  all  the 
same  Persons,  which  appeared  in  so  miraculous  a  manner 
when  He  Himself  was  baptized  ;  and  also  that  our  Salvation 
depends  upon,  and  must  be  attributed  unto  all  of  Them. 
For  seeing  He  Himself  hath  so  ordered  it,  that  none  can  be 
brought  into  a  state  of  Salvation,  but  by  being  first  baptized 
in  the  name  of  all  three,  all  three  must  needs  be  acknow 
ledged  to  concur  in  the  effecting  of  it. 

And  verily  that  they  do  so,  appears  most  evidently  also 
from  the  words  of  my  text.  For  as  all  these  Divine  Persons 
manifested  themselves  in  the  Creation  of  the  world  in  ge 
neral,  and  at  the  making  of  man  in  particular  ;  as  they 
appeared  at  the  Incarnation  and  Baptism  of  our  Redeemer ; 
and  as  our  Redeemer  Himself  requires  that  all  who  would 
partake  of  that  Redemption  which  He  hath  purchased,  should 
be  baptized  in  the  name  of  all  three  ;  so  the  Apostle  here,  by 
His  direction,  writing  to  such  as  were  so  baptized  at  Corinth, 
and  concluding  his  Epistle  to  them  with  an  hearty  prayer, 
that  they  might  have  all  things  necessary  to  their  Salvation, 


218  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 


SERM.    refers  all  such  things  to  three  Heads,  and  attributes  them 

XII  *~ 

-  severally  to  the  three  Persons  in  the  most  Holy  Trinity ; 
and  accordingly  prays  to  each  of  them,  saying,  "  The  grace 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of  God,  and  the 
communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you  all."  So  that, 
did  we  but  understand  these  words  aright,  we  should  there 
by  know  how  to  exercise  our  faith  in  all  and  each  of  these 
Divine  Persons,  for  what  is  necessary  to  our  obtaining  eter 
nal  Salvation,  according  to  their  several  ways  of  concurring 
to  it. 

But  for  that  purpose,  before  we  enter  upon  the  explication 
of  the  several  parts  of  the  text,  it  will  be  necessary  to  ob 
serve  some  things  in  general  about  it.  As,  first,  although 
here  be  three  several  Persons  named,  and  several  properties 
are  severally  attributed  to  them,  yet  they  are  not  several, 
but  all  "  one  and  the  same  individual  God."  This  we  are 
fully  assured  of  by  all  those  reasons,  and  by  all  such  places 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  which  demonstrate  the  unity  of  the 

[Deut.6.3.]  Godhead:  as  where  it  is  said,  "Hear,  O  Israel,  the  Lord 
our  God"  (our  Elohim  in  the  plural  number),  "is  one  Lord, 
one  Jehovah."  This  the  Son  asserts  of  the  Father  and 

John  10.  so.  Himself,  "  I  and  the  Father  are  one ;  not  eJg,  but  ev  sff/^sv, 

i  John  s.  7.  one  Jehovah,  one  Being  :  and  St.  John  of  all  three,  "  There 
are  three  that  bear  record  in  Heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  these  three  are  one ; "  where  the 
same  word  is  used  again,  ijy  g/V/,  unum  sunt,  they  are  in  the 
plural  number,  but  they  are  one  in  the  singular ;  one  Being, 

[Deut.e.s.]  mrp  -r™,  one  Jehovah,  one  God. 

Hence,  in  the  next  place,  whatsoever  perfections  or  pro 
perties  (except  such  as  are  purely  personal)  are  attributed  to 
any  of  these  Divine  Persons,  are  the  same  in  all,  and  may 
equally  be  attributed  to  every  one,  they  being  all  and  every 
one  the  same  God,  in  whom  all  perfections  concentre,  or 
rather,  who  is  all  perfection  itself.  And  therefore,  when  we 
read  of  "  the  grace  "  of  one,  "  the  love  "  of  another,  and  "  the 
fellowship"  of  the  third  Divine  Person,  it  is  not  to  be  so 
understood,  as  if  these  properties  were  so  peculiar  to  those 
Persons  to  which  they  are  here  attributed,  that  they  do  not 
belong  also  to  the  other ;  for  they  are  the  same  in  all,  and 
may  be  equally  attributed  to  one  as  well  as  another ;  and  so 


in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  219 

they  are  in  the  Holy  Scriptures.     Here  grace  is  ascribed  to 
the  Son,  and  love  unto  the  Father ;  in  other  places  love  is 
ascribed  to  the  Son,  and  grace  unto  the  Father :  as  where 
St.  Paul  saith,  "Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of  Rom.  s.  35. 
Christ  ?"     "  And  to  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth  EPh-  s.  9. 
knowledge."     And  St.  John,  "  Hereby  perceive  we  the  love  1  John  3.  ,6. 
of  God  (the  Son),  because  He  laid  down  His  life  for  us." 
Here  love  is  plainly  attributed  to  the  Son,  and  so  is  grace 
to  the  Father ;  where  St.  Paul  saith,  "  By  the  grace  of  God  1  Cor.  15. 
I  ain  what  I  am."     And,  "  Not  with  fleshly  wisdom,  but  by  2Cor. :.  12. 
the  grace  of  God,  we  have  had  our  conversation  in  the 
world."  And  as  we  here  read  of  the  "  communion,"  or  "  fellow 
ship"  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  we  elsewhere  read  of  the  fellowship 
of  the  Son ;  "  God  is  faithful,"  saith  the  Apostle,  "  by  whom  i  Cor.  i.  9. 
ye  were  called  unto  the  fellowship  of  His  Son  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord."     And  St.  John  saith,  "  Truly  our  fellowship  is  i  Joim  i.  3. 
with  the  Father,  arid  with  His  Son  Jesus  Christ."     Which 
I  therefore  observe,  lest  any  should  think  that  we  detract 
any  thing  from  one  Person,  by  attributing  it  to  another :  for 
whatsoever  Divine  properties  are  attributed  to  any  one,  are 
hereby  attributed  unto  all ;  they  being  all  one  and  the  same 
God,  in  whom  all  properties  also  are  one  and  the  same  pro 
perty:  and  therefore  cannot  be  divided,  nor  belong  to  one 
more  than  to  another,  as  they  are  in  Him. 

But  then  we  must  observe  withal,  that  notwithstanding 
this,  when  the  Almighty  Being,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost,  is  pleased  to  operate  upon  things  without 
Him,  and  so  to  exert,  and  manifest  Himself  to  us,  there  is 
something  particular  attributed  to  one  of  these  Divine  Per 
sons  more  than  to  another.  As  it  is  plain,  that  it  was  not 
the  Father,  nor  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  the  Son,  which  took 
the  nature  of  man  upon  Him :  it  was  not  the  Father,  nor 
the  Son,  but  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  at  the  Creation  of  the 
world  "  moved  upon  the  face  of  the  waters;"  which,  at  the 
Incarnation  of  Christ,  "  overshadowed  the  Blessed  Virgin ; " 
and  which,  upon  the  day  of  Pentecost,  "  came  down  upon 
the  Apostles."  Thus  all  along  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  the 
Father  is  said  in  a  peculiar  manner  to  be  our  Maker,  the 
Son  our  Saviour,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  our  Sanctifier.  And 
accordingly  in  my  text,  where  the  three  Persons  are  all  men- 


220  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 

SERM.    tioned  together  with  respect  to  us,  the  Apostle  prays  for 

'• —  something  particular  from  each  of  them  :  for  the  love  of  the 

Father,  as  He  is  Maker  and  Governor  of  the  world  ;  for 
the  grace  of  the  Son,  as  He  is  the  Saviour  and  Redeemer  of 
mankind  ;  and  for  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  He  is 
the  Sanctifier  and  Comforter  of  all  the  elect  people  of  God : 
which  will  serve  us  as  a  key  to  open  the  whole  mystery 
contained  in  these  words,  as  we  shall  see  more  presently. 

But  here  is  still  another  thing  to  be  observed  in  general ; 
which  is,  that  the  Son  is  here  placed  before  the  Father, 
whereas  reason  may  seem  to  require  that  the  Father  should 
be  placed  first,  as  He  is  by  the  Son  Himself,  commanding 

Matt.  28.19.  Baptism  to  be  administered  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost:  and  by  His  beloved  Disciple,  saying, 

i  John  5.  7.  "  There  are  three  that  bear  record  in  Heaven,  the  Father, 
the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost."  According  to  which  order, 
the  Apostle  should  have  said,  the  love  of  God  the  Father, 
and  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ;  whereas,  he  contrariwise 
puts  the  Son  first,  saying,  "  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  love  of  God  : "  which  being  done  by  the 
special  direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  there  was  certainly 
great  reason  for  it.  Which  that  we  may  rightly  under 
stand,  we  must  take  notice,  that  in  the  places  before  quoted, 
the  Divine  Persons  are  named  in  their  essential  order,  that 
which  they  have  in  and  among  themselves,  or  with  respect 
to  one  another :  according  to  which,  the  Father  is  placed 
first,  because  He  begot  the  Son ;  the  Son  is  placed  second, 
because  He  was  begotten  of  the  Father;  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  last,  because  He  proceeds  from  both.  But  the 
Apostle  in  my  text  speaks  not  of  the  order  of  the  Divine 
Persons  among  themselves,  but  of  that  which  they  observe 
with  respect  to  us  and  our  Salvation.  He  here  wisheth  to 
the  Corinthians,  all  things  necessary  for  their  Salvation  by 
Christ ;  and  therefore  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  begin 
first  with  Christ  their  Saviour,  without  whom  they  could 
never  have  had  either  the  love  of  God,  or  the  communion 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  It  is  true,  the  love  of  God  the  Father 
was  the  first  cause  or  motive  of  our  Salvation,  as  our  Saviour 

John  s.  ie.  Himself  hath  taught  us,  saying,  "  That  God  so  loved  the 
world,  that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 


in 


the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  221 


believeth  in   Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life."     But  then  we  must  observe,  that  our  Saviour  speaks 
here  of  God's  love  to  mankind  in  general,  saying,  "  God  so 
loved  the  world:"  He  doth  not  speak  of  His  love  to  parti 
cular  men ;  it  was  out  of  His  infinite  love  to  fallen  man  in 
general,  that  "  He  sent  His  Son  into  the  world ; "  but  His 
love  to  any  particular  man  is  only  in,  and  for  the  sake  of 
His  said  Son,  and  no  otherwise.     For  by  nature  we  are  all 
enemies  to  God,  and  therefore  He  is  so  to  us :  and  there  is 
no  way  for  us  to  be  reconciled  to  Him,  or  to  have  Him  re 
conciled  to  us,  but  by  His  Son.     For,  as  the  Apostle  saith, 
"  When  we  were  enemies,  we  were  reconciled  to  God  by  the  Rom.  5.  10. 
death  of  His  Son."      And  if  it  be  by  His  Son  only  that 
we  are  reconciled  to  God,  it  must  needs  be  only  by  His 
Son  that  we  can  have  His  love  and  favour :  which  He  there 
fore  never  shews  to  any  man,  but  only  upon  the  account  of 
"  Him  in  whom  He  is  well  pleased."     But  as  the  Apostle  [Matt.  3. 
saith,  nothing  "  can   Separate   us   from   the   love   of  God,  Rom.  s.  39. 
which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord."     Whereby  we  are  given 
to  understand,  that  the  love  which  God  the  Father  hath  for 
any  of  us,  is  only  in  His   Son,  and  for  His  sake,  without 
whom  we  could  expect  nothing  but  wrath  and  vengeance 
from  Him :  and  by  consequence,  that  the  grace  of  Christ  is 
most  properly  here  placed  before  the  love  of  God,  seeing  we 
cannot  have  this,  unless  we  have  that  first.     The  same  may 
be  said  also  of  the  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost :  for  that 
likewise  is  "  shed  on  us  abundantly  through  Jesus   Christ  Tit.  3.  5. 
our  Saviour,"  as  the  same  Apostle  teacheth  us.     Wherefore, 
seeing  that  we  can  never  have  either  the  love  of  God  the 
Father,  or  the  communion  of  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  but  only 
by  the  grace  of  God  the  Son  ;  there  was  all  the  reason  in 
the  world  that  the  Apostle  should  pray  for  this  first,  and 
say  first,  "  The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  then  "  the 
love  of  God,"   and  lastly,   "  the   communion  of  the   Holy 
Ghost,  be  with  you  all." 

These  things  being  thus  premised  in  general,  we  shall 
easily  discover  the  meaning  of  the  several  parts  of  the  text. 
The  first  thing  which  the  Apostle  here  wisheth  to  the 
Corinthians,  is,  "  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;"  which 
is  a  phrase  he  delights  in  very  much.  The  common  saluta- 


222  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 

SERM.    tion  that  he  useth  at  the  beginning  of  every  one  of  his  thirteen 

Coi.  4.  is;   Epistles,  to  those  he  wrote  to,  runs  thus  ;  "  Grace  be  to  you, 

Tit.  3.  15  ;    an(j  peace  from  God  the  Father,  and  from  the  Lord  Jesus 

2  Tim.  4.22.  Christ."     And  at  the  end  of  his  epistles,  he  sometimes  saith 

in  short,  "  Grace  be  with  you."     But  most  usually  he  con- 

fcOT1!*)245  c^U(^es  w^»  "The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be  with 

23  ;  Gal.  6.  you."     And  so  St.  John  concludes  the  Book  of  Revelations, 

23  ;  i  Thess!  and  the  whole   New  Testament.      From  whence  we  may 

2  xifess  3     m^er>  that  grace  is  to  be  had  only  by  Christ  ;  that  His  grace 

ler  2  llUem'  *S  ^e  £reatest  blessing  that  can  be  desired  ;  and  that  where 

Apoc.22.2i.  the  grace  of  Christ  is,  there  is  also  the  love  of  God,  and  the 

communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  are  therefore  particu 

larly  mentioned  in  my  text,  that  we  may  know  from  whence 

they  come,  and  that  they  are  to  be  understood,  wheresoever 

the  grace  of  Christ  is  mentioned. 

But  then  the  question  is,  what  is  meant  by  the  grace  of 
the  "  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?  "  and  how  it  comes  to  be  so  often 
appropriated  unto  Him  ?  For  which  it  will  be  necessary  to 
consider  that  remarkable  passage  in  the  Gospel  of  St.  John, 
where  he  having  asserted  the  Eternal  and  Divine  nature  of 
John  i.  u,  the  Word  or  Son  of  God,  he  saith,  "  And  the  Word  was 
made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  and  we  beheld  His  glory, 
the  glory  as  of  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace 
and  truth.  —  And  of  His  fulness  have  all  we  received,  and 
grace  for  grace.  For  the  law  was  given  by  Moses,  but 
grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ."  Here  we  see  first, 
that  the  Word  or  Son  of  God  was  made  flesh,  that  is,  He 
took  upon  Him  the  nature  of  man  in  general,  so  as  to  be 
come  Emanuel,  '  God  with  us,'  God  and  man  in  one  Person  ; 
and  as  such,  He  is  here  said  to  be  full  of  grace  and  truth  : 
PS.  25.  10.  where  by  grace  I  do  not  question  but  we  are  to  understand, 
Prov.  16.  6.  that  which  in  the  Old  Testament  is  called  tOD  '  mercy  ;'  these 


Prov.  20.28.  two  HEN1].  IpD,  '  mercy  and  truth/  being  very  frequently  put 

Ijrcn.  32.  lOj  *  i  •       •  •  i 

2  Sam.  2.  6  ;  together,  mercy  always  before  truth:  as  where  it  is  said, 
36'.52°4o/n.  "  All  the  paths  of  the  Lord  are  mercy  and  truth."  "  Mercy 
6i  ?'•  89'  i  anc^  truth  are  met  together."  "  By  mercy  and  truth,  iniquity 
2,  14;  98.  3;  is  purged."  "  Mercy  and  truth  preserve  the  king."  Thus 
i  ;  138.  2;  they  are  joined  together.  "  Thus  God  proclaimeth  Himself 
ProV?3.  3;  to  be  abundant  in  goodness  and  truth,"  where  the  word 
2  34  6  wn^cn  we  translate  goodness,  is  the  same  which  in  the  places 


in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  223 

before  quoted  is  rendered  mercy,  and  so  it  is  rightly  trans 
lated  in  that  parallel  place ;  "  But  Thou,  O  Lord,  art  a  God  Ps-  86- 15- 
full  of  compassion,  and  gracious ;  long-suffering,  and  plen 
teous  in  mercy  and  truth."  And  accordingly  God  the  Son, 
as  incarnate,  is  here  said  to  be  full  of  grace,  or  mercy,  and 
truth.  "  And  of  His  fulness,"  saith  St.  John,  "  all  we  have 
received."  We  have  none  but  what  we  receive  from  Him, 
and  how  much  soever  we  receive,  He  is  still  full :  as  the  sun 
is  still  full  of  light,  notwithstanding  that  we  continually 
receive  and  enjoy  it.  Neither  do  we  only  receive  of  His 
fulness  in  general,  but  we  receive  grace  for  grace,  that  is, 
all  manner  of  grace,  according  to  that  fulness  which  is  in 
Him.  In  Him  is  the  fulness  and  perfection  of  all  grace  and 
mercy :  and  for  that  it  is  in  Him  our  Head,  we  of  Him 
receive  whatsoever  grace  or  mercy  we  have  occasion  for. 

And  the  reason  is,  because,  as  it  here  follows,  "  The  law 
was  given  by  Moses,  but  grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus 
Christ."  The  Law,  as  given  by  Moses,  threatened  death  and 
damnation,  even  all  manner  of  judgment  without  mercy,  to  all 
that  continued  not  in  all  things  written  in  it.  Which  no  man 
having  done,  all  are  by  the  Law  condemned  to  die,  and 
suffer  all  the  punishments  which  are  there  threatened,  with 
out  any  hopes  of  mercy,  there  being  none  there  promised. 
But  as  the  Law  was  thus  given  by  Moses,  grace,  or  mercy, 
and  truth  came,  iysvero,  'was  made'  by  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  au 
thor  and  procurer  of  it.  The  Law  hath  concluded  all  under 
sin,  and  therefore  hath  passed  the  sentence  of  condemnation 
upon  all.  And  if  the  sentence  be  ever  revoked  or  omitted, 
or  if  it  be  not  actually  executed,  it  must  be  acknowledged  to 
be  a  great  mercy.  But  there  is  no  such  mercy  promised  in 
the  Law  given  by  Moses :  there  is  not  a  word  of  that  there, 
nor  any  where  else,  but  only  in  the  Gospel  of  Christ ;  who 
having  in  our  nature  undergone  the  punishments  to  which 
we  are  condemned  by  the  Law,  He  hath  thereby  made  way 
for  mercy  to  be  shewn  us,  by  God's  accepting  of  His  death 
instead  of  ours,  and  so  acquitting  or  discharging  us  from  it : 
yea,  He  hath  thereby  merited  or  purchased  mercy  for  us,  all 
manner  of  mercy,  in  that  His  death  was  of  infinitely  more 
value,  than  all  ours  could  ever  have  been.  For  that  God  is 
never  merciful  to  any,  but  only  for  the  sake  of  His  Son,  and 


224  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 

SERM.  upon  the  account  of  His  death,  is  plain  from  His  never 
- —  shewing  any  mercy,  but  only  to  those  for  whom  Christ  died. 
The  fallen  angels  stand  in  as  much  need  of  mercy  as  fallen 
man,  but  they  never  had,  nor  ever  will  have  any,  because 
Christ  did  not  die  for  them.  But  He  having  taken  our 
nature  upon  Him,  and  in  it  suffered  the  punishments  which 
by  the  Law  were  due  to  us,  God  is  graciously  pleased  for 
His  sake  to  promise  grace  or  mercy  to  us :  and  whatsoever 
grace  or  mercy  we  receive  from  Him,  it  comes  to  us  only  by 
Jesus  Christ:  as  the  Holy  Ghost  here  assures  us,  saying, 
"  That  grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ."  It  was  in 
Him  that  grace  was  at  first  promised  to  us,  and  it  is  in  Him 
that  such  promises  are  verified  or  fulfilled.  "  For,"  as  the 

2  Cor.  1.20.  Apostle  saith,  "  all  the  promises  of  God  in  Him  are  yea,  and 
in  Him,  Amen,"  that  is,  in  Him  they  were  all  made,  and  in 
Him  they  are  all  confirmed  and  performed  to  us.  And 
therefore  truth  is  not  here  opposed,  as  it  is  commonly 
thought,  only  to  the  types  and  figures  of  the  Law,  but  it  sig 
nifies  more  especially  the  truth  and  certainty  of  the  promises 
which  God  hath  made  to  mankind  of  grace  and  mercy  in 
His  Son.  And  that  is  the  reason  that  mercy,  as  I  observed 
before,  is  not  only  here,  but  all  along  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
put  before  truth  :  because  mercy  is  first  promised,  and  then 
truly  granted  according  to  that  promise,  and  both  by  Christ. 
It  was  by  Him  that  grace  was  at  first  promised  to  us,  and  it 
is  by  Him  that  the  truth  of  such  promises  is  assured  to  us, 

34  49.  33'    and  so  both  "  grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ." 

From  hence  we  may  gather  what  is  here  meant  by  "  the 
grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  in  my  text.  It  is  the  grace, 
the  free  undeserved  favour  and  mercy;  it  is  the  grace  of  the 
Lord,  the  Almighty  God,  the  Eternal  and  only-begotten 
Son,  of  the  same  substance  and  glory  with  the  Father ;  it  is 
the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  the  most  High  God  made 
Man,  and  so  become  Jesus,  a  Saviour  to  save  His  people 
from  their  sins ;  it  is  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  of 
God  our  Saviour,  anointed  to  be  to  us  a  Prophet,  a  Priest, 
and  King,  and  so  fully  qualified,  and  able  to  do  all  things 
necessary  for  our  Salvation.  And  therefore  all  such  things 
are  here  signified  by  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ : 
nil  things  that  are  required,  all  things  that  can  any  way 


in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  225 

conduce  to  our  eternal  Salvation ;  they  are  all  contained  in, 
and  they  all  proceed  from  His  grace  and  mercy  to  us,  with 
out  whom  we  can  neither  have,  nor  do  any  thing  at  all  towards 
it.  But  by  Him,  there  is  nothing  but  we  may  have,  nothing 
but  we  can  do,  that  He  would  have  us,  in  order  to  our  being 
saved.  By  Him  we  are  "  called  out  of  darkness  into  His  Rom.  i.  6; 

1  Pet  2   9 

marvellous  light."     By  Him  we  have  grace  to  repent,  and 

turn  every  one  from  his  own  iniquities,  so  that  sin  "shall  Acts 5.  31 ; 

not  have  dominion  over  us,  seeing  we  are  not  under  the  Rom.'  6.  u. 

Law,  but  under  grace."     "  By  Him  we  have  redemption  Eph.  i.  7; 

through  His  blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  according  to  the  Eph.  4. 32! 

riches  of  His  grace."  By  Him  we  are  justified  freely  through 

His  grace,  "  and  accounted  righteous  before  God  Himself."  ^°m3*3;?4; 

"By  Him   being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  with  2  Cor.  5.21. 

God,"  and  are  as  perfectly  reconciled  unto  Him,  as  if  He  f°m'  5' l' 

had  never  been  angry  or  displeased  with  us.     By  Him  we 

have  "power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  and  if  sons,  then  Johm.  12? 

heirs;  heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs  with  Him  who  is  heir  He™.' 1.2!  ' 

of  all  things."     By  Him  "we  are  washed  from  our  sins  in  Rev.  1.5,6. 

His  own  blood,  and  are  made  Kings  and  Priests  to  God  and 

His  Father."     By  Him  "  we  can  overcome  the  world,  and  i  John  5.  4, 

triumph  over  Death  itself."     By  Him  we  can  do,  and  by  57. l 

Him  we  can  suffer  whatsoever  God  sees  good  to  lay  upon 

us  :   for  "  His  grace  is  always   sufficient  for  us,  and   His  2Cor.i2. 9; 

,,  ~     ,    .  ,  j      Phil.  4.  13. 

strength  made  perfect  in  our  weakness  ;  so  that  we  can  do 
all  things  through  Christ  which  strengthens  us."  By  Him 
we  have  a  place  prepared  for  us  in  Heaven,  "  that  where  He  John  14. 2, 
is,  there  we  may  be  also,  to  behold  His  glory,  and  be  glori-  Rom!^^. 
fied  together  with  Him."  In  short,  by  Him  we  may  have 
every  thing  that  is  any  way  necessary,  either  to  the  be 
ginning,  the  carrying  on,  or  the  perfecting  our  Salvation ; 
"  for  He  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  that  come  unto  Heb.  7. 25. 
God  by  Him,  seeing  He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession 
for  them."  All  these  things  we  have  by  Christ,  and  re 
ceive  them  of  that  infinite  grace  and  mercy  that  is  in 
Him.  And  therefore  the  Apostle  wishing  to  the  Corin 
thians  "  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  he  thereby 
wished  them  every  thing  relating  to  their  eternal  Salva 
tion,  as  coming  wholly  and  solely  from  His  grace  and 
mercy. 

Q 


226  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 

SERM.  The  next  thing  that  follows  in  my  text,  is,  "  the  love  of 
—  God."  And  it  may  well  follow  upon  "  the  grace  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ"  here,  for  it  doth  so  every  where.  For 
He,  the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  having,  as  I  have  shewn,  re 
conciled  us  to  His  Father,  wheresoever  His  grace  is,  the 
love  of  the  Father  follows  in  course,  who  being  always 
well  pleased  with  all  that  partake  of  Him,  hath  a  special 
love  for  them  ;  the  love  of  a  father  to  his  children,  who  is 
not  only  most  tenderly  affected  towards  them,  but  takes 
particular  care  of  them,  provides  all  things  necessary  for 
them,  corrects  them  when  they  do  amiss,  encourages  them 
when  they  do  well,  and  settles  a  sufficient  maintenance 
upon  them,  that  they  may  live  comfortably  in  the  world, 
according  to  every  one's  estate  and  quality.  Such  is  the 
love  of  the  great  God  to  those,  who,  by  the  grace  of  Christ, 
are  made  His  children.  He  keeps  them  always  under  His 
own  care  and  conduct ;  He  gives  them  all  things  necessary, 
[Heb.  12.  both  for  life  and  godliness  :  He  "  chasteneth  them,  not  for 

10.1 

His  own  pleasure,  but  for  their  own  profit,  that  they  may 
be  partakers  of  His  holiness."  He  plentifully  rewards  all 
the  services  they  perform  Him  in  this  world;  and  in  the 
next  He  settles  a  kingdom  upon  every  one  of  them,  the 
kingdom  of  Heaven  itself,  where  they  ever  live  as  happily 
as  it  is  possible  for  creatures  to  live :  and  all  because  He 
loves  them  as  His  own  children  by  adoption,  and  the  grace 
of  His  only-begotten  Son. 

This  therefore  is  here  meant  by  the  love  of  God,  the 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  in  Him  our  God,  and 
our  Father.  It  is  the  love  of  God,  as  He  is  the  Maker, 
Preserver  and  Governor  of  the  whole  world,  and  orders  and 
disposeth  of  all  things  in  it,  according  to  His  own  will  and 
pleasure  ;  and  therefore  as  for  His  own  glory,  so  likewise  for 
the  good  of  these  He  loves  and  is  well  pleased  with  them. 
Rom.  s.  28.  For  we  know,  saith  the  Apostle,  "  That  all  things  work 
together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God,  to  them  who  are 
the  called  according  to  His  purpose."  All  that  love  God, 
God  loves :  and  seeing  He  loves  them,  He  makes  all  things 
concur  to  their  advantage.  For  which  purpose,  by  His 
good  Providence,  He  makes  them  of  such  a  temper  as  will 
best  suit  with  the  circumstances  He  designs  for  them,  or 


in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  227 

else  orders  their  circumstances  so  as  will  best  suit  with  the 
temper  He  made  them  of:  He  measures  out  such  a  propor 
tion  of  the  good  things  of  this  life  to  them,  as  He  knows 
will  be  good  for  them,  and  no  more.  He  allots  them  such 
a  place  to  live  in  upon  earth,  where  they  may  enjoy  the 
means  whereby  to  obtain  grace  and  Salvation  by  His  Son. 
He  keeps  them  from  falling  into  any  evil,  and  all  evil  from 
falling  upon  them.  He  defends  them  from  all  their  enemies, 
or  else  turns  their  hearts,  and  makes  them  to  become  their 
friends.  He  infatuates  the  counsels,  and  defeats  all  the  ill 
designs  that  men  or  devils  can  form  against  them.  He 
hears  the  prayers  they  put  up  unto  Him  in  His  Son's 
name,  and  for  His  sake  accepts  of  all  the  duties  they  per 
form  to  Him.  He  is  with  them  wheresoever  they  are,  to 
direct,  assist,  and  prosper  them  in  whatsoever  they  do.  He 
sanctifieth  and  blesseth  all  manner  of  occurrences  to  them, 
so  that  every  thing  which  happens,  is,  all  things  considered, 
the  best  that  could  happen  to  them.  There  are  many,  I 
may  truly  say,  innumerable  such  instances  of  the  love  which 
God  the  Father  is  pleased  for  His  Son's  sake  to  manifest  to 
those  who  are  regenerate,  and  so  made  His  children  in  Him, 
even  by  His  ordinary  Providence  :  and  where  that  fails, 
He  is  pleased  to  do  it  in  an  extraordinary  and  miraculous 
manner,  as  we  see  in  the  children  of  Israel ;  for  He  having 
a  special  love  for  them,  by  reason  of  their  near  relation  to 
His  Son  incarnate,  He  brought  them  into  and  out  of  Egypt : 
He  led  them,  He  fed  them,  He  clothed  them  with  Miracles 
for  forty  years  together ;  "  And  all  because  He  loved  them,"  Deut.  4.  37; 
as  it  is  said.  And  particularly  when  Balaam  was  hired  to  is.]' 
curse  them,  "  God  turned  His  curse  into  a  blessing,  because  Deut.  23.  5. 
He  loved  them." 

Thus  He  one  way  or  other  always  preserves  those  He 
loves  from  all  things  that  may  hurt  them,  and  withholds 
nothing  from  them  that  will  really  do  them  good :  but  He 
carries  them  through  all  "  the  changes  and  chances  of  this 
mortal  life,"  so  as  to  bring  them  at  last  to  Heaven,  where 
they  clearly  see  His  love  in  every  thing  that  ever  befell 
them,  continually  praise  and  adore  Him  for  it,  and  are  eter 
nally  happy  in  the  perfect  enjoyment  of  it.  From  all  which 
it  appears,  how  great  a  blessing  it  is,  to  have  the  love  of 


228  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 

SERM.  God  the  Father,  the  Almighty  Creator  and  Governor  of  all 
-things,  how  necessarily  it  follows  upon  the  grace  of  His 
Only-begotten  Son ;  and  by  consequence,  with  how  great 
reason,  as  well  as  charity  to  the  Corinthians,  the  Apostle 
here,  next  to  "  the  grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  prays 
they  might  have  the  love  of  God. 

And  that  their  happiness    might   be  complete,  he  adds 
also,  "  The  communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  the  third  Person 
in  the  most  Blessed  Trinity ;  called  the  "  Ghost,"  or  "  Spirit," 
both  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  because  He  proceeds  from 
both:  and  "Holy"  in  a  peculiar  manner,  because  all  the  holi 
ness  that  is  in  the  creatures  proceeds  from  Him.     And  to 
have  "  communion"  or  "  fellowship"  with  Him,  is  to  partake 
of  His  holiness,  and  of  all  the  glorious  effects  of  the  Grace 
of  Christ,  and  the  Love  of  God  in  Him :  "  For  as  He  pro- 
ceedeth  both  from  the  Father  and  the  Son,  both  the  Father 
Luke  11. 20.  and  the  Son  act  by  Him;"  and  therefore  He  is  called  "  the 
Finger  of  God."    The  Father  acteth  by  Him  in  the  govern 
ment  of  the  world,  and  all  the  parts  of  it ;  the  Son  in  the 
government  of  the  Church,  and  all  particular  members  in 
it :  and  whatsoever  blessings  we  receive  from  the  Father, 
through  the  merits  and  mediation  of  the  Son,  they  are  all 
conveyed  to  us  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  for  that  purpose 
John  14. 16.  abides  with  us  for  ever.     It  is  He,  as  proceeding  from,  and 
Eph.  1.17.   sent  by  our  Saviour  to  do  it,  "that  enlightens  our  minds, 
John  1-i.  26.  &nd  teacheth   us   all    things   necessary  to  our  everlasting 
peace."     It  is  He  that  keepeth  us  from  error,  heresy,  and 
John  16.  is.  schism,  and  guides  us  into  all  truth,  both  in  faith  and  man 
ners.     It  is  He  that  sanctifies,  renews,  and  regenerates  us, 
is^joims'   anc^  so  ma^es  us  new  creatures,  and  the  children  of  the 
5.6.8;        most  High  God.     It  is  He  that  beareth  witness  with  our 

Tit   3    5 

Rom.  8. 16.  spirits,  that  we  are   the  children  of  God.     It  is  He  that 

Rom. s.  is?  "mortifies  "   the  deeds  of  the  body,  that  "quickens"  our 

PML2.13.'  souls,  and  "worketh  in  us,  both  to  will  and  to  do,  of  His 

good  pleasure."     It  is  He  that  endues  men  with  spiritual 

gifts,  suitable  to  the  work  which  God  requires  of  them :  to 

iCor.  12.  s,  one  He  gives  the  "word  of  wisdom,  to  another  the  word  of 

knowledge,  to  another  faith,  to  another  the  gifts  of  healing, 

to  another  the  working  of  miracles,  to  another  prophecy,  to 

another  the  discerning  of  spirits,  to  another  divers  kinds  of 


in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  229 

tongues,  to  another  the  interpretation  of  tongues."    It  is  He 
that  produceth  in  us  "  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gen-  Gal.  5. 22, 
tleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance;"  which  are23' 
therefore  said  to  be  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit.     And  so  is  all 
manner   of  goodness   and  virtue,  wheresoever   it  is  found 
among  men  ;    it  all  springs  from  the  good  Spirit  of  God,  Eph.  3. 16. 
as  from  its  root,  and  from  thence  also  receives  all  its  nourish 
ment,  increase  and  strength.     It  is  He  also  that  is  our  only  John  16.  7; 
Comforter,  who  supports  and  cheers  our  spirits,  by  mani-  ^J^9^3}^ 
festing  God's  love  and  favour  to  us,  lifting  up  the  light  of &c- 
His   countenance  upon  us,  keeping  our  hearts  fixed  upon 
our  promised  inheritance,   filling  us  with  firm  hopes  and 
constant  expectations  of  it,  and  so  giving  us  peace,  and  joy, 
and  satisfaction  of  mind  in  whatsoever  happens  here  below. 
In  short,  whatsoever  direction,  assistance  or  power  we  have, 
or  can  have,  of  thinking,  or  desiring,  or  speaking,  or  doing 
any  thing  that  is  truly  good,  it  is  communicated  to  us  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  our  Saviour,  and  therefore  is  all  compre 
hended  under  this  one  great  blessing  which  the  Apostle  here 
wisheth  for  in  the  last  place,  even  "  the  communion  of  the 
Holy  Ghost." 

The  several  parts  of  the  text  being  thus  explained,  we 
may  easily  observe  the  meaning  of  the  whole  to  be  this ; 
that  the  Apostle  here  prays  that  the  Corinthians  might 
have,  first,  the  grace  of  God  the  Son ;  that  is,  all  the  mercy 
which  He,  as  the  Redeemer  of  Mankind,  had  purchased  for 
them  with  His  blood.  Secondly,  that  they  might  have  the 
love  of  God  the  Father ;  that  is,  all  the  favours  which  He, 
as  the  supreme  Governor  of  the  world,  could  shew  them. 
And,  thirdly,  that  they  might  have  the  Communion  of  the 
Holy  Ghost ;  that  is,  all  the  gifts,  graces,  and  comforts 
which  He  could  communicate  unto  them,  both  from  the 
Father  and  the  Son  :  or,  in  short,  that  they  might  have  all 
things,  that  God  the  Son,  or  God  the  Father,  or  God  the 
Holy  Ghost,  could  do  for  them,  according  to  their  several 
ways  of  working  in  the  world  ;  that  is,  all  things  that  could 
any  way  contribute  to  make  them  completely  happy.  All 
which  David  also,  or  the  Church  by  him,  prays  for  in  the 
same  method  and  order,  saying,  "  God  OTJbg.  *>e  mei>-  pMb.'-ra. 


230  The  Sacerdotal  Benediction 

SERM.    ciful  unto  us,  and  bless  us,  and  cause  His  face  to  shine 
-  upon  us." 

Now  from  hence  we  may  learn,  how  necessary  it  is  to  be 
lieve  in  the  most  Blessed  Trinity,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost,  Three  Persons,  One  God  ;  seeing  they  all 
are  pleased  to  concern  themselves  so  much  about  us,  and 
our  happiness  depends  upon  them  all.  Hence  we  may  learn 
to  confide  and  trust  on  all  and  every  one  of  these  Divine 
Persons,  for  all  things  relating  to  our  happiness  and  Salva 
tion.  Hence  we  may  learn  what  infinite  cause  we  have  to 
praise  and  adore  God  for  His  infinite  goodness  to  us  poor 
mortals  upon  earth,  and  to  sing  with  the  choir  of  Heaven, 

isa.  6.  3.      "  Holy,  Holy,  Holy  is  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  whole  earth  is 
full  of  His  glory." 

Hence  we  may  learn  how  much  we  are  obliged  to  serve, 
and  love,  and  please  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God 
the  Holy  Ghost,  who  is  thus  infinitely  gracious,  and  loving, 
and  bountiful  unto  us.  Hence  we  may  learn  what  great 
reason  our  Church  hath  to  appoint,  that  at  the  end  of  every 
Psalm,  as  well  as  upon  other  occasions,  we  should  say  or 
sing,  "  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the 
Holy  Ghost."  Hence,  lastly,  we  may  learn,  wherefore  our 
Church  concludes  her  daily  prayers,  as  the  Apostle  doth  this 
Epistle,  with  the  words  of  my  text,  even  because  they  contain 
in  short  all  that  we  can  pray  for,  and  are  in  effect  the  same, 
the  form  which  God  Himself  prescribed,  wherewith  the 
Priests  should  bless  the  people.  "  On  this  wise,"  saith  He, 

Numb.  6.     "  ye  shall  bless  the  children  of  Israel ;  the  Lord  bless  thee 

24   25   26 

and  keep  thee :  the  Lord  make  His  face  shine  upon  thee, 
and  be  gracious  unto  thee :  the  Lord  lift  up  His  countenance 
upon  thee,  and  give  thee  peace."  Where  Jehovah,  the  Lord, 
is  thrice  repeated,  and  in  the  original  hath  in  each  place  a 
several  accent,  to  denote,  as  the  Jews  themselves  acknow 
ledge,  some  great  mystery ;  which  can  be  no  other  but  the 
most  Blessed  Trinity,  all  the  three  Persons  whereof  are  here 
called,  every  one,  the  Lord,  Jehovah.  The  Father  is  placed 
first ;  but  the  blessings  bestowed  severally  by  each  Person, 
are  the  same  which  are  ascribed  to  them  in  my  text.  And 
when  the  Priest  pronounced  this  blessing  to  the  people  (as 


in  the  Name  of  the  Trinity.  231 

we  still  do  in  the  visitation  of  the  sick),  God  promised  that 
He  Himself  would  accordingly  bless  them.  And  if  you 
faithfully  and  devoutly  receive  it  as  ye  ought,  I  do  not  ques 
tion  but  He  will  do  so  now,  upon  my  pronouncing  in  His 
Name  the  same  Blessing,  according  to  this  Apostolical  form 
in  my  text ;  "  The  Grace  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
Love  of  God,  and  the  Communion  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be 
with  you  all."  Amen. 


SERMON   XIII. 

THE  BEING  AND  ATTRIBUTES  OF  GOD. 


EXODUS  iii.  14. 

And  God  said  unto  Moses,  I  AM  THAT  I  AM.  And 
He  said,  Thus  shalt  thou  say  unto  the  Children  of  Israel, 
I  AM  hath  sent  Me  unto  you. 

SERM.  SEEING  all  the  happiness  that  man  is  capable  of,  con- 
- —  sisteth  in  the  enjoyment  of  that  supreme  and  all-glorious 
Being,  which  we  call  GOD ;  and  seeing  we  can  never  enjoy 
Him,  unless  we  first  serve  Him,  nor  serve  Him,  unless  we 
first  know  Him  :  hence  it  necessarily  follows,  that  as  ever 
we  desire  to  be  truly  happy,  our  first  and  great  care  must  be 
to  know  God,  not  only  so  as  to  acknowledge  Him  to  be,  but 
so  as  to  have  a  due  sense,  and  right  and  clear  apprehensions 
of  Him,  and  of  those  infinite  perfections  that  are  concentered 
in  Him :  for  it  is  only  such  a  knowledge  of  God  as  this,  that 
will  incline  our  affections  to  Him,  and  put  us  upon  constant 
and  sincere  endeavours  so  to  serve  Him  here,  that  we  may 
enjoy  Him  for  ever.  But  this  we  can  never  attain  to,  with 
out  consulting  those  Divine  Oracles,  wherein  this  Almighty 
Being  hath  been  pleased  to  make  known  Himself,  and  to 
discover  His  perfections  to  us.  Out  of  which,  therefore,  I 
shall  endeavour  at  this  time  to  shew  what  kind  of  thoughts 
and  conceptions  we  ought  to  frame  in  our  minds  concerning 
the  most  High  God,  and  what  influence  they  will  have  upon 
our  lives  and  actions. 

But  who  is  sufficient  for  these  things  ?  At  least,  who  am 
I,  a  silly  worm,  that  I  should  take  upon  me  to  speak  of 
Him,  by  whom  alone  I  speak  ?  and  being  myself  but  a  finite 


The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  233 

and  sinful  creature,  should  strive  to  unveil  the  nature  of  the 
Infinite  and  most  Holy  God  ?  Alas  !  I  cannot  so  much  as 
begin  to  think  of  Him,  but  immediately  my  thoughts  are 
confounded,  my  heart  is  perplexed,  my  mind  amazed,  my 
head  turns  round,  my  whole  soul  seems  to  be  unhinged  and 
overwhelmed  within  me.  His  mercy  exalts  me,  His  justice 
depresseth  me,  His  wisdom  astonisheth  me,  His  power  af 
frights  me,  His  glory  dazzles  mine  eyes ;  "  and  by  reason  of  job'.i. 
His  highness,"  as  Job  speaks,  "  I  cannot  endure."  But  the 
least  glimpse  of  Him  makes  me  abhor  myself,  and  repent  in 
dust  and  ashes  before  Him.  But  how  then  shall  I  dare  to 
discourse  of  Him,  and  endeavour  to  manifest  and  declare 
His  greatness  and  glory  unto  others  ?  Verily,  if  He  Him 
self,  in  His  Holy  Word,  had  not  given  me  both  leave  and  a 
command  to  do  it,  I  should  not  have  presumed  to  offer  at  it. 
But  seeing  He  hath  been  pleased,  both  to  blame  His  people 
for  not  knowing  Him,  and  His  Ministers  for  not  making 
Him  known  to  His  people  ;  and  hath  enjoined  us  so  to  dis 
play  and  discover  His  Divine  perfections,  that  others  may 
fear  and  love  Him  :  in  obedience  to  His  command,  I  shall 
endeavour  to  stammer  out,  as  well  as  I  can,  what  we  are  to 
believe  and  conceive  of  Him,  by  whom  alone  we  are  able  to 
believe  and  conceive  of  any  thing  else :  humbly  beseeching 
Him  -so  to  assist  and  direct  me  in  it,  by  the  same  Spirit 
whereby  He  wrote  the  Holy  Scriptures,  that  I  may  say  no 
thing  of  Him  but  what  is  right  and  proper,  agreeable  to  the 
same  Scriptures,  and  becoming  His  majesty  and  honour. 

In  an  humble  confidence  of  which  assistance,  I  should  now 
enter  upon  this  Divine  subject.  But  where  shall  I  begin  to 
speak  of  Him,  who  had  no  beginning  at  all,  and  will  have 
no  end  ?  And  what  words  can  I  take  unto  myself,  whereby 
to  express  His  glory,  who  infinitely  surpasseth  all  expres 
sions  whatsoever  ?  All  expressions,  did  I  say  !  yea,  and  con 
ceptions  too  :  for  His  nature  is  so  pure,  His  goodness  so 
great,  His  knowledge  so  transcendent,  His  power  so  bound 
less,  His  wisdom,  justice,  and  mercy  so  mysterious,  His  glory 
so  incomprehensible,  and  all  His  perfections  so  high,  so  in 
finitely  high,  that  our  highest  conceptions  of  Him  are  still 
infinitely  below  Him.  And  therefore  when  He  would  make 
known  Himself  to  us  in  His  Holy  Scriptures,  He  is  pleased 


234  The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God. 

SERM.  to  condescend  to  our  capacities,  so  as  to  fit  His  expressions 
-  to  our  weak  apprehensions  ;  not  speaking  of  Himself  as  He 
is  in  Himself,  for  then  we  should  not  be  able  to  apprehend 
what  He  meant  :  but  as  a  nurse  to  a  child,  who  utters  not 
her  mind  in  complete  sentences,  but  lisps  it  out  in  broken 
language,  fitted  to  the  shallow  capacity  of  its  tender  years  ; 
even  so  doth  the  Great  GOD  speak  to  us  in  such  language 
as  we  are  best  able  to  understand  :  sometimes  making  use 
of  the  names  that  we  give  to  the  several  parts  of  our  bodies, 
and  passions  of  our  minds,  to  signify  those  infinite  perfec 
tions  that  are  in  Him,  or  the  effects  of  them  unto  us.  Thus 
He  useth  the  word  "  eye  "  to  signify  His  omniscience,  because 
the  eye  is  that  part  of  the  body  whereby  we  see;  and  the 
word  "  hand"  to  express  His  power,  because  it  is  by  that  we 
act.  Thus  also  He  useth  the  words  "  rejoicing,"  "  grieving," 
"  loving,"  "  hating,"  "  repenting,"  and  the  like,  to  denote 
something  in  Him,  which  we  cannot  so  well  apprehend,  as  by 
the  dark  resemblance  which  these  passions  in  us  have  of  it. 
And  seeing  it  is  by  names  that  we  usually  know  both 
persons  and  things,  and  distinguish  one  from  another  ;  hence 
God  is  pleased  to  give  Himself  such  names  in  Holy  Writ, 
from  whence  we  may  gather  what  He  would  have  us  think 
of  His  nature,  so  as  to  distinguish  Him  from  all  other  things. 
That  which  He  Himself,  in  a  more  especial  manner  calls 
Isa.  42.  s.  His  name,  is  JEHOVAH,  as  we  commonly  pronounce  it, 
which  both  the  Septuagint  in  the  Old,  and  the  Apostles  and 
Evangelists  in  the  New  Testament,  constantly  interpret  by 
Kug/os  ;  respecting  certainly  not  the  modern,  but  the  original 
use  and  etymology  of  the  word,  wherein  it  agrees  exactly 
with  it:  for  as  Jehovah  comes  from  rpn  '  to  be,'  so  doth  Ku^/og 
come  from  xugw  '  to  be  :'  for  that  KU%U  was  anciently  the  same 


[Hesych.  in  with  £/>/  xal  Wa^w,  is  plain  both  from  Hesychius,  and  seve- 
Ven.  IS'H.]'  ral  of  the  ancient  Greek  scholiasts.  But  because  that  word 
is  commonly  used  to  signify  a  lord  or  governor,  therefore 
our  English  translation  always  renders  it  THE  LORD,  in 
capital  or  great  letters  :  and  wheresoever  we  read  THE 
LORD  so  written,  it  answers  to  HTTP  ;  that  is,  to  the  most 
proper  and  Essential  name  of  God,  signifying  Essence  or 
Being  itself.  Which  therefore  must  needs  raise  up  our 


The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  235 

understanding-  to  the  highest  and  most  abstracted  notion  of 
God,  that  we  can  possibly  reach ;  no  thought  being  able  to 
rise  higher  than  to  Being  itself. 

Hence  therefore  it  having  pleased  the  most  High  God  to 
reveal  and  represent  Himself  to  us  under  this  name  or  title, 
He  thereby  suggests  to  us,  that  He  would  not  have  us  ap 
prehend  Him  as  any  particular  or  limited  Being,  but  as  a 
Being  in  general,  or  the  Being  of  all  Beings,  who  gives 
being  to,  and  therefore  exerciseth  authority  over  all  things 
in  the  world. 

And  it  may  not  be  unworthy  oar  observation,  that  in  the 
first  chapter  of  Genesis,  before  He  had  perfected  His  Word, 
and  settled  all  things  in  their  being,  He  is  not  so  much  as 
once  called  "  The  Lord,"  but  only  "God  :"  but  in  the  second 
chapter,  when  the  Creation  was  finished,  He  is  often  called 
rnm;,  THE  LORD,  in  capital  letters.  From  whence  it  is 
easy  to  gather,  that  this  glorious  name  of  God  is  used  chiefly 
in  reference  to  the  creatures,  to  which  He  gives  being  and 
existence,  and  over  which  He  therefore  is  most  properly  the 
Lord  and  Sovereign.  Thus  He  Himself  seems  to  explain 
His  own  name,  where  He  saith,  "  I  am  Jehovah,  THE  !sa.44. 24. 
LORD,  that  maketh  all  things,  that  stretcheth  forth  the 
Heavens  alone,  that  spreadeth  abroad  the  Earth  by  My 
self;"  intimating  that  He  is  therefore  called  "Jehovah,"  be 
cause  that  He,  and  He  alone,  gives  being  and  existence  to 
all  things  in  Heaven  and  earth.  And  hence  it  is  that  He 
is  so  often  called  niwri?  rnrp  'THE  LORD  of  Hosts:' 
neither,  as  I  remember,  is  this  great  name  ever  used  with 
any  other  genitive  case  after  it.  He  is  never  called  the 
LORD  of  any  one  thing,  but  only  of  Hosts.  He  is,  I  con 
fess,  sometimes  called  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth :  but  in 
all  such  places  it  is  not  in  the  original  njnj ,  but  plN ;  and 
therefore  is,  or  at  least  ought  to  be,  always  written  in  small, 
not  in  capital  letters,  to  distinguish  it  from  "Jehovah  :"  for 
He  is  never  called  THE  LORD  of  any  one  or  more  par 
ticular  things  or  parts  of  the  creation,  but  only  of  the  whole, 
THE  LORD  of  the  Universe ;  for  so  the  word  "  Sabaoth ' '  or 
"  Hosts"  properly  signifies.  "  Thus,"  saith  Moses,  "  the  Hea-  Gen.  2.  i. 
vens  and  the  Earth  were  finished,  and  all  the  Host  of  them," 
that  is,  of  each  of  them.  Where  the  word  N2  '  Host '  is 


236  The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God. 

SERM.  plainly  used  to  signify  every  thing  that  is  in  Heaven  or  earth  ; 
— '—  or,  as  we  say,  in  the  whole  world,  which  in  Hebrew  is  always 
expressed  by  those  two  words,  Heaven  and  Earth.  So  that 
the  LORD  of  Hosts,  in  the  plural  number,  is  the  same  in 
effect,  as  if  we  should  say,  the  Being  of  all  Beings,  that  gives 
essence  and  existence  to  every  thing  that  is. 

Another  thing  much  to  be  observed  concerning  this  great 
name,  is,  that  as  it  never  hath  any  other  genitive  case  but 
Sabaoth  after  it,  so  neither  hath  it  ever,  or  very  rarely,  any 
adjective  except  *tn^  '  one,'  joined  with  it,  at  least  in  the 
original.  He  is  often  called  a  Great,  a  Just,  a  Merciful,  an 
Almighty  God  ;  but  never  a  Great,  a  Just,  a  Merciful,  an 
Almighty  Jehovah,  but  absolutely  mm.,  'The  LORD.'  And 
the  reason  is,  because  all  perfections  are  necessarily  included 
in  that  very  name  itself.  So  that  to  add  any  thing  to  it, 
would  be  a  mere  tautology,  or  rather  a  diminution  from  it, 
as  limiting  or  confining  it  to  some  one  perfection,  wheras  all 
are  signified  by  it. 

Thus  much  I  thought  good  to  premise  concerning  this, 
the  great  and  most  glorious  name  of  God ;  because  it  will 
make  way  for  our  better  understanding  the  words  of  my 
text,  wherein  He  is  pleased  to  manifest  Himself  under  the 
same  notion  that  is  intimated  to  us  by  that  name.  For  here 
we  find,  that  Moses  being  ordered  by  God  to  carry  the 
Children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt,  he  said  unto  him,  in  the 
words  before  my  text,  "  Behold  when  I  come  unto  the 
Children  of  Israel,  and  shall  say  unto  them,  The  God  of 
your  Fathers  hath  sent  me  unto  you ;  and  they  shall  say  to 
me,  What  is  His  name?  what  shall  I  say  unto  them?" 
Then  it  follows  in  my  text,  "  And  God  said  unto  Moses,  I 
AM  THAT  I  AM.  And  He  said,  Thus  shalt  thou  say 
unto  the  Children  of  Israel,  I  AM  hath  sent  me  unto  you." 
Where  we  may  observe,  that  He  speaks  of  Himself  only  as 
Being  in  general,  n;.™  "ipy  n?n^,  '  I  am  that  I  am,'  and 
absolutely,  njrj$,  <  I  am ; '  and  so  manifests  Himself  unto 
Moses  under  the  same  notion  that  is  signified  by  His  great 
name  njm.  before  spoken  of.  And  therefore  some  of  the 
Rabbins  have  not  improbably  conjectured,  that  the  proper 
pronunciation  of  that  great  name  is  Jehveh.  So  that  as 
God  speaking  of  Himself,  saith  in  the  first  person, 


The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  237 

1 1  am  ;'  so  when  we  speak  of  Him,  He  would  have  us  only  to 
say  in  the  third  person,  njrp.,  '  He  is.'  Be  sure  that  which 
God  is  pleased  here  to  say  of  Himself,  will  give  us  great 
light  into  the  proper  sense  and  meaning  of  that  name,  as 
coming  from  a  root  of  the  same  signification.  Insomuch 
that  God  Himself  seems  here  to  explain  to  us  the  reason 
wherefore  He  is  called  Jehovah,  by  saying  of  Himself,  "I  am 
that  I  am,"  and  simply  "I  am."  Both  which  expressions  we 
shall  now  by  His  assistance  briefly  consider. 

First,  therefore,  when  Moses  asked  God's  name,  He 
answered,  "  I  am  that  I  am."  He  doth  not  say,  I  am  the 
Great,  the  Living,  the  True,  the  Everlasting  God ;  He  doth 
not  say,  I  am  the  Almighty  Creator,  Preserver,  and  Go 
vernor  of  the  whole  world ;  but  "  I  am  that  I  am : "  inti 
mating,  that  if  Moses  desired  such  a  name  of  God,  as  might 
fully  describe  His  nature  as  in  itself,  that  is  a  thing  impos 
sible,  there  being  no  words  to  be  found  in  any  language, 
whereby  to  express  the  glory  of  an  infinite  Being,  especially 
so  as  that  finite  creatures  should  be  able  fully  to  conceive  it ; 
yet  however,  in  these  words  He  is  pleased  to  acquaint  us 
what  kind  of  thoughts  He  would  have  us  to  entertain  of 
Him.  Insomuch  that  could  we  but  rightly  apprehend  what 
is  couched  under  and  intended  by  them,  we  should  doubt 
less  have  as  high  and  true  conceptions  of  God,  as  it  is  possi 
ble  for  creatures  to  reach  to.  For  these  words  do  ques 
tionless  contain  as  full  and  clear  an  answer  to  the  intent  of 
Moses's  question,  as  the  question  itself  was  capable  of:  but 
Moses  desiring  to  know  God's  name,  intended  certainly  by 
that  to  understand  His  nature,  who  and  what  He  is.  To 
which  He  is  pleased  to  return  this  answer,  "  I  am  that  I 
am :"  or  as  the  words  also  signify,  "I  will  be  that  I  will  be." 
Which  expression  suggests  to  us  these  following  notions  of 
the  most  High  God. 

First,  that  He  is  one  Being,  existing  in  and  of  Himself. 
His  unity  is  implied  in  that  He  saith,  I ;  His  existence  in  that 
He  saith  I  AM  ;  His  existence  in  and  of  Himself,  in  that  He 
saith,  I  AM  THAT  I  AM  ;  that  is,  I  am  in  and  of  Myself, 
not  receiving  any  thing  from,  nor  depending  upon  any  other. 
For  he  that  is  not  of  himself,  but  depends  continually  upon 
another  for  his  being,  as  all  creatures  do,  can  never  certainly 


238  The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God. 

SERM.    say,  I  am  that  I  am,  or  I  will  be  that  I  will  be :  because  he  can 

XIII 

-  never  be  sure  but  that  immediately  he  may  not  be :  for  He 
from  whom  we  receive  our  beings,  may  deprive  us  of  them 
when  He  pleaseth.  So  that  we  can  never  promise  ourselves  to 
be,  any  longer  than  just  we  find  ourselves  in  being  :  because  it 

Acts  17.28.  is  in  God,  that  we  not  only  "  live  and  move,"  but  "  have  our" 
very  "being"  too.  And  not  only  we,  but  all  the  creatures 
in  the  world  subsist  continually  in  this  one  universal  Being, 
that  existeth  in  and  of  Himself:  insomuch,  that  should  He 
cease  to  give  being  to  other  things,  all  things  would  imme 
diately  cease  to  be.  Hence  Job  in  his  complaints  wisheth 

Job  6.  9.  that  God  would  "  Let  loose  His  hand,"  and  "  cut  him  off," 
or  make  an  end  of  him,  as  the  word  may  be  rendered.  For 
if  He  should  but  once  let  go  His  hold  of  us,  and  not  keep 
us  up  any  longer  in  our  being,  we  should  at  the  same  mo 
ment  fall  down  to  nothing,  and  so  there  would  be  an  end 
of  us. 

But  here  we  may  further  observe,  that  as  God  plainly 
asserts  the  unity  of  His  nature  in  saying  "  I  am,"  so  He  as 
plainly  asserts  a  Trinity  of  Persons  in  that  nature,  by  calling 
Himself  O^nbfcS  in  the  plural  number;  (and  three  is  the 
first  number  that  can  properly,  at  least  in  Hebrew,  be  called 
plural)  for  it  is  here  said,  that  Elohim  said  to  Moses, "  I  am 
that  I  am." 

And  nothing  is  more  usual  than  for  these  two  names  of 
God,  Jehovah  and  Elohim,  to  be  put  together,  the  one  of  the 
singular,  the  other  of  the  plural  number ;  the  first  denoting 
the  Unity  of  the  Trinity,  the  second  the  Trinity  of  the  Unity. 

Deut.  6.  4.  As  where  it  is  said,  "  Hear,  O  Israel,  THE  LORD  our  God 
is  one  LORD."  Jehovah,  THE  LORD,  signifies  His 
essence ;  "  our  God,"  or  as  it  is  in  Hebrew,  "  our  Elohim,"  sig 
nifies  the  Persons  in  that  essence,  of  which  persons  it  is  here 
said,  that  "  they  are  one  LORD,  one  Jehovah,"  not  "  one 
Elohim."  For  though  other  adjectives  and  verbs  too  of  the 
singular  number,  are  all  along  in  Scripture  joined  with 
Elohim,  where  it  is  used  for  the  true  God,  to  shew  the  unity 
of  the  Divine  Persons  in  the  same  nature ;  yet  "in  v*  'one,'  is 
never  joined  with  it.  We  never  read  of"  one  Elohim,"  for 
that  would  confound  the  Persons,  being  as  much  as  to  say 
"  one  Divine  Persons,"  as  if  they  were  not  distinct  from  one 


The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  239 

another  :    but  it  is  always    said,  they  are  one  Jehovah  or 
essence.     And  so  St.  John  expresseth  it,  where  speaking  of 
the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  he  saith,  oSroi  01  rgs/t  sv  s/V/, 
'  these  three  are  one  Being.'      For   so  the  word  sv  plainly  Uohns.7; 
signifies.     And  hence  it  is  that  the  Council  of  Nice  declared  [Hardouin! 
the  Son  to  be  opoovffiov,   of  the  same  essence  or   substance  ^T.']  *'  P' 
with  the  Father ;  there  being  no  word  certainly  in  all  the 
Greek  tongue,  whereby  they  could  have   expressed  them 
selves  in  that  great  mystery,  more  agreeably  to  the  words, 
as  well  as  to  the  sense  of  Scripture,  where  God  is  pleased  to 
say   of  Himself,   that  He   is  one  Jehovah,  ^/a   oucr/a,  '  one 
essence.'     In  which  although  there  be  "  Elohim,"  three  dis 
tinct  Persons ;  yet  all  and  every  one  of  them  may  equally 
say,  as  they  do  in  my  text,  "  I  am  that  I  am." 

Which  expression  implies  also,  that  as  God  is  only  one, 
so  He  is  a  most  pure  and  simple  Being.  For  here  we  see 
He  admits  nothing  into  the  manifestation  of  Himself,  but 
pure  Essence ;  saying,  "  I  am  that  I  am,"  that  is,  Being  itself, 
without  any  mixture  or  composition.  And  therefore  we 
must  not  conceive  of  God,  as  made  up  of  several  parts  or 
faculties,  or  ingredients,  but  only  as  one  who  only  "  is  that 
He  is,"  and  whatsoever  is  in  Him  is  Himself.  And  although 
we  read  of  several  properties  attributed  to  Him  in  Scripture, 
as  wisdom,  goodness,  justice,  &c.,  we  must  not  apprehend 
them  to  be  several  powers,  habits,  or  qualities,  as  they  are 
in  us  :  for  as  they  are  in  God,  they  are  neither  distinguished 
from  one  another,  nor  from  His  nature  or  essence,  in  whom 
they  are  said  to  be.  In  whom,  I  say,  they  are  said  to  be, 
for  to  speak  properly,  they  are  not  in  Him,  but  are  His 
very  essence  or  nature  itself.  Which  acting  severally  upon 
several  objects,  seems  to  us  to  act  from  several  properties 
or  perfections  in  Him ;  whereas  all  the  difference  is,  only  in 
our  different  apprehensions  of  the  same  thing.  God  in 
Himself  is  a  most  simple  and  pure  act,  and  therefore  cannot 
have  any  thing  in  Him,  but  what  is  that  most  simple  and 
pure  act  itself;  which  seeing  it  bringeth  upon  every  crea 
ture  what  it  deserves,  we  apprehend  it  as  an  act  of  justice, 
and  therefore  call  God  a  Just  God  :  seeing  it  doth  not 
always  punish  sin  so  soon  as  we  conceive  it  might,  we  appre 
hend  it  as  an  act  of  patience,  and  therefore  call  God  a 


240  The  Being  and  Attributes  of  GocL 

Q  TT  T?  \T 

xui. '  Patient  God  :  seeing  although  it  doth  certainly  one  time  or 
other  punish  the  offence,  yet  upon  some  other  account  it 
often  pardons  the  offender,  we  apprehend  it  as  an  act  of 
mercy,  and  therefore  call  God  a  Merciful  God.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  all  His  other  properties :  they  are  all  one 
and  the  same  act  in  Him ;  but  we  are  forced  to  apprehend 
them  severally,  by  reason  of  the  finiteness  of  our  under 
standings,  who  are  not  able  to  conceive  of  an  infinite  Being 
wholly  as  it  is  in  itself,  but  only  by  piece-meal,  as  it  mani- 
festeth  itself  to  us  :  whereas  God,  whose  understanding  is 
infinite  as  Himself,  doth  not  apprehend  Himself  under  the 
distinct  notions  of  wisdom,  or  goodness,  or  justice,  or  the 
like,  but  only  as  Jehovah.  And  therefore  in  my  text,  He 
doth  not  say,  I  am  wise,  or  just,  or  good,  but  simply,  "  I  am 
that  I  am."  Moreover,  seeing  God  is  here  pleased  to  say 
only  that  He  is,  without  respect  to  time  or  place,  it  neces- 
[Serm.  227.  sarily  follows  that  He  is  in  all  places,  at  all  times,  *  in  om- 
cent.tom.v.  nibus,  extra  omnia,  ubique  totusj  as  St.  Augustin  words  it, 
F*.  Ucl  p1.19 '  m  aH  things,  beyond  all  things,  every  where  wholly  the 
ii22G.j  game  God.'  So  that  He  is  now  as  really  here,  as  He  is 
in  the  highest  Heavens :  only  He  is  said  to  be  there  in  a 
more  especial  manner,  because  He  unveils  and  manifests 
Himself  in  a  more  especial  manner  to  His  creatures  that 
are  there.  And  for  the  like  reason  He  is  said  to  be  spe 
cially  present  in  places  dedicated  to  His  service,  because  He 
distributes  His  blessings  more  especially  to  those  who  meet 
to  serve  Him  in  such  places ;  according  to  His  promise, 
Exod.  20.  saying,  "  In  all  places  where  I  record  My  name,  I  will  come 
unto  thee,  and  I  will  bless  thee ;"  that  is,  "  I  will  come  unto 
thee  by  blessing  of  thee."  But  as  to  His  essence,  He  cannot  be 
said  to  come  or  go  from  one  place  to  another,  for  He  is  in  all 
places  alike ;  and  being  always  every  where,  He  must  needs 
likewise  always  know  every  thing  that  is,  and  every  thing  that 
[Ps.139.5.]  is  done  in  the  whole  world.  But  "  Such  knowledge  is  too 
wonderful  for  us ;"  neither  is  it  communicable  to  any  creature, 
it  being  His  great  prerogative,  who  can  say,  wheresoever  any 
thing  is,  there  "  I  am  that  I  am."  And  as  the  omnipresence 
and  omniscience,  so  also  the  omnipotence  of  God  is  clearly 
implied  in  those  words :  for  that  likewise  being  a  perfection, 
yea  such  a  perfection,  that  without  it  there  can  be  no  perfec- 


The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  241 

tion  at  all,  it  must  needs  be  in  Him  who  is  that  He  is,  even 
Being  and  perfection  itself.  To  this  purpose  Jonathan's 
Chaldee  Paraphrase  upon  the  words  is  very  observable  ;  who 
interprets  "  I  am  that  I  am,"  by  "  I  am  He  that  spake  the 
word,  and  the  world  was  made;  that  spake  the  word,  and 
all  things  were  made."  The  Hierusalem  Targum  under-  ["  me  qui 

,         .       Al  n  .?  pdixitMundo, 

stands  them  also  in  the  same  sense,  even  of  the  power  of  Esto,  et 


God,  whereby  He  is  able  to  command  all  things  out  of  no- 

thing,  only  with  a  word  speaking  :    and  indeed  He  being 

Jehovah,  Being  itself,  whatsoever  He  wills  should  be,  must  cap.m.v.i4. 

needs  be  just  as  He  would  have  it.     And  this  is  the  proper  4to'.  ^49  .] 

notion  of  omnipotence,  whereby  God  "  doth  whatsoever  He  PS.  us.  3. 

pleaseth."     Thus  it  was  that  He  made  all  things  at  first, 

only  by  expressing  His  will  and  pleasure  they  should  be, 

and  immediately  they  were.     He  only  said,  "  Let  there  be 

light,  and  there  was  light  :  let  there  be  a  firmament  in  the 

midst  of  the  waters,  and  it  was  so."     Thus  it  was  that  our 

Saviour  cured  the   Leper,  and  so  manifested   His   Divine 

power  :  He  only  said,  "  I  will,  be  thou  clean,"  and  imme-  Matt.  s.  3. 

diately  the  leprosy  was  gone,  and  the  man  was  perfectly 

clean.     And  thus  it  was  that  He  raised  Lazarus  from  the 

dead  :  He  only  said,  "  Lazarus,  come  forth,"  and  the  words  John  11.43, 

were  no  sooner  out  of  His  mouth,  but  Lazarus  came  out  of44' 

his  grave.     And  thus  it  is  that  God  still  governs  and  orders 

every  thing  in  the  world,  only  by  willing  it  should  be  so, 

and  so  it  is  :  and  therefore  the  Apostle  saith,  "  Who  hath  Rom.  9.  19. 

resisted  His  will  ?  "  implying  His  will  to  be  the  same  with 

His  power,  which  none  can  resist.     Well  then  may  He  be 

called  the  "  Lord  God  Almighty,"  seeing  He  is  that  He  is,  [Rev.  4.  s.] 

and  doth  what  He  will  in  the  whole  world. 

Furthermore,  Almighty  God,  by  saying,  "  I  am  that  I 
am,"  assures  us  also,  that  He  always  is  the  same  that  He  is, 
"without"  any  "  variableness  or  shadow  of  turning."     And  Jam.  1.  17. 
therefore  He  makes  use  of  His  name  Jehovah  (of  the  same 
signification)   to   shew   His  immutability,   saying,   "  I    am  Mai.  3.  6. 
Jehovah,  I  change  not  ;  therefore  ye  sons  of  Jacob  are  not 
consumed."     Where  we  may  likewise  observe,  that  His  im 
mutability  signified  by  this  name,  is  to  be  understood  not 
only  of  His  essence,  but  likewise  of  His  decrees,  His  threats 
and  promises.     For  He  gives  this  as  the  reason  why  they 

R 


242  The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God. 

SERM.  were  not  consumed,  "  because  He  is  Jehovah,"  who  doth  not 
—  change  nor  alter  His  mind,  but  faithfully  performs  the  pro 
mises  which  He  had  made  them.  Hence  it  is  that  we  read 
in  Moses  and  the  Prophets,  when  He  threatens  any  judg 
ment,  or  promises  any  blessing  to  His  people,  He  commonly 
confirmeth  it  by  saying,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,"  or  "  I  am 
the  Lord,"  or,  "  Ye  shall  know  that  I  am  the  Lord."  In  all 
which  places  He  brings  His  great  name  in,  as  an  argument 
of  the  immutability  of  His  counsel ;  that  which  He  saith 
shall  most  certainly  come  to  pass,  because  He  that  saith  it  is 
the  Lord,  Jehovah.  And  by  this  we  may  see  into  the  true 
meaning  of  that,  which  hath  hitherto  seemed  so  obscure  a 

Exod.6.2,3.  place,  where  God  saith  to  Moses,  "  I  am  the  Lord  :  and  I 
appeared  unto  Abraham,  unto  Isaac,  and  unto  Jacob,  by  the 
name  of  God  Almighty ;  but  by  iny  name  Jehovah  was  I 
not  known  to  them  ; "  that  is,  I  never  made  known  Myself, 
nor  confirmed  My  promise  to  them,  as  I  now  do  to  thee,  by 
saying,  "  I  am  Jehovah."  For  this  is  the  first  place  in  all 
the  Scriptures  where  these  words  are  used  as  an  entire 
proposition  of  themselves,  for  the  confirmation  of  what  is 
said :  but  after  this,  nothing  is  more  frequent.  And  here 
God  both  begins  and  ends  what  He  saith  with  them  :  and 
assures  the  Children  of  Israel,  that  He  will  now  actually 
perform  what  He  had  promised  to  their  fathers,  by  saying, 
"  I  am  Jehovah;"  which  in  effect  is  the  same  with,  "  I  am 
that  I  am." 

I  shall  instance  only  in  one  more  of  the  many  perfections 
signified  by  these  words,  and  that  is,  the  Eternity  of  God, 
which  is  so  plainly  contained  in  them,  that  the  Arabic 
version  renders  them  by  J^yj  ^  <£^  Jj^  *J  Jl*  '  I  am 
eternal,  that  passeth  not  away : '  and  so  do  the  Fathers,  both 
Greek  and  Latin,  interpret  them.  St.  John  also  gives  us 
the  same  sense  of  them,  where  he  calls  God,  o  uv,  o  rjv,  xai  6 

Apoc.  1.4.  J^o'/Agvog,  'who  is,  who  was,  and  who  is  to  come.'  For  that 
he  intendeth  that  as  a  proper  name  of  God,  is  plain  from  the 
original,  where  the  Apostle  wishes  to  the  Asian  Churches 
grace  and  peace,  not  M  roC  o  vn>£,  from  Him  "  who  is,"  but 
a-?n)  roD  6  u)v,  from  "  Him  who  is,  who  was,  and  who  is  to 
come;"  that  is,  from  Jehovah,  from  "I  am  that  I  am." 
But  here  the  Apostle  speaks  of  God's  Eternity  according  to 


The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  243 

our  capacities,  who  are  apt  to  apprehend  it  as  past,  present, 
and  to  come  :  whereas  if  we  speak  of  God,  as  in  Himself 
eternal,  He  is  not  measured  by  time,  as  our  apprehensions 
of  Him  are,  who  are  therefore  forced  to  use  these  words, 
"  before  and  after,  past  and  to  come,"  to  express  the  several 
successions  of  time  by.  But  they  are  no  way  applicable 
properly  to  Eternity  as  in  itself;  for  that  is  always  present : 
and  therefore  God  doth  plainly  acquaint  us  here,  both  with 
His  Eternity,  and  with  the  true  notion  of  it,  saying,  "  I  am. 
that  I  am ; "  that  is,  I  always  am,  not  younger  at  the  begin 
ning,  nor  older  at  the  end  of  time,  but  always  one  and  the 
same  Eternal  God.  Thus  also  our  blessed  Saviour  signified 
His  Eternity,  by  saying,  "  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am."  For  John  s.  58. 
had  He  been  measured  by  time,  as  all  creatures  are,  He 
must  have  said,  "  Before  Abraham  was,  I  was  ;"  but  He 
saith,  "  Before  Abraham  was,  I  am."  And  so  useth  the 
same  expression  of  Himself,  which  the  Eternal  God  doth  in 
my  text,  and  so  demonstrates  Himself  to  be  the  same  God 
who  here  said,  "  I  am  that  I  am." 

Having  thus  offered  at  something  towards  the  explication 
of  the  first  of  these  mysterious  sayings,  we  shall  now  briefly 
consider  the  other,  whereby  God  calls  Himself  absolutely, 
"  I  am."  For  that  it  is  a  proper  name,  is  plain,  because 
though  it  be  a  verb  of  the  first  person,  it  is  here  used  as  a 
noun  substantive,  and  the  nominative  case  to  another  verb 
of  the  third  person,  ^nbtt?  rm^?,  "  I  am  hath  sent  me."  A 
strange  expression !  But  when  God  speaks  of  Himself,  He 
cannot  be  confined  to  grammar  rules,  being  infinitely  above 
and  beyond  the  reach  of  all  languages  in  the  world.  And 
therefore  it  is  no  wonder,  that  when  He  would  reveal  Him 
self,  He  goes  out  of  our  common  way  of  speaking  one  to 
another,  and  expresseth  Himself  in  a  way  peculiar  to  Him 
self,  and  such  as  is  suitable  and  proper  to  His  own  nature 
and  glory. 

Hence  therefore,  as  when  He  hpeaks  of  Himself,  and  His 
own  eternal  essence,  He  saith,  "  I  am  that  I  am ;"  so  when 
He  speaks  of  Himself,  with  reference  to  His  creatures,  and 
especially  to  His  people,  He  saith,  "  I  am."  He  doth  not 
say,  "  I  am  their  friend,  their  father,"  or  "  their  protector." 
He  doth  not  say,  "  I  am  their  light,  their  life,  their  guide, 


244  The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God. 

SxmM<  tlieir  strengtV  or  "  tower  ;"  but  only  "  I  am."  He  sets  as 
it  were  His  hand  to  a  blank,  that  His  people  may  write 
under  it  what  they  please,  that  is  good  for  them.  As  if  He 
should  say,  "Are  they  weak?  I  am  strength.  Are  they 
poor  ?  I  am  riches.  Are  they  in  trouble  ?  I  am  comfort. 
Are  they  sick?  I  am  health.  Are  they  dying?  I  am  life. 
Have  they  nothing  ?  I  am  all  things.  I  am  wisdom  and 
power,  I  am  justice  and  mercy,  I  am  grace  and  goodness,  I 
am  glory,  beauty,  holiness,  eminency,  supereminency,  perfec 
tion,  all-sufficiency,  eternity,  Jehovah,  I  am.  Whatsoever 
is  suitable  to  their  nature,  or  convenient  for  them  in  their 
several  conditions,  that  I  am.  Whatsoever  is  amiable  in 
itself,  or  desirable  unto  them,  that  I  am.  Whatsoever  is 
pure  and  holy,  whatsoever  is  great  or  pleasant,  whatsoever 
is  good  or  needful  to  make  men  happy,  that  I  am."  So 
that,  in  short,  God  here  represents  Himself  unto  us  as  an 
universal  good,  and  leaves  us  to  make  the  application  of  it 
to  ourselves,  according  to  our  several  wants,  capacities,  and 
desires,  by  saying  only  in  general,  "  I  AM." 

Thus  I  have  given  you  what  light  I  could  into  both  these 
expressions,  whereby  the  most  High  God  hath  manifested 
Himself  and  His  glory  to  us,  saying,  "  I  am  that  I  am,"  and 
in  general,  "I  am:"  in  speaking  to  which,  I  have  been 
careful  to  say  nothing  of  Him,  but  what  is  warranted  by 
Himself  in  His  Holy  Word ;  as  being  conscious  to  myself, 
that  He  hath  heard  every  word  that  I  have  spoken  of  Him. 
And  I  dare  assure  you  also  in  His  name,  that  He  hath 
taken  notice  all  along,  how  every  one  here  present  hath  been 
affected  with  what  they  have  heard  concerning  Him.  And 
certainly  nothing  in  the  world  can  be  more  apt  or  proper  to 
raise  our  affections,  and  put  us  upon  steadfast  resolutions  to 
serve,  honour,  and  obey  God,  than  such  thoughts  of  Him 
as  I  have  now  endeavoured  to  suggest  to  you  from  those 
words :  which  could  we  always  keep  fresh  in  our  minds  and 
memories,  what  excellent  persons  should  we  then  become ! 
How  humble  and  lowly  in  our  own  eyes !  How  devout  and 
pious  towards  God  !  How  loyal  and  submissive  to  our  sove 
reign  !  How  just  and  righteous  towards  all  men  !  And  what 
happy  and  comfortable  lives  should  we  then  lead  both  in 
this  world  and  the  next ! 


The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  245 

For  when  we  apprehend  a  being  so  infinitely  above  us  as 
Jehovah  is,  how  low  and  mean,  how  little  and  despicable 
must  we  needs  seem  in  our  own  eyes,  who  in  comparison  of 
Him  are  next  to  nothing,  and  may  be  made  so  altogether 
whensoever  He  pleaseth !  And  did  we  always  consider  the 
vast  distance  between  Him  and  us,  every  time  that  we  ap 
proach  into  His  special  presence,  or  pray  unto  Him,  how  hum 
bly  should  we  prostrate  ourselves  before  Him !  With  what 
reverence  and  godly  fear  should  we  serve  and  worship  Him  ! 
And  wheresoever  we  are,  did  we  always  apprehend  God  as 
present  with  us,  and  looking  over  us,  how  fearful  should  we 
be  to  offend,  how  careful  to  please  Him  in  every  thing  we 
think,  or  speak,  or  do !  For  how  can  we  think  of  so  great 
a  God,  and  not  fear  Him  ?  of  so  powerful  a  God,  and  not 
obey  Him  ?  How  can  we  think  of  so  immutable  a  God,  and 
not  trust  on  Him?  of  so  good,  so  universally  good  a  God, 
and  not  desire  and  love  Him  with  all  our  hearts  and  souls  ? 
Were  our  minds  always  running  upon  God,  nothing  doubt 
less  would  seem  good  or  lovely,  nothing  pleasing  or  de 
sirable,  nothing  great,  or  strong,  or  holy,  or  any  thing,  but 
only  He:  insomuch  that  we  should  account  it  our  only 
wisdom  to  know  Him,  our  only  freedom  to  serve  Him,  our 
only  honour  to  honour  Him,  and  the  only  pleasure  to  please 
Him,  and  the  only  riches  we  can  ever  have  to  enjoy  Him. 

And  besides,  they  who  think  upon  God  aright,  must  needs, 
as  I  have  shewn,  apprehend  Him  as  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the 
Universal  Monarch  of  the  World,  "  by  whom  kings  reign,  [Prov.  s. 
and  princes  decree  justice,"  and  from  whom  they  receive  l5'^ 
whatsoever  authority  or  power  they  have  to  act.  And  while 
men  thus  think  of  God,  how  is  it  possible  for  them  to  resist 
or  rebel  against  their  lawful  prince  ?  For  this  would  be  in 
effect  to  fight  against  God  Himself,  which  they,  be  sure, 
who  ever  think  of  Him,  dare  never  do  :  nay,  they  would  be 
so  far  from  that,  that  they  would  not  dare  to  do  any  ill  thing 
to  gain  the  whole  world,  for  fear  of  displeasing  Him  who 
made  and  governs  it ;  and  therefore  must  needs  take  all  the 
care  they  can  to  square  all  their  actions  according  to  the 
strictest  rules  of  justice  and  equity,  that  so  they  may  approve 
themselves  to  Him. 

But  who  is  able  to  express  the  happiness  of  those  who  are 


246  The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God. 

SERM.  always  thus  thinking  upon  God?  None  surely  but  they 
- —  who  have  it.  They  can  tell  you,  that  there  is  more  solid  joy 
and  comfort,  more  real  delight  and  satisfaction  of  mind,  in 
one  single  thought  of  God  rightly  formed,  than  all  the  riches, 
and  honours,  and  pleasures  of  this  world,  put  them  all  to 
gether,  are  able  to  afford.  But  how  happy  then  must  they 
needs  be,  whose  thoughts  are  always  fixed  upon  God  !  They 
live  above  this  world,  and  so  are  never  troubled  or  disturbed 
at  any  thing  that  happens  in  it.  For  whatsoever  happens, 
they  are  still  beholding  infinite  wisdom,  and  power,  and 
goodness,  ordering  and  disposing  of  it;  so  as  to  make  it 
turn  to  God's  glory,  and  their  good.  And  therefore  the 
same  things  which  ruffle  and  discompose  the  minds  of  other 
men,  to  them  are  matter  of  joy  and  triumph.  By  which 
means  they  live  in  Heaven,  even  whilst  they  are  upon  earth, 
and  are  always  ready  and  prepared  to  go  thither,  where  they 
shall  most  perfectly  and  eternally  behold,  enjoy,  and  praise 
Him,  who,  and  who  alone  can  say  of  Himself,  "  I  AM 
THAT  I  AM." 

Wherefore,  as  ever  we  desire  to  be  truly  humble,  or  holy, 
or  loyal,  or  just,  or  happy,  we  must  endeavour  all  we  can  to 
keep  our  minds  continually  possessed  with  such  thoughts  of 
God,  as  have  now  been  put  into  them ;  and  let  us  not  defer 
it  any  longer,  but  begin  it  now,  while  we  are  in  His  special 
presence,  speaking  and  hearing  of  Him.  For  which  purpose 
therefore  let  us  call  in  all  our  scattered  thoughts  from  all 
things  here  below,  and  raise  them  up,  and  unite  them  all  upon 
the  most  High  God,  apprehending  Him  not  under  the  idea, 
image,  or  likeness  of  any  thing  else,  but  as  infinitely  greater, 
and  higher,  and  better  than  all  things  :  as  One  existing  in 
and  of  Himself,  and  giving  essence  and  existence  to  all  things 
in  the  world  besides  Himself:  as  One  so  pure  and  simple, 
that  there  is  nothing  in  Him  but  Himself,  but  essence  and 
being  itself :  as  One  so  infinite  and  omnipotent,  that  where 
soever  any  thing  else  is  in  the  whole  world,  there  He 
is,  and  beyond  the  world,  where  nothing  else  is,  there  all 
things  are,  because  He  is  there  :  as  One  so  wise,  so  knowing, 
so  omniscient,  that  He  at  this  very  moment,  and  always,  sees 
what  all  the  Angels  are  doing  in  Heaven :  what  all  the  fowls 
are  doing  in  the  air ;  what  all  the  fishes  are  doing  in  the 


The  Being  and  Attributes  of  God.  247 

waters ;  what  all  the  Devils  are  doing  in  Hell ;  what  all  the 
men,  and  beasts,  and  the  very  insects  are  doing  upon  earth ; 
and  what  we  in  particular  are  now  doing  here :  as  One  so 
powerful,  so  omnipotent,  that  He  can  do  whatsoever  He  will 
only  by  willing  it  should  be  done  :  as  One  so  great,  so  good, 
so  glorious,  so  immutable,  so  transcendent,  so  infinite,  so  in 
comprehensible,  so  eternal,  what  shall  I  say?  —  so  Jehovah, 
that  the  more  we  think  of  Him,  the  more  we  admire  Him,  the 
more  we  adore  Him,  the  more  we  love  Him,  the  more  we 
may  and  ought ;  our  highest  conceptions  of  Him  being  as 
much  beneath  Him,  as  our  greatest  services  come  short  of 
what  we  owe  Him. 

Seeing  therefore  we  cannot  think  of  God  so  highly  as  He 
is,  let  us  think  of  Him  as  highly  as  we  can :  and  for  that 
end,  let  us  get  above  ourselves,  and  above  the  world,  and 
raise  up  our  thoughts  higher  and  higher,  and  higher  still ; 
and  when  we  have  got  them  up  as  high  as  possibly  we  can, 
let  us  apprehend  a  Being  infinitely  higher  than  the  highest 
of  them :  and  then  finding  ourselves  at  a  loss,  amazed,  con 
founded  at  such  an  infinite  height  of  infinite  perfections,  let 
us  fall  down  in  humble  and  hearty  desires,  to  be  freed  from 
these  dark  prisons,  wherein  we  are  now  immured ;  that  we 
may  take  our  flight  into  eternity,  and  by  the  merits  and 
mediation  of  the  ever-blessed  Jesus,  mount  up  to  the  highest 
Heavens,  and  there  see  this  Infinite  Being  "  face  to  face,"  [i  Cor.  13. 
and  enjoy  Him  for  ever. 

In  the  meanwhile,  let  us  of  the  Church  Militant  here  on 
earth,  join  with  the  Church  Triumphant  in  Heaven,  in 
praising  and  magnifying  His  great  and  glorious  name,  saying, 
"  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was,  and  is,  [Rev- 4-  8 ; 
and  is  to  come."  "  The  whole  earth  is  full  of  His  glory." 
"  Thou  art  worthy,  O  Lord,  to  receive  glory,  and  honour  and  [Rev.4.n.] 
power,  for  Thou  hast  created  all  things,  and  for  Thy  pleasure 
they  are,  and  were  created.  Amen,  Hallelujah  ;  blessing, 
and  glory,  and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving,  and  honour,  and 
power,  and  might,  to  our  God,  the  Great,  the  All-wise, 
Almighty,  Everlasting  God,  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost, 
one  Jehovah,  for  ever  and  ever." 


SERMON    XIV. 

THE  LOVE  OF  GOD  IN  MAN'S  SALVATION. 


ST.  JOHN  iii.  16. 

For  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only-begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish, 
but  have  everlasting  life. 

SERM.        AMONG  the  innumerable  company  of  books  and  writings, 
- —  which  now  are  extant  in  the  world,  there  is  not  one  that 


propounds  any  certain  principle  whereon  we  can  trust  for 
the  mercy  and  favour  of  God,  nor  by  consequence  directs 
us  to  the  way  how  to  obtain  true  happiness,  but  only  that 
[2 Tim.  3.  which  we  justly  call,  by  way  of  excellency,  "The  Scripture 
given  by  inspiration  of  God,"  for  that  end  and  purpose; 
without  which  we  could  never  have  had  any  certain  know 
ledge  of  any  thing  about  it:  for  no  creature  could  ever 
think  of  himself,  that  the  Almighty  Creator  of  all  things 
could  ever  be  reconciled  to  any  of  those  who  have  dis 
honoured  and  offended  Him,  by  not  doing  the  work,  and  so 
not  answering  the  end  for  which  He  made  them.  Much 
less  could  any  have  ever  thought  of  that  wonderful  way  that 
is  revealed  and  described  in  the  Holy  Scripture  for  the 
effecting  of  it,  unless  it  had  been  first  there  revealed  ;  which, 
by  the  way,  is  an  undeniable  argument  of  its  Divine  au 
thority,  seeing  such  things  are  delivered  in  it,  which  could 
never  have  come  into  the  heart  of  man,  or  any  creature 
whatsoever,  without  being  inspired  by  God  Himself. 

And  as  we  could  never  have  known  any  thing  of  the 
right  way  that  leads  to  happiness,  unless  we  had  been  taught 
it  by  the  Scripture ;  so  we  could  never  have  been  certain, 


The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation.  249 

that  the  way  there  taught  had  been  the  right  way,  unless  that 
Scripture  had  been  "  given  by  Divine  inspiration  : "  for,  not 
to  speak  of  men  only,  all  creatures  in  themselves  are  fallible  ; 
it  is  possible  for  them  to  be  deceived  themselves,  or  to  have 
a  mind  to  deceive  us ;  and  therefore  we  can  never  be  sure 
that  what  they  say  is  true,  but  have  still  reason  to  suspect 
and  doubt  of  it,  whatsoever  pretence  they  make,  and  what 
arguments  soever  they  may  bring  for  it.  But  God,  we 
know,  is  wisdom  and  truth  itself;  it  is  impossible  for  Him 
either  to  be  deceived  or  deceive  :  so  that  His  Word  is  the 
most  certain  ground  that  can  be  given  us  to  build  our  faith 
and  hopes  upon.  And  therefore,  that  we  might  not  be  at 
any  uncertainty  about  the  greatest  work  we  have  to  do  in 
the  world,  even  how  to  regain  the  favour  of  God,  and  so  be 
happy  for  ever ;  He  Himself  hath  been  graciously  pleased 
to  teach  us  all  things  necessary  to  be  known  in  order  to  it. 
This  He  hath  done  all  along  in  His  Holy  Scriptures,  both 
by  His  Prophets,  inspired  for  that  purpose  with  His  Holy 
Spirit ;  and  also  by  His  only-begotten  Son  Himself,  in  many 
of  those  Divine  oracles  that  came  out  of  His  mouth  while 
He  was  upon  earth ;  and  particularly  in  this  which  contains 
the  substance  of  all  the  rest,  and  is  so  divinely  worded,  that 
we  cannot  say  where  the  emphasis  lies ;  for  every  word  is 
so  weighty  and  emphatical,  that  it  ought  to  be  carefully 
weighed  and  considered,  by  all  that  desire  fully  to  under 
stand  the  sense  and  meaning  of  the  whole  sentence. 

The  first  word,  "  for,"  shews  that  this  is  brought  in  as  the 
reason  of  what  went  before.  Our  Lord  is  here  instructing 
Nicodemus,  a  ruler  of  the  Jews,  in  the  way  to  life  and  hap 
piness  ;  and  among  other  things  He  tells  him,  that  "  as  ver.  u,  is. 
Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must 
the  Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life,"  as  whoso 
ever  looked  upon  the  brazen  serpent,  which  Moses  by  God's  Num.  21.  9. 
command  set  upon  a  pole  in  the  wilderness,  lived  notwith 
standing  he  had  been  bitten  by  a  fiery  serpent.  And  lest 
this  should  seem  strange  to  Nicodemus,  our  Lord  here  gives 
him  the  reason  of  it,  drawn  from  God's  infinite  love  and 
goodness  to  mankind,  in  sending  His  Son  into  the  world 
for  that  very  end  :  "  For  God,"  saith  He,  "  so  loved  the 


250  The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation. 

SERM.    world,  that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever 
-  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life." 

God,  the  Infinite,  Almighty,  Eternal  God,  Jehovah,  the 
Lord  of  Sabaoth,  essence  itself,  existing  in  and  of  Himself, 
and  giving  existence  to  all  things  else;  the  Creator,  Pre 
server,  and  Governor  of  the  whole  world;  who  is  every 
where,  knows  all  things,  and  doth  whatsoever  He  pleaseth 
in  Heaven  and  earth ;  the  first  of  all  causes,  the  fountain  of 
all  light,  the  principle  of  all  motion,  the  centre  of  all  perfec 
tions;  holiness,  wisdom,  power,  justice,  truth,  goodness,  love 
itself: — "  He  so  loved  the  world  :"  He  loved  it,  He  exerted 
that  His  Divine  perfection,  even  His  love,  in  a  peculiar 
manner  towards  it.  He  had  manifested  His  infinite  wisdom, 
power,  and  goodness  in  the  creation,  or  production  of  all  things 
out  of  nothing,  and  in  the  first  settlement  of  them  in  their 
several  ranks  and  orders :  and  He  still  continueth  to  do  it, 
in  His  preserving,  managing,  and  disposing  of  all  and  every 
one  of  them.  But,  in  the  redemption  of  mankind,  He  mani 
fested  His  love  also,  or  good-will  towards  them,  as  His 

i  John  4.  9,  beloved  disciple  also  observes,  saying,  "  In  this  was  mani 
fested  the  love  of  God  towards  us,  because  that  God  sent 
His  only-begotten  Son  into  the  world,  that  we  might  live 
through  Him.  Herein  is  love ;  not  that  we  loved  God,  but 
that  He  loved  us,  and  sent  His  Son  to  be  the  propitiation 
for  our  sins."  It  was  not  out  of  respect  to  any  thing  that 
we  could  do,  whereby  to  shew  our  love  to  Him,  or  merit 
His  love  to  us,  but  out  of  His  own  infinite  essential  love  to 

Eph.  i.  s.  mankind,  that  He  sent  His  Son  to  be  our  Saviour,  "  accord 
ing  to  the  good  pleasure  of  His  will,"  as  the  Apostle  speaks. 

Deut.  7.  7,  As  Moses  told  the  children  of  Israel,  "  That  the  Lord  did 

Q 

not  set  His  love  upon  them,  nor  choose  them,  because  they 
were  more  in  number  than  other  people,  but  because  the 
Lord  loved  them ; "  so  He  did  not  send  His  Son  to  redeem 
mankind  from  any  other  motive  whatsoever,  but  because 
He  loved  them ;  because  it  was  the  good  pleasure  of  His 
will  to  express  and  manifest  this  His  Divine  perfection,  His 
infinite  love  towards  them.  All  the  creatures  in  the  world 
are  His :  and  there  were  some  other  of  them  who  had  cor 
rupted  themselves,  and  were  fallen  from  that  estate  in  which 


The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation.  251 

He  made  them,  as  well  as  man.     But,  howsoever,  leaving 

the  other  to  themselves,  He  was  pleased  to  pitch  upon  him 

as  the  object  upon  which  to  shew  His  love,  in  sending  His 

Son  to  redeem  fallen  man,  and  not  the  fallen  angels :  "  He  Heb.  2. 16. 

took  not  on  Him  the  nature  of  angels,  but  He  took  on  Him 

the  seed  of  Abraham,"  because  He  loved  the  latter,  and  not 

the  former. 

This  is  the  only  fountain  of  all  the  favours  he  vouchsafes 
to  mankind  in  general,  more  than  to  any  other  creatures. 
I  say  to  mankind  in  general ;  for  the  blessings  which  He 
bestows  upon  particular  men,  and  upon  some  more  than 
other,  He  bestows  them  only  in  His  Son,  for  His  sake,  or 
upon  the  account  of  that  propitiation  which  He  made,  and 
whereby  He  therefore  reconciled  His  Father  to  them,  and 
merited  His  love  and  favour,  and  all  manner  of  blessings 
for  them.  But  our  Lord  here  doth  not  speak  of  God's  love 
to  this  or  that  particular  man,  but  to  mankind  in  general, 
saying, 

"  God  so  loved  the  world  :"  the  world  of  men  in  general, 
as  the  word  "world"  usually  signifies  in  Scripture,  and  par 
ticularly  in  this  place :  "  The  whole  world,"  as  St.  John  ex-  i  John  2. 2. 
presseth  it.     The  whole  species  of  men ;  all  mankind,  from 
the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  world,  whatsoever  age  or 
place  they  lived  in ;   whatsoever  estate,  condition,  degree, 
quality,  or  temper  they  be  of,  Jew  or  Gentile,  bond  or  free, 
high  or  low,  rich  or  poor,  old  or  young,  as  they  are  all 
equally  under  the  eye  of  God,  He  had  respect  to  all  in  this 
great  expression  of  His  love  ;  "  for  all  have  sinned  and  come  Rom.  3.  23. 
short  of  the  glory  of  God."     Adam  himself  and  his  whole 
posterity  are  guilty  before  Him :  "  There  is  none  that  doeth  PS.  u.  3. 
good,  no  not  one ;"  "  The  whole  world  lieth  in  wickedness  ;"  i   John   5. 
and,  therefore,  all  had  equally  need  of  a  Saviour.     And, 
accordingly,  "  God  commended  His  love  towards  us,  in  that  Rom.  5.  s. 
while  we  were  yet  all  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us ;"  "  He  i  Tim.  2.  6. 
gave  Himself  a  ransom  for  all ;"  "  He  tasted  death  for  every  Heb.  2.  9. 
man;"  for  every  one  that  is  of  that  nature  in  which  He  did 
it :  so  that  every  man  is  equally  capable  of  being  saved  by 
Him ;    God   excepts   against  no   man,  and   therefore  men 
must  have  a  care  how  they  presume  to  do  it :  for  this  is  to 
usurp  upon  God's  prerogative,  and  to  limit  His  boundless 


252  The,  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation. 

SERM.    love;  to  restrain  it  to  some  particular  persons,  when  He 
—  extended  it  to  all ;  for  He  loved  the  world,  the  whole  sinful 
world.     Yea, 

"  God  so  loved  the  world :"  He  loved  it  in  such  an  extra 
ordinary  and  wonderful  manner,  that  we  cannot  but  admire 

i  John  s.  i.  and  be  astonished  at  it.  As  the  Apostle  saith,  "  Behold, 
what  manner  of  love  the  Father  hath  bestowed  upon  us, 
that  we  should  be  called  the  sons  of  God."  So  we  may 
truly  say,  Behold,  what  manner  of  love  was  this !  Who  is 

Eph.  3.  is.  able  "to  comprehend  the  breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and 
height  of  it  ? "  That  the  Almighty  Creator  of  all  things  should 
love  His  rebellious  creatures  !  That  God  should  love  man ! 

PS.  s.  1,3,  sinful  man !  "  O  Lord,  our  Governor,  how  excellent  is  Thy 
name  in  all  the  earth !  When  I  consider  Thy  heavens,  the 
work  of  Thy  fingers,  the  moon  and  the  stars  which  Thou 
hast  ordained ;  what  is  man  that  Thou  art  mindful  of  him, 

PS.  io6.4.  and  the  son  of  man  that  Thou  visitest  him?"  "That  Thou 
visitest  Him  with  Thy  salvation?"  Who  could  ever  have 
imagined  it  ?  Who  could  have  believed  it,  if  God  Himself 
had  not  said  it  ?  But  He  Himself  hath  said  it ;  He  hath 
said,  that  He  loved  the  world,  and  not  only  that  He  loved 
it,  but  that 

"  He  so  loved  the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only-begotten 
Son :"  His  own  and  only  Son,  whom  He  Himself  had  be 
gotten  of  Himself,  by  communicating  His  own  unbegotten 
essence  to  Him  from  all  eternity ;  and  so  His  Eternal  Son, 
"  God  of  God,  Light  of  Light,  very  God  of  very  God,  begotten, 
not  made,  of  one  substance  with  the  Father ; "  whom  there 
fore  the  Father  loveth  as  Himself:  and  that  all  might  know 
He  did  so,  He  twice  proclaimed  it  to  the  world,  by  a  voice 

Matt. 3. 17;  from  Heaven,  saying,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I 
am  well  pleased."  And  yet,  "  Hear,  ye  Heavens,  and  give 
ear,  O  earth ;  stand  amazed  and  wonder,  all  ye  powers  of 
the  world ! "  The  Lord,  the  most  mighty  God,  the  ever 
lasting  Father,  gave  this  His  only-begotten,  His  infinitely 
beloved  Son!  What  a  gift  was  this?  What  could  God 
Himself  give  more  ?  What  could  He  give  greater  ?  Herein 
the  infiniteness  of  His  love  shineth  forth  as  gloriously  as 
His  infinite  wisdom  and  power  do  in  the  creation  and 
government  of  the  world.  And  therefore  He  had  no  sooner 


The  Love  of  God  in  Man's  Salvation.  253 

given  this  His  only-begotten  Son  to  be  actually  born  into 

the  world,  but  immediately  a  multitude  of  the  Heavenly 

host  glorified  and  praised  Him  for  it,  singing,  "  Glory  to  Luke  2.  14. 

God  in  the  highest,  on  earth  peace,  good-will  towards  men." 

What  cause  then  have  men  themselves  to  admire  and  adore 

this  His  infinite  love  and  good-will  towards  them !     It  was 

to  them  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son :  He  gave  Him  not 

to  the  Angels,  who  therefore  have  no  advantage  by  it,  but 

that  in  it,  as  in  a  mirror,  they  beheld  this  infinite  love  in 

God ;  which  otherwise  they  could  never  have  seen.    But  this 

doubtless  is  a  great  addition  to  the  pleasure  they  take  in  the 

vision  and  fruition  of  His  Divine  perfections.     How  much 

more  should  we  rejoice,  and  be  pleased  with  the  thoughts  of 

it,  that  Almighty  God,  our  Maker,  hath  had  such  love  for 

us  !     That  He  so  loved  us,  His  sinful  creatures  upon  earth, 

that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son  for  us ! 

But  how  did  He  give  Him  ?  He  gave  Him  to  take  our 
nature  upon  Him,  to  be  "made  flesh;"  such  as  we  are  all  John  1.14. 
made  of.  He  had  promised  it  long  before ;  "  And  when  the  Gal.  4.  4, 5. 
fulness  of  the  time  was  come,  God  sent  forth  His  Son,  made 
of  a  woman,  made  under  the  Law,  to  redeem  them  that  were 
under  the  Law,  that  we  might  receive  the  adoption  of  sons." 
He  who  made  all  things  at  first,  was  Himself  now  made 
of  a  woman ;  He  was  conceived  in  the  womb  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  by  the  operation  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  power 
of  the  Highest  overshadowing  her.  By  which  means  He 
who  was  the  Son  of  God  from  all  eternity,  then  became 
the  Son  of  Man  too :  and  from  that  time  forward,  always 
was,  and  ever  will  be,  "  Immanuel,"  God  and  man  in  one 
person. 

How  this  should  be,  it  is  not  for  any  of  us  to  inquire,  who 
know  not  how  our  own  soul  and  body  are  linked  together, 
so  as  to  make  one  man  ;   what  horrid  presumption  then 
would  it  be  in  us  to  inquire  how  God  and  man  are  so  united 
as  to  make  one  Christ  ?     It  is  sufficient  for  us  to  know,  that 
it  is  done  by  Him  to  whom  "  all  things  are  possible,"  and  [Matt.  19. 
revealed  by  Him  "  who  cannot  lie."    And  therefore  revealed  26;Tit-1-2^ 
by  Him,  that  we  might  believe  it  upon  His  word,  and  ac 
cordingly  admire  and  adore  Him  for  it :  which  we  could  not 
do,  if  it  was  not  more  than  what  we  ourselves  are  able  to 


254  The  Lorn  of  God  in  Man's  Salvation. 

SERM.  comprehend  ;  for  then  it  would  not  be  an  act  of  infinite 
—wisdom,  power,  and  love,  as  this  be  sure  was;  in  that  God 
was  pleased  to  manifest  His  infinite  inestimable  love  in  such 
a  way  as  could  never  be  found  out  but  by  His  infinite  wis 
dom,  nor  brought  about  without  His  infinite  power,  even 
by  giving  His  only-begotten  Son  to  be  made  and  born  of  a 
woman. 

And  as  He  thus  gave  Him  to  be  born  of  a  woman,  when 
He  was  so  born,  He  gave  Him  to  converse  with  men,  to 
exert  His  infinite  power  visibly  before  their  eyes,  and  in 
struct  them  in  all  things  necessary  for  them  to  believe  and 
do,  that  they  may  be  eternally  happy.  Which  is  another 
incomprehensible  instance  of  His  infinite  love  ;  for  hereby 
we  know  His  Divine  will  and  pleasure,  not  only  by  an 
Angel,  a  Prophet,  or  Apostle,  but  immediately  from  Him 
self,  from  His  own  mouth.  This  the  Apostle  takes  special 

Heb.  1.1,2.  notice  of,  saying,  "God,  who  at  sundry  times,  and  in  divers 
manners,  spake  in  time  past  to  the  Fathers  by  the  Prophets, 
hath  in  these  last  days  spoken  unto  us  by  His  Son."  By 
His  Son,  who  being  God  as  well  as  man,  whatsoever  He 
said  was  spoken  by  God  Himself,  and  so  was  most  properly 
an  oracle,  the  very  Word  of  God  :  and  therefore  ought  to  be 
observed,  believed,  and  valued  above  all  the  words  that  were 
ever  spoken  in  the  world  besides.  Neither  can  we  ever 
sufficiently  admire  the  love  of  God  in  this  particular,  that 
He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son  Himself  to  reveal  and  make 
known  His  will  unto  the  world,  and  so  to  assure  us  of  it  in 
the  highest  manner  that  was  possible. 

And  yet  this  is  not  all  neither,  "  for  God  so  loved  the 
world,"  that  when  He  had  thus  given  His  only-begotten  Son 
to  be  made  flesh,  and  dwell  some  time  among  us  ;  He  after 
wards  gave  Him  to  be  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  world : 

Rom.  s.  32.  "  He  spared  not  His  own  Son,  but  delivered  Him  up  for  us 

i  Pet.  2. 24.  all."  "  He  delivered  Him  up  to  death,  even  the  death  of 
the  cross ;  so  that  His  ownself  bare  our  sins  in  His  own 
body  on  the  tree."  This  is  that  which  is  more  especially 

Ver.  14.  aimed  at  in  this  place.  Where  it  is  said,  "  That  as  Moses 
lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness,  even  so  must  the 
Son  of  Man  be  lifted  up,"  and  so  He  was ;  He  was  lifted  up 

Eph.  5.  2.    upon  the  cross,  as  the  serpent  was  upon  the  pole.     "  There 


The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation.  255 

He  gave  Himself  for  us,  an  offering  and  a  sacrifice  to  God, 
for  a  sweet-smelling  savour."  "  He  gave  Himself  a  ransom  ixim.  2.  6. 
for  all."  "  And  was  made  a  propitiation  for  our  sins;  and  Uohn2.2. 
not  for  ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world." 
Where  we  may  likewise  observe,  that  as  God  the  Father 
gave  His  Son,  so  God  the  Son  is  also  said  to  give  Himself; 
but  still  it  was  the  same  God  that  did  it.  For  He,  as  God, 
gave  Himself  as  man :  He  gave  that  flesh  which  He  had 
assumed,  to  suffer  death  upon  the  cross,  and  so  offered  it  up, 
as  a  whole  burnt-offering,  to  make  satisfaction,  atonement, 
and  reconciliation  for  the  sins  of  the  world  :  "  And  so  hath  Heb.  9. 26. 
put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  Himself."  As  He  well 
might,  seeing  His  death,  being  the  death  of  one  who  was 
God  as  well  as  man,  was  infinitely  more  than  the  death  of 
all  the  men  in  the  world ;  and  therefore  might  justly  be  ac 
cepted  of,  instead  of  theirs.  And  so  it  actually  is  in  the  sight 
of  God,  for  all  those  who  believe  in  Him ;  insomuch  that 
their  sins  are  not  only  pardoned,  but  they  themselves  are 
thereby  justified,  or  accounted  righteous  before  Him,  the 
most  righteous  judge  of  the  whole  world. 

For  which  purpose,  we  must  further  observe,  that  God 
having  thus  given  His  Son  to  be  a  sacrifice  for  the  sin  of 
the  world,  He  then  "  gave  Him  to  be  the  head  over  all  Eph.  i.  22, 
things  to  the  Church,  which  is  His  body."     For  that,  and  23 
all  the  sound  members  of  it,  even  all  that  truly  believe  in 
Him,  He  is  now  exalted  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  and 
there  continually  maketh  intercession  for  them.     By  means 
whereof,  they  are  justified  before  God,  through  His  merits 
imputed  to  them ;  they  are  washed  from  their  sins  in  His 
blood,  they  are  sanctified  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  they  are  made 
the  children  of  God  by  adoption  and  grace,  and  are  there 
fore  kept  by  His  almighty  power  through  faith  unto  salva 
tion.     For  He  is  "  able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  Heb.  7.  25. 
come  unto  God  by  Him,  seeing  He  ever  liveth  to  make  in 
tercession  for  them." 

Thus  therefore  it  was,  that  God  gave  His  only-begotten 
Son  ;  but  wherefore  did  He  give  Him  ?  He  gave  Him, 
"  that  whosoever  believeth  in  Him,  should  not  perish,  but 
have  everlasting  life."  This  is  here  affirmed  by  the  Son 
Himself,  who  was  given,  and  who  certainly  knew  wherefore 


256  The  Love  of  God  in  Man's  Salvation. 

SERM.  He  was  so  given  ;  and  therefore  we  may  be  confident,  that 
1 —  every  tittle  of  what  He  here  saith,  is  infallibly  true  and  cer 
tain.  But  He  here  saith,  that  "  whosoever  believeth  in  Him, 
should  not  perish;"  without  excepting  against  any  person 
whatsoever,  that  no  man  may  except  himself  or  any  other, 
but  that  all  might  be  encouraged  and  excited  to  believe  in 
Him,  and  be  fully  assured  that  if  they  do  so,  they  shall  be 
saved  by  Him  ;  for  He  Himself  here  saith,  they  shall :  they 
have  His  word  for  it,  and  that  too  not  only  in  this,  but 
many  other  places.  For  St.  Paul  observes,  the  Scripture 

Rom.  io.nf  saith,  "Whosoever  believeth  on  Him  shall  not  be  ashamed. 

28. 16;  Joei  For  there  is  no  difference  between  the  Jew  and  the  Greek; 
for  the  same  Lord  over  all,  is  rich  unto  all  that  call  upon 
Him.  For  whosoever  shall  call  upon  the  Name  of  the  Lord 

John 6. 37.  shall  be  saved."  And  He  Himself  elsewhere  saith,  "Him 
that  cometh  to  Me,  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  Him,  whom 
soever  he  be,  whensoever,  wheresoever,  howsoever  he  hath 
lived,  if  he  doth  but  come  to  Christ ;  Christ  Himself  saith, 
"  He  will  in  no  wise  reject  or  cast  him  out."  And  what  can 
any  man  desire  more  than  the  Word  of  Christ,  the  Word  of 
God,  the  Word  of  Truth  itself  for  it?  And  if  this  had  not  been 
so  positively  asserted,  yet  the  whole  design  of  Christ's  incar 
nation  and  passion,  as  it  is  revealed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
plainly  demonstrates  the  same  thing :  for  it  appears  from  my 
text  itself,  that  it  was  not  out  of  love  to  any  particular  per 
sons  only,  but  to  the  world,  or  all  mankind,  that  "  God  gave 
His  only-begotten  Son."  And  when  He  was  given,  He  did 
not  take  upon  Him  the  nature  only  of  some  particular  men, 
but  the  nature  of  man  in  general.  Neither  did  He  "  taste 

Heb.2.  9.  death"  only  for  this  or  that  man,  but  for  "  every  man."  And 
therefore  every  one  that  is  part  of  that  world  which  God 
loved,  and  is  of  that  nature  which  Christ  assumed,  and  in 
which  He  tasted  death,  must  needs  be  so  far  interested  in 
Him,  as  to  be  capable  of  being  saved  by  Him,  and  shall  cer 
tainly  be  so,  if  he  believe  in  Him  :  I  say,  if  he  "  believeth  in 
Him ;"  for  that  is  the  condition  upon  which  the  salvation  of 
every  man  depends  :  as  our  Saviour  Himself  here  assures 
us,  saying,  "That  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  should  not 
perish : "  that  is,  whosoever  is  so  fully  persuaded  of  the  truth 
and  certainty  of  all  that  is  revealed  in  the  Holy  Scripture 


The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation.  257 

concerning  Jesus  Christ,  that  he  verily  believes  Him  to  be 
the  only-begotten  Son  of  God,  and  the  only  Saviour  of  man 
kind,  and  accordingly  puts  His  whole  trust  and  confidence 
in  Him,  for  all  things  requisite  to  His  salvation ;  for  grace, 
to  repent  truly  of  all  his  former  sins ;  for  power,  "  to  deny  [Tit.  2. 12.] 
ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  to  live  soberly,  righte 
ously  and  godly  in  this  present  world ; "  for  the  mercy  of 
God  in  the  pardon  of  whatsoever  he  hath  hitherto  done 
amiss ;  for  God's  acceptance  of  his  sincere  endeavours  to 
serve  Him  for  the  future ;  for  His  continual  direction  and 
assistance  of  him  in  the  doing  it ;  and  for  whatsoever  else  is 
necessary  to  his  being  made  a  child  of  God,  admitted  into 
the  number  of  His  saints  and  servants,  received  into  and 
always  preserved  in  His  love  and  favour,  so  as  to  be  "meet  [Col.  1.12.] 
to  be  a  partaker  of  the  inheritance  of  the  Saints  in  light ;" 
and  all  through  the  merits  of  that  death  which  Jesus  Christ 
once  suffered  upon  earth,  and  by  means  of  that  intercession 
which  He,  by  virtue  of  His  said  death,  is  continually  making 
at  the  right  hand  of  God  in  Heaven  :  "  Whosoever "  thus 
"  believeth  in  the  Son  of  God,  shall  not  perish,"  as  they  shall 
who  do  not  believe  in  Him ;  as  appears  from  these  very 
words  uttered  by  Himself,  who  best  knew  who  shall  and 
who  shall  not  be  saved  by  Him. 

For  seeing  that  although  God  "  so  loved  the  world,"  that 
"  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son  to  be  their  Saviour,"  yet 
He  gave  Him  not  that  all  should  be  saved  by  Him,  whether 
they  do  or  do  not  believe  in  Him,  but  only  that  "  whosoever 
believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish;"  it  is  plain,  that  all 
who  do  not  believe  in  Him  must  inevitably  perish,  notwith 
standing  all  that  He  hath,  or  they  themselves  can  ever  do 
to  prevent  it.  For  as  "  there  is  none  other  Name  under  Acts  4.  12. 
Heaven  given  among  men,  whereby  they  must  be  saved,"  so 
there  is  no  way  possible  for  them  to  be  saved  by  Him,  with 
out  believing  in  Him  :  if  there  was,  He  Himself  would 
never  have  said  only,  that  "  whosoever  believeth  in  Him 
should  not  perish;"  for  hereby  He  plainly  excludes  all 
others  from  all  hopes  of  being  ever  saved  from  perishing. 
And  that  all  may  take  special  notice  of  it,  and  not  flatter 
themselves  with  any  such  hopes,  in  the  next  verse  but  one 
He  saith  in  express  terms,  "  He  that  believeth  on  Him  is  Ver.  is. 

s 


258  The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation. 

SERM.    not  condemned;  but  lie  that  believeth  not,  is  condemned 
xiv  . 
'• —  already,  because  he  hath  not  believed  in  the  Name  of  the 

Mark  16. 16.  only-begotten  Son  of  God."  And  elsewhere,  "  He  that 
believeth,  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved ;  but  he  that  be 
lieveth  not,  shall  be  damned." 

In  these  and  many  such  places  of  His  Holy  Gospel,  we 
are  fully  assured  by  Him,  who  alone  can  save  men  from 
perishing,  that  He  will  save  none  but  only  such  as  believe 
in  Him :  and  therefore  we  must  not  give  ear  to  such  as  have 
the  impudence  to  assert,  that  a  man  may  be  saved  in  any 
religion,  if  he  doth  but  live  up  to  what  he  professeth,  whe 
ther  he  believes  in  Christ  or  no  :  for  this  is  to  hearken  unto 
men  rather  than  unto  God,  who  hath  asserted  the  contrary 
in  as  plain  terms  as  could  be  invented  ;  that  having  it  from 
His  own  mouth,  we  may  be  fully  persuaded  and  satisfied  in 
our  own  minds,  that  none  shall  ever  be  saved,  but  such  as 
believe  in  Him,  but  that  all  others  shall  perish ;  that  is,  they 
Matt.io.28.  shall  be  all  destroyed,  "  both  soul  and  body,  in  Hell." 
2Thes*.  i.  "  When  the  Lord  Jesus  shall  be  revealed  from  Heaven,  with 
' 9'  1  '  His  mighty  Angels  in  flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance  on 
them  that  know  not  God,  and  that  obey  not  the  Gospel  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  who  shall  be  punished  with  ever 
lasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from 
the  glory  of  His  power ;  when  He  shall  come  to  be  glorified 
in  His  Saints,  and  to  be  admired  in  all  them  that  believe." 
"  In  all  them  that  believe,"  He  shall  be  admired  and  glori 
fied,  for  they  shall  be  all  delivered  by  Him  from  the  wrath 
to  come :  but  they  who  believed  not,  shall  be  condemned  to 
Matt 25. 41.  that  "  everlasting  fire  which  is  prepared  for  the  Devil  and 
Luke  12.46.  his  angels,"  to  which  all  that  are  condemned,  are  therefore 
said  to  have  their  "  portion  appointed  them  with  the  unbe 
lievers." 

But  they  who  believe  in  the  Son  of  God,  shall  not  only 
be  preserved  from  perishing  together  with  the  unbelievers, 
but  they  shall  have  everlasting  life ;  they  shall  all  have 
it,  how  many  soever  they  be :  they  may  be  sure  of  it,  foras 
much  as  it  was  for  this  very  end  and  purpose  that  "  God 
gave  His  only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in 
Him,  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life;"  that 
is,  as  the  phrase  signifies  in  Holy  Scripture,  they  shall  live 


The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation.  259 

in  the  full  enjoyment  of  all  things  that  can  make  their  life 
easy,  pleasant,  and  happy,  not  only  for  some  time,  but  to  all 
eternity.  "  For  He  that  spared  not  His  own  Son,  but  de-  Rom-  8-  32< 
livered  Him  up  for  us  all ;  how  shall  He  not  with  Him  also 
freely  give  us  all  things  ? "  His  Son,  begotten  of  Himself 
from  all  eternity,  was  of  infinite  more  worth,  and  iafinitely 
dearer  to  Him,  than  all  things  that  He  hath  made ;  and 
therefore  having  given  Him,  we  cannot  doubt,  but  that 
together  with  Him,  He  gives  all  things  else  to  those  who 
believe  in  Him.  As  He  gave  Him  to  be  "  Head  over  all  J|ph- 1-  22> 
things  to  the  Church,  which  is  His  Body ;"  so  in  Him  He 
gives  all  things  to  those  who  are  real  members  of  His  said 
body,  such  as  all  true  believers  are.  Hence  it  is  that  "  all  Rcm-  8-  28- 
things  work  together  for  their  good."  "  For  all  things  are  1  Cor.  3. 21, 
theirs,  whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas,  or  the  World,  or 
Life,  or  Death,  or  things  present,  or  things  to  come  ;  all  are 
theirs :  and  they  are  Christ's,  and  Christ  is  God's."  Christ 
being  the  Son  of  God,  who  made  all  things,  and  they  the 
members  of  Christ,  by  whom  all  things  were  made ;  there 
fore  all  things  in  Him  are  theirs,  so  as  to  contribute  every 
thing,  in  its  way,  to  perfect  and  complete  their  happiness. 

This  I  know  is  a  thing  that  is  seldom  thought  of;  but  if 
it  was  rightly  understood  and  considered,  it  would  conduce 
much  to  clear  up  our  apprehensions  of  that  happy  estate, 
which  they  are  in  who  believe  in  Christ :  and  therefore  I 
shall  illustrate  or  explain  it  a  little  farther,  from  the  nature 
and    consequence   of  that  Adoption  which   they   have   by 
Him,  as  it  is  revealed  to  us  in  His  Holy  Word.     Where 
we  find,  "  That  as  many  as  received  Him,  to  them  He  gave  John  1. 12. 
power  to  become  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe 
in  His  name."     And  that  they  who  are  sons  or  children, 
are  likewise  heirs,  "  heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs  with  Christ."  Rom.  8. 17. 
Not  such  as  we  call  co-heirs,  who   have   the   inheritance 
divided  and  parted  among  them ;   but  joint-heirs,  so  that 
every  one  hath  the  whole   inheritance   settled  upon   him, 
that  he  may  enjoy  it  all,  as  much  as  if  none  had  any  interest 
in  it  but  himself.     Thus  all  true  believers,  being  the  child 
ren  of  God,  they  are  joint-heirs  with  Christ;  "but  Christ  is  Heb.  i.  2. 
appointed  Heir  of  all  things ;"  for  "  the  Father  loveth  the  John  3.  35 ; 
Son,  and  hath  given  all  things  into  His  hand."     And  the 


260  The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation. 

SERM.    Son  Himself  also  saith,  "  All  things  that  the  Father  hath 

John  16.  is.  are  Mine."  Wherefore  they  who  believe  in  Him,  being 
joint-heirs  with  Him,  they  also  must  needs  be  heirs  of  all 
things  in  their  capacities,  as  He  is.  But  howsoever,  lest 
any  should  doubt  how  this  can  be,  He  Himself  assures  them 

Rev.  21.7.  of  it  with  His  own  mouth,  saying,  "He  that  overcometh 
shall  inherit  all  things,  and  I  will  be  his  God,  and  he  shall 
be  My  son."  He  speaks  not  of  all  in  general,  but  of  every 
one  in  particular,  "  he  that  overcometh,"  as  every  true  be- 

i  John  5.  5.  Hever  doth  :  and  none  but  such,  "  For  who  is  he  that  over 
cometh  the  world,  but  he  that  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the 
Son  of  God?"  Every  one  therefore  who  believeth,  and 
therefore  overcometh,  shall  inherit  all  things,  as  certainly  as 
God's  Word  is  true,  for  He  Himself  hath  said  it :  and  that 
too,  not  only  in  this  place,  but  likewise,  when  speaking  of  a 
faithful  and  wise  steward,  whom  his  lord  shall  make  ruler 
over  his  household,  to  give  them  their  portion  of  meat  in 

Luke  12. 43,  (jue  season,  he  saith,  "  Blessed  is  that  servant,  whom  his 
lord,  when  he  cometh,  shall  find  so  doing :  of  a  truth  I  say 
unto  you,  that  he  will  make  him  ruler  over  all  that  he 
hath." 

And  certainly  such  a  one  must  needs  be  blessed,  who  hath 
all  things  that  God  hath  to  make  him  so  ;  every  thing, 
some  way  or  other,  affording  him  matter  of  joy  and  thankful 
ness  to  Him  that  made  it.  So  that  if  he  looks  no  farther 
than  the  creatures,  the  innumerable  company  of  creatures 
of  all  kinds,  that  are  now  under  his  dominion  and  power, 
he  can  see  no  end  of  his  felicity  :  for  which  way  soever  he 
casts  his  eye,  it  brings  him  in  fresh  matter  to  rejoice  and 
solace  himself  in.  Here  he  sees  one  instance,  and  there 
another,  of  God's  infinite  wisdom;  this  thing  shews  His 
power  one  way,  that  another :  some  creatures  set  forth  His 
justice,  some  His  mercy,  and  all  His  goodness.  By  which 
means  he  takes  infinite  delight  and  pleasure  in  all  the 
Work  of  God,  as  well  as  in  His  Divine  love  and  favour  in 
granting  him  such  a  full  enjoyment  of  them,  that  he  actually 
possesseth  all  the  comfort  that  any  thing  in  the  world  can 
minister  unto  him. 

This,  one  would  think,  is  enough  for  any  man  to  have, 
whereon  to  live  happily  and  comfortably  in  the  other  world ; 


The  Love  of  God  in  Man's  Salvation.  261 

especially  seeing  he  shall  ever  have  it.  And  yet  all  this  is 
nothing  in  comparison  of  what  every  one  that  believes  in 
Christ,  shall  enjoy  for  ever.  For  that  everlasting  life  which 
he  shall  have,  consists  not  only  in  the  possession  of  all  things 
that  God  hath  made,  but  likewise  in  the  enjoyment  of  Him 
that  made  them,  and  of  those  infinite  perfections  which  He 
displayed  in  the  making  of  them.  For  as  all  such  will 
certainly  go  to  Heaven,  they  will  there  see  and  so  enjoy 
Almighty  God  the  chiefest  Good,  in  Himself,  in  His  own 
essence,  as  well  as  in  His  works ;  and  that  too,  as  fully  and 
perfectly,  as  it  is  possible  for  finite  creatures  to  behold  an 
infinite  Being,  unveiling  Himself  and  displaying  His  glory 
before  them.  "  For  now  we  see,"  saith  the  Apostle,  "  but  iCor.is.i2. 
as  through  a  glass  darkly,  but  then  face  to  face ;  now  I 
know  in  part,  but  then  shall  I  know  even  as  also  I  am 
known."  To  the  same  purpose  is  that  of  the  beloved  Dis 
ciple;  "Beloved,  now  we  are  the  sons  of  God,  and  ituohns.  2. 
doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be :  but  we  know,  that 
when  He  shall  appear,  we  shall  be  like  Him ;  for  we  shall 
see  Him  as  He  is."  This  we  know  in  general,  but  in  our 
present  imperfect  state  we  are  not  able  to  conceive,  much 
less  to  express  the  greatness  of  this  transcendent  happiness 
and  glory :  and  therefore  I  shall  say  no  more  at  present  of 
it,  but  that  it  is  certainly  the  greatest  that  any  creatures  are 
capable  of;  and  that  all  they  whose  hearts  are  purified  by 
faith  in  Christ,  shall  as  certainly  have  and  enjoy  it  for  ever ; 
according  to  that  Divine  Oracle  that  came  from  our  Saviour's 
own  mouth,  "  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  Matt.  5.  s. 
see  God." 

This  therefore  is  that  everlasting  life,  which  all  that  truly 
believe  in  Christ  shall  have ;  I  speak  it  confidently,  as  I 
well  may,  having  His  own  Word  for  it,  "  That  God  so  loved 
the  world,  that  He  gave  His  only-begotten  Son,  that  who 
soever  believeth  in  Him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlast 
ing  life."  And  it  is  well  He  Himself  hath  said  it,  otherwise 
who  could  have  believed,  that  men,  sinful  men,  who  have  so 
often  and  so  highly  offended  Almighty  God,  should,  not 
withstanding,  be  reconciled  to  Him ;  yea,  so  fully  reconciled 
to  Him,  as  to  be  admitted  into  the  number  of  His  own 
children,  made  equal  to  His  Holy  Angels,  advanced  to  His 


262  The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation. 

SERM.    Kingdom  in  Heaven,  and   there  having  everlasting  life? 

'• —  Who  could  have  thought  it,  who  could  have  believed  it,  if 

God  Himself  had  not  said  it  ?  But  He  having  said  it,  we 
have  as  much,  nay,  more  cause  to  believe  it,  than  we  have 
to  believe  that  there  is  a  sun  in  the  firmament,  or  that  we 
ourselves  are  now  in  this  place.  And  it  highly  concerns  us 
all,  never  to  doubt  of  it,  but  firmly  to  believe  it  upon  His 
Word :  otherwise  we  shall  be  never  the  better,  but  far  the 
worse  for  it :  not  to  believe  what  He  saith,  being  the  greatest 
offence  and  affront  to  His  Divine  glory,  that  we  can  possibly 
be  guilty  of.  It  is  giving  Truth  itself  the  lie :  for  as  St. 

Uohns.io.  John  observes,  "  He  that  believeth  not  God,  hath  made 
Him  a  liar."  And  then  it  is  no  wonder,  that  they  who  do 
not  believe  in  His  only-begotten  Son,  according  to  the 
testimony  of  which  God  hath  given  of  Him,  shall  perish 
everlastingly :  but  "  whosoever  believeth  in  Him,"  as  He 
Himself  here  saith,  "  shall  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting 
life." 

Luke  is.  s.  But  what  doth  He  Himself  say?  "When  the  Son  of 
Man  cometh,  shall  He  find  faith  on  the  earth  ? "  If  He 
should  come  now,  I  fear  He  would  find  but  little  :  for  al 
though  there  be  much  talk  of  faith  among  us,  and  many 
who  profess  to  believe,  there  are  but  few  who  do  it.  They 
who  are  born  and  bred  where  the  faith  of  Christ  is  professed, 
they  commonly  profess  it  too,  at  least  they  do  not  deny  any 
of  the  fundamental  articles  of  the  Christian  religion :  they 
own  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God,  the 
only  Saviour  of  the  World ;  that  He  for  that  purpose  became 
man,  and  died  and  rose  again,  and  went  up  to  Heaven,  and 
the  like  :  and  because  they  acknowledge  these  great  articles 
of  our  faith  in  general,  concerning  Him,  to  be  true,  they 
take  it  for  granted  that  they  believe  in  Him,  without  trou 
bling  their  heads  any  more  about  it.  Whereas,  this  is  only 
to  believe  as  the  Church  believes,  which  is  the  great  fault  we 
justly  blame  the  Papists  for  ;  but  it  is  too  common  among 
ourselves.  But  this  is  so  far  from  that  which  the  Scripture 
calls  believing  in  Christ ;  that  they  who  go  no  farther,  can 
never  be  saved  by  Him,  no  more  than  as  if  they  did  not  be 
lieve  at  all ;  as  in  truth  they  do  not. 

Rom.  10.10.      "For  it  is  with  the  heart  that  man  believeth  unto  righte- 


The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation.  263 

ousness."  Whatsoever  he  professeth  with  his  mouth,  unless 
his  heart  be  possessed  with  a  firm  belief  and  full  persua 
sion  of  the  great  truths  revealed  in  the  Gospel,  he  hath  not 
that  faith  to  which  righteousness  and  salvation  are  there 
promised.  But  he  who  really  believeth  in  his  heart  all  that 
is  there  revealed  concerning  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God, 
and  the  promises  which  are  made  in  Him  ;  such  a  one  can 
not  but  live  with  a  constant  dependence  and  trust  on  Him, 
not  only  for  his  salvation  in  general,  but  for  every  thing 
which  is  there  required,  as  necessary  to  his  obtaining  of  it ; 
for  grace  to  repent  and  turn  to  God,  so  as  to  love,  and  fear, 
and  serve  Him  faithfully  in  this  world,  as  well  as  for  pardon, 
and  peace,  and  glory  in  the  next.  And  whosoever  thus 
"  believeth  in  Christ,"  hath  His  infallible  Word  for  it,  that 
"  he  shall  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

God  grant  therefore  that  all  here  present  may  thus  be 
lieve  in  Christ :  we  should  then  as  certainly  live  together  in 
Heaven,  as  we  are  now  met  together  in  this  place :  but  for 
that  purpose,  we  must  take  more  pains  about  it  than  men 
commonly  do.  I  know  that  "  faith  is  the  gift  of  God."  And  Eph.  2.  s. 
that  He  is  ready  to  give  it  to  all,  in  the  use  of  the  means 
which  He  hath  ordained  for  it :  but  for  that  end  we  must 
use  them  heartily,  devoutly  and  constantly,  never  leaving 
till  we  have  attained  it.  Saying  our  prayers  a  little  now 
and  then,  and  coming  to  Church  when  you  have  nothing 
else  to  do,  will  never  do  the  business :  but  if  you  desire  in 
good  earnest  to  believe  in  Christ,  so  as  to  be  saved  by  Him, 
ye  must  in  good  earnest  exercise  yourselves  continually,  in 
meditating  upon  the  infallible  grounds  you  have  to  believe 
all  that  is  revealed  in  God's  Word ;  in  hearkening  diligently 
to  it,  when  it  is  repeated  or  expounded  ;  in  praying  ear 
nestly  to  God  to  help  your  unbelief,  and  to  increase  your 
faith ;  and  in  receiving  the  Holy  Sacrament,  that  was 
ordained  on  purpose  to  exercise  and  confirm  your  faith  in 
Christ.  This  is  the  way  to  believe  in  the  only-begotten  Son 
indeed  ;  and  if  ye  do  that,  I  speak  in  His  Name,  ye  "  shall 
not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life."  In  His  Name  there 
fore,  and  for  His  sake,  as  well  as  your  own,  I  advise  and 
beseech  you  all  to  do  so ;  set  yourselves  earnestly  upon  the 
the  use  of  the  means  of  grace,  that  by  the  grace  of  God 


264  The  Love  of  God  in  Mans  Salvation. 

SERM.    co-operating  with  them,  you  may  live  for  the  future  with  a 

— '• —  firm  belief  in  Christ  your  Saviour.     Ye  will  then  find  by  your 

own  experience  the  truth  of  all  that  ye  have  now  heard ;  for 

[Heb.  9.      He  will  then  "  purge  your  consciences  from  dead  works,  to 

[Tit.  2. 14.]  serve  the  living  God."     "  He  will  purify  you  to  Himself,  a 

peculiar  people  zealous  of  good  works."     He  will  absolve 

you  from  all  your  sins,  and  justify  you  before  His  Father. 

He  will  protect  you  from  all  evil,  and  give  you  whatsoever 

is  good  for  you.     Above  all,  He  will  prepare  a  place  in 

Heaven  for  you  ;    that  when  you   go  out   of  this  wicked 

world,  you  may  live  with  Him,  who  liveth  with  the  Father, 

and  the  Holy  Ghost,  one  God,  blessed  for  ever. 


SERMON  XV. 

THE  MERITS  OF  CHRIST'S  PASSION. 

ST.  JOHN  i.  29. 

Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  Sin  of  the 

World! 

THIS,  before  Easter,  as  it  anciently  was,  so  it  may  be  still 
very  properly  called,  "  The  Great  Week,"  because  in  it  we 
commemorate  the  great  mystery  in  our  religion,  the  death 
of  Christ,  the  death  which  the  Son  of  God  suffered  for  our 
sins  ;  which  is  so  great,  so  exceeding  great  a  mystery,  that 
were  we  but  truly  sensible  of  it,  how  should  we  be  amazed 
and  confounded  at  it  ?  How  should  we  abhor  ourselves,  and 
repent  in  dust  and  ashes,  that  ever  we  should  be  the  cause 
that  the  Son  of  God  should  die  ?  That  the  Son  of  God 
should  die  !  Methinks  the  very  naming  of  it  is  enough  to 
strike  us  dead,  or  at  least  to  overwhelm  us  with  so  much 
grief  and  sorrow,  as  to  wish  we  had  never  lived. 

But  alas  !  how  far  are  we  from  that !  We  can  think  and 
talk  of  Christ's  dying  for  our  sins,  and  yet  live  in  them  :  we 
can  hear  of  His  being  accused  and  condemned,  and  yet  not 
condemn,  nor  so  much  as  accuse  ourselves  for  them :  we  can 
read  over  the  whole  history  of  our  Saviour's  Passion  with 
dry  eyes,  and  be  no  more  troubled  at  it,  than  as  if  we  had 
been  no  way  concerned  in  it.  Which  certainly  can  be  im 
puted  to  nothing  else  but  to  the  want  of  a  due  sense  either 
of  the  Person  that  suffered  for  our  sins,  or  else  of  the  sins 
for  which  He  suffered.  For  did  we  clearly  apprehend,  and 
firmly  believe  these  things,  it  would  be  impossible  for  us 
not  to  be  affected  with  them  more  than  with  any  thing, 
more  than  with  all  things  in  the  world  besides.  For  what 


266  The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion. 

SERM.  are  the  sufferings  of  all  the  creatures  in  the  world,  in  com- 
— —  parison  of  His  that  made  them  ?  But  that  He  that  made  us 
should  not  only  suffer,  but  that  He  should  suffer  for  us,  and 
for  our  sins  against  Himself,  is  so  great  a  wonder,  that 
nothing  can  pretend  to  come  into  competition  with  it,  except 
it  be  that  we,  after  all,  should  not  be  affected  with  it. 

Wherefore,  that  we  may  not  in  this  respect  be  the  greatest 
prodigies  in  nature,  it  will  be  necessary  sometimes  to  con 
template  upon  what  our  Blessed  Saviour  underwent  for  us. 
And  it  may  not  be  amiss  if  we  do  it  now :  now  that  we  have 
so  fit  an  opportunity  for  it,  this  being  the  time  which  the 
Church  hath  always  set  apart  for  that  purpose,  and  this  is 
the  day  which  is  appointed  for  public  humiliation  and  prayer 
over  the  whole  kingdom :  for  nothing  can  conduce  more  to 
the  humbling  us  thoroughly  for  our  sins,  and  to  the  con 
firming  our  faith  in  God,  for  His  granting  the  blessings  we 
pray  for,  than  duly  to  consider  what  His  only-begotten  Son 
hath  suffered,  and  what  He  hath  thereby  merited  for  us. 

Let  us  therefore  gather  up  all  our  scattered  thoughts 
from  all  things  else,  and  fix  them  awhile  upon  the  cross  of 
Christ ;  and  then  see  whether  we  can  forbear  to  sympathize 
with  Him  ;  and  whether  it  be  possible  to  keep  our  passions 
from  moving  according  to  their  respective  capacities,  in 
some  degree  suitably  to  those  He  suffered  for  us.  And  how 
happy  should  I  think  myself,  if  I  could  contribute  any  thing 
towards  so  good  a  work !  if  I  could  so  represent  Christ's 
sufferings  for  our  sins,  that  we  may  all,  this  day,  be  truly 
humbled  for  them,  and  for  the  future  both  forsake  and 
abhor  them ! 

But  this  is  an  happiness  which  I  have  little  ground  to 
expect;  for  the  subject  is  so  sublime  and  great,  that  I  can 
neither  fully  conceive  what  I  ought  to  express,  nor  express 
what  I  myself  conceive  of  it.  I  cannot  so  much  as  begin  to 
think  of  the  Son  of  God,  His  dying  for  my  sins,  but  I  am 
presently  in  amaze,  my  head  turns  round,  my  whole  soul  is 
seized  with  horror  and  confusion  at  it.  But  when  I  think  of 
venting  these  my  confused  thoughts  to  others,  I  am  still  at 
a  greater  loss  for  words  wherewith  to  do  it ;  insomuch  that 
I  should  not  offer  at  any  thing  towards  it,  but  that  I  hope 
you  are  all  so  disposed  as  to  be  ready  to  receive  and  im- 


The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion.  267 

prove  every  little  hint  and  intimation  that  I  shall  give  you 
of  it,  from  these  words  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  who  seeing 
Jesus  coming  towards  him,  cried  out,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world  ! " 

In  which  remarkable  saying  of  the  Baptist,  every  word 
hath  its  weight  and  emphasis ;  and  therefore  I  shall  first 
run  through  them  all,  by  the  way  of  paraphrase,  but  very 
briefly,  lest  I  should  be  prevented  in  what,  by  God's  assist 
ance,  I  principally  design. 

First,  saith  He,  "  Behold,"  see  here  the  person  I  told  you 
of,  the  Lamb  without  spot  and  blemish,  the  perfect  emblem 
of  innocence   and   patience ;    "  the    Lamb   slain   from   the  [Rev.is.s.] 
foundation  of  the  world  ; "  the  Lamb  typified  by  that  which 
you  sacrifice  every  morning  and  evening,  and  especially  by 
the  Paschal  Lamb,  which  was  roasted  in  such  a  posture  (as 
Justin   Martyr  and   others  observe)  that  it  exactly  repre-  [justin. 
sented  a  person  hanging  upon  a  cross.     Yea,  "  Behold  the  Mart,  in 
Lamb  of  God,"  a  Lamb  not  of  an  earthly,  but  Divine  ex-  Tryphone,p. 
traction,  the  Lamb  of  God's  own  choosing  and  appointment ;  Colon.' 
the   Lamb   of  God's   own    eternal    generation,   the    only- 
begotten  of  the  Father ;  the  Lamb  offered  up  by  God  Him 
self,  unto  Himself.     And  so,  "  Behold  the   Lamb  of  God 
that  taketh  away  sin;"  not  that  expiates  or  covers  it,  but 
takes  it  quite  away ;  not  that  hath  or  will  take  it  away,  but, 
as  St.  Chrysostom   observes,  that  doth   take  it  away  con- 
tinually;    and  that  taketh  away  not  only  some  particular  i^(gn^'oa£' 
sins,  but  sin  in  general,  sin  as  sin  :  and  so,  whatsoever  there  caP-  *•] 
is  in  sin,  that   either   offends  God,  or   can   hurt   us;   the 
strength  as  well  as  the  guilt  of  sin,  our  inclinations  to  it,  as 
well  as   our   obligations   to    punishment   for  it :    and  that 
taketh  away  the  sin  not  only  of  some  particular  persons,  but 
the  sin  of  the  world  ;  the  sin  not  only  of  Abraham's,  but 
Adam's  posterity  ;  the  sin  of  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  of  the 
Jews  ;  for  He  is  a  "  Propitiation  for  our  sins,  and  not  for  i  j0hn  2.  2. 
ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."     Thus  when 
soever  we  see  Christ,  either  with  the  eye  of  sense  or  faith, 
we  may  cry  out  with  the  Baptist,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of 
God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world ! " 

The  words  being  thus  explained,  it  is  easy  to  observe, 
that  they  have  a  peculiar  reference  to  our  Saviour's  Passion, 


268  The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion. 

SERM.  as  that  whereby  He  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world  :  and 
-  therefore  I  shall  look  upon  them  only  under  that  respect, 
and  so  take  occasion  from  them  to  consider,  what  thoughts 
should  come  into  our  minds,  and  how  our  affections  should 
be  moved  at  each  remembrance  of  our  Saviour's  hanging 
upon  the  cross,  and  there  dying  for  our  sins  ;  for  which 
purpose,  the  main  thing  required  is  to  get  our  minds  pos 
sessed  with  as  clear  a  notion,  and  as  deep  a  sense  as  possibly 
we  can,  of  that  death  which  Christ  suffered  for  us  :  for  when 
this  is  once  done,  we  shall  soon  find  in  ourselves  what  in 
fluence  and  effect  it  will  have  upon  our  passions. 

Now,  in  order  to  the  forming  in  our  minds  a  true  idea 
and  conception  of  our  Lord's  death  and  crucifixion,  it  is  no 
way  necessary  to  use  any  material  or  visible  representations 
of  it,  as  they  commonly  do  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  to  the 
great  scandal  and  reproach  of  the  Christian  religion :  but 
rather,  it  is  necessary  that  we  do  not  use  them.  Forasmuch 
as  such  sensible  objects  are  apt  to  keep  our  minds  fixed  and 
terminated  upon  themselves ;  and  at  the  best,  they  can  re 
present  no  more  than  a  man's  body  hanging  upon  a  cross, 
which  contributes  nothing  towards  our  apprehending  aright 
the  Son  of  God's  dying  there  for  the  sins  of  men,  but  rather 
impedes  and  hinders  it.  But  the  best  means  we  can  make 
use  of  for  this  purpose,  is  actually  and  firmly  to  believe 
whatsoever  is  revealed  and  recorded  concerning  our  Saviour's 
passion,  in  His  Holy  Gospel,  with  such  a  faith  as  is  due  to 
truths  attested  by  God  Himself;  which,  as  the  Apostle  saith. 
Heb.  11.  i.  "is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  the  evidence  of  things 
not  seen."  For  such  a  faith  causing  the  things  which  we 
believe,  to  subsist  thus,  not  only  before  our  eyes,  but  in  our 
very  hearts ;  it  fills  the  soul  not  only  with  high  notions  and 
speculations,  but,  in  a  manner,  with  the  very  substance  of 
the  things  themselves. 

And  there  are  four  things,  especially,  which  we  ought  thus 
to  believe,  concerning  the  sufferings  of  the  Son  of  God  for 
our  sins ;  that  they  were  real  and  great  sufferings ;  that  they 
were  the  sufferings  of  the  Son  of  God ;  that  they  were  for 
sin  in  general,  and  for  our  sins  in  particular. 

First,  therefore,  let  us  recollect  what  we  have  all  read  and 
heard,  and  know,  and  believe  concerning  what  Jesus  Christ 


The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion.  269 

once  suffered  on  the  cross  at  Hierusalem,  and  imagine  that 
we  see  it  now,  not  only  represented,  but  really  acted  before 
our  eyes,  so  as  to  be  able  to  say,  "  Behold,"  yonder,  "  the 
Lamb  of  God,  taking  away  the  sin  of  the  world ! "  Behold 
Him,  after  many  preliminary  affronts  and  abuses  put  upon 
Him,  haled  at  length  to  Mount  Calvary,  the  place  of  His 
execution  !  Behold  there  an  upright  piece  of  timber  fixed 
in  the  ground,  with  another  little  piece  jetting  out  about 
the  middle,  and  a  cross-beam  towards  the  top  of  it !  Behold 
the  body  of  the  Blessed  Jesus,  raised  up  and  seated  upon  the 
foresaid  middle-piece,  His  feet  nailed  one  over  the  other, 
towards  the  bottom,  and  His  hands  one  to  the  one  side,  and 
the  other  to  the  other  side  of  the  cross-beam !  Behold  Him 
hanging  in  this  sad,  this  ignominious,  this  painful  posture, 
for  three  long  hours  together!  Behold  how  the  blood 
trickles  down  out  of  the  orifices  which  the  nails  have  made 
in  His  hands  and  feet !  How  fast  doth  it  fall  to  the  ground, 
as  if  all  the  blood  in  His  body  was  striving  to  get  out  there ! 
And  that  which  is  forced  to  stay  behind,  how  doth  it  ferment 
and  boil  in  His  veins  and  arteries,  and  swell  and  stretch 
them  to  that  height,  as  to  make  them  ready  to  burst  asun 
der  !  What  pain,  what  torment  is  He  now  in,  all  over  from 
head  to  foot !  But  what !  is  there  nobody  to  pity  and  re 
lieve  Him  in  this  distress  ?  So  far  from  that,  that  when  His 
excessive  heat  hath  made  Him  thirsty,  behold  !  the  standers- 
by  will  give  Him  nothing  else  but  "  gall  and  vinegar  to 
drink:"  a  sad  cordial  for  a  dying  man!  But  will  not  Al 
mighty  God,  whom  He  so  truly  called  "  Father,"  will  not 
He  come  in  to  rescue  or  assist  Him?  Alas!  there  is  the 
source  of  all  His  pain  and  misery  ;  for  His  Father,  who 
once  and  again  had  said  in  the  hearing  of  men,  "  This  is  My  [Matt.3.i7; 
beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased  ;"  His  Father  Him-  17-5-1 
self  is  now  so  angry  and  displeased,  that  He  seems  utterly 
to  have  forsaken  Him.  This  is  that  which  racks  and  tor 
tures  His  soul,  infinitely  more  than  all  the  nails  afflict  His 
body:  insomuch,  that  in  the  midst  of  all  his  pain,  He  is 
forced  to  cry  out,  in  a  most  sad  and  doleful  manner,  (me- 
thinks  I  hear  it  still),  "  My  God,  My  God,  why  hast  Thou  [Matt.  27. 
forsaken  Me?"  And  now  "Behold  the  Lamb  of  God"46>] 
roasting  in  the  fire  of  His  Father's  wrath,  and  offering  up 


270  The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion. 

SERM.    Himself  as  a  whole  burnt-offering  to  Him,  until  at  length, 

[Matt  27    being  no  longer  able  to  endure  the  flames,  He  "  gives  up 

5°0    '     '   the  Ghost." 

But  then,  in  the  next  place,  let  us  consider,  who  it  was 
that  underwent  all  this.  Who  ?  No  other,  no  less  a  person 
than  the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  of  the  same  nature  and  glory 
with  the  Father  :  for  when  they  crucified  Him,  "  They  cru- 

i  Cor.  2.  s.  cified  the  Lord  of  Glory,"  as  the  Apostle  saith.  The  blood 
we  saw  upon  His  hands  and  feet,  and  dropping  down  so  fast 
from  thence  unto  the  ground,  "  it  was  the  blood  of  God  : " 
for  so  the  same  Apostle  calls  it,  in  the  charge  he  gave  to  the 

Acts  20.  28.  Asian  Bishops,  requiring  them  "  to  feed  the  Church  of  God, 
which  He,"  which  God  "  hath  purchased  with  His  own 
blood."  Nay,  when  He  died,  God  Himself  may  be  truly 
said  to  have  laid  down  His  life,  for  so  His  own  beloved 

Uohns.iG.  Disciple  saith  expressly,  "  Hereby  perceive  we  the  love  of 
God,  because  He  laid  down  His  life  for  us."  Strange  ex 
pressions  !  Yet  not  so  strange  as  true,  as  being  uttered  by 
Truth  itself.  Neither  will  they  seem  strange  unto  us,  if  we 
truly  believe  and  consider,  that  He  who  suffered  all  this, 
was,  and  is  both  God  and  man  ;  not  in  two  distinct  persons, 
as  if  He  was  one  person  as  God,  and  another  person  as  man, 
according  to  the  Nestorian  heresy ;  for  if  so,  then  His  suf 
ferings  as  man  would  have  been  of  no  value  for  us,  nor  have 
stood  us  in  any  stead,  as  being  the  sufferings  only  of  a  finite 
person :  but  He  is  both  God  and  man  in  one  and  the  same 
Person,  as  the  third  general  Council  declared  out  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  and  the  Catholic  Church  always  believed. 
From  whence  it  comes  to  pass,  that  although  His  suffer 
ings  affected  only  the  manhood,  yet  that  being  at  the  same 
time  united  to  the  Godhead,  in  one  and  the  same  Person, 
they  therefore  were,  and  may  be  properly  called  the  suffer 
ings  of  God  Himself;  the  Person  that  suffered  them  being 
really  and  truly  God. 

But  why  should  He  who  is  God  Himself  suffer  ?  Was  it 
for  Himself,  upon  His  own  account,  for  His  own  sin  ?  No, 

[i  Pet.  2.  surely  ;  "  For  He  did  no  sin,  neither  was  guile  found  in  His 
mouth:"  and  He  who  never  sinned  Himself,  could  never 
suffer  for  Himself.  But  why  did  He  then  suffer?  The 

isa.  53. 4-6.  Prophet  resolves  the  question,  saying,  "  That  He  bare  our 


The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion.  271 

griefs  and  carried  our  sorrows;  He  was  wounded  for  our 
transgressions,  and  bruised  for  our  iniquities.     The  Lord 
laid  on  Him  the  iniquities  of  us  all,"  or,  as  the  word  signifies, 
"  made  all  our  iniquities  meet  on  Him."     And   therefore 
His  Apostles  say,  "  He  died  for  our  sins,"  "  He  was  de-  [Rom.4.25; 
livered  for  our  offences,"  "  He  was  made  sin  for  us,"  "  He  Gal.  2.  20;' 
gave  Himself  for  us,"  "  He  laid  down  His  life  for  us  ;"  "  He  /Tim.  2*6; 
was  made  a  ransom  for  us  all,"  "  He  was  a  propitiation  for  the  1  John2-20 
sins  of  the  whole  world  :"  or,  as  He  Himself  words  it,  "  The  Matt.20.28. 
Son  of  Man  came  not  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  minister, 
and  to  give  His  life  a  ransom  for  many;"  or  "instead  of 
many,"  even  as  many  as  partake  of  that  nature  which  He 
assumed,  and  in  which  He  suffered. 

For  seeing  He  took  not  on  Him  any  particular  human 
person  or  persons,  but  the  human  nature  in  general,  which 
had  no  subsistence  out  of  the  Divine  Person ;  hence  all  that 
are  of  that  nature  were  virtually  contained  in  Him  the 
second,  as  well  as  they  were  in  the  first  "  Adam  ;"  and  there 
fore  also  suffered  with  Him,  because  their  nature  did  so,  in 
His  Divine  Person,  to  which  it  was  united  :  by  which  means 
He,  "  By  the  one  oblation  of  Himself  once  offered,  made  a 
full,  perfect,  and  sufficient  sacrifice,  oblation,  and  satisfaction 
for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  So  that  whensoever  we 
look  upon  our  Saviour,  as  hanging  upon  the  cross,  we  may 
truly  say,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away 
the  sin  of  the  world  ! " 

Neither  is  it  enough  that  we  thus  believe,  that  Christ  died 
for  mankind  in  general,  but  in  the  last  place,  every  one 
should  believe  that  Christ  died  for  him,  and  for  his  sins  in 
particular  ;  so  as  to  apply  the  sufferings  of  the  human  nature 
in  Christ  to  his  own  particular  human  person.  For  seeing 
it  is  expressly  said  that  Christ  tasted  death  for  "  every  man,"  Heb.  2.  9. 
every  man  ought  to  believe  He  did  it  for  him.  And  as  no 
man  can  believe  this  except  he  repent,  so  no  man  can  truly 
repent  of  all  his  sins,  but  he  may  and  ought  to  believe  this, 
even  that  Christ  died  for  him,  and  for  those  very  sins  which 
he  hath  repented  of.  Thus  we  find  St.  Paul  acting  his 
faith,  so  as  to  appropriate  Christ  unto  himself:  "  I  am  cruci-  Gal.  2.  20. 
fied,"  saith  he,  "  with  Christ ;  nevertheless  I  live,  yet  not  I, 
but  Christ  liveth  in  me ;  and  the  life  which  I  now  live  in 


272  The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion. 

SERM.    the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  Faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  who  loved 
xv 

' —  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me." 

Thus  every  one  that  repents  and  believes  the  Gospel, 
should  look  upon  himself  as  particularly  interested  in  what 
Christ  did  and  suffered  for  mankind,  as  much  as  if  He  had 
done  and  suffered  it  only  for  him  ;  so  that  I  am  bound,  and 

[Rom.  10.  so  is  every  one  else,  not  only  to  "  confess  with  my  mouth," 
but  "  to  believe  in  my  heart,"  that  He  became  the  Son  of 
Man,  that  I  might  become  the  son  of  God  :  He  assumed 
my  human,  that  I  might  partake  of  His  Divine  nature. 

[Rom.  4.     He  was  "  delivered  for  my  offences,"  and  "  raised  again  for 

[2  Cor.  5.  my  justification :"  He  was  "  made  sin  for  me,"  that  "  I  might 
be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him  :"  He  died  that  I 
might  live,  and  was  crucified  by  men,  that  I  might  be  glori- 

[Gai.2.2o.]  fied  with  God  for  ever;  for  "  He  loved  me,  and  gave  Him 
self  for  me."  And  therefore  now  that  I  remember  His 
death,  and  see  Him,  methinks,  upon  the  cross,  I  cannot  but 
cry  out,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the 
sin  of  the  world  "  in  general,  and  my  sins  in  particular ! 

Now  let  us  put  these  things  together,  that  Jesus  Christ 
suffered  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross ;  that  He  who 
suffered  that  death,  was  not  only  man,  but  God ;  that  He 
suffered  it  only,  that  He  might  thereby  expiate  and  take 
away  the  sins  which  mankind  in  general,  and  which  we  in 
particular,  have  committed  :  And  if  we  rightly  believe,  and 
duly  consider  these  great  Articles  of  our  Christian  Faith,  we 
need  not  be  told  what  impressions  they  will  make  upon 
our  minds ;  for  we  ourselves  shall  soon  find  it  by  our  own 
experience.  Yet  nevertheless,  this  being  the  proper  work 
of  the  season,  to  raise  up  and  exercise  our  souls  in  some 
measure  suitably  to  the  mystery  which  we  now  celebrate,  I 
shall  endeavour,  as  plainly  as  I  can,  to  shew  how  the  several 
passions  or  affections  of  our  minds  should  be  moved,  excited, 
and  stirred  up  at  the  remembrance  and  consideration  of 
Christ's  dying  for  us ;  not  doubting  but  you  will  excuse  my 
plainness,  for  His  sake  of  whom  I  speak,  and  of  whom  we 
can  never  speak  plain  enough. 

For  this  purpose  therefore,  I  shall  begin  with  the  passion 
of  anyer  and  hatred:  I  join  them  together,  because  of  their 
near  alliance  to  one  another;  anger  being  nothing,  in  a 


The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion.  273 

manner,  but  hatred  in  the  act ;  hatred  nothing  but  habitual 
anger.  And  doubtless,  if  ever  it  be  lawful  to  hate,  if  ever  it 
be  a  duty  to  be  angry,  it  must  needs  be  so  when  we  think  of 
our  Saviour's  Passion,  and  of  those  which  had  a  hand  in  it. 
Our  Saviour's  Passion!  Who  is  able  to  think  of  it  without 
utter  hatred  and  indignation  against  those  who  caused  it  ? 
How  odious  to  all  good  men  is  the  memory  of  those  who 
brought  King  Charles  I.  unto  the  block!  But  what  then 
shall  we  think  of  those  who  brought  the  King  of  all  kings 
unto  the  cross  ?  What  shall  we  think  of  Judas,  who  be 
trayed  Him  ?  of  the  officers  who  apprehended  Him  ?  of  the 
chief  Priest  and  elders  who  accused  Him  ?  What  shall  we 
think  of  the  rabble,  who  preferred  a  murderer  before  Him, 
and  cried  out,  "Crucify  Him,  crucify  Him?"  What  shall 
we  think  of  Pilate,  who  pronounced  sentence  upon  Him  ? 
and  of  the  soldiers,  who  put  a  crown  of  thorns  upon  His 
head,  who  stripped  Him,  who  mocked  Him,  who  spit  upon 
Him,  who  smote  Him  upon  the  head,  who  fastened  His 
blessed  hands  and  feet  unto  the  cross,  with  nails  drove 
through  them  ?  What  shall  we  think,  I  say,  of  these  ? 
These  certainly  are  far  more  odious  to  all  good  Christians, 
than  we  can  think  them  to  be.  Or  rather,  with  what  pa 
tience  are  we  able  to  think  of  them  at  all  ?  O  generation 
of  vipers  !  Who  could  ever  have  imagined,  that  men  created 
after  the  image  of  God,  could  have  had  such  venom  and 
poison,  such  rancour  and  malice,  so  much  of  the  spirit  of  the 
Devil  in  them,  as  to  sell  their  Redeemer,  accuse  their  Advo 
cate,  condemn  their  Judge,  destroy  their  Saviour,  kill  Him 
that  gave  them  life,  and  so  do  all  the  mischief  they  could  to 
Him,  who  did  all  the  good  that  could  be  done  for  them? 
If  we  had  them  here,  how  would  our  hearts  rise  against 
them  !  Which  of  us  could  forbear  to  express  the  utmost  of 
his  hatred  and  abhorrence  of  them  ?  How  should  we  all 
strive  to  serve  them,  if  possible,  as  bad  as  they  served  our 
Saviour  ! 

But  we  must  not  spend  all  our  wrath  and  fury  upon  them, 
but  remember  that  we  ourselves  had  also  a  great  hand  in 
that  horrid  fact.  They  indeed  were  the  instruments,  but 
the  sins  of  men,  and  ours  among  the  rest,  were  the  principal 
causes  of  it :  the  consideration  whereof  is  enough,  one  would 

T 


274  The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion. 

SERM.    think,  to  make  us  out  of  love  with,  sin  as  long  as  we  live, 

and  to  hate  it  with  a  perfect  hatred,  and  ourselves  also  for 

the  commission  of  it.  Which  that  we  may  do,  let  us  search 
into  our  hearts,  review  our  lives,  and  bethink  ourselves  what 
sins  we  have  committed  against  the  Eternal  God ;  and  re 
member  these  were  they  which  put  our  Saviour  to  so  much 
grief  and  pain,  into  such  an  agony,  that  He  sweat  drops, 
great  drops  of  blood.  These  were  they,  for  which  He  was 
delivered  up  into  the  hands  of  His  malicious  enemies,  and 
was  so  cruelly  used  and  abused  by  them.  These  were  they, 
which  incensed  the  wrath  of  God  so  much,  that  He  Himself 
could  no  way  quench  it,  but  with  His  own  blood.  In  short, 
these  were  they,  for  which  the  Son  of  God  Himself  was 
betrayed,  apprehended,  derided,  accused,  arraigned,  con 
demned,  and  crucified.  Can  we  remember  this,  and  yet 
endure  ourselves,  and  our  sins  too  ?  Surely  it  is  impossible  ! 
If  there  be  any  such  thing  as  gall  in  us,  it  must  needs  over 
flow  and  vent  itself  against  ourselves  and  sins,  when  we 
remember  what  shame  and  misery  we  thereby  brought  upon 
the  best  friend  that  ever  we  had,  or  ever  can  have  in  the 
whole  world.  Ungrateful  creatures!  that  ever  we  should 
put  the  Son  of  God  to  all  this  trouble,  and  bring  Him  with 
so  much  grief  and  sorrow  to  His  grave!  That  ever  we 
should  offend  Almighty  God  so  much,  that  nothing  but  the 
blood  of  His  only-begotten  Son  should  appease  and  reconcile 
Him  to  us ! 

But  what !  shall  we  still  live  in  sin,  notwithstanding  that 
our  Lord  hath  died  for  it,  and  so  crucify  to  ourselves  the 

[Heb.  6. 6.]  "  Son  of  God  afresh,  and  put  Him  to  an  open  shame  ?  God 
forbid."  No :  let  us  now  revenge  our  Saviour's  death  upon 
our  sins,  which  caused  it,  and  kill  them  as  they  killed  Him, 

[Gal. s. 24.]  even  "  crucify  our  flesh  with  the  affections  and  lusts."  Let 
us  now  live  in  a  perfect  aversion  and  antipathy  to  all  manner 
of  vice  and  wickedness,  and  set  ourselves  so  much  against 
it,  that  all  the  world  may  see  our  love  to  Christ,  who  died 
for  our  sins,  by  our  constant  hatred  of  those  sins  for  which 
He  died. 

And  now  we  speak  of  love,  that  certainly  is  a  passion 
that  must  needs  be  raised  to  its  highest  pitch,  when  we 
"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of 


The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion.  275 

the  world."  If  we  behold  Him  only  as  the  Lamb  of  God, 
as  such  He  is  without  spot  or  blemish;  beauty,  goodness, 
purity,  glory,  perfection  itself;  and,  therefore,  infinitely  de 
serves  our  love,  for  what  He  is :  but  when  we  behold  Him 
as  the  "  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world,"  and  so  consider  not  only  how  lovely  He  is  in  Him 
self,  but  likewise  how  loving  He  hath  been,  and  still  is  to 
us ;  I  wonder  how  we  are  able  to  love  any  thing  in  the 
world  besides,  or  at  least  in  comparison  of  Him  !  For  where 
shall  we  find  a  friend  that  ever  did,  or  ever  can  express  so 
much  love  and  kindness  to  us,  as  our  dear  Lord  hath  done  ? 
For  what  hath  not  He  done  ?  What  hath  not  He  suifered 
for  us  ?  He  "  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  Phil.  2.  6-s. 
robbery  to  be  equal  with  God,  and  yet  made  Himself  of  no 
reputation,  but  took  upon  Him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and 
was  made  in  the  likeness  of  men  ;  and  being  found  in  fashion 
as  a  man,  He  humbled  Himself,  and  became  obedient  to 
death,  even  to  the  death  of  the  cross,"  and  all  for  us.  And 
as  He  Himself  saith,  "  Greater  love  than  this  hath  no  man,  John  is.  is. 
that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friend."  Yet  this  love 
had  He  for  us,  for  hereby  "perceive  the  love  of  God,  that  iJohns.ie. 
He  laid  down  His  life  for  us."  He  did  not  only  suffer  hunger 
and  thirst,  and  contempt,  and  grief,  and  pain,  and  trouble  for 
us,  but  He  laid  down  His  life  for  us.  "  O  the  height,  the  [Eph.  3. 
length,  the  depth,  the  breadth  of  the  love  of  Christ  to  man- 18'^ 
kind  !"  That  Glory  itself  should  be  despised,  Mercy 
slighted,  Love  hated,  Innocence  accused,  Justice  condemned, 
Life  die,  God  crucified  for  men  !  How  can  we  muse  of  this, 
and  the  fire  not  kindle  in  our  breasts,  and  break  out  into 
an  open  flame  of  Divine  love  to  Him,  who  so  "loved  us,"  [Gal. 2. 20.] 
as  to  give  "  Himself  for  us." 

And  if  any  of  your  hearts  be  not  yet  enflamed  with  true 
love  to  Christ,  bring  them  nearer  to  His  cross,  behold  Him 
there  how  He  hangs  upon  it,  view  Him  well,  see  how  His 
heart  beats,  His  head  hangs  down,  His  hands  and  feet  are 
all  of  a  gore-blood,  and  all  for  you  !  Consider  how  His 
body  is  racked,  His  soul  is  scorched,  His  whole  man  is  tor 
mented  in  the  fire  of  God's  wrath,  and  all  for  you  !  Look  a 
little  longer,  and  behold  what  pangs  of  death  are  upon  Him, 
until  at  length  He  bows  His  head,  and  gives  up  the  Ghost, 


276  The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion. 

SERM.    and  all  for  you  !     And  if  after  all  this,  any  man  love  not  the 
—  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let  him  be  Anathema  Maranatha! 

Neither  doth  our  Blessed  Saviour  thus  infinitely  deserve 
our  love,  only  by  what  He  once  suffered  upon  the  cross,  but 
likewise  by  what  He  is  still  doing  for  us  in  Heaven  ;  where 
He  appears  continually  in  the  presence  of  God  on  our 
behalf,  applying  the  merits  of  that  death  to  us,  which  He 
underwent  for  us  upon  earth.  For  it  is  to  Him  thus  dying, 
and  therefore  making  intercession  for  us,  that  we  are  obliged 
for  whatsoever  we  have,  or  are,  or  do,  that  is  good :  it  is  He 
that  supplies  our  wants,  that  resolves  our  doubts,  that  pre 
vents  our  fears,  that  removes  our  troubles,  and  delivers  us 
from  seen  or  unseen  dangers,  every  day :  it  is  He  that 
restrains  the  power,  "  abates  the  pride,  assuages  the  malice," 
infatuates  the  counsels,  and  defeats  the  designs  of  all  our 
enemies  :  it  is  by  Him  that  our  vices  are  subdued,  and  our 
hearts  cleansed,  that  our  sins  are  forgiven,  and  our  persons 
justified  ;  that  our  prayers  are  answered,  our  services  ac 
cepted,  our  nature  sanctified,  and  our  souls  saved :  it  is  all 
by  Him,  and  by  Him  only.  He  is  our  Prophet  to  instruct 
and  teach  us,  He  is  our  King  to  govern  and  protect  us,  He  is 
our  High-priest  to  make  atonement  and  reconciliation  for  us. 
Insomuch,  that  without  Him  we  can  do  nothing,  but  by 
Him  there  is  nothing  but  we  can  do  ;  as  the  Apostle  found 
Phil.  4. 13.  by  experience,  saying,  "  I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ, 
which  strengtheneth  me." 

When  we  are  in  trouble,  and  ready  to  sink  under  it,  it  is 
He  who  supports  our  spirits,  and  carries  us  with  patience 
and  comfort  through  it.  When  we  are  in  straits,  and 
know  not  which  way  to  take,  it  is  He  who  guides  us  by  His 
counsel,  and  directs  us  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  to  what  is  most 
for  His  glory  and  our  good.  When  we  are  assaulted  with 
temptations,  it  is  He  who  stands  by  us,  and  gives  us  power 
to  resist  and  conquer  them.  When  our  passions  are  turbu 
lent  and  unruly,  it  is  He  who  reduceth  them  in  order,  and 
brings  our  minds  into  frame  again.  When  we  are  heavy 
laden  with  the  burden  of  our  sins,  it  is  He  who  gives  rest 
and  quiet  to  our  souls.  When  we  are  at  our  devotions,  it  is 
He  who  assists  and  perfumes  them  with  the  incense  of  His 
own  merits.  And  now  we  are  speaking  and  hearing  of  Him, 


The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion.  277 

He  is  specially  present  with  us,  to  excite  and  raise  up  our 

affections  to  Himself:  we  may  be  confident  of  it,  for  we  have 

His  own.  word   for  it,  saying,  "  Where  two   or   three  are  Matt.  18.20. 

gathered  together  in  my  Name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst 

of  them."      But  is  He  here  in  the  midst  of  us  ?     How  then 

can  we  forbear  to  address  ourselves  unto  Him,  and  say, 

Dear  Jesus,  thou  "  Lamb  of  God,"  who  "  takest  away 
the  sin  of  the  world,"  we  honour  Thee,  we  adore  Thee,  we 
love  Thee,  for  that  "  Thou  first  lovedst  us ;"  yea,  so  lovedst  us, 
as  to  "  give  Thyself  for  us  ?"  What  shall  we  render  to  Thee, 
most  loving  Saviour,  for  this  Thine  infinite  love  and  kind 
ness  to  us  ?  We  know  that  Thou  expectest  no  more,  and  we 
can  give  no  less  than  to  love  Thee  again.  This,  therefore,  is 
that  which  we  now  promise  and  resolve  to  do  by  Thy  assist 
ance  :  beseeching  Thee  to  inspire  and  inflame  our  hearts 
every  day  more  and  more  with  love  to  Thee  above  all 
things,  by  that  transcendent  love  which  Thou  hast,  and  still 
art  pleased  to  manifest  unto  us. 

But  hark !  What  doth  our  great  Lord  and  Master  say  to 
those  who  profess  to  love  Him  ?  "  If  ye  love  Me,"  saith  He,  [John  14. 
"  keep  My  commandments ; "  without  which  indeed  we  have 
no  ground  to  think  we  love  Him,  but  have  all  the  reason  in 
the  world  to  fear  and  dread  Him.  For  if,  notwithstanding 
all  that  He  hath  done  and  suffered  for  us,  we  shall  still  con 
tinue  to  break  His  laws,  dishonour  His  name,  and  refuse 
those  easy  terms  which  He  hath  offered  to  us  in  His  Gospel ; 
what  can  we  expect,  but  that  He  will  leave  us  to  the  judg 
ment  of  God,  to  be  punished  according  as  our  sins  deserve  ? 
And  if  He  underwent  so  much  for  those  sins  which  were 
none  of  His  own,  but  others,  what  a  fearful  thing  will  it  be 
for  us  to  "fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God?"  What  [Heb.  10. 
cause  have  we  then  to  fear,  lest  we  by  our  impenitence  and 
unbelief  should  lose  the  benefit  of  all  Christ's  sufferings,  and 
forfeit  our  right  and  title  to  all  the  blessings  which  He  hath 
thereby  purchased  for  us?  For  what  then  will  become  of 
us  ?  If  our  Saviour  Himself  will  not  save  us,  who  can  ? 
And  yet  if  we  continue  in  our  rebellions  against  Him,  in 
stead  of  saving,  He  will  "  break  us  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  [ps.  2.  9.] 
dash  us  into  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel."  He  will  set  Him 
self  against  us,  and  be  as  great  an  enemy,  as  He  hath  been 


278  The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion. 

SERM.    a  friend  to  us  :  He  will  let  loose  the  Divine  vengeance,  and 
— —  our  own  consciences  upon  us  :  He  will  consign  us  over  to 

[Mark  9.  utter  darkness,  where  "  the  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is 
not  quenched."  He  will  pronounce  that  terrible  sentence 

[Matt.  25.  upon  us,  I  dread  to  repeat  it,  "  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed, 
into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  angels." 
Who  can  think  of  this,  and  not  tremble  at  the  thoughts  of 
living  in  those  sins,  for  which  the  Son  of  God  died  ? 

But  as  we  have  so  much  reason  to  fear  the  sad  effects  of 
sin,  in  case  we  continue  in  it ;  so,  if  we  repent  and  turn  from 
it,  we  have  all  the  ground  imaginable  to  hope  and  trust  on 
Christ,  for  pardon  and  salvation,  and  for  all  things  necessary 
both  for  life  and  godliness.  For  now  that  the  Lamb  of  God 
hath  taken  away  the  Sin  of  the  world,  what  need  we  fear  ? 
Do  we  fear  shame  ?  He  was  derided.  Do  we  fear  pain  ? 
He  was  tormented.  Do  we  fear  judgment  ?  He  was  con 
demned.  Do  we  fear  death  ?  He  was  crucified  for  us.  Do 
we  fear  any  of  our  fellow -creatures  ?  Our  Creator  Himself 
is  now  become  our  Saviour  and  mighty  Deliverer ;  He  hath 

2 Cor.  1.10.  delivered  us  from  great  dangers  :  "  He  doth  deliver;  in 
whom  we  trust  that  He  will  yet  deliver." 

And  what  good  thing  is  there  in  the  whole  world,  which 
we  may  not,  which  we  ought  not  to  hope  for  now,  at  the 

Rom.  s.       hands  of  God  ?     For,  as   the  Apostle   argues,  "  He   that 

39.  spared  not  His  own  Son,  but  delivered  Him  up  for  us  all ; 

how  shall  He  not  with  Him  also  freely  give  us  all  things  ? 
Who  shall  lay  any  thing  to  the  charge  of  God's  elect  ?  It  is 
God  that  justifieth,  who  is  He  that  condemneth  ?  It  is 
Christ  that  died,  who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
Christ  ?  Shall  tribulation,  or  distress,  or  persecution,  or  fa 
mine,  or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword  ?  Nay,  in  all  these 
things,  we  are  more  than  conquerors,  through  Him  that 
loved  us.  For  I  am  persuaded,  that  neither  death,  nor  life, 
nor  angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor  things  pre 
sent,  nor  things  to  come  ;  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any 
other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord." 

Thus,  when  we  consider  how  great  things  Christ  hath 
done  for  us,  we  cannot  but  rejoice  in  hope,  and  triumph 
over  despair  and  diffidence.  But  if  we  consider  withal  how 


The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion.  279 

He  did  it,  even  by  dying  for  us,  and  so  undergoing  all  the 
punishments  which  were  due  to  our  sins  ;  this  is  enough  to 
make  us  grieve,  lament,  and  mourn  all  the  days  of  our  life. 
Insomuch,  that  I  cannot  but  sometimes  wonder  with  myself, 
how  we  are  able  to  lift  up  our  heads,  and  look  one  another 
in  the  face ;  that  we  do  not  blush,  that  we  are  not  ashamed 
of  ourselves  for  being  guilty  of  such  sins,  for  which  no  less 
a  sacrifice  than  the  Lamb  of  God  Himself  could  make 
atonement.  Yea,  I  wonder  how  we  make  a  shift  to  live? 
how  we  can  endure  ourselves,  and  keep  our  hearts  from 
sinking  down  within  us,  when  we  call  to  mind  what  we  and 
our  sins  have  done,  even  crucified  the  Lord  of  Glory,  and 
laid  His  honour  in  the  dust !  "  The  remembrance  of  it " 
cannot  surely  but  be  "  grievous  to  us,"  and  "  the  burden  "  so 
"  intolerable,"  as  to  force  not  only  tears  from  our  eyes,  but 
blood  from  our  very  hearts ;  and  make  us  wish  that  we 
had  never  been  born,  that  we  had  never  lived,  that  so  we 
might  never  have  been  any  cause  that  the  Son  of  God 
should  die. 

Such  passions,  or  rather  compassions  as  these,  do  so  na 
turally  flow  from  the  due  consideration  of  our  Saviour's  suf 
ferings,  that  we  need  no  other  arguments  to  excite  or  move 
them.  Howsoever,  to  keep  up  our  minds  a  little  longer  in 
this  holy  and  devout  exercise,  let  us  suppose  ourselves  to  be 
standing  or  passing  by  the  cross,  whilst  our  Saviour  was 
hanging  upon  it,  and  apprehend  Him  crying  out,  as  He 
justly  might,  after  this  or  the  like  manner : 

"  Is  it  nothing  to  you,  all  ye  that  pass  by  ?  Behold  and  [Lam.  i. 
see  if  there  be  any  sorrow  like  unto  my  sorrow  "  which  is  12>J 
done  unto  me, "  wherewith  the  Lord  hath  afflicted  me  in  the 
day  of  His  fierce  anger  ! "  Behold  and  see  what  your  sins 
have  done,  what  they  have  done  to  Me  the  Eternal  Son  of 
God,  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father  !  See  what  scorn  and 
contempt  they  have  brought  upon  Me,  what  spittle  they 
have  thrown  in  My  face,  what  gashes  they  have  made  in 
My  head,  what  wounds  in  My  hands  and  feet,  what  bloody 
sweat  over  My  whole  body  !  And  yet  alas !  all  that  you  can 
see  is  nothing  in  comparison  of  what  I  feel ;  I  feel  the  wrath 
of  God,  the  wrath  of  My  beloved  Father,  and  all  that  fury 
and  vengeance  which  is  due  to  your  sins  ;  it  all  now  centres 


280  The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion. 

SERM.    in  Me.     Oh,  the  fire  now  kindled  in  My  breast !  enough  to 
-L—  burn  up  ten  thousand  such  as  you  to  nothing.     How  doth  it 

[Matt.  26.  flame  and  spread  itself  over  My  whole  man  !  My  throat 
is  dry,  My  heart  is  faint,  "  My  soul  is  sorrowful  unto  death." 
What  a  load  is  now  upon  Me  !  What  a  burden  do  I  now 
bear!  No  less  than  the  sin  of  the  whole  world !  A  burden 
so  great,  so  heavy,  so  grievous  to  be  borne,  that  I  Myself 
should  sink  under  it,  but  that  I  am  supported  by  My  al 
mighty  power  and  Godhead.  Oh  that  you  could  but  look 
into  My  breast,  that  you  did  but  know  what  pain  and  an 
guish,  what  horror  and  confusion  I  there  suffer  for  your 
sins  !  How  would  it  grieve  you  to  the  heart !  And  yet  all 
this  is  not  enough  neither ;  for  nothing  less  than  death,  than 
My  death,  will  satisfy  My  Father  for  your  sins  :  so  that 
either  I  must  die  now,  or  else  you  must  die  for  ever.  And 
therefore  behold  My  love ;  rather  than  that  you  should  die 
eternally,  I  Myself  for  your  sakes  now  give  up  the  ghost 
and  die. 

Can  we  possibly  apprehend  our  Lord  complaining  thus, 
as  He  justly  might,  upon  the  cross,  and  not  sympathise  and 
condole  with  Him  ?  Blessed  Lord !  we  cannot ;  we  cannot 
but  grieve  with  Thee,  having  been  the  cause  of  all  this  grief 
unto  Thee.  It  cuts  us  to  the  heart  to  see  Thy  blessed  body 
thus  torn  and  mangled,  and  to  consider  how  Thy  innocent 
soul  is  oppressed  and  tormented  for  our  sins,  for  those  sins 
which  we  have  taken  pleasure  and  delight  in.  But  now 
Thy  death  and  passion  brings  them  all  into  our  minds,  arid 

[Job.  13.26;  makes  us  "possess   our  former   iniquities,"  which  are  as 

s.  ss.  4.j    u  a  gore  |3Ur(Jen  too  heavy  for  us  to  bear."     Wherefore  we 

humble  ourselves  before  Thee  this  day,  we  abhor  ourselves, 

[Jer.  9.  i.]  we  repent  in  dust  and  ashes.  "O  that  our  heads  were 
waters,  and  our  eyes  a  fountain  of  tears,  that  we  might 
weep  day  and  night ! "  That  nothing  may  come  so  near  our 
hearts,  nothing  lie  so  heavily  upon  our  spirits,  nothing  be 
so  grievous  and  painful  to  us,  as  the  remembrance  of  our 
having  lived  so  as  to  cause  Thee,  in  whom  we  live,  to  die ! 
But  shall  we  do  so  still  ?  No  ;  by  Thy  assistance  we  will 
grieve  our  sins  to  death,  and  give  up  our  lives  to  Thee,  who 
hast  given  Thine  for  us. 

Such  thoughts  as  these  cannot  but  come  into  our  minds, 


The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion.  281 

whensoever  by  a  quick  and  lively  faith  we  behold  the  Son 
of  God  hanging  upon  the  cross  for  us ;  the  saddest  sight 
that  ever  was,  or  can  be  seen  :  so  sad,  that  it  would  certainly 
break  our  hearts,  and  make  us  spend  our  days  in  nothing- 
else  but  grief  and  melancholy,  unless  we  look  farther,  and 
behold  Him  there  as  "  the  Lamb  of  God,  taking  away  the 
sin  of  the  world :"  and  so,  together  with  His  death,  consider 
also  the  glorious  consequences  and  effects  of  it ;  as  that,  by 
it  our  sins  are  all  expiated,  and  our  obligations  to  punish 
ment  cancelled  and  made  void ;  by  it  the  whole  creation  is 
reconciled  to  us,  and  "  all  things  work  together  for  our  [Rom.  8. 
good:"  by  it  we  are  restored  to  the  favour  of  God  Himself, 
and  made  His  own  children  by  adoption  and  grace  ;  by  it 
we  have  the  image  of  God  enstamped  again  upon  us,  and 
are  made,  in  our  capacities,  "  holy  as  He  is  holy ;"  by  it  we 
are  empowered  from  above  to  "live  soberly,  righteously,  [Tit. 2. 12.] 
and  godly  in  this  present  world:"  and  when  we  go  from 
hence,  by  it  we  shall  be  carried  up  to  Heaven,  and  be  made 
as  happy  as  it  is  possible  for  creatures  to  be  for  ever.  The 
due  consideration  of  which  cannot  but  raise  up  our  dejected 
spirits  again,  and  make  us  every  one  sing  with  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  "  My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  re-  [Luke  i. 
joiceth  in  God  my  Saviour."  In  God  my  Saviour !  This  is 
the  ground  of  all  the  joy  we  either  have  or  hope  for,  that 
God  Himself  is  become  our  Saviour ;  that  He  hath  taken 
away  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  ours  among  the  rest : 
"  Whom  therefore  having  not  seen,  we  love  ;  in  whom,  j  Pet  lm  8 
though  now  we  see  Him  not,  yet  believing,  we  rejoice  with 
joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory." 

And  verily,  although  we  neither  have,  nor  do,  nor  can 
ever  expect  to  see  our  blessed  Saviour  with  our  bodily  eyes 
till  the  last  day :  yet  it  is  a  great  joy  and  comfort  to  us,  that 
as  by  faith  we  have  seen  Him  upon  the  cross,  where  He  suf 
fered  so  much  shame  and  pain  for  us ;  so  by  the  same  faith 
we  may  now  behold  Him  yonder  in  the  highest  Heavens, 
where  He  is  exalted  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  to  be  both 
"  a  prince  and  a  Saviour,"  to  give  "  repentance  and  remis-  [Luke  24. 
sion  of  sins;"  where  He  hath  "all  power"  committed  to  Him  ^;Matt.28. 
"  both  in  Heaven  and  earth ;"  where  He  reigns  as  "  Lord  of  Heb.  2.  9. 
lords,  King  of  kings,"  crowned  with  "  glory  and  honour," 


282  The  Merits  of  Christ's  Passion. 

SERM.  infinitely  beyond  what  we  are  able  to  conceive.  Where  He 
,-Ejh  t' —  is  "  set  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  far  above  all  principality, 
21.]  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and  every  name  that 

is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that  which  is 
to  come."  Where  He  hath  Angels,  Archangels,  Cherubim, 
{Seraphim,  and  all  the  company  of  Heaven  to  wait  continu 
ally  upon  Him,  to  minister  unto  Him,  to  praise  and  worship 
Him  :  and  where,  at  this  moment,  whilst  we  are  speaking 
and  hearing  of  Him,  He  is  interceding  and  preparing  a 
[Joimi4.3.]  place  for  us,  that  "  where  He  is,  there  we  may  be  also." 
This  we  have  from  our  own  Lord's  mouth,  and  therefore 
may  well  desire,  with  St.  Paul,  "  to  be  dissolved,  and  to  be 
with  Christ,"  that  we  may  see  Him  who  hath  been  thus  in- 
[i  Cor.  13.  finitely  kind  and  merciful  to  us ;  that  we  may  see  Him  "  face 
to  face,"  behold  the  glory  which  the  Father  hath  given 
Him,  enjoy  His  presence,  sing  forth  His  praises,  and  solace 
ourselves  in  His  Divine  love  and  goodness  for  ever. 

Thus  we  see  how  our  several  passions  of  anger,  hatred, 
love,  fear,  hope,  sorrow,  joy,  desire,  and  the  like,  have  all 
abundant  matter  to  work  on,  and  so  ought  to  be  inter 
changeably  exercised,  whensoever  we  behold  or  meditate 
upon  the  "  Lamb  of  God,  which  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world  ;"  as  we  do  at  this  time.  And  now,  I  hope,  we  are  all 
rightly  prepared  and  disposed  for  the  great  work  which  re 
mains,  ever  to  adore  and  praise  this  Lamb  of  God,  who  hath 
done,  and  suffered,  and  procured  such  great  and  wonderful 
things  for  us.  Let  us  therefore  now  lay  aside  all  earthly 
thoughts,  and  with  one  heart  and  mind  join  with  the  Holy 
Rev.  1.5, 6.  Evangelist,  in  saying  or  singing,  "To  Him  which  hath 
loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins,  in  His  own  blood, 
and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests,  to  God  and  His  Father, 
to  Him  be  glory  and  dominion  for  ever  and  ever."  Or 
rather,  that  we  may  do  so  high  a  work  the  better,  let  us  get 
above  this  world,  and  fix  our  hearts  and  affections  for  a 
while  in  Heaven,  where  our  great  Lord  and  Saviour  is ;  and 
there  let  us  join  in  concert  with  the  celestial  choir,  in  those 
seraphic  hymns  we  find  them  singing  in  the  Revelation  : 
Rev.  5. 12,  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  which  was  slain,  to  receive  power, 
and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honour,  and 
glory,  and  blessing."  And  again,  "  Blessing,  and  honour, 


The  Merits  of  Chrises  Passion.  283 

and  glory,  and  power,  be  unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  to  the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever." 

But  not  having  been  accustomed,  as  yet,  to  the  hymns  of 
the  Church  Triumphant,  as  we  hope  ere  long  to  be,  I  fear 
we  may  find  it  something  difficult  to  tune  our  hearts  aright 
unto  them :  and  therefore  let  us  take  that  which  the  Church 
Militant  here  on  earth  hath  always  used,  and  which  we 
ourselves  do  constantly  use  in  the  Sacrament  of  our  Lord's 
Supper,  ordained  on  purpose  to  put  us  in  mind  of  the  great 
atonement  which  He,  the  Lamb  of  God,  hath  made  for  us ; 
and  let  us,  with  one  heart  and  voice,  join  together  in  that, 
and  say, 

"  Glory  be  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace, 
good-will  towards  men.  We  praise  Thee,  we  bless  Thee, 
we  worship  Thee,  we  glorify  Thee,  we  give  thanks  to  Thee 
for  thy  great  glory,  O  Lord  God  !  Heavenly  King,  God  the 
Father  Almighty ! 

"  O  Lord !  the  only-begotten  Son  Jesu  Christ ;  O  Lord 
God !  Lamb  of  God,  Son  of  the  Father,  that  takest  away 
the  sin  of  the  world,  have  mercy  upon  us.  Thou  that 
takest  away  the  sin  of  the  world,  have  mercy  upon  us. 
Thou  that  takest  away  the  sin  of  the  world,  receive  our 
prayers.  Thou  that  sittest  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  have 
mercy  upon  us. 

"  For  Thou  only  art  holy ;  Thou  only  art  the  Lord ;  Thou 
only,  O  Christ,  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  art  most  high  in  the 
glory  of  God  the  Father.  Amen." 


SERMON   XVI. 

SALVATION  THROUGH  FEAR  AND  TREMBLING. 

PHIL.  ii.  12. 
Work  out  your  own  Salvation  with  fear  and  trembling. 

SERM.        SALVATION  is   a  word  that  is   often  in  our  mouths,  and 

— XVI* sometimes,  I  hope,  we  have  it  in  our  hearts  too.     Be  sure 

we  all  desire  to  be  saved ;  and  blessed  be  God  for  it,  we 
may  all  be  so,  if  it  be  not  our  own  faults :  for  we  have  an 
Almighty  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ,  the  Eternal  Son  of  God, 
Heb.  7.  25.  who  is  "  able  to  save  them  to  the  uttermost  that  come  unto 
God  by  Him,  seeing  He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession 
for  them."  And  that  He  is  as  willing  as  He  is  able  to 
i Tim. i.i5.  save  us,  we  cannot  doubt,  seeing  He  "  came  into  the  world" 
on  purpose  "  to  save  sinners,"  such  sinners  as  we  all  are  ;  and 
therefore  may  be  confident  that  He  will  save  us,  if  we  do 
but  apply  ourselves  to  Him  for  it,  and  do  what  He  requires 
on  our  part  in  order  to  it.  What  that  is,  I  shall  endeavour, 
by  His  assistance,  to  shew  from  the  words  I  have  now  read. 
The  Apostle  having  been  at  Philippi,  a  city  in  Macedonia, 
and  converted  many  of  the  citizens  to  the  Christian  Faith, 
he  sends  this  Epistle  to  confirm  them  in  it,  and  to  direct 
them  how  to  frame  their  lives,  and  carry  themselves  in  all 
conditions  according  to  it;  that  so  they  might  receive  the 
end  of  their  faith,  even  the  Salvation  of  their  souls.  Among 
other  things  he  here  puts  them  in  mind  of  the  great  readi 
ness  they  had  shewn,  in  obeying  and  observing  what  he 
taught  concerning  the  things  that  belonged  to  their  Salva 
tion,  while  he  was  present  with  them,  and  adviseth  them 
not  only  to  do  the  same,  but  much  more,  now  that  he  was 


Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling.  285 

absent  from  them,  and  so  could  not  be  ready,  upon  all  oc 
casions,  to  admonish  and  direct  them  what  to  do.  Now  he 
would  have  them  look  to  themselves,  and  use  their  utmost 
care  and  diligence  in  working  out  their  own  Salvation,  by 
doing  every  thing  that  is  requisite  or  necessary  in  order  to 
it :  "  Wherefore,  my  beloved/'  saith  he,  "  as  ye  have  always 
obeyed,  not  as  in  my  presence  only,  but  now  much  more 
in  my  absence,  work  out  your  own  Salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling." 

For  the  right  understanding  of  which  words,  we  must  first 
consider  what  is  here  meant  by  "  Salvation ; "  and  then,  what, 
by  "  working  it  out  with  fear  and  trembling." 

Salvation  is  a  word  that  is  often  used  in  Scripture  for 
preservation,  or  deliverance  from   any  sort  of  trouble   or 
distress,  in  mind,  body,  or  estate;  but  here,  and  in  many 
other  places,  it  signifies  particularly  that  whereby  we  are 
saved  from  the  wrath  of  God  and  eternal  damnation,  so  as 
to  be  advanced  to  everlasting  life  and  happiness  ;  which  is 
therefore  called  "  the  Salvation  of  our  souls,"  and  the  "  Sal-  i  Pet.  i.  9. 
vation  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus,  with  Eternal  Glory,"  who  is 
said  to  be  the  "  Author  of  Eternal  Salvation."     "  Neither  is  Heb.  5.  9. 
there  Salvation  in  any  other ;  for  there  is  none  other  name  Acts  4* 12' 
under  Heaven   given  among  men,   whereby   we   must   be 
saved." 

But  to  make  this  as  plain  and  practical  as  I  can,  that  ye 
may  all  understand  the  nature  of  this  Salvation,  so  as  to  be 
enflamed  with  desires  of  it,  and  steadfast  resolutions  to  work 
it  out,  I  shall  induce  it  from  its  original,  and  lay  it  all  open 
before  you  in  these  propositions. 

1.  As  all  the  Angels,  so  all  men  were  at  first  designed 
to  live  and  abide  for  ever;  and  accordingly  they  all  do 
so.  When  a  man  is  once  formed,  and  so  begins  to  be, 
or  exist,  he  is  never  after  annihilated,  or  ceaseth  to  be, 
but  always  continues  in  his  being  or  existence:  so  that 
Adam  himself,  and  all  that  ever  proceeded  from  him,  in  all 
places  and  ages,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  unto  this 
day,  they  still  all  live,  and  move,  and  have  their  being  some 
where,  as  really  as  we  now  live  upon  the  earth :  though 
their  souls  are  separated  from  their  bodies,  they  are  not 
separated  from  their  being,  but  still  exist,  and  act  as  rea- 


286  Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling, 

SERM.    sonable  souls,  and  will  continue  to  do  so  in  their  separate 
—  state,  until  the  Last  Day  ;  when  their  bodies  being  united 
again  to  them,  they  shall  live  together  unto  all  Eternity. 

2.  As  all  men  live  for  ever,  so  all  live  more  or  less  in  this 
world ;  some  live  a  longer,  some  a  shorter  time,  but  all  live 
some  time  here ;  some,  perhaps,  may  live  but  a  few  minutes, 
or  an  imperceptible  time,  but  some  they  must  live :  for  no 
man  can  go  into  the  other  world,  without  taking  this  in  his 
way ;  his  soul  must  first  live  in  a  body  upon  earth,  before  it 
can  be  translated  into  another  state ;    others  live  here  for 
many  years,  as  blessed  be  God,  many  of  us  have  already 
done ;  some  heretofore,  lived  two  hundred  or  three  hundred, 
some  near  a  thousand  years ;  now,  it  is  rare  for  any  to  live 
an  hundred ;  neither  doth  any  man  know  how  much  longer 
he  shall  live,  than  he  hath  lived  already. 

3.  But  this  we  all  know,  that  how  long  soever  any  man 
lives  in  this  world,  he  must  at  last  go  into  the  other ;  this 
being   designed   only  for  our    temporal,  the  other  for  our 
eternal  state,  which  we  enter  upon  immediately  upon  our 
leaving  this  :  the  soul  being  no  sooner  separated  from  the 
body,  and  so  out  of  this  world,  but  it  is  at  the  same  moment 
in  the  other.     So  that  death  is  only  our  departure  or  trans 
lation  out  of  one  state  into  another;   out  of  this  into  the 
other  world. 

4.  According  as  men  live  here,  well  or  ill,  so  hereafter 
they  must  live  in  pleasure  or  torment ;   for  every  one  shall 

2 Cor. 5.10.  receive  "the  things  done  in  his  body,  according  to  that  he 
hath  done,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad."  And  accordingly, 

[Tit.  2. 12.]  they  who  "  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present 

2Thes.  1.8,  world,"  shall  live  happily  in  the  other :  but  they  who  "  know 
not  God,  and  obey  not  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  destruction  from  the  pre 
sence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  His  power."  And 

Matt.25.46.  so  "  these  shall  go  into  everlasting  punishment,  but  the 
righteous  into  life  eternal." 

5.  The  place  where  all  impenitent  and  unbelieving  sinners 
Matt.22.i3.  must  live  for  ever,  is  called  "  Hell,"  a  "  dark"  and  "  gloomy 

place,"  "  outer  darkness,  where  shall  be  weeping  and  gnash 
ing  of  teeth,"  where  they  live  in  the  extremity  of  pain  and 
Mark  9.  44.  torment,  both  in  mind  and  body  ;  where  their  "  worm  dieth 


Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling.  287 

not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched,"  where  their  consciences 
are  continually  gnawed  and  fretted  with  the  remembrance 
of  their  former  sins,  and  the  wrath  of  Almighty  God  is 
always  burning  in  their  breasts,  never  to  be  quenched  or 
abated;  where  they  lie  scorching  in  that  "everlasting  fire  Matt.25.4i. 
that  is  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  angels,"  and  so  have 
those  fiends  and  furies  all  about  their  ears;  where  they 
never  have  any  quiet  in  their  minds,  nor  ease  in  their  bodies, 
nor  so  much  as  "  one  drop  of  water  to  cool  their"  inflamed  [Luke  16. 

24  1 

"  tongues;"  where  they  are  always  restless  and  uneasy,  con 
founded,  "afflicted,  tormented"  with  a  quick  sense  of  God's 
wrath  and  fiery  indignation  against  them,  for  not  obeying 
the  Laws,  nor  believing  the  Gospel  which  He  had  revealed 
to  them.  This  is  the  portion  of  the  wicked,  the  bitter  cup 
which  they  must  drink  in  the  other  world  :  and  that  which 
is  worst  of  all,  they  can  never  drink  it  all  off ;  for  as  fast  as 
they  drink,  fresh  will  still  be  poured  in,  and  so  their  un 
speakable  misery  and  torment  will  be  continued  for  ever. 

6.  But  they  who  repent  and  believe  the  Gospel  in  this 
world,  at  their  departure  out  of  it  go  to  a  place  of  a  quite 
different  nature,  called  "  Heaven,"  a  place  as  full  of  pleasure 
and  satisfaction,  as  the  other  is  of  astonishment  and  con 
fusion  :  for  here  the  "  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect,"  live  [Heb.  12. 
in  perfect  rest,  and  ease,  and  love,  and  peace  together,  fear 
ing  nothing,  lacking  nothing,  desiring  nothing,  as  having 
all  things  they  can  desire  ;  neither  can  they  envy  the  Holy 
Angels  themselves,  being  made  equal  to  them  in  all  respects, 
and  fellow-communers  with  them  in  all  their  joys  and 
honours.  Here  the  "  righteous  shine  as  the  sun  in  the  Matt.is.43. 
Kingdom  of  their  Father,"  having  the  light  of  His  counte 
nance  shining  continually  upon  them ;  which  so  refresheth, 
delighteth,  and  transports  their  blessed  spirits,  that  they  are 
always  brisk  and  lively,  always  pleasant  and  cheerful,  always 
singing  and  praising,  and  adoring  the  Eternal  God,  and  the 
"  Lamb  that  sitteth  upon  the  Throne."  "  The  Lamb  that  sit-  [Rev.s.is.] 
teth  upon  the  Throne  ;"  it  was  He  that  brought  them  thither, 
and  now  they  live  with  Him  there,  and  "behold  the  glory  John  17. 24. 
which  the  Father  hath  given  Him."  O  blessed  sight! 
methinks  the  very  thoughts  of  it  should  make  us  all  long 
to  be  there,  that  we  may  see  our  dear  Lord  and  Saviour 


288  Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling. 

SERM.    shining  forth  in  all  His  glory !     Then  we  shall  clearly  see 

-  His  infinite  love  and  goodness  to  us,  and  partake  of  all  the 

felicities  that  He  purchased  for  us  with  His  own  blood. 

[Heb.  1.2.]  He  is  made  "heir  of  all  things,"  and  in  Him  we  shall  then 
inherit  all  things  too,  that  God  ever  made,  and  Him  also 
that  made  them :  for  we  shall  then  behold  Him  manifesting 
His  special  love  and  favour  to  us,  smiling  upon  us,  arid 
displaying  all  His  glorious  perfections  before  us,  whereby 
we  shall  be  filled  with  all  true  joy  and  happiness,  as  full 
as  our  souls  can  hold,  or  can  be  made  capable  of.  This 

[PS.  H9.9.]  "  honour  have  all  the  Saints  : "  this  perfection  of  bliss  and 

[Num.23,  glory  have  all  they  who  live  the  life,  and  "die  the  death  of 
the  righteous  :"  this  they  always  have,  not  only  now  and 
then,  but  continually  :  not  for  some  time  only,  but  to  all 
eternity. 

This  is  that  Salvation,  that  Eternal  Salvation  which  the 
Apostle  here  speaks  of,  and  would  have  us  to  work  out. 
He  supposes  that  we  are  all  capable  of  it,  and  may  have 
it  if  we  will ;  for  it  is  offered  to  all,  and  therefore  to  us  as 
well  as  any  other :  but  we  must  not  think  that  it  will  drop 
into  our  mouths  while  we  are  asleep,  or  be  forced  upon  us, 
whether  we  will  or  no.  But  if  we  desire  in  good  earnest  to 
have  it,  we  must  in  good  earnest  labour  after  it,  and  make 
it  the  great  care  and  business  of  our  lives  to  obtain  it ;  or, 
as  the  Apostle  here  speaks,  we  must  work  it  out  "  with  fear 
and  trembling;"  where  every  word  hath  its  weight,  and 
deserves  to  be  duly  weighed  by  us.  We  must  "  work,"  we 
must  work  it  "  out,"  and  we  must  work  it  out  "  with  fear 
and  trembling." 

First,  we  must  "work:"  Salvation  is  not  a  thing  to  be 
played  with,  much  less  to  be  got  by  sloth  and  idleness  ;  but 
they  who  would  have  it,  must  "  labour"  and  "work"  hard 
for  it.  He  who  hath  purchased  it  for  us,  and  by  whom 

John  6.  27.  alone  we  can  therefore  have  it,  saith,  "  Labour  not  for  the 
meat  which  perisheth,  but  for  that  meat  which  endureth  unto 
everlasting  life,  which  the  Son  of  Man  shall  give  unto  you." 
It  is  He  who  gives  it,  but  He  gives  it  only  to  those  who 
labour  for  it.  As  in  the  parable,  the  master  of  the  vine 
yard  gave  to  those  who  had  wrought  in  his  vineyard  but 

Matt.  20.  i,  one  hour,  as  much  as  he  did  to  those  who  had  "  borne  the 

&c. 


Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling.  289 

burden  and  heat  of  the  day : "  but  he  gave  to  none  but  such 

as  wrought  there  ;  so  here,  "  Eternal  Life  is  the  gift  of  God  Rom.  e.  23. 

through  Jesus   Christ  our  Lord."      It  is   God   alone  who 

gives  it,  and  He  gives  it  only  through  Jesus  Christ.     So 

that  whatsoever  a  man  doth,  he  cannot  merit  or  deserve  it, 

but  still  he  is  wholly  beholden  to  the  free  Grace  of  God  for 

it :    for,  after  all,  it  is  His  free  gift.     But  howsoever,  He 

never  gives  it,  but  only  to  such  as  "  labour"  for  it,  by  doing 

all  "  such  good  works  as  He  hath  prepared  for  them  to  walk  [Eph.  2. 

in,"  as  the  way  and  means  whereby  He  gives  it  to  them;  l0*-" 

which  therefore  are  called  "  the  means  of  Salvation  : "  and 

he  that  would  attain  the  end,  must  use  the  means  whereby 

to  attain  it.     Now  there  are  several  works  which  God  hath 

appointed  us  to  do,  as  the  "means"   whereby  to   receive 

"Salvation"  from  Him. 

Such  are,  first,  temperance  and  abstinence ;  for,  as  the 
Apostle  saith,  "Every  man  that  striveth  for  the  mastery,  i  Cor.  9. 25. 
is  temperate  in  all  things :  now  they  do  it  to  obtain  a  cor 
ruptible  crown,  but  we  an  incorruptible."  As  if  He  had 
said,  They  who  strive  and  run  in  a  race  to  get  only  a 
crown  of  leaves,  a  corruptible  and  fading  crown,  they 
take  care  to  keep  their  bodies  in  a  good  "  temper,"  that  so 
they  may  be  active  and  nimble,  and  better  able  to  hold  out 
to  the  end  of  the  race.  How  much  more  we,  who  strive  for 
an  "  incorruptible,"  an  "  eternal  crown  ! "  We  must  be  sure 
to  be  "  temperate  in  all  things,"  to  diet  ourselves,  to  keep 
our  bodies  always  in  such  a  case  and  disposition,  that  they 
may  not  hinder  us  in  "  running  the  race  that  is  set  before  [Heb.  12. 
us"  for  it.  But  for  that  purpose,  we  must  not  only  keep  ^ 
our  bodies  alway  clean  and  tractable  by  constant  "tem 
perance,"  but  we  must  keep  them  under  also,  by  frequent 
abstinence  and  fasting.  This  is  one  of  the  means  that 
St.  Paul  himself  used  for  this  end;  "I  keep  under  myjcor. 9. 27. 
body,"  saith  he,  "  and  bring  it  into  subjection,  lest  that 
by  any  means  when  I  have  preached  unto  others,  I  myself 
should  be  a  cast-away."  And  if  he  was  forced  to  take  this 
course,  unless  we  follow  his  steps,  we  can  expect  no  other 
but  to  be  "  cast-aways"  indeed.  Wherefore  they  who  would 
"  work  out  their  Salvation,"  must  begin  here :  they  must  be 
always  "  temperate"  both  in  meat  and  drink,  and  must  per- 

u 


290  Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling. 

SERM.  form  the  great  duty  of  "  fasting,"  so  as  to  bring  their  flesh 
-  "  into  subjection"  to  the  Spirit.  And  if  the  strict  observa 
tion  of  the  days  prescribed  by  our  Church  for  "  fasting " 
and  "abstinence"  will  not  do  it,  as  it  may  effectually  in 
most,  they  must  observe  more  ;  and  never  think  they  do  it 
to  any  purpose,  until  their  bodies  are  so  entirely  subdued 
and  kept  in  such  obedience  to  their  souls,  as  no  way  to 
impede  or  hinder  them  in  the  use  of  all  other  "  means" 
appointed  for  their  "  Salvation." 

Among  which,  "  prayer"  is  one  that  we  must  constantly 
exercise  ourselves  in ;  for  as  Salvation  itself,  so  every  thing 
that  is  requisite  or  necessary  towards  it,  comes  from  God; 
and  we  have  no  grounds  to  expect  it  from  Him,  unless  we 
ask  it  of  Him :  but  if  we  ask  it  of  Him,  He  will  most  cer 
tainly  give  it  us,  whatsoever  it  is,  even  His  Holy  Spirit  itself 
to  "  direct,  sanctify,  and  govern  both  our  souls  and  bodies 
in  the  ways  of  His  Laws,  and  in  the  works  of  His  Com- 

[Phii.  2.  mandments,"  so  as  to  work  in  us  "  both  to  will  and  to  do" 
whatsoever  He  requires  of  us,  in  order  to  our  obtaining 
eternal  life  :  for  we  have  His  own  Word  for  it,  that  He  will 

Luke  11. 13.  "  give  His  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him."  But  then  we 
must  take  His  Word,  and  accordingly  "  trust"  and  "  de- 

James  i.  6.  pend"  upon  Him  for  it ;  we  must  "  ask"  in  faith,  "  nothing 
wavering."  Neither  must  we  "  ask"  it  only  once  or  twice, 

iThes.5.i7.  but  every  day  continually.     We  must  "pray  without  ceas- 

Rom.  12.12.  ing."  We  must  continue  "  instant  in  prayer,"  and  that  too, 
both  "privately"  in  our  closets,  and  "publicly"  in  His  own 
house,  where  He  is  always  "  in  the  midst  of  those"  wTho 

Matt.i8.2o.  meet  together  "  in  His  Name,"  ready  to  grant  whatsoever 
they  jointly  ask  in  it. 

But  for  that  purpose,  to  our  praying  we  must  often  join 
also  the  "  hearing"  of  His  Holy  Word,  as  the  ordinary 
way  whereby  He  is  pleased  to  convey  His  Holy  Spirit  to 
us,  with  all  the  gifts  and  graces  we  pray  for.  For  as  He 
made  us  at  first  by  His  Word,  so  He  renews  or  restores 
us  to  our  first  estate  by  His  Word,  by  speaking  or  de 
claring  His  will  and  pleasure  to  us;  His  Holy  Spirit 
moving  upon  our  hearts,  while  His  Word  is  sounding  in 
our  ears,  and  so  working  us  up  to  "new"  and  holy  "  crea 
tures  :"  as  we  often  read  in  Scripture,  how  the  Spirit  of  God 


Salvation  through  Pear  and  Trembling.  291 

fell  upon  people,  whilst  they  were  hearing  God  speaking 

to  them  by  His  Prophets  or  Apostles.     But  the  Word  is 

the  same  still,  faith  still  "comes  by  hearing,  and  hearing  Rom.  10.17. 

by  the  Word  of  God."     Wherefore   all  that  really  desire 

faith,  and  by  consequence  whatsoever  else  is   required  to  [Johns. 

the  "saving"  of  their  souls;  they  must  not  only  "search 

the  Scriptures,"  and  read  the  Word  of  God  themselves,  but 

they  must  often  hear  it  from  some  that  are  empowered  and 

sent  from  Him  to  declare  it  to  them,  and  must  accordingly 

receive  it,  "  not  as  the  word  of  men,  but  as  it  is  in  truth  [i  Thess.  2. 

the  Word  of  God,  which  worketh  effectually  in  them  that 

believe." 

These  are  the  ordinary  means  whereby  the  great  work 
of  our  Salvation  is  begun ;  but  then  to  carry  it  on  and 
finish  it,  we  must  frequently  receive  the  Sacrament  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  ordained  on  purpose  to  put  us  in 
mind  of,  and  so  to  exercise  and  confirm  our  faith  in  our 
Blessed  Saviour,  by  whom  alone  we  can  ever  be  saved. 
For  after  all  that  we  can  do,  we  can  never  obtain  Sal 
vation  any  other  way  than  by  Him.  And  we  have  no 
ground  to  expect  that  He  should  save  us,  unless  we  do  that 
which  He  Himself  hath  required  of  us  in  order  thereunto ; 
but  He  Himself  hath  required  us  "  to  do  this  in  remem-  [Luke  22. 

•  19  "^ 

brance  of  Him,"  which  He,  be  sure,  would  never  have  done, 
if  we  could  have  been  saved  as  well  without  it.  And  there 
fore,  all  that  live  in  neglect  of  this  duty,  and  yet  hope  to  be 
saved  by  Him,  will  find  themselves  egregiously  mistaken. 
But  they  who  receive  this  Blessed  Sacrament,  as  faith 
fully,  and  as  frequently  as  He  requires  them  to  do  it,  receive 
by  degrees  such  a  measure  of  His  Grace  and  Holy  Spirit, 
to  direct,  assist,  and  govern  them  in  what  they  do,  that  they 
are  thereby  enabled  not  only  to  work,  but  "  to  work  out 
their  Salvation  with  fear  and  trembling." 

What  it  is  to  "  work"  it  "out,"  is  the  next  thing  to  be 
considered  ;  and  it  had  need  to  be  considered  well,  as  we 
desire  not  to  labour  in  vain  :  for  whatsoever  pains  we  take 
about  our  Salvation,  all  will  come  to  nothing,  unless  we 
work  it  out,  that  is,  unless  we  work  so  as  to  obtain  it.  I 
say  obtain,  not  effect  it;  for  that  is  not  in  our  power.  It 
is  God  our  Saviour  only  that  is  the  Author  or  efficient 


292  Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling. 

SERM.    cause  of  our  Salvation;  it  is  He  only  that  can  effect  it  in 

XVI 

-  us  and  for  us ;  and  therefore  we  are  not  here  commanded 


to  effect  or  make  it  ourselves,  but  to  "  work"  and  labour  for 
it.  But  we  must  work  and  labour  for  it,  so  as  that  we  may 
at  last  obtain  it  by  Him,  in  the  use  of  the  foresaid  means 
which  He  hath  appointed  for  it. 

For  which  purpose,  we  must  first  use  not  only  some,  but 
all  the  said  means.  We  must  carefully  avoid  that  dan 
gerous  rock,  upon  which  so  many  have  made  "  shipwreck 
[  Tim.  i.  of  faith  and  a  good  conscience,"  and  so  of  their  Salvation, 
by  doing  only  some  things  that  are  required  towards  it,  and 
neglecting  the  other.  As  some  are  altogether  for  "  bodily 
exercise,"  for  chastising,  mortifying  and  subduing  the  flesh 
to  the  Spirit,  but  rarely  use  the  means  whereby  to  have  the 
"Spirit"  of  God  to  rule  and  govern  it :  others  are  only  for 
saying  their  prayers  ;  and  if  they  do  but  that  every  day, 
they  think  they  do  enough  ;  never  troubling  themselves 
about  fasting,  or  hearing  the  Word,  or  receiving  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  as  if  these  were  useless 
insignificant  things.  Whereas  others  are  only  for  hearing 
of  sermons,  placing  the  whole  of  their  religion  in  it,  and 
rashly  venturing  their  Eternal  Salvation  upon  it ;  as  if 
hearing  how  to  get  to  Heaven  would  bring  them  thither, 
without  any  more  ado.  And  of  those  who  do  use  some  or 
more  of  these  means,  yet  most  live  in  the  shameful  neglect 
of  the  Holy  Eucharist,  seldom  or  never  partaking  of  the 
blessed  body  and  blood  of  Christ,  as  if  that  was  of  no  use  at 
all  to  their  Salvation,  although  it  was  ordained  by  their 
only  Saviour  for  that  very  end  and  purpose,  that  they  might 
be  saved. 

Many,  I  fear,  who  are  here  present,  know  all  this  to  be 
true  of  themselves,  by  their  own  experience :  I  wish  they 
may  not  know  it  hereafter  to  their  cost ;  as  they  certainly 
will,  if  they  continue  in  the  neglect  of  any  of  the  means 
that  are  appointed  for  their  Salvation ;  for  they  can 
never  work  it  out  by  any  one,  but  by  all  together.  He 
that  only  ploughs  his  land,  can  expect  no  crop,  unless  he 
sows  it  too :  and  although  he  both  ploughs  and  sows  it,  yet 
unless  he  harrows  and  weeds  it,  and  defends  it  from  fowl 
and  vermin,  his  expectations  will  still  be  frustrated.  So 


Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling.  293 

here  by  fasting  and  prayer  the  fallow  ground  of  our 
hearts  is  ploughed  up,  and  made  fit  to  receive  the  seed  of 
God's  Word.  But  it  is  by  hearing  that  the  seed  is 
sown,  and  by  the  Sacrament  that  it  is  preserved  and 
strengthened,  so  as  to  grow  up  to  perfection.  And  there 
fore  he  that  doth  one  without  the  other,  had  as  good  sit 
still  and  do  nothing  at  all:  though  he  "labour"  ever  so 
much  "  for  Salvation,"  he  can  never  "  work  it  out,"  but 
will  still  want  something  or  other  that  is  necessary  to  his 
obtaining  of  it.  And  this,  I  verily  believe,  is  the  great 
reason  why  many,  as  our  Saviour  saith,  "  shall  seek  to  enter  Luke  is.  2 
in  at  the  strait  gate,  and  shall  not  be  able,"  even  because 
they  "seek"  it  partially;  they  do  some  things,  but  they  do 
not  all  that  is  required  of  them :  and  then  it  is  no  wonder 
if  they  lose  their  labour. 

Wherefore,  as  ever  ye  desire  not  to  labour  in  vain,  but  to 
"  work"  so  as  effectually  to  "  obtain  eternal  life,"  you  must 
go  through  the  whole  course  which  God  hath  prescribed 
for  it;  you  must  fast,  and  pray,  and  hear  God's  Holy 
Word,  and  take  all  opportunities  that  you  can  possibly 
get,  of  receiving  His  blessed  body  and  blood.  Neither 
must  ye  only  do  all  these  things,  one  as  well  as  another, 
but  ye  must  work  hard,  with  all  your  might  and  main 
in  every  one  of  them.  You  must  fast  in  good  earnest, 
so  as  to  keep  your  bodies  under ;  you  must  pray  heartily, 
so  as  that  ye  may  be  heard  ;  you  must  hear  attentively, 
so  as  to  receive  the  truth  in  the  love  of  it ;  and  ye  must 
receive  the  Holy  Sacrament  with  that  faith  and  reverence, 
that  ye  may  really  partake  of  Christ's  body  and  blood,  to 
strengthen  and  refresh  your  souls. 

And  as  you  must  thus  use  all  the  means  of  grace  and 
Salvation  heartily  and  sincerely,  so  you  must  do  it  con 
stantly  too ;  not  only  a  little  now  and  then  for  diversion, 
when  ye  have  nothing  else  to  do,  but  you  must  make  it 
the  great  business  of  your  lives,  as  long  as  you  live,  how 
long  soever  it  may  be.  As  Anna  the  Prophetess,  when  she 
was  eighty-four  years  old,  still  "  served  God  with  fastings  Luke  2. 37. 
and  prayers  night  and  day,"  so  must  you  still  continue  to 
exercise  yourselves  not  only  in  these,  but  likewise  in  the 
other  means  of  Salvation,  whensoever  you  can  have  them 


294  Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling. 

SERM.    administered  to  you  all  the  days  of  your  life.     You  must 
-  never  think  that  you  have  done  enough  in  this  great  work, 
Luke  is.  24.  but  must  still  go  on,  "still  striving  to  enter  in  at  the  strait 
Phil.  3.  14.  gate,"  and  pressing  "  towards  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the 
Eph.  4.  is.  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus,"  "  till  ye  come  in  the 
unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  knowledge  of  the  Son  of  God, 
unto  a  perfect  man,  unto  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the 
2 Pet.  1.5,7.  fulness   of  Christ."      "Till   ye  have   added   to  your  faith, 
virtue ;  and  to  virtue,  knowledge ;  and  to  knowledge,  tem 
perance  ;    and   to   temperance,  patience ;   and  to   patience, 
godliness ;    and    to    godliness,  brotherly  kindness ;    and   to 
brotherly  kindness,  charity."     Till  ye  are  wholly  sanctified 
Col.  1. 12.    in  soul,  body,  and  spirit,  and  so  are  "  meet  to  be  partakers 
of  the  inheritance  of  the  Saints  in  light."     Then,  and  not 
till  then,  you  may  be  truly  said  to  work  out  your  Salvation. 
Which   the  Apostle  therefore  here  adviseth  you  to  do 
"with   fear   and   trembling;"    that   is,   with   all   humility, 
care,  and  diligence,  that  we  can  possibly  use.     For  "  fear 
and  trembling"  is  not  here  opposed  to  that  faith  and  con 
fidence   which  we   ought   to    have   in    God :   but   first,   to 
pride,  conceit,  and    confidence   in   ourselves;    as  where   it 
Rom.  11.20.  is  said,  "Be  not  high-minded,  but  fear."      And  secondly, 
to  that  carelessness  and   indifFerency  that  is  too  common 
and    apparent   in   most  men    about  their  Salvation,  when 
men  pretend  to  look  after  it,  and  accordingly  hope  to  be 
saved  when  they  die,  and  yet  take  no  pains  at  all  about 
it  while  they  live:    as  if  Salvation   was   so  inconsiderable 
a  thing,  that  they  ought  not,   or  so   easy  to  be  attained, 
that  they  need  not  trouble  their  heads  about  it ;  and  there 
fore   never  think   of  it,  unless   perhaps   upon   the   Lord's 
Day,    when    they   go    to    Church :    and    but   perhaps,   or 
scarcely  then;  for  when  they  are  at  Church,  they  do  not 
much  concern  themselves  with  what  is  done  there,  unless  it 
be  to  observe  whether  the  minister  doth  his  duty.     This  is 
all  the  care  that  men  generally  take  of  their  Salvation,  and 
yet  they  hope  to  be  saved. 

And  this  therefore  is  that  which  the  Apostle  here  forbids, 
by  requiring  us  to  "  work  out  our  Salvation  with  fear  and 
trembling ; "  not  to  be  careless  and  secure,  but  solicitous, 
diligent,  and  industrious  in  it.  As  servants  must  obey 


Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling.  295 

their  masters   "with   fear   and  trembling,"    and   we   must  [Eph. 6.5. ] 
all  "serve    God  with   reverence    and   godly  fear,"    so    we  Heb.  12.28. 
must  work  out  our  Salvation  too,  fearing  "  lest  a  promise  Heb.  4.  i. 
being  left  us  of  entering  into  His  rest,  any  of  us  should 
seem  to  come  short  of  it,"  lest  we  should  at  last  miss  of  it, 
through  our  own  default  and  negligence  in  looking  after  it. 

And  certainly,  if  any  of  us  do  come  short,  or  miss  of  it,  it 
must  be  our  own  faults :  for  notwithstanding  our  own  weak 
ness  and  inability  to  do  so  great  a  work  of  ourselves,  yet  if 
we  do  but  use  the  means  as  well  as  we  can  ourselves,  and 
trust  on  Him  for  it,  God  Himself  will  make  them  effectual 
to  our  Salvation.  This  is  the  argument  which  the  Apostle 
here  useth  to  encourage  us  to  set  upon  this  great  work ;  for 
having  said,  "  Work  out  your  Salvation  with  fear  and  trem 
bling,"  he  immediately  adds,  "  For  it  is  God  which  worketh 
in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure." 

I  know  there  hath  been  a  great  stir  made  about  these 
words,  both  by  expositors  and  other  learned  men,  why  the 
Apostle  should  require  us  to  "  work  out  our  Salvation,"  and 
yet  tell  us  at  the  same  time,  that  "  it  is  God  which  worketh 
in  us  both  to  will  and  to  do : "  for  if  it  be  God  that 
"worketh"  in  us,  why  need  "we  work?"  What  can  we 
do,  when  He  does  all  for  us?  Wherefore,  to  make  both 
the  meaning  of  the  words,  and  the  force  of  the  argument 
as  plain  as  I  can ;  suppose  I,  seeing  a  farmer  negligent 
of  his  business,  advise  him  to  till  his  ground,  to  plough  and 
sow  his  seed,  that  it  may  increase  and  multiply :  but  the 
farmer,  to  excuse  himself,  answers,  Why  should  I  take 
all  this  pains?  Why  harass  out  my  horses  in  ploughing 
my  ground,  and  then  throw  away  my  corn  upon  it,  when 
after  all  I  cannot  make  it  take  root,  "increase  and  grow" 
up,  and  so  may  lose  all  my  labour,  my  time,  and  my  corn 
too  ?  But  then  I  reply ;  It  is  true,  you  cannot  do  that,  but 
you  can  plough  and  sow,  and  though  you  cannot,  yet  "  God"  [i  Cor.3.7.] 
can  "give  the  increase ;"  He  hath  done  it,  and  still  doth  it 
every  year  :  and  you  have  no  reason  to  doubt  but  that  He 
will  do  it  for  you,  if  you  prepare  your  ground,  and  do  every 
thing  that  is  usual  to  be  done  for  it.  So  here  the  Apostle 
bids  us  "  work  out  our  Salvation."  But  what,  may  some 
say,  what  can  we  do  ?  Why  do  ye  bid  us  do  so  great  a 


296  Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling. 

SERM.  thing,  when  we  are  not  "  sufficient  of  ourselves  to  think  any 
2  Cor.  3.  5.  thing  as  of  ourselves."  Why  then  should  we  set  upon  such 
a  work  as  this,  when  we  know  beforehand  that  we  can  never 
effect  it  ?  We  can  never  "  work  "  it  "  out,"  wrhy  then  should 
we  throw  away  our  time  in  "  working  "  at  all  about  it  ?  To 
this  the  Apostle  answers,  It  is  true,  you  cannot  save  your 
selves,  nor  so  much  as  will  to  do  it  as  of  yourselves ;  but 
howsoever,  you  need  not  be  discouraged  from  undertaking 
so  great  a  "  work,"  for  it  is  "  God  "  which  "  worketh  in  you 
both  to  will  and  to  do."  And  if  you  do,  as  you  easily  may, 
all  things  that  He  requires  on  your  parts,  "  He  will  work  " 
in  you  whatsoever  is  further  necessary  to  your  obtaining 
"  Salvation."  If  you  sit  still  and  do  nothing,  you  can  expect 
no  favour  or  assistance  from  Him  :  but  if  you  plough  and 
sow,  He  will  give  the  increase.  If  you  fast  and  pray, 
and  hear  His  Word,  and  receive  His  Sacrament,  He 
will  bless  and  sanctify  what  you  do,  so  as  that  you  shall 
"  work  out  your  Salvation,"  though  not  by  your  own  strength, 
nor  by  any  virtue  in  the  means  themselves,  yet  by  His  grace 
and  Holy  Spirit  co-operating  with  them,  and  so  "  working 
in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do"  whatsoever  He  requires 
of  you. 

I  do  not  question  but  that  some  here  present  have  found 
this  verified  in  themselves  ;  for  it  is  the  common  experience 
of  all  God's  faithful  people,  that  while  they  have  been  exer 
cising  themselves  with  all  their  might  in  the  great  duties 
which  God  hath  ordained,  whereby  to  "work  out  their 
Salvation,"  they  have  found  Him  working  in  them  "  both 
to  will  and  to  do ; "  while  they  have  been  "  keeping  their 
bodies  under"  by  fasting  and  abstinence,  they  have  re 
ceived  the  Spirit,  to  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  flesh ;  while 
they  have  been  presenting  their  prayers  and  supplications 
unto  God,  they  have  found  His  Holy  Spirit  moving  upon 
their  souls,  clearing  up  their  apprehensions  of  His  Divine 
glory  and  goodness,  confirming  their  faith  in  Him,  fixing 
their  thoughts  upon  Him,  inclining  their  will  towards  Him, 
exciting,  enlarging,  enflaming,  overspreading  their  whole 
hearts  with  love  and  affection  to  Him,  and  possessing  them 
with  such  a  sense  both  of  His  majesty,  and  of  His  mercy  to 
them,  as  neither  I,  nor  they  themselves  are  able  to  express. 


Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling.  297 

While  their  hearts  have  been  raised  up  in  praising  and  mag 
nifying  Almighty  God,  they  have  sometimes  been  "  caught" 
on   a  sudden  as   it   were,  with   St.  Paul,   "  into  the  third  [2  Cor.  12. 
Heavens,"  and  there  have  seen  or  heard,  or  at  least  have  2' 
felt  things  which  "it  is  not  possible  for  them  to  utter;" 
while  they  have  been  hearing  God's  Holy  Word,  they  have 
found  themselves  struck,  and  pricked  in  their  consciences, 
and  their  hearts  all  opened,  as  Lydia's  was,  to  receive  the 
truths  that  were  delivered  to  them.     And  while  they  have 
been  feeding  upon  Christ's  body  and  blood,  they  have  found 
their  whole  soul   strengthened  and  refreshed  by  it,  in  so 
wonderful  a  manner,  that  they  were  transported  with  "joy  [iPet.i.s.] 
unspeakable  and  full  of  glory ; "  and  are  now  able  to  say 
with  the  Apostle,  "  The  power  of  Christ  resteth  upon  me  ;  "  2Cor.  12. 9. 
and  "  I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  which  strength-  Phil.  4.  13. 
eneth  me." 

Thus,  while  His  people  are  at  "  work  "  about  their  "  Sal 
vation,"  God  Himself  "  worketh  in  them  both  to  will  and  to 
do,"  and  so  enables  them  to  "  work  "  it  "  out."  But  that  He 
may  do  so  for  us,  as  we  must  keep  our  minds  wholly  intent 
upon  the  work  we  are  about,  so  we  must  keep  our  faith 
wholly  fixed  upon  Him  to  carry  us  through  it :  and  I  verily 
believe,  that  as  there  are  many  Divine  sentences  inserted 
and  recorded  in  Holy  Scripture,  on  purpose  that  we  may 
have  God's  Word,  whereupon  to  build  our  most  holy  faith 
upon  all  occasions  ;  so  particularly  in  this  place,  the  Apostle 
hath  no  sooner  bidden  us  to  "  work  oat  our  Salvation  with 
fear  and  trembling,"  but  he  presently  adds,  "  For  it  is  God 
which  worketh  in  you  both  to  will  and  to  do  ;"  that  so  hav 
ing  God's  own  Word  for  it,  we  may  believe  and  trust  on 
Him  to  enable  us  to  do  what  He  here  commandeth,  which 
otherwise  we  could  not.  For  God  Himself  having  here  said 
this  by  His  Apostle,  if  we  accordingly  take  His  Word,  and 
depend  upon  Him  for  it,  He  will  most  certainly  influence 
the  means  we  use,  and  "  work "  in  us  while  we  are 
using  them  so  effectually,  that  we  shall  "  work  out  our  Sal 
vation,"  and  do  all  things  requisite  to  our  obtaining  eternal 
life,  "  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Saviour." 

These  considerations,  I  hope,  by  the  Grace  of  God  co 
operating  with  them,  have  already  prevailed  upon  some 


298  Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trembling. 

SERM.  here  present,  to  set  upon  this  great  work  in  good  ear- 
— —  nest ;  I  heartily  wish  they  did  so  upon  all,  that  all  who  have 
heard  them  would  now  "  work  out  their  Salvation  with  fear 
and  trembling ; "  and  if  there  be  any,  as  I  fear  there  are, 
who  have  not  yet  resolved  upon  it,  I  desire  you  further  to 
consider  : 

1 .  Consider,  this  is  the  most  profitable  work  you  can  ever 
do ;  whatsoever  ye  do  besides  will  turn  to  little  or  no  account 
at  last :  by  your  moiling  and  toiling  about  other  things,  you 
may  perhaps,  and  but  perhaps,  get  something  considerable 
in  the  eye  of  the  world,  but  ye  must  ere  long  leave  it,  and 
leave  it  to  such  as  will  never  thank  you  for  it,  nor  be  ever 
the  better,  but  the  worse  for  having  it ;  you  yourselves,  be 
sure,  will  have  nothing  of  it,  but  eternal  grief  and  torment 
in  your  minds,  for  having  taken  so  much  care  and  pains  for 
nothing,  for  worse  than  nothing,  for  Hell  and  Damnation. 
Whereas,  by  "  working  out "  your  "  Salvation,"  you  may 
obtain  all  the  good  things   that   you  can   possibly  desire, 
whatsoever  can  any  way  contribute  to  your  being  perfectly 
and  eternally  happy,  to  your  living  in  ease  and  plenty  for 
ever. 

2.  Consider,  as  this  is  the  greatest  good  that  ye  can  ever 
attain  to,  so  it  is  the  hardest  matter  that  can  be  to  attain  it ; 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  "  work  "  to  be  done,  before  ye  can 
"  work  out   your   Salvation,"  and  therefore  ye   had    need 
be    always    at   it.     Praying   and    hearing    now   and    then, 
which  is  all  that  most  men  do,  will  never  do  the  business ; 
but  ye  must  exercise  yourselves  continually  both  in  those 
and  all  other  means  that  conduce  to  it,  or  else  you  will  never 
be  able  to  accomplish  it.     And  "  whatsoever  ye  do,  ye  must 
do  it  with  all  your  might,"  as  for  your  life ;  for  your  life, 
your  eternal  life,  depends  upon  it.     And  it  is  well,  if  after 
all,  ye  can  attain  to  it ;  for  ye  will  meet  with  a  great  many 
difficulties  in  it :   which  howsoever  should  not  discourage, 
but  rather  make  you  more  active  and  diligent,  as  knowing 
that  Heaven  will  make  amends  for  all. 

3.  Consider,  how  hard  soever  it  may  be,  it  is  possible  for 
every  one  of  us  to  "  work  out  our  Salvation,"  for  many  have 
done  it  already.     There  are  many  "  glorified  saints"  at  this 
time  in  Heaven,  who  once  were  sinful  mortals  upon  earth,  as 


Salvation  through  Fear  and  Trtmbling.  299 

we  now  are.  But  when  they  were  here,  they  could  do  this 
great  "  work "  effectually :  why  then  may  not  we  ?  We 
have  the  same  faculties,  the  same  Scriptures,  the  same 
Saviour,  the  same  promises,  the  same  Sacraments,  and  all 
the  same  means  of  Salvation  as  they  had.  Why  then 
may  not  we  "  work  "  out  our  Salvation  as  well  as  they  did  ? 
If  we  do  not,  the  only  reason  is,  because  we  will  not.  If  we 
would  but  apply  our  minds  wholly  to  it,  there  is  never  a  one 
of  us  but  may  certainly  do  it. 

4.  Especially  considering,  that  we    have   the   power    of 
Almighty  God  Himself  always  ready  to  assist  us  in  it.     His 
"  Grace  "  is  always  sufficient  for  us,  "  His  strength  "  is  made  [2  Cor.  12. 
"  perfect"  in  our  weakness.     It  is  He  who  "  worketh  in  us  9>^ 
both  to  will  and  to  do :"  and  what  may  we  not  do  by  Him, 
who  can  do  all  things  by  Himself? 

Let  us  therefore  now  resolve,  by  God's  assistance  to  do 
this  work,  this  great  work,  and  do  it  thoroughly.  Let 
others  "  labour,"  if  they  please,  "  for  the  meat  that  perish-  [John  6. 
eth,"  let  us  make  it  the  chief  study  and  business  of  our  lives  27'-' 
to  "  work  out  our  Salvation  with  fear  and  trembling."  Let 
us  leave  no  stone  unturned,  neglect  no  duty,  no  opportunity, 
no  means  that  may  help  us  in  it :  still  keeping  our  eye  fixed 
upon  the  Eternal  God  our  Saviour,  trusting  and  depending 
upon  Him  alone,  to  direct,  assist,  and  carry  us  through  the 
whole  work,  so  as  to  bring  us  at  last  to  live  for  ever  with 
Him,  who  "  ever  liveth  "  and  reigneth  with  the  Father  and 
the  Holy  Ghost,  one  God  blessed  for  ever. 


SERMON   XVII. 

THE  CONSCIENCE  VOID  OF  OFFENCE. 

ACTS  xxiv.  16. 

And  herein  do  I  exercise  myself,  to  have  always  a  Conscience 
void  of  offence,  toward  God  and  toward  men. 

SERM.        HAPPY  is  the  man  that  can  repeat  these  words  after  St. 

XVIL  Paul,  and  say  them  as  truly  as  he  did  :  happier  than  any 
one  else  can  imagine,  or  he  himself  perhaps  at  present  may 
perceive.  Be  sure  none  can  taste  the  sweetness,  nor  feel 
the  pleasures  of  a  "  good  conscience,"  but  only  they  that 
have  it :  they  can  tell  you,  that  it  is  the  only  joy  and  com 
fort  of  their  lives ;  and  if  they  had  it  not,  they  should  think 
it  worth  their  while  to  give  all  they  have  in  the  world  for 
it,  and  reckon  it  the  best  bargain  they  ever  made :  and 
therefore  having  once  got  it,  they  do  all  they  can  to  keep  it; 
it  is  their  constant  care  and  study,  it  is  their  daily,  their 
continual  exercise,  as  we  see  here  in  the  Apostle,  who  exer 
cised  himself  always  to  keep  his  "  conscience  void  of  offence." 
And  so  must  all  they  do,  who  desire  either  to  get  it,  or  not 
to  lose  the  best  jewel  they  can  ever  have,  a  "  conscience 
void  of  offence,"  a  clear  and  a  "  good  conscience,"  such  a  one 
as  the  Apostle  here  speaks  of;  they  must  employ  and  exer 
cise  themselves  continually  about  it,  as  he  did,  otherwise 
they  are  never  likely  to  have  it,  as  he  had.  It  is  easy 
enough,  I  confess,  to  talk  much  of  "  conscience,"  to  plead 
and  argue  for  it,  and  to  pretend  highly  to  it,  as  many  do, 
who  nevertheless  know  nothing  of  it ;  for  they  that  make 
the  greatest  noise  about  it,  have  commonly  the  least  cause 
to  do  so,  unless  it  be  to  make  others  believe  that  of  them, 
which  they  themselves  know  to  be  false.  But  for  any  man 


The  Conscience  Void  of  Offence.  301 

to  keep  his  "  conscience"  always  pure  and  "  void  of  offence," 
is  certainly  one  of  the  hardest  matters  in  the  world,  by 
reason  of  our  fall  in  Adam ;  whereby  our  whole  man  is  dis 
ordered  and  out  of  tune,  and  that  part  especially  that  we  call 
"conscience;"  for  that  also,  as  the  Apostle  saith,  is  "de- Tit.  i.  is. 
filed."  It  is  so  horribly  corrupted,  that  it  very  rarely  exe- 
cuteth  any  part  of  its  office  aright :  it  is  often  fast  asleep, 
and  takes  no  notice  at  all  of  what  a  man  doth,  or  doth  not ; 
and  if  it  happen  to  be  roused  up  and  awakened,  it  often 
rages  and  grows  furious,  driving  him  headlong  into  horror 
and  despair :  it  commonly  excuseth  where  it  ought  to  con 
demn,  or  else  condemns  where  it  ought  to  excuse  us  :  it  is 
very  gentle  and  indifferent  in  the  most  important  affairs : 
but  in  things  of  lesser  moment,  or  of  real  indifferency,  it 
frets  and  fumes,  and  so  makes  men  mighty  serious  in  trifling, 
but  very  trifling  in  the  most  serious  things.  Indeed  the 
heart,  or  "conscience,"  of  man  is  "deceitful  above  all  [Jer.  17.9.] 
things;"  there  is  no  trusting  to  it,  without  extraordinary 
care  and  circumspection ;  which  all  must  use  who  desire  to 
keep  themselves  within  the  compass  of  their  duty,  and  so 
their  "  consciences  void  of  offence  towards  God  and  towards 
men."  Hence  it  is  that  the  great  Apostle  himself,  notwith 
standing  his  extraordinary  parts  and  endowments,  not 
withstanding  his  extraordinary  gifts  and  graces,  notwith 
standing  the  extraordinary  assistances  and  influences  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  continually  accompanying  of  him,  yet  he  him 
self  was  forced  to  take  so  much  pains  with  himself,  as  to 
make  it  his  continual  exercise  to  keep  his  "  conscience " 
right ;  and  if  we  would  attain  the  same  end,  we  must  also 
use  the  same  means  as  he  did,  by  making  it  our  continual 
exercise  and  employment. 

And  verily,  it  is  a  great  comfort  and  encouragement  to 
us,  that  though  it  be  difficult,  it  is  not  impossible  to  keep  our 
"  consciences"  always  in  order:  for  we  see  that  others  have 
done  it,  and  particularly  St.  Paul ;  for  that  he  did  it,  we 
have  not  only  his  own  word,  but  the  testimony  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  of  God  Himself,  by  which  he  spake  when  he  said, 
"  Men  and  brethren,  I  have  lived  in  all  good  conscience  Acts  23.  i. 
before  God  until  this  day."  And  again  in  my  text,  "  Herein 
do  I  exercise  myself,  to  have  always  a  conscience  void  of 


302  The  Conscience  Void  of  Offence. 

SERM.  offence  toward  God  and  toward  men."  And  why  may  not 
-  you  and  I  do  so,  as  well  as  he  ?  We  have  the  same  obliga 
tions  upon  us  to  do  it,  we  have  the  same  means  of  grace,  we 
have  the  same  Spirit  to  assist  us  in  the  use  of  those  means, 
and  we  have  the  same  Saviour  to  intercede  for  God's  accept 
ance  of  what  we  do,  as  he  had  :  why  then  should  not  we  keep 
our  "  consciences  void  of  offence,"  as  he  did  ?  Certainly  if 
we  do  not,  the  fault  is  wholly  our  own ;  for  we  may  do  it, 
if  we  will  but  set  about  it,  as  he  did,  in  good  earnest.  Which 
therefore,  that  all  here  present  may  for  the  future  do,  I  shall 
endeavour  to  give  you  the  best  instructions  and  directions 
about  it,  that  I  can,  from  these  words :  and  for  that  purpose 
shall  consider, 

I.  What  we  are  to  understand  by  conscience,  and  what 
by  a  "  conscience  void  of  offence." 

II.  How  our  consciences  may  be  always  void  of  offence 
toward  God  and  men. 

III.  What  great  reason  we  have  to  keep  them  always  so. 
As  for  the  first,  that  which  we  call  "  conscience,"  the  Holy 

Ghost  all  along  in  the  Old  Testament  calls  the  "  heart ; "  as 
[Ex.  7.  u;  where  it  is  said,  "that  Pharoah's  heart  was  hardened," 
i  Sam.  24.  u  j^y^'g  neart  smote  him,"  &c.  And  somet'mes  in  the 
i  John  3.  New  ;  as  where  St.  John  saith,  "  If  our  heart  condemn  us," 
or  "  condemn  us  not."  Which  I  therefore  observe,  because 
it  will  save  us  the  labour  of  consulting  the  schoolmen  and 
other  learned  writers,  concerning  the  nature  and  seat  of  the 
"  conscience,"  what  it  is,  and  where  seated,  whether  in  the 
understanding,  or  will,  or  both,  or  neither,  but  is  a  distinct 
power  or  faculty  of  itself?  All  which  are  needless  ques 
tions;  for  "  conscience"  is  a  thing  that  is  better  understood 
by  sense  and  experience,  than  by  any  definition  or  descrip 
tion  that  can  be  given  of  it.  If  a  man  doth  but  turn  his 
eyes  inward,  and  look  into  his  own  breast,  he  may  there  see 
and  perceive  something,  as  it  were,  putting  him  in  mind  of 
[Rom.  2.  what  he  should,  or  should  not  do ;  and  afterwards  "  excus 
ing,"  or  "  accusing  "  him  for  doing  or  not  doing  of  it ;  which 
is  nothing  else  but  his  own  mind  or  heart,  as  sensible  of 
the  difference  between  good  and  evil,  and  then  reflecting 
accordingly  upon  what  he  doth,  whether  it  agree  with  that 
sense  he  had  of  it,  or  no.  If  he  doth  that  which  he  is  sen- 


The  Conscience  Void  of  Offence.  303 

sible  is  good,  and  his  duty  to  do,  then  his  mind  is  quiet  and 
at  rest,  having  his  own  senses,  as  it  were,  pleased  and  satis 
fied  :  but  if  he  doth  that  which  he  is  sensible  is  evil,  and 
ought  not  to  be  done,  this  must  needs  disturb  and  offend  his 
mind,  as  being  contrary  to  the  sense  it  had  of  the  thing,  and 
so  causing  a  kind  of  a  conflict  in  it.     All  which  is  excel 
lently  expressed  by  St.  Paul,  where  speaking  of  the  Gen 
tiles,  he  saith,  that  when  "  they  which  have  not  the  Law,  do  [Rom.  2. 
by  nature  the  things  contained  in  the  Law  ;   these  having 
not  the  Law,  are  a  Law  unto  themselves:"  i.e.  though  they 
have  not  God's  revealed  will  or  law  written  among  them, 
yet  they  having  a  natural  sense  of  the  good  and  evil  of  the 
same  things  that  are  commanded  or  forbidden  in  the  Law, 
and  acting  accordingly ;  these  having  not  the  Law  written 
in  their  books,  have  it  notwithstanding  in  their  hearts,  their 
own  minds  telling  them  what  they  should  or  should  not  do, 
and  so  are  instead  of  a  "  Law  to  themselves."     And  then  it 
follows,  "  Which  shew  the  Work  of  the  Law  written  in  their  R0m.  2.  u, 
hearts,   their   conscience   also   bearing   witness,   and    their 15' 
thoughts   the   meanwhile   accusing    or   else    excusing   one 
another."     As  if  he  should  have  said,  seeing  these  by  the 
mere  natural  instinct    and  sense  they  have  of  virtue  and 
vice,  do  often  eschew  evil  and  do  good,  they  thereby  plainly 
shew,  that  though  not  the  Law  itself,  yet  the  Work,  the 
main  intent  and  scope  of  it,  is  in  effect  written  in  their 
hearts ;  ffv/A/Augrvgovff'ris  avruv  rr,s  ffuvzidyjffsug,  their  own  "  con 
science  "  bearing  witness  with   God,   either   for   them   or 
against  them,  whether  they  do  well  or  ill,  and  their  own 
thoughts  all  the  while  "  accusing  "  or  else  "  excusing  "  one 
another  according  as  they  do  not,  or  else  do  really  follow 
that   sense  of  things  which  God  hath  implanted  in  their 
nature.     Where  we  may  likewise  observe  the  reason  why  it 
is   not  called   simply  e'/dqcng,  or  "  science,"  but  ffuvtidriffis,  or 
"  conscience ; "  because  it  is  the  same  science  or  sense  of 
things,  in  a  lower  degree,  with  that  which  God  Himself 
hath  in  an  higher :  and  therefore  it  doth  not  simply  "  bear 
witness;"  but,  as  the  word  signifies,  it  leaves  witness  with 
another,  even  with  God,  whether  the  thing  be  good  or  evil. 
Now,  seeing  there  is  in  every  man  naturally  such  a  sense 
of  things  as  this  is,  which  we  call  "  conscience,"  whereby  he 


304  The  Conscience  Void  of  Offence. 

SERM,  perceives  the  difference  betwixt  good  and  evil,  and  feels  in 
—  his  own  heart  a  secret  liking  of  the  one,  and  abhorrence  of 
the  other,  and  so  is  forewarned  either  to  do  it  or  not  to  do 
it ;  hence  we  may  easily  gather  what  it  is  properly  to  have 
a  "  conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God  and  toward  men," 
even  a  due  sense  of  our  having  done  what  we  ought,  and 
nothing  else  towards  either,  and  so  have  no  cause  to  be 
offended  or  displeased  with  ourselves  for  neglecting  any 
duty,  or  committing  any  sin  that  we  are  sensible  of;  which 
is  therefore  called  also  a  "  pure  "  and  a  "  good  conscience  :" 
a  "  pure  conscience,"  as  being  clear  and  free  from  that 
offence  and  disturbance  which  they  feel,  who  act  contrary 
to  their  own  thoughts  and  sense  of  things,  and  so  offer  vio 
lence  to  themselves :  as  where  St.  Paul  saith,  that  he  had 

2  Tim.  i.  3.  "  served  God  from  his  forefathers  with  a  pure  conscience  ;" 
that  is,  he  had  never  done  any  thing  which  he  thought  to 
be  a  sin,  nor  left  any  thing  undone  which  he  thought  to  be 
his  duty  to  God :  so  that  his  conscience  had  nothing  to 
accuse  him  of  in  either  respect;  and  therefore  it  was  a 
"  pure,"  a  "  clear  conscience,"  and  a  "  good  "  one  too,  as  the 

Acts  23.  i.  same  Apostle  calls  it ;  where  he  saith,  that  he  had  "  lived 
in  all  good  conscience  before  God."  For  that  this  is  the 
proper  notion  of  a  "  good  conscience,"  we  may  learn  from 

Heb.  13.  is. tne  same  Apostle,  saying,  "  We  trust  we  have  a  good  con 
science,  in  all  things  willing  to  live  honestly,"  where  the 
latter  words  explain  the  former :  he  therefore  had  a  "  good 
conscience  "  in  all  things,  because  it  was  his  will,  desire,  and 
endeavour  in  all  things  to  live  as  became  an  honest  and  a 
good  man.  To  the  same  purpose  is  that  of  St.  Peter,  where 

i  Pet.  s.  16.  he  adviseth  all  Christians  to  have  a  "  good  conscience,  that 
whereas,"  saith  he,  "  they  speak  evil  of  you,  as  of  evil-doers, 
they  may  be  ashamed  that  falsely  accuse  your  good  conver 
sation  in  Christ."  Where  we  may  observe,  that  a  "  good  con 
versation"  and  a  "  good  conscience  "  are  correlatives,  they 
always  go  together,  and  influence  one  another.  He  that 
doth  not  lead  a  good  life,  can  never  have  a  "  good  con 
science ;"  but  his  "  conscience  "  must  needs  be  "  good"  whose 
life  is  so. 

And  thus  it  was  that  St.  Paul  kept  his  "  conscience " 
always  "  pure,"  and  "  good,"  and  "  void  "  of  all  "  offence," 


The  Conscience  void  of  Offence.  305 

even  by  avoiding  whatsoever  he  thought  would  offend  God, 
and  doing  whatsoever  he  thought  would  please  Him  ;  as 
appears  from  his  saying,  "  For  I  know  nothing  by  myself,  i  Cor.  4.  4. 
yet  am  I  not  hereby  justified  ; "  that  is,  I  am  not  conscious  to 
myself  that  I  indulge  myself  in  any  thing  that  I  know  to  be 
offensive  to  God ;  yet  I  do  not  from  thence  conclude,  that  I 
am  just  before  God :  for  He  knows  many  things  by  me, 
which  I  myself  do  not,  for  which  He  may  justly  condemn 
me ;  but  howsoever  my  own  "  conscience  "  doth  not.  To 
the  same  purpose  he  elsewhere  saith,  that  "  touching  the  PWI.  3. 6. 
righteousness  which  is  in  the  Law,"  he  was  "blameless." 
Blameless,  not  in  the  sight  of  God,  but  in  his  "  own  con 
science,"  that  had  nothing  to  accuse  him  of,  or  to  blame  him 
for,  because  he  punctually  observed  all  things  whatsoever 
the  Law  required  of  him,  to  the  best  of  his  knowledge,  and 
by  that  means  kept  his  "  conscience "  always  "  void  of 
offence  both  toward  God  and  toward  men." 

II.  Now,  understanding  how  St.  Paul  did  it,  we  may 
easily  learn  how  we  also  may  do  this  great  work,  even  always 
keep  our  "  consciences  clear,  and  void  of  all  offence."  But, 
howsoever,  it  being  a  matter  of  so  great  importance,  that 
we  may  be  sure  to  avoid  all  mistakes  about  it,  and  be  rightly 
informed  in  the  true  nature  and  notion  of  it,  and  in  the  way 
and  manner  how  to  do  it,  I  desire  you  to  consider,  with  me, 
these  following  particulars: 

First ;  he  that  would  keep  his  "  conscience  void  of  offence," 
must  keep  it  always  awake,  and  upon  its  duty,  ready  upon 
all  occasions  to  admonish  him  of  what  he  ought  to  do,  and 
to  reprove  and  correct  him  if  he  doth  it  not.  For  he  that 
suffers  his  "  conscience  "  to  sleep  or  slumber,  and  to  be  for 
getful  or  careless  of  its  office,  had  as  good  have  none  at  all ; 
and  then,  be  sure,  can  never  have  a  good  one.  This  is 
the  unhappiness  of  those  who  are  always  so  busy  about  the 
world,  that  they  never  give  themselves  time  to  think  of  their 
duty,  and  so  stifle  their  "  conscience  "  in  a  crowd  of  worldly 
business. 

This  also  is  the  sad  effect  of  living  long  in  any  sin,  and 
multiplying  the  acts  of  it  so  long,  till  it  become  habitual : 
for  the  "  conscience  "  being  often  touched  with  it,  at  length 
it  grows  hard  and  callous,  so  as  not.  to  be  sensible  of  the 

x 


306  The  Conscience  void  of  Offence. 

SERM.    evj]  of  ft;  which  the  Apostle  therefore  calls  a  "conscience 
~~  seared  with  an  hot  iron."     For  as  flesh  that  is  cauterised,  as 

1  J.  1111.  4«  2. 

the  word  signifies,  or  "  seared  with  an  hot  iron,"  at  first  feels 
great  pain,  but  afterwards  grows  hard  and  senseless,  feeling 
nothing  that  is  put  upon  it ;  so  the  "  conscience,"  although 
at  first  it  be  very  sensible  of  the  evil  and  mischief  of  sin,  yet 
being  often  enflamed  and  tormented  with  it,  it  afterwards 
grows  dead  and  stupid,  past  all  feeling,  so  that  nothing  will 
make  any  impression  upon  it.  This  is  that  which  the  Pro 
phet  calls  a  "  stiff  neck "  which  nothing  can  bow,  and  an 

[Jer.  17.  "  hard  heart"  which  nothing  will  break  ;  such  as  Pharaoh's 
was,  which  all  the  miracles  which  God  wrought  in  Egypt, 
could  never  affect  or  move  at  all :  but  though  he  saw  the 
finger  of  God  in  them,  he  could  not  feel  it.  This  is  a  very 
sad  and  deplorable  condition  indeed  :  for  such  men  are  so 
far  from  having  a  good  "  conscience,"  that  they  have  in  a 
manner  none  at  all,  or  at  the  best,  such  a  one  as  is  scarce 
capable  of  being  made  good.  It  is  true,  such  a  "  conscience" 
never  troubles  them,  as  not  being  offended  at  any  thing  they 
do,  and  therefore  may  be  thought  to  be  "void  of  offence;" 
but  alas !  it  is  so  far  from  that,  that  it  is  full  of  nothing  else, 
as  they  will  find  by  woful  experience,  when  their  "  con 
science  "  being  roused  up  out  of  its  dead  sleep,  either  by 
some  extraordinary  judgment  in  this,  or  at  their  departure 
into  the  other  world,  will  come  like  an  armed  man,  and 
execute  the  utmost  of  its  rage  and  fury  upon  them,  filling 
their  souls  with  inexpressible  horror  and  confusion  for 
those  very  sins  which  they  used  to  take  pleasure  and  de 
light  in. 

Wherefore,  as  you  ever  desire  to  keep  your  "  conscience  " 
clear  and  "  void  of  sin,"  you  must  keep  it  always  in  action ; 
so  watchful,  as  to  see  the  very  first  appearance  of  evil,  and 
so  tender,  as  to  feel  the  least  motion  towards  it.  Such  a  one 
was  David's,  whose  heart  smote  him  for  only  cutting  off  the 

[i  Sam.  24.  skirt  of  Saul's  garment,  because  that  looked  like  rebellion 
against  his  prince,  and  revenging  himself  upon  his  enemy : 
and  such  must  yours  be,  if  you  would  always  have  it  clear 
and  good.  You  must  preserve  and  nourish  in  your  mind  so 
quick  a  sense  of  God,  as  to  fear  to  offend  Him  in  the  least 
as  well  as  in  the  greatest  matters,  and  scruple  every  thing 


The  Conscience  void  of  Offence.  307 

rather  than  nothing.  But  then  you  must  have  a  care  of 
falling  into  the  other  extreme,  even  of  indulging  such  a 
groundless  scrupulosity  about  things  indifferent,  as  to  doubt 
or  fear,  where  there  is  no  cause  for  it,  and  so  to  make  your 
lives  uneasy  to  yourselves,  and  unserviceable  to  God. 

For  which  purpose,  therefore,  the  next  thing  to  be  con 
sidered,  in  order  to  the  keeping  our  "  conscience  void  of 
offence,"  is,  that  it  govern  itself  in  all  its  actions  by  the 
revealed  will  or  Word  of  God,  which  is  the  rule  or  standard 
for  "  conscience "  to  walk  by.  So  that  as  every  man  is 
bound  to  act  according  to  his  own  "  conscience,"  so  every 
man's  "  conscience "  is  as  much  bound  to  act  according  to 
God's  Word;  and  unless  it  do  so,  it  cannot  possibly  be  "void 
of  offence,"  for  itself  is  guilty  of  a  very  great  one,  in  going 
beyond  or  beside  the  rule  that  God  hath  set  it.  As  if  a 
man's  "  conscience  "  tells  him  that  such  a  thing  is  his  duty, 
although  it  be  not  agreeable  to  God's  Word,  or  that  such  a 
thing  is  a  sin,  although  it  be  no  way  contrary  to  it ;  that 
man's  "  conscience  "  offends  in  a  high  degree,  by  usurping 
upon  God's  prerogative  in  determining  of  good  and  evil, 
what  ought  or  ought  not  to  be  done  by  us.  And,  therefore, 
if  any  doubts  or  scruples  arise  in  a  man's  mind,  whether  he 
may  or  may  not  do  such  a  thing,  his  only  way  is  to  consult 
the  Scriptures,  and  if  he  find  it  neither  directly  nor  indi 
rectly  commanded  there,  he  may  choose  whether  he  will  do 
it  or  no  ;  and  if  he  find  it  nowhere  forbidden  there,  he  may 
do  it  if  he  will,  and  trouble  himself  no  further  about  it,  for 
his  "  conscience"  is  no  further  concerned  in  such  things,  but 
only  to  put  him  upon  doing  that  which  seems  best  to  his 
reason  and  judgment ;  to  which  God  Himself  hath  referred 
us,  in  such  things  as  He  hath  left  undetermined  in  His  holy 
Word  :  except  they  be  determined  by  those  whom  He  hath 
set  over  us  in  Church  or  State,  and  to  whom  in  such  cases 
our  "  consciences  "  are  obliged  by  the  same  word  to  submit. 

But  in  all  other  things,  a  "  good  conscience  "  always  takes 
its  measures  from  God's  Word,  and  acts  according  to  that, 
at  least  not  contrary  to  it.  Otherwise  it  is  no  "  good  con 
science,"  nor  indeed  is  it  "  conscience "  at  all,  properly  so 
called,  but  rather  fancy,  or  humour,  or  prejudice  taken  up 
from  education,  or  interest,  or  from  the  company  a  man 


308  The  Conscience  void  of  Offence. 

SERM.    keeps  ;  all  which  are  commonly  mistaken  for  "  conscience," 
—  and  under  that  disguise  betray  people  into  all  manner  of 


jt> 
vice  and  wickedness.     As  we  see  in  the  Jews,  who  being 

prepossessed  with  groundless  conceits,  without  any  found 
ation  in  the  Word  of  God,  concerning  the  Messiah,  they 
were  so  far  from  believing  Jesus  to  be  the  person,  that  they 
fancied  it  to  be  their  duty  to  persecute  both  Him  and  His 
followers.  Insomuch  that  our  Saviour  speaking  to  His  dis- 
2.  ciples  concerning  them,  saith,  "They  shall  put  you  out  of 
the  synagogues;  yea,  the  time  cometh,  that  whosoever  killeth 
you,  will  think  that  he  doth  God  service."  And  so  it  hath 
been  in  our  days,  wherein  many  have  run  into  schism,  fac 
tion,  and  rebellion;  have  robbed,  pillaged,  and  murdered 
their  neighbours,  yea,  and  their  king  too  :  and  yet,  as  my 
charity  prompts  me  to  believe,  some  of  them  thought  it  to 
be  their  duty,  and  that  they  did  God  service  in  it ;  and 
therefore  pretended  their  "  conscience  "  put  them  upon  it. 
Which  could  not  be ;  for  "  conscience,"  properly  so  called,  is 
that  sense  of  good  and  evil  which  God  hath  implanted  in  us, 
which  is  always  agreeable  to  His  revealed  will.  Whereas 
these  things  are  so  contrary  to  it,  that  whatsoever  it  was  that 
put  them  upon  doing  such  things,  be  sure  it  could  not  be 
properly  "  conscience."  They  might  think  it  to  be  their 
duty,  but  their  "  conscience "  could  not  tell  them  so  ;  for 
that,  if  hearkened  to,  would  have  taught  them  the  quite  con 
trary  :  and  when  once  awakened,  will  be  horribly  offended 
both  with  their  doing  such  things,  and  with  their  hypocri 
tical  pretence  of  "  conscience  "  for  it. 

Wherefore  that  we  may  be  sure  to  keep  our  "  conscience 
always  void  of  offence,"  we  must  be  sure  to  keep  close  to  the 
written  Word  of  God,  and  to  regulate  both  our  actions  and 
consciences  too  according  to  that,  without  minding  either 
unwritten  traditions,  or  new  lights  and  revelations,  or  our 
isa.  s.  20.  own  private  conceits  and  opinions.  "  To  the  law  and  to  the 
testimony ;  if  they  speak  not  according  to  this  Word,  it  is 
because  there  is  no  light  in  them."  It  is  by  this  that  we 
shall  be  judged  at  the  last  day,  and  therefore  it  is  by  this 
that  both  we  and  our  consciences  must  act  now,  or  other 
wise  it  will  be  impossible  for  us  to  keep  them  always  "  void 
of  offence." 


The  Conscience  void  of  Offence.  309 

But  here  we  must  further  observe,  that  when  we  speak  of 
the  Scriptures  as  the  rule  of  "  conscience,"  it  must  be  under 
stood  of  the  true  sense  and  meaning  of  them,  not  of  any  false 
interpretations  or  wrong  conclusions  drawn  from  them ;  for 
they  are  as  far  from  being  God's  Word,  as  our  own  private 
fancies  or  prejudicate  opinions  are.  And  if  our  "  con 
science  "  should  follow  them,  instead  of  being  "  void  "  and 
free  "  from  offence,"  it  would  fall  into  it  every  day :  which 
therefore  that  it  may  not  do,  we  must  not  rack  and  torture 
the  words,  to  make  them  speak  what  we  would  have  them, 
but  search  them  impartially,  so  as  to  find  out  what  God 
Himself  means  and  designs  by  them,  lest  otherwise  we  be  in 
the  number  of  those  unstable  and  unlearned  men  St.  Peter 
speaks  of,  who  "  wrest  the  Scripture  to  their  own  destruc-  2  Pet  3. 16. 
tion,"  which  all  are  in  danger  of,  who  either  wilfully  or 
carelessly  understand  the  words  in  a  wrong  sense.  But 
then  you  will  say,  How  may  we  be  sure  to  find  out  the  true 
sense  of  the  Scriptures,  so  that  our  "  consciences  "  may  be 
rightly  informed  out  of  them  concerning  our  duty  to  God 
and  men  ?  To  that  I  answer,  That  the  best  way  is  to  do 
whatsoever  you  know  already  to  be  there  commanded  in 
plain  and  express  terms ;  and  then  if  you  seek  for  other 
things  with  an  humble  and  sincere  temper  of  mind,  you 
cannot  miss  of  finding  out  God's  will  and  pleasure  in  what 
soever  else  he  would  have  you  to  do.  For  this  we  have  the 
Word  of  Christ  Himself,  saying,  "  If  any  man  will  do  God's  John  7. 17. 
will,  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine  whether  it  be  of  God,  or 
whether  I  speak  of  myself."  The  question  then  was,  Whe 
ther  what  Christ  taught  was  agreeable  to  God's  Word  or 
no,  and  how  they  might  know  it  ?  For  the  resolving  of 
which  question,  he  assures  them,  that  if  they  first  did  what 
they  knew  already  of  God's  will,  they  should  soon  know 
whether  what  He  taught  them  was  really  God's  Word  or 
no.  Which  being  asserted  and  promised  by  Christ  Himself, 
we  cannot  doubt  of  the  truth  of  it,  but  that  all  who  sincerely 
endeavour  to  do  whatsoever  they  know  to  be  their  duty, 
shall  certainly  know  whatsoever  they  ought  to  do.  And  the 
reason  is,  because  God  Himself  always  directs  such  in  the 
finding  out  His  will,  by  the  assistance  of  His  own  Spirit, 
which  having  dictated  the  Holy  Scriptures,  best  knows  the 


310  The  Conscience  void  of  Offence. 

SERM.    true  sense  and  meaning  of  every  expression  in  them:  for 

-  which  purpose  therefore  Christ  hath  promised,  that  the  said 

Holy  Spirit  shall  be  with  His  Church,  and  all  the  faithful 

Matt. 28.20.  members  of  it,  "  to  the  end  of  the  world."     "  To  guide 

John  le  II' them  into  a11  truth "  tliat  is  necessai7  for  tnem  to  know, 

John  H.  26.  and  to  "  teach  them  all  things  "  that  are  necessary  for  them 
to  do. 

But  that  we  may  be  thus  actually  assisted,  directed,  and 
illuminated  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  so  as  rightly  to 
understand  His  whole  will  revealed  to  us  in  Holy  Scripture, 
as  we  must  do  what  we  know  already  of  it  as  well  as  we 
can,  so  we  must,  in  an  especial  manner,  perform  such  duties 
as  He  hath  appointed  in  order  thereunto.  We  must  give 
ourselves  to  fasting  and  praying  for  it,  to  reading  and  hearing 
His  Holy  Word,  and  to  the  frequent  receiving  of  the  Lord's 
Supper;  for  these  are  the  means  whereby  we  may  obtain 
the  Spirit  of  God,  which  usually  moves,  upon  our  hearts  in 
the  sincere  performance  of  such  duties,  enlightening  our 
minds,  informing  our  judgments,  and  clearing  up  our  appre 
hensions  of  God's  revealed  will,  and  so  directs  us  how  to 
keep  our  "  Consciences  always  void  of  offence  both  toward 
God  and  toward  men." 

"Both  toward  God  and  toward  men;"  that  is  the  next 
thing  required  to  the  keeping  our  "  conscience  always  void 
of  offence : "  it  must  be  with  respect  both  to  "  God "  and 
"  men,"  so  as  to  perform  our  whole  duty  to  both ;  for  if  we 
fail  in  any  one  point  towards  either,  that  may  gall  our  "  con 
sciences  "  as  much  as  if  we  had  failed  in  all :  at  least  our 
"conscience"  cannot  be  truly  said  to  be  "void  of"  all 
"  offence,"  so  long  as  we  offend  either  "  God  "  or  "  man,"  by 
not  performing  sincere  obedience  to  the  whole  Law,  divided 
on  purpose  into  two  tables,  the  one  respecting  "  God,"  and  the 
other  "man ;"  that  so  we  may  understand  and  perform  our 

PS.  119.  6.  duty  distinctly  unto  both.  "  Then  shall  I  not  be  ashamed," 
saith  David,  then  shall  my  conscience  riot  be  offended, 
"  when  I  have  respect  unto  all  Thy  commandments."  Thus 
it  was  that  Zacharias  and  Elizabeth  kept  their  consciences 

Luke  1.6.  "  v°id  of  offence,"  by  being  "  both  righteous  before  God, 
walking  in  all  the  Commandments  and  Ordinances  of  the 

John  is.  14.  Lord  blameless."     And  Christ  Himself  saith,  "  Ye  are  My 


The  Conscience  void  of  Offence.  311 

friends,  if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  command  you."  And  there 
fore  unless  we  do  every  thing  that  He  hath  commanded, 
we  are  none  of  His  friends,  and  by  consequence  cannot  have 
a  good  "conscience;"  for  that  is  proper  only  to  Christ's 
friends,  to  such  as  truly  love  Him  and  are  beloved  by  Him. 

This  is  a  thing  much  to  be  observed,  for  most  men  can 
make  a  shift  to  do  some,  or  perhaps  many  things  that  are 
commanded,  but  still  live  in  the  constant  neglect  of  others ; 
and  commonly  they  take  up  with  things  of  lesser  moment, 
and  let  go  the  greater;  as  our  Saviour  observed  in  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  saying,  "  Wo  unto  you,  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  hypocrites,  for  ye  pay  tythe  of  mint,  and  anise, 
and  cummin,  and  have  omitted  the  weightier  matters  of  the 
Law,  Judgment,  Mercy,  and  Faith :  these  ought  ye  to  have 
done,  and  not  to  leave  the  other  undone."  And  then  He 
adds,  "  Ye  blind  guides,  which  strain  at  a  gnat,  and  swallow  Matt.  23. 
a  camel ; "  that  is,  which  make  great  conscience  of  little 
things,  but  none  of  great  ones.  The  same  is  too  common  in 
our  days,  wherein  people  pretend  mighty  scruples  of  con 
science  about  the  circumstances  of  religion,  but  take  no  care 
of  the  substance  ;  which  plainly  shews,  that  whatsoever  may 
be  pretended,  there  is  nothing  of  "  conscience  "  in  it,  at  least 
not  a  good  one,  for  that  is  always  equally  concerned  about 
all,  and  every  one  of  God's  commands,  whether  contained  in 
the  first  or  second  table ;  for  if  it  offends  against  either  of 
them,  it  cannot  possibly  be  the  "  conscience  "  which  the 
Apostle  here  speaks  of,  that  is  "  void  of  offence  toward 
God  and  toward  men." 

Wherefore,  that  you  may  have  such  a  "  conscience  "  as 
this,  you  must  be  sure,  in  the  first  place,  to  perform  your 
whole  duty  unto  "  God;"  you  must  love  Him  with  all  your 
"heart"  and  "soul,  with  all  your  might  and  mind;"  you  [Deut.6.5.] 
must  sanctify  Him  above  all  things,  by  making  Him  your 
only  "fear"  and  your   only  "dread;"  you  must  put  your 
whole  trust  and  confidence  on  Him,  and  rejoice  continually 
in  Him  ;  you  must  "  pray  without  ceasing,"  and  in  "  every  ^  The?.  5. 
thing  give  thanks"  unto  Him:    you  must  resign  up  your  17^ 
wills  to  His,  so  as  to  make  His  your  own ;  you  must  wor 
ship  and  adore  Him  "  with  reverence  and  godly  fear;"  you  [-Heb.  12. 
must  serve,  honour,  arid  obey  Him  with  a  perfect  heart  and  280 


312  The  Conscience  void  of  Offence. 

S.ERM-    a  willing  mind ;  "  Whether  ye  eat  or  drink,  or  whatsoever 

[i  Cor.  io7  Je  do,  ye  must  do  all  for  His  glory."  You  must  admire 
His  perfections,  desire  His  favour,  and  prefer  His  honour 
before  all  things  in  the  world  ;  you  must  read,  and  hear,  and 
meditate  upon  His  Holy  Word,  praise  and  celebrate  His 
most  holy  name,  and  often  commemorate  that  death  which 
His  only  Son  hath  undergone  for  you.  You  must  not  blas 
pheme  His  name,  nor  deride  His  worship,  nor  profane  such 
times  and  places  as  He  hath  set  apart  for  His  own  use. 
You  must  not  leave  His  Church,  nor  despise  His  children, 
nor  wrong  His  ministers,  nor  rob  Him  of  any  thing  dedi 
cated  to  His  service.  In  short,  you  must  do  nothing  that 
He  hath  forbidden,  for  that  reason,  because  He  hath  for 
bidden  it :  and  you  must  do  every  thing  that  He  hath  com 
manded  you  to  do,  either  to  or  for  Himself,  upon  that 
account,  because  He  hath  commanded  it :  and  yet,  after  all, 
you  must  believe  and  rely  only  upon  His  Son  Jesus  Christ, 
both  for  His  assistance  of  you  in  the  doing  of  it,  and  for 
His  acceptance  of  it  when  it  is  done. 

By  this  means  you  may  keep  your  "  conscience  void  of 
offence  toward  God  ; "  but  that  will  signify  nothing,  unless 
you  do  it  toward  "men"  too.  Neither  indeed  can  you  do 
one  without  the  other  ;  for  you  do  not  perform  any  duty  to 
God  aright,  unless  you  do  it  in  obedience  to  His  command ; 
but  if  you  do  so,  you  cannot  but  perform  your  duty  unto 
men  too,  for  the  same  reason,  because  He  hath  commanded 

[Matt.  22.  that  also.  And  therefore  you  must  "  give  unto  Csesar  things 
which  are  Caesar's,"  as  well  as  "  unto  God  the  things  which 

[i  Pet.  2.  are  God's;"  you  must  "submit  yourselves  to  every  Ordi 
nance  of  man  for  the  Lord's  sake,  whether  to  the  King  as 
Supreme,"  or  other  governors  in  Church  and  State :  you 

[Rom.  13.  must  render  to  every  one  their  due,  "  Tribute  to  whom 
tribute  is  due,  custom  to  whom  custom,  fear  to  whom  fear, 
honour  to  whom  honour."  You  must  honour  and  respect 
your  parents,  and  not  suffer  them  to  want  any  thing  that  you 
can  help  them  to :  you  must  "  not  kill,"  nor  maim,  nor  hurt 
your  neighbour ;  nor  so  much  as  be  angry  at  him  "  without 
a  cause."  As  you  must  be  meek  and  humble,  so  you  must 

[i  Cor.  9.  be  sober,  and  modest,  and  chaste,  and  "  temperate  in  all 
things  ;"  you  must  not  cheat  or  defraud,  or  steal  from  one 


The  Conscience  void  of  Offence.  313 

another,  but  be  true  and  faithful  to  your  word,  just  and 

righteous  in  all  your  dealings,  charitable  and  liberal,  as  far 

as  you  are  able,  to  the  poor.     You  must  "  not  bear  false 

witness  against  your  neighbour,"  nor  backbite,  nor  defame, 

nor  slander,  nor  raise  nor  believe  any  evil  report  against 

him.      You  must  not  covet  or  desire  what  God  hath  given 

unto  others,  but  be  contented  and  thankful  for  what   He 

hath   bestowed   upon   you.     In    a  word,  "  Whatsoever   ye  Matt.  7. 12. 

would  that  others  should  do  to  you,  even  so  "  you  must  "  do 

to  them  ;  for  this  is  the  Law  and  the  Prophets : "  the  sum 

and  substance  of  our  whole  duty  to  one  another,  as  our  Lord 

hath  taught  us.     And  therefore  if  we  do  it  aright,  we  shall 

keep  our  consciences  "  void  of  offence  toward  men,"  as  well 

as  "  toward  God." 

I  say,  if  we  do  it  aright ;  which  is  the  next  thing  to  be 
considered  in  this  case :  for  we  must  not  think  that  "  con 
science"  will  be  satisfied  with  bare  doing  the  thing  that 
God  commands,  unless  we  do  it  in  the  manner  also  wherein 
God  hath  commanded  it  to  be  done,  even  heartily  and  sin 
cerely,  out  of  pure  obedience  to  His  command  ;  for  if  we  do 
it  from  any  other  principle,  or  for  any  other  design,  our  own 
"consciences"  will  tell  us,  that  we  do  not  obey  God,  but 
dissemble  with  Him,  making  as  if  we  endeavoured  to 
please  and  honour  Him,  when  indeed  we  do  not,  but  rather 
seek  our  own  honour,  or  interest,  or  something  or 
other  which  we  should  not.  But  we  must  not  think  to  put 
off  our  "  consciences"  so;  for  they  are  intimately  acquainted 
with  our  most  secret  designs,  and  with  the  first  principles 
from  whence  our  actions  flow  :  and  except  they  be  right, 
our  "  consciences,"  if  awake,  must  needs  see  it,  and  be 
offended  at  it.  Hence  St.  Paul,  in  order  to  the  keeping 
his  conscience  "  void  of  offence,"  avoided  all  manner  of 
hypocrisy  and  deceit  in  all  his  actions,  performing  them 
heartily  and  sincerely  as  unto  God  :  "  For  our  rejoicing  is  2 Cor.  1. 12. 
this,"  saith  he,  "  the  testimony  of  our  conscience,  that  in 
simplicity  and  godly  sincerity,  not  with  fleshly  wisdom,  but 
by  the  grace  of  God,  we  have  had  our  conversation  in  the 
world."  His  "  conscience,"  it  seems,  bore  him  witness,  that  he 
had  not  used  any  worldly  craft,  nor  carried  on  any  ill 
designs,  but  that  he  had  been  sincere  and  upright  in  all  his 


314  The  Conscience  void  of  Offence. 

SERM.  ways;  and,  by  that  means,  was  not  only  "void  of  offence," 
-  but  full  of  joy  and  comfort.  And  if  we  take  the  same  course, 
none  of  us  but  may  have  as  good  a  "  conscience  "  as  he :  for 
although  there  be  many  failures  and  imperfections  in  our 
best  duties,  as  doubtless  there  were  some  in  his  ;  yet  if  we 
be  but  sincere,  as  he  was,  in  the  performance  of  them,  our 
"  consciences  "  need  not,  or  rather  ought  not  to  trouble  us  for 
them.  For  God,  now  under  the  Gospel,  "  accepts  of"  the  "  sin 
cerity"  of  our  hearts,  "  instead  of"  that  "  absolute  perfection" 
which  the  Law  requires  in  our  works ;  and  therefore  if  we  be 
but  hearty  and  sincere,  as  we  ought,  though  we  are  not  so  exact 
and  accurate  as  we  desire  to  be  in  all  our  actions,  our  "  con 
sciences  "  can  have  nothing  to  say  against  us,  but  must  needs 
witness  for  us  that  we  come  up  to  the  terms  of  the  Gospel,  and 
so  are  void  of  all  "  offence  toward  God  and  toward  men." 

But  there  is  one  thing  still  behind,  without  which  all  the 
rest  will  avail  us  nothing  ;  and  that  is,  that  we  do  not  only 
keep  our  "  conscience  "  thus  "  void  of  offence  "  now  and  then, 
but  that  we  always  do  it :  "  Herein,"  saith  the  Apostle,  "  I 
exercise  myself,  to  have  always  a  conscience  void  of  offence  ; " 
the  word  is  d/a-rai^,  at  all  times,  in  all  places,  upon  all 
occasions,  in  all  conditions  and  circumstances  of  life :  and 
verily  he  that  hath  not  a  "  good  conscience  "  always,  never 
hath  one  ;  for  that  is  not  a  thing  to  be  taken  up  and  laid 
down  at  pleasure,  lost  to-day,  and  regained  to-morrow,  now 
bad,  and  then  good  again :  no,  "  conscience,  when  once 
offended,  is  not  so  easily  appeased  :  at  least,  it  cannot  be 
said  to  be  "  void  of  offence,"  so  long  as  any  one  thing  troubles 
it.  Insomuch  that  although  a  man  should  keep  his  "  con 
science  "  clear  all  his  life  long,  except  one  day,  yet  if  he  doth 
any  thing  upon  that  day  which  is  offensive,  he  may  feel  it 
all  his  life  after ;  and  he  will  find  it,  though  not  impossible, 
yet  very  difficult  to  bring  his  "  conscience  "  into  order  again. 
And,  therefore,  he  that  would  always  have  a  "  good  con 
science,"  must  always  keep  it  clear  and  "  void  of  offence,"  by 
[Luke  i.  "  walking  in  holiness  and  righteousness  before  God,  all  the 
days  of  his  life:"  whatsoever  happens,  he  must  still  take 
care  of  the  main  chance,  even  to  keep  close  to  the  rule  which 
God  hath  set  him,  without  ever  turning  aside  from  it,  either 
to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left.  He  must  never  suffer 


The  Conscience  void  of  Offence.  315 

himself  to  be  overpowered  either  with  hope  or  fear  of  any 
thing  in  this  world  ;  but  as  God's  word  must  be  the  only 
rule  of  his  "  conscience,"  his  "  conscience  "  must  be  the  only 
rule  of  all  his  actions,  so  as  never  to  do  any  thing,  upon  any 
account  whatsoever,  but  what  he  may  and  can  do  with  a 
"  good  conscience,"  according  to  the  rules  which  God  Him 
self  hath  prescribed  in  His  Holy  Word.  Whosoever  thus 
sincerely  goes  on  in  a  steady  and  uniform  course  of  piety  and 
virtue,  without  being  diverted  by  any  thing  he  meets  with 
here  below,  such  a  one,  and  none  but  such,  can  truly  say  as 
St.  Paul  here  doth,  "  Herein  do  I  exercise  myself,  to  have 
always  a  conscience  void  of  offence,  both  toward  God  and 
toward  men." 

Thus  I  have  now  shewn  how  you  may  all  keep  your 
"  consciences  void  of  offence,"  if  ye  will ;  what  now  remains, 
but  that  ye  should  be  "willing  to  do  it?"  This  therefore  is 
that  which  I  would  now  persuade  you  to.  But  before  I 
shew  how  much  it  concerns  all  to  keep  a  "  good  conscience," 
it  will  be  needful  to  direct  some  how  to  get  one :  for  I  fear 
there  may  be  some  here  present  who  never  had  a  "  good 
conscience,"  or  at  least,  have  lost  it  long  ago ;  and  ever  since 
have  had  either  no  "conscience"  at  all,  or  such  a  one  as 
hath  been  a  continual  trouble  and  torment  to  them.  And 
what  shall  I  say  to  such  ?  Truly  their  condition  is  very  sad, 
much  sadder  than  any  one  can  imagine  but  themselves  :  but 
howsoever,  I  would  not  have  them  despair ;  for,  as  I  ob 
served  before,  though  it  be  difficult,  it  is  not  impossible  to 
quiet  a  troubled  mind,  to  appease  an  offended  and  angry 
"  conscience,"  and  to  reduce  it  to  a  right  temper  again  :  but 
how  must  that  be  done  ?  Why,  in  short,  there  is  no  way  to 
heal  such  a  wounded  spirit,  but  by  applying  the  blood  of 
Christ  to  it,  which  as  the  Apostle  saith,  "  Purgeth  the  con-  Heb.  9. 14. 
science  from  dead  works  to  serve  the  living  f  God,"  that  is, 
it  cleanseth  the  "  conscience"  from  all  the  filth  it  hath  here 
tofore  contracted  by  deadly  sins,  and  enables  it  for  the  future 
to  "  serve  the  living  God  :"  for,  as  St.  John  assures  us,  "  The  i  John  i.  7. 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  And  there 
fore  he  prescribes  this  as  the  only  remedy  to  a  wounded 
conscience ;  "  If  any  man  sin,"  saith  he,  "  we  have  an  ad-  l  John  2-  ] » 
vocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the  Righteous,  and  He 


316  The  Conscience  void  of  Offence. 

SERM.  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but 
-  also  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."  As  if  he  had  said,  If 
any  man  have  sinned,  and  his  "conscience"  be,  as  it  ought, 
troubled  for  it,  let  him  remember,  that  "Jesus  Christ"  is 
now  interceding  for  us  in  Heaven  ;  and  that  when  He  was 
upon  earth,  "  by  His  one  oblation  of  Himself,  once  offered, 
He  made  a  full,  perfect,  and  sufficient  sacrifice,  oblation,  and 
satisfaction  for  the  sins  of"  mankind  in  general,  and  by 
consequence,  for  his  among  the  rest.  And  therefore  let 
him  but  repent  and  believe  in  Christ  for  the  pardon  of  his 
sin,  and  it  shall  be  pardoned,  both  in  the  court  of  Heaven, 
and  likewise  in  that  of  his  own  "  conscience."  Yea,  this  is 
the  method  which  Christ  Himself,  the  great  physician  of 

Matt.ii.28.  souls,  hath  prescribed  in  this  case;  "  Come  unto  Me,"  saith 
He,  "  all  ye  that  labour  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give 
ye  rest,"  plainly  implying,  that  they  who  labour  under  the 
sense,  and  are  heavy  laden  with  the  burden  of  their  sins,  if 
they  do  but  apply  themselves  to  Him,  by  a  true  and  lively 
faith,  they  shall  soon  be  eased  of  their  trouble,  and  cured  of 
those  deadly  wounds  which  sin  had  made  in  their  breast,  as 
the  Israelites  were,  when  being  stung  by  serpents  in  the . 

Num.  21.9.  wilderness,  they  looked  up  to  the  brazen  serpent,  which 
Moses,  by  God's  appointment,  made  as  a  type  of  Christ,  in 
this  very  case. 

Wherefore,  whosoever  thou  art,  who  hast  heretofore  com 
mitted  such  sins  as  now  lie  heavy  upon  thy  "  conscience," 
ready  to  sink  thee  down  into  despair,  look  up  to  Christ,  as 
wounded  for  those  very  sins,  firmly  believing,  that  upon  thy 
hearty  and  sincere  repentance,  God,  for  His  sake,  doth 
absolve  and  acquit  thee  from  them,  so  as  to  rest  fully 
satisfied  in  thine  own  mind,  that  He  will  never  be  offended 
with  thee  any  more  for  them,  and  then  thy  "conscience" 
also  will  cease  to  be  so.  But  then  I  must  say  to  thee  as 
Christ  said  to  the  impotent  man  whom  He  had  cured,  in  the 

John  s.  14.  Gospel ;  "  Behold  thou  art  made  whole  ;  sin  no  more,  lest  a 
worse  thing  come  unto  thee."  Take  care  for  the  future,  to 
keep  thy  "  conscience  always  void  of  offence  both  toward 
God  and  men." 

And  verily,  had  you  all  once  felt  the  smart  of  a  galled 
conscience,  you  would  need  no  other  argument  to  persuade 


The  Conscience  void  of  Offence.  317 

you  to  avoid  it ;  for  that,  doubtless,  is  the  greatest  torment 
and  misery  that  mankind  is  capable  of,  as  the  wise  man 
observes,  saying,  "The  spirit  of  a  man  will  sustain  his  in-  Prov.is.ii. 
firmity,  but  a  wounded  spirit  who  can  bear?"  ISTo  man, 
certainly,  except  Almighty  God  support  him  under  it,  either 
in  judgment  to  punish  him,  or  else  in  mercy  to  bring  him  to 
repentance  by  it.  Ask  but  such  a  one,  who  labours  under 
it,  what  it  is  to  have  a  "  wounded,"  an  "  offended  con 
science,"  and  he  will  tell  you,  that  "  No  sorrow  is  like  unto  [Lam.  i. 

12  1 

his  sorrow,  wherewith  the  Lord  hath  afflicted  him  in  the 
day  of  His  fierce  anger."  "  The  arrows  of  the  Almighty  are  Job  6.  4. 
within  him,  the  poison  whereof  drinketh  up  his  spirits,  the 
terrors  of  God  set  themselves  in  array  against  him."  O  the 
wormwood  and  the  gall,  the  anguish  and  bitterness  of  his 
soul !  How  doth  he  fret,  and  fume,  and  vex,  and  tear,  and 
torment  himself  at  the  remembrance  of  his  sin  and  folly ! 
Every  thing  is  uneasy  and  troublesome  to  him;  yea,  he  is 
a  burden  to  himself,  he  cannot  endure  himself,  but  wishes 
he  had  never  been,  or  could  cease  to  be ;  his  mind  is  dis 
tracted,  his  thoughts  confounded,  his  whole  soul  is  over 
spread  with  darkness  and  horror,  and  tossed  to  and  fro, 
like  a  troubled  sea,  when  it  cannot  rest,  "  whose  waves  cast  isa.  57.  20. 
up  mire  and  dirt."  Thus  is  the  poor  man  always  upon  the 
rack,  distorted,  tormented,  terrified,  and  hurried  about  by 
his  own  outraged  "  conscience;"  as  if  all  the  fiends  of  Hell 
were  let  loose  upon  him.  What  would  he  now  give,  or 
rather  what  would  he  not  give  for  a  "  good  conscience  ? " 
If  all  the  crowns  and  sceptres  upon  earth  were  his,  he 
would  willingly  part  with  them  all  upon  these  terms,  and 
reckon  it  the  best  purchase  that  he  ever  made. 

But  you,  perhaps,  may  wonder,  how  any  should  be  so 
mightily  troubled  for  their  sins ;  for  you  cannot  but  all 
acknowledge  that  you  have  sinned,  and  are  sorry  for  it, 
and  wish  you  had  never  done  it :  but  you  never  found  your 
"  consciences"  so  much  concerned  about  it,  but  have  lived 
as  cheerfully  and  pleasantly  as  if  you  had  never  sinned  at 
all.  It  may  be  so ;  but  I  believe  there  are  but  few  of  you 
but  have  found  your  "  consciences"  give  you  a  secret  item 
now  and  then,  more  than  you  are  willing  to  speak  of:  and 
the  less  you  have  felt  hitherto,  the  more  is  behind.  Though 


318  The  Conscience  void  of  Offence. 

SERM.    your  sins  were  committed  many  years  ago,  they  still  lie  at 
-  your  doors,  and  your  consciences  want  nothing  but  God's 


command  to  fall  upon  you  for  them ;  for  He  can  make  you, 
Job  is.  26.  as  He  did  Job,  "  to  possess  the  iniquities  of  your  youth," 
and  bring  all  your  sins  into  your  minds  together,  like  so 
many  swarms  of  wasps  about  your  hearts,  to  sting  you  to 
death.  And  if  He  lets  you  alone,  and  suffers  you  to  go  on 
without  control  all  your  life,  that  will  be  the  worst  of  all ; 
for  then  this  life  will  be  no  sooner  ended,  but  your  misery 
will  begin,  and  never  end  at  all :  for  your  consciences  will 
rise  up  with  a  witness  against  you,  and  persecute  and 
torment  you  for  ever.  This  Christ  Himself  hath  forewarned 
you  of,  where  He  speaks  of  Hell,  as  of  a  place  where  the 
Mark  9.  44.  "  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched ; "  that  is, 
where  men's  consciences,  like  so  many  greedy,  insatiable, 
and  immortal  worms,  will  be  always  gnawing  at  their 
breasts,  and  God's  wrath,  like  a  raging  fire,  burning  and 
scorching  their  souls  for  ever. 

Consider  these  things,  and  then  tell  me,  whether  it  be  not 

your  wisdom   and  your  interest,  as  well  as  duty,  to   keep 

your  "  consciences   always  void  of  offence,"  whatsoever  it 

cost  you ;  and  therefore  be  advised  for  the  future  to  do  it. 

If  ye  happen  to  be  in  a  storm,  throw  all  overboard,  rather 

[iTim.  i.    than  make  "shipwreck  of  faith   and   a  good   conscience:" 

wealth,  honour,  liberty,  life  itself,  let  them  all  go,  rather 

than  lose  that,  without  which  all  things  else  will  be  but  a 

trouble  to  you ;  and  which,  of  itself,  will  not  only  supply 

their  want,  but  afford  you  more  comfort  than  all   things 

[2 Cor.  i.     upon   earth   besides.      "This   is   our  rejoicing,"    saith   the 

Apostle,  "  the  testimony  of  our  conscience."     This  is  true, 

[Tit. 2. 12.]  solid,  substantial  joy  indeed,  when  our  "conscience  bears 

us  witness,"  that  we  have  sincerely  endeavoured  to  "  live 

soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present  world."     This 

makes  a  man  to  be  always  of  a  brisk  temper,  a  sound  mind, 

a  cheerful  countenance,  and  a  merry  heart ;  and  so,  as  the 

Proy.i5.i5.  wise  man  saith,  "he  hath  a  continual  feast."     Such  a  one 

[Luke  16.    "fares  deliciously  every  day  ;"  not  as  Dives  did,  upon  meat 

[Rom.  14.    and  drink,  but  as  the  Angels  do,  upon  righteousness,  and 

love,  and  peace,  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost.     Whatsoever 

happens,  he  is  still  the  same;  "wise"  as  a  "serpent,"  "in- 


The  Conscience  void  of  Offence.  319 

nocent"  as  a  "dove;"  "gentle"  as  a  "lamb,"  but  "bold  as 
a  lion  ; "  fearing  no  evil,  because  he  hath  done  none. 
Though  the  winds  blow,  and  the  waves  beat  upon  him,  he 
hath  still  tranquillity  and  peace  within :  this  is  his  support 
under  all  his  troubles,  his  refuge  in  all  dangers,  his  riches 
in  poverty,  his  honour  in  disgrace,  his  pleasure  in  pain,  his 
strength  in  weakness,  his  health  in  sickness,  his  life  in 
death,  when  all  things  else  will  fail  him :  but  his  "  good 
conscience"  will  go  along  with  him  into  the  other  world, 
where  he  will  perfectly  taste,  relish,  and  enjoy  the  goodness 
and  the  sweetness  of  it,  and  bless  God  to  all  eternity,  that 
he  ever  had  it,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord ;  "  to  whom 
with  the  Father  and  Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour  and  glory 
for  ever." 


SERMON   XVIII. 


THE  KNOWLEDGE  OF  JESUS  CHRIST  PREFERABLE 
TO  ALL  OTHER. 


1  CORINTHIANS  ii.  2. 

For  I  determined  not  to  know  any  thing  among  you,  save 
Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified. 

SERM.        IT  having  pleased  our  Great  Creator  to  endue  us  with 

XVIII 

-  such  principles  of  reason  and  understanding,  whereby  we 
are  capable  of  knowing  Himself,  His  will,  His  works,  and 
all  things  necessary  to  our  serving  and  enjoying  Him,  and 
likewise  to  fill  us  at  first  with  such  knowledge,  as  much  as 
we  could  hold  ;  although  by  the  fall  of  our  first  parents  our 
brains  are  shattered,  and  all  our  faculties  so  disordered  and 
out  of  tune,  that  now  we  actually  know  but  very  little,  if  any 
thing  at  all,  as  we  ought ;  yet  our  capacities  still  remaining, 
we  cannot  but  long  to  have  them  filled  again.  And  hence 
it  is,  that  all  men  naturally  desire  knowledge;  and  how 
much  soever  a  man  knows,  he  still  desires  to  know  more. 
And  seeing  no  man  can  possibly  attain  the  knowledge  of  all 
things  that  are  to  be  known,  men  seem  to  offer  at  making 
up  that  defect,  by  undertaking  them  severally ;  some  to  find 
out  one  thing,  and  some  another,  according  to  their  several 
tempers,  inclinations,  and  circumstances ;  and  then  to  com 
municate  their  inventions,  for  the  increase  of  each  other's 
knowledge.  As  some  are  only  for  observing  the  phenomena, 
or  outward  appearance  ;  others  are  for  prying  into  the  secrets 
of  nature,  and  the  first  principles  by  which  every  thing  in 
its  place  acteth  under  God :  some  are  for  taking  the  dimen 
sions  of  the  earth,  and  particular  places  in  it ;  others  are  for 


The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ,  frc.  321 

calculating  the  motions  of  the  Heavens,  and  those  immense 
bodies  that  move  or  seem  to  move  there.  This  man  keeps 
close  to  his  plain  mathematical  demonstrations ;  another 
soars  aloft  among  high  metaphysical  notions  and  subtle 
speculations.  One  man  is  for  searching  into  the  mysteries 
of  several  arts,  that  have  been  invented  and  practised  in  the 
world  ;  a  second  is  for  understanding  the  languages  that  are 
spoken  in  several  nations ;  a  third  is  for  learning  how  to 
put  words  and  sentences  so  neatly  or  so  cunningly  together, 
as  to  make  them  the  more  pleasing  to  the  ears,  or  more 
forcible  upon  the  minds  of  those  who  hear  them.  Thus  I 
might  instance  in  every  thing  that  mankind  is  capable  of 
knowing  :  for  whatsoever  it  is,  some  or  other  are  always 
employing  their  thoughts  about  it.  And  if  a  man  finds  out 
any  thing  which  he  did  not  know  before,  or  if  he  doth  but 
think  he  doth  so,  it  is  a  mighty  pleasure  and  satisfaction  to 
his  mind,  because  it  tends  towards  the  filling  up  that  vacuum 
which  was  there,  by  reason  of  his  not  knowing  so  much  as 
he  was  capable  of. 

But  there  is  one  sort  of  knowledge  which  few  people 
endeavour  after,  although  it  would  do  them  more  good,  and 
therefore  ought  to  be  preferred  before  all  the  languages, 
arts,  and  sciences  in  the  world  besides,  however  useful  they 
may  be  in  their  respective  places.  What  that  is,  I  shall  not 
undertake  to  determine,  but  leave  that  to  one,  whom  we 
cannot  but  acknowledge  to  have  known  more  than  any  one, 
or  all  us  here  present  put  together ;  to  one  who  had  learned 
so  much,  that  Festus  thought  much  learning  had  made  him  Acts  26. 24. 
mad :  I  mean  St.  Paul,  who,  by  the  inspiration  and  com 
mand  of  God  Himself,  here  tells  the  Corinthians,  that  he 
"  determined  not  to  know  any  thing  among  them,  save  Jesus 
Christ,  and  Him  crucified."  Whereby  he  hath  certified  all 
men,  that  in  his  divinely  inspired  judgment,  this  kind  of 
knowledge  so  far  exceeds  all  other,  that  none  else  deserves 
to  be  named  with  it. 

The  occasion  of  the  words  was  this :  St.  Paul  having  been 
some  time  before  at  Corinth,  and  there  planted  the  Gospel 
among  the  inhabitants  of  that  city,  in  the  verse  before  my 
text  he  tells  them  what  arts  he  had  used,  or  rather  what  he 
had  not  used  in  the  doing  it.  "  And  I,"  saith  he,  "  brethren, 


322  The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 

SERM.  when  I  came  to  you,  came  not  with  excellency  of  speech,  or 
—  of  wisdom,  declaring  unto  you  the  testimony  of  God."  He 
had  used  neither  rhetoric  nor  logic,  neither  elegancy  of 
speech  nor  subtlety  of  argument,  to  persuade  them  to  em 
brace  the  faith  of  Christ,  but  had  only  in  plain  terms  declared 
to  them  the  testimony  which  God  had  given  of  him.  And 
having  told  them  this,  he  acquaints  them  in  my  text,  with 
the  reason  why  he  took  this  course ;  "  For,"  saith  he,  "  I 
determined  not  to  know  any  thing  among  you,  save  Jesus 
Christ,  and  Him  crucified."  That  is  the  reason  why  he 
dealt  so  plainly  writh  them,  because  he  did  not  think  it  ne 
cessary,  or  intend  either  to  know  himself,  or  to  make  known 
any  thing  else  to  them.  The  words  may  be  understood 
both  ways,  but  they  both  meet  at  last  in  this,  that  the 
knowledge  of  "  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified,"  is  of  itself 
sufficient  to  direct  a  man  in  the  way  to  eternal  life,  and 
therefore  is  preferable  to  all  other  knowledge  ;  there  being 
no  other  knowledge  whatsoever,  that  can  do  it  without  this, 
but  this  will  do  it  without  any  other  :  not  that  the  know 
ledge  of  other  things  is  altogether  useless,  but  that  this  only 
is  necessary  both  for  Ministers  to  teach,  and  Christians,  as 
such,  to  learn  ;  as  comprising  under  it  all  things  that  can 
any  way  conduce  to  their  being  holy  here,  and  happy  for 
ever. 

Wherefore  ye  have  no  cause  to  complain,  when  we  preach 
this  plain  doctrine  to  you ;  it  is  our  duty  to  do  it,  and  it  is 
for  your  interest  that  we  should  :  we  have  here  the  example 
of  the  great  Apostle  for  it,  and  may  truly  say  with  him, 
2  Co.  9. 16.  «  Necessity  is  laid  upon  us,  yea,  wo  unto  us,  if  we  preach 
not  the  Gospel,"  if  we  preach  not  Jesus  Christ,  the  end  of 
the  law,  and  the  sum  and  substance  of  the  Gospel :  if  we  do 
not  this,  we  act  not  according  to  the  commission  that  He 
hath  given  us,  nor  do  the  work  He  sent  us  about,  and  so 
lose  our  labour;  and  after  all  our  preaching  unto  others, 
shall  be  cast  away  ourselves.  And  I  am  sure  you  will  have 
no  cause  to  thank  us  for  any  other  doctrine  than  this,  or 
what  tends  some  way  or  other  towards  it ;  for  whatsoever  it 
be,  though  it  be  ever  so  finely  dressed  up,  and  set  off  to 
please  your  ears  and  fancies,  it  can  never  convert  or  save 
your  souls,  and  so  you  will  be  neither  the  wiser  nor  better 


Preferable  to  all  other.  323 

for  it ;  for  you  have  but  one  Saviour  in  the  world,  and  that 
is  Jesus  Christ ;  if  He  do  not  save  you,  nobody  else  can. 
Aristotle  can  never  save  you  with  all  his  philosophy,  nor 
Tully  with  all  his  rhetoric,  nor  Plato  neither  with  his  fine 
notions  borrowed  from  Moses;  no,  nor  Moses  himself:  he 
must  conduct  you  in  the  right  way  through  the  wilderness, 
but  it  is  Joshua,  or,  as  the  Greeks  call  Him,  Jesus,  only,  that 
can  bring  you  into  the  Land  of  Canaan  ;  the  law  must  direct 
our  steps,  but  it  is  the  Gospel  only  can  save  our  souls :  the 
Gospel,  as  it  reveals  Jesus  Christ  our  only  Saviour  and 
Redeemer  to  us ;  and  therefore  reveals  Him  to  us,  that  we 
may  know  Him  :  and  by  consequence,  as  ye  cannot  wonder 
that  St.  Paul  did  it,  so  ye  cannot  blame  us,  if  we,  after  him, 
determine  "  not  to  know  any  thing  among  you,  save  Jesus 
Christ,  and  Him  crucified." 

But  that  I  may  set  this  in  as  clear  a  light  as  I  can  before 
you,  I  shall  shew, 

I.  What  we  ought  to  know  concerning  Him. 

II.  That  this  so  far  exceeds  all  other  knowledge,  that  we 
may  reasonably  determine  with  the  Apostle,  not  to  know 
any  thing  else. 

To  find  out  the  first,  we  need  not  go  from  my  text,  where 
whatsoever  is  necessary  to  be  known  concerning  our  Saviour, 
is  reduced  to  two  heads,  what  "  He  is,"  and  what  He  "  hath 
suffered  ;"  or,  as  the  Apostle  expresseth  it,  "  Jesus  Christ,  and 
Him  crucified."  Jesus  Christ,  ye  know,  are  the  two  names 
whereby  He  is  usually  called,  sometimes  by  the  one,  some 
times  by  the  other,  and  very  often  by  both  together.  Of 
which  the  first,  "  Jesus,"  is  His  proper  name,  signifying  His 
Person  ;  the  other,  "  Christ,"  signifies  His  Offices  :  and  so 
both  together  contain  under  them  all  that  we  ought  to 
know,  either  concerning  what  He  is  in  Himself,  or  what  He 
hath  done  for  us  ;  as  we  shall  clearly  see,  when  we  have 
taken  a  full  view  of  each  of  them,  and  what  is  imported  by 
them. 

As  for  the  first,  "  Jesus,"  which  in  Hebrew  signifies  a 
Saviour,  that  is  a  name  that  was  given  to  some  in  the  Old 
Testament,  as  to  Joshua  the  son  of  Nun,  and  to  the  sons  of 
Josedech,  Sirach,  &c. ;  but  it  was  given  them  only  by  their 
parents  upon  earth.  Although  there  was,  doubtless,  an 


324 


The  Knowledge  of  Jesus,  Christ 


XVIII. 


SERM.  over-ruling  hand  of  Providence  in  the  son  of  Nun's  being 
called  Joshua ;  or,  as  the  Greeks  always  write  and  pro 
nounce  it,  'ijjtfoug,  Jesus  :  in  that  he  succeeding  Moses,  and 
bringing  the  children  of  Israel  into  the  typical  Land  of 
Canaan,  which  Moses  could  not  do ;  he  was  a  type  of  the 
true  Jesus,  who  brings  the  people  of  God  to  Heaven,  the 
true  land  of  promise,  which  the  Law,  given  by  Moses,  could 
never  have  done. 

But  this  name  was  given  to  Christ  by  His  Heavenly 
Father,  the  Most  High  God  Himself,  who  sent  a  special 
messenger,  one  of  the  highest,  if  not  the  highest  of  all  the 
Angels  in  Heaven,  Gabriel  himself,  to  command  that  His 
name  should  be  called  Jesus ;  and  that  too,  not  only  once, 
but  at  two  several  times :  first,  at  the  Annunciation,  when 
he  came  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  to  acquaint  her  that  the 
Saviour  of  the  World  should  be  born  of  her ;  for,  having 
first  assured  her  of  the  great  favour  which  God  had  for  her, 
by  saying,  "  Hail,  thou  that  art  highly  favoured  !  the  Lord 
is  wdth  thee,  blessed  art  thou  among  women;"  she  being 
troubled  at  his  saying,  and  casting  in  her  mind,  what 
Luke  LSD,  manner  of  salutation  this  should  be,  "the  Angel  said  unto 
her,  Fear  not,  Mary,  for  thou  hast  found  favour  with  God : 
and  behold,  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb,  and  bring 
forth  a  son,  and  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus."  There  can  be 
no  question  made  of  it,  but  that  the  Virgin  knew  what  that 
name  signified,  even  a  "  Saviour : "  but  why  He  should  be 
called  by  that  name,  the  Angel  did  not  think  good  to  tell 
her  at  present  in  plain  terms ;  but  he  told  her  that,  from 
which  she  might  easily  perceive  how  fit  and  able  He  would 
be  to  answer  that  name,  or  to  be  a  "  Saviour."  For  when 
she  had  said  unto  the  Angel,  "  How  shall  this  be,  seeing  I 
know  not  a  man  ?  The  Angel  answered  and  said  unto  her, 
The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of 
the  Highest  shall  overshadow  thee  ;  therefore  also  that 
Holy  Thing  which  shall  be  born  of  thee,  shall  be  called  the 
Son  of  God."  For  he  calls  that  which  should  be  born  of 
her,  not  an  "  Holy  God,"  nor  an  "  Holy  Man,"  but  an 
"  Holy  Thing,"  ™  a'y/oi/,  in  the  neuter  gender,  to  signify  that 
He  should  be  neither  the  one  nor  the  other  singly  by  itself, 
but  both  "  God  "  and  "  Man  "  together,  a  certain  "  compo- 


31. 


Preferable  to  all  other.  325 

situm"  made  up  of  two  natures,  the  divine  and  human 
in  one  person.  Which  wonderful  union  being  effected  by 
the  immediate  power  of  God  ;  "  Therefore,"  saith  He,  "  this 
Holy  Thing  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God:"  as  the  first 
Adam  also  was,  because  he  likewise  was  formed  imme-  Luke 3. 38. 
diately  by  God  Himself.  For  that  I  look  upon  as  the 
proper  meaning  of  His  being  called  the  Son  of  God  in  this 
place ;  the  Angel  here  giving  that  as  the  reason  why  He 
should  be  so  called.  After  this  the  Angel  having  acquainted 
her,  "  that  her  cousin  Elizabeth  had  conceived  a  son  in  her 
old  age,"  and  put  her  in  mind,  that  "  with  God  nothing 
shall  be  impossible  ;"  Mary  said,  "  Behold  the  handmaid  of  Luke  i.  as. 
the  Lord,  be  it  unto  me  according  to  thy  word."  Whereby 
she  having  signified  her  submission  to  the  Divine  Will,  and 
her  full  consent  that  it  should  be  as  the  Angel  had  said,  the 
Holy  Ghost  immediately  came  upon  her,  and  the  "  power  of 
the  Highest  overshadowed  her;"  so  that  the  Son  of  God 
was  at  that  moment  conceived  in  her  (as  the  Fathers  gene 
rally  agree),  and  therefore  the  business  he  came  about  being 
now  done,  it  follows,  "  And  the  Angel  departed  from  her." 

Some  time  after  this,  an  Angel,  and  doubtless  the  same, 
appeared  also  unto  Joseph,  to  whom  the  Blessed  Virgin  was 
espoused,  and  said,  "  Joseph,  thou  son  of  David,  fear  not  to  Matt.  1.20, 
take  unto  thee  Mary  thy  wife :  for  that  which  is  conceived  21" 
in  her  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost :  and  she  shall  bring  forth  a  son, 
and  thou  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus,  for  He  shall  save  His 
people  from  their  sins."  Where  we  see,  that  after  He  was 
conceived,  the  Angel  required  Joseph  also,  as  His  reputed 
father,  to  give  Him  this  name  ;  and  acquaints  him  with  the 
reason  why  He  should  be  so  called,  even  because  "  He 
should  save  His  people  from  their  sins:"  whereby  he  like 
wise  plainly  gave  him  to  understand,  not  only  that  He  who 
should  be  born  of  the  Virgin,  was  to  be  born  as  a  "  Man," 
but  also  that  He  was  the  true  "  God  Jehovah,"  of  whom  the 
royal  prophet  saith,  that "  He  shall  redeem  Israel  from  all  his  PS.  i3o.s. 
sins."  For  in  that  the  Angel  here  saith,  that  Jesus  shall  do 
that  which  the  Prophet  saith  Jehovah  shall  do  ;  it  is  plain, 
that  this  Jesus  is  Jehovah,  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  who 
alone  can  "  save  His  people  from  their  sins : "  as  appears 
also  from  what  follows. 


326  The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 

SERM.  For  after  the  words  before  quoted,  either  the  Angel  him- 
self,  as  some,  or  the  Evangelist,  as  others  think,  saith,  "  Now 

23.  '  '  all  this  was  done,  that  it  might  be  fulfilled,  which  was  spoken 
of  the  Lord  by  the  Prophet,  saying,  Behold  a  virgin  shall  be 
with  child,  and  shall  bring  forth  a  son,  and  they  shall  call 
his  name  Emanuel;  which  being  interpreted,  is,  God  with 
us."  Where  Tertullian  rightly  observes,  that  the  name 

Tertui.  adv.  "  Emanuel "   is    interpreted,   Uti   non  solum    sonnm   nominis 

Jud.  c.  9. 

expectcs,  .sed  «t  sensum ;  '  That  thou  shouldst  not  consider 
only  the  sound,  but  the  sense  or  meaning  of  the  name.' 
The  Angel  saith,  "  He  shall  be  called  Jesus  ;"  the  Prophet 
saith,  "  He  shall  be  called  Emanuel."  These  two  names  do 
not  sound  alike,  but  they  both  mean  the  same  thing  :  for 
"  God's  being  with  us,"  signifies  His  "saving  us;"  which 
He  could  not  do,  except  He  be  with  us.  But  here,  by  His 
being  called  "  Emanuel,"  according  to  the  idiom  of  the 
Hebrew  tongue,  we  may  rather  understand  that  He  is 
"  Emanuel,"  "  God  with  us,"  and  that  too  in  the  highest 
sense  that  can  be,  even  so  as  to  be  God,  with  our  nature 
united  to  His  Divine  Person.  So  that  "  Emanuel"  in 
Hebrew  signifies  the  same  as  QedvOguwos  in  Greek,  '  God- 
Man ; '  or,  as  the  Angel  expressed  it  before  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin,  rb  ayiov,  that  "  Holy  Thing,"  consisting  of  two  distinct 
natures  united  in  one  and  the  same  Person,  as  God  is  here 
said  to  be  with  us,  in  one  and  the  same  word, "  Emanuel." 

This  is  the  true  doctrine  of  the  Church  concerning  the 
person  of  Christ,  as  it  was  declared  by  the  General  Councils, 
and  hath  been  all  along  believed  and  preached  both  before 
arid  since,  as  being  revealed  in  God's  Holy  Word,  as  clearly 
and  fully  as  any  article  of  our  Christian  faith.  And  it  was 
but  necessary  it  should  be  so,  most  of  the  others  being 
grounded  upon  this,  as  might  easily  be  shewn,  if  it  was  to 
our  present  purpose.  But  I  mention  it  here,  only  as  it  was 
intimated  to  our  Lord's  real  mother,  and  reputed  father, 
together  with  God's  will  that  He  should  be  called  "  Jesus ;" 
Luke  2. 21.  which  name  was  accordingly  given  Him  at  His  circum 
cision,  and  therefore  is  His  proper  name,  pointing  out  His 
Person  to  us,  as  He  is  the  Word  made  Flesh,  "  Emanuel," 
God  and  Man  in  one  person,  and  so  exactly  qualified  to  be 
what  the  name  imports,  "  Our  Saviour." 


Preferable  to  all  other.  327 

The    other    name    whereby    He    is    usually    called,    is 
"  Christ,"  which  in  Greek  signifies  "  Anointed,"  or  rather 
"  the  Anointed,"  as  "  Messiah "  doth  in  Hebrew.      Under 
this  name  and  notion  He  was  expected  long  before  He  came 
into  the  world ;    as  appears  from  the  woman   of  Samaria 
saying,   "I  know   that   Messias   cometh,   which   is   called  John  4. 25. 
Christ."      And   it   is  very   observable,  that   as   the  Angel 
Gabriel,  by  God's  appointment,  ordered  His   name  to  be 
called  Jesus  ;  so  the  same  Angel,  above  five  hundred  years 
before,  called  His  name  "  Messiah,"  or  "  Christ."     For  it 
was  He  who  said  to  Daniel,  "  Know  therefore  and  under-  Dan.  9. 25, 
stand,  that  from  the  going  forth  of  the   commandment  to  ^  Luke  2' 
restore  and  build  Jerusalem,  unto  the  Messiah  the  Prince, 
shall  be  seven  weeks.     And  after  threescore  and  two  weeks 
shall  Messiah  be  cut  off,  but  not  for  Himself." 

But  why  Jesus  was  thus  called  "  Christ,"  "  Messiah,"  or 
"  the  Anointed,"  we  may  learn  from  St.  Peter,  saying,  "  How  Acts  10. 38; 
God  anointed  Jesus  of  Nazareth  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  Matt'3' 16> 
with  power."  This  was  His  anointing:  He  was  anointed 
both  with  God  and  by  Himself,  which  none  ever  was  but 
He.  And  whereas  there  are  three  sorts  of  offices  which 
men  have  been  anointed  into,  Prophets,  Kings,  and  Priests ; 
none  but  He  ever  was  anointed  into  them  all  together. 
Melchisedec  was  a  King  and  a  Priest,  but  He  was  no  Pro 
phet  ;  Samuel  was  a  Prophet  and  a  Priest,  but  he  was  no 
King  ;  David  was  a  King  and  a  Prophet,  but  he  was  no 
Priest :  but  Jesus  was  both  Prophet,  and  King,  and  Priest, 
and  made  so  by  God's  own  immediate  unction,  and  therefore 
might  well  be  called  "  the  Christ,"  or  "  Anointed." 

Wherefore  as  His  name  "  Jesus  "  signifies  His  Person,  so 
by  His  name  "  Christ "  we  understand  the  Offices  which  He 
undertook,  that  He  might  really  be  our  Jesus,  by  saving  us 
from  our  sins.  And  therefore  to  know  Jesus  as  He  is  "  the 
Christ,"  it  will  be  necessary  to  consider  these  three  Offices, 
which  He  undertook  and  executes  for  us. 

I.  He  was  anointed  to  be  a  Prophet,  to  make  known  the 
Divine  Will  unto  the  world.     This  we  have  from  Himself, 
saying  in  and  by  His  Prophet  Isaiah,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  isa.  61.  i. 
Lord  God  is  upon  me,  because  the  Lord  hath  anointed  me 
to  preach  good   tidings  unto  the  meek."     For  that  these 


328  The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 

SERM.    words  are  meant  of  Him,  He  Himself  declared,  when  having 

XVIII. 

read  them  in  the  Synagogue  at  Nazareth,  He  said  to  those 


Luke  4.  21.  which  heard  them,  "  This  day  is  this  Scripture  fulfilled  in 
your  ears."  From  whence  we  may  observe,  that  He  is  the 
Great  Prophet  of  the  world,  all  other  true  Prophets  speak 
ing  from  and  under  Him,  and  by  His  Spirit's  moving  and 
directing  them  what  to  say :  for  that  it  was  His  Spirit  that 
spake  in  the  Prophets,  we  are  also  assured  by  the  same 
Spirit  speaking  in  His  Apostle,  and  saying,  that  the  Pro- 

i  Pet.  1. 11.  phets  searched  "  what,  and  what  manner  of  time  the  Spirit 
of  Christ,  which  was  in  them,  did  signify."  It  was  Christ 
therefore,  who,  by  His  Holy  Spirit  proceeding  from  Him, 
revealed  the  will  of  God  all  along  unto  the  world,  before  He 
Himself  came  into  it.  And  when  He  was  here,  He  did  it 
with  His  own  mouth,  acquainting  them  with  every  thing 

John  is.  15.  that  was  necessary  for  men  to  know:  "All  things,"  saith 
He,  "  that  I  have  heard  of  My  Father,  I  have  made  known 
unto  you."  The  same  He  did  afterwards  by  His  Apostles, 
and  still  continueth  to  do  it  by  such  as  succeed  them  in  the 
Ministry  of  His  Word,  to  this  day,  and  to  His  second  com 
ing  :  they  all  speak  only  in  His  name,  and  by  His  commis 
sion,  He  Himself  also  being  always  with  them  in  the  doing 

Matt.28.2o.  of  it ;  "  Lo  ! "  saith  He,  "  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world." 

Wherefore  all  the  knowledge  we  have,  or  can  have,  either 
of  God  Himself,  or  His  Holy  Will,  we  are  beholden  to 
Christ,  as  our  Great  Prophet,  for  it;  who  being  likewise 
Jesus  our  Saviour,  would  be  sure  to  conceal  nothing  from  us 
that  is  necessary  for  us  to  know,  in  order  to  our  being  saved ; 
nor  reveal  any  thing  to  us,  but  what  was  necessary  to  the 
same  end.  And  therefore,  as  ever  we  hope  or  desire  to  be 
saved  by  Him,  we  must  be  sure  to  believe  what  He  hath 
taught,  how  much  soever  it  may  seem  above  our  carnal 
reason  :  and  we  must  do  whatsoever  He  hath  commanded  us, 
how  much  soever  it  may  seem  contrary  to  our  temporal  inter 
ests  ;  yea,  we  must  believe  what  He  hath  said,  therefore  be 
cause  He  said  it ;  and  observe  what  He  hath  commanded, 
therefore  because  He  hath  commanded  it :  otherwise  we  do  not 
believe  or  obey  Him  at  all.  And  if  we  do  not  hearken  to  Him 
as  our  Prophet,  we  can  never  expect  He  should  be  our  Saviour. 


Preferable  to  all  other.  329 

He  Himself  hath  told  us,  in  effect,  that  He  will  not;  first  by 
His  servant  Moses,  and  then  by  His  Apostle  St.  Peter,  say 
ing,  that  every  soul  that  will  not  hear  that  Prophet  (meaning 
Himself)  "  shall  be  destroyed  from  among  the  people."  Deut.is.is, 

And  as  He  was  anointed  to  be  a  "  Prophet,"  so  likewise  ^  Acts  3< 
to  be  a  "  King:"  this  the  Prophet  Isaiah,  by  His  direction, 
speaks  of,  saying, "  Unto  us  a  child  is  born,  unto  us  a  Son  is  isa.  9.6, 7. 
given  :  and  the  Government  shall  be  upon  His  shoulders  ; 
and  His  name  shall  be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  the 
Mighty  God,  the  Everlasting  Father,  the  Prince  of  Peace," 
&c.     This  the  Angel  Gabriel  also  acquainted  Daniel  with, 
calling  Him,  "  Messiah,"  or  "  Christ  the  Prince."     And  the  Dan.  9.  25; 
same  Angel  discovered  the  same  thing  likewise  to  the  blessed  Luke  2>  n* 
Virgin  ;  for  having  told  her,  that  she  should  bring  forth  a 
Son,  he  adds,  that  He,  her  said  Son,  "  shall  be  great,  and  Luke  i.  32. 
shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  Highest :  and  the  Lord  God 
shall  give  unto  Him  the  Throne  of  His  Father  David ;  and 
He  shall  reign  over  the  House  of  Jacob  for  ever,  and  of  His 
Kingdom   there   shall   be   no   end."     Jesus  therefore  is  a 
"  King  : "  He  is  a  great,  a  mighty,  an  Almighty  "  King  : " 
He  is  "King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords."     He  is  the  Rev.  17.14; 
supreme,  the  universal   monarch   of  the  world :   He   hath  ch* 19>  16< 
"  all  power  given  to  Him  both  in  Heaven  and  Earth."     He  Matt.28.is. 
hath  a  "  name  given  Him  that  is  above  every  name ;  that  at  Phu.2.9-n. 
the  name   of  Jesus   every  knee  should   bow,  of  things  in 
Heaven,  and  things  in  Earth,  and  things  under  the  Earth : 
and  that  every  tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father."     He  is  set  at  the 
right  hand  of  God  in  "  Heavenly  places,  far  above  all  prin-  Eph.  i.  21, 
cipality,  and  power,  and  might,  and  dominion,  and   every 
name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that 
which  is  to  come  :  He  hath  all  things  put  under  His  feet, 
and  is  made  the  Head  of  all  things  to  the  Church."     To  the 
Church,  to  defend  it,  to  enlarge  it,  to  cleanse  it,  to  govern  it, 
to  constitute  officers  in  it,  to  prescribe  laws  to  it,  and  to 
enable  His  people  to  obey  them  ;  for  He  is  "  exalted  with  Acts  5.  31. 
the  right  hand  of  God,  to  be  a  Prince  and  a  Saviour,  for  to 
give  repentance  to  Israel,  and  forgiveness  of  sins."     As  He 
is  a  Saviour,  He  forgives  and  saves  His  people  from  their 
sins ;  and  for  that  purpose,  as  He  is  a  "  Prince,"  He  gives 


330  The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 

SERM.    them  repentance,  "  repentance  not  to  be  repented  of."     He 

[2  cbrTTT"  gives  them  grace  both  to  repent,  and  to  do  works  meet  for 
repentance  :  it  is  He  that  gives  it,  and  He  alone  can  do  it ; 

John  is.  5.  without  Him  "  we  can  do  nothing,"  as  He  Himself  said. 

Phil.  4. 13.  But,  as  His  Apostle  observed,  "  I  can  do  all  things  through 
Christ  which  strengthened!  me."  "  By  Him  "  we  can  cru 
cify  the  flesh,  overcome  the  world,  resist  the  Devil,  and  make 

[Tit.  2. 12.]  him  fly  from  us  :  "  by  Him  "  we  can  "  deny  ungodliness  and 
worldly  lusts,  and  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly  in  this 
present  world:"  "  by  Him"  we  can  be  "made  meet  to  be 

[Col. 1.12.]  partakers  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light ;"  and  "by 
Him "  we  can  have  it  actually  conferred  upon  us  :  for  we 
can  do  all  things  required  of  us  by  the  power  of  this  Almighty 

Rom.  9.  s.   Prince,  who  is  "  over  all,  God  blessed  for  ever." 

But  behold  the  infinite  love  of  God  to  mankind !  This 
glorious,  this  Almighty  King,  for  our  sakes,  was  pleased  to 
condescend  so  far  as  to  become  a  "  Priest  "  too ;  for  as  He  is  a 

Heb.  5.  6 ;  "  King,"  so  He  is  a  "  Priest  for  ever  after  the  Order  of 
Melchisedec."  After  the  Order  of  Melchisedec,  not  after 
Aaron's  Order ;  for  they  of  the  Aaronical  Order  "  were  many 
priests,  because  they  were  not  suffered  to  continue  by  rea 
son  of  death :  but  this  man,"  this  God-man,  "  because  He 

Heb,  7.  23,  continueth  for  ever,  hath  an  unchangeable  priesthood."  A 
priesthood  which  passeth  not  from  one  to  another,  as  theirs 
did,  from  father  to  son,  but  is  executed  always  by  Himself, 
in  His  own  Person.  And  besides,  the  "  Aaronical  Priests  " 
went  only  into  the  holy  place  made  with  hands,  and  there, 
with  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice  they  had  offered,  made  atone 
ment  for  the  sins  of  the  people  but  once  a  year ;  whereas 

Heb.  9.  24.  "  Christ  is  not  entered  into  the  holy  places  made  with  hands, 
which  are  the  figures  of  the  true ;  but  into  Heaven  itself, 
now  to  appear  in  the  presence  of  God  for  us."  So  that  now 
we  have  always  an  Advocate  in  Heaven,  Jesus  Christ  the 
righteous  ;  and  He  Himself,  as  our  great  High-Priest,  is  the 

i  John 2.  i,  "  Propitiation  for  our  sins;  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  for 

Heb.  7.  25.  the  sins  of  the  whole  world."    And  therefore  "  He  is  able 

also  to  save  them  to  the   uttermost  that  come  unto  God  by 

Him,  seeing  He  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them." 

II.  But  that  we  may  rightly  understand  how  He  executes 

His  Office,  and  what  sacrifice  He  offered,  wherewith  to  make 


Preferable  to  all  other.  331 

atonement  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  we  must  know  not  only 
Jesus  Christ,  but  "  Him  crucified  ; "  for  how  great,  how  holy, 
how  excellent  a  Person  soever  He  be  in  Himself,  that  is 
nothing-  to  us,  unless  He  was  "  crucified,"  and  unless  He 
was  "  crucified  for  us  too."  And  therefore  the  Apostle  did 
not  think  it  enough  to  know,  or  to  preach  Christ  absolutely 
considered;  "  But,"  saith  he,  "we  preach  Christ  crucified,  iCor.i.  23, 
unto  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block,  and  unto  the  Greeks  fool 
ishness  :  but  unto  them  which  are  called,  both  Jews  and 
Greeks,  Christ  the  power  of  God,  and  the  wisdom  of  God." 
That  is,  Christ  as  "  crucified  "  is  the  power  of  God,  whereby 
He  destroys  the  works  of  the  Devil :  and  the  wisdom  of  God, 
whereby  He  makes  us  wise  and  good :  and  so  discovers  both 
the  infinite  power  and  wisdom  of  God,  in  that  wonderful 
redemption  which  He  hath  wrought  for  us.  Which  He 
could  never  have  done,  if  He  had  not  been  "  crucified  :  "  for 
God  Himself  said,  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  Deut.27.26; 
in  all  things  which  are  written  in  the  Book  of  the  Law  to  do 
them."  But  no  mere  man  ever  did  or  will  do  all  things 
which  are  there  written ;  and  therefore  every  man  is  cursed 
by  God  Himself:  and  unless  this  curse  be  taken  off  from  us, 
it  is  impossible  we  should  receive  any  blessing  from  Him. 
Neither  can  it  be  taken  off  us,  but  by  another's  bearing  it  in 
our  stead :  for  God  cannot  lie  ;  His  word  must  be  fulfilled, 
and  the  curse  executed  somewhere  or  other ;  and  unless 
there  be  one  that  hath  borne  it  for  every  man,  every  man 
must  bear  it  for  himself.  But,  blessed  be  God,  there  is  one, 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,  who  "  tasted  death  for  every  man."  Heb.  2.  9. 
He  "hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  Law,  being  Gal. 3. is. 
made  a  curse  for  us."  But  how  was  He  made  a  curse  for 
us  ?  By  being  "  crucified."  "  For  it  is  written,  cursed  is 
every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree."  But  Christ,  when 
"  crucified,"  was  hanged  on  a  tree,  and  so  bore  the  curse  ; 
not  for  Himself,  that  could  not  be,  for  He  had  continued  in 
all  things  which  the  Law  required :  and  therefore  it  must  be 
for  us,  in  whose  nature  He  bore  it,  and  for  every  one  that 
partaketh  of  that  nature.  For  the  nature  in  which  He  suf 
fered  it,  being  the  common  nature  of  all  men,  "  the  curse  " 
was  executed  upon  all  men ;  though  not  in  their  particular 
persons,  yet  in  their  general  nature,  which  every  man  is  of; 


332  The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 

SERM.    and  therefore  may  justly  be  looked  upon  as  having  under- 
-^—  gone  it,  according  as  God  said  he  should. 

Especially  considering  the  greatness  of  the  Person  that 
suffered  it:  not  a  mere  man,  not  an  Angel,  not  an  Arch 
angel,  but  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God,  of  the  same  essence 
and  glory  with  the  Father.  This  the  Apostle  takes  special 
notice  of  in  this  very  chapter ;  where  speaking  of  the  Jews 

i  Cor.  2.  s.  crucifying  Christ,  he  saith,  "  they  crucified  the  Lord  of 
Glory,"  which  is  the  same  as  if  he  had  said,  they  "crucified" 
God  Himself:  and  therefore  the  blood  which  was  then  shed 
upon  the  cross,  was  the  blood  of  God.  So  the  same  Apostle, 
or  rather  the  Spirit  of  God  Himself  speaking  in  Him,  plainly 
calls  it,  where  speaking  to  the  Elders  of  the  Church,  he 

Acts  20.  28.  saith,  "  Take  heed  therefore  unto  yourselves,  and  to  all  the 
flock,  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath  made  you  overseers, 
to  feed  the  Church  of  God,  which  He  hath  purchased  with 
His  own  blood."  With  His  own  blood !  How  can  that  be  ? 
Hath  God  any  blood  in  Him?  No,  He  hath  none  in  His 
own  Divine  nature,  but  He  had  in  that  nature  which  He 
assumed,  and  united  to  His  own  Divine  Person,  so  as  to 
make  it  His  own  nature ;  and,  by  consequence,  the  blood  of  it 
was  His  own  blood,  which  otherwise  it  could  not  have  been : 
whereas,  that  it  was  so,  is  evident  beyond  all  contradiction, 
both  from  this,  where  it  is  expressly  called  so,  and  from 
many  other  places  of  God's  own  word  ;  as  likewise  from 
what  we  shewed  before  concerning  the  Person  of  Jesus,  even 
that  He  is  "  Emanuel,"  God  and  man  in  one  person  :  for 
from  hence  it  necessarily  follows,  that  although  He  suffered 
only  as  Man,  yet  the  Person  that  suffered  was  also  God ;  and 
therefore  His  sufferings  were  properly  the  sufferings  of  God, 
His  blood  the  blood  of  God,  as  He  Himself  calls  it.  And 
hence  it  is,  that  His  sufferings  were  of  such  infinite  worth 
and  merit  for  mankind,  in  whose  nature  He  suffered,  because 
the  Person  that  suffered  in  that  nature  was  of  infinite  power 
and  glory :  and  so  His  sufferings  were  not  only  as  much, 
but  much  more  than  mankind  was  ever  bound  or  capable  to 
undergo. 

God  hath  pronounced  the  curse,  under  which  all  manner 
of  punishment  is  implied,  against  all  men  that  do  not  con 
tinue  in  all  things  which  His  law  requireth ;  and  all  men 


Preferable  to  all  other.  333 

failing  in  something  that  is  there  required,  are  bound  by  God's 
Word  to  undergo  it :  but  they  are  bound  to  undergo  it  only 
in  their  own  finite  persons,  whereas  Christ  hath  undergone 
it  for  them  in  a  person  that  is  infinite.  Which  being  more 
than  was  threatened,  and  more  than  all  mankind  could  ever 
have  done  in  their  own  persons,  He  hath  thereby  not  only 
taken  off  the  curse  that  was  laid  upon  us,  but  hath  merited 
for  us  all  sorts  of  mercies  and  blessings  which  our  nature, 
in  which  He  did  it,  is  capable  of:  particularly,  the  Divine 
grace  and  assistance,  whereby  we  may  be  enabled  sincerely 
to  obey  His  laws  ;  God's  acceptance  of  what  we  do,  upon 
the  account  of  what  He  hath  done  for  us  ;  and  His  reward 
ing  it  at  last  with  no  less  than  an  eternal  crown  of  glory. 

By  this  therefore  we  may  see  what  sacrifice  Christ  hath 
offered,  and  how  He  executeth  the  office  of  Priesthood  for 
us  :  for  He  having  taken  the  whole  nature  of  man  upon 
Him,  and  united  it  to  His  own  Divine  Person,  He  was 
pleased  to  offer  it  up  as  a  whole  burnt-offering,  by  dying  in 
it  upon  the  altar  of  the  cross,  for  the  sins,  and  in  the  stead 
of  all  others  that  partake  of  that  nature ;  which  was  there 
fore  both  the  greatest  and  the  most,  I  may  say,  the  only 
true  and  proper  sacrifice  that  was  ever  offered :  those  of  the 
Levitical  law  being  only  types  and  figures  of  this  ;  but  this 
was  such  a  sacrifice  as  did  really  expiate,  or,  as  St.  John 
speaks,  "was  a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  world."  Uohn 2. 
By  means  whereof,  Christ  is  now  a  most  effectual  Mediator  ' 
between  God  and  us  ;  as  the  Apostle  shews,  where  having 
said,  "  There  is  one  God,  and  one  Mediator  between  God 
and  men,  the  man  Christ  Jesus;"  he  presently  adds,  "  who 
gave  Himself  a  ransom  for  all ; "  or,  as  the  Greek  words, 
6  dov$  savrov  uvriXurgov  vtreg  vdvruv,  plainly  signify,  having  given 
"  Himself  a  ransom  instead  of  all."  It  is  by  this  that  He  i  Tim.  2.  6. 
is  completely  qualified  to  mediate  or  intercede  for  all  men  ; 
so  that  all  who  will  believe  in  Him  for  it,  may  be  discharged 
from  their  sins,  and  fully  restored  to  the  love  and  favour  of 
God  again,  so  as  to  be  justified  before  Him,  accepted  of 
Him,  cleansed  and  sanctified  by  Him,  and  at  last  be  made 
eternally  happy  in  the  enjoyment  of  His  Divine  perfections. 
And  whosoever,  of  all  Adam's  posterity,  are  so,  must  ascribe 
it  wholly  and  solely  to  "Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified." 


334  The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 

SERM.  III.  These  things  deserve  to  be  more  fully  considered  by 
-  us  all,  who  are  so  infinitely  concerned  in  them  :  but  what  I 
have  thus  briefly  touched  upon,  will  give  us  sufficient  light 
into  that  which  I  promised  to  shew  in  the  next  place,  even 
that  this  so  far  exceeds  all  other  knowledge,  that  the  Apostle 
might  well  say,  "  I  determined  not  to  know  any  thing 
among  you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified."  For, 
in  the  first  place,  from  hence  we  may  easily  see,  that  this  is 
the  most  noble,  the  most  sublime,  the  most  excellent  know 
ledge  that  we  can  ever  attain  :  the  Apostle  calls  it,  rb  Intgsyjv 
rjjg  yvuffsuc,  the  excellency,  the  super-excellency  of  knowledge, 
in  comparison  whereof  all  things  else  seemed  as  nothing  in 

Phil.  s.  s.  his  sight.  "  Yea,  doubtless,"  saith  he,  "  I  count  all  things 
but  loss,  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 
my  Lord."  And  well  might  he  say  so ;  for  what  knowledge 
can  be  comparable  to  that  of  knowing  "Jesus  Christ,  and 
Him  crucified  ?  "  The  knowledge  of  all  things  else  is  mean 
and  low,  perplexed  and  entangled  among  the  creatures  that 
God  hath  made :  this  soars  aloft  among  His  Divine  per 
fections,  and  the  highest  mysteries  that  the  most  refined 
understanding  can  ever  reach ;  for  to  "  know  Jesus,"  is  to 
know  God  Himself;  Him  by  whom  all  things  were  made, 

[John  1.3.]  and  "  without  whom  there  was  not  any  thing  made  that  was 
made:"  Him  who,  before  all  worlds,  was  begotten  of  the 
Father,  so  as  to  be  of  one  and  the  same  nature  with  Him : 
Him  who  in  the  fulness  of  time  was  born  of  a  Virgin,  so  as 
to  be  of  one  and  the  same  nature  with  us  also :  Him  that  is 
both  perfect  God  and  perfect  man,  and  perfectly  both  God  and 
man  in  one  and  the  same  person.  To  "  know  Jesus  Christ," 
is  to  know  the  Great  Prophet  of  the  world,  who  teacheth 
man  knowledge,  the  "  King  of  kings,  and  Lord  of  lords," 
who  ruleth  and  reigneth  over  the  whole  creation,  over  bodies 
and  spirits  too ;  the  real  High  -Priest,  with  His  Urim  and 
Thummim,  true  lights  and  perfections  shining  continually 
about  Him.  To  "  know  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified," 

[John  i.  is  to  know  how  the  Lamb  of  God  "taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world ; "  how  all  the  losses  that  we  suffered  in  the  first 
Adam,  are  repaired  and  made  up  by  the  second ;  how  God 

[i  Cor.  i.  Himself  is  made  of  God  Himself,  to  us  "wisdom,  and 
righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and  redemption;"  how 


Preferable  to  all  other.  335 

the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  comes  to  be  sent  down  upon  us,  to 
enlighten,  direct,  and  quicken  us  ;  how  there  comes  to  be 
such  a  Mediator  between  God  and  men,  who  is  able  to  bring 
two  parties,  that  are  at  such  an  infinite  distance,  together,  and 
reconcile  them  to  one  another ;  how  the  Church  was  pur 
chased  and  built  upon  "  a  rock,"  that  "  the  gates  of  Hell  [Matt.  16. 
might  never  prevail  against  it ; "  how  the  Almighty  Creator 
of  the  world  comes  to  be  so  infinitely  merciful  and  propitious 
to  fallen  men,  and  not  at  all  to  the  fallen  Angels,  although 
they  be  both  alike  His  own  creatures.  But  what  do  I  mean 
to  offer  at  shewing  the  excellency  of  that  knowledge,  which 
no  tongue  is  able  to  express  ?  These  are  contemplations  fit 
for  Angels!  "The  Angels  themselves  desire  to  look  into  [i  Pet.  i. 

12.1 

them;"  and  the  more  they  look,  the  more  they  admire  and 
wonder.  And  therefore  we  may  well  conclude,  that  no 
knowledge  that  we  poor  mortals  upon  earth  can  have,  is 
worthy  to  be  named  with  this  of  knowing  "  Jesus  Christ, 
and  Him  crucified." 

And  yet,  it  is  strange  to  observe,  although  this  knowledge 
be  so  high  and  wonderful,  it  is,  notwithstanding,  the  most 
clear  and  certain  of  any  thing  we  can  ever  know ;  in  com 
parison  of  which,  the  knowledge  of  all  other  things  is  gene 
rally  no  more  than  guess  and  conjecture  :  for  we  are  taught 
this  not  "  of  men,"  or  "  by  men,3'  but  of  God,  and  by  God 
Himself,  who  by  His  own  infallible  Spirit,  in  His  own 
Word,  hath  revealed  to  us  all  things  necessary  to  be  known, 
concerning  "Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified."  Whereby 
it  comes  to  pass,  that  I  do  not  only  think,  imagine,  or 
suppose,  but  I  am  fully  assured  of  the  truth  of  every  thing 
that  is  there  written  concerning  Him,  more  than  I  am  of 
any  thing  I  see,  or  hear,  or  understand  by  discourse  and 
ratiocination  :  for  my  senses  may  deceive  me,  and  so  may 
my  reason  and  understanding  ;  they  have  often  done  it :  but 
God  can  neither  be  deceived  nor  deceive.  And,  therefore, 
what  He  saith,  although  the  thing  itself  be  ever  so  much 
above  my  comprehension,  I  know,  I  am  sure  it  is  true  ;  it 
cannot  but  be  so.  And,  therefore,  all  the  knowledge  that  we 
have  of  Christ,  being  grounded  wholly  upon  God's  own  Word, 
it  must  needs  be  as  certain  as  it  is  possible  to  be ;  as  certain 
as  God  Himself  can  make  it. 


336  The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 

SERM.        And  it  is  very  well  for  us  it  is  so,  considering  the  great 
use  and  need  we  have  always  of  it.     I  do  not  deny  but  that 


the  knowledge  of  other  things  is  in  many  cases  very  useful : 
some  to  private  persons,  some  to  public  societies,  some  to 
whole  nations,  some  to  mankind  in  general,  some  to  the 
right  understanding  the  Scriptures,  and  so  to  the  know 
ledge  of  Christ  Himself;  yea,  there  is  scarce  any  kind  of 
knowledge,  but  some  way  or  other  helps  towards  the  raising, 
the  refining,  and  the  enlarging  our  understandings,  and  so 
to  the  making  us  more  capable  of  knowing  Him.  But 
whatsoever  it  be  at  present,  unless  it  tends  to  that  end,  at 
last  it  will  stand  us  in  no  stead ;  for  what  if  I  was  skilled  in 
all  the  arts  and  sciences  that  ever  were  invented,  and  could 
manage  them  to  the  best  advantage?  What  if  I  had  the 
whole  system  of  logic  in  my  head,  and  could  argue  with  all 
the  art  and  cunning  that  ever  man  had  ?  What  if  I  could 
dive  into  the  depth  of  natural  philosophy,  and  see  the  several 
springs  and  movements  of  all  secondary  causes  ?  What  if  I 
had  turned  over  all  the  records  of  the  Church,  and  the 
histories  of  all  places  and  ages  since  the  world  began,  and 
could  reduce  every  thing  that  ever  happened  to  its  proper 

[Ps.  U7.  time  ?  What  if  I  could  "  count  the  number  of  the  stars,  call 
them  all  by  their  names,"  and  describe  their  motions  to  an 
hair's  breadth?  What  if  I  understood  all  languages,  and 
could  discourse  with  people  of  all  nations  upon  earth  in 
their  own  mother  tongue  ?  What  then?  Notwithstanding 
all  this,  without  the  "knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ"  I  should 
be  lost  and  undone  for  ever.  For  "  there  is  no  name  under 

[Acts4.i2.]  Heaven,  whereby  we  can  be  saved,  but  the  name  of  Christ:" 
neither  is  there  any  way  possible  to  be  saved  by  Him,  unless 
we  know  Him.  For  unless  we  know  Him,  we  can  do  nothing 
that  is  required  in  order  to  our  being  saved  by  Him. 

In  order  to  our  being  saved,  there  are  two  things  required, 
Repentance  and  Faith.  As  for  the  first,  although  many  excel 
lent  arguments  may  be  drawn  from  the  majesty  of  God's 
Person,  from  the  severity  of  His  justice,  from  the  glory  of 
His  goodness,  from  the  righteousness  of  His  law,  from  the 
beauty  of  holiness,  from  the  odiousness  of  sin,  from  the 
dreadful  consequences  of  it,  and  from  many  other  topics, 
which  one  would  think  sufficient  to  persuade  any  man  to 


Preferable  to  all  other.  337 

repent  and  turn  to  God,  yet  nothing  can  do  it  effectually 
without  the  "  knowledge  of  Christ."  For  after  all,  it  is  He 
that  gives  repentance,  and  He  never  gives  it  to  any  but  to 
those  who  "  know  Him  ; "  none  else  being  capable  of  receiv 
ing  it  from  Him,  but  they  who  "  know  Him  "  are  in  the  ready 
way  to  have  it. 

For  "  to  know  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified,"  is  in  itself 
the  most  powerful  argument  to  work  in  us  true  repentance. 
To  "  know  Jesus,"  the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  of  the  same  sub 
stance  with  the  Father :  to  "  know  Jesus,"  both  God  and 
Man  in  one  person :  to  "  know  Jesus  Christ,"  the  truest  Pro 
phet,  the  greatest  King,  the  highest  Priest  in  the  world :  to 
"  know  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified :"  to  know  how  this 
glorious,  this  almighty,  this  Divine  Person  was  abused  by 
His  own  creatures :  how  He  was  apprehended,  arraigned, 
accused,  and  condemned  as  a  criminal :  how  He  was  derided, 
scourged,  spit  upon,  crowned  with  thorns,  and  led  among 
the  vilest  of  malefactors  to  the  place  of  execution :  how  He 
was  there  fastened  to  a  piece  of  wood,  with  nails  drove 
through  His  blessed  hands  and  feet,  the  most  nervous  and 
sensible  parts  of  the  whole  body :  how  He  hung  in  this  sad 
ignominious  posture  for  three  long  hours  together,  and  all 
that  while  endured  not  only  the  most  exquisite  pains  that 
could  be  imagined  in  His  body ;  but  such  a  sense  of  His 
Father's  displeasure  in  His  soul,  as  made  Him  cry  out "  My 
God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"     And  how, 
after  all  this,  the  pains  of  death  coming  upon  Him,  the  Lord 
of  Life  Himself  gave  up  the  ghost  and  died ;  and  died  upon 
the  cross,  the  only  cursed  death  that  any  man  could  die.   To 
"know"  that  Jesus  Christ  was  thus  "crucified,"  and  that 
He  was  "crucified"  thus  for  the  sins  of  men,  and  for  our  sins 
among  the  rest :  what  can,  if  this  doth  not,  dissolve  us  all 
into  tears,  into  tears  of  true  repentance  for  those  sins  which 
were  the  occasion  of  it  ?     How  can  we  "  know  "  that  Jesus 
Christ  was  "  crucified  "  for  sin,  and  not  dread  the  thoughts 
of  God's  displeasure  against  it  ?    How  can  we  know  that  He 
was  "  crucified  "  for  our  sins,  and  not  abhor  and  leave  them  ? 
Surely  it  is  impossible  !     It  is  impossible  that  our  minds 
should  be  filled  with  such  a  knowledge  of  Christ  as  this,  and 
yet  retain  any  love  for  sin,  for  any  sin  whatsoever.     And 

z 


338  The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 

SERM.    therefore  the  Apostle  saith,  "That  men  escape  the  pollutions 

2  Pet  2  20  °f tne  world  (and  so  the  dominion  of  all  manner  of  vice), 
through  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ ;"  this  being  the  most  effectual  means  to  do  it,  and 
that  which  never  fails  :  insomuch,  that  whosoever  lives  in 
any  known  sin,  may  be  confident  that  he  doth  not  know 
Christ  as  he  ought. 

And  the  great  reason  is,  because  he  who  thus  "knows 
Christ,"  what  He  hath  done  and  suffered  for  mankind,  cannot 
but  believe  and  trust  on  Him,  as  His  only  and  all-sufficient 
"  Saviour."  And  he  who  doth  that,  is  thereby  entitled  to  all 
the  promises  of  the  Gospel,  for  every  thing  necessary  to  his 
being  saved,  they  being  all  made  to  those,  and  to  those  only 
who  believe  in  Christ.  Hence  it  is  that  we  are  so  often  said 
to  be  justified  by  faith,  to  be  saved  by  faith,  to  be  sanctified 
by  faith,  to  be  purified  by  faith,  to  resist  the  Devil  by  faith, 
and  to  overcome  the  world  by  faith.  Neither  is  there  any 
other  way  whereby  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  do  it.  I  speak 
it  confidently,  because  I  have  God's  own  word  for  it,  saying, 

i  John  s.  5.  "  Who  is  he  that  overcoineth  the  world,  but  he  that  believeth 
that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God?"  If  there  were  no  other,  as 
there  are  a  great  many,  this  one  place  of  Scripture  is  suffi 
cient  to  demonstrate  against  all  the  Pelagians,  Socinians, 
Arians  and  Mahometans  in  the  world,  that  no  man  can  ever 
truly  overcome  it,  so  as  to  be  and  do  good  in  it,  except  he 

[Phil.  4.  believe  in  Christ.  Whereas  he  who  doth  this,  can  "  do  all 
things  through  Christ  which  strengtheneth  Him."  But  as 
no  man  can  "know"  Christ  aright,  but  he  must  needs  believe 
in  Him ;  so  no  man  can  believe  aright  in  Him,  unless  he 

Rom.  io.i4.  first  know  Him.  For  "  how  can  he  believe  in  Him  of  whom 
he  hath  not  heard,"  and  so  doth  not  know  what  to  believe  ? 
And  therefore  "  to  know  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified,"  is 
so  useful,  so  necessary  for  all  men,  that  no  man  can  be  either 
holy  or  happy  without  it. 

From  hence,  by  the  way,  we  may  observe  the  great  wisdom 
and  piety  of  our  Church,  in  setting  apart  certain  days  every 
year,  whereon  to  commemorate  the  most  material  things 
relating  to  our  Blessed  Saviour,  His  advent  in  general,  His 
incarnation,  His  birth,  His  circumcision,  His  manifestation 
to  the  Gentiles,  His  presentation  in  the  Temple,  His  fasting 


Preferable  to  all  other.  339 

forty  days,  His  crucifixion,  His  resurrection,  His  ascension 
into  Heaven,  His  sending  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  His  Evan 
gelists  and  Apostles,  who  wrote  and  propagated  His  Gospel ; 
which,  put  together,  make  up  a  kind  of  practical  catechism, 
whereby  people  are  instructed  in  the  knowledge  "  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  Him  crucified."  And  for  the  same  reason  she 
appoints  the  three  Creeds,  one  to  be  read  every  day ;  another, 
which  is  something  fuller,  every  Sunday  and  holyday ;  and 
the  third,  which  is  fullest  of  all,  every  month  throughout  the 
year  :  in  every  one  of  which  Creeds,  most  of  the  articles  are 
concerning  our  Blessed  Saviour.  Which  shews  the  great 
care  the  Church  hath  taken,  that  all  who  live  in  her  Com 
munion  may  be  sure  to  know  Him.  And  accordingly  we 
also,  who  are  entrusted  by  her  with  the  administration  of 
Christ's  Holy  Word  and  Sacraments  to  them,  are  bound  in 
duty  and  conscience  to  take  the  same  care.  It  is  true,  we 
must  tell  them  of  the  sins  which  they  ought  to  avoid,  and  of 
the  duties  they  ought  to  perform  to  God,  and  to  one  another, 
but  we  must  likewise  preach  unto  them  "  Jesus  Christ,  and 
Him  crucified : "  otherwise  we  may  preach  our  hearts  out, 
the  people  will  never  be  the  better  for  it.  For  unless  they 
know  and  believe  in  Him,  they  can  neither  avoid  the  sins, 
nor  perform  the  duties  we  tell  them  of;  and  so  all  our 
preaching  will  be  in  vain,  and  to  no  purpose.  This  we  may 
well  be  confident  of,  for  St.  Paul  himself,  the  great  Apostle, 
was  so  ;  as  appears  from  his  making  this  his  great,  his  only 
care  in  all  his  preaching  :  "  I  determined  not,"  saith  he,  "  to 
know  any  thing  among  you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him 
crucified." 

Neither  would  I  have  you  think,  that  this  is  such  a  dull, 
insipid  doctrine,  as  some  would  make  it :  for  "  to  know  Jesus 
Christ,  arid  Him  crucified,"  is  certainly  the  greatest  —  the 
greatest,  did  I  say?  Pardon  the  expression, —  it  is  the  only 
true  joy  and  comfort  of  our  hearts.  The  knowledge  of  other 
things  may  please  our  fancies,  but  this  alone  can  satisfy  and 
delight  our  souls.  For  whatsoever  we  may  know  besides,  I 
am  sure  we  all  know  ourselves  to  be  sinners,  and  if  sinners, 
then  liable  to  the  wrath  of  God,  and  all  the  miseries  that  He 
can  inflict  upon  us  ;  the  thoughts  whereof  cannot  but  some 
times  make  us  sad  and  melancholy,  notwithstanding  all  our 


340  The  Knowledge  of  Jesus  Christ 

SERM.    outward  mirth  and  jollity.      But  to  "  know  "  that  Jesus 

XVIII 

— —  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  such  sinners  as 


we  are :  that  the  Eternal  Son  of  God  Himself,  by  the  one 
oblation  of  Himself,  hath  made  a  "full,  perfect  and  sufficient 
sacrifice,  oblation,  and  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 

[is.  53. 5.]  world,"  and  for  ours  among  the  rest :  that  He  was  "  wounded 
for  our  transgressions,  and  bruised  for  our  iniquities  :"  that 
He  was  delivered  for  our  offences,  and  raised  again  for  our 
justification  :  that  He  was  made  sin  for  us,  that  we  might  be 
made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  Him :  that  He  is  now  our 
mediator  and  advocate  in  Heaven,  always  making  interces 
sion  for  us  :  that  His  grace  is  always  sufficient  for  us ;  His 
strength  is  made  perfect  in  our  weakness,  and  His  power 
resteth  continually  upon  us,  to  guide  and  assist  us  while  we 
live,  and  then  to  bring  us  to  Himself  in  glory :  this  refresheth 
our  drooping  spirits  :  this  fills  our  souls  with  solid  and  sub 
stantial  joy,  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory:  this 

[Lukei.  makes  us  sing  with  the  Blessed  Virgin,  "  My  soul  doth 
magnify  the  Lord,  my  spirit  rejoiceth  in  God  my  Saviour." 
Give  me  but  this,  and  let  who  will  take  all  the  pleasures  of 
the  world  besides,  and  glory  in  them :  I  shall  never  envy 

[Gal.  6. 14.]  their  felicity.  "God  forbid  that  I  should  glory  (in  any 
thing,)  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom 
the  world  is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the  world :"  for 
this,  this  is  the  only  way  to  eternal  life ;  yea,  this  is  eternal 

John  17.  s.  life,  to  know  "  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom 
He  hath  sent." 

And  therefore  as  this  is  the  most  excellent,  the  most  cer 
tain,  the  most  useful,  and  the  most  pleasant :  so  it  is  the 
most  lasting  knowledge  we  can  ever  have,  for  it  is  ever- 

[Hieron.      ]astinp*.      It    is    St.    Jerom's    advice,    Discamus    in    terris, 

.rjp.  •')."$,   <Ul 

Pauiin.  de    quorum  nobis  scientia  per  sever  et  in  ccelo :    Let  us  learn  those 

studio  SS.      ,  .  -.1111  i  />        -n 

§  9,  fin.]  things  upon  earth,  the  knowledge  whereof  will  continue 
with  us  in  Heaven.  This  is  the  only  knowledge  that  will  do 
so.  When  we  die,  all  our  other  thoughts  will  perish,  but  the 
knowledge  of  "  Jesus  Christ,  and  Him  crucified,"  will  go 
with  us  into  the  other  world,  and  there  abide  by  us,  yea, 
there  it  will  be  advanced  to  the  highest  perfection  it  is 

iCor.i3.i2.  capable  of.  "  Now  we  see  Him  through  a  glass  darkly,  but 
then  face  to  face :  now  we  know  (Him)  in  part,  but  then  we 


Preferable  to  all  other.  341 

shall  know  (Him,)  even  as  we  are  known  (of  Him)."  For 
we  shall  live  with  Him,  behold  His  glory,  enjoy  His  blessed 
company,  admire  and  love  Him  for  ever. 

These  things  being  duly  weighed,  I  need  not  use  any 
other  arguments  to  persuade  those  who  hope  and  desire  in 
good  earnest  to  be  saved,  to  make  it  their  great  care  and 
study  to  get  their  minds  possessed  with  as  true  a  knowledge, 
and  as  deep  a  sense  of  Christ  their  Saviour,  as  possibly  they 
can;  but  shall  conclude  this,  as  St.  Peter  doth  his  Second 
Epistle. 

"Ye   therefore,  beloved,   seeing   ye   know  these   things  [2Pet.3.i7, 
before,  beware  lest  ye  also,  being  led  away  with  the  error  18'-' 
of  the  wicked,  fall  from  your  own  steadfastness :  but  grow 
in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.     To  Him  be  glory,  both  now  and  for  ever," 
Amen. 


SERMON   XIX. 

THE  NEW  CREATURE  IN  CHRISTIANITY. 

2  CORINTHIANS  v.  17. 
Therefore  if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature. 

SERM.        ALTHOUGH  it  be  certain  from  God's  own  Word,  that  Jesus 

IffY 

rlTim  \  Christ  came  into  the  world  to  save  sinners,  that  He  gave 
15 ;  2.  6.]  Himself  a  ransom  for  all,  that  He  tasted  death  for  every 
UohA2.2.]  man,  and  that  He  is  a  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  whole 
world ;  yet  it  is  certain  also,  that  there  are  many  sinners  in 
the  world  which  shall  not  be  saved  by  Him :  yea,  we  have 
just  cause  to  fear,  that  but  few  will  be  so ;  few,  not  in  them 
selves  absolutely  considered,  but  few  in  comparison  of  the 
many  more  that  will  be  damned,  notwithstanding  all  that 
He  hath  done  and  suffered  for  them.  But  this  cannot  pos 
sibly  be  imputed  to  any  defect  in  His  power,  who  is 
Almighty  to  save ;  nor  yet  to  any  want  of  will  and  readi- 
[i  Tim.  2.  ness  in  Him,  who  "  died  for  all,"  and  would  have  "  all  men 
to  be  saved,"  and  to  "  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth." 
Where  then  can  the  fault  lie?  It  can  be  nowhere  but  in 
men  themselves ;  they  will  not,  and  then  it  is  no  wonder  if 
they  shall  not  be  saved.  Though  Christ  hath  procured  it, 
yet  He  doth  not  force  Salvation  upon  men,  whether  they 
will  or  no ;  but  He  leads  them  to  it  in  a  way  suitable  to 
their  own  nature,  as  they  were  made  by  Him  reasonable 
and  free  agents,  capable  of  knowing  and  choosing  what  is 
good  for  themselves,  and  of  refusing  what  they  know  to  be 
otherwise.  It  cost  Him  dear  to  purchase  Salvation  for 
them,  nothing  less  than  His  own  most  precious  blood ;  and 
therefore  He  is  pleased  freely  to  offer  and  propound  it  to 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  343 

them  in  His  Gospel,  if  they  will  accept  of  it :  but  if  they  will 
not  have  it,  but  refuse  and  slight  it,  chusing  and  preferring 
the  things  of  this  world  before  it,  they  can  blame  nobody 
but  themselves,  when  they  come  to  see  their  mistake  and 
folly.  And  yet  this  is  the  case  of  most  men.  What  Christ 
Himself  once  said  to  the  Jews,  "  Ye  will  not  come  to  Me,  John  5.  40. 
that  ye  might  have  life,"  the  same  may  be  said  to  the  greatest 
part  of  mankind,  and  of  them  also  who  profess  to  believe  in 
Him,  and  to  hope  for  life  and  Salvation  from  Him ;  yet 
they  will  not  come  unto  Him  for  it :  for  some  are  so  self- 
willed,  that  they  will  not  go  out  of  themselves,  nor  be  be 
holden  to  Him  for  their  Salvation ;  others  wilfully  shut 
their  eyes,  and  will  not  see  the  way  that  leads  to  Him ;  and 
of  those  who  have  their  eyes  opened,  that  they  cannot  choose 
but  see  it,  whether  they  will  or  no,  yet  many  will  not  walk 
in  it,  they  have  their  trades  to  mind,  or  their  land  to  till, 
they  have  families  to  provide  for,  and  bodies  to  look  after. 
These  are  things  they  are  sensible  of,  as  being  present  with 
them ;  as  for  their  future  state,  that  is  a  thing  remote  and 
out  of  sight,  and  therefore  they  never  trouble  their  heads 
about  that,  so  long  as  they  can  find  any  thing  else  to  do, 
which  is  commonly  so  long  as  they  live :  and  if  they  ever 
chance  to  think  of  it,  as  sometimes  perhaps  they  may,  they 
bethink  themselves  also  that  they  are  Christians,  they  were 
baptized  long  ago,  and  never  renounced  their  Baptism,  but 
still  continue  members  of  Christ,  believing  that  He  is  the 
Saviour  of  the  world,  and  that  He  hath  done  so  much  to 
save  them,  that  He  hath  left  no  great  matter  for  them  to  do. 
As  for  Jews,  and  Turks,  and  Heathens,  they  pity  their  con 
dition,  as  being  without  the  pale  of  the  Church,  and  so 
without  any  hopes  of  Salvation :  but  as  for  their  parts,  they 
are  Christians,  and  are  resolved  to  live  and  die  so,  and  never 
to  profess  any  other  religion,  but  that  which  Christ  hath 
settled  in  the  world ;  and  therefore  doubt  not  but  whatsoever 
becomes  of  other,  they  shall  be  saved. 

This  is  the  language,  or  at  least,  these  are  the  thoughts  of 
most  of  those  who  profess  to  believe  in  Christ ;  they  profess 
to  do  so,  and  that  is  all,  concerning  themselves  no  more 
about  Christ,  than  the  Turks  do  about  Mahomet,  the  Indians 
about  Braman,  or  the  Jews  about  Moses;  they  look  upon 


344  The  New  Creature  in  Christianity. 

SERM.    Him  as  the  founder  of  their  religion,  and  do  not  question 

XIX. 

— '- —  but  that  He  hath  taught  them  the  right  way  to  Heaven, 


and  therefore  hope  to  go  thither  when  they  die,  without 
taking  any  more  care  about  it.  And  that  is  the  great  reason, 
why  of  so  many  who  profess  to  believe  in  Christ,  there  are 
so  few  who  are  saved  by  Him :  whereas,  if  they  really  did 
what  they  profess  to  do,  even  believe  in  Christ  aright,  as 
He  hath  taught  them  in  the  Gospel,  they  could  not  but  be 
saved.  But  then  they  would  find  the  Christian  religion 
quite  another  thing  than  what  they  imagined  it  to  be :  it 
would  make  such  a  mighty  change  and  alteration  in  them, 
that  they  would  be  another  kind  of  creatures  than  what 
others  are,  or  they  themselves  ever  were  before.  For  if 
they  truly  believed  in  Christ,  they  would  be  in  Him;  and 
the  Apostle  here  tells  us,  that  "  if  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he 
is  a  new  creature ; "  old  things  are  passed  away,  "  behold  all 
things  are  become  new  in  Him."  And  to  the  same  purpose 
Gal.  6.  is.  he  saith  elsewhere,  that  "  in  Christ  Jesus  neither  circum 
cision  availeth  any  thing,  nor  uncircumcision,  but  a  new 
creature,"  or,  as  the  word,  I  think,  may  be  more  properly 
rendered  in  this  place,  "  a  new  creation,"  for  the  Greek  word 
Kr/<fig  signifies  both  creation  and  creature;  and  the  context 
here  seems  to  require  it  to  be  taken  in  the  active  sense, 
because  circumcision  and  uncircumcision  are  so  :  but  the 
meaning  of  the  whole  is  still  the  same,  even  that  whether  a 
man  be  circumcised  or  not  circumcised,  whether  he  do  or 
do  not  enjoy  such  outward  rites  and  privileges,  he  is  neither 
the  better  nor  the  worse  ;  the  only  thing  necessary  in  the 
Christian  religion,  is  "  the  new  creation."  If  a  man  be  not 
created  anew,  whatsoever  he  hath  or  hath  not,  it  is  all  one, 
he  is  no  true  Christian,  he  doth  not  truly  believe  in  Christ ; 
for  if  he  did,  he  would  be  "a  new  creature:"  and  so  the 
word  must  of  necessity  be  understood  in  my  text,  not  of  the 
act,  but  subject;  for  the  Apostle  here  speaks  of  the  person 
that  is  in  Christ,  and  saith,  that  he  "  is  a  new  creature," 
which  therefore  cannot  possibly  be  understood  of  the  act 
of  creation,  but  the  thing  created :  "  If  any  man,"  saith  he, 
"  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature." 

In  which  words,  we  shall  first  consider  the  terms,  and  then 
the  truth  asserted  in  them :  the  terms  to  be  explained  are 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  345 

two,  as  in  all  such  propositions,  the  subject  and  the  predicate, 
"  what  it  is  to  be  in  Christ,"  and  then,  "  what  it  is  to  be  a 
new  creature."     As  for  the  first,  it  is  a  phrase  which  the 
Holy  Ghost  delights  often  to  use ;  and  therefore  I  could 
never  persuade  myself,  but  that  there    is   something  par 
ticular  and  more  remarkable  in  it,  than  what  is  commonly 
taken  notice  of:  I  shall  not  recite  the  many  places  where  it 
occurs,  but  such  only  from  whence  the  meaning  of  it  may  be 
gathered.     "  There  is  therefore,"  saith  the  Apostle,  "  now, 
no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in  Christ  Jesus:"  from  Rom.  s.  i. 
whence  we  may  conclude,  that  they  are  said  to  be  in  Christ, 
who  are  not  only  in  His  Church,  but  in  His  Person,  so  as  to 
be  really  vested  and  interested  in  Him,  in  His  merits,  for 
the  pardon  of  their  sins,  and  in  His  righteousness,  whereby 
they  may  be  justified,  or  accounted  righteous  before  God ; 
for  otherwise  they  could  not  but  be  condemned.     To  the 
same  purpose,  the  same  Apostle  having  recounted  his  own 
privileges  and  righteousness  which  he  had  in  the  law,  he 
saith,  "  But  what  things  were  gain  to  me,  those  I  counted  Phil.  3.7-9. 
loss  for  Christ :  yea,  doubtless,  and  I  count  all  things  but 
loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my 
Lord ;  for  whom  I  have  suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and 
do  count  them  but  dung,  that  I  may  win  Christ,  and  be 
found  in  Him,  not  having  mine  own  righteousness,  which 
is  of  the  law,  but  that  which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ." 
Where  we  may  observe,  that  he  reckons  his  being  in  Christ, 
no  common  or  ordinary  thing,  but  the  greatest  blessing  he 
could  ever  have,  and  he  expresseth  it  several  ways :  first,  by 
his  winning  Christ,  /Va  Xg/mV  xsgftqffu,  that  I  may  win  or  gain 
Christ  to  myself,  that  He  may  be  mine,  my  Saviour,  my 
Eedeemer,  my  Lord,  as  he  here  calls  Him:  and  then  he 
adds,  "That  I  may  be  found  in  Him."     In  Him!     How? 
by  having  His  righteousness ;  that  I  may  be  "  found,"  saith 
he,  "  in  Him,  not  having  mine  own  righteousness,  but  that 
which  is  through  the  faith  of  Christ."    Which  shews  plainly, 
that  he  desired  to  be  found  in  Christ,  so  as  to  have  the 
righteousness  of  Christ  to  be  his  righteousness,  that  he  might 
be  accounted  righteous  by  it ;  which  could  not  be,  unless  it 
was  his  own :  and  therefore,  by  being  in  Christ,  he  can  mean 
nothing  less  than  such  an  union  to  Him,  whereby  a  man  is 


346  The  New  Creature  in  Christianity. 

SERM.    reckoned  as  one  with  Him.  and  so  hath  a  real  interest  in 

XIX. 

-  whatsoever  is  in  Him. 


There  are  many  such  places  in  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
wherehy  this  notion  of  our  being  in  Christ  might  be  con 
firmed  ;  but  I  shall  rather  choose  at  present  to  explain  it  by 
that  similitude  which  Christ  Himself  is  pleased  to  make  use 

John  is.  of  for  that  purpose,  where  He  saith  to  His  Disciples,  "  Abide 
in  Me,  and  I  in  you.  As  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of 
itself,  except  it  abide  in  the  vine,  no  more  can  ye,  except  ye 
abide  in  me.  I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches."  From 
whence  it  appears,  that  we  are  said  to  be  in  Christ,  as  a 
branch  is  in  the  vine ;  but  a  branch  is  so  in  the  vine,  as  to 
be  really  a  part  or  member  of  it,  and  to  partake  of  all  the 
nourishment,  the  sap  and  juice,  and  whatsoever  is  in  the 
stock,  it  is  by  secret  conveyances  carried  into  the  branches, 
so  that  every  branch  hath  as  much  of  it  as  it  can  hold,  and 
as  is  necessary  to  preserve  its  life,  and  make  it  fruitful :  and 
therefore,  according  to  this,  which  is  Christ's  own  similitude, 
all  that  are  in  Him,  are  so  in  Him,  as  to  participate  of  what 
soever  is  in  Him,  so  far  as  they  are  capable  of  it.  But  you  will 
say,  perhaps,  the  branch  is  naturally  in  the  vine,  so  as  to 
spring  out  of  it,  but  we  are  not  so  in  Christ,  and  therefore 
the  analogy  doth  not  hold  good ;  but  the  Apostle  clears  this 
difficulty,  by  shewing,  that  we  are  in  Christ  as  a  branch  is 
in  a  tree,  that  is,  not  naturally  propagated  with  it,  but  inocu- 

Rom.ii.i7.  lated  and  graffed  into  it:  "And  if  some,"  saith  he,  "of  the 
branches  be  broken  off,  and  thou  being  a  wild  olive-tree, 
wert  grafted  in  among  them,  and  with  them  partakest  of  the 
root  and  fatness  of  the  olive-tree."  Now,  as  we  take  a  scion 
of  one  tree,  and  graft  it  into  the  stock  of  another,  by  that  inci 
sion  it  soon  becomes  of  the  same  body  with  that  into  which 
it  is  grafted,  as  if  it  had  naturally  sprouted  from  it,  and  par 
takes,  as  the  Apostle  speaks,  of  "the  root  and  fatness  "  of  the 
stock,  as  much  as  the  natural  branches  do  :  so  here,  by  nature 
we  are  all  of  the  old  stock,  the  wild  olive,  Adam ;  God,  "  the 
husbandman,"  as  our  Saviour  calls  Him  in  this  very  case,  He 
cuts  off  from  the  old  stock,  and  grafts  us  "  into  Christ,"  the 
"  true  vine ;"  by  which  means  we  are,  as  it  were,  incorporated 
into  Him,  and  so  partake  of  what  is  in  Him,  as  much  as  if 
we  had  proceeded  from  Him,  as  we  did  from  the  first  man, 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  347 

and  in  some  sense  more ;  forasmuch  as  we  are  joined  to 
Adam  only  by  nature,  but  to  Christ  by  the  Holy  Spirit  Him 
self :  for,  as  the  Apostle  saith,  "  He  that  is  joined  unto  the  lCor-6- 17- 
Lord,  is  one  Spirit,"  which  must  needs  be  the  highest  kind 
of  union  that  can  be  imagined.  In  short,  take  it  thus  ;  our 
whole  nature,  and  so  we  ourselves  who  are  of  it,  being  in  the 
first  Adam,  we  were  really  concerned  in  every  thing  that  he 
did,  or  that  was  done  to  him  ;  we  sinned  in  him,  we  were 
corrupted  in  him,  we  were  cursed  and  condemned  in  him ; 
and  so  Christ  also  having  taken  our  whole  nature  upon 
Him,  and  being  thereby  become,  as  He  is  called,  the  second, 
or  another  Adam,  as  all  are  capable  of  it,  so  they  who  are 
really  in  Him  are  really  concerned  and  interested  in  all  that 
He  did  or  suffered  in  our  nature ;  "in  Him "  they  are  sanc 
tified,  "  in  Him  "  they  fulfilled  all  righteousness,  "  in  Him  " 
they  suffered  the  death  which  God  had  threatened  against 
them ;  and  so  in  Him  they  are  absolved  from  their  sins,  and 
justified  before  God. 

But  is  there  nothing  required  on  our  parts,  in  order  to 
our  being  thus  taken  out  of  the  first,  and  put  into  the  second 
man,  even  Christ,  so  as  to  be  found  in  Him  ?  Yes,  doubt 
less,  it  is  required  that  we  truly  believe  in  Him  ;  for  He 
Himself  saith,  that  "  whosoever  believeth  in  Him  shall  not  John3-16- 
perish,  but  have  everlasting  life,"  and  therefore  they  who  do 
not  "  believe  in  Him,"  must  needs  perish :  which  they  would 
not  do  if  they  were  in  Him :  and  they  who  do  believe  in 
Him,  must  needs  be  in  Him,  otherwise  they  could  not  have 
everlasting  life,  that  being  to  be  had  only  in  Him ;  whereas 
by  believing  in  Him,  they  partake  of  Him,  and  in  Him  of 
all  things  necessary  in  order  to  it :  for,  as  the  Apostle  saith, 
"  we  are  made  partakers  of  Christ,  if  we  hold  the  beginning  Heb  3  14 
of  our  confidence  steadfast  unto  the  end,"  that  is,  if  we  begin 
and  continue  steadfastly  to  believe  God  and  trust  in  Christ, 
we  are  thereby  made  partakers  of  Him,  and  interested  in 
Him.  And  He  who  is  thus  in  Christ,  as  the  Apostle  here 
saith,  is  "  a  new  creature." 

But  "  a  new  creature,"  how  can  that  be  ?     As  Nicodernus 
said,  How  can  a  man  be  "born  when  he  is  old?"  so  may  [John 3. 4.] 
others  say,  with  more  show  of  reason,  Can  a  thing  that  is 
once  created,  be  created  again  ?     No  surely,  not  as  to  the 


348  The  New  Creature  in  Christianity. 

SERM.  substance  or  essence  of  it,  that  cannot  be  created  again ;  but, 
'• —  howsoever,  the  form  and  qualities  of  it  may  be  so  changed 
and  altered,  that  it  may  be  quite  another  thing  than  what  it 
was  at  first  created,  and  therefore  may  properly  be  called 
"  a  new  creature."  As  the  body  of  a  man,  at  first,  was  not 
properly  created  or  produced  out  of  nothing,  but  was  made 
of  the  dust  of  the  ground,  which  was  created  before,  yet  it 
being  formed  by  God  out  of  that  dust,  and  inspired  with  the 
breath  of  life,  he  is  properly  called  God's  creature  :  so 
although  a  man's  soul  and  body  are  not  raised  again  out  of 
nothing,  yet,  if  he  be  raised  out  of  a  state  of  sin,  and  inspired 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God  Himself,  he  may  be  as  truly 
said  to  be  a  "  new  creature,"  this  being  so  great  a  change, 
that  he  is  altogether  another  man  than  what  he  was  before, 

Rom.  12.  2.  for  he  is  now  "transformed  by  the  renewing  of  his  mind." 
Yea,  as  the  Apostle  saith  in  my  text,  "  old  things  are  past 
away,  behold  all  things  are  become  new."  Though  he  be 
the  same  person  he  was  before,  yet  he  doth  not  understand, 
or  judge,  or  think,  or  will,  or  affect,  or  speak,  or  act  as  he 
did  before.  He  hath  now  a  new  sense  of  things,  a  new  judg 
ment,  new  desires,  new  hopes,  new  fears,  new  loves,  new 
hatred,  new  joys,  new  griefs,  and  so  leads  a  new  life ;  for  he 

Col.  3. 9, 10.  hath  "put  off  the  old  man,  with  his  deeds,  and  hath  put  on 
the  new  man,  which  is  renewed  in  knowledge,  after  the 
image  of  Him  that  created  him;"  or,  as  it  is  elsewhere 

Eph.  4.  24.  expressed,  "  He  hath  put  on  the  new  man,  which,  after  God, 
is  created  in  righteousness  and  true  holiness."  Where  we 
may  observe,  that  as  man  was  at  first,  so  this  new  man, 
"  created  "  again  after  God,  or  after  the  image  of  God,  con 
sisting  "  in  righteousness  and  true  holiness  ; "  which  is  the 
proper  form  of  the  "  new  man,"  and  from  whence  he  may 
therefore  be  properly  called  "  a  new  creature."  But  for  our 
clearer  understanding  of  this,  it  will  be  necessary  to  take  a 
short  view  of  a  man  in  both  his  states,  in  his  unregenerate 
and  his  regenerate  state,  as  he  was  born  at  first,  and  as  he  is 
born  again ;  or,  if  ye  will,  as  he  is  in  the  "  first,"  and  as  he  is 
in  the  "  second "  Adam :  by  which  we  may  easily  discern 
what  a  mighty  change  is  wrought  in  him,  and  how  properly 
he  may  therefore  be  called  "  a  new  creature." 

First ;  As  for  the  "  old  man,"  the  man  that  is  still  such  as 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  349 

ho  was  born ;  as  he  was  born,  so  he  lives  continually  in  sin  : 
his  mind  and  conscience  is  defiled,  and  all  the  powers  of  his 
soul  disordered  and  out  of  tune ;  he  was  born  blind,  and  so  he 
lives  always  in  the  dark,  having  no  light  at  all,  except  perhaps 
a  little  glimmering  that  may  sometimes  come  through  his 
senses  ;  he  may  talk  and  discourse,  but  he  sees  no  more  of  God> 
or  any  spiritual  object,  than  as  if  there  was  no  such  thing  in 
being.  And,  therefore,  he  is  wholly  under  the  power  of  his 
senses  and  passions,  being  affected  with  nothing  but  what 
toucheth  and  moveth  them  one  way  or  other.  Hence  he  is 
often  entirely  given  up  to  the  most  brutal  vices,  as  gluttony, 
drunkenness,  whoredom,  or  the  like :  or  if  he  happen  to  be 
any  way  free  from  them,  by  reason  of  the  temper  of  his  body, 
or  by  the  outward  circumstances  of  his  life,  yet  these  other  Col.  3.  s ; 
sins,  which  the  Apostle  reckons  also  as  parts  of  the  old  man,  2i. '  * 
"  anger,  malice,  hatred,  variance,  emulations,  wrath,  strife, 
seditions,  heresies,"  and  the  like;  these  have  all,  or  most 
of  them,  absolute  dominion  over  him.  He  looks  no  further 
than  this  world,  and  therefore  his  mind  is  bent  altogether 
upon  the  pleasures,  or  the  honours,  or  the  riches  which  he 
fancies  in  it,  and  doth  all  he  can  to  get  them,  not  regarding 
how.  Lying,  and  cheating,  and  oppressing,  and  slandering, 
and  extorting  from  others,  or  forswearing  himself,  he  seldom 
boggles  at ;  neither  would  he  ever  stick  at  theft,  robbery, 
forgery,  or  murder  itself,  but  only  for  fear  the  law  might 
take  hold  of  him  :  or  if  he  avoids  any  of  the  other  sins,  it  is 
only  lest  he  should  lose  his  credit,  and  so  his  hopes  of  gaining 
in  the  world.  He  avoids  no  sin  purely  out  of  conscience,  for 
he  hath  none ;  much  less  for  fear  of  God's  displeasure,  for  he 
never  thinks  of  him,  as  the  Psalmist  saith,  "  God  is  not  in  PS.  10.  4. 
all  his  thoughts."  He  may  sometimes  speak  of  God,  and 
often  doth  it  on  purpose  to  blaspheme  and  profane  His  holy 
name ;  but  he  never  hath  the  true  "  fear  of  God  before  his  [PS.  36.  i.] 
eyes,"  no,  not  when  he  comes  into  His  special  presence.  As 
for  any  private  devotions  to  Him,  he  is  usually  a  perfect 
stranger  to  them,  not  knowing  what  they  mean,  or  how 
to  go  about  them  if  he  would  ;  or  if  he  hath  been  over- 
persuaded  by  his  parents  and  others  to  be  now  and  then  in 
his  closet,  or  by  himself,  he  reads  or  prays  in  such  a  careless 
and  superficial  manner,  as  shews  that  he  doth  it  only  out  of 


350  The  New  Creature  in  Christianity. 

SxixM'  custom'  or  ^iat  *ie  mignt  be  thought  religious,  not  out  of 
-  any  sense  of  his  duty,  or  desire  to  serve  or  please  God  in  it. 
And  as  for  the  Church,  if  he  happens  to  live  in  a  place 
where  his  neighbours  go  thither  on  the  "  Lord's  Day,"  it 
would  look  very  ill  if  he  did  not  do  so  too  :  he  had  much 
rather  follow  his  worldly  business,  but  the  laws  of  the  land 
will  not  suffer  him  to  do  that  openly ;  and  if  he  should  sit 
still  at  home  and  do  nothing,  his  neighbours  might  take 
notice  of  him,  and  look  upon  him  to  be  as  he  is,  a  wicked 
and  "profane  person:"  and  therefore,  once  a  week,  to  be 
even  with  them,  he'll  walk  gravely  to  mass,  or  a  private 
meeting,  and  perhaps  carry  his  family  along  with  him  ;  and 
then  he  hopes  they  will  look  upon  him  as  more  religious 
than  themselves  ;  or  if  they  will  not,  howsoever  he  himself 
wTill  think  so,  and  that  is  enough  for  him.  And  if  he  goes 
really  to  "  Church,"  where  the  public  worship  of  God  is  duly 
and  solemnly  performed,  it  is  true,  he  is  there  in  the  right 
way  to  have  his  eyes  opened,  but  until  they  are  so,  it  is  all 
one  where  he  is  :  though  he  can  make  a  shift  to  tarry  here 
all  the  while,  and  perhaps  kneel,  and  stand  up,  and  repeat 
as  others  do,  it  is  only  because  others  do  so  ;  for  his  part,  he 
is  no  ways  affected  with  any  thing  that  is  done  here,  the 
whole  service  is  a  kind  of  dull,  insipid  business,  that  he  can 
find  no  relish  at  all  in,  his  mind  running  all  the  while  about 
other  matters ;  and  as  for  the  Word  read  or  preached,  it 
makes  no  more  impression  upon  him,  than  it  doth  upon  the 
stones  of  the  wall,  or  the  seat  he  sits  on.  And  if  any  good 
thoughts  happen  to  be  put  in  his  mind,  he  gets  them  out 
again  as  fast  as  he  can,  that  he  may  not  be  troubled  with 
them  :  and  that  is  generally  his  business  the  rest  of  the 
"  Lord's  Day."  But  for  going  to  "  Church  "  upon  the  week 
days,  that  he  looks  upon  as  a  very  idle,  impertinent  thing, 
fit  only  for  lazy  people,  that  have  nothing  else  to  do ;  for  his 
part,  he  hath  greater  affairs  to  mind.  The  same  opinion  he 
hath  too  of  the  "  Lord's  Supper  :"  it  is  three  to  one  whether 
he  ever  received  the  "Holy  Sacrament"  in  his  life,  unless  it 
was  to  qualify  himself  for  some  office,  or  to  keep  himself  out 
of  the  reach  of  the  law.  For  such  purposes  he  may  think  it 
convenient  to  receive  it  "two"  or  "three"  times  in  a  year, 
but  he  cannot  find  any  time  to  prepare  himself  for  it,  and 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  351 

so  it  signifies  no  more  to  him  than  his  ordinary  food.     And 
thus  the  poor  man  lives,  as  "  without  God  in  the  world,"  and  [Eph.  2. 
so  he  will  do  all  his  life,  unless  he  be  renewed  and  born  * 
again. 

But  now  let  us  suppose  him  to  be  so,  to  be  so  renewed 
and  "  born  again"  of  God's  Holy  Spirit;  that  he  is  become 
a  "  new  man : "  what  a  wonderful  alteration  is  wrought  in 
him  !     He  is  now  in  all  respects  another  kind  of  "  creature" 
than  what  he  was  before :  his  mind   is  purified,  his  "  con-  [Heb.  9. 
science  purged  from  dead  works,"  and  all  his  faculties  re-  14'^ 
duced  to  their  proper  order :  he  is  turned  "  from  darkness  [Acts  26. 
to  light,"  and  from  the  "  power  of  Satan  unto  God  :"  his  eyes  * 
are  opened,  so  that  he  can  look  at  those  things  which  "are  [2 Cor. 4. 
not  seen:"  he  sets  "God  always  before  him,"  and  beholds  [p'g.  16. 8/j 
His  wisdom,  His  power,  His  goodness,  His  mercy,  and  all 
His    glory    shining    continually    about   him,    and    in    him ; 
whereby  his  whole  soul  is  inflamed  with  love  unto   Him 
with   longing    after  Him,  with    rejoicing  in    Him,   and    is 
always  fixed,  "trusting  on  the  Lord:"   he  lives  now  "by  [2Cor.  5. 
faith,"  and  not  "  by  sense ;"  and  therefore  all  sensible  objects  7'-* 
seem  to  him  what  they  are  in  themselves,  as  little  and  low, 
yea,  "as  nothing"  in  comparison  of  those  great,  and  high, 
and  spiritual,  and  most  glorious  objects  that  he  is  always 
conversing  with.     Hence  it  is  that  he  doth  not  only  avoid 
the  more  gross  and  notorious,  but  all  manner  of  sin,  to  the 
utmost  of  his  power ;  not  out  of  any  by-respects,  but  because 
it  is  sin,  or  a  transgression  of  God's  Law,  and  an  offence  to 
Him  whom  he  loves  above  all  things  in  the  world.     And 
therefore  open  and  secret  sins  are  all  alike  to  him,  they  are 
equally  the  objects  of  his  hatred  and  abhorrence :  he  dare 
no  more  cheat  his  neighbour  in  his  shop,  than  he  dare  rob 
him  upon  the  high  way :  he  will  murder  as  soon  as  wrong 
him  in  his  name,  body,  or  estate ;  that  is,  he  will  do  neither, 
though  he  was  sure  to  gain  all  this  world  by  it :  for  all  this 
world  is  nothing  to  him ;  his  hopes  and  expectations  are  all 
in  the  other  world :  "  his  treasure  is  there,"  and  therefore  [Matt.  6. 
"  his  heart  is  there  also."     The  good  things  of  this  world,  21^ 
though  he  hath  them,  yet  he  doth  not  mind  them  any  farther 
than  to  employ  them,  so  as  to  give  a  good  account  of  them 
another  day.     His  main  business  is  to  live  always  in  the 


352  The  New  Creature  in  Christianity. 

SERM.    "true  faith  and  fear  of  God,"  and  so  under  His  care  and 

XIX 

protection  :  for  which  purpose  he  is  as  constant  at  his  daily 


devotions,  as  he  is  at  his  daily  food,  and  at  any  time  had 
rather  lose  his  dinner  than  omit  his  prayers  ;  and  when  he 
is  in  his  closet,  he  is  as  careful  what  he  saith  or  doth,  as  if 
all  the  world  saw  him,  as  knowing  that  He  who  made  all 
the  world  doth  see.     Besides  his  private,  he  is  glad  of  any 
opportunities  he  can  get  of  performing  his  public  devotions 
to  God  every  day,  prizing  them  above  all  the  blessings  of 
this  life :  he  never  fears  losing  any  thing  by  serving  God, 
but  always  expects,  as  well  he  may,  to  get  more  at  Church 
than  he  can  at  home :  he  doth  not  use  to  ride  out  of  town, 
or  take  physic,  or  do  any  other  business  upon  the  Lord's 
Day,  but  only  the  business  of  the  day.    He  prepares  himself 
for  it  at  home,  and  when  he  comes  to  Church,  as  be  sure  he 
always  doth,  he  sets  himself  in  good  earnest  about  it,  as  the 
greatest  work  of  his  whole  life.     When  he  prays,  he  pro 
strates  himself  before  Almighty  God,  with  all  the  reverence 
and  godly  fear,  that  he  can  possibly  express  both  in  mind 
and  body,  lifting  up  his  heart,  together  with  his  hands,  to 
Him  that  "  dwelleth  in  the  Heavens:"   when  he  praises 
God  in  the  Psalms  or  Hymns,  he  doth  it  "lustily,  with  a 
good  courage ;"  his  whole  soul,  as  well  as  body,  being  raised 
up  to  the  highest  pitch  in  admiring,  adoring,  magnifying 
that  Almighty  and  All-glorious  Being  that  is  so  infinitely 
above  him,  and  yet  so  infinitely  gracious  and  merciful  to 
him.     When  he  heareth  God's  Word  read,  he  receiveth  it, 

[i  Thes.  2.  "  not  as  the  word  of  men,  but  as  it  is  in  truth  the  Word  of 
God,"  which  "  effectually  worketh  in  them  who  believe : " 
when  the  same  Word  is  expounded  or  preached  to  him,  he 
hearkens  diligently  to  it,  he  seriously  considers  God's  will 
and  pleasure  in  it,  he  applies  it  to  himself,  resolving  by 
Christ's  assistance  to  believe  and  live  according  to  it;  and 
accordingly  doth  so  all  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  is  sound, 
orthodox,  and  steadfast  in  the  faith,  not  "  tossed  to  and  fro 
with  every  wind  of  doctrine,"  but  keeping  close  to  the  faith 

[Jude  3.]  which  was  "  once  delivered  to  the  Saints,"  and  hath  been  ever 
since  professed  by  the  Catholic  Church.  He  is  sincerely 
devout  and  pious  towards  God,  making  it  his  great  care  to 
serve,  honour,  and  please  Him :  he  is  meek  and  lowly  in 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  353 

his  own  eyes,  modest,  sober,  and  temperate  in  all  things  :  he 

is  true  and  faithful  to  his  word,  just  and  righteous  in  his 

dealings,  kind  and  charitable  to  the  poor,  as  far  as  his  estate 

will  bear :  he  "  honours  all  men,  loves  the  brotherhood,  fears  [i  Pet.  2. 

God,  honours  the  king."    In  short,  he  endeavours  all  he  can  17'^ 

to  walk  in  all  the  Commandments  and  Ordinances  of  the  [Luke  i.e. J 

Lord  blameless :  and  if  he  chance  to  stumble,  he  gets  up 

again  immediately,  and  walks  more  circumspectly  for  the 

future.     For  which  purpose  he  receives  the  mystical  body 

and  blood  of  his  ever-blessed  Redeemer,  as  oft  as  possibly 

he  can,  whereby  his  faith   is   confirmed  in  Him,  and  he 

derives  so  much  grace  and  virtue  from  Him,  that  he  can 

"  do  all   things  through   Christ  which   strengthens   him."  [Phil.  4. 

This  is  the  life,  "the  new  life"  he  constantly  leads,  and 

therefore  he  may  well  be  termed,  as  he  is  in  my  text,  "  a 

new  creature." 

The  terms  being  thus  explained,  what  is  to  be  "  in  Christ," 
and  what  it  is  to  be  "  a  new  creature ; "  we  are  now  to  con 
sider  the  dependence  that  one  of  them  hath  upon  the  other, 
and  so  the  truth  of  this  proposition,  "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ, 
he  is  a  new  creature :"  which  deserves  to  be  duly  considered, 
because  at  first  sight  it  may  seem  to  contradict  the  common 
observation,  that  Christians  are  as  bad  as  other  men ;  and 
that  all  manner  of  vice  and  wickedness  reigns  as  much  in 
Christendom,  as  it  doth  in  Turkey,  or  either  of  the  Indies. 
And  it  must  be  confessed  to  our  shame  and  sorrow,  that  the 
observation  is  not  more  commonly  made,  than  it  is  generally 
true ;  the  greatest  part  of  those  who  are  called  Christians, 
being  as  far  from  being  "  new"  and  holy  "  creatures,"  as  they 
who  never  yet  heard  of  Christ.  The  truth  is,  and  it  is  a  sad 
truth,  men  usually  embrace  and  profess  the  Christian  re 
ligion,  no  otherwise  than  Turks  do  the  Mahometan,  or  other 
infidels  the  religions  of  their  respective  countries,  only 
because  it  is  the  religion  of  their  country ;  it  was  transmitted 
to  them  from  their  ancestors,  it  is  now  settled  among  them, 
and  professed  by  those  they  daily  converse  with ;  and  that 
is  the  reason  why  they  also  profess  it :  and  then  it  is  no 
wonder  that  they  are  but  like  other  men,  when  they  take 
up  their  religion  merely  by  chance,  without  ever  looking 
any  further  into  it,  or  considering  the  mighty  advantages  it 

A  A 


354  The  New  Creature  in  Christianity. 

SERM.    affords  them,  whereby  to  become  the  best  and  happiest  of  all 
— —  creatures. 


But  we  must  observe  withal,  that,  as  the  Apostle  saith, 
Rom.  9.  6.  «  They  are  not  all  Israel,  which  are  of  Israel."  "  For  he  is 
29°m'  2<  28>  not  a  Jew,  which  is  one  outwardly,  neither  is  that  circum 
cision,  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh :  but  he  is  a  Jew,  which 
is  one  inwardly  ;  and  circumcision  is  that  of  the  heart,  in  the 
spirit,  and  not  in  the  letter,  whose  praise  is  not  of  men,  but 
of  God."  So  it  is  here  ;  all  are  not  "  in  Christ,"  that  are  "  of 
Him,"  or  His  religion ;  neither  is  he  truly  a  "  Christian," 
that  is  so  "  outwardly,"  by  the  mere  profession  of  the 
"  Christian  faith  ; "  but  he  is  truly  "  a  Christian,"  that  is  so 
"  inwardly,"  in  his  heart,  whereby  he  really  believes  in 
Christ,  and  so  partakes  of  that  Holy  Spirit  that  is  in  Him 
for  his  sanctification,  as  well  as  of  His  merit,  for  his  justifi 
cation  before  God  ;  being  taken  out,  as  it  were,  from  the 
first  Adam,  and  joined  by  faith  unto  the  second :  for  this,  as 
I  have  shewn,  is  the  proper  meaning  of  this  phrase  in  my 
text,  of  our  being  "  in  Christ."  And  whatsoever  others  are, 
who  only  profess  His  religion,  he  who  is  thus  in  "  Christ," 
must  needs  be  "a  new  creature;"  for  as  the  Apostle  saith, 
Eph.  2. 10.  "  He  is  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,"  being  "  in 
Him,"  he  is  created  "  anew  in  Him ; "  and  this  new  creation 
is  to  good  works.  This  is  the  end  of  it,  that  he  may  do 
good  works,  which  he  could  never  do,  except  he  was  in 
Christ ;  whereas  by  being  "  in  Him,"  he  is  fully  enabled  to 
do  them  :  as  Christ  Himself  assures  us,  whose  words  are 
much  to  be  observed  in  this  case;  and  therefore  we  shall 
briefly  consider  them  here,  as  we  did  before  in  part  upon 
another  occasion. 

John  15.  i,  His  words  are  these :  First,  saith  He,  "  I  am  the  true 
vine,  and  My  Father  is  the  husbandman.  Every  branch 
in  Me  that  beareth  not  fruit,  He  taketh  away;  and  every 
branch  that  beareth  fruit,  He  purgeth  it,  that  it  may  bring 
forth  more  fruit."  Where  we  may  observe,  that  He  speaks 
of  the  very  thing  we  are  now  upon,  even  of  "  our  being  in 
Him.,"  And  the  better  to  explain  it  to  us,  He  compares 
"  Himself"  to  a  "  vine,"  His  "  Father"  to  an  "  husbandman," 
and  His  "  Disciples"  to  the  "  branches  of  a  vine,"  which  are 
all  members  of  it,  and  receive  nourishment  and  strength 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  355 

from  it  to  bear  fruit.  Now  He  saith,  that  "  every  branch  in 
Him  that  beareth  not  fruit,  His  Father,"  as  the  husband 
man,  "  taketh  it  away  :"  which  is  not  to  be  so  understood,  as 
if  any  fruitless  branch  was  really  "  in  Him,"  but  only  that  it 
seemed  to  be  so.  .  According  as  He  Himself  explains  Him 
self  in  a  parallel  case;  in  one  place  He  saith,  "  Whosoever  Matt. is. 12. 
hath  not,  from  him  shall  be  taken  away  even  that  he  hath." 
How  can  that  be  ?  How  can  a  man  both  have  and  not 
have  ?  And  how  can  he  that  hath  nothing,  have  any  thing 
taken  from  him  ?  This  looks  like  a  contradiction  ;  but  He 
Himself  clears  it  in  another  place,  by  saying,  "  Whosoever  Luke  8.  is. 
hath  not,  from  him  shall  be  taken  even  that  which  he 
seemeth  to  have."  Which  shews,  that  by  His  saying  before, 
"  what  he  hath,"  His  meaning  was,  that  he  seemed  to  have 
it,  but  really  had  it  not.  So  here,  "  every  branch  in  Me," 
that  is,  "every  branch  that"  seemeth  to  be  in  Me,  and 
"  beareth  not  fruit,  He  taketh  away,"  so  that  it  shall  not  so 
much  as  seem  to  be  in  Him.  For  that  this  is  the  proper 
meaning  of  the  place,  appears  from  what  follows  ;  "  I,"  saith  Ver.  5. 
He,  "  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the  branches ;  he  that  abideth  in 
Me,  and  I  in  him,  the  same  bringeth  forth  much  fruit :  for 
without  Me  ye  can  do  nothing."  For  hence  it  is  manifest, 
that  as  no  man  can  do  any  good  without  Him,  so  no  man 
can  abide  really  "  in  Him,"  but  he  brings  forth  much  fruit, 
and  therefore  "  is  a  new  creature." 

To   the  same  purpose  is  that  of  His  beloved   Disciple, 
where  speaking  of  Christ,  he  saith,  "  Whosoever  abideth  in  i  John  3.  6. 
Him,  sinneth  not;"  that  is,  such  a  one  doth  not  live  in  any 
known  sin,  nor  by  consequence  in  the  neglect  of  any  duty. 
And  the  reason  is,  because  "  they  that  are  Christ's,  have  Gal.  5.  24. 
crucified  the  flesh  with  the    affections  and  lusts."      Their 
"  old  man  is  crucified  with  Him,  that  the  body  of  sin  might  Rom.  6.  6. 
be  destroyed,  that  henceforth  they  should  not  serve  sin." 
If  the  "  old  man"  be  crucified  with  Him,  they  must  become 
"  new  men,"  or  nothing  at  all,  "  in  Him."     If  the  body  of 
sin  be  destroyed,  the  body  of  grace  must  be  formed  in  them. 
And  if  they  cease  to  serve  sin,  they  must  serve  God,  it  being 
a  sin  not  to  serve  Him.     And  if  they  serve  Him,  they  must 
do  whatsoever  He  sets  them.     And  that  they  must  needs 
do  who  are  "in  Christ;"  for  if  they  be  in  Him,  they  are  in 


356  The  New  Creature  in  Christianity. 

the  true  vine,  and  therefore  must  needs  bring  forth  good 
,~~         — grapes.      They  are   in  the   fountain   of  all   goodness,   and 
Col.  i.  19.   therefore  must  needs  be  good  :  they  dwell  in  Him  in  whom 
all  fulness  dwells,  and  therefore  of  "  His  fulness"  they  must 
John  1.1 6.  needs  receive,  "and  grace  for  grace;"  that  is,  all  manner 
of  grace  requisite  to  their  doing  of  all  the  good  that  God 
requireth  of  them.     As  St.  Paul  found  by  experience,  when 
Phil.  4.  is.  he  said,  "  I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  which  strength- 
eneth  me."     And  he  who  can  do  that,  must  needs  be  "a 
new  creature." 

But  to  make  it  still  more  plain,  we  must  consider,  that 
Christ  is  the  Eternal,  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God ;  and 
therefore  they  who  are  "  in  Him,"  by  a  quick  and  lively 
John  1. 12.  faith,  they  also  "  in  Him"  are  made  the  sons  of  God.  "  For 
as  many  as  received  Him,  to  them  gave  He  power  to  become 
the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  believe  in  His  name." 
And  if  they  be  the  sons  of  God,  they  are  "born  again"  of 
God  Himself ;  if  born  again,  they  are  "  new  men ; "  and  if 
born  again  of  God  the  Creator,  they  must  needs  be  "  new 
creatures,"  and  lead  new  lives,  as  being  acted  by  the  same 
Spirit  by  which  they  were  born  again,  the  Spirit  of  God 
Himself;  which  by  means  of  their  union  to  Christ,  and 
being  made  members  of  His  body,  is  infused  into  them,  and 
becomes  a  principle  of  new  life  in  them ;  whereby  they  are 
enabled  to  answer  the  full  character  of  "  a  new  creature," 
much  better  than  I  have  or  can  express  it.  And  therefore 
we  may  well  conclude  with  the  Apostle,  that  "  if  any  man 
be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature." 

Now  from  this  great  doctrine,  thus  briefly  explained, 
among  many  other  things  which  are  very  remarkable,  we 
may  observe,  first,  that  no  man  can  be  "  a  new  creature," 
except  he  be  "  in  Christ ; "  for  the  Apostle  here  makes  our 
being  "  in  Christ,"  the  foundation  of  "  the  new  creation." 
He  doth  not  say,  If  a  man  be  a  Peripatetic,  a  Platonist,  an 
Epicurean,  Pythagorean,  or  any  other  kind  of  philosopher, 
he  "  is  a  new  creature : "  neither  doth  he  say,  If  a  man  be 
of  the  Church  of  Rome,  or  of  the  Church  of  England,  a 
Lutheran,  or  a  Calvinist,  he  is  therefore  "  a  new  creature." 
But,  "  if  a  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a  new  creature  ; "  there 
fore  "  a  new  creature,"  as  I  have  shewn,  because  he  is  "  in 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  357 

Christ."    Which  is  a  thing  much  to  be  observed,  for  it  quite 
overthrows  that  absurd  opinion,  which  some  have  enter 
tained,  that  a  man  may  be  saved  in  any  religion,  if  he  doth 
but  live  up  to  the  light  of  nature,  and  according  to  the  rules 
of  that  religion  which  he  professeth,  be  it  what  it  will.     For 
it  is  plain  from  what  we  have  discoursed  upon  this  subject, 
that  no  man  can  be  saved,  except  he  be  within  the  pale  of 
the  Church,  except  he  be  of  the  Christian  religion ;  nor  in 
that  neither,  except  he  be  really  "  in  Christ,'*  and  so  a  "  true 
Christian."     For  otherwise  he  cannot  be  "  a  new  creature ;" 
and  if  he  be  not  "  a  new  creature,"  if  he  be  not  regenerate 
and  born  again,  and  so  made  the  son  of  God,  he  can  never 
inherit  eternal  life :  he  cannot  receive  "  inheritance  among  [Acts  26. 
them  who  are  sanctified  by  faith  in  Christ,"  unless  he  him-  * 
self  be  so.     Whereas  men  may  cry  up  the  light  of  nature, 
and  the  power  of  natural  religion,  as  much  as  they  please, 
they  may  as  well  undertake  to  create  a  new.  world,  as  to 
make  "  a  new  creature"  by  it.     They  may  exclaim  against 
vice,  and  extol  virtue  as  much  as  it  deserves,  and  perhaps 
make  a  shift  to  do  something  that  looks  well  by  the  prin 
ciples  of  moral  philosophy ;  but  they  may  as  soon  produce 
any  thing  out  of  nothing,  as  turn  a  man  "  from  darkness  to  [Acts  26. 
light,"  and  "  from  the  power  of  Satan  unto  God"  by  it :  yea, 
they  may  be  admitted  into  the  Christian  religion  itself,  they 
may  make  a  plausible  profession  of  it,  they  may  do  many 
things  in  it,  but  they  can  no  more  make  themselves  "  new 
creatures,"  than  they  could  make  themselves  "  creatures." 
That  can  be  done  only  by  the  Almighty  power  of  God ;  and 
He  never  exerts  that  power,  but  only  "  in  Him"  by  whom 
He  created  all  things.     And  therefore,  unless  a  man  be  "  in 
Him,"  even  in  Christ  Jesus,  he  may  be  confident  he  is  not 
"  a  new  creature." 

Again,  we  may  observe  from  hence,  that  as  he  who  is  not 
"  in  Christ,"  is  not  "  a  new  creature  ;"  so  on  the  other  side, 
he  who  is  not  "  a  new  creature,"  is  not  "  in  Christ :"  for  the 
Apostle  saith  expressly,  "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ,  he  is  a 
new  creature."  And  therefore  men  may  pretend  what  they 
will,  and  make  what  show  they  can  of  Christ's  religion,  they 
may  be  baptized  into  His  name,  and  continue  members  of 
His  Church:  they  may  profess  to  believe  in  Him  as  their 


358  The  Neiv  Creature  in  Christianity. 

SERM.    only  Saviour,  to  serve  and  honour  Him  as  their  Lord  and 

: —  Master :  they  may  undertake  to  argue  and  dispute  for  Him, 

to  vindicate  and  defend  Him  against  His  enemies :  they 
may  pray  unto  Him,  they  may  read  and  hear  His  Word, 
they  may  admire  His  Divine  sayings,  they  may  reverence 
His  Ministers,  they  may  approach  to  His  very  table ;  and 
yet  after  all,  unless  they  become  "  new  creatures,"  they  have 
nothing  to  do  with  Him :  they  do  not  truly  believe,  and  so 
have  no  part  or  interest  in  Him.  For  they  are  not  "  in 
Him,"  and  so  have  no  ground  to  expect  any  thing  at  all 
from  Him. 

This  is  a  thing  which  I  heartily  wish  ye  would  all  take 
special  notice  of,  and  remember  as  long  as  ye  live.  For 
they  who  are  born  and  bred  where  the  Gospel  is  planted, 
and  Christ  is  often  spoken  of  as  the  only  Saviour  of  the 
world,  they  are  apt  to  expect  great  things  from  Him  ;  and 
indeed  they  cannot  expect  more,  nor  so  much  as  He  can  do 
for  them.  But  then  ye  must  consider,  that  unless  ye  be 
sanctified,  and  made  "  new  creatures"  by  Him,  so  as  to  walk 
constantly  in  newness  of  life,  you  are  no  way  concerned  in 
any  thing  that  He  hath  done  and  suffered  for  mankind. 
For  you  are  not  engrafted  into  Him,  the  true  vine,  nor  made 
sound  members  of  that  body  whereof  He  is  head.  If  ye 
were,  ye  could  not  but  be  influenced  by  Him,  and  receive 
that  virtue  from  Him,  which  would  turn  all  things  upside 
down  in  you,  and  make  you  quite  other  men  than  what  you 
used  to  be ;  you  would  live  continually  in  the  fear  of  God  ; 
you  would  love  and  honour  Him  above  all  things  in  the 
world;  you  would  serve  and  glorify  Him  with  your  whole 

[Eph.  4.  souls  and  bodies  too.  And  unless  you  be  thus  "  renewed  in 
the  spirit  of  your  minds,"  so  as  sincerely  to  endeavour  all  ye 
can  to  please  God  ;  whatsoever  pretences  you  make  to  Christ, 
as  your  Lord  and  Saviour,  ye  may  be  sure  He  will  never 
save  you,  nor  bring  you  to  Heaven.  He  hath  told  you  so 
with  His  own  mouth,  and  therefore  ye  may  believe  Him; 

Matt. 7. 21.  saying,  "Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  Me,  Lord,  Lord! 
shall  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven ;  but  he  that  doeth 
the  will  of  My  Father  which  is  in  Heaven."  From  whence 
we  may  also  see  the  truth  and  certainty  of  this  observation ; 
for  all  that  are  "  in  Christ,"  are  sure  to  go  to  Heaven  :  the 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  359 

members  must  needs  be  where  the  Head  is.  But  none,  it 
seems,  can  go  thither,  but  only  such  as  are  made  "new 
creatures,"  so  as  to  do  the  whole  will  of  God.  And  by  con 
sequence,  all  that  are  not  such,  may  be  confident  they  are 
not  "  in  Christ,"  they  are  no  true  Christians,  whatsoever 
they  may  pretend. 

And  this  suggests  unto  me  another  thing  very  observable 
from  these  words,  even  what  a  miserable  condition  they  are 
in,  who  are  not  converted  and  made  "  new  creatures?"  For 
such,  as  the  Apostle  speaks,  are  "  without  Christ,  being  Eph.  2. 12. 
aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel,  and  strangers  from 
the  covenant  of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  without  God 
in  the  world."  And  how  miserable  must  they  needs  be, 
who  are  in  such  a  condition  as  this :  they  are  without  Christ, 
no  more  concerned  in  Him,  than  as  if  He  had  never  come 
into  the  world :  they  are  aliens  to  the  commonwealth  of 
Israel,  foreigners  to  the  true  Church  of  God  ;  they  have  no 
portion  or  inheritance  in  it,  as  not  being  naturalised  and 
made  free  denizens  of  it :  they  are  "  strangers  to  the  cove 
nant  of  promise,"  having  no  interest  in  any  of  the  promises 
that  God  made  to  mankind  in  the  new  Covenant :  they  have 
no  ground  to  hope  for  any  mercy  at  the  hands  of  God  :  they 
are  "  without  God  in  the  world,"  without  His  grace  and 
favour,  without  His  particular  care  and  protection  ;  and  all 
because  they  are  not  "  in  Christ,"  in  whom  alone  the  Church 
is  founded,  in  whom  alone  the  new  Covenant  is  established  ; 
in  whom  alone  all  the  mercy  we  can  ever  hope  for  is  pro 
mised  ;  and  in  whom  alone  God  ever  was,  or  ever  will  be 
gracious  and  merciful  to  any  man. 

Consider  this,  all  ye  that  are  still  in  your  sins,  that  have 
not  yet  "  put  off  the  old  man,"  that  do  not  truly  believe  in  [Eph.  4. 
Christ,  so  as  to  be  made  "  new  creatures"  by  Him :  consider  22'^ 
this  I  say,  and  then  bethink  yourselves,  whether  your  condi 
tion  be  not  as  bad  as  bad  can  be.  I  do  not  deny  but  that  ye 
may  live  at  present  in  ease  and  plenty,  your  shops  or  barns 
may  be  full  of  all  manner  of  store,  your  estates  may  be  great, 
your  credit  good,  your  bodies  healthful,  and  your  hearts 
merry ;  and  so  perhaps  ye  may  continue  some  time  :  but 
what's  all  this,  when  in  the  meanwhile  the  Almighty 
Creator  and  Governor  of  the  World  is  angry  and  displeased 


360  The  New  Creature  in  Christianity. 

SERM.  with  you;  and  though  He  gives  you  these  seeming  blessings, 
—  makes  them  real  curses  to  you  ?  for  He  hath  pronounced  all 

[Gal. 3. 10.]  accursed,  who  continue  not  in  all  things  which  He  hath 
commanded ;  which  curse  can  never  be  taken  off  from  any, 
but  such  as  are  "  in  Christ,"  who  bare  it  for  them  :  but  you 
are  not "  in  Christ,"  and  therefore  "  the  curse  of  God  is  upon 
you,"  and  upon  all  ye  have  ;  and  whether  ye  see  it  or  no,  as 
yet,  one  day  you  will  see  it  whether  ye  will  or  no.  You  are 
cursed  in  every  thing  ye  have ;  every  thing  ye  have,  serving 
only  to  expose  you  to  more  temptations,  and  so  to  greater 
misery;  you  are  cursed  in  every  thing  ye  do;  every  thing 
ye  do  being  an  offence  to  God,  and  so  incensing  His  wrath 

Prov.  21.  4.  and  indignation  more  against  you:  "The  ploughing  of  the 

15.  s.  wicked  is  sin,"  and  his  very  "  sacrifice  an  abomination  to  the 
Lord."  Ye  are  cursed  wheresoever  ye  are  ;  for  wheresoever 
ye  are,  all  the  judgments,  the  dreadful  judgments,  which 
God  hath  threatened  in  His  Word  against  sinners,  hang 
over  your  heads,  ready  every  moment  to  fall  upon  you,  and 
the  longer  they  are  in  falling,  the  more  heavily  they  will  fall 
at  last :  fall  they  will  at  last,  as  certainly  as  God  hath  said 
it ;  ye  do  not  know  how  soon,  but  may  be  sure  it  is  not  long, 
but  ye  will  find  by  sad  experience,  what  a  fearful  thing  it  is 

[Heb.  10.  «to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God;"  who,  ere  long, 
will  summon  you  to  appear  before  His  tribunal,  and  there 

[Matt.  25.  condemn  you  to  that  everlasting  fire  which  is  "  prepared 
for  the  Devil  and  his  angels,"  where  there  is  nothing  but 

[Matt.  s.     "weeping  and  wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth;"  where  the 

[Mark  9.  "  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched  ;"  where  ye 
will  be  punished  with  "  everlasting  destruction  from  the 
l  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  His  power;" 
where  ye  will  live  with  the  fiends  of  Hell,  and  fare  only  as 
they  do ;  where  all  the  furies  of  your  own  guilty  consciences 
will  be  let  loose  upon  you,  and  torment  you  continually  with 

[Rev.16.1.]  the  remembrance  of  your  former  sins;  where  all  the  "  vials 
of  God's  wrath  "  will  be  poured  out  upon  you,  and  your 
souls  will  be  filled  with  the  frightful  apprehensions  of  it,  as 
full  as  they  are  able  to  hold  ;  where  ye  will  have  no  light, 
no  joy,  no  ease,  nothing  but  darkness  and  horror,  pain  and 
anguish  both  in  body  and  mind,  to  the  utmost  extremity: 
and  all  this,  not  for  some  months,  or  years,  or  ages  only,  but 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  361 

for  ever  and  ever.     This  is  the  true  state  of  their  case,  who 

live  and  die  as  they  were  born,  in  sin :  God  grant  that  none 

here  present  may  find  it  so  by  their  own  experience ;  but  I 

ana  sure  there  is  no  way  possible  to  avoid  it,  but  only  by 

Jesus  Christ,  nor  by  Him  neither,  except  ye  believe  in  Him, 

so  as  to  be  made  "  new  creatures"  by  Him  :  which  I  heartily 

wish  ye  would  consider,  before  it  be  too  late;  then  ye  would 

need  no  other  argument  to  persuade  you  to  "  put  off,  con-  Eph.  4. 22. 

cerning  the  former  conversation,  the  old  man,  which  is  cor-  24' 

rupt  according  to  the  deceitful  lusts ;  and  to  put  on  the  new 

man,  which  after  God  is  created  in  righteousness  and  true 

holiness." 

Howsoever,  to  excite  you  the  more  to  it,  I  desire  you  to 
consider  also,  on  the  other  hand,  how  happy  they  are  who 
are  "  in  Christ,"  who  are  taken  out  of  the  first,  and  made 
true  members  of  the  second  Adam,  who  in  him  are  created 
unto  good  works,  and  so  made  "  new  creatures :"  these  are  as 
happy  as  the  other  are  miserable,  as  happy  as  God  Himself 
can  make  them ;  for  in  that  they  are  "  in  Christ,"  in  Him 
they  have  all  things  that  can  any  way  possibly  conduce  to 
make  them  happy.  In  Him  they  have  infinite  merit, 
whereby  their  sins  are  all  pardoned  and  done  away,  as  if 
they  had  never  been  guilty  of  any :  in  Him  they  have  most 
perfect  righteousness,  whereby  they  are  truly  accounted 
righteous  by  the  most  righteous  Judge  of  the  whole  world  : 
in  Him  they  have  all  the  graces  of  God's  Holy  Spirit  to 
make  them  like  Himself,  holy  in  all  manner  of  conver 
sation  :  in  Him  they  have  wisdom  to  direct  them  in  all  their 
ways,  and  power  to  protect  them  against  all  their  enemies : 
in  Him  Almighty  God  Himself  is  well  pleased  with  them, 
and  become  their  Friend,  yea,  their  most  loving  and  indul 
gent  Father  :  in  Him  they  have  all  the  blessings  that  He 
hath  purchased  for  them  with  His  own  most  precious  blood; 
that  is,  all  they  can  ever  want  or  desire  to  make  them  com 
pletely  blessed. 

Wherefore,  if  there  be  any  such  among  you  at  this  time, 
as  I  hope  there  are,  give  me  leave,  in  a  few  terms,  to  con 
gratulate  your  happy  state  both  in  this  world  and  the  next. 
What  your  condition  is,  as  to  the  things  of  this  world,  I 
know  not ;  but  this  I  know,  that  whatsoever  it  is,  it  is  the 


362  The  New  Creature  in  Christianity. 

SERM.  best,  the  happiest  you  can  be  in :  yea,  God  Himself  knows 
—  it,  otherwise  He  would  never  have  brought  you  into  it ;  for 
He  hath  that  special  love  for  His  own  children,  as  all  "  new 
creatures"  are,  that  He  suffers  nothing  to  befall  them  that 
can  do  them  hurt,  nothing  but  what  shall  one  way  or  other 
do  them  good.  If  the  good  things  of  this  life  be  good  for 
you,  you  shall  have  them  ;  if  they  be  not,  ye  shall  not  have 
them,  for  that  only  reason,  because  it  is  better  for  you  to  be 
without  them :  so  that  you  may  rest  fully  satisfied  in  your 
minds,  that  all  things  work  together  for  your  good ;  and 
that  nothing  can,  or  ever  did  befall  you  since  your  new  birth, 
but  what  was,  and  shall  be,  a  blessing  to  you.  You  are 
blessed  in  all  you  have,  for  it  all  comes  from  the  special  love 
and  favour  of  God  to  you ;  you  are  blessed  in  all  ye  do,  for 
it  is  all  acceptable  to  God,  through  Him  in  whom  ye  are  ; 
you  are  blessed  wheresoever  ye  are,  for  God  is  always  pre 
sent  with  you,  to  guide,  assist,  and  comfort  you ;  you  are 
blessed  in  your  souls,  blessed  in  your  bodies,  blessed  in  your 
going  out,  blessed  in  your  coming  in,  blessed  while  ye  live, 

Rev.  14. 13.  and  blessed  when  ye  die ;  for  "  blessed  are  the  dead  which 
die  in  the  Lord  :  yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from 
their  labours,  and  their  works  do  follow  them."  You  will 
then  rest  from  your  labours,  from  every  thing  that  is  trou 
blesome  or  uneasy  to  you,  from  every  thing  that  can  any 
way  interrupt  or  disturb  your  peace  and  quiet ;  and  your 
works,  and  all  the  good  works  ye  now  do  in  Christ,  in  Him 
shall  be  then  rewarded  with  an  inheritance  incorruptible, 

i  Pet.  1.4.  undefiled,  and  that  "  fadeth  not  away,  reserved  in  Heaven 
for  you."  Where  ye  will  live  with  Him,  in  whom  ye  now 
are,  and  behold  the  glory  which  the  Father  hath  given 
Him  ;  where  "  in  Him,"  your  souls  shall  become  the  spirits 

[Heb.  12.  of  "just  men  made  perfect;"  where,  in  Him,  your  bodies 
shall  be  fashioned  "  like  unto  His  glorious  body  ;"  where,  in 

21.]  Him,  your  whole  man  shall   be  advanced  to  the  highest 

degree  of  bliss  and  happiness,  that  ye  are  or  can  be  made 
capable  of;  where,  in  Him,  ye  shall  see  God  face  to  face, 
and  enjoy  all  those  infinite  perfections  which  are  in  Him ; 
where,  in  Him,  ye  shall  thus  live  in  light,  in  glory,  in  joy 
itself,  not  only  now  and  then,  but  continually  ;  not  for  some 
time  only,  but  to  all  eternity. 


The  New  Creature  in  Christianity.  363 

Now,  if  these  things  be  so,  as  be  sure  they  are,  who  would 
not  be  "  in  Christ  ?"  Who  would  not  become  a  "  new  crea 
ture?"  And  blessed  be  God,  which  of  us  may  not,  if  He 
will?  Christ  died  for  all,  and  therefore  is  ready  to  receive 
all  that  come  unto  Him  ;  He  Himself  hath  said,  "  Him  that  John  6. 37. 
cometh  to  Me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out."  Let  us  therefore 
now  take  Him  at  His  word,  let  us  go  unto  Him,  and  close 
with  Him  upon  the  terms  He  hath  propounded  in  His  Holy 
Gospel ;  and  for  that  purpose  let  us  walk  constantly  in  all 
those  ways  that  lead  towards  Him.  Let  us  fast,  and  watch, 
and  pray,  and  read,  and  hear,  and  meditate  upon  His  Holy 
Word,  and  receive  His  mystical  body  and  blood  ;  so  that 
"  we  may  dwell  in  Christ,  and  Christ  in  us  ;  we  may  be  one 
with  Christ,  and  Christ  with  us."  But  all  the  while  let  us 
still  believe  and  trust  on  Him,  to  "  create  in  us  a  clean  heart,  [ps. 51.10.] 
and  to  renew  a  right  spirit  within  us ;"  to  crucify  our  old 
man,  and  to  make  us  "  new  creatures,"  creatures  after  His 
own  heart ;  and  to  keep  us  always  firm  and  steadfast  in  His 
true  faith  and  fear  ;  that  we  may  both  live  and  die  in  Him, 
our  dear  and  ever-blessed  Redeemer,  the  eternal,  the  only- 
begotten  Son  of  God  :  "  To  whom,  with  the  Father  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,  be  all  honour  and  glory,  for  ever  and  ever." 


SERMON  XX. 


THE  NATURE  AND  ETERNITY  OF  HEAVEN'S  JOYS  AND  HELL'S 
TORMENTS. 


MATT.  xxv.  46. 

And  these  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment,  but 
the  righteous  into  life  eternal. 

^S  *^esus  Christ  is  the  only  Saviour  of  mankind,  without 
whom  no  man  ever  was,  or  can  be  saved,  but  by  whom 
many  are  saved  in  all  ages,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end  of 
the  world ;  so,  at  the  end  of  the  world,  He,  the  same  Jesus, 
will  be  the  Judge  of  all  mankind,  and  pass  a  final  irrevo 
cable  sentence  upon  every  man,  woman,  and  child  that  ever 
lived  upon  the  face  of  the  earth :  according  to  which,  He 
Himself  here  tells  us,  "  These,"  even  the  wicked,  "  shall  go 
away  into  everlasting  punishment,  but  the  righteous  into 
life  eternal." 

Now,  we  being  all  in  the  number  of  those  who  shall  then 
be  judged  by  Him,  it  highly  concerns  us  to  understand  as 
much  as  we  can  of  this,  which  the  Judge  Himself  saith  will 
be  the  issue  and  effect  of  all  His  proceedings  upon  that  day ; 
that,  if  we  have  any  regard  to  our  future  state,  we  may 
accordingly  provide  for  it,  whilst  we  live  in  this  present 
world :  for  which  purpose  it  will  be  necessary  to  look  back 
upon  what  goes  before,  that  we  may  see  how  these  words 
come  in,  and  so  may  be  the  better  able  to  discern  both  the 
design  and  meaning  of  them. 

Our  Saviour,  therefore,  when  He  was  upon  earth,  know 
ing  how  strict  an  account  all  men  must  give  to  Him  at 
the  Last  Day,  and  being  unwilling  that  any  should  be 


The  Nature  and  Eternity,  $"c.  365 

surprised  or  taken  unawares,  took  all  occasions  to  forewarn 

them  of  it,  and  to  acquaint  them  with  all  things  necessary 

for  them   to    know  concerning  it.      Among  other   things, 

He  here  tells  us,  that  "  when  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  Matt.25.3i. 

in  His  Glory,  and  all  the  Holy  Angels  with  Him,  then 

shall  He  sit  upon  the  Throne  of  His  Glory ;"  whereby  He 

hath  given  us  to  understand,  that  although  at  that  His  first 

coining  into  the  world  to  save  it,  He  appeared  very  mean 

and  contemptible  in  the  eyes  of  men,  yet  His  second  coming 

to  judge  the  world  shall  be  at  another  rate ;  that  He  will  then 

come  in  the  greatest  glory  and  splendour  imaginable,  having 

all  the  Holy  Angels,  the  whole  Angelical  Order  to  wait 

upon  Him,  ready  to  execute  whatsoever  commands  He  shall 

be  pleased  to  lay  upon  them :  and  accordingly  they,  at  His 

command,  shall  blow  the  trumpet,  at  the  sound  whereof  all 

that  are  dead  shall,  "  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  be  raised  Matt.24.3i. 

up  again  to  life,"  and  they  who  are  "  then  living  shall  be  iThes.4.i6i 

changed ;"  and  then  "  He  will  sit  upon  the  Throne  of  His 

Glory,"  that  is,  upon  His  Tribunal  or  Judgment-Seat ;  from 

whence  the  Glory  of  His  wisdom,  power,  justice,  and  mercy, 

shall  shine  to  all  the  world. 

For  then  "  before  Him  shall  be  gathered  all  nations,"  Matt.25.32. 
that  is,  all  mankind  that  ever  lived  in  any  nation  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth,  from  the  creation  of  it  to  that  day,  and  so 
Adam  himself  and  his  whole  posterity,  shall  then  meet 
together  in  one  place,  and  there  present  themselves  in  a 
body  before  Jesus  Christ,  their  Lord  and  Judge,  and  "  He  ibid, 
shall  separate  them  the  one  from  the  other,  as  a  shepherd 
divideth  his  sheep  from  the  goats."  As  a  shepherd  that 
hath  a  great  flock  of  sheep  and  goats  mingled  together, 
when  he  hath  a  mind  to  send  them  to  several  pastures,  the 
sheep  to  one,  and  the  goats  to  another,  he  divides  them 
asunder,  that  each  sort  may  go  by  themselves  to  the  "  place 
that  he  hath  appointed  for  them:"  so,  at  the  Last  Day, 
when  all  mankind  shall  appear  before  Him,  Christ,  the 
Great  Shepherd  of  our  souls,  will  separate  the  righteous 
from  the  wicked  ;  those  who  did,  from  such  as  did  not 
believe  in  Him.  For  here,  by  "  sheep "  He  plainly  means 
the  "  righteous,"  such  as,  while  they  were  in  this  world,  had 
believed  in  Him  and  obeyed  His  Gospel;  and  therefore 


s 

366  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.    were  justified  or  accounted  righteous  before  God,  by  His 
Merits  and  Intercession  for   them,  who,  as  Himself  said, 


John  lo.is.  "  laid  down  His  life  for  the  sheep."     But  soon  after  He  said 
ver.  26, 27.  to  the  unbelieving  Jews,  "  Ye  believe  not,  because  ye  are 
not  of  My  sheep.     My  sheep  hear  My  voice,  and  I  know 
them,   and  they  follow  Me."     From  whence  it  evidently 
appears,  that  He  reckons  none  in  the  number  of  His  sheep, 
but   such   as   "  hear  His   voice,"  believe  "  in   Him,"   and 
"  follow  Him"  in  the  way  that  He  hath  set  out,  and  wherein 
He  Himself  also  walked  before  them.     These  He  calls  His 
sheep,  by  reason  of  their  gentleness,  and   meekness,  and 
patience,  and  innocency,  and  usefulness  in  the  world. 
[2Thes.  i.        But  the  wicked,  or  unbelievers,  such  as  "  knew  not  God, 
and  obeyed  not  the  Gospel  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  those 
He  calls  "  goats ;"   nasty,  stinking,  troublesome,  and  mis 
chievous  creatures,  which  do  no  good,  but  all  the  mischief 
they  can,  like  the  Devils  or  Fiends  of  Hell,  which  are  some- 
Lev.  17.  7.   times    also   called  in  Hebrew  CD'H^tE,  '  goats.'      And    all 
John  s.  44.  infidels,    all   wicked   persons,   being   of  their   "  father  the 
Devil,"  they  are  here  called  by  their  father's  name,  and  by 
John  i.  29.  that  are  distinguished  from  those  that  are  of  Christ,  "  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world." 

Now  the  King,  or  Judge  of  the  world,  having  thus  sepa- 
Matt.25.33.  rated  the  sheep  from  the  goats,  "  He  shall  set  the  sheep  on 
His  right  hand,  and  the  goats  on  His  left."  Both  sorts 
shall  stand  as  near  Him  as  they  can,  on  either  hand  of  Him; 
but  the  righteous  shall  be  set  on  His  right  hand,  as  the 
place  of  greatest  respect  and  honour  ;  the  wicked  on  the 
left,  as  being  that  of  contempt  and  scorn :  but  both  sorts 
shall  stand  by  themselves.  And  then  all  the  world  shall 
see,  who  were  righteous  and  who  were  wicked  indeed ; 
Ecci.  9.  2.  which  cannot  be  discerned  in  this  life  :  for  "  here  all  things 
come  alike  to  all,  there  is  one  event  to  the  righteous  and  to 
the  wicked ;  to  the  good  and  to  the  clean,  and  the  unclean  . 
to  him  that  sacrificeth,  and  to  him  that  sacrificeth  not :  as  is 
the  good,  so  is  the  sinner ;  and  he  that  sweareth  as  he  that 
feareth  an  oath."  But  at  the  Last  Day,  the  distinction  shall 
be  made  so  clear  and  evident,  that  we  shall  behold  it  with 
our  eyes.  If  it  should  please  the  Judge  to  set  us  on  His 
right  hand  (which  God  grant  He  may),  if  we  do  but  look 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  367 

about  us,  we  shall  there  see  all  the  saints  and  servants  of 

the  Most  High  God,  all  that  lived  in  His  true  Faith  and 

Fear  in   all  ages,  from  the  beginning  to  the   end  of  the 

world,  we  shall  see  them  all  standing  together,  on  our  side, 

all  pleasant  and  cheerful,  all  rejoicing  and  praising  Almighty 

God,  and  the  "  Lamb  that  sitteth  upon  the  Throne,"  for  [Rev.7.i7.] 

His  setting  them  on  His  right  hand.     And  if  we  turn  our 

eye  to  the  other  side,  to  the  left  hand  of  the  Judge,  we  shall 

there  see  the  whole  multitude  of  unbelievers  and  impenitent 

sinners,  of  all  ages,  all  standing  together,  and  trembling  for 

fear  of  the  dreadful  sentence  that  must  now  be  pronounced 

upon  them. 

But  to  manifest  His  Mercy  before  He  executes  His 
Justice,  the  King  will  first  say  to  them  on  the  right  hand, 
"  Come,  ye  blessed  of  My  Father,  inherit  the  Kingdom  pre-  Matt.25.34. 
pared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world."  Upon  which 
the  righteous  having  adored  and  worshipped  Him,  for  His  in 
finite  undeserved  Mercy  to  them,  and  He  having  given  them 
the  reason  of  it,  (of  which  more  presently ;)  then  turning 
Himself,  He  will  say  to  them  on  the  left  hand,  "  Depart  from  Ver.  41. 
Me,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  Devil 
and  his  angels."  O  terrible  sentence  of  the  Most  Righteous 
Judge  !  A  sentence  as  full  of  Wrath  and  Vengeance,  as  the 
other  is  of  Grace  and  Favour!  He  bids  the  righteous 
"come"  to  Him, but  commands  the  wicked  to  "go"  from  Him. 
To  the  first  he  saith,  "  Come,  ye  blessed  of  My  Father ;"  to 
the  other,  "  Depart  from  Me,  ye  cursed."  He  doth  not  add, 
"  of  My  Father,"  because  it  is  not  God,  but  they  who  have 
brought  this  curse  upon  themselves.  To  those  on  His  right 
hand  He  saith,  "  Inherit  the  kingdom ; "  to  those  on  His 
left,  "  Depart  into  everlasting  fire."  He  tells  the  former, 
that  the  kingdom  which  they  shall  inherit,  was  prepared  for 
them  "  from  the  foundation  of  the  world ;"  the  latter,  that 
the  fire  to  which  they  must  go,  was  "prepared"  not  for 
them,  but  "  for  the  Devil  and  his  angels : "  whereby  he  sig 
nifies  to  them,  that  the  place  of  torment  to  which  they  are 
condemned,  was  at  first  designed  only  for  the  Devil  and 
fallen  angels ;  but  seeing  they  had  done  "  the  works  of  the 
Devil,"  and  would  not  be  persuaded  to  "  turn  to  God,"  and 


368  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

S  xxM'    serve  Him,  they  must  now  go  to  the  same  place,  and  there 
- —  live  with  the  Fiends  of  Hell  for  ever. 


These  are  the  two  sentences  which  the  Judge,  from  whom 
lies  no  appeal,  will  pass  upon  all  mankind  at  the  last  day, 
the  one  upon  the  righteous,  the  other  upon  all  wicked  men. 
And  although,  considering  the  infinite  wisdom,  knowledge, 
justice,  and  clemency  of  the  Judge,  there  can  be  no  question 
made  of  the  reasonableness  and  equity  of  either  sentence ; 
yet  howsoever  He  will  be  graciously  pleased  to  declare  the 
reason  of  both  of  them,  and  hath  told  us  beforehand  of  it, 
that  we  may  all  know  how  to  prepare  ourselves  for  that 

[Joei2.ii.]  "great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord." 

For,  after  He  hath  said  to  those  on   His  right  hand, 
"  Come,  ye  blessed  of  My  Father,"  &c.,  He  will,  in  effect, 

Ver.  35,  36.  give  this  as  the  reason  of  that  His  gracious  sentence  :  "  For 
I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  Me  meat;  I  was  thirsty, 
and  ye  gave  Me  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  Me 
in;  naked,  and  ye  clothed  Me;  I  was  sick,  and  ye  visited 
Me ;  I  was  in  prison,  and  ye  came  unto  Me."  This,  at  first 
hearing,  will  seem  something  strange  to  the  righteous,  most 
of  which  having  never  seen  Him  in  the  flesh,  will  not 

Ver.  37, 38,  presently  apprehend  His  meaning,  but  will  say,  "  Lord, 
when  saw  we  Thee  an  hungered,  and  fed  Thee  ?  or  thirsty, 
and  gave  Thee  drink  ?  When  saw  we  Thee  a  stranger,  and 
took  Thee  in?  or  naked,  and  clothed  Thee?  or  when  saw 
we  Thee  sick  or  in  prison,  and  came  unto  Thee?"  Which 
is  not  to  be  so  understood,  as  if  there  will  be  then  any 
formal  discourse  between  Christ  and  His  people ;  but  He 
expresseth  Himself  after  this  manner,  that  we  may  better 
apprehend  the  grounds  and  reasons  upon  which  He  will 
proceed  at  this  great  day.  And  for  the  same  cause  also  He 
saith,  that  "the  King"  shall  answer  to  the  foresaid  ques- 

Ver.  40.  tions  of  the  righteous,  and  say  unto  them,  "  Verily  I  say 
unto  you,  inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the  least 
of  these  My  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  Me."  By  which 
answer,  He  plainly  assures  us,  that  whatsoever  is  done  in 
His  name,  and  for  His  sake,  to  any  of  His  faithful  people, 
He  will  take  it  as  done  unto  Himself;  as  really  it  is,  when 
done  out  of  pure  love  and  obedience  unto  Him. 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  369 

But  here  we  must  observe  two  things:  first,  That  our 
Lord  instanceth  only  in  one  sort  of  good  works,  even  such 
as  are  done  for  men  in  misery  and  trouble.     Not  but  that 
He  will  inquire   into  all  the  actions  of  every  man's  life : 
"  For  God    shall   bring   every  work   into  judgment,  with  Eccies.  12. 
every  secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  14' 
evil."     And  He  Himself  saith,  "  That  every  idle  word  that  Matt.i2.36. 
men  shall  speak,  they  shall  give  account  thereof  in  the  day 
of  judgment."     But  He  here  instanceth  in  these  works  of 
charity,   as   being   the   most   plain   and   obvious,   only  for 
example  sake,  that  by  them  we  may  see  what  special  notice 
He  takes  of  every  thing  we  do  in  this  life ;  and  that  He 
will  account  with  us  for  it  at  the  last  day,  according  as  it 
is  either  good  or  bad. 

The  other  thing  to  be  here  observed  is,  That  although 
our  Lord  makes  mention  only  of  "  good  works,"  yet  under 
them  our  "  faith "  also  is  included  ;  which  I  therefore 
observe,  because  there  are  some  who  would  infer  from  this 
place,  that  our  Saviour,  at  the  last  day,  will  not  examine 
"  our  faith,"  but  only  our  manners ;  not  how  we  believed, 
but  only  how  we  lived.  And  all  their  reason  is,  because 
here  is  no  mention  made  of  any  thing,  but  only  of  our 
works.  But  this  deserves  not  the  name  of  a  reason,  upon 
many  accounts. 

For,  1 .  By  the  same  reason,  if  it  may  be  so  called,  they 
may  as  well  conclude  that  Christ  will  then  inquire  into  no 
other  of  our  works,  but  only  such  as  are  there  specified ; 
which  is  contrary  to  all  reason,  and  likewise  to  the  revela 
tions  that  we  have  of  the  righteous  judgments  of  God. 

2.  From  our  Saviour's  declaring  here  that  "  He  will 
judge  us  according  to  our  works,"  it  necessarily  follows 
that  He  will  examine  "  our  faith ;"  that  also  being  one  of 
the  "  good  works "  which  He  requires  us  to  perform : 
nothing  being  more  frequently  commanded,  than  to  believe 
in  Him,  and  those  truths  which  He  hath  revealed  to  us. 
So  that  he  that  doth  not  believe,  lives  in  sin,  or  the  trans 
gression  of  the  Divine  law :  neither  can  such  a  one  keep 
any  of  the  commandments,  nor  do  any  one  good  work,  so 
as  that  God  will  accept  of  it  as  good  ;  for  "  without  faith  it  Heb.  11.6. 
is  impossible  to  please  God,"  much  less  can  he  do  any  such 

B  fi 


370 


The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 


Gal.  5.  6. 


Ver.  33. 


SERM.  acts  of  love  or  charity  as  are  here  mentioned,  without 
"  faith,"  for  it  is  "  faith  that  works  by  love."  And  therefore 
where  there  is  "  no  faith,"  there  can  be  no  true  "love"  or 
"  charity ;"  and  wheresoever  there  is  "  charity,"  there  must 
be  "  faith"  too.  And  by  necessary  consequence,  our  Saviour 
sufficiently  declared  those  on  His  right  hand  to  have  been 
"  true  believers,"  by  His  owning  that  they  had  exercised 
true  charity. 

3.  The  same  appears  also  from  their  being  set  on  His 
right  hand,  for  "  none  but  His  sheep  were  set  there."     But 
His  "  sheep,"  as  I  have  shewn  already,  were  such  as  believed 
in  Him  and  followed  Him:  He  reckons  no  other  to  be  of 
His  flock;  and  it  is  only  because  they  are  so,  even  in  the 
number  of  His  sheep,  that  He   sets   them  on    His  right 
hand :    and  therefore   He  need  not  afterwards   make  any 
express  mention  of  their  "  faith,"  that  being  made  evident 
to  all  the  world  by  the  place  where  they  were  set. 

4.  And  after  all,  though  He  doth  not  expressly  mention 
their  "  faith,"  but  their  "  works,"   yet  He  plainly  implies 
and  declares  their  "faith"  in  the  description  He  gives  us  of 
their  works.     He  tells  them  that  -they  had  fed  Him,  and 
clothed  Him,  and  had  ministered  to  His  necessities :   and 
then  explains  His  meaning,  saying,  "  In  that  ye  have  done 
it  to  one  of  the  least  of  these  My  brethren,  ye  have  done  it 
unto  Me."     Whereby  He  assures  us,  that  He  will  accept 
of  no  "good  works,"  or  rather  of  no  "works"  as  good,  but 
such  only  as  are  done  to  Him,  and  to  His  brethren  as  such, 
which  none  can  do  without  believing  in  Him,  and  owning 
Him  for  their  Lord  and   Maker ;   which  therefore  is  the 
chief  thing  that  He  expects  and  requires  in  all  our  works, 
that  we  do  them  in  His  name,  and  for  His  sake :  and  hath 

Mark 9. 41.  promised  a  reward  to  those  only  who  do  them  so;  "For 
whosoever,"  saith  He,  "  shall  give  you  a  cup  of  cold  water 
to  drink  in  My  name,  because  ye  belong  to  Christ,  verily 
I  say  unto  you,  he  shall  not  lose  his  reward."  Wherefore 
the  reason  which  He  here  gives  why  He  pronounceth  this 
gracious  sentence  upon  those  on  His  "right  hand,"  is  not 
grounded  upon  their  doing  "  good  works,"  or  such  as  seemed 
to  be  good  in  general,  but  upon  their  doing  them  as  to 
Him,  and  so  manifesting  their  faith  in  Him  by  their  doing 


Ver.  40. 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  371 

of  them,  without  which  He  never  would  have  accepted  of 
any  thing  they  had  done. 

From  all  which  it  appears,  That  as  ever  we  desire  to  be 
in  the  number  of  those  who  shall  be  set  at  our  Lord's  "  right 
hand  "  at  the  "  last  day,"  as  we  must  "  take  care  to  maintain  [Tit.  3.  s.] 
good  works,"  so  we  must  be  sure  also  to  "  believe  aright ;" 
without  which  whatsoever  works  we  do  will  stand  us  in  no 
stead  at  that  day :  for  we  shall,  notwithstanding,  be  num 
bered  among  the  unbelievers,  which  will  not  be  then  set  at 
the  right,  but  at  the  left  hand  of  Christ ;  and  shall  accord 
ingly  be  condemned  by  Him  to  that  "  everlasting  fire,  which  Luke  12.46. 
is  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  angels,"  and  is  therefore 
called  also  the  "  portion  of  unbelievers." 

But  as  there  can  be  no  "good  works"  without  "faith,"  so 
there  is  no  "faith"  without  "good  works."  Insomuch  that 
he  who  doth  not  "  good  works,"  may  be  confident  that  he 
doth  not  "believe"  as  the  Gospel  requires:  and  so  he  will 
find  at  the  "  last  day,"  when  the  Judge  of  quick  and  dead, 
having  passed  the  sentence  of  condemnation  upon  those  on 
His  left  hand,  shall  give  this  as  the  reason  of  it ;  for  "  I  was  Ver.  42,  43. 
an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  Me  no  meat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and 
ye  gave  Me  no  drink,"  &c.  As  if  He  had  said,  "  If  ye  had 
'  believed'  My  '  Gospel,'  ye  would  have  '  obeyed'  My  *  laws ;' 
but  you  have  not  done  the  '  good  works '  which  I  have  set 
you,  and  therefore  I  have  allotted  you  your  *  portion  with 
unbelievers.' " 

But  here  we  must  also  observe,  that  our  Lord  instanceth 
only  in  sins  of  omission,  to  shew,  that  although  men  are  apt 
to  reckon  only  upon  their  sins  of  commission,  whereby  they 
have  done  what  God  hath  forbidden;  yet  at  the  "last  day" 
they  must  give  account  also  of  their  sins  of  "  omission," 
whereby  they  have  left  undone  what  he  hath  commanded, 
which  is  a  thing  much  to  be  observed :  for  nothing  is  more 
common,  than  for  men  who  are  not  guilty  of  some  notorious 
sin,  to  flatter  themselves  with  the  hopes  that  all  is  well 
with  them,  although  they  live  in  the  neglect  of  all,  or  most 
of  the  duties  which  they  owe  to  God  or  their  neighbour. 
But  remember,  that  at  the  "Last  Day"  ye  must  give  an 
account  for  your  "  not  doing  what  ye  ought,"  as  well  as  for 
your  "  doing  what  ye  ought  not :"  for  your  not  loving,  and 


372  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.  fearing,  and  trusting  in  God  with  all  your  hearts :  for  your 
—  not  praying  to  Him,  and  praising  His  holy  name :  for  your 
not  receiving  the  Sacrament  of  His  last  supper  in  "  remem 
brance  of  Him :"  for  your  not  feeding,  and  clothing,  and 
relieving  His  poor  members :  for  your  not  honouring  your 
parents,  instructing  your  children,  and  taking  that  care  you 
ought  of  your  families :  for  your  not  doing  all  the  works 
that  He  hath  set  you,  and  for  your  not  improving  all  the 
talents  that  He  hath  put  into  your  hands,  to  His  use  and 
[Luke  13.  honour :  for  your  not  doing  good  in  the  world,  but  "  cum 
bering  the  ground"  you  stand  on:  for  "these  things"  also 
[Eccies.  ii.  "God  will  bring  you  into  judgment,"  and  will  say  to  you, 
as  He  hath  here  foretold  you,  "  Depart  from  Me,  ye  cursed," 
&c. 

Having  thus  considered  what  our  Lord  hath  been  pleased 
to  foretell  us,  concerning  His  way  and  manner  of  proceeding 
at  the  Last  Day,  we  shall  better  understand  the  effect  and 
consequence  of  it,  expressed  by  Him  in  these  words,  "  And 
these  shall  go  into  everlasting  punishment,  and  the  right 
eous  into  life  eternal."  For,  as  we  have  seen,  He  will  then 
divide  all  mankind  into  two  sorts,  the  one  He  calls  His 
"sheep,"  the  other  "goats;"  the  first  He  will  set  on  His 
"right  hand,"  the  other  on  His  "left;"  to  those  He  will 
say,  "Come,  ye  blessed;"  to  these,  "Depart  from  Me,  ye 
cursed ; "  and  of  these  He  first  saith,  "  that  they  shall  go 
into  everlasting  punishment." 

For  the  full  understanding  of  which  words,  we  must 
consider, 

1.  Whom  He  means  by  "these." 

2.  What  that  punishment  is  to  which  they  shall  go. 

3.  In  what  sense  He  saith  it  is  "  everlasting." 

1.  The  first  question  may  be  easily  resolved  by  what  we 
have  already  discoursed ;  howsoever,  for  the  fuller  explica 
tion  of  it,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  observe,  that  all  men  are 
[Eph.  2. 3.]  born  sinners,  and  so  are  "  by  nature  the  children  of  wrath  ; " 
Eccies.  7.     neither  is  there  a  "just  man  upon  earth  that  doeth  good, 
and  sinneth  not."     And  therefore  by  these  which  "  shall  go 
into  everlasting  punishment,"  we   cannot  understand  "  all 
sinners"  in  general,  for  so  all  men  are,  and  as  such  deserve 
to  go  thither ;  whereas  our  Lord  here  speaks  only  of  one 


20. 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  373 

sort  of  men,  which  He  distinguished  from  the  other,  who 
"  shall  go  into  life  eternal."  Which  therefore  must  be 
understood  only  of  such  men,  as  shall  be  accounted  sinners 
at  the  Last  Day,  notwithstanding  all  that  He  hath  done  and 
suffered  for  the  expiation  of  their  sins,  and  for  their  justi 
fication  before  God  :  such  as  never  repented  truly  of  their 
sins,  nor  believed  in  Christ  for  the  pardon  of  them :  such  as 
did  not  accept  nor  improve  the  grace  which  was  offered  in 
the  Gospel,  so  as  to  forsake  their  sins,  and  turn  to  God  by 
it :  such  as  are  not  only  sinners,  but  sinners  only,  all  over 
sinners,  and  nothing  else,  having  never  done  any  good 
through  the  whole  course  of  their  lives :  such  are  all  that 
do  not  believe  in  Christ,  for  "  without  Him  they  can  do  John  is.  5. 
nothing,"  nothing  that  is  truly  good,  or  that  will  be  accepted 
of  as  so  before  God.  They  may,  perhaps,  give  an  alms  now 
and  then  to  the  poor  :  but  as  our  Lord  here  saith,  they 
never  feed  Him,  nor  clothe  Him,  nor  minister  any  way  to 
Him,  because  they  do  not  do  it  purely  for  His  sake  in  obe 
dience  to  His  command.  If  they  did  so,  they  would  obey 
all  His  other  commandments  as  well  as  that ;  whereas  there 
are  many  which  they  never  regard  at  all,  but  live  continually 
in  the  neglect  of  them  :  so  that  their  whole  lives  are  but  as 
one  continued  sin  against  Him  in  whom  they  live. 

Of  this  sort  there  will  be  many  found  at  the  Last  Day  ; 
yea,  it  is  much  to  be  feared,  the  far  greatest  part  of  man 
kind  in  general,  and  of  those  also  who  profess  the  name  of 
Christ,  and  do  many  great  things  by  it :  for  He  Himself 
saith,  "  Many  will  say  to  Me  in  that  day,  Lord,  Lord,  have  Matt.  7. 22, 
we  not  prophesied  in  Thy  Name,  and  in  Thy  Name  have  23< 
cast  out  Devils,  and  in  Thy  Name  done  many  wonderful 
works  ?  And  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew 
you,  depart  from  Me  ye  that  work  iniquity."  All  therefore 
that  "  work  iniquity,"  all  that  continue  in  sin  and  dis 
obedience  to  His  laws,  whether  they  do  or  do  not  profess 
His  religion,  these  must  all  depart  from  Him,  and  "  go  into 
everlasting  punishment." 

2.  What  "  that  punishment"  is  to  which  they  must  go,  is 
the  next  thing  I  promised  to  consider  ;  but  cannot  do  it 
without  horror  and  amazement :  I  cannot  look  down  into 
the  infernal  pit,  but  my  head  turns  round,  and  my  heart 


374  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 


SSM'  tremkles  f°r  ^ear  °f  facing  into  it.  And  though  I  can  see 
-  but  very  little  of  it,  the  little  I  do  see  is  more  than  I  am 
able  to  describe,  or  so  much  as  speak  of,  without  confusion 
and  astonishment,  at  the  folly  and  madness  of  mankind,  that 
generally  make  so  light  of  it.  It  is  indeed,  in  all  respects, 
the  most  sad  and  melancholy  subject  that  we  can  ever  speak 
of,  or  you  can  hear  of.  Every  word  that  is  said  of  it,  grates, 
methinks,  upon  my  mind,  and  so  it  will  upon  yours  too,  if  it 
doth  but  come  so  near  as  to  touch  them.  And  certainly  if 
you  can  ever  be  touched  to  the  quick,  it  must  be  at  the 
hearing  of  that  dismal  place,  and  miserable  condition  that 
you  must  live  in  for  ever,  except  you  repent  and  turn  to 
God,  and  serve  Him  in  this  present  life.  Insomuch  that  if 
any  can  hear  of  it,  as  many  can,  without  being  affected  with 
it,  their  case  must  needs  be  very  deplorable,  if  not  desperate. 
[i  Tim.  4.  For  this  shews  that  a  man's  heart  is  hardened,  his  "  cori- 

2  1 

science  seared  as  with  a  hot  iron,"  he  is  grown  stupid  and 
insensible  of  good  and  evil,  and  altogether  careless  of  him 
self,  and  of  his  future  state,  not  regarding  what  becomes  of 
him  hereafter,  so  he  may  but  have  his  will  and  humour  at 

[Acts  s.  present.  Such  are,  doubtless,  in  "  the  gall  of  bitterness," 
and  "  the  bond  of  iniquity,"  in  the  ready  road  to  ruin,  to 
that  everlasting  punishment  which  is  so  dreadful  and  terrible, 
that  I  should  not  dare  to  offer  at  any  description  of  it,  but 
for  the  sake  of  such  as  care  not,  if  they  do  go  to  it.  But 
they  will  be  no  sooner  there,  but  they  will  be  quite  of 
another  mind  :  then  they  will  wish  with  all  their  souls,  that 
they  had  made  it  only  the  care  of  this  life  to  provide  for  the 

Heb.  lo.si.  next  :  then  they  will  feel,  by  woful  experience,  "what  a 
fearful  thing  it  is  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  living  God," 
for  then  they  will  be  stripped  of  every  thing  that  can  do 
them  any  good,  and  suffer  all  the  pains  and  torments  which 
they  can  be  able  to  bear,  without  sinking  into  nothing  under 
them.  To  which  two  heads,  all  that  is  necessary  to  be 
known  concerning  this  "everlasting  punishment"  may  be 
reduced  ;  and  we  shall  accordingly  consider  it,  as  it  is  both 
Pcena  damni,  et  pcena  sensus,  '  the  punishment  of  loss,  and 
the  punishment  of  sense.' 

First  ;  this  punishment  consisteth  in  the  loss  of  all  they 
ever  had,  or  were  ever  capable  of:  all  men,  as  such,  are 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  375 

capable  of  all  the  comforts  that  all  the  creatures  in  the 
world  can  afford  them  :  capable  of  seeing  and  enjoying  the 
Creator  Himself,  the  chiefest  good;  capable  of  that  supreme 
glory  and  happiness  which  He  confers  upon  the  Holy  Angels 
in  Heaven  :  and  many  shall  accordingly  be  made  equal  to 
Him  in  all  respects,  and  "  shine"  every  one  "  as  the  sun,  in  [Matt.  13. 
the  Kingdom  of  their  Father;"  as  full  of  light,  and  love,  4d 
and  goodness,  of  all  manner  of  true  joy  and  pleasure,  as 
they  are  able  to  hold ;  as  full  as  God  Himself  can  make 
them.  But  they  who  go  into  everlasting  punishment  shall 
have  nothing  of  all  this,  although  they  see,  to  their  un- * 
speakable  grief  and  trouble,  that  many  others  have  it,  and 
some,  perhaps,  of  those  whom  they  had  despised  upon  earth, 
as  much  as  the  rich  man  in  the  Gospel  did  Lazarus ;  "  he 
saw  Lazarus  in  Abraham's  bosom,"  but  he  could  not  come  Luke  16.23. 
at  him,  nor  partake  of  the  pleasures  which  he  there  enjoyed. 
So  he  that  is  in  Hell,  may  see  the  righteous  advanced  to  the 
highest  degrees  of  honour,  whilst  he  lives  in  absolute  con 
tempt  and  shame :  he  may  see  "  the  light  of  God's  counte 
nance"  shining  most  gloriously  upon  them,  whilst  he  is  "in 
utter  darkness."  He  may  see  them  living  with  Angels  and 
Arch-angels,  and  with  all  the  glorious  company  of  Heaven, 
whilst  he  hath  none  but  a  company  of  Devils  and  damned 
souls  about  him.  He  may  see  them  swimming  in  those 
"  rivers  of  pleasures  which  are  at  God's  right  hand,"  while  [Rev.  22. 
he  hath  not  so  much  "  as  one  drop  of  water  to  cool  his  [LUke  xe. 
tongue."  He  may  see  them  have  all  things  they  can  desire,  24-l 
and  himself  not  any  one  thing  he  would  have.  How  will 
this  torment  and  vex  his  soul  ?  He  was  wont  to  envy  the 
rise  and  prosperity  of  others  in  this  world :  but  how  will  the 
worm  of  envy  gnaw  and  fret  him  to  the  heart,  when  he  shall 
see  so  many  "  admitted  into  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,"  and 
he  himself  "shut  out?"  Especially  when  he  remembers 
that  it  was  his  own  fault,  that  he  is  not  there  as  well  as  they. 
He  would  not  take  the  care  and  pains  about  it  as  they  did, 
and  therefore  hath  now  lost  all  that  they  enjoy. 

But  although  they  will  then  be  of  another  mind,  at 
present  such  people  may  think,  perhaps,  that  this  is  no 
great  matter  :  they  do  not  much  care  if  they  never  go  to 
Heaven,  so  they  may  but  enjoy  the  good  things  of  the 


376  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.    earth.     But  alas!  they  will  have  no  more  of  them  than  of 
xx 

the  other  :    as  the  rich  man  before  spoken  of,  who  "  was 


clothed  in  purple  and  fine  linen,  and  fared  sumptuously 
every  day;"  when  he  was  got  to  Hell,  he  had  not  "one 

Luke  16. 19,  drop  of  water,"  not  so  much  as  would  stick  to  the  "tip  of  a 
man's  finger,"  when  dipped  into  it.  And  he  whose  ground 
brought  forth  plentifully,  so  that  he  thought  of  nothing  but 
pulling  down  his  barns,  and  building  greater,  that  he  might 
have  where  to  bestow  his  goods;  he  little  thought  of  ever 
parting  with  them.  But  what  said  the  answer  of  God  to  him  ? 

Luke  12. 20.  "Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall  be  required  ofthee; 
then  whose  shall  those  things  be  which  thou  hast  provided  ?  " 
Whose  shall  they  be  ?  None  of  his,  be  sure.  Other  people, 
perhaps,  may  enjoy  them  for  awhile,  as  he  did  ;  but  he,  for 
his  part,  will  have  no  share  at  all  in  them,  not  so  much  as 
one  foot  of  land,  one  crumb  of  bread,  one  drop  of  water,  one 
rag  of  clothes,  nor  so  much  as  one  farthing  of  money, 
wherewith  to  buy  it  if  he  could.  All  that  he  laboured  for 
all  his  life  long,  it  is  now  all  gone,  past  all  possibility  of 
being  ever  retrieved.  He  had  once,  perhaps,  a  fine  house 
to  live  in,  with  a  great  deal  of  rich  furniture,  but  now  he 

[Matt.  s.     hath  not  "  where  to  lay  his  head,"  but  in  the  midst  of  flames 

20.1 

and  fire.  He  had  once  farms,  or  manors,  and  perhaps 
several  whole  kingdoms,  in  his  possession  ;  but  now  the 
poorest  beggar  upon  earth  hath  more  than  he.  He  once 
had  a  great  many  friends,  but  now  he  hath  not  one  in  all 
the  world.  He  used  to  have  gold  and  silver,  and  a  great 
many  fine  things,  as  he  thought,  but  now  he  lives  in  the 
very  extremity  of  penury,  in  the  want  of  every  thing  that 
can  do  him  any  good,  or  that  he  could  imagine  would  do  so. 

All  this  is  plainly  signified  by  the  first  words  of  the  sen 
tence,  which  the  Judge  shall  pronounce  against  those  on  His 
left  hand,  "  Depart  from  Me ;"  for  in  that  they  must  depart 
from  Him,  the  only  good,  they  must  needs  depart  from  all 
manner  of  good,  so  as  never  to  know  what  it  is  any  more. 

And  in  that  He  adds,  "  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire ; " 
they  will  be  thereby  condemned  also  to  all  manner  of  evil, 
which  they  can  any  way  perceive  or  feel.  This  is  called 
"the  punishment  of  sense,"  because  all  their  senses,  both 
inward  and  outward,  both  soul  and  body,  shall  be  affected 


Heavens  Joys  and  HeWs  Torments.  377 

with  it  :   as  our   Lord  Himself  also  intimates,  where  He 

requires  us  to  "  fear  Him,  which  is  able  to  destroy  both  soul  Matt.io.28. 

and  body  in  Hell."     They  shall  both  be  there   destroyed, 

both  soul  and  body,  not  dissolved  or  reduced  to  nothing,  but 

afflicted  with  all  the  pain  and  anguish  that  either  can  be 

sensible  of,  and  able  to  endure.     As  the  "  rich  man's  "  body 

was  so  tormented  in  that  flame,  that  "  He  begged,"  but  in 

vain,  for  "  a  little  water  "  to  cool  His  scorched  tongue  ;  so  it 

will  be  with  all  that  shall  be  there,  after  the  resurrection  of 

the  body.     Their  senses  will  be  all  offended  and  tormented 

continually  with  something  or  other  they  meet  with  there : 

"  their  ears,"  with  the  howling,  and  "  weeping,  and  gnashing  Matt.25.so. 

the  teeth  "  of  all  that  are  about  them.     "  Their  eyes,"  with 

the  frightful  spectacles  of  fiends  and  furies  flying  about  and 

haunting  them  perpetually  :  their  "  noses  "  and  "  mouths  " 

with  the  suffocating  smell,  and  the  most  abominable  taste  of 

infernal  "  fire  and  brimstone."    And  all  the  "  nervous  parts  "  Rev.  21.8. 

of  their  bodies  with  the  feeling  of  the  most  acute  pains  and 

aches  that  can  be  inflicted  on  them. 

But  who  can  express  what  they  will  then  feel  in  their 
souls,  when  they  "shall  be  punished  with  everlasting  2  Thes.  1.9. 
destruction,  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the 
glory  of  His  power  1 "  When  their  souls  shall  be  shattered 
and  broken  as  it  were  in  pieces,  and  all  their  faculties  disor 
dered  and  out  of  tune  ?  When  they  shall  remember  nothing 
but  their  sins  and  follies,  nor  understand  any  thing  but  the 
height  of  God's  justice  and  vengeance  upon  them  ?  When 
they  shall  have  nothing  that  they  would,  but  every  thing 
that  they  would  not  ?  When  their  affections  of  love,  desire, 
hope  and  joy,  shall  cease  to  act,  but  their  contrary  passions 
of  hatred  and  abhorrence,  fear  and  grief,  shall  be  in  conti 
nual  exercise  upon  their  respective  objects?  When  they 
shall  be  made  to  "possess  all  their  iniquities,"  and  their  con-  [Jobis.26.] 
sciences  shall  be  always  flying  in  their  faces  for  them  ? 
When  they  shall  think  of  nothing  but  what  they  did  upon 
earth,  and  what  they  now  suffer  for  it  in  Hell  ?  When  every 
one  shall  be  his  own  executioner,  to  execute  God's  ven 
geance  upon  himself,  as  well  as  upon  all  that  are  about  him? 
When  the  Almighty  Creator  of  the  World  shall  manifest 
His  fiery  wrath  and  indignation  against  them,  and  make 


378  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.  them  know,  by  woful  experience,  what  it  is  to  break  His 
—  Law,  dishonour  His  Name,  and  refuse  the  grace  that  He 
was  pleased  to  offer  to  them  !  How  will  this  rack  and  tor 
ment  their  souls !  Oh  the  gall  and  the  wormwood,  the 
[Rev.16.1.]  "  bitterness  of  the  cup  which  they  must  drink  !  the  viols  of 
God's  wrath  "  poured  down  in  full  measure  upon  them,  into 
them,  all  over  them  !  What  a  sad  confusion  are  these  miser 
able  wretches  in  !  All  hating  one  another,  and  every  one 
himself,  mortally.  Always  restless  and  uneasy,  hurried  about 
by  the  furies  in  their  own  breasts,  as  well  as  by  those  that 
are  about  their  ears  :  always  tossing  to  and  fro  in  that 
"  everlasting  fire  "  that  is  "  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his 
angels."  This,  with  the  rest  of  the  damned  crew,  is  all  the 
company  they  keep  :  this  is  all  the  work  which  they  do,  or 
rather  which  they  must  always  suffer,  that  go  into  "  ever 
lasting  punishment." 

3.  I  say,  always  ;  for  the  Judge  Himself  here  calls  it 
"  everlasting  punishment : "  and  so  He  doth  in  the  very 
sentence  also,  whereby  He  condemns  them  to  it,  saying, 
"  Depart,  ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire  : "  whereas,  He  saith 
Mark  9.  44.  again,  in  another  place,  "  The  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire 
2Thes.  1.9.  is  not  quenched."  Hence  the  Apostle  calls  it  "  everlasting 
Dan.  12. 2.  destruction."  And  the  Prophet  Daniel  saith,  that  "  some 
shall  awake  to  everlasting  life,  and  some  to  everlasting  con 
tempt,"  where,  in  the  original,  the  same  word  is  used  for 
"  everlasting,"  with  respect  both  to  life  and  contempt ;  as  it 
is  in  my  text  also,  both  for  "  everlasting  punishment,"  and 
for  "  life  eternal."  And  therefore  as  it  is  certain,  that  the 
righteous  shall  live  for  ever,  it  is  as  certain,  that  the  wicked 
shall  be  "  punished  for  ever."  So  that  when  they  have  been 
tormented  in  that  flame  millions  of  millions  of  ages,  they 
will  be  still  but  where  they  were,  as  far  from  an  end  as  they 
were  at  first :  and  that  which,  if  it  be  possible,  will  increase 
their  misery,  is,  that  they  can  never  see  any  end  of  it,  but 
shall  always  be  fully  assured,  that  as  if  they  had  lived  for 
ever,  they  would  have  sinned  for  ever,  so  they  must  now 
suffer  for  ever ;  and  that,  as  God,  against  whom  their  sins 
were  committed,  is  "  everlasting,"  so  "their  punishment"  for 
them  will  be  "  everlasting  "  too.  This  is  a  sad  subject,  I 
confess  it ;  but  it  is  better  to  hear  of  it,  than  to  feel  it,  as  all 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  379 

must  do  that  continue  in  sin  and  unbelief.  Hence  it  is  that 
I  have  endeavoured  to  give  you  what  light  I  could  into 
these  regions  of  darkness,  that  you  may  all  see  how  much  it 
concerns  you  to  live  "  soberly,  righteously  and  godly  in  this  [Tit. 2. 12.] 
present  world,"  as  you  desire  not  to  live  in  the  extremity  of 
want,  and  shame,  and  pain  for  ever.  Wherefore,  if  you  care 
not  what  becomes  of  you  hereafter,  so  you  may  but  enjoy 
"  the  pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season,"  you  may  still  go  on  to  [Heb.  11. 
transgress  the  laws,  mistrust  the  promises,  profane  the  "^ 
Name,  and  neglect  the  service  of  your  Almighty  Creator; 
but  "  know  that  for  all  these  things  God  will  bring  you  into  [Eccies.  n. 
judgment,"  at  the  "  great  and  terrible  day  of  the  Lord,"  and  9' 
will  then  condemn  you  to  that  "  everlasting  punishment " 
which  you  have  now  been  hearing  of,  and  which  you  will 
find  to  be  far  greater  than  you  have  now  heard,  or  can  yet 
imagine  it  to  be.  But  blessed  be  God,  you  are  yet  in  a 
capacity  of  avoiding  it  if  you  will ;  for  you  are  still  in  the 
land  of  the  living,  and  have  all  the  means  that  can  be  de 
sired,  whereby  to  prevent  your  "falling  into  condemnation." 
Be  advised  therefore  to  make  use  of  them  while  you  may 
that  you  may  turn  out  of  the  broad  way  that  leads  to  destruc 
tion,  and  walk  for  the  future  in  that  narrow  path  that  will 
bring  you  to  "  life  everlasting ; "  that  when  you  come  to  stand 
before  Christ's  tribunal,  you  may  not  be  set  at  His  "left  hand," 
and  from  thence  go  into  "  everlasting  punishment,"  but  may 
be  found  in  the  number  of  the  "  righteous,"  who  shall 
stand  on  His  "  right  hand,"  and  go  from  thence  into  "  life 
eternal." 

And  so  we  come  to  the  next  great  truth,  which  our  Lord  hath 
here  taught  us,  that  we  may  understand  from  His  own  mouth 
what  a  vast  difference  He  will  make  at  that  day,  between 
the  wicked  and  the  righteous,  assuring  us,  that  "  these  shall 
go  into  everlasting  punishment,  but  the  righteous  into  life 
eternal."  Which  is  a  thing  much  to  be  observed,  for  in  this 
world  it  is  very  difficult  to  distinguish  the  one  from  the 
other,  and  impossible  to  do  it  by  the  outward  circumstances 
of  their  lives ;  for  "  no  man  knoweth  either  love  or  hatred  by  Eccies.  9.  i, 
all  that  is  before  them  :  all  things  come  alike  to  all,  there  is  2* 
one  event  to  the  righteous  and  to  the  wicked."  Yea,  often 
times  the  best  men  have  the  worst,  and  the  worst  men  the 


380 


The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 


[Eph.  2. 
10.] 


SERM.  best  things,  as  they  are  called,  of  this  world.  But  at  the 
'- —  "  last  day  "  the  scene  shall  be  quite  changed :  for  then  all 
that  were  ill  men  shall  have  all  the  ill  things  that  can  be 
imagined,  and  nothing  at  all  that  is  good,  as  we  have  already 
seen ;  whereas  all  who  were  good  men,  shall  have  all  the 
good  things  they  can  desire,  and  nothing  at  all  that  is  ill :  as 
our  Lord  here  assures  us,  by  saying,  the  "  righteous  shall  go 
into  life  eternal."  Where,  by  the  "  righteous,"  as  I  have 
already  observed  in  general  from  the  context,  we  are  to  un 
derstand  such  as  "believe"  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  are  there 
fore  enabled  by  Him  to  walk  in  all  the  commandments  and 
ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless ;  as  Zacharias  and  Eliza- 
Luke  1.6.  beth  did,  and  for  that  reason  are  both  said  to  be  "  righteous 
before  God."  For  it  is  not  any  one  or  more  particular 
good  and  righteous  acts  which  a  man  doth,  that  can  deno 
minate  him  to  be  a  "  righteous  man  : "  but  he  that  would  be 
reckoned  in  the  number  of  the  "  righteous,"  must  keep  the 
whole  Law  of  God,  and  do  "  all  such  good  works  as  God 
hath  prepared  for  him  to  walk  in,"  to  the  best  of  his  know 
ledge  and  power.  He  must  love,  and  fear,  and  trust  in  God 
with  all  his  soul :  he  must  serve  and  honour  Him  with  his 
whole  substance  :  he  must  be  meek,  and  humble,  and  patient, 
[i  Cor.  9.  and  sober,  and  "temperate  in  all  things  :"  he  must  be  just  in 
all  his  dealings,  "doing  to  all"  other  "men  as  he  would  have 
them  do  to  him  : "  he  must  "  feed  the  hungry,  clothe  the 
naked,"  and  relieve  such  as  are  distressed  in  mind,  body,  or 
estate,  as  far  as  he  is  able.  For  which  purposes  he  must 
"  watch,"  and  "  fast,"  and  "  pray,"  and  praise  God,  hear  His 
most  Holy  Word,  and  often  receive  the  Sacrament  that  our 
Col.  s.  17.  Lord  hath  ordained  in  remembrance  of  Him  :  "And  what 
soever  he  doth  in  word  or  deed,"  he  must  do  it  "  in  the  Name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,"  believing  and  depending  upon  Him, 
both  for  His  assistance  in  doing  it,  and  for  God's  acceptance 
of  it  when  it  is  done. 

For,  after  all,  it  is  only  by  this  our  "  faith  "  in  Christ,  that 
either  what  we  do,  or  we  that  do  it,  can  be  accepted  of  as 
righteous  before  God ;  for  whatsoever  we  do  in  this  imper 
fect  state,  though  we  do  it  by  the  grace  and  assistance  of 
Christ  Himself,  yet,  as  done  by  us,  it  is  very  imperfect,  and 
far  short  of  the  "  righteousness "  which  the  law  requires. 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  381 

And  therefore  whatsoever  righteous  acts  we  may  seem  to  do, 
they  being  not  "  perfectly  righteous,"  we  can  never  be  ac 
counted  "  righteous  "  for  them  by  the  infinitely  wise  and 
righteous  God,  who  judges  all  things,  not  as  they  seem  to 
be,  but  as  they  really  are  :  but  we  really  are  "  not  righteous" 
in  ourselves,  and,  by  consequence,  cannot  be  "  accounted 
righteous "  by  Him,  for  any  thing  in  ourselves.  But  our 
comfort  is,  that  His  only-begotten  Son,  having,  in  our  nature 
and  stead,  been  "  perfectly  righteous,"  and  "  obedient  to  [Phil.  2. 8.] 
death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross ;"  they,  who  by  a  quick 
and  lively  faith  are  united  to  Him,  and  so  made  real  mem 
bers  of  His  body,  are  thereby  interested  in  His  righteousness 
as  their  own ;  and  by  that,  through  His  merits  and  interces 
sion  for  them,  are  justified,  or  "  accounted  righteous  "  before 
God  ;  as  they  well  may,  seeing  that  "  the  righteousness 
which  they  have  in  Him,"  is  the  most  perfect  that  any  crea 
ture  in  the  world  can  have  :  and  though  it  be  not  in  them 
selves,  but  in  Him,  it  is  theirs  in  Him,  as  much  as  if  it  was 
in  themselves.  This  we  learn,  as  from  the  whole  design  of 
of  the  Gospel,  so  particularly  from  St.  Paul,  who,  though  he 
"  was  blameless,"  as  to  all  outward  appearance,  "  touching 
the  righteousness  which  is  in  the  Law,"  yet  he  desired  above 
all  things  to  be  "  found  in  Christ,  not  having  his  own  right-  Phil.  3. 6. 9. 
eousness,  whic  his  of  the  Law,  but  that  which  is  through  the 
faith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of  God  by  faith." 
Where  we  see,  he  speaks  of  a  "  twofold  righteousness,"  one 
he  calls  "  our  own,"  which  is  "  of  the  Law,"  which  being 
"  imperfect,"  cannot  justify  us  ;  and  therefore  he  desires  not 
to  have  that,  or  rather,  not  only  that :  the  other  is,  that 
which  we  have  "through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the  righte 
ousness"  which  is  not  of  man,  but  of  God,  even  of  God  our 
Saviour,  by  faith  in  Him.  This  is  that  righteousness  which 
they  who  believe,  and  so  are  found  in  Him,  have  in  Jesus 
Christ ;  and  by  which,  as  being  absolutely  perfect,  they  are 
therefore  made  and  "  accounted  righteous  before  God,"  ac 
cording  to  that  of  the  same  Apostle  in  another  place,  "As  Rom.  5.  19. 
by  one  man's  disobedience,  many  were  made  sinners  ;  so  by 
the  obedience  of  one,"  even  of  Christ,  "  shall  many  be  made 
righteous." 

And  they  who  are  thus  made  sincerely  righteous  in  them- 


382  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.    selves,  and  are  accounted  righteous  in  Christ,  by  their  faith 
-  in  Him  as  all  true  believers  will  be  found  to  be  at  the  last 


day ;  these  are  those  righteous  persons  which  shall  then  go 
into  "life  eternal."  That  they  go  into  "eternal  life"  we 
cannot  doubt,  having  here  the  Word  of  Christ  Himself  for 
it :  the  only  question  is,  what  that  "  eternal  life"  is,  to  which 
they  shall  go,  and  wherein  it  properly  consists  ?  Which  is 
one  of  the  most  profitable,  as  well  as  most  pleasant  subjects 
that  we  can  ever  exercise  our  thoughts  upon ;  forasmuch,  as 
nothing  can  more  encourage  and  excite  us  all,  to  strive  all 
we  can  to  be  in  the  number  of  the  righteous,  than  rightly 
to  understand  and  consider  the  greatness  of  that  glory  and 
happiness,  which  all  such  persons  shall  be  advanced  to,  and 
enjoy  for  ever. 

For  here,  by  "  life  eternal,"  we  are  certainly  to  understand 
that  happy  state  or  kind  of  life,  which  the  glorified  Saints 
and  Angels  lead  in  Heaven  ;  which  so  far  exceeds  all  that 
which  we  call  happiness  upon  earth,  that  whilst  we  are  here, 
we  are  not  able  to  conceive  the  greatness  of  it ;  as  both  the 
i  Cor.  2.  9;  Prophet  and  Apostle  long  ago  observed,  saying,  "  Eye  hath 
isa.  64.  4.  not  seellj  nor  ear  heard^  neither  have  entered  into  the  heart 
of  man,  the  things  which  God  hath  prepared  for  them  that 
love  Him."  And  therefore  expect  not,  that  I  should  fully 
describe  them  to  you;  that  is  past  my  skill.  Mine,  did  I 
say  ?  The  great  Apostle,  St.  Paul  himself,  could  not  do  it, 
when  he  was  caught  up  into  the  third  Heavens,  into  Para 
dise  itself,  "  whether  in  the  body  or  out  of  the  body,"  he 
2Cor.  12.4.  could  not  tell ;  but  this  he  could  tell,  that  he  there  "  heard 
unspeakable  words,  which  it  is  not  lawful,"  or  rather  not 
possible,  "  for  a  man  to  utter."  How  then  can  we  do  it,  who 
as  yet  were  never  there  ?  Alas !  we  mortals  upon  earth, 
being  here  in  our  imperfect  and  corrupt  state,  and  conver 
sing  ordinarily  with  none  but  sensible  and  material  objects  ; 
we  cannot  imagine  what  it  is  to  live  with  the  Holy  Angels 
in  Heaven,  nor  what  those  pleasures  are  which  they  enjoy. 
We  know  not  what  is  done  in  any  place  upon  earth,  except 
that  where  we  ourselves  are  ;  much  less  do  we  know  what 
they  do  in  Heaven,  and  least  of  all,  how  they  are  transported 
in  doing  it :  how  then  is  it  possible  for  us  to  express  it  ? 
It  is  true,  they  whose  hearts  are  purified  by  faith  in 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  383 

Christ,  and  right  set  to  obey  the  Commandments  of  God, 
may  sometimes  have  a  transient  glance  of  the  glories  of  the 
other  world  ;  some  little  foretastes  or  intimations  of  those 
celestial  joys,  whereby  they  may  guess  at  the  nature  and 
excellency  of  them :  but  they  are  such  as  none  can  know, 
but  they  who  feel  them  ;  neither  are  they  able  to  declare 
or  describe  them  unto  others,  as  St.  Peter  observes,  where 
speaking  of  Christ  to  those  who  believe  in  Him,  he  saith, 
"  Whom  having  not  seen,  ye  love  :  in  whom,  though  now  i  Pet.  i.  s. 
you  see  Him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice  with  joy  un 
speakable  and  full  of  glory."  By  their  faith  in  Christ,  they 
have  extraordinary  and  most  glorious  joy,  and  much  of  the 
same  nature  with  that  which  they  have  in  Heaven,  though 
in  a  lower  degree ;  but  this  also  is  unspeakable  :  though 
they  experience  it  in  themselves,  they  cannot  express  it,  so 
as  that  others  also  may  perceive  it ;  for  none  can  be  sensible 
of  any  thing  which  another  feels,  but  he  that  feels  it,  though 
he  tells  it  to  them  ;  much  less,  of  such  transcendent  joys,  as 
are  beyond  all  expressions  whatsoever. 

Which  I  therefore  observe,  that  you  may  not  expect  that 
all  should  be  affected  with  what  I  say  concerning  "  eternal 
life ; "  for  that  none  can  be,  but  only  such  as  "  have  their 
senses  exercised,"  and  have  already  tasted  something  of  it : 
they  may  improve  the  hints  that  I  shall  give  them  of  it,  so 
as  to  be  enflamed  with  more  ardent  desires  and  longings 
after  the  full  participation  of  it ;  but  no  other  will  under 
stand  any  thing  that  is  said  of  it,  unless  God  be  pleased,  at 
the  same  time  that  the  word  is  spoken,  to  "  open  their 
hearts"  to  receive  it  with  faith  and  love. 

These  things  being  thus  premised,  we  shall  now  consider, 
what  that  "  life  eternal"  is,  to  which  the  "  righteous,"  as  our 
Lord  here  speaks,  "  shall  go."     I  say,  consider,  not  describe 
it ;  for  that,  as  I  have  observed,  is  impossible  to  be  done. 
But  howsoever,  we  may  and  ought  to  consider  what  God 
our  Saviour,  who  only  knows  it,  hath  been  pleased  to  tell 
us  of  it  in  His  Holy  Word,  which  was  written  on  purpose 
that  we  may  "  know  the  way  that  leads  to  life,"  and  so  much  [Matt.  7. 
also  of  that  life  to  which  it  leads,  as  may  make  us  strive  to  14'^ 
enter  into  it. 


384  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.  Now,  if  we  consult  God's  Holy  Word,  we  shall  find  that 
— —  course  of  life  which  the  righteous  live  in  Heaven,  here 
called  "  life  eternal,"  is  there  revealed  to  us,  and  set  forth 
under  such  names  and  characters,  which  plainly  discover  it 
to  be  the  easiest,  the  best,  the  highest,  the  happiest  way  of 
living,  that  it  is  possible  for  creatures  to  be  made  capable  of. 
But  that  we  may  be  able  to  frame  a  more  distinct  idea  of  it 
in  our  minds,  we  may  consider, 

First,  That  the  whole  man,  both  soul  and  body,  is  there 
restored  and  advanced  to  its  highest  perfection.  While  we 
are  upon  earth,  we  find  by  our  own  experience,  as  well  as 
Divine  Revelation,  that  our  whole  frame  is  disordered  and  out 
of  tune  ;  and  that  too,  not  only  in  some,  but  in  all  mankind, 
in  those  also  that  are  regenerate  or  born  again  of  God  :  inso 
much,  that  the  best  men,  in  the  best  estate  they  can  here  be 
in,  have  so  many  weaknesses  and  imperfections,  as  make 
their  lives  very  uneasy  and  troublesome  to  them :  whatso 
ever  their  outward  condition  be,  although  they  have,  which 
is  very  rare,  all  the  comforts  and  conveniences  which  this 
world  can  afford  them,  yet  they  have  still  something  within 
that  disturbs  them;  if  it  be  nothing  else,  but  that  they 
cannot  fully  answer  the  end  of  their  creation,  by  honouring 
and  serving  their  Almighty  Creator,  so  well  as  they  are 
bound  and  desire  to  do.  Neither  is  it  possible  for  them  to 
be  perfectly  free  from  trouble,  much  less  to  be  perfectly 
happy,  until  they  themselves  are  perfect;  for  every  imper 
fection  in  their  nature,  makes  all  their  enjoyments,  as  well 
as  actions,  imperfect.  Though  they  were  at  God's  right 
hand,  they  could  not  perfectly  enjoy  the  pleasures  which 
are  there ;  being,  so  far  as  they  are  imperfect,  incapacitated, 
or  not  rightly  disposed  for  the  enjoyment  of  them. 

The  first  thing  therefore  to  be  observed  in  that  "  eternal 
life"  to  which  the  righteous  go,  is,  that  they  are  no  sooner 
there,  but  they  are  immediately  in  a  state  of  "absolute 

Heb.  12.23.  perfection  ;"  "  for  their  souls,"  as  the  Apostle  saith,  "  are  the 
spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect."  As  perfect  as  the  Holy 

Luke20.36.  Angels  themselves,  for  they  are  made  "equal  to  them,"  all 
their  powers  and  faculties  being  reduced  to  the  same  frame 
and  temper  in  which  they  were  at  first  made,  so  as  to 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  385 

perform  their  respective  offices  in  the  most  exact  and  perfect 
manner  that  can  be,  just  as  they  were  at  first  designed  to 
perform  them. 

Their  reason  or  understanding  is  always  serene  and  clear, 
and  so  capacious  and  comprehensive,  as  to  take  in  all  things 
they  have  a  mind  to  know,  though  not  altogether  by  one 
simple  intuition,  as  God  doth,  and  none  but  He  can,  yet  one 
thing  after  another ;  so  that  whatsoever  they  fix  their 
thoughts  upon,  they  immediately  see  into  the  nature,  the 
cause,  and  the  effects  of  it,  or  whatsoever  they  would  know 
concerning  it,  without  any  labour  or  study.  All  the  won 
derful  phsenomena  of  nature,  which  so  much  puzzle  and 
perplex  the  curious  searchers  into  them  upon  Earth,  they 
all  lie  plain  and  open  to  those  "  blessed  souls  ; "  so  doth 
every  part  of  the  creation,  whatsoever  God  hath  made  or 
done,  whensoever  they  cast  their  eyes  upon  it:  by  which 
means  they  can  reason  and  discourse  together  of  all  the 
marvellous  works  of  God,  without  any  hesitation  or  con 
tention  ;  pass  a  right  judgment  upon  all  things  ;  and  wisely 
make  choice  of  the  best  end  they  can  ever  aim  at  in  what 
they  do,  and  the  best  means  that  can  be  used  for  the  at 
tainment  of  it. 

Their  memory  also  will  be  so  faithful  and  tenacious,  as  to 
retain  whatsoever  they  ever  heard  or  knew,  that  can  any 
way  contribute  to  their  pleasure  and  delight ;  even  those 
things  also  which  they  had  done,  or  had  been  done  to  them, 
or  for  them,  while  they  were  upon  Earth,  though  perhaps 
they  took  little  notice  of  them  then,  or  afterwards  forgot 
them,  yet  in  Heaven  they  will  all  recur,  and  be  as  fresh 
again  in  their  minds  and  memories,  as  if  they  had  been  but 
just  then  done  ;  as  our  Lord  promised  His  Apostles,  that  the 
"  Comforter  should  bring  all  things  to  their  remembrance,  John  u.  26. 
whatsoever  He  had  said  to  them."  So  the  spirits  of  "just  men 
made  perfect,"  will  have  all  things  brought  to  their  re 
membrance,  so  far  as  the  remembrance  of  them  can  add  any 
thing  to  their  comfort;  as  whatsoever  happened  to  them 
through  the  whole  course  of  their  lives  will  do  some  way  or 
other :  they  shall  then  call  to  mind  all  the  wonderful  works 
wbich  God  did  for  them  upon  Earth,  and  see  how  they  all 
wrought  together  "  for  their  good."  They  may  see  some-  [Rom.  s. 

c  c  ™1 


386  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.    thing  of  it  here,  but  there  they  shall  see  it  perfectly,  so  as  to 
XX' —  praise  and  magnify  the  Divine  Goodness  in  every  thing  that 


ever  befell  them. 

The  will  likewise,  or  elective  faculty,  will  be  there  per 
fectly  obedient  to  their  judgment  and  understanding,  and  so 
conformable  and  agreeable  to  the  Divine  Will  in  all  things, 
never  deviating  in  the  least  from  it,  but  running  always 
exactly  parallel  with  it,  willing  only  what  God  wills,  and 
therefore  only  because  He  wills  it ;  and  so  moving  con 
tinually  just  as  He  would  have  it.  But  there  will  be  no 
objects  for  those  motions  of  the  will  which  we  call  irascible 
passions  to  work  upon,  such  as  anger,  hatred,  grief,  and 
fear;  in  all  which  there  is  something  of  torment,  which 
will  therefore  cease  in  course,  so  as  never  to  stir  in  them : 
they  can  never  be  angry,  for  they  will  have  nothing  to  be 
angry  at ;  neither  can  they  hate  any  thing,  in  that  they  can 
see  nothing  that  is  ill  or  hateful,  nothing  that  can  move  that 
passion.  Grieve  they  cannot,  for  there  is  nothing  that  can 
trouble  or  molest  them.  And  as  for  fear,  that  will  be  quite 
cast  out,  by  a  full  assurance,  that  no  mischief  can  ever  befall 
them.  Neither  will  all  those  which  we  call  concupiscible 
affections  continue  to  act  in  that  blessed  state  :  particularly, 
not  desire  nor  hope ;  for  what  can  they  desire,  who  have 
all  things  they  can  desire  ?  And  how  can  they  hope  for  any 
thing,  who  see  and  possess  all  things  ?  For,  as  the  Apostle 

Rom.  s.  24.  argues,  "  Hope  that  is  seen,  is  not  hope ;  for  what  a  man 
seeth,  why  doth  he  yet  hope  for  it  ? "  So  that  of  all  the 
passions  which  here  move  in  us,  none  will  continue  there  but 
love  and  joy.  But  they  will  be  in  perpetual  motion,  and 
that  too  in  the  quickest  and  highest  manner  that  it  is  possible 
for  them  to  move ;  for  those  blessed  spirits  live  in  "  perfect 
love"  and  amity  together,  every  one  loving  every  one  as 
himself;  and  they  all  love  God  with  all  their  souls,  and  all 
things  that  He  hath  made,  for  His  sake  that  made  them. 
And  as  they  are  always  loving,  they  are  always  rejoicing  in 
Him,  and  in  His  love  and  favour  to  them ;  and  so  are  always 

[Eph.  5.      "  singing  and  making  melody  to  Him  in  their  hearts." 

But  do  not  their  consciences  sometimes  interrupt  their 
joy,  by  putting  them  in  mind  of  their  sins  and  offences  which 
they  formerly  committed  against  God  ?  They  would,  perhaps, 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hells  Torments.  387 

if  they  could ;  but  the  conscience  is  now  deprived  of  that 
part  of  its  office :  it  cannot  accuse  them  of  any  sin,  for  there 
is  none  they  can  be  accused  of;  their  sins  being  all  most 
perfectly  "washed  away  by  the  blood  of  Christ:"  so  that  [Rev.  1.5. 
their  consciences  have  nothing  else  to  do,  but  to  approve 
their  obedience  to  the  Will  of  God,  and  to  assure  them  that 
all  is  well  with  them ;  which  is  so  far  from  being  an  inter 
ruption,  that  it  is  a  great  increase  and  confirmation  of  their 
joy :  for,  by  this  means,  these  blessed  souls  live  in  perfect 
peace,  both  with  God,  and  with  themselves ;  and  in  full 
assurance  of  the  continuance  of  His  love  to  them,  and  theirs 
to  Him ;  and,  by  consequence  of  this  their  perfect  and 
supreme  felicity,  not  only  in  their  separate  state,  from  the 
time  they  leave  their  bodies,  but  likewise  when  their  bodies 
shall  be  raised  from  the  dust,  and  united  again  to  them  as 
they  were  before. 

For  their  bodies  also  shall  then  be  raised  to  the  highest 
degree  of  perfection  that  they  are  capable  of:  they  shall 
then  be  freed  from  all  such  gross  humours  as  make  them 
dull  and  heavy,  or  else  rampant  and  ungovernable :  they  shall 
tyrannise  no  longer  over  the  soul,  nor  so  much  as  hinder  it 
in  its  operations  or  enjoyments,  but  shall  always  continue  in 
perfect  submission  and  obedience  to  it.  Though  it  shall  be 
the  same  body  it  was  before,  as  to  its  substance  and  matter, 
yet  it  shall  be  so  purged,  refined,  and  sublimated,  that  it 
shall  become,  in  a  manner,  spiritual ;  at  least,  in  comparison 
of  what  it  was  before.  This  we  learn  from  the  Apostle, 
saying,  that  "  the  body  is  sown  in  corruption,  it  is  raised  in  i  Cor.  is. 
incorruption ;  it  is  sown  in  dishonour,  it  is  raised  in  glory ;  45 
it  is  sown  in  weakness,  it  is  raised  in  power ;  it  is  sown  a 
natural  body,  it  is  raised  a  spiritual  body ;  there  is  a  natural 
body,  and  there  is  a  spiritual  body."  It  shall  still  be  a  real 
body,  but  not  a  mere  natural  body,  such  as  it  was  upon  Earth, 
but  of  a  more  pure  and  spiritual  disposition,  as  like  to  a  spirit 
as  it  is  possible  for  matter  to  be  made ;  so  that  it  shall  have 
all  the  properties  or  qualities  of  a  spirit,  except  such  whereby 
it  is  essentially  distinguished  from  matter;  it  shall  subsist 
without  meat,  or  drink,  or  sleep,  as  a  spirit  doth  :  it  shall  move 
and  act  in  as  large  a  sphere,  and  be  as  much  at  the  beck  and 
command  of  the  soul,  as  if  itself  also  was  of  the  same  nature. 


388  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.  And  if  any  question  be  made,  how  this  can  be?  the 
—  Apostle  resolves  it,  where  he  saith,  that  our  Lord  Jesus 

Phil.  3.  21.  Christ  "  shall  change  our  vile  body,  that  it  may  be  fashioned 
like  unto  His  glorious  body,  according  to  the  working 
whereby  He  is  able  even  to  subdue  all  things  unto  Himself." 
The  Body  of  our  Lord  is,  doubtless,  the  most  glorious  body 
in  the  world,  far  more  glorious  than  the  sun  :  and  therefore 

Acts  26.  is.  when  He  appeared  to  St.  Paul,  St.  Paul  saith,  that  he  "  saw 
a  light  from  Heaven,  above  the  brightness  of  the  sun, 
shining  round  about  him."  And  if  we  could  see  the  Body  of 
Christ  shining  in  the  Heavens,  as  we  do  that  of  the  sun  in  a 
clear  day,  we  should  scarce  see  the  sun  at  all ;  no  more  than 
we  do  the  moon  when  the  sun  shineth.  But,  howsoever,  the 
sun  being  the  most  glorious  body  that  we  see,  the  Body  of 
Christ  is  compared  to  that.  As  to  His  Transfiguration,  it  is 

Matt.  17. 2.  said,  that  His  "  face  did  shine  as  the  sun ;"  and  His  very 
"  raiment  was  white  as  the  light."  And  as  His  Body  was  thus 
transfigured  upon  Earth,  so  shall  the  body  of  every  saint  be 
transfigured  by  Him,  so  as  to  be  "  fashioned  like  to  His 

Matt.i3.43.  glorious  Body ; "  inasmuch  that  they  also  "shall  shine  as 
the  sun  in  the  Kingdom  of  their  Father ;"  and  "  as  the  stars 

Dan.  12.  3.  for  ever  and  ever."  But  this  shall  be  brought  about,  as  the 
Apostle  saith,  "  by  His  working,  by  His  Almighty  Power," 
that  "  whereby  He  is  able  to  subdue  all  things  to  Himself:" 
and  if  he  undertakes  it,  and  will  exert  His  Omnipotence  in 
the  working  of  it,  as  be  sure  He  will,  we  cannot  doubt,  but 
the  bodies  also  of  the  righteous  will  then  be  made,  in  all 
respects,  as  "  glorious  and  perfect"  as  it  is  possible  to  be  made. 
Being  thus  made  "  perfect"  both  in  soul  and  body,  they 
live  continually  in  a  state  of  perfect  security  from  all  manner 
of  trouble  and  molestation.  If  it  was  possible  for  them  to 
meet  with  any  such  thing  there,  as  usually  disturbs  corrupt 
mortals  upon  Earth,  they  could  not  be  affected  with  it,  in 
that  there  is  nothing  within  them  capable  of  perturbation. 
But  there  is  no  fear  of  that,  there  is  nothing  either  within 
them,  or  without  them,  that  can  ever  be  any  trouble  to 
them :  their  souls  being  made  perfect,  they  can  never  act 
or  think  contrary  to  the  Will  of  God,  nor  otherwise  than 
just  as  He  would  have  them :  they  never  mistake  in  their 
opinion,  nor  fail  in  their  judgment,  nor  think  so  much  as  a 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  389 

vain  thought:  they  are  never  surprised  with  any  accident, 
nor  fall  into  any  inadvertency,  nor  have  cause  to  say, "  I  did 
not  think  it:"  they  never  "  choose  the  evil  before  the  good," 
nor  the  worse  before  the  better,  nor  have  the  least  inclin 
ation  to  it:  their  passions  are  never  out  of  order,  never 
turbulent  or  irregular,  but  always  fixed  upon  their  proper 
objects,  in  such  a  manner  as  is  proper  for  them.  So  that 
they  live  "without"  all  manner  of  "offence,  both  towards 
God,  and  towards  one  another,"  and  every  one  towards  him 
self  too ;  their  consciences  having  nothing  to  say  against 
them,  for  any  thing  they  ever  think,  or  speak,  or  do :  vthey 
are  apprehensive  of  no  danger,  nor  have  any  cares  or  fears 
upon  them,  for  their  "  hearts  are  always  fixed,  trusting  in 
the  Lord." 

Neither  are  their  bodies  ever  out  of  tune  :  they  are  never 
hungry,  nor  thirsty,  nor  weary,  nor  sleepy,  nor  so  much  as 
dull  or  heavy :  their  heads  are  never  clouded,  their  hearts 
never  ache,  their  senses  never  decay,  neither  is  the  whole  or 
any  part  ever  subject  to  sickness,  or  pain,  or  any  the  least 
indisposition  whatsoever:  they  never  lament  nor  weep  for 
any  thing;  for  "God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  Rev.  21.  4. 
eyes :  and  there  shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor 
crying,  neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain,  for  the  former 
things  are  passed  away."  While  they  were  upon  Earth, 
they  were  always  in  one  sort  of  trouble  or  other,  in  mind, 
body,  or  estate ;  but  now  they  are  in  none  at  all,  nor  ever 
fear  any,  but  live  in  continual  rest  and  tranquillity,  in  perfect 
health,  and  strength,  and  vigour,  both  of  mind  and  body, 
and  in  an  utter  impossibility  of  ever  being  any  way  molested 
or  discomposed  any  more.  And  if  there  was  nothing  else 
in  that  blessed  state,  but  this  perfect  freedom  and  security 
from  all  evil ;  this,  one  would  think,  should  be  sufficient  to 
make  us  all,  not  only  labour  after  it  with  all  our  might,  but 
also  long  to  be  in  it  with  all  our  hearts. 

But  though  this  be  much  more  than  we,  who  know  little 
else  but  trouble,  can  well  imagine,  yet  it  is  the  least  that  can 
be  said  of  it :  for  here  they  have  "  the  best  company"  in  the 
world,  such  as  they  like  most,  as  being  most  agreeable  to 
their  pure  and  spotless  nature;  for  though  there  be  vast 
multitudes  of  them,  more  than  we  or  they,  perhaps,  them- 


390  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.    selves  can  tell,  yet  being  all  of  equal  perfection,  they  all  live 

'- —  together,  "  have  all  things  common,"  are  all  of  a  piece,  "  all 

of  one  mind,"  as  if  they  had  but  "one  soul"  among  them. 
Neither  are  they  fellow- commoners  only  with  one  another, 

[Luke  20.  but  likewise  with  all  the  "  holy  angels ;"  they  are  now  made 
"  equal  to  them "  in  knowledge,  in  wisdom,  in  purity,  in 
glory,  in  the  love  and  favour  of  God,  in  all  manner  of  per 
fection  ;  and  therefore  are  now  of  the  same  society  with 
them,  and  always  enjoy  their  sweet  and  pleasant  company; 
yea,  and  His  too  who  is  above  them  all,  the  best  Friend 
they  ever  had  or  have  in  the  whole  world,  "  the  blessed 
Jesus,"  who  brought  them  thither  on  purpose,  that  they 

John  17. 24.  might  "  behold  the  glory  which  the  Father  hath  given  Him." 
For  this  end  it  was,  that  He  went  before  to  prepare  a  place 

John  14. 3.  for  them,  "  that  where  He  is,  there  they  may  be  also." 
There  they  live  with  Him,  therefore,  in  a  constant  sense  of 
His  love,  and  under  the  beams  of  His  glory  darted  con 
tinually  upon  them ;  whereby  their  blessed  souls  are  warmed, 
refreshed,  transported,  so  as  to  be  always  in  a  flame  of  love 
and  thankfulness  to  Him  for  His  unspeakable,  His  inestim 
able,  His  infinite  love  and  kindness  to  them,  in  bringing 
and  admitting  them  to  live  with  Him. 

And  what  can  they  lack  who  live  with  Him,  and  have 

Eph.  1.22.  His  favour,  whose  all  things  are?  "All  things  are  put 
under  His  feet :  He  is  given  to  be  Head  over  all  things  to 
the  Church,"  particularly  to  that  part  of  it  which  is  in 
"  Heaven."  And  therefore,  all  that  are  there,  having  Him 
who  hath  all  things  always  with  them,  cannot  but  in  Him 
have  all  things  too.  They  are  sure  of  it,  and  so  may  we  be 
too  as  well  as  they;  for  we  have  His  word  for  it,  saying, 

Rev.  21.  7.  "He  that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things."  He  speaks 
not  in  the  plural,  but  singular  number ;  not  of  all  in  general, 
but  of  every  one  particularly.  "  Every  one  that  over 
cometh  the  world,"  the  flesh,  and  the  Devil,  so  as,  by  the 
grace  and  merits  of  Christ,  to  get  to  Heaven,  shall  there 
inherit  and  possess  all  things,  as  much  as  if  there  was  none 
to  possess  any  thing  but  himself.  So  that  every  one  hath 
every  thing  that  is  in  his  own  possession,  so  as  to  enjoy 
whatsoever  pleasure  or  delight  it  can  afford  him.  Here  are 
true  riches,  large  possessions  indeed ;  such  as  are  not  stinted 


Heaven  s  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  391 

to  a  little  money,  to  a  piece  of  ground,  or  to  a  kingdom,  or 
territory  upon  earth,  but  extend  themselves  over  the  whole 
creation,  without  buttings  or  boundings  on  any  side :  when 
a  man  can  look  upon  all  things  that  are,  and  say,  "All 
these  things  are  mine." 

This  is  that  which  our  Lord  means,  when  He  saith  to 
those  on  His  right  hand,  "  Inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  Matt.25.34. 
for  you."     And  "it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure  to  give  Luke  12. 32. 
you  the  kingdom."     "  The  kingdom,"  by  way  of  pre-emi 
nence,  so  far  exceeding  all  other,  that  none  else  deserves 
that  name  in  comparison  of  this,  which  hath  all  other  king 
doms  in  subjection,  together  with  all  things  that  are   in 
them,  or  besides  them,  in  any  part  of  the  whole  world. 
Well  may  this  be  called  a  crown,  "  the  crown  of  life,"  "  a  Rey-  2- 1°- 
crown  of  righteousness,"  "the  crown  of  glory."     And  well  i  Pet.  5.  4. 
may  they  that  have  it  be  called  "  kings,"  seeing  they  have  Rev-  1-  6- 
every  one  such  a  "  kingdom,"  that  they  rule  and  reign  over 
all  things  that  God  hath  made  in  Heaven  or  Earth. 

Neither  is  this  an  empty  title  of  honour,  without  profit  or 
advantage  :  for  all  and  every  one  of  these  "  glorious  princes" 
reign  in  their  unlimited  dominion,  so  as  to  receive  tribute 
from  all  and  every  thing  that  is  in  it ;  all  things  concurring, 
and  every  thing  contributing  something  to  complete  their 
happiness.  Their  very  "bodily  senses"  that  remain  after 
the  resurrection,  being  exalted  to  the  highest  degree  of 
quickness,  shall  be  extremely  delighted  with  the  outward 
circumstances  of  things;  "their  eyes"  with  the  infinite 
variety  of  colours,  "their  smell"  with  the  most  exquisite 
odours  that  every  thing  shall  send  forth;  and  "their  ears" 
with  the  melodious  harmony  of  all  things  moving  and  work 
ing  together,  for  the  advancement  of  God's  glory  and  their 
happiness.  But  these  bodily  pleasures  shall  not  terminate 
in  their  senses,  but  pass  through  them  into  their  souls,  and 
raise  in  them  such  an  admiration  of  the  infinite  wisdom,  and 
power,  and  goodness  of  Him  that  "  created  all  things,"  that 
they  shall  be  always  rejoicing  and  praising  His  Divine 
perfections  appearing  in  them,  in  every  one  of  them,  one  as 
well  as  another :  they  shall  there  see  His  Divine  glory 
shining  forth  in  the  least,  as  much  as  in  the  greatest,  in  the 
most  common,  as  well  as  in  the  rarest  things  that  ever 


392  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.  happened :  they  shall  there  see  how  the  earth  hangs  upon 
—  nothing,  in  the  open  firmament,  as  the  stars  and  planets  do, 
how  it  is  upheld,  and  whether  it  stands  still  or  moves :  they 
shall  there  see  into  the  nature  of  all  animals,  plants,  and 
metals,  and  whatsoever  else  is  in  or  upon  the  earth,  how 
they  are  propagated  and  preserved,  what  virtues  God  hath 
put  into  them,  and  for  what  ends  and  purposes ;  what  makes 
the  sea  to  ebb  and  flow,  and  why  it  doth  so.  They  shall 
walk  when  they  please,  from  one  star  to  another,  and  there 
see  the  wonderful  works  of  God  in  them ;  and  every  thing 
they  see  shall  afford  them  fresh  matter  of  praise  and  delight 
in  Him  that  made  it.  Insomuch,  that  although  there  be 
innumerable  creatures  in  the  world,  far  more  than  any  finite 
understanding,  in  its  highest  perfection,  can  ever  reach  and 
reckon  up,  yet  there  is  nothing  they  could  be  without, 
nothing  but  they  will  be  some  way  or  other  better  for  it : 
for  they  themselves  being  absolutely  "  perfect,"  they  will 
see  every  thing  in  the  same  beauty  and  perfection  wherein 
it  was  made :  which  must  needs  ravish  and  transport  them 
into  the  highest  ecstasies  of  joy  and  thankfulness  to  Him 
that  made  it.  But  what  then  will  all  things  together  do? 
How  happy  must  they  needs  be,  who  have  the  whole  crea 
tion  to  make  them  so !  They  can  pick  and  choose  where 
they  will,  and  never  miss  to  find  out  fresh  matter,  for  which 
to  praise  and  magnify  the  Almighty  Creator  of  the  world, 
and  so  to  answer  His  holy  end  in  His  creation  of  them : 
which  they  always  doing,  they  are  always  pleased  with  what 
they  do,  being  fully  satisfied  in^their  own  minds,  that  they 
do  the  work  they  were  made  for,  and  so  please  Him  that 
made  them ;  by  which  means,  they  are  as  happy  as  all  things 
that  God  hath  made  can  make  them. 

This,  one  would  think,  is  happiness  enough  for  any  crea 
ture  to  enjoy :  be  sure,  it  is  infinitely  more  than  any  man 
can  deserve;  yet  after  all,  it  is   nothing  in  comparison  of 
what  the  saints  enjoy  in  Heaven :  for  there  they  enjoy,  not 
only  all  things  that  God  hath  made,  but  Him  too  that  made 
Matt.  5.  s.  them.     For  being  perfectly  "  pure  in  heart,  they  see  God." 
i  John  s.  2.  "  They  see  Him  as  He  is."     "  They  know  Him  even  as  they 
i^Cor.  13.    are  known  of  Him."     And  herein  it  is  that  eternal  life  most 
properly  consisteth ;  as  our  Lord  Himself  hath  taught  us, 


Heavens  Joys  and  Hells  Torments.  393 

saying  to  His  Father,  "  This  is  life  eternal,  to  know  Thee  John  17. 3. 
the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  Thou  hast  sent." 
And  lest  this  should  seem  strange,  how  finite  creatures 
should  know  and  see  the  Infinite  and  Eternal  God,  St. 
John,  in  the  visions  he  had  of  that  blessed  state,  having  told 
us,  that  "  there  they  shall  see  the  face  of  God ;"  he  adds, 
"And  there  shall  be  no  night  there,  and  they  need  no  Rev.  22.4, 5. 
candle,  neither  light  of  the  sun,  for  the  Lord  God  giveth 
them  light."  And  a  little  before  he  saith,  "The  glory  of  Chap.  21. 
God  lightens  that  holy  city,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light 
thereof."  So  that  they  see  God,  as  we  see  the  sun,  by  His 
own  light,  shining  continually  upon  them,  into  them,  all 
over  them ;  enlightening,  influencing,  quickening,  and  in 
flaming  their  whole  souls,  so  as  to  fill  them  with  the  clearest 
sense,  the  strongest  assurance,  and  the  highest  apprehen 
sions  of  His  Divine  glory  and  goodness,  that  the  most  per 
fect  creatures  can  be  made  capable  of. 

But  here  I  must  confess  myself  at  a  loss,  not  knowing 
what  to  say ;  for  who  is  able  to  express  what  they  feel,  who 
have  "the  light  of  God's  countenance"  shining  continually 
upon  them  ?  By  His  light  "  they  see  light,"  and  glory  and  [Ps.  36. 9.] 
goodness  itself.  By  it  they  see  the  First  Cause,  the  supreme  • 
Governor  of  the  world,  upholding  and  ordering  all  things 
so,  as  to  make  every  thing  set  forth  His  honour  and 
glory :  by  it  they  see  "  the  Lamb  of  God,  the  Son  of  the 
Father,"  the  Eternal  God  their  Saviour,  in  their  own 
nature,  disposing  of  all  things  for  their  eternal  good  and 
happiness  :  by  it  they  see  the  Holy  Spirit  of  God,  "  moving 
upon  the"  face  of  the  "world,"  and  particularly  upon  their 
own  souls,  to  keep  them  always  fixed  upon  the  chiefest 
good :  by  it  they  see  Jehovah,  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  the  one, 
living,  true,  Almighty  God,  perfectly  reconciled  to  them, 
and  well  pleased  with  them :  by  it  they  see  His  infinite 
mercy,  in  the  redemption  He  hath  wrought  for  them  by  His 
Son,  and  in  carrying  them,  by  Him,  through  all  the  changes 
and  chances  of  this  mortal  life,  till  He  had  made  them 
"meet  to  be  partakers  of  the  inheritance  of  the  saints  in  LCoi.i.i2.| 
this  glorious  light :"  by  it  they  see  Him  smiling  continually 
upon  them,  and  in  manifesting  His  special  love  and  favour 
to  them,  whereby  their  blessed  souls  are  filled  with  all  the 


394  The  Nature  and  Eternity  of 

SERM.  joy  and  pleasure  they  can  hold.     Insomuch,  that  they  are 

—  never  able  to  contain  themselves,  but  are  always  breaking 

forth  into  praises  and  hallelujahs :  always  rejoicing,  adoring, 

and  glorifying  their  Almighty  Creator,  their  most  merciful 

Redeemer,  their  most  gracious   Sanctifier  and  Comforter: 

isa.  6.  3.     always  singing  with  Angels  and  Archangels,  "  Holy,  holy, 
holy  Lord  God  Almighty,  Heaven  and  Earth  is  full  of  Thy 

Chap.  7. 10.  glory."      "  Salvation  to   our   God  which  sitteth  upon   the 

Ver.  12.       throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb."     "  Amen,  blessing,  and  glory, 
and  wisdom,  and  thanksgiving,  and  honour,  and  power,  and 

Chap.  19. 4.  might,  be   unto  our   God,  for  ever  and  ever."      "Amen, 
Hallelujah." 

This  is  the  glorious  state  of  the  Saints  in  Heaven,  the 
work  they  always  do,  the  happy  life  they  lead  continually ; 
and  that  too,  not  only  for  some  time,  but  to  all  eternity. 
We  may  be  confident  of  it,  as  they  always  are ;  for  the 
Supreme  Judge  of  the  world  here  saith,  "  That  the  wicked 
shall  go  into  everlasting  punishment,  but  the  righteous  into 
life  eternal." 

These,  you  see,  are  not  mine,  but  the  words  of  Christ 
Himself:  I  have  only  endeavoured  to  explain  them  so,  as 
«  .  that  you  may  understand  something  of  the  greatness  of  that 
punishment  which  the  wicked  undergo,  and  the  happiness 
of  that  life  which  the  righteous  lead  in  the  other  world. 
Whereby  I  have  set  before  you,  as  clearly  as  I  could,  both 
death  and  life,  eternal  death  and  eternal  life  ;  now  choose 
ye  which  ye  will  have :  blessed  be  God,  as  yet  ye  can  have 
your  option.  Whilst  you  live  in  this  world,  you  are  in  a 
capacity  of  escaping  that  "everlasting  punishment,"  and  of 
obtaining  that  "  eternal  life"  you  have  now  heard  of;  and 
it  is  at  your  own  choice  as  yet,  whether  ye  will  do  it  or  no : 
but  so  soon  as  ever  this  life  is  ended,  your  eternal  state  will 
be  determined  and  fixed,  so  as  never  to  be  altered  ;  and 
therefore  it  highly  concerns  you  to  remember  what  ye  have 
now  heard,  as  long  as  you  live. 

Whilst  you  were  hearing  of  that  intolerable  pain  and 
torment,  which  wicked  and  ungodly  men  endure  in  Hell 
fire,  did  not  your  ears  tingle  ?  Did  not  your  hearts  tremble 
for  fear,  lest  you  should  be  in  the  number  of  them,  and 
so  be  lost  and  undone  for  ever?  And  whilst  you  were 


Heaven  s  Joys  and  Hell's  Torments.  395 

hearing  of  the  joys  of  Heaven,  and  that  supreme  felicity 
which  the  righteous  there  enjoy,  did  not  your  hearts  burn 
within   you  ?      Were  they  not   all   in   a   flame  with   holy 
desires  and  resolutions  of  becoming  such  righteous  persons, 
that  when  ye  leave  this,  ye  may  go   inlo  "life  eternal?" 
Now  be  advised  to  keep  these  things  always  fresh  in  your 
memories,  that  ye  may  always  be  of  the  same  mind  you 
were  in  at  the  hearing  of  them ;  and  accordingly,  "  redeem  [Eph.  5. 
the  time  ye  have  lost,"  and  make  it  now  the  chief  care  and 
study  of  this  life,  to  prepare  for  the  next.     Neglect  none  of 
the  means  which  God  hath  ordained,  whereby  to  receive 
grace  and  Salvation  from  Him  ;  but  use  them  all  heartily, 
sincerely,  constantly,  that  ye  may  "  grow  in  grace,  and  in  [2  Pet.  3. 
the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ;"  that 
ye  may  live  with  a  firm  belief  and  trust  on  Him  for  all 
things  necessary  to  your  Salvation;  that  "His  grace  may  [2Cor.  12. 
be  alway  sufficient  for  you,"  and  His  power  rest  continually  ^ 
upon  you ;  that  ye  may  "  do  all  things  through  Christ  that  [Phil.  4. 
strengtheneth  you;"  that  ye  may  "mortify  all  your  sins,"  [Rom. 6.4.] 
so  as  to  walk  for  the  future  in  "  newness  of  life ; "  that  ye 
may  "  deny  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  and  live  soberly,  [Tit.  2. 12.] 
righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present  world,  still  pressing 
towards  the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  [phil-  3- 
in  Jesus  Christ  our   Lord:"  that  when  ye  go  out  of  this 
miserable  and  naughty  world,  ye  may  not  go  with  "  the 
wicked  into  everlasting  punishment,"  but  with  "  the  right 
eous  into  life  eternal,"  through  the  same  Lord  Jesus,  "to 
whom,"  &c. 


SERMON  XXI. 

THE  GLORIES  OF  CHRIST'S  CROSS. 


GAL.  vi.  14. 

But  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  ~by  whom  the  world  is  crucified  unto 
me,  and  I  unto  the  world. 

SERM.        WITHOUT  controversy,  "  great  is  the  mystery  of  godliness  : 
God  was  manifest  in  the   flesh,"    and  crucified  in  it  too. 


[1  Tim.  3. 

16.]  What  is,  if  this  be  not,  an  unconceivable  mystery?     That 

[pwi.  2.  6-  "  He,  who  being  in  the  form  of  God,  thought  it  not  robbery 
to  be  equal  with  God ; "  that  He  should  "  make  Himself  of 
no  reputation;"  that  He  should  "take  upon  Him  the  form 
of  a  servant ;"  that  He  should  "  be  made  in  the  likeness  of 
men;"  that  He  "being  found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  should 
humble  Himself;"  that  He  should  become  obedient,  "obe 
dient  unto  death,  even  the  death  upon  the  cross!"  This  so 
far  exceeds  man's  understanding,  that  none  could  ever  have 
thought  it  possible,  nor  so  much  as  have  ever  thought  at  all 
of  it,  if  it  had  not  been  revealed.  And  when  it  was  revealed 
by  God  Himself,  and  preached  by  His  Apostles,  men  were 
generally  so  far  from  believing  it,  that  some  were  scandalised, 
i  Cor.  1.23.  others  laughed  at  it ;  "  We,"  saith  St.  Paul,  "  preach  Christ 
crucified,  to  the  Jews  a  stumbling-block,  and  unto  the  Greeks 
foolishness."  The  Jews,  who  expected  a  temporal  Messiah, 
one  that  would  advance  them  above  all  the  people  upon 
earth ;  they  were  mightily  offended,  to  hear  the  Apostles 
say,  that  Jesus,  whom  "  they  had  crucified,"  was  the  Messiah 
or  Christ :  and  the  Greeks,  who  pretended  to  wisdom  and 
knowledge  above  all  other  people,  they  derided  them,  look- 


The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross.  397 

ing  upon  all  they  said  about  it,  as  proceeding  only  from 
their  ignorance  and  folly.  This  was  the  general  opinion 
both  of  Jews  and  Gentiles,  concerning  the  cross  of  Christ : 
but  what  saith  the  Apostle,  by  the  inspiration  and  direction 
of  Almighty  God  ?  "  The  preaching  of  the  cross,"  saith  he,  i  Cor.  i.  is. 
"  is  to  them  that  perish,  foolishness ;  but  unto  us  who  are 
saved,  it  is  the  power  of  God."  It  is  "foolishness"  only  to 
those  that  "perish;"  and  who  therefore  perish,  because 
they  reckon  the  only  way,  whereby  they  can  be  saved,  fool 
ishness  :  but  to  those  who  are  called  and  "  saved,"  it  appears 
to  be,  as  it  really  is,  "  the  wisdom  of  God,  and  the  power  of  Ver.  24. 
God."  And  therefore  the  same  Apostle,  by  the  same  au 
thority,  saith,  in  another  place,  "I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Rom.  i.ie. 
Gospel  of  Christ ;  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  Salvation, 
to  every  one  that  believeth ;  to  the  Jew  first,  and  also  to  the 
Greek."  It  is  the  only  means  of  Salvation,  without  which, 
no  man  ever  was  or  can  be  "  saved  ; "  and  it  is  so  powerful 
a  means,  that  every  one  that  believeth,  whosoever  he  be, 
may  be  thereby  "  saved."  And  therefore  how  much  soever 
other  people  might  despise  or  vilify  the  "  cross"  of  "  Christ," 
he  was  "not  ashamed  to  preach"  it;  yea,  he  was  so  far 
from  being  ashamed,  that  he  gloried  in  it :  for  having  told 
the  Galatians,  that  they  who  should  constrain  them  to  be 
"circumcised,"  did  it  only  "lest  they  themselves  should  CVer- 12-1 
suffer  persecution  for  the  cross  of  Christ ; "  and  that  they 
might  "  glory  in  their  flesh,"  being  circumcised  as  theirs  was,  [Ver.  13.] 
so  bringing  them  over  to  their  opinion  and  party ;  he  takes 
occasion  from  thence,  to  break  forth  into  this  pathetical 
Divine  expression,  "  But  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory, 
save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  by  whom,  or 
whereby,  the  world  is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the 
world." 

I  say,  "  by  whom,  or  whereby,"  for  the  words  in  the  ori 
ginal,  di  o5,  may  be  referred  either  to  "  Christ"  or  the 
"  cross ;"  and  accordingly  our  translation  retains  both  senses, 
one  in  the  text,  the  other  in  the  margin,  but  both  amount  to 
the  same  thing:  for  what  the  "cross"  doth,  it  doth  it  only 
by  the  power  of  Christ,  as  crucified  upon  it:  and  what 
Christ  doth  in  this  great  work,  He  doth  it  by  virtue  of  His 
"  cross,"  or  that  death  which  He  there  suffered  ;  and  which 


398  The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross. 

SERM.  therefore  is  to  be  always  understood  by  the  "  cross"  of 
—  Christ :  not  the  "  cross"  simply  or  abstractedly  in  itself,  but 
as  it  was  the  "  cross"  upon  which  Christ  died  for  the  sins  of 
the  world,  and  so  denotes  the  death  which  He  suffered  upon 
it.  And  if  we  may  distinguish  between  "  Christ"  and  His 
"cross,"  in  this  case,  His  "cross"  may  seem  more  particu 
larly  related  to,  from  the  Apostle  saying,  that  the  "  world 
was  thereby  crucified  to  Him,  and  He  to  the  world." 

But  that  which  is  chiefly  to  be  here  observed  is,  that  the 
Apostle,  when  inspired,  acted  and  governed  wholly  by 
the  Spirit  of  God,  looked  upon  all  things  in  the  world  as 
nothing  in  comparison  of  the  "  cross,"  or  death  of  our  Lord 
"Jesus  Christ,"  and  therefore  did  not  only  "glory"  in  that, 
but  in  nothing  in  the  world  besides ;  yea,  he  abhorred  the 
thoughts  of  "  glorying"  in  any  thing  else,  and  begged  of 
God  he  might  never  do  it :  "  Be  it  far  from  me,"  saith  he, 
or,  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ."  From  whence  we  may  learn,  that  all 
who  are  sanctified  and  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  he  was, 
set  that  value  upon  the  "cross"  of  "  Christ,"  that  they  do 
not  only  "  glory"  in  it,  but  they  "  glory"  in  it  only.  Though 
they  do  not  worship  it,  as  the  ignorant  Papists  do,  yet  they 
"glory"  in  it;  and  that  too,  not  only  above  all  things  else, 
but  so  as  to  "glory"  in  nothing  at  all  else.  And  so  we 
must  too,  if  we  desire  to  be  like  them :  which  therefore  that 
we  may,  I  shall  first  shew,  that  we  have  no  reason  to 
"glory"  in  any  thing  without  this;  and  then,  what  infinite 
cause  we  have  to  "  glory,"  as  the  Apostle  did,  "  in  the  cross 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

As  for  the  first,  we  see  how  all  men  are  naturally  apt  to 
"  glory  "  in  something  or  other  which  they  have  or  do ;  that 
is,  they  value  themselves  upon  it,  they  applaud  themselves 
for  it,  they  boast  of  it  to  others,  or,  at  least,  pride  and  please 
themselves  with  the  thoughts  of  it,  conceiting  themselves  to 
be  some  way  or  other  better  for  it.  Neither  is  there  any 
thing  upon  earth,  but  some  or  others  thus  "glory"  in  it: 
but  the  most  common  things,  and  to  which  all  others  may 
be  referred,  are  those  specified  by  the  Prophet ;  saying,  in 
Jer.9.23,24.  the  name  of  God,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  Let  not  the  wise 
man  glory  in  his  wisdom,  neither  let  the  mighty  man  glory 


The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross.  399 

in  liis  might,  let  not  the  rich  man  glory  in  his  riches  ;  but 
let  him  that  glorieth  glory  in  this,  that  he  under standeth 
and  knoweth  Me,  that  I  am  the  Lord,  which  exercise 
loving-kindness,  judgment,  and  righteousness  in  the  Earth." 
Where  we  see  there  are  three  things  wherein  Almighty 
God  requires  us  not  to  "  glory,"  and  only  one  wherein  He 
would  have  us  do  it :  the  three  which  contain,  in  a  manner, 
all  that  is  in  this  world,  are,  wisdom,  power,  and  riches, 
which  they  who  have  are  very  apt  to  "glory"  in;  and,  at 
first  sight,  they  may  seem  to  have  cause  to  do  so,  seeing 
they  are  such  things  as  men  generally  set  a  great  value 
upon :  and  they  who  are  possessed  of  them,  being  but  few 
in  comparison  of  those  who  are  not,  they  may  seem  to  be 
thereby  distinguished  from,  and  advanced  above  the  com 
mon  sort  of  mankind ;  and  therefore  may  be  thought  to 
have  reason  enough  to  "glory"  in  them:  but  whatsoever 
men  may  do,  be  sure  God  doth  not  think  so,  but  expressly 
commands  the  contrary.  And  if  men  would  but  impartially 
consult  their  own  reason,  they  would  find  none  to  "glory" 
in  such  things,  but  all  the  reason  in  the  world  to  obey  God, 
in  not  glorying  in  them ;  for  what  is  the  wisdom  of  this 
world,  but  folly?  What  is  the  strength,  but  weakness? 
What  are  the  riches,  but  poverty  and  want  in  the  eyes  of 
Him  to  whom  all  things  "are  naked  and  open?"  As  He  [Heb. 4. 
hath  sufficiently  demonstrated,  in  preferring  those  who  have 
them  not  before  those  who  have  them;  and  confounding 
those  who  have  them  by  those  who  have  them  not :  "  For,"  l  c0r.  i. 
as  His  Apostle  saith,  "  ye  see  your  calling,  brethren,  how  26"29< 
that  not  many  wise  (men),  after  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty, 
not  many  noble  (or  rich),  are  called :  but  God  hath  chosen 
the  foolish  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  wise ;  and 
God  hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound 
the  things  which  are  mighty :  and  base  things  of  the  world, 
and  things  which  are  despised,  hath  God  chosen ;  yea,  and 
things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought  things  that  are : 
that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  presence."  All  which 
words  I  have  produced  at  length,  because  they  may  serve 
as  a  comment  upon  those  of  the  Prophet  before  quoted, 
shewing  us  what  little  reason  men  have  to  "glory"  in 
"  wisdom,"  or  "  strength,"  or  "  riches ;"  or  rather,  what 


400  The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross. 

SERM.    great  reason  they  have  not  to  "glory"  in  them,  according 
'• —  as  is  there  commanded.     And  that  the  Apostle  in  this  had 
an   eye  to  that   place  of  the    Prophet,   appears   from   his 
appealing  to  it,  immediately  after  the  words  above  recited, 
i  Cor.  i .  so,  saving,  "  But  of  Him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is 
made  unto  us  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctification, 
and   redemption:   that  according  as  it  is  written,  he  that 
glorieth,  let  him  glory  in  the  Lord."    For  this  being  written 
in  the  said  place,  it  is  plain  that  the  Apostle  had  respect  to 
it,  and  hath  given  us  also  the  true  meaning  of  what  God 
there  commands  us  to  "glory"  in,  saying,  "But  let  him  that 
glorieth  glory  in  this,  that  he  understandeth  and  knoweth 
Me,  that  I  am  the  Lord,  which  exercise  loving-kindness, 
and  judgment,  and  righteousness  in  the  earth :"  even  that 
this  is  to  be  understood  of  God  our  Saviour,  who  is  "  made 
unto  us  wisdom,  righteousness,  sanctification,  and  redemp 
tion;"  and  who  therefore  exerciseth  loving-kindness,  judg- 
John  1.17.  ment,  and  righteousness  in  the  earth :   "  For  the  law  was 
given  by  Moses,  but  (loving-kindness,  or)  grace  and  truth 
came  by  Jesus  Christ."     And  it  came  by  Him,  by  virtue  of 
the  death  which  He  suffered  upon  the  "  cross ;"  which  there 
fore  is  the  same  thing  in  effect  that  we  are  there  commanded 
to  "glory"  in :  for  we  had  never  known  the  Lord,  nor  that 
He  exerciseth  those  Divine  perfections,  but  by  means  of  the 
"cross,"  upon  which  He  died,  and  by  virtue  whereof  He 
still  continues  to  exercise  them  in  the  earth.     So  that  all 
our  glorying  must  still  be  resolved,  at  last,  into  the  "cross" 
of  our    Lord   "Jesus    Christ."      And   therefore   when   the 
2 Cor.  12.9.  Apostle  speaks  of  his  glorying  in  other  things;  as,  "I  will 
i  Cor.  9.  is.  rather  glory  in  my  infirmities;"  "  It  is  better  for  me  to  die, 
2Cor.  1.12.  than  that  any  man  should  make  my  glorying  void;"  "This 
is   our  (glorying,  or)  rejoicing,  the  testimony  of  our  con 
science."     In  these  and  suchlike  places  St.  Hierom  rightly 
[Hieron.      observes,  Quod  omnis  ilia  gloriatio,  ad  crucem  relata,  gloria 
Comment,    crucis  sit :  '  That  all  such  glory  having  a  relation  to  the 
Gai.^/p.     cross,  is  the  glory  of  the  cross.'      Et  quicquid  dignum  in 
316-1  mrtutibus  perpetratur,  hoc  fieri  ob  Domini  passionem:  *  And 

whatsoever  is  worthily  performed  in  any  virtue,  is  done  by 
reason  of  our  Lord's  passion.'  For  it  is  only  by  virtue  of 
that,  that  we  can  do  any  thing  that  is  good  and  acceptable 


The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross.  401 

unto  God,  or  receive  any  grace  and  power  to  do  it.     And 

therefore  when  you  begin  to  "  glory"  in  any  thing  else,  your 

mouths  will  soon  be  stopped,  if  ye  do  but  remember  what 

the  Apostle  saith,  "  Who  maketh  thee  to  differ  from  another  ?  i  Cor.  4. 7. 

and  what  hast  thou  that  thou  didst  not  receive?     Now  if 

thou  didst  receive  it,  why  dost  thou  glory,  as  if  thou  hadst 

not  received  it  ?  "    To  which  we  may  add,  How  couldst  thou 

have  received  it,  but  for  the  "cross"   and  passion  of  the 

Lord  Christ?     And  therefore  what  hast  thou  in  the  world 

but  that  to  "glory"  in? 

And  if  we  have  no  cause  to  "glory"  in  our  virtues  or 
good  works,  how  much  less  in  the  things  of  this  world? 
They  are  the  proper  objects  of  our  contempt  and  scorn,  not 
of  our  glorying,  in  that  of  themselves  they  can  never  do  us 
any  good,  but  are  often  the  occasion  of  men's  eternal  ruin 
and  perdition,  as  might  easily  be  shewn ;  but  your  own 
reason  and  experience  may  sufficiently  convince  you  that  ye 
have  no  cause  to  "glory"  in  such  things  as  those,  nor  in 
any  thing  else,  save  the  "cross"  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ: 
and  therefore  we  shall  now  consider  what  cause  we  have  to 
"glory"  in  that,  and  in  that  only,  as  the  Apostle  did. 

But  that  we  shall  soon  see,  if  we  do  but  cast  our  eye  a 
little  upon  the  "  cross,"  and  Him  that  hung  upon  it,  the 
Eternal  Son  of  God,  the  only-begotten  of  the  Father,  of  one 
substance  with  the  Father,  "God  blessed  for  ever:"   He  [Rom. 9.5.] 
having  taken  our  flesh  upon  Him,  and  made  it  one  person 
with  Himself,  He,  in  that,  was  fastened  to  the  "  cross,"  with 
nails  drove  through  His  blessed  hands  and  feet :  there  He 
hung  three  long  hours  together,  not  for  Himself,  but  for  us 
and  for  our  sins :  there  "  He  His  own  self  bare  our  sins  in  i  pet.  2. 24. 
His  own  body  on  the  tree."   There  "  He  redeemed  us  from  the  Gal.  3. 13. 
curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us ;  for  it  is  written, 
Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree."     There  "  He  isa.53.5,6. 
was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  and  bruised  for  our 
iniquities ;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  (there)  laid 
upon  Him,  that  by  His  stripes  we  might  be  healed.     All 
we,  like  sheep,  have  gone  astray,  and  have  turned  every  one 
to  his  own  way,  and  the  Lord  there  laid  on  Him  the  iniquity 
of  us  all."     There  "  He  laid  down  His  life  for  the  sheep."  John  10.  is. 
There  "  He  gave  Himself  a  ransom  for  all."     There  "  He  Heb.  9.  26.' 

D  D 


402  The  Glories  Of  Christ's  Cross. 

SERJVT.    put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice  of  Himself."     That  was  the 
altar   upon  which    He,   our  true  High-Priest,  offered  up 


Chap.  7. 27.  Himself  a  sacrifice  for  the  sins  of  the  world  :  "  Who  needed 
not  daily,  as  the  high-priests  under  the  law,  to  offer  up 
sacrifice,  first  for  his  own  sins,  and  then  for  the  people's, 
for  this  He  did  once  when  He  offered  up  Himself,"  when 

Heb.  2.  9.    He  offered  up  Himself  upon  the  "  cross :"  there  "  He  tasted 

John  i.  29.  death  for  every  man."    There  "  the  Lamb  of  God  took  away 

i  John  2. 2.  the  sin  of  the  world."  There  "  He  wTas  made  a  propitiation 
for  our  sins,  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  for  the  sins  of  the 
whole  world."  All  this  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  did  upon  the 
"cross;"  this  He  did  there  for  us,  for  us  His  creatures,  for 
us  His  servants,  for  us  His  enemies,  for  us  vile  dust  and 
ashes.  What  an  honour  was  this  for  us,  that  the  Almighty 
God,  the  Lord  of  Life,  should  die  for  us,  and  that  too  upon 
the  "  cross,"  the  most  painful,  the  most  ignominious,  the 
only  accursed  death  that  any  one  could  die !  How  can  any 
of  us  consider  this,  and  not  cry  out  with  the  Apostle,  "  God 
forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ!" 

Especially  if  we  consider  also  the  great  virtues  of  the 
"  cross  ;"  I  mean  the  glorious  effects  and  consequents  of  the 
death  which  our  Lord  Jesus  suffered  upon  it  :  for  He 

Phii.2.9-n.  having  been  "  obedient  to  death,  even  the  death  of  the  cross, 
therefore  God  also  hath  highly  exalted  Him,  and  given  Him 
a  name  which  is  above  every  name ;  that  at  the  name  of 
Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things  in  Heaven,  and 
things  in  earth,  and  things  under  the  earth,  and  that  every 
tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory 

EPh.  i.  22,  of  God  the  Father."  "  For  He  hath  put  all  things  under 
His  feet,  and  hath  given  Him  to  be  head  over  all  things  to 
the  Church,  which  is  His  body."  So  that  by  virtue  of  the 
"  cross,"  He  is  now  exalted  at  the  right  hand  of  God,  and 

[Matt.  28.  hath  "  all  power  "  committed  unto  Him  both  "  in  Heaven 
and  earth,"  and  all  for  the  good  of  His  "  Church,"  for  the 
salvation  of  those  who  believe  in  Him ;  which  He  is  there 
continually  carrying  on  and  accomplishing,  by  virtue  of  that 
sacrifice  which  He  offered  up  for  them  upon  the  altar  of  the 
"  cross : "  for  as  the  high-priest  under  the  Law  first  offered 
his  sacrifice,  and  then  with  the  blood  of  that  went  into  the 


The  Glories  of  Christ  Js  Cross.  403 

most  holy  place,  and  there  made  atonement  and  reconci 
liation  for  the  sins  of  the  people  ;  so  "  Christ  being  come  an  Heb.  9.  n, 
High- Priest  of  good  things  to  come,  by  a  greater  and  more 
perfect  tabernacle,  not  made  with  hands,  that  is  to  say,  not 
of  this  building,  neither  by  the  blood  of  goats  and  calves,  but 
by  His  own  blood,  He  entered  in  once  into  the  holy  place, 
having  obtained  eternal  redemption  for  us."     He  "  is  not  Ver.  24. 
entered  into  the  holy  places  made  with  hands,  which  are  the 
figures  of  the  true ;  but  into  Heaven  itself,  now  to  appear  in 
the  presence  of  God  for  us."     For  "  after  He  had  offered  Chap.  10. 
one  sacrifice  for  sins,  He  for  ever  sat  down  at  the  right 
hand  of  God,  from  henceforth  expecting  till  His  enemies  be 
made  His  foot-stool ;  for  by  one  offering  He  hath  perfected 
for  ever  them  that  are  sanctified."     He  having  given  Him 
self  a  "  ransom  "  for  them,  He  is  the  "  one  Mediator  between  iTim.2,5,6. 
God  and  them."     He  is  their  Advocate  with  the  Father, 
ever  living  to  make  intercession  and  atonement  for  them,  by 
virtue  of  the  propitiation  which  He  made  for  their  sins  upon 
the  "  cross." 

How  can  we  hear  this,  and  not  rejoice  and  be  glad,  and 
"  glory  "  in  the  "  cross  "  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  ?  in  that 
He  having  "  endured  the  cross,  despising  the  shame,  is  now  Heb.  12. 2. 
set  down  at  the  right  hand  of  the  throne  of  God."  That  our 
Lord  is  now  the  "  Lord  of  Lords,  and  King  of  Kings  ?  That  [Rev.  17. 
He  who  loved  us,  so  as  to  give  Himself  upon  the  "  cross  " 
for  us,  hath  therefore  supreme  and  absolute  authority  given 
Him  over  the  whole  creation,  and  all  for  us  and  our  salva 
tion  ?  That  by  virtue  of  the  "  sacrifice  "  which  He  there 
offered  for  our  sins,  He  is  now  making  atonement  and  recon 
ciliation  for  us  ?  He  is  now  our  "  Mediator  "  and  "  Advocate  " 
with  the  Father,  and  so  acceptable  to  Him,  that  "  whatsoever  John  16. 23. 
we  ask  the  Father  in  His  Name,  He  will  give  it  us."  What 
an  honour,  what  a  glory  is  this  to  us,  that  we  sinful  mortals 
upon  earth  should  have  such  a  Saviour,  such  a  Lord,  such  a 
Priest,  such  an  Advocate  in  Heaven,  and  all  by  virtue  of  that 
death  which  He  suffered  for  us  upon  the  "  cross  ! "  What  is 
all  the  glory  which  the  men  of  this  world  so  much  boast  of, 
in  comparison  of  this  ?  What  is  it  but  shame,  reproach,  and 
ignominy  ?  Wherefore  "  God  forbid  that  I  should  glory  in 
any  thing,  save  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ!" 


404  The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross. 

SERM.  But  that  we  may  all  do  it  the  more  effectually,  as  we 
-  have  glanced  upon  the  "  glory "  and  "  power "  which  was 
conferred  on  Him,  let  us  recollect  also  the  blessings  and 
privileges  which  accrue  to  us,  by  virtue  of  the  "  cross  " 
and  passion  of  our  ever-blessed  Saviour  ;  which  are  so 
many  and  so  great,  that  they  can  no  sooner  come  into 
our  minds,  but  they  will  fill  our  hearts  with  joy  and  exult 
ation  :  so  that  there  will  be  no  room  left  for  "  glorying " 
in  any  thing  besides.  Neither  shall  we  ever  think  that 
we  can  "  glory  "  enough  in  that,  whereby  so  many  "  glo 
rious  benefits  "  were  merited,  and  are  daily  bestowed 
upon  us. 

For  first ;  Hereby  our  sins  are  pardoned,  being  all  washed 
away  with  the  blood  that  was  shed  upon  the  "  cross  ; "  the 

Col.  i.i4.  blood  of  the  Son  of  God :  "in  wrhom"  therefore  "we  have 
redemption  through  His  blood,  even  the  forgiveness  of  (our) 
sins."  For  He  having  undergone  the  punishments  which 
were  due  to  our  sins,  our  obligation  to  undergo  them  was 
thereby  made  void  and  of  none  effect ;  as  the  Apostle  there 

Col.  2.  is.  observes,  saying,  "  And  you  being  dead  in  your  sins,  and  the 
uncircumcision  of  your  flesh,  hath  He  quickened  together 
with  Him,  having  forgiven  you  all  trespasses ;  blotting  out 
the  hand-writing  of  ordinances  that  was  against  us,  which 
was  contrary  to  us,  and  took  it  out  of  the  way,  nailing  it  to 
His  cross."  There  lay  a  terrible  hand-writing  against  us, 
for  God  Himself  hath  given  it  under  His  hand,  that 

Gal.  3. 10.  "  Cursed  is  every  one  that  continueth  not  in  all  things 
which  are  written  in  the  Book  of  the  Law  to  do  them."  But 
none  of  us  hath  continued  in  all  things  which  are  there 
written,  and  therefore  this  hand-writing  was  against  us  all; 
but  Christ  hath  cancelled  it,  and  taken  "  it  out  of  the  way, 
nailing  it  to  His  cross,"  that  it  may  never  be  produced 
against  us  :  for  it  is  fixed  there  with  the  same  nails  that  fas 
tened  His  hands  and  feet  unto  the  "cross:"  so  that  He  there 
"  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law  "  before  mentioned, 

Gal.  3.  is.  "  being  made  a  curse  for  us  ;  for  it  is  written,  Cursed  is  every 
one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree."  But  He  hung  upon  a  tree, 
and  so  underwent  the  curse  which  was  written  in  the  Law 
against  us  ;  He  suffered  it  in  our  stead,  and  therefore  hath 
taken  off  our  obligation  to  suffer  it  ourselves.  He  that  doth 


The  Glories  of  Christ 's  Cross.  405 

not  rejoice  and  "  glory "  in  this,  doth  not  know  what  true 
joy  or  "  glorying  "  is. 

Neither  is  that  all,  for  He  being  "delivered  for  our  Rom.  4. 25. 
offences,  was  raised  again  for  our  justification."  So  that  our 
sins  are  not  only  pardoned,  and  the  guilt  of  them  taken  off, 
but  we  are  justified  or  accounted  righteous  before  God,  by 
means  of  that  death  to  which  He  was  delivered,  and  which 
He  therefore  suffered  upon  the  "  cross ; "  which  is  so  great  a 
privilege,  that  St.  Paul  justly  preferred  it  before  all  things 
he  had  or  could  ever  have  in  this  world:  "Yea,  doubtless,"  Phil.  3.8,9. 
saith  he,  "  and  I  count  all  things  but  loss,  for  the  excellency 
of  the  knowledge  of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord,  for  whom  I  have 
suffered  the  loss  of  all  things,  and  do  count  them  but  dung, 
that  I  may  win  Christ,  and  be  found  in  Him ;  not  having 
mine  own  righteousness,  which  is  of  the  Law,  but  that  which 
is  through  the  faith  of  Christ,  the  righteousness  which  is  of 
God  by  faith."  This  is  that  righteousness  of  the  Saints, 
whereby  they  are  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  mankind, 
and  therefore  may  well  "  glory  "  in  it,  and  in  the  "  cross  " 
upon  which  it  was  merited  for  them :  for  it  was  there  that 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  "  who  knew  no  sin,"  was  made  sin 
for  us,  or  an  offering  for  our  sins,  for  that  end  and  pur 
pose,  that  "we  might  be  made  the  righteousness  of  God  in  2  Cor.  5.21. 
Him." 

From  hence  issues  another  unspeakable  advantage,  which 
we  could  never  have  had  any  other  way,  than  by  the  "  cross " 
of  Christ ;  for  being  thus  "justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace  Rom.  5.  i. 
with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  who  is  Himself 
our  peace,  and  hath  reconciled  "  us  unto  God  in  one  body  by  Eph.  2. 14. 
the  cross,  having  slain  the  enmity  thereby."     For  it  pleased  * 
God  that  "in  Him  should  all  fulness  dwell.     And  having  col.  1.20- 
made  peace  through  the  blood  of  the  cross,  by  Him  to  recon-  22* 
cile  all  things  to  Himself;  by  Him,  I  say,  whether  they  be 
things  in  earth,  or  things  in  Heaven.     And  you  that  were 
sometime  alienated,  and  enemies  in  your  mind  by  wicked 
works,  yet  now  hath  He  reconciled,  in  the  body  of  His  flesh 
through  death,  to  present  you  holy,  and  unblameable,  and 
unreprovable  in  His  sight."     Where  we  see,  that  our  peace 
and  reconciliation  to  God  was  made  upon  the  "cross"  of 
Christ,  by  the  death  which  He  suffered,  by  the  blood  which 


406  The  Glories  of  Christ 's  Cross. 

SERM     was   s^e(^   uP°n   *t?  tneref°re   called,   "  The   blood   of  the 
xxi.  '    cross." 


EPh.  2. 3.        For  "  by  nature  "  we  are  all  "  the  children  of  wrath,"  the 
wrath  of  Almighty  God  our  Maker,  who  is  justly  offended 
and  displeased  with  us  for  not  answering  His  holy  end  in 
making  us  ;  for  He  made  us  to  serve  and  honour  Him,  by 
observing  those  wise  and  righteous  laws,  which  He  for  that 
purpose  hath  set  us :  whereas  we  have  transgressed  His  said 
laws,  and  acted  just  contrary  to  what  He  hath  commanded 
and  designed  when  He  was  pleased  to  make  us,  to  the  great 
dishonour  of  His  Holy  Name ;  and  therefore  are  justly  under 
His  displeasure,  and  obnoxious  to  the  direful  effects  of  it, 
even  "  eternal  death  "  itself.     But  His  only-begotten  Son, 
having  in  our  nature,  and  in  our  stead,  suffered  death,  even 
the  accursed  death  of  the  "  cross ; "  He,  by  virtue  of  that,  is 
the  "  Mediator  "  between  God  and  us,  interposing  Himself, 
and  making  up  the  breach  that  is  between   us.     For  the 
blood  which  He  then  shed,  being  the  blood  of  a  Person  who 
is  God  as  well  as  Man,  it  is  of  that  infinite  value,  that  it  did 
not  only  satisfy  for  the  dishonour  which  was  cast  upon  God, 
by  our  frustrating  His  end  in  making  us,  but  did  it  with 
infinite  advantage  ;   forasmuch  as   His  Divine   perfections 
shine  forth  more  clearly,  so  that  He  receives  infinitely  more 
honour  by  His  Son's  being   obedient  to  the  death  of  the 
"  cross,"  than  He  could  have  received  by  the  most  "  perfect 
obedience  "  of  "  all  mankind."      And  as  it  was  of  infinite 
value,  so  it  is  likewise  of  perpetual  force  and  virtue,  for  all 
"  those  who  believe  in  Him,"  from  the  beginning  to  the  end 
of  the  world,  both  to  restore  them  to  the  favour  of  God,  and 
to  keep  them  always  in  it.     For  as  the  high-priest  went 
every  year  upon  the  day  of  expiation  into  the  Holy  of  Holies, 
and  there  made  reconciliation  or  atonement  for  the  sins  of 
God's  peculiar  people,  with  the  blood  of  the  sacrifice  which 
he  had  offered  ;  so  Christ,  the  true  "  High-Priest,"  having 
offered  up  Himself  upon  the  "  cross"  for  the   sins  of  the 
world,  He,  by  virtue  of  the  blood  which  was  there  shed,  not 
only  once  a-year,  or  once  a-day,  but  continually  appears  in 
the  presence  of  God,  making  intercession  and  reconciliation 
Uohni.29.  for  them  :  as  it  is  written  of  Him,  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God, 
which  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the  world,"  not  that  took 


The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross.  407 

them  away  once,  but  that  taketh  them  away,  in  the  present 
tense,  Ka/  avrbg  i\afffj,6$  lev/,  '  And  He  is  the  propitiation  for  i  John  2.  2. 
our  sins."  He  did  not  only  make  propitiation  for  them  upon 
the  "  cross,"  but  by  virtue  of  that,  He  "  is,"  He  "  continually 
is  "  the  propitiation ;  so  that  in  Him  God  is  reconciled,  or 
become  propitious,  gracious,  kind  and  merciful  again  to  us  : 
and  so  continues,  notwithstanding  our  manifold  failures  and 
imperfections,  because  His  Son  thus  continues  to  be  a  propi 
tiation  for  them  ;  otherwise  the  best  of  us  would  be  soon  cast 
out  of  favour  again.  But  there  is  no  fear  of  that,  "  if  we  "  do 
but  "hold  the  beginning  of  our  confidence  steadfast  unto  the  Heb.  s.  u. 
end,"  living  with  a  firm  and  constant  belief,  that  the  man 
Christ  Jesus  is  the  "one  Mediator"  between  God  and  Men. 
So  that  God  never  did,  nor  ever  will  shew  any  mercy  or 
special  favour  to  any  man,  but  through  Him ;  but  that  He 
being  "  the  Lamb  slain  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,"  [Rev.  13. 
hath  been  all  along  washing  His  people  from  their  sins  in  8' 
His  own  blood  :  that  He  is  now  that  "  Lamb  that  sitteth 
upon  the  throne  at  the  right  hand  of  God : "  that  He  is  there 
continually  propitiating  and  reconciling  His  Father  to  us, 
and  so  keeps  us  always  in  His  special  love  and  favour,  under 
His  particular  care  and  protection,  and  the  light  of  His  coun 
tenance  shining  continually  upon  us;  and  all  by  virtue  of 
that  ransom  which  He  paid,  by  the  propitiation  which  He 
once  made  upon  the  "  cross  "  for  us. 

What  cause  then,  what  infinite  cause  have  we  to  "  glory  " 
in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ !  For  who  can  express 
the  inestimable  benefits  which  we  receive  by  the  reconcilia 
tion  which  He  there  made  for  us?  What  can  be  desired, 
what  can  be  imagined  more  or  greater,  than  to  have  the 
Supreme  Governor  and  Disposer  of  all  things  our  Friend  ? 
to  have  Him  reconciled  to  us,  and  well  pleased  with  us,  and 
always  manifesting  His  special  favour  and  kindness  to  us  ? 
In  His  favour  is  life,  and  health,  and  strength,  and  liberty, 
and  all  the  good  things  we  are  capable  of,  following  directly 
upon  it.  By  this  we  are  delivered  from  a  thousand  dangers, 
which  we  ourselves  could  never  have  prevented,  nor  so 
much  as  see:  by  this  we  are  protected  from  our  ghostly 
Enemy,  and  from  all  the  temptations  and  snares  that  he  lays 
for  us :  by  this  all  our  other  "  enemies  are  at  peace  with 


408  The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross. 

SERM.    us,"  and  whatsoever  their  mind  may  be,  they  can  have  no 

—  power  to  hurt  us  :  by  this  the  "  Holy  Angels  minister"  unto 

us,  and  "  keep  us  in  all  our  ways :"  by  this  we  are  sure  to 

[John  16.  have  whatsoever  we  "  ask  in  the  name  of  Christ,"  so  far  as 
it  is  good  for  us,  and  no  further :  by  this  all  the  good  works 
which  we  sincerely  endeavour  to  do,  though  imperfect  in 
themselves,  yet  are  acceptable  to  God,  through  the  same  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ :  by  this  we  are  "  preserved  from  all 

[Rom.  s.     evil,"  and  have  "  all  things  working  together  for  our  good :" 

[2  Cor.  4.  by  this  our  very  "  afflictions,  which  are  but  for  a  moment, 
work  for  us  a  far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of 
glory :"  by  this  we  have  a  "  kingdom  prepared  for  us  in 
Heaven,"  where  we  shall  perfectly  behold  and  enjoy  His 

[PS. i6.li.]  lOye>  an(j  live  with  Him,  in  "whose  presence  is  fulness  of 
joy,  and  at  whose  right  hand  there  are  pleasures  for  ever 
more."  All  these  unspeakable  blessings  we  have,  or  may 
have,  by  the  favour  of  Almighty  God,  through  the  merits 
of  that  most  precious  death,  which  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
was  pleased  to  suffer  upon  the  cross.  In  short,  it  is  to  that 
we  are  beholden  for  all  the  good  things  that  we  either  have, 
or  hope  for  at  the  hands  of  God :  and  therefore,  "  God 
forbid  that  I  should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ." 

"  By  whom  the  world  is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto 
the  world."  This  is  that  which  crowns  all  the  rest,  and 
therefore  is  particularly  named  by  the  Apostle,  as  the  first 
and  chief  thing  of  all,  for  which  we  glory  in  the  cross  of 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  even  because  that  by  the  cross  of 
Christ,  or,  which  is  the  same,  by  Christ,  as  dying  upon  the 
cross,  "  the  world  is  crucified  unto  us,  and  we  unto  the 
world ; "  that  is,  by  it  we  partake  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
whereby  we  are  enlightened  and  quickened  with  a  new  and 
spiritual  life,  and  raised  up  so  far  above  this  world,  that  all 
its  pomp  and  glory  seems  as  dead  to  us,  and  so  we  seem  to 
it,  being  no  more  concerned  about  any  thing  in  it,  than  as 
if  we  were  not  in  it. 

First,  I  say,  we  thereby  partake  of  God's  Holy  Spirit,  for 

Tit.  3.  6.  that  "  is  shed  on  us  abundantly  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Saviour,"  as  He  is  now  our  Saviour,  our  Mediator,  and  Ad- 

John  7.  39.  vocate  with  the  Father.     And  therefore  "  the  Holy  Ghost 


The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross.  409 

was  not  given  in  a  visible  manner  till  Jesus  was  glorified," 
to  shew,  that  His  coming  to  His  people  upon  Earth  de 
pended  upon  our  Lord's  Exaltation  in  Heaven  :  "  If  I  go  John  16. 7. 
not  away,"  saith  He,  "  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto 
you ;  but  if  I  depart,  I  will  send  Him  unto  you."  "  And  I  ch.  14. 16. 
will  pray  the  Father,  and  He  shall  give  you  another  Com 
forter,  that  He  may  abide  with  you  for  ever."  From  whence 
it  appears,  that  all  the  gifts,  and  graces,  and  comforts  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  are  granted  to  any  of  us,  are  granted 
only  by  means  of  that  Intercession,  which  He  makes  for  us 
in  Heaven,  by  virtue  of  the  blood  that  He  shed  upon  the 
cross  for  us. 

But  through  the  blood  of  the  cross,  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
shed  so  abundantly  upon  all  true  believers,  that  they  are 
thereby  cleansed,  purified,  renewed,  and  sanctified,  so  as  to 
be  made  new  creatures,  a  different  sort  of  people  from  the 
men  of  this  world :  they  now  belong,  not  to  the  world,  but 
to  Christ;    "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ,"  saith  the  Apostle,  2  Cor.  5. 17. 
"  he  is  a  new  creature ;  old  things  are  past  away,  behold  all 
things  are  become  new."     This  is  that  which  he  here  means 
by  "  the  world  being  crucified  to  them,  and  they  unto  the 
world ;"  as  appears  from  the  words  immediately  following, 
where  the  Apostle  explains  that  phrase,  saying,  "  For  in 
Christ  Jesus  neither  circumcision  availeth    any  thing,  nor 
uncircumcision,  but  a   new  creature;"    or  rather,   'a  new 
creation,'  whereby  a  man  is  taken  off  from  this  world,  and 
made  a  fellow-citizen  with  the  Saints,  whose  business  and  [Eph.  2. 
concerns  are  all  in  the  other  world  :  "  They  are  not  of  the  John  17. 16. 
world,"  saith  our  Lord,  "  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world." 
And  seeing  they  are  not  of  the  world,  but  Christ  hath  chose 
them  "  out  of  the  world,  therefore  the  world  hateth  them."  ch.  is.  19. 
And  "as  the  world  hateth  them,  so  they  do  not  love  the  i John 2. 15. 
world,  nor  the  things  that  are  in  the  world."     All  which 
being  effected  in  them,  by  the  power  of  "  Christ  crucified," 
or  through  the  blood  which  He  shed  upon  the  cross,  there 
fore  it  is  here  expressed  by  "  the  world's  being  crucified 
unto  them,  and  they  unto  the  world." 

This,  therefore,  is  that  for  which  we  ought  in  a  more  special 
manner  to  "  glory"  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
and  in  that  only ;  in  that  by  means  of  that  only,  we  who 


410  The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross. 

SERM.    "  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,"  upon  our  repentance 
- — '—  and  faith  in  Him,  "  are  quickened  with   newness   of  life." 

1^1  Ml.  2.   1  •  I 

We  are  taught,  and  led,  and  sanctified,  and  governed  by  the 
Spirit  of  God :    we  live  continually  under  His    particular 

[2  Cor.  12.  care  and  conduct ;  His  "  grace  is  always  sufficient  for  us, 
His  strength  is  made  perfect  in  our  weakness,  the  power  of 
Christ  resteth  upon  us:"  we  are  selected  and  chosen  by 
Him,  out  of  the  world,  to  be  His  peculiar  people,  His  flock, 

Gal.  5. 24.    His  lot,  and   His   inheritance :    therefore  we  "  crucify  the 

Rom.  6.  6.  flesh  with  its  affections  and  lusts."  For  "  our  old  man  was 
crucified  with  Him,  that  the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed, 
that  from  henceforth  we  should  not  serve  sin,"  but  Him 
whose  we  are,  and  by  whom  alone  we  live :  according  to 

Gal.  2.  20.  that  of  His  Apostle,  "  I  am  crucified  with  Christ ;  neverthe 
less  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liveth  in  me ;  and  the  life 
which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son 
of  God,  who  loved  me,  and  gave  Himself  for  me."  But 
they  who  are  thus  "  crucified"  with  Christ,  must  needs  be 
"crucified"  to  the  world;  for  they  are  now  gone  out,  and 
are  no  longer  of  it ;  and  this  sensible  world  must  needs  be 
"  crucified"  Unto  them  too,  seeing,  though  they  live  as  yet 

[2  Cor.  s.  in  the  flesh,  "  they  live  by  faith  and  not  by  sense,"  and 
therefore  are  no  more  affected  with  any  thing  in  this  world, 
than  with  a  dead  carcase,  that  is  fit  for  nothing  but  to  be 
thrown  into  the  ground,  and  trampled  on :  they  live  above, 

[Phil.  3.  "  their  conversations  are  in  Heaven,"  and  therefore  all  things 
upon  Earth  are  nothing  to  them.  There  is  nothing  they 
can  love,  nothing  they  can  admire,  nothing  they  can  glory 
in,  except  in  Him  "  who  loved  them,"  and  gave  Himself  to 
die  upon  the  cross  for  them,  and  by  that  means  brought 
them  into  this  blessed  state ;  so  that  every  one  of  them  can 
heartily  join  with  St.  Paul,  in  saying,  "  God  forbid  that  I 
should  glory,  save  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ; 
by  whom  the  world  is  crucified  unto  me,  and  I  unto  the 
world." 

But  how  few  are  there  in  the  world  that  can  truly  say  so ! 
Men  generally  are  so  bewitched  and  enchanted  with  the 
things  of  this  life,  that  they  "  glory"  in  them  more  than  in 
their  Saviour ;  such  were  they  which  the  Apostle  speaks  of, 

Phil.  3.  is,  saying,  "  For  many  walk,  of  whom  I  have  told  you  often, 

19. 


The  Glories  of  Christ's  Cross.  41 1 

and  now  tell  you  even  weeping,  that  they  are  the  enemies 
of  the  cross  of  Christ,  whose  end  is  destruction,  whose  God 
is  their  belly,  and  whose  glory  is  in  their  shame,  who  mind 
earthly  things."  I  need  not  tell  you,  there  are  such  among 
us,  you  all  know  it  too  well,  without  being  told  of  it,  that 
there  are  many,  to  our  shame  be  it  spoken,  who  profess  the 
name  of  Christ,  and  yet  are  so  far  from  glorying  in  His 
cross,  or  giving  any  "  glory"  to  Him,  that  "  they  crucify  to  Heb.  6.  6. 
themselves  the  Son  of  God  afresh,  and  put  Him  to  an  open 
shame."  God  forbid,  that  we  should  be  in  the  number  of 
them,  and  that  we  "  should  glory  in  any  thing,  save  the 
cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,"  or  not  "  glory"  in  that. 

Whilst  other  people  therefore  please  and  flatter  themselves 
with  the  thoughts  of  what  they  have  got  or  hope  for  in  this 
world,  let  us  rejoice  and  glory,  that  the  Lord  Jehovah  is 
our  "  strength  and  our  song,  and  is  become  our  salvation:"  [PS.  us. 
that  He  loved  us  so  as  to  lay  down  His  life  upon  the  cross  for 
us  :  that  He  by  that  "  one  oblation  of  Himself  once  offered, 
made  a  full,  perfect,  and  sufficient  sacrifice,  oblation,  and 
satisfaction  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,"  and  for  ours 
among  the  rest:  that  He  is  therefore  now  our  Advocate 
with  the  Father,  "  ever  Jiving  to  make  intercession  for  us :"  [Heb.  7. 
that  in  Him  our  sins  are  pardoned,  and  our  Maker  recon 
ciled  to  us :  that  both  our  persons  and  our  duties  are  accepted 
of,  through  the  merits  of  His  death,  and  our  hearts  sancti 
fied  by  the  power  of  His  Holy  Spirit :  that  "  the  world  is 
thereby  crucified  unto  us,  and  we  unto  the  world."  That 
"  we  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  who  strengtheneth  us  :  [Phil.  4. 
that  by  virtue  of  the  blood  He  shed  for  us  upon  the  cross,  13 
He  is  now  preparing  a  place  in  Heaven  for  us :  that  when 
this  world,  and  all  things  in  it,  shall  be  destroyed,  we  may 
live  with  Him,  glory  in  Him,  and  give  glory  to  Him  for 
evermore:  this  is  true  "  glorying"  indeed.  God  grant  that 
we  may  all  thus  "  glory  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ."  "  To  whom,"  &c. 


SERMON  XXII. 

THE  EXCELLENCY  OF  THE  SOUL  BEYOND  WORLDLY  GOODS. 

MATTHEW  xvi.  26. 

For  what  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world, 
and  lose  his  own  soul?  or,  what  shall  a  man  give  in  ex 
change  for  his  soul? 

SERM.  PROFIT  is  a  thing  which  all  men  naturally  desire;  how 
-  much  soever  they  have,  at  least,  of  this  world,  they  are  still 
apt  to  crave  more:  and  the  reason  is,  because  our  desires 
are  of  the  same  extent  with  our  capacities.  Whatsoever  we 
are  capable  of  enjoying,  we  cannot  but  desire  to  have  it  to 
enjoy  ;  finding  in  ourselves  a  kind  of  vacuum  or  emptiness 
without  it,  in  that  we  have  not  as  much  as  we  can  hold. 
But  we  are  capable  of  enjoying  more  than  all  this  world, 
even  God  Himself  that  made  it;  and  therefore  it  is  im 
possible  that  any  thing,  or  all  things  in  this  world,  should 
.  ever  fill  our  souls,  and  so  terminate  our  desires.  Yet 
nevertheless,  while  we  live  in  this  world,  and  find  the  things 
we  meet  with  in  it,  pleasing  either  to  our  flesh  or  fancy,  our 
desires  are  still  carried  after  them,  as  if  they  would  be  of 
mighty  profit  and  advantage  to  us  ;  although  when  we  have 
as  much  as  we  at  first  desired,  we  are  but  where  we  were, 
our  minds  being  no  more  satisfied  than  they  were  before, 
but  rather  much  less.  This  men  know,  and  find  by  daily 
experience ;  and  yet,  for  all  that,  they  will  put  no  stop  to 
their  "inordinate  desires"  of  this  world,  though  they  find 
no  satisfaction  in  what  they  have  got  as  yet,  how  much 
soever  it  is :  yea,  they  hope,  if  they  had  more,  they  should 
be  happy,  and  so  go  on,  desiring  more  and  more;  never 


The  Excellency  of  the  Soul,  frc.  413 

thinking  they  have  enough,  nor,  by  consequence,  that  they 
can  do  enough  to  get  it. 

And  hence  it  is  that  men  take  so  much  pains,  and  undergo 
so  much  trouble  for  this  world ;  they  rack  their  brains,  they 
perplex  their  minds,  they  break  their  sleep,  they  tire  their 
bodies,  they  hazard  their  lives  for  it :  and,  as  if  all  this  was 
not  enough,  they  will  venture  their  eternal  life  itself  upon  it, 
and  rather  "  lose  their  souls,"  than  not  gain  what  they  desire 
of  this  world.  This  our  Blessed  Saviour  took  notice  of  while 
He  was  upon  earth ;  and  lest  His  own  Disciples,  as  well  as 
others,  should  be  guilty  of  such  egregious  folly  and  madness, 
He  here  arms  them  with  an  undeniable  argument  against 
it :  for,  having  acquainted  them,  that  if  they  would  be,  and 
continue  His  Disciples,  they  must  "  deny  themselves,  take  Matt.i6.24. 
up  their  cross,  and  follow  Him,"  fearing  lest  this  might  seem 
a  very  hard  lesson,  because,  by  this  means,  they  might  lose 
all  they  had  in  the  world,  yea,  and  their  lives  too ;  He  there 
fore  adds,  "  For  whosoever  will  save  his  life,  shall  lose  it ;  Ver.  25. 
and  whosoever  will  lose  his  life  for  My  sake,  shall  find  it." 
That  is,  he  who  prefers  his  life  before  his  duty,  and  thinks 
by  that  means  "  to  save  it,"  he  shall  certainly  "  lose  it,"  for 
he  shall  be  condemned  to  eternal  death;  whereas  he  that 
shall  "  lose  his  life  for  Christ's  sake,"  for  adhering  to  His 
doctrine,  and  observing  His  commands,  such  a  one  shall 
"  save  his  life,"  for  he  shall  live  eternally  with  Christ  Him 
self.  And  then,  as  for  the  things  of  this  life,  lest  they 
should  be  loth  to  comply  with  His  precepts,  for  fear  of 
losing  many  opportunities  which  they  might  otherwise  have, 
of  advancing  themselves  in  the  wide  world,  He  adds  this 
Divine  sentence,  "  For  what  is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall 
gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?  or  what  shall 
a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul?"  He  speaks  by  way 
of  interrogation,  to  make  it  the  more  emphatical :  as  if  He 
had  said,  Suppose  that  by  the  neglect  of  your  duty  to  Me, 
ye  could  get  all  ye  desire  in  this  world;  nay,  suppose  ye 
could  get  the  "  whole  world  : "  yet  after  all,  if  ye  "  lose  your 
souls,"  as  ye  will  certainly  do,  all  ye  get  will  avail  ye  nothing; 
for  it  is  impossible  to  redeem  your  souls  again,  but  they  will 
be  lost  eternally.  Which  is  the  more  to  be  observed,  because 
uttered  by  Christ  Himself,  who  came  into  the  world  on 


414  The  Excellency  of  the  Soul 

SERM.  purpose  "to  save"  our  souls,  and  "  laid  down  His  own  life" 
—  to  do  it ;  and  therefore  must  needs  be  highly  concerned 
that  we  do  not,  after  all,  lose  them  ourselves  :  as  He  here 
plainly  supposeth  we  may  do,  notwithstanding  all  that  He 
hath  done  and  suffered  to  prevent  it.  Although  He  had  so 
much  love  and  value  for  our  souls,  as  to  give  the  greatest 
price  that  ever  was  or  can  be  given,  even  His  own  most 
precious  blood  for  them  ;  yet  He  knows,  that  we  ourselves 
are  apt  to  slight  and  disregard  them,  and  take  no  more  care 
of  them,  than  as  if  they  were  not  worth  looking  after,  but 
prefer  every  little  trifle  we  meet  with  in  the  world  before 
them,  and  so  suffer  them  to  be  lost  for  ever,  that  we  may 
gain  that.  Wherefore,  to  prevent  our  frustrating,  as  much 
as  in  us  lies,  the  end  of  His  death,  as  to  us  and  our  souls, 
He  here  propounds  this  plain  question,  which,  duly  con 
sidered,  would  do  it  most  effectually.  For  if  men  would 
but  consider,  that  whatever  they  get  will  be  of  no  advantage 
to  them,  if  they  lose  their  souls;  they  could  not,  surely,  but 
take  care  of  their  souls  more  than  of  any  thing  else.  But 
lest  you  should  not  give  yourselves  time  to  consider  of  it  by 
yourselves,  I  shall  now  put  you  in  mind  of  it,  by  explaining 
these  words  of  our  blessed  Saviour,  so  as  that  you  may 
understand  and  remember  them,  I  hope,  as  long  as  ye  live. 
For  which  purpose  we  shall  consider, 

I.  What  our  Saviour  here  means  by  a  man's  "  gaining 
the  whole  world." 

II.  What  by  a  man's  "  losing  his  own  soul." 

III.  How  a  man  may  "  lose  his  soul"  to  "  gain  the  world." 

IV.  That  he  who  does  so,  gets  nothing  by  it,  or  hath  no 
profit  at  all  from  it. 

First,  therefore,  by  "the  world"  we  are  here  to  under 
stand  that  world  where  we  now  live,  and  all  things  in  it, 
which  men,  in  their  corrupt  estate,  are  apt  to  admire  and 
value,  to  love,  desire,  and  seek  after :  in  which  sense  Christ's 

Uohn2.i5.  beloved  Apostle  useth  the  words,  where  he  saith,  "  Love  not 
the  world,  neither  the  things  that  are  in  the  world."  And 
lest  we  should  mistake  his  meaning,  he  there  gives  us  a 

Ver.  16.  catalogue  or  inventory  of  all  that  is  in  the  world  ;  "  For  all 
that  is  in  the  world,"  saith  he,  "  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  and  the 
lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  life,  is  not  of  the  Father, 


Beyond  Worldly  Goods.  415 

but  is  of  the  world."  Where  he  plainly  reduceth  all  things 
that  are  properly  of  the  world,  as  it  is  corrupted,  and  so 
contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  unto  three  heads  :  "  the  lusts  of 
the  flesh,"  are  such  things  as  please  and  delight  the  flesh, 
and  which  the  flesh  therefore  lusteth  after  :  "  the  lust  of  the 
eye,"  that  is,  earthly  riches,  which,  as  separated  from  carnal 
pleasures,  only  please  the  eye,  which  therefore  lusteth  after 
them,  although,  as  the  wise  man  observes,  "it  is  never  Eccies.4. 
satisfied"  with  them.  And  then  lastly,  "the  pride  of  life," 
or  that  imaginary  honour  and  grandeur  of  this  life,  which 
fills  men  with  pride  and  self-conceit.  These  are  the  things 
which  make  up  the  world  our  Lord  here  speaks  of. 

Now  by  "  gaining  of  this  world,"  as  ye  all  know,  is  meant 
a  man's  getting  it  to  himself,  into  his  own  possession,  that  he 
may  look  upon  it  as  his,  and  not  another's,  and  accordingly 
enjoy  it  as  such :  and  so  by  a  man's  "  gaming  the  whole 
world,"  we  are  to  understand  his  obtaining  a  right  and  title 
to  all  the  pleasures,  to  all  the  riches,  and  to  all  the  honours 
of  this  world,  so  as  to  be  actually  possessed  of  them,  to  have 
them  all  under  his  command,  and  at  his  own  disposal,  that 
he  may  do  with  them  what  he  will,  and  enjoy  them  all  and 
every  one  as  much  as  he  please.  This  some  would  think  to 
be  a  very  happy  man,  as  having  got  a  great  deal  indeed,  all 
that  "the  whole  world"  can  afford  him.  But  our  great  Lord 
and  Master  did  not  think  so,  but  assures  us,  that  even  such 
a  one,  who  hath  thus  "  gained  the  whole  world,"  is  no  way 
"  profited  "  by  it,  nor  one  jot  the  better  for  it,  if  in  the  mean 
while  he  "  loseth  his  own  soul." 

Secondly,  What  our  Saviour  means  by  that,  is  the  next 
question  to  be  considered.  And  there  may  be  some  question 
made  of  it,  for  a  man  may  be  said  to  "  lose  his  soul "  when 
he  dies,  and  his  soul  departs  from  his  body ;  and  so  it  is  the 
same  with  a  man's  losing  his  life.  And  when  a  man  "  loseth 
his  soul "  even  in  this  sense,  he  can  receive  no  "  profit "  from 
any  thing  he  hath  got  in  the  "  world,"  because  by  death  he 
is  turned  out  of  possession,  and  so  can  enjoy  it  no  longer  : 
but  this  cannot  be  the  sense  of  the  phrase  in  this  place  ;  for 
in  this  sense  a  man  may  "  lose  his  soul,"  and  yet  be  happy  : 
yea,  therefore  happy  because  he  "  loseth  his  soul;"  viz.  if  he 
"  loseth  "  it  in  a  good  cause,  as  Christ  Himself  intimates  in 


416  The  Excellency  of  the  Soul 

SERM.  the  verse  before  my  text,  saying,  that  "  whosoever  will  lose 
-  his  life  for  my  sake,  shall  find  it:"  whereas  in  my  text  He 
speaks  of  such  a  loss  of  the  soul  which  is  inflicted  as  a 
punishment ;  for  so  the  word  fypiudfi,  here  used,  plainly 
signifies,  as  might  easily  be  shewn,  if  it  was  necessary.  But 
this  appears  sufficiently  from  the  words  following  my  text : 
for  our  Saviour  having  here  asserted,  that  although  a  man 
"  gain  the  whole  world,"  he  is  no  way  "  profited  "  by  it,  if  he 
"  lose  "  his  own  soul,  in  the  next  verse  He  gives  us  the  reason 
of  this  assertion,  saying,  "  For  the  Son  of  Man  shall  come  in 
the  glory  of  His  Father,  with  His  Angels,  and  then  He  shall 
reward  every  man  according  to  his  work."  From  whence  it 
is  manifest,  that  He  speaks  of  such  a  "  loss  of  the  soul "  as 
men  shall  be  punished  with  at  the  Day  of  Judgment,  when 
they  who  have  been  more  careful  to  "  gain  the  world  "  than 
to  "  save "  their  souls,  shall  be  condemned,  both  soul  and 

[Matt.  25.  body,  to  that  "  everlasting  fire,  which  is  prepared  for  the 
Devil  and  his  angels  ;"  "  where,"  as  Christ  Himself  saith, "  the 

Mark  9. 44.  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  quenched,"  where  their  own 
"  consciences  "  are  always  tormenting  them,  and  can  never 
be  pacified  ;  where  the  "  fire "  of  God's  wrath  is  always 
burning  in  their  breasts,  and  can  never  be  abated  ;  where 
they  are  continually  hurried  about  with  the  fiends  of  Hell, 
and  the  furies  of  their  own  minds,  and  so  have  never  any  rest 
or  quiet ;  where  they  meet  with  all  their  debaucheries  and 
vices  of  all  sorts  again,  and  are  tormented  with  the  remem 
brance  of  them  ten  thousand  times  more  than  ever  they 
were  before  delighted  in  them ;  where  they  have  nothing 
that  is  good,  nothing  that  is  pleasant,  nothing  that  is  conve 
nient,  nothing  so  much  as  tolerable  or  easy  to  them,  but 
every  thing  that  can  disturb  and  vex  them  to  the  heart ; 

2Thess.i.9.  where,  as  the  Apostle  speaks,  they  are  punished  with  "  ever 
lasting  destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from 
the  glory  of  His  power,"  where  they  clearly  apprehend 
Almighty  God,  that  made  them,  angry  and  displeased  with 
them,  and  resolved  never  to  be  reconciled  to  them ;  and,  by 
consequence,  where  they  are  fully  assured,  that  this  shall  be 
their  "  portion,"  their  "  bitter  portion  for  ever." 

This  is  the  sad  estate  of  a  "  lost "  condemned  soul,  and  the 
soul  that  is  condemned  to  such  a  state  as  this,  is  "lost" 


Beyond  Worldly  Goods.  417 

indeed  ;  for  it  is  "  lost "  and  undone  to  "  all  eternity."  And 
this  is  that  which  our  Saviour  here  means,  by  a  "man's 
losing  his  own  soul,"  even  when  he  doth  not  take  care  to 
keep  it  from  eternal  misery  and  torment. 

But  are  there  any  such  men  in  the  world  ?  Men  that 
"  lose  their  souls  to  gain  the  world  ? "  Surely  it  is  impos 
sible  !  For  men  are  reasonable  creatures,  and  able  to  discern 
betwixt  good  and  evil.  We  see  every  day  how  ingenious 
they  are  in  managing  their  trades  and  merchandise  to  their 
best  advantage  ;  how  careful  not  to  be  imposed  upon  in  any 
matter ;  how  strict  and  exact  in  all  their  bargains  and  con 
tracts,  how  prudent  and  critical  in  the  choice  of  what  they 
buy :  how  then  can  it  be  imagined,  that  any  should  be  so 
weak,  or  rather  so  mad,  as  to  sell  all  they  have  for  nothing ; 
or,  which  is  all  one,  "  to  lose  their  own  souls  to  gain  the 
world  ?"  It  is  true,  one  cannot  but  wonder  there  should  be 
such  men  in  the  world  ;  and  I  could  heartily  wish  there 
were  none  :  but  our  Blessed  Saviour,  who  is  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  all  men's  hearts  and  actions,  here  plainly 
supposeth  there  are  such  men  in  the  world,  and  we  have  just 
cause  to  fear  there  are  too  many  of  them  amongst  ourselves ! 
As  you  will  also  grant,  after  you  have  duly  considered  what 
I  promised  to  shew  in  the  next  place,  even  how  men  usually 
"  lose  their  souls  for  the  world,"  to  "  gain  "  that. 

Thirdly,  This,  I  confess,  is  a  very  melancholy  subject,  I 
cannot  think  of  it  without  grief  and  trouble,  much  less  should 
I  speak  of  it  in  this  place,  but  that  I  think  it  my  duty  to  put 
you  in  mind  of  it ;  that,  knowing  how  men  "  lose  their  own 
souls"  for  the  sake  of  this  world,  and  who  they  are  who  do 
so,  you  may  take  more  heed  for  the  future  not  to  be  in  the 
number  of  them.  For  which  purpose,  although  I  shall 
speak  only  of  men  in  general,  that  I  may  not  be  thought  to 
aim  at  any  particular  person  ;  yet  I  would  desire  you  all  to 
consider  seriously  what  is  said,  and  to  apply  it  every  one  to 
himself,  so  as  to  recollect  and  bethink  himself,  whether  he 
be  not  one  of  these  I  speak  of,  who  have  so  great  esteem  and 
value  for  the  world,  as  to  "  lose  their  own  souls  "  for  it. 

First,  therefore,  all  they  "  lose  their  souls"  for  the  "world," 
who,  for  fear  of  losing  something  in  it,  will  not  or  do  not 
embrace  and  hold  fast  the  true  religion,  wherein  their  souls 

£  E 


418  The  Excellency  of  the  Soul 

SERM.  may  be  kept  and  saved  :  this  hath  been  the  case  of  many  in 
—  all  ages,  and  so  it  is  to  this  day.  Indeed,  this  hath  been  the 
great  reason  all  along,  why  so  many  have  refused  to  profess 
the  "  Christian  religion,"  and  is  still  the  great  reason,  why  of 
those  who  profess  it,  there  are  so  few  that  live  up  to  it,  even 
because  if  they  should  do  so,  they  must  part  with  something 
they  have  already  gotten,  or  else  be  hindered  in  their  getting 
more  of  this  world.  We  have  a  sad  instance  of  this  in  a 
young  man  who  came  to  our  Saviour,  and  asked  Him, 
"What  good  thing"  he  must  do,  that  he  might  have  "eternal 
life  ? "  and  when  our  Lord  had  told  him,  that  he  must  "  keep 
the  commandments,"  he  seemed  to  be  much  pleased  with  it, 
because,  as  he  said,  he  had  kept  those  which  our  Saviour 
mentioned  "  from  his  youth  : "  but  when  our  Lord  said  to 

Matt.  19.22.  him,  "  If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go  and  sell  that  thou  hast, 
and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  Heaven, 
and  come  and  follow  me  ;"  then  it  is  said, "  When  the  young 
man  heard  that  saying,  he  went  away  sorrowful,  for  he  had 
great  possessions."  He  had  "  great  possessions,"  and  he 
was  loth  to  "lose"  them  to  "save  his  soul,"  and  therefore 
lost  his  "  soul"  to  "  save  "  them.  Which  our  Lord  no  sooner 
observed,  but  He  presently  said,  "Verily  I  say  unto  you,  that 
a  rich  man  shall  hardly  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  ;" 
and  lest  His  Disciples  should  not  take  sufficient  notice  of 
what  He  then  said,  or  soon  forget  it,  He  repeats  it  again 

Ver.23.24.  with  an  emphasis,  "And  again  I  say  unto  you,  it  is  easier 
for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for  a  rich 
man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God."  The  reason  of  which 
sad  truth  is  plainly  this,  even  because  they  who  have  much 
of  this  world,  are  apt  to  set  their  hearts  so  much  upon  it, 
that  it  is  almost  impossible,  at  least,  it  is  extremely  difficult 
to  persuade  them  to  think  seriously  of  parting  with  it,  and 
of  going  naked  into  the  other  world,  where  they  will  be 
stript  of  all  they  had  in  this.  This  would  damp  all  the  plea 
sure  they  fancy  to  themselves  in  their  great  estates  ;  and 
therefore  rather  than  do  that,  they  let  go  all  thoughts  of 
their  future  state,  and  take  no  more  care  of  their  "  souls," 
than  as  if  they  had  no  "  souls  "  to  take  care  of,  and  so  "lose" 
them,  to  gain  and  enjoy  the  world. 

Thus  when  St.  Paul  was  teaching  the  Ephesians  the  way 


Beyond  Worldly  Goods.  419 

of  salvation,  and  for  that  purpose  persuading  them  to  leave 
the  worship  of  Diana  and  other  idols,  and  to  worship  only 
the  true  God ;  Demetrius  the  silversmith,  who  made  shrines 
for  Diana,  and  other  craftsmen  of  the  like  occupation, 
rejected  all  he  said,  because,  by  that  means,  as  they  them 
selves  confessed,  their  "  craft  was  in  danger  to  be  set  at  Acts 
nought."  Which  was  as  much  as  to  say,  that  if  they  should 
turn  Christians  to  "  save  their  souls,"  they  should  lose  their 
trade  ;  and  for  their  part,  they  were  resolved  to  keep  their 
trade,  whatsoever  became  of  their  souls  :  and  though  all  did 
not  speak  out  so  plainly,  yet  this  was  at  the  bottom  of  all 
the  opposition  which  the  Christian  religion  ever  met  with ; 
and  to  this  day,  this  is  the  great  reason  why  so  few,  either 
Turks  or  Heathens  are  converted  to  it :  and  so  it  is  likewise, 
why  of  those  many  which  are  admitted  into  it,  there  are  so 
few,  so  very  few  that  live  worthy  of  it,  so  as  to  be  "  saved  "  in 
it, — even  for  fear  of  losing  their  estates,  or  trades,  or  offices, 
or  something  or  other  which  they  either  have  or  hope  for  in 
this  world.  How  many  such  men  there  are,  and  always 
have  been  upon  the  earth,  I  need  not,  or  rather  I  cannot 
tell  you  ;  we  have  too  much  ground  to  fear  they  are  the  far 
greatest  part  of  mankind :  yet  all,  and  every  one  of  these  do 
clearly  lose  and  destroy  their  souls  for  the  sake  of  this  world, 
that  they  may  either  get  or  keep  something  they  value  in  it. 
And  whether  they  will  believe  it  now  or  no,  they  will  most 
certainly  find  it  to  be  so  at  the  Last  Day. 

And  as  they  who  refuse  to  embrace  it,  so  they  likewise 
who  have  embraced  it,  but  afterwards  renounce  or  forsake 
the  true  religion,  upon  any  worldly  account,  are  all  in  the 
number  of  these  who  "  lose  their  own  souls  to  gain  the 
world."  Such  are  those  professed  Christians  who,  being 
taken  by  Turkish  pirates  at  sea,  or  soldiers  at  land,  to 
save  their  bodies  from  pain,  and  to  advance  themselves  in 
the  place  whither  they  are  carried  captive,  forsake  their 
religion,  and,  I  dread  to  speak  it,  renounce  their  Saviour 
Himself.  Such  are  they  also,  who  conversing  and  trafficking 
with  Infidels  or  Heathens,  the  better  to  insinuate  themselves 
into  them,  and  to  promote  their  trade  and  commerce  with 
them,  lay  aside  the  name  of  Christ,  and  comply,  at  least 
seemingly,  with  them  in  their  superstitions  and  idolatries ; 


420  The  Excellency  of  the  Soul 

SERM.    and  so,  in  effect,  "  deny  Christ"  among  men,  and  then  "  He 


Matt.  10.33.  W*H  deny  them  before  His  Father  which  is  in  Heaven." 
Such  are  they  too,  who,  though  they  do  not  apostatise  from 
the  Christian  religion,  yet  leave  the  Communion  of  the  true 
Catholic  Church,  and  turn  Papists,  Heretics,  or  Schismatics, 
only  to  get,  or  keep  the  favour  of  some  persons,  who  may 
be  kind  and  helpful  to  them  in  carrying  on  their  trade,  or 
some  other  worldly  business  :  such  a  one  was  Demas,  of 

2  Tim.  4.  10.  whom  St.  Paul  saith,  "Demas  hath  forsaken  me,  having 
loved  this  present  world,  and  is  departed  to  Thessalonica." 
He  did  not  leave  off  the  profession  of  the  Christian  faith, 
but  he  forsook  St.  Paul  the  Apostle,  and  so  the  Church 
Apostolical,  and  turned  Gnostic,  or  some  such  kind  of 
Heretic  ;  and  all  for  the  love  of  this  world,  which  made 
him  also  haste  to  Thessalonica,  which  at  that  time  was  a 
place  of  great  trade.  Such  likewise  are  they,  who  being 
bred  up  in  error,  ignorance,  and  superstition,  in  heresy, 
schism,  or  any  false  religion,  will  not  come  over  from  it  to 
the  true  Church  of  Christ,  for  fear  of  losing  their  interest 
in  the  party  or  faction  they  are  of,  which  may  diminish 
their  trade,  or  hinder  some  worldly  design  they  have  in 
hand.  Such,  lastly,  are  they,  who  by  the  blessing  of  God, 
are  well  disposed  in  their  youth,  and  have  begun  to  set 
upon  a  pious,  sober,  and  religious  course  of  life  ;  but  after 
wards,  when  they  come  into  the  world,  for  the  sake  of  that, 
"  leave  their  first  love,"  and  lay  aside  the  thoughts  of  serving 
God,  or  taking  care  of  their  souls  any  more.  All  such  as 
these  plainly  prefer  the  world  before  their  souls,  and  so 
"lose  their  souls"  to  "gain  the  world." 

To  these  we  may  add,  in  the  next  place,  all  such  as  con 
tinue  in  the  profession  of  the  true  religion,  and  keep  up 
external  Communion  with  the  Church,  but  are  so  in  love 
with  the  world,  and  so  thoughtful  and  solicitous  about  it, 
that  they  neglect  the  duties  which  are  required  of  them,  and 
the  means  of  grace  which  are  there  administered.  Of  this 
sort  are  they  who  are  so  busy  and  encumbered  with  the 
world,  that  they  can  find  no  time  for  their  private  devotions, 
but  can  spend  a  whole  day,  yea,  perhaps  many  days  together, 
without  ever  retiring  from  this,  to  think  of  the  other  world, 
and  pray  to  God  to  prepare  them  for  it  ;  and  so  "  live  as 


Beyond  Worldly  Goods.  421 

without  God  in  the  world."  And  so  are  they  too,  who  [Eph.  2. 
mind  their  worldly  affairs  upon  the  Lord's  Day,  when  they  12>J 
should  be  wholly  employed  in  serving  God,  and  "  working  [Phil.  2. 
out  their  own  Salvation,"  and  so  do  not  afford  themselves  so 
much  as  one  day  in  seven  to  look  after  their  souls.  Next 
to  these,  are  they  who  neglect,  not  only  their  private,  but 
their  public  devotions  too,  all  the  week  long ;  for  fear,  lest 
if  they  should  come  to  them,  they  may,  perhaps,  lose  a  good 
customer,  or  an  opportunity  either  of  buying  or  selling 
something  to  their  great  advantage  in  this  world :  who 
cannot  deny  but  that  if  they  could  spend  an  hour  every  day 
in  God's  house,  in  praising  Him  for  what  they  have,  in 
praying  to  Him  for  what  they  want,  and  in  hearing  His 
most  Holy  Word  solemnly  read,  and  His  Will  openly  de 
clared  to  them ;  it  would  conduce  very  much,  as  to  God's 
glory,  so  likewise  to  the  comfort,  edification,  and  eternal 
Salvation  of  their  own  souls ;  yet  for  all  that,  they  cannot 
be  persuaded  to  it :  they  cannot  but  acknowledge  it  is  good 
to  come  to  Church,  but  they  think  it  better  to  stay  at  home. 
They  might,  perhaps,  receive  some  benefit  by  praying  to 
God,  but  they  hope  to  get  more  by  conversing  with  men; 
that  is,  in  plain  English,  they  love  the  world  more  than 
they  love  God,  or  their  own  souls :  and  that,  after  all,  is  the 
reason,  why  so  few  frequent  our  public  prayers,  and  our 
Churches  are  so  empty  upon  the  week  days,  even  because 
men  generally  neglect  their  souls,  and  care  not,  in  a  manner, 
what  becomes  of  them,  so  they  can  but  provide  for  their 
bodies,  and  increase  their  estates  in  this  world.  And 
whether  this  be  not  "losing  men's  souls"  for  the  gaining  of 
this  "  world,"  judge  ye? 

I  am  sorry  that  I  have  so  much  reason  to  put  you,  that 
now  hear  me,  in  mind  of  another  sort  of  men  under  this 
head,  or  rather  the  same  men  upon  another  account ;  I 
mean,  such  as  cannot  find  in  their  hearts,  to  spare  so  much 
time  from  the  world,  as  is  requisite  to  prepare  themselves 
for  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  therefore 
seldom  or  never  come  to  it,  as  if  it  was  not  worth  their 
while  to  wait  upon  their  Saviour,  when  they  have  any  thing 
else  to  do  :  but  I  do  not  wonder  they  have  so  little  regard 
for  Him,  who  came  to  save  their  souls,  seeing  they  have  so 


422  The  Excellency  of  the  Soul 

SERM.    little  for  their  own  souls,  which  He  came  to  save.     But  let 

XXII 

-  all  such  know,  that  their  neglecting  of  those  happy  oppor 
tunities,  which  they  have  here  of  receiving  the  body  and 
blood  of  their  ever-blessed  Saviour,  is  nothing  else  but 
"  losing  their  own  souls"  for  this  world,  and  that  they  will 
find  when  it  is  too  late. 

There  is  still  another  way  behind,  whereby  men  com 
monly  do  the  same  thing,  even  by  using  unjust,  unlawful, 
and  indirect  means  for  promoting  their  trade,  increasing 
their  estates,  or  getting  any  thing  in  this  world.  This  is 
the  way,  to  our  shame  be  it  spoken,  that  men  generally 
walk  in,  and  wherein  they  lose  themselves  and  their  souls 
for  ever :  for  this  is  all  they  do  who  wrong  others  to  enrich 
themselves;  all  that  rob  upon  the  high- way,  pick  pockets, 
or  break  open  houses  ;  all  that  forge  deeds,  forswear  them 
selves,  or  suborn  others  to  do  so,  in  law-suits ;  all  that 
willingly  cheat,  defraud,  or  overreach  their  neighbours,  in 
buying  or  selling  their  goods ;  all  that  pilfer  and  steal,  or  so 
much  as  withhold  or  conceal  that  which  they  know  belongs 
to  another  ;  all  that  are  able,  and  yet  will  not  pay  what  they 
owe,  but  lie  in  prison,  or  hide  themselves,  or  at  least  pretend 
they  cannot  do  it ;  all  that  smuggle  the  king's  customs,  or 
corrupt  his  officers,  and  by  that  means  keep  to  themselves 
what  the  law  hath  made  due  to  him ;  all  that  refuse  or 
neglect  to  relieve  those  of  their  relations  or  others,  which 
are  really  in  need,  and  so  withhold  from  them  the  mainte 
nance  which  God  hath  appointed  for  them ;  all  that  oppress 
and  gripe  poor  workmen  in  their  prices,  or  servants  in  the 
wages  which  are  due  to  them ;  all  that  work  upon  people's 
necessities,  and  extort  from  them  more  than  the  laws  of  the 
land  allow  of;  all  that  follow  such  unlawful  trades  as  tend 
to  the  corrupting  of  youth,  and  to  the  nourishing  of  vice 
and  wickedness  in  the  world ;  all  that  by  false  weights  or 
measures,  by  lying  or  over-reckoning,  or  by  any  trick  impose 
upon  those  they  deal  with  ;  and  all  that  are  conscious  to 
themselves,  that  by  these,  and  such  like  unlawful  ways, 
they  have  got  other  men's  money,  goods,  or  estates  in  their 
hands,  and  yet  will  not  restore  them  again  to  their  right 
owners,  as  far  as  they  are  able  :  these  all  as  plainly  "  lose 
their  souls"  for  this  world,  as  if  they  should  make  a  solemn 


Beyond  Worldly  Goods.  423 

contract  or  bargain  with  the  Devil,  that  upon  condition  they 
may  have  such  and  such  things  at  present,  he  shall  have 
their  souls  for  ever ;  for  so  he  will,  and  leave  them  in  the 
lurch  too :  he  will  serve  them  in  their  own  kind ;  as  they 
cheated  others,  he  will  cheat  them,  and  put  them  off  with 
nothing  but  dreams  and  fancies,  instead  of  the  great  profit 
and  advantage  they  expected.  For  after  all,  whatsoever 
they  have  thus  gotten  with  "  the  loss  of  their  souls,"  will  be 
so  far  from  countervailing  the  loss  they  sustain  for  it,  that 
it  will  do  them  no  good  at  all,  no  more  than  as  if  they  had 
never  gotten  it.  This  they  may  be  sure  of,  for  they  have 
the  Word  of  wisdom  and  truth  itself  for  it,  saying,  "  What 
is  a  man  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose 
his  own  soul?"  that  is,  he  hath  no  profit  at  all  by  it;  which 
being  asserted  by  Christ  Himself,  we  have  all  the  reason  in 
the  world  to  believe  it,  whether  we  see  any  other  reason  for 
it  or  no ;  His  asserting  of  a  thing,  being  the  foundation  of 
our  belief,  and  not  the  reason  of  the  thing  itself:  and  there 
fore,  whatsoever  He  asserts,  though  it  be  ever  so  much  above 
our  reason,  and  we  cannot  possibly  imagine  how  it  should  be 
so,  that  is  all  one,  we  are  still  bound  to  believe  it  as  much 
as  if  we  could,  because  it  is  asserted  by  Him  who  cannot  lie. 
But  in  this  case,  the  reason  of  the  thing  is  as  plain  as  His 
assertion  of  it ;  so  that  if  we  do  but  consult  our  own  reason, 
we  cannot  but  believe  and  acknowledge,  that  if  a  man  should 
gain  the  whole  world,  he  would  be  no  way  profited  by  it,  if 
he  lose  his  own  soul ;  as  I  promised  to  shew  you  in  the  last 
place. 

Fourthly,  Now,  to  prove  this,  I  shall  not  insist  upon  the 
excellency  of  the  soul  above  all  things  imaginable  in  this 
world,  as  it  is  a  spiritual,  an  immaterial,  an  intelligent,  an 
immortal  substance,  wherein  it  so  far  exceeds  this  material 
and  transient  world,  with  all  things  in  it,  that  to  give  or 
lose  a  soul  for  the  whole  world  is  infinitely  greater  folly, 
than  to  sell  the  greatest  and  best  pearl  that  was  ever  found, 
for  the  least  and  worst  grain  of  sand  upon  the  sea-shore  :  I 
shall  not,  I  say,  insist  upon  this,  because,  though  it  be  true, 
it  is  not  to  the  purpose  ;  for  our  Saviour  doth  not  here  speak 
of  a  man's  soul,  as  it  is  in  its  own  nature,  but  as  it  is  a  man's 
own  soul,  and  so,  in  a  manner,  himself:  and  if  a  man's  self 


424  The  Excellency  of  the  Soul 


'  or  w^ch  'ls  all  one>  "  hig  soul,"  whatsoever  he  hath 
gotten  besides,  be  sure,  can  never  do  him  any  good  ;  no,  not 
although,  as  our  Saviour  here  speaks,  it  should  be  "the 
whole  world." 

But  to  make  this  as  plain  as  I  can  to  you,  let  us  suppose, 
that  a  man  hath  got  into  his  coffers  all  the  gold  and  silver 
that  ever  was,  or  still  is  in  America,  and  all  the  pearls,  dia 
monds,  rubies,  sapphires,  and  other  precious  stones  of  the 
East  Indies  ;  suppose  he  hath  got  into  his  bags  and  boxes  all 
the  peppers  and  spices  of  Malabar,  Sumatra,  the  Molucca 
and  Philippine  Islands  ;  suppose  he  hath  got  into  his  grana 
ries  all  the  rice  of  Syria  and  Indostan,  and  all  the  corn  of 
Egypt,  and  all  other  places  wheresoever  it  is  sown  ;  suppose 
he  hath  got  into  his  stables  all  the  elephants,  dromedaries, 
camels,  horses,  and  all  sorts  of  beasts,  both  tame  and  wild, 
that  are  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  world  ;  suppose  he 
hath  got  into  his  garden  all  the  flowers,  plants  and  trees 
that  ever  grew  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  ;  suppose  he  hath 
got  into  his  wardrobe  all  the  tapestries  and  silks  of  Persia, 
the  sables  and  furs  of  Muscovy  and  Siberia,  with  all  the  fine 
cloths  of  France  and  Italy  ;  suppose  he  hath  got  into  his 
cellars  all  the  rich  wines  of  Spain  or  Portugal,  France, 
Hungary,  or  wheresoever  else  they  are  made  ;  suppose  he 
hath  got  into  his  warehouses  all  the  goods  and  commodities 
that  ever  men  traded  for  in  any  part  of  the  world  ;  suppose 
again,  that  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  were  his,  and  all 
the  men,  women  and  children  in  Europe,  Asia,  Africa  and 
America  entirely  under  his  command,  and  at  his  disposal, 
that  he  might  do  with  them  what  he  will,  as  being  all  his 
"  slaves  "  and  "  vassals  :  "  this  you  would  all  think  to  be  a 
very  "  rich  man,"  and  one  who  might  be  truly  said  to  have 
gotten  "  the  whole  world."  It  is  true,  no  man  ever  did,  nor 
is  ever  likely  to  get  so  much  ;  but  "  our  Saviour,"  for  argu 
ment's  sake,  supposeth  a  man  may  do  it  ;  and,  after  Him,  let 
us  suppose  the  same  too  :  but  let  us  also,  with  Him,  suppose 
that  this  man  "  loseth  his  own  soul  ;"  and  then,  what  will  all 
this  that  he  hath  gotten  "  avail  him?"  What  will  he  be  the 
better  for  it  ?  No  more,  than  as  if  he  had  never  had  one 
groat  in  the  whole  world. 

For,  first,  so  soon  as  ever  a  man  hath  "  lost  his  soul,"  even 


Beyond  Worldly  Goods.  425 

in  the  lowest  sense,  so  that  his  soul  only  departs  from  his 

body,  he  is  immediately  turned  out  of  possession  of  all  that 

he  had  gotten ;  it  is  no  longer  his,  no  more  than  as  if  he  had 

never  gotten  it,  but  other  people  fall  a  scrambling  for  it : 

as  we  read  of  Alexander  the  Great,  who  had  conquered 

many  kingdoms,  and  so  had  got  as  much,  if  not  much  more 

of  this  world,  than  ever  any  man  besides  him  had.     And  yet 

he  was  no  sooner  dead,  but  his  great  captains  fall  together 

by  the  ears  about  what  he  had  gotten,  and  at  last  parcelled 

it  out  among  themselves,  some  getting  one  part,  and  others 

another  ;  but  he  himself  had   no  more,  than  just  ground 

enough  for  his  body  to  lie  on,  which  every  man  hath  as  well 

as  he.     The  same  may  be  observed  every  day  :  when  a  man 

hath  taken  a  great  deal  of  care  and  pains  to  get  an  estate, 

at  the  same  moment  that  he  "  loseth  his  soul,"  he  loseth  all 

that  he  hath  gotten,  and  goes  as  "naked  out  of  the  world"  [Job  1.21.] 

as  "  he  came  "  into  it ;  and  so  he  would,  although  he  had 

"  gained  the  whole  world." 

But  suppose,  for  once,  that  which  is  impossible,  that  a 
man  could  retain  his  right  and  title  to  what  he  got  while  he 
was  alive,  even  after  he  is  dead,  it  would  still  be  the  same 
thing  ;  he  could  receive  no  more  "  benefit "  for  it,  than  as  if 
he  had  no  right  or  title  at  all  to  it,  for  the  body  without  the 
soul  is  no  more  capable  of  enjoying  any  thing,  than  a  mere 
stone  or  log  of  wood  is.  And  therefore  when  a  man's  "soul" 
is  "  once  lost,"  all  he  ever  had,  though  it  was  the  whole 
world,  is  all  "  lost "  with  it,  as  to  all  intents  and  purposes 
whatsoever. 

But  this  is  not  all ;  for,  as  I  observed  before,  by  the  losing 
of  a  man's  soul,  we  are  here  to  understand  its  ruin  and 
destruction  in  "  Hell  fire,"  where  it  is  lost  and  undone  for 
ever.  Now,  suppose  a  man  hath  gotten  all  that  I  before 
spoke  of,  even  the  whole  world,  but,  after  all,  "  loseth  his 
own  soul,"  so  as  to  be  condemned  to  everlasting  flames  and 
torment ;  what  comfort  can  he  now  take  ?  What  "  profit " 
can  he  now  receive  from  any  thing  he  had  before  ?  He  is 
now  confined  to  a  dark  dungeon,  where  he  hath  not  the  least 
glimpse  of  light,  nor  any  other  company  but  devils  and 
damned  souls  like  himself,  which  are  always  "  weeping  and 
wailing,  and  gnashing  their  teeth,"  fretting  and  vexing,  and 


426  The  Excellency  of  the  Soul 

SERM.    tormenting  themselves  with  the  thoughts  of  their  former 

'—  sins  and  follies,  and  of  God's  just  wrath  and  indignation 

against  them.  And  he  is  in  the  same  wretched  condition,  as 
full  of  pain  and  trouble,  grief  and  anguish,  shame,  confusion 
and  torment,  as  his  "  soul"  can  hold. 

But  if  a  man  hath  "  gained  the  whole  world,"  although  he 
hath  "  lost  his  soul,"  cannot  he  purchase  his  freedom,  and 
redeem  his  soul  again  from  this  insupportable  slavery  and 
bondage  ?  No  surely,  it  is  impossible.  For  as  our  Saviour 
here  argues,  "  What  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his 
soul  ?"  Will  he  give  "  the  whole  world  ?"  We  suppose  he 
had  it  once  to  give,  but  now  he  hath  it  not,  and  therefore 
cannot  give  it ;  and  if  he  had  it  still,  whom  would  he  give  it 
to  ?  Would  he  give  it  to  God  ?  It  is  his  already.  Would  he 
give  it  to  the  Devil,  in  whose  hands  he  is  ?  It  was  he  that 
got  him  "the  world"  for  "his  soul,"  and  therefore  he,  be 
sure,  will  never  give  him  "  his  soul "  back  again  for  "  the 
world."  Indeed,  this  "  world,"  this  "  whole  world,"  is  not 
a  sufficient  ransom,  or  price  of  redemption  for  a  man's 
"  soul ; "  a  man's  "  soul "  being  of  far  greater  worth  and 
value  than  all  other  creatures  upon  the  face  of  the  earth. 
And  if  it  could  have  been  redeemed  by  any  thing  else,  the 
eternal  Son  of  God  would  never  have  come  down  from 
Heaven,  much  less  would  He  have  died  for  that  purpose. 
[iPet.  i.  But  as  St.  Peter  observes,  "We  are  not  redeemed  with 
corruptible  things,  as  silver  and  gold,  but  with  the  precious 
Blood  of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without  blemish,  and  without 
spot."  But  this  precious  blood  of  Christ  is  no  part  of  this 
world  ;  and  therefore,  although  a  man  hath  got  the  whole 
world,  unless  he  hath  that  too,  he  hath  nothing  to  give  in 
exchange  for  his  soul.  This  David  long  ago  observed,  say- 
PS.  49. 7, 8.  ing,  "  There  be  some  that  put  their  trust  in  their  goods,  and 
boast  themselves  in  the  multitude  of  their  riches.  But  no 
man  may  deliver  his  brother  "  (or  his  own  soul),  "  nor  make 
agreement  unto  God  for  him;  for  it  cost  more  to  redeem 
their  souls,  so  that  he  must  let  that  alone  for  ever."  And  so 
he  must  do,  although  the  "whole  world"  was  still  his  own,  if 
he  hath  lost  his  "  soul ;"  for  the  "  soul "  that  is  once  lost,  is 
lost  for  ever.  So  long  as  it  is  in  the  body,  Christ  is  both 
able  and  ready  to  redeem  and  save  it ;  but  if  it  be  once  got 


Beyond  Worldly  Goods.  427 

to  Hell,  there  it  must  remain  to  the  extremity  of  misery  and 
torment,  without  any  hopes  of  being  ever  redeemed.  As 
Christ  will  not,  nothing  in  the  world  beside  can  do  it ; 
though  he  gained  the  "  world  "  with  the  "  loss  of  his  soul," 
he  can  never  gain  his  "  soul "  again  with  the  "  loss  "  of  the 
"  whole  world." 

But  although  a  man  who  hath  got  the  "  whole  world," 
and  lost  his  "  soul,"  cannot  get  his  "  soul "  again,  though  he 
would  give  all  "  the  world  "  for  it ;  yet  will  it  not  be  a  plea 
sure,  or  at  least  a  mitigation  of  his  grief  and  sorrow  for  his 
loss,  that  he  was  once  lord  paramount  of  all  "  this  world  ?  " 
So  far  from  that,  that  it  will  be  a  great  aggravation  of  his 
pain  and  trouble,  to  remember  how  far  he  has  fallen  ;  that 
he  once  had  all  things  which  "  this  world  "  could  afford  him, 
and  now  nothing  at  all ;  once  he  thought  himself  the  most 
happy,  but  now  finds  himself  the  most  miserable  of  all  crea 
tures.  The  thoughts  whereof  must  needs  grate  very  much 
upon  his  mind,  and  add  fuel  to  the  flames  which  burn  him. 
And  so,  in  proportion,  the  more  a  man  hath  in  "  this  world," 
if  he  lose  "  his  soul,"  the  greater  is  his  "  loss,"  and  the  more 
his  sorrow  in  the  next. 

That  ye  may  see  more  clearly  into  the  truth  of  all  this, 
and  so  be  more  deeply  affected  with  it,  I  desire  you  to  cast 
your  eye  a  little  upon  what  is  written  in  the  Gospel  con 
cerning  Dives  and  Lazarus,  or  the  "  rich  "  and  the  "  poor  " 
man  ;  and  that  too  from  Christ's  own  mouth,  who  perfectly 
knew  what  is  done  in  the  other  world  as  well  as  this.  The 
rich  man  was  exceeding  rich,  and  therefore  was  "clothed  in  Luke  16.19. 
purple  and  fine  linen,  and  fared  sumptuously  every  day :" 
the  poor  man  was  so  very  poor,  that  he  had  no  bread  to  eat, 
but  what  he  "  begged  "  for ;  and  for  that  purpose,  not  being 
able  to  go  himself,  by  reason  of  his  sores  and  weakness,  he 
was  carried  by  others,  and  "  laid  at  the  rich  man's  gate,"  so 
that  he  could  not  but  see  him  every  time  that  he  went  in  or 
out  of  his  house.  Here  the  poor  man  lay,  "  desired  to  be 
fed,"  not  with  any  of  the  dainties,  but  with  "  the  crumbs 
which  fell  from  the  rich  man's  table;"  either  by  chance,  or 
as  being  thrown  down  for  the  dogs  which  were  under  it, 
and  came  afterwards  and  "  licked  the  poor  man's  sores," 
as  being  half  dead,  and  not  able  to  keep  them  off.  This  was 


428  The  Excellency  of  the  Soul 

SERM.    the  condition  of  these  two  men  in  this  world  ;  now  let  us  see 
-  how  it  fared  with  them  in  the  next. 


"  And  it  came  to  pass,"  saith  our  Lord,  "  that  the  beggar 
died,  and  was  carried  by  the  Angels  into  Abraham's  bosom." 
It  seems  he  had  other  kind  of  attendants  about  him  than 
the  dogs,  and  better  than  their  master  himself;  for  there 
were  several  of  the  "  Holy  Angels  "  waiting  upon  him,  and 
expecting  his  departure :  and  so  soon  as  ever  his  soul  was 
loosened  from  his  body,  away  they  carried  it  immediately 
into  Abraham's  bosom,  one  of  the  highest  places  in  Heaven, 

[Rom.  4.      next  to  the  "  Father  of  the  Faithful,"  in  his  "  very  bosom," 

11-1  where  he  had  all  the  good  things  that  his  soul  could  desire. 

After  this,  the  "  rich  man  also  died."  The  poor  man  died 
first,  as  being  fit  for  Heaven ;  the  rich  man  had  a  longer 
time  given,  wherein  to  prepare  himself  for  death,  but  he 
neglected  it :  and  afterwards  he  also,  for  all  his  riches, 
"  died  and  was  buried;"  that  was  all  he  had  of  his  riches 
when  he  was  dead,  that  his  body  was  buried  with  a  great 
deal  of  state  and  pomp,  I  warrant  you.  But  what  became 
of  his  soul  ?  The  next  news  we  hear  of  that,  is,  that  it  was 
scorching  in  Hell  fire ;  for  it  follows  in  the  text,  "  And  in 
Hell  he  lift  up  his  eyes,  being  in  torments,  and  seeth 
Abraham  afar  off,  and  Lazarus  in  his  bosom."  The  same 
Lazarus  whom  he  had  so  often  seen  lying  and  begging  at 
his  gate,  he  now  sees  him  with  Abraham  in  Heaven,  whilst 
he  himself  was  with  the  Devils  in  Hell :  at  which  sad  sight 

Luke  16. 24.  he  cried  out,  "  Father  Abraham  have  mercy  on  me,  and  send 
Lazarus,  that  he  may  dip  the  tip  of  his  finger  in  water,  and 
cool  my  tongue,  for  I  am  tormented  in  this  flame."  He  calls 

John  8.  39.  Abraham  father,  because  the  Jews  usually  did  so,  as  being 
his  offspring.  But  what!  would  he  have  him  send  and 
fetch  him  out  of  that  place  ?  No,  he  knew  that  it  could  not 
be  ;  and  therefore  he  begged  as  little  as  he  could,  not  so  much 
as  Lazarus  used  to  beg  of  him :  for  Lazarus  begged  bread  of 
him ;  not  water,  that  he  could  have  enough  of  every  where  : 
but  the  rich  man  begs  not  bread,  but  water,  and  as  little  of 
that  too  as  could  be  imagined ;  he  only  begged  that  Lazarus 
might  "  dip  the"  very  "tip  of  his  finger  in  water,  and  cool 
his  tongue."  But  he  could  not  have  so  much  as  that ;  for 

Luke  16. 25.  Abraham  said,  "Son,  remember  that  thou  in  thy  lifetime 


Beyond  Worldly  Goods.  429 

receivedst  thy  good  things,  and  likewise  Lazarus  evil  things  ; 
but  now  he  is  comforted,  and  thou  art  tormented."  A  sad 
memento  !  whereby  he  was  put  in  mind  of  his  great  estate, 
his  fine  clothes,  his  sumptuous  diet,  and  all  the  good  things 
he  once  had,  and  accounted  them  his  own  good  things,  and 
used  them  accordingly,  only  for  his  own  pride  and  pleasure : 
and  now,  poor  man  (for  so  we  may  now  call  him),  he  hath 
not  so  much  as  "  one  drop  of  water  to  cool  his  inflamed 
tongue." 

I  have  insisted  the  longer  upon  this,  because  I  look  upon 
it  as  the  most  lively  description  that  was  ever  made  of  the 
different  states  of  good  and  bad  men  in  the  "  other  world," 
of  those  who  have  kept,  and  those  who  have  "lost"  their 
"  own  souls ; "  and  as  a  most  clear  explication  and  confirma 
tion  of  my  text.  For  what  good  had  this  rich  man  now  from 
all  his  goods  ?  What  was  he  profited  by  them,  now  that  he 
had  "  lost  his  own  soul  ? "  And  what  could  he  "  give  in 
exchange  for  his  soul,"  when  he  had  not  so  much  as  one 
drop  of  water  left  him?  but  instead  of  that,  is  now  tormented 
in  Hell  fire,  and  so  must  be  for  ever. 

Now,  I  beseech  you,  brethren,  put  all  this  together,  and 
then  consider  seriously  with  yourselves,  whether  all  that 
you  can  ever  get  by  the  care  and  pains  you  take  for  "  this 
world,"  will  countervail  the  loss  of  "your  souls?"  Whether 
if  you  lose  your  "own  souls,"  it  would  be  any  "profit"  or 
"advantage"  to  "gain,"  if  it  were  possible,  the  "whole 
world?"  And,  by  consequence,  whether  it  be  not  your 
wisdom  and  your  interest  to  take  more  care  of  your  "  souls," 
than  you  do  of  any  thing,  or  of  all  things  in  the  "world" 
besides?  I  am  confident,  that  if  ye  would  but  lay  aside 
your  prejudices  for  a  while,  and  set  yourselves  in  good 
earnest  to  consider  of  it,  ye  could  not  but  acknowledge  it  to 
be  so ;  ye  could  not  but  acknowledge,  that  it  concerns  you 
more,  infinitely  more,  to  "  save  your  souls,"  than  to  "  gain 
this  world,"  or  any  thing  in  it. 

This,  therefore,  is  that  which  I  would  now  advise  you  to. 
I  do  not  question  but  that  ye  are  diligent  and  industrious 
in  your  particular  callings  ;  and  so  ye  ought  to  be :  but  I 
beseech  you  to  remember,  that  ye  have  another  "world"  to 
live  in  as  well  as  this;  and  that  ye  have  "souls"  to  look 


430  The  Excellency  of  the  Soul 

SERM.  after  as  well  as  bodies,  spiritual  and  immortal  souls,  that 
— —  must  live  for  ever,  either  in  joy  or  torment :  whereas  your 
bodies  last  but  a  while,  and  then  are  carried  back  again  to 
the  earth,  from  whence  they  were  taken.  It  is  true,  they  will 
be  raised  again  at  the  last  day,  and  fare  as  your  "  souls"  do 
in  the  "other  world."  If  your  souls  be  happy,  your  bodies 
will  be  happy  too  ;  and  if  your  souls  live  in  misery  and  pain, 
so  will  your  bodies  to  all  eternity :  and  therefore  by  taking 
care  of  your  "  souls,"  ye  will  take  the  best  care  ye  can  of 
your  bodies  also ;  whereas  by  neglecting  them,  you  will 
lose  both. 

And  besides,  after  all  your  moiling  and  toiling  for  the 
world,  ye  are  never  sure  to  get  any  thing  considerable  in  it : 
what  ye  get,  ye  do  not  know  how  soon  ye  may  lose  it ;  and 
while  ye  have  it,  ye  may  be  never  the  better  for  it.  But  if 
ye  take  care  of  your  "  souls"  before  all  things  else  in  "this 
world,"  ye  will  most  certainly  both  save  them,  and  have  all 
things  else  given  you  into  the  bargain  :  for  this,  ye  have 
Matt.  6. 33.  Christ's  own  word,  saying,  "  Seek  ye  first  the  Kingdom  of 
God  and  His  righteousness,  and  all  these  things  shall  be 
added  unto  you;"  whereas  if  you  lose  your  "souls,"  what 
soever  else  ye  get,  will  avail  you  nothing. 

Wherefore  I  pray  and  beseech  you  all,  as  ye  have  any 
regard  to  your  own  good  and  welfare,  that  ye  would,  for 
the  future,  concern  yourselves  in  good  earnest  about  your 
"  souls;"  at  least  take  as  much  care  of  them  as  ye  do  for 
the  "  world."  Ye  study  all  ways  possible  to  prevent  any 
loss  in  your  estates  or  trades  ;  do  the  same  for  your  "  souls  :" 
take  all  the  heed  ye  can  that  they  be  not  lost  for  ever.  You 
contrive  and  forecast  each  day  how  to  manage  your  worldly 
affairs  to  the  best  advantage ;  do  the  same  for  your  "  souls  :" 
let  no  day  pass  without  considering  how  to  "work"  out 
your  "  Salvation"  the  most  "  effectually,"  and  to  make  your 
[2 Pet.  i.  "calling  and  election  sure."  You  avoid  every  thing  that 
10-]  will  lessen  your  trade,  impair  your  estates,  or  hinder  your 

improvement  of  them  ;  do  the  same  for  your  "  souls,"  forsake 
and  avoid  whatsoever  will  destroy  them  or  hinder  their 
Salvation,  as  all  manner  of  vice  and  wickedness  will  most 
certainly  do.  You  often  cast  up  your  books,  to  see  how 
you  thrive  in  the  "world;"  do  the  same  for  your  "souls:" 


Beyond  Worldly  Goods.  431 

"  examine  yourselves"  often,  "  whether  ye  be  in  the  faith,"  f2Cor.  is. 
and  whether  you  "  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of  [2  pet.  3. 
our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ."  You  catch  at  all  oppor-  18^ 
tunities  you  can  find  of  increasing  your  estates,  and  better 
ing  your  condition  in  this  "world;"  do  the  same  for  your 
"  souls."  You  have  many  opportunities  put  into  your  hands 
of  improving  your  spiritual  state,  and  fitting  your  "souls" 
for  Heaven ;  you  may  every  day  hear  the  Word  of  God 
read,  and  join  together  in  praying  to  Him  for  mercy  and 
grace,  and  all  things  necessary  for  the  saving  of  your  souls ; 
you  may  every  week  partake  of  Christ's  most  blessed  body 
and  blood,  and  so  of  all  the  merits  of  His  death,  by  whom 
alone  your  souls  can  be  ever  saved.  These  are  the  great 
means  that  God  hath  appointed  for  the  Salvation  of  your 
souls  :  do  not  slight  or  neglect  them  any  longer,  lest  ye 
repent  of  it,  as  be  sure  ye  will,  when  it  is  too  late ;  but  use 
them  heartily,  sincerely,  constantly,  as  ye  ought,  and  you 
will  find  them,  by  God's  blessing  and  assistance,  effectual  to 
the  fixing  your  hearts  on  Him,  and  to  the  confirming  your 
faith  in  Christ,  that  when  ye  go  out  of  this  world,  ye  may, 
with  St.  Stephen,  commit  your  souls  into  His  hands,  who 
will  be  sure  to  save  and  preserve  them  to  eternal  life ;  for 
He  will  receive  them  to  Himself,  He  will  wash  and  cleanse 
them  from  their  sins  in  His  own  blood,  and  so  present  them 
to  His  Father  "without  spot  and  blemish,"  that  they  may  [2  Pet.  3. 
live  with  Him  and  His  Holy  Angels  in  the  highest  glory  14'-' 
and  happiness  which  they  can  possibly  enjoy,  for  ever 
and  ever.  Amen. 


SERMON   XXIII. 

A  SPIRITUAL  LIFE  THE  CHARACTERISTIC  OF  A  CHRISTIAN. 

ROM.  viii.  9. 

Now  if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is 
none  of  His. 

SERM.        THESE  words  may  give  us  just  occasion  to  speak  of  the 

— ~-Holy  Spirit  of  God,  and  the  wonderful  works  He  hath  done, 

and  still  doth  in  the  world.     But  who  is  sufficient  for  these 

[Ps.  106.  things  ?  "  Who  can  express  the  noble  acts  of  the  Lord,  or 
shew  forth  all  His  praise?"  Who  can  describe  His  infinite 
glory,  or  declare  His  gifts  and  graces,  that  are  innumerable  ? 
This  is  a  subject  fit  for  the  pen  or  tongue  of  an  Angel.  We 
mortals  upon  earth  know  nothing  of  Him,  but  what  He 
Himself  is  pleased  to  tell  us  in  His  Holy  Word  ;  and  what 
we  there  read  can  never  enter  into  our  minds,  unless  He 
Himself  also  be  pleased  to  open  our  understandings,  and  so 
make  way  for  it.  But  our  comfort  is,  that  our  "  Blessed 
Saviour"  hath  assured  us,  that  He,  and  in  Him  our  heavenly 

Luke  11. 13.  "  Father,  will  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him." 
"  In  confidence  whereof,  we  therefore  humbly  beseech 
Thee,  O  Heavenly  Father,  to  give  us  Thy  Holy  Spirit,  to 
lead  us  into  all  truth,  that,  by  His  inspiration  and  direction, 
we  may  have  a  right  judgment  in  all  things,  speak  nothing 
of  Him  but  what  is  true,  and  receive  the  truth  in  the  love 
of  it ;  to  the  glory  of  Thy  great  name,  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Mediator  and  Advocate,  now  appearing  in  Thy  presence 
for  us." 

Having  thus  prayed  to  Almighty  God,  in  the  name  of  His 
Son,  to  direct  and  assist  us  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  in  speaking 


A  Spiritual  Life,  frc.  433 

of  Him,  and  nothing  doubting  but  that  He,  according  to 
His  Word,  hath  granted  our  request ;  we  shall  now  make 
bold  to  do  it,  from  the  words  which  I  have  now  read  :  "  Now 
if  any  man  have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His." 

Wherefore  we  may  first  take  notice,  that  in  the  former 
part  of  this  verse  He  is  called  the  "  Spirit  of  God,"  in  this 
latter  the  "  Spirit  of  Christ,"  to  teach  us,  that  He  is  the 
"  Spirit  of  Christ,"  as  Christ  is  God,  and  that  Christ  is  truly 
God,  "  one  with"  the  Father  ;  otherwise  the  "  same  Spirit" 
could  not  be  the  "Spirit  of  Christ"  and  "of  God"  too. 
And  as  He  is  thus  usually  in  Holy  Scripture  called  some 
times  the  "  Spirit  of  God,"  and  sometimes  the  "  Spirit  of 
Christ ; "  so,  at  other  times,  He  is  called  absolutely  the 
"  Holy  Spirit,"  or,  which  is  the  same,  the  "  Holy  Ghost," 
especially  where  the  Three  Divine  Persons  are  all  named  Matt.28.i9; 
together,  to  shew,  that  although  He  be  the  "  Spirit"  both  uohns.  7! 
of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  yet  so  as  to  be  a  distinct  Person 
from  both,  as  each  of  the  other  Persons  also  is ;  as  in  the 
place  last  quoted,  "There  are  Three  that  bear  record  in 
Heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
these  Three  are  One."  They  are  expressly  said  to  be 
"Three,"  and  "Three"  in  the  masculine  gender,  that  is 
commonly  used  to  signify  a  person ;  whereby  we  are 
given  to  understand,  that  they  are  "Three"  distinct  Per 
sons,  properly  so  called,  according  to  our  common  way  of 
speaking :  but  then  it  follows,  euro/  o/  rgt?g  sv  g/V/,  '  these  Three  John  10.30. 
are  One,'  "Three"  in  the  masculine,  "  One"  in  the  neuter 
gender ;  not  $J$,  '  one  Person,'  but  ev,  l  one  Thing,'  one 
Jehovah,  one  Essence,  or  Substance :  as  the  Son  Himself 
also  asserts  of  Himself  and  the  Father. 

And  therefore  whatsoever  personal  distinctions  (which  we 
can  never  comprehend)  there  may  be  between  the  Father, 
Son,   and   Holy   Ghost,    either   among   themselves,   or   in 
their  ways  of  working,  yet  we  must  still  apprehend  and 
believe  them  all  "  Three"  to  be  but  "  One"  and  the  "  same 
God  ;"  for  as  St.  Paul  expresseth  it,  "There  are  diversities  iCor.i2.4- 
of  gifts,  but  the  same  Spirit ;  and  there  are  differences  of 6* 
administrations,  but  the  same  Lord  ;  and  there  are  diver 
sities  of  operations,  but  it  is  the  same  God  which  worketh 
all  in  all."    Here  is  "  one"  Spirit,  "  one"  Lord  Jesus,  "  one" 

F  F 


434  A  Spiritual  Life  the 

SERM.    God  the  Father;    these  "all"   and  "every  one"  worketh 
'—  all  in  all,  and  therefore  must  needs  be  "all  one,"  and  the 


same  first  cause  of  all,  or,  as  we  say,  "  one  God." 

It  is  true,  our  finite  understandings,  in  their  highest 
perfection,  could  never  reach  this,  no  more  than  they  can 
any  other  of  those  infinite  perfections  which  we  believe  to 
be  in  God ;  much  less  can  we  do  it  in  our  corrupt  and  im 
perfect  state.  But  the  best  of  it  is,  as  we  are  not  able,  so 
we  are  not  bound  to  understand  it,  but  only  to  believe  it : 
and  we  have  all  the  reason  that  can  be  to  believe  it,  in  that 
it  is  revealed  to  us  by  God  Himself,  and  therefore  also 
revealed,  that  we  might  believe  it,  upon  His  Word,  without 
troubling  our  heads  about  the  way  and  manner  how  "  three" 
distinct  Divine  Persons  subsist  in  "  one"  and  the  same 
Divine  Essence,  so  as  to  be  "one"  and  the  "same  God;" 
which  being  infinitely  above  us,  it  would  be  the  height  of 
pride  and  presumption  in  us  to  offer  at  bringing  it  down  to 
our  capacities.  It  is  sufficient  for  us,  that  we  have  the  infallible 
Word  and  testimony  of  God  for  it ;  and  that  we  accordingly 
believe,  that  "the  Father  is  God,  the  Son  God,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  God  ;  and  yet  they  are  not  three  Gods,  but  one 
God :  that  God  the  Father  made  us,  God  the  Son  redeemed 
us,  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost  sanctifieth  us;"  and  yet  that 
"one"  and  the  "same  God"  made,  redeemed,  and  sancti 
fieth  us  :  for  whatsoever  is  said  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  to 
be  done  by  any  of  these  Divine  Persons,  the  same,  in  other 
places,  is  said  to  be  done  by  God.  But  there  is  only  "  one" 
living  and  true  God;  and  therefore,  although  we  must 
believe  in  each  Person  distinctly,  contemplate  upon  what 
He  hath  done,  and,  upon  occasion,  address  ourselves  to 
Him  as  such,  yet  we  must  still  keep  close  to  the  Unity  of 
the  Divine  Essence  or  Substance,  which,  if  it  was  divided 
or  divisible,  would  not  be  Divine. 

As  when  I  think  of  God  the  Son,  as  in  a  peculiar  manner 
my  Redeemer  and  Saviour,  I  must  not  apprehend  Him  as 
any  other,  but  the  "one"  living  and  true  God,  that  made 
and  governs  the  world,  and  accordingly  praise  and  magnify 
[Lukei.  Him  as  such,  as  the  Blessed  Virgin  did,  saying,  "My  soul 
doth  ma'gnify  the  Lord,  and  my  spirit  rejoiceth  in  God  my 
Saviour."  And  when  we  read,  as  we  do  in  my  text,  or 


Characteristic  of  a  Christian.  435 

speak  of  the  "  Spirit  of  Christ,"  although  we  must  believe 
the  "  Spirit"  to  be  "  one"  Person,  and  "  Christ"  another,  yet 
we  must  still  believe  them  both  to  be  "  one"  in  "  nature"  or 
"  substance,"  both  the  "  one"  Almighty  and  Eternal  "  God ;" 
who,  whether  He  act  as  Father,  Son,  or  Holy  Spirit,  it  is 
still  one  and  the  same  God  that  doth  it. 

As  in  the  former  part  of  this  verse  it  is  said,  "  If  the  Spirit 
of  God  dwell  in  you;"  in  the  next  verse,  "  If  Christ  be  in 
you : "  so  in  several  other  places  of  Holy  Writ,  sometimes 
Christ  is  said  to  "  be,"  or  "  dwell  in  us."    At  other  times  the  Eph.  3. 17 ; 
same  thing  is  expressed  by  the  Spirit's  "being"  or  "dwell-  iCor.s.ie- 
ing"  in  us ;  whereby  we  are  given  to  understand  and  believe,  6' 19' 
that  "Christ"  and  the  "Spirit"  is  the  same  God;  so  that 
wheresoever  either  dwells,  that  is   the  "temple  of  God."  i  Cor.  3.16. 
Hence  also  it  is,  that  as  our  Saviour  often  promised  His 
Disciples,  that  when  He  was  gone  from  them  He  would 
send  them  "  His  Holy  Spirit ; "  He  elsewhere  promised  the 
same  thing,  by  saying,  that  He   Himself  would  come  to  John  14.  is. 
them,  that  we  may  never  doubt,  but  that  howsoever  Christ 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  are  distinguished  from  one  another, 
as  well  as  from  the  Father,  by  their  personal  properties, 
yet   in   essence   or  nature   they  are   the   same.     Which  I 
therefore  observe  here,  and  desire  you  to  keep  it  always  in 
your  minds,  because  it  will  be  of  great  use  both  to  the 
settling  your  faith  aright,  concerning  the  most  Holy  Trinity, 
and  likewise  to  your  understanding  of  what  we  are  farther 
to  consider  in  these  words. 

The  next  thing  to  be  considered  here  is,  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  is  here  called  the  "  Spirit  of  Christ,"  the  Son  of  God  ; 
as  He  is  also  in  1  Pet.  i.  11 ;  Phil.  i.  19;  Gal.  iv.  6.  And 
therefore  although  it  be  nowhere  expressly  said,  that  He 
proceedeth  from  the  Son,  as  it  is,  that  He  "  proceedeth  from  John  15.26. 
the  Father,"  yet  we  have  the  same  ground  to  believe  the 
one,  as  we  have  to  believe  the  other ;  forasmuch  as  to  be 
the  "  Spirit"  of  the  "  Son,"  is  but  another  way  of  expressing 
His  procession  from  Him,  and  the  clearer  of  the  two,  in  that 
it  can  admit  of  no  dispute,  as  the  other  may :  which  I  there 
fore  observe,  because  by  this  we  may  see,  that  although  the 
Greek  Church  doth  not  agree  with  the  Latin  in  the  word, 
yet  they  do  in  the  thing ;  they  own  the  "  Spirit"  to  be  the 


436  A  Spiritual  Life  the 

SERM.    "Spirit"  of  the  "Son,"  as  well  as  of  the  Father,  which  is 

XXIII 

— —  the  same  thing  in  effect  with  what  we  mean  by  His  pro 
cession.  And,  therefore,  whatsoever  reason  they  may  have 
to  be  against  the  inserting  the  word  Filioque  into  the  Nicene 
Creed,  without  the  consent  of  a  general  council,  we  have 
none  to  accuse  them  of  any  great  error,  much  less  of  heresy, 
in  this  great  article  of  our  faith. 

But  why  is  He  here  called,  in  a  special  manner,  "  the  Spirit 
of  Christ?"  This  is  that  which  I  design  chiefly  to  enquire 
into ;  for  as  there  is  great  reason,  doubtless,  why  every  thing 
in  Holy  Scripture  is  expressed  just  as  it  is,  so  in  this  place 
particularly,  why  the  "  Holy  Spirit  "  is  not  called  the 
"Spirit"  of  the  Father,  or  the  "  Spirit"  of  God,  nor  simply 
the  "  Holy  Spirit,"  but  in  a  peculiar  manner  the  "  Spirit  of 
Christ."  And  that  which  I  conceive  to  be  the  reason  in 
general,  is  this,  because  the  "  Apostle  "  is  here  speaking  of 
the  "Holy  Spirit,"  as  "given"  by  Christ,  to  those  who 
"  believe  "  in  Him,  and  to  none  else,  saying,  "  If  any  man 
have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His  ; "  and  there 
fore  it  was  most  proper  to  call  Him  here  "  the  Spirit "  of 
"  Him "  by  whom  He  is  given.  But  there  being  more  in 
this  than  what  may  appear  at  first  sight,  I  shall  endeavour  to 
explain  it  more  particularly  in  these  following  propositions. 

1.  God  the  Father  is  represented  to  us  in  Holy  Scrip 
ture,  as  the  Maker  and  Governor  of  the  world  in   gene 
ral  ;   and  God  the  Son  as   the   Saviour  and   Redeemer  of 
the  world  in  particular.      He  hath  been  so  all  along,  ever 

[Phii.2.i3.]  since  their  fall,  continually  working  in  them,  "  both  to  will 
and  to  do  of  His  good  pleasure ; "  according  as  He  Himself 
John  s.  17.  said,  "  My  Father  worketh  hitherto,  and  I  work." 

2.  As  God  the  Father  made  and  preserveth  all  things  by 
His  Word  and  Spirit,  according  to  that  of  the  Psalmist, 

PS.  33. 6.  "  By  the  Word  of  the  Lord  were  the  Heavens  made,  and  all 
the  host  of  them  by  the  breath  of  His  mouth,"  so  God  the 
"  Son  "  carrieth  on  and  accomplisheth  His  great  work  of 
"  saving  "  men  by  the  "  same  Spirit  "  as  "  proceedeth  "  from 
Him,  and  so  in  a  peculiar  manner  "  His  Spirit." 

3.  By  this  it  was  that  He    revealed   Himself  and  His 
will,  and  all  things  necessary  for  men  to  know,  believe,  or 
do,  that  they  may  be  saved.      For,  as  He  raised  up  Pro- 


Characteristic  of  a  Christian.  437 

phets  in  all  ages  to  do  it,  so  what  they  spake  as  such,  was 
first  dictated  to  them  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  which  came  upon  Numb.  24. 
them,  and  entered  into  them,  so  that  "  they  were  filled  with  2'.  Luke'i.' 
the  Holy  Ghost,  when  they  spake."     And  it  was  He  that  ^  ^ ;  2. 
spake  by  them.      Thus  "  all  Scripture  was  given  by  inspira-  2Sam.23.2. 
tion  of  God."     For  "the  prophecy  came  not  in  old  time  by  2Tim.3.i6. 
the  will  of  man,  but  holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  2  Pet.  1.21. 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost."    And  therefore  whatsoever  they 
spake  as  Prophets,  is  expressly  said  to  be  spoken  by  the 
Holy  Ghost:  David  "said  by  the  Holy  Ghost,"  saith  our  Mark  12.35. 
Lord.    "  Well  spake  the  Holy  Ghost  by  Esaias  the  Prophet,"  Acts  28. 25 ; 
saith  St.  Paul.     Yea,  the  very  "types"  and  ceremonies  of  neb!  3.7; 
the  Mosaic  Law,  were  all  ordained  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  as  10* 15> 
we  learn  from  the  Apostle,  where  speaking   of  the  High 
Priest's  going  once  every  year  alone  into  the  second  taber 
nacle,  he  saith,  that "  the  Holy  Ghost  thereby  signified,  that  Heb.  9.  s. 
the  way  into  the  holiest  of  all  was  not  yet  made  manifest." 
From  whence  we  may  see,  by  the  way,  how  grossly  they  are 
mistaken  that  imagine,  and  have  had  the  confidence  to  assert, 
that  Moses  borrowed  his  rites  and  ceremonies  from  Egypt 
or  Babylon,  notwithstanding  it  is  so  plain  from  hence,  that 
they  came  from  Heaven,  being  ordained  by  the  Holy  Ghost 
Himself.     And  as  the  Prophets  under  the  Law,  so  under 
the   Gospel  the  Evangelists   and  Apostles   never   said,  or 
did,  or  wrote   any  thing  as  such,  but  by  the  motion  and 
direction  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  as  we  find  all  along  in  the 
New  Testament. 

Now  this  "  Holy  Spirit  "  by  which  the  Prophets  and 
Apostles  were  acted,  is  expressly  said  to  be  "  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,"  and  that  too  by  his  own  direction  in  St.  Peter, 
saying,  "  Of  which  Salvation  the  Prophets  have  inquired,  JPet- 1-10» 
and  searched  diligently,  who  prophesied  of  the  grace  that 
should  come  unto  you,  searching  what  or  what  manner  of 
time  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in  them  did  signify." 
The  same  thing  appears  also  in  the  Prophets  themselves ; 
for  they  speaking  as  they  were  moved  by  "  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,"  Christ  Himself  often  speaks  in  them  of  Himself, 
as  one  with  that "  Spirit"  by  which  they  spake ;  as  where  He 
saith,  "They  part  My  garments  among  them,  and  cast  lots  PS. 22.  is. 
upon  My  vesture."  "  They  pierced  My  hands  and  My  feet."  Ver.  16. 


438  A  Spiritual  Life  the 

SERM.    "  They   shall   look   upon  Me  whom   they   have   pierced." 

—  "  Thou  wilt  not  leave  My  soul  in  Hell."     There  are  many 

PS.  16.  io.  sucn  places  in  the  Prophets,  where  Christ  Himself  speaks  of 
Himself  in  His  own  Person,  to  convince  us  that  it  was  by 
"  His  Spirit "  they  spake,  and  that  it  was  He  they  meant 
when  they  said,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord."  And  hence  also  it 
was,  that  Christ  promised  His  Apostles,  that  He  would 
John  is.  26;  "  sen(j  fae  jjoly  Spirit"  unto  them,  to  let  them  know  it  was 
by  His  Spirit  they  should  be  acted  and  directed  in  preaching 
and  propagating  His  Gospel.  So  that  all  the  revelations 
that  Almighty  God  hath  given  us  of  Himself,  and  His  holy 
will,  they  all  came  by  His  "  Holy  Spirit,"  as  He  is  in  a 
peculiar  manner  the  "  Spirit"  of  Christ,  the  great  Prophet  of 
the  world. 

4.  As  God  our  Saviour  hath  thus  revealed  His  will  to 
mankind  by  His  "  Holy  Spirit,"  so  by  the  "  same  Spirit"  He 
enables  them  both  to  know  and  do  His  said  will,  which 
otherwise  they  would  not ;  for  though  the  words  (at  least 
the  original)  whereby  He  hath  signified  His  mind  to  us, 
what  He  would  have  us  believe  and  do,  be  ever  so  clear  and 
plain,  yet  the  things  themselves  signified  by  those  words,  are 
some  of  them  so  much  above  us,  and  others  so  contrary  to 
our  corrupt  nature,  that  we  cannot  of  ourselves  receive  or 
i  Cor.  2.  i4.  apprehend  any  of  them  aright.  "  The  natural  man  receiveth 
not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  for  they  are  foolishness 
to  him,  neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiri 
tually  discerned."  As  sensible  things  can  be  discerned  only 
by  our  senses,  and  rational  by  reason  only  ;  so  spiritual 
things,  such  as  are  revealed  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  can  be 
discerned  only  by  the  same  Spirit  that  revealed  them ;  with 
out  which  we  can  discern  no  more  of  them,  than  we  can  the 
proper  objects  of  our  reason,  without  the  use  of  our  reason, 
or  such  as  are  sensible  without  oar  senses.  Hence  it  is,  that 
men  of  parts  and  learning,  and  great  capacities  in  other 
things  ;  yet,  notwithstanding,  are  often  incapable  of  such 
things  as  are  purely  of  "  Divine  revelation ; "  they  cannot 
get  it  into  their  heads  how  such  things  should  be,  and  there 
fore  oppose  them,  and  argue  with  all  their  might  against 
them  as  if  they  were  impossible,  or  at  least  improbable, 
because  not  agreeable  to  the  ideas,  as  they  are  pleased  to 


Characteristic  of  a  Christian.  439 

call  them,  or   notions  which   they  have   of  other  things  : 
when,  after  all,  the  only  reason  why  they  cannot  apprehend 
so  far,  at  least,  as  to  believe  such  things  as  are  revealed  by 
the  "  Spirit  of  God,"  is,  because  they  are  "  not  taught  of  [John  6. 
God,"  nor  endued  and  assisted  by  the  same  Spirit  by  which  4<J 
they  are  revealed. 

But  it  is  quite  otherwise  with  those  who  are  acted  and 
influenced  by  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  By  Him  their  minds  are 
so  enlightened,  that  they  see  into  the  truth  of  all  that  is 
revealed  by  Him,  more  clearly  than  other  people  can  the 
most  obvious  things  that  lie  before  them :  by  Him  they  are 
taught  so  effectually,  as  to  "  know  all  things"  that  are  neces-  John  14. 26; 
sary  for  them  to  know.  By  Him  they  are  kept  from  all  27° 
damnable  errors,  and  "  led  into  all  truth,"  so  as  to  receive  it  John  16. 13. 
in  the  love  of  it.  By  Him  they  are  as  fully  assured  of  the 
great  mysteries  of  the  Christian  religion,  as  any  philosopher 
can  be,  of  the  most  undeniable  point  in  mathematics  :  by 
Him,  moving  upon  their  souls,  and  reducing  them  into  a 
right  frame  and  temper,  they  are  regenerated,  sanctified, 
and  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  minds,  so  as  clearly  to  dis 
cern  the  vast  difference  between  good  and  evil,  between 
what  God  hatli  commanded,  and  what  He  hath  forbidden, 
and  therefore  cannot  but  of  their  own  accord  choose  the  one 
and  refuse  the  other ;  their  thoughts,  their  understandings, 
their  judgments,  their  affections  are  all  so  renewed,  as  not 
only  to  see,  but  fe  1  and  relish  all  those  Divine  truths  and 
laws  which  are  revealed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  by  the  same 
Spirit  by  which  they  are  so  renewed.  These  are  they  which 
are  here  said  to  "  have  the  Spirit  of  Christ,"  and  therefore 
belong  to  Him. 

But  "  if  any  man  hath  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none 
of  His."  If  a  man  be  not  thus  acted  and  sanctified  by  "  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His ; "  he  is  not  in  the  number 
of  those  whom  Christ  looks  upon  as  His  own  proper  and 
peculiar  people,  so  as  to  take  particular  care  of  them,  and 
intercede  continually  in  Heaven  for  them,  that  they  may  be 
preserved  from  all  evil  here,  and  live  with  Him  for  ever 
hereafter. 

That  we  may  understand  this  aright,  we  must  know,  that 
although  it  be  certain  that  Christ  died  for  all  men,  so  that 


440 


A  Spiritual  Life  the 


SEEM,  all  men  are  capable  of  being  saved  by  Him,  yet  it  is  as  cer- 
tain  also,  that  all  men  shall  not  be  saved  by  Him  ;  and  that 
none  shall  be  so,  but  only  such  as  believe  in  Him,  and  so 
apply  the  merits  of  His  death  to  themselves,  for  their  pardon 
and  justification  before  God :  but  this  the  greatest  part  of 
mankind  will  not  do ;  I  speak  not  only  of  Jews,  Turks,  and 
other  infidels,  but  they  also  who  profess  to  believe  in  Him, 
generally  do  no  more  than  profess  it :  there  are  but  few  that 
really  do  it ;  but  few  that  believe  in  Him,  as  He  requires  in 
His  Holy  Gospel,  with  such  a  faith  that  purifies  their  hearts, 
and  unites  them  to  Him,  so  as  to  make  them  sound  members 
of  that  body  of  which  He  is  the  Head ;  yet  these  are  the  only 
persons  whom  Christ  reckons  His  own  ;  none  else  have  any 
part  or  portion  in  Him,  nor  He  in  them,  no  more  than  as  if 
He  had  never  died  for  them:  and  therefore  He  leaves  all 
such  to  the  wide  world,  to  the  general  providence  of  God,  to 
shift  for  themselves  as  well  as  they  can :  and  howsoever 
they  may  seem  to  live  in  this  world,  they  can  never  be  truly 
happy,  neither  in  this  nor  the  next.  But  as  for  such  who 
constantly  live  with  a  quick  and  lively  faith  in  Him,  as 
their  only  Lord  and  Saviour,  and  always  behave  themselves 
accordingly,  Christ  looks  upon  them  as  His  own,  His  "  inhe 
ritance,"  His  "  lot,"  His  "  peculiar  people,"  His  "  elect,"  His 
"friends,"  His  "treasure,"  His  "sheep,"  His  "flock,"  His 
"  disciples  "  indeed,  His  "  brethren,"  yea,  His  very  "  mem 
bers,"  according  to  their  respective  places  and  stations  in 
His  body  the  Church ;  as  we  find  all  along  in  His  Holy 
Scriptures :  these  He  hath  a  special  kindness  for,  and  is  now 
appearing  in  the  presence  of  God,  making  atonement  and 
reconciliation  for  them.  These  considered  together,  are  pro 
perly  the  household  of  God,  the  Communion  of  Saints,  His 
domestic  servants,  who  make  it  their  constant  business  to 
serve  Him,  and  so  continue  always  in  His  love  and  favour : 

John  17.  9.  He  "  prays  for  these,"  He  "  prays  not  for  the  world,  but  for 
these  which  God  hath  given  Him  out  of  the  world."  These, 
all  and  every  one,  go  to  God  by  Him,  and  therefore  He  is 

Heb.  7. 25.  always  interceding  for  them,  that  they  may  want  nothing 
that  is  good,  nothing  that  is  needful,  to  their  obtaining 
eternal  Salvation  by  Him. 

Now,  how  happy  must  they  needs  be,  who  have  such  a 


Characteristic  of  a  Christian.  441 

powerful  Mediator  and  Advocate  always  at  the  right  hand 
of  God  ?  But  who  are  they,  who  are  thus  happy  ?  They 
who  have  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  none  else,  no  not  one  ;  for 
the  Apostle  here  speaks  in  the  singular  number,  saying, 
"  If  any  man,"  whatsoever  he  be,  if  he  "have  not  the  Spirit 
of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His ;"  whereby  he  plainly  shews, 
that  no  one  man  in  the  world,  whatsoever  his  condition  be, 
belongs  to  Christ,  so  as  to  be  saved  by  Him,  unless  he  "  have 
the  Spirit  of  Christ." 

And  the  reason  is  plain,  for  it  is  only  by  "  His  Spirit" 
that  any  man  can  be  made  His.  It  is  impossible,  that 
we  who  are  so  infinitely  below  Him,  could  be  so  nearly 
related  to  Him,  as  to  be  His,  in  such  an  high  manner  as 
this  phrase  imports,  any  other  way  than  by  His  own  Spirit : 
but  by  that  we  are  incorporated  into  Him,  and  made  mem 
bers  of  His  Body;  for  "by  one  Spirit  are  we  all  baptized  iCor.i2.is. 
into  one  Body,"  even  the  Body  of  Christ.  By  which  means, 
as  all  the  members  of  a  natural  body,  being  informed  by  the 
same  soul  that  is  in  the  head,  and  from  thence  is  diffused 
into  them,  do  therefore  properly  belong  to  that  head  ;  so 
we  are  therefore  only  the  members  of  Christ,  and  belong  to 
Him,  because  the  same  Spirit  that  is  in  Him  is  likewise  in 
us,  and  moves,  animates,  and  influences  us  in  all  the  actions 
of  the  new  and  spiritual  life.  Hence  it  'is,  that  as  many  as 
are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  are  the  sons  of  God,  for  having  R0m.  s.  u. 
the  same  Spirit,  that  is,  his  only-begotten  Son,  they,  accord 
ing  to  their  capacities,  thereby  stand  in  the  same  relation  to 
God,  as  He  doth :  they  are  properly  His  sons  also.  Inso 
much  that  Christ  Himself  "is  not  ashamed  to  call  them  Heb.  2. 1 1 . 
brethren." 

And  the  reason  which  the  Apostle  there  gives  for  it,  is, 
because  "  He  that  sanctifieth,  and  they  who  are  sanctified, 
are  all  of  one  :"  both  He  and  they  have  one  and  the  same 
Spirit,  and  therefore  must  needs  be  the  children  of  one  and 
the  same  Father ;  and  by  this  it  is  that  we  know  we  are  so : 
For  if  "  we  have  received  the  Spirit  of  adoption,  we  there-  R0m.  8<  15> 
by  cry,  Abba,  Father ;  the  Spirit  itself  bearing  witness  with  l6- 
our  spirits,  that  we  are  the  children  of  God." 

Hence  it  is  also,  that  St.  John  saith,  "  Hereby  we  know  i  John 3. 24. 
that  He  abideth  in  us,  by  the  Spirit  which  He  hath  given  us." 


442  A  Spiritual  Life  the 

SERM.    "  And  hereby  know  we,  that  we  dwell  in  Him,  and  He  in  us, 

XXIII 

ijohn4.i3.  because  He  hath  given  us  of  His  Spirit."     For  if  He  hath 

iCor.  e.  19.  given  us  "  His  Spirit,"  our  bodies  are  thereby  made  "  the 

temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost."     And  when  the  Holy  Ghost 

hath  taken  possession  of  us,  and  continues  to  dwell  in  us,  we 

are  no  longer  our  own,  but  His,  whose  Spirit  the  Holy  Ghost 

He™  i8  27'  '1S '  "  ^nc^  jomt'neirs  with  Him,"  "  who  is  heir  of  all  things." 

2Cor.i.22;  We  may  be  sure  of  it,  in  that  "  He  hath  given  us  the  earnest 

Eph'i  14    °f  the  Spirit."     "  Which  is  the  earnest  of  the  inheritance, 

until  the  redemption  of  the  purchased  possession."     And 

this  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  is  so  certain  and  infallible  a  sign 

of  our  right  and  title  to  the  said  inheritance,  that  we  are 

Eph.  4.30.  said  to  be  "  sealed''  by  it  "  to  the  day  of  redemption."     For 

by  giving  us  His  Holy  Spirit,  Christ  sets,  as  it  were,  His 

seal  upon  us,  and  so  marks  us  out  for  His  own,  and  distin- 

guisheth  us  from  the  rest  of  the  world.     It  is  by  this  that 

the  sheep   shall  be   known  from  the    goats,   the   heirs   of 

Heaven  from  the  children  of  disobedience,  at  the  last  day ; 

and  then  it  will  appear  to  all  the  world,  that  "  if  any  man 

have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His." 

And  if  so,  how  much  doth  it  concern  us  all  to  have  the 
Spirit  of  Christ !  Infinitely  more  than  any  thing  else  in 
the  world  besides :  For  seeing  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  Saviour 
of  mankind ;  seeing  He  saves  none  but  such  as  belong  to 
Him,  so  as  to  be  properly  His :  and  seeing  none  are  His, 
but  only  they  who  have  His  Spirit:  unless  we  have  His 
Spirit  we  shall  be  lost  and  undone  for  ever  ;  and  therefore  as 
we  tender  our  own  welfare,  we  must  make  our  chief  care 
and  study  to  get  the  Spirit  of  Christ:  whatsoever  we  get 
besides  will  signify  nothing  to  us  at  the  last  day,  unless  it  be 
to  torment  and  vex  us.  But  if  we  have  the  Spirit  of  Christ, 
we  shall  then  have  all  things  we  can  desire,  for  then  we 
shall  be  found  in  the  number  of  His  sheep,  and  accordingly 
shall  be  placed  on  His  right  hand,  and  hear  Him  pronounce 
Matt.25.34.  that  blessed  sentence  upon  us,  "  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my 
Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world." 

But  the  great  question  is,  how  a  man  may  have  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  ?  Or  what  he  must  do  to  get  and  keep  it  ?  To 
that  I  answer,  that  Christ  having  assumed  the  common 


Characteristic  of  a  Christian.  443 

nature  of  all  men,  all  men  are  doubtless  capable  of  His  Spirit, 
but  none  actually  receive  it,  but  such  only  as  are  united  to 
Him  and  made  members  of  His  body ;  they  partake  of  His 
Spirit,  as  the  members  of  a  man's  natural  body  do  of  that 
which  is  in  the  head  ;  but  none  else  can  have  it. 

Now,  in  order  to  our  being  thus  united  to  Christ,  as  to 
have  "  His  Spirit,"  it  is  first  necessary  that  we  believe  in 
Him :  "  He  that  believeth  on  Me,"  saith  Christ,  "  as  the 
Scripture  saith,  Out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  living 
water.  This  spake  He,"  saith  the  Evangelist,  "of  the™"17'38' 
Spirit  which  they  that  believe  on  Him  should  receive."  And 
His  Apostle,  speaking  of  Him  to  the  Ephesians,  saith,  "  In  Eph.  i.  is. 
whom,  after  that  ye  believed,  ye  were  sealed  with  that  Holy 
Spirit  of  promise."  From  whence  it  appears,  that  no  man 
can  have  the  "  Spirit  of  Christ"  until  he  believes  in  Christ, 
whose  "  Spirit  it  is,"  but  that  all  who  believe  in  Him  have 
it  effectually  conferred  upon  them. 

But,  for  that  purpose,  he  who  believes  in  Christ  must  be 
baptized  into  Him ;  that  being  the  Sacrament  appointed  by 
Himself,  whereby  we  testify  our  belief  in  Him,  and  the  usual 
means  whereby  He  gives  "  His  Spirit"  to  us,  and  so  makes 
us  His  own  :  For  Baptism  is  "  the  washing  of  regeneration,  Tit.  3.  5. 
and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  We  are  thereby  "born  John 3. 5. 
of  water  and  of  the  Spirit."  Water  is  the  sign,  the  Holy 
Ghost  the  thing  signified,  whereby  we  "  are  born  again 
and  made  the  children  of  God ;"  because  we  are,  by  that 
means,  inserted  into  the  body  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ ;  as 
appears  from  the  very  words  of  institution,  which,  according 
to  the  original,  run  thus,  "  Go  ye,  therefore,  and  make  all  Matt  2g  ig 
nations  disciples,  by  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  For  seeing 
we  are  made  His  disciples  by  being  thus  "  baptized"  accord 
ing  to  His  institution,  we  are  thereby  admitted  to  be  mem 
bers  of  His  Body,  and  then  of  course  partake  of  His 
Holy  Spirit. 

From  whence  we  may  see,  by  the  way,  the  great  necessity 
of  this  Sacrament,  where  it  may  be  had,  and  what  a  despe 
rate  condition  they  are  in  who  live  in  the  contempt  or  neglect 
of  it,  as  many  do  in  this  corrupt  age  ;  and  perhaps  some 
here  present  at  this  time.  But  I  heartily  wish,  that  all  such 


444  A  Spiritual  Life  the 

SERM.    would  seriously   consider,   that   Jesus    Christ   is   the   only 

\"VTTT 

-  Saviour  of  the  world  ;  that  He  saves  none  but  those  who  are 
of  His  own  Body,  the  Church,  and  so  properly  His ;  that 
none  can  be  made  His,  but  by  being  baptized  according  to 
His  appointment ;  and,  therefore,  that  all  such  as  wilfully 
neglect  or  refuse  this  Holy  Sacrament,  and  so  live  and  die 
without  it,  are  none  of  Christ's  flock,  and  have  no  more 
ground  to  expect  ever  to  be  saved  by  Him  than  other  infidels 
and  heathens  have,  nor  indeed  so  much  ;  forasmuch  as  the 
others  know  not  that  Christ  ever  ordained  this  Sacrament 
for  the  admission  into  His  Church,  and  so  to  a  state  of 
Salvation ;  these  know  and  contemn  it.  Wherefore,  if 
there  be  any  here  who,  through  the  error  or  negligence  of 
their  parents,  were  not  baptized  in  their  infancy ;  and, 
through  their  own  default,  have  not  yet  had  this  Sacrament 
administered  to  them,  I  beseech  you,  as  you  tender  your 
own  Salvation,  put  it  off  no  longer,  but  prepare  yourselves 
as  soon  as  possible  for  it,  lest  you  die  without  it,  and  so  be 
found  at  the  last  day,  not  among  the  sheep  of  Christ,  but 

[Matt.  25.  among  the  goats,  which  will  be  condemned  to  the  "  ever 
lasting  fire,  which  is  prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  angels." 
And  as  for  you,  who  are  so  happy  as  to  be  born  of  "  water" 
and  of  the  "  Spirit"  of  "  Christ,"  and  so  made  His,  take 
heed  that  you  do  not  lose  the  Spirit  which  you  then  received ; 
as  you  certainly  will  if  you  either  renounce  the  faith  into 
which  you  were  baptized,  or  live  in  the  constant  breach  of 
the  vow  which  you  then  made ;  and  seeing  you  cannot  but 
be  conscious  to  yourselves  that  you  have  kept  neither  the 
faith,  nor  your  promise,  so  strictly  as  ye  ought,  but  have 
many  ways  offended,  and  therefore  have  cause  to  fear 
that  God  hath  or  will  withdraw  "  His  Holy  Spirit"  from 
you,  you  must  constantly  pray,  as  David  did  in  the  like  case, 

PS.  51. 11.  saymg>  "  Cast  me  not  away  from  Thy  presence,  0  Lord,  and 
take  not  Thy  Holy  Spirit  from  me." 

But  there  are  some,  too  many  I  fear,  who  were  once  baptized 
with  water  and  the  Spirit,  and  so  made  the  children  of  God 
and  heirs  of  Heaven,  but  afterwards  have  proved  so  undu- 

[Tit.i.iG.]  tiful,  "  disobedient,  and  to  every  good  work  reprobate,"  that 
their  Heavenly  Father  hath,  in  effect,  cast  them  off,  disin- 

[Gen.  6. 3.]  herited  them,  and  suffers  His  "  Spirit  to  strive  no  longer  with 


Characteristic  of  a  Christian.  445 

them."  The  condition  of  such  is  very  deplorable,  but  not 
altogether  desperate;  for  they  having  been  once  admitted 
into  the  number  of  His  children,  Almighty  God  hath  still  so 
much  respect  and  favour  for  them,  that  upon  their  repentance 
and  return  to  their  duty,  He  is  ready  to  receive  them  again, 
and  to  give  them  His  Holy  Spirit,  to  assist  them  in  the 
performance  of  it,  if  they  do  but  ask  it  of  Him  :  we  may 
be  sure  of  it,  for  we  have  the  word  of  Christ  Himself  for  it, 
saying,  "  If  ye  then  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  Lukeii.ia. 
unto  your  children,  how  much  more  will  your  Heavenly 
Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask  Him  ?"  To 
them  who  have  been  adopted  into  His  family,  and  made  His 
children,  He,  as  their  Heavenly  Father,  will  give  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  but  to  none  else,  nor  to  them  neither,  unless  they 
ask  it  too,  according  to  the  rules  that  He  Himself  hath  pre 
scribed  for  it,  heartily,  importunately,  in  faith,  in  the  name 
of  Christ,  instantly,  and  without  ceasing.  If  you  thus  ask 
it,  He  will  give  you  His  Holy  Spirit,  though  not  immediately, 
yet  in  the  use  of  the  means  which  He  hath  ordained  for  that 
end  ;  especially  in  the  faithful  performance  of  your  public 
devotions  to  Him,  when  you  are  met  together  in  His  name, 
to  pray  jointly  to  Him  for  it ;  to  praise  His  most  holy  name, 
and  to  hear  that  Word  which  He  hath  given  by  the  inspira 
tion  of  the  same  Spirit,  and  receive  the  holy  Sacrament ; 
Christ  Himself  is  always  in  the  midst  of  such  assemblies  of  Matt.is.2o. 
His  Saints,  ready  to  distribute  the  gifts  and  graces  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  among  them.  As  we  often  find  He  did,  both 
in  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  but  very  rarely,  if  ever,  at 
any  other  time  or  place.  And,  therefore,  as  you  desire  the 
continual  assistance  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  you  must  neglect 
no  opportunity  you  can  get,  of  waiting  upon  Him  in  His  own 
House,  and  at  His  own  Table,  where  He  usually  moves  upon 
those  who  come  rightly  disposed  for  it,  and  takes  them 
under  His  own  care  and  conduct. 

But  then  you  must  take  special  heed,  not  to  "  grieve  the  EPh.  4. 30. 
Holy  Spirit  of  God,  whereby  ye  are  sealed  unto  the  day  of 
redemption."     Do  nothing   that   may  offend   so  Divine   a 
guest,  lest  you  provoke  Him  to  withdraw  Himself  from  you  ; 
"  Quench  not  the  Spirit,"  stifle  not  those  holy  motions  He  1  Thess.  5. 
puts  into  your  hearts,  "  but  do  all  you  can  to  stir  them  up,"  29Tim.  i.e. 


446.  A  Spiritual  Life  the 

SERM.    that   ye   may  be   "  fervent   in    spirit,"    "  zealous   of  good 
Rom.  1 2.11.  works,"  "  steadfast,  unmoveable,  always  abounding  in  the 
iCor  I'd  Is  WOI>k  °f  *ne  Lord,  forasmuch  as  ye  know,   your  labour  is 
not  in  vain  in  the  Lord." 

Having  thus  shewn,  that  they  only  who  have  the  Spirit 
of  Christ  are  truly  His,  and  likewise  how  ye  may  all  have  it, 
if  ye  will  but  seek  it  as  ye  ought,  there  will  be  no  occasion, 
I  hope,  of  persuading  you  to  endeavour  after  it  all  ye  can ; 
I  shall  only  desire  you  to  consider,  that  unless  you  have  the 
Ver.  a.  "  Spirit  of  Christ,  you  are  still  in  the  flesh,"  that  is,  in 
your  natural  or  carnal  estate,  no  better  than  when  ye  came 
into  the  world,  or  rather  much  worse ;  and  so  long  as  such, 
you  can  never  please  God,  nor  do  any  one  thing  acceptable 
in  His  sight :  you  are  enemies  to  God,  and  He  is  an  enemy  to 
you ;  you  have  nothing  that  you  can  truly  call  a  blessing, 
for  every  thing  you  have  is  cursed  to  you ;  you  have  no 
interest  in  the  merits  of  Christ's  death,  nor  in  the  interces 
sion  that  He  makes  at  the  right  hand  of  God :  for  you  are 
Eph.  2. 12.  without  Christ,  "  Aliens  from  the  commonwealth  of  Israel, 
and  strangers  from  the  covenants  of  promise ;  having  no 
hope,  and  without  God  in  the  world."  Ye  are  in  continual 
danger  of  being  condemned  to  hell-fire,  and  will  certainly  be 
so  when  ye  die,  unless  ye  repent  and  believe,  so  as  to  have 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  while  ye  live. 

Whereas,  if  you  have  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  and  so  are 
His,  what  an  happy  condition  will  ye  then  be  in !     Ye  will 
then   be   free  from  that  bondage  of  corruption   to  which 
2 Cor. s.  17.  others  are  subject,  for  "where  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is, 
Rom.  s.  is.  there  is  liberty."     Ye  will  then,  "  through  the  Spirit,  mor- 
[Rom.6.4.]  tify  the  deeds  of  the  body,"  and  live  continually  in  "  new 
ness   of  life."     Ye  will   then  bring  forth  the  "  fruit  of  the 
Gal.  5.  22,   Spirit,  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness,  goodness, 
faith,  meekness,  temperance,"  and  whatsoever  else  can  adorn 
either  your  hearts  or  lives,  and  make  you  amiable  in  the 
sight  of  God.     Ye  will  then  partake  of  the  Divine  Nature, 
[i  Pet.  i.    and  be  holy,  as  He  who  hath  called  you  is  "holy  in  all 
manner  of  conversation :"  ye  will  then  have  Jesus  Christ, 
whose  ye    are,  always    making    intercession   for  you,  and 
washing  you  from  your  sins  in  His  own  blood  :  ye  will  then 
be  safe  and  secure  under  the  protection  of  the  Almighty, 


Characteristic  of  a  Christian.  447 

and  need  not  fear  any  evil  that  can  happen  to  you :  ye  will 
then  live  under  the  light  of  God's  countenance,  and  have  it 
shining  continually  upon  you,  cheering  and  refreshing  your 
spirits,  more  than  ye  can  imagine.  Ye  have  already  the 
earnest  of  the  inheritance,  and  therefore  need  not  doubt,  but 
that,  ere  long,  you  will  be  possessed  of  it,  "  an  inherit-  1  Pet.  i.  4. 
ance  incorruptible,  and  undefined,  and  that  fadeth  not  away, 
reserved  in  Heaven  for  you."  And  all  because  ye  have  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  and  so  are  His,  whose  all  things  are :  "  To 
whom  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  all  honour 
and  glory  now  and  for  ever."  Amen. 


SERMON   XXIV. 

THE  OBLIGATIONS  OF  SUPERIORS  TO  PROMOTE  RELIGION. 


PSALM  ii.  11. 
Serve  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  rejoice  ivith  trembling. 

SERM.        ALTHOUGH  these  words  were  spoken  by  David,  king  of 
—  Israel,  yet  they  were  not  his  words,  but  the  word  of  God 


Himself;  as  the  same  royal  Prophet  saith,  in  his  last  pro- 
2Sam.23.2.  phetical  words,  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  spake  by  me,  and 
His  Word  was  in  my  tongue."  So  it  was  in  his  composing 
and  uttering  this  Psalm ;  he  did  it  not  out  of  his  own  head, 
[2  Pet.  i.  hut  as  he  "  was  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost :"  so  that  it  was 
God  Himself  that  spake  it  by  him.  This  we  cannot  doubt 
of,  having  it  so  plainly  attested  from  Heaven ;  for  when  St. 
Peter  and  St.  John  had  told  the  rest  of  the  Apostles  and 
disciples  how  they  had  been  threatened  by  the  rulers  of  the 
Acts  4. 24-  Jews,  for  preaching  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  "  they  lift  up 
their  voice  to  God  with  one  accord,  and  said,  Lord,  Thou  art 
God  which  hast  made  Heaven  and  earth,  and  the  sea,  and 
all  that  in  them  is ;  who  by  the  mouth  of  Thy  servant  David 
hast  said,  Why  did  the  heathen  rage,  and  the  people  imagine 
vain  things  ?  The  kings  of  the  earth  stood  up,  and  the 
rulers  were  gathered  together  against  the  Lord,  and  against 
His  Christ.  For  of  a  truth,  against  Thy  holy  child  Jesus, 
whom  Thou  hast  anointed,  both  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate, 
with  the  Gentiles,  and  the  people  of  Israel,  were  gathered 
together,"  &c.  And  they  had  no  sooner  said  this,  and 
prayed  for  grace  to  preach  the  Word  with  boldness,  but 
Ver.  31.  immediately  the  "  place  was  shaken  where  they  were 


The  Obligations  of  Superiors,  8fc.  449 

assembled  together,  and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  they  spake  the  Word  of  God  with  boldness." 
The  shaking  of  the  house,  and  the  coming  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  upon  them  at  that  time,  being  wholly  out  of  the 
ordinary  course  of  nature,  could  not  have  happened  but  by 
the  immediate  hand  of  God;  who  therefore  did,  by  this 
means,  set,  as  it  were,  His  seal,  for  the  confirmation  of  all 
that  His  Apostles  had  then  said.  But  they  had  said,  what 
He  Himself  had  said  by  the  mouth  of  His  servant  David, 
"  Why  do  the  heathen  rage,"  &c.  Which  being  the  very 
words  wherewith  this  Psalm  begins,  God  did  thereby  own 
Himself  to  be  the  author  of  it,  and  affirmed  it  by  a  miracle ; 
which  is  more,  I  think,  than  can  be  said  of  any  other  par 
ticular  place  of  Scripture,  after  the  whole  had  been  so 
confirmed. 

Neither  did  He,  in  this  extraordinary  manner,  signify 
His  approbation  only  of  what  they  had  then  said  concerning 
this  Psalm  in  general,  but  likewise  of  what  they  added  for 
the  explication  of  it:  even  that  "  His  Holy  Child  Jesus," 
whom  He  had  anointed,  was  the  Messiah  or  Christ  here 
spoken  of;  and  that  the  whole  Psalm  is  therefore  to  be  un 
derstood  of  Him,  and  of  Him  only:  that  it  was  He  against 
whom  the  people  raged  ;  that  He  is  that  Lord,  who,  sitting 
in  Heaven,  "  will  have  them  in  derision,  and  vex  them  Ver.  1-5. 
in  His  sore  displeasure"  for  it.  That  it  is  He  of  whom  God 
the  Father  saith,  "Yet  have  I  set  My  King,"  a  King  ofVer-6- 
Mine  own  anointing,  "  upon  My  holy  Hill  of  Sion,"  (where 
the  ark  then  was,  and  He  sat  between  the  cherubims  over 
the  mercy-seat  that  was  upon  it :)  and  that  it  was  He  who 
said,  "  I  will  declare  the  decree,  the  Lord  hath  said  unto  Ver.  7-9. 
Me,  Thou  art  My  Son,  this  day  have  I  begotten  Thee. 
Ask  of  Me,  and  I  shall  give  Thee  the  heathen  for  Thine 
inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for  Thy 
possession :  Thou  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron ; 
Thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel." 

The  Spirit  of  Christ  being  in  "  all  the  Prophets,"  par-  iPet.  1.11. 
ticularly  in  this,  Christ  often  speaks  of  Himself  in  the  first 
person   so  plainly,  that   it  cannot   possibly  be  understood 
of  any  other:  as  where  He  saith,  "Thou  wilt  not   leave  PS.  16.10. 
My  soul  in  hell."     "  They  pierced  My  hands  and  My  feet."  ps.  22.10. 

G  G 


450  The  Obligations  of  Superiors 

SERM.  "  They  part  My  garments  among  them,  and  cast  lots  upon 
Ver<  18< '  My  vesture."  So  here  He  saith,  "  I  will  declare  the  decree, 
The  Lord  hath  said  unto  Me,  Thou  art  My  Son,  this  day 
have  I  begotten  Thee."  Whereby  He  hath  declared  to  the 
world  his  Eternal  Godhead.  That  He  was  from  all  eternity 
begotten  of  Jehovah  the  Father,  and  therefore  must  needs 
be  of  the  same  Divine  nature  with  Him,  the  same  Jehovah ; 
it  being  impossible  there  should  be  any  more  than  one 
John  10.  so.  Jehovah,  according  to  His  own  saying,  "  I  and  My  Father 
are  one."  This  He  declares  in  the  first  place,  as  being 
the  foundation  of  that  religion  that  He  hath  revealed  to 
the  world,  and  of  all  our  hopes  of  salvation  in  it.  And 
therefore  also  in  the  New  Testament  this  declaration  is  fre 
quently  quoted,  always  applied  to  Christ,  and  great  use  is  made 
of  it,  for  the  confirming  of  his  religion,  Heb.  i.  5 ;  v.  5,  and 
Acts  xiii.  33,  where  it  is  expressly  said  to  be  written  in  the 
"  second  Psalm :"  which  is  another  undeniable  argument, 
that  this  Psalm  is  to  be  understood  wholly  of  Christ  Jesus. 

Having  thus  declared  His  eternal  generation,  as  He  was 
God,  He  then  sets  forth  the  great  power  that  is  given  Him, 
as  He  is  the  "King"  before  spoken  of,  set  upon"  Sion,"  as  He 
is  the  Head  of  the  Church,  the  Saviour  of  the  world,  the 
Mediator  between  God  and  men  ;  for  it  is  only  as  He  is 
such,  that  any  thing  can  be  given  Him  which  He  had  not 
before :  but  as  He  had  undertaken  to  be  born  of  the  seed 
of  the  woman,  and  was  so  in  the  decree  and  promise  of 
God  from  the  beginning  of  the  world,  and  was  therefore 
anointed  to  be  a  Prophet,  a  Priest,  and  a  King  too,  that 
He  might  be  able  to  destroy  the  works  of  the  Devil,  and 
to  save  mankind ;  in  this  respect  He  there  declares,  that 
the  Lord  hath  also  said  unto  Him,  "  Ask  of  Me,  and  I  will 
give  Thee  the  heathen  for  Thine  inheritance,  and  the  utmost 
parts  of  the  earth  for  Thy  possession."  Though  He  was 
then  set  upon  "the  Holy  Hill  of  Sion"  (which  was  therefore 
"  holy  "  because  He  kept  His  residence  there)  yet  His  dominion 
Psai.  72.  s.  was  to  be  "  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from  the  river  unto  the  ends 
Ver.  11.  of  the  earth,"  so  that  "  all  kings  shall  fall  down  before 
Him,  all  nations  shall  serve  Him."  King  David  himself 
rs.  no.  i.  calls  Him  "  his  Lord,"  and  "  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth." 
97>  5<  Which  title  can  belong  to  none  but  Christ,  and  to  Him  only 


to  promote  Religion.  451 

as  He  is  "  God-Man,"  and  as  such  the  Saviour  of  all  man 
kind  :  for  no  mere  man  ever  was,  or  can  be  "  Lord  of  the 
whole  earth."     God,  as  such,  is  the  Lord,  not  only  of  the 
earth,  but  of  the  whole  world.     But  Christ,  as  He  is  the 
Son  of  Man,  as  well  as  the  Son  of  God,  hath  the  "  whole 
earth"   in  His  own   possession,   and    all   the   nations   and 
people  in  it,  subject  to  His  dominion  and  power.     This  is 
here  said  to  be  given  Him  by  Jehovah,  the  "  Lord  of  Heaven 
and  earth  :"  and  it  is  given  Him  on  purpose  that  He  may 
save  all  that  believe  in  Him,  and  serve  Him,  in  whatsoever 
part  of  the  earth  they  live.     Thus  He  Himself  explains  this 
gift  of  the  Father   to  Him,  saying  unto    Him,   "  Father,  John  17.  i, 
the    hour  is  come,    glorify   Thy  Son,  that  Thy    Son    also 
may  glorify  Thee  :  As  Thou  hast  given  Him  power  over 
all  flesh,  that  He  should   give  eternal  life  to  as  many  as 
Thou  hast  given  Him."     Hence  it  is  that  He  commanded 
His  Apostles  to  go  "  and  make  all  nations  His  disciples,  by  Matt.  as. 
baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  19- 
Ghost,"  that  so  all  nations,  and  all  the  people  in  them,  both 
old  and  young,  might  "  be  brought  into  subjection  to  Him, 
and  become  His  inheritance,"  as  it  is  here  promised.     And 
accordingly   at    the   very   time  that    He    ascended    up   to 
Heaven,   He    promised    His    Apostles,    that   they   should 
receive  power   from   Him  to   preach  His   Gospel,   and  so   , 
"  be  witnesses  to  Him,  not  only  in  Jerusalem,  Judea,  and  Acts  i.s. 
Samaria,  but  unto  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth,"  and 
that    He   Himself   would    be    with  them    and    their    suc 
cessors  in  doing  it,  "  to  the  end  of  the  world."     By  which  Matt.  2s. 
means  many  "  of  all  nations,  kindreds,  people,  and  tongues"  RC'V.  7.  9> 
upon  earth,   are   advanced   to   Heaven,  by  His  Almighty 
Power,  who  reigns  and  rules  over  the  "  whole  earth."     But 
for  that  purpose  He  asketh  it  of  the  Father,  who  said  to  Him, 
"  Ask  of  Me,  and  I  will  give  Thee,"  &c.  that  is,  He  prays 
or  intercedes  for  "  all  that  come  unto  God  by  Him,"  where 
soever  they  live,  and  therefore  is  "  able  to  save  them  all  to  Heb.  7.  25. 
the  uttermost,"  how  many  soever  they  be,  and  will  accord 
ingly  do  it. 

Such  a  Mighty  Prince  is  the  Lord  Jesus,  "  the  blessed  i  Tim.  6. 
and  only  Potentate,  the  King  of  Kings,  and  Lord  of  Lords,"  15' 
presiding  over  all  the  empires  and  kingdoms  upon  earth, 


452  The  Obligations  of  Superiors 

SERM.    and  ordering  all  things  in  them,  so  as  may  conduce  to  His 
-  glory,  and  to  the  salvation  of  all  that  take  His  yoke  upon 
them,  believe  in  Him,  and  keep  His  laws ;  and  that  nothing 
may  be  able  to  impede  His  saving  of  them,  He  hath  all 
Matt.  28.     power  given  Him,  not  only  upon   earth,  but   in  Heaven 
Eph.  i.  20-  to°-     ^or  God  hath  now  "  set  Him  at  His  own  right  hand, 
23-  far  above  all  principalities,  and  powers,  and   might,  and 

dominion,  and  every  name  that  is  named,  not  only  in  this 
world,  but  also  in  that  which  is  to  come ;  and  hath  put  all 
things  under  His  feet,  and  gave  Him  to  be  Head  over 
all  things  to  the  Church,  which  is  His  Body."  So  that 
He  is  now  Lord  paramount  over  the  whole  creation,  and 
all  for  the  sake  of  His  Church,  or  the  congregation  of  faith 
ful  people  dispersed  over  the  face  of  the  earth,  that  He  may 
bring  them  at  last  to  reign  with  Him  in  Heaven.  But 
as  for  such  as  will  not  believe  in  Him,  but  rebel  against 
Him,  and  refuse  to  submit  to  His  laws  and  government, 
PS.  2.  9.  "  He  will  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron,  and  dash  them 
in  pieces  like  a  potter's  vessel,"  as  many  have  found  already 
by  woeful  experience,  and  all  shall  do  so  at  the  last  day  ; 
when  He  shall  come  again,  and  manifest  His  supreme 
authority  over  the  "  whole  earth,"  by  judging  all  mankind 
that  ever  did,  or  ever  shall  live  upon  the  face  of  it. 

Now  God  our  Saviour  having  thus  asserted  His  Divine 
glory  and  power,  in  the  former  part  of  this  Psalm,  all  the 
rest  of  it  is  only  a  conclusion  that  naturally  follows  upon 
these    premises ;    for   these   things   being   considered,    the 
Ver.  10.       Holy  Spirit  in  David  infers,  "  Be  wise  now,  therefore,  0  ye 
kings ;    be  instructed,   ye  judges  of  the   earth ;"  that   is, 
learn  from  hence  and  beware,  that  you  set  yourselves  no 
more  against  the  Lord,  and  against  His  Christ ;  but  "  serve 
the  Lord,"  this  mighty  Lord,  "  serve  Him  with  fear,"  dread 
ing   the  thoughts   of  ever  falling  under  His  displeasure ; 
and  "  rejoice  with  trembling,"  rejoice  that  ye  have  such  an 
Almighty    King  and   Saviour ;    but   do   it  with   fear   and 
i  Kings  19.  reverence  of  His  Divine  Majesty  and  Power.     "  Kiss  the 
18-  Son."     Adore  this  the  Eternal  Son  of  God,  the  Lord  of  the 

whole  earth,  lest  He  "  be  angry  "  with  you,  for  not  paying 
the  homage  which  you  owe  Him,  and  so  you  "perish"  in  the 
way,  in  the  way  you  are  going  to  the  other  world,  and  be 


to  promote  Religion.  453 

there   "punished   with    everlasting    destruction   from    the2Thess.  i. 
presence  of  the  Lord,  and  from  the  glory  of  His  power,"  ! 
as  you  most  certainly  will,  if  His  anger  "  be  kindled,"  yea, 
"  but  a  little"  against  you.     But  blessed,  thrice  "  blessed 
are  all  they  that  put  their  trust"  and  believe  "  in  Him." 
He  will  "  pray"  for  them,  though  not  for  the  rest  of  the 
world,  and  so  will  take  them  into  His  own  Almighty  pro 
tection  ;  make  "  all  things  work  together  for  their  good,"  [Rom.  s. 
while  they  are  upon  earth,  and  then  bring  them  to  Himself 
in  Heaven,  where  they  shall  "  behold  His  glory,  and  enjoy 
Him  for  ever." 

It  was  necessary  thus  to  run  through  this  whole  Psalm, 
the  better  to  clear  the  way  to  that  part  of  it  which  I  design, 
God  willing,  to  insist  more  particularly  upon,  even,  "  Serve 
the  Lord  with  fear ;"  which  otherwise  might  not  have  been 
so  well  understood,  whereas  now  it  is  plain  and  easy.     For 
seeing   that  Jesus  Christ,  the    only-begotten  Son  of  God, 
is   spoken  of,  as  I  have  shewn,  in  the  former  part  of  this 
Psalm,  and  His  dominion   is  there  asserted   over  all  the 
earth,  the  conclusion  drawn   from  these  premises  must  be 
understood   of  the  same  person.      And   therefore   by   the 
Lord,  whom  "  kings  and  judges  are"  here  commanded  "  to 
serve,"  we  must  understand  the  Lord   Christ,  the  Son,  as 
He  is  here  also  expressly  called,  even  the  Eternal  Son  of 
God  the  Father.     Not  that   the  Father  also  is  not  to   be 
served,  but  because,  as  the  Son  Himself  saith,  "  The  Father  John  5.  22, 
judgeth  no  man,  but  hath  committed  all  judgment  to  the  23' 
Son  ;  that  all  men  should  honour  the   Son,  even  as  they 
honour  the   Father."     This  was  the   great   end  wherefore 
the  Father  hath  committed  so  great  authority  over  all  the 
earth  to  the  Son,  that  all  mankind  should  serve  and  honour 
Him,  in  all  respects,  as  they  do  or  ought  to  honour  and  serve 
the    Father :    for  they  are  both  one  Jehovah,   one  God ; 
and  therefore  whatsoever  is  done  to  the  one,  is  done  to  the 
other ;    "  He  that  believeth  on  Me,"  saith  the  Son,  "  be-  John  12. 
lieveth  not  on  Me,  but  on  Him  that  sent  Me.     And  he  44>  45' 
that  seeth  Me,  seeth  Him  that  sent  Me."     "  He  that  hateth  Chap.  is. 
Me,  hateth  my   Father   also."     So   he  "  that  serveth  the  chap.  u. 
Son,  serveth  the  Father  also.     For  the  Son  is  in  the  Father,  20t 
and  the  Father  in  the  Son."     And  therefore  it  is  impossible 


454  The  Obligations  of  Superiors 

SERM.    to  serve  the  one  without  the  other.     But  whosoever  serves 
—  the  Son,  doth,  ipso  facto,  serve  the    Father,   that  is  "  in 
Him,"  and  "  one"  with  "  Him." 

And  besides,  no  man  can  serve  the  Father  but  by  the 
Son,  nor  by  Him  neither,  without  serving  of  Him :  As  He  Him- 

John  s.  23.  self  again  saith,  "  He  that  honoureth  not  the  Son,  honoureth 
not  the  Father  which  hath  sent  Him."  For  the  Father 
accepts  of  no  honour  from  men,  but  what  comes  to  Him 
through  His  Son,  the  only  Mediator  between  Him  and  them. 
How  piously,  how  virtuously  soever  they  may  seem  to  live, 
and  whatsoever  honour  and  worship  they  pretend  to  give  to 
God,  nothing  they  do  is  acceptable  to  Him  any  other  way, 

i  Pet.  2.  5.  than  by  "  Jesus  Christ."     Neither  can  any  man  so  much 

John  14. 6.  as  "  come  unto  the  Father,  but  by  Him."  And,  therefore, 
they  who  do  not  first  come  unto  the  Son,  believe  in  Him, 
and  serve  Him,  can  never  be  the  servants  of  God,  nor  do  any 
one  thing  that  is  pleasing  in  His  sight.  Whereas  they  who 
truly  and  faithfully  "  serve"  the  Son  of  God,  are  so  high  in 
the  favour  and  esteem  of  God  the  Father,  that  He  hath  a 
particular  respect,  yea,  an  "  honour  for  them."  I  should 
not  have  ventured  upon  so  high  an  expression,  but  that  I 

John  12. 26.  have  the  warrant  of  Christ  Himself  for  it,  saying,  "  If  any 
man  serve  Me,  him  will  My  Father  honour." 

This,  therefore,  is  the  Lord,  the  Lord  God  Omnipotent, 
whom  the  "  kings  and  judges"  of  the  earth  "are"  here  com 
manded  "  to  serve."  Not  like  David,  though  he  was  a 
sovereign  prince  in  his  own  country,  he  had  no  power  over 
any  other,  much  less  over  all  the  kings  and  judges  of  the 
earth,  so  as  to  require  them  to  "be  wise,"  and  "  to  instruct" 
them  what  to  do,  and  whom  to  serve :  and  therefore  this, 
and  all  such  places  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  where  commands 
are  laid  upon  all  the  kings  and  nations  upon  earth,  most 
evidently  shew  their  Divine  authority ;  that  they  are  not  of 
any  private  interpretation,  or  human  invention,  but  were 
given  by  the  inspiration  of  "  God,  the  King  of  Kings,"  the 
-  Lord  of  the  whole  earth,  by  whom  "  kings  reign,  and 
princes  decree  justice,"  by  whom  "princes  rule,  and  nobles, 
even  all  the  judges  of  the  earth."  They  are  all  but  His 
deputies  or  vicegerents  in  their  respective  kingdoms  and 
provinces,  His  ministers,  to  execute  His  laws  and  judgments. 


to  promote  Religion.  455 

And,  therefore,  when  some  of  them  had  conspired  and  set 
themselves  against  the  Lord,  and  against  His  "  Christ ;"  He, 
by  His  Holy  Spirit,  issued  forth  this  His  Divine  proclama 
tion,  wherein,  having  first  acquainted  them  with  that 
Supreme  authority,  which  He  had  given  to  His  Son  Christ 
over  all  the  earth,  He  lays  this  strict  command  upon  all 
sovereign  princes,  and  their  under-officers  in  all  parts  of  the 
earth  :  "  Be  wise  now  therefore,  O  ye  kings  ;  be  instructed, 
ye  judges  of  the  earth.  Serve  the  Lord  with  fear,  and  re 
joice  with  trembling." 

He,  in  many  other  places  of  His  Holy  Oracles,  hath 
required  all  people  to  "  serve  Him,"  but  here  He  commands 
"kings"  and  "judges,"  as  such,  to  do  it;  not  only  in  their 
private  capacities,  as  they  also  are  men,  but  likewise  as 
they  are  "  kings"  that  govern  whole  empires  or  countries,  and 
make  laws  to  be  observed  by  all  that  live  within  their 
several  dominions ;  and  as  "judges"  or  subordinate  officers, 
impowered  and  commissioned  by  their  respective  "  kings  "  to 
see  their  said  laws  put  in  execution.  It  is  in  this  their 
public  capacity,  that  the  Universal  Monarch  of  the  World 
speaks  to  them  in  this  place,  and  commands  them  all  to 
"  serve  Him,"  that  so  their  people  may  do  it,  not  only  every 
one  by  himself,  but  all  together  as  they  are  a  nation,  or  king 
dom,  a  society  of  men  united  together  under  one  common 
head.  As  we  read  in  the  Prophet  Daniel,  that  to  the  Son  of 
Man  was  given,  "  dominion,  and  glory,  and  a  kingdom,  that  Dan.  7. 14. 
all  people,  nations,  and  languages  should  serve  Him."  So  it 
ought  to  be  all  the  earth  over :  and  so  it  will  be,  when  He 
sees  good  to  ask  it  of  the  Father  :  but  when  that  will  be,  it 
is  in  vain  for  us  to  inquire,  seeing  it  is  not  revealed  to  us. 

It  is  sufficient  for  us  to  know,  that  many  kingdoms  upon 
earth  have  already  professed  their  subjection  to  Him,  and 
that  all  are  bound  to  "  serve  Him ;"  for  this  command  being- 
laid  upon  kings,  as  such,  it  doth  not  affect  their  persons 
only,  but  their  kingdoms,  and  reacheth  all  that  are  advised 
with,  or  any  way  concerned  in  their  government,  or  in 
devising  laws  for  the  better  administration  of  it.  They  are 
all  obliged  by  this,  and  many  other  Divine  commands,  to 
"  serve  Him"  in  it ;  who,  by  His  overruling  Providence, 
puts  them  into  such  a  public  station,  for  that  end  and  pur- 


456 


The  Obligations  of  Superiors 


SERM.    pose,  that  they  may  be  able  to  do  it.     But  what  it  is  pro- 

'—  perly  to  "  serve  the  Lord,"  and  how  all  such  both  may  and 

ought  to  do  it,  are  questions  that  deserve  our  most  serious 
inquiry ;  and  therefore  I  shall  endeavour  to  search  into  the 
bottom  of  them,  and  lay  them  as  open  as  I  can  in  few  terms. 
What  it  is  properly  to  "  serve  the  Lord,"  may  well  be 
made  a  question ;  forasmuch  as  at  first  sight  it  may  seem  to 
be  impossible :  for  who  can  "  serve  Him"  that  lacks  no 
thing  ?  What  can  men  do  for  Him,  who  is  neither  better 
nor  worse  for  any  thing  which  they  do?  It  is  true,  He 
being  infinitely  glorious  in  Himself,  cannot  possibly  receive 
any  accessions  of  glory  from  any  other,  much  less  from  His 
own  creatures,  who  have  nothing  but  what  they  receive 
from  Him  ;  and  therefore  He  cannot  be  said  to  be  served  by 
them,  in  that  sense  wherein  they  are  said  to  serve  one 
another.  But  He  is  pleased  to  look  upon  them  as  "  serving 
Him,"  when  they  own  or  acknowledge  His  Divine  glory 
and  authority  over  them,  and  shew  they  do  so,  by  all  such 
means  and  methods  as  He,  for  that  purpose,  hath  prescribed 
to  them  :  for  He  having  made,  and  still  governing  all  things 
for  Himself,  even  for  the  manifestation  of  His  own  glory, 
such  of  His  creatures  as  reflect  upon  it,  admire  it,  and 
manifest  they  do  so  in  all  their  actions,  and  strive  what  they 
can  that  others  should  do  it  too ;  they  carry  on  the  same 
design  that  He  doth  in  the  world,  and  are  therefore  said  to 
"  serve  Him"  in  that  they  are  subservient  to  Him  in  setting 
forth  His  honour  and  glory.  Thus  all  the  creatures  that 
He  hath  made  capable  of  it,  as  angels  and  men,  are  bound 
to  "  serve"  their  Creator ;  and  unless  they  do  it,  they  do  not 
answer  the  end  of  their  creation,  but  live  to  no  purpose  in 
the  world. 

Now,  as  in  the  creation  and  government  of  the  world  by 
His  Word,  God  hath,  and  still  doth  manifest  the  glory  of 
His  wisdom,  and  power,  and  goodness ;  so  in  the  redemption 
of  fallen  man  by  His  Son,  or  Word  incarnate,  He  discovered 
the  glory  of  His  grace  and  truth,  which  otherwise,  as  far  as 
we  know,  would  never  have  appeared  in  the  world;  for 
Johni.  17.  "  grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ."  It  is  in  Him  only 
that  God  hath  promised  grace  or  mercy  to  mankind ;  and 
it  is  in  Him  only  that  His  truth  appears  in  His  fulfil- 


to  promote  Religion.  457 

ling  of  the  said  promises ;    and  therefore  He  is  said  to  be 

"  glorified  in  His  saints,  and  admired  in  all  them  that  be-  2  Thess«  *• 

lieve."     Because  they  give  Him  the  glory  of  these  Divine 

perfections,  and  so  truly  "  serve  Him,"  which  other  people 

do  not. 

Wherefore,  by  "  serving  Jehovah"  the  Lord,  we  are  here 
to  understand  the  setting  forth  and  promoting  His  honour 
and  glory,  as  He  is  the  Redeemer  of  mankind,  as  well  as 
the  Creator  and  Governor  of  the  world  :  when  men  do  not 
only  believe  all  that  is  recorded,  as  done  and  said  by  Him  in 
His  holy  Word,  worship   and  obey  Him  themselves,  and 
trust  wholly  on  Him  for  all  things  necessary  to  their  eternal 
salvation;  but  likewise  do  what  they  can  that  His  "  name  2  Thess.  i. 
may  be  glorified,"  His  Gospel  propagated,  His  Church  and  12' 
kingdom  upon  earth  defended  and  enlarged,  His  doctrine 
received,  His  laws  obeyed,  His  praises  celebrated,  His  ser 
vants  encouraged,  and  His  supreme  authority  and  dominion 
owned,  admired,  and  feared  by  all,  "  that  every  tongue  may  Phil  2  n 
confess,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the 
Father."     They  who  in  their  several  places,  and  according 
to  their  several  abilities,  contribute  any  thing  towards  these 
great  ends,  and  do  it  heartily,  as  to  the  Lord,  they  truly 
"  serve  the  Lord  Christ,"  as  St.  Paul  saith  the  Colossians 
did,  and  shall  accordingly  "  receive  the  reward  of  the  in-  Col>  3>  24 
heritance  from  Him." 

From  hence  it  is  easy  to  gather,  how  any  man,  in  his 
place  and  station,  may  some  way  or  other  "  serve  the  Lord  :" 
but  this  command  being  here  laid  upon  the  "  kings,"  and 
"judges  of  the  earth,"  such  as  make,  and  such  as  execute 
the  laws  in  every  kingdom ;  I  shall  take  occasion  from 
hence  to  shew  more  particularly,  how  He  may  and  ought 
to  be  "  served  "  by  the  laws  of  any  kingdom ;  and  by  all 
such  as  are  either  consulted  with  in  the  making,  or  en 
trusted  with  the  administration  of  them ;  and,  by  conse 
quence,  how  whole  kingdoms  also  may  "  serve  the  Lord."  ps.  102. 22. 

This,  I  confess,  may  seem  a  bold  attempt  in  a  private 
person ;  but  I  look  not  upon  myself,  in  this  place,  as  in  a 
private  capacity,  but  as  a  public  minister,  or,  as  the  Apostle 
expresseth  it,  "  an  Ambassador  for  Christ;"  for  Christ,  the  2Cor.5.2o. 
Sovereign  of  the  world.     It  is  in  His  name  only  I  speak, 


458  The  Obligations  of  Superiors 

SERM.    and  shall  take  care  to  follow  the  instructions  that  He  hath 

XXIV. 

-  given  in  His  Holy  Word,  not  doubting  but  many  will  be  as 
glad  to  hear  how  they  "  may  serve  the  Lord"  in  such  a 
public  station,  as  I  can  be  to  put  them  in  mind  of  it,  according 
to  my  bounden  duty  to  our  common  Lord  and  Master. 

But  to  set  this  in  such  a  light  that  we  may  all  take  a 
full  view  of  it,  it  will  be  necessary  to  prepare  the  way,  by 
laying  down  a  few  general  propositions. 

1.  Almighty  God,  here  called  the  Lord,  as  He  is  the  Maker 
and  Governor,  so  He  is  the  Supreme  Lawgiver  of  the  world. 

James  4.  «  There  is  one  Lawgiver,"  saith  St.  James,  "  who  is  able 
to  save  and  to  destroy."  Who  that  is,  we  may  learn  from 

isa.  33. 22.  ^he  prOphet,  saying,  "  The  Lord  is  our  Judge,  the  Lord  is 
our  Lawgiver,  the  Lord  is  our  King,  He  will  save  us."  The 
same  Lord  that  is  our  Judge,  our  King,  and  our  Saviour, 
He  likewise  is  our  Lawgiver,  or,  as  the  word  may  be  ren 
dered,  the  maker  of  our  laws  or  statutes,  which  He  makes 
only  by  signifying  His  will  what  He  would  have  done  ;  His 
word  being  a  law  to  all  things  that  He  hath  made. 

2.  This   universal  Lawgiver  of  the  world,  as  He  hath 
given  laws  to  all  things  else  suitable  to  their  respective 
natures,  and  the  ends  for  which  He  made  them,  so  He  hath 
given  laws  to  all  mankind,  as  they  are  reasonable  and  free 
agents,  and    so    capable   of  reflecting   upon   them,  and  of 
observing  them  upon  choice.     These  "  laws  "  He  first  wrote 
upon  the  "  tables"  of  man's  "heart ;"  when  they  were  defaced 
there,  He  published  them  upon  Mount  Sinai;   then  tran 
scribed  them  with  His  own  finger  upon  two  "  tables "  of 
"stone;"  after  that,  He  explained  them  by  His  Prophets; 
and  at  last  with  His  own  mouth,  when  He  was  upon  earth, 
adding  some  new  ones,  to  shew  that  all  the  other  likewise 
were  given  by  Him. 

3.  All   the  laws  that  God  hath   made    for  mankind  to 
observe,   are    recorded    in    Holy  Scripture    given    by   His 
inspiration,  as  appears  also  from  the  very  laws  which  are 
there  recorded ;  for  who  can  give  laws  to  all  kings,  such  as 
that  in  my  text,  but  He  that  is  the  "  King  of  kings?"    Who 
can  give  laws  to  all  the  people  and  nations  upon  earth,  but 
He  that  is  the  Lord  of  the  whole  earth?     Who  can  give 
laws  to  the  very  hearts  of  men,  to  their  thoughts,  and  the 


to  promote  Religion.  459 

secret  motions  of  the  will,  that  never  break  forth  into  act, 
but  only  He  who  is  the  only  Searcher  of  hearts  ?  Who 
could  threaten  Hell  and  damnation  to  those  who  break  His 
laws,  but  He  who  can  "  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in  Hell?"  [Matt.  10. 
Who  could  promise  eternal  life  and  happiness  to  such  as 
keep  His  laws,  but  He  in  whose  power  alone  it  is  to  give  it  ? 
So  clearly  doth  the  Divine  authority  of  the  Holy  Scriptures 
shine  forth  in  the  very  laws  which  are  there  recorded,  that 
he  who  doth  not  wilfully  shut  his  eyes  cannot  but  see  it. 

4.  As   the  Supreme  Governor  of  the   world  hath   thus 
given  laws  for  all  mankind  to  observe,  in  their  behaviour 
both  to  Him  and  one  another,  that  every  one  may  govern 
himself,  and  order  all  his  affairs  and  actions  according  to 
the  will  of  Him  that  made  and  preserveth  him ;  so  He  hath 
given  power  to  every  kingdom  or  nation  to  make  by-laws 
for  the  security  and  government  of  itself,  and  all  the  mem 
bers  of  it,  as  such.     He  Himself  made  such  for  the  Children 
of  Israel,  when  He  was,  in  a  special  manner,  their  "  King," 
having  chosen  them,  out  of  all  other  nations,  to  be  His  own 
peculiar  people ;  for  that  they  were  nearer  of  kin  than  other 
people  to  the  flesh  He  designed  to  take  upon  Him.    Besides 
the  "  moral  laws "  which  He  gave  to  mankind  in  general, 
He  made  several  judgments,  as  they  are  called,  or  "judicial 
laws,"  for  this  His  own  people,  for  the  better  keeping  up  of 
the  civil  polity  or  government  among  themselves,  and  for  the 
better  administration  of  His  moral  laws,  to  all  that  lived  in 
that   community.     But   these   laws   being   made   only   for 
that  nation,  and  for  that  only,  so  long  as  they  continued  a 
distinct  nation  of  themselves,  they  ceased  in  course  at  the 
dissolution  of  their  government;  and  it  is  not  necessary  they 
should  be  received  or  observed  in  any  other  nation,  as  our  [Art.  vii.] 
Church  hath  wisely  declared. 

5.  Although  God  hath  given  this  power  to  all  kingdoms 
and  nations  to  make  "  laws  "  for  the  better  support  and 
government  of  themselves,  yet   He  hath  not  given  them 
leave  to  repeal  any  of  His  "  own  laws,"  nor  to  enact  any 
thing  contrary  to  them.     It  is  usual  for  a  prince,  when  he 
grants  a  charter  to  a  city  or  corporation  within  his  domi 
nions,   to   give   power   therein   to   make   by-laws,   for   the 
management  of  the  affairs  of  that  community,  provided  they 


460  The  Obligations  of  Superiors 

SERM.  be  no  way  repugnant  to  his  own  or  the  common  laws  of  his 
-  kingdom :  if  they  be,  they  are  null  from  the  beginning. 
And  so  are  they  which  are  made  in  any  particular  kingdom, 
if  they  be  in  the  least  contrary  to  any  of  the  common  laws  of 
the  world,  those  which  the  "  King  of  kings  "  hath  made  for 
all  mankind,  both  kings  and  people  to  observe.  In  that 

[Actss.29.]  case,  the  general  law  is,  that  "we  must  obey  God  rather  than 
man : "  so  that  people  are  so  far  from  being  obliged  to  observe 
such  laws,  that  they  are  obliged  not  to  observe  them.  And 
all  such  laws,  though  they  may  perhaps,  upon  some  mistake, 
be  made  to  a  good  end,  yet  being  evil  in  themselves,  no 
good  can  ever  come  of  them ;  and  they  who  make  them, 
expose  themselves  and  their  country  also  to  the  displeasure 
of  God,  who  will,  be  sure,  vindicate  the  honour  of"  His  own 
laws,"  and  punish  the  contempt  that  is  thrown  upon  them,  if 
not  presently,  at  least,  one  time  or  other. 

6.  But  when  such  laws  are  made  in  any  country,  by  those 
to  whom  the  foresaid  power  is  committed,  which  are  agree 
able,  or  no  way  repugnant  to  the  laws  of  God,  all  that  live 
under  that  government  are  bound  to  observe  such  laws,  in 
obedience  to  the  laws  of  God  Himself,  who  commanded 

Rom.  13.  i.  "every  soul  to  be  subject  to  the  higher  powers"  under  which 

Ver.  5.  he  lives,  and  to  be  "  subject  not  only  for  wrath,  but  also  for 
conscience  sake,"  not  only  for  fear  of  the  punishment,  which 
may  be  inflicted  for  breach  of  the  law,  but  for  fear  of  God, 

i  Pet.  2.  is.  who  hath  commanded  him  to  keep  it,  and  to  "  submit  him 
self  to  every  ordinance  of  man  for  the  Lord's  sake;"  for  His 
sake,  or  in  obedience  to  Him,  who  hath  given  this  power  to 
kings  and  governors,  to  make  such  laws  for  the  defence, 
security,  and  benefit  of  the  government,  without  which  it 
could  not  so  well  subsist,  nor  the  people  that  live  under  it 
serve  God  in  peace  and  quietness.  Neither  is  it  possible  for 
subjects  to  observe  those  commands  of  God,  whereby  He 
requires  their  obedience  to  the  powers  which  He  hath  set 
over  them,  but  only  in  such  things  as  He  Himself  hath  not 
determined,  but  hath  left  the  determination  of  them  to  His 
deputies  or  ministers  in  every  country,  according  as  the 
necessities  of  time  and  place  may  require  :  and  therefore 
when  He  Himself  was  upon  earth,  in  the  likeness  and 
nature  of  man,  being,  as  such,  but  a  subject,  He  would  not 


to  promote  Religion.  461 

take   upon   Him,   when   desired,   to   decide   a  controversy 

between  two  brethren  that  contended  about  their  inheritance, 

but  left  them  to  the  law  of  the  land,  saying,  "Man,  who  Luke  12.14. 

made  me  a  judge  or  a  divider  over  you  ?"  Though  He  was  then 

also  the  Judge  and  Divider  over  all  mankind,  yet  having 

given  power  to  the  magistrates  of  the  country,  to  make  laws 

and  appoint  judges  for  the  decision  of  such  controversies 

betwixt  man  and  man,  He  would  not  recall  His  power  upon 

such  a  particular  occasion,  but  referred  the  cause  wholly  to 

the  laws  which  were  made  by  it,  and  caused  it  to  be  left 

upon  record,  that  all  people  may  know  that  it  is  His  Will, 

that  they  should  submit  to  the  laws  of  the  land  where  they 

live,  and  stand  by  them  in  all  things  wherein  they  do  not 

contradict  His  own. 

I  shall  premise  only  one  thing  more,  which  is,  that 
although  sovereign  princes  and  emperors  have  this  power 
of  making  laws  committed  to  them,  yet  they  seldom  or 
never  exercise  it,  without  consulting  some  or  other  of  their 
subjects,  which  are  supposed  to  understand  the  state  of  the 
kingdom,  the  temper  and  circumstances  of  the  people,  and 
what  occasion  there  is  for  having  any  new  laws  imposed 
upon  them ;  and  therefore  they  who  are  so  consulted,  are 
accountable  to  God  for  what  laws  they  advise,  as  well  as 
their  sovereign  is  for  making  them  :  especially  in  such 
empires  or  kingdoms,  as  we  have  several  in  this  part  of  the 
world,  which  are  so  constituted  either  originally,  or  by  the 
favour  of  their  princes,  that  the  sovereign  never  signs  or 
makes  any  new  law,  till  such  a  number  of  his  subjects,  or  all 
met  together  by  their  representatives,  have  considered  of 
the  matter,  and  upon  mature  deliberation  agree,  advise  and 
desire  it  may  be  passed  into  a  law.  In  this  case,  all  who  are 
called  together  for  such  a  purpose,  ought  to  have  the  same 
care  of  what  laws  are  made,  as  if  they  themselves  were  to 
make  them ;  for  though  they  are  not  made  by  them,  yet 
they  would  not  be  made  without  them :  and  therefore  they 
also  are  under  the  obligation  which  is  here  laid  upon  kings, 
to  "  serve  the  Lord  "  in  it. 

And  how  they  may  do  it,  may  be  easily  seen  from  the 
premises  thus  laid  down ;  for  from  hence  we  may  first 
observe,  that  they  who  have  such  an  opportunity  put  into 


462  The  Obligations  of  Superiors 

SERM.  their  hands,  of"  serving"  God  in  so  high  a  capacity,  should 
-1—  make  it  their  chief  end  and  design  to  "serve  Him"  in  it; 
for  this  is  one  of  these  common  laws,  which  the  Almighty 
Governor  of  the  world  hath  made,  for  all  mankind  to 
observe  in  all  the  actions  of  their  life ;  even  to  make  His 
'  glory  the  ultimate  end  of  every  one  of  them.  "  Whether  ye 
eat  or  drink,"  saith  He  by  His  Apostle,  "  or  whatsoever  ye 
do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God."  And  again,  "  Whatsoever 
ye  do  in  word  or  deed,  do  all  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus," 
Col.  3.  7.  and  so  for  "  His  service"  and  honour.  And  if  this  should  be 
the  end  of  every  man's  actions,  much  more  of  such  as  govern 
a  whole  kingdom  or  empire.  I  know  all  that  are  consulted 
in  such  public  affairs,  ought  to  "  serve  "  their  king  and  their 
country  too :  but  that  they  can  never  do, unless  they  first"  serve 
Him,"  upon  whose  good  will  and  pleasure,  the  welfare  of  all 
the  kings  and  kingdoms  upon  earth  depends.  Neither  can 
they  be  truly  said  to  "  serve  Him,"  unless  they  design  to  do 
so :  although  they  may,  perhaps',  do  something  which  He 
may  make  for  His  service,  by  ordering  it  so,  as  that  it  shall 
turn  to  His  glory  ;  yet  they  cannot  be  said  to  "  serve  "  Him 
in  it,  unless  they  design  it ;  and  design  it  too  before  all 
things  else,  so  as  to  make  His  glory  their  first  and  chief 
end  :  otherwise  they  are  so  far  from  "  serving,"  that  they 
dishonour  Him,  by  preferring  something  else  before  Him  ; 
whereas,  they  who  make  His  honour  the  ultimate  end  of 
what  they  do,  thereby  shew,  that  they  own  Him  to  be  the 
chiefest  good,  the  first  cause,  and  the  supreme  Disposer  of 
all  things  ;  which  is  itself  much  for  His  honour,  and  there 
fore  a  great  part  of  that  "  service  "  which  we  owe  Him. 

Now,  they  who  have  thus  the  "  service"  of  God  always 
uppermost  in  their  eye,  cannot  but  use  the  most  effectual 
means  they  can  think  of,  that  others  also  may  "  serve  "  Him 
as  well  as  they,  in  their  several  vocations  and  callings ;  and 
if  they  be  called  to  consult  about  laws  to  be  given  to  a 
whole  kingdom,  they  will,  in  course,  contrive  and  advise,  or, 
at  least,  agree  to  such  as  will  most  conduce  to  keep  up  and 
promote  the  "  serving "  of  God,  that  He  may  be  better 
known,  admired,  adored,  and  worshipped,  than  otherwise 
He  would  be,  in  the  whole  kingdom,  and  all  the  dominions 
belonging  to  it :  for  the  doing  of  this,  is  that  which  they  are 


to  promote  Religion.  463 

here  commanded,  and  which  they  themselves  are  therefore 
supposed  to  aim  at ;  it  is  "  serving  the  Lord." 

But,  for  that  purpose,  they  must  do  what  they  can,  that 
nothing  may  pass  for  a  law  among  men,  that  is  in  the  least 
contrary  to  the  law  of  God:  for  His  laws,  as  well  as  His 
works,  are  all  made  for  His  honour,  that  men  by  keeping 
them,  might  serve  Him ;  and  therefore,  so  far  as  any  human 
is  repugnant  to  His  Divine  laws,  so  much  is  detracted  from  His 
"service  :"  and  besides  that,  they  who  attempt  to  enact  any 
thing  upon  earth,  that  is  contrary  to  what  was  before  enacted 
in  Heaven,  fly  in  the  very  face  of  Heaven,  and  bid  defiance 
to  the  Sovereign  of  the  whole  world ;  which  is  the  highest 
affront  and  dishonour  that  is  possible  for  His  creatures  to 
cast  upon  Him,  and  will  be  accordingly  punished  one  time 
or  other,  as  they  will  find  to  their  cost,  whether  they  believe 
it  as  yet  or  no :  whereas,  they  who,  in  drawing  up  any 
human  laws,  keep  as  close  as  it  is  possible  to  the  laws  of 
God,  and  make  it  their  great  care  and  study  to  avoid  all 
appearance  of  contradicting  them,  out  of  an  holy  fear  of 
displeasing  Him,  thereby  plainly  declare,  that  they  agnise  or 
acknowledge  His  supreme  authority  over  the  world,  and  the 
wisdom,  goodness,  justice,  and  excellency  of  the  laws  which 
He  hath  made  for  it,  and  therefore  may  be  truly  said  to 
"  serve  the  Lord  with  fear,"  as  they  are  here  commanded. 

But  the  laws  of  God  being  written  originally  in  lan 
guages  that  are  not  commonly  understood,  there  have  been, 
and  still  may  be,  doubts  and  questions  raised  about  the  true 
sense  and  meaning  of  some  of  them ;  and  if  this  should 
happen,  as  it  sometimes  doth,  in  the  compiling  or  making 
any  human  laws,  what  course  must  they  take  who  are 
engaged  in  it,  that  they  may  be  sure  to  keep  within  the 
compass  of  the  Divine,  and  never  transgress  the  bounds 
which  God  hath  set  them?  To  that  it  may  be  answered, 
that  many  of  the  old  laws  of  this,  as  well  as  other  realms, 
were  at  first  written  in  such  a  language,  that  few  in  our  days, 
if  any,  do  fully  understand ;  and  many  other  are  so  worded, 
that  questions  often  arise  about  the  interpretation  of  them : 
in  which  case,  the  law  itself  hath  provided  a  remedy,  by 
referring  it  to  the  judges  of  the  realm,  to  resolve  such 
doubts,  and  interpret  such  laws  as  are  in  controversy  and 


464  The  Obligations  of  Superiors 

SERM.    dispute;  and  the  sense,  which  they,  by  virtue  of  their  place 

! —  and  office,  give  of  the  law,  in  such  a  case,  is  taken  for  the 

law,  as  much  as  if  there  was  no  dispute  about  it.  So  here, 
when  God  was  graciously  pleased  to  commit  His  laws  to 
writing,  He  ordered  them  to  be  written  in  such  languages, 
as  were  vulgarly  understood  of  those  people  to  whom  they 
were  first  committed,  and  from  whom  they  were  to  be  com 
municated  to  the  rest  of  the  world  :  and  foreseeing  that 
doubts  would  sometimes  arise  about  the  interpretation  of 
them,  He  inserted  it  into  the  body  of  His  laws,  how  He  would 
have  them  interpreted,  even  by  such  as  He  should  choose 
into  the  Priest's  office,  to  minister  to  Him  at  His  altar,  and 
so  have  more  immediate  access  to  Him  than  other  people  had  ; 
Mai.  2.  7.  for  so  saith  the  Law,  "  The  lips  of  the  Priest  shall  keep  know- 
i ?.]' Hag'2'  ledge,  and  they  shall  seek  the  law  at  his  mouth ;  for  he  is  the 
messenger  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts."  Not,  they  should  only, 
as  it  is  in  our  translation,  but  "  they  shall  seek  it  at  his 
mouth,"  as  it  is  in  the  original,  and  so  it  is  made  a  law, 
commanding  all  people  to  do  so;  and  the  reason  also  is 
given  for  it,  even  because  the  Priest,  as  such,  "  is  the  mes 
senger  of  the  Lord  of  Hosts."  He,  as  a  Priest,  speaks  not 
his  own  sense,  but  the  sense  of  the  lawgiver,  as  being  His 
messenger ;  as  we  read  of  Caiaphas,  that  "  he  spake  not  of 
himself,  but  being  High-Priest  that  year,  he  prophesied,"  or 
declared,  that  according  to  the  true  meaning  of  the  law, 
,  "  Jesus  should  die  for  that  nation  "  &c.  And  when  the 

John  11.  51. 

Lawgiver  Himself  was  upon  earth,  He  explained  and  con 
firmed  the  same  Law  with  His  own  mouth,  saying  to  the 
multitude  that  was  about  Him,  as  well  as  to  His  own  dis- 
Matt.  23. 2,  ciples,  "  The  Scribes  and  the  Pharisees  sit  in  Moses's  seat. 
All  therefore  whatsoever  they  bid  you  observe,  that  ob 
serve  and  do ;  but  do  not  ye  after  their  works,  for  they  say 
and  do  not."  Though  in  themselves  they  were  generally  ill 
men,  and  therefore  not  to  be  imitated  in  what  they  did  ;  yet 
as  they  sat  in  Moses's  seat,  and  so  had  the  power  of  inter 
preting  the  law,  all  people  are  here  commanded  "  to  observe 
and  do  what  they  said :"  and  if  they  happened  to  give  a 
wrong  sense  of  the  Law,  they  were  to  bear  the  blame  and 
punishment,  not  the  people  that  were  obliged  to  take  it  from 
them. 


to  promote  Religion.  465 

And  when  the  Lord  Jesus  was  to  ascend  in  our  nature 
into  Heaven,  He  assured  His  Apostles,  that  He  would  be  with 
them  and  their  successors  in  the  ministry  of  His  Church 
"  always  unto  the  end  of  the  world  ;"  that  the  Holy  Spirit  Matt.  28. 
should  "  abide  with   them  for  ever,"  and  "lead  them  into  j0im  14.  16. 


all  truth;"  and  that  "  he  who  heareth  them,  heareth  Him."  J£*P-  l6- 
By  which  and  the  like  expressions,  He  did  not  only  promise  Luke  10.16. 
His  Apostles  and  their  successors,  the  Bishops  and  Pastors  of 
His  Church,  in  all  ages,  to  direct  and  assist  them  in  the 
execution  of  their  Office  ;  but  likewise  required  all  people  to 
hearken  to  them,  as  to  Himself,  and  so  to  take  the  mean 
ing  of  His  Laws,  as  they  by  His  direction  should  interpret 
them.     And  accordingly  we  read,  that  when  there  was  a 
dispute  among  His  first  Disciples,  about  the  law  concerning 
circumcision  and  other  Mosaic  rites,  they  sent  to  the  Apos 
tles  and  Elders  at  Hierusalem,  and  took  their  interpretation 
of  the   law   in  that  case,    as    given    by  the  Holy  Ghost  Acts  is.  28. 
Himself. 

And  this  hath  been  the  sense  and  practice  of  the  Church 
of  Christ,  as  might  easily  be  shewn,  in  all  ages.  Neither 
is  there  any  Christian  kingdom  we  know  of  at  this  day,  but 
where  the  Ministers  of  Christ  are  consulted  in  all  cases 
relating  to  religion  and  the  laws  of  God  :  particularly  in  this 
kingdom,  whensoever  any  laws  are  to  be  made,  the  whole 
clergy  of  the  realm  is  summoned  to  appear,  either  in  their 
own  persons,  or  by  their  representatives  in  convocation,  that 
they  may  be  ready  to  give  their  advice,  if  there  be  occasion, 
in  all  such  cases.  Neither  doth  any  law  pass,  without  the 
advice  of  the  lords  Spiritual,  as  well  as  temporal.  And 
therefore,  when  any  thing  is  proposed  that  is  repugnant  to 
the  laws  of  God,  if  they  let  it  pass  without  shewing  it  is  so, 
the  fault  will  lie  at  their  door,  and  they  must  answer  for 
it  at  the  last  day.  For  it  is  to  be  supposed,  that  none  of 
the  assembly  would  agree  to  any  such  thing,  if  they  knew  it 
to  be  such  ;  so  that  this  is  certainly  the  best  course  that  could 
be  taken,  for  those  who  are  advised  with  to  make  laws,  that 
they  maybe  sure  not  to  dishonour  or  offend,  but  "serve"  the 
Lord  by  it. 

But  they  will  still  "serve"  the  Lord  more  effectually  in  this 
high  and  honourable  station,  if  they  likewise  establish, 

H  H 


466  The  Obligations  of  Superiors 

SERM.  strengthen  and  enforce  His  laws  and  service  with  civil  sanc- 
-  tions,  as  the  Church  doth  it  with  Ecclesiastical  or  Spiritual. 
The  Church,  when  it  was  first  planted  by  Christ,  and  pro 
pagated  by  His  Apostles,  subsisted,  as  we  know,  and  in 
creased  for  near  300  years  together,  without  the  assistance 
of  the  civil  powers,  which  were  generally  so  far  from  shew 
ing  it  any  favour,  that  they  endeavoured  all  they  could  to 
extirpate  and  root  it  up.  And  at  this  day,  in  many  places, 
where  the  civil  magistrates  are  all  Mahometans  or  Heathens, 
the  Church  still  stands  upon  its  own  legs,  by  virtue  of  that 
power  which  it  receives  from  Christ  the  Head  of  it ;  who 

Matt.i6.is.  hath  promised,  that  "  the  gates  of  Hell  shall  never  prevail 
against  it."  He  to  whom  all  things  are  present,  knew,  that 
seeing  no  man  can  be  saved  but  by  Him,  nor  by  Him 
without  being  a  member  of  His  Body  the  Church ;  there 
fore  all  the  powers  of  Hell  would  set  themselves  against 
His  Church,  and  stir  up  those  upon  earth  also  to  oppose, 
and,  if  it  were  possible,  to  destroy  it.  But  still  it  hath  not 
only  kept  its  ground,  but  got  more ;  and  will  do  so  to  the 
end  of  the  world,  notwithstanding  all  the  opposition  that 
men  or  devils  can  make  against  it :  and  all  by  means  of  that 
power  which  it  hath  within  itself,  to  make  laws  and  con 
stitutions  for  the  defence  and  government  of  itself,  and  for 
the  better  keeping  up  the  true  faith,  and  fear,  and  worship 
of  God,  and  that  obedience  which  is  due  to  His  laws  en 
trusted  with  her ;  and  to  punish  such  as  obstinately  refuse 
to  obey  them,  by  casting  them  out  of  her  society,  and  so 
cutting  them  off  as  rotten  members  from  the  Body  of  Christ, 
and  to  receive  them  in  again  upon  their  hearty  repentance 
and  promise  of  amendment. 

But  although  the  Church  be  thus  a  distinct  body  of  itself, 
under  Christ  the  Head,  yet  He  being  the  Head  likewise 

EPh.  1.22.  "over  all  things  to  the  Church,"  hath  so  ordered  it,  that 
many  whole  kingdoms  have  received  His  faith,  and  there 
fore  taken  His  Church  under  their  protection.  In  all 
which  kingdoms,  the  Church  is  of  the  same  extent  with 
the  nation  itself,  established  by  its  laws,  and  so  made  a 
national  Church,  under  the  same  king  by  whom  the  whole 
nation  is  governed  ;  who  is  supreme  head  upon  earth  of 
that  particular  Church,  under  Christ  the  Head  of  all  the 


to  promote  Religion.  467 

Churches  in  the  world :  which  taken  all  together,  make  up 
that  which  we  call  the  Catholic  or  Universal  Church. 

Now,  where  a  national  Church  is  thus  established,  not 
only  they  who  first  established  it,  but  all  they  also  who 
make  or  advise  laws,  whereby  she  may  more  freely  and 
effectually  administer  the  means  of  Salvation,  and  exercise 
the  power  which  Christ  hath  given  her  for  that  purpose, 
they  also  "  serve  "  the  Lord  in  it,  not  only  by  owning  His 
authority,  and  defending  His  Church  in  general,  but  like 
wise  because  He  will  be  thereby  better  served  and  wor 
shipped  all  the  kingdom  over,  than  otherwise  He  would  be, 
and  will  have  more  saints  and  servants  there,  who  may  be 
meet  to  live  with  Him  and  praise  Him  for  ever. 

Yea,  by  this  means  the  whole  kingdom  "  serves"  the  Lord  ; 
for  when  His  "  public  service"  is  "  established"  by  the  laws 
of  the  kingdom,  and  all  the  people  in  it  are  required  to 
"serve  Him"  accordingly,  though  there  may  perhaps  be 
many  particular  persons  who  refuse  or  neglect  it,  that  is 
only  their  personal  fault,  not  the  fault  of  the  kingdom  ; 
which,  as  the  kingdom,  acts  only  by  its  laws.  And  if  they 
require  all  the  subjects  to  perform  such  worship  and  service 
to  Almighty  God,  as  His  Church,  upon  mature  deliberation, 
hath  established  and  determined  to  be  agreeable  to  His  will, 
for  the  honour  of  His  name,  and  the  edification  of  His  people, 
the  whole  kingdom,  as  such,  performs  it.  And  therefore  all 
such  as  make  or  advise  such  laws,  howsoever  they  may  fail 
in  other  things,  in  that  they  plainly  "  serve"  the  Lord. 

And  so  they  do  likewise  by  enforcing,  with  civil  sanctions, 
the  observation  of  any  particular  law  of  God  ;  which  is  com 
monly  broken  or  neglected,  by  such  who  having  "  their  con-  [i  Tim.  4. 
sciences  seared  as  with  an  hot  iron,"  have  not  so  much  sense  2'-' 
of  God  or  their  duty  to  Him,  as  to  regard  the  laws  and 
censures  of  the  Church.  As  for  example,  God  hath  strictly 
forbidden  all  men  to  take  His  sacred  Name  in  vain,  to  curse, 
or  to  swear  falsely  by  it ;  now  when  any  sort  of  people  in  a 
kingdom  are  come  to  such  an  height  of  impiety,  as  to  live 
in  the  constant  breach  of  so  plain  Divine  laws,  if  there  be  a 
law  made  for  the  restraining  of  them  from  it  by  "  temporal 
penalties,"  which  they  are  more  sensible  of  than  they  are  of 
"  Spiritual ; "  though  some  of  them  may,  perhaps,  notwith- 


468  The  Obligations  of  Superiors 

SERM.  standing  such  a  law,  continue  in  any  of  these  horrid  sins, 
- —  yet  it  will  not  be  imputed  to  the  kingdom  itself  as  a  national 
sin,  because  it  hath  sufficiently  declared  its  abhorrence  of  it, 
and  done  what  it  could  to  suppress  it.  And  all  that  have 
any  hand  in  drawing  up  such  a  law  against  profane  swearing 
and  cursing,  do  not  only  "serve"  the  kingdom,  but  God 
Himself  by  it,  in  taking  so  much  care  that  His  holy  Name 
may  not  be  profaned,  nor  His  laws  slighted. 

I  need  not  instance  in  more  particulars,  where  a  word  is 
enough.  But  I  cannot  but  here  call  to  mind,  what  excel 
lent  laws  have  been  made  in  this  happy  kingdom  ;  therefore 
happy,  because  such  excellent  laws  have  been  made  in  it, 
that  if  they  were  but  as  generally  observed,  as  they  were 
piously  made,  this  would  certainly  be  the  most  glorious 
kingdom  upon  earth.  But  to  our  shame  and  grief  be  it 
spoken,  many  of  our  laws  are  neglected  as  much  as  if  they 
had  been  repealed,  and  but  very  few  kept  as  they  ought  in 
duty  and  conscience  to  be.  I  had  rather  pour  in  oil  than 
rake  in  sores,  especially  those  of  a  kingdom :  but  I  cannot 
forbear  taking  notice,  how,  notwithstanding  all  our  laws  to 
the  contrary,  we  have  now  many  heathens  among  us,  people 
that  were  never  baptized  or  made  Christians ;  and  the  worst 
of  it  is,  that  we  are  oft  at  a  loss  to  know  whether  they  be  so 
or  no.  Of  those  who  are  christened,  few  are  instructed  in 
the  principles  of  the  Christian  religion,  because  their  parents 
refuse  to  send  them  while  they  are  young,  and  they  them 
selves  afterwards  think  scorn  to  come.  The  great  badge  of 
our  religion,  the  Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  is  so 
shamefully  laid  aside,  that  a  great  part  of  the  kingdom 
never  receive  it  at  all,  and  very  few  as  often  as  the  law 
requires.  There  are  many  about  the  city,  as  well  as  in  the 
country,  that  never  go  to  Church  all  the  year,  especially  in 
great  parishes,  where  they  have  not  Churches  enough  to  go 
[Eph.  2.  to,  and  so  "  live  as  without  God  in  the  world."  I  dread  to 
speak  it,  but  I  cannot  help  it,  there  are  some,  I  hope  not 
many  among  us,  who  are  given  up  to  such  "  hardness  of 
heart,  and  contempt  of  God's  Word,"  that  they  openly  reject 
it ;  and  others,  near  akin  to  them,  who  have  the  confidence 
to  deny  and  oppose  the  Divine  Power  or  Godhead  of  our 
ever  Blessed  Redeemer,  and  so  strike  at  the  foundation  of 


to  promote  Religion.  469 

the  Christian,  and  all  true  religion;  and  that  too,  not  only 
in  their  private  discourse,  but  publicly  in  print. 

These  are  some  of  the  grievances,  which,  though  I  know 
not  how  to  redress,  yet,  as  a  Minister  of  Christ,  I  could  not 
but  mention;  heartily  wishing,  that  all  they  who  are  en 
trusted  with  it,  would  "serve  the  Lord"  as  faithfully  in 
executing  the  laws,  as  they  did  who  advised  and  made  them  : 
we  should  then  see  another  face  both  in  Church  and  State. 
But,  for  that  purpose,  they  must  first  keep  the  laws  them 
selves,  and  so  set  the  rest  of  the  nation  an  example  how  to 
do  it.  And  then  they  would  do  well  to  consider,  that  the 
best  laws  signify  nothing,  unless  they  be  observed :  and  that 
all  those  who  by  their  oath  and  place  are  bound  to  put  the 
laws  in  execution,  such  especially  as  are  made  for  the  honour 
of  God,  unless  they  do  it,  they  do  not  only  fail  in  their  duty 
to  the  king  and  their  country,  but  to  God  Himself;  and 
contract  unto  themselves  the  guilt  of  all  the  impieties  and 
immoralities  which  are  committed  by  their  default  and 
neglect,  so  as  to  make  themselves  obnoxious  to  the  dis 
pleasure  of  God,  and  to  all  the  punishments  which  He  hath 
threatened  in  that  case.  We  know  what  old  Eli  suffered 
for  not  restraining  the  vices  and  debaucheries  of  his  two 
sons,  when  it  was  in  his  power  to  do  it ;  and  all  because  of 
the  dishonour  which  was  thereby  cast  upon  the  worship  and 
service  of  God ;  who  therefore,  in  the  message  He  sent  him, 
told  him  plainly,  "  Them  that  honour  Me  I  will  honour,  i  Sam.  2. 
and  they  that  despise  Me  shall  be  lightly  esteemed."  From  3°* 
whence  we  may  likewise  observe,  that  He  looks  upon  the 
contempt  that  is  thrown  upon  His  laws  and  service,  as 
affecting  Himself,  and  therefore  will  accordingly  punish  it : 
and  that  all  who  faithfully  use  the  power  committed  to  them 
for  the  suppressing  of  profaneness,  and  the  promoting  of 
piety  and  religion,  they  thereby  perform  the  duty  here 
required  of  them ;  they  "  serve  the  Lord,"  for  they  honour 
Him,  and  are  accordingly  honoured  and  rewarded  by  Him. 

And  who  would  not  "  serve"  so  great  a  Lord  ?  the  greatest 
in  the  whole  world,  the  Lord  of  Heaven  and  Earth,  the 
Lord  our  Maker,  the  Lord  our  Saviour,  the  Lord  and  Judge 
both  of  quick  and  dead,  before  whom  all  mankind  must 
ere  long  give  account,  how  they  have  "served"  Him  in 


470  The  Obligations  of  Superiors,  $"c. 

SERM.    their  several  generations,  and  whether  they  have  done  it 

— '—  or  not :  happy  are  they  who  shall  then  be  found  to  have 

"served"  Him  with  the  talents  which  He  put  into  their 

John  12. 26.  hands.  Let  us  hear  what  He  Himself  saith,  "If  any  man 
serve  Me,  let  him  follow  Me  ;  and  where  I  am,  there  shall 
also  My  servant  be.  If  any  man  serve  Me,  him  will  My 
Father  honour."  Where  we  have  it  from  His  own  mouth, 
that  they  who  "serve"  Him  upon  earth,  shall  be  and  live 
with  Him  in  Heaven,  and  shall  be  honoured  by  God  the 
Father  Himself:  and  what  an  honour  is  this,  to  be  honoured 
by  Him  that  is  the  fountain  of  all  true  honour!  "This 

[PS.  149.9.]  honour  have  all  the  Saints"  and  servants  of  the  Lord  Christ, 
who  also  Himself  hath  that  respect  for  them,  that  whilst 
other  people  are  left  to  the  general  providence  of  God,  He 
takes  them  into  His  own  particular  care,  interceding  con 
tinually  with  the  Father  for  them ;  by  which  means  they 
are  not  only  kept  in  the  favour  of  God,  but  have  "  the  light 
of  His  countenance"  always  shining  upon  them,  and  all 
things  concurring  to  make  them  happy  both  here  and 
for  ever. 


END  OF  THE  FIRST  VOLUME. 


LONDON: 

I'RINTKD  I'.Y  MOY1S  AND  BARCLAY,  CASTLE  STREET, 
LEICESTER  SQUARE. 


LIBRARY  OF  ANGLO-CATHOLIC  THEOLOGY. 


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LIST  OF  AUTHORS. 


Bishop  Andrewes. 

Archbishop  Bancroft. 

Bishop  Beveridge. 

Archbishop  Bramhall. 

Brett,  Thomas. 

Brevint. 

Brown,  Thomas. 

Bishop  Buckeridge. 

Bishop  Bull. 

Burscough. 

Cave. 

Bishop  Cosin. 

Dodwell,  H. 

Farindon,  A. 

Bishop  Feme. 

Bishop  Gunning. 

Bishop  Hall. 

Hammond. 

Heylin. 

Hickes. 

Hyde,  Dr.  Edward. 

Inett. 

Johnson,  John. 

Kettlewell. 

Archbishop  Laud. 

Leslie,  Charles. 

L'Estrange's  Alliance. 

Bishop  Lloyd. 


Marshall's  Penl.  Disc. 
Mason,  Fr. 
Maurice,  H. 
Bishop  Montague. 
Bishop  Morton. 
Bishop  Nicholson  (Gloucester) 
Bishop  Overall. 
Bishop  Patrick. 
Bishop  Pearson. 

Prideaux    on    English     Ordina 
tions. 

Rogers' s,  John,  Vis.  Church. 
Bishop  Sage. 
Sail,  Dr. 

Archbishop  Sancroft. 
Bishop  Sanderson. 
Saywell. 
Spelman,  Sir  H. 
Scrivener,  Matt. 
Bishop  Stillingfleet. 
Bishop  Taylor,  Jer. 
Thorn  dike. 

Walker,  William,  on  Baptism. 
Bishop  Webb. 
Wharton,  H. 
Bishop  White,  Fr.  (Ely). 
Wilkins's  Concilia. 
Bishop  Wilson. 


Care  will  be  taken  to  avoid  interfering  with  the  publications  of  the 
Oxford  University  Press. 

VOLUMES  PUBLISHED  1841. 

BISHOP  ANDREWES'  XCVI.  Sermons,  Vols.  I.  to  IV. 

ARCHBISHOP  BRAMHALL'S  Works,  Vol.  I. 

BISHOP  BULL'S  Harmony  of  St.  James  and  St.  Paul  on  Justification. 

IN  COURSE  OF  PUBLICATION  FOR  1842. 

BISHOP  ANDREWES'  Sermons,  Vol.  V. 
ARCHBISHOP  BRAMHALL'S  Works,  Vol.  II. 

• Vol.  III.  in  the  press. 

BISHOP  BULL'S  Defence  and  Vindication  of  his  Harmony.     Now 

first  translated. 

BISHOP  NICHOLSON'S  Exposition  of  the  Catechism. 
BISHOP  BEVERIDGE'S  Works,  Vol.  I. 

IN  THE  PRESS  FOR  1843. 

ARCHBISHOP  BRAMHALL'S  Works,  Vol.  IV. 
BISHOP  BEVERIDGE'S  Works,  Vol.  II.  and  III. 
BISHOP  COSIN'S  Works,  Vol.  I. 
BISHOP  OVERALL'S  Convocation  Book. 
THORNDIKE'S  Works,  Vol.  I. 


Rev.  R.  S.  Barter,  D.C.L.  Warden  of  Winchester  College. 

Rev.  Edw.  Churton,  M.A.  Crayke,  Durham. 

Rev.  William  Gresley,  M.A.  Prebendary  of  Lichfield. 

Rev.  W.  F.  Hook,  D.D.  Vicar  of  Leeds. 

Rev.  R.  W.  Jelf,  D.D.  Canon  of  Christ  Church. 

Rev.  John  Keble,  M.A.  Vicar  of  Hursley. 

Rev.  W.  H.  Mill,  D.D.  Christian  Advocate,  Cambridge;    Chaplain 

to  the  Lord  Archbishop  of  Canterbury. 

Rev.  G.  Moberly,  D.C.L.  Head  Master  of  Winchester  School. 
Rev.  J.  H.  Newman,  B.D.  Fellow  of  Oriel  College. 
Rev.  H.  H.  Norris,  M.A.  Prebendary  of  St.  Paul's,  Hackney. 
Rev.  Wm.  Palmer,  M.A.  Worcester  College,  Oxford. 
The  Hon.  and  Rev.  Arthur  P.  Perceval,  East  Horsley,  Guildford, 

Surrey. 
Rev.  E.  B.  Pusey,  D.D.  Regius  Professor  of  Hebrew,  and  Canon 

of  Christ  Church. 


Rev.  W.  J.  Copeland,  M.A.  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Oxford. 

•miAsiuMiiifc  AN®  sKBn&inrADW. 
Charles  Crawley,  Esq.  Littlemore,  near  Oxford. 


Mr.  John  Henry  Parker,  Oxford. 


The  following  gentlemen  have  consented  to  act  as  Secretaries 
in  their  respective  districts. 

Bath        . .  . .  Rev.  W.  Bliss. 

Birmingham  . .  Rev.  T.  Nunns. 

Exeter    . .  . .  Rev.  C.  Bartholomew. 

Northampton  . .  Rev.  T.  V.  Barlow. 

Armagh    . .  . .  Rev.  R.  Allot. 

Coleraine  . .  Rev.  C.  Monsell. 

Kirkby  Lonsdale  Rev.  J.  H.  F.  Kendall. 


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*Bolland,  W.  Esq.  University  College 
*Bond,  F.  H.  Esq.  Exeter  Coll.,  Oxford 
Bonney,  Ven.  Archdeacon 

*  Boodle,  Rev.  R.  G.  Compton  Dando, 
near  Bath 

*  Booker,  Rev.  John,  Vicar  of  Killurin, 

Ireland 

*Borton,  Rev.  W.  Blofield,  Norfolk 
Bosanquet,  S.  Esq.  Eastwoodhay 
*Boulton,  Rev.  W.  the  School,  Wem, 

Salop 

•Bourke,  Rev.  S.  G.  Hotherop,  Fairford 
*Bowden,  John,  Esq.  Roehampton 
Bowdler,  Rev.  T.  Sydenham 

*  Bowles,  H.  A.  Esq. 

*Bowles,  Rev.  F.  S.  Exeter  Coll.  Oxford 

*  Bowyer,  Rev.  W.  H. 
Boyce,  Rev.  E.  J.  Southampton 
*Bradley,   C.  R.   Esq.  Diocesan  Coll. 

Chichester 

*Bradshaw,  James,  Esq.  Stockport 
*Bradshaw,  Job,  Esq.  Secretary  to  the 

Englishman's  Library,  Nottingham 
•Braitliwaite,    Rev.   W.     St.    Peter's, 

Jersey 

*Bramston,  Rev.  John,  Witham,  Essex 
*Brandreth,    Rev-    W.    H.    Rector   of 

Standish 


*Branker,  Rev.  Henry,  Padgate,  War- 

rington 

*Bray,  Dr.  Associates  of,  5  copies 
*Brett,  Mr.  Newington  Green 
Brewin,  Rev.  George,  York 
*Brewster,  Rev.  W.  Hawarden,   near 

Chester 
Bridges,  Rev.  A.  B.  Beddington 

*  Bright,  Mr.  William,  Manchester 
*Brightwell  and  Son,  Messrs.   Book 
sellers,  Barnstaple 

*Brine,  J.  G.  Esq.  St.  John's  College, 
Oxford 

Broadley,  Rev.  A.  Bridport,  Dorset 

**  Brodrick,  J.  R.  Esq.  M.A.  Reading 

*Brook,  Rev.  W.  Bentley,  Suffolk 

Brooks,  Rev.  J.  H.  Brasenose  College, 
Oxford 

*Browell,  Rev.  W.  Beaumont,  Col 
chester 

Brown,  Rev.  Felix,  Pulborough,  near 
Petworth 

*Brown,  Rev.  H.  St.  James's,  Shore- 
ditch,  London 

*Brown,  Rev.  John  Cave,  Edington, 
near  Bridgewater 

*Brown,  Messrs.  J.  G.  and  T.  C. 
Leicester 

*Brown,  Rev.  J.  J.Beaumaris,Anglesea 

*  Browne,  Rev.  E.  H.  Exeter 
Browne,  Rev.  J.  M.  Vicar  of  Standish 
*Browne,  Rev.  John,  Haxey  Vicarage, 

Lincolnshire 

Browne,  Rev. R.W.King's  Coll.,  London 
*Browne,  Rev.  S.  Dewy  Hill,   Calne, 

Wilts 
*Browne,  E.  G.  Esq.  St.  David's  Coll., 

Lampeter 

*Bruce,  Rev.  W.   St.  Nicholas,  Cardiff 
Brymer,  Ven.  Archdeacon,  Bath 
Bubb,       Rev.       Henry       Bagendon, 

Cirencester 
Buckerfield,  Rev.  T.  H.  Little  Bedwyn, 

Wilts 

*Buckland,  J.  R.  Esq.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
*Buckle,  W.  H.  Esq.  Customs,  Bridge- 
water 

*Buckley,  W.  E.  Esq.  Brasenose  Col 
lege,  Oxford 

Buckley,  Rev.  J.  Badminton,  Glouces 
tershire 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


Buller,  Rev.  A.  Tavistock 

*Bulley,  Rev.  F.  Magd.  Coll.  Oxford 

*  Bullock,  Rev.  G.  M.  St.  John's  Coll. 

Oxford 

*Bullock,  W.  Esq.  Kilburn,  Middlesex 
*Bunbury,  Rev.  J.  R.  North  Marston, 

Winslow,  Bucks 

*Bunt,  Rev.  T.  H.  B.  Trin.  Coll.  Camb. 
*Burder,  Rev.    G.  Babbicombe,   near 

Torquay 

Burlton,  Rev.  F.  J.  Taunton 
*Burney,  E.  K.  Esq. 
*Burney,    Rev.    C.    Sible-Hedingham 

Halsted,  Essex 

*  Burns,  Mr.  17,  Portman-street, London 
*Burton,  Rev.    R.    C.    York    Terrace 

Peckham 

**Butler,  Rev.  Dr.  Chancellor  of  Peter 
borough,  Gayton,  Northampton 

*Butler,  Rev.  D.  Hawarden,  near 
Chester 

*Butler,  Rev.  James,  Grammar  School, 
Burnley,  Lancashii-e 

*Butt,  Rev.  P.  J.  Hampstead 

*Butterfield,  Rev.J.Bradford,  Yorkshire 

*  Byrne,  Mrs.  Henry,  Worcester 
*Byron,  Rev.  J.  Killingholme,  Barton- 

on-Humber 

*CALCUTTA,  THE  LORD  BISHOP  OF 

*  Calcutta,  The  Bishop's  College 
*Calley,  C.  B.  Esq.  Worcester  College, 

Oxford 

*Calman,  J.  J.  Esq.  Worcester  Col 
lege,  Oxford 

*  Cameron,  Rev.  Charles 
Campbell,      Rev.      C.      Weasenham, 

Rougham,  Norfolk 

*  Campbell,  Rev.  J.  J.  Ashford,Wicklow 
*Canham,    A.   J.   Esq.    Summer-hill, 

Tenterden,  Kent 

*  Canterbury  Clerical  Book  Society 

*  Capper,  S.  J.  Esq.  Leyton,  Essex 

*  Carey,  Rev.  Hewitt 

*  Carey,  Tupper,  Esq. 

*Carshove,  Rev.  Jos.  James,  chaplain 
Hon.  East  India  Company's  Service, 
Cawnpore,  Bengal 

Carter,  Rev.  J.  St.  John's  Coll.  Oxford 

*  Carter,  Rev.  T.  T.  Burnham,  Maiden 

head 


*  Carter,  Rev.  W.  A.  Eton  College 
*Carthew,     Rev.     James,     Trengelos, 

Launceston 

*Cartwright,  Rev.  W.  H.  Dudley 
*Case,  Rev.  T.  Horton 

*  Gather,  Rev.  John,  Wrexham 
*Cattley,  Rev.  S.  R.  Fulham 
*Cattley,  R.Esq.  Worcester  ColLOxford 
Cavendish,  Hon.  and  Rev.  A.  Stanmore, 

Middlesex 
Cavendish,  Hon.  R.  Belgrave- square  » 

*  Chaffers,  Rev.  T.  Brasenose  College, 

Oxford 
Chamberlain,  Rev.  T.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 

*  Chambers,  J.  C.  Esq.  Emmanuel  Coll 

Cambridge 

*Chambers,  J.D.  Esq.  Oriel  ColLOxford 
*Chambers,    O.    L.    Esq.     University 

College,  Oxford 
*Champernowne,  H.  Esq.  Trinity  Coll. 

Oxford 
* Champernowne,    R.    Esq.    Ch.    Ch., 

Oxford 
*Champneys,  Rev.  H.  S.  Mucklestone, 

Staffordshire 

*  Chanter,  Rev.  J.  M.  Ilfracombe 
*Chermside,  R.  Seymour,  Esq.  Exeter 

College,  Oxford. 
Chesshyre,    Rev.    I.    T.   St.  Martin's, 

Canterbury 
»  Chester,  Rev.  A.  Chichely  Hall 

*  Chester,  Harry,  Esq.  Highgate 
Chevallier,  Rev.  Temple,  Durham 
*CHICHESTER,  VERY  REV.THEDEAN  OF 
Christie,  Rev.  J.  F.  Oriel  Coll.  Oxford 

*  Church,  Rev.  R.  W.  Oriel  Coll.  Oxford 
Churton,  Rev.  E.  Crayke,  Durham 

*  Clark,  Rev.  Fran.  F.  Hartshill  Parson 

age,  Newcastle 

Clark,  Rev.  H.   D.   Rector  of  Iping, 
Sussex 

*  Clark,     Rev.     John,     Grove     Villa, 

Hunslet,  Leeds 

*  Clarke,  L.  S.  Esq.  New  Coll.,  Oxford 
*Clarke,  Samuel,  Esq.  St.  John's  Coll. 

Oxford 
*Clarke,  Rev.  W.  H.  Yarmouth,  Norfolk 

*  Clarke,  T.  Esq.  Lanesfield,  Evesham 
*Clay,  Rev.  J.  G.  Brompton 

*  Clay  ton,    Rev.    J.    H.    Farnborough 

Rectory,  Hants 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


»  Cleather,  Rev.  G.  P.  Chirton,  Devizes, 

Wilts 

Clements,  J.  Esq.  Oriel  Coll.  Oxford 
Clerical  Society,  Newcastle- on-Tyne 
*Clerical  Society  of  the  Deanery  of 

Droxford,  Hants 
*Clerke,  Venerable  C.  C.  Archdeacon 

of  Oxford 

*  Coates,  Rev.  R.  P.  Rochester 
Cobbe,  Rev.  H.  Kilmore,  Armagh 
*Cobham,  Rev.  I.  B.  Walton,  Somerset 
*Cockin,    M.    Esq.   Minchinhampton, 

Gloucestershire. 
Cocks,  Somers,  Esq. 
*Codd,  Rev.  E.  T.  St.  John's  College, 

Cambridge 

f  Cole,  Rev.  M.  S.  Wootton-under-Edge 
*Cole,  Hev.  G.  E.  Dorchester,  Dorset 
*COLERIDGE,  HON.  MR.  JUSTICE 
*Coleridge,  Rev.  E.  Eton  College 
Coleridge,  Rev.  George 
Coles,  Rev.  G.  Croydon 
*Coley,  Rev.  J. 

*  Collier,  C.  I.  Esq.  Magd.  Hall,  Oxford 
*Collings,  Mr.  E.  Bath 

Collings,  Rev.  William 

*  Collins,  Rev.  R.  Hampstead 
Collinson,  Rev.  R.  Holme  Cultram 

*  Collis,  Rev.  J.  D.Worcester  Col.Oxford 

*  Colls,  Rev.  I.  F. 

*Collyns,  C.  H.  Esq.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 

*Colville,  Rev.  F.  L. 

*Compton,  Rev.  J.  Minstead  Rectory, 

Lyndhurst 
Connop,  Newell,  Esq.  Whitehall 

*  Constable,  J.  C.  Esq.  Jesus  College, 
Cambridge 

*Conway,  W.  F.  Esq.  Dublin 
Coope,  Rev.  H.  G.  Clunn,  Shropshire 
*Cooper,  Rev.  E.  P.  Burford,  Oxon. 
•Copeland,  Rev.  W.  J.  Trinity  College, 

Oxford 

Cork  Tract  Society,  The 
*Cornish,Rev.  C.L.Exeter  Coll.Oxford 

*  Cornish,    Rev.   S.  W.    D.D.    Ottery 

St.  Mary,  Devon 

*  Cornthwaite,  Rev.  T.  Honisey 
*Cosens,  Rev.  R.  Dorchester 

*  Cotton,  Rev.  W.  C. 

*  Cotton,  Alexander,  Esq.   Hildersham 

Hall,  Cambridgeshire 


*Courtenay,  Lord,  Powderham  Castle 
*Courtenay,  Rev.  F.Exeter  Coll.Oxford 
*Cox,  Rev.  I.  Edm.  Southtown,  Gt. 

Yarmouth. 

fCox,  Rev.  J.  Walgrave,  Northampton 
Crawley,  Rev.  C.  Stowe,  near  Weedon 
*Crawley,  C.  Esq.  Highgate 

*  Crawley,  G.  A.  Esq.  Highgate 

*  Crawley,    Rev.    R.   Steeple  Ashton, 

Trowbridge 

*  Creek,  Rev.  E.  B.  Paignton,  Devon 
*Crewkerne  Deanery  Clerical  Society 
*Cripps,  J.  M.  Esq.  Novington,  near 

Lewes 
Crompton,    Rev.    B.    Unsworth,    near 

Bury,  Lancashire 
*Croome,  Rev.  J.  B.Rendcomb  Rectory, 

Cirencester 

*Crossley,  James,  Esq.  Manchester 
*Crossley,  Mr.  John  S.  Leicester 
*Crosthwaite,  Rev.  J.  C.  No.  1.  Had- 

dington  Road 
*Crosthwaite,  Rev.  C.  Lackagh  Monas- 

terevan,  Ireland 
*Currie,  Rev.  James 
*Currie,  Miss 

Currie  &  Bowman,  Newca  tle-on-Tyne 
*Currie,  Rev.  H.  G. 
Cust,  Hon.  and  Rev.  H.  C.  Cockayne, 

Hatley 


**ST.  DAVID'S,  THE  Lord   BISHOP  OF 
*Dakeyne,  Rev.  J.  Osmond,  Boxmoor, 

Herts 

Dale,  Rev.  Henry,  Bristol 
*Dalton,  Rev.  C.  B.  Lincoln's  Inn 
*Dalton,  Rev.  W.  Kelvedon,  Essex 
•Dand,  Rev.    Thos.  Queen's  College, 

Oxford 
*Daniel,  George  Fred.  Esq.  Magdalene 

College,  Cambridge 
*Darby,     Rev.    J.    Curate  of    Acton, 

Ireland 
*  Darling,   Mr.    Little     Queen   Street, 

London 
**Darnell,     Rev.    W.    N.    Stanhope, 

Durham 

Darnell,  Rev.  W. 
*Dartmouth,   the   Earl   of,    Sandwell, 

near  Birmingham 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*Davenport,  Arthur,  Esq.,  Christ's  Coll. 

Cambridge 

Davie,  Rev.  George  J.  Brasted,  Kent 
Davies,  Rev.  J.  Abbenhall,  Gloucester 
Davies,  Rev.  Richard,  Stanton 
*Dawson,  J.  Esq.  Exeter  Coll.  Oxford 
*Dawson,     Charles,     Esq.      Baymont 

Lodge,  Torquay 

"Dayman,  Rev.  Chas.  Great  Tew,  Oxon 
*Deacon,     Rev.     G.    E.    Rawmarsh, 

Rotheram,  Yorkshire 
*Dean,  Rev.  E.  B.  All  Souls  College 
Deane,  J.W.Esq.  St.  John's  Coll.  Oxford 
*Dearden,  Mr.  W.  Nottingham 
Deedes,  Rev.  Gordon 
*Deighton,  Messrs.  J.  &  J.  J.  Cambridge 
*Demerara  Clerical  Library 
*Denton,Rev.  R.  A.  King's  Coll.  Camb. 
*De  Porre,  W.  Esq.  Magdalene  Hall 
*De  Tessier,  G.  F.  Esq.  C.  C.  C.  Oxford 
*De  Vere,  Sir  Aubrey,  Currah  Chase 
** Dickinson,  F.  H.  Esq. Upper  Harley- 

street,  London 
*Diocesan  Library,  Wells,  Somerset 

*  Disney,  Rev.  E.  O.  Armagh,  Ireland 

*  Disney,  Rev.  James,  Armagh,  Ireland 
*Distin,    Rev.    H.   L.    Westmoreland 

House,  High  Harrogate 
*Dixon,  Rev.  James,  Thome's  Parson 
age,  near  Wakefield 
*Dobson,  B.  Esq.  Bolton 
*Dodsworth,  Rev.  W.  Ch.  Ch.  St.  Pan- 
eras,  London 

*Dolben,  Rev.  C.  Ipsley,  Warwickshire 
*Donaldson,    Rev.    J.   W.    Bury    St. 

Edmund's 
*Donne,  J. 

Dornford,  Rev.  J.  Plymptree,  Devon 
Douglas,  Rev.  H.  College,  Durham 
*Doune,    Rev.    S.    Oswestry    School, 

Shropshire 

Douglas,  Rev.  S.  Ashling,  Chichester 
*Dover  Clerical  Book- Society 
*Dowding,  Rev.W.  Grimley,  Worcester 
*Downe,  Rev.  G.  E,  Rushden  Rectory, 
Higham  Ferrers,  Northamptonshire 

*  Drake,  Rev.  Richard 
*Drummond,  Col.  E.  Brighton 

*  Duffield,  Rev.  R.  Frating,  Colchester 
Dufton,   Rev.   John,   Wareham,    near 

Ashford,  Kent 


*Dugard,  Rev.  G.  Manchester 
*Duke,  W.  M.  D.  Esq.  Hastings 
*Dukes,    Rev.   R.    M.  Guilsborough, 

Northampton 
*Duncombe,  Rev.  Aug.  Kirby  Misper- 

ton,  Malton 

Dundas,  W.  Pitt,  Esq.  Edinburgh 
*Dungannon,    Viscount,     Brynkinalt, 

Chirk 
*Dunlap,  Rev.  A.  P.  St.  John's  College, 

Oxford 

*Dunn,  J.  Esq.  Advocate,  Aberdeen 
*Dunraven,  the  Earl  of,  Adare,  Limerick 

*  Dupuis,  Rev.  H.  Eton  College 
*Durnford,  Rev.  Francis,  Eton  College 
*Du   Sautoy,    Rev.    W.    S.  O.  Frome 

Selwood,  Somerset 
*Dyke,  Rev.  W.  Cradley,  Malvern 
*Dyne,  Rev.  J.  B.  Highgate 

*  Dyson,  Rev.  C.  Dogmersfield,  Hart 

ford  Bridge 

EDINBURGH,   THE  RIGHT  REV.  THE 

BISHOP  OF 
Edinburgh,     The    Scottish    Episcopal 

Church  Library 

*Eamonson,  Rev.  B.  Collingham 
*Easther,  Alfred,  Esq.  Bedale,  Yorksh. 
*Eaton,  W.  Esq.  Merton  Coll.  Oxford 
Eaton  and  Son,  Worcester 
Ebsworth,  Rev.  Geo.  Searle,  Brighton 
Eden,  Rev.  R.  Legh,  Rochford 
*Edmondstone,  Sir  Archibald,  Bart. 
*Edouart,  Rev.  A.  G.  St.  Paul's  Church, 

Blackburn 
*Edwards,  Rev.  A.  Magdalene  College, 

Oxford 

*Edwards,  Rev.J.The  College,  Durham 
Egerton,  Rev.  T.  Dunnington, Yorkshire 
*E.  H.  T. 
*Eldei-,  Rev.E.  Master  of  the  Grammar 

School,  Durham 
*Elliot,   J.    E.    Esq.  Catherine   Hall, 

Cambridge 
*Ellis,  Conyngham,  Esq.  4,  Fitzwilliam 

Place,  Dublin 
*Ellison,  H.  Esq.  University  College, 

Oxford 

*Elmhirst,  Rev.  Geo.  Eastrior,  Ledbury 
*Elmhirst,  Rev.  Edward,  Shawell,  Lei 
cestershire 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*  Elrington,  Rev.  Dr.  Dublin 

*  Elrington,  Rev.  H.  P.  Precentor  of 

Ferns,  Ireland 

•Elwes,  J.  M.  Esq.  Bossington,  Stock- 
bridge 

*Ensor,  Rev.  F.  Nector,  Norfolk 

Estcourt,  Rev.  E.  E.  Badgeworth, 
Cheltenham 

*Ethelston,  Rev.  C.  W.  Lyme  Regis, 
Dorset 

*Evans,Rev.A.B.D.D.MarketBosworth 

Evans,  Rev.  E.  C.  Ingham 

•Evans,  Herbert  N.  Esq.  Hampstead 

Evans,  L,  Esq.  Wadham  College, 
Oxford 

Evans,  Rev.  T.  Gloucester 

*Evans,  Rev.  T.  Simpson 

*Eveleigh,  Rev.  James 

Ewart,  W.  Esq.  Exeter  College, Oxford 

*Ewing,  Rev.  W.  Alburgh,  near 
Harleston,  Norfolk 

*Eyton,  J.  Walter  K.  Esq.  Leamington 


*Fagan,  Rev.  G.  H.  Witham,  Essex 
*Falkner,  T.  A.  Esq.  St.  John's  Coll. 

Oxford 

*Fallow,  Rev.  T.  M.  All  Souls,  London 
•Fanshawe,  F.  Esq.  Balliol  Coll.  Oxford 
•Farebrother,  Rev.  T.  Market  Har- 

borough 

Farley,  Rev.  T.  Ducklington 
*Fearnley,    Rev.    I.    King's    College, 

London 
*Fearon,  Rev.  W.  C.  Grimston,  Lynn, 

Norfolk 

*Fenwicke,  Rev.  G.  O.  Aston,  Birming 
ham 

*Fenwicke,  Rev.  M.  G.  Bally  shannon 
*Few,  Robert,  Esq.  2,  Henrietta  Street, 
Covent  Garden,  London 

*  Field,  Rev.  P.  Finchingfield,  Brain- 

tree,  Essex 
•Finch,  Miss  Charlotte 

*  Fitzgerald,  Rev.  A.  O.  Fledborough, 

near  Tuxford 
*Fletcher,  T.  W.  Esq.  F.R.S.  Dudley, 

Worcestershire 
•Fletcher,  Rev.  W.  Derby 
•Fletcher,  Rev.  W.  K.  Bombay 
•Fletcher,  Rev.  W.  R. 


**Forbes,  G.  H.  Esq.  Edinburgh 
*Forbes,   I.  S.  Esq.   Christ's  College, 

Cambridge 
Forbes,     the    Hon.    the    Master    of, 

Castle  Forbes,  N.B. 
•Ford,  H.  Esq.  Manchester 
Ford,  Rev.  J.  Chard,  Somersetshire 

*  Ford,  W.  Esq.  Highgate 
•Formby,  Rev.  H.  Brasenose  College, 

Oxford 

•Forster,  Rev.  H.B.Stratton,Cirencester 
*Fortescue,  Rev.  H.  R.  Newton  Ferrers, 

Yealmpton,  Devon 
•Foster,  Rev.  J.  S.  Ilchester 
•Foster,  Rev.  John,  Haseley,  Oxon 
•Foulkes,  Rev.  H.  P.  Buckby  Moun 
tain,  Flintshire 

•Fowler,  Rev.  C.  A.  Chichester 
•Fox,  Rev.  C.  J.  Henley- on-Thames 
Foxe,  Rev.  O.  Worcester 
Frampton,  Rev.  J.  Tetbury,  Gloucester 
shire 

*France,     Rev.     G.     Vincent-square, 
Westminster 

Franklin,  Rev. Stogumber 

*Fraser,  Rev.  R.  Stedmarsh,  Canter 
bury 
•Freeland,  E.  Esq.  Chichester 

*  Freeth,  Frederic    Harvey,*  Esq.    80, 

Coleshill  Street,  Eaton-sq.,  London 
•Frith,  M.  K.  S.  Esq.  Exeter  College, 

Oxford 

*Frome  Clerical  Library 
•Frost,  Rev.  I.  L.  Bradford 
Frost,   R.  M.  Esq.  Pembroke  College, 

Cambridge 
•Frost,  Rev.  Percival,  St.  John's  Coll., 

Cambridge 

•Froude,  W.  Esq.  Cullompton 
Fulford,  Rev.  F.  Trowbridge 
Fyler,  Rev.  S.  Cornhill,  Durham 


•Gace,  Rev.F.A.  Sherington,  Newport- 

Pagnel 

•Galton,  Rev.  John  L.  Leamington 
•Gardiner,  Rev.  W.  Rochford 
Garvey,  Rev.  Richard,  Wakefield 
Gibbings,  Rev.  R.  Dublin 

*  Gibbs,  G.  Esq.  Belmont,  near  Bristol 

*  Gibbs,  G.H.  Esq.  Bedford  Sq.  London 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*  Gibbs,  W.  Esq.  13,  Hyde- Park  Street, 

London 

*  Gibson,  J.  Esq.  Jesus  Coll.  Camb. 
*Gibson,  Rev.    Edward,    Alley,  near 

Coventry 

*Gidley,  J.  Esq.  Exeter 
*Giffard,  W.  Esq.  University  College 
Gilbertson,  Rev.    Lewis,  Llangorwen, 

near  Aberystwith 

*Gildea,   Rev.   George   Robert,  New 
port,  county  of  Mayo 
Gilks,  Rev.  W.  Little  Hampton 
**  Gillett,  Rev.  G.  E.  Waltham,  Melton 
Mowbray 

*  Gillett,  E.  Markshall,  near  Norwich 
Gladstone,  Rev.  John,  Liverpool 

*  Gladstone,  W.  E.  Esq.  M.  P. 
Glanville,  Rev.  E.  F.  Wheatfield 
*Glencross,  Rev.  James,   Balliol  Coll. 

Oxford 

*Glenie,  Rev.  J.  M.  Salisbury 

*Godley,  John  R.  Esq. 

•Goff,  Thomas,  Esq.  Oriel  Coll.  Oxford 

*Gooch,  Rev.  I.  H.  Head  Master  of 
Heath  School,  Halifax 

*Gooch,  Rev.  John,  Stanningley,  Leeds 

*Goodchild,  Rev.  C.  W.,  A.M.,  Free- 
Grammar  School,  Sutton  Walence, 
Kent 

*Goodford,  C.  O.  Esq.  Eton 

Goodwin,  H.  Esq.  B.A.  Caius  College, 
Cambridge 

*  Gordon,  Rev.  O.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
*Gore,  Rev.  H.  J.  Horsham 
*Gough,  Rev.  H.  St.  Bees 
*Gough,  Rev.  B.  Londonderry 
Goulburn,  H.  Esq. 

Gould,     Rev.     Edward,     Sproughton, 

Ipswich 

*Gray,  Rev.  R.  Old  Park,  Durham 
*Gray,  Rev.  R.  H.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 

*  Graham,  Mr.  W.  Oxford 
•Graham,  W.  T.  Esq.  17,  Upper  Buck 
ingham  Street,  Dublin 

Grant,  R.  and  Son,  Edinburgh 

*  Grant  and  Bolton,  Messrs.,  Dublin 
*Grantham  Clerical  Society 

*  Green,  J.  Esq.  Woburn 
Green,  Mr.  T.  W.  Leeds 

*Greene,  Miss,  Whittington  Hall, 
Burton,  Westmoreland 


*Greene,Rev.H.B.  Vicar  of  Longparish, 
Winchester 

*  Greene,  Miss  C.  M.  Norwich 

*  Greene,  R.  Esq.  Lichfield 

*  Greenly,  Rev.  I. P.  Burlestone  Rectory, 

Blandford 

•Greenwell,  W.  Esq.  St.  John's  Col 
lege,  Cambridge 

*  Gregory,  R.  Esq.  C.  C.  C.  Oxford 
Gresley,  Richard,  Esq. 

Gresley,  Rev.  William,  Lichfield 

*  Gresley,    Rev.    J.    M.    Over    Seile, 

Leicestershire 

••Greswell,  Rev.  R.  Worcester  Coll. 
**Greswell,   Rev.  W.  Kilve  Rectory, 

Somersetshire 

*Grey,  Hon.  and  Rev.  Francis,  Buxton 
*Grey,  W.  Esq.  Magd.  Hall,  Oxford 
Grieve,  Rev.  John,  Barnham  Rectory, 

Thetford,  Norfolk 

*  Griffiths,  Rev.  John,  Wadham  Coll. 

Oxford 

*  Grueber,  Rev.  C.  S.  Magdalene  Hall, 

Oxford 
Guillemard,  Rev.  H.  P.  Trinity  Coll. 

Oxford 

GUIANA,  THE  LORD  BISHOP  OF 
Gunner,  Rev.  W.  H.  Winchester 
*Gutch,  Rev.  Rt.  Segrave,  Leicester 
*Guthrie,  Rev.  J.  Calne,  Wilts 

*Hackman,  Rev.  A.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
*Haddan,Rev.  A.  W.  Trin.  Col.  Oxford 
*Haig,  Rev.  Robt.  Newtown,  Hamilton 
Haigh,  Rev.  Daniel,  Great  Marlow 

*  Hailstone,  Rev.  John,  jun.  Vicar  of 

Bottisham,  Cambridge 
Haines,  W.  C.  Esq.  Hampstead     . 
Hale,  Rev.  Matt.  B.  Stroud 
*Hall,  Rev.  W.  Manchester 
*Hallen,  Rev.  George,   Rushock,  Me- 

doute,  Upper  Canada 
*Hallen,   Rev.  William,  Wribbenhall, 

Worcestershire 
Halton,      Rev.      T.      98,      Islington, 

Liverpool 

*  Hamilton,  Rev.  G.  A.  Wilsden,  Brad 

ford 

Hamilton,  Rev.  J.  Great  Baddow,  Essex 
*Hanham,    Rev.  Phelips,    Wimborne, 

Dorset 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*Harcourt,  Rev.  L.  V.  Midhurst 
Harcourt,  Rev.  R.  Cirencester 
**Harding,  Rev.  G.  S.  Brasenose  Col 
lege,  Oxford 

**Hare,  Venerable  Archdeacon 
Harington,  Rev.  Rd.  D.D.  Principal  of 

Brasenose  College,  Oxford 
*Harison,  W.  H.  Esq.  New  York 

*  Harper,  T.  N.  Esq.  Queen's  College, 

Oxford 

*Harpur,  Rev.  E.  St.  Peter's,  Stockport 
»  Harris,  Hon.  and  Rev.   C.    Wilton, 

Salisbury 

*Harris,  Rev.  J.  H.  Northampton 
*Harris,  G.T.  Esq.  Harrow- on- the- Hill 
Harrison,  Rev.  B.  Domestic  Chaplain 

to  the  Lord  Archbishop  of  Canterbury 
*Harrison,  Rev.  H.  Gondhurst 
Harrison,    Rev.    T.    Trinity    Church, 

Maidstone 
•Harrison,  Rev.  W.  Christ's  Hospital, 

London 

*  Harrow  School  Library,  the 
*Hartley,  L.  L.  Esq.  Middleton  Lodge, 

Richmond,  Yorkshire 
•Hartnell,  E.  G.  Esq.  Trinity  College, 

Cambridge 
*Hartshorne,  Rev.  Joseph 

*  Harvey,    Rev.    H.    Preb.    of  Bristol, 

Bradford,  Wilts 

*Harvey,  Rev.  J.  Woodhouse,  Leeds 
*Hatchard  and  Son,  Piccadilly,  London 
*Hatherell,Rev.J.W.  D.D.  Charmouth 

Rectory,  Dorset 
Hawkins,Rev.E.  Secretary  to  the  Society 

for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gospel 
*Hawkins,  E.  Esq.  British  Museum 
*Hawkins,  Herbert  S.  Esq.  Jesus  Coll. 

Oxford 

Hawkins,  Rev.  E.  Coleford,  Glouces 
tershire 
Hawkins,  Rev.  W.   B.  L.    23,    Great 

Marlborough- street,  London 
*Hawtrey,  Rev.  Dr.  Eton  College 
Hayden,  Rev.  F.  W.  Beverley,  York 
shire 
Hayes,    Rev.    I.    Warren,    Arberfield 

Rectory,  Berks 
*Heale,  S.  W.  Esq.  Queen's  College 

*  Heath,   W.  M.    Esq.    Exeter   Coll. 
Oxford 


*Hecker,  Rev.  H.  T.  Sevenoaks,  Kent 
*Hedley,  Rev.  T.  A.  Gloucester 
*Hemary,  Rev.  Jas.  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge 

*  Henderson,  W.  G.  Esq.  Magd.   Coll. 

Oxford 

*  Henderson,  Peter,  Esq.  Macclesfield 
*Henn,  Rev.  W.  Londonderry 

*  Herbert,     Hon.   Algernon,    Ickleton, 

Saffron  Walden 

*Heslop,  Anchem,  Esq.  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge 

*Hessey,  Rev.  F.  St.  John's  Coll.  Oxford 

*Hessey,  Rev.  J.  A.  St.  John's  College, 
Oxford 

Hewetson,  Rev.  J.  S.  Curate  of  Killeary, 
Ireland 

"Hewitt,  T.  S.  Esq.  Worcester  College, 
Oxford 

*Heygate,  Miss,  Southend,  Essex 

Heywood,  Rev.  H.  O.  Bryan,  Man 
chester 

*  Hichens,  R.  Esq.  Threadneedle-street, 

London 

Hide,  Rev.  G.  E.  Calne,  Wilts 
*Hildyard,    Rev.  J.   Christ's    College, 

Cambridge 

*Hill,  Rev.  E.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
*Hill,  Rev.  Erroll,  Brinckburn  Priory, 

Waldon  Bridge,  Morpeth 
Hill,  Rev.  W.  Derby 
"Hillyard,  Rev.  Temple,  Worm-Leighton 
Hinde,  Rev.  T.  Liverpool 

*  Hingiston,      James     Ansley,      Esq. 

48,  Finsbury  Circus,  London 
**Hippesley,     H.     Esq.     Lambounie 

Place,  Berks 
*Hippisley,  R.  W.  Esq.  Stow  Lodge, 

Gloucestershire. 
*Hobhouse,  Edm.  Esq.  Balliol  College, 

Oxford 
**Hodges,  late  Rev.  T.  S.  (Executors 

of) 

*  Hodgson,  Rev.  G.  St  Peter's,  Isle  of 

Thanet 
Hodgson,     Rev.      H.      St.     Martin's, 

London 

*Hodgson,  Rev.  T.  F.  Horsham 
Hodson,  Rev.  J.  Saunderstead,  Croydon, 

Surrey 
Holden,  Rev.  W.  R.  Worcester 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*  Holland,  Rev.  Henry,  Walkden  Moor, 

Swinton,  near  Manchester 

*  Holme,  Hon.  Mrs.  A.  C. 

**Hook,  Rev.   W.  F.  D.D.  Vicar  of 

Leeds.     Presented  by  a  few  of  his 

younger  parishioners 
Hope,  A.  J.  B.  Esq.  Trinity  College, 

C  ambridge 

Hopkins,  Rev.  J.  O.  Uffington,  Salop 
*Hopkinson,  C.  Esq.  39,  Eaton-place, 

Belgrave-square 
Hopkinson,    C.    Esq.    M.A.    Queen's 

College,  Oxford 
*Hopper,  A.  M.  Esq.  B.A.   Fellow  of 

St.  John's  College,  Cambridge 
*Hopton,     Mrs.      Kemerton      Court, 

Tewkesbury 

*  Hop  wood,    Rev.    F.    G.    Knowsley, 

Prescot,  Lancashire 

*  Hornby,  Rev.  Edward,  Walmersley, 

Bury,  Lancashire 
Hornby,  Rev.  T.  Liverpool 

*  Homer,  Rev.  Josh.  Everton,  Biggies- 

wade,  Bedfordshire 
•Horsfall,  Rev.  A.  Litchurch 
*Horsfall,   John,  Esq.  Standard  Hill, 

Nottingham 

*Hocking,  R.  Esq.  Penzance 
•Hotham,  W.  F.  Esq.  Christ  Church 

Oxford 
Houghton,  Rev.  John,  Matching,  near 

Harlow,  Essex 

*  Houghton,  Rev.  W.  Wilmslow,  near 

Manchester 
•HOWARD,  HON.  AND  REV.  H.  E.  J. 

D.D.  DEAN  OF  LICHFIELD 
Howard,  Col.  Ashstead  Park 

*  Howard,  Hon.  and  Rev.  W.  Fareham 
*Howard,  Rev.  N.  A.  Penzance 
Howard,  Hon.  F.  G. 

*  Howard,  Hon.  and  Rev.  H. 
*Howard,  Rev.  R.   D.D.   Beaumaris, 

Anglesea 

Howell,  Rev.  Hinds,  Shobrooke,  Devon 
*Howorth,  Rev.  Wm.,  March,  Isle  of 

Ely 

•Hudson,  Rev.  John,  Vicar  of  Kendal 
•Hue,  Dr.,  9,  Bedford  Square,  London 
Huff,  Rev.  E.  Butterwick,  near  Boston 
•Hughes,  Rev.  H.  Charlotte  Street, 

Bloom  sbury 


•Hunt,  Rev.  R.  S.  Stinchcombe  Dursley 
•Hunter,  Rev.  A.  Alvechurch 
•Hunter,  Rev.  W.   Lurgurshall,   near 

Godalming 

Hussey,  Rev.  W.  L.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
Hutchinson,  Rev.  C.  Chichester 
•Hutton,  Rev.  G.  B.  Gainsborough 
Huxtable,  Rev.  A.  Sutton  Waldron 
Hyde  and  Crewe,  Newcastle,  Stafford 
shire 
••Inge,    Rev.     I.     R.     St.    Mary's, 

Portsmouth 

Irons,  Rev.  "W.  J.  Brompton 
•Irving,  Rev.  J.  Kendall 

Jackson,  Rev.  T.  East  Brent,  Somerset 

Jackson,  Rev.  T.  St.  Peter's,  Stepney 

•Jackson,  Rev.  W.  Dealtry,  Ch.  Ch. 
Hoxton 

•Jackson,  "Wm.  Esq.  Queen's  College, 
Oxford 

James,  Rev.  J.  D.D.  Prebendary  of 
Peterborough 

•James,  Sir  Walter,  Bart,  M.  P. 
11,  Whitehall  Place,  London 

James,  Rev.  H.  1 9,  Manchester  Build 
ings,  Westminster 

•James,  Rev.  T.  Sibbestoft,  near  Wei- 
ford,  Northamptonshire 

•James,  Rev.  J. 

•Janvrin,  J.  H.  Esq.  Oriel  Coll.  Oxford 

*  Jeffray,Rev.  L.W.  Preston,  Lancashire 
"Jelf,  Rev.  Dr.  Canon  of  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
Jelf,  Rev.  W.  E.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
•Jenkins,  Rev.  J.  Rothwell,  Leeds 
Jennings,  Rev.  M.  J.  Chaplain  to  the 

Hon.  East  India  Company 
*JERSEY,THEVERYREV.THEDEAN  OF 
Jew,  Mr.  Thomas,  Gloucester 
•Johnson,  C.  W.  Esq.  Balliol  College, 

Oxford 
Johnson,    G.    H.    S.    Esq.     Radcliffe 

Observatory,  Oxford 
•Johnson,   W.    Esq.    King's   College, 

Cambridge 

•Jones,  E.  K.  Esq.  28,  Mark-lane 
Jones,  Rev.  D.  Stamford 

*  Jones,  Rev.  J.  S.  Armagh 

Jones,  Rev.  R.  Branxton,  Coldstream 
•Jones,  W.  H.  Esq.  Queen's  College, 
Oxford 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*Keble,  Rev.  J.  Hursley,  Winchester 
*Kelk,  Rev.  W.  23,  City  Road,  London 
Kemp,  Mr.  John,  Beverley 
Kempe,  Rev.  J.  C.  Morchard  Bishop's, 

Devon 

*Ken  Club,  Leeds 

•Kendall,  Rev.J.  H.F.  Kirkby  Lonsdale 
*Kennard,  John  P.  Esq.  4,  Lombard- 
Street,  London 

*Kenrick,Rev.  Jarvis,  Horsham,  Sussex 
Kent,  jun.  Rev.  G.  D.  Sudbrook,  near 

Lincoln 

*Kent,  Mr.  J.  Toronto,  Canada 
*Kenyon,    Lord,    9,  Portman    Square, 

London 
*Keppell,   Hon.  and   Rev.   T.  Wells, 

Norfolk 
**Kerby,  Rev.  C.  L.  Stoke  Talmage, 

near  Tetsworth 
*Kershaw,  Rev.  G.  W.  St.  Nicholas, 

Worcester 
*Key,  H.  C.  Esq.  Peluston  Rectory, 

near  Ross 
*Keymes,  Rev.  N.  Christ's  Hospital, 

Hertford 

*Kildare,  Ven.  Archdeacon  of 
Kilvert,  Rev.  F.  Bath 
King,  Mr.  H.  S.  Brighton 
*King,   Rev.  Sir  J.   Bart.    Rathmore, 

Blessington 

*King,  T.  H.  Esq.  Exeter  Coll.  Oxford 
King,  Rev.  W.  Smyth,  Ireland 
"King's  College,  London 
Kingdom,    Rev.     G.    T.    Upton,    St. 

Leonards 
*Kingdon,  G.  R.  Esq.  Trinity  College, 

Cambridge 

*Kingsford,  B.  Esq.  Exeter  Coll.  Oxford 
*Kingsmill,  Rev.  H.  Chewton  Mendip, 

Somerset 
*Kingsmill,  William,  Esq.  Sidmonton 

House,  Hants 
**Kirby,  R,  H.  Esq.  St.  John's  Coll. 

Cambridge 

*Kirrier,  Clerical  Society,  Cornwall 
Kirwan,  Rev.  E.  King's  Coll.  Camb. 
*Kitson,  J.  F.  Esq.  Exeter  Coll.  Oxford 
Knight,  Henry,  Esq.Exeter  Coll.Oxford 
Knight,  Rev.  T.  Ford  Rectory 
*Knight-Bruce,  Rev.  H.  L.  M.A. 
*Knott,  J.  W.  Esq.  Magdalene  Hall 


*Knowles,   Edward   H.  Esq.  Queen's 

College,  Oxford 
Knox,    Rev.   H.    B.    Monk's    Cleigh, 

Hadleigh,  Suffolk 
*Knox,  Rev.  Spencer,  Vicar- General  of 

the  Diocese  of  Kerry 
Kyle,  Rev.  John  T.  Cork 
Kynnersley,  Rev.  E.  C.  Sneyd,  Dray- 

cott  Rectory,  Stone,  Staffordshire 

Lakin,  Rev.  J.  M.  Monmouth 

Lane,  Rev.  E.  Gloucester 

Langbridge,  Mr.  Birmingham 

Langdon,  A.  Esq.  Coldharbour  House, 
Tonbridge 

*Langley,  Rev.  T.  Landogo,  Monmouth 

**Laprimaudaye,  Rev.  C.  J.  St.  John's 
College,  Oxford 

*Lawrell,  Rev.  John,  Hainpreston  Rec 
tory 

*Lawrence,  F.  J.  R,  Esq.  Exeter  Coll. 
Oxford 

*Lawson,  Rev.  R.  Stoke  by  Clare, 
Halstead 

*Lawson,  Rev.  W.  D.  Magd.  College, 
Cambridge 

*Lawson,  Rev.  G.  West  Grimstead, 
Salisbury 

*Lee,  Rev.  William,  Fellow  of  Trinity 
College,  Dublin 

Lechmere,  Rev.  A.  Whitmore,  Wool- 
hope,  Hereford 

*Lefroy,  Rev.  A.  C. 

*  Legge,  Rev.  W.  Ashstead,  Epsom 
*Legge,  Hon.  and  Rev.  Henry,  Black- 
heath,  Kent 

*  Leigh,  W.Esq.  Little  Ashton,  Lichfield 

*  Leighton,  Rev.  F.  K.  All  Souls  Coll. 

Oxford 
*Leman,  Rev.  T.  Brampton  Rectory, 

Beccles 

*Le  Mesurer,  J.  Esq.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
*Leonard,  Rev.  R.W.  Aynho,  Banbury 

*  Leslie,  Rev.  C.  Elphin,  Ireland 
Leslie,  Mr.  Great  Queen  Street,  London 
*Lethbridge,  Ambrose,  Esq.  All  Souls, 

Oxford 

*Lewis,  Rev.  D.  Jesus  College,  Oxford 
*Lewthwaite,  Rev.  W.  H.  Clifford,  near 

Tadcaster 
**Ley,  Rev.  Jacob,  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*Ley,  Rev.  John,  Exeter  Coll.  Oxford 

*Lichfield  Cathedral,  the  Dean  and 
Chapter  of 

*Liddon,  H.  Esq.  Taunton 

*  Lindsay,  Hon.  C.  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge 

*Lingard,  Rev.  Joshua,  Hulme,  Man 
chester 

*Linsdedt,  F.  "W.  Esq.  Calcutta 

Linzee,  Rev.  Edw.  Hood 

*Linzee,  R.  G.  Esq.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 

Linzell,  Rev.  B.  H. 

*Litler,  Rev.  Robert,  Poynton  Par 
sonage,  near  Macclesfield 

*Littlehales,  J.  C.  S.C.L.  New  College 

•Lloyd,  Rev.  C.  W. 

•Lloyd,  Rev.F.L.L.  Wilnecote,  Farelay 

Lloyd,  Rev.  F.  T.  Curate  of  Kilmore, 
Dioc.  Armagh 

*Lloyd,  Rev.  John  F.  Ballyling, 
Rich  Hill,  Ireland 

•Lloyd,  Rev.  Edgar,  Badgworth,  near 
Cheltenham 

•Lloyd,  Rev.  H.  W.  Pentre  Voelas, 
Denbighshire 

Lodge,  Rev.  Barton,  Theydon  Bois 

*Lohr,  C.  W.  Esq.  Gwaenynog,  Denbigh 

London  Library,  Pall  Mall 

Lonsdale,  Rev.  J.  Principal  of  King's 
College,  London 

*Lowder,  C.  F.  Esq.  Exeter  Coll.  Oxford 

•Lowe,  Rev.  J.  M.  Cheadle,  Staffordshire 

*Lowe,  Rev.  R.  F.  Madeira 

•Lowe,  Rev.  R.  H.  Abascragh,  co. 
Galway 

*Lowe,  Rev.  Charles  Benj.  Hertford 

•Lowe,  Rev.  H.  E.  Rushall,  Walsall 

Lukis,  Rev.  W.  C.  Bradford,  Wilts 

Lund,  Rev.  T.  B.D.  St.  John's  College, 
Cambridge 

Lurgan,  Lord 

*Lusk,  John,  Esq.  Glasgow 

Lutwyche,  A.  I.  P.  Esq.  Middle  Temple 

*Luxmoore,  Rev.  J.  H.  M.  March wiel, 
Wrexham 

•Lyttleton,  The  Right  Hon.  Lord 

•Lyttleton,  Hon.  W.  H.  College,  Wells 

•MADRAS,  THE  LORD  BISHOP  OF 

Me  All,  Rev.  Edward,  Brixton,  Isle  of 

Wight 


•M'c  Ewen,  Rev.  A.  Semington,  near 
Melksham,  Wilts 

•Macfarlane,  W.  C.  Esq.  Birmingham 

•Machen,  Edward,  Esq.  Diocesan  Col 
lege,  Wells 

•Machlachlan,  A.  N.  Campbell,  Esq. 

*M'c  Houghton,  Esq. 

•Mackenzie,   A.   C.    Esq.    St.    John's 
College,  Oxford 

Mackenzie,  Lewis  M.  Esq.  Exeter  Coll, 

•Mackinnon,    Rev.    John,    Bloxholm, 
near  Sleaford,  Lincoln 

•Maclachlan,  Rev.  Thoverton 

Maclean,  Rev.  H.  Coventry 

•Maclean,    Rev.    W.    Prebendary   of 
Tynan,  Armagh 

Macmullen,  Rev.  R.  G.  C.  C.  C.  Oxford 

•Madox,  Wm.  Esq.  61,  York  Terrace, 
Regent's  Park 

•Maitland,  Rev.  R.  S.  Librarian  to  the 
Lord  Archbishop  of  Canterbury 

•Major,  Rev.  I.  R.  D  D.  King's  Coll. 
London 

•Malcolm,      H.      Esq.       Eckington, 
Chesterfield 

Malcolm,  Rev.  Gilbert,  Toddenham 

•Malcolm,  W.  E.  Esq.  Burnfoot  Lang- 
holm,  Dumfriesshire 

•Mangin,  Rev.  Edw.  N. 

•Mann,    Rev.    W.    M.    Thornthwaite, 
Keswick,  Cumberland 

Manning,  Ven.  H.  E.  Lavington,  Arch 
deacon  of  Chichester 

•Manning,  F.  J.  Esq.  Lincoln  College, 
Oxford 

•Manson,  Rev.  A.  T.  G. 

*Mapleton,  R.  J.  Esq.  St.  John's  Coll. 
Oxford 

Mapperton,  Rev.  C.  Fox 

•Markland,  J.  H.  Esq.  Bath 

Marriott,  Rev.  C.  Oriel  Coll.,  Oxford 

•Marriott,  Rev.  J.  Bradfield,  Reading 

•Marshall,  Rev.  S.  Eton 

•Marshall,     Rev.     E.      Ruskington, 
Sleaford 

*Marshall,  Rev.  J.  Chaplain  to  H.  M. 
Ship  Victory 

•Martin,  Rev.  F.  Trin.  Coll.  Camb. 

•Martin,    Rev.    John    Sidney-Sussex 
Coll.  Camb. 

Martin,  Rev,  M.  Exeter 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*  Martin,  Wm.  Esq.  Fellow  of  Corpus 

Christ!  College,  Cambridge 
*Martyn,  Rev.  T.  W.  Exeter 
*Mason,   A.    W.    Esq.    Trinity    Coll. 

Cambridge 
*Mason,  Rev.  E.  N.  The  Leigh,  near 

Cheltenham 

*  Mason,  Rev.  H.   B.  Head  Master  of 

Brewood  School,  Staffordshire 
*Mathison,  W.  C.  Esq.  M.A.  Trinity 

College,  Cambridge 
*Maule,  Rev.  G.  Great  Munden,  near 

Pickeridge,  Herts 
*Maynard,  Rev.  John 
*Maynard,    Rev.     R.    Wormleighton, 

Southam 

*Mayo,  A.  F.  Esq.  Oriel  Coll.  Oxford 
*Mayor,  C.  Esq.  St.  John's  Coll.  Camb. 
*Mease,  Rev.  J.  Fresford 
*Meason,  Rev.  Henry,  Exeter 
Mence,  Rev.  J.  W.  Ilkley,  Otley,  York- 

shire 
*Merry,  R.  Esq.,  M.A.,  Jesus  College, 

Cambridge. 

•Metcalf,  Rev.  W.  L.  Huddersfield 
•Metcalfe,  Rev.  Wallace,  Reddenhall, 

Harlestone,  Norfolk 
*Middleton,     Rev.    J.    E.    Wroxton, 

B  anbury 
*Middleton,    Henry   O.   Esq.    Exeter 

College,  Oxford 
*Mill,  Rev.  Dr.  Christian   Advocate, 

Cambridge 

*Mill,  John,  Esq.  Elston,  near  Devizes 
Miller,    Rev.    I.    R.    Walkeringham, 

Bawtry,  Yorkshire 
Miller,  Rev.  John,  Benefield,  Oundle 
Miller,  Rev.  T.  E.  Benefield,  Oundle 
•Mills,  R.  T.  Esq.  Magd.  Coll.  Oxford. 
•Minster,  Rev.  I.  Farmley  Tyas 
*Moberly,  C.E.Esq.  BalliolColl.Oxford 
*Moberly,  Rev.  Dr.  Winchester 
•Money  Kyrle,  E.  A.  Esq.  C.  C.  C. 

Cambridge 

•Monro,  Rev.  E.  Oriel  Coll.  Oxford 
•Monsell,  Rev.  C.  H.  Limerick,  Ireland 
•Monsell,  Rev.  J.  S.  Limerick,  Ireland 
*  Monsell,  W.  Esq.  Limerick,  Ireland 
•Montagu,  J.  E.  Esq.  Exeter  College 
Moodie,  C.  Esq.  Magdalene  Hall 
•Moore,  Rev.  Edward,  Rector  of  Killan, 
Ireland 


•Moore,  Rev.  J.  W.  Hordley,  Ellesmere 
Moorsom,  Rev.  Richard,  Pett,  Sussex 
•Morrell,  F.  J.  Esq.  St.  Giles's,  Oxford 
•Morrice,  Rev.  W.  D.  Clovelly,  near 

Bideford,  Devon 

•Morris,  Rev.  J.  B.  Exeter  Coll.  Oxford 
•Morris,  Rev.  T.  E.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
•Morrison,  Rev.  A.  Eton  College 
Morton,  Mr.  Boston 
•Morton,  M.  C.  Esq.  Exeter  College, 

Oxford 

•Morton,  Rev.  Joseph,  Elphin 
Moultrie,  Rev.  J.  Rugby 
Mount,  Rev.  C.  M.  Prebendary  of  Wells 
•Mountain, Re v.G.R.  Rector  of  Havant 
Mountain,  Rev.  H.  B.  Piebendary  of 

Lincoln 
*Mozley,  Rev.  J.  B.  Magdalene  College, 

Oxford 

•Mules,  Rev.  P.  Exeter  Coll.  Oxford 
•Murray,  Rev.  A.  Clapham,  Surrey 
•Murray,  C.  R.   Scott,   Esq.  Ch.   Ch. 

Oxford 

•Murray,  Rev.  W.  St  Martin's,  Col 
chester 

•Murray,  F.  Esq.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
*  Muskett,  Mr.  C.  Norwich 


NEW  JERSEY,  THE  RIGHT  REV.  THE 

BISHOP  OF 

••NEW  ZEALAND,  LORD  BISHOP  OF 
NOVA  SCOTIA,  THE  LORD  BISHOP  OF 
Neale,  J.  M.  Esq.  Downing    College, 

Cambridge 
•Neve,    Rev.    F.    R.    Poole   Keynes, 

Cirencester 

•Nevill,  H.  R.  Esq.  University  College 
•Nevins,  Rev.  W.  Wilton  House,  Ross 
New,  Rev.  F.  T.  Ch.  Ch.  St.  Pancras, 

London 

•New  York  Theological  Seminary 
Newland,  Rev.  Dr.  Ferns 
•Newland,  Rev.  Thomas,  Dublin 
Newman,   Rev.   J.   H.   Oriel   College, 

Oxford 

•Newton,  Mr.  C.  Croydon 
•New- York- Society  Library 
Nicholl,  Rev.  J.  R.  Greenhill  Grove, 

near  Barnet,  Hertfordshire 
Nicholls,  Rev.  W.  L.  Bath 
Nicholson,  Rev.  W. 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*  Nicholson,  Rev.  W.  Wickham  House, 

Welford,  Berks 

*Nicholson,  Rev.  W.  Rector  of  St. 
Maurice,  Winchester 

*Nicoll,  Rev.  Charles,  Stratford,  Essex 

*Noott,  Rev.  E.  H.  L.  Tipton,  Bir 
mingham 

*Norman,  M.  O.  Esq.  Corpus  Christi 
College,  Camhridge. 

Norris,  Rev.  H.  H.  Prehendary  of 
St.  Paul's,  Hackney 

*  North,  Rev.  Jacob 

*Northcote,  G.  B.  Esq.  Exeter  College, 

Oxford 
*Northcote,  J.  S.  Esq.  Coipus  Christi 

College,  Oxford 

*  Nunns,  Rev.  T.  Birmingham 
•Nutt,  Rev.  Charles  Theston,  Bath 

OXFORD,  THE  LORD  BISHOP  OF 
*O'Brien,  Mr.  E.  Dublin 

*  O'Brien,  Rev.  H.  Killegar,  Ireland 
*O'Brien,    Mrs.    108,    George  Street, 

Limerick 

O'Brien,  Rev.  Hewitt,  Heywood,  Roch 
dale 

Ogle,  Mr.  Robert,  South  Bridge, 
Edinburgh 

*Ogle  and  Son,  Booksellers,  Glasgow 

*Oldershaw,  R.  Esq.  Islington 

*  Oldham,  George  A.  Esq.  Trinity  Coll. 

Cambridge 

Oldham,  Rev.  T.  R.  Huddersfield 
*Oldknow,    Rev.    Joseph,    Bordesley, 

Birmingham 

*  Oliver,    J.    Esq.     Queen's    College, 

Cambridge 
*Oliverson,  R.  Esq.  14  Portland  Place, 

London 
*Orr,  T.  Esq.  Oriel  College,  Oxford 

*  Osborn,  Rev.  G.  Manchester 
•Ostell,  Messrs.  T.  &  Co.  booksellers, 

London 
*Ouvry,  Rev.  P.  T.  Oxford  Terrace, 

London 
*Owen,  R.  Esq.  Jesus  Cell.  Oxford 

*Pagan,  Rev.  S.  26,  St.  Peter's  Square, 

Leeds 
Page,  Rev.  C.  Westminster  Abbey 

*  Page,  Rev.  L.  F.  Woolpit,  Bury  St. 
Edmund's 


Page,  R.  jun.  Esq. 
*Page,  Vernon,  Esq.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
*Paget,  Rev    F.  E.  Elford,  Lichfield 
*Paine,  Cornelius,   Esq.   11,  Cannon- 
bury-lane,  Islington 

*  Palmer,  Roundell,  Esq. 
*Palmer,Rev. W.Magdalen  Coll.Oxford 

*  Palmer,  Rev.  W.WorcesterColl.  Oxford 

*  Palmer,  Mrs.  Mixbury,  near  Brackley 
*Palmer,  Miss,  Mixbury,  near  Brackley 
*Pardoe,  Rev.  Mr.  Ley  ton,  Essex 
*Parker,  C.  Esq.  Upper  Bedford  Place, 

London 

*Parker,  Rev.  E.  Bahia,  South  America 
*Parker,    Rev.    R.    Weltou,    Spilsby, 

Lincolnshire 
*Parkinson,  Rev.  J,P.  Magdalene  Coll. 

Oxford 
*Parrington,  Rev.  Matthew,  Feltwell, 

Norfolk 
Parsons,     Rev.    C.     A.      St.    Mary's, 

Southampton 

fPATTEsoN,  HON.  MR.  JUSTICE 
*Paul,  G.W.Esq.  Wadham  Coll.  Oxford 

*  Payne,  R.  jun.  Esq.  Lavender  Hill 
*Pedder,  Rev.  W.  St.  Cuthbert, Wells 
*Peed,  Rev.  J. 

*Pelly,  Rev.  T.  C.  C.  C.  Oxford 

*Pennefather,  Rev.  William 

f  Penney,  Rev.  E.  St.  Andrew's,  Canter 
bury 

*Penny,  C.  B.  Esq.  Theol.  Coll.  Wells 

*Peny,  Rev.  A.  Bettesworth,  Precentor 
of  St.  Caniees  Cathedral,  Kilkenny 

*Perceval,  Hon.  and  Rev.  A.  P. 

*Perceval,  Captain  E.  A. 

*Percival,  Ernest  A.  Esq.  Bindon 
House,  Milverton,  Somerset 

*Perring,  C.  Esq.  29,  Tavistock  Square, 
London 

*Perry,  T.  W.  Esq.  20,  Steward- street, 
Spitalfields 

*  Phelps,  Rev.  R.  Sidney  Sussex  Coll. 

Cambridge 

*Phelps,  Rev.  T.  P.  Ridley,  Seven 
Oaks,  Kent 

*  Phelps,  Rev.  H.  D.  Tarrington,  near 

Ledbury,  Hereford 

*Philips,  G.  H.  Esq.  Belle  Vue, 
Liverpool 

*  Phillips,  Rev.  E.  5,  Nelson  Terrace, 

Clapham 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*Philpott,  Rev.   Other,    Clungunford, 

near  Ludlow 

•Philpott,  Rev.  T.  Maddresfield,  Wor 
cester 

*Phipps,  Rev.  E.  I.  Devizes,  Wilts 
*Phipps,  T.  H.  H.  Esq.  Leighton  House 
*Pickering,  Rev.  H.  St.  Peter's,  Isle  of 

Thanet 

*Pickwood,  Rev.  John,  Stepney 
*Pigott,  Rev.  A.  J.  Newport,  Salop 
*Pigott,  Rev,  George,  Bomhay 
*Pillans,  Rev.  W.  H.  Himley  Rectory, 

Dudley 

*Pinder,  Rev.  J.  H.  Precentor  of  Wells 
*Platt,J.P.Esq.Child'sHill,Hampstead 
**Pocock,  Rev.  N.  Queen's  Coll.  Oxford 
Pocock,  Mr.  W.  Bath 
*Ponsonby,  Hon.  Walter 
*Pope,  T.  A.  Esq.  Jesus  Coll.,  Cam 
bridge 

*Popham,  W.  Esq.  Tramore,  Water- 
ford,  Ireland 

*Portman,  Rev.  F.  Staple  Fitzpaine 
*Potts,  R.  Esq.  Trinity  Coll.  Cambridge 
*Pountney,  Rev.  H.  St.  John's,  Wolver- 

hampton 

**  Powell,  A.  Esq.  Carey  Street,  London 
**Powell,  Rev.  E.  A.  Ampthill 
Powell,  Rev.  H.  T.  Stretton 
Powell,  Rev.  T.  Turnarton,  near  Peter 

Church 
*Powell,  Rev.  J.  W.  S.  Kingston-on- 

Thames 

*  Powell,  Rev.  R.  Worcester  Coll.  Oxford 
Power,   Rev.  J.   P.    Queen's  College, 

Cambridge 
*Power,    Rev.  J.,  Fellow  of  Pembroke 

College,  Cambridge 
*Powles,  R,  C.  Esq.  Exeter  College 
*Pownall,    Rev.     C.     C.    B.     Milton 

Ernest,  Bedfordshire 
*Pownall,  W.  L.  Esq.  St.  John's  Coll. 

Cambridge 
*Powys,  Hon.  and  Rev.  Horace,  War- 

rington 
*Prater,    Rev.    T.     Hardwicke,    near 

Bicester 
*Preston,  Rev.  Plunket,  Prebendary  of 

Edermine,  Ferns,  Ireland 
*Prevost,  Rev.  Sir  George,  Bart.  Stinch- 

combe,  Dursley 
*  Price,  Rev.  B.  Pembroke  College 


*Prichard,  Rev.  R.  Kidderminster 
Pridden,  Rev.  W.  Broxted,  Dunmow 
Prosser,  Rev.  S.  Blackheath  Park 
*Prothero,  G.  Esq.  Brasenose  College 
*Pulling,  Rev.  W.  Hereford 
**Pusey,  Rev.   Dr.  Canon  of  Ch.  Ch. 

Oxford 
*Pusey,  Rev.  W.  B.  Garsington 


RIPON,  THE  LORD  BISHOP  OF 
Randolph,  Rev.  E.  J.  Tring 
Randolph,  Rev.  W.  Newington,  near 
Folk  stone 

*  Randolph,  W.  C.  Esq.YateHouse,Bath 
Raven,    Rev.    V.    11,    Crescent-place, 

Burton- crescent 

*Rawle,  Rev.  R.  Cheadle,  Staffordshire 
*Ray,  Rev.  H.  W.  Kirkland,  Kendal 
*Rayner,  W.  Esq.  18,  Goldsmith-place, 

Hackney-road 
*Reed,  Rev.  J.  Harold's  Cross,  Dublin 

*  Reeve,  Mr.  W.  Leamington 

*  Rew,  Rev.  Charles,  Maidstone 
Rhides,   M.  T.  Esq.    Stanmoor   Hall, 

Middlesex 

*Richards,  Edw.  Priest,  Esq.  Cardiff 
*Richards,  Rev.  Edw.  Tew,  Farlington 

Rectory,  Havant 

*  Richards,  Rev.  W.  Upton,  London 

*  Richards,  Rev.  H.  M.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
Rickards,  Rev.  F.  Stowlangtoft,  Suffolk 
*Rickards,  E.  P.  Esq. 

Riddell,  Rev.  J.  C.  B.  Harrietsham 
Riddle,  JohnB.  Esq.  Kilgraston,  Bridge 

of  Earn,  Perth 
*Ridgway,  Josh.  jun.  Esq.  Wallsuches, 

near  Bolton 

*Ridlcy,  Rev.W,  H.  Hambledon 
*Rivaz,    C.   Esq.    Great  St.    Helen's, 

London 

*Roberts,  H.  Esq.  Cambridge 
Roberts,     Rev.     L.    Slaidburn,     near 

Clitheroe,  Yorkshire 

*  Roberts,     Rev.    R.    Abbey    Milton 

Dorsetshire 

*  Robertson,    Dr.    Doctors'    Commons, 

London 

*  Robertson,  Rev.  J.C.Boxley,  Maidstone 
*Robertson,    Rev.  J.  C.    Cheddington, 

Hemel  Hempstead 

*  Robin,  Rev.  P.  R.  Bolton 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*  Robins,  Rev.  Sanderson 

*  Robinson,    G.   J.    Esq.  Hart   Street, 

Bloomsbury 

*  Robinson,  Rev.  Sir  George,  Bart. 

*  Robinson,  Rev.  Christr.  Kirknewton, 

near  Wooler,  Northumberland 
*Robinson,  Rev.  R.  R.  Lytham,'near 

Preston 
*Robson,  T.  U.  Esq.  Magdalene  Hall, 

Oxford 

*Rodmell,  Rev.  J.  Burford,  Tenbury 
*Rodwell,  Rev.J.  M.  St.  Peter's,  Saffron 

Hill,  7,  Park  Terrace,  Barnsbury  Park 
•Rodwell,  R.  M.  Esq.  Exeter  College 

Oxford 
*Rogers,    Edward,    Esq.  Eliot  Place, 

Blackheath,  Kent 

*Roper,  Rev.  C.  Rector  of  St.  Olave's 
Rose,  Rev.  H.  H.  Erdington 
*Ross,  Rev.  I.  L.  Fyfield,  near  Burford 
**Ross  and  Argyll,  Diocesan  Library  of 
Routh,Rev.Dr.  President  of  MagdColl. 

Oxford 

*Routledge,Rev.W.Ilminster,Somerset 
Rowland,  Miss,  Hereford 
*Rowlandson,  Rev.  J.  Mansergh,  near 

Kirby  Lonsdale 
*Rush,    Rev.    John,    South     Parade, 

Chelsea 
**  Russell,  D.  Watts,  Esq.  Biggin  Hall, 

Oundle 
**  Russell,  I.  Watts,  Esq.  Ham  Hall, 

Ashbourn,  Derbyshire 
Ryder,  Rev.   George  Dudley,  Easton, 

Winchester 
Ryder,  T.  D.  Esq.  Oriel  Coll.  Oxford 

Samler,  Rev.  J.  H.  Bampton,  Oxon. 
Sandford,  Rev.  G.  B.  Prestwich 
Sandford,  Rev.  John 

*  Sandford,  Frederick,  Esq. 
*Sandham,  James,  Esq.  St.  John's  ColL 

Oxford 

Sandilands,  Hon.  and  Rev.  J.Edinburgh 
*Sandon,  Lord,  39,  Grosvenor-square 
Sankey,  P.  Esq.  St.  John's  Coll.  Oxford 
*Sargeant,  Rev.  R.  Worcester 
Saunders,  Rev.  A.  P.  Charter  House 

*  Savage,  F.  Esq.  Henleaze,  Bristol 
*Savage,  W.  Esq.  Queen's  Coll.  Oxford 

*  Savory,  J.  S.  Esq.  16,  Somerset  Place, 

Bath 


Scarth,  Rev.  H.  Bathwick,  Bath 
*Schofield,  Rich.  L.  Esq.  Brighton 

*  Scott,  Rev.  John 

**Scott,  Rev.  R.  Duloe,  Cornwall 

*  Scott,  Rev.  W.  Ch.  Ch.  Hoxton 
*Scudamore,  Rev.  W.  E.  Ditchingham, 

Bungay 

Seager,  Rev.  C.  Worcester  Coll.  Oxford 
*Selwyn,  Rev.  W.  Canon  of  Ely 
Sewell,  Rev.  W.  Exeter  Coll.  Professor 

of  Moral  Philosophy,  Oxford 

*  Seymour,    E.    W.    Esq.    Porthmawr, 

Breconshire 
Seymour,    Rev.    Sir   J.    Hobart,    Bart. 

Prebendary  of  Gloucester 
*Seymour,Rev.  R.  Kinwarton,  Alcester 
*Shairp,   John  C.  Esq.   Balliol  Coll., 

Oxford 

*  Sharpies,  Rev,  James    Hool,  Trinity 

Church,  Bolton-le-Moors 
*Shaw,   Rev.  G.  Fen   Dray  ton,    near 

Cambridge 
*Shaw,    Rev.    John,    Stoke,    Slough, 

Bucks 

*Shea,  Robert  Francis  Jones,  Esq. 
*Shedden,  S.  Esq.  Pembroke  College 

*  Shelley,  John,  Esq.  Kingsby  Rectory, 

Cheadle,  Staffordshire 

*  Shepherd,  Rev.  S.  North  Somercote, 

near  Louth,  Lincolnshire 
*Sheppard,  J.  H.  Esq.  Queen's  College, 

Oxford 
*Sheppard,  Rev.  J.  G.  Repton  Priory, 

Burton-on- Trent 
Shield,  Rev.  W.  T.  Durham 

*  Shilleto,  Rev.  Richard,  M.A.  King's 

College,  Cambridge 

*  Shilleto,  Rev.  W.  York 
Shillibeer,  Rev.  J.  Oundle 
*Shipston-on-Stour  Theological  Book 

Society 
*Shipton,    Rev.    J.    N.    Othery,    near 

Bridgewater 
*Shirreff,  Rev.  S.  B.  Birkwell  Minden, 

Warwick 
*Shortland,  Rev.  H.  Rector  of  Twinstead 

*  Short,  Rev.  A.  Ravensthorpe 
Shuttleworth,  Rev.  E. 

*Sidgwick,  C.  Esq.  Skipton,  Yorkshire 
*Simes,  G.  F.  Esq. 
*Simms  and  Dinham,  Manchester 
*Simms,  Rev.  E.  Plaiston 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


Simms  and  Son,  Bath 
Simpson,  Rev.  H.  Bexhill 

*  Simpson,  Rev.  W.  H.  Louth 

*  Simpson,  Rev.  J.  D.  Sidney  Sussex 

College,  Cambridge 

*  Simpson,  R.  Esq. 

*Singer,  Rev.  Dr.  I.  H.,  S.F.T.C.D. 

*  Singleton,    Rev.    R.    C.    Curate    of 
Monart,  Ireland 

*Sion  College  Library 

*Skeffington,  Hon.  H.    R.    Worcester 

College,  Oxford 
*Skeffington,  Hon.  T.  C.  F.  Worcester 

College,  Oxford 
*Skinner,  Fitzowen,  Esq.  23,  Keppel 

Street,  Russell  Square 

*  Skinner,  J.  Esq.  King  William's  Coll. 

Isle  of  Man 

*Skrine,  Rev.  Harcourt,  Cirencester 
*Slade,  Rev.  James,  Bolton 
*Sladen,  Rev.  E.  H.  M.  Bockleton 
**Slatter,  Rev.  John,  Warrington 
*Slocombe  and  Simms,  Leeds 

*  Small,  Rev.  Nath.P.  Market  Bosworth, 

Hinckley 
*Smirke,  Sir  Robert,  London 

*  Smith,    Rev.    J.    Campbell,    Alford 

Cottage,  Castle  Carey,  Somerset 

*  Smith,  Rev.  Edw.  Booking,  Braintree 
Smith,  Rev.  G.  Garvagh,  Ireland 
•Smith,  H.T.  Esq.  Queen's  Coll. Oxford 

*  Smith,  Rev.  J.  Trinity  College,  Oxford 

*  Smith,  Rev.  W.  Puddelhinton 
*Smith,  H.  W.  Esq. 

•Smith,  R.  P.  Esq.  Pembroke  College 
Smith,  Rev.  H.  Sennicotts,  Chichester 
•Smyth,  Rev.  H.  Fenner,  Glebe,  Johns 
town 

Snare,  Mr.  John,  Reading 
Somers,  the  Countess  of 
•Southampton  Theological  Library 
•Southwell,  Rev.  G.  Compton  Martin 
Sparke,  Rev.  John,  ClareHall,  C  ambridge 
•Spence,  Rev.  J.  Northampton 
•Spencer,  Rev.  W.  Pakenham,  Starston, 

Norfolk 
Spranger,  Rev.  R.  J.  Exeter  College, 

Oxford 

Spreat,  Mr.  W.  Exeter 
•Spry,  Rev.J.  H.  D.D.  StMary-le-bone 
Spurgin,  Rev.  J.  C.  C.  C.  Cambridge 
•Stafford,  Rev.  J.  C.  Dinton,  Salisbury 


*  Stanley,  Rev.  E.  Rugby 
*Starey,B.H.Esq.  Clerkenwell,  London 
Starkey,  Rev.  A.  B.  C.  St.  John's  Coll. 

Oxford 
•Steel,    H.    W.  Esq.   Mathune,   near 

Chepstow 
•St.  John,  Rev.  Ambrose,  Bransgore, 

Ringwood 

Stephens,  Rev.  C.  L.  Kencot,  Burford 
••Stert,  Rev.    A.  R.    33,   Connaught 

Square,  London 

*Stevens,  Rev.  T.  Bradford,  Reading 
•Stevenson,  Rev.J.  Durham  University 
Stewart,  Mr.  King  William  Street 
Stockdale,  Rev.  W.  Linwood  Rectory, 

Market  Rasin 
•Stoker,  Rev.  H.  Durham 
*Stokes,  S.  N.  Esq.  Trinity  College, 

Cambridge 

•Stonehouse,  Rev.  W.  B.  Owston 
•Stott,  Miss,  Bradford,  Yorkshire 
•Strean,  Rev.  L.H.  Easter- Snow,Boyle, 

Ireland 

•Street,  J.  Esq.  Lloyd's  Rooms,London 
•Street,  W.  F.  Esq.  13,  Austin  Friars, 

London 
•Strickland,  C.  W.  Esq.  Trinity  Coll., 

Cambridge 
Strong,  Mr.  W.  Bristol 

*  Stuart,  Rev.  John  B.,  M.D.  Billeston, 

Leicester 

•Stuart,  Rev.  Hamilton 
'•Studdert,  Rev.  G.  Dundalk 
•Sturges,  S.  Esq.  Magdalene  Hall 
**Sturrock,  Rev.  W.  Chaplain,  Bengal 

Presidency 
•Suart,  A.  Esq. 
•Suckling,  R.  Esq.  Caius  Coll.  Camb. 

*  Suckling,  Rev.  R.  Stretton,  Hereford 

shire 
•Swainson,  C.  A.  Esq.  Christ's  College, 

Cambridge 

Swainson,  Rev.  E.  E.  Clunn,  Shropshire 
Swann,  Rev.  R.  York 
•Swansborough,  G.  S.  Esq.  Pembroke 

College,  Cambridge 
Sweet,   Rev.   C.    Cornworthy,   Totnes, 

Devon 
*Sweet,    Rev.    J.    Hales,    St.    John's 

College,  Cambridge 
*Swinney,  Rev.  H.  H.  Magd.  College, 

Cambridge 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*  Swire,  John,  Esq.  University  College, 
Oxford 


*TASMANIA,  THE  LORD  BISHOP  OF 
*Talbot,  Rev.  G.  Evercreech,  Somerset 
*Tarbutt,  Rev.  A.  C.  St.  Mary's,  Reading 
Tarleton,  J.  W.  Esq.  Birmingham 
*Tarleton,  Rev.  John 
*Tate,  Frank,  Esq.  University  College, 

Oxford 
Tatham,  Rev.  Arthur,  Broadoak,  Lost- 

withiel,  Cornwall 

Tayler,  Rev.  A.  W.  Stoke  Newington 
Taylor,  Mr.  J.  Brighton 
Taylor,  John,  Esq.  Leicester 
*Taylor,  A.  Esq.  Queen's  Coll.,  Oxford 
*Tennant,  Rev.  W. 
*Thomas,  J.  H.  Esq.  Trinity  College, 

Cambridge 
*Thompson,  Rev.  E.  H.  St.  James's, 

"Westminster 
*Thompson,  W.  Esq.  Queen's  College, 

Oxford 

Thornton,  Rev.  T.  Brockhall,  Weedon 
Thornton,  Rev.  W.  Bedford,  Weedon 
Thorp,  Ven.  Archdeacon,  Durham 
**  Thorp,  Venerable  Archdeacon,  Trinity 

College,  Cambridge 
*Thrupp,  J.  W.  Esq.   Upper  Brook- 
street 
*Thurland,  F.  E.  Esq.  New  College, 

Oxford 

*Thurlow,  Rev.  J.  Norwich 
Thwaytes,  Rev.  J.  Perpetual  Curate  of 

Trinity  Church,  Carlisle 
*Thynne,  Right  Hon.  and  Rev.  Lord 
John,  D.D.  Rector  of  Street-cum- 
Walton 

*Thynne,   Rev.  Lord  Charles,  Long- 
bridge  Deverill,  Warminster 
*Tindale,  John,  Esq.  Huddersfield 
*Tireman,  Mrs.  Nurton,  Chepstow 
*Todd,    Rev.     Dr.    Trinity     College, 

Dublin 
*Todd, Venerable  Archdeacon,  Settring- 

ton  Malton,  Yorkshire 
*Topham,  Rev.  J.  Huddersfield 
*Tragett,  Rev?  T.  H.  Awbridge  Danes, 

near  Romsey 

*Travis,  Rev.  W.  J.  M.A.  Trinity  Col 
lege,  Cambridge 


*Trench,  Rev.  F.  S.  Kilmoroney  Athey 

*Trevelyan,  Rev.  J.  Milverton,  So 
merset 

Trillon,  Henry,  Esq. 

*Tripp,  Rev.  Dr.  Silverton,  Devon 
shire 

Tristram,  H.  B.  Esq.  Lincoln  College, 
Oxford 

*Tritton,  Henry,  Esq.  54,  Lombard 
Street,  London 

**Trollope,  Rev.  A.  St.  Mary-le-bone 

*Trower,  Rev.  Walter,  Wiston,  near 
Steyning 

*Truro  Theological  Library 

Tuckwell,  Henry,  Esq. 

*  Turner,  Miss,  Shooter's  Hill,  Kent 
Turner,  Rev.  J.  Hagley,  Stourbridge 
Turner,   Rev.  Sam.  H.  D.D.  Prof,  in 

the  New  York  Theol.  Seminary  of  the 

Episcopal  Church 
*Turner,  Rev.  W.  Ch.  Ch.  Oxford 
*Twining,  Rev.  D.  Therfield,  Royston 
*Twining,  Richard,  jun.  Esq. 
*Twining,  James,  Esq.  Trinity  College, 

Cambridge 

*Twiss,  G.  J.  Great  Shelford,  Cambridge 
Tyler,  Rev.  Geo.  Trinity  Coll.  Oxford 

*  Tyrrell,   Rev.   W.  Beaulieu  Rectory, 

Southampton 
*Tyrwhitt,  Rev.  R.E.  Bombay 

*Underwood,  R.  Esq.  Broadwell  Rec 
tory,  Stow-on-the-Wold 

Utterton,  Rev.  I.  S.  Dorking 

*Vale,  W.  S.  Esq.  Worcester  College, 
Oxford 

*Vaux,  W.  S.  W.  Esq.  Balliol  College, 
Oxford 

*Vaux,  Rev.  W.  Winchester 

*Veale,  Rev.  W.  Harris,  Northlew, 
Okehampton,  Devon 

*Venables,  C.  Esq.  Pembroke  College, 
Cambridge 

*Venn,  E.  S.  Esq.  Highbury  Park, 
near  London 

Vigne,  Rev.  Henry,  Sunbury,  Middlesex 

*  Vizard,  J.  Esq.  Dursley,  Gloucester 
*Voules,  Rev.  F.  Eton 

*Vyrvyan,  Rev.  V.  F.  Withiel  Rectory, 
Bodmin 

*Wade,  Benjamin,  Esq. 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*Wade,  Rev.  N.St.PauTs,  Bimliill  Row 

*  Wagner,  A.  Esq.  Cambridge 

*  Wagner,    G.   Esq.     Trinity   College, 

Cambridge 
*Wagstaff,  Rev.  C.  Arundel,  Sussex 

*  Waites,  Rev.  T.  Bentley,  South  Stain- 

ley,  near  Harrogate 
Walford,  Rev.  O.  Charterhouse 
**Walford,  Rev.  W.  Hatfield,  Witham, 

Essex 
*Walker,   Rev.   R.  Wadham   College, 

Oxford 
Walker,    Rev.    T.    Chipstow,    Market 

Harborough 

*  Walker,  Rev.  Warrington,  Devon. 
Wallace,  Rev.  G.  Canterbury 
*Wallace,  Rev.  I.  L.  Sevenoaks 
Waller,  Rev.  E.  A.  Warwick 
•Waller,  Rev.  W.  Gornal,  Dudley 
*Walter,  Henry,  Esq.  Exeter  College, 

Oxford 
Walters,  Mr.  Rugeley 

*  Ward,  Rev.  John,  Great  Bedwyn, Wilts 
*Ward,  W.  G.  Esq.  Southampton 
*Wardroper,  Rev.  C.  Gloucester 
*Warre,  Rev.  Fran.  Bishop's  Lydiard 

*  Warter,  Rev.  I.  Wood,  West  Tarring, 

Sussex 

*Warwick  Rural  Deanery  Society 
Wason,  James,  Esq.  Rowcroft,  Stroud, 

Gloucestershire 
*Watkins,  W.B.Esq.  Wadham  College, 

Oxford 

*  Watson,  Rev.  Alexander,  St.  John's, 

Cheltenham 

*  Watson,  Joshua,  Esq.  Park-Street 
*Watts,  Rev.  John,  Tarrant-Gunville, 

Dorset 
*Webb,   Benj.   Esq.    Trinity    College, 

Cambridge 
*Webb,  Mr.  Wareing,  Liverpool 

*  Webster,  Rev.  S.  K.  Isham  Rectory, 

Kettering 

•Weguelin,  Rev.  W.  A.  South  Stoke, 
near  Arundel 

Wells,  Rev.  F.  Woodchurch,  Tenter- 
den,  Kent 

*Wenham,  J.  G.  Esq.  St.  John's 
College,  Oxford 

*Wentworth,  Rev.  S.  E.  Liverpool 

Weston,  Francis  M.  Esq.  Charleston,U.  S . 

Weston,  Plowden,  Esq.  Charleston, U.S. 


•Whall,  Rev.  W.  Thierning  Rectory, 

Oundle 
*Wheatley,  E.  B.  Esq.  Cote  Walls 

*  Whitaker,  Rev.  S.  New  Church,  Roch 

dale 
*Whitby,  R.  Vernon,    Esq.    Osbaston 

Lodge,  Market- Bosworth 
*Whitcome,  J.  Esq.  Gloucester 
•White,  R.  Esq.  Idle,  near  Bradford, 

Yorkshire 

*  White,  Rev.  R.  Marsh,  Aveley,  Essex 

*  White,  Rev.  Joseph,  Trinity  College, 

Dublin 

*  White,  Horace  P.  Esq.  Magd.   Hall, 

Oxford 

•White,  H.  M.  Esq.  New  College 
•Whitehead,   Rev.  W.  Worcester  Col 
lege,  Oxford 

Whitelegg,  Rev.  W.  Cheetham  Hill 
Whitley  and  Booth,  Messrs.  Halifax 
*Whitfield,  Rev.  G.  T.  Bockleton, 

Tenbury,  Worcestershire 
*Whitley,  Rev.  J.  Manchester 

*  Whitaker,  Rev.  G,  Queen's  College, 

Cambridge 
Whorwood,  Rev.  T.  Magdalene  College, 

Oxford 

*Wickens,  Rev.  Henry,  Margaretting 
*Wilberforce,  Rev.  H.  W.  Bransgore 
Wilberforce,  Rev.  S.  Archdeacon  of 

Surrey 
•Wilkins,    Venerable    George,    D.  D. 

Archdeacon  of  Nottingham 
Wilkins,  Rev.  Mr. 

*  Wilkinson,  Rev.  J.  Exeter 
•Wilkinson,  Rev.    M.   27  Kensington 

Square 
"Wilkinson,   Rev.    Henry  J.    Queen's 

College,  Oxford 
•Williams,    Rev.    C.    Jesus    College, 

Oxford 
Williams,  Rev.  E.  T.  Exeter  College, 

Oxford 
•Williams,    Rev.    I.    Trinity   College, 

Oxford 
Williams,   Rev.    George,   Wicherford, 

Worcester 

*  Williams,  Rev.  J.  Jesus  Coll.  Oxford 
Williams,   M.   D.   Esq.    Cwmcynfelin, 

Aberystwith 

*  Williams,  Rev.  W.  St.  Bartholomew's, 

Hyde,  Winchester 


SUBSCRIBERS. 


*  Williams,  Rev.  T.  E.,  D.D.,  Buckle- 

bury,  Berks 

*  Willis,  Rev.  T.  Rayne,  near  Braintree 
•Willis,    Rev.    W.    D.    Green    Park, 

Bath 

•Willock,  Rev.  W.  W.  Ware 

•Willott,  Rev.  John 

*Wilshire,  E.  S.  Esq.  Worcester  Col 
lege,  Oxford 

*  Wilson,  Rev.  Charles,  Liverpool 

*  Wilson,  Rev.  Daniel,  Islington 
Wilson,  Rev.  Francis,  Rugeley 
*Wilson,  Rev.  J.  Corpus  Christi  Coll. 

Oxford 
•Wilson,  L.  Esq.  Norwood  Hill 

*  Wilson,  R.  Esq.  Magdalene  Hall 

** Wilson,  Rev.  Robert,  B.A.  Bootle, 
Liverpool.  Presented  as  a  testimonial 
of  regard  from  the  congregation  at 
St. Martin's,  Liverpool 

Wise,  Rev.  H.  Offchurch 

*Wise,  Mrs.  M.  Shrublands,  Leaming 
ton 

*  Wither,  Rev.  H.  I.  B. 

•Wither,  Rev.  W.  H.  W.  Bigg,  Otter- 
borne,  near  Winchester 

•Withers,  Rev.  George,  Bishop's  Coll. 
Calcutta 

Wix,  Mr.  H.  Bridge- Street,  Black- 
friars 

Wix,  Rev.  S.  St.  Bartholomew's 
Hospital 

Wix,  W.  Esq.  Tonbridge  Wells 

*Wix,  Rev.  Joseph,  Littlebury,  near 
Saffron  Walden,  Essex 

Wolfe,  J.  Esq.  Limerick 

Wollaston,  T.  T.  Esq.  St.  Peter's  Col 
lege,  Cambridge 

*Wood,  Rev.  R.  Broughton,  Man 
chester 

*  Wood,  Rev.  R.  Orme,  Bower's  GifFord 

•Woods,  Rev.  G.  H.  Westdean, 
Chichester 

•Woodward,  Rev.  F.  B.  Dublin 


•Woodward,  Frederick,  Esq.  Brasenose 

College,  Oxford 
•Woodward,  Rev.  T. 
Woollcombe,  Rev.  E.  C.  Balliol  College 
*Woolley,  Rev.  John,  University  Coll. 

Oxford 

•Worcester  College  Library 
••Wordsworth,  Rev.  Christopher,  D.D. 

Head  Master  of  Harrow  School 
•Wordsworth,  Rev.  Christopher,  D.D. 

Buxtail,  Uckfield 
Wordsworth,  Rev.  C.  Winchester 
Wordsworth,  Rev.   C.  F.  Gillingham, 

Dorset 
•Worgan,    Rev.   John    H.   Calthorpe 

Rugby 

Wragge,  G.  Esq.  Cheadle,  Staffordshire 
•Wray,  Rev.  C.  Liverpool 
•Wrench,  Rev.  J.  G.  D.C.L.  Salehurst, 

Sussex 
•Wrench,   Rev.    Frederick,    Stowting, 

Kent 
•Wright,    Rev.    W.    Pembroke    Coll. 

Cambridge 
•Wright,  Rev.  J.  P. 
Wrigley,  A.  Esq.  Croydon 
Wrottesley,  Rev.  E.  J.  Tettinhall,Wol- 

verhampton 

•Wyld,  Rev.  W.  Wocdbro,  Wilts 
Wylie,  R.  Esq.  Beverley 
*  Wynter,  Rev.  J.  Cecil,  Gatton  Rectory, 
Reigate 


*YORK,    His     GRACE     THE     ARCH 
BISHOP  OF 

•Yard,  Rev.  G.  B. Wragby,  Lincolnshire 
*Yates,  Rev.  W.  St.  Mary's,  Reading 
•Yates,  Thomas,  Esq.  M.D.  Brighton 
•Young,  Rev. J.G.Leighterton  Rectory, 

Dunkirk 

•Young,  Rev.  R.  G.  Millbrook,  South 
ampton 
•Young,  Rev.  R.  Riseley,  Beds 


Dickinson,  F.  H.  Esq.  £10.  10s.  donation. 
Evans,  H.  N.  Esq.  £5.   5s.  donation. 
J.    H.    £1.  Is.  donation. 
L.  M.  £1.  Is.  donation. 
M.  A.  F.  £1.  Is.  donation. 


BX 

5035 
.L52B48 
VOL.  1 


BEVERIDGE 
THE  THEOLOGICAL 

WORKS 

._   113685 


Mo\  .  \