|
^ #> |
03 Q. |
||
|
•5^ |
.5 |
||
|
/*? |
In CL |
||
|
. v» |
|||
|
** |
CD 03 |
||
|
^„^ |
IE |
||
|
ye. r |
•^ |
CL |
|
|
*£> |
K |
15 |
|
|
to |
5 |
||
|
o |
fc |
CD C |
|
|
** |
o |
bfl |
• |
|
*•* fcs> |
En o |
$ |
|
|
fe |
£ |
5 .V) |
|
|
•O |
M |
Cj |
«£ |
|
~* |
« |
CO |
§« |
|
Ph |
2 |
*3 |
|
|
C* |
Si |
||
|
& |
-a |
^ |
|
|
£ |
CD |
<3 |
|
|
£ |
CD O |
Si |
|
|
*B |
CL |
£ ^ ^ |
<r
Y.
DISCOURSES
O N
SEVERAL SUBJECTS.
b y
v WILLIAM WISHART,D.D.
Principal of the College of Edinburgh.
LONDON:
Printed by W. Strahan ;
And fold by A.Millar in the Strand, and
•Mcff, Hamilton and Balfour at Edinburgh.
MDCCLIIL
T O The Right Reverend
benjamin,
Lord Bishop of
WINCHESTER,
Prelate of the mod Noble Order of the Garter,
IN a grateful Remembrance of many Favours ; and, particularly, of the Afiiftances received from His Excel- lent Writings :
Thefe Discourses are moft humbly prefented by
The A U T H O R.
r
%
%
T H E ?&
CONTENTS
ANEJJay on the Indifpenfible Necejfity of a Holy and Good Life to the Happinefs of Heaven. Pag. I.
Charity the End of the Commandment ; or, Univerfal Love the Defign of Chrijlianity,
I23-
The certain and unchangeable Difference be- twixt Moral Good and Evil, 177.
Pub lick Virtue recommended, 227.
AD-
ADVERTISEMENT.
TH E publication of the firft of thefe Difcourfes, I have given a fufficient account of in the Preface to it : for the revival of the reft, I fhall only fay ; that, for fome of them there has, long, been a demand ; and all of them, I hope, may, by the Di- vine blefling, be of general ufe.
A N
ESSAY
O N T H E
Indifpenfible Necessity of a Holy and Good Life
to THE
HAPPINESS of HEAVEN.
SHEWING,
That this Necefiity, according to the plain tenor of the Gofpel, is with- out any Referve or Exception.
WITH
A Practical Improvement of the Argument.
By WILLIAM WISHART, DD,
Principal of the College of Edinburgh,
.
[ix]
— . —
THE
PREFACE.
TH E Chief Matter contained in the following Papers appears to me, after a long and deliberate confi- deration, to be the Truth of God, plainly declared in his Word : and all who agree with me in this, muft alfo own, that it is Truth of the greatefl Importance to the Souls of Men -a and mod neceffary to be laid before all Sinners, for awakening them, and warn- ing them to flee from the wrath to come; and before all good Chrijlians for their fatisfaclion and encouragement, and for exciting them to their Duty : fo that, this Publication (lands in need of no Apology. I have, indeed, been long and ftrongly Prompted to it by my own Heart, as the bed Service I could think it in my Power to do, for the Honour of God, and the great- ly 3 eft
k P R E F A C E.
eft good of my Fellow-creatures. And I thought I could not better employ the few leifure- hours I might have, at a time when fome necefTary affairs took me off, for a while, from my Ordi- nary ftation of ufefulnefs in the Church, than by collecting into one view what I had delivered, on feveral Occafions, upon this important Argument : as feveral of the moft attentive and ju- dicious Hearers have expreffed an ear- ner! defire of having a more deliberate view of it.
As to the Stile of thefe papers : the only thing I have ftudied is, to ufe all Plainnefs of fpeecb : and, if any where I have rifen to a Warmth, or flrength, of expreflion, it is rather that I have been led on to it by the Subject itfelf, than that I have ftudied it. I am fen- fible that the Stile, in many places, is loofe, and full of words and repeti- tions : but this has often appeared to me necefTary, in fpeaking to the bulk of mankind, and combating inveterate prejudices. I doubt not, a Critical Eye may find many faults and inequalities in the Stile, which I have not been
very
PREFACE. xi
very anxious to prevent ; many, which I have not been able either to difcover or to help. But I wifh thefe Papers to be read, rather with a ferious Atten- tion to the Matter of them, than with a Critical Attention to the Stile. If in that any candid and well-difpofed perfon mail think I have fallen into any Miftake, efpecially in my main Argu- ment ; His friendly admonitions fhall be thankfully received, and refpectful- ]y Anfwered ; and I fhall either ac- knowledge my miftake, when difco- vered to me, owning my Obligation to him for the difcovery ; or give the reafons why I am not Convinced of any : provided He fets his Name to his performance, as I have done mine, that I may know what Degree of re- flect is due to his Character in the World. But, if any namelefs and care- iefs Writer fhall in the fpirit of bit- ternefs, or contempt, difcover ill-na- ture, by way of fhewing Wit ; bring a railing accufation againft me, inftead of Argument; and impute to bad, or finiftrous defigns, what I know to be written with the moll honeft purpofe ;
I believe
xii P R E F A C E.
I believe the Impartial World will reckon, that neglect and forgivenefs is the moil proper treatment I can give to fuch an Adverfary. Mean time, I earneflly recommend thefe Papers to a ferious perufal ; and to the Blef- fing of God, which alone can make them effectual for any good purpofe.
THE
THE
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION, Pag. I — II,
Importance of the Argument, pag. i. Its ufefulnefs to Sinners, 4. to good men, ib* Sentiments of Others about it, 5. The Author's fentiment, 7. Mad nefs of Sin- ners, 8. Salvation upon a Repentance deferred to the laft, impojjible ; in what fenfe, 9.
Proofs of the Abfolute NecefTity of a good Life, to Future Happinefs : from Reafon, 11 — 19.
1. From the Nature of God, n. 2. From the Nature of Man, 13. And, 3. of our true Happinefs, 15. The great Defign of Religion, 17.
Proofs from Holy Scripture, 19 — 95.
I. The great Defign of Chriftianity, and of Chrift's coming into the World and His death, 20 — 28.
Three things Abfolutely necefTary, by the Gofpel, to our Salvation ; Faith, Repent- ance, and Holinefs, 23. No one of thefe can fupply the place of any of the other -j, 24. Holinefs the end of all the reft, 25. Im- provement in it necefiarv, 26.
II. The
xiv CONTENTS.
II. The Chriftian's preparation for Heaven, aprogrejive work, 28 — 40.
Qur ftate in this life a ftate of Exercife, from the Original condition of human nature, 29. The Captain of our Salvation has gone before us to His glory, by a courfe of obedience and patience, ib. and 30. Scripture-Metaphors fetring forth the Chriftian life, 31 — ?<l. Plain defcriptions of it, 34 — 36. End of the Chriftian In- itiations, 37. Examples of the Saints, ib. Of the Apoftle Faul^ 38, 39.
III. The Promifes of future Happinefs made to a Holy Life, the Threat- nings of future Punifhment againft workers of iniquity •, without any Re- ferve or Exception, 40 — 52.
God no refpefier of Perfons, 44, 45 . Gal* vi. 7, 8. confiJered at large, 45 — 50. Mat. xxv. 3 1 — illuftrated, 50, 51. 1 Jo. iii. 7. illuftrated, 51.
IV. God will give a deaf ear to their cries at lafi, who refufe to hearken to His Calls in time, 52 — 36.
V. No one Promife in Scripture gives the leaiL encouragement to their
hopes
CONTENTS. *v
hopes of Heaven, who go on in a Sinful Courie to the laft^ 56 — 75. Promifes of Salvation made to Repentance and Faith ; how perverted, 57. Vindi- cated from this perverfe construction, 58. I. Qbvioir reafons, why the Promifes of Salvation made to Faith and Repentance ; without derogating from the Abfolute ne- ceflity of aHolyLife, <8 — 6x. A3, xv. 9. andGW. v. 6 illuftrated,6©. 2. Thefe Pro- mifes cannot imply, that thefr/l Acts of Repentance and Faith render a man im- mediately meet for Heaven, 61 — 64. Sal- vation, what it means and implies, 62, 63. 3. Thefe Promifes always addrefTed to men in Ife and health ; and made to a prefent compliance with the Call of the Gofpel, 64 — 67. 4. The Repentance and Faith, to which they are made, plain- ly defcribed to be fuch as atlually are the Beginnings of a Holy Life, 67 — 72. "5. When men, by Repentance and Faith, are entered on a Chriftian courfe ; the exhortations of the Apoftles to them are, to per fever e and improve in Holinefs, 72, 7 3. True Repentance never late j late Re- pentance never true, 75.
VI. No one inftance, in Scripture, of that Repentance availing to Salva- tion, which was deferred to the laft^
75~92*
xvi CONTENTS.
Common prejudices, 76. True exercife of Chanty, 77. Parable of the Labourers in the vineyard confidered, 78, 79. Cafe of the Thief on the Crofs fairly ftated, 79— 86. whence, r. it does not appear, that he had ever been an habitual finner in his former life, 8 6. nor, 2. fuppofing he had, that he had never Repented till then, 83. but, 3. there appear pofitive marks and evidences of the contrary, 8 8. His noble Confeffion, 90, 91.
VII. The Conduct of our Saviour, an.d His Apoftles, in calling Sinners to Re- pentance^ perfectly agreeable to the Plan here laid down, 92 — 94.
A general Inference, 95.
Application, 95.
Lamentation over the fad ftate of Religion in our day, 95. Grofs miftakes in Prac- tice, ib, — 99. The ufe many make of the Minifters of Religion : and the time of calling for their afliftance, 99 — .106. Grofs corruptions crept into the Chrifrian Church, 104. The myjlery of iniquity j and the Spirit of Popery, 105, 106.
Serious addrefs to Sinners, ic6 — 114. Earneft addrefs to good Chriftians, 114. Characters of an Improved Saint, ib. .
A N
[ « 1
*1
-~
A N
ESSAY
ON THE
Indifpenfible Necessity of a Holy and Good Life
to THE
HAPPINESS of HEAVEN.
OF all the fnares whereby the deceit- fulnefs that is in fin betrays finners, and hardens them in a vicious courfe, there is none more dan- gerous than their flattering themfelves they may go on fecurely in fin, in the hopes of fetting all to rights at laji^ by a late or a death-bed repentance. There is hardly any fnare in which fo many Tinners are caught, to their utter ruin. Few, if any, who have only the light of nature and moral confcience to guide them, as all mankind have, can be iVppoied abfolutely infenfible, that an obfti- B nate
[2]
nate vicious difpofition is inconfiftent with the true happinefs of a reafonable creature : there are none who are favoured with the light of theGofpel, and have any regard to it, but may eafily be fenfible of the incon- fiftency of fuch a difpofition with that hap- pinefs of the other world, which is there brought to light. Scarce any one, there- fore, who profeffes Chriftianity, can be fup- pofed fo hardened in impiety as not to be apprehenfive that he is unfafe in a vicious courfe j that his prefent ftate is bad and dan- gerous ; that he muft be ruined for ever, if he always continues in it : but wrong notions and prefumptuous hopes of the mercy of God, vain apprehenfions of the eafinefs of that repentance #/ /<z/?, the hardnefs of which makes him put it off now , concur with the iinner's love of his vicious lufts and evil ways, to make him flatter himfelf he may go on all his life in that beloved indulgence, and make himfelf eafy in the hopes of re- trieving all at laft, by a late regrate and dying forrow for an ill-fpent life.
Nor are they only caught in this fnare, who deliberately put off their repentance to the very lafi9 and do not fo much as refohe to fet about it 'till then ; but they alfo who (though they refolve to begin their repentance more early, fo as to live religioufly and vir- tuoufly for fame part of their lives, yet) put it off from time to time, to a more conve- nient
[3 3 nient fcafin, as they think, when they hope to be in a better difpofition, or more advan- tageous circumftances, for it ; till by con- frantly delaying from one time to another, and yielding more and more by degrees to fl oth, and thus letting tbeir averfion to re- pentance, and their love to fin, grow upon them, they are thoughtlefly and inconfider- ately drawn into the fnare of putting of* their repentance to the very laft, though this was not their firft intention. There is fome- thing vaftly encroaching andenfnaring in this humour ofdelying and putting off, when once it feizes a man as to any thing j it infenfibly gains ground by degrees ; and what a man durft not adventure downright to neglect, or refolve to let alone, he is effectually drawn in to neglecl by delaying it : as the fluggard faith, "■ Yet a little deep, a little " flumber, a little folding of the hands to " fleep ; " not daring to fpeak it out even to himfelf at the firft, that he will take a great deal \ though in reality it comes to that, and he is drawn on by degrees to aban- don himfelf to abfolute fottifhnefs and Cu- pidity ; fo the flothful and fecure finner flat- ters himfelf he fhall repent time enough, though he goes on but a little longer in a courfe of vicious indulgence ; till by delaying and putting off from one time to another, the power and deceitfulnefs of fin grov/ing upon him, he is unawares and effecluaily B 2 drawn
. [4]
drawn into the fnare of putting off to the very laft.
Seeing then this is fo common and fo dan- gerous a fnare, fuch as men may be fo eafily led into without being aware of it; it is cer- tainly a moll charitable office, and the moft proper bufinefs of minifters of Chrift, which their love to the fouls of men (if they have any) cannot fail to prompt them to, to warn men againft this fnare ; and to dwell fome- times upon arguments of this nature.
This too is ufeful, not only for thofe who are in danger of being caught and held in this fnare, but alfo for fuch as have happily efcaped it. What a vaft comfort muft the consideration of this unfpeakable danger give to thofe who have happily entred into a pi- ous and virtuous courfe, and made fome good progrefs in it ? who can, on good grounds, reflect upon it, that their moft important work is not yet to begin, but is happily ad- vancing ? how may they rejoice in their happy choice, and blefs the Lord who hath given them counfel ? In tine, fome things which may be fuggefted upon this argument may be applied to fhew, even to them, the necef- fity of not refting upon the beginnings of goodnefs, or any advances in it they have yet attained to, but conftantly endeavouring after further improvements ; and reaching forward to that perfection of holinefs, which is the foundation of perfect happinefs.
Now
05]
Now to fhew the unfpeakable folly and danger of going on in a finful courfe in the hopes of retrieving All at laft by a late or a death-bed repentance, many ftrong and weighty confiderations have been well il- luftrated and warmly enforced by wife and good men, by faithful minifters of Chrift : fuch as thefe -, the uncertainty of any man's having time and opportnnity afterwards for that repentance which he now delays and puts off; the uncertainty of a Tinner's being in a better difpofition for repentance or find- ing it more eafy afterwards ; or rather, the certainty of his being in a worfe difpofition for it, and finding it more difficult, when his heart is further hardened by the deceitful- mfs that is in fin, and the force of vicious habits further ftrengthened by indulgence ; and God more provoked to withdraw and withhold his grace, by a long and frequent refitting of his calls, and hardening the heart againft his gracious invitations ; fo that the longer a finner delays betaking himfelf to a better courfe, the more he is likely to defer it, and there is no end of delaying.
And as the common and natural ifTue of a finner's delaying his repentance is putting it off to the very laft ; to (hew the yet great- er abfurdity and danger of this, fuch further confiderations as thefe have been urged with great force of argument and warmth of ex- population : that none of us knows but our B 3 death
[6]
death may be- fudden and furprrifing, or at* tended with fuch circumftancei as to rob us of all opportunity, or capacky,*for that re- pentance which we put oif;,tmj*hen : that it is the greateft madnefs to put off a thing of the greateft importance, of abfolute necef- fity, to a few moments of diftrefs, hurry and confufion : how eafily then may a man im- pofe upon himfelf, by a falfe and unavailing repentance ; a mere regret for an ill-fpent life, when under terrible apprehenfions, or a fearful looking for of judgment, which is far from being true repentance, as not being attended with any thorough change to the bet- ter ; as the after-lives of thofe who, in the profpect of death, have felt very deep regret, and the moft piercing forrow, have too often and too plainly {hewn ? how peculiarly hard is it then to attain to true repentance, and efpecially to carry it to any length of im- provement, and tabefure of it? fo that, even fuppofing the dying finner fhould reap the benefit of it in the other world, it is fcarce poflible he fhould reap the comfort of it in this : that there is a prefent pain and difquiet of mind in a vicious courfe, which the finner can no way get rid of while he continues in it ; as there are prefent pleafures and fatisfaclions in a couiie of piety and virtue, which a man irrecoverably lofes (o long as he delays entering upon it, was he ever fo fure of faving his fowl at laft.
Such
f 7}
Such weighty confiderations as thefe have already employed the difcourfes and pens of the bed preachers and writers upon religious fubjecls ; who appear to me to have fo muck exhaufted the matter of thefe arguments, that fcarce anything remains to befaid upon them : and, after fo many excellent writers, I fbould fcarce have thought of publifhing any thing upon this fubje£r, if fomething beyond all thefe confiderations had not oc- curred to my mind in the ftudy of the Holy Scriptures, with an evidence I could not get over, and a force of conviction I could not refill, viz. " That the very poflibility, or, <c at leaft, all hope of retrieving the mifery " of an ill-fpent life, and efcaping the **' wages of fin in another world, by a late <c or death-bed repentance, is abfolutely ex- " eluded by the nature and defign of reli- *' gion, and by the ftrain of the plaineft " decifions of the HV"/ Scriptures, particu- " larly of the New Teftament ; that the " abfolute neceffity of a holy life to the hap- " pinefs of heaven, without any referve or •' exception, is there moft plainly declared, " in the ftrongeft terms ; that this is not the " found of a fingle text or two, but the *' firain and tenor of numbers of the plain- " eft pafTages of Holy Writ ; and that there u is no promife, nor inftance, in the whole " word of God, of that repentance being " accepted of Him at laft, or availing to
'" obtain
m
<; obtain the happinefs of the other world, " which comes not till the laft moment or cc hour of life ; far lefs, which is purpofely " deferred till then."
This is a length, which I can obferve none of the beft writers on this argument to have gone : many of them have fhewn a particu- lar fhynefs about it : nay, moft of them have directly contradicted, it : and yet it is a length which the word of God plainly obliges me to go.
But, before I enter upon the illuftration of this argument, may I not ftop a little to bewail the madnefs of finners in their vicious courfes ; that, if they can allege but a bare poflibility of indulging themfelves in vice, and yet being faved at laft, they will ven- ture their All upon this poffibility j even though it be manifeftly a thing fo extraordi- nary, and out of the ufual courfe of Divine conduct, as it mayjuftly be reckoned next to impojjible! Who, in his right wits, would ever act fo foolifh a part, or run fuch a rifk, in matters of infinitely lefs importance to him than the concerns of his foul and eter- nity ! And yet, fo it is ; fo we fee it, in too many inftances ; fo far does mens love to their darling vices infatuate them, that they will thus trifle in matters of the laft importance to them, and /port themfelves with their own deceiving* ; that, if they can flatter them- felves with a meer poffibility of retaining
their
f93
their vices to the laft, and then faving the*r fouls, upon this they will venture !
This, with other confiderations, has made it appear of the greateft importance to me, that, if it can be done with truth and evi- dence, even this poflibility, wherein they truft, fhould be taken from them ; that the defperate, obftinate finner mould be deprived of this only and moft wretched refuge, upon which he is apt to go on fecurely in a vici- ous courfe.
But, when I reprefent it as a thing impof- fible, " that a man mould go on in a vici- iC ous courfe to the laft, and then obtain the " falvation of his foul," I am far from in- tending to limit the almighty power of God, to whom all things are pcjfible, which do not involve a contradiction^ i. e. which are any real objects of power; provided, too, they are not inconfiftent with his moral charac- ter : but many things are in this fenfe pof- fible, which are fo contrary to all the well- known order of nature, or ftated courfe of providence, that hardly any man would fay concerning them, meerly on account of this poffibility, fo much as that " they may be ;" far lefs that " they ever will be" One plain inftance may fuffice, at prefent, for illuftrating this : it is equally poflible, equally eafy for the Divine Power, that the fun fhould rife to-morrow in the Weft as in theEaft; and yet, the man would appear very ridiculous
who
[ K>]
who mould fay, " // may be the fun fhall *' rife in the Weft to-morrow." Far lefs, if God, by whofe power alone a thing can be brought about, declares it jhall never be> is any man to entertain the thought that it may be it (hall come to pafs, merely becaufe it is conceiveable and confident, a real ob- ject of power, and, with regard to the Divine Power, poflible : if the God of truth, by whofe power alone it is fuppofed a thing can be brought about, has declared '/ it (hall " not be," it may, to all intents and pur- pofes, be confidered as a thing impofiible that it mould ever happen ; and no more is the leaft expectation of it to be entertained than if the very notion of it, or the terms in which it is exprefled, involved the plainefr. abfurdity and contradiction. And that this is, in reality, the cafe, with regard to " a " finner's going on in a vicious courfe to " the laft, and then efcaping future punifh- M ment, by any repentance he can then cc make {*■ that the plain decifions of God in his word ftand againft it, and declare it Jhall never be, 'tis the purpofe of my prefent attempt to mew.
And though the cleareft evidences and ftrongeft proofs I am to adduce, to this pur- pofe, are taken from the plain and pofitive declarations of Ploly Scripture, particularly of the Go/pel, by which life and immortality is brought to light ; yet there are not want- ing
[ 'I ]
ing confiderable proofs to the fame purpofe, drawn from the nature and reafon of things: from the unalterable nature of God, with whom tve have to do; from the nature of man, and the condition in which he is placed in this world; from the great defign of reli- gion ; and the nature of true, of rational and virtuous, happinefs. Thefe it may be pro- per to confider a little, in the nrft place ; as they may give fome light to the declarations of Scripture concerning this matter, as well as derive a good deal from them. I (hall not here enter into the enquiry whether, and how far, a future ftate of happinefs may be dcmonjlrated by the light of nature and rea- fon alone, without any affiftance from Di- vine Revelation : but, upon the fuppofition of fuch a ftate, it may be (hewn, with the greateft evidence of reafon, that not only beginnings, but confiderable improvements in virtue, are neceflary to fit us for the hap- pinefs of it. And that,
I. Prom the nature of God, on whofe un- alterable Nature and moral Character the fureft reafonings in religion are founded. Not only does our happinefs intirely depend upon Him : this is the cafe, even with re- gard to our inferior enjoyments, of whatever kind ; all depend upon Him, the author of our frame, and of all our capacities, who " giveth us richly all things to enjoy : " it is the cafe of the creatures below us $ " the eyes
" of
[ 12]
u of all things wait upon Htm, and He 44 giveth them their food in due feafon ; He 44 openeth his hand and filleth them with " good." But our chief happinefs lies in Him, in his favour and fellowfhip : now to maintain this, a conformity in our temper and prevailing difpofition to his moral cha- racter is neceflary.
Now it is the unalterable property of his nature, that he is perfectly holy, entirely removed and averfe from all moral pollu- tion and defilement : from whence we may certainly conclude, that " evil cannot dwell " with Him ;" that the wicked and impure can have no fellow/hip with Him; for He 44 hateth all the workers of iniquity:" with- al, He " looks not only on the outward ap- 44 pearance," as men do, but " looks into 44 the heart;" and therefore, regards not the fpecious profefiions, and faireft outward appearances, where the heart is not right with him ; and where it is, that will appear in the tenor of the life and conduct; for 44 a good man, out of the good treafure of 44 his heart, bringeth forth good things."
What excellent fpecimens of fuch argu- sngs do the Holy Scriptures give us, in fhort and ftrong expreffions ? I Jo. i. 5, 6, 7. 44 God is light, and in Him is no darknefs 44 at all ;" His whole conduct is perfectly pure, and will abide the ftrongeft light ; He is intirely removed from anyfelloiv/hip with 1 thofe
[ i3 ]
thofe works of darknefs, which are naturally odious, and fhun the light: and therefore, " if we fay that we have fellowfhip with " him, and walk in darknefs, we lie, and " do not the truth : but if we walk in the <c light, as he is in the light, we have fel- " lo^ihip one with another." Some more of thefe fcriptural reafonings will occur af- terwards. But, from what has been offered, it plainly appears, from the unalterable moral character of God, that it is only fo far as we improve in goodnefs and moral excel- lency, that we can increafe in His favour, and advance to our true happinefs in feU lowfnlp with him ; and that, to be perfectly liappy, we muft be perfectly holy and good. 2. Let us confider, in the fame view, the nature of man, and the condition in which he is placed in this world. His mind is en- dued with the noblefl: capacities, both for contemplation and for action ; and the feeds of good affections, of benevolence and the love of goodnefs, are implanted in our frame : but thefe capacities muft be 'unproved bv care- ful exercife, in order to their being put to their proper ufes, and our reaping the advan- tage of them and the enjoyments for which they qualify us. Thefe feeds of goodrrefs muft be cherifhed by diligent culture, in or- der to their arriving at that extent and im- provement in knowledge, in goodnefs, and divine love, which will lfiue in a compleet C and
[ '4 3
and confirmed flate of piety and virtue, and of rational and virtuous happinefs. When firft we receive the happy turn and difpofi- tion, to fet about this culture and improve- ment in good earnelt, we are then entered on the true way to happinefs : but a great part of our work remains, to carry forward thefe good beginnings j and we cannot, certainly, be reckoned to have finijhed this work when we have only begun it. Moreover, we are creatures of a mixed frame : as we have fpirits formed for the noblefl purpofes, fo we have bodies of earth liable to various frailties : in order to the fupport of thefe bodies, and to fuit our prefent condition in this world, we are endowed with various appetites and paffions ; which, in their re- gular flate, are not only ufeful but neceiTary to our prefent frame and Jituation ; but are apt, without careful reftraint and watchful culture, to grow extravagant and exceffive : and we are furrounded with various objects, fuited to thefe inferior appetites and pallions, which are apt to draw us off from thofe fpiritual exercifes and improvements that belong and contribute to the perfection and happinefs of our better part : it therefore be- comes a matter of great and long exercife, to regulate our inferior paiTions and appetites, and bring them into due order; to cultivate and improve the affections cf divine love and brotherly kindnefs ; to fubdue the flefh.
to
[ 15 ]
to the fpirit, and bring our lower appetites into fubje&ion to our more exalted affect ions,: this is a work, according to all the views reafon and experience give us of it, not ro be performed at once \ not without frequent efforts, and a conftant druggie : and this is our exercife here, in this ffate of imperfection ; in order to our advancement to a irate of perfection and complete happiuefs in a better world, where virtue fhali be triumphant, and become fuperior to all disturbance or oppo- fition.
3. If we further confider the nature of our true happinefs ; we muft be fer.fible, that it is of no fuch importance to our happinefs what place we are in, as what fpirit we are of; what enjoyments we are poiTeffed of, and what temper we are in to relim then: : if our minds are formed into the temper of blifs, and we enjoy the higheft fatisfaclions our nature is capable of, we (hall be happy wherever we have that temper and enjoy- ment ; but, if we are deftitute of the temper of blifs, change of place will fignify nothing} for we can be happy no where. Heaven, therefore, is not fo much a different plate from that where we now are, as a different /late from the prefent ; and it is by the tem- per of our minds we muff, make our ap- proaches to it. The perfection of any crea- ture is the foundation of its happinefs ', and the utmo/i happinefs any creature is capable
C 2 ȣ
[ « ]
of, is only to be obtained in the ftate of its utrnofl perfection : and as the true perfection of fuch creatures as we are, confifts in ratio- nal and virtuous improvements, it is only Co fat as we advance in thefe that we can enjoy our true happinefs ; and, in all nature, the moil perfect Irate of any creature does not take place all at once* but arifes from Jfhall beginnings by a gradual and beautiful progrefs. We are creatures formed not barely for contemplation, but for action and employment ; to be ufeful to one another, and to find our perfection and happinefs, not only in the contemplation of the molt glorious object of our thoughts, but in the proper exercife of our active powers. The Abilities our great Creator has furnifhed us with, the Affections he has implanted in our hearts, the Circumftances in which he has placed us in His world, do plainly fhew us formed by Him not to be idle* or meerly contemplative* but aclive and ufeful creatures ; and thus to improve in a truly amiable cha- racter, and a capacity for happinefs in the moil perfect fociety : a happinefs founded in a temper of intire good afiection to the ge- neral welfare of the rational world ; and of hearty devotion, and allegiance to the kind Father and univerfal Governor of the rational kingdom : for, not only are we formed for the exercife of love and benefi- cence towards thofe of our own kind ; but
for
r «7 ]
for- a more extenfive excrcile of kindnefs and good- will towards the whole body of reafonable beings ; 2nd the higheft love and devotion to the perfectly wife and good Go- vernour of the world ; a hearty affection to his government, by which the general hap- pinefs is fecured ; an intire fubrnifiion to his orders, and refignation to all his wife ap- pointments. This temper and conduct is the mod proper exercife and improvement of ©ur nobleft powers ; the true perfection of our nature ; and the foundation of our higheft happinefs, which muft be founded in the difpofition of our minds : this Temper will afford the greater!: enjoyment we can have in our prefent ftate, fo far as it prevails ; and, in its Perfection, is the foundation of the higheft and moft lafting jov : and we can only advance towards perfect blifs, fo far as we improve in this. To promote fuch a Temper, and an anfwerable conduct, is the great purpofe and Defign of true and valu- able Religion ; which, when received in its proper influence into the heart, has the moft direct and powerful tendency this way. True religion, as it prefents us with a juft object of our moft delightful contemplation, our higheft veneration and love, our moft intire devotion and refignation, in the infi- nitely glorious and blefled God ; fo it great- ly ftrengthens alt thofe difpofitions of good- nefs and integrity, which belong to a truly C 3 worthy
[ i3 ]
worthy and amiable character : this it does by the influence of the molt glorious and perfect Example ; and the love of the per- fection of goodnefs and righteoufnefs, ani- mating us to imitate that great object, of our love and adoration : by a regard and Reve- rence for the greateft and moft awful pre- fence and obfervation : by the Authority of that great Lawgiver ', who is able to fave or to dejiroy : and, in fine, by a regard to the fa- vour and Approbation of the great and good Governour of the world ; who, as he is the righteous Lord, Lveth righteoufnefs. The great defign of religion, therefore, is to make us good and ufeful here, and thus train us up to happinefs hereafter.
To conclude this branch of the argument : ail enjoyment, of any kind, neceflarily fup- pofes a tafte for that kind of enjoyment -, nor can our fatisfaclion, in any entertainment, rife higher than our relifh for it is improved. Now, the true happinefs of fuch creatures as we are is not to be found in the whole circle of outward things, nor in the higheft gratifications of fenfe; but in fuch rational and virtuous enjoyments, as a meer fenfual man has no relifh for ; in which no man can have delight, but fo far as he is improved in true goodnefs and divine love, has fubdued the flefh to the fpirit, and brought his infe- rior appetites in fubjeclion to thofe nobler dif- pofitions. So that it is a maxim evidently % fou nded
[ '9 ]
founded in nature and reafon, that grace Is glory begun, and gl. ry is grace perfecled.
But the proofs of this ^reat point drawn from the declarations of Holy Scripture are peculiarly ftriking ; and fhould be of fpecial force with thofe who profefs to believe the ChriiKanRevelation, and to derive their chief comfort and hopes of future happinefs from it : they are taken from thefe confidcrations.
1. From the confederation of the great defign of Chriftianity, and of our bleiTed Saviour's coming into the world, and his death
2. From the reprefentations the word of God s;ives us of the great bufinefs of a Chri- flian, and his preparation for the heavenly blifs, as a progreifive work ; only begun in his firlr. converfion j and to be gradually carried on to it's proper improvement and perfection, by the courfe of a holy and good life, and a faithful ftriving againff. fin. A- greeably to which,
3. The promifes of future happinefs are all along, throughout the tenor of Holy Scri- pture, made to a holy and good life; with- out the leaft hint of the alternative, that the perfon who has neglected it bitterly regrets that neglecr. at laft : and the threatnings of future mifery againft the workers of iniquity, are made without any referve or exception, particularly, without the exception of a man's repenting at laft that he had been fo.
4. God
[ ™ ]
4- God exprefiy threatens to give a deaf ear to their cries at kit, and in the day of their diftrefs, who refufe to hearken to his calls in time.
5. There is no one promife in the whole Word of God which gives the leaft counte- nance or encouragement to the hopes of happinefs upon a late or death-bed repent- ance. Nor,
6. Is there any one inftance in Holy Writ, of a Tinner's being accepted of God, or ad- mitted into the happinefs of heaven, upon fuch a repentance.
7. Laitly, The conduct of our bleffed Sa- viour and his Apoftie?, in calling fmners to repentance, is perfectly agreeable to, and a confirmation of, the plan here maintained. In the
Firft place, It is plainly declared to be the main deiign of the Gofpel, and of our bleiTed Saviour's coming into the world, and his death, to recover and reclaim men from fin and vice, and bring them back to that con- formity to God in hclinefs and goodnefs, in which (and in his favour) their only true happinefs lies. In companion to the wretch- ed circumstances of finful men, fallen from their true happinefs and become miferable, by having fallen from true goodnefs, and become wicked and rebellious againft God ; the Son of God came rnto this world, to deliver men from this degenerate and mi- ferable
[ *> ]
fcrable condition. It may be obvious to an attentive and ferious confideration, that, in this wretched ftate of human nature, our fin and moral depravity is, in its own na- ture and influence, the worft part of our calamity, and caufe of all the reft ; and it is only fo far as we are delivered from this, that we can be freed from trrofe evils which naturally attend it and follow upon it. And therefore it mufl be the chief defign of a Saviour, who would effectually deliver us from mifery, and bring us to truehappinefs; in the firft place to fave us from our vices, and bring us back to holinefs and goodnefs j and not merely to fuch low and faint begin- nings of goodnefs, as can go but a very little way to reftore our peace and promote our inward enjoyment; but to fuch improve- ments in all piety and virtue, as may be a natural progrefs towards a ftate of perfection in holinefs, the foundation of perfect blifs.
Accordingly, when Chrift came into the world as the Saviour, and had that name given to him by divine appointment, from what Salvation is it that He is fo called ? Matt. i. 21. " Thou {halt call His name " "Jefus, for He fhall fave His people from " their fiis." This is alfo declared by the great deiign of all that he did and fufFered for our redemption ; of that depth of igno- miny He fubmitted to bear, and thofe bitter fufferings He endured for our fakes ; in
which,
[ 22 ]
which, Ttt. ii. 14. He " gave Himfelf for 14 ur, that he might redeem us from all ini- ** quity, and might purify unto Himfelf a " peculiar people, zealous of good works" and the final ifTue of this gracious cjefig-n is thus defcribed ; Eph. v. 25 — 27. " Chrift " loved the church ; and gave Himfelf for " it, that He might fanft'ify and cleanfe it, " with the warning of water by the word; " that he might prtfent it to Himfelf a gio- 4C rious church, not having fpot or wrinkle, " or any fuch thing ; but that it mould be " holy and without blemijh"
For bringing about this great falvation ; and leading his people to their true happi- nefs, by the natural way to it, purity and goodnefs ; among other offices our Redeemer fuflains, He is fet forth to us as bearing the character of our great Mafter and Inlfruc- tor, our Leader and Commander 5 and, as fuch, He has delivered to us the moil: full and clear inffruclions, concerning thofe things that belong to the improvement and perfection of our nature, our peace and hap- pinefs : thefe inftruciions our great Lord and Mafter has delivered to us, as His com- mands; enjoining our obfervation of them by His authority, and enforcing it by all the ties of love we are under to Him : nor is it left entirely upon our ingenuity, or grati- tude, whether we will obey them, or not ; but, as they are the laws of our great King
and
[ *3]
an J f awgiver, they arc enforced by the moft awfulfanftions: on the one hand, Chrift is declared to be the Author of eternal falvation to all them that obey Him \ and the moft en- couraging prom iies of eternal life are made to M them who, by a patient continuance in weli- " doings feek for glory, honour and immor- " tality ;" and, on the other hand, the moil fearful and everlajling punijhments are de- nounced againft all who go on in their tref- pajfes, and will not, by all the methods of Divine mercy, be reclaimed.
Agreeably to all this, three things are, by the tenor of the Gofpel, required of us, in order to our eternal falvation ; which are all declared abfolutely necefTary to it ; and, withal, are fet forth as anfvvering fuch dif- ferent purpofes in that great affair, as, if duly confidered, might fuffice to mow, that no one of them can fupercede the neceftity of the others, i. Faith in Jefus Chrift ; where- by we heartily receive Him as our Saviour and Lord : this is required, in order to our obtaining a right and title to falvation, ac- cording to the tenor of the Gofpel-covenant; whereby our renewed title to that happinefs, we had forfeited by our fin and rebellion, is founded on the perfect righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrifr, and His obedience unto death; in which God (hows His love to holinefs and perfect virtue : and in this perfect merit we are interefted, by receiving Chrifr. as our
Saviour
[*4 J
Saviour and our Lord. This faith, alfo, is fundamentally neceffary to our receiving His inftrucHons, and obeying His commands. 2. Repentance: not a meer Sorrow for fin ; however deep and piercing : this is required, only as fubiervient to that Amendment, in which repentance confifts: and never, throughout the whole Scripture, is repent- ance required of a dying finner, as the fruit- lefs clofe of a bad life ; but always of men in life, as the fruitful beginning of a holy and good life. 3. Holinejs of heart and life : not meer beginnings of goodnefs ; but a con- front progrefs, and a patient continuance in well-doing: nor is this required as an arbi- trary condition of cur obtaining future happi- nefsj which, it might be thought the iu- preme Lord and Judge might difpenfe with at pleafure; but as, in the nature of the thing, a neceffary preparation for it ; and therefore, by no means to be difpenfed with. So that, of thefe three things, required by the Gofpel to our eternal falvation, we mayobferve; that no one of them can fupply the place of any of the others, or fuperfede the neceility of the reft ; becaufe it does not anfwer the purpcfe, for which they ferve, in order to our falvation. By faith in Chrift we obtain a right to the heavenly inheritance : but as an infant-heir, though he has a right to the eftate, is not to enter upon the poffejjion of it, ''till he arrives at the age at which he is pre- lum ed
[*5 ]
fumed fit to ufe and enjoy it; fo the true believer, though intitled to the heavenly in- heritance, is not to come to the pojfejfion of it, 'till the fovereign and all-feeing Difpofer of it fees him meet to enter upon it ; which he can only become by a patient continuance in well-doing : and, as a holy life cannot fupply the place of faith in Chrift, to give us a right and title to the kingdom of heaven ; no m>re can faith fupply the place of a holy life, to make us meet and fit for it. True Faith in Chrift regards His blood and righte- oufnefs, as the attonement and propitiation for the fins wefior/ake : but to regard ir, as procuring an indu'gence for us to continue m fin, would be the raoft horrid .profanation ; a counting the blood of the Covenant ^ whereby we are Jancfifiedy an unholy thing ! Re- pentance, 'tis plain, cannot fupply the place of holinefs ; becaufe the firft beginnings of it are in order to our leading an holy life for the future; and are an entrance on that courfe of a patient continuance in well-doings which leads to glory, &c. Further; of thefe things required by the Gofpel, in order to our eternal falvation, holinefs is the end of all the reft : and, therefore, not only are that repentance and faith vain, and of no avail to our falvation, which are net effeclual principles of holinefs ; but even fuch true .and fincere repentance and faith, as are ef- fectual principles, and real beginnings of D bdi-
[ »6-]
holinefs in the foul, are not fufncient to render us immediately fit for the heavenly bhfs; 'till we make further improvements in holinefs, by a courfe of obedience to the commands of Chrift. And, for this. I might appeal to the experience of fincere Ch rif- ts ans, who are exercifed unto godlinefs^ and in whofe heart i are the ways of God j who know and find, that a great deal remains to be done, for working out their falvat'am ; even after, by fincere faith and repentance, they are happily entered upon the way to it. A great deal remains to be done, in mortifying and fubduing corrupt iufts and irregular paf- iions, more and more ; in pra&ifirig all the duties of piety and virtue, of devotion to God, and an ufeful life among men, the duties of their feveral {rations and relations; in the regular government of all their appe- tites ; in refilling and overcoming all the trials and temptations they meet with in this world : and all, in order to their improve- ment and advancement in every grace and virtue ; that they may thus become meet for entering upon the enjoyments of a ftate of perfection, and// for the reward and crown of Him that overcomes.
Upon the whole, then, it is abundantly evident, that the main defign of the Gofpelj and of our blefTed Saviour's coming into the world and his death, is to recover men from fin and vice \ and bring them back to that
con-
[ «7 J .
conformity to God in holinefs and goo< in which their true happineft lies : this is* the great leiTon we are taught, bv the grace or God, that " hath appeared bringing faJva- " tion to us ; that denying ungodlinefs and <c worldly lufts, we fhould live foberlv, cc righteoufly and godly in thii P efent world* " looking for that blefled hope, &c." Tit. ii. ii. 13. For this purpofe, there are " given to us exceeding great and precious cc promifes, through the knowledge of him c* that hath called us to glory and virtue, a that by thefe we might be partakers of a 6C Divine nature , having ejeaped the corrup- <c tion that is in the world through lull,'' ?. Pet. i. 3, 4. And it is, withal, declared* that " the Lord Jefus fhall be revealed from " heaven, with His mighty angels, in " flaming fire, taking vengeance on them c< that know net God, and that obey not the " Go/pel of our Lord Jefus Chrift,?' 2 Xbeff. i. 7, 8. So that, the great defign of Chriir. and His Gofpel, is not mterly to deliver Tin- ners from mijiry, and bring them to bappi- nefs at laft , by no means, to deliver them only from the pains of fenfe, and bring, them to a flate of fevfual gratifications* or any en- joyment confident with vice ; but, to reftore true piety and virtue to a degenerate world ; to bring men back to the true perfection of their nature ; and not only to the firft be- ginnings of moral excellency, bat to fuch D 2 improve-
[ 28 ] improvements as are neceflary to their en- trance on a ftate of pure blifs. According- ly ; not only, is a holy and good difpofkion of mind neceflary to any beginnings of true happinefs j but, as the heavenly blifs is founded in the perfection of holinefs, to fit us for that not only the firft beginnings of piety and goodnefs, but further improve- ments, by the courfe of a holy and good life, are, in the nature of the thing, neceflary; and plainly declared to be fo, throughout the tenor of the Gofpel. A holy life is not a tafk laid upon us here, to entitte us to a re- ward hereafter \ but, is a natural progrefs to our complete happinefs, neceflary to make us meet for it : and it can no more be a proper acl: of mercy m God to difpenfe with *7, than to di/penfe with our happinefs j for 'tis only fo far as a man is improved in holi- nefs, that he can either have complacency in God, or God in him.
But, left it fhould be thought, that, not- withstanding all that has been faid, fuch im- provements in holinefs as to fit a man for the heavenly blifs may be attained all at once, by fuch Divine aids as we are not forbid to ex- pect ; and fo may pojjibly be attained by a fin- ner, even in his I aft moments : let us confider,
In the Second place ; that the bufinefs of a ChrifHan, and his preparation for the hea- venly (tate, is, all along in Scripture, repre- fented as a progrefiive work ; only begun, in
hi^
[29 I
his firft converfion ; and to be gradually car- ried on, to its proper improvement and per- fection, by the courfe of a holy and good life, and a faith fulfiriving againfi fin.
I -might even obferve here; " that our " flate in this life being a irate of trial and cc exercife, in order to our future reward u and triumph, arifes not meerly from our " finful imperfections ; but from the condi- <c tion of human nature, in its original <c frame and conftitution." Even Adam^ in his flrir. creation, though he was made inno- cent j yet was not fo perfett and confirmed in goodnefs^ but that he ftill flood in need of further improvement : he was created with a faculty to judge aright; and with a power to govern his appetites, which he could con- troul far more eafily than we can do now : vet he was not immutably good ;, but might, without due care and watchfulnefs, be in- duced to do evil ; as we fee he was : for an habituated, confirmed flare of goodnefs was, even then, to have been acquired by watch- fulnefs and exercife; whereby he might, in time, have become fo ftedfaft, as not to be prevailed upon, by any temptation, to aft contrary to his duty. Nay, (what may juftly appear more flrange and affecting) the great Captain of our faha lion himfelf has gone be- fore us to His glory, by a courfe of obedience and patience. As Chriftians, we are to be followers of Ghrift, and conformed to the D 3 image-
[ 30]
image of the Son of God : and this circu ro- mance, with regard to Him, may well' appear wonderful and ftriking ; that, though His human nature was perfectly immaculate from the firft ; yet He entered not upon His glory* but through a eourfe of trial. He was ori- ginally free from the Ieaft (lain of irregular inclinations, or corrupt aMcclions ; and, from the very firft, had in Him the unpol- luted principle of all thofe amiable virtues, which afterwards difcovered themfelves in his life; by a gradual display of which, from his childhood, he increafed in favour with God and man : through the eourfe of His life. He did no fmy neither was guile found tn His lips ; He was holy, karmlefs, undefiledy feparated from finners ; and could challenge His moff inveterate enemies, which of you ionvinceth me of fin : he had, therefore, no fins to repent of, no bad inclinations to amend, no relicts of corruption to fubdue: and yet, He did not enter upon that Reward and Glory to which, in his human nature, He is now advanced ; but by palling through a eourfe of trial \ <and, by the molt exact and in tire obedience unto death, even the death of the crefs., giving the utmoft proof of His con- fummate Piety and Goodnefs ! And, is it to be expected, that any of His weak and imperfect followers {hould get to their re- ward all at once ; without any trial or difci- pline, to train them up to it ?
This^
[3'J
This would be contrary to the whole tenor of Holy Scripture; which reprefents the ftate of a Chriftian, in this life, as a ftate of trial and exercife, difcipline and im- provement, in order to his advancement to a more perfect ftate : and the work of fancti- fication is, all along, fet forth as a progref- iive work; from lefler beginnings, gradually carried on to its perfection : fo that the place and ufe of the firft repentance, is not to make a man immediately fit for heaven; far lefs, to conclude, and make up for, an ill- fpent life, by a meer regret for having led fuch a life; but, to begin the courfe of a good life ; whereby, through a gradual pro> grefs in holinefs and goodnefs, he is to be trained up for a ftate of perfection.
In the feveral metaphors the Scripture makes ufe of, to let forth the work of grace ; and the emblematical reprefentations our Welled Saviour gives us of it; it is always reprefented as taking its rife from fmall be- ginnings ; and, by a gradual progrefs, car- ried on to its perfection in glory. The foun- dation and propriety of thefe images and me- taphors plainly lies here; that this is a thing m which the courfe of Nature and the con- duct of Grace are harmonious,, and bear a beautiful correfpondence the one with the other ; that the moft perfect ftate of things is not produced all at once ; but every thing has it? fmall beginnings , and is from thence
carried
[ 3* 3
carried on, by feveral fteps and degree^ to its proper pey'feftion. And, in applying fuch figures and metaphors, the natural and ob- vious meaning of them is carefully to be at- tended to ; the purpofe for which the fimi- litude is plainly brought in ; the meaning, without which there would be no propriety, or fenfe in the allufion ; and efpecially the meaning in which they plainly concur ; fo as not only any one of them gives light to the others ; but alfo one branch of the fimi- litude gives light to the other, that which reprefents the Progrefs to that which ex- prefles the firft Beginning of the Chriftian life. To proceed to particulars :
The firft entrance of true religion into the heart, is reprefented as a New Birth ; and it's progrefs as a growth, or growing up : now, as a child new-born, though it has human life in it, yet is not fit for man- ly exercifes and entertainments, but grows up to them by flow fteps ; in like manner, a Chriftian, newly converted, muft grow up by degrees to thofe ftronger exercifes of piety and goodnefs, and that higher relifh of virtuous enjoyments, for which he is cre- ated in Chrijl Jefus unto good works : and therefore the Apoftle exhorts his new con- verts, i Pet. ii. 2, 3. " As new born babes, " defire the fincere milk of the word, that u ye may grow thereby ; if fo be ye have " tafted that the Lord is gracious." Again ; 4 the
[ 33 3
the iirft beginning of the Chriftian life Is re- prefented under the emblem of a branch en- grafted Into a living (rock ; and it's prrgrtjs under that of bringing forth fruit, and much fruity Jo. xv. i. — Again; the entrance on the Chriftian life is reprefented as laying a foundation 3 it's progrefs as building upon it : 1 Cor. iii. 9, f$c. Epb. iv. 1 2, C5V. and ii. 10, £ff>. Again j the ChrifHan life is com- pared to running in a race, which is a con- stant and a quick motion forward, without flopping, going back, or turning afidej in which it is not enough to Jiart fair, and run on a while ; but one muft run on, till he reaches the Goal, to obtain the prize : I Cor. ix. 24. Heb. xii. 1. Further ; the ftate of a Chriftiaii in this life is reprefented as a warfare \ and his perfect ftate is fet forth under the emblems of a Victory and Tri- umph : Rev. ii. 7, 11, 17, 26. and iii. 5, 12, 21. now, in a warfare, it is not enough to enter the lijh ; nay, to fight one battle, or gain one conqucft ; but we muft perfift in the contefi, till our zvarfare is accomplifhed ; and, by a train of Victories, we have gain- ed a compleat Triumph : thus, the Chriftian muft fight the good fight of faith, if he would lay hold of eternal life, 1 Tim. vi. 1 2. and the Apoftle fays of himfelf, ii. 4, 7, 8. / have fought the good fight, 1 have finifhed my courfe, J have^ept the faith; henceforth is laid up for ?ne a crown of righteoufnefs, &o A-
gain i
[ 34] gain ; the progrefs of religion is fet forth by the grov/ing of corn ; in which, fays our blefTed Saviour, Mark iv. 28. The earth
bringeth forth fifjl the blade, then the ear,
afer that the full corn in the ear. And, in line, fays the Wife Man ; " the path of the " juft is as the finning light, that fhineth ** more and more unto the perfcSl day" Prov. iv. 1 3.
If, now, we pafs from the figurative to the plain defcriptions of the life of a Chri- stian ; and the work that remains for him to do, after a good work is begun in him ; they all point the fame way. " Leaving the prin- •' ciples of the doctrine of Chrift, fays the ** apoflle, let us go on unto perfection ; not '* laying again the foundation of repentance ** from dead works, and of fai,th towards cC God." Heb. vi. 1. To believers the ex- hortation is, " As ye have received Chrift <c Jefus the Lord, fo walk ye in Him; ce rooted and built up in Him." Col, ii. 6, 7. and Gal. ii. 20. fays the apoftle, " I live by M trie faith of the Son of God." 'Tis not to them who only begin to do well, but cc to " them who by patient continuance in well- <c doing feek for glory, honour and immor- u tality," that God will give eternal life, Rom. ii. 7. And, they who have begun the work of their falvation, and even given for- mer proofs of their obedience to the gofpel, muft ftill work out their own falvation with
fear
[ 3? ] fear and tremblings Phil. ii. 12. fearing, as the apoftle exprefles it, Heb. iv. 1. " left a. " promifc being left us, of entring into His " reft, any of us fhould fecm to come Jhort Ct of it." To true Chriftians is both the threatning and the promife addrefTed, Rom. viii. 13. " If ye live after the fkih, ye fhall w die ; but if ye, through the fpirit, do if mortify the deeds of the body, ye fhall " live:" agreeably to what the Lord fays, by the prophet, hzek. xxxiii. )8. " When " the righteous man turneth from his righ- " teoufnefs, and committeth iniquity, he " fhall even die thereby." * And, fays our blefted Lord, to thofe jews wfo believed on Him, Jo. viii. 31. " If ye continue in my " word, then are ye my dilciples indeed, &c." and to his particular difciples, of whom He fays, As the Father bath loved me, fo have I loved you, He adds, "continue ye in my " love ; if ye keep my commandments, ye (hall ** abide in my love ; even as I have kept iC my Father's commandments, and abide in <c his love." xv. 9, 10. And, fays the apoftle Peter, to them that had obtained like precious faith with the apoftles, ii. 1. 5. — " giving " all diligence, add to your faith virtue, &c. cc — for if thefe things be in you, and a- <c bound, they make you that ye fhall nei- <c ther be barren nor unfruitful in the know- Ci kdge of our Lord Jefus Chrift," Again ; * See alfo the 13th verfe of that chapter.
fays
[ 36 ] fays the Apoftle Pauf, to thofe who had be- lieved as the Apoftles preached, " Be ye fted- 44 fait and unmoveable, always abounding in ■** the work of the Lord ; for as much as M ye know that your labour is not in vain <i in the Lord." i Cor. xv. u, 58. In fine, the Apoftle Peter, enjoins growth in grace, not only as a proper improvement of what Chriftians had attained unto ; but as necef- fary to prevent their falling f om their Jied- fajlnef in religion, ii. 3. 17, 18.
And, what is thus raid, in general, with refpedl to the obligations on Chriftians to conftancy and advancement in their Chri- ftian courfe, in order to their Eternal Salva- tion ; is particularly applied to the feveral Graces and Virtues of aChriftian Life, which are all imperfect at firft. The faints and faith- ful brethren in Chrifi muft " walk, worthy •* of the Lord unto all pleafing -, being " fruitful in every good work, and encreafmg " in the knowledge of God :" Col. i. 2, 10. They who have received Chrifi 'fefus the Lord, muft be Jiablijhed in the faith, and abound therein. Col. ii. 7. our love muft abound yet more and more, in knowledge and in all judg- ment: Phil. i. 9. we muft encreafe and abound in love one towards another, and to all men : 1 Theft", lii. 11. our patience muft have its perfect work : Ja. i. 4. and we muft abound to every good work: 2 Cor. ix, 8.
Tius
[ 37 ]
This improvement of Chriftians is repre- fented as the great End of all the afiiftances, afforded to us by the Gofpel ; all the ordi- nances and appointments of our blefled Lord and Saviour. The Miniftry and Minifters of the Gofpel are appointed, not merely for the converfion of Sinners ; but chiefly for the improvement of Saints: Eph. iv. i I. — " He
" gave fome apoftles and fome paftors
" and teachers ; for the perfecting of the
" Saints for the edifying of the body of
M Chrifi; till we all come— unto a perfect " man, &c. that we be no more children, &C. '* — but — may grow up unto Him in all M things who is the Head, even Chrift."
Ail this may be confirmed by the exam- ples of thofe, who have trod the paths of virtue and glory before us. To which, indeed, cf the Saints mail the carelefs fmner turn ; (who thinks to mount to Heaven at once<> in the end of a vicious .life ;) who will not, from their own experience, confute his fol- ly ? Are not all the examples recorded in Scripture for our imitation, of fuch as, not only through fuitk, but through patience* continuance, perieverance, and improve- ment, have come to inherit the protnifeif and the ufe we are to make of fuch exam- ples is plainly pointed out, Heb. vi. 1 1, 12. " that every one of us do mew the ft, me di- " ligencr, to the full aiTurance of hope unto " the end\ that we he not jhthful, but fol- E " lowers
[ 3« ] " lowers of them, who, tsfr." I (hall Tingle out but One example : but it is fuch a one^ as may ftir up all of us, who have any thing of the Divine Life in us, to work out our own Salvation w th fear and trembling : it is the example of the great Apoftle Paul. He was, before his converfion to Chriftianity, concerning the rightecufnefs that is in the law9 b'av elefs : He was, then, zealous for what He believed to be the Truth ; though His zeal was irregular, and ill-governed : yet, not- withstanding all the prejudices of His educa- tion and againflall the force of His mifguided zeal, He became a Convert to Chriftianity ; and entered upon it, from the very nrft, as a ftatc of fufferlng in this world : J els ix, i 6. He declares, that for this cauje He obtained mercy, that in him prft " Jefus Chrift might fct fl.ew forth all long fuffering, for a pattern 44 to thofe which fhould afterwards believe on c* Kim to "life everlafling ;" I Tim i. 16. a glorious and encouraging pattern of at fuffpir>Z, as to what was fajt! but let us fee what followed after; and, if we would have His Cafe a pattern for our encouragement, let us fet His Practice before us as a pattern of our duty : what ardor of love and gratitude to our merciful God and gracious Redeemer, what fervor of charity, did He difcover ! and all mingled with the moft feniibie regret, for the errors of his paft life ; which he can never (peak of but with the deepeft felf-
•bafe-
[ 39 ] abafement, and the mod profound admira- tion of the freedom and greatnefs of Divine C j race to fuch a one as He had been : how diligent and indefatigable was He, in the fervice of God and the blefled Redeemer j an! in doing good to men, and promoting their greatefr. happinefs, in the mod difin- tcrefted manner ? and after he had gone on, in fuch an indefatigable courfe of \good work sy for about twenty-five years *', what doe? He fay of Himfelf? Phil iii. 12—15. « Not " as though I had already attained, either " were already perfeSi ; but I follow after, " &c. — 1 count not myfelf to have appre- " hended ; but this one thing I do ; forget- u ting thofe things which are behind, and " rea.hing forth unto thofe things which are " before, I prefs towards the mark for the <c prize of the high calling of God in Chrift " Jefus."
So ftriking an inftance I fhall leave the application of to every Chriffctari's own thoughts, without any defcanting upon it.
And thus, I think, I have fhown with the ftrongeH: Evidence, " that the bufmefs <c of a Chriftian, and his preparation for <c the Heavenly State, is all along in Scrip- " ture reprefented as a progrej/ive work ; Ci only begun in his iirft converfion ; and
* It was, probably, fo long after His firft conver- ter!, before He wrote the Epiflle to the Phiiippians.
E 2 "to
[ 40 ]
u to be further improved, and carried on kC by degrees to its proper perfecJion, by " the courfe of a holy and good life ; in K order to his entering on the Heavenly " blifs."
But, left it fhould be thought, that all this may admit of fane exceptions ; and ftill there may be fome room left to hope, that a work of Grace may be not only really be- gun, but confiderably 'unproved, in the Sin- ner's laft moments, whereby he may be, even then, made fit for Heaven, by fuch ex- traordinary meafures of Divine Grace as God can eafily grant, and has no where forbid us to expect : I fhall now proceed tp what, I hope, will be allowed ftiil more decifeve upon this head.
And, not to infut upon it, how unwar- rantable all expectations of fuch extraordi- nary and miraculous Divine aids are, uniefs we had an exprefs revelation from God to build fuch expectations upon ; and that they, of all men, can have the lcr.fi: warrant for fuch expectations, who improve them to encourage their going on prefumptuoufly in a vicious courfe : I fay further, in the
Third place : that the Promifes of future Happinefs are, throughout the tenor of Holy Scripture, made to a Holy and good life ; without the leaft hint of the alternative^ that a man repents at kit his having ltctcd it : and the threatninjr? of future nu-
r 41 ]
nifhment, to the workers of iniquity as they are moft pofitive and peremptory, fo are made without the lead rcferve or excep- tion ; particularly, without the exception of a man's bitterly regreting at lafl that he had been fo. So that, by thefe Promifes and Threatnings, it is plainly and exprefly declared, " that the future ftates of all men " mall be determined at lafr according to " their wprfa, in the courfe of this life ; and <i not according to any extraordinary change, " contrary to it, wrought in them in their " laft moments :" and, by the tenor of thefe Threatnings, all hopes of thofe extra- ordinary aids, which are acknowledged ne- cefTary to the producing fuch a change, are as plainly precluded and forbidden by God, as if the thing was declared abfoluicly i?n- pojfible.
We mail confider thefe Promifes and Threatnings together : and indeed, they are, for the moil: part, fo joined together in Ho- ly Writ, that they will hardly admit of a feparate confederation ; and fo as they throw mutual light and force upon one another.
Whether we confider the Old Tefra- ment, or the New; the words of Mofes and the Prophets, or of our blelTed Saviour and his Apo'ties ; they all concur in re- prefenting to us a Holy and good life as the only way to future happineis. And, tho' the Revelation of the Old Teftament gives E 3 but
but obicure and imperfect hi. it life
and immortality^ which is brought to light by the Go/pel j yet it Teems to afford itrong enough afiurances, that no hopes of it can be entertained, but in the way of a Holy life here ; and only in this way are thole great and good men in ancient times, who feem to have had the expectation of it, re- prefented as entertaining any hope of it. The worthys, in thefe old times, who ob- tained a good report through Faith, obtained it by an Aclive Faith ; which animated them to a fteady and unreferved obedience to God, in the* mofl difficult and trying cafes : by this Faith Abraham, the father of the faith- ful, upon God's call, " obeyed, and went c< forth, not knowing whither he went;" contented with this, that he well-knew whofe Call he followed : " for he looked for a " city that hath foundations, whofe builder " and maker is God : Heb. xi. 8, io. By
" this Faith Mofes chofe rather to fuf-
** fer affliction with the people of God, u than to enjoy the pleafures of Jin for a " feafon ; for he had refpe£r. unto the re- cc compence of reward." And let us ad- vert to the characters given of thofe who mall afcend into the hill of the Lord, abide in his tabernacle, and dwell in his Holy place ;
Pf. xv. and xxiv. 3. And, Pf. xxxvii.
37, 38. " Mark the perfect, man, and " behold the upright ; for the end of that
" man
[ 43 ] *e man is peace : but the trail fgreflbrs mall " he deftroyed together, the end of the ** wicked mall be «rf o^l": And, Ixviii. 20, 21. when it is faid, ^r GW w /^ GW of falvation, it is added, " but God fhall 44 wound the head of his enemies, and the " hairy fcalp of fuch a one as gocth on /till " in bis trefpaffes" And, fays the Pfalmift of himfelf, cxix. 166. " Lord, I have hoped u for thy fa hat ion, and done thy command* " ments : and 174. I have longed for thy " falvation, O Lord, and thy laiv is my " delight." And fays the Lord to the Pro- phet, I/a.m. 10, 11. " fay ye to the righ- " teous, that it fhall be well with him ; " for they (hall eat the fruit of their do- " ings : wo unto the wicked, it fhall be " ill with him j for the reward of his hands " fhall be given him."
In the New Teftament, as we have the moft clear and full difcovery of life and im- mortality, brought to light by the G of pel ', io, the wrath of God is more clearly and exprefly revealed from heaven agalnji all ungodlinefs and utirighteoufnefs of men, Mat. xvi. 27. Our blefTed Lord tells us exprefly, that when he fiall come in the glory of his Father, with his holy Angels ; " then he fhall reward every " man according to his works" And Jo v. 28, 29. He warns his hearers, that " the " hour is coming, in which all that are in " the graves fhall hear His voice 3 and fhall 3 " come
[44 J " come forth, they that have done good unto u the refurrettion of life, and they that have " done evil unto the refurriciion of damna- ** tion" When the Apoftle Peter was well- taught, by an heavenly vifion ; he fays, " of ■* a truth I perceive that God is no refpecler u of perfons ; but in every nation he that " feareth God and ivorketb righteoufnefs is " accepted with Him." And the like fen- timent He exprefTes, when he fays, in his iftEpiJl.i. 17. that the Father, " without " refpecl of perfons, judgeth according to M every man's work ;" and therefore, they who tall on him mufr. " pafs the time of their " fojourning here in fear." And, theApofHe Paul exprefly declares, Rom. ii. 6. — that God will at laft " render to every man ac- W cording to his deeds: to them who, by <s patient continuance in well- doing, feek tor <c glory, honour, and immortality, eternal " life ; but unto them that are contentious, " and do not obey the truth, — indignation
" and wrath upon every foul of man that
''• doth evil, — but glory, honour, and peace *' to every man that worketh g:od, &c." Nor is this diftribution of things according to the tenor of any antiquated, or abrogated, law -, but this equitable retribution (hall be made " in the day when God fhall judge the fe- " crets of men by Jefus Cbrifr," according to the Gofpel which the Apoftle preached, v. 16: and all upon the fame principle,
which
[ 45 ]
which both Armies, in a perfect harmony and concurrence, found upon the moral character of God ; " for there is no refpeft " °f p£rfms witn God," v. 1 1 : He has no regard to the outward appearances and cir- cumftances of men ; nor to any confidera- tion, foreign to their real, their ?nJral, cha- racters : and therefore as, on the one hand, we can hardly conceive of Him as too /;z- dulgent a Father, in his readinefs to receive into favour finners who truly repent and amend ; fo, on the other hand, we can fcarcc conceive of Him as too impartial and inex- orable a judge, in his dealings with fuch as goon all their life in a finful courfe ; and will not, by all the methods of His mercy in time, be reclaimed and reformed. Again, the Apoftle warns us, 2 Cor. v. 10. that " we muft all appear before the judgment- " feat of Chrifl, that every one may receive " the things done in his body, according to " that he hath done, whether it be good or " bad: " fure, no change wrought on a man in his lajl moments, can be reckoned among things that he hath done in the body. I pafs over feveral ether texts, to the fame pur- pofe ; fome of which I have already men- tioned upon a former head * : and fhall pro- ceed to take particular notice of a remark- able parage, or two. Ont is that of the Apoftle, hal vi, 7, 8. where He lays down * Seep. 34, 55.
the
r 46 ]
the great rule of the Divine conduct ; that order of things, under His government, which is e Ye where expreffed by his rendering to every man according to bis works ; or giving him the fruit of his doings : a rule founded upon the moral Character of God ; for, favs Eiibu^Jobxxx'w. ic, 1 1. " hearken unto me, " ye men of undemanding ; far be it from M God that He mould do wickednefs, and " from the Almighty that He fhould commit " iniquity j for the work of a man (hall He M render unto him, and caufe every man to *' find according to bis ways." It is true ; the Apoftle is here particularly recommend- ing and enforcing the duty of beneficence and liberality : but to me it appears as plain, that he is applying and adapting to this pur- pofe a general principle, equally applicable to the enforcement of every branch of good and virtuous practice. This principle He exprefles, in terms of alluficn to what is obferved in the ordinary courfe of Nature, " that men reap in harveft the very fame " kind of grain that they fow in the feed- " ihne:n a thing the Reverfe of which is Pomble ; but fo contrary to the ordinary courfe of nature, and the common expe- rience and obfervation of mankind (atten- tive enough to thefe outward things, and fa- gacious enough to make juft obfervations about them) that no man entertains the leaft expectation that it ever will happen : and
would
[ 47 J
would men apply the fame attention and fagacity to their mofl important concerns ; they might fee it as unreafonable, and contrary to nature, to expect to find it otherwife in their fpiritual affairs ; to think to reap at laft, and in the other world, any thing elfe than the proper and naturaiyh/zV of their own ways : for, the time of this life is our feed- time, in order to our reaping the harveft in another life. This ferves to obviate the laft refuge, to which they who go on in a finful courfe in hopes of retrieving all by a late repentance, are apt to betake themfelves, when beat out of all others ; that the thing ispojfible : but, they might as well hope, af- ter fowing tares in the Spring to reap wheat in the Harveft ; for that is p:jfible too. The Apoftle ufhers in His awful warning, with a particular caution againft a dangerous deceit or delufion : be not deceived ; u deceive not t; yourfelves, nor fuffer any others to impofe " upon you, in a matter of fo great impor- " tance to you :" He adds God is n:t mocked: men attempt to mod God, when they think to impofe upon Him by fair (hews and fpe- cious pretences ; when the Laws and Rules of His government are defpfed, or men think they are to be difpenfed with ; but this is a vain attempt : God cannot be impofedupon-, and every attempt to do it mufl recoil upon their own heads who make it : nor will he pafs from the rules of His government, or
the
[48 ] the fan&ions of His laws ; in favour of thofc obftinate wretches, who trample upon them. The Apoftle goes on ; " for, whatfoever a " manfowetb that fhall he alfo reap ;" this is his general affertion ; that it holds as well in the fpiritual fenfe as in the natural \ that men reap in the fame kind as they fow : this He further explains and amplifies ; for he that foweth to his flejh, " who employs his labours " and his earthly poflemons to the gratifying " of his felfim and fenfual appetites," fiall of thefefi reap corruption ; of fuch a corrupt improvement of his time and talents, he fhall receive future mifery, as the proper fruit of his own ways ; in like manner, as what one reaps in harvefl is the natural fruit of what hefoius infpring: corruption, in op- pofition to life everlajling ; i. e. the punifh- ments of the other world : for, that the Apoflle is here fpeaking of that reaping, thofe retributions, that (hall be made at the great day of judgment, and in the other world, is further clear from the other part of His declaration ; but he that fourth to the fpirit ', " he who, under the influences and " conduct of the fpirit of love, employs his u time, his endeavours, and the advantages *' he is entrufted with, to the improvement " of hi6 better part, and hisUfefulnefs in this " world;" he Jhall of the fpirit reap life ever- lafting; " under the conduct of the Divine " Spirit, and as the fruit of fuch fpiritual
" employ-
[ 4) ] <c employments and improvements, he fhall " Vjme to eternal happinefs at laft "
Let me repeat it ; that Iiere the fimilitude is plainly taken from a thing, the reverfe of which is pojfible with Almighty God j, but fo contrary to the courfe of Nature, that no man expects it, any more than if it was im- pojfible. Let us put the cafe, that a man fows tares in his field : it is po/fib'e, with Al- mighty God, that he fhall reap the fined wheat : but did ever any man, of a found mind, entertain fuch an expectation ? how abfurd would it appear, for any one to think, by the moft bitter regret and hearty repent- ance, to retrieve fuch a bad fowing, and reap the quite contrary grain ; unlefs, in time, he plucked up the ta es, and fowed the grain he wiihed to reap ? as abfurd is it, according to the Apoftle's comparifon and awful warning, for the firmer to expect, by the moft hearty regret and deepeff. forrow, out of time, to efcape the mifery a vicious courfe has expofed him to ; when he has no opportunity to undo what he has been doing all his life, and betake himfelf to a better courfe. In the Natural fenfe, no man, from a ?neer pojjibiiity of the thing, ever expects to reap another kind of grain than he fows ; even though God has no where declared, that it foallnot be-, as he has plainly declared, that tJxy who foiv to the fiejh Jball of the flejh reap corruption^ in oppofition to life everla/t- F ing -,
[ 5° 3 iW-, by which all the vain hopes the finner can pretend to raife from the meer poftility of its being otherwife, are utterly over- thrown : be not deceived \ God is not mocked.
To conclude this head : the reprefentation which our bleffed Saviour (to whom the Fa- ther hath committed all judgment) gives us of His procedure at the great Day of Judgment, Matt. xxv. 31— is full, dear, and itrong, to the fame purpofe : then the great Judge of the world will make a diftnbution ot men, and a different alignment of everlaft- ing rewards or punifhments to them, ac- cording to their moral chara&ers, difcover- ed in&their«wvb and the courfe of their lives here-, will receive men to Happinefs or condemn them to Mifery, not only as they have done good or done evil, but as they have done good or neglected to do it : let us carefully advert to this ; that not only they who have emoloyed their lives in doing wicked actions 5 but they who have neglected to employ them ufefully, in doing good, be- neficent, and charitable actions, as they had opportunity; are, in that great decifive Day, condemned to everlajltng pumjhment And, however they, againft whom tna charge is laid, are reprefented as attempting to difown it ; they are not reprefented as at lowing the/*!?, but yet thinking to evaded fintence, by pleading that before they died they moll heartily regreted the negletf, an
[ 51 ]
fled to the blood of Chrift for pardon : that appears too thin a plea, for anv to be fuppofed to dare to offer, in that awful Dav, and be- fore that dreadful Tribunal : indeed, if u.e walk in the light, as God is in the light, we may be allured that the blood of fe/ui Chrift His Son cleanfeth us from all fin : but to make that moll: precious blood a Sanctuary and Re- fuge at laft, for thofe who, all the time of their life, have refufed when Goji • will, according to the whole ftrain of pture-revelation, be found, in : Day, a counting the biocd cf the Covenant wherezvitb we are fanclif.ed an unholy thing, and making Chriji the minifter of fin : teen, the righteous only fhall go into life eternal: and who are the righteous, our bleflcd Saviour plainly declares in that context ; namely, u they who, in the courfe of their lives, " have done good and charitable aclions, u as they had opportunity ; " the beloved Difciple of our Lord plainly tells us, with a tender caution againft fuirering ourfelves to be deceived by other reprefentations of the matter; i Jt>. iii. -, 10. "Little children, " let no man deceive You: he that doth righ- " teoufnefs is righteous, even as He is righ- " teous' (an exoreflion far from deno&ino- an equality; but only ngnifying, that his righ teoufnefs ftands upon the like proof and evidence with the righteoufnefs of Chrijl, or of God) and, on the other hand, 4; who- F 2 " foever
L 5* ] <4 1 never doth not right coufnef is not of " God."
Thus I have fhewn, with the cleared: evidence, that the promifes of future bappi- nefs, in Scripture, run in the tenor of its being the fru'.t^ and the final reward of a holy and good life; and there is no Pro- mile, in the whole Word of God, that runs in any ltrain like this, M that they mall in- *' herit eternal life, who either live a holy " life here, or heartily Repent at iaft that M they have neglected it :" 1 have alfo clear- ly fhewn, that the threatnings of future mi- fery, againft the ziorkers cf in;quity, as they are moll dreadful and terrible; (o they are moft pofitive and peremptory, without any rcferve or exception. Many, in pronouncing the awful and righteous Sentence of God, denouncing future mifery to the workers of iniquity, feem to think it a neceffary piece of caution to add (not, " unlefs they repent " in time and amend? but) unlefs they re- pent at laft : but the Word of 'God knows no fuch referve, or exception ; but conftant- ]y, without it, declares, that going on in a finful courfe to the Isft leads to unavoidable ruin.
And, further to cut off all pretence of fuch exception : let it be obferved, in the
Fourth place : That God exprefly and peremptorilv threatens, He will give a deaf ear to their cries at lajl^ or in the day of
their
[ 53 ] their diflrefs snd extremity, who refufe to hearken to His Calls in time : and, (p far as a mere forrow for an ill-fpent life may be called Repentance ; it is plainly intimated in Scripture, that there may be a real Repent- ance, a hearty Sorrow and Regret, too latej when the time for amendment and recovery is yaft.
There are plain intimations in Scripture, of fuch a thing as a finner's day of grace ; his feafon or opportunity for making his peace with God, and for fecuring and work- ing oat his own Sahation ; which if he fins, or trifles away, the Door of mercy is fhut upon him ; and he has no accefs to retrieve the ruin he has brought upon himfelf : and no one finner knows, how long this day of grace may lair, with him \ or how near it may be to an end ; if he refufes to comply with the prefent Call of God to Repent and Believe the Go/pel: for this is certain, that all the Calls and exhortations in the Word of God, to Repent and to Believe in Chrilt, are to do fo immediately, and leave no encou- ragement to defer it one moment.
" Every one that is godly, fays thePfaj- M mift, (hall pray unto thee in a time when " thou may >e/i be fund :" and, in like man- ner, the prophet exhorts finners, If. Iv. 6.. " Seek ye the Lord (viz. by true repentance and amendment, as appears from the next verfe) while He may fajoufld j— plainly im-
F 3 plying,
r 54]
plying, that there is a time when He wi'I net be found : He has his day of grace and mercy ; but He has his day of wrath too : and they who " defpife the riches of His goodnefs, " and forbearance, and long-fufFering, not " being led thereby to repentance ; do thus " treafure up to themfelves wrath againft tc the day cf wrath, and revelation of the u righteous judgment of God." Rom. ii. 4, 5. And the Apoitle, befeeching thofe to whom he writes, that they " receive not the " grace of God in vain;" fays " behold 44 now is the accepted time, behold now is the M day of Salvation." 2 Cor. vi 1, 2. And u the Holy Spirit faith, to-day if ye will " hear his voice, harden not your hearts." Pf xcv 7. Heb. iii. 7, 8. and the Apoftle add?, v. 13. " Exhort one another daily, c* while it is called to-day, left any of you be " hardened through thedeceitfulnefs of fin." For the neglect of this their opportunity, our companionate Redeemer wept <?zwjerufalern; " faying, if thou hadft known, even thou,. " at leaft in this thy day, the things which " belong to thy peace ! but nozu they are hid 4C from thine eyes." Luk. xix. 41, 42. For this, the fooiijh virgins, in the Parable {Matt. xxv. j.) could not enter in to the marnage-fcaft ; becaufc they had neglecled to improve their time and opportunity: they had neglected to make provifion of oil, of inward graces and virtues, to keep the
lamps
[ 55 ]
lamps of their profcflion alive: and while- they went, too late, to make provifion (here they are reprefented not only as regreting the neglect, but attempting to make it u'(<) the door was /hut, and they were abiblutely re- fufed entrance. TheApoftle. exhorting the- Jewifn Chriftians, Heb. xii. 15. 17. to " look diligently left *v\y fhould fail of the ** grace of God ;" fets forth the danger of letting our opportunity flip, under the example of Ffau, " who, for one morfel of meat fold " his birth-right;" how inconfiderable a thing this ; in comparifon of foregoing the Heavenly birth- right, and Heavenly inhe- ritance, for the gratifications of the fenfual appetites, or of covetous or ambitious de- fires ! And, He adds, w ye know how that " afterwards, when he would have inherited " the blcffing, he was rejected ; for he found 14 ?7o place of Repentance, though he fought it ii carefully with tears." And, the awful de- nunciation of the Divine Wifdom, againft obftinate Tinners, Prov. i. 24. 31. is in very ftrong and dreadful terms : " becaufe [ have " called, and ye refufed — I alfo will laugh " at your calamity, and will mock when your " fear cometh : — then mall they call upon 6i me, but I will not anfwer ; they QnrfX Jeek " me early, but they Jball not find me : — " they fnall eat of the fruit of their own " way" And, if to any finner this appears too hard and fever e } he may be addrelled in
the
[56 ] the words cf Bildad to Job, xiii. 4. Shall the earth be forfaken for thee ? and Jh all the rock be removed out of its place f " Shall the wife " courfe of Providence, and the facred laws " cf the Divine government, be overturned ? *' in favour of fo guilty, fo worthlefs, a 66 wretch ! " Sure, no truly pious and good foul can think fuch awful and falutary de- nunciations and warnings too hard and fevere ; nor think it an unrighte us thing with God to execute them, againit thofe who will not be reclaimed by them 5 as he knows, and finds in his comfortable experience, that ChrifFs yoke is eafy and his burden lights and th it God's commandments are not grievous ; and deares to be made happy in no other way, than the way ofHoinefs.
But, becaufe fome may pretend that the threatning; of future punifhment to thofe who go on al! their life in a vicious courfe, mujl admit of fome referve or exception j feeing there are Prcmifes in the Gofpel that run in a contrary (train \ or, at leaft, mult be con- fidered as implying; an exception to fuch threatnings : therefore, I undertake to prove 3 in the
Fifth place : that, there is no one promife, in the whole word cf 'God, which gives the leaft countenance or encouragement to the hope, thofe who go on in a fmful courfe, in the expectation of retrieving all at laft, by a death- bed forrow, and flying to the
mercy
[ 57 J mercy of God in Chrift Jefus in their laft moments.
Here, it is natural to expect, the promifes of falvation made to Repentance and Faith in Chrift, will be alleged, in oppolition to what I have laid down ; as there are no other promifes that can, with any fhadow of rea- fon, be adduced to that purpofe : thefe9 in- deed, the finner, blinded by his lufts, is apt to underftand as implying, l< that one act ot " forrow or regret for an ill- (pent life, at " any time, even in the very clofe of it " (falfely called Repentance) and one act of " confident and prefumptuous reliance on " the mercy cf God and the merits of Chrift " then (falfely called Faith in Chrift) will " retrieve all the ruin he has brought upon " himfeif; and effectually recommend him " to the mercy of God unto eternal life."
Thus, foolilh and deluded fouls wr.eft the Scriptures to their own perdition : and moft bafely and difingenuoufly improve groundless apprehenfions of the Divine mercy and good- nefs, to harden them in vice, and encourage them to go on fecurely in a finful courfe % in the hopes of fetting all to rights at laft, by a late regret and dying forrow; efpecially, if it is very deep and ftrong, as they flatter themfelves it will be.
But, that thefe Promifes will admit of no fuch conftruction ; will be abundantly evi- dent
[ 58]
dent from the following Confederations, feri- oufly attended to.
i . That there are very good, and fuffi- ciently Obvious, Reafons, why the promifes of Salvation fhould be made to Faith and Repentance ; without derogating in the lead from the abfolute Neceffity of a Holy Life, to fit us for the Happinefs of Heaven. Not to repeat what I have formerly faid *, con- cerning the Terms of falvation declared and required in the Gofpel : what I have now af- ferted will be abundantly evident; whether we confider the Calls to Repentance and Faith, and the encouraging Promifes en- forcing them, as they are firfr. addrefied to the heathen world ; or, as they are extended to all finners. The Promifes of falvation to the Heathens, on their firfr. abandoning their Idolatry and Vices, and receiving- Chrift as their Saviour and Lord ; do imme- diately import, that they mould be delivered from the darknefs and mifery of heathenifh ignorance, fuperftition and idolatry, and brought into the privileges of the Chriitian Church ; made partakers of. all thofe advan- tages, for eternal Happinefs, which the dif- coveries and inftitutions of. the Gofpel afford;, and, by improving thefe, in the courfe of a holy and virtuous Life, fhould acluaiiv come to this eternal Happinefs at la/}. But, as thefe Exhortations and Promifes are ftill ex-
* See pag. 23, &ct_
tended
[ 59 ] tended t® all Tinners, who hear the Gofpel ; and it is the Declared delign of Chrift's com- ing into the world, Jo. iii. i 6. W that who- " foever believeth in him mould not perifh, " &c" For underftanding the perfect con- fiftency of this, with the abfolute neceflity of a Holy Life, in order to the happinefs of Heaven ; let it be obferved ; that God, who directly fees into the hearts of men, chiefly regards the Heart, in His fervice : true Holinefs, chiefly lies in the purity of the Heart and the inward Affections of the Soul; which are the governing principles of our conduct : that which conftitutes an Act, or Courfe, of true Obedience to God, is the inward good Principles from which it pro- ceeds : and it is the prevalency of inward good difpofitions of Heart, that lay \k\z foun- dation of true happinefs and enjoyment within. Therefore, it is mod proper and natural, that the Promifes of God, His Pro- mifes of Happinefs, be made to thofe inward difpofitions and affections, which are the true Principles of Holinefs and Obedience to Him ; rather, than to any outward Actions. If, then, true Faith in Chrift is an effectual Principle of a truly virtuous Obedience; and true Repentance is the real and effectual Beginning of a holy and good Life ; well may the Promifes of that faivation and hap- ( pinefs, to the obtaining of which a Holy life is abfolutely neceiTary, be made to thefe\
with-
r 60 ]
without, in the leaf!, derogating from, or lefTening, the neceflity of Holinefs : for thefe promifes are not made to them, confidered as Jingle A£is\ but, agreeably to their Nature, as effectual Principles of all thofe Difpofi- tions, and that Courfe of behaviour, which is requifite to render us Meet for the Hea- venly blifs : fo that, whatever, in the nature of things and according to the tenor of the Gofpel, is neceffary to falvation, is either included in them, or naturally fi ws from than as the genuine and effectual Principles of it. Now, this is really the cafe : true Faith puri- fies the Heart, Acts xv. 9. the fource of our Actions, out of which are the ijjves of life ; purifies it from all fenfual paflions and world- ly lujh, all narrow and felfifh affections ; and raifes it to a Heavenly and Generous difpofition; to that fupreme Love to God, and hearty Good-will to all men, which are the natural principles of a regular perform- ance of all the duties of Piety and Devotion, Equity and Goodnefs : thus, Faith workcth by Love, Gal. v. 6. the moft commanding affection of the foul : it conveys into the Heart fuch a firong and lively fenfe of the Glory and the Goodnefs of God ; of the Ex - cellency of the Redeemer, and His condef- cending Kindnefs; as promotes in the foul the higheft Love and Gratitude to our Gra- ciousGod, and Companionate Saviour; with the fincereft Goodwill to our neighbours, in 5 imita-
[ «I ]
imitation of that Divine Love by which we are faved : and thus leads us to the regular performance of every duty, from a principle of Love. Thus, true Faith renders the foul as a gocdTree ; which naturally br in geth forth good Fruit : it lodges 2 good Treafure in the Heart ; from whence the good man briv.geth forth good things. True Repentance (as it mainly confifts in Amendment, and is con- stant and not to he repented of) is the proper and real Beginning of that patient continuance in well-dying, which leads to glory, honour and immortality. So that ; if we confider the ob- vious reafons, why the Promifes of falvation are made to Faith and Repentance; we may evidently fee, that there is nothing in thefe promifes, inconfiftent with the plaineft de- clarations concerning the abfclute necejfity of a Holy Life to the Happinefs of Heaven : for juftly may the promifes of that Salvation, to which a Holy Life is abfolutely necefTary, be made to fuch Difpofitions as are the real Beginnings and effectual Principles of fuch a Life. Therefore,
2dly : Thefe Promifes can , by no means, imply ; that the firfi Acts of Re- pentance and Faith render a man immediately meet for Heaven, come when they will ; even when they come early enough, to have the heft influence upon us : for, it is by th e Temper we improve in, by their after - influence^ that we become meet to partake G of
[ 62 ] of the Heavenly Blifs. As Repentance and Faith in Jefus Chrift, are comprehenfive and leading principles in true Religion and Chrif- tianity ; fometimes thefe two are joined to- gether in Scripture, as comprehenfive of all that is required in order to our falvation ; but by no means exclufive of a holy life, of which they are the Principles and beginnings : fo, in the Preaching of our bleiled Lord, Mar. i. 15. fo alfo in the Preaching of the Apoflle PW, Acls xx. 21. Nay, fometimes all that is required to our Salvation, is com- prehended under one of thefe : as, Repent- ance, Ezek. xviii. 36, Faith in Chrifi, Acls xvi. 31. But fuch pafTages are, by no means, to be underftood, as if the firji afl of Re- pentance, or Faith, rendered a man imme- diately meet for the Heavenly blifs > or fe- cured his immediate entrance into it : they can only imply (according to the tenor of the Gofpel) his being allured of coming to Heaven at lajl\ and of having the Time and oppor- tunity, as well as the advantages and Aflift- ances, neceflary for working out his own fai- vation ; which is only begun by the firft Acls even of the moft fincere Repentance and the moft unfeigned Faith. That which feems to occafion the Error of many in this matter, Is their having no notion of being faved^ but going direclly to Heaven ; without any juft no- tion, at the fame time, what Heaven is, or what Improvements are necefTary to make
us
[63]
us capable of fo exalted aHappinefs. Heaven is not fo much a different place from that where we now are, as a Different State from the prefent ; and it is by the temper of our minds we muft make our approaches to it : nor is it even ^.Jlate fo quite different, but that there are the beginnings of it, going on and advancing upon Earth, in every true Heir of it ; in his improvements in Love to God, and in a kind' and equitable difpofition towards all around him, to fit him for a (late wherein dwells righteoufnefs, and where per- fect Love reigns. Salvation muft be begun, and advancing here, to be perfected hereafter. To be faved, is to be delivered from perni- cious Errors and delufions, fatal Miftakes concerning our happinefs, and from vicious and corrupt affections ; to have our minds more and more enlightened in the know- ledge of the moft important Truths, and formed to a Relifh of true Enjoyment; to have our Hearts more and more purified from all irregular paffions and vicious inclina- tions; and improved in Love to God and Divine things, and in Brotherly love and Charity : this Jalvation is not perfecled at once; but from fmall beginnings, in the firft dawnings of Divine Light and Love into the Soul, is gradually carried on and improved, to its Perfection in the Heavenly ftate. Now ; if the Promifes of Salvation, made to Re- pentance and Faith, do, by no means, imply G 2 that
[ 64 ]
that the fir ft acls of thefe render a man ith- mediately meet for Heaven, or fecure his im- mediate entrance into it; even when they come early, and the moll ready compliance is given with the Divine Call * ; far lefs, when they come late, in the clofe of a bad life ; after the finner has prefumptuoufly, or carelefly, refufed to comply with matiy re- peated Calls of God ; and thus is hardened m vicious habit ';, grown to an exorbitant pitch, and not to be eafily or fpeedily con- quered and fubdued. Sure, no one can imagine any greater Excellency, or Efficacy, in a late, than in an early Repentance and Faith : on the contrary ; an early and ready compliance with the Call of the Gofpel, may naturally be fuppofed to csrry a man further towards Heaven, than a late and reluctant one. Now; it is certainly one thing, to fay, to a man in Life, " Repent and Believe *' in Chrift now ; and you fhall be faved ; " and fhall come to Heaven at laji, by a iJ Life of Holinefs:" and quite another thing to fay, •* if you Repent and Believe at any <; time, however late, you fhall be faved, <c and go to Heaven direclly, even without «* a Life of Holinefs." I fay, new; and to a man in Life : for, let it be carefully at- tended to, in the
3d place : That, as all the Calls of the Gofpel to Repent and Believe, are to do fc
* See above, pag. 25, 26,
now,
[65 ] now, without any delay ; and the encou- raging Promifes of Salvation enforcing them, arc only made to a prefent compliance: fo, thefe Calls and Promifes are always addrefled to men in Life ; and never once, in the whole tenor of Scripture, to dying men. This may, at firft view, be greatly furprifing to many : but the Facl is certain ; that there is no tne inftance, in the whole Scripture, of fuch addrefles as thefe, " Repent, and turn 44 from all your tranfgreflions, and fo ini- " quity mall not be your ruin;" or " Be- 44 lieve on the Lord Jefus Chrifr, and thou 44 fhalt be faved ;" ever being direcled to a perfon on a death-bed, or in vifible danger of death : but thefe Calls and promifes are al- zvajs addrefled to perfons in Life, and likely to continue for fome time in life ; and who may, therefore, have time and opportunity, to carry on and improve the good work, begun by their ready compliance. We read of one perfon, indeed, (dels xvi. 31.) to whom the great Call of the Gofpel, enforced by the great Promife of it, was fuccefsfully ad- drefled ; who, a little before that, had been in immediate danger of dying, by his own hand too : but that danger was quite over, before this addrefs was made to him 5 nay, before he conceived, or expreffed, any con- cern about the matter. Now, this observa- tion I am upon might alone, methinks, go a great way towards being deciftve in the whole G 3 Argu-
f 66]
Argument now under cocdideration. If the Call of the Gofpel to Repent and Believe, with thepromifes of falvation to the Penitent and Believers, were ever, in Scripture, ad- dreiTed to dying men ; they might be reckoned to imply, in thefe inflances, a Promife that, by fome extraordinary and miraculous Grace, they fhould be made immediately meet for Heaven, and have an immediate entrance into it : and yet, thefe inftances could not be drawn into a precedent, without a plain Di- vine warrant for it : but, as thefe Calls and Encouragements are conftantly, and only, direcled to men in life-, the moft that they can imply is, an afTurance, upon a prefent compliance, of their coming to Heaven at laft \ and, confequently, of their having the time and opportunity, as well as the means and afliftances, necefTary for working out that falvation they thus enter upon. If fuch per- fons readily comply with the Divine Call -9 they may have a probable view of time to finifh the good work begun, from the ftate of their health : a ftronger afTurance of it, from the goodnefs and confiftency of the Divine conduct ; whofe very calling of men lo enter upon a work, which in its nature is a work of time, implys that, upon their ready compliance, He will give them tune for it : an abfolute afTurance, from the Promife of Salvation itfelf ; which muft include a pro- mife of whatever is necefTary, for carrying
on,
[ 67 ]
on, and cot dieting it. All this, it is plain, cannot afford the leaft encouragement to any finner, to hope to get to Heaven, by any Repentance, or Faith he can have, at the clofe of a bad life ; when he can have no op- portunity to work out thztfalvation, which is only begun, even by the moft fincere and the moft early Repentance and Faith. And let us take this along with us ; in the
4th place: That the Repentance and Faith, to which the promifes of Salvation are made, are plainly defcribed, in Scripture, to be fuch, as aclually and in fact are the real beginnings of a holy and good life : fo that, no Faith and Repentance which any finner can have at the clofe of a bad life, can come up to thefe defcriptions. If we advert to a variety of paflages, concerning that Repen-* tance and Faith to which the promifes of Sal- vation are made ; I may fay, all the pafTages where their nature and influence is any way explained or defcribed; we fhall find them defcribed to be fuch, as not only would pro- duce a Holy life, if there was opportunity for it ; but actually do produce it : and the reafon may be obvious ; becaufe the necef- fary meetnefs and preparation for the enjoy- ments of a ftate of perfection, does not arife from what a man would do, in obedience to God and Chrift, if he had opportunity'; but from what he aclually does-, not from thofe improvements he would attain to, but from
what
[ 63 ]
what he actually attains this way. Particu- larly ; that Repentance, to whrch the pro- mifes of Pardon and Salvation are made, is Hever defcribed as confiding in meer Sorrow f.r fin, however deep or bitter; nor is Sor- row fo much as declared to belong to it, for itfelf I but rather preparatory to it, and re- quifite as fubfervient to the further purpofe, of the Reformation and amendment of heart and life, in which true Repentance lies : re- markable, to this purpofe, is that paffage of the Apoftle, 2 Cor. vii. 9 — 1 r. " Now I li rejoice, not that ye were made forry, but " that ye forrowed unto Repentance, — for " godly forrow werketh Repentance, &c.M therefore, Sorrow itfelf is not Repentance ; but, even when it is moff. fin cere, is only introductory to it ; and Repentance itfelf lies in that amendment, which a truly go clly for- row works. Another man's grief and inward pain can, of itfelf, be no pleafure to a good and generous heart : and can that of itfe'f, be acceptable to God, which can be no plea- fure to any good man ? furely, God, who cefires our happinefs, can have no pleafure in our pain or grief; but only fo far as it is necefiary, and of influence, to make us tru- ly better. The occafion of the miftake of many, concerning this matter, feems to be this : in the common acceptation of the word, a man is faid to repent of that which he is grieved for having done ; though that
grief
[ 69 ]
grief has no farther effect: but, with what- ever propriety this may be called repenting in common fpeech (though no man would believe, that one is heartily forry he had wronged him, if he goes on to injure him frill ; and does not, in his after-conduct, do him good offices, if he can :) however, fuch a fruit !efs for row is not Repentance, in a Re- ligious fenfe ; not that Repentance which the Gofpel requires, and to which it pro- mifes pardon and falvation j which, in all the defcriptions of it, is declared to have its finifhing and proof in actual Reformation and Amendment ; and to be fuch as actual- ly produces newnefs of life. I might adduce numerous paffages of Scripture to this pur- pofe : but thefe plain ones may fuffice. Says the Lord, by the Prophet, IjkA. 1 6. " Wafh " ye, make you clean, put away the evil of u your doings — ceafe to do evil, learn to do well, &c. and lviii. 5 — 7. " Is this the faft M that I have chofen ? a day for a man to " affiicl his foul, &c. is not this the faft that cc 1 have chofen ? to looj'e the bands bfwick- " ednefy &c. is it not, to deal thy bread to " the hungry" &c. Again, Ezek. xviii. 27. true Repentance is thus defcribed; <c When " the wicked man turneth away from his " wiekednefs that he hath committed, and " doth that which is lawful and right, he " fhail fave his foul alive :" and, agreeably to this decifion, the exhortation is, verfes
3C>
[ 7° ] 30, gi, " Repent and turn from all your " tranfgreiTions j fo iniquity (hall not be " your ruin : cajl away from you all your tc tranfgreiTions — and make you a new heart cc and a new fpirit, for why will ye die?" In like manner, xxxiii. i^, 15. " If the u wicked turn font his fin, and do that " tt^/VA « lawful and right" if he " w&?/| " in the flatutcs of life , without committing " iniquity ; he fhall furely live, he fhall not " die." And, in the following context* God puts the equity of His procedure upon this footing ; in oppofition to thofe who faid,. the way of the Lord is not equal. When John, . the Bapti/r, our Lord's fore-runner, preach- ed Repentance, for the forgiverefs of fins, this was his exhortaticnr Matt. iii. 8, 10. u Bring forth fruits meet for Repentance :' u — every tree that bringeth not forth good " fruit is hewn down, and caft into the w tire:" which the Apoftle, Acls xxvi. 2c. exprelTes without a figure, when he fays, that he " fhewed firit. unto them at Damaf- " cus, and at Jerufalem^ and throughout all " the coafts of Judea, and then to the Gen- " tiles, that they (hould Repent, and turn " to God, and do works meet for Repent- " ance." And Epb. iv. 22 — 24. He thus defcribes true Ps.epentance ; " That ye put (i off, concerning the former conversation, t; the old man, which is corrupt according " to the deceitful luffs : and be renewed in
" the
r v j
6i the fpirit of your mind : and that ye put " on the New man, which after God is. " created in rightegufnefs and true holi- " nefs"
In like manner ; that Faith in Chrift, to which the promifes of Salvation are made, is not a mcer ajjent to any doclrincs ; nor a confident reliance on the mercy of God or the merits of Chrift, without complying with the terms of the divine mercy in Chrift Je- fus : but, is fuch a receiving of Chrift for our Saviour and Lord, as fubjeclis the foul to His government ; gives Him the rule in the heart ; and leads on obedience to His laws, in the courfe of the life : it is defcri- bed to be fuch a faith, as purifies the heart, and worketh by love ; as I have already fhewn * : it is the principle of a Holy and Divine life. Gal. ii. 20. " / live, fays the " Apoftle, by the Faith of the Son of God :" and Heb. x. 38. " The juft (hall live by " Faith : " and 2 Cor. v. 7. we zvalk by Faith." Our blefTed Saviour's gracious in- vitation, Matt. xi. 28, 29. is, " Come un- " to me all ye that labour and are heavy Ja- " den, and I will give you reft; take my " y:ak upon you and learn of me, for I am <c meek, and lowly in he^art, and ye fhall " find refi unto your fouls." And Jo. xv. 1 — 5. He reprefents it as the genuine proof of our being engrafted in Him, as the true * See pag, 60,
Vine,
[ 7* ] ViMy by a true and lively Faith ; that we bring forth much fruit ; /. <?, do much good.
Now j if that Repentance and Faith in Chrift, to which the promifes of Salvation are made, are plainly defciibed to be fuch as aclually are the real beginnings of a Holy and good life ; can fuch defcriptions poflibly agree to any Repentance and Faith a dying firmer can have in the clofe of a bad life ? whofe Repentance, perhaps^ amounts to no more than a cold, or, at moft, a warm and paffionate, God have mercy upon me ; at befl^ is a meer fruitlefs frrow and regret ; tho', perhaps, rendered more paflionate, by his prefent ftrong terror, and fearful looking for of judgment : whofe Faith, like that of De- viky is a meer aiTent to Divine truths with trembling j or, perhaps, fo cold an aiTent as not even to be attended with trembling ; or fuch a confident reliance on the mercy of God, or merits of Chrift, as may more juft- \y be called prefumption ! In fine ; in the
5th place : When once men, by fin- cere Repentance and unfeigned Faith, are engaged in a Chriftian courfe ; the conftant ftrain of the exhonations of the Apofties to them is not only to perfevere, but to improve in Holinefs. The calls to Repent and Be- lieve are conftantlf addrefTed, in the Gofpel, to thofe who were not yet converted to Chriftianity, nor had taken on the Chrifiian ProfelTion ; but to Chriftians, the exhorta- tions
[73] tions run perpetually on walking in newnefs of life , and waking out their own falvation : \he£pi/lles to Chriftians, who had already Repented and Believed, are full of the molt prefling Exhortations to all virtue, and pou- tive improvement in every thing praife- worthy; and conftantly inculcate the indif- penfible neceflity of a Holy and good Life : not, to Believe in Chrift ; but to walk in Him, as they had received Him : not, to Re- pent ; but to make progrefs in Holinefs, and go on to perfection : not only, to be Jhdfaji and immoveable ; but always abounding in the work of the Lord \ as knowing that, in this way and courfe, their labour is not in vain in the Lord.
Put all that has been faid upon this Head together : and it will be abundantly evident; " that there is no one Promife, in the whole <c word of God, that gives the leail encou- cc ragement to the hopes of thofe who go on u in a finful courfe to the clofe of their " lives : and that the Promifes of Salvation M made to Repentance and Faith in Chrift, " afford no manner of exception to this Af- u fertion ; nor do, in the leail, derogate t; from the Abfolute Neceflity of a Holy " Life to the Happinefs of Heaven." It is, certainly, one thing to fay, to men in life% Cfc Repent now, and turn to God through " JefusChrift; and He will afford you both 6i opportunity ?.nd Grace to work out your H « Salvar
[ 74 ] " Salvation ; and, by a courfe of Holinefs, " you fhall come to Heaven at laft :" and quite another thing to fay, to a dying Sinner, U Repent and Believe in Chrift, and you " fhall go dirsftly to Heaven ;" or, to fay to any man, " if you Repent and Believe at " any time, it fhall avail to your Salvation ; " even tho' it be fo late, that you have no " opportunity to work out that Salvation, " which the true Chriftian only enters upon Cl by thefrfi afls of the moft fincere Faith " and Repentance." Neither of the two laft can I find faid in the whole Gofpel.
But, perhaps it may be afked here ; " what, then, if a fincere Penitent and Be- c< liever dies immediately ? fhall he not go " to Heaven ? or, fhall any be Damned, " who fmcerely Repent and Believe on " Chrift ? " But, it is plain there can be nothing ftraitening in this, fuppofed Diffi- culty ; if there is no ground to reckon that the Cafe fuppofed ever happens mfaSi: which there is not : on the contrary ; there is good ground, from the Different, but perfectly Confident, parts of the tenor of the Gof- pel, to be fatisfied, that it never does happen. On the one hand ; falvation is promifed to all who truly Repent and Believe in Chrift : on the other hand ; a Holy Life is plainly declared to be abfolutely neceflary, and is in the nature of the thing necefTary, to make us meet for the Heavenly blifs : therefore,
we
[ 75 3
we may clearly conclude ; that all who Re- pent and Believe unto Salvation, do it fo early; that, by the care of Divine Providence, they have opportunity afforded them for im- proving and carrying forward the good work thus begun; nor are any, according to the declared tenor and Defign of the Gofpel, faved another way. And, it is only on this footing, that the truth of the common fay- ing can be maintained ; that, true Repent- ance is never too late ; namely, becaufe it is always early : from whence it plainlv fol- lows; that, late Repentance is, not only jel- dom, but never true.
But, ftill it may be alleged ; that though there are no Promifes of Salvation, to the late Repentance of one who goes on in a finful courfe to the lad ; nor that are con- trary to the neceffity of a Holy Life in order to the Happinefs of Heaven ; yet there are balances to the Contrary : or, at leaft, there is One Inflame, of a finner accepted at lair, and admitted to the Happinefs of Heaven, upon a Repentance in his dying moments; who had all bis life, 'till then, gone on in a vicious and profligate courfe: and what has been, may be again. In oppofition to this allegation, I undertake to make good; in the
Sixth place : " That there is no one In-
" fiance, recorded in Scripture, of that Re-
" pentance being accepted of God, or avail-
H 2 " ing
r 76 j
M ing to an entrance into the Heavenly u blifs, which was deferred to the laft ; or, u had its beginning only in the clofe of a « bad Life."
To many, I am fenfible, it will appear a very great Paradox, to aiTert ; that there is not one Tnftance, to be depended upon, of any man's being accepted of God, or re- ceived into the happinefs of Heaven, upon a Repentance deferred to ihelaji. According to the common opinion, and in the judg- ment men make in Charity (as they reckon) concerning perfons, when they are dead, who have gone on all their life in a vicious courfe, there are a great many fuch Inftances : and were the accounts we have oft times delivered to us, with the Conclufions drawn from them, to be depended upon ; we might be induced to think, that the Heavenly man- fions were hardly more filled with any fett of men, than with thofe abandoned wretches who, after going on all their lives in a loofe and flagitious courfe, are at laft brought, by their flagrant crimes, to a violent and igno- minious death ! that the Heavenly City was greatly made up of fuch, as are unfit for, and unworthy of, any Society upon Earth ! But, it is not traditionary Jnftances, which we, or others, may form, fey our good opinions or hopes, that we are to be ruled by, or take encouragement from ; but only Scrip- tural inftances, which have the warrant of
Divine
r 77 1
Divine Authority to fupport them. I would not be rafli or forward, to check or reftrain our having as good opinions and hopes con- cerning our neighbours, when thev are gone, as we can entertain, in a confiftency with the plain declarations of God's Word and Gofpel : but I mufl obferve, that the main- Ufe of the exercife of our Charity, in en- tertaining a good Opinion of our neighbours.* is towards thofe with whom we live and' converfe; and as for the Dead, with whom we are to have no further intercourfe, there is no Neceflity of our pafling any Judgment concerning them at all ; fo that, if we can- not, agreeably to the Rules and Denuncia- tions of Scripture, pronounce favourably con- cerning them, we may let them alone, and leave them to the Judgment of God : and, being too forward to exprefs good hopes concerning them^ oft times proves very per- nicious to the living ; by hardening them in their evil ways; and hindering one of the befl: and moft necefTary offices of Charity towards them, our ufing the mott faithful endeavours to refcue them out of the moft dangerous fnare.
Now, this aflertion, " that there is fio c< inftance, in Scripture, of a finner ad- " mitted to Heaven, upon a Repentance not. <c begun 'till his iafl moments;" being a Negative^ it is properly incumbent upon thofe who maintain the contrary to bring forth, H" 3 their
■ f 78]
their infknces, and to fupport them; and the Negative admits of no other proof, than by examining any Inftances that may be ad- duced, and mowing that they are not to the purpofe for which they are brought : if this be clearly done, the point undertaken rauft be reckoned fufficiently proved.
There is but one Inftance, that can be pre- tended to be brought from Scripture, " of a " finner faved at laft, and upon a Repent- " ance never begun 'till his dying mo- " ments." For, whatever may be alleged from the Paflage in Mat. xx. 1 .- 1 6. that paf- fage is plainly a Parabie, and is not related as matter of fa£f : a Parable, concerning which it is far from being certain, that it refers to the calling of particular perfins to Repentance, at different periods of their lives ; but it, more probably, relates to the Calling of the Gentiles into the Church of God, in the latter age of the world ; and of feveral nations, in different periods of time, to equal privileges and advantages with the Jews, the ancient people of God : and, even fuppofing it did relate to the Calling of par- ticular perfons, at different times of their lives, to the fervice of God ; it gives en- couragement only to thofe, who comply with the firfl Call given them: and, with this one obfervation, borrowed from an excellent writer upon this Argument, I may difmifs the confideration of this Parable ; that, even 1 taken
[79] taken in the view laft-mentioned, it is fo far from giving the lead encouragement to a late and Jong deferred Repentance; that it, (hows nothing more ftrongly, than the ne- ceflity of obeying the firji call of God to Repent, and of diligence in the fervice of God throughout the whole remainder of life afterwards : the Perfons lateft called are chid, indeed, for Jlanding all the day idle ; but not in the vineyard, the Church ; but in the market-place, which reprefents the ftate of thofe who are without the Church and not yet called by the Gofpel ; for they are re- ptefented as having it to plead, that no man had hired them ; but immediately upon being called they comply, and are no more idle, but diligent in the fervice of the vineyard : the Parable reprefents none as refufing to go into the vineyard, when they were hired, or neglecting to labour in it afterwards ; and at laft rewarded, meerly for their farrow at night for the wilful neglects of the whole day: and, therefore, affords not the leatt en- couragement for the vain imagination, that the late farrow (falfely called Repentance) of a ProfefTed Chriftian, who has been an habi- tual finner throughout the whole courfe of his life, will avail to his being an object of the favour of God, and an heir of Heaven, at laft.
The only in/lance, then, that can be pre- tended to be brought from Scripture, of a
perfon5
r 8° ]
perfon, who had all his life gone on in 2 vicious courfe,, being faved at laft, and upon. a Repentance not begun till his laft mo- ments, is that of the penitent Thief \ who was crucified with our BlefTed Saviour: fo that, if this is plainly mown to be no inflance of that nature, the carelefs and fecurc finner muft be deprived of the only refource he may hitherto have imagined remained to him, in the whole Word of God, to encourage his deferring his Repentance to the laft, and yet •entertaining hopes of Mercy and Salvation.
For my own part, I muft frankly declare; that when, laying afi.de prejudices, I care- fully and impartially confider that whole nar- rative, as it ftands in theGofpels; lean fee fo little fhadow of foundation for under- ftanding it as an account of an M habitual M finner accepted and faved, upon a Re- u pentance never begun 'till his laft mo- " ments ;" that it has often been matter of wonder to me, how fuch a view of it has ever been firft taken up; and not only greedily fwallowed by the carelefs finner, in order to the foothing of himfelf in his vain hopes ; but alfo allowed, by fome, who have fhown the moft earneft concern to guard againft fuch a pernicious abufe of it.
It muft be owned, that, even allowing that we had here one inftance of an habitual finner accepted at laft, upon a Repentance in his dying moments, who then complied
with
t 81 ]
with thefoj? call to repent ; there is a vaft difference betwixt fuch a cafe, and the cafe of a Repentance deliberately and prefumptu- oufly deferred till then: and (till there remaira enough to be faid, and has been juftly urged by thofe worthy Divines who have mate that conceflion, to (hew the unfpeakable dan- ger of any other Tinner's taking encourage- ment from this fagular inflame^ or thinking to draw it into a precedent. But thefe things
I (hall not repeat; as to me there appears no occafion for them.
For I cannot help thinking, that who- ever, without prejudice, impartially confi- ders this Narrative, as itjiands, will find no one cir cum/lance in it, that gives the leaft foundation to take it for an account of the firji repentance of an hitherto hardened Tin- ner : and this muft, in reafon, be reckoned fufficient, to fhew, that we have here before us no fuch in fiance as is alledged : it is not to be expected, nor is it necefTary, that we fhould bring a direel proof of the negative^ " that this perfon had not been, in the for-
II mer courfe of his life, an habitual Tinner; <c or, that the account we have here is no(oi " the flrft beginning of his repentance : " for, if the account here given does not at all, far lefs plainly and exprefly, fo reprefent the matter; it is evident, that we have here no fcriptural in fiance " of an habitual Tinner " Taved at Jaft, upon fuch a late Repent-
" ance."
[ §2 ]
<c ance." Had it been intended to give us here one inftance of this fort ; it had been natural to have related the hiftory in fome flich manner as this, that " this man had " been a perfon of a loofe and abandoned " character, and had led a vicious life, till •* by his crimes he was brought to a violent " and ignominious death ; that he continu- " ed hardened in fin to his lall moments ; " and then, without any other Repentance * than rebuking his fellow-fufferer for his " infolence, acknowledging the juftice of his " fentence, and the innocency of our Sa- u viour (for no other are here mentioned) " faid to Jefus, Lord, remember me when thou " comejl into thy kingdom : " but it is plain the fa£t is not fo related : nor is there any thing- in the whole account before us, to lead us to think that this was the fact. Pray let us take a plain view of the whole narrative, as it may be fairly reprefented in other words, than thefe to which the tyranny of cuftom has affixed fo ftrange a conflruction : it {lands thus : " among other circumftances '4 of ignominy, which our blefTed Lord fub- " mitted to and endured, when, for our " fakes, He humbled Hi mf elf to the Death of u the Crofs, this was one ; that He was num- M bred with the tranfgreffirs \ and even dif- •' tinguimed by fuperior difgrace, being cru- " cified betwixt two thieves : the one of " rhefe was fo hardened a finner, that, a-
" midft
[ «3 ] " midft the pain and ignominy he himfelf <i (o juftly endured, and in the neareft view c< of death, he joined with the rude multi- cc tude and their leaders in reviling our blef- 4C fed Saviour : the other, upon this info- ct folence, in a warm and ferious manner, " gave him a juft and reafonable rebuke ; " acknowledging their own guilt and the u juftice of their fufferings, and declaring " the perfect innocency of Jefus ; then, " turning to our Saviour, acknowledged " Him as Lord, and humbly begged to be " kindly remembered by Him, when he mould " come to the poiTeflion of that Kingdom to " which He owned His title : upon which, u our blefTed Lord gracioufly afTured him, 44 that he fhould that day be with Him in " Paradife."
Now, what is there, in all this Narrative, to lead us to conclude, that this perfon had been an habitual Jinner in the former courfe of his life, before he committed that crime for which he was condemned ; or that, fince his committing it, he had never repented till now ? It is not, fure, his giving fo juft a rebuke to his fellow-fufferer, for his infolent impiety ! nor his giving fuch an honed: tef- timony to the perfect innoceticy of our Saviour ! nor his making fuch an honourable acknow- ledgment of Him, in the very view of all the ignominy of His crofs ; and making fuch an humble petition to Him ! none of theie,
it
[ »4]
it is hoped, will be reckoned among the proper fymptoms and marks of an hitherto hardened offender : is it, then, that he ac- knowledges the juftice of his fentence ; and owns that he, and his fellow-criminal, in fuffering as they now did, received the due reward of their deeds ? But, is fuch an ac- knowlegement, in reality, a certain mark of a finner hitherto hardened in vice, and who had never relented till that moment ? He is, indeed, faid to have been a Thief; and to have been guilty of an inftance of Theft, by his own acknowlegement, deferv- ing the gallows (to fpeak in our?ftile) : but, he may have been guilty of no more than one inftance of that fort, for any thing that is faid of him : will, now, one inftance of crime deferving a violent death prove a man to have been, in the former courfe of his life, an habitual fmner ; and never to have repented, till he is actually brought to his execution ? Need I rake into the allies of the dead, and bring upon the field the names of eminent Saint s9 who are fet before us as Pat- terns with regard to the main of their con- duel ; who, yet, were fo far left of God (for their own tryal and humiliation, and for our warning) as to be guilty of particular injlances of crimes much worfe, and of a more complicated nature, than any thing that appears, in the fcripture-narrative^ to be laid to the charge of this poor man ?
Such
C «5 ]
Such inftances are fufnciently known ; an J arc to be remembered as awful warning?, let him thatjlandcth take heed lejl befall.
But it may be alledged, that the Evan- gelifts (Matt, xxvii. 44. and Mar. xv. 32.) reprefent this man as joining, at firft, with his fellow criminal, in reviling our blciled Lord ; though afterwards, it would feem, he relented : and will not this be owned to be a mark of a hardened firmer f this, indeed, would look very bad, was it plain that the exprefiions of the Evangelifrs were to be fo underftood : but this is far from being the cafe. It is an obvious and juft rule, for un- derftanding the pallages of theGofpel-hiftory recorded by the Evangelitts; "that, when M two, or three, of them relate the fame " ftory, but one more particularly and dif- " tindtly than the others ; the full account " of it is to be taken from that Evangelift u who relates it the moft particularly and " diftinctly." Now the very fame ftory, which the two Evangelifts mention in one fentence (Matthew faying, £c The thieves <c alfo, who were crucified with him, caft •c the fame in his teeth ; " and MarL ci They that were crucified with him reviled 4* him;") Luke xxiii. 39. relates more par- ticularly and diftmctly thus ; " One of the " malefactors— railed on Him, &£. — but ¥ the other rebuked him, &c.,y Nor do the general expreflions in Matthew and Mark I oblige
[ ?6]
oblige us to think, that the intire faft was any other, than as Luke diftinctly reprefents it : for it does not appear to be their defign to fet forth the number, but the characlcr, of the perfons who thus infulted our Saviour, amidft his laft fufferings ; that he was bafe- ]y infulted by perfons of all characters, not excepting even fuch as were crucified with Him, and fuflered juftly while He fuffered innocently, one of whom likewife upbraided Him, but was juftly reproved by the other, as the Evangelifi: Luke particularly relates. And it is obferved to be no unufual thing, in the ftile of theEvangeliir. Matthew, whom Mark, for the moil part, follows and abridges, that when two perfons are joined together, and one of them fpeaks as in the name of both, what he fays is faid to be fpoken by thefe perfons ; as we fometimes exprefs it, M they fpoke fo among them.'7
So that, from a fair and impartial view of this whole Narrative,
i. It does, by no means, plainly appear that this Penitent had ever been an habitual finner, for any confiderable time, in the for- mer courfe of his life : there is not one bad thing faid of him, in all the account we have in Scripture concerning him, but that he was guilty of an acl: of Theft, which, by his own confeffion, deferved a Capital punifhment : and he may have been guilty but of one acl: of that kind, for any thing that is faid, or
infmu-
[ 87 ]
infmuatcd of him, to the contrary ; thought fpeaking of himfclf and his fellow-criminal
together, he fays, " they received the reward " of their deeds;" expreffions which it is molt, natural to underftand of the particular crimes for which each of them were con- demned : this alone cannot be reckoned enough to prove, that he had been an ha- bitual Tinner in his former life : he might, for all that, have been an early Saint, and a very good man in the main j and have led a very good life in his former days, for the moii part : he may, for any thing we are told, have been furprized, through weak- nefs, or tempted by want, to the crime he committed ; and have met with his jufr con- demnation for the firft, and the cr.Iy inftance of it he had been guilty of.
2. Even though it plainly appeared, that he had been an habitual Tinner in his former life ; and had run into the Capital crime for. Which he was condemned, as the refult of a preceding loofe and abandoned courfe; yet we have no ground given us to determine, that the application he here makes to pur bU'iTed Lord was the firjl beginning of his Repentance j but may, as well, fuppofe, that he had begun it long before ; fo as, by this time, to have arrived at a great height of piety and good nefs : it may, for any thing we are told, have been a long time fmce he was guilty of the crime, before he fufFered I z for
[ 88 ] for it: during all which time, he may have heen going on in a courfe of fmcere Re- pentance 2nd thorough Amendment : and, if it may be fo, for any thing we are here told j then it is plain, we have no ground hire given us to reckon it was other ways ; arid what other ground can we have for it ? if the Scripture neither fays nor hints, either, that this man had been an habitual firmer in Bis former life 5 nor, that this was the firft of his Repentance; then, it is plain, we have here no Scripture-infiancg given us " of «< a perfonj who had gone on all his life in a " {infill courfe, faved at laft upon a late Re- " pentance : " and, if we will take the li- berty to fifppfyi cr add to, any paflage of Scripture, from our own fancies, or tradi- tionary prejudices ; we may eafily, that way, wre/?9 to our own dejlruclion, any paffages of Scripture v/hatfoever, even the plaineft and moil eafy to be underjlood. But, tho' this might fufHce to the purpofe I am upon ; and tho* adducing a dire El pro'f of a Negative is a talk no man can be fairly obliged to under- take ; and, in moft cafes, impoilible to be performed ; yet, in the cafe before us, we may further obferve,
3. That, even in this fhort narrative here given us of the character of this Penitent, and of his behaviour in his laft moments, there are not wanting fome pojitive marks of fuch a ftrength of virtue, as it is not natural
to
[hi
to expect in a New Convert, who had been, 'till that moment, a hardened (inner : fo that, not only have we no hint here given us, from which we might juftly conclude, that he had been fuch a one ; but we have fome pofitive evidences, from which we may, at leail with great probability, conclude the contrary It has been often faid, u that he now embraced <c thefirji opportunity of acknowledging J efus " as the true Meffiah ;" I fee no evidence of this fact : but, if he did fo, it was no more than holy Simeon had done before him 5 and his doing it, in the manner he did, when that Meffiah was in fo low 2 condition too, is enough to mow, that he was Far from being a Novice in Religion -, but had attained a high pitch of freedom from thofe Vices and prejudices which oppofe the Light* We can obferve nothing, in the whole of his beha- viour, like the contrition, forrow or fears, of a man confcious to himlelf that, hitherto, he had been going on in a finful courfe; and pierced with the conviclion that, to this mo- ment, he was in a moft dangerous ftate 5 but, rather, like the confidence of an improved faint, of a man confcious to himfelf that he was in a good ftate, had been early con- verted, and had brought forth fruits meet for Repentance long ago : here's no coming trem- bling, with the Jaylor, and afking, whatjhall 1 do to be favedj no down-caft looks, with the Publhan9 who not daring to lift up bis I 3 eyes
eyes to Heaven, fmote on his Breaft, and cryed God be merciful to me a firmer : but, in- ftead of all this, fuch a confident, tho' humble and honourable, application to Chriftas this, Lord, remember me, when thou comeji into thy Kingdom! And, in this honourable ac- knowledgment, and humble application to our bleffed Redeemer, amidft the loweft cir- cumftances of the ignominy of His Crofs, he difcovers fuch an uncommon ftrength of Faith, and of Virtue and Courage added io that Faith, as it is by no means natural to fuppofe, a man who had hitherto been har- dened in fin and impenitency would arrive at, all at once : he not only Believes in Jefus, but has the courage to make an Open De- claration of his Faith in Him, as Lord and ivina: ; of a kingdom not of this World; in which he fhould reckon it his happinefs to be remembered, even after his death: and all this he does not only when he could have no manner of external encouragement to it ; but alfo while all outward circumitances, an J the temper and behaviour of all about him, tended ftrongly to difcourage him from it : our blefied Saviour was now lifted up upon a Crofs ; diftinguifhed by ignominy ^nd difgrace; delivered up to the rage and contempt of the people ; mocked by the Gentiles, and defpifed by the Jews ; one of his own Difciples had bafely betrayed Him ; an,lhtr, yvhomHe had highly favoured, had,
with
[ 9i ]
with a ftrange mixture of Cowardice before men and Boldnefs with the name of God, fhamefully denied Him (a crime far worfe, and of a more complicated nature, than any this Penitent is charged with :) all the reit hud for ftt ken him and fled : when our Saviour is thus brought to theie lowed: circumftances of abafement ; this man, amidft all the in- dignities thrown upon Him, openly acknow- ledges Him as Lord and King of the iwijible World : in all which he difcovers a ftrength of Faith, Love, and Heavenlinefs of mind ; not to be found, in the prefent circumftances of our blefTed Lord, even in any of thofe Difcipleswho had been long with Him ! and, as a learned Divine obferves, " this poor K man feems now to have engroiTed all Pro~ " feiiion of the Faith, and to have made up 46 the whole vifible Church by himfelf ! " Is this like a man hitherto hardened in wicked- nefs ; and who had never begun to relent, 'till this moment ? But,
Enough has been faid, and perhaps more than enough, to fhew " that we have here " no inftance given us, of a perfon faved at " lafl, upon a Repentance begun in his " dying moments, who had gone on all his " life in a finful courfe," And, if the care- lefs and fecure finner is thus deprived of the only inftance he could pretend to bring, from the whole word of God, to fupport his hopes of obtaining Mercy at lafr5 upon a late R2-
pentance^
[9*] pentance, or dying regret for a whole Life fpent in fin ; let him no longer flatter him- felf with fuch vain hopes-, but fpeedily yTy from the wrath to come, by an immediate compliance with the Call of the Gofpel.
And now, methinks, I have abundantly proved, that, as there is no one Promife, fo there is no one Inftance, in the whole Word of God, of any Exception to the plain and peremptory Declarations in the Gofpel, of the Abfolute Neceffity of a Holy Life to the Happinefs of Heaven ; and that this Necef- fity is without any referv-e or exception. I add,. in further Confirmation of all this, if it can yet be thought to need any ; in the
Seventh, and laft, place ; That the Conducl of our blefled Saviour, and His Apoftles, in Calling finners to Repentance, is perfectly agreeable to this Plan : and is abfolutely un- accountable upon the fuppofition, that there is any room left, by the Tenor of the Gofpel, for a finner's being faved at laft, upon a Re- pentance and Faith not begun 'till a Dying hour. I mean not, now, to fpeak of the Doctrine of our blefled Saviour and His Apoftles concerning this matter ; of which I have fully fpoken, under the preceding Heads : but of fomething, in the Conducl of their Miniftery, which is very remarkable to the purpofe I am upon.
Our blefled Lord came not to call the righteous^ indeed, but finners $ but then, He
came
[93 1
came to call them to Repentance: and moft diligent and indefatigable He was, in this His great work: but, how did he go about it ? Why, by delivering His moil important Inltructions, Warning-, and Exhortations, to multitudes who flocked about Him, to attend upon His Miniftry; and always to perfons in Life ; who might begin their Re- pentance, and enter upon a Religious courfe, in the reafonable hopes of making progrefs in it, and bringing forth fruits meet for Re- pentance. But, in all the pretty full accounts we have cf HisPerfonal Miniftry, we never read of His dealing, for this purpofe, with any perfons on a Death-bed, or in their Laft moments: nor fo much as one inftance that He, who went about doing giod, ever vifited any perfon upon a fick-bed, but to perform a Miraculous Cure; for which purpofe tco, He fometimes deferred coming, till the perfon was Dead. And, the like may be faid of the Miniftry of His Apoftles ; and particu- larly, of that great Apoftle, who laboured more abundantly than they all.
This conduct mull, certainly, appear very ftrange to many ; as moft inconfiftent with their common prejudices: and, upon the principles of thofe, who think that a Death- bed Repentance is ever of avail to Salvation, it is abfclutely Unaccountable. Had this been the Judgment of our blefTed Saviour, .•• •- was in the Bofom cf the Father, and to
whom
[ 94 ] whom all things were delivered of His Father 3
had it been the Principle of His Apoftles, who had the Spirit given them to lead them into all truth ; that Love and Companion to immortal Souls, which, in them was fo pure and fervent, muft have prompted them with a double Ardour and Zeal, to lay hold of the Laft opportunity of refcuing thefe pre- cious Souls from Perdition, and bringing them back to God and to Happinefs; an op- portunity, too, that might feem attended with fpecial advantages, while their convic- tions of fin were deep, and their fears of dan- ger ftrong r What could hinder the compajfio- ?*ate Phyjiciarz from pouring in the balm of the Promifes and Confolations of the Gofpel into fuch wounded Souls P What could hinder the Good Shepherd from attempting the reco- very of fuch Jlrayed Sheep ? but the know- ledge that it was, then, labour in vain ! Nay, one may be apt to think, that even a con- viction of its being to no purpofe, would fcarce be a fufficient reftraint upon the com- panion of a humane Heart ; was not fuch fruitlefs tendernefs 'towards the dying alfo judged of pernicious influence upon the living.
For my own part, the more I think upon this Circumftance, in the Conduct of our biefTed Saviour and His Apoftles, of the more Weight it appears to me in the prefent Ar- gument. And,
If
r 95 j
\( we lay all that has been faid upon it together ; methinks nothing is wanting to the fullefr. and mofl Abundant Evidence of this Important Principle; " That a Holy u Life is abfdutely Neceflary to the Hap- " pinefs of Heaven ; nor are any faved in M any ether way than the way of Holinefs"
From hence a ccnclufion might naturally be drawn in honour of Chriftianity ; which has fuch a direct and powerful tendency to reftore the Image of God in Man ; to bring men back to the true Perfection of their Nature; to produce the Joys of Confcious Virtue and Integrity, and promote the Peace and Welfare of Human Society. But, this argument, of the Excellency and Divinity of our Holy Religion, is already fully treat- ed by the mofl Excellent Pens.
Upon the whole of what has been faid; how juftly may we take up a Lamentation over the fad ftate and face of Religion in our day ! alas ! how grofly have many Profef- fors of Religion degenerated from the Spirit of True Reiigion and Original Chriitianity; and fubftituted in its place, a fort of Reli- gion and Chriftianity of their own making ; which has no influence to mend their Hearts, to correct their Paffions, or better their Lives ? How many fatisfy themfelves with a meer Profeflion of Religion ; kept up by a cudo- mary attendance upon Ordinances of Wor-
fhipi
[ 95 ]
fhip ; or, perhaps, a flaming Zeal for their own particular Way, or Party? a Zeal, fo far from being a Z<?#/ of good Works ; that it is rather of the kind the Apoftle fpeaks of, (Ja. iii. 1 6.) as the parent of confufion and every evil work. There are many all whofe Religion lies in talking about Religion ; and even talking about things that have little, or nothing, to do with real Religion ; in doubt- ful difputations, and vain janglings. Others pleafe themfelves with a Fanciful and En- thufiaftical Religion; which, having no In- fluence to better their hearts and lives, can have no natural, or accountable Influence on their Happinefs : all their Religion lies in Extraordinary Manifejlations cf 'God ; not arifing from an attention to the difcoveries He has given of Himfelf in His Works and by His Word ; but conveyed into the mind ( as they imagine, or pretend ) in a more Immediate way : in Enthufiaflick Raptures and unintelligible Tranfports; whereby they are fometimes funk into Defpondency, they know not for what reafon ; at other times raifed to flrong Hopes and Confidence, they know not on what grounds : they attain to an AfTurance of their Salvation ; not flow- ing from comparing their Characters and Lives with the marks of an Heir of Heaven, plainly laid down in Scripture j but, either from immediate Revelation^ as they fancy ; or, a flrong and prefumptuous fruft and 7 Confi-
t 97 J Confidence in Chrift, and wh.it He has done ; though they never receive Him, lb as to take His yoke upon them and learn of Him. And, all the while, thefe rapturous imprejJionS) and uncommon attainments, how- ever extraordinary in their nature, have not To much as an ordinary influence to mend their hearts and lives : on the contrary, they fwell their Pride 3 puff them up into a vain conceit of themfelves, as diftinguiihed Fa- vourites of Heaven ; a Confidence of the extraordinary Goodnefs of their Condition ; and a fupercilious Contempt of much better Chriftians, as below their notice or fellow- fhip ; like thofe of old, who faid, Stand by thyfefe, come not near ?ne, for I am holier than thou. Yea, nothing is more common with thefe Enthufialts, exalted to fuch extraordi- nary attainments, than to contemn the Du- ties of Social-life) as below their concern, and no way conducive to the working out of their Sawation; which feme of them will tell you, " is wrought out already to their M hand ; or will be wrought out, of courfe, " without their giving themfelves any trou- c* ble about the matter, if they but Believe " and truftftrongiy :" thev Decry the Du- ties of Social Life, under the name of Mo- rality \ as if that was a name to be ufed in contempt ! while the perfection of Moral Excellency is the great Glory of God Him- ieif ; and a conformity to Him in it is the K greateft
[ 98 J
greateft Dignity of our Nature, and the very thing which it is the great defign of the Me- diation of Chriil to bring us back to ! How many, in place of that true Faith which vjorketb by Love, have fubftituted a fort of Faith which confifts in a meer fpeculative Belief, or, perhaps, a regard to a meer form of words, without knowing the meaning of them ; or a prefumptuous and vain Confi- dence; a Faith, which has no influence on their Hearts and lives ; which worketh not at all, unlefs it be as a Charm ! How many, in place of that Repentance from dead works, which is the beginning of a Holy and good life, a Repentance net to be repented of, but fhewing itfelf in bringing forth fruits meet for repentance ; have fubftituted a fruiilefs Regret, which works ?:o Amendment at all; and which they even confider as a thing In- different what time it comes, provided it be before they expire, even at the dole and conclufion of a whole life fpent in fin 1 This, this, is One main caufe, why many deal in the matters of Religion ivitb a fiack hand. And, indeed, when men once come to look upon Religion as a thing quite abflratl from the condutl of life, and having no natural in- fluence to improve us and make us meet for true happinefs ; but on\y Jome how made ne- ceflary to the happinefs of the other vj or Id ; if they imagine it a thing only neceffary againft they come to die, and for fecuring the
Happi-
[ 99 ] Happtnels of a Future life ; but no ivciy be- longing to the Condu£t or Comfort of this Ife, or our gradual Improvement in a Re- lifh for the belt. Enjoyments ; no wonder they put off all concern about it to that time^ againff which alone they apprehend it to be neeefiary. O that God, who alone can ef- fectually reach the Hearts of all men, would awaken deluded finners out of this thought- lefs fecurity ; and refcue them from fuch a dangerous fnare !
Of a piece with the reft of the grofs pra- ctical Errors of many concerning Religion, is theUfe they make of the Miniftrations of thofe who are the Mirvlfters of it.- How many never knew any Ufe of a Minifter of the Gofpel all their days ; but that he mould mount his Pulpit at the Hated times, and perform the ufual Exercifes there ; and they fhould gather about him, and give their fuit and prefence ; but without attending to any thing he fays, either in Praying or Preach- ing, or minding it as of any great Import- ance to them ? they had no ufi for his AC- fiftance all their Life, to Intlrucl: them, or excite them to their Duty, to Correct their mifrakes, or direel: them to Amend their faults ; or, in a word, to do them any rgal fervice. But — is a New-born Child iveak? does ??iercy (ever to be preferred to fa rifle- ) forbid bringing it to the Publick ? why, then a Minifter muff, be got, in ail hafte, to K 2 per.orm
perform a certain Ceremony upon it, which they call Chrijlening it : what it means^ they know not; but the thing muft be done, not for the Inftruclion of the Parents, but to Save the Infant from Hell / " and what a " cruel man muft he be, who will grudge 14 his travel for fuch a purpofe, when a few M fjords of his mouth and mot ons of his hand " will do the bufmefs?5' Strange, that ever men, under the advantages of the Light of the Gofpel, mould have funk into fuch No- tions of God and Religion ! Again ; hew many, who never knew one reafonable Ufe of a Minifter's amftance all their days, nay, have often treated all his Warnings to fee from the wrath to come with the moft harden- ed Contempt ; yet, when Death flares him in the Face (or, when the like carnal and carelefs friends about them apprehend them to be at the lafi gafp) they think they are quite ruined^ if they have not a Minifter by them in their lafl moments ; but perfectly fafe, if they have His Prayers over them when they are jufl expiring : and therefore, then {and, for faving needlefs trouble, not till then) muft a Minifter be called, in all hafle ! and for what purpofe ? to inilrucl them, or awaken them; to di reel:, or advife them? no; they are evidently faft all that: for what purpofe then r why, to Comfort them : but, alas ? what Comfort can we give to a dying Sirmery in his lafl moments. -, iiiilefs we wi .1
venture
[ ioi ]
venture to /peak peace, where God has fpoke none ; and fend a poor creature ajleep ancl fccui e, or with peace and fafety in his mouth, to a terrible awakening ? not to fay, that he is then even pajl receiving Confolation from us, if we had any to give him : for what, then, are we called ? why, to pray over him^ or, as many very grofly exprefs it, to pray . to him ! what" is this, but turning our :Yli- niftrations and Prayers into Charms ! to feek them with as much fuperftition, and to as little reafonable purpofe, as the poor deluded Papifts feek Extreme-UnSJi n ! as if we car- ried a Pafs-fort to Heaven in our Pockets ; or could open its Gates to a dying fmner by our Breath !
Nay, were Miniflers even called fooner* than they commonly are, to finncrs on a. death-bed, it would not much mend the mat- ter. I have already fnewn, " that the great " Call of the Gofpel to Repent and Believe " in Chriif, with the encouraging Promife li of Salvation. enforcing it, are conftantly " addrefTed, by infpired Preachers, to men- " in life ; and never,, in the whole Word *' of God, to dying men : and, that our blef- " fed Saviour, and His Apofties, in calling " Sinners to Repentance, are never repre— " fented as dealing with any perfons, for " this purpofe, in their dying moments.: nor 44 is there any one Precept, to the Mini- •* flers of Religion, either under the Old: K.3 "lefta*.
[ 102 ] tc Teflament or the New, to adurefs fuch ' " Exhortations and Promifes to the Dying, " more than to the Dead."
Now; if there is neither Precept nor Ex- ample, in Scripture, for faying, to any Per- fon on his Death-bed, " Repent, and ini- " quity mall not be your ruin ;" or, M Be- a lieve on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and thou tx (hall be faved :" the Conclufion may be obvious enough, however ftrange it may ap- pear ; " that, on no warrant of Scripture, can u we fav, to any dying Jimters, Repent, and M Believe, and You Jhall be Saved." This may appear it range to many; becaufe it is contrary to common opinions, and prejudics taken up without any foundation ; and not from any- thing unreafonable in the thing itfelf : but, it is a plain Conclufion, from an unquestion- able Obfervation of matter of Fadt. We may, indeed fay to them, that " to Repent " as they can is the befr thing thev can then " do ; as thereby they may do fome fmail 44 Honour to God and His Law ; and may, M this way, s;ive fome charitable Warning " to Surviving Friends, not to tread in their 44 Steps : " nay, we may further, from the Nature of the thing, and the general Evi- dence of the Mercy of God, fay, that " it " fhall be more tolerable for them, if they 44 die Relenting, than if they die hardened in * wickednefs ;" but, that is all the length
vve
[ 1<>3 ]
v/c can go : there is no Promife, no Hoper of Salvation given them by th° Gofpel. Vfjtting the Sici9 Co as to Mini fur help to
them in their diilrefs, is, indeed, a com- mon Act of Mercy, and Chriftian Charity ; and will come into the Account of the great Day * : but there is nothing in it peculiar to the Office of Minifters of the Gofpel ; for, in alt the inftructions concerning our Miniftrations (which, bleiled be God, we have pretty FuO and Particular, efpecially in the Epiftles to Timothy and Titus) there is not one Syllable concerning our attending on Mu Iff afters to a Gibbet ; or attending on any perfons in their la/i moments : nor any mention of vifiting perfons on a Sick-bed at- a!; except that Direction f9 plainly pecu- liar to the Age of Miracles, of the Elders of the Church being called, to anoint with oil' in the name of the Lordy in order to a mira- culous Cure by the Prayer of Faith.
If ail this is plain Fa£t, it is very remark- able; as it runs quite crofs to the Opinion, too common among us, " that the great " ufe of Minifters to People is in their " dying moments :" for, from thefe obferva^- tions it plainly follows, that, as to all this matter, " of attending upon perfons on a " fick-bed, or in the approach of Death," we are left to what the Reafon of the thing, agreeably to the general tenor of Scripture-
• Mat, xxv. 36. 45, f Ja, v. 14, 15.
2 Reve*
[ K>4 ]
Revelation, may diclate ; which wiil fiicw us, that our Ailiftance may be very ufeful, and a mod agreeable part of our Office per- formed, towards dying Saints, while they are capable of receiving Instruction, or Encou- ragement, from us: they may, in that gUomy Lour, ftand in need of all the AlTiflance, or Encouragement which Minifters or Chrif- tian Friends, whofe minds are more at eafe, can give them, in wreftling with their great and with their lajl Enemy \ and theyvnW call for our Affiftance, while they can make ufe of it : but of what ufe our attendance on dying Sinners can be, efpecially when they zxzpjjl bearing any thing we can fay (the ordinary time that we are called, in all hafte, to them) for my part I cannot fee; unlefs it be, to Jlrengthen the bands of the furviving wicked, that they Jhould not return from their wicked way by promifng them life ! (Ezek. xiii. 22.) doing what is too liable to that conftruction ; and what many wilt underftand (o, notwith- standing all the Cautions we- can give them againft putting that conftruclion upon it.
In after-times of the ChrifHan Church, indeed ; when Chriftianity began to be turned into a fet of Farms, and Ceremonies, and Chirms, inftead of v' Living by Faith in the ** Son of God ; " then, as Superftition crept in, and gave a notable handle to the Co- vetous defgns of the Clergy, which the dying moments of the Laity were found the fitteft
feafons
[ mi
feafons for accomplifliing ; then a great deal of work is made about our dealings with perfons on a fck-lcd, or a death-bed: and part of thefe dealings came to be the turning ionic of the facred fnititutions of ChrifVia- nity, appointed for a folemn reception into the Church militant, or for the perfecting of living faints, into Charms for the benefit of dying fnners, or a paffport into the Church triumphant ; for thofc, viz. who had money to leave, or their friends enough to give, to the Church, i.e. the Clergy ; and the turn- ing that exirao' dinaryU ncX'ion, appointed for a mean of Cure and recovery, into an ordi- nary Unction, of perfons whofe recovery is defpaired of, for the forgivenefs of fins ; a favour only to be obtained by fincefe Re- pentance and Faith in Chriit, working by Love and actually producing new obedience, * But, we know, the Myjlery of Iniquity aU ready wrought, (a Thejf. n. 7.) even in the days of the Apoftles, and very early then too : no wonder, then, that it wrought very ftrong- ly afterwards ; fo as, in procefs of time, to pervert almoft the whole Religion of Jefus; and fubftitute in the place of its genuine In- fikutions, a fyftem of Tricks and Charms, contrived to fruflrate and make void its main Dciign, of reftoring and promoting true Ho- linefs and goodnefs among men. And in nothing is the Spirit of Popery more con- fpicuous, than in thofe wretched arts of I elf- deceit
[.06 J
deceit it leads finners to truft to, under the daring attempt of impofing upon Almighty God, by certain Compenfations . fubftituted in place of a good Life, and that Holhiefs without which no man Jhall fee the Lord: fometunes compenfations in mmey^ fometimes in ceremonies and tricks. Take along, with thefe arts of cheating ourfelves and trifling with the Great God, the turning Chriftiani- ty into a Scheme of Worldly Policy \ and you have the whole great out-lines of the Spirit of Popery : which, by thefe linea- ments, plainly, enough appears to be the Spirit of Antithrift.
But, to return from this Digreflion, if it may be reckoned one ; from all that hath been faid upon this head, it is plain ; " that " the bufmefs of the Minifters of Chriit. is " not fo much with dying men, as is too ** commonly imagined." Our bufinefs is chiefly with men in life and health: to whom, if we can happily perfuade them to be recon- ciled to God, we may, upon Scripture- war- rant, promife time and opportunity for sar- ry:?i? on the goodwcrk thus begun.
And, O ! that we could perfuade people to ufe our affiftance intin,e\ and to improve cur M migrations for the great and valuable purpofe of them ! O ! that I might now be fo happy, as to perfuade finners effectually to foidW, and to mind, in this the.'r day, the -s thai be! on? to their peace I
It
[107]
It may perhaps be alleged, that the ten- dency of what I have been all along faying, is to drive people to defpair. But, whom r If even there mould be a miftake, in what, I think, 1 have given the cleared and fulleft evidence of Scripture for; " that a dying " /inner is, by the tenor of the Gofpel, cut " off from all hopes of Salvation, upon " any Repentance he can have in his laft u moments:" the driving of dying finncrs to defpair, is not fo great a harm as it may be apprehended ; at leaft, it can be no lajiing one : if God, by any fuch extraird'nary way (as I think the Gofpel excludes) has made them meet for the Heavenly blifs ; certainly none fhall be excluded from it, meerly for having, in the Agonies of a Death-bed, de- fpairedof it, if he is not, in other refpects, a vejfel of wroth fitted fr defirufticn.
But, as the tenor of the Gofpel leaves no room for the expectation of fo extraordinary a change then ; certainly, for thofe who have, all their lives, gone on fee u rely in a finful courfe, and hardened their hearts againft all God's gracious Calls and encouraging invi- tations ; for fuch, I fay, to die in Dejpair^ is better, both for themfelves and others, than that they mould die in prefumptuous Hopes: far better, for multitudes of furviving iin- ners ; if they are happily brought to improve, in time, the awful Warning ! and even bet- ter for themfelves ; as the punifhment await- ing
[io8] ing them muft fall with the lefs weight, am Id ft a fearful looking for it; than \{ fudden dejlruftion, which they cannot efcapc, comes upon them, while they are, vainly, faying to themfelves peace and fafety. But, furely, nothing that I have faid tends to drive any of you to Defpair, who are in life and health, and who yet hear the joyful Jound of the Gofpel : though it may be a neceiTary warning to thofe who have gone long, or far, on in a vicious courfe; that their cafe is likely to be now betwixtHope and Defpair; as they give, or defer, a prefent compliance With the Call of the Gofpel. But, to all of you I can fay, upon the warrant of God's word .and Gof- pel, if you will now iC Repent, and turn " from all your tranfgreflions, iniquity fhall " not be your ruin :" if you will noiv " Be- 4i lieve on the Lord Jefus Chrift, and come ci unto God by Him, and enter heartily " upon a pious and good life;' you fhall have your fruit unto holinefs ; fhall enjoy, even here, the prefent fruits of peace and blcafure in all the ways of wifdom; and your end fhall be everlajling Life^ through fefus Chrift our Lord: at the fame time ; if you refufe to comply with this prefent Call of God, and trifle away the prefent Opportu- nity ; no man on Earth can afture you, that it (hall not be your lajl : therefore to-day ', if you will hear God'j voice, harden not y.itr hearts ! left you be irrecoverably hardened by
the
[ ic9] the deceitfulnefs that is in fin \ and provoke God to pafs an irreverfible fentence againft you, that you (hall never enter into His Hea- venly reji ! " Behold now is the accepted " time, now is the day of Salvation." How long will you delay and put off a work of the greater! Labour, and, at the fame time, of the greater!: Importance and Neceflity ? Have you not too long delayed it already ? and is it not now high time to fet about it in good earneft ? While you may now make lure of Eternal Life ; will you run the mod defperate rtfk of lofing it ? // is not a vain things Sirs, for it is your Life : Your All is at flake ; and will you ftill, in the moir trifling manner, play it away ? May not the time pajl of your life fiffice you, more than fuffice youy to have walked in the ways of folly and vanity ; and abandoned yourfelves to the conduct of deceitful lujis? Can you too f on begin a happy life ? too foon forfake the paths of Darknefs and mifery ; and enter upon the ways of light and joy ? Thofe ways, in which alone you can know true peace of mind, or the true enjoyment of life.
Why, indeed, mould it be necefTary to make ufe of the awful terrors of the Lord, to perfuade you to your prefent happinefs f Sup- pofe the Neceflity of a fpetdy hearkening to God's voice, in order to the happinefs of the ether worlds was not fo great as I have fhown L it
[I>0]
it to be : nay, that the way to Heaven lay as open by a late Repentance, as by a courfe of Hct'uiefi ; that it was as cafy, and as ordinary^ to come at it the one Way, as the other : yet, what a fource of quiet and tranquillity, throughout your whole life, muft it be, to ^reflect, that your greateft and moft impor- tant work is not yet to begin ; but is happi- ly going forward ! — What pleafure, joy and peace, for the prefent, in a Religious and virtuous courfe, do you irrecoverably lofe ; io long as you defer entering upon it ; even though you was ever fo fure of faving your fouls at la'i I
It muft certainly, fmners, be fome violent -Prejudice againft the ways of Holinefs, ftrug- gling with your natural Love of happinefs, that makes you put off and delay that Re- pentance, which you own to be abfolutely neceuury to your efcaping future rnifery, and coming to theHappinefs of the other world: but, how groundlefs are fuch prejudices ! God's commandments are not grievous : the fervice of fin is the vileft, and the moft grievous, flavery ; but the fervice of God is the moft perfect, and the moft glorious, Li- berty : ChrilVs yoke is eajy, and his burden is Ught : wifdom's ways are ways cfpleafantnefsy and all her paths are peace : tho' there was no futkre happinefs provided for thofe who keep God's commandments; there's a great e- nough frefer.t rnvard^ in the keeping of 'them,
to
to allure you to it ; were but y«*ur eyes open to difcern it ! What are all the pleafures of fin (were they even as lafting, as they are but for aftafan) compared to the tranfcen- dent delights and fatisfadtions of Piety and Virtue ! to the Joys and triumphs of a foul in which univerfal Love reigns, and bears the fway over all other affections and paf- fions ! a foul who, dwelling in Love, dwell- eth in God, and God in him : who feels that aelight in Love, and in the God of Love; that fatisfa&ion in the thoughts of God, and in the fenfe of His favour ; that joy in up- rightnefs ; that peace in a good Confcience ; that fati-faction and tranquillity in a well- governed mind, and a well-ordered conver- fation; v/hich unfpeakabiy exceed all the flattering allurements of the world, and the higheft gratifications of (en(e !
Are you quite loft, finners, to all fenti- ments of Ingenuity, or Gratitude ! Can you refufe your Love one moment to the molt ex- cellent and Amiable Object ? Can you in- dulge yourfelves one moment longer, in a courfe of Ingratitude to your greatefr Bene- factor ; who, in courting your Love, courts you to your own Happinefs ; allures you, by a profufion of Benefits, even while you are Rebelling againft Him j and by the profpeel' of far greater Bleffings, beyond your prefent conceptions ; and all, to perfuade you to that which, in its own nature, is Beft for L ^ your-
[112]
yourfeives; has the moil direct tendency to your prefent tranquillity, and to the truefr. enjoyment of a prefent life ! Have you not always found the pleafures of fin mixed and chequered with pain and remorfe ? and muit you not always find them fo, while your Confciences are not feared as with a hot iron ; and even then too, while it is the unchange- able nature of irregular pafiions to give Dif- turbancc and Difappointment ? Can, then, thcic muddy pleafures of fin be once worthy to be compared with the pure Joys of Di- vine Love, and Friendly Affection ; the tranquillity and fweetnefs of a pure breaft ; .ind the Peace ofGod^ which pojjeth all under - ftandinz, keeping the heart and mind ! Can you deliberate one moment^ in fuch a Choice f If you knew God, and had any fenfe of Heavenly Joys ; could you poflibly fear loving Him, or fetting your Hearts upon them, too foon ! Reflect ferioufly on the follies, difap- pointments, and dangers of your paft con- duct ; that you may be awakened to an ear- ned concern to run no more fuch defperate rifks : what fruit had ye then in ihofe things^. where f ye are now afiamed ? for the end of thofe things is death,
But ; let not the thought of what you have been, and done, drive you to Defpon- dency ; or make you Defpai-r of doing bet- ter, or of being Accepted of God : fay not, there is no Hope ! Our God is a merciful
God;
f"3J
God; and His grace isfujficient for you : there is Joy in Heaven over one Sinner that repent- eth : our companionate Redeemer will not break the bruifed reed, nor quench the fmoaking flax : He has declared that him who cometh to' Him, He will in no wife cajl out : God is more ready to receive returning Sinners into favour, than they are to return to Him ; yea moft ready to encourage and forward their weak (if fincere) attempts to return to Him : behold the true Image of our Heavenly Fa- ther, in the Father of the Prodigal, in the Parable, Luk. xv. obferving him, in his re- turn to him, while he was yet a great way eff, with an eye of compajfion! running to meet him ! and receiving him with the moft
endearing tendernefs ! Hear the joyful
found, finners : " As I live, faith the Lord " God, I have no pleafure in the death of ■* the wicked, but that the wicked turn from •* his way and live : turn ye, turn ye, from " your evil ways ; for why will ye die ? " Hearken to the glad tidings brought us by the Apoftles of our Lord and Saviour: " God was in Chrift reconciling the world w unto himfelf, not imputing their trefpaiTes " unto them 3 2nd hath committed unto us ** the word of reconciliation : now then, " we are ambafladors for Chrift ; as though " God did befeech you by us ; we pray you, u in Chrift's ftead, be ye reconciled to " God : '; let the discoveries of this tender
mercy
T"4]
mercy gain your hearts, Tinners, and lead you to repentance : lay hold of the encou- ragement offered to you : come unto God by Chrift Jefus : cotr.e unto Chrift ; and he will give you rejl : take his yoke upon you, and learn ofH\m, and you Jhqll find reft unto your fouls : <; if the fon make you free, you fhall be " free indeed : and, being free from fin, <c and become the fervants of God, you {half ** have your fruit unto holinefs, and the end " everlafting life; through Jefus Chrift our " Lord."
But, I cannot think of leaving this Ar- gument, without fome proper Application of what has been faid upon it, to thofe who, by a timely Pvcpentance and Faith in. God through Jefus Chrift, have happily entered upon a Religious and virtuous life. I may content myfelf, with referring you to what I have laid in the beginning of this treatife, concerning the improvement you may make of this Argument fur your Comfort * : as I have alfo thee pointed at the improvement you are to make of it for your excitement to your Dutyf. Reft not, (hen, fatisfied with any thing you have yet attained to in Religion ; but be ftUl following after further improvements : u leaving the principles of u the Doctrine of Chrift ; let us go on unto ** perfection :" not only " be itedfaft and <4 unmoveable, but always abounding in the
* See pag. 4. \ See alfo pag. 28, &c. and 72.
" work
[n5]
" work of the Lord : grow in grace, and in " the knowledge of God, and our Saviour <c Jefus Chrift :" conftantly afpire after the preateft Perfection of Holinefs and gjoodnefs. And now, to animate and direct, your efforts this way, I (hall fet before you fome Cha- racters of the Improved^ or (in the (Hie of Grace) the P erf eel Saint; whereby He is di(iingui(hed from thofe who are weak in Faith) Babes in Chrijl, and unfiiful in the ivo d of right eon fnefs. They are thefe : the purity of the Principle whence His obedience flows : the intenfenefs and vigour of the heart, in the performance of Duty: uniformity, as to the feveral Branches of Piety and Good- nefs : conjlancy and jledfaftnefs, in oppofition to ficklenefs and wavering : continual afpir- ing after the utmo/f perfection in Holinefs : and, to crown all, a growing Humility.
i. The purity of the principle, whence His obedience flows. The improved, the perfect, Saint obeys God, as the Beft M after, not from a principle of flavifj fear ; or, for the fake of Rewards foreign to the Pleafure of His fervice ; but from Love to Him and to His fervice itfelf. The fupreme Love of God, for the perfectly amiable Excellencies of His Nature, is the prevailing difpofition of his foul : a Love which purfues no other enjoyment, than the fatisfaction of beholding and refembling the beloved Object. He rifes fuperior to all fenfible and earthly images of 4 the
|>6]
the Heavenly glories and joys ; and enters into direct views and fore-tajies of the real enjoyments above ; beholding the Divine glo- ry j being fatisfied with His likenefs, and wkh the moft full fenfe of His Favour : this is the Heaven he feeks : the worft Hell he dreads, is to be banifhed for ever from God's blifsful prefcnce ; and therefore, he has a hearty abhorrence of every departure from the living God. " The Law of his God is in " his Heart : he rejoices in the way of His " teftimonies;" as well as in the end it leads to : his Duty, far from being the tafk and burden^ is the^ and comfort of his life ; and he would chufe it, as fuch, though he had no life hereafter to look for, or could be lure of coming to it a fhorter way. Hence arifes,
2. The interfenefs and vigour of his heart, in the performance of Duty. His Devotion is ftrong and lively : his brotherly Love fer- vent and active. In Prayer, he pours out his heart before God : he obtains an eafe from his burdens, by cajling them upon the Lord, who cares for him : he derives a cheerfuinefs to his foul, to fet about every duty, from his calling in All-mighty aids: he gives the ftrongeft vent to the feelings of his generous Heart, in intercefjions for all men ; recom- mending them to His care who can make all bleifings abound to them. He Praifes God, withy^/i^Heart and Lips: the inward melody
of
[ "7] ofpraife is delightful to his foul. He re^oiceth in God's JVord, as one that findeth great f foil. He remembers His wonderful Love in our Redemption, with returns of the higheft Love and Gratitude ; and the pureit Chari- ty, animated by the Divine Example. He des good, as he has opportunity, to all men ; and does it with the moft hearty good- will : he is zealous of good works ; and has it for his meat and drink to do the will of his Heavenly Father, Hence flows,
3. Unifnnity, as to the feveral branches of Duty. He has a " refpedt to all God's " commandments :" he " cleanfes himfelf " from all filth inefs of the fiem and fpirit ; ** perfecting Hoi inefs in the fear of God." He regularly performs the duties of Divine Wor- ship ; from a prevailing regard to the valu- able Purpofe of them, his improvement in a conformity to God in that Moral excellency he adores. Nor does he think, he is then only employed in the Service of God, when he is going about the Duties of immediate WoHhip ; but reckons he exercifes Devo- tion, for the valuable Purpofe of it, when, from an habitual regard to God, he goes about the duties of his honed Calling in life, and of the feveral Stations and Relations in which he is placed, fo as to pleafe and re- iemble Him, who exercifes loving- kindnefs and righteonfnefs in the Earth, and delights in thefe things. Even his diverfions are fanfii-
fiedy
[i.8] fiei, in their intention ; and are made Tub- iervient to his more important employments. He is holy in all manner of cctwerfation.
4. He is con !i ant and lied f aft in the ways of gpodnefsr. He has got, in a good mea- iure, above thefe Temptations that former- ly turned Him afide; fo that thev even ceafe to be temptations to him : he cifdains the iow gratifications of fenfe, that come in competition with the fuperior Jovs of a good Heart : he defpifes the gams of unrighteovf- nejs ; reckoning that one grain of inward v.crtb excels them all : he contemns the ho- nours that are of men only ; having his heart fet upon that honour which is of God: welcome fo him the lodes and troubles of this life; when ordered for him by the Wifdom of his Heavenly Father (he knows) for his good: he glories even in tribulations -y knowing that tri- bidation worketh patience^ and patience expert- tnce, and experience hope, even that hope which rnakcih not rfha?ned : Rom. v. 3, &c. for this caufe he fainteth not; but though the outtvard man jail, the inward man is reneixed day by day. This is another Character of the per- fa' m
5.. He continually afpi res after the utmoft perfection in Holinefs : his Love to the un- tainted perfection of Kolinefs and goodnefs, in the bleiTed God, animates him to afpire after the utmoft Refemblance to Him : he itudies to be per f eel y as his Heavenly Father
is
[ "9]
is perficl : forgetting thofe things that are be- hind, and reaching firth to thoje things which are before ; he prefies towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrijl jfefius. And,
6. All is beautified and adorned by a grawirtg Humility. The further he goes, in Vital Religion ; the more he is fenfible of the exceeding breadth of God's Command- ment *, and of his own imperfections and defects : the improved Saint has a flronger fenfe of the odioufnefs of thofe fins of infir- mity, which itill cleave to him; than he formerlv had of groffer acts of yAckedmfi , as the fmalieft (pots, on a clear and bright Mirror, do ftrongly appear. Former expe- rience has thoroughly convinced him, that he has no foundation of fecurity in himfeif : and therefore, he exercifes a conftant hum- ble dependance en the grace that is in Chriji fefius ; and whatever he does, does all in His name ; giving thanks to God and the Father by Him. He heed fully watches over his own heart ; and is conltantly on his guard againft thofe remains of irregular pafiions and appe- tites, which he Hill finds there : under thefe he groans, being burdened ; and longs for the day? when he fhall put off this earthly Taber- nacle \ fhall get loofe from this vain World; /hall fhake off thefe fitters ; and his freed Spirit fhall be with God, and the glorious * Pf. cxix, 96,
He.
[120] Redeemer ; with the innumerable company of Angeh and the Spirits of jufl men made per- fect ^ to {hare in their perfection and joy, and bear a part in their Heavenly Melody.
What an Amiable Character does this appear, even in the rudeft Draught ©fit! how well worth our reaching fo'th to [ and what is there, in ail this, but what a Chri- stian, by Divine Grace, in a way of faith- ful watchfulnefs and conftant efforts, may attain to ? At the fame time, how far do the bulky even of fincere Chriftians, come fhort of it? how fenfible will the bejl of them be that they do fo ? but, however far behind, we may follow after. Let it be your fingle aim, Chriftians, in the ufe of nil the means cf grace, to become Perfect in Holinefs. Do not defpife or neglect any oY thofe means which the Wifdom of God has prescribed to You ; nor vainly reckon Yourfelves above them : neither reft on the molt diligent attendance upon them ; with- out a prevailing regard to the great End of them, Your improvement in Divine Know- ledge and true Goodnefs. Exercife a con- ftant humble Dependance upon the God of gII grace ; and make frequent and %arneft applications to Him by Prayer, in the name of the blefTed Mediator, for His necefTary Aids : make thefe humble applications, too, with a joyful confidence, " that He, who *c hath begun a good work in You, will
" perform
[121 ]•
£c perform it until the day of Tefus Chrift :*' be not difcouraged ; nor think that the heights of Devotion and Goodncfs of a per- fctt Saint are too high for You to afpirc after: do not fit down, making lazy com- plaints y or lay Yourfelves open to difcoura- glng Spies of the Heavenlv Canaan ; nor prove fuch to Yourfelves : do not meafure the power of Divine Grace, or the heights a Vigorous Saint may reach to, by the lan- guid carelefnefs and inactivity of very imper- f eel Saints, if they maybe allowed to be Saints at all! give not way to defpondency ; but up, and be doing, and the Lord will be with You. The further You go on ; the more will You find9 that Chrift's yoke is eafy and his burden is light , the more will You feel of that peace and pleafure which is in *// the ivays of IVifdom : and thus will Your path be as the Jh'.ning Light , that fhineth more and more unto the Perfect Day.
M Charity
Charity the End of the Co rnmandmnt ; or, Univerfal Love the Befign of Chriftianity.
SERMON
Preached at the
OLD-JEWRY,
APRIL 19, 1731.
For the Benefit of the Charity- School in Crutched-Fryars.
By WILLIAM WISHART, D. D.
The Second Edition corrected.
[ i25J
i Tim. i. 5.
Now the End of the Commandment is Charity^ out of a pure Hearty and of a good Con- fcience*, and of Faith unfeigned.
1? H y IS the diftinguiming character of a rational Being, that he acfo for
-*- an end ; has fome purpofe in view in every thing he does : and the only way to the juft and regular conduct of life, is to have One fettled and regular aim ; which, once well fixed, mull be fteddily kept to, and all our other views and defigns brought into fubjeciion and fubordination to it.
To find what fhould be the great end in life for fuch rational creatures as we are ; we may either enquire into the powers and capacities of human nature, or confider the difcoveries our infinitely great and good Creator may have given us of his will : and certainly, if he has been pleafed to give us any revelation of his will for our hap- pinefs, an enquiry into the great purpofe of that revelation mull: be one lure way of difcovering v/hat is our chief end ; what is that greateft perfection of our nature we are confrantly to aim at ; as well as what are the moft proper means of attaining it.
M 3 As
[126]
As the Chriftian revelation contains the moft full and perfect difcovery of the will of God for the happinefs of mankind ; the great and main purpofe of that revelation is chiefly to be confider'd and regarded, in order to determine what mould be our main end in life.
To a well difpofed mind it muft be a molt agreeable and entertaining piece of fpeculation, to difcern and obferve the beau- tiful fubordination of one thing to another, and of every thing to that which is chief and principal, in the Chriftian inftitution : 'tis however far from being a matter of meer fpeculation, rightly to underftand the main end and defign of Religion and Chrif- tianity ; but it is, of all things, of the greateft importance, and moft extenfive ufe, in practice ; as the want of fuch a right un- derstanding is the fource of the moft grofs and dangerous miftakes in the conduct of life.
The common miftake to which the folly and fuperftition of men, in all ages, has Jed them, is to over-value things of lefter importance in Religion, in comparifon with greater -, to fubftitute the means in place of the end -3 or to reft on thefe^ as in them- felves fufficicnt. Now, if in any cafe, the worth and excellency of means lies in their fubferviency to the end, whence the}/ de- rive their value ; there can hardly be a grof- fer blunder in practice) than to fubftitute
the
[127]
the means in place of the end ; or to ufe them otherwife than with regard, and in fubferviency, to it.
But, if we once juftly fix the main end of the Chriftian inftitution ; a due regard to that will lead us to a right understanding of the comparative worth and excellency of the feveral things contained in it ; will di- rect us what we ought chiefly to be con- cerned about, and mould have in our view, in our ufe of all the means Chriftianity points out to us ; will lead us to the jufteft rule of Charity, and the moft proper terms of Chriftian communion ; and will furnifh. us with the trueft teft whereby to examine ourfelves, whether we comply with the great defign of the golpel : concerning all which points profefs'd Chriftians in all ages, and even many of the guides and leaders of the Chriftian Church, have fallen inte wretched miftakes : in fine, a juft confide- ration of the main end of Chriftianity will afford us an amiable and engaging view of its excellency, to recommend it to our hearty love and reception.
This is therefore a moft important en- quiry, what is the main end and defign of the Chriftian institution ? and we have a plain anfwer to it, in exprefs terms, in my text : the ej:d of the Commandment is cha* rity, &e.
By
[.28]
By the commandment here, feme interpre- ters underftand the moral part of the law of Mfes : but I conceive 'tis more agrc e to the purpofe of the Apoftle to underftand it of the Chriftian inftitution. Ke is here putting Timothy in mind cf the charge he had given him to guard againft the intro- ducing of new doctrines into the Chriftian Church : and to enable him the better (fo execute that charge, he gives him this of the defign of Chriftianitv, a [nerving from which is the fource of the grofleft er- rors ; he gives him this key, as it were, into the whole chriftian inftitution ; the end cf the commandment^ cr of the injiit'tin^ charpe, * or appointment, as the original word fignifles, is Charity, &c. Where ianity is confidered as an inftitution of Heaven, enforced by divine authority ; and the end of it is declared to be Charity &c.
In difcourfmg on this argument, I pro- pofe ; in the
Firft place, to explain the nature of that Charity, here fpoken of.
Secondly, to iiluftrate the Principle, that this Charity is the end of Chrifi ianity.
And Thirdly, to make fome improve- ment of this principle ; and draw fome pro- per conclufions from it.
* See Ver. iS.
Firft,
[ '29]
Firft, then, I am to (how, what is this Charity which is here declared to be the end of the commandment.
The word Charity in common fpeech is ufed in a narrow fenfe, to exprefs only fome one branch of that extenfive Charity which is the end of the commandment : fometimes, bounty to the poor ; fometimes a favourable opinion of our neighbours : both thefe are particular exercifes of that Charity here fpoken of; but neither any one of them, nor both of them together, are comprehen- five of the whole of that Charity which is the end of the commandment. The origi- nal word which here, and in other places * is rendered Charity, might as well be ren- dered Love. Now this Love includes in it, Univerfal Benevolence ; and the prevailing Love of Goodnefs.
1. This Love includes in it, Univerfal Benevolence; or a kind affection towards all rational Beings, particularly towards thofe of our own kind, with whom we have a fpeciai connection, and to whom we have fpeciai opportunities to be beneficial ; fuch a kind affection as makes us fmcerely and heartily defire their welfare and happi- nefs, as we do our own ; and readily pro- mote it, if it is in our power j or if any
* 1 Cor. xiii. throughout, and xiv. 1,
t *3° J
one's happinefs is fo perfect and hVd that it cannot be increafed or promoted by us, to be well-affected towards it, and rejoice in it. In like manner, as our felf-love leads us to confult our own happinefs ; our love to others lies in our being well-affected to theirs, And, this gocd-will, and affection to the happinefs of other?, muff not be con- fined to thofe of our own kind, but extend- ed to the whole rational world ; awd muft rife to the greateft joy in the perfect and unalterable happinefs of the fupreme mind, the Head and Father of the Rational Sy- ftem.
This is the principle of Goodnefs or Be- nevolence ; fo far as it may be fuppofed in the mind antecedent to all reflection on what pauses within, all contemplation of our own affections and actions, ail fenfe of inward beauty and deformity.
That there is fuch a difpofltion of Bene- volence or focial affection in Human Na- ture, independent of all deliberate views of felf-intereft ; and exerting itfelf oft-times without any profpect of advantage to our- felves, is a point which may indeed be art- fully and plaufiblv difputed by a fort of fa- fhionable Moralifts, who are for new-mold- ing the human heart ; and making a Mo- ral World of their own, as a certain philo- fopher attempted to do a Natural one ; by refolving all the fprings of action in our
breafts
breafts into either a rafh and hafty, or a cool and deliberate ielfifhnefs : but every plain man is fenfible of fuch a benevolent principle in himfelf ; who can, with an ho- neft heart, fay to his neighbour, / am glad to fee you well : every one may be fenfible of it, who will reflect what an immediate un- cafinefs he feels upon behoiding a fellow- creature in pain or calamity ; what an immediate joy he feels on beholding others happy around him, efpeciaily if it is by his means -, without being confeious to himfelf of any fuch felhfh reflections as thofe Philofophers would rtfolve this joy or uneafinefs into ; and who, withal confiders what force in the mind that fympathizing fenfe has, when the mind is under no byafs from the view of feme private good inter- fering with the good of others. But,
2. This Love includes in it the Love of the difpofition of Goodnefs and Kindnefs it- felf, flowing from a fenfe of the beauty and amiablenefs of it. There is a pafTage in the Prophecies of Micah ; vith Chap, and 8th ver. which plainly leads to this thought ; where the Prophet mentions, among the things that are good, and which the Lord requires of us, to love Mercy. 'Tis the property of human nature, that man is not only capable of difcerning thofe outward objects which fall under his fenfes ; and of a liking, or averfion, to them \ but he is
alfo
[ *32] alfo capable of reflecting on his own mind ; taking a view of his own inward affections 5 difcerning a good or ill within, in the tem- per of the mind ; and of loving good affec- tions, and hating evil ones. And, as kind- nefs and benevolence is the moft ami- able affection of the Soul ; the jufteft prin- ciple of the exercife of it is the prevailing Love of mercy and kindnefs : this is the moft ftrong and fteddy principle of the ex- ercife of goodnefs, when the difpofition it- felf is lov'd, and from love to it is che- rifhed in the Soul.
We may difcern fomething of the beauty and amiablenefs of goodnefs and kindnefs, companion and generofity, by reflecting upon our own minds when we are at any time remarkably affected that way : we may have a moft confpicuous and affecting view of it, in beholding a Character remarkably good and generous fet forth to obfervation. If we'll catch ourfelves in the natural ex- curfions of our thoughts, and the play of our own hearts, even in the moft eafy and carelefs hours ; we {hall find our minds of- ten employ'd in forming fuch characters : the moft elegant pens have (hewn the great- eft art in this way : in the view of fuch an amiable form 'tis natural for the heart to take part ; and to feel the moft lively touches of the love of goodnefs 5 to be interefted in it, and engaged for it : the
force
[ i$3 1
force of fuch a view is confpicuous even on the mod vicious and abandon'd perfons ; who, in viewing fuch a character, are apt to be touch'd with remorfe for forfaken Virtue ; and can hardly efcape feeling fome inward admiration of what they behold, and forming fome fecret wifhes that fuch a character and fuch actions were their own. And the more of goodnefs and kindnefs there be in any character, the more amiable and engaging is it : the contemplation and love of fuch a fair form of virtue tends na- turally, and even infenfibly, to ftrengthen the difpofition of goodnefs in ourfelves. And, if goodnefs, wherever it appears, commands efteem and love, according to the degree of it; and is naturally view'd with pleafure ; it muft certainly be fupreme- ]y amiable in its higheft perfection and brighteft luftre, in the blelTed Gcd the Fa- ther of Mercies, who is Love, and who delights in mercy.
Now, this love of goodnefs is the ftrong- eft principle of the exercife of it ; and ferves to fecure the conftancy of it : this principle of a deliberate and prevailing love of good- nefs and kindnefs is not fo liable to be fliaken, by innumerable occurrences that will fpoil a meer fweetnefs of temper : the more our goodnefs grows into a fixed habit and prin- ciple; the more able will it be to over-ba- lance the force of oppofite affections, and N ftand
[134] ftand proof againft thofe hafty failles of paf- fion, which the fweeteft and kindeft tem- per is liable to be overcome bv, where kind- nefs is from temper and inftinct meerlv, and not from deliberate choice and a fettled principle.
And thus I have fhewn what is contained in that Love the Apoftle here fpeaks of. But the nature of it may be yet further il- luftrated, by mentioning i'ome properties of it. And,
[i.] This Love muft be the prevailing and governing principle in the heart. Our other affections muft be brought into fub- jeclion to it, and under the government of 4t : and thofe unnatural paffions, and ex- ceffes of our felf- affections, that are contrary to it, muft be rooted out, and put far from us.
[2.] 'Tis an univerfal and extenfive Love. Not confined by narrow and particular di- ftinclions, (tho' in a fpecial manner exer- cifed towards thofe with whom we are join- ed by fpecial ties) but extended to all man- kind. Nay, our Love muft not be con- fin'd even to thofe of bur own kind : but we muft be well-affected to the common and univerfal good of the whole rational world : and this exercife of Love opens a joy to the mind that is poffeffed of juft no- tions of God ; from the fatisfaclion it has, that this general good and happi-
nefs
[ '.35 ]
nefs is fecured, amidft all events, by the perfectly good, wife, and powerful ad- miniftration of the Univerfal Governor of the world. Nor muft our Love be confined to the inferior and created part of the rational fyftem : but it muft rife to the higheft efteem of, and delight in, God, the Head and Father of it ; whofe character is, the Perfection of Goodnefs, join'd with thole other properties which ferve to fecure the fuccefsful, extenfive, and perpetual exercife of it : it muft rife to the pureft joy, in the perfect and unalterable happinefs of that Being, whofe character the truly good and generous mind (lands beft affected to ; an entire good affection to his perfectly wife and good adminiftration j and an acquiefcence in every part of his difpofal of things. Thus our Love muft be extenfive and univerfal. But yet it is to be obferv'd ; that the Holy Scriptures, in. defcribing the exercife of this Love, do particularly infift upon the feveral exercifjs of it towards thofe of our fellow-creatures with whom we live and converfe ; and to whom we have opportunity to be beneficial by it. And this may be for thefetwo reafons. I. Becaufe the exercife of our Love towards them is the fpecial proof and tryal of the fmcerity of it : 'tis eafy to pretend to love in cafes where there is no opportunity to
N % ' £Ut
[i36]
put that pretence to the tryal ; by beftow- ing benefits on him whom we pretend to love, at any trouble or expence to ourfelves, or with the crofling of our felf-appetites : but the proof of our Love lies in the exer- ctfe cf it towards thofe to whom we can be beneficial. 2. Becaufe the true love of God is no other than the higheff. exercife of that fame principle of benevolence and the love of goodnefs, which leads us to be kind and beneficent to our fellow-creatures : namely, as it is exercis'd towards a Being of perfect and unalterable goodnefs, the KeaJ and Father of the rational creation ; by whofe wife and good government the univerfal good and general happinefs is fe- cured ; in which is included the particular happinefs cf all thofe whofe Souls, by the means his infinite wifdcm and goodnefs has been pleafed to afford them, are form'd into the temper of blifs, and fitted to enter into the joy of the Lord. And our Love to God is not only to be exercifed in thofe inward acts of efteem and admiration, de- light and joy, above-mentioned ; but alfo in concurring with the defigns of his good- nefs ; and ill fubflantial and beneficial ef- fect? ; not to him indeed, to whom we cannot be profitable, but to thofe to whom he requires us to do good as we love Him. For,
[3-3
[ m i
[5. J That Love which is the end of the
commandment is an active and operative Principle. So far as it prevails in the Soul, it will be exerted not in faint wifhes and in- effectual defires of the welfare of others ; but will prompt us to do them real bene- fits, as we have opportunity ; and the beft in our power : it will make us heartily de- fire, and readily promote, the happinefs of others, as our own ; rejoice in their welfare, and fympathize with them under their wants and calamities : in a word, it will exert itfelf in thofe feveral amiable exercifes of Love beautifully defcribed by the Apof- tle, 1 Cor. xiii. 4 — 8. Charity fujfereth long^ and is kind^ 6cc.
But I mull not omit to take fome no- tice of the properties of this Charity, or Love, mentioned in my text.
'Tis Charity out of a -pure heart : or Love without dijjimulation * ; fincere and entire : the feveral exercifes of it proceeding from an inward and prevailing principle of Good- fiefs in the Soul.
'Tis Charity out of a good confcience : ex- ercifed from a regard to the impartial judg- ment of our own minds, and dictates of our own hearts, under the juft awe and re- verence of a higher tribunal ; and from a concern to approve ourfelves to God who
* 5Lom. xii. 9^
N 3 is
[ '38] is greater than our hearts ; that, our own hearts not condemning us, we may have confidence towards him.*
'Tis Charity out of faith unfeigned : ani- mated by a firm and effectual belief of the great truths of Religion and Chriftianity, which have the moft direct influence and tendency to promote the principle and ex- ercife of love and goodnefs ; fuch a Faith as proves its own fincerity and ftrength by its working by Love.
This is that true Chriftian Charity^ or Love, which is the end of the commandment , or of the Chriftian inftitution : as I pro- ceed now, in the
Second place, to fhow.
Some regard to the proper bounds of a difcourfe of this nature obliges me to pals over a number of beautiful paflages of Holy Scripture ; where Love is exprefiy declared to be of greateft importance in Religion ; and at the fame time a fpecial ftrefs is laid on the exercife of brotherly love, kincfnefs and beneficence, as the fpecial proof of the fincerity of our goodnefs : paflages contain- ed not only in the clearer difcovery of God's will for our happinefs in the New Tefta- ment ; but alfo in the revelations given by his holy Prophets under the Old Teftament
* i Jo. iii, iS----2a.
difpenfation ;
C 139 1
difpenfation; when multitudes of externa and ceremonial obfervances in religion were in ufe, beyond what are now in the better times of reformation ; which yet are, even there, declared to be of no avail in the fight of God, but defpifed and hated by him, without true goodnefs, mercy and beneficence.* I fhall only take particular notice, that it is exprefly declared that, in Chrift Jefus the great thing which is of avail is Faith that worketh by Love + : that Charity, exercis'd in a way of mercy and companion to our neighbours, particularly fuch as are in fpecial circumftances of di- ftrefs and exigency, and preferved pure from the contagion of worldly lufts ; is exprefly declared to be pure and unde filed Religion % : and in fine ; that Love, particularly de- fcribed as exercis'd in a way of kindnefs and beneficence to our fellow-creatures, has the preference given to it ; not only before the moft mining natural endowments, but alfo the greater!: pretences to Religion, and the moft extraordinary fupernatural gifts ; and even before Faith and Hope, the other moft necefTary Graces of the Chriftian life; as the end is preferr'd to the means ^. And thus much (hall fufEce concerning ex-
* See Levit. xix. 18. Deut. vi. 5. Ifa. i. 10.
xviii. and lviii, 6, 7, 10. Am. v, 21 — --% c Mic. vi.
6 8. f Gal. v. 6. J Jam. i. 27.
\ 1 Cor. xiii,
prefs
[ Ho] prefs declarations of Holy Scripture, con- curring with this of my text, that the end of the commandment is Charity.
But nothing, methinks, can in a more clear and fatisfying manner (how, that the end of the Chriftian inftitution is Love; than the confideration how evidently every thing in it confpires to that end.
And here 'tis proper to confider, in the Firft place, The difcoveries it gives us of the nature and character of God ; the ftan- dard of all moral perfection. Chriftianity tends to fweeten our difpofltions, by the moll amiable view of perfect Goodnefs and Love reigning above, and animating the whole conduct of the Governor of the world : it raifes us to the love of the per- fection of goodnefs, as a real object of our affection ; and animates us by the glorious example of God, to afpire after a refem- blance to Him in goodnefs ; and to act in concurrence with Him, in our place and fphere, for promoting the defigns of his goodnefs in the world. It raifes our minds to the view of the perfection of goodnefs, as reigning in Heaven, and influencing the whole management of things in the Uni- verfe : it (hows us that nothing in the world is left to be conducted by blind Chance, or inferior and imperfect fkill ; but every thing managed according to the pwpofe of Him
ufofe
[ -41 ]
whofe kingdom ruleth over all*, and who worketh all things, after the counfel of his cum wiil\ ; whofe wo^ks in all their variety ot forms are J all made in wifdom, and made very good §.
it gives us the moft engaging reprefen- tation of the pure Goodnefs and difintereft- ed Benevolence of the Deity. Shows us that, as fury is net in him || ; and all thofe dire and horrid palfions, that are the Hain of any rational nature in which they are to be found, are far removed from him : fo, he has no narrow and particular intereft to turn him afide, or make him ever fwerve, from the exercife of the moft pure and unbounded goodnefs and kindnefs ; being infinitely perfect and happy, independent of his creatures, and ftanding in need of no- thing ; fo that he cannot be profited by our righteoufnefs, neither can our wickednefs hurt him-j-.
The Scripture defcribes to us his perfecY gpodnefs, in characters full of condefcen- fion to our capacities and ways of thinking ; and therefore moft fuited to affec~T. our minds : of old his name was proclaimed, the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and graci- ous, long-fuffering and abundant in go-dnefs and truth, keeping mercy for thoufands, for_
* Pf. ciii. 19. f Eph. i. 11. J Pf. civ. 24..
§ Gen.i. 31. J) Ifa. xxvii. 4. 4- Job xxxv,
6, 7, 8.
giving
[Hi]
giving iniquity and tranfgrejfon^ and fin * : Ac the fame time we are told, that he will by no means clear the guilty : his goodnefs is not a partial and ungovern'd fondnefs ; but is the extenfive goodnefs of the univerfal Governor, and is always conducted in the. particular exercifes of it by the molt con- summate wifdom, and a prevailing regard to the general good of the world ; and there- fore the fanclions with which he has wifely guarded thofe laws he has given to his rea- fonable creatures for the good of his rational kingdom, are not to be difpenfed with out of weak and partial fondnefs; and for this reafon the wicked and impenitent tranf- greflbrs of thefe laws muft not pafs unpu- nifhed ; nor can his goodnefs and wifdom fuffer him to let his creation go to ruin, and laws form'd for its good be fecurely tranfgrefs'd, in partial favour to a wretch who is the ftain of his glorious work. But further,
The Scripture reprefents him to us as a Being of the molt extenfive goodnefs and" kindnefs : that he is good to ally and his ten- der mercies are over all his works \ ; is kind even to the unthankful and the evil % ; is the preferver of man and of hcafi § ; is no ref- pecler of perfons || ;. but is the Saviour of all
* Exod. xxxiv. 6, 7. f Pf. cxiv. 9. J Luke Vi. 35. § Pf. xxxvi. 6. I) Afts-x. 34.
men
X
['43 3
men, efpecially of thcfe that believe * ; that he will have all men to he fated, and to come ta the knowledge of the truth \ ; that he has no pleafure in the death of the wicktd, but that the wicked turn from his way and live J : He is defcribed as the God of love and peace § -, the God of patience and conflation |] ; merciful and gracious, flow to anger, and plenteous in mercy ** ; a father of the father lefs, a judge of the widow f f ; the Saviour of the afflict- ed %%, and the refuge of the oppreffed §§ s He is the Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort mi ; from whom every good and per - feci gft comes***.
His goodnefs is moft fteddy and conftant : his mercy endureth for ever f-j-f : 'tis not confined within the bounds of time ; but reaches to eternity, and extends to the be- llowing of a happinefs which lafts through- out eternal ages.
In a word, the Scripture fums up the cha- racter of God in this one view, that He is Love XXX ■' He is not only Good ; but Good- nefs is the very notion of his nature ; and there is nothing in him contrary to that character. The Moral Perfections of God may all be fummed up in this one view ;
* i Tim. iv. io. f i Tim. ii. 4. J Ezck. xxxiii. ii. § 2 Cor. xiii. 11. j| Rom. xv. 5. ** Pf. ciii. 8. -f f Pf. beviii. 5. XX Pf. xviii. 27. §§ Pf- ix. 9- HI) a Cor. i. 3. *** Jam. i. 17. tff Pf. exxxvi. XXI 1 Jo. iv. 8, 16.
* the
['4+]
the moji perfecl Goodnefs, regulated in its ex- ercife by the mojl confummate and unerring Wifdom: and his Natural Perfections are amiable and adorable, as they are joined with the perfection of Goodnefs, and ferve to fecure the fuccefsful and perpetual exer- cife of it : as he is every where prefent, his goodnefs knows no bounds ; as he is al- mighty, nothing can hinder the exercife and the fuccefs of it ; and as he is ever- lafting, his goodnefs and mercy endure for ever : this is the beauty and glory of the Lord ; for how great is his Goodnefs, and how great is his Beauty • / This Goodnefs gives a luftre and beauty to all the other perfections of the Divine Nature ; and ftrips them of that dread and terror, which would otherwife attend them. And, if the per- fection of Goodnefs is the great Glory of the divine Nature ; fure a conformity to Him in this character muft be the great- eft Glory our rational natures can be ca- pable of.
To conclude this head : The Scripture declares to us that God delights in mercy f. This character of G.d feems to me to lead us to a view of the grand principle of the Divine conduct : He acts under no awe of a fuperior Authority, and from no narrow views of Self-intereft ; but does always what
* Zech. i». 17. f Mic. vii. 18.
is
f '45 J is heft and fitted, from the moll pure and perfect Love of Goodnefs. This charac- ter likewife feems to lead us to fome view of the Divine BlefTednefs and Happinefs : He -has the moft pure and perfect delight and joy in the perfection of Goodnefs ; and is perfectly and unchangeably Happy, as he is perfectly and unalterably Good : and, if if we are Good like him, we mall be hap- py like him too. In fine, this character of God feems to fignify his Love to Goodnefs, and Delight in it, wherever he beholds it : and fure, if God loves goodnefs and de- lights in mercy ; nothing can be more ac- ceptable to him in us, than that we refera- ble him in this character : that, as Pie is good to all, and bis tender mercies are over all bis Works, we alfo be good to all within our reach and as far as our influence can ex- tend ; and as his mercy endures for ever, that we likewife never weary in well-doing, ne- ver fwerve or depart frvm the paths of good- nefs and mercy.
And this is the Tmprovement which Chris- tian ity particularly requires us to make of the difcovery it gives us of the Goodnefs of God. Namely, that we be allured and ani- mated, by the view and fenfe of that Good- nefs to which we are unfpeakably obliged, to fet him before us as our great Pat- tern 5 and be followers of Him as dear Cbil- O drefti
[146] dren * ; ftudying to be per f eft as He is per- feci, merciful as He is merciful f .
I might take notice, to this purpofe, of a variety of precepts and directions of our blefTed Saviour and his Apcities : which all concur in moft earneftly recommending to us Love and Goodnefs, particularly as they are exercifed towards our fellow-creatures and fellow-chriftians, in all the various in- fiances of beneficence, forbearance, forgive- nefs, condefcenfion and charity ; and which recommend this Love to us as a thing of the greateft importance, and in which much of the Life of Religion and Chriftianity lies ; as very comprehenfive of our prefent Duty, and as the neceflary preparation and difpofition for our future felicity. But this branch of the Argument cannot fail to lie open and obvious to any one who carefully reads the New Teftament J.
But I muft take particular notice of what is moil peculiar to the Chriftian inftitution; as to the manner in which it difplays to us
the
* Eph. v. i. f Mat. v. 48. comp. with Luk.
vi. 36. \ Matt. v. 43—48. and v'u 14, 15. and
vii. 1, 2, 12. andxv'm. 21 35. and xxii. 37 40*
Mar. xi. 25, 26. and acii. 30, 31. Luk. vi. 27.
38. and ix. 5c, 56. and x. 27—37. J°« xiii- J4»
'5 5 34> 35. and xv- I2> *3> J7- Afts xx- 35-
Rom. xii. 9 21. and xiii. 8, 9, 10, and xiv. 1. 15.
19. and xv. 1, 2. 1 Cor. xiii. Gal. v. 13, 14; 22, »j« andy'LZ, I* Eph. iv. J, 2, 3j 31, 32. and
[147]
the chara&er of God, as Love and Good- nefs^ viz. that it gives us fomething upon this head which goes beyond bare defcription ; and is far more fitted to affect, our minds : namely, as the Gofpel exhibits to our view a glorious Work of God, in which his Goodnefs and Mercy fhine forth moil illuf- triouflv, in an exercife of them that parti- cularly concerns us ; and in which His other perfections are reprefented to us as joining together for the accomplifhment of the De- figns of the mofr. amazing Divine love and tender mercy : namely, the work of our redemption by Chrift Jefus.
The foundation of Chriftianity is laid in the mofl glorious and eng3ging difplay of the kindnefs and mercy of God our Saviour towards men ; while they were Sinners *, and thus in circumitances both wretched and provoking; exceedingly landing in negu of. mercy from God, but deferving none at his hands.
When the Redeemer made his entry into the world, the multitude of the heavenly
v. i, 2. Phil. ii. 1—3. Co!, iii. 12 15. 1 Thef.
iv. 9, xo. and v. 14, 15. 1 Tim. vi. 18. 2 Tim. ii. 24— Tit. iii. 1, 2, 8. Heb. vi. 10. and x. 24. and xii. 14. and xiii. 1, 2, 3 5 16. Ja. ii. 8, 13. and
iii. 13 18. 1 Pet. iii. 8-— 13. and iv. 8, 9, 10.
and v. 5. 2 Pet. i. 7. 1 Jo. ii. g, ic, it. and iii. U---23. and iv, 7-— 21. 2 Jo. 5, 3 Jo, II. * Rom. v. 8.
O 2 Hoft,
[>48] Hoft, filled their Song of praife with Glory to God in the highcji) en earth peace ^ good- will towards men *. And this is the Sum of the revelation of the Gofpel ; God fo loved the world> that he gave his only begotten Son, that whofoever be'iezeth in him Jkould not fe~ rijb, but have ever lofting Lifef. And, be- loved) fays the Apoftle, if God fo loved us, Hoe ought alfo to hve one another \.
In the difcovery of this great myftery of Divine Love; we behold Infinite Goodnefs employing Infinite Wifdom and Almighty Power in a way of Companion to wretched men, and for bringing about their recovery to purity and happinefs : we behold the Fa- ther fending his only-begotten Son to fave us ; and giving Him to be the propitiation for cur Sins X ' we behold the Son of God veil- ing his Glory, and appearing in the world i \ iB likenefs of fmful flejh § : and, being found in fajhim as a man, humbling himfelf io deaths even the death of the Crofs ||, for our Salvation and Happinefs. In this glo- rious work the Divine Love and Goodnefs fhines forth in its greateft luftre and glory : and. the Dfher Perfections of the Divine na- ture are exhibited to us, as ailing in con- currence, for promoting the defigns of the moft wonderful Love and tender Mercy.
* Luke ii. 14, f Jo- i;i- l6. | 1 Jo. iv. ir. % 1 Jo. iv. 10. § Rom. via. 3. |'| Phil. ii. 8.
This
[ H9 ]
This is that Glory of the Lord, which by the Gofpel we are given to behold ; and to behold for this end, that by the engaging and transforming view of it we may be changed into the fame image from glory to gkry, even as by the Spirit of the Lord*. And, of what engaging force is the juft view of this glory of Gcd^ to reconcile us to God, and raife our Souls to the higheft Love of Him ? Of what force is this great example of Love to animate us to an imi- tation of it? how glorious and engaging is this Divine example of goodnefs ? and how fhould our particular intereft in this exer- cife of God's love further oblige us to imi- tate it ?
The promoting of this difpofition of Love and Goodnefs is likewife reprefented as the great end of all the inftitutions of the Chriftian worfhip. In general ; it is re- prefented as the defign of a Miniftry in the Church, to edify the body of Chrijl in Love ; that /peaking the truth in Lovcy we may grow up into him in all things ivho is the heady even Chrijlf. I fhall only take particular notice, how confpicuoufly this is the de- fign of thofe pofitive Inftitutions of the Chriftian worfhip, the two Sacraments. The firft, Baptifm, contains a proper em- blem of that change which is brought on
* 2 Cor, iii, i3. t Eph.iv» it, 15, 16.
O 3 the
£i5°] the minds of thofe who become true dif- ciples of Jefus ; when, as the Apoftle Peter expreffes it *, they purify their Souls by obey- ing the truth through the Spirit ', to the un- feigned Love of the Brethren : and therefore plainly points out to us the obligations we are under to love one another with a pure heart fervently ; as being all Baptized ints one Bodyj-. As to the other, the Lord's- Supper ; the very outward action ufed in it is a proper and natural fymbol of that mu- tual Love and Charity, that common Friend- fhip, which mould be among Chriftians of all ranks and characters ; eating and drink- ing together at the fame Table J, and, the amazing and condefcending Love of the Redeemer, there commemorated, cannot be remembered as it ought ; without ani- mating us to the like love, kindnefs and benevolence, toward our neighbours. Again,
One fpecial advantage of the Chrifuan inftitution is, that it fets before us a perfect example of Divine Virtue, exercifed in a human character; the example of Jefusy the Author and finijher of our Faith §. Now his character was, that He went about doing good\ ; that He loved us and gave himfelf for us\ : and almoft in all places where the
* i Pet. i. 22. f i Cor- xii, 13. % 1 Cor. x. 16, 17. § Heb. xii, 2. || Afts x. 38.
+ Eph. v. 2.
example
['5>J example of Chrift is particularly propofcd to our imitation, it is to recommend to us Love and Benevolence, or fome of the So- cial Virtues that are included in it and fpring from the prevalency of it * : particu- larly it is made ufe of,' to engage us to abound in the grace of liberality ; as know- ing the grace of out Lord "J ejus Chrljl, that tho he was rial?, yet for our fakes he be- came poor, that we through his poverty might be rich f. Again,
When our blefled Saviour tells us on what terms we mud be His difciples ; the firft thing he infifts upon is felf-denial : If any man will come after me let him deny biinfelf% ' i. e. let him renounce thofe narrow and felfifh principles, that are oppofite to uni- verfal Love and Benevolence ; let him mor- tify and fubdue his felfifh Appetites and Paf- fions ; his defires of fenfual pleafure, of worldly honour and glory, of worldly pro- fit and gain, and even his love of life itfelf ; let him bring all thefe under the govern- ment of a prevailing principle of Good- nefs. This is the firft lefTon of Jefus Chrift. Again,
The character of Brotherly Love is what ©ur blefTed Saviour pitches upon, as the fhining and diftinguifhing mark by which
* See in feveral Paflages cited above, fag. 146 —147. f * c«r, yiii. 7> 9« % Matt, xvi. 24.
4
[152]
all men are to know His difciples *. Our title to the chara&er of Chriftians is, by our blefled Saviour, put not upon the clear- nefs of our beads, but on the honefty and fincerity of our hearts ; not upon the exact- nefs of our fpeculative notions in matters of intricacy and nicety, but on the good- nefs of our difpofitions ; particularly, our being well-afie&ed towards thofe of our own frame and nature, kindly difpofed to- wards that Body of which we are members. Again,
One fpecial mean by which Chriftianiry excites us to all holy converfattGn and godii- nefs f ; is, that it fets our accountablenefs to God, as the Moral Governor of the World, in the cleared and ftrongeft light : it fets before us the awful folemnities of a Great day of Judgment ; when we mufl all appear before the judgment-feat of Chrifly that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to, that he hath done, whe- ther it be good or bad J. Now ; when that great day fhall come, what account does our Saviour and our Judge give us of the procedure of it ? We may fee it, Matt, xxv. 31 — -46. where there are two things very remarkable to cur prefent purpofe. 1. That our Saviour reprefents himfelf at
» Jo. xiii. 35. f 2 Pet. iii, iit | 2 Cor. v. 3*o, j j, and AQ, xvii, 30, 31,
the
[«J3]
the day of judgment, as reckoning to his own account the acts of kindnefs and mercy we do to our Brethren in diftrefs and want, whom he calls His Brethren ; he reckons fuch acts of mercy to them, and even to the lea/t and meaneft of them, done to him- feif: I was an hungred, fays he, and ye gave mi meat, Sec. for inafniuch as ye have done it unto one of the Icaji of thefe my Brethren, ye have done it unto me: and, in like man- ner, he takes the refufal of fuch acts of kind- nefs to them, as if we had refufed them to himfeif. 2. That the fentence of our Judge, receiving men to happinefs, or con- demning them to mifery, is reprefented by Himfeif to turn upon their having perform- ed, or neglected, acts of mercy and kind- nefs to their diftrefled and neceffitous Bre- thren : He fays to them on his right hand, Come ye blejfed of my Father, inherit the King- dom, &c. for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat, &c. inafmu h as ye did it to — my brethren : and to them on the left hand, he fays, Depart from me, ye cur Jed, into ever- lafiing jive —for I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat, &;c. inafmuch as ye did it not to one of the leaji of thefe, &c. In fine,
Let us conlider the reprefentation the Gof el gives us of that Life and bnmcrta- iity, which is brought to light by it * ; of
2 Iim. i. 10.
that
[i54] that glorious and happy ftate in the other world, which it calls us to afpire after, as the End of our Faith and Hope : and we fha!l find it reprefents the Perfection of love, as the main ingredient in a State of confummate Blifs, and the foundation of the happinefs of that ftate : it raifes our minds to a view of the amiabienefs of goodnefs, and of the joys arinng from it ; by fbme diftant profpect of its higher! exercife, and moft perfect ftate. According to the hints given to us by the Apoftles Paul * and Johnf, we find that in the other world prophecies Jhall fail, tongues Jhall ceafe, our prefent knowledge Jhall vanijb away ; even Faith and Hope fhall ceafe, and fhall be fwallowed up in Sight and Enjoyment ; and all thofe ordinances and means that are calculated for the infirmities of our prefent condition, and appointed for the edifying of the body of Chrift in l^ove^ fhall all be abolifhed, when Love is perfected ; as the Scaffoldings in a building are pulled down, when It is finiflied. But Charity^ or Love, never faileth : It enters into the Heavenly State ; there it receives its per- fection ; and, being there made perfect, maintains a perpetual and undifturbed fway in the breads of all the members of that exalted Society. There, the mod pure and
* i Cor. xiii. \ Rev. xxi 22.
perfect;
[ -5< 3 perfect Love of God fhall for ever reign : Love exercifed, not in ineffectual wifhes, but the pureft joy in the perfect and unal- terable Happinefs of that Being, whofe character and government the glorified Scu! ftands perfectly well affected to ; Love ex- ercifed, not in a way of painful defires in a ftate of ab fence from the Ltrd*^ but fulnefs cf foy in his pre/encej. There (hall be the moil: pure and perfect intercourfe of Love and Kindnefs, among all the inhabitants of the Heavenly manfions : Love and Kind- nefs exercifed, not in a way of Sympathy and Companion, under wants, weakneffes and imperfections (which has a mixture of Pain, tho' an over-balancing Pleafure, in it) but the pureff. Joy in the perfection and happinefs of one another.
And thus, from the Difcovery the Chrif- tian Inftitution gives us of the character of God ; from the view it affords us of his Love and Goodnefs manifefted in our Re- demption ; from the improvement it calls us to make of this view and difcovery ; from the con picuous defign of the feveral inftitutions of the Chriftian worfhip ; from the example of the bleffed Jefus ; from the flrft I efTon he teaches his difciples ; from the Mark he afiigns whereby all men are to know them; from the reprefentation he
* s Cor, v. 6, f Pf, xvi. ex.
gives
[»«♦]
gives us of the procedure of the great day of Judgment ; and from the view the Goi- pel opens to us of the Heavenly ftate : from all this, methinks, it is abundantly evident; that the End cf the Commandment is Charity : that the great defign and purpofe of Chrif- tianity is to form our Souls into the difpo- fition of Love and Goodnefs ; and to train us up to the perfection of it. I proceed now, in ihe
Third Place, To make fome improve- ment of this Principle ; and draw fome proper and ufeful conclufions from it. And,
i. From what hath been faid, w.e may fee the Goodnefs of that God we ferve ; and the excellency of that Religion we profefs.
The goodnefs of God is no lefs confpi- cuous in the Laws and Commands he has given to us ; than in his other works, and the reft of his merciful conduct towards us : yea more, than in the ordinary con- duct of his Providence : He bath magnified his word above all his name *. In the or- dinary conduct; of his Providence, he mows his care of our Bodies, in continually do- ing them good : but in his Laws and Infti- tutions he {hows himfelf the Father of our Spirits, the kind Parent of human Society ;
* Pf, cxxxviii. z,
in
[157] in giving Laws intircly calculated for the perfection and happinefs of our Souls, and fcT the peace and welfare of Society ; which is evident and conspicuous from this, that the end of his commands is Love. Sure then, none of his Inftitutions can be meer arbitrary Injunctions ; but are all proper Means, known to be To by that infinite wifdom which prefcribes them, for attain- ing to the bell and molt valuable End. The difpofition of Love and Goodnefs ; how happy a difpofition is it for the Soul that is poflefled of it ! Effectually baniming fo far as it obtains the Sway, all thofe fret- ful and tormenting paflions which ruffle the temper, and gall the mind, and render the inward frame uneafy and unquiet; and, on the contrary, producing a fweetnefs of dif- pofition, an inward tranquility, and a Sa- tisfaction and joy rooted in the temper of the mind itfelf, which is therefore iteddv and permanent : a good man Jhall be fdtlsfied from himfelf*. Every exercife of Love is accompanied with an inward pleafure and delight ; a Satisfaction and joy, which leaves no fting behind it ; but on the contrary, improves upon a review, and in the reflec- tion upon the happy temper, and on what we have done in that good bent of mind. How happy is that Soul in which Univer-
* Prov. xiv. 14,
? fal
t '5»] ial Love reigns, and bears the fway over all other aftecuons and paflions ! What would life be, were it an uniform train of the enjoyments which, arife from the pre- valency of it ! Withal, this noble difpofi- tion diffufes its benign influences on all around it. It checks, in the very root, thofe mifchiefs that difiurb and embitter human Society; and render men plagues to one another : Jt is the effectual principle of all thofe good offices, by which the benefit of others about us, and the profperity of the public is promoted. And this happy difpoiition is that which God chiefly re- quires and regards ; and is the End of all his Laws and Jnftitutions to us.
Is the end of Chriftianity Univerfal Love ? How amiable and engaging, then, is the Religion of Jefus .! How glorioufly diitin- guifhed from thofe Religions that prevail in the dark places cf the earthy which are full cf the habitations of cruelty * ; where the character of the Deity that is worshipped, or the nature of the worfhip performed to hirn, infpires the wormipper with rage and fury, and prompts him to act: in blood and maflacre ? How evidently and intirely is ChriiHanity calculated for the greateft hap- pinefs of thofe who comply with the de- £gn of it s and for the general benefit of
* Pf. bociv. 20.
mankind r
C'59]
mankind ? How confpicuous would this ap- pear to ocular obfervation ; were thedefign of Christianity more univerfally complied with ; were its excellent precepts more practifed, and the temper and conduct of its ProfeiTors more formed by its pure and peace- able Spirit and Tendency ? Then we could hardly doubt of our religion's bringing us to Heaven at lail, when that Love which is the end of it is perfected ; while we faw how naturally it produced a Heaven where- ever it prevailed, and fo far as its influence took place.
The time will not allow me to purfue the point, how far this alone is a xhining and convincing argument of the divine ori- ginal of Chriftianity ? How much this in- nate goodnefs and amiablenefs of the Chris- tian Institution fhould alone fufSce to recom- mend it to our hearty reception ; as mcfr. worthy of the God of Love, and molt fitted to promote our true perfection and happinefs ! I fhall only fay this one thing : That, though I am confeious to myfeJf I am as far as any man from a difpofition to judge rafhly, even of thofe who reject the words of our Saviour himfclf ; and am will- ing to leave them to the judgment of the Searcher of hearts, -whofe mtreies are £r tat*: ) ct, I mud own,. I am at a lois to conceive
* 2 Sam. xxiv. 24,
P, z, how
[i6o] how a Soul, in which the love of good- r.efs, and juft notions of God, had a due prevalency, could reject (as an Enthufiafti- cal, an ufelcfs, or pernicious ImpoflureJ a claim to Divine Revelation, in which the end of the cpmmandment is Charity \ in which all the main branches of it have fo evident and confpicuous a tendency to that end ; and in which we are furnished with fuch great and peculiar means of promoting it : and that meerly becaufe of fome parages fcattered through the original records of that revelation, which at this diltance of time, and in fuch different circumfianccs as to cuftcms, manners and forms of fpeedi, we are at a lofs to explain or account for ; or, becatffe. men might poffibly have become good and happy, without having had this extra- ordinary help ; or becaufe the gocdnefs of God not obliging him to grant the favour to all mankind ; He has granted it only to fuch, and at fuch time, as his W.i'fdopi faw belt ; or, in fine, becaufe, through the pre- valency of men's fclfifh paffioris arid Factious humours, rebelling againft Love and againflt the light, it has not the happy effect of promoting Love fo univerfally as might be expected from the genuine tendency of it ; ©it, for fome fuch reafons as thefe. What ' fiiall the exuberant of Heaven be
for ever re ; becaufe the heft gifts if
TV ii! we "
[ 1*1 J
the abundant mercy of the great Parent of mankind to the bellowing of meet necejfaries on his Children ; and not allow it to reach- even to the beftowing of additional helps, and providing more abundantly for the ful- nefs of their joy and the fecurity of their hopes ? or, if /;/; grace hath abounded toward //;*, in this refpect, fhail we reject the fa- vour, or not believe it comes from him, becaufe he }xith not dealt fo zvitb every na- tion ? When the very Variety we may ob- ferve in Nature ; and the various Calami- ties, of other kinds, mankind have to ftrug- gle with in this imperfect ftate of things ; might fufHce to fatisfy us that there may be moil wife reafons, arifmg from the pur- pofes of His Univerfal Government, for this difference. But,
2. The confideration of the main end and defign of the Chriftian Inftitution may furnifh us with a Rule, whereby to judge of the comparative worth and importance of the feveral things contained in it.
In any complex machine or contrivance, confifting of feveral parts, all formed for One great defign \ the comparative value and importance of the feveral parts is to be meafured by their ufefulnefs and neceflity, to contribute to the defign of the whole. This is the cafe of the Chriftian Inftitution,
* Epbef. L 7, t
P <? The
[ 1^] ument may ft and thus. If the i End of the Chriftian Inftitution is nor to try our wit and exercife our pene- tration, or to train us up to be exquifite and fubtile Metaphyficians ; but, to purify cur hearts to Love, and to edify the body cf Chriit in Love : then, the comparative worth and importance of the feveral things cuntained in that infiitutioqg is net to be meafured by their intricacy or nicety, by their perplexedncfs or hardnefs to be under- * itood -, but by their greater or lefs, their more or lefs direct, tendency and influence, to promote in us the difpqfition and exer- cife of Love and Goodnefs, and to train us up to the perfection of it.
J cannot, now, itand to make a particu- lar application of tins rule : but I fpeak as to wife men ; judge ye what I fay : and fure I am, that a wife and practical im- provement of it would lead us to the true way to peace in the Chriftian Church y would engage us to follow more after that Unity in Affection, which is far more va- luable in the fi^ht of God and Chrift, as well as more attainable, than the molt ex- act Uniformity in Opinion ; and would never permit us to violate that Charity and Love which is the end of the command- ment, in contending about ether things which-, at beft, can only have the place of the Means, and are of no value in Chrif-
tianity
[ " C.i ] further than as they are fubfervient to the End : whereas, if we fwerve from this truly Apoftolical Rule, no wonder we turn afide unto van jangling*,
I fhall only make one particular Inference this head : namely ; Is the end of Christianity Love ? Then, preaching cur Saviour's Great Law or" Lovef, is preach- in \ Chriit, and preaching the Go/pel. inference, I think, is fufSciently plain .id in need or" no iliuitraticn. Surrlr now,
3. The word of Exhortation. Would You mow Yourfelves Chriftians indeed ; would You comply with the defign of the Chriftian Inftitution, and anfwer the er.d of the Commandment ; would You retrieve the Honour of Chriitianity, too lamentably ful- lied by the tempers and lives of many of its profeffors, and wounded in the Houje of its friends ; would You adorn the Doclrine of God Your Saviour in ail things ; and make. Your Religion, in Your pradtice of it, ap- pear to the world in its native beauty and glory ; would You reap the joys it is fitted to afford You, even here ; would you rife to a ftate of perfection and happinefs here- after ? Then, be perfuaded to follow after Cbarity\ : and improve all the means of grace for Your advancement in it.
* See the next verfe to my text. f Jo. »iii. 34. and xiv. 12. and Gal. vi. 2, Ji Cor. xiv. 1.
And
[■6+]
And, as Charity is a Principle of an ac- tive nature, and one of the bell methods of improving it is by exercifing it ; and where it prevails in the Soul, it cannot lie dead and unaclive ; but if we do not exercife it, upon proper occafions, our pretences to it are falfe and vain ; let us be careful to ex- ercife Love and Charity upon all proper oc- cafions. And, the exercife of it in a way of beneficence to our fellow-creatures in diftrefs and want, is a fpecial proof of the fincerity of our Love and Goodnefs ; and is an exercife of our Charity, which Chris- tianity r as You have feen, lays a fpecial ftrefs upon.
The cafe of fuch as are early left defti- tute of the help of thofe to whofe care they are by nature moft immediately committed, has certainly a fpecial claim to the compaf- fion of humane and tender hearts : and there can hardly be any kind office which Na- ture itfelf more prompts us to, or which affords more inviting profpecls to allure us to it j than contributing to the training up of poor Young ones, to a capacitv not only of fubfrfting comfortably themfelves, but alfo of being ufeful Members of So- ciety. And, can there be a more proper imitation of our Heavenly Father ; an ami- able part of whofe character it is, that He is the Father and helper of the Fatherlefs, and the deftitute .?
It
[ >65 1
It is fuch an exercife of Your Charity and Bounty, I am now particularly pleading for. I crave Your liberal contribution to a Charity-School; where feveral poor and Girls are brought up in the knowledge of thofe things that belong to their Eternal Happinefsj and alfo trained up to a capa- city or" providing for themfelves, and being ufeful in the world : and where more yet may have thefe advantages through Your liry.
Such an exercife of Your Charity is a fpccial way of Homuring the Lord, and do- ing good to men, with your Sub/lance* : as what is expended this way, is not only em- ployed for providing early for the bodily ne- cefiities of thofe who otherwife might be in a very heiplefa condition, and putting them in a way of getting a Living honeftly and ufefully ; but is alfo laid out for form- ing their minds to true Gcodnefs and the feveral Virtues of Piety, Gratitude, Equity, Truth, Humility, and the like, which are fo many branches and exercifes of it; forming them thus, while there is the advantage of a natural kindnefs and tendernefs of temper to work upon, and to confpire with the prin- ciples, of Reafon and Religion which may 5 -cd to improve it into a fettled id prevailing difpoiition, a Rational and
* Prov. iii. 9,
Religion
[.66] Religious Principle, in the Soul ; while the Natural Senfe of Goodnefs is yet in a great meafure undebauched, and good inftrucli- ons and examples may in fome meafure take the fcart of vicious habits and inclina- tions.
When Charity-Schools are carefully em- ployed to fuch a purpofe as this ; I cannot fee how any companionate and confiderate Heart can call in queftion the ufefulnefs of them : when by means of fuch an inftitu- tion, thofe who have the benefit of it would be fo far from being fpoiled for any ufeful fervice or work ; that, being (by the blefs- ing of God) trained up to Goodnefs, Ho- nefty, Humility and Self-denial, they might be the better difpofed both to fubmit willing- ly to the loweft ftation of life Providence might offer for their fupport -y and to per- form all the duties of it honeftly and faith- fully, from an inward principle of good- nefs.
This is indeed the main thing in the edu- cation of youth : that they be train'd up as reafonable and fecial creatures, ?nd asChrif- tians, to that temper and difpofition which is their chief perfection and accomplifhment as fuch. Other parts of Education, with- out this, may render them as capable of doing ill, as of doing good; of be;ng hurt- ful, as of beiiig ufeful : but this, fo far as, by the bleffing of God (which we have
ground
[ '67 ]
ground to eKpeiSt on fuch laudable endea- vours) 'tis fuccekful ; mult make them really good and ufeful, in every ftation and rela- tion of life. And the moft beautiful plan of the Education of Youth might, I apprehend, be form'd on the view I have been giving; of what is of greateft importance in Chrif- tianity ; and of greateft confequence to our Perfection and Happinefs, as reafonable and focial creatures : by confidering the training of them up to Univerfal Love and Good- nefs, and to the exercife of it, as the main end and purpofe of fuch an Education ; and the other parts of institution as fub- fervient, either to the promoting of this difpofition ; or to the qualifying 'of them for the various exercifes of it, in the feve- ral ftations of life their circumftances and capacities may lead them, or their Friends, to have in view.
And, in this refpe£t, methinks, an Edu- cation upon a Charitable foundation may be reckon'd to have fome peculiar advan- tages : as the kindnefs of thofe who have the chief care of it, may be naturally fup- pofed to partake more of a rational and wifely conducted principle of goodnefs ; than that inftinft of tendernefs in natural Parents, which is ready oft-times to dege- nerate into an irregular and ungoverned fondnefs ; and, inftead of checking the early fproutings of Vice in Children, is
too
['63] too apt to indulge and nurfe up in them Peevilhnefs, Wilfulnefs, Seliifhnefs, Fret- fulnefs and Refentment, and the like un- focial Pailions : the dire effects of which afterwards, I am perfuaded, would be lei's lamentably confpicuous than they com- monly are ; were it not for fuch an early indulgence.
Now, for this main part of Education I am fpeaking of -, it is not enough that Young ones be led to a juft underftanding of the great principles and precepts of Religion and Chriilianity, in fuch a way as is moff. fuited to their Capacities : but alio great pains mufr. be taken to form their tender Minds to the love of Goodnefs. All advantages afforded by their tempers and capacities, mufr. be fludied, and laid hold on : and all methods, moft adapted to thefe, muft be taken ; to inftii into them an early fenfe of Goodnefs, and draw them to the Love of it : to initil into them a fenfe of what they owe to a Perfectly-Good God, and a Com- panionate Saviour ; to their Native Coun- try, our Happy Conftitution, and the Au- fpicious Government of our Gracious So- vereign ; to their Parents, Matters, InfTruc- tors, and Benefactors ; and to ail their Fel- low-Creatures.
And here give me leave to fpeak my mind freely. I cannot but wifh that more of that time, and care, and expence, which
is
[,69]
is fometimes employed in teaching Children educated upon Charity fuch pieces of in- struction as are neither requifite to lead them to the knowledge of the way to Eter- nal Life, nor to fit them for fuch fervices in a prefent life as the publick good may re- quire they lhould be employed in ; were laid out in forming their Minds, after the manner I have been fpeaking of: and alfo in employing their hands, and training them up to labour in work fuited to their capa- cities and flrength ; that thus being inured and accuftomed to labour, they might both be rendered more capable of it, and more ready to undertake it. This is, in a great meafure, done in the School I am now pleading for Your Charitable help to ; and the Managers of it, I'm inform'd, are inclined to do it more : but the beginnings of fuch an attempt require Liberal Contri- butions j which, therefore, I hope Your Charitable Regard to fo good a defign, will prompt You to give on this occafion.
But, I would gladly addrefs fome part of the application of what I have been dif- courfing on to the Young Ones that attend here *.
* The Charity-Children.
Ct « My
[i70]
<4 My dear Children, part of the rifing 4 Hopes of Your Country, and of the c Church of God ; what a fine Temper is 4 it that the Gofpel would form You to ! 4 what happy Creatures would You be, ' here and hereafter, were you fuch as c Chrift would have you to be !
cc Let me addrefs myfelf to Your Good- e nature, my little Children : let me afk 4 you, Did You never do a good turn to
* any of your neighbours ? and was it not
* a great pleafure to you to do it ? Have 4 You not ibmetimes (ecn your neigh- 4 bours hurt or in pain ? and did it not ' give you pain to fee it ? Did You not 4 help them, then ; or endeavour to help 4 them ? and did You net find great joy
* within You in doing it ? On the other 4 hand, let me afk You ; Have You not 4 fometimes been very angry at fome of 4 Your neighbours, or ftiff and ill-natured ? 4 and was it not a great pain to You ? did 4 You not find yourfelves very uneafy 4 within ? and, when You got the revenge 4 You defir'd, were You not angry and 4 fretful with Yourfelves again for that ? 4 Believe me, it will always be fo ; You'll c. always be tofs'd from one uneafinefs to 4 another, while thefe ill humours and 4 pailions prevail in You. But, if You 4 be good, and kind, and grateful ; and
** love God and Chrift, who are perfectly
M good
C'7« J
u good and kind ; You'll be happy, and " have peace and joy in Your minds, which * no man can take from You.
" If You begin early now, to hate, and " guard againft all ill humours ; and to u cherifh in Yourfelves a good, and kind, <c and thankful temper ; what will it be M when You come to be Men and Wo- ** men, and to know better how to refufe <c evil and chufe good ? to be, then, grate - cc ful to God that made You, and performs " all things for You ; thankful to Chrift, <c who died to fave You ; kind and loving *' to all about You ; doing all the good g| You can ; and doing to others as You " would have them do to You, if You " were in their place ? what fatisfactions m will all this afford You ! what peace and <c joy in your own minds will it give You, w to find Yourfelves right and well within ; " to fee others about You the better for *c You; to have every body Love You, " and blefs You ; to have the great and " good God, and Chrift Your Saviour and " Judge, Approve of You !
" Think, Children, what gratitude You " owe to Your Parents ; who have taken " a tender care of You, when You were " very troublefome and very helplefs; or " think, what thanks You owe to thofe *' who have taken You up, when, perhaps, Q.2 . w Your
[ 172] M Your Fathers and Mothers forfook You> w or You were early deprived of them ; 4i or, it may be, they could only exprefs *c their love by fhedding tears of compaf- " fion over You, and bewailing their own " unhappinefs in being the inftruments of u bringing You into the world to want and " calamity : what do You owe to thofe " who have then taken care of You, as if *' You had been their own Children ? If <c You have a jufl fenfe of this, it will be *' natural for You to think, what can You " do for them who have leen Jo kind to You ; ic and to have even fome regret within a You, that you can do nothing but love " and thank them. But I'll tell You, for u Your comfort, You can do a great deal " for them ; without any trouble or expence *c to Yourfelves ; nay, to Your own great *c advantage : You can give them one of " the chief jovs of a generous mind ; by " letting them ice You the Better for their *c care of You : this will make them think <; all their care and expence well -befto wed; M and will encourage others to contribute <c liberally for Your benefit, and for the *c benefit of others in like circumftances " with You.
" But, if You owe fo much to them ; " what do You owe to that God who " made You, and preferves You, and gives " You all good Things, and has provided
« a
C ^73 ]
<c a Heaven for You ? to God the Father " of Mercies, who puts it into the Hearts " of men to be kind to You ; and to whofe " good and wife Providence it is owing " that their kindnefs can do You any good, <c that their hearts can command their hands " to help You, that they have food, to " give You, and raiment to put on You ! " What do you owe to Jefus Chrift, the " companionate Lover and Saviour of Man- <c kind ? who, when You were funk into " ruin, has not only fliewn You the way w of Salvation and Happinefs, but died to " bring You to it !
" Let thefe things, my dear Children, u make an early impreffion upon Your " minds. 'Tis impoffible for me to exprefs <c what a fource of Joy and Satisfaction " throughout your whole life it will be to " You, to remember Your Creator and Re- u deemer in the days of Your Youth : to " begin early to delight You rfelves in God ; " and to love and rejoice in Chrift Jefus, " the beft Friend You ever had in the " world, though an unfeen one^ to be good u and kind, and thankful, and ferviceable, <c and obliging, and forward to do all the " good you can to every body.
" None of you knows how foon You
" may die: and then, there is an end of
*c Your time to fit Yourfelves for Heaven ;
*< where love and goodnefs reign, and where
d3 " no
[174 3 " no unclean thing can enter. But if Yo» " were to live ever fo long ; what joys do " You lofe, and what troubles and dangers 44 do You expofe yourfelves to, fo long as 44 You delay minding the concerns of Your 44 Souls ; even tho' You could be fure of 44 faving them at lafl!
44 Believe it ; You have Your Hearts 44 now at a great advantage, in the fpring 44 and dawn of life. Any ill humours You 44 find in Yourfelves will be much harder <4 to overcome, if you let them grow, than 44 they are now : Love and thankfulnefs to 44 God and man, kindnefs and all goodnefs, *c will eafily grow in You ; if You'll be 44 at fome pains about them now, while 44 Your Hearts are tender.
M Therefore, give Your young and ten- *' der Hearts to Chrift Jefus, before Sin 44 and the World get fatter hold of them. 44 Go to Your knees, and beg of God 44 grace to form Your hearts according to 44 Chrift's inftru&ions. Read carefully " Your Bibles ; thofe parts efpecially which 44 You can beft underftand ; the book of " Proverbs, the Hiftory of our blefled Sa- *' viour, His inftrudrions, and particularly " his excellent Sermon upon the Mount : 4< think well on what You read ; mind it, 44 and obferve it \ and beg God to help M You to follow and obey it. To his Fa - 44 therly care, and his blefling on the means
44 of
C'7S] " of your education, I heartily recom- « mend You."
To conclude this long difcourfe. Let us not only, now, my Brethren, exercife Love and Charity ; but let us be careful to exercife it upon all proper occafions ; and endeavour more and more to advance and improve in that Noble and God-like difpo- fition.
Let us, as we have opportunity, do good unto all men, efpecially to thofe of the houfhold of Faith ; and let us not be weary of well-doing j for in due time we mail reap, if we faint not. Let us encreafe and abound in the fuperlative Love of God, the Perfection of Goodnefs and Beauty ; and in love to one another, and to all men. Let us often and much employ our minds in beholding and contemplating the Glory of divine love and goodnefs, efpecially as it is difcovered to us in Chrift Jefus ; that our Souls may be captivated by the view of it ; and we may experience more and more of its transforming power, changing us into the fame image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Thus (hall we enjoy a conftant encreafe of the Joys'and triumphs of Love reigning within us : thus fhall we have the pleafure of beholding more and more of the benign influences, and happy effects of it, round 4 about
about us : and thus (hall we make further and further advances towards that flate of Perfection, Glory and Blifs ; where other, now-fhining, qualities and endowments (hall ceafe ; but Love and Goodnefs in Perfe&ion (hall for ever reign.
toe
the certain and unchangeable "Difference betwixt Moral Good and Evil.
SERMON
Preached before the
Societies for Reformation of
MANNERS,
A T
SALTERS-HALL;
O N Monday the 3d of JULY, 1732*
Publifhed at their Requeft.
By WILLIAM WISHART,D.D. The Second Edition corre&ecL
[ 179 ]
Isaiah v. 20.
JVo unto them that call Evil Good, and Good Evil ; that put Darknefs for Light, and Light for Darknefs ; that put Bitter for Sweety and Sweet for Bitter,
IT is too obvious to every one, how much vice and wickednefs, of all forts, abound among us. This general corruption of manners is, no doubt, in a great meafure to be imputed to wretched miftakes and pre- judices. Thofe lufts by which Sinners are drawn away and enticed, muft be exceed- ingly ftrengthen'd by a depraved way of thinking ; by confounding virtue with vice, or covering over vices with the appearance of commendable qualities : the influence of Principle, being thus added to the force of Inclination.
However, therefore, unable we may be to remedy other fources of vice ; we may, at leaft, do fomething towards the amendment of Sinners -, if we can effectually convince them, " that there is a fix'd and unchange- " able difference betwixt moral Good and *c Evil : that virtue has a natural tendency ft to the happinefs and welfare, vice to the " hurt and ruin^ of human fociety, and of r. particular perfons."
[ i8» ] If by fuch conclufions, juftly drawn from evident principles, we cannot effectually re- concile the hearts of finners to the com- mands of God, and to the yoke of the Re- deemer j we may yet mow, that the preju- dices they entertain, againft the Divine Go- vernment as heavy and tyrannical, againft the Laws of God as arbitrary impofitions, againft the yoke of the Redeemer as a griev- ous burden, are altogether groundlefs : fee- ing thofe things which God requires of us, and which the Love of Jefus recommends, are in their own nature good ; even tho* they were not enforced by fuch additional and engaging obligations.
Hence, alio, it will plainly follow ; that they who ft and up againft evil doers, and join together in ufing their beft endeavours for promoting a Reformation of manners, are moil ufefully and laudably imployed : their endeavours, fo far as they are influen- ced by fincere and well-conducted aims at this valuable purpofe, are exceeding benefi- cial to human Society ; and may be fo even to Sinners themfelves.
For which reafons, being call'd to preach before the Societies for Reformation of Man- ners ; I could not think of any more proper fubjec~t for me to infift upon, than the efta- blifhment of that principle, which both con- tains the beft justification of their defign, and is the foundation of the moft proper ar- f guments
[ i8i ]
gumcnts to perfuade Sinners themfelves to comply with it : namely, " that there is a c* natural and unalterable difference betwixt " Moral Good and Evil ; even fetting afidc " the confideration of ail Laws, euher hu- *6 man or divine."
An attempt of this nature is the more re- quifite ; becaufe there have arifen in thele latter days/coffers walking after their ownlujls; revivers of the fchemes and cavils of the an- cient Scepticks, and worft fort of Epicure- ans : a fet of men who, not fatisfy'd with attacking the principles of revealed Religi- on and Chriftianity, have fet themfelves to oppofe the common principles of natural Re- ligion itfelf, acknowledged even by Hea- thens ; nay, have endeavoured in a bold, and at the fame time a fhrewd and artful, manner to overturn the difference betwixt 'moral Good and Evil, to confound Virtue with Vice.
To fuch as thefe may the character and denunciation in my text by juftly applied. Wo to them, &c.
Where, by the comparifon that is hinted betwixt thofe who, in life and manners, call evil good, and good evil ; and thofe who put darknefsfor light, he. it is plainly intimated,
" That the difference betwixt good and *< evil in life and manners, is in itfelf as N fix'd and certain ; as the difference be- to twixt light and darknefs, a bitter and R " fweet
[ 1*2 ]
«f tweet tafte: the one no more depends upon t< the meer will and pleafure of any, than " the other." '
This Principle I am now to endeavour, by divine aid, to illuftrate. And that I may fet the evidence of it before you in the clear- eft manner I can ; let us endeavour to fix the meaning they can be fuppofed to have, who deny or call in queftion the natural dif- ference betwixt' good and evil in the man- ners of men. It cannot, iure-ly, be to affert, « that there is no difference at all, m the « nature of things, betwixt one kind of tem- « per and behaviour and another :" forfome difference betwixt thefe evidently anfes from the obvious and undeniable difference be- twixt the obje&s of fenfe themfelves. 'Tis certainly obvious, that, if pleafure and pain are naturally and unalterably different, the adions which caufe the one and thofe that caufe the ether, together with the dilpoh tions and affections from which iuch action naturally flow, muft have as nx'd and un changeable a difference betwixt them : it life and death, if health and iicknefs, are in their own nature different things ; fare, wounding and healing, killing and preserv- ing life, muft be as different adions ; love and hatred as different affe&ions.
To denv fuch things as thefe, can fcarce be fuppofed to be the meaning even of thole who call in queftion the difference betwixt
s un-
t rfj J
moral Good and Evil : but their intend©:?. I iiippofe, mull be to maintain ; " that there V is no juc b natural difference betwixt thefe " evidently different kinds of affections and " actions, as that the one can be call'd good, " and the other evil; in tiny other fenie, than M as the one is obedience to the Lavjs of tome ** fuperior, the Giber a tranfgreffmi of them.''
But, let us fee again, what can be the meaning of this. Is it, " that it is in itCdf •5 indifferent, with refpefr. to others, what *f way we are affected, or behave towards <c them ? or is it that it is indifferent to a *c marisflf how he is affecled, or behaves <c towards his neighbours and the publick?"
But, certainly, it cannot, with any face of probability, be maintained ; that one kind of temper and behaviour is not in its own na- ture goody and another /'//, towards our neigh- bours and feciety. Can it be faid to be in- different to our neighbours, whether we do them good or ill ; love them, or hate them ? indifferent to fociety, whether we be well or ill- affected to its intc-refts \ whether we be- have towards it, as a good or an ill affection directs ? This, fure, is too plain a cafe ta admit of any difpute.
The main ftrength, therefore, of thofe who deny the natural difference betwixt moral Good and Evil, if they can be fup- pofed to have any, muff be reckoned to lie here.
R 2 " Allow-.
[ 184 ]
" Allowing that different actions and af- " fections of ours have a different ten- *c dency to the good or hurt of others, or of " fociety ; yet, what is that to us ? How cc are we obliged to confult the good of <c others, and of the publick ; or to refrain " from doing them hurt, if we can compafs " our own private advantage that way ?"
In life and practice it is very obvious, that the ftrongeft oppofltion to fuch a conftant exercife of kind affections, as is moft bene- ficial to others and fociety, arifcs from an' apprehended Sclf-intereft interfering with them ; from an apprehenfion that in acting otherwife, we confult our own good, and en- joy our private advantage, however others may fuffer by it.
It is, therefore, of the greatefr. importance in this argument, to mow,
That it is not indifferent to ourfehves how we are affected, or how we behave towards others and the publick ; but the fame tem- per and conduct which is bcflfor them, is like- wife heft for ourfehes, and moft conducive to our true happinefs and enjoyment. For which purpofe let us confider,
I. To what temper and conduct: fome Natural Affections of our own hearts would* lead us.
II. What temper and conduct our own- mines, en a deliberate view, approve of :• and in firle, III. What
[ i8s 1 III. What temper and conduct, in the whole, is moft conducive to our trueft and greateft enjoyment.
I. Let us confider what temper and con- duct, fome Natural affections of our own hearts would lead us to.
Let us reflect on the pain we naturally feel at the very firft, in beholding any fel- low-creature in great diftrefs ; the joy we naturally conceive in beholding others hap- py ; the inclination we find in ourfelves oft- times to afford help to others, when occa- fion offers ; the fen(c of gratitude we natu* rally feel on our firft receiving a coniidera- bie obligation : let us reflect on what we may have felt or obferved, of the Natural Affection of Parents towards their Off- fpring, efpecially in their moft tender and helplefs, which at the fame time is their moft trouble-fome, condition. Are not all theie evident fymptoms of (ome goo d- will io> others, natural to our frame ?
Some there may be, indeed, who, by ha- bitually abandoning themfelves to the go- vernment of fome violent paffions or narrow felfifhnefs, have fuoprefs'd, in a great mea- fure, all fuch focial feeling in themfelves ; and 'tis no wonder if fuch as thefe be ajham'd to own any movements of the heart to be natural, v/hich they are willing, and even at pains, to diveft themfelves of ; ami -afverfe
R 3 »
[ 186 1
to 'allow of any greater portion of kindnefs and goodnefs among men, than they care to- cherifh in themfelves. But what mould in- duce others, who are under no fuch byafs, to belye their own hearts ; and explain away their mod: natural affections, by refolving them into a train of reflections they are not confcious to themfelves of when they feel them ? unlefs it be an unaccountable fond- net's for an hvpotheiis, which is liked for its fancied eafinefs, being imagin'd a pretty knack of rcfolving all the movements of the human heart into one fingle principle : for fuch is the tale of fome modern Philoso- phers : " When we fee others happy, or in " pain, we immediately imagine the cafe " our own; and tranfporting ourfelves by <c a fort of imperceptible magick into their " circumftances, 'tis for ourfelves meerly M we feel the joy or pain, which we flatter ff ourfelves arifes from a concern for others : " Parents conhder their young ones as parts <s of themfelves (no doubt, the brute crea^ tures do fo too !) " and fo their affection " for them, and concern about them, is a <c mere exercife of felf-love." Curious Phi- k>fophy ! might thefe ingenious Gentlemen be but allowed the uncommon privilege of coining Natural-Hiilory ; but if not,
I may appeal to every one, whether the fenfe of joy he has in beholding others hap- py, or his fympathizing pain in viewing their
diilreiTes,
[ '87 ] diltrelTes, are not frequently obferved to anfe as immediately in his heart, upon difcernins: the iymptoms of their happinefs or diftrefs -v as any other affection arifes immediately,' upon its proper object, being prefented to us ? Whether the fenfe of joy or grief, by way of fympathy, is not oft-times evidently perceived to prevent any reflection on his own cafe ; and even to dwell for fome time upon the mind, before it is heighten'd by fuch a reflexion, as that the cafe of the per- fon we fee in joy or pain might be our own ? And, how mould the imagination, that the cafe of the affiicfed perfon may be our own? when we know it is not, give us any con- cern for another ; efpecially fuch a concern as we don't feek to get rid of, but by re- moving the calamity of another that rais'd it .: What mould hinder us, after the hrft uneafinefs fuppofed to arife from the ima- gination of the cafe being our own was over, inftead of feeling any fympathizing pain in another's calamity, from ufing the view of it rather to give aa acceffion to our joy, that the cafe is otherwife with us ? We may, in- deed, find ourfelves obliged fometimes to fuppofe ourfelves in the cafe of the afflicted, in order to give us a more lively fenfe of what he feels, and how heavy the diftaefs lies upon him : but, certainly, it will not follow from this ; that a fympathy, which requires no more to raife it than, a full fenfe
of
[ i38 ]
of another's diftrefs, is a concern rather For ourfehes than for him. Again : does not the inclination to afford heip to others, ex- ert itfelf fometimes as immediately, upon occasions for it prefenting themfelves ; as any ether of our meft natural appetites and inclinations t Is it not a moil natural move- ment cf the heart, in all difintereiled cafes ? Nay, is it not often felt to overcome an ap- prehended felf-intereft -, and make us forget a concern for ourfelves ; particularly on oc- cafions of fudden danger to others ? In fine, is not the natural affection of parents to- wards their children oft-times felt and feen to prevent reafon and out-run deliberation ? Is it not frequently exercifed in the ftrongeft and moll: tender manner, without the leaft thought of their children being parts of them- felves ?
JTis ffrange to obferve what pains fome are at- to refolve every affection of the hu- man heart into, either a ram and hafty, or a cool and deliberate, Selfifhnefs : nor can I think it would be any thing more abfurd and unaccountable, if one mould take it in his head to refolve our Self-love into Social affection. Sure I am, that oft-times the re- lifh of thefe enjovments, which arereckon'd moft to belong to private fatisfacTtion and to be fought out of meer feif-love, arifes more from fomething of a focial fenfe, and fome reference to others either real or imagjn'd
fharers
f 189 ]
fh.ircrs in them ; than from any thine; elfe : and the greffeff trefpaffes againff the general welfare of human fociety, and thofe crimes that are moff hurtful to particular perfons,. will be found commonly owing more to a narrow and mifguided fecial affection, an attachment to the intereft of fome particular Society with which a man is connected, ei- ther by his circumftances or by choice ; than to meer felf-intereft. And who is there that would not gain any advantage to himfelf, rather without than with the hurt of any other; if he thought it might as certainly and eafily be compafs'd either way ; and was equally free from any apprehenfion of dan- ger to himfelf, in either cafe ?
Now let us coniider what is the evident natural tendency of thofe kind Affections, of which fuch plain fymptoms are to- be dif- cerned in our own hearts : whither would they lead us ; if they were not check'd by other paiTions arifing from-, or eheriih'd by, apprehenfions of Intereft r And, feeing the good and welfare of others is the immediate- and direSf objeel; of theie affections ; their natural bent, unlefs by feme foreign influ- ence reftrain'dy muff be after the highefl pitch and greateft extent of that ga&d : Love worheih no ill to one's neighbour 5 but muff prompt us to do all rhe good we can ; arid lead us to a hearty good-will to all man- kind, nay to the whole fyllem of rational- Beings :.
C *9° I
Beings ; and a good affection to an univer- fal Adminiftration, by which we conceive the general happinefs is fecured. 'Tis in- deed of the nature of this kind Affection, as appears by feveral natural fymptoms of it, that it be more particularly exercifed to- wards thofe to whom we have fpeciai op- portunities of doing good, thofc with whom, we are join'd by peculiar ties : and this is. very agreeable to the uniyerfa-1 extent of it ; for it is by being kind more particularly to- thefriy that every one moil; directly contri- butes, in his place, to the general welfare -T provided always that this fpeciai- kindneis be exercifed agreeably to an univerfal good- will, and no peculiar ties make us forget the common ties of humanity*
From what has been faid on this argu- ment, we may conclude, that we gratify a natural inclination of cur hearts, in doing good to others', as well as in doing well for ourjehes : that we run crofs to a ffatural' bent of our hearts, in neglecting to do good, or in doing hurt to others ; as well as In neglecting what belongs to our own welfare, or doing harm to ourfelves. Which of thefe two Affections, Self-love or Benevo- lence, 'tis belt for us to gratify ; need not be a queition, unlefs they are inconfiftent and come in competition : nor is there, in reality, any place for it ; if thefe two Af- fections, conducted byjufl views of what
belongs
r '91 ]
Wongs to our own and other men's wet- fare, are perfectly harmonious, and are beft gratified together. And whether this is not really the cafe, may afterwards appear. But, let us now confider,
II. What temper and conduct our own minds, on a deliberate view, approve.
In like manner, as no fooner the Eye opens and turns upon certain figures, but they pleafe as beautiful ; fo, the eye of the Mind no fooner opens upon, or is prefented with the view of, certain actions and the fymptoms of certain affections ; but we ap- prove of one kind, as fair and amiable ; condemn another, as foul and deform 'd. The good and kind, the generous and grate- ful, the pious and devout part (efpecially where the devotion partakes moftly of love and relignation to the perfection of good- nefs and wifdom) is always approv'd ; and the contrary condemn'd.
The good character may indeed have the appearance of its contrary fo artfully caft on it, that the mind may be mifled to condemn it ; and the bad one may be fo difguifed with the appearance of goodnefs, that the mind may be drawn to approve it : and 'tis only this way that the judgment of the mind can be milled ; tho' by intereft, or the force of paffon, or habit, a man may be led to act contrary to the judgment of his mind.
But
[IQ2]
But goodnefs, or the mew of it, always gains the approbation of the mind, ap- pears amiable, and is view'd with pleafure : and nothing elfe can render a character amiable.
No circumstances of diftrefs can deface the beauty and amiablenefs of that fair and engaging character in which Goodnefs is the prevailing quality : on the contrary, the beauty of Virtue fupports itfelf under a cloud ; nay, fhines with a peculiar luftre amidft furrounding calamities. There can- not be on earth a more engaging fight, than to behold a good man, fteddily keeping up to that character amidft the greateft dif- trefles ; maintaining a noble ftruggle with adverfe occurrences ; and holding on his well-chofen courfe, amidft the hardeft try* als ! How natural is it to be intercfted in fuch a character ; and fhare in all his fuffer- ings ! Yet, tho' we could wifh him more profperous, we would not have him fo at the expence of forgoing one tittle of his fted- dy virtue ; but would rather fee him as he is, than in a more ealy condition with fuch a lofs to his character. On the other hand, is not fuccefsful villany always beheld with abhorrence and indignation ?
Suppofe we neither receive, nor expect,
the leaft benefit from the exercife of the
good man's virtue 3 ftill we behold it with
approbation : fuch amiable characters pleafe,
2 not
[ '93] not only when feen in life, and in our own time ; but even when barely reprefented to the fancy ; or read of, as having appeared long ago, and in remote corners of the world. Nay, our having received the great- er!: benefits, will not make the character of him who beftows them appear amiable, un- lefs as it gives us a view of goodnefs in his nature and difpofition, exciting him to this beneficence ; if otherwife, and we know that he beftows thefe benefits from fome fi- nifter principle, or out of mere regard to felf-intereft, we fhall not ejleem him, even while we thank him. Nor will our receiving the greateft hurt, make the character of him who produces it appear odious, unlefs the mifchief he does appears to us to proceed from hatred, or fome paflion contrary to goodnefs. Nor would our being coniider- able gainers by a man's wickednefs and knavery, hinder us from condemning the ill character : 'tis a common faying in fuch cafes, that people love the treafon, hut hate the traitor ; but the real fact would be more exactly exprefVd by faying, that they love the fruits of the treafon, but hate the treafon itfeif; feeing 'tis for no other reafon they hate the traitor.
Goodnefs is always amiable, according to the degree and prevalency of it in any character. 'Tis therefore in the higheft de- gree amiable, in its ntmoft perfection : nor S can
[i94] can we imagine a greater perfection of beau- ty and a more proper objecl: of the highefr. delight, than " a Being, in whom perfect " and unalterable goodnefs is join'd with ** Almighty Power and unbounded Wif- *c dom, Eternity, and Omniprefence ; who <c is the fair and unfpotted Original and " Pattern of Goodnefs ; and the Fountain " of all good." So that the higheji Love of God is the proper and natural exercife of this principle, the Love of Goodnefs.
This fenfe of the beauty and amiablenefs of Goodnefs muft particularly prompt us to purfue what is thus fair and amiable in our- felves ; and avoid what is ugly and odious. This fenfe of Beauty and Deformity in life and manners, as it has a particular refpeft to our own affections and actions, is com- monly callM Conscience : for, at the fame time that we -are confcious to ourfelves of what paffes in our minds and what we do, and naturally have fome remembrance of it and reflexion upon it afterwards ; this con- icioufnefs and review naturally prefents to us our temper and actions, under an agreeable or odious appearance. This fenfe of beauty and deformity in our own affections and actions, fecretly admonifhes us what to do, and what to avoid ; and therefore was by the noble Ancients confidered as an inward Monitor', and reprefented as the Governing Principle in our frame : and 'tis with refpetf
u
r '95 j
to this Inward Monitor, that the great Apoftle of the Gentiles fays, Rom. ii. 14, 1 v that, the Gentiles which have not the Law, do by Nature the things contained in the Law '> and thefe having not the Laiv, are a Law unto the?nf elves : which Jhew the work cf the Law written in their hearts ; their con- fciences alfo bearing witnefs, a fid their thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe excujing one another. Thus has the Wife and Good Author of our frame given us more immedi- ate notices what to do and avoid ; than thofe that are got by deductions of Reafo.n, by maxims and rules form'd as the refult of a long train of argument : and hence it is, that many men's firft thoughts are their befr, in thefe matters ; thofe dictates of their con- fciences which prevent a deliberate enquiry, are oft-times more juft than thole concluii- ons that are the refult of a deliberation* on which appetite or miftaken intereil have a great influence. And Conlcience not only dictates to us what to do cr avoid ; but prompts us to what is Good, and reftrains us from what is Evil ; and makes continual efforts to govern and direct our conduct: 'tis a plain and obvious indication of this Effort of Confcience ; that it naturally in- terpofes its judgment, without our letting ourfclveg deliberately to confult it ; nor will it fiiffer us to act contrary to its dictates, without checking and reproving us> and S 2 ren-
[i96]
rendering us uneafy ; till, by repeated and even violent ftruggles with it, and a cuftom of disregarding it, Men ftifle and fupprefs thofe checks ; and, even thus, the moll abandon'd are not able to filence it altoge- ther.
From all this, 'tis evident, that we aft contrary to our own Senfe of things, and render ourfelves deform'd and odious to our- felves ; when we act contrary to the bent of univerfal Benevolence, or of Love and re- signation to the Deity. Let us now fee,
III. How the matter ftands with refpect to our Intereit, rightly underftood ; and whether that would not likewife lead us to the fame Temper and Conduct which kind affections prompt us to, and which our minds approve as fair and amiable? Whe- ther the moft extenfive Goodnefs, and Self- love conducted by juft views of our beft en- joyment, are not perfectly harmonious ; and 'tis only the report of deceitful fpies that can raife a difference, or 4iffenfion, betwixt them.
However forward many are to make their eftimate of happinefs from the vifible afflu- ence of outward means of the gratification of Senfe and Appetite ; yet this way of reckoning is no lefs falfe, than 'tis com- monly unfavourable to Virtue. Methinks a very eafy reflection on our own frame, or
even
C'97] even a flight attention to our experience, might fufflce to convince us ; that our hap- pinefs depends far more on the temper of our minds, and what we or* ourfelves, than on our outward poiTeilions and what we have; and our greateft and moil {teddy joys arife rather from our inward Affections, than from the greater! abundance of outward, things : and pray, of what worth to us, is the largeft pojjejjion of outward things ; but according to the inward enjoyment they af- ford us ? Eut the foundation of any inward enjoyment mufl be laid in the temper of the Mind itfelf : a Mind ruffled and diicompofed will mar our pleafure of any fort-; and ren- der us uncapable of any enjoyment, had we ever fo great an affluence of the outward means of that enjoyment.
It may, perhaps, on a fuperncial view of the matter, be thought ; that, as we are creatures endowed with various paffions and appetites, our greateft enjoyment muft lie in the gratifying of them all j or, if we can- not gratify them ail at once, 'tis beft to fol- low the fway of any of them that chances to be uppermeft, without giving ourfelves the trouble to bring them under any govern- ment, but permitting their free and uncon- fin'd courfe, without contyoul ; and they may be without diilinclion reckon'd happy, who pleafe themfelves in the gratification of. any of them; as there is no rule for diftin- S 3. guilhing.
[198]
guifhing in this cafe, feeing men's faftes of enjoyment differ. But, the very obvious observation, " that all our appetites cannot " be gratified at once; and that the in- M dulging fome, and to a certain pitch, un- *' avoidably interferes with the gratifying of *' others ■" muff lead us to be fenfible of the necefiity of fome rule in this cafe. For, let it be allowed that, as no natural pailion was form'd in vain, they are all to be gratify'd, as far as they can coniiffently : yet, let taftes differ as they will, I think it will hardly be denied by any one, who reflects ever fo little on his own experience, that the gratifying of fome appetites and affections affords him greater fatisfaclion than gratifying others, which have perhaps been felt equally ffrong, but in complying with which he has found himfelf miferably difappointed of the enjoy- ment he promifed himfelf. This very ob- fervation muft lead us to this Rule in grati- fying our Appetites ; that, " if we would " have any fettled and lafting enjoyment, *' and have the greateff fatisfaction we can *' in life, we muff, guard againft indulging iC any one appetite or pailion, fo as to inter- " fere with another which will afford us " greater and more lading enjoyment." To keep this due Ballance amongft our inward Affections, muff be the only method for the happinefs of Life. PaiTion and Appetite are in themfelves but blind guides 3 and we mail
be
[ i99l be oft-times and grofsly deceived, if we judge what is bejt for us, by the meer itrength of Defire, or Affection. Thofe natural appetites which lead us after the things that belong to our private advantage, are, no doubt, good and ufeful, when con- ducted by juft views of what belongs to our welfare ; but if we permit them to fweil to the utmoft pitch, and take their fulleft fwing, without any direction or controuf, they will fruftrate their proper purpofe, with regard to our own welfare ; and will work into paflions perfectly unnatural, being fiich as conduce no more to our private advan- tage, than to the good of others ; but the ftronger they grow, will the more effectu- ally prove inward fources cf perpetual dis- turbance and diftrefs to us : fo that, in the hTue, this fancied Liberty will introduce the moil wretched Slavery.
It would, therefore, be well for us, if, inftead of imploying our chief care about the happinefs of life, in enquiring what out- ward things are left for us (by the rule of being mofi fuitable to our Appetites) and ea- gerly purfuing after them ; we beftowed more of our pains in confidering what ap- petites and affections were beji for us to che- rifh in ourfelves \ and would heartily bend our endeavours to improve thefe in our. minds, and be more conilantly imployed in exercifrnff them,
if
[2C0] ^
If there are certain Affections which, in their own nature and exercife,
(i.) Afford the greateft inward Enjoy- ment y
(2.) Put us in fpecial circumftances of ad- vantage, for obtaining the moft consider- able outward means of fatisfac~t.ion ; and,
(3.) Preferve our minds in that difpofi- tion, which is requifite to give us a relifh of any Enjoyment:
If, on the other hand, the impairing of this temper, or the prevalency of a contrary one, tends to give us inward pain and dis- turbance ; and renders us uncapable of en- joyment, even amidft the greateft affluence of the outward means of it :
Then, it muft always be our true Inter- eft, to cherifh and exercife that Difpofition which is the inward foundation of fteady Enjoyment ; and to check and cure every branch of that Difpofition which is the in- ward fource of woe and difturbance.
Let us then enquire,
(1.) What Affe&ions they are, the ex- ercife of which affords the greateft inward Enjoyment. And may I not appeal to all who have ever felt in themfelves any thing of the exercife of kind and focial Affections,, Love, Companion, Generofity or Grati- tude ; whether the exercife of them is not naturally accompanied with the greateft De- light ? They afford an original joy, which
does
[ 201 ]
does not require any preceding pain, to raife it, or give it a relifh. The pleafure of thofe paffions which refpect our private ad- vantage is, in a great meafure, confin'd to the gratification of them ; they give us pain, when we cannot gratify them : but, even when love and companion are unfuccefsful, ftill we are pleafed to feel them flirring and prevailing in our hearts : and, even when tnefe kind affedions lead us through a feries of anxiety and concern, pity and fympathy, there is a fecret pleafure attending thofe difturbances ; we hug and indulge them, and are unwilling to be deprived of them any way, but by a Joy arifing from the Succefs of thofe for whom we were con- cern'd, or the relief of thofe whom we piti- ed. Far more are thefe Affections delight- ful when fuccefsful ; when we actually af- ford help and fuccour, beftow benefits, and fpread happinefs around us. The more large and extenfive the exercife of the kind affections is ; the greater is the joy accom- panying it : how great the joy of a gene- rous and extenfive good Affection to the univerfal Weal of the whole rational World I efpecial !y if, from a perfuafion of the care of an Univerfal Governour, who is perfectly wife and powerful, as well as good, we are fatisried that this general happinefs is fe- cured and taken care of, amidft all changes and revolutions, and all feeming or partial
and
[ 202 ] and temporary mixtures of Evil in the prefent imperfect arid unfinished flate of things : what joy muft this naturally afford a good man ? What chearful refignathn muft it in- fpire, as to every thing that belongs to his own particular intereft for the prefent, which is fvvallowed up in the Universal Good, in which he is fatisfied he {hall find his own greateft enjoyment ? What delight and joy does the devout mind :ee]y in contemplating and adoring the amiable Perfections of God ? efpecially when thus animated to form his own mind and conduct more and more after the Model of that exalted pattern of moral excellence ! How delightful to view His ex- tenfive Goodnefs ; to contemplate the Wif- dom of His conduct ; to coniider one's felf as a true member and fubject of His king- dom, and under the care of that Almighty King ! What delight does the generous heart feel, in fharing the joys of others, and beholding them happy \ efpecially when 'tis by his own means, and when he receives a new and repeated (onic of happinefs from the fymptoms of that joy hirnfelf has pro- duced ? Tho" we Iditn cur Jhare of outward things by communicating them ; yet the enjoyment is heightened by this Participation. Such are the iatisfactioiis that immediately accompany the exercife of kind and pious affections.
This
[ 203 ] This pleafure is exceedingly heighten'd by the approbation of the confcious Mind, and by the fair and amiable appearance of thefe good Affections. The pleafure of kind af- fections is not confin'd to the immediate exercife ; as the pleafures of fenfe, for the moft part, are ; but remains in the mind ; and returns every time we review the ami- able affections, every time we look back on the good actions done. What tranquillity and enjoyment arifes from Peace of Mind * ! Can we imagine a greater, and more fteady joy, than flows from a conftant feries of eafy and felf-approving reflections, in which vanity and partial fondnefs have no (hare ; but that temper and conduct the mind ap- proves in one's felf, would be equally ap- prov'd wherever beheld ? What further fatisfaction muff it afford the mind of a good man, that, as a conduct fo beneficial and fo amiable tends to procure a fair reputati- on, and recommends to general efteem ; he is confcious to himfelf of the deferv'd efteem and love of others ? He enjoys, not their feign'd applaufes or partial commendations ; but their juft efteem, their hearty love and gratitude. What a tranfcendent delight to look upon himfelf as approv'd by the great and good Governour of the World, who loves goodnefs and righteoufnefs f The very
* Prov. iii, 17. Ifa. xxxii. 17,
con-
[ 204 ] confcioufnefs of acting under the view and approbation of fuch a perfect Judge of ex* cellen«y, by whom afiions are juftly weigh' d, what Joy muff it afford !
Such are the inward enjoyments of a good and pious mind. But, let us confider,
(2.) What circumftances of advantage thefe kind and pious affections put us in, for obtaining the moft confiderable outward means of fatisfaclion. Religion and virtue not only allow us, but oblige us, to ufe all methods of induftry, for procuring outward advantages, that are confiftent with piety and goodnefs : and thefe honeft arts are found, in experience, to be the fureft ways of thriving ; when violence and oppreflion are foon difappointed of their purpofe, and no arts of fraud and deceit can hold out long *. Titty and goodnefs alfo afford a peculiar fecurity for the peaceable acquifi- tion and poffeffion of outward things j as they tend to procure us the good-will and afftftance of others about us, and to fecure us from their jealoufy and oppofition f. Let us confider,
(3.) What a relifh kind and pious affecti- ons tend to give us for any enjoyment. A mind free from inward bitternefs and dif- guft, and from all uneafy and paining re- flections, is, in fome meafure, necefiary t©
* Prov. X. 9, and xii, 19. f 1 Pet, iii. 13.
our
[ 2®5 ] our iatisfa&ion of any iort, or from any thing. Now 'tis the exercife of kind af- fections, that moft effectually banifh- es all thofe fretful and galling pafTione, which ruffle the temper and diftur'b the mind ; and produces that inward peace and tranquillity, which is neceflary to any true enjoyment. Temperance and Sobriety, in governing our private affections and defires, do moft directly, and naturally contribute -to our bodily health and ftrength ; and alfo to our inward eafe, and the contentment of our minds ; without which, there can be no enjoyment : nor is this inward quiet and tranquillity to be obtained by the greateft abundance of outward things ; the moft affluent ftate being found the moft expofed to the greateft difturbances from every little crofs .accident, or difappointment. It will be found in experience, that the greateft enjoyment, and moft lively jeliih of the gra- tifications of fenfe themfelves, is to be ob- tained and preferv'd by fuch a moderate and temperate ufe of them, as is confiftent with j}iety and goodnefs, and does not interfere with the enjoyments of a higher kind al- ready mentioned. And thus we have confi- dered, what a natural foundation of happinefs :and enjoyment piety and goodnefs is. But,
On the other hand : the workings of fuch irregular paffions as are contrary to piety T and
[ 206 ]
and goodnefs, together with the uneafy tfr* flections which attend them, make up the . greateft mifery. The workings of anger, envy, refentment, revenge, and the like unfocial paffions, raife molt, violent tumults, and produce inward torments, in a man's own breaft : they render the mind ugly and deform'd, fo that it cannot bear the view of itfelf j and when in their height and ftrength, they fo poflefs the foul, as to exclude every relieving thought : they tofs a man out of one ftate of inward torment into another ; from the torment of refentment till the paffi- on is gratify'd, to the tortures of remorfe quickly fucceeding the t unnatural gratifica- tion. Other felfifh paffions have a more flattering and agreeable appearance : but, as all the pleafure of them depends upon the gratification of them, how liable are we to be difappointed in that purfuit ? And how great is the anguifh of that difappoint- ment oft-times felt ; efpecially if no relief arifes from enjoyments of a better kind ? And, fo far as thefe paffions lead us afide from the paths of goodnefs, and carry us to any thing hurtful to others j it may be evi- dent, from what has been already obferv'd, that they deprive us of greater enjoyments, than the gratification of them will afford, and expofe us to greater woes than can be compenfated by it. Impiety and neglect of God deprive us of all thofe enjoyments and
com-
[ Lot ] comforts* which arife from a regard to his Being and Providence ; and which are found of the greatcft ufe to relieve the mind, when it ftands in fpecial need of fupport. How uneafy and difturb'd muft his mind oft-times be, in fuch a mixed ftate of things as the prefent, and under fuch difafters as all men are unavoidably expos'd to, who is regard- lefs of the hand of a wife and good Provi- dence ; or frets and murmurs under the Difpenfations of it ? And how can he mifs to be often expos'd to fretfulnefs and mur- muring under many outward events ; who, inftead of feeking his happinefs in thofe in* ward enjoyments, which no outward changes can rob him of againft his will ; has his heart fo bent on his own outward affairs, that he is regardlefs of the welfare of others, and the general good ?
Further : what inward pain, and remorfe,. muft naturally accompany that remem- brance of his own temper, and reflection upon his actions, which a wicked and im- pious man cannot mifs to have ? Who can exprefs the anguifh of his mind, who cannot reflect on his temper and conduct, but he beholds in himfelf fomething horrid and Clocking ? who fees himfelf juftly defpifed and hated by thofe about him ? What ter- rors muft feize his mind, who is fill'd with a juft fenfe of the difpleafure of Heaven ? which a. wicked man may well be in fear Ti of
[ 208 j
of, even from God's love of goodnefs and of the welfare of his creation, tho' there was no exprefs denunciation of it. How difturb'd muit be the condition of his foul, who is continually haunted by the Spectres of his guilt ; and oft-times rLTd with juft fears, both from men and from the Deity, and even with imaginary ones ? What en- joyment can fuch a one have, even in the moft flattering circumftances of fortune, and amidft the greateft abundance of outward dungs ! This is the natural portion of a wicked and vicious man.
It may perhaps be thought, that, how- ever in the main a benevolent and pious tem- per and behaviour tends to our greateft en- joyment -, yet, in fome particular cafes, it may be our intereft to act a contrary part. It rauft be own'd, that one may gain fome particular outward advantages, by forfaking- the ways of piety and goodnefs ; and may fuftain fome outward loffes, by adhering to them : and yet this is far from being fo of- ten the cafe ; as a man under the govern- ment of fancy and appetite may, from their fuggeftions, be induced to think. But thefe outward advantages, obtain'd by any vicious action, are always attended with an inward' lofs, which is not to be compenfated by them j as outward loffes attending the exer- cife of piety and goodnefs, are accompany'd
with,
r 209 j
with, and compenfated by inward advantage and improvement. Every deviation from the paths of goodnefs breaks in upon that tone and turn of the temper, which is the in- ward foundation of tranquillity and happi- nefs ; and introduces fuch a diforder and corruption into the mind, as we know not where it may frop : every partial diforder within tends to an univerfal one, and is a part of it ; and is naturally accompany'd with part of the mifchief flowing from it, tho' it may not be fo plainly felt at the firft : ever)' known and wilful departure from the paths of uprightnefs, mufl make way for in- ward reproach and remorfe : nor can any one know what length the mifchief may go he does himfelf, when he ventures to break that peace of mind, which he knows not when, or if ever, he mail wholly recover : and he who ventures all this lofs, for any outward gains, makes but a fad bargain : even in this fenfe, there is a great deal of force in that warm and home queftion of our Saviour ; JVhat is a man, profit ed, if he /ball gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul * s? 'Tis a vain imagination to think, that if we adhere to goodnefs and honefry, in moft inftances, we may fafely adventure to devi- ate from it in fome : this is to make life a perpetual inconfiftency, What fettled peace
* Matt, sri. 2. 6.
T 3 can
[ 210 ]
can there be within ; what regular tran- quillity ; what fteddy enjoyment in life; when a man's heart is divided, and he is at perpe- tual variance with himfelf, condemning at one time what he approves at another ? The only way to fettled peace and undifturbed enjoyment, is by fteddy uprightnefs ; by one hVd and confideratereiblution ; which, once well form'd, muft be fteddily kept to, and all the paiftons and appetites brought under fubjection to it.
I thought it needful to be at the more pains to ftate this matter fully and clearly ; becaufe lefTening the prefent and natural ad- vantages of piety and geodnefs, and magni- fying its prefent diftrefles, is not only a thing induftrioufly labour'd at by the enemies to the caufe of virtue and goodnefs j but they are even feconded in this attempt, unwarily I hope, by fome who have thought, it feems, to ferve the caufe of Religion and Revela- tion, by reprefenting the prefent condition of virtue as moft melancholy and calami- tous ; and with this prepofterous view have join'd in the cry of calling the proud happy ; and fetting forth the ftate of profperous vice as a condition to be envy'd, " were it not " for the awe of a hard majler, who, it feems, " grudges us this happinefs !" But, what is there that fhculd lead us to fuch unfavour- able views of the prefent porticn of piety and
goou-
[211 ]
goodnefs ? Is it the ifhare good men have in the common calamities of human life ? But fure thefe do not more befall good men than bad men : the moft that can be faid of them is, that they fall promifcuoujly on the good and bad : a circumftance which may hinder the difference betwixt them, from being fo con/pi cuous to all the world, but that the con- fideration of the wifdom and goodnefs of the Univerfal Governor, may afford us ground to expect it fhall one day be more fo ; and this may render a Revelation, which allures us it (hall be fo, on that account, highly cre- dible : yet fure this can never make the pre- fent condition of a good man in any refpe£fc worfe, than that of a bad man ; feeing com- mon calamities fall equally upon both ; and cannot, certainly, lie fo heavy on the good man as on the other, but muft fit eafier and lighter upon him, fo far as he is in the exer- cife of his piety and goodnefs. Is it, then, the peculiar hardfhips and fufferings good men endure, on account of their goodnefs, or for adhering to a caufe which their virtue obliges them to maintain, that makes us think fo unfavourably of their prefent con- dition ? But, have they not their peculiar fupports too ? There is zjlrength arid force^ as well as beauty, belonging to piety and goodnefs, fo far as they prevail in the tern- per and conduct, whence the name of Vir- tue is deriv'd to them : the joys they afford
tend
[ 212 ] tend to ftrengthen the temper ; and give a force to the mind, to bear up under oppofi- tions and hardfhips : there is a firmnefs and fteddinefs,that is of their very nature; and a great deal of their proper exercife lies in forbearing pleafures, and enduring pains, in. the maintenance of a fteddy refolution, in preferving that temper, and keeping up to that conduct in which the foul finds its great- eft enjoyment. ?Tis not, certainly, any lofs or hardfhip that may be fuftained in fuch a noble courfe, that can lie heavy upon his mind, who confiders thefe as befalling him not without the fovereign difpofal of a per- fectly wife and good Mafter, who fees meet fo to exercife him ; who regards them as the appointed tryal of his Virtue, by which it is to be exercifed, brightned, and improv'd ; who confiders the loffes he bravely fuftains, and the fufferings which with a fteddy mind he endures, as the price at which he pur- chafes ftrength and freedom of mind, and the maftery of himfelf; greater firmnefs and conftaney in a good caufe ; and confequent- \y an enjoyment of inward peace and fatif- faclion, yet more uninterrupted, and more above the reach of difturbance ! But, fup- pofe the fufferings of a good man come to the greateft extremity, and he endures the fharpeft perfecutions. Why, this is far from being fo often the cafe, as may be imagin'u : ordinarily, a man's piety and goodnefs itfelf
affords
[ 213 ]
affords him a peculiar fccurity againft the ill-will or the ill defigns of others : 'tis com- monly from luft of worldly power or wealth, that the violence of profecutors arifes ; and 'tis, atleaff, an imagin'd oppofition of world- ly interefts, that makes the good man fafl under it; while his being on the fide to which his virtue obliges him to adhere, (but which his perfecutors, perhaps, call herefy) is but the pretended caufe of their perfect- ing him ; and were this pretence wanting, others might be found to patronize that cru- elty and opprefiion, which, in reality, has its rife from other caufes. And, in the cafe of fuch fufFerings, even fetting afide future rewards, a good man may have the profpeclr of a great deal of good to be done by his firmly enduring them ; to which with plea- fure he facrifices private advantages ; and even, perhaps, a Hfe9 which, prolong'd with the abandoning fo glorious a caufe, rauft be to him a wretched and miferable one. And, if 'tis mod delightful to behold a good man maintaining a noble ftruggle with adverfity, and holding on his well-chofen courfe amidfr. the worft fhoeks of calamity ; what a vaft joy muft it be, for a man's own mind to ap- plaud him, as the good and fteddy man, firm and unmov'd in the belt of caufes ! If per adventure for one good man fo me would even dare to die* ; mull not a truly good man ♦ Rom. v. 7.
die
C 214]
die, with pleafure, for the good of mankind, or of his country ; or for the advantage of that caufe, which he looks upon as the caufe of God, and of the happinefs of mankind ? And, all the while, in the unequal compari- fon that is made betwixt the prefent condi- tion of a good and bad man, there feems to be very little account made of the peculiar calamines which attend the vicious, and that commonly in the moft profperous outward circumitances ; calamities far greater, as they immediately affect the mind and foul ; and which more conjlantly attend the vici- ous, as arifing from the inward temper it- felf ; than any outward calamities which fomethnes befall the good and virtuous. Did we fairly take the inward condition, as v/el! as outward circumftances, both of the good and bad into the account, we might fee abundant ground to conclude ; not only that, fuppofing both on an equal footing as to outward things, there could be no queltion which had the greateft enjoyment : but alfo that, fuppofing the bad man had commonly the advantage in outward refpedls, yet the inward enjoyments of a good man will com- penfate his outward lofTes and afflictions ; whereas the greateft affluence of outward things will not compenfate the want of in- ward peace : and, however dazling an ap- pearance the fplendour of greatnefs, the ele- vations of fortune, and the blandishments
of
[ 215]
of fenfe, may make to thofe who look only on the outfide of things ; they can afford but very {lender enjoyment to one void of peace within, difturb'd by the workings of irregu- lar paflions and the remorfes of a guilty mind.
So that Piety and Virtue is, in its own nature, always, the Good ; and Vice the 111 j of every man : that temper and con- duct which is beji for ethers about us ; is alfo bejl for our J elves : and fo far as we are want- ing to promote the good of our neighbours and of mankind ; we are fo far wanting to ourfelves, and ceafe to promote our own good and happinefs.
From all which the general conclufiort follows, with the greatefr. clearnefs and evi- dence : " That there is a manifeft diffe- " rence betwixt one kind of difpofition and 4C conduct of men, and another j according " to which the One is Good, the Other ** Evil ; even tho' no Law did enjoin the " one, or forbid the other : and this diffe- " rence is as certain and unchangeable, as w that betwixt light and darknefs, a bitter " and fwcet tafte ; the one no more arifes " from, or is alterable by, the meer Will <€ and pleafure of any, than the other."
From what has been difcours'd on this
Argument it may appear : That, it is doing
moil ufeful fervice to the publick, and to
i par-
[216]
particular perfons, and even tranfgreflbrs themfelves ; for every one, in his proper itation, and as he has opportunity, to ufe the beft methods in his power for putting a itop to the torrent of vice, and promoting a Reformation of Manners : and that they who join together in Societies for this pur- pofe, that they may the better be aflifting to one another in it, are engaged in a good caufe.
What pity is it, if fo good a defign is ever expofed to reproach ; by a wrong, or indif- creet management of it ? This, therefore, I hope You, who are engag'd in Reforming Societies, will carefully guard againft, in all inftances.
There is one caution, particularly; which feems to me of .fuch importance, that I hope you'll forgive me if I cannot but put you in mind of it : namely, that tho' there are other methods proper to be ufed for reclaiming our neighbours from any thing that is amifs in them, as inftruclion, perfuafion, and the influence of a good example ; yet .the me- thod of punifhing offenders, is to be confin- ed to fuch crimes of the vicious as are hurt- ful to others about them,} or difturb the peace of human fociety. And therefore, you are carefully to beware, that, under pre- tence of punifhing crimes, you do not un- juftly reftrain men from the free exercife of their natural and unalienable right of en- quiring
[2I7] quiring for themfelves in affairs of religion ; and acting agreeably to the light of°their own minds ; ih far as it does not lead them to commit any matter of wrong or wicked leudnefs, by which their neighbours are injured, or their natural or civil rights invaded. It would certainly be a moft auk- ward and inconfittent thing ; if they who fet themfelves to bear down and fupprefs vice ; fhould, under that colour, fet themfelves to fupprefs by methods of violence the exercife of a right, without the exercife of which in fome meafure there could be no virtue ; the right of Confcience, and private judgment in matters of religion: how abfurd and in- confittent would it be, if the members of focieties for reformation of manners fhould themfelves, and pretending to act in that charader too, be guilty of the greateft ini- quity and injuftice ? fhould become perfeeu- tors and injurious f or permit themfelves to be made the inftruments or patrons of any motion or attempt to deprive their fellow- fubjeas of any of their valuable liberties and privileges ; or infringe any of thofe natural or civil rights, in the pofleffion and exercife of which 'tis the proper office of the Civil Magiftrate to protect and defend all Good Subjects r*
Among many evils, and chafers of de- generacy, to be lamented in the prefent age ; there is one very great bleffing, which all U good
T2I8]
good men have ground to rejoice in : that the principles of liberty, the rights of con- fcience and private judgment, are better un- derftood, and more regarded, than (for any thing I know) they have ever been in former times ; and I believe I may adventure to fay no lefs, if not more, in Great Britain, than in any other Country under the Sun. Wfaile this happinefs continues among us, as I hope it will continue, fpread, and grow; elpeci- ally while we are under the protection of a government which, in the making of Laws and the adminiftration of juftice, acls with fuch a facred regard to thefe rights ; we may hope that valuable improvements, in all ufe- .ful knowledge, mall take place ; while the great barrs againlt a free and impartial en- quiry, arifmg from a regard to worldly in- tercll and the fear of man's judgment, are removed : and when truth in religion and morality obtains a fair tryai, reafon and ar- gument free fcope, we may expect thatim- poftures of all kinds mall be more and more detected ; the kingdom of darknefs, which has been chiefly fupported by methods of violence, and the interpofal of the fecular arm in affairs of confcience, fhall be more and more weaken'd ; falfe reafoning, and ill-plac'd raillery and buffoonery, will not long irand the teft, but one time or other cxpofe themfelves ; and the folly andabfur-
dity
[2I9 J
dity of thofe (hull more and more appear, who call evil good, and good evil, &c.
Only it concerns us to take great care that we life not our liberty for a cloak of licenticuf- nefs* : that we don't make life of that liber- ty we have, and ought to have, of adding agreeably to the dictates of our confciences, without fear of man s judgment ; as a pretence to cover over acting contrary to the dictates of our confciences, without fear of the righ- teous judgment of God. If fuch licentioufnefs ever rjurries men on to the committing mat- ter of wrong or wicked leudnefs againft others ; the Governing powers in civil fo- ciety,who are guardians of the pub lick peace, have a right, and 'tis their duty, to reftrain it by proper animadverfions and punifhments fuited to the nature of the offence.
But there are other methods, as I have already obferv%d, proper to be ufed by all, as they have opportunity, for reclaiming their neighbours from whatever is wrong in their temper or behaviour : the methods of inftruc~tion, and perfuafion ; and the influ- ence of a good and engaging example. In all thefe it particularly becomes the mem- bers of reforming focieties to ihow them- felves patterns of good Works \ : and 'tis the bufinefs of every good man, to fecond their laudable endeavours. Particularly as the
* i P*t. ii, 16. f Tit. ii.j,
U 2 moft
[ 220 ]
molt effectual way of introducing and pro- moting a general reformation, is for every man to reform One ; and a good example is, by the blefiing of God, of great influ- ence for gaining and reclaiming offenders ; every one may contribute fome part towards a general reformation of manners, by amend- ing whatever is amifs in himfelf, and mow- ing forth in an exemplary behaviour the beauty and amiablenefs of hoiinefs and good- nefs : and it efpecially becomes the Difci- ples of Jesus, to depart from iniquity \ ; and to let their light fo foine before men, thai they may fee their good works , and glorify their Fa- ther who is in heaven (j .
It would alfo contribute very much to the promoting a general Reformation of Man- ners j if Matters of families would take fuch care, as their place enables and obliges them to do, of the manners of their domefticks ; particularly, by a more careful and diligent practice of that important, but much neglect- ed, duty of family- inftruclion : and if Pa- rents, and others to whcm the education of young ones is committed, would lay out their main care in forming their Minds. This is the foundation on which an effectual Re- formation of manners mull: be built. There is nothing, indeed, has a more difmal afpect upon the rifing age j than the general'dillo-
f z Tim. 11,19. || M-it. v. 16.
lutenefs
[221 ]
lutenefs of the Youth : this (together with a certain Vanity of diftinguifhing themfelvei fome way, when a regard to a valuable re- putation is gone) prompts them to fwallow and cfpoufe the molt loofe and dinolute principles ; and lays them open to the fnares laid for them by any defigning feducer, who will favour them with a mallow argument, a merry ftory, or a filly jeft ; which they may have in readinefs to oppofe to any fober- admonition or grave argument laid before them by others, or any remaining checks of their own confciences.
I cannot help afcribing this general Cor- ruption of Youth, in a great meafure, to the grofs and general neglect of a rational and ' virtuous Education. How many, alas ! take more care of the training of their Dogs and Horfes, than of their Children and Heirs ? And, even among thofe who are not alto- gether carelefs and negligent of the educa- tion of their Children, how much of that : concern which fhould be laid out in forming their Minds, is altogether fpent in teaching them things that are of no ufe to them in the way of life for which they are defigned ; or, at beft, training them up in accomplish- - ments which are trifling and inconfiderable, in comparifon of a good and virtuous mind I And I fpeak it with very great concern ; I. cannot help being apprehenfive that the loofeneft and debauchery fo much lamented U 3 iiv
[ 222 ]
hi many, who are obferved to have had the benefit of a Religious Education ; may of- ten be found to proceed in a great meafure from that very Education itfelf, as 'tis ma- naged : for I may appeal to attentive obferv- ers, whether that which obtains the name of a religious education, does not often turn out in fuch a fhape as this ? The care of Pa- . rents, or Inftruclors, about the religious part of Education, is almoft wholly fpent in in- culcating upon young ones the Shibboleth of a Party; making them acquainted with, and inftilling into them a regard for, the particular doctrines or peculiar forms of their own Seel: , in which there may oft-times be found a mixture of things abfurd or trifling; which yet are inculcated with as great ear- neftnefs, and by the fame methods, with the moft weighty and important points ; while great pains are taken to infpire into them at the fame time a ftrong averfion to thofe of another way of thinking, and that by methods which even a Childifh capacity may difcern to be contrary to equity and charity : and inftead of forming their minds to a rational fenfe of Good and Evil, a tafte and relifh for true Piety and Virtue, upon fuch principles as will ftand the teft of a moft frricT: examination ; any inftances of good practice they are taught, are recom- mended and enforced by meer authority ; or by the awe of future rewards and punim-
ments >
[223] merits ; which, as they are made ufe of with- out ever explaining the nature andjuftice of them, cannot diretViy contribute to promote a liberal piety and virtue, a rclifh for true goodnefs and favour of honelty in the mind : while, in all the offices of religion to which they are accuftomed they are detained before the Lord* againft their will ; forced to run- the round of certairj forms, they know no good in ; no care being taken to inftill into them a juft (enCe and liking of true piety and devotion, or a regard to any valuable purpofe in fuch obfervances fave only the pleaiing of their Parents ; whofe devotion and piety, at the fame time, they obferve to be exerted in fuch a way as tends to give them no ami- able and inviting, but rather a difgufKngand forbidding, view of it : and all the while, their kind and generous affections are rather check'd, than forwarded andimprov'd; while every felfifh paffion and appetite, inftead of being regularly check'd and corrected, is ra- ther in many cafes humour'd and encourag'd ; only the exercife of them in fome particular initances is restrained, not by any rational endeavours to cure the wrong turn in the temper, but by pofitive precepts as to fuch and fuch particular inftances ; and by an awe and constraint, which the young one knows he fhall one time get rid of, and longs to be delivered from.
* i Sam, xxi. 7.
[ 224 3
Is this to train up a Child in the way that he jhould go? What muft be expected to be the confequence, when a young thing, with the fmall portion of common fenk fuch an Education has left him, and with warm blood and ftrong paffions, gets out into an enfnaring World ? when a creature thus (neglected, (hall I fay, or rather) with great care mifguided, comes to be emancipated from fuch fetters, and get rid of fuch auk- ward reftraints ? when the raw unform'd Youth comes once (as, perhaps* with a fcan- ty portion of understanding and very flender exercife ofreafon he may) to difcover a flaw or weaknefs in fome things that, it may be, he has been taught to look upon as equally facred with God and Virtue, Goodnefs and Honefty ; muft it not be natural for him upon fuch a difcovery, with the concurrence of wild paffions ufed to no regular govern- ment, to draw very general and hafty con- clufions ? to throw up at once every thing he has been formerly taught ; and which his Education has fumifh'd him with nothing to fay for, more than for fome things he has now found to be trifling and abfurd ? to abandon a courfe which, both by inftruc"tion and example, he has been taught to be trou~ blefome and painful ; and betake himfelf to a way of life which his Appetites tell him is moil delightful, but from which hitherto he has been rigoroufly reftrained ?
I'm
[225 ]
I'm afraid we may defpair of feeing any general reformation among the Youth, "till fuch G;rofs faults in their Education be amend- ed : and till the firft and chief care in train- ing up of young ones be imployed in formr ing their Minds right. Great pains muft be taken to initill into them, according as their capacities gradually open, fome under- flanding of the nature of true goodnefs and virtue ; good thoughts of God, and of the obligations we are under to him j juft no- tions of the nature of pure and undejiled Re- ligion, as 'tis founded in a fenfe of the unalte- rable difference betwixt moral Good and Evil, and the belief of a perfectly good God; together with fome jult underftanding of the natural tendency and influence of true piety and virtue prevailing in the heart, to the pre- fent improvement, pleafure and fatisfac~tion of the mind, and to the fettled peace and tranquility of the whole life. And with this care to inform their judgments, muft be joined the moft careful and engaging endea- vours, to form their minds to a talle and re- lifh of true goodnefs, virtue and piety : not only by describing to them, as clearly and fully as their capacities will allow, fome o£ the inward enjoyments arifing from them ; but alio by putting them upon reflecting on any experience or feeling of that kind they themfelves may have had, and leading them gently and by winning methods to maketri-,
ad
[22-6 ] a3 in fome inftances j and thus gradually training them to fome experience of this fort* : but above all, by the influence of a good example, affording them an eafy, fami- liar and engaging view of the Beauty of ho- linefs and goodnefs ; fuch an example of exacl conformity to the feveral rules of pure and undefiled religion, as may fet true piety, and the feveral virtues to which it animates, before their eyes in its native amiablenefs ; and fhow them that it is a moft kind and benign, a moft happy and comfortable, thing. In all which, great care muft be taken to fuit the manner of inftruclion and perfuafion to the gradual opening of their capacities, to their tempers and the feveral* inclinations they early difcover ; needfully catching at all advantages afforded by the natural kindnefs and tendernefs of their tem- pers, and any little fparks of goodnefs, and a icnCe of what is fair and beautiful in man- ners, they mow of their own accord.
Perhaps I have enlarged upon this Subject, beyond the proportion which falls to its fhare in fuch a difcourfe as this : but, methinks, not beyond its Importance, to a General Reformation of Manners.
* See above, pag. 168, and 170, ©V.
FINIS,
Publick Virtue recommended. A
SERMON
Preached in the
High-Church of Edinburgh,
O N
Thursday, MAY 8th, 1746,
A T T HE
Opening of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
By WILLIAM WISHART, D. D.
Principal of the College of Edinburgh.
The Secokd Edition, with fome Additions.
T O The Right Honourable,
The E a r l of L E V E N,
His Majest v's
High Commiffioner
T O T H E
GENERAL ASSEMBLY of
the Church of Scotland :
This SERMON is moil refpeft- fully Dedicated by
His Grace's
moft obliged,
moft humble,
and moft obedient Servant,
WILL. WISHART. X
[ *3* ]
Psal. cxxii. 6—9.
Pray for the peace ofjerufalem, they /hall prof- per that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and profperity zvithin thy palaces. For my brethren and companions fakes ; I will now fay, peace be within thee. Becaufe of the houfe of the Lord our God, Iwillfeek thy good,
THAT I may difcourfe on thefe Words, fuitably to the Occaiion of our prefent Meeting, I fhallcon- fider the Pfalmift as, in them, fetting an Ex- ample to us ; fhewing for whom our great Concern is to be exercifed : What Blejfings we are to be concerned for, on their Behalf: And what Ways we are to exprefs this Con- cern : And, in fine, as fuggefting fome pro- per Motives, to excite us to it.
In all which, I mean not fo much to take upon me to give Inftruerion and Direction to you, my Reverend Fathers and Brethren ; as to offer fome Hints, which, by the Blef- fingofGoD, may be ufeful to his People here afTembled : And that under your Ob- fervation and Correction.
X 2 ' T«
1 232 J
To begin then,
I. For whom are we taught, by the Ex- ample of the Pfolmift here, to have the moll. hearty Concern ?
The Royal Pfalmift David, in praying fcr the Peace cf fernfalem, the Capital City of the Kingdom, under its Name exprefies Eia ; Concern f<Jf ^--e Nation; as is evident from thefe Words, * there are fet thrones cf judgment, the (brines of the houfe of David ; i. e. " There is held the fupreme Council ** and Judicatory of the Nation ; there is 11 the Seat cf the Throne, and the Refi- •€ dence of the Royal Family;" zr\<\, peace be within thy walls, and profperity within thy palaces -, i. e. to thofe who dwelt within its Wcdls, and inhabited its Palaces ; who were capable of feeling and tatting the Bleffings of Peace and Profperity.
But, as ferufalem was the City which God had chofn, to put his name there ; it was an Emblem of the Church of God. And that, in this religious View, it was a fpecial Object of the holy Pfalmift's Concern, ap- pears from thefe Words, \ Thither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord unto the teftimony of ffrai'I, to give thanks unto the name of the lord , and %for the houfe of the Lord our God, I will feek thy good.
So that the Example of the Pfalmift, as it is applicable to us, calls us to the molt hearty * Ver. 5. f Vcr. 4. \ Ver. 9.
Concern
[ 233 I Concern for our native Country, and for the Church of God, efpecially among ourfelves.
That Society is natural to Men, and ne- ceflary to their Improvement and Perfection ; both the natural Abilities, and the natural WeaknefTes of Mankind concur to mew.
The Powers we are furnifhed with ; the Affections of our Hearts ; the Circumftances of mutual Dependence, in which we are pla- ced ; and the Opportunities afforded us, of giving mutual Affiftance ; do all fpeak us formed by the great Parent of Mankind, not to ftand, each of us, by himfelf ; or improve alone : but to be all Members of one Body ; every Part of which is preferved, and its Welfare promoted, by mutual Aids : To be Citizens of the World, as one common City, under the Divine Government.
But, the general Obligations to Kind- nefs, Sympathy, and Help towards any of Mankind, as we have Opportunity $ do, in a fpecial Manner, oblige us to bear a Good- will, and do kind Offices, to thofe with whom we are joined by fpecial Ties ; to whom we have peculiar Opportunities of doing Good 5 with whom, efpecially, we enjoy common Privileges, or run common Dangers.
The Defence of Men's Perfons and Pof- femons againft lawlefs Power, and the fecu- ling their Enjoyment of the Means of Pros- perity, require that they be formed into par- X 3 ticular
r 234 ]
ticular Societies or States, each under fome one Government ; which, whatever its par- ticular Form be, has for its fole End, and fhould have for its fapreme Law, the gene- ral Safety and Welfare. Where Men have not the Happinefs oifuch a Conjlkution, they can fcarce be reckoned to have a Country to be concerned for : But, where they are blef- fed with it, the Profperity of that Conlittu- tion, and the Welfare of that Society, mult, be the fpecial Object, of the hearty Concern of Ail its Members.
OrjR native Couritry, then, is not fo much that Spot of Earth on which we have our Birth , as that Society of Men in Conjunction with whom we are born, under the fame Government and Laws ; Laws formed for the Welfare of every Perfon, as belt fuits the general Good of the whole Society: Laws by which we are protected and defended, in the Enjoyment of our juft Liberties and Pro- perties ; and from which we derive various Advantages, long before we are capable of making any Return, or Acknowledgment for them.
The true Love of our Country is not a Fondnefs for any particular and diftinguifh- ing Cuftoms, good or bad ; but a Concern for its real Welfare : not a feigned Concern ; or occafionally-aftecled, to ferve a Turn, at: accommodate ourfelves to certain Times; like that of Summer-day -friends 5. or tho'fe $f
whom
[ 235 ] whom we read, that, when * the Jews had joy and gladnejs, a.feaji and a good day, many of the people of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews fell upon them : but hearty and uniform ; at all Times, amidft publick Calamities, as well as publick Profperity. It is a fpecial Branch of the Love of Man- kind : never to be detached from, far Ids fet in Oppofition to, that general Affection, of which it is a Branch.
But ; as our Concern for ourfelves, fo our Goodwill to our Neighbours, mult be low and narrow ; if it is confined to our outr ward Affairs, and temporal Welfare ; and does not (as becomes Creatures formed for higher Enjoyments, and a more lafting Du- ration) extend to the Improvement and Per- fection of our Minds and Hearts -, and the advancing of our Happinefs not only in this World, but in a better.
The Propenfity of Men to feek after So- ciety, in every Thing ; and their Experi- ence of Benefit from it, in all forts of Af- fairs ; do plainly fhcw a natural Obligation -upon them to afTociate for Religious Pur- pofes ; and to be mutually aflifting to one another in thefe, their moft important, Con- cerns. And all voluntary Jjjbciations that are harmlefs to the Publick, may juftly claun
* Efthwviii, j 7.
C 236 I
the Protection ; if beneficial to it, the En- couragement, of the Laws. Particularly,
Where either Nature, or wife Choice and Inftitution, has brought People together into Societies for other Purpofes ; there is a Fitnefs and Propriety in their being jointly exercifed, in moft grateful Acknowledgments to their common Parent ; and earneft Peti- tions to the Author of all their Bleffings. Befides, that mutual Charity fhould lead us to thank God for the Bleffings Others re- ceive, and to beg of Him the Bleffings need- ful for them, as well as ourfelves : there are, in all fuch Societies, common Bleffings, and common Wants ; the Senfe of which is moft properly exprefled in joint Acknowledg- ments, and Supplications to their great and general Benefactor. There is, therefore, a Natural obligation, not only for Family- worfhip ; but for larger Societies joining to- gether in more publick Exercifes of Devo- tion j and in attending on Religious Inftruc- tion, which is a Thing of the greateft Im- portance and Neceffity. That every Thing, in fuch Societies, may be managed in an or- derly Way, fo as to anfwer the great Pur- pofes of Religion, and preserve the Manners of the feveral Members of them conformed to its Dictates, will require a particular Dis- cipline ; diftincl from Civil Government ; and not of the fame magiftcrial and coercive
Kind y
[ 237 ] Kind ; as Religion, from its Nature, muft be free from the Com?nandme?its of Men.
But, as the modelling of Religion, and the Worfhip of God, is not abfolutely to be left to the Imaginations of weak and cor- rupt Men ; it has pleafed God, in all Ages, to take the Direction of this Matter into his own Hands, by exprefs Revelation. Ac- cordingly ; *God) who, at fundry times, and in divers manners, [poke in time pajl unto the fathers by the prophets ; hath, in thefe lajl days, fpoken unto us by his f on ; whom he hath ap- pointed heir of all things, f He hath pur chafed a Church with his own Blood : % God hath raifed him from the dead, and fet him at his own right-hand ; and hath given him to be the head over all things to the church \ which is his body, whereof he alone is Head; his King- dom, in which he alone is King : A Society to be governed only by his Laws ; and have ail its Inftitutions of Worfhip prefcribed by him. He has taken Care, it mould be pre- ferred an orderly and regular Society ; by inflituiing in it a Government, diftin& frem that of the Civil Magiftrate : So quite diffe- rent, in its Purpofes, and the Methods of its Execution ; that thefe two Powers, in the proper Exercife of their different Functions, can never interfere, or clafh : i. e. if neither the Civil Power meddles with the Admini-
* Hcb. i. 1, a, f A&sxx. 28. J Eph, 1.20,22, 23.
ftration
1 238 J
fixation of God's Word, nor the Church with the Power of the Sword ; if, neither the Secular Arm interpofes with Civil Pe- nalties, in the Affairs of Confcience and Re- ligion ; nor, the Preaching and Difcipline of the Church be ever proftituted, to ferve any other Intereft than that of Chrift's Kingdom. The Government which Chrilt. hath infti- tuted in his Church, is purely Minifterial :{;,. including no Dominion over the Faith or Confciences of Men ; where the higheil: Name of Power, and that wilh which fome have made the greateft Noife, is, * in plain Engiijh^ that of Overfeers : A Government, not confined into the Hands of the Parlors of the Church, (or thofc who have confined to themfelves the Denomination of Clergy) but, wherein the Members of the Church have a Share ; as being equally under the Obligation with their Paftors. to withdraw themfelves f from every brother that walketh, diforderly : The Weapons of its Exercife are not the Sword or the Axe \ but earneft Ex- hortations -9 ferious Admonitions ; and Re- bukes with all Authority J, (enforced by the Authority of the Great Lord of the Church, without which they may be juftly reckoned blunt Thunder 5) and in fine, withdrawing from.) (or removing from Communion with them, in thofe facred Inftitutions which are
\ 2 Cor. i. 24. * E'sric-xow.. -j- 2 Thef. iii. 6. % Tit. ii. 15.
the
[ 239 ] the diftinguifhing Privileges of true Chri- ftians) every Brother that walketh diforderlyy and not after the Inftruc~tions delivered by the Apoftles of Chrift. But it would be a grofs abufe of this Difcipline, to enforce by It the Commandments of fallible men ; and exer- cife it againft thofe who refufe willingly to walk after || thefe Commandments ; even when, to them, they appear contrary to the Commandments of the Lord. What a No- ble and Lovely Society muft it be, which is governed by the holy Laws of Chrift ? In which the facred Inftitutions of the Son of God are kept pure and intire * ? Glori- ous things are fpoken of thee, O city of God ? Who would not -pray for thy Peace / Who would not fed thy Good I
We, in thefe Lands, my Brethren, are mvj blefled with a Civil Conftitution, and Form of Government, which is the Envy of other Nations around us 5 and, I'm forry I muft add, of a Set of infatuated Men among ourfelves ! A Form of Government, by which we are moft effectually fecured againft the Extremes of Confufion, and Ar- bitrary Power $ and of which we enjoy hap- py Fruits every Moment of our Lives : A Conftitution, under which the Poor Man enjoys his Cottage, by the fame Tenure as
gftof, v, 11, a Pfa), Ixxxvii, 3,
the
[24©]
the King does his Throne : A Conftitution, built upon this Jufl and Noble Maxim ; ** That Subjects were not made for Princes, <c to be treated as their abfolute Property, <c and defcend from one to another like " Cattle, let them be ufed as they will ; but -** Princes are made for their Subjects, to go- <c vern them legally and feek their Good."
We have a Prince upon the Throne, of as great Integrity, Bravery, and Clemency, 2s any that ever adorned one ! a true Nur- fing-Father to this Church ; whom, for his Mercy to the Fatherlefs and the Widows, Generations to come Jh all call blejfed *. He is blefled with a numerous Royal Family ; affording us the molt agreeable ProfpecT: of a SucceSion of Princes, worthily and hap- pily to fway the Scepter over thefe Lands ! a Family, trained up to all Virtue, and
* In framing the Scheme, lately pafled into a Law, for providing the Widows and Orphans of Minifters, &c . in Scotland j a Part of the Fund was propofed to arife from a Tax on vacant Stipends 5 a great Part of ■which belong, by Law, to the Crown : It was there- fore found neceflary to fupplicate his Majefty, to yield Co much of His Property, for promoting this charitable Defign ; which Requeft our moft gracious Sovereign was pieafed very readily to anfwer j not by a bare granting of it j but by recommending the Defign, in a particular Manner, to both Houfes of parliament, as a pious and charitable Defign j when it was firft brought in to thefe moft Honourable Houfes. Vide Votes of the Houfe of Commons, January 34. I743> and Journal of the J-Joufe of Lords, ,
Strength
[ Hi J
Strength of Mind, under his paternal Eye ; and by the pious Care of a Gloriou* Queen, who, in the Character of a Mother, was a noble Pattern to the whole Nation ! A Fa- mily, that has produced an illuftrious young Hero, who is juftly the Dariing of the Na- tion ; and may well be the Darling of this Part of it, in particular \ a Hero adorned, in the earlieft Youth, with the Wifdom and Conduct of Grey- hairs ; as well as the moft intrepid Courage and Bravery -, and all thefc Virtues excelled by his Affability and Hu- manity, and the Goodnefs of his generous Heart ! One, whom we may juftly look up- on as a fecond William the Deliverer of thefe Lands, from the threatned Danger of Popery and Slavery !
But ; it is the Blefling of our Constitu- tion, fince the Glorious Revolution, that ourHappinefs does not depend on fo pre- carious a Foundation as the perfonal Virtues of the reigning Prince may fometimes prove. His Power is bounded by wholefom Laws, enacted by our own Reprefentatives : And mould any future Prince (who came to the Throne on the Footing, on which theprefent Royal Family fo glorioufly fill it) be difpoied to act without, or contrary, to thefe Law- ; he muft eatily be fenlible, how dangerous it would be for himfelf to adventure upon it.
Who, that has the Happinefs to be a
Member difucb a Society, would not be con-
Y cerned
[ 242] cerned for Its peace? Who would not feek the Profperity of fuch a Conftitution r Withal,
We have the pure, the merciful and peaceable, Religion of the blefted Jesus fecurely profefted among us : and have free Accefs to receive the Words of eternal Life from the Mouth of the Son of God him- felf ; and the Records of his holy Apoftles. We. have a Church fettled among us, upon the Footing and Principles on which Chris- tianity was at firft planted in the World ; and on which the glorious Reformation, from Popifh Idolatry and Superftition, Ty- ranny and Cruelty, was brought about. We, who are its Minijlers, claim no Do- minion over your Faith or Confidences : we reckon, that the Minijicrial Authority y which alone we pretend to, is limited, by our com- mon Lord himfelf, to the teaching of you to obferve all, and only, thefe things which he bath commanded* . The primitive apoftoli- cal Plan of the Chriftian Church" is the Mo- del, after which we have ftudied to form our Conftitution and Government. At the fame Time ; we abhor the mad Scheme of thofe, who would make any particular Form of External Government fo abfolutely neceffa- ry to the Being of a Chriftian Church ; that
* Thefe are, certainly, the declared Principles of the Church of Scotland: May all her Sons conftantly and uni- tormiy maintain the Profeflien of them ; and may their Practice be always anfwerable to fuch a Profeifton!
they
f 243 J
1 . . who cannot fee, or fubrnit to, its Au- thority, are doomed by the Father of ' Mer" > .', ; to eyerlafting Torments ; be their Faith if] Chrift ever lb Jincere, and their Submiffi-
d Obedience to him ever Co cordial and confeientious ! A Scheme, not to be men-
' without Horror. The Foundation ol cur Church-Conltitution is laid in thefe 19 Articles j " That, Chrifl is the on- " ly King and Head of his Church :" That, " God * alone is Lord of the Confcience ; " and hath left it free from the Doctrines " and Commandments of Men, that are in 4fc any Thing contrary to his Word, or be- ,€ fide it, in Matters of Faith or Worfhip :" A Privilege, which would fignify nothing ; if Men were not left free to examine and judge for themfelves-, what Doctrines and Commandments of Men are contrary to God's Word, or hefule it in Matters of Faith or Worfhip. We may miftake, as all fal- lible Men may ; and we never pretended to be infallible : but if, upon fuch feriou: Exa- mination as you can anfwer for to our com- mon Lord, you cannot find any of ou, Knees or Decifions really enforced by thus
you are to treat then: the Neglect:, or Contempt, they dc; and (for your' :es) with no more,
er: but, if they are really \o enforced $..
* Conf. of Faith. C. 20. Setf. 2,
Y 2. not
r*4j
(not by a rafh, or profane, ufe of that' Sa- cred Name ; but, by Mamfejiation cf the Truth to your Confciences ;) you mull "know, that it is at your higher! Peril, if you dare to d-efpife them. But,
.Sure, fuch a Church may very fairly claim your beft Wifhes, and molt hearty Concern for its Peace and Welfare. And this leads me to enquire,
II. What BUJJlngs we are here taught to be concerned for, in behalf of our Coun- try, and the Church of God, Peace \ and Prosperity, or Good *.
Peace, in the Language of the ancient Jews, is frequently ufed as a general Name, for all Manner of BlefHngs : but, when di- ilinguiihed from other Branches of Happi- nefs, it fignifles Quietnels, and Freedom from Diilurbar.ee, either from without, cr from within. Thu?, the Peace of the Country fignifles, Freedom from Attacks of Enemies without • a,nd from inward Com- motions and Insurrections ; together with that Difaffection to the Conilitudon, thofe Jc.tloufies and Animoiitics, Hatreds and Variances, which are the Caufes of them.
Our gracious God has, for a long Time,
Mciled us, in thefe Lands, with both thefe
Kinds of Peace. Bur. cur ungrateful Abufe
of this Bleffing has, at iair, provoked Iiiiu
« Ver. 7> 3, 9.
f 245 ]' to permit our Peace to be fadly disturbed, both thefe Ways. After we had been long engaged in a jult and neceflary War, with the open Enemies of our Country ; and common Difturbers of the Tranquillity of Europe : they have, at lalf , had the Art to fHr up Foes in our own Bofom ; whofe reft- lefs Spite againft our happy Settlement has made them tamely give up themfelves to do their Work ; and thus, at once a£t the Part of ravening Wolves to their Country, and filly Dupes to its declared Enemies ; even with the manifeft Danger of bringing Ruin on their own Heads. The fad Fruits of this Rebellion, have been exceeding great and calamitous ; have widely fpread ; and are likely to laft long. The more earnelfly concerned muft all true Lovers of their Country be, to have our Peace compleatly reflored, preferved and eftablifhed upon lading Foundations ; and all the Caufes of our Difquiet and Difturbance cured, or rooted out. That peace may ever be within our zual/s * : that there be no tumultuous breaking in, nor going out ; no complaining in our Jlreets f : That violence be no more heard in our land : waJVuig nor deftruclion within Qiir borders.
And, not only are we to be concerned fcr the Peace of our Country ; but its Good. That general Induflry, Honefty and Inte-
* Ffal, cxliv, 1 4., f Ifa. Ix. 18.
Y 3 grity.
grity make take Place j without which no Community can long flourifh. That Agri- culture and Manufactures may thrive : the Poor may be employed in honeft Labour ; and, in that Way, be fathfied with Bread. That Trade may profper, may be always exercifed in fuch a Way as is for the Good of the Country ; and managed fairly and honeftly, without defrauding either the Pub- Jick **, or particular Perfons, of their Due : and particularly, may not be loaded with horrid Perjury, which muft bring a Curfe upon it ; and however perverfe Cuftom may make it be flightly thought of by Men, that awful Sentence muft eternally and immuta- bly ftand ; the Lord will not hold him guilt- lefs that taketh his Na?ne in vain.
And, in order to our enjoying thofe Bleflings, we muft be, particularly, con- cerned for the Prefervation of our valuable Liberties ; and that excellent Conftitution, and Form of Government, to which we owe their Security : that the late wicked Attempt to fubvertlt, may be improved in- to a Mean of ftrengthning it, and an Occa- sion of our holding it faft. That our gra- cious Sovereign King George^ and his Royal Family, may be prefer ved : and the Crown may long flourifh upon his Head ; and,, on the Heads of his Pofterity after him,, to Jateft Generations. That all inferior Ma-
• Rom, xiii, 7.
2 giftra-j
[247] giftracies, and all Places of Power and Tiuff, may be filled with Men heartily well affect- ed to our happy Eftablifhmcnt. That Prof- perity and; Plenty may be within our Palaces : not for the vain Amufement of the Great; but for a Blefiing to the Multitude, afford- ing the Means of Subfiftance to Numbers ;, and, as a Security to that Power, for the publick Good, which naturally follows Pro- perty. In fine, that general Love and Friendfhip, and all focial Virtues, may take Place ; that righieoufnefs flourifh, which ex- alts a nation \ and a due Regard to God and Religion always prevail. And thus our Concern is led on,
To the Peace and Profperity of the Church of God ; efpecially, that Part of it which is planted among ourfelves. This, is a fpecial Object of the Concern of every good Man. That the Light of the Gofpel may widely fpread : The Minds of all Men may be fo difpofed to receive it, and it may enter them with fuch Force of Evidence, as to overcome all Oppofition ; ftop the Mouths of Gainfayers ; and captivate the Hearts of all Men to its Obedience : That, for this End, all fair and candid Examination be freely allowed and encouraged ; a Thing, which never difturbed the Peace of the glo- rious Head of the Church, and mould never difturb Her's : That there be no Perfecti- on of any, on a Religious Account] no In-
vaiion
[248]
the Rights of Confcicnce : but, all peaceable Subjects to the Civil Govern- ment be permitted by it to wormip God ac- cording to their Conferences. That there be no * Scbifm in the Body ofChriJl ; no un- charitable Divifions, Sufpicions, or Jealou- iies among its Members ; but All f endea- vour to keep the unity of the fpirit in the bond cf peace, forbearing one another in love. For, " the Peace of the Church of Chrift is a " Manly and Reaibnable Peace ; built up- cc on Charity, Love, and mutual For- " bearance. As for any other Peace, found- w ed upon a Submifiion of our Ho?iejly, as u well as our Under/landings, to weak and " fallible Men, it is not the Peace of the " Church of Chrift, but the Lethargy of it." The true Peace of all the Members of the Church, muft arife from an inviolable and clofe Attachment to its glorious Head \ by Faith, Love, and Obedience : This leads not barely to an Outward Peace in the Church ; but that Inward Peace, amidfr all Difturbances of the World, which is ChrifVs Legacy to his Difcipies, John xiv. 27. Peace I leave with you, &c.
And, not only are we to be concerned for the Peace of the Church • but Its Wel- fare and Profperiiy. That Its Afinifers may be cloathed with Right eoufnefs ; and Its Saints Jhout fir Joy. That the Seats of.
* j Cor, xii, 25. f Eph, iv, 2, 3.
Learn-
[249] Learning may flourifh : and may fend ma- ny forth, well qualified to he Ornaments to their Country, and to the Church of God ; to fet Truth in the faired: Light, and con- vince Gain-fayers. That all the Ordi- nances of Chrift may ever be purely dif- penfed, fubmiiTively received and obferved : And, under the Difpeniation of them, all the Members of the Church, In their feve- ral Stations, may improve themfelves, and be aGUting to one another, in every Thing good and valuable. That Sinners may be converted to God and Goodnefsj Saints may flourifli in the inward Graces of the Holy Spirit, and the Conizations that flow from them. Particularly -, now that it hath pleafed God, of his great Goodnefs and Mercy, to reflore to us Reft and Peace ; let it be our Concern, that we may be in the happy Condition of the Primitive Churches, upon the ceafing of the Perfec- tion of Saul: of which we read, Jcls ix- 3 1 . Then had the cbtinhes reji throughout all Judca, and Galilee, and Samaria^ and were ed;ffiy and walking In the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Spirit > were multi-plied. Thefe are the BlelTmgs, to our Country, and the Church, for which we are to be earneftly concerned. Now,
III. WHATJVuyi are we here taugbt to exercije and exprefs this Concern ?
i. By
[250] i. By earneft Prayers. Fray for the j
of Jerujalem. This Duty (when performed in good Earneft ; and under a juft Awe of the Searcher of Hearts, whom we pre! addrefs) is a fpecial Exercife and Teftimony of the Sincerity of our Love and Concern, This Way, even they who have moji Pc may procure more Good than, by all their other Endeavours, they can poflibly do ; by imploring the Help of him who is All cient, the Author of all Blcfilngs and Hap- pinefs : at the fame Time, they who can do, or think they can do, little more ; may pray for the peace of JerUfalem ; and, this Way, at leaft, fiek her G:od. earnert Prayer is an excellent Natural mean of exercifing and improving thefe good Af- fections, which belong to a truly Pub lick Spirit; and, was a Spirit of Supplication ge- neral, it would greatly promote that gene- ral Piety and Virtue ; which moil directly conduce to the Publick Welfare. There- fore, are we fo frequently exhorted to this Duty in Holy Scripture ; particularly, by theApoftle, I Tint. ii. I, 2. 1 exhort there- fore^ that firft of all, /applications, prayers, ejfions, and giving of thanks he made for all men : for kings, arid for all that are in ity ; that we may lead a quiet and peace- life in all godfineji and honejl) , The Subject and Matter' of fuch Ad- dreiles and Petitii ns may be gathere '
what
[251]
een fpoken under the former Head : it is often repeated in our publick Prayers : Let us fee to it, that Cuftom do jiot turn the Repetition into a lifelefs Form. In all our Addrefles to God, let us ferioufly confidcr, to whom we take upon us to fpeak. Let cur Prayers for our Country, and the Church of God, be frequent and conftant : I Thef. v. I J. Pray without ceafmg. Let them be fervent and importunate : Ifa. Ixii. 07. Ye thai make mention of the Lord, hep not Juence ; and give him no refi9 till he efta- blijh) and till he make ferujalem a praije in the earth. Let them all be offered up in the Name of the * one Mediator between God and man, Chriji Jefus'f not contenting ourfelves with a formal mentioning of his Name ; but exercifing a lively Faith on his Media- tion, as our great High Priejl and Advocate
th the Father f. In fine, let us fee to it, that they be the Prayers of reformed and righteous Men ; which avail much f ; while the prayer of the wicked is abomination || .
And, if we are thus in earnejl, in pray- ing for the peace offcrufalem ; we mall not reckon that, by our Prayers, we have ^de- volved the Matter upon God, as to fuper- fede all other Endeavours of our own for thatPurpofe; but fhall join with our Prayers,
* 1 Tim. ii. 5. f 1 John :i. 1. J James v. 16. |j Prov. xv. 3, xxviii. 9.
2. Suit-
, r 252 ]
2. Suitable Endeavours for the publick Welfare, and the Profperity of the Church, / will feek thy good *. And here,
(i.) Let ail our Endeavours, for fuch worthy and important Purpofes, be lawful and honcji. Good and honeft Ends are, to be profecuted only by good and honeft Means. Let all our Endeavours for the pub- lick Good be managed in a Way of Loyalty to our moft Gracious Sovereign, and our happy Constitution. We have a Prince now upon the Throne (blefled be God) whofe amiable Virtues command our hearty AffecYion and Regard : but, was the perlb- nal Character of the reigning Prince the ve- ry Reverfe of the Prefent ; fo long as he- rules according to Law f, he is the minifler of God to us for good : Wherefore, we muft needs he fubjed, not only for wrath, but alfo for confcience fake. Let us carefully culti- vate the true Principles of Liberty* Civil and Religious ; and teach them to our Chil- dren : there may be great Hopes of doing Good with the riling Generation ; by fea- ibning their Minds with good Principles, before they are tainted with bad Ones. Again : let all our Endeavours for the Good of our Country be managed with a due Re- gard to the Laws ; to which we owe our Protection, and the Security of our Proper-
* Ver. 9. f Rom. xiii. 4, 5.
ties ;
[ 253 ] ties ; to which our Church owes its Civil Eltablimmcnt, and its legal Emoluments and Provifions : at the fame time, let us not frrain, or ftretch any Law we call a hard one ; (o as to make it really harder than the Legiflature has made it : on the contrary, wherever human Laws fcem to interfere with the Laws of God (a cafe which may fometimes happen, even under the heft Go- vernment upon Earth) we mud, at all adven- tures, obey God rather than Men. In fine, in all our Attempts for the Good of the Church, let us a& with an inviolable Re- gard to the facred Rules of Truth and Inte- grity : Certainly, Lies and Calumnies can never come in more aukwardly, and out of Place ; than in pretended Tefiimonm for the Truth ; or when we profefs to act in the Sa- cred Name of the Lord Jefus,
(2.) Let our Endeavours, for the pub- lick Good, be conftant and ajjiduous. That 44 we mould make our whole Life one con- " tinued Train of good Actions ; and be ** conftantly patting from one Adtion to " another, that has fome Tendency to pro- " mote the general Good :" was the noble Advice of a great Heathen Prince * ; which may put many Chriftians to the Blum, and ihould ftir up all our Emulation.
* M, Antoninus, paflira.
2 (3-) Let
[ 254 }
(3.) Let our Endeavours for the Good of our Country, and of the Church, be fuch as are proper for each of us, in our feveral Stations.
We, who are Minifters, may, by the Bleffing of God, do a great deal this Way : by our Doctrine, and Example. If we make it the great Scope of our Labours, not only to inform Mens Judgments, but chiefly to gain and form their Hearts ; to the Love of the Truth ; the Love of God and Good- nefs j arid a prevailing Relifh for Divine Things j to the Love of their Country ; and to every Social Virtue : * in all things Jhewing ourfelves patterns of good works. Let it never be faid of us, my Reverend Fathers and Brethren, as has been too juftly faid of fome, who have arrogated to themfelves the Name of Clergy, in other Parts of the World; ** that we have, and drive, a feparate In- w tereft j oppolite to that of civil Society, ce and the Community of Mankind :" No : as, by the Grace of God we have been en- abled to diftinguifh ourfelves, by acting a worthy Part for our Country, and our King, in thefe Times of Trial ; let us go on, to acl: an uniform good Part, in the whole of our Miniftry and Converfation : that we, and the People under the Influence of our Inftructions and Example, may go on to
* Titus ii. 7.
fhow
[255 J /how the World, as we have done ; that the Imputation of Di;K>v-altv uport the IV-io. terians of Scotland (fo far as it has any Truih in it) means no more than this : " That M we have an invincible Difdain to be M Slaves ; and, especially, to enflave our tc Gdnfciences to any Jktprtal': But we will *£ be the beft, and mod zealous, of Sut " to a King ruling (as the Prefent does) ac- u cording to Law j and with a tender Re- " gard to the facred Rights of Cunicienee/' Again,
Would the People, of all Ranks * fil- low after the Things that wake fir Peacp, and whereby they may edify, and profit, one . th&r -, each in his Station, would do fomc- thing for the Publick Welfare.
Would the Great Ones imitate the Ex- ample of the Noble Mordecai : who, while he lay concealed under the Appearance of the meaner! Character, made a timely Difco- Very-f of a traiterous Conspiracy againft the Life of the King ; and, even then, tdifdain- ed to truckle to an Idol of State, or meanly make his Obeyfance to one who was unwor- thy of it -, || was mod: deeply aftected with the Calamities, and the Danger of his Coun- trymen j * and improved his Accefs to a Court, to found plain undifguifed Truth, and honeit feaibnable Advice, into a Royal
* Rom. xiv. ig. f Efther ii. 21. t — iii . 2. &c.
|j — iy. 1. Sec. * — viii. 13, 14.
Z 2 Ear:
[256]
Ear : And, when raifed to that Greatnefs and Power he well deferved, was f accepted $f the multitude of his brethren, feeking the wealth of his people , and fpeaking peace to aH his feed.
Would thofe of inferior Stations hefub- jecl to Principalities and Powers, obey Magi-* ji rates, and be ready to roery good Work *.
IN fhort, there is not the meanelt. Servant- man, or Maid, but may do fomething for the publick Good -, and even adorn the Dcc~ trine ofGOD our Saviour in all Things % ; by performing faithfully, and with Good' zvill\\, the Duties of their feveral Stations j and thus, ferving the Lord Chrijl -J-.
To excite to this Public Virtue, the Pfalmift,
IV. Suggests feveral encouraging Mo- tives. As,
I. That our own Welfare and Profpe- rity arifes from this Difpofition. They ft all profper that love thee. As, when Calamities become univerfal, all are, at leaf!:, in Dan- ger of being involved in them ; fo, the Ef- fects of Publick Profperity ufually circulate and fpread, till All come to feel them : And the Lover of his Country has, ordinarily, a /pecial Share of them.
fEftherx. 3. * Tit. Hi. 1. J Tit. fi. 10. U Eph. Vi. 7, -t Co), iii.34.
But,
[^57] But, fharing in the outward Bleflings of Peace and Plenty is a thing fmall and incon- siderable, to the inward Pro/per ity they en- joy, in whofe Breads fuch Noble and gene-, fous Affections have the Prevalcncy : Affec- tions, the Exercife of which gives an imme- diate Joy ; to which the felfifh Heart is a Stranger ! a Joy, exceedingly increafed, by the Approbation of the confeious Mind ; and by a Senfe of the general Efteem Pub- lick Virtue procures ; the deferred Love of thofe of the fame worthy Character ; and, efpccially, the never-failing Approbation of the Great Parent of Human Society, whom the good Man lo gloriouily imitates ! What a Joy muft it give to the generous Heart, to fee the Publick flourifh ? to behold Happi- nefs fpread around him ! efpecially, when this is accompanied with the Reflection on his having contributed his little Share to this Profperity ! Little perhaps ; yet all the Share he could : How delightful to the Pious Soul to^ the. Good of God's Chofen 3 to rejoice in the Gladnefs of 'his Nation ; and triumph with his Inheritance ! * And, not only are fuch, generous Affections delightful, when fuccefs- ful : But even when they carry a Man through a Series of anxious and fruitlefs Cares, and painful Sympathy ; ftill the Con^ fcioufnefs of the Goodnefs of his Heart, and
* Pfel. cvi. 5.
the
[ -58 ]
the Integrity of his Intentions, gives him great Comfort and Joy. The good Alan's fharing in the Calamities of his Country, cannot hinder, or mar, this inward Profpe- rity : and, even when the View of publick Dpftreis gives him the greatefl Pain, the Confciouihefs of this generous Affection muft give him a fatisfying Self- approbation. And, as the Caufe of Truth and Righteoufnefs, and of the Church of God, mall, certain' v, be the prevailing and triumphant Caufe at [aft ; to all the true Friends and Lovers of that Caufe it fhall, o?ie Day, be faid ; * Re- joice with "Jerufalem, and be glad with her, all ye thai hve her : rejoice with joy for her, all ye that mourned for her, In fine \ by the Ex- ercife of theie generous Affections, in any way, the Soul profpers and improves in thofe Virtues, by which it is fitted for perfect: Happinefs, and Fidnefs of Joy, in the moft exalted Society. Thus, O ferufalem^ they Jhall pro/per that love thee ! while f the haters cf Zicn, open or difguiied, fhall be confound- ed and turned back : they fhall be as grafs upon the houfe-tops, which wither eth afore it grciv- eth up.
2. The Happinefs cf thofe in whom we are mofr. nearly concerned is involved in the publick Profperity. For my brethren and companions-fakes, I zvill now fay, Peace be
* Ifa. Ixvi. io. f Pfal. exxix. 5, 6,
within
[ 259] within thee. If, therefore, we have any juft Concern for our own Families, our nearelt Friends, or mofl intimate Acquaintances ; let this lead us to a Concern for the Publiclc Welfare, and the Prosperity of the Church : for without the general Profperity ; private Advantages will fade, or be of little Account. Particularly ; if we have any Concern for Poilerity ; any tender Affection for our dear Children ; if we would defire that they fhould be happy, and blefs our Memories when we are gone \ let it be our Care to have the Blcilings we enjoy ; thofe valuable Liberties and Privileges, Civil and Religious, which our bsave and worthy Anceitors have handed down to us, at the Expence of fo much Blood and Treafure ; faithfully tranfmitted to our Pofterity. " That the Love of our " Country contains within it the Love of " every other Relation," is an Argument much infilled on, by the great Roman Ora- tor and Philcfopher*. But, the Pfalmifr. concludes, with a higher Reafon for his Love of Jerufa/em, and our Love of our Country, than could enter into the Heart of an old Roman : Becaufe of the houfe of the Lord our God, I willfeek thy good. Let us, therefore, confider,
* Car: funt parentes j cari Uberi, propinqui, familiares • fed omnes omnium caritates patria una complexa eji. Clc, Off. i. 17.
3. What
[26o] 3. What do we owe to the Church of Chrift ; which He hath redeemed by His moft precious Blood ? to that Church, by whofe pious Care we have been trained up in the Knowledge of the moft important Things, and in the moft excellent Virtues ? Great as the Motive is, to be zealous for the Peace and Profperity of our Country ; becaufe it fecures all the Bleflings of a tem- poral Happinefs, to ourfelves, and the dear- eft Objects of our Affection : yet, to a well- tlifpofed Mind, this is of fmall Account, in Companion with the Opportunities of cul- tivating the Temper by a pure Religion ; and having ourfelves, and our Friends, train- ed up, by its Means, in fuch Difpofitions of Heart, fuch Habits of Piety and Virtue, as will make us bappy, not only in this World, Init through Eternity. *
FINIS.
C7-HIS Author writes with candour > and in a very fenfible manner ; there are no marks, in his Letters, of that intemperate heat) and violent party-fpirit, with which the writers in this controverfy, more perhaps than in any other, have generally difgraced, loth them/elves, and their fubjecls.
Monthly Review for Oct 1758. p. 414.
A PLAIN ACCOUNT
O F T H E
Ordinance of BAPTISM;
IN WHICH
All the Texts of the New Testament, relating to it, are produced, and the whole Doctrine concerning it drawn from them alone : I N
A Course of LETTERS
To the Right Reverend
Dr. BENJAMIN HOADLY,
Late Lord Bifhop of Winchefter^
Author of a Plain Account of the Lord's Supper.
Tejhall not add unto the word which I have com- manded you, neither Jhall you diminifh from it.
The Second Edition, Correated, With Additions.
LONDON: Printed for G. Keith, in Gracechurch-Jlrett , l- (Price One Shilling.)
LETTER I.
My Lord,
w,
HEN I read your Lordfhip's Plain Account of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper^ many years ago, I could not help wifhing to fee an account of the other Sa- crament drawn up in the fame manner. You have certainly laid the true foundation of our enquiries into the pofitive inftitu- tions of Chriftianity. You draw your ac- count of a Chriflian rite from the Chriftian records ; and your afTertion is undoubtedly true : " that all pofitive duties^ or duties <c made fuch by inftitution alone, depend " entirely upon the will and declaration of Ci the perfon who inftitutes or ordains " them, with refpedr. to the real defign <c and end of them ; and, confequently, to " the due manner of performing them."
Since no one has yet executed what has been fo long wifhed for, I fhall maks an
B
CO
humble attempt to follow your LordfliipV example with refpecl: to the facrament of baptifm. I fhall lay together all the texts in the New Teftament relating to it, and from them alone draw the whole doctrine about it. And I reckon it is with great propriety that I addrefs my enquiries on this jfubjedt to your Lordfhip, becaufe if I find the truth, I am indebted to you for point- ing out the fhorteft and plaineft way to iu
I beg leave to begin with fome of your proportions, making the neceflary altera- tion from the one facrament to the other,
I. The receiving of baptifm is not a duty, of itfelf ; or a duty apparent to us from the nature of things ; but a duty made fuch to Chriftiansy by the pofitive inftitution of Jefus QWift.
II. All pojitive duties, or duties made fuch by inftitution alone, depend entirely upon the will and declaration of the perfon
Who inftitutes qx ordains them, with re-
... *
(3)
fpecT: to the real defign and end of them ; and, confequently, to the due manner of performing them.
III. It is plain, therefore, that the na- ture > the defign, and the due manner of re- ceiving baptifm, muft ofneceflity depend upon what Jefus Chrifo who inftituted it, hath declared about it.
IV. It cannot be doubted that he him- felf fufficiently declared to his firft and im- mediate followers, the whole of what he defigned mould be underftood by it, or im- plied in it.
V. It is of fmall importance, therefore, to Chrijliant) to know what the many writers upon this fubjecl;, fince the time of the Evangelifts and Apoftles, have af- firmed ; much lefs can it be the duty of Christians to be guided by what any per- sons, by their own authority, or from their own imaginations, may teach concerning this duty.
(4)
VI. The paflages in the New Tejfd- ment, which relate to this duty, and they alone, are the original accounts of the na- ture and end of this inftitution, and the only authentic declarations, upon which we of later ages can fafely depend, being written by the immediate followers of our Lord ; thofe who were witnefTes themfelves of the injlitution^ or were inftrucled by thofe who were 10, and join with them in delivering down one and the fame account of this religious duty.
Your Lordfhip will permit me to men- tion an obfervation of yours, moll worthy to be remembered, under this laft propor- tion, viz. " A very few years make a <c great alteration in mens notions, and *c language about fuch points of religion. <c And the diftance of many years makes *f a ftill greater alteration ; whilfl men of <c various opinions, and ftrong imagina- *' tions, are continually going on to com- ;" ment and enlarge upon fuch fubjecls^ " the New Te (lament therefore, in th*
(.5) *c cafe, is alone to be depended on : from- iC which we ought, with the greateft care <c and honefty," to take all our notions of « this duty."
Your Lordfhip will be pleafed with the following obfervation of Archbiihop TV/- lotfon, much to the fame purpofe. " In Ci procefs of time, the beft inftitutions are ** ap*. to decline, and by infenfible degrees <; to fwerve, and depart from the perfec- f tion of their firft ftate ; and therefore it M is a good rule, to preferve things from <6 corruption and degeneracy, often to look f back to the firjl inftitution^ and by that '? to correct thofe imperfections and errors <c which will almoft unavoidably creep in f* with time." Vol. 2. page 170, edit. fol.
I fhall now offer to your Lordfhip's pe- rufal every text of the New TeJ!ame?2t, that fpeaks of the facrament of Baptifm. It will be proper firft. to fetdown thofe which belong to Johnls baptifm.
(6)
Pajfages sf Scripture concerning John'* baptifm.
1. Mat. ill - 5, 6, 7. Then went out to him Jerufalem and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confefling their fins. But when he faw many of the Pha- rifees and Sadduces come to his baptifm, he faid unto them, O generation of vipers, &c*
2. Verfe 11. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, &V.
3. Verfe 13, 14, 15, 16. Then cometh Jefus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him faying, I have need to be baptized of' thee, and comeft thou to me ? And Jefus anfwering faid unto him, fuffer it to be fo now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteoufnefs. Then he fufrered him. And J-tfus when he was baptized went up ilraightway out of the water.
( 7)
* 4- Mat. xxi. 25, 26, 27. The baptifm of John, whence was it? From heaven, or of men ? And they reafoned with them- felves, faying, if we fhall fay from heaven, he will fay unto us, why did ye not then believe him ? But if we fhall fay of men, •we fear the people, for all hold John as a prophet. And they anfwered Jefas, and faid, We cannot tell, fcfr.
. 5. Mark i. 4, 5. John did baptize in the wildernefs, and preach the baptifm of repentance for the remiflion of fins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerufalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan confefling their fins.
6. — Ver. 8, 9, 10. I indeed have bap- tized you with water. And it caifte to
pafs in thofe days, that Jefus came' from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan, and ftraightway coming m out of the water, fcfa
(8)
J. Mark xi. 30. The baptifm oijohriy was it from heaven, or of men ?
8. Luke III . 3. And he came into all the country about 'Jordan^ preaching the laptifm of repentance for the remiflion of fins.
9. — Ver. 7, 8. Then faid he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers ■ bring forth therefore fruits meet for repen- tance,
10. — Ver. 12. Then came alfo Publi- cans to be baptized.
II. — Ver. 16. I indeed baptize you with water.
12. — Ver, 21. Now when all the peo- ple were baptized^ it came to pafs that Je* Jus alfo being baptized^ &c.
13. Luke vii. 29, 30. And all the peo- ple that heard him, and the Publicans
(9)
juftified God. being baptized with the bap* tlfm of John. But the Pharifees and Law- yers rejected the counfel of God againft themfelves, being not baptized of him.
14. Luke xx. 4. The baptlfm of Jobn> was it from heaven or of men I
15. Johnu 25, 26. Why baptize/? thou then, if thou be not that Chrlft^ nor Ellas \ neither that prophet ? John anfwered them faying, I baptize with water.
16. — Ver. 28, Beyond Jordan where John was baptizing.
17.— Ver. 31. That he fhould be made tnanifeft to Jfrael : therefore am I come baptizing with water.
18. — Ver. 33. He that fent me to bap- tize with water.
19. John iii. 23. And .John alfo W3s baptizing in Enon> near to Salim9 becaafs
3
(10)
there was much water there; and they came and were baptized. Note, fome un* derftand
[Verfe 25. of bapttfm^ then there arofe a queftion — about purifying,]
<-
20. 'John lv. 1. The pharifees had heard that J ejus made and baptized more difciples than John.
21. John x. 40. Beyond Jordan^ into the place where John at firlt baptized.
22. Afts \. 5. ^/;« truly baptized with water.
23.— Ver. 22. Beginning from the bap* tifm of John.
24. ^f?5 x. 37. After the baptifm which y^/;/? preached.
25. — xi, 16, John indeed baptized \yilk
water.
( II )
2o. — xiii. 24. When John had firft preached before his coming the baptifm of repentance to all the people.
27. — xviii. 25. He [JpoIIos] fpake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptifm of John.
28. — xix. 3, 4. Unto what then wTere ye baptized? And they faid unto Johns baptifm. Then faid Paul, John verily baptized with the baptifm of repentance, faying unto the people, that they fhould believe on him which fhould come after him, that is, on ChriJi Jefus.
Toffages of fcripture concerning Christ's Baptifm.
I. Mat. xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore smd teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft.
2. Mark xvi, 15, 16. And he faid unto
3.
( n )
vTito them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized fhall be faved*
3. John iii. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the fpirit, fcfr.
4. — Ver. 22. After thefe things came Jefus and his difciples into the land of Ju- dea ; and there he tarried with them and. baptized*
5. — Ver. 26. Behold the fame baptizeth> and all men come to him,
6. — iv. I. 2. When therefore the Lord knew how the pharifees had heard, iha£ Jefus made and baptized more difciples than John (though Jefus himfelf baptized not, but his difciples.)
7. Acls ii. 38. Then Peter faid unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one •f you in the name of Jefus Cbri/l, for the
( i3 )
rem'fffibn of fins, and ye (hall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoft.
8. Acls ii. 41. Then they that gladly received his word4were baptized.
9. — viii/12, 13. But when they be- lieved Philip, preaching the things con- cerning the kingdom of God, and the naute ofjefus Chri/l, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himfelf believed alfo ; .and when he was baptized, &c.
10. — Ver. 16. Only they were baptized in the name of the Lord J ejus.
11. — Ver. 36, 37, 38, 39. And as they went on their way they came unto a cer- tain water. And the Eunuch faid, See, here is water, what doth hinder me to "be baptized? And Philip faid, if thou be- lieveft with all thine heart thou may^fL And he anfwered and faid, I believe that Jefus Cbrijl is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to ft 2 id flill. An£ they went down both into the water, both
-Philip and the Eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, &c.
T2. — ix. 1 8. And [Saul] arofe and was
baptized,
13. — x. 47, 48. Can any man forbid water, that thefefhould not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghoft as •well as we ? And he commanded them to "be baptized in the name of the Lord.
14. Atls xvi. 15. And when (he [Lydia] was baptized and her houftiold.
15. — Ver. 33. And was baptized, be [the jaylor] and all his flraightway.
16. — xviii. 8. And many of the Corin- thians hearing, believed, and were bap- tized.
17. — xix. 5. When they heard this3 they [who had before been baptized into
( is >
John's baptifrn] were baptized in the name of the Lord jefits.
1 8. — xxii. 16. And now why tarrieft thou? Arife and be baptized, and wajb away thy fins, calling on the name of the Lord.
19. Romans vi. 3, 4. Know ye not, that fo many of us as were baptized into Ghrift ye/us, were baptized into his death ? There- fore we are buried with him by baptifm into death, that like as Chrijl was raifed up from the dead by the glory of the Father,.. even fo we alfo fliould walk in the newnefs of life.
20. I Corinthians i. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. Were ye baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crifpus and Gains : left any fhould fay, that I had baptized in mine own name. And I baptized alfo the houftiold of Stepha- nas : befides, I know not whether I bap-
( **i
iizect any other ; for Chrift fent rhe not to baptize, but to preach the gofpel.
21. I Cor. vi. ii. But ye are wajhed.
22. Ibid. xii. 13. For by one fpirit arc we all baptized into one body. [Note, this may rather be underftood of the bap- tiCm of the Holy Gho/?.]
23. 1 Cor. xv. 29. Elfe what fhall they do, that are baptized for the dead. [That is, I think, by baptifm come into the place of thofe Chriftians who are dead, who are their fuccejfors in their profeffion, and in their fufferings.]
24* Gal. iii. 27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Chrift, have put on Chrift.
25. Ephef. iv. 5. One baptifm,
26. Ibid. v. 26. That he might fancli- fy and cleanfe it, with the ivajhing of water y by the word.
( '/)
27. Colojf.u. 12. Buried with him (ri baptifniy wherein alfo you are rifen with him.
28. 7/7. iii. 5. According to his mercy he faved us, by the wajhing of regenera- tion, and renewing of the Holy Ghoft.
29. Hebrews vi. 2. The doclrine of baptifms. [Note, it is not certain, this has any reference to Chriflian baptifm. See Peine in loc.']
30. — x. 22. Our bodies wajkcd with pure water.
31. 1 Peter iii. 21. The like figure where- unto, even baptif?n, doth alfo now fave us (not the putting away the filth of the flefh, but the anfwer of a good con- ference towards God) by the refurreclion,
Befides the foregoing, there are thefe following texts, which fome good expoft- "lors underftand of baptifm.
C
( i« )
2 Peter i. 9. And hath forgotten, that he was purged from his old fins. Hebrews vi. 4. Thofe who were once enlightened* Heb. x. 32. In which after ye were iUw- minated,
Thefe are, I believe, all the texts in the New Tejlament) that relate either to the baptifm of John, or of Chrift,
The obfervations I have to offer from them, {hall be referved to fome following* letters.
/ am, my Lord,
Tcur Lord/hip's ?noft obedient humble Servant,
LETTER
LETTER II.
My Lord,
J[ HERE are fome opinions in Theo- logy (o entirely fpeculative, that a man, who has a juft value for time, would fcarce think himfejf jufuned in fpending a day to examine which are ris;ht, and which wrong:* The fubjeel: before us is not of this fort : it is entirely of a prdftieat nature* and comes into practice daily. It therefore becomes us to look well to our rule, to what our Saviour and his immediate followers have de- clared about this duty ; M becaufe (as your " Lordfhip well obferves) we can have no <c other direction in this fort of duties, un- M lefs we will have recourfe to mere ittveri- C{ tion, which makes them our own inftitu- <e tions, and not the inftitutions of theft <e who firft appointed them." Plain Ac, P- 3-
In the foregoing letter, it appears, there are about tbreefcore texts of fcripture, which
C 7,
( 20)
fpeak of the inftitution of baptijm;, partly as pra&ifed by John, and partly by the Apoftles and Difciples of Jefus Chrijl : PafTages abundantly fufficient to inform us of the nature, defign, and manner of this facrament.
I beg leave firft to lay before your Lord- fhip an enquiry into the manner of this rite, or what the New Tejlament means by the action of baptizing.
The writers of the New Tejlament make ufe of two words, 0avTi& and *«*> which Jead us to the precife meaning of baptifm, the latter of which is almoft the conftant word of the Septuagint in thofe very nume- rous places where bathing, or warning the whole body is commanded, in contradiftinc- tion to every other practice of warning the hands or feet, or fprinkling or wafh- ing of cloaths. Aaa-eron v^un occurs no lefs than eleven times in one chapter, where bathing the body is appointed
( 21 )
en fundry occafions, as a diftinft rite from warning the hands, or garments,
The Evangelifts and Apoftles did, as Dr. Prideaux9 the moft learned Jofeph Mede, and others obferve, * all quote from the Greek of the Old Tejlament. Prid. Connecl. vol. II. page 47, edit. 3. Mede's Works, p. 625. Since therefore *«^£T«i v$ari» ufed times without number in the Old Tejlament, never imports lefs than bath- ing, or warning the whole body; it fol- lows, baptifm means the fame, when it is exprelfed by our body wajhed with pure
* " We muft explain the phrafeology of the Apoftle3 *< by that of Mofes, and the prophets. The Greek of '.* the Septuagist verfion, which was commonly read by f* thafe Jews who lived in foreign countries, and fpoke " the Greek language, will ferve to ihew us, what words *l in the Hebrew correfpond to the Greek words, which " the Apoftles ufed. For the Apoftles ufed the Helleni- t: fie Greek, into which the Old Teftament is tranflated, " and which the Jews in their difperfions commonly *' read." Tay!or,s Key to the Apoftolic Writings, p. j 1 q. edit. 2.
( 22 )
. [Gr. fctafieru to cx^x |>5«TI K£&if«.1
. X. 22.
e have a remarkable paffage in the cafe of Naatnan the Syrian's cure of a le- commands him to go and .;.;.] in Jordan feven times; the very pruclice appointed for cleaning a leper, and which, without controverfy, means wajhing the whole body, in diflincrion from all other rites of fprinklir.g, pouring , fcfV. What is done by the leper in confequence of this command ? He went down and dip- ped himfelf [iGwrrto-aTo] feven times in Jordan, according to the faying of the man of God, 2 Kings v. 14.. What was the faying of the man of God? JVafl) [bathe! feven times. He did as he was minded, viz. he dipped himfelf {cvqli times ; the ftri& tranflation of the Hebrew \vord[72lD>] ana & rendered in every place, without one exception, where the word occurs in the Old Tejlamrat. From which word the jews call John the Bap'tift i^lO the dipper. Grot, in Mat. xiv. 2.
( 23 )
It falls out, my Lord, very remarkably, that the only two words which the Greek of the OldTieJlament makes life of to exprefs the rite of warning the whole body, as diftincl: from all other rites of fprinkling, pouring, warning the hands and feet ; both thefe words, and only thefe, are made ufe of in the Greek of the New Tejiament, to fpecify and determine, with precifion, the action of baptizing. So that if the Evangelifts and Apoftles had, on purpofe, fought words which fhould precifely exprefs a ba- thing the whole body, and prevent all inqui- ry whether they meant nothing Jhort of it; they could not pojffibly have met with two fitter words than X8u * and (2a*ri£u. Bun™ would hardly have done fo well, becaufe, borrowing their Greek from the Old Tejla- ment, this lail word is never ufed there to exprefs the rite of warning or dipping a perfon's whole body. Let any learned per- fon try to find out two better words, if he
* The New Teftament has alfo its compound a7r5?.-«, Arts xxii, j 6, I, Cor, vi. i:.
( 24 )
had a mind to exprefs a wajbiug of the whAe hdy. The queftion is not, whether Jprink- Ibig was a ceremony of purification. No one doubts it : but whether fprinkling is the rite of baptifm f Whoever is acquainted with the Greek of the Old Tejiament, whence, as has been obferved, the Evan- geiifts and Apoftles took their language, may perceive that fprinkling and baptifm are as dijlhici rites, as are the actions of bap- tifm, and the priefi's putting oil upon the tip of the right ear, and the thumb of the right hand, and upon the great toe of the right foot. Both which ceremonies of bap- tifm, and fuch application of oil, were ufed in cleanfing a leper. Leu. xiv.
And here your Lordmip will permit me to obferve, we run into a great mijlake and confufion of language, when we talk of fprinkling and immerfim as different modes of the jame thing. Modern cuflom has re- conciled us to this abufe of language ; fo that we do not ftumble at the inconfiftency, when we call fprinkling baptifm. But he
( 25 )
that fhall confine himfelf unto the ideas conveyed by fcripture- language ; will per- ceive that to call fprinkling a mode of bap- tifm, is to call fprinkling a mode of bathing or of wafoing the body in water, 'Tis to confound two rites entirely as diftincl-, as were w a fling the body, and /having off the hair, in the purification of a leper. Accord- ingly the Chriflian church, the whole Chris- tian church, for thirteen hundred years fuc- cefiively from the time of the Apottles, uh- derftood by baptifm immerfion, and fo prac- tifed ; fprinkling being only permitted upon extraordinary occafions. Fid. JFhitbfs note on Romans vi. 4.
Your Lordfhip [Plain Account, page 150.] obferving, at lead quoting Dr. Clarke as obferving, that Baptifm is ftiled a being buried with Chrijl, and rifmg with him again, remarks, « this expreffion made " ufe of by St. Paul, with relation to bap- " tlfm, is taken from the cuftom of immer- u Jim in the fir ft days, and from that par- " ticular manner of baptizing profelytes,
( 2b )
44 by which they were firft covered wltfe 64 water, and in a ftate as it were of death " and inaelivity\ and then arofe out of it *' into a iort ofnewftate of life and action. " And if baptifm had been then performed, as it is now amongft us, we fhould ne- ver have fo much as heard of this form of " exprefiion, of dying and arifing again, m " this rite."
By this your Lordfhip authorizes me to fay, that in the fir ft days Baptifm was not performed as it is now amongft us. No, my Lord, it is now amongft us changed into another thing: not into a different mode of the fame rite ; but into another and diffe- rent rite. The firft days fay, that baptifm was immerf.on. " And whatever was truly *' neceffary at firft towards a right under- *c ftanding of this injiitution^ was without " doubt contained in the firft and earlieft ■" accounts ; otherwife it muft be faid, that " the very firft Chriftians, who were called <c upon to perform this duty, and who •-" actually did perform it very frequently?
( *7 )
44 were not fully infhueted by the Apodles 44 in it." Plain Account , page 7,
According to the fivft and earliejl ac- counts, that Is, according to " the only 44 authentic declarations, upon which we of " latter ages can fafcly depend? [Plain Account^ page 7.] When an Apoftle^ or other fit perfon faid, I baptize thee in the name of the Father, ilfc. He meant, I im- merge, plunge^ dip thee in the name, &c. This your Lordfhip knows was the cuftom in the firjl days : fo that when our Lord and Saviour fent forth the Apoftles with this commiffion, Go teach all nations, bap- tizing them : He meant immerge them. And fo the Apojlles actually underftood him, for fo they praclifed. And "if Baptifm had " been then performed as it is nowamongft 44 us, we fhould never have fo much as 44 heard of this form of exprefTion, of dying 4C and arifmg again in this rite." But 44 the diftance of many years has made a 44 great alteration in mens language about 44 this point," joining together in one word
( 2S )
[baptize] two, fever -a I, dijlincl rites, which the Almighty has always put afunder. And from whom came the ejlablified change of the fcriptural baptifm into another quite dif- ferent inftitution r* Let the learned Dr. Wall anfwer, " it is a rule that does not " fail in any particular that I know of, «f viz. All the nations that do now, or for- " merly did, fubmit to the authority of cc the bifhop of Rome, do ordinarily baptize ** their infants by pouring or fprinkling.
" 'But all other Chriftians in the world, <i who never owned the Pope's ufurped *' power, do, and ever did, dip their in- " fants in the ordinary ufe. And if we w take the divifion of the world from the " three main parts of it, all the Chriftians <c in Afia, all in Africa , and about one M third part of Europe, are of the laft fort, *c [viz* who underftand by baptifm immer- "fion, and fo praclife]. In which third " part of Europe are comprehended the " Chriftians of Gracia, Thracit, Servia, " Bulgaria, Walachia, Moldavia, Ruff a,
(29) ci ot\ and even the Mufcovites, who, rf «c coldnefs of the country will excufe, might " plead for a difpenfation with the mod: " reaibn of any." Hiji. Inf. Baptif?n, part 2. page 309, &c. edit. 1.
See here, my Lord, how the hnmerfion of the firfi days came to be call out, and fet afide. The church of Rome, the mother of abominations, who think eth to change times and laws, Rev. xvii. Dan. vii. She firft fet afide the common ufe of dippi?ig 3 and her example is followed by thofe proteftant churches that were once under her tyranny and corruption -, but by none elfe.
I am,
?ny Lord, &c.
I
LETTER III.
My Lord,
N order to fettle right notions on the prefent (abject:, it cannot be too carefully attended to, that, in holy fcripture, fprink- ling, pouring, and wafhing or bathing the body, are always cliftintt rites, never con- founded, or fubnituted one for another. If therefore it (hall appear, that the bap- tifm of fcripture is nothing more or lefs than zuajhing the body ; not the hands, or feet, or face, or any other particular part ; much lefs fprinkling, which the fcripture never confiders as any wafhing at all, but a rite intirely diftindt from every kind of lotion ; if, I fay, baptifm be wajhing the body, it will deferve and demand the very ferious confede- ration of every one who is concerned to obferve this as an inftitution of God, whe- ther, and upon what principle, we may lay afide the one only baptifm of fcripture, and put another thing in the room of it ?
(3i )
And further, with refpecl to the practice of modern times (for fprinkling is but ot late date in England) it may dc-ferve alfo to be confidered, whether there be in any part of the Bible any fuch religious cere- mony, as fprinkling water on the face ? If my reading does not deceive me, there does not appear in all the five books of Mofes any rite of fprinkling mere water. There was a fprinkling of water mixed with blootl, and of water mixed with the allies of an heifer ; but I think no fuch thing as fprinkling fimple water. It is faid in- deed, Eze/c. xxxvi. 25. Then will I fpr inkle clean water upon you, and ye fhall be clean ; alluding, no doubt, to fome watery purification in the law of M But I have not been able to find any ex- pofitor, who could point out any cere- mony of unmixed water, to which this refers. The only probable account I can find is, it refers to the water of ' jeparation^ Numb, xix. called alfo water, limply 3 but this was really a compofition of various in- gredients, dz, the afhes of a burnt heifer,
( 3* ) cedar-wood, and hyfop, and fcarlet, all mixed with the water. And in this cafe the unclean perfon was not only to be Jprinkled with this mixture^ two feveral days, but, moreover, there was another quite diftin£t rite to be performed, even a baptifm, verfe 19. And the clean perfon fhall [prinkle [the water of feparation] upon the unclean, on the third day, and on the feventh day. And on the feventh day he fhall purify himfelf, and warn his cloaths, and bathe himfelf in water. Tivice fprinkled, my Lord, and after that once baptized.
IVafbing the hands was a religious cere- mony of divine appointment ; as alfo warn- ing the feet. If then a clergyman mould wafh only the hands, or feet of the perfon to be baptized, and juftify his practice by this text, John xiii. 10. Jefas faith t& hi?n, he that is %vajhed needeth not fave to wajh his feet, but is clean every whit. I fubmit it to your Lordfhip's ccnfiderationy whether a minifter has not as much [or
( 33 )
more] icriptural authority co practife thus3 and iblemnly ufe the name of the holy Tri- nity on this occafion, and call it baptifm, as he has to fprinkle the face, or, as the cuftom is in Switzerland, to pour water on the back part of the head, * and call it baptifm. All men, I doubt not, would cry out againft this clergyman, as a cor- rupter of the facrament of baptifm. But why ? Not becaufe it is further removed from the fcripture- account of baptifm, [viz. a wajhing the body with pure water] than our prefent practice, but becaufe it is net cuflomary.
I now beg leave to lay before your Lord'fhip thofe pafTages on baptifm, whofe circumjlances affift in determining the due manner of this inftitution \ and, if I intro- duce the remarks of learned men on fome of thefe pafTages ; I do it, not as if by their authority, be they ever fo learned or nume-
D
* Birtiop Burnct\ 2d Letter of his Travels, -
( 3+ J
reus, the point in queftion is to be decw dedj but, on this principle, ^/z. that it may fairly be pfefumed, a judicious and learned writer will not, againft his own practice, acknowledge more, than what he feels himfelf ion/trained to grant, by the overbearing force and evidence of truth.
Mat. Hi. 5, 6. Then went out to "hint *J errtfakm^ and all Judea^ and all the re- gion round about Jordan^ and were bap- tized of him in Jordan.
Verfe i 6. And Jefus when he was bap- tized went up ftraightway out of the wai- ter.
Mark i. 5. Were all baptized of hirr. m the river of forchn.
Verfe 9, 10. Jefus was baptized m- Jordan ; and ftraightway coming up cut #/*the water*
( 35 )
Jo!m iii. 23. John was baptizing in JEW/, becaufe there zuas much water there.*
Jcls viii. 38, 39. They went down both into the water , both Philip and the Eunuch ; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water,
Rom. vi. 4. Buried with him by bap- tifm, D 2
* In the Greek, v^atx <0"cX\a, many waters, which Some, either rtot knowing, or not attending to the He- brew idiom, have fancied does not oblige us to understand 0/ much or a large quantity of water. Whereas u^atx. *oXXa is only the Hebraifm E2PJT\ CTO. Now the lingular number of this Hebrnv fubftantive being not ufed, therefore the Greek verfion is fometimes vtuf wa- ter, fometimes v^xra -waters, though the Hebrew fiands always the fame. An example or two will fuffice, in- ftead of great numbers which might eafily be produced, Ezek. xxvi. 19. When I fhall bring up the deep upon thee, and great waters [Greek u$vp «?oX&,] fhall cover thee. Pfalm lxxvii. 19. Thy way is in the fea, and thy path in the great waters. [Greek vlxvi <wi\*s:£.] So that it is quite indifferent, whether you exprefs much water by y5ar t»Q.\j, or v$at* <&:\\x. So the fame rner, in the fame chapter, ij vZaf, water* and -^nf*. waters, Jr->jki iii.
(36)
i Cor. vi. ii. Ye are wajhed [anehi- c-uc-Qc.] Note, teu is the word conftantly ufed [except once jSa9rT*fw] in thofe very numerous places of the Old Teftament^ where bathing the per/on is commanded, as a difiinft rite from all others of fprink- ling, pouring, &c.
Ephef. v. 26. That he might cleanfe it [the church] with the ivajhing of water. [t*> terpv ]
Colojf.'u. 12. Buried with him in bap- tifm, wherein alfo you are rifen with him.
JF/^. x. 22. Our bodies wafoed with pure water. [?utef*s»oi.]
Every circumftance, of chufing a ritvr to baptize in, of going down into the wa- ter, and coming up out e/*the water, both the baptizer and the baptized \ and the al- lufions to a burial and rifing a gain \ and of fingling out a place proper for baptifm, for this only reafon, becaufe there was much 3
( 37)
water there: all thefe circumftances are quite proper and natural to the cuflom of itnmerfion. But it is hard to account for the mentioning or pertinence of them up- on any other interpretation of baptifm.
According to the cufcom of our day, my Lord, a fingle bafon of water will fuf- fice for a great multitude. And if the inftitution may be fatisfied this way, to what purpofe were the multitudes obliged to leave their cities and towns for the fake of coming at a river ? What reafon is there in chufing a place becaufe there is much water^ if much water were not ne- ceffary ? There is not a town or village, but would equally well have ferved for the place of baptizing^ according to modern cuftom.
The Greek church obierves, on Jefus coming up out of the water of Jordan af- ter his baptifm, Mat. iii. 16. that " he " who afcended out of the water muft " firft defcend down into it. Baptifm
L 38)
s« therefore is to be performed, not by «c fpr inkling but by wajbing the body." And indeed, fays Dr. Whitby in he. « it can " only be from ignorance of the Jewifh cc rites in baptifm, that this is queftioned ; " for they, to the due performance of this <c rite, fo fuperftitioufly required the im- tc merfion of the whole body, that if any dirt *< hindered the water from coming to any " part of it, the baptifm was not right ; iC and if one held the baptized perfon by <c the arm when he was let down into the ce water, another mint after dip him, *< holding him by the other arm that was «' warned before, becaufe his hand would <e not fuffer the water to come to his «c whole body."
Mr. Baxter, in his Paraphrafe on the New Tejlament, [one of the laft books he publifhed, in a good old age, when the heat of controverfy may be fuppofed well over] obferves on Mat. iii. 6. " We " grant that baptifm then was by wajhing H the whole body, and did not the differ-
(39) KC ence of crar cold country, as to that hot ** one, teach us to remember [I will W have mercy and not iacrifice] it Jbou\d «f be fo here."
The fame writer thus paraphrafes Rom. xl. 4.. " Therefore in our baptifm we u are dipped under the water , as fignifying *c we are dead and buried to {in." Again, <c CW^" ii. 12. is thus paraphrafed by him, " They fyourlufts] are dead and " buried wtfh him, for fo your baptifm <c fignifieth, in which you are put under " the watery to fignify and profefs that cw your old man is dead and buried, &c" Once more, on 1 Peter iii. 21. c< When " we are raifed to holinefs by his Spi- M rit, as we rife out of the water in bap- M tifm^ &c"
But why, it may be afked, (o particu- lar with Mr. Baxter ? For the fake, my Lord, of the Padobaptiji dijfenters, if thefe letters mould fall into their hands, that they may fee the opinion [as to what was
( 40 )
fcriptural baptlfm] of a man juftly held in high efteem amongft them. The excufe of him and many others, for laying afide the fcripture-baptifm, confejfed to be the fcripture-baptifm, and for fubftituting in the room of it another rite, intirely an- other rite, fhall be confidered in the next letter,
/ amy
my Lord, &c,
LETTER
I
LETTER IV.
My Lord,
Am afraid, your Lordfliip, by this time, begins to think me tedious. You do not want all this labour of proof, that the fcripture-baptifm is immerjion. You know it: you own it: you bear witnefs publicly, before all the world, that bap- tifm as now performed amongft us, is not known in the New Teftament, the repofitory of the only authentic declara- tions concerning this duty; for " if bap- " tifm had been then performed as it is <c now amongft us9 we ihould never have <c fo much as heard of this form of ex- fc preffion, of dying and arifing again in •« this rite".
My Lord, I prefume not the attempt of informing you ; but beg you will allow me the favour to ftand up before you, an equitable and moil capable judge, as a
( 42 ) pleader in fupport of a matter of truth and right almoft entirely caft out from our part of the world.
I fay, a matter of truth and right, al- moft intirely caft out from our part of the world. For, thanks be to God, in. other parts there are flill millions^ amongft whom the New Tejlament rite, that is, the divine rite of immcrfion^ is ftill preferved. The vaft Ruffian empire hold it fail, and ell other Churches , who never fubmitted to the tyranny of the Church of Rome. But to return, I would defire any man, capable of the enquiry, to confider with meeknefs and candour thefe two Things : Firft, whether the Greek of the New Te- [lament^ be not borrowed from the Sep- tuagint, the Greek of the Old Tejlamcni*
Ifthecafebe fo, then let it be confi- dered, fecondly, whether it were pojfible
* Note, That St. P.auf, even to the Hebrews, quoted from the Ixx. is proved in fundry examples by bifhop I Fearjjn in his learned preface to the Scptuagiat.
4
(43 )
for the New Tejiament writers to chufe out from all the Greek of the Old Tefiament two words that can more precisely, and de- terminately [if Jo determinately] exprefs and fpecify that one particular ceremony of wafhing the whole body, as diftindt from all other purifications and warnings, than the two words they have actually chofen, viz. j3«7rrtf*j and tew, to whic|i add its compound «7rote« ?
It has been already obferved, that ^xtttu would fcarce have done fo well, it being not ufed in the Septuagint in any one place, I believe, where the very frequent ceremony of wajhing the whole body oc- curs. But fuppofing baptifm were ex- prefled in fcripture by ^w3 a word which undoubtedly means dippings if any word in the Greek tongue can mean it ; yet, my Lord, a man difpofed rather to hide and fhun truth than embrace it, might find ways and means to get fhift even of this word j thus — He reads in Dan. [v. 33. That Nebuchadnezzar was
( 44)
driven from man, and did eat grafs as oxen, and his body was ivet with the dew of heaven. He reads the fame again, chap. v. ver. 21. But how is this in the Greek of thofe paflages ? It is thus : uito rr,; Syocra t» Bfoiva to cu\noe.
avm EBA<J>H. [dipt] Now we all know, that a perfon is wet with dew, not by immerfion into it, but by its diftilla- tion in gentle drops, we are fprinkled by it. Hence, in fcripture and common language, drop as the dewy and drops of dew. A clear proof, that ^ccma fig- nifies to fprinkle. And thus, my Lord, there is no word, whofe literal, ftricl and proper meaning may not be evaded, when- ever an alliifrue and metaphorical fenfe can be found. Its literal fenfe, even where there is no poffible room for figure^ may be thrown afide, and the figurative im- port brought in, whenever it is convenient to ferve an hypothcfes. And fo 1 have known it actually fare with the offspring of fizirru), viz. @u7T7i&y particularly in 1
( 45 )
Corinth, x. 2. And were all baptized inti Mofes in the cloudy and in the fea.
What every fchool-boy, capable of look- ing into his lexicon, knows to be the ftrict literal meaning of the word, is fet afide, where it occurs only in its literal import, by the help of a few circumflances in a mere figure and allufion; thus, the cloudy which hung over the children of Ifrael, is a watery fubftance, J "printing its water in drops. The fea, which was as a wall unto them on the right hand and on the left-, by the force of the flrong wind which blew, fent forth a great fpray or fprinkling. So they were plentifully fprinkled by the cloud above, and by the waters on each fide.
But a man of plain fenfe, not think- ing of this cloud or pillar of fire, drop- ping down water ', but of opinion, with your Lordfhip, that the baptifm of fcrip- ture is immerfion, would be apt to carry his thoughts no farther than to appre-
( 4^ ) bend, here is an allufion to the cuftorri of imimrfi<m\ the Ifraelhes being as it were covered by the cloud over, and the waters on each fide of them. Or as Gro- 'tius, on the place, expreffes it, tc The « cloud was over their head: fo alfo is the <c water over the head of thofe Who are '"'baptized. The fea tncompafed their " fides: fo alfo does the water encc?npafs *' thofe who are baptized." " Nubes im- " pendehat illorum capiti : Sic 13 aqua iis Ci qui baptizantur. Mare circwndabat tc eorum later a : Sic iff aqua eos qui bapti- «« zaMurT*
We who are fo little! ufed to wafh- irig the whole body, either in a common or religious way, afe apt to wonder, where, and how, fuch prodigious num- bers, as are mentioned in the New Tejla- thent to be baptized, could be accommodated it they were immerged in water ? But, my Lord, it needs only to be confidered, the principal fcene of baptifm lay. in a coun- try, where immerjtbh was quite familiar >
(47 )
and mufti by the very laws of their reli- gion, come into daily ufe through all parts of the land ; and then the wonder will eeafe. For, as bifhop Patrick ob- ferves, " there are fo many walhings pre- •« fcribed [in the law of Mojes] that it is " reafonable to believe, there were not *c only at Jerufalem, and in all other ci- " ties, but in every village feveral baih'uzg " places contrived for thefe legal purifica- " tions, that men might, without much • labour, be capable to fulfil thefe pre- •' cepts." Comment on Lev. xv. 12.
I .come now, my Lord, to what was- promifed in the laft letter, viz. to confide? ihe excufe of thofe, who, though they con- fefs the fcriptural baptifm to be im?ncrfionr yet apologize for a departure from it; and, of two quite different diftincl laws and inftitutions, put one in the room of the other. In confequence thereof, it is come to that pafs, that what at mil was done but felclom, and in fuppofed cafes o£ urgent neceflity, is now become the uni-
(48 )
vcrfal, conftant practice ; and the one bap- tifm, the acknowledged one baptifm of fcrip- ture is iniirely caft out, in favour of an- other rite ; except among a hand- ful of people, who ftill preferve the pri- mitive form.
Mr. Baxter ; we have already feen, ex- cufes the matter by the coldnefs of our cli- mate. Calvin, the celebrated reformer at Geneva, obferves, in his expofition of Acls viii. 38. " We fee here what was the " baptifmal rite among the ancients-, for <c they plunged the whole body in the water, " Now 'tis the cuitom for the minifter to " fprinkle only the body or head." And he too excufes this fyrinkling; but how I cannot well recoiled!:, having not his book at hand. Bifhop Burnet, though he thus defcribes the primitive baptifm, " With no other garments but what might (i ferve to cover nature j they at- firft laid «c them down in the water, as a man is " laid in a grave, and then they faid M thefe words, u ./ baptize y or zvajb thee,
(49 )
•« in the name, &c. Then they raifed " them up again, and clean garments u were put on them : from whence came " the phrafes of being baptized into <c Cbri/l's death, of being buried zvith <c him by baptifrn into death : of our be- <c ing rifen with Chrift, and of our put- " ting on the Lordjefus Chrift, of putting " off the old man, and putting on the new-'* And though he juftly obferves, u facra- " ments are pofitive precepts, which are " to be meafured only by the inftitution, <c in which there is not room left for us ,c to carry them any farther jw yet, for- getting his own meafure of the inftitution, viz. the party baptized zuas laid down in the water, as a man is laid in the grave, " He " fays, the danger of dipping in cold cli- <c mates may be a very good reafon for " changing the form of baptifrn to fprink- K ling." Expof. xxxix Articles, pages 226, 300, 346, Edit. 1.
But, as the good Bifhop obferves, in the page laft cited, on the other facrament, and
( 50 ) the char.gc made therein by the church of Rome, "All reafoning upon this head is " an arguing agalnjl the injlitution-, as if " Chrijl and his apoftles had not well " confidercd it ; but that 1200 years after <c them, a confequence fhould be ob- " ferved, that till then had not been <c thought of, which made it reafonable to <c alter the manner of it. He who infti- u tuted it knew beft, what was mod fit- cc ting and mod reafonable;. and we cc mud choofe rather to acquiefce in his cc command^ than in our own reafonings" Page z+j.
It is evident to your Lordmip, that when our blefTed Saviour faid unto the apoilles, Go, teach all nations, baptizing them, they understood him to mean dip- ping. Here then is one only rule and law tor all tations. No provifion for making a difference between warm climates and cold. Not the leaft hint of two rites, of which the administrator may take his dmcti according to his own prudence and
trSi )
tlifcretion; but there is a:c h\v, Bwj? i'nfti- tution, for all nations upon the face of the earth ; Go, teach ami clip tbem. Why then* my Lord, do we not acquicfee in this com- mand, but change it by our own reafon-
But I beg leave to fay two or three things in particular to the plea for this tonfejfed alteration.
Firfl, Coldnefs of climate is an excufe which, make the beft of it, can ferve but for lbme part of the year, and for fome weakly conftitutions j and yet the practice of fprinkling is univerfal and conftant, in the hot feafon as well as cold, and on the moft robuft and healthy as well as the weak. The reafon offered in justification of the new way implies, that were it not for necejfity, the primitive baptifm. fliould be oblerved; neverthelefs, it is not ob- ferved, where no fhadow of necefiity is pretended, Such commonly is the end
E 2
( 52 )
and efFect of departing from our rule : Human nature falls in with what is lead troublefome. We firfr. plead a neceflity of relaxing in certain cafes; thefe cafes continually multiply in favour of eafe and indulgence^ and then cuflom carries all be- fore it. Dr. IVall) giving the reafons why in queen Elizabeth's reign the cuflom of dipping was laid afide, obferves, " It be- 46 ing allowed to weak children to be bap- " tized by ajfufion^ many fond ladies and " gentlewomen firft, and then by degrees *6 the common people, would obtain the " favour of the prieft to have their chil- <c dren pafs for weak children, too ten- " der to endure dipping in the water." Vol. 2. page 301. Edit. 1.
Secondly, Tmmerjion was the conftant practice in this fame cold climate for many hundred years (the change into fprinkling, as a general practice, being fcarce two hundred years old) and yet I believe no hiftory can be produced of its having been of ill confequence even to infants. Take- 3
(53)
the affair only in a medical view, and .cold bathing is not only fafe, but very ufful9 many times, to tender babes, which made the late Dr. Cbeyne fay, " I cannot fuffi- *c ciently admire how it [cold bathing] <e fhould ever have come into fuch dif- t; ufe, efpecially among Chriftians, when cc commanded by the greateir. lawgiver " that ever was, under the direction of ** God's holy Spirit, to his chofen people, " and perpetuated to us in the tmmerfton at ** baptifm by the fame Spirit, who, with u infinite wifdom, in this, as in every iC thing elfe, that regards the temporal " and eternal felicity of his creatures, ct combines their duty with their happi- " nefs." Ejfay on Health, Q£ Chap. 4. Sea. 7.
Thirdly, The rule [God will have mer- cy and not facrifke] may juftly be applied to excufe from baptifm itfelf, [that is, aa I underftand it, from immerfioti] thofe who cannot receive it without manifeit danger ; but, I think, will by no means juftify a
C 54 )
change of baptifm into another quite dijfe- re;-:: rite. For illuftration fake, my Lord, I beg leave to mention the cafe of an old- teftament rite, circumcifeon.
It was a divine appointment, that this rite fhould be obferved with refpecT: to every Jewijh male at eight days old. Yet during the Ifraelites travel through the wildernefs, for the fpace of forty years ^ it was omitted. The reafen cf which was the danger and great inconvenience that mud arife from it, in their travelling unfettled condition. Vide Patrick and other expofitors on jojhua v. But fuppofe the Jeivs, from the undoubted inconvenience of circumcifing the part ap- pointed, had reafoned themfelves into the practice of circumcifing a finger or toe9 would not this have been an unwarrant- able departure from the inftitutionof God? Unqueilionably it would. Who required ibis at their hand? And efpecially would they not be chargeable with a notorious perverfion of a plain pofitive precept^ if, from this plea of neceflity in the wilder-
(55)
nefe, they mould take occafion to make the change total and perpetual r, upon all pcifons, and in all times ? And how long foever this alteration had prevailed, would it not be juftifiable, and matter of com- mendation, nay even duty, in thofe per- forms who faw the deviation from the de- clared will of the Inftit-utor, to reject this circumcifion of human device, and reftore it to its fir ft inftitution ? We muft think fo, unlefs the antiquity of error excufe it, and make that right, which at firft was wrong.
If therefore baptifm was originally im- merfion, let it be immerfion ftill ; for, as your mod learned friend Dr. S. Clarke has obferved, " In things of external appoint- ** ment, and mere pcfitive inftitution, " where we cannot, as in matters of na- " tural and moral duty, argue concern- *« ing the natural reaf on and ground of the *s obligation, and the original necejfuy of " the thing itfelf" j we have nothing to do " but to obey the pofif.vt command, God
(56) " is infinitely better able than we, to t( judge of the propriety and ufefulnefs of <4 the things he inftitutesj and it be- <c comes us to obey with humility and " reverence." Expo/. Church Cat. page 305, &£, Edit. 2.
Your Lordfhip will fufTer me to add, there is not fo great a difference between circumcifing a finger and the fore/kin, as between covering the whole body in watery and fprinkling the face. It would be cir- cumcifion Hill, only of a different part; but bathing and fprinkling^ the book of God always confiders as two inftitutions quite di/lincl.
In what has been advanced in thefe Letters, your Lordfhip knows, I have been pleading for a return of the ancient primi- tive baptifm of the church. I am forry that fonts of modern ftru£ture are fo dwin- dled in fize, that an infant cannot be dipt in them ; and fhall be very glad if we are .recovered to fo juft a fenfe of the divine
(57) mithority in this institution, as to conclude we have nothing to do but obferve the poft- tive command, and with humility and reve- rence obey the original injlitution, that is, to dip the party baptized in the name, &c\
For if your Lordfhip's obfervation be right, that " the due manner of perform- P* ing this pofitive duty depends entirely " upon the will and declaration of him " who inftitutes or ordains it;" and no manner is declared by him, but that immerjion, which, you fay, was the cu- Itom in the firjl and only authentic days ; your Lordfhip then inftrucls me to con- clude, that to follow any direction, which turns us off from this immerjion, is, fo far, making it our own inftitution, and not the inftitution of him who firlt ap- pointed it.
/ am, my Lord,
Tour Lordjhip's mo/l obedient humble Servant.
LETTER
LETTER V.
My Lardy
I
F baptifcn be any thing at all to us\ if any religious regard be due to it, it is from its being a divine command, not confined to the firit. converts to chriftianity, but reaching to us. Whoever believeth not (o is guilty cf prefumption, to do that in the name of the Lord, which the Lord re- quireth not. It is far from the fimplicity and godly- fmcerity of the gofpel, to put on the appearance of a mod facred and folemn tran faction in the name of the Father , and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghojl, if, in our conference, we believe this is no part of the will of God reaching to us. If baptifm be an inditution defigned by fefus Chrifl for all ages of the Chriilian Church, let us treat it with religious regard : if we be otherwife minded, let us be fo honeft
( 39 )
and faithful to religion, and to the world, as to lay it afidc.
The former Letters enquired into the tor of this rite : or what the New Te- frament intends by the auion of baptizing. The refult of our enquiry was this: The pbrafeology cf the New Testament is taken fro?n the Si P T U A G I N T , or Greek iranfla- tion of the Old: and fuch words, and only fuch words, are ufed to exprefs the action of baptizing^ as there denote and fpecify, precifely, that particular precept of bath- ings or covering the whole body in water; a rite perfectly diftincl from, and never confounded with any other rite of fyrinf- ling, pouring, Sec.
And I beg leave once more to propofe it to public consideration, — Whether it is poffible, agreeably to the Language of the Old Teftamenf, to chufe out words that fhall, more precifely, and itrongly, convey the idea of ijnmerjion, than what the Evan- gelifts and ApofHes have actually chofen,
( 60 ) when they fpeak of baptifm? — Could any one have helped them to apter and more determinate language, on fuppofition that they wanted and defigned to exprefs to their brethren and country- men that fa- miliar and frequent practice amongft them, of warning the whole body ? — If the Spi- rit which infpired the Apoftles, had given them a forefight of the controverfies which have arifen on this head, could they have fixed on words better adapted to prevent fuch controverfies? to prevent its being ever faid, ic The Language of the New- 44 Teftament concerning this duty is fo *' indeterminate and lax, that it matters <c not, whether, in baptil'm, you cover u the whole body, or apply a little water " to a part of it." — Let fcripture be its own interpreter, comparing one part with another.
Have not then the New Teflament- writers taken from their own fcriptures that language, and all that language, and, I think it may be added, only that
(6i )
language, which exprefTes the one, oiify ufage fo often fpecified by bathing the flefh, or perfon, in water?
It is eafy for a reader, though of good underftanding, to lofe himfelf amidft clouds and darknefs, if he knows nothing of the learned languages, when the books he reads draw hirn to the perufal of dis- putes about the fenfe and meaning of an unknown tongue.
But as the whole of the affair, fo far as we have yet gone, turns upon one fhort plain queftion; fo every man of common fenfe can obferve, whether a perfon of candour, and allowed to be a capable judge, will give his anfwer yea, or nay. The fhort, plain queftion is this. Is there ground and reafon to conclude, the wri- ters of the New Teftament would have ufed other expreffions, if they had intended that one rite of immerfion'i If fo, what are thofe other expreffions ? — This is-
( kl )
bringing the matter to a fhort and plairi iiTue.
I believe, my Lord, the mod exact and rigorous examination of the foregoing queries will end in this conclufion: That by the facramental baptifm of water, the New Teftament means, precifely and only, hnmerfion in water.
So that the learned Mr. Seidell, who lived a little after immerfion grew out of uie, had too much reafon to fay, M In " England, of late years, I ever thought, cc the Parfon baptized his own Fingers, rz- «« ther than the Child." Stlden's Works, Vol. VI. Col. 2cc8.
If thefe things are fo ; then there is an- other confideration, deferving the attention of Protejlants'y namely, What reply (hall we make to the Papijls ? Who infift upon it, they do not more change and innovate in the adminiftration of the Lord's Supper ^ by withholding the Cup from the Laity,
( 63)
than we do in the adminiftration of bap- tifm, by fetting a fide immerfion, and fub- iiituting fprinkling or pouring in its place. We call theirs a half communion > and juftly, becaufe they withhold the wine. What if they call ours, on the fame ground, a half baptifm? How (hall we reply? I doubt the Papijis will ever re- main unanfwered by a confident Prote- ftant, until he confeiFes immerfon the only baptifm : and that it cannot be proved, the church of Rome has more departed from the Chriiiian rule, in their manner of adminiftring the Lord's Supper, than we have in our manner of adminiftring Baptifm.
I wifh this matter may be duly confi- dered ; that we may take off cccafon from thofe who feek occafton to fupport themfelves in error. A fenfible Roman Catholic, who knows his ftrength, or perhaps rather our weaknefs; will always retort upon us, " Shew us your authority for laying *s afide the primitive and fcrlptural imp
( 64 )
cc merfion\ and we will produce our au- " thority for withholding the cup from " the Laity."
I come now, my Lord, to what was promifed at the conclufion of the former Letter; namely, to enquire into the nature and end of Christian Baptifm. Throughout which enquiry, I fhall care- fully keep in fight, as a fure guide, the two following propofitions of your Lord- fliip.
I. m k\\ pofitlve duties, or duties made fuch by injlhution alone, depend entirely on the will and declaration of the Perfon who inftitutes or ordains them, with re- fpect to the real defign and end of them."
II. " The paffages in the New Tejia- rnsrii) which relate to this duty, and they alone, are the original accounts of the nature and end of this inftitution, and the only authentic declarations, upon which we of later ages can Jafely depend; being
( «S )
written by the immediate followers of our Lord\ thofe who were witnelTes them- felves of the inftitution ; or were initrucled by thofe who were fo; and join with them in delivering down one and the fame account of this religious duty."
The author of a well known book, en^ titled The Moral Philofopher, written in favour of infidelity, would have it, " that ** baptifm and the Lord's Supper are not " Chriftian inftitutions, beeaufe the ex- " ternal elementary parts of thefe facra- " ments were in ufe before, as national " rites, ufages, &c, amongd the Jew;"
To him Dr. Leland returns this plain, fatisfac~tory anfwer: " But that which " makes any thing to be properly a Chri- " Jiian injiltutlon^ is, its being instituted " or appointed by Chr'tfl himfelf, to be *' obferved in his church: if therefore *4 Baptifm and the Lord's Supper were f4 thus inftituted or appointed by Chrift
F
,(66) c< himfelf, they are, properly fpeaking, u Chriftian inftitutions, and it doth not " alter the cafe, whether we fuppofe <{ them, with regard to the outward ele- " mentary part of them, to have been K among the Jew s before, or not." Vid. Leland's Anfwer to ike Moral Philofophe?\ Edit. i. page 478, 479.
The firft account of baptifm, as a Chri- ftian inftitution, is in Matt, xxviii. 19. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations ; bap- tizing them into the name of the Father, and ef the Son, and of the holy Gho/i,
The plain fenfe and meaning of which words cannot be better exprefTed than in the following paraphrafe of Doctor S. Clarke, viz. " Go therefore and preach " the gofpel to all the world, making «* difciples out of every nation, and bap- cc tizing them with water in the na?ne^ " &c. that is, receiving them to a pro- " fe]fiin °f the belief and an obligation «* to the practice of that religion, which
( 67 )
f God the Father has revealed and <c taught by his Son, and confirmed and " cfrablifhcd by the Holy Ghoft."
St. Mark gives the fame account of this inflitution, though in different words. Mark xvi. 15, 16. And he faid unto them. Go ye into all the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature ; he that be- Ueveth and is baptized Jhall be faved\ but he that believeth not Jhall be damned. That is, faith the above Paraphraft, " Preach <c the gofpel to all mankind. He that " embraces my religion, and by baptifm '• enters into an obligation to obey it,. " and lives accordingly, (hall be faved : " but he that rejects the gofpel, either " by obftinate unbelief, or by impeni- " tent difobedience, fhall be damned."
It is certain, the Scripture makes a difference between the baptifms of "John and Chrijl; for the fame perfons who had already received Johns baptifm, were
F 2
(68 )
baptized a fecond time in the name of the Lord Jcfusy Acts xix. 3, 4, 5.
The chief diflin&ions are thefe fol- lowing :
I. The baptifm of John was confined to the Jeius : but Chriflian Baptifm it appointed for all nations.
yohn took his ftation by the river Jor- dan, for the convenience of immerging the great multitudes that reforted to him: *nd there went out to him Jerufalem, and all Judea, and all the region roundabout Jor- dan, and were baptised of hi?n in Jordan,, confejfing their fins, Matt. iii. 5, 6, 7. But Chrijl coming, a light to enlighten the Gen- tiles, as well as for the glory of his people lf- rael; therefore his baptifm is appointed for the Gentiles as well as Jews. Go, teach all nations, baptizing them, faith St. Matthew. And St. Mark, Preach the gofpel to every kreature-y he that belkvttb [whoever he-
( 69 ) lieveth, whether Jew or Gentile] and Is baptized, Jhall be. faved.
II. John baptized the people to pre* pare them for the faith of the Meffiah about to come or juji coming : but Chri- ftian baptifm is declarative of faith in the Mefliah not coming, but come.
This diftinclion is proved by the fol- lowing texts.
Acls xix. 4. Then /aid Paul, John ve- rily baptized with the baptifm cf repent- ance, faying unto the people, that they Jhould believe on him which Jhoidd come after himy that is, on Chrifl Jfus- John i. 31. That he [Chrifl:] fiould be made manifyt to Ifrael; therefore am I come baptizing with water.
But Jefus being declared, manifefied,
proved to be the Son of God with power,
by the refurreclion from the dead ; and
all power being actually given to him in
2
(7°)
heaven and in earth; therefore, Chn- ftian baptifm is into the name of the Son% fa manifefted, as well as of the Father, Matt, xxviii. 18, 19.
III. The Scripture, I think, affords ground alfo for this diftin&ion, viz. Chri- ftian baptifm teacheth exprefsly faith in the Holy Spirit j which doth not appear to be any part of the inftru&ion ne- cefTary at Johns baptifm : for the difci- ples at Ephejus, who had been baptized unto Johns baptifm, tell St. Paul, They had not fo much as heard, whether there be any holy Ghojl, Acts xix. 2.
Some learned divines make another very great and important difference be- tween the two baptifms ; that is, John\ baptifm excluded infants, but Chriftian baptifm includes them.
Dr. Whitby obferves, « It is not to be
( 7' )
<c wondered at that infants were not <c baptized during John's miniilry; be- <c caufe the baptifm thus ufed by John <c and Chrift\ difciples, [viz. before the institution of Chrijlian baptifni] " was <c only the baptifm of repentance, and " faith in the Mefiiah which was for " to come ; of both which infants were ct incapable." Annotat. in Matt. xix. 13, 14. He fays the fame in his Differ- tation on Matthew xxviii. 19.
Turrettin, Divinity-Profeftbr at Geneva, fays, John admitted none to baptifm but fuch as confeiled their fins ; becaufe his bufmefs lay in baptizing the adult y &c. " Johannes ne?nine?n ad baptif- u mum admittebat, nifi confitentem peccata u fua, quia agebatur de adultis baptizandis, " &c." Turret. Injlit. Vol. III. page 468.
How far this fentiment (that the
( 72 ;
baptifm of John excluded infants, but that yet they have a right to Chriftian baptifm) is agreeable to fcripture, fhall next be confidered.
/ am, my Lord,
Tour Lord/hip's moft obedient humble Servant.
LETTER
( 73) LETTER VI.
My Lord,
¥,
Hoever will give himfelf the trou- ble to look hack on the firft part of thefe Letters, and read the texts pro- duced concerning Johns baptifm, will, I believe, perceive no footftcp in them of his baptizing infants : nor is there any declaration, or the Jeaft hint, that the difciples of Chr'ifi, before his death, bap- tized any but grown people. As Dr. Whitby obferves, ** They only baptized, w as John had done, into the faith of <e the Mefliah which was to come j and '* with that baptifm of repentance, which <c prepared the Jews for the reception " of his kingdom. — It is not therefore il to be wondered, that they baptized c< not thofe infants, who could not, by ** an aclual repentance, prepare them-
( 74 )
" felves for the coming of that Mefliah, *' who was then at hand." Whitby s Dijfert. on Matt, xxviii. 19.
The difciples of Chrift, during his mi- niftry on earth, as well as the difciples of John, were very well acquainted with the inftitution of baptifm ; for they them- felves baptized great multitudes. The Lord knew how the Pharifees had heard that jfefus made and baptized more difciples than John, though J ejus himfelf baptized not, hut his difciples, John iv. 1, 2. But they adminiitered a baptifm in which infants had no part. When therefore our bleffed Saviour, after his refurrection, inflituted his facrament of baptifm, if infants were to be received to it, " It cannot be doubted that he him- " felf fufficiently declared this to his firft " and immediate followers; which fuffi- u cient and only authentic declaration " muft appear in fome pafTage of the " New Teframent."
( 75 )
There feems the greateft reafon h expect Tome exprefs declaration on this head ; becaufe, otherwife, men, who had hitherro been ufed to exclude infants, and to Jook upon them no way concerned in the ordinance of baptifm, would be likely frill to pafs them by, and not think of them as coming within the reach of their frefh commiflion. Men who, during Johns miniftry, had already baptized an infinite multitude of the adult only amongft the Jews, would naturally conclude, on their being fent forth to pradtife the fame rite amongft the Gentiles, that with them alfo the adult only were proper fubjects, unlefs there appeared fomething upon the face of their commiflion to teach them otherwife.
The baptifm of infants being hitherto uncommanded, concerning which God had given them nothing in charge j it will feem quite neceflary they fhould have ibme plain, clear, determinate inftruc- 1
( 7M
tions on this head ; efpecially and above all in this fort of duty, which owes all its obligation and all its virtue to pofitivt command: I fay it will feem quite necef- fary they fhould have fome plain, deter- minate inftru&ions, if they were, for the future, to give baptifm to perfons to whom they had not been ufed, nor di- rected to give it.
And this will feem yet more reafori- able to be expected, if in procefs of time, and where Chriftianity came to be the eflabliflied religion, the firft completion and cxprefs import of this rite were to undergo fuch a change ', that, inftead of being the fign of repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jefus Chrift, in the party baptized; it fhould, univer- sally, be admjniftered at an age and time of life when the baptized know nothing about repentance and faith.
This, my Lord, is actually the cafe in
( 77 ) all Chriftian countries. Baptifm is not, as it was in the beginning, a fign of re- pentance and faith in the perfon baptized. Babes of a few days old know nothing of thefe things : and yet thefe are, ac- cording to all legal eftablijhments, the only fubjecls of it, except, what happens very rarelv, the baptifm of profelytes.
Let us now examine the paffeges of the New Teftament, and fee whether Jefus Chrift has by himfelf, or his im- mediate followers, declared that infants are the fu bj eels of this inilitution.
The firft account of baptifm as a Chriilian ordinance is Matt, xxviii. 19: Go ye therefore and teach all nations, bap- tizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and cf the holy Ghoft. Which commiiiion is, in St. Mark xvL 15, 16. thus exprened, Go ye into all the • world, and preach the gofpel to every crea- ture 1 he thai heluvsib and is baptized jbaU.
(78)
be faved, but he that believeth not jhall be damned.
The only difference in the accounts of thefe two Evangelifts is, that Matthew in his expreflion teach, [^a^rsvaccle, dif- ciple] all nations, is more concife than Marky who inftead of it fays, preach the gofpel to every creature, he that believeth, &c.
It may not be impertinent to obferve, that the word in Matthew rendered [teach] is not the word commonly rendered teach in the New Teftament. The word com- monly ufed is [$toot<7Ka'] which occurs rery often : but the other word [>aS>m:/<y, teach] in the baptifmal commiflion of Matthew, is ufed only three times more in all the New Teftament. Matt. xiii. 52. Every fcri be which is instructed [[axSvtevSlk;] into the kingdom of heaven. Matt, xxv ii. 57. Jofeph who alfo himfclf
WAS JESUS'S DISCIPLE [tpctSr.TVJJz iv
( 79 )
luo-a]. Acts XIV. 21. //^tf /^tfy iW preached the go f pel to that city, and had taught many [px§vTiv?avls<;]. They did not barely preach the go/pel, but taught (o effectually as to prevail on many to become difciples, or believers. This is the plain import of the original.
The common appellation of Chrijlian believers, occurring in very numerous pafiages of the New Teftament, is \y.o&-f\ciC\ difciples. As this is the ufual name of believers in Chrifl, we have the verb of it in our Lord's commifiion, where he bids his followers to go and make converts to him throughout the world. So that whereas pctS-rmva im- plies teaching, full as much as the more common word [«Ja««], the difference is, that the former has a more precife and determinate meaning; conveying to the apoftles this idea, viz. So teach the people, as to pcrfuade them to become my difciples*
(8o)
I do not diHike the rendering, difciple all nations ; provided the idea of teach- ing make a neceffary part of it, and that difciple and baptize be not taken for {y- nonymous terms, as fome make them, I think, without any foundation in fcrip- ture, or juffc criticifm. As in John iv. i. pa&jlxq now Kat @u,7fl^ti contain two di/iind ideas, viz. fuft to make difcipks, and then to baptize them; fo Matt, xxviii. 19. fxaS^Woli, /Wli^lc*, exprefs the fame two diftincl: ideas ; viz. make dif- ciples, and baptize them. Firft convert them to the faith of Chrift ; and when that is done, baptize them *,
* " Ma-S-»?st/«v here is to preach the gtfpel to all not w " ons, and to engage them to believe it in order to their " prcfejjion of that faith by baptifm 5 as feems apparent " (1) from the parelJel commiffion Mark xvi. 15. Go, *c preach the go/pel to every creature ; be that believetb, and f< is baptized, pall be faved. (2) From the fcripture no- ■*' tion of a difciple, that being ftill the fame as a believer. •* — I defire any one to tell me, how the apoflles couli -" y.a.§*}iveiv, make a dijciple, of an Heathen, or unbe- « iieving Jew* without being fAxSarut, or teachers u[
( 8i }
I fubmit thefe few remarks to your Lordfhip's better judgment and lkill. And if they are true, then, I fuppofe, all that the apoftles could learn from the conunijfion is, that whereas they had been ufed before to teach the Jews, and to baptize fuch only of them as profeffed to receive and believe their doctrine ; they were henceforth to enlarge their plan; and, preaching to all forts of people, to baptize thofe who believed their report. So their commiflion exprefsly runs : Go ye into all the world, and preach the gofpel to every creature ; he that believeth [your doctrine] and is baptized, &c.
Your Lordfhip initructs me to fay9 u It cannot be doubted Jefus Chrift fuf- " ficiently declared to his firft and im- " mediate followers the whole of what
G
« them, whether they were not fent to preach to them <•' that could bear] &c."
Wb'ubj'% Note on MaUju.vvu, 19,
( 82)
<: he defigned fhould be underflood by,
«6 or implied in this duty; for this being
*' a pofitive inflitution, depending en-
«' tirely upon his will, and not defigned
*c to contain any thing in it, but what he
*c himfelf fhould pleafe to affix to it; it ¥, muft follow that he declared his mind
U. about it fully and plainly: becaufe
<c otherwife, he muft be fuppofcd to in-
" ftitute a duty, of which no one could
" have any notion without his inftitution,
•« and at the fame time, not to initrucl: lc his followers fuffciently what that duty
I* was to be."
Now your Lordihip will fufFer me to afk, where has Jefus Chrift declared his mind, and declared it fully and plainly that infants are to receive Chriftian bap- tifm ? It may be feen plainly enough, that he fent forth his apoftles to gather a people to himfelf: to make difciples^ converts, believers, in all nations ; and that nothing hindered their being baptized,
(«3)
if they believed. But with regard to any part of the human fpecies not fo quali- fied, is there not, I appeal to your Lordfhip, an intire profound filenee? Is not our Saviour's commiflion, far from de- claring fully and plainly in favour of children's baptifm, perfectly filent on this head ? Does it fay more than this ; make difciples, converts^ believers^ amongil all nations, and baptize them ?
If our Lord's commiflion exprefTes no more, then I obferve it is a rule readily admitted, that a limited commiflion a- mounts to a prohibition of the things not therein contained, as in the cafe of an- other pofitive inititution, circumcifion ; the order, every man-child mail be cir- cumcifed ; is, we all know, a prohibition with regard to the female.
But if it fhould be thought there is fome obfeurity in (o brief an account as this of Matthew and Mark, the fubfiquent
G %
( 24)
practice of the apoftles muft be owned the beft and only authentic explanation and comment on their matter's law. This (hall be next confidered.
my Lord, &c.
LETTER
LETTER Vlt.
Wi
E are now, my Lord, to confider the praclice of the apoftles and firjl teacher sy as the beft and only authentic "Comment on their matter's law.
The firft mention of baptifm admini- jlered after Ch rift's afcenfion is Acls ii. 38, 41, Then Peter f aid unto them, Re- pent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jefus Chriji for the remijjion of fins ; and ye Jhall receive the gift of the holy GkoJI. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized.
There never was a better opportunity for the apoftles to (hew, clearly and fully, the whole of what they underftood by Chriftian baptifm, than this recorded in Acls ii, It was one of thofe great feftivals,
(86)
when devout people were come together at Jerufalem out of every nation under hea- ven, and when the difciples received fuch an effufion of the holy Ghoji as excited all men's curiofity and aftonifhment. They were all amazed and marvelled; and afked, What meaneth this? Upon this, Peter flood up with the eleven, and preached Chrift to them fo effectually, that they were pricked in the heart, and faid unto Peter, and to the rejl of the apoflles, Men and brethren, what ■ fiall we do ? Then Peter faid unto them, Repent, and be bap- tized, &c. for the promife is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar eff, even as many as the Lord our God jhall call. What was the effect and confequence of this fermon ? It was this; Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the fame day there were added unto them about three thoufand fouls : and they continued Jredfaftly in the apojlles doclrine and fel- lozvjhip, and in breaking of bread and in prayers.
(87)
When thefe men under deep concern, pricked in their heart, afk direction and advice, faying, What Jhall we do? and Peter inftrucls them to repent and he baptized-, does he fay alfo, bring your offspring to baptifm? Nothing of this: but all that the hiftory relates is, They that gladly received his word were bap- tized', and the three thoufand fouls, who were added at this time, continued Jled- fajlly in the apojlles doclrine, and fellow* fhip, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. This is in effecT: telling us how many were baptized, viz. about three thoufand, who continued Jledfajl, Sec,
Infants bear no part in this hiftory of baptifm ; unlefs it be fuppofed that they are included in verfe 39. For the PRO* MISE is unto you, and to your children , and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God Jlmll call.
Upon this your Lordfhip will permit
(88)
me to make two or three very obvious remarks.
(i.) The PROMISE is not haptifm, but exprefTed in the words immediately foregoing, viz. Ye Jhall receive the gift of the holy Ghost: a promife fo re- markably fulfilled, as created aftonifhment in St. Peter's auditory; and to the accom- plishment whereof he invites their atten- tion in the following words, verfes 16, lj9&c. This is that which was fpoken hy the prophet "Joel : — And it Jhall come to pafs in the laft days, faith God, I will pour out of MY SPIRIT upon allfiefh, Sec. This promife, St. Peter tells his hearers, they faw fulfilled in him and his brethren, verfe 33. For Jefus being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received of the Father the PROMISE of th£ holy Ghost, he hath Jhed forth this which ye now fee and hear.
(2.) You and your children is nothing more than you and your posterity
( »9 )
[tck nxvoi; vp»]. So in y^/->« viii. 29* If ye were Abraham's children [t****] ye would do the works, &c. Afls xiii. 32, 33. 27;* promife which was mad: unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the fame unto us their children [recratj. Matt, xxvii. 25. H/V todf be on us and on our children [tbxix »j/*a>»]. An imprecation which has mi- raculoufly refted on them, and their de- fendants, for almoffc feventeen hundred years.
(3.) This promife takes place neither in them nor their children, nor the Gen- tiles (them that are afar off) but on con- dition of their believing, expreffed in the text by — as many as the Lord our God Jhall call.
So that the word children here, has no reference to the infantile ftate ; nor does the promife mean baptifm. The learned Doctors, Hammond and ff^hitby, though they have both written in favour of in-
( go J
fa nt- baptifm, conclude this text is nothing
to the purpofe. The words of the firft
are, " H any have made ufe of that very
« unconcludent argument [the prc?nife is
<c made to you, and to your childeen'] I
" have nothing to fay in defence of them.
" I think the word children there, is
4C really the pofierity of the Jews, and
" not peculiarly their infant-children."
Refol. 6 %. Edit. i2mo. P. 256. Seel.
81. And JVhitby, " Thefe words will
c not prove a right of infants to receive
8 baptifm : the prc?nife mentioned here
* being that only of the h:ly Ghoft, men-
% tioned verfes 16, 17, 18. 2nd fo re*
c lating only to the times of the mU
f raculous erFulion of the holy Ghoft,
c and to thofe perfons who, by age*
' were made capable of thofe extra:rdi-
e nary gifts." Annot. in Acls ii. 38, 39.
The next adminiftration of baptifm is in Acls viii. The fuccefs of the gofpei at Jerufalem raifed the envy and it ment of the unbelieving /uw; fo that^
(9' )
verfe I. there was a great perfecuiion agalnjl the church which ivas at Jerufalcm, and they were all fcattered abroad, &c. Upon this difperfion, Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Clrrifi unto them ; verfe 5. And when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom cf God and the na?ne cf Jefus Chrijl, they were baptised, both men and women. Then Simon hi 'mj "elf be- lieved alfo, and — was baptized, verfes 12, 13.
Here likewife nothing is to be found but the baptifm of profefied believers. The hiftory is fo particular and exact, as to ment/on men and women : but there it flops. Had the facred hiftorian been a little more explicit, in a matter wherein your Lordfhip knows full well, and readily owns, we can know nothing but from plain- declaration, and are lead of all left to our own reafonings ; had he, I fay, been a little more explicit, and faid, mm, women, aad children , if the fact were really fo -, i:
( 9> )
would have prevented much doubt and controverfy. But, as in this fame chap- ter, when he relates Saul's committing men and women to prifon, we naturally conclude, the perfecutor's rage did not go fo far as to imprifon their infants-, (at leaft there is nothing on which to reft a belief that he did) fo from his flopping at men and women in his account of bap- tifm, it leems, he could go no further, and fays nothing of the baptifm of their infants, becaufe he knew nothing of it.
The writer of the Ads is careful to make exprefs mention of children in an hiftcrical fact of much lefs confequence, when children were really part of the company. Thus Acls xxi. 5. They all brought us on our way, WITH WIVES and children, till we were out of the city. We may obferve in another in- fiance or two, how carefully the fcripture mentions children, when they are parties concerned. Matt. xiv. 21. They that had eaten were about five thoufand ?nen9
3
(93)
lefide WOMEN AND CHILDREN [*«i&^, little children]. And in the next chapter, which records another miracle of the like fort, Matt. xv. 38. They that did eat were four thoufand men, beside women and children [»«lJi«i', little children, in- J "ant s.]
Thefe miracles, of feeding fo many thoufand men, from fuch fcanty provi- fion, would have been funiciently great and illuftrious, without the additional cir- cumftance of women and children : but as they were parties concerned, they are mentioned.
And is it not a little ftrange, my Lord, that wc no where find children mentioned, not once mentioned, if it were the apoftles cuitom to baptize them with their parents ? Thefe fervants and apoftles of Chrift, we have already obferved, were no ftrangers to baptifm before the death of their ma- iler. They knew it, and practifed it in, John's time. But to whom did they adrafa
( 9+)
nifter it ? To the adult only, not to them and their Infants* If afterwards they were to underfbnd and praclife this rite fo dif- ferently from what they had jujl before un- derftocd and praclifed -, if they were to baptize, not only the profeiTors of repent- ance and faith, but their offspring too 3 may we not expect to find fuch difference £xprejfedy either in their Lord's commiffion, or in the authentic account of their practice, who baptized in obedience to his command ? But if neither Chrift nor his apoftles have declared infant-baptifm, how (hall we know it to be their mind ?
The next baptifm is that of the eunuch, Jels viii. 36, 37, &c. who received it on this profeffion of faith — I believe that Je- fus Chrift is the Son of God, verfe 37. A noble monument of the fimplicity of the firft times ! What a world of ftrife and mifchief would have been prevented, if the church had never departed from it ! As an eminent writer remarks) " It was
(95 ) ?c never well with the chriftian church, " fince it began to be a matter of fo much " fubtilty and wit for a man to be a ct true chriftian." The multitude of ar- ticles fince invented, and framed by art and man's device, are, as one fpeaks, " Cobwebs that intangle and catch harm- " lefs flies, but the wafps break through." They are only confeientious and thinking men, that is, men the moft able and dif- pofed to ferve the caufe of religion and virtue, that are, or can be incommoded and diftrefifed by thefe things. Men of no thought, and of no corifcience, or of flexible and pliant ones, will mbferibe whatever the impofer (hall pleafe to en- join.
Acls ix. iS. relates the baptifcri of St. Paul only. In the next chapter we have the baptifm of Cornelius and his friends. Cornelius is faid to be one that feared God, with all his houfe, ver. 2. The jewifti law fo prohibited communication with the Gentiles, that St. Peter, the meflcnge'f of
( 96 )
God to the Centurion, had a particular revelation to remove his fcruples, and to convince him, he might freely go unto the Gentiles. In expectation of this im- portant vifit from the apoftle, Cornelius had called together his kinfmen and near friends, verfe 24.
When Peter was come into the Cen- turion's houfe, he found many that were come together, verfe 27. Cornelius, in be- half of thefe, and of himfelf, thus addreiTes the apoftle, Now therefore are we all here prefent before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God, verfe 33.
This aiTembly of Gentiles were fo well difpofed to receive the gofpel, that, while Peter was fpeaking, the Holy Ghofl fell on all that heard the word, verfe 44, to the great furprize of the Jewifh chriftians, v/ho were ajlonifoed, as many as came with Peter, hecaufe that on the Gentiles alfo was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghofl, For
( 97 )
they beard them fpeak with tongues, verfes 45> 46.
When Peter faw this great effect on his audience, he faid, Can any man forbid wa- ter that thefe Jhould not be baptized, which
have RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST,
a s well as we ? And he commanded them to be paptlzed in the Name of the Lord. Whom does he command to be baptized ? All that heard the word, and had received the Holy Ghojl.
I have been thus particular in noting the family and friends of this devout man, to fee if there be any trace of infants hav- ing a part in this'hiftory.
But {till we find not the moft diftant hint, much lefs, what your Lordfhip re- quires in a pofitive inftitution, a plain and full declaration, that children are fubjects admitted to chriftian baptifm.
1 am, my Lord, &c.
H LETTER
LETTER VIII.
My Lord,
J[ Have only one thing more to remark on the hiftory of Cornelius. The people called £hiakers are of opinion, that the baptifm of the Spirit is the alone chrijlian haptifm^ and the baptifm of water be- longed only to the difperrfation of John. But in the cafe of Cornelius we have an inftance under the chrijlian difpenfation, and upon the call of the Gentiles to the faith of the gofpel ; wherein it appears the apoftle Peter is fo far from concluding that the baptifm of the Spirit renders that of ivater unneceiTary, that he infers directly the contrary, viz. No man oug-ht to be againft their baptifm in water, becaufe they had, previoufly, received the bap- tifm of the Holy Ghofl. Their baptifm with the Holy Ghoft was the proof and
( 99 )
reafon of their right to the ba^tifm of water.
It remains to enquire, whether the bap- tifm of houjholds, mentioned in feveral pafTages of fcripture, does not prove, or fuppofe the baptifm of infants ? We read, that Lydia was baptized, ANDHERHOUS- hold, Acts xvi. 15. — that the jailor was baptized, and all his, ver. 33. and that Paul baptized the houshold of Stephanas, 1 Cor. 1. 16.
Upon this your Lordfhip will pleafe to indulge me thefe few plain obfervations.
(1.) It is certain the word houfe, or houjhold, is often ufed where none are meant but fuch as are come to years of underftanding. For example, Luke xi. 17. A houfe divided againjl a houfe, Sic. John iv. 53. Hwifelf believed, and his whole house. Ads ii. 36. Let all the house of Ifrael know affuredly, that God
H 2
( 100 )
hath ?nade that fame Jefus, &c. Acls xviii. 8. Crifpus — believed on the Lord, with all his house. Tit. i. ii. Deceivers, zvho fab-vert whole houses, teaching things they ought not. Confequently,
(2.) To infer it as facl, that infants were baptized, as being part of the houfe, is fuppofing, and taking for granted, not proving the matter in queftion.
(3.) Of the three examples of houf- holds baptized, it is exprefsly faid of one, [the jailor's] that Paul and Silas fpake the word of the Lord to him, and to all THAT WERE IN HIS HOUSE : and that he believed in God, with all his house, ABs xvi. 32, 34.
If all the families in Great Britain were obliged to take an oath of allegiance ; any man who fhouH hereafter read our hiftory, would make a very wrong in- ference, if he fhould, merely from the word families y or houfoolds, conclude r
( 101 )
this oath was adminiftered to children ; though they are very capable of the out- ward and vifible fign, which is only kif- Jing the book. " I think it unreafonable, " fays Dr. Hammond, that the apoftle's *c bare mention of baptizing his houfoold, " i Cor. i. 16. fhould be thought com- <£ petent to conclude, that infants were 44 baptized by him, when it is uncertain, *c whether there were any fuch at all in ** his houfe." Refil, fix §u. P. 274.
Edit. 127220.
Thus, wherefoever we meet with the facrament of baptifm, whether amongft "Jezvs or Gentiles, whether adminiftered by John, or the difciples of Chr'ifl;, from the gofpel of Matthew, where it firft oc- curs, to the epiftles of St. Peter, where we find it laff, there is, from the begin- ning to the end, a total profound Jilenct concerning the baptifm of infants.
And can we, my Lord, bring fubftan- tial proof out of this univerfal void? Is
( ica )
an entire perfect Jilence a fufiicient decla- ration that our children are to receive this ordinance ? I am entirely of your Loruihip's opinion, " that this being a " pofitive inftitution, it muft follow our " bleffed Lord declared his mind about it " fully and plainly"
I may venture to afTure your Lordfhip, I have no interejl to ferve by retaining my prefent opinion: and it will give me a fincere pleafure to difcover the text or texts, where it is declared this inftitution belon°;eth to children.
o
Whoever {hall do the kind office to fhew me from fome authentic declaration of the New Teftament, that infants were baptized, I promife him to be much more fpeedy in writing a retractation, than I have been to let down my reafons, at leaft what appear reafons to me, for differing in this point from the generality of my fellow- chriftians.
( I03 )
Does not the very laft pafTage of the New Teftament, which makes mention of baptifm, viz, I Pet. iii. 21. require fuch a condition of its efficacy, as chil- dren are utterly incapable of? The like figure ivhereunto, even baptifim^ doth alfio now five us -, not the putting away the filth of the fiejby but the answer of a
GOOD CONSCIENCE TOWARDS GoD.
The infant, of a week, month, or year eld, is merely paffive, and might, where there is water enough for the purpofe, have the filth of the ftefh wafTied away 5 but what fhal! we fay to the anfiver ofi a good confidence? without which qualifica- tion, St. Peter afTures us, baptifm is not faving. How mall we find a good con- fcience in a creature that is not yet a mo- ral agent ? that can do neither good nor evil ?
The Catechifm fays, There are two fiacraments ordained by Chrijl in his churchy as generally necejfiary to falvation^ viz. Bap-
( io4 ) iijm and the Lord's Supper. Now becaufe the New Teftament is as filent on bap- tifrn, as the Lord's fupper, for children ; it may, I think, be fairly concluded, the want of baptiim does not prejudice their falvation, any more than the want of the Lord's fupper.
There was a time, your Lordfhip well knows, when it was the general practice of the chrifiian church to give the Lord's fupper to children ; grounded on a mi- ftake of that fctipture, Except ye eat the flsfi) of the Son of 'man , and drink his bloody ye have no life in you. The fame notion ofabfolute and univerfal neceffity, I fup- pofe, led chriftians to baptize their chil- dren. No lefs a man than St. Auflin taught, and ftrenuoufly maintained, that infants unbaptized were adjudged to ever- la/ling punijbments, Grot, in Matt. xix. 14.
Men's opinions of the ritual parts or religion foon began to run extravagantly
( ios )
high *, and ftill do To, far beyond the fimplicity of the gofpel : as if there were in the things themfelves, without refpect to the moral and fpirituul qualifications of the receiver, a certain inexplicable charm , to defend us from our ghoftly en- emy, and afcertain falvation. And this wrong notion, cf the abfolute neceflity of ceremonial obfervances, has been a very powerful engine in the hands of men aiming at fpiritual dominion, to en- flave their neighbours minds and confci- ences. In popifh countries, the character of a p-'iefi muft be of the higheft im- portance, when the people are taught, there is no poifibility of going to heaven without the facraments, and that he onlv is qualified to adminiiter them.
I doubt, my Lord, we of the Prote-
* The necejfity of the Lord's Supper for infants was taught by the content of the eminent fathers of fome age?, without any opposition from any of their contem- poraries: and was delivered by them not as doctors, but a: vntiffffa, not as their own opinion, but as apoflolic tradition. Chilling. P. 15a. Edit. 1. 4
( IP6 )
ftant religion are not quite clear in this matter; and that we view pofitive infti- tutions in fomewhat the fame wrong light, when, on the child's illnefs, we are in the utmoft hurry to fend for the minister, and think the innocent babe fuffers an irreparable lofs, if it expire be- fore it be chriftened. Is not this a ftronger attachment to rites and cere- monies, and laying more flrefs upon them, than even the Jews themfelves did ? For, as they were not to circum- cife their children till the eighth day, fo I fuppofe they were in no pain for want of the ordinance to thofe who died under that age. Nay, as has been obferved in the former letters; the rite was intirely dropt, and laid afide for no lefs than forty years, when, in the wildernefs, the ufe of it became inconvenient.
1 recollect on this occafion a remark- able pafTage concerning the learned Mr. Dodiuelly as related by the worthy bifhop
( 107 ) tf JVinchefter, in his memoirs of Dr. Clarke. " Mr. Dodwell, fays his lordfhip, in or- " der to exalt the powers and dignity of " the priejlhood, endeavoured to prove, " that the doctrine of the foul's natural " mortality, was the true and original *• dodlrine ; and that immortality was " only a baptifm conferred upon the ct foul by the gift of God, through the " hands of one fett of regular ordained M clergy."
Is there no appearance of a fimilar extravagance in their notion of baptifm, who, in all hafte, muft have the minifter, if the child happen to be ill, before the convenient time of its baptifm comes ? Doth not this create a ftrong fufpicion, that the bulk of our people look upon immortal happinefs as conferred in baptifm, through the hands of the clergy ; and imagine this immenfe privilege and blef- fing would otherwife be loft ? *
* Dr. William Wijhart, late principal of the college •f Edinburgh, laments the grofs fuperftition into which
( io3 )
111 the days when infant- communion. •was the univerfal praclice^ it would doubtlefs hare been thought a great in- jury to deny children the communion of faints. But the church having been long perfuaded that it has no fcripture-foun- dation, has laid it afide, and would now be as much furprized to fee infants brought to the communion, as fhe then would have been to fee them excluded *.
The truth feems to be this : the fcrip- iure being as entirely iilent on the bap>- tifm as the communion of infants ; and the
the world is fallen concerning baptifm, in the following words, "Is a new new-born child iveak? — A mini- ster muft be got in all hade to perform a certain cere- mony upon it, which they call chriftening it — the thing jnuft be done — to dvt the infant from hell ! Strange ! that ever men under the advantages of the light of the .gofpel mould here fink into fucb notions of God and re- ligion !" See his Difcourfes on feveral Subjects. Printed /or Millar, p. 95, loo.
* Our accounts of the Greek Church inform us they flill give the Lord's Supper to children.
( i°9 ) perfonal qualifications of repentance, faith, and a good confcience being full as ftrongly, at leaft, required for baptifm, as felf exa- minathn, and other perfonal acts and qua* lities for the Lord's Supper, they have no concern in either of the two facraments : nor ought it to be thought any more an injury, to withhold our children from bap- tifm, than from the Lord's Supper.
And I think it no difficult tafk to prove, that every objection that lies againft their being admitted to the co?nmunion, lies alfo againft their being admitted to bap- tifm.
I keep, my Lord, this one plain fimple poifit in view j that pofitive inftitutions owing ail their obligation to cxprefs com- ma?tdy and there being rw command for the baptifm, any more than the commu- nion of infants, the New Teftament in- tended neither of the facraments for them.
The catecbifm, which ts confidered as
( 1*0 )
a plain fummary of chriftian principles, teaches with no lefs evidence of truth, that of perfons to be baptized is required repentance, whereby they forfake fin ; and faith, whereby they fteJfadly believe, &c. than it does on the Other facrarnent ; that they who come to the Lord's S, upper are required to examine themfehes, &c. As to the promife otfureties, on which ground infants are baptized, might they not full as well be received to the holy communion upon the fame foundation ? May not fure- ties as well promife, they fhall examine themfelves, they {hall ftedfaftly purpofe, &c. as that they {hall repent ? The world is obliged to your Lordfhip for the following initruclion; and I would f God we may learn it, viz, that nothing can remedy our miftakes on fubjects of this nature, c< but perfuading Chriftians " to have recourfe to J ejus Chrijl, and to " thofe to whom he himfelf declared what " his defign was in this inftitution." Plain Account, p. 6.
( Hi )
If then infants, for want of repentance and faith in themfelves, be authorized to receive baptifm on promife of their Jure- ties, Chriit or his apoltles mufr. have de- clared this. If they have, where is it? Is not the affair of iureties entirely a fup- plcment of our own ? But " in the mat- 44 ter, my Lord, of an inftituted duty, (or u a duty made fo by the pofitive will of 44 any perfon) no one can be a judge 44 but the inflitutor himfelf, of what he 44 defigned mould be contained in it; and becaufe, fuppofing him not to have fpoken his mind plainly about it, it is iinpoflible that any other perfon (to whom the in/litutor himfelf never re- 44 vealed his defign) mould make up that 44 defect : all that is added therefore to 44 Chrift's inftitution, as a necefTary part 44 of it, ought to be efteemed only as 44 the invention of thofe who add it : and " the more there is added, (let it be done 44 with never fo much foleinnity, and never 44 fo great pretences to authority) the tefe
4
( m )
i{ there is remaining of the fimplicity of
** the inftitution as Chrljl himfelf left it.
« I am the more folicitous to obferve
" this, and to imprefs it upon the minds
cc of Chri/lians, becaufe it is the only thing
" that can either prevent or cure the mi- iC Jlakes of many fincere Chrifiians upon
6C this fubjecV' Plain Account, p. 5, 6.
/ am,
my Lord% &V.
LETTER
LETTER IX,
My Lord,
X HERE are fundry pafiages of fcrip^- ture commonly thought to countenance infant baptifm, which therefore muft be confidered. Mark x. 13, &c. They brought young children to Chrifl, that he Jhould touch them; and his difciples re~ buked thofe that brought them. But when Jefus faw it, he was much difpleafed, and faid unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of fuch is the kingdom of God. Verily I fay unto you, whofoever jhall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he Jhall not enter therein. And he took them up
IN HIS ARMS, PUT HIS HANDS UPON THEM, AND BLESSED THEM. TfaJS
hiftorical fact we have in three of the
I
( "4 ) JEvangelifts. St. Matthew fays, Little children were brought to Chriji, that he
JboulfL PUT HIS HANDS ON THEM AND
pray. Mark and Luke fay, they were brought unto Chrifl that he Jhould TOUCH them. And what did Chrifl do unto thefe children? He laid his hands on them\ St. Matt, xix\ 15. He took them up in his arm^ put his hands upon tbem, and- blejjed thcm9 faith St. Mark,
There is no difficulty, my Lord, in thefe words. We are exprefsly told, the children were brought unto our Saviour^ for the benefit of bis blejfing and prayers ; attended with the ufual ceremony of impa- ction of hands: for in this manner holy men were ufed to blefs9 or pray for a bif- fing on others. The cuftom is as ancient as the time of the patriarch Jacob ; who called for Jcfepns two fons Manaffeh and Ephraim, that he might blefs them, and he put his right hand upon Ephraim's bead,. and hi3 left hand upon Manajfih'%-
( »s )
head, and he faid, God blefs the lads$ Gen. xlviii.
Here is the very fame tranfaclion, as that we have under confideration : Jacob called for his grandchildren, that he might blefs them, by impofition of hands and prayer. Chri/l, in like manner, called for the children, (whom his difciples would .have fent away) that he might blefs them, by impofition cf hands and prayer.
, Can your Lordfhip perceive any thing concerning the chriftian rite of baptifm -given to thefe children? Is it faid they were brought for that purpofe, or that Chrifb baptized them? No fuch thing; your Lordfhip will as foon find baptifm given by Jacob to the lads whom he blefTed, and prayed for ; as in this hiftory of the New Telrament, of ChrifVs blef- fing and praying for the children.
No doubt, the prayers of pious per-* fons may fucceed for a blefling upon in-
I 2
f »6 )
feats, or others ; and if the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, how much more the prayer of Jefus Chrift I Let us follow him in praying for our children : but if we will baptize them too, Chrift affords us no example of this in the paflage under consideration.
But is not the baptifm of infants implied in thefe following words ? Except a man be born of ivater and of the fpirit, he can- not enter into the kingdom of God, John iii. 5. According to the original it \s% except any one be born, c5V. [««v p» T,5]. 2f there be any proof here, k lies in the indefinite word [ti?] any one: but this word occurring in paflages without num- ber, where infants cannot poflibly be in- tended; no evidence arifes merely from the ufe of it. A few examples will fuf- ficc out of this fame Evangelift. -St. 'John vii. 17. If any man^ [rt?, anyone] will do his willy &c. ver. 37. If any man [tk, any one] ihirjl, let him come to me, &c. viii. 51. Jf a man [tk, any one] keep ?ny fay-
( "7 )
ir/g, Sec. xi. 9, 10. If any man [n?, any one] walk in the day, he jlumbleth not--' — <* hit if a man [tk, any one] walk in the night, &c, xv. 6. If a man abide not in me [ixv pn-rift except any one]. But it may be replied, the nature of the fub- jects here plainly guides us to limit the indeterminate words [any one] to fuch as are come to years of understanding. In like manner, I fay, the whole doctrine of baptifm guides us to limit thefe very fame words to perfons come to years of under- flanding. The mere word [tk] is too ge- neral and indefinite to prove any thing in this matter.
It may be further obferved, that as chri- ftian baptifm was not yet inftituted ; fame good expofitors underftand this paflage, viz. born of water and the fpirit, not of baptifm, but of the influences of the fpi- rit only : except a man be born of the deanfng fpirit. So Grotius, who fays, here is the figure h ow Jta*. And Cakiin^
( ii8 )•
one o£ the beft expofitors of his day, ob~ ferves, " to talk to Nicodemus of baptifm f* would be premature : the defign of " Chrift here is to exhort him to regene- ** ration, and newnefs of life."
But if baptifm be here intended, it is paraphrafed with much good fenfe by Dr. Clarke, in the following words. " I did *! not mean a new birth in a natural, but " in a moral ferSe; that a man mud: be 4< entirely changed from all the corrupt " opinions he has before entertained ; and .•* from whatever wicked practices he has *' formerly been guilty of, and enter " upon a perfectly new courfe of life : *f that he muft be baptized into the *c profefiion of the true courfe of religion ; «< and that, fuitably to this obligation, he "muft be thoroughly purified from all " worldly and carnal lulls, and muft cc univerfally conform himfelf in mind (i and life to obey all the holy precepts cc of that religion, under the guidance '* and afTiftance of the Divine Spirit,
( i>9 ) 4c which God will be always ready to 46 bellow on thofe who fmcercly defire to *c obey his commandments. This, I fay, u is neceflary in order to a man's attain* f* ftig'Cterna] life; and without this, he <c can never enter into the kingdom of " God."
This was doctrine very neceflary to Nicodemusy a man of the Pharifees, who were infinitely fcrupulous about exiernalsy but great Grangers to i?:ivard, fubftantial religion.
There are two other palTages produced in proof of infant baptifm. i Cor. vii. 14. Elfe were your children unclean^ but now are they holy. Rom. xi. 16. If the root be holy, fo are the branches. Lam very willing that children fhould be as holy as the molt benevolent perfon pan wifh them. I have no manner of incli- nation to lay a {tain on that innocent age, which our bleiTed Saviour was fo remark- ably inclined to point out to us, as the 3
( 120 )
tmblem and /ample of that fimplicity and purity neceflary to all his difciples. But as here is not a word about their bap- tifm9 we ftill, my Lord, remain quite de- ftitute of that plain and full declaration , which your Lordfhip requires for the fupport and warrant of a pofitive injli- tut ion.
But no argument is received more rea- dily than this : Baptifm comes in the room of Circumcifron : children were cir- cumcifed, and therefore are to be baptized. My Lord, I muft beg leave to hold faft the found words you have taught me. " If 4C this be fo, Chrift or his apoftles have ct declared it." And where is the paf- fage of fcripture, which inftrudls us that baptifm comes in the room of circumci- fion? The New Teftament fpeaks very copioufly of circumcifion as a rite aba- lified; the retention whereof, far from being ferviceable, would be mifchieuous ; therefore it was a happinefs to \sfrtie
( I" )
from it ; but no where, that I can find, does the fcripture fay, or To much as hint, that baptifm comes in its place.
In the apoftles days, the chriftians con- verted from Juadifm were exceedingly in- clined and zealous to incorporate circum- cilion with chriftianity. Their zeal in this matter became very troublefome to the churches. What method do the apoftles take to remedy this evil ? Do they ever inftruft them that they need not be Co tenacious of one pofitive rite, fince another was appointed in its ftead ; to be adminiftered to the fame perfons of the fame age r Such an obfervation would have been very much to the purpofe ; and the moft likely that could be to give the judaizing chriftians fatisfaclion ; and therefore, I fuppofe, the apoftles would have taken this method, if the fact were really fo, that baptifm was fubfti- tuted in the room of circumcifion. But do they go this way to work? Nothing is
3
t 122,)
to be found of it in all their reafomngs to diiluade christians from circumcifion.
They warn chriftians that the zealots for circumcifion were fubverters of mens fouls, Acls xv. 24. That circumcifion availed not unto j unification ; whether that rite be conftdered as derived from Mofes or from Abraham, Rom. iv. But, that if they were cireumcifed, Chrlji fiould profit them nothing. Gal. v. 2.
This is the way they treat that Old- Teftament rite : as a ufelefs, burthen- fome, injurious ceremony. But they ne- ver go about to foften the Jews, by telling them that chriftianity has another rite in its Jlead. And yet this way of dealing with them is not more foft, than it was likely to have proved effectual; if it were fo, that bap/ifm is the fubftitute of cir- cumcifion. Now becaufe the apoftles never talk in this ftrain, it feems natural to infer they never thought fo.
( i23 )
I know but of one pafTage in "all the New Teftament, that has been offered in fupport of the opinion, that baptifm comes in the place of circumcifion, and that is, ColoflT. ii. u, 12. In whom al/o ye are circumci/ed with the circumcifion mads Without hands, in putting off the body 0/ }he /ins o/the fiejhy by the circumafim of Chrifl : buried ivith him in bapti/m, &c.
For the right undemanding of this paflage, it will be needful to obferve ; that the CcIoJJians, as other churches of the Gentiles, were in danger of being /educed to the obfervance of circumcifion. To guard them againft this danger, the apoftle here tells them, they had received the internal and fpiritual circumcifion, made without hands, in putting off the body of the fins of the flefh: cenfe- quentlv the literal circumcifion was not neceflarv, and the judaizing chriftians troubled them with a groundlefs cen- tre verfy.
( «*)
'St. Paul teaches the fame doctrine in other places : thus, Ro?n. ii. 28, 29* For he is not a Jew which is me out- wardly; neither is that circumcifion which is OUTWARD in the F L E s H ; hut he is a Jew which is one inwardly j and circumcision is that of the HEART, in the spirit, not in the let- ter, whoje praifi is not of menr but of God.
This inward, fpiritual circumcifio** being alone to be regarded, he calls the jewifli zealots the Concifton, and fays that we Chriflians are the circumcijion, which worfhip God in the fpirit, £sfc.
The apoftle, in the place under confix •deration, doth not call this fpiritual cir- cumcifion. haptifcn; but, being renewed in the fpirit of their mind ; having re- pentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jefus Chrifr. ; in conference of this, they were baptized. Thus they had the
( 125)
outward and vljible fign of Inward and f pi- ritual grace. In a word, the circumcifion here ipoken of cannot mean baptif?n , for it is exprefsly faid to be made without hands ; which is not true of baptifm, any more than of the literal circumcifion.
/ am,
my Lord, &g.
LETTER
LETTER X
My Lord,
b
APTISM is not a deduclion of rea- fon but a plain faflt concerning which the acuteff. philofopher can know nothing more than any man of common knk. What the fcripture teftines and declares concerning this fact, that is our rule, ob- vious to every attentive reader.
As in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the fact is, that Chrift gave the cup to the difciples as well as the bread; and there- fore the Roman church erretb, in with- holding the cup from the people; and as it is an error to give the Lord's Sup- per to infants, becaufe they are incapable of remembring Chriit and examining them- felves, both which the fcripture requires relative to that ordinance ; fo in the facra- ment of baptifm, it fhould feem, that be-
( «27)
ciuic the fact, as it (lands in the New Tc* {lament, is immerjion, it is an error to to throw that afide, and put fomething elfe in the room of it ; and becaufe the fact as it (lands in the New Teftament is, that men believed, and were baptized in eonjequence and tejiimony of fuch belief; not vicarious, not another promifing for them, the New Teftament knows nothing of this, but their own proper perfonal belief; therefore it is an error to throw afide the adminiftration of baptifm to be- Uevers, and apply and confine it to an age entirely incapable of any rational act.
After the (Iricleft fearch into the na- ture and defign of this pofitive inftitution, it appears to me there is no pofitive proof that it was defigned for children. And if it be allowed there is no pofitive evi- dence, it is, I think, allowing there is no proof at all : for nothing of a pofitive and ritual nature can be proved a duty, or a command of God, merely by our own riafonings, and by arguments drawn from
fuppofed fitnefs. If once we admit as ctt- vine appointment S) practices grounded ori our own notions of fitnefs , expediency ', ufe- fulnefs, &c. there is no knowing where to flop. At this rate a thoufand ceremonies may be introduced into the church, though not one of them can fland the queftion, Who hath required this at your bands? Ifai. i. 12.
I am forry I am brought to a conclufion, in which fo many are ctherwife minded. And what parts us? It is this. They aim to prove a pofitive command by inferences : I think it necelTary (in which I am ho- noured with your Lord (hip's fufFrage) to look out for a plain declaration. By the force of inference, they fet afide that ma- turity of age, and f elf ■ dedication to true religion, to which all the New Teftament hiftory of baptifm confines it ; and univer- fally, (except in the cafe of profelytimi) apply it to an age incapable of knowing the defign of the folemnity, and of which the gofpel is perfectly fdent.
C 129 )
From examining the inftru&ions of Jefus Chrift, and his apoftles, it appears to me, that the two pofitive inftitutions of the gofpel fhould go hand in hand, and be received about the fame time; and none baptized, 'till like St. Peter's audience, they gladly receive the word, and are qualified for chriftian fellowjhip, and breaking of bread, A els ii. 41, 42. But, with moft chriftians, thefe two ordinances are kept afunder, by the fpace of a great number of years.
Infants, fay the writers for Paedo-bap- tifm, were received into covenant under the Old Teftament by Circumcifion ; therefore they mull: be received into the chriftian covenant by Baptifm : elfe the Jewifh children had a privilege beyond thofe of Chriftians.
And may not infallibility, that funda- mental do&rine of the Roman church, be proved in the fame manner ? As thus :
K
( *3° ) . The people cf God under the Old Te- ilament enjoyed the benefit of infallibility. The High Priefi had the Urim and Tbum- rnim, by which the mind of God was known for certainty on great occafions. Confcqucntly, there muil be infallibility in the christian church : otherwife the ]efs perfect difpenfation of Mofes will have a great privilege beyond the thrijl'ian. And this infallibility is mod evidently of the greateft fervice, to maintain unity and peace, fb neceflary to the (lability and improvement of the church, and to prevent ftrife and contention, the root of confufion and every evil work. A privilege fo obvioufly of the greater!: uie, and which the church had under the Old Teitament, undoubtedly remains under the better and more glorious difpenfation. of Chrift.
Thus the Romamjl, in an affair whofe nature admits of none but pofitive evidence, endeavours to make up the want of it bj
( 13' )
infersnce^ and reafoning from fitnefs. Such an inftitution there was under the Old Teftament ; therefore it remains under the New.
But, " that our Saviour defigned the " biftiop of Rome to this office [cf infal- " libility] and yet would not fay fo, nor « caufe it to be written, fo much as once9 ** by any of the evangelifts and apoftles, « but leave it to be drawn out of uncer- " tain principles, by thirteen or fourteen ** more uncertain confequences ; he that " can believe it, let him believe it." Chil- " ling. p. 6 1.
Whether, or how far this is applicable to the doclrine of infant baptifm, which alfo our Saviour has not caufed to be written by any of the evangelifts and apoftles, fo much as once> your Lordfhip will judge.
If pofttive inftitution* may be proved
K 2
( *# )
by mere inference, and the fuppofed fitr.efi . of things; may we not advance a (rep or two farther? Thus, At the paffover, men, women, and children partook, vide Exod, xii. 4. and Pat. Comment. Since then children partook of the paflbver, they have a right to the Lord's Supper. The palT- over was an ordinance which particularly concerned children, commemorating falva- tion to all the firji-bom of Jfrael, when the firft-born of the Egyptians were de- ftroyed. But the falvation accomplished by Jefus Chri/i is of infinitely more im- portance than what the paflbver comme- morated. Chrift is the true pafchal lamb, and exprefsly ftiled our paffover facrificed for us. Shall children then be partakers of the type, and have no part in the great antitype? Were they allowed to partake of an inftitution which celebrated a bodily and temporal deliverance : and will it not be hard and unreafonable to exclude them from a fervice which commemorates the eternal falvation of the foul by the Son of
( 133)
God ? Had children a part in the memo- rial of that bloody which fecured them from the deftruclion in Egypt : and muft they be outcafts from the Lord's Supper, as it' they had no part nor lot in the blood ofChriJl? How abfurd were this ! to al- low them the Jhadow, and debar them the fubftance I to admit them to a lefs privilege, and fhut them out from an infinitely greater!
Again : may we not reajon out a right to pofitive institution, thus : God pro- mifed Abraham, to be a God to him, and to his seed After him, Gen. xvii. 7. Of this promife and covenant circumcifion was the token, ver. 10, ir. But furely the Almighty did not confine his promife and covenant to the mate-feed of Abraham, The diftinclion of fex only, cannot make fo vaft a difference, that the Jons of the patriarch were within the covenant, and the daughters out of it. Befides. this co- venant with Abraham was the covenant of
( 134)
Grace ; that very covenant which contains the^ fpiritual and eternal bleflings of the go/pel. Far be it from any one to think, that the daughters of Abraham were ex- cluded fuch a covenant. Being then within the covenant, they have a right to an external fis;n and token of the co- venant.
True, it is only faid in exprefs words, Every MAN- child among you Jhall be cir- cumcifed. But certainly, Abraham^ and the Ifraelitesy were not fuch poor rea- foners, that they could not infer, by ana- logy, the right of the female, Abraham's daughters muft not be caft out of cove- nant : but to deny them an external fign would be an exclufion of them, and leav- ing them to the uncovenanted mercies of God.
I am aware, your Lordfhip will fay ; this is carrying analogy too far. Analogy will not fuffice in fupport of duties that reft only on 'plain declaration*
( *35 )
I grant it. But, my Lord, is not this
the very rcafoning for infant baptifm, in
default of pofitive command and evidence?
and the reafoning on which the greatejl
Jlrefs is laid?
ce By analogy* faith Dr. Clarke* drawn ct from this rite of circumcifion* it has, " for very many ages, been the general <c practice in the Chriftian church to re- " ceive infants by baptifm into the obli- M gations of faith and obedience to the *c gofpel; and to make profeilion fir M them, what they are to believe and M obey. [His next words are remark - " able.] Whether this analogy be rightly cc drawn* or no ; and be a fttfficient and " adequate foundation for what has been iC built upon it, is a controverfy." Sec, Serm. xxxviii. Vol. I. Edit. Fol. And a controverfy, I think, it will always re- main, while the practice fubfifteth, and we are bleiTed with the liberty of the Bi- ble* by which to examine and judge of it.
( 136 )
I (hall conclude with offering it to con- fideration, how widely our prefent admi- niftration of baptifm differs from its firff ftate. It was according to the gofpel, immerfion, and continued fo, univerfally, for many ages ; but we have at laft dif- covered the inconvenience of that, and al- tered it for another rite. Its original de- fign was, that the perfons baptized fhould therein teftify for themfelves, and as their perfonal adl, their acknowledgment and belief of Jefus Chrifl to be the Mefliah, and Son of God ; and their obligation and purpofe of obedience to him. Their baptifm, at the very time of receiving it, was a folemn declaration of their being believers, and of the obligation, they know- ingly and of choice, took upon themfelves, to walk worthy of the Lord unto all-pleajing. But now, inftead of the perfon baptjzed chufing for himfelf, and promifing for himfelf, he is a mere paffive creature ; of an age that knows nothing ; incapable of choice j but promifes, by proxyt that he
( i37)
will be, if he lives long enough, a good Chriftian.
Such is the change made in this facra- ment: may 1 be permitted to afk, is it not a change entire and total, both as to the rite itfelf, and the perfons to whom it is adminiftered? an exclufion of the divine right- of immerfion and putting another thing in its ftead ? A preclufion of the only perfons declared in fcripture, viz. moral agents, perfons able to confider and chufe and act for themfelves, and confining it to an age, of which, with regard to this facrament, the New Te- ftament declareth not one fingle word : herein, I think, is verified the obferva- tion of that truly great man Archbifhop Tillotfon, mentioned at the beginning of thefe letters, viz. " In procefs of time the " beft inftitutions are apt to decline, and " by infenfible degrees to fwerve and de- 66 part from the perfection of their fir/i " Jlate, and therefore it is a good rule,
( i3« )
" to preferve things from corruption and « degeneracy, often to look lack to the fir ft " inftitution, and by that to correct thofe " imperfe&ions and errors, which will " almoft unavoidably creep in with time."
/ am> my Lord,
With great deference
and efteem. Tour Lordjhip's
mofl humble Servant.
M
4 •