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ELEVEN SELECT
S E R M O N S,
OF THE LATE
Ref. JAMES SAUR IN,
ON
VARIOUS IMPORTANT SUBJECTS.
CG NCO RD : PRINTED BY GEORGE HOUGH,
FOR CHARLES PEinCE, PORTSMOUTH, N. IÎ,
1B06.
TTlli: NEW YORK PUBLIC LTHTIARY
Bâmm
astor, lenox anp hldkn f(5un dations
I 1940 L
PREFACE.
THE Reverend James Sjuruv, the author of the enfuing difcourles, was born at Nifoies, a noted city of France, in 1677. His father was a lawyer, eminent for his learning and eloquence, of the prate ftant profef- llon, who, upon the revocation of the edid of Nantz, retired to Geneva, where he ended his days. James re« moved with him, and was educated under fome of the naoft learned -and pious profefibrs of the age.
Having completed his ftudies, in- 1700 he vifited England, where he peiided nearly five years, and was re- markably acceptable as a preacher among his fellow exiles in the city of London.
" His ftyle," fays the tranfiator of his fermons, the Reverend Rcùeri Robinfon^ " was pure, unafFeded, and eloquent, fometimes plaîn, fometimes flowery ; but never improper, as it was always adapted to the audience for whofe fake he fpoke,''
In
îv PREFACE.
In 1705, a chaplain (111 p to fome of the nobiiity at the Hague was of-. fered him, which he accepted. Here he continued till his death. He was conftantly attended by a very crowd- ed and brilliant aiTeinbly, He wa^ heard with the utmofl: attention, and his ininiderial labors were abundant- ly blefTed by the great Head of the church.
île departed this life," for a better, on the 30th of December, 1730, at I il e age of 5 2 , ii n c e re 1 y a n d u n i v c r fal- iy regretted by the people of his charge, and by all, who had the , hap- pinejTs of an acquaintance Àvith him.
Mr. Saurin's printed fermons are comprifed in twelve volumes. From thoie, which have been tranflatedy rliis feleâ.ion has been carefully made by a gentleman of leifure, judgment, and tafle, r :
To thofe, who have not had op- portunity for pcrufing thé fermons of this celebrated divine, the follow- ing recommendation pnay ootheuia* acceptable, .l-.'j^: ::: yA^: '^:::!''r 'iv;
approbation
PREFACE. V
approbation of the Walloon Church at
' Dort^ anphyed by the Synod of
Utrecht^ to examine the fermons of
Air, Saurfu,
** WE have found nothing in ali thefe fermon%contrary to the doctrine received among us. We have re- marked eveiy where,; a manly, el o- ([uence ; a clofe reafontng ; an im- aginatiopij lively and proper, to eftab- Inh tqe-Trutti of oar hoi j religion ; and to e.-^plairi; fubftaDtiaily and ele- gantly, the doctrines of morality. Ac- cordingly, we believe they will effec- tually contribute to edify the Church, and to render more and more refped:- able the memory of this worthy fer- vant of God ; whofe death, the ex- amination of his v/orks, hath given us a frefli occafion to lament. We atteft this to the venerable Synod at Utrecht. In the fame fentiments, we fend the prefent atteftation to our dear brother, Mr. Dumont, paftor and pro- feflbr at Rotterdam, whom the late
vi PREFACE.
Mr. Saurln appointed, by his will, to take the charge of publifhing fuch of his works as were fit for the prefs. Done at the Conji/lory of the WaU loon Churchy at Dort ^ May 7.0th ^ 1 73 1, and figned by order of all, by H. G. Certon, Pajior, S. Comperat, Pajlor, Adrian Bruets Jacobz, Elder^ John Backris, Elder. John Van Breda, Deacon. ^inuon Taay Van Campen, DcacJ^
CONTENTS.
SERMON I.
The OmniprcfenceofGod.
PSALM CXXXiX. r, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.
Page ...... 17
SERMON IL
The Manner of praifing God.
Psalm xxxiii* 1.
Page 4r
SERMON III.
The Sovereignty of Jefiis Chrift in the
Church.
KûMANs xiv. 7, 8.
Page ea
SERMON IV.
The Equality of Mankind,
PaovfcKBS xxii. 2.
Page ...... 95
SERMON V.
The Worth of the SouL
^-ATTHEW Xvi, 26.
Page , 119
vlii C O N T E N T S.
SERMON VÎ. The Birth of Jeftis Cbri/l.
Isaiah ix. 6, 7.
'Page 144
SERMON VIL
The Rcfurrecfion of J ejus Chriji,
Psalm cxviii. 15, 16.
Page 170
SERMON VIÎI.
The Ahfurdity of Libtrtmifm and Lifdelity,
Psalm xciv. 7, 8, 9, 10.
Page 197
SERMON IX.
The Harmony of Religion and Civil Polity,
Proverbs xiv. 34.
Page 222
SERMON X.
Chrifian Heroifm* Proverbs xvi. 32.
Page «.,... 254
SERMON XI.
Gc7ieral Mifakes,
Pa^-e .....* 2 re
LIFE
OF
3î£r. JAMES SJURIK
M
R. SAURIN, the father of our a», thor, was an eminent proteftant lawyer at Nifmcs, who, after the repeal of the edi6l of Nantz, 1685, retired to Geneva. He was confidered at Geneva as the oracle of the French language, the nature and beauty of which he thoroughly under- ilood. He had four fons, whom he trained up in learning,and who were all fo remarkably eloquent, that eloquence was faid -to be hereditary in the family. The Reverend Lewis Saurin, 0!?e of the Tons, was afterwards pallor of a French church in London. Saurin, the father, died at Geneva^ James, the author of the following fermons, was born at Hifmes, in 1677, and went with his fa-» ther into exile, to Geneva, where he profited very much in learning.
In the feven tee nth year of his age, 1694, Sau* Tin quitted his ftudies to go into the army, and made a campaign as a cadet in lord Galloway's company. The next year, 1695, his captaiii gave him a pair of colours in his regiment, which then ferved in Piedmont ; but the yesr after, 1696, the duke of Savoy, under whom Saur'rn ferved, having made his peace with France, Sau- rin quitted the profelRon of arms, for which he was never defigned, and returned to Geneva to ftudy.
Geneva was, at that time, the refidence of fomc
of the befl: fcholars in Europe, who were in the;
highefl: eflimation in the republic of letters. Pic«
tet, Lewis Tronchin, and Philip MeHrezat, -were
B profclTors
10 Life oj
prof(r{Tors of dlvinitj' there ; Alphonfo TiirretHi was profeiïor of furred hifto«y ; and Choiiet, who %vas Aîfterwards t?(ken from his profelTorfhip, and admitted into the government of the republic, ■>vas profeffor of natural philofophy. The other clepai tments were filled with men, equally emi- îient in their feveral profcffions. Some of them were natives of Geneva, others were exiles from Italy and France, feveral were of noble families, and all of them were men of eminent piety. -Under thefc great mafters, Saurin became a flu- dent, and particularly applied himfelf to divinity, as he now began to think of devoting himfelf to the miniflry, 1696. To dedicate one's felf to the minillry in a wealthy, flounr.iing church, 'where rich benefices are every day becoming va- cant, lequires very little virtue, and fomctimes only a (h-ong propenfity to vice ; but to choofe to be a minifler in fuch a poor, banifhed, perfe- futed church as that of the French proteltants, argues a noble contempt of the world, and a fu- preme love to God and to the fouls of men. Thefe are the beft tellimonials, however, of a young minifter, whofe profefïion is, not to enrich, but to save himself^ and them ivbo hear hhn^ I Tim. IV. 16.
After Mr. Saurin had faiiHied his ftudies, 1700., he vifited Holland and England, In the firft he made a very (hort .{lay ; but in the laft he (laid «Imoft five years, and preached with great accept- ance among his fellow exiles in London. Of his pcrfon an idea may be formed by the annexed copper-plate, which is faid to be a great likenefs, and for which I am indebted to my ingenious friend Mr. Thomas Holloway. His drefs was that of the French clergy, the gown and cafTock* His addrefs was perfetlly genteel, a happy com- pound of the alFable and the grave, at an equal difVance from rufticity and foppery. His voice «ra? Ilrong, clear, and harmonious, aad he never
Êcv* Jama Saurin* il
ïbfi the man^tgement of it. His ftyle was pure, oiiafFetled, and eloquent, fometiities plain, and- fometiiiies flowery ; bat never improper, as it was always adapted to the audience, for whofe f^kc he fpoke. An Italian acquaintance of mirie,' ^vho often heard him at the Hague, tells n)e, thatf in the introductions of his fermons he ufed to deliver hinaielf in a tone modefl: and low ; in the body of thef fermon, which was adapted to the «nderftanding, he was plain, clear, and argu- jijentative, paufihg'' at the dole of each period, that he might difcover, by the countenances and motions of his hearers, whether they were con- vinced by his reaioning ; in his addreffes to the ■wicked, (and it is a folly to preach as if there •were none in our afiemblies, Mr. Saurin knew mankind too well) he was often fonorous^ bur df- tener a weeping fuppliant at their feet. In the one he ftrftained the authoritative dignity of his office, in the other he exprcfTed his Mafter's and lïis own benevolenee to bad men, praying tbem in Christ's stead to be reconciled- to God» 2 Core V. 20. In general, adds my friend^ his preach- îng" refembled a plentiful fiiower of dew, foftly and imperceptibly infinuating itfelf into the minds of his numerous hearers, as the dew into the poreâ cf plants, till the whole church was diffolved, and all in tears under his fermons. His dbdrine was that of the French proteftants, which, at that time, was moderate calvinifm. He approved of the difcipline of his own churches* which was prefbyterian. He was an admirable fcholar, and^ •which were his higheft encomiums, he had an unconquerable averfion lo fin, <) fupreme love to God and to the fouls of men, and a holy unblem- iflied life. Certainly he had fomc faults ; but^ as I have never heard of any, I can publiOi none; During his ftay in England, he married a Mifs Catherine Boyton, in 1703, by whom he had a fon, named Philip, who farrived him ; but wheth«
cr
jEHK
12 Lift of
cr ^e had any more children I know not. Tw« years after his marriage he returned to Holland, in 1705, where he had a irind to fettle ; but,, the paftoral ofiices bcinj all full, and meeting with no prolpedi of a fettlemcnt, though his preaching was received with univerfal applaufe, he was preparing to return to England, >»faen a chaplainfhip to fonie of the nobility at the Hague, with a rtipend, was offered to him. This fitua- tion exatily fuited his withes, and he accepted the place-
The ^ague, it is faid, is the finefl village iu "Europe, It is the refidencc of the States Gen- eral, of ambaffadors and envoys from other courts, of a great number of nobility and gentry, and of a multitude of French refugees. The princes of Orange have a fpacious palace here, and the chapel cf the palace was given to the refugees for a place of public wovlhip ; and, it being too fmall to contain them, it was enlarged by above a- hîiîf. This French church called hini to be one of their paRors. He accepted the call, and continued in his office till his death. He was conftantly attended by a very crowded and brilliant audience, was heard with the.utmoft at» tention and pleafurc, and, what few miniftcr? can fay, the effc^cfls of his minifterial labours were- feen in the holy lives of great numbers of his people.
When the princefs ef Wales, afterward Queen- tHaroIine, pafTed through Holland in her way tq England, Mr. Saurin had the honour of paying his refpeils to, that illuftrioijs lady. Her royal highncfs wui pleafed to fingle him out from the refi of the clergy, who were prefent, and to fay to him,, " Do not imagine that, being dazzled with the glory which this revolution feems to promife me, I have loft fight of that God from whom it proceeds. He hath been pleafed to dif- linguifh it with fo many c:ctrdc;diuary marks,
that
Rcy. y âmes Saurin. 13
that I cannot miftake his divine hand ; and, as I confider this long irain of favours as immediate- ly coming from him, to him alone I confeciate them." It is not alîonilhing, that Saurin fpealw of condefcenfion with rapture. They are the kind and chriftian allions of the governors of il free people, and not the haughty airs of a French tyrant, infuiting his flaves, that attach and iw- flame the hearts of mankind* The hiftory of this lUuftrious chriftian queen is not \Yritten in bloody and therefore it is always read wiUi tears» of grateful joy.
Her royal highiiefs was fo well fatiified of Mr» Saurin's merit, that foon after her arrival in England Ihe ordered Dr, Boulter, who was pre- ceptor to prince Frederick, the favHer of his pref- cnt majçfty, to write to Sautin, to draw up a treatife on the education of princes, Saurin im- mediately obeyed the order, and preExed a dcdi*. cation to the young princes. The book was Mcver printed ; but as it obtained the approba- tion of the- princefs of Wales; wha was an irr- comparable judges we may conclude tha-t it was excellent in its kind» This was followed by â Landfome preient from the princefs to- the author.
His moil confiderable work was entitled, D;V- cuurses^, historical^ critical^ and morale on the 7]wst' memorabie events of 'the old' and'new testom ment. This work was undertaken by the dcfire ©f à Dutch merchant, who e:^pendtd an immenfe fum in the engraving of a multitude of copper- plates, which adorn the work. It conliils of fix folio volumes. Mr. Saurin died before the third ■was finiflied ; but Mr, Roques finifhed the third, and added a fourth on the old teflamrnt ; and Mr. de Beauibbre fubjolned two on the new tef- tament. The whole is replete with very exteii- live learning, and well worth the careful perufal «fHudents in divinity. The fir U of theie was
B 2 tranilate4
14 Lift of
irai){îa.ted into Engliibby, Chamberlayne, foon after ks firft publication in French.
Our author's dissertation on the expedience of sometimes disguising the trutby raifed a furious clamour agp.inll him. He does not decide the queftion ; but he feems to take the aiirmativc* Xhis produced a paper war, and his auiagonifts unjudly cenfured his morals. The mildnefs of ins difpofition rendered him n dcfuable opponent, for though he was furc to conquer, yet he fub* cued his adverfary fo handfoniely, that the cap- tive was the better for his defeat. But others did not controvert "with fo much temper. Some ■wrote againft him, others for him. At length- the fynod decided the difpute in his favour.
He publifhed a fmall, but valuable piece, on the state of Christianity in Fronce* It treats of many important points of religion, in controverfy between catholics and proieflants. There is alfo a fmall catechism of his publifhing, "which I think worth the attention of fuch as educate children in the firfl principles of religion.
There are twelve volumes of his fermons, 3orae are dedicated to his maje fly George II. and tlw. king was pleafed to allow him a handfomc penfion. Some to her majefty Queen Caroline^ while file was princcfs of Wales. One to count Waffanaer, a Dutch nobleman. Two \v«re ded-- icatcd to her majefty, after his deceafe, by his ion. Profeffor Domont, and Mr. HufVon, to; whom Mr. Saurin left his manufcripts, publilhed the reft, and one volume is dedicated to the. epunttfs Dowager of Albemarle. The Englifii ieem therefore to have a right to the labours of this great man.
Mr. Saurin died at the Hague, on Dec. SOth, 1730, aged 53, moft finccrtly regretted by all his acquaintances, as well as by his church, who lo(l m him a truly primitive chrtllian niiniftcr,
Rev. Jamtî Saurini i^,
who fpent his life in watching over his flock, as one who knew he muft give an account.
In regard to this tranflation, it was firft under- taken by the délire of a fmall circle of private friends^ for our mutual edification.- If i have fuffered ray private opinion to be prevailed over- by others to print this tranflation, it is not be- caufe I think myfelf able to give language to- Saurin ; but becaufe I humbly hope that the fen- tinients of the author may^ be conveyed to the. reader by it. His fentiments, 1 think, are, in general, thofe of the holy fcripture, and his man- ner of treating them well adapted to imprefs them on the heart. I have endeavoured not to difguife his meaning, though I have not been ;vblc to adopt his ftyle j for which defecSl, though 1 print them by private fubfcription, for the wfe of my friends, on whofe candour Idepend, yet I do not offer to publifli them to the world for the language of Mr. Saurin» I fhould have been glad to have plcafed every fubfcriber^ by infert- ing thofe fermons, which were moft agreeable^ta- him, had I known which they were ; but as this^ "was impofiiblc, I have followed my own jodg, ment, or perhaps cxpofed my want of it. The; full volume aims to fecure the doArine of a God, . •.^gainft^ the attacks of atheifts. In the fécond,, we tnean to plead for the holy scriptures againft âcifts. In the third, we intend to take thofe fermons, which treat of the doctrines of chris^ tianity, as v/e humbly conceive that the new tef* tament is fometbing more than a fyftem of moral : philofophy. And the laft volume we dedicate to» moral fubjc£ts, becaufe we think chriûianity a holy, religion, productive of moral obedience in all its true difciplcs. To this fécond edition a Jiftb. volume is added on mifcellaneous fubjed\s* May, the God of' all grace blefs the revading of them tothc weakening of the dominion of fin^ and to the advancement of, the kingdom of. ouj? blcfrc4 Redeemer, Jefus Ghrifti
SERMONS..
•ÎS--
SERMON L
THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD.
Psalm cxxxix. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, i3.
Whither shall I go from thy spirit ? or whither shall I fiee from thy presence ? If I ascend: tip into heaven^ thou art there ; If I make my led in helly behold thou art there. If / tak^ the wings of the morning, and dwell in the ut" termost parts of the sea, eiyen there shîiU thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall holâl me» If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me : even the night shall he light aBout me* Tea the darkness hideth not from thee ; but tb'e^ night shineth as the day : the darkness andthE: light arc both alike to thee..
Gould I have one wifii, to anfwcifr wy propolcd end of preaching to-day with effica- cy, chrifliansr, it fhould be to fhew you God in this affembly.. Mofes had fuch an advantage, no man therefore ever fpokc with greater fuccefs. He gave the law to the people, in God the legif- lator's prfifence.. He could fay, This law which I give you, proceeds from God : here is his throne, there is his lightning, yonder is his thunder. Accordingly, never were a people more ftruck >yith a legillator's voice. Mofes had hardly be- gun to fpeak, but, at lead for that moment, all hearts were united, and all Sinai echoed with one voice, crying, " All that thou liafl fpokeii wc will do." £xod, xix. 8.
But.
i'8^^' The Omnipresence of Goal
But in vain are our fermons drawrt from the" fa c red four ces : in vain do we fay to you, Thus jaiib the Lord : you fee only, a man ; you hear «nly a mortal voice in this pulpit ; God hath put kis treasure into fnm.?^tn' vessels y 2 Cor. iv. 7-- and our auditors, edi mating the treafure by the Tiieannefs of the veffrl, inftcad of fupporting the «leannefs of the veiTcI for the fhke of the treaf- ure, hear us without refpe^V, and, generally, de- rive no advantage from the miniitry.
But were God preient in this aiTembly, could we Ihew yoir the Deity amongft you, authorizing «ur voice by his approbation and prefence, and examining with what difpofitions you hear his ■word which of you, which of you, my brethren» could, reufi fo eminent and fo noble a motive ?
Chrillians, this idea is not deftitute of rtaliiy : ■ God is every wh^re ; he is in this church.-. Vails of fielh and blood prevent your Cght-of him ;" thefe mufk fall, and you muft open tiie eyes of your fpirits, if you would fee a Gody who is s. spirit, John iv. 24. Hear ouiv> prophet ; hear his magnificent defcription of th5> iramenfuy and omniprefence of God, "Whither fhall I go from thy fpirit ? or whithçr fhall I flee from thy pre fen ce ? If I afcend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I.take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermoft parts of. the fea ; even .there Aî-iiH thy hand lead mc, and thy right hand" iliail hold me,^ If I fay, Surely the- darknefs ■ llviil cover me ; even the night fhall be- light'- about me» Yea the d.arkncfs hideth not from thee ; but the night (liinçth as the day : the • darknefs and the light are both alike to thee."
In a text lel^ abundant in riches, we might make fome remarks on the terms spirit 2Lndpres~ ence ; but we will content ourfelves at prefent •with indicating what ideas we affix to them, hv oblervinç, that by the s^jirit'ind preseiice of God, .
we
*Fhe Omni'pye$ence of G&d, -é^
■^we underhand God himfelf. I know, Torae dU ;"vines dilcover great myfteries in thefe terms, and jtell us that there are lome pafTag-es in fcripture •tvhere the v/ord presence means the fécond per- fon in the mod holy Trinity, and where the term spirit is certainly to be underftood of the third» But as there are fome pafTages where thefe terms have not this fignification, it is beyond all doubt .that this, which vife are explaining, ,is precilely cf the latter kind. However, if any Qifpute our comment, we fliall leave them to difpute it ; for it would be unjuft to confume that time, which is dedicated to the edification of a -whole congre- gation, in refuting a particular opinion. The bther exprefîions in our text, heaven^ bell ; the loings of the mornings a figurative expreifion, denoting the rapidity of the light in communi- cating itfelf from cne end of the world to the other J thefe exprefnons, I fay, need no com- ment, Thç presenc€ of God, the spirit of God, fignify tV^n the divine elTence ; and this affem- b'lage of ideas, tvhither shall I go from thy spir- it ? wbitber shall I flee from thy prcsejice f means, that'God is immenfe, and that he is pref- iCnt in -every jilace.
ïBut wherein confifts tiiis immenHty and omnî- prefenee ? If ever a queftion required develop- ing, this certainly does ; not only bec^ufe it pre- sents to the mind an abftradl fubje6l, which does rot fall under the obfervatlon of the fenfcs, but becaufe many who have treated this matter, (par- don'an opinion which does not proceed from a defire of oppofing any individual, but only frocn a love to the truth) many who have handled the fubjedl, have contributed more to perplex, than to explain it. We may obfcrve, in general, that, unlefs we be wholly unacquainted with the hiflory of the fciences, it is impoffible not to ac- knowledge, that all quellions about the nature of fpirits, all that are any way related to metaphyf-
ics^
«o The Omnipresence of God»
ÎCS, were very little underftood before the time OÎ that celebrated philofopher, whom God feems to have bellowed on the wodd to purify reafon, as he had feme time before raifcd up others to purify religion.*
What heaps of crude and indigefted notions do we find, among the fchoolmen, of the immen- fity of -God ? One faid, God was a point, indi- "«iiîble indeed, but a point, however, that had *he peculiar property of occupying every part of the univerfe. Another, that God was the place of all beings, the immenfe extent in which his power had placed them. Another, that his ef- fence was really in heaven, but yet, repletivelyj as they exprefs it, in every part of the univerfe. In fhort, this truth hath been obfcured by the groffeft ignorance. Whatever averfion we have to the decifive tone, we will venture to afiFinn, that people, who talked in this manner of God, had no ideas therafelves of what they advanced.
Do not be afraid of our conduding you into thefe wild mazes ; do not imagine that we will bufy ourfelves in expofing all thefe notions, for the fake of labouring to refute them. We will content ourfelves with giving you fonie light in- to the omniprcfence of God :
T. By removing thofe falfe ideas, which, at firft, fecm to prefent thcmlelves to the imagina- tion ;
II. By affigning tbe true.
I. Let us remove the falfe ideas, which, at firft, prefent themfelves to the imagination ; as if, when we fay that God is prefent in any place, we mean that he is adually contained therein ; as if, when we fay that God is in every place, we mean to afîîgn to him a real and proper extcn«
on.
• The philofopher Intended by Mr. S. I fnppofe, is his countryman Dçfcartes» born in 15^6. Vie de Defc« parBaillct.
Tilt Omnipresence of God. 21
fion. Neither of thcfc is défigned ; and to re- move thefe ideas, my brethren, two refle£lions are fufficient.
God is a fpirit. A fpirit cannot be in a place, at leaft in the manner in which we conceive of place.
1. God is a fpirit. What relation can yoa find between wifdom, power, mercy, and all the other attributes, which enter into your notion of the divinity, and the nature of bodies ? Pulver- ize matter, give it all the different forms ot "which it is fufceptible, elevate it to its higheft degree of attainment, make it vafl and immenfe, moderate or fmall, luminous or obfcivre, opaque or tranfparent : there will never refult any thinjj but figures, and never will you be able, by all the[^ combinations or divificns, to produce one fingle fentiment, one Tingle thought, like thî^t of the meanefl and mofl contra6\ed of all mankind. If matter then cannot be the fubjed of one Tin- gle operation of the foul of a mechanic, how fJiall it be the fufcjeiSl of thofe attributes which make the effence of God himfelf ?
But perhaps God, who is Tpiritual in one part of his elTence, may be corporeal in another part, like man, who, although he hath a fpiritual foul, is yet united to a portion of matter. No : for, however admirable in man that union of fpiritual and fenTible may be, and iliofe laws which unifie his foul to his body, nothing more fully marks his weakneTs and dependence, and corifequently nothing can lefs agree with the divine elTence. 'Is it not a mark of the dependence of an immor- tal and intelligent foul, to be enveloped in a lit- tle flefh and blood, which, accofding to their different motions, determine his Joy or forrow, his happinefs or mifery ? Is it not a mark of liie %veakneTs of our fpirits, to have the power of afling only on that little matter to which we are united, and to have no power over more ? Who C can
2 2 The Omnipresence of God.
Can imagine that God hath fuch limits ? He hath no body.: he is united to none.; 5'et be is united to all. That celebrated -philolbpher, fliall I call him ? or atheift,* who faid that the alTem- blage^cf all exigence conOitiited the divine ef- fence, who would have us coniider all corporeal beings as the body of the divinity, publifl^ed a great extravagance, if he meant that the divine CiTence conGlled of this affemblage. But there is a very jufi; fenfe, in which it may be faid that the whole univerfe is the body of the Deity. In efFeâ:, as I call this portion of matter my body, which I move, a£^, and diredl as I pleafe, io God aduates by his will every part of the ur,i- verfe : he obfcures the fun, he calms the winds, he commands the fea. But this very notion ex- cludes ïll corporiety from. God, and proves t'ut God is a .fpirit. If God fometimes repvefents himfeU with feet, with hands, with eyes, be -riieans in thefe portraits, rather to give us em- blems of his attributes, than images (properly fpeaking") of any parts which he po^'effetb. Therefore, when he attributes thefe to himfelf, "he gives them fo vaft an extent, that we eafily perceive they are not to be grofsly underRood. Hath he hands ? they are hands ivh'ich nveigb the moi^italns in scales^ and the hills in a bal- ance^ which measure tke ivaters in the hollow of his hand, and mete out the heavens ivith a span^ Ifa. Ix. 12. Hath he eyes ? they are eyes that penetrate the mod unmeafurable diRances. Hath he feet ? they are feet which reach from heaven to earth, for the heaven is his throne, end the earth is his footstool, ch. Ixvi. 1. Hath he a voice? it is as the sound of many ivaters, break- ing the cedars of Lebanon, making mount Sirion
skip
* Mr. S. means, I fliould fuppofe, Spinoza; whof« fyftem of atheifm, fays a fenfiblc writer, is more grofs, and therefore lefs dangerous, thau Othffrs ; his poifo» carrying its antidote with it,
The Omnipresence of God. 23
Aip like an unicorn, and' the binds to calvc, Pfal. xxix. 3, 5, 6, 9.
This reminds me of a beautiful palVage in 1 .û- to. He fays that the p;ods, particularly the chief god, the ineffable beauty, as he calls bin, cannot be conceived of but by the underftandmg only, and by quitting fenfible objeûs j that, in order to contemplate the divinity, terre[\iial ideas muft be furmounted ; . that the eyes cannot fee hira ; that the ears cannot hear him. A thought which Julian the apoflate, a great ad- mirer of that phUofopher, fo nobly expreffes in his fatire on the Cxfars. Thus every thing ferves to eftablilh our firft principle, that God i3
a fpirit.
2. But to prove that God is a fpirit, and to prove that he occupies no place, at lead as our imagination conceives, is, in our opinion, to ef- tablifli the fame thefis.
1 know how difficult it is to make this Gonfe- guence intelligible and clear, not only to thofe •who have never been accu'flomed to aiecitation, and who ar^ therefore more excufable for having confufed ideas ; but even to fuch as, having cul- tivated the fciences, are nioft intent on refining their ideas. I freely acknowledge, that afcer we have ufed our utmoft efforts to rife above fenfe and matter, it will be extremely difïlcult to con- ceive the exigence of a fpirit, without conceiv- ing it in a certain place. Yet, I think, what- ever difEeulty there may be in the fyftem of thofe who maintain that an immaterial being "cannot be in a place, properly fo called, there are greater ditficuUics aill in the oppofue opinion : for, what is immaterial hath no parts ; what hath no parts hath no form ; what hath no form hatli no ext^nfion ; what hath no extenfion caa have no fituation in place, properly fo called. For what is it to be in place ? is it not to fill fpace ? is it not to be adiulted with furrounding ^ bodies ?
a 4 ^-^^ Omnipresincc of God.
bodies ? how adjuft with furroundirg bodies ■without parts ? how conlifl of parts without be- inf: corporeal ? But if you afcribe a real and jpioper cxienCion to a fpirit, every thought of »h;it fpirit would be a feparate portion of that cxtenîon, as eveiy part of the body is a feparate portion of the whale body ; every operation of fpirit would be a modification of that extenfxon, as every operation of body is a modification of body ; and, were this the cafe, there would be no abfurdiiy in faying that a thought is round, or fquare, or cubic, which is nothing lefs than the confounding of fpirit v^itîi matter. Thus the idea, which our imagination forms of the omniprefence of God, when it veprefents the el- fcnce of the Supreme Being filling infinite fpaces,-. us we are lodged in our houfes, is a falfe idea that ought to be carefully avoided.
II. What notions then muft we form of the immenfity of God ? In what fenfe do we con- ceive that the infinite Spirit is every where pref- cnt ? My brethren, the bounds of our knowl- edge are fo ftrait, our fphere is fo contrafted, we have fuch imperfeft ideas of fpirits, even of our own fpirits, and, for a much ftrouger reafon, of the Father of fpirits, that no genius in the world, however exalted you may luppofe him, after his greateft efforts of meditation, can fay to you, Thus far extend the attributes of God ; behold a complete idea of his inamenfity and om- niprefence. Yet, by the help of found reafan, above all by the aid of revelation, we may give you, if not complete, at leaft diRimit ideas of the l'ab|e6l \ it is poIEble, if not to indicate all the icnles in which Ooè. is iinmcnfe, at ÎT^.! to poifit out fome : it is pofTible, if not to fliew you all the truth, at lead to difcover it in part.
L^t ys not conceive the omniprefence of God ^s a particular attribute (if I may venture to fay io) of the Dcii/) as g-oodnefs or wifdoro, but as
' the
The Omnipresence of God» 25
the extent or infinity of many others. The cm- niprelence of God is tha» univerfal property by which he communicates himfelf to all, difTufes hunftrlf through all, is the great dire(Slor of< all, or, to confine ourfelves to more diftin£l ideas ftill, the infinite Ipirit is preient in every place,
1. By a boundlefs knowledge,
2. By a general influence.
3. By an univerfal diredion.
God is every where, becaufc he seeib all, be- eauie he wjluenceth all, becaufe he directeth all. This we mud prove and eftablifb. Bat if you ■would judge rightly of what you have heard, and of what you may dill hear, you mufl remember that this fubjedt hath no relation to yonr pleaf- vires, nor to your policy, nor to any of thole ob- jects which occupy and fill your whole fouls ; and confequenilyj that if you would follow us, you mufl Itretch your mediîauon, and go, as it were, out of yourfclvesa
I, The aril idea of God's omniprefence is his omniscience, God is eve/y vvhere pitfcnt, be- caufe he sei:th all. This the pvopli^.-'t bad princi- .pally in view. - ^' O Lord, thou hait îeiàrched me, .and known me. Thou knoweft my down-liaing* and mine up-rifing, thou undt^rPtandc-îl my thoughts afar off'. Thou compniTcd my path aud njy lying down, and art acquainted u iUi ail- my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knowefl it altogeiher. Thou hafl befet me behind and before. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it," ver. 1, 2, 3, Sec. Then follow the words of our text : ^' Whither fliall I g-o from thy fpirit," and fo on.
Let us not then confider the Deity, after the example of the ichoclmen, as a point fixed in the univerfallty oi beings. Let us conlider the ;Univerfiility of beings as a point, and the Deity .as an immeuFc eye, which fees all that paffes in C 2 that
26 The Omnipresence of God.
that point, all that can pofllbly pafs there ; and ■which, by an alUanimating intelligence, niakei an exadl combination of all the eficds of matter, and of all the difpoiitions of fpirit.
1. God knows all the efFcû:s of matter. Ai: expert workman takes a parcel of matter propor- tioned to a work which he meditates, he makea divers wheels, difpofcs them properly, and fees, hy the rules of his art, what mufl: refulc from their aiTcmblage. Suppofe a fublime, exad geni- U3, knowing how to go from principle to princr- ple, and from confcquence to co^fequence, after ibrefeeing what muft refult from two. wheefs joined together, ftiould imagine a third, he wirl as certainly know what muil refult from a third, as from a iirft and fécond ; after imagining- a third, he may imagine a fourth, and properly ar-». range it with the reft in his imagination ; after a fourth a fifth, and fo on to an endlefs number* Such a man could mathematically demondrate, in an exadl and infallible manner, what muft re- fait from a work compofed of all thefe different wheeh. Suppofe further, that this woikman^ Jiaving accurately confidered the effects which would be produced on thefe wheels, by ihat fub- tie matter which in their wliirlings continually furrounds them, and which, by its perpetual ac- tion and motion, chafes, wears, and diffolvcs all bodies ; this workman would tell you, with the lame cxadnefs, how long each of thefe wheels "Would wear, and when the whole work would be confumed. Give this workman life and induftry proportional to his imagination, furnifh him with materials proportional to his ideas, and he will produce a vaft, immenCe work, all the different motions of which he can exadly combine; all the different effe£ls of which he can evidently forefcc. He will fee, in what thme motion will be communicated from the firft of thefe wheel's to the fécond, at what lime the fccond will movt:
the
The Omnipnsencè of God. 2.7"
the third, and fo of the reft : he will foretel all their different motions, and all the effecla which jjiuft rcfult from their different comblnatians.
Hitherto this is only fuppofition, my brethren, but it is a fuppofition that conducls us to the moft certain of all fails» This workman is God, God J8 this fubiime, exack, infinite -genius. He calls into being matter, without motion, and, in fome fenfc, without form. He gives this matter form and motion» He ro'akes a certain number of wheels, or rather he makes then» without number. He difpofes them as he thinks proper. He communicates a certain degree of motion, agreeable to th« laws of his wifdoni.- Thence anfes the world which ftrikes our eyes. By the forenientioned example, 1 conceive, that God, by his own intelUgence, faw what muft refult from- the arrangement of all the wheels that compofe this world, and knew, with the utmeft exadncfs, ail their combinations» He faw that a certain., degree of motion, imparted to a certain portion of matter, would produce water j that another, degree of motion, communicated to another pop-- tion of matter, would produce fire j that another ■would produce earth, and fo of the reft. He forefavv, with the utmoft precifion, what would refult from this water, from this fire, from thi^ earth when joined together, and agitated by fuca a- degree of motion as he fliould eommunicate»- By the bare infpeiSlion of the laws of motion, he forefaw fires,- he forefaw (hipwrecks, he forefavif earthquakes, he forefaw all the vicifTitudcs of time, he forefaw thofe which rauft put a period to time, when tbe beavens shall pass away tvitb a great 7ioise, nvhen the elements shall melt ivith fervent heaty when the earth ivith all the ivorks that are in it shall be burnt up-, 2- Pet. iii. 10.
2. But, if God could combine all that would refult from the laws of motion communicated to matter^ he could alfo combine all that would r/ïo
fuit
3iS The Omnipresence of God.
fuit from intelligence, freedom of will, and all the faculties which make the effence of fpirits ; and, before he had formed thofe f|ViiituHl beings "which compofe the intelligent world, he knew "Vi'hat all their ideas, all their projedts, all their deliberations, -vs'ould for ever be.
I am aware, that a particular confequence, which follows this dodlrine, hath made fome di- vines exclaim againfl this thffis, and, under the fpecious pretence of exculpating the Deity from the entrance of fin into this world, they have affirmed that God could not forefee the deter- minations of a free agent ; for, fay they, had he forefeen the abufe which ma-n would have made of his liberty, by refolving to fin, his love to liOiinefs would have- engaged him to prevent it» But to reaf.-)n in this manner i?, in attempting to folve a difncultyj to leave that difEculty in all its force,
Allthey fay on this article, proceeds from this principle, that a God infinitely juft, and inilriite- ]y powerful, ought to difplay (if it be :\Vlowable to fay lo) all the infinity of his attributes to pre- vent fin. But this principle is notorioully falfe» Witnefs that very permiflion of fin which .is ob- ji-^^ted to us. You will net acknowledge that God forefaw man's fall into (iti : acknowledge, at leai't, that he forefaw the pcfiibiiity of man's falling, and tout, in forming a creature free, he knew that fitch a creature might chul'e virtue or vice; acknowledge, atleaQ, that God could have created man with fo much knowledge, and could have afforded him fo many fuccours ; he could Jiavc prefented fucb powerful motives to holinefs incelfantly, and difcovered to Ivira the dreadful "conlequenees of his rebellion fo effeÛualiy ; he. could have united . obedience tc his commands Avith fo many delights, and the moft diftant thouglit of difobcdience with fo many difgufts ; he could have baniHied from aian every tempta- tion
The Omnipresence of God, sg;
tîon to (in, fo that he would never have been a finner* Yet God created man in another man- ner ; confequently it is not true, even in your fyftetn, that God hath exerted all the power ho could to prevent fin's entrance into ihe world» Confequently it is falfe, that a Being, who per- fedly loves hohnefs, ought to difpîay the whole extent of his attributes to prevent fin, and to eftablilh virtue. Confequently,. the principle on which you ground your denial of God's compre- henfion of ail the difpofitions of fpirits, is an un- warrantable principle, and to attempt to folve the difEcuIty in this manner, is to leave it in all its force.
But if you confult revelatioit, you will find that God claims an univerfal knowledge of fpir-» its. He fays, he searcbetb and knotuetb tbemj Jer. xvii, 10. Rev. ii. 23. He forefaw, he fore- told, the afSidions which Abraham's pofterity •would endure in Canaan, Gen. xv. 13. the hard- ening of Pharaoh, the infidelity of the Jews, the faith of the Gentiles, the crucifixion of the Méf- fiah, Exod.. iii. 19, the coming of the prince or leader, that is ofVcfpafian, or Titus, who would destroy the city and the sanctuary^ Dan. ix, 25, 26. And confequently, we have a right to af- £rm, that God knows all the thoughts of the mind, and all the fentiments of the heart, as well as that he knows all the motions of matter.
Perhaps you wifii, my brethren, that our fpec- vlations were carried further ; perhaps you would Have us. difentangle the fubjecl from all its diffi- culties ;, perhaps you wiQt we could make yoii comprel^cnd, in a clear and difiin<5l manner, ho\T it is poflible that fuch immenfe obje(fls can be always prefent to the Supreme Intelligence ; but what mortal tongue can exprefs fuch fublime truths, or what capacity is able to conceive, them I On this article, we are obliged with our prophet to exiclainj) mcb knoivlcd^e is too won-'
dcrfui'
30 The Omnifresence of God.
derful for me ; it is high ; I cannot attain unto it ! ver. 6. In general, we conceive that the fphere of divine knowledge iè not contracted by any of the limits that confine the ipirits of man-- . kind,.
The human fpiric is united to a portion of matter. Man can perform no operation without the agitation of his brain, without the motion cf his animal fpirits, without the help of his fenfes. But the brain wearies, the fpirits evaporate, the fenfes are blunted, and the minuteft alteration of body clogs the moPc penetrating and aûive genius. But God, as we have reprefented hiin, thinks, underftanUs, 'meditates, without brain, without fpirits, without any need of fenfes ; net participating their nature, he never participates their alteration,, and thus hath intelligence iin- jnediately from the trcafure of intelligence itfelf» The fpirit-oi man owes its exiftence to a fupe- , rior fpirit, to a foreign caufe, to a Bc;ing who gives him only fuch ideas as h« thinks proper, and who hath been pleafed to conceal numberlef» myfleries from him. But God, God not only does not owe his exigence to a foreign caufe, but all that exift derive their exiftence from him. His ideas were the models of all beings, and he hath • only to contemplate himfelf perfed^ly to know them,-
The fpirit of man is naturaHy â finite fpirit;. he can confider only one circle of objects at once, many ideas confound him; if he would fee too jnuch, he fees nothing; he muO fuccelTively con- template what he cannot coniempiate in one iî>o-- ment. But G^d is an infinite fpirit ; with one fingle look he beholdetli the whole- univerfe. This is the firll: id^a of the omniprefence of God. As I am accounted prefent in this auditory, be- Gaufe I fee the objecf^s that are here, becaufe I am witnefs of all iliat paffes here ; fo God is ev- ery where, becaufe he fees all, becaufe veil-s tl e
nDoft
The Otnnipresence of God. . 3:1
fnoft impenetrable, darknefs the maft: thick^ dii- tances the moft immenfe, can conceal nothing rlVom his knowledge. Soar to the utmoft heights, :fly into the remotefl: climates, Avrap thyfelf in the blackeft darknefs, every where, every where, thou wilt be under his eye. " Whither (hall 'I go from thy fpirit ? or whither fiiall J flee from thy pre fence ?"
But, 2. The knowledge of God is not a bar« knowledge, his prefence i? not an idle prefence,; it is. an active knowledge, it is a pretence accom- panied with adion and motion. V/e faid jufî: now, that God was every where, becaufe he i«- ^.uenced all, as far as influence conjd^sgree with his perfe£lion5. Remark this reflriâ:ion, for as %ve are difcufTing a fubjeâ: the moil fertile in controverfy, and as, in a difcoturfe of an hour, it is impoflible to anfvvcr all objeâions, which may- be all anfwered elfe where, we would give a gen-» C'.al prefervative againfl every miftake. We mean an influence which agrees with the divine perfe*Slions ; and if from any of our general prop- ofitions, you infer any confequences injurious to thofe perfeélions, you may conclude, from that very reafon, that you have flretched them beyond their due bounds. We repeat it then, God in^ fluenceth all things, as far as fuch influence agrees with his perfections.
When new beings appear, he is there. He influences their produftion. He gives to all ///è, mot iony and beings Afts xvii. 28. ♦* Thou, even thou art Lord alone, thou haft made heaven, the lieaven of heavens with all their hoft, the earth and all things that are therein, the feas and all that is therein, and thou preferveft thera all, and the hoft of heaven worfiiippeth thee," Neh. ix. 6<. ^'^O Lord, I will praife thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made ; marvellous are thy -works, and that my foul knoweth right welL My fubftance was not hid from thee, when I was
mads
-g 2 The Omnipresence of God,
niade in fecret, and curionfly wrought tn tht loweft parts of the earth. Thine eyes did fee my fubftance yet being UTipert'e<Sl, and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fafhioned, when as yet there was none of them," Pfal. cxxxix. 14,>l5, 16. *' Thine hands have made me, and fadùoned me together round about. Thou haft clothed me with fkin and flefli, and haft fenced me with bones and fuiews."
When beings are preferved, be is there. He influences their yprelcrvation. *' Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens, and thy faithfulnéfs reacheth unto the clouds. Thou preferveft man and beaft," Pfal. xxxvi. 5, 6. '< When thou openeLt thy hand t-hey are filled with good : thou hideft thy face they are troubled, thou takeft away their breath they die, and return to their duft, ^Thcu fearieft forth thy fpirit they are cre- ated, and ibou reneweft the face of the earth," .^ffal. civ. 28, 29, 30.
When the world is difordered, he is there» TUq influenceth wars, peftilences, famines, and all the viciflitudes which diforder the world. If nature refufe her produûlon^, it iî beoaufe he hath made the heaven as iron, and the earth as brass, Lev, xxvi. 19. If peace fucceed war, he makes both. If lions slay the inhabitants ofSa- -maria, it is the Lord who sends them, 2 Kings 3cvii. 25- When tempt ftuous winds break down thofe immenis banks which your induftry has op- pofed to them, when a devouring fire reduceth your houfes to aftics, it is he who irakes the •v)inds his messengersy and his ministers Jiames offre, Pfal. civ. 4.
When every thing fucceeds according to our fifties, he is there. He influenceth profperity. '* Except the Lerd build the houfe, they labour in vain that build ito Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is
vain
The Omnipresence of God, 33
viin for you to rife up early, to fit up late, to eat the bread of ibrrows. It is God who giveth his beloved fleep," Pfal. cxxvii. 1, 2.
When our underllanding is in'formrd, he is there. He influenceth our knowledge. For in bis light ive see lights Pfal. xxxvi. 9. *' lie Ijghteth every man that cometh into the world," John i. 9.
When our heart difpofeth us to our duties, he is there. He influenceth our virtiifa. It is hs who ivorkeib in us, both to ivill-and to do of his own good pleasure^ Phil. ii. 13. It is he who. giveth us not only to believe but to suffer for bis sakey rhap. i. 29, It is he who giveth to all îl'.at ask him liberally and upbraidetb Jiot, James i. 5.
When the gro^Teft errors cover us, be is there. He inftuenceth errors. It is God who sfnds strong delusions that men should believe a //>, i3 Their, ii. 11. " Go make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and fliut their eyes, left they ihould fee with their eyes, and hear with their ears," Ifa. vi. 10.
When we violate the laws of righteoufnefs, he IS there. He influenceth fins, even the greatefl Tins. Witnefs Pharaoh, whole heart he harden- ed, Exod. iv. 21. Witnefs Shimei, whom the Lord bade to cur^e David, 2 Sam. >;vi. 1], Witnefs what Ifaiah faid, the Lord hath ming'ed a perverse spirit m the midst of Egjpt, chap. xix. 14.
When magiftrates, our earthly gods, confult and deliDerate, he is there. He influenceth pol- icy. It is he who hath the hearts of kings in bis hand, and turneth the.n as ibe ri'vcrs of lua-, ter^ Prov. xxi. I. It is he wh- giveth kings in bis anger, and taketh them anvav in his ivrath, Hofea xiii, II. It is he who maketh the Assjr- tan the rod of his anger, Ifa. x. 5. '• Herod and Piiaic, the G^iXilcà and the people of IfraeJ, D did
34 The Omnipresence of €cd,
oiii what bis hand and his coiirfvl det^rmineii before to be done," A£\s iv. 27, 21,
When we live, when we die, he is there. He influencelh life and drath. *' Man's days aie cetermined, the number of bis months are with him, he has appointed his bounds that he cannot pais-/' Job xiv. 5. *' To God the Lord belongs the ifTucs from death," Pfal. Ixviii. 20. " He . bringeth down to the grave, and bringcth up," I SaiTi. ii. 6.
He influences the lead events, 2à well as the jnoil confiderabl.e. Not being fatigued with the care of great things, he can occupy hunfclf about the fmalleft: without prejudice to the rell: ; number the hairs of our headsy and not let even GSparrovj fall ivitbcut his ivilly Matt. x. 1J9, "C.
But, 3. When God communicates himfelf to all, when he thus adls on all, when he diflTufeth bimfelf thus through the whole, he conne6ls all with his own defigns, and makes all ferve his own connfels : and this is our third idea of his iinmenfity and omniprefence. Ood i;: prefcnt with all, becaufe he directs all,
-Doth he call the creatures into exiflence ? it is to nianifefl his. perfections. It is to have fub- jecfls on whom ke may Pnower his favours ; it is, as it were, to go out of hinifelf, and to form through the whole univerfe a concert refounding the Creator's exigence and glory. "-For the invifjble things of. Ood, even his eternal power and godhead, are, Ufiderftood by the things that are made," Pv.om. i. 20. *' The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament Tneweth bis Iiandy-work. Dny unto day uttereth fpeecb, night unto night (heweth knowledge. There is -no fpcech nor language where their voice is not beard," Pfal. xix'. 1, 2, 3.
poth he preferve his creatures ? it is to anfwer his own defigns, the depth of which no finite mind can fathom \ but defigos which we Aiall
oi^e
The 07nnipresence of God. 35
r!ne ^ay know, and admire liis wirdom wben we know them, as we ?.dore it now, thojg'u we kno/ them not.
Dotli he fend phg'iies, v/ars, iimines ? it is to make thofc feel his jufkice who have abufed hi^ ^odnefs ; it is to avenge the violation of his îiiw, the contempt of his gofpel, the forgctting^ and forfaking of the interell of his church.
Doth he afford us profperity ^ it is to dra^.u us- ivith the bands of lo'ûe^ Hofea xi. 4. it is to re- veal himfeli to us by that love which is his ef- fence ; it is to engage us to imitate him, who ne'oer Ua-oes himself 'without 'witness in cloin^ goody A(5Y3 xiv, 17.
Doth he impart knowledge to us ?' it is to dif. fover the fnares that furround us, the miferics that threaten us, the origin from which wc fprang, the courfe of life we fhould follow, and the end at which v/e fhould aim.
Doth lie communicate virtues ? ir is to ^n'l- !Tiats us in our race ; it is to convince V3 tl; t there is a mighty arj-n to raife us from the abyu into which our natural corruption hath plunged «s ; it is that we may luork out our own salva- tion ivitb fear and trcmbltng^ knoTjing that God xvorketb in us to iviU and to dj of his own good pleasure J Phil. ii. 12, 13.
Doth he fend us error ? it is to make us re- fpeft that truth which we have re&fted.
Doth he abandon us to our vices ? it is to pun- ifti us for fonie other vices which v;e have com- initted voluntarily and freely ; fo that, if we could comprehend it, lis love for holincfs never appears more clearly, than when he abandoiis men to vice in this manner.
Doth he raife up kings ? it is always to oblige them to adminider judice, to protect the widow and the orphan, to maintain order and religion. Yet he often permits them to violate equity, to opirefs their people, and to becoir.e the fcourges
of
36 The Omnipresence of God.
of his anger. By them he frequently teachetli us how little account he makes of human gran- deurs, feeing he beRows then foretimes upon unworthy men, upon men allured by voluptuouf- ncfs, governed by ambition, and dazzled with their own glory, upon men who ridicule piety, fell their confciences, negociate faith and reli- gion, facrificlng- the fouls of their children to the infamous pafiions that govern themfelves.
Doth he prolong our life ? it is becaufe he is long suffering to us, 2 Pet. iii. 9. it is becaufe he opens iii our favour the riches of his goodness end forbearatice^ to lead us to rep&ntance^ Rom. ii. 4.
Doth he call us to die ? it is to open thofe eternal boot? in which our actions r,re regiflereo; it is to gather our fouh into his bofori, to bind them up in the bundle of life, 1 Sam. xxv. 29. to mix them with the r^nfomed armies of all «<r- tions, tongues^ and people, Rev. vii. 9.
Such are our ideas of the omnipre fence of God, Thus God feeth all, infîuenceth all, direcleth all. in this fenfe we are to underf^and this magnificent languatjc of fcrinture, ** VViU God indeed dwell on the earth ? behold the heaven and the heaver^ of heavens e-iinnot contain thee," 1 Kings viii. 27. *' Thus faith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my foctHool," Ifa. Ixvi. 1. *< Wliera is th;; houfe that ye build unto me? do not I fill heaveu and earth ? faith the Lord. Am I God at hand, and not afar off? Can any hide himklf iîi fecret places that Î fliall not fee liim ?" Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. This is what the heathens had a glimpfe of, when they faid, that God was a circle, the centre cf which was every "where, and its circumference no where. That all things were full of Jupiter. That he filled all. his works. That, fly whither we would, we were always before his eyes. This is what tiie follow. Cifs of Mahomet meantj wliea tliey faid, that
where
Tht Omnipresence of Gcd, 37
where there were two peifons, God made the third ; where there were' three, God made the fourth. Above ûIî, this was our prophet's mean- ing througliout the Pialm, a part of which we have explained. »' O Lord, thou hail fearched me and known me. Thou knowefl my down- fitting and mine up-rifing, thou underflanden niy' thoughts afar off* Thou compalTefl my path ani my lying down, and art acquainted with aU my vays. For there is not a word in my tongue, but lo, O Lord, thou knoweft it altogether. Thou haft befetttme behind and before, and laid tfiine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, I cannot attain unto ir. Whither (hall I go from tliy fpirit ? or whither ilia-ll i fiee from thy prefence ? If I afcend up into heaven, thou art there ; if I make my bed ill .'iell, behold thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermoil pHr:3 OÏ tîie fea j -even there fhill thy hand had iv,t\ and thy right hand fliall hold me. If I fay, S'uely the darknefs fnall cover me ; even the night {hall oe light about me. Yea, the dark- nel's l/ideth not from thee; but the night (liincth as the day •.. the darknefs and the light are both alike to tliee," ver, 1, See.
But perhaps, during the courfe of this medita- tion, you may have murmured at our prefcnting" an object, of which all the preaching in ih^ world can give you only imperfeél ideas. Sufpend vour judgments ; we are going to fliew you whither this difcourfe, all glimr.-?oring as it is, ought to conduA you. We are going to fee what faljtary Gonfcquences follow our efforts, even the weak efforts that we have been making, to explain the grandeur and omniorefcnce of God, Let us pifs to the conclufion, the chief dcGgn of this dif- courfe.
I. Our firfl refledion is on the difficulties we meet IV it h in Jixing our minds on ^ucb subjects D 2 as
38 The Omnipresence of God.
as we have been hearing'. You have doubtleTs experienced, if you have endeavoured to follow US, that you are weary, and wander when you would go beyond matter. Our minds find ahnoft nothing real, where they meet with nothing fei:- fible. Aj if the whole effencs of beings were corporeal, the mind lofeth its way when it ceaf- eth to be dire£led by bodies, and it needs the help of imagination to repreient even thofe things which are not fufceptible of images ; and yet ■whatever is mofl grand and noble in tlie nature of beings, is fpirit. The fublimc^ cLjeifts, angels ■who are conunually before Gnd, seraphims vyho cover their faces in hi'i prefence, Ifa. vi, 2. cher- tibims who arc t!ie minivers of hii will, thousand- thousands tvhich minister unio him^ ten thousand times ten thousand 'ivhic h stand before bim^ Dan, vii, 10. what is moft glorious in man, what ele- vates him above other animaîi, a foul made in the image of God himfelf, ti^e Being oF being:s> the Sovereir^n Beauty ; îilî thefe beings are ipir- ituaî, abPt acl, free from fcnf,' and matter. Moreover, what pleafes and enchants us in bod'- iec, even that comts froin a fubjedl abRraift, fpir- itual and corporeal. Without your fo-ui, alimenf-î have no taile, fiowers no fmell, the earth no en- amel, fire no iiea'c, \\\< itars no brilliancy, the fun no light. Matter of itfelf iivoid, and grofs, deiTitutc of all the qualities Nvith which our iina- gmniion clothes i;, and which arc proper to our fouls. What oughl %ve to conclude from this refledlion ? My brethren, have you no idea of your dignity, and primitive grandeur ? Have you not even yet fome fîlint releml^ances of be- ings formed in the Creator's image i You oughi, feeble as you are, confined as you are in a man- ner to matter, you fhould deplore your mifery ; you fliould groan under that neceility, which, ia fbme fort, confounds your fouls with a little duft ; you ihould ligh after that happy ftate rn
which
The Omnipresence of God. 3-9-
whîch your rapid, free, and unclogged fpirits, fliall meditate likt then»fc!ves. This is the firll duty we fhoukl prefcribe to you.
2. Our next retîeélion is on tlie majesty of our religion» That mufl certainly be thought the true religion which gives us the nobleft ideas of God. Let our religion be judgecf by this rule. Where do we fee the attributes of the Supreme Being placed in fo clear a ligh: ? what can be more noble than this idea of God ? what can be conceived more fublime than a Being whom noth- ing efcapes, before whom all things are naked and open, Heb. iv, 13, who, by one fingle look, fully comprehends all beings, part, prefent, and to come, all that do exid, all that poffitily can es- ifl: ; who thinks, in the fame inltant, with equal facility on bodies and fprrits, on all the dimen- fions of time and of matter ? What more noble can be conceived than a Being who imparteih himfelf to all, diffufeth himfelf through all, inflij- enceth all, giveth life and motion to all ? Wha^ can be conceived more noble than a Being who diredleth the condudl of the whole univerfe, who knoweth how to make all concur to his deîîgns, whoknoweth how to conned alike with the laws of order and equity, the virtues of the righteous, the vices of the .wicked, the praifes of the happy, the blafphcmies of the vi6linis fitiificed to his vengeance in hell ? When we find in any hea- then philofopher, amidli: a thoufaud falfc notion;}, amidd a tlioufand wild imaginations, feme fe\y leaves of the flowers with which our bibles are ftrewed, we arc ready to cry a miracle, a miracle, we tranfmit thefe ftireds of the Deity (if I may be allowed to fpeak fo) to the moftdilUnt pofler- ity, and thefe ideas, all defedlive, and all defiled as they are, procure their authors immortal repu- tation. On this principle, what refpe£l, what veneration, what deference ought we to have ïor the patriarchs and the prophets, for the evangel-
ias
40 1^^^^ Omnipresence of Gcd.
ifts and the apoflles, who fpoke of God m fo fub= lime a manner '. However, be not ùirprifed al tîieir fuperiority over the great paç,'an geniules ; had the biblic?.î writers, like thenv, been guided only by human reafon, liiie them they would have wandered too. If they i'poke fo nobly of God, iî v/is becaufe they liad received that spirit who searcketh all things,, yea the deep things of God, 1 Cor. ii. 10. It was becaufe all scripture was given by inspiration^ 2 Tim. iii. 16. It was be- caufe the prophecy came not in old time by the ivili of man, but Lwly men of God spake as Xhcj ivere moved by the Holy Gbostj 2 Pet, i. 21.
o. Make a third refic£\ion. This attribute cf Gùd' removes the greatest stumbling-bhcks that sceptics and infdel's pretend to rieet ivitb in re- ligion» It juftifies all thoio dark myfteries which are above the comprehenGon of our feeble reafon. We would not make ufe of this reSedlion to open a way for human fancieç, and to authorize e-very thing- that is prefented to us under the idea of the marvellous. All doctrines that are incom- prehcnfible are not divine, nor ongbt we to em- brace any opinion merely becaufe it is beyond our knowledge. But when a religion, in other .refpecls, hath good guarintec?, when we have ;Tood arguments to prove that fuch a revelation comes from heaven, when we certainly know that it is God who fpeaks, ought we to be furprifed, if ideas of God, which come fo fully authenticat- ed, abforb and confound us ? 1 freely grant, thftt, had I confalted my own reafon only, 1 could not have difcovered feme myfteries of the gofpel. Neverthelef;>, when I think on the immenilty of God, when I cafl my eyes on that vart ocean, ',vhen I confider that immenfe all, nothing afton- ii'hes me, nothing (lumblcs me, nothing feems to me inadmilTible, how incomprehenfible foever it ïT.ay he. When the fubject is divine, I am ready to believe all, to admit all, to receive all ; pro- vided
The Omniprésence of God. 41
Vîded I be convinced that it is God himfelf who fpeaks to me, or any one on his part. After this,. I am no more aftonifhed that there are three dif- tindl perfons in one divine effence ; one God, and.' yet a Father, a Son, and a Holy Ghoft. After this, I am no more aflomihed that God forefees all without forcing any ; permits fin without forcing the finner ; ordains free and intelligent creatures to fuch and fuch ends, yet without de- ftroying their intelligente or their liberty. Af- ter this, I am no more aftoniflied that the jufticc of God required a fatisfa^lion proportional to his greatnefs, that his own love hath provided t h aft- fatisfaftion, and that God, from the abundance of his compaffion, defigned the mydery of an irir- carnate God ; a myftery which angels admire "while fceptics oppofe ; a myftery which abforbs human reafon, but which fills all lieaven with fongs of praife ; a myftery which is the great vjysterjy by excellence, 1 Tim. iii. 16* but the greatnefs of which nothing flioold make us rejeft, fince religion propofeth it as the grand effort of the wifdom of the incomprehenfible God, and commandeth us to receive it on the teftimony of the incomprehenfible God himlelf. Either reli- gion mufl: tell us nothing about God, or what it tells us muft be beyond our capacities, and, in difcovering even the borders of this, immenfe ocean, it muft needs exhibit a vaft extent in which our feeble eyes are loft. But what fur- prifes me, what ftumbles me, what frightens me, is to fee a diminutive creature, a contemptible man, a little ray of light glimmering through a few feeble organs, controvert a point with the Supreme Being, oppofe that Intelligence who Gt- teth at the helm of the world ; queftion what !v^ affirms, difpute what he determine?, appeal from his deciGons, and, even after God hath given evidence, reject all doctrines that are beyond liis capacity. Enter into thy nothingnefs, mo\;^i
creature.
42 The Omniprésence of God,
creature. What madnefs animates thee ? Ho\t- 'jareft thou pretend, thou who srt but a point, thou whofe effencc is but an atom, to meafure thy ftU" with the Supreme Being, -with him who' fills heaven and earth, with him whom bewcsrij the bea'ocTi of heavens cannot contain ? I Kings vui. 27. '* Canll thou by fcavching find out God ? Ganfl thou find out the Almighty to per- fection ? High as heawen, what canll thou do ? deeper than hell, what canft thou know ?" Jot> xi. 7» • " He iTt-etcheth out the north over the empty place, aud hangeih the earth upon noth- ing. He bindeih up the waters in his thick clouds, the pillars ot" heaven tremble, and are al-- tonifiied at his reproof; Lo thefe are parts of his ways, but how little a portion is heard of him ? but the thunder of his power who can under- hand ? ' Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand ot thee, and anlwer thou me. Where waft thou when I laid the fonndations of the earth ? declare, if thou haft underftanding,'* c'h. xxvi. 7> 11, 14-. - *' Who hath laid the meal"^ lires thereof ? who hàth ftretc-htd the line upon it ? Vv'hereupon are the foundations -thereof fnft-= ened ? who laid the corner.ftcne thereof, when the morning ftars fang together, and all the fous of God Oiouted for joy ? Who ftrut up the Tea with doors, when I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick d;vrknelV a fwaddling b:ind for it ? when I brake up for it my decreed place, and fet bars and doors, and f.»id, Hitherto Oialt thou come and- no further: and hc^re Cijll thy proud waves be ftayed ?" ch. xxxviii. 1, 2, 3, Êcc. " He that reproveth God, let him an Twer this," ch.- x). 2. " O.Lord, fuch knowledge is too wonderful fo.r me-; it is too high, I cannot attain unto it Î" 4. But, my brethren, (hall thefe be the only inferences from our text ? (hall we reap only fpeculations from this difcourfe ? (liall we only believe, admire, and exclaim ? Ah Î from this
idea
TAr Omniprt^nce of Go à, 43
:.*EÎca of God, I fee all tbe virtues issue ivhich rc^ îigio Tt- preset ibes !
If liich be the grandeur of the God I ador?, miferable wretch 1 what oiigh; my repentance to be ! I, a contemptible worm, I, a ercati>re whom God could tread beneath his feet, and crufii into duft by a Tingle 2tt of his will, I hàv^ rebelled againil the ^gr.eat God, 1 have endeav- oured ZQ prcDoke bim to jealousy^ as if I had. been stronger than he^ I Cor. x.,^2. I have infulted that Majefty which the angels of heaven adore ; 1 have attacked God, with madnefs and boldnefs, on his throne, and in his empire. Is it poiTiole Î0 feel remorfes too cutting for fins which the nrijefty of the offended, and the littlenefs e£ the offender, maire fo. very atrocious ?
.If fuch be the grandeur of God, what fiiouldr our ùumilitj'ht i Grandees of the world, mortal divinities, who fwell with vanity in the prefence of God, onpofe yourfelves to the immenfe, God. Behold his eternal ideas, his infinite knowledge^ his general influence, his univerfal diredion ; en- ter his immenfe ocean of perfections and virtues, "vvhat are ye ? a grain of dult, a point, an ator^i, a nothing.
If fuch be the grandeur of God, what ought our confidence to be .1 *' If God be for us, who can be againfl us?'* Rom. viii. 31. Poor crea- ture, toffed about the world, as by fo many winds, by hunger, by ficknefs, by perfecution^ by mifery, by nakednefs, by exile ; fear not in :a vefTcl of which God himfelf is the pilot.
But above all, if fuch be the grandeur of God, it God be every where prefent, what &ould our viigilance be Î and, to return to the idea with which we began, what impreiTion fhould this thought make on reaforable fouls ! God seetb mc* When thou wast under tbe fig-tree, faid Je- fus Chrift to Nathaniel, I saw ibee^ John io 48, Sec Eccief. iii, 23, 24, 25. We do not kno\v
"^vhat
.44 The Omnipresence of Cod.
Tvliat Jefus Chrift faw under the fig-tree, nor is it recelT^ry now to inquire • but it was certainly Icniething which, T*^athaniel was fully perfuaded, no mortal eye had feen. As foon, tbf^refore, as Jefus Ghrift had uttered thefe words, he believed, and iaid, Rabbi^ tbou art the Christ, the son of tie living God. My brethren, God ufeth the fame language to e;ich of you to-day ; ivhen tbou '^ast under the f^g-tree, I sanv thee.
Thou hypocrite, when wrapped in a veil of re- ligion, ernbclliQied with exterior piety, thou con- cealedft an impious heart, and didft endeavour to impofe on God and man, / saio thee. I pene- trated all thofe labyrinths, I diffipated all thofe darkneiïes, I dived into all thy deep dcfigns.
Thou worldling, who, with a prudence truly infernal, haft the art of giving a beautiful tint to t^e moll odious objects ; who appeared not to feate thy neighbour, becauie thou doft not openly attack him ; not to falsify thy promife, becaufe thou h-dfl the art of eluding it ; not to opprefs thy dependents, becaufe thou knoweft how to im- pofe filence on them : / sai'j tbee^ when thou gaved thofe fecret itabs, when thou did"!! receive thoie bribes, and didi> accumulate thofe wages of wnrighteoufneis, which cry for veugeance againO: thee.
Thou flave to fenfu^.lity, afliamed of thine ex- cefTes before the face of the fun, / sanv thee^ ■when, with bars and bolts, with obfcurity and darknefs, and compKcated precautions, thou didft hide thy f(*lf from the eyes of men, defile the tenu pie of God, and make the members of Christ the 7nembers of a harlot, 1 Cor. vi. Î5.
My brethren, the difcourfes, which we ufually preach to you, abforb your minds in a multitude of ideas, A colledlion of moral ideas perhaps confound inftead of indrudling voo, and wht-n we attempt to engage you in too many refledtions, you enter really into none. Behold an epitome
of
The Omnipresence of God* 45
of religion. Behold a morality in three words. Return to your houles, and every r/here carry this reflcflion with you, God seeth me^ God secth me» To all the wiles of the devil, to all the fnares of the world, to all the baits of fin, oppol'c this reficdioiT, G^d seeth me. If, clothed with a human form, he were ahvays in your path, were he to follow you to every place, were he ahvays before you with his raaicftic face, with eyes fiafii- ing with lightning, with looks infpiring t<?rror, dare ye before his augnft preience give a loofe to your paillons ? But you have been hearing that his majeftic face is every where, thole fparhling eyes do infpe6l you in every place, thofe terrible looks do confider you every where. Particularly, in the enfuing week, while you are preparing for the Lord's fupper, recolledl this. Let each ex- amine his own heart, and endeavour to fearch :nto his confcience, where he may difcover fo much weaknefs, fo much corruption, fo much hardnefs, fo many unclean fources overflowing with fo many excelTes, and let this idea fiirke each of you, God sectb me, God ftreth me, as I fee myfelf, unclean, ungrateful, and rebellious. O may this idea produce contrition and forrow, a jufl remorfe and a found converfion, a holy and a fervent communion, crowned with graces and virtues. Happy, if, after our examination, we have a new heart 1 a heart agreeable to thofe eyes that fearch and try it ! Happy, if, after our communion, after a new examination, we can fay with the prophet, 0 Lord) tbou hast proved mine hearty tbou hast tried me^ and host found nothings Pfal. xvii, 3. So be it. To God be honour and glory for ever. AmeUo
SERMON 1%
THÉ MANNER OF PRAISING GÛD,
Frcached after the adminiflration of the Lord's Supper,
Psalm xxxiii. i.
Praise is comely for the upright»
X HERE is fometbing very noble, my lîrethren, in the end for -which we are now al- lembled in the prefencc of God. His providence hath infinitely diverfified the conditions of thofe w-Iij compofe this alTembly. Some are placed in the moft eminent, others in the moft obfcure pofts of fociety. Some live in fplendor and opulence, others in meannefs and indigence. One is em- ployed in the turbulence of the army, anothes- in the filence of the firudy. NotwithfUndin^ thi"? infinite variety of employments, ranks, and' af^cs, **ve all affcmble to-day in one place ; one objetl occupies us ; one fentiment animates us ; one voice makes the church refound. Praise je the Lord, Jor his mercy endurctb for ever, Plaf. cxxxvi, I. If there be an objedl, that can give a mortal any ideas of the firft impreflions, which are made on a foul, at its firft entering the glori- ous palace of the bleiTed God in heaven, it is this. The firft objedls, that ftrlke fach a foul, are mul- titudes of all nations, tongues, and people, con- centered in a meditation on the beneficence of God, proftrating themlelves before his . throne, cafting their crowns at his fi^et, -and crying out of the abundance of their hearts, which contem- plate the perfections of a Being worthy of their profoundcft praife, Amen, Blessing, and glory^ and wisdomj and thanksgivings and bonour,^ find
powery ^
48 The Manner of praising God*
poiuery and mighty be unto our God^ for ever and: every Ameny Rev, vii. 12. ** We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and •watV,, and art to come j bccauCe thou= haft taken to thee thy great pawer, and haft reigned,"' chap. 3ti. 17. "Great and marvellous are thy works, luOrd God Almighty ; juft and true are thy ways, thou King of faints I" chap. xv. 3. '*Unto him that loved us, ar.d wafhed us from our fins in his • wn blood, and hath made us kiftgi and priefts unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen," chap. i. 5. 6. This is the employment of the blcffed in heaveu: this is what we are doing to-day on earth.
But what a contradi(Stion, what a contraft ap- pears, when, lifting up the exterior, habit of pie- ty, that covers fome of ivs, we examine the in- ward difpofitions of the heart. The pfalms, which are uttered with the voice, are contradift- ed by the tempers of the heart. The mouths, th.n were juft now opened to biefs the Creator, will prefently be opened again to blafpheme and, to curfe him. The praifes, which feemed fo prop- er to pleafe him in whofe honour they were of- fered, will incur this reproof, Thou ivicked man I What bast thou to do to take mj covenant in thy mouth ? Pial. 1. 16.
My brethren, if we would join our voices with tbofe of angels, wc muft have the fentiraents of angels. We muft, (at leaft as far as the duty is imitable by fuch frail c.eaturcs) we muft, in or- der to worfliip God, as thofe happy fpirits praife liim, love him as they do, ferve him as they do, devote ourfelves to Inm as they devote themfclves to him ; and this is the manner of pralfing God, to which I exhort, and in which î would endeav- our to inflru£l you to-day, agreeably to the proph- et's exalted notion of it in the words of the text. What day can be more proper to Infpire fuch a noble defi^n ? What day can be more proper to
engage
71ie Manner of fraim^ Gcd. 49
engage you to mix your vporfliip with that of «lorified intelligences^, than this, on which we ;ire corne ur,:o the city of the living God, the 'ieaveniy Jerusalem^ to an innumerable company of angels, and to the first-born ivbich are ivritten in heaven? Heb. xii. 22, 23.
But, who are we, to be admitted into a fociet,/ Î0 holy ? Great God 1 Thou deft appear to us 'to-day, as thou tUdft formerly to thy prophet, sitting upon a tbronsy htgb and lifted ttp) and thy train filling the temple, lia. vi. 1. Around thee Hand the feraphims, covering themfelves vt'ith their wings in thy majeftic prefence, and crying one to another, Holy, bolyy koly, is the Lord of hosts, the ivbole earth is full of his glory, ver. 3* We are ftricken, as thy'prophct was, with fuch- a tremendous vifion, and each of us cries with- bim, JVot is me ! I am undone ! I am a man of unclean lips ! and yet, mine eyes have seen the- Kmg, the Lord of hosts, ver. 5. O g^reat God Î command one of thy feraphims to fly to us, as he flev,? to him ; bid him touch our mouths, as he touched his, with a ii^je coal taken from off the altar, ver. 6,- and, in this day of grace, and mer- cy, let him fay to each of us, Lc, ibis bath toucha cd thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and t by sin purged I Amen, ver. 7.
** Praife ii- comely for the upright," The praifing of God is a duty^ of which v/e may form two différent notions, a general 3iud a particular notion. B)"' a ^t^ifra/ notion of praife, I mean, the excrclfe of a man, who, being capable of ex- amining fublime 'objefts, and of comprehending grand fubjtfts, fixeth his attention on the âttri- butfs of God, feels the' force cf thofe proofs ■which elldblifh the truth of them, is delighted with them to a certain àtgrte, and is happy in publifliing their prinfe. 1 mean, by h particular n&iiOii of praifing God, the cxercife of a mau,
:E2 -who
'50 The Manner of praising God.
■who, havîng received fome fignal favour of Gocf-, loves to exprefs his gratitude for it.-
Each of tbefe exerciies of'pTails fuppofeth re^ flections and sentiments. To pfaife God in the firft fenfe, to rcflecl on his attributes, to con- Terfe, and to write about them, without having the heart aSeded, and without loving a Being, "who is defcribed as fupremely amiable, is a life- lefs praife, more fit for a worldly philofopher than for a rational chrirtianè To praife God in the fécond fenfe, to be aifetted with the favours of God, without having any diftind notions of God, -without krwwing whether the defcriptioni of the perfeciions, that arc attributed to him, be flights of fancy or real truths, is an exercift more fit for a bigot, who believes without know» iîîg why, than for a spiritiuil man, nvbo judgeth aii things, 1 Cor. ii. 15. If we diltmguKh the part, which thefe two faculties, reftedion and fcntiment, take in tbtTc two exereifes of praife, we may obferve that the iirft, I mean the praife of God taken in a general fenfe, is the fruit of reflections and the ïtcowà oî zentiment. The firft is, if I may be allowed to fpeak fo, the praife ef the mind ; the fécond is the praife of the heart.
it is difficult to determine which of thefe two notions prevails in the texty whether the pfalmlft «fe the word praise in'the firft ov. in the fécond fenfe. If we judge by the whole fubjecl of the pfalm, both are included* The praife of the heart is eafiiy difcovered. Whether the author of the pfnlni were Hezckiah, as many of the fathers thought, who fay, this prince compoied it after the miraculous defeat of Senachcrib ; or wheth- er, which is moft likely, David were ths compof- cr of it, after one of thofe preternatural deliver- ances, with whicb his life was fo often fignallz- €d ; what I call the praife of the heart, that is, a lively fenfe of fome ineftimablc blcHing, is tlearly to be feeu. On tb€ other hand, it is ftill
clearerj^
The Manner of praising God. 5 it
clearer, that the facred author doth not celebrate only one particular obje(St in- the pfalm. He gives a greater icope to his meditation, and coni- prifeth ia it all the works, and all the perfedions «fOod.
Although the folemnity of this day calls us lefs to the praife of the mind, than to that of the heart ;. although we intend to make the latter the principal fubjedt of this difcourfe ;. yet it is neceffary to attend a little to the former*
I. Tbc praise of the Lordy taking- the word praife in the vague fenfe, that we have affixed to the term, is comely for the upright : and it is comely for none but for thcm»-
" Praife is comely for the upright.'* Nothing is more worthy of the attention of an intelligent being, particularly, nothing is-* more worthy of the irait'dtioH of a fupcrior genius, than the won- derful perfedions of the Creator. A ma^n of fu- pcrior genius is required, indeed, to ufe his tal- ents to cultivate the fcienccs and the liberal art»;, but after all, the mind of man, efpecially of that, 5nan to whom God hath given fuperior talents, which alTimilate him to celeftial intelligences, was not created to unravel a point in chronology, to learn the various ibuads by which different na- tions fignify their ideas, to meafure a line, or to- lofe itfelf in an algebraic calculation ; the mind of fuch a man was not created to ftudy the ftars,. to count their number, to meafure their magni- tude, to difcover more than have yet been oblerv- ed. Nobler objeds ought to occupy him. It brcomes fuch a man to contemplate God, to guide the reft of mankind, to jead them to God, who dvjclkth in the ligbty ivbicb no man can approach unto, I: Tim. vi. 16. and to teach us to»attenu- ate the clouds, that hide him from our feeble eyes» It becomes fuch a man to ufe that fuperiority^ vhich his knowledge gives him over us, to elevate^ «Û* lijcaits Above the low rcg^ion of tcrreftriaî
thijïgs.
^ The Manner of praising God,
things, where they grovel with the brute bcnfls\ and to help us to place them on the bright abode of the immortal God. Thtprahe of the Lord is comely fur upright men.
But praife is comely only for uprirrln men, I believe it is needlefs now to explain chc word uprightness. The term is taken in the text im the nobleft fenfe : this is a fufiicient explication, and this is fufiicient alfo to convince us that the praifing of God is comely for none but upright men. I cannot fee, wiibout indignation, a phi- lofopher trifle with the important cueflions that relate to the attributes of God, and make then-, ilmple cxercifts of genius, In which the heart Irath no coHcern> examining v/hether there be a God, . with the fame indifTerence with which he inquires whether there be a v:Kuum in nature, or >vhether mj^tter be inSiiitely divifible»' On deter- înining the queftions which Tciate to the- divine attributes, depend our hopes and fears, the plana ^ve n)u(t forrR, and the- courie of life we ought to purfue ; and with thefe views we fliould e^camine *he perfediens of God ;. thefé arc conftrquences that fhould follow our inquiries. With fuch dif- pofi tiens the pfa4mift celebrated the- praiies of God, in tha pfalra out of which we have taken the text." How comely are the praifes of God in-» the mouth of fuch a man ]:
Let us follow the holy man a' moment in his-^ m"editation. His pfalm is not compofed in fchol- allic form, in which the author confines -himfclf to fixed rules, and fcrupuloudy following a phi- lofophicnl .method, lays down principles, and in- fers confequtnces. However, he eftablilheth, principles the moft proper to give us fubllme ideas of the Creator; and he fpeaks with more precif. ion of the works and attributes of God, than the greateft philofophers have fpoken them.
How abfurdly have philofophers treated of the origin of the world Ï How few of thrm have
ixafoned
Tkt Manner of praising God. 53
reafoned conclufively on this important fubjed ? Our prophet folvcs the important quedion by one fingle principle, and what is more remarkable, this principle, which is nobly expreffed, carries the cleareft evidence with it. The principre is this : By the word of the Lord were the heavens viade^ and all the host of them by the breath of bis mouth. This is the moft rational account that was ever given of the creation of the world. The world is the work of a felf-efficient will, and it is this principle alone that can account for itsr creation. The moft {impte appearances in nature are fufficient to lead us to this principle. Either my will is fclf-eflicient, or there is fome other being whofe will is felf-efficient.
What I fay of myfelf I fay of my parents, and what I affirm of my parents I affirm of my more remote anceClors, and of all the finite creatures from whom they derived their exiftenee. Moft certainly, cither finite beings have felf-efficient wills, which it is impoffible to fuppofe, for a finite creature with a felf-efficient will is a con» tradiclion ; either, I fay, a finite creature hath a felf-efficient will, or there is a firft caufe who hath a felf-efficient will ; and that there is fuch a being, is the principle of the pfalraift : By the word of the Lord were the heavens made^ and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
If philofophers have reafoned inconclufively on the origin of the world, they have fpokcn of it» government with equal uncertainty. The pfalm- ill: determines this queftion with great facility, by a fingle principle, which rcfults from the for- mer, and which, like the former, carries its evi- dence with it, "The Lord looketh from hcav-. en : he confidereth all the works of all the inhab- itants of the earth," vtr. 13, 14. This is the dodrine of Providence. And on what is the do£lrine of Providence founded ? On this prin- ciple ; GQàfaihion^th their hearts alike, ver. 15»^.
Attend
5^4 ^-^^^ Manner of praising Gvdl-
Attend a m-oment to the evidence cf this reafcn.- jng, my brethren. The doclrine cf Providence, exprefTed in thele words, God ccnsideretb the 'iVor/iS of the inhabitants of the earthy is a necef- fary conlequence of this principle, God fasbionetb their hearts alike j- and ihis. principle is a necef- fary'confequence of that which the pfalmitt'had before laid down to account for the origin of the •world. Yes I from the doftrine of God the Cre- ator of men, follows that of God the infpedor, the diredlor, ;hc rewarder, and the puniflier of their adions. One of the moft fpecious objec- tions, that hath ever been oppofed to the dodlrinc of Providence J is a contrail between the grandeur ©f God and tht* meannefs ot" iiien. How can ftich an inlignificant creature as man, be an ob- ject of the care and attention of fuch a magnifi- cent Being as God ? No obje£\ion can be more iWcious, or, in appearance,, more invincible. The diflance between the meanell infecl and the xnightieft monarch, who treads-and cruflies rep- tiles to death without the leaft regard to them, ÎS a very imperfe<Sl image of the drftance between God and man; That which proves that it would be beneath the dignity cf a monarch to obferve the motions of ants, or worms, to intercit him- ielf in their actions, to puuiHu or t© reward them, . feems to demonfirate, : tha.t God would degrade him felf were he to obferve, to direû, to punifh, uO reward mankind, who are infinitely inferior to Iiim,- But, one fact is fufficient to anfwer this fpecious objection ; That is, that God hath cre- ated mankind. Doth God degrade hiinfflf more by governing than by creating mankind ? Who can perfuade himfelf, that a wife Being hath giv-- cn to intelligent creatures faculties capable of obtaining knowledge and virtue, without willing that they fliould endeavour to acquire knowledge and virtue ? Or who can imagine, that a wife 'Being, who willeth that his intelligent creatures
fliouid
Whe Manner of praising God. ^^
iîwuld ac^quire knowledge and virtue, will not punifli them, if they nt-giedl thpfe acquifitions ; and will not fliew, by the diftribution of his ben- fats, that he approves their endeavours to obtain them ?
Unenlightened philofophers have treated of the ^attributes of God with as much abflrufenefs as they have written of his worJîs. Tbt: jnoral at^ tributes of God, as they are called, in the fchools, '.vers myfleries which they could not unfold. Thefe may be reduced to two claffes, attributes oï goodness and attributes of Justice. Philofo- phers, who have adniitted thefe, have ufually taken that for gra.ntcd which they ought to have proved. They. colle6led together in their mind« all perfeâ:io53, they reduced them all to one ob- jetfl, which they denominated /z /ier/V<-f ^^//Tg- • and fuppofing, without proving, that a perfeâ: B?iiîg exided, they attributed to him, without proof, every thing that they conQdered as a per- fciElion. The pfalmift (hews, by a furer way, that there h a God fupremely juft, and fupremely good^ It is necelTary, in order to convince a ra- tional being of the juftice .and goodnefs of God, to follow fuch a method as that v/hich we follow to prove bis çxil^ence. When we v/ould prove the exi{\ence of God, we fay, there are creatures ; therefore, there is a Creator. In like manner, when we would prove, that the Creator js a juft and a good Being, v;e fay, there are qualities of goodnefs and juftice in creatures ; therefore, he, from whom thefe creatures.derive their exiftence, is a Being jufl and good, Now this is the rea- foning of the pfalmift, in this pfalm : T^'e Lord iov^th righteousness and jud^menty the ^arth ijs full of the goodness j>f the Lord^ ver. 5. that is to fay, h il impofliDle to confider the works of the Creator, without receiving evidence of his goodnefs. All the works of nature, which de- Xïionftfate the goodnefs of God, prove his juftice
JUlll
lUo ;
j^G The Manner of praising God.
: nlfo ; for God hath created us with fuch difpofi- tions, that we cannot enjoy the gifts of his good- nefs without obeying the laws of his righteouf- nefs. The happineis Of an indivi<iaalj who pro- cures a.pleafure by difobeying the laws of equity, is a violent happinefs, which cannot be of long duration ; and the profperity of public bodies, when it is founded in iniquity, is an edifice, •which with its bafes will be prefently funk and gone.
But what we Avould particularly remark is, that the excellent principles of the pfalmift, con- cerning God, are not mere fpeculations, but truths from which he derives praClicai inferences ;' Jind he aims to extend their influence beyond pri- vate perfons, even to legifiators and conquerors. One would think, confidcring the conduct of ■mankind, that the confequences, which are drawn from the doâ:riues of which we have been fpeak-
-ing, belong to none but to the dregs of the peo- ple ; that law-givers and conx]uerors have a plan of morality peculiar to themfelvcs, and are above the rules to which other men muft fubmit. Our
:|>rophet had other notions. What are his max- ims of policy ? T'hey are all included in thefe words: Blessed is ibc nation nvbose God is the Lord, and the people ivliom he hath chosen for his oKim irtheritonce^ ver, 12. What are his military maxims ? They are all included in thefe
Av^ôrds : There is no king saved by the multitude of on host : a viighty iran is not delivered by much strength : An horse is a vain thing for safety f neither shall he deliver any by his great Strength^ ver. 16, 17. Who propoieth thefe maxims? A hermit, who never appeared on the theatre of the world ? or a man deflitute of the talents receîTary to (I'line th^re ? No : one of the wilell: of kings ; one of the mofi bold and able generals ; a m.an, whom God himfelf elect- ed to govern bis cbcfen people, and to command
The Manner of praising God. 57
thofe armies, which fought the moft obftinate battles, and gained the moft complete vidlories. Were I to proceed in explaining the fyftem of the pfalmift, 1 might prove, that as he had a right to infer the dodrine of Providence from the "Works of nature, and that of the moral attributes of God from the \^orks of creation ; fo, from the doctrines of the moral attributes of God, of Prov- idence, and of tt^e works of creation, he had a >Tight to conclude, that no conquerors or law-giv- ers could be truly happy, but thofe who acled agreeably to the laws of the juft and good Su- -preme. But 1 ftiall not enlarge on this article.
Permit mc only to place in one point of view the différent phrafcs, by which the pfaliDift de- fcribes the Deity in this pfalm. "The earth is full of the goodnefs of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the shoft of thera by the breath of his nT-'Uh. He gathereth the waters of the fea togec..,r, as an -.hisap : he layeth up the depth in florehoufes. The Lord looketh from heaven : he beholdeth all the fons of men. From the place of his habita- tion he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth. He fafhioncth their hearts alike ; he con- fidereth al! their works," ver, 5 — 7, 13 — 15«
From thefe fpcculative ideas of God, he de- rives the following rules of praûice. *' Let all the earth fear the Lord ; let all the inhabitants of the world ftand in awe of him. Our foul wait- cth for the Lord : he is our help and our fliield. For our heart fhall rejoice in bim, becaufe wc have trufted in his holy name. Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us according as we hope in thee," ver, 8, 20—22. How delightful it is, my brethren, to fpeak of God, when one hath talents to fpeak of him in fuch a noble manner, and when one intends to promote the fear and the love of him, with an univerfal obedience ta liini, from all that is faid I |iow well it becomes F fuch
58 The Manner of praising God.
fuch a mîin to praife God Î The praise of the Lord is comely in the months oï upright men.
II. Let ys now apply the fubjedl more imme- diately to the fervice of this day. To praise God is a phrafc, which is fometimes taken, in a particular fenfe, for the exercife of a perfon, who, having received fingular favours of God, delights in expreiTing his gratitude to him. This praise IS comely in tbe mouth of an upright ma», for four reafons.
Firft. Becaufe he î^rrangeth them in their true order, highly efiunating what deferves a high efteem, and moC: highly eftimating what deferves the higheft efteem.
Secondly. Becaufe he employs all his benefits in the fervice of his benefadlor*
Thirdly. Becaufe, while he recounts his blefT- ings, he diverts himfelf of all merit, and afcribes them only to the goodnefs of God from whom they proceed.
Fourthly. Becaufe he imitates that goodnefs and love, which iuclined God to blefc him in fuch a manner.
I will af£x to each of thefe refle£lions a fingle Avord. Praise, or if you will, gratitude, is come- ly for the upright, becaufe it is ivise, reel, hum- lie, and magnanimous : In thefe four refped..s, praise is eomety for the upright, Thefe are the ientiments, with which the holy facrament, of which we have taken this morni/ig, fhould infpirc ts. Thefe are the moft important refleftions, -with which wc can clofe this difcourfe,
I. The gratitude of upright men is ivise. The praife of the Lord becomes them well, becaufe, while they blcfs Qod for all their mercies, they arrange them in their proper order ; they prize each according to its real worth, and that moft; of all which 19 of the greateft value. It Is a very jnortifying re6c<Slion, my brethrçn, thit the more wfi ftud^" ourfelves, the mofe clearly we perceive,
that
The Manner of praising God. S9
tfiat the love of the world, and of fenfible things, is the chief fprings of all our atfllons and feiu;- jTie-nts. This dilagreeable truth is proved, not only by the nature of our vices, but even by tlie genius of our virtues ; not only by the offences "we commit againft- God, but by the very duties "We perform i;-; his fervice.
A perfon fo ungrateful, as not to difcover any gratitude to God, when he bcftows temporal blefl- ings on htm, can fcarcely be found. We praife God, when he delivers us from any public calam- ity, or from any dome{\ic adveifuy ; when lie re- covers-us from dangerous illnefs ; when he raif- eth us up an unexpedled friend, or a protector, "who ailifti us ; when he fends us fome profperity, %vhich renders life more eafy* In fueh cafe-s as thefe, we render an homage to God, that cannot be refufed without ingratitude.
But we are extremely blameabk, when, while, we feel the value of thefe bleflings, v,fe r.iv.ain iufeivfvble of the wortlr of-other- bleflings, \vl,;':h Uj-i-e infinitely more valuable^ • and which ivcia^ infinitely more gratitude. A blcfllng, that di- r-e-£lly regards the foul, is more valuable than one which regards only the budy. A blcffing, that regards our eternal happinefs, is of greater worth, than one which inlluenceth only the happinefs of.- this life. Whence is it then, that, being fo fen-- iible of blcilings of the firfl kind, we are lb little affeilled with thofe of the lad I How cosies it to pîfs, that we are fo full of gratitude, v.'hen- God gives the (late fome fignal vidlory ; when he profpers its trade ; when he {lengthens the bonds, that unite it to powerful and faithful aU lies ; and fo void of it, while he coniiniics to grant it the greatefl blelTujg that a Tocicty of ra- tional creatures can enjoy, I mean a liberty to lerve God according to the di£latl?s of our own conlciences ? Whence is it, that we arc fo very thankful to Gud for prefcrvin^-Jcur livci. from ùie
dangers
6o The Manner of praising Goâ,
dangers that dailv threaten them ; and fo littl? thankful for his miraculous patience with us, to ■which it is owing, that, after we have hardened our hearts againft his voice one year, he invites lis another year ; after we have falGfied our promifes made on one folemnity, he calls us to ano-tlîer folemnity, and giveth us new opportuni- nies of being more faithful to him ? Whence comes this difference ? Follow it to its fonrce. Does it not proceed from what we jufl now faid ? Is not love of the world, and of fenfible things^ the grand fpring of our actions and fentiments ? The world, the world ; lo 1 this is the toucbftcne, by which we judge of good and evil I
An upright man judgeth in another manner s he will, indeed, blefs God for all his benefits;; but as he knows how to aiTange there, fo he knows how to prize each according to its worth, and how to apportion his edeem to the real value çf them ail.
According to fuch an ePiimatlon, what ought Tidt our gratitude to God be to-day, my deav*' brethren i We may affure ourfelvcs with tbe^ utmoft truth, that had the Lord united in our- bonfes to-day, pleafu res, grandeurs, and dignities ;' had he promifed each of us a life longer than that of a patriarch ; a family as happy as that of Job, after his misfortunes ; glory as great as that of Solomon; he would hare beftowed nothing equal to that blefilng, which he gave us this mjrning. He forgave thofe fins, which, had they taken- their natural eourfe, would hare orcaHoned end- Icfs remnrfe, and would have plunged us into cverlariing mifery and woe. A peace was shed abroad in our confciences, v/hich gave us a fore-- tafte of heaven. He excited hopes, that abforb-. cd our fouls in their grandeur. Let us fay all in one word : he gave us his 3ou. *' He that fpar-' ed not his own Son, how (hall he not with hiiii alfo freclv give us all things l" Kom. viii. S2.
2, The
The Manner of praising God, 61
2. The gratitude of upright men is real. The praife of the Lord becomes them, becaufe, while they praife God for his benefits, they live to the glory of their benefaftor. Every gift of Gad- fùrnillieth us with both a motive and a mean of «obedience to him. It is an excefs of ingratitude- xo ujiike a contrary ufe of hh gifts, and to turn the benefits that we receive, againll the benefac- tor from whom we receive thcm,^ What gifts are they, by which God hath moft diftinguifhed> us ? Thee he hath diflinguifhed by a penetrating genius, which renders the higheft objedls, th^ drepeft myileries, acceffible to thee. Wo be to thee \ -if thou- employ this gift to invent argu»- ments againîl the truihs of religion, and to find out fophifmsthat befriend infidelity. An irprighè' jnan devotes this gift to his benefat\or j he avails hlmfelf of his genius, to difcover the folly of iceptical fophifmi, and to demonilrate tne truth- of religion." On thee he hath beif^wed an afton- i!hing memory-. • Wo be to thee I if thau ufe it 10 retain ihe pernicious rnajdms of tlie world. An up rig. '-.t jnan dedicates this gifi to his btne- lacior ; he employs hiS menieryln retaining the cxcoUcm li-irojis of equity, charity, and p«lieriC^> which the iioly Spirit h«»th taught him in thci- fcrjptures. To thee he hath given aw atJthorita« t.Vc eloeulicn, to which every hearer is forced to bow. Wo be to thee I if then apply this rare talent to fcduce the minds, and to dt-prave the hearts, cf mankind. An ■iibrirrbt man devotes this bh:frirtg to the fervicc of his benefaclor ; he uleth his éloquence to free the minds of men from error, and their lives from vice. Towards thee God hath exercifed a patience, which fecms con- trary to his ufual rules of conduil towards iin- ïîers, arrd by which he hath abounded toward thee in forbearance and long-fulTering. Wo be to thee \ if thou turn this bleirin.ij into an oppor- tunity of v>ohting the commands of God ; if F 2 thine
62 The Manner of praising God:
thine obainncy run parallel with his patience,, and if, because sentence against an evil work is ■ not clT'.''.'.^. ''^^^'^^^■y^ ^^y ^^^^'i ^^ fnlly set in' thee to do evil, EccL viii. 1 1. An upiighv man devotes this bleliing ï» J^i^ benefaaor's ierv'-;,. From the patience of God he oerives cnot-ives of repentance. How eafily might this article be enlarged 1 how fruitful in inftrudlion would it be on this folcmnity ! But we proceed.
3. Gratitude to God weli becomes an upright man, becaiife it is hunible ; beca.ufe an upright man, by publifning the gilts of God's grace, di- vefts hinileli" of himlVlf, and attributes them whol- ly to the good nefs of him from whom thc-y came« Far from us be a profane mixture of the real grandeurs of the Creator with the fanciful gran- deurs of creatures 1 Far be thofe praifes, in T.'hich he who offers them always finds, in his own excellence, the motives that induced the Lord to beftow his benefits on him I
Two refledions always exalt the gifts of God in the eyes of an upright man ; a rcPcClion on his meannefs, and a reflexion on his unwonbi- neis ; and it is with this comelinefs of humility, li I may venture to call it fo, that I wilh to en- gage you to praife God for the blclTings of this day.
1. Meditate on your meanness» Contraft yourfelves with God, who gives himfelf to you to-day in fuch a tender manner. How fcon is the capacity of n»an abforbed in the works and. attributes of God 1 Conceive, if thou be capable, the grandeur of a Being, who made the heavens by his word, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. Think, if thou be capable of thinking, of the glory of a Being, who exifled from all eternity, whofe undei Handing is infinite, •whofe power is irrefiHible, whofe will is above controul. Behold him filling the whole unjverfe. with his prefence. Behold him in the palace of
his
The Manneir of prahirg God, 63;
liis glory, inhabiting the praises of the bleiTed, - Pial. xxii. 3, furrounded by ihc-afand thoufands, and by ten thoufaiid times ten thou land angels, who exct'l in ftrength, and who delight to fly at the fiiQ fignal of his Aviil. Thou human ioul I contemplate this objed^, and recover thy reafoa» What art thou ? What wr.s vhine origin 't What is thine end ? Thou dimintstive atom ! great only in thine own eyes ; behold tbyfélf in ihy true point éf view. ïluft ! afiies Î putrelac-- tion I glorious only at the tribunal of tliine ov:n\ pride ; dlvefi: thylelf cf the tawdry grandeur in ■which thou lovell to array thyfelf. Thou va- pour I >hou dream 1 thou exhalation of the earth 1 evaporating in the air, and having no other conHiience than v<*hat thine own imagina- tion gives thee ; behold thy vanity and nothing»- nefs. Yet this dream, this exhalation, this va* pour, this dufl", and afiies, and putrefatlion, thiis diminutive creature, is an objedl of the eternal ca'Ve and love of its God, Eor thee, contcmpti-^ ble creature 1 the Lord ftretched out the heav- ens J for thee he laid the foundation of the earth» Let us fay more : For thee, contemptible crea- ture I God formed the plan of redemption,- What could determine the great Jehovah to com* Biunicate himfelf, in fuch a tender and intimate manner, to fo contemptible a creature as man f His gcodnefs, his goodnefs alone.
Although a fenfe of our meannefs fhould not terrify and confound us, yet it (hould exclude ar- rogance, and excite lowly fentiments : But what will our humility be, if we eflimate the gifts o0 God's grace by an idea of our unwarthinefs Ï Let each recolledl the mortifying hiftory of his own life. Remember, thou 1 thy fiery youth, in which, forgettin^ all the principles that thy pious parents had taught thee, thou didfl: acknowledge «o law but thiuf; own pafiionate and capricious ^vill. Remcuiber, thou Î that period^ in whicli
thy
6^4 The: Manner of prcuingGùè.^
thy heart being infâtnated with one Qbje<5>, and "wholly f^niploytd aboui it, fhou «iM^l 'make it- tkine idol, and didli farrifice to it thui'e honoUr,' tby duty, tliyGod. RccoUtclJ ihbu I t.hc cruel'- ufe, that for njany years thou didd, make of thy"^ credit, tiiy riches, thy raiik, when, being devour- ed with leU'-love, thou \^a{\. iufeiifible to the voice of the widow and the orphan, and to a number of diftreffed people, who folicired relief. Re- member, thou i that fatal hour, the recolleclion of which ought to malce thy bead %vat€rs, and ■ thine eyes a fountain of tears^ Jer. ix. 1. that fatal hour^ in which, God liaving put thee into the fiery trial of perfecutlo:-), . thoir couîdll not" abide the proof. Like Ptter, thou didi • t kno-iir a difgraced Redeemer ; thou didTt cowaiuiy aban- ■ don a perft-cuted chuich, and wall juft on the ■point of abjuring thy religion, - Let each of us lb confider himlcli as he fetnis in the eyes of a holy God. A criminal worthy of the moft rigor- ous punilliments Î Let each of us fay to himfelf, Kotwithilanding all this, it is 1, guilty I ; I,. whofe fins are more in number than the hairs on aiy head ; it is I, who have been admitted this morning into the boufe of God ; it is I,. \vho have been invited this morning to that myltical repail, which fovereign wifdom itfelf prepnred ;. it is I, who have been encouraged againfl the juA fears, which the remembrance of my fins had excited, and have heard the voice of God, pro- claiming in my confcience. Fear not^ thou worm Jacob., Ifa. xli. 14. It is I, who have been ûbundantlj satisfcd with the fatness of the house of God, and have drunk of the river of his pleaS" uiesy Pfa!. xxxvi. 8. What inclines God to in- dulge me in this manner ? Goodnefs only I O lurpaffing and inconceivable goodnefs ! thou {halt for ever be the objeft of my meditation and grat- itude ! *' How excellent is thy loving kindntfs, O God 1" vcr. 7. Tliefo are fcmiraents th;.t
QUght
The Manner of praising God. 65
ought to animate our pralfe to-day. Such praise- is comely for the upright».
Fin^llj', The gruitude of an upright man is Tioble and magnanimous. The praife of 'J^od well becomes the mouth of an upright man, becaufe he takes the love of God to him for a pattern of his behaviour to his fellow creatures. St. Paul hath very emphatically expreffed the hapjTy changa •which the gofpel proJuecth in true chiidiansa . '' We all with open face, beholding as in a glafs the glory of the Lord, are changed into ihe fame image, from glory to glory, even as by the fpirit of the Lord," 2 Cor. nu 18. Some commenta- tors, infiead of reading wc all beboldino- as in a glass f as the expreflion is rendered in our tranf^. latioiï, render the words, lue all becoming^ mir^' rors. I will not undertake to prove that this iff the meaning of the term : it is certainly the fenfe of the apoftle.* Jîe means to inform us^ tliat the impreflion, which thé evangelical .difpl ay
of
* Tyxt \àt^ oî reflecting-^ while, one contemplâtes ths mttributes of God, is a very fine thou-jh»-, and fully ex- preffive ot the benevolent efieéls which chriftlanity produceth in its difciples -.bat Mr. Saurin, whofe bufi» uefs as a chriflian miniiler was not with the fne, but the true, only meant, by what he "faid above, tliiit i«- vas agreeable to th'c gevei a' des:gr. of the apollle. Eraf- mus was the firfl who trlnftated St. Paul's term katop- trizome.wi in fpsculo reprivstntantcs. Beza renders it, in fpeculo intuentes ; and our French bibles have it, W0U5 contemplons comme en un mlroa*. Our author was dclig;hted with the ingenuity of Erafmas ; however, he could not accede to his tianilation, becaufe, i. Hé could meet with no Greek author, cotemporary with St. Paul, who had ut'ed the tarni in the fenfe of Eraf- mus. 2. Becaufe Vie could not perceive an} conuexiori between that fignilication and the phrafe ii'/î/6 open fact-.- île abode therefore by the ufual reading. See Serm. . Tom. ix, S. viii. My idea of an objedt pleafes me, therefore it is a true idea of it, is contemptible logic : yet how many pretended articles of rciigioa have aril» eu. from tUis way of reaibninsJ
C5 The Manner of praising GocL
of the perfe£\ion3 of God makes on the Iruls of believers, engraves theui on their minds, and ren- ders them lihe mirrors, tliat refle«ft the rays, and the objc(f\s which are placed oppofite to them, and reprcfent their imacjes. Tbej behold the glw ry of the Lord ivith open face, Tbey are cbang' ed from glory to glory into the same image^ even- as by the spirit of the Lord, 1 vvi(h,, my, breth-- ren, that the imprefEon, which was made on you by the generofiiy and magraniaiity of God, who load«d you this nîorning with his gracious bene- fits, may transfortn }'oa to-day into the same imi tige from glory to glory, . I . would animate yoik %vitli this, the moll noble, the moft fublime, the jnofl: comfortable, way of praiOng God,
AVhat g.ave you fo much peace and pleafure this morning, in what God did for >y ou ? Was it the pardon af your fms ?- Imitate it ; pardoa your brethren. Was it liis pad forbearance with you? Imitate iLt; niodèratev that impatience •which the ingratitude, of your- brethren excifes- in your minds.. Was it that fplrit of ccmmuni-- cation, which diCpofed a God, who is aL-fuii- cient to his own happinefs, . to go out of himfclf> as it were, . and to communicate bis felicity to creatures ? . Imitate it ; go out of tholtj iutrencli-. jiients of prcfperity in which you lodgCj and im- part your benefus to your brethren» Was it the continua! vatchfulnefs of God for the falvatipn- of your fouls ? Imitate- it ; ej.;e.rt yourfeivcs for the falvation of the fouis of your brethren ; fuf- fer not thofe, who are united to you by m^ the ties of nature, fociety, and religion, to peiiHi- through your lukcwarmnefs and négligence. While you triumphantly exclaim, on this foleaiii fcflival) Ltff us make a joyful noise to ibc Itock^ of our salvation I Pl'al. xcv. 1. remember your perfecuted brethren, to whom God refufeth thiV pleafure ; remember the ways of ZioHy that. piourny because none come to the solemn feast s^ Lam, i. >?, ; My.
TJie Manner of praising God, 67
My brethren, liow pleaGng is a chriftian fefti- val I How comfortable the inftitution, to which %ve were this morning called Î But I remember here a faying of Jefus Chrift to his apoftles, I .have other sbeep ivhicb are not of tbts /old ^ tbem also I must brings end tbere shall be ons Jold^ and one shepherd) John x. 16. Alas! we alfo have flieep in another fold. When iTiall we have the comfort of bringing them into this? Ye divided families I w4io are pre fen t in this af- fembly, when will you be united ? Ye children of the reformation i whom the misfortunes of the times have torn from us.; ye ; dear parts of our- felves 1 when will you come to us ? When will you be re-gathered to the flock of the great J/Jé-j^- herd and bishop cf our soids ? When will ye lîîcd in our afTemblies tears of repentance, for having lived f» long without a church, without facrament?, without public worfhip ? When will yethcd tears of joy for having recovered thefc advantages ?
Great God! Thou great God who hidest thy-^ self Î is it to extinguifh, or to enflamc our zeal, that thou delayeft the happy period? Arc ou» liopes fufpended or confounded ? God grant, my dear brethren, that the praise, which wc render to the Lord for all his benefits, may obtain their continuance and increafe ! And God grant, while he giveth us our lives for a prey^t Jer. xxi» 9. that thofe of our brethren may be given u« alfo ! To him be honour and glory for ever I Amen.
SERMON m.
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF JESUS CHRIST IN THE CHURCH
Romans xiv. 7, 8.
None of us liveth io bhnself and no man dleth to himself. For, ivhether nve live, ive live unto the Lord ; or, whether we die, ive die -unto the Lord : whether we live therefore or die, we are the -Lord's»
A HESE words arc a generr»! maxira, vhich St. Paul lays down for the decifioii of a. particular controverfy. We cannot well enter into the apoflle's meaning, unlefs we underftand the particular fubjedl, which led him to exprefs himfelf in this manner. Our firfl refieé\ion5, therefore, will tend to explain the fubjed, and afterward we will extend our meditations to greater obje(Si3. We will attend to the text in that point of view, in which thofe chriftians are mofl interefled, who have repeatedly engaged to devote therafelves wholly to Jefus Ghvift ; to coti- fecrate to him through life, and to commit to him at death, not only with fubmiflion, but alfo with joy, thofe fouls, over which he hatti acquired the nobleft right. Thus fiiall we verify, in the moft pure and elevated of all fenfes, this faying^" of the apoftle, None of us liveth to himself, and no man dietb to himself, For^ iithether we live^ we live unto the Lord ; or, whether we die, we die unto the Lord : whether lue live therefore or . die, we are the Lord's.
St. Paul propofed in the text, and in feme of
the preceding «nd following verfes, to edablifli
the dodlrine of toleration. By toleration, we
mcaw, that difpoiition of n chriliian, which, on s
G principle
jO The Sovereignty of Jesus Christ
principle of benevolence, inclines him to hold communion with a man, who, through weaknefs of mind, mixeth with the truths of religion feme -error?, that are not entirely incompatible v;ith it ; and with the new tedament worfhip fome cere- monies, which are unfuitable to its elevation and fimplicity, but which, however, do not defiroy itseifence.
Retain every part of this definition, for each
is efTeniial to the fiibjet^ defined. I fay, that he,
vho exercifeth toleration, a6ls on a principle of
benevolence ; for were he to afl on a principle
of indolence, or of contempt for religion, his dif-
pofition of mind, far from being a -virtue worthy
cf.praife, would .be a,vice.St only for execration»
Toleration, J fay, is to be exercifed towards. him
only, who errs ihrough iveakness of mind j for
.-fcc, who per fids in his error through arrogance,
and for the fake of rending the church, defervcs
Ttgorous puniihment. I fay, further, that, he,
who exercifeth toleration, ,doth not confine him-
felf to praying for him, who is the objedl of it,
and to endeavouring'to reclaim him ; he proceeds
.further, md holds coramunion with, liïm; that is
to fay, he affifts at the fame religious, exercifes,
and partakes of the Lord's fupper at the faiiic
table. Without this communion, can we con-
,fider him, .whom we pretend to tolerr^te, as, a
.brother in the fcnle of St. Paul ? I add, finally,
^erroneous sentimeniSf ..which are tolerated, must
\ie compatible ivitb the great ..truths of religion ;
end observance ::f -wVkich are tolerated, mi/st^ not
^destroy the essence of evangelical ivorsliip^ ai-
. though they are incongruous with Its umplicity
and glory. How canl a0i(l in a fervice, which,
•in my opinion, is an infult on the God whom i
adore ? How can I approach the table of the
Xord. with a man, who rejets all the myfterit- s,
•swJiich -God exhibits thcrç ? and fo of the. rpi\.
Retain,
171 the Church. ji
îfetain, then, all the parts of this definition, and you will form a juft notion of toleration.
This moderation, always necelTary aniouj^ chriftians, was particularly fo in the priuîi:i\e ages of chrilHanity. The firfl: churches were compofed of two foits of profelytes ; fome oi: tht!m were born of Jewifli parents, and had beea educated in Judaifm, others were converted from paganifm ; and both, generally fpeaking, after they had embraced chndfianity, preferved fomc fraces of the religions which they had renounced. Sdme or them retained fcruples, from which jufi notions of chriiVian liberty, it fiiould feem, might iiave freed them. They durft not eat fome foods ■which God gave for the nourifiimcnt of mankind, I mean, the fiefli of animals, and they ate only herbs. They fét apart certain days ïor devotion- al exercifcs : not from that wife motive, whic!; ought to engage every rational man to take ?. portion of bis life from the tumult of tbe world, in order to confecrate it to thé' fervice of iiiè Creator ; but from I know' not what notion of pre-eminence, ^vhich they attributed to fome days,. above others. - Thus far all are agreed in regard to the defign of St. Paul in the text.
Nor is there any difUculty iti deterinining' which of the two orders of chriftians, of whom we fpoke, St. Paul confiders as an objedl of tol- eration J whether that clafs which came frorfi the Gentiles, or that which came from the Jews. It is plain the laft is intended. Every body knows that the law of Mofes ordained a great number of fsiiils under the penalty of the great anathema. It was very natural for the convert- ed Jews to retain a fear of incurring that penal- ty, which followed the infradlion of thofe laws, and to carry their veneration for thofe feftivaU too far.
There was one whole fe£l among the Jews, thatabftained entirel)f from the flefliof animak j
tiie/F
72 The Sovereignty of Jeius Chrhi
they were the Essencs, Jofephus exprcfsly kf- firms this ; and Philo ^tfTures us, that their tables •were free from every thing that had blood, and "were ferved with only bread, fait, and hyffop. As the ElTenes profcffed a feverity of manners, which had fome likenefs to, the morality of Jefus Chrid, it is probable, many of them embraced chriilianity, and in it interwove a part of the pe- culiarities of their own it(X,
I do not think, however, that St. Paul had any particular view to the Effenes ; at leaft, wc are not obU^^ed to fuppofe, that his views were conûnçd to them. All the world know, that Jews have an averfion to blood. A Jew, exa£t in his religion, does not eat flefh now-a-days with chrif- tianB, led the latter fhould Dot have taken fuffi- cient care to difcharge the blood. When, there- fore, St. Pawl defcribes converted Jews by their fernpulofity in regard to the eating of blood, he does not Ipeak of what they did in their own fam- . ilies, but of what they pradifed, when they were invited to a convivial r«pa{l with people, who thought themfelves free from the prohibition of eating blood, whether they were Gentiles yet in- volved in tke darknefs of paganifm, or Gentile converts to chriftianity. Thus far our fubjedl is free from difficulty.
The difficulty lies in the connexion of the maxim in the text with the end, which St. Paul propoieth in eftablifhing it. What relation is there between chriftian toleration and \mt inax- im, None oj\ us Uveth to himself,, and no man dit'tb to himself? How doth it follow from thi3 j)rinciple, ivvrth^r W^ /•T^j ?^f ^^vc unto ii>e Lord^ or, ivhether ive die, ive die unto the Lord ; how doth it follow from this principlç, that we ought to tolerate thofe, who, througlithe weaknefs of their minds, mix fome error* with the grand truths of chriftianity, and with the new teftament. ■worOiip fome ceremonies, which obfcure it- fim- plicity, and debafc its glory ? The
in the Church, 73
The folution lies in the connexion of thé text •#ich the foregoing v-erfes, ap(d particularly wiili thé fourth verfe, who art thoii^ tftat judgesi an» other maTT s servant ? Tojud^e^ in this place, does not fignify to difcern, but to condemn. The word has this meaning in a hundred paffagejs oX the new teftament. I conSiie myTelf to one pal- fage for example, "If we judge ourfelves, WP fhouid not be judged," 3 Cor, xi. 31. that is to fay, if we would condemn Qurffilves zt tlie tribu- nal of repentance, after wc have p^irtaken un- worthily of the Lord's fupper, v,'e Hiould not be condemned at the tribunal of divine juflice. - In like manner, who art îhou^ that judgest another man's servant ? is as much as to fay, "jDho arf thou that sondemnest P St. Paul meant to make the chriftians of Rome underftand, that it belong- ed only to tke fovereign of the church to abfclyp or to condemn, as he faw fit.
But who is the fupreme head of tlie clinrch ? Jtjfus Ghrift, Jefus Ghrift, who, with his Father, is ov€r all^ God blessed fçr ev^r, Rom» ix. 5. Jefus Chrirr, by dying for the church, ac^uirefi this fupremacy, and in virtue of it all trup chrjf- tians render lilni the homage of adoratioii, AH^ this is clearly eiipreffed by our aaoflle, a))d gives i)s an occafion to treat of one of the moil abllrufe points of chriftian theology.
That Jefus Chrift is the fupreme hegd qf tl^e church, according to the do<^rine of St. Paul, is expreiTed by the apoRIe in the jnoft clear and ex- plicit manner ; for after he hath fgid, ill the words of the text, VJhether we live, or die, ivf ate the^ Lord's^ he adds immediately, for to this erul Christ both died, and rose, and revived, thfit he might be Lord both of the dead and livings
That this Jefus, %vhose, the apoftle fays, iv.t;
ere, is God, the apgflle does not permit us to
daubt ; for he confounds the expreflions to eat to
the L(»'df and 10 give God thanks ;. to stand be*
G 2 fore
74 "^hc Sovereignty of Jesus Christ
fore the judgment seat of Christ, and to give ac- count of himself to God ; to be Lord both of the dead and living, ver. 6, 10, 12. and this majef» tic language, which would be bUlphemy in the mouth of a fimple creature, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God, ver. 1 1.
Finally, That Jefus Chrift acquired that fu- pvemacy by his fufferings and death, in virtue of vhich all true chriftisn^ render him the homage of adoration, the apoftle eflabliQieth, if poffible, ftill more clearly. This appears by the words jell now cited, io this end Christ both died, and roscy end revived, that be might be Lord both vf the dead and living, ver. 8, i 1, To the fame pur- pofe the apoflle fpeaks in the epiflle to the Phi- lippians, *' He became obedient unto death, tve» the death of the crofs. Wherefore God hath al-; fo highly exalted him, and given him a nawe, ■which is above every name ; iba'c at the name of Jefus every knee fliail feo'.v, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth ; and that every tongue îhall confefs that Jefns Chrifl is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.'* This is the fovertignty which Jefus Chrift scquir- td by dying for the church.
But the moft remarkable, and at the fame time the moft difficult article on this fubjecl, is this, Thefe texts, which feem to eilablilh the divinity^ of Chrift in a manner fo clear, furnifti the great- ell objedtton, that hath ever been prcpofed agtinfb it. True, fay the enemies of this doctrine, Jefua Chrift is God, fince the fcripture commands us ta vorfnip him. But his divinity is an acquired di- vinity ; fince that fuprtmaey, which entitles hira to adoration as God, is not an cffential, but an 2Cquired fupremacy. Now, that this fupremacy is acquired, is indubitable, fince the texts, that have been cited, exprcfsly declare, that it is si fruit of his fufferings and death. We have two arguments to offer in repl^. 1. if
in the Church. yg.
1. If it were demonftrated, that the fuprema- cy eftablifhed in the foreclted texts was only ac- quired, and not cfR-ntial, it would not therefore follow, that JefusChrift had no other fupremacy belonging to him in common with the Father and the holy Spirit. We are commanded to worlhip Jefus Chrifl, not only becaufe he died for us, but alfo becaufe he is eternal and almighty, the au- thor of all beings that exifl ;. and becaufe he hath all the perfections of Deity, as we can prove by- other paffages, not neceifary to be repeated here».
2. Nothing hinders that the true God, whoy as the true God, merits our adoration, fhould ac- quire every day new rights over us,, in virtue of "which we have new motives of rendering thofa 3)omages to him, which we ad^nowledge he al- ways infinitely micrited. Always when God be-^ Sows a new blefiing, he acquireth a new right» What was Jacob's ©pinion, when he made this TOW ? " If God will be with me, and will keep TOC in the way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment ta put oia, fo that I come again to my father's houi'e in peace ; then Qiali' the Lord be my God/* Gen. xxviii. 20, &c» X)id the patriarch mean, that he had no other reafon for regarding the Lord as his God, than this favour, which he aflced of him ? No fuclr >hing. He meant, that to a great maRy reafons, ■which bound him to devote himfelf to God, the favour which he afked would add a new one. It •would be eafy to produce a long lift of example» ef this kind. At prefenit the application of this •nc fhould fuffice. Jefus Chrift, who, as fupreme God, hath natural rights over us, hath alfo acquir- ed rights, becaufe he hath deigned to clothe him- felf with our flcfh, in which he died to redeem us. None of us is his owity we arc all his, not only becaufe he is our Creator, but becaufe he is alfo our Redeemer. He hath a fupremacy over us peculiar to himfelf, and diftind from that,
J 6 The Sovereigniy of Jems Christ
•which he hath in common with the Father and-- the holy Spirit.
To return then to our principal fubjeft, from ^'hich this long digreiîîon hath diverted us. This Jefus, who is the fupreme head ©f the church ; this Jefui, to whom alj the members of the' church are fubjeft ; willeth that we fliould tole- rate, and he himfelf hath tolerated, thofe, \yho, having in other cafes an upright confcience, and a fincere intention of fubmitting their rcafon to all his decifions, and their hearts to all his com- ina.nds, cannot clearly fee, that chrifVlan liberty includes a freedom from the obfervation of cer- tain feafts, and from the dulinâion of certain foods. If the fovereign of the church tolerate them, who err m.this manner, by what right do 5'Ott, who are only fimple fubjeéls, undertake to condemn them ? " V7ho art thou, that judgeft another man's fervant ? to his own mafter h.e flandeth or fâlleth. For none of us livcth to himfelf, and no man dieth to himfelf. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and, whether we die, we die unto the Lord : whether we live therefore or die, ,we are the Lord'^s. Let us not therefore judge one another any more." Let us, who are sirong^ bear the injirmities of the iveak.
This is the dtfign of St. Paul in the words of aiy text, in fume of the preceding, and in fome of the foUov/ing verfes. Can we proceed withr out remarking, or without lamenting, the blind— nefs of thofe chriftians, who, by their intoîerîinçe to their brethren, feem to have chofçn for their Hiodel thofe members of the church of Rome^ who violate the rights of toleration in the moft cruel manner ? We are not fpeaking of thofe fanguinary men, who aim at illuminating peopled minds with the light of fires, and faggots, which they kindle againft all who rejecl their fyflems. Our tcars; and cur bloody have not affuaged their
rage ;.
in tfte Church* jf
jage ; how can we then think to gppeafe it by our exhortations ? Let us not folicit the wrath cf heaven againft thefe perfecutors of the church ; let us leave to the fools of them, who were llain for the word of God, to cry, How^ hng^ O Lord, koly and true^ dost thou not judge and avenge our Hood on tbem, that dwell 09 the earth ? Rev. vi. 10.
But, y« intedlne divifions I Thou fpirit o£ fadlion Î Yè theological wars I how long will ye fcc let loofe among us ? Is it poffible, that chrif- tians, who bear the name of reformed, chriftians united by the bond of their faith in the belief of vhe fame doctrines, and, if I may be allowed to ipeak fo, chriftians united by the very eflorts of^ their enemies to deftroy them ; can they violate, after all, thofe laws of toleration, which they ■ have fo often prefcribed to others, and againfl: the violation of which tliey have remonftrated witk fo much wifdom and fuccefs ? Can they convoke ecclefiaftiical affemblies^ can they draw «p canons, can they denounce excommunications and anathemas againft thofe, who, retaining with themfelves the leading truths of chriftianity and of the reformation, think differently on points of fimple fpeculation, on queftions purely raetaphyf- 3cal, and, if I may fpeak the whole, on matters fo abftrufe, that they are alike indeterminable by them, who exclude members from the communion of Jefus Cbrift, and by thofe who are excluded ? O ye fons of the reformarton I how long will you counteradl your own principles Î how long will you take pkafure in increafing the number of thofe, who breathe only yotir deftru6lion, and jmove only to deftroy you î O ye fubjecls of the fovereign of the church ! how long will you en- croach on the rights of your fovereign, dare to condemn thofe whom he abfolves, and to rejédt thofe whom his generous benevolence tolerates! Î* Who art thou, that judgeft; another man's fer-
vaot ?-
7$ The Sovereignty of Jesus Christ
vant ? for none of cs liveth to himfelf, and no, snan dletli to Wmfelfc For, whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and, whether we die, we die unto the Lord : whether wc live therefore or die^ ■we are the Lord's."
What v/e have fsid fhall fuffice for the fubjea, Tvhich occaHoned the maxim in the text. Tua remaining' time I devote to the confideration of the general ienfe of thie maxim. It lays before ys the condition, the engagements, the inclina- tion, and the felicity of a chriPcian. What is the felicity of a chriiTian, what is his inclination, \vhat are his engagements, what is his condition ? They are not to be his oivn ; but to fay, r^hetk- er I livCf or dkf I am the Lord's, The whole, that we fliall propolJfc to you, is contained in , thefe four articles.
L - The ter^'t la;/:S before us the primitive cow- àitiôn of a chriRian. It is a condition of depend' ence, <' None of us liveth to himfelf, and no iwan di€th to himfelf."
None of us I tvetb to himfelf, for Kvhetber 7t»(?' live^ K^>e Ihe unto the Lord* What do we pof- fifsj during our abode upon earth, which doth not abfolutely depend on him, who placed us here ? Oar erdftence is not ours ; our fortune is rot ours ;■ cur rcptttation u not- ours 5 our virtue i* not ours ; our reafon is cot ours ; our health is not ours ;. onr life is not ours.
Ouv existence is not ours. A few years ago- "we found ourfelves in this world,- conRituting- a - very inconfiderablc part of it.- A 'few years ago the world itfelf wa& nothing. The will of God alone hath made a being of this nothing, as he. can make this being, a nothing, whenever hç~ ptleafeth to do fo.
Our fortune is not ours. The noft opulent perfons often fee their rides make themselves- ^ings, and fy aivay» Houfes, the beft eflabhfU- cd>^ diCappear in au iiiftant. We have feen 9,
in the Church,
■79
Jcb, who had pcffeffed seven thousand sbeepy three thousand camels^ Jive. hundred yoke of oxcriy end servants nvUhout number ; we have leen the roan, who had been the greatest of all the men vf the easty lying on a dunghill, retaining noth- ing of his profperity but a forrowfu! lenie-in» brance, which aggravated the advcriities that followed it.
Gur reputation i? not ours. One fingle frail- ty fometimes tarnifiieth a life of the moft unful- lied beauty. One moment's abfence fometimee debafeth the glory of the m oft profound politi- -cian^ of the moft expert general, of a faint of the Iiigheft order. A very diminutive fault w-ill fervc to render contemptible, yea, , infamous, the man ■who committed it ; and to make him tremble at the thought of appearing before men, who have po other advantage over him than that of having committed the fame ofîence more fortunately; I mean of having concealed the commiflion of it from the eyes of his fellow creatures.
Our virtue is not ours. Want of opportunity is often the caufe why one, who openly profelTeth chriftianity, is not an apoftate ; another an adul- terer ; another a murderer.
Our reason is not ours. While we poffefs it» we are fubje£i to diftra£lions, to abfence of thought, to fufpenfion of intelligence, which rea- der us entirely incapable of . reflexion ; and, what is ftill more mortifying to human nature, they, whofe geniufesare the moft tranfcendant and fublime, fometimes become cither melan». choly or mad ; like Nebuchadnezzar they fink into beafls, and browfc like them on the herbage of the field.
Our health is not ours. The catalogue of thofc -infirmities which dcllroy it, (I fpeak of thofe which we know, and which mankind by a ftudf of five or fix thcufand years have difcovered) makes whole volumes. A catalogue of thofe
which
J^ The Sovereignty of J^ sus Chrifl
•which are unknown, would probably make larger
volumes yet.
Our life is not ours. Winds, waves, heat^ cold, aliments, vegetables, animals, nature, and each of its component parts, confpire to deprive us of it. Not one of thofe, who have entered this church, can demonftrate that he fhall go otit of it alive. Not one of thofe, who compoi'e this
,aiTcmbly, even of the youngeft and ftrongeft, can aiTure hinifelf of one year, one day, one hour, one moment of life. None of us liveth to him'
-Self ; for, if we live^ we are the Lord's.
Further, No man dieth to himself. If lOe die., *-j>e arc ibe Lord's, How abfolute foever the do- minion of one man over another may be, there is a moment, in which both are on a level ; that moment comes when we die. Death delivers a I'lave from the power of a tyrant, under whofe rigour he hath fpent his life in groans. Death terminates all the relations, that fubfifl: between inen in this life. But the relation of dependence, which fubfifts between the Creator and his crea- tures, is an eternal relation. That world, into which we enter when we die, is a part of his empire, and is as fubjed to his laws as that into wliich we entered when wc were born. During this life, the Supreme Governor hath riches and poverty, glory and ignominy, cruel tyrants and clement princes, rains and droughts, raging tem- peRs and refrelhing breezes, air wholelbme and air infe£led, faKoine and plenty, vidories and de- feats, to render us happy or miferable. After
■ death, he hath abfolotiou and condemnation, a tribunal of juf^ice and a tribunal of mercy, angels and devils, a river of pleasure and a lake burn' ing ivith fre and brimstone^ hell with its horrors •and heaven with its happinef^, to render us hap- py or miferable as he pleafeth.
Thefe refleiflions are not quite fuffici«nt t© make Hs feel all our dependence. Our vanity is
mortified,
in the Church, 81
aiortified, when we remember, that what we en- joy is not ours ; but it is fometimes, as it were, indemnified by obferving the great means, that God employs to deprive us of our enj-^yments» God hath, in general, excluded this extravagant motive to pride. He hath attached our felicity to one fibre, to one caprice, to one grain of fand, to objedts the leafl: likely, and feemingly the leafl: •capable, of influencing our deftiny.
On what is your high idea of yourfeli found- ed ? On your gewius ? And what is necefTary to reduce the fineft genius to that (late of melan- choly or madnefâ, of v;hich I juft now fpoke ? Muil the earth quake ? Mufl the fea overflow its banks ? Mud the heavens kindle into lightning and refotind in thunder? Mud the elements olafli, and the powers of nature be fiiaken ? No ; there needs nothing but the difplacmg of one lit- tle fibre in your brain 1
On what is your high idea of youffelf found- ed ? On that felf-comp'acence, which fortune, rank, and pleafing objeds, that furround you, feem to contribute to excite ? And what is ne- celTary to diffipate your felf-complacence ? Mufl; the earth tremble ? Muft the fea overflow its banks? Muft heaven arm iifclf with thunder and lightning ? Muft all nature be fliaken ? No ; •one caprice is fudicient. An appearance, under which an object prefents itfelf to us, or rather, a colour, that our imagination lends it, *':'.. nifheth felf-comphcence, and, lo 1 the man juft now agitated with fo much joy, is fixed in a black, a deep defpair !
On what is your lofty idea of yourfelf found- ed ? On your health ? But what is neccffary to deprive you of your health ? Earthquakes ? Armies? Inundations? Mud nature return to its chaotic ftate ? No ; one grain of fand is fuf- ficient i That grain of fand, which in another pofuion was next to nothing to you, and was rc- H ally
82 The Sovereignty of Jesus Chrisi
ally nothing to your felicity, becomes in it? prêt- ent pofition a puniflimeiU, a niariyrJoin, a hell!
People foroetimes fpeculate Uie nature of thofe torments, which dirinc judice referves for the Avlcked. They are lefs concerned to avoid the pains ef hell, than to difcover wherein they con- li(l. They aftc, what fuel can fupply a fire, that wHl nerer be extinguifhed. Vain refearches I The principle in my tçxt is fuîHcient to give me frightful ideas of hell. We are in a ftate of en- tire dependence on the Supreme Being ; and to repeat it again, one iingle grain of fand, which js nothing in itfelf, naay become in the hands of the Supreme Being, a puniQiment, a martyrdom, a hell ia regard to us. AVhat dependence J Whether ive live, or whether ive die, we are tb£ Lord's» This is ihe ^vim'iùwc condition oï jl chriftian.
II. Our text points out the engagements of a chriÛian. Let us abridge our refletStions. Kc- mark the ftate in which Jefus Ghrift found us ^ >vhat he performed to deliver us from it ; and under what conditions we enter on and enjoy this deliverance.
I. In what state did Jcfus Chrifl find us, 'when he came into our world ? I am fprry to fay, the afFe£led delicacy of the world, which increafeth as its irregularities multiply, obligeth me to fupprefs part of a metaphorical defcription, that the holy Spirit hath given us in the Sixteenth chapter of Ezekiel. " Thy father wris an Amor- ite, and thy mother an Hittite," faith he to tlie church. *' When thou wall born, no eye pitied thee, to do any thing unto thee ; but thou waft caft out in the open air, to the loathing of thy perfon, in the day that thou waft born. I pafTed by thee, and faw thee polluted in thine own blood, and I faid unto thee, when thou wafl in thy blood. Live. I fpread my fkirt over thee, and covered thy nakedaqfs ; yea, I fwear unt«
thee,.
in the Church» 83
tliee, a-iid entered into a covenant with thee, and thou becametl mine," ver. o, Sec.
Let us leave the metaphor, and let us confii^c our attention to the meaning. When Jel'us Ghrifh came into the world, in what (late did he find us ? Defcended from a long train of ancef- tors in rebellion againfl the laws of God, fludu- ating in our ideas, ignorant of our origin and end, blinded by our prejudices, infatuated by our pàflions, having no bopCy and being ioitbout God in the world) Eph, ii. 12. condemned to die, and relerved for eternal flames. From this ftatc Je- fus Ghrifl: delivered us, and brought'us into the glorious liberty cf the sons of God, Rom. viii. 21. in order to enable us to participate the felicity of the blefTed God, by making u£ partakers of the drvine nature, 2 Pet. i. 4,- By a deliverance fo glorioos, doth not the deliverer obtain peculiar rfghts oVer us I
Remark, further, on what conditions Jefus Ghrift hath freed you from your miferies, and yon T.'ill perceive, that j^ cr<? not your onvn. Wiiat means the morality that Jefus Ghrifl: enjoined in his gofpel ? What vows were made for each of you at your baptifm ? What haft thou promifed at the Lord's table ? In one word, to what au- thority did-ft thou fubmit by embracing the gof- pel ? Didft thou fay to Jefus Chrift, Lord Î I will be partly thine, and partly mine own ? To thee I will fubmit the opinions of my mind ; but the irregular difpolitions ct" my heart I will re* ferve to myfelf. I wil' confent to renounce my vengeance ; but thou (halt allow me to retaia my Dalilah and my DruGlla. For thee I will quit the world and diflîpating pleafures ; but thou (halt indulge the vifionary and capricious flow of my humour. On a chriflian feftivaF I will rife into tranfnorts of dt-voticn ; my countenance fliall emit rays ol a divine flame; my eyes fliall %arkle with feraphic fire, my heart and my flcsb
%hall
84 The Savtreigniy of Jesus ChtHW
shall sry out for the living God^ Pfal. Ixxxîv. 5, bur when I return to the world, I will fink into the fpirit of the men of it ; I will adopt their maxims, fliare their pleafures, ifinmerfe myfelf in ther converfation ; and thus I will be alternately culd and hot^ Rev. iii. 15. a chriflian and a hea- tlicn, an angel and a devil. Is this your idea of chriUianity ? Undoubtedly it is that, which ma- ny of oar hearers have formed ; and which they take too much pains to prove, by the whole courfe of their converfation. But this is not the idea which the infpired writers have given bs of chiiltianity ; it is not that, which, after their example, we hive giren you. Hitn only I ac- knowledge for a true chriftian, who is n6t his oivriy at leafi, who continually endeavours to crkdicate the remains of fm, that renft the em- pire of Jcfus Chrift. Him alone I acknowledge tor a true chriflian, who can fay with St. Paul, ::lthoygh not in the fams degree, yet with equal fKîcerity, I am cnic'Jîed '^vitb Christ ; neverthe" less I live ; yet vot /, but Christ liveîb in me :. and the life^ which I now live in the fesb^ I live bj the faith of the Son cf God, ivho laved mff and gave himself for nie^ Ga!. ii, 20,
Gonfider, thirdly, what it coft Jefus Chrift to deliver you froai your wretched fiste. Could oyr freedom have been procured by a few émo- tions C» benevolence, or by an <kfi of fupretTiS power ? ïn C"^^^"^ ^^ deliver us from ovir griefs. 5^ ^;^5s"ncce(r3ry fur him tt? ^'^f?'' ^^''C^ ?/« ^«^- Biinatc -y'.r Spr^ô-vs-. hs- muO carrj tbens : (accord- ^ng ta the bnga?.go cï a prcphet) to deliver U^^ from the {\rokc5 of divine juUicrj^he mv.{> be jf,ricken end sniiUen ofGod^ îCn. îiii. -i. I nm aware, that one of th^ moft ocplorabl-.jnnrirjties of the hnman mind, is to brco-ne inil^.r.Hbîe^ to the moll aff^aing objeds by becoming' familiar v\th them.. The glorified nints, we know, by tontemplattrg the fuffcrings of the Savicuv of
in the Church. 85.
the world, behold obje<Sls, that excite eternal adorations of the mercy of Jbim-y who loved themj and nvasbed them from their sins in bis oivn ètoody and made tbem kings^ and priests unto GoA èii father, Rev, i, 5, 6. but in our prefentilate, the propoiing of thefe obje£"ts to us in a courfc of fermons is fufEoient to weary us. However, I af£rm, that» if we have not been afiefted wit'a what Ghrlft hath done for our falvation, it hath not been owing to our thinking too much, but to our not thinking enough, and perhaps to our never having th(>ught of the fubjeft once, with fuch a profound attention as its interedifjg na- ture demands.
Bow thyfclf tov/ards thé niyiiical ark, chrif» tian 1 and fix thine eyes on the mercy-feat, Re-»^ volve in thy rntdic^aion the aRonifliing, I had aU mod faid, the incredible hiftory of thy Saviour'g love. Go to Bethlehem, and behold him, %vbo upholdetb all things by the ivord of bis povjcr, (I ufe the language of an apoftie) him, whothought it DO ufurpation of the rights of the Deity to be equal w.''t/i»' GW/.. behold him humbling himself^ (I ufe here the wsrds of St. Paul, Heb. i, 3. Vini, ii, 6. hi^ words are more cmphatical ftill.) Behold hxm' annih'ilaied* ;^ for, although^ the child, who was born in a liable, and laid in a mmgcr, was a real being, yet he may fcem to be annihilated \t\ regard to ths degrading circum- Û'ancesv which veiled and cohc^aléd his natural dignity ; behold Wiinamiif Hated, by taking upon him the form of a servant/ Follow him through the whol-- courte of his life ; he went about doing good, Ads X. 38. and cxpbfed liiinfclf in every place to inconveniences and miferies, through' the abundance of his benevolence and love. Pafs to Gcthfemane ; behold his agony ; fee him as H 2 thé
* Videturhic alludere ad Dan. ix. 26. Ubi dicitur Meflias exinanienc'us, ut ei nihil fuperfit. i.e. quali in a-ihtlum fit redigendus. PoU Sjnops. in loc.
86 The Sovereignty of Jesu% Christ
the Redeemer of mankind contending with the^ J.id^e of the whole earth ; in an agony, in which Jei'us ivfifted with orAy prayers and suppli'cationSf strong eying, and tears^ Hcb. v. 7. an agony preparatory to an cven^ ftill more tenible, the bare idea of which terrified and troubled him, made his siveat as it ivere great drops of blood falling to the ground, Luke xxii. 44. and pro- duced this prayer fo fruitful in controvcrfies in tbefthools, ancj fo penetrating and affeifling ; io fruitful in metives to obedience, devotion, and gratitude, in truly chrifiian hearts, 0 mj Father, if It be possible^ let this cup pass from me ; nev- ert.beless^ not as I willy but as tbou wilt, Matt, xxvi. 44. Go funher yet, chrifiian ! and after thou haft feen all the fufferings, which Jefus Chrift endured in going from the garden to the' crofs, afcend Calvary with him ; !^op on the fum» mit of the hill, and on that theatre behold the nioft ailonifliing of all the works of Almighty God. See this Jefus, the brightness of the Fa» tber*s glorjf and the express iraûgc of his person^ Hib. i. 3. fee him Gripped, fattened to an no-. curfed tree, confoundea with two thieves, nailed t*» the wood, furrounded with executioners and tormentors, having left, during this dreadful pe- riod, that fight of the comfortnble prefence of his Fr.ther, which conftituied all his joy, and being driven to exclaim, My God I 7ny God J ivhy h<ss6 thou forsaken me ? Matt, xxvii. 40. But be- hold him, amidft all thefe painful fuSferings, ftrnily fupporting his patience by his love, refo- lutely enduring all thefe punifliments, from thofc motives of benevolence, v;hich firft engaged him to fubmit to them, ever occupied with the prof- pedl of faving thofe poor mortals, for whofe fake he defcended into this world, fixing his eyes on that world of believers, which his crofs would fobdue to his government, according to his own laying, /, if I be lifted up from earth, tvill dravi
nil
in the Church, S^;
tfll men unto m?, J^hn tu. 32. C^n we help feeling the toicr ot" liiat n.otive, whtcb tlie fcrip- ture propofeth in fo many places, -and fo very emphaiically in thele words, Tbd love of Christ' constraintth us^ 2 Cor, v, 14. that is to fay, en- gagfth and aitachctb us clofely to him ; The lovt of Christ constraineth us^ because 1V3> thus judge ■^, that if one died for all^ then nuere all dead ; and. that he died for all, that tbey^ vjhich live^ should, vot henceforth live WHO themsehes^ but unto him^ ivhich died for them, and rose again. Yea, The love cf Christ forcetkuSf when we think what he hath done tor us*
III. My third article, "which fhould treat of the inclination of a chriftian, is naturally contain- ed in the fécond, that is, in that which treats of" his engagements. To devote ourfelves to a maf- ter, who hath carried his love to us fo far; to^ devote ourfelves to him by fear and force ; to fubmit to his laws, becaufe he hath the power of- precipitating thofe into hell, who have the auda- city to break them ; to obey him on this princi- ple only, this is a difpofition of mind as oetefta- ble as difobedience itfclf, as hateful as open re- bellion. Th* fame arguments, which prove that a- chriftian is not bis own by engagement, prove that he is not bis own by inclination. When, therefore, we fiiall have proved that this ftatc is. his felicity alfo, we ftiall hav« fmilhed the plan •f this dilcourfe. ^
IV. Can it be diiïicult to perfiiade you on- this article ? Stretch your imaginations. Find,, if you can, any circumftance in life, in which it "Would be happier to rcjeft chnftianity than to fijbinit to it.
Amidft all the diCorders and confufions, . and (fo to fpeak) amidfl the univerfal chaos of the prefent w^jrld, it is delightful to belong to the Governor, who firft formed the world, and who? hatli affured us, that he will difplay the fame
power
38 The Sever eignii (f Jesus Christ
pQVfer In renewing it, which lie difplayed in ere» ating it.
In the calamities of life, it is delightful to belont^ to the Mafter, who diftiibutes them ; who diuributes them only for our good ; who knows offliélioiîs by CKpenence ; whofe Icve in- clines him to terminate our fufferings ; and who continues them from the fame principle of love, that inclines him to terminate them, when we fliall have derived tbofe advantages from them, for which they were fvint*
During the perfecutions of the church, it is delightfnl to belong to a Guardian, who can curb our perfecutors, and contre ul every tyrant ; who wfeth them for the eiiecution of his own counfds ;- and who will break them in pieces with a rod of iron, when they can no longer contribute to the- fan(5\ifying of his fervant?.
Under a fcnfe of bur infirmities^ when we arc terrified with the purity^ of that morality, the tquity of which we are obliged to own, even ■while we tremble at its feveriiy-; it is delightful- to belong to a Judge, who doth not exacl his rights with the utmolt rigour ; who knoivetb our frame^ PfaL ciii. 14*- who pitieth ojr infirmities % and who affureth us, that be ivill not break a bruised reed^ nor quench tbe smoking fiaxy Matt. xii. 20;-
When our palïïons are intoxicated, in tbofe ffttal moments, in which the defire of pofTeffing^ tl'.e objedVs of our paffions wliolly occupies our hc/trts, and we confuler them as our paradife, our gods ; it is delighit'u), however incapable we may bîe of attending to it, to belong to a Lord who Terrains and controuls us, becaufe he loves us ; aiid v/ho refufeth to giant us what we fo eagerly denre, becavhfc he wi<uld either preclude thofc" terrible regrets, which penitents ltd after the commiiHon of great fius, or thofe more terrible' torments, that are iufcpHrabie from fiual impeni^ tsnaci. Under
in the Church.- 8^
Under a recolle£lion of our rebellions, it is de- lightful to belong to a Parent, who will receive ws favourably when we implore his clemency ; who fvveeteus the bitternefs of our remorfe ; who is touched with our regrets ; who wipes away the tears, that the remembrance of our backflid- ings makes us (bed ; who sparaib us^ as a man spareth bis own son, that serveth bim, Mai. iii. 17.
In that empty void, into which we are often condu<Slcd, while we feem to enjoy the moft folid. eftablifbments, the moft exquifite pleafures, and the moft brilliant honours, it is delightful to be- long to a Patron, who referves for us obje£ls far better fuited to our original excellence, and to the imnienfity of our defires. To live to Jesus Christ then, is tht felicity of a chriftian.
But, if it be a felicity to belong to Jefus Chnifl •while we live, it is a felicity incomparably great- er to belong to him when we die. We will con- clude this meditation with this article ; and it is an article, that I would endeavour above all oth- ers to iiTiprefs on your hearts, and to engage you to take home to your houfes. But, unhappily^ the fubje£t of this article is one of thofe, which generally make the leaft impreflions on the minds of chriftians. I know a qreat many chriftians^ "who place their happinefs in living- to Jesus Christ ; but how fev/ have love enough for him to efteem it a fehcity to die to him I Not only Is the number of thofe fmall, who experience fuch a degree of love to Chrift ; there are very few, who even comprehend what we mean on this fubjeâ:. Some efforts of divine love relemble very accurate and refined reafonings» They ought naturally to be the moft intelligible to in- lelligent creatures, and they are generally the leaft underftood. Few people are capable of that attention, which takes the mind from every thing foreign from the objedt in contemplation, and
fixeth
-^ The Sovcreîgniy of Je sus Chrhi
fixeth it not only on the fubje£^, but alfo on that part, on that point of it, if I may be allowed to fpeak fo, 'vhich is to be inveÛigatcd and explain., ed ; fo that) by a frailty which mankind cannot fuaiciently deplore, nrircifion confufeth our ideas, and light itfelf makes a fu'ojeit' daik. In like manner, there are fome efTorts cf di\ine love, ^ detached from fenfe, fo free from all fennbie ob- jets, fo fuperior to even all the means, rbat re- lîg'ion ufeth to attract us to God, fo eagerly af- piring after an unioii more clofe, -rnore noble, and jnore tendejr, that the greattfl; part of chriftiansy as I faid before, are not only incapable of expe- riencing them, bat they ate alfo hard to be per- iuaded that there is any reality in what ihey^ have been told about them.
T(? be Jésus Chiist's in the hour of death by condiiioHy by enga^ffement^ and Lboveall by incli" yiatwiiy is the only means of dying vrth delight. V/ithout thefe, whatever makes cur felicity while we live, will become our punifimient when wc die; whether it be a criminal object, or ah inno- cent obje<S, or even an objedt which God himfeif commandeth us to love.
Criminal obje£ls will 'punifh yon» They will reprefent death to you as the nuffenger of an avenging God, who comes to dr?.g yea before a tribunal, wheve the Judge will eKamine and pwni ilh all your crimes. LaivJ u I ùhj^cXs will dill re f$- you.- Pleafant fields I ccnveiirent houfes I wc mud fori'ake you. Natural rehcions ! agree'abh; companions I fr/ithfal -iViends I we mu{V give you up. From you, our d^ar children ! who kindle in our heart: a kind of love, that agitates and inflames beings, wtVen nature feeros to render them incapable of heat and motion, we icufl. be. torn from you.
Religions obje^ls, which we are commanded above all others to love, will contribute to onr 3çi>gUifti in a dying bed, if they have confined our
love.
in the Churth.- -91
■love, and rendered us too fenfible to that kind of happinefs which piety procures in this world; and if they have prevented our fouls from rifin^ jnto- a contemplation of that bleffed ftate, in "which there will be no more temple, no more fa- craments, no more grofs and fenHbie worthip. The man, who is too much attached to thefc things, is confounded at the hour of death. The land of love, to which he g^oes, is an unknown country to him y and as the borders of it, on ■which, he (lands, and on which alone his eyes are fixed, prefent only precipices to his view, fsar and trembling furround his every (lep»
But a believerj who loves Jefus Ghrift with that kind t)f love, which made St. Paul exclaim, 7 he love of Christ constrainetb wj", ;:2 Gor. v, 14« finds himfelf on the- fummit of his w»(hes at the approach of death. This-believer, '■■ living. in this world, rèfembîes the foiiof a great king, whom ;4bn)e fad event tore, from his royal parent in his cradle; who knows his parent only by the fame of his virtues ; who has always a difficult, and often an intercepted correfpondence with his pa- rent ; whofe remittances, and favours from his parent, are always dirainiflied by the lian'ds through which they come to him. With what tranfport would fuch a Ton meet the moment ap- pointed by his father for his returu to hi» natural ftate I
I belong to God, (thefe are thefentimcnts of the believer, of whom I am fpeaking) I belong to God, not only by his foveneign dominion over me -as a creature ; not only by that right, whica as a mafter, who hath redeemed his flave, he hath acquired over me ; but I belong to God, becaufe I love him, and becaufe, I knov;, God alone de- fcrves my higheft efteem. The deep impreflions, that his adorable perfedions have made on my mind, make me impatient with every objed^, which intercept* vaj Hght of him, I could not
be
ig2 The Sovereignty of Jesus Christ
be content to abide any longer in this world, we'-e lie not to ordain my ftay ; and were I not to coufider his will as the only law of my con- dud. But the law, that commands me to live, doth not forbid me to deiire to die. I confider death as the period fixed tor the gratifying of my inoft ardent wifli-s, the confummation of my higheft joy. ♦* Whilft I am at home in the body, 1 am abfent from the Lord," 2 Cor. v. 6. But it would bç incomparably more delightful to be absent from the body^ and to be present with the Lord^ ver. 8. And what can detain me on earth, when God (hali condcfcend to call me to Iiimfelf ?
Not ye criminal objeds ! you I never loved ; and although I have fometimes fuffered myfelf to be fcduced by your deceitful appearances of pleafure, yet I have been fo feverely punifhed by the tears that you have caufed me to flied, and by the remorfe which you have occafioned my confcience to feel, that there is no reafon to fear my putting you into the plan of my felicity.
Nor (liall ye detain me, /jw/w/ objeéls I How flrong foever the attachments, that unite me to you, may be, you are only flreams of happinefs, and I am going to the fountain of felicity. You are only emanations of happinefs, and I am going to the happy God,
Neither fliall ye, religious objeâis ! detain me. You are only means, and death is going to con- duâ: me to the end ; you are only the road, to die is to arrive at home. True, I fiiall no more read thofe excellent works, in which authors of the brightcd genius have raifed the truth from depths of darkuefs awd prejudice, In which it had been buried, and placed it in the moR lively point of view. I {hall hear no more of thofe fermons, in which the preacher, animated by the holy fpirit of Go'l, attempts to elevate me above xXvt prefent world. But I fliall hear and contemplate
eternal
4n the Church, 93
<ternàî wifdom, and I (hall difcover in my co;ti- merce with it the -views, the defigns,, the plans of my Creator ; and I (liall acquire more wifdom iii one moment by this mean, tlian I (hould ever ob- tain by hearing the befl compofed fermons, and by reading the beft written books. True, I Ihail no more devote mylclf to you, clofet exerciies Î holy meditations ! afpirings of a foul in fearch of its God 1 crying, JLord^ I beseech thee s/ieiv me thy glory I Exod. xxxiii. 18, Lord, diHipatc the dark thick cloud that conceals thee ïvtim my light ! fuffer me to approach that light, whlcli hath hitherto been inacceirible to me I But death is the diflipation of clouds and darknefs ; it is an approach to perfedl light ; it takes me from my clofet, and prefents nje like a feraph at the fooc of the throne of God and the Lamb.»
True, I fliall no more partake of you, ye holy ■ordinances of religion 1 ye facred ceremonies I 'that have conveyed fo many confolations into my foul ; that have fo amply aiiordcd foîidity and folace to the ties, which united ir,y heart to my God; that have fo often procured me a heaveti -on earth ; but I quit you becaufe I am going to receive immediate efFulions of divine love, plcaf- \ires at God's right hand for evermore, yz;//7;c:^5 of Joy in bis presence^ Pfal. xvi. 11, 1 quit you becanfe ,
Alas ! your hearts perhaps have efcaped me, iTiy brethren ! perhaps ihefe emotion?, frpt-rior to your piety, are no longer the fivbjc^l of your attention. I have, however, no other direcliou to give you, than that wîiich may (land for an abridgement of this difcouife, of all my other preaching, and of my whole minilby ; Love God ; be the Lord's by /n<://?jr7/;c7?7, as you are his hy condition^ and by engagement. Then, the mife- tics of this life will be tolerable, and the approach of death delightful, God grant W\s blflTing o:i the word] To him be honour and glory for ever. Amen. I
SERMON IV.
THE E®i!ÂLITY OF MANKIND.
Proverbs xxii. 2.
The rich and poor meet together : the Lord is the maker of them alL
XaMONG the various difpenfations of providence, which regard mankind, one of the niofl: advantageous in the original defign of the Creator, and at the fame time one of the mofl fatal through our abule of it, is the diverfity of our conditions. How could men have formed one foclal body, if all conditions had been equal ? Had all poffeffed the fame rank, the fame opu- lence, the fame power, how could they have re- lieved one another from the inconveniences, which would have continually attended each of them : Variety of conditions renders men ntc\;r- fary to each other. The governor is neceÛ'ary to the people, the people are neceffary to the gov- ernor ; wife ftatefmen are neceffary to a powerful foldiery, a powerful foidiery is neceffary to wife Itatefmen. A fenfe of this neceiTity is the flrong- eft bond of union, and this it is, which inclines one to aflill another in hopes of receiving affid:- ance in his turn.
But if this diverfity be connected with the highefl utility to mankind in the original defign of the Creator, it is become, we mufl: alTow, pro- du6live of fatal evils through our abafe of it. On the one hand, they, whofe condition Is the moft brilliant, are dazzled with their own bright- nefs ; they ftudy the articles, which elevate them above their fellow creatures, and they choofe to be ignorant of every thing, that puts themfelves on a level with them ; they perfuade themfelves,
that
/
q6 The £ quality cf Mankind.
xh-'.x. they are beings Incomparnble, far more rio- bie and exctlltpt livan tiiofe vile mortals, oh ivhorn they pio^ly trtad, and on whom they iVaTfly deign ^^ caîl a haugiity eye. Hence i:rovoking arrogance, cruel referve, and hence tyranny and dcfpotifm. On the other hand, they, who are placed in inferior ftations, proftratiÉ their imaginations before ihefe beings, whom tbcy treat rather as g'ods than men ; them tliey coiiRitute arbiters of right and wrong, true and falie ; they forget, while tliey refj^edl the rank iv'hich the S'-'preme Governor of the world hatli givfiii to their funeriors, to maintain a fenfe of their own dig-niiy» Hence come foft complianc- es, bafe fubmiffions of reafon and confcience, ilnvery the moft willing and abje(5\, to the high ikniands of thefe pliantojns of grandeur, thefe imaginary god?.
To redlify thefe difl'ereiv', ideas, to humble the ore clafs, and to exalt the other, it is neceffary Î0 ihew men in their true poirt of view ; to con- vince them that diverfity of condition, which God hath been pleafed to eilablifh among them, is perfeélly ccnfiftent with equality ; that the iplendid condition of the iirR, includes nothing^ that favours their ideas of fclf-preference ; and that there is nothing in the lew condition ef the laR, which deprives them of their real dignity, or debafes their intelligences formed in the image of God. I defign to difcufs this fubjecl to-day. The men, who compofe this audience, and among %vhom providt-nce hath very unequally divided, the blclSngs of ttiis life ; princes, who command,, and to whom God himfelf hath given authority to command fubje^s ; fubje<Sls, who obey, and on whom God hath impofed obedience as a duty ; the rich, who nive alms, and the poor who re- ceive them ; ail, all my hearers, I am going to reduce to tlieir natural equality, ard to confider tills equality as a fouice of piety. This is the
meaning
The Equality of Mankind* 97
meaning of the wife man in the words of the text, "The rich and the poor meet together : the Lord is the maker of them all."
Let us enter into the matter. "We fuppofe two truths, and do not attempt to prove them» Firft, that, although the wife man mentions here only x.\\o difFcient ftates, yet he includes all. Under the general notion of rich and poor, we think, he comprehends every thing, that makes any feniible difference in the conditions of man- kind. Accordingly, 't is an incontel'lible truth, that what he fays of the rich and poor may be faid of the nobleman and plebeian, of the mafter and the fervant. It may be fit id, the mafler and the fervant, the nobleman and the plebeian, meet together ; the Lord is the maker of them ^all : and fo of the reft.
It is not unlikely, however, tliat Solomon, when he fpoke of the rich and poor, had a par- ticular deiign in choofing this kind of diveriity of condition to illidrate his meaning in prefer- ence to every otiier. Although I can hardly conceive, that there ever was a 4«-M-iod of time, in which the love of riches did fafcinate the eyes ai mankind, as it does in this age ; yet it is very credible, that in Solomon's time, as m o^irs, rich- es m;ide the grand CiiFcrence amcr.g men. Si;ri.5lly Tpealdng, there are now only two condi- tions, of mankind, that of the rich and that of the poarv Riches decide all, yea thofe qualities, which feem to have no concern with them, I mean, mental qual'.licaiion?. Find but ti)e art of ariaffing money, and you will thereby find that of unitijig in your own psrfon all the advan- tages of which mankind have entertained the highe.l ideas. How mean foevcr yuur birth may have been, you-wiii puirefs the art of concealing it, and you may form an alliance with the moll il]u!lriou£ families ; how fmall foever your knowl- edge may be, you n>ay pafs for a fuperior genius, 1 2 capable
^8 The Ecjiialily of Mankind,
CTipable of deciding queftions the moO: intricate, points the mod abiliult; ; and, what is Rill more deplorable, you may putchate with iîlver and gold a kind of honour and virtue, while you re-- jnain the moll abandoned of laankind, at leafl, your money will attracl that rcfpcct, which is due to nothing bf.t honour and virtue.
The fccond truth which we fuppofe, i*, that tliis propolUion, the Lord is the maker of the at all^ is one of thofe concifc, I had alnJoPi faid one of thofe defedive propofitions, which a judi- cious auditor ought to fill up, in order to give it a proper meaning^. The Ryle is very commofr in our fcripuires ; it iâ peculiarly proper in fenten- tious works^ fnch as this, out of which we have. ;aken the text. The deugn of Solomon is to. ttach us, that whatever divcriaies of conditions there may be in fcciety, the men, who compolb it, are essentially equal. The reafon that he af- f)gns, is, the Lord is the maker of tbon all. If. this idea be not added, the prcporition proves , jiothing at all. It does not follow, becaufc ther iame God is the erealor of two beings, that theret is any refemblance between them, much lefs that they are equal. Is not God the creator of pure vnembodied intelligences, who have faculties fu- perior to thofe of mankind? Is not God the au- thor of their exiftence as well as of ours ? I3e- caufe God Is the creator of bothy does it follow that both ere cqnal ? God is no lefs the creator of the organs of an ant, than he is the creator ©f the fubiinie geniufes of a part of mankind». Becaufe God hath created an ant and a fublime genius, does it follow, that thefe two beings are iqnal ? The meaning of the wordà of Solomon depends then on what a prudent reader fupplies. "Vv e may judge what ought to be fupplied by the nature of the fubjeû, and by a parallel palfage in the book of Job. *' Did not he, that made •e in the woiiib, make luy fcrvant ? and did he
cot
The Equality of Mankind* ^^
fiot fafliion us alike*?" chap. xxxi. 15. To the ■words of our text, therefore, the Lord is tZ-c maker of tbem all^ we mufl: add, the Lord hath fasbiontd tbem ail alike. Nothing but grofs ig- norance, or wild treachery, can incline an ex- pofitor to abufe this libt;rty of making up the fenfe of a paffage, and induce him to conclude, that he r»ay add to a text whatever neay feem to him the moft proper to fupport a favourite opin- ion, or to cover an unworthy paûion. When We are inquilitive for truth, it is cafy to difcover the paffages of holy fcripture, in which the au- thors have niadc ufe of thefe concife iîuperfeél fcntcnces..
Of this kind are all pauages, which excite no- iillindl ideas, or which exitc ideas foreign from the fcope of the wriicr, unlefs the meaning be fupplied. Eor exaiDple, we read thefe words in the eleventh chapter of St. Piiul's fécond epiftle to the Corinthians, ver. 4, *' If he, that cometbj preacheth another Jefus, -whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another fpirit, which ye have not received, or another goipel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." If we attach fuch ideas to thefe words, as they feem at firft to excite, we Dial! take therij in a fenfe quite oppofite to the meaning of St. l:'aul. The apoltle aimed to make the Gorinthi« an? vefpedl his miniftry, and to confidcr his apof- tlefliip as confirmed of God in a manner as clear and decifive as that of any minifter, wl)o had preached to tJiem. Is the propofition, that we have read, any thing to this purpofe, unlefs we fupply what is not eiipreffed I But if we fiipply
what
♦ This reading of the French bible differs a little from our tranflation ; but a comparifon of ihe two tranflations with the original, and with tlae fcope of the place, will give the preference to the French read- ing. Nunne disposult 710s in uicro unu3 atquG idem ?• Vidi ïoli S) uops. m loc.
ICO The Equality of Mankind,
•what is underftof)cl, and add thefe words, but thi& is incrtdiifie^ or any others equivalent, we fliall puce ve il»c force of his reafonsng-, which is this: if there hath been among you' any one, w^iofe preaching have revealed a Redeemer, better adapted to your wants than he, whom we have preached to you, or if you have received more excellent gifts than thofe, which the holy Spirit fo abundantly d iff Ted among you by our minif- try, you might indeed have preferred him before us ; bot it is not credible, that you nave had fuch teachers : you ought tiien to refpeCt our miniflry.
We need not make any more remarks of this kind ; our text, it is eafy to fee, ought to be clalTcd with them, that are impt rfe€l, and mull be fupplied with words to make up the fenfe. The rich and the poor meet together in four arti- cles of equality ; becaufe the Lord bath made îbemall equal in nature or m essence^ equal ia privileges^ equal in appointment^ rqu.il in their last end. The Lord hath made them equal ia- nature ; they have the fame faculties, and the fame infirmities : Equal in privileges ; f';r both are capable by the excellence nf their nature, and more ftilt by that of their religion, to form the nobleft defigns : Equal in designation ; for al- though the rich differ from the poor in their con- dition, yet both are intended to anfwer the great purpofes of God with regj^rd to human nature : Finally, they are equal in their last end ; the fame fentence of death is paffed on both, and both alike mnfl fubmit to it. "The rich and the poor meet together : the Lord is the maker of them all." Thus the text affords us four truths worthy of our moll ferious attention.
"J'he firft article 'of eqtjality, in which men meet together^ is an equality of essence or oï nature ; the Lord hath m-ide them all with the fame fac- ulties, and with the Tame infirmities.
1. With
TJu Equality of Manlind, loi
1. With the fame /(3ci//f;V5. What is man ?■ He conhris of a body, and of a foul united to a body. This definition, or rather, if you will, this defcription, agrees to all mankind, to the great as well as to the fmali, to the rich as well as to the poor. The foul of the poor hath the fame power as that of the rich, and to lay down principles, to infer confequences, to diflincfuifti- truth from falfehood, to choofe good or evil, ojr examine what is moft advantageous and mofi: glo- rious to it; The body of the poor, as well as that of the rich, difplays the wifdom of him, who formed it ; it hath a fymmeiry in its parts, an cxadlnefs in its motions, and a proportion to its fecret fprings. The laws, that unite the body of the poor to his foul, are the fame as thofe, which unite th^fe two beings in the rich ; there is the fame connexion between the two parts, that con- ftitute the eifence of the man ; a fimilar motion of the body produceth a fimilar thought in the mind ; a fimilar idea of the mind, or a fimilar emotion of the heart, produceth a fimilar motion of the body. This is man. Thefe are the fac- ulties of men, Diverfity of condition makes no alteration in thefe faculties.
2. The Lord hath viade them alt with the fame hifirmities. They have the fame infi-rmities of body. The body of the rich, as well as that of the poor, is a common receptacle, where a thoufand impurities meet ; it is a general ren- dezvous of pains and ficknefles ; it is a bouse of- clay, whose foundation is in the dust, and is crushed before the moth, Job iv. 19.
They have the fame mental infirmities. The mind of the rich, like that of the poor, is inca- pable of fatlsfying itfelf on a thoufand defirable- qoedions. The mind of the rich, as well as that of the poor, is prevented by its natural ignorance, when it would expand itfelP in contempla rion,, and eclaiicife a number of obvious phojnonx^na.
The
1C2 The Equality of Mankind.
The foul of the rich, like that of the poor, is fab- jcdl to doubt, uncertainty, and ignorance ; and, wh-Àt is n;ore nicrtifying- flill, the heart of the rich, like the poor man's heart, is fubjetl to the fame paflions, to envy, and to anger, and to all the diforder of fin.
They have the fame frailties in the laws, that unite the foul to the body. The foul of the rich, like the foul of the poor, is united to a body, or rather enflaved by it. The foul of the rich, like that of tiie poor, is interrupted in its moft pro- found meditations by a fingle ray of light, by the buzzing of a fly, or by the touch of an atom of dull. The rich man's facidtles of reafoning and of felf-determining are fulpended, and in fome fort vanifhed and abforbed, like tliofe of the poor, on the flighteft alteration oi the fenfes ; and this alteration of the fenfes happens to hini^ as well as to the poor, at the approach of certain objeds. David's reafon is fufpended at the fight of Bath- ilieba ; David no longer dilTinguiïlieth good from evil ; David forgets the purity of the laws, which be himfelf had fo higi.'y cflebrated ; and, at the fight of this obj'jcl, his whole fydein of piety is refuted, his whole edifice of religion finks and difappears.
The fécond point of equality, \n wh'xch the rich and the poor meet iogei/jer, is an equality of privileges. To afpire at certain eminences, when providence hath placed us in inferior flatiotis in fociety, is egregious foily. If a man, who hath only ordinary talents, only a coramon genius, pretend to acquire an immortal reputation among heroes, and to fill the world with his name and exploits, he acts fancifully and wildly. If he, who was born a fr.bjed\, raPiily and ambitiouCy attempt to afcend the tribunal of a mugi ft rate, or the throne of a king, and to aim at governing', when he is called to obey, he is guilty of rebell- ion. But this law, which forbids inferiors to ar- rogate
The Equality of Mankind. 103
TOgate to themfelves fome privileges, doth not prohibit them from afpiriug at others, incompar- ably more great and glorious.
Let us difcover, if it be poflible, the moft mif- erable man in this affembly ; let us diffipate the darknefs that covers him ; let us raile him from that kind of grave, in which his indigence and meannefs conceal him. This man, unknown to the reft of mankind ; this man, who feems hardly- formed by the .Creator into an intelligent exift- ence ; this man hath, however, the greatefl and moil glorious privileges. This man, being recon- ciled to God by religion, hath a right to afpire to the mod noble and fublime objefts of it. He hath a right to elevate his foul to God in ardent prayer ; and, without the hazard of being taxed •with vanity, he may affnrc himfclf, that God, the Great God, encircled in glory, and furround- cd with the praifes of the blelTed, will behold him, hear his prayer, and grant his requeft. This man hath a right to fay to himfelf. The atten- tion, that the Lord of nature gives to the gov- ernment of the univerfe, to the wants of man- kind, to the innumerable company of angels, and to his own felicity, doth not prevent this adora^ ble Being from attending to me ; from occupy- ing himfelf about my perfon, my children, my family, my houfe, my health, my fubftance, my falvation, my moft minute concern, even a fin- gle hair of my beady Luke xxi. 18. This man hath a right of addrefîing God by names the mod tender and mild, yea, if I may venture to fpeak fo, by thofe moft familiar names, which equals give each other ; he may call him his God, his mafter, his father, his friend. Believers have addreiïed God by each of thefe names, and God hath not only permitted them to do fo, he hath even expreffed his approbation of their taking thefe names in their mouths. This man hath a right of coming to eat with God at the Lord's
table,
a104 ^^ Equality of Mankind,
-tabic, and to live, if I may be allowed to fpeak fo, to live with God, as a man lives with his friend. This man hath a right to apply to hira- felf whatever is mod great, nioft comfortable, mofl extatic in the myfieries of redemption, and to fay to himfelf, For me the divine Intelligence revolved the plan of rédemption ; for me the. Son of. God was appointed, before the foundation of the world, to be a prcpiriatory iacrlfice ; for ne in the fulnefs of time he took mortal ,fle(h ; for me he lived feveral years among men in this world ; for me he pledged himfelf to the juftice of his Father, and fuifered fuch unparalleled pun- ifliment, as confounds reafon and lurpaffes ima-
■gination ; for me the holy Spirit shook the heav- ens and the earthy and the sea and the dry landy Hag, ii. 6. aiid eftablUhed a miniïlry, which he coiilirmed by healing the Tick, by raiQng the dead, by .cafting out devils, and by fubverting the whole order of nature. This man hath a right to afpire to the felicity of the immortal God, to ihe giery of the immortal God, to the throne of the immortal God. Arrived at the fatal hour, lying on his dying bed, reduced to the light of iifcltls friends., ineffetllual remedies, unavailing tears, he hatha right to triumph over death, and to defy his -diQorbing in the ûrallffl: degree the trar.quil calm, that his foul enjoys ; he hath a right to fummon the gates of heaven to admit his foul, and to fay to liiem, Lift up your heads, O ye ^-aies ! even lift them upy ye everlasting
. doors. I
.Thefc are the inconteflible privileges of ib.c. man, who appears to us fo contemptible. I aik, my brethren, have the nobles of the earth ai->y privileges more than thefe ? Do the train of at- tendants, which follows them, the horfcs, that draw them, the grandees^ who furround them, the fiipetb titles, which command exterior honi- a^^, give them any real fuperiorlty over thi- maUi
who
The Equality of Mankind, 105
"ïwho enjoys thofe privileges, which we have brief- ly enumerated ? Ah Î iny brethren, nothing proves the litilenefs of great men more than the iniprcffijn, which the exLcrior advantages, tiiat (lifiinguilli them from the rell of niitiikind, make on their minds. Are you aware of what you are doing, when you defpife them whom providence placeth for a few years in a Gtuation inferior to your own ? ' You are defpifing and degrading yourfelves, you are renouncing your real great- nefs, and, by .valuing yourfelves for a kind of for- eign glory, you difcover a contempt for that, ■which conftitutes the real dignity of your nature. The glory of man does not conGft in his being "a mafter, or a rich man, a nobleman, or a king ; it confifts in his being a man, in his being formed in the image of his Creator, and capable of all the elevation, that we have been defcribing. If you condemn your inferiors in Ibciety, you plain- ly declare, that you are infenfibie to your real dignity ; for, had you derived your ideas of real greatncfs from their true fource, you would have refpetled it in perfons, who appear the nioft mean and defpicable. The rich and the poor weet tO" gether ; the Lord hath endowed them all with the fame privileges. They all meet together on the fame line of equality in regard to their claims of privileges. This was the point to be proved.
We add, in the third place, the rich and the poor meet together in an equality of destination. Rich and poor are placed by providence in différ- ent ranks, I grant ; but their different ftaticns are fixed with the fame defign, I mean, to ac- complifli the purpofe=; of God in regard to men.
What are the defighs of God in regard to men ? What end doth he propofe to effecl by placing us on this planet, thirty, forty, or fixfy years, before he declares our eternal Rate ? We have frequently anfwcrcd this im4?ortsnt qui liion. God hath placed us here in a fcate of probation : K he
io6 The Equality of Mnnkind.
\e bath fet before our eyes fupreme felicity an.ci. intolerable mifeiy ; lie hath poinied out the vices, that conduit to the I'^ft, and the virtues neceffary to arrive at the f.rft ; and he hath declared, that rur conduft (hall determine our future fate. This, I think, is the de.f}gn of Gcd in regard to men. This is the notion, that we ought to forrn, cf the end which God propofcs in fixing us a few years upon earth, and in placing us among our iVllow creatures in fociet.y.
•On this principle, /which is the tnoft glor.icus condition ? It is neither that, which elevates u^s liighcfl: In fccicty, nor that, which procureth m& the greatef^ conveniences of life. If it be not sbfolutely indifferent to men, to v.'hom it is un- certain whether they fliall quit the prefent world the next moment, or contin.i:e almoft a century in it; J Tay, if it be not abfoltitely indifferent to them, whether they be high or low, rich or poor, it r/oiild be coiurs.ry to ail the laws of prudence, :\vere they to determine their choice of a toi\di- tion by confiderations of this kind alone. A creature capable of eternal felicity, ought to con- fider that the mod glorious condition, which is the moft likely to procure him the eternal felicity, of v/hich he is capable. Were a \yife man to choofe a condition, he would certainly prefer that, in which he could do mo(\ good ; he would iihvays coniider that as the mod glorious ftation for himfelf, in which he could bell anfwer the great end, for which his Creator placed him in this world. Jt is glorious to be at the head of a -nation ; but if I could do more good in a mean flation, than I could ùo in an eminent poll, the meant-fl dation would be far more glorious tome than the moft eminent pofl. Why ? becaufe that is mo.l glorious to me, which bcîl anfwers thç end thrtt my C^reator propofed in placing me in this world. God placed me in this world to ena- lile.we t« do good, and prepare myfeit by a holy
life
Th e Eq ; '.ality of Man kind, i c 7
life for a Iiapjjy eternity. To do good at ths Kèad of a iidiion, certain talents are nectir-iry. If I have not thefe talents, not only I OuniU not do good in this pod, bût I fliould certainly à.n evil, I flibuld expofc my country to danger ; I fhould fink its credit, oblcure its glory, and dc?- bafe its dignity. It is, therefore, incomparably lefs glorious for me to be at the head of a ftate, than to occupy a pofl lefs eminent. It is glori- ous to fill the highefl: ofnce in the chuich, to an- noiuice the oracles of God, to develope the myf- teries of tfie kingdom of heaven, and to dirctt wandering fouls to the road that leads to the fovereign good ; but if I be deflitute of gifts ef-» fcntial to t'ne filling of this ofiice, it is incompar- ably more glorious to me to remain a pupil than to commence a tutor, Wliy ? becaufe that fla- tioh 13 the mod eligible to me, ^vhich bed empow- ers me to anfvver the cnà for which my Creator placed me in this world. "Wiy Creator placed me in this world, that I might do good, and ihat liy a- holy life I might prepare for a happy eternity. Pn order to do good in the hip;helt offices in the eliurch, great talents are necefTary, jf God hath not beftowed great talents on uie, I Ihould not only not do good, but I Tnould do harm. Inftead of announcing the oracles of God, I Ihould preach the traditions of men ; I fliould involve the myf- terles of religion in darknefs, inilead of develop- ing them ; I fîiould plunge poor mortc-ils into an abyi's of mifery, indead of pointing out the road whicli would conducl them to a bleiTed immortal- ity. Bat by remaining in the date of a dlfciple, 1 may obtain attention, docility, and a love to rruth, which are the virtues of my condition. I: is ujore glorious to be- a good fubjed than a bad king ; it is more glorious to be a good difciple than a bad teacher.
Eat mod men have falfe ideas cf glory, and we form our notions of it from the opinions oî thefe
ic8 The Equalily of Mankinâ,
wnjuO: appraifftrs of men and things. That,. which elevates us in their eyts, feenis glorious to «•3 ; and we fHeein th^t contemptible, which Mbaieth us before them. We difcovcr, 1 know not what, meannefs in mechanical cmploymentSj and the contempt that we have for the employ- ment extends itfelf to him who follows it, and thus we habituate ourfelves to defpife tiiem whom God honours. Let us undeceive ourfelves, rny brethren ; there is no condition (hameful, except it neceffarily lead us to fome infradlion of the laws of cur Supreme Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, James iv. 12. Strictly fpeaking-, one condition of life is no more honour- able than another. There are, I grant, fome dations, in which the objeds, that employ thofe who fill them, are naturally more noble than thofe of other ftations. The condition of a ma- gij'b-ate, whofe employment is to improve and to «fnforcc maxims of government, hath a nobler ubjecl than that of a mechanic, whofe bufmefs it IS to improve the îeaft neceffary art. There is s, nobler cbjecl in the fiation of a paftor called to publifii the laws of religion, than in that of «k fchooinialter confined to teach the letters of the RÎphabet. But God will regulate our eternai itatc not accordiug to the objedt of our purfuii, but according to the nianner in which we fhould have purfued it. In this point of light, all ranks are equal, every condition is the fame. Man- kind have, then, an tq^rAhy o^ destinât ior.. The rich and the poor are placed in difTerent ranks with the I'ame view, both are to anfwer the great end, that God hnth propofed to anfwer by creat- ing and arranging mankind.
Hitherto we have had occafion for fome little labour to prove our thefis, that all men are equal, notwithftanding the various conditions in which God hath placed them. Ana you, my brethren, hAve had, occafion for foir.e docility to feel th«,
ioi'ce
Tic Equality of ManUnd, 109
iorce of our arguments. But in our fourth arti- cle, the truth wiil cûablifli itlcif, and its ïoxa \s \\ be felt by a recital, yea by a hint of our ar- guments.
We faid, fourthly, that men are cqnaî in their last enJy tli-it the fanie fentence ot" death is de- nounced on all, aiid that they vAV,(i all alike fab- niit to their fate. On which lide can we view death, and not receive abundant evidence of this truth r Gonlidcr the certainty of deaih, the FiCarnefâ of death, the harbingers of death, the ravages of death, fo many Ikies by which death hiay be contidcied, \o many proofs, Co many dein- onflrations, lb many fources of demonftrations of the truth of this fenfe of my text, the ricj and ^oor meet tc^clhcr, the Lord Is the vial^cr of t/jcm all,
1. Remark the certainty of death. *' Duft thou art, and iinto duit (halt thou return," Gen. iii. 19. "It io appointed unto liicn once to die,'' Heb. ix. 2T, The fenteiice is univcrfal, its uni- verf.ility involves all the poflerity of Adam ; ic in'cliidts all conditions, all profeiTioiis, nil Actions, and every ilep-of life enfures the e>^-Cu'.:on of it.
Whither art thou going, rich man ! ihou, who congraiulateff thyfelf becaufe thy fields bring Jjjilb plentifulljij- and who fayell to thy foul, Soul I ihou h-ast much goods laid up for rnanj jears ; take thine case, eat^ drinh, and be mer- ry ^ To death. Whither art tiion going, poor' man 1 thoa, \v!.o art toiling- through a ianguifh- ing life, who brggeft thy bread from door to door, who art continually perplexed in finding out means of procuring bread to cat aaid raiment to put on, always an objedl of the charity of fome, and of the hardheartednefs of others Î' To de-ath. Whither goefV thou, nobleman ! thou, who deckefl thyfelf with borrowed plumes, who putted the renown of tline ancefiors into the \\\\ of'thy vi.sue3, and who thin eft thyfelf foiniidof K 2 ' " a»
110 The Equality of Mankind.
an earth more refined than that of the refl: of' Dankind ? To death. W'nither goefl thou, pcafant 1 thou, who derideft the folly of a peer, and at the fame time valued thyfclf on fome- thing equally abfurd ? To death. Whither, foldier 1 art thou marching ; tiiou, who talked of nothing but glory and heroifni, and who umld»^ many voices founding in thine ears, and inctilant- ly crying, Remember thou art y,iortal^ ^rt dream- ing of, I know not what, immortality ? To death. Whither art thou going, merchant \ thou, who breathefl nothing but the increafe of thy fortune, and who judgeil of the haupinefs or ir.ifery of thy days, not by thme acqniiitiou of knowledge and thy pratlice of virtue, but by the gain or *he lofs of thy weaich ? 'Jo death» Whither are we all going, try dear hearers ? To death. Do 1 exceed the truth, my brethren I poes death regard titles, dignities, and riches ? Where is Alexander ? Where is Cxfar ? Where are ail they, '.vhofe names Mruck terror through the whoî-3 world ? They were : but they are no more. They fell before the voice, that cried, Return^ ye children of vien^ Pfal. xc. 3. *' I faid, Ye are gods ; but ye fhall die like men," Pfal. l::xxii. 6. I said. Te are gods ; this, ye great men of the earth I this is your title ; this is the patent, that creates your dignity, that fubje<fls UÔ to your conimards, and teacheth us to revere y-aur characters : but ye shall die like men ; thi« is the decree, that degrades you, and puts you on a level with us. Ye are gods ; I will, then, re- rppct your authority, and coniider you as images cf him, by whom kings reign : but ye shall die ; 1 will not, then, fufter myfelf to be impoled on by your grandeur, nnd whatever homage I ma^ yield to my king, I will always remember that he is a man. The certainty of death is the firft fide, on which we may coalxder this murderer of
mankind,
The Equality of Mankinds 1 1 !■
mankind, and it is the firfl: proof of our fourth propofition : Mankind aie equal in their last end,
2. The proximity of death is a fécond demon- flration, a iecond fource of deinonftrations. The limits of our lives are equal. The life of the rich, as well as that of the poor, is reduced to an band-àreadth, Pfal. xxxix. 5. Sixty, eight/, or a hundred yearsj is ufually the date of a long life. The fceptre hath no more privilege in this re- fpett than the crook ; nor is the palace at Rny greater diftance from the tomb, than the cottage from the grave. Heaps of filver and gold may intercept the rich man's fight of death ; but they can neither intercept death's fight of the rich îran, nor prevent his forcing the feeble intrench-- ments, in which he may attempt to hide himfelf»
u. The harbingers ol death are a third demon- ftration, a third fource of demonllrations. Thfi rich have the fame forerunners as the poor ; both have fimiiar dying agonies, violent ficknefTes, dif- gufiful medicines, intolerable painsy and cruel n^ifgivings. Pais through thofe fuperb apart- ments, in which the rich man feems to defy tlie cneniy. who luvks and threatens to feize him ; go through the croud of domeftics, who furround him ; cafl: your eyes en the bed, where nature and art have contributed to his eafe. In this grand edifice, amidft this affembly of courtiers, or, fhall I rather lay ? amidli this troop of vile ilaves, you will 5nd a moO: njortifying and mif- erable obje<Sl. You will fee a *vifage all pale, livid, difrorted ; you wiil hear the fhrieks of a ■wretch tormented with the gravel, or the gout ; you will fee a foul terrified with the fear of thofe eternal books, which 'arc about to be opened, of that formidable tribunal, which is already erect- ed, of the awful fentence, that is abowt to be. denounced.
4. The ravages of death make a fourth dem- •niiiation j they arc the faoie with the rich ax
witk
Xi 2 The Equality of Maiilind.
%\ith tloe poor. Death aîike condcroi^.s their ey?c to 'unpenetrable night, their tongue lo eterndl i"i- îence, tlieir whole fyftem to totvil dc-riruction. I ■fee a i'uperb moiuiment. I approach this Ib-ikmg- ûbjeél. I iec magniiicent infcriptjons. 1 reai the pompous titles of the most nobie^ the most puissant^ general^ prirxe^~ monarchy arbiter of heace,, arbiter of Tjar, I long- to fee the infide of this elegant piece of woikaianiliip, and I pt-rp under the Hone, that covers him, to whom.aH this pon^^ is confccrated ; there I iind, \vhht -----. a putrificd carcafe devouring by worir.a. O vanity of human grandeur 1 " Vanity of van- ities, àîl is vaiiity i Piit nci: your trofl in prin- ces, nor in the fon of mar, iir v.hom is no help," Eccl. i. 2. *'Hi3 brea'hgoeth fcrcij, lie retur:*- ©th to his earth, in that very day his thougiits perifn," Pfal. cx'vi. 3. 4. "♦ Ab for man, his days are as graf^ ; as a fîav/er of the field fo he fiouriflieth ; for the wind palTcth over it, and it- is gore : ar.d the place thereof ihail knoNv it no •
H^oic," Ffai. ciiiv'is, le;
5. Finally, the judgment,' that follows deaih, turrits cur propofuion to the higheft degree of evidence. " It is appointed unto men once to die ; btit after ihis the judgment," Heb. ix. 27 o- The rich and the poor mult alike appear before* that throne,, which St. John dcfcribes in the rev- elation, and' before that venerable perfonag**, . from nvhose face the hea'oen and the eai th fee avjay , chap. xx. 1 i. If there be any difTercnce between the rich and the poor, it is all, niethink-, in favour of the latter. The fummons, that nuift be ore day addrtlTed to each of us, give an ac^ count of thy stcnvardsbip^ Luke xvi. 2. this fum- mons is always terrible. Ybu indigent people ! whom God (to ufe the language of fcripcurc) hath set over a feiu things^ an account of thefe f-ii> things will bejcc^uired of you", and yoii wilt
be
The Equality of Mankind. 1 13,
lie as fnrely punifhed for hiding one talenty as if you had hidden more, Matt. xxv. 17.
But how terrible to me feems the account, thai. iHuft be given of a great number of talents I I? the rich man have fome advantages over the poor, (and who can doubt that he hath many ?) ho\». are his advantages counterpoifcd by the thought of the confequences of death I What a fummons, my brethren 1 is this, for a great man, Give avÈ account of thy stewardship ! give an account of thy riches, Didft thou acquire them lawfully ^ or were they the produce of unjuft dealings, of cruel extortions, of repeated frauds, of violated promifes, of perjuries and oaths ? Diifl thou diftribute them charitably, con)paiïionately, lib- erally ? or didft thou referve them avariciouflyj meanly, barbaroufly ? Didft thou employ them to foun'd hofpitals, to procure inftru6lion for the ignorant, relief for the fick, confolations for ths afflidled ? or didft thou employ them to cheriflr thy pride, to difpiay thy vanity, to immortalizft thine ambition and arrogance ? Give an account of thy repuiation. Didft thou employ it to re- lieve the oppreffed, to protect the widow and or- phan, to maintain juftice, to difTufe truth, to propagate religion ? or, on the contrary, didft. thou ufe it to degrade others, to deify thy paf- fions, to render thyfelf a fcourge to fociety, a plague to mankind? Give an account of thine bonours» Didft thou dire£t them to their true end, by contributing all in thy power to thœ good of fociety, to the defence of thy country, to the prosperity of trade, to the advantage of the public ? or didft thou dire£l them only to thine own private intereft, to the eftablifhing of thy fortune, to the elevation of thy family, to the infatiable avidity of glory, which gnawed and devoured (;hee ? Ah 1 my brethren ! if we enter very ferioufiy into thefe refledlions, we J&iall not be fo much ftruck, as we ufually arej
With
ti-i The Equalily of Mankind,
wlih the diverfity of iDenVi conditions in thi.-, life;,. we f!i;iil not al'pirc very tagerly after the hightft railles in Uùs worlJ. The rich and poor meet tO'- jfetho-y the Lord is the ir.aher of them all ; that. IS to lay, he haih made them equal in tlit^ir na-- tnre, equal in their pi ivileges, equal in their cc^- tiiiaiicn, and equal, us we nuvc proved, in their' lafl end.
The inferences, thn-t v/e intend to draw from •vvhat we have faid, are not inferences of fedilion and anarchy, "VVe do not mean to- ditlurb the Older of fccieiy ; nor, by afBrming that all men hsve an effential eqnaiity, to rebrobate that fjb- ordination, without v/hich fox;ieiy would be ~ iiocliing* but confuiion, and the mtrn, who com- pufe it, Û lawlefs banditii. V/e affirm, that t'ne- fubjecl and the prince, the maQer and the fer- vant,,are truly and propeily equal ;;but far be it from us to infer, that therefore the fubjed\ Oioi^ld' Ayithdraw his fiibmiiliDn from his prince, or the fcrvant diminifh his cvbedience to his marter. On the contrary, . fiibjeds and... fervants: wculd re- nounce all, that is gluiions in their cotUfitions, it' they entertained fuch vviid idéa5 .in their minds. That, which equals the;n to the fiiperiors, whom jDrovidencs hath fe'tcver thetn, is the belief oT their being capable,- as well ?.s their fûperiors, of anfwering the end thrit God piopofeth in creating" mankind, Tîîey-,v;ou;d coiinterafi .this end, were they to refiifc to difcharge thole duties of their condition,. to which providence cfdls them.
Nor Avould we derive from the truths, which we have affirmed, fanatical inferences. We en- deavoured b/fore to preclude ail occaiioîi for re- proach on this article, yet perhaps we may not efcape it ; for how often does an unfriendly au- ditor, in order to enjoy the pleafure of decrying a difguflful truth, a (Tea: to forget the corredîive, with wliich the pre:Kher f-.veetens it ? we repeac H, therefore, once more ; we do not pret-end tO'
The Equality of Mankind. i i*g
-nfîirm, that the conditions of all men are abfo- îuteîy equal, by alTIiming that in foraie fenfes iiU mankind are on a level, \Vc do not fay, that the man, whon) fociety agrees to contemn, n a4 happy as the man, whom iocieiy unites to revere^ We do not lay, that the man, who hath no •where to hide his head, is as happy at he, whn -ÎS commodioufly accommodated. We do not lay, that a man, who is dedituts of ali the necef- laries of life, is as happy, as the man, whofe for- tune is fuSicient to procure him all the conveni- ences of it. No, my brethren i we have no ntore defign to deduce inferences of fanaticifm from the dcçlriî=)e of the text, than we have to infer maxims Qf anaichy and rebellion. ;But we infer iud concluions, conformable to the precious gift of reafon, that the Creator liath beftowed on us, ..and to the incomparably more precious gift of religion, with which he hath enriched us. Derive then, my brethreii, conclufions of thefe kind?, and let them be the application of this difcourfc^
Derive from our fubjeû conclnfions of mode- ration. Labour, for it is allowable, and the mo- rality of the gofpcl doth not condemn it, labour to render your name iilullrious, to augment your .fortune, to e(\abii1'-. your reputation, to contrib- ute to the p'eafure of your life ; but labour no Hiore than becomes you. Let efforts of this kind never make you lofe fight of the great -end of life. Remember, as riches, grandeur, and reputation, are not the-fupreme good, fo obfcurity. meannefs, and indigence, are not the iupreme evil. Let the care of avoiding the fupreme evil, and the defire of obtaining the fupreme good, be always the moft ardent of our wiihes, and let others yield to. that of arriving at the chief good.
Derive from our do6lrinc conclufions of acquis cscence in the laws of providence. If it pleafc providence to put an effential difference between you and the great men of the earth, let it be
your
% i6 Tfie Equality of Mankinds,
your boly fimbition to excfl in it. You cairnot murmur without being guiity of reproaching God, becaule he hath made you what you are ; be- cauie he formed you men, and not angels, arch- angels, i>r ft:raphims. Had he annexed eiTcntial privileges to the higheO ranks, fubmillion would aiw;iys be your lot, and you ought always to adore, Rnd to fubniit to that intelligence, which gover»s the world ; but this is not your cafe» God gives to the great men of the earth an ex- terior, tranfient, fuperficial gloVy ; but he hath made you (hare >vith them a glory real, folid, and permanent. What difficulty can a vv;fe man find by acquiefcing in this law of providence ?
Derive from the truths you have heard conclu- rions of vigilance. Inftead of ingenio_ufly flatter^ ing yourfelf with the vain glory of being elevated above your neighbour, or of fuffcring your mind to link under the puerile mortification of being inferior to him, ineeiVanlly inquire what is the virtue of your ftation, the duty (.f your rank, and ufe your utmoft indufiry to fill it worthily. Yoa are a magiftrate : the virtue of your Aation, the duty of yoirr rank, is to employ yourfelf wholly to ferve your fellow fubjedls in inferior dations, to prefer tlie public good before your own private intcreft, to facrifice yourfeif for the advantage of that {late, the reins of which you hold. Practife this virtue, fuliVl thefe engagements, put off felf- intereft, and devote yourfelf whally to a people, ■who entrufl you with their properties, their lib- erties, and their lives. You are a fubjeé^ : the duty of your rank, the virtue of your (hnton, \% fubmifTion, and you fhould obey not oj-.iy through fear of punifliment, but through a wife regard for order. Pradife this virtue, fulfil this engage- ment, make it your glory to fubmit, and in ihe authority of princes refpe(!i\ the power of God, ■whofe minit^ers and reprefentalives they are. You are a rich nvan : the vir.ue of your Uation»
the
The Equality of Mankind, 1 17
the duty of your condition, is beneficence, gene- rofity, magnanimity. Pradlife thefc virtues, dlf- -cliarge thefe duties. Let your heart be always moved with the necefTitTcs of the wretched, and your ears open to their complaints. Never omit an opportunity of doing good, and be in fociety a general relburce, and univerfal refuge.
From the truths, which you have heard, derive motives of zeal and fervour. It is mortifying, I own, in Tome refpedts, when one feels certain emotions of dignity and elevation, to iiuk in fo- ciety. It is mortifying to beg bread of one, who is a man like ourfelves. It is mortifying to be trodden usdcr foot by our eqiiais, and, to fay all in a word, to be in flations very unequal among our equals. But this economy will quickly van- i(h. Tbe fashion of this world will ^\c'LC\n\y pass CTJaj, and we fliall foon enter that bleffed (tate, in which all diftinclions will be aboli flied, and in which all that is noble in immortal fouls, will Ihine in all its fplendor. Let us, my brethren, figh after this period, let us make it the objrct of our aioft conftant and ardent prayers. God ^rant, we may all bave a right to pray for it I God grant, our text may be one day verified in a new fenfe. May all, who compofe this affcmbly, matters and fervants, rich and poor, may we aiJ, my dear hearers, having acknowledged ourfelves equal in elTence, in privileges, in dellination, in lall end, may we all alike participate tlie fame glory. God grant it, for his mercy's fake.— . Amen,
SERMON V.
THE WORTH OF THE SOUL. Matthew xvi. 26. . "'^ What shall a man g me in ey^ch ange for his soul P
JVAy brethren, before we enforce the truths, which Jefus Chrift included in the words of the text, wc will endeavour to fix the mean- ing of it. This depends on the term soulf which is ufed in this paffage, and which is one of the moft equivocal words in fcripture ; for it is taken in diflerent, and even in contrary fenfes, fo that fometimes it fignifies a dead body. Lev. xxi. !• Wc will not divert your attention now, by recit- ing the long lift of explications, that may be giv- en to the term ; but we will content ourfelves vriib remarking, that it can be taken only in t^vo fenfes in the text.
Soal may be taken fer life ; and in this fenfe the term is ufeJ by St. Matthew, who fays, Tbey a>'e dead, ivho sought the joung child's soid^ chap. ii. 20. Soul may^ be taken for that fpintual part of us, which we call the soul by excellence ; and in this fenfe it is ufed by our Lord, who fays, Fear not tbem^ nvhich kill the body^ but are not able to kill the squl ; but rather fear him, which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell^ chap. X. 28.
If we take the words in the firft fenfe, for ///"<?, we put into the mouth of Jefus Chrift a propofi- tion veriiled by experience ; that is, that mea confider life as the greateft of all temporal bleff« ings, and that tliey part with every thing to pre- ferve it. This rule hath its exceptions ; but the exceptions confirm the rule. Somt-times, indeed, a difguft with the world, a principle of religion,
a
120 The Worth of the Souf,
a point of honour, will incline men to facrifict' their lives ; but thefe particular cafes cannot prc\ent our faying in the general, JVJbat shall a mi.m give in exchange for his life ?
It' we take the word for that part of man, -^'hidh we call the soul by excellence, Jefus Chrift iiiteuded to point out to us^ not whsit n-,en ufually do, (for alas f it happens too often, that men fac- rifice their fouls to the meaiieft and moft fordid interefl) but what they always ought to do. He K^cant to teach us, that the foul is the noblefl: part of us, and that nothing is tec great to be given for its ranfom.
Both tiiefe interpretations are probable, and ♦ach hath its partizans and its proofs. But, al- though we weuid not cendemn the firfl:, we prefer the laft, not only becaufe it is the moft noble Mieaning, and opens the moft extenfive field of meditation ; but becaufe it feenis to us the moft conformable to our Saviour's defign in fpcaking thr %vords.
Judge by what precedes our text. *' What is a man profited, if he (hall gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul?" J'^'fus Chrift fpoke thus to fortify his difciples againft the temptations, to which their profeflion of the gofpel was about to expofe them. If by the word foul we underftand the life^ we (hall be obliged to go a great way about to give any rcafonable fenfe to the words. On the contrary, if we take the word for the spirit^ the meaning of tlie whole is clear and cafy. Now it feems to me beyond a doubt, that Jefus Chrift, by the manner in which be hath conneded the text with the preceding verfe, ufcd the term soul in the latter fenfe.
Judge of our comment alfo by what follows. *' What fliall a man give in exchange for his foul V* For, adds our Lord immediate'y after, the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Fa- ther, T^iih bis angels ; and then be shall reivard
everj
The IForth of the Soul 121
evsry man according to bis works. What con- nexion have theie words with our text, if we take the word soul for life ? Whrit connexion" is there between this propofition, Man batb neth' ing more 'Valuable than life^ and this, For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father^ TJitb bits angels? Whereas, if we adopt our fenfe of the term, the connexion indantly appears. We will, then, retain this explication. By the soul we underftand here the spirit of man ; and, this word being thus explained, the meaning of Jefus Chrift in the whole palTage is underftood in part, and one remark will be fufficient to ex- plain it wholly. We mull attend to the true meaning of the phrafe, lose bis soul, which im- mediately precedes the text, and which we fhall often ufe to explain the text itfclf. To lose the soul, does not fignify to be deprived of this part of one's felf ; for, however great this pnnifijment might be, it is the chief objedl of a wicked man's wifhes : but to lose the soul, is lo K)fe thofe real blefling'::, and to fullain thofe re--il evils, which a ioul is capable of enjoying and of fuffer- Ing. When, therefore, Jefiis Chnfl fays in the words, that precede the text. What ts a man prof ted, if he shall gaiîi the nuhole ivorld, and lose his own soul ? and in the text, What shall a man give in exchange for bis soul ? he exhib- its ()n<i truth under different faces, fo that our refledlions will' naturally be turned fometimes to the one, and fometimes to the other of thefe propofitions. He points out, I fny, two truths, which being united, fignify, that as the conqueft of the univerfe would not be an object of value fufflcient to engage us to facrifice our fouls, fo, if we had loft them, no price could he too great to be paid for the recovery of them. Let us here hx our attention ; and let us examine what conftitutes the dignity of the foul. Let us in- quire,
L 2 I. The
522
The Worth of the Sout
.1. The excellence of its nature ;
II. The infinity of its duration ;
III. The price of its redemption : Three ar- ticles which will divide this dilcourfe.
I. Noihing can be given in exchange for our iouls. We prove this propofition by the excel- lence of its nature. What is the foul ? There have been great abfurdiiies, in the anfwers giv- en to this queRion. In former ages of daikncfs, "when nioft of the ftudies, that were purfued for the cultivation of the mind, ferved to render it unfruitful ; when, people thought, they had ar* rived at the higheft; degree of knowledge, if they liad filled their memories with pompous terms îind fuperb nonfenie ; in thofe times, 1 fay, it ■was thought, the queflion might be fuliy and fatisfadlonly anfwercd, and clear and complete ideas given of the nuture of the foul. But in, later times, when, philolophy being cleanfcd from the impurities that infc^ed ilie fchools, equivocal terms were rejedled, and only cl( ar- and diflincl ideas admitted, and tluis literary in- Tcdigations reduced to real and folid ufe ; in thefe days, I fay, philofophers, and philofophera of great name, have been afraid to anfwcr this queflion, and have affirmed tîiat the narrow lim- its, which confine our refearches,^ difable us from, acquiring any other than obfcure notions of the liuman foul, and that all, which we can propofe to elucidate the nature of it, ferve rather to dif- cover what it is not, than what it is. But if the decif-ons of the former f.nour cf the prc- iuniption, does not the timid refervednefs of the latter feem a blameable modeRy ? If we be in- capable of giving fuch fufficient anfwers to the qi.iedion as would fully fatisfy a genius earneft in inquiring, and eager for demonHration, may w« not be able to give clear and high ideas of our fouls, and fo to verify thefe fententious words of the Saviour of the world, What shall a 7n an give in txchange for bis squI ? Indeed.
The Worth of the Soul, 123
Indeed, wc do clearly and diftindly know three properties of the foul ; and every one of us knows by his own experience, that it is capable of know- ing, willing, and feeling. The ïidX of thefe properties is intelligence, the fécond volition, the. third fenfation, or, more properly, the acutefi:' fenfibility. 1 am connng now to the defign of iny text, and here I hope to prove, at leall to the intelligent part of my hearers, by the nature of' the foul, that the lofs of it is the greatefl of alt^ lofTes, and that nothing, is too valuable to be giv- en for its recovery.
Intelligence is the firR property of the foul, andl the flrd idea, that we ought to form of it, know- its nature. The perfection of this property con- fids in having clear and diftinf^ ideas, extenfive- and certain knowledge. To lose the souly in this- rcfped» is to fink into total ignorance. This- lofs is irreparable, and he, who fliould have loft his foul in this fenfe, could give nothing too great" for its recovery. Knowledge and happinefs arc ' i.nfeparable in intelligent beings, and, it is clear,, a foul deprived of intelligence cannot enjoy per- fect felicity» Few men, I know, can be perfuad- ed to admit this truth ; and there are, I mufl al- low, great reflridions to be made on this article, v»'hile we are in the prefent Oate.
1. In our prefent flate, eve*iy degree ofknoivU edgCy that the tnind acquires^ costs the body mucb„ A man, who would make a progrefs in fcience, niuft retire, meditate, and, in feme fenfe, involve bimfelf in himfelf. Now meditation exhaufts the animal fpirits, clofc attention tires the brain ; the collection of the foul into itfelf often injures the health, and fometimes puts a period to life.
2. In our prefent (late, our knotvledge is con» f^ned TJ-ithin narroiv bounds, Queftions the mod
worthy of our curiofity, and the moft proper to animate and inflame us, are unanfwerable ; for îhc objedls lie beyond our reach. Tiom all our
eft oris
124 The WoY-lh of the SouL
efforts to eclaircife fuch queftions, we fometiçries derive oniy mortify ing rtflcdions on the vveak- nels of our capacities, and the narrow limits of our knowledge,
3> In this prefent Crite, sciences are incapable of demonstratioiiy and confift, in regard to uï, of little more than probabilities and appearances. A man, whofe genius is a little exa£\, 's obiif^t-d in multitudes of cafes to doubt,. ar,d to fufper-d his judgment ; and his pleafure of invdtigaiing a point is almoft always interrupted -by the too •well-grounded fear of taking a fliadov^ for a fub- ftance, a phantom for a reality.
4* In this woild, most of thofe sciences^ in the ftudy of which we fpend the befl part of life, are improperly called sciences ; they have indeed fome diftafit relation to our wants in this prefent ilate, but they have no reference at all to our real dignity. What relation to the real dignity of man hath the knowledge of languages, the ar- ranging of various arbitrary and barbarous terms in the mind, to enable one to expreis oiic thing iu a hundrtd different words ? What relation to the real dignity of man hath the fludy of an- tiquity ? Is it worth while to hold a thoufand conferences, and to toil ihrough a thoufand vol- umes, for the frike of difcovering the leveries of our anceflors ?
5, In this world, we often fee real :{nâ ufeful knowledge deprived of its liistrey through the fu- pevcilious negirct of mankind, and fcience falfely fo called crowned with their applaufe. One man, >vhole mind is r kind of fcientific chaos, full of -vain fpeculations and confufed ideas, fliall be preferred before another, whofe fpecubtions have always been direded to form his judgment, to purify his ideas, and to bow his heatt to truth and virtue. This partiality is often feen. Now, although it argues a narrownefs of foul to make bappinefs depend on the opinion of others, yet it
The Worth of the Soul. 125
IS natural for intelligent beings, placed among- other intelligent beings, to wifîi for that appro- bation which is due to real merit. Were the prefenl life of any long duration, were not the proximity of all-purfuing death a powerful con- solation againft all our inconveniences, ihefe un- juft eftimations wojld be very mortifying.
Such being the imperfcftions, the defeds, and the obftacles of our knowledge, wc ought not to be furprifed, if in general we do not comprehend the great influence, that the perfeclion of our faculty of thinking and knovfing hath over our happinefs. And yet eren in this life, and with all thef« difadvantages, our knowledge, however difficult to acquire, however confined, uncertain, and partial, how little foever it may be applaud- ed, contributes to our felicity. Even in thi^- life, there is an extreme difference between a learned and aa illiterate laian ; between him, whofe knowledge of languages enables him (fo to fpeak) to convcrfe with people of all nations, and of all ages, and him, who can only convcrfe with his own contemporary countrymen ; between him, whofe knowledge of hiftory enables him to diltinguifli the fucccfsful from the hazardous, and to profit by the vices and the virtues of his pre- deceffors, and him, who falls every day into mil- takes infeparable from the want of experience ; between him, whofe own underRanding weighs all in the balance of truth, and him, who every moment needs a guide to condudi him* Even in this life, a man collefted within himielf, fequef-, tcred from the refl of niankind, ffparated from an intercourfc with all the living, deprived of ail- that conQitutes the blifs of fociety, entombed, if the exprcdion may be allowed, in a foiitary clof- ct, or in a duQy library, fuch a man enjoys an innocent pleafure, more fatislaCiory arid refined, than that, which places of diveiTion the mod \\e« quented;j and fjglus the rooil fupcrb, can «fFord».
Buts
126 The Worth of the Soul.
But if, even in this life, learning and knowl- edge have fo nluch influence over our happinefs, what fliall we enjoy, when our fouls fhall be freed from their llavery to the fenfes ? What, when we are permitted to indulge to the utmoft the pleating drfire of knowing? What felicity, when God fliall unfold ta our contemplation that houndlefs extent of trath and knowledge, which his intelligeuee revolves 1 What happinefs wil! accompany our certain knowledge of the nature, the pcrfedions, and the purpofes of God 1 What pleafure will attend our diicovery of the profound v/ifdom, the nerf^ft equity, and the cxa£l fitnefs of thofc events, which often furprifed and offend- ed us Î Above all, what fubhme delight muft "we enjoy, when we nnd our own intereft con- nected with every truth, and all fcrve to demon- ftrate the reality, the dui-atio^^, the inadniiiTibility of our hsppinefs 1 How think you, my breth. ren ; is not fuch a property beyond all valua- tion ? Can the world indemnify us for the final lofs of it ? If we have had the unhappinefs to lofe it, ought any thing to be accounted too great to be given for its- recovery ? And ir> not \his expreilion of Jefus Chrifl, in this view of it, fall of meaning and truth, TVhat shall a ma;t give in exchange for his seul ?
What we have afErnied of the firfl property of our fouls, that it is inilnitel/ capable or contrib- uting to our happinefs, although we can never ftiily comprehend it en earth, we affirm of the other two properties, volition and fenubility.
The perfe&ion of th.e will confifts in a perfect harmony between the holinefo and the plenituda of our defires. Now, to what degree foever we carry our holijfiefs on earth, it is always mixed with imperfeftion. And, as our holineftj is in:- perieil, our enjoyments muft be fo too. More-, over, as providence itfelf feems often to gratify an irregular will, we cannot well comprehend
the
The Worth of the Soul 1 27
the mifery of lofing the foul in this refpeâ:. But judge of this lofs, (and let one refledlion fufilce on this article) judge of this lofs by this cop.fid- çration. In that economy, into which our fouls mull enter, the Being, the niofl: elTentially holy, I mean God, is the moft perfedtly happy ; and the mofl: obftinatcly wicked being is the nioft completely miferable.
In like manner, we cannot well comprehend to what degree the property of our fouls, that renders us fufceptible of feniations, can be carri- ed» How miferable foever the ftate of a man, ■ expofed to heavy aiEidlions on earth, may be, a thoufand caufes leffcn the weight of them. Some- times reafon aiTifts the fuâerer, and fometimes religion, fometimes a friend condoles, and fome- times a remedy relieves ; aad this thought at all times remains, death will ftiortly terminate all my ills. The fame refieflions may be made on fenfations of pieafure, which are always mixed, fufpended, and interrupted.
Neverthelefs, the experience we have of our fenfibility on earth, is fulScient to give us fomc juft notions of the greatnefs of that lofs, which a foul may fuflain in this refpeé\ ; nor is there any need to arouze our imaginations by images of an economy, of which we have no idea.
The moft depraved of mankind, they, who are flaves to their fenfes, may comprehend the great mifery of a ftate, in which the fenfes will be tor- mented, even better than a believer can, who ufually ftudies to diminilh the authority of fenfe, and to free his foul from its lawlef* fway.
Judge ye, then, of the loff» of the foul, ye fenfual minds, by this Tingle confideration, if you have been infeniible to all the reft.. When we endeavoured to convince you of the greatnefs of this lofs, by urging the privation of that knowl- edge, which the eleft enjoy now, and which they hope to cpjoy hereafter, you were not affeûed
■with
128 The H^orfh of the Soul
witli this mifery, becaufe you confidered the pleaf- ure of knowing as a chimera. When we at- tempted to convince you of the milery of lofing the foul, by urging the privation of virtue, and the flinging remorfe that follows fin, you were not touched with this mifery, becaufe virtue y^u confider as a refiraint, and remorfe as a folly* Bui as you know no other felicity, nor any oth- er mifery, than what your fenft.'s tranfmit to your fouls, judge 6t the lofs of the foul by conceiving a rtate, in which all the fenfes fliall be punifhed, I'he lofs cf the foul, is the lofs of thofc harmo- nious founds, which huve fo often charined your ears ; it is the lofs of thofe exquifite flavours, "that your palate has fo often leliihed ; it is the lofs of ail thofe objed\s of df fire, wliich h;ive ex- cited your pallions* The lofs of the foul is an ocean of pain, the b?.re idea of which hath ^o often made you tTcn'bie, when religion called you to fail on it. The lofs of the foul will be in re- gard to you the imprifonment of yon confeffor, inclofed ia a dark and filthy dungeon, a prey to infection and putiefad\ion, deprived of the air and the light. The lofs of the foul will reduce you to the condition of that galley flave, groan- ing under the lafhes of a barbarous officer, who is loaded with a galimg chain, who finks under the labour of that oar which he woiks, or rather, >vith which he himfclf is trailing a1oi»g. The lofs of the foul will place you in the condition of yon martyr on the wheel, whofe living limbs are disjointed and racked, whofe lingering life is loth to ceafe, who lives to glut the rage of ins tormentors, and who expires only through an overflowing acccfs of pain, his executioners with the barbarous Indufiry being frugal of his blood and his ftrengtn, in order to make him fuffer as uiuch as he can poflihly fuiT. r before he dies.
But, as I fald before, all thcfe inuges convey bot very ipiperfecl ideaa of the lofs of our fouls.
Were
The Worth of the SouL 129
Were we to extend our fpeculations as far as the fubied would allow, it vrould be eai'y to prove, that the foul is capable of enjoying fcnfible pleafures infinitely more refined, and of fufferin^- pains infinitely more excruciating, than all thofc which are felt in this world. Xn this vvorld, fen- fations of pleafure and pain are proportioned to the end, that the Creator propoled in rendering us capable of them. This end is almoft always the prefervation and well-being of the body dur- ing the Ihort period of mortal life. To anfv.-er this end, it is not neceffary, that pleafure and pain fiiould be fo exquifue as our fenfes may be capable of enduring. If our fenfes give us no- tice of the approach of things hurtful aiîd bens* ficial to us, it is fufficient.
But in heaven fenfible pleafures will be infi- nitely more exquifite. There the love of God will have its free courfé. There the promifes of religion will all be fulillled. There the la- bours of the righteous will be rewarded. There we fliall difccver how fur the power of God v/ill be difplayed in favour of an elecl foul. In like manner, the extent of divine power in punilhing the wicked will appear in their future flate of mifery. That juftice muft be glorified, which nothing but the- blood of Jefus Ghrift could ap- peafe in favour of the ele6\. There the finner jnuft fall a vidlim to the wrath of Gcd. There he mufl: experience how fear Jul a ihlng it :'s to fall into the hands of the living God, Heb. x. 3 1. Hath a man, who is threatened with thefe mile- ries, any thing too valuable to give for his re- demption from them ? Is not the nature ot on:- fouls, which is known by thefe three properties, underdanding, volition, and fenfibillty, exprefTive oF its dignity ? Does not this dcmonftrate this propofition of our Saviour, IVbat shall a man ^'ive in €;-^çban^e for his soul?
M IJ. The
;i30 The îVcrih of the Saul,
II. The immorlality of a foul conflitutes Its (Bignity, and its endîefs duration is a foiirce of clemonRrations in favour of the propofition in the text. This dignity is inconteflible. The prin- ciple of the immortality of tiie foul, from which ive reafon, is undeniable. Two fuppofuions may feem, at firfl fight, to weaken the evidence of the immortality of the foul. Firf>, the clofe union of the foul to the body feems unfavourable to the doi\rine of its immortality, and to predidl; its diffolution with the body. But this fuppofi- tion, inethinks, vaniOieth, v/hen we confider V'hat a difproportlon there is between the proper- ties of the foul, and thofc of the body. This dif- proportion proves, that they are two dlftimfl fub- Hances. The fcparation of two diflincl fub- fiances, makes indeed fome change in the manner of their exifting ; but it can make none really ill their exigence.
But, whatever advantages we may derive from this reafoning, I freely acknowledge, that this, of all philofophical arguments for the immortali- ty of the foul, the leafl of any afft^£ls ms. The great queilion, on this article, is not what we think of our fouls, when we confider them in ihemfelves, independently on God, whofe omnip- otence furrounds and governs them. Could an infidel dem.onflirate, againfl us, that the human foul is material, and that therefore it mufl: perirti ■with the body ; could we, on the contrary, dem- onflrate, againft him, that the foul is immaterial, and that therefore it is not fubjedt to laws of matter, and mufi furvive the deflruflion of the body ; neither fide, in my opinion, v^ouîd gain any thing cooiiderable. The principal queîlion, that, wliich alone ought to determine our notions on this article, would remain unexamined ; that is, whether God will employ his power over our fouls to perpetuate or to deftroy them. For, xould an infidel prove, that God would employ
his
The mnh of the SouL 131
his power to annihilate our fouls, in vain ihould we. have demoHibated that they were naturally immortal ; for we fliould be obliged to owii, tliat they are mortal in refped of the will of that God, whofe omnipotence rules them. In like in'^nner, if we could prove to an unbeliever, that God would employ his power to pr^ferve them in eternal exiftence, in vain would he have demon- fh-ated, thax confidered in themfelves they are riiortal ; and he would be obliged in his turn lo aliov/ that human fouls are immortal, in vn lue of the fuprcuie pOv/er of God. Now, my brethicn, thé fLippoiition-, that God will employ his power to annihilate our fouls, will entirely difapptai-, if you attend to the well-known and familiar argu- ment of the connexion between the immortality of the foul, and that defire of immortality which the Creator hath imparted to it. What can we reply to a man \vi)o rcafons in this mi'-nni. ! ?
I find luyfelf in a v/orld, where all lîungi J-'- clare the perfedions of the Creator. The r^)o;^o Ixonfider all the parts, the mere I admire ti:e fitnefs of each to anfvver the end of hira who created them all. Among numberlefs produc- tions, perfectly correfpondent to their deftination,
I find only one being, whofe condition doth not feem to agree with that raarvclious order, which I -have obferved in all the red. This being is my own foul. And what is this foul of mine ?
II it fire ? Is it air ? Is it ethereal matter ? Under whatever notions I confiieV it, I am at a lofs to define it.- However, nctwithflanding this obfcurity, I do perceive enough of its nature to convince me of a great difproportion between the prefent date of my foul, and that end for which its Creator fcems to have furwied it. This foul, 1 know, I. feel, (and, of all argunients, there are none more convincing than thofe that are taken from fcntiment) this foul is a being eagerly bent Cii the enjoyment of a happjiefs infinite in itS'
duration. ..^
132 The Worth of the Soul ^
duration. Should any one offer me a ftatc of f)(jrfe<fl happinels, that would continue ten thou- Iwnd years, an affcmblage of reputation and rich- es, {grandeur and magnificence, perhaps, dazzled with its glare, I might cede my pretenfions in coiiGderation of this enjoyment. But, after all, 1 fully perceive, that this felicity, how long, and how perfed. foever It might be, would be inade- quate to my wilhes. Ten thoufand years are too few to gratify ray defirea ; my defires leap the bounds of all fixed periods of duration, and roll along a boundlefs eternity. "What is not eternal is unequal to my wlflies, eternity only can fatif- fy them,
Such is my foul. But where is it lodged ? Its place is the ground of my aflonifliment. This foul, this fubje£i of fo many defires, inhab- its a world of vanity and nothingnefs. Whether I climb the highefl eminences, or pry into the rU.-pf{^ indigence, I can difcovcr no objedl capa- '•'r of tl'licvi- niy c::ipncious deGres. I aicend the ti:rjne3 of fo%'ereigns, 1 defcend into the beggar's dud; I walk the palaces of princes, I lodge in the peafant's cabin ; I retire into the clofet to be wife, I avoid recolleclion, choofe ignor?ince, and jncreafe the crowd of idiots ; I live in folitude, I rufh into the fociai m.uhitude ; but every where Ï find a mortifying void. In all thefe places there is nothing facisfaclory. In each I am more unhappy, through the tlefue of feeing: new objects, than fatisfied with the enjoyraent of what I pofTefs. At moO, I experience noth- ing in all thcfe plcafures, which my concupif- ctnce multiplies, but a mean of rendering my condition tolerable, not a mean of making iç perfeaiy happy.
-xow can I reconcile the fc things ? How can I make the Creator agree with himfelf ? There
is one way of doing this, ? ^'''Bf^;!^ ^']\ ^ ^^';
^^in way ; ^ way, that i'olvç? all d;fficpiiies, an^
^ ^ < covers
The Worth of the Soul 133
covers infidelity with confufion ; a way, that ■feacheth me what 1 am, whence 1 came, and for what my Creator hath dt-figncd me. Although God^hath placed me in this world, yet he dotb Dot dtilgn to limit my profpeds to it ; though" lie faath mixed me with niere animais, yet he doth not intend to confound me with them ; though he hath lodged my foul in 'a frali perifhable body, ye: he doth not mean to involve it in tiie diffoiu-' tion of this frame. Without fuppufing immor- tality, that, which conRitutes the dignity of man, makes his mifery. Thefe defires of immor- tal duration, this faculty of thinking and reflécl-' hîg, of expanding and perpetuating the mind j this fupeviority of foul, that fcems to elevate iiiankind above beafis, a6lualiy place the beafk above thé man, and iiil him with tjiefe bitter re- fleclions iLjir of mortification and p.iln. Ye crawling reptiles ! ye beads of the ficid 1 dcfli- tute of intelligence and reafon ' if my foul be not immortal, I "envy your condition. ■ Content with your own orgaiis, pleafed with ratiging the fields and browfing the herbage, your defires need no reflraint ; far all your vvifhes are fully fatisfied. While 1, abounding on the one hand with infatiable defires, and on the other confined amidft vain and unfatlsfudlory objeclo, 1 am on this account unhappy ;
We repeat thefe philofophlcal re^fonings, iny brethren, only for the fike of convincing you, that we arc i;-) poffefFiôn of imnienfe advantages over fceptics in this difpute. On the principles of an unbeliever, you i\e, vvcre his notion of rev- elation weli-grounded ; were the faCred book, in which fo nii-.ny charaders of truth ihine, an hu- miii production ; were a reafonable man obliged to admit no other proportions than thofe, whicli have been allowed at the tribunal of right rea- fon ; yea, wejfay more, were cur fouls material, we ought, on the fuppofitions before mentioned, M 2 td
i34 T^f^^ Worth of the Soul.
to ad'Tiit the immortality ot the foul as mofi: con- formabie lo our bcfl notions of the will of our Creator.
But, when we are thus convinced of our im- mortality^ need we any new arguments to demon- ftrate the proportion included in ihe text, What shall a man give in cKchange for bis soul ? Moft fubjcjfti may be made to appear with great- er or Jcfs dignity, according to the greater or fmalier degree of importance, in which the preacher places it. Pompous expreîïions, bold, figures, lively images, ornaments of eloquence, may ofr.en fupply a want of dignity in thefubjecV difcuffed, or a want of proper dirpofitions in au- ditors, who attend the dii'culnoM of it. But, is my opinion, evciy attempt to give importance io a motive taken from eternity, is more likely to enfeeble the doctrine than to invigorate it. Mo- tives of this kind are fe!f-furncient. Defcriptions the mcil fimple, and the moft natural, that can be made, are alwr.ys, 1 think, the moft pathetic^ Hnu the moft terrifying ; nor can I find an ex- prefîion, en this Article, more eloquent and more cniphatical than this of St. i'aui, The things uvhich are ssen^ are temporal ; but the things which are not secn^ arc eternal^ 2 Cor. iv. ]£, Were the poITclhon of the whole v*orld the price you ajk, in exchange for your souls ; were the whole world free from thofe charaders of vanity, v/hich open fnch a boundlefs fitid to our reflt-c- lions ; would there not always be this difpropor- tion between a periihmg world and a foul afpir- ing at felicity, that the world would end and the foul would never die ?
Death puts an end to the mo{\ fpecious titles, to the moft dazzling grandeur, and to the moft delicious life ; and the thought of this period of human glory reminds mc of the memo-rable action of a prince, who, although he was a heathen, ■was wifer than many chriflians j I mean the great
Saludin.
The Worth of the SouL 135,
Saladln. After he had fubdued Egypt, pa^Ted' the Euphrates, and conquered cities without number ;. atEer he had recaken Jerufalem, and performed exploits more than human, in thofc wars, which fuperftition had ftirred up for the recovery of the holy land ; he finiHied his life in the performance of an a£lion,, that ought to be tranlmitted to the mod diftaiu pofterity. A mo- tnent before he uttered his lafl: iigh, he caîied the herald, who had carried his banner before him in all his baitles, he commanded him to faflen to the top of a lance, the fhroud, in which the dy- ing prince was fcon to be buried» Go, faid he, tarry this lance, unfurl this banner, and, while yo'j \\i\. up this ftandard, proclaim, This^ this is oll^ thai remains to Saladin the great, the con- queror and the king of the empire, of all his glo- ry,*- Chriftians ! 1 perform to-day the oSlce of this herald. I faften to the top of a fpear, fen- fual and intelletiiial pleafures, worldly riches^ and human honours. All thefe I reduce to the piece of crape, in which you will fliortly be buri- ed. This fîandard of death I lift up in your light, and I cry, This, this is all, that will re- main to you, of tha polîefîions for which you ex- changed your fouls. Are fuch poffeflions toa great to be given in exchange for iuch a foul ? <>!an the idea of their periQiing nature prevail over the idea of the immortality of the foul ? And do you not feel the truth of the text. What shall a man, a rational n*an, a man who is capa- ble of comparing eternity with tiaie> what Qialî i'uch a man give in exchange for his soul ?
Finally, we make a reflexion of another kind^ to convince yoa of the dignity of your fouls, and to perfuade you, that nothing can be too valua- ble to be given in exchange for them. This is taken from the afloniQiing works, that God hatli
performed
* Maimb. Hifl. des Croifades, lib. vi. p. 572. dc I'Edit. in 4.
t^6 The ï'Forth of ifit S(mL_ \-
performed in their fAVOur. We will confine Cî?f^ "lelves to one arcicle, to the inefliniable pricey that God-hath given for the redemption of them» Hear thefe uords of the holy fcnptures, 2~c aie bought with a pi ice, 2'c -were redeemed from jour l'oin conversât ioriy not nvitb cQiruptible ib'.ngs, cs silver and gold ; out wiib the precious . blood of Christy 1 Cor. vl. 20. 1 Pet. i. 18.
Some of you, perhaps, may fay, as the limits of a fermon will- not allow us to fpcak of more than one of the wondrous works, of God in fa- vour of immortal - fouls, we ought, at lead, to choofe that, v/bich is mofl likely to aff^â. aa au- dience, and not to dwell on a. fubjcd, which, having been fo often repeated, will make oniy flight impreiTions on their mindso ^ Perhaps, were Ave to inform you, that, .in order to fave your fouls, God lîad fubverted formeri^' aU the laws oi nuiure, or, .to uie theJanguage of a prophet, thi.t he had shaken the. hcavcns and -the earthy the sea end. the dry land, Hig. ii. 6. perhaps, were wc to tcil you, that,, in order to fave ypur fouls, Gcd d&frrrcd .theend of .the woyld, jànà put off the laft v^cifTitudes, that are to put a period lo the. duration- of this •univerfe ; .that, according to Si,-.Pffrtcr,. the Lê^'d is •long-suffering. tQ us-wardy 2 Pet^-iii..- 9. . perhaps, were we to affirm, that, in order to lave our fouls, he will eome one day on the clouds of heaven, fitting on a. throne, fur- rounded with glorious angels, acc-ompanicd \=?itb îiiyriads of fliouting voices, to deliver them v/ith the greater pomp, and to fave tliera witli Ujorc fplendour : p^rhaps, by relating all tHefe mighty/ %vorks done for our fouls, we might excite in you- ideas of their dignity, more lively than tba:, which we have chofen, and to which we intend to confine our attention. But, furmount, if you^ can, your cufiomary indolence, and form an ade- quate idea of the dignity of the facrifice of Jelus (Ihrifl, in order the uctcir to judge of the dignity
of
The Worth of the Soul. 137
of thofe fouls, of which his blood was the price.
Go, learn it in heaven. Behold the .Deity. Approach his throne. Obferve the thousand thousands ministering unto biniy ten thousand times ten thousand standing before him, Dan,- vii. 10. See his eyes fparkling with fire, and his inajefiy and glory filling his fandluary, and, by the dignity of the victim facrificed, judge of the value of the facrifice.
Go, fiudy it in all the economies, that preced- ed this facrifice, Obferve the types, which pre- figured it ; the (hadows, that traced it out ; the ceremonies, which depidled it ; and, by the pomp of the preparations, judge of the dignity of the fubftance prepared.
Go, learn it on mount Calvary. Behold the wrath, that fell on the head of Jelus ChriQ. Be- hold his blood pouring out upon the earth, and him, your Saviour, drinking the bitter cup of divine difpleafure. See his hands and his feet wailed to the crofs, and his whole body one great wound ; obferve the unbridled populace foaming with rage around the crofs, and glutting their favage fouls with his barbarous fuS'erings ; and, by the horror of the caufes that contributed to feis death, judge of the death itfelf.
Go to the infidei, and let him teach you the dignity of the facrifice of Chrift. Remember, on this account he attacks chriftianity, and he h^th fom-e fhew of reafon for doing fa ; for if this re- ligion may be aitacked on any fide, with the leafl: hope of fuccefs, it is on this. The truths of the chriflian religion are inconteflible ; but if there be any one article of the gofpel, which requires an entire docility of mind, an abfolute fubmif- fion of heart, a perfed deference to God, who fpeaks, it is the article of the iacnfi.ee of the crofs. Weigh the objedlions, and by the great- nefs of the difficulties judge of the dignity of the myftery, Hecolkct,
138 The PForih of the Soul
Recolledl, chriflian ! God thouglit fit to re- quire the blood of iiis Son for the redemption of* cDf fouls. TiitTe fouls niufl have beers very pre- cious in the Tight of God, iince be redeemed' them at a price fo immenle. The «vifery into wtiirh they were liable to be plunged, mufl. have been extremely terrible, fince God thought prop- er to make fuch great efforts to fave them from iti The felicity, of which they are capable, and' to which the Lord intends to elevate them, niufb' be infinitely valuable, fincn; it eof^ liim fo much to bring them to ir. For what in the univerfc is of equal value with the blood of the Son of God ? ' Difappear, all ye other miracles, wrought i<j fa- vour of cur foulp i ye aftonifliing prodlgier,- that confirmed the gofpel I thou, delay of the con- fummation of all things 1 ye great and ternble figns of the fécond coming of the Son of God \ VaniO) before the miracle of the crcfs ; for the rrofs fhines you all into darfenefs and fliade« This glorious light maiies yoiu glimmering van- ifli ; and after my imaginatrion is filled with the tremendous dignity of this facrifice, I can fee nothing great befide. But, if God, if this juft appraifer of things, h'ath cftimated our fouls at fuch a rate, Orall we fet a low price on them ? If he hath given fo much for them, do v.-e ima- gine we can give too in^jch' for theni ? If, for their redemption, he hath facrificed the moft val- uable perfon in heaven, do we imagine there is any thing upon earth, too great to give up for tht'm ?
N05 no, my brethren Î after what we have beard, we ought to believe, that there is no flind- Gw of ejCaggeration in this exclamation of Jffus Chrift, JVhat is a man projited, if Jic shall gain the ivhole "tvorld and lose /lis o-Tun soul ? 1 do Dot certainly know what our Saviour meant to fay; whether he intended to fpeak of a man,, whc fliould gain îbc Hubglc ivarld, and inflantly
les.e
The ivorih of the Soid. 1 3 9
'Je-se his soul ; or of one, who fhould not lose hie ^om/ till long- after be had obtained the nuholc nuorldy and had reigned over it through the courfe of a long life. But I do know, that the words are true, even in the moO: exceniive fenfe. Sup- pole a man, who fhould not only enjoy univerfal empire for one whole age, but for a period equal to the duration of the world itfelf ; the propofi- tion, that is implied in the words of Jefus Chrift, IS applicable to him. Such a foul as we have defcribed, a foul fo excellent in its nature, fo ex- tenfive in its duration, fo pj-ecious through its redemption ; a foul capable of acquiring fo much knowledge, of conceiving fo many defircs, of ex- periencing fo much remorfe, of feeling fo many pleafurf^s and pains ; a foul, that mufl: fubfift be- yond all time, and perpetuate itfelf to eternity; a foul redeemed by the blood of the Son of God ; a foul fo valuable ought t-o be: preferred before all things, and nothing is too precious to be given for its exchange., '* What is a man profited, it he fliall gain the whole world, and lofe his owi\ foul ? or, what fliall a man give in exchange for his foul ?"
However, my brethren, we are willing to ac- knowledge, were we in the cafe fuppofed by Je- fus Chriil ; were it in our power to gain the whole world by lofing our own fouis ; or, being aftually univerfal monarchs, were we obliged to facrifice this vaQ: empire to recover our fouls al- ready lofl ; were we, being fmitten with the fplendid offer, or being ahrmed at the immcnfe price of our purchale, to prefer the whole world before our own fouls ; we might then, if not ex- culpate our condudi, yet at lead give a little col- our to it ; if we could not gain our caufe, we might however plead it with fome fhew of rea- fon. A reafon of ftate, a political motive, as that of governing a whole univerfe, would natu- rally have fome inâusnce over us. The titles of
Sovereign,
^40 The wordh of the Soul.
Sovereign, Monarch, Emperor, would naturally charm little iouls, like ours. Sumptuous palaces, foperb equipages, a crowd of devoted courtiers, bowing and cringing before us, and all that exte- rior grandeur which environs the princes of the •earth, would naturally fafcinate fuch feeble eyes, and infatuate iuch puerile imaginations as ours. I repeat it again, could we obtain the govern- ment of the univerfe by the fale of our fouls, if we could not juftify our conduce, we might ex- tenuate the guilt of it ; and although we could -not gain our caufe, we might at leaft plead it with fome fliew of reafon.
But 13 this our cafe ? Is it in onr power to gain the zvbole <ivorld ? Is this the price, at which w€ fell our fouls ? O (hame of human nature 1 O meannefs of foul, more proper to confound us, than any thing elfe, with v;hieh we can be reproached 1 This intelligent foul, this immortal foul, this foul which has been thought "worthy ©f redemption by the blood of the Saviour of the world, this foul we often part with for nothing, and for lefs than nothing 1 In our con- dition, placed as moft of us are, in a flate of me- diocrity ; when by di-lilpation and indolence, by injuftlce and iniquity, by malice and oblVinacy, ■we fhall have procured from vice all the rewards that we can expcfl, what fiiall we have gaified ? "Cities ? Provinces ? Kingdoms ? A long and profperous reign ? God hath iiot left thefe to cur choice. His love would not fuffcr him to cxpofe us to a temptation fa violent. Accord- ingly we put up our fouls at a lov/er price. Sec this old man, rather dead than alive, bowing un- der his age, ftoeping down, and Hepping into the grave ; at what price does he exchange his foul ? at the price of a few days of a dying life ; a few pleafures, fmothered under a pile of years, if I may fpeak fo, or buried under the ice of old age. That officer in the army, who tliinks he alone
underftands
\
The Worth of iht Sout 14 i
Httnderflands real grandeur ; at what rate does he value his foul ? He lofes it for the fake of the falfe glory of fwearing experily, and of uniting "bUfphemy and politenefs. What does yon me- chanic get for his foul ? Ooe acre of land, a cottage bigger and lefs inconvenient than ikat of «is neighbour.
Unmanly wretches I If we be bent on renounc- ing our dignity, let us, however, keep up foine appearance of greatnefs. Sordid fouls ! if we will refign our nobled pretenfions, let us do it, however, in favour of fomie other j^retenfions, that are real. *' Be aRonifhed, O ye heavens, at this ! and be ye horribly afraid ; for my people have committed two evils : they have forfaken me, the fountain of living waters, and have hewed them out ciRerns, broken ciRerns, that can hold no water," Jer. ii. 12. Do you perceive, my brethren, the *orce of this complaint, which God anciently uttered over his people the Jews, and which he now utters over us ? Neither genius nor erudition can eï^plain it. Gould they, you might perhaps underfland it. A certain eleva- tion, a certain dignity of foul, fingular fentt- ments of heart, are the only expoiuors of thefe afied\ing words. Therefore, I fear, they are un- intelligible to moll of you, ** Be adoniflied, O ye heavens, at this ! and be ye horribly afraid ; for my people have cominitted two evils : they have forfaken me, tl7% fountain of living waters, and hewed ^em out ciflerns, broken cifterns, that can hold no water." God loves us, he de- fircs we fliould love him. He has done every thing to conciliate our eftecm. For us he lent his Son into the world. For us he difanned death. For us he opened an eai'y path to a glo- rious eternity. And all this, to render himfelf mafler of our hearts, and to engage us to return him love for love, life for liFe. We re H fl all thefe attractives, we prefer other objecls before him. N No
t^î ^he Worth of the ScuL
.■No matter, he would pafs this ingratitude, if the objedls, which we prefer before him, were capa- ble of making us happy ; if, at leaft, they bore any apparent praportion to thofe, which he offer- eth to our hopes. But what aroufeth his dif- pleafure, what provokes his juft indignation, what excites reproaches, that would cleave our hearts afunder, were they capable of feeling, is the van- ity of the obje£l5, v/hich we prefer before him. The foul, in exchange for which the whole world ^vould not be a fufficient confideration, this foul ■we often give for the moft mean, the mod vile, the mod contemptible part of the world. " O ye heavens I be afloniflied at this, at this be ye hor- ribly afraid,; for my people have committed two evils : they have forfaken me, the fountain of the living waters, and hewed them out ciftcrns, bro- ken ciftcrms, that can hold no water."
But do we know, ungrateful that we are, do we know, that if the hardnefs of our hsarts pre- vent our feeling in particular the energy of this reproof, and in general the evidence of the reflec- tions, that make the fubUance of this difcourie ; do we know that a day will come, when we fliall feel thcHi in all their force ? "Do we know, that there is now a place, where the truth of our text appears in a clear l>ut a terrible light ? Yes, my brethren, this reflexion is perhnps cflential to our difcourfe, this perhaps approaches nearefl: to the meaning of Jefus Chrift ; perkaps Jefus Chrift, in tbefe words. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul ? meant to inform us of the difjsefi- tion of a man in defpair, who, immerfed in all the miferies that can excruciate a foul, f.urprifed at having parted with fuch a foul at a price fo fmall, ftricken with the enormous crime of lofing it, wiflies, but too late, to give every thing to recover it.
Ideas, like thefe, we never propofe to you without relu<^ance. Motives of another kind
fliould
The Worth of the SouL 143.
ihould fufEce for chriflians. Learn the worth of your fouls. Enter into the plan of your Creator, who created them capable of eternal felicity ; and into that of your Redeemer, who died to enable you to arrive at it. Againfi: alt the deceitful promifes, which the world, the fle(h,and the devil, life to feduce you, oppofe thefe words of Jefus Clarifl, IVhat is a man profited) if be gciin the. 'U'bol-e ivorldj and los-e bis »ivn soul ? or^ wbat sball a man give in exchange for his soul ? May God infpire y on with thefe noble fentiments I To hira be honour asd glory for ever.— Amen=.
SERMON
SERMON VL
rm BIRTli OF JESUS CHRIST.
Isa I AH ix. 6, 7.
Unto us a child is born<, unto us a son is given -j mnd the government shall be upon his shoulder ,• and bis^ nartic shall be called, iVcnderfuly Coun- sellor^ The liligbtj God, The Everlasting Fa- ther, The Prince of Peace, Of the increase of his go%;rnjnent and peace there ihall be no end, upon the tbrons of David^ and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to esjabiisb it, nvith judgment and ivitb justice, from henceforth even for ever,
I ANTICIPATE the feftlval, which the goodnefs, or rather the magriificcnce of God, in^ vîtes you to celebrate on Wednefday next. All Mature feems to take part in tfee mémorable event,, which on that day we (hall commemorate, I mean the birth of the Saviour of the world. Herod turns pale on his thront ; the devils tremble in hell ; the wife aien of the eaft iufpend all their fpcculàtions, and obferve no fign in the firma- ment, except that which conduces them to the place where lies the incainate Word, God man- ifest in the flesh, 1 Tim. iii. 16. an angel from heave» is the herald of the aftonilliing event, and tells the Shepherds,. Behold I bring you good tid^. ings of great joy <f which shall be to all people,,, for unto you is born this day, in the city of Da-, vid, a Saviour, 'ivbich is Christ the Lord, Luke ii. 10, 11. the multitude of the htavenly hosted- gerl^ defcend to cengiatulate men on the Word'?? afforaption of mortal fl»-fh, oh his drjelling among men, in order to enable them to behold his glory, the ^hry of the only begotte.n of the Father, full
The Birth of Chrisi. 14$
of grace and truths John i, 14. they make the air relound with theie acclamations, Glorj to God in the highest^ and on eartb peace^ good will to-- nvard men^ Luke ii. 14.
What think ye ? Does this feftival require no preparation of you ? Do you imagine, that you ihall celebrate it as you ought, if you content yourfelves^ with attending on a few difcourles, durirg which, perhaps, while you are prefent in body, you may be abfent in I'pirit ; or with laying alide your temporal cares, and your mod turbu- lent pafTions, at the charch-gates, iaorder to take them up again, as foon as divine iervice ends ? The king Mefliah is about to make his triumphant: entry among you. Witil what pomp do îbe cbiU- dren of tJiis tvorldy who are ivise, and, we may- add, magnificent in tbeir generation^ Luke xvi, S* celebrate the entries of theip princes ï They drew the roads with ftowers, they raife triumphal arches, they exprefs their joy in (bouts of viétory, and in longs of praiie. Gome, then, my breth- ren, let us to-à-ày prepare ike vjay of the Lord, and make bis paths straight^ Matt. iii. 3. let us be joyful together before the Lordj let us make a jriyful noise before i/ie-Lord the King^ for he com- c'tb to Judge the earth., Pfal.xcviii. 6, 9. or,, to i'peak in a more intelligible, and in a more evan- gelical manner, Come, ye raiicrable.iinners, load- en with the uniupportable burden of your fins ; come, ye troubled conicience^, uneafy at the re- membrance of your many idle words, m^ny crim- inal thoughts, many abominable adions ; come, ye poor mortals, tossed, ivith tempests and not comforted, Ha. liv. II. condemned fiiil to bear- the infirmities of nature, the caprices of iccieiy, the vicilRtudes of age, the turns of fortune,. a»d then the horror? of death, and the frightful ni,!',ht of the tomb ; come, behold The Wonderful^ The Counsellor y The Mighty God, The E'jerlastirig father, Iks Prince of Peace i tai^e him into your N 2 arms,
146 The Birth of Chrisi^
arms, learn to dcfirc nothing more, whenybu poITefs him» May God enable cath of you, in tranlportî of joy, to fay, I.ord, novj lettest thou, tby servant depart iu peace^ for mine eyes have seen tby salvation. Amen.
You hiiTe heard th#^ prophecy, on which our meditations in this dircoMrfe are to turn. " Un« to us a child is born, unto lis a fon is given ; and the governoaent fhall be upon his niouider : and his name Ihart be called, Wonderful, CounfcUor, The Miglity God, The Evcrlalling Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increafe cf his govern- menc and peace there fiiall \it no end, upon the" throne of David, and upon bis kii>'gdom, to order it, and to cftablill» it, with judgmrnt and with juilice, from henceforth even for ever." Thefe words are more dazzling than ck-ar : Itt us hx- 'Jicir true' meaning ; nnd, in order to alVcrtai* that, let us dividt; this difcoir. fe into two parts^
.1. Let us explain the preditlion.
ÎÎ. Let us (hew its accoiopliihmeot.
In tke fiifl part, we wdi prove, that the proph- •r bad the Meiiiah in view ;. and, in the fecoiid^ that our Jefus h.id folly anfwcrcd the dt'ign of ihe prophet, and hath accompliihed, in the moil juft and fubiime of all fcnfes, the whole predic- tion : Unto us a cbiid is- born^ aiid fo on.
1. Let us explain the «rophet'o predidion, and let us fix on U^e extraordinary child, to whom he gives the maginficent titles in tJie text. Indeed, the grandeur of the titles fufficiently determines the meaning of the prophet ; for to whom, ex- cept to the Mciïiah, can thefc appellations be- long, Tke Wonderful^ The Counsellor, Tbe mighty liud^ Tbe Prince of Peace, Tbe everlasting Fa- ibcr ? This natural fenfe of tbe text, is fup- ported by the authority of an infpired writer, and what is, if not of any great weight in point of argument, at leafr, very lingular as an hiiloriral fa6\, it is fispporud by the authority of an an-
^el.
The Birth of ChusU t^y.?
gtl. The infpired writer, whom we mean, is St» 5/Iattbew, who manifeftly alludes to the words oif the text, by quotingv thofe vrhich precede them^ which are cooneiSled with them, and which ha appli8» to th3 timer-ot' the Melliah : for, having' related the imprifonment of John, and, in confe- qucnce of that, the retiring of Je fas GWi-lft into- Galilee, he adds, that the divine Saviour cams: and dwelt in Capernaum^ nubicb Is upon the sea- coast J in the ôorders of Zadulon and Nephthalim .*-; that it might be fuljilld which ivas spoken by EsaiaS' the prophet^ sayings The land of Zabu^ low-^ and the Icnd^ of Nephtbalhn^ by the ivay of: the sea^ beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles : the people ivbicb sat in darkness saw great Ughi- i, £nd to them which sat in the region and shadû=uf oj death-, light is sprung up, Mint. iv. 12.. The angel, of whom I fpoke, isGabriel ; who, wherï; he declared to Mary the choice which God had made of her to be the mother of the Mcffiah, ap. plied to her Son the charadlera, by which Ifaiab dcfcribes the child in the text, and paints him in the fame colours : Thou shalt conceive in thy. •ivoinby and bring forth a son, and shalt call his- name Jesus. Ne shall be great, and ' shall àe called the Son of the Highest : and the Lord God shall give unio him the throne of his father Da^ vid. And he shall reign over the house ofja^ cob forever : and of his kingdom there shall be no end, Luke i. 31, &c.
How conclufive foever thefe proofs may appear in favor of the fenfe we have given of the prophe- cy, they do not falisfy this intraflable age, which is always ready to embrace nny thing that feems likely to enervate the truths ai religion. Sin- cerity requires us to acknowledge, that although our prophecy is clear of itfelf, yet there arifeth fame obftuiity from the order in which it is placed, and from its conne(flion with the fore- going and following vw^F^. On each wt will
endeavor
148 The Birth of Chrut.
endeavor to throw iomc light, and for this pup- pofe, we will go back, and analyle this, and the two preceding chapters.
When Ifaiah delivered this prophecy, Ahaz reigned over the kingdom ot Judah, and Pckah, the fon of Remaliah, over that of llVael. You cannot be ignorant of the mutual jealoLify of thefe two kingdoms. There is often more hatred between two parties, whofe religion is almoil the fame, than between thofe whole doûrine-s are in diredl oppofition. E»ch confidcrs ttie other as near the trath reach is jealous left the other ihould obtain it : and, it is mois-likely that they, %vho hold the eilential truths of religion, fliould furpafs others fooner than they, who raze the very- foundations of it, the former are greater objc(^s of envy than the latter. The kingdoms of Ifrael and Judah were often more envenomed againll one another than againll foreigners. This was the cafe in the reign of Ahaz, Jving of Jpdnh. Pekah, king of Ifrael, to the fliame of the tea tribes, difcovcrcd a difpcfition like that, which- hath fotnetimes made the chriftian world blulh ; I mean, that a Prince, who worfnlpped thu true God, in order to deftroy his brethren, made an aU liance with an idolater. Ke allied himfelf to Rezin, a pagan Prince, who reigned over that part of Syria, which conftliLired the kingdom of Diimafcus. The kingdom of Judah had often yielded to the forces of thefe kings, even when each had feparately made war with it. Now they were united ; and intended joinily to fit-ll on th« Jews, and to overwhelm, rather than 10 befiege Jtrufaieip. Accordingly, the confterna- tion was fo great in the holy city, that, the fciipture fays, The heart of Ahaz was movedy and the heart of his peo^le^ as the trees oj the nvood are moved iifith the wind, Ifa. vii. 2.
Although the kingdom of Jadah had too well defùfved the pKnllhinemr, which threatened it ;
and
The Birth of Christ. 14^93
and although a thoufand outrages, with which the inhabitants had infulied the Majefty of heaven» feemed to guarantee their country to the enemy, yet God came to their afîîftance. He was toucked, if not with the finccrity of their re- pentance, at lead with the excefs of their miferies* He commanded Ifaiah to encourage their hopes. He even promifec' them,, not only that all the dtiigns of their enemies fliould be rendered abor- tive : bwt that the two confederate kingdoms,. nvithiii three score and Jive j'fors, ver. 8. fhould: he entirely deftroyed. Moreover, he gave Ahas the choice of a fign to convince himfelf of the truth of the promife. Ahaz was one of the luoft wicked kings, that ever fat on the throne of Judah : fo that the fcripture could give no. worfe character of this prince, nor defcribc his perfc» verance in fin more fully, than by faying, that ht was altvays Abaz."^ He ref-ofed to choofe a fi"gn, not becaufe he felt one af thofe noble emo- tions, which makes a man fubmit to the teftimo- ny of God without any naore proof of its truth than the tcftimony itfekf ; but becaufe he was inclined to infidelity and ingratitude, and, proba- cy, becaufe he trufted in his ally, the king of AlTyria. Notwithftanding his refufal, God gave him figns, and informed hint, that before the prophet's two children, one of whom was already born, and the other would be born fhortly, fhould arrive at years of difcrction, the two confederate kings (hould retreat from Jdidca, and Ihoald bc:- entirely dedroyed.
Gf thefiri^ child, fee what the feventh chapter of the Revelations of our prophet fays. We are- there told, that this fon of the prophet was named Shearjafi^.ub, that is, the remnant shall return^ ver. 3. a name expreflive of the meaning
of
* 2 Chron. xxviii. 22. 77)13 is that king Abnz. En^, Verfion. C'ettoit toujours le roi Acbaz. Ft. Idern erat rty. Acbaz, Jun. Tï^rkI.
r^o The Birth of Chrisi.
of the fign, which declared that the Jews fliould. return from their rebellions, atubthat God would return from his anger, 'llie other child, then un- born, is mentioned in the eighth chapter, where it is laid t/ic prophetess bare a serif \tr, 3.
God commanded the prophet to take the firrt child, and to carry him to that pool, or pince of water, whicii was forined by the waters of Siloah, which fnpplied the ftream known by the name of Tbe fuller's co7idiiity Z Kings xviii. 1 7. and which was at the foot of the eaftern wall of Jerufalem* The prophet was ordered to produce the child ia the prefenee of all the affrighted people, and to ^ay to them, Before this child shall knoiv to re- fuse the e'-jily and choose the good^ tbe land that: thou- abborrest^ shall be forsaken of both her kings., Ifa. vii. 16. If this tranflation be retain- ed, f^e /ûjzû^ fign ifies the kingdom of Ifrael, and that of Syria, from which the enemy came, and which, on account of their coming, the Jews «3- Iiorred. I fhould rather render the words, ibe^ land^for ivhick thou art ajraid^ and by tbe land undcrftand Judea, which was then in a very dan- gerous lUtc. But the. prophecy began to be ac- compliftied in both fenfes about a year after it •was uttered. Tiglath Pilefer, king of Affyria, rot only drew off the forces of Resin and Pekah, from the fiege-of Jerufalera, but he drave them aUb from their own countries. He fir (l attacked Damafcus.- Rezin quitted his intended conquelb, and returned to defendhis capital^ where h£ was ilain ; and all his people were carried into cap- tivity, 2 Kings xvi. 9*. Tiglath Pilefer then- inarched into the kingdom of Ifrael, and vidlory marched along with him at the head of his army, 1 Chroji. V. 26. He fubdued the tribes of Reu- ben and Gad, and the half tribe of ManafTeh, all the inhabitants of Galilee, and the tribe of Neph- thalim, and carried them captives beyond Eu- phrates. ; and fixty five years after, that is, lixty
five
The Birth of ChrisL 15 1
*'€ve years after the prediftion of the total ruin oi:' the kingdom of Ifrael by the prophet Amos, tht: prophecy was fulfilled by SalrtianafVar, chap. vii. 11. according to the language of our prophet, within three score and Jive years shall EpJwaim
^be èroAen, that it be not a people^ Ifa. vii. 8, Tbas was this prophecy accomplifhed, before this child shall knoiv to refuse the cvilyond choose thegoocl^
'the laMdyfor ivhich'tho-u art afraid ^ shallow for- saken of doth her lings,
God determined that the prophet's iecond child {hould alfo be a fign of the truth of the fame promife. He afTured Ifaiah, that before the child, who fliould fhortly be born,, could learn to articulate the firft founds which children were taught to pronounce.; <* before the child fhould have knowledge to cry, My father, and my moth- er, the riches of Damafcus, ^nd the fpoil of Sama- ria," that is, of. the kir^gdom of Ifrael, " flaould be taken away by the king of Affyria," chap, viii, .4. This is the: fame promife confirmed by a fécond figo, God ufually giveth more thaH one, when be- con'urmcth any very intereQing prcdic» tion, aswe fee in the hiftory of Pharaoh, and the patriarch Jofeph, Gen. xli. 1, Sec.
■But, as all the mercies that were beftowed on the Jews from the time of Abraham, wer-e ground. -ed on the covenant, which God had made with ' that patriarch, their commci father and head ; or rather, as, fuice the fall, men could expert no favor of God but in vii tue of the mediator of the c.^ îrch ; it is generally to be obferved in the prophecies, that when God gave thetn a promife, he directed their attention to this grand objetSl. Eithifr the idea of the covenant, or the idea of the mediator, was a feal, which God put to his promifes, and a bar againft the unbelief and dif- t ruff of his people. Every thing might be ex- ■ped^.ed from a God, whofç goodn«fs was fo infi*^
Bite
1152 The Birth of Chri^.
T>ite, as to prepare fuch a noble vié\im far the i'alvation of mankind. He, who would confine Satan in everlafting chains, and vanquifh fin and death, was fully able t» deliver his people from the incurfions of Re^in, and Pckah, the Ton of Kemaliah. To remove the prefent fears of the Jews, God reminds them of the wonders of his lore, which he had promifed to difplay in favor of his church, in ages to come : and commands his prophet to fay to them, ** Ye trembling 'leaves of the wood, fliaken with every wind, ■peace be to you ! Ye timorous Jews, ceafe your fears 1 let not the greatnefs of this temporal de- liverance, which Î now promife you, excite your doubts.' 'God hath favors incomparably greater -in ftore for you, they fhall be your guarantees for thôfe, which ye are afraid to expe<5t. Ye are in • convenant with God. Ye hare a right to expect thofe difplays of his love in ycur favor which are 'lea ft credible. Remember the blessed seed, which he promifed to your ance^ftora, Gen. xxii. •18. " Behold I a virgin fhall conceive and bear a fon, and ftiall call his name Immanuel," Ifa. vii, 14. The fpirit of propliecy, that animates me, enables me topenetrate through all the ages that 'feparate the prefent moment from that in which the promife (liall be fulfilled. I fee the divine child, my *' faith is the fubftance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not Ceen," Heb. xi. !• and grounded on "he word of that God, w/x? cbangeth nof, Mai. iii. 6. who " is not a man, that he fliould lie, neither the -fon of man, that he (hould repent," Numb. iii. 19. 1 dare C^^eak of ÎI miracle, which will be wrought eight hundred years hence, as if it had been wrought to-day, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a fon is giv- en, and the government fliall be upon his flioui- der : and his name (hall ke called, Wonderful, Couiifcllor, The mighty God, The everlafting Father, Thé Prince of Peace/'
Tbis^
The Birth of Christ, 153
This, my brethren, is the prophet's fcope in the three chapters which we have analyzed, and par- ticularly in the text. Bur, if any one of you re- ceive our expofition without any farther difcuf- flon, he will difcover more docility than we re- quire, and he would betray his credulity without proving his conviction. Hov/ often doth a com- mentator fubûitute his own opinions for thofe ot:' his author, and by forging, if I may be allowed to fpeak To, a new text, elude the difficulties of that which he ought to explain ? Let us aâ: more ingenqoudy. There are two difficulties, which attend our comment ; one is a particular, the other is a general dlfliculty.
The particular diÔicuUy is this. We have fappofed, that the myllerious child, fpoken of in our text, i-s the fame, of whom the prophet ipeaks, when he fays, '< A virgin (hall conceive and bear a fon^ and fliall call his name Immanuel :" and that this child is difTerent from that, whom IfaiaU gave tor a fign of the prefent temporal deliver- ance, and of whom it is laid, ^< before the child fha.ll know to refufe the evil, and choofe the good, the land, that thou abhorred, fhall be forfaken of both her kings." This fuppofition does not feem to agree with the text ; read the following ver- fcs, which are taken from the feventh chapter. " Behold ! a virgin (hall conceive, and bear i. fon, and fliall call his name ïmmanuel : Butter and honey (liall he eat, that he may know to re- fnfe the evil, and choofe the good. But before the child fliall know to refafe the evil, and choofe the good, the land, that thou abhorrefl, fliall be forfaken of both her kings," ver. 14, 15, 16. Do not the laft words, ^< before the child fliall know to refufe the evil, and ehoofe the good," feem to belong to the words which immediately precede them, " Behold 1 a virgin fliall conceive, and be-ar a fon ?" Immanuel^ then, who was t» be born of a virgin, could not be the Meiliah ; O the
154 '^hc Birth (^ Christ,
the prophet mud mean the child, of whom he faidj before be knoio to refuse the evil, and choose the goady Judea fhall be delivered from the two con- lederate kings.
How indilToUible foever this objection .may appear, it is only an apparent difficulty, and it lies lefs in the nature ol: the thing, than in the p.rrangetnent of the terms. Reprt-fent to yo#r- felves the prophet executing the order, which God had given him, as the third verfc of the feventh chapter relates. " Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou, and Shearjafliub thy fon, at the end of the conduit of the uppei pool." Imagine Ifaiah, in the prefence of the Jews, holding h'lc fon Shearjafhub in his arms, and addreffing them in this manner. The toJcen, that God gives you, of your prefent deliverance, that he is ftill your God, and that ye are Ilill'his covenant people, is the renewal of the promife to yon, which he made to your anceftors concerning the Mffliah : to convince you of the truth of what I afferr, I dif- charge my commiffion, ♦' Behold! a virgin ;fhall conceive, and bear a (on, and ftiall call his name Immanuel," that is, God tvith us. He fliall be brought up like the children of men, " butter-and honey fliall he eat, until he know to refufe tlie evil, and choofe the good," that is, until he ar- rive at years of maturity. In virtue of this promife, which wiU not be ratified till fome ages have expired, behold what I promife yau now ; before the cbildy not before the child, whom, I faid jnll now, a virgin should bear : but before the child in my arms, (the phrafe may be rendered before this child) before Shearj.iihub, whom I now lift up, " (hall know to refufe the evil, and chosfe the good, the land, for which ye are in trouble, fliall be forfaken of both bcr kings." You fee, my brethren, the child ^ whom, the proph- et faid, a "virgin should conceive, could not be Shear] alhub» who was anally prefent in hisL
father's
The Birth of Christ* 155
father's arms. The difEeulty, therefore, is only- apparent, and, as I obfervcd before, it lay in the arrangement of the terms, aim not in the nature of the thin^. This is our anfwer to what I calU ed ^particular dlfilculty.
A. general objetticn may be made aga'inR the mmner in which we have explained theie chap- ters, and in which, in general, we explain other prophecies. Allow me to flute this objc(^ion in all its force, and,, if 1 may ufe the cxprcffion, in all its enormity, in order to fliew you, in the end^ all its lenity and folly.
The odious objeâiion is this. An unbeliever would lay, the ihree chapters of Ifaiabj of which you have given an arbitrary analyfis, are equivo- cal and obicure, like the greateft part of thofe compilations, which compofc the book of the viiionary flights of this prophet, aad like all the "Writings, tli^t are zMtà predict ians^ propheclesy revelations» Obfcurity is the grand chara<3tei* of them, even in the opinion of thofe who have given fublime and curious explanations of them, 'i^ey are capable of feveral fenfes. Who hath received authority to develope thofe ambiguous writings, to determine the true meaning, among; the many different ideas, which they excite in the reader, and to each of which the terms are alike applicable Î During feventaen centuries, chriT- tians have racked their invention to put a fenft; on the writings-of the prophets advantageous to chriflianity, and the created geniufea have en^ d'eavored to interpret them in favor of the chrif- trkn religion. Men, who have been famous for their erudition and knowledge, have taken the rooft laborious pains to methodize thefe writings '^ one generation of great men hath fucceeded an- other in the undertaking; is it aftonifliing that iome degree of fuccefs hath attended their labors, and that by dint of indefatigable induftry, they have rendered thofe prophecies venerable, which
would
xsS The Birth of ChrisL
would hive been accounted dark and void of de- fign, It' lefs pains had been taken to adspt a de- lîgn, and lefs violence had been ufed in arranging them in order ?
This is the objedion in all its force, and, as I faid before, in all its enormity. Let us inquire whether we ciin give a foiution proporilonal to thi? boaflt^ objeûJon of infidelity. Our anfwer will be coinprifed in a chain of propofitions, which ■will guard you againft tliofc, who find inyftical meanings, where there are none, as -well as againft thofe, who difown them, wjiere they are. To tbife purpofc; atteiid to th« following proportions.
1. They were «ot the men of our age, Vfho forged the book, in which we imagine, we dif- cover foch profound knowledge : we know it is » book of the iwofl venerable antiquity, and we can deiMonCtrate tha* it is the molt ancient book in the world.
Q. This venerable antiquity, fcoweve.r, is not the chief ground of our admiration : the benevo- lence of its dcfign ; the giandeur of its ideas ; the fuhllmity of its doftr;ncs ; the holinefs of its piecepts ; are, according to our notion cf things, if not abfolute proofe of its divinity, at Uafl, ad- Voiuageous preforBptions in its favor.
3. Anjong divers truths which it contains, «nd ivhich, it may b? fuppofed, fome fuperior geniuf- e5 might have difcovered, I meet with fome, the attainment of which I cannot reafonably attribute to the human mind : of this kind arc fome pre- didions, obfcurc, I grant, to thofe to whom they were firfl delivered, but rendered very clear fince by the events. Such are ihcfc two among many- others. The people, who are in covenant with God, (hsill be excluded ; and people, who are not, fliall be admitted. 1 fee the accomplifhment of thefe prédirions with my own eyes, in the rejedion of the Tew.Sj and in the calling of the Gentiles.
4. The
The Birth cj Christ. 157
4. Tlie fuperior cbaraflers, which fignalize thefe bocks, give them the right of being myfteri- ous in fome places, without expoling them to the charge of being equivocal, or void of meaning ; for fome works have acquired this right. Whta an author hath given fivll proof of his capacity in fome propoiitions, which are clear and intelligi- ble ; and when he exprelTeth himfelf, in other places, in a manner obfcure, and hard to be under- ftbod, he is not to be taxed, *U on a fudden, with writing (rrationally. A meaning is to be fought in'his expieflions. It is not to be fuppofed, that geniufes cf the higheft order unk at once be- neath the lowed minds. Why db we not enter- tain fuch notions of cur prophets ? Why is not the fame juflice due to the extraordinary men, \vhofe rsfpc£\ab!e writings we are pleading for ; to our Ifiiahs, and Jeremiahs, which is allowed to Juvenal and Virgil ?r What 1 (hall fome pretty thought of the latter, fliall fame ingeni- ous (Ir.oke of the former, conciliate more refpedl, to them, than the noble fentiments of God, the fablime dodlrines, and the virtuous precepts of the holy fcriptures, tan obtaip for the writers of ;he bible ?
5» We do not pretend, however, to abufe that refpeft, which it would be unjuft to with- hold from our authors. We do not pretend to fay that every obfcure paffage contains a myftery, or that, whenever a paflfage appears unintelligi- ble, we have a right to explain it in favor of the do(Slrine, which we profefs : but \vq tbink it right to confider nny pailage in thefe books pro- phetical, when it has the three following marks-.
'J'he firfl is îbe imufficiencj of the literal mean* ing, I mean, a text muft be accounted pro- phetical, when it cannot be applied, without of-, fering violence to the language, to any event, that f^r-ll out when it was fpoken, or to any then prefentj or paft obje*^.
0 2 2. The
158 The Birih of Chut.
2. The fécond chaïaâer of a prophec)', is an infallible commentary. I mean, when an author of acknowledg-ed authority, gives a propheticai fenfe to a paffagc under eonfideration, we ought to fubmst to his authority, and adopt his mean- ing. ^
S. The laR chara<?wer is a perfect covformity bei'a^een the prediction and the cveni. I mean, Tvheo prophecies, compared with events, appear to have been completely aceompliflied, f^^veral iges after they had been promulged, it canr.ot be fairly urged that tfce tonformity was a lucky hit -: but, it ought to be acknowledged, that the prophecy proceeded tfoo: God, who, being alone capable of toreferiMg what would happen, was alone capable of foretelling the event, in a man- ner To circumiiantial acd exaft. All thtfc char- aciers unite in favor of the text, which we have b-en explaining, {»nd in favo» cf tl>c three chap- ters, which we have, in general, expounded.
The ftrft charafltr, that is, tnc iufufiiciency of a literal fcnfe, agrees with our replication. Let aay event, i» the lime of Ifaiah, be named, any child born thes, or foon after, of whom the prophet could reafonably affirm what he docs in our text, and in tfee other verf*, whicli we have conneded with it. ** A virgin fhall conceive, 2nd bear a fon, and Ojali call his name Immanu- el. Unto us a child is born, unto fis a fon is giv. en ; and the government fnall be upon his fhoul- ^er : and his narae fliaH be called. Wonderful, Counfcllor, The mighty God, The everlafling Father, Tire Prince of Peace."
The fécond diftinguiOiing mark, that is, an in- fallible commentary, agrees with our explication. Our evaiigelifts and apoftles, thofe venerable men, whole m»ffion comes recommended to lis by the mod glorious miracles, by the healing of the IJck, by the expulfion of demons, by the raifing of the d*ad, by a general fubverfion of all na- ture,
The Birth of Christ, 359
furcj our evangelifts and apolllcs took thefe pai'- fages in the iarae leniV, in which we take them, they underilood them of the MciTiah, as we have obferved before.
The third charaiRcr, that is, a perfed con- formity between event and predidlion, agrees al- fo with our explication. We adually find a cbiklj fome ages after the time of Ifaiaio, who exactly anfwcrs the defcription of him, of whom the prophet fpoke. The features are fimilar, and we own the likenefs. Our Jefus was really born of a virgin / he was truly Ijnmanuelj God vjitb us : in him are really united, all the titles, and all the perfeiflions, of the <' Wonderful, The Counfellor, The mighty God, The eyerlafting Father ;*' as we will prefently prove. Can we help giving a royfterious" meaning to thefe paf- fages ? Can wcrefufe to acknowledge, that the prophet intended to fpeak of the Mtffiah ? Thefe are the fteps, and this is the end of our medita- tion in favor of the myftical fenfe, which we b<4ve afcribed to the words of the text.
Would to God, the enemies of our myfteries would open their ey«»s to thefe objeds, and ex- amine the weight of ;hefe arguments 1 Would to God, a love, I had almoft faid a rag«, for in- dependency, for a fyftera that indulges, and in- flames the paffions, had not put fome people oh oppofing thefe proofs Î Infidelity and fcepticifm would have made lefs havoc among us, and would not have decoyed away fo many difciples from truth and virtue !•' And would to God alfo, ehriftlan minifters would never attempt to attack the fyftcms of infidels and fceptics without the armour of demonftration ! Would to God, love of the marvellous may no more dazale the im- aginations of thofe, who ought to be guided by- truth alone I And would to God, the fimplici- ty and the fuperftition of the people may never more contribute to fopport that authority, which
fome
1 6o The Birth ùf C/imU
fome ra{h and dogmatical genifjf^* ufurp 1 Trulh- fii9uld not borrow the arms of fali\hood to de- fend itfelf ; nor virtwp thoie.of vice. Advan- tages flioold not be given to unbelievers and heretics, under pretence of- cppcfing licrefy and ;3nbclicf. We fnould rewder to God a rcasona-r hîe service^ Rom. xii. 1. we Ihould be all spirit" ■ual mens judging &l I tf.ingSy I Cor. ii. \5. accord, ing to the exprelVian of the apoflle. But I add BO more on tbis article.
Hitiierto we have Ipoken, if I may fay fo, to reafon only, it is ti.pie now to fpeak to confcience. We have been preaching by arguments and fyl- logifms to the undcrfianding, it is tJn>e now to preach by fentiments to the heart. Religion is not made for ^the mind alone, it is particularly addifc2id to the heart, and to the heart I would prove, thiit our Jefus hath accompliflied, in the moft fnbliroe of all fenies, this prophecy in the • text : Unto lis a child is boni^ unto us a son is given, and fo G^n. This is our iecond part.
II. The terms throne, kingdom, governmeniy . are metaphorical, when they are appbed to God, to bis MtiTiAh, to the end, wliich religion pro- pole th, and to the felicity, which it procures. They, are very impeif*:dl, and, if I mdy venture to fay fo, very low and mean, when thfy are ufcd to rcprefent objeOs of fuch infinite grandeur. No, there is nothing fofRciently noble in the charaâ.erâ of the greateft kings, nothing wife enough in their maxi;fj», nothing gentle enough in their governoaent, nothing pompous enough in their courts, nothing fufHciently glorious in their exploite, to reprefent fully the grandeur and glory of our Mefiîah.
V/ho is -a king ? What is a throne I Why have we maHers ? Why is fovereign power lodged in a few hands ? and what determines njaukind to lay afide theip independence, and to iofe -4heir belo%ed liberty ? The whcîe i»iplies,
' my
The Birth of ChrisU- i^i.-^
my brctbren, fomc mortifying troths. We have not knowledge fufficlent to guide onrfelves, and we need minds wifer thin our own to infpe^ and. to direft our conduce. We are indigent, and' fuperior beings mnfl fupply our wants. We have eneinies, and we muii have guardians to proT te<a us.
Miferable men I how have you been deceivcSt* in your cxpedlations ? Wkat diforders could anarchy have produced, greater than thofe, which have fometimes proceeded from fovereign au^ thority ? You fought guides to direct you : but you have fometimes fallen under the tuition of men, who, far from being able to conduct a. vhole people, knew not how to guide themfelves*. You fought nurfing fathers, to fuccour you in. your indigence ; but you have fallen fometirae*-^ into the hands of men, who had no other defigna than to impoverifb their people, to enrich them- felves with the fubftancc, and. to fatten them* felyes with the blood of their fubjç6l&i You fought guardians to prote<fl you from your ene- mies : but you hare fometimes found execution^» ers, who have ufed yau with greater barbarity,, than, your moft bloody enemies would have done.
But, all thefe melancholy truths apart, fuppofe t»he fine notions, which we form .of kings and of royalty, of fovereign power, and of the hands that hold it, were realized : how incapable are king», and how inadequate is their government, to the relief of the innumerable wants of an im- mortal foul Î Suppofc kings of the moft tender fentiments, formidable in their armies, and abund- ant in their trcafuries ; could they heal the maU- adies, that afflidl us here, or could they quench- cur painful third for felicity hereafter ? Ye. Caifars 1 Ye Alexanders 1 Ye Trajans 1 Ye,, who were, fome of you, like Titus, the parents of your people, and the delights of mankind, ye thunderbolts of war I Ye idols of the world I
What
1Ô2 'The Birth of Chrhti.
What (loth all your pomp avail me ? Of what ni'? to me are all your peri'oiial qualifications, ^and ail your regal magnrf.cetîce ? Can you, Can they, dilfipate the darknefs, that envelopes me; calm the confcicnce, that accules and torments me; reconcile rue to God ; free me from the çontroul of my commanding avid tyrannical paf- fions ; deliver me from death; and difcover ira- wortal happinels to me ? Ye earthly gods 1 ig- norant and wretched like me ; objeAs like me of the difpleafure of God ; like mc, expofed to the miferies of life ; flaves to ycnir pafilons like me ; condemned like me to that frightful night in ivhich death involveth all mankind ; ye can re- lieve neither your ownmiferies nor mine I
Shevr me a government, that fupplies tlielc irants î that is the empire I feek. Shew me a iing, who will condudl me to the felicity, to ■which I afpire : fuch a king I Vcng to obey. My bret.hren, this empire we are preaching to you : Such a king is the king Mefliah. Unto us a child is borr.y unto us a son is given^ the govern^ ment shall be vpon his shoulder ; and his-name shall be called^ wonderful, becaufe he is the fubftance and the centre of all the wandroua works of God».
But purify your imaginations, and do not al- ways judge of man as if he were a being defti- tute of reafdn and intelligence. . V/Iien we fpe^ik of man, do not conceiveof a being of this prefent world only ;. a creature placed for n few days in human focitry, wanting nothing but food and raiment, and the comforts of a temporal life : but attend to your own hearts. In the fad circuiT;- ftances, into which fin hath brought you, whfft are your moft important w^nis ? We have al- ready infinuated them. . Yotj need knowledge- ; you need" reconciliation with Gdd ; you want fupport through all the mifencs of life ; and you ntcd confol'Rti.-'n againiT: tl^e fe^r of death.
WeH I
Thc'Birih of Christ. 163
'Well Î all thefe wants the king Meffiah fupplieso 'I am going to prove it, but I conjure you, at the fame time, not only to believe, but to ae>.. I would, by publifhing the dellgn of the Saviour's ' iflcaraation, engage you to concur in it. By ck- plaining to you the nature of his empire, I would fain teach you the duties of his fubjedls. By celebrating the glcry of the king Meff.ah, I long;^ to fee itdlfplayed among you in all its fplendi-d. magnificence.
You want Artow/ec^g-e. You will find it in the king Melîiah. He is the Coursellor. He is the true light, ivhicb lightetb every man that cometb into the ivorld, John i. 9. In bim are hid. all the treasures of vjisdom. and kiioiu ledge, Gal* ii.Sé T/ic Spirit of tbe Lord God is upon bim^ the Lord hatb appointed bim to preach good tidings unto tbe »î£?e.A, lia* Ixi. 1. The Spirit of the Lord refis upon him, the spirit of ivisdom and understanding, tbe spirit of counsel end might, the spirit of knowledge, and of tbe fear of the Lorci, chap, xi. -2. He hath the tongue of the learned, ch3ip, 1, 4. and the wifdoiu of the wife. A fie him to explain to you the grand appearances of nature, which exercife the fpeculations of the mof>. tranfcendent geniufes, and abforb their de- feâ-ive reaibn, and all his anfwers will difcover the mofl: profound and perfeft knowledge of them. Inquire of him whence all the vifible creation came, the luminaries of iieaven, ajid the magnifi- cent treafures of the earth. Aik him to reveal to you the Gad, luho bideth himself Ifa. xlv. 15. Alk him the caufe of thofe endlefs diforders, which mix with that profafion of wifdom, which appear» in the world. Afk him whence the bleiîings come, which we enjoy, and whence the- calamities, that aiflia us. Afk hira what is the origin, the nature, the defliny, the end of man. Of all thefe articles the GouNSfiLLOR will tell yaa more^ than PUto, aii4 SocrRtea, and all the
phVlofophcrs,
.j^4 ^^^^ ^^^'^ ^f G^^ii^'
-|Shilorophers, who only felt after the truth, Afts xvii. 27. who themfelves dilcovered, and taught • others to fee, only a few rays of light darkened with prejudices and errors.
This IS the ■ firfl idea of the king Meffiah ; ' this is the firfl: four ce of the duties of his fi>bje£\s, and of the difpofitions, with which they ought to celebrate his nativity, and with which alone they can celebrate it in a proper manner. To celebrate properly .the feflival of his nativity, trutli mufl be edeemed ; we mull be detirous of attaining knowledge ; we muft come from the ends of the earth, like the wifeiwen of the eafl:, to contemplate the miracles, which the Mefliah difplays in the new world ; like Mary, we muft be all attention to receive the do6lrine, that pro- ceeds from his facred mouth ; like the multi- tude, we muft follow him into deferts and moun- tains, to hear his admirable fermons. This is the firftduty, which the feftival, that you are to celebrate next Wednefday, demands. Prepare yourffelves to keep it in this manner.
You want reconciliation with God, and this is the grand work of the king MelTiah. He is the Prince of Peace. He terminates tlie fatal war, which fm hath kindled between God and youj by obtaining the pardon of your paft fins, and by enabling you to avoid the commiiïion of fin for the future. He obtains the pardon of pad Tm^ for you. How caa a merciful God re- fifl the ardent prayers, which the Rcdeeincr of mankind addrelTeth to him in behalf of thofe poor finners, for whom he facrificed hi'mfelf ? How can a merciful God refift the plea of the blood of his Son, which cries for mercy for the roifera- ble pofterity of Adam? As the king Méfliah reconciles you to God, by obtaining the pardon of your paft fin, fo he reconciles you, by procur- ing ftrength to enable you to avoid it for time tD comce Having calmed thofe pafllons which
prcve4ited
The Birth of Chmt, 1 65
prevented your knowing" whit was right, and your loving what was lovely, he gave you laws oï equity and love. How can you refi ft, after you have known him, the motives, on which his law* are founded ? Every difficulty difappearsi^ when examples fo alluring are leen, and when you are permitted, under your moft difcouraging wcak- neffes, to approach the treafures of grace, whic^ he hath opened to you, and to derive prurity fro^ its fource. Doth gratitude know any difHcuI- ties ? Is not every aé\ of obedience eafy to a mind animated by a love as vehement as that, yhicli cannot but be felt for a Saviour, who in tiVe tendered mariner hath loved iis ?
This is the fécond, idea of the king Meiïiàh, this is the fécond fource of the duties of his fub- je6\s, and of the difpo^tions effential to a worthy -celebration of the feàfl of his nativity. Come- next Wednefday deeply fenfible of the danger of haying that God for your. enemy, who holds your deftiny in his mighty hands, and v/hofe commands all creatures obey. Come with an eager defire <3f reconciliation to him'. Come and hear the vo'^e of the Prince of Peace^ who publifheth peace ; peace to him that is near^ and to him tba^ is Jar off^ Ifa. Ivii. 19. While Mofes rwediat^ ai covenant between Go^ and the Ifraelites, ori the top of the "holy mountain," let hot Ifrael vio- late the capital article at the fooY of ,'it. ' While Jefus Chrilt i^ defcending to recrtncile you xS (^od, do not* declare war againfl God ; infult him not by voluhtary rebellions, after he hath volun- tarily delivered: ^ou from the flavery of fin, un- der which you groaned^ Return not again to thofe fins, which separattâbclivecnyoûandjQur God) Ifa. lix. 2. aud which would do it again,' though Jefus fliould become incarnate again, and fhould offer himfëlf every day to expiate them^.
You need siippof-i under the calamities of this -/(/<;, and thfs alio you wilTfind m the king Mef-' P fiah.
â€e The ^irik ^of £hrhU
fiab. He is the migh.ty God, and he will teli yop, while you are fuffering the hcavitft temporal pffliûions, akhough " the mountains fliall depart, and the hilia be removed, jet my kindncfs /hall not depart from you, neither fh-all the covenant pf ray peace, be removed," chap. liv.. 10» Under yourjevereft tribulaiions, he -will afTure you, that
dU things work .t^g&ther for good to tbem that Ip've Godyliçm, viii. 2B. He will teach you to fliout viiSiory under an apparent defeat, and to
^ng this triumphant fong, " Thanks be onto God, who always caufeth us to triumph in Chrift,'* ,2 Cor. ii. 14. *' In, all , thefe things we are more than conquerors, through, bjov that lovei ij,s,"%Roin. viii. 37.
tThis is the third idea of the king Mefllah, and this is the .third fourcc of the duties of his fub-
-jedlsyand of the difpodtions which are neceffary to the worthily celebrating of the feflival of his nitivity. Fall in, chriQian" foul 1 with the de* fign of thy Saviour, who, by elevating thy .•^- lires above the, world, .would elevate thee above all the cataftrophes of it. Come,' behold. MeiTiah, the king, lodging in a ftable,MandJying in a man- ger: he«r him faying to his difciples, " The foxes have holejs,and the birdsofthe air have Beds ; but the fon of man hath not where to lay his head," Matt. viii.;20. Learn from this example rot to place thy happinefs in the poITelTion o"f
earthly good. Die to the world, die to its pleaf- ures, .die to its pomps. Afpire after other ends, and nobler joys, than thofe of the children of this world, and then worldly vicifTitudes cannot (liske thy blils.
Finally, .You have need of one to- comfort you under the fears of deaths by opening the gates of eternal felicity to you, and by fatiating your avidity of exifterce and elevation. This confo- lation the king Mefliah affords. He is the ever- fasting Jet her f the Father of eternitt,
The Birth of Christl 16 f
his throne shall Be built up for all generations, '?h\, Ixxxix. 4. he hath received '' domfnion and glory and a krngdom, that airpeoplcy nationt, and languages, Htould ferve him ; his dominia» is an cverlafting dominion^ whick (liall not pafsaway-^ and his kingdom that which (hall not be dcflroy- cd," Dan. vir. 14. and his fabjexSls muflr reign eternally withhim. When thou, chriltian Î art confined to thy dyrng bed, he will- approach thee' •^'ith all the attradivc charms of his power ani grace : he will fay to thee, Fear notf thou wvnn Jdcob^ lia. xli. 14. he will whifper thefe com- Idrtable words in thine ear, " "When thou pafftd through the waters, I will be' with thee : and when through the rivers, they fhall not overflow thee : when thou walkeft through the fire, thou ih'alt nor be bUrmcd ; neither fhall the ftatne kindlt upon thee,*' chapi xliii. 2. He will- open heaven to thee, as he opened it to Su Stephen ; and he will fay to thee, as he faid to the convert- ed thief, " To-day fhalt thoa be with- nic in p»r- kdife," Uuke xxiii. 43.
This is the fourth idea of the king Mtfiiah, and this is the fourth fource of the duti: s of his fcrbjfdls. How glorious is the feftival of hrs nativity i What gr^ndf noble, and fublime fenti- fiTcnis doth it require of us 1 The fubje6\s of the l.ingMefiiah, the children of the everlasting Fa- ther^ fliould confider the- economy of time in its true point of view, they fi-iûuld-compare *' things which are feen, which are temporal, luitb tbuigs w-hieh are not feen, which are eternal," 2 Cor, iv. 18. They fliould fix their attention upon the eternity, fill their imaginations with the glo- ryj of the world to come, and learn, by juft no- tions of immortality, to eftimate the prefent life ; the <* declining fliadow ; the withering grafs ; the fading flower ; .the dream, that flyeth away ; t'je vapour, that vaniflieth," and is irrecoverably loR, Pfal. cii. 11.' Ifa, xL 7. Job xx. 8. and James iv. 14; Thefe,
i68 Tht Birth of Christ.
Thefe, my brethren, are the chara<\ers of yonr king Meiïiah, thefe ate the charatlers of the di- vine child, whofe birth you are to celebrate next Wednefday, and in thefe ways only can you celebrate it as it deferves. We conjure yoi) by that adorable goodnefs, which we arc going to îeftify to you again ; we conjure you by that tbronç of grace, which God is about to afctnd again ; we conjare you by thofe ineffable mer- cies, which our imagination? cannot fully com- prehend, which our noinds cannot fumcicntly ad- mire, nor all the emotions of our hearts fuffi- «lentiy efteero ; we conjure you to look at, and, if you will pardon the expreiïioB, to lofe your- felves in thefe grand objedl» ; we conjure you not to turn cur folemn fellivah, and cur devotiou- a} days, into fcafons of gaming, irréligion, and difliparion. Let us fubmit ourfelves to the king Meffiah ; let us engage ourfelves to his govern- f»ent J let his dominion be the ground of all cur
joy-
" O moû mighty I thou art fairer than the ciiild^en' 0Î men. "Grace is poured into thy lips, therefore God hath b'.cffed thee for ever I" Pfal. xlv. 0. 3. *' The Lord Oîall fend the rod of tUy ftrcDgth out of Zlon," faying, " ilule thou in the iîîidft of thine enemies ! Thy people frail be willing in the day, when thou {halt «ffemblé thy hofl in holy pomp i"* Yea, reign over thine eno
Dîies,
* We retain the reading of the French Bible here ; bedaufe our atrthbrparan^fafes the pafla^e after that verHon. 7oni péàplê fera ■ Un peuple plein de Jtnnc vouloir au jaur qu;:tu asiembleraa' ton armce en sa eainte pompe. Tby people Ct\-2^\ be <uilling in the day (.iftbypcv- er, m the beauties of ho/incss, &c. The paflTage ieems to be a prophetical aUulion toone of thofe folemn fefti- vals, in which conquerors, and their arraies, on their return frombattle, offered a part of their fpoil, which they had taken from, their enemies, to God, from whom the vidory came. Thefe ^<re-nu/7/ offerings were carried ia grand proceiSon. They wer« hoij, becauCc
The Birth of Christ. i6g
ml€s, great lying 1 bow their rebellious wills ; prevent their fatal counfels ; defeat all their bloody dcfigns I Reign alio over thy friends, reign over us ! Make us a luilling people ! Af- femble all this congregation, when thou ftiaît come with tby host in holy pomp I Let not the flying of the clouds, which will ferve thee for a triumphal chariot ; let not the pomp of the holy ang-els in thy train, when thou fivalt come Xo Judge '^ the ivorld in righteousness.^ A£*s >;vii. 31. let not ihefe objeds affright and terrify our fouls : let ihem charm and tranfport us ; and, inflead ot' dreading thine approach, let us h^tflen it by oor prayers and fighs 1 Come^ Lord JesuSy coma. çuickly^ Amen. To God be honor and glûry, for ever and ever. — Amen. .
agreeable to the econom>~, i:nder which the Jews lived, and they were beautifully \ïo\y , becaiife ihey were not exaéled, but proceeded from xh.& voluntary ^xdi.xXxw(ift of the armyu In Jarge -conquefts, the troop» and the of- ferings were out o£ number, like the drops of luch a fii'owerof Jew, as \.\\t niorning brov^kt Jortb in thayoutb^ or spring o£ iht )car. See 2 Ciiron. xiv. 13, 14, 1 «7. and XV. 10, 11, i2j 13, 14;,' 15. We have ventured this hint on a p;iflage, which fccms not ve: .v tl.'ai irv cur verfion..
SLRMON
SERMON VIL
THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST.
PsALM cxviii. 15, 16.
TJ^e voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous ; the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly. The rigfit hand of the Lord is exalted : the rigiit hand of the Lord doth valiantly»
l^.OMAN ! why nveepest thou ? John »x. 13, 15e was the languagt of two angels and of Jefus Chrift to Mary. The Lord h^d been erucifiedt The infant church was in mourning. The enemies of chriftip»nity were triumphing, The faith of the difciples was tottering. Mary- bad fet out before dawn of daj^, to give vent to her grief, to bathe the, tgnil). of her Mailer w\ih tears, and to render iVineral honors to him. In ihefe fad circumftahce», tèie heavena opened, two angels clothed In white garments defcended, and placed themfelves on the tomb, that inclofed the «Jear depofitum of the love of God to the church. At the fixed moment, they rolled away the ftone, and Jefus Chrift arefe from the grave loaden with the fpoils of death. Hither Mary comes to fee the dead body, the poor remain of him, who should have redeemed Israel^ Luke xxiv. 31. and find- ing the tomb empty, abandons her whole foul to grief, and burfti; into floods of tears. The heav- enly mtfTengers dire^Jy addrefs thtfe comfortable "words to her, Woman ! Why iveepest thou ? Scarcely had ûic told them the cauie of her griek',^^ before Jefus puts the fame queftion to her, Woman ! Wry nveepest thou ? And to this lan- guage, which infinuatfth into htr heart, and ex- cite ih,
The Résurrection of Jesus Chrisi, 171
clteth, if I may venture to fpeak fo, from the bottom of her foul every emotion of tender- nefs and love, of whi;;h fhe is capable, he adds, Mary !
This is the raagnificent, this is the affcAing objeft, on which the eyes of all the church are this day fixed. This is the comfortable language which heaven to-day proclaims. For feveral weeks paft you have been in tears. Your churches have been in mowrning. Your eyes have beheld only fad and melancholy obje<5ls. On the one band, you have been examining your conlciencts, and your minds have been overwhelmed with the Ibrrowful remembrance of broken refolutions, violated vows, and fruitlefs communions. On the other, you have feen Jefus, betrayed by one difciple, denied by another, fo)faken by all ; Je- fus, delivered by priefls to fecular powers, and condemned by his judges to die ; Jefos, sweat" ing^ as it were, great drops of blood, Luke xxii. 44. praying in Gethfemanc : 0 my Father / if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Matt, xxvi. 39, and crying on Mount Lalyary, My God ! My God ! Why bast thou forsaken me ? chap, xxvii. 46. Jefus, lying in the grave : thcfe have been the meurnful objeds of your late con- templation. At the hearing of this tragical hif- tory, confcience trembles ; and the whole church, on feeing the Saviour intorabed, weeps as if fal- vation were burled with him. But take courage, thou tremulous confcience Î Dry up thy tears, thou church of Jefus Chrift 1 " Loofe thyfelf from the bands of thy reck, O captivc^daughter of SionJ." Ifa. Hi. 2. Come, my brethren, ap- proach the tomb of your Redeemer, no more to lament his death, no more to embalm his facred body, which hath not been suffered to see cor^ ruption, A<Sis ii. 2.7. but to fliout for joy at his rcfurre<^ion. To this the prophet invitetb us in the text : J< The toicc of rejoicing and faU
vation
i72 The Résurrection of Jesus Ckrht.
vation is in the tabernacles cf the righteous : the right hand of the Lord is ex;'.ltcd ; the right hand of the Lord doth valiainly."
1 have not qucftioned, whether the pfalin io general, and the text in particular, regard the Melïîah. The ancient Jewj underftoud the pCaln» of him ; and therefore made ufe of it formerly araon^ their prayers for his advent. We agree with the Jc-ws, . and on this, article, ■we think they are fafer guides than many, chrif. tians. The whole pfalin agrees with Jefus Chrift, and is applicable to him as well as to Da- vid, particularly the famous words that follow. the text : *' Tiie (lone which the builders refui- cd, is become the bead-idone of the corner. This i? the L,ord',sdoingj i:.is niarvelIoiis4D our eyes/' Thefe words are fo unanimouây appUexi .to th€ exaltation, and particularly to the rerurrcftion, of- Jefus Chrift, in the book? of the New Teftamcnt, m the gofpel of St. Matthew, in tbat of St, ÎJark, in that of St. Luke, in the book of Ac\s, in the epiftle to the Romans, and in. that to the Ephcfians, that it, feeros needle fe, met hinky, .o attempt, to prove a mactcrfo fully decided.
The prefent folemnity demands rtiicdlions of another kindj and we will endeavour to fncw ycu,
L The truth of the event of which the text fpeakô ; The right hand of ibe Lord is exalted »v the right band of th^e Lord doth 'i^aliantlj, . II, We will juflify the joyful acclamations, which are occnGoned by it ; Tht'< •voice of rejaic^ /rtf and sahation is in the tabernacles cf the righteous»
I. Let us examine the evidences of the truth of the refurreûion of Jefus Chrift. Infidelity denies it, and what perhaps may be no lefs in- jurious to chriftianity, fuperftition pretends to cftablifh it on ialfehootl and abfuidity. A cer- tain
The Resurrection of Jesus Chrht. 175
lain traveller* pretends, that the inhabitants of the holy land ftill fliew travellers the stone ivbicb the builders refused^ and which became the head- stone of the corner. In order to guard you againll infidelity, we will urge the arguments, which prove the truth of the refurreftion of Jefus Chrift : but in order to prevent fuperftition, we will attribute to each argument no mere evi- dence than what actually belongs to it.
In proof of t4ie refarredion of Jefus Chrrft,- we have, 1. Prei'umption. 2. Proofs. 3. Dem- oilflrations. The circumllances of his burial af- ford fonie prefumptions ; the teftimonies of the apoflles furnifti us with fome arguments ; and the defcent of the holy Spirit on the church fur- nifhcth us with demonQrations.
1. From the circumftances of the burial of Jefus Chrtft, I derive îomc presumptions in favor of the doôrine of the refurreclion. Jefos Chrifl: died. This is an inconteftible principle. Gur enemies, far from pretending to queftion thjis, charge it on chriftianity as a reproach.
The tomb of Jefus Chrift was found empty a few days after his death. This is another incon- teftible principle. For if the enemies of chrif- tianity had retained his body in their poffeiTion, they would certainly have produced it for the ruin of the report of his refurredion. Hence arifeth a prefumption that Jefus Chrift rofe f"roci the dead.
If the body of Jefus Chrift were not raifed from the dead, it muft have been ftolen away. But this theft is incredible. Who committed it ? The enemiespf Jefus Chtift ? Would they have. contributed to bis glory, by countenancing a re- port of his refurredion ? Would his difciples ?
It
* Peter Belon. Obferv. lib. ii. cap. 83. Belon was a countryman of our author's, a phyfician of Le Mans, who travelled from 1546 to 1549. His travels were publiHied 1555.
174 T^^^ Resurrection of J jf^sui Cfhriif^
ît is probable, they woold' not : and, it is next" to certain, they coiUd not. . How could they^-^^ Kave undertaken to remove the body ? Frair' and timoroos creattires, people, who fled as foon ' s s they fa w him taken into cuftody ; even Fetcr, the mofl courageou-s, trembled at the voice of a fervant girl, and three trmes denied that hé khew him ; people of. this cirarafter, -wduîd they hâve dared to refifl the authority of the governor ?' Would they have undertaken tooppcfe the de- termination of the Sanhedrim, to force a guard ^ and. to elude, ok to overcorre, foldiers armed and aware of danger r ' If Jefds Gbrift.wcre not rifen again, (I fpeak tha Ianguag.e of unbelievers) he had deceived his difciples with vain hopes of his xefurred^ion. How came tht difciples not to difcover the impofture ? Would they have hazard-, ed themfelves, by. undertaking an eniérprize fo • jierilous, in favor of a man, who had fo. cruelly impofed on their credulity ?
But were we. to -grant that they formed^ the ccfign of removing the body, how could they have executed it ? How could foliiers, armed, . and on guard, fufifôr then)fe{ves to be ovcr- reachedby a few timorous people ? "Either," fays Sr. Augudine,*- <' they were afleep, 6r awake : îf they were awake, why (hould ihey ntffer the body to be taken away ? If alleep, bow could they know that the difciplec tookù away ? How dare they then depofe that it was flclen ?" All thefe, however, are only pre fump-. tions. .
The teQimony of the apoftles furnifheth us . •with arguments^ and there are eiglx- coniiders»- tions, which gi^-e their evidence fiiflicient weight, Kemark the nature^ and ihe number^ oï the wif- relTes : The fact they avow, and the agree- nent of their evidence : I'hf iribunals^ before which tbsy flood, and xht'iime^ in which they
wade * ScrWc. ii. ju Pul. xxxvi.
TÂe ^Rcmrrectkn of Jesus Chrkt, ^.f.g
t made their Jepofitions : The plâcCr where they affirmed the refurredion, and 'xhc'ir motives for doing fo,
.1. Confider the nature of t be se witnesses,, Had. 'they been men of opulence . and credit in the world, we might have thought, that their reputation gave a run to the fable. 'Kid they been learned arid eloquent men, we might have
• imagined, that the ftyle, in which they told the tale, had foothed theToah of the- people into a
• belief of it. ' But, for my part, when I confider that the apoHlea -were the lowell of mankind,
<without reputation to impofe on people, without authority to compel, -iind without riches to re- ward: when "I confider, that they were mean, Towgh, unlearned men, and confequently very tinequal to the tafk of putting a cheat upon others ; I cannot conceive, thai people of this charailer could fucceed in deceiving the whoie church. .2. Confider the numl>er of these witnesses*' St,
'Paul enumerates them, and tells ivs, that Jefus Ghrift was seen of Cephas^ 1 Cor. xv. 5, Sec. This appearance is related by St. Luke, who faith, fÂ^ Lore? is risen indeed^ and bath appeared to Simonf chap. xxiv. S4, The apofile adds, tben he was feen of tbe twelve. : This is related by St Mark, who faith, be appeared unto tbe eleven^ chap. xvi. I4.'lt was the fameappearance, for the apoftles retained the appellation twelve^ although, after Judas had been guilty of fuicide, they were reduced to eleven. St. Paul adds fur- ther, after tbat, be was seen of above five hun-
. dredbretbren at once : Jf fus Chrift promifed this appearance to the Women, " Go into Galilee, artd tell my brethren, that tkey (hall fee me there," Matt, xxviii. 10. St. Luke telh us in the firft chapter of Aé\s, that the church confifted of about an hundred and twenty members.; this was
^tfee church at Terufakm : but the greatcfl part
of
■^jS The Resurrection of jfesus Christ,
of the Jive hundred^ of whom St. Paul fpealcs, were of Galilee, where Jefus Chrill had preae+?.d his goipel, and where thefe converts abode after his refurre<^ion. The apoftle fubjoins, after that he was seen of Jfames ; this appearance is not re- lated by the evangelifts : but St. Paul knew it by tradition.* St. Jerom writes, that in a He- brew gofpcl, attributed to St. Matthew, called The Gospel of the Nazarénes^ it was faid, Jesus Christ appeared to St, James ; that, this apoflle having made a vow. neither to eat nor drink till Jefus ihould rifè from the dead, the divine Saviour took bread and broke it, took wine and poured it out, and faid to him, £ûf and drink, for the son of man ii risen fram the dead,i St. Paul yet
adds
^ Two oF our Lord's apoftles were named yamts. The elder of the two, brother of John, was put to death. by Herod, Ails xii. 2. The other, who was firft. coufin to Jefus Chrift, was called the kss, the younger probably, and lived many years after. It is not cer- tain which of the two St. Paul means. If he mean x\\& first, he had the account of the appearing of the Lord to him, probably, as Mr. Saurln fays, by tradi' tion .• If the last, it is likely, he had it from James himfelf ; forhim he ;r«Tj at Jerufalem, Gal. i. 19. and he was living in the year 57, when St. Paul wrote this firllepiftk to the CorinthiariS.
t The gofpel, of which Mr. Saurin, after St. Jerom, fpeaks, is now loft. It was probably one of thofe mangled, interpolated copies of the true gofpel of St. Matthew, which, through the avidity of the lower ■f(^rt of people to knov/ thehiftory of Jefus Chrift, had been tranfcnbed, and debafed, and was handed about the world. I call it mangled ; becaufe fome parts of the true gofpel were omitted. I call \\. interpolated i becaufe some thi«gs were addvdfrotn other gospels, as, the hilloryof the woman caught in adultery, from Sç. John : Eqfeb. Eccl. hill. lib. iii cap. 39. and Others from report, as the above paltage relative to Jamea, &c. This book was written in Syriac, with Hebrew char- acters, $t, -Jerom tranllated it into Greek, and t^tin, end «fivers of the fathers quote it, as HegefipJDUs, £uféb. E. H. lib, iv, 22. Jgaatius Ep. and 8myrnenfe«j
The Reswrreciion of Jesus Christ. 177
adds further, " Then he was TeeTi of all the "apoflîes ; and, laft of all, of me alfo, as of one born out of due time." So numerous were the witnefles of the refurre£lion of Jefus Clirift t from this fad\ we derive a fécond argument ; for, had the witneiTes been few, it might have been faid, that the bafe defign of deceiving the whole church was formed by one, and propag-ated by a tew more ; or that feme one had fancied he faw JcfusChriCl ; but w-hen St. Puil, v/hen the reft of the apoftles, when Jive hundred brethren attcQ: the truth cf the fa£l^ wh*t room remains for fufpicion and doubt ?
3. Obferve the facts themselves^ tijhich they avoiVy Had they «been metaphyfjcal reiifonings, depending on a cbjin of principles and confe^ quences ; had they been periods of chronology, depending on long- and difEcult calculations ; had they been diftant events, which could only hî*ve been known by the relations of others ; their reafonings might have been fufpecled : But they are fa<5ls, which are m qucflion, fads, which, the witnefTes declared, they had fecn with their own eyes at divers places, and at feveral times. Had they fecn Jefus Chrifl ; Had they touched him ? Had they futen at table, and eaten with him ? Had they converfed with him ? All thefe are queflions of fad : it was impoffibJe they could be deceived in them.
4. Remark the agreement of their evidence. They all unanimoufly depofed, that Jefus Chrifl Tofe from the dead. It is very extraordinary, that d gang of five hundred impoflors, (I fpeak the language of infideis) a company, in whicli
Q^ there
Edit. Uferii, p. \\i. Clement of Alexandria, Stro- niat.Hb. ii. p. 278, Edit. Lugdun. 16x6. Origen, St. Jerom, &c. It went by the names of the gofpel ac- cording to St. Matthew, the gofpel ciccordia^- to the Hebrews, the gofpel of the twelve apO!itleSf the gofpel of the Nazarenes. See Lukei. 1,2.
1 7B The Resurrtction of Jesus phrisio
there muft needs be people of different capaci. tie» a«d tempers, the witty and the dull, the timid and the bo!d ; it is very (Irangc, that fuch il numerous bady as this Oiould maintain an uni- ty of evidence. This, however, is tJie cafe of our witneiTcs. What chriHian ever contradi£l- €d himfelf ? What ehriftian ever impeached Iiis .ac.cvjmplices ? What chriflian ever difcover- ed this pretended împoflurc ?
5. Obferve the tribunals^ before ncbicb thejv j^ave êt'Idence, and the innumerable multitude of people by whom their teRJmony was examined, by Jews and Heathens, by philofophers and Rab- bies; a:iû by .a^i infinite number of people, who werJt aniiuijly to Jerufalem : .For, my brethren, Providence fo ordfred thefe circumflances, tha:; the teflin.iony of the apoQles might be imfufpect- cd. Providence continued Jerufalem forty years îfcçr the refurredian of our Lord, tliat all the Jews in the world might examine the evidence coacerntHg it, and obtain authentic proof of the truth of chriflianity. I repeat it again, thv^n, the apoftles ir:aii?tained the refurreâ:ion of Jefus («hrift before Jews, before Pagans, before philofo- •^hers, before Kabbies, before courtiers, before lawyers, before people expert in examining, and in çrofs-examining witneffes, in order to lead them into felf-contradidtion. Had the apoflles borne their teflimony in confequence of a pre- concerted plot between themfelves, is it not mor- ally certain, that, as they were examined before fuch different. and capable men, fomc one would have.difcovered the pretended fraud ?
.6. Confider tee place^ in ivkich the cpostles bore tkeir testimony. Had they publiflied the refurreilion of the Saviour of the world in diftant countries, beyond mountains and feas, it might have been fuppofed, that diftance cf place, ren- dering it extremely difficult for their hearers to obtain exad information, had facilitated the ef-
tabliftiment
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ* 179
tablidiment of the error ; But the npolUt 5 preached in Jeruialem, in the fynagoguco, in the pretorium ; ihey unfolded and diiplay'ed the ban- ners of their mailer's crofs, and fet up tokens oi' his vidlory, on the very ipot, on whith the in- famous inftrument of his fufTcrings had heca let up.
7. Obferve tJiS lime of this testimonj. ÎI»(l the apoRIes ErR publilhed this refurredion fever.it years after the cpocha, which they aiTtgned for ii ; unbelief might have availed iifelf of the àcluy . but three days after the death of Jeûvs Chriil, they faid, he was rifen again, and they I'^-echoia their teftimony in a fingular manner at FenifCoIl, when Jerufalcm expedtcd the fpread of the rt -• port, and endeavored to prevent it ; ^vhile iT.'-. eyes of their enemies were yet fpmkhng whh rage and madntf? ; and while Culvaiy Avas y;:^ dyed with the blood they had fpilt there. D>> irapoftors take fuch meafu res ? Would not they have waited till the fury of the Jews had been appeafed, till judges, aod public officers, had been changed, and till pecJple had been lefs at- tentive to their depofition-i Î
8', Confidcr, laQly, ibe motives^ which induced the apostles to publish the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Survey the face of the world, examine sH the impoftures, that are pradtifed in fociety. Falfehood, impofition, treachery, perjury, abound in fociety. To every different trade and profcf- iion fome peculiar deceptions belong. How- ever, all mankind ha^-e one defign in deceiving, they all deceive for their own interefl. Their interefls are infinitely diverfified ; but it is inter- cffi however, that always animates all deceivers. There is one intereft of pride, another of plinf*. are, a third of profit. In the cafe before us thti nature of things is fubverted, and all our no. tions of the human heart contradided. It n-uft be pre-fuppofed, that, vrhereas other men gener-
1 8o The Resurrection of Jesus ChrisL
ally facrlSce the intereft of their falvation to their temporal intereft, the apoûîes, on the contrary, faerlnced their temporal intereft without any in- ducement from the in'.erefl of falvation itfelf. Suppofe, they had been craftily led, during the life of Jefus Ghrill, into the expectation of fome temporal advantages, how came it to pafs, that, after they faw their hopes bi^fted, and themfelves threatened with the nioft rigorous puniOiments, they did not redeem their lives by confeffing the impoflore ? In general, the more wicked a trai- ter is, the more he trenibles, alters, and con- feiïes, at the approach of death. Having be- trayed, for his own intereH, the laws of his coun- try, the inteiefts of fociety, the confidence of his prince, and the credit of religi^on, he betrays the companions of his impofture, the accomplices of hi's crimes. Here, on the contrary, the apoftles" riPrrifV in their tcHlmnnv llll à;? af h. and. USXÏI thc truths they have publilhed with the laft drops of their blood. Thefe are our arguments.
We proceed now to our demonstrations, that is, to the rairacles, wiih which the apoQles fealed the truth of their teflimony. Imagine thefe ven- erable men addrefling their adverfaries en the day of the chriftian pentecoft in this language. " You refufe to believe us on our dtpcfitions ; ive hundred^ of u=i, yoa think, are enthufiafts, nil inff<f\ed with the fame malady, who have car- ried our abfurdity fo far as to imagine that we haye feen a man, whom we have not feen ; eat- •rn with a man, with whom we have not eaten ; .çonverfed with a man, with whom we have not «onverfcd : or perhaps you think ivs impoftors, or take us for mad men, who intend to fuiler our- ieives to be imprifoned, and tortured, and crucifi- rd^ for the fake of enjoying the pleafure of de- ceiving mankind, by prevailing upon them to be- lieve i fanciful refurre£lion : you think we are fo Ilupid as 10 aft a part fo extravagant. Bu<
bring
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, i^v
bring out your fick ; prefent your deRioniacs j fetch hither your dead. Confront us with Medes, Parthians, and Eluniites ; let Cappado- cia> Pontus,. AG"^, Egypt, Phrygia, Pamphylia.j let all nations and people fend us forae of their inhabitants, we will rcftorc liCAring to the deaf, and tight to the blind, we will noake the lame- walk, we will caft out devils, and raife the dead. We, we publicfins, wc illiterate nien, We tent: makers, we fiUiermen/ we will difcourle with all the people of the world in their own languages. We will explain prophecies^ clucidatl;. ths molt obfcure predi6lron5, develope the nioft fiihlin.c: iDyflcrics, teach you notions of God, precepts foi" the condu<f\" of life, plans of morality and re- ligion, nwre extenfive, tnore fublime, and more advantageous, than thofe of your pritfts and phi- îofophers, yea than thofe of Mofcs himfelf. We '^\\\ do more ftill. We wilt communicate thele gifts to you, theiirordofvjisdom^ tbj word of knowledge^ fait fL, live gifts of bealing, ib^i ivorà- trig of miracles^ prophecy^ discerning of spirits^ divers kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongue i^ 1 Cor, xil. 8v Sec-» all thefc (liall be coniraunicat- ed to you by your-niinifrry*'*^
All thefe thisgs th«- apoflîés profeffed ; all thcfe proofs they give of the refurreclion of jeiua Ghrifl ; ** this Jèfus hath God raifed up ; and he hath Qied forth this, which ye iïow fee and hear," Aé\s ii. 32, 33. This coniideratron fur- îiiOieth us with an anfwer to the greatcif objec- tion, that was ever made to the lefurrettioi» of Jffus Chrift, and, in general, to his wliole econu- my. "How is it," fay unbelievers fomeiinjcs, *' that your Jefus expofed all the circuinftancts of his abafement-to the public eye, and «oncealcd thole of his elevation ? If he were transfigured- en the mount,- it was only before Peter, James, and John. IF his afcendej to heaven, none bu: his difciples fawhis afcent. If he rofcaa-ain from v^2 " thi?
i82 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
the dead, and appeared, he appeared only to thofe, «vho were interclled in his tame. Why did he not fhew himfelf to the fynagogue ? Why did he not appear to Pilate ? Why did he not fhew himfclf alive in the flreets, and public affemblics» of Jeruialem ? Had he done fo, infidelity would have been eradicated, and every one wovild have btlieved his own eyes : but the fecrecy of all tbf fe events expoftth them to very juft fuipicions, and giveth pîaufiblc pretexts to errsrs, if errors they be,"
We omit maiyy folid anfwers to thi» objec- tion ; perhaps we may urge them on future or- cafion?, and at prefcnt we content ourie'ves with ohferving, that the apcflles^ who attcfled the- Ttfurreftion of Jdus Chrifîj wrought miracles in the prefence of all thofe, before whom, you fiiy, Jefus Chrift ought to have produced himfelf after bis rtfurrecflion. The apofiles wrought ntira- cles ; behold Jefus Chrift ! fee his Spirit 1 behold his refurretftion ! " God hath raifed up J'efus Ciirifl:, and he haih (bed forth what ye now fee and hear." This way of proving the refurrec- tion of Ghrift was as convincing as the fnewing of himfelf to each of his enemies would have been ; as the expofure of his wounds before îhcm, or the permitting of them to thruft their Lands into his fide, would have been. Yea, this was a more convincing way, than that would have been, for which you plead. Had Jefus Chrift (hewn himfelf, they might have thought him a phantom, or a counterfeit ; they might have fuppofed, that a referablancc of features had occafioncd an illufion : but what could an un- believer oppofe againft the healing of the fick, the raifing. of the dead, the expulfion of devils, the altération and fubverfion of all nature ?
It may be faid, perhaps, all thefe proofs, if in- deed they ever exilled, were conclufive to them, trho, it is pretended, faw the miracles of the
jipoftles ;
TKe Résurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 83
apoftles ; but they can have no weight with U3, "W'ho live feventeen centuries after them. We reply, The miracles of the npoftles cannot be doubted without giving intd an univerfal fcepti- clfm ; without eftabhfhing this unwarrantable principle, that we ought to believe nothing but what we fee ; and without taxing three forts ot people, equally unfufpeâred, with extravagance on this occafion.
1. They, who call themfeîvçs//ii? operators of these miracles^ would be tliargeable with ex- travagaj^ce. If they wrought none, they were impoflors, who endeavored to deceive mankind. If they were impcftors of the leaf\ degree ofconi- j-non fenfe, they would have ufed fome precau- tions to conceal their impofture. But fee how they relate the facts, of the truth of which we pretend no doubt. They fpecify times, places, and circumflances. They fay, fuch and fi^ch faAs palled in fuch cities, fnch public places, fuch aifembT'es, in fight of fuch and fuch people. Thus St. Paul writes to the Corinthians. He dire(ns to a fociety of chriftians in the city of Corinth. He tells them, that they had received miraculous gifts, and cenfures them for making a parade of them. He reproves them for ftriv- ing to difplay, each his own gifts in their pub- lic alTemblies. He gives them fome rules for the regulation of their conduct in this cafe. " If any man fpeak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the moft by three, and that by courfe, and let one interpret. If there be no in- terpreter, let him keep filence in the church. Let the prophets fpeak, two, or three. If any thing be revealed to another that fittoth by, let the firft hold his peace," 1 Cor. xiv. 27, 28, 8cc. I afk, with what face could St. Paul have writ- ten in this rnanncr to the Corinthians, if all thefc fa<5ts had been falfe ? If the Corinthians had received neither ^)6t? gifts of prophecy^ nor the
discerning
184 ^^^^ Rcsurrcciion of Jems Christ
discerning oj spirit s f nor divers kinds .of tongues , What a tVont had he, who wrote ai ihii. aiau- iier ?
2. Tjbe enemies of- Christ ian-iry-niuh be taxed with extravaganc-e. Since ehrillians gloried in ihe lliirnuig rwirac-les, that their preaclicrs wrought ; and fince their preacher:» j^luiied in- peribrming them before whole iiTcuibli^s, it would have been very eafy to difcD\er thcii in;- polture, had they been impiJllois.- Suppoie a inoderr^ impoRor, preaching, a new religion, aad pretcndi»g tuthe glory of coutraiing li by uolu- ble njiracles, wrought in this place : What Bitthod thould we take to refute him i bhoiid we affirm that miracles do not prove the truth of a dodrine ? Should w« have recourf<f 10 irina- cias wrought by others ? Skould. we not ex- claim againfl the fraud ? Shoald.we not appeal to our own eyes f Should vvc want ^ny ihi:ig more than the diffcmbler's own profcllijon» to con- vicl him of impollure ? Why did not.the avow- ed enemies of chriftianity, who CDdcavoicd by their publications to refute it, take ihefe meth- ods ? How was it, that Ctrlfus, Porphyry, Jjù- Tunus, Julian the apoftat?, and Ilieiocks, the greateQ antagonifls, that chriftianity ever had,, ?.nd whoie writings are in our hands, never deni- cd the fa6t^ : bur, allowing the principle, turned all the points ef their arguments againll ihe con- fequenccs, that chriflians inferred from them ? By foppcfing the falfehood of the miracles of the apofilcs, do we Mot tax the tiiemîei cf- chui- tianity with abfurdity ?
In fine, This fuppcfition chargeth ihe ivhaîe multitiide of thristianSy wJbo embraced the gospel^ with extravagance. The examination of the truth of religion, now, depends on a chain of principles and confequences, which rt<]uire a pro- found attention : and, therefore, the nu-mber cf thofe, who profcfi fech cr iuch a religion, can-
nct
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, i 85
not demonllrate the truth of their religion. But in the days of the apoflles the whole depended on a few plain faifis. Hath Jefus Chrift commu- nicated his Spirit to his apoDles T Do the apof- ties work miracles ? Have they the power of imparting miraculous gifts to thofe, >yho embrace their doctrine ? And yet this religion, the dif- culHon of whrch was io plain and eafy, fpread itfelffarand wide. If the apoftles did not work miracles, one of thefe two fuppofitions mud be made : either thefe profelytes did not deign to open their eyes, but facrificed their prejudices, paillons, educations, eafe,- fortunes, lives, and confciences, without condefcending to fpend one moment on the examination of this queftion : Do the apoflles work miracles ? or that, on fup- pofition they did open their eyes, and did find the falfehood of thefe pretended miracles, they yet facrificed their prejudices, and their palfions, thçii'" educations, their eafe, and their honor, their properties, their confciences, and their lives, to a religion, which wholly turned on this falfe prin» ciple, that its miracles were true.
Colled all thefe proofs together, my brethrepj. confider them in one point of view, and fee how many extravagant fuppofitions muft be advanced,, if therefurre^ion of our Saviour be denied. It muft be fuppofed, that guards, who had been par-, ticularly cautioned by their officers, fat down ta deep, and that, however they deferved credit when they faid the body of Jefus Chrifl was ftolen : it muft be fuppofed, that men who had been ii^v pofed on in the mnfl odious and cruel manner in the world, hazarded their dearefl enjoyments for the glory of an impoflor. It muft be fuppofed, that ignorant and illiterate men, who had nei- ther reputation, fortune, nor eloquence, potTcffed the art of fafcinat'ing the eyes of all the church. It muft be fuppofed, either that five hundred per- foQS were all deprived of their feufes at a time ;
or
i 86 The Resurrection of Jesus ChrhL
ov that they wtre all deaeived in the phnncft mat" ters cftadt; or thut this multitude of talfe wit- «eiTes had found out the lecret of never contra- <3i(î\ing tfiemrelvfs, or or.e another^ and of being always- uRÎtbrfti in their teîlimany. It moft be fuppofed, tliat the mbfl expert courts of judica- ture could not find out a lliadbw of contradidion . in a palpable impolliire. It muft be' fuppoied, that the apofl!c3, fcnfibie mert in other cafes, chofe precifely thoi'é places, and thofe time-^; which were the nioft unfavorable to their views. It niul> be fuppoftd, that williona madly fuOered inbprilonmei.ts, toituves, and cruciSxions, to fpread an illuiion. It iDufl be Tuppofed, that tea thoufand miracles were wrought in favor of falfe- bbod ; or all tbefe faâs mufl be denied, and then it mufl be fuppofcd, that t lie apoftles were idiots, that the enemies of chriftianity were idiots^ and that all the primilive chVifiians were idiots.
The arguments that perfuade us of the truth of the refurref^ion of Jefus Chrifb, are fo cle^r and fo conciufive, that if any difficulty remain, if arifeth from the brightnefs of the evidence it- felf. Yes, I declare, if any thing has fhaketi- my confidence in it, it hath arifen from tMs. confideration'. Icould^not concisive how a truth, attefled by fo many irieproacha'blc witneiTcs, and confirmed by fo many, ncrorro js miraclesj fhcuH not make more profelytes ; how it could pofhbly be, that all the Jews, and all the heathens, did not yield to this evidence. But this diftVculty «ught not to weaken our faith. In the folly of raankind its folution lies. Men are capable cf any thing to gratify their paffions, and to de- fend their prejudices. The unbelief of' the Jew3 and heathens is not more wonderful th^;n a hun- dred other phenomena, which, were we not" to be-- hold them every day, would equally alarm us. Tt is not more furpriiîng than the fuperfli'tious- veneratioTi, in which;- for many ager>j the chrif-
tiaa
^hc: Resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 8.7
^ian world held that dark, confufed, pagan ge- nius, Ariflotle ; a veneration, which was carried 10 far, that when metaphyfical queflions were dif- puted in the fchools, qurftions on which every one ought alv.'ays to \\n\^ Whe^y^y t-ô fpeak his opinion.; when they were examining Wjhçthcr there were a void in nature, whether nature ab- horred a vacuum, whether matter were divlfible, whether there were atoms, pro^îerly fo called,; •when it could be preved^ in difputes of this kind, that Ariflotle was of fucji orfuchan opinion, -♦lis infallibility was allowed, aird the difpute was at end. The unbelief of the accier.ts is, not more . furpriling than the credulity .of tlie moderns s We fee kings, and princes, and a great part' of chriftendom, fubmit tea pope, yea to an inferior prie:ft, often to one who is vaid of both fenfe and •î;-race. It is not more aHoniniing than the im- plicit faith of chriftians:, wIjo believe, in an en- lightened age, in- the days of Defcartes, Pafchal, and Malbranche,; v/hat^ixi I faying ? Defcartes, Pafchal, and Melbranche themfelves believe, that a piece of bread, which they reduce to a. pulp >vith their teetU, which they tade, fwallow, and digcft, isthe^bojiy of their Redeemer, The an- cient unbelief is not more wonderful than yours, proteftants I You profefs to believe there is a judgment, and a hell, and to know tiiat mifers, adulterers,. and dronkards, m4j{l fufFer everlafling punifhments there, ^nd although you cannot be ignorant of your being in this fatal lift, yet yon are as eafy about futurity, as if you had read your names in the book of life, and had no rea- fon to entertain the lead doubt of your falya- tion.
II. We have urged the arguments, tbat prove the refurredion of Jefus Ghrift : I (liall detain you only a few moments longer in juftifying the joyful acclamations which it produced, *' The volceof rejoicing and falvation, is in the taber-.
i88 The Resurrection of yesiis Christ.
nacles of the righteous : the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly. The right hand of tbe Lord is exalted -: the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly."
The three melancholy days that paffed between the death of Jefus Chrifl: and his refurredlion, revere days of triumph for the enemies of the church. Jefus Chrid rifeth again ; and the church triumphs in its turn : " The voice of re- joicing and falvation, is in the tabernacles of the righteous. The right hand of the Lord doth valiantly."
I. In thofe melancholy dtsys, hercsj triumphed over truth. The greateft obje6tion that was made againil the faticfaiSlion of Jefus Chrifl, was taken from his innocence, which is the founda- tion of it. For if Jefus Chrifl were innocent, where was divine ju0.ice when he was overwlielm- ed with fufferingSj and put to death ? Where ■was it, when he was expofcd to the unbridled Y-^gt of the populace ? This difficulty feems at ■firll indidQiubie. Yea, rather let all the guilty perifh ; rather let all the pofterity of Adam be plunged into hell ; rather let divine juQice deflroy every creature that divine goodnefs hath made, than leave fa many virtues, fo much benevolence, and fo much fervour, humility fo profound, and zeul fo great, without indemnity and reward. But when we fee that Jefus Chrift, by fuffering death, difarmed it, by lying in the tomb took away its iling, by his crucifixion afcended to a throne, the difficulty is diminifhed, ycz, it van- ifheth away : " The voice of rejoicing and fal- vation, is 111 the tabernacles of the righteous^ The right hand of the Lord is exalted : the right hand of the Lord doth valiantly." God and man are reconciled ; divine juftice is fatisfied ; Jienceforth we may go " boldly to the throne of grace. There is now no condemnation to them which are in Chrifl Jefus. Who fhall lay any
thing
The Resurrection of Jems Christ, 1 89
thing to the charge of God's eleft ? Who is he that condemneth ? It is Ghrift that died, yea, rather, that is rifen again," Heb. iv. 16, Rom. viii.*l, 32, 34.
2. In thofe mournful days inJideUty triumphed ever faith. At the fight of a deceafed Jefus the infidel difplayed his fyftem by infulting him,, who facrificed his pafiions to his doty, and by faying, See, fee, that pale motionlefs carcafe :» Bless God and die .'* All events come alike to ally there is one event to the righteous and to tTie luicked ; to the clean and to the unclean ; to him R that
* So the French bibles render the words, Bless God and die ! our tranllation hath it, gurse God and die. Job, who beft knew his wife, calls this a foolîsk faying ; that is, a faying void of humanity and re- ' iigion : for fo the word foolifh fijnifies in fcripture. It was a cruel popular farcafm, frequently caft by fcep- tics on thofe who perPifted in the belief of a Gcd, and of the perfefiion and excellence of his providence, even while he fuffered them to fmk under the moft terrible calamities. «• Your God is the God of uni- verfal nature ! He regards the allions of men ! He rewards virtue ! He puniflies Vice ! On thefe erro- neous principles your adoration of him has been built. This was a pardonable folly in the time of your prof- perity ; but what an abfurdity to perlîll in it now ! If your preient fufferings do not undeceive you, no fu- ture means can. Your mind is paft information. Per-. fevere ! Go oninyour adorationtill yon die^
It may feem llrange at firft, that the fame term ihould {land for two fuch oppofite ideas as ùlasing and- cursing : but a very plain and natural reafon may be* afligned for it. Tlie Hebrew word originally iignified to bless, {bemdicere) : and when applied to. God, it • meant to bless, that is, to praise God by \\:nrsbrpping* him. The Talmudiils fay, that the religious honors * which were paid to God, were of four forts. The' proftration of the whole body was one : The bowing- of the head another : The bending of the upper part of the body towards the knees a third ; TixxiX gcniificxion the fourth. Megillx fol. 22. 2. apud Suxtorft. Lex. ' In thefe ways was God praised, ^.-jors hipped, or blesse '^ and the Hebrew word for blelung was naturally put*
190 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
that sacrijicetb and to bim that sacrificeth not-; as is the good., so is the sinner^ and be that s'u^ear- eth as he that feareth an oat h^ Eccles. ix. 2.
Jefus
i or geni^exion, \\\t expression oî bléfSng, -or praifing ;; thus it is renderud Plalm xcv-.'ô. let us ;^n«^e/ before the X-ord : 2 Chron. vi. 13. Solomon hieeled dowi\ unon his knees. The bending of the Icnpe being a ui'nal token vf respect, which people paid P7 one another, when tliey met, the word was transferred to this alio, and J s properly ffa/«fe .• 2 Kings »v. 19. If thou meet any man salute him not. The fame token of rei'peA being jiarting, tlie word was alfo-applied to that : The/ blessed . Rebekah, that is, t-key ka-.is berja'^e'j^dl^ accom- panying their good wifhes with semiflexion. From this known meaning of the word, it was applied to a bending of the knee where no blefilng ct)vild be intend- ed ; he made his camels hr.eel dcnvn. Gen. x.\iv. tx. It was put fometimes for the refpeft, that was paid to a magillrate.-Gen.xli. 43. and fometimcs for the re- jpe<ft, which idolaters paid to faife gods. But to ùokv t/be hiee to an idol was to der.y the existence of God, to renoAince Jiis ^uorsbip, or, *m the fcripture ft)Ie, to curse Cod, to blaspheme God, &c. Jf I beheld the sun, or the moon, and my mouth hath kissed my band, I should ba'-ce denied the Cod, that is above. Job xxxi. 26, 27, 28. On- ly the fcope of the place, therefore, can détermina the precife meaning of the v.-ord. The word muft be rendered curse, deny, God, or renounce bis ivorship, Job i. 5, II. and it mult be rendered bless, acknovilecige , or •u^ursbip him, in ver, 21. The Septuagint, after a long iarcaftic paraphrafe, fuppofed to have been fpoken by Job's wife, renders the phrafe eipon tt rema pros Knrion kal teleuta. To bring our meaning into a narrow compafs. If an ancient Jew had leen a dumb man bend his knee in the tabernacle, or in the temple, hs Would have. f aid he blessed the Lord. l{a<l he fcen him, bend his knee at court, in tlie prefence of Solo- mon, he would iiave faid he blessed, that ip, he saluted the King. And had he feen him bend liis knee in a house cfBr.a I, or in Vin idolatrous ^ro^e, he would have faid, he blessed an 1 dol ; or, as the embracing of idola- try was the renouncing of the worfliip of the true God, hcwouldhavo faid, he cursed Jehovau. We liave ventured this conje<flure to prevent any prejudices egainll the Englilh bible, that may arife from the feem- ingly uncertain meaning of fome Hebrew \^rords.
The Resurrection of jt sus Christ, 19-1
Je fus Ghrift riféth from the dead ♦. " The voice of rejoicing- and falvation, is in the tabernacle^ of the righteous." The fyikm of. the intidcl Gnks : " he errs, not knowing the fcriptures, nor the power of Gad,'* Matt, xxii.^9.
3- In iliofeàifmal days, tyramiy triumph s d ever the perseverance of niartys» Innocence was ai)- pTtffed, and the rewnrds of virtue feem-^J to ht buried in the tomb of him, who, above aii other , had devoted himfelf to \t» Jefas Chrifh rlfeth again : " The voice of rejoicing- and falvat'roTK is in the tabernacles of the righteous/* The de^ figiis of4l)e enemies of iRnocence arc all fruRrài* ed, and-their attempts to difgrscc pjurlty fervx only to exalt its ^lory, and to perpetuate its memory. Let the tyrants of the church, tlven^ rage againft'.iis ; let tbe gates cfksll^ Matt. xv)« 18>confult to dçfttoy us ; Itt tbe kings of ihe earthy more furious oftener than hell itfflf, ^ct themselves against the Lord and against his anointed^ Pfalr ii. 2. let them fei up gibbets, lei them equip galleys, let them kindU fire» to burn. us, and prepars racks to torture us ; tlwy th^?m<. felves, and all their cruel inventions, fliaîl ferve the purpofes of the almighty God : The As-* Syrian is on]y the rod of bis anger, Ifa. x* 5. " Herod and Pilate do only what his hand and his counfel determined before to be done," Adi '\r, 28. God knowetb how to reflrain their fury, and to fay to them, as he faith to the ocean, " Hitherto fhalt thon come, but no further : and here (ball thy proud waves be flayed," Job xxxviii. 2.
4, Finally, in thofe fatal days, death triumphed- over: all human hope of immortal glory» The deftiny of all believers is united to that of Jefus Chrift. He had faid to his difciples, because /. live^ ye shall live aîso, John xiv. 19. In like manner, on the fame principle, we may fay. If • h^ be. de adj.. we are dead alfo. Apd how could.
19^ The Resurrection of jfcsus Christ.
we have hoped to live, if he who is our life, had not freed himfelf from the fiate of the dead ? Jcfus Ghrift rife'h from the dead, *' The voice OÏ rejoicing is in the tabernacles of the righte- ous." Nature is re-inftated in its primœvaï dig- nity ; death is snvalhwed up in victory, 1 Cor» 5CV. 34. the grave is difarnied of its fting. Let iny ryc-fight decay i let my body bow under the weight of ojd age ; let the organs of my body ceafe to peiform their wonted operations ; let all my fenCes fail ; let death fweep away the dear relatives of my bosonii ^nd my friends, who are as mine oiifti soul, Deut. xiii. 6. let thefe eyes, guftiing with tears, attended with fobs, and forrows, and groans, behold her expire, who was my company in foUtude, my counfcl in difficulty, ny comfort, in difgracc ; let me follow to the grave the bones, the carcafe, the precious remains of thi» dear part of myfelf ; my converfe is fuf- pended, but is not deûroyed ; ** Lazsrus, my friend, lleepèth, but if I believe, I fhall fee the glory of God." Je fus Ghrift is /Z'^ resurrection and the life, John xi. 2, 40, 25. Ke is rifeo from the dead, we therefore fhall one day rife» yTftis Ohrtft is not a private perfon, he is a pub- I c rt-prefentative, he is the furety of the church, " thefirf^ fruits of them that deep. If the fpirit of him that r^ifed up Jtfus from the dead, dwell in you ; he that raifcd up Chrifl fron> the dead, l'hall alfo quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dv/elleth in you," 1 Cor. xv. CO, Rom. viii. 2»
Was ever joy more rational ^ Was trtumph ever more glorious ? The triumphant entries of conquerors, the fongs that rend the air in praife of their vi£\ories, the pyramids on which their exploits are traufmitted to pofterity, when they have fubdued a general, routed an army, hum-, bled the pride, and repreffed fhe rage of a foe ;^ ought not all thtfe to yield to. the joys that are-
occafioned
Tht Resurrection of Jam Christ. 193^
occaiioned by the event which we celebrate to lUy ? Oiight not ell thefe to yield to the vi<^o- nf s of our incomparable Lord, and to his peo- ple's expreilions of praife ? One part of the gratitude, which ii due to beneficial events, i<5 to know their vaiuc, and to be affeded with the. brnefits Y'hic;^ they procure.
Let ijs celebrate the praiie of the author o£ our redemption, my brethren ; let us call heavea and /earth to witEeis our gratitude. Let an, in-.' cre«Te of zeal accompany this part of our en- gagcwcnts. Let a double portion of fire frotn heaven kindle our facrifice \ and with a hear.t penetrated with -the livciieli gratitude, and witU. ttie mo(t'arde:it love, let each- chrifrian exclaim^ '' Bleffed be the God, and Father of my Lord Jefus Chrift,.wbo, according to his abiindai.c mercy, hath begotten m*^ again to a lively hope». by the refurreî^wion of Jeiu^ Chrrfl from the dead,'* 1 Pet. i. 3. Let iiini j,oin his voice to that ot angel?, nnd, In concert with the celeflial intelli<. gences, let hiin.ung, ** Holy,, holy» holy, is the Lord of hoHi ; tbe whole earth is full of his glory," Ifa. vi, .3.- Let the- iahe macks of the righteous refound with the text, the right h.7nd of the- Lord.^dotli'oaiiaiitly : the rii^-ht hand of ib£ Lord do:h valiantly, .
But what mHanc holy thought: ire theiV, which interrupt tlicpleaiures of this day.? Whole tabeniacies are thefe ? The tabernacles of the righteous ? Ah I my hreihre« I v/o be to you, if, under pretence that the righteous ought to rr^joice to-day,, you vejoite by adding iin to fm \ The refurreftion of the Savjour of the world, •pe»iei!lly aliorts with the other parts of his econ- Oujy. It. is a fpring flowing witji motives ot holinef?;. God has left nothing undone in the v/ork of your falvntion. The . great work is iinilhed. . Jefus Ghrifl completed it, when he rofs irom the tomb. The Son hath paid, the ran. 11 2 fuvîî.
ig4 The Resurrection of Jesus Christ,
iotUr Th.* Farlier hath accepted it. The holy Spirit hath publiflied it, and by innumerable prodigies hath confirmed it. None but your- felves can condemn you. Nothing can deprive you of this grace, but your own contempt of it.
But the nK)Te precious this grace is, tbe more criminal, and the more affronting to God, will your contempt of it be. The more joy, with which the glor}' of a riJen Jcfus ought to infpire yon, if you believe in him, the more terror ought yon to feel, if you attempt to difobey him. He, •who "declared him the fon of God, with power by the refiirredtion from the dead, put a fceptre of iron into his hand, that he might break his enemies, and dafh them in pieces like a potter's vciTel," Rom. i. 4. Pfal. ii. 9. Doft thou enter* into thefe refiet'tions ? Deft thou approach the table of Jefus Chrill with determinations to live' a new life ? 1 believe fo. But the grand fault- of our communions, and folemn feftivali, doth not lie in the precife time of our communions and folemnities. The reprefentation of Jefus Chrrft in the Lord's fupper ; certain reflections that move ccufcience ; an extraordinary atten- tion to th-î nobleft ob]e(5\ in religion ; the fo- lemnities that belong to bur public feftivals ; in- fpire us with a kind of devotion: but how often does this devotion vanifh with the' objedVs that produced it ? Thefe auguft fymbols ftioiild fol- low thee into thy warfare in the world. A voicr fliould found in thine ears amidfV the tumult of the world ; amidft the diffipating fcenes that be- fiege thy mind ; amidfl the pleafures that fafci- natc thine eyes ; amidft the grandeur and glory which thou caufeft to blaze around thee, and viih which thou thyfelt, although, alas 1 always mortal, always a worm of the earth, always duft and alhes, art the firft to be dazzled ; a voice ihould found in thine ear?, Remember thy vows, remember thine oaths, remember thy joys.
My
The Remrreetion of^ Jesus Christ, ig^^
My brethreBj if you be not to-morrow, and till the next Lord's fupper-day, what you are to- day, we recall all the congratulations, all the benedidions, and all t^e declarations of joy, which we have addrefFcd to you. Inftead of congratulating you on your happinefs in being, permitttd to approach God in your devotionS| we will deplore your wickednefs in adding perfi* dy and perjury to all your other crimes. Inftead of benediiiions and vows, we will cry, " Anath- ema, Maranatha ; if any m^n love not the Lord Jefus Chrift, let him be Anathema," 1 Cor, xvi, 22. If any man who hath kiffèd the Saviour be- tray him, /e/ bim be Anathema, If any man de- &lc the myrteries of our holy religion, let bim b&: Anathema, If any nran *< tread under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the covenant' an unholy thing, let him be Anathema," Hcb. X. 29. Inftead of inviting thee to celebrate the y>rûr?>e of the author of our being, we forbid thee The praftice, for it is comely only for the upright^ Pfal. xxxiii. 1. God^ by our miniftry, saitb to t^ee, Thou ivicktd man ! What bast tbou to dû • to take my covenant in thy mouth? Pfal, K 16. Why doth tkat mouth now blefs my name,- and then blafpheme it : now praife me thy Crea- tor, and then defame my creatures : now pub- li(h my gofpel, and then profane it ^
If, on the contrary, you live agreeably to the- cngagemcnts into which you have entered to» day J what a day, wbat a day, my brethren, is this day? A day in which you have performed the great work, for which God formed you, and which is all that deferves the attention of an im- mortal foul. A day in which many impuritiesy many calumnies, many paffianate actions, many perjuries^ and many oaths have been buried in cverlaftin^ filence. It is a day, in which you bavebeen-wafhed in the blood of the Lamb ; in which yoti have entered into fcUowfnip with ^ God ;
\
1 96. The Résuruciion of Jesus Chrisu
God ; in which yoit have heard thefe triumphant iltouts i» the church, Groce^ grace unto ity Zech. jv, 7. A oay in which you have he^n^ raised up., icgctber^ and made to- sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesusyr.]^h. ii. 6. A day, the pleafing rcmembrance of which will follow you to your death-bed, and will- enable your pallors to open the g^ates of heaven to you, to commit your iouls into the hands of the Receemer who ranfouied it, and fay to you. Remember, on fucii a day your fms -were efïaced ; remen)ber, on fuxh a day Jefos ChriU di farmed death ; remem- ber, on fucrta day the gate of heaven was opened ; to you.
O day ! which the Lord" hath made, let me for ever rejoice in thy. light I O day of dt'igns,> refolutions, and promifes, may I never forget thee! O day .of confalation and grace, may a nch efFiifion of the peace of God on this auditor ry,.preierve thy memorial through a thoufand- generations 1
Receive this pea^e^ my dear brethreii.- I fp;ead over you hands wafhcd jin the innocent- blood of my Redeemer ; and :i3 our rifen Lori Jefus ChrKl, uhen .he appeared to his^difcipks,. laid to them, Ft-ace^ peace be ur.toyou ; fo we, by his command, while we cdebrate the memo-r rable hiftor-y of, hJs refurreLlion, fay to you, ♦* Peace, peace be unto yoii. . As many as walk. according to tiiis rule, peacî be on them, and mercy, and upon the Ifrael of Goil," John xx»- 19, 2i. Ga!. vi. 16. To him be honor and glory.. :or ever,— Amen.
S^MON
SERMON VIII.
THE ABSURDirrOF LIBERTINISM AND^ INFIDELirr.
PsALM, xciv. 7, 8, 9, 10.
They say, The Lord shall not see rneither shall the God of Jacob regard it. Understand, ye viost brutish among the people : and ye foolsy when will ye he noise ? He, that planted the earj shall he not hear ? He, that formed the eye, shall he not see ? He, that chastiseth, the heathen^ shall not he correct ? He, thatr teachetb man knowledge^ sltatl not he know ?
Invective and reproach feldom pro- cjeed from the mouth of a man, who loves truth and defends it. They are the ufual weapons of them, who plead a defperate caufe ; who feel therafelves hurt by a formidable adrerfary ; who have not the equity to yield, when they ought to yield ; and who have no other part to t»ke, than that of fupplying the want of folid reafons by odious names.
Yet, whatever charity we may have for erro- neous people, it is difficult to fee, with modera- tion, men obftinately maintaining fome errors, guiding their minds by the corruption of their bciirts» and choofing rather to advance the moftr. palpable abfordities, than to give the lea ft check to the moft irregular pafE^^ns. Hear how the facred authors treat people of this charaûer.. *^ My people is fooiifh, they hav^ not known me ; they axe fortifh children, they hav£ no un», derftanding. The ox knoweth his awner, and^ the afs hii mafter's crib ; but Ifrael doth not know, my peonle doth not confider. Ephraim is
like
19Ô The Absurdity of
like a niîy dove ^▼ithout heart,»- 0 generation of ripersj who hath warned vou-to flee from the Avrach to come ? O fooliOi G.ilatians, who hath bewitched you," Jer. iv. i2v Ifa. i. 3. Hof. vii. 11. Matt. iii. 7-. andGaî.-iii. 1.
Not to multiply examples, Jet it fuifice to re- mark, that, if ever there were meu, who deferv- cd fuch odious ntimes, they ^te I'uch a? our. prophet de.rerib?s. Thofe abominable men I mean, who, in order to violate the lav-^s of re- fig-^on without reniorfe, maintain, that religion Is a chimera ; who break down all the bt)unds, V'liich God halh fet to the wickednefs of man- kind, and who determine to be obfVinate infidel?, that they may be pescenble libertineç. The prophet, therei^ore, lays allde, in refpeél to them, that charity, which a weak mind would merit, that errs only through the misforturic of a bad education, or the ftrait limits of a narrow ca« pacity. '* O ye moft brutifh among the peo- ple," fa^ys he to them, *» underftandi Ye fool3,^ Twhen will ye be wife ?'.*
People cf this fort, I intend^ to arttack to-^day»: Not that I promife rnyfelf much-fuccefs witiv them, or entertain hopes of reclaiming them. Thcfe are the fooh^ of whom Solomon fays, " though thou fhouldeft bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a peflle, yet will not his, foolifhnefs depart from him," Prov. xxvii^ 22. . But I am endeavoring to prevent the pr©grefs of' the evil, and to guard our youth againft favora- ble impretiions of inBdelityand libertinifm, which have already decoyed away toD many of o*»- young people, and tn confirm you all in your at- tachment to your holy religion. Let us enter into the matter.
In the fly'e of the facred aothorsy particularly in that of our prophet, to deny the exigence cf a God, the do£lrine of Providence, and the effen- tial difference between juft and unjuft, is one and
the
Libertinism and Infidelity, x^^
the fame thing. Compare the pfalra, out of which I have tîkeii my text, with the fourteenth, with the fifty- third, and particularly with the tenth, and you will perceive, that the prophet confcunds them, who lay in tbeir hearts^ there is no God, with thofc, who lay, God hath forgotten ; fie bidetb bis face, be ivill <never sec.it, Pfal. X. 11.
In effcd, altboagh the lafl of thefe doélrines may be maintained without admitting the Sifi:, yet the laft is no lefs cfTential to religion than the firft. And although a man may be a deiil, and an epicurean, without being an aiheift, yet the Jyftem of an atheift is no OTore odious to God than that of an epicurean, -and that of adeifl,
I [hall, therefore, make but one man of thefe different fnen, and, after the example of the prophet, I Oiall attack him with the fame arras. In order to juftify the titles, that he gives an in- fidel, I fhali attack,
Î, Kis tafte.
IL His policy.
III. His indocility.
IV. His logics, or to fpeak nor*; ,properly, his way of reafoning. '
V. Hi 5 morality.
VI. Hr» confciencsc
VII. His politenefa, and knowledge of the •world.
Ic all thefe reflétions, which I fliall propor- tion to the length of thefe exercifes, I fiiall pay- more regard to the. genius of our age than to that of the li-mes of the prophet : and I (hall do this the rather, becaufe we cannot determine on what occalion the pfalm was compofed, of which the text is a part.
I. If yba confiier the taste, the difeernment and choice of the people, of whom the prophet fpeaks, you will fee, he had a great right to dé^ nomiïiàKQihzm most hut tsb andjoolisb» What
an
•4îOO The Absurdity of
an'excefs mufl: a man have attained, when he hates a religion, without which he cannot but be miferable 1 Who, of the happieft of man- kind, doth not want the fuccour of religion Î What difgraces at court 1 What mortifications in the army I What accidents in trade I What uncertainty in fcience 1 What bitterncfs in jilcafure I What injuries in reputation I What ir.conftancy in riches ! What difappointments in projed"is I What infidelity in friendihip 1 W'hat vicifiitudes in fortune I Miferable man I What will fupport thee under fo many calami- ties ? What miferable comforters are the'paf- fions in thefe fad periods of life ! How inade- quate is philofophy itfelf, how improper is Zeno, ^o\v unequal are all his followers to the tafk of calming a poor mortal, when they tell him, " Misfortunes are infcparable from human na- ture. No man fhould think himfelf exempt from any thing, that belongs to the condition of mankind. If maladies be violent, they will be fliort ; if they be long, they will be tolerable. A fatal neceflity prevails over all mankind ; complaints and regrets cannot change the order of things. A generous foul fliould be fuperior to all events, it (hould defpife a tyrant, defy for-. tune, and render itfelf infenfible to piiin." Tol- erable refledlions in a book, plaufible arguments in a public auditory Î But weak reflexions, vain arguments, in a bed of infirmity, while a man is fuffiring the pain of the gout, or th« ftone I
O I how neceffary is religion to us in thefc fatal circumftaHces I It fpeaketh to us in a manner infinitely more proper to comfort us un- der our heavieft aiHidions ! Religion faith to you, " Out of the mouth of the Moft High pro- ceedeth evil and good," Lam. iii. 38. "He formeth light and createth darknèfs ; be maketh peace, and crcateih evil^?' Ifa. xlv. 7, *' Shall
there
Ziberiinism and Injidéïiiy, 201
there be evil 'm the city, and the Lord hath not done it?" Amos îti. 6. Religion tells yon, that., if God afHidi you, it is for your own advantage; it is, that, being uneafy on-eartlvyon may take your flig-ht toward hc-ùven ; that ** your light affliflion, which is but for a moment, may work for y.ou a far more exceeding and eternal weight' of glory," 2 Cor. iv, 17. Religion bids yo« *' not to Jthink it ftrange concerning the fiery trial, which'is to try. you, as though fome ftrangc * thing happened unto you," 1 Per. iv. 12. but to, believe, tbat »' the. trial of your faith, being much more precioa.3 than that of gold, which perillietH, wHl be ^ound unto praife, and hQnor,'and glory, at the appearing of Jefus Ghrifl," chap. i. 7,
But religion is above all necelTary in the grand vicillit*ude, i'h the fatal point, to which all the '. (lef)'3 of life tend, I mean, at the hour of death* For, -at length, after we have ru'fhed iato al| plçafurès, after weh^ve fiing well, danced well, feJfled well, we muft die, we muft die. And what, pray, except religion, can fuppoit a man, OrUggling with tbe king of terrors ? Job xviii, 14; A man, who fees his grandeur , abafed, his fortune di ft i'lbu ted, hi's c&hnêftions' difîolved, his fenfes benumbed, his grave dug, the world re- " tiring from him, his bone3^hangi«:g on the verge of the grave, and his foul divided between the horrible hope of finking into nothing, and the • dreadful fear of falling into tbe hands of an angry, yq God. ? T
Jn fight of tlicfe formidable objpfts, fall, fall, ye bandages of infidelity: 1-ye v«ils of obfcur.ity and; depravity 1 and tetiwe perceive how necelTa- ry religion is to man. \\. is th^at, which .fweet- ens the bitte/dft of all bitters. It is that, which difarms the moft invincible monfter. It is that, which transformeth the moft frighcful of all ob- -. . jefts, into an objed of gratitude and joy. It IS thuty which calm» the eo«fcience, aivd confirms S the
aoé The Ahmdityof
the fouU It is that, which prefents'to the dy- ing believer another being, ;«nother life, anothtr economy, other objefts, and other hopes. It is that, which, " while the outward man perifhetb^ reneweth the inward man di)' by day," 2 Cor. iv, 16. It is that, which diûipates the horrors of the valley oft&e^sbadow of deaths Pfal. xxiii. '4. It is that, which cleaves the clouds in the fight of « departing Stephen ; tells a converted thief, ■40-day shah ikcuhe in paradise^ Luke xxiii. 43. and cries to all true penitents, Blessed are -iùc dead v>hich die in tle.Lordy JRev. xiv. 15,
II. Having taken the unbelieving libertine on his own intereft, I take him on the public inter- eft» and, having attacked his taflc, and difcern. tnent, I attack his .policy, Aa in£del is a dif» turber of public peace, who, by undertaking to fap the foundations of religion, undermines thofe of fociety. Society cannst subsist 'without re- ligion. If plaufible objediong may be fcrmed againft this propofuion, it-is becaufc opponents have, had the art of difguiHng it. To explain it, is to preclude the fophifms, which arc objedled againft it. Permit u» to lay down a few explan- atory principles.
Firft. When we fay, Society cannot subsist without religioHi we do not cooiprehend in our -propofjtion all the religions in the world. The proportion include» only thofe -religions, which retain the fundamental principles, that conftitutc the bafifc of virtue ; as the immortality of the foul, a future judgment, a particular Providence. We readily graxit, there may be in the world a religion worfe than atheifm c for example, any religion, that fhould command its votaries to kill, to aflaHlnatc, to betray. And, aa we readi- ly grant this truth to thofe, who take the pains to maintain it, fo whatever they oppoTe to us, tîktfîlfrom tbc feiigiom of pagaws^ whîch were
hurtful
LihrHnism .arii^ Infiiddity. i «eg
, hurtful- to fociety, is only vain dedimation, that proves ftothing againft us.
Secocdiy. When wt afHrm, Society eannct subsist without reîigîony we do not pretend, that religion) which retains articles fafc to fociety, may not fo^mix thofe articles "with other princi- ples ptrnJcious to it, that they may^ fccnr at'firft *^ght wôrle than athcifm. We affirm only,. that, to take the whole of Tiich a religion, it is more advantageous ta fociety to hare it> than to he defHtute- of it. All, therefore^ that is objected againÛ our prcpofiiion, concerning thofc •wars, «rufades, and pcrfecutions, which were eaufed by fuperftinon, all this is only vain fophiftry, whicli doth irot affeét our thefts in t^c- Icift.
Thirdly. When we Uy^^ocieiy cannot subsist without religiony wc do not fay, that religion, €TÉn the pureft religion, may not caufc fomc dif- orders in fociety : but wc affirm only, that thefe dirorders, however numerous, cannot counter- balance the benefits, which religion procure» to it. So that alt objeAions, taken flrom the troubles, which zeal lot truth may have produced in fome circumftances, are only vain objections, that cannot weaken our propofition.
Fourthly. When wc affirm, Society cannot suhist without religion^ wc do not affirm, that all the virtues, which are di^laycd in fociety, proceed from religious principles ; fo that all jud magiftratfs are jii{\ for their love of equity ; that all grave ecclcfiaftics arc ferious, bccaufc they refpe£t thei/ charafter ; that all chafte women are chafle from a principle of love, to vir- tue r human motives, we freely grant, often pre- vail inftead of better. We affirm only, that fc- Jiigious principles arc infinitely rtiore proper to regulate fociety than human motives. Many perfons, we maintain, do aAuàlly govcrti their condufl by reli^ous principle») and fociety ^ou!d
be
204 The Ahmrdiiy of
be incomparably more irregular, were tlrere no religion in it. That lift of virtues, therefore, •which only educatiion and connitution produce, doth not at all afFeft the principle, v*h\ch we are endeîfvcring to eftablifh, and he, wfiotîik«s his objedlions from it, doth but beat the air. ' * . Laftly. When we affirm, Society cannot sub' iist witbont rvîigiozty we do not fay, that all atheifts and deifts ought therefore to abandon tiemfelves to all forts of vices : nor that they, who have embraced atheifm, if indeed there have been any fuch, were always the moft wicked of mankind. Many people of thefe chara6\?ers, we ©wn, lived in a regular manner. We affirm on- ly, that irreligion,' bf itfelf, openeth a door to >1! forts of vices ; aijd that men are fo forni^ed, that their dilorders would increafe, were thiey to disbelieve the doctrines of the exiftence of a God, of judgmeni, and of Providence. All thé examples, therefore, that are alledged againft us, of a Diagoras, of a Theodorus, of a Pliny, of fVanini, cf fome focieties, real, or chimerical, who, it is pretended, lived regular lives witliout the aid of religion ; all thefe examples, I .fay, make nothing againft our hypothefis.
Thefe expla-nations being granted, wc main- tain^ithi^t »6 -politician can fucGçed irt a defign ct Uniting wen In one focial boiiy, withciit fup- pofjng ;the truth'and reality of religion. For, if thîsrè:' be no religion, each member of fociety may do what he pleafisth ; and then each would give a loole to'his pafiîocs ; each wtruld employ his power in cruiliing t^>e weak, his cunning in deceiving the fimple, h'v§ éloquence in feducitig the creduioas, tii's credit» in mining commerce,' his authority in dlftreifing the whole with horror atid terror, and carnage and blood. FrlghtfuT diforders in their nature ■: but necelTary on prin- ciples of'-:rnfidelity I For if you foppofe, tbefe; diiorcjers may be prevented, their prcvepliôn muft*
be
Liiefiinim. ani Infidtlity, ^o^^
be «ttrlbutcd, either to piivate intereft, to worlds ly honor,, or to human laws»
^Miprhate inter est z?itii\Qt fopply the place of religion. True, were all men to agree to obey. the precepts of religioii, each would find hi« owa nccount in his ©wn- obedience. But it doth not depead on an individual tooppofe a popula.r tor- rent, to reform the public, and to make a nevs^ *vror!d ; and, while the workt continues in its prcfent i\ate, he wilt find a thouCaiîd circuift- ilaiices, in which virtue is iiwûoipatibk with private intereft.
Nor can worldly honor fupply. the place of re- ligion. For what is worldly honor } It is a fuperficial virtue ; an art, that one man poffeïTeth, of difguiîing hibifelf from another ; of deceiving poHtely; of appearing vittuotis,, rather than ci» Wing aÂually fo. If yoi» extend, the limits of worJdly honor further, if you make it confift in that purity of confciencc, and in that reftitude of intention, which are in efteCI &rm and fohd> foundations of virtue, you will find, either that-, this is only a £he idea of- what alm0i\ nobody is. capable of, or, if I may be allowed to fay fo, that the virtues, which compofe your complex idea of worldly honotr, arc really branches of religion.
Finally. Human /aïw cannot fupply the place of religion. To whatever degree of perfection they may be improved, they will always favour Hi three things of the imperfeftion of the legif» Jators.
Î. They will be imperfect in their substance» They may prohibit, indeed, enormous crimes s but they cannot reach refined irregularities which are not the lefs capable of troubling fo ciety for appearing lefs atrocious. They may forbid murder, theft, and aduUery : but they^ can neither forbid avarice, anger, nor concupif- ccuce» They will avail in the prcferving and S 2 dilpofing
206 Tk€-AÏsû4-àity oj
difpôfing bf"pf6-|ïerty< 'ti^çy iiray comnvan*! tbf payment ot" laxes \o the crown. and of debts ta the mcrcViaiiç, the ciitti'vation of icicnces, and libellai krts î bo't-'thty cannot orcUin patieucei meekiifi's, and love^; and, you will» grant, a ib- cfety, in whi.ch there is neither pTaiience, meek- iiefv nor love, muft needs be an unhappy fo- crety.
^. Huni^^n iaw,s. wil! be iv£q\ :n their 7nj„iv£S.^„ The rewards, w.hich they offer, may ije fûrborwe, for nien way Jo without tkem ; the puniûitiient?, which they inflicl, Hiay- be fuâered \ and ihene are fome particular cafes, in which they, whp derogate from their, authority, may advasce their own intereft more than if they conft.antly £nd fcrupsloufty fubrait .to.it.
3. Human iaws-'will- fae restrained in their* extent, Kiags, tyrants, mafters of th^ world, know the art of freeing- themCclves from them. The laws avenge tis on an infignificant thief, whom th€ pain of hunger and the fear of c^eath tempted to break open our houfes, to r©b us of a Î rifting funi : but itho will avenge us of magrfffi. tern thieves? . For, my bi^êth-ren, fome meh, in courticâbinets, in dedicatory epifU'es, in- the fc-r- TuoBs of flatterer^, and in the prologues of pce^», 3Fe called conquerors, heroes, demi-gods ; but :n tliis pulpit, in this churchy in the prefence of- the God, who âlletb this houfe, and who regard- eth not th€ appearances of men, you conqueror?, you heroes, you demi gods, are ofrcr» nothing- but thieve» and incendiaries. Who Dial I avenge us of thofe men, wIk>, at the hcîkcl of a hundred thoufand ûaves, ravage tlie whole wor^d, pillager cu the right hand and on the left, violatt th* moft lacred rights, and overwhelm focicty with injuftice and oppt-efTion ? Who doth not per- ceive the infuftîciency of human laws on this ar- ticle, and the abiolute ntctility of religion ?
III. The
^ Lïocriimm and Infidelity, i6y^
Hi. Th€ infiïîel carrieth hig /Wéic/V/Çyto l^e»* utmoft degree of extravagance, by nnderta-kin^^ alone to op^ôfe "âfîl; mankind^ and by audacibufly preferring his own judgment abovfe that of tlié*" whole world, Mfho^ excepting a fmal? number,'' have unaRJmouilj^ embraced the t ruths j x^hicît' he reje.d\?. * ' - • • .: t>»'*
This ar^mentj*4akén from unarfi'irôus totv Pent, fuinilhcth in faVor of religion, either a bare'- prefumption, or a r^al demonftration, accordîrîg"^ to the different faces, u^nder whic-h it is pfç- ientèdr ■ ' ■■' '■ •'•ir';' . • .: ■< >.-t
It furniiheth a proof,' f5et^aps more than pre^^ iumptive, when it is oppoled to the objec\ioT7's; » which ail - unbciieving phifofopher alledgetJK'' wgainR religicn. For^ although' the faith of i^ rati'onal man ôàgh-t Act to be founded on a plo- ' raMl}* of fiiffragcs, yetUvnan-itnity cf opinion "'i^'' r&i^e(5lablTe, when it hat«h- three chara(flerSi-> \i IVheii an opinion prevails in all places* Pj'e-'"' fudice varies with climates, "and whatever de- ' fends on human caprice, dlft*»rs in France, and iti Spain, in Europe, and in- Afia,' according as the inhabitants of each country have their blood hot' oH *old ; their imagination flrong or iveak, ' 2. IVben an opiniojt prevails at all times* Preju- dices chargci.with the liiii^s ; ycfws inftrin^t ? and experience corrects errors, which ages have rendered venerable. 3. IViben an opinion is con- trat)' to the passions oj men, A prejudice, ttfat contronls human paffions, caçnot be of any long: «Juration. The intcreft that a man hath in dil^ > coveriug his wiflake, will pt}:t him cm ufing all his endeavors to devfeîope a dtluûon»;; -.Thef* three chara£\ers agree to truth only.. ..k, ' ih ■ i ; ^
I 3m aware, that fome pretend to enervate this argument by the tcftimofiies of fonie an« ciènt hiftorians, and by the relation» of fonn modern travellers,. who tell ijs of fomc individu^ aïs, ànd of: foaie jdioic ,'foticties, who are •
»c6 71k Ahuràiiy of
dcllitute of tke kivowtcdgc of êoô, and of «e-
Ijgion.
But,, ii! order to a folid r«ply, w< arwnge thc(e atheifts, and d«i{ls, who are oppofed to u&, \n three different clftïTcs.. The fifft confifts of phi- lofoipbers, the next of the fenlekfs populace, and the laliof proftigate perfont. Pbilos<xpb€rs.i il^ou attend clofely to the icatler, m\\ appear) at lead the gr^ated part of them will a|ipear, to kave been accuftui of having no r^I^gion, only be- caufe tbey had. a ,pw<r religion thaa the reft of their fellow citixens. They, would not admit a. plurality of gods> thty were, therefore, accufed of believing no God* The infidelny of/;&# iense- less popuiace^ is^ fa'Wirable to our argument. Wc aftrm, wherever ther« k a ff aric of rcafon, there is alfo a fpark of religion. Is it aCtonilhiog that they, who have renounced, the former, ihould re- nounce the latter alfo ? A» to the profligate <, who extinguife their own little light, we fay of them, with a modern writer, ^ is ghùcus to religion to hafte enemies q/tbis character»
But let us fee, whether thj« unanimous con- fent, which hath aSTordcd us a prefumption in favor of religion, will furniOi us witSi a demoii- ftratîon againft thoftî who oppofe it..
Authority ought never to prevail over our mind* again ft a judgment, grounded on folid rcafons, and received on a cool examination. But authority, efpecially an authority founded on unanimity of fentini«i>t^ ought always to fway our minds in regard to a judgment formed with- out folid rtafons, without examination, and with- out difcufiion. Ko men dcferve to be called t"he ivoii fooiisbj and tl»c nwst brutish* among the
peoplcy
* Mr. Saurin follows the reading of the French vev^ Ccn, les p'.xm Irutaiix, most brutifh. This is perfeflly agreeable to thé original, for the Hebrew forms the fuperlative degree by prefixing the letter btth to a noun-fub^l*ntivc, which fgllowa an adjeAiVe, as here,.
Lihrtinism and Infidelity » sosgt*
people^ fo mOch as thofe men, who, being as the greatcft number of infidels are, without flody, and without knowledge ; who, without deigning to weigh, and even 'without condefcending to hear the reafons, on which all the men in the world, except a fewr, found the doûrine of the cxiftencc of God, and of Providence, give them- felves an air of infidelity, and infolently fay ; Mercury Trifmegiftus, Zoroafter, Pythagoras, Ariftotle, Socrates, Plato, Seneca ; moreover, Mofes, Solomon, Paul, and the apollles, taught fnch and fuch dodlrines : but, for my* part, I am not of their opinion. And on what ground, pray, ^o you rcjeél the doctrines, which have been defended by fuch illuftrious men ? Do you know, that, of all charafters, there is not one ft> difficult to fuftain, as that, which you afTeft ? For, as you deny the mod corhmon notion^, th% cleareft truths, fcntiments which are the niôft generally rtceived, if you would maintain aft appearance of propriety of charafter," yo« muft be a fuperior genius. -You muft rhake profoûil'd refearches, digcft iminenfe volumes, and^ difcufs warky au abftrad qutftion. " You' ihiiUMéàrn t^e art of evadifig demonftratioris, -of • jjfalliating fophifms, of parrying ten thôùfarid thruftsV. thrrft from all parts Will be t'aken "at- you. Bat ybif, contemptible genius 1 ybtf idiot ! you, Vt'hô hardly knew how to arrange twd wofds WitHodt. offending' againft the rules of grammar, or itô . affociatc two ideas without fhock'ing commo fenfe, how do you expe<Sl to fuftain a charaftéf. . which the greateft' génîufes are ' 'incapable '-tff fupporting r ^ ^ ." «' ' ^* ' "^ ^^' *'
ÎV.,/ï'et, asjjo man is^fo «jipreafonable as, not
to profess to reafow j an^vjï»^ "P nian takes up ,;^
.;: V ; ..^ : . : ' -notion^x
•« ? n •+fY. u ' • . ■ . .
Cant. J. 8. Prov. xxx. 30. hommum hx\i\.\ssimi ;
hominum ftipudii^mi ; totlus hrjus 'pop*',ili ftupidiwtr
mi ; fay commentators,
f^lj^p 'The '^surdity of-
„oqtion fa eagerly, as jîot to pique Wmfclf on Ifav— ^ng taiicn Jt^up after a mature dtliberation ; w* njufi. talk to the icfUJcl as to a pliiiofppher, wlior ,al^va.ys follows t-be, dilates oi içafon, and argues by prinCjiplcs and coDrc(;^ue»ccs. Well then I ij,ct ps examine i>»Ji h^'ify or,,as 1 fa id before, ^iis fuiqy of r^ff-&:^i,tig i, his way of r^afoning, ypjk will fee, is ïis brutaJity, and his logic con- ^^ptcs his,exira\:^ganct.
In.ord^r to comprehend this, weigh, in ths iBïoft;^xa5k and equitable balanee, the Argument ^f our prophet* " He, that planted the ear, (hall he »pt hear ? He,.tb^t forvned the eyCf- ihall be i>ot fee ? He, tljat chaftiicth the hea- then, (hall not he oorreô ?: He, that tcacheth jpan,knowledg«T^î^^^<*^ he know ?" TheTc are> in bi;ic/, three fourcea of evidences, wKi<b f»jpply> tht whole of religion with proof. The firlV are taken from the works of nature ; Jle^wbo plant" €d I be 4ar ; JJct nuiho formed the eye, Tlic itcond arc ;akcn from the eco^Jonoy of Provi- l^pce ,\. JBe^ that cAasfifetb. the iheatiitfzu Tb« ;^ird are taken froin the biilory of the chureh ; Jfe^ thatteaehetbm^n MnowUdge»
Tbefirfti»re taken from the ^ondeiful wofIûi §i^ature, The;pr©pbfi,aUe4gcth only two ex- ,;)P3pUs ; thjB o«e is that of the ««r, the other .tkatofxhe t>^ NoDe can commuoicate what ^e ha(h not, is the moA inconteAible of all prio« /eipjes. He, who coipmumcateth faculties to il^^'nUs, wbona he createth, muft needs ;pofTef$ :whal€.ver is ipqft noble in fuch faculties. He, who. çin^ powered creatures to bear, mufthimfelf hear. He, who imparted the faculty of difcern- ing objedls, mud needs hinifclf difcern thcrn. Ct^fc^uently, t^rere vi great extravapjance in faying, The hord ahali not seCy •neit'itcr sbali tbe God'tf Jacob regard i>>
The faire argument, which the ftru£lure of <^m ear», axid tb^t of our eyes, affbrd» us, we
dériva
Liheriinism and Jnfiâèli^. 2 ii ''
derive alfo from all the wonderful Works of thé* Creator. The Creator poffeffeth all thofe great and noble exceileflcies, in a-fùprcTne degree, thé* 'faint fhadows of which be hath communicatee "' to creatures. On thtïi principle, what an idea' ' ought we to form of the Creator ? From What ' a profound abyfs of power mtJft thofe boundlefs fpaces have proceeded, that immeafurable ex- tent, in which imagination is loft, thofe vaô bodies, that furround us, thofe luminous globes, thofe flaming fpheres, which revolve in the heavens, along with air the other works, that compofe this univerfe ' From whiat an abyfs of wffdom rauft the fuccefQOns of feafon^, of dajr, and of night, bave proceeded, thofe glittering ftars, fo exa€t in tiieir courfes, and fo pijn£lu3ti in their duration ; alcngf Wrth lalt the different Tecret fprings in the univerfe, which with the utinoft accuracy anfwer their delign ? Fi-orti what an abyfs of intelligence moft rational creà- turiîs cotnê, beings, who conftiture'the glory of the intelligent world ; profound politicians, wh© •^ïry into the inoft intricate folds of the human heart ; geficraU, who drffiife themfelvcs thi-ongh a whole aftiy» animating with thèif eyes, and with their voices, the various regiments, which cortipofe their forces ; -admirable gcniufcs, wh« derelopethe myftcriea of nature, rifing into the heavenfbf dioptrics, defcending into the deepefl fubtcrranean aby^Tes ; quitting continental coa- finc«ent hy the art of navigation ; men, wh© crofs the wavesj^nd, in fpite of the winds, con- temn the rocks, and dirctfk a few plarik« fastened together to fail to the more diftiint climes ? Whior^ c^ii réfufe to the author of all thefc wonderful wofks the faculty of feeing and hearing ?
But I do not pretend to deny, an infidel will fay, that all thefe wonderful works owe theic cxiflence to a Supreme caufe ; or that the Su- prcn»^ Being, by whom 'alcme they cjcil^f doth
not
«tjs^ . .> The Absurâiiy of
not himfelf poffefs all pnfilble perfe^iên. But I afFirm, that the Supreme Being is fo grevit, and io exalted, that his elevation and inconceivable excellence prevent him from .cafting his eyes down to the earth, and paying ;any regard ,ta what a creature fo mean and fo indigent as man performs. A Being of infinite perfeclion, does he inrtereft himlelf in my condu6l ? Will he floop to examine, whe^ther 1 ret^iin or difchargc the wages of, my fervants ? Whether I be regu- lar or irregu'-ar in my family ? and fo on. A king, forroundsd with -magnificeijce aiiJ pomp, holding in -his-powcifuli hands the reigns of his empire ; a king, employed in weighing reafcns of hate, in equipping his fleets, and io levying his.armies.; will he concern himfelf with the de- marches of -^ a few worms crawliBg beneath his
But^his^ compariron of God to a -king, and; of. men to worms, is abfurd and inconclufivc, 'i'he economy of -Providence, and the hiftory of the church, in concert with the wonderful works of nature, difcover to u^ ten thoufand diflferences between the relations of- God to n>en, and thole of ^ king to worms of the earth. No king, hath given intelligent fouls to worms : but God hath given intelligent fouls to us. No king hath proved, by ten thoufand avenging ftrokec, and by -ten thoufand glorious rewards, that he" ob- ftrved the-concluâ: of worms : but God, by ten thqufand glorious recompenfes, and by ten thou- fand vindiftive punidimcnts, hath proved his- at- tention to the condud , of «icn. No king hath ma4e a covenant with worms : but God hath.: entered into covenant with us. No king hath commanded worms to obey hira : but God, we affirm, hath ordained our obedience to him. No king can procure eternal felicity to worms : but God can communicate endlefs happinefs to us. A Iciag, although he be a king, is yet i inan 4
his '
Lihertinism and Injiiehiy, 213
his mind is little and contraded, yea iufinitely contra'ded j it would be ablurd, that he, bcin^ called to govern a kingdom, Oiould fill his ca- pacity with trifles : But is this your notion ot' the Deity ? The direclion of the fun, the gov« eminent of the world, the formation of myriads of beings, which live through univerfal nature, the management of the whole univerfe, cannot exhauft that intelligence, who is the obje£l of our adoration and praife. While his thoughts include, in their bouitdlefs compafs, all real and all poffible beings, his eyes furvcy every individu- al, as if each were the fole object of his atten- tion.
Thefe arguments being thus Rated, either our infidel niuil acknowledge, that they, at leaft, render probable the truth of religion in general, and of this theli? in particular, God regardctb the actions oj men: or he refufeth to acknowl- edge it. If he refute to acknowledge it ; if he ferioufly affirm, that all thefe argijments, very far from ariliug to demondration, do not eveu- alTord a probability in favor of religlorr ; then he is an idiot, and thf:re remains no other argu- ment to propofe to him, than that of our prophet^. Thou fool -f loben ivilt thou be wise ? ' -\
I even queftibn whether any unbeliever coula •ever perfuade himfelf of what he endeavors to perfuade others ; that is, that the affemblage oi truths, which conilitute the boiy of natural re» ligion ; that the heavy ftrokes of juflice aven^> ing vice, and the extacic rewards aceompanyrnç firtue, which appear in Proyide^nce ; tliat the accomulifiiment of numerous prophcci-es ; that the operation of countlefs miracles, which arc related in authentic, hiftories of the church : no, Î cannot believe, that any infidel could ever pre- vail with himfelf to think, thac all this trq^in of argument doth not form a probability againft a fyfVem of infidelity and atheiur.
.ig 14 The M surdity of
But if the power and the fplendor of truth force bisconlein.; if he be obliged to own, that, although Diy arguments are not demonftrative, they are, however, in his opinion, probable ; then, with th€ prophet, I fay to hiro, 0 thou most brutish among tlw people I
V. Why ? Becaule in comparing his logic ■with his vwralltji, (and this is my 'fifth article) 1 perceive, that nothing but an CKcels of bru- tality can unite thefe two things. Hear how he reafons. " It is probable, not oinly that t-here is a God, but alfo that this God rcgardeth t^e allions of men, that he referves to himfelf the punifhment of thofe, who follow the fuggel- tions of vke, and the rewarding of them, who obey the laws of virtue. The fyflem of irré- ligion is counterbaUnced by that of -religion, Ferltaps irréligion may be well grounded : but perhaps religion may beTo. Ifi this (late of un- certainty, 1 will xiiredl my condud\ on the prin- ciple, that irreligion is well grounded, and that religion hath no foundation. / nuill break in pieces, ver. 5. (this was the language, according to our pfalmill, of the unbelievers of his time) I will break in pieces the people oj God ; I will afflict bis heritage ; / ivill slay tbe^oidav end the 'Stranger ; or, to fpeak agreeably to the genius of oar own time, I will ipend my life in pleafure, in gratifying my fenfual appetites, in avoiding wljat would checJc me in my courfe, in a word, in living as if I were »bie to demon» Urate either that there was no God, or that he paid no regard to the'aflions of men." Ought he not, rather, on the contrary, as his mind is in a ftate of uncertainty between both, to attach himfelf to that, which is the moft iafe ? Ought he Dot to fay ?" I will fo regulate my coflduft, that, if there be a God, whofe exigence, indeed, I doubt, but, however, am notable to difprove 4 If God pay any regard to the a<^ioas of men,
which
Liheftinûm and Infidity. 215
trhîch I q^eftion, but cannot deny ; he may not condemn mc." Judge, ye chrlflians I men, who can thDs brutally inlult a dark futurity, and the bare poffibllity of thofe punifliments, which religion denounceth againft the -wicked j fuch men, are they not, cither the mofl' feolirn> or the moft brutifiî,' among the people ? *' Un- derhand, ye moft brutifh among the people Î Ye fools ! When will ye be wife ?"
VJ. I would attack the conscience of th*^ libertine, and terrify him with the language of my text. *' He, who teachetb man knowledge, fhiill not he corre(5l :"* That is to fay, *' ,Ht>, who gave you laws, fiiall not he regard your violation of them ?" The perfons whom I' at- tack, I am aware, have dtrfied us to find the leai^ veftige of what is called confcience in thtm. But had you thoroughly examined yourfelves, when you fet us at defiance on this article ? Have you been as fuccefsful, fis you pretend to have been, in your daring cntcrprize of freeing yourfelves entirely from the terrors of con- fcience ? Is this light quite extinct ? This in-». terior mafter, doth he didtàte nothing to you ? This rack of the Almighty, doth it never force you to confefs what you would willingly deny I Are your knees fo firm, that they never fmite together with dread and horror ?
The queftion, concerning the poflibility of en- tirely freeing a man from the empire of con- fcience, is a matter offa£l. We think we have reafon for aftirmîng, that no man can bring him- felf to fuch a ftate. You pretend to be your- fçlves a demonftration to the contrary. You arc, you declaje, perfeAly free. from the attacks of confcience. This is a fad, and. I grant it ;. I take your word. But here is another i^Gif. in regard to which we ought to believe in our turn, and on which our word is worth as much as yours. This 15 it. We have fecn a great,
number
21 6 The Ahsuràiiy of
rumber of Tick people ; we have attended a great number of dying people. Among thofe, to wnom, in the courfc of our miniftry, "we have been called, we have met with all forts of char- t£ters. \Vc have viiited fome, who once were 'What yoD profefs to be now, people, who boafted of having freed themfeîves frosn vulgar errors, from the belief of a God, a religion, a hell, & heaveoy and of faying, when they abandoned themfeîves to the utmoft e^iceiTes, as you fay, The Lord shall not see ; neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. But we have never rret witb a Tingle individual, no, not one, who hath not contradi^ed himfelf at the approach of death. It is faid fome have done this. For our parts, we have never met with any fuch ; we have never attended one, who hath not prov- ed by his example, that you will contradift yourfelves alfo. We have often vifited thofe, ■who have renounced all their fyftems, and have curfed their infidelity a thoufand, and a thoufand times. Wc have vifued many, who have re- tjurred the aid of that very religion, which they had ridiculed. We have often feen thofe, who Have called foperQilion to affift religion ; and who have turned pale, trembled, and fhaken, at the bare fiE^ht of our habit, before they had }ieard the fentence, which God pronounced by cnr mouthp. But we have never feen an indi- vidual, no, not one, who died in his pretended fccpticifm : It remains with you to aerount for thefe fads. You are to inquire, wheiher you yourfelves will be more courageous. It belongs to you to exattiine, whether yon c-^n bear thofe dying agpnie?, thofe devouring regrets, thofe terrible mifgivings, which made your predecef- - fors iinfay all, anddifcover as much cowardice at death, a<; they b^d difcovcredbrutality in their lives, VII. Perhap-. you have been furprized, my brethren, that >ve have rcCerved the weakeft of
c«r
Libertinism and Infidelity. 2?i j,
our attacks for the laft. Perhaps you objcdl^ that motives, taken from what is czWçd politeness,^ and a knonvledge of the loorld^ can make no imr preflions on the minds of thofe, who djd nQt h^t the force of our former attacks. It is no; vfiti](t out reafon, however, that we have placed ^ih\4- laft. Libertines and infidels ofren pique thein-. felves on their gentility^ and good breedings They frequently taJie up their fy{)cra of infidéli- ty^ and purfue their courfc of profanenefs, nie.rew- ]y through their falfe notions, of gentility. R£.a- for», they think, too fcholafiic, and faith, pedant, ry. They imagine, that, in order to diftinguiih .themfelves in the world, they rauft affect Deiihei* to believe nor to reafon.
Well Î you accomplished gentleman I do you. know what the world thinks of you ? The} prophet tells you ; but it is not on thç authority of tlie prophet only» it is on the opinions ot ^your fellow citizrns,. that JL mean to perfaade ysu. You are conudered. in the world as the most brutish of mankind. . Understand,, ye most, bru" tisb among the people /. What is an accomplish-, ed gentleman ? What is politenels! and good breeding ? H is the art of accommodating oue.'s felt to the genius of that focietyj. and of feeming to enter into the fentimenis pf that . comp.any, ia ■which we are ; of appearing to honor what thty honor ; of refpecling what they refpe£l ; .and of paying a regard even to their prejudices, and their weakntfTes. On the'^e, principles, are you not the rudest, and most unpolished.QÏ Xi\:àwW\u^X ? Or, to repeat the language ot my text, are you not the most brutish among the people ? Yoi] live among people, who believe a God, and n religion; among people, who were educated ia tbefc principles, and who defire to die in thele principles; among people, who have, many cf them, facriflced their reputation, their e«fe, and their fortune, to. religion. Morsovcrj -.ou liv2 T 2 ' in
ôi8 The Ahurdity of
in a fociet)^, the foundations of ^vhich fink wîth thofe of religion, fo that were the latter under- jmircd, the former v?o*îd, therefore, be funk. All the metTibers of fode;y are interefltd in fup- porting this cdificc, v?hich yov» are endeavoring: to dcHroy. The inag'.i\rate commands you not to publifii principles that tend to the fubverfion of his authority. The peopJe requeR you not to propagate opinions, ^vTiich tend to fubjeû them to the paflions of a nagiftrate, who will imagine, he hath no judge fi:perior to hirofelf. This dif- trcH'ed mother, mourning for the îofs of her on- ly fon, prays you not to deprive her of the con- folatson, which {he derives from her prcfent per- fosfion, that the fon, . whom (he laments, is in i)offeffion of immortal glory. That fick man beieecheth you not to dilabufe him of an error, that fweetens all his forrows. Yon dying man begs you would rot rob him of his only hope". The whole world conjures you not to cflablifli truths, (even fuppo'ing they were truths, an hy- pothecs which I deny and deteH) the whole world conjnres yon not to eftablifh truths, the îcnowledge of which would be fatal to all man- kind. In fpite of fo many voices, in fpite of fo many prayers, in fpnc of fo Hjany intreaties, and nmongfo many people interefted in the eftablifli- ment of religion;' to affirm that religion is a f<4ble, to oppofe îtwith eagerncfs and obRinacy, to try all yowr flreugth, and to place all your glory, in deftroying it : What is this but tlie height of rudenefs, brutality, and madnefs ? " Undcrftand, ye moft brntifli among the peo- ple 1 Ye fools ! When will ye be wif« ?"
Let us put a period to this difcourfe. We come to you, my brethren 1 When we preach ^gainft chnrafters of thefe kinds we think, wc read what pnlTej in your hearts. You congratulate yoorftlve = , for the mofl; part, for rot being of the fiumber, for dctefting infidelity, and for
refpcfting
Libertinism and Infidelity, 21g
refpefting religion. But ftiall we tell you, my brethren ? How odious foever the men are, >vhom wc have defcribed, we know others more odious ftill. There is a reftri(^ion in the judg- ment, which the prophet forms of the firft, when he calls tbem in the text, The most foolish^ and the most brutish among the people ; and there are feme men, who furpafs them in brutality and extravagance.
Do not think we exceed the truth of the mat- ter, or that we are endeavoring to obtain your iitteution by paradoxes. Really, I fpeak as I think ; I think, there is more ingenuoufncfs, and €ven, (if I may venture to fay fo) a lefs fund of turpitude in men, who, having refolvcd to roll on with the torrent of their paffions, endeavor to jjcrfuade themfclves, either, that there is no God, or that he pays no regard to the a6^ions of Hîén ; than in thofe, who, believing the exiftence, nnd providence of God, live as if they believed îi-ither. Infidels were not able to fupport, it» their excefTes, the ideas of «n injured bcncfad^or, of an angry Supreme J^idge, of an eternal falva- tion negleded, of daring h«ll, a lake burning' %9itb fire and brimstone^ and smoke ascending 'lip for ever and every Rev. xxi. 8. and xiv. II, In order to give their paiîions a free fcope, they found it necefTary to divert their attention from all thefe terrifying objefts, and to efface fuch (hocking truths from thci' minds.
But you Î who believe the being of a God Î You 1 who believe yourfelves undrr his eye, and who infult him every day without repentance, or remorfe î You I who believe, God holds thunder in his hand to crufh finners, and yet live in fin 1 You \ who think, there are devouring flames, and chains of darknels, and yet pref'jn)p- tuoufly brave their horrors 1 You î who believe liie iflimortality pf your fouls, and yet occupy
yourfelves
s 20 The Ahsurdiiy of
yourfelves about nothing but the prefent life 1 What a front I What a brazeu front is yours I ;
You confider a revelation proceeding from heaven, and fupported by a thoufand authentic proofs. But, if your faitk be well grounded, hovf dangerous is your condition i For, after all, the number of evidences, who atteft the re- ligion, which you belieie, this number of wit- ncffes depofe the truth of the prnfVVc'a] part of rdigicn, as^-wcH 'as ihe truth of the fpeculati^e part. Thefe witncfTes attcO, that " without holinefs, no man fliall fee the Lord ;" that " nei-. thcr thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor re- vilers, nor extortioners, fnall inherit the king- dom of God," Heb. xii. 14. 1 Cor. yi. 10. . And confequently, tbtfe evidences atteft, that yon thieves, that you coretous, that you. drunkards, that you revilcr&, that you extortioners, fhall be excluded from that happy- manfion. Do you. rejeâ this propohtion ? Clafs yourfelves then, with infidch. Contrad»<Sl nature ; coatradi6t- confcience ; contradift the church ; deny the recovery of ftrength to the lame ; the giving of. fight to the blind ; the raifing of the dead ; contradiû lîcaven, and earth, and fea, nature, and every cleraent. Do you admit the propofi-. tion ? Acknowledge then, that you mud be irretrievably loft, unlefs your ideas be reformed- and renewed, unlefs you renounce the world, that enchants and fafcinates your eyes.
This, my brethreti, this is your remedy» . This- is what we hope for you. This is thatf to which we exhort you by the compafljon of; God, and by the great falvation, which religion prefents to you. Rtrfpe(St this religion. Study it every day. Apply its comforts to your for- rows, anfl its precepts to your lives. And, joining promifes to precepts, and precepts to promifes, affort your chriftianity* AfTure your- felves,
LiStrtinism and Infidelity. 221
fcïves, then, of the peace of God in this life, and of a participation of his iglory after deaths Qk)d grant you this grace I— Amen.
.-4
SERMON
SERMON IX.
THE HARMONY OF RELIGION AND CIVIL POLITY.
Proverbs xiv, 34.
Righteousness exaltetb a Nation.
1 O propofe nîa:fimsof civil polity in a re- ligious affembly, to propofe maxims of religion in a political affembly, are two things, which feem alike fenfelefs and imprndent. The chrif- tian is fo often diftinguifhed from the flatefman, that, it would feem, th^ey weraopporitc charac- ters. We have been lately, taught to believe, that Jefus Chrift,. by giving us an idea of a i^o^ ciety more noble than any we can form upon earth, hath forbidden us to prevent the miferies ef this flate, and to endeavor to procure the glo- ry of it. It hath been faid, that kingdoms and ftates cannot be elevated without violating the laws of equity, and infringing the rights of the church..
How general foever this odious notion may have been, hardly any one hath appeared openly to avow it till of late. The impudence of plead- ing for it was referved for our age, for a chrif- tian admitted into your provinces, cheriflied in your bofom, and, O fhame of our churches Î ap- pearing among proteftant refugees, as the devil formerly prefented himfelf before the Lord among the angtis of God.*'
We propofe to-day, my brethren, to endeavor to unravel the fophifms of this author, to fhew
you
w * Voyez Bayle, Continuât, des penfees divers. Tom. ii. pag. 5^8.
The Harmony of Religion, ^c. 223
you the açrecnent of religion with civil polity, and to eftablilh this propofuion, that as there ig nothing in religion to counteract the delign qi a wife lyftera of civil polity, to there is nothing in a wife Tyrtcin of civil government to counter* a6l the deiign of the chrilVian religion. I: was the wifeft of all kings, who taught us this lefTono He fpeaks of the exaltation of a nation, and this is the eiid of civil polity. He fpcaks of righte- ousness, and this is the dciigp of religion, or rather, this is religion itfelf. He afHrms, that the latter 18 the foundation of the former, and this is the agreement of religion with civil gov- ernment. It is righteousness^ faith he, it is zighteousjiessy that exalteth a nation»
This propojition of Solomon needs both ex- plication and proof ; and this difcourfe is in* tended to furnifli both.
In our firft part we v/iil flate the queftion, fix the fenfe of thefe terras, righteoufuefs, exaltation ; we will fee afide the various falfe fenfes, which occaHoned the opinion that we intend to oppofe ; and by thefe means we will preclude fuch objec- tions as n)ay be made againfi our do€liine. '
In the fécond part, we wilf a.lledge feme argu- ments in favour of the propofition contained in the text wheit properly explained, and fo prove that righteousness exalteth a nation.
This nation is exalted, my brethren : but, al- low me to fay, it is not by its righteousness, We- have n.pt therefore chofen this text to, create an opportunity of making encomiums on you ; but \?e treat of the fubjedl in order to fix your atten- tion on the proper means of prcferving and aug-. mcnting your clevition. Plappy if our delign meet with fuccefs 1 Happy if we contribute, tiiough not according to the extent of our wifiics, yet according to the utmoft of our ability, to the ^glory of this ftate Î
I. Wc
.224 The Harmony of Religion
I. We juft now infmuated, that the falfe gloffes put upon the maxim of the wile man wer« tlf principal caules of our backwardnefs to ad- iTiit the t'Uth of it. I: is, therefore, important to ttate the qucflion cl«ar}y.
1. When we aîîîim thAt righteousness and religion in general, (for it would i.^ f^ïy to prove that the word righteousness in the text is t:o be taken in this vague fenfe) I fay, when we aitirm t^jat ïeligion exaltntb a nation^ we do not mean fuch a religion as many imagine. We ingTu- oufly acknowledge, and would to God the whole world acknowledged ! that neither the religion of a cruel man, nor the religion of a fupeifti- îious perfon, nor the religion of an enthtffiaû, can exalt a nation*
How can the religion of a cruel man exalt a ^nation ? The religion of fuch men is too well Jkftown for the peace of Europe. Such aa thefe, ' under pretence of devotion, cut a free courfe for their own black and inflexible pafllons, Thefe arm themfelves with the civil fword to deftroy all, who doubt the truth of their fyflems ; they put violence in the place of dcmonftrationj and endeavor to eftabiiflj the gofpel, as if it were the Koran of Mohammed, by force and con- ftraint. Thefe charaders, as I jufl now faid, arc too well known for the peace of Europe, Even now, while I Ipeak, I behold many, who have fo^ered under fuch cruelty, and have op- pofed the Rrongeft argument againfl it. No, my brethren, this is not the religion that etialtetb a nation* Such a religion depopulates ftatcs, ruins commerce, and is a never-failing fource of civil wars and intefline commotions. The re- ligion, of which we fpeak, is a kind, patient, gentle religion j a religion, the grand charac- ter of which, is forbearance, benevolence, and fVaternal love ; a religion inimical to error and herefy : bat which, however, pitict the errone- ous
4ini Civil Polity^ 225
«u^ and the heretic ; a religios, which exerts itfelf to eradicate falfe clo£\rines : but which leaves each at»liberty to admit the truth ; a re- ligion, which hath no other fword than the rtvord of ibe Spirit^ nor any other weapon than that of the word.
How can the religion of a superstitious man exalt a nation ? It makes devotion degenerate into idlenefs, it increafeth the number of ecclc- fiaftics, and fo renders many members ufrlels 'to iociety. It waftcs, in pretendedly pious founda- tions, immenfe fums, which might have con- tribuied to the atlvancement of arts and fcienccs. It generates fcruples in the minds of ftatefmcn, and fo rettrains the exercife of thofe fine facul- ties, which God created for the good of the ftate. It puts the cafuiO in the phce of the prince, and the prince in the place of the cafaift, thecafuift on the -throne, and the pnnce in con. fellion at his feet. No, my brethren, this is not the religion, ot which we fpealc. The religion, of which we fpeak, is oppofite to fuperftition. It is juft and folid, requiring us to *' render un- to Caefar the things that are Cxfar's, and tinto God the things that are God's," Matt. xii. 17» It prcfcribes bounds to fovereigns : but it re-^ quires cafuifts alfo to know their place.
How can the religion of an enthusiast con- tribute to the exaltation of a nation ? The foul of an enthufiaft is always agitated with vifions and reveries. He incelîantly thrufts himfelf into the company of the great, in order to infpire them with his own fpirit, and to breathe into' them the foul of enthuliafm. He sndeavors tat' animate governors, called to watch over a ftate, ' and to conduft the people to national happinefs, with his wild fchemes. He is always talking of extirpating the icformation, and thundering excommunications againft thofe, who do not en- ter into his extravagant projeiSls j his anathemas U i»
£2 25 The Harmony à f Religion
are as extravagant and wild as the projefts them- i'elves. This is not the religion, of which we I'peak, The irligion, that er^aiteth .a jiatioriy'is derived from the treaCurpsof the. Divine .Intelli- gence ; it was formed in the mind of that Su- preme Spirit, from whom wifdom proceeds, as the Rieam tiows Irom the fpring : and not in the ideas of a difordered brain, nor in the dreams of a vilionary.
Wc wiflj you to take religion and righteouf- rcfs in the/rwefenfe of the terms. This is our firft elucidation. This is the firft , precaution, that mult be ufed to underftand the (late of the ^ueftipn.
2. We do not mean to affirm, that the.trac religion is fo neceffary in û// its doclrines, and in. all the extent of its precepts, that there, are no infiances of the flouriHiing of focieties, which have not been wholly regulated by it. We ac- knosvledge that fome focieties of men, vvho have, been only partially governed by its maxima, have enjoyed long and glorious advantages upon the theatre of the world ; either bccaufe their faVfe religions contained fome principles of recr titude in common with the true religion ; or. becaufe God, in order to animate fuch people 'to praclife fome virtues, fuperficial indeed, but, however, neceiTary to the being of fociety, an- nexed fuccefs to the exercife of them ; or be» caufe he profpered them to anfwer fome fecret defigns of his wifdom ; or becaufe, finally, rec- titude was never fo fully eflablilhed on earth as to preclude injuftice from enjoying the advan- tages of virtue, or virtue from fuffering the penalties of vice. However it were, we allow the fafl, and we only affirm, that the mofi: fure method, that a -nation can take to fupport and exalt itfelf, is to follow the laws of righteoufnefa and the fpirit of religion. This is a fécond elu= cidation tending to llate the queftion clearly.
3. We
and Civil Polity, 227
3, We do not affirm, that in every particular .Tase religion is more fnccefst'ul in procuring"
fome temporal advantage than the violation of it ; fo that to confider fociery onjy in this point of light, and to confine it to this particular cai'c 'independently of all other' circuniflances, te^ "Sligion yields the honor of pof\erity to injufticc 'We allow, fome Rate crimes have been fuccef»»-' fnl, and have heen the fteps, by whicli fome peo- ple have acquired worldly glory. We even al- low, that virtue hath fonietimes been an obftact^. A'o grandeur. We only affirm, that, if a nation "be cbnPidered in every point of light, and in s^l circumftances^ if all things be weighed, it w.i.il be found, thai the more a fociety pra^iî'e virttx-, the more profperiiy it will enjoy. We atlirm, that the more it abandons itfelf to vice, the mx^re inifery will it fooner or later fuffer ; fo tha-t the very, vice, which contributed to its exaltation, will produce its deftruftion ; and the very vir- toe, w-hich ieems at firft to ^bafe it, will, in the Mtiïd', ejcalt it to glory. This is a third élucida- • tion,"^ ' ' 1 r • ■ ■ . •. ■' , '
4. We do not mean by exaltatiot), tbdt sort s>f ehvatioity at which worldly 'heroes, or rather cy- rants, afpire. We acknowledge, <har, if by ex- alting a nation be underftood an elevation eX-* tending itfelf beyond the limits of re^5titnd^, an elevation not dire^led by juftice and p;ood faith, an elevation confifling of the acquilitions ©f wanton and arbitrary power, an elevation obliging the whole worla to fubmit to a yoke ot flavery, and fo becoming an executionier of di- vine vengeance on all mankind ; we allow, that in this fenfe exaltation is not an elTecl of rigbtV" ousness. But, if we underhand by .ejca/^mç"^:: nation whatever governs with gentî'enefs, -negc- ciates with fuccefs, attacks with courage, de* fends with refolution, and conftitutes the happi- nefs of a people, whatever God always beholds
with
2 28 The Harmony of Religion
^vith favorable eyes ; if this be what is meant by exalting a natioriy we affirm, a nation is ex- alted only by righteoulnc-fs.
5. In tine, we do not affirm, that the profperi- ty of luch a nation would be fo perfedt as to exclude all untoward circumftances. We only fay, that the higheft glory, and the moft pcrfeft happinel'ç, which can be enjoyed by a nation in a world, where, after all, there is always a nnx- tore of adverfity with profperity, are the fruits of rightcoufnefs. Thefc elucidations muft be retained, not only becaufe they explain the the- fis, which we arc fnpporting, and becaufe they are the ground of what we fliall hereafter fay : but alfo becaufe they IVrve to preclude fuch ob- jeifilions, to folve fuch difficulties, and to unravel fuch fnphifms, as the author, whom wc oppofe, urges againft us.
One argument againft us is taken from the abufes, which religion hath caufed in focicty : t»ot this tujedtion is removed, by taking away faife ideas of religion. A fécond obje^ion is taken from the cafe cf fouAC idolatrous nations, "Who, though they were i^rangers to revealed re- ligion, have yet arrived at a great height of worldly glory : but this objeftion is removed by our fécond elucidation. A third objeftion is tak- en from feme particular cafe, in which vice is of more advantage to a flate than virtue : but this obje<f\ion falls before the manner in which we have ftatcd the queflion. A fourth objeûion is taken from extravagant notions of glory : but thif ohjed\ion is removed by didinguiflung true exaltation froKi falfe. Filially, an objedlion is taken from the evils, which the moft virtuous focieties fuffer, and we have hikno.vledged, that this world will always be to public bodies what it is to individuals, a place of milcry, and we have contented ourfelves with affirming, that the moftfolid happinefs, which can be enjoyed here,
hath
and Civil Poliiy. 229
hath rightcoufncfs for its caufc. The narrow limits, to which we are confined, will no: alluw us to carry our refl'célions any further, 'i'he)', however, who niedit.-^te profoundly on the matter, will eafily perceive that all ihele objedions are, if not abundantly refuted, at leafl fufficiently pre- cluded by our explications,
We will now proceed to (hew the grounds of the maxim of the wife man. We will open fix fources of reftedtions ; an idea of fociecy in .gen- eral ; the conftitution of each government in par- ticular ; the nature of ans and fciences ; the conduft of providence ; the promifes of God hiui- felf ; and the hiftory of all ages, Thefe articles make up the remainder of this difcourfe,
II. I. Let us fiifl form an idea of society in generals and cor^fider the motives, which incjuced mankind to unite themfclves in fociety, and to fix: themfelves in one place. By doing this, we (hail perceive, that righteousness is the only.thing that can render nations happy. Every individual hath infinite wants ; but only finite f'iculticsjp fupply them. Each individual of mankind hath need of kijowledge to inform him, laws to dire£l him, property ro fupport him, medicine to/relieve him, aliments to nouriPn him, clothing and lodging to defend himfelf againfl the injuries of the ieafons. How eafy would it be to enlarge this catalogue i Similar mtereils form a firailar deOgn. Divers ^mcn unite tiiemfelves together, in order that the induflry of all mayfjpplytlie wants cf each — > This is, the origin of focieties and public bodies of men.
It iseafy to comprehend, that, in order to en- joy the blelUags pro^pofed by i:hi;s aîTembiagf,.fome fixed mp^iims miift.be laid down and invicUbLy .obeyed. It will be necelTary for all the members of this body to coiifider themftlves as naturally equal, that by this idea they may be inclined to affprd each other mutoal.fuccor. It will be, ne» U 2 cc{r.r/
230 The Harmony of Religion
ceffary that they (hould be fincere to each other, Ifft deceit fhould ferve for a vail to concral the iata'. dcfigns of fome from the eyes of the reft, Jt will be nectlTary for all to oblerve the rules of rigid equity, that fo they may fulfil the contra<f\s which thty bound themfelves to perform, when they wece admitted into this fociety. It will be nectffary, that efleera and benevolence ftiould give life and aftion to righteoufnefs. It will be necelTary., that the bappinefs of all Ihou'd be pre- ferred before the intercft of one ; and that in cafes where public and privi^e iutereifs clafh, the public good fhould always prevail. It will be ne- ■cefTary, that each fnould cultivate his own talents^ that he may contribute to the happinefs of that fociicty, to which he ought to devote himfclf with the utmofl fincerity and zeal.
Now, my brethren, what can be more proper *o make us obferve thefe rules, than religion, tl.an righteousness? Religion brings us to feel our natural equality ; it teacheth us, that we origin- ate in the fame doft, have the fame God for our Creator, are all dcfwended from the lame fitft pa- rent, all partake of the fame miferies, and f^re all doomed to the fame laft end. Religion teacheth us fincerity to each otler, that the tongue fhould be a faithful interpreter of the n)ind, that we {hould speak every man truib ivith bis neighbor^ Epb. iv. 25. and that, being always in the fight of the God of truth, we fhould never depart from the laws of truth. Religion teacheth us to be juf\, that we fhould " render to all, their dues : tribute to whom tribute is due, cuf\om to whom cuftom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor ; that whatfoever we would that men fhould do un* to us, we fhould do even fo unto them," Rom. xiii. 7. Matt. vii. 12. Religion requireth us to be animated with charity, to confider each other as creatures of one God, fubje<5l:3 of the fame king, Q3C tubers of one body, and heirs of the fauc
glory.
and Ctvil Polity. 23*
glory. Religion requireth us to give up private intereft to public good, not to seek our own, but t'very one another's ivealtb ; it even requireth us io lay do'wn our lives for the brethren. Thus by coniidering nations in thefe primitive views, it is righteousness alone that exalts them.
2. But all this is too vague. We proceed next to conCder each form of government in par* ticular. It is impra^tjcabie tor all the members oi fociety, on every preffing occafion, to affcmble together and give their I'uffiages. Public bodies therefore ?.gree to fet apart fomc of their number, "who arc accounted the foul, the will, the deter* mination of the whole. Some nations have com- niitted the fupreme power to one, whom they call monarch; this is a monarchical ftate. Others have committed fupreme power to a few of their own body, called magistrates, senators, nobles^. or fome other honorable appellation ; this is a re- public, called in the fchools an ariftocracy. Oth- ers have diffufed fupreme power more equally among all the merubers of their fociety,. and have placed it in all heads of families ; this is ^popular government, ufually called a democracy* Society gives its authority and privileges into the hand» of thefe perfons ; it entrufts and empowers them to make laws, to impofe taxes, to raife fubfidies, to make peace or declare war, to reward virtucj to punifli vice; in one word, to do whatever may be beneficial to the whole fociety, with the felici» ty of which they are entruf^ed.
If we confxder thefe various forms of govern* ir.ent, we fiiall find, that each nation will be more 01 lefs happy in its own mode of governing, will more or lefs prevent the inconveniencies to which it is fubjed, according as it (hall have more or lefs. attachment to religion or righteousness.
What are the particular inconveniencjts of a monarchical g)vernincnt ? In what cafes is mon- archy fatal to ihj: liberty, qua io to the fehciiy,
of.
232 The Harmony of Religion
of a nation? When the monarch, ioftead of mak- ing the good of the people his fupreme law, fol- Icrws nothing but his own caprice» When he thinks himfelf vefted with fupreme power for his
^own glory, and not for the glory of his kingdom. W^hen, by ftretching his authority beyond its lavv- fi)l bounds, he endeavors arbitrarily to difpofe of the lives and fortunes of his fubjed\s. When, in order to avenge a private quarrel, or to i'atiate his tbirft for 3 glory, from vvhich his people derive
'*tib benefit, he ëngageth them in bloody. wars, and facrificeth tïiem to a vain and imaginary grandeur, when he waftes the fubftance of his people in fu- perb buildings, in exceffive embelliflinients, and in fumptuous equipsges. When he impofes on them enormous tributes, and exorbitant taxes. When he is inatfctliible to the widow and the or- phan, "When he gives himfelf up to indolence, and doth Wot ^ftodjr the wants of his fubjefts.
■ When, thoiigh he appropriates to himfelf the advantages tît' empire, yet, in order to free him- 'feif frorti the fatigue of governing, he commits the reins to a ralh counfellor or to an infolent favorite. Wheti he entertains fuch an idea of
'royalty as one anciently formed, who defined it a right to do whatever we will with impunity ;
'fuch ^ri idea'as that, which a mean flatterer gave of it to Alexander the Great, Do as many urt-
'^jufl aérions as yon will, in>poverifh your fubje6\s 'by exactions, extortions, and rapines, to fatisfy
■your luxury and ambition, it is all right, it is al! lovely, becaufe you chdofc to have it fo.* When,
'indeed of being thé father of his people, be
'ftrives to be the executioner, like that brutal emperor, who wiflied the Roman empire had but
■one 'head that he might firike it off at a blow.f
•Thefe are the inconveniencies of the firft kind of government. In
c '
* Plutarch ad princip. indo<a,
I f Sueton, Calig. ch^p. xxx.
and Civil Polity. 233
In what cafes h the fécond kind of govern- ment hurtful ? Is it not, when any one of the magiftrates, inftead of confidering himfelf as a fmgle member of the affembly, aims to be at the head of it ? When he intrudes into office by finirter means. When he ufeth his power, not for the public good, but for the advancement and glory of his own family. When he is mean enough to fell his vote. When he ingratiates himfelf with a tiumber of feditious people, in or- der to form cabals, and to engrofs fupreme pow* er. When he doth not take pains to inform him- felf of the merits of a caufe, before he deter- mine it. When be affociates colleagues witb himfelf, wbofe incapacity is intended to be made a foil to his own abilities, tn(\ead of calling in men more able than himfelf to fupply his own defeats. In one, >vhen he makes himfelf judge in his own caufe.
Let us obfcrvc, laftly, when a popular govern* cient becomes hurtful. Is it not when, by a inepe principle of levity, laws are made and un- made by caprice ? When, under pretence of equality, » proper deference to fuperior under- ftandings is refufed ? When intrigue and cabal give effect to evil counfels ? W^hen a powerful faAion oppreffes the virtuous few ? When pop- ular liberty degenerates into licentioufnefs and anarchy, and when the ambition of many be- comes an evil, as enormous and fatal as the ty- ranny of one ? Thefe, and many more, are the imperfeûions of thefe three forts of government» Need we to take up your time in proving, that all thefe ills are moft and beft precluded by re- ligion I Do we not all recoiled foroe fcripture maxima, which would reftrain thefe exccifes ? I need not, therefore, multiply quotations to prove this point. Is not each of us convinced, that, if we thus confidcr nations in regard to the forms of their government, it is righteousness alone that exalts them ? 3. Our
;%^4 ^^^^ Harmony of Religion
3. Our doftrine will appear in a clearer light .flill, if we procrcd to examine the liberal arts ^and sc{e}ices. The mprf a lociety follows the ^fpirit of religion, the more wiil religion cherifii -^them.^upder its foftcring.wiiifr. Jurisprudence ,w.ill lipuriÛi, hec^ufe law will be: difen^ag-cd from ^ambiguity, which perpetuates animôTuies ; be- caufe counfellors will plead. none but juftcaufes ; and b.ecaufe judges will never fufTer tbemfelves to be corrupted by gij^^, vjhich blind ibe ejes of jJb.e .wise : bin -wjll always. decide accordiiig to the Ipirit p/.tb,c l/ft^fj^^n^ tlje di£lates..^f con- fcie.nce.. ..■.;■.- [■ ^ * ,' '^ ,"-- .!'..';! ♦ ;^ • ^^ ,Th^ milifa^'J. Orp wjjll.-floiirjRi^ bëcaufé x\\e fol- .jd.ler w^ll not defraud the .p.fEc_er, the ofncer wijl .not defraud the toldie/ ; becaufe bo'h will go jintp the army, .nojt merely to obtain the favor of ahqir g.QY,e:r,nors, but tçj.pleafe God ; becaufej bein'g prepared to die by an anticipated repcfil- . tance, th.çir a^çdor y/.ill not be reflfainecl by" the j^fe^r of fariin^ into the ba^.^s pj "an angVy (yoà ; , b^cgqjÇe, fliûjild .they .havp neg-léfted tp conciliante -jiçhe faypp of God before -a b^ttje, they .vybujid be .perfuaded, eyen i,n .the be^t of it, that the beft way to pleafe him would be to difcharge tlie du- ty of their office ; \vhere,as when foldiers feel . their confciences agitated, when amidfl the 'dif* ]^cbàrg,e of the, £rtiilei:y of their enemies they diï*- .cover eternal .flames, whsn they. fee hciropening . under their .feet, .and th.e horrors of eternr.l pun- ..ifliment f^icceeding thofe of the field of battle, they will always fight with reludance, and ea- .jfJeavor to avoid futurp rpifery by Seein^g .away .fiço.ai. pre fent death.: ^^,. ,-,,,,
In a virtuous ti^içy çômMfrce ^'J\\\%on\^t[^J l>ç- ^caafe the merchant, always fpeakipg the truth, .apd dealing with good fait.h, wjll attra(5l general credit .and conhclence ; always . following the ^tules of wifdom and prudence, he, .will never en- ,gage in ralh ujidert^kings, Y'l^**?^ >i!Jll»V fap^i^'^s
and
' ■ ' ''and Civil Polity. 235^
aind^fubvert whole houfes ; nor beiiig' ahVnia't'eâ^ With avarice or vain ^l^vj'': he wUl rict fifft ac-"* quire richcs'by injudice', .ârTdiieiit \vki\e them' with iridifcretiori ; depéàdin^ 'on the'bieiiing^s of* heaven, all his labors Will b^ enlivened witli* courage and joyo '" ' ' ' ^ ''
In Inch ^ iUteydhhiiiy''^\ÏÏÛo\in%'y b'e'cauftf. each, burniug with zeal foi' the glbry of God, will carefully cultivate a fcience, which hath God for Its objc-dl ; bécaùfé. bein^ free from i^ parry fpirit, he will receive the tnith,- ^vhateve'f* hand may prefent it to him' ; becaure, by'refeT--'s ring religion to its chief end, he \Villno't fpend his life in the purlult of trifles ; beciaufe, full oP ■seal for his falvation, he will be attentive to eve-* ry fïep towards it ; becaàfe, not being é^iïîaved'* by his paiîions, he will not be enveloped in thé" darknefs produced by them ; or, to exprefs my-' felf in the language of fcripture, becalife, by dd-'^ jng tee will of Godf be ivill knonv iv-hctbèr':Çut\f- an d' fu c h doc Irines zomé î'com t h e S u p r e m e ; B e i n^, ' or from the preacher only, John vii. 17, ' '
The mechanical arts will flouriflivin a virtu- ops Hate, beciiufe they, on v/hom God hath not bctVowéd genius equal to the inveftig^Jtion of ab- ftrad fcicnces, whom he hath fitted for l^fs no- ble'ftatibns in fociety, will fill up thofc fta'tions with the ijtmoft care, and will be happy in deriv-" irig from them fuch advantages as they produced Thus a juft, notion of atts and fciences opens to us a third fou rte of arguments to prove the truth of our text.
4. The do£trlne oï providence opens a fourth, as otliers have obferved. The coridudl of provi- dence, in regard to public bodies, is very differ-' eht from that, which prevails in the cafe of in- dividuals. In regard to the latter, providence" is involved in darknefs. Many times it feems to condemn virtue and eVown injuftice, and to' leave innocence to groan in filencC) and to em--
power
23^ The Harmony of Religion
power guilt to riot and triumph in public. The wicked rich man fartd sumptuously every day^ Lazarus desired ia vain to be fed -with the crumbs that fell from bis table, Luke xvi, 19,21. St. Paul was exc-cuted on a icaffold. Nero reigned on Cafsr's throne. And to fay all in o\\t word, Jefus Ghrift was born in a ftable, and Herod lived and died in a palace.
But providence is direfted in a different meth- od in regard to public bodies. Profperity in them is the tffeft of righteoufnefs, public hap- pinefs is the reward of public virtue, the wifeft nation is ufualJy the molt fuccefsful, and virtue •walks with glory by her fide. God iometimes indeed afSidls the nioft virtuous nations : but he doth fo with the defign of purifying them, and of opening new occafions to beftow larger benefits on them. He fometi mes indeed profpers wicked nations:; Ijut their jprofperity is an effort of his yaiiejTce and long fuffering, it is to give them itimc topi'eventrtheir deftru6lion ; yet, after all, as I faid beicre, profperity ufualiy follows righte- oufnefs -in public bodies, public bappinefs is the reward of public virtue, the wifeft nation is the moft'faccefsful, and glory is generally conne<5led .■with virtue.
rPbey, to whom we are. indebted for this re- ilé£lion, have grounded it on this reafon, A day will come when Lazarus will be indemnified, and the rich man punilhed ; St. Paul will be reward- ed, and Nero will be confounded ; Jtfus Chrifl: will fill a throne, and Herod will be covered with ignominy. Innocence will be avenged, juftice Satisfied, the majefty of the laws repaired, and the rights of God maintained.
But fuch retribution is impraticable in regard to public bodies. A nation cannot be puniDied then as a nation, a province as a province, a kingdom as a kingdom. All different forts of government wili be then aboliflied. One indi- vidual
and Civil Polity» z^j
vîdual of a people will be put in poiTeflioi) of glory, while another will be cover-d with fliame and confufion of face. It (hould (eeai, then, that providence owes to its own reélitude thofc times of vengeance, in which it. pours all its wrath oi\ wicked focieties, fends them plagues, wars, fam- ines, and other cataftrophies, of which hiftory- gives us fo many memorable examples. To place hopes altogether on worldly pol'-cy, to pretend to derive advantages from vice, and fo to found the happinefs of fociety on the ruins of religion and
virtue, what is this but to infuk providence ? .
This is to arouze that power againll us, which fooner or later overwhelms and confounds vicious focieties.
5. If the obfcurlty of the ways of providence, which ufually renders doubtful the reafonings of men on its condad, weaken the laft argument, let us proceed to confider, in the next place, the - declarations of God himfelf on this article. The whole twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy, all the bleffings and curfes pronounced there, fuU ■ ly prove our dodrine. E.ead this tender com- plaint, which God formerly made corxerning the irregularities of his people, " O that they v/erc wife, that they underftood thie, that they would confider their latter end ! How fhould one chacc a thoufaud, or two put ten thoufand to flight:'' chap, xxxii. 29, 30. Read the afFeifling words> which he uttered by the mo«th of his prophet, <* O that my people had hearkened unto me, and Ifrael had walked in my ^yays i 1 (hould i'oou have fubdued their enemies, and turned my ban^i k^ainfl tbnir adverfaries. Their time, fnould have" endured forever. I fnould have fed them alfo "With the fineft of the wheat ; and with honey ouç of the rock fhàuld I have fatisûed them," Pf-^lm"* Ixxxi. 13, &c. Read :he noble promifes made byj the rainiftry of Ifaiah, " Thus faith the Lord thy Kçdeèmer, the Holy One of Ifrael, I am th^ 'Y Lord ^
03S The Harmony oj 'Religion
Lord thy God which tcacheth thee to prophet, v?hich leadeth thee by the way thou fliouldeft go. O that thou hadft hearkened to my command- Ojcius I then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteoufnefs as the waves of the fea : thy feed alio had been ac the fand, and thy name fliould not have been cut 60'', nor deftroyed from before me," chap, xlviii. 17, Sec. Read the ter- rible threatenings'denounced by the prophet Jere- miah, " Though Moie^ and Samuel flood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this peo- ple ; cafi: them out of my fight, and let them go forth. And it fhall come to pafs, if they fay un- to thee, *:Whither (hall we go forth? then thou {halt tell them, Thus faith the Lord, Such as are for death, to death ; and fucUas are for the fword, to the fword; andfuch as are for the famine, to the famine ; and fuch as are for the captivity, to the captivity. And I will appoint over them four kinds, faith thé Lord ; the fword to flay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, und the beafts of the earth, to devour and deflroy. For vho (hall have pity upon thee, O Jerufalem ? or \pho fiiall bemoan thee ? or who (liall go afide to afk how thou doeil ? Thou haft forfaken me, faith the Lord, thou art gone backward : therefore will I ftretch out my ha^rd againft thee, and dcftroy thee; 1 am weary of repenting," chap. xv. 1, Sec. The language of our text is agreeable to all thefc palTages ; it is rigbteousnessy faith the text, it is righteoufnefs that exaltetb a nation» Th\.]^ God fpeaks ; moreover, thus he ads, as we (hall . fhcw you in the next articie.
6. The history of all ages affords us another clafs of arguments in defence of our dodrine, and fo proves the truth of it by experience.
Had ever preacher a wider or more fruitful field than this, which opens to our view in this part of our difcourfe ? Shall we produce you a fiftof Egypdans, Peifians, AfTyrians, andGreeksj
■ cr
and- Civii Pûliiy. s.39
orRbmans who furpaffed them all ? Shall we fhew you all thefe nations by turns exalted as they refpedled righteoufncfs, or abafed as they negledcd it ?
By what myfterious art did ancient Egypt fub» fift with fo much glory during a period oï fifteea or fixteen ages ?* By a benevolence fo extenfive, that he, who refufed to relieve the wretched, when he had it in his power to aflift him, was himftlf puniihed with death : by a jultice fo impartial, that their kings obliged the judges to take an oath, that they would never do any thing againft their own confciences, though they, the kingg themfelves, fliould command them : by an aver- fion to bad princes, fo fixed, as to deny them the honors of a funeral : by invariably rendering to merit public praife, even beyond the grave ; for when an Egyptian died, a feflion was held for the dired purpofc of inquiring how he had fpent bis life, fo that all the refpe£t due to his memory might be paid : by entertaining fuch juft ideas o£ the vanity of life, as to confider their houfes au- inns, in which they were to lodge as it were only for a night, and their fepulcres as habitations, in which they were to abide many ages, in which, therefore, they united all the folidity and pomp of architeûure, witnefs their famous pyramids : by a life fo laborious, that even their amufements were adapted to flrengthen the body, and improve the mind : by a readinefs to difcharge their debts fo remarkable, that they had a law, which pro- hibited the borrowing of money, except on con- dition of pledging the body of a parent for pay^ ment, a depofit fo venerable, that a man, who deferred the redemption of it, was looked upon with horror : in one word, by a wifdom fo pro- found, that Mofes himfelf is renowned in fcnp- ture for being learned in it,
Br
* Diodor. Sicil. lib. i. h^* 3. Herod, lib. ii.
'Ç40 The Harmony of Religion
Bjr what marvellous method did the Perfiahs obtain fuch a diflinguiflied place of honor in an- cient hiftory ?*" By conudering falfehood in the moCr horrid light, as a vice the meaneft and mofl dilgraceful : by a noble generofity, conferring favors on the nations they conquered, and leav» ing them to enjoy all the enfigns of their former grandeur : by an uiiiverfal equity, obliging them- felves to publiih the virtues of their greateft ene- riies : by obferving, as an inviolable fecret, ftate nffairs, fo that, to ufe the language of an ancient author, neither promifes nor threatenings could extort it, for the ancient laws of the kingdom obliged them to be Trient under pain of death ; by a decorum fo regular, that queens and all court jadies quitted the table as foon as ever the com* pany began to lay afide moderation in drinking : by religioufly recording noble anions, and tranf- tnitting them to pofterity in public regifters : by educating their children fo wifely, that they were taught virtue as other nations were taught let- ters : by difcoverlng no grief for fuch youths as died uneducated. The children of the royrffam- ily 'Aere put, at fourteen years of age, into the hands of four of the wifcik and moft virtuous Hateirnen. The £rft taught them the worfhip of the gods ; the fécond trained them up to fpeak truth and praftife equity ; the third habituated ihcm to fubdue voluptuoufnefs, to enjoy real lib- erty, to be always princes, and always ntaflers of themfclves and their own pgfTions ; the fourth fnfpirtd them with courage, and, by teaching them how to command themfelves, taught them: how to maintain dominion over others.
We purpofelv omit the noble and virtuous ac- tions of the Affyrians, and Medes, the Greeks, and other nations, who were the glory of the ages in which they lived. 3ut îet us rot pafs by- ancient
. * Herod. Ub. î. iii. Plat. Alcib. r.
and Civil Polity» 241.:
ancient Rome : Was eter nation more exalted I* One expreffion of Caelar will give us a jufl notion of their excellence. Cicero recommended a friend to him, and this was his anfwer : In regard to Marcus Fur his ^ whom you bave recommended to mcy I will make bim king of Gaul, If you bave any otber friends you wish to bave promoted^ you may command me,\ But by what unheard-of prodigy did old Rome, compofed at firft of no more than three thoufand inhabitants, carry con-^ queft in lefs than fix hundred years to the ends of the earth ? Thus fpsaks the Emperor Julian, By what impenetrable fecret did this confufed njixture of vagabonds and thieves become a femi- nary of heroifm and grandeur ? By a wife dociU ity, fo that even kings fometinies fubmitted to the advice of individuals \ witncfs Tullus Hoi- tilius, who durft not decide the cafe of Horatius, but referred it to the people :!• by an obierva- tion of the law fo {lri€t, that Brutus condemn- ed his two fons to die by the hands of the pub- lic executioner, for having liftened to the am- bitious propofals of the Tairquins, who were confpiring to enflave the citizens, and remount the throne : by a frugality fo great, that fuch men as Curius^ Fabricins, Hegulu«s iEmilius, Paulus, and Mumraius, thefe great deliverers of the Roman people, were feen-to feed their own cattle, to cultivate their lands, and to live with- out pomp and parade ; by an excellent economy, fo that Atilius Regulus, , who commanded a Ro- man army in Africa, demanded leave of the Seti- ate to go home and provide for the wants of his family, from whom a day laboref had -ftolen the working tools ufed in cultivating hb sftate of V 2 - feven
• Montaign de la grandeur Romaine, lib. ii. chap. 24.
t Cicer. Epifl. ad famil. lib. vii. 5. Some copie:; read not Furius, but M. Orfms. See Spanheim ia,Lb«i Cxlars, page 161.
I Liv. lib. i. 16.
242 ^^^ Harmony of Religion
{even acres ; a requifition fo jufi, that the Sen- ate engaged to buy tools, to ciiUivate his land, and to fupport his wift: and children at the pub- lic charge :* fo far did the)' carry this virtue, that the elder Cato, returning from Spain to Italyy fold his horfe to fave the charge of freight, and ufually, when he travelled, carried his own knapfack, which contained all his travelling ne- CtflTaries : by an ardent love for the general good, fo that every thing was referved for the public : temples, baths, Foads, aqueducts, tri-- UiTiphal arches, all were foperb, when the nation- al glory was in view, as all things for the ufe oî individuals were plain : by an utter averfion to ufelefs bravery, fo that they confidered in a light equally mean, the general, who expofed his per- fon needlefsly, and him, who avoided danger, ■when the public good rendered it neceiTary for Vxm to expofe himfelf:t by a fcrcpulous cau- tion not to undertake unjuO: wars ; to guard againft which, they had a college a^ Rome, where it was coolly exaniined, whether an in- tended war were jufi or uniufl, before it was propoied to the fen ate and the people :| by an unfjrmountable aveilion to every fpecie ot military fraud,, fo that Lucius Marcius, (my brethren, how ought this idea of Pagan heroes* to cover fome witl» confuiion, who oftentatioufly affeâ. to play the hero in the chriftian world I) Lucius Marcius, I fay, having deceived Perfcs, king of Macedonia, by giving him falfe hopes of peace, and having conquered hnn by tliis ftrata- gem, was adjudged by the fenate to have vio- lated the Homaa laws, and to have fwerved^ frorn the ancient cuftoms, according to which it was a maxim to conquer by valor and not by fraud.
If, -
* Liv. Epitom. lib. 1 8. Montagne de la parfimonie des anciens, lib i. chap. 5a*
t Selluft de bcll. Catil ix.
\ Coll. des faciaux. Dion. lialic. lib. î5. Antj^. Rom. lib. i. 32.
end Civil PoUty. s^^
If", having (hewn the caufe of the profperitjr of ancient nations, we were to inquire into the reafons of their decline j were we to compare the Egyptians under their wife kings with the Egyptians in a time of anarchy, the Perfians victorious under Cyrus, with the Perfians ener- vated by the luxuries of Alia, the Romans at liberty under the Confuls, with the Roman! enflaved by their Emperors, we iliould 5nd, that the decline of each of thefe nations was owing to the praflice of vices oppofite to the virtues which had caufcd its elevation : we ffiould be obliged to acknowledge, that vain glory, luxury, voluptuoufnefs, difunion, envy, and boundlefs ambition, were the hateful mearvs of fubvcrtîn^ fiâtes, which, in the height of their profperity, expedVed, and in all appearance juftiy- expeClea, to endure to the end of time : we (hould be obliged to allow, that fome excefTes, which, in- certain circumrtances, had contributed to exalt" tlrefc nations, were, in other circumftances, the means of ruining them.
True, ambition impelled Cafar to elevate the Republic of Rome to a pitch as high as it is pofli* ble for human grandeur to attain. Armed for the defence of the Republic, he fought for it, thougli lef£ for it than for his own glory, and dif- played, we grant, the Roman eagle in thefurtheft parts of Afia, rendered Gaul tributary, fwelled the Rhine with German blood, fubdued the Brit- ons, and made all the Adriatic coafts refound the fame of his viétories. But did not the fame am- bition impel him to excite a civil war to arm Rome againft Rome, to cover the Pharfalian field with carnage and foak the ground with Roman blood, topurfue the ftrattered remains of Pompey's army into the heart of Africa^ to give a queen, or rather a proftitote, the kingdom of Egypt, to reduce the firft and moft free of all nations to a ftate of meannefs and fervility beneath the moft
abjea
244 ^^^ Harmony of Religion
abje£l of mankind ? For, my brethren, wliat were thefe Romans after they had lofl their liber- ty, and given themfelves up to abfolnte makers ? Thefe Romans, who had given the univerfe law ; thefe Roman citizens, even the mcanefl of them, who would have thought thcmfelres difgraced had they mixed their blood with that »f kings ; thefe Romans, once fo jealous of their liberty, have we not feen thefe very people under their emperors •fubmit to vafTalage fo as to become a fcandal even to (laves ? Infamous flatterers, did not they ereél altars to Claudius, Caligula, and Nero? Did Dot Rome hear one. of its citizens addrefs this language to the.lall of thefe monfters ? " Choofe, G«far, what place you will among the immortal gods. Will you fway the fceptre of Jupiter, or mount the chariot of Apollo ? There is not a deity, who will not yield his empire to you, and count it an honor to refign in your favor.*
But is it neceffary-to quote ancient hiflory in proof of what we have advanced, that is, that the fame vices, which contribute at firft to exalt a nation, in the end caufe its decline and ruin ? There is a nation,! in favor of which all things feem to promife a general and lafting profperity. It has îin- advantageous fituation, a fruitful foil, a temperate climate, an agreeable fociety, an- cafy accefs, a mutual generofity, an inimitable induflry, quick penetration in council, heroical courage in war, incredible fuccefs in trade, fur- prifing dexterity in arts, indifputable reputation in fciences, an amiable toleration in religion, feverity blended with fweetnefs, fweetnefs temper- ed with feverity.
Does this nation pafs the bounds ? At firft it acquires advantages more than nature and. art bad given it. The boundlefs ambition of
the
• Lucan. Pharfal. lib. i.
f This fermon was preached in 1706»
and Civil Polity, 24 J^
the monarch infpires the fubje£ls with a noble pride. Authority, eftablifned by defpotical pow- er, enflaves the judgments of all to the will of one. A treacherous policy at firft impofcs on neighboring ftates. Troops, impelled by a rafh valor at firft, furmount all obftacles. Toleration is banifhed, the prince takes the place of God himfelf, and exercifes his prerogative. Violat- ing the faith ofedifts, procures fome prefent ad- vantages. An infatiable avidity adds fortrefe to fortrefs, city to city, province to province, kingdom to kingdom. But where is'divine prov- idence ? Where is the truth ©f our text, righteousness exalteth a nation ? What pitch of grandeur can religion obtain for a people, "which cannot be obtained by other means ?
Stop. The objeûion made to our dodrine demônftrates the truth of it. The ambition of the monarch, communicated to his fubjedlsj will there produce all the fatal effeéis of ambi- tion. Defpotical power, which enflaved the. judgments of all to the abfolute will of one, will caufe the judgments of all to refift the will of one. That deceitful policy, which took neigh- boring ftatcs by furprize, will infpire them with diftruft arid precaution. Troops hwrrred on by Taftinefs will find out that rafhnefs is the high road to defeat. Toleration difallowed will dif^ affedl the hearts of faithful fubjefts, and induftry will flee to foreign climes. The violation of cdi€ls will deftroy confidence in all the public inftruments of government. An infatiable avid- ity of territorial acquifitions, of poffefling forts, cities, provinces, and kingdoms without num- ber, will require more attention and greater ex- penfe than any nation can furnifh. A ftate in this condition, will fink under the weight of its own grandeur, it will be attenuated by being expanded, and, if I may ufe fuch an expreffion,, impoverifiied by its abundance. Each pafTion,
put
24$ 7"^^ Harmony of Religion
put in motion will give a (liock peculiar toitfelf, and all together will unite in one general blow - fatal to the edifice, which they had eref\ed. A ■ prince, by becoming an objeél of the a*lmiration of the world, becomes at the fame time an ob- jedi of jealoufy, fufpicion, and terror. Hence come civil commotions and foreign warSé Hence the forming of leagues, and deep-con- certed plots. Hence mortality, fcarcity, and famine. Hence heaven and earth in concert againft a ftate, that feemed to defy both earth and heaven.. Hence an eternal example to juf- tify providence in all future ages, and todemon- ftrate to the moft obflinate the doftrine of the text, that only reditude can procure fubftantial glory,.
Thus, we think, we have fufHciently eftablifh- ed our propbe<*s propofition : and we will finifii the arguments, by which we have fupported it, by giving you the charadler of that author, who hath taken the greateft pains to fubvert it.* He was one of thofe inconfiflent men, whom the fineft genius cannot preferve from felf-contradidlion, and whofe oppofite qualities will always leave us in doubt, whether to place them in one extreme, or in another diametrically oppofite. On the one hand, he was a great philofopher, and knew how- to diftinguifh truth from falfehood, for he could fee at once a connexion of principles, and a train of confequences : on the other hand, he was a great fophifter, always endeavoring to confound tryth with falfehood, to wreft principles, and to force confequence?. In one view, admirably learned und of fine parts, having profited much by the labors of others, and more by the exercife of bis own great fenfe : in another view, ignorant, or affedling to be ignorant, of the moft common things, advancing arguments which bad been a
thoufaod
• Mr. B*yle.
and Citjil Polity. --24^-
■Adufand tiroes refuted, and ftarting obje£li(His which the greateft novice in the fchcols durft not have mentioned without bluQîing. On the one hand, attacking the gre^tcft men, opening a wide field for them to labor in, leading them into de- vious and fugged paths, and, if not going beyond them, giving them a world'^of pains to- keep pace with him : on the other hand, quoting the mean- eft geniufes, offering a profufion of incenfe to them, blotting his writings with names that had never been pronounced by learned lips. On the one hand, free, at leaft in appearance, from every difpofition contrary to the fpirit of the gofpcl, chafte in his manners, grave in his converfation, temperate in his diet, and auftere in his ufual courfc of life : on the oth^r,- employing all the acutenefs of his geniuc xo oppofc good morals, and to attack chaftity, raodefty, and all other chriftian virtues.. Sometimes appealing to a ti-ibunal of the mod rigid orthodoxy, deriving arguments from the pureft fources, and quoting divines of the moft unfufpefted foundnefs in the faith : at other times, travelling in the high road of heretics, reviving the objedions of an- cient herefiarchs, ferging them new armor, and uniting in one body the errors of pâft'àges with thofe of the prefent time. O that this man, who was endowed with fo many talents, may have been forgiven by God, for the bad ufc he made of them I May that Jefus, whom he fo often attacked, have expiated his crimes 1 But, though charity conftrains us to hope and wi(h for his falvation, the honor of our holy religion obliges us publicly to declare that he abufed his own underftanding, to proteft before heaven and earth that we difown him as a member of our reformed churches, and that we Ihall always confider a part of his writings as a fcandal to good men, and as a peft of the churcha
We return to our prophet. Let us employ a
few
s 4^ The Harmony of Religion
few moments in reflecSling on the truths we have? heard. Thanks be to God, my brethren, we have, better means of knowing the righteousness that exalts a natioîi, and more motives to prailife it, than all the nations, of whofe glory we have been hearing. They bad only a fuperficial, debafed, confufed knowledge of the virtues, which confti» tute fubftantial grandeur ; and, as they held er- rors in religion, the^»^ muft necefTarily have erred in civil polity. • God, glory be to his name Î hath placed at the head of our councils the moft perfe£l legifl^tor, that ever held the reins of government in the world. This legiiiator is Jefus Ghrift. Ilts kingdoKiy indeed, is not cf this worlds but the rules he has given us to arrive at that, are proper to render us hapoy in the prefent ftate. When "he fays, Seek yejirst the kingdom of God^ and his rightecusnessy and all other things sJiall be added to you, Matt. vi. 33- he gives the command, and makes tke promife to whole nations as well as to individuals.
Who ever carried fo far as this divine legiflator ideas of the virtues, of which we have been treat- ing in feveral parts of this difcourfe, and by pradtifing which nations are exalted ? Who ever formed fuch jufl; notions of that benevolence, that love of fecial good, that generofuy to ene- mies, that contempt of life, that wifdom, that veneration for noble exploits, that docility and frugality, that devotednefs to public ufe, that, diflançe from falfe glory, that magnanimity, and all the other virtues, which -render aniiquity ven- erable to us ? Who ever,gave fuch wife inflruc- tjons to kings and fubje<Sls, magiftraies and peo-, pie, lawyers and merchants, foldiers and ftatef- men, the world and the church ? We know thefe virtues better than any other people in the world. We are able to carry our glory far be- yond Egyptians and Perfiaps, Affyrians and Medes, iacedenjoni>ios, Athçnian^j and Ro- mans i
'Cnd Civil Polity, ^^j
mans; if not that fort of glory, which glares and dazzles, at leaft that, which makes tranquil and happy, and procures a felicity far more agree- able than all the, pageantry of heroifm and world- ly fplendor.
Ghriftians, let not thefe be mere fpeculations to us. Let us endeavor to reduce them to prac- tice. Never let us fuffer our political principles to clafh with the principles of our religion. Far from us, and far from us for ever, be the abomin- able maxims of that pernicious Florentine,* who gave ftatefmen fuch fatal Icffons as thefe : A prince, who would maintain his dignity, ought to learn not to be virtuous, when affairs offtate re- quire him to praiStife vice; he ought to be frugal with his own private fortune, and liberal with public money ; he ought never to keep his word to his own difadvantage ; tie ought not fo much to afpire at virtue as at the femblance of it ; he ought to be apparently merciful, faithful, fincerc and religious, but really the direû oppolite ; that he cannot polEbly praftife what are accounted ■virtues in other men, becaufe necelHty of ftate will often oblige him to a<Sl contrary to charity, humanity and religion.; he ought to yield, to the various changes of fortune, to do right as often as he can, but not to fcraple doing wrong when need requires.— I fay again, far from us be thefe abominable maxims! Let us obey the precepts of Jefus Ghrift, and by fo doing let us draw down blcflings on this nation more pure and pcrfe€l than thofe which we now enjoy.
The blefiings we now enjoy, and which provi- dence beftowéd on us Co abundantly a few d?\^s ago,t (hould infpirc us with lafting gratitude; however, ray brethren-, they are not, they ought not to be, the full accomplilhment of our wiflies« W Such
• Machiavel. Prînc. xv. xvi. xvii. \ At tbe battle of Ramilles, M*y 23, 1705.
5250 The Harmony of Religion
Such laurels as we afpire at, are not gathered in fields of battle. The path to that eminence, to vhich we travel, vs not covered with human gore. 1'he acclamations we love, are not excited by ■«vars, and rumors of wars, the clangor of arms, and the fhoatings of armed me«i.
Were our pleafure, though not of the pureft fort, perfect in its own kind, we ihould experience a rife in happinefs Î But can we enjoy our victo- ries, without mourning for the miferies which procured them I Our triumphs indeed abafe and confound our enemies, and make them lick the duft; yet thefe very triumphs prefent one dai|c iide to us. Witnefs the many wounds, which I ihould make a point o«f not opening, wei'v; it not a relief to mourners to hear of their fufferings ; were it not equitable to declare to thofe, whofc iorrows have procured our joy, that we remem- ber them, that we are concerned for them, that •we fympathize with them, that we are not fo tak- en up with public -joy as to forget private woe. Witnefs, I fay, fo many dcfolate houfes among us. Witnefs this mourning in which fo many of us appear to-day. Witnefs thefe affeftionate Jo- iephs, who lament the death of their parents. Witnefs thefe Marys and Marthas, weeping at the tomb of X.azarus. Witnefs thefe diftrefled Davids, who weep as they go, and exclaim, O Absalom^ my son ! my son Absalom ! would God I had died for ibee ! 0 Absalom, my son^ my son ' 2 Sam. xviii. 33. Witnefs thefe Rachels, who make Rama echo with their cries, refusing to be comforted^ because their children are not^ Jer. ocxxi. 15.
My dear bretliren, on whom the hand of God is heavy, ye forrowful Naomis, ye' melancholy Maras^ toith whom the Almighty bath dealt very bitterly^ Ruth i. 20. we (hare your griefs, we »ix our tears with yours, we feel all the Jblows
~ that
and Civil Polity, 2^
that ftrlke you. O fatal vi£lory I O bloody glo- ry I you are not fruits of righteousness,
ChriOians, if our joy be mixed, it is becaufe our righteousness is mixed. Let us not learch' for our misfortunes in any other caufe. Let us do, when any thing is wanting to complete our joy, what the ancient people of God did, when- ever they were conquered. The congregailon was affembled, the ephod was put on, the oracle was confulted, inquifition" was made from tribe to tribe, from family to family, from houfe to Koufe, from perfon to perfon, who it was, whole fin had caufed the lofs of the vi(5lory, or the lofs of a regiment, and when he was difcovered he: "was put to death. JoOiua, after he had met witîi ^ repulfe before Ai, and had loft thirty-lix raen^ rent his garments, and Jay on his faCe upon the earth before the àrk of the Lord. In like man- ner, let us, my brethren, at the remembrance of ihfedled. countries, fields of battle covered with ifarcafes, rivers of blood dying the foil, confufed. heaps of dead and dying fellow-creatures, new globes of fire 'flying in the air, let iis examine ourfelves. Happy, if, as in the cafe juft now mentioned, only one' criminar could be found among many thoufands of innocent perfons Î A'.as 1 we are obliged, on the contrary, to lament, that there is hardly one innocent among thou- fands of the guilty.
Where is the Achan, who imbitters the glorr- cos and immortal vidtories, which God grants to Ifrael? What tribe, what family, what houfe, (hall'be taken? Is it the magiftrat^ ? Is it the people? Is it the paftor ? Is it the flock ? Is It the merchant ? Is it the Toldier ? Ah 1 my brethren ! do you not hear the oracle of the Lord anfwering from the terrible tribunal cre6led in your own confciences ? It is the magiftrate ; it ÎS the people ; it is the paftor ; it is the flock ; it is the merchant j it is the foldieri
It
2(j2 The Harmony of RcUgkn
It is that magistrate^ who, being required to have alway<5 before his eyes that God, by wbotn kings reign, and that throwe, before which the greateft monarchs of the world muft be judged, is dazzled with his own grandeur, governed by x worldly policy, and hath more at heart to enforce the obfervation of his own capricious orders, than thofe rules of eternal reditude, which fecure the hïeiy and happinefs of a nation.
It is that people^ who, inflead of confiderin^ the felicity of that nation whose God is the Lord, are attempting to be happy independently of God ; choofmg rather to facrificc to blind chance, than to him who is the happy God^ and who alone dif- pcnfes profperous and advcrfc circumftances.
It is that minister^ who, ipftead of confining^ bis attention to the difcharg^e of all the duties of his office, performs only fuch parts as acquire him a popular reputation, negledting private duties, fuch as friendly and afFediionate remonflrances, paternal advice, private charities, fccret vifits, which characterize the true- minifters of the gof- pel.
It is that congregation y which, inftead of re- garding the word dilpenfed by us as the word of God, licentioufiy turns all public miniftrations into ridicule, and under pretence of ingenuity and tVerdom of thought, encourages infidelity and ir- réligion ; or, at beft, imagines that religion con- ftrts more in hearing and knowing than in practice and obedience.
It is that soldier, who, though he is always at war with death, marching through fire and flames, hearing nothing but the found of warlike inftruments crying to him wiih a loud and dread, ful voice, remembsr^ you must die ! yec frames a morality of his own, and imagines, that his profeflion, fo proper in itfelf to incline him to obey the maxims of the gofpel, ferves to free hitn itom all obligation to obedience*
Ah Î
and Civil Polity. 253:
Ah ! this it is, which obfcures our brighteft triumphs ; this ftains our laurels with blood ; , this excites lamentations, and mixes them with our fongs of praife. Let us fcatter thefe dark clouds. Let us purify, o»r righteoufnefs in order to purifj^ our happinefs» Let religion be the bridle, <he rule, the foul of all our councils ; and fo may it procure us unalterable peace, and unmixed pleaC- ure I or rather, as there is no fuch plea Cure on earth, as imperfection is a charafter elTential to human affairs, let us elevate our hearts and minds to nobler obje£ls, let us figh after happier periods^ and let each of us feek true glory in the enjoyi- mcnt of God. God grant us this grace I To kim be honor and glory for ever, Amen.
W 2 SERMOH.
SERMON X.
CHRISTIAN HEROISM.
Proverbs xvi, 52. .
He that ruteth bis spirit, is better than he that taketb a city,
Vr ERE we to judge of tbefc words by the firft iropreflions they make on the mind, we (hould place them among fuch hyperbolical propofuion» as imagination forms to color and exceed truth. The mind on fome occafions is fo ftruck as to magnify the objed in contemplation. The more fufceptible people are of lively imprcflions, the more fubjeft they are to declamation and hyper- bole. We find thefe maxims fometimes neceffary in explaining the facrcd authors. Were we to ad- here icrupuloufly to their words, we fliould often miftake their meaning, and extend their thoughts beyond due bounds. The people of the caft feU dom exprefs themftlves with precifion. A cloud intercepting a few rays of light is the sun dark* ened : A meteor in the air is the poivers of the heavens shaken : Jonah in the belly of the fifti is a man down at the bottom of the mountains : Thunder is the voice of Jehovab, ponverful and full of majesty^ dividing flames of fre^ breaking cedars of Lebanon, making Syrians skip^ and stripping forests bare : A fwarm of infedls is a nation set in battle array, marching every one on bis nvays, not breaking their ranks, besieging a city, having the teetb of a lion, and the check teeth of a great lion, Joel i. 6. and ii. 7, 9.
If we be ever authorized to folve a difficult text, by examining the licenfe of hyperbolical Hyle : if ever it be necelTary to reduce hyperbole to precifioP) is it not fo now in explaining the
tcx;
Christian Heroism. 255
text before us ? He that ruleth his spirity is better than he that taketb a city. What ji ftnefs can there be in comparing a man, who by reflec- tion correds his paflions, with an hero, who, in virtue of concerted plans, great fatigues, fpending days and nights on horfeback, furmounting diffi- culties, enduring heats and colds, braving a va- riety of dangers, at laft arrives, by marching through a ftiower of (hot darkening the air, to cot through a fquadron, to fcale a wall, and to hoift his flag in a conquered city ?
But however juft this commentary may appear^ you will make do ufe of it here, unlefs you place chriftianit; in the exercife of cafy virtues, and after the example of moft men, accommodate r«« ligion to your paffions inftead of reforming your ^ffions by religion. Endeavor to form princi- ples, refift falhion and cuftom, eradicate prejudice^ undertake the conqueft of yourfelf, carry 6re and fword into the moft fenfible part of your foul, enter the lifts with your darling fin, mortify your members vfbiçb are upon earthy rife above flefh and blood, nature, and felf love, and, to fay all in one word, endeavor to rule .your spirit ; and you will find, that Solomon hath rigoroufly ob- ferved the laws of prccifion, that be hath fpokea the language of logic and not of oratory, and that there is not a ftiadow of hyperbole or exag- geration in this propofition, He that ruletb his spirity is better than be tbat taketh a city.
But to what period fliall we refer the explici- tion of the text ? We will make meditatioa fupply the place of experience, and we will eftab- liih a truth, which the greateft part of you have not experienced, and which perhaps you never will experience. This is the defign of this diC» courfe. Our fubjeA is true heroifm, the real hero.
I enter into the matter. The word beroism ifi tiorrowed of the heathens. They called thofc
tnea
25^
Christian Heroism.
men heroes, whom a remainder of modefly and religion prevented their putting into the number of their gods, but who for the glory of their ex- ploits were too great to be enrolled among mere men. Let us purify this idea. The man, of whom Solomon fpeaks, be i&ho ruleth bis spirity ought not to be confounded vvith the refl: o£ mankind ; be is a man transformed by grace^ one, who, toufe the language of fcripture, is a partaker of tbe divine îiature. We are going to fpeak of this man, and we will firft dcfcribc him, and next fet forth his magnanimity, or, to keep to the text, we will firft explain what it is to rule tbe spirit f and, fecondly, we will prove, that bey that ruletb bis spirit, is better iban be^ ■that taketb a c,itj. If we proceed further, it will .only be to add a few refledlions tending to coa- ^vince you, that you are all called to heroifm ; rtbat there is no middle way in religion ; that you muft of^neceiTity, either bear the fhame and infamy of being mean and daflardly fouls, or be crowned with the glory of heroes.
.1- Let us firft. explain the words of the text, JO rule tàe spirit» Few words arc more equivo- .cal in the facrsd language than this which our finterpreters have rendered spirit. It is put i«n •different places for the thoughts of the j«/W, .the pafiions of the heart, the emotions of sense, •phantoms of imagination, and illufions of concu- piscence. We will not trouble you with gram* .inàtical differtations. In our idiom, to rule the spirit, (and this is precifely the idea of Solo- .mon) to rule tbe spirit is never to fuft*er ones- ièlf to be prejudiced by falfe ideas, always to fee things in their true point of view, to régulât» .our hatred and our love, our defires and our inac- tivity, exad\ly according to the knowledge we have obtained after mature deliberation, that ob- jects are^ worthy of our efteem, or deferve our averfion, that they are worth obtaining, or prop- er to be negleded. But,
Christian Heroism, ^57-
But, as this manner of fpeaking, to rule the */>/>/(, fuppofes exercife, pains, labors, and refin- ance, we ought not to confine ourfelves to the general idea which we have given. We confider man in three points of light ; in i^egard to his natural difpofitions ; in regard to the objeds that furround him ; and in regard to the habits which he hath contrad^ed.
!• Confider the natural dispositions of man* Man, as foon as he is in the world, finds him* fclf the flave of his heart, inflead of being maf« ter of it. I mean, that inftead of a natural facil- ity to admit only what is true, and to love onljr ithat is amiable, he feels, I know not what, in- terior power, which difpofes him to truth and Tirtoe, and conciliates him to vice and falCc*- ilood.
I am not going to agitate the famous qtieftion of freewill, nor to enter the lifts with thofe^ who are noted in the church for the herefy of denying the doctrine of human depravity ; nor will I repeat all the arguments, good and bad^ Hhich are alledged againft it. If there be a fub» jeA, in which we ought to have no implicit faith,, either in thofe who deny, or in thofe who affirm ;; if there be a fubjed, in the diAcuâlon of which^ they who embrace the fide of error advance truth, and they who embrace the fide of truth ad* vance falfehoods, this is certainly the fubje^.^ But we will not litigate this doctrine. We will alledge here only one prcof of our natural de* pravity, that (hall be taken from experience, and, for evidence of this fatal truth,., we refer each ofyottto his own feelings»
Is virtue to be praûifcd ? Who does not feci; as foon as he is capable of obfërving, an inward power of refiftance ? By virtue, here I under- ftand an untverfal difpofition of an intelligent foul to devote itfelf to order, and to regulate its Condudl as ordei requires. Order demands, that,
whea
^^
Christian, Heroism,
when I fuiFer, I (hould fubmit tnyfelf to the nighty hand of God, which affii^ls me.,^ When I- am in profperity, order re(}uires me to acknowl- edge the bounty of my benefacbor. If I pofTefs talents fuperior to thofe of my neighbor, order requires me to ufe them for the glory of him, from whom I received them. If I am obliged to acknowledge, that my neighbor hath a richer endowment than I, order requires me to acquiefce with fubmifTion, and to acknowledge with hu- mility this difference of endowment : Iho^uld 1% revolt with infolence, or difpute through jealoufy or felf-Ioye, I (hould aifldiforderly. . What I afiirm of virtue, that it is a general difpofition, that I affirm alfo in regard to^n in-, difpofition to fin.; To avoid vice is to oefifl:^ alike from every thing contrary to order, ' fropy flanderand anger, from indolence .^nd.,v.ol,uptu-' Qufnefs, and fo on« . ^ -.^
'. He, who forms fuch ideas of the obligations, of raep, will have too .many reafpns to acknowU, e^ge', by his own inward feelings and experience,, tiiat-we bring into the world with us propenfities l^oftile and fatal to fuch obligatipns. Some of- thefeare in the body ; others in the mind. ,"
, Some are in the body. Who |& there, that finds in his fenfes, that fupplcnefs and readinefs. of compliance with a volition, which is itfelf di-, reded by la-ws of order ? Who does not feel bis conflitution rebel againft virtue ? I am not fpeaking now of fuch men as brutally give them* felves up to their fenfes, who confult no other laws than the revolutions of their own minds^ and who, having abandoned for many years ,the government of their fouls to the humors .of their bodies, have loft all dominion over their fenfes», I fpeak of fuch as have the moft fincere defire to hear and obey the laws of order. How ofte^ 4oe3 a tender and charitable foul find in a bfidy,^ Cub je it to violence and anger, obftacles aga'inft
■ the
Christian Heroism. 2^
'the exercife of its charity and tendernefs ? How ofien does a foul, penetrated with refpeû for the -laws of purity, find in a body, rebellious againft ^his virtue, terrible obftades, to which it is in a 'manner conftrained to yield?
Diforder is not only in 'the body ; the soul is in the fame condition. Gonfult yourfelves in regard to fuch virtues, and vices as are, fo to fpeak, altogether fpiritual, and have no relation, or a very diftant one, to matter, and you will find you brought into the world an indifpoiition to fome of thefe. virtues, and an inclination to the oppofite vicest For example, avarice is one of •thefe fpiritual vic^s, having oniy a very diftant r relation to matter. 1 do not mean, that avarice does not incline us toward fenfible objeds, I on- ly fay, that it is paiïion lefs feated in the materi- al than in the fpiritual part of man ; it rifes rather out of retiedions of the mind than out of motions of the body. Yet how many people are born fordid ; people always inclined to amafs money, and to whom the bare thought of giv- ing, or parting with any thing, gives pain ; peo- ple who prove, by the very manner in which they exercife the laws of generofity, that they are naturally inclined to violate them ; people who never give except by conftraint, who tear away, as it were, what they beftow on the neceflities of the poor ; and who never cut off thofe dear parts of themfelyes without taking the mofl af- 'fei^ionate leave of them ? Envy and jealoufy are difpolitions of the kind, which we call fpirit- ual. They have their feat in the foul. There are many perfons, who acknowledge the injuftice and bafcnefs of thefe vices, and who hate them, and who neverthclefs are not fufiicient mafters of themfelves to prevent the dominion of them, at leaft to prevent a repetition of them, and not to find fometimes their own mifery ia the prof- :çerity of other perfons.
As
.^,6o .Christian Heroism*
As we feel in our conftitution obftacles to vir- tue, and propenfities to vice, fo we perceive alfo ^inclinations to error, and obftacles to truth. Thefe things are clofely conneded ; for if we find within us natural obftacles to virtye, we find, for that very reafon, natural obftacles to truth ; and if wc be born with propenfities to vice, «ec are born on that very account prone to error. Striûly fpeaking, all ideas of vice may be refer- red to one, that is to error. Every vice, every irregulaf paflion openly or tacitly implies a falfc- hood. Every vice, every irregular paflion in- • cludcs this error, that a man, who gratifies his paflion,. is happier than he, who reftrains and moderates it. Now, every man judging in this manner, whether he do fo openly or covertly, takes the iide of error. If we be then naturally inclined to forae vices, we are naturally inclined to ifome errors, 1 mean, to admit that falfe prin- *ciple, on ^hich the irregular palîion eftabliiheth the vice it would commit, the dcfire of gratifica- tion. An impalTionate man is not free to dif. -cern truth from falfehood, at leaft, he cannot -v^ithout extreme conftraint difcern the one from the other. He is inclined to Ex his mind on •whatever favors his paflion, changes its naturcy and difguifcs vice in the habit <rf virtue ; and, to fay all in one word, l>e is impelled to fix his mind on whatever makes troth appear falfe, and falfehood true.
I conclude, the difpoiition of mind, of which Solomon fpeakss, and which he defcribes by rui* ing the spirit^ fuppofes labor, conftraint, and ex. crcife. A man, who would acquire this noble difpofition of mind, a man, who would rule bis spirit^ muft, in fome fort, re-create himfelf ; he finds himfelf at once, if I may be allowed to fay fo, at war with nature ; his body muft be form- cd anew ; his humors and his fpirits muft be turned into another channel ; violence rauft be done to all the powers of his foul. 2."
Christian Heroism: 26j.^
2- Having, confiderecl m^n in regard to his natural difpoluions, ohferve him, iecoiidly, in re-.^ gàrd to surrounding ohjt^cts. Here yon will obr-* tain a fécond expoiition of Solomon's words, He^^ that ruletb bis spirit ; you vtfill have a feco.iid'' clafs of evidences of liiat exercife, labor, and" conftr'aint, which true heroifm fuppofes. Society is compofed of many enemies, who fee m to be taking pains to increafe thofe difficulties, which oiir natural difpofition's oppofe agalnft truth and' •virtue'.
' Ekamîne thé niembers of this fociety among, ■whom -we are appointed to live, confult their ideas, hear their converfâtibn, \véigh their reà-' fonings, and you will find ajmofl every where,' falfe judgments, error?, miflalces, and prejudices ; prejudices of birth, taken from our parents, thîî' uu'rfes'who fuckk'd us, 'ih'è people who nVade"the* habits, in which vve were wrapped in our cradles V' -préjudices of education, taken from, the mailers',' to whom the care of our earliefl days was cocfi- ' mîttéd, from fortîc falfe ideas, which they had imbibed in their youth, and from other iilufions^ "which they h?.d create'd* ttîém'felvès t ' p'refudices'' of country,, taken froin 'the'kénius of the peopfe'^ among whom we have liv'e^, artdj fo to fpeakj from the vqry air we have breathed' : prejudices " of religion, taken from our catechifts, from thc^ divines we have confûUed, from the paftors by' whom we have been dintdtid, from thefeft we' have embraced, : pi'éjudices of •friendfliip, taken^ from the çonrte^dllbn's we have had, and thé cdin-' pany' we have kept : prejud'ices of trade and pro-' feffian, taken from ttie mechanical arts we haie' followed, or the abRraifil fcienCes we have ftiidi-'^ ed : prejudices of' fortune, takeii from the Goti-' dition of life in whi^h we have been, eitheriamoiig'^* the noble or the poor^' Th»<9'i^' only aim a}!'" part of t1ie',caoSis, by which error is x:onvéyed to.' us.* WBar efforts muft aiiïàn ifiake, what pains' X raufl
S.62 Christian Heroism,
tnuft he take with himfelf, to preserve himfelf from contagion, to hold his foul perpetually in equilibrium, to keep all the gat-es of error fliut, and inceffantly to njaintaiij, amidfl fo many prejudices, that freedom of judgment, which -weighs argument againft objeélion, objeélion againrt argument, which deliberately examines all that can be advanced in favor of a propofi- tioa, and ail that can be faid again^ft it, which confiders an object- in every point of vi<w, and ■which makes uc .xietermine only as we are con- ilrained by the firrefiftible authority, and by the foft violence of truth, dcmonftration, and evi- dence ?
As the men, who furround us, fafcinate.us hy their errors, fo they decoy us into -vice hy their example. In all places, and in all ages, virtue .had fewer partlzans than vice : in all ages and jn all places, the friends of virtue were fo few in ccmparifon of the partlzans of vice, that the faints complained, that the earth was not inhab- ited by men of the firft kind, and that the whole world was occupied by the latter, " the godly roan ceafeth ; the farthful fail from among the children of men. The iLord looked down from heaven upon the children of men ; to fee if there were any that did underfland, and feek God. They are all gone afide, they are altogether be- come filthy : there is none that doeth good, no not one," Pfal. xii. 1. and xiv. 2, 3. An exag- geration of the prophet, 1 grant, but an exag- geration for which the univerfality of human depravity hath given too much occafion. Caft your eyes attentively on fociety, you will be, as our prophet w?is, aftonilhed at the great number cf the partlzans of vice ; you will be troubled, as he was, to diftin^uifh in the crowd any friends of virtue ; and you will find yourfelf inclined to fay, as he faid, there is none that dçetb^ood, no^ not one.
But
Christian Hermm» 2&3
But how difTicult is it to rcGft example, and to rule tbè spirit among fuch a number of ty- rants, who aim only to enHave it I In order to Fcfift example, we miift inceffantly oppofe thole natural inclinations, which urge us to imitation. To re fi ft example, we muft not fufTer ourfelves 'to be dafczled either with the number, or the fplendor offuch as have placed vice on a throne. To refi ft example, we muft brave perlecution, and all the inconveniences, to which worldly people never fail to expofe them, who refufe to follow them down the precipice. To refifl example, we muft love virtue for virtue's fake. To refifl: eX' ample, we niuft tranfport ourfelves into another ■world, -imagine ourfelveâ among thofc holy focie- ties, who furround the throne of a holy God, "Who make his excellencies the continual matter of their adoration and homage, and who tiy at the firft Cgnal of his hand, the firft breath of \>H mouth. What a work, what a difficult work for you, poor mortal, whoife eyes are always turned toward the earth, and whom your owi involtinta* ry and infurmountable weight iacefTantly carries downward !
3. Finally, we mufl acknowledg* what labor^ pains and refinance, the difpofition, of which Sol- omon fpeaks, requires, if we confider man in re- gard to the habits which he hath contrafted. As foon as we enter into the world, we find ourfelves impelled by our natural propenfities, ftunned with the din of our paflions, and, as I juft now faid, reduced by the errors, and carried away by the examples, of our companions. Seldom in the Crîl years of life, do we furmount that natural bias, and that power of example, which impel us to falfe hood and fin. Moft men have done more jhfts'of vice than of virtue, eonfequently, in the courfe of a certain number of years, we contrib- ute by our way of living to join to the depravity of nature that which comes from exercife and ha- bit. ■
264 Christian Heroism.
bit. A man, who w'oujdi^ rw/^ kis spirit^ is thefi required to cradicite tbç. habits which have taken pofTefîîon of hirn. What a taflc i
What ^t'oil:, when we endeavor to prevent the ire.turn of ideas, ,n-h'ch for njàny years our minds have revolved ! What ^ talk, to defend one'5 ftlf from a pafiion which knows all the avenues of the mind, and how to facilitate accefs by means of the body I What a tafk, to turn away irom the Mattering images, and feducing felicitations of concupifcence long accuftOH-ied to gratifica- tion ! What a tafl:, when we are obligpci ^0 xnake the greatçft efforts in tlje weaktA. prt of life, and to fubdae an enem)-, whom we hayé been always ufed to ronfider as oncot^querable, pnd whom we never' durft attack^ v/htn he had no other arms than what we chofe to give Him, and enjoyed no other advantages than fuch as we thought proper to allow 1 -Such labor, fuch pains and conflraint, muR he experience, who acquires the art of ruling his spirit / Now then, as we have explained this difpofition of mind, let us af- fign the" place which is due to him who hath it> Having given -an i^ea-pf real heroifm, we muft clij'play the grandeur of it, and prove the propo^ fuion in my text, He t^hat riihth his, ^pirtt^ is better than be that taketh a citj^.
II. I^'or this pnrpofe, it' is nov necefTary to obferve,. that, by him that tqhth acity^ Solomon iioes not mean a man, who from principles of vir- tue, to defend his country and religion, hizards his life and liberty in a juil.war: in this view, }ie that i.aketb a city^ and be iJial ru'eth bis spirit^ «3 one and the fame man. Solomon intends con- querors, who live, if I may exprefs myfelf fo, upon vi£\Qries and cnrquefts ; he infends herotSj fuch as the world confiders them.
Neither is it necéflary precifely to fix t^e b,oi»i)d,$ of t[iis greneral expreffion. is better. He tba^ rziîeth his spirit^ is better tban be that taketh a
city.
Christian Heroism* 265
city. The fenfe is eafily underftood : in general-, it fignifies, that he that ruleth bis spirit^ difcov- ers more fortitude, more magnanimity, and n>cre courage, that he hath more juft ideas of glory, and is more worthy of cfteem and praife, thaft they who are called in the world conquerors and lie- roes.
We will prove this propofuion by comparing the hero of the world with the chriftian hero, and we will confine the comparifon to four articles ; Firft, the motives which animate them : iecond- ly, the exploits they perform : . thirdly, the ene- mies they attack : and laftly, the rewards they obtain. He that taketh a cityy is animated with motives mean and worldly, which degrade an in- telligent foul, even while they feem to elevate it to a pinnacle of grandeur and glory : but he that ruleth his spirit^ is animated by motives grand, noble and fublime, every way fuited to the excel- lence of our nature. . He that ruleth his spirit^ is capable of all the exploits of him that taketb a city : but he that taketh a city^ is not capable ot" tlte exploits of him that ruletb his spirip. He that taketb a city^ attacks, an exterior enemy, to whom he bath no attachment : but he that ruletb his spirit^ attacks an encn^ry who is dear to hhn, and hath the greatnefs of foul to turn bis arms againR. himfelf. In fine^ i>ff that taketb a citjy is crowned only by idiots, who have no juti no- iVons of grandeur and heroifm : but he that ruleth bis spirit^ will -be crowned with ttie hands of tfee only jull appraifer, .and diipenfer of glory. Thcfe are four titles of fuperiority, which the chriflun hero hath over 4he falfe hero : four foiirces of proofs to eRabliflv the propofition in our text, He that ruletb his spirit , is better than he that, tak- eth a city*
1. Let us confider the motive s .^\ih\ch animate a conqueror that taketh a city^ and the motives which animate a man that obtains rule over his X 2 spirit :
fi66
Christian Heroism,
spirit : the motives of the true hero, with the fi'.OtivcK of the faife hero. What are the motives of a falie hero ? What fpirit animates hini, when iie undertakes to conquer a cit.y ? This is oPfC of the queftions ^^hich finful pafiions have mofl ob- fcured. Truth is difguifed in epifties dedic.atpry, and in profane eulogiums, yea fometimes in relig- ious difcourfes. The majefty of a viélorions genera], the glory of a conqueror, the pompous titi-es of viClor, arbiter of pe^çe, arbiter of. war, have To dazzled us, and in fiptçç fort fo perverted the powers of our fouiv that .w« cannot form juft notions of this fubjeil. Hear pure nature, for- merly fpeaking by the mouth of a nation, who ■were the more wife for not being civilized by the injuftice of our laws and cuftoms. I fpeak of ihe ancient Scy.n ians. The moft famouS; i;aker of ci- ties came to their cabins, and. caverns. He J^.sd already fubdned his fellow cltize.n,s and neigh- bors. Already Thebes and. Athens, Thrace and ThciTaly, had fubmitted to bis arms. Already, Greece being: too fmall a fpbere of action for him, he had penetrated even into PetTia, pn fifed the famous Phrygian river, where he flew, lix hun- dred thoufand men, reduced Caria and Judeo, made war with Darius and conqgered him, per- formed exploit? m-ore than h.uman, and in fphe of nature, befiegcd and took 7"yre, the moft famous fiege recorded in ancient hiftory, fubju- gated the Mardi ard Baclrian?, att?iined the mountains Gaucafus and Oxus, and,, in a word, conquered more countries, and enilaved more people, than we can defcribe, or even mention within the limits allotted to this ç^erçife. Thi^ man arrives \n Scythia. The Scythians feet deputies to him, who th«s addreffed bim. " Had the gods given you a body proportioned to yo,ur ambition, the whole univer.fe. would have been too little for you : witji one hand you will have touched the call., and ^ith the other the
weft,
Christian Tîeroisih. 267
>
wei\, aD(?, not coritent with this, you would have followed the fun, and hv»ve feen where he hides bin ft if. Whatever you are, you are afpiring at vhat you can never obtain. From Europe you run into Aiia : and from Afia back you run sgàin into Europe, and having- enflaved all man- kind, you attack rivers, and forefls, and wild beads. What have you to do with us. ? We have never fet foot in your country. May not a people, living in a delVrr, be allowed to be ig- norant of who you are, and whence you come? You boaft of having exterminated robbers, and you yourfclf are the greateft robber in the world. You have pillaged and plundered all nations, and now you come to rob us of our cattle. It is in vain to fill your hands, for you are always in feaich of frefii prey. Of what ufe are your boundlefs riches, except to irritate your eternal thirfl ? You are the fiffl man, who ever experi- enced fuch extreme want in the midft of fnch abundance. All you have, ferves only to make you defire with niore fury what you have not. If you be a God, do good to mankind : but if you be only aii infignificant mortal, think of what you are, and remember, that it is a great foll^ to occupy things, which make us forget ourfelves."* Thefe are the motives, which ani- iTiate the heroes of the world ; thefe are the fen- timents, which are difguifed under the fine names of glory, valor, greatnefs of foul, heroifm. An infatiable avidity of ricnes, an invincible pride, a boundlcfs ambition, a t^tal forgetfulnefs of what is, what ought to be, and what muft be hereafter.
The motives of him, who endeavors to rendi?» himfelf mader of his own heart, are love of or- der, defire of freedom from the flavery of the paflions, a noble firmnefs of foul, which admits
oniy
* Quintus Curtius, lib. vii. chap. 8.
fi68 Christian Heroism,
only what appears true, and loves only whst ap. pears lovely, after fober and ierious dlfcuflion. In this firft view, then, the advantage is wholly in favor of htm, that rultth his spirit^ I's better than bcf that taketb a city.
2. Compare, in the fécond place, the exploits of him that rulelh his spirit, with the exploits eihim, that taketh a city. He, who is capable OÏ ruling his spirit, is capable of all that is great and noble in him, that takt:th a city : but he, that taketb a city, is not capable of all t." t is great and magnanimous in him^ that ruletb his spirit» I will explain myftlf.
What is there great and mognanimous in a. hero that takeih a city ? Patience to endure fatigue, to furmount difficulties, to fuffer contra- diclion : intrepidity in the mo{\ frightful dan- gers : prefence of mind in the moft violent and painful exerciCes : unfliaken firmnefs in fight ©f a near and terrible difPolution. Thefc are dif- pofitions of mind, 1 grant, which feem to elevate roan above humanity : but a chr'iftian hero is capable of all this, Ifpeakfinc^rely, and without a figure. A man, who hath obtaii>ed a religious freedom of mind, who always pteferves this liberty, who always weighs good and evi!, who believes.only what is true, and does only, what is right ;. who hath always his eye upon his duty, or, as the pfalmift exprefTeth it, who sets the Lord always before him, fuch a man is capable, literally capable, of all you admire in a worldly hero. No difRculty difcourages him, no contra- diélion difconcerts him, no fatigue (lops him, no dangers afTright him, no pain but he can bejir, no appearance of death fhocks him into palenefs, and fear, and flight. Our women and children, our confeffors and martyrs, have literally per- formed greater exploits of fortitude, patience, courage, and conftan'cy, in convents, prifons, and diuigeons, at flakes, and on fcaffolds, than Alex- anders
Christian Heroism. 2^>
andiers and C«fars in all their lives. And where is the'hero of this world, who bath performed Co many adtions of courage and magnanimity in ficges and battles, as our confeffors have for thir- ty ' years o«n board the gallies ? The former -were fuppprted by the prefence of thoufands of witneffcs : thé latter had no fpe^ators but God, and their own confciences. The chriRian hero is capable then of all that fs great in the hero of the world. But the worldly hero is incapable of performing fuch exploits as the chriflian hero peVforms ; and he knows perfeûly, that his hero- ifra doth not condufl him fo far in the gath of
f'lory. Try theftrength of a worldly hero. Set im to contend with a pafllon. You will foon End this roan, invincible before, fubdued into flavery and {hame. He, who was firm and fear- lefs in fight of fire and flame, at the found of warlike inftruments, becomes feeble, mean, and enervated, by a feducing and enchanting obje£t»- Sampfon defeats the Philiftines : but Dalilah fûb- dues Sampfon. Sampfon carries away the gates eif Gaza : hut Sampfon finks under the weight of hi? own fcnfuality. Hercules feek^ highwajr robbers to combat, and.roonflers to fqbdue : but he cannot rcfi(\ impurity. We find him on mon- uments of antiquity carrying an infant on his fhoulders, an emblem of roluptuoufnefs, (looping^ under that unworthy burden, and letting his club fall from his hand. There is, therefore, no dec- lamation, no hyperbole in our propofition : the chriftian hero is capable of performing all the great a£lions performed by the hero of the world : but the hero of the world is incapable of per- forming fuch noble allions as the chrifiian hero performs; and in this lefpe^VjZ'e, that ruletb bis spirit^ is bttter than Z?f, thaf tahetb a city,
3. Compare /i/m, that, taketb a city^ ivitb him that ruletb his spirit^ in regard to iht ene- mieSf whom they attack, and you will find in thé
latter
iî70' Christian' Heroiwik
latter a third title of fupenority:> over the former» //f, that takelh a city^ attack's ah exterior trne- iny, who is a Oranger, and' often odious to him. The ambition, that fills' his foul, leaves no roorh for compafiion and pity ; and, provided he can but obtain his end,- no matter to hint though the way. be flre-vved vt'\i\\ the dying and the dead^ to obtai'O that; he travels over mountains of heads, and arms, and carcafes. The tumultu- ous p.iffions, which tyrannize over him, flifte the voice of nature, and deafen him to the cries of a thoufand miferable. wretches facrificed to i»is fame.
The enemy, whom the rhriftian combats,- .is- his own heart: for he is required to turn his- arms againfl himfelf. He mult fufpend aJUfehti- ments of felf-love ; he mufl become his own e»- ccutioner, and, to ufe the ideas and expreflions of- Jcfus Chrilt, he mult adlually deny hîinself,
Jefus Ghrift well knew mank.indi. He did not preach like fome preaching, novices, who, in or* der to incline their hearers to fubdue their paf- fions, propofe the work to them as free from dif>^ ficulty. Jefus Chrift dj(j not difguife the difEcuI- ties, which the man mufl. Undergo, who puts on ^ the fpirit of chriftiapity : and I do not know "whether we meet with any expréfliori in tfie "writings of pagan poets or philofophers, more natural, and at the fame time more emphatical- than this : If any maniuill come after me, let bim denj himself Matt. xvi. 24.
Not that this is Istérally pra6licablé, not that tnaiTcan put off himfelf, not that religion re- quires us to facrifice to it what makes the ef- fence and happincfs of our nature : on the con- trary, flriclly fpeakitig, it is fin, which makes us put off or deny what is great and noble in ouf effence ; it is fin, which requires us to facrifice our true happinefs to it. If Jefus Chrift ex- prcffcs himfcif in this manner, it is bccaufc, when
man
christian Heroism. 27-1
man îs poTTeffed with a paffion,'h is incorporated, as it were, witli liin^lclt" ;.it feems to him effcn- tial to his felicity ; every thing troubles, and every thing puts him on the rack, when he can- not gratify it,; without gratifying his paffion, his food hath no;ta(ie, flowers no fmell, pleafuies no pomt, the funis dark, fociety difagreeabie, life itfelf hath no charms. To attack a reign- ing pafiion is to deny self ; ^.nà here is the pa-- tie nee of the saints ; this is the enemy, whom the chrjflian attacks ; this Is the war, which he wageth. How tremulous and weak is the hand, when it toucheth a fwcrd to be plunged into one's own bofom ! Love of order, truth, and virtue, fupport a .cbriflian hero in this almoft deQperate. undertaking.
4. In fine, compare i»/??:, that ruletb bis spir^ it, with him that taketh a citjy in regard. to the acclamations with which they are acG;C'rapanied, .and the crowns prepared for them. Who are the authors of thofe acclamations, vwith which the air refounds the praife of worUjy heroes ? They are courtiers, poets, panegyrifiao But what I are people of this order the . only perfons, who enter- tain juîl notions of glory ; and, if they be, are they generous enongh to fpeak out ? How can a foul wholly iievoted to the will and caprice of a conqueror ; how can a venal creature, who makes a market of eulogiums and praifes, which he fells tx> the higheft bidder; how can a brutal foldiery determine what is worthy of praifé or blame ? Js it for fuch, people todiftribute prizes of glory, and to affign heroes their rank ? To be exalted by people of this fort is a fhamc ; to be crowned by their hands an infamy.
ïllevate, elevate thy meditation, chriftian foul, rife into the Majefty of the Great Supreme, Think of that fublime Intelligence, who unités in his elTence every thing noble and fublime. . Contemplate God, furrounded with angels and
archangels,
«7^- Christian Heroism*
archangels, cberubims and feraphims. Hear the concerts, which happy fpirits perform to his glo- ry. Hear them pei.Vuated, ravifiied, charmed with the divine beauties, crying night and day, *♦ Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Hofts, the "whole earth is full of his giory, Blefling and glory, vvifdom, and thankfgiving, honor and pow- er and might be unto our God for ^ver and ever. Great and. marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty ; juft and true are thy ways,, thou îÇlng of faints. Who fhall not fear thet, O Lord, and glorify thy name ?" This being, fo perfcd, this bein^, fo worthily praifed, this being, 'lb worthy of everlafting praifc, this ir he, who will pi-.onounce upon true glory; this is he, who •will compofe the eulogîum of all who afpire at it ; this is be, -who will one day praife in the face of heaven and earth, all thofe, who fiiall have made 'the noble con^uefis, wliich we have been defcribing^
Imagination fjriks «nder- the" •wie'î^ïiX of thls^ fiibjeâ; and this object is joo bright for cye&' •like otjrs : but the nature of things doth not <lepend on our faculty of feeing them. As God Ccilîs U3 to'coinbats more than human, fo he fees lit to fupport us by 3 profpect of more than hu- man rewards. Yes, it is the Supreme Being, it is he, who will one day diftribute the praifes, "which are due to fuch as have triumphed over themfelves. What a fpeûàcle I what a prof- pe6l 1 Yes, chriftiah champion, af:er thou haJl refilled flefli" and blood, after thou haft been treat- ed as a fool by mankind, after thou hafl run t>ie race of tribulation, after thou, haft made thy life one perpetual maityrdom, thou (halt be called forth, in the prefence of men and angels, thé mafter of the world fliall feparate thee from the crowd ; there he will addrefs to thee this lan- guage, iVeU done ^ good and faithful servant i tHerç lie !wiU ,^çcornpU(h tb? promifei .wlilcfi he ;
this" ■■
Christian- Heroism» 273
this day makes to all who fight, under his ftand» ard» be that cvercometb shall sit doiun in my throiie. Ah Î glory of worldly heroes ; profane encomiums ; faftidious infcripuons ; proud tro- phies; brilliant but corruptible diadems; what are you in comparifon with the acclamations which await the chrillian hero, and the crowns vhich God, the rewarder, prepares for him.
And you, mean and timid fouls, who perhaps admire thefe triumphs, but who have not the am- bition to ftrive to obtain them ; you foft and in- dolent fpirits, who, without reluûance, give up all pretcnfions to the immortal crown, whicli God prepares for heroifir, provided he require no account of your indolence and efîeminacy, and fuffer you, like brute beaRs, to follow the firft inllincis of your nature ; undeceive yourfelves. 1 faid at the beginning-, you are all called to heroifra ; there is no midway in religion ; you mu(t be covered v.'ith fliaroe aud infamy along with the bafe and timid, ivc crowned wl»h glory in company with heroes. I'he duty of an in- telligent foul is to adhere to truth, and to fol- low virtue ; we bring into the world with us ob- ft.acles to both; our duty is to furmount them ; without this we betray our trufl: ; we do not an- swer the end of our creation ; we are guilty, and we lîiall be puniflied for not endeavoring to ob- tain the great end for which we are created.
Let this be the great principle of our divinity and morality. Let us invariably retain it. Let us not lofe ourfelves in diicuirions! and rcfearches into the origin of evil, and into the permilîijn cf the e^itrance of iin into the world. Let us not bury ourfelves alive in f[:iecuIation3 and laby- rinths ; let us not plupge into abyfTes, from which no pains can difcng.^ge us. Let us fear an ocean full of rocks, and let an idea of the fiiip- wrecks, which fo many rafli people have made, flop us on the fhorc. Let. us confider thefe quef- Y tiuns
rs^74 Christian Heroism.
tions lefs with a view to difcover the perfe<!!\ions of the Creator in the thick daiknefs, under "which he hath thought proper to conceal them, than in that of learning the obligations of a creature. I do not mean to decry thofe great geniufes» who have treated of this profound fub- jeâ:. Their works do honor to the human wind. They are eternal monuments to the glory of a reafon, which knows how to colle<St its force, and to fix itlclf on a fingle objed ; but, it is always certain, that wc cannot arrive at clear truth on this fubjcfCl, except by means of thou- sands of diftindtioas and abftractions, which mod of us cannot make. This fubjedl is To delicate and refined, that moft eyes are incapable of fee- ing it, and it is placed on an eminence fo ftelep and inacceflible, that few geniufes can attain it.
Let us religiouily abide by our principle. The duty of an intelligent foul is to .adhere to truth, and to praftife virtue : We are born with a difinclination to both. Our duty is to get rid of this, and without doing To we negledl the ob- ligation of an intelligent foul, we do not anfwer the end, for which we were intended, we are guilty, and we flîall be punilhed for not having ^nfwéred the end of our creation.
Let us confider ourfelves as foldiers placed round a befieged city, and having fuch or fuch an enemy to fight, fuch or fuch a pofi: to force. You, you are naturally fubjed to violence and anger. It is fad to find iii one's own conftitu- tion an oppofition to virtues fo lovely as thofe of fubmiffion, charity, fweetnefs, and patience. Groan unëer this evil: but do not defpair ; when you are judged, lefs attention will be paid to your natural indifpofition to thefe virtues than to the efforts, which you made to get rid of it. To this point direct all your attention, and your flrength, and all your courage. Say to youifelf, this is the pod, which my general intends I
(hould
Christian Heroism. 2f^
iftoiild force ; this is the enemy I am to fight ■with. And be you fully convinced, that one of the principal views, which God haih in preferv- ing your life, is, that you fhould re. vier yourfelf mafler of this paiTion^ You, you are naturally difpofed to be proud. The moment you leave your mind to its natural bias, it turns to fuch objecSls as feem the moO fit to give you high ideas of yourfelf, to your penetration, your mem- ory, your imagination, and ev^n to exterior ad- vantages, which vanity generally ^incorporatess Avith the perfon who enjoys them. It is melan- choly to find within yourfelf any feeds of an in- clination, whicii fo ill agree with creatures vile and miferable as men. Lament this misfortunes but do not defpair ; to this fide turn all your attention and all your ccurage and ftrength. Say to yourfelf, this is the poft, which my general "Would have me force ; this is the enemy, whom he hath appointed me to oppofe. And be fully convinced, that one of the principal views of God^ in continuing you in this world, is,, that you may redft this pafïion, and mal^x yourfelf matter of it.
Let us, all togv^tber, my brethren, endeavor to rule our own fpirits. Let us not be difmayed at the greatnefs of the work, becaufe greater is he that is in us, than be that is in the laorid» Grace comes to the aid of nature. Prayer ac- quires ftrength by exercife. The paflions, after having been tyrants, become flaves in their turn. The danger and pain of battle vanilli, when the eye gets fight of conquefl. How inconceivably- beautiful is victory then ! God grant we may obtain it I To him be honor and glory for ever. Amen.
SERMOî^
o
SERMON XL
GENERAL MISTAKES,
RoaiANS xii. 2,
Be not conformed to this nvorîd.
F all the difcourfes delivered in this pul- pit, thofe, which deferve the greateft deference, and ufually obtain the leaft, are fuch as treat of general miftakes. What fu-bje<5ls require greater Reference ? Our defign in treating of them is to diiTipate thofe illufions, with which the whole world is familiar, which are authorized by the multitude, and which, like epidemical difeafes, infli£led fometimes by providence on public bodies, involve the ftaie, the church, and indi- viduals. Yet, are any difcourfes lefs refpeded than fuch as thefe ? To attack general miftakcs, is, to excite the difpleafure of all who favor them, to difguil a whole auditory, and to acquire the mofl odious of all titles, I mean that of pub- lic cenfor. A preacher is then obliged to choofe, either never to attack fuch miftakesas the multiw tude-think fit to authorize', or to-rencunce the advantages, which he r>iay promife himfelf, if he adapt his fubjeds to the tafle of his auditor?, and touch their diiorders only fo far as to accom- modate their crimes to their confciences.
Let us not hefitate what part to take. St. Paul determines us by his cxat-nplc. I am going to-day, in imitation of this apoftle, to guard you againft the rocks, where the many are fhipwrcck- cd. He exhort:3 us, in the words of the text, not to take the world for a model ; the worlds that is, the crowd, the multitude, fociety at large. But what fociety hath he in view ? Is it that of ancient Rome, which he defcribes as extreme- ly
General Mistakes* 27^'
II' d'*pr?.ved in the beginning of this epiftle ? ' Djr-3 he {a> m hiiig- of our world, our cities and provinces ? We are going to exair.ine this, and Lferr I flu 11 be able to prove to you, th?.t our nniltitude is a dangerous guide to ihew us the way to heaven ; and, to confine ourfelves to a few articles, I fliâU prove that they are bad guides to diredt us, firfl, in regard to faith ; fecondly, in regard to the worfliip which God requires of us ; thirdly, in regard to morality ; and laflly, in regard to the hour of death. In thefe four views I fnall enforce the words of my text, Be not conformed to this world. This is the whole plan of this difcourfe.
I. The multitude is a bad guide to dired our faith. We will not introduce here the famous controverfy on this queiHon, whether a great number form a prefiimption in favor of any re- ligion, or whether tiniverfality be a certain evi- dence of the nuechriQian church ? How often has this queftion been debated and determined Î How often have we proved againft one communi- ty, which difplays the number of its profefTors with fo much parade^ that, if the pretence were well founded, it would operate in favor of pagan- ifm, for pagans were alv/ays more numerous than chnftians ! How often have we told them, that in divers periods of the ancient church, idolatry and idolaters have been enthroned in both the kingdoms of Judah and Ifrael ! How often have we alledged, that in the cime of Jefus Chrift, the church w»3 defcribed as a little fock, Luke xii. 32. that heathens and Jews were ail in league againft chriftianity at firft, and that the gofpel had only a fmall number of difciples ! How often have we retorted, that for whole cen- turies, there was no trace, no (hadow, of the opinions of modern Rome ! But we will not ap- ply ourfelves to this controverfy to-day, by fix- iDgyour attention on the fophlfms of foreigners, Y 2 perhaps
278
General Mistakes*
perhaps we might divert your eyes frorh your own ; by fliewing you our triur.iphs over the- vain attacks made on us by the enemies of the reformation, perhaps we might ttirn away yCvr attention from other more dangerous wound«y. which the reformed themfelves aim at the heart of religion. When I fay the multitude is a bsd guide in matters of faith, I me'in, that the man- revj in which m'oft men adhere to truth, is not by principles, which ought to attach them to it, but by a fpirit of negligence and prejydice.
Ic is no fmall work to examine the truth, when we arrive at an age capable of difcivâion. The fundamental points of religion, 1 grant, lie in the fcriptures clear and perfpicnoUs, and with- in the comprehenfion of all who chufe to attend to them : . but when we pafs from infaticy to iBanhoody an"d arrive at an iTge in whicii realoti feems mature, we find ourfelves covered with -i veil, which either hides oHjecls frou> us, or dif- figDres them. The- public difcourfes we have heard in favor of the fed, in which we were educated, the inveterate hatred we have for all others, who hold principles oppofite to ours, the frightful portraits that are drawn before our eyes, of the perils we muft encounter, if we de- part from the way we have been brought up in,. the imprelfiîns made upon us by the examples and decifions of our parents^ ai.d nraikr?, and teachers, the bad tade of thofe, who had the care of our education, and who prevented our acquir- ing that mofl noble cirpofition, without which it is impofîible ever to be a true philcfr-pher, or a real chriftian, I mean, that of fufpending our judgment on fubjeéls not fufficientiy proved : Irom all this arile clouds, that render the truth jnacceiTible, and which the world cannot diflîpatc. We do not fay, that natural talents or fuperrat- ural afiiflance are wanting ; we are fully con- vinced that God will never give op to final error,
any
General Mistakes, ^f^
any man who does all in his power to Mnderftand îhe truth. But the world are incapable ot" this woik. Why ? Becaule all the world, except a few, hate labor and meditation in regard to thé fubjecls, which rcfpe^ another lite : btcaufe all the world would choofe rather to attach them- felves to what regards their temporal intereftj, than to the great intereft of eternal bappinefs. 2 becaufe aH the world like better to fuppofe the piinciplcs imbibed in their childhood true, than to impofe on themfclves the tafk of weighing- them anew in the balance of a found and fevere reafon : becaufe all the world have an invinci« bie aveifion to fuppofe, that when they are ar» rived at manhood, they have alnioft loft theif time in fome refpeds, and that when they leave fchool they begin to be capable of inftrudion.
If the nature of the thing Ga4inot convince you, that the multitude continue through negli» gence in the profeflion of that religion, in which they were born, experience may here fupply the place of reafoning. There is an infinite variety of geniufes- among mankind. Propofe to an afr. fcmbly a queftion, that no fyClem hath yet decid- ed, and you will Snd, as it is ufually faid., as many opinion? as heads.
It is certain, if mankind were attached to a religion only becaufe they had ftodied it, we fhould find a great number of people forfake that, iri which they had been brought up, for it is im- poflibîe, that a whole fociety fhould unite in one point of error, or rather, it i* clear to a demon- ftration, that as truth hath certain charadters fuperior to falfehood, the teniples of idols would be inftantly defertcd, erroneous feds would be foon abandoned, the religion of Jefus Chrift, the only one worthy of beirvg embraced, the only one that dclerves difciples, would be the only one embraced, and would alone be received by rII fincere difciples of truth»
Do
2^b General Mistakes.
Do not think, my brethren, tnat this icfleclion concprnir g that fpirit of ne£r|igeiice, whi'th re- tains moft mf n in a profelTion of their owi> re- ligion, regards opI)' fuch communions as lay down their own infallibility for a fundamental article of faith, and which prefcribe ignorance and blind fubmiffion as a firfl: principle to their partizans, for it is but too eafy to prove, that the fame fpir- it of negligence reigns in ail communities.. Hence it comes to pafs, that in general fo few chriftians can render a reafon for their faith. Hence It is that people are ufually belter furnifh- ed with argaiiients to oppofe fuch focieties as fur- round them, than with tbofe, which eftabliflî the fundamental truths of chriftianity. jf then you follow the direction of the multitude in the ftudy. of religion, you will be condudted by a fpirit of negligence, prejudice will be held for proof, edu- cation for argument, and the decifions of your parents and teachers for infallible oracles of. truth.
II. The multitude is a bad guide in regard to that worships which God requireth of us, ihey defile it with a fpirit of fuperftition. Superfti« tion is a difpofition of mind, that inclines us to regulate all parts of divine woiTnip, not by juft rotions of the Supreme Being, nor by his reia- tions t . us, nor by what he has condefcended to reveal, but by our own fancies. A fuperftitious man entertains fantaflical ideas of God, and ren- ders to him capricious worfhip ; he not unfre- quently takes himfelf for a model of God ; he thinks, that what mofl refembles himfelf, howev- er mean and contemptible, approaches nearcft to perfeûion. We affirm, this difpofition is almoft univerfal.
It would be needlefs to prove this to you, my brethren, in regard to erroneous communities. Were fuperftition baniflied from the world, we Ihould not fee men, who are made in the image
of
General Mistakes» 281
of God, difgraee their nature by proftrating them- felves before idols, and marmofets, fo as to render religious honors to half a block of wood or (lone, the other half of which they apply to the meaneft purpofes : we fliould not fee a crowd of idola- ters performing a ceremonial, in which convic- tion of mind hath no part, and which is all ex- ternal and material : we fliould not fee a con- courfc of people receiving wiih rcfpe£l, as the piecious blood of the Saviour of the world, a few drops of putrified water, which the warmth of the fun hath produced by fermentation in the trunk of a decayed tree : we Ihculd not fee pil- grims in proccffion mangling their flefli in the ftreets, dragging along heavy loads, howling in the highways, and taking fuch abfurd praûices for that repentance, which breaks the heart, and transforms and renews the life. You will eafily grant all this, for, I have obferved, it is often Jefs difiBcult to infpire you with horror for thefe praiSlices, than to excite compafSon in yau for fuch as perform thera.
But you ought to be informed, that there are other fuperftitions lefs grofs, and therefore more dangerous. Among us we do not put a worfliip abfolutely foreign to the purpofe in the place of that, which God bath comrDanded and exemplift- ed to us ; but we make an eOimate of the feveral parts of true worfliip. Thefe eO-imates are regu- lated by opinions formed through prejudice or pafllon. What beft agrees with our inclinations we cnnP.der as the effence of religion, and what would thwart and condemn them we think cif- cumftantial.
We make a fcruple of not attending a fermon, not keeping a feflival, not receiving the Lord's fupper ; but we wake none of neglecling to vifit a prifoner,"to comfort the Tick, or to plead for th(i oppreffed. We obferve a flri^^ decency in our religious affemblies, while our miniftcrs addrefs
prayer
itS^ General Mistakes.
prayer to God, but we take no pains to accorTf-. pany him with our minds and hearts, to unite our ejaculntions with his, to bcfiege the throne of grace. We think it a duty to join our voices •with thofe of a whole congregation, and to fill our places of worlhip with the praifes of our Cre- ator ; but we do not think oui Telves obliged to underhand the fenfé of the pfalm, that is fung with fo much fervor, and, in the language of an apoftle, to sing with understanding., 1 Lor. xiv, 15. We lay aijde innocent occupat'rons the day before wc receive the Lord's fupper, but no foon- er do w« return fi'om that ordinance, than w'C allow the mofl: criminal pleafures, and enter up- on the mofl fcandalous intrigues. Who make thefe miftalces, my brethren ? Is it the few ? Be 7iot conformed to- this worldy in regard to the •worlhip that God requires of you ; the multitude perform it in a fpirit of foperftition.-
III. Neither arcthe many a better guide \a regard to morality. Here, my brethren, we are going more particularly to delcribe that clafs of mankind, among whicli we live, and of which we ourfelves are a part. Indeed, the portraits we are going to draw will not be flattering to thenr, for juftice requires, that we ihould defcribe men as they are, notas they pretend to be. In order to exaélnefs, let us confider them feparately and apart. Firft, in regard to the makers who gov- ern them. Secondly, in regard to the profef- lions, which they exercife. Thirdly, in regard to fome maxin)s generally received. Fourthly, in regard to the fplendid actions, which they celebrate. And lafUy, in regard to certain dec>- five occaiîons, that like touchftones, difcover their principles and motives.
]. Confider mankind in regard to the masters who govern them. Here I congratulate myft-lf on the happinefs of fpeaking to a free people, among whom it is not reputed a crime to praife
>Yhat
General 'Mistakes, 2^83
"^.hat is praife-worthy, and to blame what de- serves blame, and where we may freely trace the characters of foine men, of whom prudence re- quires U3 not to*' fpeak evil, no not in thought^ no not in the bed chamber, left a bird of the air ftioiild carry the vuice, and that which hath wings fliould tell the matter," Eccles. x. 20. Is it in the palaces of the great that humiluy reigns, humility which fo well becomes creatures, who, though crowned and enthroned, are yet in- ■ iirm, criminal, dying creatures, and who, in a few days, will become food for worms, yea, per- haps viftims in the, flames of hell ? Is it in the palaces of the great that uprightnefs, good faith, and firtcerity reign, -yet without thefe fociety is nothing but a banditti, treaties are only fnares, and laws cobwebs, which, to ufe a well known exprefîion, catch only weak infed\5, while the free and carnivorous break through ? Is it in the palaces of the great that gratitude reigns, that lawful tribute due to every motion made to procure our happinefs ?• IsSt there that the fervices of a faithful fubje6l, the' labors of an in- defatigable merchant, the perils of an intrepid foldiery, blood llied and to be flied, are eftimatcd and rewarded Ï Is it there that the cries of the wretched are heard, tears of the opprefTcd wiped away, the claims of truth examined and granted ? Is it in ;he palaces of thegre^t that benevolence reigns, that benevolence without which a man is only a wild beafl ? Is it there that the young ravens ivhicb cry are heard and fed ? Pfal. cxlvii, 9, Is it there that they attend to the bitter complaints'bf an indigent man, ready to die with hunger, and>who aiks for no more than will juft keep him alive ? Are the palaces of the great, feats of piety and devotion ? Is it there that fchemes are formed for the reformation of man- ners ? Is it there that they are grieved for the fiction of Joseph) Amos vi. 6. and take pleas^
ure
284 General Mistakes.
tire in the dust and stones of Zion ? Pfal. cii. 14, " Is it there that we hear the praifes of the Cre- ator,do they celebrate the compaffion of the Re- deemer of mankind ?
What ideas are excUed in our minds by the names of fiich as Caligula, Nero, Dioclelian, De-' cius, names deteflable in all ages ? What ideas CQuld we excite in your minds, were we to weigh in a juR balance the virtues of fueh heroes as have been rendered famous by the encou)iums given them ? You would be aftonifned to fee that theie men, who have been called \.\\tt delight s of mankind y have often deferved execration, and ought to be confide red with horror. But I pur- pcfïly forbear, and will not put in this lift all that ought to be placed there, that is to fay, all thofe who have had fovereign power, except a ■very few, who, in comparifon, are next to none, and who are, as it were, loft in the crowd among the reft. And yet t-he elevation of kings makes their cri^ies more communicable, and their ex- amples more contagious ; their fins become a filthy vapor infedling the air, and ftiedding their malignant influence all over our cities and fami- lies, lightning, and thundering, and difturbing the world. Accordingly, you fee in general, that what the king is in his kingdom, the gov- ernor is in his province ; what the governor is in his province, the nobleman is in his domain ; what the nobleman is in his domain, the mafter is in his family. The multitude is a bad guide, mankind are a dangerous model, confidered in regard to the matters who govern them.
2. Gonfider* the many In regard to divers pro» fessions. What is the profeifton of a foldier, particularly of an officer of rank in the army ? It is to defend fociety, to maintain religion, to be a parent to the foldiery, to bridle the licLUtiouf- refs of arms, to oppofe power againft injuftice, to deriv^^om all the views of death, that liç
open
General Mistakes» 2^5
open before him, motives to prepare his accounts to produce before his judge. But what is the conduit of a foldier ? Is it not to brave focle- ty ? Is it Hot to trample upon religion ? Is it not to fet examples of debauchery, îtcéntiour» nefs, and vengeance ? Is it no:' to let out hi^ abilities, and to facrifice his life to the rnofl am"- bitious defigns, and to the m oft bloody enterprlzes of princes ? Is it not to accuïlom himfelf to ideas of death and judgment, till he laughs at both, to ftiBe all remorfe, and to extirpate all the fears, which fuch objcd? natiJrallv excite in thfe confciences of other men ?
What is the profefiTion of a judge ? It is to have no regard to the appearances of men, it i« to be afifable to ail, who appeal to authority, to ûudy with application the nature of a caufe, which he is obliged to decide, it is patiently to go through the moft fatiguing details of proofs and objections. But what is often the condu(St cf a judge ? Is it not to be ftruck with the ex- terior différence of two parties appearing before him? Is it not to be inacceffible to the poor, to invent cruel referves, and intolerable dehys 2 Ts it not to grovel in ignorance, and to hate ftudy and labor ?
What is the profelHon of a man learned in the law ? It is to devote his fervice only to truth and juRice, to plead only a good caufe, to affift even thofe, who cannot reward his labors. Wh»t is the conduit of counfel •* Is it not to fupport both the true and the falfe, and to maintain by turns both juftice and iniquity ? Is it not to adjuft his efforts to his own glory, or to his cli- ent's ability to pay ?
What is the profeffion of a merchant ? It is to deteft fdlfe weights and meafures, to pay hfs dues, and never to found his fortune on falf^- hood, fraud, and perjury. But what is the con- duit of a merchant ? Is it not to ufe falfe Z weights
At6 General Mistakes,
weights anci meafures ? Is it not to cheat the ilate of its dues ? Is it not to indulge an infa- tiable avidity ? Is it not to enrich himfelf by telling untruths, by praclifing frauds, by taking
-falfc oaths ?
What is the profeffion of a roinrfler ? It is to devote himfelf wholly to troth and virtue, to
. iet the whole church an example, to fearch into hofpitals, and couages, to relieve the miferies of the Tick and the poor ; it is to determine himfelf
-in his fludies, not by what will acquire him repu- tation for -learning and eloqueuce, but by what •will be moft ufeful to the people, over whom he is fet ; it is to regulate his choice of lubjeûb, not by what will make himfelf (hine, but by what vill moft benefit the people among whom he ex- crcifes his miniflry ; it is to take;as much care «fa dying perfon in an obfcure» family, lying on a bed of ftraw,Jo(l in oblivion and iilence, as of him, who, with an iiluftrious ,name, lives araidft
•iilver and gold, and for whom the moft magnifi- cent and pompous funeral honors will be prepar- ed ; it is to cry aloiid^ to lift up bis voice like a trumpet^ and shew the people their transgres- sions^ and the bouse of Israel their sins^ Ifa. iviii,
1. Mic. iii.. 8. and .2 Cor. v. 16. it is to know ,710 man after tbejiesh when he afcends the pul- pit, boldly to reprove vice, how eminent foever the feat of it may be. AVhat is the ufual con- du£l of a minifter ? — O God Î Enter not into judgment ivitl? tbj servants, for vJc cannot an- SKver one comprint of a thousand! Plal. cxliii,
2. Job ix. S.
3. Gonlider the multitude in regard to fomc general maxims, which they adopt, and hold as rules and approved axioms. Have you read, in the gofpel, the following maxims ? Charity be- •gins at home. Youth is a time of pleafure. It is allowable to kill time. We fliould not pre- rteiid to be faints. Slander is the fait of conver-
fation.
General Mistakes. 2r^^
ration. We mull do as other people do» It \é unworthy of a man ot" honor to put up an af- front, A gentleman ought to avenge himfelf. Ambition i? the vice of great fouls. Providecl we commit no great crimes, we fufficicntly an-i fwer our calling. Impurity Is an intolerable vice in a woman, but it is pardonable in a man. It would be eafy to enlarge this catalogue* Which of ihefe maxims, pray, doth riot fap fome of the firft principles of the religion of Jefus Chrift ? Yet, which of thcfe maxims is not re- ceived in fociety as a fundamental rule of ac- tion, which we (hould be accounted fingular and pftulant to condemn ?
4: Confider the multitude in regard to certain actions^ on nvbich tbey lavish praise and ivrite encomiums. We do not mean to fpeak at pref- cm of fuch crimes as the depravity of the world fomctimes celebrates under the notion of heroical aidions. Our reflexion is of another kind. It is pretty clear, that depravity is general, and pie- ty in the poffeffion of a very few, when perfons of fuperficial knowledge are praifed for the depth of their underflanding, and when fuch as pcrforni very fmall and inconfiderable actions of virtue^ are confidered as the wonders of the world*» Sometimes I hear the world exclaim, what be- nevolence r What liberality ! What generoiV- ty I I inquire for the evidences of thefe virtues, on which fuch lavilh encomiums are beftowed ; I expedt to find another St. Paul, who wished himself accursed for his brethren^ Rom. ix. 3. I hope to meet with another Mofes, praying to be blotted out of the book of life, rather than fee his nation perifh, Exod. xxxii. S2. But no, this boafl?d gcncrofity and charity is that of a maiT, who distributed to the poor, on one folemn occa-* fion, once in his life, fuch a fura of money as he expends every day in prodigality and fuperfluity» It is that of a nvan, who beftows on all the mema
bers
«88 General Mistakes»
fcers of Jefiis Chrîft, almoft as much as he docs en ihe walls of a room, or the harnefs of a horfe. I hear the wprld exclaim in fome circumftancesj what friendfliip ! Whnt tendernefs Î I inquire for this tcndpr, zealous, g;^nerous friend. 1 ex- pert to find fuch an original as I have feen de- fcribed in books, though I have never met with fuch An one in fociety. 1 hope at leafl to fee one example of a friend, faying to a dying n)an, iippoint me your executor, and leave me your children to Ipring up, and your widow to provide ^or. But no, 1 find nothing but the friendfhip of a man, who, by improving the fortune of an- other, attrads the chief sdvantages to himfeif. I hear -he world exclaiming in certain circum- fiances, \vhat virtue i What purity I What a jnother of a family 1 Again I look for the ob- ject of thefe encomiums. 1 hope to fee fuch a woman as Solomon imagined, a mother of a fam- ily, who makes her houfe a houfe of God, and her children patterns of pieiy. But no, I meet >vith a woman, who indeed does not defile the nuptial bed, who only doth not ouilive her in- come, and who teaches her children only the lit- tle courfe of domeftic economy. All thefe ac- tions are. praife-worthy. All thefe examples ought to be imitated. 3'Jt is there any ground for exclaiming as if virtue bad been carried to its higheft pitch?. Are thefe then fuch great efforts of religion ? Alas 1 My brethren, com- plete chari^O.ers mufl needs be very fcarce in the world, fincc the wprld is in raptures on account of thefe imperfcdl virtues ; there mufl needs be à great, dearth of wife men in the world, fince there i* fu much bo^fting of one man, who takes only one ftep in the path of wifdom.
5. Confider mankind in regard to certain deci^ sLv.e occasions^ which, like touchttones, difcover their hearts. We do not know oùrfelves, we fornî falfe ideas of ourfelves, when our virtues
liAve
General Mistakes, 285
have not been brought to the teft. We Imagine^ wc incline to be patiert, clement and charitable,, irv cafes where we are not tried, where neither our fortune, nor our reputation, nor our honor, are afFcfted : but the momenta ftroke is aimed at any of thefe, the countenance changes, the brain ferments, the mouth foams, and we breathe noth- ing but hatred and vengeance. Nothing is more common among us than to talk highly of juftice, to deteil and cenfure iniquity, and to engage our- felves inviolably to follow fueh rules of equity as are marked out in- the divine law. Let any man bring an aftion againfV us, with reafon or with- out, and all thefe ideas vanifn, we inflantly be- come familiar with the very vices, to which wc thought wc had an invincible averfion. We dif- guife our caiifej we fupprefs unfavorable circum» ilances, we impofe on our eounfel, we try to take even the judges by farprife, we pretend to make great matters of this. importance of our rank, the worth of our names, the credit of our lamilies, the tone of oar voices, and all thi3 we wifh to incorporate in our caufe; . A difintereQed fpirit ■ is always the fubject of our utmofl admiration and praife. A. generous man is the admiration - of aU mankind, his noble allions unite all hearts, and every man is eager- to give fucb. aûions their dignity and praife: but no fooner have we a lit- tle bufinefs to do, in which we have no kind of ' intcreft, but difintereftednefs appears odious to os, and magnanimity feems to- us more pri^pec for a heVo of a romance than for a man living and jjcI- ing in fociety, and generous aillions- appear to us mere creatures of imagination. O !:tw little does the multitude deferve confideratiou in regard to manners 1 :
IV, No more ought they to be imitated in re- gard to the manner, in which they quit theivorl-d. Here I forefee, my brethren, you will all fide with one another againft our dod^rine, and thaJi. . Z 2 ' we«
2<g0 General Miitakes.
-we fhall be obliged to blame both perfons and things about dying people ; fuch as are dyieg, fuch as furround them, fuch as vifit them ; in fl»ort, all arc in difcider in the cafe before us. Almofl every perfon that dies is canonized. If the light of chriftianity had not aboliOied deifica- tion, we fhould have filled heaven with faints and heroes and deified fouls. Each houfe of mc-jrning echoes with the praifes of the dead, none of his looks towards heaven are forgotten, not a figb, not an ejaculation liath efcaped notice. The fu- neral convoys of perfons the moft worldly, whofe hearts had been the moll hardened in fin, are all littering orations in praife of the deadc For our parts, my brethren, we, who have fcen a great number of fick people, and attended many in their dying hours, we freely grant, that the fajvation of many of them is probable. We have hardly fecn one, whofe falvation we cjuite defpair. But how Icldom have we been inclined to fay, while "we faw fuch people expire uttering the language of the molt eminent faints in fcripture, Let us die the death of thefe righteous people, and let our last end he like iht'irs [ Numb, xxiii. 10. I will give you a fhort lift of general miftakes on this lubjett.
The firft miflake is this. Moft fick people are ingenious to difgoilc the danger of their illncfs, JBe not conforjyied to this world. Whenever a dangerous illnefs attacks you, be aware of your condition, and let each fay to himfelf, I have not long to live, at leaft this may be my laft illnefs. My brethren, this fuppofition is never unfeafon- able, we are in little danger of being deceived by thinking death at hand, for the numberlefs acci« dents, to which we are cxpofed, juflify the thought —Is there any thing extravagant, pray, in affirm- ing that ficknefs added to all thefe accidents renders the near approach of death highly prob* able ?
The
General Mistakes» 291
The fécond iniftake is thi?. M oft dying people put off the regulation of their temporal wffairs too long. Be not conformed to this ivorld. You fliiould take patterns from better models, both for rcafons of affe^ion, and reafons of prudence- True affe£tion to a family engages a roan to pre- clude in favor of bis heirs -fuch troubles and di- vifions as are the infcparable confcquences of an undivided or perplexed eftaie. Prudence, too, will forefee, that while our minds are all occupied about temporal jiffairs, a Ihciifand ideas will in- trude to difturb our devotion. Do not wait till the la(\ moment to fettle your affairs, to make your will, to difpofe of your family, and be not fo weak as to i-Ht^gine that the drfchaitge of thefe neceflary duties will hafîen your death. Employ yonrfelves wholly about the ftate of your fouls, and let each fay to himfelf, fince 1 have been in the world I have hardly devoted one whole day to devotion : ft nee I have been a member of the church, I have been exercifcd about aifairs which intereft the whole fociety : but now that I am come to the end of my life, now I am paff- ing oHt of this world, now that I am going" where I fhall have no more portion for ever m any thing that is done under the sun, difturb me no more, ye worldly ideas ; thou fashion of this world passing aiuajfy appear no more in my light ; ye wild ybw/5, interrupt my facrifice no more.
The third miftake is this. Moft dying people delay fending for their minifters till the laft mo- ment. They would have us do violence to the hws of nature, they fet us to exhort trunks, to inftrucl carcafes, to prepare flcin and bones for eternity. Be not conformed to ihis nvorld* Why (hould ye delay ? Is there any thing odious in our miniftry ? We do not bring death along' with us, we do not haften its approach : if we denounce the judgments of God agairtt you, it is not wiih a dcfign to terrify you, but to free
you
292 General Mistakes.
you from them, and to pull ji ou out of the Jire^ Jude23.
To thefe I add a fourth miftake. Mofl dying people think it a duty to tell their paflors ot ex- cellent fen' inients, which indeed they have not, and they are afraid to difcover their dcfeds. When death makes his formidable appearance before them, they think religion requires theqa to fay, they are ^iiite willing to die» We desire, fay they, fo Jf/j.flrf, when, alas 1 all their dtiires are- to make a tabernacle in the world, for it is goodyXhej think,, to àe there» , They tremble at . the coming of : Chrili, and yet they cry, CûjmCj .Lord yesusycome quickly, . Ah! Be, not conform" ed to this ^vorldy optn thy heaci that it may be known, difcover the maladies of-.thy foul, that ■we may apply fuch remedies as are proper. Do not imagiîîe you will acquire fuch fentiments and tmotions as faints of the firft order had by talk- ing their lauguage ; . but imbibe, their princi- ples in your' mind, and their . teinpçrs in you,r heart, before you make ufc of their language. .
The fifth iniûake is this. . Mofi> dying people fpe-àk;to< their miniRers only, in the pretence of a great number of attendants, ^nd .moll attendants •interfere in whni mitiifters fay <)n thofe occaJSons, ^Be not conformed to tbis. world. Two reafons may convince you of the necefliiy of being alone» The firft regards the paflor. Surrounding at- tendants divert his attention from the fick per- fon. The fécond regards the fick perfon him» feif. Would it bo juft or kind to give him di- re(5lions in public ? What i would you have us, i4i the prcfence of- a hufbandj lay open the in- trigues of an immodeft wife, and endeavor to bring her to- repent, of her lafcivioufnefs by con- victing her of her crimes ? . Would you have ;US reprove the head of a family for the iniquity that has difgracfd his long life, in the prefence of his fon ? Would you have us exhort a dying mau
to
General Mistakes^ 293
to make reftitotion of his ill-gotten wtalth, in the preCence of an hungry heir, who already gluts his eyes, and fatiates his foul with hopes of fucceffion ? Wete we cafuifts after the RcmaA falhlon, did we compel confciences to reveal fe- crets to us, which ought to be confeffed to God alone, did we interfere with your families and properties, there would be fome ground for your fcruples s but while we defire nothing but to exonerate your confciences, and to awaken your foals to a fenfe of danger, before you be plunged into an abyfs of eternal mifery, refpeft our con- duo, and condefcend to fubmit to our inftruilion. To thcfe I add one miftake more. Moft dy- ing people truft too much to their rainiftcrs, and take too little pains themfelves to form fuch dif- pofitions as a dying bed requires. £e not con- formed to ibis world» It is not enough to have external help to die well, we ourfelves muft con- Cur in this great work, we muft, by profound tneditatton, by frequent reflexions, and by fer- vent prayers, fupport ourfelves under this laft at- tack, and thus put the hft hand to the work of ©ur falvation. It is true, the infirmities of your bodies will alFeft your minds, and will often in- terrupt your religious excrcifes ; but no matter*, God doth not require of a dying perfon connect- ed meditations, accurate reflexions, precife and formal prayers, for one figh, one tear, one ejacu- lation of your foul to God, one ferious with rif- ing from the bottom of your heart will be highly éfteemed by the Lord, and will draw down neW favors upon you.
To conclude. The multitude is a bad guide in regard to faith, in regard to manners, and in regard to departing out of this life. A man who defues to be faved, fhould he always upon his guard, left he (hould be rolled down the torrent t he ought to compile in h>s cloiet, or rather in his confcience, a religion apart, fuch as is, not that
of
2:9^
General' Mistake So
of the children of the world," but 'that of the dif- ciples of Avifdom. Be r.(M conformed to tbi9- xuorld.
I finifli w4th Itv©, re^irftians. ' I addrefs the firft to thoffe,^ who derive fr^n) this difcourfe no confequences to direcSt their anions : and the fécond to fdch as refer it to its true defign,
Firft. 1 addrefs niyfeif to. you who do no6 draw any> confequences from this difcourfe to regulate youraftions. . You have feem a portrait of the multitude*. I fuppofe you acknowledge the likenefs, awd acquiefce in the judgment we have made. It feems, too many proofs and dem- onftratîons «ftablifh this propoiuiony the multi- tude is a bad guide. N-ow you nvay follcv- which example^you picafe. You may make you? ■choice between the maxims of Jefus Chrift and thC' maxims of the world. But we have a right tOTcquire one.> thitig. of . youv which you cannot Tcfufe us without inj-ufticef that is, that grant- ing the geniiis of thf nwltituee, when you are told you are^defti'oying yourfelve^, you do not •pretend to h«ve refuted us by replying, we con- du£l ourfelres aa the world does, and every body- does what you; condemn in us» Thanks be to God-,-yourpropofition.is-no^,ftriftly^true I. Thank» be to GodytheTule hath fcwiie. exceptions Î There »re manyrregenerate- folios, hidden perhaps from the eyes of men, but viable to God. There arc even feme faints,- who ihine in the fight of the ■whole world, and who, to ufe the exprefïîon of Jefus Chrift, are a city s^t on a hill. Matt, v. 14.: What then, you never caft your eyes oa the moft lUuftrious objeûs in this world i D« you reckon for nothinjd^ w-hat alone merrts- obfer- vation in< fociet/j and w4j*t ronftitutes the trut glory of it ? Have you no value for men, for whtrfe fake the world fubfifts, and fociety is. pre*, ferved ?
However) your propofuion is indifputable in a
general
'General Mistakes, ^ 2:§^
-general fenfe, and we are obliged to alio \v- it, for our whole difcouiTe tends to elucidate and eflab- iiih the jpoint. Alledge this propofition, but do not alledge it for the purpofe of oppofing the cenfures you have heard, or of gettifig rid of our reproofs,' By anfwering in this manner, you give us an advantage over you,, you lay a foundation •which you mean to deOiroy, you do not furniQi yourfelves with a fhicld againft your mi'nifters, but you yourfelves fupply • them wiih arms to ■wound and dcftroy you. "Why do we declaim againft your conduft ? V/hat do we-mean when •we reprove your way ©f living, except to con- vince you that it is not anfwerable to the chrif- tian character which you bear? What do we inean, except t'hat -you break the vows made for you in your baptifm, and which you yourfelves have often ratified at the Lord's table ? What, in one word, except that you do not obey the laws of the gofpel ? But what can you advance more proper to ftrengthen the teftimony, which we bear againftyou, than that which you advance to weaken it, that is, that you live as the world lives.
AH the world, fay you, conduid tKemfèlves as "we do, and every body does what you cenfure us for doing. But allthe-world ccndudl themfelve-s badly, all the world violate the fpirit of religion, all the world attack the maxims of Jefus Ohrift, all the world run in the b^oad road of perdition, ■all the world are deftroying themfclves, and the apoftle exhorts us not to take the world for an •example.
Secondly. I addrefs myfelf to you, who fin« cerely dcfire to apply this difcourfe to its true defiign. I grant, the road opened to you is dif- -^ficuU. To refift the torrent, to brave the multi- tude, to fee one's fdf like Elijah alone on the ^Lord's fide, and, in this general apoftacy, in which a chriftian fo often finds himfelf, when he
délires
Q^G General Mistakes,
deQres to facvifice all to his duty, to recolleft in nives of atlschment to it, this is one of the iioblcft eflorts of chriftian /heroifm.
However, after all, it would argue great pu- erility to magnify our ideas of th« crowd, the many, the multitude ; it would be childiih to be too much ftruclc with thefe ideas, every body thinks, in this manner, all the world ads thus. I affirm, that truth and virtue have more parti- zans than ^rror and vice, and God hath more difciples than Satan. What do you Call the crowd, the many, the multitude ? What do you mean by all the world ? What -i \ou and your companions, your family, your acquaintances, your fellow citizens, the inhabitants of this globe, to which the Creator hath confined you ; is this Mvhat you call all the world Ï What littlenels of ideas .Î Gaft your eyes on that little mole hill, occupied by a few thoufands of ants, lend them intelligence, propofe to one of thefe infcfla other maxims than thofe of his fellowi, exhort him to have a little more ambition, than to occu- py a tiny imperceptible fpace upon that mole hill ; animate him to form projets ruore noble than that of collcding a few grains of corn, and then put into the mouth of this little emmet the fame pretext that you make ufe of to us ; 1 (hall be alone, all the world condu<^ themfelves in an- other manner. Would you not pity this infedl ? Would not he appear more contemptible to you for his mean and fpiritlefs ideas, than for the di- ninutivenefs of hisbody ? Would you not look T/ith difdain on an ant, that had no other ambi- tion than that of taking for a model other infr^ls about him, and preferring their approbation be- fore that of mankind, who hold a rank fo high jn the fcale of the world ? My brethren, give what colors you will to this imagination, it is however certain, thatyoj would form unjuft ideas of this infed. An emmet hath no relation to
thofe
General Mistakes, 297
'thoCc beings, which you propofe to him for mod- els. Such ideas of happinefs as you trace to him have no proportion to his faculties. Is an em- inet capable of fcience, to be allured by the com- pany of the learned ? Ca» an ant form plans of i'leges and battles, to render himfelf fenfible of that glory, which exploits of war acquire, and for which the heroes of the world facrifice their, repofe and their lives ?
It is you, who have that meannefs of foul, which you juft now pitied in an ant. You inhab» it cities and provinces, which, compared with the reft of the wor^d, refemble the fiac of mole hills ; the whole globe itfelf is nothing in compariftyn of the immenftr fpaces, in which other works of the Creator aj;e lodged. You creep on- earth with a handful of men much lefs in comparifon with the thoufand thoufands of other intelligences than an ant hill is in comparifon of mankindo You have intimate relations to thefe intelligen- ces ; you, like them, are capable of great and noble fundions ; like them, you are capable of knowledge ; like them, you arc able to know the Supreme Being ; you can love like them ; you can form tender and delicate connections as they can ; and like them, you arc deflined to eternal duration and felicity.
Do not fay then, I (hall be alone, nobody lives as you would have me live. They arc the men, who furround you, that are nobody in comparifon of the intelligences, whom I propofe to you for examples. It ill fuits infignificant men to con- fider themfelves alone as in the centre of divine benevolence, and as the only fubjefts of t mon- arch, who reigneth over all exiftence. He sit- teth upon the circle of the earthy whence the iw- habitants appear to him as grasshoppers. He bringeth princes to nothings he consideretb the judges of the earth as vanity. He shall blow upon them and they shall xvither, and the wbirU A % tvind
S^:
Général Mîsiaiies»
vfind shàii taàé them at9,aj like stuhbîey Ifa^-
But ye^ celeHtal intelligence?, ferapbîms burn* iiig witb love, ange îs mighty in i^rength, meffen- gers of th© divi-ne wiîlj fpirits rapid as the wind,, and penetrating as Êr«, ye redeemed of all wa- t ions J all kindrtd^ all pecplcy all tongues^ Rev. ▼.9. ye make the crowd, ye £11 the court of the fovercign of the world ; and^ when we refufe to conform ourfelves to this worlds we imitate you j and when the flarves of the world fliall be loaded with chains of darknefs, we fttall ihare w'nh you the river of pleasures, at the right band of that God, whom you fcrve, and to whofe fervice we, like you, devote ourfelves* God grant us this grace Î To hi» b« honor and glory for ever» Amen*
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