A SERMON Preached at Bishops-Stortford, Aug. 29. 1677. Before the Right Reverend Father in GOD, HENRY, Lord Bishop of London.

AMongst the Manifold infirmities of humane Nature, there is scarcely any either more Epidemical and common in Experience, or more mischie­vous [Page 2] in its Effects and Consequences, than that which the Greeks very elegantly ex­press by the name of' [...], and which I know not how more fitly to render, than by calling it an Humour of running from one Extream to another: when men apprehending the evil and unreasona­bleness of some Opinion or Practice, are so far transported with zeal in detestation of it, as that, passing by the Mean of Truth and Sobriety, they rest not till they have fixed upon something else quite contrary thereto, though it be every whit as bad as that which they studiously seek to decline. As if the utmost distance from what they are confident is false, were the only security that what they embrace is true.

And perhaps, if we well observe, we shall find that most of those Evils which have deformed Religion, and troubled the Peace of the Church of God, have en­tred at this door. For evidence of which, amongst very many observations which I have at hand to this purpose, I will speci­fie these two or three, which (I perswade my self) will neither be unacceptable to this Learned Auditory, nor remote from the business in hand.

The first Instance shall be the rise of Arrianism: touching which, it hath [Page 3] been the opinion of sundry wise men, and of the Learned Lord Bacon in particular, that that most unhappy Controversy sprang at first from an Antipathy to the Polytheism of the Pagans. Some men, it seems, being highly sensible of the intole­rable prostitution of the Divine Majesty, when the Honours peculiar to him were communicated with and shared amongst so many petty pretended Deities, out of zeal against this evil, out-ran the mark, and, that they might be sure to Worship but one God, acknowledged but one Per­son; and so whilest they went about to subvert Idolatry, denyed the Trinity.

My second Instance shall be the obser­vation of our Learned Hooker, to this ef­fect:Hooker in Pref. to Eccl. Poli [...] When some German Divines had strained their form of Presbyterian Go­vernment to a mighty height, had railed in the Communion with such strict Cau­tions and Conditions, that (the most part of Christians being secluded from it) it became more like a private Mass than the solemn Worship of the Church; and, to carry on this design the better, had brought in Lay-elders, as a new kind of Censores Morum, up starts Erastus, and provoked by this Extreme, runs a risk, and falls into another as bad: for not [Page 4] content to disprove that new form of Dis­cipline, and especially to degrade that no­vel Office, he proceeds to the denial of all Church-Censure and Ecclesiastical Go­vernment. As if from such time as the Civil State became Christian, the Rights of the Church were escheated to the Prince or State. And thus, as that Judicious per­son modestly expresses it, the Truth was divided between the contending parties, but overseen and out ran by both.

But the last Instance I will now make use of comes more home to my present business. When the Church of Rome, ar­rogating to it self an Infallibility, and as­serting to the Pope an universal Pastor­ship, had under these pretences notorious­ly usurped upon all Christendome; there were not wanting those, who, seeing through this cheat, and desirous to reform all, bent things so far towards the other Extreme, that they endangered the break­ing of all in pieces.

For whereas the Roman Church had claimed and exercised an exorbitant pow­er of making and imposing what Articles of Faith she pleased; These were so far from that, as that they would scarcely al­low the Church authority to define mat­ters of Order and Decorum. Because the [Page 5] Governours in the Roman Communion were arrived at too great a height, the Bishops becoming (like the Ephori a­mong the Spartans) able to check and controll Sovereign Princes; therefore, to avoid this danger, all shall be levelled to a Plebeian Parity. Before the interest of the Church was so great, as that it drew (under one pretence or other) almost all Causes from the Civil Tribunals to Ec­clesiastical cognizance: but now to pre­vent this for the future, all Jurisdiction shall be taken from it. In short, the Church was thought to be too rich be­fore, Religio pepererat Divitias, & filia devoraverat matrem: now therefore the only way to revive the Primitive Purity, is to reduce the Primitive Poverty. And so upon the whole matter, from an ab­horrence of the Incroachments and Exor­bitancies of the Roman Church, there a­rose a danger whether there should be a­ny Church at all.

Now considering with my self how to obviate these and several other mischiefs of like nature, and to doe the best service I can to this Solemnity, I have made choice of these words of our Saviour for my subject, Thou art Peter, and upon, &c.

Wherein I observe these three things.

• [Page 6]1. A Resolution or Decree of our Sa­viour, he will build him a Church.
• 2. The Foundation of this Structure, Ʋpon this Rock will I, &c.
• 3. His Prediction of the Success and Duration of this Building, The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.

I design to open these three things with the greatest plainness and perspicuity I can, because of the importance and use­fulness of the matter; and yet with as much brevity as is possible, for I consider I speak to wise Men.

PART I. Touching the First, (to a­void all impertinence,) that which I con­ceive our Saviour means when he saith he will build him a Church, is no more nor less than this, That he will incorpo­rate all those that profess his Name and Religion into a Society. And that he will not content himself to have Disciples and Followers dividedly straggling after him, (how numerous so ever they may be,) but he will have them united into a Body, formed into a regular Socie­ty, make up a Divine Polity, having U­nity, Order and Government amongst themselves. That as there are several forms of Civil Society of Humane Institu­tion; [Page 7] so our Saviour would by his Divine Au­thority institute a Religious Society by the name of a Church, whereof He himself would be the Head, and which should be ruled and governed by Laws and Of­ficers peculiar to it self. Or, as in the Old Testament the whole Nation of the Jews (though distinguished otherwise by their respective Tribes and Families) made up one People and Church of Israel; so should all Nations upon Earth and every individual person that was a Christian, conspire and make up together one Chri­stian Church.

For the more distinct and satisfactory apprehension whereof, let us consider, that every regular Society requires these four things; namely, 1. A Body, 2. An Head, 3. Union, 4. Order and Govern­ment: and all these conspicuously con­curr to the making up the Church, or such a Society as we have described.

1. For the Body of the Christian Church, that consists of all those who from time to time in all Ages and Coun­treys are inrolled in Albo Christianorum, and have given up their names to Christ, or are Christians by profession. So the Apostle, 1 Cor. 12. 27. Now are ye the Bo­dy of Christ and Members in particular; [Page 8] that is, the whole number of ChristiansVid. Theo­phyl. inloc. makes up the mystical Body of Christ, e­very individual person being a particular Member thereof. And then he adds, vers. 28. God hath set some in the Church, first Apostles, secondly Prophets, &c. By which it is evident that he speaks of the whole Church as one: for he supposes the Apostles to be Officers of the whole Christian Church, which could not be, if every little parcel of Christians convened together made up a Church in the notion the Apostle intends; and consequently therefore the whole number of Christians (as I said) must make up the one Church or Body of Christ.

To this purpose, those that are curious observers of the propriety of phrase in the Greek tongue do note, that at Athens, (from whose Assemblies this name [...] was first taken) when only the Heads or chief Magistrates were assembled, they called this distinctly [...] when the Colluvies ex agris or whole Rabble of People was called together, this they ter­med [...] but [...] was only used when the whole Body of Citizens within the Pale or Liberties of the City were assembled.

[Page 9]2. Christ Jesus is undoubtedly the Head and Supreme of this Body. He is the Founder of this Order, he gave command for the forming this Society, prescribes Laws and affords protection to it. Eph. 5. 23. He is the Head of the Church, and the Saviour of the Body. And herein that which Divines call the Mediatorian King­dom of our Saviour properly consists: namely, that not only in respect of his Divine Nature he hath a Sovereignty o­ver the world; but especially that as [...], or God incarnate, he is So­vereign of the Church, and hath power of Legislation, authority to constitute Of­ficers under him, jus vitae & necis, hath all Judgment committed to him, can sen­tence to life or to utter destruction. Whe­ther de facto he hath appointed any Lieu­tenant or Vicar-general under him over the whole Church, as some pretend, will not be necessary now to inquire; and be­sides, will be sufficiently clear in the Ne­gative by what I shall say by and by.

3. It is not sufficient to an orderly So­ciety, that there be Head and Members, but there must be some Ligaments, to the end that there may be Union; that is, that all those Members of this Society▪ which lie otherwise scattered through so [Page 10] many Ages and Countreys, may both be­come united together, to make up one Body, and also joyned to their common Head Christ Jesus.

Now as in the natural Body the Nerves which perform this office proceed from the Head, so it is here; Christ Jesus hath delivered an Institution of Religion, the open profession of which is the Sinew of this Society, the Church: namely, all those that hold and maintain the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures, and especially of the New Testament, are united to the Church as Members, and to Christ as their spi­ritual Head. For this is the Charter of our Corporation, and contains the Laws of our Society: he that adds to this, di­stracts and divides the Church: and he that abates or diminishes it, incroaches upon the Prerogative of Christ the Head. The Church of Christ, and the profession of the Religion of Christ are of equal ex­tent, and the Holy Scripture is the Stan­dard of both.

But as a symbolical representation of this Union (we are speaking of,) or ra­ther as a standing federal Rite of this So­ciety, our Lord Christ hath also appoint­ed the frequent participation of the holy Sacrament, wherein we solemnly recog­nize [Page 11] him our Head, and our Fellow-Chri­stians as Members of the same Body: which therefore is properly called the Sy­naxis or Communion. To which purpose the Apostle, allusively to the New Testa­ment, speaks of the Church of the Jews, 1 Cor. 10. 2, &c. they were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the Sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink, &c. But more clearly and expresly of the Chri­stian Church, vers. 17. For we being many are one Body; for we are all partakers of that one bread. The sense of which place, and the summ of what I have been say­ing, is this, That as by holding and pro­fessing the Religion of Christ Jesus contain­ed in the Holy Scripture we are united to him, and Members of his Church, ma­terially; so it is our duty that this be so­lemnly and formally executed by those holy Rites of his institution.

4. But in the fourth and last place, it is not sufficient that there be an Union of the Head and Members, but there must be Order also amongst the Members them­selves, otherwise it would be a Multitude, but not a Church. Wherefore in this Society, though, as we have said, all that profess and acknowledge the Doct­rine [Page 12] of the Scriptures are Members, yet some of those are of an higher quality, and more publick use and influence, than others, namely such as bear Office in this Society. So saith the Apostle, Eph. 4. 11. He gave some Apostles, some Prophets, some Evangelists, some Pastors and Teachers, [...], i. e. for the orderly knitting of the Saints together into a Body, and for the edifying that Body of Christ. These and their Successors are the Go­vernours and Officers of the Church as a Church, or as it is such a peculiar, distinct and spiritual Society. To these the Head of this Society hath promised his presence to the end of the world; to these he hath given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, saying, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, &c. and, He that receiveth you receiveth me; and he that refuseth you refuseth him that sent me. These, as I said, are the Governours of the Church as a Church. But because (as it was well observed by Optatus Mile­vitanus) Res publica non est in Ecclesia, sed Ecclesia in Republica; and it was not the design of our Saviour, in constituting this Society of a Church, to revoke or abrogate the Powers and Authority of the Civil State: therefore Kings and Princes [Page 13] (though as such they are not properly Officers of the Church in its peculiar consideration, yet) have and retain their ancient right of Legislation, and prescri­bing to the external management of this Society. In which respect it was said by the great and famous Constantine, that he was [...], that is, a Civil Bishop, or, as we commonly speak, su­preme Governour or Moderator of the Church.

And now, having shewed what our Sa­viour meant, when he said he would build him a Church, it will neither be difficult nor unusefull to shew the Reasons of this Institution, i. e. Why our Saviour would not leave every single Believer upon his own score, but would have them associa­ted and incorporated as aforesaid. The great usefulness of this Institution might easily be made appear in very many In­stances: but I will mention but these three.

1. It pleased our Saviour Christ to re­quire such a conjunction and combination of Christians, to the intent that by that means they might be the better able to hold up his Truth and Religion in the world. For if this had been left to the care of particular Christians singly and [Page 14] separately, such is the diversity of their Capacities and Apprehensions, so different have been their Educations, are their In­terests, and would be their Expressions, and so great would be the difficulty of holding intelligence and correspondence with each other, that it is not imagina­ble how the mind of Christ should have been uniformly and intirely represented to all those that would have been concer­ned in it: therefore in regard this summ was too great to be laid out upon private security, it pleased him to deliver this great Depositum to the Society of the Church.

This is that which I take to be meant in that famous passage of the Apostle, 1, Tim. 3. 15. where the Church is called 1 [...], the pil­lar and ground of Truth. I know well what perverse use they of the Church of Rome make of this Text, and what pitifull shifts some on the other side make to a­void that danger; and therefore I thought it worth my labour, in a former Discourse of this nature, and at a like Solemnity, to vindicate the Text from the hands of those that abuse it, and the world by it. But at present it is sufficient to intimate, that though it be evidently true, that the [Page 15] truth of Christianity neither depends up­on the Authority, nor needs the War­ranty of men, yet was the Society of the Church a wise Expedient of our Saviour, for the holding forth and holding up his Religion in the world.

Nor let any one suspect that this will give any countenance to the un­written Traditions of the Church of Rome, or evacuate the just Dignity and Authority of the Holy Scriptures: for it is and must be acknowledged, that the written Word is the immediate Con­servatory of the Truth of the Gospel; yet the Society of the Church doth the same thing remotely and generally, which the other doth particularly and imme­diately: that is to say, this holds up the Holy Scripture, preserves and as­sures that as the Summ and Code of our Religion; as on the other hand the Holy Scriptures rules to us the parti­cular Doctrines and Laws thereof. To which sense both S. Austin and S. Jerom agree, when they affirm, that as the Jewish Church was Columna Nubis, the Pillar of a Cloud, or was incorporated by God to hold up that Ceremonial form of Religion in the Old Testament; so the Society of the Christian Church is Colum­na [Page 16] Lucis, or was instituted to hold up that Truth whereof the former was a shadow, namely the Doctrine of the Go­spel, in the times of the New Testament. And Saint Austin more particularly ex­presses himself in his 42. Epistle, Radix Christianae Societatis, per Sedes Apostolo­rum & Successiones Episcoporum, certâ per orbem propagatione diffunditur: i. e. Chri­stian Religion is preserved and propaga­ted by the advantage of established Or­der and successive Government of the Church.

2. Christ Jesus would have a Church, and his Disciples imbodied and formed into a Society, that, by means of such conjunction and relation, they might be more usefull to one another, by instructi­on, admonition, counsel, reproof, and example; and so not only hold up the Doctrine joyntly, but hold one another mutually to the practice of Christianity, as having a common care and concern for the good of each other, for the sake of the whole.

To which purpose it is observed by the generality of Learned men, that Gen. 4. 26. and 6. 1. in the Infancy of the World, there was a distinction between the Sons of God and the Sons of men: by the lat­ter [Page 17] of which they understand that pro­fane part of mankind that cast off all care of God and Religion; but by the former, such as retained a sense of God and care of his Worship; and that these formed themselves into a Body, and became a distinct Society, for the better practice and prosecution of that great affair of Re­ligion.

But the influence which this Provision hath upon the practice of Religion is so notoriously evident, that the Apostle, Heb. 10. 23. &c. discourses after this man­ner to those Jewish Christians that seemed to stagger in their Devotion; Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wa­vering: Let us consider one another, to pro­voke unto love and to good works: Not for­saking the assembling of our selves together, as the manner of some is. For, saith he, if we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, &c. The plain sence of which remarkable passage is this, that keeping Church-Society is the way to keep upright in our Profession, and warm in our practice; and the forsaking of that, the ready way to Apostasie: and no other tolerable sence can be made of the Dis­course of the Apostle but this. To which I think it not amiss to add a worthy Ob­servation [Page 18] of that Learned man Mr. H. Thorndyke Service of God in Religi­ous As­semblies. Thorndyke. He inquires, ‘What should be the reason, that the People of the Jews before their Captivity were upon all occasions prone to lapse into Idolatry, when as after their Return from that Captivity they never seemed inclinable that way; and yet notwithstanding, be­fore the Captivity they were never de­stitute of the extraordinary Admoniti­ons of Prophets, sent from God on pur­pose to warn them of that sin and dan­ger, and after the Captivity they were deprived of this singular advantage:’ And at last gives this ingenious and pro­bable account; viz. ‘Before the Captivi­ty, though they had the frequent Ad­monitions of the Prophets, as aforesaid; yet they had few or no Synagogues, insomuch as we never hear of any Sy­nagogue-worship during all that time: but after the Captivity Synagogues were very numerous, and by means of the frequency of those Assemblies he thinks, it might come to pass, that they were kept from an evil they were so prone to, that Prophecy it self could not cure them of it.’

3. Church Order was appointed to fit and train men up for the Kingdom of Hea­ven; [Page 19] to teach and inure men to live in Love and Peace and Order here in a Church Militant, that so they might be fit for eternal Society in the Church Tri­umphant.

It seems to be one reason, (amongst many others) why those that are design­ed for the Service of the Church are usually bred up in Colleges and Universi­ties; namely, that a Collegiate life accu­stoming them to Order and Obedience, disposes them to be subject to the Govern­ment of the Church. And as a College is an Embleme of the Church, so is the Church below of that above; and the Education in the one makes men fit Can­didates of the other. For it is not to be imagined that any mere Ornaments of Knowledge and Eloquence, or any other Gift or Grace, how eximious soever, can qualifie a man for the celestial Mansions, and make him fit to live in eternal Love and Peace and Concord with holy Spi­rits, that could not be brought to be peaceable, humble and obedient, and sub­mit to the Culture and Discipline of the Church. There were therefore (upon the whole matter) great Considerations why our Saviour should build a Church. And so much for the First part of my Text.

PART II. I proceed now to the Se­cond, the Foundation of this Fabrick, Ʋpon this Rock will I build my Church.

I am sure it can be no new thing to Learned men, to note what triumphs they of the Church of Rome make upon this passage. Tu es Petrus is urged upon all occasions; as if not only St. Peter, but the whole Succession of Popes were here­by made infallible Oracles of Truth, and universal Pastors over the whole Church of Christ.

If we object that Petrus and Petra are two things, they will answer, that our Saviour spake in the Syriack tongue, and that there Cepha answers to both. But if we enquire why Rock must needs signifie Head of the Church, or why to be built upon as a Rock must signifie to govern; especially if we inquire why S. Peter might not have a Privilege conferred upon him, that such a man as Hilde­brand, Boniface, Innocent, or some other either ignorant, lewd or enormous Bi­shops of Rome were not fit for: we should receive but slender satisfaction from them.

However I will not insist upon those Subtilties, but deliver my self plainly, for the unfolding this part of my Text, in these two Points.

[Page 21]1. It is notoriously evident to any man that consults the Scriptures imparti­ally, that the whole number of Apostles have that said of them which is tanta­mount to this in the Text: I mean, the Church is said to be built upon them as well as upon S. Peter. For example, Eph. 2. 20. the Church is said to be built upon the foundation of the Apostles, Christ him­self being the chief Corner-stone: that is, Christ Jesus first set on foot the Doctrine of the Gospel, and gave them, his Apo­stles, both commission and abilities to preach it, and gather Disciples, and form them into the Society of a Church; and they accordingly did so. Again, Rev. 12. 1. the Christian Church is described by a Woman cloathed with the Sun, having the Moon under her feet, and upon her head a Crown of twelve Stars, i. e. shining and glorying in the Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles. But more plainly Rev. 21. 19. the New Jerusalem, that is, the Christian Church, is said to have twelve foundations, answerable to the number of the Apostles.

To which purpose it is farther conside­rable, that the generality of the Fathers either make the Petra, or Foundation here in the Text, to be the Faith and Profes­sion of S. Peter, which was the Belief of [Page 22] all the rest, (though, according to the usual zeal and promptness of S. Peter, first uttered by him:) or else they conceive this dignity to have been conferred upon S. Peter in the name of all the rest. Ac­cording to the former of these goe S. S. Chrys­in Matt. Hom. 55. Theophyl. in loc. Epiph. c. Cathar. Aug. trac. 10. in 1. Joannis. † Orig. tr. 1. in Matt. Cypr. Ep. 27. Tert. de Pudic. c. 21. Chrysostom, Theophylact, Epiphanius, S. Austin, and several others: but † Origen, S. Cyprian, Tertullian, and some others the latter way.

2. But we will not stick to grant that S. Peter had something peculiar conferred upon him here by our Saviour, namely this, that▪ he should have the honour first to plant the Christian Faith, and so lay the first foundations of Christian Chur­ches, both amongst Jews and Gentiles. Which is not onely the very account which S. Ambrose gives of the meaning ofS. Ambros. Serm. 47. this Text, but that which appears even­tually true in the History of the Acts. For accordingly, Chap. 2. by a Sermon of his on the day of Pentecost he conver­ted 3000 Souls to the Faith of Christ, all which vers. 41. were baptized and formed into the order of a Church, and were the First-fruits of the Jews. Again, Chap. 10. he is sent to Cornelius, and converts and baptizes him and his Family; and so [Page 23] laid the foundation of the first Church of the Gentiles.

So that the meaning of this part of my Text is no more but this, that S. Peter, in reward of his forwardness in confessing Christ Jesus, should have the honour to to lay the first Foundation of his Church, as aforesaid. And of the truth of this interpretation I perswade my self any in­different person will be abundantly satis­fied,Camer. Myro­thec. that will take the pains to consult the Learned Camero upon the place.

PART III. I now hasten to the Third and last Part of my Text, namely, the Prediction of our Saviour touching the event of this business, the Success and Duration of this Structure, The Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.

And here we have great variety a­mongst Interpreters. Some, considering that Gates use to be the greatest Strengths and most fortified places, think that by the Gates of Hell is meant the Force and Power of the Devil and infernal Spirits; and that consequently the meaning of our Saviour is, that all the Persecutions which the Devil and his Agents raise against the Church shall never be able to destroy or extinguish it. Others, remembring that [Page 24] of old time the Gates of Cities used to be the places of Counsel and Judicature, therefore think that by Gates of Hell is meant the Cunning, Craft and Policy of the Devil; and that the meaning of the Prediction is, that neither the Plots and Machinations of the Devil and his Instru­ments shall take place against the Church, nor particularly those Heresies and wick­ed Opinions which he suggests and fo­ments against it shall ever be able to cor­rupt and deprave it.

I do not quarrel with either of these in­terpretations, but I observe they both pro­ceed upon a mistake of the notion of [...], which I will endeavour briefly to rectifie, and then all will be easie.

Now it hath been made plain by seve­ral Learned men, (particularly by the Learned D^r. Windet of late,) that [...], which we render Hell, doth not signifie the place or the state of Hell-torments, or the punishment of the damned, either in the ancient Greek Authors, or with Hel­lenistical Writers, either the Septuagint, or the Writers of the New Testament. There is indeed one onely passage in the New Testament that looks towards such a sense, and that is Luke 16. 23. where, as we render it, the rich man is said to be in [Page 25] Hell: but that is reconcileable enough with the rest, if it be duly considered.

But the general signification of [...] imports only the state of death, or of the dead, without relation to reward or pu­nishment, misery or happiness; which these instances (amongst many that might with like ease be assigned) will make e­vident. Acts 2. 24. that passage of the Psalmist is applied to our Saviour, It was not possible for him to be held by the bands of death; and vers. 27. the phrase is va­ried, and there it is said, in the same sense, Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, that is, thou wilt not leave me under the power of death, or in the condition of separate souls, but wilt raise me up again. And more plainly Rev. 20. 14. [...] and [...] Death and Hell are cast into the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; that is, Mortality is destroyed, the state of Corruption and Death are dissolved, or, as the Apostle elswhere expresses it, Mor­tality is swallowed up of Life.

For the confirmation of both which in­terpretations, I will add the Observation of See Bish. Ʋsher de Symbol. Bishop Pearson on the Creed, Artic. 5. Learned men upon that Article of our Creed, where Christ is said to have des­cended [...] into Hell. They note, that in very few of the ancient Creeds [Page 26] those words [ [...]] are to be found; and especially that where-ever they are to be found, there those other words [dead and buried] are left out, save onely in the Aquileian Creed, where indeed both the phrases are used. Whereupon it follows, that in the sense of Antiquity Death and [...], or to be in [...], (which we render Hell,) and to be in the state of death, were tantamount expressions.

So then the meaning of our Saviour in my whole Text is this; I will, by the Mi­nistry of my Apostles, and by thy especial a­gency, (Peter) gather Disciples to my Name and Doctrine, and I will have these formed into the orderly Society of a Church, united to me their Head, and to each o­ther as in a common Body, having Laws, Officers and Government peculiar: And this my Church shall continue in the World as long as the World it self lasts, subject to no Fate, Mortality or Intercision; nothing shall ever supplant or supersede it.

And thus I have, according to my pro­mise with all possible brevity explained the Doctrine of my Text. Let me now crave leave to press the Consequences of this Doctrine (upon your Practice) suita­bly to the present occasion, and I will [Page 27] conclude. I will confine my self to these three Inferences.

First, Since our Saviour took care to found a Church, let us be of this Society, and value the Privilege of being of Christ's Church.

Secondly, Since there is such a migh­ty Usefulness of this Foundation and So­ciety, let us especially that are Officers thereof endeavour to uphold it, and do it all the Honour and Service we can.

Lastly, Since our Saviour hath Prophe­sied, that all the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it, let us all, that love God's Church, bear up our selves against all Discouragements and Despondencies on the truth and infallibility of his Prediction.

I. APPLIC. Touching the first; To be of the Christian Church is to be of the most honourable Society in the whole world. It is to be of an Order whereof the Lord Christ is Founder and Protect­our, and whereof all the holy Angels are admirers: to be incorporate into the Fellowship of Apostles, Prophets, Matyrs, and all holy men: to be of that mystical Body of which the Son of God is Head: to be Citizens of the new Jerusalem, Fel­low-citizens with the Saints, and of the Houshold of God.

Observe what glorious things the Apo­stle speaks Hebr. 12. 22, 23, 24. Ye are come to mount Sion, to the City of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innu­merable company of Angels, to the general As­sembly and Church of the First-born whose names are written in Heaven, to God the Judge of all, to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. And all this means nothing else but, You Jews are translated from Moses to Christ, from your old Synagogue to the Christian Church.

God's Church is his Family, which he especially takes care of and provides for. He that is of it, is under the Shechinah, the wing of the Divine Majesty, and his spe­cial Providence.

His Church is his Vineyard, and he not only sets a hedge about it, but builds a watch-tower in it. No Nation under hea­ven had such signal instances of God's pre­sence and blessing as the people of the Jews, whilst they continued to be his Church: but when they ceased to be a Church, they ceased to be a People, were the most abject and contemptible rabble upon earth.

Above all, to be of God's Church is to be under the means of Grace, the Dew of [Page 29] Heaven, the motions of the good Spirit, and the hopes of Glory. For to the Church hath he promised his presence and assistance; there are dispensed the lively Oracles of God, there hath he provided a constant succession of Dispensers of the bread of life, to fit it to all needs and all Capacities.

Is it a small security to our minds, or satisfaction to our Consciences, that we are not left to the deceits and whispers of a private spirit, to personal conjectures or secret insinuations, but have the publick Doctrine of the Church?

Is it not a great encouragement of our Prayers, when we are fortified against the just reflections upon our own mean­ness and demerits, by the concurrent Pray­ers of all God's people, and mingle our devotions with theirs, that so they may together come up a sweet odour before God?

Is it a small advantage to joyn in that holy Leaguer, and besiege Heaven by con­joyned and ardent importunities? Coi­mus in coetum, (saith Tertullian) ut ad De­um quasi manu factâ precationibus ambiamus orantes.

Can it chuse but be a great animation and incouragement to us, to have before [Page 30] our eyes all the gr [...]at Examples in God's Church?

Is it not a mighty matter, to have our Faith strengthened and enlivened, our Love inflamed, our Comforts raised by the holy Communion? Will not the flame of others kindle our Zeal and Affections? And shall it not put us into an ecstasie of Devotion, to see as it were Christ crucifi­ed before our eyes, opening his Arms to us, and pouring out his Blood for us?

Socrates is said to have given solemn thanks to God, (amongst other things) that by his Providence he was a Philoso­pher, and not a Barbarian: and shall the twilight or drawnings of natural light be more ravishing than the bright beams of the Sun of righteousness?

Shall Tully break out in a kind of ec­stasie, O philosophia, unus dies ex proecep­tis tuis actus peccanti immortalitati est an­teponendus? and shall not we much rather break out with the Psalmist, A day in thy courts is better than a thousand; and, I had rather be a door-keeper in the House of God than dwell in the tents of wickedness?

The Chief Captain, Acts 22. 28. glo­ried that he was a free Citizen of Rome, and thought it worth the purchase of a great summe of money; But, saith St. Paul, [Page 31] I was free born: and is it a small thing to us, that we are born and brought up in the Church of God?

The Romans generally had such an opi­nion of the Augustness of their City, that to be proscribed or banished was counted a capital punishment, and a civil death thought equal to a natural.

The Pythagoreans, when any one for­sook their School, were wont to carry out a Coffin for him attended with a fu­neral pomp. And shall we esteem those alive that forsake the Church, the School of Christ?

The Primitive Christians had such an esteem of the dignity and Privilege of the Church, that Coetu arceri, to be Ex­communicate, was so dreadfull a doom, as that those that pronounced the Sentence were wont to doe it with weeping and lamentation. Ye ought to have mourned, saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 5. 2. and, 2 Cor. 12. 21. I shall bewail many. And to be cast out of the Church, and to be de­livered up to Satan, were accounted equi­valent. Nam judicatur magno cum pondere, ut apud certos de Dei conspectu, summúmque futuri Judicii proejudicium est, si quis ità deliquerit, ut à communione orationis & om­nis [Page 32] sacri commercii relegetur, saith Tertul­lian in his Apology for Christianity.

And who is there that hath been con­versant in Church-Antiquity, that hath not observed what repentance and tears▪ what solicitations and intercessions, what humble prostration of themselves were used by those that were fallen under the Censures of the Church, to obtain resti­tution to Peace and Pardon? And who that remembers this would ever have thought there should have come a time, when it should be esteemed a matter of glory, and a point of Saintship, to cut off one's self voluntarily, and become a Separatist from the Church?

The Church of Christ is the same it was, and the blessings and advantages of it are still the same: Let us endeavour therefore to raise up its Glory, to reco­ver the ancient Zeal, and to restore its Veneration. And let us all say with those in the Psalm, Come let us go up to the House of the Lord: Our feet shall stand within thy Gates, O Jerusalem.

II. APPLIC. And this leads me to my Second Application, and to address my self to the Clergy. You my Reve­rend Brethren, are not only Members, [Page 33] but Officers of this Society: give me leave (being in this place) to recommend to you very earnestly the doing all the honour and service you can to the Church of Christ. Put the case we have but slen­der Encouragements, and live in an un­gratefull Age, that men will misinterpret our Zeal, blaze our Infirmities, resist our Endeavours, and oppose their own good: yet we are in an honourable Employment, we serve a good Master, and shall not lose our reward. Therefore let me take the confidence to press upon you the fol­lowing particulars.

First, Let us be sure, for the sake of the Church, to pay such Reverence to our Superiours in it, as may render them Venerable in the eyes of all others. For assure our selves, that if we slight their Persons, and dispute their Injunctions, we teach other men to despise them and our selves too, and ruine the whole.

It is a memorable passage of our Savi­our, Matt. 3. 13, &c. He comes to John the Baptist to be baptized of him: John forbids him, saying, I have need to be bap­tized of thee, &c. And it is certain our Saviour had no need of Baptism, having no stain of Sin upon him: notwithstand­ing saith our Saviour, Suffer it to be so [Page 34] now, for it becometh us to fulfill all righte­ousness; that is, saith Hugo Grotius, it be­came the Son of God and Saviour of the World, to give publick honour and vene­ration to the Ministry of John the Baptist. And most certainly, what became our Sa­viour towards him, who (as he acknow­ledges) was not worthy to unloose his shooe latchet, must needs become us towards those that God and man have made our Superiours.

In the next place let us take care to submit our private Sentiments to the Judgment of the Church, and not op­pose our private Opinions to the publick Doctrine. It was a memorable discourse of S. Paul to the Corinthians, Ep. 1. Chap. 11. When he had been delivering his judgment about Long hair, and such o­ther matters of decency, to the reasons he gives of his judgment in those affairs he subjoyns these words, vers. 16. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such Custom, neither the Churches of God. As if he had said, If the reasons I give prevail not with you, yet the Practice of the Church is with me, and the Custom of the Church ought to be sufficient to rule such a Case.

Thirdly, Let us remember it is Church­work we are imployed about, and that [Page 35] work is to be done in peace: we must therefore gain upon men by love and gen­tleness, oblige them by condescension and goodness, not exasperate and drive them from the Church by passion and froward­ness. Especially we must be sure, that we represent not the terms of our Com­munion narrower than needs must, lest we depopulate by such Inclosures, and make the Church become a Conventicle: but consider well the importance of those words of our Saviour, He that is not a­gainst us is with us.

It is recorded by several Historians, that when the Persians had wasted Greece, and amongst other instances of Barbarity had also burnt down the Temples of their Gods; the Greeks, when they emerged from the Calamity, and recovered their own Territories, would never after re­build the ruines of those Temples, but left them as they were, that they might be Monuments of the Persians Barbarism, and keep up in the Greeks an everlasting odium and detestation of them.

But Pausanias, on the otherPausan. in Boeot. side, observes it to have been the wisdom of the Macedonians, that in none of their Conquests they ever erected any Trophies, lest whilst they perpetuated [Page 36] the Memory of their Victories, they perpetuated also the Quarrel, and provo­ked their Enemies to an immortal shame and hatred, and to watch an advantage by some fatal revenge to blot out their own infamy.

I need not in this Auditory make any Application of these two Stories: yet because I would be understood by all, I express my meaning thus. We of this Church have several sorts of Enemies. There are some we can never have peace with, nor security from; we must cheat our selves, if we think of any syncretism or coalescency with them: with such therefore the terms of distinction must be maintained, we must stand upon our guard, and quit our selves like men; there can be no accommodation, nor peace, nor truce, but what is fallacious. But there are others of whom there is hope that they may be gained: and all that I say is this, in such a case let us rather en­deavour to make them good, than exas­perate them by remembring that they have been evil, or reproaching them for what they have done amiss.

But above all let us not forget to ho­nour and adorn the Church by true Piety and Vertue. A very bad Opinion recommends [Page 37] it self with great advantage, if the promoters of it seem pious and devout: But Profaneness and Immorality, if it will not confute, yet will shame and baffle the best Profession in the world. Therefore, my Brethren, let not us only have our Loins girt, but our Lamps burning: That if any shall have the folly to reproach our way as a cold formal Devotion, we may ef­fectually convince and shame them by the Holiness of our Lives, the Heavenliness of our Minds, by a great and quick sence of God, and a remarkable Devotion. That it may be said of us as of the Ministers of Religion in Origen's time, Hi sunt qui vivunt ut loquuntur, & loquuntur ut vivunt.

S. Hierom observes of the Platonists and Stoicks, that they were wont to hold their Conferences and disputes commonly in the Porches of the Temples: of which he imagines this to have been the reason, Ʋt admoniti augustioris habitaculi sancti­tate, nil aliud nisi de virtute cogitarent. Let the Sanctity of God's House, wherein we daily minister, and the Majesty of the living God we serve, awaken and keep alive in us a constant Gravity, and quick sense of Piety. And then the most Scep­tical men will be ashamed to blaspheme Religion, and call it a meer Juggle of the [Page 38] Priests, when they see us live under the Power of it. And then shall the Di­vine Glory descend upon us and our Church, as it was wont to do upon the Ark of God.

III. APPLIC. But to come to a Conclusion: Let us encourage our selves touching the estate and prosperity of the Church by the Prediction of our Saviour, that all the Gates of Hell shall not prevnil against it. Let us not be disquieted with rumours of the strength and numbers of its Enemies. Though Ammon and Amalek, the Philistines and Inhabitants of Tyre, I mean, though Atheist, Sceptick, Papist, Fanatick, all combine against it, the Pre­diction of our Saviour shall stand.

Josephus reports of the Jewish Priests, that when Pompey's Army rushed rudely into the Temple of Jerusalem, when the Priests were busie about the Sacrifice, and filled all with amazement and consterna­tion, the Priests went on with their busi­ness, neither laid aside the Sacrifi [...]e, nor performed any part of it tumultuarily or timorously. They, it seems, considered they were doing their duty, and imploy­ed in God's work, and therefore did not doubt but he would defend them and bear [Page 39] them out. So let us do our work undaun­tedly and courageously, that neither the Scoffs of Atheists abash us, nor the rude Follies of Ignorant persons move us, nor the Conspiracy of all together tempt us to such meanness of spirit, or weakness of Faith and Courage, as to grow despon­dent, and say with David at a low ebb of mind, We shall one day fall by the hand 1 Sam. 27. 1. of Saul: but rather imitate that bravery of his with which he dismay'd and con­quered Goliah; The Lord delivered me from the mouth of the Lion, and from the paw of the Bear, and shall deliver me from this un­circumcised Philistine. To which purpose let us call to mind the miraculous Provi­dence by which this Church was reared in King Edward the Sixth and Queen Eliza­beth's days; and withall consider by what admirable Providences it was restored and revived in our days: and then surely we shall conclude it a fabrick of God's buil­ding, and which he will ever protect.

But if any shall be so diffident as to say, It may be true of the whole Church, that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against that, but this part of it, or this particular, Church may perish: for answer, I appeal to whosoever impartially reads the Scrip­tures, and hath perused Ecclesiastical Hi­story, [Page 40] to say, if he can, whether any Church in the whole world is more truly Evangelical than this, or comes nearer, either for Doctrine or Government, to those founded by the Apostles themselves. And if this be so, why should we doubt of the continuance of the Divine Provi­dence over it?

To which I add, for a Conclusion of all; Look over the History of all Times and Countreys, of all States and King­doms, and consider if ever any orderly and considerable Society in the world was dissolved otherwise, than by being broken and divided in it self. And Let the consideration hereof oblige us to the truest Love and firmest Union amongst our selves. Our Saviour hath told us, that a Kingdom divided against it self can­not stand; and the very Kingdom of Satan requires Order, and subsists by Unity. Let it not be true in every instance, espe­cially in this fatal one, that the children of this world (much less the subjects of the Kingdom of Darkness) are wiser than the children of light. But let us (as I have said) sincerely practise our Re­ligion, courageously own our Profes­sion, and maintain the Ʋnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace and Love amongst [Page 41] our selves: And then all the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against us. Which God of his mercy grant through Jesus Christ our Lord: To whom, &c.

A SERMON Preached before The Right Honourable THE Lord MAYOR and ALDERMEN Of the CITY of LONDON.

THE words are part of a discourse or Sermon of S. Paul before the Court of the Areopagites, a Se­nate or Consistory of Judges, famous in [Page 43] those days for the severest Wisdom, Gra­vity, Integrity. The occasion was this, St. Paul coming to Athens, (a City e­qually remarkable for Learning and Li­berty, Superstition and Curiosity) there publishes the Gospel, as he was wont to do in other places; the Emphasis of his Doctrine was Jesus; and the Resurrection; and ver. 17. upon these Points he disputed in the Synagogue with the Jews, and other devout persons, and daily in the Market with such as met with him.

Hereupon two Sects of Philosophers at once encounter him, viz. the Epicureans and the Stoicks. The former of these, in­stead of a God and a Wise Providence to make and govern the world, brought in Fortune or Blind Chance to bear all the sway. The latter (though they acknow­ledged a God, yet) introduced a rigid fa­tality as Superior to the Deity, and which with Adamantine bonds tied up the hands both of God and Man. The Epicurean devesting God of his Providence and con­sequently of all interest in the world; and the Stoick denying to Man all freedom and liberty of choice; seem therefore, if not equally malicious, yet equally mis­chievous to Religion.

However these two Sects joyn to toge­ther to appeal St. Paul before the aforesaid Judges, not as a Criminal to answer for his fact, but as a Novellist in Philosophy to give a rational account of that new Hy­pothesis he had broached amongst them.

And here S. Paul acquits himself bravely: For first, he not only undauntedly asserts, but rationally deduces and demonstrates those two great points; a God and a Pro­vidence, to the exclusion both of Fate and Fortune. And then secondly, from the nature and very notion of God, he infers the folly and absurdity of all their Pagan Superstitions; and then in conclusion presses them to Repentance by the mighty argument in my Text, Because God hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world, &c.

In which words I observe these Five par­ticulars.

I. First, an Assertion of a Judgment to come: He (that is God) will judge the world.

For the more clear apprehension of the full importance of which, it is to be no­ted, that there are Two parts or Bran­ches of Divine Providence, The former, that by which he takes notice of the Acti­ons [Page 45] and Carriage of men in this life; the latter, that by which he brings men to ac­count in the other world, and rewards and punishes them respectively to such their actions and carriage here. Which two branches of Providence do mutually infer and prove each other. For on the one hand if there were no such thing as a wise and curious eye of God, that strictly ob­serves the actions, and distinguishes of the carriage of Men in this world, it were impossible there should be any Judgment to come, at least not a Judgment in Righteousness; for how shall he judge that doth not discern: And on the other hand if there were no Judgment to come, it were to no purpose (but a meer trou­blesome curiosity as the Epicureans sup­pose) for God to concern himself about the affairs of Mankind here below.

But on the contrary if there be an ac­count to be made hereafter, then most certainly there is a watchful discerning eye over Men here, and if there be such a discrimination of Men and actions in this world, then there is a Judgment to come. For it is by no means reasonable to think that an holy, wise and just Ma­jesty should remark the vast difference there is to be found between Man and [Page 46] Man, and yet should content himself with that imperfect distribution of rewards and punishments, which virtue and vice re­spectively meet withal in this world.

Now this Doctrine▪ is the Soul and Spi­rit of all Religion, and the Sinew of all Go­vernment and Society.

It is the Soul of all Religion, for what doth the notion or the belief of a God sig­nifie, (although we should imagine him to be never so great, glorious and happy) if he will not trouble himself with Govern­ment, if he will not take notice how men behave themselves: in short, if he will neither reward nor punish; virtue is then but an empty name, a needless penance which men impose upon themselves, and vice and debauchery is as well safe and se­cure, as it is more easie and delightful. But if God distinguishes of Men and Acti­ons here, and will indeed judge the world hereafter, this comes home to Mens inte­rests, and awakens their Consciences; as­suring them that piety and virtue are of vast importance and necessity.

And it is the Sinew of all Government; for it is certain that Plots may sometimes be laid so deep, that no eye of Man can discover them. And there may be such a Potent Confederacy of wicked Men, as [Page 47] that they shall out-face humane justice, in which case, what shall keep the world from running into confusion, and be­coming an hell upon earth; but the dis­cerning eye, and steady hand of Provi­dence? It is the dreadful Prospect of a Judgment to come, that curbs the Licen­tious: it is this Enacts the Laws of So­ciety in the Consciences of Men. This guards the Thrones of Princes, and se­cures the Tribunal of the Magistrate.

But to proceed,

II. The second observable in my Text, is, that there is not only a Judgment to come; but that the Day of it is determi­ned. He hath appointed a day wherein, &c.

To adjourn to no certain time, is, I think, to dissolve the Court; and to ap­point no day is to disappoint the business: the Almighty therefore hath appointed an express and solemn time for this great Transaction. And indeed it is worthy of observation, that in all the great passa­ges of Divine Providence, he hath pas­sed such an immutable decree upon them, that the time of their event and comple­tion [Page 48] can be no more casual and contingent than the very things themselves. So Ex­od. 12. 41. the servitude of the Children of Israel was determined to 430 years, and the Text tells us, that when the 430 years were exspired, even the self-same day departed all the host of the Lord out of the land of Egypt.

Again 2 Chron. 36. 21. God had de­creed to punish the Nation of the Jews with 70 years Captivity in Babylon, and precisely upon the expiration of that term, when the Word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah was finished, God put it into the heart of Cyrus to proclaim them liberty. Thus the time of our Sa­viours Incarnation was so exactly setled, that the Apostle not only adores the Di­vine Goodness in sending his Son, but the constancy and immutability of his Counsel, that when the fulness of time was come, he sent his Son into the world.

And as the precise time of his first coming was immoveably fixed, so is also that of his second coming to Judgment; Although that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the very Angels. And it hath plea­sed the Divine Majesty to be thus punctu­al, especially in this great affair we are speaking of, (amongst other reasons best [Page 49] known to his infinite wisdom,) for this end, that he might more effectually a­waken the secure world, who are apt to put far from them the evil day, and to con­vince them of the certainty of the Judg­ment, by the definition of the day on which it shall be held; but this brings me to

III. The third observable, namely, That as the day of Judgment is set, so the per­son of the Judge is also constituted and or­dained; He will judge the world by that Man whom he hath ordained, &c,

And as all circumstances of time, place and persons are evidences of fact, and as­surances of the principal business, so doth this particular designation of the Judge further confirm the certainty of the Judg­ment. And not only so, but it also opens to us the great depth of the Divine Good­ness, especially upon these two considera­tions.

In the first place, it is wonderful deco­rous and becoming the Divine Majesty, and righteous towards the person of our Saviour, that he who humbled himself to take our nature upon him, and therein to fulfil exactly the divine Law, and after that to suffer death for our redemption, [Page 50] should in reward of this obedience and humiliation be exalted to be the Judge of the world, which he died for: So the A­postle interprets to us this divine Oecono­my, Phil. 2. 9. Because being in the form of God, he made himself of no reputati­on, but humbled himself and became obedi­ent unto death, even the death of the Cross, therefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, &c.

Again secondly, it wonderfully displays the divine Goodness towards us, that he should be appointed our Judge, that hath been, and yet is in our natures, that hath felt our infirmities, conflicted with the same tempt [...]tions, and that withal had so much love [...]o us as to die for us. That the divine Majesty will not oppress us with his own Glory, nor imploy an Arch-Angel to pass judgment upon us, who as he hath had no commerce with a bo­dy of flesh and blood, cannot have suf­ficient compassion of our infirmities, but one like our selves, that hath felt all that we feel; and in a word, who hath loved us better than we can or do love our selves. What can any man wish in his own fa­vour more than this? If God should give us leave to chuse our own Judge, what choice could we make better for our selves, [Page 51] than that man whom God hath ordained? But how shall I be assured of this happi­ness, that I shall have so merciful a Judge▪ that we are resolved of

IV. In the fourth particular of my Text, He hath given assurance unto all Men in that he raised him from the dead; but how doth that assure us of this great and com­fortable point? It is true the Resurrection of our Saviour did denote him to be some great and extraordinary person, but that is no sufficient argument that he shall be Judge of the world; the Evidence there­fore lies in this, Our Saviour Christ Je­sus whilest he was in the world had often declared, that he was appointed by God to judge the quick and dead, and appeal­ed to his Resurrection as the great proof of this and all other things he said; now in this case when God shall accordingly so wonderfully raise him from the dead (as we know he did) what is it less than Gods setting his Seal to his Commission, or than openly proclaiming him to be the Judge of all the world? But

V. Fifthly and lastly, There is one par­ticular more in my Text that deserves e­special consideration, and that is the man­ner of this Judgment, or rather the mea­sures [Page 52] this Judge will proceed by at that great Judgment, and that is [...], in righteousness; he will judge the world in righteousness.

And this is the point I intend only to insist upon. All the former which I have mentioned are indeed great and weighty; but I cannot hope to treat of so many, in any sort proportionably to the things without trespassing upon this great Audi­tory. I will therefore for the present dismiss them, and apply my self wholly to this single point, from which I hope to offer something not unworthy your patience and attention.

Now in order hereto, we must first set­tle the Scripture notion of this phrase righteousness or in righteousness. And that which I first observe to this purpose is this; No where in all the Scripture doth righteousness signifie rigour or summum Jus: as when God is said to be a righte­ous God, it is not meant that he is ex­treme to mark what is done amiss; or when he is said to judge righteous Judg­ment, it is not to be thought that he will rigidly insist upon his own right, without consideration of any thing but himself, that he will make no allowance, but take all advantages that power or prerogative, [Page 53] or strictness of Law can give him. I say there is no such use of this word in Scrip­ture when applied to Gods dealings, no nor yet when it is applied to Men; a se­vere harsh rigorous Man is so far from being a righteous Man in the stile of Scripture, that he is quite under another character.

There is indeed one passage in the A­postle to the Romans, Chap. 5. ver. 7. which may seem to favour another noti­on; the words are these, For a righteous Man one will scarcely die, but for a good Man one would even dare to die: but it is first to be considered, that the Apostle there alludes to a distinction well known amongst the Jewish Doctors, which was of some use to their purposes, but is not strictly true in it self; but especially it is to be considered, that there those two terms righteousness and goodness are put in opposition to shew their distinct notions in abstracto, and not in concreto, or as they are in the subject; for there or in practice they are always complicated and in con­junction, insomuch that he is no more a righteous Man that is not a good Man, than he can be esteemed a good man, that is not a just Man.

But as for God his stile (according to the wisdom of all mankind) is optimus [Page 54] maximus, goodness and greatness mixed together, and as it were attempering each other; the one not permitting him to be a severe captious Deity to be hared and abhorred, and the other not leaving him a soft and easie Majesty to be dallied and trifled withal, but both together raising a becoming reverence, which is the result of fear and love in conjunction.

But to come home to the business, the full of my observation touching he Scrip­ture notion of the phrase in my Text is this, that [...] or righteousness is al­ways used there in a comprehensive sen [...]e, so as to take in not only justice and up­rightness, and impartiality, and the like, but also goodness, kindness, equity, cle­mency, candour and mercy: and so as the Hebrew words [...] in the Old Testament are all used promiscuous­ly one for another, so are the Greek words [...], &c. used interchangeably for one another in the New Testament, as it were easie to make out by abundance of instances, if it were necessary. Take one passage for all out of the Hymn we sing daily out of the last Verse of the 98. Psalm, In righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. Where, [Page 55] as World and People are equivalent ex­pressions, and interpret each other, so are righteousness and equity made to be ex­pressive of each other; so that as to judge the people is all one with to judge the world; so to judge in righteousness is all one as to judge in equity, and to judge in equity is to judge in righteousness.

The result of this observation touching this phrase of Scripture is, That although in humane Tribunals we distinguish be­tween Courts of Law and of Equity, yet these are not different Judicatories in the other world; for there mercy and justice kiss each other; Law and Equity proceed from the same mouth, the same throne; and according to such a temper shall our Saviour judge the world in righteous­ness.

Now agreeably to this Notion, I will, by the guidance of the same holy Scrip­ture endeavour to represent the measures of that great day; and I think by the light we have given us thereinto, the proceedings of that mighty solemnity will be according to these five Rules.

1. First, Christ Jesus the Judge of all the world will not at the last day proceed arbitrarily with men, but according to known Laws: That is, he will neither [Page 56] absolve and save any merely because he hath decreed so to do; nor by a strain of prerogative damn any Man because he will, but will govern himself by the ju­stice and equity of the Cause, and the respective qualifications of the Persons, as fit for eternal life or eternal death. This he himself hath declared before hand, Rev. 2. 23. All the Churches shall know that I am he who searcheth the reins and the heart, and will render to every Man accor­ding to his works: and the Apostle assures us, 2 Cor. 5. 10. that we must all appear at the Judgment seat of Christ, to answer for the things done in the flesh, whether they be good or evil.

Indeed in this world God doth deal by prerogative, and dispenses the means of grace as well as other favours, as he plea­ses, from whence it comes to pass, that more and greater advantages are confer­red upon some certain persons or people than other, who notwithstanding were antecedently no better or more deserving than others, and this is properly free grace, which can neither be grace, nor much less free, if it be not arbitrary; but this is not the case at the end of the world, when God comes to demonstrate his justice and righteousness; at which time, though [Page 57] he expect not from men the perfection of Angels nor to reap but in proportion to what he hath sowed; yet (by the im­provement of those Talents he hath affor­ded) he expects to find a difference in the attainment and temper of those he con­signs to a different state for all eternity: and although as the Apostle tells us, Rom. 2. 12. Those that have sinned without Law shall perish without the Law, and such as have sinned under the Law shall be judged by the Law; yet still the proceedings are just and equal, because they are accord­ing to mens deeds, and proportionable to the opportunities of being good.

And if this were not so, that day could not be called a day of Judgment but of Execution rather; and the judgment prae­judicium rather than judicium, and the whole transaction a demonstration of will and power, but not of integrity and righ­teousness. And besides, wherefore is the Judge said to be the searcher of hearts, if he proceed proleptically upon bare resolu­tion or determination? Why is he said to separate the Sheep from the Goats, if he make a distinction without a difference? Why is it called a fiery trial, if there be no discrimination; and in a word, if he save and damn by prerogative?

[Page 58]2. The Judge of the world will not be partial, or use any respect of persons; that is, he will neither acquit nor condemn any man or men whatsoever, in consideration, of external circumstances, either because the [...] are learned or unlearned, noble or ignoble, rich or poor; or for the sake of any kindred and family, no nor for being or not being of such or such a Sect, Par [...]y or Opinion. This the holy Scripture every where acquits [...]od of, and part [...]cu­larly the Apostle S Peter, who had by reason of his Jewish Education been under other apprehensions formerly, proclaims with admiration, Acts 10 34. I perceive of a truth that God is no respecter of persons: but, &c As for those external accommo­dations of riches and honour, and whate­ver else there is of that kind; these how­ever valuable they may be in this world, are of no moment with God, nor will procure a man any favour or privilege at the last day.

As for kindred and family, the Jews were wont to bear themselves in hand with their lineage and descent, that they were Abrahams seed: as if because God gave them the good Land of Canaan for the sake of that good man (without any desert of their own) therefore he had so [Page 59] intailed his favours upon them, that they could not miscarry in the other world nei­ther; and most certainly if ever any plea of this kind could be admitted in that Court, it would be this descent from A­braham the friend of God and Father of the faithful: but John the Baptist plainly told them the vanity of this hope, Mat. 3. 8. requiring them to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance and amendment of life, and not to say within themselves, We have Abraham for our Father; for saith he, God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham; as if he had said, God will sooner exert his omnipotency in the most improbable miracle that ever he wrought, than admit an unholy person into Heaven upon the pretence of kindred and con­sanguinity.

And as for Sect and Opinion, it is no­toriously evident, that there is no opinion so Orthodox, nor party so Canonical, but an evil man may be of it, and at that day nothing will pass current for the sake of the publick impress or stamp upon it, but according to the intrinsick value; for all shall be weighed in the balance of the Sanctuary.

To this head I refer also, that this righ­teous Judge is capable of no fondness or [Page 60] indulgence, will be wrought upon by no flattery, nor moved by any complements, corrupted by no gift or service, will value nothing that men can either do or suffer for him, without an holy temper, an ha­bitually pious and virtuous life, and such qualifications inherent as fit a man for the Kingdom of Heaven.

If sacrifices would have propititated the divine Majesty, the Jews would have been sure to have done it, forasmuch as he him­self complains, that he is weary of their fat Lambs and Bullocks.

If long and earnest prayers and impor­tunities would prevail with this Judge, he would never have foretold us, that those which shall come and cry Lord, Lord, open to us, should be commanded to depart ac­cursed.

If hearing Sermons would do the busi­ness, surely they that could say, Lord, we have heard thee preach in our streets, would be in a good condition.

Nay, if the most liberal alms or even martyrdom it self would carry a man through at this trial. S. Paul would ne­ver have supposed, 1 Cor. 13. 3. That a man may give all his goods to feed the poor, and his body to be burned, and yet be a cast a­way. The plain truth is, that which God [Page 61] expects, and that which the great Crisis of eternity depends upon, is (as I have said) a holy heart and life; but forasmuch as there is no one duty that is characteri­stical of such a frame, nothing of all these kinds, but what an Hypocrite or a wicked man may perform, therefore none of them will be sufficient security.

3. Thirdly, So just and righteous will be the proceedings at this great Tribunal, that as no man shall be saved for the righ­teousness of another, (without the perso­nal and peculiar qualifications for a state of glory, wrought by the grace of God upon his own Soul,) so neither shall any man be damned for the sin of another, but every man shall bear his own burden

God indeed threatens in the second Commandment, That he will punish the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate him; and from thence it seems the self applauding Jews took up an opprobri­ous proverb against the Almighty, Ezek. 18. saying, The fathers have eaten sowre Grapes, and the childrens teeth are set on edge. As if they of the present generation were a most innocent and unblamable peo­ple, yet became calamitous by mere mifortune, for being the posterity of [Page 60] [...] [Page 61] [...] [Page 62] wicked progenitors, or at least that God by an act of prerogative translated the pu­nishment from the offending parents to their innocent children; and agreeably hereunto they have a saying, yet extant in their writings, to this effect, Non est vindicta super Israelem in qua non est pulvis vituli aurei, that in all the Divine inflicti­ons upon the whole race of the Jews there was still a spice of the Golden calf. But the true state of the case was this, God Almighty never threatned to punish the innocent for the nocent, but expresses himself plainly in the Text of the afore­said Commandment, that he would punish only guilty children of guilty parents, and in that case when there had been a succession of wickedness from Father to Son, and by that means sin grew ripe for punishment, then he would inflict such severe vengeance upon such a profli­gate progeny, as (perhaps) he would not have done, had not there been such an uninterrupted course or kind of prescrip­tion for impiety. But still as he punished none but the guilty, so neither did he pu­nish them beyond the desert of their own crimes; for so he vindicates his own pro­ceedings in the aforesaid Text of Ezekiel, and assures them, that if any Son had ne­ver [Page 63] so wicked Parents or Progenitors, yet if he seeing the evil of their ways should de­part from it, and do that which was righteous and good, he should save his Soul alive, he should not die.

But whatever it may please the Divine Majesty to do in this world, where his inflictions are not so properly revenge or the expletion of justice, as methods of mercy to reclaim men from sin; or if we should grant (though upon the pre­mises we need not) that the retributions of Divine Justice are less exact in this world, yet most certainly at that day when there shall be a full display of the Divine Justice, and a reparation of all the seeming irregularities of providence afore­time, then I say shall it be most conspi­cuously true, that the Sons shall not bear the in [...]quity of the Fathers, but every man shall bear his own burden, and the Soul only that sinneth shall die.

4. Fourthly, this Judge of all the world will at that great day candidly interpret mens actions, and make the very best of things that the case will bear; our Savi­our hath told us, his yoke is easie and his burden light; and there is nothing more contributes to make them so, than this benignity of interpretation; for as no [Page 64] Laws are tolerable when they are rigo­rously strained and severely applied, so none are harsh and difficult that meet with a fair and equitable interpretation.

Now touching this the tenor of the whole Gospel assures us, that our merci­ful Judge will not watch advantages a­gainst men, will not insist upon puncti­lio's, but principally looks at the sincerity of mens intentions, agreeably to which we have ground given us comfortably to expect, that he will advance our good du­ties to as high a value as they are capa­ble of, for so he expresses himself, Mat. 25. 34. when speaking to those on his right hand, he saith, Come ye blessed of my father, inherit a kingdom prepared for you, &c. for I was hungry and ye gave me meat, I was thirsty and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger and ye took me in, &c. And then when, Verse 37. the righteous (wonde­ring at this Divine Goodness, and mo­destly undervaluing their own performan­ces) shall answer, Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee, thirsty and gave thee drink; when saw we thee a stranger and took thee in, &c. Verse 40. the King gra­ciously replies, Verily I say unto you, inas­much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren, ye have done it unto [Page 65] me; in which passage we see our Saviour and Judge not only takes notice of the meanest offices, and very cheap and easie expressions of charity, compassion and hospitality, but he remembers them for us when we have forgotten them, and that at the most advantageous season, when he comes in all his glory, and hath Crowns and Kingdoms to bestow, in the most important and critical time, when our eternity depends upon it.

But that which I principally note in this place, is the benignity of his inter­pretation; for when the righteous say, Lord when saw we thee an hungred, ‘&c. as if they had said (with infinite joy and admiration) When Lord had we the happiness to give any such demon­strations of love to thee, as thou graci­ously imputest to us? When had we the opportunity to oblige so great a friend?’ He replies, Inasmuch as ye have done ‘it to the least of these, &c. as if he had said, I know the sincerity of your in­tentions, and I take notice of the virtu­ous temper from whence those actions of yours proceeded; 'tis the heart I va­lue more than the thing done, or the opportunity of doing; although there­fore you never saw me in the flesh, ne­ver [Page 64] [...] [Page 65] [...] [Page 66] pitied me at your doors, took me up in your streets, or relieved my ne­cessities; yet forasmuch as I know that when you did it unto these, ye would much more have done it to my self, if I had been in their case, therefore I take it as kindly as if it had been done to my self.’

And then on the other side, (for the failings and infirmities of men,) this mer­ciful Judge will make all the favourable allowances that can consist with justice; he considers the weakness of our judg­ments, the suddenness of our passions, the disadvantage of our constitution, the power of temptation, the subtilty of ob­jections, the prevalence of customs, the contagion of example; for this is our happiness, he doth not only know our nature and circumstances, but hath felt all or most of these things himself. He therefore hath not like Draco, written all his Laws in bloud, nor made all trans­gressions alike capital; he will not impute defects in our duties, as wilful contempts of his Majesty, nor interpret a surprizal to be our choice, or our infirmities and frailties to be presumptuous sins; but whatever there may be of this kind that can consist with a Divine life, with the [Page 67] sincere love of God, and a true and hear­ty sense of virtue and goodness, shall not be rigidly aggravated against us.

Nay more than so, when sin admits not of any of the aforesaid mitigations, but hath been committed with an high hand presumptuously, yet even then up­on the interposition of true repentance, this Judge can mercifully pardon also; he pardons iniquity, transgression and sin; for he is not an ordinary Judge bound to the strictness of Law, but a soveraign Prince that can dispense pardons; all pow­er is given him in Heaven and Earth, and he can as easily say to the penitent sinner, Son be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee; as to the Cripple, Arise, take up thy bed and walk.

5. Fifthly and lastly, The admirable e­quity of the great and final Judgment, is this, That the glory and happiness of good Men in the other world shall be encreas­ed proportionably to the measures of their difficulties, sufferings and calamities here in this world. The Apostle tells us, That as one Star differeth from another in glory, so also is the Resurrection of the dead; and our Saviour, That in his fathers house there are many mansions, not only room to receive many, but (as that phrase [Page 68] properly imports) several degrees and stations of glory; accordingly as the dead in Christ ( [...]or for Christ) shall first be raised, so shall they, having suffered for the testimony of Jesus here, shine with an extraordinary ray of glory there.

And in like manner, those that have been eminently good, under great disad­vantages and discouragements in a dark age, amidst an evil and adulterous gene­ration, and where Satans throne was, these shall hear that Eulogy, Well done good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful in a few things, be thou ruler over much.

And according to the same equity, those who caeteris paribus, (or who ha­ving been but as good as others, yet) have been more afflicted with poverty, oppression, sickness or any other calami­ty in this world, than those others their equals in other respects, shall have a­mends made them in the other world; for by this means at last God clears up and vindicates the whole course of his pro­vidence, which though like some great Rivers, it seems to run under ground, or to be lost for a time, then breaks out a­gain and displays the Divine uprightness: thus all is brought to rights again, and the present (at least seeming) inequal [Page 69] distribution is repaired. The considera­tion of which one thing alone is sufficient, not only to make every good Man pati­ent under his present burdens, and con­tented with his condition (whatever it be in this world,) but also to say, Come Lord Jesus, come quickly.

But this as well as the shortness of my time, puts me in mind to make some practical reflections on what hath been delivered, wherein for brevity sake I will couch all I have to say under this one fol­lowing address of application, and con­clude.

Appl. Forasmuch then, as we have all this assurance of a Judgment coming, as that God hath not only foretold it, but appointed and publickly constituted the Judge, designed the very day, and ac­quainted us with the manner of the pro­ceedings therein; Let us seriously believe it, expect and prepare for it: far be it from every one of us to think or speak slightly of that great day, but let us live under a constant sense of it; forethink the solemnity of it, feel the approaches, and hear the sound of that last trumpet: that this may incourage us in every gene­rous undertaking, support us under all [Page 70] our agonies, and check and baffle all tem­ptations of what kind soever.

That neither profit may tempt us, nor pleasure allure us, nor power imbold­en us, nor privacy incourage us to do that thing which we cannot answer at that Judgment-seat.

For consider, I am sure to be judged, and that at such a Tribunal where the Judge can neither be corrupted nor impo­sed upon; no Art, no Rhetorick will a­vail; I can neither evade the Trial, nor elude the Sentence; the only point then of debate with me is, how shall I stand there, how shall I be justified there, how shall I commend my case to the mercy of my Judge? This is the mightiest concern we can lie under, as that which though it be at distance from us, yet cannot chuse but have a present influence upon all affairs and moments of life, and consequently ought to be the summ of all our care and study. It is that which natural Light suggests to us, as well as Revelation, and which our ve­ry Consciences cannot but suspect (if they do not believe) in spight of Sophistry and all the arts of Infidelity.

When S. Paul preached to Felix of Righteousness, Temperance, and Judgment to come, he, though a sensual Pagan, trem­bles [Page 71] at the Sermon, and had no other way to compose his countenance, but by pro­roguing the further handling of that sub­ject; now shall such a Man as he trem­ble and we be unconcerned? shall Chri­stians prove the greatest Infidels in the whole world?

What shall we say then to them that defie and challenge God Almighty, cry­ing, God judge me, God damn me? Alas unhappy Men, he will judge you sure e­nough, and damn you soon enough, if a serious repentance prevent it not.

Nor let the consideration of what I have said before of the mildness and cle­mency of our Judge, render any man the more secure in this affair: It is very worthily accounted the great privilege of an English Subject, that he is never condemned without a Jury of his Neigh­bours and equals, such as may be supposed to know his life and circumstances, and to be touched with a feeling of his con­dition, as that which may be their own case at another time; yet so much the more sad and the less pitiable is his case to whom this merciful constitution of our Laws affords no relief. And it is the un­speakable consolation of all sincerely good Men, against all their failings and infir­mities, [Page 72] that we are tried before such a Judge, that having been in our nature, felt our infirmities, and undergone the same temptations, is able to pity and suc­cour those that are tempted; neverthe­less by how much more mild the Judge is, and the more equitable his proceedings shall be, so much more shameful is the guilt, and more terrible will the condem­nation be of those that here miscarry in their great cause.

S. Gregory Nazianzen observes of S. Basil, that such and so remarkable was his wont­ed mildness and benignity, that a smile from his was a grave censure, and his silence a reprehension of any indecency; but now to see a two edged sword proceed out of the mouth of the Lamb, Christ Jesus, to see him that was all love and goodness, come in flaming fire to take vengeance, to hear him that was always used to open his mouth in blessings, say, Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels.

What a dreadful scene of things have we set before us, Rev. 6. 16. when the Kings of the Earth and the mighty Men, and the great Captains shall call to the rocks fall on us, and to the mountains, cover us from the face of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come.

Let it therefore be the most intent thought, and the most sollicitous care of all of us both great and small, that we may be effectually provided for this day▪ To that end, Let us judge our selves, that we may not be judged of the Lord, i. e. Let us anticipate our own trial, and ascer­tain our own case before-hand; abandon all the ways of sin for the future, and for what is past let us make our peace with God by the most effectual repentance, and by applications to the mercy of God in the propitiatory sacrifice of our Lord Jesus. And herewithal let us imbrace cordially the whole Gospel in all the dimensions of it; nor catch hold of a promise without observing the conditions of it, nor make Christianity shrink into a notion, or dwin­dle into a ceremony or opinion, or be confined to the dictates and sentiments of a party; but live virtuously and excellent­ly, be so much better Men as we have better principles and greater hopes, then shall we stand with boldness, and Christ Jesus will own us for his true disciples. Let us imbrace all the opportunities of doing good, inform, oblige, instruct the world, and make peace in it with all our power and skill: In particular let us imi­tate that righteousness, goodness, equity, [Page 74] candour and mercy, which we know we shall have need of, and hope to experi­ment in our Saviour at that day; for thus we prescribe the measures of our own Judgment; for as we judge so shall we be judged.

In a word, let us remember that which sure we can never forget, how our Savi­our describing the transactions of the last Judgment, lays great stress upon actions of charity and compassion, when he saith, Come ye blessed, &c. for I was an hungred and ye fed me, thirsty and ye gave me drink, naked and ye cloathed me, sick and in prison, and ye came unto me.

That this may be all our care at pre­sent, and all our case at last, God of his infinite mercy grant for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be everlasting glory, adoration and obedience world without end.

A SERMON Preached before The Right Honourable THE Lord MAYOR and ALDERMEN Of the CITY of LONDON.

IT hath always been accounted, if not an Argument of Wisdom, yet a sign of an hopeful Temper and a Capa­city for the attainment of it, to ask a discreet and pertinent Question: Espe­cially if therewithal there be so much pru­dence, [Page 76] as to make choice of and apply ones self to such a person as is likely to be able to resolve it.

Both these qualifications meet in the man in my Text. For in the first place he neither comes with some Rabbinical nicety, for the ostentation of his own learning and subtilty; nor with a capti­ous interrogatory to intangle our Savi­our in his Speech, but with a becoming gravity and sincerity to inquire about the great affair of another World. And for his satisfaction herein he applies himself to him that came from Heaven on purpose to instruct men in the way thither.

But besides this, there are (in the Context) several very remarkable things in the Character of the person who makes this inquiry, and which consequently render the Question propounded by him the more considerable; as

In the first place Ʋ. 20. he is said to be a young man, and yet the warmth and vigour of youth, together with the common presumption of having long to live in this world, did not abate his con­cern for the life to come.

Again Ʋ. 2 [...]. he is said to be a rich man; yet neither the pleasures, nor the [Page 77] cares and business of this world, made him forgetful of another world.

And if we compare with the Text the parallel story in S. Luke 18. 18. this person is called [...] a Ruler, or (as the vulgar Latine reads it Princeps) a Prince; yet for all this he sought the Kingdom of Heaven.

Lastly, if we look back again to Ʋ. 20. he is described to be a virtuous or moral man; for he had kept the Commandments from his youth up, notwithstanding he de­sired to be further instructed, that he might make sure of eternal life.

Now from the Question propounded by this person under these circumstances I make these four Observations.

First, That the other World (or a life after this present) is a matter of that great moment and importance, that no thin­king man can chuse but have his mind run upon it, and be inquisitive about it.

Secondly, That he who seriously and ingenuously inquires into this affair, will easily be resolved in the affirmative, that there is such thing.

Thirdly, He that being satisfied that there is such a state, as a life hereafter, [Page 78] is destitute of common sence, if he do not passionately desire to have a share in it.

Lastly, He that desires an interest in the World to come, is very absurd and unreasonable to hope for it, without doing some good thing for the attainment of it.

If it had not been a Question naturally occurring to the minds of men, it is not probable this young man would have troubled his head about it.

If upon consideration of the Question, the affirmative had not been highly credi­ble, he would not have supposed it, but disputed it with our Saviour.

If upon supposition of the truth or pro­bability of such a state, the enjoyment of it had not been matter of vast consequence a rich man would not have troubled him­self, nor our Saviour, about it.

And if doing good had not been evi­dently the way to attain it, our Saviour would never have given such Answer to his Question, as we find he did.

So that all the aforesaid Propositions have a just foundation in the Text; and therefore I intend to discourse briefly of them all in order, beginning with the first.

A SERMON Preached before The Right Honourable THE Lord MAYOR and ALDERMEN Of the CITY of LONDON.

VVHether this Psalm was pen­ned by Moses upon occa­sion of the Victory ob­tained over Sihon King of Heshb [...]n, as the first Omen of Israel's success in the Conquest of the promised Land? (as the Jewish writers think) Or, [Page 108] [...] [Page 109] [...] [Page 110] Whether it was composed by David upon the recovery of his Throne and King­dom, when the conspiracy of Absolom was defeated? (as the Greek Interpreters seem to intimate:) Or lastly, Whether the same David indited it, upon the huge inlargement of his Dominions, by the addition of all those bordering Coun­tries, his Conquest whereof we have re­corded 1 Chron. 18. (as seems most pro­bable.)

It is however certain in the general, that the Psalm is an Hymn of Praise to the Divine Majesty, and a devout ac­knowledgment of his power and provi­dence in the management of the affairs of the World. And like as at the in­auguration of some virtuous and brave Prince, or especially upon some glorious specimen or instance of his Wisdom and Prowess in the conduct of Affairs, it is usual for the people to make mighty shouts and acclamations: So here is the shout of a King in my Text, and all the World is summoned to celebrate the glories of this great Monarch Jehovah. The Lord reigneth, let the Earth rejoice; let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof.

By the Earth, I understand the Land of Canaan and bordering Countries, the [Page 111] Territory of the Church. By the mul­titude of the Isles, I conceive is meant all the remoter parts of the World; for by that name the Jews in their lan­guage were wont to call all but the Continent on which they inhabited, as may appear Gen. 10. 5. where spea­king of the posterity of Japheth, the Text saith, by these were the Isles of the Gentiles divided.

So the words afford us these two observations:

First, That the Divine Majesty is not a mere necessary Agent or passive Being, or unconcerned Spectator of the Affairs of the World, but manages and governs, as well as observes the course of things.

Secondly, That this Divine Providence and Government of the World, is mat­ter of security and satisfaction, of tri­umph and rejoicing to all mankind. And that although the Church of God have a principal interest in it, and ad­vantage by it; yet no part of the World is neglected by God, or destitute of a Providence.

And these two shall be the subject of my present discourse. I am well aware that neither of them contain any new Doctrine to entertain and gratifie cu­riosity; but I am withal very certain, that they represent to us matter of the greatest usefulness and importance that can be for any times, but most peculi­arly seasonable at this time. The Do­ctrine of a Providence (and especially such an one as the Text speaks of) being the only consideration able to allay our Passions, to abate our Fears, to remove our Jealousies, to cure our Melancho­lies, and consequently to promote Peace and Settlement both in Church and State. Therefore I shall not doubt ei­ther of your patience or attention whilst I give account of these three things.

First, I will shew what is meant by this expression, the Lord reigneth.

Secondly, I will demonstrate the truth of the assertion, That God Almighty ex­erciseth a reigning Providence in the World.

Lastly, I will bring this down to pra­ctice, by discovering the great influence this truth hath upon all the interests of mankind.

And by that time I perswade my self you will be ready to make the ap­plication in my Text, and give exam­ple to the rest of the World, to rejoice that the Lord is King.

1. I begin with the first, what is meant by this expression, the Lord reigneth.

I cannot imagine that any one that hears me should phansie this expression to give countenance to a Fifth Mo­narchy (as they call it) as if such an interest in the Government of the World was hereby asserted to the Divine Ma­jesty, as should repeal or disannul the Authority of Temporal Princes and Po­tentates; or that they must become Usurpers because God is King. For besides that (as I shall shew anon) they are only Gods Vicegerents and Instru­ments of his Government; and so be­ing subordinate cannot be repugnant to him: (Besides this I say) it is evident that David, who (I suppose) indited this Psalm, reigned at this time as a [Page 114] Temporal Prince, and neither thought his Royalty impeached by the Divine Soveraignty, nor an invasion of the Di­vine Prerogative.

And as little can I suspect that any should be so unreasonable, as to think that the supposition of a Divine Pro­vidence should supersede and discharge the use and efficacy of second causes, for it is a reigning Providence we speak of; now to reign is to command in chief, not to transact all things imme­diately, to prescribe to and govern, rather than to dispatch business by himself.

That which therefore we are to un­derstand by Gods being King, is no more but that Omne regnum est sub gra­viori regno; that the Lord God is Lord Paramount, who though he not only suffers but inables other causes to act under him, yet keeps the reins of Go­vernment in his own hand; and conse­quently can and doth whensoever he pleases, interpose, suspend or controll them, and over rule all things to his own will and pleasure.

That things are neither carried by the hurry of a blind fortune, or chance as the Epicureans dreamed;

Nor born away with the swinge of fatal necessity, as the Stoicks ima­gined:

Nor yet left either to the will of man, or the natural efficacy of second causes, but that God sometimes inter­poses, and always guides and governs them.

This is that which was darkly and figuratively, but elegantly exprest by the Prophet Ezekiel in his first Chap­ter, where the course of second causes is compared to the Wheels of a Chariot, which run on in a Road with a migh­ty carier; but then v. 18. there are said to be eyes in those Wheels, intima­ting that God takes notice how all things go; and not only so, but v. 20. there is said to be a Spirit that guides and governs all their Motions.

Thus the Lord is King and reigns in the World; and so much for that point; I pass to the second:

2. Which is to make plain and de­monstrative proof of this assertion, that so we may discover a just foundation for that joy and triumph which the Text calls for upon that occasion; and [Page 116] for this I offer these four following Ar­guments.

First, I argue from the very nature and notion of a God after this manner: Every man that frames in his mind any worthy notion of the Deity, con­ceives him to be a Wise, Powerful, Just and Good Being; and whosoever con­ceives of him any otherwise, or leaves out any of these Attributes, debases him below the common notion that men have of him, and renders him no fit object of love, or fear, or worship and adoration, (as I shall shew more anon.)

Now he that denies such a Provi­dence as we have explained, denies to the Deity all those perfections at once; and in so doing forfeits and forgoes the most natural and general apprehension of a God; so that either there is in ef­fect no God, or there is a Providence. For if he cannot take notice how things go in the World, we cannot esteem him Wise.

If he sees how things go, but can­not help, or hinder them, we cannot allow him to be powerful; and if he sees, and can help, but will not, men [Page 117] will have no apprehensions of him as either Just or Good.

But because we certainly conclude him to have all those perfections, when we acknowledge him to be a God, there­fore he doth govern the World. And thus in short we have all the branches of Divine Providence, at once, demon­strated from his Nature and Being.

Secondly, My second Argument shall be from the Spirit of Prophecy, or from all those Predictions of things to come, which have been verified in real effects in any age of the World.

He that denies that any thing hath been foretold, and come to pass accord­ing to the Prediction, must deny the Faith and History of all the World; and he that grants such things, cannot a­void the acknowledgment of a Provi­dence.

For it is evident, that he who cer­tainly foretells what is to come, must see through all the series of causes that tend to the production of such an ef­fect, and especially if he define the very precise time and other circumstances an­swering to the accomplishment of the Event, his knowledge must be very ac­curate [Page 118] and intimate to the whole in­trigue of causes. But above all, if he declare before-hand, not only what shall come to pass according to the course of natural and necessary causes, but even such things as are casual and contingent, and such as are subject to the liberty and indifferency of the will of man and free agents: Then (whe­ther men be able or no to discover the secret manner and means of this fore knowledge it matters not) it must be acknowledged, that he not only is privy to the Cabal, and sees the consul­tations and workings of these causes; but that he also governs the result and issues of them, which is that we here mean by a reigning Providence, as we before ex­plained it.

Now all this matter of fact is evi­dently true in innumerable instances; amongst all which, I will only take no­tice of the Prediction of the deliverance of the Jews, first from their Egyptian Bondage, and then from the Babylo­nish Captivity.

In the former of these, the Event was foretold above 400 Years before it came to pass, and the accomplishment [Page 119] was exact to a very day, as you find it observed, Exod. 12. 41, 42. the words are these, And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the self same day it came to pass, that all the host of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt: it is a night to be much observed to the Lord; this is that night of the Lord, &c.

In the other passage of Providence, viz. the Babylonish Captivity, it was foretold above Seventy Years before it came to pass, and in a time of the grea­test unlikelihood of any such Calamity to befal them, namely, in the time of their greatest Prosperity; and the peri­od of their Captivity was precisely de­termined to the just time of Seventy Years continuance, and then they were to be delivered and restored to their own Land again: and all these strange things were punctually and precisely fulfilled, as appears by comparing together 2 Chron. 36. 22. and Ezra 1. 1.

In both which passages there are so many admirable circumstances, so great were the obstacles in the way of their accomplishment, and also so much of the will of man concerned in the whole case, that of necessity there must be a [Page 120] governing Power as well as a foresight in the bringing it about; in which two things lies the notion of a Providence. This is the Argument of Tertullian, Praescientiae (or Providentiae) Deus tot ha­bet testes, quot fecit Prophetas; i. e. Look how many Prophets or Prophecies e­ver were in the World, and so many in­fallible evidences of a Providence.

Thirdly, My third Argument is from Miracles, or the several instances of Di­vine Interposition, either in raising and improving, or in depressing, suspending and altering the natural and ordinary course of second causes: For most assu­redly, if ever the course of things hath been interrupted and brought into order again, there is plain evidence of a su­periour Power and Management; foras­much as it is not imaginable, that na­tural causes should go out of course of themselves, without their own decay and failure, and impossible that being once out of order (upon such decays and declensions) that ever they should recover themselves into their former or­der again; therefore if ever such a case hath happened, it must be the over-ru­ling hand of Providence.

Now, that there have such extraor­dinary things happened in the World, as this Argument supposes, the most E­picurean and Atheistical Wits do not altogether deny, but endeavour to find out some wise salvo or other for them, upon natural Principles, in which enter­prise they are as much forsaken of all true Reason and Philosophy, as they are destitute of Devotion; for to resolve that into natural causes, which is either above them, or contrary to them, is the greatest instance of humor and folly that can be assigned.

They will observe, perhaps, that in the Plagues of Egypt, or in some of the miracles done in the Wilderness, there was some appearance of natural causes; but besides that, those causes were ap­parently incompetent to the effects: there was also such a strange and sudden bringing of those causes together, as could not but bespeak an Almighty Pow­er and Grvernment.

But then let them try their skill to tell us, what natural causes made the Sun stand still in Joshua's time, or made that unnatural Eclipse at our Saviours Passion, when the two Luminaries were in Opposition. Or let them tell us▪ [Page 122] how Men utterly unlearned (as the A­postles and other Primitive Disciples were) should be able to speak all kind of Languages on the sudden? how in­curable Diseases should be healed? nay, Men be raised from the Dead by a word speaking: in all these, and a thousand instances more, there is undeniably the interposition of the Divine Majesty, and so God governs the World.

Fourthly, and lastly, I argue for a Providenee from the Conspiracy and Cooperation of all things that happen in the World, to a certain and uniform end, which cannot be without the di­rection and management of Divine Pow­er and Wisdom.

Things that are and happen in the World (as we see plainly) have dif­ferent natures, and various tendencies, nay sometimes run flatly cross to each other; but now if all those lines meet in the same point and center, if all ap­parent contrariety conspire to the same end, then there must be [...], a God in the World. For if things were either carried by blind and uncer­tain chance it would be very strange, if they should not often clash and inter­fere; [Page 123] or if they be acted by their re­spective necessary causes, yet those cau­ses being often contrary to each other, no one end can be jointly pursued and carried on between them; therefore when we see (all this contrariety not­withstanding) all things so attempered and adjusted, that they at last cooperate to one great purpose, viz. the glory of God, and the good of Men; then it is apparent that they are subordinate to one great, and wise, and universal cause, which presides over the World.

There are an infinite number of no­ble instances of this kind in all History and Experience, such as the afflictions of Joseph in Egypt, which God turned into a Blessing to Joseph, to all his Fa­thers Family; to Pharaoh, and to all E­gypt. Such was the drowning of Jonas in the bottom of the Sea, and his mira­culous escape thence, which was made an effectual means to convince the Nine­vites, that God sent him with that a­wakening Message. Thus the Persecu­tions of the Church, which in the first aspect, looked like the most effectual way to suppress Christian Religion, pro­ved in the issue, the most successful me­thod of propagating of it.

So the afflicted condition of good Men in this World (upon a superfici­al view) looks as if virtue was under some malignant Planet, or that if any God minded it at all, it was only to dis­countenance and dishearten it; yet it proves nothing else in the conclusion, but a design to exercise, to try and con­firm it, especially God so ordering the matter, that ordinarily the lives of such Men are intermixed, and as it were checquered with Prosperity and Adver­sity; the latter paring off their luxuri­ancy, and not suffering them to grow light and vain, and the former preser­ving them from melancholy and despon­dency; the one affording them balast, and the other sails, that by the help of both together, they may steer an even course through the World toward Hea­ven.

This is the Argument of the Apostle, Rom. 8. 29. All things work together for good, to them that love God, &c. and that shall be my last argument for this great Point. It were easie to add a great many more, but I think these fully suf­ficient.

3. I come now to the third and last thing I propounded, viz. to shew the [Page 125] eminent and signal advantages that man­kind hath by being under such a Pro­vidence, that so they may be sensible what cause they have to rejoice that the Lord reigneth: And this I represent in the six following particulars.

First, The belief of such a Providence as we have proved, is the prime Pillar, and the very Basis and Foundation of all Religion; not only of this or that Religion in particular, but of Religion it self, and in the general notion of it. Forasmuch as the belief of a God, is by no means sufficient to support that great Fabrick, without this also of a Provi­dence. For let a Man not only acknow­ledge the Being and Existence of a De­ity, but also let him look upon him as never so great and admirable in his na­ture; yet if he conceive of him as ina­ctive, such an one as either cannot or will not trouble himself to take notice of Mens carriage towards himself: in a word, if he neither reward nor punish, the great obligation to Religion is want­ing; for the mere reverence of his ex­cellent nature will be utterly ineffectu­al, either to keep a Man steady and con­stant in the difficulties of a strict and de­vout [Page 126] life, or especially to restrain him from such sins, as both his temper is greatly prone to, and to which he hath the strong allurements of Pleasure and Profit; seeing such a Man is sensible all along that he is (upon this supposition) as safe in despising and affronting, as in fearing and worshipping the Divine Ma­jesty.

And therefore the Epicureans, for all their acknowledgment of a God, were reputed Atheistical by the wiser Sects of Philosophers, and that not unworthi­ly; because (as I said before) they ma­king him to enjoy his ease, and to be un­concerned in the affairs of the World, subverted Providence, and with it over­threw all the reason of Religion and Pi­ety.

Nay further, suppose a Man should acknowledge not only a God but some kind of Providence also, yet unless it be such a Kingly Providence as we have be­fore stated, it will signifie little or no­thing to the purpose of Religion. For so we see the Stoicks acknowledged both: But forasmuch as they apprehend­ed the Deity to be bound under the I­ron Bonds of fatal and invincible necessi­ty, so that though he was aware how [Page 127] it went with Men, and might perhaps pity them in their distresses, yet could not help them; they hereby cut the main Sinews of Vertue and Devotion.

But now upon supposition that God is not only a great and everlasting Being, but a powerful, wise and free Majesty, and that there is such a Kingly Provi­dence as we assert; then it is apparent that Vertue and Vice have vast differen­ces, and Piety and Religion are the greatest concerns of Mankind. And therefore it is very observable, that this is the great Argument of the whole Old Testament, the main Doctrine of those times, and of all those Sacred Writings of Moses and the Prophets to awaken the World into the belief of such a pre­sence of God in, and superintendence o­ver the World. But I proceed.

Secondly, Not only the Internal Rea­son and Obligation to Religion is found­ed upon Providence, but also the Exter­nal Profession of Christian Religion in special, and the whole Society of a Church subsists by the support and pro­tection of it.

Our Saviour hath told us he would build his Church upon a Rock, and the [Page 128] Gates of Hell should not prevail against it: But it is certain, that it is not the inhe­rent strength of the Constitution of this Political Body his Church, which can maintain it in all times, and against all assaults, but the strong hand of Al­mighty Power that preserves it: other­wise it is not imaginable but it had been shattered to pieces long e're this day. For either the violence and cruelty of Persecution had dissipated it, or the con­tagion of evil Examples would have de­bauch'd it; or prophane Wit and Drol­lery would have laughed it out of coun­tenance, or its own follies and Divisions would have crumbled it to nothing.

But Providence hath taken care, that neither the strength of its Enemies, nor its own weakness, neither their wit nor its foolishness, neither their combi­ned malice and union, nor its own ani­mosities and distractions, have had their (otherwise probable and) natural effects upon it.

And that this admirable event is not to be attributed to Chance or any other causes, but is the mere effect of Divine Providence, will be evident by this further Observation, viz. That so long as any Church hath kept close to God, and appro­ved [Page 129] it self to him and to the Laws of its Institution, so long it hath always been safe and flourishing, (at least if we except only the very infancy of the Christian Church and Religion, at which time it pleased the Divine Wisdom to work a greater Miracle of Providence than all the rest, in exposing his Church in so much weakness to such strength of opposition, and yet preserving it (as the Burning Bush) and thereby giving a more illustrious evidence to all the World of his Providence over it, than constant prosperity could have afforded.)

But contrariwise, whensoever this Church or any Branch or Member of it, hath by wantonness and self-confi­dence, by pride and schism, by hypo­crisie or prophaneness, forfeited this Di­vine protection; if Divine patience and moderate chastisements have not in due time reclaimed it, it hath by a severe act of the same Providence been most remarkably delivered up to confusion and barbarism: God hath pulled down his Fence, and the wild Beast of the Field spoils it, and the Boar out of the Woods devours it.

But lest any man who hath observed the horrible degeneracy, the hypocrisie [Page 128] [...] [Page 129] [...] [Page 130] and corruptions of the Church of Rome, and yet withal takes notice of the great pomp, splendor and prosperity which that Society enjoys, should make this an Objection against that which I am discoursing, I freely answer, That I think it hath pleased God to make that singu­lar instance on purpose, and by an act of the same Providence by which he pu­nishes other degenerate Churches, he hath kept up that debauched Church (just as he did those wicked and idola­trous Princes the Kings of Babylon and Assyria, &c.) to be a plague and a scourge whereby to chastise and reclaim other and better, but declining Chur­ches.

In all other cases my Observation is abundantly verified; not only in the Church of the Jews, but in all those once famous Christian Churches of Asia and Africa. Which whilst they were humble and holy, true to their Princi­ples, and worthy of Divine protecti­on, so long they were happy and glo­rious: But when they had provoked God to desert them, from that time it was neither their wit nor wealth nor learning, neither their numbers nor their reputation, neither their former zeal [Page 131] nor their Apostolical foundation, could preserve them from ruine and barbarism. I proceed further.

Thirdly, Divine Providence is the se­curity and protection not only of the Church but of the State also. Of Kings and Princes, of Magistrates and Gover­nours, and of Government it self: for it is not the Satellites of Princes, their Lifeguards that secure them, their Sword and Scepter that defends them, not their purple and all the Ensigns of Majesty; but an all-seeing eye of Providence over them, and an invisible Guard of Provi­dence that protects them.

It was well observed by Sir Francis Bacon, that in some respects the con­dition of Crowned Heads and Soveraign Princes was more unhappy and uncom­fortable than of meaner persons, and in this respect amongst the rest, be­cause they have a great deal to fear, and little or nothing more to hope for in this World. They cannot go much higher, and they may fall a great deal lower. Other men if they have some­thing to fear, yet they have a mighty sphere of hope to cheer and encourage them. Princes have but little scope [Page 132] for their desires or ambitions, but on the other side, by reason of their long Train, ill Fortune hath great Advan­tages against them. And indeed in these respects their condition were very me­lancholy, but that there is a Providence which watches over them, and prevents their fears, and their dangers.

They are God's Vicegerents, and He maintains and upholds them in their Offices under Himself; He strikes an awe and reverence of Magistrates into the hearts of Subjects, that an enraged multitude shall tremble at the sight of one man, and He in other respects like themselves, saving that he hath the Stamp and Character of Divine Autho­rity upon him.

He that calms the raging of the Sea, and saith to the proud waves, Hitherto shall ye go, and no further; it is He also that stills the rage and madness of the people. Therefore Psal. 99. 1. The Lord reigneth, be the people never so impati­ent; He silleth between the Cherubims, be the Earth never so unquiet: i. e. The Divine Majesty hath that influence upon the spirits of men, that it is not all the brutal rage and passion, nor all the combined force of evil men, shall [Page 133] be able to dissolve Government, or in­terrupt that Order He hath constituted.

Let us take one great and famous in­stance of this, 2. Sam 17. The people of Israel made a General Defection from David their King, and, as one man, were all for setting Absolom upon his Throne: The number of the Con­spirators was as the Sand upon the Sea­shore, that in the expression of Hushai they were able to fall upon David and his Handful of men with him, as the Dew falls upon the Ground; and if he should betake himself to any City or Strong▪ hold, all Israel shall bring Ropes, and draw that City into the Ri­ver; so that there shall not be one small Stone left. What becomes of David in this case? Who shall withstand this Tor­rent? Only Divine Providence, this di­vides the Waters, this dissolves that great black Cloud, and makes it fall in a gentle Dew (otherwise than Hushai intended) and the result is, That in a trice the same men strive who shall be the first and forwardest in setting David upon his Throne again.

Therefore whatever Prince or Magi­strate shall slight a Providence, they slight the best Fort of their Empire and [Page 134] Jurisdiction, they dismiss their Guards, and lay themselves open to all the fol­lies and rage and insolencies of the people.

Fourthly, Divine Providence is also the peoples caution and security against the weaknesses, passions and extrava­gances of Princes and Magistrates, so that they shall not need to resort to Arms or any seditious and unlawful means in their own defence. We use to appeal to an higher Court when we are opprest in an inferior Judicatory, and this is our proper refuge, when our Rights and Properties are invaded, to look up to God the supreme Potentate of the World, that he will restrain the exorbitances of his Ministers.

God is King of Kings, not only be­cause he is above all other Princes, but because he restrains and controlls them, he makes and rules them, he invests and devests them. Cujus jussu homines nascuntur, ejus jussu Reges constituuntur, aptique illis qui ab ipsis in illis tempori­bus regnantur, said the great Saint Ire­noeus, He that made men makes Kings, and he fits and qualifies them for the times [Page 135] wherein, and the people over whom they reign.

For it is He that can (amongst other instances of his transcendent Sovereign­ty) turn their hearts also. So Solomon himself a great and a wise King hath told us, Prov. 21. 1. The heart of the King is in the hand of the Lord, and he turneth it as the Rivers of Water; that is, as an Husbandman or Gardiner, can by Drains and Trenches derive the Wa­ter from one place to another, to his use and purpose; so doth God Almigh­ty dispose and incline the hearts of Princes, be they never so strong and deep.

Cyrus was a mighty Prince, and had a heart as averse to the People of the Jews, and to their Religion also as any of his Predecessors, that carried them into, or kept them in Captivity. What was the matter then? what reason of State was there that he should let them go, and lose so much People, and so much Tribute? nothing, but the Text tells us, God stirred up the heart of Cyrus.

Nebuchadnezzar was so stiff-necked and impious, as that he defied any such Provi­dence over him as we are speaking of; but [Page 136] God turned his heart first to that of a Beast, and put him out to Grass till he had learned, that the most high ruleth in the Kingdoms of men.

It is therefore no deceitful or illusory method of security, to appeal to, and trust in Providence, in the greatest ca­ses possible. It is true the safety of Re­ligion, Liberty and Property are migh­ty concerns; but certainly they are not too great a stake to trust in the hands of God, who we see, both can secure them, and is obliged by the ho­nour and interest of his own superemi­nent Government to be tender of them, against all the Arbitrary Invasions of those under him.

But perhaps some man will suspect, that it will look like Cowardice, if not Treachery (in confidence of a Provi­dence) to neglect other means of secu­rity; and that it will be like him in the Fable, that lay in the Ditch, and used no endeavour to get out, but only cri­ed to God to help him: To which I an­swer, that if the Providence of God have afforded us other means that are lawful and warranted by the stand­ing Law and Rule of his Word, we tempt God if we neglect them, when [Page 137] those great interests are indangered; but unless the means we use be as certainly and manifestly lawful and warrantable, as the cause we pretend to, shall be just and honourable, we shall but provoke Providence instead of subserving it. We forego our greatest security by not be­ing contented with it; for by super­seding Providence we alienate it, and by shifting for our selves we fight against God.

Fifthly, Providence is our security a­gainst private Fears as well as publick, against solitude and dangers of all kinds, whether by ill accidents and encounters from Brute Beasts, or more Brutish Men.

Man is a very feeble creature, and im­potent for his own defence in a thou­sand cases that happen every day; it were therefore a most melancholy con­dition of life, if we were not under the shelter of a Providence, if we had no Patron, if there were not a Superiour Genius, an higher nature continually se­licitous about us for our protection: And therefore the well known Gentle­man of Malmsbury might well be timo­rous and afraid that every Man should [Page 138] have designs to kill him, or that every accident might take away his life, for the Man did not well believe in a God above, nor had any confidence in a Pro­vidence▪

And indeed such a case is so sad and deplorable, that it seems to be a very silly thing to desire to live if it were true: A man had better die once than live in perpetual fears of dying; and nothing but childish cowardice could tempt a Man to wish to live one day, if he were confident there was no such thing as a Providence.

But if I believe there is a God that over-looks me where-ever I am, that is tender of me, that can and will preserve me as long as he sees good, in spight of all evil designs or accidents: this e­rects a Mans mind and fortifies his spi­rits; this suffers him neither to fear nor to wish for death, but enables him both to live patiently, and to die bravely.

And consequently of this, the trust in a Providence is the great incourage­ment of all generous enterprises and performances; and these, whether they be publick or private, if a Man design a secret good thing, what can be the in­ducement [Page 139] to it? were can be the wisdom of giving himself the trouble about it, when he can expect no reward in this World, because the performance is kept secret from the notice of men; and if there be no Providence, it is certain there can be no reward in another World, and so his labour is wholly lost.

But if it be a publick action he de­signs, he shall be sure to meet with those will envy and malign him, a se­cond sort will suspect him, and a third will traduce and defame him; and a­mongst the rest there will not want those that will find it to be their inte­rest to oppose and hinder him: so that in short, without a special hand of Pro­vidence, no Man shall have either the heart to undertake, or the power and success to effect any noble action; but grant this great point, and Men are born above envy, opposition, and even above themselves.

I cannot upon this occasion forbear to take notice of a noble and memora­ble passage of the Roman Orator, in one of his Orations to the Senate of Rome, his words begin thus, Quàm volumus li­cet, patres conscripti, no amemus; tamen nec numero Hispanos, nec viribus Gallos, [Page 140] nec calliditate Poenos, nec doctrina Groecos, &c. the sense of the whole is to this ef­fect, as if he had said, Fathers of the Se­nate, let us entertain as good an opi­nion of our selves as we will or can; yet it must be acknowledged, that we nei­ther equal the Spaniards in numbers, nor the Gauls in strength and stature, nor the Carthaginians in craft and subtil­ty, nor the Greeks in learning and knowledge; and yet it is as certain, we have overcome and triumphed over all these Nations: Now inquiring into the reason of this success, I can attribute it to no other cause, nor give any more probable account of it than this; namely, that we live under a better and a quick­er sense of a God and a Providence than any of them do, and this, and this alone gives us all the advantage.

Sixthly, But Sixthly and lastly, and to speak summarily, Providence is of unspeakable advantage and influence up­on the spirits of Men, both in prosperity and adversity. It may seem indeed, that whilest a Man is in prosperity, he is in no need of a Providence; and it is too commonly true, that Men do not use to think much of God whilest all [Page 141] goes well with them. Nevertheless this practice however general, is very foolish and unreasonable; for besides the uncer­tainty of worldly Prosperity, and that no­thing is more ordinary than for Mens fortunes to be soon at a stand, for all their broad sails and most earnest endeavours if once the wind of Providence desert them: Besides this (I say) it deserves the most serious consideration, that all world­ly Prosperity is very little worth (even whilest it lasts) if there be no Provi­dence. For what great joy or content­ment can the greatest affluence afford a Man, if all come by mere chance, or the course of the Stars, or by fate or any such undiscriminating causes. But on the other side, if a man can look upon his comforts, as the gifts and favours of a wise and a good God, then and then only they are comfortable indeed.

And then for a state of adversity, that is sad indeed if there be no Providence; think what it is to be in a storm at Sea, where the Winds roar, the Sea rages, the Ship cracks, no Anchor-hold, no Shores to land upon, no comfort in Pi­lot or Governours of the Vessel, nothing but a prospect of death every way; if a Man cannot look up to Heaven, and [Page 142] have hope in God, what a case is he in? Or suppose a Man be close Prisoner, and denied the comfort of his friends, toge­ther with other refreshments of life, or confined to a sick-bed, or be buried alive with obloquy and reproach: in a word, that a Man be friendless and helpless; now if it can be said to such a Man, there is no help for him in God neither, here is the very quintessence of misery, a case sad beyond expression: But con­trariwise, if a Man in all the dismal circumstances aforesaid, shall yet firm­ly believe a Providence that orders all things well and wisely, that can if he please bring a Man out of all those dif­ficulties, that certainly will make all these work for his good, and at last judge righteous judgment, and make him amends in another World; then is any condition in the mean time very to­lerable whatsoever it be.

And thus I have, I hope, performed the three things I promised from my Text; and what remains now, but that we make Application of all to our selves, and that in these two instances:

1. By settling this great Doctrine in our minds. And,

[Page 143]2. By improving it in our hearts to all the comfortable consequences afore­said.

First, Let us settle this truth in our minds, that God Almighty exercises a Kingly Providence in and over all the World; and let it (if it be possible) be a principle with us firm as a first notion, and indisputable as the verdict of our Senses: my meaning is let nothing make us stagger or be able to shake our belief of that which is of so vast consequence to us. Forasmuch as with­out this Persuasion, not only our Reli­gion is nonsense, but we are the most abject and pitiable Creatures in the World.

Brutes and other inferiour Creatures have indeed no apprehension of a Pro­vidence, and yet enjoy themselves in proportion to their natures; but then this is to be considered, they foresee nothing, they suspect nothing, and so do not torment themselves before the time. But Man suspects dangers where they may not come, and foresees them when they are coming, is a sagacious and jealous Creature, and so anticipates calamities, and accumulates them. Now [Page 142] [...] [Page 143] [...] [Page 144] if there be no Providence, his conditi­on is worse th [...]n that of inferiour Be­ings, he is doubly miserable, and that without remedy.

Shall then a trifling Epicurean ob­jection, nay, shall a Sceptical surmise, or a flash of Wit and Drollery, baffle us out of that wherein the honour of our natures consists, and upon which all our comfort depends?

Laugh at and scorn them that laugh at a Providence, poor pitiful wretches that worship blind fortune, or a mana­cled and fettered Deity, bound hand and foot by fatal necessity: Our God is a wise and good and free Agent, re­strained, limited by nothing, but his own Wisdom. He sees all things with­out difficulty or deception, manages all things without fatigue or weariness, governs all things with just order, judges without partiality, pities in all adversi­ty, can relieve in all necessity, and with unspeakable glory rewards those that faithfully serve him.

And pursuant of this belief let us in the Second place raise our affections to the highest pitch of triumph, let us make a shout as in the Text, The Lord reign­eth, let the earth rejoice, let the multi­tude [Page 145] of the Isles be glad thereof: Or as you have it in the 10. Verse of the Psalm immediately foregoing, Tell it out amongst the heathen that the Lord reigneth.

Let all foreign Nations, and all fo­reign Churches, all that have good will, and all that have ill will to our Religion, or to our Country, know that the Lord is King, and that we trust not to the number of our Forces, or the Wisdom of our Counsels, our Seas, or our Rocks, our Courage or Conduct, but to our King, to that Divine Providence which watches over us.

Let our Prince and our Magistrates take courage against the rage or the follies, the numbers or combinations of evil Men, in consideration that they are the instru­ments of Divine Providence, the Lieu­tenants of God's Government, and he that set them in office under himself, will stand by them, and bear them out in discharge of their trust and duty.

Let the People be quiet, not listen to noise and rumours, but be sure to banish all disloyal thoughts of resorting to irre­gular means for the ass [...]rting their pre­tensions. Is not God in the World? hath any one wrested the Scepter out of his hand? why then should we not trust in him?

[...] [Page 145] [...] [Page 146] When Philip Melancton, otherwise a ve­ry wise and peaceable and mild-spirited person began to be out of humour with the then state of the World, Luther ad­dresses to him in these words, Exorandus est Philippus ut desinat esse rector Mundi; q. d. Good Brother Philip let God alone to go­vern the World.

Let the Oppressed, the Widow, the Fatherless and Friendless take comfort, for he that sitteth in the Throne will judge righteous judgment, and first or last avenge the cause of his meanest Sub­ject.

Nay, let the Man that is tempted and assaulted by the Devil, hold his ground, and fear nothing, for God is above the Devil.

To conclude, let us all lay aside our fears and our jealousies, our sighs and complaints, our melancholy and despon­dency, Is there not a balm in Gilead, is there no Physician there, Jer. 8. 22. Have we not a wise and a Powerful, a Glorious and a good Prince, why then should we mur­mur? why accuse his Reign? why re­proach his Government?

Novum seditionis genus otium & silentium, said the Historian; a sullen uncomforta­bleness and dislike of our condition, our [Page 147] discontent with the state of affairs, is a kind of Sedition against Heaven, our murmu­ring is no better than a libelling of God's Government.

Wherefore (to say no more) let us stick close to this God, this mighty Potentate; let us hope, trust, and rejoice in him, and he shall bless our King, our Church, our Magistrates, and all our Concerns.

Now to this Universal Monarch of the World, this King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, be all Glory and Praise, Wor­ship and Adoration World without End.

A SERMON Preached before The Right Honourable THE Lord MAYOR and ALDERMEN Of the CITY of LONDON. January the 25th. 1684.

THat this Chapter contains a Pro­phecy concerning the glorious times of the Gospel, is the general opinion of all Christian Interpreters both antient and modern (one only excepted [Page 149] that I know of.) Nor need we to relye upon the opinions of Men herein, for the matter it self plainly speaks it; forasmuch as not only those words in the first verse the last days do direct us to such an appli­cation of the Prophecy, but especially be­cause here are several such things foretold in it as have never yet been accomplisht in the times of the Jewish Church, and therefore must belong to that of the Chri­stians. And amongst the rest these three are very remarkable▪

1. That there shall be such a general confluence to the true Religion, and Worship of God, that the Society of the Church shall be full and numerous, verse 1. and 2. It shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow unto it. And many Nations shall come and say, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths, for the Law shall go forth of Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

2. That this great and conspicuous So­ciety of the Church shall enjoy Peace and [Page 150] Tranquility, and neither suffer foreign invasion, nor intestine distractions. Nei­ther be harrassed by its enemies abroad, nor torn in pieces by animosities at home, verse 3. and 4. And he shall judge a­mong many people and rebuke strong nations afar off, and they shall beat their Swords into plowshares, and their spears into prun­ing hooks: Nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more: But they shall sit every Man un­der his Vine and under his Fig-tree, and none shall make them afraid.

3. That internal zeal and devotion shall accompany all this external Glory and Happiness. This is exprest in my Text by an holy emulation amongst the members of this great Society, and a no­ble contention, who shall be most pious and devout, and a general resolution ta­ken up by all those of the true Church to outvie all the blind zeal of others un­der false Religions, v. 5. For all people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of our God for ever and ever.

That all these three things here Pro­phesied of would admirably become the Christian Church cannot be doubted. And that the happy concurrence of al [Page 151] these is requisite, to raise the state of Chri­stianity to such a condition as may be answerable to what several other Pro­phecies hath given us ground to expect, (sometime or other) can as little be de­nied. Forasmuch as without the first of these, namely, if there be not such a confluence to the Church as that the Society thereof be full and numerous, it can scarce­ly be called Catholick, but that glorious name of a Church looks like some petty Sect, and dwindles into a Conventicle. Without the second of these, viz. un­less there be peace and tranquility as well as numbers in the Church, there will want the beauty and harmony which that glo­rious name requires. And lastly without the third, viz. unless true and fervent pie­ty be in conjunction with both the former, all that external splendor and felicity will be but meer pomp and pageantry, whilest the Life and Soul of Religion is wanting. But where and when all those three things meet together eventually as they do Prophetically in this context then must needs be glorious times, when the Church can scarcely be called Militant, since it will be so lively an Emblem of that which is triumphant in Heaven. God grant (if it be his Holy will) that [Page 152] our eyes may be blessed with so glorious and beautiful a spectacle. But in the mean time let us apply our Meditati­ons to the third and last of those particu­lars, which my Text confines me to. All people will walk every one in the name of his God, and we will, &c.

From which words I make these three observations.

First, That all Nations and People generally have some God and Religion or other.

Secondly, That all those Nations and People that have any God or Religion, do generally also express some zeal and devotion, some deference and regard to the Deity which they acknowledge, i. e. They walk in the name of their God.

Thirdly, That it is very natural and reasonable that the greater the God is, which any people b [...]lieve in, and the better the Religion is which they are perswaded of and have imbraced, with so much the more ardent zeal and devo­tion they should treat that God and pursue that Religion: this is the ground of the emulation intimated in my Text, [Page 153] and the motive of that Resolution which it is prophesied shall actuate and inflame the Professors of the true Religion and the Worshippers of the true God, q. d. If all nations (Whatsoever God and Re­ligion they have) will walk in the name of their Gods, with much more reason will we walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.

The third and last of these is that which I principally intend to insist upon; but I will speak something briefly to the two former also, and therefore I be­gin with the

First Observ. viz. That generally all na­tions and people have some God and Re­ligion or other. This is implied in my Text, though not exprest as the other two are, and the truth of it is attested by the observations of all Ages, Climates and Countries, forasmuch as there is hardly any (if any) at all to be found amongst them utterly destitute of all No­tion of God and Religion.

And touching this point that I may not either trouble you with the Citations of Stories, or detain my self from that which I principally intend, let it suffice that the Roman Orator who had diligently [Page 154] inquired into this matter, and was a very competent Judge in the case, pronounces thus in his Books de Legibus. Nulla gens est ne{que} tam immansueta, ne{que} tam fera, quae non etiamsi ignoret qualem deum ha­bere deceat, tamen habendum sciat. q. d. There is no Nation in the World either so soft and silly, or so savagely barbarous as to be utterly without any sense or perswasion of the being of a God, insomuch that even those who are either so dull or so unhappy, as not to be able to frame any proper and decent notion of the Divine Nature, yet cannot be so stupid and senseless as to doubt of his Existence.

I do not say that there never was any one Person in the World that denied, or disbelieved a God, for we read of two or three profest Atheists, and perhaps there may be some few others, either of such dull and cloudy heads, or of such profligate tempers, that they have either doubted of or defied the Deity. But that which my Text leads me to as­sert is this, that Atheism is contrary to the common sense of Mankind in general, and that at least it will be very hard if not impossible to find any Nation or Peo­ple that have lived without a God. For indeed it seems to be inconceivable that [Page 155] such should become a People, or form themselves into a National Society, in regard there can be no foundation of Or­der or Polity without a God. For how can that be a People or Nation, that hath no Laws, no Magistrates, no Prin­ciples of trust, no obligations of subje­ction and obedience? How shall Laws ob­tain any veneration, or Magistrates any Reverence where there is no Deity (nay no Conscience) to give a sanction to the one, nor Providence to countenance and protect the other? How can there be a­ny Faith amongst Men, or any Principle of intercourse or commerce, how can there be any difference between right and wrong, any propriety, or any security of Men's Lives or Fortunes, where no God is acknowledged to oblige the Con­sciences of Men? For it is apparent that Pacts and Covenants, nay Oaths and all such other things as use to be the assu­rances of humanity, and the Bonds of Society, are but meer empty names and of no validity, without a God to call Men to account for the violation of them. Whereas therefore some late Travellers tell us that they have discovered some whole Countries that live without any notion of a Deity or Religion, we must [Page 156] crave leave either to call in question the sufficiency of their intelligence, or suspect the credit of▪ their reports in those parti­culars. Or else we must conclude some of the race of Mankind to be so sadly forlorn and brutish, and abandoned not only of all principles of Virtue and Con­science, but of Reason and Civility too, as that we may justly doubt whether to call them Men or no.

But as for a sort of pretenders to wit, who account it a great argument of ex­traordinary sagacity, and the highest at­tainment of shrewdness, to be above the awe of any Divinity, and to be able to laugh at the notion of Religion; it were easie to shew that they are as void of all manly understanding as they are of Vir­tue, and that they are besotted by their own sensuality and rendred incapable of coherent discourse, and as such men are the pest and bane of humane Society, so they ought to be the scorn of mankind.

But so much for that, I come to my second observation.

Second Observ. That all those Nations and People that have any belief of a God, have also some devotion, and pay some re­markable Reverence towards the Deity▪ [Page 157] This is expresly asserted in my Text, all Nations and People that have a God, however different their apprehensions of him may be amongst themselves, yet they all agree in this, they honour and worship him in some proportion to the notion they have of him, i. e. they walk in the name of their God.

And the reason of this is very evi­dent, for the very Nature and Notion of God, is so vastly great and concerning, that it cannot ordinarily miss of affect­ing such men with the greatest seriousness and regard. For whosoever thinks of a God, thinks of him as a wonderfully great and Supream Majesty fit to be sea­red and adored, and he that frames a Notion of a being that he may dally and trifle with, or especially that he may a­buse and affront at his pleasure, frames no Notion of God, or thinks not of of God at all.

I confess notwithstanding that Man as he is a Free Agent, and whose will is at liberty to overbear his judgment, may (if he please) with hold the Truth in unrigh­teousness, as the Apostle speaks; he may I say stifle and debauch his Conscience, and resist, and contradict the greatest e­vidence of his own mind; and upon this [Page 158] account I must acknowledge it not to be utterly impossible, that he who in some measure believes God, may yet not on­ly be careless and indifferent towards him, (that is, be void of all Piety and Devotion) but may also be scurrilous and profane too. Nevertheless it is ma­nifest that such a man in so doing, doth violence to himself as well as to Religi­on, insomuch that it would be not only more manly and rational, but more ea­sie for him flatly to deny a God, and become downright Atheist, than to ac­knowledge him and to affront him at the same time; or in a word, to contra­dict his own principles by his practice. I remember a Grave and Learned Hea­then (Plutarch by name) discourses to this purpose; I had rather (saith he) be buried in perpetual oblivion, and that men should say there was never any such man as Plutarch in the World, than that they should remember me under an ill Cha­racter, or treat me with scorn and despight. So questionless it would be less provo­cation to the Divine Majesty that men should utterly deny his Existence, and banish all Notion of him, than acknow­ledge his being, and in the mean while abuse him to his face. And indeed [Page 159] though we observe commonly, that the very worst of men are somewhat shy of owning themselves to be profest A­theists, yet whensoever we see in them a contumelious carriage towards God and Religion, we have too great cause to suspect that flat Atheism lies at the bottom, when profaneness floats at top, and that nothing but base-spiritedness and cowardice tempts them, rather to balk and contradict their principles than to own them. For let a man have ne­ver so crude and imperfect apprehensi­ons of a God, yet if he own him at all, he must acknowledge him to be (as the first so) the most perfect and excel­lent of Beings, and upon those very principles even Epicurus himself will tell him, that reverence, admiration and praise is due to him.

But if a man improve so far as that he arrive at the acknowledgement of the true God, and have any ripe Noti­ons of him; he then apprehends a migh­ty Majesty, invested with Infinite Pow­er, Wisdom, Justice and Goodness, he considers God then as one that upholds him every moment, that doth him good every day, and can destroy him when he pleases, a God that sees his actions, [Page 160] observes his carriage, a Being too great to be despised, and too terrible to be affronted, and if all this be not suffici­ent to oblige such a man diligently to serve God and become Religious, yet sure it will restrain him from outrage and blasphemy towards him. And in­deed he that can think of such a God without a Religious reverence, or treat him basely, must have either something below an humane folly, or beyond an humane hardiness, nay indeed he seems (in the latter respect) to be a pitch above the Devils themselves; for St. James hath told us they believe and tremble, Jam. 2. 19.

And so much also briefly for my se­cond Observation: I come to my

Third and last Observ. That the grea­ter the God, and the truer the Religion, the more ought to be the devotion. Or that it is Natural and Reasonable that the clearer and more perfect Notions any Men or People have of God, and by how much the more reasonable and excellent the Religion is which they have imbra­ced, by so much the more ardent and re­markable ought to be their zeal and de­votion, If all nations that have a God walk in the name of their God, then it is fit that we walk in the name of the Lord [Page 161] our God for ever and ever. I do not say that in the issue and event of things, it happens always thus, for it is the shame of mankind, and the unhappiness of the World that we oftentimes find by expe­rience, that the best principles prove inef­fectual, and the noblest Religion is too often dishonoured by the most scanda­lous practices. But that which I observe, and am now concerned to make good, is only, that it is most genuine, natural and reasonable, that the best Religion should be attended with the greatest de­votion, and the most Holy Lives. And the reason of this Doctrine will easily be made out by this short frame of discourse. It is the privilege of our Natures that we are neither like Machines moved by external force and impulse, nor yet like the brute Creatures carried away by the meer impressions of sensible objects▪ but we are moved from within, are governed by principles of our own, we deliberate of our way, and chuse our own course, and are guided by the free light of reason, and the conviction of our Judgments.

And this is the great reason of all po­lite Education in Learning and Study, which is not designed meerly to imploy and take up so much of our time, or to [Page 162] fill our heads with abundance of imper­tinent Stories, or to furnish us with end­less talk and discourse, but to better our understanding, to inlarge the prospect of our minds, to furnish us with noble ob­jects of Contemplation, and in a word, to improve our judgments, and direct our choice and prosecutions. According­ly whensoever we would raise any man to some noble and generous enterprize, we know no more potent screw or pully, nor make use of any more eff [...]ctual me­thod, than to convince his judgment of the excellency of the design, to fill him with glorious hopes, and so to impreg­nate his mind with great and worthy re­solutions. For as we observe in Nature that Water will rise as high as its Foun­tain but no higher, so it is also in mora­lity, a mans practice will easily answer to the elevation of his principles, but it is as unnatural to contradict them or fall below them▪ as it is impossible to go a­bove or beyond them: consequently as on the one hand, it cannot be a regular nor manly devotion that goes beyond our knowledge, so on the other hand it is as well to be false and treacherous towards our selves, as to be disingenuous towards God, to fall below our knowledge of him [Page 163] in performances, and that is not only a very insignificant knowledge that draws not a [...]ter it a proportionable devotion, but those are very contemptible men, and scarcely to be called men, whose princi­ples are not seen in their practices.

This is agreeable to the Doctrine of our Saviour, Mat. 6. 22. 23. The light of the body is the eye, if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light; but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness; if therefore the light which is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness: as if he had said. ‘What the eye is to the body, that is the reason of our mind to our elections and prosecutions; and as the one go­verns our outward man, so doth the o­ther the inward; and as he is a most absurd man that having eyes in his Head, will shut them and run headlong upon any danger, so is he no less, that having a mind rightly instructed, will suffer himself perversly to be carried blindfold by the torrent of his Passions. When ever a mans mind is well princi­pled, he is in a fair way to an happy conclusion, for in that case it is the same madness and folly for a man to run Riot meerly upon the prerogative [Page 164] of his will, as for a man in the day light, and with his Eyes open to dash his Head against a Post; but indeed if the light that is in a man be darkness, i. e. if his principles be false and corrupt, then it is no wonder if all run to ruine: For though it is in the power of a wilful man to be worse than his principles, yet it is not easie (if possible) for any man to be better than those are. Again Mat.’ 12. 33. The same our Saviour discourses to a like effect, Either make the tree good and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit, i. e. ‘As the Fruit and Productions of Plants follow the na­ture of the Sap in the Roots of those Trees respectively, so na [...]urally do the actions of mens lives answer the prin­ciples of their Minds: A naughty Heart will be sure to produce a wicked Life, and it is regular and reasonable that a good Religion should bring forth good devo­tion.’

This is the meaning, and this is the evidence of my third and last Observati­on. But now to bring this home to all our Consciences, and that we may all be perswaded to come up to this resoluti­on, and put in practice the Holy emula­tion [Page 165] in my Text, these two things re­main to be done.

First, that I demonstrate the excellency of our principles, and how much the Re­ligion which we profess is better than any other,

Secondly, That in consequence hereof, I shew wherein our Zeal, and Virtue, and Piety should equal and outgo those of all other Religions.

1. As for the former of these I take it for granted, that all that hear me are not only Christians, but Protestants, and of the Church of England: and if I should go about at large to shew how much (upon that account) we have the advantage not only of Pagans, and Turks, and Jews, but of all other Sects of Religion, per­haps I may do a thing grateful enough, but it would take up more time to do it as it deserves, than can now well be al­lowed, however I will crave leave to re­present these Four things.

• 1. The Antiquity of our Religion.
• 2. The Credibility and Easiness of its Belief.
• 3. The Gravity and Decency of its Rituals.
• 4. Its Efficaciousness to make men ge­nerously Good and Holy.

First, Our Religion is the most Antient, and therefore the Best and Truest. It was [Page 166] the counsel of Almighty God by the Pro­phet Jeremiah, chap. 6. ver. 16. Stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old pathes, where is the good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls, where we see the old way, the good way, and that wherein men may find rest to their Souls is one and the same. Agreea­bly whereunto Tully reports to us in his second Book de Legibus, that when the People of Athens were under great distracti­ons in this affair of Religion, they con­sulted the Oracle, ‘By what Rites or in what form of Religion they should best recommend themselves to the Divine favour, and the Oracle gave them this Answer, That they should Worship God in the most Ancient manner; but this not sufficiently resolving them, for see­ing the Customs and Rites of their Country had been often changed, they were in dispute which were the most Ancient Forms, they therefore applied themselves to the Oracle a second time to determine them which was the most Ancient Religion, and received this Re­ply. That the Best Religion was the most Ancient.’

And certainly Truth hath as much the Seniority of Error and Superstition, as [Page 167] God is before the Devil, especially in Re­ligion; which if it be true and acceptable with him, must proceed from him, and then the Ancienter it is, the nearer it is to the Fountain of Truth. Besides, it must needs be a great satisfaction to the mind of a sollicitous man, when he shall be able to observe that the Religion he imbraces is not of yesterday or a mere Novelty, which perhaps after Times may discover Flaws in though it passes Current for the present, but when he sees it is plainly such as hath endured the Test of many Ages. And upon this Account (by the way) I verily assure my self we have less reason to doubt of the Truth of Christianity now in the present Ages, than those had who lived in the very days of our Saviour and his Apostles, and who were Eye witnesses of the Miracles wrought for the Confir­mation of it, in regard it was possible that then men might have stood off with some colour of reason upon pretence of the No­velty of the Religion, and of the proofs of it too. For Men might say, though we see nothing that can be objected a­gainst these things at present, yet dies diem docet, after times may discover the imposture; but now when that Doctrine and those proofs have stood the Shock of [Page 166] [...] [Page 167] [...] [Page 168] so many Ages, and if 1700 years toge­ther cannot discover the least Flaw or De­fect in the Evidences of its Divinity, we have as great assurance as can be desired.

But now that our Christian Religion in the general is indeed the most Ancient Religion in the World, (and lest if we derived it no higher than our Saviour, the Pagans, and especially the Jews, should Pretend to greater Antiquity on the behalf of their Religions) the Apo­stle St. Paul hath assured us that our Religi­on for Substance was long before the Law, for thus he argues, Gal. 3. 16, 17. Now to Abraham and to his seed were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ. And this I say, that the Covenant which was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after cannot disanul it, &c. ‘In which words amongst other things the Apostle plainly intimates, that the main lines of our Religion were drawn long before the Law of Moses, and in­deed that Christianity was for substance the same with the Patriarchal Religion, and so unquestionably the most Ancient’ of all.

Conformable hereunto were many ex­cellent sayings and discourses of the Fa­thers, and ancient Christian Writers, par­ticularly Epiphanius in panario lib. 1 cap. 1. August. Ep. 49. Greg. Nazian. in Orat. de Maccabaeis. Euseb. Demonstr. Evang. lib. 1. cap. 5. & Histor. Eccles. lib. 1. cap. 1. &c. which whoso pleases may peruse at Lei­sure.

And for our protestant Religion in par­ticular, that that for the substance of it (and bating only the name) is as an­cient as Christianity it self, is apparent by this, viz. that it derives it self whol­ly from the Holy Scripture, and the four first General Councils, than which no­thing can be Ancienter that concerns the institutions of our Saviour; whereas all other Sects, (for whatsoever they have contrary to us) take their Pedigree from the Doctrine and usage of some later and darker times.

There are indeed those that object to us, where was your Religion before Luther? who have been often and substantially an­swered: And we may much more justly Challenge the same Men to give us an ac­count (if they can) where was the Title of Ʋniversal Bishop till the time of Boni­face about 600 Years after our Saviour? [Page 170] where was their Doctrine of Transubstan­tiation till the Lateran Council about 12 or 13 Hundred years after Christ? where was the Sacrament of the Lords Supper confined to one of the Elements, and the People restrained the use of the Cup till the Council of Constance between the years of our Lord 14 and 15 hundred? and in short, where was their Purgatory and most of the rest of that trash which we have purged out and they distinguish themselves from us by, till the Council of Trent? which is indeed the proper Source of their Religion. But as for our Do­ctrine we received it from the fountain of Truth, Divine Revelation, expounded (as I said) by the first Councils and most Ancient Fathers. The Rituals of our Church we received from the Custom and usage of the Eldest Times and Purest Churches: And for the form of Govern­ment in this Church, we received it from the institution of the Apostles in all those famous Churches that were planted by them. So that we have all the substanti­al Evidences of Antiquity on our side, and our Adversaries must take the Novel­ty to themselves. And though by our Reformation we swept away the Dust and Rubbidge which Time and the busie Wits [Page 171] of Men had covered the face of things withal, yet can we no more be charged with innovation or bringing in a new Re­ligion, than our Saviour could be said to destroy the Law or the Prophets when he vindicated them from the corrupt Glos­ses of the Scribes and Pharisees, or to have erected a new Temple when he cast the Buyers and Sellers out of it.

Secondly, As our Religion is the most truly Ancient, so it is also the most Credible in it self and most easie of Belief; and therefore ought to have the more powerful influence upon our Consciences. It is not a Maxime with us Credendum est quia im­possibile, nor do we think that a Man must lay aside his understanding and cease to be a Man when he becomes a Christian or a Protestant. We have in this Church no contradictions to Reason, nor to our Senses imposed upon us, nor do we lie under any violent Temptation to be Atheists and believe nothing at all by being required to believe impossibili­ties. For in the first place we have no Monster of Transubstantiation amongst us, which if a Man believes, he believes that which he can confute with his Fin­gers ends, and by the Testimony of al­most all his Senses, and he that can be­lieve [Page 172] upon these Terms may believe what he will, since nothing more difficult can offer it self to his Assent. Nor have we any Doctrine of fatal Necessity, which would be a flat contradiction to all the means of Grace, a fatal check to all vir­tuous endeavours, and consequently de­structive to all the ends of Religion. But all the points of our Belief are either such as agree to the reason of our Minds when that is exerted and improved, or when any thing is required to be belie­ved which is above our reason (it is yet both not contrary to Reason and also) we are so plainly assured of it by the au­thority of Divine and Infallible Wisdom and Truth, that we have all the Reason in the World to believe it. Forasmuch as our Reason acknowledges that our Minds are not a Standard for Divine Rea­son, but that may be true which we can­not give a Reason of. Therefore we have mighty obligations upon us to be zealous and hearty in our Religion, and it would be an intolerable shame for us not to abound in the work of the Lord, seeing our Minds are so clearly satisfied of the truth of our Principles.

Thirdly, All the rituals of our Religi­on are Grave, Decent and Easie. Such as [Page 173] we have no reason either to be ashamed to own, or to complain of the burden and dif­ficulty in complying with them. The Rites of Paganism were many of them so lewd and obscene, that a modest Man should be ashamed to behold them, and some of them so cruel and bloody that a Man must put off not only good Nature, but even almost Humanity it self to be able to take delight in them. The Rites of Judaism were some of them scarce seem­ly, as that of Circumcision, others of them very nice and unaccountable; and all together so very numerous and dif­ficult to be observed that the Apostle, saw cause to pronounce of that Law, That it was a yoke which neither they, nor their fathers were able to bear, Act. 15. 10.

And as for the Rites of Christian Chur­ches some of them are so redundant in empty Ceremonies that they are in dan­ger to justle out the substance and grow so troublesome thereby, as that St. Austin in his Epistle to Januarius complains the burden of them was no less intolerable than that of Judaism; Others on the contrary are so negligent and defective herein, that the dress of Religion is slo­venly and indecent. The former repre­sent Religion with so much Paint and Pa­geantry, [Page 174] as if it was only to appear up­on the Stage, and had nothing to do in the Hearts and Lives of Men. The lat­ter are so careless herein, as that they are guilty of rudeness towards God Al­mighty. But the Church of England a­voids both extreams, for that the Cere­monies thereby imposed are very few, nothing but extream ignorance can deny, and that they are grave and decent, e­very Man that is not wonderfully trans­ported with prejudice must confess.

Fourthly and Lastly, This Religion and this Church of England in particular hath all the advantages of making Men good and holy, and hath all the most efficacious methods of raising and improving the state of the World in general and of every member of it in particular. This is so considera­ble a subject that it is pity to pass it by unconsidered, and yet withal it is so co­pious, that if a Man enter upon it he knows not where to conclude: But in short the Doctrine of this Church is a Doctrine that teaches Men to be Devout towards God, Sober and Temperate in the Conduct of themselves, and Just and Charitable in their Carriage towards other Men. A Doctrine that tends to make Men Holy in their Lives, Comfor­table [Page 175] in their Consciences, and Peaceable in the World. Here is no quirks or di­stinctions to reconcile a vicious Life with hopes of Heaven, no palliative cures for Lewdness and Debauchery, no out­lets for Knavery, no tricks of playing fast and loose with God and Men, insomuch that if a Man was resolved to be an Hy­pocrite, he had better be of any Religi­on than this of the Church of England. Again, Here are no Principles of Sediti­on, no seeds of Rebellion, no squabling between the Jura Sacerdotis and Imperii, between Civil and Ecclesiastical Govern­ment; no such Doctrine as that Domi­nion is founded in Grace, or that Princes forfeit their Dignities and Estates upon pretence of Heresie; no exemption of any Persons from the Municipal Laws upon the account of peculiar privileges; no excommunication of Princes, but a Doctrine that makes the best Subjects in the whole World. And Lastly, Here is no Doctrine of Scrupulosity to fill Men with Doubts and Fears, and perpetual Complaints; no suspending our Hopes up­on secret Decrees of God, or rendering him a captious Deity, but plain Holiness and Happiness are joined together. In short the Doctrine of this Church so far [Page 176] as it is heartily complied with, is able to make an Heaven upon Earth for Piety, Peace, Charity and Tranquility, and to bring Men assuredly to Heaven after this life.

As for the Prayers of this Church they are Grave and Devout, Plain and Effectual. They are neither so high strained and Se­raphical as to Amuze and Confound those that should join in them, nor so flat and low as to chill their Devotion. They are neither uttered in an unknown Tongue, nor in phantastical Language; neither so long and tedious as if Men expostulated with the Almighty, or would weary him with their Importunities; nor yet so short and brief as if they dictated to him what they would have him do; but they are such as very good Men of Old thought no meanlier of than that they were dictated by the Holy Spirit, and to be sure such as are fit for humble Men to present to a Great and Holy God. And as for the Sa­craments, they are in this Church neither more nor fewer than our Saviour himself instituted, and those frequently and so­lemnly administred. But as for the Prea­ching of this Church, it is fit in Modesty to leave it to the Judgment of Foreigners, who pronounce it to be the best in the World.

Now therefore, upon the whole Matter, I think we may (as we are wont to do) justly glory of our Faith, our Principles, our Church and our Religion; and why then should not we be the best Men in the World too? Why should not we not only out-go Pagans, Turks and Jews, but all the se­veral Sects of Christians also? We please our selves in pitying poor Infidels, and other Ignorant or Deluded Wretches which have not the Advantages which we enjoy: But what will all our Prero­gatives avail us, if we be not so much better than any of the fore-mention'd Persons, as God hath dealt better with us? But this brings me to the Second thing I propounded, and with which I will conclude; namely, by way of Infe­rence from the Premises, to shew what manner of Persons we ought to be, and how to out-vie the rest of the World.

And here I will confine my self to Two Branches.

1. It is plainly Consequential, of what hath been discoursed under this Observa­tion, That we ought to be more Stedfast and Unmoveable in our Religion than other People are.

[Page 178]2. That we ought to out-strip them in good Life, in Zeal and Fervency, as much as we do in our Principles and Advan­tages.

First, That we ought to be so much more stable and setled in our Religion than others are in theirs, forasmuch as we have better Grounds for it. Let us walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever and ever; that is, Let us not stagger and faulter, and be tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine; for we know what and whom we have believed. It's true, we ought not to be stubborn and obstinate in our Opinion, nor peremptory and dogmatical in every punctilio, as if it were impossible for us to be one jot wiser than we are; yet, on the other side, we ought not to be Seekers, when we have already found the Pearl of great price: Quid opus est inquisitione post Je­sum Christum, aut curiositate post Evange­lium, (said Tertullian;) There is no cause to be Sceptical and unresolv'd in our Principles, wavering and unsettled in our Minds, since we have a Religion revealed from Heaven by the Son of God himself, confirmed by innumerable and unquestionable Miracles, sealed with the Blood of Millions of Martyrs, and [Page 179] confirm'd by Sixteen or Seventeen hun­dred Years Experience.

A Pagan would be stedfast in his blind Superstition, for which he knows no better reason than the Laws of his Coun­trey, or Tradition from his Fore-Fathers, and which perhaps at last resolved it self into no better Original than Poetical Fi­ction, or at best, Reason of State: Jer. 2. 10, 11. the Prophet upbraids the Jews after this manner; Pass over the Isles of Chittim, and see; send unto Kedar, and consider diligently if there be such a thing. Hath any nation changed their gods, which yet are no Gods? but my people have changed their glory, for that which doth not profit: And then exclaims, Be asto­nished, O ye Heavens, at this, saith the Lord.

And for this very People of the Jews, how shamefully light and inconstant soever they were in their former days, and howsoever ridiculous they were in their fondness towards Novelty, and Pa­gan Superstitions; yet after the Baby­lonish Captivity, when they had through­ly seen the folly and madness of Idolatry, as well as smarted for their former Wan­tonness, they now grow to such an utter abhorrence of Idols, that they were guilty [Page 180] of Superstition of another kind; and whatever other Sins they lived in, they abominated Idolatry in the highest de­gree, and were not only exceedingly staunch and firm to the True God, but exceedingly shie and suspicious of some very innocent Institutions, lest they shou'd in the least border upon Idolatry, or preface to an Innovation? And shall we have a mind to return to a Babylonish Slavery again? Nay, Shall we who have tasted the Fruits of Canaan, long after the Flesh-pots, the Onions and Gar­lick of Aegypt, rank and fulsom Super­stitions?

We see how resolute and almost incu­rably stubborn every poor deluded Se­ctary is in his Errors and Mistakes: And shall we, who have so Excellent, so Wise and Holy a Religion; shall (I say) we only be light and sceptical, always hunting after Novelties. Let not the words of the Prophet Elijah, 1 King. 18. 21. be too applicable to us, who upbraids them in this manner, Why halt ye between two opinions? If Baal be God, serve him; but if the Lord be God, then follow him. If we consider the Nature and Consequence of Religion, it will easily appear to be a thing necessary to [Page 181] be resolved of one way or other; and if we consider the Shortness and Un­certainty of Life, it will seem high time to come to a Resolution in that Point: Why then, if we have been im­posed upon, and deceived hitherto with a bad Religion, do we not cast it off, and take up that we will trust to? But if we have (as certainly we have) the best Religion in the World: If our Religion be the most Ancient, the most Credible, the most Easie, and the most Effectual to make us Good and Happy, (as I have shewed;) Why then should we not be stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; forasmuch as we know that our labour is not in vain in the Lord? But this brings me to my Second Inference, Viz.

Secondly, It is our Duty, in conse­quence of the Premises, not only to be Stable and Resolved, but to be Zealous and Fervent in our Religion: Not only to shew by our Lives and Practice what God, and what Religion we are of, which too many fall short in; but that by eminent Vertue, and Remarkable Piety and Devo­tion, we demonstrate the Greatness of our God, and the Excellency of our Religion; and that we endeavour to out-vie all [Page 182] those in Life and Practice, whom we either Pity or Despise or Condemn for their Mistaken Principles.

What Devotion the Heathen paid to their Gods, witness the numerous and laborious Rites they observed to the Ho­nour of them: The stately Temples they Erected and Dedicated to them, some of which, as that of Diana at Ephesus, and that of Eleusinium in Attica, were the Wonders of the World: wit­ness also the costly Sacrifices they offer'd to them, sometimes a whole Hecatomb, or an Hundred Fat Oxen at a time; some­times Ver Sacrum, or the Choice of every thing which the Spring produced; be­sides the Gold and Frankincense, the Gums and Spices; the Charge of which last alone was so great an Expence, that, in Tertullian's time, they upbraided the Christians with a Cheap Religion, and as if they forsook Idolatry only to save Charges: particularly Cyrus, in the Apo­chryphal History of Bell and the Dragon, will needs prove Bell to be a God, from hence, viz, because he spent him every day twelve measures of fine Flower, forty Sheep, and six great vessels of Wine. I must needs say, it was but a sorry Argu­ment of Bell's Divinity, but it was [Page 183] an undoubted Evidence of Cyrus his Devotion.

Now shall blind Pagans be thus large-hearted towards dumb Idols, and We be stingy and close-fisted towards the Living God? Nay, shall Idolatry be horribly afraid of being guilty of Sa­crilege, (as we may find they were upon all occasions,) and shall those that abhorr Idols never boggle at it?

A sordid covetous Jew wou'd, upon occasion, have spared a Fat Bullock out of his Stall, for a Sacrifice to his God; and shall any thing that is called a Chri­stian, besides Judas, say, Cur perditio haec? Shall only Christians, I say, be for a Cheap and Frugal Religion? Espe­cially, shall we think much to offer up our Brutal Passions, or the Incense of Devout Prayers, or our Hearts and Affections, which put us to no Da­mage?

To go farther: A Consciencious Ma­hometan will go to his Mosque to Prayers thrice in a Day, will endure tedious Fastings, and undergo painful Pilgrimages, nay, will not drink one drop of Wine all his Life, only because his Quaking Prophet Mahomet enjoin'd these Observances: And shall Christians [Page 184] shrink and shuffle at the easie Yoke of Christ Jesus?

Again, A Pythagorean, out of Reve­rence to the Name of God, and to pre­serve himself from all possibility of Per­jury, will not Swear at all: And will Christians Blaspheme that Holy and Dreadful Name, by Oaths and Perjury too?

They of the Church of Rome use such Deference towards their Church, that they will submit by an Implicit Faith, and stoop to a blind Obedience, rather than endanger the Peace, or infringe the Authority of that Society: And shall We, who worthily value our selves upon the Temper and Wisdom of our Church, express no Regard, no Tenderness to­wards it, but tear all in pieces, for every petty Opinion, and idle Capricio of our private Heads? Nay, shall Others worship a Crucifix with more Devotion than We do the very Son of God him­self, now sitting at the Right Hand of God?

To say no more: When every petty Sect amongst us seems wonderfully De­vout in their Way, even to Superstition, and are inflamed with blind Zeal in their Errors; shall We only be luke-warm [Page 185] and indifferent, and not have one spark of Holy Zeal in our Devotions? Far be it from us; nay, let us be all Life, feel a mighty Passion, be in a kind of Extasie of Holy Affections towards our Great God in the Exercises of our Holy and Wise and Excellent Religion.

If we do not thus, we may assure our selves, that it is not all the Ad­vantages of our Profession or Princi­ples will save us: so far from it, that they will serve only to upbraid our Folly and Absurdity, to torment our Consciences, and to aggravate our Con­demnation.

But if contrarywise, as we have bet­ter Principles, and more Light and Rea­son on our Side; so we have propor­tionably more Steadiness in our Minds, more Fervency in our Spirits, more Ho­liness in our Hearts and Lives. Then shall our Faith support us in all Di­stresses, and our Piety entitle us to the Divine Favour and Blessing. Our Re­ligion shall be an Honour to us, and be Venerable in the Eyes of all the World. Then shall our Church re­cover its Numbers, its Peace, and all its Glories, and stand the shock of all its Adversaries, as being built upon a [Page 186] Rock, which the Gates of Hell can­not prevail against; which God grant, for his Son Jesus Christ his sake our Lord; To whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be Everlasting Glory, &c.

A SERMON Preach'd before the ALDERMEN AND CITIZENS of LONDON.

THere are Two very common and very unhappy Miscar­riages in the External Ma­nagement of Religion. Whilst (on the one side) some Men think them­selves obliged severely and rigorously to Prosecute all that differ from them, [Page 188] although it be but in meer Opinions, or the Circumstantials of Religion. And others (on the other hand) seem so cold and unconcern'd in this great Affair, as if all Religions were alike; and it were perfectly indifferent what Principles a Man entertained, so he had but some kind of Devotion.

The former of these Mistakes takes its rise from too confident a presump­tion of our own Judgment, and a fond and groundless pretence to Infallibility, and therefore exacts of all other Men a Conformity to our Measures. The lat­ter proceeds from as unreasonable a Diffi­dence and Distrust of the Grounds of Be­lieving, as if there was really no [...] or Standard of Truth, and Falshood; and consequently, these last sort of Men are as void of Faith, as the other were of Charity: To be sure, both of them are very dangerous; forasmuch as the one beginning in Confidence, ends in Cruelty; the other beginning in Scep­ticism, commonly ends in Atheism.

But both these Dangers may in a great measure be avoided, and great Light gained towards the government of our selves in this weighty and difficult Busi­ness, by attending to the Carriage of [Page 189] our Saviour towards the several Sects of the Jews respectively. For whereas it is well known, that there were three notable Parties amongst them, com­monly distinguish'd by the Names of the Essenes, the Pharisees, and the Sad­duces; it is very remarkable concerning the first of them, namely, the Essenes, That though they were very numerous at the time of our Saviour, and with­al, held several very odd and unjusti­fiable Opinions; yet our Saviour is so far from all Bitterness and Severity to­wards them, that we do not find that he makes any kind of Reflection upon them: but for the other two, viz. the Pharisees and Sadduces, he upon all occa­sions sharply inveighs against them, and severely exposes them.

Now the reason of this very different Carriage of our Saviour seems to be this; That the Essenes, though they were mistaken in some Opinions, yet were sincere in their Minds, harmless in their Lives, quiet and peaceable in their Spirits; they contented themselves to enjoy their own Consciences, and let other Men alone; they were not a Confident and Boysterous sort of Men, that must either have the sole Govern­ment [Page 190] of the World, or else be always plotting and contriving of Mischief; but humble and modest, and so capable of being recovered from their Errors. But the other two Sects, viz. the Pharisees and Sadduces, they were quite another sort of Men, Pretenders to Infallibility, and consequently presumptuous and over­bearing, perpetual Dictators in Opinion, fastuous and disdainful towards all others, too wise in their own eyes to learn of any one, and too sanctimonious to be reproved by any body; withal, they were a Crafty and Projecting sort of Men, that must either Rule or Con­found the World. Our Saviour therefore (to teach us to make a Discrimination in the like cases) as I observed, gently passes by the Essenes, but always sets himself severely against the two other Sects, and particularly here in my Text, gives his Disciples caution against them, Take heed and beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees, and of the Sadduces.

The special occasion of these words was this: If we look to the beginning of this Chapter, we find these two busie Sects (though at other times they had hot Disputes between themselves, yet now) lay their Heads together and con­spire [Page 191] against our Saviour; but (as the usual guize of Hypocrites is) they come to him very demurely with these words, Master, we wou'd see a Sign from thee.

What, had they had no Signs hitherto! Had Jesus wrought no Miracles amongst them all this while? or, were these Men only strangers to all the great Passages of that time?

But, We would see a Sign from Heaven. And why a Sign from Heaven? Wou'd that be more unexceptionable than any he had hitherto given them? Wou'd this convince them? No, that was not their Errand; they came not to be converted, but to be harden'd; they had a mind not to believe, and seek only a colour for their unbelief; they ask him there­fore for that which they verily thought he would not grant them, that they might have some pretence for their Infidelity.

Now therefore, our Saviour having discovered their Design, and detected their Hypocrisie, in the 2d, 3d, and 4th Verses in my Text, turns himself to­wards his Disciples, and gives them this serious caution against them, and all such kinds of Men, Take heed and be­ware, &c.

For the full opening of which, I will briefly enquire into these Four things.

• I. What is the importance of this metaphorical expression Leaven; and what our Saviour means by the Leaven of Pharisees and Sad­duces.
• II. More particularly we will enquire what was the peculiar Leaven of these two Sects, so often mention'd in the New Testament.
• III. We will consider what was the Danger of that Leaven, and its contrariety to the Doctrine and Design of our Saviour.
• IV. And Lastly, We will enquire what this Caution of our Saviour im­plies, and what he would have his Disciples to do, when he bids them Take heed and beware, &c.

And by that time I have given an Ac­count of these Four things, I shall not only have open'd the full scope of the Text, but I hope every attentive Au­ditor will be satisfied of the seasonable­ness of this Subject for the present Time.

I begin with the First, viz. What our Saviour means by Leaven. In the words following my Text, ver. 7. we find that the Disciples took our Saviour literally, and reflecting on themselves for their omission to provide Bread and Necessaries for the Voyage which they were now entring upon, though he had obliquely reproved their carelesness in that parti­cular, and that he had thence took occa­sion to interdict them all Trade and Civil Commerce with those two Sects of Men. But by the 12th verse they understand their Master's mind better, and knew at length, that he spake not of the Leaven of Bread, but of the Doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadduces.

Indeed, it is usual with our Saviour, by that Metaphor, to represent Doctrine, whether good or bad; for Mat. 13. 33. he compares his own Institution to it, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. And the Resemblance is very fit and natural; for as it is the nature of Leaven, that it works insensibly, quickly insinuates it self, and universally diffuses its Efficacy over the whole Mass into which it is put; so, in like manner, [Page 194] Doctrine works upon the Minds of Men, and gives a tincture of its own Nature and Temper to them; insomuch as that such as a Man's Persuasions and Prin­ciples are, such ordinarily at least will his Life and Practice be.

It is true, indeed, that sometimes Mens Lives are better than their Principles, and sometimes also worse; for it may fall out, that Men of very unhappy and mischievous Opinions may yet live ver­tuously, when the probity of their Tem­per is such, as that it Antidotes them against the Malignity and Venome of their Persuasions. And, on the other side, it is no unfrequent (though an un­happy) spectacle, to behold others of very noble and generous Principles, as to Doctrine, yet to live very lewd and profligate Lives; such Men with-holding the truth in unrighteousness, (as the Apostles Phrase is,) or Outfacing the Light, and Debauching their Consciences, in compliance with their Lusts, and car­nal or secular Interests.

But, as I said, ordinarily it is other­wise: For such a state of Contradiction to Principles must needs be violent and unnatural; and the Lives and Actions of Men do as reasonably bear proportion [Page 195] to the Principles of their Minds and Con­sciences, as it is natural for the Stream to rise as high as its Source and Foun­tain, and no higher. Hence it is that our Saviour, Mat. 12. 33. saith, Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or the tree corrupt, and the fruit corrupt. And again, Mat. 6. 23. he pronounces, If the light that is in thee be darkness, that darkness must be great and intolerable. To the truth of which Observation, the general Experience of all the World bears ample testimony; amongst several Instances of which, I cannot but remark a very pertinent pas­sage of an Heathen Historian, in the Life of that wicked Emperor Tiberius; his words concerning him are these, Erat circa Deos negligentior, quippe Mathema­ticae addictus, persuasionisque plenus omnia fato agi: which I render thus, q. d. Tibe­rius was a profane Prince, careless of Re­ligion, and without any Devotion to­wards God; and no wonder, for he was an Admirer of Astrology, and full of the opinion, that the Stars or Fate govern'd the World, and not God.

And, in short, this is the true reason of all Education, and of all the Care and Diligence that evil and good Men use in [Page 196] propounding and propagating good Do­ctrine, and preventing the contrary; not that they think God is pleased with dry Opinions and Speculations, but be­cause they are aware that Principles draw on Practices, and that evil Opinions cor­rupt good Manners. But so much for that: I proceed,

In the Second place, to enquire what was the peculiar Leaven of these Pha­risees and Sadduces, which our Saviour thus cautions against. And for this, the learned Jewish Historian, Josephus, in his 13th Book of Antiquities, and in his 2d Book of the Jewish Wars, hath given us a very exact Account of all the Sects of Religion among that People, and from him I shall present this Auditory with the substance of what he delivers touch­ing the Pharisees and Sadduces, wherein we are at present concerned.

And, First, It is notorious that the Sect of the Sadduces utterly denied the being of Angels and Spirits, or of all Spiritual Substances, and acknowledg'd nothing but Matter or Body in the whole Universe; and consequently hereof, they must also renounce the Immortality of the Soul, the Resurrection of the Body, and Eternal Life in the World to come: [Page 197] whereas, on the contrary, the Pharisees acknowledged all the aforesaid great Ar­ticles, as we learn, Act. 23. 8. Only this is to be added withal, That these latter entertained so many Legendary Stories about these great Points, and had such very crasie Notions of them, that they thereby rendred the very Do­ctrines ridiculous and incredible.

Again, The Sadduces were gross Ido­laters of the Letter; and as they re­ceived only the Law of Moses, (exclu­ding the Prophets, and all other sacred Writings,) so they understood the Books of the Law in the most crass and literal sence, and admitted not of any inter­pretation or consequence from it, tho' never so clearly and naturally deduced. On the other side, the Pharisees not only received the whole Scripture of the Old Testament, but besides were great Patrons of Oral Tradition, and allowed as great or greater Authority to it than the Written Word; and consequently thought themselves obliged under as great a necessity to the observance of those things that came down to them by the Tradition of their Fathers, as to those they found written in the Law and the Prophets; from whence it came to [Page 198] pass (as it must needs do) that their Creed became Vast and Voluminous, and their Devotion was clogg'd with innu­merable Rites and Ceremonies.

The Result of all which is this; That the Pharisees had too much Faith (such as it was,) and the Sadduces (properly speaking) none at all. The Sadduces could upon their Principles have no ground for any Religion or Piety; and the Pharisees, by their prodigious Ad­ditions to God's Institution, had quite corrupted and lost the true Idea of Re­ligion. In short, Whatever cold Pre­tences a Sadducee could make to Ci­vility or Morality, it is evident, he could have no Devotion. On the con­trary, the very Character of a Pharisee was a confident Devotionist, without Morality.

Now, from what hath been delivered in this short Account of these two Sects, it will be easie to discern the reason why our Saviour gives such caution against their Leaven, and what the Mischief and Danger to his Doctrine and Design was from each of them singly, or both toge­ther. Which is the

Third Enquiry. But because herein lies especially the Emphasis of the Text, [Page 199] I will give a more particular Account of this Matter, as followeth.

And first, as touching the Sadduces: It is manifest by what hath been said, that their Leaven was the same with that of the Epicurean Philosophers, and could by no means be a Principle of Con­science or Religion, but a Doctrine cal­culated for this present Life; for be­lieving neither Angel nor Spirit, nor any thing to be in the World but meer Mat­ter, it was impossible they should have any concern for another World, and con­sequently they could have no Religion, only as the Law of Moses was Lex Terrae, the Law of the Land; so far it stood them in hand to observe it, or at least to pretend an external conformity to it, for the sake of their secular Interests and Advantages. To be sure, such Principles could lay no Obligation upon their Con­sciences; and therefore they were the truest Race of Latitudinarians, and could comply with whatsoever was uppermost, and upon that score could not withstand the Temptation of being of the Religion of the Prince, whatever it was.

Accordingly, it is observable in a pa­rallel place to this of my Text, namely, Mark 8. 15. for the Leaven of the Pha­risees, [Page 200] we have the Leaven of Herod, as signifying the same thing; for these Men, it seems, consistently enough with their Principles, could flatter that vile Prince, so far as to cry him up for the Messias.

It was, I say, a Sect or Leaven fit for Men of Covetous and Ambitious Designs, and was successful to those purposes; for Acts 5. 17. we find the great Council, or Sanhedrin of the Jews, chiefly con­sisted of those of this Leaven.

These Men were of the Spawn of the Leviathan, and derived the Sanction of Religion from Humane Legislation; and the Commands of God obliged no far­ther than they were enacted by the Civil Magistrate.

Besides all this, they had the right knack of Trimming between all Reli­gions; for whatsoever was the inward Opinion of their Mind, they could con­ceal or deny or mince the matter, so that their Persuasion should never expose them to any Damage, nor their Con­science interfere with their Interests.

Now, the Christian Religion, which our Saviour came to introduce and to plant in the World, being not only a very strict and holy, but a most solemn [Page 201] and serious Institution: Nothing could be more contrary to it, than such loose Principles as these; his was a Religion fitted to please God, not to flatter and humour Men: It was a Religion design'd for the saving of Mens Souls in another World, and to fit them for Eternal Life, and not to serve a Turn, or to save a Stake in this World. Upon all which, there can be no wonder that he earnest­ly cautions against the Leaven of the Sadduces which undermined the Princi­ples of all Religion.

And then in the next Place, for the Religion of the Pharisees, that (by what was said in the Description of their Lea­ven) consisting of so many incredible Articles of Faith, grounded only upon Tradition and legendary Stories, and of such innumerable trifling and arbitrary Rites and Ceremonies, and yet made es­sentially necessary to Salvation, was ut­terly contrary to the whole Tenor and Design of the Gospel, as might be made appear in innumerable Instances, of which I will here specifie only these five Parti­culars following.

In the first Place, a principal Design of our Saviour in the Doctrine of the Gospel, was to instruct Men with right [Page 202] Notions of God, which is not only the first and most immediate Honour to the Divine Majesty, but the only solid Foun­dation of all Vertue and Piety: The right Apprehension of God's Perfections and Attributes, being the great Obliga­tion upon our minds, to reverence and observe him in general, and being of great Use also, to direct us in the parti­cular Instances of our Duty towards him. Now the Pharisees Superstition was con­trariwise very apt to breed in Men, ve­ry mean and unworthy Notions of the Divine Majesty; and so tended naturally both to confound the Measures, and to subvert the very Ground and Reason of Piety and Vertue.

Partly, as it mightily abated of his Grandure and Majesty whilst it repre­sented him, as insisting upon so many little things as carried neither Weight nor Worth, nor intrinsick Reason in them. We always count it an Argu­ment of a little Mind, to be wrought upon by meer Complements, to be pleased with Trifles, and to be offended with such ceremonious Omissions: And we cannot naturally esteem him to be a wise and great Man, whom we observe to be of that Temper; much less can [Page 203] we imagine that he should be an infinite­ly wise God, a full, perfect, and self­sufficient Being, that will endure to be flattered with Ceremonies, be forced with Gifts, be propitiated with formal Oblations, be complemented with ex­ternal Addresses, imposed upon by shows and shadows, or be offended for the want of any such things. Now the Pharisees Leaven consisting wholly of these, with­out Regard to true Piety, and generous Obedience and Conformity of Heart and Life to him, quite clouded and obscured the Glory of his Divinity, and rendred him more like a Man than a God, and indeed more like a little, necessitous, narrow-minded Man, than a wise and a great one.

Partly, as it rendred him an unbe­nign and captious Deity, such an one as insisted upon very Punctilio's, and was prone to take Advantage of his Creatures upon the smallest Omissions; the Effects of which must needs be, that Men might be possibly tempted to fear, and to stand under the slavish Dread of such a God, but it was plainly impossi­ble they should love him; without which there can be no Life nor Soul in Re­ligion.

Above all this, the Pharisaical Leaven represented the Divine Majesty as a self­ish and tyrannical Being, as if he looked only at his own ends, and had no regard to the good of his Creatures, and more aimed at the obtaining his own Will of them, than had any respect to the true Use and Reason of things, or Design of the Good and Happiness of Men: For how could it be otherwise; or how could Men think otherwise of him, that insist­ed as much upon clean Hands as upon a pure Heart; that was as much offended with the Omission of a Ritual, as of a Moral Precept, and that would take the Sacrifice of a Beast, in the Exchange for Obedience of a Man. Now the Doctrine of the Pharisees bringing in such Appre­hensions of Religion as these are, must needs therewithal introduce very mean, low and unworthy Notions of God, and thereby undermine true Piety, and espe­cially that of the Gospel.

Again, in the second place, the De­sign of our Saviour was to make Reli­gion easie and delightful, and not only passible, but acceptable to all Men; that so his Institution might become the Re­ligion of all the World, the truly Ca­tholick Religion.

To this purpose, he was to lay open all Inclosures, to pare off all Superfluities, to retrench the Redundance of trouble­some and unnecessary Ceremonies; so to bring Religion into as narrow a Com­pass as was possible, that it might fall in the better with the Occasions of humane Life; and that the Affairs of Heaven and Earth might not interfere, he was to make it fully reasonable, and the Reason of it so conspicuous, as that it might commend it self to the Minds of all Men; he was to accommodate it to humane Nature in general, so that no Quality or Condition of Life should be incapable of it, that it should be impossi­ble to no Constitution; excluded from no Place, Climate or Country; that it should be inconsistent with no Form of Government, nor inconvenient for any Age or time of the World.

All this was aim'd at in the Institu­tion of Christian Religion; and all this was crossed and contradicted by the Lea­ven of the Pharisees, for that consisted of so many Articles of Faith, as it was impossible to perswade all Men of: It had so many Rites and Ceremonies, pe­culiar to one Country, or Climate, or Place, or Condition, or Constitution of [Page 206] Men; and others so numerous, as were very troublesome to those that were most conscientious of them, and most of them founded upon such Reasons, as few Men could be satisfied with, and yet all of them made indispensably necessary; that it became not only a very uneasie Religion, but impossible to a great part of Men, and unacceptable to all: And therefore, was so far unfit to become the Catholick or Universal Religion; that it could be only the Cognizance of a Sect and Party, and fitter to divide the World than to unite it.

It must needs have been very burthen­some to the Bodies of Men, to be bound to observe so many washings and Instan­ces of external Cleanness, as their Super­stition required: And it could not but be very troublesome to the Minds and Memories of Men, to retain so many little things as were strictly to be obser­ved, and yet could not take hold of a Man's mind, because they had no Foun­dation in Reason: And above all, it must needs be intolerable to the Consciences of Men, and hold them in perpetual Anxiety and Solicitude, when a Man's Duty was so large, as that he could scarce ever tell when he had done, and [Page 207] yet every thing was alike necessary, and so the Danger was fatal, if he omitted or failed in any part of it. Upon all these Accounts, Pharisaism contradicted the Design of our Saviour in the Institu­tion of Christianity; and therefore he cautions his Disciples against it.

Moreover, Thirdly, such a trouble­some and circumstantial way of Religion as that of the Pharisees; under the form, supplants the very Power of Godliness: Partly, as these nice and troublesome ob­servances weary the minds of Men and exhaust their best Spirits; and so that Zeal is spent upon Trifles which should have been reserved for more weighty Occasions: As we commonly observe of a bad Diet, that it not only corrupts the Humours of the Body, filling it with ill Juices, but also clogs and satiates the Natural Appetite of the Stomach, and deads it to all those things that might be wholsome and beneficial; but princi­pally, this pompous Form undermines the Power of Religion, as it renders Men prone to hope to make amends for the Defect of the latter, by the Redundance of the former; for it is too common and usual for Men to think to expiate Immorality by Superstition: And we [Page 208] generally observe, that those who are over-precise in little matters, are apt to indulge themselves too much in great.

Thus, our Saviour upbraids these very Men we speak of, Matth. 23. 23. That under pretence of being more than exact in Tythings, Mint, Annis, and Cummin, they neglected the weighty matters of the Law, Justice, Mercy, and Faith: And again, Matth. 15. 3. He tells them they notoriously made void the Commandments of God through their Traditions; for by their Corban, they legitimated Unnatu­ralness towards their Parents; by their long Prayers, they hoped to make amends for devouring Widows Houses, and by outward washings, to expiate their inward Impurities: And for the sake of these things, our Saviour (whose Design was to introduce true and un­feigned goodness, and sincere and unaf­fected Piety) severely interdicts this Leaven.

Furthermore, in the fourth place, as it is usually observed, that light things are puffy and turgid, so it is certain that such an empty and pompous Religion as that of the Pharisees, usually swells and puffs Men up with Pride and Conceit of themselves, which Temper is the fur­thest [Page 209] projection from that of the Gospel. Such a Train of Observances as they had, made a very glorious and sancti­monious Show, and raised the Admi­ration of the World, and thereby de­ceived them into a great Opinion of themselves. It was an easie and cheap way to Saintship; for the observation of Rites and Ceremonies cost them little Self-denial and Mortification, and yet it served to make them to be thought the only People. Accordingly they had a Saying amongst the Jews, in those times, that, If there were but two Men to go to Heaven, the one would be a Scribe, and the other a Pharisee. Thus were these Airy Bubbles blown up to Heaven, both in the Conceit of the World, and in their own Opinion: so we observe in the Gospel, Luk. 18. 11. Whereas the poor Publican is dejected in the Pre­sence of God, in contemplation of his own Miscarriages, and therefore dares scarce look up towards Heaven, but modestly smites upon his Breast, and prays, God be merciful to me a sinner. The Pharisee, transported with Vulgar Applause and Self-admiration, boldly out-faces God and Man, and cries out, God, I thank thee that I am not like other men; for I [Page 210] fast twice a week, and pay tythes of all I possess, &c. and therefore challenges Hea­ven, as due to his merit.

Not unlike Servants are the new­invented Orders of Modern Pharisees, who, upon the account of their Obser­vation of certain Rules of their own In­vention, and of the Vows of fantastick Poverty, uncommanded Abstinence from Flesh or Marriage, and blind Obedience to their Superiors, call themselves the Religious; and all the World of good Christians besides, the Seculars, or, the Men of this World. Of such a flatulent nature is Superstition, and thus fastuose and supercilious doth it render all the Proselytes to it; and therefore our Sa­viour, whose intention was to bring Hu­mility and Modesty into fashion, cautions earnestly against this Leaven.

Fifthly and lastly, Our Saviour, by his Institution, designed to bring in Gentleness and Kindness, Love and Good­will amongst Men: But such an Exter­nal and Ritual Religion as that of the Pharisees, naturally tends to make Men quarrelsom and contentious, carnal and sanguinary. For, in the first place, the Materials or Instances of Superstition are many and numerous, and so liable to [Page 211] be mistaken: for, in many things we of­fend all; or, where our Obligation is very large, our Duty is very nice and difficult. Again, such things being nei­ther manifestly required by clear Reason, nor by evident Revelation, must needs be always uncertain, and so become Mat­ter of endless Dispute and Contention; especially if all things be a like neces­sary, and that Eternal Life depends upon every Punctilio: No wonder if Men be fierce and eager; for he that is mortally vulnerable in every part, must needs be very jealous and curious. To all which add, That the Man who hath his Reli­gion at his fingers ends, or in ritibus ad solos digitos pertinentibus, (as Lactantius expresses it,) this Man must needs be very peremptory and dogmatical, very decretory and decisive; so that there can be no dissenting from such a Man without Anathema's; and his Supersti­tion, by all these Considerations, will raise him to such a heat and confidence, that he will think he doth God good service, to kill those that differ from him.

Of this St. Paul himself was an Ex­ample; he was bred at the feet of Ga­maliel, a Learned Traditionary Doctor, [Page 212] and, after the strictest Sect of the Jewish Religion, a Pharisee; and all this served to inflame him against Christ and his Religion and Disciples, to such a degree, that he confesses he was mad against them, and thought he ought to do whatsoever he did or could do against that Name and Institution.

The same thing Tertullian, Fourteen­hundred Years ago, observed of the Jews in general; his words are, Sy­nagogoe Judoeorum fontes persecutionum: The Jewish Zealots were constantly the great Inflamers of Persecution against Christianity; and they, when they could not do it themselves, exasperated the Pagans, and put them upon it.

A Jewish Spirit is everlastingly a per­secuting Spirit; and of all Mankind, a Pharisee (whatever he may pretend) can never be in earnest for Toleration. I would to God the Experience of all Ages had not borne too undeniable a testimony to the truth of this Observa­tion, and that modern Pharisaism had in this respect mended the matter. But Leaven is Leaven, and will ever have the same operation.

The Man that considers his Religion, and weighs the Reasons of it before he [Page 213] embraces it, will be gentle and charitable towards those that differ from him, or are not of his attainment; he considers the shortness of Humane Understanding, that he may be deceived himself, and therefore pities those that are so; he makes allowance for different Constitu­tions, several ways of Education, and the Prejudices incident to Men in this World: but the blind Zealot, that be­lieves with his Will, not his Under­standing, that sees with other Mens Eyes, and enslaves his Mind to other Mens Dictates; in a word, the Tradi­tionary Pharisee is Bold and Violent, Cruel and Unmerciful.

And the Man that is heartily and sin­cerely Vertuous, he is pitiful and com­passionate to the Infirmities of Mankind; he considers humane Frailty, and the Temptations we are beset withal; how many times we do that which we can­not allow or justifie; and judges of other Men as he would be judged him­self: But the supercilious Pharisee makes no reflection upon himself, and therefore hath no mercy nor compassion towards others.

St. Austin, in Answer to the Manichees, and particularly to that Epistle of theirs, [Page 214] call'd Fundamentum, hath this Noble and Christian passage, Illi in vos soeviant, qui nesciunt quanto cum labore veritas inveniatur, & quam difficulter errores ca­veantur; with many other excellent words to that purpose: Let those (saith he) persecute you, who neither knew the difficulty of discovering Truth, and of avoid­ing Error; but so will not I, who have Erred as you do, and hardly recovered the firm ground of Truth; that Work is only fit for them that have their Re­ligion by Rote, and their Devotion by Instinct; that never studied for Know­ledge, nor laboured for Vertue; that are Infallible by an Implicit Faith, and Devout without Piety; that is, those that are of the right Leaven of Pharisaism.

These, in short, are some of the Causes why our Saviour gave such a strict and solemn Charge against the Leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadduces. And now it is time to come to the Fourth and last Branch of my Text, namely, to shew what our Saviour means by this expres­sion, Take heed and beware; and what is the Duty of his Disciples in this par­ticular: And that I will now endea­vour briefly to explain, and then con­clude.

In order to which, in the first place, it is to be observed, that the emphasis lies in the word Leaven: For it is not so much the Men of the Sect of the Pharisees and Sadduces that are to be avoided, as the Leaven of those Sects; and that is so much the more to be taken care of, because there may be the Leaven of those Sects, though the Name be forgotten, and the Men so called be gone off the stage: And it is much to be doubted, or rather it is past doubt, that there is a Leaven of Pharisaism and Sadducism amongst Christians, as well as there was amongst the Jews; and perhaps amongst Protestants, as well as Papists; and therefore it will be our Duty to observe and distinguish it. As for Instance,

Where-ever we find a sort of Preten­ders to the Atomical or Epicurean Phi­losophy, that assert there is nothing but Matter or Body in the Universe; these Men, let them be otherwise never so Ingenious, or let them cover and dis­guise the business as well as they can, must necessarily, upon their Principles, take away the being of Angels and Spi­rits, and all the concern of another [Page 216] World; and therefore are of the Leaven of Sadducism.

Or if there be in this Age those that would persuade themselves and others, that it is a piece of Superstition to be strait-laced in Conscience, or a kind of Fanaticism to be curious what Religion a Man is of, and that that whole Affair is matter of indifferency, since God is pleased with variety, or regards not what Principles Men are of, so they be Devout and Honest in their respective Perswasions: This Conceit, where-ever it is, is nothing better than a piece of the Old Leaven of Sadducism.

Or if there be those that assert, that the Religion of Christ Jesus is only to be of the Religion of the Prince and Countrey.

Or that whatsoever a Man believes in his Heart, it is lawful for him to conceal and disguise it, and to make profession of that which comports best with his Safety and Interest; all this is Sadducism.

To give one Instance more on this Head: Whosoever they be that would persuade us, we must needs understand those famous words, Hoc est Corpus meum, [Page 217] in the gross literal sence, against all the Reason of the World, and the very Te­stimony of our Saviour; this is neither better nor worse than a spice of old Sadducism.

And then, on the other side, (for the Pharisees,) where-ever we observe Men building their Faith and Religion upon Oral and unwritten Tradition, and equal­ling that to the Holy Scripture and writ­ten Word of God, this is Pharisaism.

Or where-ever we find Men imposing upon others a vast and voluminous Creed, and enjoining a world of nice Obser­vances, under the peril of Eternal Dam­nation, (if they be not complied with) or the Yoke laid upon the Neck of the Disciples of our Lord, no whit inferior to that of Judaism; in all this there is the Spirit of Pharisaism.

Where-ever we see Men lay mighty stress upon disputable Opinions, or to Save or Damn Men accordingly as they are of such or such a Party, here is the plain Genius of Pharisaism.

To name no more: Where-ever we observe Men to be mighty Pretenders to Devotion, but careless of Justice and Charity, or to strain at a Gnat, and swallow a Camel; all this is the Leaven [Page 218] of Pharisaism, where-ever it is found, and to be avoided accordingly.

In the next place, let us consider the emphasis of these words of our Saviour, [...], Take heed and be­ware. it is an earnest Expression that I do not remember to have observed above once more in the whole New Te­stament, and (to be sure) imports no less, than that great Application of Mind is required in this particular. Religion is certainly a business that deserves to be well considered of, and to be carefully examin'd, and well understood, as well as devoutly prosecuted; nor is there any thing in this World, for the sake of which God gave us our Understanding, more than to enquire into this weighty Affair: And the least that can be made of the Charge here in the Text, is, that we by no means allow our selves supinely to swal­low whatsoever is either first suggested, or imperiously dictated to us; since such an Implicit Faith is the very first working of the Leaven of Pharisaism and Sadducism; and the vindicating our selves to our selves, and the asserting the freedom of our own Thoughts, and liberty of judging for our selves, is the first step to true and gene­rous Christianity, and the way to be [Page 219] everlastingly secured from the aforesaid Leaven. For Example:

If we freely consult our own Reason, we shall never be able to think of God Almighty as of a partial Deity, or an Excepter of Persons, that will save or damn Men in gross, accordingly as they shall be of such a Sect or Party. We shall never be able to imagine that a Great and Wise Majesty will have any great value for empty Forms, and meer Pageantry of Religion; as if we had a Fancy like that of the Pantomime at Rome, who having been admired by the Rabble, would needs have the fondness to go also into the Capitol, and play his Tricks over before the Gods, as if God must needs be pleased with what the silly Multitude admired.

It can never enter into a considering Mans thoughts, that the Divine Majesty should be propitiated with Beads and Baubles; that Money should purchase his Favour to the wicked Man; that he should be corrupted with Bribes, or imposed upon and won with Comple­ments.

In a word: No Man that hath and makes use of the Discretion of a Reaso­nable Creature, can think so unworthily [Page 220] of God, as that he should be fatally of­fended with little Mistakes in Opinion; or that he will cast away a very sincere and devout Man, meerly upon the ac­count of a Ceremony under or over; and he that allows himself but this kind of modest freedom of Mind, hath made good provision against the Danger of the Leaven of Pharisaism and Sadducism.

Again, In the Third place: The most effectual security against the aforesaid Leaven, is to keep to the Holy Scrip­ture, especially of the New Testament; to study that, and take all the measures of our Religion thence. If we trust to the Authority and Dictates of Men, or to the Customs and Fashions of the World, they will betray us to those Leavens; or if meerly upon unwritten Tradition, that, like a common Sewer, brings down, for the most part, the Trash and Rubbish of former Times, very often letting the most weighty Things sink and perish in the passage: For proof of which, we need no other Evidence but the experience of the Jews, amongst whom one cannot but admire what childish and ridiculous Stories this way of Tradition hath filled them with; insomuch that this Oral part of their [Page 221] Religion hath almost quite disparaged that which was Written, and Divinely revealed, meerly by the Vicinage and Conjunction with it.

Whereas, if we attend to, and study the Holy Scripture, that will not only preserve us from such mean and unwor­thy Notions of God and Religion, but will engage us in such a method as shall both make us better Men, and the World the better for us.

If we govern our selves by Tradition, and the Fancies of Men, then all our Care and Devotion will be laid out in cultivating an Opinion in Ceremonious Addresses to the Deity, in Pompous Oblations, or in Scrupulous Observance: but if we consult the Scripture, that will teach us, that God will have Mercy, and not Sacrifice; and that a pure Mind, and an Holy Life, are more acceptable to him than long Prayers, frequent Fasts, and the most costly Offerings: There we shall find, that the First and Great Commandment of God's Law, is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Mind, and with all thy Strength; and that what­ever demonstrates sincere Love to him, be it little or much, is sure to procure [Page 222] his Favour. These we shall learn ex­pressly, That the Lord our God is not pleased with the Fat of Lambs, nor pro­pitiated with Rivers of Oil; neither doth he require the Fruit of our Bodies to ex­piate the Sin of our Souls; but, that we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God: The due Consideration of which passages of Scripture will ef­fectually antidote us against the Infection of any of the aforesaid Leavens.

To all which, I add, in the last place, That if we do but mind the Nature and Notion of Christianity, and consider the Genius and Spirit of that Religion, we are safe; particularly, if we do but look upon it under the representation which those two words or phrases give of it, whereby it is called a Reasonable Service, and a Spiritual Worship.

As for the former, no Man can be so absurd, as to think that a Reasonable Service, which is built upon an Implicit Faith, and where a Man understands nothing of the Reason and Grounds of his Religion, but in a blind Obedience, servilely and brutishly gives himself up to the conduct of others, or when he wor­ships God in a Language whereof he hath no knowledge or understanding.

And as for the other phrase of a Spi­ritual Worship; can any Man of com­mon sense take that to be a Spiritual Religion, which is made up of Bodily Drudgeries, of meer Forms and Rites and Ceremonies? But to be a Christian, is to have worthy Notions of God in our Minds, and a flame of fervent Piety and Devotion to him in our Hearts; to Love him, to Fear him, to Trust in him, to be Holy and Just and Sober in our Lives, and to be Peaceable in our Spi­rits: Such a Religion as this is worthy of God, was fit for the Son of God to be the Author and Publisher of; and the conscientious Observance of it will fit us for, and in due time bring us to the possession of the Heavenly Mansions above, and the Eternal Society of glo­rious Saints and Angels in Heaven: Which God grant to us all, through the Merits and Mediation of the same Jesus Christ our Lord; To whom be Glory and Honour and Adoration for ever and ever. Amen.

A SERMON PREACH'D JANƲARY 26. 1689.

THIS Book of Numbers, besides a Muster-Roll of the several Tribes and Families of Israel, which it affords us in the for­mer part (and from whence it hath its Name) presents us also with a Journal of the Motions of that mighty Host, or an History of the most remarkable Passages of their Forty Years Travel through the [Page 226] Wilderness, towards Canaan. And in the course of this History sets before our eyes a wonderful Scene of miraculous Provi­dences on the one hand, and as strange and frequent Instances of Humane Folly and Frailty on the other. On God's part, a display of infinite Power, Wis­dom, Goodness and Patience: And on the part of the People, prodigious Infi­delity, Stubbornness, Peevishness and Ingratitude. God Almighty had seen their Affliction in Egypt, and had heard their Groanings, and by a powerful Hand had rescued them from an horrible Sla­very under an unrelenting Tyrant; and by the gentle Conduct of Moses, was leading them into possession of the good Land he had promised them. But they, instead of Thankfulness for so great a Deliverance, are perpetually quarelling with his Instruments or his Methods, or tempting and affronting his Divine Ma­jesty; and which was most ingrateful of all, are continually upbraiding him with the remembrance of the good Things they had forgone in Egypt.

In particular, sometimes they want Water, and then all God's Miracles of Power and Providence are forgotten; There is no help, but they must all be [Page 227] famished in the Wilderness. Another time they want Bread, and then God and Moses are nosed with Egypt again, Were there no graves in Egypt, but we must be brought hither to be starved? Well, God gives them Bread to the full, Manna, Bread from Heaven, Angels-Bread. But this will not serve the turn neither, they must have Flesh too; and that not so much for necessity, as capri­ciously to try God's Rower: Can God prepare a Table also in the Wilderness? If not, they are presently for Egypt again: So in the Text, the mixt multitude fell a lusting: and the children of Israel wept, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the cucumbers, and melons, and onions, and garlick, &c.

In which passage of the Scripture, I observe these Four things:

• I. The peculiar Circumstances of this Mutiny or Murmuring.
• II. The Beginners or Ring-leaders of this Disorder.
• III. The quick and general Infection of this Mischief.
• IV. God's Resentment of their Carriage.

Which when I have opened, it will be easie to make Application of all to our own Case.

[Page 228](1.) I begin with the First, The Cir­cumstances and Aggravations of this Mur­muring: And amongst them, these Four are most remarkable, viz.

First, The Time of it. It was now but about a Year and Two Months (as Di­vines compute) from their Deliverance out of Egypt, and yet so quickly could they forget their own Sufferings, and God's Wonders; and nothing runs in their thoughts, but the Fish, the Onions and Garlick, &c. which they had there. A strange Levity and Inconstancy of Mind this! Had it been an Age or two after, one wou'd not have so much won­dred, that when Time (which effaces all things) had worn out the remem­brance of their Hardships, their other En­tertainments there might have been refle­cted on with some gust and delight; but so quickly to forget God and themselves too, argued them to be a true Mobilee.

And, Secondly, Their Wantonness and Curiosity was no less remarkable than their Levity and Inconstancy. They had Bread to the full, which might very well have satisfied them in a Wilderness; and especially when they were going to Canaan, a Land flowing with Milk and Honey, they might well have dispens'd [Page 229] with some tolerable Inconveniences in the Way; tolerable Accommodations might serve the turn in a Wilderness. But they had not only Bread enough, but deli­cious Bread, Manna: however, that will not do, they must have Flesh too; they made a Pish at Manna; Nothing but this Manna, say they.

Thirdly, There was Insolence, as well as Wantonness and Curiosity in the case: It was Flesh they desired, not so much for their Hunger, as for their Lust. They must have their Will, or else to Egypt again; and it was more their de­sign to tempt God, than to be gratified themselves. They must prescribe to God what Miracles he shall do for them; they must have arbitrary Proofs of his Omnipotency, Can God prepare a Table in the Wilderness? If he will not work Miracles, what and when they think good, they will follow him no farther, but to Egypt again.

Lastly, There was a Profane Spirit in all this; a plain contempt of God and Religion. God had asserted them to be his own People; had newly given them Laws, which it would have been both their Wisdom and Happiness to walk in. He intended to keep them a-while in [Page 230] the Wilderness, to disuse them from the Superstitions of Egypt, and to train them by degrees into the Habits and Customs of the True Religion; and then shortly to place them in their own Land, under their own Laws and Princes, and far from any temptation of Apostacy from him and them; but they meditated a Relapse; they were indifferent as to this business of God and Religion; they wou'd run the venture and hazard of Idolatry, and defiling their Consciences with the Follies of Egypt, rather than want the Onions and Garlick. So we see, a long time after this, in the Pro­phet Isaiah's time, Isa. 30. 1, 2, 3, 4. They talk to go down to Egypt, and have not enquired at my mouth; their Princes were at Zoan, and Embassadors came to Hanes, &c. q. d. They were negotiating a Peace be­tween Me and the Gods of Egypt; they were contriving a Concordat between the True Religion and Idolatry; they would not stick out upon point of Religion, so they might accommodate their Secu­lar Ends.

Thus much for the Matter of Fact it self.

(2.) In the Second place, I observe in the Text, the Beginners or Ring-leaders [Page 231] of this Sedition, a mixed Multitude: Who they were, we may guess by Exod. 12. 38. when the Children of Israel came up out of Egypt, it is said, A mixed Multitude came along with them; that is, such as were not of the Race of the Jews, nor of any one Nation, Tribe or Family; but a Colluvies of several Na­tions, or perhaps a Bastard-brood, part Jew, and part Egyptian, but of no cer­tain Principles; such as had their God and Religion to chuse, and had only the fancy to follow the fortune of the Israe­lites in this great and famous Expedi­tion, in hopes to mend their own.

This Vulgus, this Rabble, begins the Mutiny, (as they are always wont to do,) and such are dangerous Incendiaries in all Societies: they have not only no Ho­nour, nor Principles, nor Consciences; but no Prudence, no Modesty, no Re­straint; there is no Handle to take hold of them by, to govern and manage them. Of these the Historian observes, Inest omni populo malignum quiddam & querulum in Imperantes; ‘The Populacy, or Rabble, is always a tumultuous ungoverned Beast.’ They are of no Value, of no Industry nor Capacity, but to do Mis­chief; Ignavus quisquis seditiosus: These [Page 232] are usually the first in at every thing, and first out; that first dishonour a good Enterprize by abetting it, and then be­tray it, by revolting from it.

(3.) Thirdly, I observe in the Text, the quick and general spreading and in­fection of this seditious Murmuring Hu­mour; the mixed Multitude fell a lust­ing, and presently all Israel put finger in the eye and weep for the Entertainments of Egypt; like Fire, though it begin in a little contemptible Spark, it quickly diffuses it self, and bears down all before it; sets all in a Combustion.

Example, especially of Evil, is too taking amongst the generality of Man­kind: Pecorum ritu sequimur anteceden­tium gregem, non qua eundum est, sed qua itur, (as Cato observes of Sheep,) ‘It is easier to drive a multitude of them, than a few; get but some to go, and all the rest will follow.’

It is very unreasonable in it self, and therefore may seem strange, that evil Example should be more prevalent than good; but Experience leaves us without doubt, that so it is for Matter Fact, and especially in the case of Mutiny or Se­dition. Whilst there are (as there ever will be) a teachy, querulous, discon­tented [Page 233] People, so long there will never want some pretence or other for Di­sturbance. Publick Affairs can never be conducted with that Even-hand, but there will be some Grievance or other to such over-tender and captious People; and the passionate representing of these, will expose the Authority even of Moses himself, and weaken the Hearts and Hands of well-meaning People. But,

Fourthly and Lastly, I observe God's resentment of this matter, ver. 1. of this Chapter; And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; and the Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost part of the camp. And again, ver. 33. of this Chapter, though God gratified their Humour, yet, while the flesh was between their teeth, ere it was chawed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and he smote them with a very great plague. And beyond all this, in Chap. 14. v. 23. he takes up a Resolution, and solemnly swears, That not a man of these, that had thus provoked him by their murmurings, should enter into the good land he had sworn unto their fathers to give them.

And thus I have (as much as was sufficient to my purpose) open'd the Letter, or History of my Text: Let us now see how far this will concern our selves. And I doubt, it will be found a very easie matter to draw a parallel in the Sin and Folly of this present Generation; and I pray God We be not in some measure parallel in the Judg­ment.

It cannot be denied, that we have lately had a signal Deliverance from a Slavery little inferior to that of Egypt; and though there hath not appeared al­together so much of Miracles in the ef­fecting it, yet there have been most sig­nal Instances of the Divine Hand in bring­ing it about, particularly in infatuating the Councils, cowing the Spirits, baffling the Powers, and dissolving all the Forces that were ready to obstruct our Deli­verance.

And now that we have escaped the House of Bondage, and come into some straits in our passage through the Wilder­ness, towards a state of Rest and Settle­ment, we fall a murmuring, and a thou­sand little Scruples and Jealousies run in our Heads, which were never thought of (or thought scorn of) before, yet now [Page 235] are able to make us wish we had never set out from Egypt.

Some are affrighted with the Difficul­ties before us, and dream of Gyants and Anakims, as if the Promised Land was to be obtained without conflict; or, as if the God that miraculously delivered us out of Egypt, was not able to carry us through to Canaan.

Some false Spies mis-represent the Good Land, as if it was not worth the con­tending for; and that our Religion, Laws and Liberties would not quit the cost.

Some suspect Religion and Reforma­tion it self, as if it would be too strict for them; and therefore their Mouths water after the Onions and Garlick they left behind them. Others complain of the Intermission of Trade; some, of the Taxes and Burthens.

One sort murmurs, That they are not preferr'd to their mind, and that others are advanced above their Merits. Ano­ther sort repines, That their Party is not encouraged enough, and that some other Party hath too much of the Publick Countenance; and all these look to­wards Egypt again.

And to enflame this Reckoning, we want not a mixed Multitude amongst us: From Abroad, French Agents, and Popish Emissaries; at Home, all Discontented Persons, that love to fish in troubled Waters, and those whose Guilt renders them jealous of a Settlement; all half-Protestants, and Papists in Masquerade; as also Men of no Religion, but whose Interest is all the Conscience they have; and together with these, some, who though perhaps they cannot digest down­right Popery, yet the Manna of Re­formation is too thin a Diet for their gross Stomachs; but Onions and Garlick, a good hautgust of Superstition, will relish well with them: All these begin the Murmuring, and are ready to set the Multitude agog for Egypt.

Upon the whole Matter, the Parallel is but too easie and obvious, between our Condition and that of the Israelites hitherto. Now therefore it is time to take care that it go on no further, lest we match them in the Mischief and Punishment, as we seem to have done in the Folly.

In order to the prevention of which deplorable Calamity, I have a few things upon this occasion to offer to the Con­sideration [Page 237] of all true English-men, Lovers of their Countrey, and of the Protestant Religion: And though I know, I now shall be heard by few of those that are concern'd in the Advice, and perhaps by none of those that have most need of it; yet I will make use of this Op­portunity, to deliver my self with all sincerity in the case, to the intent that you that hear me, may report it to others of your Acquaintance; and by that means (and the Blessing of God upon it) some check may be given to that Murmuring Spirit that is begun amongst us.

The sum of what I have to say, will be comprised in these Three Particulars:

First, That we will be intreated to reflect back a little, and to consider what our Condition was before we came into this Wilderness, and fell under the pre­sent Temptations to Discontent.

Secondly, That we will also look im­partially about us, and view our present Condition, to the end that we may make the better Judgment, whether, ev'n now in the general, and for the main, we have not those Advantages which may coun­tervail the objected Straits and Incon­veniences?

Thirdly, That we will look forward, and consider, as discreet Men, what is likely to be the effect of our Murmur­ing, and of thinking of returning back to Egypt.

It will not, I presume, seem strange to you (who know me well) that I should (at this time especially) make use of this Freedom, since I am persuaded your own Thoughts and Experience of me, will acquit me from all suspicion of Partiality towards any Person or Party of Men whatsoever, in regard you are in some measure aware, That as I have neither been personally disoblig'd by the former Times, or Government; so nei­ther have I been (nor am I capable of being) bribed or biass'd by any Obli­gation from the present.

Therefore with the Sincerity and Good-will of an English-man towards his Native Country, and as a resolv'd Pro­testant for the Honour or Interest of that excellent Religion, I go on with my In­tentions. And,

First, I earnestly beseech all my Bre­thren and Country-men, That before they suffer themselves to be tempted to murmur and repine at the present state of Things, they will reflect upon the [Page 239] Condition of our Affairs before this Re­volution, and what it was likely to have come to, had it not pleased the Divine Providence to interrupt the course of Things.

And the time is not so long since, but that we may easily remember We were miserable enough; nor were the Designs so obscure, or the Methods so intricate, but we might easily foresee, that we should quickly have been intolerably Un­happy, at that rate of Proceeding.

Do we not know, That all our Laws (contrived by the Wisdom, and defen­ded by the Prowess of our Ancestors) were all cut off at one Blow by a Dispen­sing Power?

Were not all, or at least most of the Charters in England (the Glory and Ensign of Honour to all the Cities and Great Societies of the Nation) confirm'd by all former Princes, owned by the Laws, and established by Ancient Custom, damn'd and dissolv'd at once?

Was not the sacred Right of Property invaded, and Freeholds taken away (not only from Private Persons, but from the Noblest Societies) without form or colour of Law?

And whether even our Lives them­selves were not held at Mercy, one would be tempted shrewdly to suspect, who reflected upon the dreadful In­stances of several Eminent Persons hur­ried out of the World, some one way, and some another.

In a word, Were not Parliaments, (the only Conservative of our Consti­tution, and Redress of our Grievances) either disused, as inconsistent with the Designs in hand; or endeavoured to be corrupted, fore-stalled, or the freedom of Chusing them, design'd, by new and unheard of Methods, to be for ever de­stroyed?

These things are too fresh in our Me­mories to need repetition, too plain to be denied, and too great in themselves to be aggravated; but,

And as for that great Affair of Reli­gion (dearer to all true Englishmen than their very Lives) the prospect thereof was in those times very melancholy, when a Design was not only form'd, but begun to be put in execution, of lay­ing a Yoke upon our Necks, which neither we nor our Fore-fathers were able to bear. [Page 241] And in pursuance hereof, not only mer­cenary Pens were employed to expose and ridicule Protestantism in general; but care was taken to blow up, inflame and perpetuate the Divisions amongst Protestants; partly by odious Names of distinction, and partly by exaspe­rating their Minds one against ano­ther, as that in conclusion all of them might be destroyed with the less pity or scandal.

It is true, the Church of England was all this while complemented, but never the securer from Destruction; witness the Imprisoning and severe treatment of Seven excellent Bishops at once, for but daring to understand the Project, and humbly interposing their Advice; and the Suspending another excellent Person of that Order, only for being too good a Man for so bad Times: witness also the Scorn cast upon the whole Body of the Clergy, in imposing a Declaration, to be ready by them in all their Churches, wherein (according to the mannerly expression of that time,) They should (not only) have been com­pell'd to eat their own dung, but in truth, to be Felo de se, and to have cut their own Throats.

To say no more therefore, our Con­dition was not unlike that of Israel in Egypt: We were vexed, oppressed, un­dermined, weakned, treated as Slaves; and to assure and perpetuate our Slavery, foreign Forces were brought in, and more were intended to be brought in, to Nail our Ears to the Door-Posts for ever.

Or, if all this be not sufficient to make us sensible of the Condition we were then in, or going into, let us look upon the state of France, and espe­cially of the poor Protestants there; for that was design'd to be a Pattern and Precedent for us.

By All which together (the Particu­lars whereof I have rather intimated than represented) we see our ill state then, and that we had good cause to get out of Egypt as soon as we could, whatever befel us in the Wilderness. Which leads me to the Second thing I designed to speak to, viz.

Seeondly, That we will be intreated impartially to consider, Whether our present Condition is not more tolerable than that we have escaped? and, Whe­ther we have any just Provocation from the present Inconveniences, to Murmur, [Page 243] and meditate a Revolt? It is true, we are yet but in a Wilderness, and there in want of many things; and we are beset with many Difficulties and Dan­gers, and perhaps too, have a long Jour­ney (to Canaan) to a compleat Settle­ment; and especially there is the more likelyhood of that, if we be Peevish, and obstruct the way to our own Hap­piness. However, take things as they are, and at worst we may have many things to oblige us to be thankful for our present Condition, and none to make us repent of the Change.

In the first place, we have a KING and a QUEEN both of our own Reli­gion; a Felicity we have not for many Years had experience of, and for want of which, the state of Protestantism hath been fluctuating and uncertain, and cou'd never make any good progress: a Prince and Princess we have now, whose Inte­rest conspires with their Education and Choice; and who abandon themselves, if they grow cold or indifferent in the Protestant Religion. Now, of what Consequence this One thing is, if we had not learn'd by our former Experi­ence, common Prudence would instruct us; since it cannot be expected, but [Page 244] that a Prince of another Religion, if he have any Zeal for it, will be sure secret­ly to undermine that which is Rival to his own Persuasion, if he have not the Power or the Courage openly to assault and suppress it: Whereas now (by the Blessing of GOD) we have that com­fortable Prophecy accomplish'd of a King and Queen, Nursing Father and Mother to this Church: We enjoy our Religion, with all the Accommodations of it, as fully and as securely as our Hearts can wish; and not only so, but Piety and Vertue lifts up its Head; and all Profaneness, which grew Rampant heretofore, is in a great measure put out of Countenance: nor ought it to trouble us, that some Men (whose particular Persuasions in Religion we are not well satisfied with) should enjoy some share of Advantage by this Revolution; since it is not only what we vowed to God, and promised to them in our Adver­sity, but is that which cannot be de­nied them consistently with our own Safety.

Then for our Laws, they have re­covered their just Vigour and Autho­rity, great care being taken to pro­vide excellent Judges and Magistrates [Page 245] for the execution of them; and so our Lives, and all our Rights and Proper­ties are as secure as can be expected un­der any humane Constitution: And to all this, We are under a Government so easie and gentle, that we have nothing to object, unless it be that it is so very benign, that it encourages some evil-natur'd Men to presume and to con­temn it.

It is true, notwithstanding all this, that there are at present great Burdens and Taxes upon us; but as they are no other than what are absolutely neces­sary for our Preservation, nor other than are voluntarily assented to by our selves, being no otherwise imposed than by our Representatives in Parliament; so it is greatly to be hoped (by the Bles­sing of GOD) they will not continue long upon us. So that upon the whole, our present Condition is very tolerable for a Wilderness, and we have no cause to murmur, or to talk of returning back to Egypt. But,

Thirdly and Lastly, Let us (before we indulge our selves in a discontented, com­plaining Humour) forecast with our selves what are likely to be the effects and consequences of Murmuring; and [Page 246] they can be no better nor other than such as these following, viz.

First, Forasmuch as this Womanish Humour of Murmuring and Complain­ing, is both too weak in it self, and also comes too late to reverse the state of Affairs; it can effect nothing but Mischief to the Murmurers themselves. We are (GOD be thanked) so far out of Egypt, that some Mens Fancy and Humour will not be able to carry us back thither again. The King in pos­session is too sensible of his own Strength, and of the Hearts of his People, to be Murmured out of his Throne: The Nobility and Great Men are too far engaged to think of returning: The Body of the People have too quick a sense of the Liberty and Advantages they have under this Government, to be in­duced to fore-goe All for a Notion or a Complement, or to save the Longing of some sickly People.

So that this way will attain no End, mend no Matter, ease no Burden, dis­charge no Tax; but contrariwise, en­crease and continue the Burthens of the Nation. Besides, that at this rate we are constant to nothing; unworthy of Deliverance; ingrateful to God and [Page 247] Man; false to our selves, and to our real Interest; Et quid frustra turpes esse volumus.

Secondly, But suppose the Contagion of this Murmuring Humour should take through the Nation, (which God for­bid,) why then, as Relapses are said to be more fatal than the Diseases them­selves, so would our Condition be more miserable than ever. We shall then re­turn to Egypt with a vengeance; not only to the Onions and Garlick, (which perhaps we could fansie,) I mean, not only to the Idolatries and Superstitions and Follies, but to the Brick-kilns and Iron Furnaces, nay, to the Plague of Lice and Caterpillars; to Darkness that may be felt; to absolute Slavery of Body and Mind: In a word, to all the dismal effects of French Insolence, and Popish Revenge.

Nor will it help us, or make any discrimination in our case, to pretend, That we were the first that mention'd a Retreat, and that talk'd of going back again; that we boggl'd at the Design, and were not throughly satisfied with the Revolution? But why did you hearken to Moses at all? Why did you break off your Fetters? and wherefore did you [Page 248] once look towards Canaan? Thus we shall perish with shame and con­fusion to our selves, without pity from Spectators, and with scorn from our Enemies.

Thirdly, Nor will the Mischiefs end there neither; but the Effects of it will reach over all the Protestant World, and destroy all the measures taken for the Preservation of that excellent Re­ligion; forasmuch as all of that Deno­mination, not only in Ireland and the Low-Countries, but Germany, France, &c. are embarqu'd in the same Bottom with us, and consequently must sink or swim as we do. All their Eyes are upon us; next under God, they de­pend upon Us, as the principal Support of that Profession: If we fail them, they are all lost; if we stand to it, they will take heart, and (by the Blessing of God) recover such Head, as probably never to be supprest again.

And now is the opportunity of making our utmost effort in Conjunction; since we can never (without Miracles) hope for such an happy Juncture again, as now God hath presented us with, when all the Popish Princes are so deeply en­gaged in a War against France, and seem [Page 249] well contented that we should assert our own Interests, whilst in so doing, we assist them in humbling the Great Le­viathan, who is otherwise ready to swal­low up both.

Wherefore then, when such a Prize is put into our Hands, should we not have the Hearts to make use of it? Why should we complain of little things, and take pet at Punctilio's, and soften our Spirits, and make feeble our Hands, by Murmuring and Repining; and so abandon both our selves, our Bre­thren and Friends, in such an Oppor­tunity?

To all which add, in the Fourth and Last place, Let us consider the Example before us in the Text, and be really afraid (as there is great reason for it) lest (if we indulge this Murmuring Humour) GOD should resolve that none of us shall enter into his Rest; I mean, that we shall never see those happy and glorious Times of Religion, which Good Men expect in these latter Days, according to the Predictions of Holy Scripture.

No question of it, Antichrist must down, and the true Spirit of the Gospel shall be advanced gloriously before the [Page 250] End of the World. This shall as certain­ly come to pass, as it was certain the Posterity of Israel should possess the Land of Canaan.

But if we, for our parts be Faint­hearted, and Peevish, and Unbelieving, God's Promise shall be accomplished, but we shall have no share nor com­fort in it.

To conclude therefore, Let us stand stedfast in our Minds; Rubiconem tran­stistis. You have left Egypt; meditate not a Revolt thither again: We are em­barqu'd, and must go on or perish. Put on the Spirits of English-men, and the Zeal of True Protestants; stick not in the Wilderness, but resolve for Canaan.

Give me leave to press this upon you, as the Apostle doth on the Corinthians: in the First Epistle, chap. 10. he begins thus; Brethren, I would not have you ignorant, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and passed through the sea, and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat: But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

And then, ver. 6. Now these things were our examples, to the intent that we [Page 251] should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted: neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; neither let us com­mit fornication, as some of them committed; neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted.

Again, ver. 10. Neither let us murmur, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the Destroyer.

Lastly, ver. 11. Now all these things hapned to them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

God give us all Hearts (in this our Day) to mind the Things of our Spi­ritual and Temporal Peace.