THESE words are the Conclu­sion which our Saviour draws from those Precepts which he had given his Disciples of greater perfection, than any Laws that were extant in the world before. V. 44. I say unto you, love your Enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for those that despitefully use you, and persecute you. And to perswade them hereto, he propounds to them the Pattern of the Divine Perfection; telling them, that being thus affected towards their Enemies, they should resemble God, v. 45. [Page 2] That ye may be the Children of your heaven­ly Father; for he maketh the Sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sendeth Rain on the just, and on the unjust.

And then he tells us, that if we be not thus affected towards our Enemies, and those that have been injurious to us, we are so far from being like God, that we are but just level with the worst of Men, v. 46, 47. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have you? do not even the Publicans the same? And if ye salute your Brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Publicans so? And then concludes, that if we would attain that perfection which the Christian Religion designs to advance Men to, we must endeavour to be like God in these perfections of Goodness, and Mercy, and Patience; Be ye therefore perfect, as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. In which words we have,

First, The absolute Perfection of the Divine Nature supposed; as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.

Secondly, It is propounded as a Pattern to our imitation. Be ye therefore per­fect, &c.

In handling of these words, I shall do these four things.

[Page 3]I. Consider how we are to conceive of the Divine Perfection.

II. I shall lay down some Rules whereby we may govern and rectifie our Opinions concerning the Attributes and Perfections of God.

III. How far we are to imitate the Perfections of God, and particularly what those Divine Qualities are, which our Saviour doth here more especially pro­pound to our imitation.

IV. I shall endeavour to clear the true meaning of this Precept, and to shew that the Duty here intended by our Savi­our is not impossible to us; and then conclude this Discourse with some useful Inferences from the whole.

I. I shall consider how we are to con­ceive of the Divine Perfections. These two ways.

1. By ascribing all imaginable and possible Perfection to God.

2. By separating and removing all manner of Imperfection from him.

1. By ascribing all imaginable, and possible Perfection to God; absolute and universal Perfection, not limited to a cer­tain kind, or to certain particulars; but whatever we can conceive, and imagin to be a Perfection, is to be ascribed to him; [Page 4] yea and beyond this, whatever possible Perfection there is, or possible degree of any Perfection, which our short Under­standings cannot conceive or compre­hend, is to be ascribed to him. For we are not to confine the Perfection of God to our imagination, as if we could find out the Almighty to Perfection: But on the contra­ry, to believe the Perfection of the Divine Nature to be boundless and unlimited, and infinitely to exceed our highest thoughts and apprehensions.

More particularly, all kinds and all degrees of Perfection are to be ascribed to God, which either do not imply a plain Contradiction, or do not argue some Im­perfection, or are not evidently incon­sistent with some other and greater Per­fection.

Some things may seem to be Perfecti­ons, which in truth are not; because they are plainly impossible, and involve a Contradiction; as that what has once been, should by any Power be made not to have been; or that a thing, which by its Nature is limited and confin'd to one place, should at the same time be in another. These things in Reason are impossible, and therefore not to be sup­posed to fall under any Power how unli­mited [Page 5] soever. For if we once ascribe Con­tradictions to God, we destroy his Be­ing; because then to be, and not to be, Power, and no Power would be all one.

And then there are some Perfections, which do argue and suppose Imper­fections in them; as Motion, the quick­ness and swiftness thereof in Creatures is a Perfection, but then it supposeth a finite and limited Nature: For a bound­less and immense Being, that is every where present at once, hath no need to move from one place to another; and therefore though Motion be a Perfection in Creatures, there is no Reason to a­scribe it to God, because it supposeth a greater Imperfection.

And there are also some imaginable degrees of Perfection, which because they are inconsistent with other Perfecti­ons, are not to be admitted in the Divine Nature. For instance, such degrees of Goodness and Mercy may be imagined, as would quite exclude and shut out Justice; and on the other hand such a strictness and a rigour of Justice, as would leave no room at all for Patience and Mercy; and therefore such degrees are not really to be esteem­ed Perfections. For this is a certain truth, that nothing is a Divine Perfection, [Page 6] which evidently clasheth with any o­ther necessary and essential Perfection of the Divine Nature. We must so consi­der the Perfections of God, that they may accord and consist together; and therefore it cannot be a Perfection of God to be so good and gracious, as to encou­rage Sin, and to overthrow the Reve­rence of his own Laws and Govern­ment. 'Tis not Goodness, but Easiness and Weakness, to be contented to be per­petually injur'd and affronted. 'Tis not Patience, to be willing to be everlasting­ly trampled upon. So likewise on the other hand, 'tis not a Perfection to be so severe and rigorous, as to smite a Sinner in the instant that he offends, not to be able to refrain from Punishment, and to give time for Repentance.

But whatever Perfection is conceivable or possible, and argues no Imperfection, nor is repugnant to any other necessary Per­fection, is to be ascribed to God; for this is the most natural and easie conception that we can have of God, that he is the most perfect Being. This natural Light doth first suggest and offer to the Minds of Men, and we cannot conceive of God as meer Power and Will without Wis­dom and Goodness. Hence it is that the [Page 7] Greeks call God very often, [...], the best of Beings, and the Latin Optimus, Maximus, the best and the Greatest, beatissi­ma & perfectissima natura, constans & perfecta Ratio, the happiest and most perfect Na­ture, immutible and absolute Reason; and many other such expressions which we meet with in the Writings of the Heathen Philosophers. I readily grant, that the first and most obvious thought which men have of God, is that of his Greatness and Majesty; but this necessa­rily involves or infers his Goodness; as Seneca excellently reasons, Primus Deo­rum cultus est Deos credere, dein reddere illis majestatem suam, reddere bonitatem, sine quâ nulla Majestas, ‘The first Worship of the Gods is to believe their Being; next to ascribe to them Greatness and Majesty, to ascribe to them Goodness, without which there can be no Ma­jesty.’

And we shall find all along in Plato, & Tully, and the best and wisest Writers among the Heathen, that they every where attribute the highest Excellencies and Perfections to the Divine Nature, and do steer and govern all their Dis­courses of God by this Principle, that Perfection is to be ascrbied to him: And [Page 8] whenever any thing is said of God, they examin whether it be a Perfection or not; if it be, they give it him as his due; if it be not, they lay it aside, as a thing not fit to be spoken of him.

And in the Scripture we do every where find Perfection ascribed to the Na­ture, and Works, and Laws of God, to every thing that belongs to him, or proceeds from him: Job 37.16. Dost thou know the wondrous works of him that is perfect in knowledge? And again, Canst thou by search­ing find out God? Can'st thou find out the Almighty to perfection? Ps. 18.30 As for God his way is perfect Ps. 19.7. The Law of the Lord is perfect.

I shall not need to consider particular­ly the several Perfections of the Divine Nature, I shall only give you a brief Scheme and Draught of them. What­ever Perfection can be imagined either in the manner of Being or Acting is to be ascribed to God; therefore as to his Na­ture we say that he is a Spirit, that is, that he is not meer Body or Matter, because that would exclude several other Perfections; for meer Matter is incapable both of Knowledge and Liberty, being determined by necessary Laws of Moti­on; and yet without Knowledge and [Page 9] Liberty, there can be no Wisdom nor Goodness. We say of God, that he is of himself, and without Cause, and does not owe his Being to any other; and consequently that he is necessarily, and that he cannot but be, and cannot be otherwise than he is; for that which is of its self did not chuse whether it would be or not, nor whether it would be thus or otherwise; for to suppose any thing to deliberate or consult about it's own Be­ing, is to suppose it to be before it is.

We must say of God likewise that he is immense, and every where present, because to be limited is an Imperfection; and that he is eternal, that is, ever was, and shall be; for to cease to be, is a greater Imperfection than sometime not to have been.

And then we are to say of God, that he is the Cause of all other Beings, that they are made by him and depend upon him; that he knows all things, and can do all things in the most per­fect manner, by a glance of his Mind, and by the meer beck and nod of his Will, without long study or deliberati­on, without laborious pains and endea­vours, and consequently that nothing is exempted from his Knowledge, and [Page 10] Power, and Providence, and that he administers all things in a way of Good­ness and Wisdom, of Justice and Truth; and therefore all things are to be re­ferred to him, as their last end. All these Perfections, and all other that are possible, we are to look upon the Di­vine Nature as fully and immutably pos­sest of, and that in an higher and more excellent degree, than our finite Under­standings are able to conceive or com­prehend.

2. As we are to ascribe all imagina­ble, possible Perfections to God, so we are to separate and remove all manner of Imperfection from him. We must not obscure or blemish the Divine Na­ture with the least shadow or blot of Imperfection. If we once admit of this, to ascribe any thing to God which argues Imperfection, we strike at the foundation, and destroy one of the clea­rest and most essential Notions, which Men have of God. And therefore we find the Scripture very careful to remove all kind of natural or moral Imperfection from God. Gen. 18.25. That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, and that the righteous should be as the wicked, [Page 11] that be far from thee; shall not the Judge of all the world do right? Deut. 32.4. A God of truth and without iniquity. Rom. 9.14. What shall we say then, is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid, far be it from him.

Hence it is that in Scripture Holiness is so frequently ascrib'd to God, which signifies the purity and freedom of the Divine Nature from that which we call Sin; and God is very solicitous to give us such a notion of himself, as may remove Sin and unrighteousness at the greatest distance from him, because that is the greatest of Imperfections. Is it an Imperfection to countenance Sin? the Scripture acquits God of it. Psal. 5.4, 5. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with Thee. Is it an Imperfection to go from ones word, or to change ones mind? this likewise is remov'd from God. 1 Sam. 15.29. The strength of Israel will not lie or repent, he is not a man, that he should repent. Is it an Imperfection to want any thing, to be liable to any thing, to depend upon any thing without one's self for their happiness? this also is to be set far from him. Job 22.2, 3. Can a man be profitable to God? or is it a gain [Page 12] to him, that thou makest thy way perfect? Job 35.6, 7. If thou sinnest, what dost thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what dost thou unto him? If thou art righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand? Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art, and thy righteousness may profit the Son of man. Is it an Imperfection to tempt, or to be tempted to Sin? this is to be separated from God, He cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man, saith St. James. Chap. 1.17. And to mention no more, is it an Imperfection to be in any respect mutable? This is denyed of God, with him there is no variableness, or shadow of turning. Thus you see how we are to conceive of the Perfections of God, by ascribing all imaginable and possible Perfection to him, and remov­ing all shadow of Imperfection from him. I proceed in the

II. Place, to lay down some Rules by which we may rectifie and govern our Opinions concerning the Attributes and Perfections of God: The best I can think of, are these following.

First, Let us begin with the most na­tural, and plain, and easie Perfections of God, and lay them for a foundation, [Page 13] and rectifie all our other Apprehensions of God, and Reasonings about him, by these; and these are his Power, Wis­dom, and Goodness, to which most of the rest may be reduced. Right Apprehensions and a firm Belief of these will make it easily credible to us, that all things were made and are governed, by him; for his Goodness will dispose and incline him to communicate Being to other things, and to take care of them when they are made. An infinite Power and Wisdom render him able to do all this without any labour or difficulty, and without any disturbance of his ease or happiness, as Epicurus would seem vainly to fear; who in truth did not believe a God, but pretended only to deny his Providence, and that he either made or govern'd the world; because he was loth to lay so much trouble upon him. Vain man! as if those things which are impossible and difficult to our Weakness and Folly, might not be infinitely easie to infinite Power and Wisdom.

Particularly the Goodness and Ju­stice of God are not so difficult to ap­prehend, as the Disputes and Contro­versies about them have rendred them [Page 14] to many. When we consider infinite Knowledge and Power, we may easily lose our selves, and go out of our depth, by wading too far into them: There is something concerning these, that is un­imaginable, and unaccountable to our Reason; we may not be able to under­stand how Something may be produc'd from Nothing; because it argues such an excess of Power, as we cannot compre­hend; but yet we are forc'd to acknow­ledge, that either the World must be produc'd from Nothing, or that Mat­ter was eternally of it self, which is e­very whit as hard to imagine, as that infinite Power should be able to pro­duce it from nothing. So likewise we are not able to conceive, how God can certainly know future Events, which depend upon voluntary and un­certain Causes, because we cannot comprehend infinite Knowledge; but this we may easily be satisfied in, that infinite Power and Knowledge may be able to do, and know many things, which we cannot conceive how they can be known or done, no more than a Child can imagine how a great Mathematician can demonstrate his Propositions. Only this we are sure [Page 15] of, as we can be of any thing, that no Power can do that which is evidently impossible, and implies a plain Contradiction.

We are not able perhaps to reconcile the particular Providences of God with his universal Goodness, Justice, and Wis­dom, because we cannot see to the end of his Ways and Works at one view, and see every part with relation to the whole; which would appear very wise, if we knew the whole series of things, and saw the entire design together, as God himself does, to whom (as Solomon tells us) all his ways are known from the beginning.

So that however we may be at a loss in our Conceptions of God's infi­nite Knowledge and Power, yet Good­ness, and Justice, and Truth, are Noti­ons easie and familiar; and if we could not understand these, the whole Bible would be insignificant to us. For all Revelation from God supposeth us to know what is meant by Goodness, Justice, and Truth: And therefore no man can entertain any Notion of God, which plainly contradicts these. And it is foolish for any man to pretend, that he cannot know what Goodness, and [Page 16] Justice, and Truth in God are: for if we do not know this, 'tis all one to us, whether God be good or not, nor could we imitate his Goodness; for he that imitates, endeavours to make himself like something that he knows, and must of necessity have some Idea of that to which he aims to be like: So that if we had no certain and setled Notion of the Goodness, and Justice, and Truth of God, he would be alto­gether an unintelligible Being; and Religion, which consists in the imitati­on of him, would be utterly impossi­ble.

Now these being the most easie, and intelligible Perfections of God, by which he is said in Scripture to declare his Name, that is, to make himself known to us, we should govern all our Reasonings about God (as concern­ing his Decrees, and his concurrence with the Free Actions of Men, and his particular Providence, which are things more dark and obscure) by what is more clear; and we shall find in Scrip­ture, that in all these points holy Men do constantly appeal to these unquesti­onable and intelligible Perfections of God. Wilt thou destroy the righteous [Page 17] with the wicked? (saith Abraham) That be far from thee. Shall not the Judge of all the world do right? We may be mis­taken; but God certainly knows who are wicked, and who are righteous; and he knows how to punish the wicked, and save the righteous: But we can­not be mistaken in this Principle, that the Judge of all the world will do right. Thus Moses satisfies himself, and others concerning the particular Providences of God towards the People of Israel. Deut. 32.3, 4. I will publish the name of the Lord: All his ways are judgement; a God of truth, and without iniquity, just and right is He. This we certainly know of God. So St. Paul, Rom. 2.2. Thou art inexcusable, O Man! Whatsoever Excuse men may pretend for their faults, he lays down this for a Principle, We are sure the Judgment of God is according to truth.

Secondly, Let us always consider the Per­fections of God in conjunction, and so as to reconcile them with one another. Do not consider God as meer Power and Soveraignty, as meer Mercy and Good­ness, as meer Justice and Severity; but as all these together, and in such a mea­sure and degree as may make them con­sistent [Page 18] with one another. The great­est mistakes in Religion are certainly sprung from this root, from separating the Perfections of God, and considering them singly, and framing such wide and large notions of one, as to exclude ano­ther: whereas the Perfections of God agree together, and that is not a Di­vine Perfection, which contradicts any other Perfection. Among men indeed an eminent degree of any one Excellency does usually shut out some other; and therefore it is observ'd, that Power and Moderation, Love and Discretion, do not often meet together; that a great Me­mory and a small Judgment, a good Wit and an ill Nature, are many times found in conjunction: But in infinite Perfection all Perfections do eminently meet and consist together; and it is not necessary that one Excellency should be raised upon the ruines of another.

And if this had been well consider'd, Men would not, by being too intent upon God's Soveraignty, with neglect of his other Perfections, have spoken those hard things about Predestination: for the Soveraignty of God doth by no means set him above the Eternal Laws of Goodness, and Truth, and Righte­ousness. [Page 19] And if this were considered, men would not, by poring upon the Justice and Severity of God, be so swallowed up in despair: for God is not so severe, but he is merciful to the penitent, and hath left a retreat for the returning Sinner. If this were well consider'd, it would check the presumption of those, who incourage themselves in sin, by fancying to them­selves a God all of Mercy and Good­ness; and because sentence against an e­vil work is not speedily executed, there­fore their heart is fully set in them to do evil: For it is not Goodness and Mercy finally to bear with and forgive obsti­nate Offenders; but want of Prudence and good Government.

Thirdly, Among different Opinions con­cerning God (as there always have been, and will be in the world) chuse those which are farthest from extremi­ty; because Truth as well as Virtue usually lyes between the Extreams. And here I will instance in that Con­troversie, which has much disquieted the Church almost in all Ages, con­cerning the Decrees of God; about which there are two Extreams, the one that God peremptorily decrees the final [Page 20] condition of every particular person, that is, their everlasting happiness or misery, without any regard or consi­deration of the good or bad Actions of Men. The other, that God decrees nothing concerning any particular person, but only in general that men found under such and such Qualificati­ons shall be happy or miserable, and puts it into their own power to qua­lifie themselves. Now he that is doubt­ful in this matter, as every man must be that understands the difficulties on both sides, had best take up in the middle Opinion, that God decrees the final condition of particular persons with respect to certain Qualifications, which speaking absolutely are not in every Man's power; but yet, under the influence of God's grace, which is never wanting to the sincere endea­vours of men, may be said to be in our power, in the same sense, as St. Paul says, I am able to do all things through Christ strengthning me: For besides that this in all probability is the Truth, there will be this advantage in it, that he that stands in the middle, is like to be more moderate towards the Dis­senters on both sides, than either of [Page 21] them will be to one onother; because the middle is not so far from either Extream, as the Extreams are from one another. At the worst, he stands fair­est for an impartial enquiry after Truth, and when he has satisfied himself where the Truth lyes, he may more silently pass over to it, without any great im­putation of inconstancy; which can­not but be remarkable in him, who passeth from one Extream to ano­ther.

Fourthly, and lastly, Entertain no Opi­nion concerning God, that doth evidently contradict the Practice of Religion, and a good Life, though never so spe­cious and subtile Arguments may be u­sed to perswade it. Truth is most easily seen, and discern'd in those Rea­sonings and Opinions which tend to practice; because the absurdity and in­convenience of them is soonest disco­vered: whereas we cannot so certainly find out the truth or falshood of those Opinions, which speculative Men devise in their Studies, without any consideration whether they serve any real purpose of Life, or not. Men in­deed are very apt to form those notions, which are most remote from common [Page 22] sense and use; because more pains and wit are required to make them plau­sible: but there needs no other Ar­gument to make a wise man despise them, than that they are unprofitable, and signifie nothing to our practice, and to make men truly better.

This is universally true in all kind of knowledge, but most considerable in the knowledge of God and Religi­on; because that knowledge is of the greatest consideration. We need not scruple to admit some things, not so evident to Natural Reason, if we be satisfied of the truth of them, from an higher and more cogent Reason: As that God has revealed it, and said it; this general Reason may perswade us of a thing that is above and beyond Natural Reason: But we may not ad­mit any thing for a Divine Reve­lation, which evidently contradicts and weakens the practice of an holy Life; because this is the main end of all Di­vine Revelation; and we know God, only in order to the service and imita­tion of him.

Let us then look upon all know­ledge that contradicts practice, as vain and false, because it destroys its end. [Page 23] There are many things that seem pro­bable enough in Speculation, which yet we most pertinaciously deny, because they are not practicable; and there are many things, which seem doubt­ful in Speculation, and would admit of great dispute, which yet because they are found true in practice and ex­perience, are to be taken for certain and unquestionable. The [...], the idle Reasoning of the Stoicks, was a thing contemned by the wiser Philo­sophers, as a vain and useless subtilty. Zeno pretends to demonstrate there is no Motion; and what is the conse­quence of this Speculation, but that Men must stand still? But so long as a man finds he can walk, all the Sophis­try in the world will not perswade him, that Motion is impossible. In like man­ner, they that would perswade us, that men can do nothing, nor contribute any more to their own Sanctification, than Stocks or Stones, and upon Scrip­ture Metaphors misunderstood, (as our being dead in trespasses and sins, and crea­ted to good works) graft Notions which are impossible and absurd in practice, do not consider that the natural conse­quence of this is, that men must do [Page 24] nothing at all in Religion, never think of God, nor pray to him, nor read his Word, nor go to Church; but sit still, and be wholly passive to the operati­ons of God's grace: but however this may seem plausible, and men may think they add much to the glory of God's grace, while they deny any power in the Creature; yet every con­siderate Man will presently appre­hend, that this is by no means to be ad­mitted, because it contradicts Practice, and makes all the Commands and Ex­hortations of God's Word vain, and to no purpose; because it destroys Reli­gion, and discourages the endeavours of Men; makes them sloathful and care­less of working out their own Salvation; than which nothing can set a man far­ther from God's grace and assistance, and more immediately dispose him for ruine; and upon some such false Reason­ing as this, the sloathful Servant in the Parable hid his talent in a napkin, and buried it in the earth; but when he was called to account, his excuse was not admitted, but he was cast into utter darkness. The two other Particulars, namely how far we are to imitate the Divine Per­fections, and particularly what those [Page 25] Divine Qualities are, which our Sa­viour doth here more especially pro­pound to our imitation, and likewise to clear the true meaning of this Pre­cept, and to shew that the Duty here injoyned, Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect, is not impossible to us. Both these I shall refer to another Opportunity.

IN these words we have, First, The absolute Perfection of the Divine Nature supposed, not only in those before mentioned, of Goodness, and Mercy, and Patience; but in all other Excellencies whatsoever.

Secondly, The Perfection of God is pro­pounded as a Pattern for our Imitati­on.

In the handling of these two Parti­culars, I propounded to proceed in this method.

I. To shew how we are to conceive of the Divine Perfection.

[Page 28]II. To lay down some Rules, by which we may rectifie and govern our Opinions concerning the Attributes and Perfections of God.

III. To shew how far we are to i­mitate the Perfections of God, and par­ticularly what those Divine Qualities are, which our Saviour doth here more especially propound to our imi­tation.

IV. To clear the true meaning of this Precept, and to shew that the Du­ty here intended by our Saviour is not impossible to us; and then to draw some useful Inferences from the whole.

The two first I have already spoken to, I now proceed to the third parti­cular, which is to shew how far we are to imitate the Perfections of God, and particularly what those Divine Qualities are, which our Saviour doth here more especially propound to our imitation. For though these words do suppose the absolute Perfection of the Divine Nature, yet because there are several Perfections of God which are incommunicable, and a Creature, as such, is utterly incapable of them, these cannot be suppos'd to be intended for [Page 29] a Pattern to us. As the necessity and independency of the Divine Nature; and the Self-sufficiency of it to his own hap­piness; to be the Original Cause of all things, and consequently supream Lord and Governour; the Immensity and E­ternity of his Being; these, and per­haps several other Perfections, are in­communicable to a Creature; and it would be an unsufferable pride, and a kind of High Treason against the Di­vine Majesty, and a sottish Ignorance of the necessary bounds and limits of our own State, as we are Creatures, to think to resemble God in these Ex­cellencies, of which the condition of a Creature is utterly incapable. This was the Sin of Lucifer, an ambition to step into the Throne of God, and to be like the most high.

So that in our imitation of the Di­vine Perfection, we are to keep within the station of Creatures, not affecting an Independency and Soveraignty like the most high, and to be Omnipotent as he is, to have an arm like God, and to thunder with a voice like him, as the ex­pression is in Job: But to endeavour to resemble him, pro modulo crea­turae, according to the rate and capaci­ty [Page 30] of a Creature, in those Divine Qua­lities, and in such measures and de­grees, as our finite and dependent Na­ture is capable of.

More especially and chiefly in the moral Perfections of the Divine Na­ture, such as are his Goodness, and Mer­cy, and Patience, his Justice, and Truth, and Faithfulness; these, and only these, the Scripture seems to com­prehend under the name of Holiness; not all the Excellencies of the Divine Nature in general, but those which we call moral Excellencies and Perfections, such as those which I have named; for with these, and hardly with any other, is the Holiness of God joyn'd in Scripture, as holy and righteous, holy and true, &c. And therefore when God says, be ye holy, for I am holy, it signi­fies that we are to imitate God in his Goodness, and Mercy, and Patience, and Righteousness, and Faithfulness, and Truth; for these are the Holiness of the Divine Nature, which set him at the greatest distance from that which we call Moral Impurity and Sin.

For that which our Saviour here in the Text more peculiarly recommends [Page 31] to our imitation, is the Goodness of God, of which his Mercy and Patience are two eminent Branches. The Mercy of God is his Goodness to those that are in Misery, or are liable to it. The Patience of God is his Mercy in sparing those who have deserved Punishment, and are liable to it. And the Good­ness of God is then greatest, when it is exercised towards the evil and un­thankful; those who are so far from deserving it, that they have given great and just Provocations to the contrary. And this affection and temper of Mind, which is so remarkable in God to­wards the unworthy and unthankful Sons of Men, our Saviour recommends to our imitation here in the Text. Be ye therefore Perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is Perfect. Be ye therefore; this Particle of inference, therefore, hath a plain relation to some­thing spoken before; and if we look back to v. 44. we shall find our Sa­viour there enjoyning his Disciples to love their Enemies, to bless them that curse them, to do good to them that hate them, and to pray for those that despightfully use them, and persecute them. And by what other argument doth he inforce [Page 32] the Practice of this difficult Duty, but by telling us, that this is to be like God, to be good to the evil and un­thankful, v. 45. That ye may be the Children of your Heavenly Father, who maketh his Sun to rise on the evil and the good, and his Rain to fall on the just, and on the unjust. God is good to all, and exerciseth great Mercy and Pati­tience even towards the evil, and un­just. And then he concludes, that if Perfection it self be fit to be a Pat­tern, we should labour after these Qua­lities, Be ye therefore Perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is Per­fect. So that though the universal Perfection of the Divine Nature be here supposed, yet the Attributes of his Goodness, and Mercy, and Pati­ence, are here particularly pointed at, and propounded to us for our Pattern; and the Precept of imitating the Di­vine Perfection is more especially to be understood of those Perfections which our Saviour had been discours [...] of before, viz. the Goodness and Mer­cy of God. And that this is undoubted­ly so, is evident from St. Luke's rendring this Precept, Ch. 6.36. Be ye there­fore, [...], benefici, ready to do good, [Page 33] full of kindness and benignity; merciful, as your Father which is in Heaven is merciful; that is, endeavour you to be such as I have described God to be. And this St. Matthew calls Perfection, because the Goodness of God is his great Perfection, and the Glory of the Divine Nature, that which reflects a lustre and beauty upon all his other Attributes, and takes off the terrour of them. From all which it is plain, what those Perfections of the Divine Na­ture are, which our Saviour doth here particularly recommend to our imita­tion. I come now in the

IV. and last place, To clear the true meaning of this Precept, and to shew that the Duty here required, and in­tended by our Saviour (when he says, Be ye perfect, as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect) is not impossible to us. And to this purpose be plea­sed to consider these three or four things.

1. That our imitation of God is cer­tainly restrained to the communicable Perfections of God, and such as Crea­tures are capable of, as I have shewn before. For it is so far from being a Duty to affect or attempt to be like [Page 34] God in his peculiar Perfections, that it was probably the Sin of the Apostate Angels.

2. Our imitation of the Divine Per­fections, which are communicable to Creatures, is likewise to be restrain'd to such degrees of these Perfections, as Creatures are capable of. For no Creature can ever be so perfectly Good, as God is; nor partake of any other Excellency in that transcen­dent degree, in which the Divine Na­ture is possest of it.

3. But there is no manner of inconve­nience in having a Pattern propound­ed to us of so great Perfection, as is above our reach to attain to; and there may be great Advantages in it. The way to excel in any kind is, op­tima quaeque exempla ad imitandum pro­ponere, to propose the highest and most perfect Examples to our imitation. No Man can write after too perfect and good a Copy, and though he can ne­ver reach the Perfection of it, yet he is like to learn more, than by one less perfect. He that aims at the Hea­vens, which yet he is sure to come short of, is like to shoot higher than he that aims at a mark within his reach.

Besides that the excellency of the [Page 35] Pattern, as it leaves room for conti­nual improvement, so it kindles Ambi­tion, and makes Men strain and con­tend to the utmost to do better: And though he can never hope to equal the Example before him, yet he will endeavour to come as near it as he can. So that a perfect Pattern is no hindrance, but an advantage rather to our improvement in any kind.

4. If any thing can be supposed to be our Duty, which is absolutely be­yond our Power, a Precept of this na­ture, may with as much reason be sup­posed to be so, as any thing that can be instanc'd in: Because in such a case, if we do our best, and be continnu­ally pressing forward towards the Mark, though we can never reach it, yet we do very commendably; and what­ever the law may require to try and raise our Obedience, yet in all equita­ble Interpretation, such a Will and Endeavour will be acceptable with God for the Deed. For if the Perfection of the Law do really exceed our Abi­lity, and be beyond the possibility of our Performance, the assurance we have of God's Goodness will sufficiently secure us from any danger and prejudice up­on [Page 36] on that account. And we may reaso­nably presume, that to do all we can towards the fulfilling of this Precept, will be as acceptable to God, and as beneficial to our selves, as if our Pow­er had been greater, and we had per­fectly fulfill'd it. If our Heavenly Fa­ther, to try the readiness and chear­fulness of our Obedience, bid us do that which he knows we cannot do, though we can do something towards it, we may be sure that he will be very well pleased when he sees, that in obedience to him we have done all that we could. And we may in this case reason as our Saviour does; If we that are evil would deal thus with our Children, how much more shall our Heavenly Father? The Goodness of God signifies very little, if it does not sig­nifie this, that in any instance of real and unquestionable Goodness, God is much better than any Father upon Earth.

However, at the worst, that where­in we fall short of the Perfection of the Law, may be supplyed on our part, by an humble acknowledgment of our own Weakness and Imperfection, and on God's part by Mercy and Forgive­ness, [Page 37] for the sake of the perfect Obe­dience of our blessed Redeemer. This is the least benefit we can expect in this case from the Grace, and Mercy, and Equity of the Gospel.

5. And lastly, which will fully clear this matter, this Precept doth not ob­lige us to come up to a perfect equa­lity with the Pattern propounded to us, but only imports a vigorous imitation of it; that we be perpetually ascend­ing and climbing up higher, still ad­vancing from one degree of Goodness to another, and continually aspiring after a nearer resemblance to God: And this certainly is possible to us, to endeavour to be as like God as we can, in this weak and imperfect state.

Whereas any Equality with God, even in the communicable Attri­butes of his Goodness, and Mer­cy, and Patience, is not only impossi­ble to us in this state of Sin and Im­perfection, but above the condition of a Creature, even of the Spirits of just Men made Perfect, and of the highest Angels in Glory: for their Perfection is not absolute, but in comparison with our present state. And I think there is no great Reason to doubt, but that [Page 38] the blessed Spirits above, who continu­ally behold the Face of their Father, are still writing after this Copy, which is here propounded to us; and endea­vouring to be perfect, as their Father which is in Heaven is perfect; still aspi­ring after a nearer and more perfect resemblance of God, whose Goodness and Mercy is so far beyond, and be­fore that of any Creature, that they may be for ever approaching near­er to it, and yet never overtake it.

And this seems to be no inconside­rable ingredient, and enhancement of the happiness of Heaven, that the Ho­liness of good men (which is the simi­litude of God) is never at a stand, nor at it's full growth and period; but that the glorified Saints (yea and bles­sed Angels too) may be continually growing and improving, and they them­selves still become better and happier to all eternity. And this in my appre­hension is no undervaluing the hap­piness of Heaven, that it is not so per­fect at first, as it shall be afterwards; because it is granted on all hands, that the happiness of those good Souls, who are already in bliss, shall be more [Page 39] perfect and compleat at the Resurrecti­on. And why may it not then be con­tinually increasing, and be augmented still more and more, without any stint or final period of it's perfection? In this world we are apt to faint in a long course of goodness, and to be weary of well doing. But in the other state, when men shall be strongly by­assed to goodness, and have nothing to pull them back, it will then be so far from being a trouble, that methinks it should be a mighty pleasure to the blessed, to find that there is no end of their doing good and becoming better. For if conformity to God be the ground and foundation of all Hap­piness, then our Blessedness will ad­vance proportionably, as we grow more and more like to him. This I confess were a dismal Consideration, to think that in Heaven we should be liable to relapse, to go backward, or fall from that holy and happy state. But this is a comfortable Consideration, that our holiness and happiness shall never be at a stand, that it is secure so far as it goes, and that we cannot lose what we have once attain'd, as we may do in this world. This methinks [Page 40] should be a trouble to no man, that as good and happy as he is at first, he shall still be better and better, more and more happy without end.

But be that as it will, and as God pleaseth (for we do but talk in the dark about our future state,) this is certain, that an equality with God in any of his Perfections is not to be attained by any Creature, and therefore cannot be thought to be the meaning of this Pre­cept: But that which our Saviour re­quires, is a vigorous imitation of this Pattern; that we have this Example of the Divine Perfection always before us, and that we be continually endeavour­ing, as much as in us lies, to bring our selves to the nearest resemblance of God, that possibly we can. And if this be our sincere care and study, we need not doubt but that it will find accep­tance with God, and that he will be graciously pleased to esteem us for his Children; and if there need a pardon for it, that God will forgive wherein we fall short of the Perfection of that Pattern, which we can never imitate to Perfection.

And happy were it for us, if this were all the ground of our fear and [Page 41] trouble, that when we had done all we could, we must still fall much short of the perfection of God's Law, and the Duty therein laid upon us; alas! which of us does near so much as we can, and is not conscious to himself that it is through his own fault and neglect, that he is so unlike his heavenly Father in Goodness and Mercy, in Righteousness and true Holiness; and that he still partakes in so great a measure of those, not only unreasonable and brutish, but even de­vilish Passions of Malice and Hatred, of Rage and Cruelty, of Impatience and implacable Revenge; and that these un­godlike Qualities do so frequently pre­vail upon us, and have so much domini­on over us!

We are so far from being what we ought, in these and many other respects, that we are far from what we might be, if we would mind our Duty with care and conscience, and make it our sincere endeavour to subdue our selves to a conformity to God, and to a per­fect holiness in his fear.

Would we but often set God before our eyes, and represent to our selves those excellent and amiable Perfections of the Divine Nature, which are so [Page 42] comfortable and beneficial to us, and to which we stand so infinitely oblig'd, his Goodness and Mercy and Patience, upon which all our hopes of Happiness do depend, and to which we are in­debted, that we are not miserable past recovery; that Goodness and Patience which he continually exerci­seth towards us, (for we provoke him every day,) and exerciseth towards us on purpose to endear those Perfections to us, from which we reap so much comfort and advantage; that by the Pattern of Perfection it self, and the Example of him who is so much above us, so no ways obliged to us, nor tyed by any interest to be concerned for us, and who being happy in himself nei­ther hopes nor fears any thing from us; I say by an Example that has all these advantages, we might be provok'd to be so affected towards one another (who have mutual Obligations one to another, and mutual Expectations of Good or Evil one from another) as we have always found God to be to­wards us, and as we desire he should still continue; and miserable Crea­tures are we, when ever he ceaseth to be so: And we have reason to fear he [Page 43] will cease to be so, if this Example of his Goodness and Patience towards us, do not transform us into the Image of the Divine Perfections, and prevail up­on us to imitate those Excellencies, which we have so much reason to approve and admire, and be in love withal.

These Considerations taken both from ingenuity and interest should awaken our sloath, and stir up our most reso­lute and vigorous endeavours after that Perfection which our Saviour here re­quires, and make us ashamed of our la­zy complaints, that our Duty is set so high, that the endeavours of our whole life cannot reach it; when yet we have hardly made one step towards it, and are so remiss and unconcern'd about it, as if we could do it at any time with the greatest ease, and at an hours warn­ing, before we leave the world, could fulfil this Precept of our Lord, of being perfect as our Father which is in Heaven is perfect.

And yet let me tell you, so far as any of us are from resembling our heavenly Father in some good degree and measure, so far are we distant from Heaven, and the temper of the blessed; so far are we utterly unqualified for the [Page 44] blissful sight and enjoyment of God: for unless we be first like him, we cannot see him as he is: Only the pure in heart shall see God, and therefore every man that has this hope in him, should purifie him­self even as he is pure.

And thus I have, as briefly as I could, dispatcht the four things I pro­pounded for the Explication of this Text; namely, how we are to conceive of the Divine Perfections, and to give some Rules to regulate and govern our Opinions concerning the Attri­butes and Perfections of God; to ex­plain the extent of this Duty, and vindicate the possibility of it.

All that now remains, is to draw some useful Inferences from this Dis­course which I have made; and they shall be these two.

I. That the strongest and surest Rea­sonings in Religion, are grounded up­on the Essential Perfections of God.

II. That the truest and most sub­stantial Practice of Religion, consists in the imitation of God.

I. That the strongest and surest Rea­sonings in Religion are grounded up­on the Essential Perfections of God; so that even Divine Revelation it self [Page 45] doth suppose these for its Foundation, and can signifie nothing to us, unless these be first known and believed. Un­less we be first perswaded of the Pro­vidence of God, and his particular Care of Mankind, why should we believe that he would make any Revelation of himself to Men? Unless it be na­turally known to us, that God is true, what foundation is there for the belief of his Word? And what signifie the Laws and Promises of God, unless natural Light do first assure us of his Soveraign Authority and Faithfulness? So that the Principles of Natural Re­ligion, are the foundation of that which is Revealed; and therefore in Reason nothing can be admitted to be a Reve­lation from God, which plainly con­tradicts his Essential Perfection, and consequently if any pretends Divine Revelation for this Doctrine, That God hath from all Eternity absolutely de­creed the eternal ruine of the greatest part of Mankind, without any respect to the Sins and Demerits of Men, I am as certain that this Doctrine can­not be of God, as I am sure that God is Good and Just: because this grates upon the Notion that Mankind have of [Page 46] Goodness and Justice. This is that which no good man would do, and there­fore cannot be believed of infinite Goodness; and therefore if an Apostle or Angel from Heaven teach any Doctrine which plainly overthrows the Goodness and Justice of God, let him be accursed. For every man hath greater assurance that God is Good and Just, than he can have of any subtile Speculations about Predestination and the Decrees of God.

And for the same Reason I cannot believe, upon the pretended Authority or Infallibility of any Man or Church in the world, that God would not have Men understand their Publick Prayers, and the Lessons of Scripture which are read to them. A Lesson not to be understood is nonsense: a Lesson is something to be learn'd, which how it can be without being understood, is hard to comprehend.

And as little can I believe upon the Authority of any Person or Church whatsoever, that God should reveal his Will to Men in the holy Scriptures, with a design to have it hid, and lock't up from the generality of Mankind in an unknown Tongue. And much [Page 47] less can I believe (which yet is the express Doctrine of the Council of Trent) that the saving Efficacy of the Sacrament depends upon the Intention of the Priest. Which is to say, that though people believe, and live never so well, they may be damned by Sholes and whole Parishes together at the pleasure of the Priest, and for no other reason, but because he is so wicked, as not to intend to save them. Can any man believe this that hath any tolerable notion of God's Goodness? May we not in this case appeal, as Abraham did, to the Good­ness and Justice of God, and expostu­late with greater Reason, than he did, much after the same manner, wilt thou destroy the righteous for the wicked; That be far from Thee to do after this manner, to damn the righteous for the wicked, and that righteous people should lye at the mercy of a wicked Priest, to be damn­ed or saved at his pleasure, that be far from Thee; Shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right? And can there be a greater af­front to the Goodness and Justice of God, than to imagin he should deal with men after this manner? If this be to do right, there is no possibility of doing wrong.

[Page 48]And to give but one instance more, I can never believe, upon the Authority of any Man, or Church whatsoever, that our Saviour, in the Celebration of his last Supper, did with his own hands give away his own Natural Body into the hands of his Disciples, and give his Blood shed, before it was shed; That the whole Doctrine of Christianity should mainly rely upon the Evidence of Miracles, the assurance of which de­pends upon the certainty of Sense; and yet that an Essential part of that Doctrine should overthrow the certainty of Sense. I can never while I live believe these two things, that the last thing our Savi­our did before his death should be to teach his Disciples not to believe their own Senses, as he must do if he taught them Transubstantiation; and that the very first thing he did after he was risen from the dead, should be to teach them the quite contrary, by appealing to the certainty of Sense for the proof of his Resurrection; for when they doubted of his Resurrection, Luke 24.38. He said unto them, why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? behold my hands and my feet, that it is I my self, handle me and see, for a Spirit hath not flesh and [Page 49] bones, as ye see me have. If this be a good Argument, that it was a real Body which they saw, because they saw and felt Flesh and Bones: is it not as good an Argument on the o­ther side, that what they saw in the Sacrament was not his real and natu­ral Body, because they could neither see nor handle Flesh and Bones? So that I cannot believe Transubstantia­tion, unless I can believe that Truth it self can contradict and destroy it self.

You see of what use it is to have right and steady Apprehensions of the Divine Perfections, that, these being laid for a foundation, we may upon all occasions have recourse to them, and govern our Opinions and Reason­ings in Religion, about all doubtful matters, by such Principles as are clear and unquestionable. The

II. Inference is, That the truest and most substantial Practice of Religion consists in the imitation of the Divine Perfections, especially the Moral Per­fections of the Divine Nature, which the Scripture is wont to comprehend under the name of Holiness; and such are the Goodness, and Mercy, and Pa­tience [Page 50] of God, his Justice, and Truth, and Faithfulness. To imitate God in these is true Religion; or as St. James expresses it, pure Religion, and undefi­led, [...], without any flaw or ble­mish, alluding to precious Stones, the greatest commendation of which is to be clear and without flaw. Religio est imitari quem colis, this is Religion to i­mitate him whom we worship. This the Heathens by the light of Nature did discover to be the great End of Religion, and the best Worship of the Deity, to be like God. Pythagoras was wont to say, ‘that we honour God most, when we are most like him in the temper and disposition of our Minds;’ and Plato to the same purpose, ‘that the height and Perfection of Goodness, is to resemble God, as near as is possible; and that we resemble God in being just, and holy, and wise.’ So likewise Hierocles, ‘that a good man imitates God in the measures of Love and Friendship, who hates no man, and extends his benignity to all Mankind.’ Plutarch hath an excellent Discourse about the Patience of God towards Sinners, and gives this as one Reason why God doth not presently punish [Page 51] Offenders; ‘that he might give an Ex­ample to us of Gentleness and Patience, and check the fury and violence of men in revenging Injuries upon one another; which nothing will do more effectually, than to consider that Gentleness and Forbearance are an imitation of the Divine Perfection.’ And then he cites an excellent saying of Plato, ‘that God manifested himself, and display'd his Perfections in the World for our i­mitation; true Virtue being nothing else, but an imitation of the Divine Na­ture. For there is no greater Benefit man can receive from God's hand, than to become virtuous by the imitation and pursuit of those Excellencies and Perfections which are in God.’ Seneca likewise hath many passages to this pur­pose, inter viros bonos ac Deum amicitia est, imo etiam necessitudo & similitudo, be­tween God and good men there is a friend­ship, yea and an intimacy and likeness; and that a virtuous man is discipulus aemula­torque & vera progenies Dei, a disciple and imitator, and the very genuine off-spring of God. So that the light of Nature, and the Reason of Mankind, have always placed the perfection of Religion in the imitation of the Divine Excellencies and Perfections.

[Page 52]And this is very agreeable to the lan­guage and sense of the holy Scriptures, which every where make the Practice of Religion to consist in our Conformity to God, and the Laws which he hath given us; which are nothing else but a transcript of his Nature. The great business of Religion is to do the Will of God, and this is the will of God, our sanctification; and our sanctification is our conformity to the holiness of God; and this is the scope of the general Exhortations of Scripture, to perswade us to holiness, that is, to an imitation of the Moral Perfections of the Divine Nature. 2 Cor. 7.1. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved! let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God. 1 Pet. 1.15, 16. As he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversati­on, because it is written, be ye holy for I am holy. 2 Pet. 1.3, 4. speaking of the Christian Religion, which he calls the knowledge of him who hath called us to glory and virtue, whereby also (says he) are given unto us exceeding great and pre­cious promises, that by these we might be partakers of a divine nature, having esca­ped the corruption that is in the world [Page 53] through lust. So that the holiness the Gospel designs to bring us to, is a par­ticipation of the Divine Nature, which we can no otherwise partake of, but by an i­mitation of the Divine Perfections. This is that which the Scripture expresses to us by the terms of Regeneration, the New Man, and the New Creature. And therefore those who are converted from a wicked and sinful state, and reclaim­ed to goodness, are said to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness, and the holiness of truth. Ephes. 4.23. To be renewed after the i­mage of him that created us. Coloss. 3.10. This is to be the sons and children of God, to imitate and resemble God in our dispositions and manners. Ephes. 5.1. Be ye therefore, [...], imitators of God, as dear children. Philip. 2.15. That ye may be blameless and sincere, the sons of God without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. 1 John 3.10. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the Devil, whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God. There have been great enquiries concerning the Marks of a Child of God; this is the true Character, and that which in effect comprehends all [Page 54] others, our imitation and resemblance of God in those Perfections wherein he is set forth for a Pattern to us. And in this mainly consists the practice both of Natural Religion, and of true Christianity.

But does not Religion consist very much in the Duties of God's Worship, in the Exercises of Piety and Devotion, in constant and frequent Prayers to God, and in the celebration of his Goodness by Praise and Thanksgiving, in reading, and hearing, and medita­ting upon God's Word, in Fasting and Abstinence, and keeping our bodies in subjection to our spirits, and in frequent receiving of the holy Sacrament? To this I answer, That Religion doth con­sist very much in the due performance of these Duties, and they are unquestio­nable and necessary parts of Religion, and the Means appointed by God for the begetting and increasing in us such dispositions of mind, as render us most like to God, and for the production of all the fruits of Goodness and Holiness and Righteousness in our lives.

But then it is to be considered, that these Exercises of Piety and Devotion are but the Means of Reli­gion, [Page 55] and not the ultimate End and Design of it. All these do but serve to bring us to a nearer resem­blance of God; and where they fail of this End, and are performed for their own sakes only, and we rest in them, without aiming at any thing farther, they lose their nature; because they are not used as Means, but rested in, as if they were the End of Reli­gion. And it is to be feared there are many which fall into this fatal mis­take about Religion, and think that if they do but serve God in their Fa­milies, and go to Church, and behave themselves there with Devotion and Reverence, and at certain seasons receive the Sacrament, they are truly religi­ous, and very good Christians; when all this while they take no care to im­prove themselves in real Goodness, by an inward conformity of their Minds to God, and the real reformation and amendment of their Lives, by morti­fying their Lusts, and subduing their Appetites and Passions to the Laws of Reason and Religion, by putting on as the elect of God bowels of kindness; by being true and faithful; righteous and just, patient and merciful, as their Father [Page 56] which is in heaven is so; and by forbear­ing one another in case of provocation, and forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us; by purifying themselves as God is pure, and endeavouring to be holy in all manner of conversation, as he who hath called them is holy; when all this while they are as covetous, and earth­ly minded, and to serve their covetous­ness will strain a point of Truth or Justice, and hardly do an act of Charity in their whole lives, but what is extor­ted from them by meer importunity, or some such urgent necessity, in point of decency and reputation, that for shame of the World they know not how to avoid it; when their Passions are as fierce and ungoverned, their Hearts as full of Gall and Bitterness, their Tongues of slander and evil speaking, their Hu­mours as proud and surly and censorious, as theirs can be who are openly profane, and seem to neglect and despise all Reli­gion: And yet because they serve God (as they call it) and make an external ap­pearance of Piety and Devotion, are good Church-men, and attend upon the Ordinances of God, they think they have discharged the whole business of [Page 57] Religion admirably well, and are very good children of God, and in a state of great grace and favour with him. Whereas the performance of all these Duties, and the use of all these Means, separated from that which is the great End of Re­ligion, the Conformity of our selves to God, in those Qualities and Dispositions which I have mention'd, is so far from finding acceptance with God, that it is an abomination to him. So God every where declares in Scripture, telling us, that the prayer of the wicked is an abomina­tion to the Lord, and that he disdains to be praised by men of unhallowed lips and lives; and that unless with the praises we offer to him, we order our conversation aright, we shall not see the salvation of God. With what contempt does he speak of this formal and external Religion, without the power of it upon our hearts and lives! To what purpose is the multitude of your Sa­crifices to me? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams, and ten thousands of ri­vers of Oil? he hath shewed thee, O man! what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Is not this the fast which I have chosen, to break the bands of wickedness, and to let the op­pressed [Page 58] go free, to deal thy bread to the hun­gry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thine house; when thou seest the naked that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh?

Nor is it hearing of the Word that will avail us, unless we be doers of it. Blessed are they (says our Saviour) that hear the word of God and keep it. He that heareth these sayings of mine, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man, who hath built his house upon a rock. Nor will bare receiv­ing of the Sacrament recommend us to God; but performing the Obligation, which thereby we take upon our selves, to obstain from all sin and wickedness; otherwise we tread under foot the Son of God, and prophane the blood of the Cove­nant, whereby we should be sanctified, as if it were an unholy thing. Can any man think that to be Religion, which has no effect upon the lives of men, which does not teach them to govern their words and actions, who reads those plain words of St. James? If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's Re­ligion is vain. Pure Religion and unde­filed before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widdows in their af­fliction, [Page 59] and to keep himself unspotted from the world. When Religion produceth these real Effects, then the Means of Religion do truly serve the End of it, and we are not only hearers of the Word, but doers of it, and shall be blessed in our deed.

So that as there is an obligation up­on us to use the Means of Religion, which God hath instituted, with great care and conscience; so we should chief­ly mind that, which is the End of all Religion, which is to make us partakers of a Divine Nature, and make us like to God, especially in those amiable and excellent Qualities, which are the glo­ry and beauty of the Divine Nature, his Benignity and Goodness, his Mercy and Patience. These, because they are the primary Perfections of God, are the principal Duties both of Natural and Revealed Religion, and of an eternal and indispensable Obligation; because they have their foundation in the Na­ture of God, which is fixt and unalte­rable. And all positive Institutions, when they come in competition with these, are to stoop and vail to them. Natural and Moral Duties, especially those of Goodness, and Mercy, and [Page 60] Charity, are so strongly bound upon us, that nothing in any reveal'd Reli­gion can cancel the Obligation of them, or justifie the violation of these great and indispensable Laws. Our Saviour in his Religion has declar'd nothing to the prejudice of them: but on the con­trary has straitned our Obligation to them, as much as is possible. The Son of man came not to destroy mens lives, but to save them; so that they know not what man­ner of spirit they are of, who think to please God by hating men, who are made after the image of God, & by killing one another to do him good service; who to advance his Cause and Religion in the World, will break through all the Obligations of Na­ture and Civil Society, undermine Go­vernment, and disturb the Peace of Man­kind.

Whereas our Saviour did not by any thing in his Religion design to alter the Civil Government of the World, or to lessen and diminish the Rights of Princes, or to set men loose from Allegiance to them, or to make Treason and Rebellion, bloody Wars and barbarous Massacres lawful, for the propagating of his faith. He had (as any one would imagin) as much Power as the Pope; but yet he deposed [Page 61] no Princes, nor excommunicated and discharged their Subjects from their Fi­delity and Obedience to them, for their opposition to his Religion; he hath assu­med no such Power to himself. By what Authority then does his Vicar do these things? and who gave him this Authority? Our Lord tells us plainly, his Kingdom was not of this world; and that without any distinction of in ordine ad spiritualia, and therefore he wrested no Princes Kingdom out of his hands, nor seized it as forfeited to himself.

But this Power the Pope claims to himself, and hath exercised it many a time, disturbing the Peace of Nations, and exercising the most barbarous Cruel­ties in the World, under a pretence of Zeal for God and Religion: as if because Re­ligion is so very good a thing in it self, it would warrant men to do the very worst things for its sake; which is the ready way to render Religion contemp­tible and odious, and to make two of the best things in the World, God and Religion, good for nothing.

If we would preserve in the Minds of Men any reverence and esteem for Re­ligion, we must take heed how we de­stroy the Principles of Natural Religion, [Page 62] and undermine the Peace and Happiness of Humane Society, for the glory of God, and under pretence of following Divine Revelation, and being led by a Church that cannot err: for every Church doth certainly err, that teacheth any thing plainly contrary to the Principles and Dictates [...]f Natural Religion, and utterly inconsistent with the essential Perfections of God, and with the Peace and Order of the World: for God is not the God of Confusion, but of Order; which St. Paul appealeth to, as a Principle of eternal Truth, and naturally known: But they that pretend that Religion prompts men to Sedition and Cruelty, do represent God as the God of confusion, and not of order.

Therefore whatever men may through an ignorant zeal, or for ambitious Ends, pretend to be Religion; let us place it in that which is unquestionable, the imita­tion of the Divine Perfections, and let us (as the Apostle exhorts) put on, as the e­lect of God, bowels of mercy, kindness, meekness, long-suffering, and above all, let us put on Charity, which is the very bond of per­fection. The great Perfection of the Divine Nature, or rather the very Essence of God is Love. So St. John speaks, God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, [Page 93] and God in him. And 'tis very remarkable that in these very qualities of Charity, and Kindness, and Compassion, which we peculiarly call Humanity, we approach nearest to the Divinity it self, and that the contrary Dispositions do transform us into wild Beasts and Devils.

And yet as severely as I speak against these Principles and Practices, I have an hearty pity and compassion for those who are under the power of so great a Delusion, and upon a pretence of being made the only true Christians in the world, are seduced from Humanity it self, and so far from being made good Christians by these Principles, that they are hardly left to be Men; being blinded, and led by the blind, they fall into the ditch of the grossest and foulest Immoralities; such as are plainly enough condemn'd by the light of Nature, if there were no Bible in the World.

Not but that we Protestants have our Faults and our Follies too, and those (God knows) too many and too visible; we possess more Truth, but there is little Peace among us; and yet God is as well and as often in Scripture called the God of peace, as the God of truth. In this great Light and Liberty of the Reform'd Reli­gion, [Page 64] we are apt to be wanton, and to quarrel and fall out; we are full of Heats and Animosities, of Schisms and Divisi­ons, and the way of peace we have not known. God grant that at last in this our day (when it concerns us so much) we may know the things that belong to our peace, before they be hid from our eyes.

You see in what things the Practice of Religion mainly consists, in our likeness to God, and resemblance of him in Holi­ness and Goodness; and without this we are utterly incapable of happiness: we cannot see God, unless we be like him. The Presence of God can administer no Pleasure, no Felicity to us, till we be changed into his Image; till we come to this temper, to hate Sin, and delight in pu­rity and holiness, we can have no delight­ful communion with the holy God; till our Passions be subdued, and our Souls dis­possest of those devilish and ungodlike Qualities of Hatred and Malice, of Re­venge and Impatience, and till we be en­dued with the Spirit of universal Good­ness and Charity, we are not fit company for our heavenly Father; we are not qualified to dwell with God, who is love and dwells in love. So far as we are defective in these Divine Qualities and Perfections, [Page 65] so far we fall short of the temper of Happiness.

There is a direct and eternal Opposi­tion between the holy and good God, and the evil dispositions of wicked men, and till this Opposition be removed, it is impossible we should find any felicity in the enjoyment of God. Now the Na­ture of God is fixt and unchangeable, God cannot recede from his own Perfecti­on, and therefore we must quit our sins: Thou canst not change God, therefore change thy self, and rather think of putting off thy corrupt Nature, which may be changed, than of altering the Divine Nature, with whom is no varia­bleness nor shadow of turning. God con­descended to take our Nature upon him, to make us capable of Happiness; but if this will not do, he will not put off his own Nature to make us happy.

SINCE all Men naturally desire happiness, and thirst after it; me­thinks we should all desire to know what it is, and where it is to be found, and how it is to be attained by us, in that degree in which Creatures are capable of it. What Job says of Wisdom, may be said also of Happiness, God un­derstandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. He only, who is perfect­ly possest of it himself, knows wherein it consists, and what are the true ingredi­ents of it.

[Page 68]So that to direct us in our search af­ter happiness, the best way will be to Contemplate and Consider the Divine Nature, which is the perfect Pattern and Idea of Happiness, and the Original Spring and Fountain of all the Felicity that Creatures are capable of. And to that end, I have pitched upon these Words, wherein the Apostle attributes this Perfection of bessedness or happi­ness to God, The Blessed God.

And tho' this be as Essential a part as any other of that Notion which Man­kind have of God from the Light of Nature, yet I no where find in all the New Testament, this Attribute of Hap­piness given to God, but only twice in this Epistle. 'Tis true indeed, the Ti­tle of Blessedness is frequently given both to God and Christ, but in another Sense, and in a quite different Notion: As Mark 14.61. where the High-Priest asks our Saviour, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed, [...], of him that is to be Celebrated and Praised; and 2 Cor. 11.31. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed for ever­more. So likewise, Rom. 1.25. The Crea­tor, blessed for evermore: Which likewise is said of Christ, Rom. 9.5. Of whom [Page 69] Christ came, who is over all, God Blessed for evermore; that is, for ever to be praised and celebrated. But in all these Texts the Greek Word is [...], which tho' we Translate Blessed, yet it is a quite different Notion from the Title of Blessedness which is given to God in the Text, where the Word is not [...], but [...], the Blessed, or the Happy God; and this Title is not any where in all the New Testament, (that I know of) given to God, but here in the Text, and Chap. 6. v. 15. where our Lord Jesus Christ (who also is God) is called the blessed and the only Potentate. And whether this Title of the Blessed, or the Happy God, be here in the Text given to God the Father, or to his Eter­nal Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; is not so much material to my present purpose to enquire. For, suppose it be Christ who is here call'd the Blessed God; this however is certain, that Blessedness or Happiness is a Title belonging to God, which is all that is necessary for a Foun­dation of my present Discourse.

In speaking of this Argument, I shall do these three Things.

I. Shew what we are to understand by the happiness of God, and what [Page 70] are the essential Ingredients of it.

II. That this Title doth belong to God, and that the Divine Nature is perfectly blessed and happy.

III. How far Creatures are capable of Happiness, and by what Ways and Means they may be made partakers of it: And shall then make some Inferen­ces from my Discourse upon this Ar­gument.

I. I will consider what we are to understand by the blessedness or happiness of God, and what are the essential In­gredients of it. Now the Notion of happiness taken at its highest pitch (as we must necessarily do when we apply it to God) is no other than a fixt and im­moveable state of Contentment and Sa­tisfaction, of Pleasure and Delight, re­sulting from the secure possession, and enjoyment of all that is good and de­sirable, that is, of all Excellency and Perfection; so that these following In­gredients must go to make up a perfect state of happiness.

1. Perfect Knowledge, to understand what it is that constitutes happiness, and to know when one is really possest of it. For as he is not happy, who is so only in Imagination or a Dream, without [Page 71] any real Foundation in the thing; for he may be pleased with his Condition, and yet be far enough from being tru­ly happy: So on the other hand, he that has all other necessary Ingredients of happiness, and only wants this, that he doth not think himself so, cannot be happy. For this we often see in the im­perfect felicity of this World, that ma­ny Men who have all the Materials and Circumstances of a worldly happiness a­bout them, yet by the unskilful ma­nagement of the matter, and from a lightness and injudiciousness of Mind, not knowing when they are well, they make an hard shift, even when they are in as good Circumstances as it is almost possible for Men to be in this World, to be very discontented and miserable in their own Opinions. But God perfect­ly knows both what makes happiness, and that he is possest of it.

2. To perfect happiness is likewise re­quir'd a full Power to do whatever con­duceth to happiness, and likewise to check and control whatever would be an hind­rance and disturbance to it; and there­fore no Being is as happy as it can be, that is not All-sufficient, and hath not within its Power and Reach whatever [Page 72] is necessary to an happy Condition, and necessary to secure and continue that happiness against all Attempts and Ac­cidents whatsoever.

3. There is Wisdom also requir'd to direct this Power, and manage it in such a manner, as it may effectually conduce to this end; and this is very different from meer Power, abstractedly consider'd; for one may have all the Materials of happiness, and yet want the Wisdom and Skill to put them so together, as to frame an happy Condition out of them; and he is not happy, who doth not tho­roughly understand the proper method and means of compassing and securing his own happiness.

4. Another most considerable and es­sential Ingredient of happiness is Goodness; without which, as there can be no true Majesty and Greatness, so neither can there be any felicity or happiness. Now Goodness is a generous disposition of Mind to communicate and diffuse it self, by making others partakers of its happiness in such degrees as they are ca­pable of it, and as Wisdom shall direct: For he is not so happy as he may be, who hath not the pleasure of making o­thers so, and of seeing them put into an [Page 73] happy Condition by his means, which is the highest pleasure (I had almost said pride, but I may truly say glory) of a good and great Mind: For by such Communications of himself, an Im­mense and Allsufficient Being doth not lessen himself, or put any thing out of his Power, but doth rather enlarge and magnifie himself; and does, as I may say, give great Ease and Delight to a full and fruitful Being, without the least diminution of his Power or Happiness. For the Cause and Original of all other Beings, can make nothing so indepen­dent upon it self, as not still to main­tain his Interest in it, to have it always under his Power and Government; and no Being can Rebel against his Maker, without extream hazard to himself.

5. Perfect happiness doth imply the exercise of all other Virtues, which are suitable to so perfect a Being, upon all proper and sitting occasions; that is, that so perfect a Being do nothing that is contrary to, or unbecoming his Holiness and Righteousness, his Truth and Faith­fulness, which are essential to a perfect Being, and for such a Being to act con­trary to them in any case, would be to create disquiet and disturbance to it self: [Page 74] For this is a certain Rule, and never fails, that nothing can act contrary to its own Nature without reluctancy and displea­sure, which in moral Agents is that which we call Guilt; for Guilt is nothing else but the Trouble and Disquiet which ariseth in one's Mind, from the consciousness of having done something which is con­trary to the perfective Principles of his Being, that is, something that doth not become him, and which, being what he is, he ought not to have done; which we cannot imagine ever to befall so perfect and immutable a Being as God is.

6. Perfect happiness implies in it the settled and secure Possession of all those Excellencies and Perfections; for if any of these were liable to fail, or be dimi­nish'd, so much would be taken off from perfect and compleat Happiness. If the Deity were subject to any change, or impairment of his Condition, so that ei­ther his Knowledge, or Power, or Wis­dom, or Goodness, or any other Perfe­ction, could any ways decline or fall off, there would be a proportionable abate­ment of happiness. And from all these does result in the

7 th, and last place, Infinite Con­tentment [Page 75] and Satisfaction, Pleasure and Delight, which is the very Essence of happiness.

1. Infinite Contentment and Satisfacti­on in this Condition. And well may hap­piness be contented with it self; that is, with such a Condition, that he that is possest of it, can neither desire it should be better, nor have any cause to fear it should be worse.

2. Pleasure and Delight, which is something more than Contentment: For one may be contented with an Affliction and painful Condition, in which he is far from taking any Pleasure and De­light. No affliction is joyous for the pre­sent, but grievous, as the Apostle speaks, Heb. 12. But there cannot be perfect happiness without Pleasure in our Condi­tion. Full Pleasure is a certain mixture of Love and Joy, hard to be exprest in Words, but certainly known by inward Sense and Experience.

And thus I have endeavour'd to de­scribe to you, as well as I could, accord­ing to our imperfect Conceptions and Expressions of God, the happiness of the Divine Nature, and wherein it consists. I proceed to the

II. Thing I proposed, which was to [Page 76] shew, that this Attribute of Perfection doth belong to God; and that the Di­vine Nature is perfectly Blessed and Happy; and this is so universal an acknowledg­ment of Natural Light, that it would be a very superfluous and impertinent Work, to trouble you with particular Citations of Heathen Authors to this purpose; nothing being more frequent in them, than to call the Deity, beatissi­mam & perfectissimam naturam, the most happy and most perfect Being, and therefore happy, because Felicity doth naturally re­sult from Perfection. It shall suffice to take notice of these Two things out of Hea­then Writers, to my present purpose.

1. That they accounted happiness so essential to the Notion of a God, that this was one of the Ways which they took to find out what Properties were fit to attribute to God, and what not, to consider what things are consistent with happiness, or inconsistent with it; and whatever did signifie happiness, and was a perfection consistent with it, they ascribed to God, as a suitable Property of the Divine Nature; and whatever was otherwise, they remov'd it from God, as unfit to be said of Him.

[Page 77]2. Whatever differences there were among the Philosophers concerning the Perfections of the Divine Nature, they all agreed in the perfect felicity of it; e­ven Epicurus himself, who so boldly at­tempted to strip the Divine Nature of most of its Perfections, by denying that God either made or govern'd the World, whereby he took away at once his be­ing the first Cause and Original of all things, and his Goodness likewise, and Wisdom, and Power, and Justice; or, at least made all these useless, by taking away all occasion and opportunity for the exercise of them; yet this Man does frequently own, and profess to believe the happiness of the Divine Nature; and then out of an ignorant, and officious kindness to the Deity, and (as he pre­tended) for the security of his Felicity, did in effect take away his other Per­fections; he would by no means put God to the Trouble and Burden of making the World, or taking care of the Affairs of it, lest this should discom­pose the Deity, or be an interruption or disturbance of his Ease and Felicity. For thus Lucretius, the great Disciple of Epicurus, describes his Opinion of the Divine Nature,

That is, It is necessary that the Divine Nature should be Happy, and therefore al­together unconcern'd in our Affairs; free from all grief and danger, sufficient for it self, and standing in need of no body, nei­ther pleased with our Good Actions, nor provoked by our Faults. This was a ve­ry false Notion both of God and Hap­piness, to imagine that the Care of the World should be a pain and disturbance to Infinite Knowledge, and Power, and Goodness. But this is not now my business to consider; that which is to my present purpose, is, That the happi­ness of the Divine Nature was Univer­sally owned; and that blessedness is [Page 79] so inseparable from the Notion of a Dei­ty, that whoever professes to believe a God, must acknowledge him to be per­fectly happy.

As for the Testimony of Scripture, I have already told you, that there are but two Texts wherein this Title of [...], the happy or blessed, is given to God; but by consequence the Scrip­ture every where declares the happiness of the Divine Nature, viz. wherever it speaks of the Excellency and Perfection of his Being, of his Knowledge, and Power, and Wisdom, and Goodness, and Righteousness, and of the Eternity and Unchangeableness of these, and of the infinite Delight and Complacency which he takes in the Enjoyment of these per­fections. I shall now proceed to the

III. And last thing, which I proposed to consider, viz. How far Creatures are capable of happiness, and by what ways and means they may be made partakers of it. They are not capable of absolute and perfect happiness, because that results from infinite perfection, which is no where to be found but in God: It remains then that Creatures are only ca­pable of being happy in a finite and limi­ted degree, by the resemblance of God, [Page 80] and by the enjoyment of him; by be­ing like to him, and by our likeness to him, being qualified for his favour, and for the enjoyment of him.

As we are Creatures of a finite Power, and limited Understandings, and a mu­table Nature, we do necessarily want many of those perfections, which are the Cause and Ingredients of a perfect hap­piness. We are far from being suffici­ent for our own happiness; we are nei­ther so of our selves, nor can we make our selves so by our own Power; for neither are we wise enough for our own direction, nor good enough for our own satisfaction. All the happiness that we are capable of is, by communicati­on from him, who is the Original and Fountain of it; by our being made par­takers of the Divine Nature, (as St. Peter speaks) by our resemblance of God in those perfections which are the most es­sential Ingredients of happiness, his Good­ness, and Righteousness, and Truth, and Holiness; these do immediately qualifie us for the Favour and Friendship of Almighty God, and for the blessed sight and enjoyment of him; and the Favour of God, and the Light of his Countenance lifted up upon us, and his [Page 81] Friendship and Good-Will to us, sup­plies all the defects of Power and Wis­dom in us: For God being our Friend, we have an Interest in all his Perfections, and a Security, that as occasion requires, they will all be employ'd for our benefit and advantage; so that tho' we are weak in our selves, we are strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, and are able to do all things through him strength­ning us; and tho' we want Wisdom, we may have free recourse to the Fountain of it, and ask it of God, who gives to all liberally, and upbraideth not. And it is next to having these perfections in our selves, to know where to have them for asking, whenever we stand in need of them, so far as is necessary to our happiness.

So that tho' our happiness depend upon another, yet if we be careful to qualifie our selves for it, (and God is always ready to assist us by his Grace to this purpose) it is really and in effect in our own power; and we are every whit as safe and happy in God's care and pro­tection of us, as if we were sufficient for our selves. However this is the high­est happiness that the Condition of a Creature is capable of, to have all our [Page 82] defects supply'd in so liberal a manner by the Bounty of another, and to have a free recourse to the Fountain of Happi­ness, and at last to be admitted to the Blessed sight and enjoyment of Him, in whose presence is fulness of Joy, and at whose right hand are Pleasures for evermore. I have done with the Three Things I pro­posed to speak to.

But to what purpose, may some say, is this long Description and Discourse of happiness? How are we the Wiser and the Better for it? I Answer; very much, in several respects.

1. This plainly shews us, That A­theism is a very melancholy and mischie­vous thing; it would take away the Fountain of happiness, and the only per­fect Pattern of it; it endeavours at once to extinguish the Being of God, and all the Life and Comfort of Mankind, so that we could neither form any Idea of happiness, or be in any possibility of at­taining it. For it is plain, we are not sufficient for it of our selves; and if there be not a God, there is nothing that can make us so? God is the true light of the World, and a thousand times more ne­cessary to the comfort and happiness of Mankind, than the Sun it self, which is [Page 83] but a dark Shadow of that infinitely more bright and glorious Being; the happy and only Potentate (as the Apostle describes him in the latter end of this Epistle) who only hath immortality, dwel­ling in that light which no man can ap­proach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see, meaning in this mortal state.

So that the greatest Enemies, and most injurious of all others to Mankind, are those who would banish the Belief of a God out of the World; because this is to lay the Ax to the root of the Tree, and at one blow to cut off all Hopes of hap­piness from Mankind. So that he is a Fool indeed, that says in his heart there is no God; that is, that wisheth there were none; because it is not possible for a Man to wish worse to himself, and more effe­ctually to destroy his own happiness.

2. If the Divine Nature be so infi­nitely and compleatly happy, this is a very great confirmation of our Faith and Hope concerning the happiness of another Life, which the Scripture describes to us, by the Sight and Enjoyment of God. As we are Creatures, we are not capable of the happiness that is absolutely and in­finitely perfect, because our Nature is but finite, and limited; but the blessed [Page 84] God who is infinitely happy himself, can al­so make us happy according to our finite Measure and Capacity. For, as he that is the First and Original Being, can com­municate Being to other things, so He that is the Fountain of Happiness, can de­rive and convey happiness to his Crea­tures.

And we shall the more easily believe this, when we consider that Goodness, as it is the prime Perfection, so is it likewise the chief felicity of the Divine Nature. It is his Glory and Delight to commu­nicate himself, and shed abroad his good­ness; and the highest expression of the Divine Goodness, is to communicate happiness to his Creatures, and to be wil­ling that they should share and partake with him in it. Base and Envious Na­tures are narrow and contracted, and love to confine their Enjoyments and good Things to themselves, and are loth that others should take part with them; but the most Noble and most Gene­rous Minds are most free and enlarged, and cannot be happy themselves unless they find or make others so.

This is the highest pitch of Goodness, and consequently the highest Content­ment, and the supream delight of the [Page 85] Divine Nature. Now it is natural to every Being, to be most frequent and abundant in those Acts in which it finds the greatest Pleasure; to be good, and to do good is the supream Felicity of God himself; therefore we may ea­sily believe, that he is very ready and forward to make us happy, by all the ways that are agreeable to his Wis­dom and Righteousness; and that He is also willing to make us abundantly so, and to advance us to the highest degree of Felicity, of which our Na­ture is capable, if we do not render our selves incapable of such a Blessing, by an obstinate refusal of it, and utter indisposition for it.

This, I say, is very credible, because the happiness of God himself consists in that propension and disposition of Na­ture, which tends to make others hap­py. And if there can be any accession to that which is infinite, God himself finds a new Pleasure and Felicity in the communication of his goodness to his Creatures, and therefore is repre­sented in Scripture, as glad of the Conversion of a sinner, because the sinner hereby becomes capable of the happiness which God design'd for his Creatures, [Page 86] and is always ready to confer upon them, whenever they are qualified for it, and he can, with the Honour of his other Perfections, bestow it upon them.

There are Two things which raise our Hopes and expectation of Good from any Person; if he be Able and Willing to bestow upon us what we hope for from him. Now if any one can confer Happiness upon us, it is He who is infinitely possest of it, and hath all the Treasures of it in himself; and that God only is; who, as he is able, so is willing to make us happy, if we be qualified for it; and it is no im­pairing of his happiness to make others happy; for even that Goodness which inclines him to communicate happiness to others, is a great part of his own Fe­licity; so that, as our Saviour argues, because I live, you shall live also; we may reason in like manner, that because God is happy, we shall be happy also, if we do but sincerely desire and endeavour to qualifie our selves for it. The Goodness of God does strongly incline him to de­sire our happiness, and makes him wil­ling and ready to bestow it upon us, when ever we are capable to receive it.

[Page 87]So that the Goodness of God is the great Foundation of all our Hopes, and the firmest ground of our assurance of a Blessed Immortality. It is the hap­piness of the Divine Nature to commu­nicate himself; and the communicati­ons of God's Goodness to us are the cause of our happiness; and therefore, both for our Example and Encourage­ment, the Goodness of God ought al­ways to be represented to the great­est Advantage, and we should endea­vour to possess our Minds with a firm Belief and Perswasion of it, and to re­move from the Divine Nature (which we all acknowledge to have infinitely more goodness than is to be found in any of the Sons of Men) whatever we would not attribute to a good Man, and to vindicate God from all suspici­on of Envy and Ill-will, of Cruelty and Arbitrary dealing with his Crea­tures. And I cannot apprehend why Men should be averse from these so agreeable and delightful apprehen­sions of God; or how it should be a­ny Man's Interest to lessen the Good­ness of God; for most certainly the better God is in himself, the better [Page 88] and happier it will be for us all, if it be not our own fault.

3. From what hath been said con­cerning the happiness of the Divine Na­ture, we may learn wherein our hap­piness must consist, namely, in the Image and in the Favour of God; in the Favour of God as the Cause of of our happiness; and in the Image of God, as a necessary inward disposition and qualification for it. Unless God love us, we cannot be happy, for mise­rable are they whom he hates; for God to say of any Man, that his Soul hath no pleasure in him, imports as great Misery, and as dreadful a Curse as can be imagin'd, and his Soul can have no pleasure in a bad Man; for he loveth Righteousness and hateth Iniquity, he is not a God that hath pleasure in Wickedness, neither shall Evil dwell with him; the Wicked shall not stand in his sight; he hateth all the workers of Ini­quity. Nay, if we could suppose that he could love and take pleasure in a­ny Person that is unlike to him (which is impossible) yet that Person could not be happy, because he would want that inward Frame and Disposition of Mind, which is necessary to happiness. [Page 89] For the very same Causes and Ingre­dients which make up the happiness of God, must in an inferior degree be found in us, otherwise we cannot be happy; no, tho' a Man were in Hea­ven, if he be still a bad Man, Coelum, non animum mutavit, he hath only changed the Climate, and is gone into another Countrey, but he bears him­self still about him, and his Mind is not changed, which would signifie a thousand times more to his happiness, than any Place or outward Circumstance whatsoever. A bad Man, wheresoever he goes, hath a Root of Gall and Bit­terness within him, and is miserable from himself; he hath a Fiend in his own Breast, and the Fuel of Hell in a guilty Conscience.

For there is a certain Temper and Disposition of Mind, that is necessary and essential to happiness, and that is holiness and goodness, which is the Na­ture of God; and so much as any Person departs from this Temper, so far he removes himself, and runs away from happiness: And as Sin is a de­parture from God, so the Punishment of it is likewise exprest by departing from him; Depart from me ye Cursed; de­part [Page 90] from me all ye that work Iniquity, I know you not.

And this is one great part of the Misery of those degenerate and ac­cursed Spirits, the Devils, who are for ever banish'd from the Presence of God, that they are of a Temper quite contrary to God, Wicked and Impure, Envious and Malicious, Mis­chievous and Cruel; and such a Tem­per is naturally a torment and disqui­et to it self. And here the Foundation of Hell is laid in the evil disposition of our Minds; and 'till this be cur'd, and set right, it is as impossible for any of us to be happy, as it is for a Limb that is out of joint to be at ease. And the external presence of God, and a local Heaven (if we could imagine such a Person to be admitted into it, and see all the Glories of that place, and the Pleasures and Delights of that state) all this, I say, would signifie no more to make a bad Man happy, than heaps of Gold and Diamonds, and Con­sorts of the most delicious Musick, and a well-spread Table, and a rich and costly Bed would contribute to a Man's Ease in the paroxysme of a Fe­ver, [Page 91] or in a violent fit of the Stone; because the Man hath that within which torments him, and 'till that be removed, he cannot possibly be at ease. The Man's Spirit is out of order, and off the Hinges, and tost from its Cen­tre, and 'till that be set right, and re­stor'd to its proper place and state by Goodness and Holiness, the Ma [...] will be perpetually restless, and cannot pos­sibly have any Ease or Peace in his Mind: For how can there be Peace, how can there be happiness to him, who is of a Temper directly opposite to it? The wicked, saith the Prophet, Isa. 57.20, 21. is like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. So long as there is im­purity in our Hearts, and Guilt upon our Consciences, they will be restlesly working; there is no peace saith my God to the wicked. The Hebrew Word which we translate Peace, signifies all kind of happiness; there can be no felici­ty to a bad Man. The consideration whereof should put us upon the most serious and earnest endeavours to be like God, that we may be capable of his Favour, and partakers of his Feli­city. The Divine Nature is the only [Page 92] perfect Idea of happiness, and nothing but our conformity to it can make us happy.

I have been so long upon this Ar­gument, on purpose to convince Men of the Necessity of Holiness and Good­ness, and all other Virtues, to our pre­sent and future happiness. They under­stand not the nature of happiness, who hope for it, or imagin they can attain it in any other way. The Author and the Fountain of happiness, he that made us, and alone can make us hap­py, cannot make us so in any other way, than by planting in us such a dis­position of Mind, as is in Truth a participation of the Divine Nature, and by endowing us with such Qualities as are the necessary Materials and Ingre­dients of happiness. There is no way to partake of the Felicity of God blessed for ever, but by becoming Holy and Righteous, Good and Merciful as he is.

All Men naturally desire happiness, and seek after it, and are as they think travelling towards it, but generally they mistake their way. Many are eager in the pursuit of the Things of this World, and greedily catch at Plea­sures [Page 93] and Riches and Honour, as if these could make them happy; but when they come to embrace them, they find that they are but Clouds and Sha­dows, and that there is no real and substantial felicity in them. Many say, who will shew us any good? meaning the good things of this World, Corn, and Wine, and Oil; But wouldst thou be happy indeed? endeavour to be like the Pattern of happiness, and the Fountain of it; Address thy self to him in the Prayer of the Psalmist, Lord lift thou up upon me the light of thy Countenance, and that shall put more joy and gladness into my heart, than the Men of the World can have, when their Corn and their Wine increaseth.

Many say, lo here, and lo there! That happiness is in a great Place, or in a plen­tiful Estate, or in the enjoyment of sen­sual Pleasures and Delights; but believe them not; happiness is something that is nearer and more intimate to us, than any of the Things of this World; it is within thee, in thine heart, and in the very inward frame and disposition of thy mind.

In a Word, if ever we would be happy, we must be like the Blessed God, we [Page 94] must be holy, and merciful, and good, and just, as he is, and then we are secure of his Favour; for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and his countenance will behold the upright. Then we shall be qualified for the enjoyment of him, and take pleasure in communion with him, because we shall be like him. For the surest foundation of Love and Friendship is a similitude of Temper and Disposition; every thing naturally affects its own likeness, and moves to­wards it, and greedily catcheth at it, and gladly runs into the Embraces of it. God and Man must be like one a­nother, before they can take pleasure in one another: If we be unlike to God, it is in the nature of the thing impossible that we should be happy in one another, and therefore there must be a change either in God or us, to bring about this likeness. The Na­ture of God is inflexible, fixt, and unchangeable; therefore change thy self Sinner, and endeavour to be like God; for since he cannot depart from his Holiness, and Purity, thou must leave thy Sins, and be holy as he is holy, if ever thou hopest to be happy, [Page 95] as he is: Every Man that hath this Hope in him, must purifie himself, even as he is pure.

Now to this happy and only Potentate, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who only hath Immortality, and dwelleth in that Light which no Man can approach unto, whom no Man hath seen, nor can see; To him be Honour, and Power everlasting.

Amen.

THE connexion and dependance of these Words upon the former is briefly this; the Apostle had asserted before, that God is not the Au­thor of Sin and Evil, v. 13, 14. Let no Man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God is untemptable by evil, neither tempteth he any Man: but every Man is tempted, when he is drawn aside of [Page 98] his own lust, and enticed; and here in the Text he asserts, that God is the Foun­tain and Author of all Good; do not err, my beloved Brethren; as if he had said, do not mistake me, tho' Sin and Evil be not from God, but from our selves, and our own corrupt hearts; yet all good is from God, and not from our selves: tho' we be the Authors of the sins we commit; yet we are not so of the good that we do, that is from God; every good Gift, and every perfect Gift is from above, and cometh down from the Fa­ther of lights. Sin which is nothing but Evil and Imperfection, is not from God, but wholly from our selves; but whatever is good and perfect, is not from our selves, but from God; we are nei­ther inclined to that which is good, nor are able of our selves to perform it; both the inclination and the power are from God, who is the Fountain of goodness and perfection, and can never be other­wise, and can never change nor cease to be so, for with him is no variableness nor shadow of turning.

Every good Gift, and every perfect Gift; all that goodness, and all those degrees of perfection, which are in the Creatures, in the highest Angels or Saints, in the [Page 99] best of the Sons of Men, whatever there is of Excellency and Perfection, of Goodness or Happiness in any of them, is from a­bove, that is from Heaven, it is the gift of God, and cometh down from that per­fect good and glorious Being, whom the Apostle here calls the Father of Lights, in allusion to the Sun, which is a kind of universal Benefactor to the World, and liberally dispenseth his Light and Heat and Influence upon all things here below: but then there is this difference, the Sun changeth its habitudes and posi­tions in reference to us, and varies its Shadows, it riseth and sets, comes nearer to us, and goes farther from us; but it is otherwise with this intellectual and immaterial Sun, the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variableness nor sha­dow of turning, [...], which are all astronomical words; the first [...] signifies the various habitudes and positions wherein the Sun appears to us every Day, at its rising, in the Meridian, and when it sets; [...] is a word which belongs not to the daily, but to the yearly course of the Sun, which is nearer to us, or farther from us, as he approacheth nearer towards the Northern or Southern Tropicks; [Page 100] and hence it is that it casts several shadows to People in several Countries; and agreeably to this, the Word [...], casting of shadows, being joyned with [...], signifies the varia­tion of the shadows according to the Course and Motion of the Sun.

But God is an Eternal Spring of Light, which never riseth or sets, which hath no mixture of shadow nor darkness, hath no changes nor varia­tions, but is always the same free and liberal dispenser of good things to his Creatures; the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turn­ing; which Words signifie the immuta­ble perfection and goodness of the Divine Nature, which shall (by Gods assist­ance) be the subject of my present Dis­course; In which I shall proceed in this Method.

First, I shall briefly explain what is meant by the immutability, or unchangea­bleness, of the Divine Nature.

Secondly, I shall shew that this is a perfection essential to God, to be immu­tably what he is, that is good and per­fect.

Thirdly, I shall answer an Objection which lies against it, from the mention [Page 101] so often made in Scripture of God's re­penting himself. And

Fourthly, Apply the Consideration of it to our selves.

I. For the Explication of it. By the immutability of God, we mean that he always is, and was, and to all Eternity will be the same, that he undergoes no changes either of his Essence and Being, or of his Properties and Perfections. In reference to the unchangeableness of his being, he is said to be eternal, incorrupti­ble, and only to have immortality. In re­ference to his perfections, he is always the same infinitely Wise, and Good, and Powerful, and Holy, and just Being; from whence it follows, that he is Con­stant and Immutable in all his Decrees and Counsels, his Purposes and Promi­ses. We are uncertain and mutable in in our very Nature and Beings, and in all those Qualities and Perfections which belong to us, in all our Purposes, Re­solutions and Actions; we are continu­ally growing or decreasing in this or that quality, and do frequently change from one extream to another, from that which is more perfect to the contrary, now knowing, and then ignorant, som­times wise, and oftner foolish, stronger [Page 102] and weaker, better or worse, as it hap­pens, and as we order our selves, con­tinually waxing or waining in our Knowledge, and Wisdom, and Good­ness, and Power; we frequently change our Minds, and alter our Purposes, and break our Promises, and contradict our firmest and most serious Resolutions, and speak a thing and do it not, say it and do not bring it to pass; but God is ever­lastingly the same in all his Perfections, constant to his Intentions, steady to his Purpose, immutably fixt and perseve­ring in all his Decrees and Resolutions. I proceed to the

II. Thing I proposed, namely, To shew that this Perfection is essential to God, to be unchangeably what he is. And this I shall endeavour to make mani­fest both from Natural Reason, and from the Divine Revelation of the Holy Scriptures.

1. From the Dictates of natural Rea­son, which tells us, that nothing Argues greater weakness and imperfection than Inconstancy and Change. This is the great Vanity of all Creatures, that they are uncertain, and do not long conti­nue in one state; this is the vanity of the World in general, that the fashion [Page 103] of it passeth away; and of Man in parti­cular, that he is liable to so many natu­ral changes, by Age, and Diseases, and Death, for which Reason he is said by the Psalmist, to be in his best estate alto­gether vanity; and that he is liable to so many moral changes, to be deluded and deceived in his Understanding, and to alter his Opinion so often, to be so fickle in his Will, and to change so often his Purposes and Resoluti­ons, according to the alteration or appearance of things. We attribute Change and Inconstancy to Persons of the weakest Age and Understanding, as Children, who are liable to be tost to and fro, and carried about with every wind, as the Apostle speaks, Eph. 4.14.

Now if the Divine Nature were sub­ject to change, this would cast an uni­versal Cloud upon all the Divine Per­fections, and obscure all other Excel­lencies, and make them like the flower of the field, which, how gay and glorious soever, is fading and perishing; and the greater the Divine Perfections are, the greater Imperfection would mutabi­lity be; for as the corruption of the best things is the worst, so the better any thing [Page 104] is, so much the worse it would be to have it liable to Corruption and Change.

And as mutability in God would darken all his other Perfections, so would it take away the Foundation and comfort of all Religion; the ground of our Faith, and Hope, and Fear, of our Love and Esteem of God would be quite taken away. We could have no great Honour or Esteem for a Being that is fickle and inconstant; if his Power and Justice were uncertain, his Threatings would in a great measure lose their awe and force; if his Truth and Faithfulness could fail, no Promises and Declarati­ons, how gracious soever, would be any security or firm ground of Trust and Confidence.

And this Reasoning is not the result of Divine Revelation, but clearly founded in the natural Notions and Suggestions of our Minds, as will appear by citing one or two Testimonies to this burpose, of those who had no other Guide but Natural Light. Plato in his Phoedo en­quires, ‘Whether the most perfect (that is God) be always the same, or sometimes thus, and sometimes other­wise, that is (saith he) whether that which is Equality and Goodness and [Page 105] Bounty it self, receives any the least Change at any time, and be not Con­stant and Uniform, and of it self al­ways the same, [...], and is ne­ver in any wise upon, any account, subject to any Change or Alteration whatsoever? To which he answers, That it is necessary that he should be the same and always alike.’ And lib. 2. de Repub. where he lays down the Fundamental Laws and Constituti­tions of Religion, he mentions these two (which one would almost think he borrow'd from St. James, but that he lived so long before him) viz. First, ‘That God is the Cause of all good, and and in no wise of any evil;’ answerab­ly to what our Apostle here asserts, that God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any Man: but that every good and perfect gift is from him. Secondly, ‘That God doth not deceive us, by making various Representa­tions of himself to us, sometimes in one form, and sometimes in another; for he is unchangeable and always the same, and cannot, [...], pass out of his own Idea, or be any other than what he is;’ which [Page 106] he further confirms by this excellent Rea­soning, ‘That which is the best and most perfect Being is not liable to a­ny Alteration; but such a Being is God, and therefore he cannot be chang­ed by any thing that is weaker and less perfect than himself, and he can­not will to change himself; for if he should, it must either be for the better or for the worse; it cannot be for the better, for being already possest of all Perfection, there can be no accession of any to him by any change; and certainly there is no Wise Being, as God is, that will change for the worse,’ and therefore he concludes, [...], ‘That being the good­liest and best Being that is possible, he always continues simply the same.’ Seneca likewise speaking of the immuta­bility of God's Counsels ( l. 6. de Benef.) Statuerunt (says he) quae non mutarent, neque unquam primi consilii Deos poenitet, ‘The Gods make unchangeable decrees, and never repent them of their first counsel.’

2. This will yet more clearly appear from the Divine Revelation of the Holy Scriptures, which tell us that God [Page 107] is unchangeable in his Nature and in his Perfections, in all his Decrees and Pur­poses and Promises. In his essence and being, Exod. 3.14. I am that I am, this is his Name, whereby he made known himself to the comfort of his People, and to the terrour of the Egyptians their Op­pressors. Psal. 90.2. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Psal. 102.27. Thou art the same, and thy years fail not. Mat. 3.6. I am the Lord and change not. Hence it is that the Title of the liv­ing God is so frequently attributed to him; and he swears by this, as denoting not only his eternity, but his unchange­ableness; As I live, saith the Lord. Hither likewise we may refer those Texts where he is call'd the incorruptible God, Rom. 1.23; The immortal King, 1 Tim. 1.17; and is said only to have immortality, 1 Tim. 1.16. And he is immutable likewise in his perfections; hence it is so often said in the Psalms, that his goodness and his mercy endure for ever; his righte­ousness likewise is said to endure for ever. Psal. 111.3. and Psal. 36.6; To be like the great Mountains, not only visible and conspicuous, but firm and immoveable; and the same likewise is said of his truth and faithfulness, Psal. 117.2. His truth [Page 108] endureth for ever; and of his power Esa· 26.4. In the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.

And so likewise in his Decrees and Pur­poses and Promises, Psal. 33.11. The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart to all generations; Esa. 14.24. Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass, and as I have pur­posed, so shall it stand. Numb. 23.19. God is not a Man that he should lie, or as the Son of Man that he should repent; hath he spoken, and shall not he do it? hath he said it, and shall not he bring it to pass? If he hath made any promise, or entred into any Covenant with us, it is firm and immutable, Psal. 89.33. He will not suffer his faithfulness to fail, his covenant will he not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his lips. His Covenant and his Promise are in themselves immutable; but for our further assurance, God hath given us his Oath, the highest sign of Im­mutability; so the Apostle to the He­brews tells us, chap. 6.18. That by two im­mutable things, (viz his Promise and his Oath) in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who are fled for refuge to the hope which is set before us. I proceed to the

[Page 109]III. Thing I proposed, which is to answer an Objection, which may seem to lie against what hath been said, from the mention so often made in Scripture of God's repenting himself; as Gen. 6.6. where it is said that it repented God that he had made Man; 1 Sam. 15.11. That he repented that he had made Saul King; and 2 Sam. 24.16. When the Angel had stretched out his hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, it is said that the Lord repented him of the evil; and Psal. 135.14. the Lord saith there that he will repent him­self concerning his servants.

To all which I answer, That this expression of God's repenting we are to understand (as many others in Scripture) after the manner of Men, and as spoken by way of Condescen­tion and Accommodation to our Weakness and Capacity, and not as casting any imputation of Mutability and Inconstancy upon God, as if out of levity or for want of foresight, he did alter his Mind; but when God is said to repent that he made Man, or that he made Saul King, the change was not in him, but them; and it signifies not that God was absolutely deceived in his expecta­tion, but that things had fallen out con­trary [Page 110] to all reasonable Expectation; and therefore the Scripture cloaths God with the Humane Passion of repenting and grieving for what he had done, as Men use to do when they are greatly disappointed and fall short of their Ex­pectation.

And as for the other instances, where­in God is said to repent him of evils threatned, the expression only signifies thus much, that God doth not execute that which seemed to us to have been his peremptory purpose and resolution, that is, he is pleased to do otherwise than his threatning seemed openly to express, because of some tacit Condition implyed in it, which he did not think fit to acquaint us with. And this doth not at all derogate from the constancy and immutability of God; for when God did threaten, he spake what he did real­ly purpose and intend, if something did not intervene to prevent the Judgment threatned, upon which he was resolved at that time when he threatned, to be taken off and to stay his Hand; and in thus doing, God doth not mutare consilium sed sententiam; He doth not change his inward Counsel and Purpose, but takes off the sen­tence, which was past with reserved [Page 111] conditions and unknown to us, on purpose to urge us the more effectually to Repen­tance.

And that God usually reserves such Conditions, not only in his Threat­nings, but sometimes also in his Promises, appears from that remarkable Text, Jer. 18.7, 8, 9, 10. At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and con­cerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; if that nation, a­gainst whom I have pronounced, turn from the evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them: at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and con­cerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good where­with I said I would benefit them. And from this very Consideration the same Pro­phet encourageth the People to repen­pentance, Jer. 26.13. Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will repent him of the evil he hath pronoun­ced against you. And we have a famous instance of this in the case of Niniveh, the destruction whereof within forty days after, God had openly proclaimed by his Prophet; yet he stops the Execution [Page 112] of the Sentence upon their Repentance, Jonah 3.10. The Men of Niniveh turned from their evil ways, and the Lord repented of the evil he said he would do unto them, and he did it not.

All that now remains is to apply this Doctrine of the immutability of the Divine Nature to our selves; and the Conside­ration of it may serve to several good Purposes, both in reference to bad and good Men.

First, In regard to sinners and wicked Men.

And, 1 st. The unchangeableness of God is matter of great terrour to wicked Men. Let but the sinner consider what God is, and the consideration of his un­changeable nature must need terrifie him; He is a holy God, and of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, Hab. 1.12. He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with him, the foolish shall not stand in his sight, he hateth all the workers of iniquity, Psal. 5.4, 5. He is likewise a just God, and will by no means clear the guilty, nor let sin go unpunisht, Exod. 34.7. He is also omnipotent, and able to execute the vengeance threatned against Sinners. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? Psal. 90.11. Thou even thou art to be feared, and who may stand in [Page 113] thy sight when once thou art angry. Psal. 76.7. Strong is the Lord God who judgeth. Rev. 18.8. And which gives a sad ac­cent to all this, he that is thus holy and just and powerful, continues for ever the same, and will never alter or put off any of these Properties, will never cease to hate iniquity, and to be an implacable Enemy to all impenitent Sinners; and is it not a fearful thing to fall into the hands of this holy and just and om­nipotent God who lives for ever, and can punish for ever? Let all obstinate Sinners hear this and tremble; you cannot be more obstinately bent to continue in your wicked ways, than God is perempto­rily resolved to make you miserable. If you be determined upon a sinful course; God is also determined how he will deal with you, that he will not spare, but that his anger and jealousie shall smoke against you, and that all the curses that are written in his book shall light upon you, and that he will blot out your name from under Hea­ven; he hath sworn in his wrath, that un­believing and impenitent Sinners shall not enter into his rest; and for the greater assurance of the thing, and that we may not think, that there is any condition im­plyed in these Threatnings, he hath con­firmed [Page 114] them by an Oath, that by this immu­table sign, in which it is impossible for God to lie, Sinners might have strong terrours, and not be able to fly to any in hopes of refuge.

2 ly. The consideration of Gods un­changeableness, should likewise be a very powerful Argument to urge Sin­ners to Repententance. If they will but leave their sins and turn to him, they will find him ready to receive them up­on their Repentance and Submission; for he is a God gracious and merciful, slow to anger and ready to forgive, he is un­changeably good, and his mercy endureth for ever: but if they will not come in, and submit to these Terms, there is nothing before them but Ruin and De­struction, nothing then remains but a fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation to consume them. God hath declared to us the terms of our Pardon and Peace, and if we will not come up to them, he is at a point, he cannot change his Nature, nor will he alter the terms of his Covenant; there is a perfect and eternal opposition between the Holy Nature of God, and an impe­nitent sinner; and 'tis impossible such an one should be Happy, till this opposition be remov'd; and to do that, there are but two ways imaginable, by changing God [Page 115] or by changing our selves; the Nature of God is fixt and unalterable; God cannot recede from his own pure Nature; there­fore we must depart from our sinful and corrupt Nature: God cannot quit his Holi­ness; therefore we must leave our Sins: we can have no hope to change God; there­fore we must change our selves. Rectifie Sinner thine own corrupt Nature, and renounce thy lusts, do not venture upon Impossibilities, rather think of altering thy sinful nature, which may be changed, than of altering the Divine Nature, which is essentially immutable, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning. God hath once condescended so far, as to take our nature upon him, to make us capable of Happiness; but if this will not do, he can go no lower, he will not, he cannot put off his own nature to make us Happy.

Secondly, In reference to Good Men, the consideration of Gods unchangeable­ness is matter of great Consolation to them, in all the changes and vicissi­tudes of the World; their main com­fort and hope is built upon a Rock, the rock of ages, as the expression is in the Prophet Isaiah 26.4. it relies upon the unchangeable goodness and faithfulness of God, all whose promises are Yea and Amen truth and certainty. All other Support, [Page 116] and Hopes may fail us: but God will not suffer his faithfulness to fail, his covenant will he not break, nor alter the thing which is gone out of his lips, as the Psalmist assures us, Psal. 89.33. Men may break their Word, and be less than their Pro­mises: but God is faithful, who hath pro­mised to give grace and glory, and to with­hold no good thing from them that walk uprightly; he is not as Man, that he should lie, or as the Son of Man that he should repent; hath he spoken and shall he not do it? hath he said it, and shall not he bring it to pass?

If there be any thing that hath the ap­pearance of a change in God, it is usual­ly on the merciful side, as when he stops the execution of his threatnings upon the repentance of a sinful Nation; as in that remarkable Text which I men­tion'd before, Jer. 18.7, 8. At what in­stant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them; and so like­wise when his faithful People and Ser­vants are in great Distress, and there is no visible help and means of relief, in this case likewise God is said to repent [Page 117] and to appear for their rescue, Deut. 32.36. The Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is gone.

Thus we should comfort our selves in the greatest extremities, with the consideration of the immutable goodness and faithfulness of God. The things of the World are Mutable, and the Men of the World; even those things which seem most constant, as the Heavens; and to be setled upon the surest Foun­dations, as the Earth; yet these shall be changed, Psal. 102.25, 26, 27. Of old hast thou laid the foundations of the Earth, and the Heavens are the work of thy hands, they shall perish, but thou shalt endure, all of them shall wax old like a garment, as a vesture shall thou change them, and they shalt be changed, but thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end; from whence the Psalmist infers this comfort to the Church and People of God, v. 28, The Children of thy Ser­vants shall continue, and their seed shall be establisht before thee.

Nothing that is mutable can be a solid Foundation of Comfort and Confidence. Men are inconstant, and Riches are uncertain, and all other things which [Page 118] Men commonly trust to, and therefore the Apostle chargeth them that are Rich in this World, not to trust in uncertain Riches, but in the living God. He only that lives for ever is a firm Foundation of Hope and Confidence.

When God would comfort the Is­raelites in Egypt under their great Op­pression, he bids Moses only to declare to them his immutability, Exod. 3.14. Say unto them, I am that I am, hath sent me unto you; and this is the great com­fort of Christians, that he who is the same Saviour, and their hope, is the same yesterday, to day, and for ever; he that was, and that is, and that is to come, in all du­rations the same.

We are continually changing, and are not the same we were; some of us were Young and now are Old; once perhaps flourisht in great Prosperity, but now are Poor and Needy; were once Strong and Healthful, but now Sickly and Weak; it should comfort us in all these Changes, that God is still the same, and he alone is instead of all other Com­forts and Supports, when all other things fail, we may rejoyce in the Lord, and joy in the God of our Salvation. Youth, and Health, and Riches, and Friends, [Page 119] may forsake us; but God hath promised, that he will never leave us nor forsake us; that he will not leave us when we are old, nor forsake us when our strength faileth, when our strength fails, and our heart fails, then is he the strength of our hearts, and our portion for ever; and when our great change shall come, and the terrors of Death shall take hold of us, we have still the same Comfort, the Lord liveth, and blessed be the God of our Salvation.

In a word, the Consideration of God's immutability should keep us fixt and un­moved in all the Changes and Accidents of this World, and not apt to be startled and surprized at them, according to that of the Psalmist, he shall not be afraid of evil tidings, because his heart is fixed, trusting in God. This should make us con­stant to him and his truth, stedfast and un­moveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as we know, that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord; it should make us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, in full assu­rance, that God will be as good to us as his word, and in a firm hope and perswasi­on of that Eternal Life, which God that cannot lie hath promised.

I Come now to speak of those Pro­perties and Perfections which relate to the Divine Understanding, and Will, and Manner, and Power of act­ing. Knowledge considers things abso­lutely, and in themselves; Wisdom con­siders the respects and relations of things one to another, and under the Notion of Means and Ends. The Knowledge of God is a perfect comprehension of the Nature of all things, with all their Powers, and Qualities, and Circumstan­ces; the Wisdom of God is a perfect Com­prehension [Page 122] of the Respects and Relati­ons of things one to another; of their Harmony and Opposition; of their fit­ness and unfitness to such and such Ends. The Knowledge of God only im­plies his bare Understanding of Things; but his Wisdom implies the Skill of or­dering and disposing things to the best Ends and Purposes, to make every thing, and to govern and administer all things in Number, Weight, and Measure. I shall, at present speak of the first of these, the Knowledge of God, which, as I said, is a perfect Comprehension of the Nature of all things, and of every thing belonging to their Nature; of the Powers, and Qualities, and Circum­stances of things.

These Words signifie God to be the Fountain of Knowledge; that is, that he possesseth it himself, and communicates it to others. In the handling of this, I shall

First, Endeavour to prove, that this Attribute belongs to God.

Secondly, Shew the Perfection and the Prerogatives of the Divine Knowledge.

Thirdly, Draw some practical Infe­rences from the whole.

[Page 123] First, For the proof of it, I shall attempt it two ways.

• 1. From the Dictates of Natural Light and Reason.
• 2. From Scripture or Divine Reve­lation.

1. From the Dictates of Natural Light and Reason. I begin with this first, because, unless this be establish'd, all Divine Revelation falls to the ground; unless Natural Reason assures us, That God is endowed with Know­ledge and Ʋnderstanding, it is in vain to enquire after Divine Revelation. For to make any Revelation credible, two things are requisite on the part of the Revealer, Ability and Integrity; that he have a perfect Knowledge and Ʋnderstand­ing of the thing which he reveals, so that he cannot be deceived himself; and so much Goodness and Truth that he will not deceive us. Now unless our Reason assure us that God is endowed with Knowledg and Ʋnderstanding, the first Condition is evidently wanting, viz. Ability, and consequently the second, Integrity; for there cannot be goodness and veracity without Knowledge.

This being premised, I proceed to the proof of it from such Arguments as [Page 124] our Natural Reason suggests to us. I have formerly told you, that the Di­vine Perfections are not to be proved by way of Demonstration, but by way of Conviction, by shewing the Absurdities and Inconveniencies of the contrary; for if we deny Knowledge to God, we must deny it to be a Perfection; we must deny it to be in any of the Crea­tures; we must attribute many other Imperfections to God; all which are ab­surd to our Natural Reason; for Natu­ral Reason dictates to us, That Know­ledge is a Perfection, that it is to be found in the Creatures, and that the de­nial of it to God will argue many other Imperfections in the Divine Nature; now these are so many Arguments which Natural Reason offers to us to prove, that knowledge belongs to God.

1. It is a Perfection, and therefore belongs to God. Natural Reason tells us, tho' the Scripture had not said it, That Knowledge excells Ignorance, as much as Light doth Darkness; now whatever is Perfect and Excellent, is to be attributed to the Divine Nature, for this is the first Notion we have of God, That He is a Being absolutely Perfect.

[Page 125]2. Knowledge is to be found in some of the Creatures, and therefore is much more in God the Creator, because it is derived from him. Our very Under­standings whereby we know God, or any thing else, are an Argument that Knowledge and Ʋnderstanding are in God. If he gives wisdom to the wise, and Know­ledge to them that know Ʋnderstanding, if he communicates this Perfection to the Creatures, he himself is much more pos­sest of it. The Scripture indeed useth this Argument, but I mention it as that which Natural Reason doth suggest to the most brutish and ignorant of Men. Psal. 94.8, 9, 10. Ʋnderstand ye Brutish among the People, and ye Fools when will ye be wise? he that planted the Ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the Eye, shall he not see?

3. The denyal of this Perfection to God, argues many other Imperfections in the Divine Nature. Nothing would more eclipse the Divine Nature, than to take away this Perfection from it; this would bring an universal Obscurity upon God's other Perfections; this would be to put out the Light of Heaven, and to turn the brightness of the morning into the shadow of death. If we remove this [Page 126] Perfection from God, we deny his Wis­dom. He that does not know the Na­ture and Qualities of Things, cannot know how to apply Means to Ends, to fit or sute one thing to another: And we weaken his Power. What an impo­tent and ineffectual thing would Power be without Knowledge? what irregular things would it produce? what un­toward Combinations of Effects would there be, if infinite Power were let loose to act without the Conduct of Knowledge and Ʋnderstanding? And consequently we take away his Providence; for with­out Knowledge there can be no Counsel, no fore-cast of Events, no provision for the future, no Government of the World. And this is not all, for without Know­ledge there could be no such thing as Goodness; for he is not good that does good out of Ignorance, or from a blind Necessity. There could be no Veracity, nor Justice, nor Mercy in God; for all these suppose Knowledge. He that speaks Truth must know it; he that is Just must understand right from wrong; he that shews Mercy, must know who are miserable, and how they may be reliev­ed; and not to labour in a thing so plain and casie, take away the Know­ledge [Page 127] of God, and you render him inca­pable of any Honour from his Creatures; for if he know not what Honour we do him, it is lost labour to give him any. And that we may see these are the deductions of Natural Reason, without the advantage of Revelation, we shall find the Heathens, who were destitute of Divine Revelation, did attribute this Perfection to God. Tully tells us, that Thales was wont to say, Deos omnia cer­nere; and we know the Heathens were wont to swear Diis immortalibus testibus interpositis, which is an owning of his Omniscience: Quis enim non timeat Deum omnia pervidentem, & cogitantem, & ani­madvertentem, curiosum & negotii plenum Deum, de Nat. Deor. l. 1.

2. From Scripture and Divine Reve­lation. I will not heap up all those Te­stimonies of Scripture which might be gathered together upon this Argument; I will only instance in two or three. Job 36.4. He that is perfect in Know­ledge, is with thee; 37.16. Dost thou know the wondrous works of him who is perfect in Knowledge.

Hither we may refer those Texts which represent God by way of con­descension to our infirmity, as having [Page 128] Eyes and Ears, which signifie his Know­ledge of what is done in the World; and those which speak of him as com­municating to us all the Knowledge which we have; he giveth Wisdom to the Wise, and Ʋnderstanding to them that know Ʋnderstanding, Dan. 2.21. And those which speak of God, as knowing the most secret things, the hidden things of darkness, the Hearts and the Thoughts of Men; and those things which are at the greatest distance, as future things; and of the greatest uncertainty, as the contingent Acts of free Creatures; each of these I shall particularly consider; for in proving that God knows all these, his Knowledge of all other things will be proved with advantage; for if any thing be out of the reach of the Divine Ʋnderstanding, it must in all probability be either those things which are secret and hidden, as Mens secret Actions, or their Thoughts; or else those things which are to come, and depend upon no certain cause, as future contingen­cies; and the proving of this may be of great use to us, as having a great influence upon Practice; it tends very much to the advancement of Religion, and the good Government of our Lives. I begin with the

[Page 129]I. Of these, viz. That God takes very exact and particular notice of all the Actions of Men, even those that are most secret. And in handling of this, I shall speak distinctly to these three Things.

1. That God takes knowledge of all our actions; his Eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings, Job 34.21.

2. That he is a curious observer of them; he seeth all his goings, he marks all his steps, takes very exact and par­ticular notice of all that we do.

3. He takes notice of those actions which are most secret and hidden; there is no darkness nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves, Job 34, 22.

1. That God takes notice of all our actions. And that this Notion was planted in the Mind of Man, and a Beam of the Light which comes with us into the World, will appear by the ge­neral agreement of Heathens in it; I will but produce one or two Testimo­nies to this purpose. Tully lays down this Principle, as that which makes Men regular and orderly, and fit for Society; sit igitur hoc persuasum civibus, qualis quis­que [Page 130] sit, quid agat, quid in se admittat de­os intueri. Socrates, as Xenophon tells us, was wont to say, [...]. Arrian in his Discourse up­on Epictetus tells us, it is necessary that every one should be perswaded of this, [...], that every thing that is done by Men is seen of God.

The Scripture frequently mentions this, Psal. 139.1. &c. Prov. 5.21. The ways of Man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings. Jer. 32.19. Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the Sons of men, to give every one ac­cording to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

2. He is a curious Observer, one that takes exact notice of all that we do. Job saith, he seeth all our steps; and So­lomon, that he pondereth all our goings; the word is, he weighs them in a ballance. So 1 Sam. 2, 3. The Lord is a God of knowledge, by him actions are weighed. Job 31.4. Doth he not see my ways, and count all my steps? which doth not imply the difficulty, but the Perfection and exactness of God's Knowledge; he kn [...]ws the quality of our actions, and [Page 131] all the circumstances of them, all the de­grees of Good and Evil that are in them; whatever may commend an action, or blemish it; whatever may aggravate a Sin or excuse it. Isa 26.7. Thou most up­right dost weigh the path of the just. There's not a good word that we speak but God hears it, Mal. 3.16. And the Lord hear­kened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him; and all we do is noted in his Book, Psa. 56.8.

3. He takes notice of those Actions which are most secret and hidden, the good as well as the bad; when we do our alms in secret, when we enter into our Clo­sets and shut the doors, our Father seeth in secret, Mat. 6. Nor can we retire our selves to any place, where we can sin so as God shall not see us, where we can hide our sins from his sight, or our selves from his wrath. Hear how sen­sibly a Heathen speaks of this; [...]; Arrian in Ep. l. 1. c. 14.

The Scripture is full of Testimonies to this purpose, Psal. 90.8. Thou hast set our Iniquities before thee, and our secret [Page 132] sins in the light of thy countenance; those sins which we commit in the Dark are in the Light of the Divine Knowledge, darkness and light are all one to him; Psal. 139.11, 12. Jer. 16.17, 23, 24. Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him?

II. God knows the hearts and thoughts of Men, which implys these two things.

• 1 st. His perfect Knowledge of them.
• 2 ly. That this is his peculiar Prero­gative.

1 st. God perfectly knows the hearts of Men, Jer. 17.10. I the Lord search the hearts and try the reins; where by heart and reins, which are the most inward parts of the Body; and lie least open to discovery, are signified the most secret Thoughts and Moti­ons of the Soul, these God is said to search and try, not as if it were a work of Labour and Difficulty to the Divine Knowledge to penetrate the hearts of Men, and to dive into their Thoughts, but to signifie to us the Perfection and Exact­ness of the Divine Knowledge; as when Men would know a thing ex­actly, they search into every part of it, and examine every thing narrowly; [Page 133] so God is said to search the heart, to signifie to us that he knows the hearts of Men, as throughly as we do any thing upon the strictest Search and most diligent Examination; upon the same account he is said elsewhere in Scripture to weigh the Spirits of Men, Prov. 16.2. All the ways of Man are clean in his own eyes, but the Lord weigheth the Spirits; that is, he hath as perfect a Knowledge of the secret Motions and Inclinations of Mens hearts, as Men have of those things which they weigh in a Ballance with the great­est exactness.

Now that God hath this perfect Knowledge of Mens hearts, the Scrip­ture frequently declares to us; that he knows the hearts of all Men, 1 Kings 8.39. For thou, even thou knowest the hearts of all the Children of Men. 1 Chron. 28.9. The Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. How close and reserved soever Men may be, what disguise soever they may use to hide their purposes from Men, yet God sees them; the things which are most dark and secret are open to his view, Psal. 44.21. He knoweth the secrets of the hearts, [Page 134] Prov. 15.11. Hell and Destruction are before him, how much more the hearts of the Children of Men? Whatever pretences Men may make, God sees through them, and discovers the very intentions of their hearts. Psal. 7.9. The righteous Lord tryeth the hearts and reins. Heb. 4.13. It is said there of the Word of God, that it is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the Heart; for all things are naked and open to the Eye of him with whom we have to do, and there is no Creature that is not manifest in his sight; nay he knows our thoughts at a distance, what they will be, before they actually are, Psal. 139.2. Thou knowest my thoughts afar off. 'Tis true indeed every Man is con­scious to his own Thoughts, and privy to the Motions of his own Mind, when they are present, and when they are past, if he have not forgot them; but no Man knows what he shall think to morrow, but this God knows, for he knows us more intimately and through­ly than we do our selves; God is great­er than our hearts, and knows all things, 1 John 3.20.

And tho' the Scripture had not re­vealed this so plainly, yet we had not [Page 135] been wholly ignorant of it; it is a Principle implanted in us, and born with us, as being part of that natu­ral Notion which Men have of God; the Reason of our Minds tells us that God knows our Hearts; and the Fears and Jealousies of our Minds are an E­vidence of it.

(1 st.) The Reason of every Man's mind tells him, that the Supreme Being, whom we call God, is endowed with all Perfection, and among his other Perfections, that he excels in Knowledge; and to the Perfection of Knowledge it is required, that it extend it self to all Objects, and that nothing be ex­empted from it. The Knowledge of God in respect of all Objects, is like the Sun, in respect of this lower World, nothing is hid from the light of it. We have naturally this Apprehen­sion of God, that he is an immense Being, every where present, that he intimately penetrates all places and things, and consequently that he is present to our Spirits, and sees all the motions of our Minds, and discerns the very secrets of our Hearts; and there can be no such thing as secresie and retirement from an Eye that is eve­ry [Page 136] where, and a Knowledge that pier­ceth into all things.

And to convince us that these are the dictates of Natural Reason, with­out the help and assistance of Divine Revelation, we shall find that the Hea­then, who had only the advantage of Natural Light, were firmly possest with this apprehension, that God knows the hearts of Men. This may be suffici­ently Collected from the frequent say­ings of the wiser Heathens to this purpose; that the best and most ac­ceptable worship of the Deity is that which is inward, that of the Heart and Mind. To this Sense Tully speaks, Cultus autem deorum est optimus, idemque castissimus atque sanctissimus plenissimus­que pietatis, ut eos semper purâ, integrâ atque incorruptâ mente & voce venere­mur, The best and holiest worship of the Gods is to worship them with a pure and upright and sincere Mind. To the same purpose is that known saying of the Poet,

Do but offer to God a mind inwardly re­solved to be just and honest, and the plain­est sacrifice will please him. Now from hence, that they judged the purity of our Hearts and Thoughts, and an honest disposition of Mind, to be most acceptable to their Gods, we may cer­tainly conclude, that they did most firmly believe that God knows the Se­crets of Mens Hearts; otherwise there had been no need for Men to endea­vour to recommend themselves this way to the Divine acceptance.

But we need not argue this by con­sequence, there are many express passages in their Writings, which do sufficient­ly signifie their belief of this Principle. Thales, one of their most ancient Phi­losophers, being askt, if an unjust Man could conceal himself from God, he answer'd, he cannot so much as hide from him the very thoughts and design of it. Socrates (as Xenophon tells us) was wont to inculcate this Principle upon his Scholar, that the Gods know all things, what we say, and what we do, and what we think in silence. To the same purpose Arrian in his Dis­sertations [Page 138] upon Epictetus laying down the Principles of a virtuous life, first of all, saith he, we must learn this, that there is a God who takes care of the World, and that there is nothing hid from him, not only what we do, but not so much as what we think, and design. So likewise Tully in his Book of Laws, let every Man be firmly perswaded of this, that the Gods see what every Man is, and with what Mind and Devotion they serve them: I will add but one Testimony more, and that is of Seneca in his Epistles, nihil Deo clausum est, interest animis nostris, & cogitationibus mediis intervenit, we can keep nothing close from God, for he is present to our Minds, and intimate to our Thoughts; so that you see this Princi­ple is deeply rooted in the Minds of Men, and that Men do naturally Rea­son themselves into it.

(2.) The natural fears of Men are like­wise a secret acknowledgement of this; and I take this to be a great Truth, that a Man's natural Actions, and such as hap­pen upon Surprise and without Delibe­ration, are a better argument of the in­timate sense of our Minds, and do more truly discover what lies at the bottom of our Hearts, and what Notions are natu­ral, [Page 139] to us, than our contrived and deli­berate Discourse. If I see a Man upon the sudden sight of a Serpent recoil and start back, tho' he tell me never so of­ten that he is not afraid, yet I am suffi­ciently convinc'd of the contrary, be­cause I see in his Countenance and Car­riage a natural acknowledgment of Fear and Danger: so if Men find that upon the designing of a secret Wicked­ness, which never went further than their own Hearts, their Consciences do sting and lash them, that they have a sense of Guilt, and feel inward Frights and Horrours, whatever they may say to the contrary, this is a natural acknow­ledgment of an invisible Eye that sees them, and disallows their wicked De­signs. If that be true which the Hea­then Poet says, That ‘Scelus intra se tacitum qui cogitat ullum, Facti crimen habet.’ He that meditates any secret Wickedness in his Heart, is guilty to himself, as if he had committed it; this is a plain Con­fession, that the Man stands in Awe of something besides Himself, and is jea­lous that there is one that is Conscious to what he thinks.

[Page 140]2. That to have a perfect and thorough knowledge of Mens Hearts, is the peculiar Prerogative of God. This is imply'd in the Answer to that Questi­on, Who can know the heart of man? Jer. 17.10. I the Lord search the heart, and try the reins; this is the Prerogative of God, and one of his chief Titles, that he is [...], a knower of the heart, 1 King. 8.39. Thou, even thou only knowest the hearts of all the children of men. Men may make a probable conjecture at the Thoughts and Designs of others, from their Words and Actions; but God only knows them. Men are conscious to their own Thoughts and Purposes, the spirit of a man that is in him, knows the things of a man; but they cannot see into the Secrets of another Man's Mind; 'tis God alone that knows the Hearts of all Men. The Heart of Man is a priviledg'd place, and the secret and inward work­ings of it are not subject to the cogni­sance of any but God alone. The limits of Humane Knowledge are the outward appearances of Actions, 1 Sam. 16.7. The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man look­eth on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart; our Knowledge is but superficial, and glides upon the out­side [Page 141] and surface of things, but the Di­vine Knowledge pierceth to the very center of every thing. Now the dark­est place, the most inward retirement, the privatest Closet in the whole World, is the Heart of Man, and this God only is privy to; Deus autor omnium & spe­culator omnium, à quo nihil secretum esse potest, tenebris interest, interest & cogita­tionibus nostris quasi alteris tenebris, saith Min. Foelix, God made all things, and sees all things, and therefore nothing can be se­cret from him; he is present in Darkness, and he is present to the Thoughts of Men, which are as it were another and a thicker Darkness.

The Devil indeed pretends to this Knowledge; he would take upon him to know the integrity of Job's Heart better than God himself, and that not­withstanding the Testimony which God gave of his Integrity, yet if he were but soundly tried by Affliction, he would renounce God, and curse him to his face: but the event proved how ground­less and malicious this suggestion was. But there is a far greater difficulty in this matter, from the passages of some Divines concerning the Devil's imme­diate access to the Minds of Men, and [Page 142] his Power to cast in Wicked Thoughts into them; which seems by consequence to grant him some knowledge of Mens Hearts; for by the same Reason that he can imprint Thoughts upon Mens Minds, he may see those that are im­printed there.

That the Devil is a very sagacious Spirit, and can make very shrewd Conjectures at the bent and inclinations of Mens Minds, and the probable workings of our Thoughts, from a ge­neral Knowledge and Observation of our Tempers and Passions, of our In­terests and Designs, and from the ge­neral tenour of our Actions in Publick and Private, and from our Prayers and Confessions to God (if he permit him at any time to be so near Good Men) I think there is no doubt: but this is far from a Knowledge of our Hearts; all this is but Conjecture, and such as men may make of one another in a lower degree.

But as to the business of casting in blasphemous and despairing Thoughts into the Minds of Men, to this I would say these three things.

1. That there are few of these cases which may not more probably be re­solved [Page 143] into the Wickedness and Infide­lity of Mens Hearts, or into the Dark­ness and Melancholy of our tempers, which are apt to raise and suggest strange Thoughts to Men, and such as we may be apt to think have no rise from our selves, not considering what an odd and strange influence the disorder of our bodily Humours may have upon our Minds, as we see in violent Fevers, and several other Diseases; and Melancholy, tho' the workings of it are more still and quiet, is as truly a Disease as any other; so that I chuse rather to ascribe as much of these to a bodily Distemper as may be, because it is a very uncom­fortable consideration, to think that the Devil hath such an immediate Power upon the Minds of Men.

2. I do not see how by any means it can be granted, without prejudice to this Prerogative of God, which the Scripture plainly gives him, of being the only Knower of the Heart, that the Devil can have so immediate an access to our Minds, as to put wicked Thoughts into them; nor can I think, that when it is said, 1 Chron. 21.1. That Satan provoked David to number the people, and Luke 22.3. That the devil entred into Judas, [Page 144] and Acts 5.3. That Satan had filled the heart of Ananias to lie unto the Holy Ghost, and Eph. 2.2. That the devil is the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience; I say I cannot think that any or all of these expressions do amount to such an immediate power of putting wicked Thoughts into Mens Minds, but they only signifie that the Devil hath a greater hand in some sins than others, and that a Heart wickedly bent and inclined give him a great advantage to tempt Men more powerfully, by presenting the occasions of suck wicked Thoughts and Actions to them; for it is usual in Scripture-phrase, as to ascribe all good Motions to God's Spirit, so all evil Thoughts and Actions to the Devil, not that he is the immediate Cause of them, but because he is always ready to tempt Men to them, and one way or other to promote them.

3. I see no Reason to grant (as ma­ny have done) an immediate Power to the Devil over the fancies and imagina­tions of Men, and that he may know the workings of them, tho' not the se­cret thoughts of Mens Minds; for this seems to me to be in effect to grant him [Page 145] the Knowledge of Mens Hearts, and to give him a Key to that Closet which God hath reserved to himself: for it is a very nice Distinction which is here made between the Thoughts of Mens Minds, and the Images of their Fancies; and if these should happen to be but words that signifie the same thing, we shall unawares intrench upon the Pre­rogative of God. Therefore because the Scripture is a stranger to these nice and subtile distinctions between the Imagi­nations of the Fancy, and the Thoughts of the Heart, I think it is much safer to assert the Prerogative of God in that latitude that the Scripture useth the word heart, for all the inward motions of the Mind, for the Thoughts and In­tentions of the Heart, and roundly to affirm that all the inward motions of our Souls are totally exempt from the immediate cognizance of any other Spirit but God's alone; and that neither Angel nor Devil hath any further Knowledge of them, than may be collected and inferr'd in a way of pro­bable Conjecture from the particular Knowledge of Mens Tempers and Ha­bits and Designs, and the Course of their Actions. I proceed to the

[Page 146]III. Particular; God's Knowledge of future Events. This God proposes as the way to discern the true God from Idols, Isaiah 41.21, &c. Produce your Cause, saith the Lord, bring forth your strong Reasons, saith the King of Jacob, that is, let them bring some Argument that may convince us that they are Gods; and he instanceth in foretelling future Evants, v. 22. Let them shew the for­mer things, what they be, that we may con­sider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come. Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are Gods. God puts it upon this issue, if they can foretel future things, then they are Gods; if not, they are vanity, and a work of naught, and he is an abomination that chuseth them, v. 24. By things to come, I understand such Effects as do not depend upon any necessary Cause, but upon the Will of Free Agents, and so may be, or may not be; from whence it is plain, that it is the Pre­rogative of God, proper and peculiar to Him, to know future Events. And here I shall consider these two things.

• [Page 147]1. That God knows future E­vents
• 2. That he only knows them.

1. God knows future Events; which will appear from the dictates of Natural Light, and from Scrip­ture.

(1.) From the dictates of Natural Light, as it is a Perfection, and that which among Men is accounted the best part of Wisdom; and unless this did belong to God, how could he govern the World? The Heathens, except only the Epicureans, generally granted this, as appears in those wise Counsels, which we frequently meet with in them to this purpose, that we should not be anxious for the future, but having done our endeavour, leave the Events of things to God, who only knows them and disposeth them.

And afterward saith he, We are importunate with God for Wife and Chil­dren:

[Page 148] At illis notum, qui pueri, qualisque futura sit uxor; and that this was their Opinion, appears yet more clearly from those apprehensions which they had of Divination. Tully lays down this for a Principle, Deos posse nobis signa futurarum reum ostendere; de Legibus, and in his Book de Divin. he tells us, that there was such a thing as Divi­nation, for it was an old Opinion, jam us­que ab Heroicis ducta temporibus, eaque Pop. Rom. & omnium gentium firmata consensu, and afterward that this Divi­nation was not, sine instinctu afflatúque divino.

I know they did variously explain this, according to their several Opini­ons about Fate and Contingency, and their Apprehensions about the Provi­dence of God. One Sect of them, the Stoicks, held that there was a fatal Chain of Causes from first to last, and things did necessarily follow one ano­ther; and by this Means they made Fore-knowledge easie and explicable, and tho' in their Disputes they seem to grant no such thing as Events and Contingencies, yet they are agreed in the thing, that those things which we call Events, tho' they would not [Page 149] call them so, were Fore-known to God. And for this I shall only cite one Testimony of Seneca, speaking of God's Fore-knowledge of the most contingent things, the Dispositions of Men long before they are Born; he adds, nota est enim illis operis sui series, omniúmque illis rerum per manus suas iturarum scientia in aperto semper est; no­bis ex abdito subit; & quae repentina pu­tamus, illis provisa veniunt & familiaria; and how peremptory soever this Sect is in their disputes about Fate, yet when they speak of the [...], and generally in their Moral Discour­ses, they seem plainly to me to ex­empt the will of Man from this fatal necessity.

And those other Sects of the Phi­losophers that denyed Fate, did gene­rally grant God's Fore-knowledge of con­tingent things. I grant indeed, that they did rather make God's Fore-know­ledge an Arbitrary and Voluntary than a necessary Perfection, that is, that God, when he pleased to apply himself to it, could Fore-know all future Events: but their general Opinion was, that as his Providence did not extend to small and inconsiderable things, so nei­ther [Page 150] his Fore-knowledge. But Tully seems to attribute a very perfect Pro­vidence to him, and a Fore-knowledge of the least things, Quis non timeat omnia providentem, cogitantem, animadvertentem, & omnia ad se pertinere putantem, curiosum & negotij plenum deum? But I cannot say he is constant to himself: but they all agree in granting to him this Per­fection of knowing all future things, if he pleased to trouble himself with it; and had they not in this mistaken the Nature of God, they might easily have apprehended, that 'tis no trouble nor weariness to an Infinite Understanding that is always in Act, to know the least things how many soever they be.

2. From Scripture, which gives us Testimonies and Arguments of it.

(1.) Testimonies Isa. 48.3, &c. Acts 15.18. Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the World, [...] from everlasting; which by the way I cannot but compare with the forecited place of Sen. Nota enim illis o­peris sui series, &c.

(2.) By Arguments from Scripture. I will mention but one; the clear and particular Predictions of future Events long before they happened. Gen. 15.13. [Page 151] God foretels the Children of Israel's deliverance after 430 Years, which he punctually accomplisht. Exod. 12.40, 41. The Prophet that prophesied a­gainst the Altar at Bethel named the Man that should do it, Josias, 350 Years be­fore-hand. 1 Kings 13.2. The delive­rance of the Children of Israel from the Babylonish Captivity was foretold 100 Years before to be done particularly by Cyrus; which is so strange, that the Prophet brings it in with a Preface of God's Wisdom and Power, Isa. 44.24, &c. Which was afterward precisely fulfilled, when the 70 Years were ex­pired. How are the Life and Death of the Messias, with many particular Cir­cumstances foretold? And did not he foretel the Destruction of Jerusalem 40 Years before?

But because there may be no contin­gency in good things, God himself may be resolved to effect them, or excite Men to do them, when he hath fore­told them; you shall find that the worst things have been foretold; the A­postacy of the Children of Israel, Deut. 31.16. and their Infidelity in times of the Gospel, Isa. 53.1, 5, 9, 26. Our Saviour foretold the Treachery of Ju­das, [Page 152] and Peter's denial of him; now these are so evil, that it were Blasphemy to suppose the Holy God to have any hand in them; and therefore are foretold by him meerly by virtue of his Fore-know­ledge, and the infiniteness of his Ʋnder­standing, which reacheth things at the greatest distance, that are most con­tingent.

I Have consider'd this Perfection of God, in some of the greatest and most difficult instances of it, his Knowledge of the most secret Things, the hearts of Men, and future Events; against the last of which there are some Objections, which I come now briefly to consider, and pass on to what re­mains.

Objection the First; The impossibility of the thing. Certainty of all Knowledge depends upon the certainty of the Ob­ject, therefore there cannot be a certain and determinate Knowledge of any thing, but what is certainly and de­terminately true; but future Events, [Page 154] which may or may not be, have no certain and determinate Truth, that is, it is not certain either that they will or will not be, because they have no certain Cause, therefore there can be no infallible Knowledge concerning them.

Answer, This I confess is the grand Difficulty; I shall not be so solicitous to take it away, as to give satisfaction to it.

1. I might say with a very fair Pro­bability, that the certainty of Know­ledge doth not depend upon the certain­ty of the Cause, but of the Object, which may be certain, tho' the Cause be con­tingent. Which I prove thus, what­ever Event hath actually happened, as because now it is past, it is certainly true that it was, so because it once was, it was certainly true before it was, that it would be; as in Peter's denying of Christ. If it be now true that he hath denied him, it was true before, that he would deny him; and it being determinately true, God saw it as it was; so that here is an Object of a certain Knowledge.

2. Tho' we could not explain the possi­bility of God's knowing future Contin­gencies, much less the manner how; yet we are sufficiently assured that God doth [Page 155] know them. I will give but one instance for the Proof of this. Nothing more evi­dent than the Sin of Adam; yet God fore-knew this; how else was Christ decreed before the Foundation of the World? Christ was a remedy upon the occasion of sin, now the remedy could not be designed before the sin was foreseen: and this being certain, cum constat de re, frustra inquiritur de modo, when we are certain of the thing, 'tis not necessary to know the manner. We are satisfied of many things, the manner whereof we do not know; we believe the union of the Soul and Body, tho' no Man can explain how a Spirit can be united to Matter; we be­lieve the continuity of matter, that is, that the parts of it hang together, of which whosoever saith he can give an account, doth but betray his own igno­rance. And so in many other things; that Man doth not know himself, nor the measure of his own understanding, nor the nature and obscurity of things, that will not confess himself posed in many things, that doth not acknowledge that there are many [...], many things the manner whereof is unimagin­able, and of which our best Reason and Understanding can give no account.

[Page 156]3. 'Tis very unreasonable to expect we should know all the ways which in­finite Knowledge hath of knowing things. We have but finite Faculties and Measures, which bear no proporti­on to infinite Powers and Objects. Could we explain the manner how in­finite Knowledge knows things, we should be like God in Knowledge, our understandings would be infinite like his; and in this case especially it be­comes us to put on the modesty of Crea­tures, and to remember that we are finite and limited. Some arrogant Spirits take it for an affront to their un­derstandings, that any one should ex­pect they should believe any thing, tho' they have the highest assurance of it, if they cannot explain the particular manner of it; they make nothing to deny God's Knowledge of future E­vents, unless they may be satisfied of the particular way how he knows them.

I know there are those who under­take to explain the particular manner. Some say that God sees future Events in speculo voluntatis; others say that the Eternity of God is actually commen­surate to all Duration, as his Immen­sity [Page 157] to all Space, and so God doth not so properly fore-see and fore-know, as see and know future things by the pre­sentiality and coexistence of all things in Eternity; for they say that future things are actually present and existing to God, tho' not in mensurâ propriâ, yet in mensurâ alienâ; the School-men have much more of this Jargon and canting Language; and I envy no Man the un­derstanding these Phrases, but to me they seem to signifie nothing, but to have been words invented by idle and con­ceited Men, which a great many ever since, lest they should seem to be ignorant, would seem to understand; but I won­der most, that Men, when they have amused and puzzled themselves and o­thers with hard Words, should call this explaining things.

The sum of the Answer is this; that when we have done all we can, God's fore-knowledge of future Events may seem contradictious and impossible to us, much less do I expect ever to be able to give a particular account of the manner of it: but we have suffici­ent assurance of the thing, and unless we had infinite understandings, it were vanity to pretend to explain all the ways of infinite Knowledge.

[Page 158] Secondly, It is Objected, That if we can admit such a Knowledge in God as seems contradictious and impossible to our Reason, why may we not allow and frame such Notions of his Goodness and Justice?

To this I answer, There is a great difference between those Perfections of God which are imitable, and those which are not. Knowledge of future Events is a Perfection wherein we are not bound to be like God; and if we are assured of the thing, that he doth know them, it is not necessary that we should know the manner of it, and dis-intangle it from contradiction and impossibility; but it is otherwise in God's Goodness and Justice, which are imitable; he that imitates, endeavours to be like something that he knows, and we must have a clear Idea and Notion of that which we would bring our selves to the likeness of; these Perfections of God we are capable of knowing; and there­fore the Knowledge of these Perfections is chiefly recommended to us in Scrip­ture, Jer. 9.24. By these God reveals himself, and declares his Name, and makes himself known to us, even by those Attributes which declare his [Page 159] Goodness, and Mercy, and Justice, Exod. 34.6, 7. Psal. 86.15. Deut. 32.3, 4, 5. When God would give a Descrip­tion of himself to Moses, he promises to cause his goodness to pass before him. So that it doth not follow, that because God's Knowledge of future Events is to be admitted, notwithstanding the seeming contradiction and impossibili­ty of it, therefore we are to admit of any Notion of God's Justice or Good­ness that seems contradictious or im­possible. The

Third, Objection is made up of several inconveniencies that would follow from God's Knowledge of future Events.

1. It would Prejudice the Liberty of the Creature. For if God have an infal­lible Knowledge of what we will do, then we cannot but do what he infalli­bly foresees we will do; for otherwise his Knowledge would be fallible.

Answer, God's-Fore-knowledge lays no necessity upon the Event. In every Event, we may consider the Effect in it self, or with relation to the Cause, and the manner how it comes to pass; consider'd in it self, it is future, with rela­tion to its Causes it is contingent. God sees it as both, and so, as that which till it [Page 160] is, may be or not be; and when it comes to pass, he sees the Man do it freely; and so before it be done, it hath no ne­cessity; but upon supposition of fore-sight; as when it is, it hath upon suppo­sition that it is, as Origen excellently explains it. Fore-knowledge is not the cause of the things that are fore-known; but because the thing is future and shall be, this is the Reason why it is fore-known; for it doth not, because it was known, come to pass; but because it was to come to pass, therefore it was fore-known; and bare Knowledge is no more the Cause of any Event, which because it is known must infallibly be, than my seeing a Man run, is the Cause of his running, which, because I do see, is infallibly so.

2 ly. If God infallibly fore-knows what Men will do, how can he be seri­ous in his Exhortations to Repentance, in his Expectation of it, and his griev­ing for the Impenitency of Men?

Answer. All these are founded in the liberty of our Actions. God exhorts to Repentance and expects it, because by his Grace we may do it; he is said to grieve for our Impenitency, because we may do otherwise, and will not. Ex­hortations [Page 161] are not vain in themselves, but very proper to their end, tho' through our obstinacy and hardness they may be rendred vain to us and without effect. If the weight of the Objection lie upon serious, and you ask how God can exhort Men seriously to that which he fore-sees that they will not do, those whom he fore-knows will be finally impenitent? I answer, if his Exhortations were not serious, he could not foresee the final impenitency of Men. To foresee Mens final impeni­tency, is to foresee their willful con­tempt of Gods Warnings and Exhor­tations, and Rejection of his Grace; now Mens willful contempt of his Warnings and Exhortations cannot be foreseen, unless God foresee that his Exhortations are serious and in good ear­nest.

Having answer'd the Objections a­gainst God's fore-knowing future E­vents, I proceed to shew,

II. That God only knows future Events. Isa. 44.6, 7. Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts, I am the first, and I am the last, and besides me there is no God: and who, as I, shall call, and shall declare [Page 162] it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient People, and the things that are coming, and shall come? let them shew unto them. Isa. 46.9, 10. Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.

The Reason is evident, because the Knowledge of future Events is beyond the reach of any finite understanding; especially if we grant it to be beyond our finite understanding, to explain the possibility of such a Knowledge; for to be sure that is out of the reach of our Knowledge, which we cannot so much as understand how it is possible it should be known by any Understand­ing.

But it may here be Objected; Did not the Oracles among the Heathens fore­tel several things, which Christians are satisfied came from the Devil? I have no time at present to examine the business of Heathen Oracles; I could easily shew there was much imposture in them: but grant they were really [Page 163] delivered and given out by a Spirit; yet the darkness and ambiguity, the affect­ed and contrived ambiguity, is such as shews that the Devil was conscious to himself of the uncertainty of his Know­ledge in those matters; and those few that came to pass, and are in any tole­rable Sense said to be accomplisht, were in such matters, either wherein prudent Conjecture might go far (and I grant the Devil to be a sagacious Spirit;) or else in dis-junctive Cases, as when there are but two ways for a thing to be, it must either be so, or so, in which a bold guessing may often hit right: but guessing at future things, is far from a Knowledge of them, which only can clearly be made out by punctual and particular Predictions of Things, with Circumstances of Time and Person, such as we find in Scripture in many instances, to the prediction of which, the greatest sagacity and the utmost guessing could do nothing, such as those Predictions of which I gave instances out of Scripture.

I have now done with the First general Head, I propos'd to be spoken to from these Words, viz. To prove that this [Page 164] Attribute of Knowledge belongs to God. I proceed to the,

Second, viz. To consider the Perfecti­on and Prerogative of the Divine Know­ledge, which I shall speak to in these following Particulars.

1. God's Knowledge is Present and Actual, his Eye is always open, and e­very thing is in the view of it. The Knowledge of the Creature is more Power than Act; it is not much that we are capable of knowing, but there is ve­ry little that we do actually know; 'tis but one thing that we can fix our Thoughts upon at once, and apply our Minds to; we can remove them to a­nother Object, but then we must take off our Minds from the former, and quit the actual knowledge of it: but the knowledge of God is an actual and steady Comprehension of things, he being every where present, and all eye, nothing can escape his sight, but all Objects are at once in the view of the Divine Understanding. Heb. 4.13. Neither is there any Creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are na­ked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

[Page 165]2. God's Knowledge is an intimate and thorough Knowledge, whereby he knows the very Nature and Essence of things. The Knowledge which we have of things 'tis but in part, but outward and superficial; our Know­ledge glides upon the superficies of things, but doth not penetrate into the intimate Nature of them, it seldom reach­eth further than the skin and outward appearance of things; we do not know things in their realities, but as they ap­pear and are represented to us with all their Masks and Disguises: but God knows things as they are. 1 Sam. 16.7. The Lord seeth not as Man seeth; for Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the Heart; God knows things throughout, all that can be known of them. The quick and piercing Eye of God Penetrates into every thing, the light of the Divine Understanding lays all things open and naked, Heb. 4.13. In which expression the Apostle alludes to the Sacrifices of Beasts, which were flead and cleft down the back bone, that the Priest might look into them, and see whether they were without ble­mish. To the Eye of our understandings most Objects are close, and have their [Page 166] Skins upon them: but to the Eyes of God all things are uncovered and dis­sected, and he open to his view.

3. God's Knowledge is clear and distinct. Our Understandings in the Knowledge of things are liable to great confusion; we are often deceived with the near likeness and resemblance of things, and mistake one thing for ano­ther; our Knowledge is but a twi-light, which doth not sufficiently separate and distinguish things from one ano­ther, we see things many times together and in a heap, and do but know them in gross; but there is no confusion in the Divine Understanding, that is a clear Light which separates and distinguish­eth things of the greatest nearness and resemblance; God hath a particular Knowledge of the least things, Luke 12.7. Even the very hairs of your Head are all numbred; those things which are of the least consideration, and have the greatest likeness to one another, the very hairs of our Head, are severally and distinctly known to God.

4. God's Knowledge is certain and infallible. We are subject to doubt and error in our understanding of things, every thing almost imposeth upon our [Page 167] Understandings, and tinctures our Minds, and makes us look on things other­wise than they are; our Temper and Complexion, our Education and Preju­dice, our Interest and Advantage, our Humours and Distempers, these all mis­represent things, and darken our Minds, and seduce our Judgments, and betray us to Error and Mistake: but the Di­vine Understanding is a clear, fixt, con­stant, and undisturbed Light, a pure Mirrour that receives no stain from Af­fection, or Interest, or any other thing. Men are many times confident and apt to impose upon others, as if they were infallible: but this is the Preroga­tive of God, the Priviledge of the Di­vine Understanding, that it is secure from all possibility of Errour; 'tis God only that cannot lie, Tit. 1.2. because he cannot be deceived; the infallibility of God is the Foundation of his veracity.

5. The Knowledge of God is easie and without difficulty. We must dig deep for Knowledge, take a great deal of pains to know a little; we do not attain the Knowledge of things with­out search and study and great intenti­on of Mind; we strive to comprehend some things, but they are so vast that [Page 168] we cannot; other things are at such a distance, that our Understanding is too weak to discern them; other things are so little, and small, and nice, that our Understanding cannot lay hold of them, we cannot contract our Minds to such a Point as to fasten upon them: but the Understanding of God being infinite, there is nothing at a distance from it, no­thing too great and vast for it's compre­hension, nor is there any thing so little that it can escape his Knowledge and animadversion. The great Wisdom of Solomon is compared to the Sand on the Sea shore; the shore is vast, but the Sands are little (saith one) to signifie that the vast Mind of Solomon did comprehend the least things. 'Tis much more true of God, his Understanding is a vast com­prehension of the least things, as well as the greatest; and all this God does without difficulty or pain; he knows all things without study, and his Under­standing is in continual exercise with­out weariness. How many things are there which we cannot find out without search, without looking narrowly into, and bending our Minds to understand them? But all things are obvious to God, and lie open to his view.

[Page 169]He is said indeed in Scripture to search the Heart, and to try the Reins, and to weigh the Spirits; but these Expressions do not signifie the painfulness, but the perfection of his Knowledge, that he knows those things as perfectly, as we can do any thing about which we use the greatest diligence and exact­ness.

6. The Knowledge of God is uni­versal, and extends to all Objects. We know but a few things, our Ignorance is greater than our Knowledge, maxima pars eorum quae scimus, est minima pars eorum que nescimus: but the Divine Un­derstanding is vast and comprehensive, and by an imperious view commands all Objects; he is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things; he knows himself, and the excellency and perfection of his own Nature, and the secrets of his Will, 1 Cor. 2.11. The Spirit of God searcheth the deep things of God; he knows all other things that are not, and all things that are, in all differences of time, their Powers and Qualities. The Knowledge of God is infinite, Psal. 147.5. His understanding is in­finite; he knows himself and his own Perfections, and all the possibilities of [Page 170] things, which are all infinite. Now the Understanding of God being infinite is incapable of any Addition, or Diminu­tion, or Change. Our finite Understand­ings are liable to alterations, they may grow or decline: but the Knowledge of God is a full constant Light, 'tis always the same, not liable to any E­clipse, nor capable of any exaltation or improvement, but remains for ever the same.

Thirdly, I come now to draw some Inferences from the several parts of this Discourse.

I. From the Perfection of God's Knowledge.

1. The Perfection of the Divine Knowledge calls for our Veneration. Every Excellency commands Reverence, and raiseth our admiration, and none more than Knowledge, there is nothing that we value our selves or others more by, than this; the highest Knowledge of Man, the most glorious Under­standing, that ever any one of the Sons of Men were endowed with, is, compa­red to the Knowledge of God, but as a glow-Worm to the Sun. If we ad­mire these Candles of the Lord, which shine so imperfectly in the dark; if we reve­rence [Page 171] a little Knowledge, compass'd a­bout with ignorance; how should we ad­mire the Father of Lights, in whom is no darkness at all, that Knowledge which hath nothing of blemish or imperfection in it!

2. We may hence learn Humi­lity, and that on this double Account. As we have all our Knowledge from him; what have we that we have not received? And as our Knowledge is very imperfect, when compared with the Divine Un­derstanding. We are blind and ignorant, 'tis but a few things that we are capable of knowing; and we know but a few of those things which our Natures are ca­pable of knowing; and of those things we do know, our Knowledge is very imperfect, 'tis slight and superficial, at­tended with much difficulty and un­certainty in the attaining of it, and er­ror and confusion in the use of it; the clearest Reason, and the brightest Under­standing of Man hath many flaws and defects in it; so that the more we know of God, and of our selves, the more humble we shall be. It is an empty Know­ledge, and falsely so call'd, that puffs up; as the empty ears of Corn are pert and raise up themselves, but those which are big and full, droop and hang down [Page 172] their Heads; so 'tis only Ignorance that is proud and lifts Men up, but true Knowledge makes Men humble.

3. This is matter of Comfort and Encouragement. He knows our wants and weakness, and will lay no more upon us than we are able to bear, for he considers that we are but Dust; he knows the rage and malice of our Enemies, and can when he pleases put a Hook in their Nose, and his Bridle in their Lips, as he did to Senacherib, 2 Kings 19.28.

1. From God's knowing our secret Actions, I infer

1. If God sees our most secret Actions, this discovers and confutes the secret Atheism of many. He that commits the most secret sin denies the Omniscience of God. Thus David de­scribes the Atheism of some in his Days; he hath said in his heart, God hath forgot, he hideth his face, he will never see it; the Lord shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it; and is not this, in effect, to deny God's Being? for it is to deny him to be what he is. A Man may as well deny there is a Sun, as deny that it shines and enlightens the World.

There are some Relicks of this even in the best Men, which do at sometimes [Page 173] discover themselves, Psal. 73.10, 11. Therefore his People return hither; and wa­ters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, how doth God know? is there knowledge in the most high? that is, the People of God come to this, when they are come to an afflicted state, and see the Prosperity of Wicked Men, they come to this, to question the Providence of God, whether he takes knowledge of the Affairs of the World. But this A­theism reigns in wicked Men; while they live in their Sins, they live in the Denyal of God's Omniscience; for did Men really believe that God sees in se­cret, that his Eye perceiveth the Dark­ness, and lays open and naked all things before it, how durst they Lie, and Steal, and Swear falsely? Vain Man! why dost thou seek Darkness and Retire­ment? how art thou alone, if thou be­lievest that God is every where? how can'st thou retire from him? how canst thou shut him out? If thou believest that he is Light, what Security is Dark­ness to thee? if he look upon thee, who is the greatest and best Person in the World, who is thy Soveraign, thy Judge, thy Father, and thy Master, and thy best Friend (for we use to reverence [...] [Page 172] [...] [Page 173] [Page 174] Persons under these Notions and Rela­tions, and to be ashamed to do any thing that is Vile and Unseemly before them) if he, who is all this, look upon thee, why art thou not ashamed? why does not thy Blood rise in thy Face? why should not Shame and Fear work, upon the apprehension of God's seeing us, as if men did behold us? for this, that God sees thee, is a greater Sur­prise and Discovery, and threatens thee with more Danger, than if the whole World stood by thee.

2. Live as those that believe this; be continually under the power of this Apprehension, That God takes a particular and exact notice of all thy Actions. The firm Belief of this would have a double influence upon us, it would encourage us in well-doing, and be a restraint upon us as to sin; sic vivamus tanquam in conspectu vivamus, Sen. It were well if Men would live as if any body saw them; but to live as if some Worthy and Excellent Person were always present with us, and did observe us, this will be a far greater curb upon us. There are some sins of that Ugliness and Deformity, that a Man would not commit them in the [Page 175] presence of any one, of a Child or a Fool; and there are some Persons of such Worth and Reverence, quorum in­terventu perditi quoque homines vitia supprimerent. Epicurus had this good Conceit of himself, that he could ad­vise others so to act as if he stood by, fac omnia tanquam spectet Epicurus; but Seneca instanceth much better in Cato, or Scipio, or Laelius,

and shall not the presence of the Di­vine Majesty be an eternal restraint upon us?

This was David's course to keep him­self from sin, Psal. 39.1. I will take heed to my way, while the wicked is before me; how much more in the presence of God? I have kept thy Precepts and thy Testimo­nies, for all my ways are before thee, Psal. 119.168. And it was wisely advised by Seneca, That we should so live when we are among Men, as believing God sees us; and when there is none but he sees us, let us behave our selves before him, as if Men did stare upon us.

III. God's Knowledge of the Heart teacheth us,

[Page 176]1. The Folly of Hypocrisie; how vain it is to make a shew of that out­wardly, which inwardly and in our Hearts we are not; to put on a Mask of Religion, and paint our selves beau­tifully without, when inwardly we are full of rottenness and uncleanness; to ho­nour God with our lips, when our Hearts are far from him. If we were to deal with Men, this were not a very wise way, for there is danger of discovery even from them, therefore the best way for a Man to seem to be any thing, is really to be what he would appear; but having to deal with God, who knows our thoughts afar off, to whom all our Disguises are transparent, and all our little Arts of concealment signifie nothing, 'tis a madness to hide our Ini­quity in our Bosom. With this Argu­ment our Saviour convinceth the hy­pocritical Pharisees, Luke 16.15. Ye are they that justifie your selves before Men; but God knoweth your Hearts.

2. If God know your Hearts, then en­deavour to approve your Hearts to him; charge your selves with inward Puri­ty and Holiness, because of the pure Eyes which behold the most intimate and secret motions of your Souls; there­fore [Page 177] cleanse your Hearts from wickedness; how long shall vain thoughts lodge within you? Fear and Shame from Men lay a great restraint upon our outward Acti­ons; but how licentious are we many times in our Hearts? what a strange freedom do we take within our own Breasts? This is an Argument of the se­cret Atheism that lies at the bottom of our Hearts. He that allows himself in any wicked Thoughts and Imaginati­ons, which (out of a regard to Men) he will not put in practice, this man plainly declares, That he reve­renceth Men more than God; that he either disbelieves a God, or despiseth him.

Therefore keep your Hearts with all diligence, because they are peculiarly un­der God's inspection; and when you are ready to take the liberty of your Thoughts, because no Eye sees you, ask your selves, doth not he that pondereth the Heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth he not know it? as the wise Man speaks, Prov. 24.12.

And whatever you do in the service of God, do it heartily as to the Lord. Indeed if we did only worship God to be seen of Men, an external Worship would [Page 178] be sufficient: but Religion is not in­tended to please men, but God; he is a Spirit, and sees our Spirits, therefore we must worship him in Spirit and in Truth. 1 Thes. 2.4. Not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our Hearts. David useth this Argument to his Son Solomon, 1 Chron. 28.9. And thou, Solomon my Son, know thou the God of thy Father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind; for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. Whatever liberty we may take to our selves now, and how care­less soever we are of our Thoughts, and the inward frame of our Hearts; yet the Scripture assures us, that he, who now sees our Hearts, will one day judge us according to them. Jer. 17.10. I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to every Man according to his ways. And the Apostle speaks of a day coming wherein God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, Heb. 4.13. Rev. 2.23.

3. This is matter of encouragement to us in many cases. In our secret Trou­bles, Psal. 142.3. When my Spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In Cases of difficulty which [Page 179] depend upon the Hearts of other men, which tho' we do not know, yet God knows them. So the Apostles, Acts 1.24. when they did not know whom to chuse for an Apostle, they refer it to God, and they prayed and said, thou Lord which knowest the hearts of all, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen. But especi­ally this is matter of comfort to us, when we suffer by the Calumnies and Reproaches of Men, when the World chargeth us with Crimes of Hypocrisie, and Falseness, and Insincerity, then to be able to appeal to the searcher of hearts, as to our Innocency and Since­rity, and to say with the Prophet Jer. O Lord of hosts, that tryest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, unto thee have I opened my Cause, Ch. 20.12. and with St. Peter, God which knoweth the hearts bare them witness, Acts 15.8.

4. This renders all the deep and pro­found Policies of Wicked Men a vain thing. The Lord knows the Thoughts of men that they are vanity, Psal. 94.11. They are Vanity, because he knows them, and can defeat them; he can bring their counsels to nought, and make their de­vices of none effect. He is conscious to the first motions of their Hearts; he [Page 180] sees those Cobwebs which they are spin­ing, and can blow them away with a Breath, he can snare them in their own Policies, and turn their Counsels into foo­lishness. Thou that puttest a Mask up­on a wicked Design, and hidest the Ma­lice and Revenge of thine Heart, under a dissembling Countenance, God sees thy Design, and hath a thousand ways to prevent it. When the Politicians of the World think they have laid their Design sure, with all imaginable cauti­on, and that their Counsels cannot mis­carry, being out of all possibility of Hu­mane discovery or prevention, for all this their counsels may come to nought, and tho' they have resolved it, yet it may not stand; he that sits in the heavens laughs at them, the Lord hath them in derision. As Wise as they are, they are guilty of this over-sight, that they did not take God into consideration, by whom they are surprized and discovered. He that sees their Design can blast it in a moment; he can speak the word, and thy breath shall go forth, and thou shalt return to thy dust; and in that very day thy thoughts perish, Psal. 146.4.

5. If God only knows the Hearts of Men, then what art thou, O man! that [Page 181] judgest another's heart? This condemns the Uncharitableness of Men, who take upon them to judge and censure Mens Hearts, which is to speak evil of the things which they know not; to meddle with things which do not fall under their cognizance. What St. James saith ch. 4.12. There is one law-giver, that is able to save and to destroy; who art thou that judgest another? is proportionably true in this case; there is but one that knows the heart; who art thou then that judgest another Man's heart? Who art thou, O Man! that takest upon thee to sit in judgment upon thy Brother, and to pass Sentence upon his Heart, to pronounce him a Hypocrite, a wicked Man, and a damned Wretch? Art thou a Man, and the son of Man, and wilt thou as­sume to thy self the Prerogative of God? Man can only look to the outward ap­pearance; but God seeth the heart.

There's nothing doth more palpably discover the Un-christian Spirit of that new Sect which is of late risen up a­mong us, than their taking upon them to judge Men's Hearts, and as confi­dently to censure every Man they meet, as if they had a window into his Breast: But they are not alone guilty of this; [Page 182] those who are so ready to call Men Hypocrites, they invade this Preroga­tive of God. We may pronounce an action wicked, if it be contrary to the Rule; or a Man wicked, as to his pre­sent state, if the general course of his Life and Actions be wicked; for our Saviour tells us, by their Fruits ye shall know them; this we may do, provided we be called to it, and be sure it is so: but to call any Man an Hypocrite, who makes an outward profession of Religi­on, and whose external Conversation is unblameable; this is to judge a Man in a matter of which thou canst have no Evidence; this is to ascend into Hea­ven, and step into the Throne of God, and to be like the most high; for he, even he only, knows the hearts of the children of men.

IV. From God's Knowledge of Future Events, we may learn,

1. The Vanity of Astrology, and all other Arts that pretend to foretell future Events, things that depend on the Will of Free Agents. The vanity of these Arts hath been sufficiently shewn by Learned Men, from the Weakness and Uncertainty of the Prin­ciples they rely upon; I shall only for [Page 183] the present take notice, that it contra­dicts this Principle of Religon, that God only knows future events. From pru­dent Collections and Observations, pro­bable Conjectures may be made of what will happen in some Cases; but there are no certain Prospective-Glasses, with which we can see Future Events, but Divine Revelation; therefore whoe­ever takes upon him to foretell Future Events without Divine Revelation, he arrogates to himself that which is the Prerogative of the Deity; and God delights to chastise the Curiosity, and cross the Predictions of these vain Pre­tenders, Isa. 44.24, 25. Thus saith the Lord that formed thee, I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the Heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the Earth by my self: that frustrateth the tokens of the Lyars, and maketh Diviners mad; that turneth wise-men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish. As he also in Scripture threatens those who consult them, and rely upon them. Those who go to Astrologers, or Wise Men, as they call them, to know their Fortunes, and enquire of the Events of their Life, they forsake God, and betake themselves to lying vanities.

[Page 184]2. Refer future Things to God who only knows them, trust him with all Events; cast your care upon him. When you have used your best Pru­dence, and Wisdom, and Diligence for your Supply and Security for the future, leave the rest to God, for your Heaven­ly Father knoweth both your Wants and your Dangers. When we are over­solicitous about future Things, we take God's proper Work out of his Hands, and usurp the Government of the World. Why do we take too much upon us? We are but of yesterday, and know not what will be to morrow.

Mind your present Duty and Work, and leave Events to God. Secret things belong to the Lord our God; but those things that are revealed, to us and our Chil­dren for ever, to do all the words of his law, Deut. 29.29. Do your Duty, commit the rest to God in well-doing.

In this World we are in a mixt con­dition, which is made up of Good and Evil, of Happiness and Misery; what is good for us to know, is revealed, that is our Duty; but in great Wisdom and pity to Mankind, God hath con­cealed and hid the rest from us. He hath hid from us the Good that may happen [Page 185] to us, because the best things of this World are but shallow and empty, and if we could see them before-hand, we should prevent our selves in the enjoyment of them, and eat out the sweetness which is in them by delightful fore-thoughts of them. And he hath concealed future Evils from us, lest we should torment our selves with the fearful expectation of them, Prudens, futuri temporis exitum,

Ridetque si mortalis ultra fas trepidat. What a folly is it to make your selves miserable with fear of being so; ante miserias miser. Use all wise means to pre­vent what you fear, and then be satis­fied, and be as happy as you can 'till Misery come; go not forth to meet it, sufficient for the day is the evil thereof; do not anticipate the Evils of to morrow, and take present possession of an Evil to come; cast your care upon him who hath promised to care for you.

I, AM treating of the Attributes of God; particularly of those which relate to the Divine Understanding, his Knowledge and Wisdom. The Know­ledge of God only implies his bare Un­derstanding of things, but his Wisdom implies the skill of ordering and dispo­sing things to the best Ends and Purpo­ses, the skill of making and governing [Page 188] and administring all things in Num­ber, Weight, and Measure. The Know­ledge of God rather considers things absolutely, and in themselves: The Wisdom of God considers rather the Re­spects and Relations of Things, looks upon things under the Notion of Means, and Ends; accordingly I described them thus. The Knowledge of God is a Perfect comprehension of the Nature of all things, with all their Qualities, Powers, and Circumstances. The Wisdom of God is a perfect Comprehension of the Re­spects and Relations of things one to another; of their Harmony and Oppo­sition, their fitness and unfitness to such and such Ends. I have largely spoken to the First of these; I come now to the

Second, The Wisdom of God in gene­ral; together with his Majesty and So­veraignty, as they are here joyned toge­ther. I begin with the

First, That God is the only wise God. In handling of this, I shall shew

1. In what sense God may be said to be the only wise God.

2. Prove that this Attribute belongs to God.

[Page 189]1. In what sense God may be said to be the only wise God. For answer to this, we may take Notice, that there are some Perfections of God that are incom­municable to the Creatures; as his Inde­pendency and Eternity. These God only possesseth, and they are to be attributed to him alone, God only is independent and eternal: But there are other Per­fections which are communicable, that is, which the Creatures may in some measure and degree partake of, as Know­ledge, and Wisdom, and Goodness, and Justice, and Power, and the like; yet these the Scriptures do peculiarly attri­bute to God, not that they are altoge­ther incommunicable to the Creature, but that they belong to God in such a peculiar and Divine manner, as doth shut out the Creature from any claim or Title to them, in that degree and Per­fection wherein God possesseth them. I shall give you some instances of this. His goodness, this is reserved to God a­lone, Matth. 19.17. Why callest thou me good? there is none good, but one, that is God: His power and immortality, 1 Tim. 6.15, 16. Who is the blessed and only potentate; who only hath immor­tality: [Page 190] His Wisdom, 1 Tim. 1.17. The only wise God; Rom. 16.27. To God only wise be Glory: His Holiness Rev. 15.14. For thou only art Holy. The transcendent degree and singularity of these Divine Perfections which are com­municable, is beyond what we are able to conceive; so that altho' the Crea­tures partake of them, yet in that Degree and Perfection wherein God possesseth them, they are peculiar and proper to the Deity; so that in this sense, there is none good but God; he only is holy, he is the only wise; in so inconceiveable a manner doth God possess even those Perfections which in some degree he communi­cates, and we can only understand them as he communicates them, and not as he possesseth them; so that when we consider of any of these Divine Per­fections, we must not frame Notions of them, contrary to what they are in the Creature; but we must say that the Goodness and Wisdom of God are all this which is in the Creature, and much more which I am not able to comprehend.

This being premised in general, God may be said to be only wise in these two respects.

• [Page 191]1. As being Originally and Indepen­dently wise.
• 2. As being eminently and transcen­dently so.

1. God only is originally and inde­pendently wise. He derives it from none, and all derive it from him, Rom. 11.33, 34. O the depth of the riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his Counsellor? or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen. He challengeth any Creature to come forth and say that they have given Wisdom, or any other Perfection to God; no, all Creatures that are Partakers of it, derive it from him. Prov. 2.6. For the Lord giveth Wisdom. Eccl. 2.26. God giveth to a Man that is good in his sight, wisdom, and knowledge, and joy. Dan. 2.21. He giveth Wisdom to the Wise, and Knowledge to them that know Ʋnderstanding.

2. He is eminently and transcendently so. And this follows from the fo [...] ­mer; because God is the Fountain of Wisdom, therefore it is most [Page 192] eminently in him, Psal. 94.9, 10. He that planted the Ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the Eye, shall he not see? he that teacheth Man Knowledge, shall not he know? In like manner we may Rea­son concerning all other Attributes of God, that if he communicate them, he is much more eminently possest of them himself; the greatest Wisdom of the Creatures is nothing in Opposition to the Wisdom of God, nothing in Compari­son to it.

Nothing in Opposition to it; Job 5.13. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. Job 9.4. He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength; who hath hardned himself against him, and prosper'd. Prov. 21.30. There is no Wisdom, nor Ʋnderstanding, nor Coun­sel, against the Lord. 1 Cor. 1.19. He will destroy the Wisdom of the Wise; v. 29. and by foolish things confound the wise.

Nothing in Comparison of it. There are a great many that pretend to Wis­dom, but most are destitute of true Wisdom; and those who have it, they have it with many Imperfections and Disadvantages. Usually those who are destitute of true Wisdom pretend most to it, Job 11.12. Vain Man would be wise, tho' he be born like a wild Asse's colt. [Page 193] The High and the Great of this World pretend to it, Job 32.9. Great Men are not always Wise. Learned Men they pretend to it; the heathen Philosophers were great professers of Wisdom, Rom. 1.22. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, they were wise to do evil, but to do good they had no understand­ing, As the Prophet speaks, Jer. 4.22. The Politicians of the World they pretend to it; but theirs is rather a Craftiness than a Wisdom; Men call it Prudence, but they are glad to use many Arts to set it off, and make it look like Wisdom; by Silence, and Secresie, and Formality, and affected Gravity, and Nods, and Gestures. The Scripture calls it the Wisdom of this World, 1 Cor. 2.6. and a fleshly Wisdom, 2 Cor. 1.12. 'Tis Wisdom misapply'd, 'tis the pur­suit of a wrong End. The petty Plots and Designs of this World are far from Wisdom, 1 Cor. 3.20. The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the Wise, that they are vain. That cannot be Wisdom, which mistakes its great End, which minds mean Things, and neglects those which are of greatest Concernment to them. Job 22.2. He that is Wise is pro­fitable to himself. Prov. 9.12. If thou [Page 194] be Wise, thou shalt be Wise for thy self. Tully tells us, Ennius was wont to say Nequicquam sapere sapientem, qui sibi ipsi prodesse non quiret. The wise Sages of the World as to the best things are Fools, Matt. 11.25. God hath hid these things from the wise and prudent. There are many that are wise in their own Conceits, but there is more hope of a Fool than of them, Prov. 26.12. So that the greatest part of that which passeth for Wisdom among Men is quite another thing. Nihil tam valde vulgare quàm nihil sapere; we talk much of Prodigies, maximum portentum vir sapiens, Tul. Those few in the World that are the Children of true Wisdom, they have it in a very imperfect degree, they are not usually so wise for their Souls, and for Eternity, as Men of this World, Luke 16.8. The Children of this World are in their Generation wiser than the Children of Light. It is attended with many inconveniencies, Eccl. 1.18. in much wisdom there is much grief; he speaks of the wisdom about natural things.

But we need not instance in the fol­ly of wicked Men, and worldly Men, and in the imperfect degrees of Wisdom which are to be found in good Men, [Page 195] in Wisdom's own Children; the Wisdom of God needs not these foils to set it off: the Wisdom of Man in Innocency, or of the highest Angel in Heaven, bears no proportion to the un-erring and infinite Wisdom of God. We mortal men many times mistake our End out of Ignorance, apply unfit and impro­per Means for accomplishing good Ends; the Angels in Glory have not a perfect comprehension of the harmony and a­greement of things, of the unfitness and opposition of them one to another: but the Divine Wisdom propounds to it self the highest and best Ends, and hath a perfect comprehension of the fit­ness and unfitness of all things one to another; so that Angels are but foolish Beings to God; Job 4.17. His Angels he chargeth with folly. Job, upon a full en­quiry after Wisdom, concludes that it belongs only to God, that he only is perfectly possest of it, Job 28.12. &c. But where shall wisdom be found? and where is the place of understanding? in such an eminent and transcendent Degree it is not to be met with in any of the Crea­tures; God only hath it, v. 23. God knoweth the place thereof.

II. I shall prove that this Perfection belongs to God,

• [Page 196]1. From the dictates of Natural Reason, and
• 2. From Scripture.

1. From the dictates of Natural Rea­son. I have often told you the Perfe­ctions of God are not to be proved by way of demonstration, because there is no Cause of them; but by way of con­viction, by shewing the absurdity and inconvenience of the contrary.

The Contrary is an Imperfection, and argues many other Imperfections, therefore Wisdom belongs to God. A­mong men Folly is look'd upon as the greatest defect; it is accounted a great­er Reproach and Disgrace, than Vice and Wickedness; it is of so ill a Re­port in the World, that there are not many but had rather be accounted Knaves than Fools; but in a true E­steem and Value of things, it is, next to Wickedness, the greatest Imperfe­ction; and, on the contrary, Wisdom is the highest Perfection next to Holi­ness and Goodness; it is usually more cryed up in the World than any thing else. Reason tells us, tho' the Scripture had not said it, that wisdom excells folly as much as light doth darkness, Eccl. 2.13. The wisdom of a man maketh his Face [Page 197] to shine, Eccl. 8.1. Wisdom is a defence, 7.12. and v. 19. Wisdom strengthneth the wise more than ten mighty men that are in the City.

And the denyal of this Perfection to God would argue many other Imper­fections; it would be an universal Ble­mish to the Divine Nature, and would darken all his other Perfections. It would weaken the Power of God. How impotent and ineffectual would Power be without Wisdom! what irregular things would it produce! what untow­ard Combinations of Effects would there be, if Infinite Power should act with­out the Conduct and Direction of In­finite Wisdom! It would eclipse the Providence of God, and put out the Eyes that are in the Wheels, as the Pro­phet represents God's Providence. There can be no Counsel, no Fore-cast, no orderly Government of the World without Wisdom. The Goodness, and Mercy, and Justice, and Truth of God, could not shine with that lustre, were it not for his Wisdom which doth illu­strate these with so much advantage.

I need not bring Testimonies from Heathen Writers to confirm this, their Books are full of Expressions of their admiration of God's wise Government [Page 198] of the World. I will not trouble you with Quotations of particular Testimo­nies. Epicurus indeed denyed that God either made or govern'd the World; but he must needs acknowledge him to have been a very wise Being, because he made him happy, which cannot be without Wisdom, tho' he had taken a­way all other evidence of his Wisdom. Aristotle seems to have supposed the World to be a necessary result and e­manation from God: but then the o­ther Sects of Philosophers did suppose the World to be the free Product of God's Goodness and Wisdom.

2. From Scripture; Job. 9.4. He is wise in heart; 36.5. He is mighty in strength and wisdom. Dan. 2.20. Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are his. Hither we may refer those Texts which attribute Wisdom of God in a singular and pe­culiar manner, Rom. 16.27. and those which speak of God as the Fountain of it, who communicates and bestows it upon his Creatures, Dan. 2.21. James 1.5. and those Texts which speak of the Wisdom of God in the Creation of the World, Psal. 104.24. O Lord, how wonderful are thy works, in wisdom hast [Page 199] thou made them all; Jer. 10.12. who hath establisht the world by his wisdom, and stretch­ed forth the heavens by his discretion; in the Providence and Government of the World, Dan. 2.20. Wisdom and strength are his, and he changeth times and seasons, he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings; and in many other places; in the redemp­tion of Mankind; therefore Christ is called the Wisdom of God, 1 Cor. 1.24. and the dispensation of the Gospel, the hid­den wisdom of God, and the manifold wis­dom of God, Eph. 2.10.

If then God be only wise, the Original and only Fountain of it, from hence we learn,

First, To go to him for it. Jam. 1.5. If any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God. There are many conceited Men, that think they are Rich and increased, and stand in need of nothing. The A­postle doth not speak as if there were some that did not want Wisdom, but because there are some so proud and conceited, that they think that they lack nothing; those are stark Fools, and God resists such foolish and proud Men: but if any Man, sensible of his Defect and Imperfection, cometh to God, he gives liberally and upbraids no man. We [Page 200] are ashamed to learn Wisdom of Men, lest they should contemn and upbraid us with our Folly; Men are envious and unwilling that others should be as wise as themselves: but God's good­ness makes him willing to impart Wis­dom, he gives liberally, and upbraids no man.

This is the most desirable Accom­plishment and Perfection; happy is the man that getteth wisdom; wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom; it is better than those things that are of highest value among men, as Solomon often makes the Comparison. Now be­cause it comes down from above, we should look up for it; it's by the Reve­lation of his Will, and the wise Coun­sels of his Word, that we are made wise unto salvation, therefore we should beg of him, that he would give us the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of himself, Eph. 1.17.

2. If God be only Wise in such an emi­nent and transcendent Degree, then let us be humble. There's no cause of boasting, see­ing we have nothing but what we have receiv'd. The lowest instance, the least specimen of Divine Wisdom out-shines the highest pitch of Humane Wisdom; the foolish­ness [Page 201] of God is wiser than men, 1 Cor. 1.25. therefore let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Jer. 9.29. Of all things we should not be proud of Wisdom; the proud man throws down the Reputati­on of his Wisdom, by the way that he would raise it. No such evidence of our Folly, as as a conceit that we are Wise; sapientis animus nunquam tur­gescit, nunquam tumet, Cic. To pride our selves in our own Wisdom, is the way to have our Folly made manifest. God threatens to destroy the wisdom of the wise man, and to turn their wisdom into foolish­ness.

3. We should labour to partake of the Wisdom of God, so far as it is com­municable. The greatest Wisdom that we are capable of, is to distinguish be­tween Good and Evil; to be wise to that which is good, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 16.19. that is, to provide for the future in time, to make provision for Eternity, to think of our latter end, to fear God and obey him, to be pure and peaceable, to receive instruction, and to win Souls; these are the Cha­racters which the Scripture gives of Wisdom. When Job had declared that the excellency of the Divine Wisdom [Page 202] was not to be attained by men; he tells us what that Wisdom is, which is proper for us; And unto man he said, the fear of the Lord that is wisdom, and to depart from evil, that is understanding. There are many that are wise to world­ly Ends and Purposes, as our Saviour tells us, wise to get Riches, and to as­cend to Honours: But this is not the wisdom which we are to labour after; this is but a short-witted Prudence, to serve a present turn, without any pro­spect to the future, without regard to the next World, and the Eternity which we are to live in; this is to be wise for a moment, and fools for ever.

4. If God be only Wise, then put your Trust and Confidence in him. Whom should we trust rather than Infinite Wis­dom which manageth and directs Infi­nite Goodness and Power? In all Ca­ses of difficulty trust him for direction, acknowledge him in all thy ways, that he may direct thy steps, commit thy way unto the Lord, and lean not to thine own un­derstanding. The race is not to the swift, nor the Battel to the strong, but the Pro­vidence of God disposeth all these things. And if we rely upon our own Wisdom, that will prove a broken reed. And as [Page 203] our own Wisdom is a broken Reed, so the Wisdom of other men, Isa. 31.1, 2. God curseth them that go down into E­gypt, and trust to their strength and Wis­dom, but look not to the holy one of Israel, neither seek the Lord; yet he also is wise, saith the Prophet.

5. Let us adore the Wisdom of God, and say with St. Paul, 1 Tim. 1.17. To the only wise God be honour and glory, for ever and ever Amen; and with Daniel, Bles­sed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are his. Veneration is the acknowledgement of an Infinite Excellency and Perfection. We reve­rence any extraordinary degree of Wis­dom in Men; but the Divine Wisdom which is Perfect and Infinite, is matter of our Adoration, and Blessing, and Praise. Thanksgiving respects the Benefits we receive: but we bless God when we ac­knowledge any Excellency; for as God's Blessing us is to do us good, so our Blessing him is to speak good of him; and as all God's Perfections are the Objects of our Blessing, so more especially his Wisdom is of our Praise; for to praise God is to take notice of the wise Design and Contrivance of his Goodness and Mercy towards us.

[Page 204]Before I pass on to the other Parti­culars contained in these words, I can­not but take notice that this wise God, here spoken of, is stiled our Saviour, which some understand of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and bring this place as an Argument to prove his Divinity; and if that were so, it were all one to my pur­pose, which is in the next place to shew that Glory, and Majesty, and Dominion, and Power belong to the Divine Being. But altho' I would not willingly part with any place that may fairly be brought for the proof of the Divinity of Christ, yet seeing there are so many plain Texts in Scripture for the proof of it, we have the less reason to stretch doubtful places; and that this is so, will appear to any one who considers that the Title of Sa­viour is several times in Scripture at­tributed to God the Father; besides that in a very Ancient and Authentick Copy, we find the words read some­what otherwise, and so as to put this out of all Controversie, [...], &c.

Having premised thus much for the clearing of these words, I shall briefly consider, first God's Glory and Majesty, [Page 205] and then his Dominion and Soveraignty.

First, God's Glory and Majesty. By Ma­jesty, we may understand the greatness, or eminent excellency of the Divine Na­ture, which results from his Perfecti­ons, and whereby the Divine Nature is set and placed infinitely above all o­ther Beings; I say the eminent excel­lency of the Divine Nature, which re­sults from his Perfections, more especi­ally from those great Perfections, his Goodness, and Wisdom, and Power, and Holiness.

And his Glory is a manifestation of this Excellency, and a just acknow­ledgment and due opinion of it. Hence it is, that in Scripture God is said to be glorious in power, and glorious in holi­ness, and his Goodness is call'd his glory; and here in the Text, Glory and Maje­sty are ascribed to him upon the account of his Wisdom and Goodness.

That these belong to God, I shall prove,

1. From the acknowledgment of Natural Light. The Heathens did con­stantly ascribe Greatness to God, and that as resulting chiefly from his Good­ness, as appears by their frequent con­junction of these two Attributes, Good­ness [Page 206] and Greatness. Opt. Max. were their most familiar Titles of the Deity; to which I will add that known place of Seneca, primus deorum cultus est deos crede­re, dein reddere illis majestatem suam, red­dere bonitatem, sine quâ nulla majestas.

2. From Scripture. It were endless to produce all those Texts wherein Greatness and Glory are ascribed to God. I shall mention two or three. Deut. 10.17. the Lord is a great God; Psal. 24.10. he's call'd the King of glo­ry; 104, 1. he is said to be cloathed with majesty and honour. The whole Earth is full of his glory. Hither belong all those Doxologies in the Old and New Testament, wherein Greatness and Glo­ry and Majesty are ascribed to God.

From all which we may learn,

1. What it is that makes a Per­son great and glorious, and what is the way to Majesty, viz. real worth and ex­cellency, and particularly that kind of excellency which Creatures are capable of in a very eminent degree, and that is goodness; this is that which advanceth a Person, and gives him a pre-eminen­cy above all others; this casts a lustre upon a man, and makes his face to shine. Aristotle tells us, that Honour is [Page 207] nothing else but the signification of the esteem which we have of a Person for his good­ness; for, saith he, to be good, and to do good, is the highest glory. God's Good­ness is his highest Glory; and there is nothing so glorious in any Creature, as herein to be like God.

2. Let us give God the Glory which is due to his Name; Ascribe ye greatness to our God, Deut. 32.3. Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and power, Psal. 29.1. The Glory and Majesty of God calls for our Esteem and Honour, our Fear and Reverence of him. Thus we should glorifie God in our Spirits, by an inward esteem and reverence of his Majesty. The thoughts of Earthly Majesty will compose us to reverence: how much more should the Apprehensions of the Divine Majesty strike an awe upon our Spirits in all our Addresses to him? his excellency should make us afraid, and keep us from all saucy boldness and familiarity with him. Reverence is an Acknowledg­ment of the distance which is between the Majesty of God and our meanness. And we should glorifie him in our bodies, with outward Worship and Adoration; that is, by all external significations of [Page 208] reverence and respect; and we should glorifie him in our Lives and Actions. The highest glory a Creature can give to God, is to endeavour to be like him; satis illos coluit, quisquis imitatus est, Sen. hereby we manifest and shew forth his Excellency to the World, when we en­deavour to be conformed to the Divine Perfections. And in case of sin and pro­vocation, we are to give glory to God by repentance, which is an acknow­ledgment of his Holiness, who hates sin; and of his Justice, which will punish it; and of the mercy of God, which is rea­dy to pardon it; for it is the glory of God to pass by a provocation.

3. We should take heed of robbing God of his Glory, by giving it to any Creature, by ascribing those Titles, or that Worship to any Creature, which is due to God alone. This is the Reason which is given of the Second Command­ment; I the Lord am a jealous God; God is jealous of his Honour, and will not give his glory to another, nor his Praise to graven Images, Isa. 42.8. Upon this ac­count, we find the Apostle reproves the Idolatry of the Heathens, because there­by they debased the esteem of God, and did shew they had unworthy thoughts [Page 209] of him, Rom. 1.21, 23. When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, but became vain in their imaginations. And changed the glory of the incorrup­tible God into an image made like to cor­ruptible man, and to birds and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. Here­by they denyed the glorious Excellency of the Divine Nature; that is, that he is a Spirit, and so incapable of being re­presented by any material or sensible I­mage.

Secondly, I come now to speak of the Soveraignty and Dominion of God. In which I shall shew,

First. What we are to understand by the Soveraignty and Dominion of God. By these we mean the full and absolute Right and Title and Authority which God hath to, and over all his Creatures, as his Creatures, and made by him. And this Right results from the Effects of that Goodness, and Power, and Wisdom whereby all things are and were made; from whence there doth accrew to God a Soveraign Right and Title to all his Creatures, and a full and absolute Au­thority over them; that is such a Right and Authority which doth not depend upon any Superior, nor is subject and ac­countable [Page 210] to any for any thing that he does to any of his Creatures. And this is that which is call'd summum imperium, because there is no power above it to check or control it, and therefore there can be none greater than this. And it is absolute, because all the Creatures have what they have from God, and all de­pend upon his Goodness, and therefore they owe all possible Duty and perpe­tual Subjection so long as they continue in Being, because it is solely by his Pow­er and Goodness that they continue; and therefore whatever Right or Title any one can pretend to any Person or Thing, that God hath to all things, in Deo omnes tituli omnia jura concurrunt.

So that Soveraignty and Dominion sig­nifies a full Right and Title and Pro­priety in all his Creatures, and an abso­lute Authority over them, to govern them and dispose of them, and deal with them in any way he pleaseth, that is not contrary to his essential Dignity and Per­fection, or repugnant to the Natural State and Condition of the Creature.

And for our better understanding of this, and the preventing of Mistakes which Men are apt to fall into about the Soveraignty of God, I will shew,

• [Page 211]I. Wherein it doth not consist. And,
• II. Wherein it doth consist.

I. Wherein it doth not consist.

1. Not in a Right to gratifie and delight himself in the extreme Misery of innocent and undeserving Creatures; I say, not in a right; for the right that God hath in his Creatures is founded in the Benefits he hath conferred upon them, and the Ob­ligation they have to him upon that ac­count. Now there's none, who because he hath done a Benefit, can have, by vertue of that, a right to do a greater Evil than the Good which he hath done amounts to; and I think it next to mad­ness, to doubt whether extreme and E­ternal Misery be not a greater Evil, than simple Being is a Good. I know they call it physical goodness; but I do not understand how any thing is the better for being call'd by a hard Name. For what can there be that is good or desirable in Being, when it only serves to be a foundation of the greatest and most last­ing Misery? and we may safely say, that the just God will never challenge more than an equitable right. God doth not claim any such soveraignty to himself, as to crush and oppress innocent Crea­tures [Page 212] without a cause, and to make them miserable without a provocation. And because it seems some have been very apt to entertain such groundless Jealousies and unworthy Thoughts of God, he hath given us his Oath to as­sure us of the contrary. As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn and live. So far is he from taking Pleasure in the misery and ruin of innocent Creatures, that in case of sin and pro­vocation, he would be much rather plea­sed, if sinners would, by Repentance, avoid and escape his Justice, than that they should fall under it. The good God cannot be glorified or pleased in doing Evil to any, where Justice doth not require it; nothing is further from infinite Goodness than to rejoice in Evil. We account him a Tyrant and a Mon­ster of Men, and of a devilish temper, that can do so; and we cannot do a greater Injury to the good God, than to paint him out after such a horrid and deformed manner.

2. The soveraignty of God doth not consist in imposing Laws upon his Crea­tures, which are impossible either to be understood or observed by them. For [Page 213] this would not only be contrary to the dignity of the Divine Nature, but con­tradict the nature of a reasonable Crea­ture, which, in reason, cannot be obli­ged by any Power to impossibilities.

3. The soveraignty of God doth not consist in a liberty to tempt Men to Evil, or by any inevitable Decree to necessitate them to sin, or effectually to procure the sins of Men, and to punish them for them. For as this would be contrary to the Holiness, and Justice, and Goodness of God; so to the nature of a reasonable Creature, who cannot be guilty or deserve Punishment for what it cannot help. And men cannot easily have a blacker thought of God, than to imagin that he hath, from all Eternity, carried on a secret Design to circumvent the greatest part of men into destructi­on, and underhand to draw Men into a Plot against Heaven, that by this un­worthy practice he may raise a Reve­nue of glory to his Justice. There's no generous and good man, but would spit in that man's Face that should charge him with such a Design: and if they who are but very drops of good­ness, in comparison of God, the infi­nite Ocean of Goodness, would take it [Page 214] for such a Reproach; shall we attri­bute that to the best Being in the World, which we would detest and abominate in our selves?

II. Wherein the Soveraignty of God doth consist.

1. In a right to dispose of, and deal with his Creatures in any way that doth not contradict the Essential Per­fections of God, and the natural Con­dition of the Creature.

2. In a right to impose what Laws he pleaseth upon his Creatures, whether natural and reasonable; or positive, of Tryal of Obedience, provided they contradict not the Na­ture of God or of the Creature.

3. In a right to inflict due and de­served Punishment in case of provocation.

4. In a right to afflict any of his Creatures, so the Evil he inflicts be short of the Benefits he hath conferred on them; yea, and farther, in a right when he pleaseth to annihilate the Crea­ture, and turn it out of Being, if it should so seem good to him, tho' that Creature have not offended him; be­cause what he gave was his own, and he may without injury take it away again when he pleaseth. In these [Page 215] the Soveraignty of God consists, and if there be any thing else that can be re­conciled with the essential Perfections of God.

Secondly, For the Proof and Confirmation of this. This is universally acknow­ledg'd by the Heathens, that God is the Lord and Soveraign of the World, and of all Creatures. Hence Plato calls him [...]; and Tully, omnium rerum Dominum, Lord of all; and this the Scripture doth every where attribute to him, calling him Lord of all, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; to which we may refer all those Dox­ologies, in which Power, and Domini­on, and Authority are ascribed to God. I will only mention that eminent Con­fession of Nebuchadnezzar a great King, who, when his Understanding came to him, was forced to acknowledge that God was the most high, Dan. 4.34, 35. I infer,

First, Negatively, we cannot, from the soveraignty of God, infer a right to do any thing that is unsuitable to the Per­fection of his Nature; and consequent­ly that we are to rest satisfied with such a Notion of Dominion and Sove­raignty in God, as doth not plainly [Page 216] and directly contradict all the Noti­ons that we have of Justice and Good­ness: nay it would be little less than a horrid and dreadful Blasphemy, to say that God can, out of his Soveraign Will and Pleasure, do any thing that contradicts the Nature of God, and the essential Perfections of the Deity; or to imagin that the Pleasure and Will of the Holy, and Just, and Good God is not always regulated and de­termined by the essential and indispen­sable Laws of Goodness, and Holiness, and Righteousness.

Secondly, Positively; we may infer from the Soveraignty and Dominion of God,

1. That we ought to own and ac­knowledge God for our Lord and Sove­raign, who by creating us, and giving us all that we have, did create to him­self a Right in us.

2. That we owe to him the utmost possibility of our Love, to love him with all our hearts, and souls, and strength; be­cause the Souls that we have he gave us; and that we are in a capacity to love him, is his Gift; and when we render these to him, we do but give him of his own.

[Page 217]3. We owe to him all imaginable subjection, and observance, and obedi­ence; and are with all diligence, to the utmost of our endeavours, to conform our selves to his Will, and to those Laws which he hath imposed upon us.

4. In case of Offence and Disobedi­ence, we are without murmuring, to submit to what he shall inflict upon us, to accept of the punishment of our iniquity, and patiently to bear the indignation of the Lord, because we have sinned against him, who is our Lord and Soveraign.

I Am treating of the Attributes and Properties of God, particularly those which relate to the Divine Under­standing, which I told you are his Know­ledge and Wisdom. I have finisht the first, the Knowledge of God. The last Day I spake concerning the Wisdom of God in general; but there are Three eminent Arguments, and famous Instan­ces of God's Wisdom, which I have re­served for a more large and particular handling. The Wisdom of God shines forth in the Creation of the World, in the Government of it, and in the Redemp­tion [Page 220] of Mankind by Jesus Christ. Of these Three I shall speak severally.

I begin with the First, the Argument of God's Wisdom, which the Creation doth furnish us withal. In this visible frame of the World which we behold with our Eyes, which way soever we look, we are encountred with ocular demonstrations of the Wisdom of God. What the Apostle saith of the Power of God is true likewise of his Wisdom, Rom. 1.20. The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and God-head: so the eternal wisdom of God is understood by the things which are made. Now the Creation is an Argument of the wisdom of God, as it is an effect of admirable Counsel and Wisdom. As any curious Work, or rare Engine doth argue the Wit of the Artificer; so the variety, and order, and regularity, and fitness of the Works of God, argue the infinite wisdom of him who made them; a Work so beautiful and magnificent, such a state­ly Pile as Heaven and Earth is, so curi­ous in the several pieces of it, so harmo­nious in all its parts, every part so fit­ted to the service of the whole, and each [Page 221] part for the service of another; is not this a plain Argument that there was infinite wisdom in the contrivance of this Frame?

Now I shall endeavour to prove to you that this Frame of Things which we see with our Eyes, which we call the World, or the Creation, is contrived af­ter the best manner, and hath upon it evident impressions of Counsel and Wis­dom. I grant the wisdom of God is In­finite, and that many of the Ends and Designs of his wisdom are unsearchable, and past finding out, both in the Works of Creation and Providence; and that tho' a Wise man seek to find out the work of God from the beginning to the end, he shall not be able to do it; and we shall never be able to exhaust all the various Wisdom and Contrivance which is in the Works of God; tho' the oftner and the nearer we meditate upon them, the more we shall see to admire in them; the more we study this Book of the Creation, the more we shall be asto­nish'd at the Wisdom of the Author: but this doth not hinder but that we may discover something of the Wisdom of God, tho' it be Infinite. As the Ef­fects of Infinite Power may fall under our [Page 222] Senses, so the Designs of Infinite Wisdom may fall under our Reason and Ʋnder­standing; and when things appear to our best Reason, plainly to be order'd for the best, and the greatest advanta­ges of the World and Mankind, so far as we are able to judge; and if they had been otherwise, as they might have been a hundred thousand ways, they would not have been so well; we ought to conclude, that things are thus, and not otherwise, is the result of Wis­dom.

Now the Wisdom of God in the Creation will appear by considering the Works of God. Those who have studied Nature can discourse these things more exactly and particularly. It would require perfect skill in Astronomy, to de­clare the motions and order of Heaven­ly Bodies; and in Anatomy, to read Lectures of the rare contrivance of the Bodies of living Creatures. But this, as it is beyond my ability, so it would probably be above most of your Capacities; therefore I shall con­tent my self with some general and more obvious instances of the Divine Wisdom, which shine forth so clear in his Works, that he that runs may read it.

[Page 223]1. I shall take a short survey of the several parts of the World.

2. Single out Man the Master-piece of the visible Creation.

1. If we survey the World, and tra­vel over the several parts of it in our thoughts, we shall find that all things in it are made with the greatest exact­ness, ranged in the most beautiful or­der, and serve the wisest and best Ends.

If we look up to Heaven, and take notice only there of that which is most visible, the Sun; you see how by the wise order and constancy of its course it makes Day and Night, Winter and Summer. This the Psalmist takes no­tice of, Psal. 19.1, 2. The heavens de­clare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handy work. Day unto Day ut­tereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. It may easily be imagin'd many ways, how the Sun might have had another Course in reference to the Earth; but no Man can devise any other that should not be very much to the prejudice of the World; so that this being the best, it is an Argument that Wisdom had the ordering and dispo­sing of it.

[Page 224]If we look down to the Earth, we shall see God's ascending and descending; I mean clear representations of Divine Wisdom in the Treasures that are hid in the Bowels of it, and those Fruits that grow upon the surface of it. What vast Heaps, and what variety of useful Materials and Minerals are scatter'd up and down in the Earth, as one would think, with a careless Hand, but yet so wisely disperst, as is most proper for the Necessities and Uses of several Countries! Look upon the surface of the Earth, and you shall find it cloath­ed and adorned with Plants of a vari­ous and admirable Frame, and Beauty, and Usefulness. Look upon the vast Ocean, and there you may see the Wis­dom of God in bridling and restraining that unruly Element, I mean in sinking it below the Earth; whereas the Wa­ter might have been above and cover'd the Earth, and then the Earth had been in a great measure useless, and inca­pable of those Inhabitants which now possess it.

Look again upon the Earth, and in the Air, and Sea, and you shall find all these inhabited and furnisht with great store of living Creatures of several kinds, [Page 225] wonderfully made in the frame of their Bodies, endowed with strong inclinati­on to increase their kinds, and with a natural Affection and Care toward their Young ones; and every kind of these Creatures armed either with strength or wit to oppose their Enemy, or swiftness to flie from him, or strong Holds to se­cure themselves. But the Creation is a vast Field, in which we may easily lose our selves. I shall therefore call home our wandring Thoughts; for we need not go out of our selves for a proof of Divine Wisdom. I shall therefore,

2. Select the choicest piece of it, Man, who is the top and perfection of this visible World. What is said of the E­lephant, or Behemoth, Job 40.19. in re­spect of the vast bigness and strength of his Body, is only absolutely true of Man, that he is divini opificii caput, the chief of the ways of God, and upon Earth there is none like him. Man is Mundi utriusque nexus, the bond of both Worlds, as Scaliger calls him, in whom the World of Bodies, and the World of Spirits do meet, and unite; for in re­spect to his Body, he is related to this visible World, and is of the Earth; but in respect of his Soul, he is allied to Hea­ven, [Page 226] and descended from above. We have looked above us, and beneath us, and about us, upon the several repre­sentations of God's Wisdom, and the several parts of the Creation; but we have not yet consider'd the best piece of the visible World, which we may speak of, without flattery of our selves, and to the praise of our Maker. God, when he had made the World, he made man after his own Image. When he had fini­shed the other part of the Creation, he was pleased to set up this Picture of him­self in it, as a Memorial of the Work­man. Now we shall a little more particularly consider this piece of God's Workmanship, being it is better known, and more familiar to us, as it is more excellent than the rest, and consequent­ly a higher instance of the Divine Wis­dom. It is observed by some, that con­cerning the parts of the Creation, God speaks the word, let there be light, and let there be a firmament, and there was so: but when he comes to make Man, he doth, as it were, deliberate, and enter into consultation about him; And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let him have dominion. Gen. 1.26; as if Man, above all the rest, [Page 227] were the Effect and Result of Divine Wisdom, and the Creature of his Coun­sel.

Man may be consider'd either in himself, and in respect of the Parts of which he consists, Soul and Body; or with relation to the Universe, and o­ther parts of the Creation.

1. Consider him in himself, as com­pounded of Soul and Body. Consider Man in his outward and worse part, and you shall find that to be admirable, even to astonishment; in respect of which, the Psalmist cries out, Psal. 139.14. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. The frame of our Bodies is so curiously wrought, and e­very part of it so full of Miracle, that Galen (who was otherwise backward e­nough to the Belief of a God) when he had anatomized Man's Body, and care­fully survey'd the frame of it, viewed the fitness and usefulness of every part of it, and the many several intentions of every little Vein, and Bone, and Muscle, and the beauty of the whole; he fell into a pang of Devotion, and wrote a Hymn to his Creator. And those excellent Books of his, de usu [Page 228] partium, of the usefulness and convenient contrivance of every part of the Body, are a most exact demonstration of the Di­vine Wisdom, which appears in the make of our Body, of which Books, Gassendus saith, the whole work is writ with a kind of Enthusiasm. The Wis­dom of God, in the frame of our Bo­dies, very much appears by a curious consideration of the several parts of it; but that requiring a very accurate skill in Anatomy, I chuse rather wholly to forbear it, than by my unskilfulness to be injurious to the Divine Wisdom.

But this domicilium corporis, this House of our Body, tho' it be indeed a curious piece; yet it is nothing to the noble In­habitant that dwells in it. This Cabinet, tho' it be exquisitely wrought, and ve­ry rich; yet it comes infinitely short in value of the Jewel that is hid and laid up in it. How does the glorious facul­ty of Reason and Understanding exalt us above the rest of the Creatures! Na­ture hath not made that particular Pro­vision for Man, which it hath made for other Creatures, because it hath pro­vided for him in general, in giving him a Mind and Reason. Man is not born cloathed, nor armed with any [Page 229] considerable Weapon for defence; but he hath Reason and Understanding to provide these things for himself; and this alone excells all the advantages of other Creatures; he can keep himself warmer and safer, he can fore-see Dan­gers and provide against them; he can provide Weapons that are better than Horns, and Teeth, and Paws, and by the advantage of his Reason, is too hard for all other Creatures, and can defend himself against their Violence.

If we consider the Mind of Man yet nearer, how many Arguments of Di­vinity are there in it! That there should be at once in our Understand­ings distinct comprehensions of such variety of Objects; that it should pass in its Thoughts from Heaven to Earth in a moment, and retain the memory of things past, and take a prospect of the future, and look forward as far as Eternity! Because we are familiar to our selves, we cannot be strange and wonderful to our selves: But the great Miracle of the World is the Mind of Man, and the contrivance of it an E­minent Instance of God's Wisdom.

2. Consider Man with relation to the Universe, and you shall find the [Page 230] Wisdom of God doth appear, in that all things are made so useful for Man, who was design'd to be the chief In­habitant of this visible World, the Guest whom God design'd principally to en­tertain in this House which he built. Not that we are to think, that God hath so made all things for Man, that he hath not made them at all for him­self, and possibly for many other uses than we can imagine; for we much over-value our selves, if we think them to be only for us; and we diminish the Wisdom of God in restraining it to one end: but the chief and principal End of many things is the Use and Service of Man; and in reference to this End, you shall find that God hath made abundant and wise Provision.

More particularly we will consider Man.

1. In his natural capacity, as a part of the World. How many things are there in the World for the service and pleasure, for the use and delight of Man, which, if Man were not in the World, would be of little use? Man is by Nature a contemplative Creature, and God has furnish'd him with many Objects to exercise his Understanding [Page 231] upon, which would be so far useless and lost, if Man were not. Who should observe the Motions of the Stars, and the Courses of those Heavenly Bodies, and all the Wonders of Nature? Who should prie into the secret Virtues of Plants, and other natural things, if there were not, in the World, a Creature endowed with Reason and Understand­ing? Would the Beasts of the Field study Astronomy, or turn Chymists, and try Experiments in Nature?

What variety of beautiful Plants and Flowers is there! which can be ima­gin'd to be of little other use but for the Pleasure of Man. And if Man had not been, they would have lost their grace, and been trod down by the Beasts of the Field, without pity or observa­tion; they would not have made them into Garlands and Nose-gays. How many sorts of Fruits are there which grow upon high Trees, out of the reach of Beasts! and indeed they take no Plea­sure in them. What would all the vast bodies of Trees have served for, if Man had not been to build with them, and make Dwellings of them? Of what use would all the Mines of Me­tal have been, and of Coal, and the [Page 232] Quarries of Stone? Would the Mole have admired the fine Gold? Would the Beasts of the Forest have built themselves Palaces, or would they have made Fires in their Dens?

2. Consider Man in his Geographi­cal Capacity, as I may call it, in relati­on to his Habitation in this or that Cli­mate, or Country. The Wisdom of God hath so order'd Things, that the Necessities of every Country are sup­plyed one way or other. Egypt hath no Rains; but the River Nilus over­flows it, and makes it fruitful. Under the Line, where there are excessive Heats, every day there are constant gales and breezes of cool Wind, to fan and refresh the scorched Inhabitants. The hotter Countries are furnisht with Materials for Silk, a light Cloathing; we that are cooler here in England, with materials for Cloth, a warmer Cloathing; Russia and Muscovy, which are extreme Cold, are provided with warm Furs, and Skins of Beasts.

3. Consider Man in his capacity of Commerce and Entercourse. Man is a so­ciable Creature; besides the advantages of Commerce with remoter Nations, for supplying every Country with those [Page 233] Conveniences and Commodities which each doth peculiarly afford. And here the Wisdom of God does plainly ap­pear in disposing the Sea into several parts of the World, for the more spee­dy Commerce and Entercourse of seve­ral Nations. Now if every Country had brought forth all Commodities; that had been needless and superfluous, be­cause they might have been had with­out Commerce; besides that the great encouragement of Entercourse among Nations, which is so agreeable to hu­mane Nature, would have been taken away: If every Country had been, as now it is, destitute of many things o­ther Countries have, and there had been no Sea to give an opportunity of Tra­fick; the World had been very defe­ctive as to the Use of Man. Now here appears the Wisdom of God, that the World, and all things in it, are con­triv'd for the best.

Thus I have endeavour'd to do some­thing toward the displaying of God's Wisdom in the workmanship of the World; altho' I am very sensible how much I have been master'd and opprest by the greatness and weight of so noble an Argument. For who can declare the [Page 234] works of God! and who can shew forth all his praise!

The Use I shall make of what has been said, shall be in three Particulars.

1. This confutes the Epicureans, who impute the World, and this orderly and beautiful Frame of Things to Chance▪ Those things which are the proper Ef­fects of Counsel, and bear the plain Im­pressions of Wisdom upon them, ought not to be attributed to Chance. What a madness is it to grant all things to be as well made, as if the wisest Agent upon Counsel and Design had contriv'd them; and yet to ascribe them to Chance! Now he that denies things to be so wise­ly framed, must pick holes in the Crea­tion, and shew some fault and irregu­larity in the Frame of Things, which no Man ever yet pretended to do. Did ever any Anatomist pretend to shew how the Body of Man might have been bet­ter contriv'd, and fitter for the Uses of a Reasonable Creature than it is; or a­ny Astronomer to rectifie the Course of the Sun. As for the Extravagant and Blasphemous Speech of Alphonsus, That if he had stood at God's Elbow when he made the World, he could have told him how to have made it better; besides his [Page 235] Pride, it shews nothing but his Igno­rance; that he built his Astronomy upon a false Hypothesis, as is generally be­lieved now by the Learned in that Science; and no wonder he found fault with the World, when he mistook the Frame of it: But those who have been most verst in Nature, and have most pried into the secrets of it, have most admired the workmanship both of the great World, and the less.

But if we must suppose the World to be as well made as Wisdom could con­trive it, which is generally granted; it is a monstrous folly to impute it to Chance. A man might better say, Ar­chimedes did not make any of his En­gines by Skill, but by Chance; and might more easily maintain that Cardi­nal Richlieu did not manage Affairs by any Arts or Policies, but they fell out by meer Chance. What pitiful shifts is Epicurus put to, when the best Ac­count he can give of the World, is this; That Matter always was, and the parts of it in motion, and after a great many Tryals, the parts of Matter at length hamper'd them­selves in this fortunate order wherein they now are; that men, at first, grew out of the Earth, were nourisht by the Navel­string, [Page 236] and when they were strong enough, broke loose and weaned themselves; that the Nostrils were made by the Waters making themselves a passage out of the Body; and the Stomack and Bowels by the Waters for­cing a passage downward; that the Members of the Body were not made for those Ʋses for which they serve, but chanced to be so, and the uses afterwards found out. Is it worth the while to advance such sense­less Opinions as these, to deny the Wis­dom of God? Is it not much easier, and more reasonable to say, that the Wis­dom of God made all these things, than to trouble our selves to imagin how all things should happen thus convenient­ly by Chance? Did you ever know a­ny great work, in which there was va­riety of parts, and an orderly dispositi­on of them required, done by Chance, and without the direction of Wisdom and Counsel? How long time might a Man take to jumble a set of four and twenty Letters together, before they would fall out to be an exact Poem; yea, or make a Book of tolerable Sense, tho' but in Prose? How long might a Man sprin­kle Oil and Colours upon Canvas, with a careless Hand, before this would pro­duce the exact Picture of a Man? And [Page 237] is a Man easilier made by Chance, than his Picture? He that tells me that this great and curious frame of the World was made by Chance, I could much more believe him, if he should tell me that Henry the VII's Chappel, in West­minster, was not built by any mortal man, but the Stones did grow in those forms into which they seem to us to be cut and graven; that the Stones; and Timber, and Iron, and Brass, and all the other Materials, came thither by Chance, and upon a day met all happily together, and put themselves into that delicate order, in which we see them so close compacted, that it must be a great Chance that parts them again. Now is it not much easier to imagin how a skilful Workman should raise a Building, than how Timber, and Stones, and how that variety of Mate­rials which is required to a great and stately Building, should meet together all of a just bigness, and exactly fitted, and by chance take their places, and range themselves into that order. I insist the longer upon this, because I am sensible how much Atheism hath gained in this Age.

[Page 238]2. Let us Admire, and Adore, and Praise the Wisdom of God, who hath e­stablisht the world by his wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by his understand­ing; who hath made all things in number, weight, and measure, that is, by exact wisdom. The wise Works of God are the proper Object of our praise; and this is a day proper for this Work of Praise and Thanks-giving. Now under the Gospel, since Christ was clearly re­vealed, we have new matter of Praise and Thanksgiving; but as God has gi­ven us Christ, so he hath given us our Beings. We are not so to remember our Redeemer, as to forget our Crea­tor. The Goodness, and Power, and Wisdom of God, which appears in the Creation of the World, ought still to be matter of Admiration and Praise to Christians. It is a great Fault and Neglect among Christians, that they are not more taken up with the Works of God, and the Contemplation of the Wisdom which shines forth in them. We are apt enough to admire other things, little Toys; but we overlook this vast curious Engine of the World, and the great Artificer of all things. It was truly said of one, that most [Page 239] men are so stupid and inconsiderate, as to admire the Works of a Painter or a Carver, more than the Works of God. There are many that have be­stowed more Eloquence in the Praise of a curious Picture, or an exact Build­ing, than ever they did upon this noble and exquisite frame of the World, or any of the works of God. We can admire the wisdom, and design, and skill of petty Artists, and little Engi­neers; but here is wisdom in the Beauty and Order of the Creation. Did we love God, and take pleasure in the Ef­fects of his Wisdom and Power, we should be more in the Contemplation of them. Psal. 111.2. The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. Let us then say with the Psalmist,; O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all; the Earth is full of thy riches, &c.

More particularly let us, with an humble thankfulness, admire the Wis­dom which hath made and disposed all things so fitly for our Use and Ser­vice, and with so merciful a respect to us; The Light and Influence of Heaven; [Page 240] the Beasts and the Fruits of the Earth. We find the Psalmist often praising God upon this Account, Psal. 136.4, 5. &c. The Wisdom which hath fra­med these Bodies of ours. Psal. 139.14, 15, 16. Which hath endowed us with Knowledge and Understanding. Elihu complains, that Men were apt to over-look these great Blessings of God, Job 35.10, 11, 12. But none saith, where is God my maker, who giveth Songs in the night? Who teacheth us more than the Beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the Fowls of Heaven? There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

3. Ʋse; Trust the Wisdom of God, which made the World, to govern it, and the Affairs of it; and the Wisdom which hath framed thy Body in so cu­rious and exquisite a manner, and form­ed thy Spirit within thee, and hath made so many Creatures, with reference to thy Necessity and Comfort, trust him for thy future Provision. Mat. 6.25. I say unto you, Take no thought for your lives, what ye shall eat, &c. Is not the life more than meat? and the body than rayment? He hath given us our [Page 241] Souls, he hath breathed into us the breath of life, and made these Bodies without our care and thought; He hath done the greater, will he not do the less? When thou art ready anxi­ously and solicitously to say, what shall I do for the necessaries of Life? Con­sider whence thou didst receive thy Life, who made this Body of thine; thou mayst be assur'd that the Wisdom which hath created these, consider'd how to supply them; the Wisdom of God knew that you would want all these, and hath accordingly provided for them, therefore fear not.

AMONGST the several Du­ties, which towards the conclu­sion of this Epistle the Apostle exhorts Christians to, this is one, not to be over-much solicitous and concern­ed about what may befal us, but to refer our selves to the providence of God, which takes care of us. In speak­ing to this Argument, I shall

• I. Consider the nature of the Duty here required, which is to cast our care upon God.
• [Page 244]II. The Argument used to perswade us to it; because he careth for us.

I. For the nature of the Duty here required. The word [...] signifies an anxious care about Events; a care that is accompanied with trouble and disquiet of Mind about what may be­fall us; about the good that we hope for, and desire; or about the Evil which we fear may come upon us. This the Apostle exhorts us to throw off; and to leave to the Providence of God and his Care, all those Events which we are apt to be so solicitous and disquieted about. The Expression seems to be taken out of Psal. 55.22. cast thy burthen upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee.

Now that we may not mistake our Duty in this matter, I shall shew what is not here meant by casting all our care upon God, and then what is meant by it.

The Apostle doth not hereby intend to take Men off from a provident care and diligence, about the concernments of this life; this is not only contrary to Reason, but to many express Precepts and Passages of Scripture, wherein Di­ligence is recommended to us, and the [Page 245] Blessing of God, and the good Success of our Affairs promised thereto; where­in we are commanded to provide for those of our Family, which cannot be done without some sort of care; and wherein Sloathfulness and Negligence are condemned, and threatned with Po­verty; so that this is not to cast our care upon God, to take no care of our selves, to use no diligence and endeavour for the obtaining of the Good which we desire, and the prevention of the Evil we fear; this is to tempt the Provi­dence of God, and to cast that Burthen upon him, which he expects we should bear our selves.

But by casting our care upon God, the Apostle intends these two things.

1. That after all prudent Care and Diligence have been used by us, we should not be farther solicitous, nor trouble our selves about the event of Things, which, when we have done all we can, will be out of our power. And this certainly is our Saviour's mean­ing, when he bids us, take no care for the morrow. When we have done what is fit for us for the present to do, we should not disquiet and torment our selves about the Issue and Event of Things.

[Page 246]2. Casting our care upon God, implies, that we should refer the issue of Things to his Providence, which is continual­ly vigilant over us, and knows how to dispose all things to the best, entirely confiding in his Wisdom and Goodness, that he will order all things for our good, and in that confidence, resolving to rest satisfied and contented with the disposals of his Providence, whatever they be.

You see then the nature of the Duty which the Apostle here exhorts to, viz. That after all prudent Care and Diligence have been used on our parts, we should not be disquieted in our Minds about the event of things, but leave them to God, who hath the Care of us and of all our Concernments. Which is the

II. Thing I proposed to speak to, and which I intend chiefly to insist up­on, viz. The Argument which the A­postle here useth to perswade us to this Duty, of casting all our care upon God; because it is he that careth for us; and this implies in it these two things.

1. In general, That the Providence of God governs the World, and con­cerns it self in the Affairs of Men, and disposeth of all Events that happen to us.

[Page 247]2. More particularly, That this Pro­vidence is peculiarly concerned for good Men, and that he takes a special care of them and their Concerns; He careth for you. The Apostle speaks this to them, not only as Men, but as Christians. And thus the Psalmist, from whom these words seem to be taken, does apply and limit this Promise; Cast thy burthen upon the Lord, and he shall su­stain thee; he shall never suffer the righ­teous to be moved.

1. That God taketh care of us, im­plies in general, That the Providence of God governs the World, and con­cerns it self in the Affairs of Men, and disposeth of all Events that happen to us. I shall not now enter upon a large Proof of the Providence of God; that is too large and intricate an Argument for a short Discourse, and hath a great deal of nicety and difficulty in it; and tho' it be a fundamental Principle of Religion, and hath been almost general­ly entertained and believed by Man­kind, and that upon very good Reason; yet because the vindication of many particular appearances of Providence, does in a great measure depend upon a full view and comprehension of the [Page 248] whole design, therefore we must ne­cessarily refer our selves, for full satis­faction, as to several difficulties and Objections, to the other World, when we shall see God's works, together with the relation of every part to the whole design, and then many particu­lar Passages, which may now seem odd and crooked, as we look upon them by themselves, will in Relation to the whole, appear to have a great deal of Reason and Regularity in them.

Therefore I shall at present only briefly, and in the general, shew that it is very credible, that there is a wise Providence, that governs the World, and interests it self in the affairs of Men, and disposeth of all Events which hap­pen to us.

And I desire it may be observed in the entrance upon this Argument, that the handling of this Question concern­ing Providence, doth suppose the Being of God, and that he made the World, as Principles already known and grant­ed, before we come to dispute of his Providence; for it would be in vain, to argue about the Providence of God, with those who question his Being, and [Page 249] whether the World was made by him: But supposing these two Principles, that God is, and that he made the World, it is very credible, that he should take care of the Government of it, and especially of one of the noblest Parts of it, the race of Mankind. For we cannot believe, that he who employed so much Power and Wisdom, in the raising of this great and magnificent Pile, and fur­nishing every part of it with such va­riety of Creatures, so exquisitely and so wisely fitted for the use and service of one another, should so soon as he had perfected it, forsake his own Workman­ship, and take no farther care of it; E­specially considering that it is no trouble and disquiet to him, either to take no­tice of what is done here below, or to interpose for the regulating of any Disorders that may happen; for Infi­nite Knowledge, and Wisdom, and Power can do this with all imagina­ble ease, knows all things, and can do all things, without any disturbance of its own happiness.

And this hath always been the com­mon Apprehension of Mankind, that God knows all things, and observes every thing that is done in the World, [Page 250] and when he pleaseth, interposes in the affairs of it. 'Tis true indeed the Epicu­reans did deny that God either made the World, or governs it; and there­fore wise Men always doubted whe­ther they did indeed believe the Being of God, or not; but being unwilling to incur the danger of so odious an O­pinion, they were content for fashion sake, to own his Being, provided they might take away the best and most substantial Arguments for the proof o [...] it. The rest of the Philosophers owned a Providence, at least a general Provi­dence, that took care of great and more important Matters, but did not descend to a constant and particular care of every Person, and every little Event belonging to them. Interdum cu­riosus singulorum, says Tully; now and then, when he pleases, he takes care of par­ticular Persons, and their lesser concern­ments; but many of them thought, that God did generally neglect the smaller and more inconsiderable affairs of the World, Dii minora negligunt, neque agello [...] singulorum & viticulas persequuntur, The Gods overlook smaller matters, and do not mind every Mans little Field and Vine. Such imperfect apprehensions had they [Page 251] of the Providence of God. And tho' they would seem hereby to consult the Dig­nity and ease of the Deity, by exempt­ing him from the care and trouble of lesser Matters, yet in truth and reality, they cast a dishonourable reflection up­on him, as if it were a burthen to Infi­nite Knowledge, and Power, and Good­ness, to take care of every thing.

But now Divine Revelation hath put this matter out of doubt, by assuring us of God's particular care of all Persons and Events. Our Saviour tells us, that God's Providence extends to the least and most inconsiderable Creatures, to the grass of the Field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the Oven, Mat. 6.30. To the fowls of the air, and that to the least of them, even to the Sparrows, two of which are sold for a Farthing, and yet not one of them falleth to the ground without God, Mat. 10.29. Much more doth the Providence of God extend to Men, which are Creatures far more con­siderable, and to the very least thing that belongs to us, to the very hairs of our head, which are all numbered, the lowest instance that can be thought on.

[Page 252]So that the light of Nature owns a more general Providence; and Divine Revelation hath rectified those imper­fect apprehensions which Men had a­bout it, and hath satisfied us, that it extends it self to all particulars, and e­ven to the least things and most inconsi­derable. And this is no ways incredible, considering the Infinite Perfection of the Divine Nature, in respect of which, God can with as much and greater ease, take care of every thing, than we can do of any one thing; and the belief of this is the great foundation of Religi­on. Men therefore pray to God for the good they want, and to be freed from the evils they fear, because they be­lieve that he always regards and hears them. Men therefore make Conscience of their Duty, because they believe God observes them, and will reward and punish their good and evil Deeds. So that take away the Providence of God, and we pull down one of the main Pillars upon which Religion stands, we rob our selves of one of the greatest Comforts and best Refuges in the Afflictions and Calamities of this life, and of all our hopes of happi­ness in the next.

[Page 253]And tho' there be many disorders in the World, especially in the Affairs of Men, the most irregular and intracta­ble Piece of God's Creation; yet this is far from being a sufficient Objecti­on against the Providence of God, if we consider, that God made Man a free Creature, and capable of abusing his Liberty, and intends this present life for a state of trial in order to another, where Men shall receive the just re­compence of their Actions here: And then if we consider, that many of the evils and disorders, which God permits to happen, are capable of being over-ruled by him to a greater good, and are made many times to serve wise and excellent purposes, and that the Providence of God does sometimes vi­sibly and remarkably interpose, for the prevention and remedy of great Disor­ders and Confusions; I say considering all this, it is no blemish to the Divine Providence, to permit many of those Irregularities which are in the World, and suffer the Fates of good and bad Men to be so cross and unequal in this life. For supposing another life after this, wherein Men shall come to an Account, and every Man shall receive [Page 254] the just recompence of his Actions, there will then be a proper Season and full Op­portunity, of seting all things streight, and no Man shall have reason then, ei­ther to glory in his wickedness, or to complain of his sufferings in this World. This is the first, that God's Providence governs the World, and interests it self in the affairs of Men, and disposeth of all Events that happens to them; and this is a very good Reason, why we should cast our particular cares upon him, who hath undertaken the Government of the whole.

2. The Providence of God is more peculiarly concerned for good Men, and he takes a more particular and es­pecial care of them. The Apostle speaks this to Christians, cast all your care on him, for he careth for you. And this David li­mits in a more peculiar manner to good Men; cast thy burthen upon the Lord, and he will sustain thee, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

The Providence of God many times preserves good Men from those Evils which happen to others, and by a peculiar and remarkable interposition, rescues them out of those Calamities which it suffers others to fall into; [Page 255] and God many times blesseth good Men, with remarkable prosperity and success in their Affairs. To which purpose there are innumerable Decla­rations and Promises in the Holy Scrip­tures, so well known that I shall not trouble you with the recital of them.

Notwithstanding which, it cannot de denyed, that good Men fall into many Evils, and are harrassed with great Afflictions in this World: but then the Providence of God usually ordereth it so, that they are armed with great Patience to bear them, and find great comfort and support under them, and make better use and improvement of them than others; so that one way or other they turn to their advantage. So the Apostle assures us, Rom. 8.28. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. All the Evils and Afflictions, which happen to good men, conspire one way or other to the promoting of their happiness, many times in this World, to be sure they make a great addition to it in the other. So the same Apostle tels us, 2 Cor. 4.17, 18. Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal [Page 256] weight of glory, whilst we look not, &c. And can we say God's Providence neg­lects us, when he rewards our temporal Sufferings with eternal Glory; when through many hardships and tribulations, he at last brings us to a Kingdom? Was Joseph neglected by God, when, by a great deal of hard usage, and a long imprisonment, he was raised to the high­est dignity in a great Kingdom? Or rather, was not the Providence of God very remarkable towards him, in ma­king those Sufferings so many Steps to his Glory, and the occasion of his Ad­vancement? And is not God's Provi­dence towards good men as kind and as remarkable, in bringing them to an infinitely better and more glorious King­dom, by Tribulations and Sufferings; and making our light Afflictions which are but for a moment, to work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glo­ry?

Thus you see what is implyed in God's care of us in general; that he go­verns the World, and disposeth all E­vents; and particularly, that he is pe­culiarly concerned for good Men, and takes a more especial care of them. Let us now see of what force this Con­sideration [Page 257] is, to perswade to the Duty enjoyned in the Text, to cast all our care upon God; that is, after all prudent Care and Diligence hath been used on our part, not to be anxious and solici­tous about the event of things, but to leave that to God. Now this conside­ration, that God cares for us, should be an Argument to us, to cast all our care upon him, upon these two Accounts.

• 1. Because if God cares for us, our Con­cernments are in the best and safest hands.
• 2. Because all our Anxiety and Solici­tude will do us no good.

1. Because if God cares for us, our Concernments are in the best and safest hands, and where we should desire to have them; infinitely safer, than under any Care and Conduct of our own. And this ought to be a great satisfaction to our Minds, and to free us from all disquieting Thoughts; for if God un­dertakes the care of us, then are we sure that nothing shall happen to us, but by the disposal or permission of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness. There are ma­ny things indeed, which to us seem Chance and Accident; but in respect of God, they are Providence and Design; [Page 258] they may appear to happen by chance, or may proceed from the ill-will and malicious intent of second Causes; but they are all wisely designed; and as they are appointed or permitted by God, they are the result of the deepest Coun­sel, and the greatest Goodness. And can we wish that we and our Concern­ments should be in better or safer hands, than of Infinite Power and Wisdom, in conjunction with Infinite Love and Goodness? And if we be careful to do our Duty, and to demean our selves towards God as we ought, we may rest assured of his Love and Care of us; and if we do in good earnest believe the Providence of God, we cannot but think that he hath a peculiar regard to those that love and serve him, and that he will take a peculiar care of their Concernments, and that he can, and will dispose them better for us, than we could manage them our selves, if we were left to our selves, and our Af­fairs were put into the hands of our own Counsel.

Put the case we had the entire or­dering and disposal of our selves, what were reasonable for us to do in this case? We would surely, according to our [Page 259] best wisdom and judgment, do the best we could for our selves, and when up­on experience of our own manifold ig­norance and weakness, we had found our weightiest Affairs and Designs fre­quently to miscarry, for want of fore­sight, or power, or skill to obviate and prevent the infinite Hazards and Disap­pointments which humane Affairs are liable to, we should then look about us; and if we knew any Person much wi­ser, and more powerful than our selves, who we believed did heartily love us, and wish well to us, we would out of kindness to our selves, ask his Counsel in our Affairs, and crave his assistance; and if we could prevail with him to un­dertake the care of our Concernments, we would commit them all to his Con­duct and Government, in confidence of his great Wisdom and Good-will to us.

Now God is such an one, he loves us as well as we do our selves, and desires our Happiness as much, and knows in­finitely better than we do, what means are most conducing to it, and will most effectually secure it. And every Man that believes thus of God, (as every Man must do, that believes there is a God, [Page 260] for these are the natural and essential Notions which all Men have of the Deity) I say, every Man that believes thus of God, the first thing he would do (if he knew not already that God had voluntarily, and of his own ac­cord, undertaken the care of him and of his Affairs) would be to apply him­self to God, and to beseech him with all earnestness and importunity, that he would permit him to refer his Con­cernments to him, and be pleased to un­dertake the care of them; and he would, without any demur or difficulty, give up himself wholly to him, to guide and govern him, and to dispose of him as to him should seem best.

Now if God have prevented us here­in, and without our Desire taken this care upon himself, we ought to rejoice in it, as the greatest happiness that could possibly have befallen us; and we should without any farther care and anxiety, using our own best diligence, and studying to please him, chearfully leave our selves in his Hands, with the greatest confidence and security, that he will do all that for us which is real­ly best; and with a firm perswasion, that that condition, and those circumstances [Page 261] of Life, which he shall chuse for us, will be no other but the very same which we would chuse for our selves, if we were as wise as he.

And it is so natural for Men to think thus of God, that the very Heathen Poet had the same Idea of him, and upon that ground, adviseth us to com­mit all our Concernments to him.

Leave it, says he, to the wiser gods, to consider and determine what is fittest for thee, and most for thy advantage; and tho' they do not always give thee what thou de­sirest, and that which pleaseth thee best, yet they will give that which is most fit and convenient for thee; for Man is more dear to the gods, than he is to himself. Not much different from this, is the Divine Counsel of Solomon, Prov. 3.5, 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all [Page 262] thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall di­rect thy paths. It is considerable who it is that gives this Advice; the wisest of the Sons of men; and yet he adviseth to trust in God for direction, and not to lean to our own understandings.

If therefore we be fully perswaded of God's infinitely Wise and Good Pro­vidence, we ought certainly to refer our selves to him, and perfectly to ac­quiesce in his disposal, and to rest satis­fied in whatever he does, and whatever condition he assigns to us, we ought to be contented with it: if we be not, we find fault with his Wisdom, and reproach his Goodness, and wish the Government of the World in better hands.

So that a firm belief of the Provi­dence of God, as it would take away all Anxiety concerning future Events, so would it likewise silence all those Mur­murings and Discontents, which are apt to arise in us, when things fall out cross to our Desires, when Disasters and Dis­appointments happen to us, and the Providence of God casts us into Sickness, or Poverty, or Disgrace. This quieted David, when he was ready to break out into murmuring at the Afflictions and [Page 263] Calamities which befell him. I held my peace (says he) and spake not a word, because thou Lord didst it. And this like­wise should keep us from fretting and vexing at Instruments, and second Cau­ses; to consider that the Wise Provi­dence of God over ruleth and disposeth the Actions of Men, and that no harm can happen to us without his permission. This Consideration restrained David's An­ger, under that high provocation of Shimei, when he follow'd him, reproach­ing him and cursing him; let him alone, the Lord hath said unto him, curse David. He consider'd that God's Providence permitted it; and looking upon it as coming from a higher hand, this calm­ed his Passion, and made him bear it patiently. If a Man be walking in the Street, and one fling Water upon him, it is apt to provoke him beyond all pa­tience; but no man is in a passion for being wet ten times as much by Rain from Heaven. What Calamity soever befalleth us, when we consider it as coming from Heaven, and ordered and permitted there, this will still and hush our Passion, and make us with Eli to hold our peace, or only to say, it is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.

[Page 264]We are indeed liable to many things in this World, which have a great deal of evil and affliction in them, to Poverty, and Pain, and Reproach, and Restraint, and the loss of our Friends and near Relations, and these are great Afflictions, and very cross and distastful to us, and therefore when we are in Danger of any of these, and apprehend them to be making towards us, we are apt to be anxious and full of trouble, and when they befal us, we are prone to censure the Providence of God, and to judge rashly concerning it, as if all things were not ordered by it for the best: but we should consider, that we are very ig­norant and short sighted Creatures, and see but a litttle way before us, are not able to penetrate into the Designs of God, and to look to the End of his Providence. We cannot (as Solo­mon expresseth it) see the work of God from the beginning to the end; whereas if we saw the whole design of Providence together, we should strangly admire the beauty and proportion of it, and should see it to be very wise and good. And that which upon the whole matter, and in the last issue and result of things, [Page 265] is most for our good, is certainly best, how grievous soever it may seem for the present. Sickness caused by Phy­sick is many times more troublesome for the present, than the Disease we take it for; but every wise Man com­poseth himself to bear it as well as he can, because it is in order to his Health: the evils and afflictions of this life are the Physick, and Means of cure, which the Providence of God is often necessi­tated to make use of; and if we did trust our selves in the hands of this great Physician, we should quietly submit to all the severities of his Providence, in confidence that they would all work together for our good.

When Children are under the go­vernment of Parents, or the discipline of their Teachers, they are apt to mur­mur at them, and think it very hard to be denyed so many things which they desire, and to be constrained by severities to a great many things which are grievous and tedious to them: but the Parent and the Master know very well, that it is their Ignorance and Inconsiderateness which makes them to think so, and that when they come to Years, and to understand them­selves [Page 266] better, then they will acknow­ledge, that all that which gave them so much discontent, was really for their good, and that it was their Childishness and Folly, which made them to think otherwise, and that they had in all probability been undone, had they been indulged in their humour, and permit­ted in every thing to have their own will; they had not Wit and Considera­tion enough, to trust the Discretion of their Parents and Governours, and to believe that even those things which were so displeasing to them, would at last tend to their good.

There is a far greater distance be­tween the Wisdom of God and Men, and we are infinitely more Ignorant and Childish in respect of God, than our Children are in respect of us; and being perswaded of this, we ought to reckon, that while we are in this World, under God's care and discipline, it is necessary for our good, that we be restrained in many things, which we eagerly de­sire; and suffer many things that are grievous to us; and that when we come to Heaven, and are grown up to be Men, and have put away childish thoughts, and are come to understand things, [Page 267] as they truly are, and not in a riddle, and darkness, as we now do; then the Judgement of God will break forth as the light, and the righteousness of all his deal­ings as the noon Day, then all the Rid­dles of Providence will be clearly ex­pounded to us, and we shall see a plain Reason for all those Dispensations which we were so much stumbled at, and acknowledge the great Wisdom and Goodness of them.

You see then what Reason there is to refer our selves to the Providence of God, and to cast all our care upon him, to trust him with the Administration and Disposal of all our Concernments, and firmly to believe, that if we love God, and be careful to please him, every thing in the issue will turn to the best for us; and therefore we should not anxiously trouble our selves about the Events of things, but resign up ourselves to the good pleasure of him, who dis­poseth all things according to the Counsel of his Will, entirely trusting in his good­ness, and in his Fatherly care of us, and affection to us, that he will order all things for us, for the best, referring the success of all our Concernments to him, in whose hands are all the ways of [Page 268] the Children of Men, chearfully submit­ing to his determination, and the De­clarations of his Providence in every case.

And this is a proper Expression of our Confidence in God's Wisdom and Good­ness, to refer things to him before the Event, and to say with the Christians, Acts 21.14. The will of the Lord be done, because this shews that we are per­swaded that God will do better for us, than our own Counsel and Choice; and to submit to his will after the Event, is likewise a great instance of our Con­fidence in him, and that we believe that he hath done that which is best: For when God, by his Providence, declares his Will in any case, we should look upon it, as the Sentence of a wise and just Judge, in which all Parties concern­ed ought to acquiesce, and rest fully sa­tisfied.

And this may well be expected from us Christians, who have much greater assurance of the Particular Providence of God, than the Heathen had; and yet some of them, were able to free them­selves from all trouble and anxiety, from murmuring and discontent. Upon this Consideration, Epictetus (as Arrian [Page 269] tells us) would express himself thus, I had always rather have that which happens; because I esteem that better which God wills, than that which I should will; and again, lift up thine Eyes, (says he) with confi­dence to God, and say, henceforth, Lord, deal with me as thou pleasest, [...]. I am of the same opinion with thee, just of the same mind that thou art; I refuse nothing that seems good to thee; lead me where thou wilt, Cloath me with what Garments thou pleasest, set me in a publick Place, or keep me in a private Condition, continue me in mine own Coun­try, or banish me from it, bestow Wealth upon me, or leave me to conflict and strug­gle with Poverty, which of these thou pleas­est, [...], If Men shall censure this Providence towards me, and say thou dealest hardly with me, I will apo­logise for thee, I will undertake and main­tain thy cause, that what thou dost is best for me. What could a Christian say more or better, by way of resignation of him­self to the Providence of God? It al­most transports me to read such passages from a Heathen, especially if we con­sider in what condition Epictetus was, he had a maimed and deformed Body, [Page 270] was in the extremity of Poverty, a Slave, and very cruelly and tyranically used, so that we can hardly imagine a Man in worse and more wretched Circumstances; and yet he justifies the Providence of God in all this, and not only submits to his Condition, but is contented with it, and embraces it, and since God hath thought it fittest and best for him, he is of the same mind, and thinks so too. I confess it doth not move me to hear Seneca, who flowed in wealth, and lived at ease, to talk magnificently, and to slight Poverty and Pain, as not worthy the Name of Evil and Trouble: but to see this poor Man, in the lowest Condition and worst Circumstances of Humanity, bear up so bravely, and with such a chearfulness and serenity of Mind to entertain his hard Fortune, and this not out of stupidity, but from a wise sense of the Providence of God, and a firm perswasion of the wisdom and goodness of all his dealings, this who can chuse but be affected with it, as an admirable temper for a Christian, much more for a Heathen! To which we may apply that saying of our Lord, concern­ing the Heathen Centurion, Verily I say [Page 271] unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel; so wise, so equal, so firm a temper of Mind is seldom to be found, no not amongst Christians. And this is the First Consideration, That if God cares for us, we and our Concern­ments are in the best and safest hands, and therefore we should cast all our care upon God. The

2. is, Because all our Anxiety and Care will do us no good; on the contrary, it will certainly do us hurt. We may fret and vex our own Spirits, and make them restless, in the contem­plation of the evils and disappointments which we are afraid of, and may make our lives miserable, in the sad Reflexions of our own Thoughts; but we cannot, by all our Anxiety and Care, controul the course of Things, and alter the Designs of Providence; we cannot by all our vexation and trou­ble over-rule Events, and make things happen as we would have them. And this is the Argument our Saviour useth to this very purpose, Mat. 6.27. Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit to his stature? So that all this trouble is unreasonable, and to no [Page 272] purpose, because it hath no influence upon the Event, either to promote or hinder it. Things are governed and disposed by a higher hand, and placed out of our reach; we may delibe­rate and contrive, and use our best endeavours, for the effecting of our Designs, but we cannot secure the Event against a thousand interpositi­ons of Divine Providence, which we can neither foresee nor hinder; but yet notwithstanding, these our en­deavours are reasonable, because they are the ordinary Means which God hath appointed, for the procuring of good and prevention of Evil, and tho' they may miscarry, yet they are all we can do: but after this is done, trouble and anxiety about the Event is the vainest thing in the World, because it is to no purpose, nor doth at all con­duce to what we desire; we disquiet our selves in vain, and we distrust God's Pro­vidence and Care of us, and thereby provoke him to defeat and disappoint us.

Let us then by these Considerations be perswaded to this Duty, the pra­ctice whereof is of continual and uni­versal use in the whole course of our [Page 273] lives; in all our affairs and concern­ments, after we have used our best En­deavours, let us sit down and be satisfied, and refer the rest to God, whose Provi­dence governs the World, and takes care of all our Interests, and of the In­terest of his Church and Religion, when they seem to be in greatest Dan­ger.

We cannot but be convinced, that this is very reasonable, to leave the Management of things to him who made them, and therefore understands best how to order them. The govern­ment of the World is a very curious and complicated Thing, and not to be tamper'd with by every unskilful Hand; and therefore as an unskilful Man, after he hath tampered a great while with a Watch, thinking to bring it into better order, and is at last con­vinced that he can do no good upon it, carries it to him that made it, to mend it and put it into order; so must we do, after all our Care and Anxiety about our own private Con­cernments, or the publick State of Things, we must give over governing the World, as a business past our Skill, as a Province too hard, and a Know­ledge [Page 274] too wonderful for us, and leave it to him, who made the World, to Govern it, and take care of it.

And if we be not thus Affected and Disposed, we do not believe the Provi­dence of God, whatever profession we make of it; if we did, it would have an influence upon our Minds, to free us from Anxious Care and Discontent. Were we firmly perswaded of the Wis­dom and Goodness of the Divine Pro­vidence, we should confidently rely upon it, and according to the Apostle's advice here in the Text, cast all our care upon him, because he careth for us.

I Have in the ordinary course of my Preaching been treating of the Attributes and Perfections of God, more particularly those which relate to the Divine Understanding; the Know­ledge and Wisdom of God. The first of these I have finisht; and made some progress in the second, the Wisdom of God; which I have spoken to in ge­neral, and have propounded more par­ticularly [Page 276] to consider those famous In­stances and Arguments of the Divine Wisdom, in the Creation of the World; the Government of it; and the redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ. The two first of these I have spoken to, namely the Wisdom of God, which appears in the Creation and Government of the World. I come now to the

III. Instance of the Divine Wisdom, the redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ; which I shall, by God's assistance, speak to from these words, Christ, the wisdom of God.

The Apostle in the beginning of this Epistle, upon occasion of his mention­ing the Divisions and Parties that were among the Corinthians, where one said, I am of Paul; another, I am of Apollos; asks them, whether Paul was crucified for them? or whether they were baptized in­to the name of Paul? To convince them that they could not pretend this, that they were Baptized into his Name, he tells them at the 14, and 15 ^th verses; that he had not so much as baptized any of them, except two or three; so far was he from having Baptized them into his own Name; and at the 17 ^th verse, he says, that his work, his principal work, was [Page 277] to preach the Gospel, which he had done, not with Humane Eloquence, not in wisdom of words, but with great plain­ness and simplicity, lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect; lest, if he should have used any Artifice, the Gos­pel should have been less powerful. And indeed his Preaching was unaffectedly plain, and therefore the Gospel did seem to very many to be a foolish and ridi­culous thing. The Story which they told of Christ Crucified, was to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolish­ness. The Jews, who expected another kind of Messias, that should come in great Pomp and Glory, to be a mighty Temporal Prince, they were angry at the Story of a crucified Christ. The Greeks, the Philosophers, who expected some curious Theories, adorned with Elo­quence, and delivered and laid down according to the exact Rules of Art, they derided this plain and simple Re­lation of Christ, and of the Gospel.

But tho' this Design of the Gospel appeared silly and foolish to rash and inconsiderate and prejudiced Minds, yet to them that are called, to them that do believe, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ, the power of God, and the Wisdom of God; [Page 278] Christ, that is, the way of our Redemp­tion by Jesus Christ, which the Apo­stle preached, the wisdom of God, an eminent Instance of it.

So that the redemption of Man by Jesus Christ is a Design of admirable Wis­dom.

This I shall endeavour to confirm to you.

• I. By general Testimonies of Scrip­ture. And
• II. By a more particular enquiry in­to the nature of this Design, and the Means how it is accomplish'd.

I. By Testimonies from Scripture. You know I have all along, in my Dis­courses of the Attributes of God, used this Method of proving them, from the Dictates of Natural Light, and the Re­velation of Scripture: But now I must forsake my wonted Method, for here the Light of Nature leaves me. The Wisdom of Creation is manifest in the things which are made; the heavens de­clare the glory of God's Wisdom, and the firmament shews his handy-work. The Works of God do preach and set forth the Wisdom of the Creator; but the Sun, Moon, and Stars, do not preach the Gospel. The Wisdom of redemption is [Page 279] Wisdom in a mystery, hidden wisdom, which none of the Princes, or Philosophers, of this World knew. The sharpest Wits, and the highest and most raised Under­standings amongst the Heathens, could say nothing of this. Here the Wisdom of the Wise, and the Ʋnderstanding of the Prudent is posed, and we may make the Apostles challenge, v. 20. of this Chapter, Where is the Wise, where is the Disputer of this World? There is no Na­tural Light discovers Christ; the Wise men cannot find him out, unless a star be created on purpose to lead and direct to him. Therefore in this I shall only de­pend upon Divine Revelation. 1 Cor. 2.7, 8. the Gospel is called the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory; Which none of the Princes of this world knew. Eph. 1.7, 8. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all Wisdom and Prudence. Eph. 3.10, 11. The manifold wisdom of God, ac­cording to the eternal purpose which he pur­posed in Christ Jesus our Lord. This work of our redemption by Jesus Christ is so various and admirable, that it is not be­low [Page 280] the Angels to know and understand it. To the intent, that unto principalities and powers in heavenly places, might be known the manifold wisdom of God.

II. By inquiring more particularly into the nature of this Design, and the Means how it is accomplisht. This is Wisdom, to fit Means to Ends; and the more difficult the End, the greater Wis­dom is required to find out suitable and sufficient Means for the accomplishment, of the End. Now the wisdom of redemp­tion will appear, if we consider the case of fallen Man; and what fit, and pro­per, and suitable Means, the Wisdom of God hath devised for our Recovery.

1. Let us consider the Case of fallen Man, which was very sad, both in re­spect of the Misery, and the Difficulty of it.

1. In respect of the Misery of it. Man, who was made Holy and Up­right by God, having, by his voluntary Transgression, and wilful Disobedience, fall'n from him, did presently sink into a corrupt and degenerate, into a mise­rable and cursed Condition, of which Heaven and Earth, and his own Con­science bore him Witness. Man, being become a Sinner, is not only deprived [Page 281] of the Image of God, but is liable to his Justice; here was his Misery.

2. The difficulty of the Case was this, Man could not recover himself and raise himself out of his own ruin; no Creature was able to do it; so that our help is only in God; and indeed he is a merciful God, and doth not desire our Ruin, nor delight in our Destruction: But suppose his Mercy never so willing to save us, will not his Holiness, and Justice, and Truth, check those forward Inclinations of his Goodness, and hind­er all the Designs of his Mercy? Is not sin contrary to the Holy Nature of God? hath not he declared his Infinite hatred of it? hath not he threatned it with heavy and dreadful Punishment? and said, that the sinner shall die, that he will not acquit the guilty, nor let sin go unpunish'd? Should he now, with­out any satisfaction to his offended Ju­stice, pardon the Sinner, remit his Pu­nishment, and receive him to favour? would this be agreeable to his Holiness, and Justice, and Truth? would this become the Wise Governour of the World, who loves Righteousness and Order; who hates sin, and is obliged [...] [Page 280] [...] [Page 281] [Page 282] by the essential rectitude of his Nature to discountenance sin?

So that here is a conflict of the At­tributes and Perfections of God. The Mercy of God pities our Misery, and would recover us, would open Paradise to us; but there is a flaming Sword that keeps us out; the incensed Justice of God that must be satisfied; and if he take vengeance of us, we are eternally ruin'd; if he spare us, how shall Mer­cy and Justice meet together? how shall God at once express his Love to the Sinner, and his hatred to sin? here is the difficulty of our Case.

II. Let us now enquire what Means the Wisdom of God useth for our re­covery. The Wisdom of God hath de­vised this expedient to accommodate all these Difficulties, to reconcile the Mer­cy and Justice of God. The Son of God shall undertake this work, and satisfie the offended Justice of God, and repair the ruin'd Nature of Man. He shall bring God and Man together, make up this Gulph, and renew the Commerce and Correspondence between God and us, which was broken off by Sin. The work that God designs is the redempti­on of Man, that is, his recovery from [Page 283] a state of Sin and Eternal Death, to a state of Holiness and Eternal Life. The Son of God is to engage in this Design of our Redemption, to satisfie the of­fended Justice of God toward us, so as to purchase our deliverance from the Wrath to come, and so as to restore us to the Image and Favour of God, that we may be sanctified, and be made Heirs of Eternal Life.

For opening of this, we will consi­der,

• 1. The fitness of the Person design­ed for this Work.
• 2. The fitness of the Means where­by he was to accomplish it.

1. The fitness of the Person design'd for this Work; and that was the e­ternal Son of God, who in respect of his Infinite Wisdom and Power, the Dig­nity and Credit of his Person, his dear­ness to his Father, and Interest in him, was very fit to undertake this Work, to mediate a Reconciliation between God and Man.

2. The fitness of the Means whereby he was to accomplish it; and these I shall refer to two Heads, his Humiliation and Exaltation. All the Parts of these are very subservient to the Design of our Redemption.

[Page 284]I. The Humiliation of Christ, which consists of three principal Parts; his In­carnation, his Life, and his Death.

1. His Incarnation, which is set forth in Scripture by several Expressions; his being made flesh, and dwelling among us, John 1.14. His being made of the seed of David according to the flesh, Rom. 1.3. His being made of a woman, Gal. 4.4. The manifestation of God in the flesh, 1 Tim. 3.16. His taking part of flesh and blood, Heb. 2.14. His taking on him the seed of Abraham, and being made like unto his bre­thren, Heb. 2.16, 17. His coming in the flesh, 1 John 2.2. All which signifies his taking upon him Humane Nature, and being really a Man as well as God. The Eternal Son of God, in the fulness of time took our Nature; that is, assumed a real Soul and Body into Union with the Di­vine Nature. Now this Person, who was really both God and man, was admirably fitted for the Work of our Redemption.

In general, this made him a fit Me­diator, an equal and middle Person to interpose in this Difference, and take up this Quarrel between God and Man. Being both God and man, he was con­cerned for both Parties, and interested both in the Honour of God, and the [Page 285] Happiness of Man, and engaged to be tender of both; and to procure the one by such ways as might be consistent with the other.

More particularly, his Incarnation did fit him for those two Offices which he was to perform in his Humiliation, of Prophet and Priest.

1. The Office of Prophet, to teach us both by his Doctrine and his Life.

By his Doctrine. His being in the like­ness of Man, this made him more fa­miliar to us. He was a Prophet raised up from among his Brethren, as Moses speaks, and he makes this an Argument why we should hear him. Should God speak to us immediately by himself, we could not hear him and live. God condescends to us, and complies with the weakness of our Nature, and raiseth up a Prophet from among our brethren; We should hear him. And then his being God, did add Credit and Authority to what he spake; he could confirm the Doctrine which he taught, by Miracles. Of his teaching us by his Life, I shall have occasion to speak presently.

2. For the Office of Priest. He was fit to be our Priest, because he was ta­ken from among Men, as the Apostle [Page 286] speaks; fit to suffer as being, Man having a body prepared, as it is Heb. 10.5. and fit to satisfie by his sufferings for the Sins of all Men, as being God, which put an infinite Dignity and Value up­on them, the sufferings of an infinite Person being equal to the offences done against an Infinite God. And thus the Mercy of God is exalted, without the Diminution of his Justice.

And as his Incarnation did qualifie him for suffering, so for compassion, and fellow-suffering with us, Heb. 2.17, 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high-priest, in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people; for in that he himself hath suffer'd being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

2. His Life was a means admirably fitted to bring Men to Holiness and Goodness. I might go through all the parts of it, but because I intend to be very short upon these Heads, I shall only take notice of that Part of his Life, which was spent in his publick Ministry; he went about doing good; the Doctrine that he Preached was Calcula­ted for the destroying of Sin, and the promoting of Holiness; the great End [Page 287] and Design of it was to advance Righ­teousness, and Goodness, and Humili­ty, and Patience, and Self-denial; to make us mortifie our sensual Desires, and brutish Passions, to contemn and renounce this present World; and this being the design of it, it was a most proper Engine to demolsh the Works of the Devil: and to make way for the entertainment of his Doctrine, the whole frame of his Life, and all the circumstances of it did contribute. His Life was the practice of his Doctrine, and a clear comment upon it. The mean­ness of his Condition in the World, that he had no share of the possessions of it, were a great advantage to his Do­ctrine of self-denial and contempt of the World. The Captain of our Salvation, that he might draw off our Affections from the World, and shew us how little the things of it are to be valued, would himself have no share in it, Mat. 8.20. The Foxes have holes, and the Birds of the air have nests; but the son of Man hath not where to lay his head. The mean circumstances of his Condition were very eminently for the advantage of his Design; for had he not been stript of all worldly Accom­modations, [Page 288] he could not have been so free from suspition of a worldly In­terest and Design; nay he could not have been so Considerable; he was real­ly greater for his Meanness. The very Heathens did account this true Great­ness, (as we find in Aristotle) not to admire the Pleasures, and Greatness, and Pomp of the World. And that his Meanness might be no Disadvantage to him, those Evidences that he gave of his Divinity in the wonderful Things that he did, rendred him considerable, and gained more Reverence and Authority to his Doctrine, then his Meanness could bring Contempt up­on it.

Besides, the manner of his Conver­sation was a very great Advantage to him; he was of a very sweet and con­versable and obliging Temper; and by this Means he did gain upon the People, and was acceptable to them; and thus he did apply himself to them in the most Humane ways, to make way for the Entertainment of his Doctrins. The Miracles that he wrought did confirm his Doctrine beyond all Exception, as being a Divine Testimony, and setting the Seal of God to the truth of it; yet [Page 289] because many were blinded with preju­dice, and tho' they did see, yet would not see, Christ the Wisdom of God did so order the business of his Miracles, as to make them Humane ways of win­ing upon them, for they were generally such as were beneficial, he healed all manner of Diseases and Maladies by this Miraculous Power; and so his Mira­cles did not only tend to confirm his Doctrine, as they were Miracles, but to make way for entertainment of it, as they were benefits; this was a sensi­ble demonstration to them that he in­tended them good, because he did them good; they would easily believe, that he who healed their Bodies, would not harm their Souls. This for his Life.

III. His Death, which was the low­est step of his Humiliation, and the con­summation of his sufferings. Now the Death of Christ did eminently contri­bute to this Design of our Redempti­on. The Death of Christ did not only expiate the guilt of Sin, and pacifie Conscience, by making plenary Satis­faction to the Divine Justice; but did eminently contribute to the killing of Sin in us, Rom. 6.6. Knowing this, that our old Man is crucified with him, that the [Page 290] body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we might not serve Sin. Rom. 8.3. God sending his own Son in the like­ness of sinful flesh, and for sin (that is by being a sacrifice for Sin) condemned sin in the flesh. The Death of Christ convinceth Sin to be a great Evil; and doth Condemn it, because the impartial Justice of God did so severely punish it in his own Son, when he appeared in the Person of a Sinner; and this is the most powerful Argument to us to crucifie Sin, that it crucified our Sa­viour. That so Innocent and Holy a Person should suffer so cruel and igno­minious a Death for our Sins, should set us for ever against it, and make us hate it with a perfect hatred.

The circumstances of Christ's sufferings are with admirable Wisdom fit­ted for the conquering of Sin and Sa­tan. Sin came by the Woman: the seed of the Woman suffers for Sin, and by suffering Conquers it. Sin began in the Garden: and there our Saviour began his sufferings for Sin. Sin came by the Tree: and Christ bears the curse of it in hanging upon the Tree, and crucifies it by his Cross.

[Page 291]And as he conquer'd sin, so he o­vercame Satan by his own Arts. The Devil found Christ in the likness of a Man, he judged him Mortal, and his great Design was to procure his Death, and get him into his Grave. Christ permits him to bring about his Design, he lets him enter into Judas, he lets the Jews crucifie, and put him into his Grave, and roll a great stone upon it: but here his Divine Wisdom appears, in ruining the Devil by his own Design, and snaring him in the works of his hands; Heb. 2.14. By death he destroys him, that had the power of death, that is the Devil.

I know the sufferings of Christ were, by the wise of the World, made the great Objection against the Wisdom of this dispensation; the Cross of Christ was to the Greeks foolishness: and yet the wisest of them had determined otherwise in general, tho' not in this particular Case. Plato (in the second Book of his Com­mon-Wealth) saith, ‘That a Man may be a perfect Pattern of Justice and Righteousness, and be approved by God and Men, he must be stript of all the things of this World, he must be poor and disgraced, and be [Page 292] accounted a wicked and unjust Man, he must be whipt, and tormented, and crucified as a Malefactor;’ which is, as it were, a prophetical Descripti­on of our Saviour's sufferings. And Arrian, in his Epict. describing a Man fit to reform the World, whom he calls ‘the Apostle, the Messenger, the Preacher and Minister of God, saith, he must be without House and Har­bour, and worldly Accommodations; must be armed with such Patience for the greatest sufferings, as if he were a Stone, and devoid of Sense; he must be a spectacle of Misery and Contempt to the World.’ So that by the acknow­ledgment of these two wise Heathens, there was nothing in the sufferings of Christ that was unbecoming the Wisdom of God, and improper to the End and Design of Christ's coming into the World; besides that they served a fur­ther end, which they did not dream of, the satisfying of Divine Justice.

Secondly, His Exaltation. The several parts of which, his Resurrection, and As­cension, and sitting the right hand of God, were eminently subservient to the per­fecting and carrying on of this Design.

[Page 293]The Resurrection of Christ is the great confirmation of the truth of all that he deliver'd, Rom. 1.4. Declared to be the son of God with power, [...], by the Resurrection from the Dead. This great Miracle of his Resurrection from the Dead did de­termine the Controversie, and put it out of all Doubt and Question, that he was the Son of God. And then his Ascension, and sitting at the right hand of God, this gives us the assurance of a Blessed Im­mortality, and is a demonstration of a life to come, and a pledge of everlast­ing Glory and Happiness. And can any thing tend more to the encouragement of Obedience, and to make us Dead to the Pleasures and Enjoyments of this life, than the assurance of Eternal Life and Happiness.

And then the Consequents of his Ex­altation, they do eminently conduce to our recovery. The sending of the Holy Ghost to lead us into all truth, to sancti­fie us, to assist us, and to comfort us under the greatest Troubles and Af­flictions; and the powerful Intercession of Christ in our behalf; and his return to Judgment; the expectation whereof is the great Argument to Repentance [Page 294] and Holiness of Life. Acts 17.30, 31. And the times of this ignorance God wink­ed at, but now commandeth all Men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the World in righteousness, by that Man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all Men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. And thus I have endea­voured to prove that the Redemption of Man by Jesus Christ is a Design of admira­ble Wisdom.

The use I shall make of it, is to con­vince us of the Uunreasonableness of un­belief, and the Folly and Madness of Impenitency.

First, The unreasonableness of Un­belief. The Gospel reveals to us the wise Counsel and Dispensation of God for our Redemption; and those who disbelieve the Gospel, they reject the counsel of God against themselves, as it is said of the unbelieving Pharisees and Lawyers, Luke 7.30. The Gospel re­veals to us a design so reasonable and full of Wisdom, that they who can dis­believe it are desperate Persons, devoted to ruin, 1 Cor. 1.18. The cross of Christ is to them that perish foolishness. 2 Cor. 4.3, 4. But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid [Page 295] to them that are lost; in whom the God of this World hath blinded the eyes of them that believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. The Gospel carries so much light and evi­dence in it, that it cannot be hid from any but such whose Eyes are blinded by the Devil and their Lusts.

He that will duly weigh and consi­der Things, and look narrowly into this wise dispensation of God, shall find nothing to object against it; nay shall discover in it the greatest motives and inducements to believe. We are apt to believe any thing that is reasonable, especially if it be for our Advantage; now this wise dispensation of God is not only reasonable in it self, but benefici­al to us; it does at once highly gratifie our Understandings, and satisfie our Interest; why should we not then be­lieve and entertain it.

I. The design of the Gospel is rea­sonable, and gratifies our Understand­ings. And in this respect the Gos­pel hath incomparable Advantages a­bove any other Religion. The end of all Religion is to advance Piety and Holi­ness, and real Goodness among Men; [Page 296] and the more any Religion advanceth these, the more reasonable it is. Now the great Incitements and Arguments to Piety, are the Excellency and Per­fection of the Divine Nature; fear of Punishment, and hopes of Pardon and Rewards. Now the Gospel represents all these to the greatest advantage.

1. It represents the Perfections of God to the greatest advantage, e­specially those which tend most to the promotion of Piety, and the love of God in us; his Justice and Mercy.

(1.) His Justice. The Gospel represents it inflexible in its Rights, and inexo­rable, and that will not in any case let Sin go unpunish'd. The impartiality of the Divine Justice appears in this Dispensation, that when God pardons the Sinner, yet he will punish Sin so severely in his own Son who was the Surety. Now what could more tend to discountenance Sin, and convince us of the great evil of it?

(2.) His Mercy. This Dispensation is a great demonstration of the Mercy, and Goodness, and Love of God, in sending his Son to die for Sinners, and in saving us by devoting and sacrifi­cing him, John 3.16. For God so loved [Page 297] the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. Rom. 5.8. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet Sinners, Christ died for us. 1 John 4.9, 10. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Now this representation of God's Mercy and Love which the Gos­pel makes, is of great force and effica­cy to melt our Hearts into love to God.

2. The Second Argument to Piety is fear of Punishment. The Gospel hath revealed to us the misery of those who continue in their Sin; it hath made clear and terrible discoveries of those Torments which attend sinners in another World, and hath open'd to us the Treasures of God's Wrath; so that now under the Gospel, hell is naked before us, and destruction hath no covering; and this is one thing which makes the Gospel so powerful an En­gine to destroy sin, Rom. 1.16, 18. The Gospel is the power of God unto salva­tion; for therein is the wrath of God re­vealed [Page 298] from heaven against all ungodliness, and unrighteousness of men.

3. Hopes of Pardon and Reward. And this, added to the former, renders the Gospel the most powerful Instru­ment to take men off from sin, and en­gage them to Holiness, that can be ima­gin'd. The Means to draw Men from sin, when they are once awaken'd with the fear of Vengeance, is hopes of Par­don and Mercy; and the way to encou­rage Obedience for the future, is hope of Reward. Now as an Argument to us to retreat and draw back from sin, the Gospel promises pardon and indemp­nity to us; and as an incitement to Holiness, the Gospel opens Heaven to us, and sets before us everlasting Glo­ry and Happiness, and gives us the greatest assurance of it.

This is the First, The Design of the Gospel is reasonable, in that it does e­minently and directly serve the ends of Piety and Religion.

II. This Dispensation of God is bene­ficial to us, and satisfies our Interest; and this adds to the unreasonableness of our Unbelief, this Design of God be­ing not only reasonable in it self, but de­sirable to us, that it should be so; because [Page 299] of the eminent Advantages that re­dound to us by it. The Design of the Gospel is to deliver from the Guilt and Dominion of Sin, and the Tyranny of Satan; to restore us to the Image and Favour of God; and by making us par­takers of a Divine Nature, to bring us to Eternal Life. And is there any thing of real Advantage which is not comprehended in this? Is it not desi­rable to every Man, that there should be a way whereby our guilty Consci­ences may be quieted and appeased; whereby we may be delivered from the fear of Death and Hell? Is it not desirable to be freed from the slavery of our Lusts, and rescued from the Ty­ranny and Power of the great Destroyer of Souls? Is it not desirable to be like God, and to be assured of his Love and Favour, who is the best Friend, and the most dangerous Enemy; and to be se­cur'd, that when we leave this World, we shall be unspeakably happy for ever? Now the Gospel conveys these Bene­fits to us; and if this be the Case of the Gospel, and there be nothing in this Design of our Redemption, but what is Wise and Reasonable, and ex­ceedingly for our Benefit and Advan­tage; [Page 300] why should any Man be so a­verse to the Belief of it? Why should Unbelief be counted a piece of Wit? Is it Wit to set our selves against Rea­son, and to oppose our best Interest? 'Tis Wickedness, and Prejudice, and in­considerateness which disbelieves the Gospel. Those who do consider things welcome this good News, and embrace these glad Tidings. Wisdom is justified of her Children. To them who are truly sensible of their own Interest, and wil­ling to accept of reasonable Evidence, this is not only a true saying, but worthy of all acceptation; that Christ came into the World to save sinners.

Secondly, This doth convince Men of the madness and folly of impenitency. Now the Wisdom of God hath contrived such a way of our Recovery, and by the Declaration of God's Wrath, and dis­pleasure against sin, hath given us such Arguments to Repentance, and by dis­covering a way of Pardon and Mercy, hath given us such encouragement to Repentance, how great must the Folly of impenitency be? For con­sider,

1. That impenitency Directly sets it self against the Wisdom of God. If [Page 301] after all this we continue in our Sins, we reject the counsel of God against our selves, we despise the Wisdom of God, and charge that with Folly; and we do it against our selves, to our own injury and ruine. If we live in our Sins, and cherish our lusts, we directly oppose the end of our Redemtion, we contradict the great Design of the Gospel, we contemn the admirable Contrivance of God's Wisdom, who sent his Son into the World on purpose to destroy Sin; for we uphold that which he came to destroy, 1 John 3.5. Ye know that he was manifested to take away our Sins. Now shall we continue in Sin, when we know, the Son of God was manifested to take away Sin? God cannot but take it very ill at our hands, when he hath laid out the Ri­ches of his Wisdom in this design, for us to go about to defeat him in it; this is at once to be unthankful to God, and injurious to our selves; 'tis such a madness, as if a condemned Man should despise a Pardon, as if a Prisoner should be fond of his Fetters, and refuse De­liverance; as if a Man, desperately sick should fight with his Physician, and put away Health from him. If we do not comply with the wisdom of God, which hath contrived our recovery; we [Page 302] forsake our own mercy, and neglect a great Salvation; we love death, and hate our own Souls, Prov. 8.14, 15, 16.

2. Consider, we cannot expect the wisdom of God should do more for our recovery, than hath been already done; the wisdom of God will not try any fur­ther means. Mat. 21.37. last of all he sent his Son. If we despise this way, if we tread under foot the Son of God, and count the blood of the Covenant, whereby we are sanctified, an unholy thing, there will remain no more sacrifice for sin, Heb. 10.26, 29. What can expiate the guilt of sin, if the Blood of Christ do not? What shall take us off from sin, what shall sanctifie us, if the blood of the Co­venant be ineffectual? We resist our last Remedy, and make void the best Means the Wisdom of God could devise for our Recovery, if, after the revelation of the Gospel, we continue in our Sins.

3. If we frustrate this Design of God's Wisdom for our Recovery, our Ruin will be the more dreadful and certain. Im­penitency under the Gospel will increase our Misery. If Christ had not come, we had had no sin, in comparison of what we now have; but now our sin remains, [Page 303] and there is no cloak for our sin, [...]. We shall not be able at the day of Judgment to Preface any thing by way of Excuse or Apology for our Impenitency. What shall we be able to say to the Justice of God, when that shall condemn us, who rejected his Wisdom, which would have saved us. We would all be saved, but we would be saved without Repentance; now the Wisdom of God hath not found out any other way to save us from Hell, but by saving us from our sins. And thou that will not submit to this Method of Divine Wisdom, take thy Course, and let's see how thou wilt escape the damnation of hell. I will conclude all with those dreadful words which the wisdom of God pronounceth against those that despise her, and refuse to heark­en to her Voice, Prov. 1.24, 25, 26. Be­cause I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched out my Hand, and no man re­garded; But ye have set at naught my Counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. They who will not comply with the Counsel of God for their Happiness, they shall inherit [Page 304] the Condition which they have cho­sen to themselves; they shall eat the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices.

IN treating of the Attributes of God, I have considered those which relate to the Divine Ʋnderstanding, viz. Knowledge and Wisdom; I come now to consider those which relate to the Divine Will, viz. these four, the Justice, the Truth, the Goodness, and the Holiness of God. I begin with the First, name­ly, the Justice of God.

[Page 306]At the 17 verse of this chapter, God, by a great and wonderful Condescen­tion of his goodness, reveals to Abra­ham his Intention concerning the De­struction of Sodom; upon this, Abraham v. 23. interceded with God for the saving of the Righteous Persons, that were there; and to this end, he Pleads with God his Justice and Righteousness, with which he apprehended it to be in consistent, to destroy the Righteous with the wicked, which, without a Miracle, could not be avoided in a general De­struction. Wilt thou also destroy the Righ­teous, with the Wicked? Peradventure there be fifty Righteous within the City, wilt thou also destroy, and not spare the place for the fifty Righteous that are therein? that be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the Righteous with the Wicked, and that the Righteous should be as the Wicked, that be far from thee, shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right? This Negative Interrogati­on is equivalent to a vehement affir­mation, shall not the Judge all the Earth do right? that is, undoubtedly he will. This we may take for a certain and un­doubted Principle, that in the distri­bution of rewards and punishments the [Page 307] Judge of the World will do Righte­ously.

So that the Argument that lies under our Consideration is the Justice of God in the distribution of Rewards and Punish­ments, for the clearing of which, we will consider it,

First, In Hypothesi, in regard to the particular Case, which is here put by Abraham in the Text.

Secondly, In Thesi, we will consider it in General, in the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments.

First, We will consider it in Hypo­thesi, in regard to the particular Case which is here put by Abraham in the Text, and the rather, because if we look well into it, there is something of real Difficulty in it, not easie to be cleared; for Abraham's reasoning, if it be true, does plainly Conclude, that it would have been unrighteous with God in the destruction of Sodom, not to make a difference between the Righte­ous and the Wicked, but to involve them equally in the same common De­struction. That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the Righteous with the Wicked, and that the Righteous should be as the Wicked, that be far from [Page 308] thee, shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right? as if he had said, surely the Judge of all the Earth will never do so unrighteous a Thing.

And yet notwithstanding this, we see it is very usual for the Providence of God to involve good Men in general Ca­lamities, and to make no visible difference between the Righteous and the Wicked. Now the difficulty is, how to reconcile these appearances of Providence with this reasoning of Abraham in the Text.

And for the doing of this, I see but one possible way, and that is this, that Abraham does not here speak concern­ing the Judgments of God which be­fal Men in the ordinary Course of his Providence, which many times happen promiscuously, and involve good and bad Men in the same ruine; and the reason hereof is Plain, because God in his ordinary Providence does permit the Causes, which produce these Judg­ments, to Act according to their own Nature, and they either cannot or will not make any distinction; for the Ca­lamities which ordinarily happen in the World are produced by two sorts of Causes either those which we call Natural, or those which are Voluntary. [Page 309] Natural Causes, such as Wind, and Thunder, and Storms, and the infection of the Air, and the like, these acting by a Necessity of Nature, without any Knowledge or Choice, can make no distinction between the Good and the Bad. And the Voluntary Causes of Ca­lamities, as Men are, they many times will make no difference between the Righ­teous and the Wicked; nay many times they are Maliciously bent against the Righteous, and the effects of their Ma­lice fall heaviest upon them. Now we say that things happen in the way of ordinary Providence, when Natural Causes are permitted to Act according to their Nature, and Voluntary Causes are left to their Liberty; and therefore in the course of ordinary Providence, it is not to be expected that such a distin­ction should be made; it is neither possible, nor does Justice require it; it is not possible, supposing Natural Causes left to Act according to their Nature, and Voluntary Causes to be left to their Liberty; nor does Justice require it, for every Man is so much a Sinner, that no evil that befals him in this World, can be said to be unjust in respect of God.

[Page 310]So that Abraham is not here to be understood, as speaking of such Judg­ments as befal Men in the ordinary course of God's Providence, in which, if the Good and Bad be involv'd alike, it cannot be expected to be otherwise, nor is there any injustice in it; but A­braham here speaks of Miraculous and Extraordinary Judgments, which are immediately inflicted by God for the Punishment of some crying Sins, and the example of the World, to deter others from the like. And such was this Judgment, which God intended to bring upon Sodom, and which Abraham hath Relation to in this Discourse of his. In this Case it may be expected from the Justice of God, that a Diffe­rence should be made between the- Righteous and the Wicked; and that for these Reasons.

1. Because this is a Judgment which God himself executes. It is not an Event of common Providence, which always follows the Nature of its Cause; but an Act of God, as a Judge. Now it is essential to a Judge to make a Discrimination between the Good and the Bad, so as to punish the one, and spare the other; and this is as ne­cessary [Page 311] to all proper Acts of Judgment in this World, as the other; there be­ing no other difference between them, but that one is a Particular Judgment, and the other the General Judgment of the whole World.

2. When God goes out of the way of his ordinary Providence in Pu­nishing, it may reasonably be expected that he should make a Difference be­tween the Good and the Bad; for the Reason, why he does not in his com­mon Providence is, because he will not break and interrupt the establisht order of things, upon every little occasion: But when he does go besides the com­mon course of Things in punishing, the Reason ceaseth, which hindred him be­fore from making a Difference; and 'tis reasonable enough to expect, that in the inflicting of a Miraculous Judgment, a Miraculous Difference should be made. Without making this difference, the end of these Miraculous Judgments would not be attained, which is, re­markably to punish the crying Sins of Men, and by that example to deter o­thers from the like Sins: But if these Judgments should fall promiscuously upon the Righteous and the Wicked, it [Page 312] would not be evident, that they were designed for the Punishment of such Sins, when Men did see, that they fell likewise upon those who were not guil­ty of those Sins, and consequently the example could not be so effectual to de­ter Men from Sin.

Upon all these accounts you see that Abraham's reasoning was very Strong and well Grounded, as to those Judg­ments which are Miraculous and Extra­ordinary, and immediately inflicted by God, for the Punishment of great and hainous Sins, which was the Case he was speaking of. And accordingly we find, that in these Judgments which have been Immediately and Miracu­lously inflicted by God, he hath always made this difference between the Righte­ous and the Wicked. In the Deluge which he brought upon the old World, the Spirit of God gives this Reason why the Judgment was so universal, because all Flesh had corrupted his way upon the Earth; and the Reason, why he saved Noah and his Family was, because in this general corruption of Mankind, he alone was Righteous; thee have I seen Righteous before me in this Generati­on. So likewise in that Miraculous [Page 313] Judgment of Korah and his Company, when God made a new thing, and the Earth opened her mouth to swallow them up, none perished but he and his complices, the rest had warning given them by God to remove from the tents of those wicked Men. Thus you see that as to the particular Case in the Text, Abra­ham's reasoning concerning the Justice of God is very firm, and concluding. I proceed to the

Second, Thing, which was that, which I principally intended to Discourse upon, viz. to consider the Justice of God in general, in the distribution of Re­wards and Punishments. And here I cannot but grant, that the best Evi­dence of this is yet wanting. We have clear demonstrations of the Power and Wisdom, and Goodness of God in this vast and admirable frame of Things which we see: but we must stay till the Day of Judgment for a clear and full Mani­festation of the Divine Justice; for which Reason the Day of Judgment is in Scrip­ture call'd, the Day of the Revelation of the Righteous Judgment of God. But in the mean time we may receive sufficient assurance of this, both from Natural Reason, and from Divine Revela­tion.

[Page 314]1. From Natural Reason, which tells us, that God loves Righteousness and hates Iniquity, and consequently that it must be agreable to his Nature to countenance and encourage the one, and to discoun­tenance the other; that is, to give some publick Testimony of his liking and Affection to the one, and of his Hatred and Dislike of the other, which cannot otherwise be done, but by Rewards and Punishments.

But however the Heathen reasoned about this matter, whatever premises they laid, they firmly believed the con­clusion, that God is Just. Plato lays down this as a certain and undoubted Principle, ‘that God is in no wise un­just, but as Righteous, as is possible, and that we cannot resemble God more, than in this quality and disposition.’ So likewise Seneca tells us, ‘That the Gods are neither capable of receiving an injury, nor of doing any thing that is unjust.’ Antoninus the great Emperour and Philosopher, speak­ing doubtfully, whether good Men are extinguisht by Death, or remain after­wards, ‘If it be just, says he, you may be sure it is so: if it be not just, you may certainly conclude the contrary, [Page 315] for God is just, and being so, he will do nothing that is unjust or unrea­sonable.’ And indeed the Heathen Phi­losophers looked upon this as the great sanction of all moral Precepts, that God was the Witness and the Avenger of the breach and violation of them, Qui secus faxit, deus ipse vindex erit, If any Man do contrary to them, God himself will punish it; which shews, that there is a Natural Awe upon the Minds of Men of the Divine Justice, which will overtake offenders either in this World or the other. But this will more clear­ly appear in the

2. Place, from Scripture, or Divine Revelation. And those Texts which I shall produce to this purpose, may be reduced to these two Heads; either such as prove the rectitude of the Divine Na­ture and his Justice in general; or such as speak more particularly of the Justice and Equity of his Providence in the distribution of Rewards and Punishments. I begin, first, with those which declare the rectitude of the Divine Nature, and the Justice of God in general, and that either by attributing this Perfection to him, or by removing the contrary, in­justice [Page 316] and unrighteousness at the great­est distance from him.

1. Those which attribute this Per­fection to God. I shall mention but a few of many, Psal. 129.4. The Lord is Righteous. Dan. 9.7. O Lord! Righ­teousness belongeth unto thee. This good Men have acknowledged, when they have lain under the hand of God, Ezra. 9.15. O Lord God of Israel, thou art Righteous. And this the worst of Men have been forced to own, when they have been in extremity, Ex. 9.27. then Pharoah said, the Lord is Righteous. This hath been likewise acknowledged by those who have layn under the greatest temptation to doubt of it, Jer. 12.1. Righteous art thou O Lord, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments, wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? The Pro­phet, notwithstanding he saw the prosperous Condition of wicked Men, and the afflicted state of the godly, which seemed hard to be recon­cile with the Justice of God's Provi­dence, yet before he would so much as reason about it, he lays down this as a certain conclusion, Righteous art thou, O Lord. To this Head likewise [Page 317] belong all those Texts which speak of Righteousness, as God's dwelling Place and his Throne, of his Delight in Justice, and of the Duration and Eternity of it, which I need not particularly recite.

2. There are likewise other Texts, which remove the contrary, viz. in­justice and unrighteousness at the greatest distance from God, as being most con­trary to his Nature and Perfection. Deut. 32.4. A God of truth, and with­out iniquity. 2 Chron. 19.7. There is to iniquity with the Lord our God, nor accepting of Persons, nor taking of Gifts. Job 8.3. Doth God pervert Judgment? or doth the Almighty pervert Justice? which is a vehement negation of the Thing. Job 34.10, 11, 12. Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty, that he should commit ini­quity. For the work of a Man shall he ren­der unto him, and cause every Man to find according to his ways. Yea surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert Judgment. Rom. 9.14. What shall we say then? is there unrighteous­ness with God? God forbid.

Secondly, There are other Texts which speak more particularly of the Justice and Righteousness of God in the distribu­tion [Page 318] of Rewards and Punishments. 'Tis true indeed, the Justice of God doth not constantly appear in this World in the dispensations of his Providence because this is a time of Patience and forbearance to Sinners, and of tryal and exercise to good Men; but there is a Day a coming, when all things shall be set straight, and every Man shall receive the just reward of his Deeds when the Justice of God shall be evident to all the World, and every Eye shall see it, and shall acknowledge the Righteous Judgment of God; and this the Scripture most clearly and expresly declares unto us; and hence it is, that the Day of Judgment is call'd the Day of the Revelation of the Righteous Judg­ment of God. The Righteousness of God doth not now so clearly appear, but that there are many Clouds over it; but there shall be a Day of Revelation, when the Righteousness of God shall be made manifest to all the World.

The remunerative Justice of God shall then appear in the rewarding the Righ­teous; and the punitive Justice of God in punishing the Wicked and Ungodly, so that a Man shall say, verily there is a reward for the Righteous, verily there is a God that judgeth the World.

[Page 319]Now the Righteousness of this venge­ance of God, which God will take upon Sinners, is further set forth to us in Scripture, from the Equity and Impar­tiality of it.

I. From the Equity of it,

1. In that the Sins of Men have justly deserved the Punishment, that shall come upon them, Rom. 1.32. Who knowing the judgment of God, [...], the righteous judgment of God, that they which commit such things, are worthy of Death.

2. In that the Judgment of God shall be proportioned to the Degree and Heinousness of Mens Sins; so as the les­ser or greater Sins shall be punisht with more or less Severity. So our Saviour threatens to those who continue im­penitent under the Gospel and the ad­vantages of it, their case shall be more sad than that of Tyre and Sidon, and it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah at the Day of Judgment, than for them. Mat. 11.20, 21. and Luke 12. 47, 48. There you have different De­grees of Punishment threatned, propor­tionable to the Aggravations of the Sins, which Men have committed; The servant which knew his Lord's will, and pre­pared [Page 320] not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes: but he that knew it not, but did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes; and so proportionably of all other Aggravations of Sins, for to whom much is given, of him shall much be requi­red, and unto whom Men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. So likewise God will vindicate the con­tempt of the Gospel more severely, than of the Law, because the confirmation of it is clearer, and the Salvation offered by it greater. Heb. 2.2, 3, 4. If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast, and eve­ry transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; how shall we es­cape? &c. And so, Heb. 10.28, 29. He that despised Moses his law died with­out mercy under two or three Witnesses, of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worth, who haht troden under foot the Son of God? &c.

II. The Righteousness of this Judg­ment is further set forth to us in Scrip­ture by the impartiality of it. Hither belong all those Texts, which remove from God that [...], that re­spect of Persons, which is so incident to humane Tribunals. Now respect of Per­sons [Page 321] is in distribution of Justice, and hath regard to some external qualities or circumstances of the Persons, which do not appertain to the merit of the cause, and upon Account of those circumstances, to deal unequally with those, whose Case is equal; as when two Persons, who are equally guilty of a Crime, are brought to their Tryal, and the one is Condemned, and the o­ther acquitted, upon the Account of Friendship, or Relation, or some o­ther Interest, because one is Poor and the other Rich, the one hath powerful Friends to intercede for him, the other not, the one brings a Gift or Bribe, the other not, or upon any other account, besides the pure Merits of the Cause; I say to deal thus in the distribution of of Justice, is respect of Persons. Otherwise in matters of meer grace and favour, respect of Persons hath no Place, accord­in [...] to that common rule of Divines, [...] locum non habet in gra­tuitis, sed in debitis. Now this the Scrip­ture every where speaks of, as a thing very far from God, Deut. 10.17. The Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty and a terrible, which regardeth not Persons, nor taketh re­wards. [Page 322] 2 Chron. 19.7. There is no ini­quity with the Lord our God, nor re­spect of Persons, nor taking of Gifts. Job 34.18, 19. Is it fit to say to a King, thou art Wicked? or to Princes, ye are ungodly? how much less to him that accepteth not the Persons of Princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they are all the work of his hands. Rom. 2.6. Who will render to every Man according to his deeds: for there is no respect of Persons with God. Acts 10.34, 35. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of Persons, but in every Nation: he that feareth him, and worketh righteous­ness, is accepted with him. Eph. 6.8, 9. The Apostle there presseth the duties of Servants to Masters, from this Conside­ration, that whatsoever good thing any Man doth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free, and at the 9 th. v. Ye Masters, do the same thing unto them, forbearing threatning; knowing that your Master also is in Heaven, neither is there respect of Persons with him. He maketh this likewise an Argument, why Men should not oppress and deal deceitfully one with another, Col. 3.25. But he that doth wrong, shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; and [Page 323] there is no respect of Persons. And in Ge­neral, St. Peter urgeth this Consideration upon all Men to deter them from Sin in any kind, 1 Pet. 1.17. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of Per­sons judgeth according to every Man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.

And besides that the Scripture doth remove this at the greatest Distance from God, it gives us also several in­stances of the impartiality of the Divine Justice, that it is not to be perverted and turned aside by any of those extrin­secal Considerations which commonly sway with Men; it is not to be prevail­ed with and overcome by Flattery and Entreaties, Mat. 7.21, 22. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven, &c. The Divine Justice is not to be imposed upon by good Words, and external shews, and false Professions; so neither by any external Relation to him; For many shall come from the East, and from the West, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of God, but the Children of the [...] [Page 322] [...] [Page 323] [Page 324] Kingdom shall be cast out into utter Dark­ness.

And however Men may bear up themselves now upon their worldly Greatness and Power, certainly there is a time a coming, when the greatest Persons in the World, those who over­turn Kingdoms, and lay wast Coun­tries, and oppress and ruin Millions of Mankind for the gratifying of their own Lusts and Ambition, I say there is a Day coming, when even these, as much, nay more than others, shall fear and tremble before the impartial Justice of God. Rev. 6.15. And the Kings of the earth, and the great Men, and the rich Men, and the chief Captains, and the mighty Men, and every Bond-man, and e­very Free-man hid themselves in the Dens, and in the Rocks of the Mountains; for the great Day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand? The impartial Justice of God will treat the greatest and the meanest Persons alike, Rev. 20.12. I saw the dead, small and great, stand be­fore God; and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, [Page 325] according to their works. All judged ac­cording to their Works.

I should next proceed to vindicate the Justice of God in the Distribution of Rewards and Punishments from those Objections, which seem to impeach it. But before I enter upon this, it will be convenient to satisfie one question, which hath occasioned great disputes in the World, and that is, how far Justice, especially as to the Punishment of Offenders is essential to God? And for the clearing of this matter I shall briefly lay down these Propositions.

First, I take this for a certain and undoubted Truth, that every Perfecti­on is essential to God, and cannot be imagined to be seperated from the Di­vine Nature, because this is the Natu­ral Notion which Men have of God, that he is a Being that hath all Perfecti­on.

Secondly, The actual constant exer­cise of those Divine Perfections, the effects whereof are without himself, is not essential to God. For instance, tho' God be essentially powerful, and good; yet it is not necessary, that he should always exercise his Power and Goodness; but at such times, and in such a manner, [Page 326] as seems best to his Wisdom; and this is likewise true of his Wisdom and Justice, because these are Perfections, the effects whereof are terminated upon something without himself.

Thirdly, It is essential to God to love Goodness, and hate Sin, wherever he sees them. It is not necessary there should be a World, or reasonable Crea­tures in it: but upon supposition that God makes such Creatures, it is agrea­ble to the Divine Nature, to give them good and righteous Laws, to encou­rage them in the doing of that which is good, and to discourage them from doing that which is evil, which cannot be done, but by Rewards and Punish­ments, and therefore it is agreable to the Perfection of the Divine Na­ture, to reward Goodness, and to pu­nish Sin.

Fourthly, As for those rewards which the Gospel promiseth, and the Punish­ments which it threatens, there is some difference to be made between the rewarding and punishing justice of God.

1. As for that abundant reward God is pleased to promise to good Men, the promise of it is founded in his goodness, [Page 327] and the performance of that promise in his justice; for it is justice to perform what he promises, tho' the promise of so great and abundant a reward was meer goodness.

2. As for the punishing justice of God, about which hath been the great Question, whether that be essential to God or not, it seems very plain, that it is not necessary that God should in­flict those judgments which he threat­ens, because he hath threatned them; for there is not the like obligation upon Persons to perform their threatnings, that there is to perform their promises; because God by his promise becomes a Debtour to those, to whom he makes the promise; but when he threatens, he is the Credi­tour, and we are Debtors to his Justice; and as a Creditor, he may remit the Punishment which he hath threatned: But then if we consider God as loving goodness and hating Sin; if we look up­on him as Governor of the World, and concerned to preserve good Order, to encourage Holiness and Righteousness, and to discountenance Sin, under this consideration it is essential to him to pu­nish Sin at such times, and in such man­ner [Page 328] and circumstances, as seems best to his Wisdom.

And I am not at all moved by that, which is urged by some learned Men to the contrary, that if punishing justice were essential to God, then he must pu­nish the Sinner immediately, so soon as he hath offended, and to the utmost of his Power; because whatever Acts natu­rally, Acts necessarily, and to the utmost: for I do not suppose such a justice essen­tial to God as Acts necessarily, but such a justice, which as to the time, and manner, and circumstances of its Acting is regulated and determined by his Wisdom; and there is the same Reason likewise of his goodness.

I come now to the Objections which are taken partly from the dispensations of God in this World; and partly from the punishments of the other.

First, As to the dispensations of God in this World, there are these two things Objected against the justice of the Di­vine Providence.

I. The inequality of God's dealings with good and bad Men in this World.

II. The translation of Punishments, punishing one Man's Sin upon another, [Page 329] as the Sins of the Fathers upon the Children, of the Prince upon the People. I begin with the

I. Objection, the inequality of God's dealing with good and bad Men in this World. In this life things happen pro­miscuously, there is one event to the righ­teous, and to the wicked; if the Wicked suffer and are afflicted, so are the Righ­teous; if the Righteous sometimes flou­rish, so do the Wicked; and is not this unjust, that those who are so une­qual as to their Deserts should be e­qually dealt withal? or if there be any inequality, it is usually the wrong way, the Wicked do many times pros­per more in the World, and the Righteous are frequently more afflict­ed. This was the great Objection of old against the Providence of God, which the Heathen Philosophers took so much pains to answer, nay it did often shake the faith of Holy and Good Men in the old Testament. Job 12.6. The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure, into whose hand God bringeth abundantly. and chap. 21.7, 8, 9. he Expostulates the same matter again; and David says this was a great stumbling-Block to him, Psal. 73.2, 3. [Page 330] and the like we find in the Prophets, Jer. 12.1. and Hab. 1.13. This Ob­jection I have else-where considered, I shall now very briefly offer two or three Things, which I hope will be sufficient to break the force of it.

1. It must be granted, that it is not necessary to justice to shew it self imme­diately, and to dispence Rewards and Punishments so soon as there are Objects for them. This is not thought necessary among Men, much more ought we to leave it to the Wisdom of God to de­termine the time and circumstances of the exercising of his Justice; and we are not to conclude that the Providence of God is unjust, if he do not bestow re­wards, and inflict Punishments, just when we think he should.

2. If God intended this Life for a State of Tryal, wherein he would prove the obedience of Men, and their free inclination to good or evil, it is not rea­sonable to expect that he should follow Men with present Rewards and Pu­nishments; for that would lay too great a force upon Men, so that there would hardly be any oportunity of trying them; but on the contrary, there is all the Reason in the World to presume that [Page 331] God should exercise the Graces and Virtues of good Men with afflictions and sufferings, and suffer bad Men to take their Course for a while, and walk in their own ways, without continual Checks by frequent and remarkable Judgments upon them, so often as they offend.

3. If there be another Life after this, wherein Men shall be Judged ac­cording to their works, then this Objecti­on vanisheth, for that great Day will set all things straight, which seem now to be so Crooked and Irregular. The deferring of Rewards and Punishments to the most convenient Season, is so far from being a reflection upon the justice of God, that it is highly to the commendation of it. What Claudian says of Ruffinus, a very bad Man, whose long impunity had tempted Men to call in question the justice of God, is considerable in this Case;

‘The Punishment which overtook him at last, did quiet those tumultuous [Page 332] thoughts, and absolved the gods from all blame.’ When Men look but a little way, and consider only the pre­sent state of Things, they are ready to quarrel at the Justice of them; but if they would look at the end of Things, and have Patience to stay till the last, to see the Conclusion and Winding up of things, they would then acquit God in their thoughts from all those impu­tations of injustice, which from the inequality of present dispensations, rash and inconsiderate Men are apt to charge him withal.

II. Objection, from the translation of Punishments, the punishing of one Man's Sin upon another, as of the Fa­thers upon the Children, which God threatens in the second Commandment, and did in some sort fulfil in Ahab, in bringing the evil he had threatned him withal, in his Son's Days, 1 Kings 21.19. The punishing the Sin of one Person upon a People, as that of Achan upon the whole Congregation, Josh. 22.20. Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing? and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel, and that man perished not alone in his iniquity. And the Sin of David upon the Peo­ple, [Page 333] 2 Sam. 24. When seventy thousand Dyed of the Plague, for David's Sin in numbring the People. Now how is this agreable to justice? is it not a known Rule, Noxa caput sequitur, Mischief pursues the Sinner? What can be more reasonable, Quam ut peccata suos teneant Authores, Than that Men's faults should be charged upon the Authors, and Punish­ment fall upon the guilty?

For answer to this.

1. It is not unreasonable that one Man should bear the punishment of another's Fault, if he be willing and content to bear it, Volenti non fit injuria, There is no wrong done to those, that are willing to undergo it, tho' they be innocent, which was the case of our Blessed Saviour suffering for us, the just for the unjust, as the Scripture expresseth it.

2. Where the Person, upon whom the punishment is trasfer'd, is likewise a sinner, and obnoxious to God, there can be no injustice; because he hath de­served it upon his own account, and God may take what occasion he pleaseth to punish them that deserve to be punisht.

3. In punishing the iniquity of the Father upon the Children, the guilty Per­son, that is, the Father, is punisht in the [Page 334] Calamity of his Children, for a Man's Children are himself Multiplyed; and there­fore it is very remarkable that in the second Commandment, God promiseth to shew mercy to thousands of Generations of them that love him; but he visits the iniquities of the Fathers upon the Child­ren, but to the third and fourth Genera­tion, that is so far as a Man may live to see them punisht, and suffer in their Punishment.

4. As to the Punishment of the Peo­ple for the sins of their Princes and Governors, and one part of a community for another, supposing all of them to be Sinners, which is the true case, God may lay the punishment where he pleas­eth; and there is no more injustice then when a Man is whipt on the Back for the theft which his hand committed, a community being one Body; besides the Prince is punisht in the loss of his People, the glory of a King consisting in the Multitude of his Subjects.

The Objection with respect to the other World, the punishment of temporal Evils with Eternal, is else-where an­swer'd.

The use we should make of this whole Discourse is,

[Page 335] First, If God be Just and Righteous, let us acknowledge it in all his dispen­sations, even in those, the Reason where­of is most hidden and obscure. Neh. 9.33. Speaking of the great afflictions that had befal'n God's own People, yet this he lays down as a firm Principle, howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us.

Secondly, This is matter of terrour to wicked Men. God doth now exercise his milder Attributes towards Sinners, his Mercy, and Patience, and Goodness; but if we despise these, that terrible Attri­bute of his Justice will desplay it self; and this the Scripture describes in a severe manner, the Lord revengeth, and is jealous; the Lord will take vengeance on his Adver­saries, and reserveth wrath for his Ene­mies.

Thirdly, This is matter of comfort to good Men, that the Righteous God Governs the World, and will judge it. The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoyce, Psal. 97.1. And he gives the Reason of it in the next v. Righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his Throne. Tho' he be omnipotent, we need not fear; for his Power is always under the conduct of Eternal Righteousness.

[Page 336] Fourthly, Let us imitate this righte­ousness, let us endeavour to be righteous as he is righteous; let us give to God the Love, Reverence, and Obedience which are due to him; and in all our dealings, what is just and due to Men. This Duty hath an immutable Reason, founded in the Nature of God.

IN speaking to this Attribute, I shall

• I. Shew you what we are to un­derstand by the Truth of God.
• II. Endeavour to prove that this Perfection belongs to God, that he is a God of Truth.
• III. Answer some Objections that may be made against it; and then make some Ʋse of it.

I. What we are to understand by the Truth of God. I shall take it as the Scripture useth it in a large Sense, so as [Page 338] to include not only the veracity of God; but his Faithfulness. Hence it is that in Scripture Truth and Faithfulness are so often put together, and frequently put one for another, Isa. 25.1. Thy coun­sels of old are faithfulness and truth. Rev. 21.5. These words are true and faithful. And the Faithfulness of God, in performing his Promises, is frequently call'd his Truth. And because the Scripture useth them promiscuously, we need not be very solicitous to find out distinct No­tions of them; but if you will, they may be distinguisht thus; the truth or veracity of God hath place in every De­claration of his Mind; the Faithfulness of God only in his Promises.

For the First, The veracity or truth of God; this hath place in every Declarati­on of his Mind, and signifies an exact Correspondence and Conformity be­tween his Word and his Mind, and con­sequently between his Word and the truth and reality of Things. The Cor­respondence of his Word with his Mind, depends upon the rectitude of his Will; the conformity of his Word with the re­ality of Things, not only upon the recti­tude of his Will, but the Perfection of his Knowledge, and the infallibility of his [Page 339] Ʋnderstanding; so that when we say God is true, or speaks Truth, we mean thus, that his Words are a plain Declaration of his Mind, and a true representation of Things, in opposition to False-hood, which is speaking otherwise than the thing is; and Hypocrisie, that is, speak­ing otherwise than we think. For in­stance, when God declares any thing to be so, or not to be so, to have been thus, or not to have been thus, the thing really is so, and he thinks so; when he expresseth his desire of any thing, he does really desire it; when he commands any thing, or forbids us any thing, it is really his Mind and Will that we should do what he Com­mands, and avoid what he forbids; when he declares and foretels any thing future, it really shall come to pass, and he really intended it should; if the De­claration be to be understood absolute­ly, it shall absolutely come to pass; if the Declaration be to be understood Conditionally, it shall come to pass, and he intends it shall, if the Condition be performed.

Secondly, The Faithfulness of God. This only hath place in his Promises, in which [Page 340] there is an Obligation of Justice superad­ded to his Word; for God by his Pro­mise doth not only declare what he in­tends, and what shall be; but confers a right upon them to whom the pro­mise is made, so as that the breach of his Promise would not only cast an im­putation upon his Truth, but upon his Justice.

II. That this Perfection belongs to God. And this I shall endeavour to prove,

First, From the Dictates of Natural Light.

Secondly, From Scripture.

First, From the Dictates of Natural Light. Natural Light tells us, that Truth and Faithfulness are Perfections, and consequently belong to the Divine Na­ture; and that False-hood and a Lie are Imperfections, and to be removed from God. There is nothing that is a­mongst Men esteemed a greater con­tumely and reproach, than to give a Man the Lie, to call him a Lyar, because it is an Argument of so much baseness, and of a low and mean and servile spi­rit; the usual Temptation to it being fear of losing some Advantage, or in­curring [Page 341] some danger. Hence was that saying, that it is the property of a Slave to lie, but of a free Man to speak truth: Now whatever argues baseness or im­perfection, our Reason tells us is infi­nitely to be separated from the most Perfect Being. God cannot be tempted with evil, the Divine Nature being all-sufficient, can have no temptation to be otherwise than Good and Just, and True and Faithful. Men are tempted to Lie by advantage, and out of fear: but the Divine Nature hath the security of its fullness and all-sufficiency, that it cannot hope for any increase, nor fear any impairment of its Estate. Men are unfaithful, and break their Words, ei­ther because they are rash and inconsi­derate in passing of them, or forgetful in minding them, or inconstant in keep­ing of them, or impotent and unable to perform them: but none of these are incident to God, his infinite Wisdom, and perfect Knowledge, and clear fore­sight of all Events, secure him both from inconsiderateness, and inconstancy, and forgetfulness; and his infinite Power renders him able to perform what he hath spoken, and to make good his Word. And that these are the Natural [Page 342] Dictates and Suggestions of our Minds, appears clearly from the reasonings of the Heathen in this matter, who were destitute of Divine Revelation. Plato de Repub. l. 2. lays down this as a cer­tain Truth, ‘That lying and False­hood are imperfections, and odious to God and Men, [...].’ And afterwards he tells us, ‘That the Divine Nature is free from all Temptation hereto, either from advantage or fear; [...];’ and Concludes, ‘There­fore God is true, and deals plain­ly with us, both in his Words and Actions, and is neither changed himself, nor deceives us.’ Porphyry in the Life of Pythagoras tells us, ‘That this was one of his Precepts, [...];’ and af­terwards he adds, ‘that Truth is so great a Perfection, that if God would ren­der himself visible to Men, he would chuse Light for his body, and Truth for his Soul.’

[Page 343] Secondly, From Scripture. The Scrip­ture doth very frequently attribute this to God, 2 Sam. 7.28. And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true; Psal. 25.10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth; Psal. 31.5. Into thy hand I commit my spirit: thou hast re­deemed me, O Lord God of truth. Rev. 3.7. These things saith he, that is holy, he that is true. Rev. 6.10. How long, O Lord, holy and true? 15.3. Just and true are thy ways, thou King of Saints. 16.7. True and righteous are thy judgments. Hi­ther we may refer those Texts which speak of the Plenty and Abundance of God's truth, Ex. 34.6. Abundant in goodness and truth. Psal. 86.15. Plen­teous in mercy and truth; and those which speak of the Duration and Eter­nity of it. Psal. 100.5. And his truth endureth to all generations. 117.2. And the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. 146.6. Who keepeth truth for ever.

As the Scripture doth attribute this Perfection to God, so it removes the contrary from him with the greatest abhorrence and detestation, Num. 23.19. God is not a Man that he should lie, neither the son of Man that he should repent, hath he said, and shall not he do it? hath he [Page 344] spoken, and shall he not make it good? They are Balaam's Words, but God put them into his Mouth. 1 Sam. 15.29. The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a Man that he should repent. Rom. 3.4. Yea let God be true, and eve­ry Man a Lyar. Nay the Scripture goes further, does not only remove lying and false-hood and inconstancy from God, but speaks of these as things impossible to the Divine Nature; Tit. 1.2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the World began. Heb. 6.18. That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.

And the Scripture doth not only in general attribute this Perfection to God, but doth more particularly assure us of his Sincerity and Truth and Faithful­ness. Of his sincerity; that he deals plain­ly with us, and speaks what he intends, that his Words are the image of his Thoughts, and a true representation of his Mind. God is very careful to remove this jealousie out of the Minds of Men, who are apt to entertain un­worthy Thoughts of God, as if not­withstanding [Page 345] all that he hath declared, he had a secret design to ruin Men; therefore he interposeth his Oath for our greater assurance, Ezek. 33.11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live. When God speaks to us, he speaks his Mind, and hath no design to circum­vent and possess us with Errour and Delusion; if he offer Life and Happi­ness, we may believe he is real, and that if he did not intend to bestow it upon us, or if there were no such thing as a future Glory, he would not have de­clared it to us; this was the temper of our Saviour, who was the express image of the Father, full of Grace and Truth. John 14.2. In my Father's house are ma­ny mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.

And as the Scripture assures us of his Sincerity, so of his Truth and Faithful­ness in the accomplishment of all his Pre­dictions, and performance of all his Pro­mises. As for the truth of his Predicti­ons, and certain accomplishment of them, the Scripture frequently useth this Proverbial Speech, to assure us of the certainty of their accomplishment; [Page 346] Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Mat. 24.35. For the Faithfulness of God in his Pro­mises, the Scripture makes frequent mention of it, Deut. 7.9. Know there­fore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy. Psal. 89.33, 34. I will not suffer my faithfulness to fail, my covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing which is gone out of my lips. The Scripture doth re­cord God's punctual and full perfor­mance of his Promises; particularly of that Promise to Abraham, after four hundred Years to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt, and to give them the Land of Canaan for an Inheritance. Gen. 15.13. the Punctual accomplishment you have recorded, Ex. 12.41. 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 hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt; see likewise Jos. 21.44, 45. and 23.14. 1 Kings 8.56. And upon this account it is that God is so frequently in Scrip­ture styl'd the God that keepeth covenant. 1 Kings 8.23. Neh. 1.5.9.32. and in several other Places. And so likewise of Predictions of evil to come, God is [Page 347] true in fulfilling his Word. 1 Sam. 15. [...]9. When the Prophet had threatned Saul to rent the Kingdom from him, he adds, the strength of Israel will not lie nor repent, for he is not a Man that he should repent.

III. I come to remove some Objecti­ons that may be made against the truth and faithfulness of God.

First, It is Objected against the since­rity of God and his plain dealing, that he is sometimes represented in Scrip­ture, as inspiring Prophets with false Messages. 1 Kings 22.20, &c. Jer. 4.10.20.7. Ezek. 14.9.

Ans. As to three of these Texts, it is a known Hebraism to express things in an imperative and active form, which are to be understood only permissively. So where the Devils besought Christ, that he would suffer them to enter into the herd of Swine, he said unto them go, Mat. 8.31. He did not command, but permit them. And so John 13.27. where our Savi­our says to Judas, what thou dost, do quick­ly, we are not to understand, that he commanded him to betray him, tho' that seem to be exprest in the form. So like­wise here, where an evil spirit offer'd [Page 348] himself to be a lying spirit in the mouth of the Prophet, and God says go forth and do so; this only signifies a per­mission not a command. And so Jer. 4.10. where the Prophet complains that God had greatly deceived the Peo­ple, saying they should have peace, when the sword reached to the Soul; we are to understand this no other­wise, but that God permitted the false Prophets to deceive them, by Prophe­sying Peace to them, as appears by the History. Ezek. 14.9. I the Lord have deceived that Prophet, that is permitted him to be deceived, and to deceive the People, as a just judgment upon them for their Infidelity with respect to his true Pro­phets. This he threatens at the 5 th. v. I will take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols; because they have chosen to themselves false gods, I will suffer them to be deceived with false Prophets; and that this is the meaning, appears by the threatning added, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people; now God will not punish that whereof he is the Author.

[Page 349]That Text Jer. 20.7. Thou hast de­ceived me, and I was deceived, signifies no more, but that he had mistaken the Promise of God to him, who when he gave him his Commission told him he would be with him, by which he un­derstood that no evil should come to him, and now he was become a derision, and the people mocked him; and in his passion and weakness he breaks forth into this expression, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; whereas it was his own mistake of the meaning of God's pro­mise, which was not that he should not meet with scorn, and opposition, and persecution, but that they should not prevail against him, as you may see at the latter end of the first Chapter.

Secon [...] Objection against the Faith­fulness of God as to performance of his promise. 'Tis Objected that God did not give the Children of Israel all the land which he promised to Abraham, as will appear by comparing, Gen. 18.19, 20. with Josh. 13.1. &c. and Judg. 2.20, 21. Gen. 15.18. God promiseth to give Abraham and his seed such a Land, the bounds whereof he describes; Josh. 13.1. 'Tis said there, that there remain­ed very much land yet unconquer'd, [...] [Page 348] [...] [Page 349] [Page 350] which they had not got the possession of▪ And Judg. 2.20. 'tis said that the Peo­ple having not performed their part of the Covenant, God would suspend the further performance of his Promise, and would not drive out any more of the Na­tions before them; and it is probable that the Israelites never were possest of the promised Land in the full latitude and extent of the Promise.

Ans. This Covenant of God with Abraham, was upon consideration of his past Faith and Obedience, tho' it seems the full performance of it did likewise depend upon the future Obe­dience of his posterity; in pursuance of this Covenant, notwithstanding all the murmerings and rebellions of that People, God did bring them into the promised Land, tho' they provoked him to destroy them many a time; because he remembred his covenant with Abraham; when they were possest of it, God gave them a title to the rest, and would have assisted them in the Conquest of it, if they had performed the Condition re­quired on their part, that is, continued Faithful and Obedient to him, but they did not, and thereby discharged God from any further performance of his [Page 351] Promise; and God when he had done this, had fully performed the Covenant he made with Abraham, so far as con­cerned his part, as appears by the ac­knowledgment of Joshua, even in a time when a great part of the Land was unconquer'd, Josh. 21.44. and of So­lomon, 1 Kings 8.56. yea and had it not been that God had made this Cove­nant, as well upon consideration of A­braham's Faith and Obedience, as upon Condition of the future Obedience of his Posterity, the Rebellions and Diso­bedience of the People in the Wilder­ness had released God wholly from the Promise, and he had not been unfaith­ful if he had destroyed utterly that People, and made a full end of them, and they had never entred into that Land, be­cause a failure of the Condition doth make the Obligation to cease; and that this Condition was imply'd in this Covenant with Abraham, appears by these Texts, Deut. 7.12, 13.11.22.23.42. and Judg. 2.20. God gives this Reason why he suspended the compleat performance of his Promise, the anger of the Lord was hot against Is­rael, and he said, because that this People [Page 352] hath transgressed my Covenant which I commanded their Fathers, and have not harkned to my voice, I also will not hence­forth drive out any of the Nations which Joshua left when he died.

Third Objection, God is not punctu­al in performing his Threatnings; as when he threatned Adam, Gen. 2.17. In the day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die; which yet was not accom­plisht, for he lived many hundred Years after. God threatned Ahab to bring evil upon him and his family, 1 Kings 21.21. But upon his Humiliati­on he is pleased to respite it, v. 29. So God threatned Hezekiah with Death, but upon his prayer adds fifteen Years to his Life. 2 Kings 20. Thus Nineveh was threatned, but upon their Repentance, God repented of the evil, Jon. 3.10. Now how is this deferring and turning away of judgment consistent with the Truth of God? doth not this seem to charge him with false-hood or levity?

Ans. This may be said in general, that every one that understands the Nature of God, cannot but be very well assur'd, that false-hood and levity are very far from God; and tho' he could [Page 353] not untie some particular Knots, and answer all difficulties, yet he ought to rest satisfied in this assurance. I con­fess this Objection is troublesom, and requires a distinct Consideration. I will not be peremptory in nice matters, but I shall, with submission, offer these things in answer to it.

1. As for the expression of God's re­penting, we are to understand it, as many others in Scripture, after the manner of Men, and spoken by way of conde­scention to our Weakness, and accom­modated to our Capacities, and not as casting any imputation of false hood or inconstancy upon God, as if either he did not intend what he saith, or out of levity did alter his Mind. When God is said to repent, the expression only signifies thus much, that God doth not execute that which seemed to us to have been his purpose, that he is pleased to do otherwise than his threatnings seemed openly to express, because of some tacit Condition implyed in them; and this doth not derogate either from the truth, or sincerity, or constancy of God in his Word. Not from his truth; for he speaks what he intends really, if something did nor intervene to prevent the [Page 354] Judgment threatned, upon which he was resolved, when he threatned, to be taken off and stop his Judgments: Nor doth it derogate from his sincerity and plainness; for he hath told us that his threatnings have such Conditions im­ply'd in them: Nor doth it derogate from the constancy and immutability of God; because God doth not mutare consi­lium sed sententiam, he doth not change his counsel and purpose, but takes off the sentence, which he had past with reser­ved Conditions.

2. As to the Instances, that I may give more particular satisfaction to them, I shall Consider the threatnings of God with this double respect, ei­ther with relation to Law, or with rela­tion to the Event; with relation to a Law, as they are the sanction of it; or with relation to the Event, as they are Predictions of something to come.

(1.) Some threatnings have only re­lation to a Law, as they are the sanction of it. And thus consider'd, they differ from Promises; for Promises confer a Right, omne promissum cadit in debitum; but a threatning doth not convey any Right, nor if forborn can the party com­plain of Wrong done to him; and there­fore [Page 355] in this Case it can only signifie what the offence against the Law deserves, and what the offender may expect; for the end of threatning is not Punishment, but the avoiding of it. And this may an­swer the first Instance. God gave Adam a Law; and by way of Sanction, not of Prediction of an Event, he threatned the breach of it with Death: Now God did not execute the Punishment threatned at the time threatned, but deferr'd it, and this without any impeachment of his Justice or Truth, because this threatning was only the Sanction of the Law.

(2.) We may consider Threatnings with Relation to the Event and as Pre­dictions; and as to the accomplishment of these, there seems to be a greater degree of Necessity, because the ho­nour of God's Knowledge, and Power, and Truth seem to be concerned in them; for if his Word be not fulfill'd, it must either be for want of Knowledge to fore­see Events, or Power to bring them to pass, or Constancy to his Word. Now if we consider Threatnings with respect to the Event, as they are Predictions of future Judgements, I think all the other Instances may be satisfied, by laying down this Rule for the understanding [Page 356] of them, viz. ‘That all Prophetical Threatnings or Predictions of Judg­ment are to be understood with this tacit Condition, if there do not inter­vene the Humiliation, and Repen­tance, and Prayer of the Persons against whom the Judgment is threat­ned; and if so, God may upon Re­pentance, without any impeachment of the honour of his Truth, or Knowledge, or Power, either defer, or abate, or remit the Punishment.’ And that the Predictions of Judgments are to be understood with this Condition, ap­pears clearly from that known Text, Jer. 18.7, 8.

I come now to the last thing I pro­posed, to make some Ʋse of this Do­ctrine.

First, If God be a God of Truth, then this gives us assurance that he doth not deceive us, that the Faculties which he hath given us are not false, but when they have clear perceptions of Things, they do not err and mistake. Were it not for the veracity of God, we might, for any thing we know, be under a constant Delusion; and no Man could demonstate the contrary, but that this is our make and temper, and the very [Page 357] frame of our Understandings, to be then most of all deceived, when we think our selves to be most certain; I say no Man could be assured of the contrary, but from hence, because veracity and truth is a Divine Perfection; and there­fore God cannot be the Author of Er­rour and Delusion. Therefore we may be assured, that the frame of our Under­standings is not a Cheat, but that our Faculties are true, and unless it be our own fault, we need not be deceived in things that are necessary to our Hap­piness.

Secondly, If God be a God of Truth, then there is Reason why we should believe and assent to whatever we are satisfied is revealed to us by God. A Divine Revelation is a sufficient ground for the most firm assent; for this very thing, that any thing is revealed by God, is the highest Evidence, and ought to give us the most firm assurance of the truth of it. Hence it is that the Word of God is call'd the Word of truth, yea and truth it self, John 17.17. Thy Word is truth.

Therefore whoever entertains the [...]criptures as the Word of God, and is satisfied of the Divine Authority of [Page 358] them, ought in Reason to believe every thing contained in them, yea tho' there be some things of which no reasonable account can be given, and which our Reason and Understanding cannot give us particular satisfaction in; yet because we are satisfied that they are revealed by God who cannot lie, whose Know­ledge is infallible, and whose Word is true, we ought upon this higher and su­perior Reason to yield a firm assent to the truth of them: if we do not, we dishonour this Perfection of God, and rob him of this essential property, his Veracity. 1 John 5.10. He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in him­self: he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeh not the re­cord that God gave of his Son. As on the other hand, if we do believe what God hath revealed, we glorifie this Perfecti­on of his, and set our seal to his Veraci­ty. So 'tis said of Abraham, Rom. 4.20. That he was strong in faith, giving glory to God. And St. John the Baptist, speak­ing concerning our Saviour, saith, John 3.33. He that hath received his testimony, hath set to his seal, that God is true.

[Page 359] Thirdly, If God be a God of truth, and faithful in performing his Promise, then here is a firm Foundation for our Hope and Trust. If God have made any Pro­mise, we may securely rely upon it, that it shall be made good; we may hold fast our hope without wavering, because he is faithful who hath promised, Heb. 10.23. Hence it is that the Blessings of God's Covenant are call'd sure mercies, Isa. 55.3.

We attribute much to the Word of a faithful Friend, and look upon the Promise of an honest Man as very good security; but Men may fail us when we rely upon them: but God is true, tho' all Men should prove Lyars. Men are fic­kle and murable; but the Nature of God is fixt, he cannot fail those that trust in him. When God hath made any Promise to us, we may plead it with him, and urge him with his faith­fulness. So we find David did, 2 Sam. 7.25. &c.

Only we should be careful to per­form the Condition which is required on our part, Heb. 4.1. we should take heed lest a Promise being left us, any one should come short of it, by not perform­ing the Condition; for that doth release [Page 360] and discharge him of the Promise, and he is faithful, tho' he doth not perform what he promised, because he did not promise but upon Condition; and this seem to be the meaning of those Words, 2 Tim. 2.13. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. He said before, that if we perform the Con­ditions required, God will bestow the Blessings promised, It is a faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, we also shall live with him; if we suffer, we also shall reign with him; but if we deny him, the Curse threatned will then take place, and he will deny us; and God is not unfaith­ful in doing this, he does not deny himself.

Now if we have such assurance, we may trust him with our greatest Con­cernments, and venture our Souls with him, Psal. 31.5. Into thy hands I commit my spirit, O Lord God of truth. We should rely upon him, when there are the greatest improbabilities of the ac­complishment of his Promises. Thus did Abraham, Rom. 4.17. &c.

This should also make us patient in hope; if a Promise be not speedily ac­complisht, we should not be dejected or disquieted. David challengeth him­self upon this account, Psal. 42.11. [Page 361] Why art thou cast down, O my Soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. And so likewise in reference to the Rewards of another World, tho' at a distance, yet we should, as the A­postle speaks, wait for the blessed Hope.

Fourthly, The Truth of God is matter of terrour to the Wicked. All the threat­nings of temporal Evils may justly be expected, because their Sins deserve them, and there is no Condition implyed in them, upon which thou canst reason­ably hope for the avoiding or abating of the Evils threatned, but of Humi­liation and Repentance, and if notwith­standing these threatnings thou conti­nuest in thy Sins, and blessest thy self, say­ing, I shall have peace, tho' thou walk in the imaginations of thy heart, by this very thing thou provokest the Justice of God not to spare thee, and makest his wrath and his jealousie to smoke a­gainst thee; and if thou continuest im­penitent, however he may defer the execution of temporal Evils, his Truth and Veracity is concerned to inflict e­ternal Punishments upon thee; for he [Page 362] hath sworn in his wrath that such shall no enter into his rest.

Fifthly, Let us propound to our selves the truth of God for our pattern and imi­tation. Would you be like God? be true and faithful. Truth and faithfulness are Divine Perfections; but lying and false­hood are the Properties of the Devil, and the predominant qualities of Hell. The character of the Devil is, that he abode not in the truth, and there is no truth in him, when he speaketh a lie, 'tis of his own, for he is a lyar and the Father of it. John 8.44.

One of the first and most natural No­tions that we have of Religion is, that it is to imitate God, and to endeavour to be like him, so far as we are capable; and to contradict any of the Divine Ex­cellencies and Perfections is the high­est Sin, because it is against the clear­est Dictates of our Mind, and contra­ry to those Principles which are most deeply rooted in our Nature. No Man can be Cruel and Unmerciful, False and Treacherous, without a very high degree of guilt, because these Sins are contrary to the chiefest and most essen­tial Perfections of God. Lying is a Sin that would fly in the Face of an Hea­then, [Page 363] because it directly contradicts those Natural Notions which every Man hath of God and Religion; therefore we find that there is hardly any thing that Men are more asham­ed of than to be taken in a Lie, and 'tis esteemed the highest reproach to be charged with it, it argues such a di­rect contrariety to that which is the Rule of Perfection, the Nature of God, and consequently so much imperfection and baseness. He that tells a Lie out of fear is at once bold towards God, and base towards Men.

Upon these accounts God expresseth himself highly offended with those that practise Lying and False-hood, and to have a detestation of them, Pro. 12.22. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord. It renders us unlike to him, Eph. 4.24, 25. Put on the new Man, which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness (or in the Holiness of truth.) And from hence he infers, Wherefore putting away lying, speak every Man truth with his Neighbour: for we are members one of another. Col. 3.9.10. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old Man with his deeds: And have put [Page 364] on the new Man, which is renewed in know­ledge, after the image of him that created him; that is, because we profess to be conformed to the image of God. More par­ticularly, we should charge our selves with truth and faithfulness towards God and Men.

1. Towards God, in our Oaths, and Vows, and Covenants. In our Oaths, when we swear in any Matter, we tell God that what we speak is Truth, and in­voke him to bear Witness to it. To falsifie in an Oath is one of the most solemn affronts that we can put upon the God of Truth.

And so in our Vows, which are a solemn Promise to God, of such things in which we have no precedent Obliga­tion lying upon us. He that regardeth truth will neither be rash in making a Vow, nor careless to perform it. Eccles. 5.4. When thou vowest a vow to God, defer not to pay it, for he hath no pleasure in Fools. Not to perform what we have vowed, is an Argument of Fol­ly; either of rashness in the making of it, or of inconstancy in not keeping it.

So likewise in all our Covenants with God, to serve him and obey him, and [Page 365] keep his Commandments, we should strictly charge our selves with perfor­mance of these. There is a Natural Ob­ligation upon us to these Things from the very Law of our Creation, tho' we should never solemnly make any such Promise, nor enter into any such En­gagements, because it is a tacit Condi­tion of our Beings; but the taking of this Covenant solemnly upon us in Baptism, strengthens the Obligation, and makes our unfaithfulness the great­er Sin. All our hopes of Happiness are founded in the Faithfulness of God; and if thou be false to him, how canst thou expect he should be faithful to thee? 'Tis true indeed, that he abides faithful, he cannot deny himself; but if thou hast any ingenuity in thee, this should be an Argument to thee to be faithful to him; I am sure this can be no Encouragement to thee to be un­faithful; for if thou breakest the Co­venant thou hast entred into, and neg­legctest the Conditions upon which God hath suspended the performance of his Promise, thou dischargest the Obligation on his part.

2. Towards Men; we should charge our selves with Truth in all our Words, [Page 366] and Faithfulness in all our Promises. It becomes us who worship the God of truth, to speak truth; to use plainness and sincerity in all our Words, to abhor Falsehood and Dissimulation, and those more refined ways of lying by equivocation of Words, and secret reservations of our Minds on purpose to deceive. Those that plead for these, 'tis a sign they do not understand the Nature of God, and of Religion, which is to conform our selves to the Divine Perfections. We meet with many complaints in the old Testament, of the want of Truth and Faithfulness among Men, Psal. 12.1.2. Isa. 59.13, 14, 15. Jer. 7.2, 8, 9.2.4, 5, 6. Hos. 4.1. I am afraid there is as much Reason for this complaint now; for we live in an Age of greater Light, which doth reprove and make manifest this work of Darkness; and methinks there is no sadder sign of the decay of Christiani­ty, and of the little power and influ­ence that the Gospel hath upon us, than that there is so little regard had by Christians to these Moral Duties, which because Moral (however Men may slight that Word) are therefore of Eternal and Indispensable Obligation, [Page 367] having their Foundation in the Nature of God.

To Conclude all, That Man that can dispence with himself as to Moral Duties, that makes no Conscience of telling a Lie, or breaking his Word, what Badge soever he may wear, what Title soever he may call him­self by, it is as impossible that such a Man should be a true Christian, as it is to reconcile the God of Truth, and the Father of Lies.

IN speaking to this Attribute, I shall

I. Inquire, what we are to under­stand by the Holiness of God.

II. Endeavour to shew, that this Perfection belongs to God.

I. What we are to understand by the Holiness of God. There is some dif­ficulty in fixing the proper Notion of [...]t; for tho' there be no Property more frequently attributed to God in Scrip­ [...]ure, than this of Holiness, yet there is [Page 370] none of all God's Attributes, which Divines have spoken more sparingly of than this.

The general Notion of Holiness is, that it is a separation from a common and ordinary, to a peculiar and excellent use. And this Notion of Holiness is ap­plicable either to Things or Persons. To Things; thus the Vessels of the Taberna­cle, and the Vestments of the Priests were said to be holy, because they were separated from common Use, and ap­propriated to the peculiar and excellent use of the service of God. Holiness o [...] Persons is two-fold, either Relative and External, which signifies the peculiar Relation of a Person to God; such were call'd, [...], Priests, or holy Men: or else Habitual and Inherent; such is the Holiness of good Men. And it is a sepa­ration from moral imperfection, that is from Sin and Impurity. And this is call'd [...]; and the primary Notion of i [...] is Negative, and signifies the absence and remotion of Sin: And this appears i [...] those explications which the Scriptur [...] gives of it. Thus 'tis explain'd by op­position to Sin and Impurity, 2 Cor 7.1. Let us cleanse our selves from a [...] filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting ho­liness; [Page 371] where Holiness is opposed to all filthiness. Sometimes by the negation of Sin and Defilement: So we find holy and without blame put together, Eph. 1.4. Holy and without blemish, Eph. 5.27. Holy, harmless, and undefiled, Heb. 7.26. 'Tis true indeed, this Negative Notion doth imply something that is Positive, it doth not only signifie the absence of Sin, but a contrariety to it; we cannot conceive the absence of Sin with­out the presence of Grace; as take away crookedness from a Thing, and it im­mediately becomes straight. When e­ver we are made Holy, every Lust and Corruption in us is supplanted by the contrary Grace.

Now this habitual Holiness of Per­sons, which consists in a separation from Sin, is a conformity to the Holiness of God; and by this we may come to under­stand what Holiness in God is; and it signifies the peculiar eminency of the Di­vine Nature, whereby it is separated and removed at an infinite distance from moral Imperfection, and that which we call Sin; that is, there is no such thing as Ma­lice, or Envy, or Hatred, or Revenge, or Impatience, or Cruelty, or Tyran­ny, or Injustice, or False-hood, or [Page 372] Unfaithfulness in God; or if there be any other Thing that signifies Sin, and Vice, and moral Imperfection, Holiness signifies that the Divine Nature is at an infinite distance from all these, and possest of the contrary Perfecti­ons.

Therefore all those Texts that re­move Moral Imperfection from God, and declare the repugnancy of it to the Divine Nature, do set forth the Holiness of God. Jam. 1.13. God cannot be tempted with evil. Job 8.3. Doth God pervert Judgment, or doth the Almighty pervert Justice? Job. 34.10, 12. Far be it from God that he should do wick­edness, and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. Yea surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Al­mighty pervert judgment. Rom. 9.14. Is there then unrighteousness with God? God forbid. Zeph. 3.5. The just Lord is in the midst thereof, he will not do ini­quity. And so false-hood, and unfaithful­ness, and inconstancy, Deut. 32.4. A God of truth, and without iniquity ▪ 1 Sam. 15.29. The strength of Israel will not lie. Tit. 1.2. In hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie hath promised ▪ Heb. 6.18. That by two immutable things, [Page 373] in which it was impossible for God to lie. Therefore you shall find, that Holi­ness is joyned with all the Moral Per­fections of the Divine Nature, or put for them. Hos. 11.9. I am the holy one in the midst of thee; that is, the merciful one. Psal. 145.17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Rom. 7.12. The com­mandment is holy, and just, and good. Rev. 3.7. These things saith he that is ho­ly, he that is true. Rev. 6.10. How long, O Lord, holy and true? Psal. 105.42. He remembred his holy pro­mise; holy, that is, in respect of the faithfulness of it. Isa. 55.3. The sure mercies of David; [...], the holy mercies of David, which will not fail.

So that the Holiness of God is not a particular, but an universal Per­fection, and runs through all the moral Perfections of the Divine Na­ture, 'tis the Beauty of the Divine Na­ture, and the Perfection of all his o­ther Perfections. Take away this, and you bring an universal stain and blemish upon the Divine Nature; without Holiness Power would be Oppression; and Wisdom, Subtilty; [Page 374] and Soveraignty Tyranny; and Goodness, Malice and Envy; and Justice, Cruelty; and Mercy, Fool­ish Pity; and Truth, False-hood: And therefore the Scripture speaks of this, as God's highest Excel­lency and Perfection. God is said to be glorious in Holiness. Ex. 15.11. Holiness is call'd God's throne. Psal. 47.8. He sitteth upon the throne of his ho­liness. This is that which makes Hea­ven, Isa. 63.15. It is called, The habitation of his holiness, and of his glory; as if this were the very Na­ture of God, and the sum of his Perfections. The Knowledge of God is called the Knowledge of the holy one. Pro. 9.10. To be made partak­ers of a Divine Nature, and to be made partakers of God's holiness, are equivalent Expressions. 2 Pet. 3.4. Heb. 12.10. And because there is no Perfection of God greater, therefore he is represented as swear­ing by this, Psal. 60.6. God hath spoken in his holiness. Psal. 89.35. Once have I sworn by my holiness. The Angels and glorified Spirits they sum up the Perfections of God in [Page 375] this, Isa. 6.3. And one cryed unto another, and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. Rev. 4.8. And they rest not day and night, saying, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. There is no Attri­bute of God so often repeated as this; in some Copies it is nine times.

II. I shall endeavour to prove that this Perfection belongs to God;

First, From the Light of Nature. The Philosophers in all their Discour­ses of God agree in this, that what­ever sounds like Vice and Imper­fection, is to be separated from the Divine Nature; which is, to acknowledge his Holiness. Plato, speaking of our likeness to God, saith, [...]. Dan. 4.9. King Nebuchadnezzar calls God by this Title, I know that the spirit of the holy Gods is in thee. In a Word, whatever hath been produced to prove any of God's Moral Perfecti­ons proves his Holiness.

[Page 376] Secondly, From Scripture. There is no Title more frequently given to God in Scripture, and so often ingeminated, as this of his Holiness. He is called Holiness it self, Isa. 63.15. Where Heaven is call'd the habi­tation of his Holiness, that is, of God. His Name is said to be Holy, Luke 1.49. And holy is his name. He is called the holy one, Isa. 40.25. The holy one of Israel. Isa. 41.20. The holy one of Jacob. 49.23. He is said to be holy in all his Works and Promises. Psal. 105.42. In all his ways and works, Psal. 145.17. This Title is given to each of the three Persons in the Blessed Trinity. To God the Father in innumera­ble Places: To God the Son, Dan. 9.24. To anoint the most holy. The Devil cannot deny him this Title, Luke 4.34. I know thee who thou art, the holy one of God: And the Spirit of God hath this Title constantly given it, the holy Ghost, or the holy Spirit, or the Spirit of Holiness. The Scripture attributes this Perfection in a peculiar manner to God, 1 Sam. 2.2. There is none holy as the Lord. Rev. 15.4. For thou only art [Page 377] holy. Holiness is a communicable Perfection; but no Creature can partake of it in such a manner and degree as the Divine Nature pos­sesseth it. God is eternally Holy, the Fountain of Holiness: the Crea­tures are derivatively and by partici­pation Holy. God is eminently and transcendently so: the Creatures in a finite Degree. God is immutably so, 'tis impossible it should be other­wise: but no Creature is out of an absolute possibility of Sin. In this sense it is said, Job 4.18. That he putteth no trust in his Saints, and his Angels he chargeth with folly, And Chap. 15.15. He putteth no trust in his Saints, and the Heavens are not pure in his sight. From all which I shall draw these in­ferences.

1. If Holiness be a Perfection of the Divine Nature, and a Property of God, if in the Notion of God, there be included an everlasting separation and distance from Moral Imperfection, an eternal repugnance to Sin and Iniquity; from hence we may infer, that there is an intrin­secal good and evil in Things, and the Reasons and Respects of moral [Page 378] good and evil do not depend upon any mutable, and inconstant, and arbitrary Principle, but are fixt and immutable, eternal and indis­pensable. Therefore they do not seem to me to speak so safely, who make the Divine Will, precisely and abstractedly consider'd, the Rule of Moral good and evil, as if there were nothing good or evil in its own Na­ture antecedently to the Will of God, but that all things are therefore good or evil, because God Wills them to be so; for if this were so, Goodness, and Righteousness, and Truth, and Faithfulness would not be essential, and necessary, and im­mutable Properties of the Divine Nature, but accidental, and arbitra­ry, and uncertain, and mutable; which is to suppose that God, if he pleased, might be otherwise than good, and just, and true. For if these depend meerly upon the Will of God, and be not necessary and essential Pro­perties of the Divine Nature, then the contrary of these, Malice, and Envy, and Unrighteousness, and False-hood do not imply any essen­tial [Page 379] repugnancy to the Divine Nature; which is plainly contrary to what the Scripture tells us, that God cannot be tempted with evil, that 'tis impossible he should lie, that he cannot be unrighteous.

If any Man say that God hath now declared himself to be Just, and Good, and Faithful, and now he cannot be otherwise, because he is a God of Truth, and he changeth not, this is to grant the thing; for this supposeth the veracity and immutabi­lity of God to be essential and necessa­ry Perfections of the Divine Nature; and why not justice and goodness as well? I say it supposeth veracity and immutability to be essential Perfecti­ons, and not to depend upon the Will of God, that is, that God cannot Will to be otherwise than true and unchangeable; for if he could, what assurance can we pos­sibly have, but that when he de­clares himself to be good and just, he is or may be otherwise.

But I need not insist upon this, which seems to be so very clear, and to carry its own Evidence a­long [Page 380] with it. I will only use this Argument to prove it, and so leave it. No Being can Will its own Nature and essential Perfections, that is, chuse whether it will be thus or otherwise; for that were to sup­pose it to be before it is, and be­fore it hath a Being, to deliberate about its own Nature. Therefore if this be the Nature of God, (which I think no body will deny) to be good, and just, and true, and necessari­ly to be what he is; then goodness, and justice, and truth, do not depend up-the Will of God, but there are such Things, such Notions antece­dently to any Act of the Divine Will. And this does no ways preju­dice the Liberty of God; for this is the highest Perfection to be necessa­rily Good, and Just, and True; and a Liberty or Possibility to be other­wise is impotency and imperfecti­on. For Liberty no where speaks Perfection, but were the Things and Actions about which 'tis conversant are indifferent; in all other things, 'tis the highest Perfection not to be free and indifferent, but immuta­ble [Page 381] and fixt, and necessarily bound up by the eternal Laws of Goodness, and Justice, and Truth, so that it shall not be possible to swerve from them; and this is the Perfection of the Divine Nature, which we call his Holiness.

2. If Holiness be the chief Excellency and Perfection of the Divine Nature, this shews us what account we are to make of Sin, and Wickedness, and Vice. We may judge of every Privation by the Habit, for they bear an exact Propor­tion one to another. Light and Dark­ness are opposed, as Habit and Priva­tion; if Light be pleasant and com­fortable, then Darkness is dismal and horrid. And so Holiness and Sin are opposed; if Holiness be the highest Perfection of any Nature, then Sin is the grand Imperfection and the lowest Debasement of any Being; because it is the most opposite to that, and at the furthest distance from that which is the first Excellency and Perfection.

This should rectifie our Judgment and Esteem of Things and Persons. [Page 382] We admire and esteem Riches, and Power, and Greatness; and we scorns and contemn Poverty, and Weakness, and Meanness; yea Grace and Ho­liness, if it be in the Company of these. We are apt to reverence and and value the Great, and the Rich, and the Mighty of this World, tho' they be Wicked; and to despise the poor Man's Wisdom and Holiness; but we make a false Judgment of Things and Persons. There is nothing that can be a Foundation of respect, that ought to command our Reverence and esteem, but real Worth and Excellency and Perfecti­on; and according to the Degrees of this, we ought to bestow our Re­pect and raise our Esteem. What St. James saith of respect of Persons, I may apply in this Case, Jam. 2.4. Are ye not then partial in your selves, and become judges of evil thoughts? We are extreamly partial, we make a false Judgment, and Reason ill concerning Things, when we ad­mire gilded Vices, and Wicked­ness exalted to high Places; I mean ungodly rich Men, and ungodly [Page 383] great men; for wicked Men they are properly ungodly, unlike to God; and when we contemn poor, and mean, and afflicted Holiness, and Piety. Were but our Eyes open, and our Judgment clear and unprejudic'd, we should see a beauty and resplendency in Good­ness: even when it is under the greatest disadvantage, when it is cloathed with Raggs, and sits upon a Dunghill, it would shine through all these Mists, and we should see a Native Light and Beauty in it, throw the darkness of a poor and low Condition: And we should see Wickedness to be a most vile and abject thing, when it appears in all its gallantry and bravery; we should look upon the poor righteous Man, as more excellent than his Neighbour; and the prophane Gallant, as the off­scouring of the Earth. We should value a Man that does justice, and loves mercy, and speaks the Truth to his Neighbour; we should esteem a­ny one more upon the Account of any one of these simple Qualities, then we would another Man, de­stitute of these, upon the account [Page 384] of a Hundred Titles of Honour, and Ten Thousand Acres of Land. A Wicked and Unholy Man, he is a vile Person, who deserves to be contemned; and a holy man he is the right honourable. Psal. 15.4. In whose Eyes a vile Person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. The vile person is opposed to him that fears the Lord. He that is bold to affront God, and sin against him, is the base and ignoble Person. God himself, who is possest of all Excellency and Perfection, and therefore knows best how to judge of these, he tells us, how we should value our selves and others, Jer. 9.23, 24. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches. But let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord, which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. To know these Divine Qualities and Perfe­ctions, signifies here, to understand [Page 385] them so as to imitate them. I do not speak this to bring down the value of any that are advanced in this World, or to lessen the re­spect which is due to them; I would have nothing undervalued, but Wickedness and Vice; and I would have those who have store of worldly Advantages to recom­mend them, to add Religion to their Riches, and Holiness to their Honour, that they may be current for their intrinsick value, rather than for the Image and Picture of worth which the World hath stampt up­on them.

3. If Holiness be the Chief Ex­cellency and Perfection of the Di­vine Nature, then what an absurd and unreasonable thing is it, to scorn and despise Holiness, to mock and deride men under this very Title! The World is much blind­ed, that they do not see the great Evil of Sin, and the Beauty and Ex­cellency of Holiness; but that Men should be so infatuated, as to change the nature of things, and to mis­take things of so vast difference, [Page 386] as sin and Holiness; to call Good evil, and evil Good; that sin, which is the vilest thing in the World, should be esteemed and cherish'd, and ac­counted a piece of gallantry, and reckon'd amongst the excellencies and accomplishments of Humane Nature; and Holiness, which is so great a Perfection, should be a Name of hatred and disgrace, to be con­temned and persecuted; that that which is the Glory of Heaven, and the most radiant Perfection of the Di­vine Nature, should be matter of scorn and contempt, as the Apostle speaks in another case, Behold! ye Despisers, and wonder, and perish. Do ye think the Holy and Just God will put up these Affronts, and Indignities? Ye do not only despise men, but ye despise God also. You cannot contemn that which God accounts his glory, without re­viling the Divine Nature, and of­fering despite to God himself. The malice reacheth Heaven, and is le­vel'd against God, whenever ye slight Holiness.

4. If God be a Holy God, and [Page 387] hath such a repugnancy in his Na­ture to sin, then this is matter of terror to wicked Men. The Holy God cannot but hate sin, and be an Enemy to wickedness; and the hatred of God is terrible. We dread the hatred of a great Man, because where hatred is back'd with power, the Effects of it are ter­rible. But the Hatred of the Al­mighty and Eternal God, is much more dreadful, because the Effects of it are greater, and more lasting, than of the hatred of a weak mor­tal man. We know the utmost they can do, they can but kill the body; after that, they have no more that they can do; they cannot hurt our Souls; they cannot follow us be­yond the Grave, and pursue us in­to another World: But the Effects of God's Hatred and Displeasure are mighty and lasting, they extend themselves to all Eternity; for who knoweth the Power of his Anger? Who can tell the utmost of what Omnipotent Justice can do to sin­ners? It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; be­cause [Page 388] he that lives for ever, can pu­nish for ever. We are miserable, if God do not love us. Those words, my soul shall have no pleasure in him, signifie great misery, and express a dreadful Curse: but it is a more positive Expression of misery, for God to hate us; that signifies Ruin and Destruction to the utmost. Psal. 5.4, 5. Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall e­vil dwell with thee. This is a [...], and expresseth less than is intend­ed. God is far from being of an indifferent negative Temper to­wards sin and wickedness; therefore the Psalmist adds, thou hatest all the workers of iniquity; and then in the next verse, to shew what is the effect of God's Hatred, thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing. Therefore Sinner, fear and tremble at the thoughts of God's Holiness.

5. Imitate the Holiness of God; this is the Inference here in the Text, be ye holy; for I am holy. Holiness, in one word, contains all the imitable Perfections of God; and when it is said, be ye holy, 'tis as much as if [Page 389] he had said, be ye Good, and Patient, and Merciful, and True, and Faith­ful; for I am so. Therefore Reli­gion is call'd the knowledge of the ho­ly one, Prov. 9.10. and Chap. 30.3. And our imitation of God is exprest by our putting on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness, Eph. 4.24. See­ing then this is the chief Excellency and Perfection of God, and the sum of all the Perfections which we are to imitate, and wherein we are to endeavour to be like God, let us conform our selves to the holy God; endeavour to be habitually holy, which is our conformity to the Nature of God; and actually holy, which is our conformity to the Will of God. I will not enlarge upon this, because I have prest the imitation of these particular Perfections, Goodness, Pa­tience, Justice, Truth, and Faith­fulness upon other Texts. I shall only mention two Arguments, to excite and quicken our Desires and Endeavour after Holiness.

[Page 390]1. Holiness is an imitation of the highest Excellency and Perfection. Holiness, I told you, signifies a sepa­ration from Sin and Vice, and all moral Imperfection, and consequent­ly, doth comprehend and take in all the moral Perfections of the Divine Nature, the Goodness, and Mercy, and Patience, and Justice, and Ve­racity, and Faithfulness of God; now these are the very Beauty and Glory of the Divine Nature. The first thing that we attribute to God, next to his Being, is his Goodness, and those other Attributes which have a necessary connexion with it; for his Greatness and Majesty is no­thing else but the Glory which re­sults from his united Perfections, e­specially from his Goodness, and those Perfections which are akin to it. Separate from God these Per­fections which Holiness includes in it, and what would be left but an Omnipotent Evil, an Eternal Being infinitely Knowing, and infinitely able to do mischief? which is as plain and notorious a Contradiction, and as impossible a thing as can be-imagin'd; [Page 391] so that if we have any sparks of ambition in us, we cannot but aspire after Holiness, which is so great an Excellency and Perfection of God himself. There is a vulgar prejudice against Holiness, as if it were a poor mean thing, and below a great and generous Spirit; whereas Holiness is the only true greatness of Mind, the most genuine Nobility, and the highest gallantry of Spirit; and however it be despised by Men, it is of a Heavenly Extraction, and Divine Original. Holiness is the first part of the Character of the wisdom that is from above. Jam. 3.17. The wis­dom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easie to be en­treated, full of mercy, and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypo­crisie.

2. Holiness is an essential and prin­cipal ingredient of Happiness. Holiness is a state of Peace and Tranquillity, and the very frame and temper of Happiness; and without it, the Di­vine Nature, as it would be imper­fect, so it would be miserable. If the Divine Nature were capa­pable [...] [Page 390] [...] [Page 391] [Page 392] of envy, or malice, or hatred, or revenge, or impatience, or cru­elty, or injustice, or unfaithfulness, it would be liable to vexation and discontent, than which nothing can be a greater disturbance of Hap­piness: so that Holiness is necessary to our Felicity and Contentment; not only to the happiness of the next life, but to our present Peace and Con­tentment. If reasonable Creatures could be happy, as brute Beasts are in their degree, by enjoying their depraved Appetites, and following the Dictates of Sense and Fancy, God would not have bound us up to a Law and Rule, but have left us, as he hath done unreasonable Crea­tures, to satisfie our Lusts and Ap­petites, without check and control: but Angels and Men, which are rea­sonable Creatures, have the Notions of Good and Evil, of Right and Wrong, of Comliness and Filthiness, so woven and twisted into their ve­ry Natures, that they can never be wholly defaced, without the ruine of their Beings; and therefore it is impossible that such Creatures should [Page 393] be happy otherwise, than by com­plying with these Notions, and obey­ing the natural Dictates and Sug­gestions of their Minds; which if they neglect, and go against, they will naturally feel remorse and Torment in their own Spirits; their Minds will be uneasie and unquiet, and they will be inwardly grieved and displeased with themselves for what they have done. So the A­postle tells us, Rom. 1. That even the most degenerate Heathens had Con­sciences which did accuse or excuse them, according as they obeyed, or did contrary to the dictates of Na­tural Light. God therefore, who knows our frame, hath so adapted his Law to us, which is the rule of holiness, that if we live up to it, we shall avoid the unspeakable tor­ment of a guilty Conscience; where­as, if we do contrary to it, we shall always be at discord with our selves, and in a perpetual dis­quiet of Mind; for nothing can do contrary to the Law of its Being, that is, to its own Nature, without [Page 394] displeasure and reluctancy, the consequence of which, in Moral Actions, is Guilt, which is nothing else, but the Trouble and Disquiet which ariseth in one's Mind, from consciousness of having done some thing that contradicts the perfe­ctive Principle of his Being, that is something which did not become him, and which, being what he is, that is a reasonable Creature, he ought not to do.

So that in all reasonable Creatures there is a certain kind of Temper and Disposition that is necessary and essential to Happiness, and that is Holi­ness; which as it is the Perfection, so it is the great Felicity of the Divine Nature: And on the contra­ry, this is one chief part of the Misery of those wicked and ac­cursed Spirits the Devils, and of unholy Men, that they are of a temper contrary to God, they are Envious, and Malicious, and Wick­ed, that is, of such a temper as is naturally a Torment and Dis­quiet to it self; and here the [Page 395] foundation of Hell is laid in the evil disposition of our Spirits, and till that be cured, which can only be done by Holiness, 'tis as impos­sible for a wicked Man to be hap­py, and contented in himself, as it is for a Sick Man to be at ease; and the external presence of God, and a local Heaven would signifie no more to make a wicked Man hap­py and contented, than heaps of Gold, and Consorts of Musick, and a well spread Table, and a rich Bed, would contribute to a Man's ease in the paroxysms of a Feaver, or in a violent fit of the Stone. If a sensual, or covetous, or ambiti­ous Man were in Heaven, he would be like the rich Man in Hell, he would be tormented with a continu­al Thirst, and burnt up in the Flames of his own ardent Desires, and would not meet with the least drop of suitable Pleasure and Delight, to quench and allay the Heat; the reason is, because such a Man hath that within him which torments him, and he cannot be at ease, [Page 399] till that be removed. Sin is the vi­olent and unnatural and uneasie State of our Soul, every wicked Man's Spirit is out of order, and till the Man be put into a right Frame by Holiness, he will be perpetually disquieted, and can have no rest within himself. The Pro­phet fitly describes the condition of such a Person, Isa. 57.20, 21. But the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast forth mire and dirt; there is no peace saith my God, to the wicked. So long as a Man is unholy, so long as filthiness and corruption abound in his Heart, they will be restlesty working, like Wine which is in a perpetual motion and agitation, till it have purged it self of its Dregs and Foulness. Nothing is more turbulent and un­quiet than the Spirit of a wicked Man; it is like the Sea, when it roars and rages through the strengh of contrary Winds; it is the scene of furious Lusts and wild Passions, which as they are contrary to Ho­liness, so they maintain perpetual [Page 397] contests and fewds among them­selves.

All Sin separates us from God, who is the Foundation of our Hap­piness. Our limited Nature, and the narrowness of our Beings, will not permit us to be happy in our selves; it is peculiar to God to be his own Happiness; but Man, be­cause he is finite, and therefore can­not be self-sufficient, is carried forth by an innate desire, of Happiness, to seek his Felicity in God. So that there is in the nature of man a Spring of restless Motion, which with great impatience forceth him out of him­self, and tosses him to and fro, till he comes to rest in something that is self-sufficient. Our Souls, when they are separated from God, like the unclean Spirit in the Gospel, when it was cast out, they wander up and down in dry and desart places, seeking rest, but finding none. Were the whole World calm about a Man, and did it not make the least attempt up­on him, were he free from the fears of Divine Vengeance; yet he could [Page 398] not be satisfied with himself, there is something within him that would not let him be at rest, but would tear him from his own Foundation and Consistency; so that when we are once broken off from God, the sense of inward want doth stimu­late and force us to seek our con­tentment else-where. So that no­thing but Holiness, which re-unites us to God, and restores our Souls to their primitive and original state, can make us happy, and give peace and rest to our Souls. And this is the constant voice and lan­guage of Scripture, and the tenour of the Bible. Acquaint thy self with God, that thou mayest be at Peace. Job 22.21. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart, Psal. 97.11. The work of righteousness is peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever, Isa. 32.17.

[Page 399]Seeing then Holiness is so high a Perfection, and so great a Happiness, let these Arguments prevail with us, to aspire after this temper, that as he who hath called us is holy, so we may be holy in all manner of Conver­sation, because it is written, be ye ho­ly, for I am holy.

THE Apostle in these Words recommends unto us a great and comprehensive Duty, the doing of good; concerning which the Text offers these five particulars to our Consideration.

• [Page 402]I. The Nature of the Duty it self, which is called well doing, v. 9. and doing good v. 10.
• II. The extent of this Duty, in respect of it's Object, which is all Mankind, Let us do good unto all men, especially unto them, who are of the houshold of faith.
• III. The measure of it, as we have opportunity.
• IV. Our unwearied perseverance in it; let us not be weary in well do­ing.
• V. The Argument and Encou­ragement to it, because in due season we shall reap, if we faint not: There­fore as we have opportunity, let us do good, &c.

I. I will consider the Nature of the Duty it self; of well doing, and doing good. And this I shall explain to you as briefly as I can, by con­sidering the extent of the Act of [Page 403] doing Good, and the Excellency of it. And

1. The extent of the Act. It com­prehends in it all those ways where­in we may be beneficial and useful to one another. It reaches not on­ly to the Bodies of Men, but to their Souls, that Better and more Excellent part of our selves; and is conversant in all those Ways and Kinds, whereby we may serve the temporal, or spiritual Good of our Neighbour, and promote either his present, or his future and eternal Happiness.

To instruct the Ignorant, or re­duce those that are in Error; to turn the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, and reclaim those that are engaged in any evil Course, by good Counsel, and seasonable Ad­monition, and by prudent and kind Reproof; to resolve and satisfie the doubting Mind; to confirm the weak; to heal the broken-hearted, and to comfort the melancholy and troubled Spirits. These are the [Page 404] noblest Ways of Charity, because they are conversant about the Souls of Men, and tend to procure and promote their eternal Felicity.

And then to feed the hungry, to cloath the naked, release the imprison­ed; to redeem the Captives, and to vindicate those who are injur'd and oppress'd in their Persons, or Estates, or Reputation; to repair those who are ruin'd in their For­tunes; and, in a word, to relieve and comfort those who are in any kind of Calamity or Distress.

All these are but the several Branches and Instances of this great Duty here in the Text, of doing good; tho' it hath, in this place, a more particular respect to the Charitable supply of those, who are in Want and Necessity; and therefore with a more particular re­gard to that, I shall Discourse of it at this time. You see the ex­tent of the Duty. We will in the

[Page 405]2. Place, briefly say something of the Ecellency of it, which will appear, if we consider, That it is the imitation of the highest Excel­lency and Perfection. To do Good, is to be like God, who is Good, and doth good; and it is to be like to him, in that which he esteems his greatest Glory. It is to be like the Son of God, who, when he was pleased to take our Nature upon him, and live here below, and to dwell amongst us, went about doing good. And it is to be like the bles­sed Angels, the highest Rank and Order of God's Creatures; whose great Employment it is to be mini­string Spirits, for the good of Men. So that for a Man to be kind, and helpful, and beneficial to others, is to be a good Angel, and a Saviour, and a kind of God too.

It is an Argument of a great, and noble, and generous Mind, to ex­tend our Thoughts and Cares to the concernments of others, and to em­ploy our interest, and power, and [Page 406] endeavours for their benefit and ad­vantage: Whereas a low, and mean, and narrow Spirit, is contracted and shrivel'd up within it self, and cares only for its own things, with­out any regard to the good and happiness of others.

It is the most noble work in the World, because that inclination of Mind, which prompts us to do good, is the very temper and dis­position of Happiness. Solomon, after all his Experience of worldly great­ness and pleasure, at last pitched upon this, as the great felicity of humane Life, and the only good Use that is to be made of a pro­sperous and plentiful Fortune. Ec­cles. 3.12. I know (says he, speaking of Riches) that there is no good in them, but for a Man to rejoice and do good in his life. And certainly the best way to take joy in an Estate, is to do good with it; and a greater and wiser than Solomon has said it, even he who is the Power and Wisdom of God has said it, [Page 407] that it is a more blessed thing to give than to receive.

Consider farther, That this is one of the great and substantial parts of Religion, and next to the love and honour, which we pay to Almighty God, the most acceptable Service that we can do to him; it is one Table of the Law, and next the First and great Commandment, of loving the Lord our God, and very like to it. And the second is like un­to it, (says our Saviour) Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self; like to it, in the excellency of it; and equal to it, in the necessary obligation of it. For this Commandment (says St. John, 1 Epist. Chap. 4. v. 21). we have from him, that he who loveth God, love his Brother also. The First Com­mandment indeed excels in the dig­nity of the Object, because it en­joins the Love of God; but the se­cond seems to have the advantage in the reality of its Effects: for the Love of God consists in our ac­knowledgment, and honour of him; but our righteousness and goodness ex­tends [Page 408] not to him; we can do him no real Benefit and Advantage: But our love to Men is really Useful and Beneficial to them; for which rea­son, God is contented in many ca­ses, that the external Honour and Worship which he requires of us by his positive Commands, should give way to that Natural Duty of Love and Mercy which we owe to one another. I will have mercy (says God in the Prophet Amos) and not sacrifice.

And to shew how great a value God puts upon this Duty, he hath made it the very Testimony of our love to himself; and for want of it, hath declared that he will reject all our other Professions and Testimo­nies of love to him, as false and insincere. Who so hath this worlds good, (saith St. John, 1 Epist. 3.17.) and seeth his Brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? And again, Chap. 4. ver. 20. If any man say, I love God, and ha­teth his Brother, he is a lyar; for he [Page 409] that loveth not his Brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen?

You see the Duty here recom­mended, both in the Extent and in the Excellency of it; let us do good. I proceed to consider, in the

II. Place, the Extent of this Du­ty, in respect of its Object, which is all Mankind, but more especially Christians, those that are of the same Faith and Religion. Let us do good unto all men, especially unto those that are of the houshold of Faith. So that the Object, about which this Duty is conversant, is very large, and takes in all Mankind; let us do good unto all men. The Jews confi­ned their Love and Kindness to their own Kindred and Nation; and because they were prohibited familiarity with Idolatrous Nations, and were enjoined to maintain a perpetual Enmity with Amalek, and the seven Nations of Canaan, whom God had cast out before them, and devoted to Ruin; they looked up­on [Page 410] themselves as perfectly dis­charg'd from all Obligation of Kind­ness to the rest of Mankind: And yet it is certain, that they were expresly enjoin'd by their Law, to be kind to Strangers, because they themselves had been Strangers in the Land of Egypt. But our Savi­our hath restored this Law of Love and Charity to its Natural and O­riginal extent; and hath declared every one that is of the same na­ture with our selves to be our Neigh­bour, and our Brother; and that he is to be treated by us accordingly, when ever he stands in need of our kindness and help; and to shew that none are out of the com­pass of our Charity, he hath ex­presly commanded us to extend it to those, who of all others can least pretend to it, even our Enemies and Persecutors.

So that if the Question be about the extent of our Charity in gene­ral, these two things are plainly enjoined by the Christian Religi­on.

[Page 411]1. Negatively, That we should not hate or bear ill-will to any man, or do him any harm or mis­chief. Love worketh no Evil to his Neighbour, (saith the Apostle) Rom. 13.10. And this negative Chari­ty every Man may exercise towards all Men, without Exception, and that equally; because it does not signifie any positive Act, but only that we abstain from Enmity and Hatred, from Injury and Revenge, which it is in every Man's power, by the Grace of God, and the due care and government of himself, to do.

2. Positively, The Law of Cha­rity requires, that we should bear an universal good-will to all Men, and wish every Man's happiness, and pray for it, as sincerely as we wish and pray for our own; and if we be sincere in our Wishes, and Prayers for the good of others, we shall be so in our Endeavours to procure and promote it.

[Page 412]But the great difficulty is, as to the exercise of our Charity, and the real Expressions and Effects of it, in doing good to others; which is the Duty here meant in the Text, and (as I told you before) does more particularly relate to the Relief of those who are in Want and Ne­cessity. And the reason of the dif­ficulty is, because no Man can do good to all in this kind, if he would; it not being possible for any Man to come to the knowledge of every man's Necessity and Distress; and if he could, no man's Ability can possibly reach to the supply and the relief of all men's Wants. And in­deed this limitation the Text gives to this Duty; as we have opportunity (says the Apostle) let us do good unto all men; which either signifies, as occasion is offered, or as we have Ability of doing, or both; as I shall shew afterwards.

So that it being impossible to ex­ercise this Charity to all Men that stand in need of it, 'tis necessary [Page 413] to make a difference, and to use Prudence and Discretion in the Choice of the most fit and proper Objects. We do not know the Wants of all men, and therefore the bounds of our Knowledge do of necessity li­mit our Charity within a certain compass; and of those whom we do know, we can relieve but a small part, for want of Ability; from whence it follows, that tho' a man were never so Charitably disposed, yet he must of necessity set some Rules to himself, for the management of his Charity to the best advantage. What those Rules are, cannot mi­nutely and nicely be determined; when all is done, much must be left to every man's prudence and discretion, upon a full view and consideration of the Case before him, and all the Circumstances of it; but yet such ge­neral Rules may be given, as may serve for the direction of our Practice in most Cases; and for the rest, e­very man's prudence, as well as it can, must determine the matter. And the Rules which I shall give, shall be these.

[Page 414] First, Cases of Extremity ought to take the first place, and do for that time challenge precedence of all other Considerations. If a Per­son be in great and present Di­stress, and his Necessity so urgent, that if he be not immediately re­lieved, he must perish; this is so violent a Case, and calls so loud for present help, that there is no resisting of it, whatever the Per­son be; though a perfect Stranger to us, though most unworthy, though the greatest Enemy we have in the World, yet the great­ness of his Distress does so strong­ly plead for him, as to silence all Considerations to the contrary; for after all, he is a man, and is of the same Nature with our selves, and the consideration of Humanity ought, for that time, to prevail over all Objections against the Man, and to prefer him to our Charity, before the nearest Rela­tion and Friend, who is not in the like Extremity. In other cases, we not only may, but ought to [Page 415] relieve our Friends, and those that have deserved well of us in the first place: but if our Enemy be in Extremity, then that Divine Pre­cept takes place, if thine Enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him to drink.

Secondly, In the next place, I think, that the Obligation of Na­ture, and the nearness of Relation, does challenge a Preference; for there is all the Reason in the World, if other things be equal, that we should consider and sup­ply the necessity of those, who are of our Blood and Kindred, and Members of our Family, before the Necessities of Strangers, and those who have no relation to us. There is a special Duty in­cumbent upon us, and another Ob­ligation beside that of Charity, to have a particular Care and Regard for them. In this case not only Christianity, but Nature tyes this Duty upon us, 1 Tim. 5.8. If any man provide not for his own, e­specially for his Domesticks, for them [Page 416] that are of his Family, he hath deny­ed the Faith, and is worse than an Infidel; that is, he doth not only offend against the Law of Christia­nity, but against the very Dictates of Nature, which prevail even a­mongst the Infidels. And our Sa­viour hath told us, that when our Parents stand in need of relief, it is more acceptable to God, to employ our Estates that way, than to devote them to him, and his immediate service; and that it is a kind of Sa­crilege to Consecrate that to God, whereby our Parents may be pro­fited, and provided for in their Ne­cessity.

Thirdly, The Obligation of Kindness and Benefits, lays the next claim to our Charity. If they fall into Want, who have obliged us by their former Kindness and Charity, both Justice and Charity do chal­lenge from us a particular conside­ration of their Case; and proportio­nably, if we our selves have been obliged to their Family, or to any that are nearly related to them.

[Page 417] Fourthly, Those who are of the houshold of faith, and of the same Religion; and Members of the same Mystical Bo­dy, and do partake of the same Holy Mysteries, the Body and Blood of our Blessed Saviour, the strict­est Bond of Love and Charity, These fall under a very particular Consideration in the exercise of our Charity. And of this the Apostle puts us in Mind, in the last words of my Text; let us do good unto all Men, especially unto those that are of the houshold of faith. God hath a special Love and Regard for such; and those whom God Loves, ought to be very dear to us.

And this, perhaps, was a consi­deration of the first rank in those times, when Christians liv'd among Heathens, and were exposed to con­tinual Wants and Sufferings; but it signifies much less now, that Christianity is the general Profession of a Nation, and is too often made use of to very uncharitable pur­poses; [Page 418] to confine Men's Bounty and Benefits to their own Sect and Party, as if they, and none but they, were the houshold of Faith; A Principle, which I know not whether it hath more of Judaisme or of Popery in it.

Fifthly, After these, the Merit of the Persons, who are the Objects of our Charity, and all the Cir­cumstances belonging to them, are to be valu'd and consider'd, and we are accordingly to proportion our Charity, and the degrees of it. I shall instance in some parti­culars, by which a prudent Man may judge of the rest.

Those who labour in an honest calling, but yet are opprest with their charge, or disabled for a time by Sickness, or some other casual­ty; these many a time need as much, and certainly deserve much better than common Beggars; for these are useful members of the Common-Wealth; and we cannot [Page 419] place our Charity better, than up­on those, who do what they can to support themselves.

Those likewise who are fallen from a rich and plentiful Condi­dion, without any fault or Prodi­gality of their own, meerly by the Providence of God, or some gene­ral Calamity; these are more es­pecially Objects of our Charity, and liberal Relief.

And those also, who have been Charitable, and have liberally re­lieved others, when they were in Condition to do it; or the Child­ren, or near Relations of those, who were eminently Charitable and beneficial to Mankind, do deserve a particular regard in our Chari­ty. Mankind being (as I may say) bound in Justice, and for the honour of God's Providence, to make good his Promise, to preserve such from extream necessity.

And lastly, those, whose visible Wants, and great Age and Infir­mities [Page 420] do plead for more than or­dinary Pity, and do, at first sight, convince every one that sees them, that they do not Beg out of Lazi­ness, but of necessity, and because they are not able to do any thing towards their own support and sub­sistence.

There are innumerable Circum­stances more, which it would be endless to reckon up; but these which I have mentioned are some of the chief, and by proportion to these, we may direct our selves in other Cases.

Sixthly, Those whom we certain­ly know to be true Objects of Cha­rity, are to be consider'd by us, be­fore those who are strangers to us, and whose Condition we do not know, yea, tho' in common Cha­rity we do not dis-believe them; be­cause in Reason and Prudence we are obliged to prefer those, who are certainly known to us, since we find by experience, that there are many Cheats and counterfit Beggars, who can tell a fair Story, and carry [Page 421] about Testimonials of their own making; and likewise because we run the Hazard of misplacing our Charity, when there are Objects e­nough besides, where we are sure we shall place it right; and Charity misplaced, as it is in Truth and Rea­lity no Charity in it's self, so it is hardly any in us, when we squan­der it so imprudently as to pass by a certain and real Object, and give it to those of whom we are not cer­tain, that they are true Objects of Charity. In this blind way a Man may give all his Goods to the Poor, as he thinks, and yet do no real Cha­rity. And therefore, unless we be a­ble to relieve every one that asks, we must of necessity make a diffe­rence, and use our best Prudence in the choice of the most proper Objects of our Charity.

And yet we ought not to ob­serve this Rule so strictly, as to shut out all whom we do not know, without exception; because their Case, if it be true, may sometimes be much more pitiable, and of great­er extremity, than the case of many [Page 422] whom we do know; and then it would be uncharitable to reject such, and to harden our Hearts so far against them, as utterly to dis­believe them; because it is no fault of theirs, that we do not know them; no, their Wants may be real, notwithstanding that; es­pecially when their Extremity seems great, we ought not to stand up­on too rigorous a Proof and Evi­dence of it, but should accept of a fair probability.

Seventhly, Those who suffer for the Cause of Religion, and are stript of all for the sake of it, ought to have a great Precedence in our Charity to most other cases. And this of late hath been, and still is, the case of many among us, who have fled hither for Refuge, from the Tyranny and Cruelty of their Persecutors, and have been by a most extraordinary Charity of the whole Nation, more than once ex­tended to them, most seasonably reliev'd; but especially by the Bounty of this great City, whose [Page 423] Liberality, upon these Occasions, hath been beyond all Example, and even all belief. And I have often thought, that this very thing, next to the Mercy and Goodness of Almighty God, hath had a par­ticular Influence upon our Preser­vation and Deliverance from those terrible Calamities, which were just ready to break in upon us; and were we not so stupidly in­sensible of this great Deliverance which God hath wrought for us, and so horribly unthankful to him, and to the happy Instruments of it, might still be a means to con­tinue the Favour of God to us. And what cause have we to thank God, who hath allotted to us this more blessed, and more merciful part, to give, and not to receive; to be free from Persecution our selves, that we might give Refuge and Relief to those that are perse­cuted!

III. We must consider the Mea­sure of our Charity, [...], which our Translation ren­ders, [Page 424] as we have Opportunity; others, as we have Ability: So that this Ex­pression may refer, either to the Occasions of our Charity, or to the Season of it, or to the Pro­portion and Degree of it.

1. It may refer to the Occasi­ons of our Charity, as we have Op­portunity let us do good, that is, ac­cording as the Occasions of doing good shall present themselves to us, so often as an Opportunity is offer'd. And this is an Argument of a very good and charitable Disposition, gladly to lay hold of the occasions of doing good; as it were to meet Opportunities when they are a coming towards us. This forwardness of Mind, in the work of Charity, the Apostle com­mends in the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 9.2. I know the forwardness of your minds, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia: And this he requires of all Christians, Tit. 3.10. That they should be ready to every good work; And 1 Tim. 6.18. That we be ready to distribute, wil­ling [Page 425] to communicate. Some are ve­ry ready to decline these Oppor­tunities, and to get out of the way of them; and when they thrust themselves upon them, and they cannot avoid them, they do what they do grudgingly, and not with a willing mind.

2. It may refer to the Season of this Duty, [...], while we have time, [...] for [...], whilst this Life lasts; so Grotius does understand, and interpret this Phrase; and then the Apostle does hereby intimate to them, the un­certainty of their Lives, especial­ly in those times of Persecution. And this Consideration holds in all times in some degree, that our Lives are short and uncertain, that it is but a little while that we can serve God in this kind, name­ly, while we are in this World, in this Vale of Misery and Wants. In the next World there will be no occasion, no Opportunity for it; we shall then have nothing to do, but to reap the Reward of [Page 426] the good we have done in this Life, and to receive that blessed Sentence from the Mouth of the great Judge of the World, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, before the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat, &c. And Euge bone serve! Well done good and faithfull Servant! thou hast been faithfull in a little, and I will make thee Ruler over much. God wil then declare his Bounty and Goodness to us, and open those inex­haustible Treasures of Glory and Happiness, which all good Men shall partake of, in proportion to the good which they have done in this World. Or else,

3. (Which I take to be the most probable meaning of this Phrase) It may refer to the Degree of this Duty in proportion to our Ability and Estate; as we have Ability, let us do good unto all Men. And this the Phrase will bear, as Lear­ned Men have observ'd; and it is very reasonable to take in this [Page 427] Sense, at least, as part of the mea­ning of it, either exprest or im­ply'd. For without this we can­not exercise Charity, tho' there were never so many Occasions for it; and then this Precept will be of the same Importance with that of the Son of Sirach, Ecclus. 35.10. Give unto the most high accord­ing as he hath enriched thee; and with that Counsel, Tob. 4.7. Give Alms, [...], according to thy Substance, and 8. v. If thou hast abundance, give Alms according­ly. And this may be reasonably expected from us; for where-ever his Providence gives a Man an E­state, it is but in Trust for cer­tain Uses and Purposes, among which Charity and Alms is the chief: And we must be accountable to him, whether we have dispo­sed it faithfully to the Ends, for which it was committed to us. It is an easie thing with him to le­vel Mens Estates, and to give e­very Man a Competency; but he does on purpose suffer things to be distributed so unequally, to try and [Page 428] exercise the Virtues of Men in se­veral ways; the Faith and Pati­ence of the Poor, the Contented­ness of those in a middle Conditi­on, the Charity and Bounty of the Rich. And in truth, Wealth and Riches, that is, an Estate a­bove what sufficeth our real Oc­casions and Necessities, is in no o­ther sense a Blessing, than as it is an Opportunity put into our Hands, by the Providence of God, of do­ing more good; and if we do not faithfully employ it to this end, it is but a Temptation and a Snare; and the rust of our Silver and our Gold will be a witness a­gainst us; and we do but heap up Treasures together against the last Day.

But what Proportion our Chari­ty ought to bear to our Estates, I shall not undertake to deter­mine. The Circumstances of Men have too much variety in them to admit of any certain Rule; some may do well, and others may do better; every Man, as God hath [Page 429] put into his Heart, and according to his Belief of the recompence which shall be made at the resurrection of the just. I shall only say in gene­ral, that if there be first a free and willing Mind, that will make a Man charitable to his Power; For the liberal Man will devise libe­ral things. And we cannot propose a better Pattern to our selves in this kind, than the King and Queen, who are, as they ought to be (but as it very seldom happens) the most bright and shining Examples of this greatest of all Graces and Virtues, Charity and Compassion to the poor and persecuted. I pro­ceed to the

IV. Thing considerable in the Text, viz. Our unwearied Perse­verance in this work of doing good, let us not be weary in well-do­ing. After we have done some few Acts of Charity, yea tho' they should be very considerable, we must not sit down and say we have done enough. There will still be new Objects, new Occasions, [Page 430] new Opportunities for the exercise of our Charity, springing up and presenting themselves to us. Let us never think, that we can do enough in the way of doing good. The best and the happiest Beings are most constant and unweary'd in this work of doing good. The holy Angels of God are conti­nually employed in ministring for the good of those, who shall be Heirs of Salvation: And the Son of God, when he appear'd in our Nature, and dwelt among us, that he might be a perfect and fa­miliar Example to us of all Ho­liness and Virtue, he went about do­ing good to the Bodies and to the Souls of Men. How diligent and unweary'd was he in this work! It was his Employment and his Plea­sure, his Meat and Drink, the Joy and the Life of his Life. And God himself, tho' he is infinitely and perfectly good in himself, yet he still continues to do good, and is never weary of this blessed work. It is the Nature, and the Perfecti­on, and the Felicity of God him­self; [Page 431] and how can we be weary of that work, which is an Imita­tion of the highest Excellency and Perfection, and the very Essence of Happiness.

V. And lastly, Here is the Ar­gument and Encouragement to the chearful discharge of this Duty, be­cause in due season we shall reap, if we faint not; therefore as we have oppor­tunity, let us do good unto all Men. In due season we shall reap, that is, sooner or later, in this World, or in the other, we shall receive the full reward of our well-doing.

And now I have explain'd this Duty to you, as plainly and briefly as I could, the hardest part of my Task is yet behind, to perswade Men to the practice of it; and to this purpose I shall only insist upon the promise in the Text, be not weary in well-doing; for in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not. We shall reap the plea­sure and satisfaction of it in our own Minds, and all the other mighty Ad­vantages of it in this World, and [Page 432] the vast and unspeakable Reward of it in the other.

First, We shall reap the Plea­sure and Satisfaction of it in our own Minds; and there is no sen­sual Pleasure that is comparable to the delight of Doing good. This Cato makes his boast of, as the great Comfort and Joy of his old Age, Conscientia bene actae vitae, mul­torumque benefactorum recordatio ju­cundissima. The remembrance of a well spent Life, and of many Be­nefits and Kindnesses done by us to others, is one of the most plea­sant things in the World. Sensu­al Pleasures soon die and vanish; but that is not the worst of them, they leave a Sting behind them, and when the Pleasure is gone, nothing remains but Guilt, and Trouble, and Repentance: where­as the Reflection upon any good we have done, is a perpetual Spring of Peace and Pleasure to us, and no Trouble and Bitterness ensues upon it; the Thoughts of it lye even and easy in our Minds, and [Page 433] so often as it comes to our Re­membrance, it ministers fresh Com­fort to us.

Secondly, We shall likewise reap other mighty Advantages by it in this World. It is the way to de­rive a lasting Blessing upon our E­states. What we give in Alms and Charity is consecrated to God, and is one of the chiefest and most acceptable Sacrifices in the Chri­stian Religion; so the Apostle tells us, Heb. 13.16. To do good, and to communicate, forget not; for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased. It is like the first-Fruits under the Law, which being dedicated and offered up to God, did derive a Blessing upon their whole Har­vest.

And it procures for us also the Blessings and Prayers of those, to whom we extend our Charity; their Blessing, I say, upon us and ours, and all that we have; and is it a small thing in our eye, to [Page 434] have (as Job speaks) the Blessing of them, who are ready to perish, to come upon us? The fervent Prayer of the poor for us availeth much, for God hath a special regard to the Prayers of the destitute, and his Ear is open to their cry.

Few Men have Faith to believe it, but certainly Charity is a great security to us in the times of E­vil, and that not only from the special Promise and Providence of God, which is engaged to pre­serve those from want, who are ready to relieve the Necessity of others, Prov. 11.25. The liberal Soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall be watered also him­self, and Prov. 28.27. He that giveth to the poor shall not lack; he shall not be afraid in the evil time, and in the days of Dearth he shall be satisfiyed, says the Psalmist: But besides the Promise and Provi­dence of God, our Charity and Alms are likewise a great security to us, from the Nature and Reason of [Page 435] the thing it self. Whosoever is charitable to others, does wisely bespeak the Charity and Kindness of others for himself, against the day of necessity; for there is no­thing that makes a Man more, and surer Friends, than our Boun­ty; this will plead for us, and stand our Friend in our greatest Troubles and Dangers; For a good Man, saith the Apostle, that is, for one that is ready to oblige others by great Kindnesses and Benefits, one would even dare to die. It has sometimes happened, that the Obligation which a man hath laid upon others by a chearful and seasonable Charity, hath in time of Danger and Extremity done him more kindness, than all his E­state could do for him. Alms, saith the Wise Man, hath delivered from Death.

And in times of publick Distress, and when we are beset with cruel and powerful Enemies, who, if God were not on our side, would swallow as [Page 436] up quick, the publick Charity o [...] a Nation does many times prove its best Safeguard and Shield. There is a most remarkable Passage to this purpose, Ecclus. 29.11, 12, 13. Lay up thy Treasure according to the commandment of the most high, and it shall bring thee more profit, than Gold; shut up thine alms in thy Store-house, and it shall deliver thee from all affliction, it shall fight for thee against thy enemies, more than a migh­ty Shield and a strong Spear.

And of this I doubt not, but we of this Nation, by the great Mercy and Goodness of Al­mighty God, have had happy ex­perience in our late wonderful Deliverance, under the Conduct and Valour, of one of the best and bravest of Princes, and to whom by too many among us, the most unworthy and unthankful Returns have been made, for the unwea­ried pains he hath undergone, and for the desperate hazards he hath expos'd himself to for our sakes, [Page 437] that ever were made to so Great and Generous a Benefactour; so great a Benefactour I say, not on­ly to these Nations, but to all Eu­rope, in asserting and vindicating their Liberties against the insolent Tyranny and Pride of one of the greatest oppressours of Mankind, of whom I may say, as Job does of the Leviathan, Job 41.33, 34. Ʋpon the earth is not his like, he behold­eth all high things, and is the King of all the Children of Pride.

And beyond all this, the Blessing of God does descend upon the po­sterity of those, who are eminently Charitable, and great Benefactours to Mankind. This David observes in his time; I have been young (says he) and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging Bread; and what he means by the righteous Man, he explains in the next Words, he is ever merciful and lendeth.

[Page 438]I shall only add upon this Head, that the practice of this Virtue will be one of our best comforts at the hour of Death, and that we shall then look back upon all the good we have done in our life, with the greatest contentment and joy imaginable. Xenophon in his Cyrus, which he design'd for the perfect Idea of a good Prince, represents him in the last minutes of his life, addressing himself to God to this purpose, Thou knowest that I have been a lover of Man­kind; and now that I am leaving this World, I hope to find that mercy from thee, which I have shewed to others. These Words that excellent heathen Historian thought fit to come from the mouth of so excellent a Prince, as he had describ'd him, just as he was leaving the World; by which we may see, what the Light of Nature thought to be the best comfort of a dying Man. This brings me to the

[Page 439] Third, and last particular which I mentioned, the vast and unspeak­able Reward, which this grace and virtue of Charity will meet with in the other World. It will plead for us at the Day of Judg­ment, and procure for us a most glorious recompence at the resurrection of the Just, and that proportiona­ble to the degrees of our Charity; 2 Cor. 9.6. He which soweth sparing­ly, shall reap sparingly: and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap bountiful­ly; and from this Consideration, the Apostle encourageth our Perse­verance in Well-doing, let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due sea­son we shall reap, if we faint not; that is, we shall certainly meet with the reward of it, if not in this World, yet in the other.

And now that I have declar'd this Duty to you, together with the mighty pleasure, and advan­tages, and rewards of it, I crave leave to present you with some [Page 440] of the best Occasions, and Oppor­tunities of the exercise and pra­ctice of it. And for your encou­ragement hereto, I shall read to you, the present State of the chief Hospitals belonging to this great City, and of the disposal of their Charity for the last Year.

And now I have laid before you these great Objects of your Charity, and the best Arguments I could think of to incline and stir up your Minds to the exercise of this ex­cellent Grace and Virtue; as there is no time left for it, I having, I am afraid already tir'd your Pati­ence, so I hope there is no need to press this Duty any farther up­on you, since you are so willing and forward of your selves, and so very ready to every good Work. This great City hath a double Hon­our due to it, of being both the greatest Benefactours in this kind, and the most faithful Managers, and Disposers of it; and I am now in a place most proper for the [Page 441] mention of Christ's Hospital, a Pro­testant Foundation of that most Pious and Excellent Prince Edward, VI. Which I believe is one of the best instances of so large and so well manag'd Charity, this Day in the World.

And now to Conclude all, if any of you know any better em­ployment, than to do good; any work that will give truer Pleasure to our Minds; that hath greater and bet­ter promises made to it, the Pro­mises of the life that now is, and that which is to come; that we shall reflect upon with more com­fort, when we come to dye; and that through the mercies and me­rits of our Blessed Saviour, will stand us in more stead at the Day of Judgment; let us mind that work: but if we do not; let us apply our selves to this business of Charity, with all our might, and let us not be weary in well-doing, because in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

[Page 442] Now the God of Peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the ever­lasting Covenant, make you perfect in every good work, to do his will through Jesus Christ, to whom with thee, O Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, thanksgiving and praise, both now and for ever, Amen.