chapter vi

. 6. “What shall be done unto the man whom the King delighteth to honour?” he answered, verse 8. “Let the royal apparel be brought which the king used to wear, and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head; and let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the King delights to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honour.” This was all then, it seems, that an ambitious _Haman_ could ask, and the most valuable thing that he thought _Ahasuerus_, the greatest monarch upon earth, could give. But alas, what is this honour in comparison of that which the meanest of those enjoy, that walk with GOD! Think ye it a small thing, Sirs, to have the secret of the LORD of Lords with you, and to be called the friends of GOD? and such honour have all GOD’s saints. “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him:” and “Henceforth, says the blessed JESUS, call I you no longer servants, but friends; for the servant knoweth not the will of his master.” Whatever you may think of it, holy _David_ was so sensible of the honour attending a walk with GOD, that he declares, “He had rather be a door-keeper in his house, than to dwell even in the tents of ungodliness.” O that all were like-minded with him!

But, _Secondly_, As it is an honourable, so it is a pleasing thing to walk with GOD. The wisest of men has told us, that “Wisdom’s ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths peace.” And I remember pious Mr. _Henry_, when he was just about to expire, said to a friend, “You have heard many mens dying words, and these are mine; A life spent in communion with GOD, is the pleasantest life in the world.” I am sure I can set to my seal that this is true. Indeed, I have been lifted under JESUS’s banner only for a few years; but I have enjoyed more solid pleasure in one moment’s communion with my GOD, than I should or could have enjoyed in the ways of sin, though I had continued to have went on in them for thousands of years. And may I not appeal to all you that fear and walk with GOD, for the truth of this? Has not one day in the LORD’s courts, been to you better than a thousand? In keeping GOD’s commandments, have you not found a present and very great reward? Has not his word been sweeter to you than the honey, or the honey-comb? O what have you felt, when, _Jacob_-like, you have been wrestling with your GOD? Has not JESUS often met you when meditating in the fields, and been made known to you over and over again in breaking of bread? Has not the Holy Ghost frequently shed the divine love abroad in your hearts abundantly, and filled you with joy unspeakable, even joy that is full of glory? I know you will answer all these questions in the affirmative, and freely acknowledge the yoke of CHRIST to be easy, and his burden light; or (to use the words of one of our collects) “That his service is perfect freedom.” And what need we then any further motive to excite us to walk with GOD?

But methinks I hear some among you say, “How can these things be? For, if walking with GOD, as you say, is such an honourable and pleasant thing, whence is it, that the name of the people of this way is cast out as evil, and every where spoken against? How comes it to pass that they are frequently afflicted, tempted, destitute, and tormented? Is this the honour, this the pleasure that you speak of?” I answer, Yes. Stop a while; be not over-hasty. Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment, and all will be well. It is true, we acknowledge the “people of this way,” as you, and _Paul_ before you, when a persecutor, called them, have their names cast out as evil, and are a sect every where spoken against. But by whom? Even by the enemies of the most high GOD. And do you think it a disgrace to be spoken evil of by them? Blessed be GOD, we have not so learnt CHRIST. Our royal Master has pronounced those “blessed, who are persecuted, and have all manner of evil spoken against them falsly.” He has commanded them “to rejoice and be exceeding glad.” For it is the ♦privilege of their discipleship, and that their reward will be great in heaven. He himself was thus treated. And can there be a greater honour put upon a creature, than to be conformed to the ever-blessed Son of GOD? And further, it is equally true, that the people of this way are frequently afflicted, tempted, destitute, and tormented. But what of all this? Does this destroy the pleasure of walking with GOD? No, in no wise; for those that walk with GOD, are enabled, through CHRIST strengthening them, to joy even in tribulation, and to rejoice when they fall into divers temptations. And I believe I may appeal to the experience of all true and close walkers with GOD, Whether or not their suffering times, have not frequently been their sweetest times, and that they enjoyed most of GOD, when most cast out and despised by men? This we find was the case of CHRIST’s primitive servants, when threatened by the _Jewish_ sanhedrim, and commanded to preach no more in the name of JESUS; they rejoiced, that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for the sake of JESUS. _Paul_ and _Silas_ sang praises even in a dungeon; and the face of _Stephen_, that glorious proto-martyr of the christian church, shone like the face of an angel. And JESUS is the same now, as he was then, and takes care so to sweeten sufferings and afflictions with his love, that his ♠disciples find, by happy experience, that as afflictions abound, consolations do much more abound. And therefore these objections, instead of destroying, do only more enforce the motives before urged to excite you to walk with GOD.

♦ “prilege” replaced with “privilege”

♠ “disciciples” replaced with “disciples”

But supposing the objections were just, and walkers with GOD were as despicable and unhappy as you would represent them to be; yet I have a third motive to offer, which, if weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, will over-weigh all objections, viz. That there is a heaven at the end of this walk. For, to use the words of pious Bishop _Beveridge_, “Though the way be narrow, yet it is not long; and though the gate be straight, yet it opens into everlasting life.” _Enoch_ found it so. He walked with GOD on earth, and GOD took him to sit down with him for ever in the kingdom of heaven. Not that we are to expect to be taken away as he was: no; I suppose we shall all die the common death of all men. But after death, the spirits of those who have walked with GOD, shall return to GOD that gave them; and at the morning of the resurrection, soul and body shall be for ever with the LORD. Their bodies shall be fashioned like unto CHRIST’s glorious body, and their souls filled with all the fulness of GOD. They shall sit on thrones; they shall judge angels. They shall be enabled to sustain an exceeding and eternal weight of glory, even that glory which JESUS CHRIST enjoyed with the Father before the world began. _O gloriam quantam et qualem_, says the learned and pious _Arndt_, just before he bowed down his head, and gave up the ghost. The very thought of it is enough to make us “wish to leap our seventy years,” as good Dr. _Watts_ expresses himself, and to make us break out into the earnest language of the royal Psalmist, “My soul is athirst for GOD, yea for the living GOD. When shall I come to appear in the immediate presence of my GOD?” I wonder not that a sense of this, when under a more than ordinary irradiation and influx of divine life and love, causes some persons even to faint away, and for a time lose the power of their senses. A less sight than this, even a sight of _Solomon_’s glory, made _Sheba_’s queen astonished; and a still lesser sight than that, even a sight of _Joseph_’s waggons, made holy _Jacob_ to faint, and for a while, as it were, die away. _Daniel_, when admitted to a distant view of this excellent glory, fell down at the feet of the angel as one dead. And if a distant view of this glory be so excellent, what must the actual possession of it be? If the first fruits are so glorious, how infinitely must the harvest exceed in glory?

And now what shall I, or indeed what can I well say more, to excite you, even you that are yet strangers to CHRIST, to come and walk with GOD? If you love honour, pleasure, and a crown of glory, come, seek it where alone it can be found. Come, put ye on the LORD JESUS. Come, haste ye away and walk with GOD, and make no longer provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lust thereof. Stop, stop, O sinner! turn ye, turn ye, O ye unconverted men! for the end of that way you are now walking in, however right it may seem in your blinded eyes, will be death, even eternal destruction both of body and soul. Make no long tarrying, I say: at your peril, I charge you, step not one step further on in your present walk. For how knowest thou, O man, but the next step thou takest may be into hell? Death may seize thee, judgment find thee, and then the great gulph will be fixed between thee and endless glory, for ever and ever. O think of these things, all ye that are unwilling to come and walk with GOD. Lay them to heart. Shew yourselves men, and in the strength of JESUS say, Farewel lust of the flesh, I will no more walk with thee! Farewel lust of the eye, and pride of life! Farewel carnal acquaintance, and enemies of the cross, I will no more walk and be intimate with you! Welcome JESUS, welcome thy word, welcome thy ordinances, welcome thy Spirit, welcome thy people, I will henceforth walk with you. O that there may be in you such a mind! GOD will set his almighty fiat to it, and seal it with the broad seal of heaven, even the signet of his Holy Spirit. Yes, he will, though you have been walking with, and following after, the devices and desires of your desperately wicked hearts, ever since you have been born. “I the high and lofty one,” says the great Jehovah, “that inhabiteth eternity, will dwell with the humble and contrite heart, even with the man that trembleth at my word.” The blood, even the precious blood of JESUS CHRIST, if you come to the Father in and through him, shall cleanse you from all sin.

But the text leads me to speak to you that are saints, as well as to you that are open or unconverted sinners. I need not tell you that walking with GOD is not only honourable, but pleasant and profitable also: for ye know it by happy experience, and will find it more and more so every day. Only give me leave to stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, and to beseech you by the mercies of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, to take heed to yourselves, and walk closer with your GOD, than you have in days past: for the nearer you walk with GOD, the more you will enjoy of Him whose presence is life, and be the better prepared for being placed at his right-hand, where are pleasures for evermore. O do not follow JESUS afar off! O be not so formal, so dead and stupid in your attendance on holy ordinances! Do not so shamefully forsake the assembling yourselves together, or be so niggardly, and so indifferent about the things of GOD. Remember what JESUS says of the church of _Laodicea_, “Because thou art neither hot nor cold, I will spew thee out of my mouth.” Think of the love of JESUS, and let that love constrain you to keep near unto him; and though you die for him, do not deny him, do not keep at a distance from him in any wise.

One word to my brethren in the ministry that are here present, and I have done. You see, my brethren, my heart is full; I could almost say it is too big to speak, and yet too big to be silent, without dropping a word to you. For does not the text speak in a particular manner to those who have the honour of being stiled the ambassadors of CHRIST, and stewards of the mysteries of GOD? I observed at the beginning of this discourse, that _Enoch_ in all probability was a public person, and a flaming preacher. Though he be dead, does he not yet speak to us, to quicken our zeal, and make us more active in the service of our glorious and ever-blessed Master? How did _Enoch_ preach? How did _Enoch_ walk with GOD, though he lived in a wicked and adulterous generation? Let us then follow him, as he followed JESUS CHRIST, and ere long, where he is, there shall we be also. He is now entered into his rest: yet a little while, and we shall enter into ours, and that too much sooner than he did. He sojourned here below three hundred years; but blessed be GOD, the days of man are now shortened, and in a few days our work will be over. The Judge is before the door: he that cometh will come, and will not tarry: his reward is with him. And we shall all (if we are zealous for the LORD of Hosts) ere long shine as the stars in the firmament, in the kingdom of our heavenly Father, for ever and ever. To Him, the blessed JESUS, and eternal Spirit, be all honour and glory, now, and to all eternity. _Amen_, and _Amen_.

SERMON III.

_Abraham_’s offering up his Son _Isaac_.

GENESIS xxii. 12.

_And he said, Lay not thine Hand upon the Lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from me._

THE great Apostle _Paul_, in one of his epistles, informs us, that “whatsoever was written aforetime was written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the holy scripture might have hope.” And as without faith it is impossible to please GOD, or be accepted in JESUS, the Son of his love; we may be assured, that whatever instances of a more than common faith are recorded in the book of GOD, they were more immediately designed by the holy Spirit for our learning and imitation, upon whom the ends of the world are come. For this reason, the author of the epistle to the _Hebrews_, in the xith chapter, mentions such a noble catalogue of Old Testament saints and martyrs, “who subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, stopped the mouths of lions, &c. and are gone before us to inherit the promises.” A sufficient confutation, I think, of their error, who lightly esteem the Old Testament saints, and would not have them mentioned to christians, as persons whose faith and patience we are called upon more immediately to follow. If this was true, the apostle would never have produced such a cloud of witnesses out of the Old Testament, to excite the christians of the first, and consequently purest age of the church, to continue stedfast and unmoveable in the profession of their faith. Amidst this catalogue of saints, methinks the patriarch _Abraham_ shines the brightest, and differs from the others, as one star differeth from another star in glory; for he shone with such distinguished lustre, that he was called the “friend of GOD,” the “father of the faithful;” and those who believe on CHRIST, are said to be “sons and daughters of, and to be blessed with, faithful _Abraham_.” Many trials of his faith did GOD send this great and good man, after he had commanded him to get out from his country, and from his kindred, unto a land which he should shew him; but the last was the most severe of all, I mean, that of offering up his only son. This, by the divine assistance, I propose to make the subject of your present meditation, and, by way of conclusion, to draw some practical inferences, as GOD shall enable me, from this instructive story.

The sacred penman begins the narrative thus; verse 1. “And it came to pass, after these things, GOD did tempt _Abraham_.” After these things, that is, after he had underwent many severe trials before, after he was old, full of days, and might flatter himself perhaps that the troubles and toils of life were now finished; “after these things, GOD did tempt _Abraham_.” Christians, you know not what trials you may meet with before you die: notwithstanding you may have suffered, and been tried much already, yet, it may be, a greater measure is still behind, which you are to fill up. “Be not high-minded, but fear.” Our last trials, in all probability, will be the greatest: and we can never say our warfare is accomplished, or our trials finished, till we bow down our heads, and give up the ghost. “And it came to pass, after these things, that GOD did tempt _Abraham_.”

“GOD did tempt _Abraham_.” But can the scripture contradict itself? Does not the apostle _James_ tell us, “that GOD tempts no man;” and GOD does tempt no man to evil, or on purpose to draw him into sin; for, when a man is thus tempted, he is drawn away of his own heart’s lust, and enticed. But in another sense, GOD may be said to tempt, I mean, to try his servants; and in this sense we are to understand that passage of _Matthew_, where we are told, that, “JESUS was led up by the Spirit (the good Spirit) into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.” And our LORD, in that excellent form of prayer which he has been pleased to give us, does not require us to pray that we may not absolutely be led into temptation, but delivered from the evil of it; whence we may plainly infer, that GOD sees it fit sometimes to lead us into temptation, that is, to bring us into such circumstances as will try our faith and other christian graces. In this sense we are to understand the expression before us; “GOD did tempt or try _Abraham_.”

How GOD was pleased to reveal his will at this time to his faithful servant, whether by the _Shechinah_, or divine appearance, or by a small still voice, as he spoke to _Elijah_, or by a whisper, like that of the Spirit to _Philip_, when he commanded him to go join himself to the eunuch’s chariot, we are not told, nor is it material to enquire. It is enough that we are informed, GOD said unto him, _Abraham_; and that _Abraham_ knew it was the voice of GOD: for he said, “Behold, here I am.” O what a holy familiarity (if I may so speak) is there between GOD and those holy souls that are united to him by faith in CHRIST JESUS! GOD says, _Abraham_; and _Abraham_ said (it should seem without the least surprize) Behold, here I am. Being reconciled to GOD by the death and obedience of CHRIST, which he rejoiced in, and saw by faith afar off; he did not, like guilty _Adam_, seek the trees of the garden to hide himself from, but takes pleasure in conversing with GOD, and talketh with him, as a man talketh with his friend. O that CHRIST-less sinners knew what it is to have fellowship with the Father and the Son! They would envy the happiness of saints, and count it all joy to be termed enthusiasts and fools for CHRIST’s sake.

But what does GOD say to _Abraham_? Verse 2. “Take now thy son, thine only son _Isaac_, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of _Moriah_, and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I shall tell thee of.”

Every word deserves our particular observation. Whatever he was to do, he must do it now, immediately, without conferring with flesh and blood. But what must he do? “Take now thy son.” Had GOD said, take now a firstling, or choicest lamb or beast of thy flock, and offer it up for a burnt-offering, it would not have appeared so ghastly; but for GOD to say, “take now thy son, and offer him up for a burnt-offering,” one would have imagined, was enough to stagger the strongest faith. But this is not all: it must not only be a son, but “thine only son _Isaac_, whom thou lovest.” If it must be a son, and not a beast, that must be offered, why will not _Ishmael_ do, the son of the bond-woman? No, it must be his only son, the heir of all, his _Isaac_, by interpretation _laughter_, the son of his old age, in whom his soul delighted, “whom thou lovest,” says GOD, in whose life his own was wrapped up: and this son, this only son, this _Isaac_, the son of his love, must be taken now, even now, without delay, and be offered up by his own father, for a burnt offering, upon one of the mountains of the which GOD would tell him.

Well might the apostle, speaking of this man of GOD, say, that “against hope he believed in hope, and, being strong in faith, gave glory to GOD:” For, had he not been blessed with faith which man never before had, he must have refused to comply with this severe command. For how many arguments might nature suggest, to prove that such a command could never come from GOD, or to excuse himself from obeying it? “What! (might the good man have said) butcher my own child! it is contrary to the very law of nature: much more to butcher my dear son _Isaac_, in whose seed GOD himself has assured me of a numerous posterity. But supposing I could give up my own affections, and be willing to part with him, though I love him so dearly, yet, if I murder him, what will become of GOD’s promise? Besides, I am now like a city built upon a hill; I shine as a light in the world, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation: How then shall I cause GOD’s name to be blasphemed, how shall I become a by-word among the heathen, if they hear that I have committed a crime which they abhor! But, above all, what will _Sarah_ my wife say? How can I ever return to her again, after I have imbrued my hands in my dear child’s blood? O that GOD would pardon me in this thing, or take my life in the place of my son’s!” Thus, I say, _Abraham_ might have argued, and that too seemingly with great reason, against complying with the divine command. But as before by faith he considered not the deadness of _Sarah_’s womb, when she was past age, but believed on him, who said, “_Sarah_ thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed;” so now, being convinced that the same GOD spoke to and commanded him to offer up that son, and knowing that GOD was able to raise him from the dead, without delay he obeys the heavenly call.

O that unbelievers would learn of faithful _Abraham_, and believe whatever is revealed from GOD, though they cannot fully comprehend it! _Abraham_ knew GOD commanded him to offer up his son, and therefore believed, notwithstanding carnal reasoning might suggest many objections. We have sufficient testimony, that GOD has spoken to us by his son; why should we not also believe, though many things in the New Testament are above our reason? For, where reason ends, faith begins. And, however infidels may stile themselves reasoners, of all men they are the most unreasonable: For, is it not contrary to all reason, to measure an infinite by a finite understanding, or think to find out the mysteries of godliness to perfection?

But to return to the patriarch _Abraham_: We observed before what plausible objections he might have made; but he answered not a single word: no, without replying against his Maker, we are told, verse 3. that “_Abraham_ rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and _Isaac_ his son, and clave the wood for the burnt-offering, and rose up and went unto the place of which GOD had told him.”

From this verse we may gather, that GOD spoke to _Abraham_ in a dream, or vision of the night: For it is said, he rose up early. Perhaps it was near the fourth watch of the night, just before break of day, when GOD said, Take now thy son; and _Abraham_ rises up early to do so; as I doubt not but he used to rise early to offer up his morning-sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. It is often remarked of people in the Old Testament, that they rose early in the morning; and particularly of our LORD in the New, that he rose a great while before day to pray. The morning befriends devotion; and, if people cannot use so much self-denial as to rise early to pray, I know not how they will be able to die at a stake (if called to it) for JESUS CHRIST.

The humility as well as the piety of the patriarch is observable: he saddled his own ass (great men should be humble;) and to shew his sincerity, though he took two of his young men with him, and _Isaac_ his son, yet he keeps his design as a secret from them all: nay, he does not so much as tell _Sarah_ his wife: for he knew not but she might be a snare unto him in this affair; and, as _Rebekah_ afterwards, on another occasion, advised _Jacob_ to flee, so _Sarah_ also might persuade _Isaac_ to hide himself; or the young men, had they known of it, might have forced him away, as in after-ages the soldiers rescued _Jonathan_ out of the hands of _Saul_. But _Abraham_ sought no such evasion, and therefore, like an _Israelite_ indeed, in whom there was no guile, he himself resolutely “clave the wood for the burnt-offering, rose up and went unto the place of which GOD had told him.” In the second verse GOD commanded him to offer up his son upon one of the mountains which he would tell him of. He commanded him to offer his son up, but would not then directly tell him the place where: this was to keep him dependent and watching unto prayer: for there is nothing like being kept waiting upon GOD; and, if we do, assuredly GOD will reveal himself unto us yet further in his own time. Let us practise what we know, follow providence so far as we can see already; and what we know not, what we see not as yet, let us only be found in the way of duty, and the LORD will reveal even that unto us. _Abraham_ knew not directly where he was to offer up his son; but he rises up and sets forward, and behold now GOD shews him: “And he went to the place of which GOD had told him.” Let us go and do likewise.

Verse 4. “Then on the third day _Abraham_ lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.”

So that the place, of which GOD had told him, was no less than three days journey distant from the place where GOD first appeared to him, and commanded him to take his son. Was not this to try his faith, and to let him see that what he did, was not meerly from a sudden pang of devotion, but a matter of choice and deliberation? But who can tell what the aged patriarch felt during these three days? Strong as he was in faith, I am persuaded his bowels often yearned over his dear son _Isaac_. Methinks I see the good old man walking with his dear child in his hand, and now and then looking upon him, loving him, and then turning aside to weep. And perhaps, sometimes he stays a little behind to pour out his heart before GOD, for he had no mortal to tell his case to. Then, methinks, I see him join his son and servants again, and talking to them of the things pertaining to the kingdom of GOD, as they walked by the way. At length, “on the third day, he lifts up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.” And, to shew that he was yet sincerely resolved to do whatsoever the LORD required of him, he even now will not discover his design to his servants, but “said, verse 5. to his young men,” (as we should say to our worldly thoughts, when about to tread the courts of the LORD’s house) “Abide you here with the ass; and I and the lad will go up yonder and worship, and come again to you.” This was a sufficient reason for their staying behind; and, it being their master’s custom to go frequently to worship, they could have no suspicion of what he was going about. And by _Abraham_’s saying, that he and the lad would come again, I am apt to think he believed GOD would raise him from the dead, if so be he permitted him to offer his child up for a burnt-offering. However that be, he is yet resolved to obey GOD to the uttermost; and therefore,

Verse 6. “_Abraham_ took the wood of the burnt-offering, and laid it upon _Isaac_ his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and they went both of them together.” Little did _Isaac_ think that he was to be offered on that very wood which he was carrying upon his shoulders; and therefore _Isaac_ innocently, and with a holy freedom (for good men should not keep their children at too great a distance) “spake unto _Abraham_ his father, and said, My father; and he (with equal affection and holy condescension) said, Here am I, my son.” And to shew how careful _Abraham_ had been (as all christian parents ought to be) to instruct his _Isaac_ how to sacrifice to GOD, like a youth trained up in the way wherein he should go; _Isaac_ said, “Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?” How beautiful is early piety! how amiable, to hear young people ask questions about sacrificing to GOD in an acceptable way! _Isaac_ knew very well that a lamb was wanting, and that a lamb was necessary for a proper sacrifice: “Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?” Young men and maidens, learn of him.

Hitherto, it is plain, _Isaac_ knew nothing of his father’s design: but I believe, by what his father said in answer to his question, that now was the time _Abraham_ revealed it unto him.

Verse 8. “And _Abraham_ said, My son, GOD will provide himself a Lamb for a burnt-offering.” Some think, that _Abraham_ by faith saw the LORD JESUS afar off, and here spake prophetically of that Lamb of GOD already slain in decree, and hereafter to be actually offered up for sinners. This was a lamb of GOD’s providing indeed (we dared not have thought of it) to satisfy his own justice, and to render him just in justifying the ungodly. What is all our fire and wood, the best preparation and performances we can make or present, unless GOD had provided himself this Lamb for a burnt-offering? He could not away with them. The words will well bear this interpretation. But, whatever _Abraham_ might intend, I cannot but think he here made an application, and acquainted his son, of GOD’s dealing with his soul; and at length, with tears in his eyes, and the utmost affection in his heart, cried out, “Thou art to be the lamb, my Son;” GOD has commanded me to provide thee for a burnt-offering, and to offer thee upon the mountain which we are now ascending. And, as it appears from a subsequent verse, _Isaac_, convinced that it was the divine will, made no resistance at all: For it is said, “They went both of them together;” and again, when we are told, that _Abraham_ bound _Isaac_, we do not hear of his complaining, or endeavouring to escape, which he might have done, being (as some think) near thirty years of age, and, it is plain, capable of carrying wood enough for a burnt-offering. But he was partaker of the like precious faith with his aged father, and therefore is as willing to be offered, as _Abraham_ is to offer him: And “so they went both of them together.”

Verse 9. At length “they came to the place of which GOD had told _Abraham_. He built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound _Isaac_ his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.”

And here let us pause a while, and by faith take a view of the place where the father has laid him. I doubt not but the blessed angels hovered round the altar, and sang, “Glory be to GOD in the highest,” for giving such faith to man. Come, all ye tender-hearted parents, who know what it is to look over a dying child: fancy that you saw the altar erected before you, and the wood laid in order, and the ♦beloved _Isaac_ bound upon it: fancy that you saw the aged parent standing by weeping. (For, why may we not suppose that _Abraham_ wept, since JESUS himself wept at the grave of _Lazarus_?) O what pious, endearing expressions passed now alternately between the father and the son! _Josephus_ records a pathetic speech made by each, whether genuine I know not: but methinks I see the tears trickle down the Patriarch _Abraham_’s cheeks; and out of the abundance of the heart, he cries, Adieu, adieu, my son; the LORD gave thee to me, and the LORD calls thee away; blessed be the name of the LORD: adieu, my _Isaac_, my only son, whom I love as my own soul; adieu, adieu. I see _Isaac_ at the same time meekly resigning himself into his heavenly Father’s hands, and praying to the most High to strengthen his earthly parent to strike the stroke. But why do I attempt to describe what either son or father felt? It is impossible: we may indeed form some faint idea of, but shall never fully comprehend it, till we come and sit down with them in the kingdom of heaven, and hear them tell the pleasing story over again. Hasten, O LORD, that blessed time! O let thy kingdom come!

♦ “belove” replaced with “beloved”

And now, the fatal blow is going to be given. “And _Abraham_ stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.” But do you not think he intended to turn away his head, when he gave the blow? Nay, why may we not suppose he sometimes drew his hand in, after it was stretched out, willing to take another last farewell of his beloved _Isaac_, and desirous to defer it a little, though resolved at last to strike home? Be that as it will, his arm is now stretched out, the knife is in his hand, and he is about to put it to his dear son’s throat.

But sing, O heavens! and rejoice, O earth! Man’s extremity is GOD’s opportunity: for behold, just as the knife, in all probability, was near his throat, verse 11. “the angel of the LORD, (or rather the LORD of angels, JESUS CHRIST, the angel of the everlasting covenant) called unto him, (probably in a very audible manner) from heaven, and said, _Abraham_, _Abraham_. (The word is doubled, to engage his attention; and perhaps the suddenness of the call made him draw back his hand, just as he was going to strike his son.) And _Abraham_ said, Here am I.”

“And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now know I that thou fearest GOD, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.”

Here then it was that _Abraham_ received his son _Isaac_ from the dead in a figure. He was in effect offered upon the altar, and GOD looked upon him as offered and given unto him. Now it was that _Abraham_’s faith, being tried, was found more precious than gold purified seven times in the fire. Now as a reward of grace, though not of debt, for this signal act of obedience, by an oath, GOD gives and confirms the promise, “that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed,” verse 17, 18. With what comfort may we suppose the good old man and his son went down from the mount, and returned unto the young men! With what joy may we imagine he went home, and related all that had passed to _Sarah_! And above all, with what triumph is he now exulting in the paradise of GOD, and adoring rich, free, distinguishing, electing, everlasting love, which alone made him to differ from the rest of mankind, and rendered him worthy of that title which he will have so long as the sun and the moon endure, “The Father of the faithful!”

But let us now draw our eyes from the creature, and do what _Abraham_, if he was present, would direct to; I mean, fix them on the Creator, GOD blessed for evermore.

I see your hearts affected, I see your eyes weep. (And indeed, who can refrain weeping at the relation of such a story?) But, behold, I shew you a mystery, hid under the sacrifice of _Abraham_’s only son, which, unless your hearts are hardned, must cause you to weep tears of love, and that plentifully too. I would willingly hope you even prevent me here, and are ready to say, “It is the love of GOD, in giving JESUS CHRIST to die for our sins.” Yes; that is it. And yet perhaps you find your hearts, at the mentioning of this, not so much affected. Let this convince you, that we are all fallen creatures, and that we do not love GOD or CHRIST as we ought to do: for, if you admire _Abraham_ offering up his _Isaac_, how much more ought you to extol, magnify and adore the love of GOD, who so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son CHRIST JESUS our LORD, “that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life?” May we not well cry out, Now know we, O LORD, that thou hast loved us, since thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from us? _Abraham_ was GOD’s creature (and GOD was _Abraham_’s friend) and therefore under the highest obligation to surrender up his _Isaac_. But O stupendious love! whilst we were his enemies, GOD sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that he might become a curse for us. O the freeness, as well as the infinity, of the love of GOD our Father! It is unsearchable: I am lost in contemplating it; it is past finding out. Think, O believers, think of the love of GOD, in giving JESUS CHRIST to be a propitiation for our sins. And when you hear how _Abraham_ built an altar, and laid the wood in order, and bound _Isaac_ his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood; think how your heavenly Father bound JESUS CHRIST his only Son, and offered him upon the altar of his justice, and laid upon him the iniquities of us all. When you read of _Abraham_’s stretching forth his hand to slay his Son, Think, O think, how GOD actually suffered his Son to be slain, that we might live for evermore. Do you read of _Isaac_ carrying the wood upon his shoulders, upon which he was to be offered? Let this lead you to mount _Calvary_ (this very mount of _Moriah_ where _Isaac_ was offered, as some think) and take a view of the antitype JESUS CHRIST, the Son of GOD, bearing and ready to sink under the weight of that cross, on which he was to hang for us. Do you admire _Isaac_ so freely consenting to die, though a creature, and therefore obliged to go when GOD called? O do not forget to admire infinitely more the dear LORD JESUS, that promised seed, who willingly said, “Lo, I come,” though under no obligation so to do, “to do thy will,” to obey and die for men, “O GOD!” Did you weep just now, when I bid you fancy you saw the altar, and the wood laid in order, and _Isaac_ laid bound on the altar? Look by faith, behold the blessed JESUS, our all-glorious _Emmanuel_, not bound, but nailed on an accursed tree: see how he hangs crowned with thorns, and had in derision of all that are round about him: see how the thorns pierce him, and how the blood in purple streams trickle down his sacred temples! Hark how the GOD of nature groans! See how he bows his head, and at length humanity gives up the ghost! _Isaac_ is saved, but JESUS, the GOD of _Isaac_, dies: A ram is offered up in _Isaac_’s room, but JESUS has no substitute; JESUS must bleed, JESUS must die; GOD the Father provided this Lamb for himself from all eternity. He must be offered in time, or man must be damned for evermore. And now, where are your tears? Shall I say, refrain your voice from weeping? No; rather let me exhort you to look to him whom you have pierced, and mourn, as a woman mourneth for her first-born: for we have been the betrayers, we have been the murderers of this LORD of glory; and shall we not bewail those sins, which brought the blessed JESUS to the accursed tree? Having so much done, so much suffered for us, so much forgiven, shall we not love much? O! let us love Him with all our hearts, and minds, and strength, and glorify him in our souls and bodies, for they are his. Which leads me to a second inference I shall draw from the foregoing discourse.

From hence we may learn the nature of true, justifying faith. Whoever understands and preaches the truth, as it is in JESUS, must acknowledge, that salvation is GOD’s free gift, and that we are saved, not by any or all the works of righteousness which we have done or can do: no; we can neither wholly nor in part justify ourselves in the sight of GOD. The LORD JESUS CHRIST is our righteousness; and if we are accepted with GOD, it must be only in and through the personal righteousness, the active and passive obedience, of JESUS CHRIST his beloved Son. This righteousness must be imputed, or counted over to us, and applied by faith to our hearts, or else we can in no wise be justified in GOD’s sight: and that very moment a sinner is enabled to lay hold on CHRIST’s righteousness by faith, he is freely justified from all his sins, and shall never enter into condemnation, notwithstanding he was a fire-brand of hell before. Thus it was that _Abraham_ was justified before he did any good work: he was enabled to believe on the LORD CHRIST; it was accounted to him for righteousness; that is, CHRIST’s righteousness was made over to him, and so accounted his. This, this is gospel; this is the only way of finding acceptance with GOD: good works have nothing to do with our justification in his sight. We are justified by faith alone, as saith the article of our church; agreeable to which the apostle _Paul_ says, “By grace ye are saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of GOD.” Notwithstanding, good works have their proper place: they justify our faith, though not our persons; they follow it, and evidence our justification in the sight of men. Hence it is that the apostle _James_ asks, was not _Abraham_ justified by works? (alluding no doubt to the story on which we have been discoursing) that is, did he not prove he was in a justified state, because his faith was productive of good works? This declarative justification in the sight of men, is what is directly to be understood in the words of the text; “Now know I, says GOD, that thou fearest me, since thou hast not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from me.” Not but that GOD knew it before; but this is spoken in condescension to our weak capacities, and plainly shews, that his offering up his son was accepted with GOD, as an evidence of the sincerity of his faith, and for this, was left on record to future ages. Hence then you may learn, whether you are blessed with, and are sons and daughters of, faithful _Abraham_. You say you believe; you talk of free grace and free justification: you do well; the devils also believe and tremble. But has the faith, which you pretend to, influenced your hearts, renewed your souls, and, like _Abraham_’s, worked by love? Are your affections, like his, set on things above? Are you heavenly-minded, and like him, do you confess yourselves strangers and pilgrims on the earth? In short, has your faith enabled you to overcome the world, and strengthened you to give up your _Isaacs_, your laughter, your most beloved lusts, friends, pleasures, and profits for GOD? If so, take the comfort of it; for justly may you say, “We know assuredly, that we do fear and love GOD, or rather are loved of him.” But if you are only talking believers, have only a faith of the head, and never felt the power of it in your hearts, however you may bolster yourselves up, and say, “We have _Abraham_ for our father, or CHRIST is our Saviour;” unless you get a faith of the heart, a faith working by love, you shall never sit with _Abraham_, _Isaac_, _Jacob_, or JESUS CHRIST, in the kingdom of heaven.

But I must draw one more inference, and with that I shall conclude.

Learn, O saints! from what has been said, to sit loose to all your worldly comforts; and stand ready prepared to part with every thing, when GOD shall require it at your hand. Some of you perhaps may have friends, who are to you as your own souls; and others may have children, in whose lives your own lives are bound up: all I believe have their _Isaacs_, their particular delights of some kind or other. Labour, for CHRIST’s sake, labour, ye sons and daughters of _Abraham_, to resign them daily in affection to GOD, that, when he shall require you really to sacrifice them, you may not confer with flesh and blood, any more than the blessed patriarch now before us. And as for you that have been in any measure tried like unto him, let his example encourage and comfort you. Remember, _Abraham_ your father was tried so before you: think, O think of the happiness he now enjoys, and how he is incessantly thanking GOD for tempting and trying him when here below. Look up often by the eye of faith, and see him sitting with his dearly beloved _Isaac_ in the world of spirits. Remember, it will be but a little while, and you shall sit with them also, and tell one another what GOD has done for your souls. There I hope to sit with you, and hear this story of his offering up his Son from his own mouth, and to praise the Lamb that sitteth upon the throne, for what he hath done for all our souls, for ever and ever.

SERMON IV.

The great Duty of Family-Religion.

JOSHUA xxiv. 15.

_As for me and my House, we will serve the_ LORD.

THESE words contain the holy resolution of pious _Joshua_, who having in a most moving, affectionate discourse recounted to the _Israelites_ what great things GOD had done for them, in the verse immediately preceding the text, comes to draw a proper inference from what he had been delivering; and acquaints them, in the most pressing terms, that since GOD had been so exceeding gracious unto them, they could do no less, than out of gratitude for such uncommon favours and mercies, dedicate both themselves and families to his service. “Now therefore, fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and truth, and put away the Gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood.” And by the same engaging motive does the prophet _Samuel_ afterwards enforce their obedience to the commandments of GOD, 1 _Samuel_ xii. 24. “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth, with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you.” But then, that they might not excuse themselves (as too many might be apt to do) by his giving them a bad example, or think he was laying heavy burdens upon them, whilst he himself touched them not with one of his fingers, he tells them in the text, that whatever regard they might pay to the doctrine he had been preaching, yet he (as all ministers ought to do) was resolved to live up to and practise it himself: “Chuse you therefore, whom you will serve, whether the Gods which your fathers served, or the Gods of the _Amorites_, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

A resolution this, worthy of _Joshua_, and no less becoming, no less necessary for every true son of _Joshua_, that is intrusted with the care and government of a family in our day: and, if it was ever seasonable for ministers to preach up, or people to put in practice _family-religion_, it was never more so than in the present age; since it is greatly to be feared, that out of those many housholds that call themselves christians, there are but few that serve GOD in their respective families as they ought.

It is true indeed, visit our churches, and you may perhaps see something of the _form of godliness_ still subsisting amongst us; but even that is scarcely to be met with in private houses. So that were the blessed angels to come, as in the patriarchal age, and observe our spiritual oeconomy at home, would they not be tempted to say as _Abraham_ to _Abimilech_, “Surely, the fear of GOD is not in this place?” _Genesis_ xx. 11.

How such a general neglect of family-religion first began to overspread the christian world, is difficult to determine. As for the primitive christians, I am positive it was not so with them: No, they had not so learned CHRIST, as falsely to imagine religion was to be confined solely to their assemblies for public worship; but, on the contrary, behaved with such piety and exemplary holiness in their private families, that St. _Paul_ often styles their house a church: “Salute such a one, says he, and the church which is in his house.” And, I believe, we must for ever despair of seeing a primitive spirit of piety revived in the world, till we are so happy as to see a revival of primitive family religion; and persons unanimously resolving with good old _Joshua_, in the words of the text, “As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

From which words, I shall beg leave to insist on these three things.

I. _First_, That it is the duty of every governor of a family to take care, that not only he himself, but also that those committed to his charge, “_serve the_ LORD.”

II. _Secondly_, I shall endeavour to shew after what manner a governor and his houshold ought to serve the LORD. And,

III. _Thirdly_, I shall offer some motives, in order to excite all governors, with their respective housholds, to serve the LORD in the manner that shall be recommended.

And _First_, I am to shew that it is the duty of every governor of a family to take care, that not only he himself, but also that those committed to his charge, should serve the LORD.

And this will appear, if we consider that every governor of a family ought to look upon himself as obliged to act in three capacities: as a prophet, to instruct; as a priest, to pray for and with; as a king, to govern, direct, and provide for them. It is true indeed, the latter of these, their kingly office, they are not so frequently deficient in, (nay in this they are generally too solicitous;) but as for the two former, their priestly and prophetic office, like _Gallio_, they care for no such things. But however indifferent some governors may be about it, they may be assured, that GOD will require a due discharge of these offices at their hands. For if, as the apostle argues, “He that does not provide for his own house,” in temporal things, “has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel;” to what greater degree of apostasy must he have arrived, who takes no thought to provide for the spiritual welfare of his family!

But farther, persons are generally very liberal of their invectives against the clergy, and think they justly blame the conduct of that minister who does not take heed to and watch over the flock, of which the Holy Ghost has made him overseer: but may not every governor of a family, be in a lower degree liable to the same censure, who takes no thought for those souls that are committed to his charge? For every house is as it were a little parish, every governor (as was before observed) a priest, every family a flock: and if any of them perish through the governor’s neglect, their blood will GOD require at their hands.

Was a minister to disregard teaching his people publicly, and from house to house, and to excuse himself by saying, that he had enough to do to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling, without concerning himself with that of others; would you not be apt to think such a minister, to be like the unjust judge, “One that neither feared GOD, nor regarded man?” And yet, odious as such a character would be, it is no worse than that governor of a family deserves, who thinks himself obliged only to save his own soul, without paying any regard to the souls of his houshold. For (as was above hinted) every house is as it were a parish, and every master is concerned to secure, as much as in him lies, the spiritual prosperity of every one under his roof, as any minister whatever is obliged to look to the spiritual welfare of every individual person under his charge.

What precedents men who neglect their duty in this particular, can plead for such omission, I cannot tell. Doubtless not the example of holy _Job_, who was so far from imagining that he had no concern, as governor of a family, with any one’s soul but his own, that the scripture acquaints us, “When the days of his childrens feasting were gone about, that _Job_ sent and sanctified them, and offered burnt-offerings, according to the number of them all; for _Job_ said, It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed GOD in their hearts: thus did _Job_ continually.” Nor can they plead the practice of good old _Joshua_, whom, in the text, we find as much concerned for his houshold’s welfare, as his own. Nor lastly, that of _Cornelius_, who feared GOD, not only himself, but with all his house: and were christians but of the same spirit of _Job_, _Joshua_, and the _Gentile_ centurion, they would act as _Job_, _Joshua_, and _Cornelius_ did.

But alas! if this be the case, and all governors of families ought not only to serve the LORD themselves, but likewise to see that their respective housholds do so too; what will then become of those who not only neglect serving GOD themselves, but also make it their business to ridicule and scoff at any of their house that do? Who are not content with “not entering into the kingdom of heaven themselves; but those also that are willing to enter in, they hinder.” Surely such men are factors for the devil indeed. Surely their damnation slumbereth not: for although GOD, in his good providence, may suffer such stumbling-blocks to be put in his childrens way, and suffer their greatest enemies to be those of their own housholds, for a trial of their sincerity, and improvement of their faith; yet we cannot but pronounce a woe against those masters by whom such offences come. For if those that only take care of their own souls, can scarcely be saved, where will such monstrous profane and wicked governors appear?

But hoping there are but few of this unhappy stamp, proceed we now to the

Second thing proposed; To shew after what manner a governor and his houshold ought to serve the LORD.

1. And the first thing I shall mention, is, _reading the word of_ GOD. This is a duty incumbent on every private person. “Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life,” is a precept given by our blessed LORD indifferently to all: but much more so, ought every governor of a family to think it in a peculiar manner spoken to himself, because (as hath been already proved) he ought to look upon himself as a prophet, and therefore, agreeably to such a character, bound to instruct those under his charge in the knowledge of the word of GOD.

This we find was the order GOD gave to his peculiar people _Israel_: for thus speaks his representative _Moses_, _Deuteronomy_ vi. 6, 7. “These words,” that is, the scripture words, “which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,” that is, as it is generally explained, servants, as well as children, “and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house.” From whence we may infer, that the only reason, why so many neglect to read the words of scripture diligently to their children is, because the words of scripture are not in their hearts: for if they were, out of the abundance of the heart their mouth would speak.

Besides, servants as well as children, are, for the generality, very ignorant, and mere novices in the laws of GOD: and how shall they know, unless some one teach them? And what more proper to teach them by, than the lively oracles of GOD, “which are able to make them wise unto salvation?” And who more proper to instruct them by these lively oracles, than parents and masters, who (as hath been more than once observed) are as much concerned to feed them with spiritual, as with bodily bread, day by day.

But if these things be so, what a miserable condition are those unhappy governors in, who are so far from feeding those committed to their care with the sincere milk of the word, to the intent they may grow thereby, that they neither search the scriptures themselves, nor are careful to explain them to others? Such families must be in a happy way indeed to do their Master’s will, who take such prodigious pains to know it! Would not one imagine that they had turned converts to the Church of _Rome_; that they thought ignorance to be the mother of devotion; and that those were to be condemned as heretics who read their Bibles? And yet how few families are there amongst us, who do not act after this unseemly manner! But shall I praise them in this? I praise them not: Brethren, this thing ought not so to be.

2. Pass we on now to the second means whereby every governor and his houshold ought to serve the LORD, _family-prayer_.

This is a duty, though as much neglected, yet as absolutely necessary as the former. Reading is a good preparative for prayer, as prayer is an excellent means to render reading effectual. And the reason why every governor of a family should join both these exercises together, is plain, because a governor of a family cannot perform his priestly office (which we before observed he is in some degree invested with) without performing this duty of family prayer.

We find it therefore remarked, when mention is made of _Cain_ and _Abel_’s offering sacrifices, that they brought them. But to whom did they bring them? Why, in all probability, to their father _Adam_, who, as priest of the family, was to offer sacrifice in their names. And so ought every spiritual son of the second _Adam_, who is entrusted with the care of an houshold, to offer up the spiritual sacrifices of supplications and thanksgivings, acceptable to GOD through JESUS CHRIST, in the presence and name of all who wait upon, or eat meat at his table.

Thus we read our blessed LORD behaved, when he tabernacled amongst us: for it is said often, that he prayed with his twelve disciples, which was then his little family. And he himself has promised a particular blessing to joint supplications: “Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” And again, “If two or three are agreed touching any thing they shall ask, it shall be given them.” Add to this, that we are commanded by the Apostle to “pray always, with all manner of supplication,” which doubtless includes family prayer. And holy _Joshua_, when he set up the good resolution in the text, that he and his houshold would serve the LORD, certainly resolved to pray with his family, which is one of the best testimonies they could give of their serving him.

Besides, there are no families but what have some common blessings, of which they have been all partakers, to give thanks for; some common crosses and afflictions, which they are to pray against; some common sins, which they are all to lament and bewail: but how this can be done, without joining together in one common act of humiliation, supplication, and thanksgiving, is difficult to devise.

From all which considerations put together, it is evident, that family prayer is a great and necessary duty; and consequently, those governors that neglect it, are certainly without excuse. And it is much to be feared, if they live without family prayer, they live without GOD in the world.

And yet, such an hateful character as this is, it is to be feared, that was GOD to send out an angel to destroy us, as he did once to destroy the _Egyptian_ first-born, and withal give him a commission, as then, to spare no houses but where they saw the blood of the lintel, sprinkled on the door-post, so now, to let no families escape, but those that called upon him in morning and evening prayer; few would remain unhurt by his avenging sword. Shall I term such families christians or heathens? Doubtless they deserve not the name of christians; and heathens will rise up in judgment against such profane families of this generation: for they had always their houshold gods, whom they worshipped, and whose assistance they frequently invoked. And a pretty pass those families surely are arrived at, who must be sent to school to pagans. But will not the LORD be avenged on such profane housholds as these? Will he not pour out his fury upon those that call not upon his name?

3. But it is time for me to hasten to the third and last means I shall recommend, whereby every governor ought with his houshold to serve the LORD, _catechizing_ and _instructing_ their children and servants, and bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the LORD.

That this, as well as the two former, is a duty incumbent on every governor of an house, appears from that famous encomium or commendation GOD gives of _Abraham_: “I know that he will command his children and his houshold after him, to keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment.” And indeed scarce any thing is more frequently pressed upon us in holy writ, than this duty of catechising. Thus, says GOD in a passage before cited, “Thou shalt teach these words diligently unto thy children.” And parents are commanded in the New Testament, to “breed up their children in the nurture and admonition of the LORD.” The holy Psalmist acquaints us, that one great end why GOD did such great wonders for his people, was, “to the intent that when they grew up, they should shew their children, or servants, the same.” And in _Deuteronomy_ vi. at the 20th and following verses, GOD strictly commands his people to instruct their children in the true nature of the ceremonial worship, when they should enquire about it, as he supposed they would do, in time to come. And if servants and children were to be instructed in the nature of _Jewish_ rites, much more ought they now to be initiated and grounded in the doctrines and first principles of the gospel of CHRIST: not only, because it is a revelation, which has brought life and immortality to a fuller and clearer light, but also, because many seducers are gone abroad into the world, who do their utmost endeavour to destroy not only the superstructure, but likewise to sap the very foundation of our most holy religion.

Would then the present generation have their posterity be true lovers and honourers of GOD; masters and parents must take _Solomon_’s good advice, and train up and catechise their respective housholds in the way wherein they should go.

I am aware but of one objection, that can, with any shew of reason, be urged against what has been advanced; which is, that such a procedure as this will take up too much time, and hinder families too long from their worldly business. But it is much to be questioned, whether persons that start such an objection, are not of the same hypocritical spirit as the traitor _Judas_, who had indignation against devout _Mary_, for being so profuse of her ointment, in anointing our blessed LORD, and asked why it might not be sold for two hundred pence, and given to the poor. For has GOD given us so much time to work for ourselves, and shall we not allow some small pittance of it, morning and evening, to be devoted to his more immediate worship and service? Have not people read, that it is GOD who gives men power to get wealth, and therefore that the best way to prosper in the world, is to secure his favour? And has not our blessed LORD himself promised, that if we seek first the kingdom of GOD and his righteousness, all outward necessaries shall be added unto us?

_Abraham_, no doubt, was a man of as great business as such objectors may be; but yet he would find time to command his houshold to serve the LORD. Nay, _David_ was a king, and consequently had a great deal of business upon his hands; yet notwithstanding, he professes that he would walk in his house with a perfect heart. And, to instance but one more, holy _Joshua_ was a person certainly engaged very much in temporal affairs; and yet he solemnly declares before all _Israel_, that as for him and his houshold, they would serve the LORD. And did persons but redeem their time, as _Abraham_, _David_, or _Joshua_ did, they would no longer complain, that family duties kept them too long from the business of the world.

III. But my Third and Last general head, under which I was to offer some motives, in order to excite all governors, with their respective housholds, to serve the LORD in the manner before recommended, I hope, will serve instead of a thousand arguments, to prove the weakness and folly of any such objection.

1. And the first motive I shall mention is the duty of _gratitude_, which you that are governors of families owe to GOD. Your lot, every one must confess, is cast in a fair ground: providence hath given you a goodly heritage, above many of your fellow-creatures; and therefore, out of a principle of gratitude, you ought to endeavour, as much as in you lies, to make every person of your respective housholds to call upon him as long as they live: not to mention, that the authority, with which GOD has invested you as parents and governors of families, is a talent committed to your trust, and which you are bound to improve to your Master’s honour. In other things we find governors and parents can exercise lordship over their children and servants readily, and frequently enough can say to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; to a third, Do this, and he doeth it. And shall this power be so often employed in your own affairs, and never exerted in the things of GOD? Be astonished, O heavens, at this!

Thus did not faithful _Abraham_; no, GOD says, that he knew _Abraham_ would command his servants and children after him. Thus did not _Joshua_: no, he was resolved not only to walk with GOD himself, but to improve his authority in making all about him do so too: “As for me and my houshold, we will serve the LORD.” Let us go and do likewise.

2. But _Secondly_, If gratitude to GOD will not, methinks love and pity to your children should move you, with your respective families, to serve the LORD.

Most people express a great fondness for their children: nay so great, that very often their own lives are wrapped up in those of their offspring. “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?” says GOD by his Prophet _Isaiah_. He speaks of it as a monstrous thing, and scarce credible; but the words immediately following, affirm it to be possible, “Yea, they may forget:” and experience also assures us they may. Father and mother may both forsake their children: for what greater degree of forgetfulness can they express towards them, than to neglect the improvement of their better part, and not bring them up in the knowledge and fear of GOD?

It is true indeed, parents seldom forget to provide for their childrens bodies, (though, it is to be feared, some men are so far sunk beneath the beasts that perish, as to neglect even that) but then how often do they forget, or rather, when do they remember, to secure the salvation of their immortal souls? But is this their way of expressing their fondness for the fruit of their bodies? Is this the best testimony they can give of their affection to the darling of their hearts? Then was _Dalilah_ fond of _Samson_, when she delivered him up into the hands of the _Philistines_: then were those ruffians well affected to _Daniel_, when they threw him into a den of lions.

3. But _Thirdly_, If neither gratitude to GOD, nor love and pity to your children, will prevail on you; yet let a principle of _common honesty_ and _justice_ move you to set up the holy resolution in the text.

This is a principle which all men would be thought to act upon. But certainly, if any may be truly censured for their injustice, none can be more liable to such censure, than those who think themselves injured if their servants withdraw themselves from their bodily work, and yet they in return take no care of their inestimable souls. For is it just that servants should spend their time and strength in their master’s service, and masters not at the same time give them what is just and equal for their service?

It is true, some men may think they have done enough when they give unto their servants food and raiment, and say, “Did not I bargain with thee for so much a year?” But if they give them no other reward than this, what do they less for their very beasts? But are not servants better than they? Doubtless they are: and however masters may put off their convictions for the present, they will find a time will come, when they shall know they ought to have given them some spiritual as well as temporal wages; and the cry of those that have mowed down their fields, will enter into the ears of ♦the LORD of Sabaoth.

♦ duplicate word “the” removed

4. But _Fourthly_, If neither gratitude to GOD, pity to children, nor a principle of common justice to servants, are sufficient to balance all objections; yet let that darling, that prevailing motive of _self-interest_ turn the scale, and engage you with your respective housholds to serve the LORD.

This weighs greatly with you in other matters: be then persuaded to let it have a due and full influence on you in this: and if it has, if you have but faith as a grain of mustard-seed, how can you avoid believing, that promoting family-religion, will be the best means to promote your own temporal, as well as eternal welfare? For “Godliness has the promise of the life that now is, as well as that which is to come.”

Besides, you all, doubtless, wish for honest servants, and pious children: and to have them prove otherwise, would be as great a grief to you, as it was to _Elisha_ to have a treacherous _Gehazi_, or _David_ to be troubled with a rebellious _Absalom_. But how can it be expected they should learn their duty, except those set over them, take care to teach it to them? Is it not as reasonable to expect you should reap where you had not sown, or gather where you had not strawed?

Did christianity, indeed, give any countenance to children and servants to disregard their parents and masters according to the flesh, or represent their duty to them, as inconsistent with their entire obedience to their father and master who is in heaven, there might then be some pretence to neglect instructing them in the principles of such a religion. But since the precepts of this pure and undefiled religion, are all of them holy, just, and good; and the more they are taught their duty to GOD, the better they will perform their duties to you; methinks, to neglect the improvement of their souls, out of a dread of spending too much time in religious duties, is acting quite contrary to your own interest as well as duty.

5. _Fifthly_ and _Lastly_, If neither gratitude to GOD, love to your children, common justice to your servants, nor even that most prevailing motive self-interest, will excite; yet let a consideration of the _terrors of the_ LORD persuade you to put in practice the pious resolution in the text. Remember, the time will come, and that perhaps very shortly, when we must all appear before the judgment-seat of CHRIST; where we must give a solemn and strict account how we have had our conversation, in our respective families in this world. How will you endure to see your children and servants (who ought to be your joy and crown of rejoicing in the day of our LORD JESUS CHRIST) coming out as so many swift witnesses against you; cursing the father that begot them, the womb that bare them, the paps which they have sucked, and the day they ever entered into your houses? Think you not, the damnation which men must endure for their own sins, will be sufficient, that they need load themselves with the additional guilt of being accessary to the damnation of others also? O consider this, all ye that forget to serve the LORD with your respective housholds, “lest he pluck you away, and there be none to deliver you!”

But GOD forbid, brethren, that any such evil should befal you: no, rather will I hope, that you have been in some measure convinced by what has been said of the great importance of _family-religion_; and therefore are ready to cry out in the words immediately following the text, “GOD forbid that we should forsake the LORD;” and again, verse 21, “Nay, but we will (with our several housholds) serve the LORD.”

And that there may be always such a heart in you, let me exhort all governors of families, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, often to reflect on the inestimable worth of their own souls, and the infinite ransom, even the precious blood of JESUS CHRIST, which has been paid down for them. Remember, I beseech you to remember, that you are fallen creatures; that you are by nature lost and estranged from GOD; and that you can never be restored to your primitive happiness, till by being born again of the Holy Ghost, you arrive at your primitive state of purity, have the image of GOD restamped upon your souls, and are thereby made meet to be partakers of the inheritance with the saints in light. Do, I say, but seriously and frequently reflect on, and act as persons that believe such important truths, and you will no more neglect your family’s spiritual welfare than your own. No, the love of GOD, which will then be shed abroad in your hearts, will constrain you to do your utmost to preserve them; and the deep sense of GOD’s free grace in CHRIST JESUS, (which you will then have) in calling you, will excite you to do your utmost to save others, especially those of your own houshold. And though, after all your pious endeavours, some may continue unreformed; yet you will have this comfortable reflection to make, that you did what you could to make your families religious: and therefore may rest assured of sitting down in the kingdom of heaven, with _Abraham_, _Joshua_, and _Cornelius_, and all the godly housholders, who in their several generations shone forth as so many lights in their respective housholds upon earth. _Amen._

SERMON V.

CHRIST the best Husband: Or an earnest Invitation to Young Women to come and see CHRIST.

Preached to a Society of Young Women, in _Fetter-Lane_.

PSALM xlv. 10, 11.

_Hearken, O Daughter, and consider, and incline thine Ear: Forget also thine own People, and thy Father’s House: So shall the King greatly desire thy Beauty; for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him._

THIS psalm is called the song of loves, the most pure and spiritual, the most dear and delightful loves; namely, those which are between CHRIST the beloved, and his church, which is his spouse; wherein is set forth, first, the LORD JESUS CHRIST in regard of his majesty, power, and divinity, his truth, meekness and equity: And then the spouse is set forth, in regard of her ornaments, companions, attendants and posterity; and both in regard of their comeliness and beauty. After the description of CHRIST, an invitation to his espousals, is given the children of men, called by the name of daughter; and therefore, particularly applicable unto you, my dear sisters, as being the daughters of men, yet not so as excluding the sons of men.

I shall now, therefore, consider the words, as spoken to you in particular, and containing this doctrine;

That the LORD JESUS CHRIST doth invite the daughters of men to be his spouse; and is exceeding desirous of their beauty; who, forgetting their people and father’s house, do hearken, consider and incline to his invitation, and join themselves to him in this relation.

I shall shew,

I. How CHRIST doth espouse himself unto the children, but, more especially, unto the daughters of men.

The LORD JESUS CHRIST, doth espouse himself unto the children of men, in this world, but the public solemnization of the marriage, is reserved until the last day; when his spouse shall be brought forth to him, in white robes, and a raiment of perfect righteousness, more rich and curious, my dear sisters, than any of your needle-work; and the marriage feast will be kept in his Father’s house, in heaven, where they shall be received into the nearest and closest embraces of his love. The marriage knot is tied here, in which are included four things:

_First_, Mutual Choice.

_Secondly_, Mutual Affection.

_Thirdly_, Mutual Union.

_Fourthly_, Mutual Obligation.

_First_, My dear sisters, there is a _mutual choice_, which is not only in CHRIST, as Mediator, but also by CHRIST as the eternal Son of GOD, yea, GOD himself; notwithstanding all that the polite _Arians_ and _Socinians_ say to the contrary. The LORD JESUS CHRIST, my dear sisters, doth chuse you merely by his free grace; it is freely of his own mercy, that he brings you into the marriage covenant: You, who have so grievously offended him, yet, the LORD JESUS CHRIST hath chosen you; you did not, you would not have chosen him; but when once, my dear sisters, he hath chosen you, then, and not till then, you make choice of him for your Lord and Husband.

The LORD JESUS CHRIST when he first comes to you, finds you full of sin and pollution; you are deformed, defiled, enslaved, poor, miserable and wretched, very despicable and loathsome, by reason of sin; and he maketh choice of you, not because of your holiness, nor of your beauty, nor of your being qualified for them; no, the LORD JESUS CHRIST puts those qualifications upon you, as may make you meet for his embrace; and you are drawn to make choice of this LORD JESUS CHRIST because he first chose you.

_Secondly_, In this espousal of your’s, my dear sisters, there is a _mutual affection_; this doth accompany the choice. Your hearts are drawn out after CHRIST; your souls pant and long for him; you cannot be at rest until you are engaged to this JESUS: You are ready to cry out continually, none but CHRIST, none but CHRIST: this is the language of your hearts, if you are truly sensible of your need of him. The more acquaintance you have of this LORD JESUS, the more pleased you are with your choice, and the more your affections are drawn towards him. And where can you place your affections better than upon that JESUS who shed his blood for your sakes? Surely he deserves both your loves and affections: Go on, go on, my dear sisters, that your affections may grow stronger and stronger.

_Thirdly_, There is not only mutual choice, and mutual affection, but likewise _mutual Union_: And here doth the marriage lie chiefly, in this union; CHRIST and souls are contracted, and the knot is tied so fast, that neither men on earth, how great soever they be, nor devils in hell, though they should combine all their wrath and rage together, still they cannot dissolve, they cannot untie it; no, my dear sisters, it is indissolvable, for the union is, by the spirit, on CHRIST’s part, and by faith on your’s: By the spirit, CHRIST doth lay hold on you; and by faith, you do lay hold on him; and thus the match is made; CHRIST becomes your’s, his person, portion, and all his benefits are your’s; and you become CHRIST’s, your persons, your hearts, and all that you have is resigned up unto him; and O that they may be so more and more.

_Fourthly_, There is a _mutual Obligation_ between CHRIST and his spouse. CHRIST obliges himself to love you here; he will not, indeed he never will leave you, he will protect you from the malice of the _Pharisees_ of this generation, he will provide for you in all difficulties; he will live with you here, and at last he will take you to himself, to live with him for ever. And you are engaged to him to be loving, loyal, faithful, obedient; and you are to stick close to him as long as you live; and then you will find yourselves to be married to the best advantage, both for soul and body, for time and for eternity.

II. CHRIST doth Invite all of you to be his spouse.

And it is on this account that he sends forth his ministers to preach. It is this, that makes me thus come among you; that you would accept of this invitation, to which, in the name of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, I do call and intreat you to take him, on his own terms. He calls all of you, my sisters, whether elder or younger, whether married or unmarried, of higher degree, or of the meanest quality, the poorest servants, yea, the rabble of this world, as the world calls you, who are willing to be espoused unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST. I say, the poor are as welcome to be CHRIST’s spouse as those that are rich. He regardeth not the rich more than the poor: he chose a mean virgin, espoused to a carpenter, to be his mother; and he chuseth and calleth all such to be his spouse; then be not discouraged at your being despised in the world; for if you are but loved by CHRIST, and espoused to him, it will be an over-sufficiency for all the trouble that you have met with here.

III. Those who would be espoused unto CHRIST, must hearken, consider, and incline to his invitation, and forget even their father’s house.

Such as would be espoused unto CHRIST must hearken. “Hearken, O daughter.” Many amongst you, my sisters, stop their ears against the calls of the gospel; they shut their ears like the deaf adder, which will not hearken unto the voice of the charmer, though he charm never so wisely. You will not hearken unto the invitations of CHRIST; you can hearken unto the vanities of the world, and be delighted with the espousals of the world, but never think, or are delighted with the espousals of CHRIST.

It was by the ear, that the temptation of sin was received by the first man, when he departed from GOD; and by the ear, the invitation to be CHRIST’s spouse must be received, before the heart will be opened to receive JESUS CHRIST in this conjugal relation.

If you would, my dear sisters, be espoused to CHRIST, you must consider CHRIST’s invitation. It is not a slight or bare hearing of CHRIST’s invitation, which will be of any service to you, or make up the match between CHRIST and your souls; no, you must receive CHRIST in the heart; you must consider the thing itself, the advantages of it, the difference between CHRIST’s invitations and the devil’s temptations, or any of the world’s proffers.

Those who would be espoused to CHRIST, must be inclined to accept of CHRIST’s invitation. “Hearken, O daughter, consider and incline thine ear.” This is to incline your hearts: You must consent with ♦your wills; there must be a compliance to the motion of CHRIST, and you must have desires after CHRIST, and then your hearts will say, ‘LORD, let us be thy spouse, and be thou our beloved.’

♦ “you” replaced with “your”

You must likewise forget your father’s house. “Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and forget thy father’s house.” You are not here to cast off all affections unto natural relations; but you must forget all relations, so as to be ready to forego all their favour, when it standeth in competition with that of the LORD JESUS CHRIST; and do not let your carnal friends and relations hinder you from closing with, and espousing the LORD JESUS. I earnestly beseech you to suffer the loss of any thing, rather than to lose his favours; you must indeed forget your own people, that is, you must forget all your evil customs which you have learned in your father’s house, and forsake all your vain conversation, your reading of plays, novels, or romances; and you must keep from learning to sing the songs of the drunkard; for CHRIST, if you are his spouse, hath redeemed you.

Such of you, my dear sisters, as are espoused to the LORD JESUS CHRIST are very beautiful. I do not mean in respect of your bodies; you may have less of external comeliness than others, in respect of your bodies, but as to your souls you will exceed in beauty, not so much in the eyes of man, as in the eyes of GOD; such have the most beautiful image of GOD stamped upon them; none in the world, beside them, have the least spark of spiritual beauty. Such as are not married to CHRIST, are unregenerated, they are not born again, nor brought from sin unto GOD, which must be done before you be espoused to CHRIST.

And the LORD JESUS CHRIST desireth to see this beauty in his spouse, for he cries out, “O my dove, thou art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice, for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.” He calleth his spouse his love, being the dear object of his love; and he admireth her loveliness; he repeats it twice in one verse, “Behold thou art fair, my love, behold thou art fair.” Thus you see he describes their beauty. And then, my sisters, we have a wonderful expression of CHRIST to his spouse, “Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse, thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.” Thus you see how pleased the LORD JESUS CHRIST is with his spouse; and will not you, therefore, be espoused unto the LORD JESUS? I offer JESUS CHRIST to all of you; if you have been never so notorious for sin, if you have been as great a harlot as _Mary Magdalen_ was, when once you are espoused to CHRIST, you shall be forgiven. Therefore be not discouraged, at whatever slights and contempts the world may pass upon you, but come and join yourselves to the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and all your sins shall be washed away in his blood; and when once you are espoused to JESUS, you are disjoined from sin, you are born again. You are now, as it were, espoused unto sin; sin is your husband, and you are too fond of it, but when once you are married to CHRIST, when you are born again, then you may be said to die unto sin; but till then, sin liveth in your affections; therefore, my sisters, give sin its death-wound in your hearts; you have been called by the word time after time, and it has had no effect upon you; but when you are espoused unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST, then you will be brought to him by his Spirit: You will then lay hold on him by faith, his Spirit will draw you unto himself; he will make you to be willing in the day of his power; he will give you faith in him. Faith is the hand of the soul which layeth hold on CHRIST; therefore, do not rest contented till you have this grace of faith wrought in you with power; do not be contented till you have received the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Embrace CHRIST in the arms of your dearest love; then you love the LORD JESUS CHRIST with sincerity, when you love and esteem him before father, mother, or all the delights and pleasures of this life; but if you do delight in any thing that this world can produce, more than in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, you have no true love to him.

If you are espoused to CHRIST, you have acquaintance and converse with him; you will endeavour to promote his interest, and advance his name in the world; when others are going to the polite and fashionable diversions of life, you will be labouring to bring honour to the LORD JESUS CHRIST; you will commend your beloved above all other beloveds, and endeavour to bring others into love to him. Can you, my dear sisters, who are now assembled to worship GOD, shew such evidence of your espousals unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST? O! how joyful, how comfortable an estate is this! Surely this is a marriage worth seeking after; this is the only desirable marriage, and the LORD JESUS CHRIST is the only lover that is worth seeking after.

Now, my dear sisters, I shall speak a few words to those of you who have not yet espoused yourselves to the LORD JESUS. It is a great sin, and surely you highly affront the LORD that bought you. It is likewise your folly to refuse and neglect the gracious proffers of being the spouse of CHRIST; hereby you forfeit all that love which he would bestow upon you; hereby you chuse rags before robes, dross before gold, pebbles before jewels, guilt before a pardon, wounds before healing, defilement before cleansing, deformity before comeliness, trouble before peace, slavery before liberty, the service of the devil before the service of CHRIST. Hereby you chuse dishonour before a crown, death before life, hell before heaven, eternal misery and torment before everlasting joy and glory. And need there a farther evidence of your folly and madness, in refusing and neglecting CHRIST to be your spouse.

My dear sisters, I should exceed the limits of your time, should I particularize all the advantages which you would obtain by being espoused to the LORD JESUS. This is your wisdom; they are foolish virgins who refuse; but you are the wise virgins who have accepted of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and have disposed of yourselves to him; you have made the wisest choice; and however the blind world may deem you fools, and despise you as being methodically mad, yet you are wise in the esteem of GOD, and will, one day, appear so in the esteem of them that now despise you. It is your glory that you are espoused unto the LORD JESUS; and therefore glory in your espousal; glory not in yourselves, but in the LORD who hath thus freely and graciously bestowed these favours upon you. It is your safety to be espoused unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST, he will protect and defend you even from sin and satan, and eternal ruin; and therefore thus far you are safe; he hath a regard for you in times of danger from men, and these times of danger seem to be hastening; it is now arising as a black cloud no bigger than a man’s hand, and by and by it will overspread the heavens, and when it is full it will burst; but if you are espoused to CHRIST, you are safe.

Now, my dear sisters, I shall conclude with an earnest exhortation to high and low, rich and poor, one with another, to be espoused unto CHRIST.

Let me speak unto you, young women, who are not yet espoused unto CHRIST, in an especial manner. It may be to satisfy your curiosity, has brought many of you here; though, perhaps, this may be the time when you shall be brought home to embrace the LORD JESUS, and be espoused to him. And O, that I may persuade you, by his Spirit, to espouse yourselves unto the LORD of life.

And if you are but brought to close with the LORD JESUS CHRIST, I shall attain my end, and then both you and I shall rejoice that I preached this sermon to you.

Come virgins, will you give me leave to be a suitor unto you, not in my own name, but in the name of the LORD? O! that I may prevail with you for your affections, and persuade you to give them unto CHRIST! May I be instrumental of bringing your souls to CHRIST! May I be instrumental to join you and CHRIST together this day!

Be not coy, as some of you possibly are in other loves: modesty and the virgin blush may very well become you, when proposals of another kind are made unto you; but here coyness is folly, and backwardness to accept of this motion, is shame: you have ten thousand times more reason to blush at the refusal of CHRIST for your beloved, than at the acceptance; when otherwise the devil and sin would ravish your virgin affections. Never had you a better motion made to you; never was such a match proffered to you as this, of being matched and espoused unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Consider who the LORD JESUS is, whom you are invited to espouse yourselves unto; he is the best husband; there is none comparable to JESUS CHRIST.

Do you desire one that is great? He is of the highest dignity, he is the glory of heaven, the darling of eternity, admired by angels, dreaded by devils, and adored by saints. For you to be espoused to so great a king, what honour will you have by this espousal?

Do you desire one that is rich? None is comparable to CHRIST, the fulness of the earth belongs to him. If you be espoused to CHRIST, you shall share in his unsearchable riches; you shall receive of his fulness, even grace for grace here, and you shall hereafter be admitted to glory, and shall live with this JESUS to all eternity.

Do you desire one that is wise? There is none comparable to CHRIST for wisdom. His knowledge is infinite, and his wisdom is correspondent thereto. And if you are espoused to CHRIST, he will guide and counsel you, and make you wise unto salvation.

Do you desire one that is potent, who may defend you against your enemies, and all the insults and reproaches of the Pharisees of this generation? There is none that can equal CHRIST in power; for the LORD JESUS CHRIST hath all power.

Do you desire one that is good? There is none like unto CHRIST in this regard; others may have some goodness, but it is imperfect; CHRIST’s goodness is compleat and perfect, he is full of goodness, and in him dwelleth no evil.

Do you desire one that is beautiful? His eyes are most sparkling, his looks and glances of love are ravishing, his smiles are most delightful and refreshing unto the soul: CHRIST is the most lovely person of all others in the world.

Do you desire one that can love you? None can love you like CHRIST: His love, my dear sisters, is incomprehensible; his love passeth all other loves: The love of the LORD JESUS is first, without beginning; his love is free without any motive; his love is great without any measure; his love is constant without any change, and his love is everlasting.

It was the love of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, my dear sisters, which brought him down from heaven; and which veiled his divinity in a human soul and body; for he is GOD over all blessed for ever: It was love that made him subject to hunger, thirst and sorrow; he was humbled, even unto death for you; for you who are espoused to him, he underwent the painful, shameful and ignominious death of the cross: and can you, my sisters, hear this, and not be concerned to think that the blessed JESUS underwent all this for such sinful creatures as you and I are? And when out of love he had finished the redemption on earth, as to what was needful for satisfaction; it was his love that carried him back to heaven, where he was before, that he might make application of what he had purchased, that there he might make intercession for those whom he had redeemed, and prepare a place for them, even glorious mansions with himself, in the house not made with hands, which is eternal in the heavens. It is out of love that he sendeth such tokens to his people from heaven to earth, which he conveyeth through his ordinances, by his Spirit unto them. Surely then none is so deserving as the LORD JESUS CHRIST for you to espouse yourselves unto: if you be espoused unto CHRIST he is your’s, all that he is, all that he hath; you shall have his heart, and share in the choicest expressions of his dearest love.

The LORD JESUS CHRIST, my dear sisters, doth beseech you to be his spouse. We ministers have a commission from the LORD JESUS CHRIST to invite you, in his name, unto this very thing; and CHRIST’s invitations are real; general; frequent; earnest; free.

CHRIST’s invitations of you, to be his spouse, are _real_; and as the thing is real, so you, my dear sisters, are really invited unto it. The LORD doth not mock and dissemble with you, as some pretending lovers, who dissemble love unto virgins, until they have gained their affections, and then falsely and basely relinquish them, never really intending either to espouse, or marry them: but the LORD doth really intend the thing, in his invitations of you; he never cast off any whose consent and affections he had gained. Again,

CHRIST’s invitations of you, my dear sisters, are _general_. All of you are invited, none of you are excluded; all sorts of sinners are invited; the most vile and abominable sinners, the most notorious transgressors are invited to be CHRIST’s spouse, and shall be as welcome as any unto the embraces of his love.

CHRIST’s invitations of you are _frequent_: JESUS CHRIST calls on you frequently; he hath waited on you time after time, one year after another; and he doth now invite you, by me this day, to come unto Him. Do not slight this invitation, but receive it with joy and thankfulness. Come, I beseech you, to this JESUS, who thus invites you to be his spouse. Again,

CHRIST’s invitations to be his spouse are _earnest_; he doth call upon you, and not only call, but call earnestly too; yea, he useth many arguments with you: he will press you to come unto him; he is loth to take any denial from you: he knocks, and knocks hard at the door of your hearts for entertainment; and surely you will not deny the LORD of life and glory who died for you, and gave himself for you: O my dear sisters, let this be the evening of your espousals to the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

He invites you _freely_ to be his spouse, for all his invitations are free; he doth not expect a portion with you, as worldly lovers do; He wants nothing of you: nay, you must have nothing, if you be espoused unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST. If you be poor, miserable, blind, naked, JESUS CHRIST will supply all these defects of his own free mercy; he will fill and supply you with all things out of his treasury; he will make you meet for himself; he will prepare you to live with him for ever.

Consider, if you be once espoused unto CHRIST, if once joined in this relation, you shall never be separated from him; neither men nor devils shall be able to separate you: none, none, shall disjoin you; and when death doth break all other bonds, it shall not break the conjugal bond between you and CHRIST, but bring you unto the most full and everlasting possession of your beloved.

And what do you now say, young women? shall I have a grant for my master, or be sent away with a repulse and refusal; no, I cannot carry such a message to my master; I hope better things of you, my sisters, and things which accompany salvation: methinks by this time ye should begin to have a mind unto JESUS CHRIST; you look as if you did desire; you hearken as if you would consent. What do you say? Shall the match be made up this evening between CHRIST and your souls? O that I may be instrumental in joining your hands, or rather your hearts together: O that I may be instrumental to tie that knot, which never can be unloosed.

Some marry in haste, and repent at leisure; but if you were once espoused unto JESUS CHRIST, you would never repent; nothing would grieve you, but that you were not joined to him sooner; and you would not be disjoined again for all the world.

Shall this be the day of your espousals? Some of you have stayed a long time; and will you defer any longer? If you will not now, perhaps you may never have another opportunity; this may be the last time of asking; and therefore it is dangerous to refuse: some of you are very young, too young for other espousals; but none of you, my dear sisters, are too young to be espoused unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST: in other espousals, you must have the consent of your parents; but in this you are at your own disposal; you may give, and ought to match yourselves to CHRIST, whether parents do consent or not.

But if any of you should ask, what you must do that you may be espoused unto CHRIST? You must be sensible of your need of being espoused to him; and untill you are sensible of your need of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, you cannot be espoused to him: You must have desires after this JESUS, and seek unto him for an interest in him; you must cry nightly unto him to espouse you to himself: put off the filthiness of sin and all its defilements; and then, my sisters, put on the white raiment, and clean garments, which CHRIST hath provided for you, the robes of his righteousness; in these garments you shall be beautiful; and in these garments you shall be accepted: you must have the wedding garment on; you must put off all your own good works, for they will be but a means to keep you from CHRIST; no, you must come as not having your own righteousness, which is of the law, but you must have the righteousness of CHRIST. Therefore, come unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and he will give it to you; he will not send you away without it. Receive him upon his own terms, and he is your’s for ever: O devote yourselves to him, soul and body, and all, to be his for ever; and CHRIST will be your’s, and then happy, happy you, that ever you were born! But if any of you die before this espousal unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST, then woe, woe, unto you, that ever you had a being in life; but if you go to CHRIST you shall be espoused unto the LORD JESUS: though your sins have been never so great, yea, the blood of CHRIST will cleanse you from them; the marriage covenant between CHRIST and your souls will dissolve all your sins; you will then be weary of your old ways, for all things will become new in your souls.

Now, my dear Sisters, I shall conclude by just speaking a word or two to those of you, who are already espoused unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

O admire, admire the rich and free grace, which hath brought you to this relation: Is not this an instance of the greatest of love, that you should be the spouse of the LORD JESUS CHRIST? You that had no beauty, you that had no comeliness, that was full of sin, that He should embrace such as you and I are; that we should be taken into the embrace of this LORD JESUS. O infinite condescending kindness! O amazing love! Reverence, reverence, I beseech you, this LORD JESUS CHRIST.

He is your LORD, and you must reverence him, love and be faithful unto him, be subject to him, and careful to please him in every thing; endeavour to keep up a daily communion with him; look, long and prepare for CHRIST’s second appearance, when the nuptials between you shall be solemnized, and you live with him in mansions of everlasting joys, where you shall love and live with this king of glory for ever and ever.

I know not how to conclude; methinks I could speak to you till midnight, if it would bring you unto the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and make you be espoused to him, for indeed, that will be the espousal which will turn to the greatest advantage, as you will find by experience, if you will but make the trial; and that you may do so, my prayers and my constant endeavours shall be used.

I will, my dear sisters, spend and be spent for you, and by the assistance of GOD, will persevere in this that I have begun; and as many of you may have opportunity some evening in the week, without breaking in on the business of life; I shall therefore, my sisters, either be here, or where you shall be publicly acquainted with: I will not mind being reproached or despised: the men of this world may use what language they please; they may say I am a Methodist. Indeed, my sisters, I am resolved, by the grace of GOD, to use all methods I can, to pluck you from Satan, that you may be as brands plucked from the burning fire: this shall be my method, which I hope will be the means of effectually saving your precious and immortal souls.

And if I am the instrument of this, I shall rejoice, yea, and I will rejoice in spight of what men, or devils, can say or do to the contrary: and may the LORD JESUS CHRIST direct, and assist me at all times, to act what will be most for his glory, and the welfare of your souls: and may you all say a hearty Amen thereto.

“Now the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who is GOD over all, blessed for ever, assist and watch over you, keep you from all evil and sin here, and present you before his Father faultless at the great day of account! To this LORD JESUS CHRIST, the Father, and the blessed Spirit, three persons and but one eternal and invisible GOD, be ascribed all honour, power, glory, might, majesty and dominion, now, henceforth, and for ever more. Amen, Amen.”

“The grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the love of GOD, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with you all, to comfort under, and deliver you from tribulation; to preserve you to your respective places of abode; and when there, to keep you in his fear, that you may live to his glory; that to live may be CHRIST’s, and to die be your eternal gain; so that you may live with him through eternal ages, and sing Hallelujahs to him for ever. Amen.”

SERMON VI.

_Britain_’s Mercies, and _Britain_’s Duty.

Preached at _Philadelphia_, on _Sunday, August 24, 1746_. and occasioned by the Suppression of the late unnatural Rebellion.

PSALM cv. 45.

_That they might observe his Statutes and keep his Laws._

MEN, brethren, and fathers, and all ye to whom I am about to preach the kingdom of GOD, I suppose you need not be informed, that being indispensibly obliged to be absent on your late thanksgiving-day, I could not shew my obedience to the governor’s proclamation, as my own inclination led me, or as might justly be expected from, and demanded of me. But as the occasion of that day’s thanksgiving is yet, and I trust ever will be, fresh in our memory, I cannot think that a discourse on that subject can even now be altogether unseasonable. I take it for granted, further, that you need not be informed, that among the various motives which are generally urged to enforce obedience to the divine commands, that of love is the most powerful and cogent. The terrors of the law may affright and awe, but love dissolves and melts the heart. “The love of CHRIST,” says the great apostle of the _Gentiles_, “constraineth us.” Nay, love is so absolutely necessary for those that name the name of CHRIST, that without it, their obedience cannot truly be stiled evangelical, or be acceptable in the sight of GOD. “Although, (says the apostle) I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burnt, and have not charity,” (i. e. unless unfeigned love to GOD, and to mankind for his great name’s sake, be the principle of such actions, howsoever it may benefit others) “it profiteth me nothing.” This is the constant language of the lively oracles of GOD. And, from them it is equally plain, that nothing has a greater tendency to beget and excite such an obediential love in us, than a serious and frequent consideration of the manifold mercies we receive time after time from the hands of our heavenly Father. The royal psalmist, who had the honour of being stiled, “the man after GOD’s own heart,” had an abundant experience of this. Hence it is, that whilst he is musing on the divine goodness, the fire of divine love kindles in his soul; and, out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth speaketh such grateful and extatic language as this. “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his mercies? Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” And why? “who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies.” And when the same holy man of GOD had a mind to stir up the people of the _Jews_ to set about a national reformation, as the most weighty and prevailing argument he could make use of for that purpose, he lays before them, as it were, in a draught, many national mercies, and distinguishing deliverances, which have been conferred upon and wrought out for them, by the most high GOD. The psalm to which the words of our text belong, is a pregnant proof of this; it being a kind of epitome or compendium of the whole _Jewish_ history: at least it contains an enumeration of many signal and extraordinary blessings the _Israelites_ had received from GOD, and also the improvement they were in duty bound to make of them, “Observe his statutes and keep his laws.”

To run through all the particulars of the psalm, or draw a parallel (which might with great ease and justice be done) between GOD’s dealings with us and the _Israelites_ of old: To enumerate all the national mercies bestowed upon, and remarkable deliverances wrought out for the kingdoms of _Great-Britain_ and _Ireland_, from the infant state of _William_ the _Norman_ to their present manhood, and more than _Augustan_ maturity, under the auspicious reign of our rightful Sovereign King _George_ the second; howsoever pleasing and profitable it might be at any other time, would, at this juncture, prove, if not an irksome, yet an unreasonable undertaking.

The occasion of the late solemnity, I mean the suppression of a most horrid and unnatural rebellion, will afford more than sufficient matter for a discourse of this nature, and furnish us with abundant motives to love and obey that glorious _Jehovah_, who giveth salvation unto kings, and delivers his people from the hurtful sword.

Need I make an apology, before this auditory, if, in order to see the greatness of our late deliverance, I should remind you of the many unspeakable blessings which we have for a course of years enjoyed, during the reign of his present Majesty, and the gentle, mild administration under which we live? Without justly incurring the censure of giving flattering titles, I believe all who have eyes to see, and ears to hear, and are but a little acquainted with our public affairs, must acknowledge, that we have one of the best of Kings. It is now above nineteen years since he began to reign over us. And yet, was he seated on a royal throne, and were all his subjects placed before him, was he to address them as _Samuel_ once addressed the _Israelites_, “Behold here I am, old and grey-headed, witness against me before the LORD, whose ox have I taken? Or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed?” They must, if they would do him justice, make the same answer as was given to _Samuel_, “Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us.” What _Tertullus_, by way of flattery, said to _Felix_, may with the strictest justice be applied to our sovereign, “By thee we enjoy great quietness, and very worthy deeds have been done unto our nation by thy providence.” He has been indeed _Pater Patriæ_, a father to our country, and though old and grey-headed, has jeoparded his precious life for us in the high places of the field. Nor has he less deserved the great and glorious title, which the LORD promises, that kings should sustain in the latter days, I mean, “a nursing father of the church.” For not only the Church of _England_, as by law established, but all denominations of christians whatsoever, have enjoyed their religious as well as civil liberties. As there has been no authorized oppression in the state, so there has been no publicly allowed persecution in the church. We breathe indeed in free air; as free (if not freer) both as to temporals and spirituals, as any nation under heaven. Nor is the prospect likely to terminate in his majesty’s death, which I pray GOD to defer. Our princesses are disposed of to protestant powers. And we have great reason to be assured, that the present heir apparent, and his consort, are like minded with their royal father. And I cannot help thinking, that it is a peculiar blessing vouchsafed us by the King of kings, that his present Majesty has been continued so long among us. For now, his immediate successor (though his present situation obliges him, as it were, to lie dormant) has great and glorious opportunities, which we have reason to think he daily improves, of observing and weighing the national affairs, considering the various steps and turns of government, and consequently of laying in a large fund of experience, to make him a wise and great prince, if ever GOD should call him to sway the _British_ sceptre. Happy art thou, O _England_! Happy art thou, O _America_, who on every side art thus highly favoured!

But, alas! how soon would this happy scene have shifted, and a melancholy gloomy prospect have succeeded in its room, had the rebels gained their point, and a popish abjured pretender been forced upon the _British_ throne! For, supposing his birth not to be spurious, (as we have great reason to think it really was) what could we expect from one, descended from a father, who, when Duke of _York_, put all _Scotland_ into confusion; and afterwards, when crowned King of _England_, for his ♦arbitrary and tyrannical government, both in church and state, was justly obliged to abdicate the throne, by the assertors of _British_ liberty? Or, supposing the horrid plot, first hatched in hell, and afterwards nursed at _Rome_, had taken place; supposing, I say, the old Pretender should have obtained the triple crown, and have transferred his pretended title (as it is reported he has done) to his eldest son, what was all this for, but that, by being advanced to the popedom, he might rule both son and subjects with less controul, and by their united interest, keep the three kingdoms of _England_, _Scotland_, and _Ireland_, in greater vassallage to the see of _Rome_? Ever since this unnatural rebellion broke out, I have looked upon the young Pretender as the phaeton of the present age. He is ambitiously and presumptuously aiming to seat himself in the throne of our rightful sovereign King _George_, which he is no more capable of keeping, than _Phaeton_ was to guide the chariot of the sun; and had he succeeded in his attempt, like him, would only have set the world on fire. It is true, to do him justice, he has deserved well of the Church of _Rome_, and, in all probability, will hereafter be canonized amongst the noble order of their fictitious saints. But, with what an iron rod we might expect to have been bruised, had his troops been victorious, may easily be gathered from those cruel orders said to be found in the pockets of some of his officers, “Give no quarters to the Elector’s troops.” Add to this, that there was great reason to suspect, that, upon the first news of the success of the rebels, a general massacre was intended. So that if the LORD had not been on our side, _Great Britain_, not to say _America_, would, in a few weeks or months, have been an _Aceldama_, a field of blood.

♦ “arbritrary” replaced with “arbitrary”

Besides, was a _Popish_ Pretender to rule over us, instead of being represented by a free parliament, and governed by laws made by their consent, as we now are; we should shortly have had only the shadow of one, and it may be, no parliament at all. This is the native product of a _Popish_ government, and what the unhappy family, from which this young adventurer pretends he descended, has always aimed at. Arbitrary principles he has sucked in with his mother’s milk, and if he had been so honest, instead of that immature motto upon his standard, _Tandem triumphans_, only to have put, _Stet pro ratione Voluntas_, he had given us a short, but true portrait of the nature of his intended, but blessed be GOD, now defeated reign. And why should I mention, that the sinking of the national debt, or rending away the funded property of the people, and the dissolution of the present happy union between the two kingdoms, would have been the immediate consequences of his success, as he himself declares in his second manifesto, dated from _Holy-rood House_? These are evils, and great ones too; but then they are only evils of a temporary nature. They chiefly concern the body, and must necessarily terminate in the grave. But, alas! what an inundation of spiritual mischiefs, would soon have overflowed the Church, and what unspeakable danger should we and our posterity have been reduced to in respect to our better parts, our precious and immortal souls? How soon would whole swarms of monks, dominicans and friars, like so many locusts, have overspread and plagued the nation; with what winged speed would foreign titular bishops have posted over, in order to take possession of their respective sees? How quickly would our universities have been filled with youths who have been sent abroad by their _Popish_ parents, in order to drink in all the superstitions of the church of _Rome_? What a speedy period would have been put to societies of all kinds, for promoting christian knowledge, and propagating the gospel in foreign parts? How soon would our pulpits have every where been filled with these old antichristian doctrines, free-will, meriting by works, transubstantiation, purgatory, works of supererogation, passive-obedience, non-resistance, and all the other abominations of the whore of _Babylon_? How soon would our protestant charity schools in _England_, _Scotland_ and _Ireland_, have been pulled down, our Bibles forcibly taken from us, and ignorance every where set up as the mother of devotion? How soon should we have been deprived of that invaluable blessing, liberty of conscience, and been obliged to commence (what they falsely call) catholicks, or submit to all the tortures which a bigoted zeal, guided by the most cruel principles, could possibly invent? How soon would that mother of harlots have made herself once more drunk with the blood of the saints? And the whole tribe even of free-thinkers themselves, been brought to this dilemma, either to die martyrs for, (although I never yet heard of one that did so) or, contrary to all their most avowed principles, renounce their great _Diana_, unassisted, unenlightened reason? But I must have done, lest while I am speaking against antichrist, I should unawares fall myself, and lead my hearers into an antichristian spirit. True and undefiled religion will regulate our zeal, and teach us to treat even the man of sin with no harsher language than that which the angel gave to his grand employer Satan, “The LORD rebuke thee.”

Glory be to GOD’s great name! the LORD has rebuked him; and that too at a time when we had little reason to expect such a blessing at GOD’s hands. My dear hearers, neither the present frame of my heart, nor the occasion of your late solemn meeting, lead me to give you a detail of our public vices. Though, alas! they are so many, so notorious, and withal of such a crimson-dye, that a gospel minister would not be altogether inexcusable, was he, even on such a joyful occasion, to lift up his voice like a trumpet, to shew the British nation their transgression, and the people of _America_ their sin. However, though I would not cast a dismal shade upon the pleasing picture the cause of our late rejoicings set before us; yet thus much may, and ought to be said, that as GOD has not dealt so bountifully with any people as with us, so no nation under heaven has dealt more ungratefully with Him. We have been like _Capernaum_, lifted up to heaven in privileges, and for the abuse of them, like her, have deserved to be thrust down into hell. How well soever it may be with us, in respect to our civil and ecclesiastical constitution, yet in regard to our morals, _Isaiah_’s description of the _Jewish_ polity is too applicable, “The whole head is sick, the whole heart is faint; from the crown of the head to the sole of our feet, we are full of wounds and bruises, and putrifying sores.” We have, _Jeshurun_-like, waxed fat and kicked. We have played the harlot against GOD, both in regard to principles and practices. “Our gold is become dim, and our fine gold changed.” We have crucified the Son of GOD afresh, and put him to an open shame. Nay, CHRIST has been wounded in the house of his friends. And every thing long ago seemed to threaten an immediate storm. But, O the long-suffering and goodness of GOD to us-ward! When all things seemed ripe for destruction, and matters were come to such a crisis, that GOD’s praying people began to think, that though _Noah_, _Daniel_ and _Job_, were living, they would only deliver their own souls; yet then in the midst of judgment the Most High remembered mercy, and when a popish enemy was breaking in upon us like a flood, the LORD himself graciously lifted up a standard.

This to me does not seem to be one of the most unfavourable circumstances which have attended this mighty deliverance; nor do I think you will look upon it as a circumstance altogether unworthy your observation. Had this cockatrice indeed been crushed in the egg, and the young Pretender driven back upon his first arrival, it would undoubtedly have been a great blessing. But not so great as that for which you lately assembled to give GOD thanks: for then his Majesty would not have had so good an opportunity of knowing his enemies, or trying his friends. The _British_ subjects would in a manner have lost the fairest occasion that ever offered to express their loyalty and gratitude to the rightful sovereign. _France_ would not have been so greatly humbled; nor such an effectual stop have been put, as we trust there now is, to any such further _Popish_ plot, to rob us of all that is near and dear to us. “Out of the eater therefore hath come forth meat, and out of the strong hath come forth sweetness.” The Pretender’s eldest son is suffered not only to land in the _North-West Highlands_ in _Scotland_, but in a little while he becomes a great band. This for a time is not believed, but treated as a thing altogether incredible. The friends of the government in those parts, not for want of loyalty, but of sufficient authority to take up arms, could not resist him. He is permitted to pass on with his terrible banditti, and, like the comet that was lately seen, spreads his baleful influences all around him. He is likewise permitted to gain a short-liv’d triumph by a victory over a body of our troops at _Preston-Pans_, and to take a temporary possession of the metropolis of _Scotland_. Of this he makes his boast, and informs the public, that “Providence had hitherto favoured him with wonderful success, led him in the way to victory, and to the capital of the antient kingdom, though he came without foreign aid.” Nay, he is further permitted to press into the very heart of _England_. But now the Almighty interposes. Hitherto he was to go, and no further. Here were his malicious designs to be staid. His troops of a sudden are driven back. Away they post to the _Highlands_, and there they are suffered not only to increase, but also to collect themselves into a large body, that having, as it were, what _Caligula_ once wished _Rome_ had, but one neck, they might be cut off with one blow.

The time, manner, and instrument of this victory, deserves our notice. It was on a general fast-day, when the clergy and good people of _Scotland_ were lamenting the disloyalty of their perfidious countrymen, and, like _Moses_, lifting up their hands, that _Amalek_ might not prevail. The victory was total and decisive. Little blood was spilt on the side of the Royalists. And, to crown all, Duke _William_, his Majesty’s youngest son, has the honour of first driving back, and then defeating the rebel-army. A prince, who in his infancy and youth, gave early proofs of an uncommon bravery and nobleness of mind; a prince, whose courage has increased with his years. Who returned wounded from the battle of _Dettingen_, behaved with surprizing bravery at _Fontenoy_, and now, by a conduct and magnanimity becoming the high office he sustains, like his glorious predecessor the Prince of _Orange_, has delivered three kingdoms from the dread of popish cruelty, and arbitrary power. What renders it still more remarkable is, The day on which his Highness gained this victory, was the day after his birth-day, when he was entering on the 26th year of his age; and when _Sullivan_, one of the Pretender’s privy-council, like another _Ahitophel_, advised the rebels to give our soldiers battle, presuming they were surfeited and over-charged with their yesterday’s rejoicings, and consequently unfit to make any great stand against them. But, glory be to GOD, who catches the wise in their own craftiness! his counsel, like _Ahitophel_’s, proves abortive. Both General and soldiers were prepared to meet them. “GOD taught their hands to war, and their fingers to fight,” and brought the Duke, after a deserved slaughter of some thousands of the rebels, with most of his brave soldiers, victorious from the field.

If we then take a distinct view of this notable transaction, and trace it in all the particular circumstances that have attended it, I believe we must with one heart and voice confess, that if it be a mercy for a state to be delivered from a worse than a _Catiline_’s conspiracy, or a church to be rescued from a hotter than a _Dioclesian_ persecution; if it be a mercy to be delivered from a religion that turns plough-shares into swords, and pruning-hooks into spears, and makes it meritorious to shed protestant blood; if it be a mercy to have all our present invaluable privileges, both in church and state, secured to us more than ever; if it be a mercy to have these great things done for us, at a season, when for our crying sins, both church and state justly deserved to be overturned; and if it be a mercy to have all this brought about for us, under GOD, by one of the blood-royal, a prince acting with an experience far above his years; if any, or all of these are mercies, then have you lately commemorated one of the greatest mercies that ever the glorious GOD vouchsafed to the _British_ nation.

And shall we not rejoice and give thanks? Should we refuse, would not the stones cry out against us? Rejoice then we may and ought: but, O let our rejoicing be in the LORD, and run in a religious channel. This, we find, has been the practice of GOD’s people in all ages. When he was pleased, with a mighty hand, and out-stretched arm, to lead the _Israelites_ through the _Red-Sea_, as on dry ground, “Then sang _Moses_ and the children of _Israel_; and _Miriam_ the prophetess, the sister of _Aaron_, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her. And _Miriam_ answered them, Sing ye to the LORD; for he hath triumphed gloriously.” When GOD subdued _Jabin_, the King of _Canaan_, before the children of _Israel_, “then sang _Deborah_ and _Barak_ on that day, saying, ‘Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of _Israel_.’” When the ark was brought back out of the hands of the _Philistines_, _David_, though a king, danced before it. And, to mention but one instance more, which may serve as a general directory to us on this and such-like occasions: when the great Head of the church had rescued his people from the general massacre intended to be executed upon them by a cruel and ambitious _Haman_, “_Mordecai_ sent letters unto all the _Jews_ that were in all the provinces of the King _Ahasuerus_ both nigh and far, to establish among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month _Adar_, and the fifteenth day of the same yearly, as the days wherein the _Jews_ rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow unto joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.” And why should we not go and do likewise?

And shall we not also, on such an occasion, express our gratitude to, and make honourable mention of, those worthies who have signalized themselves, and been ready to sacrifice both lives and fortunes at this critical juncture?

This would be to act the part of those ungrateful _Israelites_, who are branded in the book of GOD, for not shewing kindness to the house of “_Jerub-Baal_, namely _Gideon_, according to all the goodness which he shewed unto _Israel_.” Even a _Pharaoh_ could prefer a deserving _Joseph_, _Ahasuerus_ a _Mordecai_, and _Nebuchadnezzar_ a _Daniel_, when made instruments of signal service to themselves and people. “My heart, says _Deborah_, is towards (_i. e._ I have a particular veneration and regard for) the Governors of _Israel_ that offered themselves willingly. And blessed above women shall _Jael_ the wife of _Heber_ the _Kenite_ be; for she put her hand to the nail, and her right-hand to the workman’s hammer, and with the hammer she smote _Sisera_, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.” And shall we not say, “Blessed above men let his Royal Highness the Duke of _Cumberland_ be; for through his instrumentality, the great and glorious JEHOVAH hath brought mighty things to pass?” Should not our hearts be towards the worthy Archbishop of _York_, the Royal Hunters, and those other _English_ heroes who offered themselves so willingly? Let the names of _Blakeney_, _Bland_, and _Rea_, and all thole who waxed valiant in fight on this important occasion, live for ever in the _British_ annals. And let the name of that great, that incomparable brave soldier of the King, and a good soldier of JESUS CHRIST, Colonel _Gardiner_, (excuse me if I here drop a tear: he was my intimate friend) let his name, I say, be had in everlasting remembrance.

But, after all, is there not an infinitely greater debt of gratitude and praise due from us, on this occasion, to Him that is higher than the highest, even the King of kings and Lord of Lords, the blessed and only Potentate? Is it not his arm, his strong and mighty arm, (what instruments soever may have been made use of) that hath brought us this salvation? And may I not therefore address you, in the exulting language of the beginning of this psalm, from which we have taken our text? “O give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people. Sing unto him; sing psalms unto him; talk ye of all his wondrous works; glory ye in his holy name; remember his marvellous work which he hath done.”

But shall we put off our good and gracious benefactor with mere lip-service? GOD forbid. Your worthy Governor has honoured GOD in his late excellent proclamation, and GOD will honour him. But shall our thanks terminate with the day? No, in no wise. Our text reminds us of a more noble sacrifice, and points out to us the great end the Almighty JEHOVAH proposes, in bestowing such signal favours upon a people, “That they should observe his statutes, and keep his laws.”

This is the return we are all taught to pray, that we may make to the Most High GOD, the Father of mercies, in the daily office of our church, “That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we may shew forth his praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to his service, and by walking before him in holiness and righteousness all our days.” O that these words were the real language of all that use them! O that there were in us such a mind! How soon would our enemies then flee before us? And GOD, even our own GOD, would yet give us more abundant blessings!

And why should not we “observe GOD’s statutes, and keep his laws?” Dare we say, that any of his commands are grievous? Is not CHRIST’s yoke, to a renewed soul, as far as renewed, easy; and his burden comparatively light? May I not appeal to the most refined reasoner, whether the religion of JESUS CHRIST be not a social religion? Whether the Moral Law, as explained by the LORD JESUS in the gospel, has not a natural tendency to promote the present good and happiness of a whole commonwealth, supposing they were obedient to them, as well as the happiness of every individual? From whence come wars and fighting amongst us? From what fountain do all those evils, which the present and past ages have groaned under, flow, but from a neglect of the laws and statutes of our great and all-wise law-giver JESUS of _Nazareth_? Tell me, ye men of letters, whether _Lycurgus_ or _Solon_, _Pythagoras_ or _Plato_, _Aristotle_, _Seneca_, _Cicero_, or all the antient lawgivers and heathen moralists; put them all together, ever published a system of ethics, any way worthy to be compared with the glorious system laid down in that much despised book, (to use Sir _Richard Steel_’s expression) emphatically called, the Scriptures? Is not the divine image and superscription written upon every precept of the gospel? Do they not shine with a native intrinsic lustre? And, though many things in them are above, yet, is there any thing contrary to the strictest laws of right reason? Is not JESUS CHRIST, in scripture, stiled the Word, the Logos, the Reason? And is not his service a reasonable service? What if there be mysteries in his religion? Are they not without all controversy great and glorious? Are they not mysteries of godliness, and worthy of that GOD who reveals them? Nay, is it not the greatest mystery, that men, who pretend to reason, and call themselves philosophers, who search into the _arcana naturæ_, and consequently find a mystery in every blade of grass, should yet be so irrational as to decry all mysteries in religion? Where is the scribe? where is the wise? where is the disputer against the christian revelation? Does not every thing without and within us, conspire to prove its divine original? And would not self-interest, if there was no other motive, excite us to observe GOD’s statutes, and keep his laws?

Besides, considered as a protestant people, do we not lie under the greatest obligations of any nation under heaven, to pay a chearful, unanimous, universal, persevering obedience to the divine commands.

The wonderful and surprising manner of GOD’s bringing about a reformation, in the reign of King _Henry the Eighth_; his carrying it on in the blessed reign of King _Edward the Sixth_; his delivering us out of the bloody hands of Queen _Mary_, and destroying the _Spanish_ invincible armada, under her immediate protestant successor Queen _Elizabeth_; his discovery of the popish plot under King _James_; the glorious revolution by King _William_; and, to come nearer to our own times, his driving away four thousand five hundred _Spaniards_, from a weak (though important) frontier colony, when they had, in a manner, actually taken possession of it; his giving us _Louisbourg_, one of the strongest fortresses of our enemies, contrary to all human probability, but the other day, into our hands: these, I say, with the victory which you have lately been commemorating, are such national mercies, not to mention any more, as will render us utterly inexcusable, if they do not produce a national reformation, and incite us all, with one heart, to keep GOD’s statutes, and observe his laws.

Need I remind you further, in order to excite in you a greater diligence to comply with the intent of the text, that though the storm, in a great measure, is abated by his Royal Highness’s late success, yet we dare not say, it is altogether blown over?

The clouds may again return after the rain; and the few surviving rebels (which I pray GOD avert) may yet be suffered to make head against us. We are still engaged in a bloody, and, in all probability, a tedious war, with two of the most inveterate enemies to the interests of _Great-Britain_. And, though I cannot help thinking, that their present intentions are so iniquitous, their conduit so perfidious, and their schemes so directly derogatory to the honour of the Most High GOD, that he will certainly humble them in the end, yet, as all things in this life happen alike to all, they may for a time, be dreadful instruments of scourging us. If not, GOD has other arrows in his quiver to smite us with, besides the _French_ King, his Catholick Majesty, or an abjured Pretender. Not only the sword, but plague, pestilence, and famine, are under the divine command. Who knows but he may say to them all, “Pass through these lands?” A fatal murrain has lately swept away abundance of cattle at home and abroad. A like epidemical disease may have a commission to seize our persons as well as our beasts. Thus GOD dealt with the _Egyptians_: who dare say, he will not deal so with us? Has he not already given some symptoms of it? What great numbers upon the continent have been lately taken off by the bloody-flux, small-pox, and yellow-fever? Who can tell what further judgments are yet in store? However, this is certain, the rod is yet hanging over us: and I believe it will be granted on all sides, that if such various dispensations of mercy and judgment do not teach the inhabitants of any land to learn righteousness, they will only ripen them for a greater ruin. Give me leave, therefore, to dismiss you at this time with that solemn awful warning and exhortation, with which the venerable _Samuel_, on a public occasion, took leave of the people of _Israel_: “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth, with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. But if ye shall still do wickedly, [I will not say as the Prophet did, You shall be consumed; but] ye know not but you may provoke the LORD Almighty to consume both you and your king.” Which GOD of his infinite mercy prevent, for the sake of JESUS CHRIST: to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, three persons, but one GOD, be all honour and glory, now and for evermore. _Amen, Amen._

SERMON VII.

Thankfulness for Mercies received, a necessary Duty.

A Farewel Sermon, preached on board the _Whitaker_, at Anchor near _Savannah_, in _Georgia_, _Sunday, May 17, 1738_.

PSALM, cvii. 30, 31.

_Then are they glad, because they are at rest, and so he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be._

_O that men would therefore praise the LORD for his goodness, and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!_

NUMBERLESS marks does man bear in his soul, that he is fallen and estranged from GOD; but nothing gives a greater proof thereof, than that backwardness, which every one finds within himself, to the duty of praise and thanksgiving.

When GOD placed the first man in paradise, his soul no doubt was so filled with a sense of the riches of the divine love, that he was continually employing that _breath of life_, which the Almighty had not long before breathed into him, in blessing and magnifying that all-bountiful, all-gracious GOD, in whom he lived, moved, and had his being.

And the brightest idea we can form of the angelical hierarchy above, and the spirits of just men made perfect, is, that they are continually standing round the throne of GOD, and cease not day and night, saying, “Worthy art thou, O Lamb that wast slain, to receive power and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.” _Revelation_ v. 12.

That then, which was man’s perfection when time first began, and will be his employment when death is swallowed up in victory, and time shall be no more, without controversy, is part of our perfection, and ought to be our frequent exercise on earth: and I doubt not but those blessed spirits, who are sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation, often stand astonished when they encamp around us, to find our hearts so rarely enlarged, and our mouths so seldom opened, to shew forth the loving-kindness of the LORD, or to speak of all his praise.

Matter for praise and adoration, can never be wanting to creatures redeemed by the blood of the Son of GOD; and who have such continual scenes of his infinite goodness presented to their view, that were their souls duly affected with a sense of his universal love, they could not but be continually calling on heaven and earth, men and angels, to join with them in praising and blessing that “high and lofty one, who inhabiteth eternity, who maketh his sun to shine on the evil and on the good,” and daily pours down his blessings on the whole race of mankind.

But few are arrived to such a degree of charity or love, as to rejoice with those that do rejoice, and to be as thankful for others mercies, as their own. This part of christian perfection, though begun on earth, will be consummated only in heaven; where our hearts will glow with such fervent love towards GOD and one another, that every fresh degree of glory communicated to our neighbour, will also communicate to us a fresh topic of thankfulness and joy.

That which has the greatest tendency to excite the generality of fallen men to praise and thanksgiving, is a sense of GOD’s private mercies, and particular benefits bestowed upon ourselves. For as these come nearer our own hearts, so they must be more affecting; and as they are peculiar proofs, whereby we may know, that GOD does in a more especial manner favour us above others, so they cannot but sensibly touch us; and if our hearts are not quite frozen, like coals of a refiner’s fire, they must melt us down into thankfulness and love. It was a consideration of the distinguishing favours GOD had shewn to his chosen people _Israel_, and the frequent and remarkable deliverances wrought by him in behalf of “those who go down to the sea in ships, and occupy their business in great waters,” that made the holy Psalmist break out so frequently as he does in this psalm, into this moving, pathetical exclamation, “O that men would therefore praise the LORD for his goodness, and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!”

His expressing himself in so fervent a manner, implies both the importance and neglect of the duty. As when _Moses_ on another occasion cried out, “O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would _practically_ consider their latter end!” _December_ xxxii. 29.

I say, importance and neglect of the duty; for out of those many thousands that receive blessings from the LORD, how few give thanks in remembrance of his holiness? The account given us of the ungrateful lepers, is but too lively a representation of the ingratitude of mankind in general; who like them, when under any humbling providence, can cry, “JESUS, Master, have mercy on us!” _Luke_ xvii. 13. but when healed of their sickness, or delivered from their distress, scarce one in ten can be found “returning to give thanks to GOD.”

And yet as common as this sin of ingratitude is, there is nothing we ought more earnestly to pray against. For what is more absolutely condemned in holy scripture than ingratitude? Or what more peremptorily required than the contrary temper? Thus says the Apostle, “Rejoice evermore; in every thing give thanks,” 1 _Thessalonians_ v. 16, 18. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto GOD,” _Philippians_ iv. 6.

On the contrary, the Apostle mentions it as one of the highest crimes of the _Gentiles_, that they were not thankful. “Neither were they thankful,” _Romans_ i. 21. as also in another place, he numbers the “unthankful,” 2 _Timothy_ iii. 2. amongst those unholy, prophane persons, who are to have their portion in the lake of fire and brimstone.

As for our sins, GOD puts them behind his back; but his mercies he will have acknowledged, “There is virtue gone out of me,” says JESUS CHRIST, _Luke_ viii. 46. and the woman who was cured of her bloody issue, must confess it. And we generally find, when GOD sent any remarkable punishment upon a particular person, he reminded him of the favours he had received, as so many aggravations of his ingratitude. Thus when GOD was about to visit _Eli_’s house, he thus expostulates with him by his prophet: “Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy fathers, when they were in _Egypt_, in _Pharaoh_’s house? And did I chuse him out of all the tribes of _Israel_, to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before me? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice, and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of _Israel_ my people? Wherefore the LORD GOD of _Israel_ saith, I said indeed, that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever; but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me, for them that honour me will I honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.” 1 _Samuel_ ii. 27, 28, 29, 30.

It was this and such like instances of GOD’s severity against the unthankful, that inclined me to chuse the words of the text, as the most proper subject I could discourse on at this time.

Four months, my good friends, we have now been upon the sea in this ship, and “have occupied our business in the great waters.” At GOD Almighty’s word, we have seen “the stormy wind arise, which hath lifted up the waves thereof. We have been carried up to the heaven, and down again to the deep, and some of our souls melted away because of the trouble; but I trust we cryed earnestly unto the LORD, and he delivered us out of our distress. For he made the storm to cease; so that the waves thereof were still. And now we are glad, because we are at rest, for GOD hath brought us to the haven where we would be. O that you would therefore praise the LORD for his goodness, and declare the wonders that he hath done for us, the unworthiest of the sons of men.”

Thus _Moses_, thus _Joshua_ behaved. For when they were about to take their leaves of the children of _Israel_, they recounted to them what great things GOD had done for them, as the best arguments and motives they could urge to engage them to obedience. And how can I copy after better examples? What fitter, what more noble motives, to holiness and purity of living, can I lay before you, than they did?

Indeed, I cannot say, that we have seen the “pillar of a cloud by day, or a pillar of fire by night,” going visibly before us to guide our course; but this I can say, that the same GOD who was in that pillar of a cloud, and pillar of fire, which departed not from the _Israelites_, and who has made the sun to rule the day, and the moon to rule the night, has, by his good providence, directed us in our right way, or else the pilot had steered us in vain.

Neither can I say, That we have seen the “sun stand still,” as the children of _Israel_ did in the days of _Joshua_. But surely GOD, during part of our voyage, has caused it to withhold some of that heat, which it usually sends forth in these warmer climates, or else it had not failed, but some of you must have perished in the sickness that has been, and does yet continue among us.

We have not seen the waters stand purposely on an heap, that we might pass through, neither have we been pursued by _Pharaoh_ and his host, and delivered out of their hands; but we have been led through the sea as through a wilderness, and were once remarkably preserved from being run down by another ship; which had GOD permitted, the waters, in all probability, would immediately have overwhelmed us, and like _Pharaoh_ and his host, we should have sunk, as stones, into the sea.

We may, indeed, atheist like, ascribe all these things to natural causes, and say, “Our own skill and foresight has brought us hither in safety.” But as certainly as JESUS CHRIST, the angel of the covenant, in the days of his flesh, walked upon the water, and said to his sinking disciples, “Be not afraid, it is I,” so surely has the same everlasting I AM, “who decketh himself with light as with a garment, who spreadeth out the heavens like a curtain, who claspeth the winds in his fist, who holdeth the waters in the hollow of his hands,” and guided the wise men by a star in the east; so surely, I say, has he spoken, and at his command the winds have blown us where we are now arrived. For his providence ruleth all things; “Wind and storms obey his word:” he saith to it at one time, Go, and it goeth; at another, Come, and it cometh; and at a third time, Blow this way, and it bloweth.

It is he, my brethren, and not we ourselves, that has of late sent us such prosperous gales, and made us to ride, as it were, on the wings of the wind, into the haven where we would be.

“O that you would therefore praise the LORD for his goodness,” and by your lives declare, that you are truly thankful for the wonders he had shewn to us, who are less than the least of the sons of men.

I say, declare it by your lives. For to give him thanks, barely with your lips, while your hearts are far from him, is but a mock sacrifice, nay, an abomination unto the LORD.

This was the end, the royal Psalmist says, GOD had in view, when he shewed such wonders, from time to time, to the people of _Israel_, “That they might keep his statutes, and observe his laws,” _Psalm_ cv. 44. and this, my good friends, is the end GOD would have accomplished in us, and the only return he desires us to make him, for all the benefits he hath conferred upon us.

O then, let me beseech you, give to GOD your hearts, your whole hearts; and suffer yourselves to be drawn by the cords of infinite love, to honour and obey him.

Assure yourselves you can never serve a better master; for his service is perfect freedom; his yoke, when worn a little while, is exceeding easy, his burden light; and in keeping his commandments there is great reward; love, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost here, and a crown of glory that fadeth not away, hereafter.

You may, indeed, let other lords have dominion over you, and Satan may promise to give you all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, if you will fall down and worship him; but he is a liar, and was so from the beginning; he has not so much to give you, as you may tread on with the sole of your foot; or could he give you the whole world, yet, that could not make you happy without GOD. It is GOD alone, my brethren, whose we are, in whose name I now speak, and who has of late shewed us such mercies in the deep, that can give solid lasting happiness to your souls; and he for this reason only desires your hearts, because without him you must be miserable.

Suffer me not then to go away without my errand; as it is the last time I shall speak to you, let me not speak in vain; but let a sense of the divine goodness lead you to repentance.

Even _Saul_, that abandoned wretch, when _David_ shewed him his skirt, which he had cut off, when he might have also taken his life, was so melted down with his kindness, that he lifted up his voice and wept. And we must have hearts harder than _Saul_’s, nay, harder than the nether milstone, if a sense of GOD’s late loving kindnesses, notwithstanding he might so often have destroyed us, does not even compel us to lay down our arms against him, and become his faithful servants and soldiers unto our lives end.

If they have not this effect upon us, we shall, of all men, be most miserable; for GOD is just, as well as merciful; and the more blessings we have received here, the greater damnation, if we do not improve them, shall we incur hereafter.

But GOD forbid that any of those should ever suffer the vengeance of eternal fire, amongst whom, I have, for these four months, been preaching the gospel of CHRIST; but yet thus must it be, if you do not improve the divine mercies: and instead of your being my crown of rejoicing in the day of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, I must appear as a swift witness against you.

But, brethren, I am persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though I thus speak.

Blessed be GOD, some marks of a partial reformation at least, have been visible amongst all you that are soldiers. And my weak, though sincere endeavours, to build you up in the knowledge and fear of GOD, have not been altogether in vain in the LORD.

Swearing, I hope is, in a great measure, abated with you; and GOD, I trust, has blessed his late visitations, by making them the means of awakening your consciences, to a more solicitous enquiry about the things which belong to your everlasting peace.

Fulfil you then my joy, by continuing thus minded, and labour to go on to perfection. For I shall have no greater pleasure than to see, or hear, that you walk in the truth.

Consider, my good friends, you are now, as it were, entering on a new world, where you will be surrounded with multitudes of heathens; and if you take not heed to “have your conversation honest amongst them,” and to “walk worthy of the holy vocation wherewith you are called,” you will act the hellish part of _Herod_’s soldiers over again; and cause CHRIST’s religion, as they did his person, to be had in derision of those that are round about you.

Consider further, what peculiar privileges you have enjoyed, above many others that are entering on the same land. They have had, as it were, a famine of the word, but you have rather been in danger of being surfeited with your spiritual manna. And, therefore, as more instructions have been given you, so from you, men will most justly expect the greater improvement in goodness.

Indeed, I cannot say, I have discharged my duty towards you as I ought. No, I am sensible of many faults in my ministerial office, and for which I have not failed, nor, I hope, ever shall fail, to humble myself in secret before GOD. However, this I can say, that except a few days that have been spent necessarily on other persons, whom GOD immediately called me to write and minister unto, and the two last weeks wherein I have been confined by sickness; all the while I have been aboard, I have been either actually engaged in, or preparing myself for instructing you. And though you are now to be committed to the care of another (whose labours I heartily beseech GOD to bless amongst you) yet I trust I shall, at all seasons, if need be, willingly spend, and be spent, for the good of your souls, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I should be loved.

As for your military affairs, I have nothing to do with them. Fear GOD, and you must honour the King. Nor am I well acquainted with the nature of that land which you are now come over to protect; only this I may venture to affirm in the general, that you must necessarily expect upon your arrival at a new colony, to meet with many difficulties. But your very profession teaches you to endure hardship; “be not, therefore, faint-hearted, but quit yourselves like men, and be strong,” _Numbers_ xiv. Be not like those cowardly persons, who were affrighted at the report of the false spies, that came and said, that there were people tall as the _Anakims_ to be grappled with, but be ye like unto _Caleb_ and _Joshua_, all heart; and say, we will act valiantly, for we shall be more than conquerors over all difficulties through JESUS CHRIST that loved us. Above all things, my brethren, take heed, and beware of murmuring, like the perverse _Israelites_, against those that are set over you; and “learn, whatsoever state you shall be in, therewith to be content,” _Philippians_ iv. 11.

As I have spoken to you, I hope your wives also will suffer the word of exhortation,

Your behaviour on shipboard, especially the first part of the voyage, I chuse to throw a cloak over; for to use the mildest terms, it was not such as became the gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST. However, of late, blessed be GOD, you have taken more heed to your ways, and some of you have walked all the while, as became “women professing godliness.” Let those accept my hearty thanks, and permit me to intreat you all in general, as you are all now married, to remember the solemn vow you made at your entrance into the marriage state, and see that you be subject to your own husbands, in every lawful thing: Beg of GOD to keep the door of your lips, that you offend not with your tongues; and walk in love, that your prayers be not hindered. You that have children, let it be your chief concern to breed them up in the nurture and admonition of the LORD. And live all of you so holy and unblameable, that you may not so much as be suspected to be unchaste; and as some of you have imitated _Mary Magdalen_ in her sin, strive to imitate her also in her repentance.

As for you, sailors, what shall I say? How shall I address myself to you? How shall I do that which I so much long to do; touch your hearts? Gratitude obliges me to wish thus well to you. For you have often taught me many instructive lessons, and reminded me to put up many prayers to GOD for you, that you might receive your spiritual sight.

When I have seen you preparing for a storm, and reefing your sails to guard against it; how have I wished that you and I were as careful to avoid that storm of GOD’s wrath, which will certainly, without repentance, quickly overtake us? When I have observed you catch at every fair gale, how have I secretly cried, O that we were as careful to know the things that belong to our peace, before they are for ever hid from our eyes! And when I have taken notice, how steadily you eyed your compass in order to steer aright, how have I wished, that we as steadily eyed the word of GOD, which alone can preserve us from “making shipwreck of faith, and a good conscience?” In short, there is scarce any thing you do, which has not been a lesson of instruction to me; and, therefore, it would be ungrateful in me, did I not take this opportunity of exhorting you in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, to be as wise in the things which concern your soul, as I have observed you to be in the affairs belonging to your ship.

I am sensible, that the sea is reckoned but an ill school to learn CHRIST in: and to see a devout sailor, is esteemed as uncommon a thing, as to see a _Saul_ amongst the prophets. But whence this wondering? Whence this looking upon a godly sailor, as a man to be wondered at, as a speckled bird in the creation? I am sure, for the little time I have come in and out amongst you, and as far as I can judge from the little experience I have had of things, I scarce know any way of life, that is capable of greater improvements than yours.

The continual danger you are in of being overwhelmed by the great waters; the many opportunities you have of beholding GOD’s wonders in the deep; the happy retirement you enjoy from worldly temptations; and the daily occasions that are offered you, to endure hardships, are such noble means of promoting the spiritual life, that were your hearts bent towards GOD, you would account it your happiness, that his providence has called you, to “go down to the sea in ships, and to occupy your business in the great waters.”

The royal Psalmist knew this, and, therefore, in the words of the text, calls more especially on men of your employ, to “praise the LORD for his goodness, and declare the wonders he doth for the children of men.”

And O that you would be wise in time, and hearken to his voice to-day, “whilst it is called to-day!” For ye yourselves know how little is to be done on a sick bed. GOD has, in an especial manner, of late, invited you to repentance: two of your crew he has taken off by death, and most of you he has mercifully visited with a grievous sickness. The terrors of the LORD have been upon you, and when burnt with a scorching fever, some of you have cried out, “What shall we do to be saved?” Remember then the resolutions you made, when you thought GOD was about to take away your souls; and see that according to your promises, you shew forth your thankfulness, not only with your lips, but in your lives. For though GOD may bear long, he will not forbear always; and if these signal mercies and judgments do not lead you to repentance, assure yourselves there will at last come a fiery tempest, from the presence of the LORD, which will sweep away you, and all other adversaries of GOD.

I am positive, neither you nor the soldiers have wanted, nor will want any manner of encouragement to piety and holiness of living, from those two persons who have here the government over you; for they have been such helps to me in my ministry, and have so readily concurred in every thing for your good, that they may justly demand a public acknowledgment of thanks both from you and me.

Permit me, my honoured friends, in the name of both classes of your people, to return you hearty thanks for the care and tenderness you have expressed for the welfare of their better parts.

As for the private favours you have shewn to my person, I hope so deep a sense of them is imprinted on my heart, that I shall plead them before GOD in prayer, as long as I live.

But I have still stronger obligations to intercede in your behalf. For GOD, ever adored be his free grace in CHRIST JESUS! has set his seal to my ministry in your hearts. Some distant pangs of the new-birth I have observed to come upon you; and GOD forbid that I should sin against the LORD, by ceasing to pray, that the good work begun in your souls, may be carried on till the day of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

The time of our departure from each other is now at hand, and you are going out into a world of temptations. But though absent in body, let us be present with each other in spirit; and GOD, I trust, will enable you to be singularly good, to be ready to be accounted fools for CHRIST’s sake; and then we shall meet never to part again in the kingdom of our Father which is in heaven.

To you, my companions and familiar friends, who came over with me to sojourn in a strange land, do I in the next place address myself. For you I especially fear, as well as for myself; because as we take sweet counsel together oftner than others, and as you are let into a more intimate friendship with me in private life, the eyes of all men will be upon you to note even the minutest miscarriage; and, therefore, it highly concerns you to “walk circumspectly towards those that are without,” I hope, that nothing but a single eye to GOD’s glory and the salvation of your own souls, brought you from your native country. Remember then the end of your coming hither, and you can never do amiss. Be patterns of industry, as well as of piety, to those who shall be around you; and above all things let us have such fervent charity amongst ourselves, that it may be said of us, as of the primitive christians, “See how the christians love one another.”

And now I have been speaking to others particularly, I have one general request to make to all, and that with reference to myself.

You have heard, my dear friends, how I have been exhorting every one of you to shew forth your thankfulness for the divine goodness, not only with your lips, but in your lives: But “physician heal thyself,” may justly be retorted on me. For (without any false pretences to humility) I find my own heart so little inclined to this duty of thanksgiving for the benefits I have received, that I had need fear sharing _Hezekiah_’s fate, who because he was lifted up by, and not thankful enough for, the great things GOD had done for him, was given up a prey to the pride of his own heart.

I need, therefore, and beg your most importunate petitions at the throne of grace, that no such evil may befal me; that the more GOD exalts me, the more I may debase myself; and that after I have preached to others, I myself may not be cast away.

And now, brethren, into GOD’s hands I commend your spirits, who, I trust, through his infinite mercies in CHRIST JESUS, will preserve you blameless, till his second coming to judge the world.

Excuse my detaining you so long; perhaps it is the last time I shall speak to you: my heart is full, and out of the abundance of it, I could continue my discourse until midnight. But I must away to your new world; may GOD give you new hearts, and enable you to put in practice what you have heard from time to time, to be your duty, and I need not wish you any thing better. For then GOD will so bless you, that “you will build you cities to dwell in; then will you sow your lands and plant vineyards, which will yield you fruits of increase,” _Psalm_ cvii. 36, 37. “Then your oxen shall be strong to labour, there shall be no leading into captivity, and no complaining in your streets; then shall your sons grow up as the young plants, and your daughters be as the polished corners of the temple: then shall your garners be full and plenteous with all manner of store, and your sheep bring forth thousands, and ten thousands in your streets,” _Psalm_ cxliv. In short, then shall the LORD be your GOD; and as surely as he has now brought us to this haven, where we would be, so surely, after we have past through the storms and tempests of this troublesome world, will he bring us to the haven of eternal rest, where we shall have nothing to do, but to praise him for ever for his goodness, and declare, in never-ceasing songs of praise, the wonders he has done for us, and all the other sons of men.

‏“To which blessed rest, GOD of his infinite mercy bring us all, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD! to whom with the Father and Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, might, majesty, and dominion, now, henceforth, and for evermore. _Amen, Amen._”‏

SERMON VIII.

The Necessity and Benefits of Religious Society.

ECCLESIASTES iv. 9, 10, 11, 12.

_Two are better than One, because they have a good Reward for their Labour._

_For if they fall, the One will lift up his Fellow: But woe be to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up._

_Again, if Two lie together, then they have heat; but how can One be warm alone?_

_And if One prevail against him, Two shall withstand him; and a threefold Cord is not quickly broken._

AMONG the many reasons assignable for the sad decay of _true christianity_, perhaps the neglecting to assemble ourselves together, in _religious societies_, may not be one of the least. That I may therefore do my endeavour towards promoting so excellent a means of piety, I have selected a passage of scripture drawn from the experience of the wisest of men, which being a little enlarged on and illustrated, will fully answer my present design; being to shew, in the best manner I can, the necessity and benefits of society in general, and of religious society in particular.

“Two are better than one, &c.”

From which words I shall take occasion to prove,

_First_, The truth of the wise man’s assertion, “Two are better than one,” and that in reference to society in general, and religious society in particular.

_Secondly_, To assign some reasons why two are better than one, especially as to the last particular. 1. Because men can raise up one another when they chance to slip: “For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow.” 2. Because they can impart heat to each other: “Again, if two lie together, then they have heat; but how can one be warm alone?” 3. Because they can secure each other from those that do oppose them: “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” From hence,

_Thirdly_, I shall take occasion to shew the duty incumbent on every member of a _religious society_.

And _Fourthly_, I shall draw an inference or two from what may be said; and then conclude with a word or two of exhortation.

_First_, I am to prove the truth of the wise man’s assertion, that “two are better than one,” and that in reference to society in general, and religious societies in particular.

And how can this be done better, than by shewing that it is absolutely necessary for the welfare both of the bodies and souls of men? Indeed, if we look upon man as he came out of the hands of his Maker, we imagine him to be perfect, entire, lacking nothing. But GOD, whose thoughts are not as our thoughts, saw something still wanting to make _Adam_ happy. And what was that? Why, an help meet for him. For thus speaketh the scripture: “And the LORD GOD said, It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make an help meet for him.”

Observe, GOD said, “It is not good,” thereby implying that the creation would have been imperfect, in some sort, unless an help was found out meet for _Adam_. And if this was the case of man before the fall; if an help was meet for him in a state of perfection; surely since the fall, when we come naked and helpless out of our mother’s womb, when our wants increase with our years, and we can scarcely subsist a day without the mutual assistance of each other, well may we say, “It is not good for man to be alone.”

Society then, we see, is absolutely necessary in respect to our bodily and personal wants. If we carry our view farther, and consider mankind as divided into different cities, countries, and nations, the necessity of it will appear yet more evident. For how can communities be kept up, or commerce carried on, without society? Certainly not at all, since providence seems wisely to have assigned a particular product to almost each particular country, on purpose, as it were, to oblige us to be social; and hath so admirably mingled the parts of the whole body of mankind together, “that the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again, the hand to the foot, I have no need of thee.”

Many other instances might be given of the necessity of society, in reference to our bodily, personal, and national wants. But what are all these when weighed in the balance of the sanctuary, in comparison of the infinite greater need of it, with respect to the soul? It was chiefly in regard to this better part, no doubt, that GOD said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” For, let us suppose _Adam_ to be as happy as may be, placed as the Lord of the creation in the paradise of GOD, and spending all his hours in adoring and praising the blessed Author of his being; yet as his soul was the very copy of the divine nature, whose peculiar property it is to be communicative, without the divine all-sufficiency he could not be compleatly happy, because he was alone and incommunicative, nor even content in paradise, for want of a partner in his joys. GOD knew this, and therefore said, “It is not good that the man shall be alone, I will make a help meet for him.” And though this proved a fatal means of his falling; yet that was not owing to any natural consequence of society; but partly to that cursed apostate, who craftily lies in wait to deceive; partly to _Adam_’s own folly, in rather chusing to be miserable with one he loved, than trust in GOD to raise him up another spouse.

If we reflect indeed on that familiar intercourse, our first parent could carry on with heaven, in a state of innocence, we shall be apt to think he had as little need of society, as to his soul, as before we supposed him to have, in respect to his body. But yet, as GOD and the holy angels were so far above him on the one hand, and the beasts so far beneath him on the other, there was nothing like having one to converse with, who was “bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh.”

Man, then, could not be fully happy, we see, even in paradise, without a companion of his own species, much less now he is driven out. For, let us view him a little in his natural estate now, since the fall, as “having his understanding darkened, his mind alienated from the life of GOD;” as no more able to see his way wherein he should go, than a blind man to describe the sun: that notwithstanding this, he must receive his sight ere he can see GOD: and that if he never sees him, he never can be happy. Let us view him in this light (or rather this darkness) and deny the necessity of society if we can. A divine revelation we find is absolutely necessary, we being by nature as unable to know, as we are to do our duty. And how shall we learn except one teach us? But was GOD to do this himself, how should we, but with _Moses_, exceedingly quake and fear? Nor would the ministry of angels in this affair, be without too much terror. It is necessary, therefore (at least GOD’s dealing with us hath shewed it to be so) that we should be drawn with the cords of a man. And that a divine revelation being granted, we should use one another’s assistance, under GOD, to instruct each other in the knowledge, and to exhort one another to the practice of those things which belong to our everlasting peace. This is undoubtedly the great end of society intended by GOD since the fall, and a strong argument it is, why “two are better than one,” and why we should “not forsake the assembling ourselves together.”

But farther, let us consider ourselves as christians, as having this natural veil, in some measure, taken off from our eyes by the assistance of GOD’s holy Spirit, and so enabled to see what he requires of us. Let us suppose ourselves in some degree to have tasted the good word of life, and to have felt the powers of the world to come, influencing and moulding our souls into a religious frame: to be fully and heartily convinced that we are soldiers listed under the banner of CHRIST, and to have proclaimed open war at our baptism, against the world, the flesh, and the devil; and have, perhaps, frequently renewed our obligations so to do, by partaking of the LORD’s supper: that we are surrounded with millions of foes without, and infested with a legion of enemies within: that we are commanded to shine as lights in the world, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation: that we are travelling to a long eternity, and need all imaginable helps to shew, and encourage us in our way thither. Let us, I say, reflect on all this, and then how shall each of us cry out, brethren, what a necessary thing it is to meet together in religious societies?

The primitive christians were fully sensible of this, and therefore we find them continually keeping up communion with each other: for what says the scripture? They continued stedfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, _Acts_ ii. 42. _Peter_ and _John_ were no sooner dismissed by the great council, than they haste away to their companions. “And being set at liberty they came to their own, and told them all these things which the high priest had said unto them,” _Acts_ iv. 23. _Paul_, as soon as converted, “tarried three days with the disciples that were at _Damascus_,” _Acts_ ix. 19. And _Peter_ afterwards, when released from prison, immediately goes to the house of _Mary_, where there were “great multitudes assembled, praying,” _Acts_ xii. 12. And it is reported of the christians in after-ages, that they used to assemble together before day-light, to sing a psalm to CHRIST as GOD. So precious was the _Communion of Saints_ in those days.

If it be asked, what advantages we shall reap from such a procedure now? I answer, much every way. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labour: for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe be to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat; but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Which directly leads me to my Second general head, under which I was to assign some reasons why “two are better than one,” especially in _Religious Society_.

1. As man in his present condition cannot always stand upright, but by reason of the frailty of his nature cannot but fall; one eminent reason why two are better than one, or, in other words, one great advantage of religious society is, “That when they fall, the one will lift up his fellow.”

And an excellent reason this, indeed! For alas! when we reflect how prone we are to be drawn into error in our judgments, and into vice in our practice; and how unable, at least how very unwilling, to espy or correct our own miscarriages; when we consider how apt the world is to flatter us in our faults, and how few there are so kind as to tell us the truth; what an inestimable privilege must it be to have a set of true, judicious, hearty friends about us, continually watching over our souls, to inform us where we have fallen, and to warn us that we fall not again for the future. Surely it is such a privilege, that (to use the words of an eminent christian) we shall never know the value thereof, till we come to glory.

But this is not all; for supposing that we could always stand upright, yet whosoever reflects on the difficulties of religion in general, and his own propensity to lukewarmness and indifference in particular, will find that he must be zealous as well as steady, if ever he expects to enter the kingdom of heaven. Here, then, the wise man points out to us another excellent reason why two are better than one. “Again, if two lye together, then they have heat; but how can one be warm alone?” Which was the next thing to be considered.

2. A second reason why two are better than one, is because they can impart heat to each other.

It is an observation no less true than common, that kindled coals, if placed asunder, soon go out, but if heaped together, quicken and enliven each other, and afford a lasting heat. The same will hold good in the case now before us. If christians kindled by the grace of GOD, unite, they will quicken and enliven each other; but if they separate and keep asunder, no marvel if they soon grow cool or tepid. If two or three meet together in CHRIST’s name, they will have heat: but how can one be warm alone?

Observe, “How can one be warm alone?” The wise man’s expressing himself by way of question, implies an impossibility, at least a very great difficulty, to be warm in religion without company, where it may be had. Behold here, then, another excellent benefit flowing from religious society; it will keep us zealous, as well as steady, in the ways of godliness.

But to illustrate this a little farther by a comparison or two. Let us look upon ourselves (as was above hinted) as soldiers listed under CHRIST’s banner; as going out with “ten thousand, to meet one that cometh against us with twenty thousand;” as persons that are to “wrestle not only with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, and spiritual wickednesses in high places.” And then tell me, all ye that fear GOD, if it be not an invaluable privilege to have a company of fellow soldiers continually about us, animating and exhorting each other to stand our ground, to keep our ranks, and manfully to follow the captain of our salvation, though it be through a sea of blood?

Let us consider ourselves in another view before mentioned, as persons travelling to a long eternity; as rescued by the free grace of GOD, in some measure, from our natural _Egyptian_ bondage, and marching under the conduct of our spiritual _Joshua_, through the wilderness of this world, to the land of our heavenly _Canaan_. Let us farther reflect how apt we are to startle at every difficulty; to cry, “There are lions! There are lions in the way! There are the sons of _Anak_” to be grappled with, ere we can possess the promised land: How prone we are, with _Lot_’s wife, to look wishfully back on our spiritual _Sodom_, or, with the foolish _Israelites_, to long again for the flesh-pots of _Egypt_; and to return to our former natural state of bondage and slavery. Consider this, my brethren, and see what a blessed privilege it will be to have a set of _Israelites_ indeed about us, always reminding us of the folly of any such cowardly design, and of the intolerable misery we shall run into, if we fall in the least short of the promised land.

More might be said on this particular, did not the limits of a discourse of this nature oblige me to hasten,

3. To give a third reason, mentioned by the wise man in the text, why two are better than one; because they can secure each other from enemies without. “And if one prevail against him, yet two shall withstand him: and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Hitherto we have considered the advantages of religious societies, as a great preservative against falling (at least dangerously falling) into sin and lukewarmness, and that too from our own corruptions. But what says the wise son of _Sirach_? “My son, when thou goest to serve the LORD, prepare thy soul for temptation:” and that not only from inward, but outward foes; particularly from those two grand adversaries, the world and the devil: for no sooner will thine eye be bent heavenward, but the former will be immediately diverting it another way, telling thee thou needest not be singular in order to be religious; that you may be a christian without going so much out of the common road.

Nor will the devil be wanting in his artful insinuations, or impious suggestions, to divert or terrify thee from pressing forwards, “that thou mayst lay hold on the crown of life.” And if he cannot prevail this way, he will try another; and, in order to make his temptation the more undiscerned, but withal more successful, he will employ, perhaps, some of thy nearest relatives, or most powerful friends, (as he set _Peter_ on our blessed Master) who will always be bidding thee to spare thyself; telling thee thou needest not take so much pains; that it is not so difficult a matter to get to heaven as some people would make of it, nor the way so narrow as others imagine it to be.

But see here the advantage of religious company; for supposing thou findest thyself thus surrounded on every side, and unable to withstand such horrid (though seemingly friendly) counsels, haste away to thy companions, and they will teach thee a truer and better lesson; they will tell thee, that thou must be singular if thou wilt be religious; and that it is as impossible for a christian, as for a city set upon a hill, to be hidden: that if thou wilt be an almost christian (and as good be none at all) thou mayest live in the same idle, indifferent manner as thou seest most other people do: but if thou wilt be not only almost, but altogether a christian, they will inform thee thou must go a great deal farther: that thou must not only faintly seek, but “earnestly strive to enter in at the strait gate:” that there is but one way now to heaven as formerly, even through the narrow passage of a sound conversion: and that in order to bring about this mighty work, thou must undergo a constant, but necessary discipline of fasting, watching, and prayer. And therefore, the only reason why those friends give thee such advice, is, because they are not willing to take so much pains themselves; or, as our Saviour told _Peter_ on a like occasion, because they “savour not the things that be of GOD, but the things that be of men.”

This then, is another excellent blessing arising from religious society, that friends can hereby secure each other from those who oppose them. The devil is fully sensible of this, and therefore he has always done his utmost to suppress, and put a stop to the communion of saints. This was his grand artifice at the first planting of the gospel; to persecute the professors of it, in order to separate them. Which, though GOD, as he always will, over-ruled for the better; yet, it shews, what an enmity he has against christians assembling themselves together. Nor has he yet left off his old stratagem; it being his usual way to entice us by ourselves, in order to tempt us; where, by being destitute of one another’s help, he hopes to lead us captive at his will.

But, on the contrary, knowing his own interest is strengthened by society, he would first persuade us to neglect the communion of saints, and then bid us “stand in the way of sinners,” hoping thereby to put us into the seat of the scornful. _Judas_ and _Peter_ are melancholy instances of this. The former had no sooner left his company at supper, but he went out and betrayed his master: and the dismal downfal of the latter, when he would venture himself amongst a company of enemies, plainly shews us what the devil will endeavour to do, when he gets us by ourselves. Had _Peter_ kept his own company, he might have kept his integrity; but a single cord, alas! how quickly was it broken? Our blessed Saviour knew this full well, and therefore it is very observable, that he always sent out his disciples “two by two.”

And now, after so many advantages to be reaped from religious society, may we not very justly cry out with the wise man in my text, “Woe be to him that is alone; for when he falleth, he hath not another to lift him up?” When he is cold, he hath not a friend to warm him; when he is assaulted, he hath not a second to help him to withstand his enemy.

III. I now come to my third general head, under which was to be shewn the several duties incumbent on every ‏member of a religious society, as such, which are three. 1. Mutual reproof; 2. Mutual exhortation; 3. Mutual assisting and defending each other.

1. _Mutual reproof._ “Two are better than one; for when they fall, the one will lift up his fellow.”

Now, reproof may be taken either in a more extensive sense, and then it signifies our raising a brother by the gentlest means, when he falls into sin and error; or in a more restrained signification, as reaching no farther than those miscarriages, which unavoidably happen in the most holy men living.

The wise man, in the text, supposes all of us subject to both: “For when they fall (thereby implying that each of us may fall) the one will lift up his fellow.” From whence we may infer, that “when any brother is overtaken with a fault, he that is spiritual (that is, regenerate, and knows the corruption and weakness of human nature) ought to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness.” And why he should do so, the apostle subjoins a reason “considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted;” i. e. considering thy own frailty, lest thou also fall by the like temptation.

We are all frail unstable creatures; and it is merely owing to the free grace and good providence of GOD that we run not into the same excess of riot with other men. Every offending brother, therefore, claims our pity rather than our resentment; and each member should strive to be the most forward, as well as most gentle, in restoring him to his former state.

But supposing a person not to be overtaken, but to fall wilfully into a crime; yet who art thou that deniest forgiveness to thy offending brother? “Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall.” Take ye, brethren, the holy apostles as eminent examples for you to learn by, how you ought to behave in this matter. Consider how quickly they joined the right hand of fellowship with _Peter_, who had so wilfully denied his master: for we find _John_ and him together but two days after, _John_ xx. 2. And verse 19, we find him assembled with the rest. So soon did they forgive, so soon associate with their sinful, yet relenting brother. “Let us go and do likewise.”

But there is another kind of reproof incumbent on every member of a religious society; namely, a _gentle rebuke_ for some miscarriage or other, which though not actually sinful, yet may become the occasion of sin. This indeed seems a more easy, but perhaps will be found a more difficult point than the former: for when a person has really sinned, he cannot but own his brethrens reproof to be just; whereas, when it was only for some little misconduct, the pride that is in our natures will scarce suffer us to brook it. But however ungrateful this pill may be to our brother, yet if we have any concern for his welfare, it must be administered by some friendly hand or other. By all means then let it be applied; only, like a skilful physician, gild over the ungrateful pill, and endeavour, if possible, to deceive thy brother into health and soundness. “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and malice, and evil-speaking, be put away” from it. Let the patient know, his recovery is the only thing aimed at, and that thou delightest not causelesly to grieve thy brother; then thou canst not want success.

2. _Mutual exhortation_ is the second duty resulting from the words of the text. “Again, if two lye together, then they have heat.”

Observe, the wise man supposes it as impossible for religious persons to meet together, and not to be the warmer for each other’s company, as for two persons to lye in the same bed, and yet freeze with cold. But now, how is it possible to communicate heat to each other, without mutually stirring up the gift of GOD which is in us, by brotherly exhortation? Let every member then of a religious society write that zealous apostle’s advice on the tables of his heart; “See that ye exhort, and provoke one another to love, and to good works; and so much the more, as you see the day of the LORD approaching.” Believe me, brethren, we have need of exhortation to rouse up our sleepy souls, to set us upon our watch against the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil; to excite us to renounce ourselves, to take up our crosses, and follow our blessed master, and the glorious company of saints and martyrs, “who through faith have fought the good fight, and are gone before us to inherit the promises.” A third part, therefore, of the time wherein a religious society meets, seems necessary to be spent in this important duty: for what avails it to have our understandings enlightened by pious reading, unless our wills are at the same time inclined, and inflamed by mutual exhortation, to put it in practice? Add also, that this is the best way both to receive and impart light, and the only means to preserve and increase that warmth and heat which each person first brought with him; GOD so ordering this, as all other spiritual gifts, that “to him that hath, i. e. improves and communicates what he hath, shall be given; but from him that hath not, or does not improve the heat he hath, shall be taken away even that which he seemed to have.” So needful, so essentially necessary, is exhortation to the good of society.

3. Thirdly, The text points out another duty incumbent on every member of a religious society, to defend each other from those that do oppose them. “And if one prevail against him, yet two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Here the wise man takes it for granted, that offences will come, nay, and that they may prevail too. And this is no more than our blessed master has long since told us. Not, indeed, that there is any thing in christianity itself that has the least tendency to give rise to, or promote such offences: No, on the contrary, it breathes nothing but unity and love.

But so it is, that ever since the fatal sentence pronounced by GOD, after our first parents fall, “I will put enmity between thy seed and her seed;” he that is born after the flesh, the unregenerate unconverted sinner, has in all ages “persecuted him that is born after the spirit:” and so it always will be. Accordingly we find an early proof given of this in the instance of _Cain_ and _Abel_; of _Ishmael_ and _Isaac_; and of _Jacob_ and _Esau_. And, indeed, the whole Bible contains little else but an history of the great and continued opposition between the children of this world, and the children of GOD. The first christians were remarkable examples of this; and though those troublesome times, blessed be GOD, are now over, yet the apostle has laid it down as a general rule, and all who are sincere experimentally prove the truth of it; that “they that will live godly in CHRIST JESUS, must (to the end of the world, in some degree or other) suffer persecution.” That therefore this may not make us desert our blessed master’s cause, every member should unite their forces, in order to stand against it. And for the better effecting this, each would do well, from time to time, to communicate his experiences, grievances, and temptations, and beg his companions (first asking GOD’s assistance, without which all is nothing) to administer reproof, exhortation, or comfort, as his case requires: so that “if one cannot prevail against it, yet two shall withstand it; and a threefold (much less a many-fold) cord will not be quickly broken.”

IV. But it is time for me to proceed to the fourth general thing proposed, to draw an inference or two from what has been said.

1. And first, if “two are better than one,” and the advantages of religious society are so many and so great; then it is the duty of every true christian to set on foot, establish and promote, as much as in him lyes, societies of this nature. And I believe we may venture to affirm, that if ever a spirit of true christianity is revived in the world, it must be brought about by some such means as this. Motives, surely, cannot be wanting, to stir us up to this commendable and necessary undertaking: for, granting all hitherto advanced to be of no force, yet methinks the single consideration, that great part of our happiness in heaven will consist in the _Communion of Saints_; or that the interest as well as piety of those who differ from us, is strengthened and supported by nothing more than their frequent meetings; either of these considerations, I say, one would think, should induce us to do our utmost to copy after their good example, and settle a lasting and pious communion of the saints on earth. Add to this, that we find the kingdom of darkness established daily by such like means; and shall not the kingdom of CHRIST be set in opposition against it? Shall the children of _Belial_ assemble and strengthen each other in wickedness; and shall not the children of GOD unite, and strengthen themselves in piety? Shall societies on societies be countenanced for midnight revellings, and the promoting of vice, and scarcely one be found intended for the propagation of virtue? Be astonished, O heavens at this!

2. But this leads me to a second inference; namely, to warn persons of the great danger those are in, who either by their subscriptions, presence, or approbation, promote societies of a quite opposite nature to religion.

And here I would not be understood, to mean only those public meetings which are designed manifestly for nothing else but revellings and banquetings, for chambering and wantonness, and at which a modest heathen would blush to be present; but also those seemingly innocent entertainments and meetings, which the politer part of the world are so very fond of, and spend so much time in: but which, notwithstanding, keep as many persons from a sense of true religion, as doth intemperance, debauchery, or any other crime whatever. Indeed, whilst we are in this world, we must have proper relaxations, to fit us both for the business of our profession, and religion. But then, for persons who call themselves christians, that have solemnly vowed at their baptism, to renounce the vanities of this sinful world; that are commanded in scripture “to abstain from all appearance of evil, and to have their conversation in heaven:” for such persons as these to support meetings, which (to say no worse of them) are vain and trifling, and have a natural tendency to draw off our minds from GOD, is absurd, ridiculous, and sinful. Surely two are not better than one in this case: No; it is to be wished there was not one to be found concerned in it. The sooner we forsake the assembling ourselves together in such a manner, the better; and no matter how quickly the cord that holds such societies (was it a thousand-fold) is broken.

But you, brethren, have not so learned CHRIST: but, on the contrary, like true disciples of your Lord and Master, have by the blessing of GOD (as this evening’s solemnity abundantly testifies) happily formed yourselves into such societies, which, if duly attended on, and improved, cannot but strengthen you in your christian warfare, and “make you fruitful in every good word and work.”

What remains for me, but, as was proposed, in the last place, to close what has been said, in a word or two, by way of exhortation, and to beseech you, in the name of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, to go on in the way you have begun; and by a constant conscientious attendance on your respective societies, to discountenance vice, encourage virtue, and build each other up in the knowledge and fear of GOD.

Only permit me to “stir up your pure minds, by way of remembrance,” and to exhort you, “if there be any consolation in CHRIST, any fellowship of the spirit,” again and again to consider, that as all christians in general, so all members of religious societies in particular, are in an especial manner, as houses built upon an hill; and that therefore it highly concerns you to walk circumspectly towards those that are without, and to take heed to yourselves, that your conversation, in common life, be as becometh such an open and peculiar profession of the gospel of CHRIST: knowing that the eyes of all men are upon you, narrowly to inspect every circumstance of your behaviour: and that every notorious wilful miscarriage of any single member will, in some measure, redound to the scandal and dishonour of your whole fraternity.

Labour, therefore, my beloved brethren, to let your practice correspond to your profession: and think not that it will be sufficient for you to plead at the last day, LORD have we not assembled ourselves together in thy name, and enlivened each other, by singing psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs? For verily, I say unto you, notwithstanding this, our blessed LORD will bid you depart from him; nay, you shall receive a greater damnation, if, in the midst of these great pretensions, you are found to be workers of iniquity.

But GOD forbid that any such evil should befal you; that there should be ever a _Judas_, a traitor, amongst such distinguished followers of our common master. No, on the contrary, the excellency of your rules, the regularity of your meetings, and more especially your pious zeal in assembling in such a public and solemn manner so frequently in the year, persuade me to think, that you are willing, not barely to seem, but to be in reality, christians; and hope to be found at the last day, what you would be esteemed now, holy, sincere disciples of a crucified Redeemer.

Oh, may you always continue thus minded! and make it your daily, constant endeavour, both by precept and example, to turn all your converse with, more especially those of your own societies, into the same most blessed spirit and temper. Thus will you adorn the gospel of our LORD JESUS CHRIST in all things: Thus will you anticipate the happiness of a future state; and by attending on, and improving the communion of saints on earth, be made meet to join the communion and fellowship of the spirits of just men made perfect, of the holy angels, nay, of the ever-blessed and eternal GOD in heaven.

Which GOD of his infinite mercy grant through JESUS CHRIST our LORD; to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, three persons and one GOD, be ascribed, as is most due, all honour and praise, might, majesty and dominion, now and for ever. _Amen._ ‏

SERMON IX.

The Folly and Danger of being not righteous enough.

ECCLESIASTES vii. 16.

_Be not righteous over-much, neither make thyself over-wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?_

NOTHING is more frequent, than while people are living in a course of sin, and after the fashion and manner of the world, there is no notice taken of them; neither are their ways displeasing to their companions and carnal relations: but if they set their faces Zion-ward, and begin to feel the power of GOD on their hearts; then they are surrounded with temptations from their friends, who thus act the devil’s part. The enemies, the greatest enemies a young convert meets with, my dear brethren, are those of his own house. They that will be godly, must suffer persecution; so it was in CHRIST’s time, and so it was in the Apostles time too; for our LORD came not to send peace, but a sword. Our relations would not have us sit in the scorner’s chair; they would not have us be prodigals, consuming our substance upon harlots; neither would they have us rakes or libertines, but they would have us be contented with an almost christianity. To keep up our reputation by going to church, and adhering to the outward forms of religion, saying our prayers, reading the word of GOD, and taking the sacraments; this, they imagine, is all that is necessary for to be christians indeed; and when we go one step farther than this, their mouths are open against us, as _Peter_’s was to CHRIST: “Spare thyself, do thyself no harm.”

And of this nature are the words of the text. They are not the words of _Solomon_ himself, but the words of an infidel speaking to him, whom he introduces in several parts of this book; for _Solomon_ had been shewing the misfortunes which attended the truly good, as in the verse before our text.

Upon this the infidel says, “Be not righteous over-much, neither be thou over-wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?” _i. e._ Why shouldst thou bring these misfortunes upon thyself, by being over-strict? Be not righteous over-much; eat, drink, and be merry, live as the world lives, and then you will avoid those misfortunes which may attend you, by being righteous over-much.

This text has another meaning; but take it which way you will, my brethren, it was spoken by an unbeliever; therefore it was no credit for the person who lately preached upon this text, to take it for granted, that these were the words of _Solomon_: the words of an infidel was not a proper text to a christian congregation. But as _David_ came out against _Goliah_, not armed as the champion was, with sword and spear, but with a sling and stone, and then cut off his head with his own sword; so I come out against these letter-learned men, in the strength of the LORD JESUS CHRIST; and, my dear brethren, I trust he will direct me to use my sling, so that our enemies may not gainsay us; and by the sword of GOD’s word, cut off the heads of our Redeemer’s enemies.

But though they are not the words of _Solomon_, yet we will take them in the same manner the late writer did; and, from the words, shall,

_First_, Shew you what it is, not to be righteous over-much, that we may not destroy ourselves.

_Secondly_, I shall let you see what it is to be righteous over-much. And then,

_Thirdly_, Conclude with an exhortation to all of you, high and low, rich and poor, one with another, to come to the LORD JESUS CHRIST.

_First_, The first thing proposed, is to shew you what it is not to be righteous over-much. And here,

It is by no means to be righteous over-much, to affirm we must have the same Spirit of GOD as the first Apostles had, and must feel that Spirit upon our hearts.

By receiving the Spirit of GOD, is not to be understood, that we are to be inspired to shew outward signs and wonders, to raise dead bodies, to cure leprous persons, or to give sight to the blind; these miracles were only of use in the first ages of the church; and therefore christians (nominal christians, for we have little else but the name) may have all the gifts of the Spirit, and yet none of the graces of it: Thou, O man, mayest be enabled by faith to remove mountains; thou, by the power of GOD, mayest cast out devils; thou, by that power, mayest speak with the tongues of men and angels; yea, thou mayest, by that power, hold up thy finger and stop the sun in the firmament; and if all these are unsanctified by the Spirit of GOD, they would be of no service to thee, but would hurry thee to hell with the greater solemnity. _Saul_ received the spirit of prophesying, and had another heart, yet _Saul_ was probably a cast-away. We must receive the Spirit of GOD in its sanctifying graces upon our souls; for CHRIST says, “Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of GOD.” We are all by nature born in sin, and at as great a distance from GOD, as the devils themselves. I have told you often, and now tell you again, that you are by nature a motley mixture of the beast and devil, and we cannot recover ourselves from the state wherein we have fallen, therefore must be renewed by the Holy Ghost. By the Holy Ghost, I mean, the third Person of the ever-blessed Trinity, co-equal, co-essential, co-eternal, and consubstantial with the Father and the Son; and therefore, when we are baptized, it is into the nature of the Father, into the nature of the Son, and into the nature of the Holy Ghost: and we are not true christians, till we are sanctified by the Spirit of GOD.

Though our modern preachers do not actually deny the Spirit of GOD, yet they say, “Christians must not feel him;” which is in effect to deny him. When _Nicodemus_ came to CHRIST, and the LORD JESUS was instructing him, concerning the new birth, says he to our LORD, “How can these things be?” _Nicodemus_, though a master of _Israel_, acts just as our learned Rabbi’s do now. The answer that CHRIST gave him should stop the mouths of our letter-learned pharisees: “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and we hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth.” Now till the Spirit of GOD is felt on our souls as the wind on our bodies, indeed, my dear brethren, you have no interest in him: religion consists not in external performance, it must be in the heart, or else it is only a name, which cannot profit us, a name to live whilst we are dead.

A late preacher upon this text, seems to laugh at us, for talking of the Spirit in a sensible manner, and talks to us as the _Jews_ did to CHRIST: They said, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So he asks, “What sign or proof do we give of it?” We do not imagine, that GOD must appear to us, and give it us: no; but there may be, and is, a frequent receiving, when no seeing of it; and it is as plainly felt in the soul, as any impression is, or can be, upon the body. To what a damnable condition should we bring poor sinners, if they could not be sensible of the Spirit of GOD; namely, a reprobate mind and past feeling?

“What proof do they give?” says the writer. What sign would they have? Do they expect us to raise the dead, to give sight to the blind, to cure lepers, to make the lame to walk, and the deaf to hear? If these are what they expect, I speak with humility, GOD, by us, hath done greater things than these: many, who were dead in sin, are raised to scripture-life: those, who were leprous by nature, are cleansed by the Spirit of GOD; those, who were lame in duty, now run in GOD’s commands; those, who were deaf, their ears are unstopped to hear his discipline, and hearken to his advice; and the poor have the gospel preached to them. No wonder people talk at this rate, when they can tell us, “That the Spirit of GOD, is a good conscience, consequent thereupon.” My dear brethren, _Seneca_, _Cicero_, _Plato_, or any of the heathen philosophers, would have given as good a definition as this: It means no more, than reflecting that we have done well. This, this is only Deism refined: Deists laugh at us, when we pretend to be against their notions, and yet these men use no other reason for our differing from them, than what is agreeable to Deists principles.

This writer tells us, “It is against common-sense to talk of the feeling of the Spirit of GOD.” Common-sense, my brethren, was never allowed to be a judge; yea, it is above its comprehension, neither are, nor can the ways of GOD be known by common-sense. We should never have known the things of GOD at all by our common senses: no; it is the revelation of GOD which is to be our judge; it is that we appeal to, and not to our weak and shallow conceptions of things. Thus we may see, it is by no means to be righteous over-much, to affirm we must have the Spirit of GOD as the Apostles had. Nor,

_Secondly_, Is it to be righteous over-much to frequent religious assemblies.

The preacher, upon this text, aims at putting aside all the religious societies that are in the kingdom: Indeed, he says, “You may go to church as often as opportunity serves, and on _Sundays_; say your prayers, read the word of GOD; and, in his opinion, every thing else had better be let alone: and as for the Spirit of GOD upon your souls, you are to look upon it as useless and unnecessary.” If this, my brethren, is the doctrine we have now preached, christianity is at a low ebb indeed: but GOD forbid you should thus learn JESUS CHRIST. Do you not forbear the frequenting of religious assemblies; for as nothing helps to build up the devil’s kingdom more than the societies of wicked men, nothing would be more for pulling of it down, than the people of GOD meeting to strengthen each others hands; and as the devil has so many friends, will none of you be friends to the blessed JESUS? Yes, I hope many of you will be of the LORD’s side, and build each other up in christian love and fellowship. This is what the primitive christians delighted in; and shall not we follow so excellent an example? My brethren, till christian conversation is more agreeable to us, we cannot expect to see the gospel of CHRIST run and be glorified. Thus it is by no means to be righteous over-much, to frequent religious assemblies. Nor,

_Thirdly_, Is it to be righteous over-much, to abstain from the diversions and entertainments of the age.

We are commanded to “abstain from the appearance of evil,” and that “whatsoever we do, whether we eat or drink, we shall do all to the glory of GOD.” The writer upon this text tells us, “That it will be accounted unlawful to smell to a rose:” no, my dear brethren, you may smell to a pink and rose too if you please, but take care to avoid the appearance of sin. They talk of innocent diversions and recreations; for my part, I know of no diversion, but that of _doing good_: if you can find any diversion which is not contrary to your baptismal vow, of renouncing the pomps and vanities of this wicked world; if you can find any diversion which tends to the glory of GOD; if you can find any diversion, which you would be willing to be found at by the LORD JESUS CHRIST, I give you free licence to go to them and welcome; but if, on the contrary, they are found to keep sinners from coming to the LORD JESUS CHRIST; if they are a means to harden the heart, and such as you would not willingly be found in when you come to die, then, my dear brethren, keep from them: for, indeed, the diversions of this age are contrary to christianity. Many of you may think I have gone too far, but I shall go a great deal farther yet: I will attack the devil in his strongest holds, and bear my testimony against our fashionable and polite entertainments. What satisfaction can it be, what pleasure is there in spending several hours at _cards_? Strange! that even people who are grown old, can spend whole nights in this diversion: perhaps many of you will cry out, “What harm is there in it?” My dear brethren, whatsoever is not of faith, or for the glory of GOD, is a sin: Now does cards tend to promote this? Is it not mispending your precious time, which should be employed in working out your salvation with fear and trembling? Do _play-houses_, _horse-racing_, _balls_ and _assemblies_, tend to promote the glory of GOD? Would you be willing to have your soul demanded of you, while you are at one of those places? Many of these are, (I must speak, I cannot forbear to speak against these entertainments; come what will, I will declare against them) many, I say, of these are kept up by public authority: the play-houses are supported by a public fund, and our newspapers are full of horse-races all through the kingdom: these things are sinful; indeed they are exceeding sinful. What good can come from a horse-race; from abusing GOD Almighty’s creatures, and putting them to that use he never designed for them: the play-houses, are they not nurseries of debauchery in the age? and the supporters and patrons of them, are encouragers and promoters of all the evil that is done by them; they are the bane of the age, and will be the destruction of those who frequent them. Is it not high time for the true ministers of JESUS CHRIST, who have been partakers of the heavenly gift, to lift up their voices as a trumpet, and cry aloud against these diversions of the age? Are they not earthly, sensual, devilish? If you have tasted of the love of GOD, and have felt his power upon your souls, you would no more go to a play, than you would run your head into a furnace.

And what occasions these places to be so much frequented, is the clergy’s making no scruple to be at these polite places: they frequent play-houses, they go to horse-races, they go to balls and assemblies, they frequent taverns, and follow all the entertainments that the age affords; and yet these are the persons who should advise their hearers to refrain from them; but instead thereof, they encourage them by their example. Persons are too apt to rely upon, and believe their pastors, rather than the scriptures; they think that there is no crime in going to plays or horse-races, to balls and assemblies; for if there were, they think those persons, who are their ministers, would not frequent them: but, my dear brethren, observe they always go disguised, the ministers are afraid of being seen in their gowns and cassocks; the reason thereof is plain, their consciences inform them, that it is not an example fit for the ministers of the gospel to set; thus, they are the means of giving that offence to the people of GOD, which I would not for ten thousand worlds: they lay a stumbling-block in the way of their weak brethren, which they will not remove, though it is a stumbling-block of offence. “Woe unto the world because of offences, but woe unto that man by whom the offence cometh.” The polite gentlemen of the age, spend their time in following these diversions, because the love of GOD is not in their hearts; they are void of CHRIST, and destitute of the Spirit of GOD; and not being acquainted with the delight there is in GOD and his ways, being strangers to these things, they run to the devil for diversions, and are pleased and delighted with the silly ones he shews them.

My dear brethren, I speak of these things, these innocent diversions, as the polite part of the world calls them, by experience; perhaps none, for my age, hath read or seen more plays than I have: I took delight in, and was pleased with them. It is true, I went to church frequently, received the sacrament, and was diligent in the use of the forms of religion, but I was all this while ignorant of the power of GOD on my heart, and unacquainted with the work of grace; but when GOD was pleased to shine with power upon my soul, I could no longer be contented to feed on husks, or what the swine did eat: the Bible then was my food; there, and there only I took delight: and till you feel this same power, you will not abstain from the earthly delights of this age, you will take no comfort in GOD’s ways, nor receive any comfort from him; for you are void of the love of GOD, having only the form of godliness, while you are denying the power of it; you are nominal christians, when you have not the power of christianity.

The polite gentlemen say, “Are we to be always upon our knees? Would you have us be always at prayer, and reading or hearing the word of GOD?”

My dear brethren, the fashionable ones, who take delight in hunting, are not tired of being continually on horseback after their hounds; and when once you are renewed by the Spirit of GOD, it will be a continual pleasure to be walking with, and talking of GOD, and telling what great things JESUS CHRIST hath done for your souls; and till you can find as much pleasure in conversing with GOD, as these men do of their hounds, you have no share in him; but when you have tasted how good the LORD is, you will shew forth his praise; out of the abundance of your heart your mouth will speak.

This brings me to the second thing proposed, which is an extream that very seldom happens:

_Secondly_, To shew what it is to be righteous over-much. And here,

_First_, When we confine the Spirit of GOD to this or that particular church; and are not willing to converse with any but those of the same communion; this is to be righteous over-much with a witness: and so it is, to confine our communion within church-walls, and to think that JESUS could not preach in a field as well as on consecrated-ground; this is _judaism_, this is _bigotry_: this is like _Peter_, who would not go to preach the gospel to the _Gentiles_, till he had a vision from GOD: and when his conduct was blamed by the disciples, he could not satisfy them till he had acquainted them with the vision he had seen. And, therefore, we may justly infer, the Spirit of GOD is the center of unity; and wherever I see the image of my Master, I never enquire of them their opinions; I ask them not what they are, so they love JESUS CHRIST in sincerity and truth, but embrace them as my brother, my sister, and my spouse: and this is the spirit of christianity. Many persons, who are bigots to this or that opinion, when one of a different way of thinking hath come where they were, have left the room or place on the account: this is the spirit of the devil; and if it was possible that these persons could be admitted into heaven with such tempers, that very place would be hell to them. Christianity will never flourish, till we are all of one heart and of one mind; and this would be the only means of seeing the gospel of JESUS to flourish, more than ever it will by persecuting those who differ from us.

This may be esteemed as enthusiasm and madness, and as a design to undermine the established church: No; GOD is my judge, I should rejoice to see all the world adhere to her articles; I should rejoice to see the ministers of the Church of _England_, preach up those very articles they have subscribed to; but those ministers who do preach up the articles, are esteemed as madmen, enthusiasts, schismatics, and underminers of the established church: and though they say these things of me, blessed be GOD, they are without foundation. My dear brethren, I am a friend to her articles, I am a friend to her homilies, I am a friend to her liturgy; and, if they did not thrust me out of their churches, I would read them every day; but I do not confine the Spirit of GOD there; for I say it again, I love all that love the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and esteem him my brother, my friend, my spouse; aye, my very soul is knit to that person. The spirit of persecution will never, indeed it will never make any to love JESUS CHRIST. The pharisees make this to be madness, so much as to mention persecution in a christian country; but there is as much the spirit of persecution now in the world, as ever there was; their will is as great, but blessed be GOD, they want the power; otherwise, how soon would they send me to prison, make my feet fast in the stocks, yea, would think they did GOD service in killing me, and would rejoice to take away my life.

This is not the Spirit of CHRIST, my dear brethren; I had not come to have thus preached; I had not come into the highways and hedges; I had not exposed myself to the ill treatment of these letter-learned men, but for the sake of your souls: indeed, I had no other reason, but your salvation; and for that (I speak the truth in CHRIST, I lie not) I would be content to go to prison; yea, I would rejoice to die for you, so I could but be a means to bring some of you to JESUS: I could not bear to see so many in the highway to destruction, and not shew them their danger: I could not bear, my brethren, to see you more willing to learn, than the teachers are to instruct you: and if any of them were to come and preach to you, I should not envy them, I should not call them enthusiasts or madmen; I should rejoice to hear they had ten thousand times more success than I have met with; I would give them the right-hand of fellowship; I would advise them to go on; I would wish them good luck in the name of the LORD, and say as CHRIST did, when the disciples informed him of some casting out devils in his name, and were for rebuking of them, “Forbid them not, for they that are not against us are for us;” or as St. _Paul_ says, “Some preach CHRIST of envy, and some of good-will; notwithstanding, so CHRIST is but preached, I rejoice; yea, and will rejoice.” The gospel of JESUS, is a gospel of peace. Thus you may see, that to be righteous over-much, is to be uncharitable, censorious, and to persecute persons for differing from us in religion.

_Secondly_, Persons are righteous over-much, when they spend so much time in religious assemblies, as to neglect their families. There is no licence given by the blessed JESUS, for idleness; for in the very infancy of the world, idleness was not allowed of. In paradise, _Adam_ and _Eve_ dressed the garden, _Cain_ was a tiller of the ground, and _Abel_ was a keeper of sheep; and there is a proverb amongst the _Jews_, “That he who brings his son up without a business, brings him up to be a thief:” and therefore our Saviour was a carpenter; “Is not this the carpenter’s son,” said the _Jews_: and St. _Paul_, though brought up at the feet of _Gamaliel_, was a tent-maker. Labour, my brethren, is imposed on all mankind as part of the divine curse; and you are called to be useful in the society to which you belong: take care first for the kingdom of GOD, and all things necessary shall be added. To labour for the meat that perisheth, is your duty; only take care, that you do not neglect getting the meat for the soul: that is of the greatest consequence, for this plain reason, the things of this life are temporal, but those of the next are eternal. I would have rich men to work as well as poor: it is owing to their idleness, that the devil hurries them to his diversions; they can be in their beds all the morning, and spend the afternoon and evening in dressing, visiting, and at balls, plays, or assemblies, when they should be working out their salvation with fear and trembling. Such a life as this, occasions a spiritual numbness in the soul; and if JESUS CHRIST was not to stop those who thus spend their time, they would be hurried into eternity, without once thinking of their immortal souls. But JESUS CHRIST has compassion upon many of them, and while they are in their blood, he bids them “live.” And though I preach this doctrine to you, yet I do not bid you be idle; no, they that do not work should not eat. You have two callings, a general one, and a special one: as we are to regard the one in respect of our bodies, so we are to regard the other on account of our souls. Take heed, my brethren, I beseech you, take heed, lest you labour so for the meat that perisheth, as to forget that meat which endureth for ever. Seek the things of GOD first; look well to obtain oil in your lamps, grace in your hearts. I am not persuading you to take no care about the things of the world, but only not to be encumbered with them, so as to neglect your duty towards GOD, and a proper concern for your souls. It is meet, it is right, it is your bounden duty, to mind the callings wherein GOD hath placed you; and you may be said to be righteous over-much not to regard them. This brings me,

_Thirdly_, To give you another sign of being righteous over-much; and that is, when we fast and use corporal austerities, so as to unfit us for the service of GOD.

This, my brethren, you may think there is no occasion at all to caution you against, and indeed there is not a great necessity for it; however, many persons, upon their first being awakened to a sense of their sin, are tempted to use austerities to that excess which is sinful. It is our duty to fast, it is our duty to fast often, and it is what we are directed to by JESUS CHRIST himself; but then we are to take care to do it in a proper manner: to bring our bodies under for the service of GOD, is that which we are commanded by our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

The late preacher upon this text, runs into great extremes, and charges us with saying and acting things, of which we never thought; but I do not regard what he said of me: I do not mind his bitter invectives against my ministry; I do not mind his despising my youth, and calling me novice and enthusiast; I forgive him from my very heart: but when he reflects on my Master; when he speaks against my Redeemer; when JESUS CHRIST is spoken against, I must speak, (I must speak indeed, or I should burst:) when he gives liberty to persons to take a chearful glass, and alledges CHRIST for an example, as in the marriage-feast, saying, “CHRIST turned water into wine, when it is plain there had been more drank than was necessary before;” what is this, but to charge CHRIST with encouraging drunkenness? It is true, the Governor says, “Every man in the beginning sets forth good wine, and when men have well drank, that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine until now:” but it does not at all follow, that it was not necessary, or that there had been a sufficient quantity before: I would not speak thus slightingly of one of my Master’s miracles, for the whole world. And we may observe, that as CHRIST chiefly visited poor people, they might not have wherewithal to buy a sufficient quantity of wine; or having more guests than were expected, the wine was expended sooner than they thought; then the Mother of JESUS tells him, “They have no wine;” he answers, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? My hour is not yet come.” After this he commanded them to fill the water-pots with water, and they filled them to the brim, and this water he turned into wine: now it does not at all follow, that there was more drank than was necessary; neither would the LORD JESUS CHRIST have continued in the house if there had. But we have an excellent lesson to learn from this miracle: by the water-pots being empty, we may understand, the heart of man being by nature destitute of his grace, his speaking and commanding to fill them, shews, that when CHRIST speaks, the heart that was empty of grace before, shall be filled; and the water-pots being filled to the brim, shews, that CHRIST will fill believers hearts brim full of the Holy Ghost: and from the Governor’s observing, that the last wine was the best, learn, that a believer’s best comforts, shall be the last and greatest, for they shall come with the greatest power upon the soul, and continue longest there: this, this my dear brethren, is the lesson we may learn from this miracle.

But one great inconsistency I cannot avoid taking notice of in this late learned preacher. In the beginning of his sermon, he charges us with “laying heavy burthens upon people, which they are not able to bear;” in the latter part he charges us with being Antinomians, whose tenets are, “So you say you believe in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, you may live the life of devils.” Now, he charges us with being _too strict_, and by and by with being _too loose_. Which side, my brethren, will you take? Thus you see, when persons forsake CHRIST, they make strange mistakes; for there can be no greater opposition of sentiments than this letter-learned writer has made: as opposite as light and darkness, good and evil, sweet and bitter. And, on this account, to find out these lettered-learned gentlemens notions of the new-birth, I put a paragraph in my Journal; and, blessed be GOD, I have obtained my desires, and have plainly perceived, that the persons who have lately written concerning the new-birth, know no more of it than a blind man does of colours, nor can they have any more notion of it, (by all their learning, falsely so called) than the blind man, who was to give an account what the sun was, and, after a considerable time allowed for study, he said, “It was like the sound of a trumpet.” And till they are taught of GOD, they will be unacquainted with the new-birth: therefore, if you have a mind to know what the devil has to say against us, read Dr. _Trapp_’s sermons.

It is with grief I speak these things, and were not the welfare of your souls, and my Redeemer’s honour at stake, I would not now open my mouth, yea I would willingly die (GOD is my judge) for the person who wrote such bitter things against me, so it would be a means of saving his soul. If he had only spoken against me, I would not have answered him; but, on his making my Redeemer a pattern of vice, if I was not to speak, the very stones would cry out; therefore, the honour of my Redeemer, and love to you, constrains me to speak. It is of necessity that I speak, when the divinity of JESUS CHRIST is spoken against, it is the duty of ministers to cry aloud, and spare not. I cannot forbear, come what will; for I know not what kind of divinity we have now among us: we must have a righteousness of our own, and do our best endeavours, and then CHRIST will make up the deficiency; that is, you must be your own Saviour, in part. This is not the doctrine of the gospel; this is not the doctrine of JESUS: no; CHRIST is all in all; JESUS CHRIST must be your whole wisdom; JESUS CHRIST must be your whole righteousness, JESUS CHRIST must be your whole sanctification; or JESUS CHRIST will never be your eternal redemption and sanctification. Inward holiness is looked on, by some, as the effect of enthusiasm and madness; and preachers of the necessity of the new-birth, are esteemed as persons fit for _Bedlam_. Our polite and fashionable doctrine, is, “That there is a fitness in man, and that GOD, seeing you a good creature, bestows upon you his grace.” GOD forbid, my dear brethren, you should thus learn JESUS CHRIST!

This is not the doctrine I preach to you: I say, salvation is the free gift of GOD. It is GOD’s free grace, I preach unto you, not of works, lest any one should boast. JESUS CHRIST justifies the ungodly; JESUS CHRIST passed by, and saw you polluted with your blood, and bid you live. It is not of works, it is of faith: we are not justified for our faith, for faith is the instrument, but by your faith, the active as well as the passive obedience of CHRIST, must be applied to you. JESUS CHRIST hath fulfilled the law, he hath made it honourable; JESUS CHRIST hath made satisfaction to his Father’s justice, full satisfaction; and it is as compleat as it is full, and GOD will not demand it again. JESUS CHRIST is the way; JESUS CHRIST is the truth; and JESUS CHRIST is the life. The righteousness of JESUS CHRIST, my brethren, must be imputed to you, or you can never have any interest in the blood of JESUS; your own works are but as filthy rags, for you are justified before GOD, without any respect to your works past, present, or to come. This doctrine is denyed by the learned rabbi’s; but if they deny these truths of the gospel, they must not be offended, though a child dare speak to a doctor; and, in vindication of the cause of JESUS CHRIST, a child, a boy, by the Spirit of GOD, can speak to the learned clergy of this age.

If I had a voice so great, and could speak so loud, as that the whole world could hear me, I would cry, “Be not righteous over-much,” by bringing your righteousness to CHRIST, and by being righteous in your own eyes. Man must be abased, that GOD may be exalted.

The imputed righteousness of JESUS CHRIST is a comfortable doctrine to all real christians; and you sinners, who ask what you must do to be saved? how uncomfortable would it be, to tell you by good works, when, perhaps, you have never done one good work in all your life: this would be driving you to despair, indeed: no; “Believe in the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and you shall be saved:” therefore none of you need go away despairing. Come to the LORD JESUS by faith, and he shall receive you. You have no righteousness of your own to depend on. If you are saved, it is by the righteousness of CHRIST, through his atonement, his making a sacrifice for sin: his righteousness must be imputed to you, otherwise you cannot be saved. There is no difference between you, by nature, and the greatest malefactor that ever was executed at _Tyburn_: the difference made, is all owing to the free, the rich, the undeserved grace of GOD; this has made the difference. It is true, talking at this rate, will offend the pharisees, who do not like this levelling doctrine, (as they call it); but if ever you are brought to JESUS CHRIST by faith, you will experience the truth of it. Come by faith to JESUS CHRIST; do not come, pharisee-like, telling GOD what you have done, how often you have gone to church, how often you have received the sacrament, fasted, prayed, or the like: no; come to CHRIST as poor, lost, undone, damned sinners; come to him in this manner, and he will accept of you: do not be rich in spirit, proud and exalted, for there is no blessing attends such; but be ye poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of GOD; they shall be made members of his mystical body here, and shall be so of the church triumphant hereafter. Acknowledge yourselves as nothing at all, and when you have done all, say, “You are unprofitable servants.” There is no salvation but by JESUS CHRIST; there is no other name given under heaven amongst men, whereby we may be saved, but that of the LORD JESUS. GOD, out of CHRIST, is a consuming fire; therefore strive for an interest in his Son the LORD JESUS CHRIST; take him on the terms offered to you in the gospel; accept of him in GOD’s own way, lay hold on him by faith.

Do not think you are christians; do not flatter yourselves with being righteous enough, and good enough, because you lead moral decent lives, do no one any harm, go to church, and attend upon the outward means of grace; no, my brethren, you may do this, and a great deal more, and yet be very far from having a saving, experimental knowledge of JESUS CHRIST.

Beg of CHRIST to strike home upon your hearts, that you may feel the power of religion. Indeed, you must feel the power of GOD here, or the wrath of GOD hereafter. These are truths of the utmost consequence; therefore, do not go contradicting, do not go blaspheming away. Blessed be GOD, you are not such cowards to run away for a little rain. I hope good things of you; I hope you have felt the power of GOD; and if GOD should bring any of you to himself through this foolishness of preaching, you will have no reason to complain it was done by a youth, by a child: no; if I could be made an instrument to bring you to GOD, they may call me novice, enthusiast, or what they please, I should rejoice; yea, and I would rejoice.

O that some sinner might be brought to JESUS CHRIST! Do not say I preach despair: I despair of no one, when I consider GOD had mercy on such a wretch as I, who was running in a full career to hell: I was hasting thither, but JESUS CHRIST passed by and stopped me; JESUS CHRIST passed by me while I was in my blood, when I was polluted with filth; he passed by me, and bid me live. Thus I am a monument of GOD’s free grace; and therefore, my brethren, I despair of none of you, when I consider, I say, what a wretch I was. I am not speaking now out of a false humility, a pretended sanctity, as the pharisees call it: no, the truth in CHRIST I speak, and therefore, men and devils do your worst; I have a gracious Master will protect me; it is his work I am engaged in, and JESUS CHRIST will carry me above their rage.

Those who are come here this night out of curiosity to hear what the babbler says; those who come to spend an idle hour to find something for an evening-conversation at a coffee-house; or you who have stopped in your coaches as you passed by, remember that you have had JESUS CHRIST offered to you; I offer JESUS CHRIST to every one of you: perhaps you may not regard it because it is in a field. But JESUS CHRIST is wherever his people meet in sincerity and truth to worship him: he is not confined to church walls: he has met us here; many, very many of you know he has; and therefore you may believe on him with greater confidence.

Can you bear to think of a bleeding, panting, dying JESUS, offering himself up for sinners, and you will not accept of him? Do not say, you are poor, and therefore are ashamed to go to church, for GOD has sent the gospel out unto you. Do not harden your hearts: oppose not the will of JESUS.

O that I could speak to your hearts, that my words would centre there. My heart is full of love to you. I would speak, till I could speak no more, so I could but bring you to CHRIST. I may never meet you all, perhaps, any more. The cloud of GOD’s providence seems to be moving. GOD calls me by his providence away from you, for a while. GOD knows whether we shall ever see each other in the flesh. At the day of judgment we shall all meet again. I earnestly desire your prayers. Pray that I may not only begin, _Jehu_-like, in the spirit, but that I may continue in it. Pray that I may not fall away, that I may not decline suffering for you, if I should be called to it. Be earnest, O be earnest with GOD in my behalf, that while I am preaching to others, I may not be a cast-away. Put up your prayers for me, I beseech you. Go not to the throne of grace, without carrying me upon your heart; for you know not what influence your prayers may have. As for you, my dear brethren, GOD knows my heart, I continually bear you on my mind, when I go in and out before the LORD; and it is my earnest desire, you may not perish for lack of knowledge, but that he would send out more ministers to water what his own right-hand hath planted. May the Antient of Days come forth upon his white horse, and may all opposition fall to the ground. As we have begun to bruise the serpent’s head, we must expect he will bruise our heel. The devil will not let his kingdom fall without raging horribly. He will not suffer the ministers of CHRIST to go on, without bringing his power to stop them. But fear not, my dear brethren, _David_, though a stripling, encountered the great _Goliah_; and if we pray, GOD will give us strength against all our spiritual enemies. Shew your faith by your works. Give the world the lye. Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you. Fight the good fight of faith, and GOD will give you spiritual mercies. I hope we shall all meet at the right-hand of GOD. Strive, strive to enter in at the strait gate, that we may be borne to _Abraham_’s bosom, where sin and sorrow shall cease. No scoffer will be there, but we shall see JESUS, who died for us; and not only see him, but live with him for ever.

Which GOD, of his infinite mercy, & c.

SERMON X.

A Preservative against unsettled Notions, and want of Principles, in regard to Righteousness and Christian Perfection.

Being a more particular Answer to Doctor _Trapp_’s Four Sermons upon the same Text.

To all the True Members of Christ’s Holy Church.

_Dear Fellow Christians_,

THE great, and indeed the only motive which prompted me to publish this sermon, was the desire of providing for your security from error, at a time when the deviators from, and false pretenders to truth, are so numerous, that the most discerning find it a matter of the greatest difficulty to avoid being led astray by one or by other into downright falshood. There is no running divisions upon truth; like a mathematical point, it will neither admit of subtraction nor addition: And as it is indivisible in its nature, there is no splitting the difference, where truth is concerned. Irreligion and enthusiasm are diametrical opposites, and true piety between both, like the center of an infinite line, is at an equal infinite distance from the one and the other, and therefore can never admit of a coalition with either. The one erring by defect, the other by excess. But whether we err by defect, or excess, is of little importance, if we are equally wide of the mark, as we certainly are in either case. For whatever is less than truth, cannot be truth; and whatever is more than true must be false.

Wherefore, as the whole of this great nation seems now more than ever in danger of being hurried into one or the other of these equally pernicious extremes, irreligion or fanaticism, I thought myself more than ordinarily obliged to rouze your, perhaps, drowsy vigilance, by warning you of the nearness of your peril; cautioning you from leaning towards either side, though but to peep at the slippery precipice; and stepping between you and error, before it comes nigh enough to grapple with you. The happy medium of true christian piety, in which it has pleased the mercy of GOD to establish you, is built on a firm rock, “and the gates of hell shall never prevail against it.” While then you stand steadily upright in the fulness of the faith, falshood and sin shall labour in vain to approach you; whereas, the least familiarity with error, will make you giddy, and if once you stagger in principles, your ruin is almost inevitable.

But now I have cautioned you of the danger you are in from the enemies who threaten your subversion, I hope your own watchfulness will be sufficient to guard you from any surprise. And from their own assaults you have nothing to fear, since while you persist in the firm resolution, through GOD’s grace, to keep them out, irreligion and enthusiasm, falshood and vice, impiety and false piety, will combine in vain to force an entrance into your hearts.

Take then, my dearly beloved fellow-members of CHRIST’s mystical body, take the friendly caution I give you in good part, and endeavour to profit by it: attend wholly to the saving truths I here deliver to you, and be persuaded, that they are uttered by one who has your eternal salvation as much at heart as his own.

“And thou, O LORD JESUS CHRIST, fountain of all truth, whence all wisdom flows, open the understandings of thy people to the light of thy true faith, and touch their hearts with thy grace, that they may both be able to see, and willing to perform what thou requirest of them. Drive away from us every cloud of error and perversity; guard us alike from irreligion and false pretensions to piety; and lead us on perpetually towards that perfection to which thou hast taught us to aspire; that keeping us here in a constant imitation of thee, and peaceful ‏union with each other, thou mayest at length bring us to that everlasting glory, which thou hast promised to all such as shall endeavour to be perfect, even as the Father who is in heaven is perfect, who with thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns one GOD, world without end! _Amen, Amen._”

ECCLESIASTES vii. 16.

_Be not righteous over-much, neither make thyself over-wise: Why shouldest thou destroy thyself?_

RIGHTEOUS over-much! may one say; Is there any danger of that? Is it even possible? Can we be too good? If we give any credit to the express word of GOD, we cannot be too good, we cannot be righteous over-much. The injunction given by GOD to _Abraham_ is very strong: “Walk before me, and be thou perfect.” The same he again lays upon all _Israel_, in the eighteenth of _Deuteronomy_: “Thou shalt be perfect, and without blemish, with the LORD thy GOD.” And lest any should think to excuse themselves from this obligation, by saying, it ceased when the old law was abolished, our blessed Saviour ratified and explained it: “Be ye, therefore, perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven is perfect.” So that until our perfection surpasses that of our heavenly Father, we can never be too good nor righteous over-much; and as it is impossible we should ever surpass, or even come up to him in the perfection of goodness and righteousness, it follows in course that we never can be good or righteous in excess. Nevertheless Doctor _Trapp_ has found out that we may be righteous over-much, and has taken no small pains, with much agitation of spirit, to prove that it is a _great folly and weakness_, nay, a _great sin_. “O LORD! rebuke thou his spirit, and grant that this false doctrine may not be published to his confusion in the day of judgment!”

But if what this hasty, this deluded man advances had been true, could there be any occasion, however, of warning against it in these times, “when the danger (as he himself to his confusion owns) is on the contrary extreme; when all manner of vice and wickedness abounds to a degree almost unheard of?” I answer for the present, that “there must be heresies amongst you, that they who are approved may be made manifest.”

However, this earthly-minded minister of a new gospel, has taken a text which seems to favour his naughty purpose, of weaning the well-disposed little ones of CHRIST from that perfect purity of heart and spirit, which is necessary to all such as mean to live to our LORD JESUS. O LORD, what shall become of thy flock, when their shepherds betray them into the hands of the ravenous wolf! when a minister of thy word perverts it to overthrow thy kingdom, and to destroy scripture with scripture!

_Solomon_, in the person of a desponding, ignorant, indolent liver, says to the man of righteousness: “Be not righteous over-much, neither make thyself over-wise: Why shouldest thou destroy thyself?” But must my angry, over-sighted brother _Trapp_, therefore, personate a character so unbecoming his function, merely to overthrow the express injunction of the LORD to us; which obliges us never to give over pursuing and thirsting after the perfect righteousness of CHRIST, until we rest in him? Father, forgive him, for he knows not what he says!

What advantage might not satan gain over the elect, if the false construction, put upon this text by that unseeing teacher, should prevail! Yet though he blushes not to assist satan to bruise our heel, I shall endeavour to bruise the heads of both, by shewing,

I. _First_, The genuine sense of the text in question.

II. The character of the persons, who are to be supposed speaking here; And

III. The character of the persons spoken to.

From whence will naturally result these consequences.

_First_, That the Doctor was grosly (LORD grant he was not maliciously) mistaken in his explanatory sermon on this text, as well as in the ♦application of it.

♦ “applicaion” replaced with “application”

_Secondly_, That he is a teacher and approver of worldly maxims.

_Thirdly_, That he is of course an enemy to perfect righteousness in men, through CHRIST JESUS, and, therefore, no friend to CHRIST: And, therefore, that no one ought to be deluded by the false doctrine he advances, to beguile the innocent, and deceive, if possible, even the elect.

I. To come at the true sense of the text in question, it will be necessary to look back, to the preceding verse, where the wise man, reflecting on the vanities of his youth, puts on for a moment his former character. “All things, have I seen in the days of my vanity: (and among the rest) there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongeth his life in his wickedness.” Now it is very plain, that he is not here talking of a man, who is righteous over-much, in the Doctor’s manner of understanding the words, that is, “faulty, and criminal by excess.” For on one side he commends him for being a just man, and full of righteousness, and yet on the other tells us, that his righteousness is the shortening of his life. Whereas, had he looked upon his perishing in righteousness to be an over-righteousness, he would never have called him a just man. Neither by a wicked man, can he mean a man given up to the utmost excess of wickedness, since he tells us, that he prolongeth his life in (or by) his wickedness. Who does not know, that the excess of almost every kind of vice, is of itself a shortener of life. So that the whole opposition and contrast lies between a good man, and a bad man. A good man whose goodness shortens his life, a bad man whose iniquity lengthens his life, or at least is not excessive enough to shorten the thread of it. _Solomon_, absorbed in these reflections, speaks here by way of _prosopopeia_, not the sense of _Solomon_, the experienced, the learned, the wise; but of the former _Solomon_, a vain young fellow, full of self-love, and the strong desires of life. In the quality of such a one then, he looks with the same eye upon the righteous man, who perishes in his righteousness, as he would on a wicked one, who should perish in his wickedness. For it is neither the righteousness of the one, nor the wickedness of the other, that offends him, but the superlative degrees of both; which tending equally to shorten life, he looks upon them as equally opposite to the self-love he fondles within him. And, therefore, he deems an excess of debauchery as great an enemy to the lasting enjoyment of the pleasures of life, as an extraordinary righteousness would be. Well then might he say to the latter, in this character, “Be not over-much wicked, neither be thou foolish; why shouldst thou die before thy time?” And to the former: “Be not righteous over-much, neither make thyself over-wise: Why shouldst thou destroy thyself?”

What wonder then, that a youth of sprightliness and sense, but led away by self-love to be fond of the pleasures and enjoyments of life, when attained without hurry, and possessed without risk; what wonder, I say, that such a youth should conceive an equal dislike to the superlative degrees of virtue and vice, and, therefore, advise such of his companions as give into the excess of debauchery, to refrain from it: as it must infallibly tend to clog their understandings, stupify their senses, and entail upon their constitutions a train of infirmities, which cannot but debilitate their natural vigour, and shorten their days? “Be not over-much wicked, neither be thou foolish: Why shouldst thou die before thy time?” What wonder, that the same self-love should prompt him to dissuade such of his friends or acquaintance, as he wishes to have for companions, and countenancers of his worldly-minded pursuits, from pursuing righteousness and wisdom to a degree that must destroy in them all taste of earthly pleasures, and may possibly impair their constitutions, and forward their end? “Be not righteous over-much, neither make thyself over-wise: Why shouldst thou destroy thyself?”

This is the sense in which _Solomon_ (placing himself in the state of vanity of his youth) speaks to the one, and the other: to the righteous, and to the ungodly. This is the true, genuine sense of the letter; and every other sense put upon it, is false and groundless, and wrested rather to pervert than explain the truth of the text. O christian simplicity, whither art thou fled? Why will not the clergy speak truth? And why must this false prophet suffer thy people, O LORD, to believe a lye? they have held the truth in unrighteousness. Raise up, I beseech thee, O LORD, some true pastors, who may acquaint them with the nature and necessity of perfect righteousness, and lead them to that love of christian perfection which the angry-minded, pleasure-taking Doctor _Trapp_, labours to divert them from, by teaching, that “all christians must have to do with some vanities.”

Is not the meaning of this text plain to the weakest capacity? I have here given it to you, as I have it from the mouth of the royal preacher himself. I have made use of no “philosophy and vain deceit after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after CHRIST,” to impose a fleshly sense upon you, for the sense of the word of GOD. No, I have given you a natural exposition, obvious from the very words themselves. Hence you may see, my fellow-strugglers in righteousness, how grosly our angry adversary is mistaken in his explanation of this text. LORD! open his eyes, and touch his heart; and convert him, and all those erring ministers, who have seen vain and foolish things for thy people, and have not discovered their iniquity, to turn away thy captivity. For they have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way: The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink, they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

It is plain from the words of the text, that the royal Preacher was speaking in the person of a vain worldling, when he said, “Be not righteous over-much;” whereby he meant to exhort the truly righteous not to be dismayed, terrified, or disturbed from their constant pursuit of greater and greater perfection of righteousness, until they rest in CHRIST; notwithstanding the derision, fleshly persuasion, ill-treatment and persecution of worldly men: Who, one day, repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves, “These were they whom we had sometime in derision, and a proverb of reproach. We fools, accounted their lives madness; and their end to be without honour. How are they numbered among the children of GOD, and their lot is among the saints!”

How blind then is the application (not to say perverse) which this self-wise clergyman makes from the text, to such as, following the advice of the apostle, (_Colossians_ iii. 2.) “set their affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Must hastiness in anger get the better of sense and truth? Must the people be misled because the pastor cannot, or will not see? Or must the injunction of CHRIST, “Be perfect, even as your Father, who is in heaven, is perfect,” give place to the maxim of the heathen _Tully_: The greatest reproach to a philosopher, is to confute his doctrine by his practice; if this be the case, alas, what a deplorable, unspeakably deplorable condition is that of some christians! Wherefore, “thus saith the LORD” concerning the prophets who make his people to err, that bite with their teeth and cry peace; and he that putteth not into their mouths, they even prepare war against him: therefore night shall be unto you, that ye shall not have a vision, and it shall be dark unto you, that ye shall not divine, and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them.

But I will leave these lovers of darkness, and turn to you, O beloved, elect of GOD! I beseech you, by the bowels of CHRIST, suffer not yourselves to be deceived by their flattering, sin-soothing speeches. “Be not of that rebellious people, lying children, children who will not hear the law of the LORD: who say to the seers, see not; and to the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.” Follow not those, who flatter you in the vanities they practise themselves. O may you never be of the number of those, in the person of whom _Solomon_ here says, “Be not righteous over-much;” for their character is the character of the beast.

II. The character of the persons, who are to be supposed speaking here in the text, is in a word the same with the character of those whom _Solomon_ here personates: who, as is already shewn, are a vain set of men, neither righteous enough to have an habitual desire of improving virtue to its perfection, nor quite so flagitious as to give into self-destroying vices: in a word, they are self-lovers, the sole end of whose pursuits, whether indifferent, bad, or laudable in themselves, is self-enjoyment. Insomuch that they look upon virtue and vice, righteousness and wickedness, with the same eye, and their fondness or aversion for both is alike, as their different degrees appear to be the means to enhance and prolong the enjoyment of pleasure, or to lessen and shorten those pleasures. Thus any virtue, while it is kept within such bounds as may render it subservient to the pleasurable degrees of vice, will meet with no opposition from them; on the contrary, they will even commend it. But the moment it becomes a restraint to _vice in moderation_ (if I may be allowed to make use of terms adequate to their system) from that moment it gives offence, and they put in their caveat, “Be not righteous over-much.” In like manner, vice, while confined to certain limits, which rather improve than obstruct pleasures, is with them a desirable good; but no sooner does it launch out into any depth, sufficient to drown and diminish the relish of those pleasures, than they declare open war against it; “Be not over-much wicked.” And the reason they assign for their opposition in both cases, is the same: “why shouldst thou destroy thyself? Why shouldst thou die before thy time?” Such is the prudence of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Such the maxims of these refined libertines, so much the more dangerous as they are less obvious; so much the more insinuating, as they are removed from certain extravagancies capable of shocking every man who has the least sense and delicacy. O LORD, how true is it, that the sons of darkness are wiser in their generation than the sons of light!

You are not then, beloved in the LORD, to imagine that your greatest opposition, in struggling for perfect righteousness, is to come from profligates, from men whose enormous vices create horror even to themselves: no, your most dangerous, most formidable enemies, are the kind of men I have painted to you, who render vice relishable with a mixture of apparent virtue, and cloath wickedness in the apparel of righteousness; “Beware of them, for they come to you in the cloathing of sheep, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”

This perverse generation will ensnare you into ungodliness, by seeming oppositions to vice, and allow you to swallow the seemings of virtue and righteousness like an emetic, only to puke forth the reality of them. They paint black, white, and the white they convert into black. Not content with seeming what they are not, they labour to make you, what they are. Righteousness and wickedness they interweave in an artful tissue, capable of deceiving the very elect, and difficult for the most discerning among them to unravel; as alms-giving and avarice, pride and humility, temperance and luxury, are dextrously blended together; while as mutual curbs to each other, they combine to stem the tide of impediments to worldly enjoyment, which might flow from extraordinary degrees on either side. Thus “Alms-giving (you are told) is very excellent,” and you believe the proposition, without knowing the particular sense it is spoken in, which is, that alms-giving is an excellent curb upon avarice, by preserving a rich man from such a superlative love of money as deprives him of the self-enjoyment of it. And upon the strength of this belief, the worldly-minded man, who labours to deceive you, gains credit enough with you to establish this maxim, that all superlative degrees of alms-giving, are _great sins_, and that a man must never sell all he has and give it to the poor, because some may have families of their own, and ought to make sufficient provision for them, according to that proverb, “Charity begins at home;” when no one, at least scarce any one, is wise enough to know, when he has a sufficiency. O LORD, which are we to believe, these worldlings, or thee? If thou dost deceive us, why dost thou threaten us with punishments, if we do not heed thee? And if the world is deceitful, shall we not flee from it to cleave to thee?

“Pride is a great sin” even with these worldlings, inasmuch as the external excesses of it, may obstruct the way to many ambitious terminations of view, and its internal agitations are the destruction of that peace, to which even self-love aspires; besides, the frequent extravagancy of its motions may not only be prejudicial to health, but a shortner of life. And, therefore, no wonder they should object against it, “Be not over-much wicked: why shouldst thou die before thy time?” For this reason, they look upon a little mixture of humility to be not only commendable, but even necessary to curb the extravagant sallies of an over-bearing pride. But then a superlative degree of humility, that is, humility free from the least tincture of pride or vanity, which is the same with them, as “_an over-strained humility_, is a fault as well as folly;” because, forsooth, it is an expediment to the self-enjoyment of the world and its pleasures; “All christians must have to do with some vanities, or else they must needs go out of the world indeed; for the world itself is all over vanity.” ’Tis nothing, therefore, surprising, my brethren, to see a man of this cast of mind making a vain ostentation of his little superficial acquaintance, with the antient _Greeks_ and _Romans_. What is this but acting conformably to his own principle, that “all christians must have to do with some vanities?” And shall we wonder to hear such a one prefer their writings, to those of an apostle; or be astonished to see him wound the apostle with raillery, through your sides, for wishing to know nothing but JESUS CHRIST, and him crucified? No, with him it is consistency to laugh and reprove you out of the perfection of righteousness, which, however he may play with terms, is with him the same as being righteous over-much; but with you it would be inconsistency, who ought to know no difference between being righteous, and living in a perpetual, habitual desire of being superlatively so. It is no more then, than you ought to expect to hear such advocates for the world cry out to you, “Be not righteous over-much: why should you destroy yourselves?” But, O LORD, surely this is not the same voice which tells us, that unless we humble ourselves like unto children, we shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, and that he is greatest there, who humbles himself the most like a child! But what will not men advance who are drunk with passion, and intoxicated with self-love?

“The vice of intemperance in eating, and drinking, is plain to every body,” they own. And, therefore, they give it up as an excess which cannot but tend to the impairing of health, and shortening of life: nay, it drowns the very relish of pleasure in actual eating and drinking. Hence will every refined debauchee exclaim against it with Dr. _Trapp_: “Be not over-much wicked: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?” Little sobriety, say they, is requisite to give a zest to luxury and worldly pleasures. But too much of it is too much, “to eat nothing but bread and herbs, and drink nothing but water, unless there be a particular reason for it (such perhaps as Doctor _Cheyne_ may assign) is folly at best, (that is, even though it be done for CHRIST’s sake) therefore no virtue:” “Be not then righteous over-much, why shouldst thou destroy thyself?” And if you should answer these carnally-minded men with the words of the apostle, _Romans_ viii. “We are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: For if we live after the flesh, we shall die: but if we, through the spirit, do mortify the deeds of the flesh, we shall live.” If you answer them thus, they will tell you, “this is teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” And it will be to as little purpose to answer them, with what St. _Paul_ says elsewhere (_Romans_ xiv. 17.) “The kingdom of GOD is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost:” They will not blush to tell you, that “our blessed Saviour came eating and drinking, nay worked a miracle to make wine (at an entertainment) when it is plain there had been more drank than was necessary.” To such lengths does the love of the world hurry these self-fond, merry-making worldlings! Tell them of self-denial, they will not hear you, it is an encroachment upon the pleasures of life, and may shorten it of a few days, which you are never sure of possessing; it is being “righteous over-much: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?” JESUS, you will say, tells us (_John_ xii. 25.) “He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal.” But this and the like, they will inform you, “are hyperbolical phrases.” Now what signifies minding JESUS, when he speaks hyperbolically, that is, speaks more than is strictly true. Yet, O LORD JESUS, grant us to mind thee, whatever these worldlings may say; remind us, that if any man will come after thee, he must deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow thee! O how enlarging is it to the soul, to take up the cross of CHRIST and follow him!

But you are charged, ye beloved lovers of perfect righteousness, with extravagances. You allow of “no sort of recreation or diversion; nothing but an universal mortification and self-denial; no pleasure but from religion only:” you teach “that the bodily appetites must not be in the least degree gratified, any farther than is absolutely necessary to keep body and soul together, and mankind in being: No allowances are to be made for melancholy misfortunes, or human infirmity; grief must be cured only by prayer;” (a horrid grievance this, to such as think prayer burdensome at best) “To divert it by worldly amusements is carnal.” A heavy charge this: but lest it should seem so only to those carnal persons, who are resolved to give way to their carnal appetites; what you look upon as advisable only, these perverters of truth insinuate to be looked upon by you as indispensable duties. And lest prevarication should fail, downright falshoods must be placed to your account, “so that to taste an agreeable fruit, or smell to a rose, must be unlawful with you,” however you disown it. But O, my beloved christians, be not discouraged from the pursuit of perfect righteousness by these or such vile misrepresentations. For “blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for the sake of CHRIST JESUS. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: For great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.”

Thus far, then, may suffice to shew clearly with what dangerous views the worldly-minded men, whom _Solomon_ personates in the text before us, lay siege to your souls in fair speeches. What I have said, is enough to convince you, that their character is that of the beast, whom St. _John_, in the Revelations, “saw coming up from the sea (that is, the flagitious world) with seven heads.” And what shall we say of a man, a clergyman, who teaches, and is an advocate for their perverse doctrines? May we not, nay, must we not, for the glory of GOD, and your good, inform you, that he is a “Teacher and approver of worldly maxims.” May I not, nay, must I not, give you this caution with the royal preacher: “When he speaketh fair, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart?” But how different is the character I have given you, from the character of the persons to whom the text under consideration is spoken: that is, the character of all such, as, like you, are resolved never to rest, ’till they rest in CHRIST JESUS. To shew this, I shall now pass to my third point.

III. To what sort of persons does _Solomon_ in the character of a worldling address himself, when he says, “Be not righteous over-much, neither make thyself over-wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?” Not to the wicked, ’tis plain; for besides that it would have been an unnecessary precaution, he turns to these in the next verse with another kind of warning, which however has some analogy with this. “Be not over-much wicked, neither be thou foolish, why shouldst thou die before thy time?” Was it then to the righteous, in a common way; that is, to such as content themselves with the observance of the absolute essentials of GOD’s laws? Surely our adversaries will not allow this, unless they be of opinion, that to be righteous at all, is to be righteous over-much. And yet it cannot possibly be supposed that the persons spoken to, are men perfectly righteous; since, as I proved to you, in the introduction of this discourse, till we come up to the perfection of our heavenly father, we can never be righteous _enough_, much less _perfectly_ righteous: wherefore, as in this life, men cannot attain to the perfection of their heavenly father, it follows in course that the persons here spoken to, cannot be men perfectly righteous, there being no such men existing; for as St. _John_ saith, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Alas, O LORD, when shall we be delivered from the body of this death?

It remains, that the persons spoken to, in the text, are such only, as persisting stedfastly in a firm adherence to all the essential laws of GOD, content not themselves with the practice of common virtues in a common degree, but live in a perpetual habitude of desires, struggles, and yearnings towards an intimate union with CHRIST, the perfection of righteousness. They are not of the number of those righteous with indifference, who would fain blend the service of GOD and mammon, would fain have CHRIST and the world for their masters, and halting between two, like the children of _Israel_ of old, with their faces to heaven, and their hearts to the earth, are neither hot nor cold. Alas, would they were cold or hot! But “because they are luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, the LORD shall spew them out of his mouth.”

Not so the persons spoken to in my text; not so you, O beloved in GOD, who having shaken off the world and worldly affections, to run the more swiftly after righteousness, hate your own lives for the sake of CHRIST. Happy, happy are all you, who put on our LORD JESUS, and with him the new man! “You are the true circumcision which worship GOD in spirit, and rejoice in CHRIST JESUS, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

What wonder then, christians? To you I speak, all ye lovers and strugglers after the perfect righteousness of your divine Master CHRIST; what wonder is it, that you should be charged with enthusiasm, with folly, with fanaticism and madness? Were not the apostles so before you, when they preached CHRIST JESUS? Nay were they not reputed drunk with wine? Can you be amazed at it in an age, “when all manner of vice abounds to a degree almost unheard of,” when the land is full of adulterers, and because of swearing the land mourneth. O how is the faithful city become an harlot! my heart within me is broken, because of the clergy, all my bones shake? I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome; because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness, perverted by this deluded clergyman.

When the clergy, whom CHRIST has appointed to teach his people “to walk before him and be perfect,” become teachers of worldly maxims, what can be expected from the laity? It is notorious, that for the moralizing iniquity of the priest, the land mourns. They have preached and lived many sincere persons out of the church of _England_. They endeavour to make you vain: (as the prophets did in the days of _Jeremiah_) they speak a vision out of their own mouth, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. In a word, “both prophet and priest are prophane, and do wickedness in the very house of the LORD.” Nay, they say still to them who despise the LORD, The LORD hath said, ye shall have peace; and they say to every one who walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

Such is the language, my beloved lovers of christian perfection, which the indolent, earthly-minded, pleasure-taking clergy of the church of _England_, use to strengthen the hands of evil-doers, that none may return from his wickedness. Such is the doctrine of the letter-learned divine, who has dipped his pen in gall, to decry perfect righteousness, and to delude you from it, with a false application of that text so grosly misunderstood by him: “Be not righteous over-much, neither be thou over-wise: why shouldst thou destroy thyself?” But suffer not yourselves, my fellow-christians, to be deluded by him. For as I have already shewn to you, he is grosly (LORD grant he was not maliciously) mistaken in his manner of explaining this text; and so far from making a right application of it according to the wise, the experienced _Solomon_’s intention, he acts the character of a vain libertine, full of self-love, and earthly desires, whom _Solomon_ but personated, to ridicule. But the doctor by realizing that character in himself, becomes the teacher and approver of worldly maxims, which he applies to you, on purpose to destroy in you the yearnings after perfect righteousness in CHRIST. May I not then, nay, must I not warn you, my beloved, that this man is an enemy to perfect righteous in men through CHRIST JESUS, and, therefore, no friend to CHRIST? O that my head was an ocean, and my eyes fountains of tears, to weep night and day for this poor creature, this hood-winked member of the clergy.

Pray you, O true christians, pray and sigh mightily to the LORD; importune him in the behalf of this erring pastor; pray that he would vouchsafe to open the eyes, and touch the stubborn heart of this scribe, that he may become better instructed. Otherwise, as the LORD said by the mouth of his true prophet _Jeremiah_, “Behold, I will feed him with wormwood, and make him drink the water of gall; for from him is prophaneness gone forth into all the land.”

This good, however, hath he done by attempting to shew the folly, sin, and danger of that which he miscalls being righteous over-much, that is, being superlatively righteous, in desire and habitual struggles; he has thereby given me the occasion to shew you, brethren, in the course of this sermon, the great and real folly, sin, and danger of not being righteous enough; which, perhaps, I should never have thought of doing, had not his false doctrine pointed out to me the necessity of doing it. Thus does the all-wise providence of GOD, make use of the very vices of men to draw good out of evil; and chuse their very errors to confound falsehood and make way for truth. Though this should be more than our angry adversary intended, yet, LORD, reward him according to his works; and suffer him no longer to be hasty in his words, that we may have room to entertain better hopes of him for the future.

Blessed be GOD for sending you better guides! I am convinced it was his divine will: our dear fellow-creature, Doctor _Trapp_, falling into such errors, has given so great a shock to the sound religion of _christian perfection_, that unless I had opposed him, I verily believe the whole flock who listened to his doctrine, would have been scattered abroad like sheep having no shepherd. “But woe to ye scribes and pharisees! Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, saith the LORD.”

Full well I know that this sermon will not be pleasing to my poor peevish adversary; but correction is not to pleasure but to profit: few children can be brought willingly to kiss the rod which rebuketh them; though, when they become of riper understanding, they will bless the hand that guided it. Thus shall this angry man, I trust, thank me one day for reproving him, when his reason shall be restored to him by the light of the holy spirit. O LORD, grant thou this light unto him, and suffer him to see with what bowels of pity and tenderness I love him in thee, even while I chasten him.

Neither am I insensible, brethren, how offensive my words will be to worldlings in general, who loving falsehood better than truth, and the flesh before the spirit, will still prefer the doctor’s sin-soothing doctrines to the plain gospel verities preached by me. O how my soul pities them. But I have done my duty, I wash my hands, and am innocent of the blood of all. I have not sought to please my hearers, but have spoken plain truth though it should offend. For what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for CHRIST; and hope I shall ever do so. Not that I presume to think myself already perfect. But “I press forward towards the mark, for the prize of the high-calling of GOD in CHRIST JESUS.”

None of us, as I before told you, can boast of having attained the summit of perfection; though, he is the nearest to it, who is widest from the appetites of the flesh, and he stands the highest, who is the lowliest in his own esteem: wherefore, as many of us as have made any advances towards CHRIST and his kingdom, “whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”

Walk not then, brethren, according to the ways of the world: but be followers of CHRIST together with me. And if any, even an angel of light, should presume to teach you any other gospel than that which I have here taught you, let him be accursed. “For you will find many walking, like such of whom I have told you already, and now tell you weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of CHRIST: whose end is destruction, whose GOD is their belly: and whose glory is in their shame, for they mind worldly things. But your conversation is in heaven, from whence also you look for the Saviour, the LORD JESUS CHRIST: who shall change your vile bodies, that they may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able to subdue even all things unto himself,” even the stubborn heart of our perverse adversary.

Which GOD of his infinite mercy grant, &c.

SERMON XI.

The Benefits of an Early Piety.

Preached at _Bow_ Church, _London_, before the Religious Societies.

ECCLESIASTES xii. I.

_Remember now thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth._

THE amiableness of religion in itself, and the innumerable advantages that flow from it to society in general, as well as to each sincere professor in particular, cannot but recommend it to the choice of every considerate person, and make, even wicked men, as they wish to die the death, so in their more sober intervals, to envy the life of the righteous. And, indeed, we must do the world so much justice, as to confess, that the question about religion does not usually arise from a dispute whether it be necessary or not (for most men see the necessity of doing something for the salvation of their souls;) but when is the best time to set about it. Persons are convinced by universal experience, that the first essays or endeavours towards the attainment of religion, are attended with some difficulty and trouble, and therefore they would willingly defer the beginning of such a seemingly ungrateful work, as long as they can. The wanton prodigal, who is spending his substance in riotous living, cries, a little more pleasure, a little more sensuality, and then I will be sober in earnest. The covetous worldling, that employs all his care and pains in “heaping up riches, though he cannot tell who shall gather them,” does not flatter himself that this will do always; but hopes with the rich fool in the gospel, to lay up goods for a few more years on earth, and then he will begin to lay up treasures in heaven. And, in short, thus it is that most people are convinced of the necessity of being religious some time or another; but then, like _Felix_, they put off the acting suitably to their convictions, ’till, what they imagine, a more convenient season: whereas, would we be so humble as to be guided by the experience and counsel of the wisest men, we should learn that youth is the fittest season for religion; “Remember now thy creator, (says _Solomon_) in the days of thy youth.” By the word _remember_, we are not to understand a bare speculative remembrance, or calling to mind, (for that, like a dead faith, will profit us nothing,) but such a remembrance as will constrain us to obedience, and oblige us out of gratitude, to perform all that the LORD our GOD shall require of us. For as the forgetting GOD in scripture language, implies a total neglect of our duty, in like manner remembring him signifies a perfect performance of it: so that, when _Solomon_ says, “Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth,” it is the same as if he had said, keep GOD’s commandments; or, in other words, be religious in the days of thy youth, thereby implying, that youth is the most proper season for it.

I shall in the following discourse,

_First_, Endeavour to make good the wise man’s proposition, implied in the words of the text, and to shew that youth is the fittest season for religion.

_Secondly_, By way of motive, I shall consider the many unspeakable advantages that will arise from, “Remembering our Creator in the days of our youth.” And,

_Thirdly_, I shall conclude with a word or two of exhortation to the younger part of this audience.

_First_, I am to make good the wise man’s proposition, implied in the words of the text, and to shew that youth is the fittest season for religion: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” But to proceed more clearly in this argument, it may not be improper, first, to explain what I mean by the word _religion_. By this term, then, I would not be understood to mean a bare outward profession or naming the name of CHRIST; for we are told, that many who have even prophesied in his name, and in his name cast out devils, shall notwithstanding be rejected by him at the last day: nor would I understand by it, barely being admitted into CHRIST’s church by baptism; for then _Simon Magus_, _Arius_, and the heresiarchs of old, might pass for religious persons; for these were baptized: nor yet the receiving the other seal of the covenant, for then _Judas_ himself might be canonized for a saint; nor indeed do I mean any or all of these together, considered by themselves; but a thorough, real, inward change of nature, wrought in us by the powerful operations of the Holy Ghost, conveyed to and nourished in our hearts, by a constant use of all the means of grace, evidenced by a good life, and bringing forth the fruits of the spirit.

The attaining this real, inward religion, is a work of so great difficulty, that _Nicodemus_, a learned doctor and teacher in _Israel_, thought it altogether impossible, and therefore ignorantly asked our blessed LORD, “How this thing could be?” And, _truly_, to rectify a disordered nature, to mortify our corrupt passions, to turn darkness to light, to put off the old man, and put on the new, and thereby to have the image of GOD reinstamped upon the soul, or, in one word, “to be born again,” however light some may make of it, must, after all our endeavours, be owned by man to be impossible. It is true, indeed, CHRIST’s yoke is said to be an easy or a gracious yoke, and his burthen light; but then it is to those only to whom grace has been given to bear and draw in it. For, as the wise son of _Sirach_ observes, “At first wisdom walked with her children in crooked ways, and brings them into fear; and torments them with her discipline, and does not turn to comfort and rejoice them, ’till she has tried them and proved their judgment.” No; we must not flatter ourselves that we shall walk in wisdom’s pleasant ways, unless we first submit to a great many difficulties. The spiritual birth is attended with its pangs, as well as the natural: for they that have experienced it, (and they only are the proper judges,) can acquaint you, that in all things that are dear to corrupt nature, we must deny ourselves, lest, after all, when we come to the birth, we should want strength to bring forth.

But if these things are so; if there are difficulties and pangs attending our being born again; if we must deny ourselves, what season more proper than that of youth? When, if ever, our bodies are robust and vigorous, and our minds active and couragious; and, consequently, we are then best qualified to endure hardness, as good soldiers of JESUS CHRIST.

We find, in secular matters, people commonly observe this method, and send their children abroad among the toils and fatigues of business, in their younger years, as well knowing they are then fittest to undergo them. And why do they not act with the same consistency in the grand affair of religion? Because, as our Saviour has told us, “The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.”

But, _Secondly_, If pure and undefiled religion consists in the renewal of our corrupted natures, then it is not only a work of difficulty, but, the perfection of it, of time.

And if this be the case, then it highly concerns every one to set about it betimes, and to “work their work while it is day, before the night cometh, when no man can work.”

Could we, indeed, live to the age of _Methuselah_, and had but little business to employ ourselves in, we might then be more excusable, if we made no other use of this world, than what too many do, take our pastime therein: but since our lives are so very short, and we are called to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, we have no room left for trifling, lest we should be snatched away while our lamps are untrimmed, and we are entirely unprepared to meet the Bridegroom.

Did we know a friend or neighbour, who had a long journey of the utmost importance to make, and yet should stand all the day idle, neglecting to set out till the sun was about to go down, we could not but pity and condemn his egregious folly. And yet it is to be feared most men are just such fools; they have a long journey to take, nay, a journey to eternity, a journey of infinite importance, and which they are obliged to dispatch before the sun of their natural life be gone down; and yet they loiter away the time allotted them to perform their journey in, till sickness or death surprizes them; and then they cry out, “What shall we do to inherit eternal life?” But leaving such to the mercies of GOD in CHRIST, who can call at the eleventh hour, I pass on to

The Second general thing proposed, To shew the advantages that will arise from remembering our Creator in the days of our youth; which may serve as so many motives to excite and quicken all persons immediately to set about it.

And the first benefit resulting from thence is, that it will bring most honour and glory to GOD. This, I suppose, every serious person will grant, ought to be the point in which our actions should centre; for to this end were we born, and to this end were we redeemed by the precious blood of JESUS CHRIST, that we should promote GOD’s eternal glory. And as the glory of GOD is most advanced by paying obedience to his precepts, they that begin soonest to walk in his ways, act most to his glory. The common objection against the divine laws in general, and the doctrines of the gospel in particular, is, that they are not practicable; that they are contrary to flesh and blood; and that all those precepts concerning self-denial, renunciation of and deadness to the world, are but so many arbitrary restraints imposed upon human nature: but when we see mere striplings not only practising, but delighting in such religious duties, and in the days of their youth, when, if ever, they have a relish for sensual pleasures, subduing and despising the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life; this, this is pleasing to GOD; this vindicates his injured honour; this shews that his service is perfect freedom, “that his yoke is easy, and his burden light.”

But, _Secondly_, as an early piety redounds most to the honour of GOD, so it will bring most honour to ourselves: for those that honour GOD, GOD will honour. We find it, therefore, remarked to the praise of _Obadiah_, that he served the LORD from his youth: of _Samuel_, that he stood, when young, before GOD in a linen ephod: of _Timothy_, that from a child he had known the holy scriptures: of St. _John_, that he was the youngest and most beloved disciple: and of our blessed LORD himself, that at twelve years old he went up to the temple, and sat among the doctors, both hearing and asking them questions.

Nor, _Thirdly_, will an early piety afford us less comfort than honour, not only because it renders religion habitual to us, but also because it gives us a well-grounded assurance of the sincerity of our profession. Was there no other argument against a death-bed repentance, but the unsatisfactoriness and anxiety of such a state, that should be sufficient to deter all thinking persons from deferring the most important business of their life to such a dreadful period of it. For supposing a man to be sincere in his profession of repentance on a death-bed (which, in most cases, is very much to be doubted) yet, he is often afraid lest his convictions and remorse proceed not from a true sorrow for sin, but a servile fear of punishment. But one, who is a young saint, need fear no such perplexity; he knows that he loves GOD for his own sake, and is not driven to him by a dread of impending evil; he does not decline the gratifications of sense, because he can no longer “hear the voice of singing men and singing women;” but willingly takes up his cross, and follows his blessed Master in his youth, and therefore has reason to expect greater confidence of his sincerity towards GOD. But farther, as an early piety assures the heart of its sincerity, so, likewise, it brings its present reward with it, as it renders religion and all its duties habitual and easy. A young saint, was you to ask him, would joyfully tell you the unspeakable comfort of beginning to be religious betimes: as for his part, he knows not what men mean by talking of mortification, self-denial, and retirement, as hard and rigorous duties; for he has so accustomed himself to them, that, by the grace of GOD, they are now become even natural, and he takes infinitely more pleasure in practising the severest precepts of the gospel, than a luxurious _Dives_ in a bed of state, or an ambitious _Haman_ at a royal banquet. And O how happy must that youth be, whose duty is become a second nature, and to whom those things, which seem terrible to others, are grown both easy and delightful!

But the greatest advantage of an early piety is still behind, _Fourthly_, It lays in the best provision of comfort and support against such times as we shall stand most in need thereof, viz. all times of our tribulation, and in particular, against the time of old age, the hour of death, and the day of judgment.

This is the argument the wise man makes use of in the words immediately following the text: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, wherein thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.” Observe, the time of old age, is an evil time, years wherein there is no pleasure: and ask those that are grown old, and they will inform you so. Cordials surely, then, must be exceeding proper to support our drooping spirits: and O what cordial comparable to the recollection of early piety, depending wholly on the righteousness of CHRIST? When the eyes, like _Isaac_’s, are grown dim with age; when “the keepers of the house, the hands, shall tremble,” as the wise man goes on to describe the infirmities of old age; when “the strong men bow themselves,” or the legs grow feeble; and the “grinders,” the teeth, shall cease to do their proper office, because they are few; for a person then to hear the precepts of the gospel read over to him, and to be able to lay his hand on his heart, and to say sincerely, notwithstanding a consciousness of numberless short-comings, “All these have I endeavoured, through grace, to keep from my youth:” this must give him, through CHRIST who worketh all, comfort that I want words to express and thoughts to conceive. But, supposing it was possible for us to escape the inconveniences of old age, yet still death is a debt, since the fall, we all must pay; and, what is worse, it generally comes attended with such dreadful circumstances, that it will make even a _Felix_ to tremble. But as for the godly, that have been enabled to serve the LORD from their youth, it is not usually so with them; no, they have faith given them to look upon death, not as a king of terrors, but as a welcome messenger, that is come to conduct them to their wished-for home. All the days of their appointed time have they waited, and it has been the business of their whole lives to study to prepare themselves for the coming of their great change; and, therefore, they rejoice to hear that they are called to meet the heavenly Bridegroom. Thus dies the early pious, whose “path has been as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” But follow him beyond the grave, and see with what an holy triumph he enters into his Master’s joy; with what an humble boldness he stands at the dreadful tribunal of JESUS CHRIST; and can you then forbear to cry out, “Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my latter end, and future state, be like his?”

Need I then, after having shewn so many advantages to arise from an early piety, use any more arguments to persuade the younger part of this audience, to whom, in the _Third_ and last place, I address myself, to “remember their Creator in the days of their youth?”

What! will not all the arguments I have mentioned, prevail with them to leave their husks, and return home to eat of the fatted calf? What! will they thus requite our Saviour’s love? That be far from them! Did he come down and shed his precious blood to deliver them from the power of sin; and will they spend their youthful strength and vigour in the service of it, and then think to serve CHRIST, when they can follow their lusts no longer? Is it fit, that many, who are endowed with excellent gifts, and are thereby qualified to be supports and ornaments of our sinking church, should, notwithstanding, forget the GOD who gave them, and employ them in things that will not profit? O why will they not arise, and, like so many _Phineas’s_, be zealous for the Lord of Hosts? Doubtless, when death overtakes them, they will wish they had: and what hinders them, but that they begin now? Think you that any one yet ever repented that he began to be religious too soon? But how many, on the contrary, have repented that they began when almost too late? May we not well imagine, that young _Samuel_ now rejoices that he waited so soon at the tabernacle of the LORD? Or young _Timothy_, that from a child he knew the holy scriptures? And if you wish to be partakers of their joy, let me persuade you to be partakers of their piety.

I could still go on to fill my mouth with arguments; but the circumstances and piety of those amongst whom I am now preaching “the kingdom of GOD,” remind me to change my style; and, instead of urging any more dissuasives from sin, to fill up what is behind of this discourse, with encouragements to persevere in holiness.

Blessed, for ever blessed be the GOD and the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, I am not speaking to persons inflamed with youthful lusts, but to a multitude of young professors, who by frequently assembling together, and forming themselves into religious societies, are, I hope on good ground, in a ready way to be of the number of those “young men, who have overcome the wicked-one.”

Believe me, it gladdens my very soul, to see so many of your faces set heaven-wards, and the visible happy effects of your uniting together, cannot but rejoice the hearts of all sincere christians, and oblige them to wish you good luck in the name of the LORD. The many souls who are nourished weekly with the spiritual body and blood of JESUS CHRIST, by your means; the weekly and monthly lectures that are preached by your contributions; the daily incense of thanksgiving and prayer which is publicly sent up to the throne of grace by your subscriptions; the many children which are trained up “in the nurture and admonition of the LORD,” by your charities; and, lastly, the commendable and pious zeal you exert in promoting and encouraging divine psalmody, are such plain and apparent proofs of the benefit of your religious societies, that they call for a public acknowledgment of praise and thanksgiving to our blessed Master, who has not only put into your hearts such good designs, but enabled you also to bring the same to good effect.

It is true it has been objected, “That young mens forming themselves into religious societies, has a tendency to make them spiritually proud, and to ‘think more highly of themselves than they ought to think.’” And, perhaps, the imprudent, imperious behaviour of some novices in religion, who, “though they went out from you, were not of you,” may have given too much occasion for such an aspersion.

But you, brethren, have not so learned CHRIST. Far, far be it from you to look upon yourselves, as righteous, and despise others, because you often assemble yourselves together. No; this, instead of creating pride, ought to beget an holy fear in your hearts, lest your practice should not correspond with your profession, and that, after you have benefited and edified others, you yourselves should become cast-aways.

Worldly-mindedness, my brethren, is another rock against which we are in danger of splitting. For, if other sins have slain their thousands of professing christians, this has slain its ten thousands. I need not appeal to past ages; your own experience, no doubt, has furnished you with many unhappy instances of young men, who, “after (as one would have imagined) they had escaped the pollutions which are in the world through lust,” and “had tasted the good word of life,” and endured for a season, whilst under the tuition and inspection of others: yet, when they have come to be their own masters, through a want of faith, and through too great an earnestness in “labouring for the meat which perisheth,” have cast off their first love, been again entangled with the world, and “returned like the dog to his vomit, and like the sow that was washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” You would, therefore, do well, my brethren, frequently to remind each other of this dangerous snare, and to exhort one another to begin, pursue, and end your christian warfare, in a thorough renunciation of the world, and worldly tempers; so that, when you are obliged by Providence to provide for yourselves, and those of your respective housholds, you may continue to walk by faith, and still “seek first the kingdom of GOD, and his righteousness;” not doubting, but all other things, upon your honest industry and endeavours, shall be added unto you.

And now, what shall I say more? To speak unto you, fathers, who have been in CHRIST so many years before me, and know the malignity of worldly-mindedness, and pride in the spiritual life, would be altogether needless. To you, therefore, O young men, (for whom I am distressed, for whom I fear as well as for myself) do I once more address myself, in the words of the beloved disciple, “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but receive a full reward.” Be ever mindful, then, of the words that have been spoken to us by the apostles of the LORD and Saviour. “Give diligence to make your calling and election sure. Beware, lest ye also being led away by the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall. Be not high-minded, but fear. But we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak. For GOD is not unrighteous, to forget your works and labours of love. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them, who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” It is true, we have many difficulties to encounter, many powerful enemies to overcome, ere we can get possession of the promised land. We have an artful devil, an ensnaring world, and above all, the treachery of our own hearts, to withstand and strive against. “For strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto eternal life.” But wherefore should we fear, since he that is with us is far more powerful, than all who are against us? Have we not already experienced his almighty power, in enabling us to conquer some difficulties which seemed as insurmountable then, as those we struggle with now? And cannot he, who delivered us out of the paws of those bears and lions, preserve us also from being hurt by the strongest _Goliah_?

“Be stedfast therefore, my brethren, be immoveable.” Be not “ashamed of the gospel of CHRIST: for it is the power of GOD unto salvation.” Fear not man; fear not the contempt and revilings which you must meet with in the way of duty; for one of you shall chase a thousand; and two of you put ten thousand of your enemies to flight. And if you will be contented, through grace, to suffer for a short time here; I speak the truth in CHRIST, I lye not; then may ye hope, according to the blessed word of promise, that ye shall be exalted to sit down with the Son of Man, when he shall come in the glory of his Father, with his holy angels, to judgment hereafter. May Almighty GOD give every one of us such a measure of his grace, that we may not be of the number of those that draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe and endure unto the end, to the saving of our souls, through our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

Which GOD, &c.

SERMON XII.

CHRIST the Believer’s Husband.

ISAIAH liv. 5.

_For thy Maker is thy Husband._

ALTHOUGH believers by nature, are far from GOD, and children of wrath, even as others, yet it is amazing to think how nigh they are brought to him again by the blood of JESUS CHRIST. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of any man living, fully to conceive, the nearness and dearness of that relation, in which they stand to their common head. He is not ashamed to call them brethren. Behold, says the blessed JESUS in the days of his flesh, “my mother and my brethren.” And again after his resurrection, “go tell my brethren.” Nay sometimes he is pleased to term believers his _friends_. “Henceforth call I you no longer servants, but friends.” “Our friend _Lazarus_ sleepeth.” And what is a friend? Why there is a friend that is nearer than a brother, nay, as near as one’s own soul. And “thy friend, (says GOD in the book of _Deuteronomy_) which is as thy own soul.” Kind and endearing appellations these, that undoubtedly bespeak a very near and ineffably intimate union between the LORD JESUS and the true living members of his mystical body! But, methinks, the words of our text point out to us a relation, which not only comprehends, but in respect to nearness and dearness, exceeds all other relations whatsoever. I mean that of a _Husband_. “For thy Maker is thy husband; the LORD of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of _Israel_, the GOD of the whole earth shall he be called.”

These words were originally spoken to the people of the _Jews_, considered collectively as a peculiar people, whom our LORD had betrothed and married to himself; and they seem to be spoken, when religion was on the decline among their churches; when they had, in a great measure, lost that life and power, which they once experienced; and their enemies began to insult them with a “where is now your GOD?” Such a state of things must undoubtedly be very afflicting to the true mourners in _Zion_; and put them upon crying unto the LORD in this their deep distress. He hears their prayer, his bowels yearn towards them; and in the preceding verse, he assures them, that though the enemy had broken in upon them like a flood, yet their extremity should be his opportunity to lift up a standard against him. “Fear not, (says the great Head and King of his church) for thou shalt not be ashamed (finally or totally); neither be thou confounded, (dissipated or dejected, giving up all for gone, as though thou never shouldst see better days, or another revival of religion) for thou shalt not (entirely) be put to shame;” though for a while, for thy humiliation, and the greater confusion of thy adversaries, I suffer them to triumph over thee: “For thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widow-hood any more;” _i. e._ I will vouchsafe you such another glorious gale of my blessed Spirit, that you shall quite forget your former troubled widow-state, and give your enemies no more occasion to insult you, on account of your infant-condition, but rather to envy you, and gnash their teeth, and melt away at the light of your unthought-of glory and prosperity. And why will the infinitely great and condescending JESUS deal thus with his people? Because the church is his spouse; “For, (as in the words just now read to you) thy Maker is thy husband; thy Redeemer, the Holy One of _Israel_;” and therefore he loves thee too well, to let thy enemies always trample thee under foot. “The LORD of Hosts is his name, the GOD of the whole earth shall he be called;” and therefore he is armed with sufficient power to relieve his oppressed people, and overcome and avenge himself of all their haughty and insulting foes.

This seems to be the prime and genuine interpretation of the text and context, especially if we add, that they may have a further view to the latter-day glory, and that blessed state of the church, which the people of GOD have been looking for in all ages, and the speedy approach of which, we undoubtedly pray for, when we put up that petition of our LORD’s, “thy kingdom come.”

But, though the words were originally spoken to the _Jews_, yet they are undoubtedly applicable to all believers in all ages, and, when inlarged on in a proper manner, will afford us suitable matter of discourse both for sinners and for saints; for such as know GOD, as well as for such who know him not; and likewise for those, who once walked in the light of his blessed countenance, but are now backslidden from him, have their harps hung upon the willows, and are afraid that their beloved is gone, and will return to their souls no more. Accordingly, without prefacing this discourse any farther, as I suppose that a mixed multitude of saints, unconverted sinners, and backsliders, are present here this day, I shall endeavour so to speak from the words of the text, that each may have a proper portion, and none be sent empty away.

In prosecuting this design, I will,

I. Endeavour to shew, what must pass between JESUS CHRIST and our souls before we can say, “that our Maker is our husband.”

II. The duties of love which they owe to our LORD, who stand in so near a relation to him.

III. The miserable condition of such as cannot yet say, “their Maker is their husband.” And

IV. I shall conclude with a general exhortation to all such unhappy souls, to come and match with the dear LORD JESUS. And O! may that GOD who blessed _Abraham_’s servant, when he went out to seek a wife for his son _Isaac_, bless me, even me also, now I am come, I trust, relying on divine strength, to invite poor sinners, and recal backsliders, to my Master JESUS!

And _First_, I am to shew, what must pass between JESUS CHRIST and our souls before we can say, “Our Maker is our husband.”

But before I proceed to this, it may not be improper to observe, that if any of you, amongst whom I am now preaching the kingdom of GOD, are enemies to inward religion, and explode the doctrine of inward feelings, as enthusiasm, cant and nonsense, I shall not be surprized, if your hearts rise against me whilst I am preaching; for I am about to discourse on true, vital, internal piety; and an inspired apostle hath told us, “that the natural man discerneth not the things of the spirit, because they are spiritually discerned.” But, however, be noble as the _Bereans_ were; search the Scriptures as they did; lay aside prejudice; hear like _Nathaniel_, with a true _Israelitish_ ear; be willing to do the will of GOD; and then you shall, according to the promise of our dearest LORD, “know of the doctrine, whether it be of GOD, or whether I speak of myself.”

I would further observe, that if any here do expect fine preaching from me this day, they will, in all probability, go away disappointed. For I came not here to shoot over people’s heads; but, if the LORD shall be pleased to bless me, to reach their hearts. Accordingly, I shall endeavour to cloath my ideas in such plain language, that the meanest negro or servant, if GOD is pleased to give a hearing ear, may understand me; for I am certain, if the poor and unlearned can comprehend, the learned and rich must.

This being premised, proceed we to shew what must pass between JESUS CHRIST and our souls, before we can say, “our Maker is our husband.”

Now, that we may discourse more pertinently and intelligibly upon this point, it may not be amiss to consider, what is necessary to be done, before a marriage between two parties amongst ourselves, can be said to be valid in the sight of GOD and man. And that will lead us in a familiar way, to shew what must be done, or what must pass between us and JESUS CHRIST, before we can say, “our Maker is our husband.”

And _First_, In all lawful marriages, it is absolutely necessary, that the parties to be joined together in that holy and honourable estate, are actually and legally freed from all pre-engagements whatsoever. “A woman is bound to her husband, (saith the apostle) so long as her husband liveth.” The same law holds good in respect to the man. And so likewise, if either party be betrothed and promised, though not actually married to another, the marriage is not lawful, till that pre-engagement and promise be fairly and mutually dissolved. Now, it is just thus between us and the LORD JESUS. For, we are all by nature born under, and wedded to the law, as a covenant of works. Hence it is that we are so fond of, and artfully go about, in order to establish a righteousness of our own. It is as natural for us to do this, as it is to breathe. Our first parents, _Adam_ and _Eve_, even after the covenant of grace was revealed to them in that promise, “the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head,” reached out their hands, and would again have taken hold of the tree of life, which they had forfeited, had not GOD drove them out of paradise, and compelled them, as it were, to be saved by grace. And thus all their descendants naturally run to, and want to be saved, partly at least, if not wholly, by their works. And even gracious souls, who are inwardly renewed, so far as the old man abides in them, find a strong propensity this way. Hence it is, that natural men are generally so fond of _Arminian_ principles. “Do and live,” is the native language of a proud, self-righteous heart. But before we can say, “our Maker is our husband,” we must be divorced from our old husband the law; we must renounce our own righteousness, our own doings and performances, in point of dependence, whether in whole or part, as dung and dross, for the excellency of the knowledge of CHRIST JESUS our LORD. For thus speaks the apostle _Paul_ to the _Romans_,