LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
PRINCETON, N. J.
Presented by
Division...:. : **•*"
;.7
■i
SERMONS
ON SEVERAL
Subjects and Occasions,
By the mofl: Reverend
Dr. John riLLorsoN,
LATE
Lord Archbifhop of Canterbury.
VOLUME ^^^ SEVENTH.
LONDON:
Printed for R. Ware, A. Ward, y, and P. Knap f ok, T, Lotigmatii
R. Hett, C. Hitch, J. Hodges, S. Aufteny J. and R, Tsnfon,
y. and H. P ember ton, and y. Ri'vington*
M DCC XLIII.
SERMON CXI.
The danger of all known fin, both from the light of nature and revelation.
ROM. i. 18, 19.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven agalnfi all ungodlinefs and unrighteoufnefs of men^ who hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs \ hecaufe that which may he known of God is manifejl in them^ for God hath fhewed it unto them,
IN the beginning of this chapter, the apoftle de- s E R M. clares that he was particularly defigncd and ap- ^^^^^^^^ pointed by God to preach the gofpel to the world, and that he was not afliamcd of his minidry, fermonon notwithftanding all the reproach andperfecution it was this text. attended withal, and notwithftanding the flight and undervaluing opinion which the world had of the do- ftrine which he preached, it being " to the Jews a " Humbling- block, and to the Greeks fooliflinefs i" for tho' this might refledl fome difparagement upon it in the eiteem of fenfual and carnal men, yet to thofe who weighed things impartially, and confider'd the excellent end and defign of the chriftian doflrine, and the force and efficacy of it to that end, it will appear to be an inftrument admirably fitted by the wifdom of GoD, for the reformation and falvation of mankind.
Vol. VII. 13 H 2 And
I.
1 8 1 6 7he danger of all knoiim fin, both from
SERM. And therefore he 'tells us, verfe i6. that how ^li , much foever it was defpifed by that ignorant and inconfiderate age, " he was not afliamcd of the gof- *' pel of Christ ; bccaufc it is the power of God " unto falvation, to every one that believeth, to the " Jew flrfl, and alfo to the Greek i" that is, the doctrine of the gofpel fincerely believed and em- braced, is a mod proper and powerful means, de- figned by God for the falvation of mankind ; not only of the Jews, but alfo of the Gentiles.
The revelations which God had formerly made, were chiefly retrained to the jewifli nation ; but this great and laft revelation of the gofpel, was equally calculated for the benefit and advantage of all man- kind. The gofpel indeed was firfl preached to the Jews, and from thence publifh'd to the whole world •, and as this dodrine was defign'd for the general be- nefit of mankind, fo it was very likely to be efiedual to that end, being an inftrument equally fitted for the falvation of the whole world, Gentiles as well as Jews 5 " it is the power of God to falvation to every " one that believes, to the Jew firfl, and alfo to the *' Greek."
And to Ihew the efficacy of it, he inftanceth in two things, which render it fo powerful and efiedlual a means for the falvation of mankind.
Firfl, becaufe therein the grace and mercy of God in the juflification of a finner, and declaring him righteous, is fo clearly revealed,ver. 17. " For therein '' is the righteoufnefs oF God revealed, from faith to ** faith, as it is written, the jufl fliall live by faith." This is very obfcurely exprefl, but the meaning of this text will be very much cleared, by comparing it with another in the iiid chapter of this epiflle, ver.
20
the light of nature and revelation. iZiy
10, 21, 22, &c. where the apoftle fpeaks more fully SE RM. and exprefly of the way of our juftification by the faith ^^^' of Jesus Christ , that is, by the behef of the gofpeJ. He afferts at the :20th verfe, " that by the deeds of " the law there ihali no flefh be juflified in the fight " of God." To this v/ay of juftification " by the " deeds of the law," he oppofeth " the righteouf- " nefs of God by the faith of Jesus Christ, to " all, and upon all them that believe," which is the gofpel way of juftification, ver. 21, 22. " But " now the righteoufnefs of God without the law is " manifefted, being witnefted by the law and the '' prophets, .even the righteoufnefs of God, Which is *' by the faith of Jesus Christ, unto all, , and ** upon all them that believe." " The righteoufnels *' of God without the law is manifefted :" that is,, the way which God hath taken to juftify finners, and declare them righteous " without the deeds of the " law," that is, without obferving the law ofMofes, *' is manifefted," that is, is clearly revealed in the gofpel, (which is the fame with what the apoftle had faid before, that " the righteoufnefs of God is *' revealed in the gofpel) being witnefTed by the law *' and the prophets," that is, the righteoufnefs of God, or the juftification of finners by Jesus Christ, is clearly revealed in the gofpel, being alfo in ta more obfcure manner attefted or foretold in the old teftament, which he calls " the law and " the prophets*," and this fully explains that difficuk phrafe of " the righteoufnefs of God being re- " vealed by the golpel from fiiith to faith ;" that is, by a gradual revelation, being more obfcurely foretold in the old teftament, and clearly difcovered in the new j fo that thefe two pafiages are equiva- lent i
1 8 1 3 ^he danger of all known Jin, both from
SERM.lent; " in the gofpel, the righteoufiiefs of God is
^'"''^- ** revealed from faith to faith j" and " the righte- " oufnefs of God without the works of the law is *' maniferted, being witnefied by the law and the *' prophets." There is the firfl: and more impcrfed revelation of it, but the clear revelation of it is in the gofpel -, this the apoftle calls " a revelation from faith '^ to faith," that is from a more imperfed and obfcure, to a more exprefs and clear difcovery and belief of it. And then the citation v/hich follows is very pertinent, " as it is written, thejuft fhall live by faith i" for this citation out of the old teftament plainly fhews, that the way of juftification by faith was there mentioned ; or, as our apoftle exprefleth it, " was witnefied by the " law and the prophets ;" and confequently that this was a gradual difcovery, which he calls *' a revelation *« from faith to faith." " Thejuft fhall live- by faith i^* that is, good men fhall be faved by their faith, fhall be juflified and efteemed righteous in the fight of God, and finally faved by their faith. And fo the apoftle in the vth chap, of this epiftle, ver. i8. calls our juftlfication by the faith of the gofpel, " the *' juftiiication of life," in oppofition to condemna- tion and death, which very well explains that faying of the prophet, " the juft Ihall live by faith." I have been the longer upon this, that I might give fome light to a very difficult and obfcure text.
Secondly, the other inftance whereby the apoftle proves the gofpel to be fo powerful a means for the recovery and falvation of men is, that thei-ein alfo the feverity of God againft impenitent finners, as well as his grace and mercy in the juftlfication of the penitent, is clearly revealed, ver. i8. ^' For the wrath *' of God is revealed from heaven, againft all
*' ungodlinefs
the light of nature and revelation. iSig
<^ ungodlinefs and unrighteoufnefs of men, who holds ERm, " the truth in unrighteoufnefs ; becaufe that which <_^^ *' may be known of God is manifefted in them, for " God hath Ihewn it unto them.'* The firil, viz. the f^race of God in our jullification and the remif- fion of finspafl, is a moft proper and powerful argu- ment to encourage us to obedience for the future ; nothing being more likely to reclaim'men to their du- ty, than the afTurance of indemnity for pafl: crimes - and the other is one of the moft effectual confidera- tions in the Avorld to deter men from fin, that " the '' wrath of God is revealed from heaven againft all '' ungodlinefs and unrighteoufnefs of men, &c.'*
From which words I Ihall obferve thefe fix things.
Firft, the infinite danger that a wicked and fmful courfe doth plainly expofe men to. " The wrath of *' God is here faid to be revealed againft the impiety *' and unrighteoufnefs of men."
Secondly, the clear and undoubted revelation which the gofpel hath made of this danger. ^' The wrath *' of God •' againft the fins of men, is faid to be *' revealed from heaven.'*
Thirdly, that every wicked and vicious pradlicc doth expofe men to this great danger. " The wrath " of God " is faid to be " revealed againft all un- *' godhnefs, and unrighteoufnefs of men.'*
Fourthly, that it is a very great aggravation of fin^
for men toofFend againft the light of their own minds.
The apoftle here aggravates the impiety and wicked-
nefs of the heathen world, that they did not live up
to the knowledge which they had of God, but con-
tradided it in their lives, which he calls *' holding
" the truth in unrighteoufnefs.'^
' Fifcnly,
I ? 20 TZ^^ dmiger of all known fm^ both from
SK R Nr. Fifthly, the natural knowledge which men have of ,/f^\ ^ God, if they live wickedly, is a clear evidence of their " holding the truth in unrighteoufnefs." The apo- flle therefore chargeth them with " holding the truth *' in unrighteoufnefs," becaufe " that which may " be known of God is manifefted in them, God hav- *' ing Ihewed it to them." Sixthly, and lafi.ly,that the clear revelation of the wrath of God in the gofpel, againftthe impiety and wickednefs of men, renders it a very powerful and likely means for the recovery and falvation of men. For the apoftle proves" the gofpel of Christ to be the power of God " to lalvation," becaufe " therein the wrath of God is " revealed from heaven againft all ungodlinefs and un- *' righteoufnefs of men^who hold the truth in unrigh- *' teoufnefs ;" that is, againft all impenitent Tinners.
1 Ihall at the prefent, by God's alTiftance, fpeak to the three firft of thefe particulars.
Firft, the infinite danger that a wicked and finful courfe doth plainly expofe men to. If there be a God that made the world, and governs it, and takes care of mankind, and hath given them laws and rules to live by, he cannot but be greatly difpleafed at the violation and tranfgreflion of them ; and cer- tainly the difpleafure of God is the moft dreadful thing in the world, and the effedls of it the moft in- lupportable. Thegreateft fear is from the greateft danger, and the greateft danger is from the greateft power offended and enraged ; and this is a confidera- tion exceeding full of terror, that by a finful courfe we expofe ourfelves to the utmoft difpleafure of the great and terrible God ; for '> who knows the ^" power of his wrath?" and " who may ftand be- ^..1" fore himwhen once he is angry.? according to
thy
tJje light of nature and revelation. 1821
*' thy fear, fo is thy wrath " (faith the Pfalmift.) S F^R M. There is no paffion in the mind of man that is more ^ ' boundlcfs and infinite than our fear, it is apt to make wild and frightful reprefentations of evils, and to imagine them many times greater than really they are \ but in this cafe our imagination mud fall ihort of the truth and terror of the thing; for the wrath of God doth far exceed the utmoil jealoufy and fufpi- cion of the moft fearful and guilty confcience ; and the greateft fmner under his greateft anguiih and defpair, cannot apprehend or fear it more than there is reafbn for; " according to rhy fear, fo is thy wrath."
If il were only the wrath and difpleafure of men that the fmner were expofed to, there might be rea- fon enough for fear, becaufe they have many times pov/er enough to crulli an offender, and crueity enough to fret every vein of his body, and to tor- ment him in every part: but the wrath and venge- ance of men bears no comparifon with the wrath of God. Their pafTions are many times flrong and bluftering; but their arm is but iliort, and their power fmall, " they have not an arm like God, nor *' can they thunder with a voice like him.'* They may defign confiderable harm and mifchief to us^ but it is not always in the power of their hand to wreak their malice upon us, and to execute all the mifchief which their enraged minds may prompt them to; the very utmoft they can defign, is to torment our bodies, and to take away our lives, and when they have defigned this, they may die urfl:, and " re- ''• turn to their dud, and then their thoughts peri(h *' with them," and all their malicious def.gns are at an end ; they are always under the power and go-
Vol. VII. . 13 I verqmen^
I.
CXI.
1 S 2 2 7 he danger of all kno^n f.n, both from
S F^RM. vernment of a fuperior being, and can go no fcir- , thcr than he gives them leave. However if they do their worfb, and fhoot all their arrows at us, we cannot (land at the mark long, their wrath will Ibon make an end of us, and fet us free from all their cruel- ty and opprefTion ; " they can but kill the body, and *' after that they have no more that they can do j" their mod refined malice cannot reach our fpirits, no weapon that can be formed by the utmoft art of man can pierce and wound our fouls ; they can drive us out of this world, but they cannot purfue us into the other ; fo that at the word the grave will be a fandluary to us, and death a Mc retreat from all their rage and fury.
But the wrath of God is not confined by any of thefe hmits. '^ Once hath God fpoken " (faith David by an elegant hebrew phrafe to exprefs the certainty of the thing) '' once hath God '' fpoken, and twice I have heard this, that *' power belongs to God," Pfal. Ixii. ii. " He " hath a mighty arm," and when he pleafeth to ftretch it out, none may flay it, nor " fay unto him *' what doft thou ;" he hath power enough to make good all his threatnings; whatever he fays he is able to efFe6t, and whatever he " purpofeth he can *' bring to pafs •," for " his counfel fhall ftand, and *' he will accomplifh all his pleafure ;'' he need but fpeak the word, and it is done ; for we can neither refift his power, nor fly from it; if we fly to the utmoft parts of the earth, his Jiand can reach us, for " in his hand are all the corners of the earth 5" if we take refuge in the grave (and we cannot do that without his leave) thither his wrath can follow us ; and there it ---^1^— **u^J^s J for his power is not confined to this
world.
the light of nature afid revelatio?!. 182-^
world, nor limited to our bodies;" after he hadi'^IiRM. kili'd, he can " deftroy both body and foul in Mi^ ^^^'
And this is that wrath of God which is ''• revealed " from heaven, " and which the apollJe chiefly in- tends, viz. the mifery and puniihment of aRodier world, this God hath threatned finners withal ; to exprefs which to us, as fully as words can do, he heaps up in the next chapter fo many weighty and terrible words, *' indignation and wrath, tribulation *' and anguilh upon every foul of man that doth ** evil ; " in oppofition to that great and glorious reward of " immortality and eternal life,'* which is promifed to '' a patient continuance in well- " doing. "
So that " the wrath of God *' which is here de- nounced " againft the impiety and unrighteounels *' of men," comprehends all the evils and miferies of this and the other world, which every finner is in danger of whiljl he continues impenitent ; for as according to the tenor of the gofpel, " godlinels *' hath the promifes of this life, and of that which is *' to come," fo impenitency in fin expofeth men to the evils of both worlds, to the judgments of the life that nov/ is, and to the endlefs and intolerable torments of that which is to come. And what can be more dreadful than the difpleafure of an al- mighty and eternal being ? who can punifh to the utmofl, and " who lives for ever," to execute his wrath and vengeance upon finners ; fo that well might the apoftle fay, " it is a fearful thing to fall " into the hands of the living God."
" ConjTider this, all ye that forget God," that neg- led him, and live in continual difobedience to his holy and righteous laws ; much more thofe v/ho de-
13 I 2 fpife
I P24 ^he danger of all known fm, both from
SERM. fpife and affront him, and JIve in a perpetual de- u^^^^.^^ fiance of him. " Will ye provoke the Lord to " jealoufy? are ye flrongcr than he?" think of it fcrioufly, and forget him if yon can, defpife him if you dare ; confider this, left he take you into con- fideration, and rouze like a lion out of fleep, and *' tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.** This is the firft obfervation, the infinite danger that a wicked and finful courfe doth expofe men to, c* the wrath of God," which doth not only fignify more than all the evils that we know, but than all thofe which the wildeft fears and fufpicions of our minds can imagine.
Secondly, the next thing obfervable, is the clear and undoubted rcvebtion which the gofpel has made of this danger, *' the wrath of God is re- *« vealed, &c." By which the apoftle intimates to us, that this was but obfcurely known to the world before, at lead in comparifon of that clear difco- very which the gofpel hath now made of it -, fo that I may allude to that expreffion in Job, which he applies to dtath and the g'-ave, that " hell is naked «' before u:^ and deftrudion hath no covering."
Not but that mankind had always apprehenfions and jealoufies of the danger of a wicked life, and fmners were always afraid of the vengeance of God purfuing their evil deeds, not only in this life, but after it too -, and tho' they had tuniM the puni(h- ments of another world into ridiculous fables, yet the wifer fort of mankind could not get it out of their minds, that there was fomething real under them ; and that Ixion's wheel, which by a perpetual motion carried him about \ and Sifyphus his ftone ; •which he was perpetually rolling up the hill, and
when
the light of nature and revelation, 1825
when he had got it near the top tumbled down, and3 E R M ftill created him a new labour ; and Tantalus his . ^1^ continual hunger and thirft, aggravated by a perpe- tual nearnefs of enjoyment, and a perpetual difap- pointment ; and Prometheus his being chained to a rock, with an eagle or vulture perpetually preying upon his liver, which grew as faft as it was gnawed i I fay even the wifer among t\\t headiens look'd upon thefe as fantailical reprefentations of fomething that was real, viz. the grievous and endlefs punilhment of fmners, the not to be endured, and yet perpe^ tually renewed torments of another world, for in the midft of all the ignorance and degeneracy of the hea* then world, mens confciences did accufe them when they did amifs, and they had fecret fears and mif- givings of fome mighty danger hanging over them from the difpleafure of a fuperior being, and the apprehenfion of fome great mifchiefs likely to fol- low their wicked adlions, which fome time or other would overtake them ; which becaufe they did not always in this world, they dreaded them in the next. And [this was the foundation of all thofe fuperfti- tions, whereby the ancient pagans endeavoured fo carefully to appeafe their offended deities, and to avert the calamities which they feared they v/ould fend down upon them. But all this while they had no certain affurance by any clear and exprefs reve- lation from God to that purpofe, but only the jca- loufies and fufpicions of their own minds, naturally confequent upon thofe notions which men generally had of God, but fo obfcured and depraved by the lulls and vices of men, and by the grofs and falfe conceptions which they had of God, that they only ferv'd to make them fuperftitious, but were
not
cxr.
826 The danger of all knozvnfin, both from
SERM. not clear and ftrong enough to make them wifely and lerioufly rehgious. And to fpeak the truth, the more knowing and inquifitive part of the heathen world had brought alJ thefe things into great doubt and uncertainty, by the nicety and fubtiity of dis- putes about them j fo that it was no great won- der, that thefe principles had no greater effcd: upon the lives of men, when their apprehenfions of them were fo dark and doubtful.
But the gofpel hath made a mofl: clear and cer- tain revelation of thefe things to mankind. It was written before upon mens hearts as the great fanc- tion of the law of nature, but the imprcfTions of this were in a great meafure blurred and worn out, fo that it had no great power and efficacy, upon the minds and manners of men ; but now it is clearly difcovercd to us, *' the wrath of God is revealed '* from heaven/' which cxprefllon may well imply in it thefe three thing?.
Firfl, the clearnefs of the difcovery ; " the wrath " of God is faid to be revealed."
Secondly, the extraordinary manner of it ; it is faid CO be " revealed from heaven."
Thirdly, the certainty of it ; not being the re- fult of fubtle and doubtful reafonings, but having a divine teftimony and confirmation given to it, which is the proper meaning of " being revealed '' from heaven."
Firft, it imports the clearnefs of the difcovery. The punifhment of finncrs in another world is not fo obfcure a matter as it was before ; it is now ex- prefly declared in the gofpel, together with the par- ticular circumftances of it, namely, that there is another life after this, wherein men Ihall receive the
juft
the light of nature and revelation^ 1827
juft rccompence of reward for all the actions done ^ ^ ^ ^'*' by them in this life ; that there is a particular time u-— y~ appointed, wherein. God will call all the world to a folemn account, and thofe who are in their graves fliall by a powerful voice be raifcd to life, and thofe who fhall then be found alive fhall be fuddenly changed; " when our Lord Jesus Christ,*' the eternal and only begotten Son of God, who once came in great humility to fave us, fhall come again *' in power, and great glory," attended with his mighty angels, and " all nations lliall be gathered *' before him," and all mankind fhall be feparated into two companies, the righteous and the v/icked, who after a full hearing, and fair trial, fhall be fen- tenced according to their adions, the one " to eter- '' nal life and happinels," the other '' to everlafl:- *^ ing mifery and torment."
So that the gofpel hath not only declared the thing to us, that there fhall be a future judgment; but for our farther afTurance and fatisfadion in this matter, and that theie things might make a deep impreffion, and flrike a great awe upon our minds, God hath been pleafed to reveal it to us with a great many particular circumfl:ances,fuch as are very worthy of God, and apt to fill the minds of men v/ith dread and aftonifliment, as ofcen as they think of them.
For the circumflances of this judgment revealed to us in the gofpel, are very folemn and awful, not fuch as the wild fancies and imaginations of men would have been apt to have dreft it up v/ithal, fuch as are the fidions of the heathen poets, and the ex- travagancies of Mahomet ; v/hich tho' they be terri- rible enough, yet they are withal ridiculous •, but fuch as are every way becoming the majefty of the
great
1828 T^he danger of all knoiJDnfn^ both from
S E R M- great God, and the ibiemnity of the great day, and ^^^^.- . fuch as do not in the leaft favour of the vanity and Jighnefs of humane imagination.
For what more fair and equal, than that men fhould be tried by a man like thcmfelves, one of the fame rank and condition, that had experience of the infirmities and temptations of humane nature? {o our Lord tells us, that '' the Fathlr hath com- *' mitted all judgment to the Son, bccaufe he is the *' Son of man,'* and therefore cannot be excepted againft, as not being a fit and equal judge. And this St. Paul offers as a clear proof of the equitable proceedings of that day ; " God (fays he^ hath ap- " pointed a day, in which he will judge the world *' in righteoufnefs, by that man whom he hath or- « dained."
And then what more congruous than that the Son of God, who had taken fo much pains for the falva- tion of men, and came into the world for that pur- pofe, and had ufed all imaginable means for the re- formation of mankind, I fay what more congruous, than that this very perfon fliouM be honoured by God to fit in judgment upon the world, and to con- demn thofe, who after all the means that had beqn tried for their recovery, would not repent and be faved. And what more proper, than that men, who are to be judged for " things done in the body/* fhould be judged in the body, and confequently that the refurredion of the dead fliould preceed the gene- ral judgment .?
And what more magnificent and fultable to this glorious folemnity, than the awful circumflances which the fcripture mentions of the appearance of this great judge; that he fhall " defcend from
*' heaven'*
the light of nature and revelation. "1829
" heaven" in great majefty and glory, attended with S E R M, " his mighty angels, and that every eye (hall fee *' him;" that upon his appearance, the frame of na- ture Ihall be in an agony, and the whole world in flame and confufion; that thofe great and glorious bodies of light fhall be obfcured, and by degrees ex- tinguifh'd; " the fun fliall be darkncd, and the *' moon turned into blood, and all the powers of " heaven fhaken^" yea, " the heavens themfelves " fhall pafs away with a great noife, and the ele- " ments diHolve with fervent heat ; the earth alfo, *' and all the works that are therein fhall be burnt ^' up." I appeal to any man, whether this be not a reprefentation of things very proper and fuitable to that great day, wherein he who made the world fhall come to judge it ? and whether the wit of man ever devifed any thing fo awful, and fo agreeable to the majedy of God, and the folemn judgment of the whole world ? The defcription which Virgil makes of the judgment of another world, of the elyfian fields, and the infernal regions, how infinitely do they fall fliort of the majefty of the holy fcripture, and the defcription there made of heaven and hell, and of the great and terrible day of the Lord ! fo that in comparifon they are childifh and trifling ; and yet perhaps he had the mod regular and mofl go- vern'd imagination of any man that ever lived, and obferved the greatefl decorum in his charaders and defcriptions. But who can declare " the great " things of God, but he to whom God fhall re- *' veal them!"
Secondly, this expreflion of '' the wrath of God '' being revealed from heaven," doth not only im-
VoL. Vir. 13 K ply
I.
1830 The danger of all known fin^ both from S E R M. ply the clear difcovery of the thing, but likewifc fomething extraordinary in the manner of the difco- very. It is not only a natural imprelfion upon the minds of men, that God will feverely punifh Tin- ners 5 but he hath taken care that mankind fhould be inflru6ted in this matter in a very particular and extraordinary manner. He hath not left it to the reafon of men to colled it from the confideration of his attributes and perfedlions, his holinefs and juftice, and from the confideration of the promifcuous admi- niftration of his providence towards good and bad men in this world, but he hath been pleafed to fend an extraordinary perfon from heaven, on purpofe to declare this thing plainly to the world, " the wrath *' of God is revealed from heaven-," that is, God fent his own Son from heaven, on purpofe to declare his wrath againft all obilinate and impenitent Tinners, that he might effeftually awaken the drowfy world to repentance •, he hath fent an extraordinary am- balTador into the world, to give warning to all thofe who continue in their fins, of the judgment of the great day, and to fummon them before his dreadful tribunal. So the apoftle tells the Athenians, A6ts xvii. 30, 31. "Now he commandeth all men every '' where to repent *, becaufe he hath appointed a day in " which he will judge the world in righteoufnefs, *' t)y that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he " hath given alTurance unto all men, in that he hath « raifed him from the dead." I Thirdly, this exprelTion implies likewife the certain- tainty of this difcovery. If the wrath of God had only been declared in the difcourfes of wife men, tho' grounded upon very probable reafon, yet it might have been brought into doubt by the contrary reafon-
ings
the light of nature and revelation, 1 8 3 1
ings of fubtle and difputing 'men : but to put the SERM. matter out of all queftion, we have a divine teO:i- mony for it, and God hath confirmed it from hea- ven, by figns, and wonders, and miracles, efpeclally by the refurrediion of JesusChrist from the dead; for " by this he hath given aflfurance unto all men, *' that it is he who is ordained of God to judge the " quick and the dead."
Thus you fee in what refpeft "the wrath of God" is faid to be " revealed from heaven," in that the gofpel hath made a more clear, and particular, and cer- tain difcovery of the judgment of the great day, than ever was made to the world before. I proceed to the
Third obfervadon, which I fliall fpeak but briefly to ; namely, that every wicked and vicious pradice doth expofe men to this dreadful danger. The apo- ftle inflanceth in the two chief heads to which the fins of men may be reduced, impiety towards God, and unrighteoufnels towards men ; and therefore he is to be underflood to denounce the wrath of God againft every parncular kind of fin, comprehended under thefe general heads ; fo that no man that al- lows himfelf in any impiety and wickednefs of Ijfe, can hope to efcape the wrath of God. Therefore it concerns us to be entirely religious, and " to have " refped to all God's commandments i" and to take heed that we do not allow ourfelves in the pradice of any kind of fin whatfoever, becaufe the living in any one known fin, is enough to expofe us to the dreadful wrath of God. Tho' a man be juft and righteous in his dealings with men, yet if he negled the wor- fiiip and fervice of God, this will certainly bring him under condemnation : a^rd on the other hand, tho' a man may ferve God never fo diligently and devout-
J3 k: 2 h/.,
cxr.
I S 3 2 7he danger of all known fm^ both from
SERM. ly, yet if he be defedive in righteoufncfs toward men, if he deal falQy and fraudulently with his neighbour, he Ihali not efcape the wrath of God ; tho' a man pretend to never fo much piety and de- votion, yet if he be unrighteous, " he fhall not inhe- '' rit the kingdom of God ;" if any man " over- " reach and defraud his brother in any matter, " the Lord is the avenger of fuch/' faith St. Paul I Their, iv. 6.
So that here is a very powerful argument to take men off from all fin, and to engage them to a con- Itant and careful difcharge of their whole duty toward God and men, and to reform whatever isamifs either in the frame and temper of their minds, or in the adlions and courfe of their lives \ becaufe any kind of v/icked- nefs, any one fort of vicious courfe, lays men open to the vengeance of God, and the punifliments of ano- ther world; " the wrath of God is revealed from *' heaven againft all ungodhnefs, and unrighteoufnels <' of meui" there is no exception in the cafe, we mud forfake all fin, fubdue every lull, " be holy in '<^ all manner of converllition," othervvife we can have no reafonable hopes of efcaping the wrath of God, and the damnation of hell. But to proceed to the
Fourth obfervation ; namely, that it is a very great aggravation of fin, for men to offend again il the light of their own minds. The apoftle here ag- o-ravates the wickednefs of the heathen world, that they did not live up to that knowledge which they had of God, but contradicfled it in their lives, «' holding the truth of God in unrighteoulhefs." And that he fpeaks here of the heathen, is plain from his following difcourfe, and the characfler he gives of
ihofe
the light of nature and revelation. 1833
thofe perfons of v/hom he was fpeaking, " who hold S E R m. " the truth of God in unrighteoufnels •, becaufe that , ^[^ " which may be known of God is manifeft in them, '' for God hath fhewn it unto them j" and this he proves, becaufe thofe v/ho were deditute of divine revelation, were not without all knowledge of God, being led by the fight of this vifible world, to the knowledge of an invifible being and power that was the author of it,ver. 20, 21." For the invifible thinp-.s *' of him from the creation of the world are clearly " feen, being underilood by the things which are *' made, even his eternal power and godhead, *' fo that they are without excufe -, becaufe that when " they knew God, they glorified him not as God." (H^ec efi fumma deli^i^ nolle agnofcere^ quern ignorare non foffis^ {2L\\h Tertullian to the heathen ; " this is *' the height of thy fault, not to acknowledge him, *' whom thou canft not but know, not to own him, *' of whom thou canfl not be ignorant if thou *' wouldft i") " neither were thankful i" they did not pay thofe acknowledgments to him which of right were due to the author of their being, and of all good things \ lij.cLrouL(Xi^Ti<JOLV cy TcTr d^ioKcyicriJ.c'is cwTwv, " they were fool'd with their own reafonings." This he fpeaks of the philofophers, who in thofe great arguments of the being and providence of God, the immortality of the foul, and the rewards of another world, had iofi: the truth by too much fubtilty about it, and had diiputed themfelves into doubt and uncertainty about thofe things which were naturally known ; for Jiimiim altercando Veritas amlt- titiir ; " truth is many times loft by too much con- *' tention and difpute about it, and by too eager a '' purfuit of it men many times out-run it; and
" leave
1 8 ^4 The dafiger of all known Ji}7, both from
SERM. " leave it behind i" vcr. 22. ** and profefiing them- " felvcs to be wife they became fools." Men never play the fools more, than by endeavouring to be over- fubtle and wife ; ver. 23. " and changed the glory of " the incorruptible God, into an image made like to *' corruptible man, and to birds, and to four-footed " bcails, and creeping things ;" here he fpeaks of the fottiHinefs of their idolatry, whereby they pro- voked God to give them up to all manner of lewd- nefs and impurity, ver. 24. " Vv'herefore God alfo " gave them up unto uncleannefs, through the lulls " of their own hearts ;" and again, ver. 26. " for " this caufe God gave them up to vile aftedlionsj" and then he enumerates the abominable lulls and vices they were guilty of, notwithdanding their natu- ral acknowledgment of the divine juilice, ver. 32. *' who knowing the judgment of God, that they " which commit fuch things are worthy of death, '' not only do the fame, but have pleafure in them *' that do them." By all which it appears that he fpeaks of the heathen, who offended again ft the na- tural light of their own minds, and therefore were without excufe. S^uamfihi veniam fperarepojjunt im- fietatis fu£y qui non agnofcimt cultum ejus^ quern pr or ^ sus ignorari ah hominihus fas non ejl ? Jaith La6tantius, *' hovv;- can they hope for pardon of their impiety, *' who deny to v/orfliip that God, of whom it is *' not poilible mankind Ihould be wholly igno- *' rant ? "
So that this is '^ to Iiold the truth in unrighteouf- *•'" nefs," injurioufly to Ihpprefs it^ and to hinder the power and eoicacy of it upon our minds and ac- tions J for fo '(.\-\Q word xaT£;^«v fometimes fignifies, as well as to hold fad, and this every man does, v/ho
acts
the light of nature and revelation. 1835
a6ls contrary to what he believes and knows ; he S E RM. offers violence to the light of his own mind, and , does injury to the truth, and keeps that a prifoner, which would fet him free ; '' ye fliall knovs^ the " truth (lays our Lord) and the truth fliall make " you free."
And this is one of the highed aggravations oF the fins of men, to offend againft knowledge, and that light v/hich God hath ki up in every man's mind. If men wander and flumble in the dark, it is not to be v/onder'd at ; many times it is unavoidable, and no care can prevent it : but in the light it is ex- pelled men fhould look before them, and difcern their way. That natural light which the heathen had, though it was but comparatively dim and im- perfedl, yet the apoflle takes notice of it as a great aggravation of their idolatrous and abominable practices. Thofe natural notions which all men hav^ of God 5 if they had in any m.eafure attended to them, and governed themfelves by them, might have been fufficient to have preferved them from diPno- nouring the deity, by worHiipping creatures in- flead of God ; the common light of nature was enough to have difcovered to them the evil of thofe lewd and unnatural practices, which many of them were guilty of; but they detained and fupprefl the truth moil injurioufly, and would not fuffer it to have its natural and proper influence upon them ; and this is that which left them without excufc, that from the light of nature they had knowledge enough to have done better, and to have preferved them from thole great crimes which were fo common among them.
And
CXI.
1836 ^he danger of all laicwnjin^ both from
S ]•: R M. And if this was fo great an aggravation of the impiety and wickednefs of the heathen, and left them " without excufe ;" what apology can be made for the impiety and unrighteoufnefs of chriftians, who have fo (Irong and clear a hght to difcover to them their duty, and the danger of neglecting it, to whom " the wrath of God is plainly revealed *' from heaven, againft all ungodlinefs and unrighte- *' oufnefs of men ?'* The truths of the gofpel are fo very clear and powerful, and fuch an improvement of natural light, that men muft ufe great force and violence to fupprefs them, and to hinder the efficacy of them upon their lives. And this is a certain rule, by how much the greater our knowledge, by fo much the lefs is our excufe, and fo much the greater punifli- ment is due to our faults. So our Lord hath told us, Luke xii. 47. " That fervant which knew '' his Lord's will, and prepared not himfelF, nei- *' ther did according to his will, fliall be beaten *' with many ftripes." And John ix. 41. ''• If ye " were blind (fays our Saviour to the Jews) ye *' fhould have no fin." So much ignorance as there is of our duty, fo much abatement of the wil- fCTlnefs of our faults; but '' if we fin wilfully, af- " ter we have received the knowledge of the truth, *' there remains no more facrifice for fin, but a fear- '' ful expedation of judgment and fiery indignation," fays the apoftle to the Hebrews, chap. x. 25, 27. " If we fin wilfully after we have received the *' knowledge of the truth j" implying, that men cannot pretend ignorance for their faults, after fo clear a revelation of the will of God, as is made to mankind by the gofpel.
, And
the light of nature and revelation. i S37
And upon this confideration it is, that our Savi- S E RM. OUR doth fo aggravate the impenitency and unbe- , " lief of the Jews, becaufe it was in oppofition to all the advantages of knowledge, v/hich can be ima- gined to be afforded to mankind, John xv. 22, 23, 24. " If I had not come and fpoken unto them, " they had not had fin ; " that is, in comparifon their fin had been much more excufable ; " but now they " have no cloke for their fin." "He that hateth me, " hateth my Father alfo: if I had not done " among them the works which none other man " did, they had not had fin ; but now have they " both feen, and hated both me, and my Father." How is that? Our Saviour means, that they had now finned againA all the advantages of knowing the will of God, that mankind could pofTibly have; at once oppofing natural light, which was the dif- penfation of the Father ; and the clcareft revela- tion of God's will, in the difpenfation of the gof- pel by his Son ; " now have they both feen and " hated both me and Father."
The two remaining obfervations I fhall referve to another opportunity.
Vol VII. 13 L SERMON
I.
SERMON CXII.
The danger of all known fin, both from the light or nature and revelation.
ROM. i. i8, 19.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven, againjl all imgodlinefs and unrighteoufnefs of men, who hold the truth in unrighteoufnefs •, becaufe that which may he known of God is manifefl in them, for God hath fhewed it unto them.
SERM. T Have handled four of the obfervations which I y^^^rl^ I rais'd from thefe words ; and fhall now pro- The fe- -*" ceed to the other two that remain, cond fer- rj,| ^^^^l^ obfervation was, that the natural know- mon oa re-
ikis text, ledge which men have of God, if they live contrary to
it, is a fufficient evidence of" their holding the truth *' of God in unrighteoufnefs." For the reafon why the apoftle chargeth them with this, is, " becauie •^' that which may be known of God is manifefl:, in '' that God hath fhewed it unto them."
There is a natural knowledge of God, and of the duty we owe to him, which the apoflle calls to yvca^cv tS ©sS, " that of God which is obvious to be *' known" by the light of nature, and is as much as is abfolutely neceflary for us to know. There is fomething of God that is incomprehenfible, and beyond the reach of our underftandings ; but his be_ ing and effcntial perfedions may be known, which he calls his eternal power vind godhead j thefe he
tells
7ke danger of all known fin ^ &c. 1 8 . q
tells us " are clearly feen, being underftood by the S E R jvf. « things which are made ; " that is, the creation of J^ll: the world is a plain demonflration to men, of the being and power of God ; and if fo, then " God '^ is naturally known to men ; " the contrary where- of Socinus pofitively maintains, . tho' therein he be forfaken by mofl of his followers ; an opinion, in my judgment, very unworthy of one, who, not without reafon, was eileemed fo great a mafter of reafon •, and (tho' I beheve he did not fee it) under- mining the ilrongeft and fureft foundation of \\\\ re- ligion, which, when the natural notions of God are once taken away, will certainly want its bell fup- port. Befides that by denying any natural know- ledge of God, and his effential perfedions, he freely gives away one of the mod phuuble grounds of oppofmg the dodrine of the Trinity. But becaufe this is a matter of great confequence. and he v/as a great man, and is not to be confuted by contempt, but by better reafon, if it can be found j I will con- fider his reafons for this opinion, and return a parti- cular anfwer to them.
Firft, he fays that if the knowledge of God were natural, it would not be of faith ; but the apoftle fays, that " we m.ull believe that he is " Tlie force of which argument, if it have any, lies in this, that the object of faith is divine revelation, and there- fore we cannot be faid to believe what we naturally know. The fchoolmen indeed fay fo ; but the fcripture ufeth the word faith more largely, for a real perfuafion of any thing, whether grounded up- on fenfe, or reafon, or divine revelation. And our Saviour's fpeech to Thomas, " becaufe thou haft ^' feenj thou haft believed,'* does fufficiently inti- 13 L 2 matCa
1840 T^'he danger of all known Jin ^ both from
E R M. mate, that a man may believe what he fees •, and if fo, what fhould hinder, but that a man may be faid to believe what he naturally knows ; that is, be really perfuaded that there is a God from natu- ral light ?
Secondly, his next argument is, bccaufe the fame apoftle concludes Enoch to have believed God, be- caufe he pleafed God, '^ and without faith it is " impoflible to pleafe him." From whence he fays it is certain that men may be without this belief, which if it be natural they cannot. Indeed if the apoftle had faid, that whoever believes a God, mud of ncceftity obey and pleafe him, then the inference had been good, that all men do not naturally believe a God, becaufe it is certain they do not pleafe him ; but it is not good the other way, no more than if a man fhould argue thus, that becaufe whoever ads reafonably, mud be endowed with reafon, therefore men are not naturally endowed with reafon. For as men may naturally be endowed with reafon, and yet not always make ufe of it ; fp men may natu- rally know and believe a God, and yet not be careful 10 pleafe him.
His third argument is, that the fcrlpture fays that there are fome that do not believe a God, for which he cites that of David, " the fool hath fiid in his " heart there is no God •,'* which certainly proves, "that bad men live io^ as if they believed there were no God ; nay, it may farther import, that they en- deavour as much as they can, to ftiflc and extin- cTuifli thebelief of a God in their minds, and would gladly perfuade themfelves there is no God, becaufe it is convenient for them there fliould be none ; and whether David meant fo or not, is is very pro- bable
the light of nature and revelation. 1841
bable thac fome may arrive to that lieight of Im- S5E R M. piety, as for a time at leaft, and in fome moods, to disbelieve a God, and to be very confident of the arcruments on that fide. But v/hat then ? is the knowkdo-e and behef of a God therefore not na- tural to mankind? nature it felf, as conftant and uniform as it is, admits of Ibme irregularities and exceptions, in efFeds that are meeriy natural, much more in thofe which have fomething in them that is voluntary, and depends upon the good or bad ufe of our reafon and underftanding *, and there is no ar- guing from what is monftrous, againft what is na- tural. It is natural for men to have five fingers up- on a hand, and yet fome are born otherwife : but in voluntary agents, that which is natural may be per- verted, and in a great meafure extinguifh'd in fome particular inftances ; fo that there is no force at all in this objedtion.
His fourth and lafl argument is, that there have not only been particular perfons, but whole nations who have had no fenfe, nor fo much as fufpicion of a deity. This I confefs were of great force, if it were true •, and for the proof of this, he produceth the inftance of Brafil in America. Bat I utterly deny the matter of fa6t and hiftory, and challenge any man to bring good teftimony, not only of any na- tion, but of any city in the world, that ever were profefTed atheifts.
I know this was aflirmed of fome part of Brafil, by fome of the firft difcoverers, who yet at the fame time owned, that thefe very people did mofl ex- prefly believe the immortality of the foul, and the rewards and punifhments of another life; opinions which no man can well reconcile with the denial
and
184^ The danger of all known fin^ both from
SERM. and disbelief of a deity. But to put an end to this argument, later and more perfect difcoveries have found this not to be true, and do alTure us upon bet- ter acquaintance with thofe barbarous people, that they are deeply pofTcfl: with the belief of one fu- preme God, who made and governs the world.
Having thus given a particular anfwer to Socinus his arguments againfl: the natural knowledge of a God, I will now bricfiy offer fome arguments for it. And to prove that the knowledge and belief of a GcD is natural to mankind, my
Firfl argument Ihall be from the univerfal confent, in this matter, of all nations in all ages. And this is an argument of great force, there being no better way to prove any thing to be natural to any kind of being, than if it be generally found in the whole kind. Omrdtim confenfus nature vox eft^ *^ the con- *' fent of all is the voice of nature," faith Tully. And indeed by what other argument can we prove that realbn, and fpecch, and an inclination to focicty are natural to men ; but that thefe belong to the whole kind?
Secondly, unlefs the knowledge of God and his effential perfe6lions be natural, I do not fee what fufiicient and certain foundation there can be of re- vealed religion. For unlefs we naturally know God to be a being of all perfection, and confequendy that whatever he fays is true, I cannot fee what di- vine revelation can fignify. For God's revealing or declaring fuch a thing to us, is no necelTary argu- ment that it is fo, unlefs antecedendy to this revela- tion, we be pofleft firmly with this principle, that whatever God fays is true. And v/hatever is known antecedently to revelation, mufl: be known
by
the light of nature and revelation. 184.3
by natural light, and by reafonings and deduclionsSER M. from natural principles. I might farther add to this ^^^^" argument, that the only flandard and meafure to judge of divine revelations, and to diftinguifh be- tween what are true, and what are counterfeit, are the natural notions which men have of God and of his eiTential per feci ions.
Thirdly, if the notion of a God be not natural, I do not fee how men can have any natural notion of the difference of moral good and evil, juft, and un- jufl. For if 1 do not naturally know there is a God, how can I naturally know that there is any law obliging to the one, and forbidding the other ? all law and obligation to obedience, necclTarily flip- pofmg the authority of a fuperior being. But the apoftle expreOy afferts, that the Gentiles who were deftitute of a revealed law, '' v/ere a law unto them- '^ felvesj" but there cannot be a natural law ob- liging mankind, unlefs God be naturally known to them.
And this Socinus himfelf in his difcourfe upon this very argument is forced to acknowledge. " In " all men (lays he) there is naturally a difference of *' jud, and unjuif, or at lead there is planted in all '' men an acknowledgment that juft ought to be " preferr'd before unjuft, and that which is honeft, *' before the contrary; and this is nothing elfe but " the word of God within a man, which who- " foever obeys, in ^o doing obeys God, tho' " otherwife he neither know nor think there is a *' God •, and there is no doubt but he that thus obeys *' God, is accepted of him." So that here is an ac- knowledgment; of a natural obligation to a law, without any natural knowledge of a fuperior autho- rity ;
1 844 The danger of all k?20wnjin, both from S ERM-j-jty. which I think cannot be; and which is worfe, that a man may obey God acceptably, without knowing and beheving there is a Godj which di- redly thwarts the ground of his firft argument from thofe words of the apoftle, " without faith it is im- *' polTibie to pleafe God -, for he that cometh to *' God," that is, he that will be reHgious and pleafe God, " mud believe that he is;" fo hard is it for any man to contradid nature, without contra- di(5ling himfeif.
Fourthly, my lad argument I ground upon the words of the apoPde in my text, " that which may " be known of God, is manifeft in them •, for God *' hath Ihewed - it unto them." " is manifeft in *' them, Gv aMrci<: among them," God hath fufH- ciently manifefted it to mankind. And which way- hath God done this ? by revelation ? or. by the na- tural light of reafon ? he tells us at the 20th verfe, '' for the invifible things of him from the creation '' of the world are clearly {ztw ;" that is, God, who in himfeif is invifible, ever fince he hath created the world, hath given a vifible demonftra- tion of himfeif, that is, " of his eternal power *' and Godhead, being underftood by the things *' which are made." The plain fenfe of the whole is, that this wife and wonderful frame of the world, which cannot reafonably be afcribed to any other caufe but God, is a fenfible demonftration to all mankind, of an eternal and powerful being that was the author and framer of it. The only queftion now is, whether this text fpeaks of the knowledge of God by particular revelation, or by natural light and reafon, from the contemplation of the works ot God ? Socinus having no other way to
avoid
the light of nature and revelation. 1 845
avoid the force of this text, will needs underfland S E R ivf. it of the knowledge of God by the revelation of ^ the gofpel. His words are thefe; " the apofllc *' therefore fays in this place, that the eternal God- " head of God, that is, that which God would " always have us to do (for the Godhead is fome- *' times taken in this fenfe) and his eternal power, *' that is, his promlle which never fails, (\n which " fenfe he faid a little before that the gofpel is *' the power of God) thefe, I fay, were never '' iQ.^x\ by men, that is, were never known to ^^ them fince the creation of the world, are known " by his works, that is, by the wonderful operation " of God, and divine men, efpecially of Christ *' and his apoftles." Thefe are his very words, and now I refer it to any indifferent judgment, whether this be not a very forced and conftrained inter- pretation of this text; and whether that which I have before given, be not infinitely more free and natural, and every way more agreeable to the obvi- ous fenfe of the words, and the fcope of the apoftle's argument. For he plainly fpeaks of the heathen, and proves them to be inexcufable, becaufe '' they " held the truth in unrighteoufnefs," and having a natural knowledge of God, from the contemplation of his works, and the things which are made, *< they did not glorify him as God." And therefore I fhall not trouble my felf to give any other anfwer to it ; for by the abfurd violence of it in every part, it confutes it felf more effedlually than any difcourfe about it can do.
1 have been the larger upon this, becaufe it is a matter of fo great confequence, and lies at the bot-
VoL. Vll. 13 M torn
I.
1846 Hoe danger of all knoivtiftty both from SERM. torn of all religion. For the natural knowledge ^^2_j which men have of God, is when all is done, the fureft and fiifteft hold that religion hath on hu- mane nature. Befides, how fhould' God judge that part of the world, who are wholly deflitute of divine revelation, if they had no natural knowledge of him, and confequently could not be under the diredion and government of any law? For " v/here thefe is *' no law, there is is no tranlgrefTion ;" and where men are guilty of the breach of no law, they cannot be judged and condemned for it ; for '' the judgment *' of God is according to truth."
And now this being eftabhfli'd, that men have a na- tural knowledge of God ; if they contradld it by their life and pradlice, they are guilty of " detaining the " truth of God in unrighteoufnefs." For by this argument the apoftle proves the heathen to be guilty of '' holding the truth in unrighteoufnefs," becaufe notwithdanding the natural knowledge which they had of God " by the things which are made," they lived in the pra£i:ice of grofs idolatry, and the moft abominable fins and vices.
And this concerns us much more, who have the glorious light of the gofpel added to the light of nature. For if they who offended againft the light of nature, were liable to the judgment of God, o^ how much forer punifliment fhali we be thought worthy, if we negled thofe infinite advantages which the re- velation of the gofpel hath fuperadded to natural light ? he hath now fet our duty in the cleared and llrongeft light that ever was afix)rded to mankind, fo that if we will not now believe and repent, there is no remedy for us, but we mud " die in our fins-, « if wc Cn wilfully, after Co much knowledge of the
" truth.
the light of nature and revelation. 1 847
" truth, there remains no morefacrifice for fin ; butsE RM. *' a feari'il looking for of judgment and fiery indlg- ^^^^* *' nation to confume us."
The fum of what hath been laid on this argument, is briefly this ; that men have a natural knowledge of God, and of thofe great duties which refult from the knowledge of him , fo that whatever men fay, and pretend as to the main things of religion, " the '' worfhip of God, and juftice and righteoufneis '' towards men/' fetting afide divine revelation, we are all naturally convinc'd of our duty, and of what we ought to do, and thofe who live in a bad courfe, need only be put in mind of what they naturally know, better than any body ^\{q. can ttW them, that they are in a bad courfe, fo that I may ap- peal to all wicked men from themfelves, rafh, and heated, and intoxicated with pleafure and vanity, tranfported and hurried away by lufl and paffion ; to themfelves, ferious and compofed, and in a cool and confiderate temper. And can any fober man forbear to follow the convidtions of his own mind, and to refolve to do what he inwardly confents to as befl ? let us but be true to ourfelves, and obey the didates of our own minds, and give leave to our own confcience to counfel us, and tell us what we ought to do, and we lliall be " a law to ourfelves.'* I proceed to tf^e
Sixth and /.aft obfervation, namely, that the clear revelation of the wrath of God in the gofpel, againft the impiety and unrighteoufnefs of men, is one principal thing which renders it fo very power- ful and likely a means for the falvation of mankind. For the apoflle inftanceth in two things, which give the gofpel fo great an advantage to this purpofe,
13 M 2 i\\Q
1848 ^he danger of all known fm^ both from
S E R M. the mercy of God to penitent Tinners, and his fevc- ^^^J- ^ rity toward the impenitent ; both which are fo fully and clearly revealed in the gofpel. " The *' gofpel is the power of God to falvation, to every *' one that believeth, becaufe therein the righteouf- «' nefs of God is revealed;" that is, his great grace and mercy in the juftification and pardon of finners by Jesus Christ, which I have already fhewn to be meant by " the righteoufnefs of God," by com- paring this with the explication which is given of *' the righteoufnefs of God," chap. iii. ver. 22.
The other reafon which he gives of the gofpel's being " the power of God to falvation," is the plain de- claration of the feverity of God toward impenitent finners, '' becaufe therein alfo the wrath of God is " revealed from heaven, againft all ungodlinefs *' and unrighteoufnels of men." The force of which argument will appear, if we confider thefe following particulars.
Firft, that the declarations of the gofpel in this matter are fo plain and exprefs.
Secondly, that they are very dreadful and ter- rible.
Thirdly, that there is no lafety or hope of impu- nity for men that go on and continue in their fins.
Fourthly, that this argument will take hold of the mod defperate and profligate finners, and ftill retain its force upon the minds of men, when all other confiderations fail, and are of little or no efficacy. And,
Fifthly, that no religion in the world can urge this argument with that force and advantage that chriftianty does.
Fird,
the light of nature and revelation, • 1840 Firfl:, that the declarations of the gofpel in thIsSERM. matter are moft plain and exprefs ; and that not Jl^il: only againft fm and wickednefs in general, but againfl particular fins and vices ; fo that no man that lives in any evil and vicious courfe, can be igno- rant of his danger. Our Lord hath told us in general, what fhall be the doom of the workers of iniquity, yea tho' they may have owned him, and made profefTion of his name, Matth.vii. 21. " Not every " one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, ihall enter «* into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doth the *' will of my Father which is in heaven. Many " will fay unto me in that day. Lord, Lord, &c. " then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you, " depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Matth. xiii. 49, 50. " So fhall it be at the end of the world, *' the angels fhall come forth, and fever the wicked " from among the jufl, and fhall caft them into the " furnace of fire ; there fhall be wailing and gnafliino- " of teeth," Matth. XXV. 46. " The wicked fhall " go away into everlauing punifhment, but the <* righteous into life eternal." John v. 28, 29. *^ The '< hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves *' fhall hear his voice, and fhall come forth ; they *' that have done good, unto the refurredion of life, *' and they that have done evil, unto the refurreclion « of damnation." Rom. ii. 6. St, Paul tells us that there is " a day of wrath, and of the revelation of " the righteous judgment of God, who will render *' to every man according to his deeds; to them " who obey not the truth, but obey unrighteouf^ " nefs, indignation and wrath, tribulation and an- ** guilli upon every foul of man that doth evil.'* 2 ThefT. i. 7, ^^^. '' That the Lord Jesus fhall be
/ '' revealed
cxir.
1S50 ' ^he danger of all know7ifin, both from
S E R M. " revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels va " fiaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know *'• not God, and that obey not the gofpel of our '' Lord Jesus Christ; who fhall be puniflicd " with everlafting dcftrudlion from the prefence of " the Lord, and from the glory of his power." Nothing can be more plain and exprefs than thefe general declarations of the v/rath of God againft finners ; that there is a day of judgment appointed, and a judge conftituted to take cognifance of the ac- tions of men, to pafs a fevere fentence, and to in- flidl a terrible puniHiment upon the workers of ini- quity.
More particularly our Lord and hisapoftles have denounced the wrath of God againfl: particular fins and vices. In feveral places of the new teftament, there are catalogues given of particular fins, the pra6lice whereof will certainly fhut men out of the king- dom of heaven, and cxpofe them to the wrath and ^vengeance of God. i Cor. vi, 9, 10. '' Know ye not *' that the unrighteous fhall not inherit the king- *' dom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornica- '' tors, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, *' nor abufers of themfelves with mankind, nor *' thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, *' nor extortioners, fhall inherit the kingdom of «' God.'* So likewife. Gal. v. 19, 20, 21. '' The " works of the flefli are manifeft, which are thefe, " adultery, fornication, witchcraft, hatred, variance, *' emulations, wrath, ftrife, feditions, herefies, en- " vyings, murders, drunkennefs, revellings, and fuch *' like : of the which I tell you before, as I have alfo *^ told you in times pad, that they th^t do fjch
*' things fhall not inherit the kingdom of God."
Col.
the light of nature and revelation, 1 8 r r
Col. iii. 5, 6. "-^ Mortify therefore your members SERm. *' upon earth, fornication, unclcannefs, inordinate J^J^ " affedion, evil concupifcence, and covetoufnefs, *' which is idolatry, for which things fike tlie wrath *' of God cometh on the children of difobedience." Rev. xxi. 8. " The fearful and unbelieving,'* (that is, thofe who rejeded the chriilian religion, notwith- ftanding the clear evidence that was ofFer'd for it, and thofe who out of fear fliould apoftatize from it,) " The fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable/* (that IS, thofe who were guilty of iinnatural lufts, not fit to be named) " and murderers, and whoremongers, *' and forcerers, and idolaters, and all liars " (that is, all forts of falfe and deceitful and perfidious per- fons) " fhali have their part in the lake which burns *' with fire and brimfl:one,which is the fecond death.'* And not only thefe grofs and notorious fins, which are fuch plain violations of the law and light of na- ture ; but thofe wherein mankind have been apt to take more liberty, as if they were not fufHciently convinced of the evil of them ; as *' the refilling of '' civil authority," which the apoftle tells us, they that are guilty of, '' Ihall receive to themfelves dam- ^' nation," Rom. xiii. 2. " Profane fwearing in " common converfation," which St. James tells us brings men under the danger of damna- tion, chap. V. 12. " Above all things, my brethren, " fwear not, left ye fall under condemnation.'* Nay, our Saviour hath told us plainly, that not only for wicked acSlions, but for every evil and fmful word, men arc obnoxious to the judgment of God. So our Lord alTures us, Matth. xii. 36, 37. " I fay unto " you, that every idle v/ord that men fhall fpeak, '' they Pnall give an account thereof in the day of
*' judgment.
1 8 c I T'he danger of all hiownfin^ bothfrom^
SKR M. « judgment. For by thy words thou fhalt be jufti- CXIl. a 1^^^^ ^^^ l^y fj^y words thou Ihalc be condemned."
He had fpoken before of that great and unpardonable fin of " blafpheming the Holy Ghost i" and be- caufe this might be thought great feverity for evil words, he declares the reafon more fully, becaufe words fliew the mind and temper of the man, ver. 34. '' For out of the abundance of the heart the '^ mouth fpeaketh." *' The charadler of the man '' is fhewn by his words," faith Menander. Profert enm mores plerumque oratio ((i\ith Quintilian) ^ ani- mi fecreta detegit ', '' A man's fpeech difcovers his *' manners, and the fecrets of his heart ; ut livit *•' etiam quemque dicere^ men comm.only Ipeak as *' they live *," and therefore our Saviour adds, " a good man out of the good treafure of his heart, *' bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out " the evil treafure of his heart bringeth forth evil *' things : but I fay unto you that every idle word, *' Trav pfi/jia d^-yov^^* by which I do not think our Saviour means, that men fliall be called to account at the day of judgment, for every trifling and impa- tient and unprofitable word, but every wicked and finful word of any kind, as if he had faid, do you think this fevere to make words an unpardonable fault ? I fay unto you that men fliall not only be condemned for their malicious and blafphemous fpeeches againft the Holy Ghost s but they fhall likewife give a ftridt account for all other wicked and finful fpeeches in any kind tho' much inferior to this. And this is not only mofl agreeable to the fcope of our Saviour, but is confirmed by fome greek co- pies, in which it is Trav friixa. ttcv/i^Jv, " every wicked
** word which men fnall fpeak, they fliall be ac- countable
the light of nature and revelation, ^^53
<^ countable for it at the day of judgment." But SERM. this by the by. ^^^^*
Oar Saviour likewife tells us, that men fhall not only be proceeded ag.%inft for fins of commif- fion, but for the bare omilTion and neglefl of their duty, efpecially in works of mercy and charity \ for not feeding the hungry, and the like, as we fee, Matth. XXV. and that for the omiffion of thefe, he will pais that terrible fentence, " depart ye curfed, " &c." So that it nearly concerns us to be careful of our whole life, of all our words and adions, fince the gofpel hath fo plainly and exprefly decla- red, that " for all thefe things God will bring us «' into judgment." And if the threatnings of the gofpel be true, " what manner of perfons ought *' we to be, in all holy converfation and godli- '' nefs ? "
Secondly, as the threatnings of the gofpel are very plain and exprefs, fo are they likewife \tx^ dreadful and terrible. I v/ant words to exprefs the lead part of the terror of them -, and yet the ex- prefTions of fcripture concerning the mifery and pu- nifhment of finners in another world, are fuch as may juftly raife amazement and horror in thofe that hear them. Sometimes it is exprcft h^ "' a depart- " ing from God," and a perpetual banillimenc *« from his prefence," who is the foundation of all comfort, and joy, and happinefs ; fometimes " by " the iofs of our fouls," or our felves. " What «' fhall it profit a man to gain the whole v/orld and c' lofehis own foul ? " or, fas it is in another evan- gelifl) " to lofe himfelf .? " not that our being fliali be deflroyedj tlut would be a happy Iofs indeed,
Vol. VII. 13 N to
1S54 The danger of all know7i fin, both from
S E R iVr. to him that is fentcnced to be for ever miferablc ; but the man flrall ftill remain, and his body and foul continue to be the foundation of his mifery, and a fcene of perpetual woe and difcontent, which our Saviour calls " the dcilroying of body and foul in " helJ," or ^' going into everlaRing punifhment, where *' there (hall be wailing and gnafliing of teeth, *' where the worm dies not, and the fire is not *' quenched." Could I reprefent to you the hor- ror of that difmal prifon, into which wicked and impure fouls are to be thruft, and the mifery they muft there endure, without the leaft fpark of com- fort, or glimmering of hope, how they wail and grone under the intolerable wrath of God, the in- folent fcorn and cruelty of devils, the fevere lafhes and flings, the raging anguifh and horrible defpair of their own minds, without intermifTion, without pity, without hope of ever feeing an end of that mifery, which yet is unfupportable for one mo- ment *, could I reprefent thefe things to you accord- ing to the terror of them, what effedl muft they have upon us ? and with what patience could any man bear to think of plunging himfelf into this mifery ? and by his own wilful fault and folly to endanger his " coming into this place and flate of torments?" efpecially if we confider in the
Third place, that the gofpel hath likewlfe decla- red, that there is no avoiding of this mifery, no hopes of impunity, if men go on and continue in their lins. The terms of the gofpel in this are peremp- tory, that '' except we repent, we fhall perifli;" that " v/ithout holinefs no man Ihall fee the Lord ; ** that " the unrighteous ihall not inherit the king- *• dom of God.'* And this is a very prcfTing con-
fid^ration,
the light of nature and revelation. i B55'
^deration, and brings the matter to a fhort andSERM, plain ifTue. Either we mufl: Jeave our fins, or die ,J^i^ in them ; either we muft repent of them, or be judged for them ; either we muft forfake our fins, •and break off that wicked courie which we have lived in, or we mull quit all hopes of heaven and happinefs, nay, we cannot " efcape the damnation " of hell," The clear revelation of a future judg« ment is fo prefiing an argement to repentance, as no man can in reafon refift, that hath not a mind to be miferable. " Now (futh Sc. Paul to the *' Athenians) he flraightly chargeth all men every *' v/here to repent, becaufe he hath appointed a '' day in the which he will judge t\\Q world in righ- *' teoufnefs."
Men may cheat themfelves, or fuffer themfelves to be deluded by others, about feveral means and de- vices of reconciling a wicked life, with the hopes of heaven and eternal falvation ; as by mingling fome pangs of forrow for fin, and fome hot fits of devo- tion with a finfal life ; which is only the interrup- tion of a wicked courfe, without reformation and amendment of life : but " let no man deceive you *' with vain words;" for our blefiTed Saviour hath provided no other ways to fave men, but up^ on the terms of repentance and obedience.
Fourthly, this argument takes hold of the mod defperate and profligate finners, and ftill retains its force upon the minds of men, when almoft all other confiderations fail, and have loft their efficacy upon us. Many men are gone fo far in an evil courfe, that neither fiiame of their vices, nor the love of God and virtue, nor the hopes of heaven are of any force with them, to reclaim them and bring them
13 N 2 to
1 0 5 ^ ^^^^ ^j;;^^r of all known fm, both from
SERM. to a better ^ mind : but there is one handle yet left, ^2ilj whereby ro lay hold of them, and that is their fear. Tliis is a paffion that lies deep in our nature, being founded in felF-prcfervation, and flicks fo clofely to us, that we cannot quit our felvcs of it, nor fliake it OiT. Men may put oft ingenuity, and break thro* all obligations of gratitude. Men may harden their forehead-s, and conquer all fenfe of fliame ♦, but they can never perfe6lly fiiile and fabdue their fears-, they can hardly {o extinguilli the fear of hell, but that foiTie fparks of that fire will ever and anon be flying about in their confciences, efpecially when they are made fober, and brought to themlelves by afflicftion, and by the prefent apprehenfions of death, have a nearer fi2;ht of another world. And if it was fo hard for the heathen to conquer thefe apprehenfions, how much harder muft it be to chriftians, who have fo much greater alfurance of thefe things, and to whom " the wrath of God is fo clearly revealed from '' heaven, againft all ungodlinefs and unrighteoufnels " of m.enr"
Fifthly, no religion in the world ever urged this arguhient upon men, with that force and advantage v/hich chrifcianity does. The philofophy of the hea- then gave men no fteady aflurance of the thing \ the mod knowing perfons among them w^ere not agreed about a future iiate ; the greateft part of them fpake but doubtfully concerning another life. And befides the natural jealoufies and fufpicions of mankind con- cerning thefe things, they had only fome fair proba- bilities of reafon, and the authority of their poets, who talk'd they knew not what about the elyfian fields, and the infernal regions, and the three judges of hell s {o that the wifcft among them had hardly
afTurance
the light of nature a7jd revelation. .^ 1S57
afifarance enough in themfelvesof the truth of the SERM, thing, to prefs it upon others with any great con- fidence, and therefore it was not likely to have any great efficacy upon the generality of mankind.
As for the jewifli religion ; tho' that fjppofed and took for granted the rewards of another w-orld, as a principle of natural religion ; yet in the law of Mofes there v/as no particular and exprefs revelation of the life of the world to come ♦, and what was de- duced from it, was by remote and obfcure confe- quence. ' Temporal promifes and threatnings it had many and clear, and their eyes were fo dazzled with thefe, that it is probable that the generality of them did but little confider a future ilate, till they fell into great temporal calamities under the Grecian and Ro- man empires, whereby they were almoft necelTarily awakened to the confideration and hopes of a better life, to relieve them under their prefent evils and iiifferings ; and yet even in that time they were di- vided into two great fadlons about this matter, the one affirming, and the other as confidently denying any life after this. But " the gofpel hath brought *' life and immortahty to light," as we are aifured from heaven of the truth and reality of another Hate, and a future judgment. The Son of God was fent into the world to preach this dodrine, and rofe again from the dead, and was taken up into heaven, for a vifible demonftration to all mankind of another life after this, and confequently of a future judgment, which no man ever doubted of, that did firmly believe a future ftatc.
The fum of all that I have faid is this ; the gofpel hath plainly declared to us, that the only way to falvation is by forfaking our fins, and living a holy
and
1858 The danger of all known f.n^ both from
SE RM. and virtuous Jife; and the mod: efFeclual argument in _ _• , the world to perfuade men to this, is the confidera- tion of the infinite danger that a finful courfe expo- leth men to, fince the wrath of God continually hangs over fmners, and if they continue in their fins, will certainly fall upon them, and overwhelm them with mifery, and he that is not moved by this argument, is loft to all intents and purpofcs.
All that now remains, is to urge this argument upon men, and from the ferious confidcration of it,to perfuade them to repent, and reform their wicked Jives. And was there ever^age wherein this was more needful ? when iniquity doth not only abound, but even rage among us ; when infidelity and profane- nefs, and all manner of lewdnels and vice appears fo boldly and openly, and men commit the greateft abominations without blufhing at them ; when vice hath got fuch head that it can hardly bear to be check'd and controlled, and when, as the Roman hiftorian complains of his times, ad ea tempora^ qui- bus nee vitia noftra nee remedia pati pcjfwnus^perven- turn ejl'^ *' things are come to that pafs, that we can *' neither bear our vices, nor the remedies of them." Our vices are grown to a prodigious and intolerable height, and yet men hardly have the patience to hear of them ', and furely a difeafe is then dangerous in- deed, when it cannot bear the leverity that is necef- fary to a cure. But yet, notwithftanding this, we who are the mefiengers of God to men, to warn them of their fin and danger, muftnot keep filence, and Ipare to tell them both of their fins, and of the judgment of God which hangs over them; that *' God will vifit for thefe things," and that '' his ** foul will be avenged on fuch a nation as this,''
at
the light of nature and revelation, ^^859
at leafl we may have leave to warn others, who are ^ ERM. not yet *' run to the fame excefs of riot, to iavc '^ themfelves from this untoward generation.'* " God's judgments are abroad in the earth," and call aloud upon us, " to learn righteoufnefs.'*
But this is but a fmall confederation, in companion of the judgment of another world, Vv'hich we who call our felves chriilians, do profefs to believe, as one of the chief articles of our faith. The confidera- tion of this fhould check and cool us in the heat of all our finful pleafures; and that bitter irony of So- lomon fhould cut us to the heart ; " rejoice, O '' young man, in thy youthjand let thy heart chear *' thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the *' ways of thy heart, and in the fight of thine *' eyes; but know that for all thefe things God " v/ill bring thee into judgment." Think often and feriouOy on that time, wherein " the wrath of *' God,'* which is now " revealed againft fin,'* fhall be executed upon finners ; and if we believe this, we are flrangely ftupid and obilinate, if v/e be not moved by it. The alTurance of this made St. Paul extremely importunate in exhorting men to avoid fo great danger, z Cor. v. 10, 11. '' We " mufl all appear before the judgment-feat of '' Christ, that every one may receive the things « done in the body, according to what he hath done, " whether it be good, or evil. Knov/ing therefore « the terrors of the Lord, v/e perfuade men.'* And if this ought to move us to take fo great a care of others, much more of our itV^;t%. The judgment to come is a very amazing confidcration, it is a fearful thing to hear of it, but it will be much more terrible to fee it^ elpecialiy to thofe whofc
guik
CXII.
i860 The danger cf all known Jin ^ &c.
S ER M. guilt mufl: needs make them fo heartily concern'd in the difmal confcquences of it ; and yet as fure as I fiand, and you fit here, " this great and terrible " day of the Lord will come, and who may abide "his coming!*' what will we do, when that day fhall furprize us carelefs and unprepared ! what un- fpcakable horror and amazement will then take hold of us! when " lifting up our eyes to heaven, we *' fliall fee the Son of man coming in the clouds of it, '' with power, and great glory \' when that powci-- ful voice which fhall pierce the ears of the dead fhall ring through the world, " arife ye dead, and come " to judgments" when the mighty trumpet fhall found, and wake the fleepers of a thoufand years, and fummon the difperfed parts of tlie bodies of all men that ever lived, to rally together and take their place ; and the fouls and bodies of men which have been fo long flrangers to one another, fhall meet and be united again, to receive the doom due to their deeds; what fear fliall then furprize finners, and how will they tremble at the prefence of the great judge, and " for the glory of his majefty!" how will their confciences fly i'n their faces, and their own hearts condemn them, for their wicked and ungodly lives, and even prevent that fentence which yet fhall certainly be pad and executed upon them. But I will proceed no further in this argument, which hath fo much of terror in it.
I will conclude my fermon, as Solomon doth his Ecclefiades, chap. xii. 13, 14. '^ Let us hear th^ " conclufion of the whole matter ; fear God, and *' keep his commandments, for this is the wholg " of man ; for G o d fliall bring every work *' into judgment, and every fecret thing, whether
" it
Knowledge and praSiice^ &c. i86k
^' it be good, or whether it be evil." To which I will only add that ferious and merciful admonition of '' a *' greater than Solomon," I mean the great judge of the whole world, our blefl'^d Lord and Saviour, Luke xxi. 34, ^^^ ^6. " Take heed to yourfelves, left " at any time your hearts be overcharged with furfeit- *' ing, and drunkennefs, and the cares of this hfe, *' and fo that day come upon you at unawares. For " as a fnare fliall it come on all them that dwell on " the face of. the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, " and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy *' to efcape all thefe things that fball come to pafs, *' and to (land before the Son of man :" to whom with the Father,, and the Holy Ghost, &c.
SERMON CXIII.
Knowledge and prafiice neceflary in religion.
JOHN xiii. 17. If ye knozv thefe things^ happy are ye if ye do them,
r-T^ W O things make up religion, the knowledge s E R U, J and the pradice of it ; and the fird is wholly ^^^^'' in order to the fecond 5 and God hath not revealed to us the knowledge of himfelf and his will, merely for the improvement of our underflanding, but for the bettering of our hearts and lives ; not to entertain our minds with the fpeculations of religion and virtue, but to form and govern our adions. '' U " ye know thefe things, happy are ye [^ ycdo them." Vol. VIL 13 O In
I.
cxrii.
1862 Knowledge and pracllce
SE RM. In which words, our blelTed Saviour does from a particular indance take occafion to fettle a general conclufion -, namely, that religion doth mainly con- fift in pradice, and that the knowledge of his doc- trine, without the real eire61:s of it upon our lives, will bring no man to heaven. In the beginning of this chapter cur great Lord and mailer, to teilify his love to his difciples, and to give them a lively in- ftance and example of that great virtue of humility, is plcafed to condefcend to a very low and mean office, fuch as was ufed to be performed by fervants to their mailers, and not by the mailer to his fervants ; namely, to wafh their icti ; and when he had done this, he asks them if they did underftand the mean- ing of this ftrange adion. " Know ye what 1 have *' done unto you? ye call me mailer, and Lord, *' and ye fay well, for fo I am : if I then your " Lord and mailer have waihed your feet, ye alfo ** ought to waili one anothers feet; for I have *' given you an example, that ye fhould do as I have *' done to you. Verily, verily, I fay unto you, the " fervant is not greater than the Lord, neither he " that is imi^ greater than he that fent him ; if ye " know thefe things, happy are ye if ye do them.'* As if he had faid, this which I have now done, is eafy to be underitood, and fo like wife are all thofe other chriilian graces and virtues, which I have heretofore by my do6trine and example recommended to you ; but it is not enough to know thefe things, but ye muit likewife do them. The end and the life of all our knowledge in religion, is to put in practice what we know. It is necefTary indeed that we fhould know our duty, but knowledge alone will never bring us to that happinefs, which religion dellgns to
make
necejfary in religicn. ^^^3
make us partakers of, if our knowledge have not its ^ ^ R M. due and proper influence upon our lives. Nay, lo far will our knowledge be from making us happy, if it be feparated from the virtues of a good life, that it will prove one of the heavieil aggravations of our mifery ; and it is as if he had laid, " if ye know " thefe things, wo be unto you, if you do them «' not.''
From thefe words then, I ihall obferve thefe three things, which I fhall fpeak but briefly to.
Firfl, that the knowledge of God's will, and our duty, is necefliiry to the pradice of it; " if ye know ^' thefe things ;" which fuppofeth that we muft know our duty, before we can do it.
Secondly, that the knowledge of our duty, and the practice of it, may be, and too often are feparated. This likewife the text fuppofeth, that men may know their duty, and yet not do it ; and that this is very frequent, which is the reafon why our Savi- our gives this caution.
Thirdly, that the pradice of religion, and the do- ing of what we know to be our duty, is the only way to happinefs ; " if ye know thefe things, happy *' are ye if ye do them." I begin with the
Firft of thefe, namely, that the knowledge of God's will and our duty, is necefTary in order to the pradice of it. The truth of this proportion is fo clear and evident at firft view, that nothing can obfcure \t^ and bring it in queftion, but to endeavour to prove it ; and therefore inftead of fpending time in that, I fhall take occafion from it, juftly to reprove that prepofterous courfe which is taken, and openly avowed and juftificd by fome, as the fafeft and beft way to make men religious, and to bring them to J3 O 2 happi.
t564 Kfwwledge and practice
SlUi M. happinefs j namely, by taking away from them the ^^jl^ means of knowledge •, as if the befc way to bring men to do the will of God, were to keep men from knowing it. For what elfe can be the meaning of that maxim fo current in the church of Rome, " that ignorance is the mother of devotion?" or of that ft range and injurious practice of theirs of locking up from the people that great ftore-houfe and treaiury of divine knowledge, " the holy fcrip- " turts," in an unknown tongue ?
I know very well, that in juftiiication of this hard img^ of their people, it is pretended that knowledge is apt to puff men up, to make them proud and contentious, rciradlory and difobedient, and here- . tical, and what not? and particularly, that the free and familiar ufe of the holy fcriptures permitted to the people, hath miniilred occafion to the people of fLailing into great and dangerous errors, and of making great difturbance and divifions among chrifiians. For anfwer to this pretence, I defire thefe four or five things may be confidered.
Firft, that unlefs this be the natural and necef- fary cffe6]: of knowledge in religion, and of the free ufe of the holy fcriptures, there is no force in this reafon ; and if this be the proper and natural efk'(3: of this knowledge, then this reafon will reach a great way farther, than thofe who make ufe of it are willing it fliould.
Secondly, that this is not' the natural and necef^ fary effe6l of knowledge in religion, but only acci- dental, and proceeding from mens abufe of it ; for which the thing itfelf is not to be taken away.
Thirdly, that the proper and natural effefls and fonfequences of ignorance, are equally pernicious,
and
neceffary in religion, 1865
and much more certain and unavoidable, than thofc S E R M. which are accidentally occafion'd by knowledge.
Fourthly, that if this rcafon be good, it is much llronger for withholding the fcriptures from the priefls and the learned, than from the people.
Fifthly, that this danger was as great, and as well known in the apoflles times, and yet they took a quite contrary courfe.
Firft, i defire it may be confider'd that unlefs this be the natural and necefTary effed of knowledge in religion, and of the free ufe of the holy fcrip- tures, there is no force in this reafon ; for that v»^hich is necelTary, or highly ufeful, ought not to be taken away, becaufe it is liable to be perverted, and abufed to ill purpofes. If it ought, then not only knowledge in religion, but all other knowledge ought to be rcilrained and fupprsfs'd j for all know- ledge is apt to puff up, and liable to be abufed to many ill purpofes. At this rate, light, and liberty, and reafon, yea and life it k\^, ought all to be taken away,- becaufe they are all greatly abufed by many men, to fome ill purpofes or other , fo that unlefs thefe ill eftcds do naturally and necellarily Ipring from knowledge in religion, the obje6bion from them is of no force ; and if they do neceflarily flow from it, then this reafon will reach a great way far- ther than thofe that make ufe of it are willing it fhould •, for if this be true, that the knowledge of re- ligion, as it is revealed in the holy fcriptures, is of its own nature fo pernicious, as to make men proud and contentious and heretical, and difobedf- ent to authority, then the blame of all this would fall upon our blefied SaViour, for reveahng fo pernicious a doftrine and upon his apoftles for pub-^
iifhing
cxiir.
S66 Knowledge and praBice
SERM- llfliing this dodlrine in a known tongue to all man- kind, and thereby laying the foundation of perpe- tual fchifms and herefies in the church.
Secondly, but this is not the natural and necef- fary eftedl of knowledge in religion, but only acci- dental, and proceeding from mens abufc of it, for which the thing it fclf ought not to be taken away. And thus much certainly they will grant, becaufe it cannot with any face be denied ; and if fo, then the means of knowledge are not to be denied, but only men arc to be cautioned not to pervert and abufe them. . And if any man abufe the holy fcrip- tures to the patronizing of error or herefy, or to any other bad purpofe,' he does it at his peril, and mufc give an account to God for it, but ought not to be deprived of the means of knowledge, for fear he fiiould make an ill ufe of them. We muft not hinder men from being chriftians, to preferve them from being hereticks ; and put out mens eyes, for fear they fhould fome time or other take upon them to difpute their way with their guides.
I remember that St. Paul, i Cor. viii. i . takes notice of this accidental inconvenience of knowledge, that it pufFeth up, and that this pride occafioned great contentions and divifions among them : but the remedy which he prefcribes againft this mif- chief of knowledge is not to withhold from men the means of it, and to celebrate the fervice of God, the prayers of the church, and the reading of the fcriptures in an unknown tongue, but quite con- trary, chap. xiv. of that epiRle, he (Iridly enjoins that the fervice of God in the chnrch be fo per- formed, as may be for the edification of the people 5 which he fays cannot be, if it be celebrated in an
unknown
necejfary in religion, 1867
unknown tono;ues and the remedy he prefcribes SERM. ^ ^ ^ CXIIL
CXTTI
againft the accidental mifchief and incovenience of
knowledge, is not ignorance, but charity, to go- vern their knowledge, and to help them to make right ufe of it ; ver. 20. of that chap, after he had declared that the fervice of God ought to be performed in a known tongue , he imme- diately adds, '' brethren, be not children in un- *' derftanding ; howbeit in malice be ye children, " but in underflanding be ye men." He com- mends knowledge, he encourageth it, he requires it of all chriftians ; fo far is he from checking the pur- fuit of it, and depriving the people of the means of it. And indeed there is nothing in the chriflian religion, but what is fit for every man to know, becaufe there is nothing in it, but what is defigned to promote holinefs and a good life ; and if men make any other ufe of their knowledge, it is their own fault, for it certainly tends to make men good ; and being fo ufeful and necefiary to fo good a pur- pofe, men ought not to be debarr'd of it.
Thirdly, let it be confider'd, that the proper and natural efFe6ts and confequences of ignorance are equally pernicious, and much more certain and un- avoidable, than thofe which are accidentally occa- fioned by knowledge ; for fo far sis a man is igno- rant of his duty, it is impofTible he fhould do it. He that hath the knowledge of religion, may be a bad chriftian, but he that is deftitute of it, can be none at all. Or if ignorance do beget and promote fome kind of devotion in men, it is fuch a devo- tion as is not properly religion, but fuperftition j the ignorant man may be zealouily fuperflitious, but without fome meafure of knowledge, no man can be
truly
if! 6 3 Knowledge and p7'a8iice
SERAf; truly religious. " That the foul be without know- ^'^ilfj '' ledge it is not good," fays Solomon, Prov. xix. z. becaule good practices depend upon our knowledge, and muit be directed by it ; when as a man that is trained up only to the outward performance of fome things in religion, as to the faying over fo many prayers in an unknown tongue, this man cannot be truly religious, becaufe nothing is religious, that is not a reafonable fervice ; and no fervice can be rea- fonable, that is not directed by our underftanding. Indeed, if the end of prayer were only to give God to underftand what we want, it were all one what language we prayed in, and whether we underflood what we asked of him or not : but fo long as the end of prayer is to teftify the fenfe of our own wants, and of our dependence upon God for the fupply of them, it is impoflible that any man fliould in any tolerable propriety of fpeech be faid to pray, who does not underhand what he asks; and the faying over fo many pater nofiers by one that does not underftand the meaning of them, is no more a prayer, than the repeating over fo many veries in Virgil. And if this were good reafoning, that men inuft not be permitted to know fo much as they can in religion, for fear they fhould grow troublefome with their knowledge, then certainly the beft way in the world to maintain peace in the chrifcian church, would be to let the people know nothing at all in religion ; and the bed way to fecure the ignorance of the people would be to keep the priefts as igno- rant as the people, and then to be fure they could teach them nothing : but then the mifchief would be, that out of a fondnefs to maintain peace in the chriftian church, there would be no church, nor no
chriftianity ;
necejfary in relegion. 1869
diriilianlty; which would be the fame wife contri-SERM. vance, as if a prince (hould deftroy his fubjecls, to ^^^^^• keep his kingdom quiet.
Fourthly, \<^i us hkewife confider, that if this rea- fon be good, it is much ftronger for withholding the fcriptures from the priefls, and the learned, than from the people; becaufe the danger of itartinp- errors and herefies, and countenancing them from fcripture, and managing them plaufibly and with advantage, is much more to be feared from the learn- ed, than from the common people ; and the expe- rience of all ages hath fhewn,that the great broachers and abetters of herefy in the chriftian church, have been men of learning and wit ; and moll of the fa- mous herefies, that are recorded in ecclefiaftical hidory, have their names from fome learned man or other \ fo that it is a great miftake to think that the way to prevent error and herefy in x\\t church, is to take the bible out of the hands of the people, fo long as the free ufe of it is permitted to men of learning and skill, in whofe hands the danger of per- verting it is much greater. The ancient fathers, I am fure, do frequently prefcribe to \!i\t people the conftant and careful reading of the holy fcriptures, as the furefl antidote againft the poifon of dangerous errors, and damnable herefies ; and if there be fo much danger of fedudion into error from the oracles of truth, by what other or better means can we hope to be fecured againfl: this danger? if t\iQ word of God be fo crofs and improper a means to this end, one would think that the teachings of men lliould be much lefs effedual ; fo that men muR- either be left in their ignorance, or they mud be permitted to learn from the word of truth \ and whatever
V'oL. VII. 13 P force
2.
1870 - Knov:]edge and praElke
SE RM. force this reafon of the danpfer of hercfy hath In ir, to deprive the common people of the ufe of the fcrlptures, I am fure it is much flronger to wrcfl: them out of the hands of the priefts and the learned, becaufe they arc much more capable of perverting them to fo bad a purpofe.
Fifthly, and laftly, this danger was as great and vifible in the age of the apoftles, as it is now ; and yet they took a quite contrary courfe : there were herefies then, as well as now, and either the fcrlp- tures were not thought by being in the hands of the people to be the caufe of them, or they did not think the taking of them out of their hands a pro- per remedy. The apoftles in all their epiftles, do earneftly exhort the people '^ to grow in knowledge," and commend them for " fearching the rcriptures'%and charge them that *' the word of God fhould dwell *' richly in ,them.'' And ^t. Peter takes particular notice of fome men wrefting fome difficult pallages in St. Paul's epiftles, as likewife in the other fcrlp- tures, to their own deftrudlion, 2 Pet. iii. 16. where fpeaking of St. Paul's epiftles, he fiiys, '^ there are *' fome things hard to be underftood, which they '' that are unlearned and unftable wreft, as they do *^ alfo the other fcriptures, to their own deftru(5tion.'' Here the danger objeded is taken notice of; but the remedy prefcribed by St. Peter, is not to take from the people the ufe of the fcriptures, and to keep them in ignorance ; but after he had cautioned againft the like weaknefs and errors, he exhorts them to «' grow in knowledge/' ver. 17, 18. ''ye there- *' fore, beloved, feeing ye know thefe things before** (that is, feeing ye are fo plainly told and warned oF this danger) '' beware left ye alfo being Jed away
'' with
necejfary in religion. a 871
" with tlie error of the wicked, fall from your own SERM. ^' fledfaflnefs; but grow in grace, and in the know- ,^!^ '' ledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus *' Ch rist," (that is, of the chriftian religion ;) believing, it feems, that the more knowledge they had in religion, the lefs they would be in danger of falling into damnable errors. I proceed to the
Second obfervation, viz. that the knowledge of our duty, and the practice of it, may and often are feparatcd. This likewife is fuppofed in the x.t\x.^ that men may, and often do know the will of God, and their duty, and yet fail in the pradice of it. Our Saviour elfewhere fuppofeth, that many " know " their mafter's will, who do not do it ;" and he compares thofe ". that hear his fayings, and do them " nor, to a foolifh man that built his houfe upon *' the fand." And St. James fpsaks of fome, " who *« are hearers of the word only, but not doers of it," and for that reaibn fall fhort of happinefs. And this is no wonder, becaufe the attaining to that know- ledge of religion which is necelTary to falvation is no difficuk task. A great part of it is written in our hearts, and we cannot be ignorant of it if we would ; as that there is a God, and a providence, and ano- ther ftate after this life, wherein we fhall be reward- ed, or punifhed, according as we have lived here in this world ; that God is to be worshipped, to be prayed to for what we want, and to be praifed for what we enjoy. Thus far nature inftrudts men in religion, and in' the great duties of morality, as juflice, and temperance, and the like. And as for revealed religion, as that Jesus Christ the Son of God came in our nature to fave us, by revealing our duty more clearly and fully to us, by giving us a
13 P 2 more
I? 72 Knowledge ajtd practice
SH R M. more perfecl example of holinefs and obedience In his own life and converfition, and by dying for our fins, and rifing again forour Juftification ; thefe are things which men may eafily underftand ; and yet for all that they are difficultly brought to thepradlice of religior. I fhall indance in three forts of perfons, in whom the knowledge of religion is more remarkably feparated from the pradlice of it ; and for diftinftion fake, I may call them by thefe three names ; the fpeculative, the formal, and the hypocritical chrirtian. The firftof thefe makes religion only a fcicnce, the fecond takes it up for a falhion, the third makes fome worldly advantage of it, and ferves fome fecular intereft and defign by it. All thefe are upon feveral accounts concerned to underfland fomething of religion ; but yet will not be brought to the pradice of it.
The fir ft of thefe, whom I call the fpeculative chriftian, is he who makes religion only a fcience, and ftudies it as a piece of learning, and part of that general knowledge in which he aiTe6l:s the reputation of being a mafter •, he hath no defign to pra61:ife it, but he is loth to be ignorant of it, becaufe the knowledge of it is a good ornament of converlation, and will ferve for difcourfe and entertainment among thofe who are difpofed to be grave and ferious •, and becaufe he does not intend to pra61ife it, he pafieth over thofe things which are plain and eafy to be un- derftood, and applies himfelf chiefly to the confide- ration of thofe things which are more abfirufe, and will afford matter of controverfy and fubtle difpute, as the do£l:rineof the trinity, predeftination, free-will, and the like. Of this temper fecm many of the fchoolmen of old to have been, who made it their
great ftudy and bufinefs to puzzle religion, and to
make
necejfary in religion 187?
make every thing in it intricate, by llarting m^nitt S E RM. queftions and difficulties about the plained truths ; , ^^^^ and of the fame rank ufuaJiy are the heads and leaders of parties and fadions in religion, who by needlefs controverfies, and endlefs difputes about fome thinn- er other, commonly of no great moment in relio-ion, hinder themfdves and others from minding thepradice of the great and fubftantial duties of a good life.
Secondly, there is the formal chriilian, who takes up religion for a fafhion. He is born and bred in a nation where chriftianity is profeft, and counte- nanced, and therefore thinks it convenient for him to know fomething of it. Of this fort there are, I fear, a great many, who read the fcriptures fometimes as others do, to know the hiftory of it; and go to church, and hear the gofpel preached, and by this means come in fome meafure to underfland the hifto- ry of our Saviour, and the chriflian dodrine ; but do not at all bend themfelves to comply with the great end and defign of it ; they do not heartily en- deavour to form and fafhion their lives according to the laws and precepts of it; they think they arevery^ good chriftians, if they can give an account of the articles of their faith, profefs their belief in God and Christ, and declare that they hope tobefaved by him, tho' they take no care to keep his com- mandments. Thefe are they of whom our Savi- our fpeaks, Luke vi. 46. " who call him Lord, " Lord, but do not the things which he faid."
Thirdly, hypocritical chriftians, v/ho make an in- tereft of religion, and ferve fome worldly ^olix^^ by it. Thefe are concerned to underftand religion more than ordinary, that they may counterfeit it hand- fom ly, and may not be at a lofs when they have oc-
cafion
CXIII.
1874 Knowledge and fm^ice
SERAI, cafion to put on the garb of ir. And this is one part of the character wiiich the apollle gives of thofe perfons, who he foretels would appear in the Jail days, 2 Tim. iii. 2. he fays they llwuld be *' lo " vers of their own kWcs^ covetous, heady, high- *' minded, Jovers of pltafure more than lovt^-s of *' God, having a form of godhnefs, but denying *« the power of it."
Now thefe men do not Jove reh'gion, but they have occafion to make ufe of it ; and therefore they will have no more of it than will juft ferve their purpofe and defign. And indeed he that hath any other defign in religion than to pleafe God, and fave his foul, needs no more than fo much knov/ledge of it, as v^^ill ferve him to a6t a part in it upon occa- fion. I come to the
Third and Jaft obfervation, viz. that the pradlice of religion, and the doing of what we know to be our duty, is the only way to happinefs; '' if ye '' know thefe things, happy are ye if ye do them ;" not " if ye know thefe things happy are ye ;" but *' if ye know and do them." Now to convince men of fo important a truth, I fliall endeavour to make out thefe two things:
Firfl, that the gofpel makes the pra6tice of re- jigion a necefiary condition of our happinefs.
Secondly, that t\\t nature and reafbn of the thing makes it a necefiary qualification for it.
Firft, the gofpel make the pradlice of religion a necefiary condition of our happinefs. Our Sa viou r in his firfi: fcrmon, where he repeats the promifc of blcflTcdnefs fo often, makes no promife of it to the mere knowledge of religion,, but to the habit s^nd pniaice of chriilian graces and virtues, of meek-
nefsj
neceffary in religion. 187^
nefs, and humility, and mercifulne(s, and righteouf- S E R M. nefs, and peaceablenefs, and purity, and patience '^'^'^ under fufFerings and perfecutions for righteoufnefs fake. And Matth. vii. 21. our Saviour doth mod fully declare, that the happineis which he promifes, did not belong to thofe who made profeffion of his name, and were fo well acquainted with his dodrine, as to be able to inftrufl others, if themfelves in the mean dme did not pratflife it; *' not every one " that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into " the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doth the " will of my Father v/hich is in heaven. Many *^ will fiy unto me in that diy. Lord, Lord, *' have we not prophefied in thy name, and in thy *' name cad out devils, and done many wondrous '' works? and then will I profefs unto them, I never " knew you, depart from me, ye workers of iniqui- " ty." Tho' they profefs to know him, yet be- caufe their lives were not anfwerable to the knowledge which they had of him, and his dodirine, he declares that *' he will not know them," but bids them *' depart from him." And then he goes on to fhev.^ that tho' a man attend to the dodlrine of Christ, and gain the knowledge of it 5 yet if it do not defcend into his life, and govern his a6lions, all that man*s hopes of heaven are fond and ground lefs ; and only that man's hopes of heaven are well-grounded, who knows the do&ine of Christ, and does it, ver. 24. *' whofoever lieareth thefe fayings of mine, and doth " them, I will hkcn him to a wife man, who built *' his houfe'upon a: rock, and the rain defcended^ *' and the floods came, and the winds blew, and "beat upon that houfe, and it Ml not, for it was " founded upon ^ rock > and every one that hear-
*' cth
1876 Knowledge and praBlce
SERM. " eth thefe fayings of mine, and doth them no% ^'^'/'^•.'' Hiall be liken'd to a foohfh man, v.- ho built his " houfe upon the land, and the rain dcfcendcd, and " the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon '' that houfe, and it fell, and great v/as the fall of it." The* a man had a knowledge of religion as great and perfed: as that which Solomon had of natu- ral things, " large as the fand upon tiie fea- " fliore •," yet all this knowledge, feparated from practice, would be like the fand alfo in another re- fpe6l, a weak foundation for any man to build his hopes of happinefs upon.
To the fame purpofe St. Paul fpeaks, Rom. ii. 13. " not the hearers of the law are juft before " God 5 but the doers of the law fhall be juftified." So likewife St. James, chap. i. 22. " Be ye doers of " the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your " own felvesj" and ver. 25. " Whofo looketh into " the perfed law of liberty " (that is, the law or dodlrine of the gofpel) '' and continueth therein, he '^ being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, '' this man fhall be blefTed in his deed j'* and there- fore he adds, that the truth and reality of religion are to be meafured by the effe(5ls of it, in the govern- ment of our words, and ordering of our lives, ver. 26. " If any man among you leem to be religious, «* and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own *' heart, this man's religion is .vain. Pure reli- *' gion, and undefiled before God and the Fa- *' THER is this; to vifit the fathcrlefs and widow ** in their afflidion, and to keep himfclf unfpotted " from the world." Men talk of religion , and keep a great ftir about it *, but nothing will pafs for true religion before God, but the virtuous and
charitable
fiecejfary in religiort. ^^77
charitable adlions of a good Jifc ; and God wiJl ac-S E R M, cept no man to eternal Jife upon any other condi-^^^^^J- tion. So the apoftle tells us moft expreQy, Heb. xii. 14. " FoJJow peace with all men, and holinefs, " without which no man fhall fee the Lord.**
Secondly, as God hath made the pradice of re- ligion a neceflary condition of our happinefs, fo the very nature and reafon of the thing makes it a ne- cefTary qualification for it. It is neceflary that we become like to God, in order to the enjoyment of him i and nothing makes us like to God, but the pradice of holinefs and goodnels. Knowledge in- deed is a divine perfedlion ; but that alone, as it doth not render a man like God, fo neither doth itdifpofe him for the enjoyment of him. If a man had the underdanding of an angel, he might for all that be a devil ; " he that committeth fin is of the devil,'* and whatever knowledge fuch a man may have, he is of a devilifli temper and difpofition : '' but every *' one that doth righteoufneis is born of God.'* By this we are like Goo, and only by our likenefs to him, do we become capabJe of the fight and en- joyment of him ; therefore every man that hopes to be happy by the bleflTed fight of God in the next life, muft endeavour after holinefs in this life. So, the fameapoftle tells us, i John iii. 3. " every man « that hath this hope in him purifieth himfelf, even *' as he is pure.'* A wicked temper and difpofition of mind is, in the very nature of the thing, utter- ly inconfiftent with all reafonable hopes of heaven.
Thus I have (hewn that the pradtice of religion, and the doing of what we know to be our duty, is the only way to happinefs.
Vol. VII. 13 Q And
2.
CXiU.
1878 Knowledge and praElice^ &c.
S E R M. And now the proper inference from all this is, to put men upon the careful pradlice of religion. Let no man content himfelf with the knowledge of his duty, unlefs he do it ; and to this purpofe I fl:iall briefly urge thefe three confiderations.
Firll, this is the great end of all our knowledge in reli^L^ion, to pradlife what we know. The know- ledge of God and of our duty hath fo effential a refpe£t to pradlice, that the fcripture will hardly allow it to be properly called knowledge, unlefs it have an influence upon our lives, i John ii. 3, 4. ** Hereby we know that we know him, if we *' keep his commandments. He that faith I know " him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a «' liar, and the truth is not in him."
Secondly, praftice is the bed way to increafe and perfe6l our knowledge. Knowledge directs us in our praftice, but pradlice confirms and increafeth our knowledge, John vil. 17. " If a man will do the " will of God, he Ihall know of the dodrine.'* The bed way to know God, is to be like him our felves, and to have, the lively image of his perfedi- ons imprinted upon our fouls ; and the bell: way to underltand the chriftian religion, is ferioufly to fet about the pradice of it ; this will give a man a better notion of chriftianity,than any fpeculation can.
Thirdly, without the pradice of rehgion, our knowledge will be fo far from being any furtherance and advantage to our happinefs, that it will be one of the unhappieft aggravations of our mifery. He that is ignorant of his duty, hath fome excufe to pre- tend for himfelf: but he that underftands the chri- ftian religion, and does not live according to it, hath no cloke for \\i% fm. The defers of our know-
Jedge^
TraBice in religion necejfary^ tzc. 1879
ledge, unlefs they be grofs and wilful, will find an eafy pardon with God : but the faults of our lives fhall be feverely punilh'd, when we know our duty and would not do it. I will conclude with that of our Saviour, Luke xii. 47, 48. " That lervant " which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not <« himfelf, neither did according to his will, fhall *' be beaten with many llripes *, for unto whomfoe- " ver much is given, of him much fhall be requi- *' red." When v/e come into the other world, no confideration will fting us more, and add more to the rage of our torments than this, that we did wickedly, when we underitood to have done better ; and chofe to make our felves miferable, when we knew fo well the way to have been happy.
SERMON CXIV.
Pradice in religion neceffaryj in pro- portion to our knowledge.
LUKE xii. 47, 48.
And that fervant which knew his Lord'^ will, an^
prepared not himfelf^ neither did according to his
will ^flo all he beaten with many ftripes : but he that
knew not^ and did commit things worthy of ftripes^
Jhall be beaten zvithfewjlripes. For unto whomfoever
7nuch is given, of him Jhall much be required ; and
to whom men have committed much, of him they will
ask the more,
N profecution of the argument which I handled S E R ^f. in my lad difcourfe, namely, that the know- ^''^^'^• ledge of our duty, without the praftice of it, will 13 Qji not
CXIV.
880 Pra^ice in religion necefary^
S EJ^^ M. not bring us to happinefs, I fhall proceed to fnew, that if our pradice be not anfwerable to our know- ledge, this will be a great aggravation both of our fin and punifhment.
And to this purpofe, I have pitched upon thefe words of our Lord, which are the appHcation of two parables, which he had delivered before, to ftir up men to a diligent and careful practice of their duty, that fo they may be in a continual readi- nefs and preparation for the coming of their Lord. The firft parable is more general, and concerns all men, who are reprefcnted as fo many fervants in a great family, from which the Lord is abfent, and they being uncertain of the time of his return, fhould always be in a condition and pofture to re- ceive him. Upon the hearing of this parable, Pe- ter enquires of oar Saviour, whether he intended this only for his difciples, or for all ? To which queftion our Saviour returns an anfwer in ano- ther parable, which more particularly concerned them ; who becaufe they were to be the chief ru- lers and "governors of his church, are reprefented by the ftewards of a great family, ver. 42. " who *' then is that faithful and wife fteward, whom his " Lord fliall make ruler over his houfhold, to " give them their portion of meat in due feafon ?'* If he difcharge his duty, " blelTed is he," but if he fliall take occafion in his Lord's abfence, to do- mincer over his fellow- fervants,and riotoufly to waftc his Lord's goods, his Lord when he comes will punifli him after a more fevere and exemplary ynanner.
And then follows the application of the whole, in the words of the itKt^ " and that fervant which
" knew
in proportion to our knowledge. 1 8 8 r
^' knew his lord's will and prepared not himfelf, SERM,
I ex IV
" neither did according to his will, ihall be beaten
*' with many ftripes." As if he had faid, and well may fuch a fervant deferve {o fevere a punifliment, who having fuch a truft committed to him, and knowing his lord's will fo much better, yet does contrary to it; upon which our Saviour takes oc- cafion to compare the fault and punifhment of thofe who have greater advantages and opportunities of knowing their duty, with thofe who are ignorant of it \ *' that fervant which knew his lord's will, and " prepared not himfelf, neither did according to it, " fhall be beaten with many flripes : but he that *' knew not, but did commit things worthy of ^' ftripes, fhall be beaten with few ftripes." And then he adds the reafbn and the equity of this pro- ceeding, " for unto whomfoever much is given, of *' him fhall be much required ; and to whom men " have committed much, of him they wjll ask the " more.'* .
The words in general do allude to that law of the Jews, mentioned Deut. xxv. 2. where the judge is required to fee the malefadtor punifh'd according to his fault, by a certain number of flripes ; in re- lation to which known law among the Jews, our Saviour here fays, that " thofe who knew their " lord's will, and did it not, fhould be beaten with *' many flripes : but thofe who knew it not, Ihould *' be beaten with few flripes." So that there arc two obfervations lie plainly before us in the words.
Firfl, that the greater advantages and opportuni- ties any man hath of knowing his duty, if he do it not, the greater will be his condemnation ; " the ^^ fervant which knew his iQrd's will, and prepared
i8g2 FraBice in religion neceffary,
SKRM. " not hlmfelf, neither did according to it, fliall b^ CXIV. jt beaten with many ftripes.'*
Secondly, that ignorance is a great excufe of mens faults, and will IcfTcn their punifhment -, " but he *' that knew not, but did commit things worthy of *' ftripes, fhall be beaten with few ftripes."
I fhall begin with the latter of thcfc fird, be- caufe it will make way for the other j viz. that ignorance is a great excufe of mens faults, and will leffcn their punifhment ; " he that knew not, but " did commit things worthy of flripes, fhall be *' beaten with few ftripcs."
For the clearing of this, it will be rcquifite to confider what ignorance it is which our Saviour here fpeaks of •, and this is neccfTary to be enquired into, becaufe it is certain that there is fome fort of ignorance which doth wholly excufe and clear from all manner of guilt ; and there is another fort, which doth either not at all, or very little extenuate the faults of men, fo that it muft be a third fort, diffe- rent from both thefe, which our Saviour her» means.
Firfl, there is an ignorance which doth wholly excufe and clear from all manner of guilt, and that is an abfolute and invincible ignorance, when a per- fon is wholly ignorant of the thing, which if he knew, he fhould be bound to do, but neither can nor could have help'd it, that he is ignorant of it ; that is, he either had not the capacity, or wanted the means and opportunity of knowing it. In this cafe a perfon is in no fault, if he did not do what he never knew, nor could know to be his duty. For God meafures the faults of men by their wills, and if there be no defedl there, there can be no
suilt.
in proportion to our knowledge. if! 8 3
guilt; for no man is guilty, but he that is confci- SERM. ous to himfeif that he would not do what he knew .^^^Z* he ought to do, or would do what he knew he ought not to do. Now if a man be fimply and in- vincibly ignorant of his duty, his negled of it is al- together involuntary ; for the -^nW hath nothing to do, where the underflanding doth not firfl dd- redt. And this is t\\^ cafe of children who are not yet come to the ufe of reafon \ for tho' they may do that which is materially a fault, yet it is none in them, becaufe by reafon of their incapacity, they are at prefent invincibly ignorant of what they ought to do. And this is the cafe likevv^ife of idiots, who are under a natural incapacity of knowledge, and fo far as they are fo, nothing that they do is imputed to them as a fault. The fame may be faid of diftrac- ted perfons, v/ho are deprived either wholly, or at fome times, of the ufe of their underftandin,Q;s : fo far, and fo long as they are thus deprived, they are free from all guilt -, and to perfons who have the free and perfedl ufe of their reafon, no negledl of any duty is imputed, of which they are abfolutely and invincibly ignorant. For inftance, it is a, duty incumbent upon all mankind, to believe in the Son of God, where he is fufficiently manifefted and re- vealed to them ; but thofe who never heard of him, nor had any opportunity of coming to the know- ledge of him, fhall not be condemned for this infi- delity, becaufe it is impoffible they fhould " believe *' on him, of v/hom they never heard ; " they may indeed be condemned upon other accounts, for fin- ning againft the light of nature, and for not obey- ing " the law which was written in their hearts ; " for what th€ apoftle fays of the revelation of the
law.
1884 7ra5tice in religion neccffary^
« E R M. law, is as true of any other revelation of God, " as * *' many as have finned without law, Ihall alfo perifh " without law *, and as many as have finned under " the law, ihall be judged by the law," Rom. ii. 12, In like manner, thofe who have finned without the gofpel, (that is, who never had the knowledge of it) fliall not be condemned for any offence againft that revelation which was never made to them, but for their violation of the law of nature ; only they that have finned under the gofpel, flmll be judged by it.
Secondly, there is likewife another fort of igno- rance, which either does not at all, or very little ex- tenuate the f:iuits of men, when men are not only icrnorant, but choofe to be fo ; that is, when they "wilfully negled thofe means and opportunities of knowledge which are afforded to them ; fuch as Job fpeaks of, Job xxi. 14. " who fay unto God de- ** part from us, for we defire not the knowledge of <« thy ways." And this fort of ignorance many among the Jews were guilty of, when our Saviour came and preached to them, but they would not be in(lru6led by him ; " the light came among them, *' but they loved darknefs rather than light," as he himfelf fays of them ; and as he fays elfewhere of the pharifecs, " they rejefted the counfel of God «' againft themfelves," they wilfully fhut their eyes againft that light which offered it felf to them ; " they •' would not lee with their eyes, nor hear with their " ears, nor underftand with their hearts, that they " might be converted, and healed." Now an igno- rance in this degree wilful, can hardly be imagined to carry any excufe at all in it. He that knew not his lord's will, becaufe he would not know it, bccaufe he wilfully rejefted the means of coming
to
in proportion to our knowledge. 1885
t6 the knowledge of it, deferves to be beaten withSERM* as many ilripes, as if he had known it ; becaufe he might have known it, and would not. He that will not take notice of the king's proclamation, or will flop his ears when it is read, and afterwards offends againfl it, does equally deferve punifhment with thofe who have read it, and heard it ; and difo- bey'd it;" becaufe he was as grofly faulty in not knowing it -, and there is no reafon that any man's grols fault fhould be his excule.
So that it is neither of thefe forts of ignorance that our Savioup. means, neither abfolute and in- vincible ignorance, nor that which is grofly wilful and affe6i:ed 5 for the firfl, men deferve not to be beaten at all, becaufe they cannot help it \ for the latter, they deferve not to be excufed, becaufe they might have helped their ignorance, and would not.
But our Saviour here l]:)eaks offuch an ignorance as does in a good degree extenuate the fault, and yet not wholly excufe it ; for he fays of them, that " they knew not their lord's will,*' and yet that this ignorance did not wholly excufe them from blame, nor exempt them from punifhment, " but " they fhould be beaten with few ftripes." In the
Third place then, there is an ignorance which is in forne degree faulty, and yet does in a great meafure excufe the faults which proceed from it 5 and this is when men are not abfolutely ignorant of their duty, but only in comparifon of others, who have a far more clear and diftindt knowledge of it ; and though they do not grofly and wilfully negled the means of further kaowledge, yet perhaps they
Vol. VII. 13 R i^
3.
1^86 Pracllce in religion necejjaryj
S E R M. do not make the bed ufe they might of the oi> P^"^' portLinities they have of knowing their duty better 5 and therefore in comparifon of others, who have far better means and advantages of knowing their lord's will, they may be faid not to know it, tho* they are not fimply ignorant of it, but Oiily have a more obfcure and uncertain knowledge of it. Now this Ignorance does in a great meafure excufe fuch perfons, and extenuate their crimes, in comparifon of thofe who had a clearer and more perfed: know- ledge of their mafter's will ; and yet it does not free them from all guilt ; bccaufe they did not live up to that degree of knowledge which they had ; and per- haps if they had ufed more care and induftry, they might have known their lord's will better. And this was the cafe of the heathens, who in compari- fon of thofe who enjoyed the light of the gofpel, might be faid not to have known their lord's will, tho* as to many parts of their duty, they had fome di- redtions from natural light, and their confciences did urge them to many things by the obfcure appre- henfions and hopes of a future reward, and the fear of a future punifhment. But this was but a very ob- fcure and uncertain knowledge, in comparifon of the clear light of the gofpel, which hath difcovered to us our duty fo plainly by the laws and precepts of it,, and hath prefenteduswith fuch powerful motives and arga- ments to obedience in the promifes and threatnings of it. And this likewife is the cafe of many chri- ftians ; who either through the natural (lownefs of their underftandings, or by the negled of their parents and teachers, or other circumftances of their educa- tion, have had far lels means and advantages of
knowledge than others. God does not expert fo
much
in proportion to our knowledge. 1887
ffuuch from thofe as from others, to whom he S E R M. hath given greater capacity, and advantages of^^ ' knowledge 5 and when our Lord fhall come to call his fervants to an account, they fhall be beaten with fewer ftripes than others ; they fhall not whol- ly efcape, becaule they were not wholly ignorant ; but by how much they had lels knowledge than others, by fo much their punifhment fhall be lighter.
And there is all the equity in the world it fhould be fo, that men fhould be accountable according to what they have received, and that to whom lefs is given, lefs fhould be required at their hands. The fcripture hath told us, " that God will judge the *' world in righteoufnefs ;" now juftice does require, that in taxing the punifhment of offenders, every thing fhould be confidered, that may be a jull: ex- cufe and extenuation of their crimes, and that ac- cordingly their punifhment fhould be abated. Now the greateft extenuation of any fault is ignorance, which when it proceeds from no fault of ours, no fault can proceed from it; fo that fo far as any man is innocently ignorant of his duty, fo far he is cxcufable for the negled of it : for every degree of ignorance takes off fo much from the perverfenefs of the will ; i^ nihil ardet in inferno^ niji propria vo- Imtas^ " Nothing is puniflVd in hell, but what is *' voluntary, and proceeds from our wills."
I do not intend this difcourfe for any commen- dation of ignorance, or encouragement to it. For knowledge hath many advantages above it, and is much more defirable, if we ufe it well; ajid if we do not, it is our own fault ; if we be not want- ing to ourfelves, we may be much happier by our knowledge, than any man can be by his ignorance ; 13 R 2 for
i888 Fra5tice in religion nccejfary^
SERM. for tho' ignorance may plead an excufe, yet it can
^^^^' hope for no reward; and it is always better to need no excufe, than to have the bed in the world ready at hand to plead for ourfelves. Befides, that we may do well to confider, that ignorance is no where an excufe where it is chcrifh'd -, fo that ic would be the vaineft thing in the world for any man to fofter it, in hopes thereby to excufe himfelf -, for where it is wilful and chofen, it is a fault, and (as I faid before) it is the mod unreafonable thing in the world, that any man's fault fhould prove his excufe. So that this can be no encouragement to ignorance, to fay that it extenuates the faults of men : for it does not extenuate them, whenever it is wil- ful and afFecled ; and whenever it is defigned and chofen, it is wilful ; and then no man can rea- fonably defign to continue ignorant, that he may have an excufe for his faults, becaufe then the igno- rance is wilful, and whenever it is fo, it ceafeth to be an excufe.
I the rather fpeak this, becaufe ignorance hath had the good fortune to meet with great patrons in the world, and to be excoll'd, tho' not upon this account, yet upon another, for which there is leis pretence of reafon; as if it were the mother of devotion. Of fu- perflition I grant it is^ and of this we fee plentiful proof, among thofc who are fo careful to preferve and cherifh it : but that true piety and devotion fhould fpring from it, is as unlikely as that darknefs fhould produce light. I do hope indeed, and charitably believe, that the ignorance in which fome are de- tained by their teachers and governors, will be a real excufe, to as many of them as are otherwife honed and fincerc j but I doubt not but \!i\^ errors and faults
which
in proportion to our knowledge. i88r^
which proceed from this ignorance, will lie heavy SERM. upon thofe who keep them in it. I proceed to ^^^^* the
Second obfervation, that the greater advantages and opportunities any man hath of knowing the will of God, and his duty, the greater will be his condemnation if he do not do it. " The fervant '* which knew his lord's will, and prepared not *' himfelf, neither did according to it, fhall be " beaten with many itripes." " Which knew his " lord's v/ill, and prepared not himfelf;" the preparation of our mind to do the will of God, whenever there is occafion and opportunity for it, is accepted with him ; a will rightly difpofed to obey God, tho' it be not brought into ad, for want of opportunity,- does not lofe its reward : but when, notwithftanding we know our lord's will, there are neither of thefe, neither the ad, nor the pre- paration and refolution of doing it, what punifh- ment may we not expedl ?
The juft God, in punifhing the fins of men, pro- portions the punifhment to the crime, and where the crime is greater, the punifhment rifeth ; as a- mongft the Jews, where the crime is fmall, the ma- le fador was fentenced to " a few flripes;" where it was great, he was " beaten with many." Thus our Saviour reprefents the great judge of the world dealino; with finners ; according as their fins are ao-- gravated, he will add to their punifliment. Now after all the aggravations of fin, there is none that doth more intrinfically heighten the malignity of it, than when it is committed againft the clear know- ledge of our duty, and that upon thefe three ac- eounts.
Firfr,
cxr
1890 Practice in religion nee e [far y,
SERM. Fird:, becaufe the knowledge of God's will is ib great an advantage to the doing of it.
Secondly, becaufe it is a great obligation upon us to the doing of it.
Thirdly, becaufe the neglefl of our duty in this cafe cannot be without a great deal of wilfulnefs and contempt. I fhall fpeak briefly to thefe three.
Firft, becaufe the knowledge of God's will is fo great an advantage to the doing of it ; and every advantage of doing our duty, is a certain aggra- vation of our negled of it. And this is the rea- fon which our Saviour adds here in the text, " for *' to whomfoever much is given, of them much *^ will be required ; and to whom men have com- " mittcd much, of him they will ask the more.'* It was, no doubt, a great difcouragement and difad- vantage to the heathens, that they were fo doubtful concerning the will of God, and in many cafes left to the uncertainty of their own reafon, by what way and means they might befl apply themfelves to the pleafing of him, and this difcouraged feveral of the wifefl: of them from all ferious endeavours in religion, thinking it as good to do nothing, as to be miftaken about it. Others that were more naturally devout,and could not fatisfy their confciences without fome ex- preflions of religion, fell into various fuperftitions, and were ready to embrace any way of worfhip which cuftom prefcribed, or the fancies of men could fugged to them-, and hence fprang all the ilupid and barbarous idolatries of the heathens. For ignorance growing upon the world, that natural pro- penfion which was in the minds of men to religion, and the worlhip of a deity, for want of certain di- redion, expreft it felt in thofe foolifh and abomina- ble idolatries, which were pradi.^cd among the hea- thens. "^^'^*
in pi^oportion to our knowledge. iZgi
And is it not then a mighty advantage to us, that S ER M.
• • cxiv
we have the clear and certain direction of divine re- velation ? we have the will of God plainly difcovered to us, and all the parts of our duty clearly defined and determined, fo that no man that is in any mea- fure free from intereft and prejudice, can eafily mif- take in any great and material part of his duty. We have the nature of God plainly revealed to us, and fuch a charader of him given, as is mod fuita- ble to our natural conceptions of a deity, as render him both awful and amiable j for the fcripture repre- fents him to us as great and good, powerful and mer- ciful, a perfedt hater of fin, and a great lover of mankind i and we have the law and manner of his worfhip (fo far as was needful) and the rules of a good life clearly expreft ?nd laid down ; and as a powerful motive and argument to the obedience of thofe laws, a plain difcovery made to us of the end- lefs rewards and punifhments of another world. And is not this a mighty advantage to the doing of God's will, to have it fo plainly declared to us, and fo pow- erfully enforced upon us ? fo that our duty lies plainly before us ; we fee what we have to do, and the danger of negleding it ; fo that confidering the advantage we have of doing God's will, by our clear knowledge of it, we are altogether inexcufa- ble if we do it not.
Secondly, the knowledge of our Lord's will is likewife a great obligation upon us to the doing of it. For what ought in reafon to oblige us more to do any thing, than to be fully afTur'd that it is the will of God, and that it is the law of the great fo- vereign of the world, who is able to fave, or to de- flroy ? that it is the pleafure of him that made us^
and
iScjZ Tradiice in religion 7i€ceJ[aryy
SEJ^^ M. and who hath declared that he defigns to make us happy, by our obedience to his laws ? To that if wc know thclc things to be the will of God, we have the greatell obligation to do them, whether we con- fider the authority of God, or our own intereft, and if we negledl them, we have nothing to fay in our own excufe. We know the law, and the advantage of keeping it, and the penalty of breaking it, and if after this wc v/ill tranfgrels, there is no apology to be made for us. They have fomething to plead for themfelves, who can fay, that tho' they had fome apprehenfion of fome parts of their duty, and their minds were apt to didate to them that they ought to do fome things, yet the different apprehenfions of mankind about feveral of thefc things, and the doubts and uncertainties of their own minds concerning them, made them eafy to be carried off from their duty, by the vicious in- clinations of their own nature, and the tyranny of cuftom and example, and the pleafant temptations of fiefh and blood ; but had they had a clear and un- doubted revelation from God, and had certainly known thefe things to be his will, this would have conquered and born down all objections and tempta- tions to the contrary -, or if it had nor, would have ilopt their mouths, and taken away all excufe from them. There is fome colour in this plea, that in many cafes they did not know certainly what the will of God was, but for us who own a clear reve- lation from God, and profefs to believe it, what can we fay for our felves, to mitigate the feverity of God towaj'ds usj why he fhould not pour forth all. his wrath, and execute upon us the fiercenefs of his
anger >
Thirdly,
in proportion to our knowledge, 1 893
ThirdlVj the ncgled of God's wiii \rhen we knowS E RM» it, cannot be without a great deal of vvilfulnefs and contempt. If we know it, and do it not, the fault is folely in our wills, and the more wilful any fin is, the more heinoudy wicked is it. There can hardly be a greater aggravation of a crime, than if it pro- ceed from meer obftinacy and pcrverfeneis ; and if we know it to be our Lord's will, and do it not, v/e are guilty of the highefl: contempt of the greateft authority in the world. And do we think this to be but a fmall aggravation, to affront the great fovereign judge of the world ? not only to break his laws, but to trample upon them and de- fpife them, when we know whofe laws they are ? *' will we provoke the Lord to jeaioufy ? are we *' ftronger than he ? " we believe that it is God who faid, " thou fhalt not commit adultery 5 thou iliak " not fleal ; thou fhalt not bear falfe witnefs againll .*' thy neighbour; thou flialt not hate, or opprels^ *' or defraud thy brother in any thing ; but thou " ihalt love thy neighbour as thy k\^':, " and will we notwithftanding venture to break thefe laws, knowing whofe authority they are ftampt withal? after this contempt of him, v/hat favour can we hope for from him.? what can we fay for our felves, why any one of thofe many llripes which are threatned fliould be abated to us ? Ignofci aliquatenus ignoraU' tU pot eft \ contemptus veniam non habet 5 " fomething *' may be pardoned to ignorance ; but contempt " can exped no forgiveneis." Lie that llrikes his prince, not knowing him to be fo, hath fomething to fay for himfelf, that tho' he did a difloyal ad, yet it did not proceed from a di (loyal mind : but;- Vol. VIL 13 S h«
2.
1 Pg j. PraBlce hi religion necejjary^
S E R M. he that firll acknowledged! him for his prince, and cxiV. ^i^^j^ affronts him, deferves to be profecuted with the utmoft fevcrity, becaufe he did it wilfuJly, and in metr contempt. The knowledge of our duty, and that it is the will of God which we go againft, takes away all polTible excufc from us ; for nothing can be faid, why we fliould offend him who hath both authority to command us, and power to de- ilroy us.
And thus I have, as briefly as I could, repre- fented to you the true ground and reafon of the ag- gravation of thofe fins, which are committed againft the clear knowledge of God's will, and our duty *, becaufe this knowledge is fo great an advantage to the doing of our duty \ fo great an obligation upon us to it ; and becaufe the negled of our Lord's will in this cafe, cannot be without great wilfulnefs, and a downright contempt oF his authority.
And (hall I now need to tell you, how much it concerns every one of us, to live up to that know- ledf^e which we have of our Lord's will, and to prepare our felves to do according to it ; to be al- ways in a readinefs and difpofition to do what wc know to be his will, and adually to do it, when there is occafion and opportunity .^ and it concerns us the more, becaufe we, in this age and nation, have fo many advantages, above a great part of the world, of coming to the knowledge of our duty. Wc enjoy the clearefl: and mod perfed: revelation which God ever made of his will to mankind, and have the light of divine truth plentifully fhed amongfl us, by the free ufe of the holy fcriptures, which is not a fealed book to us, but lies open to be read, and lludicd by usj this fpiritual food is " rained
'' down
in proportion to our knowledge. 1865
** down like manna round about our tents,'* andSERM. every one may gather fo much as is fufficient ; we are not dinted; nor -have the word of God given out to us in broken pieces, or mix'd and adulterated, here a lellbn of fcripture, and there a legend ; but whole and entire, fincere and uncorrupt.
God hath not left us, as he did the heathens for many ages, to the imperfed: and uncertain direc- tion of natural light ; nor hath he revealed his will to us, as he did to the Jews, in dark types and fha- dows : but hath made a clear difcovery of his mind and will to us. The difpenfation which we are un- der, hath no veil upon i?, " the darknefs is paff^ " and the true light now fhineth ; we are of the " day, and of the light," and therefore it may juftly be expe(fl:ed that we Hiould " put off the works " of darknefs, and walk as children of the light." Every degree of knowledge which we have, is an aggravation of the fins committed againil it, and when our Lord comes to pals fentence upon us, will add to the number of our fbripes. Nay, if God iliould inflid no pofitive torment upon finners ; yet their ov/n minds would deal moil feverely with them upon this account, and nothing will gill their confciences more than to remember againft what light they did offend. For herein lies the very na- ture and fting of all guilt to be confcious to our felves, " that we knew what we ought to have " done, and did it not." The vices and corruptions which reigned in the world before, will be pardona- ble, in comparifon of ours. " The times of that " ignorance God winked at : but now he com- " mands all men every where to repent," Man- kind had fome excufe for their errors before, and
iq S 2 God
1S96 Fraclice in religion neceffary
F,R M. God was pleafed in a great meafure to overlook them : but " if wc continue dill in our fins, we have no " cloke for them." All the degrees of light which we enjoy, are fo many talents committed to us by our Lord, for the improving whereof he will call U5 to a {lri(5t accounts " for unto whomfoever much *' is given, of him much fhall be required \ and to " whom he hath committed much, of him he will *' ask the more." And nothing is more reafonable, than that men fliould account for all the advantages and opportunities they have had of knowing the will of God s and that as their knowledge was increafed, fo their forrow and punifhment fhould proportiona- bly rife, if they fin againft it. The ignorance of a great part of the world is defervedly pitied and la- mented by us, but the condemnation of none is fo bad, as of thofe who having the knowledge of God's will, neglefed to do it j *^ how much better had it *' been for them not to have known the way of *' righteoufnefs, than after they have known it, to *' turn from the holy commandment delivered un- *' to them ! " If we had been born, and brought up in ignorance of the true God and his will, " we '' had had no fin ; " in comparifon of what now we have: '* but now that we fee, our fin remains." This will aggravate our condemnation beyond mea- fure, that we had the knowledge of falvation fo clearly revealed to us. Our duty lies plainly before us, we know what v/e ought to do, and " what man- '' ner of perfons we ought to be, in all holy con- " verfation and godlinefs." We believe the com- ing- of our Lord to judgment, and we know not now foon he may be " revealed from heaven with ^^ his mighty angels," not only " to take vengeance
on
in fr (fortiori to our knowledge, i^gy
« on them that know not God," but on them that SERm. have known him, and yet " obey not the o-ofpel ^^^^* *« of his Son." And if all this will not move us to prepare our felves to do our Lord's will, wc defcrve to have our ftripes multiplied. No condem- nation can be too heavy for thofe who oftend againft the clear knowledge of God's will/ and their duty.
Let us then be perfuaded to fet upon the pradice of what we know ; let the light which is in our underftandings, defcend upon our hearts and lives ; let us not dare to continue any longer in the prac- tice of any known fin, nor in the neglcdl of any thing v/hich v/e are convinced is our duty, and " if ^' our hearts condemn us not," neither for the ne^-- leS: of the means of knov/ledge, nor for rebelling againft the light of God's truth fhining in our minds, and glaring upon our confciences, " then " have we confidence towards God : but if our hearts " condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and " knows all tilings.'*
SERMON
SERMON CXV.
The {ins of men not chargeable upon God; but upon themlelvcs.
J A M E S i. 13, 14.
Let no man fay ^ ni:hen he is tempted^ I am tempted of God ; for God cannot be tempted with evil^ neither iempteth he any man : but every man is tempted^ when he is drawn away of his own lifl^ and en. iiced,
SERM. I^TEXT to the belief a God, and his provj-
^-^v^* I ^V ^^"^^5 thtvt is nothing more fundamen-
The firll -i- ^ tally necefTary to the pradice of a good
^^^°" °" life, than l;he belief of thefc two principles, " that
*' God is not the author of fin," and '' that every
** man's fin lies at his own door, and he hath rea-
<^ fon to blame himfelf for all the evil that he
*' does."
Firft, " that God is not the author of fin," that he is no way accefi^ary to our faults, either by tempt- ing or forcing us to the commifiion of them. For if he were, they would neither properly be fins, nor could they be juftly puniiLed. They would not pro-' perly be fins, for fin is a contradiction to the will of God ; but fuppofing men to be either tempted or necefiitated thereto, that which we call fin, would cither be a meer paflive obedience to the will of God, or an adtive compliance with it, but neither way a contradidion to it. Nor could thefe aclions be jullly
punilhed -,
^heftm of men not chargeahU upon God, &c. 1899 puniihed; for all punifnment fuppofeth a fault, ^^\?^' and a fault fuppofeth liberty, and freedom from ^•^-x^ force and neceffity ; fo that no man can be juftly puniflied for that which he cannot help, and no man can help that which he is necelTitated and compell'd to. And tho' there were no force in . the cafe, but only temptation, yet it would be un- reafonable for the fame perfon to tempt and punifh. For as nothing is more contrary to the holinefs of God than to tempt men to fin ; fo nothing can be more againft jufcice and goodnefs, than firfl to draw men into a fault, and then to chaftife them for it. So that this is a principle which lies at . the bottom of all religion, " that God is not " the author of the fins of men." And then.
Secondly, " that every man's fault \i^% at his own *' door, and he has reafbn enough to blame him- '■' feif for all the evil that he does." And this is that which makes men properly guilty, that when they have done amifs, they are confcious to them- felves it was their own ad, and they might have done otherwile ; and guilt is that which makes men liable to punifhment; and fear of pumifliment is the great reftraint from fin, and one of the principal ar- guments for virtue and obedience.
And both thefe principles our apoftle St. James does here fully afTert in the words which I have read unto you. " Let no man fay, when he is tempted, *' I am tempted of God ; for God cannot be temp- " ted with evil, neither tcmpteth he any man : but " every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of " his own lull, and enticed."
In which words, thefe two things are plainly
contained.
Firft,
The Jim of men ?iot chargeable upon God^
Firil, that God doth not tempt any man to [\n. " Let no man fay when he is tempted, 1 am temp- " ted of God ; for God cannot be tempted with. " evil, neither tempteth he any man.'*
Secondly, that every man's fault lies at his own door, and he is his own greateft tempter. " But ** every man is tempted, when his is drawn away of '« his own lufl, and enticed."
I. That God doth not tempt any man to fin. *' Let no man fay, when he is tempted, I *' am tempted of God; for God cannot be temp- «« ted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.'* In which words, there are three things to be con- fidercd.
Finl, the propofition which the apoille here re- jects, and that is, " that God tempts men." '' Let ** no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted « of God."
Secondly, the manner in which he rcje£i:s it, *« Let no man fay fo." By which manner of fpeak- ing, the apoftle infinuates thefe two things. i.That men are apt to lay their faults upon God : for when he fays, " let no man fay fo," he intimates, that men are apt to fay io^ and it is very probable that fome did fay fo -, and, 2dly, that it is not only a fault, but an impious aflertion to fiy that God tempts men. He fpcaks of it as a thing to be re- ceded with adetcftation. " Let no man fay ;" that is, far be it from us to affirm a thing fo impious and diflionourable to God.
Thirdly, the reafon and argument that he brings againft it, " for God cannot be tempted with evil, ** neither tempteth he any man."
Firll,
but upon themfehes, 190 1
Firft, the proportion which the apoftle here rejefls, S E RM. and that is, ^' that God tempts men:" " Jet no man ^'^'^• " fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God." Now that we may the more diftindly underfland the meaning of the propofition, which the apoftle here rejeds, it will be very requifite to confider what temptation is, and the feveral forts and kinds of it. To tempt a man, is, in general, nothing elfe but to make trial of him in any kind what he will do. la fcripcure, temptation is commonly confin'd to the trial of a man's good or bad, of his virtuous or vicious inclinations. But then it is fuch a trial as endangers a man's virtue, and if he be not well refolved, is likely to overcome it, and to make him fall into fin. So that temptation does always im- ply fomething of danger the word way. And men are thus tempted, either from themfelves, or by others ; by others chiefly thefe two ways.
Firft, by dired and downright perfuafions to fin.
Secondly, by being brought into fuch circum- flances as v/ill gready endanger their falling into it, tho' none folicit and perfuade them to it.
Firfl, by dire6l and downright perfuafions to fin. Thus the devil tempted our firft parents, by repre- fenting things fo to them, as might on the one hand incite them to fin, and on the other hand weaken and loofen that which was the great curb and reftraint from it. On the one hand he reprefents to them the advantages they fliould have by breaking God's command. " God doth know that in the day ye eat «' thereof, then your eyes fhall be opened, and ye *« fhall be as gods, knov/ing good and evil." On Vol. VIL 13 T . the
2,
1002 Th^fms of men not chargeable upon God ; S E R M. the other hand, he reprefents the danger of offending C>^V. riot to be fo great and certain as they imagined. " The ferpent faid unto the woman, ye fhall not ^' furcly die.** And the devil had fo good fuccefs in this way of tempting the firil Adam, as to en- courage him to fct upon the fecond, our bleffed Sa- viouR, in tiie fame manner ; for he would have perluaded him " to flill down and worfliip him," by offering him " all the kingdoms of the world, ^■' and the glory of them." And thus bad men many times tempt others, and endeavour to draw them into the fame wicked courfcs with themfelves. Solomon reprefents to us the manner and the danger of it, Prov. i, 10, ii, 13, 14. '^ My Son, if fin- *^ ners entice thee, confent thou not j if they fiy, •' come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us *^ lurk privily for the innocent without caufe ; we " lliall find all precious lijbftance, we Pnall fill our " houfes with fpoil. Caft in thy lot amongft us, let " us all have one purfc." This is the firil way of temptation.
And to be fure God tempts no man this way. He offers no arguments to man to perfuade him to fin; he no where propofeth either reward or impunity to finners h but on the contrary gives all imaginable encouragement to obedience, and threatens the tranf- greffign of his law with molt dreadful punilhments.
Secondly, men are likewife tempted, by being brought into fuch circumftances, as will greatly en- danger their falling into fin, tho' none perfuade them to it ; and this happens two ways ; when men are remarkably befet with the allurements of the world, or affaulted with the evils and calamities of it ; for either of thefe conditions are great temptations
to
but upon them/} Ives, 1903
to men, and make powerful afTaults upon them, ef- S E R M, pecially when they faJl upon thofe who are ill dif- CXV. pofed before, or are but of a weak virtue and refo- lutlon.
The allurements of the world are flrong temp- tations; riches, and honours, pleafures, are the occafions and incentives to many lufts. Honour and greatneis, power and authority over others, efpe- cialiy when men are fuddenly lifted up, and from a low condition, are apt to tranfport men to pride and iinfolency towards others. Power is a flrong li- quor which does eafily intoxicate weak minds, and oiake them apt to fiy and do indecent things. '^ Man that is in honour and underflands not, is *' hke the beads that perifh ;" intimating that men who are exalted to an high condition, are very apt to forget themfelves, and to play the fools and beafts. It requires great confideration, and a well poifed mind, not to be lifted up with one's con- dition. Weak heads are apt to turn and grow dizzy, when they look down from a great height.
And fo likewife eafe and profperity are a very ilippery condition to moft men, and without great care do endanger the falling into great fins. So So- lomon obferves, Prov. i. 32. " For the turning *' away of the fim.ple fliall flay them, and the pro- *' fperity of fools fhall deftroy them." For this rea- fon Agur maketh his prayer to God, that he would " give him neither poverty nor riches/' but keep him. in a mean condition, becaufe of the danger of both extrem.es, Prov. xxx. 8, 9. " Give me not riches^ *' left I be full, and deny thee." Both the eager defire and the poffelTion and enjoyment of riches do frequently prove fatal to men, So our Savioi/r tells 13 T 2 us
1 904 T^he fi?is of men not chargeable upon God;
us clfewhere very emphatically, Matth. xix. 23, 24. " Verily I lay unto you, that a rich man fhall hardly " enter into the kingdom of heaven : and again I '' fay unco you, it is cafier for a camel to go through " the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter '' into tiie kingdom of God." St. Paul likewife very fully declares unto us the great danger of this condi- tion, I Tim. vi. 9, 10. " But they that will be rich *' fall into temptation, and a fnare, and into many *' foolifh and hurtful lufbs, which drown men in '' deftruclion and perdition ; for the love of money " is the root of all evil, which while fome coveted *' after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced «' themfelves through with many forrows."
But the greateft bait of all to flefh and blood, is fenfual pleafures ; the very prefence and opportunity of thefe, are apt to kindle the defires, and to in- flame the kifls of men, elpecially where thefe temp- tations meet with fuitable tempers, where every ipark that falls catcheth.
And on the other hand, the evils and calamities of this world, efpecially if they threaten or fall upon men in any degree of extremity, are ftrong temp- tations to humane nature. Poverty and want, pain and fufiering, and the fear of any 'great evil, efpe- cially of death, thefe are great ftraits to humane nature, and apt to tempt men to great fins, to im- patience and difcontent, to unjufl and difhonefl fhifts, to the forfaking of God, and apoftafy from his truth and religion. Agur was fenfible of the dangerous temptation of poverty, and therefore he prays againft that, as v>^ell as againft riches i " give me not po- *' verty, leil being poor I ftcal, and take the name " of the Lord my God in vainj" that is, left I
be
but upon themfelves, "190C
be tempted to theft, and perjury. The devil, whofe S E R m. trade is to tempt men to Hn^ knew very well the force of thefe forts of temptations, when he defires God firft to touch Job in his eftate, and to fee what effed that would have, Job i. ir. " But put forth *' thine hand now, and touch aJl that he hath, and *' he will curfe thee to thy face/' And when he found himfelf deceived in this, furely he thought, that were he but afflidled with great bodily pains, that would put him out of all patience, and fiefh and blood would not be able to withfland this temptation, chap. ii. 5. " But put forth thine '' hand now, and touch his bone and his flefli, and " he will curfe thee to thy face." And this was the great temptation that the primitive chriftians were aflaulted withal; they were tempted to forfake Christ and his religion, by a mod violent perfecu- tion, by the fpoiling of their goods, by imprifon- ment, and torture, and death. And this is that kind of temptation which the apoftle particularly ipeaks of before the text, " blefled is the man that '^ endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he *' fliall receive the crown of life, which the Lord *' hath promifed to them that love him -," and then it follows, " let no man fay when he is tempted, I am *' tempted of God." And thus I have given an ac- count of the feveral forts of temptations comprehended under this fecond head, namely, when men are temp- ted by being brought into fuch circumilances as do greatly endanger their filling into fin^by the allurements of this world, and by the evils and calamities of it.
And the queftion is, how far God hath an hand in thefe kind of temptations, that lb we may know how to limit this propofition, wiiich the apoitle here
rejeds,
igo6 T^hefins of men not chargeable upon God ;
SERM, rejediis, " that men are tempted of God." *' Let CXV. <c no man fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted
^^^^ '^ of God."
That the providence of God does order, or at lead permit men to be brought into thefe circumiiances I have fpoken of,which are fuch dangerous temptations to fin, no man can doubt, that believes his providence to be concerned in the affairs of the world. All the difficulty is, how far the apoftle does here intend to exempt God from an hand in thefe temptations. Now for the clearer underftanding of this, it will be rcquifitc to confider the feveral ends and reafons, \vhich thofe who tempt others may have in tempting them ; and all temptation is for one of thefe three ends or reafons ; either for the trial and improve- ment of mens virtues ; or by way of judgment and punifhment for fome former great 'fins and provoca- tions i or with a direct purpofe and defign to feduce men to fm ; thefe 1 think are the chief ends and rea- fons that can be imagined, of exercifing men with dangerous temptations.
Firft, for the exercifc and improvement of mens graces and virtues. And this is the end which God always aims at, in bringing good men, or permitting them to be* brought into dangerous temptations. And therefore ^i, James fpeaks of it as a matter of joy, when good men are exercifed with afflidions ; not becaufe afflidions are dcfirable for themfelves, but becaufe of the happy confequenccs of them, ver. 2, 3. of this chapter, " My brethren, count it all *' joy, when ye fall into divers temptations ; know- ** ing this, that the trying of your faith worketh " patience." And to the fame purpofe St. Paul, Rom. v. 3, 4, 5. " We glory in tribulation, know-
4C
mg
but upon themfelves. ^9^7
«' ing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience S E R M- *' experience ;" d'oMii-nr patience trieth a man,,^^^,^^^ '' and this trial worketh hope, and hope maketh not " afhamed.'* Thefe are happy efFeds and confe- quences of afHidion and fufFering, when they im- prove the virtues of men and increafe their graces, and thereby make way for the increafe of their glo- ry. Upon this account St. James pronounceth thofe blefTed, who are thus tempted. " BlelTcd is the man '• that endureth temptation ; for when he is tried, he '' fhall receive the crown of life, which the Lord " hath promifed to them that love him."
And this certainly is no difparagement to the pro- vidence of God, to permit men to be thus tempted, when he permits it for no other end, but to make them better men, and thereby to prepare them for a greater reward : and fo the apoRle aflfures us, Rom. viii. 17, 18. '^ If fo be we fuffer with him, wcfliall '' alfo be glorified with him % for I reckon that the ^' fufFerings of this prefent time are not worthy to be " compared with the glory that fhall be revealed in us.'* Andver. 28. " For we know that all things fhair '' work together for good to them that love God." And this happy end and ifTue of temptations to good men the providence of God fecures to them (if they be not wanting to themfelvcs) one of thefe two ways, either by proportioning the temptation to their ftrength; or if it exceed that, by miniftring new flrength and fupport to them, by the fecret and ex- traordinary aids of his Holy Spirit.
Firfl, by proportioning the temptation to their flrength -, ordering things fo by his fecret and wife providence, that they fhall not be afliiulted by any temptations which is beyond their flrength to refill
and
1908 ^hejins of men mi chargeable upon God ;
and overcome. And herein the fecurity of good men doth ordinarily confift ; and the very bed of us, thofe who have the firmed and moil refolute vir- tue were in infinite danger, if the providence of God did not take this care of us. For a temptation may fet upon the beft men with fo much violence, or fur- prize them at fuch an advantage, as no ordinary de- gree of grace and virtue is able to v/ithitand : but where men are fincerely good, and honeftly refolved, the providence of God doth ward off thefe fierce blow?, and put by thefe violent thruds, and by a fecret difpofalof things keep them from being aflaul ted by thefe irrefidible kinds of temptations.
The confideration whereof, as it is a great en- couragement to men to be fincerely good, fo like- wife a great argument for a continual dependence upon the providence of God, and to take us off" from confidence in our felves, and our own drength. And this ufe the apodle makes of it, i Cor. x. 12. '' Wherefore let him that thinketh he dandeth," (that is confident that nothing diall be able to diake him, or throw him down) " take heed led he fall ; " there hath no temptation taken you, but fuch as " is common to men \ \i juyj avOpcoTrjv©^, but what is *' humane •," nothing but what an humane drength, aflided by an ordinary grace of God, may be able to refid and conquer. But there are greater and more violent temptations than thefe, which you have not yet been tried with ; and when thole hap- pen, we mud have recourfe to God for an extraor. dinary aflldance. And this is the
Second way I mention'd, whereby the providence of God does fecure good men in cafe of extraordi- nary temptations, which no humane drength can
probably
kit upon themfehes. 2909
probably refift. And this the fame apoftle afiuresSERM. us of in the very next words, " God is faithful, who ^^^• *' will not fuffer you to be tempted above what you " are able, but will with the temptation alfo make " a way to efcape, that you may be able to bear " it." That is, in cafe of great and violent tempta- tions (fuch as the chriftians in the height of their perfecutions were expofed to) God will fecretly mi- nider ftrength and fupport equal to the force and power of the temptation. And this God did in an extraordinary manner to the chriftian martyrs, and that to fuch a degree, as made them joyfully to embrace their fufferings, and with the greateft chear- fulnefs in the world to endure thofe torments, which no humane patience was able to bear. And where God doth thus fecure men againft temptati- ons, or fupport them under them, .it is no reflexion at all upon the goodnefs or juilice of his providence, to permit them to be thus tempted.
Secondly, God permits others to be thus tempted, by way of judgment and punifliment for fome former great fins and provocations w^hich they have been guilty of And thus many times God punifheth great and notorious offenders, by permitting them to fall into great temptations, which meeting with a vicious difpofition, are likely to be too hard for them, efpecially confidering how by a long habit of wick- ednefs, and wilful commifTion of great and notorious fins, they have made themfelves an eafy prey to every temptation, and have driven the Spirit of God from them, and deprived themfelves of thofe aids and reftraints of his grace, which he ordinarily affords, not only to good men, but iikewife to Vol Vir. 13 U thofe
2
The Jins of men not chargeable upon God ; thofe who arc not very bad. And thus God is iiiid to have " hardened Pharaoh " by thofe plagues and judgments which he fent upon him and his kingdom. But if we carefully read the ftory, it is faid that ** he firft hardened himfelf " and then that '' God hardened him-," that is, he being harden'd under the firfb judgments of God, God fcnt more, which meeting with his obftinacy, had this natu- ral effect upon him, to harden him yet more •, not that God did infufe any wickedrtefs or obftinacy in- to him, but by his juft judgments fent more plagues upon him, which hardened him yet more, and which were likely to have that elFecl upon him, con- fidering the ill temper of the man. And it was jufl by way of punifhment that they Ihould. And fo likewife, Joiliua xi. 19, 20. it is faid that the cities of the Canaanites did not make peace with Jofhua, becaufe ^» it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, *'' that they fliould come againft Ifrael in battle, that *' he might deftroy them utterly •," that is, for their former iniquities, the meafure whereof was now full, the providence of God did juftly bring them into, and leave them under thofe circumftances, which made them obftinate againft all terms of peace, and this proved fatal to them.
And in the like fenfe we are to under ftand feve- ral other expreflions in fcripture, which likewife might feem very harfh. As Ifaiah vi. 10. ''Make the *' heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, '' and fluit their eyes, left they fee with their eyes, *' and hear with their ears, and underftand with " their hearts, and convert and be healed ; '* all which expreflions fignify no more, but that God, for the former provocations and impenitency of that
people.
hut upon themfelves, 1911
people, did leave them to their own hardnels and S E R M. blindnefs, fo that they did not defire to underlland and make ufe of the means of their recovery. So like wife, Rom. i, 24. God is laid to have given up the idolatrous heathen " to uncleannefs, to vile and " unnatural Jufts ; " and ver. 28. "to a reprobate *• and injudicious mind;" that is, as a punifhment of their idolatry, he left them to the power of thofe temptations, which betrayed them to the vileft lufts. And to mention but one ttxt more, 2 TheiT. ii. 1 1. the apoflile threatens thofe that rejecled the truth, that " for this caufe God would fend them flrong " delufions ('the efficacy of error) that thcyfliould bf " lieve a lye, and that they all might be damned, who " believed not the truth, but had pleafure m unrighte- " oufnefs ; " that is, as a juft punifhment for their renouncing the truth, God gave them over to the power of dekifion •, their error had its full fcope at them, to tempt them with all its colours and pre- tences.
Bat it is obfervable, that, in all thefe places which I have mention'd, God is faid to give men up to the power of temptation, as a punifhment of fome former great crimes and provocations. And it is not unjuft with God thus to deal with men, to leave them to the power of temptation, when they had Jfirft wilfully forfaken him ; and in this cafe God doth not tempt men to fin, but leaves them to them- felves, to be tempted by their own hearts luds j and if they yield and are conquered, it is their own fault, becaufe they have neglected God's grace, whereby they might have been able to have refifled thofe temptations ; and have forced his Holy Spi- rit to withdraw himfelf from them, and to leave
13 U i them
T9 1 2 ^hejins of men not chargeable upon God ;
SERM-them open and naked to thofe aflliults of tempta- tion, againfl: which they might otherwife have been fufficiently armed.
Thirdly, the lafc end of temptation which I men- tioned, is to try men, with a dired: purpofe and in- tention to feduce men to fin. Thus wicked men tempt others, and thus x\\t devil tempts men. Thus he tempted our firfl: parents, and feduced them from their obedience and allegiance to God. Thus he tempted Job, by bringing him into thofe circum- flances, which were very likely to have forc'd him into impatience and difcontent. And thus he tempted our blefied Saviour ; but found nothing in him to work upon, or to give him any advantage over him. And thus he daily tempts men, by laying all forts of baits and fnares before them, " going about " continually, feeking whom he may feduce and ^' deftroy \ " and as far as God permits him, and his power reacheth, he fuits his temptations as near as he can to the humours and appetites and inclina- tions of men, contriving them into fuch circum- flances, as that he may ply his temptations upon them to the greatefl advantage \ propounding fuch objects to them, as may mod probably draw forth the corruptions of men, and kindle their irregular defires, and inflame their lufts, and tempt their evil inclinations that way, which they are mofl ftrongly bent. He tempts the covetous man with gain, the ambitious man with preferment, the volup>uous man with carnal and fenfual pleafures ; and where none of thefe baits will take, he ftirs up his inftruments to perlccute thofe, who are ftedfafi: and confirmed in refolutions of piety and virtue, to try if he can work upon their fear, and Ihake their conftancy 4nd
fidelity
but upon themfehes. 1 915
fidelity to God and goodnefs that way ; and all that. SE R IVT.- he doth with a diredt defigii and earned defire to . ^^^• feduce men from their duty, and to betray them to fin.
But thus " God tempts no man," and in this fenfe it is that the apoflle means, that '« no man *' when he is tempted, is tempted of God." God hath no defign to feduce any man to fin. He often proves the obedience of men, and fuffers them to '^ fall into divers temptations, for the trial of '^ their faith," and exercife of their obedience and other virtues , and he permits bad men to be afiiaulted with great temptations, and as a punifhment of their former obftinacy and impiety, withdraws the aids and affiflances of his grace from them, and leaves them to their own weaknefs and folJy ; but not fo as to take away all redr^nt of his grace even from bad men, unlefs it be upon very high provo- cation, and a long and obftinate continuance in fin : but God never tempts any man, with any intention to feduce him to fin, and with a defire he fhould do wickedly. This is the proper work of the devil and his inflruments ; in this fenfe it is far from *' God '^ to tempt any man ; " and whenever in the ordi- nary courfe, and by the common permifTion of his providence, men '^ fall into temptation," the ut- moil that God does, is " to leave them to them- *' felves ; " and he does not do this neither, but to thofe who have highly provoked him to depart from them, that is, to thofe who have juflly de- ferved to be fo dealt withal.
And thus I have confider'd the propofition which the apoflle here rejeds, namely, ^' that God tempts ?' men^ '' and have fhewn as clearly as I can, how it
1914 T^hefim of men not chargeable upon God ; ERM. is to be limited and underflood. I now proceed \o the fecond thing which I propounded to confi- der, viz. the manner in which the apoflle rejects this propofition, " let no man fay when he is *' tempted, I am tempted of God." By which manner of Ipeaking, he infinuates two things.
Firft, that men are apt to lay their faults upon God* For when he fiiys, " let no man fay fo," he intimates that men were apt to fay thus ; and 'tis probable fom.c did fay fo, to excufe themfelves for their deferring their religion upon the temptation of perfecution and fdffering. 'Tis not unlikely that men might lay the fault upon God's providence, which expofe them to theie difficult trials, and thereby tempted them to forfake their religion.
But hov^ever this be, we find it very natural to men, to transfer their faults upon others. Men are naturally fenfible when they offend, and do con- trary to their duty ; and the guilt of fm is an hea- vy burden, of which men would be glad to eaie themfelves as much as they can ; and they think it is a mitigation and excufe of their faults if they did not proceed only from themfelves, but from the violence and compulfion, the temptation and inftigation of others. But efpecially men are very glad to lay their faults upon God, becaufe he is a full and fufficient excufe, nothing being to be blamed that comes from him. Thus Adam did, upon the commifllon of the very firft fin that mankind was guilty of. When God charged him for breaking of his law, by eating of l\\z fruit of the forbidden tree, he endeavours to excufe himfelf by laying the fault obliquely upon God j " the *' woman whom thou gaveft to be with me, flie " gave me of the tree, and I did eat.'* " The wo-
*' maa
hut upon themfehves. 191 5
<^ man whom thou gaveft to be with me^" he does S KRM. what he can to derive the fault upon God. And though his be very unreafonable, yet it feems in is very natural. Men would fain have the pleafure of committing fin, but then they would be glad to re- move as much of the trouble and guilt of it from themlelves as they can.
Secondly, this manner of fpeech, which the apo- file here ufeth, doth infinuate farther to us, that ft is not only a falfc, but an impious affertion to fay that God tempts men to fin. He fpeaks of it, noc as a thing unfit to be faid, but fit to be rejeded with the greatefl indignation ; '*' \tt no man fay,'* that is, far be it from us to affirm any thing fo im- pious and fo difhonourable to God. For nothing can be more contrary to the holy and righteous na- ture of God, and to thofe plain declarations which he hath made of himfelf, than to feduce men to wick- ednefs ; and therefore no man, that hath any regard to the honour of God, can entertain the leafl fufpi- cion of his having any hand in the fins of men, or cr'iwt heed to any principles or dodrines, from whence fo odious and abominable a confequence may be drawn. I proceed to the
Third thing I propounded to confider, viz. the reafon or argument which the apoftle brings againft this impious fuggeftion ; " that God cannot be temp- " ted with evil," and therefore no man can imagine that he fiiould tempt any man to it^ " let no man ''fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God ; for *' God cannot be tempted vvidi evil, neither tempteth «« he any man." And in fpeaking to this, I fhall
Firfl, confider the ftrength and force o^ this ar- gument \ and
Secondly,
cxv.
1916 The fins of: men not chargeable upon God j S E R M. Secondly, the nature and kind of it.
Firfl, the (Irength and force of this argument, " God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempt- *' eth he any man-," d7reiio^7& o?i xaMoav, " he is *' untemptible by evil ;" he cannot be drawn to any thing that is bad himfelf, and therefore 'it cannot be imagined he fhould have any inclination or de^ fign to feduce others. And this will appear to be a ftrong and forcible argument, if we confider,
Firfl, the propofition upon which it is grounded, *' that God cannot be tempted by evil."
Secondly, the confequence that clearly follows from it-, and that is, that becaufe God cannot be tempted by evil, therefore " he cannot tempt any " man to it."
Firft, we will confider the propofition upon which this argument is built, and that is, '' that God can- «' not be tempted by evil." He is out of the reach of any temptation to evil. Whoever is tempted to any thing, is either tempted by his own inclination, or by the allurement of the objecft, or by fome ex- ternal motive and confideration : but none of all thefe can be imagined to have any place in God, to tempt him to evil.
For, firft, he hath no temptation to it from his own inclination. The holy and pure nature of God is at the greateft diftance from evil, and at the greateft contrariety to it. He is fo far from having any in- clination to evil, that it is the only thing in the world to which he hath an irreconcilable antipathy. This the fcripture frequently declares to us, and that in a very emphatical manner, Pfal. v. 4. '^ He is not *^ a God that hath pleafure in wickednefs, neither «' fhall evil dwell with him.'* The words are a
diminution^
buf upon the mf elves » ^9^7
diminution, and lefs is faid, than is intended by SERM.
cxv them ; the meaning is,that God is fo far from taking
pleafure in fin, that he hath a perfed hatred and abhorrence of it. Hab» ii. i^. " Thou art of purer '' eyes than to behold evil, and canll not Jook upon *' iniquity." As when men hate a thirig to the highefh degree, they turn away their eyes.^ and cannot en- dure to look upon it. Lighi and darknefs are not more oppofite to one another, than the holy nature of God is to fin. " What fellow/hip hath light *' with darknefs, or God with Belial ?"
Secondly, there is no allurement in the objed:, to ftir up any inclination in him towards it. Sin in its very nature is imperfedion, and irregularity, crookednefs, and deformity; fo that unlefs there be an inclination to it beforehand, there is nothing- in it to move any one's liking or defire towards it; it hath no attra6lives or enticements in it, but to a corrupt and ill-difpofed mind.
Thirdly, neither are there external motives and confiderations, that can be imagined to tempt God to it. All arguments that have any temptation, are either founded in hope or in fear ; either in the hops of gaining fome benefit or advantage, or in the fear of falling into fome mifchief or inconvenience. Now the divine nature being perfedly happy, and perfedly fecured in its own happinefs, is out of the reach of any of thefe temptations. Men 'are many times tempted to evil very ftrongly by thefe confi- derations ; they want many things to make them happy, and they fear many things which may make them miferable ; and the hopes of the one and the fears of the other, are apt to work very
Vol. VI r. 13 X power-
3 9 i 8 7 he fins of men not chargeable upon God; H R M. powerfully upon them, to fedace them from their ^^^J^X^i^i duty, and to draw them to fin : but the divine na- ture is firm againfl: all thefe attempts, by its own fulncfs and fccurity. So that you fee now the pro- pofition, upon which the apoflle grounds his argu- ment, is evidently true, and beyond all exception, " that God cannot be tempted with evil." Let us then in the
Second place, confider the confequence that clearly follows from it, that becaufe God cannot be tempted with evil, " therefore he cannot tempt any " man to it." For why fliould he defire to draw men into that, which he himfclf abhors, and which is fo contrary to his own nature and difpofition ? when men tempt one another to fin, they do it to make others like themfelves; and when the devil tempts men to fin, it is either out of dired malice to God, or out of envy to men. But none of thcfe confiderations can have any place in God, or beany motive to him to tempt men to fin.
Bad men tempt others to fin, to make them like themfelves, and that with one of thcfe two defigns ; cither few the comfort or pleafure of company, or for the countenance of it, that there may be fome kind of apology and excufe for them.
For the comfort and pleafure of company. . Man does not love to be alone j and for this realbn bad men endeavour to make others like themfelves, that agreeing with them in the fame difpofition and man- ners, they may be fit company for them. For no man takes pleafure in the fociety and converfation of thofe, who are of contrary tempers and inclinations to them, becaufe they are continually warring and clafliing with one another. And for this reafon bad
men
but upon themfehes, 19 19
men hate and perfecute thofe that are good. «' LetSER M,
• cxv
*' us Jie in wait (fay they) for the righteous, becaufe
*' he is not for our turn, and he is contrary to our " doings ; he is grievous unto us even to behold 5 " for his Yih is not Jike other mens, and his ways ** are of another fafliion ♦," as it is expreft in the Wifdom of Solomon. So that wicked men tempt others to fin, that they may have the pleafure and contentment of their fociety. But now for this rea- fon God cannot be imagined to tempt men to fin i becaufe that wouki be the way to make them un- like himfelf, and fuch as his foul could take no pleafure in.
Another defign that bad men have in feducing others to fin, is thereby to give countenance to their bad adlions, and to be fome kind of excufe and apology for them. Among men, the multitude of offenders does fometimes procure impunity, but it always gives countenance to vice ; and men are apt to alledge it in their excufe, that they are not alone guilty of fuch a fault, that they did not do it without company and example; which is the reafonofthat law, Exod. xxiii. 2. " Thou fhalt not follow a mul- *' titude to do evil ;" implying, that men are very apt to take encouragement to any thing that is bad 5 from company and example. But neither hath this reafon any place in God, who being far from doing evil himfelf, can have no reafon to tempt others to do fo, by way of excufe, and vindication of him- felf.
And v/hen the devil tempts men to fin, it is either
out o[" dired malice to God, or out of envy to men.
Out of malice to God, to fpoil his workmanfliip,
^nd to pervert that which came innocent and upright
1 3 X i out
1 9^o I'hejins of men not chargeable upon God j
SERM.outof his hands-, to rob God of his fubjecls, and cxv •
to debauch them from their duty and allegiance to
him •, to flrengthen the rebellion which he has raifed
againfl God, and to mai:e him as many enemies as
he can. But for this end God cannot tempt any
man \ for this would be to procure difnonour to him-
^€[\^ and to deface the work of his own hands.
Another reafon why the devil tempts men, is envy. When he was fallen from God, and happi- nefs, and by his own rebellion had made himfelf miferable, he was difcontented to fee the happy con- dition of man, and it grieved him at his very heart •, and this moved him to tempt man to fin, that he might involve him in the fame mifery into which he had plunged himfelf. It is a pleafure to envy to overturn the happinefs of others, and to lay them level with themfelves. But the divine nature is full of goodnefs, and delights in the happinefs of all his creatures. His own incomparable felicity has placed him as much above any temptation to envy- ing others, as above any occafion of being contem- ned by them. He grudges no man's happinefs, and therefore cannot tempt men to fin, out of a defire to fee them miferable. So that none of thole confi- derations which move the devil to tempt men to fin, and evil men to tempt one another to do wickedly, can be imagined to have any place in God.
And thus you fee the force of the apoftle's argu- ment, that becaufe '^ God cannot be tempted to ''• evil," therefore " he can tempt no man." None tempt others to be bad, but thofe who are firfi: fo themfelv^es. I iliull now in the
Second place, confider the nature and kind of the argument, which the apollle here ufeth, "Jet no man
« fay
hid tipo?tthemfehes. 192 1
*^ fay, when he is tempted, I am tempted of God ;SE rm. '' for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither " tempteth he any man." It does not rejed this im- pious propofition barely upon his own authority ; but he argues againft it from the nature and per- fedlion of God -, and therein appeals to the common notion of mankind concerning God. We might very well have refted in his authority, being an apoflle commiffioned by our Saviour, and extra- ordinarily afiified and witnefTcd to, by the miracu- lous gifts of the Holy Ghost, wherewith he was endowed. But he condefcends to give a reafon of what he fays, and appeals to the common principles of mankind. For all men will readily agree to this, " that God hath all imaginable perfedlion:" but it is a plain imperfedion to be liable to be tempt- ed to evil, and therefore " God cannot be tempted *' to evil." And if fo, it is as impofTible " that he " fliould tempt others to its" for none can have either an inclination or interefl to feduce others to evil, but thofe who have been firil feduced to it themfelves.
Now in this method of arguing, the apoflle teacheth us one of the furefl ways of reafoning in religion ; namely, from the natural notions which ^ men have of God. So that all dodrines plainly contrary to thofe natural notions which men have of God, are to be rejeded, what authority foever they pretend to j whatever plainly derogates from the goodnefs or juftice of God, or any other of his perfedions, is certainly falfe, what authority foever It may claim from the judgment of learned and pious men ; yea tho' it pretend to be countenanc'd from the texts and expreffions of holy fcripture. Be-
caufe
1922 Thefim of men not chargeable upon God ; Serm. c^ufe nothing can'be entertain'd as a divine revela- tion, which plainly contradidls the common natural notions which mankind have of God. For all rea- foning 'about divine revelation, and whether that which pretends to be 'io^ be really fo or not, is to be governV] by thofe natural notions. And if any thing that pretends to be a revelation from God, fliould teach men that there is no God, or that he is not wife, and good, andjufl, and powerful^ this is reafon enough to rejed it, how confident fbever the pretence be, that it is a divine revelation.
And if any thing be, upon good grounds in reafon, received for a divine revelation, ("as the holy fcriptures are amongft chriftians) no man ought to be regarded, who from thence pretends to main- tain any dodrine contrary to the natural notions, which men have of God j fuch as clearly contradidb his hoilnefs, or goodnefs, or juftice, or do by plain and undeniable confequence make God the author of fin, or the like; becaufe the very attempt to prove any fuch thing out of the fcripture, does ftrike at the divine authority of thofe books. For if they be from God it is certain they can contain no fuch thing. So that no man ought to fuffcr himfelf to be feduced into any fuch opinions, upon pretence that there are exprefiions in fcripture, which fecm to countenance them. For if they really did fo, the confcquence would not be the confirming of fuch opinions; but the weakning of the authority of the fcripture it felf. For juft fo many arguments as any man can draw from fcripture for any fuch opi- nion, fo many weapons he puts into the hands of atheifts againft the fcripture it felf,
I do
but upon themfelves. 1923
I do not fpeak this, as if I thonght there were^ERM* any ground from fcripture for any fuch dodrine, I am ^..^-y"^ very certain there is not. And if there be any par- ticular cxprellions, which to prejudic'd men may feem to import any fuch thing, every man ought to go- vern himfelf in the interpretation of fuch pailages, by what is clear and plain, and agreeable to the main fcope and tenor of the bible, and to thofe natural notions which men have of God, and of his per- fedlions. For when all is done, this one of the furelt ways of reafoning in religion ^ and whoever guides himfelf, and fleers by this compafs, can ne- ver err much: but v/hoever fuffers himfelf to be led away by the appearance of fome more obfcure phrafes in the exprefflons of fcripture, and the glofies of men upon them, without regard to this rule, may run into the greateft delufions, may wander eternally, and lofe himfelf in one miilake after another, and Ihall never find his. way out of thisendlels labyrinth, but by this clue.
Jf St. James had not been an apoftle, the argument which he ufed would have convinced any reafonable man, " that God tempts no man to iin, becaufe " he cannot be tempted with evil himfelf," and therefore it is unreafonable to imagine " he fhould '' tempt any man." For he argues from fuch a principle, as all mankind will, at firfl hearing, aP fent to.
And thus I have done with the firfl: thing afTerted by the apoflle here in the text; *^ that God tempts *' no man to (in," " Let no man fay, when he is *' tempted, I am tempted of God ; for God can- " not be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any *' man." Before I proceed to the fecond afTertion,
*< that
1924 T^hefins of men not chargeable upon God ;
" that every man is his own greatefl tempter," I fhoLild draw fome ufeftil inferences from what hath been already dehvered : but I referve both the one and the other to the next opportunity.
SERMON CXVI. •
The fins of men not chargeable upon God ; but upon themfelves.
J A M E S i. 13, 14.
Let no man fay^ ijchen he is tempted^ I am tempted 0 God ; for God cannot be tempted with m/, neither iempteth he any man : hut every 7nan is tempted^ when he is drawn away of his own luft^ and en. ticed,
SERM. "^^THEN I made entrance upon thefe words.
CXVI. '^/mi J j.q]^ yQ^^ j-j^^j. ^ej^j. |.Q fhe behefofa
W
J ^ ^ God and a providence, nothing is more
Thefecond rr . o- r j
fermonon fundamentally neceiiary to the practice or a good
this text, ijfg^ x\\m the belief of thefe two principles; " that
" God is not the author of the fins of men;" and
*' that every man's fault lies at his own door.'*
And both thefe principles St. James does clearly and
fully aflert in thefe words.
Firft, "God tempts no man to fin.'*
Secondly, " every man is his own greateft
'' tempter."
The firft of thefe I have largely fpoken to in my
former difcourfej and from what 1 then faid, I itiall
only
hut upon themfehes. 1925
only draw a few ufeful inferences, before I proceed S E R M. to the fccond, viz. thefe which follow. CXVI.
Firft, let us beware of all fuch dodlrines, as do any ways tend to make God the author of fin ; either by laying a neceffity upon men of finning, or by laying fecret defigns to tempt and feduce men to fin. Nothing can be farther from the nature of God, than to do any fuch thing, and nothing can be more difhonourable to him, than to imagine any fuch thing of him; '' he is of purer eyes than to *' behold evil ;" and can we think, that he who cannot endure to fee it, fhould have any hand in it ? we find that the holy men in fcripture are very careful to remove all thoughts and fufpicion of this from God. Elihu, Job xxxvi. 3. before he would argue about God's providence with Job, he refolves in the firft place, to attribute nothing to God, that is unworthy of him. *' I will (fays he) afcribe •' righteoufnefs to my maker." So likewife St, Paul, Rom. vii. 7. " What fhall we fay then.? is the law «« fin? God forbid.'* *^ Is the law fm?" that is, hath God given men a law to this end, that he might draw them into fin,? far be it from him. Gal. ii. 17. '' Is Christ the miniiler of fin.? God for- " bid." '
Yoii fee then how tender good men have ahvays been of afcribing any thing to God, that might feem to render him the author of fin. So that we have reafon to take heed of all do61:rines that arc of this tendency ; fuch as are the dodlrine of an abfo- \ lute and irrefpedive decree to damn the greateft part of mankind ; and in