CHAP. I. Of Baptism in general.

1. BAptsm is the Rite, whereby those who believe in Christ, are solemnly ad­mitted to be Members of the Chri­stian Church. What the first original of Baptizing with Water was; how See Lightfoot's Harm. of E­vangel. the Jews used to Baptize their Proselytes, and the [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. 6. Sed enim nationes extraneae sacris quibusdam per lavacrum initiantur. Certè ludis Apolli­naribus & Pelusiis tinguntur, idque se in regenerationem & impunitatem perjuriorum suo­rum agere praesumunt. Tertull. de Baptism. Heathens those who were to be initiated to any sacred Function; I shall not now enquire. Sufficient it is to our present purpose, that our Saviour has insti­tuted this Sacrament, as a Rite whereby Converts at their Admission into his Church, do solemnly oblige themselves to live suitably to the Profession they then en­ter into; and whereby they are intitled to all the Benefits and Privileges belonging to the Society into which they are admitted.

[Page 2]2. This Baptism is either, 1. Of Persons of riper years; or 2. Of Infants. At the first Preaching of the Gospel, the main body of Christians consisted of those, who had by the Apostles Preaching been converted from the Jewish or from the Gentile Religion, to the Christian; and these were consequent­ly baptized into the Name of Christ, after they were come to riper years. Afterwards, when the Christian Religion had spread it self over whole Countries and Nations, the Church consisted chiefly of such as were born of Christian Parents, and educated from the beginning in the Christian Reli­gion; and these were generally, even in the Primitive Times; admitted into the Church by Baptism in their Infancy.

3. In the Baptism of Persons of riper years, we must observe, 1. What was requi­red of them before-hand, in order to prepare them for Baptism: 2. In what manner they were baptized; to what Privileges they were admitted; and to what Duties they were engaged, by their Baptism: And 3. What was required of them after their Baptism.

CHAP. II. What was required of persons to be baptized in the Primitive Church, in order to fit them for Baptism.

1. THE first thing to be considered in the Baptism of Persons coverted to Christianity, is, what was required of them before-hand, in order to fit them for this most solemn Admission into the Church of Christ. Now that which was indispen­sibly necessary to prepare them for this so­lemnity, and to qualifie them to be parta­kers of this Holy Sacrament, was Faith and Repentance; i. e. a declaration of their firm [...] belief of the great Doctrines of the Chri­stian Religion, and of their [...], &c. Justin. Martyr. resolution to live suitably to that belief.

2. In the Apostles times, when the Mi­racles wrought by those first Preachers of Christianity, were so convincing, and the extraordinary Grace of God, poured down upon Men, so effectual, as to convert them to the Faith of Christ as it were in an in­stant; a single declaration of their Faith and Repentance, seems to have been ac­counted sufficient to prepare them to re­ceive Baptism immediately. For thus we [Page 4] find St. Philip baptizing the Eunuch im­mediately upon his professing his belief that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, Act. 8. 38. and St. Paul baptizing the Jaylour imme­diately upon his being converted by the Mi­racle of the Prison doors opening with an Earthquake, Act. 16. 33.

3. But afterwards, when these mighty operations of the Spirit grew less common, and men began to be convinced more gra­dually by the ordinary means of the Preach­ing of the Word, it was not thought suffi­cient in most Churches, for men upon their Conversion to Profess their Faith and their Repentance, but they were obliged to give some evidence of the sincerity of both, be­fore they could be admitted into the Church by Baptism. If they had formerly been great sinners, they were to evidence their Repentance by [...]. Justin. Martyr. Ingress [...]ros baptismum cra­tionibus crebris, jejuniis & ge­niculationibus & previgiliis orare oportet, & cum confes­sione omnium retrò delicto­ru [...]. Tertull. de Baptisme. Prayers, and Watchings and Fastings, and Confessing their Sins: They were to demonstrate by the real change of their whole course of life, that they had actually renoun­ced all the rites and practi­ces of their former Profes­sion, and would for the future conform their lives to the Rules of the Christian Institution: They were to endeavour to purge their Conscience from every evil work, that their Baptism might be, not the [Page 5] putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the an­swer 1 Pet. 3 21. of a good Conscience towards God.

4. They who were willing thus to make proof of their Repentance, and of their sin­cere desire to be admitted into the Church of God, were Catechised in all those neces­sary Articles of the Christian Faith, which they were to make publick profession of at their Baptism; They were fully instructed in the excellent Moral Precepts of that Di­vine Religion, which they were to practise the remaining part of their lives. And then they were thought prepared for the washing of Regeneration, and the renew­ing of the Holy Ghost.

CHAP. III. In what manner persons converted to Christia­nity were baptized; to what Privileges they were admitted; and to what Duties they were ingaged by their Baptism.

1. WHen the person to be baptized was thus prepared, and the time appointed come; which was usually at Diem Baptismo solenniorem Pascha praestat, cùm & Passio Domini, in quâ tingimur, ad­impleta est.—Exinde Pente­costa ordinandis lavacris latis­simum spatium est, quo & Do­mini Resurrectio inter Dis­cipulos frequentata est, & gratia Spiritûs Sancti dedi­cata. Tertull. de Bapt. Easter or Whitsontide, the Comme­morations of our Saviour's Passion and Resurrection, and of the great Effusion of the Ho­ly Spirit, things principally respected in this Sacrament; [Page 6] (though it might also upon occasion be ce­lebrated at Caeterùm omnis dies Domi­ni est, omnis hora, omne tempus habile est baptismo: si de so­lennitate interest, de gratiâ nihil resert. Tertul. de Baptismo. any other time;) When the Person, I say, was thus prepared, he was brought by the Priest to a convenient place, where there was plenty of Water; and being stript of all his cloaths, he in the first place, with stretched out Arms in a most solemn manner Aquam adituri, sed & ali­quanto priùs in Ecclesiâ sub Antistitis manu, contestamur nos renuntiare Diabolo & Pom­pae & Angelis ejus. Tertull. de Corona Milit. renounced the Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, and all not only the absolutely sinful, but also the lawful desires of the flesh, so far as to keep them within the most strict bounds, and most exact obe­dience to the Laws of Reason and Religion. Then he made Profession of his Faith [...]. Constitut. Apost. l. 6. c. 14. vid. & l. 7. c. 42. in One God, the Father Almighty, &c. in Je­sus Christ his only Son our Lord, &c. and in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholick Church, &c. After which he was baptized [...]. Justin. Apol. 2. in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; being immersed in the Wa­ter Novissimè mandans ut tingerent in Patrem & Filium & Spiritum Sanctum; non in unum; nam nec semel, sed ter; ad singula nomina in personas singulas tin­gimur. Tertull. adversus Prax. three times, once at [Page 7] the Name of each Person in the ever Bles­sed Trinity. Which being done, he came up out of the Water; and then (ac­cording to the Custom of some Churches) he was Vid. Ter­tull. de Bap­tismo. anointed with Oil, with the addi­tion of some other Ceremonies, which as they were in their own nature indifferent, so they were used only in some places, and that diversly according to the different usage of particular Churches. After all which he was clothed with a Fulgentes animas vestis quoq candida signat, Et grege de niveo gaudia pastor habet. Carm. Lactautio ascrip [...]. white Robe, and so ad­mitted among the Faithful to the Communion of the Church: which last Cere­mony the Greeks (as a Dr. Patrick out of [...]helavius. Learned Writer of our own observes,) keep up to this day; putting upon the Child immediately after Baptism a white Garment, with this Form, Receive this white and immaculate Cloathing, and bring it with thee unspotted before the Tribunal of Christ, and thou shalt inherit eternal life.

2. This was the Form and Manner, in which Persons converted to Christianity were Baptized in the Primitive Church: And by all these outward and visible Cere­monies, were significantly represented cer­tain inward and invisible things; which were either the Privileges to the injoyment of which the Person Baptized was intitled, or the Duties to the performance of which he was engaged by his Baptism.

[Page 8]3. The first Grace or Privilege, which God annexed to the right use of this Or­dinance of Baptism, and to which the Person Baptised was consequently intitled, was Remission of all past sins. The design of our Savior's coming into the World, was by the Merit of his Death and Suf­fering to purchase Pardon and Remission for all those, who should believe in his Name and obey his Gospel; Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through Faith in his Blood, to declare his Righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. Now the Means by which this Pardon is applied, and the Seal by which it is secured to all those who Believe, and by Repentance begin to Obey the Gospel, is Baptism. Whosoever there­fore was converted to Christianity, and was baptized, was baptised into the death of Christ; i. e. was by Baptism intitled to the benefit of the Pardon purchased by his Death and Passion: As his Body was wash­ed with pure Water, so his Sins were ab­solutely done away by the Blood of Christ, and his Heart sprinkled from an evil Con­science, Heb. 10. 22. Hence Baptism is called the Washing of Regeneration, Tit. 3. 5. and they who by the Apostles Preaching▪ or by any other more extraordinary means, were convinced of the Truth of the Gos­pel, were exhorted immediately to be bap­tized, and wash away their sins; Acts 22. 16. [Page 9] And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the Name of the Lord; And Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins: To which those Places also seem ma­nifestly to allude, Rev. 1. 5. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own Blood; and Rev. 7. 14. These are they which have washed their Robes, and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. The plain meaning of all which passages is this; That as a new-born Infant is with­out Spot, Innocent and Sinless; so every one that is born of Water, i. e. regenerated by Baptism, is in the account of God as if he had never sinned, cloathed with the white and spotless Garment of Innocence, which if he never defile by gross and wil­ful sins, he shall walk in white with Christ, Revel. 3. 4. for he shall be worthy.

4. The next Privilege which Baptism principally and most significantly represen­ted, was the Admission of the Convert into the Church or Family of God. All that re­ceived Baptism, were thereby actually ad­mitted into the Society of Christians, and to the participation of all the benefits which God bestows upon his Church: They were admitted to the Communion of the Saints of God, and to the Fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, 1 Cor. 1. 9. They were made Fellow-Citizens with the [Page 10] Saints, and of the Houshold of God, Eph. 2. 19. being come unto Mount Sion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jeru­salem, and to an innumerable Company of An­gels, to the general Assembly and Church of the First-born, which are written in Heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the Spi­rits of just Men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediatour of the New Covenant, &c. Heb. 12. 22. More particularly, they were made, first Members of Christ; i. e. they were incorporated into that Body, whereof Christ is the Head. Secondly, They were made Children of God; i. e. they were en­roll'd in the number of those, whom God had chosen to be his Peculiar and Elect People, and whom he designed to govern with the same tenderness, as an affectionate and merciful Father does his most beloved Children: which is what the Apostles ex­press by our being called the Sons of God, 1 John 3. 1. by our having received the A­doption of Sons, Gal. 4. 5. and by our ha­ving power given us to become the Sons of God, John 1. 12. Lastly, They were made Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven; i. e. they who before were Aliens from the Common­wealth of Israel, and Strangers from the Co­venants of Promise, having no hope and without God in the World, did by Baptism enter into that Covenant, wherein God assured the promise of Eternal Life, to all those who should believe and repent: And [Page 11] this is what the Apostle intends by our ha­ving our [...] Citizen-ship in Heaven, Phil. 3. 20. and by our being Heirs of God, and joint Heirs with Christ, that we may be glorified toge­ther with him, Rom. 8. 17.

5. Another Privilege which was repre­sented and conferred by Baptism, was the Influence and Assistance of Gods Holy Spirit. All Persons that were baptized, as their Bodies were washed and purified with Wa­ter, so their Minds were sanctified by the Spirit of God: But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the Name of our Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God, 1 Cor. 6. 11. At their Baptism they received By the Imposition of Hands, which was antiently joyned imme­diately with Baptism. the Holy Ghost, as a Gift constantly annexed to that Ordinance; and unless they quen­ched and grieved it by their sins commit­ted afterwards, it always continued with them from thenceforward, assisting and en­abling them to perform their Duty, strengthning and comforting them under Temptations and Afflictions, and bearing Rom. 8. 16. witness with their Spirit, that they were the Children of God. At the first Preaching of the Gospel, this influence of the Holy Spirit frequently discovered it self, in those extraordinary Gifts of Speaking with Tongues, Working Miracles, &c. as ap­pears in the History of the Acts of the Apostles. But these by degrees ceasing, it afterward continued to evidence it self in [Page 12] the strange and almost miraculous change, which it made in the Minds of Men, from the most corrupt and vicious, to the most virtuous and heavenly Disposition, almost in an instant upon their being baptized. And when this effect also grew less fre­quent, as the Zeal and Purity of the Chri­stians declined, it yet continued always by its secret Power to renew and transform Mens Minds, to instruct Men in their Duty, and to inable them to perform it. Hence Baptism is called the Renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. 3. 5. and a being born of Water and of the Spirit, John 3. 5. and by the Antients frequently [...]. Illumination: And Persons baptized are said to have been en­lightned, to have tasted of the heavenly Gift, and to have been made Partakers of the Holy Ghost, Heb. 6. 4.

6. The last Privilege which Persons Baptized were intitled to by virtue of that Ordinance, was an Assurance of a Resurre­ction to Eternal Life. They received, as hath been said, the Holy Spirit of God; and that Spirit, so long as it dwelt with them, was a 2 Cor. 1. v. 22. Eph. 1. 13 ch. 4. v. 30. Seal and 2 Cor. 1. v. 22. 5. 5. Eph. 1. 14. Earnest of their future Resurrection: For if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies, by his Spi­rit that dwelleth in you, Rom. 8. 11. And this was most significantly represented by their descending into the Water, and rising [Page 13] out of it again: For as Christ descended into the Earth, and was raised again from the dead by the Glory of the Father; So Per­sons baptized were buried with him by Bap­tism Rom. 6. 4. into Death, and rose again after the similitude of his Resurrection: They were planted together in the likeness of his Death; and they were by this Sign assured, that they should be also in the likeness of his Re­surrection. Thus the Apostle St. Paul, Colos. 2. 12. Ye are buried with him in Baptism, wherein also you are risen with him through the Faith of the Operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. To which St. Pe­ter seems likewise to allude, 1 Pet. 3. 21. The like figure whereunto ( viz. to the saving of the Ark by the Water of the Flood) even Baptism doth also now save us, by the Resurrection of Christ.

7. These are the Spiritual Graces or Pri­vileges, which were represented by the Outward and Visible Signs in Baptism, and conferr'd by their means; And These are what God on his part engageth and assures to us, in that Great and Holy Covenant. There are other things, which the Persons Baptized obliged themselves to on their part in that Covenant; and These are the Du­ties which by their Baptism they vow and take upon themselves to perform, represen­ted also by the same Outward and Visible Signs. The first of these Duties which the Persons baptized promised and obliged [Page 14] themselves to perform, was a Constant Con­fession of the Faith of Christ and Profession of his Religion. They were admitted by Bap­tism into the Church and Family of Christ; and they were bound at all times, to own themselves his Disciples: They were so­lemnly baptized into his Death; and they Rom. 6. 3. were oblig'd not to be asham'd of the Cross of Christ, and to confess the Faith of him crucified: They owned publickly at their Baptism, their Belief in God the Father Al­mighty, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; and they were bound at all times to make Profession of this Faith: They had with the heart believed unto Righteousness; Rom. 10. 10 and they thought that with the Mouth, Con­fession was necessary to be made unto Salva­tion: They were assured, that if they con­fessed Christ before Men, he would also con­fess them before his Father which is in Hea­ven, Luk. 12. 8. and before the Angels of God; but if they were ashamed of him, and denyed him before Men, he would also be ashamed of them when he came in the Glory of his Father with the Holy Angels. And so mighty an effect had this consideration upon the primitive Christians, that in the times of Persecution, when they were tempted to deny their Sa­viour and renounce the Faith which they had once Embraced, they chose rather to endure the most exquisite Torments that the wit of Man could invent, than either to renounce or dissemble their Christianity; [Page 15] and those who out of Fear denyed or were ashamed to confess their Faith, they look­ed upon to have forfeited and renounced their Baptism, as having crucified to them­selves Heb. 6. 6. the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

8. The Second Thing to which Per­sons baptized solemnly obliged themselves by their Baptism, was a Death unto Sin, and a New-birth unto Righteousness; i. e. they engaged utterly and for ever to forsake, all manner of Sin and Wickedness; all Ido­latrous and Superstitious Worship of false Gods; all Injustice, Wrong, Fraud and Un­charitableness towards Men; all the Pride and Vanity, the Pomp and Luxury of this present World; all the Lusts of the Flesh, Adultery, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lascivi­ousness, Gluttony, Drunkenness, Revellings, and such like: And for the future they promised to make it the business of their lives, to fulfil all Righteousness according to the strictest Rules of the Christian Doctrine and Discipline; to Worship the only true God, with all Devotion, Reverence and Humi­lity; to be exactly just in their Dealings with Men, and generously charitable upon all occasions; in fine, to be Temperate and So­ber, Chast and Pure, as the Worshippers of God, and the Temples of the Holy Ghost. This was indeed a Dying unto Sin, and Li­ving unto Righteousness; This was properly a being Regenerated or Born again; This [Page 16] was truly a being Washed, Sanctified and Ju­stified, in the Name of Christ, and by the Spirit of God: And indeed this was the principal thing which was signified in Bap­tism, and the principal end for which the whole Ordinance was designed; This was what the Person to be baptized was to pro­fess with his own Mouth, when he renoun­ced the Devil and all his Works; and this was what was principally represented by that main part of the Ceremony, the de­scending into the Water and rising out of it again; For so the Apostle St. Paul most fully explains it, Rom. 6. 3. Know ye not that so many of us, as were baptized into Je­sus Christ, were baptized into his Death? Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the Glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of Life; Knowing this, that our old Man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be de­stroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin: that is, the design of our descending into the Water to be baptized, and rising again out of it, was to mind us, that as we then received remission of our past sins by Vertue of Christ's having died for sin; so we our selves were in like manner to die and be buried to sin, and rise again to walk for the future with Christ in newness and holiness of Life. This therefore was the principal thing respected in Baptism, and [Page 17] without this answer of a good Conscience to­wards God, the washing or putting away of 1 Pet 3. 21, the filth of the Flesh, could nothing avail in the sight of God. Baptism is not the [...]. Just. Mart. Washing and Cleansing of the Body, but the Purifying of the Mind, from every e­vil Work, to serve the li­ving God; without which, Baptism is so far from be­ing available to the remission of sin, that on the contrary it makes it far the more grievous and inexcusable. But of this more in the next Chapter.

9. The third and last thing, to which Men were solemnly engaged at their Bap­tism, was Self-denyal and Contempt of the World. Our Saviour had told his Disci­ples, That whosoever would come after him, Luk. 14. 26. must deny himself and take up his Cross and follow him; that whosoever was not willing to forsake all that he had, Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and Brethren and Sisters, yea, and his own Life also, he could not be his Disciple: And therefore when any Man came to be baptized, he was accordingly obliged to renounce the World, and all its Glory, the Pomps and Vanities, the Splendor and Pleasures of it: He professed himself a Candidate for the Glory that should be re­vealed hereafter; and that therefore he would never be ambitious for that Honour, which Men so earnestly contend for here: [Page 18] He declared that he expected his Portion in those spiritual Joys, which eye hath not seen, 1 Cor. 2. 9. nor ear heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of Man to conceive them; and there­fore he would never set his heart and af­fections, upon any gross and sensual Plea­sure: He professed that from thenceforward his Treasure should be in Heaven, where Mat. 6. 20. neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt, and where Thieves do not break through and steal; and that therefore he would never be covetous of any Riches, or Possessions on Earth: In a word, he engaged to make it the main business of his Life, to prepare and fit himself to be partaker of those things, which God had for them that love him laid up in the next World; and that there­fore he would never be extreamly solici­tous, after any thing in this. This was what the Primitive Christians understood by their Renouncing the World. They thought themselves obliged not only to forsake all gross and palpably sinful Lusts, but also to be very sparing in their Enjoyments of what was Lawful: They looked upon this World and the next, as [...]. Clem. ad Cor. 2. Enemies to each other; and that they were to fight as Soldiers under the Banner of Christ, against the Pleasures and Temptations of this VVorld, for the Glories of the other. And for an Emblem of this it was, that in some Churches they anointed the baptized Per­son with Oil: He was compared to a Com­batant, [Page 19] to a Runner just preparing to start in the Christian Race; and they minded him, 1 Cor. 9. 29. that if those who strive for the Mastery only to obtain a corruptible Crown, are tem­perate in all things, much more ought he to confirm and strengthen himself, to prepare and harden himself, to be ready and expedite, to be temperate and abstemious, and to get perfectly above all those earthly desires, which would hinder and clog him in that great race, which he was to run for the Crown of Immortality. 'Tis true, the forsa­king all worldly Possessions for the Name of Christ, was a condition more particu­larly required in those Primitive times of Persecution: But how far it still obliges us, (as it most certainly does in some Sense) shall be considered in its proper place.

CHAP IV. What was required of Persons after Baptism.

1. WHEN the whole Ceremony was finished, the Person baptized was cloathed (as has been already observed) with a white Garment; and then he was [...]. Justin. Mart. admitted to the Commu­nion of the Faithful: And that which was afterward required of him, was this One Great and Necessary thing. To keep his Baptism Pure and Undefiled, the remain­ing part of his Life.

[Page 20]2 To the keeping a Man's Baptism pure and undefiled through the remaining part of his Life, that which was thought abso­lutely necessary in the Primitive Church, was this: First, That he from that time forward preserved himself from falling, not only into the Habit, but even so much as into the single Act of any of these gross and palpable Wickednesses; Idolatry, Per­jury, Blasphemy; Murder, Sedition, Theft, manifest Injustice, Cheating; Adultery, Forni­cation, Uncleanness, Drunkenness, Revelling; and such like; of which St. Paul expresly and peremptorily declares, and repeats it with great earnestness over and over again, that they who do such things, shall have no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. One that was born of God, might be surprized into an unheeded sin; but in­to the gross Act of any of these manifest and notorious Impieties, they thought he was Haec non admittet omnino, qui natus è deo fuerit; non futu­rus dei filius, si admi­scrit. Tertul. never to be seduced, and if he were, that he ceased to be the Servant of God; For whosoever abideth in him, sinneth not; and whosoever is born of God, doth not commit sin; for his Seed remaineth in him, 1 Joh. 3. 6. and he cannot sin because he is born of God. From the Acts therefore of any of these great and plain Wickednesses, which stare Men in the Face, and at the first view ter­rifie Mens Consciences, they thought it indispensably necessary that a Man abstained [Page 21] wholly; and that these things were not so much as to be once named among Chri­stians. Eph. 5. 3. But then secondly, To the keeping a man's Baptism pure and undefiled, that which was thought further necessary was, that from falling into an habitual practice of any of those smaller and less scandalous sins, which carelesness and culpable ignorance would be very apt to betray a man into the Acts of, he ought to indeavour to secure himself by great cautiousness, and sincere enquiry after the knowledge of his Duty; that from sins of omission, from growing cool in Re­ligion, and remitting of his first Love, he ought to indeavour to preserve himself by constant Meditation, and hearty Prayer to God for the assistance of his holy Spirit; that in order to grow in Grace, he ought to be always humble and teachable, peni­tent and devout, meek in spirit, and pure in mind; and that to attain Perfection, he ought to be always pressing forward towards Phil. 3. 14 the mark of the prize of the high calling, with a perfect contempt of the World, an entire Love of God, and a boundless Charity to all Mankind.

3. This was what the Primitive Chri­stians understood by keeping their Baptism pure and undefiled; viz. A regular and con­stant practice of all Holiness and Virtue, from the time of their Baptism to their Death. And to this they thought them­selves most strongly obliged, by the very [Page 22] Form of their Baptism: They were im­mersed into the Water, and they rise out of it again, and this great Solemnity was never after to be repeated; in token that as Christ once died for Sin, and Rose again never to come under the power of Death any more; so they were this once to have their Sins perfectly washt away by his Blood, and were bound never to return under the Power of them any more. Thus St. Paul himself most expresly and excellently argues, Rom. p. 6. v. 9. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him; For in that he died, he died unto Sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God: Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord: Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. The force of which Argument is plainly this: When we descended into the Water, and rise out of it again, we made publick profession, that as we hoped for pardon of our past sins through the Merits of the Death of Christ; so we our selves would thenceforth die unto sin, that is, utterly cast it off and forsake it, and for the future rise again to walk with Christ in newness and holiness of Life: So that unless from the time of our thus putting off sin, we continue constantly to live in all holiness and righteousness, we have no [Page 23] just reason to expect Remission by virtue of the Death of Christ, into which we were baptized: For it being the express Condition of the Remission of sin, that we continue no longer in it, but live from thencefotth unto God; the Blood of Christ it self, which was shed to be a Propitia­tion for the Sins of the whole World, can avail nothing for one that continues in Sin, whom our Saviour himself has parti­cularly excepted from the benefit of the Pardon purchased by his Death and Pas­sion.

4. Accordingly Persons after their Bap­tism were instructed, That they must now utterly and for ever renounce, all the sin­ful pleasures and desires of the World: They were told, that they now received re­mission of their past sins, by vertue of the Death of Christ; and therefore they must take great heed that they sinned no more: They were told, that they now washed their Garments in the Blood of the Lamb; Rev. 7. 14. (for a signal whereof they were according­ly cloathed in white;) and that they must take care to bring this unspotted Innocence with them, before the Tribunal of Christ: (To which Custom our Saviour himself seems to allude, Rev. 3. 4. Thou hast a few Names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their Garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy;) They were told, that they were now bapti­zed [Page 24] for the remission of all their past sins; and if they kept not this Baptism pure and undefiled, Non debemus superbi esse, sed timere, rè sortè post agni­tionem Christi agentes aliquid quod non placeat Deo, remis­sionem ultra non habeamus de­lictorum, sed excludamur è regno ejus. I [...]enaeus, l. 4. c. 45. they could not be sure they should ever be able to obtain the like full and perfect Remission again: They were told, that they now started in that great Race, which they were to [...]; Clem. ad Cor. 2. run for the Crown of Im­mortality; and [...] Clem. ad Cor. 2. if those who were found tardy in an earthly Race, were bea­ten and disgraced, of how much sorer punishment should they be thought worthy, who negligently faultred in the race of Im­mortality? They were told, that they now entred into that Covenant of God, [...] Tim. 2. 19 the Seal whereof was, Let every one that Names the Name of Christ, depart from Ini­quity; and if they [...] Clem. ad Corinth. 2. kept not this Seal, their pu­nishment would be among Apostates, whose Worm shall not die, and whose Fire shall not be quenched: They were told, that they had now escaped the Pollutions of the World, through the 2 Pet. 2. 20. Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; and if after this they should be again intangled therein, and be overcome, and [Page 25] turn from the Holy Commandment delivered unto them, their Punish­ment should be Ideoque hi quidem [ Eth­nici] morti destinati sunt; at verò ii qui cognoverunt Do­minum, atque ejus mirabilia opera viderunt, si nequiter vivunt, duplo ampliùs punien­tur, & morientur in aevum. Hermae Past. Lib. 3. Sim. 9. double to that of those, who had never known the way of Righ­teousness. Finally, They were told, that they were now enlightned, and had tasted of the heavenly Gift, and were made parta­kers of the Holy Ghost, and were sealed there­by unto the day of Redemption; and if after this they should fall away, it would be Heb. 6. 6. exceeding difficult to renew them to Re­pentance: That they had now received the perfect knowledge of the Truth; and if after this they sinned wilfully, there would re­main no more Sacrifice for sin, but a certain Heb 10. 23. fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery In­dignation, which should devour the Adversary: In a word, That they now received a certain Promise and Assurance of Eternal Life; but if they would sell this blessing for the mo­mentary gratifications of sense, they might perhaps afterwards be rejected when they Heb. 12. 17. should desire to inherit it, and find no place for Repentance, though they might seek it carefully with Tears.

5. These were the severe cautions, with which the Primitive Church obliged bap­tized Persons upon their utmost Peril, to keep themselves stedfast from the time of their Baptism in all holy and blameless Conversation. Those who did [Page 26] continue to walk suitably to this Profes­sion, were said to be washed, to be sanctified, 1 Cor. 6. 11. to be justified, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God: And be­cause in those purest times, there were hardly any among Christians, who did not walk suitably to their Profession; it be­ing the [...]. same thing then, to be a Chri­stian and to be a good Man; therefore those Terms, Elect, Regenerate, Sanctified, born of God, and the like, which we now appropriate only to the best and most holy Men, are not in Scripture so appro­priated, but applied promiscuously to all Christians; as appears from the Titles of the Apostles Letters, in which whole Churches in general are called Elect, Sanctified, and the like; and most evidently from St. John, who in his first Epistle, chap. 5. ver. 1. Whosoever, saith he, believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God: Whosoever be­lieveth that Jesus is the Christ; i. e. every Christian; there being hardly any one in those times, who was not indeed, what he professed and pretended to be, a Regene­rate, Sanctified and Elect Person. And as Christians who then lived thus suitably to their Profession, were stiled Regenerate, Sanctified, and the like; so they who con­tinued to live thus suitably to the end, were said to Persevere: and of such only, was it said that they Persevered; in opposition to those who after their Baptism lapsed, [Page 27] into any notorious Transgression. For one that had thus lapsed, they did not think it sufficient that he should repeat his Crime no more, (which was the conditi­on of Baptismal Remission,) but he was obliged by Corpus quidem citò ablui potest, mens autem—inqui­nata, non potest nisi & longo tempore, & multis bonis operi­bus, ab eá quae inhaeserit col­luvione purgari. Lactant. l. 6. c. 23. a long course of Mortifica­tion, Prayers, Tears and good Works, to endeavour to wash out the Stain and Guilt. Nay, and even this course also they allowed of but Post Vocationem illam Mag­nam & Sanctam, [ Baptismum,] si quis tentatus fuerit à Dia­bolo & peccaverit, Vnam poe­nitentiam habet. Hermae Past. 2. 4. Once; not that true Repentance would at any time be in vain and unac­ceptable to God, but (as an Ambrose. Ancient Writer ex­presses it,) that that which was the only remaining remedy, might not by being made too easie, grow contemptible and ineflectual.

6. And now let Us think upon this; let Us consider this, with shame and con­fusion of Faces; who I do not say after Baptism and the solemn taking upon our selves the Profession of Christianity, but after frequent Purposes and Promises of Re­formation, after repeated Vows and Resolu­tions of Amendment, nay, perhaps after confirming all these by the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ, do yet continue in sin and defer our Repentance. The Primitive Christians thought themselves absolutely obliged to live in the constant Practice of [Page 28] all Holiness and Vertue, from the time of their Baptism to their Death; and can we hope to be accepted, if notwithstanding all our Pretences to Repentance and Re­formation, we still continue under the weak excuses of Infirmity and Inadver­tency, to live in any known sin? Doth our Baptismal Vow lay no obligation upon us? or hath God established a Covenant with us upon slighter Terms, and entail'd his Promises to us upon easier Conditions, than he did to the first and purest Chri­stians? Let no Man deceive you, saith St. John, He that doth righteousness, is righte­ous, 1 John 3. 7. 'Tis true, the case is not altogether the same with us, as it was with them: We live in Christian Nations and under Christian Governments, where there are no Pagans to be converted to Chri­stianity, and to be baptized after their Re­pentance, and with a full conviction of Mind: And of those who are born of Christian Parents, there are very few so happy, as not to be entangled in the Habit of any sin, before they come to a perfect under­standing and compleat con­viction of all the Truths of Religion; And [...] Clem. Alex. Quis dives, &c. in this case it must indeed be con­fessed, that it cannot but require some time, perfectly to overcome a vitious dis­position, and to obtain the Habit of the [Page 29] contrary Vertue. But may we therefore spend our whole Lives in little and weak struglings against sin, without ever arri­ving at that pitch of Vertue, which was antiently thought necessary to prepare a Man for Baptism? May we therefore be excused from ever becoming perfect Chri­stians, because we were all along brought up in the Christian Religion, and were never converted by any sudden Con­viction? When a Man is in that state de­scribed by St. Paul in the 7th Chap. to the Romans, that he is convinced of the evil of great and known sins, and sets his Mind to resist and strive against them, yet not so but that through the viciousness of his in­clination or the force of evil Habits he frequently relapses and is intangled in them again; 'tis a Sign indeed that such a one is not yet hardened through the deceitfulness of sin; there is hopes that through the Grace of God he may at length prevail and overcome his Temptations; but he has not yet overcome, he has not yet at­tained to be a good Christian; nor can he be said to have done so, till he has brought himself into such a state, as that he be perfectly gotten above all the Temptations to know sin, and assured by the Grace of God, that he shall not fall into it any more. To such a state as this, he must resolve to arrive; and he must resolve to arrive at it timely, that he may have a certain Title to [Page 30] the reward of Obedience. There is hard­ly any Man so wicked, who does not de­sign to repent at one time or other before he dies; and our Saviour has indeed in his Gospel made the same Promises to Repen­tance, that he has to innocence and con­tinued Obedience: But let no Man de­ceive himself by a fatal Errour: The Re­pentance to which our Saviour has made such large Promises, is not the late Re­pentance of a Christian, but the timely Re­pentance of a Jew or a Heathen at his Con­version to Christianity; and is therefore the very same, and no other than Baptism it self. Indeed if a Christian by an unhappy Education be brought up in sin, and habi­tuated to Wickedness; whenever he comes by the Power of God's Word, and the In­fluence of his Holy Spirit, to be convin­ced of the evil of his Ways and of the necessity of Religion, he is then in the same state that a Heathen Convert is supposed to be at his Baptism, and the same Pro­mises are made to them both: But when a Christian who has a clear Knowledge of his Duty, does notwitstanding that, con­tinue wilfully all his Life in sin, our Savi­our is so far from assuring him that God and Angels will rejoyce at his Conversion, if when he grows old he leaves off sin­ning, because he can sin no more, that he has no where promised that such a Repen­tance shall be accepted at all. We must [Page 31] therefore so break off our sins by Repen­tance, as to attain the Habits of the con­trary Vertues, and to live in them. Such a Repentance as this, our Saviour will accept; and [...]. Justin. Dial. cum Tryph. he that after such a Repentance lives constantly Virtuous, shall certainly be esteemed in the sight of God, as if he had always been innocent: but without the evidence of such a Life of Virtue and renewed Obedience, how far soever the Mercy of God may possibly ex­tend it self, We can never have any assu­rance that our Repentance will be ac­cepted.

CHAP. V. Of the Baptism of Infants.

1. AS those who by the Preaching of the Apostles and their Successors had been converted from Judaism or Gen­tilism to Christianity, were baptized at riper Years, upon their publickly professing their Faith and their Repentance; so those who were born of Christian Parents, and de­signed to be educated in the Christian Re­ligion, have by the general Practice of the Christian Church been baptized in their Infancy, upon Promise made by Sure­ties, [Page 32] that they should be instructed in the Faith and in the Obedience of the Gospel.

2. And that Infants are rightly so ad­mitted to this Ordinance, (besides the al­most general consent and practice of the Christian Church,) I shall use but this One Argument to demonstrate. Those who are fit to be admitted into the King­dom of Christ in Heaven, (as our Savi­our himself pronounces Infants to be, Mar. 10. 14 and 15.) are certainly quali­fied to be received as Members of his Church on Earth. The Qualifications which fit Men for both, are Repentance and Faith: Now though Infants have not Repentance, yet they have Porro autem si etiam gra­vissimis delictoribus, & in Deum multum ante peccanti­bus, cùm postea crediderunt, remissi peccatorum datur, & à baptismo atque à gratiâ nemo prohibetur; quanto magis pro­hiberi non debet Infans, qui recens natus nihil peccavit, nisi quod secundum Adam carna­liter natus, contagium mortis antiquae primâ nativitate con­traxit. Cyprian. Epist. 59. Innocence, which is better than Re­pentance, and which makes them that they need it not: For if those who have been the most enormous sinners, are yet by their Repentance qualified for Baptism; how much more are Infants, who have never sinned, fitted for it by their Inno­cence? And though Infants have not and cannot have actual Faith, yet they are Cor. 7. 14. Sanctified by being born of Believing Pa­rents, they are already in some sense with­in the Limits of the Church and of the Covenant of Promise, and are ready with­out [Page 33] Prejudice to be instructed in the Truth of the Gospel, and in the Obedience thereof.

3. Infants therefore are rightly admitted to Baptism, and thereby to the Privileges ap­propriated by Christ to the Members of his Church. But because Baptism is a Cove­nant, wherein there is as well a Promise made on the part of the Person baptized, of certain Duties to be performed, as one on God's part, of certain Graces and Privile­ges to be conferred; and because Infants are not capable of making any Promise im­mediately by themselves; it has therefore been the wisdom of the Church to ap­point certain Sureties, who should pro­mise in the Name of the Child, what it self should afterwards be obliged to per­form; i. e. who should undertake to see it instructed in the Nature and Obligation of those Duties, which upon account of its being a Member of the Church of Christ, it would at years of Discretion be bound to perform.

CHAP. VI. Of the Duty of God-Fathers and God-Mothers.

1 THAT therefore which the Sure­ties undertake for a Child at its Baptism, is briefly this: That it shall be taught all the Articles of the Christian Faith, with the reasonableness of their Be­lief, that it shall be instructed in all the Duties of the Christian Life, with the ne­cessity of their Practice; and that it shall be minded in convenient time to make a publick Declaration of its being hearty in this Belief, and to enter into a renewed Engagement to continue constant in this Practice. They promise that it shall be taught to Believe in one God the Father Al­mighty, &c. and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord, &c. and in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholick Church, &c. They pro­mise that it shall be instructed, to renounce the Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this wicked World, and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh; i. e. that it shall be taught to live Soberly, Righteously, and Godly, in this present World. And they promise, that it shall in fit season be brought to declare solemnly, in the presence of God and of the whole Congregation, its [Page 35] firmness in the Faith of these Articles of Religion, and its Resolution to continue in the Obedience of these Commands.

2. This is what the God-Fathers or God-Mothers promise for a Child at its Baptism; This they promise solemnly in the presence of God, and in the face of the Congregation: And is it a small thing, to undertake for the Soul of a Person to be admitted into the Church of Christ? Is it a light thing to enter into such a Promise solemnly before God and his Church? I doubt not but who­ever considers the matter seriously, will hardly find any Duty of greater Importance, or any Promise of more solemn Obligation: yet is there no Duty more generally and more shamefully neglected, nor any Promise more lightly regarded.

3. If a Man be made Guardian to the Son of a deceased Friend, and be intrusted with the Care of his Education, how justly do we expect, that he should be careful to have him instructed in all that necessary Knowledge, on which depends the manage­ment of his Life and Conversation; that he should be zealous to have him further indued with all those useful Accomplishments, which may become his Quality and recom­mend him in the World; but above all that he should spare no pains to secure to him his Estate, and to improve his Fortunes? And do we not look upon that Man as the vilest and most unfaithful of Men, who having [Page 36] such a charge committed unto him, should wholly neglect all or any of these things? Yet how much a greater Trust does he betray, who having the Soul of a Child committed to his care by God and the Church, neglects wholly to have it taught those ne­cessary Truths, in the Knowledge and Practice of which consists its everlasting Happiness; who takes no care at all to se­cure to it that Portion, which God hath designed and prepared for it in Heaven; and who seeing the Soul of an Innocent Babe, (perhaps meerly for want of good Advice and Instruction,) beginning to be over-run with the Seeds of those Vices, which in time must drown it in destruction and perdition, does yet show no Care or Concern for it? What greater Uncharitable­ness can a Man possibly be guilty of towards the Soul of his Brother, or what greater Mockery of God? 'Tis True, the Education of a Child is not wholly committed to the Care of those who are its Sureties in Bap­tism, but first and principally to the Pa­rents themselves: But undoubtedly they are bound to be Assistants; and if the Parents either thro' Wickedness neglect to instruct it, or by Death are taken away from it, the Sureties must look upon this Care as chiefly devolved upon Them, and of which they must give a strict Account.

4. In what Station soever God appoints any Man over the Soul of his Brother, either [Page 37] to warn the wicked or to instruct the ig­norant, if he neglects his Duty and his Brother perish through his default, the Blood of him that perisheth will be re­quired at his hands: Ezek 3 [...]. 8. When I say unto the Wicked, O Wicked Man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the Wicked from his ways, that wicked Man shall die in his Iniquity, but his Blood will I require at thine hand. How much more, when the Soul of an innocent Child is committed particularly to the care of any Person, if thro' his neglect it be corrupted and perish, shall its Blood be required at his hand? With what Confusion and Amazement shall we at the day of Judgment hear those who have been committed to our Charge, accuse us for having been thro' carelesness the causes of their Destruction? How shall we be astonisht and cut to the heart, to hear them curse us and say, Had those who should have instructed us, been as careful to teach us our Duty, as we were capable and willing to have learnt it, we had never come into this miserable condition! And how will it double the Torments even of Hell it self, to have the punishment not only of our own Sins, but also of all the sins of those, who have been undone by our neglect, inflicted upon us?

5. 'Tis not therefore a slight and trivial matter, to be Sureties for Children in Baptism; 'tis not enough barely to make [Page 38] Profession of our Faith in their Name at the Font; but we are bound afterward to per­form conscientiously, what we there solemnly promised for them before God and his Church, as a Duty wherein their Souls and our own, and the welfare of the Church of Christ, are highly concerned. Tertullian thought it a great objection against the use of Infant-Baptism, that Quid enim necesse est Spon­sores etiam periculo ingeri, qui & ipsi per mortalitatem desti­tuere promissiones suas pos­sunt, & prove [...]tu malae in [...]olis falli? Tertul. [...] Baptismo. the Sureties were there obliged to promise, what they were not sure they should live to perform, and what, if they did live, they could not be sure they should be able to perswade the baptized Person to take upon himself: He never once thought that so great a Trust might be wilfully betrayed, or so solemn a promise carelesly neglected; which would have been a much stronger Objection. What would he have said, if he had lived in these times, wherein nothing is more common, than for Men to take upon them­selves this great Charge, without ever de­signing to think more of it?

6. Let those Men consider this, who make no scruple to promise in the presence of God and his Church, what they never design to think upon after. Let those consider this, who make no scruple to Answer readily for a Child, whom by reason of its great di­stance they have no probability of ever seeing more: Let those consider this, who [Page 39] when they have been Sureties for a Child, deliver it immediately to its Parents, as if they were by that Mockery released from their Promise, and God deluded as easily as Men: Lastly, Let those consider this, who think themselves obliged to restifie their Love to a Child whom they have been Sureties for, by some little and trifling Marks of Kindness; while they are at the same time most inhumanely and unchristianly cruel to it, by neglecting that one great Kindness which they have promised and vowed to do for it.

7. I doubt not but the notorious neglect of this important Duty, is one great cause of the shameless Wickedness of our pre­sent Age. For while Parents and Sureties are careless to instruct Children in the Na­ture and Obligation of their Baptismal Vow, vicious Inclinations prevail upon them and insensibly grow into Vicious Habits, before they come to a perfect Knowledge of the Necessity and Excellency of Religion, of the Extent and Obligation of their Duty, and of the Greatness and Certainty of the Happiness annexed to it. Whereas were Sureties, according to their solemn Promise made to God and his Church, conscientiously careful to see that those for whom they have Undertaken, be timely and diligently instructed; Religion would have the first Possession, of innocent and un­prejudiced Minds; Children would for [Page 40] the most part, though differently according to their different Tempers, be early wrought upon to admire the Beauty and the Plea­sure of Virtue; to thirst after the Love of God and the Happiness of Heaven; and would be brought to Confirmation, with a deep Sense and Conviction of their Duty, with an earnest desire of professing the rea­lity of their Faith and renewing their Pro­mises of Obedience, and with a full reso­lution of living suitably to that Profession and those renewed Promises, the remaining part of their Lives.

CHAP. I. Of the Nature, Design and Use of Con­firmation.

THAT there is a certain Period of time, at which every Man that is truly Religious, began to be so, and from which the beginning of his Re­ligious Life might truly be dated, is evi­dent: But of what use the Knowing and Fixing this Period in a Man's own Mind, may be, is generally very little considered: For whilst some have groundlesly asserted, that there is a certain Time of every good Man's Conversion, after which it is im­possible for him to fall away into a state of Wickedness; and whilst others have weakly imagined, that there is a certain Time of Conversion, after which though a [Page 42] Man does fall into great Wickednesses, yet he cannot fall finally from a State of Grace; most others have thought that there is little or no use of inquiring at all into the exact time when the Religious Life begins, or if there were, that it is hardly possible for a Man to Fix and Determine it, since Men generally become Religious not by a sudden Conversion, but by a gradual Progress. But though it be indeed true, that Men generally become Religious, not at once, but by degrees, yet may a Man neverthe­less certainly Fix to himself the Period, from whence to date the beginning of his Religious Life: For if his Progress has been only from a more imperfect State of Virtue, (which consists in a constant sincere endea­vour to obey all the Commandments of God, but accompanied with many Frailties, In­advertencies and Surprizes,) to a more per­fect and uniform practice of Holiness; he has been all along in the Course of a Re­ligious Life: But if his Progress has been from a Course of known and wilful sin, to a Victory or Conquest over his Lusts and Temp­tations; he must reckon his Religious Life from no longer a time, (notwithstan­ding any pious Intervals and Struglings which he may have had with his Habitual Temptations,) than from that Period since which he has never fallen into any known and gross sin. And the Uses of a Man's fixing within himself such a Period, would [Page 43] be that more assured and settled Peace of Conscience, which would arise from the distinct and clear View of a well examined course of past Holiness; that effectual bar against falling into the Act of any known sin, which would be put by a Man's consi­dering, that by such an Act he must lose all the comfort of his past Virtue, and be forced to begin his Religious Life again from a new Period; And above all, that mighty dread of going on in a circle of Sin­ning and Repenting, Repenting and Sinning, into which Men would be rowzed, by being brought to understand clearly, that such a course is no part of a Religious Life at all.

2. Now this Period, from which I sup­pose a Christian to begin his Religious Life, must be either Baptism, Confirmation or Re­pentance. In those who are converted from the Profession of any other Religion to that of Christianity, the Period from whence their Religious Life ought to begin, is Bap­tism: And the Principal cause of that strict Piety, for which the Primitive Christians are so deservedly Eminent, seems to be that great rigour with which they insisted upon Mens living in a constant course of Piety from the time of their entring into this solemn Covenant. In those who have been educated from their Infancy in the Christian Religion, the Period from whence [Page 44] their Religious Life ought to be dated, is Confirmation; the time from their Bap­tism being only their Preparation, or time of Instruction. But then for those who have neglected this great and solemn Op­portunity, or have since fallen into any great and wliful sins; the only remaining time from whence their Religious Life can be reckoned, is Repentance, i. e. the Time since which they have so perfectly had the Conquest over all their Temptations, as not to have been seduced by them any more, into any gross or wilful sin. Of Bap­tism I have already spoken in the former Essay; of Confirmation I shall treat in this; of Repentance in the next.

3. In the Primitive Church, those who upon Profession of their Faith and Repen­tance were by Baptism admitted into the Church of Christ, had this their Admis­sion compleated or perfected afterwards, by the Imposition of Hands. When the Sama­ritans had received the Word of God, and many of them were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus, only the Holy Ghost was as yet fallen upon none of them, we find that Id quod d [...]erat, à Petro & Johanne factum est, ut Ora­tione pro [...]is habitâ & manu impositâ, invocaretur & infun­deretur super eos Spiritus Sanctus. Cyprian. ad Jubaian: Ep. 73. two of the Apo­stles were sent to lay their hands on them, and then they received the Holy Ghost, Acts 8. 17. This was the constant practise of the Apo­stles, [Page 45] stles, to perfect or compleat Baptism by the Imposition of Hands: which two things are therefore laid down together among the Principles or Foundations of the Doctrine of Christ, Heb. 6. 2. and were accordingly practised jointly by the Church in succeed­ing Ages. This Custom (saith Quod nunc quoque apud nos geritur, ut qui in Ecclesiâ baptizantur, per praepositos Ecclesiae offerantur, & per no­stram orationem ac manûs im­positionem Spiritum Sanctum consequantur, & signaculo Domini consummentur. Cypri. Ep. 73. St. Cyprian) is also descended to us, that they who are baptized be brought by the Rulers of the Church, and by our Prayer and the Imposition of Hands, may obtain the Holy Ghost, and be consummated with the Seal of the Lord. And Dehinc manus imponitur, per Benedictionem advocans & invitans Spiritum Sanctum: Tunc ille Sanctissimus Spiri­tus super emundata & bene­dicta corpora libens à Patre descendit. Tertul. de Baptismo. Tertullian, After Baptism the hand is imposed, by Blessing calling down and invi­ting the Holy Spirit: Then that most Holy Spirit willing­ly descends from the Father upon the Bodies that are cleansed and blessed.

4. But of this Confirmation of Persons baptized at riper years, which was anci­ently administred immediately after Bap­tism, and is therefore by many not with­out reason look'd upon as a Part of the Ceremony of Baptism it self, it is not my purpose to speak now more largely. That which I am at this time more especially to consider, is that Confirmation, as it is now in use in the Church, whereby those who [Page 46] have been baptized in their Infancy, are at Years of Discretion perfected or made compleat Members of the Church. And the Design and Use of Confirming such Persons, is plainly this: Baptism being a Covenant, wherein there are as well certain Conditions promised to be perfor­med on the part of the Person Bap­tized, as certain Privileges assured to be conferred on God's part; and Infants, though they be capable of being ad­mitted to the Privileges of Members of the Church, yet not being capable of promising or performing any Conditions, any otherwise than by means of cer­tain Sureties, who ingage to instruct them in the Nature and Obligation of the Promises made in their Name at their Baptism; 'tis manifest that these baptized Infants, when they come to Years of Discretion, if they desire to continue to be Partakers of the Privi­leges, which God has appropriated to the Members of his Church, they must be willing also to perform the Conditi­ons, which God has indispensably required of all those Members: That they may enter therefore into these Obligations, with the advantage of greater Solemnity and Choice, it has most wisely been instituted, that as soon as they be of Age to under­stand the Nature and the Obligation of [Page 47] that Promise, which was made in their Name at their Baptism, they should be brought to make a publick Declaration, in the presence of God and his Church of their taking freely upon themselves that Vow, and of their Resolution to live from thenceforward conformably to the Conditions of that great and solemn Cove­nant; and that upon this publick Profes­sion of their Faith, and most solemn Pur­poses of Obedience, they should by Im­position of Hands have the great Privileges of Baptism sealed anew and secured to them.

5. And that this might be done the more solemnly and effectually, so as to have a lasting effect upon the Minds and Lives of Men, as the solemn Administration of Baptism had antiently among the Primi­tive Christians; it were very much to be wished, that as in those Primitive Times Persons converted to Christianity were not before Baptism admitted as compleat Members to the Communion of the Church, but were esteemed only as Can­didates desirous to be instructed in the Christian Religion; so those who have now been only baptized in their Infancy, should before Confirmation be looked upon by others, and by themselves too, as no other than Catechumens: It were to be wished, that no one might be admitted [Page 48] to the Communion, before he were con­firmed; and that no one might be admit­ted to Confirmation, before he had attained a perfect Knowledge of the extent and obligation of all the Duties of Religi­on, and given sufficient evidence of his Resolution to live suitably to that Know­ledge: It were to be wished, that as in the Primitive Church there were certain solemn Times appointed for Baptism, as Easter and Whitsontide, at which those who were before prepared by a regular course of Catechizing, were admitted with great solemnity into the compleat Communion of the Church; so there were now such solemn seasons appointed, against which Ministers of particular Parishes should for some time before-hand diligently in­struct and prepare those, who were of Age to be presented to the Bishop to be confirmed: And above all, it were to be wished, that the whole Process might be performed with so much Reverence and Solemnity, that all the Persons confirmed might understand and be convinced, that they came now to have all the Privileges, which God hath promised to the Mem­bers of his Church, sealed and assured to them; that they now received the Assistance of the Holy Spirit, to enable them effectually to perform their Duty; and that they now solemnly undertook [Page 49] for themselves before God and the Church, what their Sureties promised for them before at Baptism, to Live from hence­forward in all Holiness and Purity, and in constant Obedience to all the Commands of God, the remaining part of their Lives.

6. Were this excellent Institution thus solemnly and religiously observed, ex­ceeding great would be the Effects which we might justly hope to see pro­duced by the use of it. The Effect that the Imposition of the Apostles hands had upon the first Converts to Christianity, was no less than the induing them with those extraordinary Gifts of Speaking with Tongues, Working Miracles, and the like: And though these mighty Operations of the Spirit did afterward by degrees cease; yet the constant Influence of the Holy Ghost, and the Blessing of God conferred by the Imposition of Hands, did in all succeeding Ages express and shew forth it self in great and very remarkable Effects: It filled Men with Spiritual and Internal Strength; it indued them with Courage and Wisdom and Fortitude, to confess bold­ly the Faith of Christ Crucified, and to promote zealously the Service of the Church; it wrought in their Minds an Ardent Love of God, and a continual Joy in the Holy Ghost; a perfect Purity of Heart, and Con­tempt [Page 50] of all Worldly Enjoyments; a boundless Charity towards all Mankind, and an infinite desire of doing good in their Generation. And were Young Persons taught Now to receive Confirmation with the same Preparation, with the same Re­verence, and with the same Expectations, that they did in the Primitive Times; we might yet expect, that God would annex the same Inward Blessings, to the Use of the same External Means. Were none esteemed Perfect Christians, or looked upon as Compleat Members of the Church, before Confirmation; Parents and Sure­ties would be obliged to instruct and pre­pare Children in order to be Confirmed; and we should not see the generality of Men esteeming themselves Perfect Christi­ans, and Faithful Members of the Church, without ever knowing how, or upon what Conditions they were admitted into it. Were none admitted to Confirmation, who had not first passed through such a regular course of Catechizing, as to un­derstand perfectly the Extent of their Du­ty, and their Obligation to perform it; this would breed in Young Persons a great Reverence and Esteem for Religion, and a great Zeal in preparing themselves that they might be thought worthy to be admitted to the compleat Communion of the Church, and to the Participation of [Page 51] its higher Mysteries: By this means Children would be fully and distinctly in­structed in the nature and design of Reli­gion, as soon as they came to the know­ledge of Good and Evil; and we should not see Men live all their Lives in the Communion of the Church, and in the Par­ticipation of its Sacraments, without ever understanding the very first Principles of the Doctrine of Christ, or what it was that they promised at Baptism: By this means that gross Ignorance, in which so many thousand Christians live and die, would in great measure be prevented; and we should not see Children for want of In­struction so soon possessed and corrupted by Vice, as to Lie and Swear, to be Diso­bedient and Ill natur'd, to be Vain and Idle in that tender Age, wherein they might as easily be formed to all the contrary Virtues with the same advantage of Preju­dice and first Possession. Were none re­ceived to Confirmation, who did not ex­press a sincere Resolution to live from thenceforward according to the Purity and the Equity of the Gospel in all Holi­ness and godly Conversation; or who did not with free Choice and a zealous Dispo­sition of Mind desire to take upon them­selves their Baptismal Vow, and to make publick Profession of their Faith and Obe­dience in the presence of God and his [Page 52] whole Church; this would give a mighty Reputation to Religion and Virtue; this would prevent that Goldness and Dead­ness in Religion, which proceeds from Mens taking up the Profession of it in course, without due Preparation and Dis­position of Mind; this would make Men earnest and serious in the Profession of Chri­stianity, and solicitous not to contradict their Profession by their Lives: such a Solemn Renuntiation of the World, the Flesh and the Devil; such a Vow solemn­ly confirmed and ratified by our personal Protestation in the presence of God, and in the sight of the Congregation, could not but be a mighty Bridle to restrain Men from Sin, and a mighty Spur to pro­voke Men to Good Works: The Fear of God, and the Shame of Men, in whose presence so sacred an Obligation was en­tered into, could not but be of great force to bind men to live worthy of this great Vocation, that they might answer the expectation of God and his Church, and not become a blemish and dishonour to their Religion. Lastly, Were none ad­mitted to Confirmation, without being first fully perswaded, that they came now to receive the Perfection and Strength of Baptismal Grace; that they came now to receive Signacu­lum Domini the Seal of the Lord, where­by they are separated unto the Service of [Page 53] God, and to the Day of Redemption: In a word, that they came now to receive the Assistance of the Holy Ghost, which should from henceforward continue with them, to inable them to perform all the Commands of God, and to resist and over­come all the Temptations of the Enemy; we might have reason to hope, that as in the Primitive Times, so Now also these External Ordinances would be accompa­nied with such plentiful Effusions of in­ward and sanctifying Grace, as would have a visible effect in the Lives and Manners of Men: The time was, when the Pro­fessors of True Religion could challenge the Unbelieving World to give them a Lustful, Malitious, Passionate, Revengeful Man, and they would by the Admini­stration of Baptism and Confirmation, transform him into the Purest, the Meek­est, and the Gentlest Spirit upon Earth; and since God has promised to be al­ways with the Church by his Spirit even unto the end of the World, I see no rea­son why Confirmation of Baptized Per­sons, if it were celebrated by us with the same Preparation and Reverence as it was among the Antients, might not be as effectual Now to Confirm Men in Virtue, as it was Then to Transform them from Vice; and have as proportionably great an effect upon the following part of [Page 54] our Lives, as it had upon theirs. By these means the Church would be again restored to its Antient Regular Constitu­tion: By these means many perplexing Scruples about the Worthy Receiving the Holy Communion, would in great measure be removed; no one being ca­pable of being admitted to that Holy Sacrament, without having been first Confirmed; and no one being capable of being Confirmed, without having first passed through such Preparation, as would sit him for the Communion: Lastly, By these means, if any one after Confirma­tion lapsed into the practice of any great and notorious Sin, a fair opportunity would offer it self of restoring some de­gree of that Antient Discipline, the want of which is so justly lamented by the Church; this Solemn Preparation, by which I suppose persons fitted for Con­firmation, being the most likely thing in the World to work in Mens Minds such a Dread of Sins to be committed after­wards, as would dispose them to submit to, and to profit under Discipline.

7. These are the exceeding great Bene­fits, which would arise from such a So­lemn and Religious Use of Confirmation: But till this excellent Institution can be restored to its Antient Solemnity and Reverence, (which as it is much to be [Page 55] wished, so in the present degeneracy and corruption of Manners it is hardly to be hoped,) all that can be done, is earnest­ly to exhort those who are in any capa­city intrusted with the Instruction of Children, that they be careful for the Ho­nour of God, and for the Welfare of his Church, to teach them to Love God and Religion with their first Love; to im­prove in them those Natural Principles of Justice and Truth, Honesty and Thank­fulness, Simplicity and Obedience, which God hath planted in their very Creation; to teach them to resist the Prejudices and first Insinuations of Vice, and to be afraid of a Sin as of Death; to fill their Minds with great and honourable thoughts of the Privileges of being made Members of Christ, Children of God, and Heirs of Heaven; to instruct them fully in the Extent and Obligation of all the Duties of the Christian Life, which in their Baptism they ingaged to perform; and, when they be thus Qualified, to bring them with Understanding and Resolution, with Desire and Zeal, to receive at Con­firmation the Consummation of Baptismal Grace, and a joyful Assurance of Glory and Immortality, if they shall persevere in their Faith and their Obedience to the end.

[Page 56]8. My Design in the following Essay, is not to enter into any Question of Dis­pute, but only to lay down some brief and practical Directions, by which one that designs to be Confirmed, (whom I al­ways suppose of Age to understand the whole Doctrine of Religion,) or one that is already Confirmed and is sincerely desirous to lead a Religious Life, may attain to that Primitive Holiness and that Perfection of Virtue, which becomes the Truth and the Purity of the Gospel.

CHAP. II. What is to be done before Confirmation. Of Faith; of the Necessity of Religion; of the Necessity of Revelation; of the Evi­dence of the Christian Religion; and of Consideration.

1. FIrst then, in order to receive Con­firmation, or to begin the great Work of Religion, with due preparation of Mind, Endeavour before all things to at­tain a real and firm Belief of the great Doctrines of the Christian Religion. This is the only Foundation, that will be able to support the Design of a truly Religious Life. If we do really and firmly believe, the Being and the Providence of God; if [Page 57] we be indeed convinced, that the Christi­an Religion is a Revelation of the Divine Will; if we be in earnest persuaded, that there will certainly come a Day of Retri­bution, wherein every Man shall receive according to that he has done, whether it be Good or Evil; this is a Faith, which will assuredly overcome the World; this is a Belief, which will certainly baffle all the Temptations of Sin and Satan; this will make all the Glories of the World seem mean, and all the Pleasures of Sense insipid; in a word, this will inspire Men with such a vigorous Zeal▪ as will make them not only with Ease and Contentment, but with a mighty Pleasure sacrifice all earthly En­joyments, to the doing the greatest Good here, and obtaining the greatest Happiness hereafter. But if we enter upon the Pro­fession of Religion rashly and inconsiderate­ly, more for Form and Custom than upon any mature Deliberation and Conviction of Mind, it is not possible we should perse­vere in well-doing with Resolution and Patience: The Cares of the World and the Deceitfulness of Riches, the Solicita­tions of Pleasure and the Lusts of other things, will certainly prevail over us and seduce us into Sin. Nothing but a firm Faith, grounded upon an impartial View and a deep Consideration of things, can possibly carry a Man through the Difficul­ties [Page 58] and Discouragements of a Religious Life: But he that begins to build upon this Foundation, and lays down his first Principles of Faith immovable as a Rock, will be able to surmount all Difficulties with Bravery and Constancy, and will at­tain the end of his Hopes with Triumph and Joy.

2. The true Reason why so great a num­ber of those who make Profession of Chri­stianity, are either wicked and licentious, or at least cold and indifferent in Matters of Religion, is plainly this, That they do not in earnest believe, as they pretend and profess to do, the great Articles of Religi­on: They in course profess themselves to be Christians, without having ever consi­dered what Christianity is, and therefore it has little or no Influence upon their Lives and Actions. For did Men indeed as firmly believe the Doctrines of the Christi­an Religion, as the Character they are wil­ling to bear in the World obliges them to pretend they do, it would be in a man­ner as strange to find a Man whose Actions should give his Words the Lye, and his Life be unsuitable to his Profession, as to hear one disputing whether there were a Hell or no, while he were actually tor­mented in the Flames thereof. For though Faith has not the Evidence of Sense, as indeed it is impossible it should, yet if it [Page 59] be well grounded, it could not but have in good measure the same effect upon the Lives of Men, as the Evidence of Sense would have. When a Temporal Prince declares, that whoever be found guilty of such or such Crimes, shall certainly under­go this or that particular Punishment, such a Declaration has generally the same In­fluence upon all the Subjects concerned, as if they saw the Punishment already actually inflicted upon the Criminals: When therefore the Supreme Governour of the World declares to Mankind his Will, which is their Law and Rule of Life, and inforces the Obligation of that Law by such Threats and Promises, as the Scri­pture, which is that Declaration of his Will, contains; If these Threats and Pro­mises of the Almighty have not the same in­fluence upon the Hearts and Lives of Men, as those of an earthly Prince in other Cases generally have, is it not evident either that Men do not in earnest believe that these Threats and Promises are indeed the Declaration of his Will, or else that they imagine that though he now so earnestly presses, and seems so severely to exact Obe­dience to his Laws, yet at last he will not punish the Contempt of them? If this be not the case, how comes the Christian Re­ligion to have lost that Efficacy in reform­ing the Lives and Manners of Men, for [Page 60] which it was once so eminent even amongst its Enemies themselves? If We do indeed believe the same Gospel, and live under the power of the same Religion, that the Primitive Christians did; how comes that Religion not to have the same Influence upon our Lives and Actions, that it had upon theirs? Can we hear Men daily pro­fane the Sacred Name of God with im­pious and horrid Oaths; and yet think they believe there is a God, jealous of his Honour, and that will avenge himself on such a Nation as this? Can we see Men cheat and cozen, destroy and prey upon one another, without the least scruple or appearance of remorse; and yet think they believe the Truth of the Christian Religion, and the Severity thereof? In a word, can we see Men dally with Eterni­ty, and for the sake of a few empty and momentany Gratifications, hazard their ever­lasting Welfare? Can we think it possi­ble, I say, that rational Creatures should act with so prodigious a Carelesness, who yet believe not that the Scene of this World shall be shut up in everlasting O­blivion, but that there will come a Day wherein they must give Account for their Works, and be accordingly happy or mi­serable for ever? No certainly; whatever Pretences Men may make to deceive others, and perhaps in some measure themselves [Page 61] too, there must lurk some secret Seeds of Infidelity in the Heart of every wicked Man; and the true Reason why this World has so much the Ascendant over the Lives of Christians, must be their not having a firm Belief of the Glories of the other. Whoever therefore will so enter into a religious course of Life, as to be able to persevere in well-doing to the end; who­ever will so lay the Foundation, as to be able to finish; must before all things at­tain a firm and settled Belief of the great Truths of Religion: And as without this Ground-work, it is not possible he should ever be resolute enough, to overcome the Enemies of his Religion and Happiness; so with it, it is not possible he should ever be overcome by them. He that has a firm and steady Belief of the Greatness and Ex­cellency of those Riches, which neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt, and to which Thieves cannot break through to steal, will never be so dazled with the glittering of Gold, as to let it steal away his Heart and Affections: He that has a great and noble Idea of the Glory which shall be revealed hereafter, will never be enticed to squan­der away those Talents which God has given him, only in appearing splendid and great here: He that hath a strong and vi­gorous expectation of those Pleasures which God hath prepared for them that [Page 62] love him, which Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither have they entered into the 1 Cor. 2. 9. Heart of Man to conceive, will never be persuaded to give himself up to the vo­luptuousness and sensuality of a Beast: In a word, he that is full of Faith, and can look with assurance beyond things Tem­poral to those which are Eternal, has left Sicut e­nim homo, cùm im­plet am­phoras bo­no vino, & inter il [...]as paucas amphoras semiplenas posuit, & venit ut tentet & gustet, &c. Sic Diabolus venit ad homines servos Dei, ut tentet il­los. Quicunque pleni sunt fide, resistunt ei fortiter, & ille recedit ab illis, quia non habet locum intrandi: Tunc vadit ad eos qui non sunt in side pleni, & quoniam habet locum, intrat, &c. Hermas 2. ult. no room in himself where the Devil can enter with his Suggestions, but is for­tified on all sides against all Tempta­tions.

3. Now to attain such a Faith as this, not slight and superficial, but firm and well-grounded, and immovable against all As­saults, a Man ought to proceed by these steps. First he must by serious Conside­ration work in his own Mind a full and perfect Conviction of the Being of God, and of the Excellency of his Attributes: From thence he must collect the certainty of God's Providence over Men, and the Obli­gation of Mens Duty towards God: From hence will follow the necessity of Reli­gion here, and the certainty of the Reward of Vertue hereafter: After this he must consider the necessity of a Divine Revela­tion [Page 63] to establish true Religion, and the Proofs which evidence the Christian Institution to be such a Revelation: And above all, he must fix these Things strongly, and imprint them on his Mind, by deep and constant Me­ditation.

4. He that cometh to God, must in the first place believe that he Is; i. e. he must not only by a slight and careless assent go along inconsiderately with the common Opi­nion, but he must form in his Mind a considerate and rational, a strong and vigo­rous Persuasion of the Being of God. Take a view of this great and glorious Fabrick of the World; consider the stupendous Mag­nitude and the exquisite Order of its Parts; consider the numberless Instances of Infi­nite Power and unfathomable Wisdom, which appear in this our Spot of Earth; consi­der the exquisite Artifice which discovers it self in the Structure of the Body of Man, and the inconceivable Subtilty of the Ope­rations of his Mind; consider at the same time how frail, and depending, and corrup­tible all these things are; how weak and unable even Man, the noblest Part of the visible World, is, to be the Cause, or so much as the Preserver either of him­self or any thing else: And this will raise in the Mind such a powerful Con­viction of the Being of God, as will be a lasting and immovable Foundation, on [Page 64] which to build a rational and considerate Design of Religion.

5. To one that is thus persuaded of the Being of God, it will be easie to conclude, That as that Supreme Being, from whom all other Things received their Original, must himself be Eternal; as he, from whom all the Powers of all Things that exist, are derived, must himself be All­powerful; and as he, by whose Establish­ment all Things in all Places were made to move in such wise and wonderful Order, as far exceeds the Capacity of the wisest of Men to comprehend, must himself be All-knowing and All-wise: So it cannot be, but that he who is All-knowing, All-powerful and All-wise; who sees through all things at one view, and can effect all things with the same ease that he can will them; must govern, direct and manage all things by an Over-ruling Providence: And because his Power is so great as not possibly to be com­pelled, and his Wisdom so perfect as not pos­sibly to be seduced, to do any thing contra­ry to those Eternal Rules, which the im­mutable Law of the Divine Nature, and the unalterable Constitution and Relation of Things has fixed; that therefore this his Government of the World must be Just and Equitable, according to the nicest and exactest Measures, of Infinite Goodness, Righteousness and Truth.

[Page 65]6. From this Notion of the Being, of the Attributes, and of the Providence of God, most evidently follows the Necessity of Re­ligion. For if God be a Being of Infinite Power, Knowledge and Wisdom; 'tis mani­fest he is to be Reverenced, to be Honoured, and to be Feared: If he concerns himself with the Government of his Creatures, and imploys these infinite Perfections in Ruling and Ordering the World; 'tis manifest he is to be Worshipped, Prayed to, and Adored: And if this his Government of the World be regulated by the exactest Measures of infinite Goodness, Righteousness and Truth; 'tis manifest he is to be Loved, to be Prai­sed, and to be Imitated.

7. And because it cannot be, but that a just, and true and good Being, whose Na­ture and whose Happiness consists in the Perfection and in the Exercise of these At­tributes, must be pleased with those Crea­tures, who love to imitate his Justice, his Goodness and his Truth; therefore there must of necessity be a Reward, laid up in store for Vertue; and those whose delight it has been to conform themselves to the likeness of the Divine Nature, shall certain­ly be admitted to partake in some degree of the Divine Happiness. Wherefore if this Reward be not given to Vertue in this present Life; if the good things of this World be distributed not only pro­miscuously, [Page 66] but even generally to the dis­advantage of the Vertuous, and to the advantage of those who are Enemies of God and Haters of his Religion; it fol­lows, that if a righteous and good God has any regard to Righteousness and Goodness, there must be a future State, wherein Re­wards and Punishments shall be dispenced impartially to Vertue and Vice.

8. Thus as certain as is our Knowledge of the Being of God and of the Constitution of Things, so certain may we be of the Obli­gation of Religion, and of the Reward of Vertue. Yet by Experience it hath been found, that these Considerations, however in themselves strong and concluding, have notwithstanding been insufficient so to convince Mens Judgments and Over-rule their Passions, as to keep them constant in the Knowledge and in the Practice of their Duty. The greatest Part of the Gentile World, before the appearance of the Glo­rious Light of the Gospel, were an ama­zing Instance of this. They quickly fell from the worship of the true God, to the worship of Idols and impure Spirits; and were thereupon given up to a reprobate Mind, to work all Uncleanness with greedi­ness: Ephes. 4. 19. They were by degrees intangled in all manner of wicked Practices, till their very Mind and Conscience was defiled; and Tit. 1. 15. so accustomed themselves to run into all [Page 67] excess of Riot, that even their most sacred and religious Performances became at length the very extremest Abominations. And though there always were among them some Philosophers, who stood up for the Cause of Vertue and true Religion; yet they never were able to keep together any considerable number of Men, who could agree among themselves about the Notion of the Truth, and persevere in the practice of it. Even that Happiness it self, which was to be the ultimate end of all humane Actions, they were so little settled in their Apprehensions about, that St. Au­stin somewhere out of Varro reckons up no less than 280 Opinions concerning the chief Good. The means to attain this Hap­piness, namely the great Rules of Morali­ty, they agreed indeed pretty well in; but their Understandings they complained were so dark and cloudy, their Wills so biassed and inclined to Evil, their Passions so outragious and rebelling against Reason, that those Rules were looked upon as hardly practi­cable: In a word, they confessed that hu­mane Nature was strangely corrupted; and they complained of this Corruption as a Dis­ease whereof they knew not the Cause, and could not find out a sufficient Remedy; so that the great Duties of Religion were laid down by them as Matters of specula­tion and dispute rather than practice, and [Page 68] not so much urged upon the Hearts and Lives of Men, as proposed to the admiration of those, who thought them scarce possible to be effectually attained to by the genera­lity of Men. Lastly, The Method, by which those who have erred from the right way and have offended God, may yet again restore them­selves to the Favour of God and to the Hopes of Happiness, the Philosophers were in a manner absolutely ignorant of. From the Consideration of the Goodness and Merci­fulness of God, they did indeed reasonably hope, that God would shew himself pla­cable to Sinners, and might be some way reconciled: But what Propitiation he will accept, and in what manner this Reconci­liation must be made, here Nature stops and expects with impatience the aid of some particular Revelation. That God will receive returning Sinners, and accept of Repentance instead of perfect Obedi­ence, they cannot certainly know, to whom he has not declared that he will do so; for though this be the most probable and only means of Reconciliation that Nature suggests, yet whether this will be alone sufficient, or whether he requires some­thing further before he will restore Men to the Privileges they have forfeited, they cannot be satisfactorily assured. There arises therefore from Nature no sufficient Comfort to Sinners, but an endless and anxious solicitude about the means of ap­peasing [Page 69] the Deity. Hence those diverse ways of Sacrificing and numberless Super­stitions, which overspread the face of the Heathen World, but were so little satis­factory to the wiser part of Mankind, even in those times of Darkness, that the Phi­losophers could not sometimes forbear de­claring, That they thought those Rites could avail little or nothing towards ap­peasing the Wrath of a provoked God, or making their Prayers ac­ceptable in his sight; in­somuch that [...]. Plato Alcibiad. 2. prope fin. Plato in the Person of Socrates speaks out, that since they knew not in what manner to apply themselves acceptably unto God, he expected and did assure himself, that in due time some Person would be sent from God, who should declare to them his Will in that particular.

9. And now if these wisest of Philoso­phers were thus puzled about that which was their highest Concern, how are the Disputers of our Age certain, that if them­selves had lived without the Light of the Gospel, they should have made such a right use of their Reason, as to have dis­covered the Truth exactly, without be­ing any way led aside by Prejudice or In­terest? [Page 70] If their Lot had been among the Vulgar, how are they sure they should have been so happy, or so considerate, as not to have been involved in that Idolatry and Superstition, which over-spread the whole World? If they had joyned them­selves to the Philosophers, which Sect would they have chosen to have followed, and what Book would they have resolved upon to be the adaequate Rule of their Lives and Conversations? Or if they would have set up for themselves, how are they cer­tain they should have been skilful and un­prejudiced enough, to have deduced the several Branches of their Duty, and ap­plied them to the several Cases of Life, by Argumentation and dint of Reason? 'Tis one thing to see that those Rules of Life, which are before-hand plainly and parti­cularly laid before us, are perfectly agree­able to Reason; and another thing to find out those Rules meerly by the Light of Reason, without their having first been any otherwise made known. We see that even many of those, who profess to go­vern their Lives by the plain written Rule of an instituted and revealed Religion, are yet most miserably ignorant of their Duty; and how can any Man be sure he should have made so good Improvement of his Reason, as to have understood it perfectly in all its parts, without any such [Page 71] help? We see that many of those, who profess to believe firmly that great and everlasting Happiness, which Christ has promised to Obedience, and that great and eternal Misery which Christ has threatned to Disobedience, are yet hurried away by their Lusts and Passions to transgress the Conditions of that Covenant, to which these Promises and these Threatnings are annexed; and how can any Man be sure he should be able to overcome those great Temptations, if these mighty Motives were less distinctly known, or less powerfully enforced? But suppose he could, and that by strength of Reason he could demon­strate to himself these things with all clearness and distinctness; yet could all Men do so? Assuredly all Men are not equally capable of being Philosophers, tho' all Men are equally obliged to be Religious. At least thus much is certain, that the Re­wards and Punishments of another World, the great Motives of Religion cannot be so powerfully inforced to the influencing the Lives and Practice of all sorts of Men, by one who shall undertake to demon­strate the reality of them by force of Reason and Arguments, as by one who showing sufficient Credentials of his ha­ving been himself there, shall assure them of the truth and certainty of these things.

[Page 72]10. Though therefore nothing be more evident to Reason, than the Necessity of Re­ligion in general, and the Certainty of the Reward of Virtue; yet because 'tis too nice and laborious a work in the matter of such vast Importance, for Men of all Capaci­ties to discover by the Light of Nature all the particular Branches of their Duty; and because in the discovery of such mat­ters, as are the great Motives of Religion, Men are apt to be more easily wrought upon, and more strongly affected, by Testimony than by Arguments; and because some things necessary in our present corrupt State, such as for instance the means by which a sinner may appease God after he has offended him, cannot certainly be discove­red by the Light of Nature and Reason at all; therefore there is evidently a necessity of some particular Revelation, which may supply these defects. And this the Hea­thens themselves were so sensible of, that there never was any Principal Law-giver among them, who did not pretend to re­ceive his Laws, or at least his Instructions for making those Laws, by some Divine Revelation; and Plato in that most re­markable Passage before-cited, acknow­ledges so plainly the want of such a Re­velation, as even to question whether it would not be better that Men should for­bear sacrificing wholly, till such times as [Page 73] God should discover to them in what man­ner he would have it done. 'Tis therefore agreeable to the Natural Expectations of Men, that God should make some particular Re­velation of his Will, which may supply the Defects of the Light of Nature: And that it is not unworthy of the Wisdom of God to make such a Revelation, is also evident; For can any Man say that it is an unwise thing, for the Creator of the World to reveal to his Creatures more fully the way to Happiness, and the means of becoming like himself? Can any Man say, that it is an unwise thing, for God to declare what Satisfaction he will accept for sin, and up­on what conditions he will receive re­turning Sinners? Can any Man say, that it is a thing unworthy of the Wisdom of God, to make particular Discoveries of his Will to his Creatures, and to set be­fore them in a clearer light the rewards and punishments of a future State? This is so manifest, that nothing needs fur­ther be said about it.

11. Now that the Christian Religion is such a particular Revelation, actually made by God: That the peculiar Duties, which it injoyns, are indeed the express Commands of God; and the peculiar Mo­tives, by which it inforces those Duties, things true and in reality established by God: Of this we have all the proof that [Page 74] the nature of the thing will bear, and that is agreeable either to the Wisdom of God to give, or the Reason of Men to expect. To represent the Motives, which are to inforce the practice of any thing, more evidently and strongly, than is con­sistent with the nature of the thing de­signed to be inforced, is inconsistent with the Wisdom of an All-wise God; and to ex­pect other proof of any thing, than what the nature of the thing to be proved is capable of, is unreasonable in the Judgment of understanding Men. The design then of Religion, being to make Men Happy by making them Religious, that is, to make Happiness not the Fate of Mens Nature, but the Reward of their Virtue; 'tis plain the Motives of Religion ought of necessity to be such, as might abundantly encourage all wise Men to cleave inseparably to their Duty as to their Life, and yet leave room for Men desperately wicked and incorrigi­ble, to avoid being forced into the Injoy­ment of that Happiness, which they are not willing to purchase at the rate of being Religious The Reward of everlasting Life promised to Obedience, and the Pu­nishment of Eternal Misery threatned to Disobedience, are Motives in themselves infinitely and irresistably strong: For were the Happiness of Heaven, and the Tor­ments of Hell openly exposed to view, and [Page 75] proposed as the immediate and unavoidable Consequence of a Mans chusing or refusing his Duty, 'twould be as impossible for a Man in actual view of these two different states not to choose his Duty and refuse the contrary, as for a heavy Body not to fall downward to the Ground. Though therefore the infinitely gracious and mer­ciful God has indeed proposed to us these great and most powerful Motives, that Men by choosing their Duty might choose their Life, and become Happy in consequence of their becoming Religious; yet hath he so proposed them, invisible at present and at a distance, that good Men might have some exercise of their Virtue by choosing their Duty in order to their Happiness, and that Men obstinately impenitent might not partake of the Happiness, without choo­sing the Duty to which that Happiness is annexed. Again, the Nature of a revealed Institution of Religion being such, that excepting the agreeableness of its Doctrines to the eternal Rule of Reason, the chief evidence of its being from God must of necessity depend upon the credible Testimo­nies of Matter of Fact: 'tis manifest that that evidence, of which such Matters of Fact are capable, ought to be accounted sufficient in the present case; and to re­quire greater proof, than the nature of the thing will bear, is absurd and unreason­able.

[Page 76]12. That the Christian Religion there­fore is indeed a Revelation, sufficiently de­monstrated to be from God, may be satis­factorily evidenced to a Man's own Mind by These Considerations: That the Duties, which it injoyns, are all such, as are most agreeable to our Natural Notions of God, and most conducive to the happiness and well­being of Men: That the Motives by which it enforces those Duties, are such as are most suitable to the excellent Wisdom of God, and most answerable to the natural expecta­tions of Men: That the peculiar Circum­stances, with which it injoyns these Duties, and urges these Motives, are such as are most exactly consonant to the Light of Na­ture, and most wisely perfective of it: and, That all these things, are proved moreover to be taught and confirmed of God, by the most credible and convincing Testimony, that ever was given to any matter of fact in the World.

13. In the first place, the Duties which the Christian Religion injoyns, are all such, as are most agreeable to our natural notions of God, and most conducive to the happi­ness and well-being of Men. This is a proof, which were alone sufficient to convince a wise man of a Religion's being from God: For that Institution of Religion, which requires no other Duties, than what are perfectly agreeable to the eternal and un­changeable [Page 77] Law of God, and manifestly per­fective of the Moral Virtue and the Happi­ness of Men, has already the Mark of God upon it, and cannot possibly but come from him. The Nature and Life of God are unchangeable, and the Constitution of his Laws is also unchangeable: Whoever therefore Preaches and Institutes such a Religion, as leads men to nothing else, but to the Obedience of the Laws, and to the Imitation of the Nature and Life of God, may without any other Testimonials be admitted as a Preacher of Divine Truth; and that Religion, which stands on such a Foundation, is of it self sufficiently re­commended, to the Belief, and to the Pra­ctice of all Wise Men. Now that the Christian Religion is such an Institution, is so plain and evident, that its greatest Adversaries have hardly been able to deny it: The Duties of Love, Fear and Adora­tion, which it obliges us to render unto God, are so manifestly incumbent upon us on consideration of the excellent Attri­butes of the Divine Nature, and our re­lation to him as our Creator and Preser­ver, that no man who considers, can break loose from the Obligations which our Re­ligion lays upon him to practise these Du­ties, without denying the very Being of God, and acting contrary to the reason and all the Natural Notions of his own [Page 78] Mind: The Duties of Justice, Righteous­ness and Truth, which the Christian Reli­gion commands us to exercise towards Men, are so apparently reasonable, and so directly conducive to the Happiness of Mankind, that even those Men who have broken through all the Bonds of Religion, and the Obligations of Virtue, have yet thought it necessary to the preservation of Society, and the well-being of Mankind, that the observation of these Duties should be inforced by the Penalties of Humane Laws: The Duties of Sobriety, Temperance and Contentment, which our Religion in­joyns us to practise in our selves, are so un­deniably agreeable to the inward Consti­tution of Humane Nature, and so perfe­ctive of it, that the principal design of all true Philosophy was to recommend and set off these Duties to the best advantage; though, as the Philosophers themselves confessed, it never was able to work men up to that pitch of cheerful and generous Obedience to the Rules of these Duties, which the Christian Religion in its primi­tive and purest State was acknowledged to have done, and which, if it were now believed and practised as it then was, it must still do: Lastly, Even those positive and external Observances, (such as the Sa­craments, &c.) which are Instituted in the Christian Religion as means and assistances [Page 79] to keep men stedfast in the practice of those great and moral Duties which are the weightier matters of the Law, are so free from all appearance of Superstition and Vanity, and so wisely fitted to the end for which they were designed; that many of the Adversaries of our Religion have yet been forced to admire, the Wisdom and the Excellency of their Institution.

14. Again, The Principal Motives of the Christian Religion, I mean the Discovery of a Future State, and the Rewards and Punishments therein to be dispenced; are things so suitable to the excellent Wisdom of God, and so agreeable to the unprejudiced Reason, to the Natural Apprehensions and Expectations of Men, that were their truth and reality confirmed by no other Argu­ment or external proof, yet were they suf­ficient to influence the practice, and regu­late the Actions of wise and considerate men. That the Soul of Man is immortal, and shall survive after the dissolution of this corruptible Body, is a truth which has always been thought demonstrable from Principles of Reason, and from the conside­ration of the nature of the thing: That Man is a Creature capable of doing good or evil, and consequently of giving account of his Actions, and being judged for them, is also evident: That therefore in a fu­ture State there shall be a time of Retri­bution, [Page 80] wherein every Man shall receive of God according to what he has done in this Life, whether it be good or evil, has been collected by the wiser and more con­siderate part of Men among the Heathens themselves. The Resurrection of the Body, has indeed been looked upon by most of the Philosophers, as a thing utterly absurd and impossible: But there is nothing im­possible in the nature of the thing; And the Jews, who had no express Revelation of that matter, did yet believe it upon a constant Tradition; as appears from all their Writings, and particularly from the Translation of the last verse of the Book of Job, which according to the Seventy runs thus; So Job died being old and full of days [...] Job 42. ult., but 'tis written, that he shall rise again with those whom the Lord raises up.

15. Further, the peculiar Circumstances, with which the Duties and the Motives of the Christian Religion are inlarged and in­forced are such as are most exactly agreeable to the Light of Nature, and most wisely perfec­tive of it. For what can be more perfective of the Light of Nature, than to have those Duties, which Nature hints at only in ge­neral, explained fully and largely, and urged in particular, and inculcated upon the meanest Capacities, and exemplified in the Lives of Holy Persons proposed as Patterns [Page 81] for Men's imitation? What can be more perfective of the Light of Nature, than to have those great Motives of Religion, the Rewards and Punishments of a future State, which Nature only obscurely points at, described to us most plainly, affectionately and lively? What can be more perfective of the Light of Nature, than to have the means of attoning for sin, which Nature discovers only the want of, plainly declared and exhibited to us? What can be more perfective of the Light of Nature, than such a Discovery of the heinousness of Sin and the necessity of Holiness, as the Death of Christ and the Purity of the Gospel, does make unto us? In fine, what can more effectually perfect the Religion of Nature, than the gatbering the Worshippers of God into one Body, the uniting them by certain positive Rites in one common Communion for mutual assistance and improvement, and the establi­shing a certain Order of Men, whose Business may be to promote the Interest of Religion, by instructing the Ignorant and by admonishing the Wicked.

16. Lastly, Besides all these Proofs of the Truth of the Christian Revelation, drawn from the Consideration of the Na­ture of the Thing, God has moreover confirmed it by the most undeniable external evidence, that ever was given to any Matter of Fact in the World. The Great Motives [Page 82] of the Christian Religion, are things not only most probable and most credible in them­selves, but God has moreover confirmed the certainty of them by most clear Testimony, (which is a proof suited to all Capacities,) and has most strongly urged upon Men the Rewards and Punishments of a future State by the Preaching and Exhortations of one, who by that convincing Proof of his Resurrection from the Dead did undeniably demonstrate that he had himself been there, and was able to give Men a satisfactory Account of the Nature of that State: The great Duties of the Christian Religion, are things not only most reasonable and most excellent in themselves, but they are more­over taught and inculcated by one, who has given the most credible and convincing Evi­dence that could possibly be desired, of his being sent immediately from God. The Miracles which our Saviour wrought, were to his first Disciples, who were Eye-wit­nesses of them, a most perfect demonstra­tion of the Truth of his Doctrine: And the History of his Life, Death and Resurre­ction, delivered down to us upon the Te­stimony of those Disciples, are to Us also a sufficient Evidence of the same Truth. Their having conversed from the beginning with our Saviour himself; their having heard, and having seen with their Eyes; their having looked upon, and having [Page 83] handled with their Hands of the Word of Life, (as St. John expresses it, 1 John 1. 1.) made it impossible that they should be de­ceived themselves: And their whole Life and Conversation, their Sufferings and Deaths, were invincible proofs against the Adversaries of Christianity, that they had no design of imposing upon others They saw all the Prophecies of the Old Testa­ment precisely fulfilled in the Life and Doctrine, the Sufferings and Death of our Blessed Saviour; they saw him confirm what he taught with such mighty works, as his bitterest and most malicious Ene­mies could not but confess to be above the Power of Nature, even while they were blaspheming that Holy Spirit which wrought them; they saw the whole course of his Life to be such, as to all unpreju­diced beholders loudly proclaimed his Di­vine Commission; they saw him so con­stantly despise all worldly greatness, as once when the People would have made him a King, even to work a Miracle to avoid that, which was the only thing that was possible to be the aim and design of an Im­postor: In fine, they saw him alive after Act. 1. 3▪ his Passion by many infallible proofs, con­versing with him for forty days together, and at last beholding him ascend visibly into Heaven. These were such demonstra­tions of his being a Teacher sent from [Page 84] Heaven, and consequently that his Do­ctrine was nothing less than an immediate and express Revelation of the Will of God, that nothing but the extremest Ma­lice and Obstinacy could withstand them: And the same reason that these Disciples of our Saviour had to believe his Doctrine, the same reason the rest of the World had to believe theirs: They confirmed what they taught, by Signs and Miracles; they lived according to the Doctrine they Preached, though manifestly contrary to all the Interests and Pleasures of this pre­sent World; and, which no Deceiver could ever do, they died with all imagi­nable cheerfulness and joy of mind, for the Testimony of their Doctrine, and the Confirmation of their Religion. So that unless God should work upon Men by such Methods, as are wholly inconsistent with the Design of Religion, and the Na­ture of Virtue and Vice; which we are sure he will not do; nothing can be done more than has already been done, to con­vince Men of Religion, and to perswade them to Happiness. 'Tis true, the Resur­rection of Christ is not such an ocular de­monstration to after Generations, as it was to those Men who then lived and saw him, and conversed with him: But since the matter of fact is as clearly proved to us, as 'tis possible for any matter of fact [Page 85] at that distance of time to be; since the Evidence of this is as great and greater, than of most of those things on which Men venture the whole of their Secular Affairs; and on which they are willing to spend all their time and pains; since I say the Case is thus, he that will rather venture all that he can possibly injoy or suffer; he that will run the hazard of losing Eternal Happiness, and falling into Eternal Mise­ry, rather than believe the most credible and rational thing in the World, meerly because he does not see it with his Eyes; 'tis plain that that Man does not dis-be­lieve the thing, because he thinks the E­vidence of it not sufficiently strong, but be­cause 'tis contrary to some particular Interest of his that it should be true; and for that reason he might also have disbelieved it, though he had seen it himself.

17. This is in brief the Evidence which we have, of the Necessity of Religion in general, and of the Truth of the Christian Institution in particular: And he that would so lay the Foundation of a Reli­gious Life, as to be able to Conquer all the Temptations of the World, and per­severe in Well-doing to the end, must at least so far consider this evidence, as before all things to work in his own Mind a Firm, Settled and Well-grounded Belief of the great Truths of Religion. To pro­duce [Page 86] which Effect, this Evidence is most abundantly sufficient. For if in other Cases, we assent to those things as certain and demonstrated, which if our Faculties of Judging and Reasoning do not necessarily de­ceive us, do upon the most impartial view appear clearly and plainly to be true; there is the same Reason, why in Moral and Religious Matters, we should look upon those things likewise to be certain and de­monstrated, which upon the exactest and most deliberate Judgment that we are ca­pable or making, do appear to us to be as clearly and as certainly true, as 'tis cer­tain that our Faculties do not necessarily and unavoidably deceive us, in all our Judg­ments concerning the Nature of God, concern­ing the proper Happiness of Man, and con­cerning the difference of Good and Evil. And if in other Cases, we always act without the least hesitation upon the Credit of good and sufficient Testimony, and look upon that Man as foolish and ridiculous, who sustains great Losses, or lets slip great Opportunities and Advantages in Business, only by distrusting the most credible and well-attested things in the World; 'tis plain there is the same reason, why we should do so also in Matters of Religion. So that unless our Actions be determined by some other thing, than by Reason and Judgment; the Evidence which we have [Page 87] of the great Truths of Religion, ought to have the same effect upon our Lives and Actions, as if they were proved to us by any other sort of Evidence that could be desired.

18. There are indeed some Men, who being conscious to themselves that they act contrary to all the reasonable Evidence and Convictions of Religion, are yet apt to imagine, that if the great Truths of Religion were proved to them by some stronger Evidence, they should by that means be wrought upon to act otherwise than they do. But if the true reason why these Men act thus foolishly, is not be­cause the Doctrines of Religion are not suf­ficiently evidenced, but because they them­selves are hurried away by some unruly Passions to act directly contrary to all Reason and Evidence; 'tis plain (unless God should irresistibly compel them) they might well continue to act as they do, though the Evidence of these things were really greater than it is. They are wil­ling to imagine, that if they had lived in our Saviour's time; if they had heard his Preaching, and seen his Miracles; if they had had the advantage of beholding those mighty Works, which he wrought for the proof of his Divine Commission; as the Jews then had; they should not like them have rejected the counsel of God against Luke 7. 30. [Page 88] themselves, but with all cheerfulness have believed his Doctrine, and embraced his Religion. They fansie they should imme­diately have become Disciples of Christ, and that the Truths which he taught, would have had a most powerful Influence upon the whole course of their Lives. And if their Hearts and Affections were not set upon this World, more than upon the next; if they valued not the present enjoyments of Sense, above the expectation of the Glory that shall be revealed; most certainly they would do the same now. But if their Hearts be set upon earthly things, and their Passions be stronger than all the Arguments of Reason; if they do indeed so love the Pleasures of Sin now, as that they cannot persuade themselves by all the Motives of Religion to live like Christians; we need not question to af­firm, that they might very well have been in the same case, though they had lived in our Saviour's time. The Jews are a no­torious and standing Instance, how far Prejudice and Affection are able to pre­vail over the strongest Convictions: When our Saviour began to preach that he was sent from God to instruct them in their Duty, they required a Sign of him, and they would believe him; but when he had wrought so many Miracles, that even the World it self could not contain Joh. 21. 25. [Page 89] the Books if they should all be written, they persisted still in their Infidelity: When they saw him hanging upon the Cross, and thought themselves secure of him, they said, Let him now come down from the Mat. 27. 42, Cross, and we will believe him; but when he arose out of the Grave wherein he had lien three Days, which was a much grea­ter and more convincing Miracle, they grew more hardned and obstinate in their Unbelief.

19. Others there are who imagine, that if they could but be convinced of the Truth of another World by the appea­rance of one sent directly from that un­known State, they would immediately be­come new Creatures; but if God should satisfie their unreasonable Demands, by sending one on purpose from the Dead to convince them, I doubt not but as they listened not to Moses and the Prophets, so neither would they be persuaded by one rising Luk. 16. 31. from the dead. They might indeed at first be surprized and terrified, at the appea­rance of so unusual and unexpected a Mes­senger: But as wicked Men upon a Bed of Sickness, at the amazing approach of Death and Eternity, resolve in the utmost anguish of Horror and Despair to amend their Lives and forsake their Sins, but as soon as the Terror is over and the danger of Death past, return to their old habits [Page 90] of Sin and Folly; so it is more than pro­bable it would be in the present Case: Should God send a Messenger from the Dead, to assure Men of the certainty of a future state, and the danger of their present Wickedness, as soon as the Fright were over and their present terrible Apprehen­sions ceased, 'tis by no means impossible that their old vicious Habits and beloved Sins should again by degrees prevail over them. Many there are in our present Age, who pretend to be convinced of the being of Spirits by the powerful demon­stration of their own Senses; and yet we do not observe, that their Lives are more remarkably eminent for exemplary Piety, than theirs, who being convinced by the less violent, but more rational Evidence of the Gospel, go on in a sober, constant, and regular exercise of Virtue and Righ­teousness.

20. In summ therefore, Consider that the Evidence of Religion is such, as upon the fullest view of things, and the exactest and most deliberate Judgment that we can possibly make, ought infinitely to de­termine the Actions of a wise Man; Con­sider that the great Doctrines of Religion are of such a nature, that upon the final upshot of things, if all our Knowledge be not Deceit, if all our Hopes and Fears be not Vain, if there be any Good, if there [Page 91] be any Evil, if there be any Excellency, if there be any Happiness, these things must be true: Consider this, I say, throughly; and then Resolve, deliberately and with full persuasion of Mind, to act always suitably to this Consideration, and to put all upon this one Issue. And when Temp­tation and Melancholy shall succeed; when vain Scruples and unreasonable Suspitions, shall cloud the Understanding and per­plex the Mind; be sure to stick immova­bly to that Resolution, which has once been founded upon the wisest Judgment and the fullest Conviction possible; and when the present Indisposition of Mind shall be over, things will again appear in their true Light, and the first Resolution will grow continually stronger.

21. Only in the last place and above all, be sure to fix these things deeply upon the Mind, by frequent and serious Meditati­on. The Passions and Affections of Men are strong; and unless these also can by some means be interested, the bare Convicti­on of a Man's Judgment will hardly be able to govern constantly all the Actions of his Life. 'Tis not enough that we be con­vinced in our Judgments, of the Truth of the great Doctrines of Religion; Quaecun­que salu­taria sunt, saepe agitari debent, saepe versari, ut non tantum nota sint nobis, sed etiam parata. Seneca Ep. 95. but we must by constant Meditation fix and incul­cate [Page 92] them upon the Mind, that they may move our Passions and excite our Affections. Be not content to believe slightly the Being of God, but represent him frequently in your Mind with the most lively Cha­racters of Glory and Majesty; consider him as that Supreme Being, who hath measured the Waters in the hollow of his hand, and Isai. 40. 12. meted out Heaven with the span, and com­prehended the Dust of the Earth in a measure, and weighed the Mountains in scales, and the Hills in a balance; to whom all Nations are as a drop of the bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; Consider him as that All-powerful Being, before whom the Pillars of Heaven trem­ble, Job 26. 11. and are astonished at his reproof; before whom all Nations are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing and va­nity. Isai. 40. 17. Be not content to believe in general the Providence of God, but think of him always as actually present, observing all our Words and Actions, and understanding even our Thoughts afar off. Be not con­tent Psal. 139. 2. to believe in general a Judgment to come, but frequently represent to your self the Solemnity and the Terrour of that great Day; imagine our Saviour sit­ting in Judgment, as in that Prophetical Allusion, with his Throne like the fiery flame, Dan. 7. 9. and his Wheels as burning fire; A fiery stream issuing, and coming forth from before [Page 93] him; Thousand thousands ministring unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before him; the Judgment set, and the Books opened. Lastly, be not content to believe slightly and in general a state of Reward or Punishment for Virtue or Vice; but meditate frequently on the Happiness of those, who shall be admitted to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the general Assembly Heb. 12 23. of the first-born, to an innumerable company of Angels, and to God the Judge of all, and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant: Consider the Happiness of those, who shall Rev. 5. 10. be made Kings and Priests unto God, and shall reign with him for ever; who shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament, and as the Stars for ever and ever: And on the Dan. 12. 3. other hand meditate seriously on the Mi­sery of those, who shall be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, where the Worm dieth not, and the Fire is not Mark 9. 44. quenched; and where they shall be tor­mented Day and Night for ever and Rev. 20. 10. ever.

22. I have been the longer upon this Head, because it is the first and most ne­cessary Foundation of all Religion; and because that Quae à sa­pientibus viris reper­ta sunt, non satis credimus, nec apertis pectoribus haurimus, leviterque tam magnae rei insistimus. Seneca, Ep. 60. slight, careless and only custo­mary Assent to the great Truths of Reli­gion, [Page 94] which is the Summ of most Mens Faith, seems to be the chief reason why things of the utmost importance have so so small an effect upon the Lives and Acti­ons of Men. There is no need that eve­ry Man should proceed just by those steps, which I have set down; but whoever will indeed make Religion the Business of his Life, must by some like Method work in his Mind a firm and well-grounded Belief of all its great Doctrines, and a deep and vigorous Sense of them.

CHAP. III. Of right Notions concerning Religion in general.

1. SEcondly, Endeavour to attain right Nations concerning Religion in gene­ral. Next to the Belief of the Truth and of the Necessity of Religion, there is no­thing of greater Importance than the framing right Notions concerning the Na­ture of it. For when Religion is repre­sented as requiring any thing, that is ei­ther not possible or not necessary to be pra­ctised; when 'tis represented as consisting in such things, as are either not worthy of God, or not profitable to Men; in a word, when Religion is so represented, that Men [Page 95] may hope to be religious without being vertuous, and to be accepted of God for some outward performances, without a holy temper and disposition of Mind; this cuts the very Sinews and undermines the Foun­dation of all Religion.

2. Now therefore to attain right Noti­ons concerning the Nature of Religion, a Man ought firmly to persuade himself of these following Considerations: That the exercise of those great Moral Vertues, of God­liness, Righteousness and Temperance, which are the eternal and unchangeable Law of God, is a thing in its own Nature both truly excel­lent, and indispensably necessary to prepare Men for that Happiness which is the Reward of Religion: That God truly and sincerely desires to make Men happy, by the exercise of these Vertues: And that therefore the great and ultimate Design of all true Reli­gion, is to recommend these Vertues, and to inforce their practice.

3. That the exercise of these great Moral Vertues, of Godliness, Righteousness and Tem­perance, which are the eternal and unchange­able Law of God, is a thing in its own Na­ture truly Noble and Excellent, is evidently acknowledged by the common Consent and Verdict of all Mens Consciences. These Virtues are the imitation of the Per­fections of God; and as no Man is so bru­tish, as not to admire the Perfections of [Page 96] Justice and Goodness, when he considers them abstractedly in God; so he cannot but pay a proportionable respect, to what­ever he sees carry their resemblance in Men. Hence Vertue is the most lovely and vene­rable of all things, and approves it self to the Reason and Consciences of Men: Hence Vice becomes truly odious, and how­ever it may insinuate it self into the Practice, can never recommend it self to the Judgment of Mankind. Hence even those very Persons, who by the prevailing Power of some Interest or Lust, are them­selves drawn aside out of the Paths of Virtue, Placet suâpte natura, a­deoque gratiosa virtus est, ut insitum etiam sit malis pro­bare meliores. Seneca de Be­nef. 4. cannot yet for­bear to give it its true Character and Commen­dation in others. Thus the Officers, who were sent by the Pharisees to apprehend Jesus, could not forbear declaring, that he spake as ne­ver Joh. 7. 46. Man spake: And the Roman Gover­nour, when he gave Sentence that he should be Crucified, could not at the same instant forbear openly professing, that he found no fault in him. Men cannot Joh. 18. 38. chuse but think well of that Virtue, which the Dominion of their Lusts forces them to desert, or the necessity of their Affairs com­pels them to discourage: They cannot but wish, they were the Men they are not; and pray with Balaam, that though they [Page 97] imitate not the Life, yet at least they might die the death of the Righteous, and that Numb. 23. 10. their last end may be like his. Though therefore virtuous Men are frequently per­secuted in the World, and sometimes meer­ly for their Virtue; yet tis not because Vir­tue can ever be hated, but because those from whom they suffer, mistake it to be what it is not; or else because, knowing it to be what it is, they are notwith­standing prevailed upon by some private Interest, to persecute it contrary to the Judgment of their Conscience, which would force them to honour and respect it. An Instance of the former Case, are all the Persecutions of the Christians in the Primitive Times: 'Tis certain these Men were Virtuous and Religious, and 'tis certain they suffered meerly upon that ac­count: But then 'tis also as certain, that those from whom they suffered, did not persecute them because they thought them Religious, but because they mistook them not to be so; they did not persecute them be­cause they thought them to be worshippers of the true God, but because they looked on them as despisers of their false ones: They were so unhappily blinded by Prejudice and Idolatry, that they mistook Religion for Superstition, and Superstition for Religi­on: Hence they implacably persecuted that Doctrine, whose Evidence and Con­viction, [Page 98] if they would have opened their Eyes, they could not have resisted; and endeavoured to root out the true Religion, out of Zeal to the honour of a false one. An eminent Instance of the latter Case, is the Condemnation of our Saviour: He was manifestly innocent of the Crimes laid to his Charge, and Pilate knew him to be so; but then 'tis also manifest, that he did not condemn him because he was Inno­cent, but because he was willing to do the Jews a pleasure: Our Saviour's Innocence Act. 24. 27. was sufficient, to convince the Mind of his Judge; and 'twas only Interest, that over­powered the force of that Conviction. Virtue therefore is truly Noble and Ex­cellent in it self; and wicked Men, even while they are persecuting it, cannot deny it to be so.

4. Again, That the exercise of those great Moral Virtues, of Godliness, Righteousness and Temperance, is a thing indispensably ne­cessary to prepare Men for that Happiness which is the Reward of Religion, is evident from the Consideration of the Nature of that Happiness. The Happiness which Religion promises to holy and good Men, is this; That they shall be received into the blessed Society of Angels, and of the Spirits of just Men made perfect; and that Heb. 12. 23. with them they shall be admitted into the immediate presence of God, to enjoy [Page 99] that Satisfaction which must necessarily arise, from the Contemplation of his Per­fections, and from the [...] of his Favour. And if this be the Case, then nothing is more evident, than that the exercise of Vir­tue is indispensably necessary, to prepare Men for the enjoyment of this Happiness. For what agreement can there be, between a sensual, spightful, or malicious Soul, and the pure Society of the Spirits of just Men made perfect? We see even in this Life, how ungrateful the Society of good Men is, unto those that are wicked; and as it is in this, so doubtless it will be in the other World. Those Souls which have been wholly immersed in Sense, and given up to the Pleasures of this present World; can never be fit Company for those spiri­tual and refined Minds, whose Desires and Enjoyments are as far exalted above every thing that is gross and sensual, as Heaven is above Earth: And those malicious Spi­rits, whose delight upon Earth was in no­thing but Hatred, Envy and Revenge; can never converse in Heaven with those Di­vine Souls, who feed and live upon no other Pleasures, but those of Goodness, Ho­liness and Love. In like manner, what can be more impossible, than for an earthly and wicked Soul, to be made happy by the Vision and Fruition of God? To see God is to behold and contemplate those glorious [Page 100] Perfections, of infinite Goodness, Purity and Truth; and to enjoy God, is so to love and adore those amiable Perfections, as to be transformed into the likeness and re­semblance of them: And is it possible for a wicked Soul, to be made partaker of this Happiness? Tell a covetous Worldling of a Treasure laid up in Heaven, where neither Mat. 6. 20. Moth nor Rust doth corrupt, and where Thieves do not break through and steal: Tell him of a never-fading Inheritance in the World to come, or of a City not made with Hands, whose Builder and Maker is Heb. 11. 10. God: Tell an ambitious aspiring Mind, of the Glory that shall be revealed hereafter; Rom. 8. 18. or a voluptuous Person of spiritual and re­fined Pleasures, which Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither hath it entered into the Heart of Man to conceive them; 1 Cor. 2. 9. and will they have any relish of these things? Will they not be much more in­quisitive after the Glories of Earth, and the Gratifications of Sense? So that unless we suppose God should work a Miracle for these Men, and when he removes them in­to another World, should transform them also into new Creatures, 'tis no more possible for them to enjoy the Happiness of Heaven, than for Body to enjoy the Plea­sures of Spirit, or for Darkness to have com­munion and agreement with Light. I do not say, That if God should transplant [Page 101] these Men into Heaven, he could not make them happy there; but while they are so exceedingly indisposed for it, nothing is more certain than that he never will. The exercise therefore of Virtue, is the in­dispensable Condition of Happiness: And in proportion as we draw nearer to the Per­fection of Virtue, so do we to the Fountain and Perfection of Happiness. The greater de­grees of Virtue any Being is indued with, so much the higher Rank does it obtain in the Order of Creatures: The highest An­gels, so much as they obey the Will of God more intirely, and imitate the Divine Life more perfectly than Men do, so much are they exalted above Men, and have a nea­rer approach to the immediate presence and enjoyment of God: And by how much one Man in this Life obtains a greater de­gree of Holiness than another; so much a more excellent degree of Happi-ness is he prepared to receive in the World to come.

5. And That God agreeably to this na­tural Order of things, does truly and sin­cerely desire to make Men happy by the exer­cise of Virtue, is evident both from our na­tural Notions of God, and from the Reveal­ed Declaration of his Will. God, who is a Being infinitely happy in the injoyment of himself, and who created all things for no other reason, but to communicate to them his Perfections and his Happiness, [Page 102] cannot possibly but make every Man as happy, as the condition of his Nature, and the improvements of his Virtue make him capable to be: And that he will do so, he hath moreover assured us by most express and repeated declarations: He declares that his Delight is in them that fear him, and that he Rejoyces over them for good; He invites men with all the tender promi­ses of a compassionate Father, to Repen­tance and Reformation; and swears by himself that he hath no pleasure in the destruction of the wicked, but earnestly desires that they should return and live: And nothing can be more absurd, than to imagine that God has secretly made any determination, which may be contrary to what he has so openly and expresly revealed. What sort of Men he has decreed to be happy or miserable he has clearly and fully de­clared to us in his Word: And other Decrees than this, if he has at all made any, tis neither necessary nor possible for us to know. Sufficient it is for us, that as sure as God and his Scriptures are true, so sure are we, that he that believes and obeys the Gospel, shall be happy; and that God neither has, nor can Decree any thing, whereby a truly Religious Man may be excluded from Happiness, or a Sincere Man from the possibility of becoming truly religious.

[Page 103]6. Since therefore God truly and sincere­ly desires, to make men Happy by the exer­cise of Virtue; and since that Virtue, which is the Condition of this Happiness, is no other than the Practice of those great Moral Duties, of Godliness, Righteousness and Temperance, which are the Eternal and Un­changeable Law of God; as has already been shewn; it follows necessarily, that the great and ultimate design of all true Re­ligion, can be no other than to recommend these Virtues, and to enforce their practice. Other things may be Helps and Assistances of Religion; many External Observances may for wise Reasons be positively com­manded, and may be of exceeding great use, as means to promote Devotion and Piety; but the Life and Substance of all true Religion, the End and Scope in which all things else must terminate, cannot pos­sibly be any other, than the Practice of these great and Eternal Duties.

7. In Natural Religion this is very evi­dent: For the Foundation of its Obli­gations being nothing else, but a due con­sideration of the Nature of God, and his Relation to Men; tis plain, all that these things naturally led Men to, was only to keep up in themselves such a Holy Temper and Disposition of Mind, as might disco­ver it self in a constant endeavour of being Like unto God, and of obeying [Page 104] his Laws. And though this most simple and absolute Religion, did through the cor­ruption of Mens Wills and Affections, quickly degenerate into the grossest Idola­try, and most ridiculous Superstition; tho' instead of real and substantial Virtue, the generality of Men soon fell into the Ob­servance of foolish and absurd Rites, and the World was overspread with Ignorance and Vice; yet the wisest and most considerate Men amongst the Heathens always under­stood, that [...]. Plato Alcibiade 2. God did not look so much at the Outward Pomp and Ceremony of Religion, as at the Inward Holiness and Purity of the heart; that Cohtur autem, non taurorum opimis corporibus contrucidatis, nec auro argentoque suspenso, nec in thesauros stipe infusâ, sed pià & rectà-voluntate. Seneca Ep. 116. God valued not Sacrifices and Rich Offerings, but only the Piety and Devotion of the Mind: and that the Vis Deos propitiare? Bonus esto: Satis illos coluit, qui imita­tus est. Seneca Ep. 96. only way to keep the Favour of God, was to imitate his Nature, and to obey his Commands.

8. Nor is it less evident that the great and ultimate design of the Jewish Religion, was to preserve and increase the Moral Virtue of Men. For though God did im­pose upon the Jews a burdensom System of Rites and Ordinances; yet 'tis plain he did it, not that he took any delight in [Page 105] that External and Ceremonial Service, but that by condescending in that manner to the infirmities and prejudices of a stiff­necked People, he might keep up the Worship of the True God, and restore that Holiness and Inward Religion of Mens Minds, which the Light of Nature had not been sufficient to maintain. This therefore God perpetually inculcates to them by his Prophets, that he did not va­lue their Ceremonious Performances with­out Holiness and Obedience to the Moral Law: I spake not to your Fathers, saith he, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the Land of Egypt, con­cerning Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices; but this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my Voice, Jer. 7. 22. Nay, so far was God from Instituting the Jewish Service upon any other design, than the making that People more holy than the Heathen about them were, that whensoever it failed of having that desired Effect, he declares that he even abhorred all their Religious Ex­ercises: He that killeth an Ox, is as if he slew a Man; he that sacrificeth a Lamb, as if he cut off a Dogs neck; he that offereth an Oblation, as if he offered Swines Blood; and he that burneth Incense, as if he blessed an Idol; yea they have chosen their own ways, and their Soul delighteth in their Abo­minations, Isa. 65. 3. And though the [Page 106] later Jews grew generally so superstitious in the observance of their Ceremonies, as thereby even to neglect the weightier mat­ters of the Law; yet those who considered things more throughly, al­ways maintain'd & taught zealously, that [...] Philo Jud [...]us. it was not slaying a multitude of Sacri­fices, or bringing splendid Offerings, or even building and adorning the Temple of God with all the cost and beauty in the World, that could truly denominate a Man religious; that it was a great deceit for Men to think that God would be flat­tered and put off with Out­ward & Ceremonious Services instead of Truth, Righteous­ness and Holiness of Mind▪ and that [...] Philo de Plantati [...]ne Noe. nothing could be more ridiculous, than for Men to be very careful not to enter into the Temple, which is built of Wood and Stone, without first wash­ing and cleansing their bodies; and yet not be afraid to appear before God in Prayer, with unclean and polluted Minds.

[Page 107]9. Lastly, That the only design of God's Instituting the Christian Religion, was to make Men yet more Vertuous and more Holy; is evident from the whole Tenour of the Gospel. The design of our Saviour's Life and Preaching, was to give Men a body of more Spiritual and Refined Laws; to set them an Example of a more per­fect and holy Life; and to make a clearer Revelation of the Wrath of God against all Rom. 1. 18. ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men: The Design of his Death and Passion, was to make an Expiation for Sins that are past, and to make a fuller discovery of the heinous nature of Sin, which God would not pardon even upon true Repentance, without so great and sufficient a Satis­faction: And the Design of his sending the Holy Spirit, was to purifie to himself a peculiar People, by teaching and enabling Men, that denying ungodliness and worldly Tit. 2. 12. lusts, they should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present World.

10. Accordingly we find the Apostles every where in their Epistles, plainly de­claring and giving Men warning, that since they had now received a most full Revelation of the Will of God, and a most clear Discovery of the Rewards and Punishments of a future State; if their Virtue did not become proportionable to their Knowledge, and they purified not [Page 108] themselves from all filthiness both of flesh 2 Cor. 7. 1. and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God; it would be even worse for them, 2 Pet. 2. 21. than if they had never known the way of Righteousness. Be not deceived, saith Saint Paul, neither Fornicators, nor Idolaters, nor Adulterers, nor Thieves, nor Covetous, nor Drunkards, &c. i. e. no unrighteous person, shall inherit the Kingdom of God, 1 Cor. 6. 9. And again, Let no man deceive you with vain words; For because of these things com­eth the Wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience, Eph. 5. 6. And again, Of which things I tell you before, as I have also told you in times past, that they who do such things, shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, Gal. 5. 21. And all those Metaphorical Ex­pressions, such as the New Man, the New Creature, the New Birth, Regeneration, Con­version, and the like, by which the Apostles frequently represent Religion, do manifest­ly tend to this; that under the Gospel­dispensation, nothing will stand a Man in any stead, but an entire Reformation of Life and Manners; and that all other things are nothing, except only the keep­ing [...] Cor. 7. 19. the Commandments of God.

11. How miserably then do those Men abuse this great Salvation, and turn the Grace of God into lasciviousness, who ima­gine, that because Christ has disannulled the Old Law, which was appointed only for [Page 109] a time, therefore we may be excused by our Christian Liberty from obeying the Eternal Commands of God; that because Christ has established for us a Covenant of Grace, therefore we need not be zealous to abound in good Works; that because Christ has Redeemed us from the Punishment of Sin, by the Sacrifice of himself, therefore we need not be zealous to rescue our selves from under the Power and Dominion of it; that because the Righteousness of Christ shall be available for us unto Justification, there­fore there is no necessity we should have any of our own: In a word, that because Christ has promised Salvation to those who believe the Gospel, therefore there is no necessity we should be solicitous to obey it.

12. Our Saviour has indeed disannulled the Ceremonial part of the Law, which was appointed only for a time▪ but he has there­by more firmly Established the Moral part of the Law, which is of eternal and unchange­able Obligation: And therefore as no­thing could be more foolish than the Opi­nion of those Judaizers, who thought that Christ had not abrogated any part of the Law; so nothing can be more impious than the Opinion of these Gentilizers, who contend that he has destroyed it all. Our Saviour has indeed purchased for us a Covenant of Grace, that is, a Covenant [Page 110] wherein Pardon is granted to past sins upon Repentance; but the indispensable Condition of that Covenant, is, that we be for the future zealous of good works: 2 Tim. 1. 10 He has indeed brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel, and opened to us an abundant entrance into the Kingdom 2 Pet. 1. 11 of God; but 'tis not that any unrenew­ed Nature should be admitted to have a share in those pure and undefiled Re­wards, but that those who have broken Dan. 4. 27. off their Sins by Repentance, and their Ini­quities by shewing mercy to the poor, may through his Merits be restored to the Love and Favour of God. Our Saviour has indeed redeemed us from the Punish­ment of Sin, by the Sacrifice of himself; but 'tis expresly upon condition, that we rescue our selves from the Power and Dominion of it. In order to this, he has made a most clear Discovery of the Will of God to us, and enabled us to obey it according to that Discovery▪ he has beaten off our Chains, and opened us a way to retreat out of the bondage of Sin and Satan, into the glorious Liberty of the Sons of God; he Rom. 8 21. ha [...] paid the Price, and Redeemed us out of Captivity: But if notwithstanding all this, we still continue in Sin, 'tis our own fault and extreme folly here, and will be our condemnation and misery hereafter; if notwithstanding all that Christ has done [Page 111] for us, we will yet sit still under the Power of Sin, we shall, notwithstanding all that he has done and suffered for us, at last fall into the Punishment thereof. The Righteousness of Christ is indeed so far avail­able to those who sincerely desire to obey the Gospel, as that for his sake that Imperfect Righteousness, by which they could not be ju­stified according to the Law, shall be accep­table before God (through Faith in him) un­to Justification; But for one who uses no indeavours to be righteous himself, to expect to be justified by the external Im­putation of the Righteousness of Christ, is for a Sick Man to expect to be made whole by the Imputation of anothers Health; or for a Miserable Man to be made happy meerly by the Imputation of another Mans Felicity. Righteousness is not an outward imaginary Quality, but an inward and real Disposition of heart and mind, which must shew forth it self in real and substantial acts of Holiness and Piety: Little Children, saith St. John, let no man deceive you; He that doth Righteous­ness is righteous, 1 John 3. 7. Lastly, Our Saviour has indeed promised Salvation, to those who Believe the Gospel; but 'tis most expresly upon this condition, that they Obey it also. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the King­dom of Heaven▪ but he that doth the Will of [Page 112] my Father which is in Heaven, Matt. 5. 21. Without this Obedience, nothing in the World can stand a Man in any stead: His Believing and Professing the Truth of the Christian Faith, will avail him no­thing: His continuing in the Commu­nion of the Church of Christ, will profit him nothing: If any man seems to be re­ligious, Jam. 1. 26. and continues in any one Sin, de­ceiving his own heart, that Mans Religion is vain: For though he could speak with the Tongue of Men and Angels, and had all 1 Cor. 13. 2. Faith, so that he could remove Mountains; yet if he were not holy in his Life and Conversation, it would profit him nothing. Many will plead before our Saviour at the Day of Judgment, that they have not only believed his Doctrine, but also have taught in his Name, and in his Name have cast out Devils, and in his Name done many Luk. 13. 26. wonderful Works, that is, have had the ex­traordinary Gift even of working Mi­racles; and yet if they be workers of Ini­quity, he will say unto them, Depart from me, I know you not.

CHAP. IV. A Digression concerning the Doctrine of Faith and Works, delivered by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, and in that to the Galatians.

1. THere is but one thing, that I know of, that can with any colour be urged against this Notion of true Religi­on which I have now laid down: And that is the Doctrine of Faith and Works, delivered by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, and in that to the Galatians. Which because it is a Doctrine of the greatest Importance, and liable to be mis­interpreted to countenance the most per­nicious Errors; I shall therefore in this Chapter, by way of Digression, endeavour to give a brief Account of the Occasion of the writing these two Epistles, and to ex­plain the Doctrine delivered therein.

2. Before the coming of Christ, the Jews we know were the peculiar People of God, selected out of all the Nations of the Earth to be the Standard of true Religion, and to be the People among whom God would chuse to place his Name. [Page 114] To them were committed the Oracles of God, Rom. 3. 2. To them pertained the Adoption, and the Glory, and the Covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the Service of God, and the Promises; whose are the Fathers, and out of whom according to the flesh Christ came, who is over all God blessed for ever, Rom 9. 4, & 5. that is; with them were intrusted the Revelations of the Will of God, the Law and the Prophecies: To them was granted the peculiar Honour and Privilege, that they should be accounted the Sons or People of God, and that they should be accordingly un­der the more [...]. Deut. 32. 8. peculiar Care and Protection of his Providence: Among them was the Ark and Temple of God, the Shecinah or Glorious Presence of the Divine Majesty; In Judah was God known, his Name was great in Israel: In Salem also was his Tabernalce, and his dwelling place in Sion: With them God entered solemnly into Covenant, that he would be their God and they should be his People, and confirmed this Covenant with the Sacra­mental Seal of Circumcision, and with sprinkling of Blood. To them God him­self prescribed a Law or Form of Worship in a wonderful and miraculous manner; and their Polity also was of Divine Insti­tution [Page 115] and Appointment; God shewed his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judg­ments unto Israel: He did not deal so with any other Nation, neither had the Heathen knowledge of his Laws. Lastly, They were the Posterity of those Patriarchs, to whom God had so often promised and sworn by himself, That in their Seed should all the Nations of the Earth be blessed; and among them was born that Messias, of whom so great things had been Prophe­sied, and who was therefore the expecta­tion of all the Ends of the Earth. These were the great and glorious Privileges, which by the peculiar Favour of God, the Nation of the Jews enjoyed before the preaching of the Gospel; these were the Grounds upon which that People so high­ly valued themselves, above the rest of Mankind: And most justly might they have done so, with an humble and thank­ful acknowledgment of the Mercy and Fa­vor of God: But they look'd upon these high Privileges, not as the free Gift of God, but as a Right and Propriety, to which they only had a just Claim, who could reckon their Descent from Abraham and the Patriarchs: All other Nations in the World they look'd upon with the utmost Scorn and Contempt, as Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, Strangers to the Co­venant of Promise, and scarce worthy of [Page 116] the Protection of the Divine Providence▪ The Establishment of their Law and Ce­remonies they imagined to be such, as was designed by God to continue for ever; and the Promises contained in the Law and the Prophets they thought to belong so peculi­arly to themselves, that they would not be­lieve any other People could ever come to be partakers of them. When the Mes­siah himself should appear, they were per­suaded that he was to establish an ever­lasting Kingdom over the Jewish Nation only, and so become indeed the Wonder and Amazement, but not the Salvation of the Gentiles. This Opinion was so firm­ly rooted among them in our Saviour's time, that even those who believed in his Name, and were convinced that his King­dom was not to be a Temporal but a Spi­ritual Kingdom, did yet imagine that the Jews only were to be admitted to be Sub­jects of this his Spiritual Kingdom, and that the Gospel was not to be preached to the Gentiles: Till St. Peter having an express Command from Heaven not to count any Man common or unclean, as you may read Acts 10. went and preached the Gospel to Cornelius the Cen­turion; and his Preaching being seconded by the miraculous effusion of the Holy Ghost upon the Gentile Converts, con­vinced them that God was of a truth no re­specter [Page 117] of Persons, but that he had unto the Gentiles also granted Repentance unto Life. Act. 10. 34. The great Mystery of the receiving in of the Gentiles being thus discovered, and God having himself declared by such a re­markable Miracle, that in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him; there immediately arose a question whether those who by being converted to Christianity were admitted into the Number of the elect People of God, and thereby became partakers of all the Privileges which had hitherto been confined to the Jewish Nation, were not thereupon obliged to become Proselytes also to the Jewish Law. The converted Jews, who had not yet laid aside their old Preju­dices, but retained an extreme fondness for their Ceremonial Law, contended most earnestly, that [...] ▪ Euseb. Hist. Lib. 3. c. 21. it was ne­cessary that the Jewish Religion should be conti­nued together with the Christian, teaching the Bre­thren every where, and saying, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved, Acts 15. 1. Upon this, the Apostles and Elders which were ga­thered together at Jerusalem, held a Con­sultation; where St. Peter having deliver­ed it as his Opinion, That since God him­self had born witness to the Gentiles, by giving them the Holy Ghost, 'twould be [Page 118] no better than tempting God, to put a Yoke upon their Necks, which neither themselves nor their Fathers had been able to bear; they immediately agreed to write unto them, that they did not think it ne­cessary to lay upon them any such Bur­den; as you may see at large, Acts 15. And now the Question being decided by such an authoritative Sentence as this, It seemed good unto the Holy Ghost, and to us the Apostles and Elders▪ &c. one would have thought there should have been no more Debate about this Matter: But the rest­less Jews, moved with envy that the Gen­tiles should be admitted into the Number of the elect People of God as well as them­selves, persisted still in their Obstinacy notwithstanding this positive Determina­tion, persuading the Gentile Converts that they must needs observe the Law of Moses, and constraining them to be circumcised; in­somuch that St. Paul, who as far as he could lawfully, conformed himself to the Humours of all men, that he might by all means gain some, was forced to circumcise Timothy at Derbe, because of the Jews that were in those quarters, Acts 16. 3. Though at other times, as being the Apostle to whom was especially committed the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles, he always earnestly exhorted his Gentile Con­verts to stand fast in the liberty wherewith [Page 119] Christ had made them free; and particular­ly, his Epistle to the Romans, and that to the Galatians, were written upon this ve­ry Occasion; as will be evident to any one, who shall impartially consider the Matter.

3. For that there are abundance of Passages in these Epistles, which so evident­ly relate to this Controversie, that they cannot possibly be interpreted to any other Sense, is manifest from but cursorily read­ing the Epistles themselves. A great part of the Epistle to the Romans is professed­ly about the casting off the Jews, and the coming in of the Gentiles; particularly the 9th, 10th and 11th Chapters: And the 14th Chapter is wholly spent in shewing the unnecessariness of the Jewish obser­vation of Days, and distinction of Meats; One Man esteemeth one day above another, another esteemeth every day alike, Verse 5. and I know and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of it self; but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean, Verse 14. and so on. In the Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle tells his Gentile Converts, that he was amazed they should so soon be drawn away from the Truth, by some that trou­bled them and would pervert the Gospel of Christ, Chap. 1. ver. 7. He gives them warning, that the reason why those per­verters [Page 120] of the Gospel persuaded them to Judaize, was only that they might make a fair shew in the Flesh; they constrain you, says he, to be circumcised, only lest they should suffer persecution for the Gross of Christ; For neither they themselves, who are circumcised, keep the Law, but desire to have you circum­cised that they may glory in your flesh, Ch. 6. Ver. 12, & 13. He assures them that in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new Creature, Ch. 6. ver. 15. He urges them earnestly to stand fast in their Christian Liberty, and not to be intangled again with the yoke of Bondage, protesting that if any man would be circumcised, Christ should profit him no­thing, but he should become a debtor to fulfil the whole Law, Ch. 5. ver. 1. He tells them also how he openly rebuked St. Pe­ter at Antioch for withdrawing and sepa­rating himself from the Gentiles, for fear of them which were of the circumcision, Ch. 2. Ver. 12. All which, and many other the like Passages, do so evidently refer to that Controversie, Whether the Jewish Religion was to be mixed with the Christian, or no, that I know not whether any one ever at­tempted to interpret them to any other Sense.

4. And that those other Parts also of these Epistles, which have by some been otherwise interpreted, ought indeed to be [Page 121] understood wholly to relate to the same Controversie, appears sufficiently from the Apostles way of arguing. For according to any other Interpretation, the Terms, which the Apostle makes use of, are improper; and his reasoning is hard, intricate, and not concluding. As is sufficiently evident from the difficulty that some Expositors have met with, to vindicate St. Paul from thwarting the main Design of the Gospel, from contradicting the express Words of some other of the Apostles, and also from contradicting himself. But if these whole Epistles be understood to refer to that Que­stion, Whether the Christian Religion be alone sufficient to Salvation, or whether it be necessary to observe together with it the Ceremonies also of the Jewish Law; the Terms, which the Apostle uses, are most apt and proper; and his Reasoning is most easie, strong and con­clusive: As will most evidently appear from a brief view of them both.

5. The design then of the Apostle being on one hand to magnifie the Christian Religion, by setting forth its sufficiency to Salvation; and on the other hand, to demonstrate the insufficiency and unnecessariness of the ceremonial observances of the Jewish Law; the Terms which he all along makes use of to express the Christian and Jewish Religion by, are such as may best serve to set forth the excellency of the one, and diminish the opi­nion [Page 122] which Men had taken up of the ne­cessity of the other. Thus because the first and most fundamental Duty of the Chri­stian Religion, is believing in God, and be­lieving that most perfect Revelation of his Will, which he has made to Mankind by our Saviour Jesus Christ; whereas on the contrary, the principal part of the Jewish Religion, or at least of that Religion which the Judaizing Christians so earnestly con­tended for, was an anxious observance of the burdensome Ceremonies of the Mosaick Law; therefore the Apostle calls the Chri­stian Religion Faith, and the Jewish Reli­gion the Law. Thus in the Epistle to the Romans, ch. 3. ver. 28. Therefore we con­clude that a man is justified by Faith, without the deeds of the Law; that is, It clearly ap­pears from what has been already said, that Obedience to the Christian Religion is sufficient to justifie a Man, without obser­ving the Ceremonies of the Jewish: And ver. 31. Do we then make void the Law through Faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the Law; that is, Do we then, as some Men object, by our preaching up the Chri­stian Religion make void the Law of God, or that Revelation of his Will which he made to the Jews? No, we are so far from that, that by introducing Christianity we establish, confirm, and perfect the moral and immutable part of the Law much [Page 123] more effectually, than the Jewish Ceremo­nies were able to do. Thus likewise in the Epistle to the Galatians, ch. 3. ver. 2. This only would I learn of you. Received ye the Spi­rit by the works of the Law, or by the hear­ing of Faith? Or, as 'tis expressed, ver. 5. He that ministreth to you the Spirit, and worketh Miracles among you, doth he it by the works of the Law, or by the hearing of Faith? that is, I appeal unto your selves, who con­tend so earnestly for the necessity of keep­ing up the Jewish Ceremonies; was it by your observing the Rites of the Jewish Re­ligion that ye received the Gifts of the Ho­ly Ghost, or by your being converted to the Christian? So also, ver. 24. The Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by Faith; that is, The Jewish Dispensation was appointed by God in condescention to the weakness of that People, to fit them by degrees for the reception of the Christian: And ch. 2. ver. 15. The Apostle having rebuked St. Peter openly, for withdrawing himself from the Gentiles at Antioch, adds, We who are Jews by nature, and not Sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law, but by the Faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ, and not by the Works of the Law; that is, If we our selves, who were brought [Page 124] up in the Jewish Religion, being convinced that that Religion was not able to justifie us in the sight of God, have thought fit to forsake it and imbrace the Christian Re­ligion, in hopes to be justified thereby, how much less reason have you to compel the Gentiles, who were never brought up in the Jewish Religion, to conform themselves to the Customs of the Jews, after their Conversion to Christianity?

6. Again, because the Christian Religion teaches us to expect Salvation not from our own Merits, but from the Grace of God, that is, according to the Terms of that new and gracious Covenant, where­in God has promised to accept of Sinceri­ty instead of perfect Obedience; whereas on the contrary, the Jews depended upon their exact performance of the Works of the Law; therefore the Apostle calls the Christian Religion Grace, and the Jewish Religion Works. Thus in the Epistle to the Romans, ch. 11. ver. 5. So then at this present time also, there is a remnant accord­ing to the election of Grace; that is, tho' the Jewish Nation having rejected the gracious offer of the Gospel, are thereupon rejected from being the People of God, yet has God reserved to himself a Remnant from among them, even those who have embraced the Christian Religion; And if by Grace, then is it no more of Works; that is, and if it be upon account of their having embraced [Page 125] the Christian Religion, that they are rec­koned the peculiar People of God, then is not this Privilege any longer annexed to the Professors of the Jewish Religion; otherwise Grace is no more Grace; that is, otherwise the Christian Religion is in vain, and not, what it pretends to be, the Grace of God: Thus also, ch. 6. ver. 14. Sin shall not have the dominion over you, for ye are not under the Law but under Grace; that is, ye are not under the Jewish Reli­gion, but under the Christian. So like­wise in the Epistle to the Galatians, ch. 5. ver. 4. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the Law, ye are fallen from Grace; that is, whosoever will needs retain the Jewish Religion, he takes upon him to fulfil the whole Law, forsaking the gracious Dispensation of the Christian Religion, and therefore Christ shall be of no effect unto him.

7. Again, because the Duties of the Christian Religion are almost wholly Mo­ral and Spiritual, respecting the inward disposition of the Heart and Mind; where­as on the contrary, the Ceremonies of the Jewish Law were for the most part exter­nal, and as the Apostle to the Hebrews calls them, Carnal Ordinances, respecting chiefly the outward purification of the Body; therefore the Apostle calls the Christian Re­ligion Spirit, and the Jewish Religion Flesh. [Page 126] Thus in the Epistle to the Romans, ch. 8. ver. 3, & 4. For what the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the Flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the Flesh; that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the Flesh, but after the Spirit; that is, whereas the Jewish Religion, because of its outward and carnal Ordinances, was weak and in­sufficient to make Men truly Righteous; God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful Man to offer up himself a Sacri­fice for the Sins of Mankind, established the Christian Religion, which purifying throughly the whole Heart and Mind, and purging the Conscience from dead Works, might through the Grace and Mercy of God avail to justifie Men from all things, from which they could not be justified by the Law. Thus also in the Epistle to the Galatians, ch. 3. ver. 3. Are ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the Flesh? that is, Are ye so foo­lish as to think, that after ye have em­braced the Truth of the Christian Reli­gion, you can become yet more perfect by observing the Ceremonies of the Jew­ish Law?

8. These are the Terms which the Apo­stle expresses the Christian and Jewish Religion by in these Epistles: And ac­cording [Page 127] to this Interpretation, the sub­stance of both these Epistles may clearly be resolved into certain Arguments, by which the Apostle plainly and strongly proves, against the Judaizing Believers, that Obedience to the Christian Religion is sufficient to Salvation, without obser­ving the Ceremonies of the Jewish.

9. His first Argument is this. The Jewish Religion having proved insuffici­ent to make Men truly good, as the Natu­ral Religion had before done, there was a necessity of setting up another Institution of Religion, which might be more availa­ble and effectual to that End; now the setting up a new Institution of Religion necessarily implying the abolishing of the old, it follows that Christianity was not to be added to Judaism, but that Judaism was to be changed into Christianity, that is, that the Jewish Religion was from thencefor­ward to cease, and the Christian Religion to succeed in its room. This Argument the Apostle insists upon in the 1st, 2d, 5th, 6th and 7th Chapters to the Romans, and in the 1st and 4th Chapters to the Galati­ans. In the 1st and 2d Chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, he shows that the Jewish Religion had proved insufficient to make Men truly Holy, as Natural Reli­gion had also done: In the 5th and 6th Chapters of that Epistle to the Romans, and [Page 128] in the 1st to the Galatians, he gives an ac­count of the Institution of the Christian Religion, as more available to that End; in the 7th Chapter to the Romans he shews that this new Institution of Religion ne­cessarily implies the abolishing of the old one; and this he does from the similitude of a Womans being bound by the Law to her Husband so long as he lives, but if her Husband be dead, she is free from the Law of her Husband; which Similitude he applies, ver. 4. Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ, that ye should be married to ano­ther, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God: In the 4th Chapter to the Galatians, he proves the same thing from the Similitude of a young Heirs being under Governors or Tutors, ver. 1. I say that the Heir, as long as he is a Child, differeth nothing from a Ser­vant, tho' he be Lord of all; but is under Tu­tors and Governors, until the time appointed of the Father; even so we, when we were Children, were in bondage under the elements of the World: But when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem those that were under the Law, that we might re­ceive the adoption of Sons; that is, The Jewish Law was an Institution of Religion adapted by God in great Condescention to [Page 129] the weak Apprehensions of that People; but when the fulness of time was come, God sent his Son Jesus Christ to institute a more perfect Form of Religion, after the settlement of which in the World, the former Dispensation was to be disannul­led, for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.

10. The second Argument, by which the Apostle proves that the Christian Re­ligion is sufficient to justifie a Man, with­out mixing therewith the Rites of the Jewish, is this: The Summ and Essence of all Religion, is Obedience to the moral and eternal Law of God; since therefore the Ceremonies of the Jewish Law were instituted only for that very reason, that they might promote this great End, and prepare Mens Hearts for the reception of that more perfect Institution of Religion, wherein God was to be worshipped and obeyed in Spirit and in Truth; 'tis mani­fest, that when this more perfect Institu­tion of Religion was settled, the former, which was designed for no other reason but to be a preparatory to this, must be abolished. This Argument the Apostle insists on in the 2d Chapter to the Romans, and in the 3d to the Galatians: In the 2d to the Romans he shows, that every Insti­tution of Religion, and particularly the Jewish, was no otherwise of any esteem in the sight of God, than as it promoted [Page 130] that great end of Obedience to his Moral and Eternal Law: For Circumcision, saith he, verily profiteth if thou keep the Law; but if thou be a breaker of the Law, thy Circumcision is made Uncircumcision; Therefore if the Un­circumcision keep the Righteousness of the Law; shall not his Uncircumcision be counted for Cir­cumcision? And shall not Uncircumcision, which is by nature, if it keep the Law, judge thee who by the Letter and Circumcision dost transgress the Law? For he is not a Jew which is one out­wardly, neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh; But he is a Jew which is one inwardly, and Circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of Men but of God, v. 25. to the end. In the 3d to the Galatians he argues, that the Jewish Religion having been thus instituted only to prepare Men for that Obe­dience to the Eternal Law of God, which was to be the sum and essence of the Chri­stian Religion; it follows that when this latter and more perfect Institution took place, there was no need of continuing the former: The Law, saith he, was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come, to whom the Promise was made, v. 19. And v. 23. Before Faith came we were kept under the Law, shut up unto the Faith which should afterward be revealed; Wherefore the Law was our School-master to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by Faith; But after that Faith is come, we are no longer under a School-master.

[Page 131]11. The Third Argument which the A­postle makes use of to prove that those who were converted to the Christian Religion, were not bound any longer to observe the Jewish, is this: The Religion of Abraham was such a Religion, as was acceptable to God, and available to Justification; But now the Religion of Abraham was the same with the Christian Religion, consisting only of Faith and Obedience without the works of the Jewish Law; (For the Scripture saith ex­presly, that the Gospel was Preached before unto Abraham, and that his Faith was reck­oned unto him for Righteousness, when he was not in Circumcision, but in Uncircumcision;) It follows therefore, that the Faith and Obedi­ence of the Christian Religion shall be im­puted unto us for Righteousness, without the works of the Jewish Law. This Argu­ment the Apostle largely and strongly in­sists upon in the whole 4th Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, and in the 3d to the Galatians, as you may there read at large.

12. The fourth and last Argument, by which the Apostle proves that the Christian Religion is sufficient to Salvation without retaining the Jewish, is this: The Posterity of Abraham were the Elect and the peculiar People of God; But by the Posterity of Abraham is not meant strictly those who de­scend from Abraham according to the flesh, but the Children of the Promise, (that is, as many as are of the Faith of Abraham,) shall be [Page 132] counted for the Seed: The true Religion therefore and Service of God, is not confined to the Jewish Nation, who are the Posterity of Abraham according to the flesh, but the Gentiles also which believe, have attained to Righteousness, even the Righteousness which is of Faith; that is, those of all Nations, as well Gentiles as Jews, who embrace the Christian Religion, which is the same with the Religion of Abraham, shall be justified with faithful Abraham. And this Argument the Apostle insists upon in the 9th, 10th, and 11th Chapters of the Epistle to the Ro­mans, and in the 4th to the Galatians.

13. This is the Sum of the Arguments, which the Apostle makes use of in these two Epistles, to prove against the Judaizing Christians, that there was no necessity of re­taining the Jewish Religion together with the Christian. And from the largeness, clear­ness, and strength of these Arguments, 'tis evident that the determination of this Question is indeed the principal scope and design of the Apostle in these Epistles. For nothing can be more absurd than to sup­pose, that the Apostle should most strong­ly and largely demonstrate a thing, which was not really the design of his dis­course; or that on the other hand he should make a thing the professed Subject of his discourse and yet prove it by such intricate and obscure Arguments, as the wisest and cunningest of Men should never be able to [Page 133] reconcile, either with the rest of the Scrip­ture, or with themselves.

14. We must not therefore so understand any passages in these Epistles, as if the Apo­stle designed to magnifie one Christian Vir­tue in opposition to all or any of the rest; but only that he would set forth the Perfection of the Virtues of the Christian Religion, with­out the Ceremonies of the Jewish. Thus when he tells us that we are justified by Faith without Works, we must not interpret it of the Faith of the Christian Religion, in opposition to the Works of the Christian Religion, but of the Faith of the Christian Religion, in opposition to the Works of the Jewish. For so the Apostle himself most expresly explains it, Gal. 5. 6 In Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing, nor Uncircumcision, but Faith which worketh by Love; that is, it matters not whether a Man observes the Works of the Jewish Re­ligion or no, if he maintains but the Faith, and the Obedience of the Christian. But as to the Works of the Christian Religion, the same Apostle every where urgeth their ne­cessity, and particularly the five last Chap­ters of the Epistle to the Romans are a most earnest exhortation to be fruitful therein.

15. From which it follows most evident­ly, that there is no contradiction between St. Paul and St. James, when the one says that a Man is justified by Faith without Works, and the other saith that Faith without Works [Page 134] cannot justifie. For the one speaking pro­fessedly of the Works of the Jewish Religion, and the other of the Works of the Christian, 'tis plain that the Faith of the Christian Re­ligion may avail to justifie a Man without the Works of the Jewish Religion, (which is the Assertion of St. Paul;) tho' it cannot do so without the Works of the Christian Re­ligion, (which is the Assertion of St. James.) The Faith of Abraham, saith St. Paul, was accounted to him for Righteousness; that is, his Faith was accepted without Circumcision, and without observing the external Rites of the Law: But it was by Works, saith St. James, that Abraham our Father was justified; that is, it was by real [...]. Clem. ad Cor. 1. [...]. Euseb. Hist. l. 1. Obedience to the mo­ral and eternal Law of God, such as is now required by the Christian Religion, that his Faith was made avail­able to Justification. So that there is no other difference between these two great Apostles, than as if a Man should say, That believing the Christian Re­ligion is sufficient to Salvation, without obeying the Jewish Religion, but that it cannot be so without obeying the Christian.

16. From all which 'tis plain, that the Doctrine of St. Paul concerning Faith and Works, delivered in his Epistles to the Ro­mans and Galatians, is so far from contra­dicting what I have laid down in the fore­going [Page 135] Chapter, concerning the True No­tion of Religion in general, (namely that the Essence and End of all true Religion is Obedience to the Moral and Eternal Law of God,) that on the contrary nothing does more clearly and more strongly confirm it.

CHAP. V. Of the Duties of Religion in particular.

1. THirdly, Endeavour to gain a clear and distinct Knowledge of the particular Duties of Religion. 'Tis not sufficient to understand in general wherein True Reli­gion consists, and to have right Notions concerning its Obligations in general, but we must also consider the Particulars of our Duty, and view them distinctly under some proper Heads. Many there are who have right and true Notions concerning the Na­ture of Religion in general, who under­stand well enough and are convinced that the only thing that can be accepted in the sight of God, is Holiness of Life and Universal Obedience to all his Commands; who yet Nemo nostrum in altum de­scendit, summa tantum decerp­simus, & exiguum temporis im­pendisse Philosophiae satis a­bundeque occupatis fuit. Sen. ep. 60▪ contenting them­selves with this slight, ge­neral, and superficial Know­ledge, and never giving themselves time to medi­tate seriously on the several particular [Page 136] Branches of their Duty, are very apt to impose upon themselves with a partial Obe­dience; and while they satisfie their own Minds with some loose and general Consi­derations, that their Lives are Religious in the main, that they have a general esteem for Virtue and Religion, and that they hate Pro­faneness and professed Irreligion, they make a shift to live in the habitual Practice of some great Sin, or in the constant neglect of some important Duty.

2. My design is not in this short Essay, to make a large and particular Deduction of all the several Branches of our Chri­stian Duty. This has already been fully and excellently done See Whole Duty of Man, and Mr. Kettelwel's Measures of Christian Obedience. Book 2. by some of our own Writers. I shall only lay down the chief Particulars of our Duty under some brief Heads, which may be easily remem­bred and carried constantly in Mind, as perpetual Memorials of what upon all oc­casions we must remember our selves to be absolutely and indispensably obliged to: And they shall be these Three.

3. First, That we ought to be always de­vout towards God, with the profoundest Vene­ration of Mind possible, and to seek all oppor­tunities of expressing that Devotion. By this Rule is commanded Faith in God, Trust and Dependance upon him, Submission and Resignedness to his Will, Fear and Love of him, Zeal for his Honour, Prayer and [Page 137] Thankfulness to him, and a conscientious Attendance upon his Worship and Ordi­nances: And by it is forbidden, Blasphemy and Profaneness, Superstition and Idolatry, Witchcraft and Consulting with such as are reputed to have Skill in any evil Art, Perjury and vain Swearing, Unbelief and Distrust of God, want of Zeal for his Honour, Unthankfulness and Neglect of Prayer, Carelessness in Religion and Neg­lecting to attend upon the Publick Wor­ship.

4. Secondly, That we ought constantly to indeavour in the whole Course of our Lives, to promote the Good and the Happiness of all Men. By this Rule is commanded Honour and Reverence, Fidelity and Obedience towards those who are our Superiors; Goodness and Kindness, Affability and Courteous­ness, Justice and Honesty, Gentleness and Candour, Meekness and Peaceableness, Forgiveness of Injuries, and a Desire of doing all possible Kindnesses to those who are our Equals; Pity and Succour, Merci­fulness and Compassion, Alms and Bene­ficence, Instruction and Assistance, and all manner of Help and Encouragement to those who are our Inferiors: And by it is forbidden, Disobedience and Rebellion, Traiterousness and Speaking Evil of Dig­nities; Murder and Stealing, Extortion and Fraud, Perfidiousness and Lying, Op­pression and Over reaching, Calumny and [Page 138] Evil-speaking, Hatred and Revenge, Sour­ness and Unkindness, Anger and Passion, Peevishness and Ill-nature, Sullenness and Moroseness, Discord and Unpeaceableness; Cruelty and Uncharitableness, Pride and Haughtiness, and Unconcernedness at the Wants and Miseries of Others.

5. Thirdly, That we ought to be Tempe­rate and Abstemious in the Use of all Tempo­ral Enjoyments, as Soldiers of Christ, and Candidates for Heaven; as those who look for their Portion not in the Pleasures of this World, but in the Happiness of the other. By this Rule is commanded Temperance and Sobriety, Chastity and Purity, Con­tentment and Contempt of the World, Patience and Watchfulness, Mortifica­tion and Self-Denial, Heavenly-mindedness and Humility: And by it is forbidden, Gluttony and Drunkenness, Adultery and Fornication, Uncleanness and Lascivious­ness, Voluptuousness and Sensuality, Co­vetousness and Ambition, Idleness and Softness, Impatience and Discontent.

6. This is the Summ of the Duties, which every one who will in earnest dedicate himself to the Service of God, and serious­ly enter upon a Religious Course of Life, must resolve to perform. Whoever will bear his Cross and come after Christ, must first consider, whether for the sake of God and Religion, he can be able to bear the Scorn and Contempt of Impious and Prophane [Page 139] Men, and suffer all things rather than be compelled to do any thing to the dishonour of his God; he must consider whether for the sake of Justice and Charity he can be able to Sacrifice his dearest Interests, to conquer his most natural Passions, and to despise the Glory and Splendour of the World; and he must ask himself whether for the sake of Temperance and Purity, he can be able to mortifie his most darling Lusts, and as a resolute follower of a Crucified Saviour, contemn all the Plea­sures of Flesh and Sense: For unless he can peremptorily resolve with himself to do all this, his Profession of Religion will certainly be in vain, and he cannot be the Disciple of Christ. Which of you, saith our blessed Saviour, intending to build a Tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply after he has laid the Founda­tion, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This Man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what King going to make War against another King, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand, to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? So likewise, whosoever he be of you, that forsak­eth not all that he hath, that is, who does not resolve with himself to perform his Duty, whatever it may cost him, he can­not be my▪ Disciple, Luke 14. 28, &c.

CHAP. VI. What is to be done at Confirmation: Of so­lemnly renewing the Baptismal Vow.

1. WHen a Person is thus arrived to a firm Belief of the great Truths of Religion; When he Understands distinctly the Extent and Obligation of his Duty; and is come to a settled Resolution of conducting the whole course of his Life, according to that Knowledge; then is it that he becomes truly meet for the Kingdom of God, and is rightly prepared to make a solemn Profes­sion of his being a Disciple of Christ. Which the Church has wisely ordained should be done publickly at Confirmation: where by Ratifying with our own Mouth the Vow made in our Name by our Sureties, we solemnly take upon our selves to perform all the Duties, which the Condition of our Baptismal Covenant obliges us to observe; and by Imposition of Hands, (according to the constant practice of the Church since the times of the Apostle) we have sealed and Confirmed to us all the Privileges, which the condition of the same Baptismal Covenant intitles us to receive.

2. First therefore, at receiving Confir­mation, Consider that you now Solemnly un­dertake for your self to perform all the Duties, [Page 141] which the Condition of your Baptismal Cove­nant obliges you to observe. Consider that you now confirm & ratifie, all that your Su­reties promised and vowed for you at your Baptism. Consider that you now ingage in your own Person, To renounce the Devil and all his Works, the Pomps and Vanities of this Wicked World, and all the sinful Lusts of the Flesh; that you now ingage to stand firm in the Belief of the Christian Doctrine, and never to be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ crucified, or afraid to own your self his Disciple; and that you now ingage to obey from henceforward all the Command­ments of God, that is, to live (with all the Strictness and Purity of the Gospel) in the constant Practice of every one of those Duties, of which I have briefly set down the Heads in the former Chapter.

3. And consider, that you promise all this most solemnly, in the Presence of God and before the whole Congregation. Consider, that you enter into this Promise with such solemnity, as lays upon you the strongest possible Obligations to Virtue: Consider that you so enter into this Promise with Knowledge and Deliberation, that if you shall afterwards fall into any Course of sin, in contempt of such repeated Obliga­tions to the contrary, the Guilt thereof will be extreamly increased; and that therefore you ought now, to affect your Mind deeply with a sence of the heinousness [Page 142] of sin, and to strengthen mightily your good Resolutions. Antiently, every one that was baptized, was taught to look upon himself as entring into so solemn an Obli­gation of Religion, that if after that Great and Sacred Vow he should fall into any wilful and known sin, it could not be for­given him but upon a proportionably great and long Repentance: And the same Reason there is now, why every one that by Confirmation dedicates himself to the Service of God, and makes publick Pro­fession of his being a Disciple of Christ, should look upon himself as entring into such a solemn Obligation, as should make him exceeding fearful of falling for the future into any great sin, the Guilt of which will be extreamly increased by being committed after such repeated Vows and Promises to the contrary.

4. Yet is this no Reason why any one should defer being Confirmed, as if by omitting to bind himself by this New and Solemn Promise, he might continue to sin with less guilt and less danger. For though the guilt of sin be indeed mightily increa­sed, by being committed after repeated Obligations to the contrary; yet if any one omits to renew his Obligations, only for that reason, that he may continue in sin; his sin is then equally heinous and against Knowledge, as if he had renewed [Page 143] his Obligation. Baptism is a solemn Ob­ligation to be Religious; and many of the Antients, because they thought sin would be more heinous after so solemn an Obli­gation, did therefore defer to be Baptized till the end of their Lives. The Lord's Supper is also a solemn Obligation to be Religious; and many in our days, because they think sin will be more heinous after so solemn an Obligation, do therefore defer receiving the Communion all their Lives. But 'tis plain these men run into a very great Errour. For the reason why sin after repeated Obligations to the contrary, be­comes more heinous, is because it is com­mitted with greater Deliberation & against clearer Convictions: When therefore a man who Believes Religion, and Under­stands its Obligations, omits these Duties for no other reason, but that he may sin (as he thinks) with less danger; his sins are then equally deliberate, and against equally clear Knowledge; and he more­over adds to them a contemptuous neglect, of the means of becoming more Religious.

CHAP. VII. Of the Certainty of God's Grace, and the Assistance of his Holy Spirit.

1. SEcondly, Consider that you come now to have Sealed and Confirmed to you all the Privileges, which the Condition of your Baptismal Covenant intitles you to receive. At Baptism we are admitted into the Church of God, and have a Title to the Graces and Assistance of the Holy Spirit; and at Con­firmation this Grace is Sealed and Assured to us, by the external Sign of Imposition of Hands. When therefore you come in this solemn manner to make Profession of your Religion, and to dedicate your self to the Service of God, be sure to come with earnest desires, and a longing Soul, with firm Faith, and a well-assured Hope, with a pure Heart, and a Mind prepared for the re­ception of the Holy Ghost; and God will not fail, to pour down upon you the abun­dance of his Grace; to give you strength from thenceforward to overcome both the inward corruption of your Nature, and the outward temptations of the World and the Devil; to inable you to continue firm in the Faith of Christ, and in the Obedience of his Commands; to preserve you always from [Page 145] the Dominion of Sin, and to bring you safe unto his Kingdom of Glory.

2. There is nothing more pernitious to the Souls of Men, than an Opinion of the Uncertainty of the Grace of God, and its not being annexed constantly to the use of means. If we imagine that our Nature is so utterly corrupted, that we can no more do or will any thing that is good than a dead Body can move, or bring it self to Life, till we be acted by such a mighty and extraordinary Grace of God, as no­thing that we can do can in the least prepare us to receive; If we imagine that the Temptations of the World and the Devil are so strong, that we cannot possibly overcome them without such a powerful Assistance of the Holy Spirit, as God has not annexed to the use of any Ordinances or Means of Religion; If we imagine that the Command­ments of God are so impossible to be kept, that after all we can do, we must sit still in expectation of being converted suddenly by an irresistible Grace; this must needs make all our Indeavours weak and faint, dead and without heart, and we shall certainly never be able to overcome our Temptations and to Persevere in Well-doing:

3. It must indeed be confessed, that the 2 Cor. 9. [...]. Corruption of our Nature is really so great, that we cannot do any thing as of our selves: It must be confessed, that the Temptations [Page 146] of the World and the Devil are really so strong, that we can never, meerly by our own strength, be able to stand and Persevere unto the end: It must be confessed, that the Commandment of God is so exceeding broad, that by all that we can do by our own power, we can never be justified in the sight of God. But then if our Saviour has deliver'd us from this Corruption of our Nature, and has broken all the Powers of Sin and Satan: If Christ by his Death has purchased this Grace for us, that upon our attending the Ordinances and Means of Religion which he hath appointed, God will as certainly bestow upon us the sufficient Assistance of his Holy Spirit, as a tender Father cannot deny his Child any reasonable Request: If God will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able, but will with the Temptation 1 Cor. 10. 13 also make a way to escape, and whenever he requires more of us than we are naturally able to perform, will certainly afford us an extraordinary Assistance proportionable to the difficulty we are obliged to encoun­ter; (as he constantly did to the Primitive Christians, who through the mighty Power of the Spirit were enabled to bear all the most exquisite Torments, that either the wit of Man, or the Malice of the Devil could invent, with less concern than we can even indure to hear or read of them:) If all this, I say, be true, 'tis evident that if notwithstanding this we still con­tinue [Page 147] in Wickedness, all these specious Pretences will by no means excuse us, but we shall be found to have done despite unto the Spirit of Grace, and to have neglected our great Salvation.

4. Think not therefore that the Cor­ruption of your Nature is greater, than that Grace and Assistance which God now affords you; For so you may sit still under the Dominion of sin, in a vain expecta­tion of being converted by some sudden and All-powerful Grace of God, till you be surprized by the Revelation of his righ­teous Judgment: But know, that to all those who are Baptized in his Name, and who Profess and Endeavour to obey his Com­mandments, God doth give both to will and to do of his good Pleasure; and therefore you are from henceforward indispensably bound, to work out your own Salvation with Phil. 2. 12▪ fear and trembling. Think not that the Temptations of the World and the Devil, are more powerful than that strength wherewith God now indues you; For so you will be sure to be overcome by them: But know, that our Saviour has Overcome the World and the Devil, so that they have Diabolum autem ne timeas: Timens enim Dominum domi­naberis illius; quia virtus in illo nulla est. Hermae Past. 2. 7. Minas autem Diaboli in totum timere [...]olite; sine virtute enim sunt, sicuti mortui hominis nervi. Idem 2. 12. no more power over the Servants of God; and there­fore [Page 148] we are bound to overcome them also, and to be more than Conquerours through him that loved us, Rom. 8. 37. Think not that the Commandments of God are hard and impossible to be kept; For Haec mandata facilè cu­stodies, & non erunt dura; sed si tamen in cor tuum posueris non posse haec ab homine custodiri, non custodies ea. Idem Ibid. so you will certainly not be able to keep them: But know, that thro' Christ who now strengthens you, you may make them Ponite ergo vobis qui vacui & leves estis in fide, Domi­num Deum vestrum & in corde habete; & intelligetis quia nihil facilius est his mandatis, neque dulcius, neque mansuetius neque Sanctius. Idem Ibid. easie, and light, and pleasant; and therefore you are from henceforward indispensably obliged to keep them.

5. These are the Qualifications, with which a Person ought to come to Con­firmation, that he may receive it with Advantage and Profit. I shall now give some brief Directions, how one that has thus solemnly entred into the Pro­fession of Religion, may continue to live worthy of that Holy Profession.

CHAP. VIII. What is to be done after Confirmation. Of Perseverance; and of the danger of Apo­stacy.

1. AND First, Persuade your self of the necessity of Persevering in the con­stant Practice of Religion and Virtue, from this Period. The Primitive Christians thought themselves absolutely obliged, to live in the constant Practice of all Holi­ness and Virtue, from the time of their Baptism to their Death: And if we have taken upon our selves the same Baptismal Vow; if We have entred into the same Profession of Religion; We ought also from that time forward to have the same Apprehensions. Think not that the ma­king a Publick and Solemn Profession of Re­ligion will be of any advantage to you, unless the following part of your Life be suitable to and worthy of that Profession. Think not that your present Zeal and warmth of Devotion will stand you in any stead, unless it work in you such a lasting Disposition of Mind, as will afterwards, when Temptation and Trial shall succeed, preserve you stedfast and unmoveable in the performance of your Duty.

[Page 150]2. The Christian Life is a Spiritual War­fare, wherein we must fight against the Temptations of this World, for the Glories of the other; and the Reward is promised, not to him that shall fight, but to him that shall overcome. We are told, that many should embrace the Doctrine of Christ, and receive his Word even with joy; but because in time of Temptation they would fall away, it should profit them nothing to have once been Believers. This whole Life, is a state of Trial and Probation; and however painfully we have laboured, yet if we leave off before our Work be done, we must lose our Reward. They that run in a race, saith the Apostle, run 1 Cor 9. 24. all; but 'tis not they that rûn, but they that continue to run without fainting to the end, that shall obtain the Crown. Men are exceeding apt to deceive themselves with an imagination, that some warm fits of Devotion, the doing now and then a work of Charity, and the abstaining from Sin for some time, when perhaps the Temptation is less violent than ordinary, will be look'd upon as the running the Christian Race: But let no Man deceive himself with vain Imaginations: This is indeed running, but not so as to obtain; this is indeed fighting, but not so as to con­quer, but to be overcome. 'Tis not the struggling with Sin, or the interrupting a wicked Life by some short lived Repen­tance, [Page 151] that will intitle us to a Crown of Righteousness; but we must overcome, and we must evidence our Victory by a steady course of Piety, or our Labour will prove to be in vain.

3. Many there are, who upon Quidam ad mganifica [...] voces excitantur, & tr [...]nse­unt in affectum dicentium, a [...]a­cres vultu & animo. Rapit illos instiga [...]que rerum pul­chritudo.—Si [...]uid acriter contra mortem dictum est, si­quid contra fortunam contu­maciter, juvat protinus quae audias facere. Afficiunt [...] i [...] ­li, & sunt quales jubentur, si illa animo forma perman [...]at, si non impetum insignem pro­tinus populus honesti dissua­sor excipiat. Pauci illam quan; conceperant mentem domain perferre potuerunt. Seneca Ep. 109. some affecting Dis­course, or some remarka­ble Providence, or some occasional warmth of De­votion, do please them­selves with good Resoluti­ons, do admire the Plea­sures of Virtue, and with a transporting glimpse of the Joys of Holiness, do imagine themselves almost at the Gates of Heaven; and yet when the Fit is over, the Cares of this World, and the Deceitfulness of Riches, and the Lusts of other Things returning upon them, choke the Word and it becometh unfruitful; and all their Pious Intervals serve to no other purpose, but to make their Misery so much the more lamentable and deplo­rable, by how much they have come near­er to the Kingdom of God, and have been almost upon the point of making themselves Happy. What pity is it, that they who have had a taste of the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come, should for want of being able to withstand the [Page 152] Allurements of some trifling Pleasure, or for want of Resolution to incounter some short and temporal Hardship, forfeit all their glorious Hopes of Happiness, and lose the Crown of Immortality! Yet that they must do so if their Love wax cold, and they be offended at the appearance of any Temptation, the Scripture every where most expresly assures us.

4. He that endureth to the end, saith our blessed Saviour, the same shall be saved, Matth. 24. 13. But if any one draw back, my Soul shall have no pleasure in him, Heb. 10. 38. For no Man having put his hand to the Plough, and looking back, is meet for the Kingdom God, Luke 9. 62. Not every one that saith unto him, Lord, Lord; not eve­ry one that embraces his Religion, and makes Profession of it; nay, not every one that receiveth his Word with gladness, and obeys it for a time, even with Since­rity; but he that with an unwearied con­stancy maintains his Resolutions, and in the midst of all Temptations preserves his Integrity to the end; he only has a cer­tain Title to our Saviour's Promise.

5. And to the same purpose the Apo­stle St. Paul, Rom. 2. 7. assures the Pro­mise of Eternal Life, not to those who shall begin to do well, or to those who shall by fits, and at certain times, do some works of Righteousness; but to those only, who shall persevere in a steady course of Piety; [Page 153] to them who by patient continuance in well­doing, seek for Glory, and Honour, and Im­mortality. And again, Heb. 3. 14. he tells us, that we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the end. The Hebrews to whom this Epistle was written, were certainly sincere Christians; they had been enlightned by Baptism and the preaching of the Word; they had tasted of the heavenly Gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost; they had tasted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come; and yet the Apostle tells them, that all this would not make them partakers of Christ; i. e. would not intitle them to the Promises which the Gospel makes to Obedience, un­less they persevered in this state to the end: Nay, so far would all these glorious Things be from ascertaining them of Happiness, that if they fell away, the ha­ving formerly been partakers of so great Privileges would but Is quidem qui non cognovit Dominum, si nequiter vivit, manet in eo nequitiae suae poe [...]a; at qui cognovit Dominum, abstinere omnino se debet ab omni nequitia, & magis magisque servire bonitati. Nonne ergo ille qui bonitatem se­qui debet, si nequitiae praeferat partes, plus peccare videtur, quam is qui deliquit ignorans Dei virtutem? Ideoque hi quidem morti de­stinati sunt; at vero ij qui cognoverunt Dominum, atque ejus mira­bilia opera viderunt, si nequiter vivunt, duplo amplius punientur, & ipsi morientur in aevum. Hermas 3. 9. increase their Con­demnation, and make their State more de­sperate.

[Page 154]6. Terrible are the Threatnings which the Scripture makes to those, who having known their Duty and begun to obey it, shall again return to a course of Wick­edness. If after they have escaped the Pol­lutions of the World through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they shall be again intangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the begin­ning: For it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness, than after they have known it, to turn from the ho­ly Commandment delivered unto them, 2 Pet. 2. 20. I will therefore put you in remem­brance, though you once knew this, how that the Lord having saved the People out of the Land of Egypt, afterwards destroyed them that believed not: And the Angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habi­tation, he hath reserved in everlasting Chains under darkness, unto the Judgment of the great Day, Jude 5, & 6. Lest there be any Fornicator or profane Person, as Esau, who for one morsel of Meat sold his birth-right; for ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the Blessing, he was re­jected, for he found no place of Repentance though he sought it carefully with tears, Heb. 12. 16. If we sin wilfully, after we have re­ceived the knowledge of the Truth, there re­maineth no more Sacrifice for Sins, but a cer­tain fearful looking for of Judgment, and fiery Indignation, which shall devour the Ad­versary, [Page 155] Heb. 10. 26. It is impossible for those who were once enlightned, and have ta­sted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come, if they shall fall away, to re­new them again unto Repentance; seeing they crucifie to themselves the Son of God a­fresh, and put him to an open shame, Heb. 6. 4. The meaning of all which Places is plainly this, not indeed that 'tis impos­sible to obtain Forgiveness, but that there is no more Baptism, no more Baptismal Remission; and that therefore if Men af­ter the clear knowledge of their Duty, re­lapse any more into a state of gross Wick­edness, they cannot be forgiven but upon such a great and active Repentance, as 'tis exceeding difficult to renew such Per­sons unto.

7. For this Reason our Saviour warns us to watch, and to be ready always, to have our Loins girded about and our Lights burn­ing, and to be like Men that wait for their Lord when he shall return from the Wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh they may open unto him immediately, Luke 12. 35. And again, Take heed to your selves, lest at any time your Hearts be overcharged with sur­feiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares; for as a Snare shall it come on all them that dwell upon the face of the whole Earth: [Page 156] Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man, Luke 21. 34. And the Apostles also in their Epistles, are per­petually warning us to watch and to be solicitous, to take great heed (as of a thing of most extreme danger) lest at any time we fail of the grace of God, and left any root of bitterness springing up trouble us, and thereby we be defiled.

8. And indeed the ancient Church thought they could never carry this Point too far. To the Converts who had newly entered into the Profession of Religion, they always urged the necessity of Perse­verance with the utmost Rigour: And those Texts of Scripture, which seem the most severely to threaten Apostates, that is, such as after their embracing the Truth of the Gospel, wilfully relapsed into the Practice of any notorious Wickedness, they always in­terpreted to them in the most [...] Chrysost. in Heb. 12. strict Sense, that by those Terrors of the Lord they might preserve them (if possible) in their Innocence; though those who had alrea­dy sinned they treated more mildly, that they might incourage Repentance and pre­vent Despair.

CHAP. IX. Of Innocence and an early Piety.

1. SEcondly, Consider the inestimable Ad­vantage of Innocence, and of an early Piety. Innocence is a Jewel which no Man understands the value of, and no Man knows what he does when he first parts with it. When a Man is first beaten from his good Resolutions, and seduced by the Temptations of Sin and Folly, he is then driven from his best strong-hold; his Strength, his Courage, his Assistance is dimi­nished; and when or how far he shall be able to recover them, he cannot tell. When a Man is first inticed to sin wilfully and against knowledge, he makes Ship­wrack of a good Conscience, and parts with that Peace of Mind, which how far he shall ever be able to recover, he cannot know. When a Man is first vanquish'd by the Enemies of his Salvation, the World, the Flesh, or the Devil; and prefers any Plea­sure, or any Interest to his Duty; he then forfeits his Title to the Crown pro­mised to those who shall overcome; and how far his Endeavours will afterwards be accepted, he cannot tell.

2. While a Person who has entered early into the Profession of Religion, is [Page 158] yet innocent and uncorrupted with Vice; he begins his Christian Warfare with firm and unbroken Resolutions, with a free and undistracted Mind, and with the certain As­sistance of God's Holy Spirit: But when once he has forfeited this happy Innocence, and is fallen from his first Love; his Zeal for Virtue grows less strict, and his hatred against Vice less severe; his Resolutions be­come weaker and more inconstant, his Passi­ons stronger, and his Mind more unsettled; and the Grace of God is proportionably withdrawn from him; so that it becomes much more difficult to recover his first State, than it had been to preserve it. Think not therefore, when first Tempta­tions offer themselves, that you can now yield to them, and afterwards return to your Duty: (For if your Resolutions when firmest are not able to resist, much less will they do it when they have once been broken; if you cannot withstand the temptations of Vice while it is yet at a di­stance, much less will you be able to do it when it has interested your Passions and insinuated it self into your Affections; if you cannot maintain your Ground while the Spirit of God is ready constantly to assist you, much less will you do it when he has withdrawn himself from you:) But re­solve bravely now, while it is called to Day, while you have Time and may do it with the greatest Advantages, to make your [Page 159] Religion easie, and your Happiness secure; set out with a mighty Resolution in the Christian Race, and press forward toward the Mark of the Prize of the high Calling: Despise all the Temptations of the World, and the Flesh; and resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.

3. Again, while one who has early enter­ed into the Profession of Religion, main­tains his Integrity, and stands firm against all the Temptations of Sin and Satan; he carries with him not only a quiet Consci­ence and an undisturbed Mind, but such a full Assurance and Joy in the Holy Ghost, as inables him to perform his Duty not only willingly but cheerfully, and to despise all the Temptations of this present World as Va­nity and Nothing: But when once he has made Shipwrack of a good Conscience, and is overcome by the Temptations of the World and the Devil, to sin in any gross and notorious Instances; then Fears and Doubts, Anxieties and Scruples, must be his Portion; and though by Repentance he may recover a well grounded Hope, and through the Mercy of God a certain ex­pectation of Pardon, yet not easily the assu­rance and joy of Innocence. Think not therefore, when you are tempted by Sin, that you may now yield to its Solicitations, and afterwards by Repentance recover your first peace and quiet of Conscience: (For when once the support of a good Consci­ence [Page 160] is lost, Obedience will be much more difficult; and Peace will not return, but after much Labour and many Fears, after great Sorrow and long Doubts: But resolve now to resist the very first Motions of Sin; and be convinced there is no Pleasure but in a good Conscience, nor any Joy but in the Obedience of God's Commands.

4. Lastly, While one who has entered betimes into the Profession of Religion, continues resolutely to preserve his Inno­cence, and conquers all the Temptations of Sin; he has a certain Title to that ex­ceeding weight of Glory, that Crown of Righ­teousness, which God has laid up for those who shall keep the Faith and patiently con­tinue in well-doing: But when once he turns from the holy Commandment delivered unto him, and is overcome by the intice­ments and allurements of Sin, he forfeits his Title to that Crown of Glory; and to what degree his after-endeavours will re­store him, he cannot tell. That Repen­tance will procure him Mercy and Pardon, is certain; but to recover the Reward and the Crown of Innocence, it must be very ear­ly and very effectual. All that a late Peni­tent can hope for, is to obtain forgiveness and be admitted to Heaven: The bright Crowns will be reserved for those, who have fought the good Fight and overcome the World. Think not therefore, when you are assaulted by Temptation, that you [Page 161] may now enjoy the Pleasures of Sin, and af­terward by Repentance attain to the Re­ward of Virtue also: (For though God hath indeed promised that those who are hired into the Vineyard at the eleventh hour, that is, those who are late instructed in the Reli­gion of Christ, or in the knowledge of their Duty, shall have the same Reward with those who have born the burden and heat of the Day; yet he has no where promised that those who stand idle in the Vineyard till the 11th Hour, that is, who notwith­standing they believe the Gospel and know their Duty, yet defer their Repentance to the last, shall receive likewise the same Re­ward:) But resolve now, as a faithful Sol­dier of Christ, to resist resolutely the Temptations of the Devil, to despise the Glory and Vanity of the World, to get a­bove the Pleasures and Deceits of Sense; and then your Labour will be sure not to be in vain in the Lord.

5. 'Tis to those who thus overcome, that those great and glorious Promises in the New Testament are made: Rev. 21. 7. He that overcometh, shall inherit all things; and Rev. 3 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne; even as I also over­came, and am set down with my Father in his Throne: and the like. He that overcometh; that is, He that having embraced the Go­spel of Christ, and being firmly persuaded of the Truth of his Religion, continues [Page 162] stedfast in this Faith and in the Obedience thereof, in spight of all the Temptations of Sin and Satan to the contrary. In the Primitive Times, the great Temptation with which Christians were assaulted, was Persecution; by which they were tempted to deny their Saviour, and to renounce that Faith which they had once embraced, by returning again to the Idolatrous wor­ship of the Heathen Gods: This was their peculiar Conflict and Trial; and he that in that great Trial resisted unto Blood, chusing rather to endure the most exqui­site Torments, and to die the most cruel Death, than to deny Christ, was said in a peculiar and more emphatical Sense to have overcome: And to those Persons we must understand these great Promises, to be pri­marily and more immediately made. But that they proportionably belong to all other Christians also, who in the midst of any other Temptations shall keep the Works of Christ, and victoriously persevere in their Integrity to the end, is evident: For the Promise is not made to him that over­cometh, for that reason because 'tis this or that particular Temptation that he over­comes; but because he maintains his In­tegritry inviolable to the last, notwith­standing the force of any Temptation to the contrary. And perhaps if we consider the Matter closely, 'tis not easie to deter­mine which is more difficult and shews a [Page 163] greater constancy of Mind, to die for the sake of Christ, or to live in the constant contempt of all the Pleasures and Enjoy­ments of Life; to part actually with all our temporal Goods for the Name of Christ, or to keep them with such indiffe­rency as if we enjoyed them not. Those Persons therefore who entring early into the Profession of Religion, when their temptations to Sin were most numerous and most powerful, continued stedfast in the Love of God and of Virtue, unmoved amidst the perpetual Allurements of Plea­sure, the dazling Vanities of worldly Glory, and the manifold Deceitfulness of Riches; were by the Ancients looked upon with Quicunque permanse­rint sicut infantes, non [...] ­tes malitiam, honorati [...]res erunt omnibus illis quos jam dixi.—▪ Felices ergo vos, quicunque removeritis malitiam à vobis, & indue [...] ­tis innocentiam, quia primi videbitis Deum.—Felices vos, quicun­que innocentes estis sicut infantes▪ quonia n pars vestra bona est & honorata apud Dominum. Hermas 3. 9. no less Esteem, than those who suffered for the Name of Christ; and were thought to have a Title to as great a Reward.

6. Let those who have still the Time before them, and are so happy as not to have been yet seduced through the deceit­fulness of Sin, consider these things. Let them consider, what a Prize they have in their Hands; and let them be zealous that no Man take their Crown. Let them consi­der, that if God and Angels rejoyce at the Conversion of an old and great Sinner, [Page 164] much more must they be pleased to see a young Person amidst the alluring Glories and Pleasures of the World, bravely re­sisting all its Temptations. Let them con­sider, that That time, which a dying Sin­ner would, if it were possible, give Mil­lions of Worlds to redeem, is now in their Hands; and they may make a glorious use of it. Let them consider, that they are yet cloathed with the white Robe of In­nocence; and if they be careful never to defile that Garment, they may attain to a Portion among those few, who shall walk Rev. 3. 4. with Christ in white, for they are worthy. Let them consider, that if they zealously continue to maintain their Innocence and their good Works for a few Years, they will soon be almost out of the danger of Temptation; they will escape the bitter Pangs of Remorse and Repentance; they will be wholly above that greatest of hu­man Miseries, the dread and horrour of Death; and may, not only without Fear, but even with exceeding Joy, expect the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ at the Judgment of the great Day, and in the Glory of the World to come. Lastly, let them consider, that if they hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of their Hope firm un­to the end, they shall be intitled to all those great and inconceivable Promises, which our Saviour has made to those who shall overcome: To him that overcometh, will I [Page 165] give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God, Rev. 2. 7. He that overcometh, shall not be hurt of the second Death, ver. 11. He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white Raiment, and I will not blot his Name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his Name before my Father, and before his Angels, Rev. 3. 5. Him that overcometh, will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the Name of my God, and the Name of the City of my God, which is New Jerusalem, ver. 12. And, To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with me, in my Throne, even as I also over­came, and am sit down with my Father in his Throne, V. 21.

CHAP. X. Of making Religion the principal Business of our Lives.

1. THirdly, Resolve to make Religion the main Scope of all your Actions, and the principal Business of your Life. One great reason, why Religion, which was the reigning Principle that wholly governed the Lives of the Primitive Christians, has now so little influence upon the Actions of Men; is because those Holy Men sought first the Kingdom of God and his Righteous­ness, [Page 166] and relied upon the Providence of God to have all other things added unto them; whereas now, Men make Religion not their first, but their last care; and while their whole Hearts and Affections are set upon the things of this present World, they think themselves sufficiently Religious if they spend but some small Portions of their time in the outward and Ceremonious Acts of Religion. But if Religion be the same now, that it was in the times of the Primitive Christians; if the Happiness proposed to us, be the same for which they so painfully contended; if our Obligations, (excepting perhaps some few particular Cases,) be the same with theirs; this slight, careless and superficial Re­ligion, will not serve our turn. He that will obtain that Crown of Immortality, which God has promised to those who Love and Obey him, must be effectually and Substantially Religious in the main Course of his Life; and he that will be so truly and sincerely Religious, must make that Religion his principal and his first Care.

2. By making Religion the Principal Care and Study of our Lives, I do not mean that Men should withdraw them­selves from their Business and Imploy­ments in the World, to spend their time anxiously in Reading, Praying, Meditating & the like: I hese things are not the whole, nor [Page 167] the principal part of Religion; and it is an Antient and Notorious Errour, to think that Men can become more truly Religi­ous by the continued Exercises of a pri­vate Retirement, than by living Soberly, Righteously, and Godlily in the World. The Life and Substance of Religion, is to have our Minds habitually possessed with the pro­foundest Veneration of the Divine Majesty, and with a desire of expressing at all proper oppor­tunities, our Devotion to him, and our Zeal for his Honour; To endeavour constantly in the whole Course of our Lives, to promote the good and the happiness of all Men; and to be Temperate in the use of all earthly Enjoyments, as those who expect their Happiness, not in this World, but in the next. This is the Es­sence of true Religion; And These things a Man may make his principal, nay, even his whole Care, without any way neglect­ing, or in the least withdrawing himself from his Secular and Worldly Business. There is no Imployment, wherein a Man may not be always doing something for the honour of God, for the good of Men, or for the Improvement of the Virtues of his own Mind: There is no Business, wherein a Man may not make it his main Care, to act always like a good Man and a Christian: There is no state of Life, wherein a Man may not keep a constant Eye upon a future State; and so use the things of this present World, as that the [Page 168] great and ultimate Scope of all his Actions may always respect that which is to come.

3. And to make Religion thus far the principal Business of our Lives, is abso­lutely and indispensably necessary. No Man can overcome the Temptations of the Word; No Man can be truly and effectually Religious; unless he stedfastly proposes to himself one great Design of his Life, and indeavours to Act always regularly upon that Design. He must Quoties quid fugiendum sit, aut quid petendum, voles scire; ad summum bonum, & propositum totius vitae respice. Illi enim consentire debet, quicquid agimus: Non dispo­net singula, nisi cui jam vitae suae summa proposita est.—ideo peccamus, quia de parti­bus vitae omnes deliberamus, de totâ nemo deliberat. Seneca Ep. 72. constantly keep an eye upon his main End; and in every thing he does, must be careful always to have a respect to that. Every thing he undertakes, must be either directly conducive to that end, or at least not contrary to, and inconsistent with it. In a word, he must be True to himself, and to his own happiness; and be resolute never to be tempted to do any thing, which he knows he shall afterwards wish undone. For other­wise, if a Man acts only uncertainly, accord­ing to the present Appearances of things, and without any fixt design; it must needs be that every violent temptation will either surprize or overpower him, and his Religion will be as inconstant as his Resolutions: His Life will be at best no other, than a continued Circle of sinning and repenting; and his End will be in nothing but Uncer­tainties and Fears.

CHAP. XI. Of the Contempt of the World.

1. FOurthly, Endeavour to get above all the Desires of this present World. This is the hardest Lesson in Religion, but withal the most necessary and the most use­ful. All Wickedness proceeds from the immoderate desire of some temporal Injoy­ment or other; and the Love of the World is most immediately the Root of all Evil. No Man sins, but when he is seduced by an over-fond desire of some Honour, Profit, or Pleasure; and no Man can be sure of preserving his Innocence, so long as he is inslaved to and under the Dominion of any of these Desires. The way therefore to lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree, and to remove the Foundation and first Cause of our Misery; is to get above all the Desires of these Transitory Enjoyments, and to keep them perfectly in subjection and under the command of Reason: We must be able to contemn these things, even where they are Innocent; and then we may be secure that they shall never be able, to seduce and intice us into any thing that is sinful.

2. Now the means by which the Chri­stian Religion teaches us to do this, is not [Page 170] (as I have already said) by retiring and withdrawing our selves from the World, to neglect all Business and lay aside all Secular Cares; but by fixing our Thoughts stedfastly upon that future State which the Gospel has clearly discovered to us, to fill our Minds with such strong and vigorous Ideas of the Happiness of the next World, as will in any state of Life, beget and preserve in us a settled Contempt of all the Enjoy­ments of this.

3. The first and lowest degree of this Contempt of the World, is a Resolution not to purchase any of its Injoyments with the Com­mission of any great and known sin. This is the very lowest degree of Sincerity; and the least that any one, who pretends at all to be a Christian, can resolve with himself to do for the sake of God and re­ligion. He that to purchase any Honour or Profit, will not scruple to make use of downright Fraud, or of any Means which he himself knows and is convinced to be Unlawful; He that to gratifie any sensual Appetite, and to injoy a present Pleasure, will venture directly to break a positive and express Command; such a one bids open Defiance to God and Virtue, and can hardly impose upon himself with any vain Imaginations of his being Religious.

4. The next degree of this Contempt of the World, is a Willingness to part with all things for the sake of Christ, when we cannot [Page 171] keep them together with our Religion. This also our Saviour absolutely requires of them that will be his Disciples. If any Man come to me, and hate not his Father and Mother, and Wife and Children, and Brethren and Sisters, yea, and his own Life also, he cannot be my Disciple; And whosoever doth not bear his Cross, and come after me, cannot be my Disciple, Luke 14. 26, 27. 'Tis true, this is more peculiarly adapted to those early times of the Gospel, when 'twas impossible for a Man to embrace the Doctrine of Christ, and profess himself his Disciple, but he must immediately forsake all that he had in the World, and become poor in the most literal sense for Christ's sake: But certainly it thus far obliges Christians at all times, and even when God does not call them to suffering and parting with all for his sake, that they ought to have such an indifferency for the things of this World, as to be always in a readiness to part with whatever shall come in Competition with their Duty.

5. But there is yet another degree of this Contempt of the World, which though less considered, is yet of more universal and more constant obligation: And that is, that We be sparing and temperate in the use even of Lawful and Innocent Enjoyments, as those who expect their Portion not in the Pleasures of this World, but in the Happiness of the next. This is the proper and peculiar Vir­tue [Page 172] of the Christian Religion; and indeed the only true Rule of Temperance. To give Men a full Liberty of satisfying to the utmost all their sensual Appetites in all instances not directly forbidden, and to set their Hearts upon the Injoyment of all worldly Pleasures, as far as they can pos­sibly within the Limits of Innocence, is to allow Men a Liberty which Experience shews they cannot bear, and which will certainly seduce them into the Borders of sin: On the other hand, to restrain Men from injoying the good things of this pre­sent World any further than is strictly ne­cessary to preserve their Life and Health, is to lay a snare on the Consciences of men, and to tie 'em up to what God and Nature has not tied them. The only true measure therefore of Christian Temperance, is that we so govern our selves with respect to the Injoyments of this present Life, as becomes those who profess to be followers of Christ, and Candidates for Heaven; who look upon this World only as a State of Labour and Trial, but expect their Portion and their Happiness in the World to come: That is, that we so use these present good things, as to preserve our selves always in the Disposition fittest for the Performance of our Duty; to keep the flesh always in Subjection to the Spirit; and to maintain constantly that Temper of Mind, which may prepare and fit us for the Injoyment of God, and for the Happiness of Heaven.

[Page 173]6. The Design of the Christian Religion is to draw off Mens Affections from things earthly and sensible, and to fix them on Nobler and Spiritual Objects: It gives us the most refined Precepts exemplified in the Life of our Saviour, for our Rule to walk by; and sets before us as the Reward of our Obedience, the Happiness of that Place, where we shall be like to God, because we shall see him as he is. The first thing therefore that our Saviour requires, of them that will be his Disciples; is so to wean themselves from this present World, as to be always prepared for the more spi­ritual Happiness of that which is to come. The first thing that the Christian Religion teaches us; is so to look beyond this World in the main Scope of our Lives, and to have so slight an esteem for, and be so little immersed in, all earthly Injoyments; as to have our Hearts fixed always there, where we expect our Treasure. It teaches us to look upon the good things of this pre­sent World, as Talents committed to our Charge; for the doing what good we can in the present State, and thereby purchasing to our selves a Treasure incorruptible in the future. It teaches us to set our Affections wholly on things above; and to have our Con­versation always in Heaven. It teaches us to love God, as the Supream and Only Good; and to make it the Business and the Pleasure of our Life, to Advance his Glory and to promote his Religion.

[Page 174]7. This is the Disposition of Mind, which the Christian Religion requires of all its Professors. And that this Disposition of Mind cannot otherwise be attained and preserved, than by working our selves up to a great contempt of the World; by be­ing very temperate in the enjoyment of earthly Pleasures; and by withdrawing our Affections from the desires of them; is evident. No Man who hath this Worlds Goods, can cheerfully and bountifully be­stow them to the Glory of God and to the Good of Men; so long as he retains an over-fond Affection for the splendour of the World, and cannot deny himself in any of its Pleasures. No Man can set his Affecti­ons on things above, while he places his Happiness in things here below; nor have his Conversation and his Citizenship in Hea­ven, while his Heart and Desires are fix'd on Earth. In a word, no Man can love God as the Supreme and only Good, and make Religion heartily the usiness of his Life; while his Affections are fondly fa­stened on the Pleasures of Earth, and the Gratifications of Sense.

8. He that notwithstanding his Belief of the Gospel, does yet retain such a Love for the World, as that he cannot persuade him­self without great regret to part with any present Gratification; and is solicitous, not to be as Religious and to do as much good as he can, but to live as sensually, and to [Page 175] enjoy as much Pleasure, as he thinks pos­sibly consistent with the hopes of Happi­ness; such a ones divided Affections and unmortified Desires, will certainly be too strong for the Governance of his Reason; and his unwillingness to part with the Pleasures of this Life, will be in great dan­ger to deprive him of the Happiness of the next. No Servant can serve two Masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and de­spise the other; ye cannot serve God and Mammon, Luke 16. 13. The carnal, or sen­sual Mind, saith St. Paul, is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be, Rom. 8. 7. And in the 1st Epistle of St. John, ch. 2. ver. 15. If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him. The avoiding eter­nal Misery, and acquiring endless Bliss, is not so easie and trivial a matter, as to be the Purchase of a few faint Wishes, the Work of a Mind distracted, and as it were wholly taken up with other Cares: He that hath proposed to us this glorious Re­ward, has yet proposed it upon such Con­ditions, as that we think it worth our ca­ring for: He indispensably requires, that we fix our Affections upon heavenly things; and though we may, and ought to make use of the Blessings of this World thank­fully, as Accommodations in our Journey; yet that in the whole Course of our Lives [Page 176] the general Design of our Actions be di­rected to this great End. If therefore we suffer other things so to interpose, as to steal away our Hearts and Affections; we cannot possibly keep up this Disposition. Man's Nature and Operations are finite; and what time and attention he bestows on one thing, must necessarily be subracted from another. If then the Vanities of this World entertain and busie us, they must unavoidably interrupt our attendance on the one thing necessary; and when we begin to look upon these deceitful things as our proper Happiness, our esteem will in proportion decrease to those which real­ly are so. Hence the Cares of the World, the Deceitfulness of Riches, and the Pleasures of this Life, are said to choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful, Matth. 13. 22. com­pared with Luke 8. 14. And St Paul tells us, 1 Tim. 6. 9. That they who will be rich, that is, they whose Desires are eagerly bent upon the good things of this pre­sent Life, fall into Temptation and a Snare, and into many foolish and hurtful Lusts, which drown Men in Destruction and Perdition.

9. And that this over-fond Love of the present World, this solicitous Desire after Riches and Pleasure, is inconsistent with that Disposition of Mind which the Chri­stian Religion requires; seems to be the true and principal Scope of several of our Saviour's Parables to demonstrate. The [Page 177] Parable of the rich Man, Luke 16. is evi­dently intended to this purpose. He is de­scribed to have been clothed in Purple and fine Linnen, and to have fared sumptuously every day; and when in Hell he lift up his Eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and cried to him to have Mercy upon him, and to send Lazarus that he might dip the tip of his Finger in Water, and cool his Tongue; the Answer he received was this; Son, remem­ber that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tor­mented. 'Tis not said that he had spent his Substance in Rioting and Drunkenness; 'tis not said that he had deserved this Pu­nishment for his Cruelty and Uncharitable­ness: But only that he had lived delicate­ly, and fared sumptuously; that he had al­ready received his good things; (that is, that he had received a plentiful share of the good things of this present Life, and that he had received and valued them as his Portion and his Happiness;) and that therefore now there remained nothing for him, but to be tormented.

10. That the design of this Parable is not meerly to condemn Rioting and Extra­vagancy, Drunkenness and Excess, is evident. For had that only been the design of it, the rich Man would have been▪ plainly described to have been guilty of those Vices. But since our Saviour does not di­rectly [Page 178] lay those things to his Charge, nei­ther must we do it. The Parable says, he was clothed in Purple and fine Linnen, and fared sumptuously every day: And as his Sta­tion in the World might be, he may fair­ly be supposed to do so without the impu­tation of Excess. As God has placed Men in different Stations in the World, and ac­cordingly made very different distributi­ons of the good things of this Life amongst them; so it cannot be denied but that these good things may be made use of, ac­cording to every Man's Quality and Con­dition. It cannot therefore be certainly collected from the rich Man's faring sump­tuously, that he wasted his Substance in riotous living, as the Prodigal is described to have done in the foregoing Chapter; for he would certainly in this Place have been directly accused of doing so, if the Parable had been levelled against nothing less than Rioting and Excess.

11. Again, that the Design of this Pa­rable is not meerly to condemn Unchari­tableness and Cruelty, is also evident. For though it represents the rich Man on the one hand clothed in Purple and fine Linnen, and faring sumptuously every day; and on the other hand the poor Man lying at his Gate full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the Crums that fell from the rich Man's Ta­ble; yet it contains only this Description of the poor Man's Condition in Oppositi­on [Page 179] to that of the rich Man, without taking any notice at all of their Behaviour one to another. Though therefore it may justly be supposed, that our Saviour designed to hint to us, that the poor Man did not meet with that Comfort and Relief, which might reasonably be expected in a Place where there was such plenty and abun­dance of all things; and that this did mightily increase the rich Man's Condem­nation; yet this is not the thing that is now laid to his Charge, and therefore is not the main Design of the Parable. Parables are certain familiar ways of representing things to the Capacity of the Vulgar, by easie and continued Similitudes; and the close of the Similitude always shows the principal Scope of the Parable; as is evi­dent in most of our Saviour's Discourses to the Jews. Had our Saviour therefore in this Parable chiefly designed to shew the evil of Uncharitableness, and the Con­demnation that attends uncharitable Men, he would (when he had represented the rich Man crying out to Abraham to have Mercy upon him, and begging that he would send Lazarus that he might dip the tip of his Finger in Water, and cool his Tongue,) he would here, I say, have introduced the Pa­triarch charging him with his Uncharita­bleness, as the cause of his being cast into that place of torment. It would have been told him, that since when he lived in [Page 180] Ease and Plenty, and in the abundant en­joyment of all the good things of this Life, he had had no regard to the then miserable Estate of this poor Man; he had no rea­son to expect, now that the Scale was turned, and himself fallen into a state of Misery, that the poor Man should leave that place of Happiness which is figured to us by Abraham's Bosom, to come and quench the violence of the Flame that tormented him. He would have been told that 'twas but just, that since he had shewed no Mer­cy, none should be shewn to him; and that he should receive no Relief from the poor Man after Death, to whom he had given none when he was alive. But instead of all this, we find only that short Reply; Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things, therefore now thou art tor­mented.

12. It remains therefore, that the rea­son for which this rich Man is represented as condemned to that place of torment, is because he had in his life time received his Portion of good things; that is, not be­cause he had received the Blessings of this World, but because he had received and used them as his Portion and his Happiness▪ He had a large and plentiful Estate; and he spent it in Jollity and Splendour. He was clothed in Purple and fine Linnen; and he fared sumptuously every day. He denied himself nothing, that tended to the Ease [Page 181] and Pleasure of his own Life; or that could make him look splendid in the Eyes of others. Hereupon he accounted himself a happy Man; and blessed himself in the mul­titude of his Riches. He look'd on them not as Talents committed to him by God, to be employed for the doing good in his Generation; but as his own Portion, that he might live in Ease and Plenty, and that his Heart might chear him in the days of his Life. His Treasure therefore was upon Earth; and his Heart and Affections, were there al­so. He set up his Rest here; and was so wholly taken up with the splendour and gaiety of this World, that he had no time to think upon another; till he found by woful Experience that he [...] settled his Affections upon a wrong Object, and cho­sen those things for his Portion and his Happiness which were not to be of equal duration with himself. Thus the Design of this Parable seems plainly to be this; to condemn a soft and easie, a delicate and vo­luptuous Life: And to show, that for those who have a plentiful share of earthly Bles­sings, to make it their main Design to live in Ease and Pleasure, in Gaiety and Splen­dour with them; to set their Hearts and Affections upon them; to esteem them as their good things, and to place their Hap­piness in them; is inconsistent with that temper and disposition of Mind, which the Christian Religion requires in those, who [Page 182] expect their Portion in the Spiritual Hap­piness of the World to come. And to this Sense we must understand those Sayings of our Saviour, Luke 6. 25. Wo unto you that are full, for ye shall hunger; wo unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep: And ver. 24. Wo unto you that are rich, for ye have received your Consolation; that is, ye have received those things which ye accounted your Portion, and wherein ye placed your Happiness.

13. In like manner, the Parable of that other rich Man, Luke 12. whose Ground brought forth plentifully, and he thought with­in himself, saying, What shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my Fruits? and he said, This will I do, I will pull down my Barns and build greater, and there will I be­stow all my Fruits and my Goods: And I will say to my Soul, Soul thou hast much Goods laid up for many Years; take thine ease, eat, drink and be merry. This Parable, I say, seems also plainly designed against the same softness and voluptuousness of Life. Our Sa­viour does not describe this Man to be Co­vetous, and that he would store up all his Goods to no use; but that he would take the good of them himself, he would eat, drink and be merry: 'Tis the same word that we render elsewhere, to fare sumptu­ously: But God said unto him, Thou Fool, this night shall thy Soul be required of thee, and [...] whose shall those things be which thou [Page 183] hast provided? His Case seems to be the ve­ry same with that of the rich Man, Luke 16. The one resolved that in his Life time he would eat, drink and be merry; and in the midst of his Jollity his Soul was requi­red of him: The other was clothed in Pur­ple and fine Linnen, and fared sumptuously every day; and when after Death he com­plained that he was in a place of torment, he was by Abraham reminded that he had in his life time received his good things.

14. Lastly, the History of the young Man, Mark 10. who came running and kneeled to our Saviour, and asked him, Good Ma­ster, what shall I do that I may inherit eter­nal Life? is an eminent Instance of the deceitfulness of the Love of the World. He had kept all the Commandments from his youth; and therefore one would think was well prepared, to receive our Savi­our's Doctrine: Yet when he bad him, Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the Poor, and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven, and come take up thy Cross and follow me; 'tis said, he was sad at that say­ing, and went away grieved, for he had great possessions. 'Tis not said either that he was covetous on the one hand, or prodigal on the other; much less that he spent his Substance in Revelling and Drunkenness: But here was his Fault; his Heart was set upon his great Possessions, and he could not persuade himself to part with them, [Page 184] though upon the prospect of an extraor­dinary Reward. So unfit is a Mind deep­ly immersed in the Love of this present World, for the reception of the Truth and Severity of the Gospel; and so difficult for those who have a large share of the good things of this World, not to be thus immersed in the Love of it.

15. For this reason it is, that great Riches and continual Prosperity in the World, are all along through the New Testament described as a very dangerous and unsafe State. Per­secution has not a greater power to force Men violently from their Duty, than Riches and great Prosperity have to supplant them insensibly, and to intice them from it. Riches and Prosperity do by degrees sof­ten and debase Mens Minds; they do as it were tie Men down, and fasten their Affections to the things of this present World; they sensualize Mens Thoughts, and Cùm omnia quae excesse­ [...]nt modum, noc [...]ant; peri­culosissima felicitatis intem­perantia est: Movet cerebrum, in varias mentem imagines evocat, multum inter falsum ac verum mediae caliginis fun­ [...]it. Seneca de Divinâ Provi­dentiâ. di­vert them from taking any pleasure in the Contempla­tion of Spiritual and Di­vine things; in a word, they ply Men so constantly with fresh Baits and Temp­tations, and are so continually pressing them to satisfie their sensual Appetites; that without a very great Measure of the Grace of God, and an extraordinary de­gree of Temperance and Contempt of the [Page 185] World, Man's Mind is not able to keep it self free from the Service of so enticing a Master.

16. And this I take to be the meaning of those severe Sayings of our Saviour, Matth. 19. 23. Verily I say unto you, that a rich Man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle, than for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of God. At which when his Dis­ciples, taking his Words in too strict a Sense, were astonished above measure; he answered again and said unto them, Mark 10 24. Children, how hard is for them that trust in Riches, to enter into the Kingdom of God! He does not say that 'tis absolutely impossible for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven: But because 'tis cer­tain that they who put their trust in Riches, never shall; and because 'tis exceeding hard for them that have Riches, not to put their trust in them; therefore he says, How hardly shall they that have Riches, enter into the Kingdom of God! Riches and constant Prosperity are so great a temptation, that with Men, i. e. humanly speaking, it is not possible for one who enjoys these things, to be a good Christian: though with God, i. e. with the Grace of God, to which all things are possible, this Temptation may not only be overcome, but those Riches which are to most Men an occasion of falling, [Page 186] may become the matter of a more extra­ordinary Virtue, and the occasion of a Man's doing much more good in this World, and obtaining a much greater degree of hap­piness in the next. Our Saviour there­fore does not say, That a rich Man cannot possibly be saved; or that any Man shall be miserable in the other World, for no other reason than because he has been happy in this; but only that Riches are exceeding apt to lull Men into that trust in and love of the World, which is inconsistent with that disposition of Mind and Soul, which the Christian Religion requires of those who expect their Portion in another Life.

17. And hence are those so frequent and repeated Exhortations in the New Te­stament, to mortifie our earthly Desires, and to deny our selves; not to love the World, neither the things that are in the World, 1 Joh. 2. 15. Not to lay up for our selves treasure upon Earth, where Moth and Rust doth cor­rupt, and where Thieves break through and steal; but to lay up for our selves treasure in Heaven, Matth. 6. 19. To set our affecti­ons on things above, not on things on the Earth, Coloss. 3. 2. And to take heed and beware of Covetousness, for that a Man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth, Luke 12. 15. To beware of Covetousness; that is, not of hoarding up Riches to no use (as we generally under­stand [Page 187] the word) but of setting our Hearts upon Riches and employing them to no other End, than living merrily and splen­didly in the World; as is most evident from the Parable of the rich Man whose Ground brought forth plentifully, following immediately in the next words

18. 'Tis therefore a necessary Duty in those who believe the Gospel of Christ and profess themselves his Disciples, if God calls them not to suffer and to part with all for his sake, yet at least to wean them­selves from the love of this present World, and to get above the Desires of it. They must be careful to use the good things of this Life so, as not to corrupt and soften, to sen­sualize and debase their Minds, and to clog and unfit them for the Contemplation of Spiri­tual and Divine Things: They must remem­ber that they receive this Worlds Goods not that they may live in Ease and Softness, in Delicacy and Voluptuousness with them, but that they may thankfully employ them to the Glory of God and to the Good of Men: In a word they must always be careful so to behave themselves with respect to all earthly Enjoyments, as may become those, who look upon the present Life as a state of Labour and Trial, but expect their Happiness and their Reward in the future. This is (as I have said) the true Measure of Christian Temperance; and this Temper of Mind, every one who will be the Disciple of Christ, must resolve to attain.

[Page 188]19. If this seem hard to any one, let him consider, that as a Mind sensualized and wedded to earthly things, is here ut­terly unfit for a spiritual and heavenly Life; so it must also hereafter be as utterly inca­pable of the heavenly Glory. If a Man places his Happiness in the Contemplation of God and the Exercise of Virtue here, he shall continue to enjoy it also hereafter; because God and Virtue continue for ever: But if he places his Happiness in the Pleasures of this World, and in the Enjoyments of Sense; when these things are at an end, his Happiness must be at an end also. Mens Minds are by degrees tinctured, and trans­formed into the Nature of the things they are fixed upon; and in such things as they delight to dwell upon, in such things must be their Portion. Hence Tully, and after him some Christian Writers have thought, that the Souls of worldly-minded Men shall carry with them into the other State such strong Affections and Desires after the things they delighted in here, that were a sensual Person to be admitted even in­to the Seat of the Blessed, yet should he find nothing there that could make him happy.

20. But hower this be (which I shall not now nicely dispute) certain it is that nothing is more reasonable, than that those who place their Happiness in the Enjoy­ments of this Life, should come short of [Page 189] the Glories of the next. We all know how short and transitory the present Life is, and the Scripture every where tells us that we are Strangers and Sojourners in the World; we are now only in a state of Trial, and travelling as it were through a strange Country to our proper Home: Whilst we are at home in the Body, we are absent from the Lord, 2 Cor. 5. 6. And here we have no continuing City, but we seek one to come, Heb. 13. 14. Now therefore if Men will stop in the midst of their Jour­ney, and make their Inn their Home; If they will place their Happiness in those things, which God has given them only as Conveniences for their present state; what can be more reasonable, than that God should assign them their Portion in those things? Man's Soul is Spiritual and Im­mortal, and by the nobleness of its Na­ture exalted above the Vanities of this pre­sent Life; and though by being immersed in Body it be necessitated to converse with sensible and corporeal things, yet does it thirst after more pure and refined Objects; it can look beyond this World to its na­tive Country, and knows that its proper Happiness is by imitating the Life of God to be made partaker of his Glory: Now if Men notwithstanding all this, will take up with sensual and earthly Enjoyments; if they will clog the flight of the Soul, and stake it down to these ignoble Objects; if [Page 190] they will set their Hearts and Affections on these things, which God has given them as matter for the exercise of their Virtue; what can be more Just than that God should suffer them to satiate themselves with their beloved Pleasures, and deny them those nobler ones which they so lit­tle esteemed? 'Tis certain the Blessings of this World are Talents committed to our Charge, which God expects we should lay out to his Glory and the Benefit of the World; and to whom he has committed many of them, of him he will require the more: He expects we should do what good we can with them; which is called in Scripture, giving out our Money to the Exchangers, that when our Lord cometh, he may receive his own with Usury: Now if instead of this, we enjoy these things whol­ly our selves, and employ them only to the serving our own worldly Designs; what can be more reasonable, than that God should suffer them to be our Portion and Reward? The Pharisees in our Savi­our's time were notoriously covetous and worldly minded, doing even their acts of Charity meerly for the praise of Men; and our Saviour repeats it no less than thrice in the Sixth of St. Matthew, that They had their Reward: The rich Jews also made generally no other Use of their Riches, than to live in Ease and Pleasure, in Gaiety and Splen­dour; and our Saviour tells them, that they had received their Consolation.

[Page 191]21. The Happiness of Heaven is a great and glorious Reward; and they who will Luke 20. 35. be accounted worthy to obtain that World, and the Resurrection from the Dead, must be con­tent not to live a soft and easie, a sensual and voluptuous Life; but to labour diligent­ly, and to work out their own Salvation with fear and trembling: Our Saviour compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a Pearl of great price, which when a Merchant-man found, Mat. 13. 46. he sold all that he had and bought it; and whoever hath worthy Notions of the things that God hath prepared for them that love him, can never think any thing Haec quidem difficilia vi­dentur; sed de eo loquimur, cui calcatis omnibus terrenis, iter in coelum paratur. Lactant. lib. 6. c. 23. hard, to purchase so great a Treasure. St. Paul com­pares the Reward of Vir­tue to a Crown, for which they who run in a Race, run all, but one re­ceiveth 1 Cor. 9. 24. the Prize: And if they who strive for the Mastery, to obtain a corruptible Crown, are temperate in all things; that is, are careful to prepare their Bodies beforehand for the Race; that they may run, not un­certainly, but so that they may obtain; how much more ought we to bring the Body into subjection, and by Temperance prepare it for the Christian Warfare, who are to strive for an incorruptible and never-fading Crown?

22. The History of our Saviour is an Example, as of a Life not morose and re­tired from the World, so of a Life very [Page 192] far from being sensual and voluptuous: He utterly despised all the Grandeur and Pleasures of the World, and willingly en­dured the scorn and contempt of obstinate and malicious Men, that he might establish the Worship and true Religion of God; He went about doing good, making that the Acts 10. 38. whole Business of his Life, and cheerfully submitting to undergo any hardship, that he might instruct the Ignorant or relieve the Distressed: And if we hope at last to be made partakers of his Glory, we must resolve now in some measure to imitate his Life, who has left us an Example that we should follow his steps. The Lives of all the 1 Pet. 2. 21. Saints of God, who have gone before us, are eminent Examples, not of Ease and Softness, but either of great Sufferings for the Cause of Religion, or of great Zeal and Pains in it: The Patriarchs who lived be­fore our Saviour, and saw the Promises on­ly afar off, confessed that they were Stran­gers and Pilgrims in the Earth, and that Heb. 11. 13. their Hopes were fixed upon a better Coun­try, that is, an Heavenly; and all the Pri­mitive Christians, who first followed our Saviour, and saw the Promises fulfilled, did either through Persecutions become na­ked, destitute, and afflicted, or by their bound­less Charity and Contempt of the World, did almost make themselves so: And if we hope to have our Portion among these Servants of the most High, in that general [Page 193] Assembly and Church of the First-born, in that heavenly Jerusalem, the City of the living Heb. 12. 23. God; we must in some proportion con­form our selves to the imitation of their Zeal, their Labour and their Patience; and not be wholly carried away with the cold­ness and indifferency of a careless and cor­rupted Age. They generally parted with all things for the sake of Christ; and cer­tainly we are at least bound, not to fasten our Affections so strongly upon the things of this World, as hardly to be able to de­ny our selves any thing. Their Temperance, their Abstinence, and their Contempt of the World, was almost incredible and exces­sive; and assuredly we cannot with the same Hopes spend our whole Lives, in no­thing but Softness, Gallantry and Pleasure, In fine, Their Charity was wonderful and boundless, extending it self even to [...]. Clem. ad Cor. 1. such Instances as we can hardly think credible; and can we imagine, that we are not obli­ged to do at least something, and to take some Pains, for the Glory of God and for the Good of Men?

23. Lastly, If these things seem hard, and tend to intrench too much upon the Pleasures of Life; consider the conclusion and final upshot of things: Consider what Opinion we shall have of things at the conclusion of our Lives, when Death and Judgment approach; and let us view things now in the same Light, as we know [Page 194] certainly we shall be forced to do then. We know we shall then lament the loss of every opportunity of doing good, which we have omitted; and shall grutch every minute of Folly and Vanity, which might have been employ'd to the increase of the Portion of our future Happiness: We know we shall then look upon all the past pleasures of Life, as emptiness and nothing; and be convinced that there is no Pleasure but in true Virtue, and no Fruit in any thing but in having done much Good: And if we do indeed know this, what can be more miserably and more inexcusa­bly foolish, than not to make the same Judgment of things now, as we know as­suredly we shall do afterwards? The rea­son why Men die full of Fears and Uncer­tainties, full of dark Suspitions and confused Doubts, is because they are conscious to themselves that they have lived carelesly and indifferently; without having taken any Pains either for the Service of God, or for the Good of Men; and without having used any zealous Endeavours, to overcome the present World, or to obtain the future: But if Men would consider things in time; if they would pass true Judgments of things, and act accordingly with Reso­lution and Constancy; they might then know certainly their own State, and might live with Comfort and die with As­surance.

CHAP. XII. Of our Obligation to be particularly careful to avoid those Sins, to which we are most in danger to be tempted.

1. FIfthly, Be particularly careful to resist and avoid those Sins, to which either your Constitution, Company, or Employment, make you most in danger to be tempted. This is the great Trial of every Man's Sincerity, and of his Growth in Virtue. He that for the Love of God and the Hopes of Hea­ven can mortifie and deny his most dar­ling Lusts, can quell and keep under his most natural Passions, can resist and con­stantly overcome those Temptations by which he is most in danger to be seduced into Sin; such a one has an infallible As­surance of his own Sincerity, and is very near to the Perfection of Virtue. But if there be any one Instance, wherein a Man habitually falls short of his Duty, or in­dulges a Lust, a Passion, a sinful Desire; 'tis certain, whatever other Virtues he may be indued with, that he either acts upon wrong Principles and is not sincere; or that his Resolutions are hitherto too weak and ineffectual, to intitle him to the Com­fort of Religion here, or to the Assurance of Happiness hereafter.

[Page 169]2. There is no Man whom either the Constitution of his Body or the Temper of his Mind, the Nature of his Employment or the Humour of his Company, does not make ob­noxious to some particular sort of Temp­tations more than to any other: And in this thing it is, that those who have some­thing of Sincerity, and will not with others run into all excess of Riot, do yet make shift to deceive and impose upon themselves. They think they are indued with many good and virtuous Qualities; they hate Profaneness and professed enor­mous Impiety; they know themselves in­nocent of many great Sins, which they see others continually commit: But some­thing, to which they are particularly temp­ted, they indulge themselves in; and the fatal Mischief is, that those Sins which they see others commit, and to which themselves are not violently tempted, seem most absurd and unreasonable, and easie to be avoided; but that to which they are themselves addicted, they think to be ei­ther so small as not to be of any very evil Consequence, or so difficult to be resisted as to be allowed for among the unavoida­ble Infirmities of Nature. Thus to ma­ny who have little or no Dealings in the World, the Sins of Fraud, Injustice, Deceit, Over reaching, and the like, seem very hei­nous, base and unreasonable; while at the same time they allow themselves in [Page 197] habitual Intemperances and Impurities, as either harmless Vices or almost insupera­ble Weaknesses. On the other hand there is no less a Number of those, who applaud themselves in their own Minds, that they are not as other Men, Intemperate, Debau­ched, Drunkards, Revellers, and the like; while at the same time they look upon Fraud and Deceit, Tricking and Over-reach­ing, as the necessary Art and Mystery of Business.

3. But this is a very great and a very fatal Cheat. No Man can have any true and solid Peace in himself; no Man can have any just Confidence in his Addresses to God; no Man can have any Title to the Promises and Comforts of Religion here; much less to the Glory and Reward of it hereafter; before his Obedience be, if not Perfect, yet at least Universal. God will not share with any Impiety; nor ever ac­cept of any Man's Obedience, so long as 'tis mixed with the accursed thing. If there be any Sin, that we can hardly part with; if there be any Lust, that is like a right Hand or a right Eye; this is the thing that God hath proposed to us to Conquer; this is the good [...]. Epicte [...]. Fight which we must fight through Faith; this is the Victory to which Heaven is proposed. For this we must ga­ther together all the Forces of Reason and Religion; for this we must strengthen our selves by Prayer and Consideration: In [Page 198] this Warfare we must resolve strongly, per­severe obstinately, and though we be con­quered, yet resolve to overcome; always re­membring, that this is the Stake for Life or Death, Happiness or Misery, Heaven or Hell.

4. Here therefore let every Man consider with himself; and let him well observe his own Temptations, and his own Strength. Let him consider, not how many Sins he can easily avoid, but by what Temptations he may most easily be seduced; and let him make it his Business to guard himself there. Let those who are young, and not yet entred into the hurry and business of the World, not value themselves upon their being innocent from the Sins of Fraud and Injustice, of Covetousness and Extortion, or the like; (for that perhaps they may be, without any Pains, and without overcom­ing any powerful Temptation;) but let them try themselves, whether they be firm against the Temptations of Vanity and Lightness, of Heat and Passion, of Intempe­rance and Impurity; and let them judge of themselves by their behaviour in these In­stances, wherein they are most obnoxious: Let them consider, that their peculiar Task, is to overcome the wicked one, 1 John 2. 13. to subdue the Flesh to the Spirit; to con­quer and get above Nam qui voluptati­bus indul­gent, qui libidini obsequuntur, ii animam suam corpori mancipant, morteque condemnant, quia se corpori addixerunt, in quo habet mors potestatem. Lactant. lib. 6. c. 23: those Pleasures, which [Page 199] sensualize the Soul, and inslave the Mind to the Body, and thereby bring it under the Power of Death and Destruction: And in fine, to strive continually to cleanse themselves from all Impurity, Mens est enim profecto quae peccat, quae immoderatae libidinis fructum cogitatione complectitur; in hâc crimen est, in hâc omne delictum; nam etsi corpus nullâ sit labe maculatum, non constat tamen pudicitiae ratio, si animas m­cestus est. Id. Ibid. not only of Body, but even of Mind and Spirit, perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God: Let them consider, that they are by Baptism dedi­cated to the Service of God; that they are by Confir­mation assured of the Assistance of the Holy Spirit; and that their Bodies are [...]. Clem. ad Cor. 2. the Temples of the Holy Ghost; which if they keep here in Temperance and Pu­rity, in Sanctification and Honour, they shall hereafter appear with them in Glo­ry; but Atque etiam vide ne quan­do persuadeatur tibi interire corpus hoc, & abutaris eo in libidine aliquâ. Si enim cor­pus tuum maculaveris, macu­labis etiam eodem tempore & Spiritum Sanctum; & si ma­culaveris Spiritum Sanctum, non vives. Hermas 3. 5. if they abuse them by any Intimperance, or de­file them with any Lust, they drive away the Spi­rit whereby they are sealed unto the Day of Redemption, and shall forfeit their Life. Again on the other hand, Those whose Age, or Temper, or Company, or Business, places them beyond the Fol­lies and Extravagancies of Youth, and out of the way of those Temptations with which others are hurried away continual­ly; [Page 200] must not esteem of themselves by their not running into those excesses of Riot, to which perhaps they have little or no Temptation; but must examine whe­ther they be exactly Just in the Business they are employ'd in, whether they be truly Useful and Charitable according to their Ability, and whether they be sin­cerely Careful to resist those Temptations, to which their particular Circumstances, whatever they be, do more especially ex­pose them. This is the true Trial of every Man's Sincerity, and the most certain Rule by which every one may judge of his own State.

CHAP. XIII. Of Growth in Grace, and of Perfection.

1. LAstly, Strive continually to grow in Grace, and press forward towards Perfection. So long as we continue in these Houses of Clay, encompassed per­petually with the Infirmities of the Flesh, the Allurements of the World, and the Temp­tations of the Devil; we shall all offend in­deed in many things, and can never arrive at the Perfection of Virtue: Yet unless we strive and press forward towards Per­fection, we shall never make any tolerable progress. He that has no more Zeal for [Page 201] Religion, than to desire just to keep within the Borders of Virtue, and to escape the Punishment of Vice, will in all probabili­ty be deceived in his Expectations, and find when it is too late, that those who are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, are but Rev. 3. 17. wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked, and shall have no Portion among them that are arraied in fine Linnen, which is the Righteousness and the good Works of the Saints. He whose Heart is inflamed with an ardent Love of God, and a truly zealous desire of the Happiness of Hea­ven, will with St. Paul never think he has already attained, or is already perfect enough; but forgetting those ihings which are behind, Phil. 3. 1 [...]. and reaching forth unto those things which are before, will always press forward to­wards the Mark, for the price of the high cal­ling of God in Christ Jesus: He will never think himself good and holy enough; but getting continually a more compleat Vi­ctory over his Frailties and Infirmities, will go from strength to strength in the Improve­ments Psal. 84. 7▪ of Virtue here, till he appear before God in the Perfection of Holiness and of Glory hereafter.

2. Think not when you have once at­tained a clear knowledge of your Duty, and framed hearty Resolutions to perform it, and begun to live according to that Knowledge and those Resolutions; that you are pre­sently in a perfect and confirmed State of [Page 202] Virtue. You must fre­quently Sed hoc quod liquet fir­mandum, & altius quotidianâ meditatione figendum est. Plus operis est in eo, ut pro­posita custodias, quàm ut ho­nesta proponas. Perseveran­dum est, & assiduo studio ro­bur addendum, donec bona mens sit quod bona voluntas est. Seneca Ep. 16. review and medi­tate upon the Particulars of your Duty: You must fre­quently renew and strengthen your good Resolutions: and you must always be cor­recting and amending your Practice: Till that which was well resolved upon, and bravely begun, arrive by the degrees of a diligent and per­petual Improvement, to a confirmed Habit and settled Temper of Mind.

3. Think not when you have perform­ed your Duty according to the common Measures of Obedience, and the vulgarly reputed Bounds of the Obligation of the Christian Laws; and when you are Illud praecipuè impedit, quod cito nobis placemus; si invenimus qui nos bonos viros dicat, qui prudentes, qui San­ctos, agnoscimus. Seneca, Ep. 60. by others looked upon, as a good and just and holy Person; that you are now arrived at the Perfection of Virtue. For the Judgment of God is very different from the Opinion of Men; and such a Life as is now look'd upon as very good and cre­ditable, would in the Times of the Apo­stles or Primitive Christians have been thought, if not scandalous, yet at best very cold and indifferent. He that will be per­fect, must be Nec tan­tum legi­bus publicis pareat, sed sit supra omnes leges qui legem Dei sequitur. Lactant. lib. 6. c. 23. above all Laws, and Customs, and Opinions; and must not limit his Pu­rity [Page 203] of Mind, his Contempt of the World, and his Desire of doing Good, to any Degrees or Rules; but must exalt them in proportion to his love of God, and his hopes of Happiness.

4. Further, Think not when upon a loose and general view of your Life your Con­science does not accuse you of any scanda­lous and deliberate Sins, that therefore you have attained to the highest pitch of Vir­tue. There are many Sins, with which Men easily impose upon their own Minds; much indifferency in Religion, and coldness of Devotion; many omissions of Duties, and neglects of opportunities of doing Good; many faults of surprize, and inde­cencies of Passion; much sensuality, and over-fond Love of the things of this pre­sent World; many excesses, and small degrees of Intemperance; which are not to be dis­covered and overcome, without entring in­to a more strict, particular, and impartial ex­amination of our Actions; and making re­peated Resolutions and using constant unwea­ried Endeavours to correct whatever upon such strict search shall appear to be amiss.

5. Many there have been, (and some even among Faciebat hoc Sexti­us, ut con­summato die, cùm se ad nocturnam quietem recepisset, interrogaret animum suum, Quod hodie malum tuum sanasti? Cui vitio obstitisti? Quâ parte melior es? Seneca de Ira, lib. 3. c. 36. [...] [...] [...] [...] Pythag. Carm. Aurea. the Heathens themselves,) who [Page 204] have every Night strictly examined into the Actions of the past Day; that if they had done any thing for which they could reprove themselves, they might resolve to be more careful in that Particular for the future; and if they found they had in all Points performed their Duty, they might confirm and incourage themselves to continue to perform it. Others have done this yet more frequently, and habi­tually; never going about any thing, with­out a short Thought how they might best act, for the Honour of God, for the Good of Men, or for the Improvement of the Virtues of their own Mind; and never having done any thing, without a short Re­flection whether they had acted so, as was most agreeable to these great Ends.

6. These indeed are things not to be imposed upon any Man by any particular Rules, but such as must be wholly left to the Discretion of every Man, to be used according to each ones Prudence or Zeal. Only in general 'tis certain, That by how much the more frequently a Man examines the Actions of his Life, and by how much the more strictly he observes his smaller Fai­lures, and by how much the more particu­larly he resolves and endeavours to correct them; by so much the more will his Re­ligion be Uniform, and his Obedience Per­fect. He that uses himself often to con­sider, and to recollect the Particulars of [Page 205] his Duty; will perform many things, which others know indeed and understand in general, but Interdum scimus, nec at­tendimus; non docet admo­nitio, sed advertit, sed exci­tat, sed memoriam continet, nec patitur elabi. Pleraque ante oculos posita transimus. Seneca Ep. 95. through habitual careless and in­considerateness omit: And he that often searches strictly into the smallest Errors of his Life, and prays against them, and resolves particu­larly and endeavours to amend them; will be able to avoid and overcome many of those things, which are by others looked upon as the unavoidable Frailties and In­firmities of Nature.

7. And in proportion as a Man arrives nearer to this perfect State of Virtue, so will that Peace of Conscience, which is the peculiar Reward of Religion in this World, grow up by degrees to a settled Joy and Assurance of Mind. One whose Life is void of great and scandalous Crimes, but other­wise not strict and diligent, will be free indeed from the Terrour and Amazement of the Wicked; but because he has taken no great Pains, nor done any thing consi­derable for the Love of God and for the sake of Religion, his Mind will yet be di­sturbed with many scrupulous Doubts and uncertain Fears: But when a Man has been truly diligent to improve himself to the utmost, and has with Zeal and Ear­nestness pressed forward towards Perfecti­on; then is it that he attains to that [Page 206] Tranquillity and Assurance, which wise Men have compared to a continual Feast. The Peace and Satisfaction of Mind, which Quid ergò pulchrius hâc consuetudine excutiendi to­tum diem? Qualis ille som­nus post recognitionem sui sequitur, quam tranquillus, altus ac liber, cum aut lauda­tus est animus aut admonitus, & speculator sui censorque se­cretus cognoscit de moribus suis? Seneca de Irà, lib. 3. c. 36. some have found upon the careful and strict ex­amination of one past Days Actions, has been very great: But that compleat Assurance, which arises from the Conscience of a considerable part of a Man's Life having been spent in the Strictness and in the Purity of the Go­spel, is a Pleasure infinitely surpassing all the Enjoyments of Sense; being indeed a fore-taste of the Happiness of Heaven, and a Rejoycing before-hand in Christ with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory. Such a 1 Pet. 1. 8. one as has arrived to this pitch, lives in Peace, and dies with Assurance, and at the appearance of our Lord shall be presented fault less before the Presence of his Glory with Jude 24. exceeding Joy.

CHAP. I. Of Repentance in General.

1. THE plain and express Condi­tion upon which the Gospel promises Salvation to all Men, is Obedience or a Holy Life. The Time from which this Holy Life is to begin, is either Baptism or Confirmation; that is, the Time when those who are ei­ther at riper Years converted to the Chri­stian Religion, or have from their Infancy been brought up in the Profession of it, come to a clear and distinct knowledge of their Duty. That from this Period every Man is obliged to persevere in a constant Course of Holiness, that is, in a continual and sincere, though weak and imperfect Obe­dience to all the Commands of God, the Gospel plainly declares to us: And that the [Page 208] glorious Rewards of Heaven should be at all promised to so small a Service, as the imperfect Obedience which weak, sinful, degenerate Man should be able to per­form; is the Purchase of the Price of the Blood of the Son of God, and the Effect of the infinite Riches of the Divine Mercy made known to us by Christ. Had God therefore to those who had once been re­ceived to the Mercy of the Gospel, and had once been made partakers of the hea­venly Gift, and had tasted the good Word of Heb. 6. 6. God and the Powers of the World to come, allowed no more Remission for wilful and presumptuous Sins; but accepted those on­ly, who having once washed their Garments Rev. 1. 5, 7, 14. in the Blood of the Lamb, should from thenceforward keep themselves in a Go­spel Sense pure and undefiled; yet had his Mercy been infinitely greater, than sinful Man could have deserved or expected. But such is the earnestness of God's Desire to make his Creatures Happy, and such the Abundance of the Grace made known by the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Je­sus Christ; that even to those who ha­ving been already admitted to the Mercy and Favour of the Gospel, and having re­ceived the Promise of a great and glorious Reward upon the Condition of an easie and most reasonable Obedience, and ha­ving been endued with the Earnest of his Holy Spirit, shall notwithstanding relapse [Page 209] after all this into wilful and deliberate Sins; even to these, I say, he has yet fur­ther granted, that if by a solemn Repen­tance they shall again unfeignedly renew their Obedience, and from that Period per­severe in well-doing to the end, they shall yet attain to the Reward of the Faithful; and shall be saved as Fire-brands plucked out of the Fire, or as Men escaping upon a Plank after Shipwreck.

2. By Repentance therefore I would all along in this Essay be understood to mean, not that Repentance which is the constant Duty of all Christians; (who are indeed continually bound to repent in general of all those Slips and Infirmities, those De­fects and Surprizes, which by the Condi­tion of the Gospel-Covenant are most rea­dily pardoned:) For this Repentance is not properly a new Period or Beginning of a Holy Life; but a necessary and con­tinued part of that imperfect Obedience, which Man in this degenerate State is ca­pable of performing, and which God has in his Gospel declared that he will always accept instead of perfect Innocence: But by Repentance I here understand that Re­pentance, which is an entire change of Heart and Mind, a turning from Darkness to Light, and from the power of Satan unto God; whereby those who by wilful and deadly Sins have left their first Estate, and forfeited their Title to the Crown of Righteous­ness, [Page 210] are to begin anew their Obedience, in order to recover the Mercy and Favour of God: And that no one may be perplexed with vain Scruples, and unreasonable Fears; this Repentance is such as plainly no Man is obliged to, but those who are guilty of great and deliberate Sins; of Blasphemy, Perjury, open Profaneness, or contempt of Re­ligion; of Murder, Sedition, Theft, manifest and designed Injustice, Hatred, Fraud, Wrong, or Oppression; of Adulteries, Fornications, Uncleannesses, or habitual Drunkenness and Intemperance; or of some other Sins either maliciously wilful, or notoriously habitual.

CHAP. II. That God allows Repentance even to the greatest of Sinners.

1. IN the Primitive Church there was Novati­ans. a Sect of Men, who upon a mistaken Interpretation of some Passages of the Epi­stle of St. Paul to the Hebrews, contended that there was [...] [ sc. in Bap­tismo▪] [...]. Epiphan. [...]ar. 59. no more place of Repen­tance allowed to those who after Baptism should fall into any of these wilful and de­liberate Sins: They taught that in Baptism indeed all manner of Sin and Blasphemy whatsoever, was forgiven Men absolutely, and wash'd away by the Blood of Christ; but that if after that great Remission they sinned again wilfully and presumptuously, they could no more obtain any further Pardon, [Page 211] than the Death of Christ, that great Sacri­fice for Sin, could be repeated; and that therefore however they should sincerely repent, yet there now remained nothing Heb. 10. 27. more for them, but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation, which should devour the Adversary. But that this was a great mistake; and that God does admit even the greatest of Sinners, upon their true Repentance, to Forgiveness and Pardon, is evident both from the Nature of God, and the Design of Christianity; from the Practice of the Apostles, and from the general Sense of the Primitive Church.

2. God is a Being, as of infinite Purity and Holiness, so also of infinite Goodness and Mercy; and as he cannot possibly be reconciled to Men, so long as they conti­nue wicked; so when ever they cease to be so, and return again to the Obedience of Gods Commands, and to the imitation of his Nature, we cannot suppose but that he will again admit them to his Pardon and Fa­vour. Goodness and Mercy are our most natural Notions of God; and the Discove­ries which he hath made of himself by Re­velation, are most exactly agreeable there­to. At the passing by of his Glory before Moses, he proclaimed himself, The Lord, the Lord God merciful and gracious, long­suffering, and abundant in Goodness and Truth, forgiving Iniquities, Transgressions and Sins, Exod. 34. 6. By the Prophets he declares [Page 212] and swears by himself, As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live, Ezek. 33. 1 [...]. And above all, by that stupendous Instance of Mercy, the sending his only Son out of his Bosom to give himself a Sacrifice for the Sins of Men, he has discovered such an earnest desire of our Reconciliation and Salvation, as will be the everlasting subject of the Praises of Men and the Admiration of Angels. If therefore God, when he had made a Covenant of perfect Obedience, and had not promised Pardon at all, to great and presumptuous Sins, did yet give Pardon, and declare also to the Jews by his Prophets that he would do so: And if, when Men were yet Ene­mies to him, he was so willing that not any should perish, but all should come to Repentance; 2 Pet. 3. 9. yea so desirous to have all Men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the Truth; that he not only spared not his own Son, to 1 Tim. 2. 4. deliver him up for us all, but tells us even of Joy in Heaven at a Sinners accepting the gracious Terms of the Gospel, and repre­sents himself as a tender Father running to meet his returning Prodigal, and falling up­his Neck and kissing him: If this, I say, was the Compassion which God shewed to Man, in his first sinful and miserable State; 'tis very reasonable to conclude and hope, that his Mercy is not so entirely ex­hausted at once, but that the same Pity may [Page 213] be yet further extended even to those also, who after the knowledge of the Truth having been seduced by the Temptations of the World and the Devil, to depart from God and to forsake their Duty, shall again re­turn unto him with Sincerity and Perse­verance.

3. The Design of the Gospel, is to teach Tit. 2. 12. us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this pre­sent world: And certainly whensoever it comes to have this effect upon a Man, it gives him a Title to the blessed Hope, and a well-grounded Assurance of Mercy at the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The Foundation of the Christian Dispensation, upon which the whole Summ of Affairs is now esta­blished, is Faith and Repentance; and when­soever a Man so truly repents, as to purifie himself effectually from every evil Work, and by the Spirit mortifies the deeds of the Rom. 8. 1 [...]. Body, he shall certainly live. Our Saviour himself gives express Directions, when a Man's Christian Brother trespasses against him, to use all possible means to reclaim him, both by private and publick Reproof, before he rejects him utterly as a Heathen Man and a Publican: He commands us, though our Brother sins never so often a­gainst us, yet if he turns again and repents, to forgive him; and has promised upon this Condition, that we also shall in like [Page 214] manner find forgiveness at the Hands of God: And in the Epistles sent by the Apo­stle St. John to the Bishops of the Seven Churches of Asia, he exhorts them earnest­ly to remember from whence they were fal­len, Rev. 2. 5. and to repent, and be zealous, and do their first works; and promises, that if upon this Invitation any Man would hear his Voice, and open the Door; that is, would be mo­ved by these Exhortations to repent and amend, he would come in to him and sup with him; that is, would again receive him Rev. 3. 20. to his Mercy and Favour.

4. Accordingly the Writings of the Apo­stles, though directed to Christians, are yet full of earnest Exhortations to Repentance; and their History contains many Instances of those who after great falls were there­by restored to their first state. St Peter exhorts Simon Magus, who thought the Gift of God could be bought with Money, to repent of this his wickedness; and gives him encouragement to hope, that he should thereupon obtain forgiveness, Acts 8. 22. St. John tells us, That if any Man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and he is the Propitiati­on for our Sins, 1 John 2. 2. St. James tells us, That if any one err from the Truth, and one convert him; he that converteth the Sinner from the Error of his way, shall save a Soul from Death, and shall hide a mul­titude of Sins, Jam. 5. 20. St. Jude advises [Page 215] us to have compassion of some, making a dif­ference; and to save others with fear, pulling them out of the fire, ver. 23. St. Paul ex­horts Timothy, to instruct in meekness those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledg­ing of the Truth; and that they may recover themselves out of the Snare of the Devil, who are taken Captive by him at his will, 2 Tim. 2. 25. He advises the Galatians, that if any Man be overtaken in a fault, they which are spiritual should restore such a one in the Spirit of meekness, considering themselves, lest they also be tempted, Gal. 6. 1. He threa­tens the Corinthians to excommunicate those who had sinned, and had not repented of their uncleanness, and fornication, and lasci­viousness, which they had committed, 2 Cor. 12. 21. And even the Incestuous Person, who had been guilty of such a Sin as was not so much as named among the Heathens themselves, he delivers indeed to Satan for the destruction of the Flesh, but it was that the Spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus, 1 Cor. 5. 5. For when the pu­nishment which was inflicted of many, had been sufficient to reduce him to Repentance, he writes to the Church to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow, 2 Cor. 2. 7.

5. And this, excepting as I have said one Sect of Men, was the constant Doctrine and Practice of the Primitive Church. To [Page 216] those who were yet Innocent, they thought indeed no Promises too great, and no Threatnings too severe, whereby they might make them infinitely careful to pre­serve their Innocence: But those who had already sinned, they incouraged to repent; and upon their Repentance admitted them again to the Peace of the Church, and to the Assurance of Pardon. They taught, that the [...]. Epiphan. Haer. 59. Holy Word and Church of God, always admitted of true Repentance: That Potest enim reduci ac li­berari, si eum poeniteat acto­rum, & ad meliora conversus satis faciat Deo. Lactant. lib. 5. c. 24. he that had fallen, might yet recover and escape, if he repented truly of what was past, and for the future amended his Life, and made satisfaction to God: That [...]. Clem. A­lex. Strom. 2. God not only gave full Remission of Sins in Baptism, but allowed also to those, who should afterward sin, a further place of Repen­tance: That to [...]. Clem. Alex. de eo Quis Dives, &c. every one who heartily and sincerely repents, God readily sets open a Door of Pardon, and the Holy Spirit returns again into a Mind purified from the pollutions of Sin: That Vade & di [...] omnibus, ut poenitentiam agant, & vivent Deo; quia motus Dominus magra suâ clementiá misit me ut ponitentiam omnibus nu [...]ciarem, etiam eis qui non merentur propter facta sua [...] salutem; sed patiens eri [...] [...]ominus, & invitationem factam pe▪ [...]. i [...]m s [...]m [...] conserva [...]e. He [...] 3. 8. all Men who repent, even those [Page 217] who by reason of their great Sins did not de­serve to have found any more Pardon, shall be saved; because God out of his great Compas­sion will be patient towards Men, and keep the Invitation which he hath made by his Son: That [...]. Clem. Alex. de eo Quis Dives ser­vandus. God will judge every Man in the Condition he finds him; and that therefore, as it will nothing avail a Man to have been for­merly Righteous, if he at last grows wicked; so one who has formerly lived wickedly, may afterwards by Repentance and renewed Obe­dience blot out his past Transgressions, and at­tain to the Crown of Virtue and Immortality.

6. Thus that God admits even the grea­test of Sinners to Repentance, is evident both from the Nature of God and the Design of the Gospel, from the Practice of the Apostles and from the constant Doctrine of the Pri­mitive Church. But then to make this Re­pentance such, as will be acceptable to God and effectually available to obtain Pardon, there are several considerable Circum­stances required: And these I think may be reduced to these Three; First, That it must be Early; Secondly, That it must be Great; and Thirdly, That it must be con­stant and persevering in its Effects.

CHAP. III. That true Repentance must be Early.

1. FIrst, That Repentance may be true and available to obtain Pardon, it is necessary that it be Early; that is, The Sinner must forsake his Vices so timely, as to obtain the Habits of the contrary Vir­tues, and to live in them: Otherwise he can have no security that his Repentance is hearty; or if it be, that it will be accepted by God.

2. First, We can never have any secu­rity that a late Repentance is hearty and sincere. A Man may very well at the amazing approach of Death and Judg­ment, be extreamly sorry that he has lived wickedly; he may strongly wish that he had lived the Life of the Righteous, and resolve, if he were to live over again, that he would do so; and yet all this may be meerly the Passion, and not at all the Duty of Repentance. The Duty of Repentance, is an entire change of Mind, and an effectual re­formation of Life: But the Passion of Sorrow and Remorse, is such as accursed Spirits shall be for ever tormented with in vain; and such as a dying Penitent can never be secure that this late Repentance will exceed. Many upon a Bed of Sickness, have made [Page 219] all the holy Vows and pious Resolutions that could be desired; nay, perhaps there is hardly any wicked Man, who when he thinks he is about to die, does not desire and design to amend; yet how few are there of these, who if they recover, do ever make good those Vows and Resoluti­ons? And no late Penitent can ever be sure, that this would not be his own Case. When an habitual Sinner is in Time con­vinced of the evil of his ways, and re­solves and endeavours in earnest to reform, while he has Life, and Health, and Strength to do it; yet seldom does he at the first trial work himself up to such an effectual and prevailing Resolution against his Sin, as to change his whole course of Life in an instant, and at once deliver himself out of the Bondage of Corruption, into the Rom. 8. 2 [...]. glorious Liberty of the Children of God: Usu­ally he proceeds by degrees; and after many Relapses and renewed Resolutions, arrives at last to a settled and steady course of Piety. How much less then can a late Penitent, who labours under all the con­trary disadvantages, ever be secure that his Repentance will be sincere, and his Re­solutions effectual enough, to translate him at one effort from the Power of Darkness, into the Kingdom of God?

3. For this Reason the Ancients never admitted any to the Peace and Commu­nion of the Church, who began not their [Page 220] Repentance before the time of Sickness. Those, saith Et idcirco poenitentiam non agentes, nec dolorem de­lictorum suorum toto corde & manifestâ lamentationis suae professione testantes, prohi­bendos omnino censemus à spe Communicationis & Pacis, si in infirmitate atque in peri­culo caeperint deprecari; quia rogare illos non delicti poeni­tentia, sed mortis urgentis ad­monitio compellit; nec dig­nus est in morte accipere so­latium, qui se non cogitavit esse moriturum. Cyprian Ep 52. St. Cyprian, who would not in time repent, and by pub­lick Lamentation testifie their hearty Sorrow for their Sins, we utterly reject from all hope of Peace and Reconciliation, if in the time of Sickness and Danger they begin to intreat; because then 'tis not true Re­pentance for their Sin, but the fear of approaching Death, that drives them to beg for Mercy; and no one is worthy to receive any comfort in Death, who never considered before hand that he was to die.

4. But, Secondly, Supposing a late Re­pentance to be hearty and sincere, yet have we no positive and absolute Promise, that it shall be accepted. The plain and express Condition of the Covenant established by Christ, is a Holy Life; that is, a constant and persevering Obedience to all the Com­mands of God, (in a Gospel and Merci­ful Sense allowing for humane Weaknesses and Imperfections,) from the time of our Baptism, or of our coming to the know­ledge of the Truth, until the end of our Lives: And the least that can possibly lay Claim to the Reward promised upon this Condition, is such a Repentance as pro­duces the actual Obedience of at least some proportianable part of a Man's Life.

[Page 221]5. To say that the Original Condition of the Christian Covenant is such, that a Man may safely live wickedly all his Life, and satisfie all his Lusts and Appetites to the utmost, provided he does but leave off and forsake his Sins at the last; is really to take away the necessity of a Holy Life, and to undermine the very Foundation of all Vir­tue. For considering on the one hand how prevailing the Custom of the World, how deceitful the Temptations of the Devil, and how powerful the Assaults of Lust and Passion are; and on the other hand how seldom sudden Death happens, and how little the Excellency of the Christian Life is understood; it will be hard, according to this Doctrine, to find Arguments suffi­ciently strong, to move Men to repent and to reform immediately: If there be no other danger, but in sudden Death; and no greater malignity in Sin, than what may be cured by an easie and short Repentance at last; most Men will venture to be wicked at present, and trust to the op­portunities of growing better afterward. Though therefore God may possibly have reserves of Mercy, which in event he may exercise towards Men in their last extre­mity; yet Originally 'tis certain the Gospel Covenant gives no assurance of Comfort, but either to a constant and persevering Ho­liness, or to a Repentance evidenced by actu­ally renewed Obedience.

[Page 222]6. At Baptism indeed, or when ever we first come to the knowledge of the Truth, all past sins are so entirely forgiven and wash'd away by the Blood of Christ, that Re­pentance, though it has no time to evi­dence it self in the Fruits of Righteous­ness, is without all Controversie available to Salvation: But when Men who have by Baptism Covenanted solemnly with God for a Holy Life, and confirmed that Covenant by other repeated Promises and Resolutions, shall yet wilfully live in Sin; and notwithstanding the express Threat­nings of our Saviour and his Apostles, that they who do so shall not inherit the Kingdom of God; notwithstanding the ear­nest Exhortations and Warnings of God's Ministers; and notwithstanding the perpe­tual Reproaches of their own Consciences, continue obstinately to do so; such Per­sons have no reason in the World to ex­pect, that God will at last accept their late, unactive, and ineffectual Repentance. The penitent Thief was received by our Saviour, as any other Infidel undoubtedly may be, who towards the end of his Life is convinced of the Truth of the Christian Religion, and heartily embraces it; but there is nothing like a Promise in Scri­pture, that the unactive Repentance of a Christian, who has lived all his Life in no­torious Wickedness, shall be accepted at the Hour of Death: The Labourers who [Page 223] were hired into the Vineyard at the ele­venth Hour, received indeed the same Wages with them that had born the bur­den and heat of the Day; but our Savi­our has no where promised, that baptized and professed Christians, who are hired into the Vineyard in the Morning, if they riot away all the Day in Idleness and Wickedness, shall at Night be accepted for their professing their Sorrow that they have not wrought.

7. Let those Men consider these things, who resolve now to enjoy the Pleasures of Sin for a season, and hope hereafter by a late Repentance to get a share also in the eternal Rewards of Virtue. Let them con­sider that they may be cut off in the midst of their Hopes; or that [...]. Arrian. in Epictet. l. 4. c. 12. they may be as unwilling to repent hereafter, as they are at present: But above all let them consider, That though they should live to that time, when they shall be willing to leave their Sins, because the strength of their Temptations will cease; yet they cannot be sure, that God will then accept them. The express Conditi­on of the Gospel is, that we seek first the Kingdom of God, that we deny our selves, and that we overcome the World: How slen­der therefore must be the hopes of those, who spend their Life and Strength in the [Page 224] enjoyments of this World, and make Reli­gion not their first but their last Refuge? Are the Glories of Heaven so inconsidera­ble? Or, is the Duty we owe to God so small, that he should accept our coldest and most unwilling Service? Offer the Blind for Sacrifice; offer the Lame and Sick; Mal. 1. 7. offer it now unto thy Governour; will he be pleased with thee? How much less will God accept us, when we are Non pu­det te reli­cuias vitae tibi reser­vare, & id solum tempus bonae menti destinare, quod in nullam rem conferri possi [...]? Quam s [...]r [...]m est tunc videre incipere, cum desinendum est? Quae [...]am stul [...]a mortalitatis oblivio, in quinquagesimum & s [...] [...]gesimum annum dir [...]erre sana Consilia; & inde velle vitam in­choare, q [...]ò pa [...]ci perduserunt? Seneca de vitae brevitate c. 4. least fit to serve him, and in those Days wherein we our selves have no Pleasure?

8. Terrible are the Threatnings which the Scripture denounceth against those, who refuse to hear the Voice of God when he calleth, and to seek him whilst he may be found. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand and no Man regarded; but ye have set at nought all my Counsel, and would have none of my Reproof: I also will laugh at your Cala­mity, I will mock when your Fear cometh. When your Fear cometh as Desolation, and your Destruction cometh as a Whirlwind; when Distress and Anguish cometh upon you: Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated Know­ledge, [Page 225] and did not chuse the Fear of the Lord, Prov. 1. 24, &c. When the Jews whom God had saved out of the Land of Egypt, and was grieved with them forty Years in the Wilderness, and had brought them to the Borders of the promised Canaan, de­spised that good Land, and refused to enter therein; he sware unto them in his Wrath that they should not enter into his Rest: And when afterward they resolved to go up and possess it, he suffered them not. Esau in like manner for one morsel of Bread sold Heb. 12. 17. his birthright: And afterward, when he would have inherited the Blessing, the Scrip­ture tells us that he was rejected; for he found no place of Repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. All which things the Apostle declares plainly to be written for our Example; Lest there be any Fornicator, or profane Person among us, as Esau was; and lest any among us tempt God, as the Jews also tempted, and fall after the same Example of Unbelief.

9. Let those therefore who have yet the Time before them, consider what they have to do: Let them be careful to hearken unto the Voice of God to Day, whilst it is called to Day: Let them be zea­lous to improve that Time and those Ta­lents wherewith God has blessed them; that when their Master cometh he may find them so doing, and bid them, as ha­ving [Page 226] been good and faithful Servants, to enter into the Joy of their Lord.

10. The Summ of this Point is this. When a Christian has lived wickedly all his Life, and comes at his last extremity to be convinced of his Folly, and to desire to Amend; how far the Mercy of God may possibly extend it self, we cannot tell; and therefore such a one is not to be absolutely swallowed up in compleat Despair: But to all those, who have yet any space and opportunity left, it ought to be strongly and perpetually inculcated, that the Go­spel Covenant allows not the least hopes to any other Repentance, than such as has time to evidence it self in the actu­al and persevering Obedience of a Holy Life.

CHAP. IV. That true Repentance must be Great: And of Penance.

1. SEcondly, True Repentance ought to be very Great; that is, he that re­pents ought to affect his Mind with such a deep Sorrow and hatred of Sin, as will put him upon those afflictive Duties of Fasting, [Page 227] Watching, Praying, Humiliation, Liberal Alms, and the like.

2. And the Reason of this is; First, Because in many Cases Repentance can­not otherwise be evidenced to be real and sincere. True Repentance is an effectual change of Mind, and an actual amendment of Life: And as a bare change of Mind is not an acceptable Repentance, unless it produces an actual amendment of Life; so neither is a bare amendment of Life, unless it proceeds from a real change of Mind. There are many Cases, wherein a Man may leave off committing an habitual Sin, and yet not truly repent of it: Some ac­cidental change of the Circumstances of his Life, some present worldly and tem­poral Interest, or some other like Cause, may restrain a Man from continuing in a customary Sin; and yet he may retain such an affection to it, such a readiness to return to it in his former Circumstances, or at least may have so little Hatred and Resolution against it, as may make him very far from a true Penitent. In all such Cases therefore, where a Man may break off a Sin upon any other Conside­ration, than the Love of God and a true Sense of Religion; 'tis necessary for the evidencing the Truth of his Repentance, and for the preserving him from impo­sing upon his own Mind, that he testifie [Page 228] his Sincerity and the Reality of his change of Mind, by some such afflictive, labori­ous, or expensive Duties, as will prove him to have indeed attained such a reli­gious temper of Mind, as would be suffi­cient to preserve him in the like Circum­stances from returning again to the same, or to any other the like wilful Sin. Were this rightly considered, Men would not so easily sin on securely at present, and im­pose upon themselves with vain hopes of growing better afterward with less Pains, when some particular alteration of their Circumstances of Life, or perhaps Age and Sickness, shall have removed their Temptations.

3. But Secondly, When amendment of Life does alone sufficiently evidence the sincerity of Repentance, (as generally and in most Cases it does,) yet ought those who have sinned to do something to testifie their Sorrow for past Offences, and to judge themselves, that they may not be 1 Cor. 11. 31. judged of the Lord. They ought to take [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. 2. Shame to themselves, that after having received the knowledge of the Truth, and having been made partakers of the heaven­ly Gift, and having tasted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come [Page 229] they should again have returned to Sin and Folly: They ought to consider with Confusion of Face the Ingratitude of ha­ving again committed those things, which are so hateful to God that he has threat­ned to punish the continuance in them with everlasting Destruction, and would not once pardon them under a less Ransom than the Blood of his only Son: And these Considerations ought to work in them that Carefulness, that Indignation, that Fear, that vehement Desire, that Zeal, and 2 Cor. 7. 10. that Revenge; of which (St. Paul tells us) consisteth that godly Sorrow, which work­eth Repentance to Salvation not to be repen­ted of.

4. Thus when St. Peter had thrice de­nied his Master, the Consideration of the Shamefulness and Ingratitude of the thing, made him, when he thought thereon, weep bitterly. Thus when David had com­mitted those crying Sins of Adultery and Murder, the Consideration of the foul­ness and baseness of the Fact, made him every night wash his Bed and water his Couch with his Tears; and extorted from him those bitter Complaints, of which the greatest part of his Penitential Psalms are made up. And all the Saints, who ever fell in­to any notorious Sin, were very Omne tempus in exomologesi consummavit, plangens & lamentans, &c. Irenaeus lib. 1. cap. 9. severe in [Page 230] their Humiliation, earnestly desiring that God would give them their Punish­ment in this World, that their Spirit might be saved in the Day of the Lord Jesus.

5. For this Reason St. James advises those who had sinned, to be afflicted, and mourn, and weep; to let their Laughter be turned to Mourning, and their Joy to Hea­viness; and to humble themselves in the sight of the Lord, that he might lift them up. And the Primitive Church always taught, That [...]. Clem. Ale­xandrin. [...]. Idem Strom. 4. [...]. Chrysostom. Homil. in Pentecost. Sins com­mitted wilfully after the knowledge and belief of the Truth, were to be done away with Labour and Sorrow: That such Sins Nunquid ergo protinus putas aboleri delicta eorum, qui agunt poenitentiam? Non proinde continuò. Sed opor­tet eum qui agit poenitentiam, affligere animam suam, & humilem animo se praestare in omni ne­gotio, & vexationes multas variasque perferre. Hermas Lib. 3. Simil 7. were not immediately forgiven upon a Mans beginning to repent, but after he had afflicted his Soul, and humbled himself deeply, and undergone many Troubles: That the Quam magna deliquimus, tam granditer defleamus; alto vulneri diligens & longa medicima non de [...]it; poenitentia crimine minor non fit.—Orare oportet impensius & rogare, diem luctu tranfigere, vi­giliis noctes ac flectibus ducere, tempus omne lachrymosis lamentatio­nibus occupare, stratos solo adhaerere cineri, in cilicio & sordibus vo­lutari.—Incunctanter & largiter fiat operatio; census omnis in me­delam vulneris erogetur. Cyprian. Serm. de Lapsis. af­flictive [Page 231] Duties of Repentance ought to bear some proportion to the greatness of the Sin: That the Penitent ought to spend much time in Watching, Fasting, Praying, and giving much Alms: And that In quan­tum non peperceris tibi, in tan­tum tibi Deus, cre­de, parcet. Tertul. de Poenit. by how much the more severely he judged himself here, by so much the more might he hope God would spare him, and be merciful to him here­after.

6. 'Tis true, the Sin which the Ancients particularly respected, when they preach­ed up the necessity of this severe Repen­tance, was no less than that of denying our Saviour. But if we consider the Matter impartially, what great difference is there between renouncing Christianity, and li­ving in an open and profane contempt of Religion; in the Practice of manifest In­justice, Fraud and Oppression; or in noto­rious and habitual Intemperance? Only Quae ju­stior venia in omnibus causis, quam Vo­luntarius an quam Invitus peccator implorat? Nemo volens negare [ Christum] compellitur, nemo nolens fornicatur. Tertull. de Pud. they who denied Christ, did it being compelled by great and long Torments; but these other Vices are committed wil­fully and of choice.

7. Very great Reason therefore there is, why those who have been guilty of great and wilful Sins, should enjoyn them­selves a great and remarkable Repentance. But yet because after all, the End and De­sign, [Page 232] the whole Summ and Life of Repen­tance, is Reformation; therefore no Man ought to impose upon himself any other Penitential Severities, than such as are di­rectly conducive to this main End. Ridi­culous and foolish were the Penances en­joyned Men in the dark and more igno­rant Ages of the Church; because they neither tended to improve the Virtues of Mens own Minds, nor to make Men more Useful and Beneficial to others: But such Penitential Exercises, as direct­ly mortifie Mens Lusts and Passions, or lead them to be more Charitable and do more Good in the World; in these, by how much the Penitent is more strict and constant, by so much is he more se­cure of the Sincerity of his Repentance, and of the Fulness of his Pardon.

8. The best therefore, and the greatest, and the most effectual Repentance, that a Man can possibly exercise; is to endea­vour to be so much the more careful in mortifying his Vices, and so much the more zealous in improving all Opportu­nities of doing Good, by how much he has formerly been more faulty in any Particular: And to resolve, by how much the more he hopes to have forgiven him, to Love so much the more. Let him, if he has been vanquished by any Tempta­tion, [Page 233] Repetet certamen suum miles, iterabit aciem, provo­cabit hostem, & quidem factus ad praelium fortior per dolo­rem. Qui sic Deo satisfece­rit, qui poenitentiâ facti sui, qui pudore delicti plus virtu­tis & fidei de ipso lapsûs sui dolore conceperit, exaudi­tus & adjutus à Domino, quam contristaverat nuper, laetam faciet Ecclesiam; nec jam so­lam Dei veniam merebitur, sed coronam. Cyprian. Serm. de Lapsis. resolve to streng­then himself so much the more against it, and to be­come for the future the more heroically Virtuous: He that thus endeavours to appease God, and by the Re­pentance, and Shame, and Sorrow of his past Faults is spurred on to exercise greater Faith, and Virtue, and Cou­rage; such a one by the as­sistance of God may become a Joy to the Church, which he before made sorrowful; and shall obtain not only the Pardon of his Sins, but also the Crown of Righteousness.

9. Particularly, a Penitent ought above all things to endeavour after a great and fervent Charity. This is a Duty which [...]. Clem. Alex. de eo quis dives, &c. [...]. Clem. Constitut. lib. c. 13. all wise and holy Men have in all Ages thought to have an especial Effica­cy to procure Pardon of Sin: And very great are the Promises which are made to it in Scripture: Alms, saith the Son of Si­rach, make an atonement for Sins, Ecclus. 3. 30. And Charity, saith St. Peter, shall cover a multi­tude of Sins, 1 Pet. 4. 8. And the merci­ful, saith our Saviour himself, shall obtain [Page 234] Mercy, Matth. 5. 7. Only Men must not hope by this or any other means to ob­tain Nec ta­men quia peccata largitione tolluntur, dari tibi licentiam peccandi putes: Abolentur enim, si Deo largiare quia peccaveras; si fiduciâ largiendi pecces, non abolentur. Lactant. lib. 6. cap. 13. a Liberty of continuing in Sin: For Charity shall procure forgiveness of Sins past, repented of, and forsaken; but not of Sins committed upon presumption of their being expiated thereby.

CHAP. V. That true Repentance must be Constant and Persevering in its Effects: And of the One Repentance of the Ancients.

1. THirdly and Lastly, True Repentance must be Constant and Persevering in its Effects; that is, it must put a Man into such a state, as Hoc enim dico, poeniten­tiam quae per Dei gratiam o­stensa & indicta nobis, in gra­tiam nos Domino revocat, se­mel cognitam atque susceptam, nunquam posthac iteratione delicti resignari oportere. Ter­tullian. de Poenit. that he will not any more re­turn wilfully unto Sin. Till it arrive to this Pitch▪ Repentance is not true, and (however Men may deceive themselves with vain Imaginations about it,) can never be effectual to Salvation. The Condition that our Saviour expresly requires in his Gospel, is a continued Holy Life from the time of our knowing and embracing the [Page 235] Truth: But certainly he will never ac­cept of any thing less, than a Life of Ho­liness and Persevering Obedience from some Period of Reformation and Repen­tance.

2. He therefore that repents, ought to be infinitely fearful of relapsing into Sin, [...]. Clemens Alexandrinus, de eo, Quis Di­ves, &c. as one that is recovering out of a dangerous and almost mortal Sickness. When ever he wilfully re­lapses, he makes his Case worse than it was at first, and his Disease more in danger of being mortal: It becomes much harder for him to renew himself unto Repentance, and much more difficult to procure Par­don.

3. 'Tis true, evil Habits are not to be rooted out at once, and vicious Customs to be overcome in a moment. So long therefore as a Man does not return wilful­ly and deliberately into the habit of Sin, many Surprizes and Interruptions in the struggle with a customary Vice may be consistent with the Progress of Repen­tance: But 'tis then only that it becomes compleat and effectual, when [...]. Id. Ibid. [...]. Id. Ibid. the evil ha­bit [Page 236] is so entirely rooted out, that the Man from thenceforward obeys the Command­ments of God without looking back, and returns no more to the Sins he has con­demned.

4. Let no Man therefore think, that he has truly repented of any deadly Sin, so long as he continues to practise and re­peat it. He that washeth himself after the touching of a dead Body, if he touch it again, what availeth his washing? So is it with a Man that fasteth for his Sins, and goeth again and doeth the same; who will hear his Pray­er? Or what doth his humbling profit him? Ecclus. 34. 25. He may fast, and pray, and lament, and use all the apparent signs of Repentance imaginable; but Cùm vi­disset Do­minus bo­nam atque puram poe­nitentiam eorum, & posse eos in eâ permanere, jussit eorum peccata deleri. Hermas 3. 9. God will never esteem his Repentance true, nor ac­cept it as available to the forgiveness of Sin, till he sees it Pure, and Constant, and Persevering. Hortare homines ut poenitentiam agant, & poenitentia eorum mun­da siat reliquis diebus vitae eorum. Id. 2. 12. [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. 2.

5. And this I understand to be the Reason, why the Ancient Church never allowed but one Repentance after Bap­tism. [Page 237] They taught that Post vocationem illam magnam & sanctam siquis ten­tatus fuerit à Diabolo & pec­caverit, unam poenitentiam habet: Si autem subinde pec­cet & poenitentiam agat, non proderit homini tali agenti; difficilè enim vivet Deo. Her­mas 2. 4. if any one after that great and holy Calling should be tempted by the Devil and Sin, he had one space of Repentance; but if he should often Sin and Repent, it would not profit him; for he should hardly live unto God: They taught, That Man covenanted with God in Baptism for a Holy Life; but God foreseeing the Weakness of Man, and the Subtilty of the Devil, made Provision, [...]. Clem. Alex. Strom. 2. Vide & Tertulliani librum de Poenitentiâ integr [...]m. that if any one, after that great and solemn Covenant, should either by the violence or de­ceitfulness of Temptation be drawn into gross and dead­ly Sin, he should still have another place of Repentance; but if after this he continu­ed to go on in a Circle of Sin­ning and Repenting, that then he was to be look'd upon as no other than a Heathen and an Infidel, only as he differed in the wilfulness and in the guilt of his Sin: And according to this Doctrine did they constantly deal with their Penitents; always admitting those that repented to the Peace and Com­munion of the Church once; but if after­ward they sinned oftner, and pretended to Repent, excluding them utterly.

[Page 238]6. Now by this 'tis plain they did not mean, that if any one sinned and repented, and after that sinned again, that such a one was utterly lost, and absolutely ex­cluded from all hope of finding further Mercy and Pardon with God: For Quamvis enim cautè & salubriter provisum sit, ut lo­cus illius humillimae poeniten­tiae semel in Ecclesiâ conce­datur, nè medicina vilis minùs utilis esset aegrotis, quae tan­to magis utilis est quanto mi­nus contemptibilis fuerit; quis tamen audeat Deo di­cere, quare huic homini, qui post poenitentiam primam rursus se laqueis iniquitatis obstrinxit, iterum parcis? Au­gustinus. though the Church wisely appointed, that a place of publick Repentance for great and scandalous Sins should be allowed but once, lest the Remedy by being made too easie should grow useless and contemptible; (as after­ward by Experience it was found to do;) yet no Man presumed to set Limits to the Mercy and Forgiveness of God. And therefore they always exhorted and in­couraged Men to Repent so long as they had Life and Health. Let us Repent, saith [...] Clemens ad Cor. 2. St. Clement, whilst we are yet upon the Earth: For we are as Clay in the Hand of the Potter. For as the Potter if he make a Vessel, and it be mishaped in his Hands or [Page 239] broken, forms it anew; but if he has gone so far as to throw it into the Furnace of Fire, he can no more remedy it: So we while we are in this World, let us repent with our whole Heart of all the Evil we have done in the Flesh, that we may be saved by the Lord. For, after we shall have departed out of this World, we shall have no Place to confess our Sins or to repent any more.

7. The Primitive Church therefore, I say, by allowing but One Repentance for great Crimes committed after Baptism, did not mean that true Repentance would at any time be in vain or unacceptable in the sight of God: But because Repen­tance [...] Clem. Alexand. Strom. 2. never is true and effectual, till it restore a Man to such a state of new Obedience, that he will not wilfully fall into gross and scandalous Sins any more; and be­cause he that having once done long and publick Penance for a gross and scanda­lous Crime, did yet afterward fall into the same or the like again, could not pos­sibly give any greater Evidence of the sin­cerity of his Repentance to the Church, than he had done before; therefore they did Placuit his ulterius non esse dandam communionem, nè lusisse de dominicâ communione vide­antur. Concil. Elib. Can. 2. not think fit to admit such relapsed Criminals to the Peace and Communion [Page 240] of the Church any more, lest they should again give occasion to blaspheme the Name of Christ and his Holy Religion.

8. Thus infinitely solicitous were those holy Men, not to give Men the least possi­ble encouragement to continue in Sin, and yet very careful at the same time not to drive any Man to Despair. Let us consi­der these things; and while we rightly maintain that true Repentance cannot at any time be in vain or ineffectual to pro­cure Pardon, let us be careful not to en­tertain any such Notions of Repentance, as will take away the Necessity of a Holy Life, and that Persevering Obedience, which is the express and indispensable Condition of the Gospel-Covenant.