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/. 3 A//.
CHRISTIAN SOBRIETY:
BEING
Eight Sermons
O N
TITUS II. 6.
Preached with a special View- to THE
Benefit of the Young Men
USUALLY ATTENDING THE PUBLIC WORSHIP
• - AT THE
West Church In BOSTON.
Publifhed more particularly at their Defire, and dedicated to them.
By JONATHAN MATHETF, D.D.
Pastor of the said Church.
Make no tarrying to turn to the Lord, and put not off from day to day ; for fuddenly fliall the wrath of the Lord come forth, and in thy fecurity thou Ihalt he deftroyed— My fon, gather inltrui^ion from thy vouth up : So flialt thou find wifdom till thine old age. ^^^^^ ^^^ SonofSiRACH.
BOSTON, NEIV-ENGLAND :
Printed by Richard and Samuel Draper, in Newbury -Street : Edes and Gill, in Queen-Street; and Thomas and John Fleet, at tlie Heart Sx. Cro-vju in Cornhill, 1763.
( XV ) THE
CONTENTS.
S E R M O N L
Obfcrvations on Titus and the Epiftle to him. Th« de- fign and method of the following Difcourfcs exhibited. Remarks on the l>rms Tomig Men, and fober-minded : And, what is implied in exhorWig them to be fo, par- ticularly fhewn. Page i.
S E R M O N 11.
Of Sobriety in general, in Principle and Pradlice. More particularly, That it implies (j.) A Belief of God's Being, Perfedions and Providence. (2.) Of the Chriftian Revela- tion. And (3.) Sober Thoughts of One's felf. Short Refiedtions on each. P. 35.
SERMON III.
Christian Sobriety further explained, vi%. (4.) Of Re- pentance. (5.) Of the Faith which is favihg. (6.) Of an external ProfcfTiun of Chriftianity. (7.) Of Prayer. And (8.) Of univerfal Obedience to Chrift's Commandments. ^. 82.
SERMON IV.
Of fome Things contrary to Chriftian Sobriety, viz. (i.) Of taking God's Name in vain. (2.) Of negle<Sting the public Worfhip. (3 ) Of light and irreverent Behaviour at it. (4.) Of excefTive, riotous Mirth at other Times. (5.) Of finful Diverfions and Recreations. (6.) Of excef- five Expence and Pride in Apparel. (7.) Of the negleft of Bufinefs, and Mif-fpence of Time. P. 121.
SERMON V.
xvi The CONTENTS.
S E R M O N V.
Of fome other Things contrary to Sobriety, viz. (8.) Of a difrefpedful Behaviour to J^uperiors. (9 ) Of Falfchood and Lying. (10.) Of ra{h and immoderate Anger, (ii.) Of Envy. (12.) Of Intemperance in Katinjr and Drinking. (13.) Of Uncleannefs. (14.) Of !>aud an<;l'lnju{tice. (15.) OfCovetoufnefs. And (16.) OF Enthufiafm. P. 161.
SERMON VI.
VouNG Men exhorted to Sobriety by various Confiderations, viz. (i.) Of the Reafonablenefs thereof, (2.) Of their religious Education, (3.) Of the condant Gocdnefs of ,God to them. (4.) Of his corrective Vifitations. (5.) Of their Vows and good Refolutions in Times of Trouble. (6.) Of the inward Peace attending Sobriety. (7.) Of the Efteem and Honor which it procures. P. 215.
SERMON VIL
Young Men exhorted to Sobriety, from other Confiderations, viz. (8.) Of their temporal Advantage. (9.) Of their Ufe- fulneis in the World, (ic.) Of thoie Perfons whom they will pleafe hereby. (11.) Of thofe whom they will gratify by the contrary. (12.) Of one End of Chfift'b coming into the World, namely^ to " purify unto himfelf a peculiar People," &c. P. 256.
SERMON VIIL
Young Men exhorted to Sobriety by fome other Confidera- tions, viz. (13.) 'Of arl happy Death, and (14) Of eternal Life, as the Confequence thereof. (15 ) Of the miferable Death of the wicked. And (16.) Of their Punishment in the World to come. The extreme Folly and Danger cf delaying to be fober-minded. Mifcellaneous Counfcis and Warnings to young Men : And the whole concluded with a Prayer more particularly for them and the Author. P.291.
^ See Correi^ions at the End.
The Author
To the Young Men who ufiiaily attend his Minlftry ; and, more particularly,
To thofe of them, at whofe request the fol- lowing Difcourfes are publifhed.
My dear young Brethren,
I Have now before me a paper directed to me, figned by a confiderable num- ber of you ; in which you exprefs both a full perfwafion, and a grateful fenfe of my friendly defign in preaching the foUow- lowino- fermons : At the fame time defirino; a copy for the prcfs, in terms at once too refpeftful to me to be here repeated, and too plainly indicating a ferious turn of mind, to permit me to deny your requefl:.:^
I SHOULD, indeed, do an injury to myfelf, if 1 denied that my aim in them was, as you fuppofe, '' the bettering your minds and morals." And the manner in which you attended to them, when preached, together with your being fo well fatisfied with them as to defire to read them in print, affords ground to hope that,by thebleiFing of God, the fountain of truth, lig-ht and wifdom, A 2 the
I" The paper here referred to, was figned by about fifty perfous of ths younger fort.
iv The DEDICATION.
the intention of them will be in fome niea- fure anfwered. This agreeable profpecl has much alleviated the trouble I have been at in reviewing, correcfilng and tranfcribing them ; which would otheiwife haA e been a tedious labor to me, efpecially in fo cold and fevere a feafon. But if they are x)nly a quarter part fo ufeful to you as I pray Cod to make them, I fliall be very amply rewarded
In compofing them, I mufl own, I had no other fermons in view as a model ; which may, perhaps, be one reafon that they are no better. They were written intirely from the fcriptures, and from my own heart ; of the latter of which at leafl, they are a true, tho' imperfcfl reprefentation. Leaft of all had I in view as a model, either the fer- mons of any bigotted devotees to particu- lar fyilems of religion, dillind from the general and glorious one of the gofpcl ; or fuch cold, uninterefting difcouifes as hit the frivolous tafle of thofe, who value fer- mons only for an imaginaiy delicacy of fentiment and expre/Tion, without folidity, without force or energy ; without entering into the fpirit and importance of religion. I do not think mine the woife, for not being imitations of f jch as either of thefe.
The
The DEDICATION. v
The former are my averfion, as the illibe- ral produdions of Jlaves, who defire ta tyrannize over other mens confciences • The latter my contempt, as the faperficial, infipid, empty harangues of vain men > which do not deferve the name of ferrnom,: If difcourfes from the pulpit are adapted only to pleafe the ear and the fancy, like many of the modern fafhionable ones; in- flead of having a dire<5t tendency to alarm the confcience of a linner, to warm the heart of a faint, or to enliehten the under- Handings of any ; they ferve, in my opi- nion, to no better purpofes, than thofe of unfeafonably amuiing the hearers, difgrac- ing the places in which, and the perfons by whom they are delivered, as frivolous, con- ceited declaimers : who feek only the ap- plaufe of men, by their founding brafs and tinkling cymbals ; inftead of defigning to do good, by manifeftation of the truth, and commending themfelves to every man's confcience in the fight of God. I muft own, I fhould be a little mortified, as well as greatly difappointed, if any perfons who are charmed with fuch lullabies and opiates to the confcience from the pulpit, fiipuld think the following difcourfes in any mea- fure tolerable,
A 3 The
Vi The DEDICATION.
The fubjecl is handled in fiich a man- ner as to give you a general, comprehen- five idea of true religion, with its advan- tages and importance : 1 mean, of Chnfli- mity, according to my own conceptions of it. The fcheme or plan of the fermons is very extenfive : It opens a wide field, almoft boundlefson every fide, and prcfenting num- berlefs objects to the vieY\^ Whoever looks over the contents of them, v/ill fee that they are not deficient in point of variety, what- ever other faults they maybe juflly charged with. But, in this way of treating the Rib- je6l, it was impojfhble to handle any particu- lar dodrine or precept of the gofpel fully, or with accuracy and precilion. Had I pre- tended to handle the various branches of re- ligion here touched upon, in this manner, each fermon would have fwelled to a folio ; and they muft have employed more years than I was days, in compoling and preaching them.
The general defign of them, -viz. to in- ftrud the Young, and, by the bleiling of God, to fonn their minds to the love and practice of true religion, cannot but be ap- proved by all wife and good men ; hew much foever I have failed in the method,
or
The DEDICATION. vit
or execution. Theinftrudionof the Young, in order to their being well principled, and a6i:ing a proper part in life, is a thing of the utmofl: importance to themfelves and to fociety. This has, accordingly, been a fa- vourite, a principal obje6l with fome of the wifefl: men, in their refpeftive, ages and countries. Three fuch perfons in particu- lar, at once prefent themfelves to my mind ; Solomon, Socrates and Cicero.
The firfl: of thefe, Solomon among the Jews, had a very particular attention to the Young, in his invaluable writings; a treafure more to be prized than millions of gold and iilver. He himfelf informs us, and it is obvious from the mod curfory view of them, that their more immediate and fpeciai deiign was, " to give to the Young MvN knowicdi^e and underilandine."
The fecond, Socrates, fb renowned a- mong the Greeks for his wlfdom and vir- tue, is alfo known to have devoted his time and great talents, chiefly to the in- flrudion of Young Men. Tho* he left nothing in writing, which is come down to us ; yet authentic hiftory gives us this account of him : And the dialogues of Plato, his learned difciple, in which the
fentiments
viii The DEDICATION,
feiiciments and difcourfes of Socrates arc leprefenced, clearly evince the fame thing. He was, however, in that fuperfHtious, cor- rupt and idolatrous, tho' polite age, accuf- ed, tried and condemned as a perverter of the Youth of Athens; more particularly, as it is faid, becaufe he taught them the UNITY of God; ridiculing polytheifm,with the numberlefs fuperflitions & follies which time, ignorance and prejudice had confe- crated, as the facred myfteries of religion; i. e. in other words, he was confidcred as an impious heretic and hlafphcmer. This it was, that enraged the priefls, the politi- cians, and even the poets of A ihens, againft that extraordinary perfon ; and finally brought him, as a martyr for the truth, to drink the fatal hemlock in a ]ayl : A poor requital for fuch important fervices to his country ! But thus it is, that " the world gives;" — thus, that in often rewards its be- nefactors, of whom it is not worthy. And even the Son of God himfelf, was by wicked hands crucified and llain as a blafphemer, for allcrting that the only true God was his Father ; thereby making himfelf, as the prieds malicioully accufed him, equal with God 1
C/JERO
The DEDICATION. \x
Cicero among the Romans, the third of thefe renowned men, the wifeft and beft of his time and nation, had a fpecial view to the benefit of young men, in di- vers of his admirable writings ; particu* larly in that very valuable book his Of- fices, inscribed to his fon Marcus. He alfo took great pains in fome of his other writings, to expofe the folly, fuperftition and knavery of the priefts and augurs, and other fuppofed holy men of thofe times ; and to preferve both the Old and Youne from the fad effe61s of their delu- fions and hypocrify, tho' he was himfelf One of tlieir order. He was, accordingly, accounted an heretic by them. And tho' he did not fall at laft as a martyr direcdy for true religion ; yet he fell as one of the moft glorious advocates for LIBERTY, that the world ever faw : An honor next to that of fuffering martyr- dom for religion ; and, in fome fort, the fame thing ; true religion comprifing in it the love of liberty, and of One's coun- try ; and the hatred of all tyranny and opprelTion.
It is evident, moreover, from the epif ties of the great apoftle Paul, and of
John
X The DEDICATION.
John the beloved difclple of our Lord, that both of them had a particular atten- tion to the Young, in their writings: Not to mention the many excellent di- vines, or other learned and good men, who, in later ages, have devoted a great part of their time, and their noble ta- lents, to the fervice of God and their ge- neration, in this way. To fay the Icaft, therefore, I have no occafion to blulh,for having employed my meaner talents with a particular view to the benefit of my youNG brethren, when I confider thefe il- luftrious examples : Efpecially, when I alfo refledt on what pafTed betwixt our Lord and Peter, when the former, the chief Shepherd, was juft afcending to his Father and our Father, to his God and our God. " Je^us faith to Simon " Peter, Simon fon of Jonas, loveft thou " me more than thefe ? He faith unto '' him, Yea, Lord ; thou knoweft that " I love thee. He faith unto him. Feed " MY Lambs."
While others, who are rich in wif- dom, cad in of their abundance into the- tTcafury and offerings of God, for the immediate feivice of the yonug, the
Lambs
ne DEDICATION. xr
Lambs of Christ's fold ; I may be per- mitted, like the poor widow, of my pe- nury to caft ill a mite or two. In which refpeft, I may alfo accomodate to myfelf, and adopt the words of the laft-menti- oned apoftle, Peter, originally fpoken with another view, on a particular occa- fion : " Silver and gold have I none ; but fuch as I have give I you." If what I here offer, as my own, is neither gold, filver nor precious ftones ; yet, I truft, it is not wholly drofs, wood, hay or ftubble. And, mean as it is, I am already afTured, my beloved young brethren, that you will not defpife it : Nor do I doubt, but that the infinitely good and merciful God v/ill gracioufly accept it thro' Jesus Christ, as fmcerely intended for his glory. It is faid by fome, that chefe times are very corrupt and degenerate, in com- parifon of thofe of our fore-fathers ; and particularly, that the Youth of thefe days are remarkably light and vain, loofe and profligate, both in principle and man- ners. There is doubtlefs always room, and great occafion in this prefent evil world, for reformation. I am ,not cer- tain, however, that the above-mentioned
charge
xii Thg DEDICATION.
charge is ftridly juft : Poffibly they who bring it, may not " inquire wifely con- cerning the former times," or the prefent, when they think that thofe were fo much " better than thefe." Be that as it may ; yet I am perfuaded, the mofl likely way to produce a reformation, is not to rail at the times, or to make fuch invidious comparifons betwixt the age prefent, and thofe which are part. I have, therefore, w^holly declined this kind of rhetoric and declamation in thefe difcour- fes : Contenting myfelf with plainly tel- ling you the truth and your duty ; and urging it upon you by fuch confidcrations, as are at all times proper. But if there is any real foundation for fuch a charge againft the Youth of the prefent age, thefe difcourfes will be fo much the more feaforiable, and claim your attention accordingly.
I HAVE addrefled you in them, and en- deavoured to treat you, as reafonable crea- tures. You will not, it is hoped, think it lefs incumbent upon you to (hev/ your- felves men by your conduct, tho' but young, than it was upon me to treat you as fuch. To the many arguments and
mo:ivc9
The DEDICATION. xlu
motives to that end, ufed in thefe dif couifcs, let me here fubjoin. that a num- ber of you have been bleft with a liberal and learned, as well as religious education ; and, that the more is cxpecl:cd of you both by God and man, on this account. Take heed, my brethren^that you do not any of you difgrace your education, and bring a reproach upon tliat reipeclable fociecy the College, whofe public hoii- ors you have received, by a conduct un- worthy both of that and yourfelves ; — - either by a vicious and profligate, or even by a iov/, fordid and vulgar behaviour. In either of which cafes, efpecially the former, you may be affjred, that what w^ould othcrv/ife be for your honor, will, in the end, turn to your Ihame and re- proach. I fay this, you know, as your friend, not as yodr enemy.
The great regard and kindnefs with Vnich I have been treated by your parents, and the honoured and beloved people of xny paftoral charge in general, lay meun^ der fome peculiar obligations, not only to them, but to you ; — to do what- ever in me lies, to promote your honor, your temporal and eternal good, li, there- fore.
xlv The DEDICATION.
fore, you fhould think my private advice on any particular occafion, or my good wifhes and my prayers worth any thing, you may depend upon having them ; the former, whenever it is asked, and the two latter without it.
Let me juft add, that if any of you, after hearing, and requefting the publica- tion of thefe difcourfes on chriftian fo- briety, fliould conduct yourfelves unfober- ly, unrighteoufly and ungodly in the world, inftead of living as the grace of God which has appeared, teaches you to live ; thefe very frrmons, and your own written, figned requeil, will be as fwift witnellcs againft you: You will be judged out of your own mouths, like wicked fervants; and condemned, as it v;ere, under your own hands and feals. God forbid, that what is now a token for eood con- cerning you, and a teflimony in your favor, fhould eventually be a means of aggravat- ing your guilt, and inflaming your con- demnation ! As my beloved brethren I warn you ; at the fame time hoping '* bet- ter things of you, and things that accom- pany falvation :" Being
Your finccre Friend
Boston, February ^^^ Brother,
1763.
Jonathan Mayhcv.\
Sermon L
Obfervacions on Titus and the Epiille to him. The defign and method of the followingr Difcourfes exhibited. Re- marks on the terms young men^ and fober-mindcd : And, what is implied in exhorthig them to be fo, particularly fhewn.
TITUS II. 6.
Young Men likewife exhort to he foher- minded,
TITUS, to whom the apoflle Paul wrote this fhort, but excellent epiftle, is gene- rally fuppofed to have been converted to the chriftian faith by his miniftry ; And It is doubtlefs with reference hereto, that the apolHe calls him " his own fon, after the com- mon faith *". Titus being a young man of great hopes, when he firit became a difciple of Chrift, St. Paul fecms to have hs^d a particular B kindQefs
• Chap. i. 4.
2 Conctrning Titus and SER. I.
kindncfs and regard for him ; fomctimcs taking him with him as his companion and afTiftant in the kingdom and patience of Chrift, while he travelled from country to country, to preach his unfearchable riches among the gentiles. It appears from divers paflages in the new tefta- ment, that Titus was a perfon of no fmall con- fideration among the ChrilHans of that day, even before he came to refide at Crete ; being deputed, fometimes by one apoftle or another, and fometimes by an whole church, to tranfac^l affairs of great importance to the common caufe of chrifdanity \ which trufts he fccms to have dif- charged with great ability and reputation.
Whether Titus went with St. Paul to Crete, in one of his peregrinations, as feems mod probable : And whether it was by his, or the apoftle's own mlni(l:ry, or by that of fome other perfon, that the gofpcl was firft planted in that ifland, is not material at prefcnt to be inquired, or determined. It is flill evident that they were, on fome occafion or other, both together at xS\\% populous ifland ; famous long before that time, as the fuppofed place of Jupiter's birth ; for Minos, its juit king ; for its labyrinth, its hun- dred cities, &c. It is now more commonly known by the name of Candy, from its chief city, founded by the Saracens ; and at this day fubje<R: to the Turks. It is, moreover, certain that, at the time when St. Paul and Titus were together at Crete, there was a confidcrable num- ber of chriftian converts there ; who were, 'tis likely, part JeU's by" birth, and part Gentiles.
It
SER. I. the Epijile to him, g
It is ftill farther certain, that the apoftle being about to depart from thence, left this excellent perfbn, who had by this time acquired great knowledge and experience, in Crete, to fuper- intend the affairs of the church ; to regulate things there, and particularly to ordain elders, or pallors, in all the cities wherein it fhould be needful. " For this caufc left I thee in Crete," fays he, " that thou fliouldcft fet in order the " things that are wanting, and ordain elders in *' every city, as I had appointed thee".f From whence it appears that the church, or churches of Crete, were not hitherto reduced to due form, rule, or order ; moft, if not all the cities being deftitute of regular, fixed pallors, or overfeers.
And here, by the way, it is natural to take notice of a groundlefs conceit of a modern feft ; to the people of which, however, God knoweth, I bear no ill will ; and who, in fome other re- lpe6ts, are rather to be commended, than blamed. The people ufually called Quafes, aflfert that it was never the intention of Chriit the " chief fhepherd", or of his infpircd apoftles, that there Ihould be a certain order of men fc* parated to the gofpel-minillry ; or regularly fet- tled and ordained as pall:ors, elders, or by what- ever other name they are called, in particular cities and churches. Upon which fuppofition let them, if they can, give a plain and d'wcCi anfwer to the queflion. For what end it v.as, that the apoftle Paul left llrus at Crete ? This notion of the Quakers is, in fhort, diametrically B 2 repugnant
t Chap. i. 4.
4 Concermng Titus and SER. L
repugnant to many pafTagcs of fcripture ; and con- trary to the known cuftom in the apollics days, under their own eye and dirccf'tion, as well as to the fentiments and pra<5liic of all Chrilfians in general from that time to the prcfcnt, the Quakers thcmfclvcs being excepted, who are but a novel fetfl:. The fuppofcd novelty of this feft would, however, be no folid objevftion againft it, if its tenets and practices were truly apoftolic. For whatever bears this (lamp and chara<^er, has really the moft venerable antiquity on its fide ; in comparifon of which, no other, however gloried in, is of any confidcration. But one need not fcruple to fay, that our modern Quaker-focieties, meetings or affembltes, wherein there arc neither any flated paftors, nor facraments, bear, in that rcfpe(5t, no refemblancc of the churches planted by the apofUes, their companions, or their immediate followers. In all which churches in general, tlicrc were both regu- lar paftors, ciders (or biiliops) and deacons: And, in them, the facraments of baptifmand the Lord's fupper were adminiftred ; all nearly according to the prcfcnt mode and practice of our churches in New-England ; tho' I will not prefume to fliy, exactly fo in every circumftance.
St. Pail wrote this cpillle to Titus very foon after he left him at Crete. As is common- ly fuppofcd, it was written by him from Mace- donia, about the year of our Lord 65 or 66. He tho't proper, it fccms, at once to fhew his regard for Titui, antl his care for the yet-un- foimcd, unregulated churches of Crete, to fend
him
SER. I. the Eplflle to him. 5
him this letter ; containing more pan'icular cttiinfcls and direftions, probably, than he had given him verbally before ; that, by having thefe in his hands in wridng, to read, and to communicate to o- thers, they might be the more ftri<5tly obferVed both by him and the churches there, as they were rerpe<H:ively concerned herein. And hav- ing reminded Titus, as was before obferved, of the general defign with which he left him at Crete ; he immediately proceeds to give him di- rections refpc<?ling the qualifications which he was to regard in the ciders or paf^ors, to be or- dained by him. " If any be blamelefs,*'*&c. From whence (bmc have imagined that Titus himfcif was conftitutcd by tlic apodle, a bifhop, and the firft, of Crete, in that fcnfc of the word, in which a bifhop is now diftinguiflied from a paftor, eider or prelbyter. Others, who fup- pofc that in the new teftiment, there is no fuch di^^incHon of order or otlicc, made betwixt them, which is an undeniable and manifcft truth ; yet fiippnfe that Titus was a<ftual{y ordained and fixed by the npo(He in that ofHce, by what- ever name it be called. I'hc firrt: of thefe opinions is certiinly an ill-grounded one ; and the latter, moil: probably, a miftake alfo. For Titus was, in all probability, a bifliop of Crete, neither in one nor the other of thefe fcnfcs ; but was what, in fcriptur-e, is called an " evange- " liil" ; an ofHcer quite di(l:in(51: from a prefl!>ytcr, paAor or bifiiop : which v/erc then the fame.
B 3 Do
* Chap. 1. 6.
6 Concerning Titus and SER. I.
Do you alk then, What is meant by an evangelift r I will anfwer in the words of a divine, very learned in matters relative to the apoftolic times, churches and cuftoms. " The " cvangelifts were a fort of fecondary apoftles, " who received their do<^rine and authority im- *' mediately from the apofUe^ of our Lord Jcfus " Chrift : They were not fixed bifliops, or paf- " tors, of particular churches, but watered the " churches which the apoftlcs had planted, per- " fecHied what they had left deficient, planted " churches by their orders, or rectified abufcs ; *' carried and brought back letters and meffages" [of importance] , " and did all they could to fup- " ply the place of an apoitle, when he was nc- ■ * cefTarily engaged elfe\\ here*". The account 'U'hich we have of Titus In the new tcftamcnt, correfponds extremely well with this dcfcriptionof an evangelift ; and he was, in all probability, an oiRcer of that fuperior rank, betwixt an apoftlc and a bifhop,or prcfbytcr. And as the apoil:olic office, in the highelt and propcrefi: fenfc of it, wa^ difcontinucd when the apoliles perfonally died ; fo, according to the defcription of an eNangcHil: before given, the latter office miiil: have alfo been difcontinucd with the other ; i. e. in fuch fort, that no cvangelift, in the highefl: and ftricfteft fenfe, could be appointed, when there was no apoftlc furviving to appoint him. But, this not- withftanding, there is no reafon to doubt but that the bifhops, pallors or prcfbytcrs, who fur- vived the apoiHes, had fufiicient authority, not
only
•* Dr. GaoRCE Benson, the Author's learosd friend and corrcf- ♦oodent, i.i-iy dcc^vicJ.
SER. L the Eptftk to hinu 7
only to preach themfelveg, but to ordain others, for the defence and propagation of the gofpel. And the miniftcrs of the gofpel at this day, by whatever name or title they are called, have ftill both thefe powers united in them ; unlefs, per* haps, fome of them have renounced one of them, by putting themfelves into a Ikte of fcrvile de- pendence upon, and fubje<5lion to, thofe who have no right to " lord it over God's heritage",J of them. Be that as it may, the church of Ghrift, which is his body,nevcr was, nor will be, fo for- faken of its head, as not to have within itfelf,as derived from him, fufficient power, fufficient au- thority, for appointing all officers nccelTiiry for itsfupport; and alfo for " making incrcafe of the body, by that Vv hich every joint fiipplicthjto the edifying of irfclf in love". §
The remaining part of the firfl chapter of this cpilHe, is taken up with the proper qualifica- tions for an elder, or chriiHan bifiiop ; with hints at fome vain talkers and deceivers, efpecially thofc oi- the circumtifion ; and wirli remarks on the general character of the Cretians, which was pro- bably much better knov»'n to the apolHe than to Titus ; r^nd yer very needful for the latter, who was to refide among them for a time, to be well apprifed oi'^.
But, whether Titus v/ere left at Crete as an evangcliii:, or as a prefbyrcr of prime di(Hn6tion ; or even tho' it v.ere in the capn city of a bifhop in the more modern and unfcriptural fenfe ; yet it muft flill be remembered, that he' was to be a
B 4 riiEACJI-THG
X I Pet. V. 5. \ tph, 17, 46,
•8 Concerning Titus and SER. I.
PREACHIKG One ; not merely to ordain others to that laborious fervice, and to overfee them therein. For, in the fecond chapter of the epif- tle, the apoftle proceeds to give him forae direc- tions concerning the difcharge of that duty ; and the regard which he was therein to have to per- fons of different ages, fexes, and ftations in life ; admonifhing him to adapt hisinfl:ru<ft-ions to them re(pe(5tively. Alluding to the deceivers, and vain talkers, fpoken of In the former chapter, he be- gins the fecond thus : " But fpeak thou the " things which become found dodrlrinc." And, 'what things thofe are, we will, if you pleafe, leave the apoiUe to explain for himfclf ; as he docs in the following verfes. He immedi- ately fubjoins ; " That the aged men be fober, " grave, temperate, found in faith, in charity, " in patience." Thcfe then, are fome of the things which become found doftrine. What are the others I — " The aged women likcwifc, " that they be in behaviour as bccometh holi- " nefs; notfalfe accufers^',not given to much wine, " teachers of good things." — Of what good things ? — " That they may teach the young " -women to be fobcr," as the apoflle goes on ; " to love their husbands, to love their " children, to be difcretc, chailc, keepers " at home, good, obedient to their own huf- ''* bands, that the " word of God be not blaf- " phcmed." But how v/erc the eider women to teach the younger fuch good things as thefe I Doubtlefs, by their own exemplary pracftice, and
private
» lo the Ongina^ " net Devils".
SER. I. the Epiftle to hm. 9
private court fels, as opportunity prefented : For the apoftle allowed not women, except infpired, to teach in any other, or more public manner^. Thus it is then, that the elder women were to teach the younger thefe excellent things ; amongft which are good Oeconomy, and a prudent, dif^ Crete and virtuous behaviour in their families • as for other reafons, fo particularly, left " the " word of God fhould be blafphemed" : i. e. left the gofpel of Chrift fhould fall under the contempt and reproach of men, by reafon of the ill condu(5t of women profefling godlinefs ; wheth I old or young.
T ■ : r. apofUe goes on ; " Young men likewifc
" r -rt robe fober-mindcd". And he imme-
di :bjoins [ver. 7.] " In all things ftiewing
' 'fa pattern of good works", &c. Intlmat-
] ritus tlie great importance, the abfolute
.^j. ty, of taking heed to himfclf, as well as to
.Ifi doctrine ; and of being an example of that
\\ht: riety, that godly and virtuous convcrfation,
v'hich, by his preaching, he wae to recommend
o others. The apoftle then confiders the ftate
and duty of fcrvants ; enjoining Titus to teach
thcin " to be obedient unto their own mafters,
" and to pleafe them well, &c. that they might
" adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in ail
" things". And thefe duties of the old and
young, male and female, bond and free, the a-
poftle fuggefb to Titus, fhould be inforced upon
them refpeftively, by motives drawn from the
the nature and dcfign of the gofpel of God's
grace."
§ See 1 Cor. ^liy. 34. and i Tim. ii ii, 12.
10 Coficenmg Thus and SER. t
grace." " For the grace of God that bringetli ** falvat'ion unto all men", [fo k might, and, I think, ought to be rendered] " hath appeared ; ** teaching us, that denying ungodlinefs, and " worldly lufts, we fhould live fobcrly, rightc- ** oufly and godly in this prefent world ; looking ** for that blelTed hope, and the appearing of the " glory of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus *' Chrift ; who gave himfelf for us, that he might " redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto ** himfelf a peculiar people, zealous of good ** works. Thefe things fpeak and exhort, and re- " buke with all authority. Let no man dcfpifc " thee." Thus ends the chapter.
And from this curfory view of the chapter, we may form a good general idea of what the apoftle intended in the beginning ofit,by " found doftrine", and the " things which become it" : viz. more efpecially the plain, obvious, and in- difputable doctrines of the gofpcl, refpcfting the redemption of mankind by the Son of God,and his appearing in glory hereafter to judge the world ; together with the practice of fobricty, rlghteoufnefsandgodlinefs ; thofcduties,thc excel- lency and the obligation of which, are in (bine meafure apparent from the light of nature, tho more clearly made manifeil:, and more forcibly taught, in the gofpel of the grace o^ God ; in the fiith of which they arc to be performed. And this account of the things which become found do^ftrine, may receive both illuilration and confir- mation from the fame apoille's firft cpiftle to Timothy, written on a fmiilar occafion with this
to
SER. I. ihe Epijile to htm. 1 1
to Titus — " The law is not made for a righte- " ous man", fays he, " but for the lawlefs and *' difobedient, for the ungodly and for finners, " for the unholy and pfophane, for murderers of " fathers, and murderers of mothers, for man- *' flayers, for whoremongers,for them that defile " themfelves with mankind, for men-ftealers, for " liars, for perjured perfons, and if there be any
" OTHER THING THAT IS CONTRARY TO
" SOUND DOCTRINE, acccording to the glori- *' ous gofpcl," '^ &c.
Here then, you have the Apoftle's idea, both of th- things which become, and which are con- trary o, found doftrine. But, alas ! how difFe- rent a conception have many perfons, concerning ^{le gofpel, its great defign, and the things which ;l^Gcome found doftrine ? Are there not multitudes iu the countries fubje<fled to the papal tyranny, who think that the things which more eipecially become fuch doctrine, arc, telling beads,going on pilgrimages, crofllng themfelves, kifling and wor- fnipping images ; and other fuch-like foolifh and abominable praftices, many of which are direftly contrary to found doflrine ? And among the proteitants, the reformed, are there not many, in v.hofe yet-depraved, and un-reformed opinion, fome of the appendages, and the circumlfantials oi religion at beft, have ufurped the higheft place and eltimation, as the things that more particu- larly become found do<^rine ; while the iniinite- ly iv ore important and indifpenfable duties of morality are dcfpifed, perhaps, as " weak and
beggarly • I Tim. i. 9; lO, ii.
1 2 Concerning Titus and SER. I.
beggarly elements"? Are there not many prote- ftants, in whofe yet-un reformed and depraved judgment, hardly any thing merits the honour- able appellation of found doftrinc, befides the fubtleties and refinements of fpeculativc men, refpefting certain abftrufe^ and, at bcft, very doubtful points ? — • Such as, One may fifely fay, very few people can even underftand, and fewer ftill were, probably, ever the better for ; tho' it is likely very many have been the worfe : If not the worfe, merely by believing them, yet by getting their minds foured about them, and em- bittered againft their chrilHan brethren, who were fo unhappy, or, perhaps more properly, (o hap- py, as not to fee with their eyes. For my own part, I cannot but think it much more fafe to form my conceptions of found do6lrine, and the things which become it, by this apoftolical account thereof, than by the writings of any uninfplrcd, felf-conccited and arrogant men whatfoever : Efpecially men, who were hardly ever eafy, but when they were either coiningTome new, unfcrip- tural definitions and diftiiicftions, in the ungoldon mint of their own brain,or imperioufly impofing this droffy, counterfeit coin upon their neigh- bours ; hereticating and perfecuting, curfmg and murdering alt, who would not receive it as true and genuine, unlefs \\\\cn fiynetlmig elfe proved a more efficacious reftraint with them, than either the fear of God, or the love of man : endea- vouring to engage heaven and earth, and, with more fuccefs, probabiy.to move hell in their quar- rel ;
SER. L the Epijile to him. 1 3
rel*; aflertlng that their fpiritual coin, for which, good men ! they defircd onl j worldly honors, and pcrifhing gold in exchange, was the true riches, and evidently bore an hcavenly,divine impreflion ; While thofe to whom they would put it off, purely for their eternal benefit, could, alas poor blinded men ! difcern upon it no image or fuper- fcription more facred and verirrable,than the mere terreftrial one of the mortal coiners ; the image of the earthly, not of the heavenly Adam. — O deteftable hypocrify and villany ! — Such in fa6l were both the fpirit and the practice of many of thofe men, who are now followed by multi- tudes of protefbnts, as the greateft luminaries, of the chriftian church fince the apoftles days, and the preachers of " found doctrine", by way of diftinftion from others, at leaft as learned, and of a far more peaceable, pious and virtuous converfation ; which is, indeed, paying thefe re- puted unfound men, but ^ very indifferent com- pliment.
But, to return to the apoftle and his epiftle, from thofe who were fo unUke him both in doctrine and manners : — ^His epiiHe having been written with a view to dire<5t Titus in his beha- viour as a miniiter of the golpel ; and particu- larly, though not primarily, rcfpccting that material branch of his duty as fuch, his doftrine, or preaching ; the particular directions relative hereto, arc douhtlefs obligatory upon the preach- ers ol- the gofpel in fuccecding ages ; as is, ac teali: generally, allowed. And, by the way, how-
e\cr
* F!c;^Lcr: (j nequeo Superos, AcheronU mofcbo. JE». vii.
14 Concermffg Titus a^id SER.I.
ever fuperior Titus may be fuppofed to have been In fome rerpe6]:s, to any or all of the miniftcrs of the gofpel at this day ; yet the directions given him by the apoftle, are given with fuch an air, in fuch a manner, as fuppofes him to have been only on a level with them in another, viz. as an uninfpired man, who was to recei\ e the doftrine which he preached, and the rules to be obfcrvcd by him, immediately from the apoftle, not from the Spirit of God, who Ipake in and by him. I think myfelf, therefore, (one of the leaft con- fiderable, indeed, of thofe who have the honor to fuftain this facred office) obliged to preach found doctrine, and the things which become it, according to this account and reprefentation there- of, in all its branches : But fhall now confine myfelf to that fmgle point, to which my text relates ; the " exhorting young men to be fober-minded".
It has been the remark of many perlbns,and, I fuppofe, not wholly without foundation, that, amongft my honoured and beloved hearers of this fociety, there is a pretty large proportion of '* young men" ; a larger proportion, perhaps, than in moftof the other afTemblies in the town. I can truly fay, I am, as it is certainly my duty to be, tenderly concerned for their intereft, re- putation and honour ; for their real good in this world, as well as their eternal happinefs in the other. And, tho' I have not been unmindful of them in times palt ; yet, methinks, it will be no more than a proper piece of rcfpcCl, and mark of my unfeigned love and regard to them,
if
SER. I. the Epijile to hwu 1 5
if I adapt and devote a number of difcourfes more particularly to their fervice, agreeably to the apos- tolic injunction in the text. This is what is pro- pofed ; and may almighty God, by his bleffrng, render thefe difcourfes as truly ufeful and falu- tary to them, as they are fmcerely defigned for that end !
After fome remarks on the principal temis in the text, the method which, by divine per- mifTion and affiftance, will be purfued, is as fol- lows. It is intended.
First, Somewhat diftinClly to explain to my young brethren, the nature of that fobriety which is ipoken of in the text ; and to reconi'- mend it in a curfory way.
Secondly, To point out, particularly, fome of the many fins, follies and criminal excelfes, which are repugnant to it ; and againit which young men efpecially, may need to be cautioned.
Thirdly, It is propofed, more largely and diftin6tly,to exhort them to this fobriety of mind, and to diffwade them from the contrary. And,
Fourthly, To fhew them the extreme fol- ly and danger of delaying to be fober-minded, till they are farther advanced in yca|;s ; the com- mon, and often fatal error of the young.
Let me make fome remarks on the princi- pal terms of the text, before I proceed to the main defign, as rcprcfcntcd above. And,
I. The
l6 The Terms of the Text SER. I.
I . Th e perfons who are to be thus exhorted, are " young men." It may not be amifs juft to obferve here,that what is tranflated young men,in two \vords,is only one in the original: the "young", or " younger", in the plural number,with a maf- culine termination to denote the fex intended ; there being nothing befides this termination, to warrant the addition of the word " men," as in our common tranflation : with which, how- ever, I would not be thought to find any fault on this account. For the original word is in general well enough rendered thus. Under this term, or thefe terms, [young men] may be comprehended all perfons of that fex, between children, and thofc whom we commonly call middle-aged perfons.
Human life, or the age of man, has been varioufly divided. One, and, I believe, a pretty undent method of dividing it, is into four pe- riods ; VIZ, childhood and youth, complete, per- fe<^ manhood, and old age. Thofe who divide it thus,rcckon the ftate of childhood,from the birth to fourteen years ; of youth, from fourteen to about twenty fi\e ; of complete, perfeft manhood, from twenty five to fifty ; and of old age, from thence-forward till death ; whether that come at the end of thrcc-fcore years and ten, or, by reafon of ftrcngth, not 'till fourfcore years ; or tho' people ihould live IHll longer " in labor and forrow.f^
According to this divifion of human life, you perceive that all betwixt fourteen and twenty five years, are to be reckoned in the clafs of
young
:|; Pfa!m xc. lO.
SER. I. particularly explained, 17
young men. And as to thcfewho either a little fail fhort of, or exceed thefe years ; they may yet well enough be comprehended in the text, under the denomination of young men. Neither the holy fcriptures, nor m.oral difcourfes in gene- ral, aim at precifion in fuch matters as thefe. It would, indeed, be no better than trifling, to in- fift, in difcourfes of this kind, upon the punftilio of a few wrecks, months, or even years.
It may be farther remarked here, that when, in common difcourfe, ^\t fpeak of young men, we often mxcan thofe that are in a (ingle ftate, or the unmarried, in contradillinfticn from the mar- ried, tho' SOME of the former are older than many of the latter. But the apoftle does not appear to fpeak of young men in this reflrained fcnfe, excluiively of the niarried ; but rather to include both ; tho' he might probably have a more particular view to the former. That he does not fpeak of the unmarried by way of dif- tindion from the married, is at leafi: probable from what he had juft before faid concerning the young women, as he calls them ; [vcr. 4.] fome of whom he, neverthclcfs, fuppofes to be married, to have hufbands, and children : '* That they may *' teach the young w^omen to — love their hufbands, *' to love their children, &c." From hence it may be naturally inferred, that the apofUcj In the next verfe but one, fpeaking of young men, did rot Intend to be underflood of the unmarried only : Efpecially if it be confidered that fome of thefe, who have never entered into that ftate of life, which he fays " is honorable in all/' inftead of C being
1 8 The Terms of the Text SER. L
being young, arc indeed old: At lead: this is the cafe among us at this day — However, as was intimated before, the apofHe may naturally be fuppofed to have had the unmarried more efpe- cially in his eye ; as being, perhaps, at once the greater number, and (landing in fome peculiar need of fuch an exhortation to fobriety
It is accordingly defigned to accommodate my difcourfcs upon this fubjedt, more particularly to thofe whom we commonly mean by young men, or the unmarried. But this, it is hoped, will not prevent others, the married, and even the aged of both fcxes, from reaping fome benefit from them. For, as fobriety, virtue, or true re- ligion, is one uniform thing, in which all perfons, of whatever age, fex, or condition, are concerned ; fo whatever is faid upon this univerfally-intcrefl:- ing fubje<fl, if faid with tolerable propriety, m.ay be in fome meafure for the edification of all in general, tho' it be moft particularly adapted and dire<5led to " young men." But,
2. It will be proper to give you here, a brief explanation of the term " fober-minded" ; and, hereby, fome general idea what that is, to which the apoftle would have young men exhorted.
Tn E original word and its derivatives are ufed, fometimes in a more narrow or retrained, and fomctimes in a more extenfive, coniprehenfive fenfe. When ufed in the former, they may fignify, and are tranflated, grave, chaile, tem- perate ; in oppofition to lightnefs, leudncfs, and an immoderate indulgence of ihe fenfual appetites. They are ufed in fuch a reftrained fenfe, even in
fevei aj.
SER. I. part'icularly explained, ic^
fevcral places of this fame chapter ; of which It is iinnecelTary to give particular inlknces. And in the like refrraincd fcnfe the Englifh word " fober," is often ufed.
But the original may well bear a much more comprehenfive meaning. It may fignify, to be of a " found mind" in general ; to have an en- lightened, a well-informed and healthy mind ; a mind rightly difpofed ; apropertempcr, a duly re- gulated will and affedions, accompanied by a cor- refponding external behaviour: in oppolition to an erroneous, ignorant mind; a blind and de- praved, a carnal or flefhly mind ; a mind fet upon folly and vanity ; a diforderly, unruly will and affe^lions ; and thofe evil practices, which are the natural fruit and confequence of having a mind thus darkned and corrupted. The original word will very eafily and naturally bear fuch an ex- tenfive fignificaticn as this, f And there is the more realbn for undcrftanding it thus in the text, becaufe the apoftlc, directing Titus as to his mi- nilterial application to young men, fums all up in this fmgle word, that he fhould exhort them to be" fober-minded :" Whereas he branches out into feveral particulars, in what he fays with refe- rence to aged men, aged women, and young women, in the preceeding context ; and to fer- vants, in the verfcs following. From hence it appears pretty evident, that this fmgle word was defigned to comprehend a great deal in it ; in fliort, every thing, in cftefl, to which young C 2 men
f SopHRONEiN, fobrlus e/Te, fapere, vel fana mente efle prae- ditus. SoPHRONisMos, fanitas anirni, fapientia. Vid, ■ 2 Tim .1. 7.—" a found mind."
7.0 The Terms of the Text SER. I.
men need to be exhorted. I therefore under- ftand It much in the fame latitude and extent, that Solomon commonly ufes the word wifdom, in his writings, viz. as comprehending true reli- gion in general, both in principle and practice ; allowing only for the difrcrcncc of times and cir- cumftances, or of the difnenfitions which Solo- mon and we are under: — He under the Mofaic, and we, the Chriftian.
3. The next thing, and all that is farther ne- celTary to be confidercd, for the explanation of the text, is the manner of addrefs which the apoftle enjoins Titus to ufe, exprelTed by the word " exhortation." — Young men likewife " exhort," Sec. And, what this implies and fuppofes in it, may appear from the following obfervations.
(i.) Exhortation differs widely, in the -nature and idea of it, from conwiandhig^ impe- rioufly injoining a thing upon another, or au- thoritatively requiring it, as a mafter may com- mand, injoin, or require any thing of, his fervants. The minillers of the gcfpel have no fuch autho- rity as this over old or young. Even theinfpired apojftles claimed no fuch power ; declaring that they had no dominion over the faith of others : And they particularly admonifh other miniflers, not to behave thcmfelves as *' lords over God's heritage."
(2.) Ministerial exhortation differs, on the other hand, from merely requejilng fome- thing of another, or rxprcfling a (imple defire of it. One perfon may, in numberlcfs inftanccs, ex- prcfs a dcfire that another would do this or that,
and
SER. L particularly explained. 2 1
and yet not exhort him to It. For example, if a poor man fhouki make known his wants to his neighbour, and afk an ahiis of him, no one would call this " exhorting" him to be charitable, or merciful.
( 3 . ) Christian and minifterial cxhortatloi> implies in it, reafoning, urging, and endeavouring to perfwade, by theufe of fuch arguments as are adapted to touch the confcience, to move the will, and to excite people to the performance of w^hat is confidercd as their duty, or that which they ought to do; preflingituponthem with earneftnefsj and a proper pathos, as being of great importance* So that the manner of addrefs expreffed by the word exhortation, is a medium betwixt command- ing and fimply defiring a thing ; the former of which fuppofeth fuch an authority as no minl- fter of the gofpcl has, and the latter of which implies nothing more than what a child might do as well as an apoitle.
(4.) The ufe of exhortation, as now explain- ed, iuppofes men, even the young, to be reafon- able creatures ; capable of underftanding what is faid to them ; of feeing the force, and feeling the weight, of rational arguments ; and fo, of being influenced by them. No man, in the due exercife of his own reafon, employs it in giving exhortations to irrational creatures ; to fuch as are, in their own nature, incapable of being wrought upon, or moved by fuch means ; on a ftock or a ftone, on the horfe or mule, which have no underflandlng. The end of exhortation is to move, to incline the will, by offering pro- C 3 per
22 The Terms of the Text SER . I.
per, intelligible motives and arguments to the underftanding, or confcience ; as was faid before.
(5".) Exhorting young men or others, to be fober-minded, fuppofes that they need it, by reafon of fome natural or adventitious averfion, or dllinclination thereto : At Icalt it fuppofes, that they need further information ; and to have mo- tives, or arguments fet before them m a ftronger light; fo as to touch their hearts, and give a pro- per turn to their will and affections. For there would be no room, at leaft no occafion, for ex- hortation, if their minds were fuppofcd to be already properly informed, and their wills, hearts, and affections under due regulation; fuch as they ought to be under.
(6.) Such exhortation does not, however, fuppofe that the great end or dcfign of it is to be anfwered, merely by its own power, force, or energy, independently of the blefling and grace of God concurring. What it really fjppofes, as ■was faid before, is, a reafonable creature, or a pro- per fubjeCt, a free, moral agent, one naturally ca- pable of undedhmding, and being influenced by rational motives ; and, at the fime time, one that needs inftruClion and excitement, in rcfped of fome natural or adventitious darkncfs of mind, or irregularity of the will and affections. But, whether the bell-adapted exhortations that man can give, fhall be effectual in the event, to anfwer the propofed end, depends upon God. For it is not without his gracious influence, that thefe ar- guments will actually fo touch the heart, as to produce their dcfigncd effect t; however rational or
fcriptural
SER. I. particularly explained. 2 j
fcrlptural they may be. There Is really no true fobriety, no good fruit, no increafe, no fpiritual harveft, befides that which God giveth, even tho* a Paul planteth, and an Apollos watereth : As, indeed, there is not any fruit, any harveft pro- duced even In the natural world, without his fecret energy and blefling, however diligent or fkiiful the hufbandman may be.
(7.) Christian and minifterlal exhortation implies in it, a kind, friendly and courteous manner of addrefs, in opposition to a rough, haughty and imperious one. The apoftlc well knew, that it was by gentle and paternal treatment, rather than by harilmefs,^ rigor and fc verity, that young men are, by the blelling of God, to be made fobcr-minded, virtuous and good. He therefore direds Titus to " exhort" them to be fo. The fame apoftlc in his firft cpiftlc to Timothy, written with the like gene- ral defign with this to Titus, particularly enjoins upon him a rcfpcftful, courteous and obliging manner of treating all, both the old and young of both fexes. " Rebuke not an elder," fays he, (by an elder, here, doubtlefs meaning an old man only, not a paftor or biftiop) '' but entreat " him as a father ; and the younger men as *' BRETHREN; the elder women as mothers, " the younger as fiftcrs, with all purity." And in his fecond epiftle to the fame perfon, he gives him the following caution agalnft a rough and ar- rogant behavior in his minifterlal capacity. " The *' fervant of the Lord muft not ftrive," fays he, ** but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, pa- C 4 " tient,
24 The Terms of the Text SER. I.
" dent, in mccknefs inftru^ling thofc that oppofe *' themft'lvcs ; if God peradvcnture will give them " repentance to the acknowledging the truth." The fame great apofUe appeals to the ThefTalo- nians as witnelfes of the kind and paternal man- ner, in which he ccndu^lcd hinifelf towards them, wdien he preached the gofpel among them : " Ye *' know," fays he, " how we exhorted^ and com- *'' forttd, and charged every one one of you, as
" A FATHER DOTH HIS CHILDREN, that yc
" would walk worthy of God, who hath called " you unto his kingdom and glory. ":j:
These paiTages may help to informs us, what fort or manner of addrcfs the apoitle intended, by the word " exhortation ;" — how great a re- gard he had for decorum, meckncfs and decency, in the mioilters of the gofpel; and how tenderly, kindly and courteoufly he would have even " young men" treated by them. If thefe rules have not been duly obferved by all miniftcrs fincc ; if ill-natur'd reproacjies, revilings, angry inve^ives. and harxli, imperious menaces, have been fometimes heard, inllead of the kind voice of exhortation and gentle perfwaiion, in the fpirit of meeknefs and charity ; it is not becaufe the niiniftcrs of the gofpel are not fufficiently warn- ed againltfuch a proltitution of tlicirfacred office and chara(!:l:er, in the holy fcriptures. Befides : religion is a reafonable fervice. It requires in the very nature of it, an enlightened mind, a con- vinced judgment, the confent, approbation and love of the heart; as being in itfclf mofl amiable,
the
•■4
X I Epif. Chap.II.x
SER. L particularly explained, i^
the foundation of all true happlnefs here and hereafter. And, furely, this convi<5tion of its excellency, this complacency in, and love to it, are not to be produced, either in the old or young, by reproaches, invectives, or an imperious addrcfs, in the teachers of religion. In this ref- pe^l, very particularly, the apoflolic maxim will ever hold true; that '* the wrath of man worketh " not the righteoufnefs of God." And thefe rules of charity and decorum, my beloved young brethren, fhall ftand as a perpetual reproach to my felf, if I deviate from them, by railing at, re- viling, or lording it over you, inilead of " ex- horting you to be fober-minded." But,
(8.) It would be a wrong inference from what has been faid refpecting this point, that thefe minifterial exhortations may therefore be inno- cently difregarded : Or, that thofe to whom they are given, are at liberty either to receive or rejed: them, without any danger of incurring the difplea- fure of God. Exhortations that are founded in truth and reafon, and are according to the word and will of God, by whomfocver given, cannot be defpifed, or fet at nought, without guilt and peril. The miniflers of the gofpel are indifpenfably o- bliged to take heed, what they deliver as his word and will ; what they exhort you to ; not " teach- ing for doftrines the commandments of men." And if they do the latter, either knowingly and wilfully, or thro' a criminal negle<5l to inform themfelves what they ought to preach, great is their guilt, and great the condemnation which belongs to them. Neither, on this fuppofition,
are
26 The Terms of the Text SER. I.
are you obliged to believe them, or to regard their exhortations ; nay, yon are bound in reafon, duty and confeience to reject them. But, on the o- ther hand, if they deliver to you real and impor- tant truth ; if they exhort you to what is accord- ing to the word and will of God ; certainly fuch- exhortations as thefe arc, in their own nature, binding. I mean, they are obligatory upon your confciences : You cannot difregard them, with- out a6ling contrary to reafon, without fmning a- gainft God, and expofing yourfjlves, hereby, to his righteous difpleafure. What tho' the mini- fters of the gofpel are not your mafters, or lords ? What tho' they have no authority to command you how you fhall conduct yourfelvcs ^. What tho' they have no right to call you to an account, for contemning and difregarding their exhorta- tions? or to harm you in any refpe<51: whatfoever, as certainly they have not. Yet are you not ac- countable to God? Are you not accountable to yourfelves ? Are you at liberty to a(^t unreafona- bly ? Have you a right to rcje6l the truth? the commandments of God ? Are you without law to him ? Have you, in jfhort, a right to rejert any exhortations that are given you a- greeable to his word and will, by thofe who, in his providence, fuftain the chara(fler and relation of teachers and inftruftors to you ? or even by any other perfon ? You cannot think you have any fuch right as this, to do wrong ; or that you may *' ufe liberty for a cloak of malicioufnefs." In many cafes, counfels and exhortations are refufcable; or they may berejedted without guilt
or
SER. I. particularly explained, 27
or danger. But this Is only when they are in their nature bad, or indifferent, doubtful, or merely prudential. No exhortations of this nature, are binding upon the confcience ; but the perfons to whom they are given, are at liberty to rejeft them, If they chufe to do fo ; yea, they are in reafon and confcience bound to do it, as to thofe coun- fels that are pofitively bad ; as was obferved be- fore. But when you are exhorted to be fober- minded ; when you are counfclled to receive and embrace the truth, fufficiently proved to be fuch ; when you are perfwaded to do what is in its na- ture fit and reafonable to be done ; when you are admonifhed to fear God, and keep his com- mandments ; in a word, when you are exhortecf to do your duty, and what God himfelf requires of you ; certainly thefe are counfcls and exhor- tations of fuch a kind, that they cannot be difre- garded without great guilt and danger. They do not come under the head of indifferent, doubtful, or merely prudential counfels ; much lefs, under that of bad ones : But they are fuch as ought to have all the weight and influence of commands ; even the commands of God himfelf. Such, in- deed, they are, in one fenfe : For God authori- tatively requires of you, whatfoever you are ex- horted to, conformably to reafon, his word and will, whoever the cxhorters themfelves maybe; and altho' they have no dominion over you, nor any right to exa6l an account of your behaviour, except in the way of fober remonftrance, ex- po{Kilation, and friendly reproof, if there fhould be occafionfor it.
If
^8 The Terms of the Text SER. 1
If the young men of Crete had not " fiiffcred the word of exhortation" from Titus, but fcorn- cd and rejedicd it ; would they not have been jnftly blameable ? Without doubt. If you ihould do the hke, what would be the confequence ? You need not be told ? The obligation to regard and follow exhortations, depends much lefs upon the character, office, or qualifications of him that gives them, than it does upon the nature of the exhortations themfelves. Tho', as to the former, there is no evidence, nor even probability, that Titus was an infpired preacher. He received his doctrine and directions from the apoille. If o- thcrs therefore, tho' the meanefl: of Chrilfs mi- nifters, follow the do6trinc and directions of the fame apolUe, of all the apollles, and even of Chrill himfelf ; will not their exhortations be as bind- ing upon you, as thofe of Titus were upon the Cretian youth r — " Judge even of yourfeives " what is right."
(9.) Altho' the term exhortation implies in It a friendly and courteous manner of addrcfs ; yet, certainly, it is not defigned in oppofition to reproving and rebuking thofe that do evil, when there is juft occafion for it. For, in the fame chapter, the apolHe enjoins Titus to do thus : " Thefe things fpeak and exhort, and rehuke with " all authority; let no man defpife thee." Where you will obferve, that exhorting and rebuking are joined together ; fo that the former could not be intended in the text, in oppofition to the latter. And in the precceding chapter, fpeaking of the grofs immoralities of the Cretians,as even one of their own poets had chara(n:erized them,
he
SEPv. I. particularly explained. 29
he immediately fubjoins, " This witnefs is true ; wherefore rebuke them Jfjarply, 8cc." f In his epifile to Timothy, he aHb fays, " Them that fin, *' rebuke before all, that others alfo may fear."§ Or, as it might, and, I fuppofe, ought to be tranilatcd: *' Them that fin before all, rebuke,'* &c. For, furely,they were not to be rebuked be- fore all, or in a public, folemn manner, unlefs they had finned before all, or their crimes were notori- ous and public ; as the common reading implies. But it is farther to be obferved here, that e- ven reproof and rebuke, which are needful in fome cafes, and which may feem to imply fome- what of rigor and feverity in their nature ; may yet be adminiftred in a truly friendly and paternal manner. And they doubtlefs ought to be given in fuch a way, if polhble, as to convince thofe to whom they are given, that they are kindly in- tended for their amendment, and real good ; fincc, otherwife, there is little or no benefit to be hoped from them. Yea, they are more likely to have a bad, than a good eiFe<fl-, if they are feen to proceed from pride, refentment and anger, or are attended with infulting and reviling expreffions. And, that the apoftle did not dcfign fuch rebukes as thefe, but quite contrary ones, in the fpirit of charity and meeknefs, is fufficiently evident from his own words, in his fecond epilHe to Timothy ; where he joins reproving, rebuking and exhort* ing, together ; faying, " Reprove, rebuke, exhort " ivith all long-fiiffering and doBrine ;" and this, even v/here he is fpeaking profefledly of thofe, who " Vt'ould not endure found do<^rine." \
(10.) And
t Cliap. I. 12, 13. § I Tim. V. 20. % Chap. IV, 2, 3.
30 The Terms of the Text SER. I.
(lo.) And laftly, It cannot rcafonably be thought Inconfiftcnt with the kindntfs, mecknefs and gcntlencfs of the gofpcl, or of- that manner of addrefs which is impHcd in the word exhorta- tion, to lay open the folly and danger of vice, or of difregarding the word and commandments of God, in the plaineft, fullcft and mofi: forccable manner podible : To fhew to all people, whether old or young, the guilt and mifery of a ftate of alienation from God, and of enmity to him in their minds by wicked works ; together with the imminent hazzard which wicked men are in, of perifhing in their fins ; and " warning them to flee from the wrath to come." It is not here meant, that this may be done by prejudging, or pointing out particular perfons, as the heirs of wrath and perdition ; which were indeed an a- bominable piece of arrogance and prefumption ; but, by fhewing in a clear and forccable manner, that the paths of vice and folly, by whomfoever trodden, are the paths that lead to deftruftion.
There are fome perfons, who profefs to have a relifh for difcourfcs upon the excellency and rewards of moral virtue, with exhortations to the practice of it ; and yet do not well like to have the evil and danger of fin infiftcd on ; or the ter- rors of the Lord fet before them. T his is what fome people confidcr as favouring of harfhncfs, fourncfs and feverity ; hardly confident with the meeknefs and charity which become theminifters of the gofpel- Nor, indeed, will 1 deny, that thefc topics may be treated upon, not only in a man- ner that is very juilly difguftful, but too fre- quently ;
SER. L particularly explained, j i
qucntly ; or to the ncgle<n: of others which are equall)^ proper and ufeFul ; and are, at the fame time, more pleafing ; yea, probably, better adapted to produce a good effeft upon the minds of many perfons. And, to lay the leaft, I do not envy thofe men their particular temper, and caft of mind, who feem to be hardly ever fb much in their element, as when they are thunder- ing *' hell and damnation" in the cars of people, with all the mofl: frightful images and expref- fions, which they can colle<5l together.
But flill, thefe Icfs agreeable topics of per- fwafion, are in themfelves very proper and necef- fary: And the infifHng on them at times, in a fcriptural way, ought not to be imputed to four- nefs, gloominefs or morofenefs of temper ; or to any want ofcharity and good-will. Is the phyiician thought to be wanting in kindnefs, good-will or refped to his patient, for letting him know, in fomecafes^ the nature and danger of his difeafe? Efpecially if, at the fame time, he informs him of the remedy ; exhorts him to ufe it, and to take all poifiblc care and pains, that he may re- cover his health, and live happily. The difeafe would be the fame in itfelf, tho' the patient were not thus informed concerning it ; and the real danger, very often the greater, for a reafon too obvious to need mentioning. Is the pilot who, at a diftance, obferves a veflel in a ftorm, juft run- ning upon rocks or quickfands, and likely to be foundered in a few minutes, thought to want good- will to the p* ople on board, becaufe he gives them, the fignai of their danger, and direds
them
32 The Terms of the Text SER. I.
them to a fccure harbour ! Is the watchman that cries " Fire" aloud in the night, thro' the ftreets of a city, to awake the fleeping inhabitants, left they fhould be confumcd in their beds; caUing upon them to arife, and extinguifn the fiamcs, fiippofed for that reafon, to want benevolence to them, and a proper concern for their welfare ! No one is fo abfurd as to reafon after this rate. In thefe cafes, neither the phyfician, the pilot, nor the watchman makes the danger ; but only difcovers it, and exhorts thofe whom it concerns, to efcape it : Which, furely, are acts of kindnefs and charity ; and fuch as each of them was un- der obligation to perform. To have done otherwafe, would have been at once a neglect of duty, and great cruelty.
Wii Y then fhould it be thought unkind, or ungenerous,in thefpiritual phyfician underChrilt the Chief, to fhew to youth, or others, their fpi ritual difeafes ? their danger of eternal death ? Efpecially if, at the fame time, he fhews the remedy, the means of obtaining eternal life, and exhorts to the ufe thereof. Why fhould it be thought an unkindnefs for the fpiritual pilot, to warn thofe of their danger, whom he fees carried down the gulph of error and vice with a rapid courfe ; and ready to be fwallowed up in the abyfs of deftru6lion and mifery I Efpecially if, at the fame time, he points them to the great Ark, and to a fecure haven; where neither winds, nor waves, nor florms can hurt them. Why fhould it be accounted a cruel thing in the spiritual watchman, to awaken thofe- that arc
allecp
SER. I. particularly explained, 3 j
afleep in their fins, and every moment in danger of being confumed in the fire of God's indig- nation I — to " cry aloud," and even to " lift " up his voice like a trumpet"; exhorting them, if I may fo exprefs it, to extinguifh thofe terri- ble flames with the tears of repentance, while there is opportunity for it I Is not this the trueft charity I As was faid in the other cafes, he does not make, but only give zuarmng of the danger, that it may be efcaped. And has not God enjoin- ed this upon all who are, by office, the preachers of righteoufnefs ? He fays to each of them, in cfFe<^, as he did to the prophet of old : " Son " of man, I have made thee a watchman to the *' houfe of Ifrael : Therefore hear the word at " MY MOUTH ; and give them warning from " ME. When I fay uhto the wicked. Thou " fhalt furely die ; and thou giveft him not " warning, nor fpeakeft to warn the wicked from *' his wicked w^ay to fave his life ; the fame *' wicked man fhall die in his iniquity ; but his " blood will I require at thy hand. Yet *' if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not *' from his wickednefs, nor from his wicked " way, he fhall die in his iniquity ; but thou ** haft delivered thy Soul." t
It fhould alfo be remembered, that exhorting young men, or others, to be fober-mindcd, muftv by natural and juft implication intend, ufing all arguments and motives that arc pro- per to that end. And therefore, fjch as the lall:- mcntioned, mufl not, cannot be omitted ; iho' D there
t Ezek. Cb. III.
34: Tk^erms. ofth ^ti^^^c. 9Eft.J2
fh^r^-ai"^ niany others to be iniiftcci on, with the fame general view, Indt^ed^ a miniJkr of the gofpci fhcws-ho 'kfs bcncrdlcriee and.ten^cm<:fs t6' Ws heii'erS, by adra on rilling thcfn^ <i>f'fhfc' danger 6f infidtlity and impcnltoncc, 'provided iti h'dot^c in a I'atipnal and fcripfural vay ; thai^ fey cxhoking them to be fober-mindcd, wife and' virtu'otis, from a* ccnddefarioH of the prtftne pcaX:^,' ahd ftiture rewards 'o!f religion : 8nch con/lderaticns as thofc v/hlch now clofe thisJ difG'ourfe,adiVt{Ied by iSoloinon to his own Son ; and found amo-iia thofe e>:ccllent proverbs, thd" defign of whkh Wiis, " to" g4ve fub'tlety to tha " -fimplcy t-a -tfec' )Mw^' j//<i7t kiiowlcdge sikd un- ** derihindii'ig".-^ " My fon — Happ)- is the man *■ that hndeth wifdom, and the man that gettetn " iJixierftanding. For the mcrchandife of it is "; better than the mercharidifc of filver, and the "gain thereof ■ than fihe gold; She h mOrc " pr^x^iotis than rubics': and all the things thoii '' can ft defu'*!^, a^e not to be compared unto her.' *>■ r.ength of' dajT^ •■ is> i4a 'h-crjighd htti>d : and iii *' hci^lt;^r hf>nimhos; and' hoi^iOlir-. Hcj^ Wiiys li s'rfc.'Wayii of f»Lafintlief?ii^nd all licr paths are "^pea^e. Sljc is a tre^ of life th them that lay '' hold upon her'; i^.id hnppy is every one that
a
retamcth lili.
SiiRMON,
11.521s;
.^^,, .
Sermon IL
Of Sobriety in general, in Principle and Practice. More parucularly, That it
•' implies (i) A Belief of . God's Being, Perfections and Providence. (2) Of the ChriiUan Revelation. And (3) Sober Thoughts of One's felf. Short Refle61ions on each.
TJTUS II. 6.
Young Men likeivi/i exhort to he foher- minded.
Y Lclovcd young brethren of diis Society, having a defign to adapt a. number of tlilcoujTcs particularly to your fervicc, as a ir.ark of the reipccc and good- will which I bear 10 you, as well as from a regard to my duty more immediately to God, whofe I am, and whom I ferve with my fpirit, tho' in weaknefs : I thought L m/ight \cry properly make thefe words of the apolHc Y\i\X to Titus, the fubjccl of my intended difcourles. D 2" I^f
36 Of Sobriety in generaU SER. 11.
In the morning I made fomc remarks on Titus and the Epillle to him ; on the terms " young men", and " fober-mindcd"; and then conlidcred, more particularly, what that manner of addrefs implies in it, which is cxprcffcd in the text by the word *' cxhcrtation". Thcfe fcvcral obfervations were dcfigned only as Intro- ductory to my main defign ; which was exhibi- ted in the preceeding difcourfc, under four gene- ral heads. The firft of thcfe, to which I fhall now proceed vi^hout farther preface, was,
FIRST, By divine affiliance, fomewhat dif- tln6liy to explain to you the nature of that fo- briety, which is fpoken of in the text ; and to recommend it to you In a curfory v^ay.
But, let me here juft remind you of fom.c- thing obferved in the preceeding difcourfc ; that the original Greek word, tho' perhaps moil com- monly ufed in a rcftrained fenfc, to fignify being grave, chailc, temperate or moderate, yet eafily and naturally admits a very extenfive meaning. It may comprehend all that Is commonly inten- ded in the writings of Solomon, by " wifdom" ; i. c. true religion in general, both in principle and praiflice. And there is, if I milbke not, a particular pofltivc reafon for underflanding it in fuch a latitude In the text. In this comprehen- fivc fjnfe, it will accordingly be confidered in the en filing difcourfes.
For the farther llluih-ation hereof, it may be obferved that this exprcfilon, " fober-nilndcd," naturally fLiggeils to us, that true fohrlet^s or a'.l true wifdom, begins, and has its f at in the
mind,
SER. II, in Tnncipk and TraBice, 37
mind, foul or fpirit ; the intellectual, immortal, and mod excellent part of our compound nature : That it confilh in the foul's, or mind's being rightly informed, difpofed, and under due regula- tion. If the mind be not duly enlightened, rightly afFc^fljd, and under a proper influence, no pcrfon, whether old or young, can be truly wife, virtuous or fobcr. Not the body, but the mind itfelf,is moft properly the rcfidcnce, oricat, of true wifdom and fobriety ; of all morally good qualities. However inoffcniive, blamelefs or regular a perfon's external behaviour in life may be ; yet if you fuppofe him at the fame time to have a mind deftitutc of knowledge, uninfor- med with truth, void of fincerity and good prin- ciple ; or, in one word, if you fuppofe him def- titute of a " (bbcr mind," in the il:ri(5l, literal fcnfe of thefe words, you certainly fuppofe him to be neither wife n6r good, in a moral fcnfe. You fuppofe, indeed,fome appearance of wifdom, of fobriety, or of virtue ; but it is oaly the ap: pearance, not the reality ; the (hadow without the fabftance. Or, if I may be indulged the ex- prciTion, you fuppofe a fair, magnificent temple, but no Deity, no God within. Nay, fiirther : If you fuppofe the foul, or mind of man, un- a lorncd wirh knowledge, virtue, and good prin- ciple ; do you not, of confcquence, fuoporj it to L-e deformed and debafcd by error, ignorance, vice, or pofiiivcly bad principles ? Doubtlcfs you do. The mind of an infant has, indeed, been confklercd by fome, as a churte blmcbc, orclcan paper, fit to receive any infjriptlon, impreirion or D 3 charavftcr ;
2 8 Of Sobriety in general, SER. 11.
charafter ; and tho' not endowed with any knowledge or virtue,ftill not pofitively erroneous, vitiated, or morally corrupted : With the truth and judnefs of which fuppofition, I am not now concerned. But you cannot even fuppofe a perfon that is come to years, fo as to be a moral agent, jri fuch a middle ftate as this, betvvixt knowledge and error, good and evil difpofitions. If fuch a perfon, tho' but a young m.an, is defHtutc of wifdom, virtue, and a right turn of mind, he is certainly and pofitively erroneous, foolifh, vici- ous, or wrongly difpofed. ^ Whatever may be imagined rcfpccHng the foul of -n infant ; yet the foul of fuch a moral agent, cannot be con- ceived dcditute of all thought and fentinient, of 'all opinion and principles ; and if it is not under the influence of fuch as are true and right, vir- tuous and good; it mud of courfc be dciilcd, corrupted and depraved by fuch as are erroneous and vicious ; as wasfiid before. So that tho' I juft now compared a perfon, who is apparently fober or virtuous, but without fincerity, without good principle, to a beautiful temple in which no Deity refides ; it now feems that fuch a one may, with fir more propriety, be likened to a " whited *' fepulchre, wliich indeed appears beautiful out- '' ward, but is within full of dead mens bones, " and of all uncleanncfs". i
Now, if the very " mind and confcicnce arc thus defiled", thi'.s under the influence of error, of wrong difpofitions and alfetftions ; furely vou fannot think Rich a perfon " fobcr-mined",
whatever I Mar. 7^- 37.
SER. II. //; "PrifKipk cifidTra&ke. .3.9
:wlicrt£Ycf ihis cxicH>iii ap^eariiilc^-^i^y ;bv. ^ Let
.mis jir/lt a44 hcrf, that tho', iu ijft,afiy charafters,
. j^h^<? iS: iiteh a iliratjgc i,Tiixt«Fei,af wiidom and
. fdlly,j v'lrftie ai)d vice, - rmcerlty .and liypocnfy,
■that itiJs <iicxt.i'p ira pofi ible for, any Hiortal to
■■.4Qt:erii)'me, wlictiier tl>e %ood or the bad rjU^lf-
' tjfs predominate, fo as to Gqrifvit'jtc the general
rcharacte ; yet doiihiiofs, cither the foniicrqr
. the latter ^(^tially do fo in cyery man. ^I^oj: ot.|ier-
rwifc, there would l>c a 1)1 oral agcpt Avithout aay
moral c]iara(!lcr ! — ninlcfs this eap be juftly -^c-
. counted one — Xhat he is. neither yify nor
foolifh, virtuous ;i1or yicious, .good rnojr bad ^.I^V^t
fQmcthing, no one can tell \That,.t^etw^crv bjoth :
Which, to be iur^, yi'iilnot be ^afilyai;iiittcde-><c;i
as a fuppoieable cafe or fa 61, by ^t\\cSc that ha-y.:
given their attention to the iniportant tubjcd- cf
rnc>i*ils ; an d, j:e!i|^t?n . js^^j-H .7 - '
•„., l^ijJ;T:thp- itj^'-fiiggefled ^y .di© y^sry cxpiXiH-
• PAiitXithe text,- thai tjie mind iffc-lF js the ieiU of* -\irtuie> wtuioni ,9;r iibbriety, as v/as fa-id bpforc ; ^ yet you are not to ii?iagiae -that ^yhen you are
exhorted to be ibSer-minded,, -tijis cxhorttttion
■ r.crperis yov\x min^js, or inner jnan only ; or,t'nat
■ it has no rek'r&iv^e to your (Mmward bcha\-iour. 'i'licre i< an externa Wobriety at the manners, as Avcil as ail intcrn<il oHei/©x^ im mind ; tho' the latter is, indecil, die iirft to be confidered ajid re-
■ gardcd. . But t]ie Jidnd being fct right, or duly inrornjed and diipefcd; your outward aftionr and codveriatipn'areiiUpto be under a proper regu- ladon ; iiiej-h as ;;/^of4^; fj^onvis, to a lbbt>:r a^^i^id.
• Yea; iarcher, il-\^\dr^-j,ir4nd*-^ arc ci)d(i>:^4:i >yiih
D 4- true
4© Of Sobriety in general^ SER. IL
true Vifdom or fobriety, your outward conduft will, without doubt, be fober and regular alfo. Thefe things cannot well be feparated even in i- magination. The former of them infers the lat- ter ; though the latter of them does not, at leaft not fo necefTarily, infer the former. For we may much more^afily conceive of a pcrfon's having the external appearance of virtue and fobriety in his behaviour, without the reality of it in his mind, than we can, on the other hand, conceive of his being really wife, or fobcr-minded, and yet com- monly a<fting foolifhly and vicioufly. The for* mer is not an impofTibility ; but the latter is fo, even in nature. There being, therefore, fuch a clofe and manifeft conne<n:ion betwixt fobriety of mind, and of converfation, both which are nc- ceflary to conftitute a truly good chara<^er ; the exhortation which we are confidcring, muft be fuppofed to refpciH: and comprehend both ; the former of them, indeed, primarily, and mod di- rectly, and the latter of them indireftly, or con- fequentially ; but yet no lefs truly and certainly tlian it does the other, the fobriety of the mind. It lliould be further obfcrved, that there are not, properly fpeaking, two or more different I<inds of true fobriety, wifdom or religion ; one for the old, another for the middle-aged, and a third for the young ; or one for male, and ano- ther for female : But there is one kind of reli- gion, wifdom or fobriety for all ; «ven as there is but one God, one Lord, one faith, one hope of our calling ; one general rule, or manner of converfation,, pre(<:ribed fpr aM. There are, in- deed,
SER. 11. in Trincipk and Tra&lce. 4 1
deed, fo^e peculiar obligations and duties re- fulting from our refpeftive relations and circum- (knccs in life. There are certain things incum- bent upon the aged, which are not fo, upon the young J at leaft not in the fame degree : As, on the other hand, there are fome, to which youth are more efpecially obliged ; and fome foHies,iri- difcretions and vices, which they need more par- ticularly to be warned againft. But thcfe ar^ no more than circumftantial differences. True fb- briety, wifdom or religion, is ftill elfentially one and the fame thing, not only in old and young, but in male and female, bond and free ; the par- ticular duties which are proper and peculiar to thcfe ftates or conditions refpe<5lively, making no cifential difference. As a man in health may in reafon be bound to do fome things which a fick one is not, and vice verja ; or as a man in civil ofHce and authority may i>e bound to do ^me things which a man in a private capacity is not obliged to do, yea, cannot do lawfully Or in- nocently ; and yet a truly wife and fober man is of the fame religion both in health and fickncfs, and whether he fuflains a public, or only a private chara<5ter : So the old and the young, male and female, the great and fmall, all perfons in gene- i-al, are under obligation to be of the fame reli- gion, effentially conlidcrcd, notwithdanding fome differences in their refpe^tive duties, arifing out of their particular relations and circumflances in life. And the fame fpirit of truth, of virtue and wifdom, actually refides, operates in, and a<5tuatcs them all, if they are truly fobcr-minded.
Now,
4 2 Of Sobriety in geti^Jsak .SERi. iH.
Now, tha,-t fobriety of ra'uid to, which >'bung .jncn.arc to l:>e exhorted, i§ vinqi-i.clHona.bly a ir//- ^W fobricty^jif^ytjcied in .a.dLiq regard to d- iffliglity God ; confofm<lblc to the dilates of right rcafon, and iu'ch as all-p/vTrops iii general, of whatever age or condition, are under obliga- tion to ; -and including, olnoreQvcr, whatever par- ticular duties are, either cj^ejufively, or more ef- pecially, incumbent upon the young. It cannot, furely, be fuppofed that the apoftle, in the text, ■ in^nded any thing -fhort of a truly religious, pi- ous, or godly iobriety of mind ; as was juli: no\v intimated. And there is the more realon for particularly obferving this to you ; becai'f: tl^Tc is fomething that often paffcs in the world under the name of fobriety, which, tho' really implied and comprehended therein, and therefore good and commendable in its place, does yet by no means come up to the full and proper idea hereof ; but is effentially defeftive, being without any piety at bottom.
This matter deferves to be more particularly
ftated and explained. We fometinxcs fptak of io-
'bricty particularly in oppcfition to intemperance
in eating and drinking ; and when wc mention
any one as a fober man, we mean, perhaps, no
more than that he is free from thcfc grofs and
ihameful vices.- Sometime^ by a fobcr man, we
-^pean only one that is not addic^tcd to leuJ,
(iafcivious prsieliecs. Jiomctitiies by a fobcr man,
we mean no n^ore dian one who 'is externally
; grave and fohd, in contradi(Hni!:'tion fronia l/ght,
airy and- iantalfic one. Somc'dincs v. c ufc the
fame
SER. II. hiTrincipk andTraBke. 45
fame word in a little larger fenfe ; jneaning per- haps, by a fober man, one that is o^ a grave and ferious deportment in general ; irce from all the grofs vices of intemperance, and debauchery, of ricking and lafcivioufnefs ; and one tiiar fteadily minds his proper worldly buhnefs, being, in that refpeft, a good member of fociety. Now, altho' thefe things are all really commendable in thei^* places, and, without doubt, included in that fo- briety of mind which is intended in the text,; yet they are an extremely imperfect and defici cnt notion of it. This appears, indeed, in fonu-; meafure, from what has been already faid, ref- pc(5ling the ncceflity of internal fobricty ; which is not neccffarily implied m fuch an externally grave and fober converfation. But what I fiiU more particularly intend here, is, that this idea of fobriety is very defeclive and imperfeft, inaf- much as it does not necefliirily fuppofe a due re- gard to God, or any truly religious principle, a:s the fpring and fource of it.
An Atheiil, or the fool who faith in his heart, There is no God, may poffibiy be a fober man in this low and partial fcnfe. There is fuch. a thing as conftitutional gravity, or a natural fedatc- nefs and folidity, and fort of avcrfion to thofe grofs vices in feme men : Or a mere fenfc of de- cency may pref:rve forne therefrom, while they are deftitute both of the love and fear of God, or of ail religious principle. A perfon may ab- ftain from them, and in that partial fenfe be a fober man, irom worhlly prudence and policy only ; motives, wlxieh tho' not pcfidvcly evii,
yet
44 ^f *S'o^vV/y /;/ gencraly SER. IL
yet cannot be accounted good in a religious, or even moral fenfe : For, to be good in this fenfe, fuppofes a regard to God, and to moral obliga- tions.
Let me add, tho' it may fccm ftrangc, per- haps, at the firft thought, that it is poflible this external fobriety of behaviour may, in fome cafes, be owing to a pofitively wrong and vicious principle : So that if a perfon were of a Icfs de- generate and depraved mind than he is in fomc refpefts, he would of courfe alfo have lefs of this outward gravity and fobriety. This obfer- vation might be illuftrated and confirmed by divers examples ; but one may fuffice. A man, then, may be worldly-minded and cove- tous to a prodigious degree ; having aH his thoughts and defires centred q\\ earthly rv hes, and his mind continually employed on the methods of obtaining and keeping them ; while he '^ lays to *' the gold, Thou art my hope ; and to the fine " gold. Thou art my confidence." Now this is unqueflionably an irrational, vicious principle ; a pofitively wrong and depraved frn of mind. And yet it is, in its natural confequcnccs and operations, a check, and powerful rclfraint to the vices of leudnefs and luxury, of riot and debauch- cry. Such a predominant, boundlcfs love of riches, naturally and dire(5lly leads to a diligent application to worldly bufinefs ; to an external gravity of deportment ; and to fobriety of con- vcrfation, in that partial fenfe of it, fpckcn of above ; or as it llands in oppofition to the waft- ing, impoverifliing \iccs of idlcncfs^ luxury, and
an
SER.II. mTrindple andTraclicc. ^r
an exccflive Indulgence of the fenfual appetites, Thefe vices are, in their very nature, incompatible with extreme avarice. Nor did the world ever yet fee a thorough Miser, that was addicted to them ; fcldom one, who did not loudly declaim agalnft them as odious, fcandalous and ruinous ones. Were fuch a grave, rich — poor — happy — miferablc man, freer from this particular pre- dominant vice, he might very probably have lefs external fobriety ; and, inftead of al- ways preaching againft the follies, extravagances, and criminal exccltes of young men, fometlmes condefcend to make one of a party with them in tliefe excclTes — Mere pride, that hateful fin, may, in fome cafes, be fuppofed to produce the like external gravity and fobriety, by abforbing, as it wcrcj all the feebler lufts and palTions. In fhort, it comes to this at lall:,that one enormous, gigantic and voracious vice, ** Like Aaron's ferpent, fwallows up the reft". * Thus, you fee, it is poflible, not only for real, but great and enormous vices of the mind, to contribute to the appearance of virtue and fobriety in the external converfation ; particu- larly in tlie Inftances which have now been men- tioned. But that fobriety to which all, and young men in particular, are to be exhorted, as was faid before. Is primarily an internal fobriety of the mind ; and not meerly fo, bgt a truly religious fobriety, remlting from, a proocr regard to G(xi, his authority and coni.'viandments. Wliaa /er fobriety, whether of mind or manners,
cr
• Pope.
^6 Of Sobriety in general, SER. II.
or both, ' may be conceived of without piety, ■without relTgious principle ; this is not thaf which is intended in the text. It is eirentially defe<5tive ; it does not defcrve the name of fo- briety in a religious fenfe, the' it may be fo called in a civil or political one ; and tho' it may contribute to a man's reputation and intcreil: in the world ; yea, may render him a very ufeful and refpe(R:able member of fociety. NorjQiouldwe, indeed, ever indulge togroundlefs fufpicions about the finccrity of particular pcrfons ; which were highly injurious and criminal.
It muft be obferved farther, that the fobrie- ty to which you are exhorted, is not only in ge- neral-a religious, but a truly Chrljl'ian fobriety of mind and manners : Such as corrcfponds to the faith of the gofpel, and to the commandments of God as promulgated by his Son Jcfus Chrift^ and therefore prcfuppofes beHef in him as the light, the faviour and judge of the world. We may be very certain that the great apoftle Paul, fwho himfclf defired neither to preach nor to know any thing,in comparifon of " Jcfus Chrifl: and him crucified ") giving directions to Titus_ 3:8 a miniltcr of the gofpel, and enjoining him, amongrt: other things, to exhort young men to fobriety, had in his mind nothing fliort of that fobriety which is in its nature truly chriiHan ; agreeable to the glorious difcoverics, and the genius of the gofpel ; fuch an one as is regulat- ed by its precepts, and made manlfefl in a converfation becoming this divine iniHtution. It were quite unnatural to fuppofe that tlic anoflle
had
SER. IL /// Tnncipk midTraBwe. ^f
had In \:iew, only ffcclt a fob? fety ^§4I'ttidtfp^ptn wHo believer the being ^f ^ God,-' ftiafy pdftibly be the fiibjecft el':: iM-iy, it Would ht fo, to fup*-' poft he Intended: only iuch a fobriety as a Jc\y^ iiil~[ under the Modiie difpen-fatlon, might pofTeis, (3r prafliic.- It cannot be fcafohabiy imagined, tkit he would- ha\^e had Titu^ exhofi- the youHg' mcsi 'of CVete^ Mho ^^tr^ plrtly G'eh tildes, aiic? partly- Jews by birth, to be fob'er-mindfe'd upon the pnnci pies i of 'the- gentile thealogy^ which^ were fo vain and abfurd • and wWeh he himfelp e^e^py .where: decri^rd : 'Nor yet only iSport th^- tfiiCi .pdncip&s ; q>B -ffittuiil teligion- ; whfch; di-feovcrs iJiot ftfty it'^ \(4iercin fmful creatures maf^yecvrtainly obtafe et<?frtal life : Nor yet, Jaftly, upon the footing of the Mofaic law,- \vhrch was '^wteak too' the/ Weill's atnd of which the fonte a??dftfe biriftir fajs, thit a^s many as are of the works^ oi -li, ;" fire uiider aeurfe.'- If we cortri-ier rhe ehbfbflef of the writer^, and oT' the perfdn t;o whom^he wrotte, together with( the tiitie, occ^jfiofi and* ci'feu-mil.Mices hef-eof,- wii^ cjomoi doiibt l^ut' tha't St. Patil's meaning '\\^.5r,' tlmt 'I^ituS ^loulde-xhort the Cretian young meirj to recd^'t the revc^aJion of the grace of Cxod- by his Son from hcav'cft, upon its proper e\i-. dcnces ; anu._tED'Hxe>in 'a' prac'ticitl conformity t3- the holy preccpr,?:<?if; r4l> golpfeh'
Th a t he im-el^/U:^ n-(^ihh-i^ below, or fliort of,.facH a truly chrilrian fobricty of mind, is' tarther evident from hence. The feveral exhor- tations -which Titus -is- enjoined to give to the o!d- and-yo'ung,&c. rcfpc6livcly, arc introdaccdthus,
with
48 Of Sobriety in general , SER. IT.
with particular reference to fome perfons, *' whofe mouths were to be ftoped, — efpecially thofe of the circumcifion" ; — " But fpeak " thou," fays the apofUe, " the things which be- " come SOUND doctrine: That the aged ** men," &c. And one reafon particularly afTign- ed, why Titus fliould teach, and exhort to, thefe things, and others praftife them, is, " that the WORD OF God be not blafphemed." Now, certainly, what the apoftle intended by the word of God, and found do6lrine, is neither more nor lefs than the gofpel of God. This, if proof were needed, would be manifeft from a paral- lel palTage in his firft epiftle to Timothy — ** And if there be any other thing that is con- '* trary to sound doctrine, according to the " glorious gofpel of the blejfed God, which was " committed to my truJF'^. This gofpel of the kingdom then, is the found doctrine intended, and that word of God,which fhould not be blaf- phemed. Who then can doubt, but that the fobricty of mind fpoken of by the apoftle, is the fame thing in effedl, with the belief and prailice of the chrlftian religion ? Or, if any like this expreflion better, — a pra(n:ical faith in the gofpel ; tho', for my own part, I know of no real difference in the fcjife of them.
The fame thing Is farther manifeft, beyond all doubt, from the words of the apoftle a few verfcs after the text : Where he fuggcfts fome other mo- tives to, or reafons for, the obfervation of the fcve- ral exhortations before-mentioned: — "That they
" may
f I Tim I. 10, II..
SER. 11. in Tnncipk and Tra&ice. 49
^' may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour In ** all things. For the grace of God — hath ap- "• peared — teaching us, that denying ungodHncfs •' and worldly lufts, we fliould live foberly — " looking for that blelTed hope, and — our Saviour ^' Jefus Chrifl: ; who gave himfelf for us, that •' he might redeem us," &c. The text being confide red thus in connexion with wha"^ preceeds and follows it ; the fobricty intended therein, is evidently fuch a fobriety of mind, not as Socrates or Plato, not as Cicero or Seneca l^iught, tho' in fomiC refpeds truly excellent; nor yet merely fuch as Mofes and the prophets taught ; much lefs ftill, fuch as Lord Shaftsbiny and Lord BoUingbroke taught: But fuch as the Lord from heaven, and his infpired apolUes taught ; and fuch as all are to praftife, who hope to afcend thi*^^her where he is, to behold, and to partake of his glory. And whofoever pretends to exhort any, whether old or young, to be fober-minded, without keep- ing in view, and proceeding upon, this truly di- vine plan — the doctrine of our redemption from fm and death by Jefus Chrifl:, and of life and im- mortality bro't to light thro' the gofpel, at bed does his work to the halves ; and, by no means, frames his exhortation according to the manifeft defign, and true fpirit of the text.
Thus, my young brethren, I have given you fome general and imperfect idea of the fobriety to which you are exhorted : Nothing beydiid this was intended by the foreg;oing remarks re- lative hereto. Let me how de'fcend to a more difl;in(5l explanation of it, in conformity to this E general
50 Of believing Gods Being, SER. IL
general idea, and to thcfe curfory obfervations, which I fhall fHU keep In view ; and if you fliould do the fame, it might not be unufcful to you. In the firfl place, then, . I. This fobricty of mind is founded In a firm belief of God's being and pcrfedions, his moral government and univerfal providence, agreeably to the light of nature, or natural reafon, and to the exprefs do6lrine of holy fcriptiire ; for thefe do not contradi(^, but mutually confirm and 11- hiftrate each other. One of the facred writers ufes a very bold, and equally noble figure, in fpeaking of the clear evidence which God, who is invifible, hatli given of his exigence and per- fe<flions, to mankind in general, by the vifible ef- fefts of his power. " That which may be known. *' of God," faith he, " Is manifeft in [or to] them" [the gentile nations ;] " for God hath fhewn it *' unto them. For the invisible things *' OF him from the creation of the world are ** CLEARLY SEEN, being undcrftood by the " things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." f Altlio' the world by wifdom knew not God; i. e. tho' mankind in general did not a<51:ually attain to any tolerable know- ledge of the true God by natural reafon and philofophy ; yet it is certain, even upon princi- ples of reafon, both that there is One, and but One God ; an all-perfe(5l being : One, and but One, who is underivcd, unbegotton, proceeding from none, and abfolutely independent : " Of whom, and thro' whom, and to whom [of con- fequcnce] are all tilings ;" — all other perfons and
beings, f Rom. I. 19. 20.
SER.II. TerfeBions</^MoralGovernment, ^ i
beings, whether vlfible or invifiblc. So that no one, of whom it can be truly and properly faid, that he is cither made or created, begotten or produced, derived from, or dependent upon a- nother, is himfelf the unmade and uncreated, the unbegotton and unproduced, the underived and independent Creator, or only living and true God : For this were a contradi<^lion in terms.
The divine attributes, as difcovered to us by the wonderful works and word of God in conjun(^iion, are, eternity, independence, or neceftary Iclf-exiftence ; immcnfity, or omni- prefence ; incorporeity, or fpirituality ; boundlefs power, perfe(5l knowledge, and unerring wifdom ; perfecl purity, holincfs and juftice, truth and faithfulnefs, goodnefs, mercy, and immutability. For in all thefe refpcds, in all truly divine per- fections, God is necelfarily, and therefore immu- tably the lame, even from, everlafting to ever- lafting, " without variablcnefs, or fhadow of " turning." And as God originally created all things ; fo he continually preferves, prefides over, and governs them by his providence, ii?i the m.oft wife, righteou^s, good and gracious manner: Being a lover of all virtue and goodnefs, and abhorring all vice and wickednefs, even while he is merciful to the wicked; goodand kind even to the unthankful and to the evil. It will not be amifs to obferve further here, that the holy fcrlp- tures fpeak much oftener, and far more largely and particularly, of God's goodnefs and mercy, than of any of his other perfections; alTuring us, that " the Lord is good to all, and his ten- E 2 der
52 Of believing God's Being, SER. II.
der mercies over all his works;" that *' there is none good but One, that is God ;" that " God is love" — goodnefs and love itfelf, perfed and unlverfal, eternal and immutable love : And it is repeated no lefs than twenty-fix times in one pfalm, that" his merey endureth for ever."]"
Now, faith in God, his perfcdions and provi- dence, and particularly in his goodnefs and mercy, is not only an effential ingredient in, but the very foundation of, all true fobrlety, or religion. For, in the language of infpiration, which is in this rcfpe^l at Icaft, the language of rcafon alfo, " with- " out faith it is ImpofTible to pleafe God'; for he " that comcth to God, mufl: believe that he is, " and that he is a rewarderof them that diligent- " ly feek him."J Though I cannot but obferve by the way, that fome modern pretended re- formers of the fuppofed errors and herefies a- mong us, feem rather to have aimed at eftablifli- ing it as a fundamental article of faith, that God is NOT " a rewarder of them that diligently feek him ;" but that men may feek him, not only earnefUy and diligently, but do fo all their lives, and yet not find his favor extended to them, cr finally receive any reward of him — except the reward of unrighteoufnefs in eternal torments ! But if this be accounted orthodoxy, I muft, for my own part, humbly confefs with the apoftle Paul, " that after the way which they call herefy^ " fo worfliip I the God of my fathers ; believing " all things which are written in the law and the " prophets," [and the gofpei of Chrift: alfo :] " and have hope towards God :" § Which
even
t rfalm 136. X Heb. XL 6. < ■' "XIV. 14. 15.
SER.II. TerfeBiom6'MoralGovernment, ^ ^
even the beft men upon earth can hardly have, upon the principles of fuch a fpurious orthodoxy as that juft now referred to.
But to return. If, inftead of believing the exiftence and perfecflions, the moral government and univerfal providence of the equally great a^id good God, you have him not in all your thoughts ; if you do not duly regard him; but banifh him, as it were, out of his own world, the univerfe which fprung from nothing at his word : If you do thus, it is impoflible that you fhould have any true fobriety of mind, any real wifdom. For the knowledge or fear of the Lord, is even literally " the beginning of wifdom." They that know not God, know nothing as they ought to know it ; nor do any thing as they ought to do it.
Let me therefore, my young brethren, take occafion here to caution you againfl: liftening with a favourable ear, to any atheiftical notions ; fuch as (Irikc at the being, attributes, or moral government of God ; and, thereby, at the very root of all rehgion and virtue. There are not wanting thofe in this apoftate, this foolifh and wicked world, whofcruple not even to tell others, they are fools, by intimating that they " fay " in their hearts, T'here is no God)* or at lealt, no fuch holy, wife and righteous one as is commonly fuppofed ; none, from whom we have any thing to fear If we do evil, or to hope if we do well. And there are fome young men, tho', I would charitably hope, not amongft you ;— yea, -forae that are more advanced in years, who either E 3 from
^4 Of believing God's Bel tig, SER. IL
from an unwillingncfs to pa.rt with their kills, or, ^gt bcft, Trom great levity of mind, and an affec- tation of fmgularity, liften with pleafure to fuch fenfelefs notions, when they hear them advanced ; and read the books with delight, in which fome perfons even of the lafl and prefcnt age, have Ihewn a ftrange ambition to record their own folly and impiety to the ages that are to come. Take heed, my beloved brethren, kfl: any of you Ihould alfo be carried away with thefe errors of the wicked ; of fuch fools as thefe.
I HARDLY need defire you, by way of anti- dote againfl: the poifon, and mortal venom of fuch principles, to lift your eyes to the heavens above ; to obferve the IKipendous magnitude, the regular motions, the beautiful order, of the nu- merous worlds that roll there ; or to afk you,' how they came there I and by whom they are preferved from age to age in this wonderful or- der and harmony l 1 fcarce need, for this end, to defire you even to look down upon the earih, or to look round the world which you inhabit; in which there are actually innumerable, indefi- nite marks and characRiers of infinite power, of the moft confummate wifdom and goodncfs. It will be fufRcient if you confider thofe micro- cpfms, thofe little worlds, your own bodies ; which are indeed " fearfully and wonderfully rnade;" — with amazing fkill, an art truly admira- ble and aftonifhing to every attentive obfcrver. And whofc hand formed and fafhioncd thefe ? Certainly no human one : The art, wifdom and ppwer of all the fons oi Adam united, would
not
SER.II. TerfeBions'irMoralGovermnent. 5 ^
not fuffice for the forming a-fingle fly, emmit or mite. Nay, all human wifciom cannot even com- prehend the workm.anfhip and art of the lealt in- 16(51 ; tho' it may fee enough thereof, to be at once convinced and confounded. What then will you fay of your own bodies? Whofe workman- fhip are they ?
But if even your bodies muft neceffarily be. the product of a wifdom, a fl^ill, an art and power, fo much furpafling all that is human ; what will you fay of your minds, your fouls, which direct and governs them ? From whence come knowledge, reflexion, memoi-y ? from whence, will, choice and liberty ? from wdicnce the power of at once looking back on what is paft, and forward on what is future ? Are thefe intelleftual powers and faculties of yours, eternal and ncceffary? No. It is but a few days fince you yourfelves came into exiftence. Were they then without any caufe ? No. Nothing can bef6, that is not both eternal and neced'ary. Were they then the producft of inert, unknowing, fenfelefs matter ? That cannot be : Knowledge, choice and power cannot, furely, be derived from that which is itfelf deftitute of all knowledge, choice and pov/er. From whence and from whom then, came thefe intelleftual powers I To fuppofe that you need to be told, would hardly be confiftent with the very fuppofition, that you are polTelTed of them. From hence appears at once, the being and the fpirituality of God; and the extreme ftupidity of all image-worlliip. For there never was a more rational, a more cori- E 4 clufivQ
5 6 Of believing Gocfs Being, ire. SER. II.
clufive argument than this which follows — " For-afmuch then as we arc the offspring '* OF God, we ought not to think that the " Godhead is like unto gold, or filvcr, or " ftone graven by art, and man's device." f
Moreover : Do not your moral faculties, particularly your fenfe of right and wrong, juftice and injulHce, demonftratc the moral cha- racter of Him, whofe offspring you are ? Un- doubtedly, m the cleared: manner ; and, confe- quently that, under his government, virtue fhall be rewarded and vice punifhed. Each man's own confcience, is in a fort a divine meflenger, a prophet to himfelf ; foretelling, as one may ex- prefs it, '' a day wherein God will judge the *' world in righteoufncfs." O then, let not this prophet within you, preach righteoufnefs and fobriety, or prophecy to you, in vain. If you hearken to the dictates of this prophet, one may very fafcly conclude, that you will not reje6l the tcftimony of thofe who appeared in the world in ancient times ; and particularly, not "Jesus of Nazareth, who was a phophet ** mighty in deed and word, before God, and all ''the people." [Luke XXIV. 19.]-— But this naturally brings me to obferve more dilHndly, tho' in conformity to what was intimated before,
II. That the fobriety of mind to v.hich you are exhorted, implies a belief of the gofpel, or of the chriftian revelation : For it is not merely a religious, but a chrifl-ian fobriety, that is in- tended in the text. And this certainly includes, or fuppofcs, a belief of Chrift's gofpel ; a due
regard t Aas XVII. 29.
SER. II. Of believing the Gofpel, (ire. 57
regard to him in the high relation which he bears to mankind ; a ferious confideration of his perfon, character, do6trine, precepts ; the defign of his manifeitation and fufferings in the flefh ; his refurrc<n:ion, afcenfion, the glory to which he is exalted ; his future appearing, and the end and confequenccs thereof. Without the know- ledge, belief, and confideration of thefe things, there can be no fobriety of mind, deferving the name of ChrifHan. Let me therefore de- fcend to a few particulars here ; fuch as feem to me very important. In doing which, I fhall be obliged to be brief, and Ihall of choice, as far as I think confident with my own duty and your good, avoid every thing of controverfy ; in which I do not delight. And,
I. Of the perfon of the Lord Jefus Chrift, who is fHled, in fcripture, '' the image of the invifible God, the firft born of every creature.":J: He often alluded to, and fomctimes fpake ex- prcfly of, a " glory which he had with the Father before the world was." To be re- admitted into which glory, he once earneftly prayed, faying, — " O Father, glorify thou me with thine own fclf, with the glory which I had with thee,"&c.t It isfaid of the Logos, or Word, that he was '* in the beginning with God," and *' was God;" that " all things were made by *' [or thro'] him"§ — And, in divers other places, the worlds^ and all things, are faid to have been created by, or thro him. Which pafTages, to fay the leafl, do not feem cafily to admit the fenfe put upon them by the learned Socinus and
his
% Col.. I. If. f John XVII, 5. § Joliu I. I. 2, &c.
5 8 Of believing the Gofpel, SER. II.
Ms followers ; who undcrfknd them of the new creation, or the renovation of all things. This, I eonfefs, appears to me to be a forced, very un- natural, and quite inadmifTible interpretation of thefe palTages.
But, to prevent your drawing any wrong in- ferences, on the other hand, from thefe exprcf- Cons ; let me remind you of two or three palfa- ges of fcripture, which may help to explain them. In the epiille to the Ephefians, we find this ex- preflion : — '* God, who created all things by Jefus Chrift."* In that to the Hebrews, the following: "God — hath in thefe lall: days fpo ken to us by his Son — by whom alfo he made the worlds." il Thefe paffages may help to ex- plain thofe, in which the worlds, even all things, are fpoken of as having been made, or created by, or thro' Chrifl: the Son of God, without any particular mention of the Father. Moreover ; to prevent any wrong inferences from its being {k\d by St. John, " hi the beginning was thr Word ;" you need only to be reminded of the very firfl words in your bible : " In the beginnijig " God created the heaven and the earth." Again: To prevent any wrong inferences from Jefus Chriffs being IHled God, as he is feveral times in fcripture ; it will be fufficient only to remind you of his own words on one or two occafions. When the captious Jews charged him with blafphemy, bccaufe, as they faid, he ** being a man, made himf^lf God ;" his anlV.-i was, " Is it not written in your law, I faid, ye " are gods ? If He called them gods, on whom
'/ the
♦eh. III. 9. 1; Ox. I. I, 2.
SER. II. or the Chriftian Revelation. 59
'' the word of God came, and the fcriptureean- '' not be broken : Say ye of him whom the Fa- '" THER hath fanftified, and fent into the world, " Thou blafphemeft, becaufe I faid, / am the Son " of Gou ?"§ And here by the way, I cannot but obferve that many, inftead of being content with giving our Saviour this fcriptural title, fo often taken by himfelf, and given him by the fa- cred writers, *^ The Son of God," chufe com- monly to change it into, God the Son ; an expref- fion which never once occurs in the holy fcrip- tares. With how fair, candid and pious an in- tention they do this, others may conjecture, boat themfelvcs doubtlcfs know — But my bufi- nefs here was only to remind you of two or three paiTages, for explaining thofe in which Chrift is ftiled God. I have given you a very obfervable one already. The next fhall alfo be the words of our Lord himfelf, in his prayer to the Father, a little before his death : " And this is life eternal, " that they might know thee the only true- '' God, and him whom thou haft fent, Jefus '^ Chrift."f [This is the literal tranflation] Ano- ther paiTage directly to the prefent purpofe, fhall be from the apoltle Paul, who is, by fome, fup- pofed himfelf once or twice to have ftilcd Jefus Chrift, God : If fo, it is but candid to let him be his ow^n interpreter — " There is none other ''God but one. For tho' there be that are " *.^llcd gods, whether in heaven or in earth ; (cio there be gods many, and tords many) but "' to us there ib but one God, the Father, of
'' whom § John X. 33—36. t John XYII. 3.
6o Of believing the Gofpel, SER. \L
" whom are all things, and we in him ; and one " Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom are all things, " and we BY him. "J
With refpeft to the perfonof our Lord Jefus Chrift, it muil: be farther obferved, " That in the fulnefs of time God fent forth his fon, made of a woman ;" — that the " Word was made flefli ;" that " forafmuch as the children were partakers " of flefh and blood, he alfo himfelf took part of " the fame :" — that he was " found in fafhion
" of man," and " a man ;" — " Jefus, a man ap- " proved of God;" — " the man Chrift Jefus;" — " that man whom God hath ordained," 8cc.
It fhould, moreover, be very particularly obferv- ed, that God, even the Father, did, in a very particular and eminent, a tranfcendently glorious and inexpreflible manner, dwell in our Lord Jefus Chrili, manifefting his glory in, by and thro' him. On which account it doubtlefs is, that he is fometimes called God ; and that they who had feen him, are faid to have " fcen the Father ;" who yet, fl:ri6tly fpeaking, is " the invifible God ;" and whofe " image," even *' the bright- ncfs of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon," hypoltafis, fubftance, or efTence, Jefus Chrift is faid to be. As to the particular mode of the divine inhabitation in Chrift, it is neither revealed, nor to be comprehended by mortal men ; who cannot even comprehend the manner in which their own fpirits dwell in their bodies. But I repeat it, left 1 fliould be mifundcr- ftood, that it was " God, even the Father," ac- cording
X Cor. VIII. 4. 5. 6.
SER. II. or the Chrijlian Revelation. 6 1
cording to fcriptiire, that dwelt or inhabited \n jefas Chrifl:, in this ineffably glorious manner. For thus he declares of himfelf, and his mar- vellous works: " I fpeak not of myfelf ; but *' the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth *' the works."* The like manner of expreflion is common with him. According to which, it was not fome other divine Being, agent or perfon, difHnft from the Father, that dwelt in the nian Chrlft Jefus, as fome have imagined, (not very confiftently with the divine unity) but the FATHER himfelf. And it is no iefs the pofitive do<flrine of fcripture. That there is but one GoDythe Father, " who is above all, and thro' all, and in you all," — even the " God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrid:"; than it is, That there is but one Lord Jefus Chrift, " the " Son of the Father in truth and love ;" — " the Son of the Blessed ;" — " the Son of the Highest ;" and of whom an angel from heaven prophefied thus before his birth - " He " Ihall be great, and (hall be called the Son of *' the Highest ; and the Lord God fhall ** give unto him the throne of his father Da- vid." f But to proceed,
2. The general and grand, both the primary and ultimate end of Chrift's coming down from heaven, or of his incarnation, was, to glorify his God and Father, by doing his will. " For I " am come down from heaven,'^ faid he, " not " to do mine own will, but the will of him that '* fcnt me" J — " I honour my Father — I feek " net mine own glory."!', — " 1 have not fpoken
"of
■*John XIV.io, t Luke I. 32. % John VI. 38. jl Ch. VIIL 49, jo.-
62 Of believing the Gofpel, SER. II*
" of myfelf, but the Father which fent me, he " gave me a commandment, what I fhould fay, " and what I Ihould fpeak — I fpeak therefore, ** even as the Father faid unto me, fo I fpeak. "§ — " I have glorified thee on earth ; I have " finifhed the work which thou gaveft: me to do: *' And now, O Father, glorify thou me with " thine ovvn felf, &c."* This general end of Chrift's incarnation, comprehends all others. But more particularly,
3. One principal end of Chrift's manifeftation in the fleih, was, to make known the Father ; the nature and truth of God, or the principles of true religion, in a more clear, full and perfe<5t manner, than they had been made known be- fore, by Mofes or any of the ancient prophets, or even John, that burning and fhining light ; the grcateft of all the prophets, till the Son of God himfelf appeared in that character from heaven.
At the time of our Lord's coming into the world, the Jewifh revelation was very grofly corrupted ; the priefts having long *' taught for do<51:rines the commandments of men ;" fo that tho' they were not wholly ignorant of the true God, yet " in vain did they worfhip him." Among the gentile nations, there were hardly any traces of true religion to be found. Divine knowledge, the only true wifdom, was far from obtaining among the nations of the world, in proportion as the polite arts and fciences had done. In many countries, particularly Perfia, Chaldea, Egypt, Greece and Italy, thefe arts and
fciences
§ John Vill. 49, 50. * Ch. XVII. 4, 5.
SER. II. or the Odriflian Revelation, 6 5
fciences had been carried to a furpriiing degree of perfc(ftion. The poet's numbers were har- monious, and his fong fublime. The muficiarr almoft enchanted wild beafrs, and the woods^ which they haunted, as well as favage men, 1 he orator thunder'd and Hghten'd ; and, at pleasure, either rais'd or allay'd a ftorm In the breads of his auditors. The nobleft piles and ftrufturcs arofe under the hands of the architeft* The canvafs was taught to glow with hfe, bor- rowed from the painter's pencil ; and brafs and marble to breath under the chiffel of tlie flatuary : While the aftronomer furv^eyed and meafured the heavens ; even thofe heavens which declare the glory of God. But notwithitanding all thcfe improvements, thefe wonderful efforts of human genius and induftry, " the world hy wifdom knew not God !" With refpe<5l to thoS knowledge of Hiin, and of true religion, there- was in. tax5t no material difference betwixt the; moft: refined, and the moft lavage and barbarous nations under heaven. Witnels the multitude oi the gods and goddeiles acknowledged in them;; fo great, that it were eafier to call all the fkrs by their names, than to number fuch a promifcu- ous rabble— heroes, llrumpets, difeafes, plagues, monfters, vices, conftellations, beafts, birds, and' creeping things! And if fuch were the gods, judge you, what the worfhippers muft have been; how wife, pure and holy ! f
Such,
f Upwards of thirty thoufand pagan deities have been men- tioned by writers. Min. Faslix alone, may fatisfy any perfoa of a moderate curiofityj upon this fubjed.
64 Of believing the Go/pel, SER. II.
Such, in brief, was the religious ftate of the world ; fuch thick darknefs covered its inhabi- tants, efpecially the heathen nations, at the time when God tho't fit, lall: of all, to fpeak unto men by his Son from heaven. He accordingly appeared, faying, " 1 am the light of the world j " he that followcth me, fhall not walk in dark- " nefs, but fhall have the light of life."f In which words he tacitly compares himfclf to the fun in the heavens, that ruleth by day ;. enlight- ening, warming, and diffufing blefilngs on all below: Which was indeed agreeable to one of the glorious characters, under which he had been prophefied of — " the fun of righteoufnefs " arifing with healing in his beams." No man had feen God at any time ; the only begotten Son, who was in thebofom of the Father, declared him to the world. And as none perfecitly knew the Son but the Father ; fo neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son, and he to whom- foever the Son revealeth him. He came to bear witnefs to the truth ; and did it with fuch clcar- nefs, and convincing evidence of his coming from God, that his few difciplcs might then, with great propriety fay, *' We know that we " are of the truth, and the whole world lieth " in wickednefs. And we know that the Son " of God is come, and hath given us an under- " (landing, that we might know him that is " true : and we are in h i M that is true, in "his Son Jefus Chrift. This is the true God, ** and eternal life." || 4. Jesus
f John VIII. 12. II I JohnV. 19, 20. Compare John XVII. 3. Which clearly determines the fenfe of this text, if people will be determined Iblely by fcripture authority.
SER. II. or the Chriftmi Revelation, 65
4. Jesus Christ came into the world, not merely as a light to lighten it with the know- ledge of the " only true God"; but to declare his will and commandments authoritatively in, his name. " I am come", faith he, " in " my Father's name", &c. He came into it as a preacher of righteoufnefs ; to inculcate obe- dience toGod's laws which were already known ; to refcue others from the corrupt interpretations, which by time, the ignorance of the people, and more efpecially the wickednefs of the priefts, had been put upon them ; whereby " the command- " ment of God was made of none cfFc^fc" He came to put an end to the peculiarities of the JewiHidifpenfation; to "gather in one the children " of God that were fcattcred abroad" ; to form them into one fpiritual body, or church, under himfelf as head ; that there might be " one fold, and one Ihepherd" And he pro- mulgated certain new laws and ordinances rela- tive to this fpiritual kingdom, for the due inte- rior regulation of it, and for its fupport and en- largemicnt, till " all nations fhould flow into it!'.
5. He came to give mankind the moft perfect and engaging example of obedience to the will of God ; of all piety and righteoufnefs, humility and charity, temperance and patience ; — a living example i»i frail human flclh. For tho' he were made in the " likenefs of finful fleili ;" yet in him was no fin : He was holy, harmlefs, un- defiled, feparate from fmners. He laid to his difciples upon a certain occaiion, " I have given you an example that ye fliould ilo as I have done to you." The like might t^e been faiJ on other
F uccalions.
66 Of believing the Gofpt'l SER. II
occafions. Indeed, he admonifhcd his difclplcs in a more general way, to keep his commandments, " that tliey might abide in his love, even," faitfi he, '' as I have kept my Father's command* ments, and abide in his love." And the apolHe Peter fays of him, that he " left us an example, that we iliould follow his fteps."
6. He came to make an atonement for the Cns of the world ; " to put away fins by the fa- crifice of himfclf." This he did upon the erofs, when he oifcrcd himfclf up to God, as a Iamb without blemifli and without fpot. He is faii to have redeemed men to God by his blood ; to haCe died for us, the juft for the unjull:, that he might bring us unto God. Audit fhould be particularly obfervcd here, that he died thus, not only for a few^ particular perfons, as fomc fecni to imagine, but " died for all," — " rafted death for every man ; " and " gave himfclf a ranfom for all, to be tefrliicd in due time." Agreeably whereto, the apolllc John fpcaks of him under the following charartcr — '' Jefus ChriH: x.\ic " righteous, who is the propitiation for our fins, " and not for ours only, but alfo for the fins oP *' the WHOLE world". So the apolHe Paul fpcaks of it as the fiibfhince o^ that rainiilry of reconciliation which he had received, " That *' Cod was, in Clirin:, reconciling the world '• unto iiimfclf", not imputing their trcfpaffcsunto " them". And he accordinlgy befeeches all, ia Chrilfs Head, to be "reconciled unto God."
7. He was raifcd from the dead, and exalted to the hi^hiJi heaven^ ; not only to " appear
in
SER. IL or the Chnflian Revelation, 6y
in the prefence of Ggd" as an intcrceflbr and advocate with liim for his difciples ; but to be crowned with glory and honor, as being by the Father appointed heir, and Lord, and Judge of all ; or as having all power given unto him in heaven and in earth.
8. He is to be revealed from heaven at an appointed time ; " the time of the refHtution of " all things, fpokcn of by all the prophets fmce *' the vrorld began", in the glory of the Father, to judge the world in righteoufnefs — -Let me now dole thefefhort remarks with the words of the apolUe Paul — " Then cometh the end, when he " fhall have delivered up the kingdom to God, " even the Father ; when he ihall have put *' down all rule, and all authority and power, " For he niuft reign till he hath put all enemic's " under his feet. The laft enemy that fhall h.i " dcllroyed is death. For, Hs hath put all ** things imcler his feet : But when he faith, all " things are put under him^ it is manifefl: thac ** HE is excepted which did put all things under " him. And when all things fhall be fubdued " unto him, then fhall the Son alfo himfeif be: " fubjc<5t unto LIiM that put all things under " him, THAT God may be all in aLl T't
The feveral things thus briefly hinted at, i confidcr only as fame of the more obvious auvt important ends of Chrili's mediation ; fome cf which arc fpoken of, or refencl to, l■^ alniOiC every page of the new tefhimcn':, as things par-* ticuiarly worthy of our diily jTieilitation. Nci- F 2 ta.T
f i Cor. xr. 34 — 73.
68 Of klkvlng the Co [pel, SER. II,
thcr can you be fo'ocr-niinclcd, as you ought to be, without bcHcving, and often t]iinking upon thefe capital doiftrincs of the gofpcL For, as has been before obfervcd, without chriftian faith, there can be no fuch thing as chriiHan practice or fobriety, in the old or young.
Let nie, therefore, here take occafion, my beloved young brethren, to w arn vou againit the fatal principles of our modern delils. As Jefus Chrift has his niiniilers to exhort you to believe his gofpcl, and to be fober-mindcd, in order to your prefent and eternal good ; the devil has alfo his cmifTaries and apolHes to diilVide yoii from it : men who, in all countries tliat are bklt with liberty, abufe that liberty by " Ipcaking evil of the things which they underil-and not": men who both declaim and write againli: the gofpcl of their falvation ; and have even the hardinefs to ridicule and blafpheme what angels defire to' look into, and confidor at once with delight and admiration ; — all thofe of them, 1 mean, who "kept their firlt efhitc": For, as to the red, they doubt- lefs blafpheme thefe things alfo ; tho' they nei- ther din:)elieve nor riducle them ; but *' believe and tremble."— Thefe men, in their talk and writmgs, commonly pretend great benevolence and good- will. They will profefs their forrow to fee you cnllaved with fuperititious notions tmd fancies about revelation. Tluv will tell you, perhaps, that you are debarred from the innocent plea- fures of life, and held in a miferablc kind of bondage, by the fabled terrors of another world. Whereas, could you cafl off thefe childifli pre*-
judices
SER. II. or the Chnft'ian Revelation. 65
judiccs of education, and become One of th^m, you would enjoy a moli delightful cafe and free- dom of mind, from a full pcrfwafion, cither that there is no future ftate, or at leali: no hell, where frail creatures arc to be tormented for a few lallies and indifcretions : And, that you may depend upon it, if you fliould furvive the fliip- wrack of death, you ihall go to fomc far iiappier region' — fome Klilian field, where vchi may fport and play to eternity.
Thesk men, however, generally pretend to a great regard for moral virtue ; more efpeciallv, univerfil love to mankind : Nay, thcv fometimcs even fpeak refpeftfully of God — And, to ufe the words of the apoftle, " No marvel ; for Satan " himfelf is transformed into an angel of light. " Therefore it is no great thing if his mini- '^ Iters alfo be transformed as the miniiters *' of righreoufnefs ; whofe end fhall be accord- " ing to their works J". In a vord, rhcfe arc the very men whom the apoiile Peter dcfcribcs, and forewarns yon to beware of, in the follow^ ing words : " 'lliefe are w^lis v.itliout water, " clouds that are carried \\\t\\ a temped, to v.hpm *' the mill: or darknels is ref^rved for ever. For " when th?y fpeak great fuelling words of vanity, "they allure through the hills of the flelh, " through mueli wantonnefs, thofe tliat \\ere '' clean efeaped from tliem wh.o live in error ; '' While they promife tiiciii liberty, thcv them- " felves are the fervants of corruption ; tor of " whom a man is overeome, of tlie iamc is he ** brought in bondage."
F r> The
\ 2 Cor. xi 14, i;.
7© Of believing the Gofpel, SER. 11.
The divine mifTion and authority of Jcfus Chrift, or, in other words, the truth of the chriftian religion, is eftabHAicd by " many in- fallible proofs". However cnthulialb have declaimed againft reafon, and rational preachers, ■ivhile thcnifclvcs were deplorable examples of the contrary, the religion of Chrift is a molt rea- fonable religion ; the wifJom, as well as the power of God to falvation, to every one that fmccrely believes it. Both its do<51:rincs and precepts, as delivered by him and his apoltles, are rational in the highefl lenfe, however they have been perverted fince ; bearing a truly divine cha- rafter, to thofe that have eyes to fee, inftcad of being blinded by the God of this world. In Jefus Chritl were fulfilled many illuftrious pro- phecies. He wrought ftill more numerous and ailonifhing miracles, by the finger of that God who dwelt in him. He was alfo raifed from the dead himfelf, after having raifed others, " by the power of the Father". He was often feen and convcrfcd with by many credible witnefles, who had well known him before. He was vi- fibly taken up into heaven : And, foon after, in conformity to his own promife, many mira- culous powers were beilowcd upon his apoflles, and other difciplcs ; particularly the gift of tongues ; by means of which the gofpel, under the apparent management of a ^*:\y tilliermen, and other poor Galileans, made a furprizing pro- grefs in oppofition to the united wit, malice and power of the world, both Jcwifli and Gentile. And divers of Chrlfi's and his apolHc's predictions
luve
SER. II. on the Chnftian Revelation. 7 r
have fince been fulliiled, and others of them are daily fulfilling.
Th e plain confequencc of thefe fafts, Is, That Jcfiis Chriil: was, indeed, the Son of God ; and tliat the religion w hich bears his facred name, is the true religion, which, in all reafon, you are bound to receive with the profoundefi: reverence and gratitude. Let me therefore juft remind you further here, of the \\ ords of Peter in his own, and the name of the other apoflles, upon "a particular occafioh. V/iicn many of our Lords difciples forfock Ifim, in the days of hi«; liefli, and walked no more wlih him, he turned and faid, in an allec^Hoiiate manner, '' Will ye alfo go away :' — at once intimating his unwil- lingnefs that they fliould do fo, and his deter- mination to leave them to their own choice and liberty. Hereupon Peter made the following anfwer, iii which you, my young brethren, muit be left to join with him or nor, as God iliali give you light — " Lord, f to whom fhall " we qp ! Thou haft t4ie words of eternal Hfe. " And we believe, and are fure, tliat thou art *' that Chrill, the Son of the living God."J
Having thus flievv^n that fobriety of mind fuppofes (i) A belief o'i God's being and per- fe<^ions ; and (2) Of the eluillian revelation ; let mc now oblerve,
F 4 IIL That
•; J'jIjt vi. 68, 69
:;: fir. Liu. aj.d's excellent Fcvi^vs if t/:f Dei/iicj! Ifritcrr, 4* JcVvfs «'3 be iciJ by every yoanj f^iaa who hn? leif-ire- f»>^
72 Of think'mg fohcrly SER. IL
III. That it alfo implies, thinking fobcrly of yourfclves. I'his is an effential, a mod im- portant ingredient in chriftian fobriety ; and it comprehends divers particulars, which fhall be mentioned with all convenient brevity. And,
I. This implies a fenfe of your natural ig- norance, or the native darkncfs of your under- ftandings. You may conclude that I do not here intend any thing that is peculiar to you ; but fpeak with reference to what is common to you with others. All men in general arc born into the world, abfolutely ignorant of every thing ; they know nothing of what is pafTIng in this world or any other. Whatever any know, it is not innate, or born with them ; but ac- quired afterwards. And lo feeble are their in- tellectual faculties, that however ambitious they arc of knowing, or being thought to know a great deal, what they can aftually attain to, is comparatively but very little, even tho' they fpend much time in the purfuit of knowledge. They are as it were dooijied to ignorance by the very condition of their birth, nature and life in this world, notwithftanding either their thirft after, or affectation of wifdom. This is the fen- limcnt which is exprcflcd by Zophar in the book of Job : " Canll: thou by fearching find out God? '* canfl: thou find out the Almighty unto perfect " tion ? It is as high as heaven ; what canfl thou "^ ^o ? deeper than hell ; what canll: thou know ? " —He knov/eth vain men — For \ain man would " be wife, though man be born like a wild afs's " colt t". Young men efpecially, arc generally
prone
I Chap. xi. 7 — 1:.
SER.il of Ones [elf. 73
prone to entertain too high a conceit of their knowledge, and of their capacity for knowing more : Which often makes them over-pofitivc in their own way, and fclf-fufficicnt. It leads them to defpife the opinions and coiinfels of others ; of their parents, and other perfons, tho' older and, moil: probably, wifcr than themfelves. This is of pernicious confcqucnce in many refpe(5ls. If, therefore, you w^ould be fober- minded, think foberly of, and know yourfclves : It becomes you to be mode!!:, and fclf-diffidcnt ; not to lean too much to your own undcnland- ings ; but, from a confcloufnefs of your inexpe- rience, to lirtcn to advice, and endeavour to learn of others ; tho' by no means to rcfign up your own underftandings implicitly to the di(5tates oi any ; and, lead of all, in matters of confcience and religion, w-hich are peculiarly your ow^n con- cern. Indeed, you might well fufpeft the pro- bity of any man's defign, whatever were his cha- racter, who fliould pcrfwade you to put cut, or to blind your own eyes in a thick wood ; pro- mifmg, that when you had done {o^ he would be your faithful guide out of it ; — efpecially if you had moiiey about you. Whoever a<5l fuch a part as this by others in their fpiritual concern- ments, they do not fo well deferve the name of minirrers of the gofpel, as that of thicves,robbcrs and affaflines.
2. Thinking foberly of yourfel ves, implies a due confideration of your moral frailty and de- pravity : whereby, as in what was laft mentioned, -your natural ignorance,-nothing is intended that
is
74 Of thinKing foherly SER. II.
Is peculiar to yourfclves, but what is common to the offspring of Adam. There Is a great deal of pervcrfencfs and vice, which may be confidercd as in fome fenfc natural to mankind ; arifingfrom ignorance, or weaknefs of underllanding on the one hand, and from ftrong paffions on the other. Both thcfe are certainly natural to mankind. And what is the natural, not to fay, unavoidable confequencc of fuch a union, or concurrence of ignorance and paflion in the fame fubjcft, but ir- regularity of defire, will and behaviour, in many refpe6ls. But how does the cafe ftand in faft ' Do not all go aftray, at leall: in fome degree, from the paths ofreafon and virtue, very early in life: fo early, that it occafioned the Pfalmiil: to fay, not indeed without a figure, that they are " c^- " tranged from the womb ; and go allray njfoon ** as they are bom, /peaking Hti\ This, to be fure, is not literally true ; nor was It dcfigned to be fo under ftood. The meaning is, that the ignorance and paffions of children arc fuch, that they fpeak and aft unreafonably,and deviate from the rules of virtue, in a greater or Icfs degrec,al- moft aifoon as they are capable of fpeaking and afting at all. And the wifer fon of David has faid, to the fame purpofe, that '* childhood and " youth are vanity" ; and that " folly is bound " up in the heart of a child". By which he doubtlefs means fomething that is in a degree vi- cious ; not fimple, unavoidable ignorance only : For he adds, that the " rod of correftion will drive it far from him ;" which could not be faid with propriety, of mere natural and una^•oidable
ignorance.
SER. IL of Ones felf, 75
ignorance. It is not my defign to Tuggeft, that either you, or any others, were really and pro- perly vicious, finful and criminal, before you were capable in any meafure of diftinguifhing be- twixt good and evil : Much lefs, that you were juflly liable to eternal torments,either on account of any corruption of nature which you brought into the world with you, or by reafon of the im- putation of Adam's fin to you. For I find no- thing in the fcripturcs that implies either of thefe things ; and, beyond them I do not chufe to be wife. But were you not fmful creatures, in a degree^ affoon as you began to a<5t vicioufly • Was :-!Ot that very early in life ? And is not this at leafl:, juil: matter of humiliation to you, and to all ^ If you are fober-mindcd ; if you think foberly of yourfelves, even as you ought to think, the molt harmlefs and innocent oi you will not be pure in your own eyes : but acknowledge that you arc unclean ; having been guilty of numberlcfs irre- gular defies, and faults ; of many vicious actions, from your childhood, fmce you were actually capable of difccrning betwixt good and evil. So that if God were ftrid to mark Iniquity. even the mofl innocent of you could not ftand in judc- raefit. What then would be the confeouencc, as t6 the mo'A criminal !
3. This leads me to obfervc, that think- ing foberly of yourfelves, impfies the ferious con- fideration of your ibte as you are m.orally pol- luted creatures, guilty before God, aixl ihnding In need both of fur fication, and forgivenefs with ' God. That dartneis ©f the human mind, that
ifregulai-ity
y6 Of thhikwg fohcrly SER. II.
irregularity of the will, and diforder of tlie af- fe<5tions, which may juflly be tcrmcu natural, in the fenfc before explained, are certainly infelici- ties at leaff, from which all, for their own fakes, fhould defire deliverance ; that inftead of them, there may be knowledge in the mind, regularity in the will, and a due fubordination of the pafTi- ons and affcftions to right rcafon. Herein fum- marily confifts that moral purity which was jull now hinted at ; and which ftands in oppofition to the natural blind ncfs and depravation of the mind. But you ought to confideryourlcivcs,not merely as carrying about with you a mental dif- eafe, which needs a remedy ; but alfo as culpa- ble and criminal in the fight of God, on account of your aftual deviations from tiie rule of your duty, fo fir as you have really departed from it, in thought, word or deed ; and therefore, as was faid before, itanding in need of forgivencfs alfo. An holy God, tho' he may pity, and fhew mercy to, yet muil needs be difplealcd with, thofe who knowingly violate his commandmcnts,or the la vs of reafon and virtue ; as you have all dcubdcfs done in many inftanccs. If God had been rigo- roufly juft, or deftitute of mercy, you might have been cafl: off by him even in chi!dhood,for youf fins committed in ti:at flatc. Your tranlgrcffi- ons have ftill been growing more numerous, and, probably, more aggravated with youi* years : So that it is not owing to your own innocence, but to the Lord's mercy, that you are not con^med. And^ in order to being fob- r-minded, you are to think thus foberly of yourielvcs and your
llatc
SER. II. of Ones felf. 77
Hate, with reference to God and his laws ; for this is no more than what you ought to think, it being only truth and faft ; and fuch truth, the ferious confideration of which, has a very clofe connexion with chriftian fobriety of mind; or rather, is comprifed in it.
4. This implies a ferious confideration of your natural frailty, or mortality ; of the many evils to which you are liable in this world ; of the fhortnefs and uncertainty of human life, and the certainty of death approaching. Many .people, and particularly the young, are apt to entertain fond, romantic conceits about worldly felicity, and to put far away the evil day of death, of adveriity and forrow ; feldom, perhaps, thinking of it at all, and when they do,generally fluttering themfelves that this day Is at a great diilance. But if ever you are truly fober-minded, you will think differently upon this fubjeft. You. will fee the vanity of the world and its enjoy- ments ; even of all that is in the world, " the " luft of the eye, the iufl: of the fiefh, and the ** pride of life". You v/ill often have in your thoughts, the bodily pains and difcafes, the nu- merous erodes and difappointments, and the ma- ny other natural evils, to which mankind are fubje^led in the prcfent Hate ; agreeably to the reprefcntations of fcripture, and to the experience oi all ages — Hiat the crcature,-that mankind are '' made fubjccl unto vanity". You will not therefore, if you think fobcrly ol yourfelves,and the prefent ftatc, depend upon any great, unin- terrupted and iafting •"olicity in this '^ evil world";
or
7 8 Of thinking foherly SER. IL
or even upon living long in it. For there are hardly any more obvious truths than thefe : That " man that is born of a woman,is of few days and " full of trouble : He cometh forth as a flower, " and is cut down ; he fleeth alfo as a fhadow, " and continueth not." How frequent are the examples of mortality, even in the young ; in the hail and ftrong, who had the fairefl profpe6t of any, of long life \ How often have you your- fclves feen tJhe words of Job verified I — That '* onedieth in his full ftrength, being wholly at *' eafe and quiet. His breafts are full of milk, *' and his bones are moiftencd with marrow." It is not of fo great importance for you to know particularly, how mankind originally came into fuch a (late as has been mentioned, as it is to know, and duly to confider, the certainty of it as a 'i^i^. It may therefore fuflice here, to ob- ferve to you In general, that the holy fcriptures fpeak of this as having been occafioned by the fin of our firfl: parents, or their apoftacy from God — But jult fentiments concerning human Jifc, mortality and death, confidcred as fafts, are doubtlefs a very material branch of that fobriety, to which young men fhould be exhorted.
5'. A sERJous confideration of the confe- quences of death,belongs alfo to this head. Thefe confcqucnces are mo(l: important and intcrefting in their nature, according to the holy fcripturcs; which reprefent this Ihort life as a (late of trial or probation, and that which follows it, as a fh tc of recompence ; which is therefore to be eithc r a o^oft happy or miferable one to all men \ eP
pecflivcly,
SER.il of Ones. felf. 79
pc6lively, according to the deeds done by them " in the body." Tho' your bodies are mortal, your fouls will furvive them : " It is appointed unto all men once to die, and after that the judg- ment." Now you will not, certainly, deserve the charaiftcr of fober-minded,unlefs.you often think ferioufly of thcfe things ; — approaching death, the immoriality of your fouls, the righteous judgment of God, and the unfading, eternal joys, or the unutterable woes, which will be the confcquence of that decifive judgment.
There are many other things neceffary for ti^e illuftration of chrilHan fobriety : Of which in the next difcourfe. But
I CANNOT conclude, my young brethren, without cautioning you againfl: pride, vanity and felf-fufficicncy ; than which there is nothing more repugnant to true fobriety. Confider your- fclvcs at all times as the degenerate ofF-lprincr of Adam. Confider the narrownefs, weaknefs, and great imperfection of your intelle<5lual faculties; how naturally-dark your minds are, as you come into the world ; how little you really know ar prefent, how much you are wholly ignorant of, and will be, ihould you live ever fo lon^, Confider the moral depravation of your minds; your proncncfs to vice ; the many fins and fol- lies whi^h you have been guilty of, from your early childhood ; how jullly you might be con- demned by Him, that is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity ; who chargcth even his angels with folly, and in whofe fight tl-.c heavens are not clean. Confider the need which you have,
both
8o Of thlnkwg foherly SER. 11.
both of cleanfing from the filthlncfs of the flefh and fpirit, and of pardon, through the blood of Jcfus, Chriil. If you entertain fuch fcntimcnts as thcfe ; if you think thus foberly of yourfelves, it will be a good flcp towards that fobriety of mind to mhich you arc exhorted. But there Avill be but litlte ground of hope tcf- pe(5ling you, if you are vain and proud ; if you are puffed up with an high opinion of yourfelves ; of your own knowledge, innocence and virtue, or your righteoufncfs in the fight of God — In flying thcfe things, you doubtlefs perceive on une hand, that I do not mean to flatter you in any evil or falfe way. You may be equally af- fured on the other hand, that I do not mean to reproach and revile you ; but only to rcprcfcnt the iimple truth to you, that you may now acquaint yourfelves with God, and be at peace ; fo that good may come unto you in the end.
Let me alfo, in conformity to what has been faid before, caution you againll thofe fond and groundlcfs conceits about worldly happinefs, par-^ ticularly in the gratification of your fenfual lufts and paffions, which the minds of the young are fo commonly filled with ; while they ncgleft that pious and virtuous pradice, in which alone true felicity is to be found. Such imaginations as thofc, are mere dreams, or the dclufions of him that is faid to be a liar and murderer from the beginning,on account of his tempting ourfirft parents with the fair forbidden fruit; telling them that they fhould not furcly die by eating of it, but become happy and immortal as gods. The like dclufions he pra(5tifes from age to d^go. with fuc-
ccfs.
SER.II. ofOm'sfelf. 8i
cefs, upon the unexperienced fons of Adam and Eve ; To that they alfo flatter themfelves "with the hopes of happlnefs, by eating " forbidden fruit ;" and in doing thofe things, of which God hath fa id, that the end of them is death. It would be your wifdom to take warning by the fate of our common progenitors : And alfo to trull the experience of thofe in all ages, who having made the trial, have found that vi- cious pleafures are but pain in the end ; parti- cularly the experience of that great king, and PREACHER* to young men, who, after fo much trial, faid : " Vanity of vanities, all is va- *' nity" — " I have feen all the works that are " done under the fun, and behold all is vanity *' and vexation of fpirit." Hear then, my beloved brethren, what the fame wife, great and royal PREACHER calls " the conclufion of the whole matter"; — the refult of all his obfervations, in- quiries, reflection, and experience — " Fear God, " and keep his commandments ; for this is the *' whole of man. For God fliali bring every " work into judgment, with every fecret thing, " whether it be good, or whether it be evil."
Solomon.
SERMON
G
,,,«,,*^^^*.X*-^^ ,,*V^^
Sermon III.
Chriftlan Sobriety further explained ; tv'z. (4.) Of Repentance. (5.) Of the Faith which is faving. (6.) Of an ex- ternal ProfefTion of Chriflianity. (7.) Of Prayer. And (8.) Of iiniverfal Obedience to Chrift's Commandments.
*#*##•*«?*#####*###*#•%###***##-**###*»#
TITUS II. 6.
Yqvng !M£X Iikcwife exhort to he fiber- mmded.
MY firlt dlfcoiirfc upon this fubjc^l con- tained iucJi oblervations as were tJio't proper by way of introdu(5tion to the main dcfign. What that was, has alfo been flicwn already ; and not only lo, but entered up on in the fecond and laft difcourfc. It will now be proper jult to remind }ou, that ihc MRST part of that deflgn^ was,
SCMFWH AT
SER. III. Of Repentance. 83
Somewhat clifl:in(n:Iy to explain to my young [brethren, the nature of that fobriety which is .fpokcn of in the text ; and to recommend it to them in a curfory way.
In purfuance of which branch of it, divers re- marks have already been made upon the nature of fobriety, confidered both Internally and exter- nally ; and more particularly, the three follow- ing, r/z,
1. That it is founded in a firm belief of God's being and perfections, his moral govern- ment, and univcrfal providence.
2. 1'hat it Implies a belief of the gofpel of ChriO-, or the Chrlifian revelation. And
3. That it alfo implies, thinking foberly of One's fclf.
These things were as diftin611y explained as I could well do it, unlefs I had fpent more time upon them. And, without any further repeti- tion, I fhall now proceed, by divine permillion and afTiilance, to fome other particulars compre- hended in Chrifl'ian fobriety : For as to any 6~ iher fobriety, my young bretlircn, whether real or imaginary, v.e ihall now have no concern v.ith it. To proceed, therefore.
IV. This fobriety fuppofes and implies in it, fmcerc repentance ; fuch a repentance as the Lord Jefus ChriJi: and his apofHes preached to the world. In the preeeeding difcourfe I mentioned to you, thinking foberly of yourfehes, us a ne- eeflary ingredient in true fobriety of mind : And that, as was then fhewn, implies a ferious con- iideration of the darknefs and depravity of mind G 2 vvj.ich
84 Of Repentance. $ER. III.
which arc common to you with the reft of man- kind. It alio implies a confidcration of your part fms and mifcarriages ; and of the ib.tc of guilt which you are in, in confccjuence of having tranf- gcefTed God's comm.andmcnts. But fomething beyond this, is implied in repentance. Let mc:, .therefore, fnew, as briefly as may. be, \\hat the .holy fcripturcs intend hereby. And,
In general, repentance properly fignifies a 'change of fentiment, of mind and dlfpofition, in xonfequencc of refled:ion ; an after-wifdom in One that has been in error and vice ; and, in one word, the convcrfion, i. c. the turning of his heart from fhi and folly to righteoufnefs,. an4 wifdom, — from the power of fatan unto God. This, in general, is the true fcriptural idea of re- pentance ; as it is, indeed, explained by thcfc fcripture-expreffions, " repentance from^ dead *' works", and " repentance towards pod". But, more particularly,
I. Repentance implies a fenfc of having erred from the paths of trutli and viftue , or a convicftion of the mind and coni'cience, tliat a pcrfon has done amifs ; that he has done what he ought not to have done, and ncgkx^lcd.thofe things which he was in rcafon bounti to do. Some perfons have indeed been much more cri- minal than others : their deviations from their ;duty have been more numerous, and their faults of a more heinous nature. But all are in fomc degree culpable. And no pcrfon ever did, or can repent, without being llril convinced of his errors.
2. Rr.rENT.\NCE
SEk. Iir: (f Repentance. %}
z. Repentance implies, not only a fenfe' of having done amifs, but of having therein tranfgrefTed God's coinmandments, which are* holy, jufl: and good : Or, in other words, of having finned againft God. Even an atheiit/ continning fuch, may be convinced of his having tranfgrcffcd the laws of right reafon, and of juf^ tice ; but he cannot repent ; which impHes a convicTion of the mind thatOne has finned againft God, or tranfgreffed his laws, confidered as fuch ': ", For fm is the tranfgreflion of the law" of God,
3. Repentance implies fhame,and remorfe of confcience. And this is, indeed, very clofeiy connefted with a conviftion of mind, that One has violated the commandments of the all-wife, holy and good God. The penitent finner finds himfelf pierced and wounded at the heart ; or, in the language q{ fcripture, '^ pricked in the heart", as with a poifoncd arrow, or a deadly darr.
4. It implies felf-condcm nation, a fcnfe of ill- defcrt, an apprchenfion of God's righteous dit pleafure, and fear of " the wrath to come." Hov/ever eafy or fccurc the fuiner were before, vet when the holy law of God, and his own (ins are at once brought into his view, the very fight is as it were mortal to him. This is the two-fold Hate, or rather, thcfe are the fucccifive ilates of mind, which the apoftle Paul rcprefents in the cmphatical words foUov/lng : " I ^^as alive v.ith- out the law once ; but when the commandment came, fin revived, and I died."
5. Tho' repentance implies remorfe of con- fcience, and felf-ccndemnatioii^ it is <^irentialiy
Q 7, different
86 Of Repentance. SER. IIL
different from difpair. True repentance is ever attended with a degree of hope towards God ; defpair implies a fear of wrath void of hope, which is the ftate of devils. That carries th<; foul to God, as a merciful and gracious being, who delightcth not in the death of (inners : This drives it from him, and plunges the fmncr into a ftate of greater guilt and mifcry than he was in before. The defpairing (inner has, if I may fo exprcfs it, both his eyes fixed on the holy law, or jufHce of God : The true penitent, but one of his ; the other being turned on God's mercy, or grace, manifeftcd in the gofpcl. So that repentance aud faith, tho' o^tcn treated of diftin^tly, and tho' really dillincl in fonie rcfpcfts, mutually infer and imply each other, when we fpeak of that repentance and faith which are truly evangelical.
6. True repentance implies ah ingenuous forrow for, and hatred of all fin in general, as It IS moft unreafonable in itfclf, and contrary to the holy nature of God ; not merely as it ex- pofes the finner to his wrath and curfe.
7. It is, accordingly, attended with a fincere and fixed refolution, by God's grace and help, to forfake all the known ways of^vice and folly without exception. If f may fo exprcfs it, re- pentance cuts " of the right hand," and " plucks out the right eye" : It fevers betwixt the heart and every former lufl-, how beloved fcever ; or how fovcreign an empire foever it once main- tained over the blinded and enflavcd foul.
9. The
SER. III. Of Repenmcc. 87
9. Thk finccre penitent is rcfolvcJ, not only tkit he will " ceafc to do evil", but by God's grace, " learn to do well"; and live in obedience to all his commandments.
It fhould be farther obfcrved,
10. That fnch a repentance as this, which is the gift of God by the miniftry of the gof- pcl, under the condu^l: and influence of his Holy Spirit, conditutes that renewed itate of mind, which the fciiptures cxprcfs by a *' new heart', being " born again", the " new creature", the " new man", and the like.
Now true repentance is abfolutcly necclTary in order to true fobricty of mind. Oih- Lord jefus Chriil preached the neceflity of it himfelf, ikying, *' Except ye repent, yc fhall all — perifh." He commanded his apolHcs to do the lame thro*- out the world, with this addition, that the r"c- milfion of fins fhould be proclaimed at the fame time in his name. This he did, in tlie molt ex- plicit manner, not till aher his rcfurrefbion ; as in the following words : ^ Thus it behoved " Chrift to fufFer, and to rife again the third day : ** And that repLUtanco and rcmiflion of fms ** Ihould be preached in his name, among all *' nations — And ye Are witnelles of thcfe things. *' And behold I fend the promife of my Father ** upon you : but tarry ye — untill ye be endued ** uich power from on high f." The apoitles pun(5tucdly followed his direcftions in this, as in other refpe^ls. I'or immediately after they had received '' the promife of the Father ". — - r]i(^ G Holy
f Luke 34 46—49.
88 Of Repentance, SER. III.
Holy Ghofl: fent down from heaven in confor- mity to his promife, on the day of pentecoft, we find them preaching thus ; " Repent, and " be baptized every one of you in the name of " Jefus Chrift, for the remifTion of fmsj": And . again foon after, to the fame purpofe, thus : . " Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that " your fins may be blotted out — " * They did the like wherever they preached, whether to Jews or Gentiles. And accordingly the apoftle Paul, giving an account of his own dodrine, does it in this comprehcnfive manner : " Tefti- fying both to the Jews," faith he, " and alfo to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jefus Chrilh §"
Certainly then, you cannot imagine your- felves fober-minded, without that repentance which Jefus Chrift and his apofHes taught thus, as a grand, fundamental part of the religion of finfui creatures. Be allured that, whatever you may believe concerning God and his Son Jefus Chrifl:, concerning the common degeneracy of mankind, or any other matter, you will yet be the fubjefbs of no fobriety defcrving the name of ChrifHan, without godly forrow for your own fins refpe<^iveiy, and a deep repentance ; fuch an one, in general, as w as briefly defcribed before ; and particularly fuch an one, the confc- qucnce of which ihall be the acflual forfaking of every known wicked pra^lice. If you have no dthcr fobriety of mind, than what will confift vith an habitual indulgence of your lulh, this is
a :jr Afti II. 38. • Ch. III. !9. Ch. XX. 21.
SER. IIL Of Repentance, 89
a ftrange fort of fobriety indeed ; fiich as neither the fcriptures, nor common fenfe, knows any thing of. What a folecifm would it be, to fpeak of a fbh ber-minded young man,ftill " walking in the way of his heart, and in the fight of his eyes ; '.' and refolved in thofe wicked courfes, for which God has pofitively declared, he " will bring him into judgment" ? You would not, furely, think it any commendation of you, to be chara^lerifed as fc[- ber young men, and then to have your fobriety explained after this manner : You would imme- diately and iuiUy conclude, that you were re- proached in the bitter language of farcafm and irony — And God grant, there may be very few fuch fober-minded young men amonglf us ! ImV agine not therefore, you have any fobriety that is ,the worthy the name, till you have repented of all your (ins in duft and aflies ; till you find in yourfelves a fixed refolution to forfake them ; till you implore the forgivenefs of them with truly broken and contrite hearts ; till you call: yourfelves on the grace .of God as manifeftcd thro' Jcfas Chriil:, faying in the humble fpirit of the Publican, " God be merciful to me a finncr!" Nor, in a word, till you internally and truly con- fent to that method of falvation which the gofpel reveals. Every thing Ihort of this, will leave you deftitute of chriilian fobriety.
And this leads me to fpeak a httle more di- ftinctly than I have hitherto done, of that fiiith wliich the fcriptures fpeak of as having the rc- . miifion of fins, juftification and eternal life con- neded with it. Which faith, tho' it includes, yet certainly intends much moic than wJiat is
lifuaUj
90 Of the Faith SER. III.
ufually called a fpcculativc belief of the chrifllan revelation ; the neccflity of which latter, was fpoken of in the foregoing difcourfe. To proceed therefore, V. Christian fobrlcty of mind, implies in it that faith, which is often fpoken of in fcrip- ture as juftifying and faving. Let me explain this matter to you under the following obfcrvations : For a thing of fo great importance ought not to paflTed over with a curfory mention of it.
1. Sinful men, as fuch, need a mediator between God and them ; a redeemer and favi- our from fin and death. God is, indeed, per- feft in goodnefs and mercy, even efTentially, or in his own nature. But according to the rcprc- fentations of fcripture, it was not confifl:cnt with his wifdora and majedy, or the dignity of his laws,and the honor of his government ; (the due fupport of which, by the way, is a^iuiUy for the good and happinefs of the intelligent creation in general) It was not confdtent herewith, I fay, for God to overlook, or to forgive the tranfgreilions of men, without the intervention of a mediator ; who fhould do and fuffer what might have a tendency, and be fufficient to vindicate the honor of his laws, by exciting and prcferving in all, a juil veneration for his government, at the fame- time that guilty creatures were made partakers of his lenity and grace.
2. The Son of God, the Lord Jefus Chrlft, is the one and only perfon, who fuftains this character of a mediator betwixt Gcd and finners. *' For there is one God, and one mediator be-
** tvvecn
SER.III. ivhich is faving, 91
*' twcen God and men, the man Chrift Jefus ; " who gave himfelf a ranfom for all, to be tefti- " ficd in due time f". He is the " propitiation " for the fins of the whole world"; having died for all, " the juft for the unjuft, that he might '* bring us to God". — " Neither is there falvation " in any other : For there is none other namt!; " given under heaven among men, whereby we " muft be faved." *
3. The Lord Jcfus Chrift was appointed and ordained to this office by God, even the Father, from the original clemency and goodnefs of his nature ; by him to manifefl: the riches of his grace to thofe that were obnoxious to his righ- teous difpleafure, or in a fkte of fin, condem- nation and death. " For God fo loved the *' world, that he gave his only begotten Son, *' that whofoevcr bclievcth on him, Ihould not " pcrifiijbut have everlafting life. ForGod fcnt not *' his Ton into the world to condemn the world, " but that the world thro' him might be favcd."J And, " In this was manifcfted the love of God " towards us, becaufc that God fcnt his only bc- " gotten Son into the world, that we might five " thro' him. Herein is love, not that we loved *' God, but that he loved us, and fent his fon to *' be tlie propitiation for our fins." § Tjie me- diation of Chrirt, therefore, is the effcd, tlie confequcnce of God's love and grace to finfui men, not the caurfe or ground of it, as it his often been reprefentcd, not a little to the dif- honor of God's goodnefs, and of his free, ncli grace to the children of men. 4. God
t T Tim 11 .- 6. * A^is 4. 12 X Johr HI \6, tj.
§ I John 4 9, 10.
92 Of the FaUh SER. III.
4. God jhlmfclf having appointed his Son to the mediatorial office, there can be no doubt but that he is ycv all refpefts, duly qualified for It : And " able to fave them unto the uttcrmo{l-,that " come unto God by hi"^-" To >vhlch end, " it " pleafed the Father that in him fhould all ful- " ncfs dwell".
5*. The holy fcrlptures frequently fpcak of the Lord Jefus Chrift, as fullaining a threefold chara<^er, or relation to man'kind ; and as exe- cuting three high and important offices in the capacity of a mediator between God and men. He was " a prophet mighty in deed and word, " before God and all the people". He is the high pried-, the " great high pricft of our pro- feffion" : And he reigns as a king ; God having " given him all power in heaven and in earth" ; or " put all things under his feet, and [partlcu- *' krlv] given him to be head over all things to " the^church."t
6. The revealed method of obtaining the forgivenefs offms, deliverance from wrath, and a title to eternal life, thro' Jefus Chriil:, is molt ufually expreffed in the new teftamcnt by the terms '* faith", " believing" on him, " receiving him," and " coming to him." — " That w hofu- cver helieveth on him, fhould not periih," &c.- — " Ye are all the children of God by faith in Chrid: Jefus." — " As many as received him, to them gave he power" [the high and glorioiis privilege] " to become the fons ' of God, even to them that hd'isve on his name." — " Ye will
not
t Epb I 33.
SER. III. tvhkh is Javing. c^^
not come unto me^ that yc might have life." — ^ " Come unto me all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you relh" Thefe various cxpredions arc undoubtedly fynonimous,,or fig- nify in general the fame thing.
7. These expreflions being compared with other pallagcs of fcripture, and the whole tenor of the new telfament,' c^n intend nothing fhorr of a finctTjTje acquiefence in, or affent and confent of the heart to, that method of falvation which is revealed thro' Chrift: For it is "with the heart " that man belieyeth untorighteoufncfs". So that the faith which in .fcripture is faid to juftify and.favc, might be defined in the following man^ ner, conformably to the foregoing remarks ; mz. Faith is the a6l of a, , fclf-condcmned, humbled and repenting. finneTj^ flying to, and calHng him.- feif uppn the free gr^ce of GodJn Jefus Chrill: ; whom he trufls with the concerns of his foul, as ^ die .only, and -ev^ery^way fufficient Saviour of fmners,. provided andappointcd by the Father ; internally receiving and fubmitting to him in the v.^hole of thatj chara<^er, as he is revealed in the gofpel, viz. as a prophet, priefl: and king : Which iaith implies in it the new birth,or the renovation ot the heart, and is a living, operative principle of love and obedience ; never failing, when there is time and opportunity for it, to produce good works, or a virtuous, holy and godly Xi'ic. — Let me diiHn.aly, tho' briefly, explain the fevci-al parts of this dctiniiion.
Th A T faith which has forglvcncfs, juftificatioii and falvation connected wiih if, then, is an
94 Of the Faith SER. HI.
" a<5l" ; the acl of the foul, or mind. In which rclpc<^ it agrees with bcheving, alien ting, or con- fenting, in any other cafe whatever ; all \a hich are real a6ts or operations of the mind. Our Saviour himfclf calls believing a " work," in anfwer to that qucftion, '* What fhall v e do, that we might work the -a^orks ofGod''.^ — "This is the li^^r^ of God," faid he, *' that ye believe '* on him, whom he hath fent."f Moreover,
It is the a<5l of " a fclf-condemned, hum- bled and repenting (inner." None but fuch an one can, in the nature of the thing, truly believe in Chrift as the faviour of finners, or have any defire, how much need focver he may have, to be faved by him. It is, accordingly, thofe that ** labor and are heavy laden" with a fenfe of fin, that Chrift invites to come unto him, or believe on him, faying,- — '* And I will give you reft." Again,
It is the ac^ of filch a finner, " flying to, and rafting himfelf upon the free grace of God." It is implied in his being " felf-condcmned," Sec. I hat he trufts not in himfelf, or in any innocence or rightcoufncfs of his ovmi : So that all his hopes muft ncceflarily terminate at laft, or the mere gr;.ce and mercy of God. And faith is that •.\^ of the foul, by which it has reeourfe to this mercy, or humbly depends upon the God of a'l ^race, for pardon and filvation. But
It is on the mercy, cr free grace of God " in Jefiis Chrift," that the repenting finner thi;-i cafts himfelf by faith. However ccrt.iin ii miy
be
t Joho-VI. 28, 39.
SER. in. -which is faving, 9j
be upon principles of rcafon only, that God is a good and merciful being ; yet the true believer trufts in his mercy, as it is revealed and ma- nifeftcd thro' Chrift ; " coming unto God by him." t
Ag a I x : He carts himfelf on the grace of God in Chrift, whom he alfo " trulh with the concerns of his foul." Faith implies a finner's relying or depending upon the Lord Jefus Chrifl: as a Redeemer and Saviour. And that, in the next place,
As the " only, and every-way fufficient Savi- our of dnners." The true, penitent believer does not doubt of Chrid's being in all refpeifts a fuitable and adequate Saviour of finful men : (For to do fo, is the cflence of inlidelity.) And as the only one, in conformity to theapoftle's words^ " Neither is there falvation in any other." Moreover,
He truils in him thus, as the Saviour ** provi- ded and appointed by the Father^ This is im- plied in what was faid before ; and {o needs not to be infilled on. Only it ihould always be re- membered, that Chrilt does every thing in the affair of man's falvation, in conformity to the fovereign and gracious pleafurc of God, even the Father— " Who gave himfelf '^or our fms," fays the apoftle — " according to the will of God ai:id our Father." *
Th k penitent believer in Chrill: as a Saviour, docs at the fune time, and thereby, " internally receive and fubmit to him in the -ivhole of that
chara*5lcr,
§($ .Of. the Faith SI;R. IIL
ehaira^er, as he is re\TaIed in the gofpel." Chrift, as a Saviour, is not divided, not are his offices or benefits divided. . Neither does chi iflian or faving faith refpeft him, confidcred in one of his capa- cities exckifively of the other ; but in all of them in conjundlion' ; as the one undivided mediator, in conformity to the doc%ine of the gofpel ; viz. . "' As a prophet, prieil and king." Now, in- l;emally to receive and fubmit to him as a " pro-' phet", i&toconlider and regard him as fnch ; to' give in tire credit to whatfoevcr he has faid, fo f4r as it is known ; fmcerely to defire to " learn of him", and to be inftru^kd by him in ■ the things which pertain to the 'kingdom of God. As faith refpefts him in his " pricfHy" office, it means depending upon the mercy of God for pardon and falvation ; through his facrifice, atone- ment, or blood filed upon the crofs, and his in- terceffion with the Father in confequence there- of. And faith, as it rcfpe^ts him in his regal or '* kingly" character, means fubjeftion, or duti- ful and loyal fubmiflion of heart to him, his au- thority and government ; or a iincere confcnt of the mind to be ruled and governed, as well as protecfted, and finally faved by him. Nor did ever any perfon properly receive and iubmit to the Lord Jefus Chrift, or believe on him, in any one of thefe chara(ftcrs,(fuch is their connexion} without doing fo with rcfpeft to them all. Again : Such a fiith as this, implies or connotes ** the new birth", or that ** renovation of the ** the heart" by the Spirit of God, fo often fpo-
kcii
SER. III. which is faving, 97
ken of in fcripture. This is evident from a confideration thereof, as it has now been briefly explained. And the fame thing is al- fo connoted or implied, in the faith fpokea of in fcripture as faving — " To them gave *' he power, " fays St. John, " to become " the fons of God, even to them that believe *' on his name : Which were horn^ not of *' blood, nor of the will of the flefh, nor of " the will of man, hut of God f".— ^' Who- *' foever believetb that Jefus is the Chrift" [truly and properly believetb it] " is born of *' GodX\^'' Ye are all the children of God " by faith in Chrift Jefus. [| "— " And if chil- " dren, then heirs," &c.*
This faith is of confequence, as was faid before, " a living, operative principle of love and obedience ; never failing, where there is time and opportunity for it, to produce good works, or a virtuous, holy and godly life. For, " Whofoever is born of God, doth not *' commit fin "f : But — •*' overcometh the " world ; and this is the victory that over- " Cometh the world, even our faith"J — " In *' Chriil Jefus neither circumcillon availeth " any thing, nor uncircumcifion ; hut faith " that nvorketh by love.''\\ — " Wilt thou know, *' O vain man, that faith without works is '* dead" ? — " By works was faith made per- *' fe(5l." * It mult be particularly obferved, H however,
t John I. 12. 13. X John 5. i. [j Gal. 3. 26. * Rom. 8. 17. + I John 3. 9. % Chap. 5. 4. jj Gal. 5. 6. * Sec James II. 14.
98 Of the Faith SER. IIL
howetcr, that a finncr is no fooncr the fub- je^l of luch a faith, than he is aclually in a ftate of pardon, juftificaiion and falvation, whether he hvcs afterwards to perform good works, or not. If he lives, he certainly will perlbrni them, having fuch an holy antl ope- rative principle in his heart. For it is a con- trad id ion to fiippofe, that a perfon who was once a rebel, fhould at length internally fub- mit himfelf to Jcfus Chrill as his king, and y.et not a6l as becomes a loyal fubjcd of his kingdom, by doing his commandments. But if he has no opportunity for this, by reafc^n of death, he is yet equally fafe, equally julti- fied : His faith ; the loyalty and obedience oi his heart, virtually contain all good works. And, by the way, from this fcriptural account of the faith which juliities and faves, appears the great error of thofe, who fpeak of juiliti- cation as antecedent to repentance, faith and regeneration ; it being manifellly fubfcquenr, or polierior thereto, in order and conception, according to the fcriptures.
Such, my young brethren, is that faith, fo much fpokcn of in the new teitament ; that faith which is truly juilifying and faving ; and without which there is no falvatioii. For he that doth not believe thus, or in the true fenfe of fcripture, is " condemned already." No kind or degree of repentance or reforma- tion, intitlcs anv perfon to falvation, inde- pendently of faith ; It is by means of this
faith,
SER. IIL which is faving, 99
faith, which indeed includes or fuppofes re- pentance, that Tinners arc delivered irom con- demnation and wrath. This, theretbre, is indifpenfably necclTary, in order to your be- ing ibber-minded in a chriltian fenfe. Who- ever falls fhort of this, falls Ihort of chriftiaii fobricty. For furcly, that cannot be a truly chrillian fobriety of mind, which leaves a fmner in a (late of guilt and coildemnation. Any fobriety which a perfon may be the fub- jet^l: of, and yet perilli in his fms at lalf, as a defpifer or neglecfer of the falvation revealed thro' Chrifl, is elTentially dcfedive.
Whatever concern then, you may have upon your minds about your pall fins ; tho' your external pradice may be much reform- ed ; and tho' you may be really defirous of etcriial happinefs : (as who is not?) Yet if you ^o not give the confent of your hearts to be laved by Jefus Chrill, in the way that the gofpel makci known ; if you do not fin- cerely, peniten?]'/ aiii humbly call yourfelves on the mercy of God, receiving and fubmit- ting to Chrirt as a prophet, priefl: and king ; you are not Ibber-aiiaded in the full andjufl: fenfe of the text : You are not yet adually in the fpiritual kingdom of Chrill and of God, tho' you may not be far from, but near to it, and in a hopeful way of finally inheriting the blcffingiJ of it. This is not, however, a itate to be relied in as fafe or fecure. If you are burthened with a fenfe of fin and H 2 guilt,
lOO Of ari external SER. III.
guilt, and fear the wrath to come, rcmeni- ber the gracious words, and hearken to the invitation of Him, who once laid, and ftill faith, " Come unto me — and I will give " you refl. Take my yoke upon you, and " learn of me — and ye Ihall find reft unto " your fouls : f " That is, in other words, Become my true difciples and followers ; be- lieve in me, and fubmit yourfclves to the laws of my kingdom ; Doing which, you will enjoy great peace of mind at prefent, and inherit everlafting life.
You will obfervc, that what has been faid under this head of difcourfe, relates immedi- ately, not to your exterr-al praclice, but to that faith which is truly faving, and is it- felf the fubftance or elTence of Chrillian fo- briety internally confidered ; the root and principle of all true holinefs, or Chriftian obedience.
It is therefore to be obfcrvcd, in the next place, that Chriftian fobriety implies in it,
VI. An external confejfion of ChrilVs name, a profciTio]! o{ the religion which bears it, and an explicit dedication of One's fclf to the fcrvice and glory of God in him. No perfoii of adult age has any right to be looked upon as a fober-minded or real Chridian, till he has given reafon for others to think him fuch, by making a chrillian profeflion in conformi- ty to the order of the gofpel, or the command- men: t Matt. XI. 28, 29.
SE R III. Profejp.on of Chriftianity, i o i
ment of our Saviour, and the laws of his kingdom. And here,
I, It is required, not only that you be- lieve in Chrill, but voluntarily, or by an a(^ of your own, ta}<:e upon yourfelves the cha- rader of his difciples and followers, by " na- ming his nan:ie" in a folemn and public man- ner, or " before men" ; thereby vifibly devo- ting yourfelves to God in him, and laying yourfelves under obligation to condu6l your felves in other refpcds, as becomes the pro- feffed followers of him, who was " holy, harmlefs, undcfiled, feparate from fmners. " The Lord Jefus Chriit not only encourages fuch a public confellion of him, by a gracious promife on one hand ; but difcountenanccs the negleifl hereof by amoft awful threatning on the other. " Whofoever lliall confefs me *' before men," faith he, " him fhall the Son " of Man alfo confefs before the angels of " God. But he that denieth me before men, *' fhall be denied before the angels of God." f In another evangeliii it is, — • " before my " Father which is in heaven. "J He fays,
nearly to the fame purpofe, elfe where.
" Whofoever fliall be alhamed of me, and of *' my words, of him fliall the Son of man be " afhamed, when he lliall come in his own '• glory and his Father's, and of the holy an- *' gels."* Thefe are vcr}^ Iblemn warnings againft difowning Chriil, his name or '' hi!> H 3 words,"
t Luke 12. 8, 9. :j; Matt. loth Chsp. * Luke 9. 2|^.
102 Of an external SER. III.
words," even in times of fore trjal and perfc- curion forrighteourncis lake ; to which times they more particularly refer. But, to be afha- med of, to d if own or to neglect confeffing them, when there is nothing of that fort to be feared, is doubtlefs far more criminal and dangerous. It is manifell from the whole current of the nevv-teltament,thal the faith of the heart is to be accompaii)ed with the con- Icflion of the tongue ; and that as neccfTary to falvarion, except in extraordinary cafes. " If thou (halt confcfs with thy mouth the *' Lord Jcfus, " fays the apoftlc, " and flialt bc- *' lieve "in thine heart that God hath raifed him *' from the dead, thou flialt be faved. For *' with the heart man believcth unto righte- *' oufiicfs, and with the mouth confefTion is *' made unto falvation."* Indeed, if any who know this to be the will and command- ment ot Chritt lefpccling them that believe on him, the contempt or wilful neglect thereof, is abfolutcly inconfillent with a llncerc regard to hun and his authority : It is, in its nature, inconriftent with fuch a faith in him as the fcripturc fpcaks of as faving ; which faith re- fpecls him as truly in his regal, as in his pro- phetic or facerdotal charac^ler. But,
2. Tho' it is pofitively injoincd upon thofe who believe in Ghrifl:, to confefs him before jTicn ; yet it is not to be fuppofcd nccelTary, or the thing intended hereby, that perfons ' fhould
* Jlora. X. 9, 10.
SER.III. Profejftonof Chri/lianily. 103
fliould (land up in the midft of an afrembl}^ and, viva voce, or in exprefs words uttered by themiblves, declare their faith in him. For fome cannot even /peak at all, and much lefs in fuch a public manner. Neither can it be fuppofed neceiTary for them to profefs their repentance, faith and experiences in a long writing, under their hands ;- — -a common prac^lice formerly in this country, but grow- ing daily more and more into difufe ; and not without fufficient reafon, as being atten- ded with divers inconveniences, which need not be particularly mentioned. Therefore,
3. Nothing more, or farther, can be fuppofed neceflary as to this matter, than that people (hould, in a folcmn, public manner, and by fome lign, or figniticant gclture, com- monly underftood, make fuch a declaration of their faith in Chrilt ; fignifying their confent to the covenant of grace eftablilhed in him, and their refolution, by the help of God, to walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord, blamelefs ; or to condud themfelvcs in all refpects accord- ing to the laws of Chrilt 's kingdom. This may be effectually done, without any fpeak- ing or writing on their part, in public. And as nothing beyond tliis can reafonably be fup- pofed to be required, by " confcfling Chritl *' before men" ; fo neither can any thing jhort of it be fuppofed to come up to the thing really intended thereby, in any natural con- H 4. Itrudiou
104. Of an external SER. IIL
llrudion of the words, or in confiftency with the pradice of the chriftian church from the earHcft times.
4. Under this head, I mufl: not omit par- ticularly to mention the chridian ordinance of baptifm, which our Lord inftituted as the outward, vifiblc lign of initiation into his church, or a mark of dilciplefhip to him ; faying to his apoftles, " AH power is given '' unto mc in heaven and in earth : Go ye " therefore, and teach aU natjons, baptizing- " them in the name of the Father, and of the " Son, and of the Holy GholVf. The known practice of the apoftlcs afterwards, being compared with this injunciion, fhews that our Lord defigncd water-baptiftn therein. For, that they adually baptized with water, is e- vidont from many pallages in the new-tefta- mcnt ; not only in the Ads, but Epiftles of the apofUes : And dgubtlefs they did (0 m obedience to Ch rift's command, which they underftood much better than the modern dc- niers of watcr-baptifm. Mr. Robert Barclay has defcendcd to cavil and trifle upon this fub- jcd, in a manner much below a perlbn of his learning and good fenfe : AlTcrting that tho' John's baptifm was by or with water, Chrift's was to be witliout water, or meerly an inter- nal and fpiritual baptifm. His principal ar- gument to ellablifh this doctrine, is grounded on the words of John Baptift himlelf : " I
" indeed
tMatt. 22. iS, 19.
SER.III. Projejfton of Chrijltanity. 105
" indeed baptize you with water unto repen- *' tance ; but he that cometh after me — 'fhall *' baptize you with the Holy Ghofl and with *' fire"f . According to which diftindion and oppodtion, he infills, that as John's baptifni was by water without the Spirit, fo chriftiaii baptifm is folely by the Spirit without water.: So that there neither is, nor ought to be, any' baptifm under the Gofpel difpenfation, and in conformity to Chrift's commandment, belides that of the Spirit, or theHoly Ghoft ; this be- ing it felf, and this alone, chridian baptifm.
To overthrow which fophifm, I need re^ mind you only of two paflages of fcripture, both in the Acls of the apoftles. Soon after they themfelves were baptized with the " Ho- ** ly Ghofl and with fire" ; i. e. received the Spirit, which appeared to them in the form of ** cloven tongues, like as of fire"J ; we find them preaching thus to the people : " Re- *' pent, and be baptized every one of you, " in the name of JefusChriil for the remiflioii " of fins, and yc pall receive the gift of the Ho- " ly Ghoft'X According to which, the Holy Ghofl was to be given them in confequence of their being baptized in the name of Chrift. Therefore receiving chriftian baptifm, and receiving the Holy Gholl, do not mean pre- cifely the fame thing,as it is pretended ; one of them being prior to the other, and a means thereof. And what could that be,but watcr-
baptifm
t Matt. III. II. + AflsII. 3. H Ver, 38.
io6 Of an external SER. III.
baptifm in Chrifl's name, in cmfiquence of which, the perfons baptized were to receive fpiritual baptifm, or the Holy Gholt ?
But there is another paffagc which dill more clearly refutes the learned Barclay's comment upon the above-cited words of John. We are informed that St. Paul " came to E- ** plK^fus, and finding certain difciples, he " laid unto them, Have ye received the Holy " Ghoft fince ye believed ? And they faid, ** We have not fo much as heard whether " there be any Holy Ghoft. And he laid ** unto them. Unto what then were ye bap- *' tizcd \ And they faid. Unto John's bap- *' tifm." Be pleafed particularly to obferve what immediately follows, in which there is an exprefs reference to the words of John : *' Then laid Paul, John verily baptized with ** the baptilin of repentance, faying unto the ** people, That they faould believe on him " which fhould come after him, that is, on " Chrift Jefus. When they heard this, they " were baptized in the name of the Lord Je- " fus, ylnd ivhen ^Paul had laid his hands on " the??j,the HofyG ho/} came upon thetnY'. Now, could there poffibly be a plainer diftinction than this, either, full-, betwixt John's baptifm, and baptifm in Chrift's name afterwards ; or, fecondly, betwixt thefe perfons being baptized in Chrift's name, and their receiving the Ho- ly Ghoft ? This was fubfequent to the other,
and
f Ads xix. I 6.
SER.III. ProfeJfiOft of Chrijlianity, 107
and not till after Paul had laid his hands on, as well as baptized them. Chriftian baptifni then, and receiving the Holy Ghoft, were not the fame thing ; but the former of them, ordinarily at leall, prior to the latter, and an inftituted means thereof: And what could that be, but water-baptifm ? Whereas, upon Mr. Barclay's principles, it was John's bap- tifni only, that was by water ; Chrift's being entirely fpiritual.
Upon the whole then, the plain fenfe of John's word's, on which fo much flrefs has been laid by the Qiiakers, may be expreffed thus— I indeed baptize you with water[only] unto repentance : But Jefus Chrift will foon inftitute another baptifm, which, tho' per- formed by an external wafhing with water, as mine is, fhall yet have far more glorious effeds. For penitent believers in Chrift, be- ing baptized in conformity to his inftitution, fhall, in confequence thereof, receive the Holy Ghoft — There is nothing harfti in this para- phrale ; the difference betwixt John's and Chrift's baptifm is fuflkiently preferved there- by ; and there is a neceflity for fuch an one, in order to account for the apoftles baptizing with water, as they certainly did. Let me add, that if this be an inftituted means of ob- taining the Holy Spirit, it may be juftly fear- ed that thofe who negle6l and defpife it, have fome what lejs odhc Spirit among them, than they would be tho't to have : Tho' I do
not
io8 Of an external SER. III.
not prefume to judge any ; for to his own mafter every one ftandeth or falleth.
Your duty then, in this refpeCl, is clear : AH who beUeve in Chrill:, not having al- ready been baptized with water, are obliged to be {o^ in obedience to his command. — ■ Tho' as to the far greater part of you, my young brethren of this fociety ; I conclude you were baptized in your infancy : So that you are not to be exhorted to be again baptiz- ed. But there are many of you, who have not yet made this as it were your own a<51:, by vifibly taking upon yourfelves the bonds of the chriftian covenant. And the neglecl hereof, in thofe that are come to adult age, is not very conlillent with chriftian fobriety. Nor can you be tho't to have yourfelves con- fefled Chrift before men, in the manner re- quired by him, by being devoted to him by youv parents or others, in your infancy.
5. There is a confiderable number of thofe that may be j uflly accounted young men, tho' not unmarried, who, in order to obtain baptifm for their children, have made a pro- feflion o^ their faith in Chrifl, and folemnly bound thcmfelves to obferve <?// the laws of his kingdom ; and yet turn their backs upon the Lord's table from year to year, as if this were no chriitian inftitution ;-- as tho' Chrift had never faid, " This do in remembrance ** of rac " ; and as tho' the infpircd apoftle had not faid, " As oft as ve eat of this bread,
" and
SER.III. Profejfton of Chrijlianity, 109
" and drink of this cnp, ye do fhew theLord's " death, //// he come." It is not very eafy to reconcile this negledl, with the fuppofltion of your having been fincere and in earnejl, when you engaged to obey all Chrift's known com- mandments and inllitutions ;— upon fuppofl- tion that you allow this to be one of them, as you cannot deny it to be. I have often, and very particularly fhewn what your duty is in this refped ; tho' with much lefs fuccefs than was defjred. Howevxr, I will not be weary or dilcouraged in reminding you of it ; hop- ing that the time will come, when what is ferioully faid to you upon this head, will be as ferioufly attended to ; and have a proper influence upon your practice : Which will be a better evidence of your being truly fober- minded, than any that you can well give, while you habitually abfent yourfelves from the fellow fhip of Chrift's church and people in one of his ordinances.
Indeed, if unchnjlian terms of chriftian communion are infilled on in any church or churches, your not being incorporated with them, provided it is folely for this reafon, will not be your fault, but that of the impo- fers of fuch terms. Nor can it be denied, that there has been a great deal of this kind of antichriftian impofition and tyranny prac- tifed in different ages; particularly in refped: of creeds, or articles of laith. For, inftead of being contented with fuch a fjmple, plain and apoftolic confeffion as this, " I believe
that
lid Of an external Profejfwn, SER. III.
that JefiisChriJl is theSon o/'God " f ; or even "with a general and fcrious profeflion of faith in the holy fcriptures as the word of God ; many churches have imperioiifly required an explicit profeflion of unfcriptural articles of faith, as the pretended "form of found words"; tho' almoft barbarous enough, perhaps, both in expreflionand fentiment, at once to wound the ear, affront the fenfe, and fhock the hu- manity of an Hottentot I
But, furely, it is time that all proteftants, efpecially protcftant-diffcntcrs, fliould make the holy fcriptures the fhindard of a found faith and chriflian practice, in oppofition to ALL OTHER forms of found luords ; as fomc are pleafed to mif-call the reveries of poor crazy monks and lunaticks, half-diftracfcd fchoolmen, fuperannuatcd ciuhufuills, and proud, fadious, avaritious zealots for a parry,
Eretending to make black white, and white lack ; and then fcolding at, and curfing all the world, that would not implicitly believe their unholy ravings, and fubmit to them as the true, uncorrupted catholic faith ! — God, in his own time, which is approaching, will put an end to all thefe antichriflian ufurpa- tions in his church. Chriii's " fan is in his hand, and he will thoro'ly purge his floor. " And happy is it for thofe who, in the mean while, neither exeicil'e fuch tyranny over o- thers, nor fufier under it ; at once allowing to all, and enjoying themlllvcs, that juil and
reafonabie t Ads vni. 37.
SER. in. Of Prayer. m
reafonable *' liberty, wherewith Chrifl; has made his difciplcs free from every fuch yoke of bondage. "
VII. Christian fobriety implies frequent and fervent prayer to almighty God in the name of Chriif, for the pardon of fin, for the Holy Spirit, for light, I'upport, fandification, comfort ; in a word, for all needed bleflings, temporal and eternal : Together with devout and grateful praifcs for all bleflings enjoyed of every kind, to the Father of lights, from whom *' every good gift, and every perfe(^l gift Cometh down." An habitual negled of prayer, is abfolutely inconfiftent with the Jpirit of chriflianity. And if ever you are really fober-minded, you will find in your- lelves an heart, a difpofition \o pray, and to give thanks to " God and our Father formal! *' things, in the nameof ourLord JefusChrift." It will not be a grievous tall; or burden to you, as it is to a fecure and hardened finner. So fir from this, that you will find yourfelves iineafy if you are long without pouring out your hearts before God. You will not only pray to him in public with his people, and in a more private rtnanner, if you have oppor- tunity ; but in fecret. And even when you are engaged in the lawful and neceflary bufi- nefs of life, your hearts will frequently be lifted up to God in the heavens, in holy de- fires, grateful praifes, and good refolutions : Thus, in the language of the aportle, "pray-
112 Of univerfal Obedience SER.III.
" ing always with all prayer, and fupplica- " tion in the Spirit, watching thereunto *' with perfeverance. " *
I MIGHT mention many other particular duties, as belonging to the head of chriftian fobriety ; for, indeed, there is no one duty, but what belongs to it. But, inftcad of defcending to more particulars, I muft ob- fervc now in the lalt place,
VIII. That chriflian fobriety implies living a truly religious, virtuous and holy life, in conformity to the precepts of the gof- pel, the laws of Chrift's kingdom. OurLord frequently cautioned his diiciples againll de- pending upon an external profeflion of faith and religion, without good works, without obedience to his commandments. " Not *' every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fays he, " fnall enter into the kingdom of " heaven ; but he that doeth the will of my *' Father who is in heaven. Many will fay *' unto me in that day. Lord, Lord, have we *' not prophefied in thy name, and in thy *' name cafi out devils, and in thy name done *' many wonderful works ? And then will I *' profcfs unto them, I never knew you : de- ** part from me, ye that work iniquity".! So that, whatever -wonderful works men may (}iO^ yet if the v neglect good works, or (till work iniquity^ they arc not true difciples of Chrift. How many devils foever they call out ; yet if they leave one to reign in their own hearts, lo
that
* Eph. VI. i8. t Matt. VII. 21, 22. 28.
SER. III. io ChrlJFs Commandments. 1 1 ^
that they " do his hiils," they are moft exprefly excluded from all hopes of eternal life, indeed, living in the praclice of any known fin^ is abfb- lutcly inconfiitent with true repentance, and that faith which is faving, according to the account before given of them. " How fliall they that are dead to fin, hve any longer therein .^" Or how Ihall they that are " alive unto God by Jcfiis Chriil:," not live to God, or not' obey his known will in every refpe<5t ! It is impoflible : If the tree be good, the fruit will be good ; if the heart be renewed and fmftified, the life will alfo be renewed and holy. The love of God and of man, underflood in their proper and juft extent, and coniidered as principles in the heart, the effects of Chriftian faith thro' the influences of the holy Spirit, do in a fort comprehend all Chriftian duties and virtues. Known, wilful and habitual difobedience to God in any reipeft, is inconfiitent therewith ; inconGftent with chrifHan fincerity, and therefore with fobriety.
If, therefore, you afpire to the chara<51cr of be- ing fober-minded, " iiaving believed in God, you muft be careful to maintain good-works :' ' You muft keep his commandments in view, endea- vouring, by his grace, to glorify him in all things ; to form your temper, and whole courfe of life, according to thcfe reafonable, jufl: and good pre- cepts which Chrifl has left his difciples to walk by ; not forgetting his own admirable example of piety, purity and humility ; of meeknefs and charity, of temperance and patience ; nor al- I lowing
•I 14 Traclical Kejlexions. SER. III.
lowing yourfclves in any thing vhich you know, or in your conrcicnccs believe, is concra- •ry to the will of God. For, as was intimated :before, doing fo, is abfolutcly inconfiftent with integrity and uprightnefs oMieart, as well as with that holincfs of life whieh God has required of all whom he hath favoured with the light of- -the gofpel, and ealled to his eternal kingdom and glory by Jefus Chrift.
I HAVE now done with ihcfrjl general head of difeourfe propofed, having fomewhat dilHnvflly explained to you the nature of that fobriety, to whieh even " young men" are to be exhorted.
Let me conelude for the prefent, with fome ^ort reflexions on what has been faid upon it.
And, I. You would do well, my young bre- thren, to apply this to yourfclves refpeftively, in the way of ferious felf-cxaiiunation. !t bceomcs you to confider both your paftand prefent ways-; whatfentiments and difpofitions are predominant in your hearts ; and by what rules and maxims your lives are directed : That fo you may be a- ble to judge, what your own true characters re- ipeftively are ; Vvhcther you are truly