III. SERM. ful appearance! If we believe that we shall be judged, not according to the opinions of men concerning us, or our port and garb in this world, but as we are in ourselves, and according to strictest truth; that in the close of things we shall be set forth in our right colours and complexion, all varnish being wiped away; that all our thoughts, words, and deeds shall be exposed to most public cenfure; that hypocrify will be a fore aggravation of our fin, and much increase our fhame; how can we fatisfy ourselves otherwise than in the pure integrity of our heart, and clear uprightness of our dealing? Likewife the admirable virtue of humility, or fobriety of mind, doth sprout from faith; informing us, that we have nothing of our own to boast of, but that all the good we have, we can do, we may hope for, are debts we owe to God's pure bounty and mercy; prompting us to affume nothing to ourselves, but to afcribe all the honour of our endowments, of our performances, of our advantages unto God; keeping us in continual dependance upon God for the fuccours of his providence and his grace; representing to us our natural weakness, vilenefs, and wretchedness, together with the adventitious defects and difadvantages from our wilful mifbehaviour, the unworthiness of our lives, the many heinous fins we have committed, and the grievous punishments we have deferved. He who by the light of faith doth fee, that he came naked into the world, heir to nothing but the sad confequences of the original apoftafy; that he is a worm, crawling on earth, feeding on duft, and tending to corruption; that he liveth only by reprieve from that fatal fentence, The day thou finneft thou shalt die; that he was a caitiff wretch, a mere flave to fin, a forlorn captive of hell; and that all his recovery thence, or capacity of a better state, is wholly due to mercy; that he subfifteth only upon alms, and hath nothing but his fins and miferies, which he may call his own; he that believeth these things, what conceit can he have of himself, what confidence in his own worth, what complacency in his eftate? Faith alfo doth engage to the virtue of temperance; difcovering not only the duty, but the neceffity thereof, SERM. in regard to our state, which is a state of continual exer-. III. cife and ftrife; wherefore as wreftlers with many ftrong' adverfaries, as racers for a noble prize, we by good diet and conftant labour must keep ourselves in heart, in temper, in breath to perform those combats; according to that of St. Paul, Every man that striveth for the mastery 1 Cor. ix. is temperate in all things. Again, Faith is productive of contentedness in our state: for how is it poffible that he, who is fully fatisfied that God appointeth his ftation, and allotteth his portion to each one; that all occurrences depend on his will, and are managed by his providence, fhould take any thing amifs; as if it could hap better, than as infinite goodness pleaseth, and infinite wisdom determineth? How can he that believeth God moft powerful and able, most kind and willing, ever present and ready to help him, be in any cafe difconfolate, or despair of feasonable relief? What can discompofe him, who knoweth himself, if he pleaseth, immoveably happy; that his best good is fecure from all attacks, and beyond the reach of any misfortune; that defiring what is beft, he cannot fail of his defire; that (himself excepted) all the world cannot confiderably wrong or hurt him? 25. Matt. vi.25. Phil. iv. 6. 1 Pet. v. 7. 17.. 29. Prov. xii. He that is affured, thofe precepts (Be careful for nothing; Caft all your burden on God; Be content with fuch things as ye have) were not given to mock and gull us ; 1 Tim. vi. that those declarations and promises (There is no want to Heb.xiii. 5. them that fear God; No good thing will God withhold Luke xii. from them that walk uprightly; There shall no evil happen Pfal. xxxiv. to the juft; The defire of the righteous fhall be granted; 9. viii. 11. All things work together for good to them who love God ; 21. x. 24. Seek ye firft the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and 28. all these things fhall be added unto you) were feriously Matt. vi.33. made, and will furely be performed, how loose must his mind be from all folicitude and anxiety! how steady a calm, how sweet a ferenity will that faith spread over his foul, in regard to all worldly contingencies! It will alfo beget a cheerful tranquillity of mind, and Rom. viii. Rom. xv. 13. Heb. iii. 6. ix. 14. SERM. peace of confcience, in regard to our future ftate; that III. which St. Paul calleth all joy and peace in believing; which the Apostle to the Hebrews termeth the confidence and rejoicing of hope; of which St. Peter faith, Believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: for he that 1 Pet. i. 8. is perfuaded that God (in whose difpofal his fortune and felicity are) is reconciled and kindly affected toward him ; that he doth concern himself in defigning and procuring his falvation; that to purchase the means thereof for him, the Son of God purposely came down, and fuffered death; that an act of oblivion is paft, and a full remiffion of fins Rom. viii. exhibited to him, if he will embrace it; that now there is no condemnation to them that are in Chrift Jefus ; and that, being juftified by faith, we have peace with God; that bleffing is his portion, and that an eternal heritage of joy is referved for him, what eafe must he find in his conscience, what comfort muft poffefs his heart! how effectually will that of the Prophet be accomplished in him, Ifa. xxvi. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whofe mind is flayed on thee, because he trufleth in thee! 1. V. 1. Col. i. 5. Again, It is faith which breedeth the courage, and upholdeth the patience requifite to support us in our spiritual course. It doth infpire courage, prompting to attempt the bravest enterprises, difpofing to prosecute them refolutely, and enabling happily to achieve them: for he that believeth himself in his undertakings backed by OmnipoPhil. iv. 13. tence, and that, as St. Paul, he can do all things through Chrift ftrengthening him, what should he fear to set upon, what difficulty should keep him off, what hazard should dif(Phil. i. 28. may him? he that knoweth himself, by reafon of the fuc1 John iv. cour attending him, infinitely to overmatch all oppofition, whom fhould he not dare to encounter? May he not well Pf.xxvii. 1. fay with David; The Lord is my light and my falvation, whom shall I fear? the Lord is the ftrength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Let all the world, let earth and hell combine to invade him, how can that mate his vii. p. 51. fpirit, if he believe they cannot overthrow him, or hurt him, being fecured by the invincible protection of him, to 4.) cxviii. 6. Chryf. tom. Pfal. xlvi. 1, 2. III. whofe will all things do bow; in comparison to whom SERM. nothing is puiffant, befide whom nothing is really formidable; seeing none but he can kill, none can touch the Matt. x. 28. foul? 1 Theff. v. 12. If we be armed with the fpiritual panoply, having our head covered with the helmet of falvation, our heart guard- Eph. vi. 15. ed with the breaft-plate of righteoufnefs, our loins girt. about with truth, our feet fhod with the preparation of the Rom. xiii. Gofpel of peace, all our body sheltered by the impenetrable 2 Cor. vi. 7. Shield of faith; and wielding in our hands by faith the penetrant two-edged fword of the Spirit; which is the word Heb. iv. 12. of God; what affaults may we not fuftain, what foes shall we not easily repel? Rom. vii. The most redoubtable enemy we have is our own flesh, Gal. v. 17. which, with a mighty force of violent appetites and impe- 23. tuous paffions, is ever struggling with our reafon, and war- 1 Pet. ii. 11. ring against our foul; yet it faith alone dareth to resist, and is able to quell; oppofing to the prefent delights of fenfe the hopes of future joy, quafhing tranfitory fatisfactions by the fears of endlefs torment. The world is another powerful enemy; ever striving, by its corrupt principles, by its bad examples, by its naughty fashions, by its menaces of perfecution, damage, and difgrace, by its promises of vain honour, base profit, and foul pleasure, to overthrow and undo us; but a refolute faith will defeat its attempts; for, He, faith St. John, that is 1 John v. 4. (2 Pet. i. 4. born of God, overcometh the world; and this is the victory Eph. iv." that overcometh the world, even our faith: the faith of a 22.) better world will defend us from the frowns and the flatteries of this; the riches, glories, and joys of heaven, thereby presented to our minds, will fecure us from being enchanted with the wealth, fplendors, and pleasures of earth. Another fierce adversary is the curfed fiend; who ever, like a roaring lion, goeth about feeking to devour us, or like 1 Pet. v. s. a treacherous fnake lieth in wait to bite us; raising panic fears to daunt and affright us; laying fubtle trains of temptation to abuse and feduce us: but him by refiftance we may easily put to flight, for, Refift the Devil, faith St. Jam. iv. 7. Eph. iv. 27. 1 Pet. v. 9. SERM. James, and he will flee from you; and how we must resist III. him St. Peter telleth us, Whom refift fteadfast in faith; and St. Paul alfo, Above all, faith he, taking the Shield of Eph. vi. 16. faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one: if we hold forth this glittering fhield, it will dazzle his fight, and damp his courage; being not able to endure its luftre, or stand its oppofition, he will inftantly retire; fearing that by our victory over his temptations (through reliance on God's help, and adherence to his truth) our reward fhall be heightened, and his torment (the torment of improsperous envy and baffled malice) be increased. 29. Faith also will arm us with patience to endure whatever events fhall be difpenfed with alacrity and comfort; lightening the most heavy burdens impofed on us, fweetening the most distasteful occurrences incident to us: for, He who is perfuaded, that by any damage here sustained for confcience toward God, he shall become a huge Matt. xix. gainer, receiving, as the Gospel promiseth, an hundred fold, Luke xviii. and inheriting eternal life, what will he not gladly lose ? will he not willingly put forth all he hath in this most Heb. x. 34. profitable ufury? will he not, as thofe Hebrews did, take joyfully the fpoiling of his goods, knowing that he hath in heaven a better and an enduring fubftance? 30. Phil. iii. 8. Matt. v. 12. He who believeth, that in regard to any difgrace caft on him for his virtue, he thall be honoured by God, and crowned with heavenly glory, will he not in a manner be proud and ambitious of such disgrace? will he not, as the Acts v. 41, Apostles did, rejoice, that he is counted worthy to fuffer Shame for the name of Chrift? 1 Pet. iv. 14. He who trusteth, that for a little pains taken in God's Matt. v. 12. fervice, he shall receive wonùv μiodòv, abundant wages, far exceeding the merit of his labour, will he not cheerfully 1 Cor. iii. 8. bear any toil or drudgery therein ? Luke vi. 35. Rom. viii. 18. He who, with St. Paul, computeth, that the light afflic tions, which are but for a moment, are not worthy to be compared with the glories that fhall be revealed; and that 2 Cor. iv. thofe light momentany afflictions do work for us a far more exceeding weight of glory; will they not indeed be light 17. |
