Six Sermons, Sermon 3
Luke 7. 35.
But Wisdom is justified of all her Children.
OF all the Circumstances of our Blessed Saviours appearance and preaching in the World, there is none which, to our first view and apprehension of things, seems more strange and unaccountable, than that those persons who were then thought of all others to be most conversant in the Law and the Prophets, should be the most obstinate opposers of him. For since he came to fulfill all the Prophesies which had gone before concerning him, and was himself the great Prophet foretold by all the rest, none might in humane probability have been judged more likely to have received and honoured him, than those to whom the judgement of those things did peculiarly belong; and who were as much concern'd in the truth of them as any else could be. Thus indeed it might have been reasonably expected; and doubtless it had been so, if interest and prejudice had not had a far more absolute power and dominion over them, than they had over the rest of the people. If Miracles, and Prophesies, if Reason and Religion; nay, if the interest of another World could have prevailed over the interest of this among them; the Jewish Sanhedrin might have been some of the first Converts to Christianity, the Scribes and Pharisees had been all Proselytes to Christ, and the Temple at Jerusalem had been the first Christian Church. But to let us see with what a jealous eye Power and Interest looks on every thing that seems to offer at any disturbance of it, how much greater sway partiality and prejudice hath upon the mindes of men than true Reason and Religion; and how hard a matter it is to convince those who have no minde to be convinced; we finde none more furious in their opposition to the person of Christ, none more obstinate in their infidelity as to his Doctrine, than those who were at that time in the greatest reputation among them for their authority, wisdom, and knowledge. These are they, whom our Saviour, as often as he meets with, either checks for their ignorance, or rebukes for their pride, or denounces woes against for their malice and hypocrisie: These are they who instead of believing in Christ persecute him; instead of following him seek to destroy him: and that they might the better compass it, they reproach and defame him, as if he had been really as bad as themselves. And although the people might not presently believe what they said concerning him, yet that they might at least be kept in suspence by it, they endeavour to fasten the blackest calumnies upon him; and suit them with all imaginable arts to the tempers of those they had to deal with.
If any appeared zealous for the present peace and prosperity of the Nation; and for paying the duty and obedience they owed to the Roman Power, which then govern'd them: to them he is represented as a factious and seditious person, as an enemy to Caesar, as one that intended to set up a Kingdom of his own, though to the ruine of his Countrey: That it was nothing but ambition and vain-glory, which made him gather Disciples, and preach to multitudes; that none could foretell what the dangerous consequences of such new Doctrines might be, if n… timely suppressed, and the Author of the… severely punished. Thus to the prude… and cautious, reason of State is pretende… as the ground of their enmity to Chris… But to those who were impatient of th… Roman yoke, and watched for any apportunity to cast it off; they suggest th… mighty improbabilities of ever obtainin… any deliverance by a person so mean an… inconsiderable as our Saviour appeare… among them: and that surely God who… delivered their Forefathers of old from a bondage not greater than theirs, by a mighty hand and out-stretched arm, did never intend the redemption of his people by one of obscure Parentage, mean Education, and of no interest in the world. To the great men, they need no more than bid them, behold the train of his followers, who being generally poor, the more numerous they were, the more mouths they might see open, and ready to devour the Estates of those who were above them. The Priests and Levites they bid consider what would become of them all, if the Law of Moses was abrogated, by which their interest was upheld; for if the Temple fell, it was impossible for them to stand. But the grand difficulty was among the people, who began to be possessed with so high an opinion of him by the greatness of his Miracles, the excellency of his Doctrine, and the innocency of his Conversation, that unless they could insinuate into their mindes some effectual prejudices against these, all their other attempts were like to be vain and unsuccessefull. If therefore they meet with any who were surprized by his Miracles, as well as ravished by his Doctrine; when they saw him raise the dead, restore sight to the blinde, cure the deaf and the lame, and cast out Devils out of possessed persons, they tell them presently that these were the common arts of Impostors, and the practice of those who go about to deceive the people; that such things were easily done by the power of Magick, and assistance of the evil Spirits. If any were admirers of the Pharisaical rigours and austerities (as the people generally were) when mens Religion was measured by the sowerness of their countenances, the length of their Prayers, and the distance they kept from other persons; these they bid especially beware of our Saviours Doctrine; for he condemned all zeal and devotion, all mortification and strictness of life, under the pretence of Pharisaical hypocrisie; that he sunk all Religion into short Prayers and dull morality; th… his conversation was not among the persons of any reputation for piety, bu… among Publicans and Sinners; that nothing extraordinary appeared in his Life; that his actions were like other mens, and his company none of the best, and his behaviour among them with too great a freedom for a person who pretended to so high a degree of holiness.
Thus we see the most perfect innocency could not escape the venom of malicious tongues; but the less it enter'd, the more they were enraged, and made up what wanted in the truth of their calumnies, by their diligence in spreading them. As though their mouths indeed had been open Sepulchres by the noysom vapours which came out of them; and we may well think no less a poyson than that of Asps could be under their lips, which so secretly and yet so mischievously convey'd it self into the hearts of the people. The only advantage which malice hath against the greatest Virtue, is, that the greater it is, the less it takes notice of all the petty arts which are used against it; and will not bring its own innocency so much into suspicion as to make any long Apologies for it self. For, to a noble and generous spirit, assaulted rather by noyse and clamour, than any solid reason or force of argument, neglect and disdain are the most proper weapons of defence: for where malice is only impertinent and troublesom, a punctual answer seems next to a confession. But although innocency needs no defence as to it self, yet it is necessary for all the advantages it hath of doing good to mankinde, that it appear to be what it really is; which cannot be done, unless its reputation be cleared from the malicious aspersions which are cast upon it. And from hence it was that our blessed Saviour, though he thought it not worth the while to use the same diligence in the vindication of himself, which his enemies did in the defamation of him; yet when he saw it necessary in order to the reception of his Doctrine among the more ingenuous and tractable part of his auditors, he sometimes by the quickness of his replyes, sometimes by the suddenness and sharpness of his questions, and sometimes by the plain force of argument and reason, baffles his adversaries, so that though they were resolved not to be convinced, they thought it best for the time to be quiet. This was to let them see how easie it was for him to throw off their reproaches as fast as their malice could invent them; and that it was as impossible for them by such weak attempts to obscure the reputation of his innocency, as for the spots which Astronomers discern near the body of the Sun, ever to eclipse the light of it. So that all those thinner mists which envy and detraction raised at his first appearance, and those grosser vapors which arose from their open enmity when he came to a greater height, did but adde a brighter lustre to his glory, when it was seen that notwithstanding all the machinations of his enemies, his innocency brake forth like the light, which shineth more and more to the perfect day.
But it pleaseth God, for the tryall of mens minds so to order the matters of our Religion, that as they are never so clear, but men of obstinate and perverse spirits will finde something to cavil at; so they were never so dark and obscure in the most difficult circumstances of them, but men of unprejudiced and ingenuous minds might find enough to satisfie themselves about them. Which is the main scope of our Saviour in the words of the Text, (and shall be of our present discourse upon them) but Wisdom is justified of all her Children. Where without any further Explication, by Wisdom we understand the method which God useth in order to the salvation of mankinde; by the Children of Wisdom, all those who were willing to attain the end by the means which God affordeth, and by justifying, not only the bare approving it, but the declaring of that approbation to the World by a just vindication of it from the cavils and exceptions of men. Although the words are capable of various senses; yet this is the most natural, and agreeable to the scope of what goes before. For there our Saviour speaks of the different wayes wherein John Baptist and himself appeared among the Jews, in order to the same end, v. 32. For John Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and ye say, he hath a Devil. A very severe Devil surely, and one of the strictest orders among them, that was so far from being cast out by fasting and prayer, that these were his continual imployment! But what could we have sooner thought than that those persons who made the Devil the author of so much mortification and severity of life, should presently have entertained Religion in a more free and pleasing humour; but this would not take neither, for the Son of Man comes eating and drinking; i. … was remarkable for none of those rigou… and austerities which they condemned i… John, and applauded in the Pharisees; and then presently they censure him, as a gluttonous man, and a Wine-bibber, a friend … Publicans and sinners, v. 34. i. e. the utmos… excess that any course of life was capabl… of they presently apply to those who had no other design in all their actions, than to recommend true piety and goodness to them. So impossible it was by any means which the wisdom of Heaven thought fit to use, to perswade them into any good opinion of the persons who brought the glad tidings of salvation to them: and therefore our Saviour, when he sees how refractory and perverse they were, in interpreting every thing to the worse, and censuring the wayes which infinite Wisdom thought fittest to reclaim them by, he tells them that it was nothing but malice and obstinacy which was the cause of it; but if they were men of teachable spirits (who by an usual Hebraisme are called the Children of Wisdom) they would see reason enough to admire, approve and justifie all the methods of divine Providence for the good of Mankind. For Wisdom is justified of all her Children.
That which I mainly design to speak to from hence is, That although the wisest Contrivances of Heaven for the good of Mankind are lyable to the unjust cavils and exceptions of unreasonable men, yet there is enough to satisfie any teachable and ingenuous Minds concerning the wisdom of them. Before I come more particularly to examine those which concern our present subject, viz. the life and appearance of our Lord and Saviour, it will take very much off from the force of them, if we consider, that thus it hath alwayes been, and supposing humane nature to be as it is, it is scarce conceivable that it should be otherwise. Not that it is necessary or reasonable it should be so at all, any more than it is necessary that men should act foolishly or inconsiderately; but as long as we must never expect to see all men either wise or pious, either to have a true judgement of things, or a love of Religion; so long we shall alwayes find there will be some, who will be quarrelling with Religion when they have no minde to practise it. I speak not now of those who make a meer jest and scoff at Religion (of which our Age hath so many Instances) but of a sort of men who are of a degree above the other, though farr enough short of any true and solid wisdom; who yet are the more to be considered, because they seem to make a slender offer at reason in what they say. Some pretend they are not only unsatisfied with the particular wayes of instituted Religion, any further than they are subservient to their present interest (which is the only God they worship) but to make all sure, the foundations even of Natural Religion it self cannot escape their cavils and exceptions. They have found out an Index Expurgatorius for those impressions of a Deity which are in the hearts of men; and use their utmost arts to obscure, since they cannot extinguish those lively characters of the power, wisdom and goodness of God, which are every where to be seen in the large volume of the Creation. Religion is no more to them but an unaccountable fear; and the very notion of a spiritual substance (even of that without which we could never know what a contradiction meant) is said to imply one. But if for quietness sake, and it may be to content their own minds as well as the World, they are willing to admit of a Deity, (which is a mighty concession from those who have so much cause to be afraid of him) then to ease their minds of such troublesom companions as their fears are, they seek by all means to dispossess him of his Government of the World, by denying his Providence, and care of humane affairs. They are contented he should be cal'd an excellent Being, that should do nothing, and therefore signifie nothing in the World; or rather, then he might be styled an Almighty Sardanapalus, that is so fond of ease and pleasure, that the least thought of business would quite spoyl his happiness. Or if the activity of their own spirits may make them think that such an excellent Being may sometimes draw the Curtains and look abroad into the World, then every advantage which another hath got above them, and every cross accident which befals themselves (which by the power of self-flattery most men have learnt to call the Prosperity of the wicked, and the sufferings of good men) serve them for mighty charges against the justice of divine Providence. Thus either God shall not govern the World at all, or if he do, it must be upon such terms as they please and approve of, or else they will erect an High Court of Justice upon him, and condemn the Sovereign of the World, because he could not please his discontented subjects. And as if he were indeed arraign'd at such a barr, every weak, and peevish exception shall be cryed up for evidence; when the fullest and clearest vindications of him shall be scorn'd and contemned. But this doth not in the least argue the obnoxiousness of him who is so accused, but the great injustice of those who dare pass sentence; where it is neither in their power to understand the reason of his actions, nor if it were, to call him in question for his proceedings with men. But so great is the pride and arrogance of humane Nature, that it loves to be condemning what it cannot comprehend; and there needs be no greater reason given concerning the many disputes in the world about Divine Providence, than that God is wise, and we are not, but would fain seem to be so. While men are in the dark they will be alwayes quarrelling; and those who contend the most, do it that they might seem to others to see, when they know themselves they do not. Nay, there is nothing so plain and evident, but the reason of some men is more apt to be imposed upon in it, than their senses are; as it appeared in him who could not otherwise confute the Philosophers argument against motion, but by moving before him. So that we see the most certain things in the world are lyable to the cavils of men who imploy their wits to do it; and certainly those ought not to stagger mens faith in matters of the highest nature and consequence, which would not at all move them in other things.
But at last it is acknowledged by the men who love to be called the men of wit in this Age of ours, that there is a God and Providence, a future state, and the differences of good and evil, but the Christian Religion they will see no further reason to embrace than as it is the Religion of the State they live in. But if we demand what mighty reasons they are able to bring forth against a Religion so holy and innocent in its design, so agreeable to the Nature of God and Man, so well contrived for the advantages of this and another life, so fully attested to come from God by the Miracles wrought in confirmation of it, by the death of the Son of God, and of such multitudes of Martyrs, so certainly conveyed to us, by the unquestionable Tradition of all Ages since the first delivery of it; the utmost they can pretend against it is, that it is built upon such an appearance of the Son of God which was too mean and contemptible, that the Doctrine of it is incosistent with the Civil Interests of men, and the design ineffectual for the Reformation of the World. For the removal therefore of these cavils against our Religion, I shall shew,
1. That there were no circumstances in our Saviours appearance or course of life, which were unbecoming the Son of God, and the design he came upon.
2. That the Doctrine delivered by him is so far from being contrary to the Civil Interests of the World, that it tends highly to the preservation of them.
3. That the design he came upon was very agreeable to the Infinite Wisdom of God, and most effectual for the reformation of Mankinde.
For clearing the first of these, I shall consider, (1.) The Manner of our Saviours appearance. (2.) The Course of his Life; and what it was which his enemies did most object against him.
1. The Manner of our Saviours Appearance; which hath been alwayes the great offence to the admirers of the pomp and greatness of the World. For when they heard of the Son of God coming down from Heaven, and making his Progress into this lower world, they could imagine nothing less, than that an innumerable company of Angels must have been dispatched before, to have prepared a place for his reception; that all the Soveraigns and Princes of the World must have been summon'd to give their attendance and pay their homage to him: that their Scepters must have been immediately laid at his feet, and all the Kingdoms of the earth been united into one universal Monarchy under the Empire of the Son of God: That the Heavens should how down at his presence to shew their obeysance to him, the Earth tremble and shake for fear at the near approaches of his Majesty; that all the Clouds should clap together into one universal Thunder, to welcome his appearance, and tell the Inhabitants of the World what cause they had to fear him whom the Powers of the Heavens obey: that the Sea should run out of its wonted course with amazement and horror; and if it were possible, hide it self in the hollow places of the earth: that the Mountains should shrink in their heads, to fill up the vast places of the deep; so that all that should be fulfilled in a literal sense, which was foretold of the comeing of the Messias, That every Valley should Luke 3. 5, 6.be filled, and every Mountain and Hill brought low; the crooked made straight, and the rough wayes smooth, and all flesh see the salvation of God. Yea, that the Sun for a time should be darken'd, and the Moon withdraw her light, to let the Nations of the Earth understand that a Glory infinitely greater than theirs did now appear to the World. In a word, they could not imagine the Son of God could be born without the pangs and throws of the whole Creation; that it was as impossible for him to appear, as for the Sun in the Firmament to disappear, without the notice of the whole World. But when instead of all this pomp and grandeur he comes incognito into the World, instead of giving notice of his appearance to the Potentates of the Earth, he is only discovered to a few silly Shepheards and three wise men of the East; instead of choosing either Rome or Hierusalem for the place of his Nativity, he is born at Bethleem a mean and obscure Village: instead of the glorious and magnificent Palaces of the East or West, which were at that time so famous; he is brought forth in a Stable, where the Manger was his Cradle, and his Mother the only attendant about him: who was her self none of the great persons of the Court, nor of any fame in the Countrey; but was only rich in her Genealogy, and honourable in her Pedigree. And according to the obscurity of his Birth was his Education too: his youth was not spent in the Imperial Court at Rome, nor in the Schools of Philosophers at Athens, nor at the feet of the great Rabbies at Jerusalem: but at Nazareth, a place of mean esteem among the Jews, where he was remarkable for nothing so much as the Vertues proper to his Age, Modesty, Humility and Obedience. All which he exercises to so high a degree, that his greatest Kindred and acquaintance were mightily surprized when at 30 years of age, he began to discover himself by the Miracles which he wrought, and the Authority which he spake with. And although the rayes of his Divinity began to break forth through the Clouds he had hitherto disguised himself in, yet he persisted still in the same course of humility and self-denyal; taking care of others to the neglect of himself; feeding others by a Miracle, and fasting himself, to one: shewing his power in working miraculous Cures, and his humility in concealing them: Conversing with the meanest of the people, and choosing such for his Apostles, who brought nothing to recommend them but innocency and simplicity. Who by their heats and ignorance were continual exercises of his Patience in bearing with them, and of his care and tenderness in instructing them. And after a life thus led with such unparallel'd humility, when he could adde nothing more to it by his actions, he doth it by his sufferings; and compleats the sad Tragedy of his Life by a most shamefull and ignominious Death. This is the short and true account of all those things which the admirers of the greatness of this world think mean and contemptible in our Saviours appearance here on earth. But we are now to consider whether so great humility were not more agreeable with the design of his coming into the World, than all that pomp and state would have been which the Son of God might have more easily commanded than we can imagine. He came not upon so mean an errand, as to dazzle the eyes of Mankinde with the brightness of his Glory, to amaze them by the terribleness of his Majesty, much less to make a shew of the riches and gallantry of the World to them: But he came upon far more noble and excellent designs, to bring life and immortality to light, to give men the highest assurance of an eternal happiness and misery in the World to come, and the most certain directions for obtaining the one, and avoiding the other: and in order to that, nothing was judged more necessary by him, than to bring the vanities of this World out of that credit and reputation they had gained among foolish men. Which he could never have done, if he had declaimed never so much against the vanity of worldly greatness, riches and honours, if in the mean time himself had lived in the greatest splendour and bravery. For the enjoyning then the contempt of this world to his Disciples in hopes of a better, would have looked like the commendation of the excellency of fasting at a full meal, and of the conveniencies of Poverty by one who makes the greatest haste to be rich. That he might not therefore seem to offer so great a contradiction to his Doctrine by his own example; he makes choice of a life so remote from all suspicion of designs upon this world, that though the foxes had holes, and the birds of the air had nests, yet the Son of Man, who was the Lord and Heir of all things, had not whereon to lay his head. And as he shewed by his life how little he valued the great things of the World, so he discovered by his death how little he feared the evil things of it: all which he did with a purpose and i… tention to rectifie the great mistakes … men as to these things: That they mig… no longer venture an eternal happiness f… the splendid and glorious vanities of t… present life; nor expose themselves to t… utmost miseries of another world, to avo… the frowns of this. From hence procee… ed that generous contempt of the Worl… which not only our Saviour himself, b… all his true Disciples of the first Ages … Christianity were so remarkable for; … let others see they had greater things i… their eye than any here, the hopes of whi… they would not part with for all that th… world thinks great or desirable. So th… considering the great danger most men ar… in, by too passionate a love of these thing… and that universal and infinite kindne… which our Saviour had to the Souls … men; there was nothing he could discover it more in as to his appearance in the world, than by putting such an affro… upon the greatness and honour of it, as he did by so open a neglect of it in his life, and despising it in his death and sufferings. And who now upon any pretence of reason dare entertain the meaner apprehensious of our Blessed Saviour, because he appeared without the pomp and greatness of the world, when the reason of his doing so was, that by his own humility and self-denyal he might shew us the way to an eternal happiness? Which he well knew how very hard it would be for men to attain to, who measure things not according to their inward worth and excellency, but the splendour and appearance which they make to the world: who think nothing great but what makes them gazed upon; nothing desireable but what makes them flatter'd. But if they could be once perswaded how incomparably valuable the glories of the life to come are above all the gayeties and shews of this; they would think no condition mean or contemptible, which led to so great an end; none happy or honourable which must so soon end in the grave, or be changed to eternal misery. And that we might entertain such thoughts as these are, not as the melancholy effects of discontent and disappointments, but as the serious result of our most deliberate enquiry into the value of things, was the design of our Saviour in the humility of his appearance, and of that excellent Doctrine which he recommended to the World by it. Were I to argue the case with Philosophers, I might then at large shew from the free acknowledgements of the best and most experienced of them, that nothing becomes so much one who designs to recommend Vertue to the World, as a reall and hearty contempt of all the pomp of it, and that the meanest condition proceeding from such a principle is truely and in it self more honourable, than living in the greatest splendour imaginable. Were I to deal with the Jews, I might then prove, that as the Prophecyes concerning the Messia… speak of great and wonderfull effects of his coming, so that they should be accomplished in a way of suffering and humility. But since I speak to Christians, and therefore to those who are perswaded of the great kindness and love of our Saviour in coming into the World, to reform it, and that by convincing men of the truth and excellency of a future state, no more need be said to vindicate the appearance of him from that meanness and contempt, which the pride and ambition of vain men is apt to cast upon it.
2. But not onelyonly our Saviours manner of Appearance, but the manner of his Conversation gave great offence to his enemies, viz. That it was too free and familiar among persons who had the meanest reputation, the Publicans and Sinners; and in the mean time declaimed against the strictest observers of the greatest rigours and austerities of life. And this no doubt was one great cause of the mortal hatred of the Pharisees against him, though least pretended, that even thereby they might make good that charge of hypocrisie which our Saviour so often draws up against them. And no wonder, if such severe rebukes did highly provoke them, since they found this so gainfull and withall so easie a trade among the people, when with a demure look and a sowre countenance they could cheat and defraud their Brethren; and under a specious shew of devotion could break their fasts by devouring Widows houses, and end their long Prayers to God with acts of the highest injustice to their Neighbours. As though all that while, they had been only begging leave of God to do all the mischief they could to their Brethren. It is true, such as these were, our Saviour upon all occasions speaks against with the greatest sharpness, as being the most dangerous enemies to true Religion: and that which made men whose passion was too strong for their reason abhorr the very name of Religion, when such baseness was practised under the profession of it. When they saw men offer to compound with Heaven for all their injustice and oppression, with not a twentieth part of what God challenged as his due; they either thought Religion to be a meer device of men, or that these mens hypocrisie ought to be discovered to the World. And therefore our Blessed Saviour, who came with a design to retrieve a true spirit of Religion among men, findes it first of all necessary to unmask those notorious hypocrites, that their deformities being discovered, their wayes as well as their persons might be the better understood and avoided. And when he saw by the mighty opinion they had of themselves, and their uncharitableness towards all others, how little good was to be done upon them, he seldom vouchsafes them his presence; but rather converses with those who being more openly wicked were more easily convinced of their wickedness, and perswaded to reform. For which end alone it was that he so freely conversed with them, to let them see there were none so bad, but his kindness was so great to them, that he was willing to do them all the good he could: And therefore this could be no more just a reproach to Christ, that he kept company sometimes with these, than it is to a Chyrurgeon to visit Hospitals, or to a Physician to converse with the sick.
2. But when they saw that his Greatness did appear in another way, by the authority of his Doctrine, and the power of his Miracles, then these wise and subtle men apprehend a further reach and design in all his actions: Viz. That his low condition was a piece of Popularity, and a meer disguise to ensnare the people, the better to make them in love with his Doctrine, and so by degrees to season them with Principles of Rebellion and disobedience: Hence came all the clamors of his being an Enemy to Caesar, and calling himself, the King of the Jewes, and of his design to erect a Kingdom of his own, all which they interpret in the most malicious though most unreasonable sense. For nothing is so politick as malice and ill will is; for that findes designs in every thing; and the more contrary they are to all the Protestations of the persons concerned, the deeper that suggests presently they are laid, and that there is the more cause to be afraid of them. Thus it was in our Blessed Saviours case; it was not the greatest care used by him to shew his obedience to the Authority he lived under, it was not his most solemn disavowing having any thing to do with their civil Interests, not the severe checks he gave his own Disciples for any ambitious thoughts among them, not the recommending the doctrine of Obedience to them, nor the rebuke he gave one of his most forward Disciples for offering to draw his sword in the rescue of himself, could abate the fury and rage of his enemies, but at last they condemn the greatest Teacher of the duty of Obedience as a Traytor, and the most unparallel'd example of innocency as a Malefactor. But though there could be nothing objected against the life and actions of our Blessed Saviour, as tending to sedition and disturbance of the Civil Peace, yet that, these men (who were inspired by malice, and prophesied according to their own interest) would say, was because he was taken away in time, before his designs could be ripe for action, but if his doctrine tended that way, it was enough to justifie their proceedings against him. So then, it was not what he did, but what he might have done: not Treason but Convenience which made them take away the life of the most innocent person: but if there had been any taint in his doctrine that way, there had been reason enough in such an Age of faction and sedition to have used the utmost care to prevent the spreading it. But so far is this from the least ground of probability that it is not possible to imagine a Religion which aims less at the present particular interests of the embracers of it, and more at the publick interests of Princes than Christianity doth, as it was both preached and practised by our Saviour and his Apostles.
And here we have cause to lament the unhappy fate of Religion when it falls under the censure of such who think themselves the Masters of all the little arts whereby this world is governed. If it teaches the duty of Subjects, and the authority of Princes, if it requires obedience to Laws, and makes mens happiness or misery in another life in any measure to depend upon it; then Religion is suspected to be a meer trick of State, and an invention to keep the world in awe, whereby men might the better be moulded into Societies, and preserved in them. But if it appear to inforce any thing indispensably on the Consciences of men, though humane Laws require the contrary; if they must not forswear their Religion, and deny him whom they hope to be saved by, when the Magistrate calls them to it, then such half-witted men think that Religion is nothing but a pretence to Rebellion, and Conscience only an obstinate plea for Disobedience. But this is to take it for granted that there is no such thing as Religion in the World; for if there be, there must be some inviolable Rights of Divine Soveraignty acknowledged, which must not vary according to the diversity of the Edicts and Laws of men. But supposing the profession and practice of the Christian Religion to be allowed inviolable, there was never any Religion, nay, never any inventions of the greatest Politicians, which might compare with that for the preservation of civil Societies. For this in plain and express words tells all the owners of it, that they must live in subjection and obedience; not only for wrath, but for Conscience sake; that they who Rom. 13. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.do resist receive unto themselves damnation, and that because whosoever resisteth the Power, resisteth the Ordinance of God. Than which it is impossible to conceive arguments of greater force to keep men in obedience to Authority; for he that only obeys because it is his interest to do so, will have the same reason to disobey when there is an apprehension that may make more for his advantage. But when the reason of obedience is derived from the concernments of another life, no hopes of interest in this world can be thought to ballance the loss which may come by such a breach of duty in that to come. So that no persons do so dangerously undermine the foundations of civil Government, as those who magnifie that to the contempt of Religion; none so effectually secure them as those who give to God the things that are Gods, and by doing so, are obliged to give to Caesar the things that are Caesars. This was the Doctrine of Christianity as it was delivered by the first author of it; and the practice was agreeable, as long as Christianity preserved its primitive honour in the world. For, so far were men then from making their zeal for Religion a pretence to rebellion, that though Christianity were directly contrary to the Religions then in vogue in the world, yet they knew of no other way of promoting it, but by patience, humility, meekness, prayers for their persecutors, and tears when they saw them obstinate. So far were they then from fomenting suspicions and jealousies concerning the Princes and Governours they lived under, that though they were generally known to be some of the worst of men as well as of Princes, yet they charge all Christians in the strictest manner, as they loved their Religion and the honour of it, as they valued their souls and the salvation of them, that they should be subject to them. So far were they then from giving the least encouragement to the usurpations of the rights of Princes under the pretence of any power given to a head of the Church: that there is no way for any to think they meant it, unless we suppose the Apostles such mighty Politicians, that it is because they say nothing at all of it; but on the contrary, bid every soul be subject to the higher powers; though an Apostle, Evangelist, Prophet, whatever he be, as the Fathers interpret it. Yea so constant and uniform was the doctrine and practice of Obedience in all the first and purest ages of the Christian Church, that no one instance can be produced of any usurpation of the rights of Princes under the pretence of any title from Christ, or any disobedience to their authority, under the pretence of promoting Christianity, through all those times wherein Christianity the most flourished, or the Christians were the most persecuted. And happy had it been for us in these last ages of the World, if we had been Christians on the same terms which they were in the Primitive times; then there had been no such scandals raised by the degeneracy of men upon the most excellent and peaceable Religion in the world, as though that were unquiet and troublesome, because so many have been so who have made shew of it. But let their pretences be never so great to infallibility on one side, and to the Spirit on the other, so far as men encourage faction and disobedience, so far they have not the Spirit of Christ and Christianity, and therefore are none of his. For he shewed his great wisdom in contriving such a method of saving mens souls in another world, as tended most to the preservation of the peace and quietness of this; and though this wisdom may be evil spoken of by men of restless and unpeaceable minds, yet it will be still justified by all who have heartily embraced the Wisdom which is from above, who are pure and peaceable as that Wisdom is, and such, and only such are the Children of it.
3. I come to shew, That the design of Christs appearance was very agreeable to the infinite Wisdom of God; and that the means were very suitable and effectual for carrying on of that design for the reformation of Mankind.
1. That the design it self was very agreeable to the infinite Wisdom of God. What could we imagine more becoming the Wisdom of God, than to contrive a way for the recovery of lapsed and degenerate Mankind? who more fit to employ upon such a message as this, than the Son of God? for his coming gives the greatest assurance to the minds of men, that God was serious in the management of this design, than which nothing could be of greater importance in order to the success of it. And how was it possible he should give a greater testimony of himself, and withall of the purpose he came about, than he did when he was in the world? The accomplishment of Prophesies, and power of Miracles shewed who he was; the nature of his Doctrine, the manner of his Conversation, the greatness of his Sufferings, shewed what his design was in appearing among men: for they were all managed with a peculiar respect to the convincing mankinde, that God was upon terms of mercy with them, and had therefore sent his Son into the world, that he might not only obtain the pardon of sin for those who repent, but eternal life for all them that obey him. And what is there now we can imagine so great and desireable as this, for God to manifest hi… wisdom in? It is true, we see a great discovery of it in the works of Nature, and might do in the methods of Divine Providence if partiality and interest did not blinde our eyes; but both these, though great in themselves, yet fall short of the contrivance of bringing to an eternal happiness man who had fallen from his Maker, and was perishing in his own folly. Yet this is that which men in the pride and vanity of their own imaginations either think not worth considering; or consider as little as if they thought so; and in the mean time think themselves very wise too. The Jews had the wisdom of their Traditions which they gloried in, and despised the Son of God himself when he came to alter them. The Greeks had the wisdom of their Philosophy which they so passionately admired, that whatever did not agree with that, though infinitely more certain and usefull, was on that account rejected by them. The Romans, after the conquest of so great a part of the World, were grown all such Politicians and Statesmen, that few of them could have leisure to think of another world, who were so busie in the management of this. And some of all these sorts do yet remain in the World, which ma… so many so little think of, or admire t…s infinite discovery of divine Wisdom: nay, there are some who can mix all these together, joyning a Jewis… obstinacy, with the pride and self-opinion of the Greeks, to a Roman unconcernedness about the matters of another life. And yet upon a true and just enquiry never any Religion could be found, which could more fully satisfie the expectation of the Jews, the reason of the Greeks, or the wisdom of the Romans, than that which was made known by Christ, who was the Wisdom of God, and the Power of God. Here the Jew might find his Messias come, and the Promises fulfilled which related to him, here the Greek might find his long and vainly looked for certainty of a life to come, and the way which leads to it, here the Roman might see a Religion serviceable to another world and this together. Here are Precepts more holy, Promises more certain, Rewards more desireable than ever the wit or invention of men could have attained to. Here are Institutions far more pious, usefull and serviceable to mankinde; than the most admired Laws of the famous Legislators of Greece or Rome. Here are no popular designs carried on, no vices indulged for the publick interest, which Solon, Lyourgus and Plato are charged with. Here is no making Religion a meer trick of State, and a thing only usefull for governing the people, which Numa and the great men at Rome are lyable to the suspicion of. Here is no wrapping up Religion in strange figures and mysterious non-sense, which the AEgyptians were so much given to. Here is no inhumanity and cruelty in the sacrifices offer'd, no looseness and profaneness allowed in the most solemn mysteries, no worshipping of such for Gods who had not been fit to live if they had been men, which were all things so commonly practised in the Idolatries of the Heathens. But the nature of the Worship is such as the mindes of those who come to it ought to be, and as becomes that God whom we profess to serve, pure and holy, grave and serious, solemn and devout, without the mixtures of superstition, vanity or ostentation. The precepts of our Religion are plain and easie to be known, very suitable to the nature of Mankinde, and highly tending to the advantage of those who practise them, both in this and a better life. The arguments to perswade men are the most weighty and powerfull, and of as great importance as the love of God, the death of his Son, the hopes of happiness, and the fears of eternal misery can be to men. And wherein is the contrivance of our Religion defective, when the end is so desireable, the means so effectual for the obtaining of it?
2. Which is the next thing to be considered. There are two things which in this degenerate estate of man are necessary in order to the recovery of his happiness; and those are Repentance for sins past, and sincere Obedience for the future: now both these the Gospel gives men the greatest encouragements to, and therefore is the most likely to effect the design it was intended for.
1. For Repentance for sins past. What more powerfull motives can there be to perswade men to repent, than for God to let men know that he is willing to pardon their sins upon the sincerity of their Repentance, but without that, there remains nothing but a fearfull expectation of judgement, and fiery indignation? that their sins are their follies, and therefore to repent is to grow wise: that he requires no more from men, but what every considerative man knows is fitting to be done whenever he reflects upon his actions: that there can be no greater ingratitude or disingenuity towards the Son of God than to stand at defiance with God when he hath shed his blood to reconcile God and Man to each other: that every step of his humiliation, every part of the Tragedy of his life, every wound at his death, every groan and sigh which he utter'd upon the Cross, were designed by him as the most prevailing Rhetorick to perswade men to forsake their sins, and be happy: that there cannot be a more unaccountable folly, than by impenitency to lose the hopes of a certain and eternal happiness for the sake of those pleasures which every wise man is ashamed to think of: that to continue in sin with the hopes to repent, is to stab a mans self with the hopes of a cure: that the sooner men do it, the sooner they will finde their minds at ease, and that the pleasures they enjoy in forsaking their sins, are far more noble and manly than ever they had in committing them: but if none of these arguments will prevail with them, perish they must, and that unavoidably, insupportably, and irrecoverably: And if such arguments as these will not prevail with men to leave their sins, it is impossible that any should.
2. For Holiness of Life: For Christ did not come into the World, and dye for us, meerly that we should repent of what is past, by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, but that we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world. And Titus 2. 12.what he doth expect, he hath given the greatest encouragements to perform: by the clearness of his precepts, the excellency of his own example, the promise of his Grace, and the proposition of eternal rewards and punishments, whereby he takes off all the objections men are apt to make against obedience to the Commands of Christ: the pretence of ignorance, because his Laws are so clear; the pretence of impossibility by his own example; the pretence of infirmity by the assistance of his Grace; the pretence of the unnecessariness of so great care of our actions by making eternal rewards and punishments to depend upon it. Let us then reflect upon the whole design of the Gospel, and see how admirably it is suited to the end it was intended for, to the condition of those whose good was designed by it, and to the honour of the great contriver and manager of it. And let not us by our impenitency and the unholiness of our lives, dishonour God and our Saviour, reproach our Religion, and condemn that by our lives which we justifie by our words. For when we have said all we can, the best and most effectual vindication of Christian Religion is to live according to it: But oh then how unhappy are we that live in such an Age wherein it were hard to know that men were Christians, unless we are bound to believe their words against the tenour and course of their actions! What is become of the purity, the innocency, the candour, the peaceableness, the sincerity and devotion of the Primitive Christians! What is become of their zeal for the honour of Christ, and Christian Religion! If it were the design of men, to make our Religion a dishonour and reproach to the Jewes, Mahumetans, and Heathens, could they do it by more effectual means than they have done? Who is there that looks into the present state of the Christian World, could ever think that the Christian Religion was so incomparably beyond all others in the world? Is the now Christian Rome so much beyond what it was while it was Heathen? Nay, was it not then remarkable in its first times for justice, sincerity, contempt of riches, and a kind of generous honesty, and who does not (though of the same Religion, if he hath any ingenuity left) lament the want of all those things there now? Will not the sobriety of the very Turks upbraid our excesses and debaucheries? and the obstinacy of the Jewes in defence and practice of their Religion, condemn our coldness and indifferency in ours? If we have then any tenderness for the honour of our Religion, or any kindness for our own Souls, let us not only have the Name, but let us lead the Lives of Christians; let us make amends for all the reproaches which our Religion hath suffer'd by the faction and disobedience of some, by the Oaths and Blasphemies, the impieties and profaneness of others, by the too great negligence and carelesness of all, that if it be possible, Christianity may appear in its true glory, which will then only be, when those who name the Name of Christ depart from iniquity, and live in all manner of holy conversation and godliness.
FINIS.