Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Thirdly, What it is to glorify Christ, and who they are that, in reality, do so. I have already obferv'd, that it is the fuccefs of any undertaking, which crowns the attempt, and gives glory to the undertaker; and that every performance brings more or lefs glory to the performer, as it more or lefs anfwers the defign. And as Chrift came to fave finners, by engaging them to turn from the evil of their ways, and to fubject their tempers and actions to the law of love: fo, from hence, it will follow, that the only way in which Chrift is, or can be glorified by us, as our Saviour, is, to let the gospel have its due effect, and the purposes of his miniftry be anfwer'd upon us; and then we fhall be like the brethren whom St. Paul fent to Corinth, viz. we shall be The glory of Chrift. It is not the giving our af fent to a collection of fpeculative propofitions; nor a strong confidence that Chrift will fave us; nor the being united to a fociety call'd by Chrift's name; nor the conftant attendance upon a fet of ceremonial obfervances; nor the being noisy and troublesome for Chrift, thereby disturbing the peace and quiet of the neighbourhood in which we live; nor the drinking bumpers to the Church's profperity; tho by the way the term Church, in modern language, generally fignifies the Clergy, the authority and rights of the Church being no other than the authority and rights of the Clergy; nor the afflicting and grieving our fellow-creatures, upon Chrift's account, either because they are not chriftians at all, or because they do not come up to our ftandard of chriftianity: I fay, it is not thefe, nor the zeal and refentment that frequently fpring from them, which Chrift is glorified by. Some of thefe minifter fhame and reproach to the chriftian name, but none of them minister to Chrift's praife. Some of them reflect back great dishonour upon God and Christ, with regard to their moral character; but none of them add to their praife, by fhewing them to be either wife, or good. The true way to glorify Christ is to reflect feriously upon thofe important truths, which he has publifh'd to the world, and to let thofe truths have their proper influence upon our minds and lives; by changing us from difagreeable and hurtful, to agreeable and useful members of fociety: and then we fhall add much glory to Chrift our Lord. For as he undertook to fave finners in this way; fo when his end is thus anfwer'd, then it is that Chrift is glorified by us. Would we, then, answer the character of true chriftians, and would we bring much glory to Chrift, our Mafter and Saviour? let us reform our tempers and actions. Let us correct every diforderly, felfish, brutal, and inhuman appetite and paffion and bring every thought into captivity to Chrift's law of love. Let us put on fuch a temper and behaviour, as will render us a bleffing to all around us; by removing every uneafinefs and every impediment to their happiness, and by contributing all we can to their comfort and felicity. In a word, Let Chrift's gofpel have its due effect upon us, by making us good men, and then Chrift will receive much glory from us: we fhall be The glory of Chrift. If any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow-helper concerning you; or if the brethren be enquir'd of, they are the messengers of the churches, and The glory of Chrift. Thus, having gone thro the feveral points which naturally offer'd themselves to be confider'd, from the words of the text; I fhall only make a few short remarks from the whole, and fo conclude. And, First, I obferve, that tho the chriftian falvation is fo clearly defcribed, and fo evidently fet forth in the gospel; yet not any thing has been more generally mistaken. Men,

yea,

yea, chriftians, have chofen any, yea, every other way to falvation, than the way which Chrift hath fhewn and recommended to them. They would rather that Christ would fave them, by acting in them, or by doing, or fuffering for them, or in any other way, than by his putting it upon them, to work out their own falvation, as aforefaid. But, alas! none of thofe ways can poffibly do it. For as their fin and folly, which is the ground of divine difpleasure, is the product of their own will and agency; fo nothing but fuch a repentance and reformation, which is the product of their own will and agency alfo, can be the ground and reafon of God's mercy and loving-kindness to them. Again,

Secondly, I obferve, that Proteftantifm is not a juft ground of confidence, with regard to God's favour. For tho a man feparates himself from the Church of Rome, and joins in communion with a reform'd; yet if he retains a vile and difagreeable temper and conduct, he will be vile and difagreeable in the eyes of God: his foremention'd reformation will not qualify him to receive that fentence, of, Come ye bleffed children of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, &c. nothing less than a mind and life of love, like the mind and life of that heavenly Father, will qualify us for, and entitle us to fo great a bleffing. It is true, Proteftants have cut off the abfurd principles, enormous claims, and fuperftitious practices of the Church of Rome; and thus far they have a juft foundation for glorying but, alas! this alone is but a fuperficial reformation, which, if it proceed no farther, will not avail any thing to falvation. This is like washing the outfide of the cup and platter, whilft the infide, viz. our tempers and actions, are full of rottennefs and all uncleannefs. Would we then be reform'd in good earnest, and in such a manner as that it may be a proper foundation of glorying to us; let us take care that the gospel of Chrift may have its due effect, and that the purposes of Chrift's miniftry be anfwer'd upon us. Let us correct every disorderly appetite and paffion, and conduct our tempers and actions by the law of love, and make our lives fubfervient to the common felicity; and then we shall be reform'd, indeed. Then we fhall anfwer our character, as reform'd chriftians; yea, we fhall be The glory of Chrift. Again,

Thirdly, I obferve, that Scepticks and Infidels have no juft foundation for glorying over, nor infulting chriftianity, as an abfurd and an unreasonable propofal made to mankind: because chriftianity, or that which may justly and truly be call'd the christian falvation, is perfectly free from all fuch imputations, being founded in the nature and reafon of things. It is true, the fchemes of chriftians have been too often mix'd and compounded of fome true, and fome abfurd and contradictory propofitions; and this has given too juft occafion to unbelievers to triumph over christianity, as a ridiculous thing. But then it ought to be remember'd, that nothing is ftrictly and properly the chriftian falvation, but that only which Chrift propos'd to fave men by. He never pretended to fave men in any other way, than by engaging them to make themselves the fuitable and proper objects of God's mercy and grace; by turning from the evil of their ways and bringing forth the fruits of newnesfs of life. This, and this only, is the chriftian falvation. And this is the only way which Chrift propos'd to fave finners in. And tho almost every fect of chriftians have fet up fomething elfe, which they call the way to Salvation: and tho each party contends with much heat and zeal for their parti

cular

cular scheme, and infifts upon it, that that is chriftianity; yet this cannot, with any colour of justice, be urg'd by the Unbelievers, in prejudice of the christian religion; becaufe, upon a fair enquiry, it will appear not to belong to it. With regard to any fcience, the cafe is the fame. If its profeffors make any blunders, lay down falfe principles, or draw unjuft conclufions; thefe are not urg'd, in prejudice of the fcience itself, but are charg'd only upon their feveral parents, as in juftice they ought to be. And, furely, in argument, the fame equity and fairness ought to be ufed and allow'd, with regard to chriftianity, as is ufed and allow'd to all fciences whatever, And, therefore, the Scepticks and Unbelievers, if they at any time oppofe chriftianity, by way of argument, ought not to blend with it the doctrines, and principles, and fancies of men, and argue against these, as against chriftianity; which unfair practifing will not be admitted in any other cafe. Let them take chriftianity in its native fimplicity, free from all human mixtures and additions; and then let them find out any abfurdity or unreasonableness, if they can. I have before fhewn, what is the chriftian falvation, or the way which Chrift propos'd to fave men in. And as this is the only proper expedient, which could be effectual to that end; fo it is highly juft and reafonable. I fhall not here make myself answerable for every expreflion or mode of fpeech, which may be urg'd from the New Teftament, in the prefent cafe: but this I do infift upon, that the christian falvation, or the way which Chrift propos'd to fave men in, is strictly juft and rational, fuitable to the nature of God, and the nature of man; and, therefore, it is highly worthy of all acceptation. Again,

Fourthly and lastly, I obferve, that tho a heated paffion, or an indulged appetite, or the like, may mislead the understandings of men, by which they are drawn into a wrong judgment of perfons and things; and that tho by fawning and flattery, and by many other practices, we work upon the weakness and vanity of each other, by which means we gain our feveral ends: yet this cannot be the cafe, with refpect to God; for as his understanding cannot poffibly be mis-led, fo there is nothing but the love and practice of virtue and true goodness, which can poffibly render us worthy of his regard.

Let me, then, by way of conclufion, defire and intreat, that each and every of us, in our several places and callings, may fo deport ourselves, as that we may be The glory of Christ in this life, and, after it, may be found worthy to enter into the joy of our Lord.

TREA

A

LETTER of THANKS

то

The Author of the Tract, entitled, A Friendly Admonition to Mr. Chubb; Wherein the several Things complained of, in that Admonition, are confidered.

SIR,

I

Have read the Admonition; and tho I do not think your complaints well grounded, yet prefuming that they are the produce of kindness, and intended for mine and the publick good, therefore, I return you my hearty thanks. Your good wishes are the fame, and, therefore, my obligations to you must be the fame alfo, whether your opinion and reprefentation of my writings are juft, or not. And tho I have hitherto determin'd not to take notice of any namelefs tract, becaufe, I think, it is dealing with an adversary upon an unequal foot and tho I intend to abide by this refolution, for the time to come, unless fomething extraordinary fhall difpofe me to the contrary, yet I have thought proper, upon this occafion, to trouble you with a Letter, because I am willing to write a few words upon thofe points which are the grounds of your complaints against me. The general charge is, how little honour, how little fervice I have done to the chriftian religion. And this negative charge is, in the general, fupported by complaints of the fame kind, viz. that I have afcribed too little to faith, to gospel-ordinances, &c. with refpect to the obtaining God's favour. And here, if I may be allowed to follow the example of my admonisher, I may likewife take up my complaint against him, and fay, that he has been too fparing in this particular, by omitting to complain against another person, who ftands equally chargeable with what I am complained of for; one who fays not a word of faith, or gofpel-ordinances, &c. when he was professedly treating of the grounds of divine favour, or difpleafure; one whofe fayings are likely to do much more damage, if any can arise from fuch a procedure, than any fayings of mine can be fuppofed to do. Matt. xxv. 31. to the end of the chapter. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall be fit upon the throne of his glory. And before him shall be gathered all nations, and he fall feparate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats. And he fhall fet the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then fhall the King fay unto them on his right hand, Come ye blef Jed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an bungred, and ye gave me meat; I was thirfly, and ye gave me drink;

Ggg

drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in. Naked, and clothed me; ye I was fick, and ye vifited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then Shall the righteous anfer him, faying, Lord, when faw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When faw we thee a firanger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when faw we thee fick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King fhall anfwer and fay unto them, verily I fay unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he fay also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye curfed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; fick and in prison, and ye vifited me not. Then fhall they also answer him, faying, Lord, when faw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a franger, or naked, or fick, or in prifon, and did not minifter unto thee? Then fhall be anfwer them, faying, Verily I fay unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the leaft of thefe, ye did it not to me. And thefe fhall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal. The words I have here cited are a difcourfe of our Saviour's, in which he gives an account of the last judgment, of the grounds of divine favour, or displeasure, and of the righteous fentences which will be pronounced upon men, according as they have rendered themselves the fuitable and proper objects of reward, or punishment. And this discourse, surely, affords a large fubject for my admonisher to have exercised his complaining talent upon. He might, first, have obferved the perfonal character of him that fpake, viz. that he was conftituted to be a light to the world, or a fure guide to eternal happiness; by reprefenting to, and preffing upon men whatever was abfolutely neceffary, and would effectually fecure to them the love and favour of God. Secondly, My admonisher might have obferved what the fubject was, which the speaker profefedly undertook to treat of, viz. the last judgment, the grounds upon which the Judge will act, and the fentence which he will pafs upon all men accordingly. And, from hence, he might have argued, in his own way, that for fuch a perfon, upon fuch an occafion, to take no notice of faith, or gofpel-ordinances, of his own merits, and the like, and to declare plain virtue, humanity, and charity the ground of God's favour, and the want of thefe the ground of his difpleasure, must be a prodigious neglect, indeed; a neglect, that is not very honourable, very ferviceable, or rather, which is difhonourable and differviceable to the chriftian religion, and, therefore, ought to be complained of. Now, for my admonisher to pass it over in filence, when, if any mifchief could arife to mankind from a difcourfe of this kind, this, furely, must be more injurious than any writings of mine can poffibly be; and to fingle out me, to lodge his complaints against, I think, is an inftance of partialty, or at least a manifeft neglect in my admonisher. But to return.

The faults or errors complained of are of two kinds, viz. excess and defect. Thofe of excess are, that I afcribe too much to reason, or the natural capacities of men, to know and do their duty; and too much to virtue, humanity, and charity, in rendering men acceptable and well-pleafing to God. The errors, or faults of defect, are confequences drawn from the foremention'd exceffes, namely, that I afcribe too little to revelation, and to divine affiftance, in the knowledge and practice of our duty, and too little to faith, to gospel-ordinances, and to the fufferings and

death

« AnteriorContinuar »