pos sure, settled course for a man to run into danger and disgrace with the world, if he shall dare to perform a commandment of Christ, which is as necessary for him to do, if he have any hopes of attaining heaven, as meat and drink is for the maintaining of life! that ever it should enter into Christian hearts to walk so curiously and exactly contrary unto the ways of God! that whereas he sees himself every day and hour almost, contemned and despised by thee, who art his servant, his creature, upon whom he might, without all sible imputation of unrighteousness, pour down all the vials of his wrath and indignation, yet he notwithstanding is patient and long-suffering towards thee, hoping that his long-suffering may lead thee to repentance, and beseeching thee daily by his ministers to be reconciled unto him; and yet thou, on the other side, for a distempered, passionate speech, or less, should take upon thee to send thy neighbour's soul, or thine own, or likely both, clogged and oppressed with all your sins unrepented of (for how can repentance possibly consist with such a resolution?) before the tribunalseat of God, to expect your final sentence; utterly depriving thyself of all the blessed means, which God has contrived for thy salvation, and putting thyself in such an estate, that it shall not be in God's power almost, to do thee any good. Pardon, I beseech you, my earnestness, almost intemperateness, seeing it hath proceeded from so just, so warrantable a ground; and, since it is in your power to give rules of honour and reputation to the whole kingdom, do not you teach others to be ashamed of this inseparable badge of your religion, charity and forgiving of offences; give men leave to be Christians without danger, or dishonour; or, if religion will not work with you, yet. let the laws of that state wherein you live, the earnest desires and care of your righteous prince, prevail with you. But I have done, and proceed to my last part, which is the convenience and gain, which shall accrue unto us by friends obliged with this "mammon of unrighteousness," namely, by them to be received "into everlasting habitations." 37. I must here again propose another question; but when I have done that, I must be forced to leave it without an answer, unless you will be content to take a conjecture, a probability, for an answer it is, how, or after what manner, those to whom we have done good here, shall hereafter receive us "into everlasting habitations?" Whether this is performed only by their prayers and intercession with God, in the behalf of their benefactors; or, whether they are used as instruments and conductors, as it were, as our Saviour may probably seem to intimate in the parable, where the Lord speaks to his servants, That they should take away the one talent from him which had no more, and bestow it on him which had ten talents? So uncertain it is, whether this task shall be performed by them one of these ways, or by some other unknown course, that St. Augustine ingenuously confesses, he knows not what to make of it: yet Cardinal Bellarmine says, he can easily assoil it, and can in these words find out purgatory, and satisfaction for sin after death, and a great deal more than I can understand. But truly, if he be able to spy purgatory in this text, especially such an one as he fancies to himself in his books of that argu ment, he has made use of better glasses than ever Galileo found out. And I would to God those of his party would consider, how much the weakness of their cause is argued even from hence, that they are forced to ground most of the points controverted between us, upon such difficult places as these, of so ambiguous and uncertain meanings, and therefore equally obnoxious to any man's interpretation. There may yet be found out a convenient sense of this place, especially if he will allow an Hebraism in these words (which is frequent enough in the evangelical writings) of putting the third person plural to express a passive sense; and then the meaning will be, "That when," &c. they may receive you," i. e. That ye may be received into everlasting habitations;" parallel to a like phrase in Luke xii. 12. "Thou fool, this night shall they take away thy soul from thee;" i. e. thy soul shall be taken from thee. And if this sense be true, as it is very likely, many of our Romish adversaries have spent much pains about this text to no purpose. 66 38. But to leave quarrelling: It is no very considerable matter, whether we have light upon the true sense of these words or not; or whether those, to whom we have done good, have a share in purchasing for us an admission into these "everlasting habitations;" as long as we may infallibly hence conclude, that though it should fall out, that Abraham should forget us, and Israel become ignorant of us; yet certainly God (who alone is instead of ten thousand such friends) he will keep a register of all our good actions, and will take particular care of us, to give us a just proportion of reward and harvest of glory, according to our sparingness or liberality in sowing. 39. But would Almighty God have us such mercenary servants, so careful and projecting for our own advantage, that we should not obey him without a compact and bargain? Is not he worthy our serving, unless we first make our condition with him, to be sure to gain and thrive by him? Is this a condition worthy and befitting the ingenuity and nobleness of a Christian mind, to have an eye unto the "recompense of reward?" Is Christ also become a schoolmaster unto us, as well as the law was to the Jews, that we should have need of thunder, and blackness of smoke, and voices to affright us, or promises to win and allure us? Nay, have not your ears oftentimes heard, from such places as this, an obedience of this nature disgraced and branded for a servile, slavish obedience; an obedience ordinarily made the mark and badge even of a formal hypocrite, the worst kind of reprobates? 40. I confess I could shew you a more excellent way than this, if men were ordinarily fitted and qualified for the receiving of it: and that is St. Paul's more excellent way of charity; the keeping of God's commandments merely out of the love of his goodness, and consideration of his infinite, inconceivable holiness: and he that can receive this, let him receive it; and thrice happy and blessed shall he be of the Lord: but, in the mean time, let him not be forward to judge his fellow-servants, if they acknowledge themselves so far guilty of weakness and imperfections, that they have need to receive strength and encou ragement in this their painful and laborious race, by looking forward unto the glorious prize of their "high calling in Jesus Christ." 41. Surely God is wise enough to contrive the surest course, and to set down the best and likeliest means for persuading us to his service, and the obedience of his commandments: he is able to inquire and search into the most retired corners of our wicked, deceitful hearts, and thereby knowing our temper and disposition, he is able best to prescribe to us a method and diet suitable to our constitutions. Therefore, if he, out of his infinite wisdom, and the consideration of what encouragements we stand in need of, hath thought it fit to annex, to every precept almost, a promise of happiness, or a threatening of unavoidable danger to the transgressors; what art thou, O man, that thou darest take upon thee to calumniate his proceedings, and to prescribe better directions than he has thought fit? 42. I beseech you therefore, my beloved brethren, by all means make use of any advantages, which may serve to render you more earnest, more eager, and resolute, in your obedience to those holy and perfect commandments, which he hath enjoined you; if you cannot find yourselves arrived as yet to that height of perfection, as that love and charity cannot wrest from you sufficient carefulness to obey him; let fear have its operation with you, fear and horror of that terrible issue, which shall attend the wilful and habitual transgressors of his laws: and you need not suspect this course as unwarrantable; for you shall have St. Paul for your example, even that Paul, for whose miraculous conversion Christ was |