SERM. His performances fhould next be confidered and comXVII. pared; but the time doth not admit, that we should now proceed any farther. Rev. v. 13. Now, bleffing, and honour, and glory, and power be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen. And in Jefus Chrift, &c. SERMON XVIII. THAT JESUS IS THE TRUE MESSIAS. ACTS ix. 22. But Saul increased the more in firength, and confounded the Jews, which dwelt at Damafcus, proving that this is the very Chrift. IN conformity to St. Paul's defign and practice implied SERM. here, I have formerly propounded to explain and perfuade XVIII. thefe particulars. 1. What is the right notion and reason of this name or title, Chrift. 2. That there was deftinated to come into the world a Perfon, who fignally, according to that right notion, fhould be the Chrift. 3. That Jefus, whom we avow, is that Perfon, the very Christ. 4. In what manner, and upon what accounts, the New Testament representeth Jefus to be the Chrift. 5. What application the point requireth. In profecution of which particulars, having dispatched the first and second, I did enter into the third, which is of highest consequence, beginning to declare that Jefus, our Lord, is the Chrift, from the circumstances of his coming into the world, and from his perfonal qualifications; which having in fome measure performed, I fhall now proceed to declare the fame from the exact correspondD d VOL. IV. SERM. ency of his undertakings and performances to those, which, XVIII. according to ancient prefignifications and prophecies, the 18, 19. Meffias was defigned to undertake and accomplish; together with the confequences of what the Meffias was to do, and what answerably Jefus did effect. 1. One great performance of the Meffias was, by inspiration and in the name of God, to make a complete difcovery of divine truth; to publish a law of universal and perpetual obligation; to inftitute a religion confummate in all respects, which should correct the faults and supply the defects of all precedent difpenfations, which should therefore be, as it were, God's laft will and teftament, Deut. xviii. after which no other revelation was to be expected: I will, faid Mofes of him, put words into his mouth; and he fhall Speak unto them all that I command him; and it fhall come to pass, that whoever will not hearken unto my words, which he fhall Speak in my name, I will require it of him: Ifa. ii. 3. by him Isaiah foretold, that God shall teach us of his ways, and we shall walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of God from Jerufalem: by Jer. xxxi. him Jeremiah fignified, that God would put his law into the inward parts of men, and write it in their hearts; it xxxvi. 27. was, as it is faid in Daniel, part of his work to bring in everlafting righteousness, and to feal up the vifion and prophecy; and his days in the prophets are commonly styled the last days, because, it seemeth, of the perfection of his doctrine, and immutability of his law; where fuch an entire inftruction and final refolution in all points was commonly expected by the Jews, as the Samaritan woman did intiJohn iv. 25. mate; I know', said she, according to the current perfuafion then, that the Meffias cometh; and when he shall come, he will tell us all things. 33. Ezek. Dan. ix. 24. 1 Tim. i. 1. Now accordingly Jefus (our hope, and author of our faith) hath taught a doctrine, hath proclaimed a law, hath instituted a religion, which upon ftrict and careful examination will be found moft perfect in all respects; fuch in its nature as cannot but indispensably oblige all that understand it; fuch as is worthy of God, and fuitable to his defigns of glorifying himself, and obliging his crea ture; in short, he hath been author of fuch an inftitution, SERM. XVIII. as may be demonftrated the most excellent and complete that can be. For (briefly to fhew this by confidering the main, if not all imaginable excellencies of any religion, law, or doctrine) it is impoffible that any doctrine fhould affign a more true, proper, complete notion or character of God himself, more congruous to what reason dictateth, the works of nature declare, the pureft tradition attefteth, or common experience doth intimate concerning God; more apt to breed in our hearts the highest affection and reverence toward him, or to engage us in the ftricteft practice of duty and obedience to him; none can afcribe unto God higher perfections of nature, can more affert unto him all his due rights and prerogatives, can better commend and juftify to us all his actions and proceedings, can represent him more amiable in his goodness, more terrible in his justice, more glorious and venerable in all his ways of providence; can confequently better direct or difpofe us to render unto him a worship worthy of him and acceptable to him; can also therefore with more fecurity and advantage commend unto us the imitation of him in our disposition and demeanour. Nor could any doctrine more clearly and fully inform us concerning ourselves; concerning our nature, our original, our end, all our state, past, present, final; what the dignity of our nature is, for what purposes we were defigned and framed, wherein our happiness doth confift, what shall be our state after death, how we shall be judged and dealt with then; the knowledge of which particulars is of fo immenfe confequence, for the fatisfaction of our minds and direction of our lives; concerning which therefore men in all times have fo earnestly inquired and difputed, without any fure refolution but from hence. Nor could a more accurate rule of life (more congruous to reafon and fuitable to our nature, or perfective thereof; more conducible to our welfare and our content; more apt to procure each man's private good, and to promote the public benefit of all) have been prescribed; nothing can be more juft, or comely, or pleasant, or benc SERM. ficial to us, than are the duties of piety (confisting in XVIII. love, reverence, gratitude, devotion, obedience, faith and tates. Tert. lib. ii. repentance toward God) which Chriftianifm doth require. No directions concerning our deportment toward our neighbours and brethren can be imagined comparable to those (those of hearty love, good-will, beneficence, compaffion, readiness to forgive, meeknefs, peaceablenefs, and the like) which the Chriftian law enjoineth. No precepts or advices concerning the management of ourselves (the ordering our fouls and our bodies in their respective functions and fruitions) can be devised more agreeable to found reafon, more productive of true welfare and real delight unto us, than are those of being humble and modeft in our conceits, calm and compofed in our paffions, fober and temperate in our enjoyments, patient and contented in our ftate, with the like, which the Chriftian doctrine doth inculcate. No other method can raife us up fo near to heaven and happiness as that which we here learn, of abstracting and elevating our minds above the fading glories, the unftable poffeffions, the vanishing delights of this world; the fixing our thoughts, affections, and hopes upon the concernments of a better future state. No religion alfo can be purer from fuperftitious alloys, or freer from useless encumbrances (or from, as Tertullian Negotiofa calleth them, bufy fcrupulofities) than is this, (fuch as it fcrupulofi is in its native fimplicity, and as it came from its author, in Marc. before the pragmatical curiofity, or domineering humour, or covetous defignings of men had tampered with it,) it only requiring a rational and spiritual service, confisting in performance of fubftantial duties plainly neceffary or profitable; the ritual obfervances it enjoineth being, as very few in number, in nature fimple and easy to observe, so evidently reasonable, very decent and very useful, able to inftru&t us in, apt to excite us to, the practice of most wholefome duties. No religion alfo can have the like advantage of setting before us a living copy and visible standard of good practice, affording fo compendious an inftruction, and fo efficacious an incitement to all piety and virtue: so abso 1 |