presses, and that necessitated by the importunity of those who heard the sermons, they being impatient till they can read what they heard with so great satisfaction. Yet such things as these may occasion an abatement of their acceptation; but greater prejudices than these may be blown away with a breath. Do but say and hold, that you will set yourselves to profit, to mend your own faults, not to hunt for others'; my apology will appear less necessary, the sermons more useful, and my recommendation of them superfluous. I suppose some may single out some particular case with special respect to the question or preacher, and may probably be induced to read on, till he meet with more profit than he desired. In a word, I shall as heartily pray, that every reader may get good by his reading, as I heartily request every one that doth get good by it, to lift up a prayer for Your worthless soul-servant, SAMUEL ANNESLEY. December 4th, 1689. CASUISTICAL MORNING EXERCISES. HOW SERMON I. BY THE REV. SAMUEL ANNESLEY, LL.D. MAY WE GIVE CHRIST A SATISFYING ACCOUNT, WHY WE But what went ye out for to see?-Matthew xi. 9. COULD I preface this Exercise with any thing, which, through grace, would force its own application, and lie lieger* in your consciences, to mingle with every sermon you shall hear; that these sermons may influence your lives, so that your profiting (though you modestly veil it, yet) may shine through the veil, and may appear unto all men, so as to commend religion in them who are prejudiced against it, and to encourage those who have made some entrance into it; then you and I, when we shall meet in glory, shall bless God for this Exercise. Shall we try, Christians, what may be done? Conscience, do thine office! and, through God's assistance, I will endeavour to do mine. John Baptist was bodily in prison, spiritually in heaven. He is not solicitous about himself, but his disciples, and therefore sends them to Christ; as a dying father consigns his children to a faithful tutor, and then dies quietly: he had instructed them while he could, and now recommends them to Christ. When John's disciples were gone, Christ asked the people, who used to flock after John's ministry while he flourished, but now grew cold upon his long imprisonment;-Christ asks them what end they proposed to themselves. "What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?" As if he had said, "You could not look upon John to be a light, hollow, empty preacher, to bend with every wind and wave." "But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?" As if he had said, "You could not expect any thing smooth and delicate. John was no court-preacher; if he had, he would not be so long in prison, and now in daily danger of his life." These two metaphors show what John was not like. My text lies in the question, which is not negative, but affirmative. They looked upon him as a prophet, an extraordinary person sent from God: "Remain as God's ambassador in your consciences."- EDIT. "Yea," saith Christ, "and more than a prophet;" that is, John spake of Christ in another manner than the former prophets: they spake of him as a great way off, John points to him as present: "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John i. 29.) I know, some give quite another sense of the words, which I will not so much as mention, but presently propose what I take to be the sum of the text. DOCTRINE. We should strictly and frequently call ourselves to an account, that we may the better give an answer to Christ's question, what end we propose to ourselves in attending upon the ministry of the word. It was but a little while since there was a general flocking after John Baptist, as if they would turn the city into a wilderness, and make the wilderness the city. "He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light;" (John v. 35;) but that flash is over, and now they are flocking after Christ with like affection. Christ doth as it were say to them, "It is a foolish and ridiculous lightness to run after the best preachers in the world, without proposing some end unto ourselves beyond the vanity and pomp of the world, some fruit that may remain." The blessed apostle would have those that had been his hearers to call themselves to an account; "examine" themselves; (2 Cor. xiii. 5 ;) put such searching questions to their own consciences,-whether they be "in the faith;" whether the doctrine of faith hold them, that they do not swerve from it; and whether the grace of faith be in them, that they live by it? If not, they cannot expect that Christ should approve of them. I shall endeavour to make my way to the stating of the case, through the explaining of the doctrine by these PROPOSITIONS. PROPOSITION 1. John Baptist's ministry was the best in the world, when he began to preach; and all people that had any care of their souls went out after him. His ministry differed from the ordinary ministry of the times. He cried not up human inventions before divine institutions; but with holy vehemency pressed the necessary doctrine of repentance; a repentance upon which they might expect pardon of sin (Luke iii. 3:) and it was convincing where it was not converting, [in] those that loved their sins better than to yield. It was of Divine Authority, yet they loved their credit better than to affirm it was but of human authority. (Mark xi. 28-32.) In short his main design was to bring or send persons to Christ. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matt. iii. 11, 12.) As if he had said, "Christ will baptize with the pouring-out of his Spirit on believers, and with that fiery trial which shall refine the gold from the dross, and winnow the wheat from the chaff: he will gather the faithful into his heavenly kingdom, and burn up unbelievers with unquenchable fire." PROP. II. Persons of all ranks, with some kind of pains and selfdenial, followed John Baptist for his convincing instruction. (Matt. iii. 5.) Some were savingly converted, and got that good by his ministry which they made good use of many a year after it is said of Apollos, that he knew "only the baptism of John." "He taught diligently the things of the Lord;" and with the help of what he got by Christian conference, "he mightily convinced the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah." (Acts xviii. 25-28.) But, beside few such, 1. The Pharisees: they followed him who were themselves the most applauded preachers among the Jews, they whose dictates were taken for oracles; they left the chair of Moses to hear this Elias. 2. The Sadducees: who denied the resurrection, and the immortality of the soul. John asks them, "Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" (Matt. iii. 7, 8.). As if he had said, "You Pharisees are so conceited of your own righteousness, that you think you are in no danger of hell; and you Sadducees think there is none." John presses both to repentance, that might evidence itself by its fruit to be sincere. 3. Persons that pretended nothing to religion, but were so infamous for gross wickedness that every one who valued his reputation shunned being seen in their company. "The publicans and the harlots" got heaven by believing. (Matt. xxi. 31, 32.) : 4. Soldiers that the Romans kept to maintain their conquest of Judea. Such do not use to trouble themselves with cases of conscience. "The soldiers also demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do?" (Luke iii. 14.) He doth not blame the employment, but regulates their behaviour. : 5. Courtiers who could not bear plain dealing, yet could expect no other from him. They could not but fear him, though they did not love him. It is said that Herod himself "feared John, knowing that he was a just man and a holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.” (Mark vi. 20.) As if he would bribe his conscience by parting with some sins more quietly, to give him leave to keep others, that he could not part with. And thus you see what a congregation John preached to. PROP. III. Those that attend upon the ministry of the word,—they do or should propose unto themselves some end why they do it.—Those who through grace propose a good end to themselves, they always obtain their end; they who receive the truth in the love of it, shall be saved; (2 Thess. ii. 10 ;) but for the most, 1. Some propose to themselves no end at all.-Neither can they so much as speak sense to any one that shall ask them why they come there. I cannot better express it, than in the words of the divine historian, in describing of that rout, truly so called, though he names it " a church: ” Η εκκλησία συγκεχυμένη "The assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together." (Acts xix. 32.) I am loath to say, this description fits too many congregations. 2. Some propose to themselves ends downright sinful.-Namely, some, to catch at expressions, for the exercise of their frothy wits over a glass of wine. "Be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made too strong" for you to break. (Isai. xxviii. 22.) Some, to ensnare the minister; we need not think it strange, for they dealt so with our Master : "They send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words;" and they pretend a scrupulous conscience: they say unto him, "Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: is it lawful to give " that as "tribute to Cæsar," which Moses appointed for the use of the sanctuary? (Mark xii. 13, 14.) Christ doth as it were answer them, [that] if it were really a case of conscience, they would not stick at paying both; the one because they must, the other, because they ought. Some get into the greatest crowd for the advancement of their diving trade of picking pockets; they not at all observing how the devil tricks them of their souls for perverting the ends of the gospel. 3. Some propose ends frivolous and trifling, though they are sinful too. For instance: some, to see fashions; some, to be taken notice of among serious Christians, for worldly, not spiritual, advantage. PROP. IV. Those that propose a good end, must call themselves to a strict and severe account, how that end is obtained or lost.-A slight account is in some respect worse than none at all; for by a shuffling account you do but as it were bribe God's officer (natural conscience) to respite you from time to time, till death surpriseth you with a summons to give up your account to Christ himself. I will name four metaphors which will illustrate and prove this: 1. We must give such an account as a scholar to his teacher, of what he learns.-"And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?" (Mark iv. 13.) As if he had said, "If you understand not those similitudes that most plainly show you how you must receive the word if ever you get saving benefit by it, how will you ever profit by any thing else?" 2. You must give an account as a steward to his master.—“ Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward." (Luke xvi. 2.) But here is the difference between being stewards to our heavenly and to an earthly master: Christ and his servants have but one and the same interest; if we improve whatever he intrust us with for our real profit, we do thereby give him the glory [which] he expects, and he will accept of our accounts. 3. We must give an account as a debtor to our creditor.—“ The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king which would take account of his debtors. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him which owed him ten thousand talents," &c. (Matt. xviii. 23, 24.) We are so far sinfully indebted to the justice of God, |