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V.

SER M. Methods, in which the Wisdom of God has chofen at divers times to reveal itself to the World. With regard to fingle perfons, to whom Providence has given very different natural capacities, or different Means and Opportunities of Knowledge, or different Manners of Revelation, the divine Justice and Equity consists in judging them finally according to their respective Abilities, accepting every one according to what he has, and not according to what he has not. With regard to Whole Nations, the juftification of the Divine Wisdom, is his fo doing what he pleases with his own, as, through a Succeffion of various and great Events, to accomplish General Defigns of Mercy and Goodness. Of This, St Paul has given us an admirable Inftance, in his account of God's fetting up firft the Nation of the Jews, and afterwards the Churches of the Christian Gentiles, to be the Standard of true Religion to the World; intending to finish the whole Difpenfation, by having Mercy upon Both. Rom. xi 30. For as ye (Gentiles) in times paft

V.

have not believed God, yet have Now ob- SER M. tained Mercy through Their (the Jews) Unbelief: Even fo have These also now not believed, that through your mercy They also may obtain mercy. For God bath concluded them All in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon All. O the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unfearchable are his Judgments, and his Ways paft finding out!

3dly and Laftly, THE Laft Inference I fhall draw from what has been faid, is This. In the words before my Text, the reason given of God's rejecting the Jews, is the unworthy manner in which they had behaved themselves, while unto them were committed the Oracles of God. In the Text itself, the acceptableness of the converted Gentiles unto God, is expreffed by their offering up unto his Name a Pure Offering. Which Pure Offering, denotes the Holiness and real Purity of the Gospel-difpenfation, in oppofition to the external Ceremonies of the Jewish Law. If therefore We, under the greater Light

of

SER M. of the Everlasting Gospel, ftill live vitiVoufly and corruptly, as the Jews did under

thofe carnal Ordinances; how much more fevere Judgments fhall we have reason to expect, than what fell even upon That People! For (as St Paul excellently argues, Rom. xi. 20.) Because of Unbelief They were broken off, and Thou ftandeft by Faith: Be not high-minded, but fear: For if God fpared not the natural Branches, take heed left he also fpare not Thee.

SERMON

SERMON VI.

The Doctrines of Religion reafonable to be believed.

·[A Paffion-Sermon.]

MATT. xii. 39, 40.

An evil and adulterous generation feeketh after a Sign, and there fhall no Sign be given to it, but the Sign of the prophet Jonas. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly; fo Shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the Heart of the Earth.

W

HEN our Saviour first preach- SE R M.
ed to the Jews the Gospel of VI.
the Kingdom, he proved to
them his divine Commiffion

and the Truth of his Doctrine, not only

from

VI.

SER M. from the Prophecies of the Old Teftament, from the things written in the Law, and in the Prophets, and in the Pfalms, concerning him; but also by the mighty Works which he himself performed, as direct and immediate Evidences of his being the Promised Meffiah. The Doctrine he taught, being a Doctrine of Purity and Great Holiness, abfolutely requiring a reformation of Manners, and fuch an effectual Amendment of Life, as must fhow forth itself in the real and habitual Practice of true Virtue and Righteous nefs; This Doctrine was therefore extremely disagreeable to the Pharifees and Chief men among the Jews, who were perfons of a haughty and tyrannical Spirit, covetous and ambitious, and, in order to serve the Purposes of temporal Power and spiritual Pride, infinitely zealous of all the external Forms and Ceremonials of Religion. For This reason, they hated, above all things, the Spirit with which our Saviour taught; the Spirit of Meeknefs and Humility, the Spirit of Goodness and Equity, the

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