ON REGENERATION. to be done by Christ are matter of promise, and all the promises are yea and amen, only in Christ, 2 Cor. i. 20. And what are these promises for? we are made partakers of these exceeding great and precious promises, or they are given to us, that by them we might be made partakers of the divine nature which is the very work of regeneration itself, the imparting that divine nature to us; all this promised good is in and by Christ; and believing him to be the Christ, we become entitled to all these promises, and DIRECTING WHAT WE ARE TO DO AFTER A STRICT INQUIRY, WHETHER OR NO WE TRULY LOVE GOD. THE EPISTLE. You may remember what a solemn awe was upon our congregation lately at the preaching of the ensuing sermon, and that not a few tears dropped at the hearing of it. This engaged some of us to entreat our reverend pastor to give way, that by this publication it might be accommodated to your review. We know it is no more than one single thread that belongs to many other discourses upon the same subject which have preceded, and to others which we hope will fol low; but such as by your notes and memories may easily be wrought into the whole piece. It is but a thread, yet a golden one, and may contribute to the service of the tabernacle, as in Exod. xxv. We know it is a great condescension in him to suffer such an imperfect piece to come abroad, but when the reverend dean of C. and other learned persons of the church of England, have denied themselves by suffering such small prints for the general good; we are persuaded, though he gave not a positive judgment for it, he will not dislike that which is for your service, and is intended to go no further. Receive it therefore, read it over and over, and allot some times for the putting in practice the grand examination urged upon us, and do your utmost to persuade all under your roofs and commands to do the like; that that which was preached with so much holy fervour and affection, may beget in us and ours a bright flame of divine love to our good Lord, to whom we commend you, and are Your affectionate brethren and servants, &c. JOHN V. 42. BUT I KNOW YOU, THAT YE HAVE NOT the Love of GOD IN YOU. You have heard several discourses from this scripture, and from another in the same Gospel, that we spoke to alternately with this at several times; "Thou knowest all things, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee," ch. xx. 17. And that which after doctrinal explication hath hitherto been insisted on, was an inquiry into the state of our own case in reference hereunto. Are we lovers of God in Christ, or are we not? There have been many things signified to you, by which this case might be discerned; and that which remains, and most naturally follows hereupon, is to direct you what you are to do, supposing your case, upon inquiry, to be this or that. Why such an inquiry, if it hath been attended to at all amongst us; it must have signified somewhat, it must, one would think, have some or other result, and what should we suppose it to result into, but either this, I do not love God, or I do. These are most vastly different cases, it's a trial upon the most important point that could have been discussed among us; and supposing there should be two sorts among us, the effect of it is as if a parting line should be drawn through a congregation, severing the living from the dead; here are so many living, and so many dead souls. Indeed it is a very hard supposition, to suppose that there should be any one in all this assembly that doth not love God; a very hard supposition, I am extremely loth to make such a supposition; I would, as much as in me is, not suppose it. For truly it were a very sad case that we should agree so far as we do in many other things, and not agree in this; that is, that we should agree so many of us to come all and meet together here in one place, agree to worship God together, agree to sing his praises together, to seek his face together, to call upon his name together, to hear his word together, and not agree all to love God together; the God whom we worship, whom we invocate, whose name we bear, and unto whom we all of us pretend. For who is there among us will say, "I have no part in God?" And it were a most lovely thing, a most comely, desireable thing, that all such worshipping assemblies, even this worshipping assembly, at this time, and all times, could still meet together under this one common notion, truly and justly assumed, as so many lovers of God. We are sure there will be an assembly, a general assembly, in which no one that is not a lover of God will be found; an assembly of glorious angels, and of the spirits of just men made perfect, a numerous, an innumerable assembly, in which not one but a sincere lover of God. What a blessed thing were it, if our assemblies on earth were such! But we cannot speak more gently, than to say there is cause to fear they are not such; it hath been actually otherwise among a people professing the true religion; "They come before thee, and sit before thee as my people, and with their mouth show much love; with their face, or in external appearance and show, (ore tenus,) they are lovers of God, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them, Ezek. xxxiii. 31. If such a case hath been actually, it is still possible, and is still too much to be feared to be but too common a case. But now supposing that there be different cases among us, in reference to these different cases there must be very different deportments, and a very different management of ourselves. This text more naturally leads me to direct what is to be done upon the supposition of the sadder case, most deplorably sadder, that one is no lover of God; | the Father is not in him. I have the love of God in me, though we must be led on thereto by some things common to both cases. Therefore that I may proceed by steps, this is requisite in the first place, that is, that we make one judgment of our case or another; that is, that we bring the matter some way to a judgment, not let so great a thing as this hang always in suspense. It's very plain (a little to press this) that, First, While the case hangs thus in suspense it suspends the proper subsequent duty too that should follow hereupon. What canst thou do that is certainly fit and proper for thy own soul, when thou dost not understand the state of its case? How canst thou guide thy course, or tell which way to apply or turn thyself? And, Secondly, To press it further, consider that the not bring ing, or omitting to bring, this matter to a judgment, if it proceed from indifferency and neglect, speaks the greatest contempt that can be both of God and thine own soul, the greatest that can be; that is, now supposing the question be asked, Dost thou love God? or dost thou not? And thou unconcernedly answerest, I can't tell, I don't know; why, what to be carelessly ignorant whether thou lovest God, or lovest him not, there could not be a more concluding medium against thee, that thou dost not love him. It speaks thee at once to despise both God and thyself; what, to have this matter hang in indifferency through neglect, whether thou lovest God, or lovest him not? It shows that neither regard to God, nor a just value of thyself, makes thee care whether thou art a holy man or a devil, For know, that the loving God, or not loving him, does more distinguish a saint from a devil, than wearing a body or not wearing it can do. A devil, if he did love God, were a saint; a man that doth not love God, he is no other, though he wear a body, than an incarnate devil: It's the want of love to God that makes the devil a devil, makes him what he is. Secondly, For further direction, take heed of passing a false judgment in this case, a judgment contrary to the truth. For, First, That's to no purpose, it will avail thee nothing, you can't be advantaged by it, for yours is not the supreme judgment. There will be another and superior judgment to yours, that will control and reverse your false judgment, and make it signify nothing; it is therefore to no purpose. And, Secondly, It is a great piece of insolency, for it will be to oppose your judgment to his certain and most authorized judgment; who, if this be your case, hath already judged it, and tells you, "I know you, that you have not the love of God in you." It belongs to him by office to judge, “The Father hath committed all judgment to the Son," as a little above in this chapter; from what will you depose him? dethrone him? disannul his judgment? condemn him? that you may be righteous! (to borrow that, Job xl. 8.) Thirdly, It's most absurd, supposing such characters as you have heard do conclude a man in this case, yet to judge himself a lover of God. If against the evidence of such characters a man should pronounce the wrong judgment, it would be the most unreasonable and absurd thing imaginable; for then let us but suppose, how that wrong judgment must lie related to those fore-mentioned characters, that have been given you. Let me remind you of some of them, he that never put forth the act of love to God, cannot say he hath the principle, he that is not inclined to do good to others, for the sake of God, 1 John iii. 17. he that indulges himself in the inconsistent love of this world, 1 John ii. 15.—he that lives not in obedience to his known laws, John xiv. 15. 1 John v. 3. (with many more.) Now if you will pass a judgment of your case, against the evidence of such characters, come forth then, let the matter be brought into clear sight, put your sense into plain words, and this it will be: "I am a lover of God, or I have the love of God in me, though I can't tell that ever I put forth one act of love towards him in all my life; I have the love of God in me, though I never knew what it meant to do good to any for his sake, against the express words of Scripture: How dwelleth the love of God in such a man? I have the love of God in me, though I have constantly indulged myself in that which he maketh an inconsistent love, Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world: if any man love the world, the love of though I would never allow him to rule me, though I never kept his commandments with a design to please him, and comply with his will. I have the love of God in me, though I never valued his love. I have the love of God in me, though I never cared for his image, for his presence, for his converse, for his interest and honour." I beseech you consider how all this will sound! Can any thing be more absurdly spoken? and shall it be upon such improbabilities, or impossibilities as these, that any man will think it fit to venture his soul? "I'll pawn my soul upon it, I'll run the hazard of my soul upon it, I am a lover of God for all this?" Would you venture any thing else so besides your soul? Would you venture a finger so, an eye so? It's to place the name, where there is nothing of the thing; it's to place the name of the thing upon its contrary. The soul of man can't be in an indifferency towards God, but if there be not love and propension, there is aversion, and that's hatred. And what! is hatred to be called love? If you bear that habitual disposition of soul towards God, to go all the day long with no inclination towards him; no thought of him; no design to please him, to serve him, to glorify him; if this be your habitual temper, and usual course, will you call this love? Shall this contrariety to the love of God be called love to him? You may as well call water fire, or fire water, as so grossly mis-name things here; and therefore again, in the Third place, that we may advance somewhat, Plainly and positively pass the true judgment. If the characters that you have heard do carry the matter so, come at last plainly and positively to pass the true judgment of your own case, though it be a sad one; and tell your own souls, "Oh! my soul, though I must sadly say it, I must say it, all things conclude and make against thee: the love of God is not in thee." Why is it not as good this should be the present issue at your own bar, and at the tribunal of your own conscience, as before God's judgment seat? Why should you not concur and fall in with Christ the authorized Judge, whose judgment is according to truth? Why this is a thing that must be done, the case requires it, and God's express word requires it, 1 Cor. xi. 31. Other previous and preparatory duty plainly enjoined, doth by consequence enjoin it, and requires that it follow, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. What is examination for, but in order to judgment? It must therefore be done, and I shall show how it must be done, and proceed to some further directions. First, You must do it solemnly. Take yourselves aside at some fit season or another, inspect your own souls, review your life, consider what your wonted frame and your ordinary course has been. And if you find, by such characters as heretofore were given, this is the truth of your case; then let judgment pass upon deliberation: "Oh my soul! thou hast not the love of God in thee, whatsoever thine appearances hitherto have been; and whatsoever thy peace and quiet hath been, thou hast not the love of God in thee:" let it be done with solemnity. Secondly, Do it in the sight of God, as before him, as under his eye, as under the eye of Christ. That eye that is as a flame of fire, that searches hearts, and tries reins; arraign thyself before him. "Lord, I have here brought before thee a guilty soul, a delinquent soul, a wretched and horrid delinquent, a soul that was breathed into me by thee, an intelligent, understanding soul, a soul that hath love in its nature, but a soul that never loved thee." Thirdly, Judge thyself before him, as to the fact, and as to the fault. As to the fact: “I have never yet loved thee, O God, I own it to thee; Lord, I accuse, I charge my soul with this before thee, this is the truth of the fact, I have not the love of God in me." And charge thyself with the fault. "Oh horrid creature that I am! I was made by thee, and don't love thee; thou didst breathe into me this reasonable immortal spirit, and it doth not love thee; it is thy own offspring, and does not love thee. It can never be blessed in any thing but thee, and it does not love thee." And then hereupon, in the Fourth place, Join to this self-judging, self-loathing. That we are to judge ourselves is a law laid upon us by the supreme Law-giver, the one Law-giver, that hath power to save, and to destroy. And his word that enjoins it as plainly tells us what must go with it, that this self-judging must be accompanied with self-loathing, Ezek. vi. 9. chap. xx. | heart in which was no love of God; but it was a secret, you 43. and xxxvi. 31. Do God that right upon thyself, that took not care to have it wrote in your forehead; you conthou mayest tell him, Blessed God! I do even hate myself, versed with men so plausibly, nobody took you to be no because I find I have not loved thee; and I cannot but lover of God, to have a heart disaffected to God. But now, hate myself, and I never will be reconciled to myself, till out comes the secret, that which you kept for a great secret I find I am reconciled to thee. This is doing justice: doth all your days, out comes the secret; and to have such a not the Scripture usually, and familiarly, so represent to us secret as this disclosed to that vast assembly, before angels the great turn of the soul to God; when poor sinners be- and men! Here was a creature, a reasonable creature, an come penitents and return, that they are brought to hate intelligent soul, that lived upon the Divine bounty and themselves, and loathe themselves in their own eyes? And goodness so many years in the world below, and hid a is there any thing that can make a soul so loathsome in it- false disloyal heart by a plausible show, and external proself, or ought to make it so loathsome to itself, as not to fession of great devotedness to God, all the time of his love God, to be destitute of the love of God? And then, abode in that world: Oh! what a fearful thing would it Fifthly, Hereupon too, pity thyself, pity thy own soul. be to have this secret so disclosed! And do you think that There is cause to hate it, to loathe it; and is there no cause all the loyal creatures, that shall be spectators and auditors to pity it, to lament it? Doth not this look like a lament-in the hearing of that great day, will not all conceive a just able case? "Oh! what a soul have I that can love any and a loyal indignation against such a one when convicted thing else, that can love trifles, that can love impurities, of not loving God; convicted of not loving him that gave that can love sin; and can't love God, Christ, the most him breath, him whose he was, to whom he belonged, desirable good of souls. What a soul have I! What a whose name he bore? What a fearful thing will it be to monster in the creation of God, is this soul of mine!" stand convicted so upon such a point as this! And sure, Methinks you should set yourselves, if any of you can find in the mean time, there is great reason for continual fear, this to be the case, to weep over your own souls. Some why a man's heart should meditate terror! One would may see cause to say, "O my soul, thou hast in thee other even think that all the creation should be continually every valuable things, thou hast understanding in thee, judg-moment in arms against him! One would be afraid that ment in thee, wit in thee; perhaps learning, considerable every wind that blows, should be a deadly blast to destroy acquired endowments in thee; but thou hast not the love me! that when the sun shines upon me, all its beams of God in thee. I can do many other commendable or should be turned into vindictive flames to execute veruseful things, I can discourse plausibly, argue subtlely, I geance upon me! I would fear that even the very stones can manage affairs dexterously, but I can't love God. in the street should fly against me, and every thing that Oh my soul, how great an essential dost thou want to meets me be my death! For what! I have not the love of all religion, to all duty, to all felicity! the one thing God in me! What, to go about the streets from day to necessary thou wantest; thou hast every thing but what day with a heart void of the love of God! What a heart thou needest more than any thing, more than all things. have I! Fear ought to be exercised in this case; we are And oh my soul, what is like at this rate to become of bid to fear if we do evil against a human ruler; If thou do thee? where art thou to have thy eternal abode! to what that which is evil be afraid, for he beareth not the sword regions of horror, and darkness, and wo art thou going? in vain, Rom. xiii. 4. But if I be such an evil-doer, against what society can be fit for thee? No lover of God! No the supreme Ruler, the Lord of heaven and earth; have I lover of God! what, but of infernal accursed spirits, that not reason to be afraid? and to think sadly with myself are at utmost distance from him, and to whom no beam of what will the end of this be? But yet I will add, in the holy vital light shall ever shine to all eternity! Thou, oh Seventh place, Don't despair for all this; God is in my soul, art self-abandoned to the blackness of darkness Christ reconciling the world to himself, as in that, 2 Cor. for ever. Thy doom is in thy breast, thy own bosom; thy noch. v. ver. 19. that sin might not be imputed. He is in love to God is thy own doom, thy eternal doom; creates Christ to reconcile you, to win hearts, to captivate souls thee a present hell, and shows whither thou belongest." to the love of God; for what else is reconciliation on our Sixth place, Let a due fear and solicitude hereupon be part? He is in Christ to reconcile, to conquer enmity, to set on work in thee. For consider thyself as one shortly subdue disaffected hearts, to make such souls call and ery, to be arraigned before the supreme tribunal, and then here "My Lord, and my God! I have been a stranger to thee, is the critical, vertical point upon which thy judgment I will through thy grace be so no longer." Therefore don't turns; lovers of God, or no lovers of God. All are to be despair. Despair that ever you should do well without judged in reference to what they were, and did in the body, loving God, but don't despair you shall ever be brought to whether good or evil. As in 2 Cor. ch. v. ver. 10. What love him, by no means. You have to do with him that is wast thou as to this point, while thou wast in the body? the element of love, the God of love, the fountain of love, For the last judgment regards that former state, what thou the great source of love, the fountain at once both of lovedidst, and what was thy wont as to this, whilst thou wast liness and love, whose nature is love, and is with his name in the body. Therefore by the way no hope, after thou art in his Son, who was manifested in the flesh, full of grace gone out of the body: go out of the body, no lover of and truth, i. e. sincerest love. He was incarnate love, love God, the departing soul, no lover of God, and this will be pointed at us, and is upon these terms able to transform all found your state at the judgment day. You are not to ex- the world into love; the nature of God is love, 1 John iv. pect after death a Gospel to be preached, that you may 16. and in Christ, he is Emmanuel, God with us, so the then be reconciled to God. No; but what did you do in divine love hath a direct aspect upon us. Why then apply the body? According to that you are to be judged. Did yourselves to him, turn yourselves towards him, open your you love God in this body while here, yea or no? And souls to him; say to him, "Lord, flow in with all the this is a trial upon the most fundamental point, for as all mighty powers of thine own love upon my soul, thou that the law is comprehended in love, as was formerly hinted, if canst of stones raise up children and make them the true you be found guilty in this point, that you were no lover genuine sons of Abraham; (and there can be no such chilof God, totally destitute of the love of God; you were a dren without love;) oh dissolve this stone, this stone in my perpetual underminer of his whole government, of the breast, mollify this obdurate heart, turn it into love!" whole frame of his law, a disloyal creature, rebellious and How soon may it be done upon due application. He can false to the God that made you, to Jesus Christ that re- quickly do it, draw thee into a love union with himself, deemed you by his blood. Ali disobedience and rebel- so as that thou shouldst come to dwell in love; and dwell lion is summed up in this one word, Having been no lover in God who is love, and he in thee. Then the foundations of God; and won't it make any man's heart to meditate are surely laid, for all thy future duty, and for all thy futerror, to think of having such a charge as this likely to lie ture felicity. Then how pleasantly wilt thou obey, and against him in the judgment of that day; that day, when how blessedly wilt thou enjoy God for ever! But such the secrets of all hearts are to be laid open? Every work application must be made through Christ, and for the must be then brought into judgment, and every secret Spirit; which Spirit is the Spirit of love, and of power, and thing, whether it be good or evil, Eccles. xii. 14. And it of a sound mind; as you have it in that first of the second will be to the confusion of many a one. It may be your to Tim. v. 7. But these things I can't now further insist no love of God was heretofore a great secret, you had a upon. A SERMON ON THE THANKSGIVING DAY, DECEMBER 2, 1697. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD HAVERSHAM. I OFFER this discourse my honoured lord to your perusal, in confidence that the subject and design of it will be so far grateful to your lordship, as in some degree to atone for the imperfections of the management. I believe it will not offend against your lordship's very accurate judgment of things, that I have not been so swayed by an authority which hath signified much in our age, as to represent the natural state of man as a state of war; which either must signify man in his original constitution to have been a very ill-natured creature, or must signify his nature to be less ancient than himself. For I cannot doubt, but the author of that maxim would have disdained their way of speaking, who by nature mean vice; or to have been guilty of so pious a thought, that God at first made man any better thing than we find him. I shall the less passionately lament my infelicity, in losing the good opinion of men of that sentiment, if I stand right in your lordship's: not knowing any of your rank and figure in the world, with whom I count it a greater honour to agree in judgment, or do less fear to disagree. In matters of secular concernment, it becomes me not to profess any judgment at all, besides the public; unto which in things of that nature, every private man's ought to be, and is, professedly resigned. Yet within that compass, notwithstanding the just esteem your lordship hath of the noble endowments, which do then illustriously shine in the military profession when there is a necessity of their being reduced to practice; I apprehend, that otherwise, your lordship hath no more grateful thoughts of war than I, nor more ungrateful of the necessary means of preserving peace. That which is the reproach of human nature, could never originally belong to it; nor can any thing more expose its ignominious depravation, than it should ever be necessary the sword should dispute right, and the longest decide it. In the matters of religion, which is every man's business, and whose sphere as it is higher must be proportionably wider and more comprehensive, I hope it is your lordship's constant care to add unto clearness and rectitude of thought, the pleasantness of taste; and that you apprehend it to consist, not more in a scheme of notions, than of vital principles; and that your love to it proceeds from hence, that you relish it and feel you live by it. You are hereby fortified against the reproach that attends it from their contempt of it, who are every day assaulting heaven, and would have the war not ended, but only transferred thitherward. That which though some vent, and others admire, as wit, even paganism itself has condemned as foolishness. Your lordship is in no more danger to be altered hereby from your chosen course, than a man in his health and senses, by satyrs, against eating and drinking. I reckon your lordship is so taken up with the great things of religion, as to be less taken with the adventitious things men have thought fit to affix to it. I do not more emulate your lordship in any thing than a disdain of bigotry, nor more honour any thing I discern in you than true catholicism. And recounting what things and persons do truly belong to a church, I believe your lordship is not professedly of a larger church, as counting it too large for you, but too narrow; and tha you affect not to be of a self-distinguished party. Nor, besides the opportunity of avowing the just honour and obligations I have to your lordship and your noble consort, with my sincere concern for your hopeful and numerous offspring, did any thing more invite this address to your lordship, than the agreeableness of such your sentiments, to the mind and spirit of, My most honoured lord, PSALM XXIX. 1. THE LORD WILL BLESS HIS PEOPLE WITH PEACE. You so generally know the occasion of this our solemn | his people with peace; i.e. he will vouchsafe this blessing assembly at this time, that none can be in doubt concern- to his own people in the fittest season, as it must be undering the suitableness of this portion of Scripture, for our present consideration. Our business is to celebrate the Divine goodness, in preserving our king abroad, and restoring him home in safety, after he had been the happy instrument of bringing about that peace, which puts a period to a long continued, wasting, and dubious war; under which we, and all Europe, have groaned these divers years. And if we find the favourable workings of Providence to concur and fall in with a divine word, pointing them to God's own people; as this for instance, The Lord will bless stood; this adds so much the more grateful and pleasant |