VOL. Chriftians of Theffalonica, to aim at fuperior II. piety and virtue, faying, Let not us fleep as do others; for, as it follows, GOD has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain falvation through our Lord Jefus Chrift". What! to live in the fame droufy fecurity as others do, or as if you were ftill under the dominion of the fame spirit of flumber, or as if the fame death had prevailed over you which has fpread it felf over the rest of the world, what an incongruous thing is this! It is true, God has found no difference among men, but he has made a very great one, which arifes from the difpenfations of his grace, rather than from nature; being determined to have a people peculiarly diftinguished by their excellent fpirit, and eminent piety and goodness. And this is the meaning and intent of this profeffion of the Christian religion. Therefore, VIII. NEVER reft upon that bare level, which it is poffible fome may come up unto, that are not of this profeffion. Some do not profefs to know God in Chrift at all, as Jews and Pagans for inftance. What the traditional religion of the former, and the mere natural religion of the latter will carry them to, do not think that enough for you. As to the former, our Saviour exprefly tells his difciples, and all that will be his followers, Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharifees, you cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. And yet W VII. yet they were the strictest Sect of the Jews, as SERM, St. Paul intimates when he declares, that he had this, as well as other things to glory in, if that was of any confequence, that he himself was a Pharifee; but yet, fays he, what I thought a gain to me when I was of that religion, I reckon lofs for Chrift and the excellency of his knowledge, that I might know him, and fo attain, with him, the refurrection from the dead. You must then be able to outgo the strictest of those whom the Judaical religion had formed. For it is very apparent that when the time was come, in which Chrift intended his religion fhould take place, after having made fufficient difcovery of himself to the world, then did the Spirit of grace retire from the religion of the Jews, as being no longer of any force. And though there had been many of that religion who feared GOD before, yet now that the Chriftian inftitution was established, there was no ground to expect that the Spirit fhould breathe through that of Mofes. And therefore our Lord tells them plainly, If you believe not that I am HE, that is, the Meffiah and the Son of GOD, ye shall die in your fins c. And accordingly the Apoftle appeals to the Chriftians, at that time, in the following manner; Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the bearing of faith? that is, the Gofpel? In fhort, that religion which carries you in a courfe of holy practice, no higher than Judaism in effect, is certainly much VOL. II. b Phil. 111. 5-12. H с John VIII. 24. fhort 4 Gal. 111. 2. II. VO L. fhort of the defign of our Lord, and what your profeffion of Chriftianity fuppofes. But how much more may this be affirmed, if profeffors among us proceed no further, than the natural religion of the Heathen world will carry them? Who, notwithstanding their profeffion to know GOD in Chrift, yet go no higher than they in point of juftice and truth, temperance and sobriety, and in a contempt of this world, as well as value and care of their better part, even their immortal fouls concerning which fome Heathens fpeak ftrangely. "I wonder, fays one, "that whereas man confifts of a foul and body, "that there fhould be fo much care taken about "the latter, and the care of the foul be neglected "by by moft, as a hated thing." And feveral of them have left us various difcourfes, concerning the greater mischief and malignity that there are in the difeafes of the mind, than in those of the body, or the outward man. Maximus Tyrius has a large differtation on this very fubject*, and several others of them have wrote to the like purpofe. Some of them alfo have expreffed their reverence to GOD in a surprising manner. "I fo live (fays one) as always under "God's eye, and as apprehending he is ever "prying into, and looking upon me." And how pleasant expectations and forethoughts have they had of a future felicity! It is really admirable to think in what transports some of them have been, in the expectations they had of a happy * Differt. XIII. Edit. Davif. Lond. 1740. quarto. VIL Eappy ftate for good and virtuous men. Now SERM. when Paganism does outdo us in these respects, can we be faid to answer our profeffion of Chriftianity, in which we have fuch an amiable difcovery of GOD in Chrift; and when alfo we have life and immortality brought to light by the Gofpel, fhining by clear and direct beams? To have Chriftians therefore bafely creeping upon the face of this earth, and rolling themselves in the duft, fo as fome Pagans would be afhamed to do! to see them wallowing in the impurities. of fenfual wickednefs, which would have been a reproach to many of them! This is furely not to answer our profeflion. IX. LASTLY; in as much as it is not the best institution in the world that will do our business, without a living religion implanted in us, never reft nor be fatisfied without that. And whereas there are two things intimated in the text, to be opposed to true religion and fincere profeffion, that is, a propenfion to evil, and an averfion to good; an indulgence in fuch a courfe of life as is indeed abominable, with a mind reprobate to every good work; know then, there must be accordingly a twofold power of religion, which must be implanted, to counterwork those two; to wit, a fin-mortifying power, and a quickening power. The former of which takes away the inclination to evil, and the latter an averfion to good. |