Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

accord, we may take very innocent Satisfaction in them. But the misfortune is, that what we like and love, we are apt to court out of time, and covet out of measure. This is a Frailty, rooted in our Nature. And for that reafon, I take it, our Bleffed Lord does chufe to expofe the Folly of Vain-glory; by fhewing, that the Men of this Principle deftroy their own Pretenfions, and, that the very Point they drive at, would be more effectually carried the contrary way. You defire this Rigour and fevere Piety may be publickly known, and therefore you unfeasonably proclaim it your felf: The beft that can come of this is, to let a very few about you into the knowledge of it. But keep this to your felf, and be content to stay a little longer, and then it fhall be publifhed to, and applauded by, a whole World. Thus would Concealment now, anfwer your End much better, than Oftentation. But that's not all. From whom do you conceal it? You cannot from Him, who is chiefly concerned to know it. It is from Such only, as have no part in, nor Power to reward you for it. Thus for the fake of Them, who cannot, you discharge him, who could, and otherwife would, but is not now obliged to, recompenfe thofe good Deeds, which fo plainly appear not to have been done for His fake. So the Reward you might have had, is loft; and the confideration you proposed to your self in lieu of it, is incomparably lefs, than you' would have had in the fame kind, added to that Reward. This is the Substance of our Saviour's Argument, a neceflary caution to us all, at any time, at this time more particularly.

The Pious Severities whereof the God of all Mercy grant us Grace to attend upon, with a Sincerity fo unblameable, A Sorrow fo godly, An Abftinence fo mortifying, A Devotion fo fervent, A Charity so bountiful, and A Zeal fo unaffected; that, having

2

thus

Collect.

thus attained to new and contrite Hearts, we may worthily lament our Sins, acknowledge our wretchednefs, and receive of Him perfect Remission and Forgiveness, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

O

The First Sunday in Lent.

The COLLECT.

Lord, who for our fake didft faft forty days and forty nights: Give us Grace to ufe fuch Abftinence, that our Flesh being fubdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly Motions in Righteousness and true Holiness, to thy Honour and Glory, who livest and reigneft with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, one God, World without end. Amen.

I.

"W

The EPISTLE.

2 Cor. vi. 1.

E then, as workers together with him, be-
feech you allo, that ye receive not the
Grace of God in vain.

Matth. iv. 2.

1 Cor. x. 27. Gal. v. 17, 24.

PARAPHRASE.

1. Since therefore God

hath vouchfafed to admit us, the Apostles and Minifters of the Gospel,

into a part of this great Work, reconciling mankind to Him by Chrift. (See Chap. v. 19, 20.) We, in difcharge of that weighty Truft, most carneftly intreat you to make a right Ufe and Profit of this Favour of God toward you.

2. For he faith, I have beard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of Salvation bave I fuccoured thee; bebold, now is the accepted time, bebeld, nor is the day of falvation.

2. By that Paffage in Ijaiah (Chap. xlix. 8.) you may perceive, that God hath particular Times of faving and

helping. This, when the Gospel is imparted to you, is your Time, which ye are concerned not to let lip.

3. Giving no offence in any thing, that the miniftry be not blamed.

3. To this we contribute, not by our Doctrine only, but Exam

ple too, demeaning our felves fo, as to give no juft Prejudice against our Perions, or our Function.

4. But in all things approving our felves as the minifters of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in neceffities, in diftreffes:

5. In fripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in watchings, in faftings.

U 2

4, 5. But anfwering our Character, both by what we do, and by what we fuffer in the Exercife of it.

6. By

[ocr errors]

6. By Chastity, by Knowledge of the Myfteries of God (or, as

6. By pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Gheft, by love unfeigned,

fome, by prudent Carriage) by bearing with those that do amifs, by gentle and engaging and courteous Behaviour to all, by the miraculous Gifts and Operations of the Holy Spirit.

7. By preaching the Gofpel pure and uncorrupted; By the Succefs and Efficacy given by

7. By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteoufness on the right band and on the left.

God to that Preaching; By arming our felves against all the Temptations both of Profperity and Adverfity.

8. Not moved from

our Duty by the diffe

rent Treatment we meet

8. By bonour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true;

with; not exalted when others fpeak well, nor difcouraged when they speak ill of us. Some call us Impoftors, but we are true Men;

9. Some defpife us as

obfcure, others know
and value us; We feem

9. As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live, as chaftened, and not killed;

at the point of Death every day, but ftill God preferves us. Our Perfecutions exercife, but they do not destroy us.

10. Our Circumftan

10. As forrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, ces are thought very bad, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet poffefand yet the Teftimony fing all things.

of a good Confcience,

and the fpiritual Comforts we feel, give us perpetual Joy: We are reckoned poor, and yet we communicate to Multitudes, who are in want of the true Riches; and while we feem to have nothing, (by the Contentedness of our Mind, and the Favour, and Promifes of God, which we know are fure to us) we ftand poffeft of all that is good and defirable.

Ver. 19, 20, 21.

COMMENT.

T. Paul had, in the Clofe of the Fifth Chapter, magnified the Mercy of God by Jefus Chrift, in appointing Him, as a Sacrifice for the Sins of Mankind: In thus reconciling to himself those Offenders and Rebels, who, but for this Condefcenfion, must have perished everlastingly, in and for that Enmity they had finn'd themfelves into; And in fending the Minifters of his Gofpel, as fo many Ambaffadors, commiffioned in his Name to

offer

offer them Terms, to treat with, to importune them that they would come in, and accept Friendship with their injured Lord, and Happiness to their, otherwise inevitably ruined, Selves.

At the beginning of this Sixth Chapter, (the Epiftle for the Day,) he gives an account, after what manner He and his Fellow-labourers behaved themfelves in the Execution of this fo important, fo honourable Office. He, in Their Character, hath left every Minifter of Chrift a Model, on which to frame his Own: Hath admonished Us, (who have likewise the honour of being Workers together with God) how preffing and diligent we ought to be in Doctrine and Exhortation, how blameless and Exemplary in our Lives. A proper portion of Scripture, at the approach of our Ember-Faft, and worthy the most attentive Confideration. of All, who have been already, or are now about to be, or fhall at any time hereafter be, fent forth upon the fame Embaffy.

But, reflecting, that the main Defign of this Treatife is not to teach Them, who are called and qualified to teach Others; I content my felf with this fhort Hint to my Brethren of the fame Holy Function; and fix upon a Subject of larger Extent and Concern, contained in the First and Second Verfes. In the former whereof the Apoftle gives his Corinthians a very earnest Exhortation; In the latter, a Reafon enforcing it. Thefe Two Particulars, and the Application of them, fhall make the Matter of my prefent Difcourse. I. The Subftance of the Exhortation is, That they would not receive the Grace of God in vain.

Gen. xxxii. 15.

------

- xlvii. 25.

Efther i. 17. Rom. v. II. --------xi. 6. Heb. ii. 9.

1. Grace, in the general Notion of it, denotes Favour and Kindnefs, fuch as does not only argue a Difpofition to do good to the Perfon, on whom it is beftowed; but fuch as is beftowed freely, and without any Obligation. In this refpect it dif

U 3

fers

fers from Debt, or Reward, adequate, and strictly fo called. And, in this fenfe, the Grace of God imports that Affection and Good-Will, which he bears to Men, and all those Benefits proceeding thence, which he is either under no Engagement to give, or which the very engaging himfelf to give was of his own mere Motion, and a free A&t of Mercy.

Acts xiii. 43. ------ XX. 24. Tit. ii. 11.

1 Pet. v. 12.

2. The Grace of God, in a more reftrained Sense, is frequently fet to fignify the Gospel of Jefus Chrift. So ftiled, because the Terms and Privileges of that Salvation tendred by it, are the effect of his infinite and undeferved Goodnefs; The Knowledge and Publication of it is imparted, to whom, at what time, and in what measure he pleafes; And the Bleffings and Rewards of it, when fo imparted, (though to fuch indeed covenanted Mercies, if they perform Their part) yet arc ftill fo vaftly difproportionate in value to their best Services, as to deferve the Name, not of Wages, but of a Gift.

Rom. vi. 25.

Again, 3. The Grace of God does fometimes fignify a certain inward Working of his Spirit, in, and with the Minds of Men; Which, by fuggefting, and difpofing them to comply with reafonable Arguments and good Motions, renders the outward Miniftry of the Word, and other Means inftituted for our Salvation, perfuafive and fuccefsful. This is reprefented, as the Principle of Goodnefs and Spiritual Life. By this the Saints are what they are;

1 Cor. xv. Io. Eph. ii. 5. Hebr. xiii.

2 Phil. ii. 12. 2. Pet. iii. 17, 18.

This quickens thofe that were once dead in trefpaffes and Sins; By this God works in us that which is acceptable in his fight, even to will and to do of his good pleafure; And by growing in this we perfevere in welldoing, and are kept from falling from cur owen fedfaftness. Thus our being, and living, and moving, in a Spiritual Senfe and Capacity, our begin

ning,

« EdellinenJatka »