the Son of GOD; and confequently that the doctrine S ERM. which he delivered was from GOD. 2dly, The refurrection of CHRIST from the dead affures us of a future judgment, and of the recompences and rewards of another world. That CHRIST was raised from the dead, is a demonstration of another life after this; and no man that believes the immortality of our fouls, and another life after this, ever doubted of a future judgment; fo that by the refurrection of CHRIST from the dead, God hath given affurance unto all men of a future judgment, and confequently of the recompences and rewards of another world. The confideration whereof ought to have a mighty influence upon us, more especially to these three purposes. ift. To raise our minds above the prefent enjoyments of this life. Were but men convinced of this great and obvious truth, that there is an infinite difference between time and eternity, between a few days and everlasting ages; would we but fometimes represent to ourselves, what thoughts and apprehenfions dying men have of this world, how vain and empty a thing it appears to them; how like a pageant and fhadow it looks, as it paffeth away from them, methinks none of these things could be a fufficient temptation to any man to forget GoD and his foul; but notwithstanding all the prefent delights and allurements of fenfe, we should be ftrongly intent upon the concernments, of another world, and almost wholly taken up with the thoughts of the vaft eternity which we are ready to enter into. For what is there in this world, this vaft and howling wilderness, this rude and barbarous country which we CXX. CXX. SERM. we are but to pass through, which fhould detain and entangle our affections, and take off our thoughts from our everlasting habitation, from that better, and that heavenly country where we hope to live and to be happy for ever? 2dly, The confideration of the rewards of another world fhould comfort and fupport us under the troubles and afflictions of this world. The hopes of a bleffed refurrection are a very proper confideration to bear us up under the evils and preffures of this life. If we hope for fo great a happiness hereafter, we may be contented to bear fome afflictions in this world; because the blessedness which we expect will fo abundantly recompenfe and outweigh our prefent fufferings. So that the apoftle affures us, Rom. viii. 18. "We know that the fufferings of this "present time are not worthy to be compared with "the glory that shall be revealed in us." The confideration whereof was that which made the primitive christians to triumph in their fufferings, and in the midft of all their tribulations "to rejoice in the 18. 66 hopes of the glory of GOD;" because their sufferings did really prepare and make way for their glory. So the fame apostle tells us, 2 Cor. iv. 17, "Our light afflictions which are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and "eternal weight of glory; whilft we look not at "the things which are feen; for the things which "are feen are temporal, but the things which are "not seen are eternal. 3dly, and laftly, the affurance of our future reward is a mighty encouragement to obedience and a holy life. What greater encouragement can we have than this, that all the good which we do in this world CXX. world will accompany us into the other?" that when S ER M "we reft from our labours, our works will follow "us?" that when we shall be stript of other things, and parted from them, thefe will still remain with us, and bear us company? our riches and honours, our fenfual pleasures and enjoyments will all take their leave of us, when we leave this world; nay many times they do not accompany us fo far as the grave, but take occafion to forfake us, when we have the greatest need and use of them: but piety and virtue are that better part which cannot be taken from "us." All the good actions which we do in this world will go along with us into the other, and through the merits of our REDEEMER procure for us, at the hands of a gracious and merciful God, a glorious and eternal reward; not according to the meanness of our services, but according to the bounty of his mind, and the vaftnefs of his treafures and estate. Now what an encouragement is this to holiness and obedience, to confider that it will all be our own another day; to be affured that whoever ferves GOD faithfully, and does fuffer for him patiently, does lay up fo much treasure for himself in another world, and provides lafting comforts for himself, and faithful and conftant companions, that will never leave him nor forfake him? Let us then do all the good we can, while we have opportunity, and ferve GOD with all our might, knowing that no good action that we do fhall be loft and fall to the ground, that every grace and virtue that we exercise in this life, and every degree of them, fhall receive their full recompence at the refurrec1 * tion of the just.” VOL. VII. P How SERM. SER M. CXXI. How fhould this inspire us with resolution and zeal and industry in the fervice of God, to have such a reward continually in our eye; how should it tempt us to our duty to have a crown and a kingdom offered to us, joys unspeakable arid full of 66 glory, fuch things as eye hath not fée, nor ear heard, nor have entred into the heart of man?" And fuch are the things which God hath laid up for them who love him heartily, and ferve him faithfully in this world. SERMON CXXI. The danger of apoftasy from christianity. HE B. vi. 4, 5, 6. For it is impoffible for those who were once enlightened, and have tafted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the HOLY GHOST, and have taffed the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come; if they fhall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance: feeing they crucify to themselves the SON of GOD afresh, and put him to an open Shame. T HESE words are full of difficulties, and the misunderstanding of them hath not only been an occafion of a great deal of trouble, and even despair to particular persons, but one of the chief reasons why the church of Rome did for a long time reject the authority of this book; which by the CXXI. way I cannot but take notice of as a demonftrative SER M. inftance both of the fallible judgment of that church, and of the fallibility of oral tradition; for St. Jerom more than once exprefly tells us, "that in his time 68 (which was about 400 years after CHRIST) the "church of Rome did not receive this epiftle for ca"nonical :" but it is plain, that fince that time, whether moved by the evidence of the thing, or (which is more probable) by the consent and authority of other churches, they have received it, and do at this day acknowledge it for canonical; from whence one of these two things will neceffarily follow; either that they were in an error for 409 years together while they rejected it; or that they have fince erred for a longer time in receiving it. One of these is unavoidable; for if the book be canonical now, it was fo from the beginning; for Bellarmine himself confeffeth (and if he had not confeffed it, it is nevertheless true and certain) that the church cannot make a book canonical, which was not fo before; if it was not canonical at first, it cannot be made fo afterward; fo that let them choose which part they will, it is evident, beyond all denial, that the church of Rome hath actually erred in her judgment concerning the authority of this book; and one error of this kind is enough to deftroy her infallibility, there being no greater evidence that a church is not infallible, than if it plainly appear that she hath been deceived. And this alfo is a convincing inftance of the fallibility of oral tradition. For if that be infallible in delivering down to us the canonical books of fcripture, it neceffarily follows, that whatever books were delivered down to us for canonical in one age, must have P 2 |