CXVIII but fair terms of retreat were offer'd to them by their SER M. enemies. It is one thing when a man fuffers by the law, and cannot help it; and another thing when men may avoid fuffering. In the former cafe men submit to neceffity, and bear it as well as they can; in the latter cafe, if men fuffer, it is a fign they firmly believe the reward of it; and if they fuffer chearfully, and with joy, as most of the martyrs did, it is a plain evidence that God affords them extraordinary fupport in their fufferings; and then the cafe is not vary hard, when religion puts them upon nothing, but what it gives them caufe, and enables them, to rejoice in the doing of it. Fifthly, it is objected; that the christian religion is apt to dispirit men, and to break the courage and vigor of their minds, by the precepts of patience, and humility, and meekness, and forgiving injuries, and the like. This objection hath made a great noife in the world, and hath been urged by men of great reputation, and a deep infight into the tempers of men, and affairs of the world. It is faid to be particularly infifted upon by Machiavel, and very likely it may; though I think that elsewhere he is pleased to speak with terms of respect, not only of religion. in general, but likewise of the chriftian religion; and (which feems very much to contradict the other) he fays in the first book of his difcourfes upon Livy, (chap. xi.) that the greatnefs and fuccefs of Rome is chiefly to be ascribed to their piety and religion; and that Rome was more indebted to Numa Pompilius for fettling religion among them, than to Romulus the founder of their ftate; and the reafon he gives is much to our prefent purpose; for, fays he, without religion there can be no military discipline, religion SERM. being the foundation of good laws and good dif CXVIII. cipline. And particularly he commends the Sam nites, who betook themfelves to religion, as their laft and beft remedy to make men courageous, nothing being more apt to raife mens fpirits than religion, But how foever this objection be, I dare appeal both to reafon and experience for the confutation of it. I. To reafon, and that as to these two things. (1.) That the chriftian religion is apt to plant in the minds of men principles of the greatest refolution and trueft courage. It teacheth men upon the best and most rational grounds to defpife dangers, yea and death itself, the greatest and most formidable evil in this world; and this principle is likely to inspire men with the greatest courage; for what need he fear any thing in this world, who fears not death, after which there is nothing in this world to be feared? and this the christian religion does, by giving men the affurance of another life, and a happiness, infinitely greater than any is to be enjoyed in this world. And in order to the fecuring of this happiness, it teacheth men to be holy, and juft, and to exercise a good confcience both toward GoD and man, which is the only way to free a man from all inward and tormenting fears of what "This makes may happen to him after death." "the righteous man to be (as Solomon fays) bold "as a lion." Nothing renders a man more undaunted as to death, and the confequences of it, than the peace of his own mind; for a man not to be confcious to himself of having willfully difpleafed him, who alone can make us happy or miserable in. the " CXVIII. the other world. So that a good man, being fecure S ERM. of the favour of GoD, 'may upon that account reafonably hope for a greater happiness after death than other men: whereas a bad man, if he be fober, and have his fenfes awakened to a ferious confideration of things, cannot but be afraid to die; and be extremely anxious and folicitous what will become of him in another world. And furely it would make the ftouteft man breathing afraid to venture upon death, when he fees hell beyond it. Poffibly there may be fome monsters of men, who may have fo far fupprefs'd the fenfe of religion, and ftupified their confciences, as in a good measure to have conquer'd the fears of death, and of the confequences of it. But this happens but to a very few, as the poet tells us in the perfon of an epicurean. Felix qui potuit rerum cognofcere caufas, Atque metus omnes & inexorabile fatum Subjecit pedibus, firepitumque Acherontis avari. There are very few that attain to this temper, and but at fome times. So that if vice and wickednefs do. generally break the firmness of mens fpirits; it remains that nothing but religion can generally give men courage against death. And this the chriftian religion does eminently to those who live according to it; our bleffed SAVIOUR having delivered us from the fear of death, by conquering death for us, and giving us affurance of the glorious rewards of another life. (2.) Meekness, and patience, and humility, and modesty, and such virtues of chriftianity, do not in reafon tend to difpirit men, and break their true courage, but only to regulate it, and take away the fierceness and brutishness of it. This we fee in ex- SER M. perience, that men of the trueft courage, have CXVIII. many times least of pride and infolence, of paffion and fiercenefs. Those who are better bred, are commonly of more gentle and civil dispositions: but yet they do not therefore want true courage, though, they have not the roughness and fool-hardiness of men of ruder breeding. So in a true chriftian, courage and greatness of mind, is very confiftent with meeknefs, and patience, and humility. Not that all good men are very courageous; there is much of this in the natural temper of men, which religion does not quite alter. But that which I am concerned to maintain is, that christianity is no hindrance to mens courage, and that cæteris paribus, fuppofing men of equal tempers, no man hath so much reason to be valiant, as he that hath a good confcience; I do not mean a blustering, and boisterous, and rafh courage; but a fober, and calm, and fixt valour. 2. I appeal to experience for the truth of this. Did ever greater courage and contempt of death appear in all ages, and fexes, and conditions of men, than in the primitive martyrs? were any of the heathen foldiers comparable to the chriftian legion, for resolution and courage, even the heathens themselves being judges? The religion of Mahomet feems to be contrived to inspire men with fierceness and defperateness of refolution, and yet I do not find, but that generally where there hath been any equality for number, the chriftians have been fuperior to them in valour, and have given greater inftances of refolution and courage, than the Turks have done. So that I wonder upon what grounds this objection hath been taken up against christianity, when there is nothing either in the nature of this religion, or from the upon the experience of the world, to give any tolerable countenance to it. And furely the best way to know what effect any religion is likely to have the minds of men, is to confider what effects it hath had in the conftant experience of mankind. There remains the other two objections, which I mention'd, but I must reserve them to another opportunity. SERMON CXIX. The prejudices against JESUS and his religion confider'd. MATTH. xi. 6. And bleed is be whosoever shall not be offended in me. F ROM these words I propofed to confider these S E R M. two things. CXIX. The fecond I. The prejudices and objections which the world at first had, and many ftill have, against our fermon on bleffed SAVIOUR and his religion. II. That it is a great happiness to escape the common prejudices which men are apt to entertain against religion. I have confidered thofe objections which the Jews and heathen philofophers made againft our SAVIOUR and his religion: and, II. Those which at this day are infifted upon by the fecret and open enemies of our religion. And [ mentioned seven, the two laft of which I fhall now Speak to. Sixthly, this text. |