CXXIV. "ftill voice;" that is, he defigned to fettle and con- SERM tinue that difpenfation, in that more calm and fecret way of affiftance, which offers lefs violence to the nature of man, but which was intended for the conftant and permanent difpenfation. So that we have no reason to think, that God hath now forfaken his church, though he be not with it in fo fenfible and extraordinary a manner. But then if any particular church defire and expect this bleffed prefence and affiftance of GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT, we must remember, that there is a condition to be performed on our parts. For how absolute soever this promise may be, in respect of the church univerfal; it is certainly conditional to any particular church, as fad experience in many inftances hath fhewn. GOD hath long fince left the church of Jerufalem, where the gospel was first publifh'd; he hath left the church of Antioch, where the believers of the gospel were first call'd chriftians; he hath left the famous churches of Afia, to that degree of defolation, that the ruins and places of some of them are hardly at this day certainly known. And this may also be the fate of any particular church, not excepting Rome her felf, for all her pride and confidence to the contrary. "Behold "therefore the goodness and feverity of GoD: to"wards them that fell, severity; but towards us goodness, if we continue in his goodness, other. "wife we alfo fhall be cut off." 66 This, as I observed before, is fpoken particularly to the Roman church; the apostle fuppofeth that the church of Rome her felf may be guilty of apoftacy from the faith, and cut off by unbelief, and indeed feems to foretel it; which how it confifts with SERM their confident pretence to infallibility, let them look CXXIV. to it. And let all particular churches look to themselves that they do not forfeit this promife of divine affiftance. For CHRIST hath not fo tied himself to any particular church, but that if they forfake him, he may leave them, and "remove his candle"ftick from them." There have been many fad inftances of this, fince the first planting of chriftianity; and we have no fmall reafon to apprehend that it may come to be our own cafe; for certainly we have many of thofe marks of ruin among us, which did foretel the deftruction of the Jewish church and nation; horrible profaneness and contempt of religion, divifion and animofities to the highest degree, and an univerfal diffolutenefs and corruption of manners. And why fhould we, who do the fame things, think our felves exempted from the fame fate? what can we expect, but that GOD fhould deal with us, as he did with them, "take away the kingdom "of God from us, and give it to a nation that "will bring forth the fruits of it?" The condition of this great promife here in the text, to the paftors and governors of the chriftian church, is the faithful execution of their commiffion; if they do fincerely endeavour to gain men to the belief and practice of chriftianity, CHRIST hath promifed to be with them. The performance of this condition doth primarily concern the chief governors of the church, and next to them the minifters of the gofpel in general, that they fhould be diligent and faithful in their respective ftations," teaching "men to obferve all things whatfoever CHRIST "hath commanded." And if we would make this our CXXIV. our great work, to inftruct our refpective charges in SER M. 66 fpeak, as the oracles of GOD;" to which nothing can be more contrary, than to trifle with the word of GOD, and to speak of the weightieft matters in the world, the great and everlasting concernments of the fouls of men, in fo flight and indecent a manner, as is not only beneath the gravity of the pulpit, but even of a well-regulated stage. Can any thing be more un. fuitable, than to hear a minifter of GoD from this folemn place to break jefts upon fin, and to quibble upon the vices of the age? this is to fhoot without a bullet, as if we had no mind to do execution, but only to make men fmile at the mention of their faults; this is fo naufeous a folly, and of so pernicious confequence to religion, that hardly any thing to fevere can be faid of it. And then if we would have our inftructions effectual, we must be "exemplary in our lives." Aristotle tells, that the manners of the speaker have Xugioτáτn is, the most fovereign power of perfuafion. And therefore Cato puts it into the definition of an orator, that he is, vir bonus, dicendi peri- ( tus," a good man, and an eloquent speaker." This is true as to all kinds of perfuafion; the good opinion which men have of the fpeaker, gives great weight to his words, and does ftrangely difpofe the minds of men to entertain his counfels. But the X 3 reputation SERM. reputation of goodness is more efpecially neceffary and useful to those whose proper work it is to perfuade men to be good; and therefore the apoftle, when he had charged Titus to put men in mind of their duty, immediately adds, "in all things "fhewing thy felf a pattern of good works." None fo fit to teach others their duty, and none fo likely to gain men to it, as those who practise it themfelves; because hereby we convince men that we are in earnest, when they fee that we perfuade them to nothing, but what we choose to do our felves. This is the way to "ftop the mouths of men," and to confute their malice, by an exemplary piety and virtue. So St. Peter tells us, Pet. ii. 15. "For fo is the will of GOD, that by well-doing ye put to filence the ignorance of foolish men." 46 SERMON CXXV. The difficulties of a chriftian life confider'd. LUKE xiii. 24. Strive to enter in at the ftrait gate; for many, I fay unto you, will feek to enter in, and shall not be able. T HERE are two great mistakes about the nature of religion, equally falfe, and equally pernicious to the fouls of men: and the devil, whose great defign it is to keep men off from religion CXXV. religion by any means, makes ufe of both thefe SER M. mistakes, to serve his own purpose and defign upon the several tempers of men. Those who are melancholy and ferious, he difheartens and difcourageth from attempting it, by the extreme trouble and difficulty of it, representing it in fo horrid and frightful a fhape, incumber'd with fuch difficulties, and attended with fuch troubles and fufferings, as are infuperable, and intolerable to human nature; whereby he perfuades men, that they had better never attempt it, fince they may defpair to go through with it. On the other hand, thofe who are fanguine and full of hopes, he poffeffes with a quite contrary apprehenfion; that the business of religion is fo fhort and easy a work, that it may be done at any time, and if need be, at the last moment of our lives, tho' it is not fo well to put it upon the last hazard; and by this means, a great part of mankind are lull'd in fecurity, and adjourn the bufinefs of religion from time to time; and because it is so easy, and fo much in their power, they fatisfy themfelves with an indeterminate refolution to fet about that business some time or other before they die, and fo to repent, and make their peace with GOD once for all. These pretences contradict one another, and therefore cannot be both true, but they may both be falfe, as indeed they are, and truth lies between them; religion being neither fo flight and easy a work as fome would have it, nor fo extremely difficult and intolerable, as others would reprefent it. To confute the false apprehenfions which fome have of the eafiness of it, our SAVIOUR tells us there |