Page images
PDF
EPUB

upon us any thing as of neceflity to be believed and practifed in order to falvation, which is not declared to be fo in the holy fcriptures, which contain the true doctrine of the gofpel, what authority foever they pretend for it, yea, though they affume to themselves to be infallible, the Apoftle hath plainly told us what we are to think of them; for he hath put the cafe as high as poffible here in the text, when he fays, Tho' we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed.

I will conclude all with that counfel which the fpirit of God gives to the churches of Afia, Rev. iii. 3. Remember therefore how thou haft received and heard, and hold faft and chap. ii. 10. Fear none of thofe things which thou shalt fuffer: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

:

SER MON

LXXXVII.

Honefty the best preservative against dangerous mistakes in religion.

JOHN Vii. 17.

If any man will do his will, he fhall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myfelf.

The firft fermon on this text.

Ince there are fo many different opinions and ap

gion, and every fect and party does with fo much confidence pretend that they, and they only, are in the truth; the great difficulty and question is, by what means men may be fecured from dangerous errors and mistakes in religion. For this end fome have thought

He

it neceffary, that there fhould be an infallible church, in the communion whereof every man may be fecured from the dangers of a wrong belief. But it seems God hath not thought this neceflary. If he had, he. would have revealed this very thing more plainly than any particular point of faith whatsoever. would have told us exprefsly, and in the plaineft terms, that he had appointed an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith, and would likewife have told us as plainly who he was, and where we might find him, and have recourfe to him upon all occa fions because the fincerity of our faith depending upon him, we could not be fafe from mistake in particular points without fo plain and clear a revelation of this infallible judge, that there could be no mistakė about him; nor could there be an end of any other controverfies in religion, unless this infallible judge (both that there is one, and who he is) were out of controverfy. But neither of these are fo: it is not plain from fcripture that there is an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith; much lefs is it plain who he is; and therefore we may certainly conclude, that God hath not thought it neceffary that there fhould be an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith, because he hath revealed no fuch thing to us, and that Bifhop, and that church, who only have arrogated infallibility to themselves, have given the greatest evidence in the world to the contrary, and have been detected, and ftand convinced, of the greateft errors and it is in vain for any man, or company of men, to pretend to infallibility, fo long as the evidence that they are deceived is much greater and clearer than any proof they can produce for their infallibility.

If then God hath not provided an infallible guide and judge in matters of faith, there is fome other way whereby men may be fecured against dangerous and damnable errors in religion, and whereby they may difcern truth from impofture, and what doctrines are from God, and what not; and this our Saviour declares to us here in the text, namely, that an honest and fincere mind, and a hearty defire to do the will

of

of God, is the best preservative against fatal errors and miflakes m matters of religion; ἐὰν τις θέλῃ ποιεῖν. If any man defire to do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

There are two dangerous mistakes in religion; to reject any thing which really comes from God; and to receive and entertain any thing as from God, which doth not really come from him.

Firft, To reject any thing which really comes from God. This mistake the Jews frequently fell into, when they rejected the true Prophets which God from time to time fent to them, flighting their meffage, and perfecuting their perfons: but they mifcarried most fatally and remarkably in their contempt of the true Meffias, that great Prophet whom they had fo long. expected, and whom God fent at laft, to bring falvation to them; but when he came, they knew him not, nor would receive him, but ufed him with all the defpight and contempt imaginable, not as a teacher come from God, but as a deceiver and impoftor.

Now the danger of rejecting any thing that comes from God, confifts in this, that it cannot be done, without the higheft affront to the divine majefty. To reject a divine meffage or revelation, is to oppose God, and fight against him. So our Saviour tells the Jews, that in defpifing him, they defpifed him that fent

him.

Secondly, There is also another dangerous mistake on the other hand, in entertaining any thing as a revelation from God, which is not really from him. And this likewife the Jews were frequently guilty of, in receiving the falfe Prophets which fpake in the name of the Lord, when he had not fent them. And this is commonly the temper of thofe who reject the truth, greedily to fwallow error and delufion. So our Saviour tells us of the Jews; John v. 43. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not; if another hall come in his own name, him ye will receive. This prediction of our Saviour's concerning the Jews was fulty accomplished; for after they had rejected him, who gave fuch abundant evidence that

he was the true Meffias, and a teacher fent from God, they received others, who really came in their own names, and ran after those who pretended to be the Meffias, and were in great numbers destroyed with them. And this is very juft with God, that those who receive not the truth in the love of it, fhould be given up to ftrong delufions, to believe lies.

Now thefe being the two great dangerous mistakes in religion which men are liable to, my work at this time fhall be to fhew, how a fincere defire and endeavour to do the will of God, is a fecurity to men a gainft both thefe dangers; and it will appear to be fo, upon thefe two accounts:

J. Because he who fincerely defires and endeavours to do the will of God, is hereby better qualified and difpofed to make a right judgement of fpiritual and divine things.

II. Becaufe God's providence is more especially concerned to fecure fuch perfons from dangerous errors and mistakes in things which concern their eter nal falvation. Thefe fhall be the two heads of my following difcourfe.

I. Because he who fincerely defires and endeavours to do the will of God, is hereby better qualified and difpofed to make a right judgement of fpiritual and divine things, and that for these two reasons :

1. Becaufe fuch a perfon hath a truer notion of God, and divine things.

2. Because he is more impartial in his fearch and inquiry after truth.

[ocr errors]

1. Because fuch a perfon hath a truer notion of God and divine things. No man is fo likely to have clear and true apprehenfions of God, as a good man; because he hath transcribed the divine perfections in his own mind, and is himself in fome measure and degree what God is. And for this reafon it is, that the fcripture fo often lays the foundation of all divine knowledge in the practice of religion; Job xxviii. 28. The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil, is understanding; and Pfal. cxi. 10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, that is,

the

the principle and foundation of it; a good underftanding have all they that do his commandments; whereas the vices and lufts of men darken their reason, and diftort their understandings, and fill the mind with grofs and fenfual apprehenfions of things, and thereby ren. der men unfit to difcern thofe truths which are of a fpiritual nature and tendency, and altogether indif pofed to receive them. For though the vices of men be properly feated in their wills, and do not poffefs their understandings; yet they have had a bad influence upon them, as fumes and vapours from the ftomach are wont to affect the head.

Nothing indeed is more natural to the mind and understanding of men, than the knowledge of God; but we may abufe our faculties, and render them unfit for the difcerning even of their proper objects.

When men, by wicked practices, have rendered themfelves unlike to God, they will not love to retain the knowledge of him in their minds, but will become vain in their imaginations concerning him. What clouds and mifts are to the bodily eye, that the lufts and corruptions of men are to the underftanding; they hinder it from a clear perception of heavenly things; the pure in heart, they are beft quali fied for the fight of God.

Now according as a man's notions of God are, fuch will be his apprehenfions of religion. All religion is either natural or revealed. Natural religion confifts in the belief of a God, and in right concep tions and apprehenfions concerning him, and in a due reverence and observance of him, and in a ready and chearful obedience to thofe laws which he hath imprinted upon our nature; and the fum of our obedience confifts in our conformity to God, and an endeavour to be like him. For fuppofing God to have made no external revelation of his mind to us, we have no other way to know his will, but by confidering his nature, and our own; and if fo, then he that refembles God moit, is like to understand him beft, because he finds thofe perfections in fome meafure in himself, which he contemplates in the divine nature; and nothing gives a man fo fure a notion of

things,

« PreviousContinue »