hath on one occafion accurately diftinguished between what he, and what the Lord in perfon fpoke *; between points in which he had an exprefs commandment, and points in which he gave his judgment, as one that had obtained mercy to be faithfulţ: that is, in the truft of the apoftleship. And if such a person was thus careful, much more ought the minifters of religion in thefe later ages, who can have no certain acquaintance with it, but from his writings and the rest of fcripture, be folicitous not to preach any other gofpel, than that they have received ‡; not build on the foundation of Jefus Chrift, fuperftructures that will not abide the trial §, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. They, who affume this power, ufurp a dominion over their fellow-fervants, to which only their mater in heaven hath a right: and they who obey this power, fo far worship God in vain, who hath never required this at their hands. I have now gone through the fecond part of the text: the duties, which the apoftles and their fucceffors were to enjoin. And therefore I proceed to fet before you, III. The protection and happiness, of which both they who faithfully preach the gofpel, and they who fincerely embrace it, may be affured. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Amongst men, chufing to be with any one is not only a natural confequence of having a regard for him, but, on many important occafions, a neceffary means of fhowing that regard to his advantage. In condefcenfion therefore to common language, God, though prefent every where, is defcribed in holy writ as peculiarly drawing nigh unto, being, and dwelling with, thofe, who, by a temper and conduct of piety and virtue intitle themselves to his love and fatherly care: whereas he is reprefented as departing from perfons of a contrary character, not vouchfafing to look upon them, or beholding them afar off, till he returns to execute judgment on them. Of this kind is the manner of fpeech used in the text: where our bleffed Lord, being about to leave the world, and go unto the Father, tells his followers, that though his vifible and bodily prefence was to be withdrawn very foon, he should be ftill as really prefent upon • Gal. i. 9. S v. 25. Cor vii. 10, 12. 1 Cor. iii. 11, 12, 13. [IC. i. 12. upon earth, as ever: not only fecing, but watching, directing, and defending them continually. And therefore, notwithstanding St. Matthew thought fit to abstain from fubjoining in his gofpel any words of his own to thefe moft folemn ones of our Saviour, yet his afcent into heaven is almoft as well underflood by them, as if it had been exprefsly related. This gracious promife was doubtlefs immediately, and in the first place, made to the apoftles. But as the ufe, for which it was made, is perpetual; and the term, for which it its expreffed to be made, cannot poffibly be confined to themselves; but muft fignify either, as we tranflate it, to the end of the world, or to the end of the gospel age, which is to laft as long as the world; it must neceffarily be extended to thofe, who should at any time fucceed the apoftles in teaching the faith and duties of christianity. And fince the prefence of Chrift with the teachers of his religion is defigned for the benefit of thofe, who are taught it therefore all fuch, in all ages, have a fhare in the affurance of the text. Accordingly, in many places of fcripture, the prefence, not only of the Son of God, but of the Father and Holy Spirit, is promifed to every true believer without exception, St Paul declares, if any man have not the Spirit of Chrift, he is none of his *. and Cbrift himself declares, if a man love me, my Father will love him, and we will come unto bim, and make our abode with him †. If then, as the church of Rome pretends, fuch expreflions as these convey a promise of infallibility, or fecurity of not deporting from the right faith, to their church, or any person or perfons in it; they convey the fame to every church, and every perfon in it. But our Saviour's declaration is, not that any one or more churches may not, if they will, intirely throw off the faith; and even all churches, as well as all men, fail both into many errors and many fins: but that this fhall never happen through his forfaking them, but their forfaking him and that, how great fever the apoftacy of the latter times may be, (as St. Paul hath foretold it thould be a very grievous one ;) how much foever at any time the church of Christ may be ob fcured, it shall never be extinguished: for it must continue to the end of the world, fince he hath promised to be with it to the end of the world. In different ages he is prefent to it in diffe. Sff2 rent • Rom. viii. 9. ↑ John xiv. 23. Tim. iv. I reat manners, as the circumftances of each require. His apoftles he directed by infpiration into all truth: and ftrengthened them with power to work miracles in confirmation of it. When religion, by their means, was known and proved fufficiently, thefe extraor dinary effects of his prefence gradually ceased: but those, which remained still needful, were ftill experienced. And to this day, wherever his minifters teach men to believe and do what he hath commanded, there he is always with them: and wherever two or three of his difciples are gathered together in his name, there be is in the midst of them*: protecting his whole church, and every member of it, outwardly against their temporal enemies to fuch a degree, as infinite wifdom fees to be fit; and inwardly against their fpiritual ones, fo that nothing, but their own wilful fins and perfeverance in them, fhall hazard the falvation of any one of them. But fo far as men allow themselves to teach, believe, or practise contrary to his commands, they forfeit their title to his gracious prefence, which evidently depends on their obedience to thofe commands. And confequently Go fet of men in the world have a right to argue, as the Romanifts would fain do: that Chrift hath promised to be with his church for ever; and therefore their church, or the majority of the whole church, can teach only what he appointed they should. But ours is a very juft way of arguing; that we teach what Christ appointed we should, and therefore we are a part of his church, with which he hath promised to be for ever. For that our doctrines are catholic, however the Romanifts have ftolen the name, we are bold to fay, and fully able to prove': on this account we have nothing to fear. Could we but fay as much of our lives too, then all were well. But alas, though they have little caufe on comparison to reproach us in this refpect, we have much caufe to reproach ourfelves. The number of profeffed chriftians amongst us indeed is large: yet even that is leffening. But the number of such as are truly chriftians, and behave like chriftians-What shall we fay of this? May God, who commanded the light to fhine out of darkness, cause the light of his gofpel to shine more effectually into the hearts of ment, and brighten the very dark prospect there is before us concerning fpiritual matters; that we may know, at leaf is this Matth xviii. zo. † 2 Cor. iv. 6. this our day, the things which belong to our peace*, our present and future happiness. But what others will do, is for them to confider and what fhall be the confequences of mens doings, is for God to appoint. Let us only look to our own fouls; that in the midst of a bad world we be, as we ought, innocent, prudent, and exemplary; that we watch over those, who are under our care, and warn others as we have opportunity; that, by openly profeffing the gospel of Chrift, we encourage the profeffion of it; and, by adorning our profeffion with a suitable conduct, do honour to it. Provided we behave thus; let others behave as they please, and the event be what it will to them, and to all, in temporal concerns; to us the final event however shall be good. Chriftianity began with a very small. number and were it to be reduced to an equally small one again, we might take the same comfort ftill, which our Saviour gave his difciples at firft: Fear not, little flock: for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom t. The kingdoms of this earth we have cause to hope will yet, in due time, notwithstanding all appearances to the contrary, become the kingdoms of our Lord and of bis Chrift ‡, in a much ampler manner than they have hitherto been. But the kingdom of heaven, God, who cannot lie §, hath, in the plaineft terms, promifed to the faithful difciples of his Son. And all who have secured his prefence with them here, by a life of religion and virtue, shall affuredly reign with him for ever hereafter in those bleffed manfions of his Father's boufe, whither he is gone to prepare a place for us, and will come again, and receive us unto bimfelf, that where he is, there we may be also ¶. SERMON LXXXV. ON THE CRUELTY OF TYRANTS, and their STRIKING COUNTER-ACTION BY PROVIDENCE. MATTH. ii. 16. Then Hered, when he faw, that he was mocked of the wife men, was exceeding wroth; and fent forth, and flew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coafts thereof. from two years old and under; according to the time, which he had diligently enquired of the wife men. THE piteous hiftory, contained in these words, is the sequel of that, immediately preceding, which informs us, that, on the birth of our Saviour in Judea, fome Gentiles of learning and diftinction came from the east to Jerufalem, by divine direction, to pay him homage: on which, Herod the king, understanding that the Meffiab was to be born at Bethlehem, fent them thither to find him; with a charge to bring him notice of the place where the child was, that he also might do him the fame honour; defiguing really to destroy him, inite-d of paying him refpect but that, being warned of God, not to return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way*. The fad confequences which followed their departure, are mentioned in the words of the text; and present to us a tranfaction of fo remarkable a nature as well deferves a particular examination into it, and an explanation of the feveral circum ftances attending it. This is what I mean to give you in the following difcourfe: and if, in doing it, I fhould be led to spend more time, in proportion, than ufual, on points not im mediately Ver. 12. |