creator of the univerfe ! Tell me, I intreat you,
is there the lead fpark of reafon in all this ? Are
we not always fools when we offend God ? Is ic
pofllble to conceive a blindnefs equal to ours, when
luch mean vile creatures as we dare to violate the
laws of the Lord of all ? (4)
2. Does not our blindnefs appear yet more
ftrange if to this we add the power of the God,
whom we offend ? I affirm, it would be foliy and
ftupidity to rebel againft him in confideration only
of his infinite majefty, compared with our nothing-
nefs : yet if our offences could pafs off with im-
punity, if our meannefs could fecure us from the
fiTokes of his vengeance, our folly, however great,
would only be confiderable in itfelf, and not m its^
confequences -, we fhould fm againft the general
diflates of right reafon : but we fhould do nothing
contrary to the particular voice of prudence. Buc
it is far otherwife -, for the God we offend is arbiter
of the death and life of all mankind, the fole dif-
penfer of adverfity and profperity, all creatures
are under the laws of his providence, as a great
army, which marches by his orders, and obeys all
his commands ; he has eternal prifons for the
puniftiment of his adverfaries j he has dreadful
Vol. IL 3 A execu-
(4) This grain of /and ele- with the majejJy of the of-
njates itfelf againft the creator fended. An excellent point
ofthemiiverje. Mr. Claude's ofvievv, purely fcriptuial, and
(defign is to aggravate fin, or highly adapted to Ihake th^
rather to expoje its aggrava- confcience, and awake the
tion. He therefore contrails criminal. See Job xxxviii,
tlie meannefs of the offender xxxix. xl. 4.
t ' 3/0 )
executioners of his juftice, to whom he iffues his
orders, and into whole hands he delivers his cri-
minals, to fuffer fuch vengeance as he commands.
All creatures follow his love and hatred, all live
and fmile on the objeds of his favour, all frown
at and dellroy thofe, who incur his difpleafure.
He plants, he plucks up; he builds, he deftroys;
he kills, he makes alive •, he raifes, he abafes •, he
comforts, he affli6ts: and all the deftinies of all
creatures, their goods and their evils, from the
greateft to the fmalieft things, from the throne to
the dunghill, from the lofs of life to the fall of one
of our hairs, all depend on his will. What wild-
nefs then fo frequently and cruelly to offend an
almighty God, a righteous avenging God, who will
not jufiijy the wicked^ who will not hold the finner
guihlefs^ and who has proteilcd, the wicked JJjall not
Jtand in the judgment! (5)
3. To this rcfledlion another may be added,
•which will much contribute to diicover the enor-
mity of our fins. Confider how much we are
indebted to God not only for his patience hitherto,
but for that almoil infinite number of mercies,
which he has afforded us, and particularly for
calling us to the profcffion of the gofpel. I own,
our
(5) To the mcjej}y add the 7. Next, God will not hold
fonucrofGod. 1 his is ano- him guiltlcfs, Exod. xx. 7,
therjuil method of expofing Lail, God has proteiled he
the turpitude of fin. Omni- fhall not Jland in the judg-
poteiice employed to make ment, Plal. i, 5. See Na-
a finner miferable, v. hat a hum i. where the prophet
thought! What a dicadful makes a noble ufe of the ar-
thought ! Mr. Claude places gument taken from divine
three p ;i3 ges in the clofe cf power. 'Jeho'vah is great in
thispeiiodia bear.tiful gia- ponicer, end nvill not at all ac-
datioa. Fiift, God will not ^uit the "wicked, Yer. 3.
^a/?//)' ;he wicked, Exod.xxiii.
( 3V )
our aflions would be very punifiiable by the law
of God, for God has given it to us, he has natu-
rally engraven it on our hearts, and it is our duty
to follow and obey it : but mull it not be acknow-
ledged, that we are infinitely more worthy of pu-
niihment, v/hen to the voice of his law he has added
that of his divine patience waiting long for our
repentance? ; 6) What has prevented tiie Lord's
executing his great vengeance on us ? Why v/ere we
not deftroyed the firlc moment v/e offended him ?
What then ihall we lay, when this patience fhall
reckon the days, months and year's of its exercife
towards us ? What faall we have to anKver when
it fhall accufe us, that inftead of employing thefe
days, months, and years to our converfion and
fanftification, we have made no other ufe of them
than to increafe the number of our fins ? But
what will become of us when, after the voice of the
law, and the complaints of patience, we fhall find
the favours and mercies of God rife up againfl: us
one after another, and all together join in a thou-
fand reproaches of our ingratitude ? It would be
3 A 2 enough
(6) Divine patience ^vaiteth written on principles of me-
for our repentance. Sorne mi- taphyflcal accuracy : but they
nillers have been flow to ufe ipeak after the manner of
this topick, left they ihould men, according to general ap-
injure the dodlrine of irrefift- pearance and popular no-
ible grace. We would beg at- tions. Thirdly, We hazard
tention to the following fads, nothing when we follow in-
Firft, it is certain, the infpircd fpired guides : we rifque eve-
writers, whofe orthodoxy can- ry thing when we make un-
not be doubted, ufed this ilyle. known purpofes rules of ac-
Thelong-JufferingofGcd^ait' tion. This argument, taken
ed in the days of hoah. I Pet. from divine patience, is a mofl
iii. 20. The Lord •■will ivait affefting one, and has been
that he may be gracious. Ifa. applied to the nobl?ft uf^s by
XXX. 1 8. Secondly, It is cer- minilkrs,
tain, the fcriptures are nwc
( 572 )
enough for each crime to appear in its own turpi-
tude, it would be enough for all our fins together
to appear in that horror, which their number gives
them: but what muft we fay when there are a
thoufand fins in one ; I mean when each fm is in-
finite in its nature ? Befides our rebellions againft
the fupreme authority of God, befides our extreme
obftinacy and hardnefs againft his patience, each
fin is a particular outrage againft all the favours
â– we have received of God : and as his favours have
been infinite, fo each of our fins has contained an
infinite number of outrages againft the Lord, (y)
Thefe three refleftions may be followed by a
fourth, on the indifpenfible neceffity of a lively
and profound repentance to reconcile us to God,
Let us not flatter our felves, the God we adore can
never renounce his holinefs. The love of good,
and hatred of evil, are as natural and eflential as
his omnipotence and infinity. Yet muft God re-
nounce his holinefs if he receive us into his favour
without our renouncing fin. He would have com-
munion
(7) Sin is infinite in its na^ years of age to have received
iure. To the iniinite guilt of a hundred thoufand millions
fin great objeftions have been of favours fronn God, one
made by many divines : but fin againft God includes a
no objedlion, furely, can lie hundred thoufand millions of
againft the expreffion taken in a£ls of ingratitude 't and, if he
the fober fenfeof our author, havereceived innumerable fa-
Three v/ords fhall fuffice. I. vours, each fm contains in-
By the word infinite Mr. numerable a£ts of ingratitude.
Claude means innumerable. If to this we add, that each
2. He affirms, every offence excellence in God is a reafon
committed againft God, is of obedience, that his excel-^-
committed againft innumera- lencies are innumerable, and
ble/fli/oarjbeftowed on God's that fin is againft all his ex-
parc, each of which is a rea- cellencies, who can deny the
fon of obedience. 3. Hear- infinity of fmi
gues, Suppofe a man at forty
( Zll )
munion with fin if he had communion with impe-
nitent fmners. It is then as impoflible to unite
ourfelves to God without repentance, as it is to
unite life and death, light and darknefs •, as impof-
fible as for God to deny himfelf, or to ceafe to be;
Neither let us flatter ourfeives about the quality
of this repentance, for it is not a cold and carelefs
repentance, it is not that, whicli confifts in words
only, it is not that, which pafTes lightly through the
mind, and which hardly touches the heart. God
requires a penitence, which pervades all the powers
of the foul, which penetrates to the bottom of
them all, which produces fighs, tears, and re-
grets, which is accompanied with a lively grief, a
bitter fadnefs, not only for having expofed our-
felves to punifliment, but alfo for having offended
the Lord, and fo drawn down upon ourfelves his
juft indignation. In one word, an habitual and
powerful repentance, which breaks the mind and
rends the heart, keeps us a long time in that Hate,
and empowers us fmcerely to return to righteouf-
nefs and holinefs. (8) ^
(8) Repentance mujl he ha- tens confeffionem fuam fuo
hitual. How rational and confefTario humillime referat;
fcriptural is this kind of et conquinifcens dicat fup-
repentance, and how much pliciter in hunc modum.
to advantage the reformed " Confiteor Deo omnipo-
churches appear, when the tenti et confeflario meo Ipi-
repentanceprefcribed in them rituali medico omnia peccata,
js contralled with the confef- qu^ malcrum fpirituum in-
iions, and pennances, that are quinamento unquam perpe-
prefcribed in the church of iravi ; five in fafto, five in
Rome ! The following is a cogitatione ; five cum maf-
form ufed by our anceftors in culis, five cum fa:miiiis; dli-
the reign of King Edgar, a- ave creatura, five fecundum
bout the year 967, the Saxon naturam, five contra natu-
manufcript of which is in ram.
Bene't college, Cambridge. " Confiteor cngluviem ci-
" Lugenti animo paeni- borum e: mane et vefperi.
( 374 )
To incline you more eife6tually to this repent-
ance, let us (1 beleech youj lift up our eyes to the
mercy
Confiteor otnnimodam ^avarl-
tiam, et invidiam, et detrac-
tationem, et bilingue vitium,
mendacitatcm, et inanem jac-
tantiam, et vaniloquium, pro-
dlgalitatem impiam, et cujiis-
qiie generis fal\um, qui eftVx-
nato huic corpori meo ali-
qnaliteracciderit. Confiteor
me frequenlius fuifle peccati
authorem, peccati fautorem,
peccati confcium, et peccati
doftorem.
" Confiteor animb meo
perpetratum honncidium,per-
juria, feditionem, fuperbiam,
et negledum preceptorum
Dei. Confiteor omnia, qaia:o-
culis unqiiam viderim vei con-
cupifcendo, vel vituperando
indebite; etiam omnia, q'uas
vel auribus audiverim vana et
fuperflua, vel ore meo locutus
J'ueriin.
" Confiteor etiam corpo! is
mei peccata omnia, cutis^ car-
nis, olTium, et nervorum, re-
num, et canilaginum, lin-
gas, et labiorum, faucium,
dentium, et cceiariei, medul-
la:, et rei cujufque alterius,
qus vel mollis etl, vel dura,
humida, vel ficca.
<' Confiteor baptifmum
meum me pejus oblervafie
quam Domino meo Turn pol-
licitus, profeffionem-que, qua
tenebar in Dei et fandorum
fuorum iaudem cullodire, et
in mei iplius ialutem etei'iiani.
Confiteor me horas meas ca-
nonicas fiepius neglexiffe, Ib-
piuique pejerans Dornini vi-
tam, et nomen ejus in vanuin
accepifie.
" RogoetobteftorDominum
meum pro his omnibus re-
niifiionem, ut in me nunquam
ex infidiis pra;va!eat Diabo-
lus, ne forte ,moriar abique
confeffione, et- peccatorum
meorum emen'datione, ficut
hodie confeffus â– Turn omnia
mea peccata coram Domino
noflro Salvatore Chrillo, qui
coeluni et terram mcderatur
et coram facro ifto altari, et
reliquiis iftis, et coram con-
fefiario meo, et dcmini miffali
facerdote; et ficut puram e-
difti et veracemconfeflionem,
et prompt! fum aiiimi corri-
gere omnia peccata mea, et
qua polTim fedulttate ea Tem-
per poftea declinare.
"â– Et tu jefu Chrifte Sal-
vatormi, mifereanima: mea;,
et remitte precor, deletoque
peccata mea, et tranlgrelii-
ones meas, qua:, vel olim, vei
recentius unquam perpetravi^
et ducas me in fublime reg-
num tuum, ut illic veiler
cum ele£lis et i'anftis tuis abf-
que fine, et in seternum.
Nunc et tehumiliter obfecro,
Sacerdos Domini, ut tu mihi
tellis fis in diejudicii, ut nul-
1am in me poteftatem habeat
Diabolus, et ut tu apud Do-
minum
( 375 )
mercy of God, and to the blood of the covenant,
which Jefus Chrill hath filed for us. Let us not
imagine, while we feel remorfc for fin, that there
is no halm in Gikad., no con Tola tion in God : (9)
doubtlefs
milium mihi fis caufidtcus, ut
peccaia mea, et tranfgrelTio-
nes commiflas corrigam, et ab
ejufmodi aliis committendis
defiitam. Ad hoc prajftan-
dum adjuvet me Dominus
ille, qui vivit et regnat abfque
termino in teternum. A-
men." Spelman. Ccncil. Se-
cret, l£c, Ecclef. Brit. Canones
dctt.fub Edgaro Rege. p 4^9.
Habitual repentance. Mr.
Claude does not mean to limit
the Holy One of Ijrael, Pfal.
Ixxviii, 41. and to make a
given length of time eii'ential
to trueTepentance: but he in-
tends to inculcate the neceffity
of continued asfts of piety.
To hear fomt fpeak of con-
verfion, one would fuppofe, it
began in convidion cf fin,
which lafled a few days, or
weeks, and was fucceeded by
an ajfurance of falvation, in
which the convert is bound
to continue, happen what
will, the remaining part of
his Hfe. Faith, in this cafe,
confilb in believing you Ihall
be faved, and to queliion this
is unbelief, the great, yea the
only fin. On the contrary,
faith is the belief of a truth y
2 Theff, ii. 13. and repent-
ance is forrovv for fin. Belief
grows with increafing evi-
dence, and repentance is re-
peated with the repetition cf
fin. Repeated adts conltitute
a habit, and thus repentance
becomes habitual.
(9) Balm in Gilead. Jer.
vii. 22. Gum - rolin - balfani
- turpentine, &c. This text
is one of thofe, which afford
a rich variety of matter, con-
vertible to various purpofes,
according to the genius and
prudence of the preacher.
Were a miniller preaching on
a Lord's-day during a fair,
or to a trading company, or
a faiftory, where would be the
impropriety of his taking the
literal meaning ? His dif-
courfe would turn on the na-
tural advantages of judea — •
on their artificial improve-
ments — on the advantages
which they derived from com-
merce, and on thole which,
they connnunicated to other na.-
tions — on the influence of
their religion on trade, as con-
taining the whole clafs of
trade virtues in their fylieni
of morality — from all thefe
he would derive arguments ia
proof of thet.-uth of revclatica
ao-air.ft inhdcls, and exhorta-
tions to believers to imitate
and excel the Jews, &c.
The lame text on a faH-dr.y
might
( 3?6 )
doubtlefs there is, and were we fuch as we ought,
we might come with holdnefs to the throne of grace-,
and be aflured of obtaining mercy and of finding
grace to help in time of need. Come now, fays God
by the prophet, let its reafcn together, though your
fins he as f carle t they fhall be as white as fnow, though
they he red like crimfon they jhall he as wool. And
again, Have I any pleafure at all that the wicked
fijould die^ faith the Lord God, and not that he fhould
return from his ways and live ? This is the perpe-
tual language of the gofpel, this is the voice of
the blood of Chrift, thefe promifes declare the re-
miffion of our fins, and the blood of Jefus Chrift
purifies our confidences from dead works. Let us
then go with faith and hope to the propitiatory^
which Qod in all ages ordained, (i) Let us go
with
jnight be confidered in con-
nedion with the context. Is
there no hope of national
profperity in fuch and fuch a
cafe : No. Should your vices
bring on fuch a time as that
defcribed in this chapter, your
cafe would be irremediable.
Now then prevent it, &c.
Here this fermon would turn
on national vices, and divine
temporal punilhments.
The fame paiTage has been
often difcuffed in the fenfe of
Mr. Claude. Is there no re-
lief for a guilty confcience ?
There is none in the world.
Is there any in the church ?
Yes. The death of Chrift is
the balm, the Spirit is the
phyfician, the bible is the pre-
Igription. Thefe familiar im-
ages facilitate the underftand-
ing of the fubjeft, and for
this reafon many minifters de-
light to preach Chrift by texts
of this kind.
( I ) Let us go to the propitia-
tory. Rom. iii. 25. So many
expofitors read the word.
The fenfe feems to be con-
tained in one or other of thefe
propolitions. God hath _/orr-
ordained Chrift a propitiator-
— Qodi\i?i\.\v foretold the prO'
pitiafion of Chrift — God hath
forejhenjoed Chrift in the Mo-
faical propitiatory y or mercy-
feat.
*' WhomGod hath appointed
to be a propitiatioti . . for
a dernonjiration of his righ-
leoifinejs.'" So Worficys Ne-vt
Tejiament vzVidii it,
" ♦* Whom
( zn )
with humility to the grace, which calls us. Let
us be reconciled to a God, who only feelcs to do us
good. We have lived long enough under difgrace,
let us try to recover his peace, and with his peace
the tranquillity and joy, which we have loft. Is ic
any pleafure to thofe, who defire to work out their*
falvation, to live a little longer at war with God ?
Are not the days of his anger days of defolation
and mourning for us ? Let us then feek his face
and his favour, let us aOs: his blefllng. My heart
faid of thee, S^sk my face, I will feek thy face, O
Lord. (2)
O!
" Whom God hath fet
forth to be an atonement, as
a facrifice for iin, and the
price of our redemption, to
declare hisjufticein overlook-
ing for fo many ages the fins
of mankind." So Adam ex-
pounds it. — Paraph, on xi.
chapters of Romans.
(2) Seek my face. Pf. xxvii.
8. Our tranflation interpo-
lates. When thou saidst.
Seek ye tny face ', my heart faid
unto thee. Thy face Lord luill I
feek. The French more lite-
ral. Man coeur me dit de par
ioi, Cherche ma face, Jecher-
therai taface O Eternel. The
Latin and Greek bibles tranf-
late in mnch the fame man-
ner. The former, Tibi dixit
cor meum, quisritefaciemmeam;
faciem tuam domine quarum.
The latter, o-ot tiitiM -n xap^iot
fj-ou, &c. The literal mean-
ing of the Hebrew feems to
hc,Myh:artfaidto, or concern'
Vol, II.
ing thee. Seek my face ; Thy
face, O Jehonjah, I 'will feek.
However, Calvin's comment
juftifies the interpolation ia
our text. — " In didlione n^
ambiguus poteft efl'e fenfus.
Tantundem Hebr?eis valet ac
Latinis, tibi. Sed quia litera
fervilis b non raro pro de fu-
mltur, non male vertetur, de
te dixit cor meum : in quam
partem major pars interpre-
tum inclinat. Mihitamen (ut
ingenue loquar) magis pro-
batur, notari mutuum pro-
phet:£ cum Deo collocvui-
UM. Dixi nuper fieri noa
pofTe utquifquamfide aflurgac
ad deum quarendum, donee
ejus invitatione patcfaflu?
fuerit aditus : quemadmo-
dum etiam alibi oftendi pro-
phetje celtimonio, dicam Hits
i!0s populus mens et illi njicijjim
mihi, tu deus nojier. Zech . xiii.
9. Jam ergo David fe hac
clave januftAm fibi ad deum
3 B qu?e->
( 37S )
O ' how happy fliould we be, my brethren,
could v/e fee this gracious face of God, in which
there is a.fulnefs of joy, as the prophet fpeaks! (3)
Should
quserendum fuifle apertam
dicit, quia vcluti Deo fucci-
nens, promiffionem hanc in
iTiedium attulerit, et certe
nifi hac prseunte fymphonia,
nemo invocationis chorum
ducet. Simul ergo ac deuin
Je liberaliter nobis off'ere audi-
mus, prompto animo refpon-
deamus. Amen : Ejufquepro-
mifiiones non fecus repute-
mus nobifcum, ac fi familia-
ns cum eo nobis fermo eflet.
Jta nihil opus eft anxium arti-
ficium, et longas ambages
qujerere, quibus fe fideles in
Dei gratiam infinuent, quan-
do haec prasfatio facilem illis
viam fternit, Quantumvis
indigni fimus quos excipias
Domine, mandatum tamen
tuum quo accedere nos jubes,
latis animi nobis facie. Vox
ergo Dei in animis noftris,
H-oa fecus atque echo in con-
cavis locis, refonare debet, ut
exmutuo confentu emergat
invocationis fiducia, &c.''— -
Calv. in loc.
Our Pool, having given
many opinions of others, adds,
*' The paliage is imperfedl,
and ftiould be fupplied thus.
Thou faidft. Seek my face.
My heart hath revolved this
command of thine, and re-
feated it under all my trials,
have made i: the rule of v^'f
pafi; aftions, and it is the
ground of the following pray-
er." See a fimilar defedl,
I Kings XX. 33, 34.
(3) 'There is afulnefs of joy ^
as the prophet /peaks. Chri-
flian preachers differ very
much in their methods of
quoting fcripture in public.
Some always name chapter
and verfe ; others never. It
is a popular notion, that the
quoting of chapter and verfe
fully proves a minifter's inti-
mate knowledge of fcripture.
I do not think fo ; I believe,
on the contrary, if it prove
any thing, it proves on the
other fide. AJiudent of fcrip-
ture does not fuffer himfelf to
attend to the figures, they
would miHead him, divide his
attention, and break the
meaning. He reads on, as.
the authors wrote, and pur-
fues, as we fay, the thread of
the argument.
Many learned men have
juftly lamented the prefent
difpoiition of the Bible into
chapters and verfes. *' There
feem to me, fays one, no con-
veniences in the divifion of
the facred books into chapters
and verfes, that can balance
the inconvenience and preju-
dice they bring, . . 1 he
fei^licna and paufes are im-
proper.
( 379 )
Should we behold It, let us not imagine we are to
(lop there J the work then would be but half done-,
we
proper. . . The argument
is mangled and broke off. . .
There is not one chapter in
the New Teftament, that is
not faultily divided. . .
The whole frame is cramped
and disfigured by its odd dif-
pofition into chapters and
verfes." &c. In proof of
this, he obferves. That A£ls
xxi. concludes with a comma
—that the ift verfe of the vii,
chapter of the 2d of Corin-
thians ought not to have been
divided from the lall verfes of
the vi chapter — that the lall
verfe of vii of S. John ihould
be the i ft of the viii. — &c. &c.
— Black'waWs Clajficks, 'vel.
ii. part 2. chap. I.
Robert Stephens formerly,
Worfley and others lately,
have endeavoured to remedy
this inconvenience by print-
ing the New Teftament as it
â– was written. The utility of
this method is manifeft.
To return to the quota-
tion of chapter and verfe. It
fhould feem, in argumenta-
iiue preaching it is proper to
quote texts for authority, and
to name chapter and verfe for
the auditors to look, turn
down, and examine leifurely;
but in applicatory fermons,
as in this of Mr. Claude, it
feems moft eligible to urge
plain well known paffages
without naming the places ;
at leaft, we have obfervedthe
ableft preachers prefer this
method. When the fame dif-
coiirfes are printed, it may
anfwer a good end to throw
chapter and verfe into the
margin. Figures in the text
disfigure the print, and en-
cumber the reader, efpecially
if, in reading to others, he
read them.
The New Teftament wri-
ters ufe various methods.—
Sometimes in particular. Ft
is written in they^co^^Pfalm,
Afts xiii. 33. — Sometimes in
general, Mofes faith, I will
provoke you. Efaias faith.
Lord, who hath believed ?
Rom. X. 19. 16. God faith
in Hofea. Rom. ix. — Some-
times more general. It is
•written, I have made thee a
father. . . Y^hztfaith th^
Scripture? Rom. iv. 17. 3.
It is written in the Prophets,
Mark i. 2. The Apojiles of
the Lord tM you there Ihould
be mockers, Jude 17, &c. I
have heard a learned able mi-
nifter preach an excellent fer-
mon, which with great com-
pofure he began thus : *' My
text, brethren, is in the book
of Pfalms. I have forgot botli
the verfe and the pfaim. If
I recoiled them before I finiftx
my difcourfe, 1 will inform
you. I takepleafure in know-
ing that you can tell where to
2 B 2 ^iiii
( 380 )
we muft ufe all poffible means to preferve an ad-
vantage fo ineftimable. In order to work cut our
own falvation we muft indeed be reconciled to
God, and we muft alfo ufe means to maintain
peace -, for the one without the other would be
nothing. To preferve this advantage then three
things are necelTary. ift. Our faith muft be kept
and increafed. 2d: We muft live a holy chriftian
life. 3d. Repentance muft be familiarized ; for,
(fuch is our mifery) whatever application we make
to holinefs, we fhall always be committing many
fins. I grant, thefe three things are not barely
the pracflice of one day •, and th^y demiand much
more application than we can make during the few
remaining moments of this exercife. Let us,
however, nnderftand what we may do now, with-
out deferring it any longer. We may v/ithout
delay form good, and holy refolutions. (3)
1. In regard to the prefervation and increafe of