and come, when you fay come : but you are not
mafters. Do you think to deceive, and ad frau-
dulently with him ? Why, were it only for your
hypocrify, you would render yourfelf eternally un-
worthy of converfion.
5. The wicked have moreover ufed themfelves
to another illufion, that is, to extenuate their fins,
and to hide the enormity and number of them.
•' We are not (fay theyjfo criminal as is imagined;
it is the cuftom of preachers to exaggerate every
thing, and to over-ad all. We love pleafure, it is
true, we labour to acquire riches, we have pride and
ambition, we would cut a good figure in the world,
and what can be more natural than all this ? And
where are the faints, who are not affeded with the
fame pafiions ?" Foolifh fouls I I fincerely pity
you ! I own, were ye to give an account of your
adions to me, or, if you pleafe, to the moft fevere,
and difcerning of all men, yea, were ye to give an
account of your lives to an angel, or to all the an-
gels of heaven together, perhaps you might pal-
liate your crimes, no doubt you would have art,
and addrefs enough to conceal, at leaft one half of
your fins, and to diminifh confiderably the enor-
mity of the other half: but neither men, nor an-
gels are to enquire into your lives j you muft ap-
pear before the tribunal of an all-feeing God, before
whom there is no vail fo thick, which he does not
penetrate, and in comparifon of whom the heavens
are unclean^ and the angels unwife. Whither will
ye go from his Jprit^ or whither will ye Jlee from his
^refence ?,
( 417 )
prefence ? If you afcend up into heaven he is there^ if
you make your bed in hell he is there ^ if you take the
wings of the mornings and d-well in the uttermojl parts
of the fca^ even there fJjall his hand lead you^ and his
right hand hold you. If you fay^ Surely the darknefs
fjjall cover me^ be afTured, the night flo all he light a-
bout you^ know that the darhiefs hideth not from hiniy
hit the night floineth as the day^ the darknefs and the
light are both alike to him. It is any eafy thing to
flatter one's felf, and to declare one's felt righteous,
by comparing one's felf with thieves, and high-way
robbers : but when a man compares himfelf
with the unfpotted purity of God, when God's
immortal hand applies the rule of his law to the
heart, the holiell mull: become nothing, and fay
to him, Unto thee^ O Lord^ helongeth righteoiifnefs^
but unto me fhame.^ and ccnfufton of face. If thoUy
Lord^ fjjouldft mark iniquity^ O Lord who can ft and ?
My righteoufnefs before thee is as filthy rags.
Now if this be the language of a holy man, — //
the righteous fcarcely are faved^ where fhall the ungodly^
and /inner appear? (5)
But
(5) The luicked extenuate one fide rejefting what an-
their Jins. There is a fine other applauded. It Ihould
paffage to this purpofe in the feem, there is an artof grind-
thirty-fixth pfalm. The tran/- ing and pulverizing the letters
grejjion of the 'wicked faith of the Hebrew alphabet, prac-
ijoithinmy heart, that there is tifed with infinite labour, and
no fear of God before his eyes , tending to nobody's edifica-
for he flattereth himjelf iti his tion. This verfe has given
oiun eyes until his iniquity be ample fcope to expofitors of
found to be hateful. Aliun- this fort; and, after all, it gives
dance of literal criticlfm has no tolerable fenfe without ad-
been made on this verfe, a mitting that rule of fxpofi-
great many diihculties llarted, tion, which goes on the idiom
and all learnedly run down, of a language, and gives ra-
Vol. IL 3 G ther
( 4i» )
But, to fpeak plainly, all thefe are only vain
pretences, the falfhood of which even the wicked
acknowledge •, the only reafon why they avoid
converfion is that ardent love, that obftinate at-
tachment, which they have to vice. This is the
true caufe, and all the reft are only, if they would
fpeak honeftly, all the reft are only vain pretences.
The avaritious is not ignorant that an intenfe, fu-
rious love to the world is odious to God, and
men. The ambitious knows the gofpel of Jefus
Chrift calls us to far more noble dignities than
any the world can offer, he knows that his ambi-
tion is incompatible with that chriftian moderation,
which religion ordains. The voluptuous is not
ignorant that his debaucheries and exceffes are di-
re(5lly contrary to the profeflion of the gofpel. In
general, all finners know very well that they do
wrong, and they know alfo that by fuch means
they draw down upon themfelves the wrath, and
curfe of God. Yet, however clear their knowledge
of thefe awful truths may be, Vv'hen the idea of
riches prefents itfelf to the covetous, when that of
honours tempts the ambitious, when that of plea-
fure ftares at the debauchee, fo powerfully are their
pafiions touched by thefe objedts, that they are infen-
fible
ther the fenfe of the whole fellow creatures. He even
than of each component pare, affefts to be a good man, and
** 1 have made my own ob- wears the mafk till it cements
lervations on that wicked with his face, accounting him-
man, Saul, and I have ima- felf as good as any other man,
gined, he is an atheill. I till fomebody detefts his vices,
obferve, although he commits and expofes him to fhame ;
many crimes, for which, did and this is the common con-
he fear God, he would al- dition of almollallbad men.'*
ways blufh, yet he never This feems not an improbable
blulhes till his iniquities ap- fenfe of the pafi'age,
pear hateful in the eyes of his
( 419 )
fible to every thing elfe, all their reafon evaporates,
and vanilhes before thefe dear objedls, the mind
is for one thing, the heart for another, and in this
combat between judgment and affedion, the heart
always obtains the conqueft. Now, 1 alk, is not
this love to fm the greateft folly in the world ?
when on the one hand it renders us incapable of
enjoying ourfelves, and difhonours us in our own
eyes, depriving us of one of the moil fweet, and
valuable of all our blefiings, which is ajuft efteeni
of ourfelves, the joy of being able to approve our
own conduct : and on the other hand deftroys us,
for it draws upon us the condemnation of God,
and condufts us a great pace towards thofe eter-
nal torments, which he has prepared for the wick-
^^' ^^) Faffing
(6) Sin d'ljhonours us in our
c-wn eyes. Perhaps one caufe
of much unprofitable preach-
ing is an indiftinft notion of
the dignity of human nature.
Confidcr man -phyJlcaUy, and
too great things cannot be
faid of his dignity, he is fear-
fully and 'vjonderfully made.
But view him morally, and he
is fearfully and nxionderfuUy
'vile. It is eafy to fee how
dangerous a millake is here ;
for the remedies we apply will
always be fuited to the ideas
we form of the maladies we
would remove. Hence on the
one hand light and gentle re-
proofs of the m.oft enormous
crimes, and hence on the
other, thofe weighty and
powerful difcourfes, which are
Jb much admired, becaufe fo
much felt. Mr. Claude's
fe-ven obfervations might be
all exemplified from the
greateil preachers amongll
his own countrymen : but
1 will mention only a few.
Our author's lall obfer-
vation, that depravity of
heart, and not defedl of
underftandlng, emboldens
numbers in fin, is the
ground of the following fer-
mon.
Bp. Maflillon on John vlf.
27. compofes his exordium
of this thought, that the great*
eft part of thofe, who fay they
are infidels, are not fo. He
obferves, " that, if the /oo/
fays there is no God, it is in
his heart he fays io; that is,
it is the language oi' dejire, he
wiihes there was none." He
3 G 2 adds.
( 420 )
Pafilng on to the fecond propofition, (that the
pradice of good works, and an holy and religious
life
adds, " to be a debauchee
and admit a hell is to be a no-
vice in debauchery, the liber-
tine muft therefore, to keep
himfelf in countenance, afFedl
to deny it." He concludes
with this fine remark, " Re-
ligion would have no enemies,
if itfelf were not an enemy
to vice." Pcur le mardi de la
iw./em. Car, iv.
Mr. Claude's zd obf, that
finners on certain occafions
magnify mercy, is the maxim on
which, I prefume, Maffillon
compofed the fermon entitled
Fain coTiJidence. The text is
Luke xxiv. 21. He obferves
*' that expefling to be crown-
ed without warring a good
warfare is an error the moft
univerfal, and the mofl ef-
tablifhed among profeiTing
chriftians, though it has no
authoiity fiom Jefus Chrift ;"
and, alluding to his text,
adds, " when the Lord ap-
pears . a fecond time upon
earth, he will find many in-
fidel-difciples, who will fay
to him, nxe triifted.^^ Lundi
de pafqucs. C«r. iii.
Mr. C's 5th remark, on
confidering punilhment as a
dijlant thing, is the ground
of Saurin's fermon on Eccl.
viii. II, 12. ♦* I am ftruck
with hoiror (fays he) when
I confider this difpcfiUon in
its true point of light ; it feems
to me as if jt were impoffible,
except to monllers, who have
eradicated not only every feed
of piety and religion from
their hearts, but even ever;'
degree of rcafon, and huma-
nity. — ■— But let us rend the
vails, with which we ufually
conceal ourfelves from our-
felves, let us dive into thefe
hearts dfceitful above all things,
and dejperately njoicked, and we
fhall find that this difpofition,
which, at firil fight, makes
us fhudder with horror, is one
pf thofe with which we are
moll familiar. Were we con-
vinced that God had the for-
midable defign of plunging
us into the depths of hell on
the firft adt of rebellion, who
is he, who is he, who would,
have the madnefs to be a re-
bel ? Why then are we rebels ?
The wife man tells us, becaufe
fentence againj} an e'vilnvork is
not executed Jpeedily^ Sur le
delai que Dieu accorde aux
pecheurs. torn. vii.
That moil: admired piece
of modern eloquence, Mafiil-
lon's fermon on the death of
the finner, and the death of the
righteous, faid by fome good
judges to be the fineft piece
of eloquence that the latter
ages have produced, is an af-
femblage of all the above-
mentioned
( 421 )
life is the principal end, which the gofpel propofes,
and the principal charadler of a true chriilian)
you muft fiiil eftablifh it by Iblid fcripture proofs;
As — The grace of God that bringeth fahation hath ap-
peared to all men^ teaching us that denynig ungodlinefs
and worldly liifis^ we Jhould live foberly^ rightecv.jly^
and godly in this prejmt world. Tit, ii. ij, 12. —
This is a faithful faying^ and tkefe things 1 zvill that
tbou.
mentioned obfervations, re-
prefented under the molt afFedr
ing images. The following
paffage has been exceedingly
admired. " Alors le pccheur
mourant, ne trouvant plus
dans le fouvenir du pafle que
des regrets, qui I'accabicnt ;
dans tout ce qui fe pafie a fes
yeux, qire des images^ qui
Faffligent ; dans la penlee de
I'avenir, que des horreurs qui
lepouvantent : ne fachant
plus a qui avoir recours : ni
aux creatures, qui lui echap-
pent : ni au monde, qui
f'evanouit; ni aux homines,
que ne fauroicnt le deiivrer
Je la mort ; ni au Dieu jufte,
qu'il regardecomme un ennc-
mi declare, dontil ne doit plus
attendre d'indulgence : il fe
roule dans fes propres hor-
reurs ; il fe tourmcnte, il
f 'agitc pour fuir la mort qui
le fiiifit, ou du moins pour fe
fuir lui-meme : y fort de fes
yeux mourans, je ne fai quoi
de fombre, et de farouche,
qui exprime les furcurs de fon
ame : il pouflV du fond de fa
triftefie des paroles entrccou-
pees de fanglots, qu'on n'en-
lend qu'a demi ; et qu'on ne
fait fi c'eli: le defefpoir ou le
repeniir qui Jes a formees ; il
jette fur un Dieu cruciiie des
regards aiFreux, et qui laif-
fentdouter ii c'eft la crainte
ou I'efperance, la haine ou
I'nmour q'u'ils exprimcn: : ii
entre dans des faifulemens oa
Ton ignore fi c'eft le corps
qui fe diilbut, ou I'ame qui
lent I'approche de fonjuge,
il foupire profondement; et
Ton ne fait ii c'eft le fouvenix
de fes crimes qui lui arrache
ces foupirs, ou le deitfpoir
de quitter la vie. Enfiu au
milieu de ces triftes efforts,
fes yeux fe fixent, fes traits
changent, fon village fe de-
figure, fa bouche hvide f 'en-
irouvre d'elle-meme ; tout
fon corps fremit ; et par ce
dernier effort, fon ame infor-
tunee f 'arrache comme a. re-
gret de ce corps ue boue,
tombe entre le.s mains deDieu,
et fe trouve lt.uie aux pieds
du tribunal redoutable A-vent
p. 61. 62. a Pans, ijijz.
iieep. 350 of this vol.
( 422 )
thou affirm co'njiantly^ T'hat thp)\ which have believed irt
God^ might he careful to maintain good works. Tit. iii.
— The fame apoftle elfewhere, diftinguiihing true
from falfe prolelTors, fays, For many walk of whom
J have told you often, and now tell you even weepings
Uhat they are the enemies of the crofs of Chri/i, whofe
end is deflru^ion, whofe God is their belly, and who
glory in their fhame, who mind earthly things : but our
converfation is in heaven, from whence alfo we look for
the Saviour, the Lord Jcfus. Phil. iii. — IP^e are his
workmanfhip, fays the fame apoftle, created in Chriji
J ejus unto good works, which Gcd hath before or-
dained that wefhould walk in them. The whole fixth
of Romans is written to fliew that the true end of
the dodrine of grace is to fandify men. IVhat
fhall we fay then ? Shall we contifme in fin, that grace
may abound? God forhidl How fijall we, that are
dead to fin, live any longer therein. Know ye not, that
fo many of us as were baptised into Jefus Chrift were
baptized into his death ? 'Therefore we are buried with
him by baptifm into death, that like as Chrifl was raifed
tip from the dead by the glory of the Father, even fo we
alfo (hould walk in newnefs of life. &c, (7) Again,
in
(7) We are huried-nvith him and to rife into newnefs of
ly baptifm into death. Al- life. "' Chriftum iepultum
incft all commentators allow, per baptifmum reprasfenta-
that this palTage is defcriptive mus. Oftendit non verba
of the mode and end of pri- tantum baptifmi, fed et ipfam
initive baptifm. The mode ejus fDrma7n, hoc innuere.
was that of immerfion, and Nam immerfio totius corporis
the end or defign of immerf- injiumen, ita ut non confpice-
ing the difciple of Chrill was recur amplius, imaginem ge-
to reprefent his faith in a re- rebat fepulturae quae datur
deemer, who died, v/as bu- mortuis. Confer. Cor. xi. 12.
ried, and rofe again, and his Alludit ad ilium ritum immer-
own profeffing to die to fin, gendi, ubi corpus quafi fepeli-
ebatur.
( 423 )
in his epiftle to the Gahitians, having flrongly de-
fended that gofpel liberty, which Jefus Chrift has
acquired by his blood for us, he prevents an abule,
which might be made of it, by adding, Brethren^ ye
have been called to liberty^ only ufe not liberty for an
cccafwn to thejlejh — JValk in the fpirit, and ye JJjall
not fulfil the luft of the flefh—for the flefh liifleth
(igainfi the fpirit^ and the fpirit againjl the flefJj^ and
thefe are contrary the one to the other — Now the works
of the ficflj are thefe ^ adult ery^ fornication^ uncleannefs,
lafcivioufnefs, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance^
emulations, wrath, firife, feditions, hereftes, envyings^
murders, drunkennefs, revellings andfuch like, of the
"johich 1 tell you before, as I have alfo told you in time
â– paft, that they, which do fuch things, floall not inherit
the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the fpirit is
love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentlenefs, goodnefs,
faith^
ebatur, et mox rurfus extra-
hebatur tanquam e fepul-
chro." — Poll Synopf. in loc.
Now, to a man, who allows
that baptifm was originally
adniiniflered to adults by im-
7fierJion, the modern baptiUs
only propofe one modeil que-
Ition. If the founders of the
chriftian church adminiftered
baptifm fo, and if no authen-
ticated religious legiflators
have arifen fince, by what au-
thority is it now admiuiftered
to infants by J'prinhling, fee-
ing fuch an adminiltration
changes both fubjeft and
mode I The baptifm of John,
nvhence ivas it P From heaven
or of 7}ien? Matt. xxi. 25.
All, who pretend to defend
that innovation, infant-
fprinkling, do but trifle, ex-
cept they go to the true ground
of the debate, and either
prove — that infant fprinkling
is fomewhere appointed by
Chrift our legiflator — or that
the authority of Chrift is not
neceffary to the eftablifhmenc
of a pofuive inftitute — or that
fome perfonhas fmce appeared
•vejied v/ith {"uch authority as
Chrift himfelfexcrcifed. Cir-
cumlion, Abraham's cove-
nant, Greek particles, and a
thoufand more fuch topicks,
no more regard the lubjedl
than the firft verfe of the lirll
book of Chronicle?, Adam)
Ueth, En-^fi.
C 424 )
fixlth, mechtefsy tempsrance^ againfl fuch there is no
law. And they that are Chrilfs have crucified the
JleJJj^ with the affe^ions and lujls. (8) We mud
here
(S) Cbrzfllans ha^ve cruci-
fied the Jlsjh. S. Paul lays
down in this period a beauti-
ful model of the manner of
difcuffing difficult and ab-
ftrufe quellions in theology.
Every quellion is fubjeft to
two fciences, philofophy and
theology. Philofophy ex-
plains it; theology improves
it. Ifphilofophy cannot com-
prehend the mode, and yet
allows the faft, theology does
not alter the ftate of the cafe :
but, taking the fad allowed,
and leaving conjectures and
debates concerning the rea^-
fons of it, applies itfelf to an
improvement of the whole
cafe to moral purpofes. This
is building on fure ground.
The cafe before us is of
this kind. The fen fes of my
body rebel againft the delibe-
rate reafonings of my mind,
or, as the apoille words it, the
pfi liijleth againft the fpirit.
How is it confiftent with the
%vifdom and goodnefs of my
creator, to put my reafon to
fuch a fevere and conftint
trial ? This is a difficult que-
flion. Let us fee how the
apoftle handles it.
1. Obferve, thequeftlon is
not the invention of modern
philofophers. They often
boaft more than they ought
of fupenor fagacity. Their
predecelTors, pagan philofo-
phers knew this objeftion ; it
was agitated in the apoftle's
days. He himfelf knew it.
2. S. Paul allows the faft.
The flep lufttth againft the
fpirit, fo that ye cannot do the
things that ye ^vould.
3. He expofes the difm.al
confequences of yit;lding to
the current. Iji this world
ignorance produces idolatry,
avarice nvitchcraft, pride 'va-
riance ; and in a future ftate
perfons under the pov/er of
their paffions will be excluded
from the kingdom of God.
4. He oppofcs againft this
fad condition religion, that
fpiritual religion chriftianity,
including lo^ue^joy, peace, and
fo on ; a religion that gives
energy to the diftates of right
reafon, and teaches it how to
obtain an empire over the
fen fes.
5. He obferves, that, dif-
ficult as it might appear to
realize this fyftem, fads prov-
ed, fome had realized it, they
that are Chrift's haue crucifed
thcfefb.
6. He propofes them as an
example to others ; This I fay
then. Walk in the fpirit , and ye
ftjall not fulfl the hft of th?
Pfo.
This
( 425 )
here repeat almofh all the whole New Teftamcnt,
if we would particularly mention all the paffages,
which oblige us ro good works, for the whole book
enforces obedience. It is fufficient to fpeak of
our Lord's divine and admirable words, Let your
light fo Jhine before msn^ that, feeing year good works ^
they may glorify your Father, which is in heaven. In-
deed, by a general vievT of the end, for which Jefus
Chriil came into the world, you will fee he came
to defiroy the works of the devil. The works of the
devil are principally two, fin, and punifhment.
Let us not imagine, that Jefus Chrift came into
the world to take away puniiliment only, and to
leave fin triumphant; he came to deftroy both. I
will even venture to fiy, he came to deftroy fin
rather than forrow. Suffering concerns only the
creature: but fin concerns the creator as well as
the creature; it diflionours the one, and diftreffes
the other. Punifhment indeed makes man mifera-
ble: but at the fame time it glorifies divine juftice:
but fin is equally contrary to the glory of God and
the dignity of man. The principal end of Chrift's
coming upon earth was to deftroy fin. Is it likely,
think ye, that Jefus Chrift would have quitted his
manfion of glory, and defcended to this earth to
acquire an impunity for criminals, leaving them
immerfed in fenfuality and fin ? Is it likely, that
he can hold communion with people in rebellion,
and
This is a beautiful model he left to philcfophers : it
of the apolllc's method, and only became him to improve
nothing can be objected a- an allowed faft to a pious pur-
gainft it. It did not lie on pofe. This mode ot pieach-
him, as an apoftle of Chiift, ing would Ihut many a bran-
to explain the difficulty, that gle out of the church.
Vol. II. 3 H
and pi'ofanenefs? Is it polTiblc for him, the holy
Jefus, to join his fpirit to our flefh, his purity to
our profanity, his holinefs to our iniquities ? This
would be faying he came to unite things, which
cannot unite, and which are naturally and necelTa-
rily incompatible. One of the moft imbictered
enemies of our religion reproached the primitive
chriftians, that their Jefus came into the world to
make the moft horrible and dreadful focieties, for
(faid he) he calls fmners, and not the righteous, fo
that the body he came to affemble is a body of
profligates, feparated from good people, amongft
whom they were heretofore mixed ; he has rejefted
all the good, and colledled all the bad in the world.
Falfe and cruel accufation 1 Origen, in the name
of the whole church, folidly refuted it. " True,
i'ays he, our Jefus came to call fmners : but it was
io repentance; he affembles the wicked : but it is to
convert them into new men, or rather to change
them into angels. We come to him covetous, he
makes us liberal; unjuft and extortioners, and he
makes us equitable -, lafcivious, and he makes us
chafte •, violent and paflionate, and he makes us
meek ; impious and profane, and he makes us re-
lio-ious." This is the true effed: of communion
with Jefus Chrift, it transforms us into his image,
and this transformation is fo effential, that if it
does noL appear in a man, we are obliged to
conclude, he is not in communion with this great
Saviour. But befides that holinefs, love, and
equity are infeparable from communion with Jefui
Chriil confidered in himfelf, I add, they are alfo
from communion with our heavenly Father, to
â– which communion with Jefus Chrift leads us. As
he came into the world in the quality of a media-
tor.
( 427 )
tor, he called men to himfelfonly to unite them to
God; for which rcafon he faid, I am theiiDa)\ the
truths and the life \ no man cometh to the Father hut hy
me: and elfewhere, Neither pray I for the fe alone ^
hut for them alfo, which fJoall bdie^ue on me throngh
their word^ that they all may he onr, as thou Father art
in me^ ajtd I in thee^ that they alfo may be one in us.
But hov; is it poffible that God fhould hold com-
munion with people, who live in fin? Thou art not
<i God . fays the prophet) that haft pleafure in wicked-
nefs, neither /ball evil dwell ivith thee. The foolifh
JJjall not fland in thy fight ^ thou hateft all workers of
iniquity. It is evident then that the religion of
Jelus Chrift, which brings us into communion with
God, brings us alfo at the fame time inro true
holinefs, without which communion with God is
not attainable. It is inconceivable, that, while we
remain immeried in fenfuality, and fin, we can be
the temples of the Holy Ghoft, as the fcripture fays
true believers are. Can the Holy Ghoft dwell in
a man without producing effecls of his power and
grace? Can he dwell idly in a man? Can he
pofifefs his heart and affedions, and yet leave his
affections enflaved to fin? It is with the holy
Spirit as with fire, which cannot be any where
without heat; or, if you pleafe, as the fun, which
cannot be above the horizon without giving light ;
That which is born of the flejh is flefJo^ fays our Sa-
viour, and that which is born cf the fpirit is fpirit.
With the fame view the apoftle tells the Romans,
They^ that are after the flefJj^ do mijid the things of the
fiefh^ but they^ that are after the fpirit, the things of
the fpirit. It is then impofiible to be a true chrif-
tian, or to have communion with Jefus Chrift,
unlefs we partake of his fpirit; If any man have
3 H 2. not
( 428 )
f!Ot thefpirit of Chrijl, fays S. Paul, he is none of his,
Becaufe ye are fons^ he fays elfewhere, Goi hath fent
forth the fpirii of his fen into your hearts, crying Abba^