CONTENTS Sermon I. ON THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. Heb. 11. 6. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that Page. Page. 1 Thess. 4. 17. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Dedication to the Countess of Exeter. John 12. 26. If any man serve me, let him follow me ; and where I am, there shall my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour. A SERMON ON THE DEATH OF MR. RICHARD BAXTER, Dedication to Sir Henry Ashurst. Luke 23. 46. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my A SERMON ON THE DEATH OF Mг. DAVID CLARKSON, John 14. 2. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to A SERMON ON THE DEATH OF MR. BENJAMIN ASHURST, Dedication to Henry Ashurst Esq. Rev. 22. 12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as A FUNERAL SERMON ON THE DEATH OF DR. WILLIAM BATES, Dedication to the Duke of Bedford. John 11. 16. Then said Thomas, which is called Di- SERMONS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. SERMON I. GOD IS. HEB. XI. 6. But without faith it is impossible to please God; for he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he s a rewarder of them that diligently seek him, IN this chapter faith is represented as the principle of obedience, conveying vigour and strength to other graces, whereby they become operative unto several ends and objects; hence those acts which immediately spring from other graces as their proper stock, are attributed to faith, that being the principle of their heavenly working. In this respect, as the success of an army redounds to the general's honour, so the victory which is effected by other christian qualities, is here ascribed to faith, which animates them, and leads them forth as their chief VOL. IV. A captain; this is intimated in the text, in which we may ob serve. 1. A proposition, "But without faith it is impossible to please God;" that grace being the medium of our communion with God, as it gives through Christ an admission and approach to him; and in this respect is opposed to drawing back. Heb. 10. 38. 2. The argument to confirm it, "for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him :" that is, our addresses to God, are grounded upon a firm assent to God's being and bounty. * (1.) An assent to his being is absolutely necessary, otherwise acts of worship are as a ball struck into the open air, which returns not to us; without the entire assurance of a determinate object, religion will fail and vanish, this belief is general and speculative. : (2.) An assent to his bounty, that he will bless those "who diligently seek him;" this is particular and applicative, and it follows from the other; for the notion of a benefactor is included in that of a God; take away his rewards, you ungod him now the steadfast acknowledgment of this, can only draw the soul to perform ingenuous and acceptable service: for the naked contemplation of those amiable excellencies which are in the Deity, can never conquer our natural fear, nor quench our enmity against him; the reflection upon his righteousness and our guilt, fills us with terror, and causes a dreadful flight from him; but the hope of his remunerating goodness, is a motive agreeable, and congruous to the breast of a man, and sweetly leads him to God; religion is the submission of ourselves to God, with an expectation of reward. I shall treat of the first branch of the argument; ❝he that comes to God, must believe that he is." The firm belief of God's being, is the foundation of all religious worship; in the discussing of which, my design is to evince that supreme truth, This is the heathens creed, της περί τες θεός ευσεβείας ἴθι ὅτι το κυριότατον ἐκεῖνο ἐστιν. Ορθὰς υπολήψεις περὶ αὐτῶν ἔχειν ὡς ὄντων, καὶ διοικέντων τὰ ὅλακαλῶς καὶ δικαίως. Epictetus |