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cipally feems to intend when he describes the Happiness of the other Life, in the Term of feeing God; it is true, as I faid before, God doth in that State exhibit his Glory and Majefty to his People in a vifible Manner, to their very Eyes and Senfes. Which Appearance or Reprefentation is that which the Jews call the Shecinah, or God's dwelling among his People. But tho' in this Cafe good Men may be truly faid to fee God, yet that Phrafe contains a great deal more in it. For to fee God in the ScriptureLanguage is to enjoy him, to receive fuch Favours from him as he will be pleased to communicate unto us, in that holy Place where he dwells; to have a Participation with him in his Bleffednefs, for to fee in the Scripture-Phrafe is the fame Thing as to enjoy. Thus to fee good Days, in the 34th Pfalm, is to poffefs them, to lead a happy Life. To fee Life, and to fee the Kingdom of God, is to be put into the Enjoyment of thofe Bleffings. To fee God then is fomething more than to dwell whole Ages in gazing upon fome outward Appearance or Manifeftation of God's Prefence, (in which yet feveral have been fo fenfual as to place the whole of the Beatifick Vision) it is to have real Enjoyment of him, and as fenfibly to perceive him; to be, as pleasingly and delightfully affected with him, as we do perceive, or are affected with any Good in

this World. In a Word, it is to be made Partakers of all God's Perfections, as far as our Capacities will bear; and to receive fuch vital Communication from his infinite Love and Goodness, as will make us really and fubftantially and eternally happy, like as he himself is.

And now I have faid as much as I can in the little Time that is allowed me, but I have not faid, neither can we think the thousandth Part of the Bleffedness and Happiness of thofe good Souls that God thinks worthy of Receiving into his Kingdom. It is enough to fay it is unmeafurable and everlasting as God himself is. Now bleffed, for ever bleffed be God, who hath prepared fuch wonderful Things for them that love him; bleffed be our Lord Jefus, who hath made known to us the Certainty of them, and taught us the Way how we may attain to them. Bleffed be the holy Spirit of God, who if we be not wanting to our felves will not fail to conduct us fafely to them, in making us meet to be Partakers of this Inheritance of the Saints in Life.

Oh! Let us rejoyce and be glad all the Days of our Life. Oh! Let us quit all our little trifling Defigns, and fet our felves in good earneft, to the purchafing this Pearl of great Price. Oh! Let us make it the Business and Design of our Lives, to labour

I

to

to enter into this Reft, which, as you fee, is a Reft fo extreamly worth our labouring for.

And thou, O Bleffed God, who haft prepared for them that love thee, fuch good Things as pafs Man's Understanding, pour into our Hearts fuch Love towards thee, that we loving thee above all Things, may obtain thy gracious Promifes, which exceed all that we can defire, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord. To whom, '&c.

SERMON

SERMON XVI.

PREACH'D

October the 5th, 1690.

JAMES V. 12.

But above all Things, my Brethren, fwear not.

Have chofen thefe Words of St.

James for my Argument, which are as exactly levelled against the Sin of profane Swearing, as Words can be. Above all Things, (faith he) my Brethren, Swear not. Sure that must not be a little Thing, concerning which fuch Words as these are used to diffuade us from it. Sure, an Apoftle of Chrift, that was infpired by the Holy Ghoft, would not have faid, Above all Things, have a Care of fuch a Sin, unless that Sin had been of a more than ordinary Malignity; nay, unless it had been a Sin of the moft heinous Na

ture.

And yet it is no other Sin than

Swear

!

351

Swearing; that Sin which is fo common, and which is generally thought fo fmall a Matter among all Sorts of People, that is here forbid in fo earnest and fo folemn a Manner.

But before I come to that I mainly defign from my Text, It is fit I should give you fome Explication of it, and vindicate it from fuch falfe Gloffes as fome among us are wont to put upon it. You know there are a Sect of Men in our Days, that hold all Swearing utterly unlawful; and agreeably to their Principles, they refuse to give their Promife, or their Teftimony upon Oath, in all Cases whatfoever, though never fo much by Law required to it. The great Thing they urge for this Principle, is this Text of St. James I have now read unto you, and the other Text of our Saviour, in the 5th of St. Matthew. Our Saviour there faith, Verse the 34th, Swear not at all, neither by Heaven, for it is God's Throne, nor by the Earth, for it is his Footflool, and so on; but let your Converfation be yea, yea, nay, nay, for whatfoever is more than thefe, cometh of Evil. St. James here faith, Above all Things, my Brethren, fwear not, neither by Heaven, nor by the Earth, nor by any other Oath, but let your yea, be yea, and your nay, nay, left you fall into Condemnation. How (fay they) can Words be invented, that fhall more effectually forbid all Sorts of

Oaths

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