FELLOWSHIP with GOD. SERMON I John i. 1. That which was from the Beginning, which we have heard, which we have feen with our Eyes, which we have looked upon, and our Hands have handled of the Word of Life. Tis the great Qualification of a Difciple, or Hearer, to be attentive, and docile, to be capable of Teaching, and to apply the Mind feriously to it: It is much to get the Ear of a Man; if his Ear be gotten, his Mind is the more eafily gained: Therefore thofe who profeffed Eloquence, and ftudied to perfwade Men to any Thing, ufed in the Entry, to fall upon fome Thing that might tir up the Attention of their Hearers, or make them the more inclinable to receive Inftruction, or catch their Favour or good Will, which is of great Moment to Perfwalion: For it is fometimes fit to open the Paffages of the Heart by fuch Means, that there may be the more easy Entry for Inftruction and. Perfwafion. Truly there is fomething of this Art runs here in a divine Channel; as indeed all thefe Rules of humane Wisdom attain their Perfection, when they meet with a divine Spirit, that elevates them to a more tranfcendant Ufe. Happy was that Eloquence of Paul's, and fomething like the fweet Inspiration of Angels, by which they prevail with the Spirits of Men: Never thelefs being crafty (faith he) I caught you with Guile, 2 Cor. xii. 16. Thefe were pia fraudes, whereby he used to catch poor Souls out of the Pit, and pluck them out of the Firel: and he that faid, I will make you Fishers of Men, taught them to use fome holy Deveis, to prefent fome Things for the Allurement of Souls, and fo to furround and inclose them with moft weighty and convincing Reasons. This beloved Apoftle, who leaned upon Chrift's Bofom, and was likely to learn. the the very Secrets of the Art of fishing Souls, you fee how he goeth about the Bufinefs; he ufeth an holy Art in this Preface; being about to give a Re-capitulation of the whole Gospel, and to make a fhort Sum mary of the Doctrine of it, for the more effectual Establishment and Confirmation of Souls already converted, and for the powerful Perfwafion of others to imbrace it; he ufet all the Skill that can be in the Entry, to difpofe Mens Hearts to receive it; like a wife Orator, he labours to make them attentos, dociles, bene volas; to ftir up their Attention, to conciliate their Affection, and fo to make them docile, and easily teachable: He ftirs up Attention, when he fhews that he is not to speak about trifling light Matters, or low Things, or Things that do not concern them; but concerning the greatest, moft concerning, and important Things to them, even the Word of Life, in which, all their Life was wrapt up: Which, though it was ancient in it felf, yet withall was a new Thing to the World, and To for all refpects deferved to be taken ferious Notice of. Then he conciliates their Benevolence and Goodwill, by fhewing his own good Affection towards them, and his great Design in it, that it was only for their Good and Salvation, that he had nothing else before him, but to have them' Partakers with himself, in tha fame Happinefs: He had found a Jewel, and he hides it not, but proclaims it, that all Men may have Fellowship with him, and that is, with God, and that cannot but bring in full Joy to the Heart. Now a Soul being made thus attentive, and willing to hear, it is the beft Difpofition, that makes them moft capable of being taught. If those two Stayes were come over the careless Regard that is in Mens Hearts towards the Gof pel, and the fufpicious Thoughts and Prejudices against the Ambaffadors of it, then what would hinder to believe it? The great Miseries of Men are, Inconfideration and Misapprehenfion: Either Men are fo noifed with other Things, continually buzzing in their Ears, and their Hearts fo poffeft with the Clamours of their Lufts, and the Cries of the Things of this World, that they have no Leifure fo much as to hearken patiently to this bleffed Sound, or to apprehend seriously what Weight and Moment lyes in it; and fo the moft Pard of Men cannot give that earnest and deep Attention that is neceffarily required for this divine Teaching; or else there are many Miftakes and Misconceptions of the Gofpel, which fome times arife to that Height of reafoning against God, and Prejudices against them that carry this Mellage, which usually are joined together, and these stop the Ears of Men against the wisest and most powerful Inchantment of Preaching, that it gains not much Ground on them. O that ye would once liften to the Gofpel. Hearken and incline your Fars unto me, is the Lord's firft great Requeft: And if once you do but seriously apply your Minds and Hearts, to fee what is held out unto you, and to prove what Good is in it, certainly thefe fure and everlasting Mercies will moréifully and fweetly catch you with Guiler and deceive yoth iLmay fay for to your eternal Advantage. Wisdom, the Fatber's Wisdom, begs but an equal hearing of you; let her have but a patient Hearing, and a filent impartial Judgment of the Heart, and the with carry it off all that fuit you: It is lamentable that the Voice of God fhould be out-cried by Mens continual unin terrupted Flood of Bufinefs, that fills the Heart with a continual Noise, and keeps Men Men in such a conftant Hurrry and Dif temper, that they can give Time and Patience to nothing else; and this is only the Advantage the World and the Lufts of it have; for if they come once under a fober and ferious Examination, and the other Party, that is Jefus Christ, and the Word of Life, might have the Liberty to be heard in the inward retired Thoughts of the Heart, it would foon be found how unequal they are, and that all their Efficacy confifts in our Ignorance, and their Strength in our Weaknefs; certainly Chrift would carry it, to the Conviction of all that is in the Soul. I beseech you let us give him this Attention. He that answers a Tale before be bear it, 'tis a Folly and Weakness to him: A Folly certainly it is to give this Gospel a Repulfe before ye hear it: It promifeth Life and Immortality, which nothing else doth; and you entertain other Things upon lower Promifes and Expectations, even after frequent Experiences of their Deceitfulness: What a Madness then is it to hear this Promife of Life in Chrift, fo often beaten upon you, and yet never fo much as to put him to the Proof of it? And to put him off continually who knocks at your Hearts, before you will confider attentively who it is that thus importunes you. O, my Beloved, that you would trear him to men; let him fpeak freely to your Hearts, and commune with them in the Night on your Beds, in your greatest Retirement from other Things, that you may not be difturbed by the Noife of your Lufts and Bufinefs; and I perfwade my self, you who have now leaft mind of this Life, and Joy in God, should find it, and find it in him: But to cut off all Convictions, and Perfwalions at first, and to fet fuch a Guard at your Minds, to provide that nothing of that kind come in, or else that it be caft out as an Enemy, this is unequal, ignorant, and unreasonable Dealing, which you alone will repent of, it may be too late, when paft Remedy. He propounds that which he is to fpeak in the fittest Way, for the Commendation. of it to their Hearts: And Oh! How vaft a Difference betwixt this, and the ordinary Subject of Mens Difcourfes? Our Ears are filled continually with Reports: And it is the ufual Way of Men to delight to hear, and to report even thofe Things that are not fo delightful in themselves; and truly there are not many Occurences in the World (fuppofe you had a Diurnal of Affairs of all Men every Week) that can give any folid Refreshment to the Heart, except in the holy Meditation of the Vanity, Vexation, and Inconftancy that God hath fubjected all thofe Things unto. But 'tis fad, that Chriftians, who have fo noble and divine, so pleasant and profitable Things to fpeak upon one to another, are notwithstanding as much fubject to that Athenian Disease, to be itching after new Things continually, and to fpend our Time this Way, to report, and to hear News; and alas, what are thofe Things that are toffed up and down continually, but the Follies, Weakneffes, Impotencies and Wickedness, Ambition and Avarice of Men, the Iniquity and Impiety of the World that lies in Wickedness? And is there any Thing in this, either pleasant or profitable, that we should delight to intertain our own Thoughts, and others Ears with them? But the Subject that is here intreated of, is of another Na ture; nothing in it self fo excellent, nothing to us fo convenient. That which was from the Beginning, of the Word of Life, we declare unto you. O how pleasant and fweet a Voice is that which founds 7 founds from Heaven, be thofe confufed Noifes are that arife from the Earth? This is a Meffage that is come from Heaven, with him that came down from it: And indeed that is the Airth, from whence good News hath come; fince the first Curfe was pronounced upon the Earth, the Earth hath brought forth nothing but Thorns and Briars of Contention, Strife, Sorrow, and Vexation: Only from above hath this Meffage been fent to renew the World again, and recreate it, as it were: There are four Properties, by which this infinitely furpaffes all other Things can be told you. For it felf it is moft excellent; for its Endurance it is moft ancient; and to us it is moft profitable; and both in its felf, and to us, it is most certain; and by these the Apostle labours to prepare their Hearts to ferious Attenti on. For the Excellency of the Subject that he is to declare, 'tis incomparable, for it is no less than that Jewel that is hid in the Mine of the Scriptures, which he, as it were, digs up, and fhews and offers it unto them; that Jewel (I fay) which, when a Man hath found, he may fell all to buy it; that Jewel, more precious than the most precious Defires and Delights of Men, even Jefus Chrift, the Jubftantial Word of Life, who is the Subftance of all the Shadows of the Old Teftament, the End of that Miniftry, the Accomplishment of the Promifes, and that very Life of all Religion, without which there is nothing more vain and empty. It is true, the Gofpel is the Word of Life, and holds out Salvation to poor Sinners; but yet it is Chirft that is the Life of that Word, not only as touching the Efficacy and Power of it, but as touching the Subject of it; for the Gofpel is a Word of Life only, because it peaks of him, who is the Life and the Light of Men; it is but a Report of the true Life, as Joln faid, I am not that Light, but am fent to bear Witness of that Light, John i. 8. So the Gofpel, tho' it be called the Power of God to Salvation, Rom. i. 16. and the Savour of Life, and the Gospel of Salvation, Eph. i. 13. yet it is not that true Life, but only a Teftimony and Declaration of it; it hath not Life and Immortality in it felf, but only the bringing of those to Light, and to the Knowledge of Men, 2 Tim. i. 10. It is a Difcovery where thefe Treasures are lying, for the fearching and finding. To fpeak of this Word of Life, Jefus Chrift, according to his eternal Subfiftence in the infinite Understanding of the Father, it would certainly require a divine Spirit, more elevated above the ordinary Sphere of Men, and separate from that Earthlinefs, and Impurity, that makes us incapable of feeing that holy and pure Majefty. Angels were but low Messengers for this; for how can they exprefs to us, what they cannot conceive themselves, and therefore wonder at the Mystery of it? I confefs, the beft Way of speaking thefe Things, which fo infinitely furpafs created Capacities, were to fit down in Silence, and wonder at them; and with all to tafte fuch a Sweetnefs, in the immenfe Greatness and infinite Mysterious nefs of what we believe, as might ravish the Soul more, after that which is unknown, than all the Perfections of the World known and feen to the Bottom can do. This Doctrine of the holy Trinity hath been propagated from the Beginning of the World, even among the Heathens, and derived by Tradition from the first Fathers, or the Hebrews, to neighbour Nations; and therefore they speak many divine Things of that Infinite, Supreme Refemblance to poor Creatures, who have many Impulfes, and Inclinations to feveral Things, and are carried to Motion, and Action, rather from that Part which is invisible in them; the fubtiles Parts therefore called Spirits: So the Lord applies his Almighty Power, and exerceth his infinite Wisdom, according to the Pleasure and Determination of his Will, for that seems to be the immediate Principle of working; therefore there is Mention made of the Spirit, in the Crea tion of the World, He Jent out bis Spi Being, who is the Fountain of the whole Creation, and that he created all Things by his most divine Word, and that his bleffed Spirit is the Union and Bond of both, and of all Things befides. It is known what Mysteries the Pythagoreans apprehended in the Number of Three, what Perfection they imagined to be in it: So much was let out, as might either make them without Excufe, or prepare the World to receive readily the Light, when it should be clearly revealed: It is commonly held forth, that this eternal Word, is the Birth of the infinite Under-rit, and they were created, Pfal. civ. 30. ftanding of God, reflecting upon his own moft abfolute and perfect Being; which is illuftrated by fome poor Comparifor to us Creatures, who form in our Minds, in the understanding of any Thing, an in ward Word, or Image of the Object, fome Representation and Similitude of that we understand; and this is more perfect, than an external vocal Expression can be ; so we have a weak and finite Conception of the acting of that infinite Wisdom of God, by which he knows himself, that there refults, as it were, upon it, the perfe& fubftantial Image, and the ex prefs Character of the Divine Effence; and therefore is the Son of God called, the Word which was with God, and the Wisdom of the Father, because he is, as it were, the very Birth of his Understanding, and not only the Image of his own Effence, but the Idea, in which he con. ceived, and by which he created the vifible World. Then we use to conceive the Holy Ghoft, as the Production of his bleffed Will, whereby he loves, delights, and hath Complacency in his own all fufficient, all-bleffed Being, which he himfelf alone perfectly comprehends, by his infinite Understanding; and therefore called, the Spirit, a Word borrowed from These are the weak and low Attempts of Men to reach the Height of that unfearchable Myftery; fuch Conjectures we have of this Word of God, and his eternal Generation, as if Trees could take upon them to understand the Nature of Beafts, or as if Beasts would prefume to give an Account of the Spirit that acts in Men; Certainly the Distance is infinitely greater between God and us; and he muft needs behold greater Vanity, Folly and Darknefs, in our cleareft Apprehenfions of his Majefty, than we could find in the Reafonings and Conceptions of Beafts about our Nature. When our own Conception in the Womb is fuch a Mystery, as made David to fay, O bow wonderfully am I made, and fearfully? He faw a curious Art and Wisdom in it, that he could not understand, and he believed an infinite Power, he could not conceive, which furprized his Soul with fuch unexpected Matter of Wonder, as made him fear and tremble at the Thought of it. I fay, when the Generation of a poor Creature, hath fo much Depth of wif dom in it, how canf thou think to underftand that everlasting Wonder of Angels, the Birth and Conception of that eternal Wifdom of God? And if thou A a a canft |