SERMON XLVI.

NINTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, AND EVENING AFTER THE SACRAMENT.

THE EXAMPLE OF THE JEWS A WARNING TO CHRISTIANS.

ver. 1, &c.

1 COR. X. 11.

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, &c.

In this chapter the Apostle shews (and that by the example of the Israelites), that to be in covenant with God, and to partake of the sacraments, which are the seals of the covenant, will not secure us from destruction, if we do not live worthy of such a favour.

"I would not," saith he, "brethren, have you ignorant, that all our fathers were baptized as well as we, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink;" that is, they were partakers of the same covenant, and sacraments, and promises, that we are; and yet notwithstanding all these privileges, those that were disobedient were destroyed in the wilderness, and never entered into the land of Canaan, which was a figure of heaven.

Now all these things were written for our admonition; that is, to warn us not to depend upon being christians, without living as becomes christians.

Let him therefore, who thinketh he standeth, that is, high [ver. 12.] in God's favour because he is a christian, take heed lest he fall; as the Israelites did in the wilderness, and never set their eyes upon the land of promise, which they so much desired. When we hear the account of the strange behaviour of the people of Israel, while God was bringing them out of slavery,

in order to make them happy in a land of their own, we cannot but wonder at it; we are apt to think it impossible, that people should see so many miracles wrought in their favour, and yet should distrust, at every turn, the power, the wisdom, and the goodness of that God That wrought them.

And yet so it was: and the Psalmist expresseth his wonder after a most elegant manner: They were disobedient [Ps. 106. 7.] at the sea, even at the Red sea;" at the very place where God had saved them by the greatest miracle that ever man had seen.

In short, their whole life was one continued miracle; they had their meat from heaven, their garments waxed not old, their enemies fell before them, the visible judgments of God fell upon them over and over for their sins, and yet they were disobedient. The conclusion of all was, God was so provoked by their unworthy behaviour and ingratitude, that He suffered very few of them ever to enjoy the land of Canaan, which He had promised to give them.

But you will say, What is this to us? Why, I will tell you -the Apostle shall tell you, these things were written for our admonition, for a warning to us, to let us know how God has ever dealt, and for ever will deal, with those that despise His mercies, and forbearance, and long-suffering.

In short, as the goodness of God, to those that obeyed Him amongst the Jews, was a figure of the favour and lovingkindness which He bears to all others that love and fear Him; so the severity of God to that whole nation, in suffering so few of them ever to set a foot on the promised land, is a figure of that severity with which He will deal with wicked christians; He will for ever shut them out of heaven, of which Canaan was a figure.

But we are apt to think, that we are not so blind, and stubborn, and hard-hearted, and wicked, as the Jews were. People are apt to think, that the world is now civilized, and that christians are not so liable to God's judgments as heretofore. I would to God it were so; but really it is not. Many that call themselves christians can make a shift to be as wicked as either Jews or heathens.

Observe the malice and envy with which one christian pursues another, rejoicing in the ruin and misery of their

SERM. fellow-creatures; laying snares for one another in all manner XLVI. of business; scarce any security from another man's word or oath; all things carried by power, or interest, or craft; the rich oppressing the poor, because it is in the power of their hand to do it; and the poor envying the rich, instead of helping them by their prayers to heaven; parents educating their children after such a manner, as will ruin them as certainly as if they intended their ruin, teaching them to love the world with all their heart and soul, instead of renouncing it; suffering them to content themselves with a form of religion, without the power; pastors as little concerned for the flocks committed to their charge, as if in truth they were so many beasts, whose souls must die with their bodies.

(Heb. 3. 7, 8.]

In short, if the Jews were disobedient to God, so are christians; if they were ungrateful, so are we; if they were within the covenant of mercy, and yet lived as ill as those that were strangers to the covenant and promises, so do christians, who have yet greater things to fear and hope for, than ever they had; if they were delivered from the bondage of Egypt by the mighty hand of God, and yet as soon forgot the mercy as it was over, even so christians, who have been delivered from a greater tyranny and bondage than that of Pharaoh, do yet forget the mercy, and desire to return to the slavery of sin and death.

In one word; the Israelites in Egypt and in the wilderness are exact figures of christians in this world, and in their passage to the next, except in this one thing, that God being wearied as it were and provoked by their backslidings, did at last swear that none of them, that had so ungratefully abused His favours, should enter into the place of rest designed for them.

In this one thing we are happier than they, in that we have it yet in our power to work out our salvation; to appease our God by repentance, to avert His judgments by returning to our duty, and to secure to ourselves a share in His promise of heaven and happiness eternal.

What saith the Apostle to christians on this head? "Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts;" for, as the promises, and mercies, and assistances, and rewards, to christians, far exceed those which God made to the Jews; so

the punishment which wicked christians will meet with will be infinitely greater than any they had to fear.

So very little reason have christians to value themselves upon the better covenant, and better promises, and better means of grace, which God has afforded them, if they do not make a better use of them.

Let us all, therefore, seriously consider this portion of Holy Scripture, and what befel the Jews for their frequently provoking God by their sins; that is, that at last God for ever shut them out of Canaan.

Let us also fear, lest a promise being made us of entering [Heb. 4. 1. into heaven, any of us should come short of it; ever remembering that the people of Israel had the same God, the same promises, the same law, that we have: and this advantage we have which they had not; we may learn by their example not to provoke God too far, lest He treat us with the same severity He did them; lest He shut us for ever out of the heavenly Canaan.

To conclude; a Christian name, a Christian faith, the Christian covenant, the Christian sacraments, will not set us one step nearer heaven, without a Christian life. So that the case of christians is far from being better than that of Jews and heathens, if they are not careful to lead a Christian life.

SERMON XLVII.

THE REPENTANCE OF SINNERS MATTER OF JOY IN HEAVEN.

LUKE XV. 7, 10.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance. Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

THE Pharisees were much offended with our Lord for shewing so much concern for sinners as to keep them company, in order to teach them their duty, and to convince them of their danger.

Our Lord assures them, by these three parables, that God is well pleased when sinners are converted; that the angels rejoice at it; and that such as are at the pains to bring back poor, ignorant, or wicked people, that have gone astray like lost sheep, do a work very acceptable to God, and God will reward them for it.

In short, our Lord has, by these similitudes, discovered to us one of the most comfortable truths in the world, which is, that when men have offended God, yet if they become sensible of their sin, and truly sorry for it, God will pardon what is past, and take them into favour, as if they had never offended Him.

What is the reason that we can hear such Holy Scriptures as these without being moved? The reason is plain: we do not consider that we are sinners; we do not know what it is to be sinners; we are not sensible that every sinner is liable to the anger of God, is as one lost and undone, until he repent and be restored to God's favour.

a The parables of the lost sheep, of the piece of silver, and of the prodigal son.