delight in; that is the voice of sons and good servants, and that is rewardable with a mighty grace. And of this nature are the affirmative precepts of the gospel, which being propounded in general terms, and with indefinite proportions, for the measures are left under our liberty and choice, to signify our great love to God. "A μèv yàp vπÈρ Tỳν ÉVTOλỳν γίνεται, πολὺν ἔχει τὸν μισθὸν κατὰ τοῦτο, said St. Chrysostom; "Whatsoever is over and above the commandments, that shall have a great reward." God forbids unmercifulness; he that is not unmerciful keeps the commandment; but he that, besides his abstinence from unmercifulness according to the commandment, shall open his hand and his heart, and give plentifully to the poor, this man shall have a reward; he is amongst those servants whom his "Lord will make to sit down, and himself will serve him." When God in the commandment forbids uncleanness and fornication; he that is not unchaste, and does not pollute himself, keeps the commandment. But if to preserve his chastity he uses fasting and prayer, if he mortifies his body, if he denies himself the pleasures of the world, if he uses the easiest, or the harder remedies, according to the proportion of his love and industry, especially if it be prudent, so shall his greater reward be. If a man, out of fear of falling into uncleanness, shall use austerities, and find that they will not secure him, and therefore, to ascertain his duty the rather, shall enter into a state of marriage, according as the prudence and the passion of his desires were for God and for purity;-so also shall his reward be. To follow Christ is all our duty; but if, that we may follow Christ with greater advantages, we quit all the possessions of the world, this is more acceptable; because it is a doing the commandment with greater love. We must so order things that the commandment be not broken; but the difference is in finding out the better ways, and doing the duty with the more affections. : 17. Now in this case they are highly mistaken that think any thing of this nature is a work of supererogation for all this is nothing but a pursuance of the commandment. For Evroλn, or commandment," is taken in a general sense, for the prescription of whatsoever is pleasing and acceptable to God, whatsoever he will reward with mighty glories. So "loving God with all our heart, with all our soul, and all our mind, and all our strength," is called πрάτη kaì μɛyádŋ évtoλn, "the first and the great commandment; "a that is, nothing is more pleasing, nothing more acceptable to God, because it proceeds out of an excellent love. But some commandments are propounded as to friends, some as to servants; some under the threatening of horrible pains, others not so, but with the proposition and under the invitation of glorious rewards. It was commanded according to St. Paul to preach the gospel if he had not obeyed, he should have perished: "Woe is me," saith he, "if I preach not the gospel" he was bound to do it. But he had another commandment also, to love God as much as was possible, and to love his neighbour: which 9 Matt. xxii. 37. : precepts were infinite, and of an unlimited signification, and therefore were left to every servant's choice to do them with his several measures of affection and zeal. He that did most, did the commandment best; and therefore cannot be said to do more than was commanded; but he that does less, if he preaches the gospel, though with a less diligence, and fewer advantages, he obeys the commandment, but not so nobly as the other. For example: God commands us to pray. He obeys this, that constantly and devoutly keeps his morning and evening sacrifice, offering devoutly twice a day. He that prays thrice a day, does better; and he that prays seven times a day, hath done no work of supererogation, but does what he does in pursuance of the commandment. All the difference is, in the manner of doing what is commanded; for no man can do more than he is commanded. But some do it better, some less perfectly; but all is comprehended under this commandment, of loving God with all our hearts. When a father commands his children to come to him, he that comes slowly, obeys the commandment, but he that runs does obey more willingly and readily: now though to come running was left to the choice of the child's affection, yet it was but a brisk pursuance of the commandment. Thus when he that is bound to pay tithes, gives the best portion, or does it cheerfully, without contention, in all questions taking the worse of the thing, and the better of the duty, does what he is commanded, and he does it with the affection of a son and of a friend, he loves his duty. "Be angry, but sin not:" so it is in the commandment; but he that, to avoid the sin, will endeavour not to be angry at all, is the greater friend of God, by how much the farther he stands off from sin. Thus in all doubts to take the surest side, to determine always for religion, when without sin we might have determined for interest; to deny ourselves in lawful things, to do all our duty by the measures of love and of the Spirit, are instances of this filial obedience, and are rewarded by a wɛñoiInois kai wapρnoía, "a persuasion and confidence" of God's love to us, enabling us to call him Father, as well as Lord. Thus this parable, or one like it, is told in the book of Hermas. "The Lord commanded his servant to put pales about his vineyard: he did so, and digged a ditch besides, and rooted out all the weeds; which when his lord observed, he made him coheir with his son." When St. Paul exhorted the Corinthians to give a free contribution to the poor saints at Jerusalem, he invites to do it nobly and cheerfully, not as of constraint; for God's commandment named not the sum, neither can the degree of affection be named; but yet God demands all our affection. Now in all the affirmative precepts, the duty in the lowest degree is, that which is now made necessary under the loss of all our hopes of eternity; but all the further degrees of the same duty are imposed upon the condition of greater rewards, and other collateral advantages of duty. When Hystaspes asked Cyrus the Persian why he preferred Chrysantas before him, since he did 66 obey all his commands: the prince answered, he that breaks that law which he could have kept. Χρυσάντας οὑτοσὶ πρῶτον μὲν οὐ κλῆσιν ἀνέμενεν, | We were all sinners by the covenant of works, but that was in those instances where it might have been otherwise. For the covenant of works was not impossible, because it consisted of impossible commandments; for every commandment was kept by some or other, and all at some times: but therefore it was impossible to be kept, because at some time or other, men would be impotent, or ignorant, or surprised, and for this no abatement was made in that covenant. But then since in what every man could help he is found to be a sinner, he ought to account it a mighty grace that his other services are accepted. In pursuance of this, S ἀλλὰ πρὶν καλεῖσθαι παρῆν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἕνεκα· ἔπειτα δὲ οὐ τὸ κελευόμενον μόνον, ἀλλὰ και ὅ, τι αὐτὸς γνόιη ἄμεινον εἶναι πεπραγμένον ἡμῖν, τοῦτο ἔπραττεν. Chrysantas does not stay till he is called; and he does not only what is commanded, but what is best, what he knows is most pleasing to me." So does every perfect man, according to the degrees of his love and his perfection; Top Teλeiwok Ev ovucolaíois πολιτικοῖς οὐδ ̓ ἐν ἀπαγορεύσει νόμου, ἀλλ' ἐξ ιδιοπρα- | γίας καὶ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀγάπης ἡ δικαιοσύνη. | "The righteousness of a perfect man consists not in legal innocence, but in love and voluntary obedience." This is that charity which is the glory of christianity, the crown of all other graces, that which makes all the external works of obedience to be acceptable, and every act of the most excellent piety and devotion is a particular of that grace; and therefore, though it is highly acceptable, yet it is also commanded in the general, and in the sense before explicated; and he that does no more than he is particularly commanded, obeys God, as a lion obeys his keeper; meat and stripes are all the endearments of his peace and services. Qui manet, ut moneatur semper, servos homo, officium suum, Nec voluntate id facere meminit, servos is habitu haud probus PLAUTUS Sticho. est. "The servant that must be called upon at every step, is but an unprofitable and unworthy person:" to do only what we are commanded, will never bring us to the portion and inheritance of sons. We must do this cheerfully, and we must do more; even contend to please God with doing that which is the righteousness of God, striving for perfection, till perfection itself becomes perfect; still obeying that law of sons, "Love the Lord with all thy heart," till our charity itself is crowned. Therefore, 19. XIII. Let no man propound to himself a limit of duty, saying, he will go so far, and go no farther. For the commandment is infinite, and though every good man obeys it all the way of his holy conversation, yet it shall not be finished till his life is done. But he that stints himself to a certain measure of love, hath no love at all; for this grace grows for ever: and when the object is infinite, true love is not at rest till it hath possessed what is infinite; and therefore towards that there must be an infinite progression, never stopped, never ceasing, till we can work no more. 20. XIV. Let every man be humbled in the sense of his failings and infirmities. "Multum in hâc vitâ ille profecit, qui quàm longè sit à perfectione justitiæ proficiendo cognovit," said St. Austin :" It is a good degree of perfection to have proceeded so far, as well to know and observe our own imperfections." The Scripture concludes all under sin; not only because all have failed of the covenant of works, of the exactness of obedience, but by reason of their prevarication of that law which they can obey. And indeed no man could be a sinner, but Xen. Cyrop. De Spir. et Lit. c. 36. s Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. Epist. ad Lapsos. u 66 21. XV. Let no man boast himself in the most glorious services and performances of religion. "Qui in ecclesiâ semper gloriosè et granditer operati sunt, et opus suum Domino nunquam imputaverunt," as St. Cyprian's expression is; " " They who have greatly served God in the church, and have not been forward to exact and challenge their reward of God," they are such whom God will most certainly reward. For "humility without other external works is more pleasing to God, than pride though standing upon heaps of excellent actions." It is the saying of St. Chrysostom. For if it be as natural to us to live according to the measures of reason, as for beasts to live by their nature and instinct, what thanks are due to us for that, more than to them for this? And therefore one said well, “Ne te jactes si benè servisti: obsequitur sol, obtemperat luna:" "Boast not if thou hast well obeyed: the sun and the moon do so," and shall never be rewarded. But when ourselves and all our faculties are from God, he hath power to demand all our services without reward; and therefore if he will reward us, it must wholly be a gift to us that he will so crown our services. But he does not only give us all our being and all our faculties, but makes them also irriguous with the dew of his divine grace; sending his holy Son to call us to repentance, and to die to obtain for us pardon, and resurrection, and eternal life; sending his Holy Spirit by rare arguments, and aids external and internal, to help us in our spiritual contentions and difficulties. So that we have nothing of our own, and therefore can challenge nothing to ourselves. But besides these considerations, many sins are forgiven to us, and the service of a whole life cannot make recompence for the intimate favour of receiving pardon: especially since, after our amendment and repentance, there are remaining such weaknesses and footsteps of our old impieties, that we who have daily need of the Divine mercy and pity, cannot challenge a reward' for that which in many degrees needs a pardon; for if every act we do should not need some degrees of pardon, yet our persons do in the periods of our imperfect workings. But after all this, all that we can do is no advantage to God; he is not profited or obliged by our services, no moments do thence accrue to his felicities; and to challenge a reward of God, or to * Consil. Arausic. 2. c. 18. Debetur merces bonis operi bus: sed gratia quæ non debetur, præcedit ut fiant. y Job xxxv. 7.. : we may without our fault be disabled, and therefore can only be supplied with our endeavours and desires. But that is our advantage: we thus can perform all God's will acceptably. For if we endeavour all that we can, and desire more, and pursue more, it is accepted as if we had done all for we are accepted “according to what a man hath, and not according to what he hath not." e Unless we can neither endeavour, nor desire, we ought not to complain of the burden of the Divine commandments. For to endeavour truly, and passionately to desire and contend for more, is obedience and charity, and that is the fulfilling of the commandments. think our best services can merit heaven, is as if | But in the material and external instances of duty, Galileo when he had found out a star which he had never observed before, and pleased himself in his own fancy, should demand of the grand signior to make him king of Tunis: for what is he the better, that the studious man hath pleased himself in his own heart, and the Turkish empire gets no advantages by his new argument? And this is so much the more material, if we consider that the littleness of our services (if other things were away) could not countervail the least moment of eternity: and the poor countryman might as well have demanded of Cyrus to give him a province for his handful of river-water, as we can expect of God to give us heaven as a reward of our good works. 22. XVI. But although this rule, relying upon such great and convincing grounds, can abolish all proud expectations of reward from God as a debtor for our good works, yet they ought not to destroy cur modest confidence and our rejoicings in God, who by his gracious promises hath not only obliged himself to help us if we pray to him, but to reward us if we work. For "our God is merciful, he rewardeth every man according to his work:" so said David; according to the nature and graciousness of the work, not according to their value and proper worthiness; not that they deserve it, but because God for the communication of his goodness was pleased to promise it. "Promissum quidem ex misericordiâ sed ex justitiâ persolvendum," said St. Bernard: "Mercy first made the promise, but justice pays the debt." Which words were true, if we did exactly do all that duty to which the reward was so graciously promised; but where much is to be abated even of that little which was bound upon us by so glorious promises of reward, there we can in no sense challenge God's justice, but so as it signifies equity, and is mingled with the mercies of the chancery. "Gratis promissit, gratis reddit." So Ferus. "God promised freely, and pays freely." "If therefore thou wilt obtain grace and favour, make no mention of thy deservings. And yet let not this slacken thy work, but reinforce it, and enlarge thy industry, since thou hast so gracious a Lord:" who of his own mere goodness will so plentifully reward it. " d 23. XVII. If we fail in the outward work, let it be so ordered, that it be as little imputable to us as we can; that is, let our default not be at all voluntary, but wholly upon the accounts of a pitiable infirmity for the law was a covenant of works, such as they were; but the mind could not make amends within for the defect without. But in the gospel it is otherwise for here the will is accepted for the fact, in all things where the fact is not in our power. But where it is, there to pretend a will, is hypocrisy. "Nequam illud verbum est, benè vult,' nisi qui benè facit," said the comedian. This rule is our measure in the great lines of duty, in all negative precepts, and in the periods of the law of Christ, which cannot pass by us without being observed. MATTER FOR MEDITATION OUT OF SCRIPTURE, AC- The old Covenant, or the Covenant of Works. In that day thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. Gen. ii. 17. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the law, to do them.— Gal. iii. 10. Deut. xxvii. 26. And thou shalt write upon stones all the words of this law very plainly.-Deut. xxvii. 8. Thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand or to the left. But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes, then shall all these curses come upon thee, and overtake thee. -Deut. xxviii. And if you will not be reformed by these things, but will walk contrary unto me, then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.-Lev. xxvi. 23, 24, &c. He that despised Moses's law, died without mercy under two or three witnesses.-Heb. x. 28. The new Covenant, or the Covenant of Grace. WE are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded: by what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude, that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law. Rom. iii. 24—28. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. For as many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; because d In Matt. lib. 3. cap. 20. v. 8. e 2 Cor. viii. 12. he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God.-Rom. viii. 1, 14, 26—28. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall not he with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Ver. 33, &c. This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws in their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people-all shall know me from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.-Heb. viii. 10-12. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.-2 Cor. v. 17-21. Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost: for the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, and to as many as the Lord our God shall call.-Acts ii. 37, 38. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.-Rom. x. 13. Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doth those things, shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith, speaketh on this wise ;-The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith which we preach, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.-Acts ii. 21. Rom. x. 5, 6, 8, 9. Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.-1 Cor. xv. 55, 56. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.-Rom. viii. 3, 4. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, hath for sin condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.-Rom. viii. 3, 4. His commandments are not grievous.-1 John v. 3. God by the death of his Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.-Rom. v. 10. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.— .-Phil. iv. 13. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.-2 Cor. xii. 9. Ask and ye shall have, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.-Matt. vii. 7. To him that hath shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly.—2 Cor. vii. 1. Vide etiam Isa. xlix. 6. and liii. 12. Having therefore these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord.-Psal. xxii. 22-28. Jer. xxxii. 34. The Prayer. I. O eternal God, Lord of heaven and earth, Father of men and angels, we do adore thy infinite goodness, we revere thy justice, and delight in thy mercies, by which thou hast dealt with us, not with the utmost right and dominion of a lord, but with the gentleness of a father; treating us like friends, who were indeed thy enemies. Thou, O God, didst see our follies, and observe our weaknesses; thou knowest the averseness of our nature to good, and our proneness to commit vanity; and because our imperfect obedience could not bring us to perfect felicity, whither thou didst design us, the great God of all the world was pleased to make a new covenant with man, and to become a debtor to his servants. Blessed be God, and blessed be that mercy which hath done so great things for us. O be pleased to work that in us which thou expectest from us. not lose our title in the covenant of faith and repentance, by deferring the one, or dishonouring the other; but let us walk worthy of our vocation, according to the law of faith, and the mercies of God, and the covenant of our Lord Jesus. II. Let us O blessed Jesus, never suffer us to abuse thy mercies, or to turn thy grace into wantonness. Let the remembrance and sense of thy glorious favours endear our services, and let thy goodness lead us to repentance, and our repentance bring forth the fruits of godliness in our whole life. Imprint deeply upon our hearts the fear and terror of thy majesty, and perpetually entertain our spirits with highest apprehensions of thy loving-kindness, that we may fear more, and love more, every day more and more; hating sin, crucifying all its affections and desires, passionately loving holy things, zealously following after them, prudently conducting them, and indefatigably persevering in them to the end of our lives. III. O blessed and eternal God, with thy Spirit en If while we were enemies we were reconciled to lighten our understandings in the rare mysterious secrets of thy law. Make me to understand all the most advantageous ways of duty, and kindle a flame in my soul, that no difficulty or contradiction, no temptation within or persecution without, may ever extinguish. Give me a mighty grace, that I may design to please thee with my best and all my services, to follow the best examples, to do the noblest charities, to pursue all perfection, ever pressing forward to the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. Let us rather choose to die, than to sin against our consciences. Let us also watch, that we may omit nothing of our duty, nor pretermit any opportunity by which thou canst be glorified, or any christian instructed, comforted, or assisted, not resting in the strictest measures of command, but passing forward to great and prudent significations of love, doing heroic actions; some things by which thou mayest be greatly pleased, that thou mayest take delight to pardon, to sanctify, and to preserve thy servants for ever. Amen. CHAPTER II. OF THE NATURE AND DEFINITION OF REPENTANCE; AND WHAT PARTS OF DUTY ARE SIGNIFIED BY IT IN HOLY SCRIPTURES. 66 SECTION I. THE Greeks use two words to express this duty, μεταμέλεια and μετάνοια. Μεταμέλεια is from μεταμελεῖσθαι post factum angi et cruciari," to be afflicted in mind, to be troubled for our former folly it is dvσapéornois inì TEπpayμévous, saith Phavorinus; "a being displeased for what we have done :" and it is generally used for all sorts of repentance, but more properly to signify either the beginnings of a good, or the whole state of an effective repentance. In the first sense we find it in St. Matthew,' vμeis de ἰδόντες οὐ μεταμελήθητε ὕστερον, τοῦ πιστεῦσαι αὐτῷ, and "ye seeing, did not repent that ye might believe him." Of the second sense we have example in Judas, μεταμεληθεὶς ἀπέστρεψε, he repented too, but the end of it was, he died with anguish and despair; and of Esau it is said, μετανόιας τόπον οὐχ Eupɛ, "he found no place for" an effective "repentance," but yet he repented too, for he was μETÉTELTα Jéλwv, and μerà daкpúwv ékšŋtýσaç, he fain would have had it otherwise, and he "sought it with tears;" h ;"h which two do fully express all the meaning of this μerapéλeia, when it is distinguished from the better and effective repentance. There is in this repentance a sorrow for what is done, a disliking of the thing with its consequents and effect: and so far also it is a change of mind. But it goes no farther than so far to change the mind, that it brings trouble and sorrow, and such things which are the natural events of it. Metaμéλɛia ñáßoç ȧvρúπvov, saith Suidas. It is "an affection incident to man," not to God, who cannot repent: where although by Táo he means "an accident or property" of man, that is, a quality in the general sense; yet that it is properly a passion in the special sense, was the sense of all men, as Tertulliani observes; saying, that the heathens know repentance to be "passionem animi quandam,” (the same with ráðоç ȧvÐрúπivoν in Suidas,) a passion," quæ veniat de offensâ 66 f Matt. xxi. 32. h Heb. xii. 17. 66 E Matt. xxvii. 3. Lib. de Pænit. sententiæ prioris," "coming from our being offended, or troubled at our former course.”—But Tertul lian uses the Latin word, of which I shall give account in the following periods. 2. But when there was a difference made, μɛrávola was the better word: which does not properly signify the sorrow for having done amiss, but something that is nobler than it, but brought in at the gate of sorrow. For ἦ κατὰ Θεὸν λύπη, “ a godly sorrow," that is μerapéλea, or the first beginning of repentance, μeтávolav Kateρyášɛraι, “worketh” this better repentance, μɛrávoιav åμetaμéλntov, and siç σwrηpíav, "a repentance not to be repented of," not to be sorrowed for, a repentance that is “ unto salvation." Sorrow may go before this, but dwells not with it, according to that of St. Chrysostom; "Medicinæ hic locus, non judicii; non pœnas sed peccatorum remissionem pœnitentia tribuit." Meτάνοια is the word. "Repentance brings not pains, but pardon with it; for this is the place of medicine and remedy, not of judgment or condemnation:" meaning, that this repentance is wholly salutary, as tending to reformation and amendment. But Tertullian made the observation more express: "In Græco sono, pœnitentiæ nomen non ex delicti confessione, sed ex animi demutatione compositum est ;" "To repent, among the Greeks, signifies, not a confession of our fault, but the change of mind." He speaks of the grammatical sense of the word; for in the whole use of it it is otherwise. 3. For however the grammarians may distinguish them, yet the words are used promiscuously; for uɛrávoua is sometimes used in the bad sense, and μEɛraμéλɛa signifies the better repentance; not often, but sometimes it does. The son" that told his father, he would not work in his vineyard, afterwards was sorry for refusing, and he went to work, pɛraμendeìç à¤ñλde; and in the same chapter, vμɛis idóvtec ov μetaμeléIŋTE; " ye seeing were not troubled, and sorrowful, that ye might believe, that is, amend your fault." Meraμeleïodaɩ is in both |