VeR. 30.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 299
know our Lord himself usetli this very motive to invite men : Mat. xi. 29, ' Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest;' that is, take the Christian religion, that easy yoke upon yon, and you shall find rest for your souls. The Lord Jesus is our peace, and the ground of our peace ; but we never find rest until Ave come under his yoke. Christians, search where you will, there is no serious answer to that grand question, whicli is the great scruple of the fallen creature, Micah vi. 7, how to appease angry justice. And we are told of those locusts who are seducing spirits, which come out of the bottomless pit. Rev. ix. ; they had stings in their tails ; their doctrine is not soundly comfortable to the conscience. Among others, this is designed by those locusts, that half Christianity which is taken up by the light-skirted people, which reflect ui)on privileges only ; therefore there are such scruples and intricate de- bates. But some advantage there is, and some progress they may make in the spiritual life, that cry up them without duties ; but they never have found peace upon their souls unless the Lord pardon their mistakes, and doth sanctify their reflections upon those spiritual and unseen privileges, so as to check their opposite desires and inclina- tions. It is best to be settled in God's way, by justification and sanc- tification. There is a wound wherein no plaster will serve for the cure, but the way the gospel doth take. Consider altogether Christ's renewing and reconciling grace, the whole evangelical truth, this gospel which was founded in the blood of Christ, his new covenant, and sealed with God's authority, and doth so fitly state duties and privileges, and lead a man by the one to the other. This is that which Avill appease the Lord. There is no settling of the conscience without it ; and therefore, whatever you would expect in a religion, here you find it in that blessed religion which is recommended to us in the gospel or new covenant ; there is such holiness and true sense of the other world, whicli breeds an excellency and choiceness of spirit in men.
Prop. 7. Of all sects and sorts among Christians, the Protestant reformed religion will be found to be the way of truth. Why ? Be- cause there is the greatest suitableness to the great ends, the greatest agreement and harmony with God's revelation, which they i)rofess to be their only rule. I say, as to God's worship, there is most simplicity, without that theatrical pomp Avhicli makes the worship of God a dead thing, and so most suitable to a spiritual being, and conducible to spiritual ends, to God who is a Spirit, and who will be worshij)ped in spirit and truth ; for there God is our reward, and to be served by faith, love, obedience, trust, prayers, praises, and a holy administration of the word and seals ; more suitable to the genius of the scripture, without the pageantry of numerous idle ceremonies, like flourishes about a great letter, which do rather hide religion than any Avay dis- cover it ; yea, betray it to contempt and scorn to a considering man. Besides, the great design of this religion is to draw men from earth to heaven, by calling them to a serious profession of saving truth. Popery is nothing but Christianity abused, and is a doctrine suited to policy and temporal ends ; and it is supported by worldly greatness. And then as to holiness, which is the genuine product of a religion, the true genuine holiness is to be found, or should be found according to their
SOO SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. XXXT.
principles, amonf^ Protestants and reformed ; not external mortifica- tion, but in purging the heart. And here is the true peace of con- science, while men are directed to look to Christ's reconciling and re- newing grace, and not to seek their acceptance in the merit of their own works, and voluntary penance and satisfactions, and many other doctrines which put the conscience upon the rack. And then all this is submitted to be tried by the scriptures, which apparently are acknowledged by them to be the word, without running to unwritten traditions and the authority of men. Again, all this is recommended with the special presence of God as to gifts and graces, blessing these churches continually more and more. Therefore, if ever a man will find rest for his soul, and be soundly quiet within himself, here he must fix and choose, and take up the way of truth. Popery is but heathen- ism disguised with a Christian name : their penal satisfactions are like the gashing and lancing of Baal's priests ; their mediators of interces- sion are like the doctrines of demons among the Gentiles, for they had their middle powers, glorified heroes ; their holy water suits with the heathen lustrations ; their costly offerings to their images answer to the sacrifices and oblations to appease their gods, which the idolaters would give for the sin of their souls ; adoring their relics is like the respects the heathens had to their departed heroes ; and as they had their tutelar gods for every city, so these their saints for every city and nation ; their St Sebastian for the pestilence, their Apollonia for the toothache, and the like. It is easy to rake in this dirt. It was not for the devil's interest, when the ensign of the gospel was lifted up, to draw men to downright heathenism ; therefore he did more secretly mingle the customs and superstitions of the Gentiles with the food of life, like poison conveyed in perfume, that the souls of men might be more infected, alienated, and drawn from God. Popery doth not only add to the true religion, but destroys it, and is contrary to it. Let any considering man, that is not prejudiced, compare the face of the Roman synagogue with the beauty of the reformed churches, and they will see where Christianity lies. There you will find another sacrifice for expiation of sin than the death of Christ ; the communion of the cup, so expressly commanded in the Avord of God, taken away from the people ; reading the scriptures forbidden to laics, as if the word of God were a dangerous book ; prayers in an un- known language ; images set up, and so they are guilty, if not of primitive idolatry (which all the water in the sea cannot wash them clear of), yet certainly of secondary idolatry, which is the setting up an idol in God's worship contrary to the second commandment, the image of the invisible God represented by stones and pictures ; invocation of saints and angels allowed ; the doctrine of transubstantiation, contrary to the end of the sacrament ; works of supererogation ; popes' par- dons ; purgatory for faults already committed, as if Christ had not already satisfied ; papal infallibility, not only contrary to faith, but sense and reason ; their ridiculous mass and ceremonies ; and many such human inventions, besides the word and against it. But the Protestants are contented with the simplicity of the scriptures, the word of God, and the true sacraments of Christ. Therefore you see what is the way of truth we should stick to.