Vol. I. Difpofition of the Perfons, to whom they are propofed. Thus it must needs be in the Nature of the Thing. Moral Perfuafions cannot act mechanically and neceffarily; but muft, in order to their Efficacy, pre-fuppofe a Mind, honeft and free, willing to hearken and fubmit to Reafon. And thus it is alfo in the Cafe of Chriftianity in particular. There is no one point of Faith and Practice, but it may be, and hath been, abundantly vindicated, from all the Exceptions that lie against it. The chief Cause, why Truth is not univerfally received, is, that all Men do not come to the Confideration of it, with a Spirit of Meekness, and Love of the Truth. And Error and Vice prevail, not from any Subftance and Solidity of their own, fo much as from that dead weight of corrupt Inclinations, which Men bring along with them, and caft into the Scale. The diftant Opinions about the fame Things proceed, from Men, not seeing with the fame Eyes, and under the fame Profpects. Some judge impartially, Others are bribed and blinded. And, though no Man is wittingly deceived; yet many contribute to their own Deceit, by ufing falfe Measures, which Custom, or Advantage, or fome other perfonal Refpect, impofes upon them for juft and true. St. James hath therefore prescribed the right Method, first to put away all Filthiness and Superfluity of Naughtiness, and then to receive the ingrafted Word, which (fo, and only fo) is able to fave our Souls. But, Jam. i. 21. 4. The Impreffions, I am principally defirous to leave upon my Reader, are fuch, as regard the Future Coming of our Lord, prefigured by that of this Day's Gofpel. And in this Type, We all fhall find Subject for our Imitation. Thefe Multitudes came out to meet Jefus riding on an Afs; but the fame Jefus fhall one Day make the Clouds his Chariot, and ride upon the Heavens, as it were upon an Horfe. They fang the Praifes of the Son of David, to a City Pfal. xviii. 68. who 1 who would not receive him as fuch; but He, who hath Eph. ii. 14. Rom. vi. 10. The Rom. XV. 4. The Second Sunday in Advent. B The COLLECT. Leffed Lord, who haft caufed all holy Scriptures to be written for our Learning: Grant that we may in fuch wife hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft them; that by Patience and Comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the bleffed Hope of everlafting Life, which thou haft given us in our Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen. That, by obferving what happened to pious Perfons heretofore, and to others fince, of whom they are Types, we might be excited to the like Virtue and Conftancy, by the supporting Expectation of the like Rewards for our Sufferings. 5. Now the God of Patience and Confolation grant you to be like minded one towards another according to Chrift Jefus. 5. And may the fame God, who fuftained Them with his holy Comforts, endue Us with a Spirit of Meekness and Forbearance, Us both a Command and a Pattern. of which Chrift Jefus, above all others, hath left 6. That we may pre- 6. That ye may with one mind, and one mouth gloferve a true Chriftian Com- rifie God, even the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift. munion in Heart and Af *Grot, in досить fection, as well as in Voice and outward Form; and perfectly agree in joint Endeavours to promote the Honour of that God, who under the Gofpel, is diftinguished by that peculiar Title, The Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift. 7. And great Reason 7. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Chrift also rethere is, why Jew and ceived us, to the glory of God. Gentile Converts fhould bear with each Other, and not break Communion, for Infirmities, and different Notions in Matters of lefs Concern; when it is confidered, how kind and condescending Chrift himself hath been to both thofe forts of Men. 8. If the Gentiles be 8. Now I fay, that Chrift Jefus was a minifter of the Circumcifion for the truth of God to confirm the Promifes made unto the Fathers. apt to defpife the Jews, let them remember, that This People only had the Privilege of Chrift's Prefence and perfonal Miniftry among them: and that, by Virtue of folemn Promises, by which God had bound himself to their Ancestors, whom he chofe, out of all the Kindreds of the Earth, to make them his own Peculiar. 9. And, that the Gentiles might glorifie God for bis Mercy, as it is written, For this caufe will I confess to thee among the Gentiles, and unto thy Name. 10. And again be faith, Rejoice ye Gentiles with his people. 9. Again, if the Jews be tempted to fcorn the Gentiles, let them reflect, that, though thefe were not under the fame formal Covenant, yet God thought them worth taking in, even without any previous Engagement to do so. And of this many exprefs Predictions are extant in the Jewish Prophets. 11. And again, Praife the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud him, all ye People. 11. For when these join the Gentiles with Jews, or call upon the Gentiles And this is the to join in Praise for fpiritual Mercies, (as David does) it is implyed, that they fhould partake in the Bleffings they are to praise God for. Strain, in which not only David (who speaks in the Perfon of Chrift) but Mofes long before, accofted the Heathen Nations in. 12. And again, Efaias faith, There shall be a root of feffe, and be that shall rife to reign over the Gentiles, in bim fball the Gentiles truft. 12. And Ifaiah defcribes the Meffiab, as an univerfal Monarch, to whofe victorious Standard all Peo ple fhall flock, and with great Security commit themselves to his Government and Protection. Since therefore Both are received, Both fhould refpect and receive one another into Commmunion and Friendship, and unite in the fame common Defign, of promoting Religion, and profecuting the fame Hope. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghoft. 13. And may God, the Giver of this Hope, grant you all to agree in the true Faith, compofe your Dif ferences, and inspire that Charity and mutual Forbearance, which alone can juftifie this Hope. For as this can be wrought in our Hearts only by God's own Spirit, fo the Comforts of it belong to, and are enjoyed by none, who are not of a peaceable and meek Difpofition. I COMMENT. N order to make a due Improvement of this Scripture, Three Things, I conceive, are necffary. I. First, To explain the immediate Occafion of it. II. Secondly, To confider the Defign and Importance of the Apostle's Argument, with regard to that particular Occafion. And then, III. Thirdly, To bring the Matter home by fuch Inferences, as may render it of ufe to Our felves, and to all Chriftians in general. I. I be I. I begin with the Immediate Occafion, upon which this Portion of Scripture was at firft delivered. For a right understanding whereof, we muft obferve, that the Church of Rome was made up of mixt Converts, Some of whom came over to the Chriftian Faith from Jewish, and Others from Heathen, Principles. The Former continued to obferve, and pay great Veneration to, the Ceremonial Law of Mofes. Not having yet vanquished the Prejudice of Education and Custom, nor attained to a perfect understanding of that Liberty, which the Gofpel allows to every Chriftian with refpect to Matters in their own Nature Indifferent. And thofe Perfons, upon the Account of that Defect in their Judgment, are called Weak in the Faith. The Others, who had Ch. xiv. I. jufter Apprehenfions of this Point, made no difference in Meats, or Days, or any fuch Levitical Ordinances; but acted with all the Freedom becoming Men, who were duly fenfible, that the New Covenant had fet them at large from the Restraint of any fuch Distinctions. And Thefe, because rightly informed, and throughly fatisfied in their own Breafts, that what they did the Gofpel would bear them out in, are term'd Ch. xv. I. the Strong. Now, had each of these Sorts contented themselves, with governing their own Behaviour by their own Principles, without cenfuring and condemning those of a contrary Principle; they might ftill have thought and acted 'differently, and yet no harm had been done. But that which divided the Church, dishonoured God, and weakned the common Cause, was, that the Strong reproached the Weak, as Superftitious and Silly: And the Weak abhorred the Strong, as Irreligious and Profane. To heal this Breach effectually, the Apostle had plied both Parties with great variety of Arguments, in the XIVth Chapter; And here in the XVth, he addreffes to Them of founder Judgment particularly, exhorting thofe to Compaffion for their Bre threns |