great Oppofition and many Difficulties. But let no Man's heart fail him for this; The Caufe is the Lord's, and whoever engages in it, fights under the banner of God, enjoys the Prayers of good Men, the Ministry of Angels, and the Aid of the Holy Spirit; and may with a holy Affu rance use the words,and expect the Succeß which Mofes did when the Ark fet forth. Arife, O God, and let thine Enemies be fcatter'd; Let them also that hate thee flee before thee.

292

The Tenth Sermon.

JOHN. XVIII. 36.

My Kingdom is not of this World.

Hough our Saviour came not into the World to Embroil and Destroy, but to fave that which was loft, not to Enslave and Oppress, but to redeem Mankind from the Bondage of Sin; and all those evils both Temporal and Eternal which must needs attend it, and though he advanc'd and carried on this defign by the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power, by the most furprifing Miracles, by but a little less-furprifing Wisdom, and by an unspotted purity of Life; yet fee what human nature is, when fermented by Prejudice and Paffion, by a blind Zeal and Facti on: The most perfect virtue could not fecure him from Reproach, and Calumny; nor a boundless Charity from Hatred and Perfecution: At first they represented him either as a Madman or Demoniack, or as a Wine-bibber or a

Glutton,

Glutton, a friend to Publicans and Sinners; converting one while the ftrictness of his Virtue, and the warmth of his Zeal, another while his very Goodness and Charity, his Gentleness and Sweetness into a Crime; but afterwards when their Rage, and Jealousie, their Envy and Malice increas'd with his Reputation and Authority, they now form defigns not only against his Honour, but his Life too: They bring against him another fort of Accufation, they charge him with Treafon and Rebellion, with an Ambitious defign to undermine the Power of Cæfar, and let up himself for a King; and fo confequently that his Humility was only a popular Artifice, his Virtue only a Disguise for his Ambition, and all his Miracles but so many Cheats and Impoftures, Serving to promote this one End. To this accufation (for I meddle not now with the former) our Saviour answers in my Text, that he was a King indeed, and that a Kingdom did expect him, but a very different one from that of Cæfar's: That the Grandeur of this World was a thing beneath him, Ambition too mean a palfion for his Soul; he had, he confefs'd a defign upon Mankind, but it was on

ly to make 'em Wife, to make 'em Free, to make 'em Good, to make 'em Great and Happy; in a word to make 'em fharers with him in a Kingdom, Incorrup tible,and Undefiled, that fadeth not away, referved in Heaven, for him and all fuch as would imitate him,and adhere to him, This is a fhort account of the Sense and Reason of thefe Words, My Kingdom is not of this World. I defign not to confine them to a Perfonal Vindication of the Honour or Soveraignty of our Lord; but to extend their Sence fo far as to give all the faithful followers of Christ, an interest in them; and this you will acknowledge I have a fufficient warrant to do, when you call to mind that the Kingdom of Christ and of Chriftians is one and the fame : that the whole Tenour of the Gospel aflures every man that he has in his degree and proportion, the fame joy, the fame Crown and Reward, Set before him which Chrift had. Thus Eph. 2. 6. St. Paul tells us, God has rais'd us up, and made us fit together with Chrift in heavenly places. Thus our Saviour Rev. 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to fit with me in my Throne, even as I also overcame and am fet with my

Fa

Father,in his Throne: And Luke 12. 32. Fear not little Flock, for 'tis your Fathers · good pleasure to give you the Kingdom. The Doctrine then that I will obferve to you from these words, is this, That there is a great and Glorious reward for all Righteous and good Men.

Now to illuftrate and fortify this propofition, and to imprint it as deeply as I can upon your minds, I will make good thefe 2 or 3 things.

1.That Religion cannot be its own reward. 2. That this prefent World cannot af ford us a fufficient one,

3. That how wonderful and furprizing foever an Eternal Kingdom may seem to us, yet have we fufficient grounds to expect nothing leß, in reward of a Righteous Life. S. I. Religion cannot be its own Reward.

'Tis on all hands allowed, that Vertue ftands in need of an encouragement, and the Reason of this is very Evident : Human Nature is corrupt and frail, and Temptations numerous and ftrong; vertue confequently muft frequently confift in Inftances of Mortification and Self-denial, and muft contend with much Oppofition and great Difficulties: God therefore with infinite Wisdom and U 4 Good