is renewed after the image of God, cannot but strike every eye which
God hath opened, every enlightened understanding. The ornament of
a meek, humble, loving spirit, will at least excite the approbation
of all those who are capable in any degree of discerning spiritual
good and evil. From the hour men begin to emerge out of the darkness
which covers the giddy, unthinking world, they cannot but perceive how
desirable a thing it is, to be thus transformed into the likeness of
him that created us. This inward religion bears the shape of God, so
visibly imprest upon it, that a soul must be wholly immersed in flesh
and blood, when he can doubt of its divine original. We may say of this,
in a secondary sense, even as of the Son of God himself, That it is the
_brightness of his glory, the express image of his person_: ἀπαύγασμα
♦τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ· _The beaming forth of his_ eternal _glory_; and yet
so tempered and softened, that even the children of men, may herein see
God and live: χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ· _The character, the stamp,
the living impression, of his person_, who is the fountain of beauty
and love, the original source of all excellency and perfection.
3. If religion therefore were carried no farther than this, they could
have no doubt concerning it: they should have no objection against
pursuing it with the whole ardor of their souls. But why, say they,
is it cloged with other things? What need of loading it with _doing_
and _suffering_? These are what damps the vigour of the soul and sinks
it down to earth again. Is it not enough to _follow after charity_? To
soar upon the wings of love? Will it not suffice, to worship God who
is a Spirit, with the spirit of our minds, without incumbring ourselves
with outward things, or even thinking of them at all? Is it not better,
that the whole extent of our thoughts should be taken up with high and
heavenly contemplation? And that instead of busying ourselves at all
about externals, we should only commune with God in our hearts?
4. Many eminent men have spoken thus: have advised us “To cease from
all outward actions;” wholly to withdraw from the world; to leave the
body behind us; to abstract ourselves from all sensible things: to have
no concern at all about outward religion, but to “work all virtues in
the will,” as the far more excellent way, more perfective of the soul,
as well as more acceptable to God.
5. It needed not that any should tell our Lord, of this master-piece
of the wisdom from beneath! This fairest of all the devices wherewith
_Satan_ hath ever perverted the right ways of the Lord. And O! What
instruments hath he found from time to time, to employ in this his
service! To wield this grand engine of hell, against some of the most
important truths of God! Men that _would deceive if it were possible
the very elect_; the men of faith and love: yea, that have for a season
deceived and led away no inconsiderable number of them; who have fallen
in all ages into the gilded snare, and hardly escaped with the skin of
their teeth.
6. But has our Lord been wanting on his part? Has he not sufficiently
guarded us against this pleasing delusion? Has he not armed us here
with armour of proof against Satan _transformed into an angel of
light_? Yea, verily: he here defends, in the clearest and strongest
manner, the active, patient religion he had just described: what can
be fuller and plainer than the words he immediately subjoins, to what
he had said of doing and suffering? _Ye are the salt of the earth. But
if the salt have lost its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is
thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot
of men. Ye are the light of the world: a city that is set on an hill
cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel;
but on a candlestick and it giveth light to all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father which is in heaven._
In order fully to explain and inforce these important words, I shall
endeavour to shew, First, That Christianity is essentially a social
religion, and that to turn it into a solitary one, is to destroy it:
secondly, That to conceal this religion is impossible, as well as
utterly contrary to the design of its Author. I shall, thirdly, Answer
some objections; and conclude the whole with a practical application.
I. 1. First. I shall endeavour to shew, that Christianity is
essentially a social religion; and that to turn it into a solitary
religion, is indeed to destroy it.
By Christianity I mean, that method of worshipping God, which is here
revealed to man by _Jesus Christ_. When I say, This is essentially
a social religion, I mean not only, that it cannot subsist so well,
but that it cannot subsist at all without society, without living and
conversing with other men. And in shewing this, I shall confine myself
to those considerations, which will arise from the very discourse
before us. But if this be shewn, then doubtless to turn this religion
into a solitary one, is to destroy it.
Not that we can in any wise condemn, the intermixing solitude or
retirement with society. This is not only allowable, but expedient:
nay, it is necessary as daily experience shews, for every one that
either already is, or desires to be a real Christian. It can hardly be
that we should spend one entire day, in a continued intercourse with
men, without suffering loss in our soul, and in some measure grieving
the Holy Spirit of God. We have need daily to retire from the world,
at least, morning and evening, to converse with God, to commune more
freely with our Father which is in secret. Nor indeed can a man of
experience condemn, even longer seasons of religious retirement,
so they do not imply any neglect of the worldly employ, wherein the
providence of God has placed us.
2. Yet such retirement must not swallow up all our time; this would be
to destroy, not advance true religion. For, that the religion described
by our Lord in the foregoing words, cannot subsist without society,
without our living and conversing with other men, is manifest from
hence, that several of the most essential branches thereof, can have
no place, if we have no intercourse with the world.
3. *There is no disposition (for instance) which is more essential to
Christianity than meekness. Now altho’ this, as it implies resignation
to God, or patience in pain and sickness, may subsist in a desert,
in a hermit’s cell, in total solitude; yet as it implies (which it no
less necessarily does) mildness, gentleness, and long-suffering, it
cannot possibly have a being, it has no place under heaven, without
an intercourse with other men. So that to attempt turning this into a
solitary virtue, is to destroy it from the face of the earth.
4. *Another necessary branch of true Christianity, is peace-making,
or doing of good. That this is equally essential with any of the other
parts of the religion of _Jesus Christ_, there can be no stronger
argument to evince (and therefore it would be absurd to alledge any
other) than that it is here inserted in the original plan he has laid
down, of the fundamentals of his religion. Therefore to set aside this,
is the same daring insult on the authority of our great Master, as
to set aside mercifulness, purity of heart, or any other branch of
his institution. But this is apparently set aside, by all who call us
to the wilderness; who recommend entire solitude either to the babes,
or the young men, or the fathers in _Christ_. For will any man affirm,
that a solitary Christian (so called, tho’ it is little less than a
contradiction in terms) can be a merciful man? That is, one that takes
every opportunity of doing all good to all men? What can be more plain
than that this fundamental branch of the religion of _Jesus Christ_,
cannot possibly subsist without society, without our living and
conversing with other men?
5. But is it not expedient however (one might naturally ask) to
converse only with good men? Only with those whom we know to be meek
and merciful; holy of heart, and holy of life? Is it not expedient to
refrain from any conversation or intercourse, with men of the opposite
character? Men who do not obey, perhaps do not believe, the gospel of
our Lord _Jesus Christ_? The advice of St. _Paul_ to the Christians at
_Corinth_, may seem to favour this. [83]_I wrote unto you in an epistle,
not to company with fornicators._ And it is certainly not adviseable
so to company with them, or with any of the workers of iniquity, as
to have any particular familiarity, or any strictness of friendship
with them. To contract or continue an intimacy with any such, is no way
expedient for a Christian. It must necessarily expose him to abundance
of dangers and snares, out of which he can have no reasonable hope of
deliverance.
But the apostle does not forbid us, to have any intercourse at all,
even with the men that know not God. For then, says he, _ye must needs
go out of the world_, which he could never advise them to do. But he
subjoins, [84]_If any man that is called a brother_, that professes
himself a Christian, _be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or
a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner――Now I have written unto you
not to keep company_ with him; _with such an one, no not to eat_. This
must necessarily imply, that we break off all familiarity, all intimacy
of acquaintance with them. [85]_Yet count him not_, saith the apostle
elsewhere _as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother_: plainly shewing,
that even in such a case as this, we are not to renounce all fellowship
with him: so that here is no advice, to separate wholly, even from
wicked men. Yea, these very words teach us quite the contrary.
6. Much more the words of our Lord: who is so far from directing us,
to break off all commerce with the world, that without it, according to
his account of Christianity, we cannot be Christians at all. *It would
be easy to shew, that some intercourse even with ungodly and unholy
men, is absolutely needful in order to the full exertion of every
temper, which he has described as the way to the kingdom: that it is
indispensably necessary in order to the compleat exercise of poverty of
spirit, of mourning, and of every other disposition which has a place
here, in the genuine religion of _Jesus Christ_. Yea, it is necessary
to the very being of several of them; of that meekness, for example,
which instead of demanding _an eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth_,
doth _not resist evil_; but causes us rather, when smitten _on the
right cheek, to turn the other also_: of that mercifulness, whereby we
_love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate
us, and pray for them which despitefully use us and persecute us_: and
of that complication of love and all holy tempers, which is exercised
in suffering for righteousness sake. Now all these, it is clear, could
have no being, were we to have no commerce with any but real Christians.
7. *Indeed were we wholly to separate ourselves from sinners, how could
we possibly answer that character, which our Lord gives us in these
very words: _ye_ (Christians, ye that are lowly, serious and meek; ye
that hunger after righteousness, that love God and man, that do good
to all, and therefore suffer evil: ye) _are the salt of the earth_. It
is your very nature to season whatever is round about you. It is the
nature of the divine savour which is in you, to spread to whatsoever
you touch; to diffuse itself, on every side, to all those among whom
you are. This is the great reason why the providence of God has so
mingled you together with other men, that whatever grace you have
received of God may through you be communicated to others; that every
holy temper, and word, and work of yours, may have an influence on
them also. By this means a check will in some measure be given, to the
corruption which is in the world; and a small part, at least, saved
from the general infection, and rendered holy and pure before God.
8. That we may the more diligently labour to season all we can, with
every holy and heavenly temper, our Lord proceeds to shew the desperate
state of those, who do not impart the religion they have received:
which indeed they cannot possibly fail to do, so long as it remains in
their own hearts. _If the salt hath lost its savour, wherewith shalt it
be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out, and
trodden under foot of men._ If ye who were holy and heavenly-minded,
and consequently zealous of good works, have no longer that savour in
yourselves, and do therefore no longer season others; if you are grown
flat, insipid, dead, both careless of your own soul, and useless to the
souls of other men, _wherewith shall ye be salted_? How shall ye be
recovered? What help? What hope? Can tasteless salt be restored to its
savour! No; _it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out_,
even as the mire in the streets, _and to be trodden under foot of men_,
to be overwhelmed with everlasting contempt. If ye had never known the
Lord, there might have been hope, if ye had never been _found in him_.
But what can you now say to that his solemn declaration, just parallel
to what he hath here spoken? [86]_Every branch in me that beareth not
fruit, he_ (the Father) _taketh away. He that abideth in me, and I in
him, bringeth forth much fruit.――If a man abide not in me_, (or, do
not bring forth fruit) _he is cast out as a branch and withered; and
men gather them_ (not to plant them again, but) _to cast them into the
fire_.
9. Toward those who have never tasted of the good word, God is indeed
pitiful and of tender mercy. But justice takes place with regard to
those who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, and have afterwards
_turned back from the holy commandment_ then _delivered to them.
[87]For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened_, in
whose hearts God had once shined, to enlighten them with the knowledge
of the glory of God, in the face of _Jesus Christ; who have tasted
of the heavenly gift_, of redemption in his blood, the forgiveness of
sins; _and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost_, of lowliness, of
meekness, and of the love of God and man shed abroad in their hearts,
by the Holy Ghost which was given unto them: _and have fallen away_,
καὶ παραπεσόντας· (Here is not a supposition, but a flat declaration
of matter of fact) _to renew them again unto repentance: seeing they
crucify to themselves the Son of_ God _afresh, and put him to an open
shame_.
But that none may misunderstand these awful words, it should be
carefully observed, 1. Who they are that are here spoken of; namely,
they, and they only, who _were once_ thus _enlightened_. They only _who
did taste of_ that _heavenly gift, and were_ thus _made partakers of
the Holy Ghost_. So that all who have not experienced these things,
are wholly unconcerned in this scripture. 2. What that falling away is
which is here spoken of. It is an absolute, total apostacy. A believer
may fall, and not fall away. He may fall and rise again. And if he
should fall, even into sin, yet this case, dreadful as it is, is not
desperate. For _we have an Advocate with the Father_, Jesus Christ _the
righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins_. But let him above
all things beware, lest his _heart be hardened by the deceitfulness of
sin_: lest he should sink lower and lower, ’till he wholly fall away,
’till he become as _salt_ that hath _lost its savour: for if we_ thus
_sin wilfully, after we have received the_ experimental _knowledge of
the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins: but a certain,
fearful looking for of fiery indignation, which shall devour the
adversaries_.
II. 1. “But although we may not wholly separate ourselves from
mankind, although it be granted, we ought to season them, with the
religion which God has wrought in our hearts, yet may not this be done
insensibly? May we not convey this into others in a secret, and almost
imperceptible manner? So that scarce any one shall be able to observe,
how or when it is done? Even as salt conveys its own savour, into that
which is seasoned thereby, without any noise, and without being liable
to any outward observation. And if so, altho’ we do not go out of the
world, yet we may lie hid in it. We may thus far keep our religion to
ourselves, and not offend those whom we cannot help.”
2. Of this plausible reasoning of flesh and blood, our Lord was well
aware also. And he has given a full answer to it in those words, which
come now to be considered: in explaining which I shall endeavour to
shew, as I proposed to do in the second place, that so long as true
religion abides in our hearts, it is impossible to conceal it, as well
as absolutely contrary to the design of its great Author.
And, first, it is impossible for any that have it, to conceal the
religion of _Jesus Christ_. This our Lord makes plain beyond all
contradiction, by a two-fold comparison. _Ye are the light of the
world. A city set upon an hill cannot be hid._
_Ye_ Christians _are the light of the world_, with regard both to your
tempers and actions. Your holiness makes you as conspicuous, as the sun
in the midst of heaven. As ye cannot go out of the world, so neither
can ye stay in it, without appearing to all mankind. Ye may not flee
from men, and while ye are among them, it is impossible to hide your
lowliness and meekness, and those other dispositions whereby ye aspire
to be perfect, as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Love
cannot be hid any more than light; and least of all, when it shines
forth in action; when ye exercise yourselves in the labour of love, in
beneficence of every kind. As well may men think to hide a city, as to
hide a Christian: yea, as well may they conceal a city set upon a hill,
as a holy, zealous, active lover of God and man.
3. It is true, men who love darkness rather than light, because their
deeds are evil, will take all possible pains to prove, that the light
which is in you is darkness. They will say evil, all manner of evil,
falsely, of the good which is in you: they will lay to your charge that
which is farthest from your thoughts, which is the very reverse of all
you are and all you do. And your patient continuance in well-doing,
your meek suffering all things for the Lord’s sake, your calm, humble
joy in the midst of persecution, your unwearied labour to overcome evil
with good, will make you still more visible and conspicuous than ye
were before.
4. *So impossible it is, to keep our religion from being seen, unless
we cast it away: so vain is the thought, of hiding the light, unless by
putting it out. Sure it is, that a secret, unobserved religion cannot
be the religion of _Jesus Christ_. Whatever religion can be concealed,
is not Christianity. If a Christian could be hid, he could not be
compared to a city set upon an hill; to the light of the world, the sun
shining from heaven, and seen by all the world below. Never therefore
let it enter into the heart of him whom God hath renewed in the spirit
of his mind, to hide that light, to keep his religion to himself;
especially considering it is not only impossible, to conceal true
Christianity, but likewise absolutely contrary to the design of the
great Author of it.
5. This plainly appears from the following words: _neither do men
light a candle to put it under a bushel_. *As if he had said, as men
do not light a candle, only to cover and conceal it, so neither does
God enlighten any soul with his glorious knowledge and love, to have it
covered or concealed, either by prudence, falsely so called, or shame,
or voluntary humility: to have it hid either in a desert, or in the
world; either by avoiding men, or in conversing with them. _But they
put it on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the
house._ In like manner, it is the design of God, that every Christian
should be in an open point of view: that he may give light to all
around, that he may visibly express the religion of _Jesus Christ_.
6. Thus hath God in all ages spoken to the world, not only by precept
but by example also. He hath _not left himself without witness_ in any
nation, where the sound of the gospel hath gone forth, without a few
who testified his truth, by their lives as well as their words. These
have been _as lights shining in a dark place_. And from time to time
they have been the means of enlightning some, of preserving a remnant,
a little seed, which was _counted unto the_ Lord _for a generation_.
They have led a few poor sheep out of the darkness of the world, and
guided their feet into the way of peace.
7. One might imagine, that ♦where both scripture and the reason of
things speak so clearly and expresly, there could not be much advanced
on the other side, at least, not with any appearance of truth. But
they who imagine thus, know little of the depths of _Satan_. After all
that scripture and reason have said, so exceeding plausible are the
pretences for solitary religion, for a Christian’s going out of the
world, or at least hiding himself in it, that we need all the wisdom
of God to see through the snare, and all the power of God to escape it:
so many and strong are the objections which have been brought against
being social, open, active Christians.
III. 1. To answer these was the third thing which I proposed. And,
first, it has been often objected, that religion does not lie in
outward things, but in the heart, the inmost soul: that it is the
union of the soul with God, the life of God in the soul of man: that
outside religion is nothing worth; seeing God _delighteth not in burnt
offerings_, in outward services, but a pure and holy heart is the
_sacrifice he will not despise_.
I answer, it is most true, that the root of religion lies in the heart,
in the inmost soul: that this is, the union of the soul with God, the
life of God in the soul of man. But if this root be really in the heart,
it cannot but put forth branches. And these are, the several instances
of outward obedience, which partake of the same nature with the root;
and consequently, are not only marks or signs, but substantial parts of
religion.
It is also true, that bare outside religion, which has no root in the
heart, is nothing worth; that God delighteth not in _such_ outward
services, no more than in Jewish burnt-offerings, and that a pure and
holy heart is a sacrifice, with which he is always well pleased. But
he is also well pleased with all that outward service, which arises
from the heart: with the sacrifice of our prayers, (whether public or
private) of our praises and thanksgivings: with the sacrifice of our
goods, humbly devoted to him, and employed wholly to his glory: and
with that of our bodies, which he peculiarly claims; which the apostle
_beseeches_ us, _by the mercies of_ God, _to present unto him, a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable to_ God.
2. A second objection, nearly related to this, is, that love is all in
all: that it is _the fulfilling of the law, the end of the commandment_,
of every commandment of God: that all we do and all we suffer, if we
have not charity, or love, profiteth us nothing: And therefore the
apostle directs us, _to follow after charity_, and terms this, _the
more excellent way_.
I answer, it is granted, that the love of God and man, arising from
_faith unfeigned_, is all in all, the fulfilling of the law, the end
of every commandment of God. It is true, that without this whatever
we do, whatever we suffer profits us nothing. But it does not follow,
that love is all in such a sense, as to supersede either faith or good
works. It is _the fulfilling of the law_, not by releasing us from,
but by constraining us to obey it. It is _the end of the commandment_,
as every commandment leads to and centers in it. It is allowed, that
whatever we do or suffer, without love, profits us nothing. But withal
whatever we do or suffer in love, though it were only the suffering
reproach for _Christ_, or the giving a cup of cold water in his name,
it shall in no wise lose its reward.
3. “But does not the apostle direct us, to _follow after charity_?
And does he not term it, _a more excellent way_?”――He does direct us
to _follow after charity_. But not after that alone. His words are,
[88]_Follow after charity; and desire spiritual gifts_. Yea, _follow
after charity_; and desire to spend and to be spent for your brethren.
_Follow after charity_; and as you have opportunity, do good to all men.