I. notable cessation of arms over the whole world, and the ȧTо- SER M. ypapy, not taxing but enrolling that brought Christ's parents up to Bethlehem, and so occasioned His birth there, was an Luke ii. 1. effect and immediate product of that cessation, and it was a remarkable act of providence, that upon a former peace and so command for that enrolling, in the same Augustus' time, proclaimed at Tarracone in Spain, as Sepulveda tells us,— which if it had succeeded Christ in any likelihood had not been born in Bethlehem,-there brake out some new broils that deferred the peace and enrolling till this very point of time, when Christ was carried up in Mary's womb to obey the prediction of His birth in Bethlehem. But sure all this would be but a very imperfect completion of this other prophecy in my text; this peace was soon at an end, and besides, was rather the midwife to bring Christ into the world, than Christ to bring this peace. And yet to see how some observers have been willing to pitch upon this one passage of story, the shutting of Janus' temple about the birth of Christ, -the catholic peace in that part of the world at that point of time, as the main thing that was pointed at in this verse. Their reason is clear, because as for a long time before, so since that time there was never any such completion of it; Christ born in an halcyon hour, had scarce ever any one afterwards whilst He lived: and for His posterity He makes the profession, "He came not to bring peace, but a sword," that [Matt. x. is, He foresaw this would be the effect of His coming; Chris- 34.] tianity would breed new quarrels in the world, some men really hating one another upon that score of difference in religion, and they say no feuds are more desperately implacable, no swords more insatiably thirsty of blood than those which Christ brought into the world,-but most men making this the popaois, the pretence and excuse of all their bloodiness. It was Du Plessis' account to Languet, why he had not a mind to write the story of the civil wars of France, because if he had said truth, he must render new originals and causes of these wars, hound that fox to a kennel which would not willingly be acknowledged, charge that on an emulation or rivality of state, which (like the harlot, that coming fresh from her unclean embraces, had wiped the mouth) came demurely and solemnly, and superciliously out of the Church, the only SERM. sanctuary to give impunity and reputation, apology at least, I. to the blackest enterprises; and between the πρóþaσis and the airía, the true and the pretended causalities, the effect, God knows, is generally too sad. Mahomet that professed to propagate his religion by the sword hath not brought such store of these bloody weapons, so rich a full-stocked artillery into the world, hath not kept them so constantly employed, so sharp set, so riotous in their thirsts of blood, as hath been observable in Christendom. I am sure that Cæsarean section, practising upon our own mothers, our own bowels, fellow Christians, fellow Protestants, fellow professors,-shall I add fellow saints? but sure sanctity, if it were sincere, would turn these swords into plough-shares,-was never so familiar among Turks, or savages; nay, as Erasmus hath sweetly observed, among the wildest beasts in nature,-which are not beast enough to devour those of their own kind,—as it is amongst Christians of this last age almost in every part of the world. Only the bladder of snakes in Epiphanius hath been our parallel, they were there but few hours together but one of them had devoured all the rest, and when-to try the experiment how solitude and want of prey would discipline the devourer's appetite-he was shut up alone in the bladder, his vulturous stomach lets loose upon himself, and within few minutes more one half of him devours the other; so many divided and subdivided enmities, and when all others are wanting such bloody practisings upon ourselves, that if it be true which Psellus saith, that the devils feast on the vapour that is exhaled from the blood of men, sure the Christian devils, and of late the English, are the fattest of the whole herd, the richliest treated of any, since whole tables were furnished for them of the blood and flesh of their worshippers. And thus far I confess myself unable to vindicate this prophecy in this sense of it, that so it should actually prove that Christianity would really drive swords out of the world; I should be glad to be secured by the millenary, that ever there would come an age when this prophecy would thus be completed, but more glad if this nation might have the happiness within some tolerable term to enter upon its millennium, that the Pacem Domine in diebus nostris, “Peace in our time, our age, O Lord," were not such a desperate non 1. licet form, and that for "deliverance from battle and mur- SERM. der," as scandalous a piece of litany, as that other "from sudden death" hath been deemed among us. I have sufficiently shewed you in what sense these words. have no truth in them; it is time I proceed to shew you in what sense they have: and that will be either, 1. By telling you that this prophetic form is but a phrase to express the duty and obligation of Christians; "they shall beat their swords into plough-shares," i. e. it is most certainly their duty to do so. Charity is the only precept, peace the only depositum, that Christ took any care to leave among them; and then, be there never so many swords in Christian nations, yet it were more obediently and more christianly done, if they were beaten into plough-shares: there is a thousand times more need of amending men's lives, than of taking them away, of reforming ourselves, than of hating or killing our brethren; one broken heart is a richer and more acceptable sacrifice to God, than a whole pile of such bloody offerings, such Mosaical consecrating ourselves to God upon our brethren; and then, as Clemens speaks of seals or rings, that those that have the impressions and sculptures (as of idols, so) of bow, or sword, must not be worn by the disciple of Christ, the pacific Christian; or as the Polonian, being asked concerning two brethren that desired to be of his congregation, as being of a trade which was suspected to be unlawful, the making of images or faces to put upon guns, or ordnances,—gave answer, that he knew no great danger in those images; if there were any thing unchristian, it was sure in the guns, which they were used to adorn so certainly that Christ that came to cast idolatry and heathenism out of the world, desired also to cast out that heathenish custom of wallowing in one another's blood, of hunting, and worrying, and devouring one another, and with the Christian faith to introduce the brotherly charity into His Church, this being the most strict, and most frequently reiterated command of d · [αἱ δὲ σφραγίδες ἡμῖν ἔστων πελειάς, ἢ ἰχθὺς, ἡ ναῦς οὐρανοδραμοῦσαι ἡ λύρα μουσική, ᾗ κέχρηται Πολυκράτης· ἢ ἄγε κυρα ναυτικὴ ἣν Σέλευκος ἐνεχράττετο τῇ γλυφῇ· κἂν ἁλιεύων τὶς ἢ ἀποστό που μεμνήσεται, καὶ τῶν ἐξ ὕδατος ἀνα HAMMOND. с σπωμένων παιδίων· οὐ γὰρ εἰδώλων πρός- SER M. Christ, and that the importance of this prophecy, in the first place. I. [John xiii. 35.] 2. The truth of this prophecy will be most clear, if you observe the "They" in the front, and the reflection of that [Isa. ii. 4.] on the former part of the verse, "Christ shall judge among nations, and rebuke many people;" He shall set up His kingdom in men's hearts, subdue and conquer them; that is the meaning of judging, as the administrators of the Jewish nation, and they that subdued their enemies, were called judges for some time,-and He shall mould men anew into an evangelical temper, that is the interpretation of rebuking; and then, "They," i. e. these subjects of this kingdom of His, these malleable tame evangelical new creatures, that are effectually changed by the spirit and power of Christ's doctrine in their hearts, they that are His disciples indeed, they shall beat their swords into those more edifying shapes, shall profess more christianly trades, and if they do not, be sure they are at the best, if not anti, yet pseudo-christians, either professed enemies, or false friends of Christ; "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if you love one another:" no other character of difference to distinguish a disciple of Christ from any man else, but the ecce ut se invicem diligunt, "behold how they love," how they embrace, not how they pursue, or slaughter, "one another" and so there you have the difficulty cleared, how it comes to pass that there is so little charity among Christians; why? because there is so little Christianity among Christians, so much of the hypocritical guise, of the form of Christian piety, but so little, so nothing of the power of it discernible among us; had but Christ the least real influence on our hearts, it would inflame and animate us with love; had we any of that "salt within us," the only preservation from putrefaction and rottenness of spirit, it would be as the naturalists observe of it, évwTIKOV, unitive, and bring along what our Saviour hath joined with it, the peace with others; it is the propriety and peculiarity of the gospel, where it is entertained, to impress this well-natured quality; and wherever it is not impressed, it will not be censorious to affirm, in despite of all the glorious appearances to the contrary, that those men have received the gospel, the name, the grace of Mark ix. 50. I. [2 Cor. vi. i.] Christ in vain, which will be demonstrated to you, if I pro- SER M. ceed to my second, or last particular, to shew you by what means Christianity undertakes to work this great work, to beat our swords into plough-shares, and our spears, &c. And that is by three strokes, as it were, and impressions upon our souls, 1. by inculcating a peculiar strain of doctrines; 2. by prescribing a peculiar spirit; 3. by setting before us a peculiar example. Every of these very proper moral instruments to this end, though (God knows) the stubborn unmalleable weapons of our warfare have too too often the honour of resisting and vanquishing them all. Matt. v. For the first, his peculiar strains of doctrines, they are of two sorts; either they are the direct contrary to these swords and spears, or else such by way of consequence and result. Directly contrary; such is that of "not avenging ourselves," [Rom. xii. 19.] the μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ, not retributing of trouble or violence to the injurious, but leaving God and His vicege- [39.] rents to work all these necessary acts of revenge, or repayment; such is that of loving, blessing, praying for enemies; [Matt. 5. 44.] and, let me tell you, not only our own, but (which is worth the considering) our God's enemies: for, 1. such are all the cursers and persecutors of disciples; the true Christian's enemies there spoken of, they are all God's enemies also, as Saul's persecuting of Christians was the persecuting of Christ there is no possible separating the hatred of the brethren from enmity to Christ, and therefore Polycarpus an apostolical person and bishop and martyr, one of the first angels of Smyrna in the Revelation, commanding to pray for them that persecute us, takes in not only the heathen powers, and princes, the greatest enemies of God then living, but in plain words the exopoì σтavрoû, the re- [Phil. iii. nouncers and enemies of the cross, i. e. certainly of Christ 18.] Himself. 2. Such were the Samaritans, direct enemies of Christ, and yet such it will not be permitted the disciples to Luke ix. curse. 3. Because the commandment of mercifulness lying on us proportionably to God's pattern,-to be merciful as our Father in heaven is merciful, it is there said, that He [Luke vi. 55. 36.] |