SERMON IV. Chrift our only Safety in Spiritual 81 MATTH. xiv. 24. But the Ship was now in the midst of the contrary. A FTER our Lord had miraculously fed a great Multitude of People, He commanded his Difciples to get into a Ship and to pass over to the other Side of the Sea of Tiberias, whilft He sent the Multitude away, which having done He went up into a Mountain apart to pray. Tho' it was one Part of our Bleffed Lord's Character, after He entered upon his Ministry, that He went about doing good both to the Bodies and Souls of Men, yet we often read of his Retirements for Prayer, teaching us hereby, that however publick our Character may be in Life, how much G foever SERMON 1V. IV. SERMON foever it may be our Duty to labour and exert ourselves for the Benefit of others, yet this will not excufe our Neglect of private Devotion: We must frequently fequefter ourfelves from the Crowd, and from the Distractions of all external Occupations, to to hold an holy Intercourfe with God the Father of our Spirits, and to elevate our Thoughts to Heavenly Things. Outward Duties have a confiderable Place in Religion, forafmuch as we ftand related to thofe that are about us in various Connexions which call upon us for frequent Expreffions of our Charity in mutual good Offices towards our Brethren ; but the Divine Life confifts chiefly in the Exercife of inward Graces and devout Affections, bringing us into Communion with God, and fo deriving from Him the Supports and Confolations of his Spirit: And in thefe Actings of Divine Faith, Refignation and Love it was, that our Lord's Humanity was enabled to overcome in his Temptation in the Wilderness, ftrengthned under his Agony in the Garden, transfigured on the Mount, and nourished with Meat that his Difciples knew not of, even the Communications of his own Divine Nature, Were we thus accuftomed to withdraw, IV. withdraw, at Times, after the Example of SERMON our Lord, from every bufy Scene of Life and all Commerce with the World, to feaft our Souls with Spiritual Entertainment, we fhould affuredly find the Work of God to go only refreshing Co A on more fuccessfully in our Hearts, and that It happened during this Recefs of our Lord, that the Difciples were in great Jeopardy in a Storm, the Ship being now in the Midit of the Sea toffed with the Waves, for the Wind was contrary: and in the fourth Watch of the Night Jefus went unto them walking on the Sea. Whether our Lord foreseeing the Tempeft ordered them out to Sea; or whether He, at whofe Word the ftormy Wind arifeth, appointed it for the Tryal of their Faith and to fhew forth his Power in their wonderful Deliverance, is not material for us to know; fure it is, that it happened not without wife Design; for if even a Sparrow falleth not to the Ground without his Knowledge, much more G. 2 doth SERMON doth He concern himself in all that befall IV. eth his Children. The Difciples then were to be brought into Danger and Diftrefs that they might have a fresh Proof of their Lord's Divinity and tender Care of them, and that by fuch repeated Pledges of his Power and Goodness, their Infidelity might be overcome, and their Hearts melted into Love and Gratitude towards their Divine Mafter and Benefactor: So patient is our Lord towards us, condefcending, in Compaffion to four Infirmities, to manifeft his Love to us at fundry Times and in divers Manners, if by any means He may conquer the Reluctance and Stubborness of our Nature, and gain himfelf the Victory over our unbelieving Hearts. One would think, indeed, that the Disciples stood in little need of any fresh Proof of our Lord's Divine Power for the Confirmation of their Faith after fo recent a Demonftration of it as that of his feeding Five thousand Men, befides Women and Children, with only Five Loaves and Two small Fishes; but St. Mark, who alfo relates this Circumftance of the Storm, tells us, that when the Wind ceafed upon our Saviour's entring into the Ship, they were fore amazed and wondered; for, fays he, they confidered not the Miracle of IV. of the Loaves, for their Heart was hardened. SERMON And here we are naturally led to obferve upon that kind of Faith which confifts in a bare Affent of the Understanding arifing from external Evidence only: This confeffedly has its ufe when well applied, -but how infufficient this is of itfelf alone to any good Purposes of the Divine Life, we may learn from this Instance of the Disciples during their unenlightened, unconverted State, whofe Faith (tho' they were Eye-witnesses to fo many mighty Works done by our Lord) feldom lafted from one Miracle to the next. It is faid in the fecond Chap. of St. John, that " many belieff ved on Jefus when they faw his Miracles; but that He did not commit himself unto them because He knew all Men;" giving us hereby to understand, that altho they owned his Character and Miffion, yet theirs was not a true Faith, but they were probably fuch as thro' the Hopes of Favour or the Fear of Perfecution would have betrayed › Him. Hence we are taught, that there is Da believing in Chrift with a human Faith 5 which we may be no better for, as far forth as it brings us no nearer to Him nor Him to us as the Saviour of our Souls: This |