SERMON VII. LUKE Xix. 8. -And if I have defrauded any man by forged cavillation, I restore unto him fourfold. THE Son of man (saith our Saviour of himself in the end of this story) is come to seek and save that which was lost, verse 10; and how careful and solicitous he was in the discharge of this employment and business about which his Father sent him, this story of Zacchæus (out of which my text is taken) will evidently and livelily discover. For here we have a man, that among ten thousand, one would think, were the most unlikely to become a disciple of Christ's, so indisposed he was for such a change, so unqualified in all respects for first, he was rich, as the third verse tells us; and if that were all his fault, yet in our Saviour's judginent, which was never uncharitable, being so clogged and burdened with these impedimenta, (as even the heathens could call riches,) it would be as hard for him to press through, and enter in at the strait gate, without uneasing and freeing himself from them, as for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. 2. But secondly, these his riches, as it would seem, were scarce well and honestly gotten for his trade and course of life was a dangerous trade, obnoxious to great, almost irresistible temptations: a great measure of grace would be requisite to preserve a man incorrupt and undefiled in that course: and so ill a name he had gotten himself, that all that afterwards saw Christ's familiarity with him were much offended and scandalized at it; for we read in the seventh verse, that when they all saw it, they murmured, saying, that he was gone in to lodge with a sinful man; with one famous and notorious for a great oppressor. 3. Yet notwithstanding all this, such was the unspeakable mercy and goodness of Christ, that even of this stone, so scorned and rejected of all the people, he raised a son unto Abraham, as we find in the ninth verse. And to bring this to pass, he took occasion even from a vain curiosity of this Zacchæus, an humour of his, it may be such a one as afterwards possessed Herod, (though God knows he had not the same success,) namely, to see some strange work performed by Christ, of whom he had heard so much talk. This opportunity, I say, our Saviour took to perform an admirable miracle, even upon the man himself; and that he brought about by as unlikely a course, only with inviting himself to his house; by which unexpected affability and courtesy of our Saviour, this so notorious and famous publican and sinner was so surprised with joy and comfort, that presently he gives over all thought and consideration of his trade, as a thing of no moment; and being to receive Christ into his house, and knowing how ill agreeing companions Christ and mammon would prove in the same lodging, he resolves to sweep it and make it clean for the entertaining of him; he empties it of that dross and dung wherewith before it was defiled; half of his estate goes away at a clap upon the poor, and the remainder, in all likelihood, is in great danger to be consumed by that noble and generous offer which he makes in the words of my text: Whomsoever I have defrauded by forged cavillation, I restore &c. 4. In which words I shall observe unto you these two general parts: first, a discovery, and, it may be, confession of his beloved, bosom sin, the sin of his trade, in these words; If I have defrauded any man, or whomsoever I have defrauded: secondly, satisfaction tendered in the words following; I restore unto him fourfold. In the former general we may take notice of two particulars: 1. Zacchæus his willingness and readiness of his own accord to discover and confess his sin, when he said, Whomsoever I have defrauded. And 2dly, the nature and heinousness of the crime discovered, which is called a defrauding by forged cavillation, or, as some translations read, with false accusation. In the second general likewise (which is the satisfaction tendered by Zacchæus) there offer themselves two particulars more; namely, 1, so much of the satisfaction as was necessary to be performed, by virtue of an indispensable precept, and that is restitution, in these words, I restore unto him; 2. that which was voluntary and extraordinary, namely, the measure and excess of this restitution, which he professeth should be fourfold. Of these two parts therefore, with their several particulars, in the same order as they have been proposed, briefly, and with all the plainness and perspicuity I can imagine. And, 1, of the former general, and therein of the first particular, namely, Zacchæus his readiness to confess his sin, in these words; If I &c. 5. I said even now only, it may be this was a confession of his crime; but now I will be more resolute, and tell you peremptorily, this was a confession; for without all question, Zacchæus, as the case stood now with him, was in no humour of justifying himself, he had no mind to boast his integrity in his office; or, if he had, he might be sure that common fame (if that were all, yet that alone) might be a sufficient argument, at least too great a presumption against him, to confute him. But to put it out of question, our Saviour himself, by applying the tenth verse of this chapter to him, acknowledgeth him for a sinful, undone man; one that had so far lost himself in the wandering mazes of this wicked world, that unless Christ himself had taken the pains to search and inquire after him, and having found him, by the power and might of his grace to rescue and recover him from the error of his ways, by restoring him his eyes, whereby he might take notice towards what a dangerous precipice he was hastening, there had been no possibility but at last he must have needs fallen headlong into the gulf of destruction. 6. Now it being, I suppose, evident, that Zacchæus was guilty, and that in a high degree, and openly aud scandalously guilty of the crime here discovered; there is no doubt to be made, but that he, who was so willing to unlock and disperse his ill-gotten treasures, would not begin to divert his covetousness upon his sins; he would not hoard them up, but would place his glory even in his shame; and whereas he had been the servant and slave of sin, he would wear his shackles and fetters as signs of the glorious victory which through Christ he had won, and emblems of that blessed change which he found in himself, being rescued from the basest slavery that possibly can be imagined, into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. 7. But it may be you will say, Suppose Zacchæus did freely and voluntarily confess his sin to Christ, who had authority to forgive him his sins, though he had never discovered them; what collection shall be made from hence? Zacchæus might be as bold as he would with himself; but as for us, his example shall be no rule to us: we thank God, this is popery in these days, and since we have freed ourselves from this burden, we will not be brought into bondage to any man; we will confess our sins, I warrant you, only to God, who is only able to forgive us them; as for the minister, it may be, we will sometimes be beholden to him to speak some comfortable words now and then to us, when we are troubled in conscience; and we have not been taught to go any further. 8. I confess I find no great inclination in myself, especially being in the pulpit, to undertake a controversy, even where it may seem to offer itself, much less to press and strain a text for it, for I desire to have no adversaries in my preaching, but only the Devil and sin. Only having now mentioned confession, and considering how much the doctrine of our holy mother the church hath been traduced, not only by the malice and detraction of our professed enemies of the church of Rome, but also by the suspicious ignorance and partiality of her own children; who out of a liking of the zeal, or rather fury, of some former protestant writers, have laid this for a ground of stating controversies of our religion that that is to be acknowledged for the doctrine of these reformed churches, which is most opposite and contradicting to the church of Rome: so that, as the case goes now, controversies of religion are turned into private quarrels, and it is not so much the truth that is sought after, as the salving and curing the reputation of particular men. 9. These things therefore considered, truly for my part, I dare not take upon me so much to gratify the papists, as to think myself obliged to maintain many incommodious speeches of some of our divines in this point. Hoc Ithacus velit, et magno mercentur Atrida |