Chapter I: Front Matter

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THE

WORKS

OF

RICHARD HURD, D.D.

LORD BISHOP OF WORCESTER.

VOL. VII.

Printed by J. Nichols and Son,
Red Lion Passage, Fleet Street, London.

THE

WORKS

OF

RICHARD HURD, D.D.

LORD BISHOP OF WORCESTER.

IN EIGHT VOLUMES.

VOL. VII.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR T. CADELL AND W. DAVIES, STRAND.

1811.

THEOLOGICAL WORKS.

VOL. III.

SERMONS

PREACHED AT

LINCOLN’S-INN,

BETWEEN THE YEARS 1765 AND 1776:

WITH

A LARGER DISCOURSE,

ON

CHRIST’S DRIVING THE MERCHANTS
OUT OF THE TEMPLE;

IN WHICH THE NATURE AND END OF THAT FAMOUS

TRANSACTION IS EXPLAINED.

SATIS ME VIXISSE ARBITRABOR, ET OFFICIUM
HOMINIS IMPLESSE, SI LABOR MEUS ALIQUOS
HOMINES, AB ERRORIBUS LIBERATOS, AD ITER
CŒLESTE DIREXERIT.
LACTANTIUS.

CONTENTS

OF

THE SEVENTH VOLUME.

SERMON XXIX. Preached March 21, 1773.

ACTS xxiv. 24, 25.

_After certain days, when Felix came with his
wife Drusilla, which was a Jew, he sent
for Paul, and heard him concerning the
faith of Christ. And, as he reasoned of
righteousness, temperance, and judgment to
come, Felix trembled, and answered_, GO
THY WAY FOR THIS TIME, WHEN I HAVE A
CONVENIENT SEASON, I WILL CALL FOR
THEE. 1

SERMON XXX. Preached Dec. 19, 1773.

1 JOHN v. 11.

_And this is the record, that God hath given to
us eternal life; and_ THIS LIFE IS IN HIS
SON. 18

SERMON XXXI. Preached June 12, 1774.

GAL. vi. 8.

_He that soweth to the Spirit, shall_ OF THE
SPIRIT REAP LIFE EVERLASTING. 32

SERMON XXXII. Preached June 19, 1774.

2 COR. vii. 1.

_Having therefore these promises (dearly beloved)
let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness
of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness
in the fear of God._ 46

SERMON XXXIII. Preached April 28, 1776.

1 TIM. iii. 16.

_Without controversy great is the mystery of
godliness: God was manifest in the flesh;
justified in the spirit; seen of Angels;
preached to the Gentiles; believed on in the
world; received up into glory._ 62

SERMON XXXIV. Preached May 19, 1776.

ISAIAH l. 11.

_Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass
yourselves about with sparks; Walk in the
light of your fire, and in the sparks which
ye have kindled: This shall ye have of my
hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow._ 77

SERMON XXXV. Preached Nov. 15, 1767.

2 COR. iv. 3.

_If our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that
are lost._ 95

SERMON XXXVI. Preached Nov. 13, 1774.

1 PETER iii. 15.

_—Be ready always to give an answer to every
man that asketh you a reason of the hope
that is in you, with meekness and fear._ 110

SERMON XXXVII. Preached Feb. 4, 1770.

JOHN vii. 46.

_Never man spake like this man._ 124

SERMON XXXVIII. Preached Nov. 20, 1774.

MATTH. xiii. 10.

_The Disciples came, and said unto him, Why
speakest Thou to them in Parables?_ 143

SERMON XXXIX. Preached Nov. 27, 1774.

MATTH. xiii. 58.

_And he did not many mighty works there, because
of their unbelief._ 159

SERMON XL. Preached May 23, 1773.

2 COR. iv. 5.

_We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the
Lord._ 176

SERMON XLI. Preached. Dec. 15, 1771.

MATTH. xi. 5.

_The Poor have the Gospel preached unto
them._ 193

SERMON XLII. Preached Jan. 24, 1773.

JOHN xiv. 2.

_In my Father’s house are many mansions: if
it were not so, I would have told you._ 210

SERMON XLIII. Preached May 5, 1776.

JOHN xvi. 12, 13.

_I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye
cannot bear them now. Howbeit, when he,
the Spirit of truth, shall come, he will guide
you into all truth: for he shall not speak
of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak: and he will shew you
things to come._ 222

SERMON XLIV. Preached May 29, 1774. T.S.

ACTS i. 11.

_Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up
into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken
up from you, shall so come, in like manner
as ye have seen him go into heaven._ 237

SERMON XLV. Preached June 23, 1776.

St. MATTH. xiii. 55, 56.

_Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his
mother called Mary? And his brethren,
James and Joses and Simon and Judas?
And his sisters, are not they all with us?
Whence then hath this man all these things?
And they were offended in him._ 253

SERMON XLVI. Preached Feb. 4, 1776.

JAMES iv. 7.

_Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you._ 267

SERMON XLVII. Preached March 29, 1772.

PROV. xvi. 6.

_By the fear of the Lord men depart from
evil._ 283

SERMON XLVIII. Preached May 31, 1772.

1 COR. vi. 12.

_All things are lawful unto, me; but all things
are not expedient: All things are lawful for
me; but I will not be brought under the
power of any._ 296

SERMON XLIX. Preached July 5, 1772.

MATTH. v. 38, 39, 40, 41.

_Ye have heared that it hath been said, an eye
for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I
say unto you, that ye resist not evil: but
whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek,
turn to him the other also: And, if any
man will sue thee at the law, and take away
thy coat, let him have thy cloak also: And
whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile,
go with him twain._ 310

SERMON L. Preached May 14, 1775.

LUKE ix. 26.

_Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my
words, of him shall the Son of man be
ashamed, when he shall come in his own
glory and in his Father’s, and of the holy
Angels._ 327

SERMON LI. Preached May 21, 1775.

LUKE ix. 26.

_Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my
words, of him shall the Son of man be
ashamed, when he shall come in his own
glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy
Angels._ 341

SERMON LII. Preached Jan. 29, 1775.

St. MATTH. xvi. 18.

_I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon
this rock I will build my Church; and the
gates of Hell shall not prevail against it._ 354

SERMON LIII. Preached Feb. 5, 1775.

St. MATTH. xvi. 18.

_And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter,
and upon this rock will I build my Church,
and the gates of Hell shall not prevail
against it._ 367

A LARGER DISCOURSE, _by way of Commentary,
on that remarkable Part of the Gospel-history,
in which Jesus is represented, as
driving the Buyers and Sellers out of the
Temple_[1]. 383

SERMON XXIX.

PREACHED MARCH 21, 1773.

ACTS xxiv. 24, 25.

_After certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith of Christ. And, as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered_, GO THY WAY FOR THIS TIME; WHEN I HAVE A CONVENIENT SEASON, I WILL CALL FOR THEE.

This Felix, whose name is become so memorable in the Christian church, had been made Procurator of Judæa by the Emperor Claudius, and continued in that government during the six or seven first years of Nero: when he was recalled to answer for his oppressive administration before the emperor; who, we are told, would have punished him, according to his deserts, but for the interposition of Pallas, at that time Nero’s chief minister.

He was, indeed, in all respects a very corrupt and profligate man, as appears from the testimony of Tacitus[2] and Josephus[3]; from whom we learn, that he was more especially addicted to the vices of _lust and cruelty_; both which he exercised in the most audacious manner; vexing the people with all sorts of oppression, and rioting in his excesses, without restraint. Drusilla, too, is represented to us in a light, not much more favourable. For, though a Jewess, and the wife of another man, she had contracted a marriage, or rather lived in adultery with this pagan governor of Judæa; transgressing at once both a moral and positive law of her religion, for the sake of ascending to that honour.

One would wonder how persons of this character should have any curiosity to _hear Paul concerning the faith of Christ_. And, without doubt, they had no serious desire of information. It is likely they proposed to themselves some entertainment from questioning the prisoner; and the presence of Drusilla makes it credible that the entertainment was chiefly designed for _her_; who might be a bigot to her religion, though she scorned to live up to it; and therefore wanted, we may suppose, to insult Jesus in the person of his disciple.

However, let their purpose be what it would, such were FELIX and DRUSILLA, before whom Paul _reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and a judgment to come_.

Paul was not in the number of those complaisant preachers, who take a text, in which their hearers have no concern. He had to do with persons, who bade defiance to religion in all its forms; and his subject was well suited to the occasion. They expected an amusing tale of Jesus Christ: but the Apostle, who knew how unworthy they were of being instructed in the faith, as not yet possessing the fist principles of morals, took up the matter a great deal higher; and, discoursing to them on the natural duties of justice and temperance, which they had grossly violated, and on the natural doctrine of a judgment to come, which they had never believed or respected, gave them to understand, that they had much to learn, or practise at least, before they were fit hearers of what he had further to say concerning the Christian revelation.

Being taken at this advantage, we may easily conceive their surprise and disappointment: and, as the speaker knew how to give an energy to his discourse on these interesting topics, we cannot wonder, that one or both of them should be much discomposed by it. Of Drusilla the sacred text says nothing: she was, perhaps, the more skilful dissembler of the two; or her rage and indignation might, for the moment, get the better of her fears: but Felix had not the address, or the fortune, to disguise his feelings; he _trembled_ before this plain, intrepid speaker.

This event is instructive, indeed, as it sets before us the power of conscience over the worst of men; and, at the same time, the meanness of guilt, which, in such place and dignity, could not help shrinking at the voice of truth, though speaking by the mouth of a poor dependant prisoner. But when we have made the proper use of these reflexions, on the case of Felix, we shall find a still more instructive lesson in _the subsequent conduct of this affrighted sinner_.

When the fit of trembling came upon him, he said hastily to the preacher: _Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee._

How striking a picture of that fatal disposition which men have to put off repentance, even under the fullest conviction of guilt; and that too, on the most frivolous pretences! What Felix should have done instantly, when his conscience was so much alarmed, he omits to do: _Go thy way for this time_: and yet, to quiet that conscience, he would not be thought to lay aside all purpose of reformation: _When I have a convenient season, I will call for thee._

With this famous example in my eye, I shall attempt to shew in the following discourse: 1. _That_ PROCRASTINATION _is the usual support of vice_: 2. _That false reasoning_, or, what we may call, _the_ SOPHISTRY OF VICE, _is the great support of procrastination_: 3. That a FINAL IMPENITENCE is the too common effect of this pernicious confederacy. And