all things written in the book of the law to do them Gal. 3.10 and it is written Deut. 27.26 2. It may be meant thus not that he is guilty of all distributively for it is supposed that he hath kept all the rest but collectively as Estius notes for that he doth transgress the law which is a collection of all precepts namely as the law is one copulative As the whole face is said to be hurt when but one part is hurt as Isidor Clarius notes But 3. He is said to be guilty of all because he doth offend against him that did give all he violates that absolute and supreme authority by which all is established and so doth by way of interpretation in effect transgress all in as much as he doth sin against that Majesty by which all was equally imposed And this Exposition is agreeable to what followeth in the Apostle For he that said Thou shall not commit adultery said also Thou shalt not kil and thus every Commandment even of the second Table doth oblige our obedience upon the consideration of the same Law-maker God Had the Laws of the second Table been no more then humane had they had no other Majesty for their sanction but such as breatheth in the clay we might then have conceived an alleviation of the fault in compare with Commandements purely Divine And yet also Humane laws do bind in the virtue of a law Divine that we should be obedient to them the matter being lawful but since all the Precepts which respect our neighbor have one and the same authority with the rest and were informed by the same eternal Majewy we can have no excuse for our disobedience specially if we do withall take notice that God in Scripture hath given us such signification of his will that sometime he would have us perfer our duty of obedience to those of the second Table before those of the first Table when the matter of the first Table is ceremonial and the case of the second Table is necessary then that word of God takes place I will have mercy and not sacrifice For the laws of the second Table are moral and commanded because they are good the ceremonials of the first Table are positive and therefore good because commanded Now though in Divine Commandements we are not to look at the matter but intuitively the Author yet when he gives us a law to prefer the matter we shall not be obedient to the Author unless we do as he biddeth us And these practical notions God hath so ingraven in our rational natures that they bear as great a relation to our practical understandings as speculative principles to the contemplative And therefore they doe remain in man notwithstanding the fall because the nature of man cannot be conserved without them They are kept in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is that part of Conscience wherein are laid up the rules for action that by the light of them it may direct and if we do otherwise or not so may correct and burn 4. Another cause of Christians defectiveness in the point of morality may in part be from Satan who doth so much vie with God as we may speak for obedience and service And therefore he doth mightily endevour to disgrace and slurre the profession of Religion by the most sordid and base actions of unrighteousness in the Professors thereof so that men may be moved to abhor the practice of piety for the sakes of those who do most abuse it because they do but use it for better expedition of their iniquities To this purpose the Devil who is influxive into the phansie doth raise and stir up the dainty imaginations of felicity in things temporal that the phansie kindled may inflame the affections and the affections inflamed may in an heat and tumult mutiny against the counsel and command of Conscience to have their satisfaction For did not the populacy of these affections interpose against the dictates of reason and conscience in point of action no more then they do against reason in point of assent to principles speculative we could not be so full as we are of evil deeds But as evill words corrupt good manners so evil manners by custom corrupt our principles of action And as no man does forget what naturally hee knows that the whole is greater then the part as Aquinas observeth so neither would we forget our selves in any wickedness to others but that love to our selves which the Devil tickleth our phansie with doth put in against the practice of what is right but not commodious for our interest Such the account why Christians are no better in their morals But indeed the main cause is yet behinde and it is this because they are not right Christians in profession such and that is all They are not real Christians they have nothing of Christ in them For if they had they would not for shame of the Christian world be outgone by Heathens in any actions which are fit for men If Christ dwelled in their hearts he should dwell there by Faith if by faith that worketh by love if by love it would shew it self in keeping Gods commandements and so piety in the root would be righteousness in the fruit Habits which are of a middle nature betwixt acts and powers are by God infusedly given to dispose the faculties to those acts which are regulated by the will of God either towards him or our selves or towards men And of those towards men we know the general rule which is both expressed and impressed that as we would have others do to us so we should do to them not that we should not do acts of righteousness upon higher motives but according to this proportion that general Axiom of practical reason is attendant according to the rule of society not the beight of duty We should do so to others as we would have others do to us but upon higher considerations namely in obedience to Gods command and to his glory for the good and good example of others And those who have grace in their hearts will do thus since the Image of God in their regeneration is renewed in righteousness and true holiness as the Apostle speaks And therefore those who are called Christians and are unrighteous are false Christians true hypocrites Those who are right are so far from taking away that which is anothers that they are ready according to their ability andoccasions to give unto others what is their own Quaintly therefore said the Christian Philosopher Athenagoras No Christian is bad unless he be an hypocrite CHAP. VI. NEed we to say any more of righteousness or for it to Christians A word to the wise is sufficient and are Christians fools Truly some are so far from wisdom that they account them fools who will not however take their opportunities of mending their secular conditions Alas if the wisdom be only this to feather our nests and to thrive in temporals
OR A Sober Correction OF A MAD WORLD In some WELL WISHES TO GOODNES CHAP. I. SInce I am not so good as I should be nay nor so good as I would be nay nor so willing to be good as I should be it is reasonable for me to wish well to it There may be a wish of impossibilities though there be not a will properly of them And it seems to me so hard to come by any goodness that it seems somewhat to have it in a wish And yet he that is contented with what he hath of this hath none Godliness as the Apostle saith in his 1 Epistle to Tim. 6.6 is great gain with contentedness but not with a contentedness in godliness but in gain We shall never have enough of goodness untill we come into heaven And this goodness hath a necessary connexion with happiness and therefore if we do apprehend it how can we escape at least some velieties of it For that which is necessary to our end we desire upon the same account So that the subject of this paper is such that will please every one that is in the way of happiness Neither is it therefore out of my way to commend it to others for this will more impress it upon my self that I may have some benefit by the operation though others have no benefit by the work as he said Surely also this is the season with all of us of being good when we have made the times as we call them bad Sin cometh alway too soon alway unseasonably Vertue neither but in times of troubles and uncertainties we have more necessities of this commoditie and yet how much are we worse because we are worse and should be much better There is no time appointed for the commission of sinne but punishments and we have had them sorely upon us and one would think we should now have less of sin because we have had such a measure of punishments We have had opportunities of being richer and some have taken them and the water which way soever it ran although they have not quenched their thirst and yet have drunk so much that it will not stay with them but they must refund We have had fair occasions of being wise and discreet and prudent to preserve our contentment and have thought it fit not to be heart of Oak but to be flexible and moveable with the windes we have taken a full proportion of the wisdom of the Serpent and more then will be allowed with the innocency of the Dove The Serpent hath too much beguiled the Dove We have had in these years vicissitudes many variety of turns and changes and are still rolling to the bottom and yet what good turns have we had what returns to God and that which is good There is not such a point as Goodness in all our Compass We have had many complaints of hard and difficult and afflictive and squeezing times and we have been weary of our calamities over and over but our sins are in full weight number and measure upon us and we are not troubled with them St. Paul groaned under the burthen of sin but gloried in afflictions but we are contrary for we groan under afflictions and do rather glory in our shame It is like S. Paul in that 7 chapter to the Romans doth speak of himself regenerated for sin in state of nature is in us as in its proper place and we do not feel it And so it hath been with us And whatsoever we have lost we have kept this we have loved it naturally as ours We have had within the space of few years many books imprinted wherein Civil causes and some Ecclesiastical causes have been tossed and agitated on this side and on that that we might be setled in our dangers or moved to our former term but have not found many books written to make us right spiritually and to make us better many good books but how many of goodness I hope more then I have seen but more would be seen And yet if there were more and seen and read and got by heart yet how shall we get them into the heart Oh how odd and awk is the nature of man to this goodness It will not come alone to us yea when we are in a manner driven to it by corrections we are ready to run away from it as if we could not be miserable but with it And therefore I am afraid I shall not please all because I shall speak for that which doth not We do not like to hear of that we have no minde to follow we are offended with it directly and by reflexion from others And others are our enemies because we are not good whereas we should not be enemies to others though they be bad But this doth not make a reasonable impediment of this little enterprise for he that pleaseth all hath no small danger of Christs woe and of Gods curse for not pleasing one namely him And notwithstanding we have enemies we should be encouraged for we have the more to conquer as one said And yet we have further encouragement by St. Peter 1 Pet. 1.13 And who is there that will hurt you if you follow that which is good Or shall we be harmed because we write of that which is good May we do it and not write it This is spoken of in our own defence Had we taken in hand some thornie business about the subject and change of Civil Power we might have incurred some danger in way of right and righteousness but since all the matter we would have is goodness we have no cause to fear any but those who have no minde to think it to be necessary for them to be good unless they can get somewhat by it in this life And if any one will conceive that this is a Theme to meddle with not for any but some of those who are a great deal better I shall make my apology easily With all my heart am I contented that others should goe before me in this contention I would be willing to follow their steps in holiness although in the order of the Church they go not that way which more have gone to heaven in then are like to do by any other But because I have nothing in me of goodness I have more need to speak for it upon my own apprehensions neither can any one keep away from me this right and liberty of good options for my self and others The time and utmost bound of goodness is to be in heaven And to this pitch should every one ascend And the ascent of this glory is by degrees of grace This goodness is the milky way to Jupiters Palace To strengthen you in it take not this morning milk but some morning meditations CHAP. II. O Thou blessed Daughter of Heaven where shall we finde thee in thy essentials that we might define thee or how shall we give thee a proper definition when thou art a
is much to be regarded by those who bear the Name of Christ upon them in their general profession because hereby we adorn our Christian calling most for that such actions do run into the eyes and ears of men without dispute As for actions of outward piety they are subject to debate even amongst Christians and therefore more likely are controverted by those who yet are not Christians but these actions of morality are such wherein there is no controversie whether good or not because they come from common principles So that if we have any minde to bring Christian Religion into any credit with the obstinate Jew or the blinde Gentile we cannot do it with more probability and hope then if we order our conversation so as they may conceive that Christian Religion hath some truth in it because those who are Disciples of it have so good lives It hath been said that Christianity is more to be seen in the leaves of Authors then in the lives of men but those who are aliens from the Church of Christ do not turn over the leaves of Writers and if they did yet would sooner be converted by the practice of Christians were it such as it should be according to that denomination Some would think that the time of the conversion of the Jew is now near but it seems not to be so near by our conversation Therefore saith our Saviour Let your light so shine before men that others which are strangers seeing your good works may glorifie your Father which is in heaven Matth. 5.16 which is indeed chiefly applyed to the Ministers of the Gospel but also is appliable in some proportion to all Professors of the Gospel Though our persons are not justified with God by our works yet our objective faith is surely justified with men by our good works But we are now so far from being justified by our good works that we cannot justifie our works to be good True it is which Tertullian saith We do not esteem the faith by the person but we esteem the person by the faith It is right if it be understood as amongst Christians one with another But Heathens or Jews would esteem better of our faith if they did see or hear in our persons of such actions as certainly do most become Christians not simply but in opposition to the contrary because intemperance and injustice do most unbecome them Therefore let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from iniquity as the Apostle But how then cometh it to pass that Christians should be so careless of good demeanor in these morals This is the third question to which we need not say much that it is so The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it is proved every day As it was in St. Pauls time so it is now The name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles by you Rom. 2.14 What is the cause hereof 1. They see some Heathens or some Civil men as they are called excellent herein and they think if they should be very accurate herein they should carry away no great commendation and therefore they desire to be seen more in those actions which are not so common As some have a minde to be liberal rather to those who are strangers to them then to their kindred because there is not so much notice taken of courtesies to their relations as to those who can less expect it So if they doe what Heathens or Jews or civil men do they conceive they shall have no thanks but if they be forward and eager eminent in those things as of piety which others do so little of then they render themselves in the opinion of the world to be men of high note and of great name Yet Christians if this be your aim to get repute by doing that which is not so common then take heed you forget not morality which is now less regarded then I think ever 2. Another thing which is the cause of their negligence in righteousness is because it is an unprofitable virtue and they may lose by it in this life As for excellency in external holiness it cometh naturally to them for their advantage for hereby the people who cannot distinguish are led on into an opinion of their admirable godliness which is of use to more respect and commerce and trust Like those Silversmiths in the Acts who pretended their Goddess minded their gain so do too many of these Christians make a flourish of more religion then ever came from heaven or their hearts that there may fall into their lap more of earth which they heartily love The Schoolmen from St. Austin do inform us that God is an object of fruition only and all other things even virtues also are objects of use because that only is to be injoyed which we are to rest in and not to refer to any higher end and that is God but this sort of men have got a trick to make use of God and godliness and virtue too for other ends even ends of gold and silver Thus they draw God into their party and service If it were not for the first Table some men would be undone They could not tell what shift to make if they could not make a colour of holiness in things of God Although it be no duty of the text to be rich yet they think it will not sufficiently appear that they are Gods children unless he gives them a full blessing in great bags or good lands This is their real Argument of being the people of God and therefore are they so bold as to commute with God by more outward sanctity for a dispensation in point of righteousness unless they take it for granted that they are Gods and all is Gods and therefore all is theirs Whatsoever calling they are of their singular profession of godliness brings in most This fils their purses If they did not break the second Table they could not mend their estates and maintain second dieties 3. They do not consider the nature of obedience to God in the contents of the second Table I dare not say they do not know they would think I should do them wrong if I should conceive so ill of their abilities but they do not meditate thereof For if they did it were morally impossible that those who are curious in prying into the first Table should be so backward to the observation of the second If they would perpend that he who wrote the one in stone with his own finger wrote also the other they could not put off the practice of the second as they do The reason of this obedience we touched before and therefore we shall say little Because of connexion of obedience intuitive to all is that of the Apostle St. James 2. chap. v. 10. He that shall keep the whole Law and shall offend in one is guilty of all He is guilty of all as in respect of condemnation for Cursed is every one that continueth not in