3. Reason Taken from our very Natures Psal 148. 3. It is writ in our very Natures did we but understand them Every Man that receives a reasonable Soul is by his receiving of it obliged to give God a reasonable service as all Creatures are call'd upon to glorifie and praise God and they do it in their kind by affording unto Man who is their Priest and only can offer for them cause of thanksgiving and admiration But Man owes most for himself as having received most There is no Man comes into the World but he hath some of his Lord's Money entrusted with him under an Obligation and Charge to Occupy it untill he come and he hath undertaken to do so Luke 19.13 This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the inessentiate Promise which every one is understood to make at his Creation viz. To perform all reasonable service and it is such whatsoever God commands and to be subject to his Maker in all things And when this Promise or Oath is broken Man cannot but be uneasie his Conscience accuses condemns torments him so that it is indeed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A wicked Man is in more trouble and pain in the pursuit of his lust and wickedness than a good Man meets with in all the severest exercise of holiness The Soul that is renewed and born again is so far from being disengaged from Holiness that its engagement is doubled for he is redeem'd That he might serve God in Holiness and Righteousness Luke 1.74 75. God hath chosen him for his Champion to fight against The World the Flesh and the Devil and should such a one desert or yield it were Cowardise or Treachery God expects greater matters from such that being formed for himself he should shew forth his praise Isa 43.21 To be sure no Act of Grace no Gospel-priviledge or Advantage present or to come can take away or lessen our Obligation to become holy for this being the Law of our Creation whilst we are God's Creatures so made so endued that is whilst we have our beings and we are at all we carry our bonds about with us which we may not break without sinning against the Law of our Creation which it is impossible that any thing or matter in the Gospel which comes after it should disanull But if Holiness be so absolutely necessary to Life and Happiness Object and that under the Gospel to which men flee to escape the condemnation of the Law who then can be saved The Apostles propounded that Question unto our Saviour upon the Observation our Saviour had made the rich Young man having departed from him of the very great difficulty in the Salvation of a Rich man 'T is observable that the Disciples do not say What rich man can then be saved Mat. 19.25 But being conscious that every Condition had its temptations as a rich man had his so they had theirs they therefore propound the question more generally To which so far as my Subject leads me I answer 1. By Concession that certainly there will be but few saved Answ Christ's Flock is a very little One a little diminutive Flock Luke 12.37 Of the many that came out of Egypt how few entred Canaan And if the Apostles were so solicitous when it was told them that one of them tho but one of the twelve was the Son of Perdition how carefull should we be when our Saviour tells us That straight is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Mat. 7.14 Who that thinks seriously on this will not make the Apostles solicitous Question Is it I 2. God does undertake for Holiness too to enable all that in sense of their inability come unto him in the Name of Christ Nay God knows them that are his and draws them unto Christ who hath received gifts for the rebellious Psal 68.18 good news for the humbled penitent Sinner that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Nay Christ hath all fulness Col. 1.19 which it pleased the Father should be in Him And God hath promis'd to take away the stony heart and to give them a heart of Flesh Ezek. 11.19 As for others that perish in their Blood and Sin God is righteous for who of them does what he could do and ought to do and God may do with his own all Grace is his as he please 3. A sincere Endeavour to depart from Iniquity and to keep the Commandments of God shall be accepted at thy hand for Christ's sake In the first Covenant according to the tenor of it the Person was accepted only for the Works sake but in the Covenant of Grace the Works are accepted for the Persons sake if thou hast made thy Peace with God thrô Jesus Christ and art beloved in him God will accept thee according to what thou hast 2 Cor. 8.12 and not reject thee for what thou hast not But be not mistaken as if some sorry wishes and faint endeavours after Holiness were sufficient Do men pursue so coldly and faintly things which they value especially if it be for their lives therefore they shall be your Judges But having exceeded in the foregoing Particulars like those Children that come first have usually the biggest portion I must hasten to the fourth and last Particular and be brief in it viz. Free Pardon the best Motive to become holy 4. This Grace of the Gospel to wit our Justification thrô the Name and Merit of Jesus Christ is the strongest Motive towards our departing from Iniquity Though departing from Iniquity is in its self very good and necessary yet the Motive for such our departing does very much vary it Our Saviour taxeth the Scribes and Pharisees that they did all their works to be seen of men Mat. 23.5 which was as a Fly in the Box of their precious Ointments any good Action ought to consist ex integris causis of good Causes in every respect If the Principle out of which it flows or End to which it tends be not good the whole work is marred it cannot be a good work Our business at present is to enquire about the End which we propound in our Obedience in which Meriting or retaliating may not move us 1. If it be to Expiate for by past offences or to merit undeserved Favours it must needs be abominable in the sight of God being the highest act of Pride or Presumption that can be imagin'd Let our works be what they will Isa 64.6 though the Best are as filthy Rags if they be offer'd unto God by way of Barter or Exchange they become most abominable As if God stood in need of something that we have or that we were so sufficient as to be able to benefit God too 2. To depart from Iniquity or to labour in Holiness But Thankfulness to God excites us in order to express our Thankfulness unto God for his mercies in Jesus
to observe and require an account of all their Actions The radical cause of this Hatred is from the Opposition of the sinful polluted Wills of Men to the Holiness of God for that attribute excites his Justice and Power and Wrath to punish Sinners Therefore the Apostle saith They are enemies to God in their minds through wicked works The naked representing of this Impiety that a reasonable Creature should hate the blessed Creator for his most Divine Perfections cannot but strike with Horror O the Sinfulness of Sin 4. Sin is the Contempt and Abuse of his excellent Goodness This Argument is as vast as God's innumerable Mercies whereby he allures and obliges us to Obedience I shall restrain my Discourse of it to three things wherein the Divine Goodness is very Conspicuous and most ungratefully despised by Sinners 1. His Creating Goodness 'T is clear without the lea st shadow of Doubt that nothing can give the first being to it self for this were to be before it was which is a direct Contradiction and 't is evident that God is the sole Author of our Beings Our Parents afforded the gross matter of our compounded Nature but the Variety and Union the Beauty and Usefulness of the several Parts which is so Wonderful that the Body is composed of as many Miracles as Members was the Design of his Wisdom and the Work of his Hands The lively Idea and perfect Exemplar of that regular Fabrick was modell'd in the Divine Mind This affected the Psalmist with Admiration I am fearfully and wonderfully made Psal 139.14 15 16. marvellous are thy works and that my soul knows right well Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect and in thy book all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them And Job observes Thy hands have made me and fashioned me round about Job 10.8 The Soul our principal Part is of a celestial Original inspired from the father of Spirits The faculties of Understanding and Election are the indelible Characters of our Dignity above the Brutes and make us capable to please and glorifie and enjoy him This first and fundamental Benefit upon which all other Favours and Benefits are the Superstructure was the Effect from an eternal Cause his most free Decree that ordained our Birth in the spaces of time The Fountain was his pure Goodness there was no necessity determining his Will he did not want external declarative Glory being infinitely happy in himself and there could be no superior Power to constrain him And that which renders our Maker's Goodness more free and obliging is the consideration he might have created Millions of Men and left us in our Native Nothing and as I may so speak lost and buried in perpetual Darkness Now what was Gods end in Making us Certainly it was becoming his infinite Understanding that is to communicate of his own Divine Fullness and to be actively glorified by intelligent Creatures Accordingly 't is the solemn Acknowledgement of the Representative Church Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power For thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they were created Who is so void of rational Sentiments Rev. 4.11 as not to acknowledge 't is our indispensable Duty Our reasonable service to offer up our selves an intire living Sacrifice to his glory What is more natural according to the Laws of uncorrupt Natures I might say and of corrupt Nature for the Heathens practised it than that Love should correspond with Love as the one descends in Benefits the other should ascend in Thankfulness As a polish'd Looking-glass of Steel strongly reverberates the Beams of the Sun shining upon it without losing a spark of light thus the understanding Soul should reflect the Affection of Love upon our blessed Maker in Reverence and Praise and Thankfulness Now Sin breaks all those Sacred Bands of Grace and Gratitude that engage us to love and obey God He is the just Lord of all our Faculties Intellectual and Sensitive and the Sinner employs them as Weapons of Unrighteousness against him He preserves us by his powerful gracious Providence which is a renewed Creation every Moment and the Goodness he uses to us the Sinner abuses against him This is the most unworthy shameful and monstrous Ingratitude This makes forgetful and unthankful Men more brutish than the dull Ox and the stupid Ass who serve those that feed them nay sinks them below the insensible part of the Creation that invariably observes the Law and order prescribed by the Creator Astonishing Degeneracy Hear O Heavens give ear O earth I have nourished and brought up Childen and they have rebelled against me was the Complaint of God himself The considerate Review of this will melt us into Tears of Confusion 2. 'T was the unvaluable goodness of God to give his Law to Man for his rule both in respect of the matter of the Law and his end in giving it 1. The matter of the Law this as is forecited from the Apostle is holy just and good It contains all things that are honest and just and pure and lovely and of good report whatsoever are vertuous and praise-worthy In obedience to it the innocence and perfection of the reasonable creature consists This I do but glance upon having been consider'd before 2. The end of giving the Law God was pleas'd upon Mans creation by an illustrious revelation to shew him his duty to write his Law in his Heart that he might not take one step out of the circle of its precepts and immediately sin and perish His gracious design was to keep Man in his love that from the obedience of the reasonable creature the divine goodness might take its rise to reward him This unfeined and excellent goodness the sinner outragiously despises for what greater contempt can be exprest against a written Law than the tearing it in pieces and trampling it underfoot And this constructively the sinner does to the Law of God which contempt extends to the gracious giver of it Rom. 7.10 Thus the Commandment that was ordain'd unto Life by sin was found unto Death 3. Sin is an extreme vilifying of Gods goodness in preferring carnal pleasures to his favour and Communion with him wherein the life the felicity the heaven of the reasonable creature consists God is infinite in all possible perfections all-sufficient to make us compleatly and eternally happy he disdains to have any competitour and requires to be supreme in our esteem and affections the reason of this is so evident by Divine and Natural light that 't is needless to spend many words about it 'T is an observation of St. Austin * Omnes Deos colendos esse sapienti Cur ergo a numero caeterorum ille rejectus est nihil restat ut dicant cur hujus Dei sacra recipere noluerint nisi quia solum se coli voluerit Aug. de Consens Evang. c. 17. That
Devotions By all which it is evident that as there have been different Opinions and Practices among all sorts of Religions in the World so the Church of God hath been subject to the same Malady And as it was from the beginning so it is now and so will it be 'till the World have an end until the Church of God be presented to Jesus Christ without spot or wrinkle or any such thing And the Causes hereof are evident 1. Our general Imperfection in this Life As the best men are imperperfect in their Holiness so are they in their Knowledge there will be Defects in our Vnderstanding as well as in our Will Some are Babes in Knowledge others are strong Men some have need of Milk being unskilful in the Word of righteousness others are of fuller Age and have their senses exercis'd to discern both good and evil Heb. 5.12 13 14. Foolish men are ready to burthen the Scriptures in Vulgar Tongues with the Differences that are found in Religion but therein they blaspheme the Holy Ghost for the Word of God is a clear Light the Cause of Mistakes is the weakness and blindness of our Eye-sight whereby we cannot all with equal clearness see into the meaning of it by reason of this our Imperfection So that it is scarce possible to prevent all Diversity of Opinions in Religion unless every pious Man had a Promise of Infallibility annexed to his Piety 2. Mens Education contributes much hereunto It is manifest how strong an Influence this hath upon all Peoples Understandings The Principles which then they imbibe be they right or wrong they generally live and dye with Few will be at the pains to examine them and few have a mind to alter them So that it is much to be doubted that if it had been the fate of many of our professed Christians to have been born and bred under the Turk or Mâ—guâ— they had both quietly and resolutely proceeded in their Religion And proportionably to be bred under Parents Masters or Tutors of a different Opinion or Practice in the true Religion must needs greatly byass such Persons towards the same and every one not having the very same Education there follows a kind of necessity of some difference in Religion 3. Mens Capacities are different Some have a greater sagacity to penetrate into things than others some have a clearer Judgment to weigh and determine of things than others some have more solid Learning by far than others and these doubtless will attain to an higher Form and Class than others can Others have neither such natural Abilities nor Time to read and think of matters so as to improve and advance their minds to the pitch of others And there are not a few who as they are duller in Apprehension so they are commonly hotter in Affection and Resolution And it is scarce possible to reduce these Persons that are so unequal in their Capacity to an Identity of Opinion And then out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth will be apt to speak and so there will follow some Difference in the matters of Religion 4. Mens natural Tempers are different some more airy and Mercurial some more stiff and Melancholy and those Complexions do strongly and insensibly incline People to those Sentiments that are most suitable and proper to such Temperaments which being diverse yea almost contrary must of necessity when they are applied to matters of Religion breed variety of Apprehensions And the same Holy Spirit which inspired the sacred Pen-men of the Scriptures and yet therein adapts himself as is manifest to their Natural Genius cannot be expected in his Ordinary Illuminations to thwart and stifle the natural temper of all Mankind neither are those Notions which do grow upon mens Natural Constitution easily any other way altered And 5. Mens Interests are different the best of Men have something of the Old Adam in them And though the sincere Christian must and will strive against any such Temptation yet according to the strength of unmortified Corruption Men will be prone to be for this Opinion Practice or Party and against that Opinion Practice or Party that falls in or out with their Worldly Interest Not that any good Man doth wittingly calculate his Profession for his baser ends but yet they may secretly byass him especially in more minute and dubious matters belonging to Religion It is a great Question what Way or Party many Men would chuse if their present Profession were quite stript of all carnal and worldly Advantages and Considerations and that they were left to square out their Religion only with the Bible Now from these and many other Causes it sadly follows for the consequence is a matter to be bewailed there will be Differences among the People of God in Points of Religion especially in minuter matters which are but darkly describ'd and more darkly apprehended by the Sons of Men. In short that there is no more hope of perfect Unity on Earth than there is of perfect Holiness 'T is to be endeavoured but not fully attained 'till we arrive in Heaven Then we shall come in the Vnity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of God when we are grown perfect men according to the measure of the sâ—â—ture of the fulness of Christ Ephes 4.11 Propos 2. These Differences may and should be managed with Charity Not but that Vnity should by all good men be first endeavoured and to that end they should all impartially seek for Truth on which side soever it lies and this every humble diligent man shall find The Spirit of God which is promised unto his Church and which every true Believer shall have for asking will guide all such into all necessary saving Truth and all other Vnity save in the Truth is but Conspiracy Accursed is that Charity saith Luther which is preserved by the Shipwrack of Faith or Truth to which all things must give place both Charity yea on Apostle yea an Angel from Heaven If the one must be dispensed withal it is Peace and not Truth Better to have Truth without publick Peace than Peace without saving Truth So Dr. Gauden We must not sail for the Commodity of Peace beyond the Line of Truth we must break the Peace in Truths quarrel so another Learned man But this is to be understood of necessary and essential Truths in which Case that Man little consults the Will and Honour of God who will expose the Truth to obtain as saith Nazianzen the repute of an easie mildness Speciosum quidem nomen est pacis pulchra opinio Vnitatis sed quis dubitat eam solam Ecclesiae pacem esse qua Christi est saith Hilary But when as after all such endeavours have been used as are within the reach of a Mans Parts and Calling â—â—ill Differences do remain in smaller matters these ought to be managed with all Charity that is with true Love a Love of Honour and respect to those that
Fulness in God viz. his essential self-fulness which is infinite inexhaustible undiminishable and therefore incommunicable 2. A second thing we must suppose is That there is a fulness of God with which we may and therefore ought to pray and labour that we may be filled We cannot reach the original fulness but we may a borrowed derivative fulness tho' we cannot attain the fulness of the Fountain we may receive a fulness of the Vessel from that Fountain and if we cannot partake any thing of Gods Essence we may partake of his Influence we cannot be filled with the formal holiness of God for that holiness is God yet may we derive holiness from him as an efficient cause who works all things according to the counsel of his Will Eph. 1.11 The Wisdom of God there 's Principium dirigens the Will of God there 's Principium imperans and he works according to these there 's the Principium exequens His Will commands his Wisdom guides his Power executes the Decrees and Purposes of his wise Counsel and holy Will Having thus cleared the way we proceed to the direct Solution of the Question What is that fulness of God which every true Christian ought to pray and strive to be filled with For seeing we have supposed that there is a fulness of God which we cannot be filled with we must lay aside all ambitions and vain aspirings after that fulness and seeing we have supposed that there is a fulness of God wherewith we may be filled and the very Prayer of the Apostle supposes it We therefore are to take up this holy and humble ambition to be filled with it Now this Question can be no sooner proposed but our thoughts will suggest to us these two things First What is the matter of that Fulness and what is the measure of that Fulness with what of God and with how much of God ought we to pray and strive that we may be filled And therefore of necessity we must divide the Question into these two Branches First Branch of the Question What is the matter of that Fulness of God which we are to pray and strive to be filled with When we speak of Filling we conceive immediately that under that Metaphor there must be comprized these three things A Fountain from whence that Fulness is communicated A Recipient a Vessel a Cistern into which that Fulness is derived And then of something Analogous to the matter which from that Fountain is communicated and by that Vessel received Now in the Case before us This Fountain must needs be God the Author of every good and perfect Gift Jam. 1.17 Souls are the Vessel into which the Fulness is received but what we are to conceive and understand by the matter or the quasi materia with which these Vessels from that Fountain are filled is the Subject of our present Enquiry And to this branch of the main Inquiry I shall answer First more generally Secondly more particularly 1. To speak generally That which we are to pray and strive to be filled with is the Spirit of God Eph. 5.18 Be not drunk with Wine wherein is excess but be ye filled with the Spirit where first the Apostle dehorts against Intemperance we may have too much of the best outward things It 's easie to run into excess in these matters The Psalmist assures us Psal 104.15 That Wine makes glad the heart of man And the Prophet Hos 4.11 assures us too that Wine takes away the Heart It 's no more but this the Use is good the Abuse is sinful and the danger is lest from the lawfulness of the Use we slide insensibly into the Abuse Be not therefore filled with wine wherein is excess but then he exhorts too But be ye filled with the Spirit No fear of excess or Intemperance in this case when God fills the Souls of his People with his Spirit he fills them with all the Spiritual good things that their hearts can fill their Prayers with Compare but these two places Matth. 7.11 How much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things to them that ask him Luke 11.13 How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him The comparing of these two Scriptures evidently proves that in praying for the Holy Spirit we pray virtually for all good things and that when God is graciously pleased to communicate his Spirit he communicates all good things when the Father gives his Son he gives all things So the Apostle has taught us to believe and argue Rom. 8 32. He that spared not his Son but delivered him up for us All how shall he not with him freely give us all things And we have equal reason to believe that he that spared his Spirit and gave him to us will in him and with him freely give us all things But these all things are to be taken in suo genere The Gift of Christ comprehends all things that are to be done for us the gift of the Spirit includes all things to be wrought in us Christ is all things for Justification the Spirit is all things for Sanctification and Consolation I shall touch at present upon some few things 1. Do you find an emptiness of Grace and do you long to have your Souls replenisht with it You go to the God of all Grace 1 Pet. 5.10 That he would give you more Faith more Love more Patience more Self-denyal more Heavenly-mindedness c. you do well but the compendious way is to pray that God would fulfil that Promise and so fill your Souls with his Spirit Zech. 12.10 I will pour out upon the House of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and Supplication First the Spirit of Grace that we may pray and then the Spirit of Prayer that we may be filled with more Grace Can we be content with a few drops when God has promised to pour out his Spirit John 7.38 He that believes in me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water this spake he of the Spirit Can we satifie our selves that we have so much Grace as just keeps us alive when if we would pray and strive for the Spirit we might be more lively and vigorous Christians Can we be content with a Taste when God has provided a Feast Some of the Ancients who were anointed with material Oyl were anointed with the Cruise others with the Horn O let us not be satified that we have a few drops from the Cruise when God is ready to pour out his Grace more abundantly John 10.10 2. Would you answer the glorious Title of a Child of God with a more glorious and suitable Spirit that you may pray as Children walk as dear Children come to God not as Slaves but as Children and walk before God not under the resemblance of the Spirit of Bondage but with an ingenuous Liberty and Freedom as becomes the Heirs of Salvation Pray for
him actions are weighed Magistrates and Officers of all sorts have many eyes upon them more see them than they themselves see There are upon them the eyes of good men and bad of Friends and Foes of Subjects and Strangers And they have upon them one eye more than as I fear some of them think of so much as they should and that is the Eye of the great and most Holy God He sees what is done upon the Throne and at the Council-board what in the Parliament houses and what in the Courts of Judicature what Bills are drawn and what do obtain the Royal Assent what Laws are enacted and how they are executed Now that the Punishment of Vice and Suppression of prophaneness is a special part of the work and duty of their place is evident from this Rom. 13.4 He is the Minister of God an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Let the man be what and who he will let him be cloathed with what circumstances he will let him make what Figure he will if he will do evil he must suffer for the evil that he doth If men will take a lawless Liberty the Ruler must take vengeance if they will do the evil of Sin He must see to it that they suffer the evil of Punishment This is the work of his Office He is the Minister of God for this purpose being ultor irae divinae and having a vial of wrath put into his hand by the Soveraign Lord of Heaven and Earth which he is to open and pour out upon the Children of disobedience who are for their being such meritoriously filii irae the Children of wrath Thirdly Prophaneness is of that cursed Nature and Tendency that it is not to be tolerated being contrary to the Light and Law of Nature and therefore hath been condemned and punished among Heathen Nations specially such of them as have been civilized and made any improvement of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 common Notions and Principles that had been impressed upon their Souls and took any care to demean and carry themselves according to the ducture and guidance of them How much more contrary is it to the greater and more excellent Light of Scripture and Gospel-revelation which God hath caused to so eminent a degree to shine among us and which doth so expresly and abundantly condemn and denounce the Wrath of God against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Who can sufficiently tell how odious it is to Persons who are moraliz'd and yet more to all them who have been savingly englightned and had their blindness cured by some of Christs eye-salve And by consequence how greatly ought it to be abhorr'd and totally abandon'd in all those Places Countreys and Nations unto whom God hath sent the magnalia legis the great things of his Law and also the precious things of the Everlasting Gospel what Agreement is there what Concord between Light and Darkness between Righteousness and Unrighteousness or what Communion hath Christ with Belial Without all peradventure this is a Work of Darkness and that is not a fit imployment for them that dwell in a Land of Light In Ephes 4.18 19. The giving of themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness is spoken of by the Apostle as the work of those who have their understandings darkened and are alienated from the Life of God through the Ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their Hearts and altogether indecorous and unbecoming them who have learned Christ and been trained up in the Gospel-School Shall then such things be winked at allowed or countenanced in a Valley of Vision No no say I for as these are the sins so they are the ignominy and shame both of those that do them and of those that suffer them As Gospel Truths and Ordinances and the ordering of a Conversation aright in suitableness to them are as the dying Wife of Phineas said of the Ark the Glory of Israel so Immorality is it's disgrace Both these we are assured of by Solomon in one verse Prov. 14.34 Righteousness exalteth a Nation but Sin is a reproach to any People The common opinion of men is that the Exaltation of a Nation is from the prudence of it's Prince the wisdom of it's Counsellours the valour of it's Commanders and Souldiers the success of it's Armies victory over it's Enemies Forreign Domestick flourishing of Trade abundance of Riches the stateliness of it's Palaces and such like and it will easily be yielded that every one of these doth make it's Contribution but know that Righteousness alone doth more toward it than all them put together This this was it that made the faithful City Princess of the Provinces and the Land of Canaan in Israels Possession so long as Israel walked with God a Land of desire an heritage of Glory Jer. 3.19 Plato a great and excellent Heathen could say Nemo rectè honorat animam suam nisi qui vitiis fugatis justitiam colit None truly Honours his own Soul but he that bidding defiance to vice Loves and embraceth Virtue The same may as truly be said of a Nation Righteousness Religion is it's Glory and Defence But Sin is a reproach to any People Mark that any People Let a People be never so low abject contemptible Sin will make them lower yet And let a people be never so great famous and renowned Sin will be a blot in their Escutcheon It is a reproach to an Heathen People to Turks Pagans Indians but much more so to a Christian People to a people that profess themselves Protestants and reformed that call themselves the People of God O England what cause then hast thou to blush How great is thy shame O London who hast had so many of Christs Embassadors sent unto thee with the Counsels of his Will so many bright Stars of the first magnitude shining in thine Orb such Plenty and abundance of means and spiritual Mercies afforded to thee as no Nation hath had more if any so much Thou hast been exalted indeed and lifted up to Heaven like Capernaum by these precious and inestimable enjoyments and yet I fear it may be said no place hath acted at an higher rate of contrariety and desperate Opposition to the Gospel no place hath exprest a greater Enmity to Reformation and the Power of Godliness no place hath so superabounded with prophaneness in no place hath prophaneness been more impudent and daring than in thee Thy lewdness is in thy Skirts Oh how great is thy reproach Now it is unquestionably the Duty of all among us to endeavour the Honour of the Nation and to roll away this it's reproach And if there be any Magistrates higher or lower that will not heartily set both their hands to that work let them know and think of it again and again that that very thing will be to their reproach Yea fall out as much to their reproach as it was to the Honour of
and Earth a damned Spirit the most cursed part of the Creation It is most reasonable that the baseness of the Competitour should be a foil to reinforce the lustre of Gods authority yet Men reject God and comply with the tempter O prodigious perversness 2. Sin vilifies the ruling Wisdom of God that prescrib'd the Law to Men. Altho the dominion of God over us be Supreme and Absolute yet 't is exercis'd according to the councel of his Will by the best means 1 Tim. 1.17 for the best ends he is accordingly stiled by the Apostle The eternal King and only wise God 'T is the glorious Prerogative of his Sovereignty and Deity that he can do no wrong for he necessarily acts according to the excellencies of his Nature Particularly his Wisdom is so relucent in his Laws that the serious contemplation of it will ravish the sincere minds of Men into a compliance with them They are framed with exact congruity to the Nature of God and his relation to us and to the faculties of Man before he was corrupted From hence the Divine Law being the transcript not only of Gods Will but his Wisdom binds the understanding and will our leading faculties to esteem and approve to consent and choose all his precepts as best Now sin vilifies the infinite understanding of God with respect both to the precepts of the â—â—w the rule of our duty and the sanction annext to confirm its obligâ—â—â—on It does constructively tax the precepts as unequal too rigid â—â—d severe a confinement to our wills and actions Thus the impious Rebels complain The ways of the Lord are not equal as injurious to their liberty and not worthy of observance What St. James saith to correct the uncharitable censorious Humour of some in his time James 4.11 He that speaks evil of his brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law as an imperfect and rash rule is aplicable to Sinners in any other kind As an unskillful Hand by straining too high breaks the strings of an Instrument and spoils the Musick so the Strictness and Severity of the Precepts breaks the harmonious Agreement between the Wills of Men and the Law and casts an Imputation of Imprudence upon the Law-giver This is the implicit Blasphemy in Sin Besides the Law has Rewards and Punishments to secure our Respects and Obedience to it The wise God knows the Frame of the reasonable Creature what are the inward Springs of our Actions and has accordingly propounded such Motives to our Hope and Fear the most active Passions as may engage us to perform our Duty He promises his favour that is better then life to the Obedient and threatens his wrath that is worse then death to the rebellious Now Sin makes it evident that these Motives are not effectual in the Minds of Men And this reflects upon the Wisdom of the Law-giver as if defective in not binding his Subjects firmly to their Duty for if the Advantage or Pleasure that may be gain'd by Sin be greater than the Reward that is promised to Obedience and the Punishment that is threatned against the Transgression the Law is unable to restrain from Sin and the Ends of Government are not obtained Thus Sinners in venturing upon forbidden things reproach the Understanding of the Divine Law-giver 3. Sin is a Contrariety to the unspotted Holiness of God Of all the glorious and benign Constellation of the Divine Attributes that shine in the Law of God his Holiness has the brightest Lustre God is Holy in all his Works but the most venerable and precious Monument of his Holiness is the Law For the Holiness of God consists in the Correspondence of his Will and Actions with his moral Perfections Wisdom Goodness and Justice and the Law is the perfect Copy of his Nature and Will The Psalmist who had a purged Eye saw and admir'd its Purity and Perfection Psal 19. Psal 119.140 The Commandment of the Lord is pure inlightning the eyes The word is very pure therefore thy servant loves it 'T is the perspicuous and glorious Rule of our Duty without Blemish or Imperfection The Commandment is holy just and good It injoyns nothing but what is absolutely Good without the least Tincture of Evil. The Sum of it is set down by the Apostle to live soberly that is to abstain from any thing that may stain the Excellence of an understanding Creature To live righteously which respects the State and Scituation wherein God has disposed Men for his Glory It comprehends all the respective Duties to others to whom we are united by the Bands of Nature or of civil Society or of Spiritual Communion And to live godly which includes all the internal and outward Duties we owe to God who is the Sovereign of our Spirits whose Will must be the Rule and his Glory the End of our Actions In short The Law is so form'd that prescinding from the Authority of the Law-giver its Holiness and Goodness lays an eternal Obligation on us to obey it Now Sin is not only by Interpretation a Reproach to the Wisdom and other Perfections of God but directly and formally a Contrariety to his infinite Sanctity and Purity for it consists in a not doing what the Law commands Rom. 11. or doing what it forbids 'T is therefore said That the carnal mind is Enmity against God An active immediate and irreconcilable Contrariety to his holy Nature and Will From henee there is a reciprocal Hatred between God and Sinners God is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity without an infinite Displicence the Effects of which will fall upon Sinners and tho' 't is an Impiety hardly conceivable Rom. 1. yet the Scripture tells us that they are haters of God 'T is true God by the transcendent Excellence of his Nature is uncapable of suffering any Evil and there are few in the present State arrived to such Malice as to declare open Enmity and War against God In the Damned this Hatred is explicit and direct the Fever is hightned to a Frenzy the blessed God is the Object of their Curses and eternal Aversation If their Rage could extend to him and their Power were equal to their Desires they would Dethrone the most High And the Seeds of this are in the Breasts of Sinners here As the fearful Expectation of irresistible and fiery Vengeance increases their Aversation increases They endeavour to rase out the Inscription of God in their Souls and to extinguish the thoughts and sense of their Inspector and Judge They wish he were not All-seeing and Almighty but Blind and Impotent uncapable to vindicate the Honour of his despised Deity The Fool hath said in his heart there is no God The Heart is the Fountain of Desires and Actions interpret the Thoughts and Affections from whence the Inference is direct and conclusive that habitual Sinners who live without God in the world have secret Desires there was no Sovereign being
stumble upon the right nature tendency and importance of unusual things reported yet he cannot fix or be constant in it 2. The Athenians were naturally prone to Anger soon took Fire upon what they heard or saw and thought to be worthy of their Anger and this was a perpetual Anger 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now Jealousie like a dark Cloud darkens our thoughts and Judgment Anger like the Lightning that breaks out of that Cloud is of more destructive Fire than of directing Light and too quick and impetuous to allow us time of thinking aright or Enquiring aright if the News then displease this Passion the man cannot judge aright till he hath master'd his Anger and can debate the whole calmly with himself Where this double Rage prevail'd none could enquire into new Occurrences in right manner nor be an Example for us to imitate 3. They were close Dissemblers very Deceitful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subdoli fallaces perfidi Plato Plutarch Zech. Bogan Archaiol Attic. Like Wounds healed outwardly but festering in whose Mind seemingly healed of their Anger and Disgusts there is undiscerned Enmity and Resolutions to Revenge Italianated men can smile when they intend to cut your throat Affable to Enemies and disguise their Hatred in their Commendations of you to your Face Salute with Mortal Embraces and clasp you with the Arms they unexpectedly will imbrew in your Blood Now what Enquiry will such temper'd Men entertain you with upon any News they meet with They Enquire into particulars which may facilitate their revenges that may satisfie their malice and endanger an innocent which an honest plain-hearted reporter never dreamt of Like Joab enquiring the News at Court How Abner was entertain'd how long since and which way he went what Company with him c. Which Enquiries an honest heart would never have mistrusted came from a bloody Heart if Joab's bloody hand had not at last appear'd 4. They were generally a People of an unblushing Countenance seldom dasht out of Countenance or discovered by a change of it Men of a great Confidence which in our plainer Dialect we should be apt to call Impudence that dare ask any question and attempt to pry into Closets and Cabinet Counsels that fear no rebuke for any sawcy Carriage or for any false lies they spread that could either disguise lessen or deny any good news they heard or could add to and increase the bad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aâ—iâ—â—pâ— Nubibus i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Schol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Budae in verb. could perversly Discourse and Comment on all Occurrences It was grown up into a Proverb and so used by the Ingenious Poet when he would express a shameless and bold fellow ready to contrive and execute any Mischief Such a temper'd People were the Jews Jer. 6.15 Who rightly interpreted nothing the Prophet told them who Enquired indeed what News but never enquired with an Humbled Repenting Reforming Mind 5. They were very great Lovers of Praise Proud and Contemners of others They accounted all other people unjust intruders into other Men's Proprieties They boasted themselves to be the onely Nation against which no Lease of Ejectment might be sealed All other were Barbarians to them as if they onely were the Men of Wisdom Humanity and Arts and all others were Fools ill-natur'd and as ill bred The rank smell of this you have in the Philosopher who gave thanks to the Gods that he was a Man not a Woman a Grecian not a Barbarian and among Grecians that he was a Philosopher i. e. bred at Athens and born there Of such proud ones we may say as David said of them of his time God is not in all their thoughts as for his Enemies he puffeth at them Psal 10.4 5 6. All new Occurrences of Providence are slighted or perverted by these Men. They cannot enquire aright into the Works of God nor into the Works of Men. All with such men is turned into an advancing of their own Praise and disdain of others In the Athenians answer to Gelon offering them Assistance against Xerxes provided he might command either by Sea or Land a modest proposal for a King to make who offered 200 Ships Athenienies non assentientur ut pote qui semper aliis Graecis navali apparatu ante celluerunt Pezelii Meâ—lifie Histor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 28000 Armed Men and Provision for his own and all the Grecian Souldiers during the Wars But the Athenians will not yield who were ever esteemed best at Sea and for this prais'd by Homer Thus the Pride of these self-conceited ones lost the benefit of a good offer and turn'd away the News of such help from themselves assail'd with an Army reckoned up to be 2641610 besides Victuallers Eunuchs and loose Women that follow'd the Camp 6. They were such as were full of Enmity and very prone to speak contemptuously one of another scurrilous and abusive Discoursers of Persons or Things Bellandi Capidiores quam sat esset Hence many quarrels within themselves and Wars with their Neighbours These Athenians took a liberty in this abusive way of speaking against any but more particularly against the Chief the Optimates or Nobles among them and took this Liberty at the Eleusinian Feasts kept in Honour to Ceres Plutarch in Scyllo Hesychies when with a Vail cast over their faces these lewd Scoffers did bespatter all that passed by them and reproached them with all they had by chance or enquiry heard of their Betters Vid. Sigon de Republ. Atoeni l. 1. c. 1. 7. They were unruly and terrible to their Governours which may easily find credit with you if you consult the various changes of Governments among them And Aristotle when he mentions some of their Rights as extorted forced from their Kings sufficiently intimates this fierceness of the People and their Terribleness to the Rulers but when Kings were turned into Rulers for ten years referendis ratiâ—nibus oâ— noxium Paâ—aâ— rerum Attic. and made accountable and this Decennial Rule after Seventy years dwindled into an Annual Rule the People grew more unruly in their deportment and more terrible in their Discontents and in their Rage many times punished their best Governours with the Ostracism Non improâ—itatis castipatio sed vulgaribus animis insâ—â—ae invidiâ—e plucatio Erâ—sm Câ—â—â—â— that is with Ten years Banishment which Exile was not a punishment for Crimes but an appeasing of the Envy of the Common-people When the Athenian Discontents employed them in discovering News of the Government and Governours you will not need to be told how they Enquired or why to be sure so as neither you or I may Enquire 8. They were as is observed Malitious Observers of the deportment of the Strangers who sojourned among them So that Strangers were never secure in their Persons Name or Affairs Quick-sighted Malice prying into the Temper Designs and Actions of Students Merchants and Travellers
Sojourning among them either did mis-represent all to others or received all mis-represented by others and if Malice attain'd it's Ends herein it ended either in the Ruin or great danger of the Innocent who were as far from Fear as they were far from giving Cause of Fear to any To sum up all in brief since we are from good Testimony assured that the Athenians were Suspicious Angry Dissemblers boldly Impudent Lovers of their own Praise and as much Vilifyers of others Quarrelsom and Contentious Unruly Terrible to their Governours and disingenious to the height of Malice against Strangers sojourning with them tho' some were better among them we may not fetch our Copy from such Persons nor Enquire as the most of such kind of men would Enquire Such cannot but offend in the Matter Rules Ends and Manner of Enquiring after New Things Hitherto we have consulted Men in their Reports of the Athenian temper Let us now see what the Text and Context will afford us for these will be a most sure Rule by which we may know how News-Mongers there did pump one another These enquir'd 1. With strong prejudices against Truth and with as inveterate Opinion and Inclination to their own Errors so here Citizens and Philosophers entertain the Gods of Asia Europe and Africa hold this Polytheism and will not see into the Truth the Apostle preach't one God and their own Altar fully own'd by its Inscription To the unknown God In this they might have seen St. Paul's Orthodoxy and their own Error in a matter of great concern to all Mankind 2. With curiosity more to know what other men believe and do in Religion than serious purpose to know what they themselves should believe and do Had these Athenians enquir'd with sober and considerate Resolutions to receive Truth it might have been an happy opportunity of conversion from dumb Idols to the Living and True God These Enquiries came with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ver 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What wou'd this Babler have And May we know Here 's not one word of Enquiry that they might be saved Their foolish Hearts were darkned while they enquire after Knowledge as Rom. 1.21 3. They enquire with Pride and Contempt of the Persons of whom they enquire so did these Philosophers before they throughly considered what the Apostle preach't and how he confirmed his Assertions they do censure him as an empty Fellow who talkt much nimbly and smoothly but that was all with them as if there were no weight in his Arguments nor any thing of moment in his Doctrines They despise him and give him ver 18. the most contemptable name of a Babler 4. With unreasonable partiality they confess their own Ignorance There is a God unknown to them to whom they had erected an Altar and offered Sacrifices Now here comes a Man of a sober Deportment of quick and ready Parts clear Judgment and a close Disputer who offers to instruct them and tell them who this unknown God is and how he ought to be Worshipped but Bruits as they were they 'l rather be Ignorant still than learn by the Apostle And though a patient and attentive hearing of the Apostle would have filled Athens with greater and better News than ever was brought to their Ears yet they who made it their business to hear all News make it their Sin and Folly to refuse this News 5. With Resolutions not to be perswaded though they were silenced or convinced This appeareth partly from their contempt of his Person before they heard his Doctrine and the reasons of it partly from their obstinate adhearing to Idols and Worship of them though the Apostle had by clearest reason discovered the absurdity thereof in his Excellent Discourse of the Nature of God and his Worship c. And partly by the effect his Reasoning had upon Dionysius the Areopagyte who believed ver 34. Now Dionysius was of the number of those whose Fame was great at Athens for Wisdom Integrity and Justice For want of these Qualities these Philosophhers reject the Apostle and the new Doctrine which he preached 6. These Athenians did with Tumult and Violence make their Enquiry after the new things St. Paul preached So the word in the Original seems to signifie and is so used Luke 23.26 Simon of Cyrene compelled to bear the Cross of Christ and when the Captain of the Castle took Paul out of the Jews hands Acts 21.30 and 33. in which places the same word is used They apprehended him Non sint manuum injectione tanquam in reum Lorin in Loc. Or laid hands on him as on a guilty Person They enquire not as became Learners or sober Disputers But 7. They hurry him before the Areopagites Court to answer it with his Life for either denying the Athenians Gods or endeavouring to bring it new Gods without the approbation of the Areopagites Quia ingerit nova Daemonia Lorin in loc both which were Capital by the Law and had endangered many Heads cost some their Life as Socrates condemned to Death by this Court in which Two Hundred Eighty and One Votes concurred in the Sentence against him All these particulars last mention'd are evident in this Context from the 17 ver to the 32 ver and I leave it you to judge whether this way of Enquiry becometh a Christian Many Christians begin their Enquiry into new things with Prejudices carry them on in Curiosity Pride and Partiality and close them with obstinate adhering to old Errors and refusing Truth new discovered and in the tumultuousness of a Rabble bring the Publishers of Truth and Godliness into apparent Danger of their Lives This the whole progress of the Athenian dispute with the Apostle If you remember these things you will know what you ought not to do and I have hopes you will forbear doing that which you know too evil in a Heathen and more evil in a Christian and would be most evil in us who have seen bloody Effects of News raised abetted witnessed and sworn by profligate perjur'd Persons not before Areopagites but before Judges raised to take away the Life of Innocents and to condemn such whose Love and Care whose Power and Resolution qualified them to be Patriots to their Country and the Church 8. The Athenians spent too much time in telling and hearing News of any sort whether important or a triflle certain or doubtful So be its News 't is that pleaseth them They ever have leisure to hear it nothing cometh more acceptably to them This Disease hath descended from Age to Age and been most pernicious to the Great Rich Voluptuous and Proud Ports Cities and Academies of the World A Disease the Wisest and most Serious have complain'd of but the vain and foolish would not be sensible of or cured The waste of time never to be recall'd Neglect of our necessary Affairs loss in Trades and Employments spreading of false Stories of others provoking displeasure against others and