callings to take them up Some of them make it their chief excuse that they do it to pass away the time Blind wretches that are so near eternity and can find no better uses for their Time To these I spoke before Chap. 5. Part. 1. § 20. 5. Another cause is the wicked neglect of their dutys to their own families making no conscience of loving their own relations and teaching them the fear of God nor following their business and so they take no pleasure to be at home The company of wife and children and servants is no delight to them but they must go to an ALE-house or Tavern for more suitable company Thus one sin bringeth on another § 21. 6. Another cause is the ill management of matters at home with their own Consciences when they have brought themselves into so terrible and sad a case that they dare not be much alone nor soberly think of their own condition nor seriously look towards another world but fly from themselves and seek a place to hide them from their consciences forgetting that sin will find them out They run to an ALE-house as Saul to his musick to drink away melancholy and drown the noise of a guilty self-accusing mind and to drive away all thoughts of God and Heaven and sin and Hell and death and judgement till it be too late As if they were resolved to be damned and therefore resolved not to think of their misery nor the remedy But though they dare venture upon Hell it self the sots dare not venture upon the serious thoughts of it Eeither there is a Hell or there is none If there be none why shouldst thou be afraid to think of it If there be a Hell as thou wilt find it if thou hold on but a little longer will not the feeling be more intollerable than the thoughts of it And is not the forethinking on it a necessary and cheap prevention of the feeling O how much wiser a course were it to retire your selves in secret and there to look before you to eternity and hear what conscience hath first to say to you concerning your life past your sin and misery and then what God hath to say to you of the remedy You 'll one day find that this was a more necessary work than any that you had at the ALE-house and that you had greater business with God and Conscience than with your idle companions § 22. 7. Another cause is the custom of pledging those that drink to you and of drinking healths by which the Laws of the Devil and the ALE-house do impose upon them the measures of excess and make it their duty to disregard their duty to God So lamentable a thing it is to be the tractable slaves of men and intractable rebels against God! Plutarck mentions One that being invited to a feast made a stop when he heard that they compelled men to drink after meat and askt whether they compelled them to eat too Apprehending that he went in danger of his belly And it seems to be but custom that maketh it appear less ridiculous or odious to constrain men to drinking than to eating § 23. 8. Another great cause of excess is the Devils way of drawing them on by degrees He doth not tempt them directly to be drunk but to drink one cup more and then another and another so that the worst that he seemeth to desire of them is but to drink a little more And thus as Solomon saith of the fornicator they yield to the flatterer and go on as the Ox to the slaughter and as the Fool to the correction of the stocks till a dart strike through his liver as a bird hasteth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life Prov. 7. 21 22 23. § 24. III. The Greatness of this sin appeareth in what is said before of Gluttony More specially 1. Think how base a master thou dost serve being thus a slave to thy throat What a beastly thing it is and worse than beastly for few beasts but a swine will be forced to drink more than doth them good How low and poor is that mans reason that is not able to command his throat § 25. Think how thou consumest the creatures of God that are given for service and not for gulosity and luxury The earth shall be a witness against thee that it bore that fruit for better uses which tion misspendestâ—on thy sin Thy Servants and Cattle that labour for it shall be witnesses against thee Thou 〈◊〉 the creatures of God as a sacrifice to the Devil for Drunkenness and Tipling is his serâ—â—â—â— It were less folly to do as Diogenes did who when they gave him a large cup of wine threw it under the table that it might do him no harm Thou makest thy self like Caterpillers and Foxes and wolves and other destroying creatures that live to do mischief and consume that which should 〈◊〉 man and therefore are pursued as unfit to live Thou art to the common-wealth as Mice in the Gâ—â—nary or Weeds in the Corn. It is a great part of the work of faithful Magistrates to weed out such as thou § 26. 3. Thou robbest the poor consuming that on thy throat which should maintain them If thou have any thing to spare it will comfort thee more at last to have given it to the needy than that a greedy thoat devoured it The covetous is much better in this than the Drunkard and Luxurious Prov. 1â— 2â— Prov 14 21. 2â— 1â— 3â— 14 â—2 9. â—8 â—7 For he is a gatherer and the other is a scatterer The Common-wealth maintaineth a double or trâ—ble charge in such as thou art As the same pasture will keep many Sheep which will keep but one Horse so the same country may keep many temperate persons which will keep but a few Gluttons and Drunkards The worldling makes provision cheaper by getting and sparing but the Drunkard and Glutton make it dearer by wasting The covetous man that scrapeth together for himself doth oft-times gather for one that will pity the poor when he is dead Prov. 28. 8. But the Drunkard and Riotous devour it while they are alive One is like a Hog that is good for something at lâ—â—â—â— though his feeding yield no profit while he liveth The other is like devouring vermine that leave nothing to pay for what they did consume The one is like the Pike among the fishes who payeth when he is dead for that which he devoured alive But the other is like the sink or chanel that repayeth you with nothing but stink and dirt for all that you cast into it § 27. 4. Thou drawest poverty and ruine upon thy self Besides the value which thou wastest God usually joyneth with the prodigal by his judgements and scattereth as fast as he Prov. 21. 17. He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man he that loveth wine and oyl shall not be rich There is that 〈…〉 a
called A Saint or a â—â—â—â—it certainly are possessed by nobler inhabitants He that seeth every corner of earth and sea and air inhabited and thinks what earth is in comparison of all the great and glorious Orbes above it will hardly once dream that they are all void of inhabitants or that there is not room enough for souls § 27. Direct 24. The ministry of Angels of which particular providences give us a great probability Direct 24. doth give some help to that doctrine which telleth us that we must live with Angels and that we shall ascend to more familiarity with them who condeâ—cend to so great service now for us § 28. Direct 25. The universal wonderful implacable enmity of corrupted man to the holy doctrine Direct 25. and waies and servants of Christ and the open war which in every Kingdom and the secret war which in every heart is kept up between Christ and Satan through the world with the tendency of every temptation their violence constancie in all ages to all persons all making against Christ and Heaven and Holiness do notoriously declare that the Christian doctrine and life do tend to our salvation which the Devil so maliciously and uncessantly opposeth And thus his Temptations give great advantage to the tempted soul against the Tempter For it is not for nothing that the enemy of our souls makes so much opposition And that there is such a Devil that thus opposeth Christ and tempteth us not only sensible Apparitions and Witch-crafts prove but the too sensible temptations which by their Matter and Manner plainly tell us whence they come Especially when all the world is formed as into two hostile Armies the one fighting under Christ and the other under the Devil and so have continued since â—â—in and Abel to this day § 29. Direct 26. The prophecies of Christ himself of the destruction of Jerusalem and the gathering of his Church and the cruel usage of it through the world do give great assistance to our faith when we see them all so punctually fulfilled § 30. Direct 27. Mark whether it be not a respect to things temporal that assaulteth thy Belief and Direct 27. câ—me not with a byassed sensual mind to search into so great a mysterie Worldliness and pride and sensuality are deadly enemies to faith and where they prevail they will shew their enmity and blind the mind If the soul be sunk into mud and filth it cannot see the things of God § 31. Direct 28. Come with humility and a sense of your ignorance and not with arrogance and Direct 28. self-conceit as if all must needs be wrong that your empty foolish minds cannot presently perceive to be right The famousest Apostates that ever I knew were all men of notorious Pride and self-conceitedness § 32. Direct 29. Provoke not God by willful sinning against the Light which thou hast allready received Direct 29. to forsake thee and give thee over to infidelity 2 Thes. 2. 10 11 12. Because men receive not the Lâ—ve of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God sends them strong delusions to believe a lie that they all might â—e damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness Obey Christs doctrine so far as you know it and you shall fullier know it to be of God Iohn 7. 17. 10. 4. § 33. Direct 30. Tempt not your selves to Infidelity by pretended Humility in abâ—sing your Natural Direct 30. facultiâ—s when you should be humbled for your moral pravity Vilifying the soul and its Reason and Natural Freewill doth tend to Infidelity by making us think that we are but as other inferiour animals uncapable of a life above with God When as self-abâ—sing because of the corruption of Reason and Free-will doth tend to shew us the need of a Physiciâ—n and so assist our faith in Christ. § 34. Direct 31. Iudge not of so great a thing by sudden apprehensions or the surprize of a temptatiâ—n Direct 31. when you have not leisure to look up all the evidences of faith and lay them together and take a full deliberate view of all the cause It is a mystery so great as requireth a clear and vacant mind delivered from prejudice abstracted from diverting and deceiving things which upon the best assistance and with the greatest diligence must lay all together to discern the truth And if upon the best assistance and consideration you have been convinced of the truth and then will let every sudden thought or temptation or difficulty seem enough to question all again this is unfaithfulness to the truth and the way to resist the clearest evidences and never to have done It is like as if you should answer your adversary in the Court when your witnesses are all dismist or out of the way and all your evidences are absent and perhaps your Counsellor and Advocate too It is like the casting up of a long and intricate account which a man hath finished by study and time and when he hath done all one questioneth this particular and another that when his accounts are absent It is not fit for him to answer all particulars nor question his own accounts till he have as full opportunity and help to cast up all again § 35. Direct 32. If the work seem too hard for you go and consult with the wisest most experienced Christians Direct 32. who can easily answer the difficulties which most pâ—rplex and tempt you Modesty will tell you that the advantage of study and experience may make every one wisest in his own profession and set others above you while you have lâ—ss of these § 36. Direct 33. Remember that Christianity being the surest way to secure your eternal hopes and Direct 33. the matters of this life which cause men to forsake it being such transitory â—â—ifles you can be no losers by it and therefore if you doubted yet you might be sure that its the safest way § 37. Direct 34. Iudge not of so great a cause in a time of Melanâ—holy when fears and confusions Direct 34. make you unfit But in such a case as that as also when ever Satan would disturb your setled faith or tempt you at his pleasure to be still new questioning resolved cases and discerned truths abhor his suggestions and give them no entertainment in your thoughts but cast them back into the Tempters face There is not one Melancholy person of a multitude but is violently assaulted with temptations to blasphemy and unbelief when they have but half the use of Reason and no composedness of mind to debate such controversies with the Devil It is not fit for them in this incapacity to hearken to any of those suggestions which draw them to dispute the foundations of their faith but to cast them away with resolute abhorrence Nor should any Christian that is soundly setled on the true foundation gratifie the Devil so much as to dispute with
their opinion or sâ—ct We little consider how great a hand this Pride hath had in our desolations God hath been scattering the proud of all sorts in the imaginations of their own hearts â—â—ke 1. 51. § 88. Direct 7. Look to a humbled Christ to humble you Can you be proud while you believe Direct 7. that your Saviour was cloathed with flesh and lived in meanness and made himself of no reputation and was despised and scorned and spit upon by sinners and shamefully used and nailed as a malefactor to a cross The very incarnation of Christ is a condescension and humiliation enough to pose both â—â—th â—â—4 Mâ—â—â—â—0 men and Angels transcending all belief but such as God himself produceth by his supernatural testimony and spirit And can Pride look a crucified Christ in the face or stand before him Did God take upon him the form of a servant and must thou domineer and have the highest place Had Joâ—â— 1â— â—◠〈◊〉 2 â— 8 9 10. not Christ a place to lay his head on and must thou needst have thy adorned well-furnished rooms Must thou needs brave it out in the most fantastick fashion instead of thy Saviours seamless coat Doth he pray for his murderers And must thou be revenged for a word or petty wrong Is he patiently spit upon and buffeted And art thou ready through proud impatiencie to spit upon or busâ—â—t others Surely he that condemned sin in the flesh condemned no sin more than Pride § 89. Direct 8. Look to the examples of the most eminent saints and you will see they were all Direct 8. most eminent in humility The Apostles before the coming down of the Holy Ghost on them contended which of them should be the greatest which Christ permitted that he might most sharply rebuke it and leave his warning to all his Ministers and Disciples to the end of the world that they 〈◊〉 12. 7. 〈◊〉 44 13. that would be greatest must be the servants of all and that they must by conversion become as little children or never enter into the Kingdom of God But afterward in what humility did these Apostles labour and live and suffer in the world Paul made himself a servant unto all that he might gain the more though he was free from all men 1 Cor. 9. 19. They submitted themselves to all the injuries and affronts of men to be accounted the plagues and troublers of the world and as the scorn 1 Cor. 4. 12 13 14 15. Acts 24. 5. and off-scouring of all things and a gazing stock to Angels and to men And are you better than they If you are you are more humble and not more proud § 90. Direct 9. Look to the holy Angels that condescend to minister for man and think on the blessed Direct 9. souls with God how far they are from being proud And remember if ever thou come to Heaven how far thou wilt he from pride thy self Such a sight as Isaiahs would take doâ—n pride Isa. 6. 1 2 3. I saw the Lord sitting upon a Throne high and lifted up and his train filled the Temple Above it stood the Sâ—raphims Each one had six wings with two he covered his face and with two he covered his feet and with two he fled signifying Humility Purity and obedience And one cryed unto another and said Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts His Glory is the fulness of the whole earth So Rev. 4. 8. and vers 10. The Elders fâ—ll down and â—ast down their Crowns before him that sitteth on the Throne Look up to Heaven and you 'l abhor your pride § 91. Direct 10. Look upâ—n the great imperfection of thy grace and duties Should that man be Direct 10. proud that hath so little of the spirit and image of Jesus Christ That believeth no more and feareth God no more And loveth him no more And can no better trust in him nor rest upon his word and love Nor no more delight in him nor in his holy laws and service One would think that the lamentable weakness of any one of all these graces should take down pride and abase you in your own eyes Is he a Christian that doth not even abhor himself when he perceiveth how little he loveth his God and how little all his meditations on the Love and blood of Christ and of the infinite Goodness of God and of the heavenly Glory do kendle the fire and warm his heart Can we observe the darkness of our minds and ignorance of God and strangness to the life to come and the woful weakness of our faith and not be abased to a loathing of our selves Can we choose but even abhor those hearts that can love a friend and love the toys and vanities of this life and yet can love their God no more That take no more pleasure in his name and praise and word and service when they can find pleasure in the accomodations of their flesh Can we choose but loath those hearts that are so averse to God so loth to think of him so loth to pray to him so weary of prayer or holy meditation or any duty and yet so forward to the business and recreations of the flesh Can we feel how coldly and unbelievingly we pray how ignorantly or carnalâ—y we discourse how confusedly and vainly we think and how slothfully we work and how unprofitably we live and yet be proud and not be covered with shame O for a serious Christian to feel how little of God of Christ of Heaven is upon his heart and how little appeareth in any eminent holiness and fruitfullness and heavenliness of life is so humbling a consideration that we have much ado to own our selves and not lie down as utterly desolate Should that soul admit a thought of pride that hath so little Grace as to be uncertain whether he have any at all in sincerity or not That cannot with assurance call God Father or plead his interest in Christ or in the promises nor knoweth not if he dye this hour whether he shall go to Heaven or Hell Should he be proud that is no readier to dye and no more assured of the pardon of sin nor willinger to appear before the Lord If one pained member will make you groan and walk dejectedly though all the rest do feel no pain a soul that hath this universal weakness a weakness that is so sinful and so dangerous hath cause to be continually humbled to the dust § 92. Direct 11. Look upon thy great and manifold sins which dwell in thy heart and have been Direct 11. committed in thy life and there thou wilt see cause for great humiliation If thy body were full of Toads and Serpents and thou couldst see or feel them crawling in thee wouldst thou then be proud Why so many sins are ten thousand fold worse and should make thee far viler in thy own esteem If thou were possessed with Devils and knewest it wouldst
eternity This is the Apostles method 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31. But this I say brethren the time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives â—e as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not and they that buy as though they pâ—ssessed not and they that use the world as not abusing it or as if they used it not for the fashion of this world passeth away So you will Desire as if you desired not when you perceive well how quickly the thing desired will pass away § 16. Direct 14. In all your Desires remember the account as well as the thing desired Think Direct 14. not only what it is now at hand but what account you must make to God of it For to whom men give or commit much of them they require the more Luk. 12. 48. will you thirst after more power more honour more wealth when you remember that you have the more to give account of Matth. 25. Have you not enough to reckon for already unless you had hearts to use it better § 17. Direct 15. Keep your selves close to the holy use of all your mercies and let not the flâ—sh Direct 15. devour them nor any inordinate appetite fare ever the better for them when you have them and this will powerfully extinguish the inordinate desire it self We are in little danger of being over eager after things spiritual and holy for the honour of God Resolve therefore that all you have shall be thus sanctified to God and used for him and not at all to satisfie any inordinate desire of the flâ—sh and then the flâ—sh will cease its suit when it finds it fares never the better for it You are able to do much in this way if you will If you cannot presently suppress the Desire you may presently resolve to deny the flesh the thing desired As David would not drink the water though he longed for it 2 Sam. 23. 15 17. and you may presently deny it the more of that you have If you cannot forbear your thirst you can forbear to drink If you cannot forbear to be hungry you can forbear to eat whatever is forbidden or unfit If Eve must needs have an appetite to the forbidden fruit yet she might have commanded her hand and teeth and not have eaten it If you cannot otherwise cool your Desire of curious Apparel wear that which is somewhat homelyer than else you would have worn on purpose to rebuke and controul that desire If you cannot otherwise quench your Covetous desires give so much the more to the poor to cross that desire You cannot say that the outward act is out of your power if you be but willing § 18. Direct 16. When your Desires are over-eager bethink you of the mercies which you have Direct 16. received already and do possess Hath God done so much for you and are you still calling for more even of that which is unnecessary when you should be giving thanks for what you have This unthankful greediness is an odious sin Think what you have already for soul and body estate and friends and will not all this quiet you even this with Christ and Heaven unless you have the other lust or fansie satisfied and unless God humour you in your sick desires § 19. Direct 17. Understand how little it will satisfie you if God should give you all that you Direct 17. carnally desire When you have it it will not quiet you nor answer your expectations You think it will make you happy and be exceeding sweet to you but it deceiveth you and you promise your selves you know not what And therefore desire you know not what It would be to you but Isa. 29. 8. like a dreaming feast which would leave you hungry in the morning § 20. Direct 18. Remember still that the greatest hurt that the Creature can do thee is in being Direct 18. overloved and desired and it is never so dangerous to thee as when it seemeth most desirable If you remembred this aright you would be cast into the greatest fear and caution when any thing below is presented very pleasing and desirable to you § 21. Direct 19. Consider that your desires do but make those wants a burden and misery to you Direct 19. which otherwise would be none Thirst makes the want of drink a torment which to another is no pain or trouble at all The lustful wanton is ready to die for love of the desired mate which no body else cares for nor is ever the worse for being without A proud ambitious Haman thinks himself undone if he be not honoured and is vexed if he be but cast down into the mean condition of a farmer When many thousand honest contented men live merrily and quietly in as low a condition It is mens own Desires and not their real wants which do torment them § 22. Direct 20. Remember that when you have done all if God love you he will be the chooser Direct 20. and will not grant your sick desires but will correct you for them till they are cured If your child cry for a knife or for unwholesom meat or any thing that would hurt him you will quiet him with the rod if he give not over And it is a sign some rod of God is near you when you are sick for this or that or the other thing and will not be quiet and content unless your fansie and concupiscence be humoured Tit. 4. Directions against sinful Mirth and Pleasure § 1. MIrth is sinful 1. When men rejoyce in that which is evil as in the hurt of others or in mens Stoici dicunâ— severos esse â—apâ—entes quod neque ipsi â—oquantur ad voluptatem nâ—que ab aliis ad voluptatem dicta admittant Esse autem alios severos qui ad rationem acris vini severi dicantur quo ad medicamenta potius quam ad propinationeÌ„ utuntur Laert. in Zenone sin or in the sufferings of Gods servants or the afflictions of the Church or the success or prosperity of the enemies of Christ or of any evil cause This is one of the greatest sins in the world and one of the greatest signs of wickedness when wickedness is it that they rejoyce in 2. When it is unseasonable or in an unmeet subject As to be merry in the time and place of mourning to feast when we should fast or for an unsanctisied miserable soul to be taken up in mirth that is in the power of sin and satan and near to Hell 3. Mirth is sinful when it tendeth to the committing of sin or is managed by sin as to make merry with lies and fables and tempting unnecessary time-wasting dances plays or recreations or with the slander or abuse of others or with drunkenness gluttony or excess 4. Mirth is sinful when it is a hinderance to our duty and unfitteth
cannot do with greater assemblies yea and to omit some assemblies for a time that we may thereby have opportunity for more which is not formal but only material obedience 4. But if it be only some circumstances of Assembling that are forbidden us that is the next case to be resolved Quest. 110. Must we obey the Magistrate if he only forbid us Worshiping God in such a place or Countrey or in such numbers or the like Answ. WE must distinguish between such a determination of Circumstances modes or accidents What if we be forbidden only Place Numbers c. as plainly destroy the worship or the end and such as do not For instance 1. He that â—aith You shall never assemble but once a year or never but at midnight or never above six or seven minutes at once c. doth but determine the circumstance of Time But he doth it so as to destroy the worship which cannot so be done in consistency with its ends But he that shall say You shall not meet till nine a clock nor stay in the night c. doth no such thing So 2. He that saith You shall not assemble but at forty miles distance one from another or you shall meet only in a room that will hold but the twentieth part of the Church or you shall never Preach in any City or popular place but in a Wilderness far from the inhabitants c. doth but determine the circumstance of Place But he so doth it as tends to destroy or frustrate the work which God commandeth us But so doth not he that only boundeth Churches by Parish bounds or forbâ—deth inconvenient places 3. So he that â—aith You shall never meet under a hundred thousand together or never above five or six doth but determine the accident of Number But he so doth it as to destroy the work and end For the first will be impossible And in the second way they must keep Church assemblies without Ministers when there is not so many as for every such little number to have one But so doth not he that only saith You shall not meet above ten thousand nor under ten 4. So he that saith You shall not hear a Trinitarian but an Arrian or you shall hear only one that cannot preach the essentials of Religion or that cryes down Godliness it self or you shall hear none but such as were ordained at Ierusalem or Rome or none but such as subscribe the Council of Trent c. doth but determine what person we shall hear But he so doth it as to destroy the work and end But so doth not he that only saith You shall hear only this able Minister rather than that 2. I need not stand on the application In the later case we owe formal obedience In the former we must suffer and not obey For if it be meet so to obey it is meet in obedience to give over Gods worship Christ said when Mat. 10. 13. Maâ— 16. 15. Maâ— 28. 19. 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. 4. 1 2 â— they persecute you in one City flee to another But he never said If they forbid you Preaching in any City or populous place obey them He that said Preach the Gospel to every Creature and to all Nations and all the World and that would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth doth not allow us to forsake the souls of all that dwell in Cities and populous places and Preach only to some few Cottingers elsewhere No more than he will allow us to Love pity and relieve the bodies only of those few and take none for our Neighbours that dwell in Cities but with Priest and Levite to pass them by Quest. 111. Must Subjects or servants forbear weekly Lectures Reading or such helps above the Lords dayes worship if Princes or Masters do command it Answ. 1. THere is great difference between a meer subject or person governed and a servant slâ—ve or child 2. There is great difference between such as are hindered by just cause and real necessities and such as are hindered only through prophane malignity 1. Poor people have not so much leisure from their callings as the Rich And so providing for their families may at that time by necessity become the greater and the present duty 2. So may it be with Souldiers Judges and others that have present urgent work of publick consequence when others have no such impediment 3. He that is the child or slave of another or is his own by propriety is more at his power than he that is only a subject and so is but to be Governed in order to his own and the common good 4. A servant that hath absolutely hired himself to another is for that time neer the condition of a slave But he that is hired but with limitations and exceptions of Liberty exprest or understood hath right to the excepted liberty 5. If the King forbid Judges Souldiers or others whose labours are due to the publick to hear Sermons at the time when they should do their work Or if Parents or Masters so forbid Children and servants they must be obeyed while they exclude not the publick Worship of the Lords own day nor necessary Prayer and duty in our private daily cases 6. But he that is under such bondage as hindereth the needful helps of his soul should be gone to a freer place if Lawfully he can But a Child Wife or such as are not free must trust on Gods help in the use of such means as he alloweth them 7. A Prince or Tutor or Schoolmaster who is not a Proprietor of the person but only a Governour is not to be obeyed formally and for Conscience sake if he forbid his Subjects or Scholars such daily or weekly helps for their salvation as they have great need of and have no necessity to forbear such as are hearing or assembling with the Church on the week dayes at convenient time Reading the Scriptures daily or good Books accompanying with men fearing God praying c. Because God hath commanded these when we can perform them Quest. 112. Whether Religious Worship may be given to a Creature and what Answ. WHile the terms of the Question remain ambiguous it is uncapable of an answer 1. By Worship is meant either Cultus in genere any honour expressed to another Or some special act of honour We must understand the Question in the first General sense or else we cannot answer it till men tell us what Acts of honouring they mean 2. By Religious is meant either in general that which we are bound to by God or is done by virtue of a Religious that is a Divine obligation and so is made part of our Religion that is of our obedience to God Or else by Religious is meant Divine or that which is properly due to God The question must be taken in the first general sense or else it is no question but
do it And so sweet is Revenge to their furious nature as the damning of men is to the Devil that Revenged they will be though they lose their souls by it And the impotency and baseness of their spirits is such that they say Flesh and blood is unable to bear it § 11. 10. Another cause of murder is a wicked impatience with neer relations and a hatred of those that should be most dearly loved Thus many men and women have murdered their Wives and Husbands when either Adulterous Lust hath given up their hearts to another or a cross impatient discontented mind hath made them seem intollerable burdens to each other And then the Devil that destroyed their love and brought them thus far will be their teacher in the rest and shew them how to ease themselves till he hath led them to the Gallows and to Hell How necessary is it to keep in the way of duty and abhor and suppress the beginnings of sin § 12. 11. And sometimes Covetousness hath caused Murder when one man desireth another mans estate Thus Ahab came by Naboth's Vineyards to his cost And many a one desireth the death of another whose estate must fall to him at the others death Thus many a Child in heart is guilty of the murder of his Parents though he actually commit it not Yea a secret gladness when they are dead doth shew the guilt of some such desire◠while they were living And the very abatement of such moderate mourning as natural affection should procure because the estate is thereby come to them as the heirs doth shew that such are far from innocent Many a Iudas for Covetousness hath betrayed another Many a false witness for Covetousness hath sold anothers life Many a Thief for Covetousness hath taken away anothers life to get his money And many a Covetous Landlord hath longed for his Tenants death and been glad to hear of it And many a Covetous Souldier hath made a trade of killing men for Money So true is it that the Love of money is the root of all evil and therefore is one cause of this § 13. 12. And Ambition is too common a Cause of Murder among the great ones of the World How many have dispatched others out of the World because they stood in the way of their advancement For a long time together it was the ordinary way of Rising and dying to the Roman and Greek Emperours for one to procure the murder of the Emperour that he might usurp his Seat and then to be so murdered by another himself And every Souldier that looked for preferment by the change was ready to be an instrument in the fact And thus hath even the Roman seat of his Mock Holiness for a long time and oft received its Successours by the poison or other murdering of the possessours of the desired place And alas how many thousand hath that See devoured to defend its Universal Empire under the name of the spiritual Headship of the Church How many unlawful Wars have they raised or cherished even against Christian Emperours and Kings How many thousands have been Massacred How many Assassinate as Hen. 3. and Hen. 4. of France Besides those that fires and Inquisitions have consumed And all these have been the flames of Pride Yea when their fellow-Sectaries in Munster and in England the Anabaptists and Seekers have catcht some of their proud disease it hath workt in the same way of blood and cruelty § 14. 2. But besides these twelves great sins which are the nearest cause of Murder there are many more which are yet greater and deeper in nature which are the Roots of all especially these 1. The first cause is the want of true Belief of the Word of God and the judgement and punishment to come and the want of the Knowledge of God himself Atheism and Infidelity 2. Hence cometh the want of the true Fear of God and subjection to his holy Laws 3. The predominance of selfishness in all the unsanctified is the radical inclination to murder and all the injustice that is committed 4. And the want of Charity or Loving our Neighbour as our selves doth bring men neer to the execution and leaveth little inward restraint § 15. By all this you may see how this sin must be prevented and let not any man think it a needless work Thousands have been guilty of murder that once thought themselves as far from it as you 1. The soul must be possessed with the Knowledge of God and the true Belief of his Word and judgement 2. Hereby it must be possessed of the Fear of God and subjection to him 3. And the Love of God must mortifie the power of selfishness 4. And also much possess us with a true Love to our neighbours yea and enemies for his sake 5. And the twelve fore-mentioned causes of murder will thus be destroyed at the Root § 16. II. And some further help it will be to understand the Greatness of this sin Consider therefore 1. It is an unlawful destroying not only a Creature of God but one of his noblest Creatures upon earth Even one that beareth at least the natural Image of God Gen. 9. 5 6. And surely your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it and at the hand of man at the hand of every mans brother will I require the life of man whoso sheddeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed for in the image of God made he man Yea God will not only have the beast slain that killeth a man but also forbiddeth there the eating of blood v. 4. that man might not be accustomed to cruelty 2. It is the opening a door to confusion and all calamity in the World For if one man may kill another without the sentence of the Magistrate another may kill him and the world will be like Mastiffs or mad Dogs turned all loose on one another kill that kill can 3. If it be a wicked man that is killed it is the sending of a soul to Hell and cutting off his time of Repentance and his hopes If it be a Godly man it is a depriving of the World of the blessing of a profitable member and all that are about him of the benefits of his goodness and God of the service which he was here to have performed These are enough to infer the dreadful consequents to the Murderer which are such as these III. 1. It is a sin which bringeth so great a guilt that if it be repented of and pardoned yet Conscience very hardly doth ever attain to peace and quietness in this World And if it be unpardoned it is enough to make a man his own Executioner and tormenter 2. It is a sin that seldome scapeth vengeance in this life If the Law of the Land take not away their lives as God appointeth Gen. 9. 6. God useth to follow them with his extraordinary Plagues and causeth their sin
it is to himself But if a friend to whom you are beholden for the carriage lose it who undertook no more than to bestow his labour the loss must be yours yea though it was his negligence or drunkenness that was the fault For you took him and trusted him as he is But if a servant or one obliged to do it by hire do without any other agreement only undertake to serve you in it and loseth it the Law or custome of the Countrey is instead of a Contract For if the Law or Custome lay the loss on him it is supposed that he consented to it in consenting to be your servant If it lay it on you it is supposed that you took your servant on such terms of hazard But if it be left undecided by Law and Custome you may make your servant pay only so much as is a proportionable penalty for his fault but no more as any satisfaction for your loss except you agreed with him to repay such losses as were by his default And when it is considered what strict Iustice doth require it must also be considered what Charity and mercy doth require that the poor be not oppressed Tit. 7. Directions to Merchants Factors Chaplains Travellers that live among Infidels Quest. 1. IS it lawful to put ones self or servants especially young unstablished apprentices into Quest. 1. the temptations of an Infidel Countrey or a Popish for the getting of Riches as Merchants Leg Steph. Vinan Pigâ— in Hercale prodigo pag. 130 131 132. Cui peregrinatio dulcis est non amat patriam si dulcis est patria amara est peregrinatio Aâ—gust do Answ. This cannot be truly answered without distinguishing 1. Of the Countreys they go from 2. Of the places they go to 3. Of the quality of the persons that go 4. Of the causes of their going I. Some Countrys that they go from may be as bad as those that they go to or in a state of War when it is better be absent or in a time of persecution or at least of greater temptation than they are like to have abroad And some are contrarily as a Paradise in comparison of those they go to for holiness and helps to Heaven and for peace and opportunities of serviceableness to God and the publick good II. Some Countreys which they may go to may have as good helps for their souls as at home if not by those of the Religion of the Nation yet by Christians that live among them or by the company which goeth with them or at least there may be no great temptations to change their Religion or debauch them either through the civility and moderation of those they live among or through their sottish ignorance and viciousness which will rather turn mens hearts against them But some Countreys have so strong temptations to corrupt mens understandings through the subtilty of seducers and some have such allurements to debauch men and some such cruelties to tempt them to deny the truth that it is hard among them to retain ones innocency III. Some that go abroad are understanding setled Christians able to make good use of other mens errors and sins and ill examples or suggestions and perhaps to do much good on others But some are young and raw and unexperienced whose heads are unfurnished of those Evidences and Reasons by which they should hold fast their own profession against the cunning reasonings of an adversary and their Hearts unfurnished of that Love to truth and that serious resolution which is necessary to their safety and therefore are like to be corrupted IV. Some are sent by their Princes as Agents or Embassadours on employments necessary to the publick good And some are sent by Societies on business necessary to the ends of the society And some go in case of extream poverty and necessity having no other way of maintenance at home And some go in obedience to their Parents and Masters that command it them And some go to avoid the miseries of a War or the danger of a sharp persecution at home or the greater temptations of a debauched or seducing age or some great temptations in their families But some go for fancy and some for meer covetousness without any need By these distinctions the case may be answered by men that are judicious and impartial As I. Affirm 1. It is lawful for Embassadours to go among Infidels that are sent by Princes or States Because the publick good must be secured 2. It is lawful for the Agents of Lawful Societies or Trading Companies to go caeteris paribus the persons being capable Because Trade must be promoted which tendeth to the common good of all Countreys 3. It is not only lawful but one of the best works in the world for fit persons to go on a design to convert the poor Infidels and Heathens where they go Therefore the Preachers of the Gospel should not be backward to take any opportunity as Chaplains to Embassadours or to Factories c. to put themselves in such a way 4. It is lawful for a Son or Servant whose bonds extend to such a service to go in obedience to a Superiours command And Gods special protection may be trusted in a way of obedience 5. It is lawful for one in debt to go that hath probable hopes that way and no other to pay his debts Because he is a defrauder if he detain other mens money while a lawful way of repaying it may be taken 6. It is lawful for a duly qualified person to go in case of extream poverty to be able to live in the world And that poverty may be called extream to one that was Nobly born and educated which would be no poverty to one that was bred in beggery 7. It is lawful for a well qualified person who desireth Riches to serve God and to do good with to go in a way of trading though he be in no poverty or necessity himself Because Gods blessing on a lawful Trade may be desired and endeavoured and he that should do all the good he can may use what lawful means he can to be enabled to do it And other mens wants should be to us as our own and therefore we may endeavour to be able to relieve them 8. In a time of such Civil War when a man knoweth not which side to take it may be better for some men to live abroad yea among Infidels 9. There is little to disswade a man whose Trade leadeth him into a Countrey that is better than his own or so sottish as to have small temptation and that hath the company of faithful Christians with whom he may openly worship God and privately converse to his spiritual edification 10. In urgent cases one may go for a time where he can have no use of publick Church-Worship so be it he have private means and opportunities of holy living 11. It is lawful on less occasions to leave ones own Countrey in a time
of flesh and blood which maketh you pretend Moderation and Peace and that it is a sign that you are hypocrites that are so lukewarm and carnally comply with error and that the cause of God is to be followed with the greatest zeal and self denyal And all this is true if you be but sure that it is indeed the cause of God and that the greater works of God be not neglected on such pretences and that your Zeal be much greater for Faith and Charity and Unity than for your opinions But upon great experience I must tell you that of the zealous contenders in the world that cry up The Cause of Consuming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 use at 〈◊〉 â—o 〈◊〉 up the owners of it Whatever tâ—â—y say oâ— do against others in theâ—â— inâ—â—mperaâ—e violâ—nce they teach otherâ— at last to say and do against them when they have opportunity How the Orâ—â—odox taught the Aâ—â—iaâ—s to use severity against them may be sâ—en in Victor utic p. 447 448 449. in the Edict of Hunneâ—yâ—hus â—â—gem quam dudum Christiani Imperatores nostri contra eos alios haereticos pro honorisicentia Ecclesiae Catholiâ—ae dedâ—runâ— adversus nos illi proponere non eâ—ubuerunt v. g. Rex Hun. c. Triumphalis Majestatis Regiae probatur esâ—e virtutis mâ—â—a in autores conâ—lia retorquere Quisquis enim pravitatis aliquid invenerit sibi imputet quod incurrit Nullâ—s 〈◊〉 homâ—usion Saceâ—doâ—es assumanâ— nec aliquid mysteriâ—â—um quae magis polluunt sibi vendicenâ— Nullam habeant oâ—dinandi licentiam Quod ipsaâ—um legum continentia demonstratur quas induxiâ—â—e Imperaâ—oâ—ibuâ— c. viz. Ut nulla exceptâ—s superstiti 〈…〉 s suae â—nâ—stibus Ecclesia pateret nuâ—lâ—s liceret aliis aut convictus agere aut exercere convâ—ntâ—s nec Ecclesias auâ— in uâ—â—iâ—â—â—â— aut in quibuâ—dam 〈◊〉 locis God and Truth there is not one of very many that understandeth what he talks of but some of them cry up the Cause of God when it is a brat of a proud and ignorant brain and such as a judicious person would be ashamed of And some of them are rashly zealous before they have parts or time to come to any judicious tryal and some of them are mis-guided by some person or party that captivateth their minds and some of them are hurried away by passion and discontent and many of the ambitious and worldly are blinded by their carnal interests and many of them in meer pride think highly of an Opinion in which they are somewhat singular and which they can with some glorying call their Own as either invented by them or that in which they think they know more than ordinary men do And abundance after longer experience confess that to have been their own erroneous cause which they before entitled the Cause of God Now when this is the case and one cryeth Here is Christ and another There is Christ one saith This is the cause of God and another saith That is it no man that hath any care of his Conscience or of the honour of God and his profession will leap before he looketh where he shall alight or run after every one that will whistle him with the name or pretence of truth or a good cause It is a sad thing to go on many years together in censuring opposing and abusing thâ—se that are against you and in seducing others and mis-imploying your zeal and parts and time and poysoning all your prayers and discourses and in the end to see what mischief you have done for want of knowledge and with Paul to confess that you were mad in opposing the truth and servants of God though you did it in a zeal of God through ignorance Were it not much better to stay till you have tryed the ground and prevent so many years grievous sin than to scape by a sad repentance and leave behind you stinking and venemous fruits of your mistake And worse if you never repent your selves Your own and your Brethrens souls are not so lightly to be ventured upon dangerous untryed wayes It will not make the Truth and Church amends to say at last I had thought I had done well Let those go to the Wars of disputing and 〈◊〉 and câ—nsuâ—ing and siding with a Sect that are riper and better understand the cause Wars are not for Children Do you suspend your judgement till you can solidly and certainly inform it and serve God in Charity quietness and peace And it s two to one but you will live to see the day that the contenders that would have led you into their Wars will come off with so much loss themselves as will teach them to approve your peaceable course or teach you to bless God that kept you in your place and duty § 3. In all this I deny not but every truth of God is to be valued at a very high rate and that he that shall carry himself in a neutrality when Faith or Godliness is the matter in controversie or shall do it meerly for his worldly ends to save his stake by temporizing is a false-hearted hypocrite and at the heart of no Religion But withal I tell you that all is not matter of Faith or Godliness that the Autonomian-Papist the Antinomian-Libertine or other passionate parties shall call so And that as we must avoid contempt of the smallest Truth so we must much more avoid the most heinous sins which we may commit for the defending of an error And that some Truths must be silenced for a time though not denyed when the contending for them is unseasonable and tendeth to the injury of the Church If you were Masters in the Church you must not teach your Scholars to their hurt though it be truth you teach them And if you were Physicions you must not cramm them or Medicate them to their hurt Your power and duty is not to Destruction but to Edification The good of the Patient is the end of your Physick All Truth is not to be spoken nor all Good to be done by all men nor at all times He that will do contrary and take this for a carnal principle doth but call folly and sin by the name of zeal and duty and set the house on fire to rost his Egg and with the Pharisees prefer the outward rest of their Sabbath before his Brothers life or health Take heed what you do when Gods honour and mens souls and the Churches peace are concerned in it § 4. And let me tell you my own observation As far as my judgement hath been able to reach the men that have stood for Pacification and Moderation have been the most judicious and those that have best understood themselves in most controversies that ever I heard under debate among good Christians And those that suriously censured them as lukewarm or corrupted have been men that had least judgement and most passion pride and foul mistakes in the points in question § 5. Nay I will tell you
Answ. tween the Being of a duty and the Knowledge of a duty and remember that the first Question is whether this be my duty and the next How I may discern it to be my duty And that God giveth it the Being by his Law and Conscience is but to know and use it And that God changeth not his Law and our duty as oft as our opinions change about it The obligation of the Law is still the same though our Consciences err in apprehending it otherwise Therefore if God command you a duty and your opinion be that he doth not command it or that he forbids it and so that it is no duty or that it is a sin it doth not follow that indeed God commands it not because you think so Else it were no error in you nor could it be possible to err if the thing become true because you think it to be true God commandeth you to Love him and to worship him and to nourish your children and to obey the higher powers c. And do you think you shall be discharged from all these duties and allowed to be prophane or sensual or to resist authority or to famish your children if you can but be blind enough to think that God would have it so 2. Your error is a sin it self And do you think that one sin must warrant another or that sin can discharge you from your duty and disannull the Law 3. You are a subject to God and not a King to your self and therefore you must obey his Laws and not make new ones § 33. Quest. 2. But is it not every mans duty to obey his Conscience Quest. Answ. Answ. No It is no mans duty to obey his Conscience in an error when it contradicteth the command of God Conscience is but a Discerner of Gods command and not at all to be obeyed strictly as a Commander but it is to be obeyed in a larger sense that is to be followed where ever it truly discerneth the command of God It is our duty to lay by our error and seek the cure of it till we attain it and not to obey it § 34. Quest. 3. But is it not a sin for a man to go against his Conscience Quest. Answ. Answ. Yes Not because Conscience hath any authority to make Laws for you but because interpretatively you go against God For you are bound to obey God in all things and when you think that God commandeth you a thing and yet you will not do it you disobey formally though not materially The Matter of Obedience is the thing commanded The form of obedience is our doing the thing because it is commanded when the Authority of the Commander causeth us to do it Now you reject the Authority of God when you reject that which you think he commandeth though he did not Quest. § 35. Quest. 4. Seeing the form of obedience is the being of it and denominateth which the Matter doth not without the form and there can be no sin which is not against the authority of God which is the formal cause of obedience is it not then my duty to follow my Conscience Answ. Answ. 1. There must be an integrity of causes or concurrence of all necessaries to make up Obedience though the want of any one will make a sin If you will be called Obedient you must have the matter and form because the true form is found in no other matter You must do the thing commanded because of his Authority that commandeth it If it may be called really and formally Obedience when you err yet it is not that obedience which is acceptable For it is not any kind of obedience but obedience in the thing commanded that God requireth 2. But indeed as long as you err sinfully you are also wanting in the form as well as the matter of your obedience though you intend Obedience in the particular act It is not only a willful opposing and positive rejecting the Authority of the Commander which is formal disobedience but it is any Privation of due subjection to it when his Authority is not so regarded as it ought to be and doth not so powerfully and effectually move us to our duty as it ought Now this formal disobedience is found in your erroneous Conscience For if Gods Authority had moved you as it should have done to diligent enquiry and use of all appointed means and to the avoiding of all the causes of error you had never erred about your duty For if the error had been perfectly involuntary and blameless the thing could not have been your particular duty which you could not possibly come to know Quest. § 36. Quest. 5. But if it be a sin to go against my Conscience must I not avoid that sin by obeying it Would you have me sin Answ. Answ. You must avoid the sin by changing your judgement and not by obeying it For that is but to avoid one sin by committing another An erring judgement is neither obeyed nor disobeyed without sin It can make you sin though it cannot make you duty It doth ensnare though not oblige If you follow it you break the Law of God in doing that which he forbids you If you forsake it and go against it you reject the authority of God in doing that which you think he forbids you So that there is no attaining to innocence any other way but by coming first to Know your duty and then to do it If you command your servant to weed your corn and he mistake you and verily think that you bid him pull up the corn and not the weeds what now should he do Shall he follow his judgement or go against it Neither but change it and then follow it and to that end enquire further of your mind till he be better informed and no way else will serve the turn § 37. Quest. 6. Seeing no man that erreth doth know or think that he erreth for that 's a contradiction Quest. how can I lay by that opinion or strive against it which I take to be the truth Answ. It is your sin that you take a falshood to be a truth God hath appointed means for the Answ. cure of blindness and error as well as other sins or else the world were in a miserable case Come into the light with due self-suspicion and impartiallity and diligently use all Gods means and avoid the causes of deceit and error and the Light of Truth will at once shew you the Truth and shew you that before you erred In the mean time sin will be sin though you take it to be duty or no sin § 38. Quest. 7. But seeing he that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with Quest. 〈…〉 â—e that knoweth it not with few is it not my duty chiefly to avoid the many 〈…〉 against my Conscience or Knâ—wledge Answ. 1. Your duty is to avoid both and if
that giveth me all Life is not for meat or drink or play but these are for Life and Life for the higher Ends of Life § 16. 2. Look unto thy Redeemer drowsie soul and consider for what end he did Redeem thee Was it to wander a few years about the earth and to sleep and sport a while in flesh Or was it to crucifie thee to the world and raise thee up to the Love of God He came down to Earth from Love it self being full of Love to shew the Loveliness of God and reconcile thee to him and take away the enmity and by Love to teach thee the art of Love His Love constrained him to offer himself a Sacrifice for sin to make thee a Priest thy self to God to offer up the Sacrifice of an enflamed heart in love and praise And wilt thou disappoint thy Redeemer and disappoint thy self of the benefits of his Love The Means is for the End Thou maist as well say I would not be Redeemed as to say I would not Love the Lord. § 17. 3. And bethink thy self O drowsie soul for what thou wast Regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit Was it not that thou mightst KNOW and LOVE the Lord What is the Spirit of Adoption that is given to Believers but a Spirit of predominant Love to God Gal. 4. 6. Thou couldst have loved Vanity and doted on thy fleshly friends and pleasures without the Spirit of God It was not for these but to destroy these and kindle a more noble heavenly fire in thy breast that the Spirit did renew thee Examine search and try thy self whether the Spirit hath sanctified thee or not Knowest thou not that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his 2 Cor. 13. 5. Rom. 8. 9. And if Christ and his Spirit be in thee thy Love is dead to earthly vanity and quickned and raised to the most Holy God Live then in the Spirit if thou have the Spirit To walk in the Spirit is to walk in Love Hath the Regenerating Spirit given thee on purpose a new principle of Love and done so much to excite it and been blowing at the Coals so oâ—t and shall thy carnality or sluggishness yet extinguish it As thou wouldst not renounce or contemn thy Creation thy Redemption and Regeneration contemn not and neglect not the Love of thy Creator Redeemer and Regenerater which is the End of all § 18. Direct 2. Think of the perfect fitness of God to be the only Object of thy superlative Love Direct 2. and how easie and necessary it should seem to us to do a work so agreeable to right Reason and uncorrupted Nature and abhorr all temptations which would make God seem unsuitable to thee O sluggish and unnatural soul Should not an object so admirably â—it allure thee Should not such attractive Goodness draw thee Should not perfect amiableness win thee wholly to it self Do but know thy self and God and then forbear to love him if thou canst Where should the fish live but in the Water And where should Birds flye but in the Air God is thy very Element Thou dyest and sinkest down to brutishness if thou forsake him or be taken from him What should delight the smell but odours or the appetite but its delicious food or the eye but Light and what it sheweth and the ear but harmony And what should delight the soul but God If thou know thy self thou knowest that the Nature of thy Mind inclineth to knowledge and by the knowledge of effects to rise up to the cause and by the knowledge of lower and lesser matters to ascend to the highest and greatest And if thou know God thou knowest that he is the cause of all things the Maker Preserver and Orderer of all the Being of Beings the most Great and Wise and Good and Happy so that to know him is to know all to know the most excellent independent glorious being that will leave no darkness nor unsatisfied desire in thy soul. And is he not then most suitable to thy mind If thou know thy self then thou knowest that thy will as free as it is hath a natural necessary inclination to goodness Thou canst not Love evil as evil nor canst thou choose but Love apprehended goodness especially the chiefest good if rightly apprehended And if thou know God thou knowest that he is Infinitely good in himself and the Cause of all the good that is in the world and the giver of all the good thou hast received and the only fit and suitable good to satisfie thy desires for the time to come And yet shall it be so hard to thee to Love so agreeably to perfect Nature so Perfect and full and suitable a good even goodness and Love it self which hath begun to Love thee Is any of the Creatures which thou Lovest so suitable to thee Are they good and only Good and Perfectly Good and unchangeably and eternally Good Are they the spring of comfort and the satisfying happiness of thy soul Hast thou found them so Or dost thou look to find them best at last Foolish soul Canst thou love the uneven defective troublesome creature if to some one small inferiour use it seemeth suitable to thee and canst thou not Love him that is all that rational Love can possibly desire to enjoy What though the creature be near thee and God be infinitely above thee He is nearer to thee than they And though in glory he be distant thou art passing to him in his glory and wilt presently be there Though the Sun be distant from thee it communicateth to thee its Light and Heat and is more suitable to thee than the Candle that is nearer thee What though God be most Holy and thou too earthly and unclean Is he not the fitter to purifie thee and make thee Holy Thou hadst rather if thou be poor have the company and favour of the Rich that can relieve thee than of beggars that will but complain with thee And if thou be unlearned or ignorant thou wouldst have the company of the wise and learned that can teach thee and not of those that are as ignorant as thy self Who is so suitable to thy Desires as he that hath all that thou canst wisely desire and is willing and ready to satisfie thee to the full Who is more suitable to thy Love than he that Loveth thee most and hath done most for thee and must do all that ever will be done for thee and is himself most lovely in his infinite perfections O poor diseased lapsed soul if sin had not corrupted and distempered and perverted thee thou wouldst have thought God as suitable to thy Love as meat to thy hunger and drink to thy thirst and rest to thy weariness and as the earth and water the Air and Sun are to the inhabitants of the world O whither art thou fallen and how far how long hast thou wandered from thy God that thou now drawest
feed the poor and give thy body to be burnt and have not Love it will profit thee nothing If thou speak with the tongue of Men and Angels and hast not Love thou art but as sounding brass or a tinkling Cymbal If thou canst prophecie and preach to admiration and understand all mysteries and knowledge and hadst faith to do miracles and have not Love thou art Nothing 1 Cor. 13. 1 2 3. Thou hast but a shadow and wantest that which is the substance and life of all Come then and make an agreement with God and resolve now to Offer him thy Heart He asketh thee for nothing which thou hast not It is not for riches and lands that he seeketh to thee for then the poor might say as Peter silver and gold have I none Give him but such as thou hast and it sufficeth He knoweth that it is a polluted sinful heart but give it him and he will make it clean He knoweth that it is an unkind heart that hath stood out too long but give it him yet and he will pardon and accept it He knoweth that it is an unworthy heart but give it him and he will be its worth Only see that you give it him entirely and unreservedly for he will not bargain with the Devil or the world for the dividing of thy heart between them A half heart and a hollow heart that is but lent him till fleshly interest or necessity shall call for it again he will not accept Only resign it to him and do but Consent that thy Heart be his and entirely and absolutely his and he will take it and use it as his own It is his own by title Let it be also so by thy Consent If God have it not who shall have it Shall the world or pride or fleshly lust Did they make it or did they purchase it Will they be better to thee in the time of thy extremity Do they bid more for thy heart than God will give thee He will give thee his Son and his Spirit and Image and the forgiveness of all thy sins If the greatest gain or honour or pleasure will win it and purchase it he will have it If Heaven will buy it he will not break with thee for the price Hath the world and sin a greater price than this to give thee And what dost thou think that he will do with thy Heart and how will he use it that thou art loth to give it him Will he blind it and deceive it and corrupt it and abuse it and at last torment it as Satan will do No he will more illuminate it and cleanse it and quicken it Psalm 51. 10. Ephes. 2. 1. Ier. 24. 7. He will make it new and heal and save it Ezek. 36. 26. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Tit. 3. 3. 5. and 2. 14. He will advance and honour it with the highest relations imployments and delights For Christ hath said John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be If any man serve me him will my Father honour He will Love it and govern it and comfort it and the Heart that is delivered to him shall be kept â—ear unto his own John 26. 27. For the Father himself loveth you saith Christ because you have loved me Whereas if thou deliver not thy heart to him it will feed on the poyson of Iuscious vanity which will gripe and tear it when it is down it will be like a house that nothing dwelleth in but Dogs and Flies and Worms and Snakes it will be like one that is lost in the Wilderness or in the night that tireth himself in seeking the way home and the longer the worse Despair and Restlesness will be its companions for ever Let me now once more in the name of God bespeak thy Heart I will not use his commands or threatnings to thee now though these as seconds must be used because that Love must have attractive arguments and is not raised by meer authority or fear If there be not Love and Goodness enough in God to deserve the highest affections of every reasonable creature then let him go and give thy Heart to one that 's better Hear how God pleadeth his own cause with an unkind unthankful people Mic. 6. 2 3. Hear O ye mountains the Lords controversie O my people what have I done unto thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me What is there in him to turn away thy heart Let malice it self say the worst without notorious impudence against him What hath he ever done that deserveth thy disaffection and neglect What wouldst thou have to win a heart that is not in him For which of his mercies or excellencies is it that thou thus contemnest and abusest him What dost thou want that he cannot yea or will not give thee Doth not thy tongue speak honourably of his Goodness while thy heart contradicteth it and denieth all What hast thou found that will prove better to thee Is it sin or God that must be thy glory rest and joy if thou wilt not be a firebrand of restlesness and misery for ever What saist thou yet sinner Shall God or the world and fleshly pleasures have thy Heart Art thou not yet convinced which best deserveth it and which will be best to it Canst thou be a loser by him Will he make it worse and sin make it better Or wilt thou ever have cause to repent of giving it up to God as thou hast of giving it to the world and sin I tell thee if God have not thy Heart it were well for thee if thou hadst no Heart I had a thousand times rather have the Heart of a dog or the basest creature than that mans heart that followeth his fleshly lusts and is not unfeignedly delivered up to God through Christ. If I have not prevailed with your hearts for God by all that I have said your Consciences shall yet bear me witness that I shewed you Gods title and love and goodness and said that which ought to have prevailed and you shall find ere long who it is that will have the worst of it But if you resolve and Give them presently to God he will entertain them and sanctifie and save them And this happy day and work will be the Angels joy Luke 15. 7 10. and it will be my joy and especially your own everlasting joy DIRECT XII Trust God with that soul and body which thou hast delivered up and dedicated to Gr. Dir. 12. him and quiet thy mind in his Love and faithfulness whatever shall appear to To Trust in God thee or befall thee in the world § 1. I Shall here briefly shew you 1. What is the Nature of this Trust in God 2. What are the Of the nature of Affiance and faith I have written moâ—e â—ulâ—y in my Dispuration with Dr. Baâ—low of Sâ—viâ—g Faith contraries to it 3. What are the
adversaries for Hypocrisie as if he were not an Hypocrite himself Because he can accuse them of a Heart-sin without any visible control If he called them Drunkards or Swearers or Persecutors or Oppressors all that know them could know that he belyeth them but when he speaks about matters in the It is one of Thaâ—es sayings in Laâ—â—t Q. Quomodo optime ac justissime vâ—vemus Resp. si quae in aliis reprehendimâ—s ipsi non faciamus To judge of our selves as we judge of others is the way of the since re dark he thinks the reputation of his lies have more advantage Many a word you hear from him how bad his adversaries are but if such hypocritical talk did not tell you he would not tell you how bad he is himself § 15. Direct 10. Be impartial and set your selves before your consciences in the Case of others Direct 10. Think with your selves How should I Judge of this in such and such a man that I use to blame What should I say of him if my adversary did as I do And is it not as bad in me as in him Is not the sin most dangerous to me that is nearest me And should I be more vigilant over any mans faults than my own My damnation will not be caused by his sin but by my own it may Instead of seeing the gnat in his eye I have more cause to cast out a gnat from my own than a camel from his § 16. Direct 11. Study first to be whatever judiciously you desire to seem Desire a thousand Direct 11. times more to be Godly than to seem so and to be liberal than to be thought so and to be blameless Cato homo virtuâ—â— simillimus qui nunquam rectè fecit ut facere videretur sed quia aliter faceâ—e non poterat cuique id solum visum est rationem habere quod haberet justitiam Veleâ—us Patâ—râ—â—l l. 2. from every secret or presumptuous sin than to be esteemed such And when you feel a desire to be accounted good let it make you think how much more necessary and desirable it is to be good indeed To be godly is to be an heir of Heaven Your salvation followeth it But to be esteemed Godly is of little profit to you § 17. Direct 12. Overvalue not man and set no more by the approbation or applause of his thoughts Direct 12. or speeches of you than they are worth Hypocrisie much consisteth in overvaluing man and making too great a matter of his thoughts and words The Hypocrites Religion is Divine in Name but Humane Jâ—m in ecclesiis ista quâ—tuntur omissa Apâ—sâ—olicorum simplicitaâ—e puritate verborum quasi ad Athenaeâ—nâ— ad auditoria converitus ut plauâ—us circumstantiuâ— suscitentur ut oratio rhâ—toâ—icae artis facata mendacio quasi quaedam meretricula procedaâ— in publiâ—um non tam eâ—udâ—tura populos quam favorem populi quaesiâ—uâ—a Hi. oâ— iâ— prâ—s l. 3. in Galat. in deed It is man that he serveth and observeth most and the shame of the world is the evil which he most studiously avoideth And the high esteem and commendation of the world is his Reward O think what a silly worm is man And of how little moment are his thoughts or speeches of you in comparison of the Love of God His thoughts of you make you not the better or the worse And if they either lift you up or trouble you it is your proud and foolish fantasie that doth it when you might choose If you have not lost the key and government of your hearts shut you the door and keep all thence and let mens reproaches go no further than your ears and then what the worse will you be for all the liyâ—s and slanders of the world And besides the pleasing of an effeminate mind what the better are you for their applause § 18. Direct 13. Look upon all men that you converse with as ready to die and turn to dust and Direct 13. passing into that world where you will be little concerned in their censure or esteem of you If you do any thing before an infant you little care for his presence or observation of you Much less if it be before the dead If you knew that a man were to die to morrow though he were a Prince you would not be much sollicitous to avoid his censure or procure his applause because his thoughts all perish with him and it is a small matter what he thinks of you for a day Seeing therefore that all men are hasting to their dust and you are certain that all that applaud or censure you will be quickly gone how little should you regard their judgement Look that man in the face whose applause you desire or whose censure you fear and remember that he is a breathing clod of clay and how many such are now in the grave whose thoughts you once as much esteemed and this will make you more indifferent in the case § 19. Direct 14. At least remember that you are passing out of the world your selves and look every Direct 14. moment when you are called away and certainly know that you shall be here but a little while And is it any great matter what strangers think of you as you are passing by You can be contented that your name and worth and vertues be concealed in your Inn where you stay but a night and that they be unknown to travellers that meet you on the road The foolish expectation of more time on earth than God hath given you warrant to expect is the cause that we overvalue the judgement of man as well as other earthly things and is a great maintainer of every sensual vice § 20. Direct 15. Set your selves to the mortifying of Self-love and Pride For Hypocrisie is but Direct 15. the exercise of these Hypocrisie is dead so far as Pride is dead and so far as self-denial and humility prevail Hypocrisie is a proud desire to appear better than you are Be throughly humbled and vile in your own eyes and Hypocrisie is done § 21. Direct 16. Be most suspicious of your hearts in cases where self-interest or Passions are engaged Direct 16. For they will easily deal deceitfully and cheat your selves in the smoke and dust of such distempers Interest and Passion so blind the mind that you may verily think you are defending the truth and serving God in sincerity and zeal when all the while you are but defending some error of your own and serving your selves and fighting against God The Pharisees thought they took part with Gods Law and truth against Christ The Pope and his Cardinal and Prelates think as in charity I must think that it is for Christ and Unity and Truth that they endeavour to subject the world to their own power And what is it but Interest that blindeth them into such Hypocrisie So passionate disputers do ordinarily deceive themselves and think verily
the Nature and the signs or effects of PRIDE consider next Direct 3. of the dreadful consequents and tendencie of it both as it leadeth to farther sin and unto misery Which I shall briefly open to you in some particulars § 82. 1. At the present it is the Heart of the old man and the root and life of all corruption and Aenaeas Sylvius it Boâ—m c. 65. Speaking of the boasting of the Monk Capistâ—inus saith superaverat seculi pompas calcaverat avaritiam libidinem sub egeraâ— gloriam contemnere non potuiâ— Nemo est tam sanctus qui dulcedine gloriae non capiatur Facilius regna viri excellenâ—es quam gloriam contemnunt Inter omnia vitia tu semper es prima semper es ultima nam omne peccatum te accedente committitur te recedente dimittâ—tur Innocent de contemp munai l. 2. c. 31. of dreadful signification if it be predominant If any mans heart be lifted up the Lord will have no pleasure in him or it is not upright in him Hab. 2. 4. I had rather have my soul in the case of an obscure humble Christian that is taken notice of by few or none but God and is content to approve himself to him than in the case of the highest and most eminent and honourable in Church or State that looks for the observation and praise of men God judgeth not of men by their great parts and profession and name but justifieth the humbled soul that is ashamed to lift up his face to Heaven and thinketh himself unworthy to speak to God or to have communion with his Church or to come among his servants but standing a far off smiteth upon his breast and saith in true Repentance O God be merciful to me a sinner Luke 18. 13. Pride is as a plague-mark on the soul. § 83. 2. There is scarce a sin to be thought on that is not a spawn in the bowels of Pride To stance in some few besides all that are expressed in the signs 1. It maketh men Hypocrites and 〈◊〉 what they are not for the praise of men 2. It makes men Lyars Most of the Lyes that are 〈◊〉 in the world are to avoid some disgrace and shame or to get men to think highly of them 〈◊〉 sin is committed against God or your superiors instead of humble confession Pride would coveâ—â—â—â— with a lye 3. It causeth covetousness that they may not want provision for their Pride 4. 〈◊〉 maketh men flatterers and time-servers and man-pleasers that they may win the good esteem others 5. It makes men run into profaneness and riotousness to do as others do to avoid 〈◊〉 shame of their reproach and scorn that else would account them singular and precise 6. It can talâ—â— men off from any duty to God that the company is against They dare not pray nor speak a serioâ—â— word of God for fear of a jear from a scorners mouth 7. It is so contentious a sin that it makes men firebrands in the societies where they live There is no quiet living with them longer than they have their own saying will and way They must bear the sway and not be crossed And when all is done there is no pleasing them for the missing of a word or a look or a complement will catch on their hearts as a spark on gunpowder 8. It tears in pieces Church and State Where was ever civil war raised or Kingdom endangered or ruined or Church divided oppressed or persecuted but Pride was the great and evident cause 9. It devoureth the mercies and good creatures of God and sacrificeth them to the Devil It is a chargeable sin What a deal doth it consume in cloaths and buildings and attendance and entertainments and unnecessary things 10. It is an odious thief and prodigal of precious time How many hours that should be better employed and must one day be accounted for are cast away upon the foresaid works of Pride Especially in the needless complements and visits of Gallants and the dressings of some vain light-headed women in which they spend allmost half the day and can scarce find an hour in a morning for prayer or meditation or reading the scriptures because they cannot be ready Forgetting how they disgrace their wretched bodies by telling men that they are so filthy or deformed that they cannot be kept sweet and cleanly and seemly without so long and much ado 11. It is odiously unjust A proud man makes no bones of any falshood slander deceit or cruelty if it seem but necessary to his greatness or honour or preferment or ambitious ends He careth not who he wrongeth or betrayeth that he may rise to his desired height or keep his greatness Never trust a Proud man further than his own interest bids you trust him 12. Pride is the pander of whoredom and uncleaneness It is an incentive to lust in themselves and draws the proud to adorn and set forth themselves in the most enticing manner as tends to provoke the lust of others Fain they would be thought comly that others may admire them and be taken with their comliness If they thought that none would see them they would spare their ornaments And if a common decencie were all that they affected they would spare their curiosities and fashionable superfluities Even they that would not be unclean in gross fornication with any yet would be esteemed beautiful and desirable and do that which tendeth to corrupt the minds of â—ools that see them These and indeed allmost all sin are the natural progenie of Pride § 85. 3. As to the misery which they bring on themselves and others 1. The greatest is that they forsake God and are in danger to be forsaken by him For God abhorreth the Proud and beholdeth them as afar off So far as you are Proud your are hated by him and have no acceptance or communion with him Pride is the highway to utter appostacie It blindeth the mind It maketh men confident in their own conceits and venturous upon any new opinion and ready to quarrel with the word of God before they understand it When any thing seems hard to them they presently suspect the truth of the matter when they should suspect their dark unfurnished minds Mark those that are Prâ—ud in any Town or any company of professors of piety and if any infection of heresie or infidelity come into that place these are the men that will soonest catch it Mark those that have turned from â—â—â—â— 4 6. â—â—â—â—â— â— â— Iâ—â— 5â— 1â— Prov. 16 19. Prov. 29 23. Vaâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—n are the â—â—â—â—rn of wise men â—he admâ—ration of tools the Idols oâ—â—â—attereâ—s and the slaveâ— oâ— their own Pride 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—â— â—â—â—â— â— 54. Truth or Godliness and see whether they be not such as were proud and superficial in Religion before But God giveth Grace and more Grace to the humble He dwelleth with them and delighteth in them 2. A proud man is a tormenter of himself
that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up Therefore be ye also ready For in such an hour as ye think not the son of man cometh Mar. 13. 33. Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is § 19. Direct 12. Never forget what attendance thou hast while thou art idling or sinning away thy Direct 12. Time How the patience and mercy of God are staying for thee And how Sun and Moon and all the creatures are all the while attending on thee And must God stand by while thou art yet a little longer abusing and offending him Must God stay till thy Cards and Dice and Pride and worldly unnecessary cares will dismiss thee and spare thee for his service Must he wait on the Devil and the world and the flesh to take their leavings and stay till they have done with thee Canst thou marvel if he make thee pay for this If he turn away and leave thee to spend thy time in as much vanity and idleness as thou desirest Must God and all his creatures wait on a careless sinner while he is at his fleshly pleasures Must life and time be continued to him while he is doing nothing that is worthy of his Life and time The long suffering of God did wait on the disobedient in the days of Noah 1 Pet. 3. 20. But how dear did they pay for the contempt of this forbearance § 20. Direct 13. Consider soberly of the ends for which thy life and Time are given thee by God Direct 13. God made not such a creature as man for nothing He never gave thee an hours Time for nothing The life and time of bruits and plants is given them to be serviceable to thee But what is thine for Dost thou think in thy Conscience that any of thy Time is given thee in vain When thou art sluging or idling or playing it away dost thou think in thy Conscience that thou art wisely and honestly answering the ends of thy Creation and Redemption and hourly preservation Dost thou think that God is so unwise or disregardful of thy Time and thee as to give thee more than thou hast need of Thou wilt blame thy Tailor if he cut out more cloath than will make thy garments meet for thee and agreeable to thy use And thou wilt blame thy Shoomaker if he make thy shoos too big for thee And dost thou think that God is so lavish of Time or so unskillful in his works of providence as to cut thee out more Time than the work which he hath cut thee out requireth He that will call thee to a reckoning for all hath certainly given thee none in vain If thou canst find an hour that thou hast â—othing to do with and must give no account for let that be the hour of thy pastime But if thou knewest thy need thy danger thy hopes and thy work thou wouldst never dream of having Time to spare For my own part I must tell thee if thou have Time to spare thy case is very much different from mine It is the daily trouble and burden of my mind to see how slowly my work goes on and how hastily my Time and how much I am like to leave undone which I would fain dispatch How great and important businesses are to be done and how short that life is like to be in which they must be done if ever Methinks if every day were as long as ten it were not too long for the work which is every day before me though not incumbent on me as my present duty for God requireth not impossibilities yet exceeding desirable to be done It is the Work that makes the Time a mercy The Time is for the Work If my work were done which the good of the Church and my soul requireth what cause had I to be glad of the ending â—â— my Time and to say with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Remember then that God never gave thee one minute to spend in vain but thy very ease and rest and recreations must be but such and so much as fit thee for thy work and as helps it on and do not hinder it He redeemed and preserveth us that we might serve him in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our lives Luke 1. 74 75. § 21. Direct 14. Remember still that the Time of this short uncertain life is all that ever you shall Direct 14. have for your preparation for your endless life When this is spent whether well or ill you shall have no more God will not try those with another life on earth that have cast away and mispent See mâ— Book called Now or Never this There is no returning hither from the dead to mend that which here you did amiss What good you will do must Now be done And what Grace you would get must Now be got And what preparation for Eternity you will ever make must Now be made 2 Cor. 6. 2. Behold now is the accepted time Behold now is the day of salvation Heb. 3. 7 13. Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned by the deceitfulness of sin Have you but one life here to live and will you lose that one or any part of it Your Time is already measured out The glass is turned upon you Rev. 10. 5 6. And the Angel lifted up his hand to Heaven and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever that Time should be no longer Therefore whatever thy â—and findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor devise nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Eccles. 9. 10. What then remaineth but that the Time being short and the fashion of these things passing away you use the world as if you used it not and redeem this Time for your eternal happiness 1 Cor. 7. 29. § 22. Direct 15. Remember still that sin and Satan will lose no time and therefore it concerneth Direct 15. you to lose none The Devil your adversary goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. Be sober therefore and vigilant to resist him V. 7 9. If he be busie and you be idle if he be at work in spreading his Nets and laying his snares for you and you be at play and do not mind him it is easie to fore-tell you what will be the issue If your enemies be fighting while you sit still or sleep it is easie to prognosticate who will have the Victory The weeds of corruption are continually growing sin like a constant spring is still running The world is still enticing and the flesh is still inclining to it
be ready to pour out to others and not be silent and lose his Time for want of matter or skill or zeal for in all these three your provision doth consist An ignorant empty person wants matter for his thoughts and words An Imprudent person wants skill to use it A careless cold indifferent person wants life to set his faculties on motion and oyl and poise to set the wheels of his soul and body a going Bethink you in the morning what company you are like to meet and what occasions of duty you are like to have and provide your selves accordingly before you go with matter and resolution Besides the general preparative of habitual Knowledge charity and zeal which is the chief you should also have your particular preparations for the duties of each day A workman that is strong and healthful and hath all his tools in readiness and Act. 6. 5. Matth. 7. 17. Luk. 6 45. Matth. 12 34. order will do more in a day than a sick man or one that wanteth tools or keeps them dull and unfit for use will do in many Psalm 37. 30 31. The mouth of the Righteous speaketh wisdom and his tongue talketh of judgement And no wonder when The Law of his God is in his Heart none of his steps shall slide Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh A good man out of the good Treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things Math. 12. 35. Every Scribe which is instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man that is an housholder that bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old Matth. 13. 52. § 47. Direct 8. Promise not long life to your selves but live as those that are allwaies uncertain of Direct 8. another day and certain to be shortly gone from hence The groundless expectation of long life is a very great hindrance to the Redeeming of our Time Men will spend prodigally out of a full purse who would be sparing if they knew they had but a little or were like to come to want themselves Young people and healthful people are under the greatest temptation to the loss of Time They are apt to think that they have Time enough before them and that though its possible that they may die quickly yet it is more likely that they shall live long and so putting the day of death far from them they want all those awakenings which the face of death doth bring to them that still expect it and therefore want the wisdom zeal and diligence which is necessary to the Redemption of their time Pray therefore as Psalm 90. 12. So teach us to number our daies that we may apply our hearts to wisdom Dream not of rest and plenty for many years when you have no promise to live till the next morning Luke 12. 19 20. When they perceive death is at hand and time is near an end allmost all men seem highly to esteem of Time and promise to spend it better if God would but try them once again Do you therefore continually perceive that death is even at hand and time near an end and then it will make you continually more wise then death maketh the most and to redeem your Time as others purpose to Redeem it when it is too late § 48. Direct 9. Sanctifie all to God that you have and do And let Holiness to the Lord be written Direct 9. upon all whether you eat or drink let it be intended and ordered ultimately to his Glory Make all 1 Cor. 10. 31. Zeâ—h 14. 20 21. Rom 6. 19 22. Luk. 1. 75. 1 Tim. 5. 5. 1 Tim. 4 5. 2 Tim. 2. 21. your civil relations possessions and employments thus Holy designing them to the service and pleasing of God and to the everlasting good of your selves or others and mixing holy meditation and prayer with them all in season And thus we are bid to pray continually and in all things give thanks 1 Thes. 5. 17 18. And in all things to make known our requests to God in prayer supplication and giving of thanks Phil. 4. 6. And all things are sanctified by the word and prayer This sacred Alchymie that turneth all our conversation and possessions and actions into Holy is an excellent part of the art of Redeeming Time § 49. Direct 10. Lastly be acquainted with the great Thieves that rob men of their Time and with Direct 10. the Devils methods in entising them to lose it and live in continual watchfullness against them It is a more necessary thriftiness to be sparing and saving of your Time than of your money It more concerneth you to keep a continual watch against the things which would rob you of your Time than against those Thieves that would break your house and rob you by the high-way Those persons that would tempt you to the loss of Time are to be taken as your enemies and avoided I shall here recite the names of these Thieves and Time-wasters that you may detest them and save your Time and souls from their deceits Tit. 4. The Thieves or Time-wasters to be watchfully avoided § 50. Th. 1. ONe of the greatest Time-wasting sins is idleness or sloth The slothful see their Thief 1. Time pass away and their work undone and can hear of the necessity of Redeeming it and yet they have not hearts to stir When they are convinced that duty must be done they are still delaying and putting it off from day to day and saying still I will do it to morrow or hereafter To morrow is still the sluggards working day and to day is his idle day He spendeth his Time in fruitless wishes He lyeth in bed or sitteth idly and wisheth Would this were labouring He feasteth his flesh and wisheth that this were fasting He followeth his sports and pleasures and wisheth that this were prayer and a mortified life He lets his heart run after lust or pride or Covetousness and wisheth that this were heavenly mindedness and a laying up a treasure above Thus the soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat Prov. 13. 4. Prov. 21. 25. The desire of the slothful killeth him for his hands refuse to labour Every little opposition or difficulty will put him by a duty Prov. 20. 4. The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing Prov. 22. 13. The slothful man saith There is a Lyon without I shall be slain in the streets Prov. 26. 14 15 16. As the door turneth upon his hindges so doth the slothful upon his bed The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth And at last his sloth depraves his Reason and bribeth it to plead the cause of his negligence The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason Time will slide on and duty will be undone and
continually in that case your selves If you should be still so what were you good for or what could you enjoy or what comfort would your lives be to you Why if a long pain be so bad a short one is not lovely Keep not wilfully so troublesome a malady in your mind § 6. Direct 4. Observe also what an enemy it is to the body it self It inflameth the blood and Direct 4. stirreth up diseases and breedeth such a bitter displeasedness in the mind as tends to consume the strength of nature and hath cast many into Acute and many into Chronical sicknesses which have proved their death And how uncomfortable a kind of death is this § 7. Direct 5. Observe how unlovely and unpleasing it rendereth you to beholders deforming the Direct 5. countenance and taking away the amiable sweetness of it which appeareth in a calm and loving temper If you should be alwayes so would any body love you or would they not go out of your way if not lay hands on you as they do anything that is wild or mad You would scarce desire to have your picture drawn in your fury till the frowning wrinkles and inflamed blood are returned to their places and have left your visage to its natural comeliness Love not that which maketh you so unlovely to all others § 8. Direct 6. You should love it the worse because it is a hurting passion and an enemy to Love and Direct 6. to anothers good You are never angry but it inclineth you to hurt those that angred you if not all others that stand in your way It putteth hurting thoughts into your mind and hurting words into your mouths and enclineth you to strike or do some mischief And no men love a hurtful creature Avoid therefore so mischievous a passion § 9. Direct 7. Nay mark the tendency of it and you will find that if it should not be stopt it would Direct 7. tend to the very ruine of your brother and end in his blood and your own damnation How many thousand hath anger murdered or undone It hath caused Wars and filled the world with blood and cruelty And should your hearts give such a fury entertainment § 10. Direct 8. Consider how much other sin immoderate anger doth incline men to It is the great Direct 8. crime of drunkenness that a man having not the government of himself is made lyable by it to any Proâ—rium est magnitudinis verae non sentire se esse percussum Qui non irâ—scitur inconcussus injuria persistit qui irascitur motus est Sexec de Ira. l. 3. c. 5. wickedness And so is it with immoderate anger How many Oaths and Curses doth it cause every day How many rash and sinful actions What villany hath not anger done It hath slandered railed reproached falsly accused and injured many a thousand It hath murdered and ruined Families Cities and States It hath made Parents kill their Children and Children dishonour their Parents It hath made Kings oppress and murder their Subjects and Subjects rebell and murder Kings What a world of sin is committed by sinful anger throughout all the world How endless would it be to give you instances David himself was once drawn by it to purpose the murdering of all the family of Nahal Its effects should make it odious to us § 11. Direct 9. And it is much the worse in that it suffereth not a man to sin alone but stirreth up Direct 9. others to do the like Wrath kindleth wrath as fire kindleth fire It s two to one but when you are angry you will make others angry or discontent or troubled by your words or deeds And you have not the power of moderating them in it when you have done You know not what sin it may draw them to It is the Devils bellows to kindle mens corruptions and sets hearts and families and Kingdoms in a flame § 12. Direct 10. Observe how unfit it maketh you for any holy duty for prayer or meditation or Direct 10. any communion with God And that should be very unwelcome to a gracious soul which maketh it unfit to speak to God or to be employed in his Worship If you should go to prayer or other Worship in your bedlam passion may not God say as the King of Gath did of David Have I need of mad men Yea it unfitteth all the family or Church or society where it cometh for the Worship of God Is the family fit for prayer when wrath hath muddied and disturbed their minds Yea it divideth Christians and Churches and causeth confusion and every evil â—am 3. 15 16. work § 13. Direct 11. It is a great dishonour to the grace of God that a servant of his should shew the Direct 11. world that grace is of no more force and efficacy that it cannot rule a raging passion nor so much as keep a Christian sober that it possesseth the soul with no more patience nor fear of God nor Government over it self O wrong not God thus by the dishonouring of his Grace and Spirit § 14. Direct 12. It is a sin against Conscience still repented of and disowned by almost all when Direct 12. they come to themselves again and a meer preparation for after sorrow That therefore which we fore-know we must repent of afterwards should be prevented and avoided by men that choose not shame and sorrow § 15. Object 1. But you 'll say I am of a hasty cholerick nature and cannot help it Object 1. Answ. That may strongly dispose you to anger but cannot Necessitate you to any thing that is sinful Answ. Reason and Will may yet command and master passion if they do their Office And when you know your disease and danger you must watch the more § 16. Object 2. But the provocation was so great it would have angered any one Who could choose Object 2. Answ. It is your weakness that makes you think that any thing can be great enough to discharge Answ. a mans reason and allow him to break the Laws of God That would have been small or nothing to a prepared mind which you call so great You should rather say Gods Majesty and dreadfulness is so great that I durst not offend him for any provocation Hath not God given you greater cause to obey than man can give you to sin § 17. Object 3. But it is so sudden that I have no time of deliberation to prevent it Object 3. Answ. Have you not Reason still about you And should it not be as ready to rule as passion to Answ. rebell Stop passion at first and take time of deliberation § 18. Object 4. But it is but short and I am sorry for it when I have done Object 4. Answ. But if it be evil the shortest is a sin and to be avoided And when you know before hand Answ. that you must be sorry after why will
would be more offended Therefore I shall only give you these general intimations 1. Nature is content with a little but Appetite is never content till it have drowned Nature 2. It is the perfection of concoction and 〈…〉 Senec. goodness of the nutriment that is more conducible to health than the quantity 3. Nature will easilier overcome twice the quantity of some light and passable nourishment than half so much of gross and heavy meats Therefore those that prescribe just twelve Ounces a day without differencing meats that so much differ do much mistake 4. A healthful strong body must have more than the weak and sickly 5. Middle aged persons must have more than old folks or children Juvenum viâ—tus est Nihil â—â—â—â—us Soâ—â—at 6. Hard Labourers must have more than easie Labourers and these more than the idle or Students or any that stir but little 7. A body of close Pores that evacuateth little by sweat or transpiration must have less especially of moisture than another 8. So must a cold and flegmatick constitution 9. So must a stomach that corrupteth its food and casteth it forth by periodical bilious evacuations 10. That which troubleth the stomach in the digestion is too much or too bad unless with very weak sickly persons 11. So is that too much or bad which maketh you more dull for study or more heavy and unfit for labour unless some disease be the principal cause 12. A body that by excess is already filled with crudities should take less than another that nature may have time to digest and waste them 13. Every one should labour to know the temperature of their own bodies and what diseases they are most enclined to and so have the judgement of their Physicion or some skilful person to give them such directions as are suitable to their own particular temperature and diseases 14. Hard Labourers err more in the quality than the quantity partly through poverty partly through ignorance and partly through appetite while they refuse that which is more wholsome as meer Bread and Beer if it be less pleasing to them 15. If I may presume to conjecture ordinarily very hard Labourers exceed in quantity about a fourth part Shop-keepers and persons of easier Trades do ordinarily exceed about a third part Voluptuous Gentlemen and their Servingmen and other servants of theirs that have no hard labour do usually exceed about half in half But still I except persons that are extraordinarily temperate through weakness or through wisdom And the same Gentlemen usually exceed in Variety Costliness Curiosity and Time much more than they do in quantity so that they are Gluttons of the first magnitude The Children of those that govern not their appetites but let them eat and drink as much and as often as they desire it do usually exceed above half in half and lay the foundation of the diseases and miseries of all their lives All this is about the truth though the Belly believe it not § 48. When you are once grown wise enough to know what in measure and time and quality is Venter praecepta non audit Senec. fittest for your health go not beyond that upon any importunity of Appetite or of friends For all that is beyond that is Gluttony and sensuality in its degree § 49. Direct 8. If you can lawfully avoid it make not your Table a snare of Temptation to your Direct 8. selves or others I know a greedy appetite will make any Table that hath but necessaries a snare to iâ— If you will not take this counsel at least use after meat to set before your guests a Bason and a â—eather oâ— a Provang to vomit it up again that you may shew some mercy to their bodies if you will shew none to their souls self But do not you unnecessarily become Devils or tempters to your selves or others 1. For Quality study not Deliciousness too much unless for some weak distempered stomachs the best meat is that which leaveth behind it in the mouth neither a troublesome loathing nor an eager appetite after more for the tastes sake But such as Bread is that leaveth the Palate in an indifferent moderation The curious inventions of new and dilicious dishes meerly to please the Appetite is Gluttony inviting to greater Gluttony Excess in Quality to invite to excess in Quantity § 50. Object But you 'll say I shall be thought niggardly or sordid and reproached behind my back if my Table be so fitted to the temperate and abstinent Answ. This is the pleading of Pride for Gluttony Rather than you will be talkt against by belly-gods A Sensualist craving to be admitted of Cato among his familiars Cato answered him I cannot live wiâ—h one whose Palate is wiser than his brain Erâ—s or ignorant fleshly people you will sin against God and prepare a Feast or Sacrifice for Bacchus or Venus The antient Christians were torn with Beasts because they would not cast a little Frankincense into the fire on the Altar of an Idol And will you feed so many Idol bellies so liberally to avoid their censure Did not I tell you that Gulosity is an irrational vice Good and temperate persons will speak well of you for it And do you more regard the judgement and esteem of belly-gods § 51. Object But it is not only riotous luxurious persons that I mean I have no such at my Table But it will be the matter of obloquy even to good people and those that are sober Answ. I told you some measure of Gluttony is become a common sin and many are tainted with it through custome that otherwise are good and sober But shall they therefore be left as uncurable or shall they make all others as bad as they And must we all commit that sin which some sober people are grown to favour You bear their censures about different opinions in Religion and other matters of difference and why not here The deluded Quakers may be witnesses against you that while they run into the contrary extream can bear the deepest censures of all the world about them And cannot you for honest Temperance and Sobriety bear the censures of some distempered or guilty persons that are of another mind Certainly in this they are no Temperate persons when they plead for excess and the baits of sensuality and intemperance § 52. 2. For variety also make not your Table unnecessarily a snare Have no greater variety than the weakness of stomachs or variety of Appetites doth require Unnecessary variety and pleasantness of meats are the Devils great instruments to draw men to Gluttony And I would wish no good people to be his Cooks or Caterers When the very brutish Appetite it self begins to say of one dish I have enough then comes another to tempt it unto more excess and â—â—other after that to more All this that I have said I have the concurrent judgement of Physicion 〈…〉 n who condemn fulness and variety as
your selves For God can open the eyes of that enemy whom you think to blind by a lie and cause him to know all the truth and so take away that Life which you thought thus to have saved 5. And there are lawful means enough to save your lives when it is best for you to save them That is Obey God and trust him with your lives and he can save them without a lie if it be best And if it be not it should not be desired 6. And if men did not erroniously over-value Life they would not think that a Lie were necessary for it When it is not necessary to Live it is not necessary to Lie for Life But thus one sin brings on another when carnal men over-value Life it self and set more by it than by the fruition of God in the Glory of Heaven they must needs then over-value any means which seemeth necessary to preserve it See Iob 13. 7 8 9. 10. Prov. 13. 17. Rom. 6. 15. 3. 7 8 9. Psal. 5. 7. Hos. 4. 2. Ioh. 8. 44. Rev. 21. 27. 22. 15. Col. 3. 9. 1 Ioh. 2. 21. 7. Yet as to the degree of evil in the sin I easily grant with Augustine Enchirid. that Multum interest quo animo de quibus quisque mentiâ—tur Non enim ita peccat qui consulendi quomodo ille qui nocendi voluntate mentitur nec tantum nocet qui viatorem mentiendo in adversum iter mittit quantum is qui viam vitae mendacio fallente depravat Object Are not the Midwives rewarded by God for saving the Israelitish children by a lie Object Answ. I need not say with Austin The fact was rewarded and the Lie pardoned For there is no such Answ. thing as a lie found in them Who can doubt but that God could strengthen the Israelitish women to be delivered without the Midwives And who can doubt but when the Midwives had made known the Kings murderous command that the women would delay to send for the Midwives till by the help of each other the children were secured Which yet is imputed to the Midwives because they confederated with them and delaid to that end So that here is a dissembling and concealing part of the truth but here is no lie that can be proved Object But Heb. 11. 31. Jam 2. Rahab is said to be justified by faith and works when she saved Object the Spies by a lie Answ. 1. It is uncertain whether it was a lie or only an equivocation and whether her words Answ. were not true of some other men that had been her guests But suppose them a lie as is most like the Scripture no more justifieth her lie than her having been an harlot It is her believing in the God of Israel whose works she mentioned that she is commended for together with the saving of the Spies with the hazard of her own life And it is no wonder if such a woman in Iericho had not yet learned the sinfulness of such a lie as that Object But at least it could be no mortal sin because Heb. 11. 31. Jam. 2. say she was Object justified Answ. It was no mortal sin in her that is a sin which proveth one in a state of death because it Answ. had not those evils that make sin mortal But a lie in one that doth it knowingly for want of such a predominancie of the authority and Love of God in the soul as should prevail against the contrary motives habitually is a mortal sin of an ungodly person It is pernicious falshood and soul delusion in those Teachers that make poor sinners think that it is the smallness of the outward act or hurt of sin alone that will prove it to be as they call it Venial or mortified and not mortal Quest. 3. Is deceit by Action Lawful which seemeth a Practical lie And how shall we interpret Quest. 3. Christs making as if he would have gone farther Luk. 24. 28. and Davids feigning himself mad and common stratagems in war and doing things purposely to deceive another Answ. 1. I have before proved that all Deceiving another is not a sin but some may be a duty As Answ. a Physicion may deceive a Patient to get down a medicine to save his life so he do it not by a lie 2. Christs seeming to go farther was no other than a lawful concealment or dissimulation of his purpose to occasion their importunity For all dissimulation is not evil though lying be And the same may be said of lawful stratagems as such 3. Davids case was not sinful as it was meer dissimulation to deceive others for his escape But whether it was not a sinful distrust of God and a dissimulation by too unmanly a way I am not able to say unless I had known more of the circumstances Quest. 4. Is it lawful to tempt a child or servant to lie meerly to try them Quest. 4. Answ. It is not lawful to do it without sufficient cause nor at any time to do that which inviteth Answ. them to lie or giveth any countenance to the sin as Satan and bad men use to tempt men to sin by commending it or extenuating it But to lay an occasion before them barely to try them as to lay money or wine or other things in their way to know whether they are thieves or addicted to drink that we may the better know how to cure them and so to try their veracity is not unlawful For 1. The sin is virtually committed when there is a Will to commit it though there should be no temptation or opportunity 2. We do nothing which is either a commendation of the sin or a perswading to it nor any true cause either Physical or Moral but only an occasion 3. God himself who is more contrary to sin than any creature doth thus by tryal administer such occasions of sin to men that are vitiously disposed as he knoweth they will take And his common mercys are such occasions 4. God hath no where forbidden this to us We may not do evil that good may come by it but we may do good when we know evil will come of it by mens vice 5. It may be a needful means to the cure of that sin which we cannot know till it be thus detected Quest. 5. Is all equivocation unlawful Quest. 5. Answ. There is an equivocating which is really Lying As when we forsake the usual or just sense of Answ. a word and use it in an alien unusual sense which we know will not be understood and this to deceive such as we are bound not to deceive But there is a use of equivocal words which is lawful and necessary For humane language hath few words which are not of divers significations As 1. When our equivocal sense is well understood by the hearers and is not used to deceive them but because use hath made those words to be fit
qualifications and your mirth and sporting talk will not be idle 1. Let it be such and so much as is useful to maintain that cheerfulness of mind and alacrity of spirits which is profitable to your health and duty For if bodily recreations be lawful then tongue-recreations are lawful when they are accommodate to their end 2. Let your speech be savoury seasoned with salt and not corrupt and rotten communication Jeast not with filthiness or sin 3. Let it be harmless to others Make not your selves merry with the sins or miseries of other men Jeast not to their wrong 4. Let it be seasonable and not when another frame of mind is more convenient nor when graver or weightier discourse should take place 5. Let it be moderate and not excessive either wasting time in vain or tending to habituate the mind of the speakers or hearers to levity or to estrange them from things that should be preferred 6. See that all your mirth and speech be sanctified by a holy end that your intent in all be to whet your spirits and cheer up and fit your selves for the service of God as you do in eating and drinking and all other things 7. And mix with cautelous reverence some serious things that the end and use be not forgotten and your mirth may not be altogether as empty and fruitless as that of the unsanctified is Sporting pleasant and recreating talk is not vain but lawful upon these conditions 8. Still remembring that the most holy and profitable discourse Iam. 5. 13. Is any merry Let him sing Psalms What is idle talk The sorts of it Otiosum verbum est quod justae necessitatis aut intentione piae utilitatis ca 〈…〉 t. Gregor Moral must be most pleasant to us and we must not through a weariness of it divert to carnal mirth as more desirable but only use natural honest mirth as a necessary concomitant to exhilerate the spirits § 5. Idle or vain words then are such as are unprofitable and tend not to do good I here forbear to speak of those Idle words which are also worse than vain as mentioned before among the sins of the tongue Idle words are 1. Either simply such which tend to no good at all 2. Or comparatively such which are about some small or inconsiderable good when you should be speaking of greater things The former sort are always idle and therefore always sinful The latter sort are sometimes lawful in themselves that is when greater matters are not to be talked of In its season it is lawful to speak about the saving of a penny or a point or a pin But out of season when greater matters are in hand this is but idle sinful talk § 6. Also there is a great deal of difference between now and then an Idle word and a babling prating custom by which it becometh the daily practice of some loose-tongued persons so that the greater part of the words of all their lives are meerly vain § 7. The particular kinds of Idle talk are scarce to be numbred Some of them are these § 7. 1. When the tongue is like a vagrant beggar or masterless dog that is never in the way and never out of the way being left to talk at random about any unprofitable matter that comes before it And such will never want matter to talk of every thing they see or hear is the subject of their chat And one word begetteth occasion and matter for another without end § 8. 2. Another sort of idle talk is the vain discourses by word or writing of some learned 1 Cor. 3. 20. Rom. 1. 21. men in which they bestow an excessive multitude of words about some small impertinent thing not to edifie but to shew their wit which Sâ—neca reprehends at large § 9. 3. Another sort of idle talk is vain and immoderate Disputings about the smaller circumstances oâ— Religion or frequent discourses about such unedifying things while greater matters should be talkt of Tit. 3. 9. But avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain 1 Tim. 1. 5 6 7. Now the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure â—eart and of a good Conscience and of faith unfeigned from which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling desiring to be teachers of the Law understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm 1 Tim. 6. 20. O Timothy keep that which is committed to thy trust avoiding profane and vain bablings and opposition of sciences falsly so called which some professing have erred concerning the faith 2 Tim. 2. 16. But shun prophane and vain bablings for they will increase unto more ungodliness Tit. 1. 10 11. There are many unruly and vain talkers c. § 10. 4. Another sort of Idle talk is the using of a needless multitude of words even about that â—â—â—â—â— â—5 16. Saith Hugo thâ—re is a time when â—o â—â—ag and a time when soâ—â—thia should be spâ—ken but never â— time whâ—n All should be spoken which is good and necessary in it self but might better be opened in a briefer manner Even in preaching or praying words may be vain which is when they are not suited to the matter and the hearers For you must note that the same words are necessary to one sort of hearers which are vain as to another sort And therefore as Ministers must take heed that they suit their manner of speech to their auditors so hearers must take heed lest they censoriously and rashly call that vain which is unnecessary to them or such as they There may be present many ignorant persons that the preacher is better acquainted with than you And the ignorant lose that which is concisely uttered They must have it at large in many words and oft râ—peated or else they understand it not or remember not that which they understand But yet a real excess of words even about holy things must be avoided Eccles. 5. 23. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God The Spartans banished an Oraâ—or for saying He could speak all day of any suoâ—ect â—â—asn See the Manual of prayers printed at 〈◊〉 1658. pag. 507. for God is in Heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few for a dream cometh through the multitude of business and a fools voice is known by the multitude of words Two causes of idle words in prayer must be avoided 1. Emptiness and rashness 2. Affectation that is 1. Affectation to words as if you should be heard for saying so many words over and over as the Papists in their Iesus Psalter say over the name Iesu nine times together and those nine times fifteen times over besides all their repetitions of it in the petitions themselves between So in the Titles of the B. Virgin in her Litany p. 525. Hypocrites in all ages and Religions have the same
Whoever took a talkative babler for a wise man He that is Logophilus is seldome Philologus much less Philosophus As Demosthenes Eccles 5. 3 7. Eccles. â—0 12 13. Eccles. 10. 14. Psal. 37. 30 Prov. 17. 27 28. 10. 20. 12. 18. 10 19. 18. 4 5 6. â—1 23. said to a Prater If thou knewest more thou wouldst say less They seldom go for men of action and vertue that talk much They that say much usually do little Women and Children and old folks are commonly the greatest talkers I may add mad folks Livy noteth that Souldiers that prate and brag much seldom fight well And Erasmus noteth that Children that quickly learn to speak are long in learning to go It is not the barking Curr that biteth Let it be the honour of a Parrot to speak much but of a man to speak wisely The mobility of their tongues an honour common to an Aspen leaf is all their honour that can multis verbis pauca dicere say a little in a great many of words but multa paucis much in few words is the character of the wise unless when the quality of the auditors prohibiteth it And qui sunt in dicendo brevissimi if the auditors can bear it shall be accounted the best speakers I am not of his mind that said He oft repented speaking but never repented silence But except they be Ministers few men have so much cause to repent of silence as of speech Non quam multa sed quam bene must be the Christians care As one said of Philosophy I may much more say of Religion that though an Orators excellency appeareth only in speaking yet the Philosophers and the Christians appeareth as much in silence § 26. 6. Where there is much idle talk there will be much sinful talk Prov. 10. 19. In the multitude of words there wants not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise There are lyes or backbitings or medling with other folks matters or scurrilous jeasts if not many such sins that go along with a course of idle talk It is the vehicle in which the Devil giveth his most poysonous draughts Saith Lipsius It is given to Praters Non multa tantum sed male to speak ill as well as to speak much § 27. 7. Vain words hinder your own edification Who knoweth if you would hold your tongues but some one would speak wiselyer that might do you good Prov. 23. 8 9. § 28. 8. And you weary the Hearers unless they are strangely patient when you intend to please them or else you might as well talk all that by your self It is scarce manners for them unless you be much their inferiors to tell you they are aweary to hear you and to intreat you to hold your tongues But you little know how oft they think so I judge of others by my self I flye from a talkative person as from a Bed that hath Fleas or Lice I would shut my doors against them as I stop my Windows against the Wind and Cold in Winter How glad am I when they have done and gladder when they are gone Make not your selves a burden to your company or friends by the troublesome noise of an unwearied tongue § 29. 9. Many words are the common causers of contention Some word or other will fall that offendeth those that hear it or else will be carried to those that are absent and made the occasion of heart-burnings rehearsals brawls or Law-suits There is no keeping quietness peace and love with talkative pratlers at least not long § 30. 10. Are you not sensible what Pride and impudency is in it when you think your selves worthiest to speak As if you should say you are all children to me hold your tongues and hear me speak If you had Christian Humility and Modesty you would in honour prefer others before your selves Rom. 12. 10. You would think your selves unworthiest to speak unless the contrary be very evident and desire rather to hear and learn As Heraclitus being asked Why he alone was silent in the company answered That you may talk So when you talk above your parts it is as if you told the company I talk that all you may be silent § 31. 11. It is a voluntary sin and not repented of For you may easily forbear it if you will and you wilfully continue in it and therefore impenitency is your danger § 32. 12. Lastly Consider how unprofitable a sin it is and how little you have to hire you to commit it What get you by it Will you daily sin against God for nothing § 33. Direct 4. If you would not be idle talkers see that your hearts be taken up with something that Direct 4. is good And that your tongues be acquainted with and accustomed to their proper work and duty An Isa. 32. 4 5 6. Matth. 12 34 36. 2 Cor. 4. 13. John 3. 11. 1 John 4. 5. Prov. 16. 23. Psal. 40 5. Cant. 7. 9. empty head and heart are the causes of empty frothy vain discourse Conscience may tell you when your tongues run upon vanity that at that time there is no sense of sin or duty or the presence of God upon your hearts no holy Love no Zeal for God but you are asleep to God and all that 's good and in this sleep you moither and talk idly of any thing that cometh into your mind Also you make not conscience of speaking of that which is good or else it would keep out vanity and evil Remember what abundance of greater matters you have to talk of You have the evil of sin the multitude and subtilty of temptations and the way of resisting them to talk of You have your faults to lament your evidences to enquire after your mercies thankfully to open the greatness and goodness and all the attributes of God to praise You have all the works of God to admire even all the creatures in the world to contemplate and all Gods admirable Providences and Government to observe You have the mysterie of Redemption the person and office and life and miracles and sufferings and glory and intercession and reign of Christ to talk of And all the secret sanctifying operations of the Holy Ghost and all the Ordinances of God and all the means of Grace and all our duties to God and man and all the holy Scripture besides death and judgement and Heaven and Hell and the concernments of the Church of God and the case of the persons you speak to who may need your instruction exhortation admonition reproof or comfort And is not here work enough to employ your tongues and keep them from idle talk Make conscience of those Prov. 23. 16. duties commanded Ephes. 4. 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying and may minister grace to the hearers and grieve not the holy Spirit Psal. 145. 6 11 12 13 21. of God
held to such a course of life as may be most effectual to destroy and change those habits And some that are upright at the heart and in the main and most momentous things are guilty but of some actual faults and of these some more seldom and some more frequent And if you do not prudently diversifie your rebukes according to their faults you will but harden them and miss of your ends For there is a family-justice that must not be overthrown unless you will overthrow your families as there is a more publick justice necessary to the publick good § 12. Direct 4. Be a good Husband to your Wife and a good Father to your Children and a good Direct 4. Master to your Servants and let Love have Dominion in all your Government that your inferiours may easily find that it is their interest to obey you For interest and self-love are the natural rulers of the world And it is the most effectual way to procure obedience or any good to make men perceive that it is for their own good and to engage self-love for you that they may see that the benefit is like to be their own If you do them no good but are sour and uncourteous and close-handed to them few will be ruled by you § 13. Direct 5. If you would be skilful in Governing others learn first exactly to command your Direct 5. selves Can you ever expect to have others more at your will and government than your selves Is he fit to rule his family in the fear of God and a holy life who is unholy and feareth not God himself Or is he fit to keep them from passion or drunkenness or gluttony or lust or any way of sensuality that cannot keep himself from it Will not inferiours despise such reproofs which are by your selves contradicted in your lives You know this is true of Wicked Preachers and is it not as true of other Governours § 14. III. Gen. Direct You must be Holy Persons if you would be Holy Governours of your families Mens actions follow the bent of their Dispositions They will do as they are An enemy of God will not govern a family for God Nor an enemy of Holiness nor a stranger to it set up a holy order in his house and in a holy manner manage his affairs I know it is cheaper and easier to the flesh to call others to mortification and holiness of life than to bring our selves to it But yet when it is not a bare command or wish that is necessary but a course of holy and industrious Government unholy persons though some of them may go far have not the ends and principles which such a work requireth § 15. Direct 1. To this end be sure that your own souls be entirely subjected unto God and that you Direct 1. more accurately obey his Laws than you expect any inferiour should obey your commands If you daâ—e disobey God why should they fear disobeying you Can you more sâ—verely revenge disobedience or more bountifully reward obedience than God can do Are you Greater and Better than God himself is § 16. Direct 2. Be sure that you lay up your treasure in Heaven and make the enjoyment of God in Direct 2. Glory to be the ultimate commanding end both of the affairs and government of your family and all things else with which you are entrusted Devote your selves and all to God and do all for him Do all as passengers to another world whose business on earth is but to provide for Heaven and promote their everlasting interest If thus you are separated unto God you are sanctified And then you will separate all that you have to his use and service and this with his acceptance will sanctifie all § 17. Direct 3. Maintain Gods authority in your family more carefully than your own Your own Direct 3. is but for his More sharply rebuke or correct them that wrong and dishonour God than those that wrong and dishonour your selves Remember Elies sad example Make not a small matter of any of the sins especially the Great sins of your children or servants It is an odious thing to slight Gods cause and put up all with It is not well done when you are fiercely passionate for the loss of some small commodity of your own Gods honour must be greatest in your family and his service must have the preheminence of yours and sin against him must be the most intolerable offence § 18. Direct 4. Let spiritual Love to your family be predominant and let your care be greatest for Direct 4. the saving of their souls and your compassion greatest in their spiritual miseries Be first careful to provide them a portion in Heaven and to save them from whatsoever would deprive them of it And never prefer the transitory pelf of earth before their everlasting riches Never be so cumbered about many things as to forget that one thing is necessary but choose for your selves and them the Luk. 10. 4â— better part § 19. Direct 5. Let your family neither be kept in idleness and flesh-pleasing nor yet overwhelmed Direct 5. with such a multitude of business as shall take up and distract their minds diverting and unfitting them for holy things Where God layeth on you a necessity of excessive labours it must patiently and chearfully be undergone but when you draw them unnecessarily on your selves for the Love of Riches you do but become the Tempters and Tormentors of your selves and others forgetting 1 Tim. 6. 1â— the terrible examples of them that have this way fallen off from Christ and pierced themselves through with many sorrows § 20. Direct 6. As much as is possible settle a constant order of all your businesses that every ordinary Direct 6. work may know its time and confusion may not shut out Godliness It is a great assistance in every Calling to do all in a set and constant order It maketh it easie It removeth impediments and promoteth success Distraction in your business causeth a distraction of your minds in holy duty Some Callings I know can hardly be cast into any order and method but others may if prudence and diligence be used Gods service will thus be better done and your work will be better done to the ease of your servants and quiet of your own minds Foresight and skillfullness would save you abundance of labour and vexation CHAP. V. Special Motives to perswade men to the Holy Governing of their Families IF it were but well understood what Benefits come by the holy Governing of Familes and what mischiefs come by its neglect there would few persons that walk the streets among us appear so odious as those careless ungodly Governours that know not or mind not a duty of such exceeding weight While we lie all as overwhelmed with the calamitous fruits of this neglect I think meet to try if with some the cause may be removed by awakening ignorant sluggish
be used but as means and not all at once but sometimes one and sometimes another when the End is still the same and paâ—t Deliberation or choice so all those Graces which are but means must be used thus variously and with deliberation and choice when the Love of God and of eternal life must be the constant tenour and constitution of the mind as being the final grace which consisteth with the exercise of every other mediate grace Never take â—o with lip-labour or bodily exercise alone nor bâ—rren thoughts unless your Hearâ—â— be also employed in a course of duty and holy breathings after God or motion towards him or in the sincere internal part of the duty which you perform to men JUSTICE and LOVE are Graces which you must still exercise towards all that you have to deal with in the world LOVE is called the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 10. because the LOVE of God and man is the soul of every outward duty and a cause that will bring forth these as its effects § 13. Direct 13. Keep up a high esteem of Time and be every day more careful that you lose Direct 13. none of your Time than you are that you lose none of your Gold or Silver And if vain recreations dressings feastings idle talk unprefâ—iable company or sleep be any of them Temptations to râ—â— yoâ— of any of your Time accordingly heighten your watchfulness and for in resolutions against them Be not more careful to escape Thieves and Robbers than to escape â—hat person or action or course of life that would rob you of any of your Time And for the Redeeming of Time especially see not only that you be never idle but also that you be doing the Greatest Good that you can do and prefer not a lâ—ss before a Greater § 14. Direct 14. Eat and drink with temperance and thankfulness for health and not for unprofitable Direct 14. pleasure For quantity most carefully avoid excess For many exâ—eed for one that taketh too little Never please your appetite in meat or drink when it tendeth to the detriment of your health Prov. 31. 4 6. It is not for Kings to drink Wine nor for Princes strong drink Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts Eccles. 10. 16. 17. Woe to thee O Land when thy King is a Child and thy Princes eat in the worning Blessed aâ—t thou O Land when thy King is the Son of Nobleâ— and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness Then must poorer men also take heed of in temperance and excess Let your dyet incline rather to the courser than the finer sort and to the cheaper than the costly sort and to sparing abstinence than to fulness I would advise Rich men especially to write in great letters on the walls of their Dining rooms or Parlours these two sentences Ezek. 16. 49. BEHOLD THIS WAS THE INIQUITY OF SODOM PRIDE FULNESS OF BREAD and ABUNDANCE OF IDLENESS WAS IN HER neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy Luk. 16. 19 25. There was a certain Rich man which was CLOATHED IN PURPLE and SILK and FARED SUMPTUOUSLY every day Son remember that thou in thy life time * receivedst thy good things Paul wept when See Dr. Hammaâ—d's Annotat he mentioned them whose end is destruction whose God is their belly and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things being enemies to the Cross Phil. 3. 18 19. O live not after the flesh lest ye die Rom. 8. 13. Gal. 6. 8. and 5. 21 23 24. § 15. Direct 15. If any temptation prevail against you and you fall into any sins besides common infirmities Direct 15. presently lament it and confess not only to God but to men when confession conduceth more to good than harm and rise by a true and through repentance immediatly without delay Spare not the flesh and dawb not over the breach and do not by excuses palliate the sore but speedily rise whatever it cost For it will certainly cost you more to go on or to remain impenitent And for your ordinary infirmities make not too light of them but confess them and daily strive against them and examine what strength you get against them and do not aggravate them by impenitence and contempt § 16. Direct 16. Every day look to the special duties of your several Relations whether you are Direct 16. Husbands Wives Parents Children Masters Servants Pastors People Magistrates Subjects remember that every Relation hath its special duty and its advantage for the doing of some good And that God requireth your faithfulness in these as well as in any other duty And that in these a mans sincerity or hypocrisie is usually more tryed than in any other parts of our lives § 17. Direct 17. In the evening return to the worshipping of God in the family and in secret as was Direct 17. directed for the morning And do all with seriousness as in the sight of God and in the sense of your necessities and make it your delight to receive instructions from the holy Scripture and praise God and call upon his name through Christ. § 18. Direct 18. If you have any extraordinary impediments one day to hinder you in your duty Direct 18. to God and man make it up by diligence the next And if you have any extraordinary helps make use of them and let them not overslip you As if it be a Lecture-day or a Funeral Sermon or you have opportunity of converse with men of extraordinary worth or if it be a day of humiliation or thanksgiving it may be expected that you gather a double measure of strength by such extraordinary helps § 19. Direct 19. Before you betake your selves to sleep it is ordinarily a safe and needful course Direct 19. to take a review of the Actions and Mercies of the past day that you may be specially thankful for all special mercies and humbled for your sins and may renew your repentance and resolutions for obedience and may examine your selves whether your souls grow better or worse and whether sin go down and grace increase and whether you are any better prepared for sufferings and death But yet waste not too much time in the ordinary accounts of your life as those that neglect their duty while they are examining themselves how they perform it and perplexing themselves with the long perusal of their ordinary infirmities But by a general yet sincere repentance bewail your unavoidable daily failings and have recourse to Christ for a daily pardon and renewed grace And in case of extraordinary sins or mercies be sure to be extraordinarily humbled or thankful Some think it best to keep a daily Catalogue or Diurnal of their sins and mercies If you do so be not too particular in the enumeration of those that are the matter of every dayes return For it
experiences thou wilt be very hardly kept from desperation Thou wilt read such passages as Heb. 6 4 5 6. and Heb. 10. 26 27 28 29. with so much horrour that thou wilt hardly be perswaded that there is any hope Thou wilt be ready to think that thou hast sinned against the Holy Ghost and that thou hast trampled underfoot the blood of the Covenant and done despite to the spirit of grace And thou wilt think that there is no being twice born again Or if thou be restored to Life thou wilt hardly ever be restored to thy comforts here if thy backsliding should be very great But indeed the danger is exceeding great lest thou never be recovered at all if once thou be twice dead and pluckt up by the roots Jud. 6. and lest God do finally forsake thee And then how desperate will be thy case § 35. 16. Is it not the example of Backsliders very terrible which God hath set up for the warning of his servants as monuments of his wrath Luk. 17. 32. Remember Lot's Wife saith Christ to them that are about to lose their estates or goods or lives by saving them How frightful is the remembrance of a Cain a Iudas a Saul a Ioas 2 Chron. 24. 2. a Iulian How sad is it to hear but such a one as Spira especially at his death crying out of his backsliding in the horrour of his soul and to see such ready to make away themselves § 36. 17. Consider that there is none that so much dishonoureth God as a Backslider Others are supposed to sin in ignorance But you do by your lives as bad as speak such blaspheamy as this against the Lord As if you should say I thought once that God had been the best Master and his servants the wisest and happiest men and Godliness the best and safest life but now I have tryed both and I find by experience that the Devil is a better master and his servants are the happiest men and the world and the flesh do give the truest contentment to the mind This is the plain blaspheamy of your lives And bethink thee how God should bear with this § 37. 18. There is none that so much hardeneth the wicked in his sin and furthereth the damnation of souls as the Backslider If you would but drive your Sheep or Cattle into a house those that go in first do draw the rest after them but those that run out again make all the rest afraid and run away One apostate that hath been noted for Religion and afterwards turneth off again doth discourage many that would come in For he doth as it were say to them by his practice Keep off and meddle not with a Religious life for I have tryed it and found that a life of worldliness and fleshliness is better And people will think with themselves Such a man hath tryed a Religious life and he hath forsaken it again and therefore he had some reason for it and knew what he did Woe to the world because of offences and woe to him by whom the offence shall come â—â—k 17. 1. Mat. 18. 7. How dreadful a thing is it think that mens souls should lie in Hell and you be the cause of it It were good for that man that a milstone were hanged about his neck and be were drowned in the depth of the Sea Matth. 18. 6 7. Luk. 17. 2. § 38. 19. There is none that are so great a terrour to weak Christians as these Backsliders For they are thinking how far such went before they fell away And those that think that true grace may be lâ—st are saying Alas how shall I stand when such that were better and stronger than I have faln away And those that think true grace cannot be lost are as much perplexed and say How far may an Hypocrite go that after falleth away How piously did this man live how sorrowfully did he repâ—nt how blamelesly did he walk how fervently and constantly did he pray how savourily did he speak how charitably and usefully did he live And I that come far short of him as far as I can discern can have no assurance that I am sincere till I am sure that I go further than ever he did Woe to thee that thus perplexest the consciences of the weak and hinderest the comforts of believers § 39. 20. Thou art the greatest grief to the faithful Ministers of Christ Thou canst not conceive what a wound it giveth to the heart and comforts of a Minister when he hath taken a great deal of pains for thy Conversion and after that rejoyced when he saw thee come to the flock of Christ and after that laboured many a year to build thee up and suffered many a frown from the ungodly for thy sake to see all his labour at last come to nought and all his glorying of thee turned to his shame and all his hopes of thee disappointed I tell thee this is more doleful to his heart than any outward loss or cross that could have befaln him It is not persecution that is his greatest grief as long as it hindereth not the good of souls It is such as thou that are his â—orest persecutors that frustrate his labours and rob him of his joyes And his sorrows shall one day cost thee dear The life and comforts of your faithful Pastors is much in your hands 2 Cor. 7. 3. 1 Thes. 3. 8. Now we Live if ye stand fast in the Lord. § 40. 21. Thou art more treacherous to Christ than thou wouldst be to a common friend Wouldst thou forsake thy friend without a cause especially an old and tryed friend And especially when in forsaking him thou dost forsake thy self Prov. 27. 10. Thy own friend and thy fathers friend forsake not Prâ—v 17. 17. A friend loveth at all times and a brother is born for adversity If thy friend were in distress wouldst thou forsake him And wilt thou forsake thy God that needs thee not but supplyeth thy needs Ruth was more faithful to Naomi Ruth 1. 16 17. that resolved Whither thou goest I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge where thou dyest I will dye And hath God deserved worse of thee § 41. 22. Nay thou dealest worse with God than the Devils servants do with him Alas they are too constant to him Reason will not change them nor the Commands of God nor the offers of everlasting life nor the fears of Hell nothing will change them till the spirit of God do it And wilt thou be less constant to thy God § 42. 23. Consider also that thy end is so near that thou hadst but a little while longer to have held out And thou mightest have known that thou couldst keep thy worldly pleasures but a little while And it is a pitiful thing to see a man that hath born the forest brunt of the battle and run till he is almost at the end of the race to lose all for want of a
to a more edifying Church that useth all the publick Ordinances of God unless the publick good forbid or some great impediment or contrary duty be our excuse § 36. 11. If a true Church will not cast out any impenitent notorious scandalous sinner though 2 John 10. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 11. I am not to separate from the Church yet I am bound to avoid private familiarity with such a person that he may be ashamed and that I partake not of his sin § 37. 12. As the Church hath diversity of members some more holy and some less and some of whole sincerity we have small hope some that are more honourable and some less some that walk Mat. 13. 41 30. Jer. 15. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 23 24. blamelesly and some that work iniquity So Ministers and private members are bound to difference between them accordingly and to honour and love some far above others whom yet we may not excommunicate And this is no sinful separation § 38. 13. If the Church that I live and communicate with do hold any tolerable error I may differ therein from the Church without a culpable separation Union with the Church may be continued with all the diversities before mentioned D. 3. § 10. § 39. 14. In case of persecution in one Church or City when the servants of Christ do flye to another having no special reason to forbid it this is no sinful separation Matth. 10. 23. § 40. 15. If the publick service of the Church require a Minister or a private Christian to remove to another Church if it be done deliberately and upon good advice it is no sinful separation § 41. 16. If a Lawful Prince or Magistrate command us to remove our habitation or command a Minister from one Church to another when it is not notoriously to the detriment of the common interest of Religion it is no sinful separation to obey the Magistrate § 42. 17. If a poor Christian that hath a due and tender care of his salvation do find that under one Minister his soul declineth and groweth dead and under another that is more sound and clear and lively he is much edified to a holy and heavenly frame and life and if hereupon preferring his salvation before all things he remove to that Church and Minister where he is most edified without unchurching the other by his censures this is no sinful separation but a preferring the One thing needful before all § 43. 18. If one part of the Church have leisure opportunity cause and earnest desires to meet ofter for the edifying of their souls and redeeming their time than the poorer labouring or careless and less zealous part will meet in any fit place under the oversight and conduct of their Pastors and not in opposition to the more publick full assemblies as they did Acts 12. 12. to pray for Peter at the house of Mary where many were gathered together praying and Acts 10. 1 c. this is no sinful separation § 44. 19. If a mans own outward affairs require him to remove his habitation from one City or Countrey to another and there be no greater matter to prohibite it he may lawfully remove his local communion from the Church that he before lived with to that which resideth in the place he goeth to For with distant Churches and Christians I can have none but Mental Communion or by distant means as writing messengers c. It is only with present Christians that I can have local personal communion § 45. 20. It is possible in some cases that a man may live long without local personal communion with any Christians or Church at all and yet not be guilty of sinful separation As the Kings Embassadour or Agent in a Land of Infidels or some Traveller Merchants Factors or such as go to convert the Infidels or those that are banished or imprisoned In all these twenty cases some kind of separation may be lawful § 46. 21. One more I may add which is when the Temples are so small and the Congregations so great that there is no room to hear and joyn in the publick Worship or when the Church is so excessively great as to be uncapable of the proper ends of the society in this case to divide or withdraw is no sinful separation When one Hive will not hold the Bees the swarm must seek themselves another without the injury of the rest By all this you may perceive that sinful separation is first in a censorious uncharitable mind condemning Churches Ministers and Worship causelesly as unfit for them to have communion with And Secondly it is in the personal separation which is made in pursuance of this censure But not in any local removal that is made on other lawful grounds § 47. Direct 4. Understand and consider well the Reasons why Christ so frequently and earnestly Direct 4. presseth Concord on his Church and why he so vehemently forbiddeth Divisions Observe how much the Scripture speaketh to this purpose and upon what weighty Reasons Here are four things distinctly to be represented to your serious consideration 1. How many plain and urgent are the Texts that speak for Unity and condemn Division 2. The great Benefits of Concord 3. And the mischiefs of Discord and Divisions in the Church 4. And the Aggravations of the sin § 48. I. A true Christian that hateth fornication drunkenness lying perjury because they are forbidden in the Word of God will hate Divisions also when he well observeth how frequently and vehemently they are forbidden and Concord highly commended and commanded John 17. 21 22 23. That they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also See Rom. 14. throughout Rom. 15. 12. 5 6 7. may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as Ephes. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. thou hast loved me Here you see that the Unity of the Saints must be a special means to convince the Infidel world of the truth of Christianity and to prove Gods special Love to his Church and 1 Pet. 3. 6. 1 Cor. 12. throughout Phil. 3. 15 16. Acts 2. 1 46. 4. 32. also to accomplish their own perfection 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions or Schisms among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement For it hath been declared to me of you my brethren that there are contentions among you Rom. 12. 4 5. Psalm 133. 1 Cor. 8. 1
were only for Counsel or for Agreement by way of contractor mutual Consent to the particular Bishops But they degenerated into a form of Government and claimed a Ruling or Commanding power 4. The Patriarcks Primates and Metropolitans at first claimed but a power about circumstantials extrinsical to the Pastoral office such as is the Timing and Placing of Councils the siâ—ting above others c. And the exercise of some part of the Magistrates power committed to them that is the deposing of other Bishops or Pastors from their station of such Liberty and Countenance as the Magistrate may grant or deny as there is cause But in time they degenerated to claim the spiritual power of the Keys over the other Bishops in point of Ordination Excommunication Absolution 5. These Patriarks Primates and Metropolitans at first claimed their extrinsick power but from Man that is either the Consent and Agreement of the Churches or the grant of the Emperours But in time they grew to claim it as of Divine or Apostolical appointment and as unalterable 6. At first they were taken only for Adjuncts ornaments supports or conveniences to the Churches But afterwards they pretended to be integral parts of the Church universal and at last the Pope would needs be an Essential part And his Cardinals must claim the power of the Church Universal in being the choosers of an Universal Head or a King-Priest and Teacher for all the Christians of the World 7. At first Lay men now called Chancellors c. were only the Bishops Counsellors or officers to the Magistrate or them in performing the extrinsecal work about Church adjuncts which a Lay man might do But at last they came to exercise the Intrinsick power of the Keys in Excommunications and Absolutions c. 8. At first a number of particular Churches consociated with their several Bishops were taken to be a Community or company of true Churches prudentially cantonized or distributed and consociated for Concord But after they grew to be esteemed proper political societies or Churches of Divine appointment if not the Ecclesiae minimae having turned the particular Churches into Oratories or Chappels destroying Ignatius his character of one Church To every Church there is one Altar and one Bishop with his Presbyters and Deacons Abundance more such instances may be given Obj. Wherever we find the Notion of a Church particular there must be Government in that Church And why a national society incorporated into one civil Government joyning into the profession of Christianity and having a right thereby to participate of Gospel Ordinances in the convenient distributions of them in the particular Congregations should not be called a Church I confess I can see no reason Answ. 1. Here observe that the question is only of the Name whether it may be called a Church and not of the thing whether all the Churches in a Kingdom may be under one King which no sober man denyeth 2. Names are at mens disposal much But confess I had rather the name had been used no otherwise or for no other societies than Scripture useth it My Reasons are 1. Because when Christ hath appropriated or specially applyed one name to the sacred societies of his institution it seemeth somewhat bold to make that name common to other societies 2. Because it tendeth to confusion misunderstanding and to cherish errours and controversies in the Churches when all names shall be made common or ambiguous and holy things shall not be allowed any name proper to themselves nor any thing can be known by a bare name without a description If the name of Christ himself should be used of every anointed King it would seem not a little thus injurious to him If the name Bible Scripture Preachers c. be made common to all that the notation of the names may extend to it will introduce the aforesaid inconveniences so how shall we in common talk distinguish between sacred societies of Divine institution and of humane if you will allow us no peculiar name but make that common which Christ hath chosen 3. And that the name is here used equivocally is manifest For the body political is informed and denominated from the pars imperans the Governing part or Head Therefore as a Head of Divine institution authorized for the spiritual or Pastoral work denominateth the society accordingly so a civil Head can make but a civil society and a head of mans making but a humane society It is certain that Christ hath appointed the Episcopal or Pastoral office and their work and consequently Episcopal or Pastoral Churches And it is certain that a King is no constitutive part of one of these Churches but Accidental And therefore that he is an Accidental Head to a Pastoral Church as such to which the Pastor is essential Therefore if you will needs call both these societies Churches you must distinguish them into Pastoral Churches and Regal Churches or Magistratical Churches for the word national notifieth not the Government which is the constitutive part and may be used of Consociated Churches though under many Civil Governours as in the Saxon Heptarchy So that our question is much like this Whether all the Grammar Schools in England as under one King may be called one National School Answ. Not without unfitness and inconveniences But rather than breed any quarrel they may call them so that please But 1. They must confess that a particular School is the famosius significatum 2. That the King is King of Schools but not a Schoolmaster nor a constitutive part of a School 3. That if you will needs denominate them from the Regent part as One you must call them all one Royal School if you will leave the well known sense of words for such uncouth phrases But give us leave to call the Body which is essentiated by a King by the name of a Kingdom only though it have in it many Schools Academies Colledges Cities Churches which they that please may call all one Royal School Academy Colledge City and Church if they love confusion 4. Christianity giveth men right to communion in particular Churches when they also make known their Christianity to the Bishops of those Churches and are received as stated or transient members by mutual consent but not otherwise nor doth meer Regal Government give any subject right to Church Communion except by a Church you mean a Kingdom Obj. A particular Church then I would describe thus It is a society of men joyned together in the visible profession of the true faith having a right to and enjoying among them the ordinances of the Gospel Answ. 1. When you tell us by your description what you will mean by a particular Church we may understand your denomination But yet while it is unusual you must not expect that other men so use the Word Had you called your description a definition I would have asked you 1. Whether by a society you mean not strictly a Political society constituted
as much as may be in a way of Concord with the united faithful Pastors and Churches in your proximity or Countrey 3. Look to the publick good and interest of Religion more than to your particular Congregation 4. Neglect not the greatest advantages for your own edification But rather take them by a removal of your dwelling though you suffer by it in your estates than by any division disturbance of the Churches peace or common detriment 5. Do not easily go against the Magistrates Commands unless they be apparently unlawful and to the Churches detriment or ruine in the reception of your Pastors 6. Do not easily forsake him that hath been justly received by the Church and hath possession that is till necessity require it Quest. 106. To whom doth it belong to Reform a Corrupted Church to the Magistrates Pastors or People Answ. A Church is reformed three several wayes 1. By the personal reformation of every member 2. By doctrinal Direction and 3. By publick forcible Execution and constraint of others 1. Every member whether Magistrates Pastors or People must reform themselves by forsaking 1 Cor. 11. 28 29 31 33 34. 1 Cor. 5. 11. Dan. 3. 6. all their own sins and doing their own duties If a Ruler command a private person to go to Mass to own any falshood or to do any sin he is not to be obeyed because God is to be first obeyed 2. The Bishops or Pastors are to Reform the Church by Doctrine Reproof and just Exhortations 1 Cor. 5. 3. 4 5 1. Pet. 5. 2 3. Luke 22. 24 25 26 27. and Nunciative Commands in the name of Christ to Rulers and people to do their several duties and by the actual doing of his own 3. The King and Magistrates under him only must Reform by the Sword that is by outward force and Civil Laws and Corporal Penalties As forcibly to break down Images to cast out Idolaters or the Instruments of Idolatry from the Temples to put true Ministers in possession of the Temples or the Legal publick maintenance to destroy punish or hurt Idolaters c. Supposing still the Power of Parents and Masters in their several families Quest. 107. Who is to Call Synods Princes Pastors or People Answ. 1. THere are several wayes of Calling Synods 1. By Force and Civil Mandates 2. By The question of the power of Synods is sufficiently answered before Pastoral Perswasion and Counsel and 3. By humble intreaty and petition 1. Magistrates only that is the Supream by his own power and the Inferiour by power derived from him may call Synods by Laws and Mandates enforced by the Sword or Corporal Penalties or Mulcts 2. Bishops or Pastors in due Circumstances may call Synods by Counsel and perswasive invitation 3. The people in due Circumstances and necessity may Call Synods by way of Petition and Intreaty But what are the due Circumstances Answ. 1. The Magistrate may Call them by Command at his discretion for his own Counsel or for the Civil peace or the Churches good 2. The Pastors and people may not Call them nor meet when the Magistrate forbiddeth it except when the necessity of the Church requireth it Synods may profitably be stated for order when it may be lawfulâ—y obtained both as to limits of Place numbers and Time But these prudential Orders are not of stated necessity but must give place to weightier reasons on the contrary 3. Synods themselves are not ordinarily necessary by Nature or Institution Let him that affirmeth it prove it But that which is statedly necessary is The Concord of the Churches as the End and a necessary correspondency of the Churches as the Means and Synods when they may well be had as a convenient sort of means 4. When Synods cannot be had or are needless Messengers and Letters from Church to Church may keep up the Correspondency and Concord 5. In cases of real necessity which are very rare though usefulness be more frequent the Bishops and people should first petition the King for his consent And if that cannot be had they may meet secretly and in small numbers for mutual consultation and advice about the work of God and not by keeping up the formality of their set numbers times and places and orders provoke the King against them 6. The contempt of Synods by the separatists and the placing more power in Synods than ever God gave them by others yea and the insisting on their circumstantial orders making them like a Civil Senate or Court have been the two extreams which have greatly injured and divided the Churches throughout the World Quest. 108. To whom doth it belong to appoint dayes and assemblies for publick Humiliation and Thanksgiving Answ. THe answer of the last question may serve for this 1. The Magistrate only may do it by way of Laws or civil Mandate enforced by the sword 2. The Pastors may do it in case of necessity by Pastoral advice and exhortation and nunciative command in the name of Christ. 3. The people may do it by Petition 4. As ordinary Church Assemblies must be held if the Magistrate forbid them of which next so must extraordinary ones when extraordinary causes make it a duty 5. When the Magistrate forcibly hindereth them natural impossibility resolveth the question about our duty Quest. 109. May we omit Church-assemblies on the Lords day if the Magistrate forbid them Answ. 1. IT is one thing to forbid them for a time upon some special cause as Infection by May we omit Church-Assemblies on the Lords day if forbidden by Magistrates pestilence fire war c. And another thing to forbid them statedly or prophanely 2. It is one thing to omit them for a time and another to do it ordinarily 3. It is one thing to omit them in formal obedience to the Law and another thing to omit them in prudence or for necessity because we cannot keep them 4. The Assembly and the circumstances of the Assembly must be distinguished 1. If the Magistrate for a greater good as the common safety forbid Church Assemblies in a time of pestilence assault of enemies or fire or the like necessity it is a duty to obey him Because positive duties give place to those great natural duties which are their end so Christ justified himself and his disciples violation of the external rest of the Sabbath For the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath 2. Because Affirmatives bind not ad semper and out of season duties become sins 3. Because one Lords day or Assembly is not to be preferred before Many which by the omission of that one are like to be obtained 2. If Princes prophanely forbid holy assemblies and publick worship either statedly or as a renunciation of Christ and our religion it is not Lawful formally to obey them 3. But it is lawful prudently to do that secretly for the present necessity which we cannot do publickly and to do that with smaller numbers which we
ridiculous to ask whether we may give Gods proper Worship to a creature And so I answer 1. By way of distinction 2. Of solution 1. We must distinguish between the honour or worshiping acts of the mind and of the Body 2. Between Idolatry as against the first Commandment and Idolatry or scandal as against the second Af. Prop. 1. There is due to every creature a true estimation of it according to the degree of its dignity or goodness And a Love proportionable As also a Belief a Trust a Fear proportionable to every mans credibility fidelity power c. 2. There is an eminent degree therefore of estimation reverence and Love and trust due to Good men above bad and to those in Heaven above those on earth And a peculiar honour to Rulers as such Psal. 15. 4. which is not due to their inferiours 3. This is to be expressed by the Body by convenient actions 4. The highest honour which we owe to any is for the Image of God in them viz. 1. His Natural Image as men 2. His moral Image as Saints 3. His Relative Image of supereminency as superiours And so it is God in them first and they next as the Images of God who are to be honoured 5. There is no honour to be given to any Creature but that of which God himself is the End viz. as it referreth to his Glory 6. Therefore all honour given to men must be thus far Religious honour or worship For as all 1 Tim. 4. 5. Tiâ— 1. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 14. 1 Pet. 4. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. 17. Rev. 21. 8. 2â— 15 Act. 17. 16. Gal. 5. 20. 2 Commandment Rev. 22. 8 9. Rev. 2. 14 20. 1 Cor. 8. 10. 19 28. 1 Joh. 5. 21. Dan. 3. things are sanctified to and by Saints so all things that Religious men do must be Religiously done 7. As Persons so places books words utensils times c. must be honoured for Gods sake as they are Related to God with such estimations and expressions as are suitable to their Relations Neg. 1. No Creature must be esteemed to be a God nor any of Gods proper attributes or honour given to any Creature whatsoever 2. No Creature must be esteemed better or greater or wiser than it is As far as we have means to know it 3. Whatsoever outward expressions of honour by word or deed are appropriated to the true God 1. By Divine Institution 2. Or by nature 3. Or by received usage that expression of honour ought not to be used to a creature were the heart never so free from honouring it 1. Because it is bodily Idolatry 2. And scandal as being Idolatry interpretatively in the just sense of others 4. Whatsoever outward expressions of honour Idolaters have used and do use to signifie their inward Idolatry or taking a Creature or a fiction to be God and so make it a tessara or symbol or Professing sign of that their Idolatry if those actions are so used or esteemed among us or within the notice of our actions It is unlawful for us to use the like to any Creature Because the use of their expression maketh it to be a Profession of Idolatry by us and so to be interpretative Idolatry and scandal For to use Professing symbols is to profess Except when there is some notorious reason to use the same words or actions to another lawful signification which is of greater weight than the scandal And we make it as publick to obviate the scandal that we do it not to the Idolaters intents For example If the Mâ—hometans make it a symbole of their Religion to say God is but one upon a false supposition that the Christians make more Gods than one yet it is lawful for us to use that symbolical word to a better end But if they add to their symbol And Mahomet is his Prophet we may not use that because it 's 1. Symbolical of a false Religion 2. And a falshood of it self So if they make it a distinctive note of their religious meetings to congregate the people by Voice and not by Bells when it will be taken for a professing their Religion to do the same we must avoid it But not when there is great cause for it as if we have no other means and the reason against it or scandal may be well avoided 5. Image Worship or bowing or otherwise worshipping towards an Image as an object in the time of Divine worship or when we otherwise pretend to be worshiping God is so gross an appearance of inward Idolatry either as visibly describing God to be like a Creature or else as seeming to mean what Idolaters did by that action that God hath thought meet to forbid it to all mankind by a special Rom. 11. 4. 1 King 19. 18. Rev. 22. 8 9. Jos. 23. 7. 2 King 17. 35. Exod. 20. 5. Law Command 2. 6. The scandal of seeming Idolatry is a heynous sin and not to be excused by the contrary meaning of the heart no more than lying Idolatrous professions are Because to blaspheam God as if he were like a Creature or to tell the World by our actions that a creature is God are both very heynous And so is it to murder our brethrens souls by tempting them to the like 7. It is no appearance of Idolatry to kneel to a King or a Father or Superiour when we are professing Gen. 27. 29. 32. 10. 44. 8. Exod. 11. 8. â—2 King 5. 18. Gen. 41. 43. Ruth 2. 10. 1 Sam. 25. 23 41. nothing but to Honour them with due honour But when the Church assembleth professedly to Worship God if then they mix expressions of veneration to Angels and Saints in Heaven or to a King or any Creature in their Worshipping of God without a very notorious signification of sufficient difference it will seem a joyning them in part of the same Divine honour 8. So we may put off our hats to the Chair of state or Kings Image yea and kneel towards it as to him if he command it in due time and place when it is humane Worship only which we profess But to kneel or bow as an act of honour towards the Image of King Saints or Angel in the time of our professed Worshipping of God is scandalous and an appearance that we give them a part of that which we are giving to God 9. Yet it is not unlawful even in the sacred Assemblies to bow to our Superiour at our entrance or going out or in the intervals of Gods Worship because the time and custome and manner may sufficiently notifie the distinction and prevent the scandal 10. If any presumptuous Clergy men on pretence of their Authority will bring Images into the Churches and set them before us in Divine Worship as objects only of Remembrance and means of exciting our affections to God that they may shew quam proxime se accedere posse ad peccatum sine peccato how neer
fruits without partiality and hypocrisie and to speak evil of no man And where this is obeyed how quietly and easily may Princes govern § 97. 14. Christianity setteth before us the perfectest pattern of all this humility meekness contempt of worldly wealth and greatness self-denyal and obedience that ever was given in the world The Eternal Son of God incarnate would condescend to earth and flesh and would obey his Superiours after the flesh in the repute of the world and would pay tribute and never be drawn to any contempt of the Governours of the world though he suffered death under the false accusation of it He that is a Christian endeavoureth to imitate his Lord And can the imitation of Christ or of Luke 20 18. Matth. 21. 42 44. Acts 4 11. 1 Pet. 2. 7. 8. Zâ—ch 1â— 3. his peaceable Apostles be injurious to Governours Could the world but lay by their Serpentine enmity against the holy doctrine and practice of Christianity and not take themselves engaged to persecute it nor dash themselves in pieces on the stone which they should build upon nor by striving against it provoke it to fall on them and grind them to powder they never need to complain of disturbances by Christianity or Godliness § 98. 15. Christianity and true Godliness containeth not only all these Precepts that tend to peace and order in the world but also strength and willingness and holy dispositions for the practising of such precepts Other Teachers can speak but to the ears but Christ doth write his Laws upon the heart so that he maketh them such as he commandeth them to be Only this is the remnant of our unhappiness that while he is performing the Cure on us we retain a remnant of our old diseases and so his work is yet imperfect And as sin in strength is it that setteth on fire the course of nature so the relicts of it will make some disturbance in the world according to its degree But nothing is more sure than that the Godliest Christian is the most orderly and loyal subject and the best member according to his parts and power in the Common-wealth and that sin is the cause and holiness the cure of all the disorders and calamities of the world § 99. 16. Lastly Consult with experience it self and you will find that all this which I have spoken hath been ordinarily verified What Heathenism tendeth to you may see even in the Roman Government for there you will confess it was at the best To read of the tumults the cruelties Read the lives of all the Philosophers Orators and famous men of Greece or Rome and try whether the Christians or they were more for Monarchy Arcesilaus Regum neminem magnopere coluit Quamobâ—em legatione ad Antigonum fungens pro patria nihil obtinuit Hesich in Arces It s one of Thales sayings in Laert. Quid difficile Regum vidisse tyrannum senem Chrysippus videtur aspâ—rnator Regum modice fuisse Quod cum tam multa scripserit libros 705. nulli unquam regi quicquam adscripserit Senâ—ca faith Traged de Herc. fur perillously Victima haud ulla amplior Potest magisque opima mactari Jovi Quam Rex iniquus Cicero pro Milon Non se obstrinxit scelere siquis Tyrannum occidat quamvis familiarem Et 5. Tusc. Nulla nobis cum Tyrannis societas est neque est contra naturam spoliare eum quem honestum est necare Plura habet similia the popular unconstancy faction and injustice How rudely the Souldiers made their Emperours and how easily and barbarously they murdered them and how few of them from the dayes of Christ till Constantine did dye the common death of all men and scape the hands of those that were their subjects I think this will satisfie you whither mens enmity to Christianity tendeth And then to observe how suddenly the case was altered as soon as the Emperours and Subjects became Christian till in the declining of the Greek Empire some Officers and Courtiers who aspired to the Crown did murder the Emperours And further to observe that the rebellious doctrines and practices against Governours have been all introduced by factions and heresies which forsook Christianity so far before they incurred such guilt and that it is either the Papal Usurpation which is in its nature an enemy to Princes that hath deposed and trampled upon Emperours and Kings or else some mad Enthusiasticks that over-run Religion and their wits that at Munster and in England some lately by the advantage of their prosperity have dared to do violence against Soveraignty but the more any men were Christians and truly Godly the more they detested all such things All this will tell you that the most serious and Religious Christians are the best members of the Civil Societies upon Earth § 100. II. Having done with the first part of my last Direction I shall say but this little of the second Let Christians see that they be Christians indeed and abuse not that which is most excellent to be a cloak to that which is most vile 1. In reading Politicks swallow not all that every Author writeth in conformity to the Polity that he liveth under What perverse things shall you read in the Popish Politicks Contzen and abundance such What usurpation on Principalities and cruelties to Christians under the pretence of defending the Church and suppressing Heresies 2. Take heed in reading History that you suffer not the Spirit of your Author to infect you with any of that partiality which he expresseth to the cause which he espouseth Consider in what times and places all your Authors lived and read them accordingly with the just allowance The name of Liberty was so pretious and the name of a King so odious to the Romans Athenians c. that it is no wonder if their Historians be unfriendly unto Kings 3. Abuse not Learning it self to lift you up with self-conceitedness against Governours Learned men may be ignorant of Polity or at least unexperienced and almost as unfit to judge as of matters of Warr or Navigation 4. Take heed of giving the Magistrates power to the Clergy and setting up Secular Coercive power See Bilson of Subject p. 525 526. proving from Châ—ysost Hilary Oâ—â—gen that Pastors may use no force oâ— terror but only perswasion to recover their wandering sheep Bilson ibid. p. 541. Parliamenâ—s have been kept by the King and his Barons the Clergy wholly excluded and yet their Acts and Statutes good And when the Bishops were present their voices from the Conquest to this day were never Negative By Gods Law you have nothing to do with making Laws for Kingdoms and Common-wealths You may teach you may not command Perswasion is your part Compulsion is the Princes c. Thus Bishop Bilson So p. 358. under the name of the power of the Keys And it had been happy for the Church if God had perswaded Magistrates in all ages to have kept the
to find them out so that the blood-thirsty man doth seldome live out half his dayes The Treatises purposely written on this subject and the experience of all Ages do give us very wonderful Narratives of Gods judgements in the detecting of murderers and bringing them to punishment They go about awhile like Cain with a terrified Conscience afraid of every one they see till seasonable vengeance give them their reward or rather send them to the place where they must receive it 3. For it is eternal torment under the wrath of God which is the final punishment which they must expect If very great Repentance and the blood of Christ do not prevent it There are few I think that by shame and terrour of Conscience are not brought to such a Repentance for it as Cain and Iudas had or as a man hath that hath brought calamity on himself and therefore wish they had never done it because of their own unhappiness thereby except those persecutors or murderers that are hardened by Errour pride or power But this will not prevent the vengeance of God in their damnation It must be a deep Repentance proceeding from the Love of God and man and the hatred of sin and sense of Gods displeasure for it which is only found in sanctified souls And alas how few Murderers ever have the grace to manifest any such renovation and repentance Tit. 2. Advice against Self-murder THough Self-murder be a sin which Nature hath as strongly inclined man against as any sin in the World that I remember and therefore I shall say but little of it yet experience telleth us that it is a sin that some persons are in danger of and therefore I shall not pass it by The prevention of it lyeth in the avoiding of these following Causes of it § 1. Direct 1. The commonest cause is prevailing Melancholy which is neer to madness therefore Direct 1. to prevent this sad disease or to cure it if contracted and to watch them in the mean time is the chief prevention of this sin Though there be much more hope of the salvation of such as want the use of their Understandings because so far it may be called involuntary yet it is a very dreadful case especially so far as reason remaineth in any power But it is not more natural for a man in a Feaver to thirst and rave than for Melancholy at the height to incline men to make away themselves For the disease will let them feel nothing but misery and despair and say nothing but I am forsaken miserable and undone and not only maketh them aweary of their lives even while they are afraid to dye but the Devil hath some great advantage by it to urge them to do it so that if they pass over a Bridge he urgeth them to leap into the Water If they see a Knife they are presently urged to kill themselves with it and feel as if it were something within them importunately provoking them and saying Do it Do it now and giving them no rest In so much that many of them contrive it and cast about secretly how they may accomplish it Though the cure of these poor people belong as much to others care as to their own yet so far as they yet can use their reason they must be warned 1. To abhor all these suggestions and give them not room a moment in their minds And 2 To avoid all occasions of the sin and not to be neer a Knife a River or any instrument which the Devil would have them use in the execution And 3. To open their case to others and tell them all that they may help to their preservation 4. And especially to be willing to use the means both Physick and satisfying Counsel which tends to cure their disease And if there be any rooted cause in the mind that was antecedent to the Melancholy it must carefully be lookt to in the cure § 2. Direct 2. Take heed of worldly trouble and discontent for this also is a common Cause Direct 2. Either it suddenly casteth men into Melancholy or without it of it self overturneth their reason so far as to make them violently dispatch themselves Especially if it fall out in a mind where there is a mixture of these two Causes 1. Unmortified love to any Creature 2. And an impotent and passionate mind there discontent doth cause such unquietness that they will furiously go to Hell for ease Mortifie therefore first your worldly lusts and set not too much by any earthly thing If you did not foolishly overvalue your selves or your credit or your wealth or friends there would be nothing to feed your discontent Make no greater a matter of the world than it deserveth and you will make no such great matter of your sufferings And 2. Mortifie your turbulent passions and give not way to Bedlam fury to overcome your reason Go to Christ to beg and learn to be meek and lowly in spirit and then your troubled minds will have rest Matth 11. 28 29. Passionate Women and such other feeble spirited persons that are easily troubled and hardly quietted and pleased have great cause to bend their greatest endeavours to the curing of this impotent temper of mind and procuring from God such strengthening grace as may restore their Reason to its power § 3. Direct 3. And sometimes sudden passion it self without any longer discontent hath caused Direct 3. men to make away themselves Mortifie therefore and watch over such distracting Passions § 4. Direct 4. Take heed of running into the guilt of any heynous sin For though you may Direct 4. feel no hurt from it at the present when Conscience is awakened it is so disquieting a thing that it maketh many a one hang himself Some grievous sins are so tormenting to the Conscience that they give many no rest till they have brought them to to Iudas's or Achitophel's End Especially take heed of sinning against Conscience and of yielding to that for fear of men which God and Conscience charge you to forbear For the case of many a hundred as well as Spira may tell you into what Calamity this may cast you If man be the master of your Religion you have no Religion For what is Religion but the subjection of the soul to God especially in the matters of his Worship And if God be subjected to man he is taken for No-God When you Worship a God that is inferiour to a man then you may subject your Religion to the will of that man Keep God and Conscience at peace with you if you love your selves though thereby you lose your peace with the World § 5. Direct 5. Keep up a Believing foresight of the state which Death will send you to and then if Direct 5. you have the use of Reason Hell at least will hold your hands and make you afraid of venturing upon death What Repentance are you like to have when you dye in the very
see a poor sinner have a little prosperity and ease who must lye in everlasting flames But the truth is malitious men are ordinarily Atheists and never think of another world and therefore desire to be the avengers of themselves because they believe not that there is any God to do it or any future Judgement and execution to be expected § 19. Consid. 13. And remember how near both he and you are to death and judgement when God Consid 13. will judge righteously betwixt you both There are few so cruelly malitious but if they both lay dying they would abate their malice and be easily reconciled as remembring that their dust and bones will lye in quietness together and malice is a miserable case to appear in before the Lord Why then do you cherish your vice by putting away the day of death from your remembrance Do you not know that you are dying Is a few more dayes so great a matter with you that you will therefore do that because you have a few more dayes to live which else you durst not do or think of O hearken to the dreadful trumpet of God which is summoning you all to come away and methinks this should sound a retreat to the malitious from persecuting those with whom they are going to be judged God will shortly make the third if you will needs be quarrelling Unless it be mastâ—â—â—â— Dogs or fighting Cocks there are scarce any creatures but will give over fighting if man or beast do come upon them that would destroy or hurt them both § 20. Consid. 14. Wrathful and hurtful creatures are commonly hated and pursued by all and loveing Consid. 14. gentle harmless profitable creatures are commonly beloved And will you make your selves like wild Beasts or Vermine that all men naturally hate and seek to destroy If a Wolf or a Fox or an Adder do but appear every man is ready to seek the death of him as a hurtful creature and an enemy to mankind But harmless creatures no one medleth with unless for their own benefit and use So if you will be malicious hurtful Serpents that hiss and sting and trouble others you will be the common hatred of the world and it will be thought a meritorious work to mischief you Whereas if you will be loving kind and profitable it will be taken to be mens interest to love you and desire your good § 21. Consid. 15. Observe how you unfit your selves for all holy duties and communion with God Consid. 15. while you cherish wrath and malice in your hearts Do you find your selves fit for Meditation Conference or Prayer while you are in wrath I know you cannot It both undisposeth you to the duty and the guilt affrighteth you and telleth you that you are unfit to come near to God As a Feavor taketh away a mans appetite to his meat and his disposition to labour so doth wrath and malice destroy both your disposition to holy duties and your pleasure in them And conscience will tell you that it is so terrible to draw near God in such a case that you will be readier were it possible to hide your selves as Adam and Eve or fly as Cain as not enduring the presence of God And therefore the Common-Prayer Book above all other sins enableth the Pastor to keep away the malicious from the Sacrament of Communion and conscience maketh many that have little conscience in any thing else that they dare not come to that Saâ—rament while wrath and malice are in their breasts And Christ himself saith Matth. 5. 23 24 25. If thou bring thy gift unto the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the Iudge and the Iudge deliver thee to the Officer and thou be cast into prison c. § 22. Consid. 16. And your sin is aggravated in that you hinder the good of those that you are Consid. 16. offended with and also provoke them to add sin to sin and to be as furious and uncharitable as your selves If your neighbour be not faulty why are you so displeased with him If he be Why will you make him worse Will you bring him to amendment by hatred or cruelty Do you think one vice will cure another Or is any man like to hearken to the counsel of an enemy Or to love the words of one that hateth him Is malice and fierceness an attractive thing Or rather is it not the way to drive men further from their duty and into sin by driving them from you who pretend to reform them by such unlikely contrary means as these And as you do your worst to harden them in their faults and to make them hate what ever you would perswade them to so at present you seek to kindle in their breasts the same fire of malice or passion which is kindled in your selves As Love is the most effectual way to cause Love so passion is the most effectual cause of passion and malice is the most effectual cause of malice and hurting another is the powerfullest means to provoke him to hurt you again if he be able And weak things are oft times able to do hurt when injuries boyle up their passions to the height or make them desperate If your sinful provocations fill him also with rage and make him curse or swear or rail or plot revenge or do you a mischief you are guilty of this sin and have a hand in the damnation of his soul as much as in you lyeth § 23. Consid. 17. Consider how much fitter means there are at hand to right your self and attain Consid. 17. any ends that are good than by passion malice or revenge If your end be nothing but to do mischief and make another miserable you are to the world as mad Dogs and Wolves and Serpents to the Countrey and they that know you will be as glad when the world is rid of you as when an Adder or a Toad is killed But if your end be only to right your selves and to reclaim your enemy or reform your brother fury and revenge is not the way God hath appointed Governours to do justice in Common-wealths and Families and to those you may repair and not take upon you to revenge your selves And God himself is the most righteous Governour of all the world and to him you may confidently referr the case when Magistrates and Rulers fail you and his judgement will be soon enough and severe enough And if you would rather have your neighbour reclaimed than destroyed it is Love and gentleness that are the way with peaceable convictions and such reasonings as shew that you desire his Good Overcome him with kindness if you would melt him into
deal with a Tenant as rich or richer than your self or with one that needeth not your mercy or is no fit object of it 2. And if it be Land that no man can by custome claim equitably to hold on lower terms and so it is no injury to another nor just scandal then you may lawfully raise it to the full worth Sometimes a poor man setteth a House or Land to a rich man where the scruple hath no place Quest. 3. May a Landlord raise his Rents though he take not the full worth Quest. 3. Answ. He may do it when there is just reason for it and none against it There is just reason for it when 1. The Land was much underset before 2. Or when the Land is proportionably improved 3. Or when the plenty of money maketh a greater summ to be in effect no more than a lesser heretofore 4. Or when an increase of persons or other accident maketh Land dearer than it was But then it must be supposed 1. That no Contract 2. Nor Custome 3. Nor Service and Merit do give the Tenant any equitable right to his better penny-worth And also that Mercy prohibite not the change Quest. 4. How much must a Landlord set his Land below the full worth that he may be no oppressor Quest. 4. or unmerciful to his Tenants Answ. No one proportion can be determined of because a great alteration may be made in respect to the Tenants ability his merit to the time and place and other accidents Some Tenants are so rich as is said that you are not bound to any abatement Some are so bad that you are bound to no more than strict Justice and common humanity to them Some years like the last when a longer drowth than any man alive had known burnt up the Grass disableth a Tenant to pay his Rent Some Countreys are so scarce of money that a little abatement is more than in another place But ordinarily the common sort of Tenants in England should have so much abated of the fullest worth that they may comfortably live on it and follow their labours with cheerfulness of mind and liberty to serve God in their families and to mind the matters of their salvation and not to be necessitated to such toil and care and pinching want as shall make them liker Slaves than Free-men and make their lives uncomfortable to them and make them unfit to serve God in their families and seasonably mind eternal things Quest. 5. What if the Landlord be in debt or have some present want of money may be not then raise Quest. 5. the Rent of those Lands which were under-let before Answ. If his pride pretend want where there is none as to give extraordinary portions with his daughters to erect sumptuous buildings c. this is no good excuse for oppression But if he really fall into want then all that his Tenants hold as meer gifts from his liberality he may withdraw as being no longer able to give But that which they had by custome an equitable title to or by contract also a legal title to he may not withdraw And yet all this is his sin if he brought that poverty culpably on himself it is his sin in the cause though supposing that cause the raising of his Rent be lawfulâ— But it is not every debt in a rich man who hath other wayes of paying it which is a true necessity in this Case And if a present debt made it necessary only at that time it is better by Fine or otherwise make a present supply than thereupon to lay a perpetual burden on the Tenants when the cause is ceased Quest. 6. What if there be abundance of honest people in for greater want than my Tenants are Quest. 6. yea perhaps Preachers of the Gospel and I have no other way to relieve them unless I raise my Rents Am I not bound rather to give to the best and poorest than to others Answ. Yes if it were a case that concerned meer giving But when you must take away from one to give to another there is more to be considered in it Therefore at least in these two cases you may not raise your Tenants Rents to relieve the best or poorest whosoever 1. In case that he have some equitable title to your Land as upon the easier Rent 2. Or in case that the scandal of seeming injustice or cruelty is like to do more hurt to the interest of Religion and mens souls than your relieving the poor with the addition would do good which a prudent man by collation of probable consequents may satisfactorily discern But if it were not only to preserve the comforts but to save the lives of others in their present famine nature teacheth you to take that which is truly your own both from your Tenants and your Servants and your own mouths to relieve men in such extream distress and Nature will teach all men to judge it your duty and no scandalous oppression But when you cannot relieve the ordinary wants of the poor without such a scandalous raising of your Rents as will do more harm than your alms would do good God doth not than call you to give such Alms but you are to be supposed to be unable Quest. 7. May I raise a Tenants Rent or turn him out of his House because he is a bad man by a Quest. 7. kind of penalty Answ. A bad man hath a title to his Own as well as a good man And therefore if he have either legal or equitable title you may not Nor yet if the scandal of it is like to do more hurt than the good can countervail which you intend Otherwise you may either raise his Rent or turn him out if he be a wicked profligate incorrigible person after due admonition Yea and you ought to do it lest you be a cherisher of wickedness If the Parents under Moses Law were bound to accuse their own Son to the Judges in such a case and say This our Son is stubborn and rebellious he will not obey our voice he is a glutton and a drunkard and all the men of the City must stone him till he dye to put away evil from among them Deut. 21. 18 19 20 21. Then surely a wicked Tenant is not so far to be spared as to be cherished by bounty in his sin It is the Magistrates work to punish him by Governing Justice But it is your work as a prudent Benefactor to withhold your gifts of bounty from him And I think it is one of the great sins of this age that this is not done it being one of the notablest means imaginable to reform the Land and make it happy if Landlords would thus punish or turn out their wicked incorrigible Tenants It would do much more than the Magistrate can do The vulgar are most effectually ruled by their interest as we rule our Dogs and Horses more by the Government of their bellies than
worst they can against another as an enemy but as loving friends do use an amicable arbitration resolving contentedly to stand to what the Iudge determineth without any alienation of mind or abatement of brotherly love § 12. Direct 9. Be not too confident of the righteousness of your own cause but ask counsel of some Direct 9. understanding godly and impartial men and hear all that can be said and patiently consider of the case and do as you would have others do by you § 13. Direct 10. Observe what terrors of Conscience use to haunt awakened sinners especially on a Direct 10. death-â—ead for such sins as false witnessing and false judging and oppressing and injuâ—ing the innocent even above most other sins CHAP. XXIII Cases of Conscience and Directions against Backbiting Slandering and Evil Speaking Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about Backbiting and Evil Speaking Quest. 1. MAy I not speak evil of that which is evil And call every one truly as Quest. 1. he is Answ. You must not speak a known falshood of any man under pretence of Charity or speaking well But you are not to speak all the evil of every man which is true As opening the faults of the King or your Parents though never so truly is a sin against the fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother So if you do it without a call you sin against your neighbours honour and many other wayes offend Quest. 2. Is it not sinful silence and a consenting to or countenancing of the sins of others to say Quest. 2. nothing against them as tender of their honour Answ. It is sinful to be silent when you have a call to speak If you forbear to admonish the offender in love between him and you when you have opportunity and just cause it is sinful to be silent then But to silence backbiting is no sin If you must be guilty of every mans sin that you talk not against behind his back your whole discourse must be nothing but backbiting Quest. 3. May I not speak that which honest religious credible persons do report Quest. 3. Answ. Not without both sufficient evidence and a sufficient call You must not judge of the action by the person but of the person by the action Nor must you imitate any man in evil doing If a good man abuse you are you willing that all men follow him and abuse you more Quest. 4. May I believe the bad report of an honest credible person Quest. 4. Answ. You must first consider Whether you may hear it or meddle with it For if it be a case that you have nothing to do with you may not set your judgement to it either to believe it or disbelieve it And if it be a thing that you are called to judge of yet every honest mans word is not presently to be believed You must first know whether it be a thing that he saw or is certain of himself or a thing which he only taketh upon report And what his evidence or proof is and whether he be not engaged by interest passion or any difference of opinion Or be not engaged in some contrary faction where the interest of a party or cause is his temptation Or whether he be not used to rash reports and uncharitable speeches And what concurrence of testimonies there is and what is said on the other side Especially what the person accused saith in his own defence If it be so heinous a crime in publick Judgement to pass sentence before both parties are heard and to condemn a man before he speak for himself it cannot be justifiable in private judgement Would you be willing your selves that all should be believed of you which is spoken by any honest man And how uncertain are we of other mens honesty that we should on that account think ill of others Quest. 5. May I not speak evil of them that are enemies to God to Religion and godliness and are Quest. 5. open persecutors of it or are enemies to the King or Church Answ. You may on all meet occasions speak evil of the sin and of the persons when you have a just call but not at your own pleasure Quest. 6. What if it be one whose honour and credit countenanceth an ill cause and his dishonour would Quest. 6. disable him to do hurt Answ. You may not belye the Devil nor wrong the worst man that is though under pretence of doing good God needeth not malice nor calumnies nor injustice to his glory It is an ill cause that cannot be maintained without such means as these And when the matter is true you must have a call to speak it and you must speak it justly without unrighteous aggravations or hiding the better part which should make the case and person truly understood There is a time and due manner in which that mans crimes and just dishonour may be published whose false reputation injureth the truth But yet I must say that a great deal of villany and slander is committed upon this plausible pretence and that there is scarce a more common cloak for the most inhumane lyes and calumnies Quest. 7. May I not lawfully make a true Narration of such matters of fact as are criminal and Quest. 7. dishonourable to offenders Else no man may write a true History to posterity of mens crimes Answ. When you have a just cause and call to do it you may But not at your own pleasure Historians may take much more liberty to speak the truth of the dead than you may of the living Though no untruth must be spoken of either yet the honour of Princes and Magistrates while they are alive is needful to their Government and therefore must be maintained oft times by the concealment of their faults And so proportionably the honour of other men is needful to a life of love and peace and just society But when they are dead they are not subjects capable of a right to any such honour as must be maintained by such silencing of the truth to the injury of posterity And posterity hath usually a right to historical truth that good examples may draw them to imitation and bad examples may warn them to take heed of sin God will have the name of the wicked to rot and the faults of a Noah Lot David Solomon Peter c. shall be recorded Yet nothing unprofitable to posterity may be recorded of the dead though it be true nor the faults of men unnecessarily divulged much less may the dead be slandered or abused Quest. 8. What if it be one that hath been oft admonished in vain May not the faults of such a one be Quest. 8. mentioned behind his back Answ. I confess such a one the case being proved and he being notoriously impenitent hath made a much greater forfeiture of his honour than other men And no man can save that mans honour who will cast it away himself But yet it is
not every one that committeth a sin after admonition who is here to be understood but such as are impenitent in some mortal or ruling sin For some may sin oft in a small and controverted point for want of ability to discern the truth and some may live in daily infirmities as the best men do which they condemn themselves and desire to be delivered from And even the most impenitent mans sins must not be medled with by every one at his pleasure but only when you have just cause Quest. 9. What if it be one whom I cannot speak to face to face Quest. 9. Answ. You must let him alone till you have just cause to speak of him Quest. 10. When hath a man a just cause and call to open anothers faults Quest. 10. Answ. Negatively 1. Not to fill up the time with other idle chatt or table-talk 2. Not to second any man how good soever who backbiteth others no though he pretend to do it to make the sin more odious or to exercise godly sorrow for other mens sin 3. Not when ever interest passion faction or company seemeth to require it But Affirmatively 1. When we may speak it to his face in love and privacy in due manner and circumstances as is most hopeful to conduce to his amendment 2. When after due admonition we take two or three and after that tell the Church in a case that requireth it 3. When we have a sufficient cause to accuse him to the Magistrate 4. When the Magistrate or the Pastors of the Church reprove or punish him 5. When it is necessary to the preservation of another As if I see my friend in danger of marrying with a wicked person or takeing a false servant or trading and bargaining with one that is like to over-reach him or going among cheaters or going to hear or converse with a dangerous Heretick or Seducer I must open the faults of those that they are in danger of so far as their safety and my charity require 6. When it is any treason or conspiracy against the King or Common-wealth where my concealment may be an injury to the King or damage or danger to the Kingdom 7. When the person himself doth by his self-justification force me to it 8. When his reputation is so built upon the injury of others and slanders of the just that the justifying of him is the condemning of the innocent we may then indirectly condemn him by vindicating the just As if it be in a case of contention between two if we cannot justifie the right without dishonour to the injurious there is no remedy but he must bear his blame 9. When a mans notorious wickedness hath set him up as a spectacle of warning and lamentation so that his crimes cannot be hid and he hath forfeited his reputation we must give others warning by his fall As an excommunicate person or malefactor at the Gallows c. 10. When we have just occasion to make a bare narrative of some publick matters of fact as of the sentence of a Judge or punishment of offenders c. 11. When the crime is so heinous as that all good persons are obliged to joyn to make it odious as Phinehas was to execute judgement As in cases of open Rebellion Treason Blasphemy Atheism Idolatry Murders Perjury Cruelty Such as the French Massacre the Irish far greater Massacre the Murdering of Kings the Powder Plot the Burning of London c. Crimes notorious should not go about in the mouths or ears of men but with just detestation 12. When any persons false reputation is a seducement to mens souls and made by himself or others the instrument of Gods dishonour and the injury of the Church or State or others though we may do no unjust thing to blast his reputation we may tell the truth so far as justice or mercy or piety requireth it Quest. 11. What if I hear dawbers applauding wicked men and speaking well of them and extenuating Quest. 12. their crimes and praising them for evil doing Answ. You must on all just occasions speak evil of sin But when that is enough you need not meddle with the sinner no not though other men applaud him and you know it to be false For you are not bound to contradict every falshood which you hear But if in any of the twelve fore-mentioned cases you have a call to do it as for the preservation of the hearers from a snare thereby as if men commend a Traytor or a wicked man to draw another to like his way in such cases you may contradict the false report Quest. 12. Are we bound to reprove every backbiter in this age when honest people are grown to Quest. 12. make little conscience of it but think it their duty to divulge mens faults Answ. Most of all that you may stop the stream of this common sin Ordinarily when ever we can do it without doing greater hurt we should rebuke the tongue that reporteth evil of other men causelesly behind their backs For our silence is their encouragement in sin Tit. 2. Directions against Backbiting Slandering and Evil Speaking Direct 1. MAintain the life of brotherly Love Love your neighbour as your self Direct 1. Direct 2. Watch narrowly lest interest or passion should prevail upon you For Direct 2. where these prevail the tongue is set on fire of Hell and will set on fire the course of nature Iam. 2. Selfishness and passion will not only prompt you to speak evil but also to justifie it and think you do well yea and to be angry with those that will not hearken to you and believe you Direct 3. Especially involve not your selves in any faction Religious or Secular I do not mean Direct 3. that you should not love and imitate the best and hold most intimate communion with them But that you abhor unlawful divisions and sidings and when error or uncharitableness or carnal interest hath broken the Church into pieces where you live and one is of Paul and another of Apollo and another of Cephas one of this party and another of that take heed of espousing the interest of any party as it stands cross to the interest of the whole It would have been hardly credible if sad experience had not proved it how commonly and heinously almost every Sect of Christians do sin in this point against each other And how far the interest of their Sect which they account the interest of Christ will prevail with multitudes even of zealous people to belye calumniate backbite and reproach those that are against their opinion and their party Yea how easily will they proceed beyond reproaches to bloody persecutions He that thinketh that he doth God service by killing Christ or his Disciples will think that he doth him service by calling him a deceiver and one that hath a Devil a blasphemer and an enemy to Caesar and calling his Disciples pestilent fellows and movers of
when their appetite desireth it to the hindring of concoction and the increase of Crudities and Catarhs and to the secret gradual vitiating of their humours and generating of many diseases and this without any true necessity or the approbation of sound Reason or any wise Physicion Yet they tipple but at home where you may find the pot by them at unseasonable times § 12. 3. The third degree are many poor men that have not drink at home and when they come to a Gentlemans house or a feast or perhaps an ALE-house they will pour in for the present to excess though not to Drunkenness and think it is no harm because it is but seldom and they drink so small drink all the rest of the year that they think such a fit as this sometimes is medicinal to them and tendeth to their health § 13. 4. Another rank of Bibbers are those that though they haunt not ALE-houses or Taverns yet have a throat for every health or pledging Cup that reacheth not to drunkenness and use ordinarily to drink many unnecessary cups in a day to pledge as they call it those that drink to them And custom and complement are all their excuse § 14. 5. Another degree of Bibbers are common ALE-house haunters that love to be there and to sit many hours perhaps in a day with a pot by them tipling and drinking one to another And if they have any bargain to make or any friend to meet the ALE-house or Tavern must be the place where Tippling may be one part of their work 6. The highest degree are they that are not apt to be stark Drunk and therefore think themselves less faulty while they sit at it and make others drunk and are strong themselves to bear away more than others can bear They have the Drunkards appetite and measure and pleasure though they have not his giddiness and loss of wit § 15. 3. And of those that are truly Drunken also there are many degrees and kinds As some will be drunk with less and some with more so some are only possessed with a little diseased Levity and talkativeness more than they had before Some also have distempered eyes and stammering tongues Some also proceed to unsteady reeling heads and stumbling feet and unfitness for their callings Some go further to sick and vomiting stomachs or else to sleepy heads and some proceed to stark madness quarrelling railing bawling hooting ranting roaring or talking non-sense or doing mischief the furious sort being like mad dogs that must be tyed and the sottish prating and spewing sort being commonly the derision of the boys in the streets § 16. II. Having told you what Tipling and Drunkenness is I shall briefly tell you their causes But briefly because you may gather most of them from what is said of the Causes of Gluttony 1. The first and grand causes are these three concurrent A beastly raging appetite or gulosity A weakness of Reason and Resolution to rule it And a want of Faith to strengthen Reason and of Holiness to strengthen Resolution These are the very cause of all § 17. 2. Another cause is their not-knowing that their excess and tipling is really a hurt or danger to their health And they are ignorant of this from many causes One is because they have been bred up among ignorant people and never taught to know what is good or bad for their own bodys but only by the common talk of the mistaken vulgar Another is because their Appetite so maiâ—â—reth their very Reason that they can choose to believe that which they would not have to be true Another reason is because they are of heathful bodies and therefore feel no hurt at present and presume that they shall feel none hereafter and see some abstemious persons weaker than they who began not to be abstemious till some chronical disease had first invaded them And thus they do by their Bodys just as wicked men do by their souls They judge all by present feeling and have not wisdom enough to take things foreseen into their deliberation and accounts That which will be a great while hence they take for nothing or an uncertain something next to nothing As Heaven and Hell move not ungodly men because they seem a great way off so while they feel themselves in health they are not moved with the threatning of sickness The cup is in their hands and therefore they will not set it by for fear of they know not what that will befall them you know not when As the thief that was told he should answer it at the day of judgement said he would take the other Cow too if he should stay unpunished till then so these Belly-Gods think they will take the other cup if they shall but stay till so long hence And thus because this temporal punishment of their gulosity is not speedily exercised the hearts of men are fully set in them to please their appetites § 18. 3. Another cause of Tipling and Drunkenness is a wicked Heart that loveth the company Why Gregory set up Wakes and Church-Ales and Meetings on Holy-days in England you may see Li. 10. Regist. Ep. 71. in policy to win the heathens Qui boves solent multos in sacrificio daemonum occideâ—e debet his etiam de hac re aliqua solemnitas immutari ut die dedicationis vel natalitiis martyrum tabernacula sibi circa easdem ecclesias quae ex fanis commutatae sunt de ramis aborum faciant religiosis conviviis solennitatem celebrenâ— Nec Diabolo jam animalia immolent sed ad laudem Dei in esu suo animalia occidant donatori omnium de satietate sua gratias agant c. But do Christians need this as heathens did when we see the sad effects of such riotings Lâ—gâ— Aâ—ost l. 3. c. 34. of wicked men and the foolish talk and cards and dice by which they are entertained One sin ticeth down another It is a delight to prate over a pot or rant and game and drive away all thoughts that savour of sound Reason or the fear of God or the care of their salvation Many of them will say It is not for love of the drink but of the company that they use the ALE-house An excuse that maketh their sin much worse and sheweth them to be exceeding wicked To love the company of wicked men and love to hear their lewd and idle foolish talk and to game and sport out your time with them besides your tipling this sheweth a wicked fleshly heart much worse than if you loved the drink alone Such company as you love best such are your own dispositions If you were no Tiplers or Drunkards it is a certain sign of an ungodly person to love ungodly company better than the company of wise and godly men that may edifie you in the fear of God § 19. 4. Another cause of Tipling is Idleness when they have not the constant employments of their