desiring Moses to pray was known to be nothing else but self-interest yet this took not Moses off from doing the dutie onely he had a further end then Pharaoh in it as sometimes also he declares unto him which I observe to shew that although men be never so wicked in their way and their ends never so carnall in desiring our prayers for things in themselves good and lawfull that neverthelesse it is not unlawfull for us to comply with them in such a dutie But to refuse the performance of such a dutie when the publick good and the edification of all doth require it onely to shew our opposition unto those that do desire it because of some other things wherein we are not satisfied with them is to me a subject of great admiration how it can come into the minds of any pious conscionable knowing and reasonable men for to say that this condescension unto their desire will be taken as a complyance with them in that wherein we disallow of them or will tend to confirm them in that which we think to be unlawfull in them is a great mistake first in respect of the nature The Answer to their Plea for their practise of the duties which being absolutely good in their own kinde and not indifferent cannot be supposed to tend unto evill secondly in respect of the inference which is made upon the performance of these duties which if it be well lookt into will be found inconsistent with true Pietie and Shewing First the unreasonablenesse thereof void of Reason For it is neither agreeable to godlinesse nor unto reason that I should conclude thus because it is possible that others may and likely that some will make another construction of that which I am about to do then I mean they should that therefore I should be obliged to abstain from a lawfull and commendable dutie or thus because a thing in it self good and laudable may accidentally tend to confirm some man in an evill course or in that which we think to be unlawfull in him that therefore I should be bound not to apply my self unto it although I am clear that the thing per se and in its own nature hath no tendency unto the production of such an effect Moses praying for Pharaoh and his people was an accidentall cause of his hardning this Moses knew would be so yet he refused not to do the dutie I say therefore that these inferences consist neither with the Rules of Pietie nor of Reason and therefore that the conclusion against the condescension whereof we speak is a great mistake it is true that in things of their own nature indifferent which by circumstances are alterable this consequence will hold that if by my complyance with any in that which is free to be done or left undone I should think they would be confirmed in that which I disallow in them and judge unlawfull for them to do that then I am bound to abstain from it lest I build them up in that which is evill and be accessorie to their sin but in things which in their own nature are holy just and good it doth not follow that because others may misconstrue and abuse what I do that therefore I ought not to do it for else what shall become of the whole profession of Christianity for what is in any part of it or what can any man say or do in it which another that is malicious may not misconstrue misapply and abuse this is therefore as to my apprehension a very unconscionable and unreasonable pretence to cover an undutifull practise But I have yet a further observation upon this pretence of non concurrence in duties absolutely good and lawfull with those that are in power which is this that if this practise and pretence be lookt into and layed open in the root whence it proceedeth and in the end whereunto it doth tend I suppose it will 2ly the unconscionablenesse thereof be found to have much of the Serpent in it and very unsound and unsavourie to a good conscience for consider we whence this scruple doth rise and is taken up and to what the practise wherunto it leads doth tend in its own nature and where it ends First the rise of the scruple is this that such as refuse to pray and give thanks solemnly for blessings upon the Nation at the desire of those who are in government do it because they look upon matters past as they are inclined to consider them with discontent and upon things present with reference thereunto considering the same with a sullen humour as in the hands of those that manage the same contrary to their sense wherein they make themselves absolute Judges of all the proceedings past and present of the power and government which is over them and upon this judgement of the miscarriages which they lay unto their charge they frame a resolution of non-complyance in all things though in themselves never so good and profitable to the publick which how far it is lawfull for them in the way of Christianity to do we are now about to consider Secondly the scruple being thus taken up that whereunto their practise doth lead is to uphold the breach which they suppose is alreadie made of the publick peace which is very unchristian and that wherein it doth end directly is an opposition to the present power so that in effect this practise doth speak thus much that the Ministers of Christ may lead men to maintain an opposition against those that manage publick affairs in every thing because in one thing concerning the alteration of Government about the cause and way thereof they are not agreed with them Now if we cannot say that the Ministers of the Gospel are proper Judges of State Interests nor that their ministeriall work ought to be made opposite or subordinate thereunto to lead Christians for or against it then I cannot see how it can stand with a good conscience in them to intend such a practise and as for Christians to follow them in such a practise I understand not how it can be either lawfull or commendable except they will shew that an obligation is laied upon them by God as private men to say in their hearts thus because the proceedings of those men that manage the publick affairs of State do crosse my thoughts engagements and designes concerning the outward settlement and government of this world therefore I ought to be crosse unto them in all things whatsoever and to oppose them in spirituall as well as in temporall matters yea and although these matters in themselves be exceeding lawfull good and acceptable to God yet in their hands I must oppose them And although I can probably foresee that by this kinde of opposition I shall hazard to embroil all and perhaps help to bring my self and the whole State to ruine and confusion yet still I must oppose them Now what conscience can be found in such a resolution
alone upon free grace if he doth help to persecute any in their bodies or states for outward relations and interests rather than study to addresse and convert their soules to God and if he doth set himselfe in a state-way either to gain power and authority in his own hand to share it with the magistrate or to subordinate his ministeriall imployment unto wordly ends of State-government to cover the tricks thereof with a cloke of Conscience and Religion that people should worship the Image which he sets before them if I say any man doth pervert the use of his ministery thus yet professing himselfe to be the servant of Christ he doth play the part of the false Prophet who doth work miracles before the great Beast and exerciseth all his power over men And the Rev. 13. 11 12 13 c. and chap. 19 20. greater the naturall and acquired parts and gifts of this man are and the more revealed and spirituall truths or mystcall shewes thereof he doth mix with this kind of service the more fire he doth cause to come down from heaven and the more deeply he doth deceive and therefore he shall accordingly receive also with the false Prophet so much the more of his reward if he repent not 5 If therefore such as are in power look upon religion onely as Jeroboam did in order to their owne interests and will suffer none to stand in places of employment but men of their own creating that will serve turnes towards the people and if ministers that are in places of employment look onely upon their Magistrate as the Jewish Priests did upon Pilate when they delivered Christ up to be crucified by him and affect him no further than he will act their designes whether they agree or disagree upon their matters together it is apparent that by so doing they conspire to make the people that are led by them miserable and desolate because neither of them follow either the true work or the right way of their employment neither towards the multitude or towards one another but if they doe openly disagree they conspire then by tearing them in pieces and setting them in factions against one another to make their misery and desolation sudden and without remedy For except God turn their hearts to a right course and set them upon the works of their calling wthout partiality and direct their counsels in a loving righteous and peaceable way as Christ hath appointed his Disciples to walk for his glory towards the good of those that are under their charge and for their own mutuall happinesse they shall never be able for feare of one another to intend or attend any other designes but such as are acted by power and violence whereupon the great Dragon their master in these courses doth set them and whieh for want of Christian love and compassion can end in nothing else but in mercilesse cruelties equally ruinous to each other and to the Common-wealths of humanesocieties Of the duties of Love Righteousnesse and Peace joyntly Hitherto we have seen both what the proper workes and wayes of the Magistracy and Ministery are as they relate unto the ends for which Christ hath ordained them and what the error and deviation is from those works and wayes And lastly also what this deviation doth produce in all societies where the duties of Love of Righteousnesse and of Peace are not thought upon to referre the whole state thereof unto Christ as Christians ought to doe Let us now come to the second point of our Disquirie which is to discover what the naturall properties and proper acts are of true Love of Righteousnesse and of Peaceablenesse which Christians and chiefly their Leaders unto happinesse ought to intend towards all men but especially towards each other in the workes of their employment and above all in times of distresse Now to speak of these duties ingenerall as to commend their worth their necessity their usefulnesse and such like I conceive it needlesse for certainly it is not so much for want of knowledge of that which we ought to doe that we run into errors as by reason of our perturbation and of our by-respects which beget in us a disregarding of these and an observation of other matters and are begotten in us through partiality in our selves and fore-stalment of thoughts concerning others For it is by reason of these things that we play the hypocrites and lye against the Truth for which cause our sin is the greater For to him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sin saith the Apostle Jam. 4. 17. Of the duty of Christian love by it selfe Therefore as concerning the duty of Christian Love it cannot be supposed in probability that any in the Ministery or in any other charge amongst Christians should be ignorant of the nature therof because it is known to all that have been taught the first Principles of the knowledge of Christ that the duty of Christian love is two-fold First the affection by which we cleave to God as to our Father in Christ And next the affection by which we embrace our neighbour for Gods sake as Christ hath embraced us Now concerning our love to God and friendship to Christ it is evident that it stands onely in this That we keep the commandements of the Father and that we doe whatsoever Christ doth enjoyne us to performe John 15. 14. and 1 John 5. 5. whence it is further manifest that to neglect the known will of God and to set our selves in a course which is contrary to his commandements is openly to renounce Christs friendship and plainly to become a hater of God and hatefull to him And as for the commandement wherein God will have us to shew our love and Christ our friendship to himself it is known by all to be none other but the Law of Love whereof the whole substance hath been delivered unto us in the new commandement which Christ hath given us when he sairh John 13. 34 35. A new Commandement I have given you That ye love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if yee have love one to another The true evidence then of our love towards God is this That we love the Brethren For he that saith he loveth God and hateth his brother is a lyar saith the Apostle 1 John 4. 20 21. For he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen And this Commandement have we from him That he that loveth God love his brother also The end for this alwayes is to be lookt upon as that which doth manifest the nature and property of every thing of love is to seek the good of that which is beloved Now our goodnesse Psal 16. 2 3. 1 Cor. 10. 24. 1 Cor. 13. 5. cannot extend unto God therefore God hath appointed us
not envying them nor provoking them nor being desirous of vain glory towards them Galat. 5. 26. In respect of those that are of an unquiet disposition to follow Peace and ensue it towards them 1 Pet. 3. 11. and that even so far as it is possible and as much as in us lyeth Rom. 12. 18. to do all things without murmurings and disputings against them in a blamelesse and harmlesse way that they may have no cause to murmure at us or to dispute with us Phil. 2. 14 15. And to this effect to lay aside all malice and all guil and hypocrisie evil speakings and surmisings 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. And lastly in respect of those that are injurious to recompense no evill for evill nor to avenge our selves but to give place unto wrath Rom. 12. 17 19. Not to be overcome with evill but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 21. And to that effect with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering to forbear them in love Ephes 4. 2. And to forgive them as God in Christ hath forgiven us Ephes 4. 32. Now the originall and immediate cause of this Peaceable disposition of the soul is to suffer the Peace of God whereunto we are called to rule in our hearts Col. 3. 15. for when this by the new Covenant in Christ doth possesse the spirit the soul is quieted within it self because it entreth with Christ into that rest which he hath purchased and prepared for it Hebr. 4. 10 11. And it receiveth the Peace which he hath left with it and given to it so that the heart is not troubled neither is it afraid at any thing which in this world can befall unto it Joh. 14. 27. for the promise of the Lord wherein he hath caused us to hope doth sustain us which saith that he will keep him in perfect Peace whose heart is stayed on him because he trusteth in him Isa 26. 3. But on the other side those that have no interest in the Covenant of Peace which Christ hath made with us can have no rest nor quietnesse within themselves or towards others because my God hath said There is no Peace to the wicked but his heart and his whole course is as the troubled Sea which cannot rest but casteth forth mire and dirt perpetually Isa 57. 20 21. The ends then of these duties shew the perfection whereunto they lead us and their proper works the way by which we attain the same For by the law of love we are taught how to aime at that which is truly good by the law of righteousnesse how to order our way in prosecuting of it and by the law of Peaceablenesse how to attend the delightfull possession of it The first sets our minde upon God the second directs us to him and the third fits us to enjoy him What is proper to a Christian in these duties more then to other men Thus in brief we see what these duties are and whence in a Christian more then in other men they proceed for other men know nothing herein but the principles of Reason and Morality by which they look more upon the materiall outside of the works then upon any thing else because naturall men cannot raise their minds unto the apprehension of spirituall truths which beget in the soul a new life and farre lesse can they act any thing thereby without speciall grace yet if the Intellectuals of a man truly rationall in nature which is not altogether impossible be raised so far by the right use of common illuminations as to perceive the proportion which is between such performances as these are and the principles from whence they flow he will finde no just cause to contradict any thing therin although his heart will not be able thereupon to close with the duties themselves for a true Christian is a spirituall man is not inabled to close heartily with these duties either because he is convicted of the rationalitie thereof or because he doth understand the excellencie and worth of this way above the way of Morality for these are onely preparative inducements inclining his affection thereunto but he closeth therewith onely because his conscience is enlightned by the truth and purified by faith and therein is bound over and given up to walk thus with God in Christ by the covenant of grace for through the law of the spirit of life and love which is in Christ Jesus whereby he is freed from the law of sin and of death he is made conformable unto the image of the Son of God and the righteousnesse of the Law of God through faith and love being fulfilled in him he hath peaceable communion with the Father and with the Son wherein he doth set himself to walk with joy and unspeakable comfort in the light of their countenance by which he is daily transformed from glory to glory as by the Spirit and presence of the Lord. The rule then and the way of a Christian is to walk in these duties towards all men and for these ends not with humane wisdome and the reasonings of his naturall understanding although he doth nothing irrationally but according to the direction and manifestation of the Spirit of grace that is according to the testimony of Jesus revealed unto his spirit which obligeth his conscience to follow affectionately the rules of these duties in all simplicitie and godly sincerity through love to the life of Jesus Christ and the grace of God in him and not for any other obligation or by any other consideration whatsoever and whosoever doth walk after this rule Peace be upon him and upon the Israel of God And because we have not hitherto walked after this rule we have not as yet found the way to Peace for to finde Peace out of this way is as impossible as to misse of it within it How universal they are and inseparable from Christianity And chiefly in leading men and times of greatest need From hence we may observe that these duties have an universall influence upon all the wayes of Christians for as Christians they are essentiall to them in all the works of their severall callings and if they studie not to do all their works by these rules they cannot be said to do them as Christians for as Christians we are commanded to do all our matters with charitie 1 Cor. 16. 14. for we are obliged by the love of God to us as his dear children to be followers of God and to walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Ephes 5. 1 2. And if we walk not thus it is evident that we are none of his children but have renounced his love and are destitute of the life of God in all our undertakings for he that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love 1 Joh. 4. 8. And again as Christians we are bound to serve God and Christ in his kingdom and if we serve him not how can we truly bear his Name Now the kingdom of God wherein
their charge bring guilt upon them and make them accessary to sin except they represse and reprove the evill which they find in them nnd shew their hatred against all those that turne aside from the direct way of godlinesse and honesty of justice and sobriety Then also in the persons of others 7. That Magistrates walk not in a perfect way in respect of their places although they free both themselves and their attendants from evill except they also take notice of others that are without to oppose the vicious and advance the vertuous both in private and publick occasions This axiome is evident from the whole matter of Davids profession especially from ver 4. till the end and the reason of it will appear if the nature and motion of a perfect way be compared with the nature motion of a Magistrates place for the place of a Magistrate is wholly relative and towards others except therefore his way be perfect against evill and for good in teference to others it doth not answer his place and except it be so as well in private as in publick it is not perfect for although a good man may be an ill Magistrate for want of Ruling parts yet no man that is ill can be a good Magistate though his parts be never so eminent Because an evill man as he makes no conscience of sin in private so he will never be zealous for vertue nor against vice in publick All that he will do will be onely for himself to save his owne credit that he may not be cryed out against For if his heart be evill he hath no love to Judgement and Mercy as they are works good to all as they are acceptable to God who hath commanded them and as they are proper to his place of Rule but onely as they make a shew before men and serve ro keep up his reputation amongst them By cutting off the incorrigible 8. That by opposing vice in others privatly and publickly Magistrates do not enough to remove the wicked from places of Trust and to shew their dislike of men except also they use meanes to cut them off from the society over which they are set and especially if they be found incorrigible This is plainly Davids resolution in his perfect way of walking as appears by ver 5. 7. 8. Especially of foure sorts 9. That Magistrates walking in their places in a perfect way should take notice as well of those that plot perverse designes as of those that put them in execution but amongst all these the slanderer the proud the deceiver and the lyar are especially to be hunted out of all places of trust and cast out of the Common-wealth for these foure may be compared to the wheeles of Satans Chariot on which he rides through the societies of mankind to disturbe the Peace and Happinesse by the corruption of our nature which Magistrates are appointed to curb and resist This is that which David resolves upon in ver 4. 5. 7. and by experience we find that without the discovery and removall of these foure sorts of wicked men there can be no Peace and quietnesse in humaine Societies By seeking out and calling the vertuous to places of employment 10. That the way of a Magistrate is not perfect although he thus oppose vice except he also seek out those that are vertuous and make use of them for privat and publick occasions of employment This is manifestly Davids resolution in ver 6. and the perfect way of Magistracy can no more subsist without the use of good instruments than consist with the employment of evill ones as therefore the removing of the one is necessary so is the finding out and calling of the other nor can there be a greater cause of corruption in Civill Government than the want of care to finde out and employ vertuous men therein 11. That no man ought to be intrusted with any accesse or privacy about the Magistrate but he that is faithfull in the Land and no man employed by him in any service but he that is upright in his way And how that should be done These are the two Characters of persons whom David resolves to seek out and call to himself ver 6. and till Magistrates make it a chief maxime of State to follow his example herein it will never go well with them in their Government It is not he who commends himself that is offered by the solicitation of friends unto a place but he whom God commends by his abilities and such Characters as these who is fit to be employed it were greatly to be wished if it could also be hoped that these who have the disposall of places would make it an unalterable maxime of State to reject all sutors for places and to admit of none but whom they themselves should chuse and call upon the discovery of their abilities and of these Characters found in them Namely that they are faithfull in the Land and perfect in their way He is faithfull in the Land who is true to the publick good thereof who hath not sought his own private advantage before the interest of the Common-wealth such a one may be trusted with a publick place that he will not abuse it for his own ends and he is perfect in his way whose course of life is sincere and conscionable and who is carefull to maintain his integrity without offence towards all If none but such were sought out for publick places the affairs of States and Common-wealths would indeed be successfull but as long as the maximes and interests of factions and parties which all along destroy humane societies are followed and private aimes bear rule over the spirits of those that rule in a State these characters of men fit for places will never be regarded nor the course to chuse and call thereunto taken up by any 12. That the aime of a godly and wise Magistrate is not to serve himself in his place but others nor his ultimate end to serve others so much in their temporall conveniences as to protect the City of God and free it from the disturbance of Gods service and all causes of trouble And why he ought mainly to intend this This is professedly Davids end in ver 8. and if we first look upon a Magistrate as Gods substitute and Deputy and then if we grant that no Deputy can be counted faithfull to him that hath deputed him except he mainly intend that which his Superiour doth aime at then this cannot be denied that the Magistrates ultimate end must needs be the safety and prosperity of the City of the Lord for God having created all for his own glory hath given the world unto Christ and Christ having Redeemed all for the glory of his Father hath given all to his Church where God doth dwell with men So that for the Churches sake which is the City of God all Government is maintained and appointed by God
sinne but rather our triall and through the lot of our affliction the way to a blessing if we behave our selves as Christians ought to do therein For if all the good or evil of every outward condition as to us doth wholly depend upon the frame of our spirit and upon the way of our behaviour before God therin then it doth follow that according to our spirituall temper or distemper and our orderly or disorderly carriages in this condition the event thereof will be our happinesse or our miserie for if our spirits are distempered and our course disordered against the rule of our profession it is evident that this will redouble the evill of our affliction inwardly and outwardly making it both wayes sinfull and thereby miserable but if our outward changes take us not off from the way of Christianity which is unchangeable we have just cause to beleeve that by the increase of vertue and grace they will become our onely happinesse because we have a promise that in all these things we shall be more then conquerours through him that loveth us Rom. 8. 37. And we are further taught that as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also shall abound by Christ Now the 2 Cor. 2. 5. sufferings of Christ are said to abound in us when in all our afflictions we walk sted fastly with him in the profession of his way for then whiles the outward man doth decay the 2 Cor. 4. 16. inward is renewed day by day is there any thing even in the midst of greatest distresses that can obstruct the enjoyment of this consolation but the discomposure of our spirits and the disorderlinesse of our behaviour in the work of our employment And lest by these means we may be deprived of our comforts and lose the fruit of our labours which are undertaken for the reparation of that which is laid waste among us let us point at the chief distempers and disorders which obstruct our work that they may be removed and the course sutable to the Rules of our holy profession heretofore set down seriously taken up and sincerely followed I have already given you my sense of severall distempers and disorderly carriages of some particular men in their distinct wayes which have a speciall influence upon our spirituall affairs to make us as the confused builders of Babylon the authors of our own dissipation and ruine I shall now mention a few disorderly courses which are incident unto all men more or lesse and seeme to discompose the healthfull constitution of our whole societie in the management of all outward affaires and here although I am not ignorant that the distemper of the spirit and the disorder of the behaviour are things very farre distant in their nature and distinct in their properties yet because in matters of outward concernment they are seldome separate and going hand in hand they beget interchangably and are begotten by each other therefore and for brevities sake I shall not heed their distinction at this time but leave it to every ones thought in that which I shall offer here then let me speak of the distemper and disorderlinesse proceeding from these following roots of bitternesse viz from envie from jealousies and fears from tale bearing and private censuring from revenge which I conceive to be the chief causes of our present diseases and of all these this is to be said in the generall that as no man can exempt himself from the danger of these sinfull motions so those that are most remarkably engaged either by their places or proceedings in the management of publick affaires are most lyable to the temptations thereof which are so much the more hurtfull to the Societies of mankind by how much the persons upon whom they seize are found more eminent in parts or places and the affaires upon which they reflect are more important and by how much the complication of these distempers in those that are acted by them is more powerfull lesse corrigible and lesse discernable By the chief causes of our diseases But let us come to the particulars of these evils to see the symptomes of our publick maladies therein and finde the cure thereof Whereof envy is the first First concerning envy the spirit of God by the Apostle Iames discovers the nature of it unto us in his 4. Chapter where he shewes that all our wars and fightings come from our inbred lusts Chap. 4. v. 1. that these beget an extream disorder in all our carriages towards God and men ver 2. 3. that the object our lust is conversant withall is nothing else but this world and that the end whereat we aime thereby is the enjoyment and friendship of the world in the satisfaction of an adulterate affection which is enmity unto God ver 4. then he confirms this last assertion by the testimony of the Scripture and declares furthermore that the root of all our lustfull disorderlinesse is nothing else but envy v. 5. The testimony of Scripture is alleadged thus or do ye think saith he that the Scripture speaks in vain viz when it calls you adulterers intimating that by this denomination our lustfull friendship with the world is branded to be a defection and breach of Covenant and consequently enmity with God Then the root of all these lustings and of our disorderly behaviour therein is expressed in the following words by another question thus Doth the Spirit which dwelleth in us lust to envie as if he had said it is evident that your friendship with the world is enmity with God seeing the Scripture doth not call you adulterers and adulteresses without a just cause and as for us that make profession of Christianity to serve God in Spirit and truth doe ye think that the Spirit of Christ which dwelleth in us hath any lust to envy no certainly there is no such lust in this Spirit therefore you ought to judge your selves that in all these irregular proceedings whereof the root is nothing but envie you are not led by the Spirit of Christ but by the adulterous spirit of this world from which Analysis and interpretation of the Apostles words we may gather evidently three conclusions The nature of it as opposite to Christianity 1. That the originall of our distemper and disorderlines is enviousnesse For he saith the spirit doth lust to envie that is desires to fulfill the motions of envie if then the satisfaction of our envy be the end of our lusting envie is the root whence lust proceeds for in the immediate end of every thing the principle of the being thereof is to be found 2. That the Spirit which dwelleth in the Saints doth not lust to envie For the assertion in it self is clear and undeniable and that in the Apostles words it is intended is evident by the adversative Particle of the following words which joyneth them unto the latter end of the 5. verse and the whole context and coherence of the matter
mention the thing is alas too evident to an indifferent eye and that which makes the case more lamentable and lesse susceptible of a cure is that all this distemperature is incident to those that are not ignorant of their duty and of the rules by which these evils ought to be avoided it is a sad case when the spirits of men are so far discomposed that although they can pretend no ignorance of the will of God yet they transgresse the same presumptuously But above all this disorderlinesse whereunto men may be carried and are carried apparently through their home-bred passions there is yet another most pernitious incentive of these evils brought in from abroad and practised by Machavilian States-men which is a divellish policie to encourage and strengthen the hand of lyars to set tale-bearers awork to furnish them with false reports and send them up and down to spread the same to reward the authors of calumnies and reproaches and hire them to invent abominable and hatefull accusations and opprobrious crimes against the innocent which in effect is to employ men to fetch fire from Hell to set on fire the course of nature Concerning Revenge what sort of passion it is And when all these forementioned distempers of spirit and disorderlinesses of behaviour have wrought their utmost effects to multiply injuries and heighten wrongs excessively then to right our selves of the same we naturally entertain the thoughts of revenge which thoughts although they are nothing else but the consequences of the sense of evils which we have suffered yet as they take hold of our affections and therein center into a Passion which can have no rest but in requitall unto those that have wronged us of evils equall to those which we have suffered by them or greater then the same in this respect they are somewhat more then a bare result of the sense of former sufferings for they contain a resolution of acting which is wound up to the highest pitch that the powers of nature can reach unto in working mischief This Resolution of requiting evil for evil doth eminently comprehend in one act all the iniquity of the former distempers and so doth become by and in it self a new fountain and cause of embitterments by raising up and confirming upon our spirits all the evill dispositions which make our disease both habituall and epidemicall and that unalterably as to man How incorrigible it is For to all the former sinfull distempers of the soul the spirit of Revenge doth adde this peculiar qualification that by it they are made remedilesse and past cure as to humane industrie and perswasions Est vindicta malum vita jucundius ipsa Therefore Samson having an opportunity to be revenged of the Philistines did rather chuse to die then let Iudg. 16. 30. it slip Let me dye said he with the Philistins for this that he could slay more at one blow in his death then he had done in his own life was that which made him take comfort in the losing of his life By this we see that this passion aimes at nothing but destruction and that with desperate resolutions which hearken to no disswasive reasoning yet they fortifie themselves by perswasives taken from the pretence of justice eye for eye and tooth for tooth from the motions of courage to think it a shame to sit down Exod 21. 24. with any injurie without full satisfaction as Samson although the Philistines had righted him in the wrong done to him so farre as they could yet his courage would not be satisfied except he took vengeance with his own hand Iudg. 15. 6 7 8 though you have done this saith he yet will I be avenged of you and after that will I cease And from the suggestions of pride of self-love and of vain glory Thus Lamech boasted himself I have slain a man to my wounding and a young man to my hurt if Cain shall be avenged seven fold truly Lamech seventy and seven fold Gen. 4 23 24. This passion taking a pride in the height of enmity and destruction by striving to exceed others therein doth tend to an irreconcilable breach of Love to an endlesse abolition of Righteousnesse by a pretence of right to multiply injuries and to a despaire of Peace for ever And how farre some of our spirits are acted by this passion already as I am unwilling to judge so I shall pray that many of us may not be given over to it lest the quarrels of private Revenge with the guilt of innocent blood shed throughout the Land by the deadly feuds of families be multiplied and entailed from one generation upon another to the breach of publick Peace and the disturbance of the whole Common-Wealth And because the experience of former Ages especially in our neighbour nation hath shewed our forefathers sad examples hereof we ought at least so many of us as make it our maine interest to uphold the life of Christianity whether we be Magistrates or Ministers or private men of other stations to entertain in our respective places callings the counsels of healing these distempers both in our selves and in others according to the rules heretofore mentioned of Love of Righteousnesse and of Peaceablenesse which are altogether fundamentall unto our holy profession I am therefore bound by the Law of love a good conscience in the Ministeriall profession of the Gospel of Peace upon this discoverie of our diseases to offer so farre as the Lord shall inable me at the discoverie of the Remedies also which now I shall intend to do Concrning the Remedies of our distempers That they are twofold As then the causes of our disease have a twofold influence one which is particular of each severall cause upon the single persons in whom they are more or lesse predominant and by whom they affect the whole Body of the nation another which is universall of all the causes jointly in their coherence and complication upon the whole State wherein their deadly effects threaten it with inevitable ruine if they continue as they are begun so the Remedies must have a twofold application the one to the singular and distinct the other to the generall and complicated distempers of our spirits the single Remedies apply able to the severall and distinct causes come first into consideration because every one must make use of them for himself and by himself and without these the universall cure can not be obtained and they are to be taken in that order wherein the causes of our distempers lie and work their mischief first then we must intend the cure of the root which is envy and afterward of the branches of our distempers in their subordination one upon another as heretofore they have been mentioned The Remedies of envy given by the Apostle Iames Concerning the spirit of envy the same Apostle Iames who did discover the nature of it unto us doth also give us the cure thereof in the same place from ver 5.
triall from God and to look after and flie unto secondary causes The means therefore to rectifie these is that we should draw nigh unto God for if we do so the promise is that he will draw nigh unto us v. 8. which is our cure For by his drawing nigh unto us we become partaker of his vertue and nature which alters our inclinations Here then the Apostle doth presuppose that when the soul is under the triall of a temptation it doth put it self at a distance from God and that Gods presence is not with it for if he were present with it Satan could neither appear nor prevail against it but now our naturall inclinations being to wander and go astray from him as it is written Hebr. 3. 10. They erre alwayes in their heart and have not known my wayes therefore Satan doth find the soul as a lost sheep out of the way and is readie if God should not restrain him to devour it for whiles we are at a distance from God we neither are nor indeed can we be subject to his wil and consequently cannot with submission accept of his dispensation over us That therefore we may be brought about to submit our wils unto Gods will and by that means resist the devil who dwels in the turbulencie of our envious spirit we are exhorted and instructed to draw nigh unto God in our spirits that he may meet us and draw nigh unto us by his Spirit We draw nigh unto God when we come to Christ in the Spirit of prayer and faith to be reconciled to the Father by the redemption which is in him and to be united to him through the covenant that we may live by his word For Ioh. 146. Christ is the way the truth and the life and because none can come without him therefore all must come to the Father by him and live in him according to his word And God doth draw nigh to us when for Christs sake he doth accept of us graciously and testifieth his acceptance of us by the spirit of Adoption by which he beareth witnesse to our spirits that we are the Sons of God and by which he sheddeth abroad his love in our hearts sealing us up unto himself untill the day of our Redemption To draw nigh therefore unto God is in a word when we want his presence to call upon his name as our Father in Christ knowing that whatsoever we ask in his name shall be granted for Christ hath said that he will do it Ioh. 14. 13. This Communion with God in Christ and nothing but this is able to alter the perversnesse of our inclination which resists the will of God and hardens our hearts from submitting thereunto for being in Christ we become new creatures and the law of the spirit of life which is in him doth free us from the Law of sin and death which is in our nature Rom. 8 2. Gal 5. 16. whereby Satan takes hold of us that we may be inabled to walk after the Spirit and not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh whereby Satan doth work in us and lead us captive after his own will The Remedie of the guilt of sinfulnesse which is Repentance Having two parts And severall Acts answerable to the iniquity of our courses In what sense repentance is said to take away the guilt of sinne The third duty which the Apostle doth offer as a further remedie to this our evill doth tend to free us from the guilt under which we lye by reason of the sinfulnesse of our envious courses for as the perversenesse of our nature hindering us from submitting our wills to the will of God is cured onely by Gods drawing nigh unto us when we draw nigh unto him by calling upon his name that we may be saved in Christ so the guilt of our sinfull wayes which is the maine hinderance of our drawing nigh unto God and the cause of our distance from him is cured onely by the grace of repentance when we entertain it as our duty and that we may so do the Apostle doth lay open to us the parts of this duty which we finde to be two in his words the one relating to our selves the other unto God for as the nature of our guilt doth stand in the iniquity of our course and the dishonour done to God thereby so repentance by which this guilt is to be wiped away must relate unto both these that every thing amisse may be righted in that whence the evill doth proceed and so the causes of our separation in all respects removed Now the iniquity of our course is twofold the one is outward the other inward the outward defilements of the flesh going along with all our naturall actions bring us under the guilt of the Law and to free us from this the Apostle enjoyns us to cleanse our hands from sinfullnesse ver 8. but the inward pollutions are from the heart when it is destitute of Faith and sincerity towards God and man and to remedy this the Apostle enjoyns us to purifie our hearts from double-mindednes ver 8. The dishonour done to God by the iniquity of our course doth make us liable to wrath in respect of the Supream Majesty which by our offence is made void and to free us from this part of the guilt the Apostle enjoynes godly sorrow in the inward affections and a behaviour sutable thereunto in the outward expressions In respect of our inward affections we should be afflicted In respect of our outward expressions we should give way to grief Mourne saith he and weepe and we should abstaine from mirth Let your laughter saith he be turned to mourning and your joy to heavines ver 9. For the sacrifices of God which are accepted from us for sin that we may be freed from guilt are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise saith David Psal 51. 17. The proper effect of guiltines is to keep us back from the presence of God and deprive us of the freedom of spirit without which we cannot draw neer unto him this is by these meanes taken away and we are fitted by the sincerity of true Repentance both to come with boldnesse to the Throne of Heb. 4. 16. Grace and also to obtaine Mercy and finde Grace to help our misery in time of need Not that our acts of Repentance are any satisfaction unto Gods Justice for our sins by-past that is for the uncleanesse practised and the spots contracted upon our souls which is our misery or for the Orders and Rules of righteousnes broken and disturbed by us in his Kingdom which is our rebellion and for the wrongs and dishonour done to the name of God thereby which is our Treason as if he should in consideration of the worth of such performances as done by us remit the guilt which we have incurred and account such actions a compensation for the same No that is not the Apostles
either as given by us for want of circumspection or as taken by them for want of sufficient information Therefore to make our paths straight in respect of persons the way is to deale so in love in simplicity and in warines of prudency with them as to prevent mistakes and not to venture upon any enterprize towards any before stumbling blocks be removed towards all according to the Apostles rule give none offence neither to the Jewes nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God 1 Cor. 10. 32. Lastly the impediments to be foreseen in our own working faculties are the sinful inclinations of our wills the disorderliness of our understandings besides the darkness thereof and the unrulines of our lusts and passions together with the weaknes of our best abilities as they are in our own hand disproportionate to every thing we apply them unto Therefore to make our pathes straight in respect of our own working faculties we ought not only to look often conscionably upon our infirmities to keep a strict guard over them and by the spirit of Prayer and Faith to seeke help and supply of grace in time of need against them but we should before all our undertakings bind over our soules to the observation of these three Rules 1. Never to attempt any thing without the Warrant of a clear call from God 2. Never to set upon any work though our call be never so clear unto it without a due examination and preparation of our heart about the aime which we should have in it 3. Although our aime be never so good and commendable yet not to proceed any further than with modesty we can measure out the undertaking as proportionable unto our place and abilities that we may keep within compasse and not suffer our attempts to go beyond our line These are summarily the heads of matters contained in the second duty which being neglected make men guilty of manifold privat and publick miscarriages offences And would to God the Brethren who have taught others to demurre and make a scruple of Conscience about concurring with the present power in lawful things tending to the publick good had seriously before they took that work in hand reflected upon these rules to make straight pathes unto their feet thereby for that hitherto they have not done this there is just cause to complain but if they yet would begin before it be too late to reflect thus upon their wayes and follow this Councel perhaps our breach might be healed it is evident that we are out of the way of peace and that we cannot come into it again except we apply our selves to the way of Righteousness I suppose it is undeniable if we seek this way by these Rules undoubtedly we shall find it the Lord grant us eyes both to see it and also to observe our own strayings from it and as we have discovered the way so it would be no difficult matter if it could edifie to set the strayings of our Brethren in order before their eyes and by the topies of this directory as by a line and plummet to shew them the unevenness of their pathes in this matter but I shall spare my self this labour wishing rather that they may do it themselves for Christ doth 1 Cor. 13. 6. not rejoyce in iniquity but in the truth my desire is in covering their weakness to heale that which is lame that it may not any more be turned out of the way For this is the third Apostolical Rule by which the cures of these and other miscarriages in privat and publick are to be endeavoured Let us then understand the Apostles meaning in it The duty of healing mutuall infirmities By lameness I understand here all manner of infirmities which take not away the motions of the faculties but onely make them in their proceedings irregular for properly to be lame is to have a weakness in the moving faculty causing an unequal motion which is unseemly and disproportionat to other mens faculties and motions in respect of strength and swiftnes whence also this inconvenience doth follow the lameness of a Member that it may soone be turned out of the way either by its own unequal mocions if the way wherein it walketh be rugged and narrow or by the uncharitableness of others who being stronger may justle it out of the way although it be neither rugged nor narrow Now that there are amongst us many lamenesses and that the lame are turned out of the way as well by their own weak innocent and irregular motions as by the evil will of others who justle with them cannot be denied Therefore this duty of healing and of keeping the lame in the way which is the effect of love and righteousness must be applyed unto this symptome of our disease Here the work of love as every where else must have the first place and the influence which it hath towards the weak is by way of compassion whereof the effect is a desire and endeavour to ease them of the evil wherewith they are afflicted the work of Righteousness hath the second place whereof the influence is by way of innocency and the effect is to be no way accessory to the Causes of begetting or continuing any lameness among us or of disturbing any good designe by turning the lame out of the way and thus by this third Rule when we have made our own work straight for our selves our steps towards others are to be regulated that we may also walk straightly therein towards all men being usefull towards them and harmlesse where the usefullnesse of our washing is to be made straight by the Law of Love which doth cover and heale that which is amisse and the harmlesnes thereof is to be made straight by the Law of indempnity that if we cannot make their condition better to be sure not to wrong them by making it worse If the Brethren who in opposition to the present power refuse to act with others in good and lawfull things that which in it self is acceptable to God and approved of men had considered our present publick state with compassion and had laid to heart this rule to walk dutifully thereby as Christians ought they could not have engaged themselves in a course so contrary to that Charity which cals upon conscionable men to the healing of publick calamities and to that righteousnesse which should keep Christians from turning weak consciences out of the way For if they whom God hath set in the place of subjection throughout this Nation should be provoked to a willfull halting and to go forward as many do but lamely in their submission to the power that is over them till they turn themselves quite out of the way of all orderlinesse by a refractory scrupulosity and then be justly turned out of the way of Peace and safety either by the totall dissolution of Government or by the breaking in of power upon them for their unjust behaviour to
flye from us should I therefore leave off to do my duty shall I cease to pray for those that are over me shall I not endeavour that they may know Gods wil in their places and receive grace to doe it shall I be weary of well doing towards all I hope none will advise this I therefore shall not need to scruple a compliance and concurrence with any in things just and lawfull in themselves For let the Title of those that stand now with power in the places of Rule be what it will whether it be called a conquest of the former state yea or no and whether as Conquerours they may justly claim all the rights which the State could pretend unto yea or no Or whether it be a vindication of the inherent power and liberty in the body of a Nation from the hands of those that had enslaved it yea or no Or whether it be the necessity of a naturall defence of the Rights and Priviledges of the people against those that by power seek still to invade the same yea or no Or whether it be as some terme it an irregular usurpation and abuse of power and trust in those that are servants to make themselves masters yea or no or what Title soever else may be given to their ruling state and power it maketh no matter to me in respect of Christianity and those fore-named duties because in Christianity those are duties which I must intend without respect of persons at all times and towards all men except I can truly judge that they have sinned the sin unto death which I hope none will judge of these for suppose as to men that their standing had no place and should be thought not onely in respect of the Nationall but even of naturall lawes altogether unjust yet if I must look upon them as they are by Gods permission and direction set up and from him if I find them as over me in places of Government so such in whose hand he hath put the full administration of his power over the whole Nation I must conclude that by vertue of his command I am bound to pray for them that they may have grace to manage their Power and Talents rightly according to his will and for the good of the Nation and for the City of God therein for whose sake also I ought to assist them with my best abilities received for publick service to inable them so to doe Upon this account therefore I wish from my heart that every one of them may be in their lives and charges as perfect and upright in the way of God as David was and as zealous to advance all good and destroy all wicked doers from the Citie of the Lord as he professeth himselfe to be What ever the title and claim to right may be in others who stand as competitors with or against those that are in possession I take not upon me to determine either way no man hath made me a judge or a divider of rights between the great ones of the world my way in the Gospel is to prejudge none in that which God hath given them but to serve all through love in that which is good As for that right which God doth give to power For the most high of all ruleth in the Kingdome of Dan. 4. 17. men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth up over it the basest of men I shall leave it to his own effectuall determination by the setting up of one and putting down of another for the actuall possession of Gods place over men by the administration of his supream power in the hand of one and out of the hand of another is that by which I must take notice of his determination of the matter As for my selfe my whole work is to judge of mine own wayes how to keep them pure and without offence towards all how to hold forth the word of life and thereby to stirre up every one to follow the example of Christ Iesus by walking in love as he hath loved us and in holinesse as he is holy and how to follow peace and reconcile differences which are destructive to Church and State in a Gospell-way chiefly when God doth open a doore of utterance unto me and this is all that I am to meddle withall in my place and calling and as I hope without humane respects and worldly ends never to be wanting to this so beyond this line nor consideration no man nor thing God willing shall ever draw me It is a small matter to me what any may think or say of my present medling in this businesse and this way yet I shall never refuse to give a true reason to any that shall discreetly seek it of my proceedings but to answer the partiall cavils and interpretations which passionatly selfe-willed and conceited men shall intend to put upon my actions I shall alwayes think it below my care and Calling and regard it no more than the noyse of a Dogges barking A briefe Digression Concerning a correspondency between Magistrates and Ministers And these expressions I have here inserted concerning my self by way of digression not only to shew the true grounds by which I am led thus to judge and act within my Sphere but also to obviat something in the mindes of some men which is obstructive to the entertaining of these impartial suggestions in Gospel-simplicitie as at this time offered without any further designe for cursed be he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully and finally to make it apparent that I am neither ignorant nor imprudently careless nor afraid of The intent of the digression the thoughts of men concerning my self nor unaware of the imaginations which some will entertaine concerning that which I have said already and that which now I am entring upon to say which shall referre to a mutuall correspondencie which ought to be between the Ministers of the Gospel and the Rulers of this and of every Christian State For seeing the last Aphorisme which I have drawn from Davids Directory concerning the aime of a wise and godly Magigistrate doth lead me as it were by the hand unto this matter whereof the consideration is as necessarie for our safety as any thing hitherto spoken of I should be very much grieved that my Brethren of the Ministery by a mistake of duty and preposterousnesse of zeale against those that are over them with power in the State should necessitate them through their unruly and implacable misbehaviours to take up designes for their own and the publick safety wherein neither we nor they themselves will have any cause of rejoycing or that they should divert them from the intentions whereunto hopefully they may be fully carried as being inclined thereunto by their own principles For I know no probable reason to think that they should not be willing to performe the perfect duty of a Christian Magistrate and follow Davids example therein when they are fully