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A66353 A sermon preached at Salters-Hall to the Societies for Reformation of Manners, May 16, 1698, and now printed at their request / by Daniel Williams. Williams, Daniel, 1643?-1716. 1698 (1698) Wing W2655; ESTC R26374 24,541 74

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their Honour Rev. 22. 9. And can you disdain it Millions of Martyrs have esteemed his Service safe even when they Suffered and how can you be afraid YOU are for him who is the God of the Spirits of all Flesh able to alter Tempers and change Mens Minds Yea can command unexpected Success to the poorest Instruments II. CONSIDER what you are striving for and against what 'T IS for what God and Angels and all Good Men approve yea it 's for the Interest of CHRIST on Earth Things that when they prevail will make Mankind happy And they are what shall most certainly prevail against the utmost opposition of Earth and Hell what you attempt to advance will justifie the greatest Expence Labour and Hazards BUT against what do you contend It 's against Profaness and Debauchery not things good nay not disputable or indifferent but so plainly evil that the most brutish would blush to plead for it 's against the Reproach and Leprosie of Humane Nature the Causes of our past Calamities and what can alone endanger the Nation for the future These Sins themselves are the sorest Plagues It 's Vice you would extirpate which makes its Abettors Cowardly It 's what Reason as well as Revelation testifies against it's what few Sinners like in their own Children Who would not be encouraged to reduce and remove such 2. WHOM you have to oppose and fight against you in this Enterprize of Reformation IT S the Devil and such as he doth actuate who will resist you he is the grand Leader and they his Instruments And even himself is cast into Chains by the Great God 2 Pet. 2. 4. your Leader hath trampled on him in the Upper Regions Col. 2. 15. he hath in a great measure prevailed against him in the Earth already and will shortly chain him up from his wonted Influences here below Rev. 20. 3. yea at last he will entirely baffle break him and put him beyond any further Attempts Rev. 20. 10. TAKE Courage it 's against one who is an Usurper and whom his most Obsequious Followers are ashamed to own and afraid to see IN a word greater stronger wiser and better is he that leads you in this Work than he whom the World follows in opposing Reformation AND as for the Men who engage against the attempt of suppressing Vice they can be none but the Inconsiderate part even of Brutal Persons and as they are at this Day restrained by Laws from doing you much open Injury so their own Consciences will soon approve your Attempts to better them they 'll judge them very kind if they shall reform and as highly just when they have sinned away the Season of Amendment IV. YOU have very encouraging Advantages at this juncture THE Parliaments Address and the King's Proclamation thereupon with a prospect of more Laws pursuant thereto are great things and good signs the most hopeful Indications England for many Years affordeth You engage against Evils which the Supream Authority in all its Constituent parts have testified against Magistracy is engaged and injoyned to assist you nay it 's no other than the Execution of many Excellent Laws which you subserve THE Number of your Societies are multiplying in the Country yea your Example is imitated in Ireland with greater success than here the main o● your Difficulty is over and signal Successes have attended you many Prayer● are on your side and Invisible Power concerned with you By many such things Heaven smileth on this Work and can you faint without the greatest Reproach Exhort LET me therefore Excite and Injoyn you to proceed vigorously in this Glorious Attempt I have proved it your Duty past all Dispute that ought to remove your Backwardness and Sloath. I have shewn you somewhat of your Encouragements let that allay all fear Need I tell you You are hereby endeavouring but due Returns from England for its Eminent Deliverance from extreamest Miseries and those unavoidable to Humane View YOU are preventing those Calamities which will return with Aggravations if these Evils be not Reformed Ezra 9. 13 14. YOU are providing the surest way to revive our Trade prolong our Peace and recover England's Glory If you succeed Bodies and Minds will be freed from the sad Effects of the Debaucheries which are as fatal as apparent YOU lay the best Foundation for Peace among the Divided Parties in this Nation who will when Vertuous easily coalesce and be free to take away all unnecessary Causes of Division YOUR very Meeting together and joynt Concurrence in this laudable Employment will Conciliate yourMinds and melt them down into Moderation which is a Temper so necessary and upon which our Happiness so much depends that I dare deliver this Prognostick England can never be fixedly happy in its Religious or Civil Concernments but by an UNION between the Moderate Churchmen and the Moderate Dissenters YOU befriend your own Children and Posterity by preventing the Infection that may ruine them MANY other Arguments might be urged Oh that these and all others made use of by the several Reverend Ministers in both Places of your Meetings may by the Blessing of God envigorate your Minds in this Attempt and dispose Transgressors to submit thereto AND surely whatever is a Motive to the Physitian to endeavour the Cure is much more forcible with the Diseased to admit it Is endeavouring the Reforming of you Oh Sinners So plainly the Duty of this Society and worth their utmost Pains and Charge And can it be a light thing whether you will be Reformed or no Oh the Testimony against you that shall arise from hence if you be still uncleansed Some CAUTIONS I shall give a few Cautions 1. WITH respect to the Preliminaries to and the first Words of my Text. STATE not Christ's Designs which you propose to serve by your hasty Fancy but his own plain adjustment of them you are not for Christ by espousing an Error you act not with or for him in opposing what he forbids not or violently contending for what is indifferent trivial or doubtful his Kingdoms Concernment lies in what is commanded plain and momentous AND therefore let your Endeavours be laid out in proportion to the evidence his Word gives concerning things and tho it be too unusual yet be you as earnest for what is important and plainly commanded and against what is flagitious and plainly Prohibited as others are apt to be for trifles of their own inventing or against Sins of their own making AND withal be afraid without highest Scripture Evidence well applied to judge any Men or Party of Protestants to be for or against Christ in contradistinction from others It would make a Tender Heart to bleed to hear two Extremes apply that one Text against Men of a duer Temper How long halt ye between two Opinions If God be God follow him but if Baal follow him 1 King 18. 22. when more Charity would better evidence either side to be the Followers of Christ. 2. TO