promoted by a Sect call'd Antinomians who Believe as if Men might go to Heaven in the way to Hell without Faith Repentance and new Obedience thus no necessity of good Works and all this because we are said to be Saved thorough Grace which is most True and indeed excludes Good Works from being the meritorious Cause of Salvation but not from being means and way to it for he who created us without us will not Save us without us Here is also a kind of Free-willers who directly strike at God's free Grace in Christ and I dare say are as much against it as Socinians are against his Person Sins against God's Justice his Truth and other Attributes are great but I look upon Sin against his Grace as one of the greatest and less pardonable Here we have a Monstrous Sect call'd Quakers Monstrous I call it for its Doctrine is a Rhapsody of Errors in several kinds they have troubled the World with a number of idle Pamphlets containing a confused heap of Spiritual and Natural Ignorance full of Nonsense Presumption wresting and misapplying of Holy Scripture and a meer racking of good Sense and sound Reason which is able to disgust any Rational Man from Reading them as I confess I soon was but some who made it their Business to go throughly with them have therein found several Pernicious Impious and Blasphemous Tenets drawn out of their Writings which they have Published and set their Names to 't This I may say of Quakers that to themselves they assume the Name of Christians but in my Opinion without True grounds For they own no other Christ but him whom they say to be within them whom they make speak any thing they please then they are not Baptized in the Name of Christ whose Ordinances they Reject and Despise for they own no Sacraments deny Ministry by way of Office in the Church which is the House of the God of Order yet all Order therein but what is of their own making they would destroy and condemn All that are not of their own Persuasion usurping only to themselves the name of God's People withal in their Worldly Concerns they are Cunning and Crafty Busie and Active Thriving and Multiplying medling with many Things with a Stock of ready Money to supply their Occasions and carry on their common Interest in the World The Government hath thought fit to give them a Toleration I wish they do not prove a Snake in its Bosom for they are as dangerous to the State as to the Church Certainly 't is a great Sin to suffer them to Dishonour God through their Blasphemies as 't is in them to do 't Several other Heresies and Errors in Doctrine we have here whereof some are more and others less known Who can tell them all But all thô in different Degrees are contrary to Gospel Truths and thô winked at are to be reckoned among the sinful Opinions and Doctrines in the Nation But as the Nation is infected with many Sins in the Mind so 't is full of others seated in the Heart wherein is the Spring of all sinful Practises For Matth. 15.19 saith our Blessed Saviour out of the heart proceed evil thoughts or desires murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies This leads us to the Second Branch of the great and many Sins of the Nation which consist in Practice and upon this Head with David I may say thô very short of what the thing deserves Rivers of water run down mine eyes Ps 119.136 because they keep not thy Law The Sins properly lodged in the Heart are First Hypocrisie a damnable Sin in this World and accordingly to be rewarded in that which is to come Matt. 24.51 for there is a portion for hypocrites who indeed can sometimes dissemble with and impose upon Men but not so with God The Hypocrite is Squint-ey'd and thô he looks one way yet like the Waterman Row's towards a quite contrary It is bad upon all accounts but in Matters of Religion abominable like the Pharisees as our Saviour with many a Woe tells them they are like unto whited Sepulchres Matth. 23.23 24 25. c. which indeed appear beautiful outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness an outward shew of Piety and Virtue but in reality are nothing less They strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel and outwardly appear righteous unto Men but within are full of hypocrisie and iniquity The Roman Poet could say of such Qui Curios simulant sed Bacchanalia vivunt In some things of the least moment they would seem to be Pious and Conscientious they pay tithe of Mint of Anise and Cumin but omit the weightier matters of the Law like the Jews who upon the preparation day of the passover John 18.28 would not go into the Judgment-Hall lest they should be defiled but made no Conscience to shed innocent Blood and to cry out Crucifie Crucifie Pride and Vanity is another Sin of the Heart Mark 7.22 or it proceedeth out of it of it I make but one Sin for a Proud Man is a Vain Man Pride is the Sin of the Devil and of our First Parents now too natural with many among us who look very big upon others as if they were not Flesh Blood and Corruption as well as other Men yet they are not made of a Matter of a different nature of what others are they came into the World like other Men shall Die and be a Pasture for Worms as well as others Some are proud of their Riches which as Solomon saith Prov. 23.5 certainly they make themselves wings and fly away as an Eagle others are proud of their Honours which in a short time are laid in the Dust others of their Pleasures for they have all that Heart can wish so had Belshazzar in the great Feast he made to a Thousand of his Lords to his Wives and Concubines Dan. 5.5.6 but in the same Hour came forth fingers of a Man's hand and wrote over against the Candlestick upon the plaistering of the Wall of the King's Palace Then the King's countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another and in that night was the King slain v. 30. 1 Cor. 3.1 Others are proud of their Parts as Wit Learning c. for knowledge puffeth up for want of knowing themselves those parts they prophane and make a wrong use of Others are proud of their Strength Comliness Beauty and such Bodily Endowments but to all such the Apostle saith What hast thou that thou didst not receive Ch. 4.7 now if thou didst receive it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Be thankful for what thou hast received and Glory not in thy self or in thine own Shame but glory in the Lord. Ch. 1 31. Pride is a Sin odious to God and Man which
necessary business can hardly pass safely and undisturbed through the Streets and some of that Sex that prostitute themselves in some times of the Night walk in their Meeting-places and wander up and down the Streets when Bridewell should be filled with them But we must leave this filthy Subject which defiles Thoughts Tongue and Pen and as well as Swearing and Perjury have of late in some (f) 〈…〉 Tracts been set out in their own Colours and only give a Hint of an idle Vanity of some Men and Women who in order to please others to excite Lust and satisfie their Corrupt Inclinations do stand or sit whole Hours before a Looking-Glass there to admire themselves like so many Narcissus's in love with their Faces I cannot blame Men or Women for seeing every thing about them to be well decently and cleanly but far from this necessary Care are the foppish and vain Attire and meer Trinkets as Patches Painting c. too much used by some for ill ends Concerning this Head before I leave it off I must farther take notice how there are too many kinds of Houses subservient to this Sin as first Bawdy-Houses kept up meerly for that purpose or Stews by Henry VIII for ever forbidden in England 'T is a great shame that in a Christian State Reformed or pretending from the abuses of the Romish Church in Doctrine and Practices such Places should be known and suffered We Protestants say and 't is very true that the Pope and those under him in Rome receive Money for tolerating such Wickednesses under the pretence that 't is to avoid a more horrid Sin as if God had allowed to chuse and exchange Sins and so dispensed Men from the strict Observation of his Law And I am afraid here we have some who against their Duty and Oath take Fees not to disturb those Infamous Places Here also are some Places which we may call Game-Houses where are play'd more than one sort of Game to the Ruine of the Souls of some Young and Old and Lavishing the Estates of others and this by such Persons as the Land should vomit out into their own Also there are Chocolate-Houses with Private Rooms which though frequented by some Persons of Honour and Virtue yet are look'd upon as meeting Places for Vice Idleness Corrupt Discourses and other sinful Practices And we hear of late are sprung out of Hell Houses for the execrable Seed of Sodom and Gomorrah who could have believed it Drunkenness is a great and common Sin which deprives Men of the use of Reason and makes them I shall not say like unto but worse then Beasts which do what you can you are never able to make to drink if they be not thirsty The use of Liquor is to quench one's Thirst but when 't is abused through God's Judgment it causes a contrary Effect for it inflames and makes one drier and drier The Lacedaemonians to make that Vice odious to their Children made their Slaves Drunk and then exposed them to their sight And Lyeurgus being asked why in his Laws he had appointed no punishment for Drunkards said Drunkenness carries its punishment along with it the Head-ake the Pain in the Stomach violent Vomiting Inflammation of the Blood with many other Symptoms that attend it do sufficiently demonstrate its Malignity And if a Drunken Man could but well see his dull or wandering Eyes the redness or paleness of his Face his wry Mouth Crabbed Looks smell the Stink of what comes up out of his Stomach as out of a Dog 's and hear the Stammerings and Stutterings of his Tongue perceive his Reeling and Staggerings in a word how much he looks like a stinking and a silly Fool he would be ashamed of himself and of his Vice besides the danger of Breaking his Neck or some Limb when he is Drunk or doing himself and others some Mischief when his Drink turns into Fury and Madness as we daily have a sad Experience of it and 't is too usual with some or else being tumbled into a Feaver or some such violent Distemper or at last being besotted for continual Drinking drowns what good natural Parts a Man may happen to have either by Nature or acquired by Labour and Industry (a) Prov. 23.29 30 31 32. Who hath wo Who hath sorrow saith the Wise man Who hath contention who hath babbling who hath wounds without cause who hath redness of eyes He answers They that tarry long at the Wine They that go to seek mixt wine His advice followeth Look not thou upon the wine when it is red when it giveth its colour in the cup when it moveth it self aright ar the last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adder These are the Effects of Drunkenness yet some are so infatuated as to delight in fuddling themselves and others Against such the Prophet pronounces a (b) Hab. 2.15 Wo unto him that giveth his neighbour drink that puttest his bottle to him and makest him drunken also There must be a Venom in the Fruit when abused which we may perceive in the Tree that produces it which is good for nothing else but to be burnt for God saith so by the Prophet (c) Ezek. 15.2 3 4. Son of man what is the Vine tree more then any tree Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon Behold it is cast into the fire for fewel the fire devoureth both the ends of it and the middle of it is burnt is it meet for any work No and Experience shews it is of no use only for the fire Now Drunkenness is a Mother-sin for it causes many others and indeed can produce any other as Noah and Lot can witness We read of one who when he was Sober being asked which of these three things he would chuse either to be Drunken to Lye with his Mother or to Kill his Father he rejected the two last as unnatural and abominable and made choice of the first but once he being Drunk laid with his Mother when she was asleep and kill'd his Father upbraiding him for it (d) Is 28.1 Woe to the drunkards of Ephraim saith the Prophet and others too as well as to them This Excess of some and abuse of the Creature which God made to be used with Sobriety and Thanksgiving makes it (e) Rom. 8.21 22. groan and travail in pain till it be delivered from the bondage of corruption which in their way Drunkards keep it under These are the most beastly and grossest Sins in the Land but there are of another kind more subtle and refined which stick to the Soul more than to the Body We read how in our Saviour's days the Bodies of many were possessed of the Devil but now when he hath a greater Experience he is to Man's greater harm gone farther and possesses the Souls as much as ever he did the Bodies Too many have Learn'd under
God so often and so strictly Commanded his People (a) Lev. 19.36 Just Balances Just Weights a Just Ephah and a Just Hin shall ye have Elsewhere repeated (b) Deut. 25.15 But tbou shalt have a Perfect and Just weight (c) Prov. 11.1 a Perfect and Just Measure shalt thou have (d) Ch. 20.23 The contrary God abhorreth For a false balance is abomination to the Lord but a just weight is his delight Again Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord and a false balance is not good Some have different Weights one to Buy another to Sell by As to Measures would to God there was less cause than we have to complain of it I shall give an Instance which is obvious and thô in some respect the Thing be not of great Moment yet the Sin is not the less rather because it reaches many chiefly the poor People it is the greater In many Alehouses where an ordinary Man goeth for a Quart of Drink out comes a False Measure a Black Pot or the like holding less than it should This for the Master but the Drawer to have his share doth not fill it up but gives Froth instead of Drink so that one hath at least half a Pint wanting of his measure and sometimes but a whole Pint instead of a Quart with some this Observation will seem mean But for all that I would have them to know that it is a great Sin and no Sin may be call'd a mean Sin And seeing I am upon this Subject I farther shall take notice of the Injustice of Brewers who for Instance under pretence of a Shilling Excize given the Government because there is no Assize which upon these Occasions should ever be to prevent Abuses they take may be Two for themselves and so make the Drink small raise the Price and lessen the Measure The like may be said of Bakers who make their Bread Lighter than it should be or raise the Price of it As Butchers do of their Meat Chandlers of their Candles so do other sorts of Tradesmen even as they please without any curb put upon them Thus the generality are left to the mercy of unreasonable Men And for they to plead The Liberty of the Subject is an aggravation to pretend to or desire a Liberty to do wrong and injury Here I speak for the poorest sort who by such dealings are the greatest Sufferers One of the chief grounds of Policy in matters of Government is to Prevent or Remedy Abuses put upon the People about necessary Provisions for Life nothing more apt to cause Tumults and Insurrections than to want Food and Raiment or Money to buy it One thing more I shall observe upon this Head How in common Dealings even without distinction of the Quality of Persons in their Bargains according to their several ways there is abundance of False Dealing Tricking Cheating and Over-reaching and the worst is that when Men have gained their Point they Laugh at it and Brag of it when the Tradesman Sells his Commodities with False Weights and False Measures and not satisfied with a moderate Gain at unreasonable Rates Doth he wonder after if he be ill paid or not at all thô I will neither excuse nor justifie the Buyer but I say 't is Just with God to Retaliate him so others are unjust to him because he hath been so to them So our trivial Saving is very True Honesty is the best Policy There are Sins also which attend the Profession of Physicians as are sometimes to prolong the Cure of their Patients especially when they are Rich to have many Fees and the more to squeeze Money out of their Purse and also when they begin to recover strength to prescribe strong Remedies to weaken them again At other times they without a due regard to the good of the Patient try Experiments upon them to the hazard of Life And withal thô no sort of Men more than they have occasion to observe the finger of God in the Works of Nature wherein his Power and Wisdom are so evident yet none more apt to attibute to Second Causes that which is due to the First and Supreme one We know God hath appointed means to be used and hath tied us to them which we ought not to neglect but Men must not be so unjust as to give them the Praise and Glory which belongs to God who prescribed and whose Blessing made them effectual for when God calls for our Life all Remedies are in vain Contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hortis The recovery of Hezekiah was not so much to be attributed to the Virtue of the (e) King 20.7 Lump of dry Figs thô the Remedy was very proper for the Disease which was a Boil and the dry Fig a great Drawer as it was to God's Blessing who by the Prophet Isaiah appointed it In this same predicament of Profession we include Apothecaries who to put off their Old Drugs which having lost their Virtue can indeed stir Humours but want strength to carry them out and so are rather Poison than Physick in the Body keep the best and thereby do Patients more harm than good they sometimes also lessen the Dose yet will be paid for the whole Besides that often their Bills are unreasonable and unjust and so a Sin in them Under this Classis for at the first in the days of Hippocrates Dioscorides Avicenna Galenus c. One and the same Man professed Physick Apothecarie if I may so call that Art and Chirurgery I leave for Chirurgeons to examine and leave off Sins attending their Profession 'T is a saying of Augustin that Sin amidst the Disorders it hath caused in the World hath left Mans Goods and Estates in the hands of Lawyers his Body in that of Physicians and his Soul to the Care of Divines This is a great Charge indeed and thô every one be bound to look to his own Soul yet God hath been pleased to appoint a sort of Men whose Office is to be Pastors Teachers Overseers Watchmen to Warn Guide and Direct others in the way to Salvation The Care of Souls is a great and difficult Task and a high Trust attended with a world of Le ts Hinderances and Oppositions from the Devil the Flesh the World and from Sin Therefore without God's especial Grace which such Men ought constantly to pray for are liable to great and many Sins of the highest Consequence for sometimes the Eternal Felicity or Misery of Souls doth as to means depend thereupon and (f) 2 Cor. 2.16 Who is sufficient for these things The Clergy or Ministers of the Gospel which use hath made to be the meaning of the Word are called (a) 1 Cor. 4. and v. 1.2 Stewards of the Mysteries of God The Apostle in the same place saith Moreover 't is required in Stewards that a man be found faithful and blameless for (b) Tit. 1.7 A Bishop under which name is understood every Pastour
to discourage Vice and Immorality who having sold their Soul to the Devil to do his Drudgery make no scruple to sell themselves to Men to do all their Will and Pleasure Therefore no wonder if Men so ill qualified do for Self-Interest betray their Trust He who is not True to God will be False to Man thô in different ways some above-board others under and indirectly some by openly opposing their Friend's Interest others with neglecting withdrawing and upon occasion deserting the Service These indeed are loud and crying sins which yet cannot excuse the Folly of those who Intrusted them with what 's near and dear As no Prudent Man will Trust a Bloody Man with his Life So none that is Wise will lay his Estate in the hands of one who is needy and greedy But the Silliness of some and Dishonesty of others do prepare matter for a Judgment to come Thô I already have given some hints against Bribery yet the matter is of too high a concernment to be lightly passed over the more because now more than ever like a mighty Stream it hath overflown all beyond bounds and measure One can neither look nor go any where but 't is to be seen and met with it hath poisoned our very Springs Oh! the abominable wickedness Thus at first the Devil under a specious pretence blinded the understanding of our first Parents corrupted their Heart and seduced them to Rebellion against and Disobedience to their Maker To go about Bribing Men is to do the Devils work and tempt them to commit evil to turn Rogues and Knaves to betray their Judgment Conscience Truth Trust Good Name Friends Relations Countrey with whatsoever ought to be near and dear even God himself as much as ever for Money Judas betrayed his Lord and Master and if they could would deliver him too and to Damn their own Souls I would be for cutting off a Hand that offers a Bag of Gold sooner than that which takes it for if there was no Giver there would be no Receiver and none would be Tempted if there was no Tempter who is the Devil's Tool And to Tempt and Seduce is a damnable Office which in Men argues a mean a base and a wretched Soul A generous Spirit will scorn to take any advantage of the Frailty Corruption and Wants of another or to lay Snares and a Stumbling-block before the Weak which is so contrary to a Christian Frame This is not Policy but Knavery for True Policy is grounded upon Justice and Honour guided by Prudence Wisdom and Experience and through reasonable means tend to good ends Knavery is an effect of a dark Understanding whereof Cheating Tricking Deceiving with over-reaching are the Ingredients When any Person and Party are reduced to such miserable Shifts which banish Honesty out of the World and makes way for themselves to be served as they cause others to be 't is a clear sign that they are at their Wits end and despair of the Goodness and Success of their Cause seeing they would promote it by unlawful means Sometimes they would make specious pretences and even God's Holy Name subservient to their pernicious ends who to them will say as formerly he did to his People Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine Iniquities (a) Isai 43.24 And having for a while winked at and suffered them to go on in their unworthy courses of Bribing Suborning Corrupting Seducing and taking Advantage of the Weakness Blindness of Mind or Falseness of Heart of others will at last send a blast upon all their contrivances and as in a moment overthrow what through sinful means they had been building for bad ends and to them say as be doth to the Sea (b) Job 2.11 Hitherto shalt thou come and no farther and here shall thy proud waves be stayed And as (a) Ch. 5.12 13. he disappointeth the devices of the crafty and taketh the wise in their own craftiness may be when they least think on 't God to confound all their great contrivances will send Death with this Errand come to give an account of thy self By what is said against the Bribers I intend not to excuse the Bribed in any station or capacity whatsoever no more than shall be those who yield to the Devil's Temptations for both Tempter and Tempted are guilty It availed Adam nothing to cast the fault upon another that is his Wife nor Eve to say The Serpent beguiled me For God passed Sentence of Condemnation upon all Three Is it not a great Crime Is it not a great folly in one to sell his Soul for Money or other worldly Advantage Yet there are those Men in the World who to do an ill thing will assoon and as often take a Bribe as a Lawyer will take a Fee to speak for a Client To Beg is become a Trade full of Abuses which daily may be seen in the Streets 't is a Seminary of Idleness Lewdness c. I know some are fit Objects of Charity but others use it as a Cloak to their evil Designs which ought to be enquired into Remember the Apostles Rule (b) 2 Thess 3.10 That if any will not work when he can neither should he eat Here we have a parcel of Boys known by the name of the Black Guard who by a loose manner of Life inure themselves to all kinds of Vice So there are many young Girls who under the notion of Begging are seen up and down the Streets to drive on the Trade of Pick-Pockets and Whoring As to the Men when they grow older they become wandring and sturdy Beggars and at last High-way Men which if timely minded and remedied might be prevented and consequently their being condemn'd to the Gallows Here I cannot forbear taking notice of a thing which thô it may be is not properly and in it self a Sin yet with Humble Submission to those whom it may concern I say it may become a Sin in its Adjuncts and Consequences for it affords occasion enough of Sin in those uncharitable Sermons which our Boanerges do upon the Anniversary Day fulminate against the Dead and the Living and thereby shew they know not what a Christian Spirit is This is too much like the Antichristian Practice of Popes who every Year on a certain day cause a Bull full of Curses to be read One would think that after Fifty years time there should be a Prescription for such things and 't would be well to forget and forgive that which keeps up Divisions and intails hatred and Revengefulness upon us and our Posterity as if of late we had not Breaches enough but we must still continue the old ones and Superstitiously keep an Anniversary for the Ashes of a Man and with such Religious Circumstances as make the thing much the worse which upon another occasion God grievously complain'd against That (a) Ezek. 43.8 by setting man's threshold by his thresholds and their post by his
Soul therein included So Secondarily he ought to take care of his Honour in the World when it crosses neither Piety nor Virtue and by all lawful means defend it when maliciously and violently assaulted by bad Men. And this those that set themselves for Censors of other Men's Actions ought to take notice of especially when they know them to be no Despisers of good Advice when duly given But the abominable Disease of Calumny being now so Epidemical the danger of suffering it so visible and great and the harm thereby done so frequent it requires the greater Care to prevent and suppress it Nothing more destructive to Society and nothing brings more confusion into the World than doth speaking ill one of another Whence do often arise Quarrels Fightings Duels Bruises Wounds and Death but from words Mis-spoken Mis-reported and Mis-understood O the Tongue that cannot be governed thô (a) Jam. 3.5 6. A little member how great a matter a little fire kindleth it setteth on fire the course of nature More mischief proceeds from the Organ of Speech than from all the other Members of the Body as we may see in what the Apostle saith about it (b) Rom. 3.13 14. With their tongues they have used deceit the poison of asps is under their lips their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness What in English we call Slanderers or False Accusers is in Greek called Devils for the Devil is their Father who as our Saviour saith was a lyar and a murderer from the beginning How many children in that kind hath he in the World Prov. 10.18 thô in some different degrees and ways But He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth slander is a fool Some out of Malice Revengefulness or the like sinful Principle do either invent Lies with out any ground against others or misinterpret their Words and Actions and are glad of any pretence to Blacken their Neighbour with false Aspersions and malicious Insinuations And these Men have another fortunder them who publish the Lies and Slanders which the others forged and so become partakers of other men's sins Both he who steals the Money and he who puts it into the Bag are guilty so he who spreads abroad the Slander is as guilty as he who invented it thô herein sometimes there is a difference for some publish it out of Imprudence others out of a sinful Compliance and others out of Malice Nay there are some who out of their own natural Corruption take pleasure to hear others ill spoken of and thô in their mind they be convinced the things are not true yet in their Heart are glad of it and contrary to the Rules of Charity and Prudence will rather believe Evil than Good thô in doubtful Cases the least they should do is to suspend their Judgment till they see a just cause and not presently to proclaim it abroad and thus fall into the snare for this is a direct breach of the Ninth Commandment Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour whether his Goods Good Name or Life be concerned Spreading ill Reports upon uncertainties and hear-say is a base thing and odious before God and a nice point in the sight of Men who being pinch'd in so sensible a part as Reputation will kick against such as thus lash them behind Neither do I think that the Laws of God and Men require in a Man the Stoician 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Insensibility as if he was a Stock or a Stone but rather do allow him in lawful ways to vindicate his good Name as to defend his Life One Case excepted when 't is plainly for the Cause of the Lord Jesus then suffer all things gladly from those that have Authority and Power over you The Spaniards have a saying Por tu honra pon la vida y pon los dos por tu Dios. Hazard thy Life for thy Honour But venture both for thy God 'T is fit for the good of Human Society that a strong Curb should be be put upon Authors and Promoters of Slanders ' to take away from the Sufferers all just cause from doing themselves justice when wronged in this case and by these means shall Peace be kept and it will strike Terror upon Offenders in this kind or else this will bring in Trouble and Confusion for there are some Men in the World who are as ready to venture all they have to vindicate their Reputation when unjustly assaulted as to defend their Life This is spoken as to Men. But in relation to God there are more pressing Motives not only against him who raises false Reports against another but also against him that takes it up Believes and Propagates it God's word we have for it for he that doth so shall not abide in God's Tabernacle nor dwell in his Holy Hill for David puts the Question to God (a) Psal 15.1 3. Lord who shall abide c. which he Answers He that taketh not up a reproach against his Neighbour What is to take up a reproach the Old Translation hath it very plain not to receive a false report against his neighbour He who desireth to be in God's Favour and be admitted into his House must not hearken to encourage or support a false Report against another but say I will not be concern'd and so let it fall The meaning of the place is of a large extent some explain the words takes not up a reproach by doth not lift up ignominy and scandal upon his Tongue and with it lays no snares to others either with forming false things or wresting those that be true Who will not hear speak or believe a Reproach or false Report against his Neighbour thereby to keep innocent his Ear Tongue and Heart I say further that in some cases Truth it self as to matters of Fact when prejudicial to some body ought not to be published without necessity and a lawful Call as when a Man is upon Oath summoned to bear Evidence in a Court of Justice to preserve a Man's Right but when by such Reports some body receives harm and no body no good thô they were True ought to be suppressed and buried Doeg's report to Saul of what had happened between David and Abimelech was True Psal 53. yet David for it cursed him 't is not always well and fit to speak the Truth A Son 's Saying My Father is a Thief and a Drunkard may be True but 't is ill of him to say it so 't is when against the Rules of Charity Several other kinds of Sins we have here which to mention would prove an endless Task and indeed who can number them all Whether of Inclination and Temper of Relations Professions Conditions Ages of both Sexes Family Personal and National Sins and there is too much cause to complain that England is become a sink of evil in all sorts not only the iniquities of the Country but also those of others How great Sinners
an Epidemical Sin again (c) v. 20. who call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter that are wise in their own Eyes and prudent in their own sight which justifie the wicked for Reward and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him Doth not every thing here reach some of us But in the same Chapter the Prophet adds the Harp and the Viol the Tabret and Pipe and Wine are in their Feasts but mark what follows as a mighty aggravation but they regard not the work of the Lord neither consider the operation of his hands an effect whereof is therefore my People are gone into Captivity But that which is worse and damnable therefore Hell hath enlarged her self and opened her mouth without measure If it were but the Grave it were enough to terrifie Men from such things and in v. 24 25.26 we read of further Judgments very terrible with a therefore to shew they are the fruits of their Sins which should make us all fear and tremble They are God's own Words to the same People to us as well as to Israel (d) Jer. 5.22 Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my Presence If ye do not I will make you before I have done For all these Judgments which ye feel my anger is not turned away but my hand is stretched out still Not long before his death (a) Josh 24. Joshua gathered the People to put them in mind of what God had done for them to represent unto them their Duty and gave them a strict charge about it in a remarkable circumstance (b) v. 26.27 he took a great Stone and set it up there and said behold this Stone shall be a Witness unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord. God uever wanteth Witnesses and rather than fail the very Stones shall speak However he often is pleased to make use of weak Instruments whose Testimony is not to be rejected when they speak in his Name and out of his own Word As for me who am come to an Age wherein I have little to hope for desire or fear from Men and tho' I had I would always Fear God rather than Men therefore being instructed by some experience which my God hath given me of his gracious and wise Providence do now upon this nice and important conjuncture give in my Evidence for God and a serious warning to all Sinners in the Land I begin with and speak to my self first as the chief of Sinners then to King Parliaments Judges Magistrates Clergymen and others of all Conditions Ages Relations and Professions whatsoever as at the last and terrible day we shall answer to God every one within our respective Stations as much as in us lieth to encourage and promote Piety and Virtue to discountenance punish and suppress Error and Vice and let every one begin with himself in his own Person or else I denounce God's terrible and infallible Judgments upon you and upon me and these lines of mine shall upon occasion if we neglect our Duty be Evidences against you and against me this is neither time nor thing to flatter or to dally with for (a) Num. 16.46 there is wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun therefore hear that faithful Servant of God Moses as speaking to you (b) Deut. 30.35 see I have this day set before thee life and death good and evil light and darkness Heaven and Hell Christ and Sin chuse well and be wise unto Salvation I have brought and laid a looking Glass before all wherein every one may see himself therefore make a right use of it as much as I could I made what I said to reach all I hope none that is good will take ill what I write as for the bad and impenitent I neither intend nor care to please them truth doth offend some who thereupon harden themselves others are better for hearing it and mend these will thank God for the occasion he affords them to learn by being told to the other in Pauls words I say (c) Gal. 4.16 am I therefore become your Enemy because I tell you the truth but know I will not betray it for any Man's sake Our Sins are many great and frequent and God's hand is lifred up against us therefore let every one Prince and Subject High and Low Rich and Poor Man and Woman Young and Old mend and repent and in his place do his duty or else (d) Amos 4.12 prepare to meet thy God O Israel If not in the way of Repentance in that of his Judgments which I am afraid are hanging over our heads at least we have cause to think so therefore hear ye the sound of the Trumpet and know the meaning of it learn and be wise for thereby God doth invite us all to repent and to mind his work and Service which is Honourable Glorious and Profitable But if blowing the Trumpet in Sion cannot do with but be neglected by Men then (a) Joel 3.16 the Lord also shall roare out of Sion nay hath already roared and if (b) Amos 3.8 the Lion hath roared who will not fear 'T is a terrible voice which denounceth Judgments and thundereth Threatnings and if yet by this Men will not be awaked from their Sins then at that (c) Joel 2.31 great and very terrible day of the Lord at last they shall come out of their Graves to suffer the punishment due to their impenitence and unbelief when (c) 1 Thess 4.16 the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel and with the Trumpet of God May the great God our most gracious Father be pleased to prevent us with Temporal blessings to continue with Spiritual and to end with Eternal by the merits and mediation of his only begotten Son our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ through the powerful working of the Holy Ghost in one most simple and undivided Godhead three Persons Co-essential in Nature Co-eternal in Time and Co-equal in Power to whom be by every Creature rendred as most due all Honour Glory Power Majesty and Dominion now and for evermore Amen FINIS Some Books Printed for D. Brown at the Black Swan and Bible without Temple-Bar FOur Tracts 1. A shore Discourse about Divorce and its Causes Fornication and Adultery 2. A Charge to Judges Juries and Witnesses concerning Oaths 3. About Infant Baptism 4. A Letter to a Lady who hath forsaken the Protestant Religion for the Romish The 2. Edition Free Thoughts in Defence of a Future State as discoverable by natural Reason and stript of all Superstitious appendages Demonstrating against the nominal Deists that the consideration of Future Advantages is a just motive to Virtue of Future loss and misery a powerful and becoming restraint of Vice With occasional Remarks on a Book Intituled an enquiry concerning Virtue and a Refutation of the revived Hylyzoicism of Democritus and Leucippus A compleat History or Survey of all the dispensations and methods of Religion from the beginning of the World to the consummation of all things as represented in the Old and New Testament shewing the several Reasons and Designs of those different Administrations and the wisdom and goodnes of God in the Government of his Church through all the Ages of it in which also the Opinion of Dr. Spencer concerning the Jewish Rights and Sacrifices is examined and the certainty of the Christian Religion demonstrated the Cavils of the Deists c. By John Edwards C. D.