A SERMON Concerning Reformation of Manners Preach'd at St. Iames's Church Westminster Feb. 13. And afterwards at St. BRIDES To one of the RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES By SAMUEL WESLEY M. A. LONDON Printed for Charles Harper at the Flower-de-Luce over against St. Dunstans Church in Fleetstreet 1698. To the SOCIETIES FOR Reformation of Manners And the RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES In the KINGDOMS of England and Ireland THIS SERMON Is Dedicated by Their hearty Well-wisher And humble Servant S. Wesley PSALM XCIV v. 16. Who will rise up for me against the Evil-doers or who will stand up for me against the Workers of Iniquity Or as 't is in the Old Translation Who will rise up with me against the Wicked and who will take my part against the Evil-doers IF these Words had not been spoken by God himself or which is the same thing by the Psalmist in his Name and by his immediate Inspiration 't is certain that any who should now have asked the same Question must at least have expected the Censure of two much heat and forwardness or the yet more severe one of designing a Factious Combination instead of a Religious Union The Occasion of them as well as of the whole Psalm is judg'd to have been the Affliction of Gods People in Babylon where they had no Friend or Helper in which Condition they address themselves in the pathetic words of this Psalm to him who never fails those who trust in him expressing their firm Faith and dependance on the Almighty and that notwithstanding all they had endur'd The Lord would not cut off his People nor forsake his Inheritance but that at the last Iudgment should return unto Righteousness The time should come under the Reign of the Messiah principally and ultimately tho immediately and imperfectly under Zerubbabel's and Ioshua's Administration of Affairs when there should be a more equal distribution of things and all good Men should with one mind and one mouth glorifie God and adore his wonderful Providence and Goodness And then it follows in the words of the Text Who will rise up for or with me against the Evil-doers who will stand up for me or take my part against the workers of Iniquity Who is there that has Courage or Zeal sufficient for such an Undertaking and to assist the Civil and Ecclesiastical Governours to accomplish these happy Alterations to reform Abuses punish the Wicked depress the Proud and raise the Humble Which great Work the Psalmist v. 17. ascribes primarily and immediately to God tho not excluding Man's free Agency and Co-operation yet not depending upon them nor expecting much from them Unless the Lord had been my help my soul had well nigh dwelt in silence But I shall not in my Discourse from these words insist any further on the occasion of them or their connexion with the preceeding or subsequent Verses but consider them as independant on the rest of the Psalm and desire you to take notice that the Rising up for or with the Psalmist here mentioned against Bad men implies Zeal and Courage which he was then so solicitously enquiring after as the standing up for him or as 't is in the Syriac fitting and preparing a Man's self for such an Enterprise may denote that caution and prudence which was necessary on so emergent an Occasion as both of these Expressions imply an Union of good Men with the firmest Resolves and steadiest Endeavours against the workers of Iniquity From the Words we may deduce these Two Propositions I. That it is very difficult to persuade Men to engage in the Cause of God against Wicked Persons and Evil-doers Thisis fairly imply'd in the Words of the Question Who will rise up with me Who will stand up for me What need of such a careful and exact Enquiry if the Answer had been obvious and easie II. That 't is the indispensible Duty of Good Men with united Councils and with the utmost Zeal and Prudence to oppose Vice and Wickedness The former of which Propositions I shall insist on more briefly the second more at large in the Body of my Discourse and then apply the whole First then We may learn from these Words that it is very difficult to persuade Men to engage in the Cause of God against wicked Persons and Evil-doers The matter of fact is too plain and obvious since neither Mens Obligations to God nor those to their Country nor the Dictates of their own Consciences nor the Persuasions and Examples of better Men nay nor even their own solemn Oaths can oftentimes prevail upon them to the Performance of this hazardous Duty Nor are the Reasons less evident than the matter of Fact is The Singularity of such an Attempt the Disuse of the Laws the Opposition of the Guilty the Coldness of those who might and ought to encourage such as act in this manner the Disobliging Mens Friends or Neighbours the Fear of injuring their own Temporal Interest but above all the backwardness of those who are in Publick Offices and that general Dis-regard which most Men seem to have of their own and others Souls together with the want of a true Love to God and concern for his Glory are but too plainly at the bottom of such an unexcusable Negligence I shall not therefore need to insist any further on this Proposition but proceed to the II. That 't is the indispensible Duty of Good Men with united Councils and with the utmost Zeal and Prudence to oppose Vice and Wickedness Which Point may be divided into three Parts 1. That Good Men ought to oppose Vice and Wickedness 2. That they should do this with united Councils and Endeavours And That 3. With the utmost Zeal and Prudence that a Matter of so high an Importance needs and deserves In speaking to the first of these Heads I shall first enquire into the strong Obligations Men are under to the performance of this Duty and then prove that 't is their true Interest to answer those Obligations And one would think there should be but little need to insist on the former of these Heads to any who remember their Baptism for by their Renouncing the World the Flesh and the Devil they have actually entred into a War against them they have listed themselves under the Banner of the Cross and have taken a virtual Oath to be Christs faithful Servants and Soldiers to their Lives end Now we cannot make this War Defensive only without great Disadvantage nor will it be policy to expect it at home but rather to carry it into the Enemy's Country where we may expect if not wholly to put an end to it yet at least more successfully engage against it Daring and open Wickedness is a plain Contradiction to the Almighty and High-Treason against the Majesty of Heaven against him who is a great God and a great King above all Gods and are not all his Liege Subjects under the deepest Obligations to oppose it for that reason to hate that which his Soul
Confusion but still Satan will not fight against Satan and all his Subjects unite themselves against the Lord and against his Christ to break their bonds in sunder and cast away their cords from them Now in opposition to those infernal Legions did our blessed Lord institute his Church being a regulated Society of Men by their very Nature and Constitution most firmly united together and obliged to love one another by virtue of which mystical and indissolvable Union aâ— well with Christ their Head as with alâ— their Fellow-Members sealed and confirmed in the Holy Sacraments they obtain that Strength and Stability that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against them And indeed were all the outward Members of the visible Church but real Members likewise of that which is internal spiritual and invisible in short did all who bear the name of Christ walk worthy of their Holy Profession there would be no need of Discipline nor of any such subordinate Union as I am now recommending in any Christian Common-wealth any more than there would be need of Laws and Sanctions annexed unto them in the Civil Government did all Men regulate themselves by the true Law of Nature and Principles of right Reason but since none can be so sanguine as to expect such a happy state of things it lies upon Good Men to do what they can and to use all those prudent Methods which are in their power to make the World a little better to unite their Hands and their Hearts in some measure at least to repress notorious Vice and punish Gods Dishonour It 's almost incredible to say what happy Effects we shoud soon see from such a close and firm Conjunction of all good Men in the prosecution of these desirable Ends. Very considerable things have by Gods Blessing been already done by some few who have devoted themselves to the Service of God and their Country on this occasion who have born the Burden and Heat of the day and entred themselves into Societies for the Reformation of Manners both in this and our neighbouring Nation of Ireland And may God increase their Number as he will certainly reward their Labour There 's a great Door opend and no other can be expected but that they shou'd still meet with many Adversaries There 's yet but too much Employment for more Hands and 't wou'd be the Honour as well as the Interest of all good Men to joyn with them in this Undertaking nay of the greatest Prince on Earth to own his Cause from whom he receives his Crown that by mature and united Councils mutual assistance more earnest application and greater numbers they might successfully prosecute what is so well began and what can scarcely be accomplished by any other methods III. I come now in the third place to the manner how we are to set about this great Duty It ought certainly to be managed with the greatest Zeal and the greatest Prudence 1. With Zeal For since 't is good to be Zealously affected in every Good matter much more is it so in this which has so immediate an Influence on so many great and momentous Ends. Zeal in moral Affairs seems to have much the same surprising Effects which Motion has in Physical and Mechanical it produces what seem'd at first impossible it gives a new Mould and Turn to every Action it sets on work all the secret Springs and Powers of the Mind and makes them act with such a Force and Vigour as is almost irresistible God and Man hate a lukewarm Temper which has often created greater Obstructions to good Designs than the most open Opposition against them Who will rise up with me who will stand up for me against the workers of Iniquity Who has Courage and Constancy and Bravery equal to so glorious an Underatking As that Zeal is Madness which pushes a Man on to illegal and indefensible Actions whatever be the motive of his engaging in them so that Wisdom is Folly which hinders a Man from doing his Duty and vindicating Gods Honour But still we must take care that our Zeal be temper'd with Prudence and if ever we are to be wise as Serpents we are certainly to be so in these Matters wherein we are sure to have the old Serpent himself our sworn and inveterate Enemy He may bruise the Heel of the Seed of the Woman of the Members as well as of Christ their Head by Backbiting and Reproaches and by all the Calumnies that Hell can invent or its Emissaries utter What need then have all those good Men who engage in this honourable and weighty Affair of stemming the Tide of Vice amongst us what need have they to be always upon their Guard and to take care of their Steps since there are so many who watch for their Halting To act by the most prudent and advisable Methods to be zealous without being passionate which perhaps is one of the most difficult things in the World To give no just Offence to any to prepare themselves against the doubtful Combat to expect to be hated and slander'd by bad Men as was their Master before them and for the same Reason too because they testifie against them that their deeds are evil to be sober and vigilant to avoid what is scandalous as well as what is sinful and so on the contrary By no means to forget themselves their own Persons or their own Families while they are so busie in reforming others and to suffer no Beam or so much as a Mote in their own Eye while they are endeavouring to clear their Brothers Eye which could not fail of having an happy influence on their own Minds as their instructive Examples would on those of others and be one of those natural and inseparable Rewards which even in this Life attend Virtue and Goodness and which in some sort may seem to antedate an happy Eternity I proceed to draw some practical Inferences from what has been said Use 1. And the first may be to Reprove those who are so far from opposing Vice and Wickedness that they rather encourage it and support as it well as discourage others who are engag'd against it so far from rising up against Evil-doers that they rise up together with them and 't is to be fear'd that too many will come under this Reproof who think themselves wholly innocent such are those who any ways countenance wicked Men in their lewd Practices and infamous Behaviours who chuse the Company of ill Men and therefore seem to stand in the way of Sinners and are in great danger of sitting in the seat of the scorner tho they cannot be ignorant who has said That he who walks with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fools shall be destroy'd not that all Correspondence with Ill Men is forbidden as to the necessary Offices of Civil or Private Life for then as the Apostle says must we go out of the World but I speak of a voluntary Intimacy a
recommends to his Disciples and then they cannot err in this matter Humility is certainly a great part of Prudence and a noble Christian Virtue tho hardly ever known or mentioned in the Ethics of the Heathens and is highly necessary to those who are engaged in this Work For 't is not easie to be singular without a too great Opinion of our selves and being embittered and soured by the Censures of others as well as by their refusal to assist us in what we know to be a necessary and an honourable Undertaking c. those must have a great Command indeed of their own Minds who never felt any risings in them on such Provocations However thus much is sure that Modesty and Meekness did never yet hurt a good Cause and are so far from that meanness and demission of Mind which betray whatever they undertake that after all they are Arguments of the clearest Courage and Magnanimity To close this Head let us always remember that we are not to rise up tumultuously even against Evil-Doers but in an orderly and legal way Those that strive must strive lawfully in this as well as in all other parts of our Christian Warfare and prudently too and therefore with united Councils and Endeavours Which will be no prejudice but rather an advantage to their Zeal when it has so stable and so rational a Foundation And what further Encouragement can we desire to set us about this necessary tho invidious Employment with the utmost Zeal and Courage than those we already have What stronger Arguments to persuade us to fix our selves as Iron Pillars and Brazen Walls against the Workers of Iniquity To set our united Breasts against the Stream of Profaneness and Wickedness which if we did it must of necessity give way since Vice cannot act upon any settled Principles but is at the bottom cowardly and unstable Is it number that we want to encourage us Why we have a thousand on our side even in the Breast of every Ill man whom we bring to just Punishment We have now blessed be God the glorious Encouragement of Superiours that the Sword of Iustice shall no longer lye rusting and idle but be drawn and furbished up for the Battle and glitter against the Faces of Gods and our Countrey 's Enemies We may hope for the concurrence of most good Men upon Earth when they are satisfied of the sincerity of our Intentions and tâ—â— Prudence of our Behaviour Nay of aâ—â— the Heavenly Host above all the Hoâ—â— Angels of God who if they rejoice â—â— the Conversion of one Sinner cannot bâ— unconcern'd in any thing that looks tâ—wards a more publick and general Refoâ—mation But alas after all this what reasoâ— has every one who has any real Concerâ— for God and his Country to cry out witâ— the Father of old To what dregs of tiâ—â— are we reserved when Men may almoâ—â— print or speak what Blasphemies they pleasâ— with Impunity and even with Triumph when too many of the inordinate Magistrates will not act nor the People generally assist them in the Punishment of Evil-Doers when it shall be reckoned patt of good Breeding or at least an Argument of Wit and Spirit to ridicule alâ— that 's scared and to profane the glorious and fearful Name The Lord our God and yet the rudest the busiest and the most clownish thing in the World to reprove to detect and punish such notorious Offenders tho by the most legal prudent and advisable Methods But there 's still one Comfort to those who do so and that is that God sees not as man sees that he is the God of Iudgment and by him Actions are weighed not in the unequal Scales of Prejudice and Partiality but by the unerring Standard of his own Immutable Iustice. And shall then a wretched Mortal a Worm of the same Dust and Clay with our selves and which must soon be reduc'd unto the same Dust again shall such a one presume to affront my Father my Patron my Friend my Benefactor my Saviour and I want Courage or Honesty to oppose him to detect him and to bring him to that Shame and Punishment he so highly merits Is this our kindness to our Friend or should we ever believe any Person to be ours who so basely deserted us Whom are we afraid of that we forget the Lord our Maker Let all the Potsherds of the Earth fall down together and humble themselves before the King the Lord of Hosts and let him alone be exalted whose Glory is above the Heavens and who shakes the Earth at his Displeasure The Mountains and the Hills shall flee away before him and the Thunder of his Power who can bear If we find our selves not yet warm'd or concern'd for any of these things or at least unstable double-minded and wavering in our Duty there 's one Method still remaining which will scarce fail to give a true and lasting bent to our Minds and throughly engage us in this matter and that is the entire Dedication of our selves to God without exception and without reserve especially and more solemnly at the Blessed Sacrament as often as the happy occasion is offer'd and then let us see whether we shall fear the World or whether that can ever hurt us Let us make Gods Glory the principal motive and end of all our Actions actually advest unto it and habitually regard it let us love God with all our Hearts and then we shall never endure to hear his Holy Name profan'd without a just and a tender Resentment Let us read often the Lives of the Martyrs and see what they suffer'd for his sake who loved them and washed them from their Sins in his own Blood Heb. 11. They were stoned were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the Sword they endured Tryals of cruel mockings and Scourgings and Bonds and Imprisonments and the most infamous and painful Deaths not accepting Deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection a new and happier State of things in a better World They endured all this in opposition to all the World for his sake whom they lov'd and who they knew did then see them and would unspeakably reward them Here was the Faith and Patience of the Saints Here were Christians indeed and not in empty Name and outward Profession only These trampled the World subdued the Flesh and conquered the Devil following the great Captain of their Salvation as he himself led the way with Crimson Banners and Garments roll'd in Blood and shall we pretend to follow them as they did him and pray for Grace to do so and yet be afraid of a few hard words or Frowns from Fellow-Creatures be unwilling at the expence of a little Reputation amongst mistaken or ill men to rescue the Honour of God and of Religion and vindicate the Laws and Glory of our Nation and of common Christianity Which is in truth the proper and immediate Office of the Magistrate and all others must rise up against
good Men against the Workers of Iniquity I shall turn it chiefly to those who are already concern'd in any Societies for the Reformation of Manners or in the Religious Societies You expect not my Brethren any Flattering Titles nor dare I give any lest my Maker should take me away But Truth must be spoken and all due Encouragement ought to be given to such glorious Undertakings You are engag'd in the best of Works the preventing Gods Dishonour the promoting his Glory and your Countrey 's Happiness you have not rested satisfied with a monastick Piety or Virtue with being Good your selves and then letting the World run which way it pleas'd but have endeavour'd to better others as well as your selves Go on in the Name of God to fight the good Fight and finish your Course for you know what is laid up for you let not go your Hope and Confidence in your great Lord and Master Believe be assur'd that if you act sincerely and regularly in this Affair he will accept and reward you Never look back now you have once put your Hand to the Plough Since you are so well assur'd the Work is of God and it does and will prosper tho how much and how long must be left to him who is the wise disposer of all things Who can tell what Mercies what undeserved Mercies God may yet have in store for a most Sinful Ungrateful Nation For he has mercy on whom he will have mercy This we are sure that none shall miss of his Favour who perform those Conditions on which it is offer'd In the mean time suffer a little my Brethren the Word of Exhortation remember the Eyes of God Men and Angels are upon you be sober be vigilant and forget not who is your Adversary frequently remember what spirit you ought to be of that of the Gospel of Christ of the meek and lowly Followers of Jesus Avoid as a pest the saying to your Brother like the proud Hypocrites of old Depart from me I am Holier than thou Forbid none from casting out Devils because he follows not with you Have a care of calling for Fire from Heaven upon those who do not receive you a weakness whereof two of Christs best Disciples were guilty Be careful and watchful and humble and all Earth and Hell can never hurt you Praise the Lord of Life and Glory if he has toucht your Minds with a true sense of your Sins and given you rational grounds to believe they are pardoned for the sake of his dear Son our Lord on your hearty and habitual Repentance Endeavour more and more to pull others out of the Fire Think not a private Admonition is sufficient in the case of open and Scandalous Offences any more than it would excuse you in the concealment of a Traytor or any other notorious Offender Be willing be thankful to be accounted the Filth and Off-scouring of the World the Disturbers of the publick Peace by those who themselves notoriously break it and such as turn the World upside down as you know who were called before ye Think much of Heaven Forget not Death Be constant at Sacraments in Prayer Publick Domestick and Private never neglecting the latter never when you can with any convenience be present at it the former Neglect not to Sing the High Praises of God Remember the Poor especially Gods Poor Pity the Afflicted especially our dear Brethren who now suffer for the Word of God and the Testimony of Iesus Bless God servently tho you can never do it sufficiently for that Peace and Liberty which our Nation now enjoys and for the publick Discouragement of open and publick Wickedness and be ready to make more vigorous Attacks than ever against it now there 's so great Encouragement for it and so fair an opportunity is offered Follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes who came into the World for this very purpose that he might destroy the Works of the Devil conquer the Kingdom of Satan and establish the Kingdom of God in the Hearts of Men which consists not in Meats and Drinks in little distinctions and particularities but in Righteousness and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost Follow him in meekness patience and humility bearing the Cross as he himself did before us who when he was revil'd revil'd not again when he suffer'd threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth Righteously and for the Ioy that was set before him endured the Cross despis'd the Shame and is now sat down at the Right Hand of the Majesty on High To conclude all Let every serious Christian who has that Integrity and Uprightness of Heart which the Psalmist here mentions now consider more earnestly than ever how eminently such Designs as these would tend to the exercising and consequently the improving and increasing of many Graces or Holy Habits of his Prudence and Patience and Couroge and Zeal and Meekness and contempt of the World and Integrity and Humility and yet further what great Rewards will he receive for his Faithfulness to God even in this World supposing the worst that he should suffer in his Estate or Good Name by the Discharge of his Duty O the Peace the Ioy the Triumph the exultation of mind which a good Man possesses when he reflects on any Sufferings he undergoes for the sake of God and for the Cause of despised Religion and Vertue How light are these Afflictions unto him which others would be ready to sink under and how little does he think they deserve that Name when they work out for him such an exceeding and etenral weight of Glory He believes he knows this from certain and infallible Causes he knows in whom he has believed he bids the World do its worst he has a Reserve beyond it his Treasure is not in it he aspires to that better World where he knows who will meet him when this painful Life is ended receive him into everlasting Habitations and say unto him Well done good and faithful Servant enter thou into the Ioy of thy Lord. FINIS ADVERTISEMENT THE Life of our Blessed Lorâ— and Saviour Jesus Christ. Aâ— Heroic Poem Dedicated to Hâ—â— most Sacred Majesty In Ten Books Attempted by Samuel Wesley M. A. Chaplain to the most Honourablâ— Iohn Lord Marquess of Normanby and Rector of Epworth in the County of Lincoln Each Book illustrateâ— by necessary Notes explaining alâ— the more difficult Matters in thâ— whole History also a Prefaratory Discourse concerning Heroic Poetry The Second Edition revis'd by thâ— Author and improv'd with the Addition of a large Map of the Holy Land and a Table of the Principal Matters With Sixty Copper Plates by the celebrated Hand of W. Faithorn Printed by Benj. Motte for Charleâ— Harper at the Flower-de-Luce over against St. Dunstans Church in Fleet-Street 1697.