Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A45490
|
A sermon preach'd at the Church of St. Mary le Bow, to the Societies for Reformation of Manners, December 26, 1698 by John Hancock ...
|
Hancocke, John, d. 1728.
|
1699
(1699)
|
Wing H642; ESTC R21383
|
12,830
|
50
|
that make a practice of carousing in Taverns or Ale-houses when they should be at Church should be liable to some severe Penalties if they do not give in Information It were to be wish'd some such Course could be taken that a Pious and Sober Man might come in Company walk the Streets and go about his Business without hearing God and Religion so impudently affronted as usually they are But alas how shall this be done What single Man dares undertake so hard a Task or make any attempt towards a Reformation When the Offenders are so many the work of reforming like to meet with the spight and obloquy of the Bad the Censure of some of the better fort and the Approbation and Incouragement of so very few when there is so general a Slackness in the Magistrates and such Insensibility in the People as to the Work of Reformation what shall we think of it This Work or Trade of Reformation pardon me if I call it so though 't will be no gainful one to them that take it up is so new and out of the common Road 't is like to meet with so much opposition from the Devil's Factors and requires so great a stock of Zeal and Christian Courage and Resolution that 't is never like to thrive in a few single Hands If ever it be carried oâ— to purpose it must be by a Company What I have already said abundantly justifies the Pious Zeal of those in and about this City that have thought of this Expedient and are in several Societies combined together for the carrying on of so good a Work We hope this has and will at least in some measure strike a damp on the daring Impiety of the Times The good Example of those who have already begun this Work may not only incourage others to joyn in it but may in time spread it self throughout the Nation And 't is to be hoped the good Effects of such Religious Combinations as these will recommend them in a little time even to those who have been a little jealous of what might be the Consequence of them It is apparent enough there is great need of this or some such Expedient to give check to the growth of Debauchery among us If I be not much mistaken there is a sort of Men that are not only resolved to give themselves up to all manner of Wickedness but make it their Business to proselite all they can to their Irreligion and to make all they converse with as Bad as themselves I have been told there are some Clubs in this City where the very profest Design of their Meeting is by obscene Discourse and other ways to promote Lewdness and Debauchery These if it be true are Devilish Combinations indeed and 't is high time for those that have a true Zeal for God and for Religion to joyn their Hearts and Hands to break these Bonds of Wickedness Give me leave before I conclude to give a word of Advice to those of you that are entered into any such Society for Reformation and it shall be briefly this 1. That you would be very careful how you live your selves The World will have their Eye upon you And there will be those that will watch for your halting How much would it dishonour God disparage your selves and hinder that good Work you go about if any of you that pretend to reform others should at any time be guilty of the same Crimes or as bad your selves 2. That you would joyn Prudence with your Zeal Perhaps some would think it more prudent to let the whole Work alone but this I hope you do not think is my meaning But that you take care to go no further than the Law will back you and that you would manage every circumstance of your Proceedings with as much Caution and Discretion as is consistent with the doing of the Work you go about 3. That you be Impartial in this Business as to Persons and Parties and that in your whole procedure you make it appear as far as may be that it is not Interest or Faction or private Grudges and Resentments by which you are acted but by a true and disorder Zeal for God for Religion and the Good of your Country yea and even of the Offenders themselves 4. When you have done this that you would be Humble and Modest and not presently think too highly of your selves nor despise others so they live well as Men of no Religion because they are not come up to your pitch or do not shew their Zeal for Religion in the same way with your selves nay tho' they should seem a little jealous of your Societies but be content that time should shew as I hope it will the Uprightness of your Intentions and the Wisdom of your Undertakings While you observe these and the like Cautions that your Christian Prudence may dictate to you go on in the Name and Strength of God and be not discouraged by all the Difficulties you are like to meet in your way to Reformation The Honour of God and the Good of Men the promoting of Religion and the Safety of your Country Things so nearly concern'd in this Work of Publick Reformation are such Great and Glorious Things as will make an ample amends for all the Expence of Cost or Pains you can be at in the pursuit of it and for all the Reproach and Obloquy you can meet with for it And such you must expect to meet with and therefore should make account of it and prepare for it and not over-much value what Men may say of you Some perhaps will call you busie-bodies others will tell you 't is a mean and disparaging Thing to turn Informers a third sort will think you surly and ill-natur'd Men. These and the like truly ill-natur'd Imputations you must expect to meet with and prepare your selves to bear But while you are conscious to your selves that what you do is not out of any delight in the Sufferings of other Men nor with an Eye to any by and base Interest of your own but out of pure Zeal for God and Vertue and Charity to Men and out of a due sence of the odiousness and danger of those horrid Impieties that reign among us the Conscience of this your Sincerity will bear you up under the obloquy and opposition of any that shall appear against you and you will even rejoyce as we read the Apostles did if you should suffer Shame for the Name of God and the sake of Religion If you go on couragiously in this Work 't is to be hoped it may be a good step to a General Reformation Or if the Wickedness of the Age be grown too big for that it may abate the Impudence of Sin and drive the Works of Darkness where if any where they ought to be into private corners that Wickedness may not any longer as it has too long done ride triumphant through our Streets And this will prevent a great deal of the Scandal of it and be a guard and security to that little Religion that is yet left among us Or if this cannot be done it will be a publick Testimony against the Wickedness of the Age and we hope may in part appease the Wrath of God and for some longer time prevent his heavy Judgments upon the Nation Or if the Decree be gone out against us and the Case be with us as it was with Judah that the Reformation attempted in the Reign of Josiah could not avert the Destruction doom'd against them for their former Wickedness Yet it may be hoped those that have so vigorously appear'd for God and Religion may deliver their own Souls by their Righteousness Or if such an overflowing Scourge must pass through the Land as will involve the best in the common Ruin those that have first reform'd themselves and done what they could in their several Stations to reform others too will have the Comfort of it in the Day of Visitation Such Good Men will have an inward Calm and Serenity amidst the greatest outward Troubles here and their Pious Zeal will meet with an abundant Recompence in the World to come from that God in whose Cause they have appeared To Him be all Honour and Glory now and for evermore Amen FINIS
Reformation therefore lies in a manner at our own doors Two Things therefore are requisite in this Case 1. That those that have any Power or Authority should Conscientiously use it to the Countenancing of Religion and to the Punishment of Vice and Profaneness 2. That all of us in our several Stations and according to our Opportunities and Abilities should concur with them and put our Hands to this good Work Under the First Head I must reckon Parents in the Family and Inferiour Magistrates in the Commonwealth As to Parents I cannot forbear to say I am apt to believe that their Neglect in the Education of their Children is one at least of the most universal Causes of that Impiety that reigns among us This as some Physicians speak of the Natural Body is that Error in the first concoction that is not to be throughly amended in the second When Families that are the Elements of the Body Politick are so much neglected and so far corrupted the Constitution of it must needs be very crazy And on the contrary did Parents take that Care they ought to give their Children a timely sence of Religion of their Duty to God and Man and bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord the work of the Civil Magistrate would be in a great measure done to his Hand and we should need fewer Laws and less Courage and Resolution in the execution of them 2. I will make bold to speak a word to those that are subordinate Magistrates in the State That they would with Zeal and Vigour put those good Laws we have in execution against the scandalous Vices of the Age. That they would take all Occasions and lay hold on Opportunities to stop the Growth of Impiety and Irreligion At least that if they think it not incumbent on themselves to seek for Informations they would readily and chearfully receive them and not discourage those whose Pious Zeal prompts them to be Instrumental to bring Enormous Offenders to Punishment And that they would take care to live such innocent and inoffensive Lives themselves that they may set a good Face upon the Punishment of Offenders But I will not insist too long on this I shall only very briefly remind them how much the Honour of God and of the Government is concerned in this matter That they are under the Oath of God That the execution and by consequence the good effect of those wholsome Laws we have against Profaneness lyes in a manner wholly in their Hands and the miscarriage will in a great measure lye at their Doors That they have an Opportunity of doing an act of the greatest Charity to the Publick nay and as it may happen to the Offenders themselves And lastly the immortal Honour that will accrue to themselves If they signalize themselves by their Zeal in this good Work not only this but the next Generation may rise up and call them blessed 2. It is the Duty of every one of us in our several Stations to put our helping Hand to this good Work And that we may be the better induced to do this in good earnest let us be deeply sensible of the Sins of the Times Let us often think how sad the consequence will be of such a general defection from the Duties of Religion Let us be heartily sorry we can do no more toward the Work of Reformation 'T was not below David though a King even to weep for the Wickedness of other Men. If we have any sence of Piety to God we cannot but be heartily concern'd at his Dishonour If we have any Charity for Men it cannot but grieve us to see them running so fast in the ready way to Ruine and Destruction If we have any concern for the Publick we must needs be apprehensive of the Danger we are in to be overwhelm'd by these Floods of Ungodliness If we could do nothing else yet we should at least secretly bewail the Impieties of the Times we live in But this inward sence will naturally prompt us to do our best not only to stem the tide of Sin our selves but to turn it towards a Reformation 1. Then let us make a free open publick and avowed Profession of the Truths and Rules of our Religion We need not be ashamed of the Gospel of Christ while we are sure it is the Power of God unto Salvation While we have both the Law of God and Man to justifie us why should not we be as bold for Religion as the most profest and impudent Sinner can be against it How indecent is it while Sin puts on a Whores Forehead that Religion should creep into a Corner Mistake me not I am not now perswading you to pretend to more than you have to make an Hypocritical and Pharisaical Pretence to Piety but only that you would openly avow the Obligations that lye upon you to an Holy Life And therefore 2. Be sure your Practice keep pace with your Profession and that you really be what you pretend to be Good Christians and make this appear before the World in the whole tenour of your Conversation Our Blessed Saviour who blames the Pharisees that they did all their Works to be seen of Men and 't was no better than Hypocrisie while their whole Design was the Praise of Men yet in another place bids us Let our Light so shine before Men that they may see our good Works and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven That is be so strictly Holy that the World cannot chuse but take Notice of it tho' for any value we set upon the Praise of Men we may not care much whether they do or no. We see Examples have a mighty Power and Influence upon the Lives of Men. They are apt to follow a Multitude though it be to do Evil. O that we could once see it as Fashionable to be Vertuous and Religious as it has too long been to be Loose and Vicious or at least Negligent and Lukewarm Let us do God and Religion and our selves the Honour if I may so speak to begin the Mode and do our best to bring Religion into Fashion And who can tell how far some considerable number of Religious Examples shining as Lights in the midst of this crooked and perverse Generation might enlighten the World And though there might some Hypocrisie creep in yet methinks that is much to be preferred before open Profaneness and 't were better that God and Religion should be though it were but seemingly honour'd by some Pretenders to Religion than openly affronted by Profane and Loose Men. Let us then by an open and avowed Profession and Practice of a substantial and unaffected Piety declare against the Wickedness of the Age and by our Examples at least lead the way to a Reformation 3. Let us by our Advice Admonition and Reproof do what we can to reform others too 'T is pity this is so much disused that it is almost counted a piece of Rudeness to