be remedied The Apostle answers If any obey not the word they may be won by the conversation of the wives but the question is what Conversation will reach that end He answers again While they behold your chast conversation coupled with fear Are there any of you who have a Neighbour a Relation a Friend that is as your own soul for whose Conversion you have longed prayed mourned and added Counsel Entreaties to your Prayers and Tears add a holy humble consciencious Conversation keeping your Consciences void of offence toward God and Men and despair not of success 5. Reason There 's nothing more Provokes the wrath of God than to throw Dirt in the Face of the Gospel and the next Provocation is not to wipe that off which others have thrown upon it Which way God will vindicate his insulted Honour which way he will Avenge himself upon a careless or loose or indifferent Generation of Professors I cannot foretel whether he will take the Sword into his provoked Hand or give a Commission to Fire Plague or other Judgment to avenge the Quarrel of his Gospel but certain it is he will do it Levit. xxvi 25 26. I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenantâ—… and when you are gathered together in your Cities I will send the pestilence amongst you and ye shall be delivered into the hands of your enemies and when I have broken the staff of your bread c. We have notoriously assronted the Gospel of our God and Saviour either by unmerciful Persecution or an unsuitable Conversation this Gospel has just cause of Quarrel against us God takes the Quarrel of his despised Truths Precepts Promises Ordinances into his own Hands he will avenge it He has already sent us a Challenge nay he has drawn blood on us but yet his patience waits and strives with us and calls to us to take up the Controversie what shall we do Either we must fight it out and carry on a vigorous War against Heaven or entertain O that we would entertain better wiser Counsels and Agree with our Adversary quickly whilst we are in the way with him and he in the way with us lest I tremble to mention what follows Let us then Repent and turn to the Lord with our whole Heart let us Reform our Persons Families our Lives peradventure the Lord may be nay certainly the Lord will be reconciled to us and have Mercy upon us § 5. The Improvement of the Point only remains and till we have done that we have done nothing but here we are usually under some mistake we think it is only the Preachers work to make Application when it 's the proper Duty of All to apply it All he can do is to Direct how it may how it must be appplied by all that hear it This Truth must be applied and improved two ways by way of Humiliation and Exhortation I. Improvement by way of Humiliation ARE we then throughly convinced that it ought to be the cautious care of all that Profess the Gospel to Adorn the Doctrine of it in all things Let us then be humbled Let us take up a bitter Lamentation over this bleeding gasping and if Grace prevent not this dying Gospel It has fared amongst us just as the poor Man Luke x. 30. Who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves they strip him wound him and leave him half dead but who could expect better quarter from bloody Thieves In this dying and desperate state there comes by a Priest he sees him but his Eyes did not affect his Heart but passes by A Levite next he bestows a careless look upon him but passes by on the other side Might not better things have been expected from the Priests and Levites Well! In the agony and pangs of Death comes by a Samaritan one abhorred both by Priest and Levite one that they damned for a wretched Schismatick but yet he had Bowels of Compassion for the expiring Man he binds up his Wounds and takes care for his Cure The Doctrine the Gospel of God our Saviour lies here a bleeding a dying 'T is in vain to inquire who has been the Assassin who has committed the Massacre For all will remove the guilt from themselves though all be guilty in the mean time Religion bleeds on and is ready to give up the Ghost Now it 's usual when a Person is found sore wounded in the Streets to ask who wounded him At least to describe them by such Characters that they may be pursued seized and brought to Condign Punishment But have we Courage enough Conscience enough to ask wounded Religion this question How readily would it answer though with the Accents of a languishing Voice It was you all and every one of you that are guilty and our own Consciences will accuse and convict us that we are the Men When our Saviour Matth. xxvi 21 22. Had told his Apostles that one of them should betray him They were exceeding sorrowful and began to say one by one Lord is it I Lord is it I He that knows his own deceitful Heart and the Corruption that lies dormant there will find Reason to suspect that a Temptation may awaken it to deny his Lord nay to betray and sell his Lord and Saviour Peter and James and John suspected themselves as much as Judas and none of us but have cause to say Lord was it I I that denyed thy Truth I that blemished thy Gospel And if so O let us mourn and mourn bitterly over him whom we have pierced as one that mourneth for an only Son Zech. xii 10. It was a cutting word that would have wounded the Heart of any but an Obdurate Judas Judas betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss Do we pretend to Kiss him and yet basely betray him The smiling Face aggravates the Rancour of the false Heart This was the baseness of Joab that he saluted Aâ—…ner and stabbed him do we Complement Christ and Stab him The Gospel may say to us in the language of that Prophetick Scheme Zech. xiii 6. The Qucstion was asked What are those wounds in thy hands Religion will answer Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends This is that which wounds deeper than the Swords the Nails the Spear the Thorns that wounded Christ He has been wounded in the House of his Friends Let not our deceitful Hearts think to evade the charge by saying Lord when did I Buffet thee or Spit upon thee It was the Soldiers When did I Crown thee with Thorns or put a Reed into thy Hands Or nail thee to the Cross or pierce thy side with a Spear It was the Jews that Accused thee Pilate that Condemn'd thee the Souldier that Pierced thee Nay but it was thou even thou who pretending to submit to my Scepter didst make it at pleasure but a broken Reed It was thou that didst profess much love with thy Lips and yet
imagine we shall leap at once from a Life of murmuring and repining here to a State of Praising and Glorifying God for ever We cannot doubt but such a Life as this would put a New Face upon the Christian Religion and convince the most obstinate that we suppose Everlasting Life and Glory to be the most Real Certain and Excellent Thing when we can live at the Holy Heavenly and Chearful Rate which supposes it to be all these That we do firmly believe that whatever are the inconveniencies of our Pilgrimage a Portion in Heaven will answer them and repay us And that therefore we look upon our selves as dwelling in Tents and Tabernacles without any fixed City here below as those Holy Patriarchs once did Heb. xi 9. and dare not drive our Stakes too deep into the Earth because we look long and pray every Day to be called away home to our own Countrey 3. Let us study and follow after the things that make for Peace our God is the God of Peace our Redeemer the Prince of Peace the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of Peace the Gospel is a Doctrine of Peace which reveal'd peace on earth and good will towards men Luk. ii 14. But to our shame and the shame of our Profession we have represented it as a Civil War We say we own one God one Lord Jesus Christ one holy Spirit and one hope of salvation why then do we not keep the unity of spirit in the bond of peace Ephes. iv 3 4 5. Peace is that which every one will commend but very few will entertain If we regard the Orations of Men one would think it the most precious and desirable thing in the World but if we observe their Divisions one would conclude it the most Pernicious and Dangerous All Differences in Opinion do not infer a Difference in Religion nor all Local Separation a Schism but when the smallest Differences are managed by proud and froward Spirits and they influenced by secular Interests it 's a wonder to see what Flames a little Spark kindles The sum is this Perhaps we cannot syncretize in the Minutes of Religion nor express the finer Stroaks of Uniformity in our Sentiments yet let us Religiously keep up a Spirit of Love to Peace and Truth Christ has declared Love to be the Livery of his Disciples by which they are known to be His Joh. xiii 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another As it was the Livery he enjoyn'd them whilst living so was it his Legacy bequeath'd to them when dying John xiv 27. Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you 4. Let us all most fervently cry unto God that his Holy Spirit may be poured out upon the Professors of Religion and that it may accompany the Preaching of the Gospel then will the Doctrine of God our Saviour shine gloriously when the Spirit shall be its Light then will it Conquer and Triumph when the Spirit shall second it with his Might This is that which subdues the Pride the Passions the unruly Lusts of Men and brings down whatever exalts it self against the Truth in subjection to God This influence attending the Word shall make Persecutors become Preachers Scoffers of Religion become Admirers of what they have Scorned and Blasphemers to justify that Name which they have Reproached this will give the Doctrine of the Gospel a Throne in their Hearts who have trampled it under their sordid Feet And this St. Paul well understood when he so earnestly entreats the Churches Prayers 2 Thess. iii. 1. Brethren pray for us that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified When the Light shall scatter the Darkness that like a thick Cloud sits upon Mens Minds when the Power of it shall bear down that Opposition that rages in their Hearts when it shall break through all Impediments and make its way to the Conscience then will the Doctrine of our God and Saviour Adorn it self and not need any other Ornaments we can put upon it I profess my self unwilling to dismiss this Argument till it has had its proper Effects upon the Hearts and Consciences of the Readers but I must draw to a Conclusion which I will do with a few Considerations humbly praying that the Great Lord and Master of the Assemblies would drive every Nail to the Head and so fasten it in the Heart that the Power and Policy of the Devil may never draw it out 1. Consideration What great Reason have we to Adorn the Doctrine of our God and Saviour when we have been the Cause or given the Occasion to its Dishonour Juâ—…tice demands that we should heal it because we have wounded it I persuade my self that there are many under the Rebukes of their own Hearts that the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ has been evil spoken of through their irregular Conversations I hope too that many have repented and that God has pardon'd the Iniquity of their Sin but yet God will bear a Testimony against their careless and common Behaviour tho' he has pardon'd the Sin Thus he dealt with David 2 Sam xii 13 14. The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die Nevertheless because by this dâ—…ed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the Child that is born unto thee shall die In what way the Jealous God will bear Witness against the present Generation of Professors for the Scandals they have given I presume not to determine most certain it is he will not put up the Affront without Repentance and Reformation The safest Course for every one of us is to confess our Sins to take Shame to our selves to give Glory to God and not to blush at our Repentance when the only thing should make us blush is our Sins 2. Consideration Adorning the Gospel by a suitable Conversation will prove the best expedient to secure its Presence with us If we think it not worth the Adorning we may question whether God will think it worth his Continuing and Protecting 'T was disingenuous in Absalom to spurn his poor Sister out of doors when he had defiled her but the Justice of God will be manifest if he removes our Gospel which we have basely prostituted 'T is his own threatning to the Church of Ephâ—…sus Rev. ii 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of its place except thou repent A Father takes away the Childrens Bread when they crumble it in scorn upon the Ground and if he indulges them Candle to play yet will not allow them it to fight and quarrel Let us consult the Histories of Antient Times they will inform us that Religion was never rooted out by Persecution till it had been made cheap by the Profanation of Professors The Primitive Christians proved this Truth that Religion flourisht fairer and grew
it to Christ that he had kept all the commandmâ—…nts from his youth he began early continued long promised to persevere to the â—…nd I confess I suspect he either lyed against his Conscience or else had a very bad one and he had been more hopeful if from a sound Conviction he had bitterly cried out All these commandments I have broken from my youth But be it so Christ willing to try the truth of his Active by his Passive Obâ—…dience put him upon this Trial Go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven This was a pinching Word indeed The Neck-Verse for a Hypocrite Methinks I see his Courage cool his Countenance change and grow pale Amazement and Confusion in his Looks he turns about and goes away sorrowful sar he had great possessions Upon no lower Terms than these must wâ—… hope to Recover the Glory departed from our Profession Then when we can cast all at Christ's Feet resign all into his Hands and whether he gives or takes say with holy Job Job 1. 21. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. Let us therefore set before our Faith and imitate the Father of the faithful Gen. xxii who when called of God to offer up his Son his only Son his well-beloved Son the Son of the Promise and that in a way which seemed to Contravene the Law of Nature the positive Law of God yet disputed not delayed not but gave this clear Demonstration that he had nothing too Dear for his God 5. In all things Whether in a more narrow and private or in a more enlarged and publick capacity The Heavenly Orbs are of different Diameters yet they move regularly according to the Laws imposed upon them by their Creator The Stars are of differing Lustre and Glory and yet they shine and grudge not their influences to this lower ungrateful World which returns them nothing but Fogs and Mists to obscure their Light and Beauty God has placed us All in Spheres of different Circumferences how small soever they be let our Motion be Regular and Orderly he has filled us with various degrees Grace and Gifts let us lay out all faithfully There are various Talents with which our Soveraign Lord has intrusted us for kind for number 1 Cor. xii 11. Wrought by that one and the same spirit dividing to every one severally as he will If then our Talents be few let 's be faithful in the using diligent in the improving them the unprofitable servant Matth. xxv was not condemned because he had but one Talent but because he hid it in a Napkin He that has but a little spot of Ground may Cultivate it and shew that diligence in improving it that it may reward his Labour with a blessing Since I considered that passage in the History of Absalom 2 Sam. xv 4. O that I were made judg in the Land that every one that has any suit or cause might come unto me and I would do him justice It has taught me never to be ambitious of great things without more Grace to manage them but we are frank and liberal in our Promises to God to Men and to our selves The poor Man says O had I Riches how rich would I be in good Works The Illiterate says O that I were Learned what service would I do But let us Pray that we may have Grace to be useful and serviceable with what we have that whether in a narrow or more dilated Capacity we may Adorn the doctrine of our God and Saviour in all things 6 In all things In affirmative as well as negative Duties 'T is not enough that we Curse not God we must Bless him The Pharisee Luke xviii 11. had a Religion made up most of Negatives with a small sprinkling of lesser Duties and not without a mixture of Superstition God I thank thee I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican When the final Sentence shall pass upon every wicked Man it will proceed thus Matth. xxv 42. I was hungry and ye gave me no meat I was naked and ye cloathed me not I was sick and in prison and ye visited me not The Indictment will not be laid that they plucked the Bread out of the Disciples Mouths but that they did not feed them Nor did the Charge run that they stripp'd the Cloaths off the Saints Backs but that they did not Cloath them They are not Accused that they Cast them into Prison but that they relieved them not visited them not when there we have all cause to Pray with the holy Person Lord pardon my sins of Omission Negatives will never intitle us to that blessing of living many days and seeing much good We must join the Affirmative with them Psal. xxxiv 14. Depart from evil and do good 〈◊〉 In all things In all Companies whether holy or unholy The Apostle discharges the Corinthians 1 Cor. v. 9 10. from the Company of Fornicators And yet he seems to correct or limit the Prohibition yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or with Idolaters for in that Latitude the Command would not be practicable for then says he ye must needs go out of the world Either a Christian must retire wholly from all Business in the World or must quite remove his Station into the other World A godly Man then may possibly be cast amongst them though a prudent Man will not of Choice frequent them The holy Art and Skill is how he may Adorn the Gospel when he is inevitably thrown amongst them And it 's a good Rule that if we cannot make wicked Men ashamed of their wickedness yet should we neither be ashamed of nor a shame to Holiness if they will not go to Heaven with us let us not in complaisance go to Hell with them Though Prudence will advise us to be wise as serpents a good Conscience will oblige us to keep our selves innocent as Doves That our unseasonable Rashness may not expose us to the fury of Men nor our temporizing Compliance to the wrath of God David had studied this Case with great accuracy Psal. xxxix 1 2 3. I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me I was dumb with silence I held my peace even from good and my sorrow was stirred My heart waxed hot within me while I was musing the fire kindled then spake I with my tongue Here was a notable conflict in David's soul betwixt his Prudence and his Zeal while the wicked were before him Prudence advised Silence Zeal counselled Speech while the Case was desperate and no hope of doing good appeared Prudence prevailed he was silent but as soon as there appeared fair probability of doing more good than harm or rather some good and no harm then Zeal unlock'd his Lips and he spake with his tongue A modest
justifie your Faith before Men you will never be able to justifie your Religion and your Sincerity therein Never tell Men of your Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ unless you shew Repentance from dead Works they will not believe and this was St. Paul's Practice of Piety Acts xxiv 16. Herein do I exercise my self always to keep a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men But because this is that Convincing Point which must if ever recover the Credit of Religion let me be allowed to prescribe some more general Rules for the right and comely ordering of our Conversation § 1. Be very zealous in Gods cause meek and yielding in your own Be content to lie at the Footstool that the honour of God may have the Throne I recommend to you the great Example of our Blessed Saviour he was a Lamb in his own Cause a Lion in his Fathers He that could be Scourged and not open his Mouth could open it in Holy Indignation and Scourge the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple He submitted to be called Beelzebub Impostor and whatever opprobrious Terms a Rancorous Heart could voâ—…it upon him but in the Cause of his God and Father 〈◊〉 could Lighten and Thunder and flash Fire in the Face of the most obdurate Conscience Be ye therefore followers of Christ who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered threatned not but committed himself and his cause to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. ii 23. And again Not rendring evil for evil or railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing 1 Pet. iii. 9. § 2. Be strict and severe to your selves but very charitable towards others Concerning our brethren we have this Rule Rom. xiv 13. Let us not judge one another any more but concerning our selves we have this 1 Cor. xi 31. If we would judg our selves we should not be judged We are incompetent Judges of others because we know not upon what Principles our Brother may proceed we cannot take a just Measure of the Latitude of his Understanding by which he Governs himself there we ought to be sparing in our Censure but thou mayst know what is in thy own Heart and know more by thy self than either all the World knows by thee or thou knowest by all the World This has brought no little scandal upon Religion that the Professors of it have been sharp-sighted Abroad but blind at Home could see a Mote in their Brothers Eye and not the Beam in their own not duely considering that we who exact a few Pence from our Brother need the forgiveness of many Talents from our God Matth. xviii 24. § 3. Let us abridge our selves in the use of things which are in their own nature indifferent He that will go to the utmost length of his Tedder will easily break it It 's difficult to know where the lawful ends and the sinful begins He that will always go as far as he may go shall sometimes go further than he ought to go How much safer to keep an Ell within our limits than to go an Inch beyond Better do less than is lawful than what is sinful It 's an excellent Caution the Apostle prescribes Rom. xiv 16. Let not your good be evil spoken off The Glory of Christ the honour of our Holy Religion teach us to Retrench in what is merely lawful and still let us attend that Rule Rom. xiv 21. It 's good neither to eat flâ—…sh nor drink wine nor any thing whereby thy brâ—…ther stumbleth or is offendâ—…d or is made weak Three things thâ—… are included in this Canon 1. That we lay not a stumbling Block before our Brother to draw him into sin 2. That we provoke not his Passion to speak evil of the good ways of God 3. That we enfeeble not our Brother nor make him weak in his walking with God by an unseasonable use of our Christian Liberty 4. § Let your visible Righteousness towards Men be an inseparable Companion of your invisible righteousness before God With what Arguments will you persuade Men that you are Sincere and Upright in his sight if you cannot convince them that you are so in your Dealings with them So the Apostle Rom. xii 17. Provide things honest in the sight of all men I look upon that Man lost who has lost all regard to the judgment of others and doubly lost who has cast off all respect to the Judgment of his final Judg. § 5. Be Ambitious of a publick Spirit Express the Image of him who is Good and doth Good The Sun does not Monopolize his own Beams to his Disc or Orb but shines upon the Good and Bad. The Air incloseth not it self but lends breath in common to All. The Rain is not imprison'd in the Clouds but sheds fruitfulness on the Field of the Saint and Sinner the Ocean supplies the upper and the lower World with its Waters Let us then pray to be made partakers of the Promise given to Abraham Gen. xii 2. I will bless thee and make thee a Blessing Those little narrow Souls that make themselves their own Center and Circumference that dwell within their own Shell and bless themselves that All is well at home and never look abroad how it fares with the Oppressed Fatherless and Widow the Sick the Hungry and Naked that Consider not the Afflictions of Joseph are great Scandals to a Holy Religion not imitating the blessed Jesus who Act. x. 38. Went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil for God was with him Such was the Counsel of the Apostle Tit. iii. 8. This is a faithful saying and thâ—…se things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God be careful to maintain good works these things are good and profitable unto mâ—…n ver 14. And let curs also lâ—…rn to maintain good works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful § 6. Let the Holiness of the inner Man shine with a convincing Light into all the Actions of the outward Man True Holiness will diffuse it self into and through the external Carriage and Demeanour that a Man shall be forced to say God is there in that Soul of a Truth as the Pride the Wantonness of filthy ones steams and reeks through the Skin into their Apparel their Language their Converses so should so will the Humility the Meekness Modesty Chastity Heavenliness of Holy ones discover it self in their external Behaviour especially in Food and Raiment 1 Tim. ii 9 10. That women adorn themselves with modest apparel the Modesty and Chastity of the Heart will evidence it self in the Modesty and Chastity of Cloathing with shame-fac'dness and sobriety not with broidered hair or gold or pearls or costly array But which becometh women professing godliness with good works For thus saith St. Peter 1 Epist. iii. 4 5. Did the holy women of old time who trusted in
wast false to my Honour and Interest thou didst betray me Thou that didst call me Lord and Master and yet disobey my Commandments And if Christ and his Gospel finds no fairer Quarter from Friends what may he expect when he falls into the Hands of Thieves It was this which cut David to the heart to be so treacherously dealt with by a pretending Friend Psal. xli 9. Minâ—… own familiar friend in whom I trusted that did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me May not we take up the same heavy and doleful Complaint on the behalf of Religion They that have eaten her Bread and drank her Wine have kicked and spurned at her Hear the Psalmist again mournfully bewailing his Case Psal. lv 12 13 14. It was not an enemy that reproached me sor then I could have born it neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me then I would have hid my self from him But it was thou a man mine equal my guide my acquaintance We took sweet counsel together and walked to the house of God in company This was the cutting killing Stroke And this aggravates the Case of Religion in this dismal day Religion has been wounded betrayed reproached by pretended Friends when yet the Upright like that holy dying Woman 1 Sam. iv 22. know not how to out-live the departing glory but are willing to die with it It 's a matter of the greatest Difficulty to persuade us to Repent of our guiltiness in this Thing and before I can hope to prevail I must premise a few Particulars 1. Whatever Reproach the Professors of Religion draw upon their own Persons will certainly be fastned upon their Profession Now tho' this be an unjust Procedure to Reproach a Holy Truth because he that owns it holds it in Unrighteousness yet thus it will be in Fact the Crimes the Excesses of Men will reflect upon the Doctrine They that will Reproach Men for their Duties will much more revile them for their Iniquities and from thence take a welcome occasion to revile their Principles and Professions 2. Whatever Reproach falls upon Religion will reflect upon the Author of it even our Blessed Saviour himself And this should sway with all our Consciences to walk inoffensively to give no just Occasion to them that seek it and watch for it to blaspheme the Name of our God Hear how affectionately the Psalmist prays Psal. lxix 6. Let not them that wait on thee O Lord be ashamed for my sake let not them that wait on thee be confounded for my sake O Lord God of Israel And he had reason to be sensible that some Pious Souls might be justly offended at him and reproached for him when by his sin he had caused the Enemies of God to blaspheme 2 Sam. xii 14. But that I may more effectually Prosecute this Use in inviting you to Humiliation for and Lamentation over those Scandals which our Holy Religion has contracted upon our Account I will endeavour to lay before you these three things 1. I will shew what an Excellent Religion we have reproached 2. I will lay before you the great Zeal of the Primitive Christians to Adorn their Religion in those purest Times 3. I will further open how unworthily we have defiled it in ours § 1. Let me shew you what an Excellent Religion that is which we have thus shamefully Reproached Amongst the many Great and Glorious Excellencies of the Christian Religion as it stands described and recorded in the Scriptures of Truth this is one 1. It is a sound Doctrine 1 Tim. vi 3. wholesome words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are sound in themselves and make sound Tit. ii 1. Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All is sound all sincere nothing rotten 1. This Doctrine imbibed will make a sound Head not filling it with empty Notions aiery Speculations much less with rotten Matter which will breed Impostumes and break out into Ulcers but with such due Conceptions of God as will settle our Faith engage our Fear provoke our Love command our Obedience and in all secure the Souls everlasting Interest 2. It will make a sound Heart the Psalmist prays Psal. cxix 80. Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I may not be ashamed As the Truth received into the Head will keep us sound from Heterodoxy so the same Truth entertained in its Power into the Heart will secure it from Hypocrisy 3. It will make a sound Conscience for herein alone is that Doctrine of Peace and Reconciliation with God revealed through Christ whose Blood sprinkled on the conscience purges it from dead works to serve the living God Heb. ix 14. 4. It will produce a sound Conversation we may lay it down for a Rule that Religion which begins in Hypocrisy will end in Apostacy And there 's little difference whether we go in a True way with a false Heart or forsake that way through a false Heart a sound Heart is the great preservative against both Now here we have cause to mourn till we have exhausted the Springs of Tears and can weep no more Lamenting over the rotten Doctrines of our Days which have defied and defaced this Holy and Sound Doctrine the rotten Conversations that have shamed it and rendred it contemptible The Truth is we can neither bear our Remedy nor our Disease we are sick with our Food and sick with our Physick The Scripture gives us True Notions of God but Men are ignorant and too proud to be taught 1 Tim. vi 3. Proud knowing nothing This Doctrinâ—… would be a lamp to our feet but we shut our Eyes against it and a light to our paths but we will not use it nor admit it to be our Guide in the ways of Holiness 2. Another Excellency of the Gospel is that it 's a Doctrine according to Godliness 1 Tim. vi 3. And a Doctrine after Godliness Tit. i. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if the whole System of Divine Truth were squared and modelled by Godliness It 's not only true that Godliness must be tried and proved by this Doctrine but that the Doctrine is formed and fashioned by the Rule of Godliness every Leaf Line Proposition is adapted to the advancement of Godliness Here 's no Indulgence for Sin no Toleration for Lust not one loose Principle in the Body of Scripture Divinity and if any Doctrine offers it self that breaths not Purity we may safely reject it as that which is not after Godliness And let this also renew our Lamentation that such a Doctrine has been tortured upon the Rack of unsanctified Wits to abet filthiness and uncleanness Men have reap'd what God never sow'd and gather'd what the Holy Spirit never strew'd when this Grace of the Gospel is turned into lasciviousness and Men have abounded in sin because the Grace of God has abounded towards Sinners 3. It has this Peculiar Excellency that in every respect it