the sinner Let the business of your Sermons be to preach holy Life Obedience Peace Love among neighbours hearty love to live as the old Christians did and the new should to do hurt to no man to do good to every man For in these things the honour of God consists and the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Press those Grâ—ces most that do most good and make the least noise such as giving privately and forgiving publickly and prescribe the grace of Charity by all the measures of it which are given by the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. For this grace is not finished by good words nor yet by good works but it is a great building and many materials go to the structure of it It is worth your study for it is the fulfilling of the Commandements Because it is impossible that Charity should live unless the lust of the tongue be mortified let every Minister in his charge be frequent and severe against slanderers detractors and backbiters for the Crime of backbiting is the poyson of Charity and yet so common that it is pass'd into a Proverb After a good dinner let us sit down and backbite our neighbours Let every Minister be careful to observe and vehement in reproving those faults of his Parishioners of which the Lawes cannot or do not take cognizance such as are many degrees of intemperate drinkings gluttony riotous living expences above their ability pride bragging lying in ordinary conversation covetousness peevishness and hasty anger and such like For the Word of God searches deeper then the Laws of men and many things will be hard to prove by the measures of Courts which are easie enough to be observed by the watchful and diligent eye and ear of the Guide of Souls In your Sermons to the people often speak of the four last things of Death and Judgement Heaven and Hell of the Life and Death of Jesus Christ of Gods Mercy to repenting sinners and his Severity against the impenitent of the formable Examples of Gods anger pour'd forth upon Rebels Sacrilegious oppressors of Widows and Orphanes and all persons guilty of crying Sins These are useful safe and profitable but never run into Extravagancies and Curiosities nor trouble your selves or them with mysterious Secrets for there is more laid before you than you can understand and the whole duty of man is To fear God and keep his commandements Speak but very little of the secret and high things of God but as much as you can of the lowness and humility of Christ. Be not hasty in pronouncing damnation against any man or party in a matter of disputation It is enough that you reprove an Errour but what shall be the sentence against it at the day of Judgement thou knowest not and therefore pray for the erring person and reprove him but leave the sentence to his Judge Let your Sermons teach the duty of all states of men to whom you speak and particularly take care of Servants and Hirelings Merchants and Tradesmen that they be not unskilful nor unadmonished in their respective duties and in all things speak usefully and affectionately for by this means you will provide for all mens needs both for them that sin by reason of their little understanding and them that sin because they have evil dull or depraved affections In your Sermons and Discourses of Religion use primitive known and accustomed words and affect not new Phantastical or Schismatical terms Let the Sunday Festival be called the Lords day and pretend no fears from the common use of words amongst Christians For they that make a business of the worâ—s of common use and reform Religion by introducing a new word intend to make a change but no amendment they spend themselves in trifles like the barren turf that sends forth no medicinable herbs but store of Mushromes and they give a demonstration that they are either impertinent people or else of a querulous nature and that they are ready to disturb the Church if they could find occasion Let every Minister in his charge as much as he can endeavour to destroy all popular errors and evil principles taken up by his people or others with whom they converse especially those that directly oppose the indispensable necessity of a holy life let him endeavour to understand in what true and useful sense Christs active obedience is imputed to us let him make his people fear the deferring of their Repentance and putting it off to their death-bed let him explicate the nature of Faith so that it be an active and quickning principle of Charity let him as much as he may take from them all confidencies that slacken their obedience and diligence let him teach them to impute all their sins to their own follies and evil choice and so build them up in a most holy faith to a holy life ever remembring that in all ages it hath been the greatest artifice of Satan to hinder the increase of Christs Kingdome by destroying those things in which it does consist viz. Peace and Righteousness Holiness and Mortification Every Minister ought to be careful that he never expound Scriptures in publick contrary to the known sense of the Catholick Church and particularly of the Churches of England and Ireland nor introduce any Doctrine against any of the four first General Councils for these as they are measures of truth so also of necessity that is as they are safe so they are sufficient and besides what is taught by these no matter of belief is necessary to salvation Let no Preacher bring before the people in his Sermons or Discourses the Arguments of great and dangerous Heresies though with a purpose to confute them for they will much easier retain the Objection than understand the Answer Let not the Preacher make an Article of Faith to be a matter of dispute but teach it with plainness and simplicity and confirm it with easie arguments and plain words of Scripture but without objection let them be taught to believe but not to argue lest if the arguments meet with a scrupulous person it rather shake the foundation by curious inquiry than establish it by arguments too hard Let the Preacher be careful that in his Sermons he use no light immodest or ridiculous expressions but what is wise grave usefull and for edification that when the Preacher brings truth and gravity the people may attend with fear and reverence Let no Preacher envy any man that hath a greater audience or more fame in Preaching than himself let him not detract from him or lessen his reputation directly or indirectly for he that cannot be even with his brother but by pulling him down is but a dwarf still and no man is the better for making his brother worse In all things desire that Christ's Kingdom may be advanc'd and rejoice that he is served whoever be the Minister that if you cannot have the fame of a great Preacher yet you may have the reward of being a good man but it
regarded the Prohibition so nakedly and divested of all Antecedents Consequents Similitudes and Proportions that if they stood clear of that hated name which was set down in Moses Tables they gave themselves liberty in many instances of the same kindred alliance If they abstained from murder they thought it very well though they made no scruple of murdering their Brothers fame they would not cut his throat but they would call him Fool or invent lyes in secret and publish his disgrace openly they would not dash out his brains but they would be extremely and unreasonably angry with him they would not steal their brothers money but they would oppress him in crafty and cruel bargains The Commandment forbade them to commit Adultery but because Fornication was not named they made no scruple of that and being commanded to Honour their Father and their Mother they would give them good words and fair observances but because it was not named that they should maintain them in their need they thought they did well enough to pretend Corban and let their Father starve 3. The Scribes and Pharisees placed their Righteousness in Negatives they would not commit what was forbidden but they cared but little for the included positive and the omissions of good Actions did not much trouble them they would not hurt their Brother in a forbidden instance but neither would they do him good according to the intention of the Commandment It was a great Innocence if they did not rob the Poor then they were righteous men but thought themselves not much concerned to acquire that god-like excellency a Philanthropy and love to all mankind Whosoever blasphem'd God was to be put to death but he that did not glorifie God as he ought they were unconcerned for him and let him alone he that spake against Moses was to dy without mercy but against the ambitious and the covetous against the proud man and the unmerciful they made no provisions Virtus est vitium fugere sapientia prima Stultitiâ caruisse They accounted themselves good not for doing good but for doing no evil that was the sum of their Theology 4. They had one thing more as bad as all this They broke Moses Tables into pieces and gathering up the fragments took to themselves what part of Duty they pleased and let the rest alone For it was a Proverb amongst the Jews Qui operam dat praecepto liber est à praecepto that is If he chuses one positive Commandment for his business he may be less careful in any of the rest Indeed they said also Qui multiplicat legem multiplicat vitam he that multiplies the Law increases Life that is if he did attend to more good things it was so much the better but the other was well enough but as for Universal Obedience that was not the measure of their Righteousness for they taught that God would put our good works and bad into the balance and according to the heavier scale give a portion in the world to come so that some evil they would allow to themselves and their Disciples alwayes provided it was less than the good they did They would devour Widows houses and make it up by long Prayers they would love their Nation and hate their Prince offer Sacrifice and curse Caesar in their heart advance Judaism and destroy Humanity Lastly St. Austin summ'd up the difference between the Pharisaical and Evangelical righteousness in two words Brevis differentia inter Legem Evangelium timor amor They serv'd the God of their Fathers in the spirit of Fear and we worship the Father of our Lord Jesus in the spirit of Love and by the spirit of Adoption and as this Slavish principle of theirs was the cause of all their former Imperfections so it finally and chiefly express'd it self in these two particulars 1. They would do all that they thought they lawfully could do 2. They would do nothing but what was expresly commanded This was the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees and their Disciples the Jews which because our B. Saviour reproves not only as imperfect then but as criminal now calling us on to a new Righteousness the Righteousness of God to the Law of the Spirit of Life to the Kingdom of God and the proper Righteousness thereof it concerns us in the next place to look after the measures of this ever remembring that it is infinitely necessary that we should do so and men do not generally know or not consider what it is to be a Christian they understand not what the Christian Law forbiddeth or commandeth But as for this in my Text it is indeed our great measure but it is not a question of good and better but of Good and Evil Life and Death Salvation and Damnation for unless our Righteousness be weighed by new weights we shall be found too light when God comes to weigh the actions of all the world and unless we be more righteous than they we shall in no wise that is upon no other terms in the world enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Now concerning this we shall do very much amiss if we take our measures by the manners and practises of the many who call themselves Christians for there are as Nazianzen expresses it the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the old and the new Pharisees I wish it were no worse amongst us and that all Christians were indeed Righteous as they were est aliquid prodire tenus it would not be just nothing But I am sure that to bid defiance to the Laws of Christ to laugh at Religion to make a merriment at the debauchery and damnation of our Brother is a state of evil worse than that of the Scribes and Pharisees and yet even among such men how impatient would they be and how unreasonable would they think you to be if you should tell them that there is no present hopes or possibility that in this state they are in they can be saved Omnes videmur nobis esse belluli Et festivi Saperdae cum simus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But the world is too full of Christians whose Righteousness is very little and their Iniquities very great and now adays a Christian is a man that comes to Church on Sundays and on the week following will do shameful things Passim corvos sequitur testâque lutoque Securus quo pes ferat at que ex tempore vivit being according to the Jewish proverbial reproof as so many Mephibosheths discipuli sapientum qui incessu pudefaciunt praeceptorem suum their Master teaches them to go uprightly but they still show their lame leg and shame their Master as if a man might be a Christian and yet be the vilest person in the world doing such things for which the Laws of men have provided smart and shame and the Laws of God have threatned the intolerable pains of an unsufferable and never ending damnation Example here cannot be our rule
as an oyster and discourse at the rate of a child but are greatly short of the righteousness Evangelical I have now done with those parts of the Christian righteousness which were not only an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or excess but an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Pharisaical but because I ought not to conceal any thing from you that must integrate our duty and secure our title to the kingdom of Heaven there is this to be added that this precept of our blessed Saviour is to be extended to the direct degrees of our duty We must do more duties and we must do them better And in this although we can have no positive measures because they are potentially infinite yet therefore we ought to take the best because we are sure the greatest is not too big and we are not sure that God will accept a worse when we can do a better Now although this is to be understood of the internal affection only because that must never be abated but God is at all times to be loved and served with all our heart yet concerning the degrees of external duty as Prayers and Alms and the like we are certainly tyed to a greater excellency in the degree than was that of the Scribes and Pharisees I am obliged to speak one word for the determination of this inquiry viz. to how much more of external duty Christians are obliged than was in the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees In order to this briefly thus I remember that Salvian speaking of old men summing up their Repentances and making amends for the sins of their whole life exhorts them to Alms and works of Piety But inquiring how much they should do towards the redeeming of their Souls answers with a little Sarcasm but plainly enough to give a wise man an answer A man says he is not bound to give away all his goods unless peradventure he ows all to God but in that case I cannot tell what to say for then the case is altered A man is not bound to part with all his estate that is unless his sins be greater than his estate but if they be then he may consider of it again and consider better And he need not part with it all unless pardon be more precious to him than his money and unless heaven be worth it all and unless he knows justly how much less will do it If he does let him try his skill and pay just so much and no more than he owes to God but if he does not know let him be sure to do enough His meaning is this Not that a man is bound to give all he hath and leave his children beggars he is bound from that by another obligation But as when we are tyed to pray continually the meaning is we should consecrate all our time by taking good portions out of all our time for that duty the devoutest person being like the waters of Siloam a perpetual spring but not a perpetual current that is alwayes in readiness but actually thrusting forth his waters at certain periods every day So out of all our estate we must take for Religion and Repentance such portions as the whole estate can allow so much as will consecrate the rest so much as is fit to bring when we pray for a great pardon and deprecate a mighty anger and turn aside an intolerable fear and will purchase an excellent peace and will reconcile a sinner Now in this case a Christian is to take his measures according to the rate of his contrition and his love his Religion and his fear his danger and his expectation and let him measure his amends wisely his sorrow pouring in and his fear thrusting it down and it were very well if his love also would make it run over For deceive not your selves there is no other measure but this So much good as a man does or so much as he would do if he could so much of Religion and so much of repentance he hath and no more and a Man cannot ordinarily know that he is in a saveable condition but by the Testimony which a Divine Philanthropy and a good mind alwayes gives which is to omit no opportunity of doing good in our several proportions and possibilities There was an Alms which the Scribes and Pharisees were obliged by the Law to give the tenth of every third years increase this they alwayes paid and this sort of Alms is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness or Justice but the Alms which Christians ought to give is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is grace and it is love and it is abundance and so the old Rabbins told Justitia propriè dicitur in iis quae jure facimus benignitas in iis quae praeter jus It is more than righteousness it is bounty and benignity for that 's the Christian measure And so it is in the other parts and instances of the righteousness Evangelical And therefore it is remarkable that the Saints in the Old Testament were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 right men and the book of Genesis as we find it twice attested by S. Hierome was called by the Ancient Hellenists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the book of right or just men the book of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. But the word for Christians is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 good men harmless and profitable Men that are good and men that do good In pursuance of which it is further observed by learned men that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or vertue is not in the four Gospels for the actions of Christs Disciples should not be in gradu virtutis only vertuous and laudable such as these Aristotle presses in his Magna Moralia they must pass on to a further excellency than so the same which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they must be sometimes and as often as we can in gradu heroico or that I may use the Christian style they must be actions of perfection Righteousness was the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for alms in the Old Testament and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or perfection was the word for Alms in the New as appears by comparing the fifth of S. Matthew and the sixth of S. Luke together and that is the full state of this difference in the inquiries of the righteousness Pharisaical and Evangelical I have many more things to say but ye cannot hear them now because the time is past One thing indeed were fit to be spoken of if I had any time left but I can only name it and desire your consideration to make it up This great Rule that Christ gives us does also and that principally too concern Churches and Common-wealths as well as every single Christian. Christian Parliaments must exceed the Religion and Government of the Sanhedrim Your Laws must be more holy the condition of the Subjects be made more tolerable the Laws of Christ must be
strictly enforced you must not suffer your great Master to be dishonoured nor his Religion dismembred by Sects or disgraced by impiety you must give no impunity to vitious persons and you must take care that no great example be greatly corrupted you must make better provisions for your poor than they did and take more care even of the external advantages of Christs Religion and his Ministers than they did of the Priests and Levites that is in all things you must be more zealous to promote the kingdom of Christ than they were for the Ministeries of Moses The sum of all is this The righteousness Evangelical is the same with that which the Ancients called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to live an Apostolical life that was the measure of Christians the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that desired to please God that is as Apostolius most admirably describes it men who are curious of their very eyes temperate in their tongue of a mortified body and a humble spirit pure in their intentions masters of their passions Men who when they are injured return honourable words when they are lessened in their estates increase in their charity when they are abused they yet are courteous and give intreaties when they are hated they pay love men that are dull in contentions and quick in loving kindnesses swift as the feet of Asahel and ready as the chariots of Amminadib True Christians are such as are crucified with Christ and dead unto all sin and finally place their whole love on God and for his sake upon all mankind this is the description of a Christian and the true state of the righteousness Evangelical so that it was well said of Athenagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no Christian is a wicked man unless his life be a continual lie unless he be false to God and his Religion For the righteousness of the Gospel is in short nothing else but a transcript of the life of Christ de matthana nahaliel de nahaliel Bamoth said R. Joshua Christ is the image of God and every Christian is the image of Christ whose example is imitable but it is the best and his laws are the most perfect but the most easie and the promises by which he invites our greater services are most excellent but most true and the rewards shall be hereafter but they shall abide for ever and that I may take notice of the last words of my Text the threatnings to them that fall short of this righteousness are most terrible but most certainly shall come to pass they shall never enter into the kingdom of heaven that is their portion shall be shame and an eternal prison 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a flood of brimstone and a cohabitation with Devils to eternal ages and if this consideration will not prevail there is no place left for perswasion and there is no use of reason and the greatest hopes and the greatest fears can be no argument or sanction of laws and the greatest good in the world is not considerable and the greatest evil is not formidable but if they be there is no more to be said if you would have your portion with Christ you must be righteous by his measures and these are they that I have told you THE CHRISTIANS CONQUEST Over the Body of Sin Rom. VII 19. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do WHat the Eunuch said to Philip when he read the book of the Prophet Isaiah Of whom speaketh the Prophet this of himself or some other man The same question I am to ask concerning the words of my Text Does S. Paul mean this of himself or of some other It is hoped that he speaks it of himself and means that though his understanding is convinced that he ouâ—ht to serve God and â—hat he hath some imperfect desires to do so yet the Law of God without is opposed by a law of Sin witâ—in We have a corrupted nature and a body of infirmity and our reason dwells in the dark and we must go out of the world before we leave our sin For besides that some sins are esteemed brave and honourable and he is a baffled person that dares not kill his brother like a Gentleman our very Tables are made a snare and our civilities are direct treasons to the soul. You cannot entertain your friend but excess is the measure and that you may be very kind to your Guest you step aside and lay away the Christian your love cannot be expressed unless you do him an ill turn and civilly invite him to a Feaver Justice is too often taught to bow to great interests and men cannot live without flattery and there are some Trades that minister to sin so that without a sin we cannot maintain our Families and if you mean to live you must do as others do Now so long as men see they are like to be undone by innocence and that they can no way live but by compliance with the evil customs of the world men conclude practically because they must live they must sin they must live handsomely and therefore must do some things unhandsomely and so upon the whole matter sin is unavoidable Fain they would but cannot tell how to help it But since it is no better it is well it is no worse For it is S. Pauls case no worse man he would and he would not he did and he did not he was willing but he was not able and therefore the case is clear that if a man strives against sin and falls unwillingly it shall not be imputed to him he may be a regenerate man for all that A man must indeed wrangle against sin when it comes and like a peevish lover resist and consent at the same time and then all is well for this not only consists with but is a sign of the state of regeneration If this be true God will be very ill served If it be not true most men will have but small hopes of being saved because this is the condition of most men What then is to be done Truth can do us no hurt and therefore be willing to let this matter pass under examination for if it trouble us now it will bring comfort hereafter And therefore before I enter into the main inquiry I shall by describing the state of the man of whom S. Paul speaks here tell you plainly who it is that is in this state of sad things and then do ye make your resolutions according as you shall find it necessary for the saving of your souls which I am sure ought to be the end of all preaching 1. The man S. Paul speaks of is one that is dead v. 9. one that was deceived and slain v. 11. one in whom sin was exceeding sinful v. 13. that is highly imputed greatly malicious infinitely destructive he is one who is carnal and sold under sin v. 14. he is one that sins against
God a Divine vigour and life whereby we are enabled with joy and cheerfulness to walk in the way of God By this you may try your faith if you please and make an end of this question Do you believe in the Lord Jesus yea or no God forbid else but if your Faith be good it will abide the trial There are but three things that make the integrity of Christian faith believing the words of God confidence in his goodness and keeping his commandments For the first it is evident that every man pretâ—nds to it if he calls himself Christian he believes all that is in the Canon of the Scriptures and if he did not he were indeed no Christian. But now consider what think we of this Proposition All shall be damned who believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness Does not every man believe this Is it possible they can believe there is any such thing as unrighteousness in the World or any such thing as damnation and yet commit that which the Scriptures call unrighteousness and which all laws and all good men say is so Consider how many unrighteous men there are in the world and yet how few of them think they shall be damned I know not how it comes to pass but men go upon strange principles and they have made Christianity to be a very odd Institution if it had not better measures than they are pleased to afford it There are two great roots of all evil Covetousness and Pride and they have infected the greatest parts of mankind and yet no man thinks himself to be either covetous or proud And therefore whatever you discourse against these sins it never hits any man but like Jonathans arrows to David they fall short or they fly beyond Salvian complained of it in his time Hoc ad crimina nostra addimus ut cum in omnibus rei simus etiam bonos nos sanctos esse credamus This we add unto our crimes we are the vilest persons in the world and yet we think our selves to be good people and when we dy make no question but we shall go to Heaven There is no cause of this but because we have not so much Faith as believing comes to and yet most men will pretend not only to believe but to love Christ all this while And how do they prove this Truly they hate the memory of Judas and curse the Jews that crucified Christ and think Pilate a very miserable man and that all the Turks are damned and to be called Cajaphas is a word of reproach and indeed there are many that do not much more for Christ than this comes to things to as little purpose and of as little signification But so the Jews did hate the memory of Corah as we do of Caiphas and they builded the Sepulchres of the Prophets and we also are angry at them that killed the Apostles and the Martyrs But in the mean time we neither love Christ nor his Saints for we neither obey him nor imitate them And yet we should think our selves highly injured if one should call us Infidels and haters of Christ. But I pray consider what is hating of any man but designing and doing him all the injury and spite we can Does not he hate Christ that dishonours him that makes Christs members the members of an harlot That doth not feed clothe these members If the Jews did hate Christ when they crucified him then so does a Christian too when he crucifies him again Let us not deceive our selves a Christian may be damned as well as a Turk and Christians may with as much malice crucifie Christ as the Jews did And so does every man that sins wilfully he spills the blood of Christ making it to be spent in vain He that hateth you hateth me he that receives you receives me said Christ to his Apostles I wish the world had so much faith as to believe that and by this try whether we love Christ and believe in him or no I shall for the tryal of our Faith ask one easy question Do we believe that the story of David and Jonathan is true Have we so much faith as to think it possible that two Rivals of a Crown should love so dearly Can any man believe this and not be infinitely ashamed to see Christians almost all Christians to be irreconcileably angry and ready to pull their brothers heart out when he offers to take our Land or money from us Why do almost all men that go to law for right hate one anothers persons Why cannot men with patience hear their titles questioned But if Christianity be so excellent a Religion why are so very many Christians so very wicked Certainly they do not so much as believe the propositions and principles of their own Religion For the body of Christians is so universally wicked that it would be a greater change to see Christians generally live according to their profession than it was at first from infidelity to see them to turn Believers The conversion from Christian to Christian from Christian in title to Christian in sincerity would be a greater miracle then it was when they were converted from Heathen and Jew to Christian. What is the matter Is not repentance from dead works reckoned by S. Paul in the 6. Hebr. as one of the fundamental points of Christian Religion Is it not a piece of our Catechism the first thing we are taught and is it not the last thing that we practise We had better be without Baptism than without repentance and yet both are necessary and therefore if we were not without faith we should be without neither Is not Repentance a forsaking all sin and an intire returning unto God Who can deny this And is it not plainly said in Scripture Vnless ye repent ye shall all perish But shew me the man that believes these things heartily that is shew me a true penitent he only believes the doctrines of repentance If I had time I should examine your faith by your confidence in God and by your obedience But if we fall in the meer believing it is not likely we should do better in the other But because all the promises of God are conditional and there can be no confidence in the particular without a promise or revelation it is not possible that any man that does not live well should reasonably put his trust in God To live a wicked life and then to be confident that in the day of our death God will give us pardon is not faith but a direct want of faith If we did believe the promises upon their proper conditions or believe that Gods commandments were righteous and true or that the threatnings were as really intended as they are terribly spoken we should not dare to live at the rate we do But wicked men have not faith saith S. Paul and then the wonder ceases But there are such palpable contradictions between mens practices