receive their Wages Zophar doth notably set forth a Wicked mans Reward Job 20.7 He shall perish for ever like his own dâ—â—â—g That is he shall perish with disgrace he shall leave a stinking Savour behind Verse 16. He shall suck the Poison of Asps that is the sin which was Sweet as Honey in his Mouth shall be bitter as the Gall of Asps verse 26. A fire not blown shall consume him that is either ignis a Coelo delapsus r Mercer a Fire falling from Heaven shall consume him as it did Korah or a fire not blown may be meant a Fire casually hapning among his Goods and Chattels shall consume him or a fire not blown that is the fire of Hell not blown with bellows shall torture his Soul he shall be ever consuming never consumed Å¿ Sic morientur damnati ut semper Vivant Bernard Ver. 20. This is the Portion of a Wicked man And how Tremendous is this for every Golden sand of Mercy that runs out to a Sinner God puts a drop of Wrath into his Vial. Quest What may most hopefully be attempted to allay Animosities among Protestants that our Divisions may not be our Ruine SERMON IIII. COLOSS. II. 2. That their Hearts might be comforted being knit together in Love and unto all riches of the full assurance of Vnderstanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ THis Question is propounded to me What may most hopefully be attempted to allay Animosities among Protestants that our Divisions may not be our Ruine I must here in the first place tell you how I understand this Question 1. As to the End the preventing our ruine I take the meaning chiefly to be not the ruine of our Estates Trade Houses Families not our ruine in these respects who are Christians but our ruine as we are Christians i. e. the ruine of our Christianity it self or of the truly Christian Interest among us 2. As for the Means enquired after I understand not the Question to intend what is to be done or attempted by Laws and Publick Constitutions as if our business were to teach our absent Rulers or prescribe to them what they should do to whom we have no present Call or Opportunity to apply our selves Nor again can it be thought our business to discusse the several questions that are controverted among us and shew in each what is the Truth and right wherewith every mans Conscience ought to be satisfy'd and in which we would all meet and unite As if we had the vanity to think of performing by an Hours discourse what the voluminous Writings of some Ages have not performed Much less are we to attempt the perswading of any to go against an already formed Judgment in these Points of difference for the sake of Union and to seek the Peace of the Church by breaking their peace with God and their own Consciences But I take the Question only to intend What serious Christians may and ought to endeavour in their Private Capacities and agreeably with their own Principles towards the proposed End And so I conceive the words read to you contain the Materials of a direct and full answer to the Question Which I reckon will appear by opening the Case the Apostles words have reference to that will be found a Case like our own and by opening the Words whereby their suitableness to that Case will be seen and consequently to our Case also 1. The Case which these words have reference to as indeed the general aspect of the Epistle and in great part of the other Apostolical Letters looks much the same way was in short this That a numerous Sect was already sprung up that began so early to corrupt the simplicity and purity of the Christian Religion and very much to disturb the peace of the Christian Church A sort they were of partly Judaizing partly Paganizing Christians the Disciples as they are reputed of Simon Magus who joyned with the name Christian the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewes with the impurities even in Worship of the Gentiles denying the more principal Doctrines and hating the holy design of Christianity it self while thy seem'd to have assumed or to retain the Name as it were on purpose the more effectually to wound and injure the Christian Cause and Interest Men of high pretence to knowledge whence they had the Title of Gnosticks filched partly from the Jewish Cabbalisme partly from the Phythagorean By which pretence they insinuated the more plausibly with such as affected the knowledge of more hidden Mysteries Whereto the Apostle seems to have reference where he addes immediatey after the Text that in Christ were hid all the Treasures of wisdom and knowledge vers 3. And sayes he did purposely adde it lest any man should beguile them with enticing words Intimating there was no need to follow those vain Pretenders out of an affectation of sublimer knowledge and forsake Christ in whom all the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge were hid Of the progress and Genius of this Sect not only some of the Fathers of the Church give an account †Clemens Alexandr Irenaeus Epiphanius c. But even a * Plotinus Ennead 2. l. 9. noted Philosopher among the Heathens who writes professedly against them thô not a word against Christians as such both making it his business to refute their absurd Doctrines that the World was in its nature evil and not made by God but by some evil Angel c. and representing them as men of most immoral Principles and Practices worse both in respect of their notions and morals than Epicurus himself It appears this sort of men did in the Apostles dayes not only set themselves with great art and industry to pervert as many Professors of Christianity as they could but found means as they might by their compliances with the Jews who were then much spread and numerously seated in sundry principal Cities under the Roman Power and who were every where the bitterest enemies to Christianity to raise Persecution against them they could not pervert which some passages seem to intimate in the Epistle to the Galatians who as that whole Epistle shews were much leaven'd by this Sect insomuch that the Apostle is put to travel as in birth again to have Christ formed in them and to reduce them back to sincere Christianity viz. that some leaders of this Sect so set the Peoples minds even against the Apostle himself that he began to be reputed by them as an Enemy chap 4.16 and was persecuted under that notion because he would not comply with them in the matter of Circumcision urged as an engagement to the whole Law of Moses chap. 5.11 If I yet preach Circumcision why do I yet suffer persecution Then is the offence of the Cross ceased And that they were as mischievous as they could be to fellow-Christians on the same account biting and devouring them that received not their
to them for the knowledge of Mysteries unless a Mystery of Iniquity were more pleasing to them whose very Religion was that Great Mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the flesh justify'd in the Spirit seen of Angels preacht unto the Gentles believed on in the World received up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 Now this Mystery he first more generally characterizes by calling it the Mystery of God a divine Mystery not made one by meerly humane fiction and then he very distinctly specifies it in the following words and of the Father and of Christ Where the former and needs not be thought copulative but exegetical and might be read even or to wit or it may be read both as 't is usual with the Greeks as well as Latines when the copulative is to be repeated so to read the former As if it were said by the Mystery of God I mean not of God alone and abstractly considered as if it were enough to you to be meer Deists and that the whole superadded Revelation concerning the Mdiatour might be look't upon with indifferency or neglect as by the Gnosticks it was known then to be and afterwards by some of their great leaders in the substance of it with downright hatred and opposition but that which I so earnestly covet for you and wherein I would have you unite and be all one is the acknowledgement of the whole Mystery of God i. e. both of the Father and of Christ 2. The Apprehensive Principle which we may by a general name call Faith and accommodately enough to the name here given us of its object a Mystery which is elsewhere called the Mystery of Faith 1 Tim. 3.9 or a Mystery to be believed Faith being the known Principle of receiving the Gospel revelation But he here expresses it by words that signifie knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thereby intimating that the Faith of Christians is not to be a blind and unintelligent Principle but that though there were contained in the Gospel Mysteries never to be understood if God had not afforded a special Revelation of them on purpose yet being revealed we ought to have a clear and distinct as well as lively and practical perception of them By these two words and the other expressions he joyns in with the former he seems to intimate two sorts of properties which belong to that Faith of the Gospel which he wishes to them 1. The rectitude clearness and certainty of notion 2. The efficacy impressiveness and immediate aptitude to have influence upon practice which he would have it carry with it The latter properties supposing and depending on the former he there highly exaggerates the matter and heaps together expressions that might with most lively emphasis set forth the kind of that knowledge which he conceives would be of so great use to them He wishes them a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a clear perspicacious Knowledge and an Assurance even to a plerophory a fulness of assurance in their knowledge of the truth of the Gospel Yea he wishes them the Riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea and all Riches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of that full assurance or Plerophory of understanding and knowledge of that Truth apprehending that this would certainly fix them in their Faith and Profession so as they would never recede from it As when in Christs own daies many went back and walked no more with him Joh. 6.66 That which retained others so that when Christ asks Will ye also go away vers 67. they presently answer Lord to whom shall we go could entertain no such thought was that besides what they believed of him was of greatest importance to them thou hast the words of eternal Life vers 68. So their belief was with that assurance as to exclude all suspicion or doubt in the Case and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God vers 69. And therefore neither canst want Power to confer eternal Life as all thy words do import thy design and promise to do nor truth to make good thy own plain words And then he also knew that such a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or knowledge would produce what he further wishes them an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an acknowledgement an inward vital owning a cordial embrace a lively perception of the same blessed Truths which must needs further most abundantly contribute to this their so much desired joynt and unanimous stability And now these are the two expedients by which he reckons they would be so closely compacted together as that no subtilty or violence could endanger them mutual love and a clear certain operative Faith of the Gospel if by the one they did cohere with each other and by the other adhere to God in Christ if the one might have with them the place power and bindingness of a cement the other of a continual inclination yieldingness and compliance to the magnetism of the center they would never so fall asunder as to give any enemies opportunity to be the succesful authors or the gratify'd Spectators of their ruine Thus therefore I would summ up the sense of this Scripture and the answer to the question proposed That the maintaining of sincere Love among Christians and the improving of their Faith to greater measures of clearness certainty and efficacy in reference to the substantials of Christianity are to be endeavoured as the best means to unite establish and preserve them against such as design the ruine of the truly Christian Interest The Case was at that time urging and important A great and numerous party was formed of such as did nauseate the simplicity of the Christian Religion and hate the true design of it All the care was what course was most proper and suitable to preserve the rest And you see what was then thought most proper Counsel was not taken to this effect and therefore Christians in a private capacity should not covet to have it so Let us bind them by certain devised preter-Evangelical Canons to things never thought fit to be enjoyn'd by Christ himself severely urge the strict and uniform observance of them make the terms of Christian Communion straiter than he ever made them adde new rituals of our own to his Institutions and cut off from us all that never so conscientiously scruple them No this was the practice of their common enemies and it was to narrow and weaken the too much already diminish't Christian Interest The Order mentioned vers 5. might be comely enough without things that were both unnecessary and offensive Nor was it consulted and resolved to agitate the Controversy about this power and practice in perpetual endless disputations and stigmatize them that should not be enlightned and satisfy'd in these matters as schismatical and wilful thô they never so sincerely adhered to the Doctrine and observed the Laws of Christ i. e. 'T was neither thought fit to urge the unsatisfy'd upon doubtful things
against their Consciences nor to take order that continual endeavours should be used from age to age to satisfy them or that the Church should be alwaies vexed with a vain controversy about needless things that if they were never so lawful might as well be let alone without detriment to the Christian Cause and perhaps to its greater advantage Yea the attempt of imposing any thing upon the Disciples but what was necessary is judg'd a tempting of God Acts. 15.10 a bringing the matter to a tryall of skill with him whether he could keep the Church quiet when they took so direct a course to distemper and trouble it But it was thought necessary and sufficient that all did unite and were knit together in the mutual love of one another and in a joynt adherence to the great mysteries of Faith and Salvation In the same case when there were so many Antichrists abroad and 't is likely Ebion with his partakers made it their business to pervert the Christian doctrine the same course is taken by the blessed Apostle St. John only to endeavour the strengthning of these two vital principles Faith in Christ and Love to fellow-Christians as may be seen at large in his Epistles These he presses as the great commandments upon the observation whereof he seems to account the safety and peace of the sincere did entirely depend This is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another as he gave us Commandment 1 Epistle 3.23 He puts upon Christians no other distinguishing test but whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God And every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him chap. 5.1 Is only solicitous that they did practise the Commandment they had from the beginning i. e. that they loved one another 2 Epist 5. and that they did abide in the Doctrine of Christ vers 9. The prudence and piety of those unerring Guides of the Church themselves under the certain guidance of the Spirit of truth directed them to bring the things wherein they would have Christians unite within as narrow a compass as was possible neither multiplying articles of Faith nor rites of Worship These two principles as they were thought to answer the Apostles would fully answer our design and present enquiry And we may adventure to say of them that they are both sufficient and necessary the apt and the only means to heal and save us such as would effect our cure and without which nothing will Nor shall I give other answer to the proposed question than what may be deduced from these two considered according to what they are in themselves and what they naturally lead and tend unto I shall consider them in the order wherein the Apostle here mentions them who you see reserves the more important of them to the latter place 1. The sincere love of Christians to one another would be an happy means of preserving the truly Christian Interest among us That this may be understood we must rightly apprehend what kind of love it is that is here meant It is specifi'd by what we find in conjunction with it The understanding and acknowledgment of the mystery of Christianity Therefore it must be the love of Christians to one another as such Whence we collect lest we too much extend the object of it on the one hand or contract it on the other 1. That it is not the love only which we owe to one another as men or humane Creatures meerly that is intended here That were too much to enlarge it as to our present consideration of it For under that common notion we should be as much obliged to love the enemies we are to unite against as the friends of Religion we are to unite with since all partake equally in humane nature It must be a more special love that shall have the desired influence in the present case We cannot be peculiarly endeared and united to some more than to others upon a reason that is common to them with others We are to love them that are born of God and are his children otherwise than the children of men or such of whom it may be said they are of their father the Devil them that appear to have been partakers of a divine nature at another rate than them who have received a meer humane or also the diabolical nature 1 Joh. 5.1 Yet this peculiar love is not to be exclusive of the other which is common but must suppose it and be superadded to it As the reason of it is superadded For Christianity supposes humanity and divine grace humane nature 2. Nor is it a love to Christians of this or that Party or denomination only That were as much unduly to straiten and confine it The love that is owing to Christians as such as it belongs to them only so it belongs to all them who in profession and practice do own sincere and incorrupt Christianity To limit our Christian love to a Party of Christians truly so called is so far from serving the purpose now to be aimed at that it resists and defeats it and instead of a preservative union infers most destructive divisions It scatters what it should collect and gather 'T is to love factiously and with an unjust love that refuses to give indifferently to every one his due For is there no love due to a disciple of Christ in the name of a disciple It is founded in falshood and a lye denies them to be of the Christian community who really are so It presumes to remove the ancient land-marks not civil but sacred and draws on not the peoples curse only but that of God himself 'T is true and who doubts it that I may and ought upon special reasons to love some more than others as relation acquaintance obligation by favours received from them more eminent degrees of true worth and real goodness but that signifies nothing to the withholding of that love which is due to a Christian as such as that also ought not to prejudice the love I owe to a man as he is a man Nor am I so promiscuously to distribute this holy love as to place it at randome upon every one that thinks it convenient for him to call himself a Christian thô I ought to love the very profession while I know not who sincerely make it and do plainly see that Jewes and Pagans were never worse enemies to Christ and his Religion than a great part of the Christian world But let my apprehensions be once set right concerning the true essentials of Christianity whether consisting in doctrinal or vital principles then will my love be duly carried to all in whom they are found under one common notion which I come actually to apply to this or that person as particular occasions do occur And so shall alwaies be in a preparation of mind actually to unite in Christian love with
receive it i. e. To acknowledge receive resign entrust and subject our selves unto God in Christ revealed in it 2ly And of how vast importance this is towards our establishment the confirming fortifying and uniting of our hearts and our joynt preservation in our Christian state the main thing we are to design and be solicitous for we may see in these particulars 1. Hereby we should apprehend the things to be truly great wherein we are to unite That union is not like to be firm and lasting the center whereof is a trifle It must be somewhat that is of it self apt to attract and hold our hearts strongly to it To attempt with excessive earnestness an union in external formalities that have not a value and goodness in themselves when the labour and difficulty is so great and the advantage so little how hopeless and insignificant would it be The mystery of God even of the Father and of Christ how potently and constantly attractive would it be if aright understood and ackowledg'd Here we should understand is our life and our all 2. Hereby we should in comparison apprehend all things else to be little And so our differences about little things would languish and vanish We should not only know but consider and feelingly apprehend that we agree in far greater things than we differ in and thence be more strongly inclin'd to hold together by the things wherein we agree than to contend with one another about the things wherein we differ 3. Hereby our Religion would revive and become a vital powerful thing and consequently more grateful to God and awful to men 1. More grateful to God who is not pleased with the stench of Carkasses or with the dead shewes of Religion instead of the living substance We should hereupon not be deserted of the divine presence which we cannot but reckon will retire when we entertain him but with insipid formalities What became of the Christian interest in the world when Christians had so sensibly diverted from minding the great things of Religion to little minute circumstances about which they affected to busie themselves or to the pursuit of worldly advantages and delights 2. More awful to men They who are tempted to despise the faint languid appearances of an impotent inefficacious spiritless Religion discern a Majesty in that which is visibly living powerful and productive of suitable fruits Who that shall consider the state af the Christian Church and the gradual declining of Religion for that three hundred years from Constantines time to that of Phocas but shall see cause at once to lament the sin and folly of men and adore the righteous severity of God For as Christians grew gradually to be loose wanton sensual and their leaders contentious luxurious covetous proud ambitious affecters of Domination so was the Christian Church gradually forsaken of the divine presence Inasmuch as that at the same time when Boniface obtained from Phocas the title of universal Bishop in defiance of the severe sentence of his Predecessor Gregory the great sprang up the dreadful delusion of Mahomet †Brerewood's Enquiries And so spread it self to this day thorough Asia Africa and too considerable a part of Europe that where Christians were twenty or thirty to one there was now scarce one Christian to twenty or thirty Mahometans or grosser Pagans And what between the Mahometan infatuation and the Popish Tyranny good Lord what is Christendom become when by the one the very name is lost and by the other little else left but the name 4. Hereby we shall be inabled most resolvedly to suffer being call'd to it when it is for the great things of the Gospel the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ clearly and with assurance understood and acknowledg'd Such a faith will not be without its pleasant relishes 'T is an uncomfortable thing to suffer either for the meer spiritless uncertain unoperative notions and opinions or for the unenlivened outward forms of Religion that we never felt to do us good in which we never tasted sweetness or felt power that we were really nothing ever the better for But who will hesitate at suffering for so great things as the substantials of the Gospel which he hath clearly understood whereof he is fully assured and which he hath practically acknowledged and embraced so as to feel the energy and power of them and relish their delicious sweetness in his soul And thô by such suffering he himself perish from off this earth his Religion lives is spread the more in the present age and propagated to after ages So seminal and fruitful a thing is the blood of Martyrs as hath alwaies been observ'd And as such a faith of the Mystery of the Gospel appears to have this tendency to the best firmest and most lasting union among Christians and the consequent preservation of the Christian Interest this mystery being more generally considered only So this tendency of it would be more distinctly seen if we should consider the more eminent and remarkable parts of it The mystery of the Redeemers person The Emmanuel God uniting himself with the nature of man His Office A reconciler of God and Man to each other His Death as a propitiatory sacrifice to slay all enmity His victory and conquest over it wherein is founded his universal Empire over all His triumphant entrance into Heaven whither he is to collect all that ever lov'd trusted and obey'd him to dwell and be conversant together in his eternal love and praises How directly do all these tend to endear and bind the hearts and souls of Christians to God and him and one another in everlasting bonds Thus then we have the answer to our question in the two parts of the Text. The former pointing out to us the subjects of our union with the uniting principle by which they are to be combin'd with one another The other the center of it with the uniting principle whereby they are all to be united in that center Vse And what now remains but that we lament the decay of these two principles And to our uttermost endeavour the revival of them 1. We have great cause to lament their decay for how visible is it and how destructive to the common truly Christian Interest It was once the usual cognisance of those of this holy profession See how these Christians love one another and even refuse not to dye for each other Now it may be How do they hate and are like to dye and perish by the hands of one another Our Lord himself gave it them to be their distinguishing character By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if you love one another Good Lord what are they now to be known by And what a cloudy wavering uncertain lank spiritless thing is the Faith of Christians in this age become How little are the ascertaining grounds of it understood or endeavoured to be understood Most content themselves to profess
Conviction but endeavour the temporal and eternal destruction of all that are otherwise minded This Image like that of Nebuchadnezzar was once set up in this Nation with a Law that whoever would not bow down to it and worship it should be cast into the fiery Furnace God grant it to be so no more But if it should there is no preservation against the Influence of Force and Fires but a real experience of an efficacious Communication of Christ unto our Souls in this holy Ordinance administred according to his appointment This therefore is that we ought with all diligence to endeavour and this not only as the only way and means of our edification in this Ordinance by an exercise in Grace the strengthning of our Faith and present Consolation but as the effectual means of our preservation in the profession of the Truth and our deliverance from the Snares of our Adversaries For whereas it is undeniable that this peculiar Institution distinct from all other doth intend and design a distinct communication and exhibition of Christ if it be pressed on us that these must be done by Transubstantiation and Oral Manducation thereon and can be no otherwise nothing but an Experience of the power and efficacy of the Mystical Communion with Christ in this Ordinance before described will preserve us from being ensnared by their Pretences There is not therefore on all accounts of Grace and Truth any one thing of more concernment unto Believers than the due exercise of Spiritual Light and Faith unto a satisfactory experience of a peculiar participation of Christ in this Holy Institution The same is fallen out amongst them with reference unto the Church and all the principal Concerns of it having lost or renounced the things which belong unto its primitive Constitution they have erected a deformed Image in their stead as I shall manifest in some Instances SECT IV. IV. It is an unquestionable Principle of Truth that the Church of Christ is in it self a Body such a Body as hath an Head whereon it depends and without which it would immediately be dissolved a Body without an Head is but a Carkass or part of a Carkass and this Head must be always present with it An Head distant from the Body separated from it not united unto it by such ways and means as are proper unto their Nature is of no use See Eph. 4 15 16. Col. 2.19 But there is a double Notion of an Head as there is of a Body also For they both of them are either Natural or Political There is a Natural Body and there is a Political Body and in each sence it must have an Head of the same kind A Natural Body must have an Head of Vital Influence and a Political Body must have an Head of Rule and Government The Church is called a Body compared to it is a Body in both Sences or in both parts of the comparison and in both must have an Head As it is a Spiritually living Body compared to the Natural it must have an Head of Vital Influence without which it cannot subsist and as it is an Orderly Society for the common Ends of its Institution compared unto a Political Body it must have an Head of Rule and Government without which neither its Being nor its Use can be preserved But these are only distinct Considerations of the Church which is every way one and the same It is not two Bodies for then it must have two Heads but it is one Body under two distinct Considerations which divide not its Essence but declare its different Respects unto its Head And in General all who are called Christians are thus far agreed nothing is of the Church nothing belongs unto it which is not dependant on which is not united to the Head That which holds the Head is the true Church that which doth not so is no Church at all Herein we agree with our Adversaries namely that all the Privileges of the Church all the Right and Title of men thereunto depend wholly on their due Relation to the Head of it according to the distinct Considerations of it be that Head who or what it will that which is not united unto the Head which depends not on it which is separated from it belongs not to the Church This Head of the Church is Christ Jesus alone for the Church is but one although on various considerations it be likened unto two sorts of Bodies The Catholick Church is considered either as believing or as professing but the Believing Church is not one and the professing another If you suppose another Catholick Church besides this one whoso will may be the Head of it we are not concerned therein but unto this Church Christ is the only Head He only answers all the Properties and Ends of such an Head to the Church This the Scripture doth so positively and frequently affirm without the least intimation either directly or by consequence of any other Head that it is wonderful how the imagination of it should befall the Minds of any who thought it not meet at the same time to cast away their Bibles But whereas an Head is to be present with the Body or it cannot subsist the Enquiry is how the Lord Christ is so present with his Church And the Scripture hath left no pretence for any hesitation herein for he 〈◊〉 so by his Spirit and his Word by which he communicateth all the Powers and Vertues of an Head unto it continually His Promises of this way and manner of his Presence unto the Church are multiplied and thereon doth the Being Life Use and Continuance of the Church depend where Christ is not present by his Spirit and Word there is no Church and those who pretend so to be are the Synagogues of Satan and they are inseparable and conjunct in their operation as he is the Hâ—â—d of influence unto the Church as also as he is an Head of Rule for in the former sense the Spirit worketh by the Word and in the latter the Word is made effectual by the Spirit But the Sense and Apprehension hereof was for a long time lost in the world amongst them that called themselves the Church An Head they did acknowledge the Church must always have without which it cannot subsist and they would confess that in some sense he was an Head of influence unto it they know not how to have an Image thereof though by many other pernicious Doctrines they overthrew the Efficacy and Benefit of it But how he should be the only Head of Rule unto the Church they could not understand they saw not how he could act the Wisdom and Authority of such an Head and without which the Church must be headless They said he was absent and invisible they must have one that they could see and have access unto he is in Heaven and they know not how to make Address to him as occasion did require all things would go to disorder notwithstanding
without 'em a Prov. 1.32 The Prosperity of Fools destroyes ' em What doth Religion in this Case The Truth is there needs a great exercise of Religion to carry us safe thrô Freedom from Affliction b Job 1.5 Jobs extraordinary devotion upon his Childrens ordinary rejoycing in their prosperous Condition may Convincingly instruct us that there 's more danger in Freedom from Affliction than we are willing to suspect and it is more difficult to love and fear and trust God when we have the world than when we want it so that without Serious Godliness 't is impossible to withstand the insinuating and pleasing Temptation of flattering Prosperity and unless Faith be in Exercise we cannot do it with it What then is an afflicted Condition to be preferr'd Some that have had experience of both say Yes they have been afraid to come from under their Afflictions some sick Persons have been even afraid of Health thô they desir'd it lest what they got in their Sickness they should lose in their Health But yet the continuance of Afflictions breaks the Spirits and hinders that chearful serving and praising of God which is or should be the Life of a Christian thô many are better'd by Afflictions yet none are allowed to pray for Afflictions but against them and use all good means to avoid or remove them 't is one thing makes Heaven desirable the putting an end to all our Afflictions In short c Heb. 12.11 no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous whatever be the after-fruit of it This therefore is clogg'd with Vanity But what doth Religion in this Case Serious Godliness by Afflictions becomes more Serious God makes great use of Afflictions for the working and promoting of Piety and in this I think all experienced Christians are agreed they reckon sanctified Afflictions among the choicest Providences of their lives I commend the enlargement of this by your own Thoughts out of your own experiences And thus including these three Cases as in a large Parenthesis there 's one Case more that I would cautiously speak to which the Church Catholick truly so called may have more cause than ever tremblingly to consider and to seek more satisfying resolution than I can give for it's determination VI. What man upon Earth can peremptorily assert whether Peace or Persecution be just at such a time infallibly best for the Church of Christ 'T is easily granted that we must at all times pray for and endeavour the universal both outward and spiritual Peace of the Church and this that we may at all times do any thing but Sin to avoid or put an end to Persecution but let 's consider each as in the former instances That the Peace of the Church is beyond Expression desirable he is no Christian that denyes it those that are the greatest troublers of the Churches Peace do usually proclaim their Friendship to it calling their Affection to a party Love to the Church and the welfare of their party the Peace of the Church Now thô their Charity is too narrow to contract the Church into a party their Notion of Peace is large enough they would have it commensurate with the Church So that I need not be large to prove what no body denies Outward Prosperity was so much the Blessing of the Old Covenant that some confine it to that but others upon better Grounds expect more under the Gospel for d Luk. 1.74 75. this was no inconsiderable end of Christs coming into the World to deliver us out of the hands of our worldly Enemies to serve him without affrighting fears of men in Holiness before God and Righteousness before men all the dayes of our Life Which Prosperity when the Church hath enjoyed according to Christs purchase and Promise then they have walkt in the filial fear of the Lord and in the encouraging e Acts 9.31 Comforts of the Holy Ghost were multiplyed in number of Converts and increase of their Graces that were formerly converted But here as we use to say of pleasant weather 'T is pity fair weather should do any harm so 't is pity the Churches Prosperity should do any harm But alas the Church of Christian as little bear continual Prosperity as long Adversity a Calm is sometimes as dangerous as a Storm Many are the Temptations and Snares of a Prosperous condition it breeds Hypocrites Errors and Heresies spring up like Weeds in rank ground Professors are apt to grow Remiss and Careless Wanton and Secure to be too fond of the Present and to hanker after more Temporal Happiness than God judges good for them How hardly were the very Apostles awakened from dreaming of Christs temporal Kingdom and the very best of 'em from suing for great Offices at Court O the Divisions among Brethren when Pride makes them quarrelsome When the World favours the Church the Church slides into the World then their worldliness spoils their Christianity and their Christianity palliates their worldliness and so those things are mixt which can never be compounded But now Serious Godliness is the best Preservative against Surfeiting on Prosperity 'T is Grace in the Exercise and Growth that powerfully enables and necessarily provokes to improve the Churches Peace to all Spiritual advantages The Church of the Jews was never in such a flourishing condition as in Solomon's Reign and is it not well worthy our observation that the Posterity of his Servants who became Proselytes to the Jewish Religion were several Ages after his death doubly recorded by a Neh. 7.57.60 the Spirit of God above the Proselytes of former Ages 'T is Serious Godliness that keeps them humble and always upon their Watch against flattering Temptations that keeps them low in their own eyes and from despising others and what on this side great Grace could make David who had a b 1 Chron. 22.14 greater Summe of ready Money than ever any had in the World either before or since preferr that little of Scripture that was penn'd in his time before an innumerable Treasure c Psal 119.72 He had also a List of Worthies d 2 Sam. 23. never the like in the World yet he e Psal 16.3.119.63 preferrs the Communion of Saints before ' em To have our Conversation in Heaven when 't is best with us upon Earth this can only be effected by the Power of Godliness believe it Christians this is no easie matter What then Is a State of Persecution more Eligible Before I dare speak a word to this I must premise this Caution Let not Persecutors take encouragement to be more outragious in their Persecution and then scornfully tell you this is good for 'em their Pastors tell 'em 't is sometimes better for 'em than Peace This is like Julian who in every thing he did with a deep Reach and greater Malice than former Emperors to undermine and worm out the Christian Religion he still twitted the Christians with some advice
those terms for so it doth it is the scope and end of the Promise to secure Life and Glory to those that accept of it upon the terms propounded the Command directs in the way and the Promise makes over and conveys the blessing Believe and thou shalt be saved Act. 16.31 So Joh. 3.16 and Rom. 2.7 To them that by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and Immortality Eternal life is promised Now the Word and Promise of God not only as revealing Life to us and the way to it but as conveying it is the ground of our Faith and Hope though without the Word we might have some more general Knowledge of a State of Happiness in the other World yet without the Word we cannot know the way to it nor ever attain to an Interest in it nor have so full certainty of the very being of it as by the Word we have the certainty of Faith being greater than that of any natural Knowledge whatever we have no ground at all to believe we shall be saved but what the Promise affords us And that is sufficient ground to build our Faith upon and a better we cannot have than the Word of him that is the Truth it self and so can neither deceive nor be deceived God that cannot lie hath promised Eternal life Tit. 1.2 Upon the Infallibility and Veracity of that God in his holy Word the Faith of a Christian rests and a surer Foundation for it cannot be imagined and need not be desired As the certainty of any assent of the Mind to a truth depends upon the strength and firmness of the Reason or Argument which moves to and procures that Assent and is the Cause of it so likewise the certainty of Faith proceeds from the goodness and validity of the Authority which is the Motive to and Reason of our believing or which is the same the ground of it If we believe a man that belief is more or less certain according as the Person on whose Authority our belief is grounded is more or less credible and so when we believe God our Faith is such as its Foundation is the Effect imitates the Cause the foundation of that Faith Gods Veracity is the best and therefore the certainty of our â—aith is the greatest If a man be sure that what he believes is the Word of God he may be sure it is most true and never will fail And this no doubt may be sufficient to satisfie a Believer in his own mind or any one that receives the Scripture as the Word of God concerning the reality of the Faith he professeth that the ground of it is so certain but if he have to do with those that believe not the Scripture and so question the foundation of his Faith in that case he may have recourse to all those Arguments whereby we are wont to prove the Divine Authority of the Word and they all Confirm the Faith of a Christian and so the same account a Believer may give of the foundation of his Faith as of the Divinity of the Scripture if the Scripture be the Word of God and that Word be true his Faith built upon it is certain 3. The Actings of a Christians Faith are perceivable by himself Habits which cannot be discerned of themselves when they lye still yet may be known by their actings such an Habit Faith is which though it discover not it self or be not perceived when unactive yet may be discern'd in its exercise When a man actually believes he may know he believes reflect upon his own act as well as when he hears or sees or walks he may know he doth so and is not deceived in it Inward Sense hath as much certainty in it as outward and spiritual Sense as natural if a man therefore assent to the Truth of Gods Promise he may know he assents to it and if he accept of and close with the good Promised he may know he doth so though sometimes Temptations may be so strong and the Actings of Faith so weak and the Mind so clouded and distracted that a man may hardly be able to pass a right judgement on those Acts yet it is not always so but other whiles when the workings of Faith are more strong and vigorous and a man more clear of temptations he may do it In this therefore a man may give an account to himself of his Faith that it is reall he may know that he believes the Promise of Eternal Life as really as he believes any ordinary Truth proposed to him and that his believing and resting on Gods Word is no more a Fancy than his believing the word of a man As for others with whom he hath to do I know no reason why they should not believe him when he says he believes Gods Promise as well as when he says he believes their word or why one should be a Fancy any more than the other 4. The Effects of a Believers faith are evident to others in a good measure as well as to himself more fully As he may perceive his Faith purifying his heart taking it off from the World drawing it nearer to God so others may see his Conversation ordered correspondently to his believing they may see him Shie of Sin Diligent in Duty Conscientious in his Calling Patient in Sufferings Charitable to those that Need him Meek towards those that Offend him Profitable Spiritual Savoury in his Converse Just and Righteous in his Dealings and in a wâ—â—d the main of his Course and Wayes such as is agreable to thâ— Faith he professeth and the Recompence he expects So that if the lookers on cannot be infallibly certain of the reality of his Faith or that such a Carriage proceeds from such a Faith yet they may not only have their Mouths stopped that they cannot reasonably object against it but they may be bound in Charity to believe his Faith to be true and real when they see so much in him answerable to it and what he professeth to be the effect of it when they see him live like one that expects eternal Blessedness well may they believe that his Faith concerning it and hope of it is not feigned They see him walking strictly mortifying his flesh denying himself as to his outward enjoyments and carnal liberties and generally acting at such a rate as none would do that did not expect Eternal Life and what ground can they then have to suspect the Faith he pretends to to be only a Conceit or Fancy 2. An account may be given of the Practice of a Christian his Obedience and Holy walking the strictness and as the World counts it singularity of his Manners his universality diligence and constancy in the most spiritual and difficult Duties his watchfulness over his words thoughts actions his mortification and self-denyal and whatever it is in a Believers life which the World is most apt to quarrel with and to look upon as the effect of Humour or
corrupting Additions to Christianity as the circumstances of the Text shew vers 15. How like a Case this is to ours with our Popish Enemies I need not tell you And now in this Case when the Faith of many was overthrown so much hurt was already done and the danger of greater was so manifest partly by the most insinuating methods of Seduction partly by the terror of Persecution the great care was to secure the uncorrupted residue and preserve unextinct the true Christian Interest The urgency of this Case puts the solicitous concerned spirit of this great Apostle into an inexpressible Agony as his words do intimate I would you knew what conflict I have and not for these Colossians only but for them of Laodicea which was not very remote from Colosse and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh For it was a common Case and upon him lay the care of all the Churches So that hence his musing meditative Mind could not but be revolving many thoughts and casting about for Expedients how the threatning danger might be obviated and averted And these in the Text which he fastens upon and wherein his thoughts center how apt and proper they were to that Case and consequently to ours which so little differs will be seen 2. By our opening and viewing the Import of the Text it felf Wherein he 1. Proposes to himself the End which he apprehended was most desirable and above all things to be coveted for them That their hearts might be comforted A word of much larger signification than in vulgar acceptation it is understood to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies with profane as well as the sacred Writers not only to administer Consolation to a grieved Mind but to exhort quicken excite and animate to plead and strive with dull and stupid wavering and unresolved minds It was thought indeed comprehensive enough to expresse all the Operations of the divine Spirit upon the Souls of men when not only the Christian Church but the World yet to be Christianiz'd was to be the Subject of them as we see Joh. 16.8 In respect whereof that holy Spirit hath its name of Office the Paraclet from this word And it being the passive that is here used it signifies not only the endeavours themselves which are used to the purpose here intended but the effect of them wherein they all terminate a lively vigorous confirm'd State and habit of Soul And that not indefinite but determined to one thing the Christian Faith and Profession which the Apostles drift and scope plainly shewes 'T is not to be thought he so earnestly coveted and strove that they might be jocund chearful abounding with joy and courage in any course right or wrong But that they might be encouraged establish't confirm'd in their Christianity And if the word he here uses were large enough to signifie as was noted above all that was necessary to make men Christians it may as well all that is necessary to continue them such In short the end which the Apostle aims at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intended to these Christians was their Establishment and confirm'd State in their Christianity as the Effect of all Apostolical or Ministerial Exhortations Perswasions Encouragments or any whatsoever endeavours made efficacious to that purpose by the powerful Influence and Operation of the holy Ghost And that it was no lower thing than this we have sufficient Evidence by comparing the close of the foregoing chapter with the beginning of this Where we find chap. 1.28 the avowed design of his preaching warning and teaching in all wisdom was that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus That whereas there were various Arts and Endeavours used to adulterate the Christian Religion and pervert men from the simplicity of it he might lose none but to his very uttermost keep all in a possibility of being presented perfect in Christ Jesus at last i. e. That they might be all entire compleat and persevering Christians to the end And for this he adds vers 29. he did labour striving according to his working which wrought in him mightly All his labour and the strivings of his Soul acted by divine Power and by a Spirit greater than his own did aim at this End And now hereupon he intimates how fervid these his strivings were chap. 2.1 I would you did but know what it is not for me to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what an Agony I endure how great this my conflict is for you and for them at Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh And for what That their Hearts might be comforted as we read meaning manifestly the same thing he had exprest before that notwithstaning all endeavours of others to the contrary they might be compleat and confirm'd Christians to the last 2. We have next to consider in the Text the means or what expedients the Apostle conceives would be most effectually conducing to this blessed purpose They are two Mutual Love to one another And A clear certain efficacious Faith of the Gospel The former is shortly and plainly exprest The other by a copious and most Emphatical Periphrasis or Circumlocution He most earnestly covets to have them knit together by both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compacted as the word imports in the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and unto or into the other as that Particle signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1. Mutual Love to one another q. d. The thing were done or much were done towards it if they were knit together in Love compacted made all of a Piece if by Love they did firmly cohere and cleave to one another For then it would be One and all and 't is scarce ever supposeable they should all agree to quit their Religion at once But if that were to be supposed he adds another thing that would put all out of doubt 2. A clear certain efficacious Faith of the Gospel For the several expressions that follow are but a descripton of such a Faith Where we are to note What he would have them apprehend And The apprehensive Principle 1. What he would have them apprehend viz. The Summ and Substance of the Christian Doctrine which he calls a Mystery both because it was so in it self and 't is often spoken of under that name by our Lord himself Mat. 13.11 and familarly by this Apostle Rom. 16.25 Epes 3.3 9. Col. 1.26 and elsewhere And because of the high pretence of the Gnosticks to the knowledge of Mysteries which sometimes he slights Especially being unaccompanied with Love as with them it most eminently was Thô I understand all Mysteries and all knowledge and have no Charity I am nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 Knowledge puffeth up love edifies chap. 8.1 Sometimes as here he makes the sincere Doctrine of the Gospel to outvy theirs herein intimating that such as made Profession of it could have no Temptation to go over
we firmly resolve never to do any thing with regret or a misgiving heart at least Not against a prevailing doubt for in very doubtful cases to be rid of all formido oppositi or suspicion that the matter may be otherwise is perhaps impossible to me but to do any thing against the preponderating inclination of my judgment and conscience were great wickedness and such as if it were known would make me unfit for any communion whatsoever And I do here appeal to you who most severely blame any of us for our dissent from you whether if we should thus declare to you That 't is truly against our consciences to communicate with you upon your terms we believe we should greatly offend God in it and draw upon us his displeasure but yet to please you and prevent our temporal inconvenience or ruine we will do it I appeal to you I say whether we should not hereby make our selves uncapable of any Christian communion with you or any others This is then the plain State of the case and you do even put these words into our mouths If we follow the dictate of our consciences we must decline you if we go against it you must decline us supposing we declare it if we dclare it not we have nothing to qualify us for your communion but hypocrisy and dissimulation And what do you gain by such an accession to the Church you have gained in any such case not half the man the outside the carkass only or the shadow of the man i. e. when you have debaucht our consciences when you have spoil'd us and made us worth nothing then we are yours wherein you shew nothing of love either to us or to your selves Others again that are themselves men of more reason and conscience take the somewhat more manly and Christian course and bend themselves by argument to convince the reason and satisfy the consciences of such as differ from them But herein also there may be an excesse that is unprofitable and grievous to those they would work upon by this course And from which therefore Christian love studying the peace and quiet of their brethren would restrain them I say from the ungrateful excesse of such an endeavour For I would fain know can there not herein be an excesse Is it not supposeable that they who differ from me in such lesser things may be sometime arrived to a settlement and fixedness of judgment in them as well as I Is it not possible they have weighed the moments of things as much as I have done Is such a cause infinite Is it not possible that all may have been said in it which is to be said and the matter have been sifted to the very bran So that all my further arguings may serve but to argue my vain self-confidence or aboundingness in my own sense as if all wisdom were to dy with me Or what if they serve at length but to shew the incapacity of the subject to be wrought upon and the different complexion of his mind I am treating with All cannot receive all things We cannot make our sentiments enter with every one Perhaps they shew the weakness of his understanding And then hath that direction of the Apostle no Authority with us Him that is weak in the Faith receive but not to doubtful disputations Rom. 14.1 He whom we account our weaker brother and of slower understanding must be received not cast out of our communion and because God himself hath received him as vers 3. q. d. Is he thought fit for Gods communion notwithstanding his unsatisfied-scruple and is he unfit for yours And he is not to be vexed and importun'd with continual disputation if that Apostolical precept be of any value with us Sometime at least we should think we have try'd in such a case as far as is fit and driven the nail as far as it will go Is it not possible such a matter may be agitated beyond the value of it and that more time and pains may be spent upon it than it is worth The obscurity and perplexity of the controversy shewes the less necessity Things most necessary are most plain Must we alwaies in matters of confessedly little moment be inculcating the same thing rolling endlesly the returning stone and obtruding our offensive Crambe Perhaps as no good is done we do much hurt When is the saw of disputation long drawn about one thing without ill effects Reason having at length spent its strength growes as weak people are peevish and froward degenerates into anger and clamour In greater differences than our present ones between the Protestant Churches abroad Some of more prudent and peaceable minds have earnestly press'd the laying aside of disputes and putting a Period by consent to their Theological wars Solitarum disputationum labyrinthos â—e ingredi quidem conentur * Davenant Sent. ad Duraeum Said a great Divine in his daies in reference to those controversies that he would have had compos'd by an amicable brotherly conference And that King of Navarre who at that time seem'd highly concern'd for the peace and welfare of the reformed Churches afterwards Henry the 4th of France in his negotiations with divers Princes to that purpose gave special instructions to his Embassador much to insist upon this †Vt acerbis illis contentionibus quibus verbis rixati sunt inter se Theoligi scriptis ejusmodi disputationibus silentio tandem finis imponatur ut Christianae charitas et animorum fraterna conjunctio revocetur Mandat Hen. Reg. Navar. Jacobo Siguria Legato suo c. Apud Goldastum That till other remedies could be used an end might be put to bitter contentions and disputations that Christian love and a brotherly union might be restored And who sees not how much this would conduce to peace and union in our case too who sees it not that is a hearty lover of peace and that is not intent upon continuing and keeping afoot a controversy not so much aâ— a means to that but as an end contending for contentions sake and as a thing which he loves and delights in for it self I am sure love to our brethren would not let us continually molest and importune them to no purpose And 't is fit they that urge to us these are little things which they importune us about should know we have great things to mind of eternal concernment to us And that we cannot be alwayes at leasure to mind little things beyond the proportion of our little-time on earth and the little value of the things themselves 10. Sincere love restored and exercised more among us would certainly make us forbear reviling and exposing one another and the industrious seeking one anothers ruine For such as can allow themselves to do any thing that hath this tendency not to preserve publick order but to gratify their private ill will not in a suddain heat and passion but deliberately and so as to pursue
it only as the Religion of their Countrey and which was delivered to them by their forefathers And so are Christians but upon the same terms as other Nations are Mahometans or more gross Pagans as a worthy Writer some time since took notice * Pink's Trial of a Christians love to Christ How few make it their business to see things with their own eyes to believe and be sure that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God! How far are we from the riches of the full assurance of understanding How little practical and governing is the faith of the most How little doth it import of an acknowledgment of the mystery of God viz. of the Father and of Christ How little effectual is it which it can be but in proportion to the grounds upon which it rests When the Gospel is received not as the word of man but of God it works effectually in them that so believe it 1 Thes 2.13 2. Let us endeavour the revival of these principles This is that in reference whereto we need no humane laws We need not Edicts of Princes to be our warrant for this practice loving one another and cleaving with a more grounded lively Faith to God and his Christ Here is no place for scruple of Conscience in this matter And as to this mutual love What if others will not do their parts to make it so What shall we only love them that love us and be fair to them that are fair to us salute them that salute us do not even the Publicans the same What then do we more than others as was the just expostulation of our Saviour upon this supposition Mat. 5.47 And let us endeavour the more thorough deep radication of our faith that it may be more lively and fruitful which this Apostle you see not forgetting his scope and aim further presses in the following verses testifying his joy for what he understood there was of it among these Christians Thô I be absent in the flesh yet I am with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ vers 5. And exhorting them to pursue the same course As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him stablished in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving vers 6 7. And what also must we suspend the exercise and improvement of our Faith in the great Mysteries of the Gospel till all others will agree upon the same thing Let us do our own part so as we may be able to say Per me non stetit it was not my fault but Christians had been combined and entirely one with each other but they had been more thoroughly Christian and more entirely united with God in Christ that Christianity had been a more lively powerful awful amiable thing If the Christian community moulder decay be enfeebled broken dispirited ruin'd in gteat part this ruine shall not rest under my hand We shall have abundant consolation in our own souls if we can acquit our selves that as to these two things we lamented the decay and loss and endeavoured the restitution of them and therein as much as in us was of the Christian Interest Quest How ought we to bewail the Sins of the Places where we live SERMON V. 2 PET. II. 7 8. And delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy Conversation of the wicked § 1 THE Apostle vers 6. recollects the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as the Ensamples of the Punishment that should befall those impure Seducers against whom he wrote By occasion whereof he mentions Gods delivering care of Lot whose holy carriage being so contrary to the unholy Practices of the Sodomites God made his Condition happily different from theirs also for so saith the Text he delivered just Lot vexed c. § 2 In the words there are these two distinct parts 1. Gods happy Delivering of Lot delivered just Lot 2. Lots holy Severity to himself for he was not only vexed but he vexed himself he vexed his righteous soul with their unlawful deeds The Second part is the subject of my ensuing Discourse which presents us with this doctrinal Observation Doct. It is the disposition and duty of the righteous to be deeply afflicted with the sins of the Places where they live In the discussing of which divine and seasonable Truth I shall 1. Produce those obvious Scripture Examples that clearly agree with it 2. Principally shew after what manner the righteous ought to Mourn for the sins of others 3. Shew the Reasons why it is the Disposition and Duty of the Righteous to be so afflicted and mournful for the sins of others 4. Lastly I shall endeavour to Improve the whole by Application I. For the obvious Scripture Examples Our Lord Jesus shall be the § 3 first whose pattern herein amounts to a Precept Mark 3.5 Christ saith the Text was grieved for the hardness of their hearts viz. in opposing his holy and saving Doctrines David professeth that rivers of water ran down his eyes because men kept not Gods Law and that when he beheld the Transgressors he was grieved because they kept not his Word Psal 119.136.158 The next Example shall be Ezra's who hearing of the sins of the People in marrying with Heathens in token of bitter grief for it rent his garment and mantle and pluckt off the hair of his Beard and Head and sate down astonied Ezra 9.3 And Chap. 10.6 he did neither eat bread nor drink water for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carryed away To these I might add the Example of Jeremiah who Chap. 13. vers 17. tells the wicked that if they would not bear his Soul should weep in secret places for their pride and his eyes weep sore and run down with tears I shall conclude this with that expression of holy Paul Philip. 3.18 Many walk of whom I tell you weeping that they are enemies of the Cross of Christ II. The Manner how this Duty of Mourning for the Sins of others § 4 is to be performed This I shall consider in three branches 1. How we should mourn in respect of God before whom we mourn 2. How we should mourn in respect of the Wicked for whom we mourn 3. How we should mourn in respect of our selves who are the Mourners 1. For the first Branch as our Mourning respects God It is to be performed with advancing of those perfections of his that relate to those great Sins and Sinners for which and for whom we mourn And in our mourning for the Sins of others in respect of God we must advance 1. His great and unparallel'd Patience and Long-suffering extended towards those whose Sins we mourn and lament over This was evident in Nehemiah's confessing and bewailing the sins of the sinful Jewes Nehem. 9.30 At large he confesseth their sins in that Chapter but vers 30 31. he
up unto him in all things who is the head despiseth this Image and Dagon will fall to the ground when this ark is brought in yea though it be in his own Temple SECT VIII In the farther opening of this Chamber of Imagery we shall yet if it be possible see greater Abominations At least that which doth next ensue is scarce inferiour unto any of them that went before It is a principle in Christian Religion an acknowledged verity that it is the duty of the Disciples of Christ especially as united in Churches to propagate the faith of the Gospel and to make the doctrine of it known unto all as they have opportunity yea this is one principal end of the constitution of Churches and officers in them Mat. 5.13 14 15 16. 1 Tim. 3.15 This our Lord Jesus Christ gave in special charge unto his Apostles at the beginning Mat. 28.19 20. Mark 16.15 16. Hereby they were obliged unto the work of propagating the faith of the Gospel and the knowledge of him therein in all places and were justified in their so doing And this they did with that efficacy and success that in a short time like the light of the Sun their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world Rom. 10.18 And the Gospel was said to be preached unto every Creature which is under Heaven Col. 1.23 The way therefore whereby they propagated the faith was by diligent laborious preaching of the Doctrine of the Gospel unto all persons in all places with patience and magnanimity in undergoing all sorts of sufferings on the account of it and a declaration of its power in all those vertues and graces which are useful and exemplary unto mankind It is true their Office and the discharge of it is long since Leased Howbeit it cannot be denyed but that the Work it self is incumbent in a way of duty on all Churches yea on all Believers as they have providential Calls unto it and Opportunities for it For it is the principal way whereby they may glorifie God and benefit men in their chiefest Good which without doubt they are obliged unto This notion of Truth is retained in the Church of Rome and the work it self is appropriated by them unto themselves alone unto them and them only as they suppose it belongs to take care of the propagation of the faith of the Gospel with the conversion of Infidels and Hereticks Whatever is done unto this purpose by others they condemn and abhor What do they think of the primitive way of doing it by personal Preaching Sufferings and Holiness Will the Pope his Cardinals and Bishops undertake this work or way of the discharge of it Christ hath appointed no other the Apostles and their Successors knew no other no other becomes the Gospel nor ever had Success No they abhor and detest this way of it What then is to be done Shall the Truth be denyed Shall the work be wholely and avowedly laid aside neither will this please them because it is not suited unto their honour wherefore they have erected a dismal Image of it unto the horrible reproach of Christian Religion They have indeed provided a double painting for the Image which they have set up The first is the constant consult of some persons at Rome which they call congregatio de propaganda fide a Counsel for the Propagation of the Faith under the effect of whose consultations Christendom hath long grieved And the other is the Sending of Missionaries as they call them or a Surcharge of Fryars from their over numerous Fraternities upon their errands into remote Nations But the Real Image it self consists of these three parts 1. The Sword 2. The Inquisition 3. Plots and Conspiracies By these it is that they design to propagate the Faith and promote Christian Religion And if Hell it self can invent a more deformed Image and Representation of the sacred Truth and Work which it is a counterfeit of I am much mistaken Thus have they in the first way carried Christian Religion into the Indies especially the Western Parts of the World so called First the Pope out of the plenitude of his power gives unto the Spaniard all those Countreys and the Inhabitants of them that they may be made Christians But Christ dealt not so with his Apostles though he were Lord of all when he sent them to teach and baptize all Nations He dispossessed none of them of their Temporal Rights or Enjoyments nor gave to his Apostles a foot breadth of Inheritance among them But upon this Grant the Spanish Catholicks propagâ—ted the Faith and brought in Christian Religion amongst them And they did it by killing and murthering many millions of innocent persons as some of themselves say more than are alive in Europe in any one Age. And this savage Cruelty hath made the name of Christians detestable amongst all that remained of them that had any Exercise of Reason some few slavish Brutes being brought by force to submit unto this new kind of Idolatry And this we must think to be done in obedience unto that command of Christ Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel unto every Creature he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved and he that believeth not shall be damned This is the deformed Image which they have set up of Obedience unto his holy Commands whereunto they apply that voice to Peter with respect unto the eating of all sorts of Creatures Arise Peter kill and eat So have they dealt with those poor Nations whom they have devoured But Blood Murder and unjust War as all War is for the Propagation of Religion with persecution began in Cain who derived it from the Devil that Murderer from the beginning for he was of that wicked one and slew his Brother Jesus Christ the Son of God was manifesâ— to destroy these works of the Devil Heb. 2. And he doth it in the world by his Word and Doctrine judging and condemning them And he does it in his Disciples by his Spirit extirpating them out of their minds hearts and ways so as that there is not a more assured Character of a Derivation from the Evil Spirit than force and blood in Religion for the propagating of it The next part of this Image the next way used by them for the propagating of the Faith and the conversion of them they call Hereticks is the Inquisition So much hath been declared and is known thereof that it is needless here to give a Portraicture of it It may suffice that it hath been long since opened like Cacus's Den and discovered to be the greatest Arsenal of Cruelty the most dreadful Shambles of blood and slaughter that ever was in the World This is that Engine which hath supplyed the Scarlet Whore with the blood of Saints and the blood of the Martyrs of Jesus until she was drunk with it And this is the Second way or means whereby they propagate the Faith
Princes Laws that they may not suffer It is some sign of a regard to God and your Salvation that you are troubled about Religion and careful to know which is the right even Controversie is better than Atheistical Indifferency that will be on the upper side be it what it will If you cast Acorns or Pulse among them Swine will strive for it or if it be Carrion Dogs will fight for it but if it be Gold or Jewels Dogs and Swine will never strive for them but tread them in the dirt but cast them before men and they will be all togeâ—her by the ears for them Lawyers contend about Law and Princes about Dominion which others mind not and Religious Persons strive about Religion and what wonder is this It doth but shew that they value their Souls and Religion and that their Understandings are yet imper-But if you will follow these plain Directions Controversies need not break your Peace I. See that you be true to the Light and Law of Nature which all Mankind is obliged to observe If you had no Scripture nor Christianity Nature that is the works of God do tell you that there is a God and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him it tells you that God is absolutely perfect in Power Knowledge and Goodness and that man is a reasonable free Agent made by him and therefore is his own and at his Will and Government It tells you that a mans Actions are not indifferent but some things we ought to do and some things we ought not to do and that Virtue and Vice moral Good and Evil do greatly differ and therefore that there is some universal Law which obligeth us to the Good and forbids the Evil and that this can be none but the Law of the universal Governour which is God it tells all men that they owe this God their absolute Obedience because he is their most wise and absolute Ruler and that they owe him their chiefest Love because he is not only the chief Benefactor but also most perfectly amiable in himself It tells us that he hath made us all sociable Members of one world and that we owe Love and Helps to one another It tells us that all this Obedience to God can never be in vain nor to our loss and it tells us that we must all die and that fleshly pleasures and this transitory world will quickly leave us There is no more cause to doubt of all or any of this than whether man be man Be true to this much and it will be a great help to all the rest II. And as to Gods Supernatural Revelation hold to Gods Word the Sacred Bible written by the special Inspiration of the Holy Ghost as the sufficient Records of it It is not Divine Faith if it rest not on Divine Revelation nor is it Divine Obedience which is not given to Divine Government or Command Mans word is to be believed but as it deserveth with a humane Faith and mans Law must be obeyed according to the measure of his Authority with a humane Obedience but these are far different from a Divine There is no universal Ruler of all the World or Church but God no man is capable of it nor any Council of men Gods Law is only in Nature and in the Holy Scripture and that being the Law by which he will judge us it is the Law which is the only Divine Rule of our Faith or Judgment our Hearts and Lives Though all in the Scripture is not of equal clearness or necessity but a man may be saved that understandeth not a thousand Sentences therein yet all that is necessary to Salvation is plainly there contained and Gods Law is perfect to its designed Use and needeth no Supplement of mans Hold close to Scripture-Sufficiency or you will never know what to hold to Councils and Canons are far more uncertain and there is no agreement among their Subjects which of them are obligatory and which not nor any possible way to come to an Agrement III. Yet use with thankfulness the help of Men for the understanding and obeying the Word of God Though Lawyers as such have none of the Legislative power you need their help to understand the Use of the Law aright And though no men have power to make Laws for the Church Universal yet men must be our Teachers to understand and use the Laws of God We are not born with Faith or Knowledge we know nothing but what is taught us except what Sense or Intuition perceiveth or Reason gathereth from thence If you ask Whom must we learn of I Answer of those that know and have learnt themselves No Name or Title or Relation or Habit will enable any man to teach you that which he knoweth not himself 1. Children must learn of their Parents and Tutors 2. People must learn of their able faithful Pastors and Catechizers 3. All Christians must be Teachers by Charitable Helps to one another But Teaching and Law-making are two things To Teach another is but to shew him that same Scientifical Evidence of Truth by which the Teacher knoweth it himself that the Learner may know it as he doth To say You shall believe that is true which I say is true and that this is the meaning of it is not Teaching but Law-giving and to believe such an one is not to learn or know though some humane Belief of our Teachers is necessary to Learners IV. Take nothing as necessary to the Being of Christianity and to Salvation which is not recorded in the Scripture and hath not been held as necessary by all true Christians in every Age and Place Not that we must know men first to be true Christians that by them we may know what Christian Truth is but the plain Scripture tells all men what Christianity is and by that we know whom to take for Christians But if any thing be new and risen since the Apostles writing of the Scripture that can be no Point essential to Christianity else Christianity must be a mutable thing and not the same now as it was heretofore or else there were no Christians before this Novelty in the world The Church were not the Church nor were any man a Christian if they wanted any essential part of Faith or Practice But here take heed of Sophisters deceit Though nothing is necessary to Salvation but all sound Christians have still believed yet all is not necessary or true or good which all good Christians have believed or done much less all which the tempted worser part have held For though the Essence of Christianity have been ever and every where the same yet the Opinions of Christians and their Mistakes and Faults have been none of their imitable Faith or Practice Humane Nature is essentially the same in Adam and in all men but the Diseases of Nature are another thing If all men have Sin and Error so have all Churches their Christianity is of
our Fathers have told us this and that Observation And likewise as we have heard so we have seen what may be very useful to many a Soul So that you see a good Memory is useful many ways 6. The want of Memory is a great defect and loss when we cannot remember what we read or hear why time is lost I will not say quite lost but it s not improv'd The Chapter 's lost I hope you do not read only to pass the time When Gods Word is remembred then When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee and when thou awakest it shall talk with thee Prov. 6.22 But a broken memory hath heard of Gods famous Acts of Providence but forgotten them hath read rare examples of Gods Mercy Justice Power and Goodness but they are slipt and lost In a word so far as thy Memory fails so far will Meditation fail Delectation fail and Practice in a great measure fail And therefore set your selves in the use of the means prescribed and all other good means to heal and strengthen your memories and give the more earnest heed to the things which ye have heard lest at any time ye let them slip Heb. 2.1 And so far in the third use 4. The fourth Exhortation is to young people to store your Memories in the time of Youth Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Youth Now your Memories are fresh and strong hereafter they will be shattered with cares and business A new Ship or any Vessel that is new is free from leaks but time and travel will batter it so will it be with you care will batter you grief will batter you and therefore now store your selves now a dozen Chapters a good Catechism a Collection of useful Texts and Doctrines will take no room nor make you go the heavier nor sleep the worse And therefore it concerns Parents both to have such things in their hearts and to teach them diligently to their Children perhaps they may not understand the sense of them at the present but these will be ready in their minds till grace and understanding come and then they will help them exceedingly As we lay some sticks or fagots ready in the Chimney which when fire comes signifies something Yet a measure must be observed both with old and young a Ship may be laden but must not be overcharged lest all the Cargo be sunk and lost A just discretion will best determine the measure herein according to the capacities of the Subjects 5. Let us all labour for more holiness for that raiseth all the faculties and reduces them to their right frame and proper Objects The more Grace we have the better we shall remember and especially better things Grace saith excellent Dr. Harris strengthens the memory always for practice though it serve not always for Discourse some says he have such memories that they can repeat vastly but when they should advance to practise they are nobody when others are more confused in their memories but very clear in their practise A grain of Grace is worth an ounce of Parts For thereby we love truths and duties better and it is easy to remember that which we love and therefore let it be our daily Prayer that the God of Peace would sanctifie us wholly Spirit Soul Body all It is not for Christians to enquire just how little Grace will serve our turn for Salvation but rather how much may be attained and improved to the glory of God 6. Lastly Reduce into practice that which you do remember Christus Magister vitae non schola The end of all true knowledge is Practice Remember his Commandments to do them If it be a Doctrinal Truth which you read or hear consider what influence it hath upon the Heart If it be a duty which is set before you immediately set about it If a sin be exposed presently root it out If Sincerity or Hypocrisie be decyphered try thy spiritual State thereby without delay For as a Treasure in the Chest is in danger of the Robber but when it s laid out on a good Purchase here its safe from starting so while spiritual Notions swim only in the memory you may easily lose them but they are safe when they are once incorporated into your real Practise But alas there are too many that are like those whiffling Chapmen who come to the Shop and lay by a great many rich wares but when all is done they buy few or none so these cheapen and bid for the Pearl but will not buy it they will talk over all the points of Religion before they will seriously Practise any one of them Then you remember the Sabboth a right when you so remember it before it comes that when it comes you keep it Holy Then you remember God truly when you fear and love and trust in him Then you remember your Neighbour as you ought when you remember to do good and Communicate Then you remember your selves best when you remember to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God or men In a word then you remember your latter end rightly when you keep your oyl ready in your Lamps and in your Vessels that your Master may find you so doing But I conclude It is worth observing that Holy David among all the rest of his blessed Psalms hath one which is the Thirty eight Psalm which he Stiles a Psalm of David to bring to remembrance His memory it seems had need of help as well as ours Now the Lord grant that this Sermon may by the blessing of God upon it be herein at least useful namely to preserve better Sermons in your mind so shall I have my end God the Glory and you the Comfort Amen Quest What are the Signs and Symptoms whereby we know we love the Children of God SERMON XV. I. JOHN V. II By this we know we love the Children of God if we love God and keep his Commandments OF all the Marks that are useful in the Trial of our spiritual state in reference to Eternity there is none affords a more clear and comfortable assurance of Gods special and saving Mercy than Love to the Saints This has often resolved the Doubts and quieted the Fears of afflicted enquiring Souls when other Graces have not been so apprehensible in their operations But there is no Mark which the deceitful heart does more securely rest upon through the mistake of natural humane Love for that which is spiritual and divive it is therefore most worthy our serious thoughts the deceit being so easie and infinitely dangerous to shew what is the unfeigned genuine Love of the Brethren to which Salvation is annext to confirm the humble sincere Christian and undeceive presuming hypocrites The great Design of St. John in this Epistle is to excite and enflame in Christians the Love of God and of their Brethren the two comprehensive Duties and Sum of the Law
are given for as the rigid Dominicans do certainly make God the Cause of Sin whether culpable or not culpable is not the Question even so do the Scotists and Molinists for they both include in the matter of Sin somewhat more than what is meerly Natural even somewhat that is morally Vicious and yet assert that this Matter is the immediate effect of Gods Causality only the one says That God does as it were take man by the hand and lead him to Sin the other That man determines the Efficiency of God and the Scotist says That the first and second Cause do walk hand in hand to the Sin but whether I lead another to the Sin and help him to commit it or whether I am taken by the Sinner and determined to help him to produce what is sinful in the Act or whether I walk with him stil I am at least a Concauser of what is sinful in the Act so that neither the Scotist nor the Molinist give me any satisfaction in this Matter The Result therefore of my thoughts is as follows I am sure that no Natural Being ever has been is or can be without the Efficiency of God the first Cause and yet I am as confident that no Moral Evil is in any sense the Effect of the Physical Efficiency of God The Moral Undueness that is considered as that which is the Foundation of Sin cannot be from God but yet how satisfactorily to reconcile these things or how to comprehend the Modes of Divine Operation is above us we cannot reach unto it it transcends our Understandings 5. There are also several Doctrines which have a special Aspect on those Transactions that are about the carrying on Fall'n Mans Salvation to the Illustrating the Glory of the divine Perfections which are very profound The Doctrines of the Fall of Man the Transition of Original Sin from Adam to his Posterity the Methods taken for the Recovery of the Elect the Covenant of Reconciliation between the Father and the Son from all Eternity the Incarnation of the Son of God and the many surprizing Doctrines with reference thereunto even about his several Offices as Mediator and in special That of his Being a Priest after the Order of Melchisedek his Suretyship how our Sins were imputed to him and his Righteousness made ours beside those Doctrines about the Nature of the Mystical Vnion that is between Christ and Believers and how this is the ground of Imputation and many other momentous points might be spoken unto to evince That though there is nothing of Contradiction in these Doctrines yet there is very much that transcends the most enlarged Capacity They are points that the Angels themselves are prying into but cannot fully comprehend But these things I must wave and go on to acquaint you with some of the many Providences that do in like manner transcend our Understandings II. Among the many amuzing Providences that are before Us I will single out a few 1. That the greatest part of the World should lye in Wickedness unacquainted with the Methods of Salvation is an amuzing Providence Look we into the remotest parts of the World we find nothing but a strange Ignorance of the true God or of the true Worship of God Oh how great a part of the World is over-run with Paganism Mahometanism and Judaism Come we nearer home and take a view of the Christian World behold how small is it in comparison of those parts where the abovemention'd false Religions prevail and of the many thousands who are called Christians how many Invelop'd with the thick clouds of Ignorance and Error and how â—ew free from the Influence of Idolatry and Superstition A multitude of those who have been baptiz'd into the name of Christ have not the opportunity of looking into the sacred Oracles which reveal the true way to Life everlasting and of those who have the happy Advantages of consulting the sacred Scriptures how few can understand them The which is not without a Providence of God But can we compare these Providences with those discoveries that are made of the Infinite Compassions of Almighty God towards the Children of men and comprehend a consistency between them In the Scriptures 't is said That God would have all men be saved and to that end come to the Knowledg of the Truth even when but a very small spot of the Earth have any suitable means afforded 'em for the obtaining such knowledg In the Scriptures the Proclamation is general to all Ho every one and the Expostulation with Sinners is Turn ye Turn ye why will ye dye as I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a Sinner of a Sinner indefinitely q. d. of any Sinner but rather That he would Turn and Live Besides did not Christ die for this end namely to shew the unexpressible greatness of Gods Love to the world God so loved so so loved the World as if it had been said the Love of God to the World is so transcendent that no words could sufficiently express it nothing would fully represent it but the Delivery of the Son the only begotten Son of God to the Death the cruel the shameful and the reproachful Death of the Cross for the salvation of the World on their Believing and this even when God left Millions of Angels to continue in everlasting Chains of Darkness notwithstanding all which it is manifest That they cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard and cannot hear unless a Preacher be sent unto them and that no such thing has been done no Preacher has been sent or if in one Age yet not in another How can we reconcile these Providences with the Discoveries that are given us of the infinite Compassions of God to Mankind when so few are made partakers of it What of Grace is there in leaving the greatest part of the World in a very little better condition than the fallen Angels I know that there are many things offered towards the satisfaction of a thoughtful Person as Who can tell but there are thousand of Worlds above us whose Inhabitants are in a better capacity to receive and improve the Instances of Divine Love and that this world is but a Spot in comparison of them and if this whole World should perish 't is but as the hanging up a few Malefactors to shew that God is just as well as merciful but how does this solve the Difficulty which is not meerly taken from the Notion we have of Gods meâ—ciful Nature in it self considered but from the Revelations made thereof unto the Children of men in the Scripture about which we cannot have any solid satisfaction but from things which are obvious before us not from what is so fully out of our view and knowledge and concerning Creatures of another kind 'T is true there are some intimations in the Sacred Scriptures which apart and by themselves considered afford Relief such as these The Gentiles which have not
the more we are in the dark the more at a loss yea the more perplexed and confused are our Apprehensions This the Transcendency of the Doctrines and Providences of God does evince which is enough to shew how humble we ought to be when we discourse of God and how modest in our Enquiries into his Doctrines and Providences Content thy self therefore with what is clearly revealed and leave what is hid and above thee unto God Be not thou so bold as to measure the boundless Mysteries of God by thy narrow confined Understanding neither do thou presume to reject what thou canst not comprehend What is of God is above thee for God is God he is cloathâ—â— with Honour and Majesty and with that Light which is inaccessible We ought therefore to be modest when we speak of the unsearchable Doctrines and Providences of God for in them we see enough to admire but can never comprehend and when we have spent all our time to find out God and the Infinity of his Being the Mystery of the Trinity the Mode of his Workings or Operations the depth of his Contrivances about the accomplishing fallen mans Salvation and all the great Counsels of God and the Intricacy of his Providences we must come to this Close with the Apostle O! the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out Quest How ought we to do our duty towards others tho they do not theirs towards us SERMON XIX ROM XII 21. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good WHEN God first made the Heavens and the Earth Gen. 31.1 and all the Host of them looking back upon his Work as taking delight in it He saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good There was an excellent order and sweet harmony every where all the Creatures above and below making then but one Host Gen. 2.1 did conspire to glorifie their Creator and be beneficial one to another So that if man had stood in his integrity the Earth would have been a kind of Heaven to him but when he put forth his hand to take and eat of the tree of knowledg of good and evil which alone of all the great Variety was forbidden him an inundation of sin and misery broke in upon him and all his Posterity For from that one sin of his there sprung in a little time a far greater number of sins than persons out of his loins one sin still begetting another and that another till in a while the earth was filled with violence Gen. 6.11 God not willing to leave things in this woful state designed a Renovation by a Second Adam a Reconciler one that should be our peace both with God and one another that there might be peace above and peace below restored again There were two Songs sung to this purpose the one at Christs coming into the World the other as he was about to depart out of it the former by a multitude of the Heavenly Host saying Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace the latter by the whole multitude of the Disciples saying Peace in heaven and glory in the highest Luke 2.14 and 29.38 The subordinate means of Reconciliation is the Gospel called the word of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.19 Eph. 6.15 and the Gospel of peace This is the great Engine in the hand of God to bring men powerfully yet sweetly to God and one another There are no Arguments so powerful to perswade to holiness towards God and righteousness towards men as those drawn from Gospel-Grace The Grace of God which bringeth salvation will teach a man those lessons Tit. 2.11 12. which can never be truly learned otherwise To live soberly righteously and godly Therefore our Apostle like a wise Master-builder in his Epistles usually as may be seen particularly in those to the Ephesians and Colossians lays a good Foundation for Gospel-obedience in the Grace thereof He first sets forth the great mystery of Redemption by Jesus Christ and the Grace of God therein and then concludes with exhortation to all duties both to God and Man from the consideration thereof He doth the like here in this to the Romans For having in the foregoing part of the Epistle convinced both Jew and Gentile and concluded all under sin and shewed the only way to Justification to be by the Grace of God through Jesus Christ he comes in this and the following Chapters to engage them to their duty both to God and Man See how he doth it ver 1. I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service Your bodies that is your selves souls and bodies the body being put by a Synecdoche for the whole man He expresseth both elsewhere as due to God upon the account of redeeming-love 1 Cor. 6.20 Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods He exhorts them to many excellent duties in this Chapter upon all which the word therefore ver 1. hath a powerful influence Altho the duty here exhorted to in the last Verse be so high that it is not easie to reach unto it viz. not to be overcome of evil but overcome evil with good yet the consideration of the mercies of God mentioned above will make this appear to be but a reasonable service The point of Doctrine from this Text is Doct. That every Christian should not only take heed that he be not overcome of evil but endeavour what in him lieth to overcome evil with good It divides it self into Two Branches 1. Every Christian should take heed that he be not overcome of evil 2. Every Christian ought to endeavour what in him lieth to overcome evil with good We shall speak a little to each of these in order and make the Application of both together which done you will see How we ought to do our duty towards others tho they do not theirs towards us I begin with the first 1. Bran. Every Christiaa should take heed that he be not overcome of evil By evil understand any unkind or injurious dealing from others which may be 1. By detaining or withdrawing from us the love or the fruits thereos which by the will of God are due to us either as men or men standing in such or such a special Relation to them Or 2. By speaking or doing that to us or against us which the Law of Love or the special Relation wherein we stand unto them forbids To be overcome of evil is to be drawn by the evil Temper or Carriage of another towards us to be of the like Temper and Carriage towards him To be so provoked by an injury done unto us as to return the like again As when two contraries are put together suppose Fire and Water that
disobedient Servant because he observed not your time Those in the Gospel Mat. 20.1 2 3 4. came into the Vineyard at the same hour they were called They who were called at one hour did not come in at another hour A call of God to repentance loses much of its efficacy if it be not presently complied with the heart is hardened under it 'T is true God can renew his call but the first is quite lost if it be not presently obey'd straightway they left their nets and followed him Mat. 4.20 22. This was a converting call There are many calls to conversion that are not converting calls Man calls in God's Name but till God speak inwardly to the heart all the Preachers in the world cannot prevail with a sinner to come to Christ Converting Grace is a special Providence towards the Elect. I am now speaking of the call of common Providence to common Duties I mean such Duties as God by his Word hath annexed to such Providences James 5.13 Is any afflicted let him pray is any merry let him sing psalms Do the duty of thy present condition keep time with God because he keeps time with thee he gives thee thy daily bread then perform thy daily duty towards him 3. Consult thy conscience 'T is a proper Judg of what thou hast done and what thou shouldst do at this instant Joseph found it so Gen. 39.8 9 Conscience in those who are enlightned cannot easily step over a plain duty 't will stumble at it and demur about it does cast a look towards it tho by the violence of lust a man may be hurried another way yet conscience looks behind there is a mis-giving heart that tells him Thus and thus you ought to do Hear thy conscience speak it may shew thee the right way and turn thee into it He is a profligate wretch indeed who has no reverence for his own conscience A wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgment Eccles 8.5 Consult thy conscience in what thou art going about if that startle stop there and consider well with thy self don 't mistake a carnal Objection for a scruple of conscience Under the light of the Gospel conscience is better instructed than to doubt of plain duties All cases of conscience lie in more abstruse matters 4. Consider what present temptation thou art under in the light a present temptation we may see what is our present duty The Devil sets against that might and main He cares not what we do if he can keep us from our present duty He will suffer us to put any thing in the room of that you may read pray and meditate the Devil will allow of any thing but what we should do He knows 't is in vain to tempt some men to gross scandalous sins therefore he will reach a duty over the shoulder to them to justle out the present duty that lies before them Take this for a Rule viz. 'T is always our duty to act in opposition to any present temptation If sinners entire thee consent thou not Prov. 1.10 We do never more effectually resist any present evil than by setting about that good thing that is contrary to it When the Devil sees his temptations have this contrary effect to awaken our zeal for God and to stir us up to a more vigorous prosecution of our duty 't is not his interest to go on in that temptation which he sees is such a provocation to holiness and spurs us on the faster to our duty The Devil knows not this before-hand His temptations are but tryals and experiments that he makes to see how we stand affected and how they will take 5. Consult with the Word of God especially those Scriptures that speak to the state and condition thou art in in the world whether Master Servant Parent Child Rich or Poor gather up those Texts and be often reading them over to thy Faith Mingle them afresh every day with Faith carry them about you in your Memory or in a Book fair written that you may often have your eye upon them they will be a light to your feet and a lanthorn to your paths You can never walk exactly in your place and sphere if you do not walk by this rule often coming to the light that you may see whether your works are wrought in God Some Christians do many things many good things in the dark or at least by a general Scripture-light Some confused Notions they have but no clear distinct understanding of their duty In conversion there are general principles laid in inclining us to all Christian duties which for want of searching the Scriptures we take up by guess but a distinct particular knowledg of these duties is an after-work distinct from our first conversion 't is called Edification or building up which makes us expert skilful Christians The Scriptures are able to make the man of God perfect throughly furnished unto every good word and work 2 Tim. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad omne opus bonum perfectè instructus vel omnibus numeris absolutus A man so skill'd in all things appertaining to his duty so exact in it that nothing is wanting nor nothing redundant he does neither more nor less than God requires he keeps close to the Rule puts in all the spiritual Ingredients that may give a duty its right season and savour 6. Devote thy self in sincerity to the fear of God through the whole course of thy life Let it be the full purpose of thy heart to cleave unto God and to do whatever God shall convince thee to be thy duty Labour to bring your hearts into such a holy frame before you make a judgment of your present duty Sincerity towards God does wonderfully enlighten us it clears up the eye of the soul breaks thorow all prejudices makes us judg impartially according to truth Integrity and uprightness will preserve us Psal 25.21 and direct our way Prov. 21.29 This I say That man whose mind is thus set upon his duty will not find it so difficult a matter to discern what is his present duty ordinarily he will not in some extraordinary cases there may be more difficulty sometimes but ordinarily 't is otherwise There is a secret guidance of God in this case The integrity of the upright shall guide them Prov. 11.3 There is a voice behind thee a whisper from Heaven saying This is the way walk in it David took this course first he resolves upon universal obedience Psal 119.8 30 32. I have said ver 5 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixi i. e. in animo statuit apud se So ver 106 112. and then begs of God to order his steps and tell him which foot he should put formost what he should do first and what in the next place ver 5 35 135. how he should order his conversation aright If the Devil finds you unfixed and unresolved untrusty and wavering he will assault you with more violence
in a continual fear of offending God beg of him upon your knees to put you into such a daily exercise of grace as may be most suitable to your present circumstances Grace will help you at every turn If you thrive in your calling grace will teach you to give God the praise and to be thankful if you sink and go backwards grace will teach you quietly to submit how to bear with chearfulness all disappointments and losses you meet with how to receive evil as well as good from God Truly a man without grace is a burthen to himself and to every body else he knows not how to receive good or evil is in danger to be undone by one as well as the other The prosperity of the wicked slays them Prov. 1.32 their Table becomes a snare to them and that which should have been for their welfare a trap Psal 69.22 They will run themselves a ground one way or other and come to nothing at last God will turn their way upside down and bring confusion upon them But verily there is a reward for the righteous What I am pressing you to is your present duty what is past cannot be recalled Your present duty is to repent of past sins and to walk with God in your Callings for the time to come Be upright in your way admit nothing into your particular Callings that is inconsistent with the Principles of your general Calling as you are Christians So carry your selves every one of you that all that deal with you may know you are a real Christian Were there a greater savour of grace and of the power of godliness in your Shops did you buy and sell in the fear of God doing all things in Faith as to the Lord as in his sight conversing with others in the fear of God what a comely sight would this be what a Sermon would this be you would be living Epistles of that seen and read of all men and such Sermon-Notes gathered out of the Lives of Professors may make deeper impressions than those that are gathered out of the mouths of Preachers Godliness exemplified in practise shews it self more clearly in the thing than 't is possible for us to do in words Words convey Notions of things to our ears but a holy life holds forth the things themselves to our eyes Nothing is so like a man as himself Godliness in practise is godliness it self extant in the thing in its own substance and nature 't is visible grace 't is the very matter and subject of our Sermons standing forth in the Lives of Professors I wish we had more of this Divinity walking about our Streets more of these living Epistles seen and read of all men These are the Books that will convince gainsayers and provoke them to real holiness You hear good Sermons and read good Books but Doctrines without Examples edifie little You don't see and read that in the men of this Generation that agrees with Gospel-principles The truth is Saints are not so visible so legible as they should be We can hardly spell out any thing that savours of true Christianity 'T would pose a discerning Christian to pick out Grace out of the Lives of some Professors 'T is couched under such sinful mixtures is in such a worldly dress that it does not look like it self Hence it is that many real Saints go for Hypocrites in this World are suspected by good men and hated by bad men upon this account Let your light shine out more away with the Bushel that keeps in the light and take the Lanthorn of Prudence that only keeps out the wind Christian prudence will direct us in the right performance of our duty but true Christian prudence never takes us quite off from our present duty that is Hellish policy not Christian prudence that distinguishes a man quite out of his duty and pretends to give sufficient Reason for it too But God will catch that man in his own craftiness and turn his wisdom into foolishness There can be no Reason given against a present duty if it be duty and thy duty now Reason cannot countermand it You may go to Hell with all your Reasons in a wilful neglect of it But if God incline your hearts every day to make conscience of your present duty you will be always found in a holy frame and the blessing of God will be upon you you will flourish like the Palm-Tree and grow like a Cedar in Lebanon bringing forth fruit in old age you will always be fat and flourishing to shew the Lord is upright Psal 92.12 13 c. Quest What distance ought we to keep in following the strange Fashions of Apparel which come up in the days wherein we live SERMON XXI ZEPH. 1.8 And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lords sacrifice that I will punish the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are clothed with strange apparel THAT this Prophecy was synchronal with the Reign of good Josiah appears v. 1. And a heinous aggravavation it was of Judah's sin That they were unreformed under a Reforming-Prince Of him it was said That there was no King before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul 2 King 23 25. and with all his might according to all the law of Moses neither after him arose there any like him Of them it may be said That there was no Generation that turned from the Lord that departed from the Law of their God before them tho afterwards there were that equalled or exceeded their wickedness The Prophet therefore without the solemnity of a Preface immediately proceeds to sentence ver 2. I will utterly consume all things out of the land And how could more of wrath be expressed in fewer words Consumption and utter consumption and utter consumption of all things is certainly the abstract and epitome of final and total disolation To silence all Objections that might be made against this righteous sentence of God the Lord commands ver 7. Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord for the day of the Lord is at hand he hath prepared his sacrifice he hath invited his guests 1. Judah was to be the sacrifice They that would not offer a Sacrifice of Righteousness shall be made a Sacrifice to Justice 2. The armed Babylonians were to be the Priests 3. And the Rabble of their Enemies were to be the hungry Guests who would not spare but glut themselves with the spoil of Judah to teach them and us in them That if God be not sanctified in the hearts Lev. 10.3 he will be on the heads of a People professing his Name Now in this day of the Lords sacrifice however the main of the storm and Hericane would fall on the heads of the Idolaters and those that sware by the Lord and Malcham ver 5. upon all the Apostates and such as shook off the worship of God ver 6. yet some
Three Doctrinal Observations which my thinks do clearly result from the words thus explain'd with respect to what went before in the chapter viz. Obs I. Not teaching in the publick Assemblies but a patient breeding bearing and bringing up of children when God opens the Womb is the commendable Office of a good Woman in a marriage state 'T is clear from the Apostles discourse in the foregoing verses that he might take off such Women who from the pride of their Gifts were apt to take a liberty in publick Church-meetings which doth in no wise appertain to them he enjoyns them silence and enforceth it from this reason of the Womans subjection and certain sorrow inflicted for her forwardness in the transgression And that such a temporal penalty might not obstruct their eternal felicity he shews it doth not become the weaker Vessel n 1 Pet. 3.7 to be so puft up as to be talking publickly about Church-matters in the Assemblies where they ought to behave themselves modestly and not indecently o 1 Cor. 14.35 but rather by a patient demeanor suitable to their condition * L. Viv. de Christianâ Foem p. 21. to glorifie God in the Parturition and Education of an holy seed to serve him If so be the Lord hath called them into that eligible and honourable estate of Marriage qualified them with an ability to conceive and blessed them with a power of bringing forth and if he is pleased to exercise them with the many troubles of breeding but yet gives them a miscarrying Womb for ends best known to himself p Hos 9.14 they are more eminently called to patience quietness and meekness of spirit which in the sight of God is of great price q 1 Pet. 3.4 not desponding of Gods mercy in that doleful condition Some Improvement of this First Point may be made in a short Application for the Reproof Applicat 1. Of such malapert Women who mind not their own business the duties properly appertaining to their Sex but contrary thereunto as the Apostle speaks in this Epistle r 1 Tim. 5.13 14. will be Busy-bodies speaking the things they ought not as the Pepuzens of old * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pandect Can. Tom. 2. p. 50. thrusting themselves into Church-Assemblies and invading the Ministerial Function Yea those who tho they do not as some have done contradict the pure Doctrine of the Gospel in the faces of Christian Congregations yet at least in their Conferences do imagine that all their Teachings and conceited Opinions should pass for uncontrollable Dictates and Doctrines If Women professing godliness did really labour more after those things which the Apostle here looks upon as most commendable for their Sex Christians in our Age had not had so many sad Experiments of the inconveniencies which have risen from the liberty of speech in Church-matters which some who would be reputed godly Women and of great attainments have usurped to themselves And if preaching in a fixed Church do not belong unto Women then be sure baptizing doth not Both are to be performed only by Men called and solemnly set apart for the Ministerial Office ‖ See Mr. N.C. on Tit. 1.5 Hence those Women who from an unwarrantable Indulgence of such as made Baptism absolutely necessary to the salvation of all did usurp a liberty and power to baptize weakly children did evidently contradict the Apostolical Canon as may be gathered from what in the Hampton-Court-Conference * Fuller Ch. Hist lib. 10. ad an 1603 4. against the Arguings of some of the then Bishops for the permission of Midwives in case of necessity to baptize Infants King James did assert from our Saviours Commission Å¿ Mat. 28.20 Go preach and baptize c. That it was essential to the lawful Ministration of that Ordinance that it should be performed by a Minister duly called Again it is for the Reproof of 2. Such soft and delicate Women who like the pleasure but are impatient of the pain which ordinarily attends those in a married state To say nothing of those bad Women who from a lustful cruelty or cruel lustfulness as Augustin speaks * De Nupt. conj l. 1. c. 15. do wish that their issue should perish rather than live and therefore do use ill Arts either to prevent Conception or procure Abortion which must needs be very displeasing to God who in his Law t Exod. 21.15 hath breeding-bearing Women much upon his heart to provide for their safety There be some who from pre-apprehensions of their own pains forbear to render their Husbands their due u 1 Cor. 7.3 4. not well weighing the ill consequents of such forbearance Others are ready to conceit 't is a discouragement to them to take pains when very well able about the nursing and education of their children 'T is true they are not of such Nun-like dispositions as some others idolizing a single life for their ease regarding not to be serviceable to God in their Generation according to their capacities when called For our Apostle in this Epistle w 1 Tim. 5.14 wills young Women to marry bear children not as too many in our Age to bear children when not married guide the house give none occasion to the adversaries to speak reproachfully Yet they are so greatly addicted to sensual pleasures in the married state that they like not to take pains in going through their appointed time with their child-breeding and child-bearing but do so over-eagerly pursue their Appetites Frolicks and Fancies that they too often forget the condition into which God hath brought them and so deprive themselves and their Husbands of those blessings which if they did behave themselves soberly and Christian-like they might well hope for at Gods hands supposing them to continue duly careful as they should be to forbear excess in Diet and violent Recreations and to suppress vehement Passions using that moderation in all things which their condition notably calls for Which leads me to the Obs II. That the sorrows of child-bed should not dishearten Chrisâ—ian Women from entring into a marriage-state We plainly see here lest the pains of child-bed should deter good Women from enjoying the comfort of the Marriage-bed Paul doth in my Text introduce the great benefit of Womens Temporal and Eternal safety that they might not despond under the Temporal chastisement of child-bearing sorrows if they were true Believers and liv'd in subjection to God and their Husbands wherein their Husbands act agreeably to Gods Word so that through Gods gracious vouchsafement they should receive no final damage by their Grand-Mother Eves being first seduced but upon their unfeigned returning to God and resigning entirely to him they should find in his favour life x Psal 30.5 The penalty of their sorrows being converted into a blessing by the sanctifying Spirit they shall receive comfort in their sharp and tedious throws and the thousand pains they sustain in