thee and give in this as their Just and unanimous Verdict that thou art guilty of the death of Father and Children of Priests and People of the captivity of the Ark at least if not the destruction of Religion By this time I suppose your Ears and Hearts may be full if not loaden If not take the third and last and that who is but 3. DAVID who was no less unhappy in than indulgent to three of his Children Adonijah Amnon Absalom 1. Adonijah is much made of greatly Cocker'd his Fathers darling and delight from his Infancy his Father David had not displeas'd him at any time do he what he would no not in so much as saying Why hast thou done so 1 King 1.6 And well might the cocker'd youngster think since he had got the Throne of his Fathers Heart 't would not be so high a leap to usurp the Throne of his Fathers Kingdom ver 5.25 and that whilst his Father was yet living specially since his elder Brother Absalom was now dead but yet he might have remembred how that Phaeton fell nay more thô he knew that his Father according to Gods special Appointment had declared Solomon to be the Heir apparent of his Crown and Kingdom For all this David did or durst not reprove him No. His Treason is no such great matter but a light thing and to be lookt upon only as the brisk effort of a vain if not a gallant Spirit For all this yet not such a word from David as Why hast thou done so Adonijah Well if the fond Father will not the Wise Son shall and will make this vain fondling know himself especially when his subtil ambition so far discover'd it self in asking Abishag the Shunamite Davids Concubine by creeping into his Fathers Bed to make his way to his Brothers Throne This Solomon was well aware of and commands him to be put to death as a Just reward of his old practis'd and new intended Treason 1 Kin. 2.25 There 's Adonijahs exit 2. The next is Amnon guilty of Incest with his own Sister yea and this incest committed with rape 2 Sam. 13.14 Amnon a person to be anathematiz'd by the whole Congregation Deut. 27.22 and to be punisht with Death Lev. 20.17 But what doth David do in the Case The Text saith When King David heard of all these things he was very wroth ver 21. 1. But was that all Alas what was that but a great flash and noise without a Bullet and this Absalom that ravisht Virgins own Brother deeply resents and is resolv'd upon a Just revenge ver 22. Certainly the incestuous Son might justly have expected more than a suddain Aguish fit of hot displeasure of a Father viz. The danger of the Law the indignation of a Brother the shame and out-cry of the World 2. What a stab in the Heart a Sword in the Bowels must this needs be to Tamars Father David whose command out of Love to Amnon had cast his dearest Daughter into the Den and jaws of this Lyon ver 7. What an insolent affront must he needs construe this to be offer'd by a Son to a Father that the Father shall be made as it were a pandar of his own Daughter to his own Son 3. David that tender Father that lay upon the ground and would eat no bread for the sickness of a Child which yet was but the spawn of an Adulterous bed How vexed enraged inflamed must he needs be with the villany of His Son with the Ravishment of his Daughter both of them more deeply wounding than many deaths What revenge can he think of for so hainous a crime less than death and that in its most bloody dress 4. And yet what less than death is it to this indulgent Father to think of a due revenge Rape was by the Law of God capital Deut. 22.35 How much more when seconded with Incest Anger thô never so hot and eager is not punishment enough for so high so complicated an offence Such mild injustice is no less provoking to Heaven and perilous to a Common-wealth than the fiercest cruelty For ought I know the blood of Souls murther'd by foolish Pity cries as loud in the ears of divine Justice as the Blood of Bodies slain by cruel Severity And yet this is all we hear of from so indulgent a Father unless perhaps he makes up the rest with Sorrow and so punishes his Sons miscarriage on himself v. 37. But 5. If David perhaps out of the Consciousness to himself of his late Adultery and Murther will not punish this horrid fact his Son Absalom shall And that not so much out of any Zeal or of Justice as desire of Revenge 2 Sam. 13.28 29. See Amnon there weltring in his blood murther'd by Absaloms command when he was drunk and so for ought we Know Soul and Body sunk at once and that eternally One Act of Injustice draws on Another The injustice of indulgent David in not punishing the Rape of Tamar procures the injustice of Absalom in punishing Amnon with Murther That which the Father should have justly reveng'd and did not the Son revengeth unjustly However in all this the Lord the Supreme Judge is Righteous To reckon for those Sins which humane Partiality or Negligence had omitted and whilst he punisheth Sin with sin to punish sin with death Had David called Amnon to a severe Account for this unpardonable Villany the Revenge had not been so desperate Thus to Davids Horror fell Amnon The third and last that brings up the Rear of those Serpents that lay so warm in Davids Bosom was that great Gallant the glistring Minion of the Court 3. Absalom Absalom the Murtherer Absalom the Rebel and yet for All that Absalom the Beloved 1. Absalom the Murtherer and that of his own Brother Amnon as we have heard that for two full years had sat close brooding the deepest Revenge Having dispatcht his Brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 away he flies to Geshur and for three years hides and shelters himself in his Grandfathers Court 2 Sam. 13.34 37. 3.3 But doth not David post his Embassadors after and demand him thence to be returned and delivered up as a Sacrifice to stop the cry of his Brothers Blood that roar'd for Vengeance At least in three years time No not a Word of that But see and be amazed at the quite contrary workings of his distemper'd Heart v. 39. The soul of King David longed or was even consumed to go forth for he was comforted concerning Amnon The three years absence seemed not so much a Banishment to the Son as a Punishment to the Father 'T is true David out of his Wisdom so inclines to favour as that he conceals it and yet so conceals it as that Joab who could see Light through the smallest chink by his piercing Eye could clearly discover it Joab reads Davids Heart in his Countenance and knows how to humour and serve him in that which he would and yet seem'd he
Sinners converted know the addictedness of an unconverted mans Heart to his Corruptions They have tasted most of the bitterness of Sin and of the sweetness of pardoning Mercy They know most of the terror of the Lord and therefore they should be most in perswading of 2 Cor. 5.11 and sorrowing for Sinners Paul so eminent in Sin was as famous for Compassion to Sinners Gal. 6.1 The overtaken with a fault he wills should be gently set in joynt with the Spirit of meekness He could not speak of Sinners without Weeping Phil. 3.18 He had great heaviness and sorrow of Heart for his unconverted Brethren Rom. 9.2 Who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not 2 Cor. 11.29 He commends meekness toward Sinners upon this very ground for we saith he Tit. 3.3 our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another § 13 3. They that mourn for others Sins must more mourn because those Sins are offensive and dishonourable to God and hurtful to Sinners than because they are injurious to themselves that mourn over them To mourn for Sins of the times because hurtful to us is not Zeal for God or Charity to Sinners but self-love Godly Sorrow is when we sorrow for Sin as against God All Sorrow for our selves and our worldly Interest is but worldly Sorrow and dedolendus est iste dolor 'T is to be repented of when it puts the other-out of place We frequently mourn for the miscarriages of the times but more as they are afflictive than Sinful because we suffer rather than because Gods Honour or Souls suffer If we were not our selves concerned in the suffering of our worldly Interest few would hear of our mourning The complaint of What wilt â—â—ou do to thy great Name is much rarer than What shall become of my Family my Estate The precious Water of our Tears is not to be cast upon such Dunghils into such Sinks Sin brought in Tears and they should be principally shed for Sin 'T is observed by some that God who in times of publick mourning for Sin commands baldness forbids it for worldly troubles Isa 22.12 Lev. 21.5 4. They that mourn for others Sins should mourn more in secret § 14 than in open complaining Thus Jeremy ch 17. v. 13. I will mourn in secret places for your Pride Our Father saith Christ seeth in secret Mat. 6.18 though he recompenseth openly Publick Exercises of Religion may gain most applause and be most advantageous to observers but they testifie not so much sincerity to the Conscience as those in secret He mourns most truly that hath no other Witness thereof but the alseeing God Fasting and so Mourning is Feasting and Rejoycing to one that eyes only the eye of man in these services when men observe them Mat. 6.16 Our Saviour forbids appearing unto men to fast by putting on a wreathed grim sowre Countenance a lowring Look not that he forbids open expressions of sorrow used by Saints of old but the counterfeit semblance of Sorrow to make an Ostentation of Sanctimony to be noted by men Nor doth Christ here tax Mourners for seeming to fast when they did not but for desiring to be known abroad to fast when they fasted in private 2 Kings 10.16 'T is a Jehu's zeal which may be seen only and desires to be so 5. They that mourn for others Sins must mourn to an high degree § 15 who have been the occasions furtherers and promoters of their Sins either by neglecting to reprove them for restraining them from or giving them Examples of Sinning This Sanctified Conscience will make one of the bitterest ingredients into Sorrow for the Sins of others 'T was the trouble of David that he had occasion'd the Death of the Priests by receiving relief from Ahimelech 1 Sam. 22.22 I have occasion'd the Death said David to Abiathar of all the Persons of thy Fathers House I doubt not but some whom God hath converted may say Lord I have some way or other furthered the Sins of this or that great Offender if so what canst thou do less than drop the Balsom of thy Tears into his wounds of Sin Thô God have pardoned the Sin to thee and layes it not to thy Charge holy Compassion should put thee upon laying it to thy Heart This undoubtedly is a due piece of Spiritual Restitution of what thou hast wrong'd him of Canst thou do less than beg with Tears and Sobs that God would be more merciful to his Soul than thou hast been Canst thou do less than with an holy ingenuity endeavour to bring him home to that God from whom thou taughtest him to wander 6. They that mourn for the Sins of others must mourn with an § 16 Holy Reflexion upon themselves and that in these three particulars 1. They must reflect upon themselves with Sorrow because they have the same impure Natures that the most to be lamented Sinner in the World hath The holiest in thâ— World may say Lord this most extravagant Sinner speaks but the Sence of my Nature My Nature answers his as Face answers Face in the Glass But of this before 2. With a Reflection of Examination 1. Whether you have not some way or other furthered this Sinner in his much to be lamented impieties either by not endeavouring to hinder him from Sin so much as you might or by prompting him to it more than you ought If so how deeply this is to be resented you heard before 2. Whether the same open Sins that are acted by him the noted Offender or Sins almost or altogether as bad are not acted and entertain'd by thee in secret places 2 Chro. 28.10 Are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God or at least in thy Heart If so doubtless 't is thy duty to cast the first Stone at thy self and as Christ said to the Daughters of Jerusalem to weep first under the sence of thy own Unholiness and to remember thô thy Sins are not so infamous as those of a publick Sinner yet by being secret they may be Sins of greater danger And that First by occasioning Hypocrisie in contenting thy self with visible appearances of Holiness and freedom from open impieties Facile accedit tentator ubi non timetur reprehensor 2. Thy secreet Sins may be more dangerous in regard by their secrecy thou shalt not be so happy as to meet a reprover The loudly snorting Sinner every one will be ready to jog with a Reprehension whilest thou that sinnest silently in secret shalt be freed from any wholsom molestation by holy Reprehension He that would be watchful wants either a severe Censurer or a faithful Reprover 3. Thy secret Sins are not so like to trouble and awaken thy drowsie Conscience the Sins of publick offences having oft been the occasion to make People both asham'd of Sin and afraid of Vengeance 3.
himself no more about us Oh take heed how you carry your selves towards him Not only upon Ingenuity Jer. 2.17 its base to be unkind to our Guid Hast thou not procured this to thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way But also upon the account of self-Love for as we behave our selves to him so he will behave himself to us Ita nos tractat ut a nobis tractatur 3. Labour after the having of the Leading of the Spirit in an higher Degree and Measure than what as yet you have attained unto 'T is not enough meerly to keep it but there must be a Getting more of it As there should be a Rise in our following so we should press after a Rise in the Spirits Leading of us And that in a threefold respect that he lead us 1. More Extensively as to the Object 2. With greater Light and Clearness Power and Efficacy as to the Manner 3. With more Eavenness and Constancy as to the Duration and Continuance of it He guides you to Truth but does he guide you to all Truth He guides you unto Truth but does he guide you into Truth and is this his Constant and Continued working in you Oh this high Measure of it we should aspire at and pant after taking up with nothing short of it And so as to Holiness and Practical Godliness the same is to be endeavoured after There is indeed much Mercy in the lowest Degree of this Act and they that have the lest should be thankful but yet a fuller Proportion may and ought to be desired by every Child of God And surely they who experience what this Leading of the Spirit is never think they have Enough of it 4. So live as that it may appear to others that you are led by this Spirit Christians your Actions and Conversations should be such as may suit with the Spirit that leads you Such as may evidence to the world that you are not in pretence only but in truth and reality under a Divine and Supernatural Conduct Do we lay claim to this Oh then what Good do we do more what Evil less than Others do VVhat live in sin do Evil things be Proud Worldly Covetous Passionate Unclean Malicious Fraudulent and yet pretend you are led by the Holy Spirit Lord what an Indignity and Affront do you put upon Him what a Cheat and Fallacy upon your own Souls Pray never talk of This unless your Lives be Holy and Good For ye who are real Saints oh that you would oft think of this and look upon it as one of the highest Engagements to Circumspect Walking You that are Guided by such a Word without and such a Spirit within What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 5. Be very thankful for this glorious Mercy Led by the Spirit admirable Love VVhat Thankfulness is due to Father Son and Spirit for it for all These have an hand though the last be more Immediately concerned in it VVhen you know not your way this Spirit shews it to you when you are weak and feeble not able to go this Spirit strengthens you I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their arms Hos 11.3 VVhen Others are left to the Conduct of their Own Light Vnderstanding Inclinations which lead them to Sin and Death you are under the Conduct of this Gracious Spirit which leads you to Grace and Glory what cause have you to admire this Distinguishing Grace How great is the Fathers Love in this who as Fathers here when they send their Sons into Foreign Countreys and they themselves cannot be with them they send a Tutor or Governour with them in all their Travels to instruct and govern and take care of them Just so does your Heavenly Father do for you in and by his Spirit in this state of your Pilgrimage and absence from him How great is the Love of the Son in this for he has Purchased and now does Actually send this Spirit to be your Teacher Monitor and Guid. And how great is the Love of the Spirit too in this All his Operations carry infinite Goodness and Condescension in them but none more than this his tender and patient Guiding of us Should not all the Persons therefore be heartily sincerely and with the greatest enlargedness of Heart blessed and adored for it Especially considering how they design and aim at the exalting of Themselves by this very Act. As in the Miraculous Leading of the People of Israel out of Egypt through the Red Sea and so on set forth Isa 43. V. 12. that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm dividing the Water before them V. 13 14. that led them through the deep as an Horse in the Wilderness that they should not stumble As a Beast goeth down into the Valley the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest so didst thou lead thy people for what end to make thy self a Glorious Name Surely so in that Spiritual and Gracious Leading that I am treating of the great God whether Essentially or Personally considered designs much Glory and Adoration to Himself And let him have it for he well deserves it from all that have any Experience of this Grace A Fifth Enquiry May such who are led by the Spirit fetch comfort from it 5. Enquiry Is this a solid Bottom for any to build Holy Joy upon Undoubtedly it is You who have it may rejoyce and that greatly For 1. It 's a clear Evidence a deciding Argument of your being the Sons of God And what a Soul-rejoycing Priviledge is that Sons of God this assures of dear Affection tender Care strong Protection constant Provision free Access to God ready Audience of Prayer a gracious Presence in every Condition a favourable Acceptance of all Duties a good Inheritance and Portion and what not All These Blessings are yours if ye be the Sons of God and so you are if led by the Spirit Oh then what a Ground of Comfort is this 2. As 't is a certain Evidence of Sonship here so 't is a certain Pledge of Heaven and Salvation hereafter And that both upon the account of the Relation which it instates in For if Sons then Heirs Heirs of God and Coheirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 And also upon the account of the Leading it self For whereever that is as 't is in Order to Salvation so this Salvation by it shall certainly be obtained Never did any perish that liv'd under the Spirits Guidance and Conduct God ever saves where the Spirit leads All that he guids come safe to the End of their Journey to their Eternal Rest 3. Besides the Things which are wrap'd up in this Leading besides the Matter and Manner of it all of which carry in them Ground of the highest Joy consider but two things Further about it 1. That it is Abiding Permanent Continuing The Spirit does not lead and
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
or promise of Christ to his Disciples about Persecution jearingly telling 'em 't was for their good Let such Persons know and O that they would consider that though God hath and doth and will bring good out of evil and over-rule the fury of men for the good of his People yet this is not the least excuse for their Sin nor can it be pleaded to abate their Punishment To give you an Instance I can't give a greater and I need give no more The Jews Persecution of our Blessed Saviour 't was predetermin'd of God and eventually proved the greatest good to man yet no thank to them nor alleviation of their guilt f Acts 2.23 Him being delivered by the determinate Counsel and fore-knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have Crucified and slain They pretended high to Piety and necessity for their Process against him they Charge him with Blasphemy against God Treason against Caesar Devilism against the Souls of People and Luxury as to his common Conversation whereas he was no other than g Act. 7.52 the just one of whom ye have been now the Betrayers and Murtherers 'T was Good Counsel that Gamaliel gave those Rulers h Act. 5.29 who were cut to the Heart i. e. vext at Heart and counted it Criminal that the Apostles should dare to tell 'em We ought to obey God rather than men Refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this work be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest haply ye be found to fight against God for 't is said of others of them that slighted this i 1 Thes 2.15 16. They have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men forbidding us to speak unto the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sin alway for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost And how heavy doth that Doom ly upon them to this day I 'le add no more to this Caution but a Request to Persecutors to read and think and pray over the Second Psalm This premised much may be said of the good which God doth in and for and by his Children by bringing them into his presence in and deliverance out of Persecution how God increaseth their Graces heightens their Comforts multiplyes their Experiences beyond what he doth any other time of their lives I remember Augustine hath a Passage though being separated from my Books I cannot name where That if a Person suffer death for Christ before Conversion his Martyrdom shall be to him instead of Regeneration But if you will not receive his Testimony about the first Grace I am sure you 'l not deny my next about the Exercise of Grace k Heb. 5.8 Our great Exemplar thô he was the Son of God yet as he was the Son of man he experimentally learned Obedience by the things which he suffered And the Holy Ghost tells us l Heb. 2.10 It became him for whom are all things and by whom are all things in bringing many Sons unto Glory to make the Captain of their Salvation perfect through Sufferings 'T is hard to say what kind of Perfection Christ had by Suffering but 't is easie to observe how Sufferings tend to the Perfecting of Christians they force them to a more severe examination of Heart and Life and to a more thorow Repentance of what provok't God to lay them under Sufferings then their Prayers are more fervent and their whole Conversation more regular than at other times so that I know not whether as well the former as the latter part of that passage may not be a gracious Promise m Psal 89.30 31 c. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments if they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their Transgression with a Rod and their Iniquity with Stripes nevertheless my Loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break c. In short their greatest Sufferings shall be medicinal not destructive the more they exercise their Graces the more they increase them for here 's the difference between an Earthly and an Heavenly Treasure the one the more you spend the less you have the other the more you lay out the more you augment the Treasure n James 2.5 Hearken my beloved Brethren hath not God chosen the poor of this World those especially who are impoverished for Righteousness sake rich in Faith and according to our Faith are all our other Graces and all our other Comforts for 't is o 1 Pet. 1.8 by believing we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory And the Apostle tells you expresly that 't is for the Comfort of others he acquaints 'em p 2 Cor. 1.5 As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our Consolation aboundeth by Christ Those Christians that have walkt droopingly all their dayes when God hath singled them out for Sufferings God hath clear'd up their Evidences Never did any Martyr dye in desertion 'T was in the Captivity * Dan. 10.10 c. that one while Christ the Angel of the Covenant another while a created Angel one of his menial Servants did revive instruct support and comfort Daniel as Gods greatly beloved The Blessed Apostle in one Chapter q 2 Cor. 11. gives us an account of his Sufferings and in the next r 2 Cor. 12. of his some degree of s beatifical vision and both beyond all the other Apostles And God doth not only this in and for themselves but God makes them more eminently useful unto others Persecution was the occasion of spreading the Gospel all the world over Blessed Paul wrote more Epistles in his Bonds than any one of the other Apostles in their Liberty and 't was in one of those Epistles that he appeals to his Readers †Ephes 3.4 to understand his Knowledge in the mystery of Christ 'T was in the time of the beloved Disciple's banishment into Patmos that Christ gave him a Prospect of the State of the Church from his time to the End of the World thrô all the times of the Heathen Persecutions and thrô the rise reign and ruine of the Antichristian Apostasie with peculiar Prophesies suitable Directions terrible Threatnings and chearing Promises thrô the several Visions all which thô not very easie to be understood yet well deserve the Name of Revelation evidencing Christs peculiar care of his persecuted Servants that nothing befalls them by Chance but that the main outrage of Enemies is ordered and bounded by Christs infinite Wisdom and Compassionate Love And thô time hath confuted many mistaken Calculations of the continuance of the Churches troubles yet God will not delay the Churches deliverance one moment in favour to their Enemies but gradually to ripen his own design and God will in the
Cor. 9.3 you may call it an Apologetical or defensive answer as relating to their Enemies accusation or charge against them or Examination of them they might look upon the Religion of Christians as an unreasonable thing and therefore require a reason of their Faith and Practice which if they should the Apostle would have them ready to make their defence and shew how good grounds they had for both 3. How they were to be always ready to give an answer It doth not imply that they were bound to do it to every Caviller or trifler but when the Glory of God and the Honour of the Gospel required it and when their silence might be injurious to the Truth to their own Consciences or their Brethrens Souls and so Christian Prudence ought to judge of the seasonableness of their making their defence they were not bound always actually to do it but to be always actually ready whenever God in his Providence should call them to it Now from what our Apostle enjoyns these Saints to be always ready to do I inferr what all true Saints may be able to do at least what the nature of the thing is capable of and so the doctrinal Inference I deduce from the words is this That true Christians may give a satisfactory account of their Christianity that it is something both real and reasonable Doct. not Folly nor Fancy In speaking to this Truth two things are to be done 1. I shall shew that true Believers may give an account of the Religion they profess according to the Gospel 2. I shall give Directions in answer to the Question How a Believer may be able to experience in himself and evidence to others that his Religion that powerful Godliness in the Practice whereof he lives is more than a Fancy 1 That true Believers may give a good account of the Religion they profess Most that the carnal World is wont to object against powerfull Religion in the Saints may be reduced to three heads 1. Against their Faith in which I include their Hope as of kin to it and the Fruit of it it is objected that it is but a fancy 2. Against their Obedience and close walking with God and diligence in Duty which is the fruit of their Faith that it is but the effect of Fancy and so no better than folly an unreasonable and groundless niceness and scrupulosity 3. Against their Comforts and spiritual Enjoyments that they can be no better than their Faith and Obedience from which they proceed and are no more than meer Imaginations and delusive Conceits In answer to each of these I shall I hope evidence the contrary to be most true 1. That the Faith of a true Believer is something reall and not a Fancy By the Faith of a Saint I understand only that lively and effectual Faith which is the Instrument or Means call it as you please not only of a Saints Justification a Rom. 5.1 but Sanctification b Act. 15.9 that which is called precious Faith 2 Pet. 1.1 the Faith of Gods Elect Tit. 1 1. as being peculiar to them and the effect of their Election c Act. 13.48 that Faith in a word which is an apprehending Christ as the author of eternal Salvation d Heb. 5.9 a believing the record God hath given of his Son that eternal life is in him 1 Joh. 5.11 This Faith imports in it a respect to Christ as the Author of all other spiritual benefits antecedent to eternal Life Justification whereby a Believer is entitled to it Sanctification whereby he is prepared for it Consolation by which he is encouraged in seeking it and supported under the opposition and difficulties he meets with in the way to it But here I speak of Faith especially as respecting Eternal Salvation which is one principal act of it and which includes or supposes the other and the rather because the belief and expectation of Life and Immortality after Death is that which the unbelieving World looks upon as most strange and unreasonable and takes all a Believer can say of his expecting future things in another World to be but strong fancies of great Nothings There is no act of Faith against which the Objections of carnal Reason are more usually levelled than against this and if the reality of a Christians Faith appears in this it can scarce be denyed in others Now that this belief of Eternal Life is something real in a Saints Heart and not meerly a Fancy in his Brains might appear more than probable in that it hath been and still is to be found in those who are least fancyfull men as serious as judicious as rational as any in the World though not many wise men after the flesh are called e 1 Cor. 1.26 yet some are And it cannot reasonably be imagined that they who are confessedly Grave and Prudent and Discreet and free from Conceits and Fancies in all other things should dote in those only which are of the greatest Concernment to them especially if we consider that this Faith is stirring in them at such times as men use to be least given to Fancies as on the most solemn Occasions under the greatest Afflictions and at the approach of the most terrible of all temporal evils Death it self Men are most apt to be taken with Fancies and Appearances when they are wholly at Ease and flush in the World and have hope or some prospect of great things in it then they are apt to fancy things according to their Appetites and fondly to believe that that will be which they desire may be But when Death draws nigh they have nothing to encourage such imaginations and then usually their Fancies vanish they come to discover their folly and deceitfulness they judge quite contrary to what they did before they then see those things to be real which they counted but Fancies and those things to be but Fantastical which they had thought to be real Now at such a time as this the Faith of a Saint saving what desertions or Temptations may occasion in particular instances is ordinarily more-strong and active as his judgment of earthly things is more true when he is leaving them so his apprehension of heavenly is more clear when he draws nigh to them the approach of Death proves an enlivening to his Faith he hath the fairest view of the Crown of Glory when his Lord is about to set it on his head the same thoughts indeed he then hath which before he had only more clear and affecting they are at the last there being less to interrupt or discompose him It were hard to say that all the Comforts and Joyes of dying Saints and Martyrs have been meer Delusions and Cheats and yet so they must be if the apprehensions they have had of heavenly things were but Fancies and Ravings But to pass this by it will sufficiently evince the reality of a Christians Faith if we can make it appear that the
your selves in the Love of God And then the Case and Question is this What we must do to keep our selves in the Love of God A solemn and weighty Question and wherein every Soul of us is nearly concerned There are three things that require some Explication Q. 1. What is meant by your selves A. Every one himself and every one each other so far as he can 2. What is meant by the action which each is to see put forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep to observe to preserve firmly safely constantly I have kept the Faith 2 Tim. 4.3 Thus we keep and thus God keeps us Jam. 1. ult John 3.22 Rev. 12.17 Joh. 17.11 John 17.15 In all which Places the word is the same in the Text to keep fast and safe and faithfully with all Care and Diligence and Conscience as we would keep a thing for our Life Prov. 4.23 Keep thy Heart with all Diligence for out of it are the Issues of Life From all which thus explain'd ariseth this Proposition It is the Duty of every Child of God Obs to keep themselves in the Love of God This Proposition is grounded upon a threefold Supposition 1. That some men are in the Love of God really and eternally 2. That this Love wherewith God loveth his Chosen Rom. v. 8. 11 12 13. is a special Love a peculiar and distinguishing Love 3. That it is a Duty as well as a Priviledge to keep our selves in the Love of God our Activity as well as Gods Act. Which will be hereafter more explained Before we come to the main Question we will answer this Question How Love can be said to be in God for Love is a Passion in the Creature and Passions are Imperfections which are contrary to Gods Perfection A. 1. It is true Nothing of Imperfection is in God but Love is in God as a Perfection because Love is in God in the abstract that is essentially for Abstracts speak Essences God is Love 1 John 4.8 The Love of God is either natural or voluntary thus Divines distinguish and that well Mat. 3.17 Joh. 3.35 Joh. 5.20 Joh. 17.24 1. The Natural Love of God is that wherewith God loves himself That is the reciprocal Love whereby the three Persons love each other This Essential Natural Love of God is therefore necessary God cannot but love himself 2. The Love of God is voluntary thus he loves his Creatures with a general Love 1. Because he made them and made them good therefore he preserves them Gen. 1.31 for though Sin be really evil and none of Gods making but contrary to God and hated of God yet God loves the Creatures as his Creatures although sinful with a general Love Mat. 5.44 45. 2. He loves some Creatures with a special Love and by this he loves Jesus Christ as Mediator Joh. 3.35 Eph. 1.6 1 Joh. 4.9 Rom. 8. ult 1. This Love of God to Christ as Mediator is the Foundation of Gods Love to his Elect. 2. By a special Love God loves his Elect. John 13.1 Of this Love it 's said that it is inseparable Now this is the peculiar Love which God bears to some above others Not because they were more lovely than others nor because God foresaw they would believe and love him but because God loved them first antecedently to all those things Eph. 1.3 4 5. Deut. 7.6 7 8. Eph. 2.3 4 c. to 10. and because he loved them therefore Christ shall come and die and therefore they shall believe in him and love him The summ is this Our Love to God is the Effect and not the Cause of Gods Love to us yea Christ himself as Mediator is the Effect of Gods Eternal Love This is primitive Doctrine John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me V. 44. No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 1 John 4.19 He hath loved us first Rom. 10.20 I am found of them that sought me not Rom. 5.8.10 God commended his love toward us that while we were yet Sinners and Enemies Christ died for us Upon which I would have old and new Donatists which make God to love all alike in order to their Salvation and that there is no special Grace let them read St. Augustine Tom. 9. Tract 102. on John Tom. 7. Lib. contra Donatistas post Collat. p. 403. also pag. 402. likewise in Brevic. p. 387. Collat. cum Donatistis Collat. tertii diei Item Tom. 9. Tract 87. on John Item Tom. 2. Epist 48. p. 118. and many more places I have therefore named all these because there is a sort of Men risen up among us Gal. 1.6.7 corrupters and perverters of the Word and Wayes of God who raise up Donatism and Pelagianism from the Death I know some make this Love of God in the Text to be meant not of Gods Love to us at all but of our Love to God only Contrary I judge it spoken principally of Gods Love to us not excluding our Love to God but comprehending it as a great sign that God loves us when we truly love God According to this sence I shall proceed to speak to the present Case which is a practical Question How Christians shall do to keep themselves in the Love of God Quest 1. In General One whom God loves and favours Answ must do as the Favourite of a Prince useth to do to keep himself in his Princes Love and Favour He will study what the will of his Prince is and will do all that he can to please him He will set himself wholly to promote his Princes Interest and Honour and to gratifie his Desires yea he will be infinitely shy of displeasing him So will a Child of God carry himself towards God to keep himself in the Favour and Love of God This is a great Art to study Ephes 5.17 to know what is the will and Pleasure of God and to conform to it The Reason whereof is this Because 1. The Will of God is a Sovereign Will to all the World therefore to thine and mine there is no controuling of it Who can say unto God What dost thou When any mans will comes in competition with Gods Will thou knowest what thou hast to answer Dan. 3.16 17. and what thou hast to do Act. 4.19 But if mans commanding Will be agreeable to Gods revealed Will which is the Standard then we please and not displease God in submitting to man because subordinate things do not clash 2. Because the Will of God is a holy Will and we can never keep our selves in the Love of God 1 Pet. 1.15.16 but by what is agreeable to his Holiness and that is when we our selves are Holy because this is not only the Will of God but the Image of God Eph. 4.24 created after God Now God loves Children that are most like him for Likeness is the Cause of Love Thus much in General
to God therefore inconsistent with the Love of God These six things the Lord hateth yea seven which his Soul hateth Prov. 6.16 Psal 97.10 Math. 6.24 Therefore ye that love the Lord hate evil These are two Masters which we cannot hate and love both 3. Sin separates from God therefore we cannot keep our selves in the love of Sin and in the love of God Sin makes us depart from God and God to depart from us Therefore Conversion reconciles God to us because it mortifies Sin in us by vertue of Christs Death for us VII He that will keep himself in the Love of God must clear up his Interest and Union to Jesus Christ 1. Because Jesus Christ was sent us as the greatest Instance and the greatest Token of Gods Love in the World 1 Joh. 4.9 2. Because the Lord Jesus purchased the Love of God to us when we were the greatest Enemies to each other Rom. 5.8 10. 3. Because Jesus Christ is the Souls Love Cant. 3.1 4. Because Jesus Christ is all Loves Cant. 5.16 5. Because this was the End of Christs coming into the World to save us from our sins the sole cause of Gods hatred to Sinners Math. 1.21 6. Because the Father loveth whom Christ loveth and he loveth them that love Christ Joh. 16.27 7. Because our Interest in Christ puts a Soul out of all danger Rom. 8.1 Rom. 5.1 Chap. 7.24 25. 8. Because the Lord Jesus makes the Fathers Love to him the measure of his love to us As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love Joh. 15.9 i. e. By this ye keep in Gods Love 9. Because the Lord Jesus teacheth us the way how to keep in his Love Joh. 15.10 Consider all this and how cogently they prove this Head of clearing up our Interest and Union unto Christ to keep our selves in the Love of God VIII An eighth way of keeping our selves in the Love of God is by keeping Gods Commandements I do not mean as to a Covenant of Works but upon a Gospel account If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his Love John 15.10 Vers 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you O! mind that Again mark this Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and doth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and we will make our abode with him This Love is the fulfilling of the whole Law and the Gospel too There be many that will complement a Love to God but will do nothing for him The greatness of Abraham's Love to God and of David's Love and of Peter's Love and of Mary's Love of Paul's Love and of the Martyrs Love was in doing and in dying for him And is not the greatness of Gods Love and of Chists Love to us Joh. 15.13 in Doing and Suffering We read of Labour of Love because true Love is Laborious as it was in Jacob's Love for Rachel There is nothing God hates more than pretending to love therefore the Lord hates Hypocrites Not every Mat. 7.21 one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven As God saith This People Deut. 5.29 have well said in all that they have spoken O that there were such a Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments alwayes So I say of Professors and great Pretenders that shew much kindness with their Mouth but their Heart is not right with God O that there were such a Heart in them that they would make Conscience to do the Will of God If the Lord loved the young man that was in a fair way of keeping the Commandments of God and was not perfect and thorow-pac'd how much more will he have a Love for them that have a respect to all the Commandments of God Psal 119.6 IX The way to keep our selves in the Love of God is to walk closely with God in wayes of strict Holiness This is a Commendation and Character upon Record of Gods chiefest Favourites Thus it was with Abraham Gen. 17.1 Thus it was with Enoch Gen. 5.22 Thus it was with Noah Gen. 6.9 Thus it was with Caleb Num. 14.24 And thus David Psal 73. ult Now we shall see how such a one is to God who desires to keep in the Love of God We have known 1 Joh. 4.16 and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him O sweet dwelling You shall shall find that the Holyest Persons were alwaies the highest Favourites of God Witness those before-mentioned and these following Instances Job 1.1 2 3. How did God bless him and praise him and trie him and reward him for his eminent Holiness Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 7. How singularly did they shine in Holiness and in the Favour of God to whom God gave a Son in their old age the Harbinger of Christ Mary the Mother of Christ Luk. 1.28 how was she for her Holiness pronounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highly favoured And Simeon Luk. 2.25 c. and Anna vers 36 37 38. Holiness and Purity brings us to the fight of God which is called Beatifical which is the Souls highest Happiness and ultimate end Math. 5.8 Psal 24.4 Heb. 12.14 and therefore is pronounced Blessed Psal 119.1 2. X. They keep themselves in the Love of God who do not wave or abate their Profession and Practice of Godliness in evil times and do not baulk the wayes of God under severe Providences and sharp Tryals this was eminent in all Christs Worthyes Thus David Psal 44.17 to vers 22. Mind that Place Though they were sore broken and smitten into the Place of Dragons and cover'd as with the shaddow of death yet we have not forgotten thee nor declined from thy way c. Job 13.15 cap. 3.17 18. Thus Job Though he slay me yet I will trust in him Thus Habakkuk Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom the Vine Olive and Field shall fail of their Fruit and not any Flocks or Herds left yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord God is my strength And thus all the Champions of God Let Paul be one Instance more Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39. Reason Prov. 3.11 12. 1. A Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for the day of Adversity Prov. 17.17 2. They know the Lords Chastenings are in Love Heb. 12.6 Rev. 3.19 Psal 119.67 71 72. 3. They know that all the Lords Severities are for good many wayes To drive them to Ordinances and Duties to sweeten them and to teach them to profit by them to know more of the Will of God by them and to give us a better Relish of the
in Flattery 's Mirrour How glorious was Alexander M. while he rejected Fawners How lovely but how Eclips'd how despicable when he believed and loved them which the Athenians did generously enough witness when they fined their Envoy ten Talents for calling him a God and put to death Evagoras for Adoring him There was more than ordinary in Herod which gave him the Name of Great but when he over-loved the Praise of men God left him a Monument and Warning to all Posterity giving up so contemptible a Slave of his own vain-glory to the most contemptible loathsome and shameful death Lice bred in his own Bowels destroy his Body as the Vermin of Self-love and Self-admiring reflections had destroy'd his Mind Look first on the deformity of a Self-admirer next on the beauty of a self-denying Humility and this will cure this distemper As the sight of the Putrid Carkass once cured the fond desire of Friends who doted on their own Fancy for his Picture whilest living or as the sight of the Loathsomeness in Serapis's Temple cur'd the Superstitious Aegyptians So the sight of the deformity of our Love of the undue Praise of men would cure this disease But 3. Thou who lovest to be unduly praised come with me 3. Deplorable miseries of it view the many great deplorable miseries it hath fill'd the World with read the Tragedies it hath acted and all these mostly upon it's Friends as it would cure the excessive praises men bestow on the great Commanders of conquering Armies if they would recount with themselves how many fair and goodly Countreys they laid desolate how many Cities they razed how many millions of Souls Innocent and peaceable they Sacrificed to their Ambition so here the bloody Pawes of the disguis'd Lion would cure us of our dotage on the Foxes Skin It hath ever proved a Mortal and †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deadly Cup. If you Travel through waste and desolate Kingdoms and enquire who ruin'd them you 'l find the Flatterers about Prince and Court so true is that known Observation of the Historian * Regnum saepius ab assentatoribus quam abbostibus everti solet Q. Curtius de gest Al. Flatterers do more frequently overthrow a Kingdom than open Enemies But did Flatterers find such great ones Ears stopt and their minds fortifi'd against or alienated from their flatteries the danger were not considerable The Flatterer can but attempt our Love to the flattery gives the success the Head and Shaft of the Arrow cannot fly to endanger the Eagle 't was his own Feathers that contributed to his Wound and Death Scarce a City Family or Person whose Calamities were fit to be noted in the World but you may find some Parasites some close undermining Flatterers charged as a great occasion of those Calamities and the love affection and delight those Flaterers found much more the Cause of those fatal Calamities Ahab fell more by his own Love of Flattery than by the Artifices of the Son of Chenaanah and his Accomplices 1 Kings 22. So in the Parable Ezek. 13.12 16. the Wall fell for the Builders built it with untemper'd Morter and the People loved to see the building thus go forward Scarce one that dislik't it as Ezek. 22. ver 28. observeth the consequence of which is ver 29. I saith the Lord have poured mine Indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath c. When Prophets prophesie falsely and Priests bear rule by their means and the people love to have it so what will you do in the end thereof Jer. 5.31 In a word can you love that flattery which never had extorted a Tear a Sigh a Grief or complaint from you if you had hated it which hath filled you or yours whole Families Cities Kingdoms yea the whole World in all ages with the complaints and sorrows which Treachery loved and trusted could bring upon those that were so much over-seen We shew you the scatter'd bones about the Dens mouth and desire to ask whether you think fit to Love the Couching Lion which lurks in it 4. Would you be cur'd of immoderate Love of an undue praise then so often as you perceive any one soothing you therewith suspect there may be and search what likeliest is the design such have upon you We may with good manners question the Integrity of his purpose who doth on our Knowledge transgress the rules of Truth in the words we hear from him such men lye for advantage the discovery of this designing wheedling Projector will if you have any Spirit of a man in you take off your Love yea turn it into hatred No man can love to be impos'd upon be assured there is a snare hid search after it keep a watchful Eye upon it in time you will discover what you prevented and never love what endanger'd you in vain is the Net spread in the sight of any Bird. And there 's much in that of Diogenes to a Flatterer Nihil proficis cum te intelligam Seneca in Epist It is the great care of these Lurkers to lye conceal'd and to hide their purposes and to blind-fold those they lead for 't is but one labour to expose them to our view and to our hatred Could weeping Parents give their seduced Children Eyes to see the seducing projects of corrupt Flatterers they need be no farther solicitous their Children would find Hearts to hate them There is nothing truly amiable in flattery and none that know it approve or love it Solomon therefore takes so much pains for discovery of the designs of a flattering Mouth and then counselleth us to decline and reject it Prov. 5. The monster in the dark doth not but in the light he will make us recoil with abhorrence Find him out then Adulatio periculosa est quae latet view him exactly and I know 't will do much toward your Cure 5. If you would be cured you must resolutely and peremptorily reject the Friendship of the man who turns due praises into Flattery Let such know they please least when they praise most and that you make their first offence an opportunity to inform them that the second offence in this kind is and shall be unpardonably punisht with loss of your Friendship I know not any reason why I may not interpret that of Flatterers which David speaks of Liers He that telleth Lies shall not come into my House Psal 101. This he did know was the way to prevent Love of Flatteries and Flatterers to keep them out of his presence This Tympany is never cured while Sycophants are suffered to blow up weak minds with conceits of worth greater than is due to their Persons It is not unfitly resembled to those distempers which increase on us by our Indulgence It 's an Itching humour runs in our blood as Sigismund the Emperour observed and when it breaks out the tickling Flatterer doth increase it if you would cure you must let
these that I speak of can delight in nothing neither in God nor in his Word nor any Duty They do it as a sick man eateth his meat for meer necessity and with some loathing and aversness 9. And all this sheweth us that this Disease is much contrary to the very Tenor of the Gospel Christ came as a Deliverer of the Captives a Saviour to reconcile us to God and bring us glad Tidings of pardon and everlasting joy where the Gospel was received it was great rejoycing and so proclaimed by Angels and by men But all that Christ hath done and purchased and offered and promised seems nothing but matter of doubt and sadness to this Disease 10. Yea it is a Distemper which greatly advantageth Satan to cast in Blasphemous thoughts of God as if he were bad and a hater and destroyer even of such as fain would please him The Design of the Devil is to describe God to us as like himself who is a malitious Enemy and delighteth to do hurt And if all men hate the Devil for his hurtfulness would he not draw men to hate and blaspheme God if he could make men believe that he is more hurtful The worshipping God as represented by an Image is odious to him because it seems to make him like such a Creature as that Image representeth How much more blasphemous is it to feign him to be like the malicious Devils Diminutive low thoughts of his Goodness as well as of his Greatness is a sin which greatly injureth God As if you should think that he is no better or trustier than a Father or a Friend much more to think him such as distempered Souls imagine him You would wrong his Ministers if you should describe them as Christ doth the false Prophets as hurtful Thorns and Thistles and Wolves And is it not worse to think far worse than this of God 11. This overmuch sorrow doth unfit men for all profitable meditation it confounds their thoughts and turneth them to hurtful Distractions and Temptations and the more they muse the more they are overwhelmed And it turneth Prayer into meer Complaint instead of Child-like believing Supplications It quite undisposeth the Soul to Gods Masses and especially to a comfortable Sacramental Communion and fetcheth greater terror from it lest unworthy receiving will but hasten and increase their Damnation And it rendreth Preaching and Câ—unsel too oft unprofitable say what you will that is never so convincing either it doth not change them or is presently lost 12 And it is a distemper which maketh all sufferings more heavy as falling upon a poor diseased soul and having no comfort to set against it And it maketh Death exceeding terrible because they think it will be the gate of Hell so that life seemeth burdensome to them and death terrible They are a weary of living and afraid of dying Thus overmuch sorrow swalloweth up III. Quest What are the causes and cure of it Answ With very many there is a great part of the cause in distemper weakness and diseasedness of the body and by it the soul is greatly disabled to any comfortable sense But the more it ariseth from such natural necessity it is the less sinful and less dangerous to the soul but nevertheless troublesome but the more Three Diseases cause overmuch sorrow 1. Those that consist in such violent pain as natural strength is unable to bear But this being usually not very long is not now to be chiefly spoken of 2. A natural passionateness and weakness of that reason that should quiet passion It is too frequent a case with aged persons that are much debilitated to be very apt to offence and passion And children cannot chuse but cry when they are hurt but it is most troublesome and hurtful in too many Women and some men who are so easily troubled and hardly quieted that they have very little power on themselves even many that fear God and that have very found understandings and quick wits have almost no more power against troubling passions anger and grief but especially fear than they have of any other persons Their very natural temper is a strong disease of troubling sorrow fear and displeasedness They that are not melancholly are yet of so Childish and sick and impatient a temper that one thing or other is still either discontenting grieving or affrighting them They are like an Aspen leaf still shaking with the least motion of the air The wisest and most patient man cannot please and justifie such a one a word yea or a look offendeth them every sad story or news or noise affrighteth them and as children must have all that they cry for before they will be quiet so is it with too many such The case is very sad to those about them but much more to themselves To dwell with the sick in the house of mourning is less uncomfortable Bâ—t yet while reason is not overthrown the case is not remediless nor wholly excusable 3. But when the Brain and Imagination is Crazed and Reason partly overthrown by the Disease called Melancholly this maketh the cure yet more difficult for commonly it is the foresaid Persons whose natural temper is timerous and passionate and apt to discontent and grief who fall ito Crazedness and Melancholly And the conjunction of both the Natural Tempâ—r and the Disease do increase the misery The sigâ—s of such diseasing Melancholly I have often elsewhere described As 1. The trouble and disquiet of the mind doth then become a setled habit they can see nothing but matter of fear and trouble all that they hear or do doth feed it danger is still before their eyes all that they read and hear makes against them they can delight in nothing fearful dreams trouble them when they sleep and distracted thoughts do keep them long waking it offends them to see another laugh or be merry they think that every Beggars case is happyer then theirs they will hardly believe that any one else is in their case when some two or three in a week or a day come to me in the same case so like that you would think it were the same persons case which they all express they have no pleasure in Relations Friends Estate or any thing they think that God hath forsaken them and that the day of Grace is past and that there is no more hope they say they cannot pray but howl and groan and God will not hear them they will not believe that they have any sincerity and grace they say they cannot repent they cannot believe but that their hearts are utterly hardened usually they are afraid lest they have committed the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost In a word fears and troubles and almost despair are the constant temper of their minds 2. If you convince them that they have some evidences of sincerity and that their fears are causeless and injurious to themselves and unto God and they have nothing to say against it yet
God but the Corruptions and Maladies of Christians are not You must hold nothing but what Christians of old have held as received from Gods Word but because they have all some Faults and Errors you must not hold and do all those V. Maintain the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace with all true Christians as such and live in Love in the Communion of Saints That is with them that live in the Belief and in holy Obedience to the Christian Faith and Law By their Fruits you shall know them The Societies of Malignants who suppress true Practical Knowledge and Piety and hate the best men and cherish Wickedness and bloodily persecute those that in Conscience obey not their Usurpations and Inventions are not the Communion of Saints Wolves Thorns and Thistles are not the Sheep or Vines of Christ VI. Prefer not any odd or singular Sect before the Universal Consent of the Faithful in your Learning or Communion so far as the Judgment of men is to be regarded Though we take not our Faith from the Number of Believers and though the most be usually none of the best and some few are much wiser than the most and in a Controversie a few men of such knowledge are to be believed before the multitude of less knowledge yet Christ is the Head of all true Christians and not of an odd Sect or Party only and he hath commanded them all to live as Brethren in Love and holy Communion And in all Sciences the greater number of agreeing men are liker to be in the right than some stragling persons who shew otherwise no more ability than they At least which side soever you like best in less necessary Points you must always be in unity with all true Christians and not unnecessarily differ from them VII Never set a doubtful Opinion against a certain Truth or Duty reduce not things certain to things uncertain but contrarily uncertain things to certain for instance It is certain that you ought to live in Love and Peace with all that are true Christians and to do good to all and wrong to none Let not any doubtful difference make you violate this Rule and hate and slander and backbite and hurt them for a doubtful indifferent or unnecessary thing Set not your Mint or Cummin Tythes or Ceremonies against Love and Justice and the great and certain things of the Law It 's an ill Sect or Opinion that is against the Nature and common Duty of Christianity and Humanity VIII Faithfully serve Christ as far as you have attained and be true to all the Truth that you know sin not by omission or practice against the Knowledge which you have lest God in justice give up your Understanding to believe a Lie IX Remember that all men on earth are ignorant and know but as in a Glass and in part and therefore the best have many Errors No man knoweth the smallest Grass or Worm with an adequate perfect knowledge And if God bear with multitudes of Errors in us all we must bear with such as are tolerable in each other It 's well if men be humble and teachable and willing to know As we have seen few more imperfect than the Sects that have asserted sinless perfection so we see few so fallible and erroneous as the Roman Sect which pleadeth their Infallibility when they tell you that you must believe their Popes and Councils that you may come to an end of Controversie Ask them whether we may here hope for any end of Ignorance Errour and Sin if not what hope of ending all Controversies before we come to Heaven where Ignorance is ended The Controversies against the Essentials of Christianity were ended with us all when we became true and adult Christians and the rest will be lessened as we grow in knowledge Divinity is not less mysterious than Law and Physick c. where Controversies abound X. Yet stiâ—t not your selves in Knowledge nor say we have learnt enough but continue as Christ's Scholars in Learning more and more to the Death the wisest know little and may still increase There is a great difference in Excellency Usefulness and Comfort between men of clear digested Knowledge and confused undigested Apprehensions These ten Rules practised will save you from being perplexed with Doubts and Controversies of all Pretenders in Religion II. But if your trouble be not about Doctrinal Controversies but about your Sins or want of Grace and Spiritual state digest well these following Truths and Counsels and it will cure you I. God's Goodness is equal to his Greatness even to that Power that ruleth Heaven and Earth His Attributes are commensurate And Goodness will do good to capable Receivers He loved us when we were Enemies and he is essentially Love it self II. Christ hath freely taken Humane Nature and made Satisfaction for the Sins of the world as full as answereth his Ends and so full that none shall perish for want of sufficiency in his Sacrifice and Merits III. Upon these Merits Christ hath made a Law or Covenant of Grace forgiving all Sin and giving freely everlasting Life to all that will believingly accept it so that all mens Sins are conditionally pardoned by the Tenor of this Covenant IV. The Condition of Pardon and Life is not that we sin no more or that by any price we purchase it of God or by our own works do benefit him or buy his Grace but only that we believe him and willingly accept of the Mercy which he freely giveth us according to the Nature of the Gift that is that we accept of Christ as Christ to justifie sanctifie rule and save us V. God hath Commissioned his Ministers to proclaim and offer this Covenant and Grace to all and earnestly intreat them in his Name to accept it and be reconciled to him he hath excepted none VI. No man that hath this Offer is damned but only those that obstinately refuse it to the last Breath VII The Day of Grace is never so past to any Sinner but still he may have Christ and Pardon if he will and if he have it not it is because he will not And the Day of Grace is so far from being past that it is savingly come to all that are so willing and Grace is still offered urgently to all VIII The Will is the Man in God's account and what a man truly would be and have he is and shall have Consent to the Baptismal Covenant is true Grace and Conversion and such have right to Christ and Life IX The number and greatness of former Sin is no exception against the pardon of any penitent converted Sinner God pardoneth great and small to such where Sin aboundeth Grace superaboundeth and much is forgiven that men may be thankful and love much X. Repentance is true though Tears and passionate Sorrow be defective when a man had rather leave his Sin than keep it and sincerely though imperfectly endeavoureth fully to overcome it No Sin
persons and hardly known to the wisest physitians The Spleen is most commonly accused and often guilty and the Stomack Pancreas Mesentery Omentum Liver yea and Reigns not rarely are the root sometimes by obstructing humors and that of several qualities and sometimes by Stones and sometimes by various sorts of humours and sometime by Vesicles But obstructed if not tumified Spleens are most suspected Such a black distinct humour called Melancholly which hath of old been accused is rarely if ever found in any unless you will call either blood or excrementitious humours by that name which are grown black by mortification for want of motion and spirits But the blood it self may be called Melancholly Blood when it hath contracted that distemper and pravity by feculency sluggishness or adustion which disposeth it to the Melancholly effects But sometimes persons that are sound are suddenly cast into Melancholly by a fright or by the death of a friend or by some great loss or cross or some sad Tydings even in an hour which shews that it cometh not always from any humour called Melancholly nor for any foregoing Disease at all But the very act of the mind doth suddenly disorder the passions and perturbe the Spirits and the Disturbed Spirits in time vitiate the blood which containeth them and the vitiated blood doth in time vitiate the Viscera and parts which it passeth through and so the disease begining in the Senses and Soul doth draw first the Spirits and then the humors and then the parts into the Fellowship and Soul and Body are sick together And it is of great use to the Physitian to know where the Depravation did begin whether in the mind or in the body and if in the body whether in the blood or in the Viscera for the cure must be fitted accordingly And yet the Melancholly Brains may be eased and the mental depravation much kept under though an obstructed yea a scarrhifyed Spleen continue uncured many years And though the Disease begin in the mind and Spirits and tâ—â—â—ody be yet sound yet Physick even Purging often cureth it â—â—ough the Patient say that Physick cannot cure Souls For the Soul and Body are â—onderfully copartners in their diseases and câ—re and if we know not how it doth it yet when experience teâ—â—eth us that it doth it we have reason to use such means I. Right usage and diet are a great part of the Cure Of the first I spake before The Patient must be pleased delighted dealt with as capable kept from solitude and from musing and from sad and troubling words and things and their objections wisely answered and their judgments in Religion kept from troubling mistakes by right information especially they must be kept in diverting business and if it could be hard labour even to good transpiration and sweat to actuate contemperate and purifie the blood and excite the igneous spirits which are the instruments of the motion and purification of the blood and of life it self it would greatly help the Cure especially such exercise twice a day before Dinner and Supper an hour or two together discipate and concoct indigested matter excit natural heat and expels excrements As to Diet it must as Physick be fitted to the case of the body The Disease is sometimes in dry bodies and sometime in those that are moist and fat It is sometime in overheated blood and sometime in that which is overcold and sluggish And these must have quite different cures You may thus perceive the differences in the main One sort of Melancholly Persons are only sad misgiving fearful of troubled thoughts despairing as undone and solitary musing and cannot be satisfied and comforted much silent and dull to action and will hardly stir rather over cold than hot troubled with wind and ill digeâ—â—ion But there is another sort that have overheated blood that are fierce talkative bold boasting laughing that have seeming visions and raptures unruly confident and these must have another manner of remedy and are almost mad already And those that have dry lean bodies must have a moister dyet and medicine than the cold moist and fat I. For the most part all of them are meerly melancholly and not overheated near to madness should eat but sparingly so as may not spoil digestion though some of them have a greedy Appetite they should forbear Cheese and Beef and Swines Flesh and raw Fruits and for other things not be over curious in the quality But those that have hot and dry bodies should avoid fasting and eat as much as they can well digest but not more and should eat boyled Burrage and Lettice and Stew'd Prunes Stew'd or Rosted Apples half an hour before meat and raw Apples if experience of windiness or Rheum forbid it nor II. And for Physick though the overheated talkative confident sort be neer to Bedlam I shall briefly offer a little for prevention if there be hope 1. Be sure that they taste no Brandy or hot waters unless you would have them presently stark Mad no nor any hot Wines strong Liquors or aromatick things such as Ginger Pepper Cloves or any of the like nor Mustard Horse-Radish Garlike Onyons or any biting thing 2. Let them purge much with Sena in Whey Take three Gallons of clarified whey put in it two handful of Balm and as much fumitory if the time of years serve and as much Borage boil it to two Gallons and put it into a stean Pot of earth that hath a Spigot at the bottom or a small barrel and put into it in a thin Canvass Bag two ounces of Sena an ounce of Epithyme an ounce of bruised Anniseed and an handful of ground Ivie called Ale-hoof bruised and two gads of Steel to sink it when it hath stood two days or less drink a Pint every morning in bed and lie an hour after it and if it give not three stools drink near a pint more at five a Clock continue this three weeks at least every day having another vessel ready when the first is done Or else boyl all the same herbs in three points of Whey to half the quantity strein it and put in it three drams of Senna and a dram of bruised Anniseed let it stand cold an hour and half and after warm on gentle Embres one hour drink it the next morning and so on for three weeks 3. Boyl six sliced Pippens or Permains in three pints of Whey to a quart strein it and drink a pint every morning in bed and if you can sleep an hour after it and the other pint at night instead of other Breakfast or Supper Do this many weeks when you take not the purging Whey And if you drink the like instead of beer at Dinner to a hot dry body it is best 4. But it is the ordinary colder sad despairing Melancholly that I intend in these Prescripts And for such use these following means 1. If it be in the heat of Summer and they be not very cold the
noluerint Adamum adorare Hoc suum peccatum non potuit celare Satan Luther Tom. 3. p. 82. b. The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us says the beloved Disciple Joh. 1.14 He had a true body and a reasonable soul which soul of Christ considering its nearest union to the Divine nature and the light and joy and glory it must needs be full of may be look't upon by Milions of Degrees as the highest of Creatures and the chief of all the ways of God The Holy Ghost took care in the conception of Christ that his human nature should not be in the least defiled and his whole life was perfectly free from sin he did no evil neither was guile found in his mouth and his heart was alwayes pure And having taken mans Nature God is well pleased with that nature in Christ The man Christ Jesus always did those things which were pleasing to the Father The Sons of men may come with boldness to this Mediatour who is bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh He bears good will to men as the Angels sang aloud at his Nativity Man may be confident of a kind reception since Christ is so near akin to them and was in all things excepting sinful infirmities made like unto them that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest to make Reconciliation for their Iniquities Heb. 2.17 Christ is man and this man is Gods greatest favourite far greater than Joseph to Pharaoh or Mordecai to Ahasuerus Extra Christum oculos aures claudatis Vbi Iesus est ibi est totus Deus seu tota divinitas ibi Pater Spiritus Extra hunc Christum Deus nusquam invenitur Deus in carâ—e illa sic apparet ut extra hanc carnem coll cognosci non possit Luther Tam. 4. p. 491. a. He has the highest place in Heaven as well as in his Fathers heart let Saints search into his truth and they will find matters of unspeakable encouragement Here is the way to know the Father to worship him acceptably and to attain to fellowship with him here and for ever 3. Growing in the knowledge of Christ implies a more plain discerning and ful perswasion that he was foreordained to be a Redeemer Christ was the person pitched upon from eternity to be the Saviour of the Elect of God 1 Pet. 1.20 Who verily was foreordained befoâ—e the foundation of the world but was manifest in these last times for you He is therefore caled the elect One in whom Gods Soul delights There was a compact and agreement made between the Father and the Son The Son agrees in fulness of time to be made of a Woman to take a body to offer up himself without spot to God and the Father promises eternal Life and Salvation and that he should have a Church givâ—â— him out of the world though the world is faâ—â—en into wickedness upon which Church this eternal life is to be bestowed The Prophet Zachariah tells â—s of a Counsel of Peace between the Lord of Hâ—â—â— and Christ whose name is the Branch Zach. 6.12 13. And the Apostle speaks of the promise of eternal life which God who cannot lie promised before the world began Tit. 1.2 This promise may very well be conceived to be made to the Son that he should give eternal life to all that were given him of the Father And when the Saints behold that Christ is the Person from eternity designed to be a Saviour they may include that God hath a love to them a care of them and a purpose of Grace towards them from everlasting and how securely and sweetly may they rest upon the blessed Jesus not doubting but he is a person every way fit and sufficient to finish that work of Redemption which he undertook according to the appointment of his Father 4. Growing in the Knowledge of Christ implies a greater insight into his sufferings It is not without reason that the History of these is so largely penned by all the four Evangelists certainly there is much in his Crucifixion which it concerns Believers to pry into The sufferings of Christ were great and that both in his body and in his soul his body was in a bloody sweat and his soul was amazed sore and full of heaviness and sorrow and in an Agony before he was condemned and fastned to the Cross but then all the pain and shame which he did undergo his Death was violent and accursed and just before he breathed out his last his Father hid his face his sufferings were unconceivably increased by a dreadful desertion which made him roar out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me When Christ died the sins of the whole Church were laid upon the head of the Church how many stings then had the death of Christ Isa 53.6 All we like sheep have gone astray we haâ—e turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all And if all were laid upon him none shall be laid to the charge of them who believe in him But how came it to pass that Christ did not sink under such a burthen The first sin of the first man was enough to sink all the world into Hell how could Christ bear up under all the sins of so great a multitude The reason is because he is God the blood of Christ is the blood of God how loud does it cry for Pardon and Salvation and how easily does it drown the cry of sin for vengeance The blood and sufferings of Christ applied and relyed on by Faith justifie the sinner silence Satan the accuser purge the conscience from dead works and open a way into the holiest of all by the Cross of Christ we are to climb up to the Throne of Glory The more the death of Christ is studied the Spirit will be more contrite the heart more clean the conscience more calm and quiet The death of Christ puts the sin to death but delivers the sinner from it 5. Growing in the Knowledge of Christ implies a more fruitful eying of his Resuâ—rection and going to his Father Hark to the Apostle Phil. 3. 10. That I may kâ—â—â— him and the power of his Resurrection The Justice of God had Christ under an â—rrest and hath cast him into the Grave as â—nto a Prison and if he had not fully paid the debt of those whose surety he became it would have held him in prison to this hour If Christ were not risen faith would be vain the guilt and power of sin would refrain But being risen true believers are delivered from sins punishment and power Sin and death and Satan are triumphed over Know that there is a very great power and vertue to be derived from the resurrection of our Lord. A power to raise a drooping Spirit When Christ was riseâ— dâ—e sends this Message to his Disciples that they might be well assurâ—â— his God was theirs his Father their Father
all their promises are yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1 20. The Covenant was made for his sake 't was ratified and confirmed by his death his bloud is called the bloud of the everlasting Covenant Heb. 13 20. his bloud being shed the Covenant stands good unto eternity Here is vast encouragement to lay hold upon the promises If you come to God and ask Lord hast thou not made promises of pardon to the penitent and believing promises of grace to the humble promises of satisfaction to the hungry Souls promises of joy and comfort to the mourners In his Word God answered Yea. If you farther add Lord Let these promises be accomplished for thy Christs sake the answer is Amen it shall be so they shall be all fulfilled 10. Growing in the knowledge of Christ implies a more earnest looking for his Word appearing The day of this appearing is appointed it draws very near being hastned by the Prayers and sufferings of Saints by the Sins and security of the World Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 If Christ were better known this day would be more longed for by the Saints Innocency will then be cleared all enemies more then conquered salvation will be perfected the whole Church of Christ with all its members glorified Col. 3 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Thus you see what it is to grow in the knowledge of Christ and the telling you this is indeed a directing you how to grow in this knowledge In the second place I am to shew you what properties are required in this Knowledge 1. This knowledge of Christ would grow more and more certain The Apostle speaks of Riches of full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the Mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ Col. 2 2. The truths of Christ are certain in themselves the mind should understand them as most certain there should be an assurance of their certainty a full assurance of it such an assurance is a rich thing a thing of great value for 't will have a great vertue and efficacy both upon the heart and life 2. This Knowledge of Christ should more and more 〈…〉 when he sees the treasures of Wâ—sdom in Christ he should be sensible of his own folly when he views the robe of Christs â—â—ghteousness he should be sensible that his own righteousnâ—â—â— are but rags When he studies Christs fulness and Power he should be sensible of his own emptiness and weakness Finally he should see himself to be nothing when he perceives that Christ is all in all Col. 3.11 3. This Knowledge of Christ should grow more Spiritual He is not to be known after a carnal manner and therefore Popish Images are very unfit representations of him not that his flesh is swallowed up of his Divinity as Servetus dreamed but his flesh is glorified and as transcendently glorious we must now look upon him We must also know him as the purchaser and bestower of all Spiritual gifts and graces that we may be further renewed by his Spirit the Apostle â—s thâ—◠〈◊〉 be understood when â—e sâ—â—s 2 Cor. 5.16 â—â— Though 〈…〉 after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more therefore if 〈…〉 in Christ he is a new Creature 4. This Knowledge of Christ should encourage to a mâ—â—◠〈…〉 upon him when we see what a sure and everlasting foundation Christ is here we should build higher and higher till the top reach Heaven there is no fear that the foundation will not bear the superstructure We may safely depend upon Christ for a lasting peace with God for perfecting the work of grace and abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom He that believes in him shall never be confirm did 1 Pet. 2 6. Let 〈◊〉 this Râ—lyaâ—â—e be called a â—â—lling faith but without scoffing at her let the Church of Christ be permitted to lean upon her Beloved while she is so weak as she is in the Wilderness of this World Cant. 8.5 5. The Knowledge of Christ should raise him higher and 〈◊〉 Christians estimation The more we know of him new beauties will still be discovered in him He is greater than Jonas a Prophet grâ—â—â—â— tâ—â—â— Solomon a King who was the most famous King of Israel He is altogether lovely nay he is the Angels wonder Heavens darling the brightness of his Fathers glory Here is no danger of an over value of an excessive love Therefore let the Spark be blown up into a flaâ—â— that may not be quenched by many Flouds of Water that may be too strong for Death and Hell it self to conquer Cant. 8.6 7. 6. The Knowledge of Christ should have a great Aspect upon whatever else is revealed in the Word of God 'T is a great matter to know the truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4 21. The Apostle tells us that he desired to know nothing else but Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2 2. will plainly intimate that he lookt upon other things with a respect unto Christ and indeed without such a respect what knowledge can be profitable what knowledge can be comfortable Luther said In Christs Crucifâ—◠〈…〉 Theologia cognitio Deâ— There cannot be a right knowledge of God if there be an ignorance of Christ crucified 7. The Knowledge of Christ it should be operative still in a greater measure It is inexcusable to be slothful where the Master is so good the promised assistance so great the commands far from grievous and the reward eternal The better we know our Lord Jesus we shall sâ—â—â—â— him witâ— a more perfect heart with a more willing mind Obedience is reasonable pleasant necessary we should be stedfast and always abound herein Labour shall not be in vain 1 Cor. 15 58. 8 The Knowledge of Christ should cause great glorifying and joy Well may believers who have no confidence in the Flesh who worship God in the Spirit rejoyce in Christ Jesus Phil. 3 3. God in Christ is become their Father and he will not disinherit any of his Children 〈◊〉 he has adopted but they shall abide in the House forever nothing shall separate them from his love The marriage union between Christ and them shall never be dissolved Mansions are preparing for them in Heaven where there is everlasting light and pleasantness and they are fitting for these Mansions and shall not be long out of them Well may they love their Lord and believing rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1 â— In the third place the Directions follow how you may increase and grow in the Knowledge of Jesus Christ The directions are these 1. Be sensible of your remaining ignorance and how great the hindrance is how great the harm is that is the effect of it You that are the Children of light and of the day have much of night and darkness in you A perfect
in all as that they left almost no place for second Causes Thus poor Creatures were they divided among themselves having their understandings miserably darkened But many among the Heathens yea their most learned men and of their most famous Sects Platonists Stoickes Pythagoreans did own the Divine Providence and Government and so did the Poets also and for particular Persons the learned Plato Seneca Tully with many others subscribe thereunto Hence it is that they call God the Rector and keeper of the world the Soul and Spirit of the world and do expresly compare him to the Soul in the Body and to the Master in a Ship who doth command rule direct steer and turn it what way and to what port he himself thinks good But so much may suffice for that I pass on 2. Secondly the Sacred Scriptures do abound wâ—th testimonies which may afford us full satisfaction in the point When he was about to punish the world for the wickedness of them that dwelt therein and to sweep away the inhabitants of it with a Flood he took care that all mankind should not be destroyed But Noah and his Family were preserved yea and some of all the general species of animals too that so Seed might be continued upon Earth and that in the ordinary way of Generation which was a famous and eminent instance of Divine Providence and its ordering and Governing the World Besides that attend to these passages of Scripture Job 5 9. God doth great things and unsearchable marvellous things without number He giveth rain sâ—nd water sets upon high those that be low disappoints the devices of the craftie taking them in their own craftiness and carrying the counsel of the froward head-long Isa 45. I am the Lord and there is none else I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Psal 34 16 17. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the Earth The Righteous cry and the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their distresses Ephes 1 11. He worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will Not onely some things those which are momentous and stupendious such as strike men with wonder and amazement but all things all is of God and all not according to the will and pleasure of others but according to his own eternal Counsel Dan. 4 34 35. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion and his Kingdom is from generation to generation and all the Inhabitants of the Earth are accounted as nothing and he doth according to his will in the Armies of Heaven and all the Inhabitants of the Earth who are counted as nothing and none can stay his hand or say unto him what doest thou Mat. 10 29. Are not two Sparrows sold for a Farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Heavenly Father Scriptures to this purpose might be multiplied I will add but one more Psal 103 19. The Lord hath prepared his Throne in Heaven and his Kingdom ruleth over all But further consider 3. Thirdly God hath a most unquestionable right to order and Govern the world it doth properly appertain unto him The belief and acknowledgement hereof doth necessarily follow upon the owning of a God to own such a being as God and yet to deny or question his right to Govern is a gross absurditie That being which we call God is the first highest noblest and incomparably the most excellent Being of all infinite and unchangeable in all perfections and therefore he hath a right to order others that are not so Man is endued with reason and understanding and so is the most noble and excellent creature in this lower world therefore it pleased his great Creator to put the Lordship into his hand and to give him Dominion over the Fish and Fowl and every living thing that moveth upon the Earth the Psalmist tells us He hath put all things under his feet How much more then is an absolute and universal Rule due to God whose understanding is infinite and in whom are all the inexhaustible unfathomtable treasures of wisdom and knowledg Besides that consider God as the Fountain of Being the first cause and original of all Being The world and all things in it are the works of his Hands He made them and fashioned them and seeing He made all seeing by his power and for his pleasure all things are and were created it is highly reasonable that all things should be ordered directed and disposed of according to his pleasure Hath the Potter power over the clay so as to make of it a Vessel of honour or dishonour and hath not God much more power over his Creatures If a Father hath an undoubted right to rule his own Children and a Master to order his own Family it cannot rationally be questioned but God hath a right to rule all the Persons and Creatures in the world for we are all his off-spring and of him the whole Family both in Heaven and Earth is named of him it was made and by him it doth consist Who can be so impudent and brutish so much sunk below man and run so cross to the principles and dictates of right reason as to deny him a right to give Laws to them unto whom he gave life It is highly decorous every way fit that he from whom all things had their being and unto whose power and goodness they own their continuance should appoint them all their ends and direct their steps and cast their lines and cut out their works and overrule all their actions 4. For God to Govern the world is no dishonour to him it doth not unhandsomely reflect upon his divine Majesty nor cause the least Eclipse or diminution of his most excellent Glory It is true as I before hinted unto you though some men cheerfully acknowledged a Governing and overruling Providence over humane actions and affairs yet they conceived it extended not its self to more vile and contemptible creatures or to minute and inconsiderable things Jerom though a learned and holy man seemed to be of this opinion for he grants a general order and disposal how such an innumerable multitude of Fishes should breed and live in the Sea and how brutes and creeping things should gender upon the Earth and with what they should be maintained but he fancieth it a solecisme to debase and bring down the Majesty of the ever blessed God so low as to mind and order the breeding and death of gnats or to concern himself about the number of flyes and fleas that are upon the Earth or how many Fishes swim in the Sea and Rivers or which among the smaller ones should become a prey to the greater for they did fancy this to be altogether unworthy and unbecoming of God judging of him by earthly Potentates who take State upon them and trouble not themselves with any but
circa pectus a very hardy spirit that shall dare to cross the stream or stem the current of a prevailing luxuriancy So that to have a finger in this ungrateful debate must engage him in Ishmael's fate to have every mans hand lifted up against him seeing it's unavoidable that his hand must be set almost against every man § 5. That yet Charity will lend us one safe Rule That we impose a severer law upon our selves and allow a larger indulgence to others The Rule of our own conversation should be with the strictest but that by which we censure others a little more with the largest For thus has the Apostle Rom. 14. taught us to proceed in things which in their own nature are indifferent § 6. Prudence will also afford us another excellent Rule In dubious cases to take the safer side Not to venture too near the brink of a Precipice when we have room enough to walk secure at a greater distnce For seeing the best that can be said of and pleaded for many of our Fashions is That in themselves they are Adiaphorous which yet in their common use are sinful it becomes a Christian to be cautious and practise only that which is confessedly innocent and inoffensive For he that will always do what may lawfully be done shall sometimes do what is unlawful to be done § 7. An humble heart crucify'd to the World and making a conscience of its baptismal Covenant whereby it stands engaged to renounce the pomps and vanities of a wicked World with all fomentations of and incitations to the flesh will be the best Casuist Mortification would cut up the controversie by the roots cure the disease in the cause and cleanse the stream in the fountain Nor can any determine for another so well as he that is true to his soul might for himself § 8. That yet there are some modes of Apparel which so notoriously cross the ends of all Apparel so inconsistent with the Rule of Decency so apparently transgressing the bounds of Modesty that no pretence of an honest intention no uprightness of heart can atone or excuse the evil of wearing them As if for instance a Garment was made of Silk wrought in such Figures as did imitate the Pictures of Aratine and represent Nakedness in all the most obscene and filthy postures the use of such Raiment would be a gross abuse nor could any internal chastity alleviate the guilt of the outward immodesty § 9. Tho some modes of Apparel can never be well used there are none but may be ill used None so good but they may become bad tho some so bad that they never can be made good And the reason of the difference is because Bonum oritur ex integris malum è quolibet defectu All Circumstances must concur to render a practise lawful when the want of any one which ought to be present is enough to render it sinful § 10. Tho sumptuary laws may justly be made to retrench the excesses yet none can lawfully be enacted to compel men in the defects of Apparel A Law may say Farther thou shalt not go but not Thus far shalt thou go And the Reason is They that can reach the Standard assigned by the Law may lawfully abate at the command of Authority when perhaps some cannot reach the lowest pitch without entrenching upon their Purses or Consciences Having premised these things I reassume the Question What distance ought we to keep in following the strange fashions of Apparel that come up in the days wherein we live The Resolution of which Question will depend I. On an impartial Inquiry Wherein the sinfulness of Apparel does lye II. On some Directions How to walk at a due distance from these strange fashions that we partake not of the sin that may be in them I. Let us then in the first place inquire Wherein the sinfulness of Apparel does lye And that difficulty will be best assoiled by a further inquiry into these Four Particulars 1. For what ends God appoints and Nature requires Apparel 2. What is the Rule of Decency to regulate Apparel 3. From what inward Principles these outward modes are taken up 4. What effects these fashions have or may have on our selves or others 1 Let us then enquire for what ends God appoints and Nature requires Apparel In the state of Innocency and Primitive Integrity Nakedness was mans richest cloathing No Ornament no Raiment was ever since so decent as then was no-Ornament no-Raiment For as there was then no irregular motion in the soul so neither was there any in the body that might die the Cheeks with a Blush or cover the Face with shame They were both naked Gen. 2.25 the Man and his Wife and were not ashamed But when they had once violated the Covenant and broken the Law of their Creator Shame the Fruit and Daughter of sin seized their souls and that in respect of God and of each other which latter chiefly as I conceive to hide the best expedient their confused and distracted thoughts could pitch upon was to stitch together a few fig-leaves to make themselves Aprons till God commiserating their wretched plight provided better covering more adequate to the necessity of Nature more comporting with decency i. e. coats of skins Gen 3.21 Wherein the Divine Wisdom so admirably contriv'd it That their Apparel 1. might serve as a standing Memorial of their demerits that they might carry about them the continual conviction of their sin and the deserved punishment For what less could they infer than that they deserved to die the death when the innocent Beasts must die to preserve and accommodate their lives 2. That their Apparel might direct their weak Faith to the promised seed in whom they might expect a better covering and from a greater shame that of their filthiness in the sight of God In him I say whom those Beasts probably slain in sacrifice did typifie For that any were slain merely on the account of food before the Flood is not probable when yet the distinction between the clean and unclean on the account of sacrifice is demonstrable Gen. 2.7 Now God appoints and Nature frail faded Nature requires Apparel § 1. To hide shame to cover nakedness That our first Parents and their Posterity in their Exile from Paradise might not become a perpetual covering of the eyes and shame to each other Whence it will follow 1. That whatever Apparel or fashions of Apparel do either cross or not comply with this great design of God must be sinfully used 2. That as any Apparel or fashions of Apparel do more or less cross or not comply with this end they are proportionably more or less sinful But our Semi-Evites aware of danger from these conclusions to their naked breasts will readily reply That this will be of no great use to decide this controversie because it is not clear 1. what parts of the body 't is God has appointed Apparel to cover nor
for her and a blessing upon her x Psal 44.4 Lev. 25.21 who being indeed Christ's Friend as she is to love him in himself so also in the next place 2. She is concern'd to love him in his members Her Christian Charity is to be manifested unto those that are Christs for Christs sake and as the Apostle writes in this Epistle y 1 Tim. 1.5 is such namely which answers the end of the Commandment out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfeigned We certainly prove our love to Christ by keeping his Commandment in loving those that are his sincerely and constantly z John 13.34 Love to the Brethren goes along with our love to God a 1 John 5.1 2. and the continuance of it may well dispose to Angelical comforts b Heb. 13.1 2. However it may be very advantageous to a child-bearing woman to endear Christian brethren who are much in doing of Gods will and prevalent with God to assist her more affectionately with their Prayers having seen her real Charity to promote Gods service and advance piety It will no doubt argue her abiding in the light c 1 John 2.10 and sure passage from death to life d and 3.14 and Gods dwelling or constant presence with her which will be abundant support to her in the greatest pains when she bringeth forth with the most difficulty as the Physician * Hippocrates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aph. 55. finds some to do Then as she should love Christ in himself and in his members so 2. Next to Christ the good Wife is above all other dearly and constantly to love her own Husband and that with a pure heart fervently e 1 Cor. 7.2 Tit. 2.4 1 Pet. 1.22 Yea and she should never entertain low thoughts of him in that Relation whom she could once think worthy of embracing for her Husband and whom by the Covenant of God in all Offices of Love she is oblig'd to please f 1 Cor. 7.34 without this bond of Perfectness all will be loose uneasie and unpleasing yea the Laws and Command of God who by his wise Providence ordered the Match will become tedious and irksome * Lud. Viv. p. 104. But where this conjugal love is consequent upon the foregoing Christian love there all will become easie This is the very life of perfect Friendship and where it resides in power no diligence will be wanting to facilitate all other conjugal duties ‖ Fabr. Bar. de re Vxoria l. 2. c. 1. For never-failing Charity especially in this Relation will enable the good Wife to bear all things to believe all things to hope all things to endure all things g 1 Cor. 13 7 8. This holy flame therefore as the Vestal fire * Alex. Alex. l. 5. c. 12. should be ever-cherish'd that it go not out Indeed Love being as the Soul of Society and of it self Immortal it would argue it were not sincere at first if it should cease Dr. Goad recommending the mothers Legacy to her child unborn written by pious Mrs. Joceline when big with child preparing for her approaching child-bed saith What eyes cannot behold her true and unspotted love to her dearest Husband In her affectionate Letter to him prefix'd to that little Book she declares with thankfulness to God her fears of child-bed painfulness were cured with the remembrance that all things should work together for the best to those that love God which cannot be right in a Wife without this true love to her own Husband and a certain assurance that God would give her patience according to her pain And she bare all patiently So did Mrs. Wilkinson a most loving Wife * Dr. Harris in her Life whose patience was remarkable in the midst of very sore pains which frequented her in the breeding and bearing of children Yet then her speech was I fear not pains I fear my self lest through impatiency I should let fall any unbefitting word 'T is a blessed frame said that grave Divine who recorded it when pain seems light and sin heavy So on the other hand for want of this prevalent conjugal love in conjunction with Christian love a Daughter of King Ethelred having found the difficulty of her first birth she did afterwards perpetually abstain from her Husband's Bed against the Apostle's Rule h 1 Cor. 7.3 protesting from a Principle of unaccountable self-love That it was not fit a Daughter of a crowned Head should commit her self any more to such perils 'T was far otherwise with a young Woman in Euboea who being married to a Man she lovâ—d dearly became Mother and Grand-Mother to an Hundred Children The Story of Mrs. Honywood in our Age is not less famous I might produce many other Instances but 't is more than time I come to the next mentioned Grace viz. 3. Holiness which I take as the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which is Christian and Conjugal more general and special 1. There is Holiness which is considered more generally being an universal Grace agreeing to a Christian as such wrought by the Spirit in the new creature from the peace made by Christ whereby the soul being chang'd into his likeness there is an abiding in a state of gracious acceptation with God and a striving in some measure to be holy as he is holy in every particle of our conversation both towards God and Man publickly and privately in some degrees As all Christians are to mind their salvation in the holiness of the Spirit and to follow after it by Christ i 2 Thes 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 Heb. 12.14 and 13.12 So Christian Wives in a child-bearing state that they may comfortably bring forth the Fruit of their Wombs are highly concern'd for that good work to have their fruit unto holiness k Rom. 6.22 Then be sure all shall go well with them both here and hereafter Blessedness belongs to the pure in heart and the undefiled in the course of their lives l Mat. 5.8 Psal 119.1 What knows the holy Wife whether if she should be married to a bad Man by Parents disposal she may save her Husband m 1 Cor 7.16 We read of several Christian Wives whose Husbands have been brought to real godliness by their zealous Endeavours as Clemens by Domitia c. * L. Vivis de Chr. Foem l. 2. p. 253. vide p. 271.211 For the holy conversation of a Wife hath sometimes a great force upon the mind of the Husband who is thereby dispos'd to entertain good and if a work of Grace be wrought upon him then he will be more fervent in prayer for his child-bearing Wife who as she ought through the whole course of her life to be daily dying to sin and living to righteousness so in her approaching sorrows she is more especially concerned 1. To conform to the preceptive or commanding will of God in all the actions of her
life that she may present her body a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is her reasonable service and so by universal obedience prove what is that good and acceptable will of God n Rom. 12.1 2. in the prevailing desires of her soul to please God who hath called her into a conjugal Relation and enabled her therein to conceive and so in her proper Office to serve her own generation by the will of God o Acts 13.36 waiting upon him with chearfulness in filling up her Relation to give her in due time an holy seed for his glory and the enlargement of his Church as holy Mrs. Joceline above mentioned earnestly desired of God that she might be a mother to one of his children * Mothers Legacy p. 1. Then 2. To submit to the effecting and disposing will of God who works all things according to the counsel of his own will p Eph. 1.11 in preparing for death not to neglect but make ready for so great salvation as is purchas'd by Christ and offered in the rich and precious promises q Heb. 2.3 If all should hearken to the charge our Saviour gives to his own Disciples r Mat. 24.44 Therefore be ye also ready then it eminently concerns a big-belli'd woman to be in a readiness for her departure that she may not be surpriz'd sith the pangs are perilous that she is to pass through and the more if she be but of a weak and not of an hail constitution * Mrs. Joceline The last mentioned pious Gentlewoman when she felt her self quick with child as then travailing with Death it self she secretly took order for the buying a new Winding-sheet thus preparing and consecrating her self to him who rested in a new Sepulcher wherein was man never yet laid and privately in her Closet looking Death in the Face wrote her excellent Legacy to her unborn child None ever repented of making ready to die And every Christian is ready who can entirely submit to Gods disposal in Life or Death Yea and then a good woman is likest to have her will in a safe temporal deliverance when she is most sincerely willing that God should have his in dealing with her as seemeth best to himself When the Yoke of Christ is easie and his Burden is light then is the good Wife in the fairest way to be most easily delivered of the burden of her belly so that she shall have the truest joys afterwards Thus of Holiness considered more generally and how the child-bearing Wife is concern'd to exercise it 2. Holiness may be considered more specially as it is conjugal and more peculiarly appropriated to the marriage-state This being a more particular exercise of Christian holiness in the Matrimonial band wherein as every one both Husband and Wife in that Relation are concerned so the childing-woman is obliged to be singularly careful to possess her Vessel in sanctification or sanctimony and honour Å¿ 1 Thes 4.4 in a special kind of conjugal cleaness and chastness which is opposite to all turpitude and lust of Concupiscence in the very appearance of it that there may be as much as possible no shew or tincture of uncleanness in the Marriage-bed but that there may be an holy seed and she may keep her self pure from any taint of Lasciviousness 'T will chear up in the hour of her Travail if she can sincerely say in the sight of God as it is said in the Apochryphal story * Tobit 3.14 15. Sara the Daughter of Raguel did Thou knowest Lord I am pure from all sin with man and that I never polluted my name nor the name of my father This is the true Eagle-stone to be constantly worn for the prevention of miscarrying that there may not indeed be labouring in vain or bringing forth for trouble but her seed may be the blessing of the Lord and her off-spring with her t Isa 65 23. with 21. who may solace her self in her Integrity and unspotted Reputation having her chast conversation coupled with fear u 1 Pet. 3.2 that all shall issue well with her and the Fruit of her Womb. But this is so much of the same Nature with the last Grace mentioned here in my Text that the Apostle annexeth that to Holiness with 4. Sobriety So we render it others Temperance others Modesty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in our old Translation others Chastity And taking it largely the word seems to speak that gracious habit which may best become a prudent grave temperate moderate or modest Mother of a Family * Beza for that seems to reach the Apostles sense comparing it with what he hath in the 9th Verse of this Chapter and elsewhere w Tit. 2.4 5. Acts 26.25 I might consider this like the former Graces more generally and specially 1. More generally as Christian every one that nameth the name of Christ being under an obligation thereby to depart from iniquity x 2 Tim 2.19 is engag'd to labour after a sound mind y 2 Tim. 1.7 to be modest sober and temperate in all things z Tit. 1.8 and 2.2 4 6. 1 Cor. 9.25 learning to use this world as if we used it not minding that which is comely and attending upon the Lord without distraction a 1 Cor. 1.31 35. Yea we should let our moderation be known unto all men as those that are Christ's who have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts b Phil. 4.5 Gal. 5.24 Certainly then a Christian Wife and that in a child-bearing condition is concern'd to seek that she may be endew'd with Sobriety which purgeth the Mind from Distempers and putteth the affections into an orderly frame acceptable to God and so doth morally give the best ensurance to the promises of temporal and eternal safety But more particularly 2. The special conjugal Grace of Temperance and Modesty is to be exercised by the child-bearing woman in sobriety chastity and gracefulness both with reference to her affections and senses I have warrant from the Apostle as well as the Philosophers * Wallaei Eâ—hic â— Arist l. 4. to take the word so largely as to comprehend both Modesty and Temperance Whereupon I conclude 1. With modesty she is to govern her passions and affections so that there may be only an humble appetition of due respect and an abstinence from those unbecoming An holy care as to avoid pride on one hand so ignominy and contempt on the other as well as to give check to boldness and indecency in her gesture speech and behaviour as to lightness and wantonness in any of these So that she may by a graceful deportment as much as she can in minding things venerable just pure lovely and of good report c Phil. 4.8 not with the outward adornings of plaiting the hair and of wearing gold or of putting on of apparel d 1 Pet. 3.3 shew her self to be a vertuous
be some while first yet I may ask you as Plato did one of his Schollars who minded his Table and cheer what he did mean to make his Prison so strong Alas the Body is but the Prison of the Soul the Soul is at liberty only when it gets out of it Let these things frequently come into your minds To which add 1. If the miseries and wants which concern the Body be so great as indeed we esteem them and sometimes feel them to be what then are the necessities and calamities of the Soul The Soul being so excellent nay the meanest humane Soul being more worth than all the Bodies in the world Is there any pain which torments thy Body how intolerable will the pain be that will torment thy Soul the biting of a Scorpion and the raging of fire are but faint resemblances of it If bodily hunger be so sharp what did it not cause the poor Women in the siege of Samaria to do or to part with 2 Kings 6.26 how intense is the hunger and thirst in the Soul whilst yet we are under the dispensations of mercy but if once God's offended Patience turns to Anger who can endure to be scorched with the flames of it 2. If the Pleasures and advantages men have for the Bodies be so desirable Oh what are those Pleasures and advantages we have or may have for our Souls For God hath provided for all his Creatures suitably to their Natures The Herbs and Plants have Earth and dung Beasts have grass to nourish them with The Body of man is plentifully provided out of the store-house and ward-robe of the Creatures with food and rayment but there is nothing amongst them all found good enough for the Soul The Soul can only be satisfyed with the good things of Gods house even of his holy Temple Psal 65.4 Or as David says elsewhere Ps 17.15 I shall be satisfyed with thy likeness â—articulars â—hich we must practice this duty But that I may not be only in generals perswading you to a practical valuation for your Souls let the esteem you have for your Souls appear in these particulars 1. Value thy self upon the account of thy Soul How do men stand upon their tip-toes if they may by any means over-top others This will almost make thy Pride commendable if thou gloriest only that thy Soul is so near akin so much alike to God thou art not so far remov'd as tertius a Jove Oh Reverence thy self more and think thy self too good for the most fashionable or creditable sin Should such aâ— one as thou sin Neh. 6.11 Should any whose Souls are Spiritual in their Original be sensual in their Conversation Far be it from you But 2. Use your Souls well if they be so excellent do not set them upon trifles A meaner Soul than ours would serve to do those Offices we put our Souls upon viz. to eat and drink and sleep A Kings Son sent to a Philosopher his Governour to know whether he might not take such pastimes as other Young men did he only returned for Answer that he should remember that he was a King's Son Oh remember who it is you call the Father of your Spirits and pick not straws you may easily know what I mean with those very Souls which are given thee for higher and better purposes Remember that known Maxime Corruptio optimi est pessima A degenerate filthy or sinful Soul is worse than any Body can be A degenerate Soul is so much worse than a blind or lame body or ulcerous as the Soul otherwise is in its self better than the Body We cannot use our Souls well unless we give them their due superiority over our Passions and Affections and indeed over all the things relating to the Body God did make these Souls for to rule in man and he set up our Understanding in the Throne and commanded our other faculties to obey it as his Vice-Roy and Deputy When men prefer ther Humours or Lusts they make their vile Bodies to Lord it over these precious Souls and imploy their Souls as purveyors nay as drudges for the Body The Servant rides on Horseback and the Prince goes on foot nay there is a greater disparity where the Soul is made to truckle to the Body 3. Thirdly And above all have a care that ye do not lose these Souls that are so valuable I have shewn you how that they may be lost let me now leave some considerations to be enlarged upon by you 1. The danger your Souls are in is very great The Philistines are upon thee thou dost not only run a hazard and it may be or may not be but unless thou doest mightily and in time even to day whilst it is called to day bestirr thy self thy Soul is certainly and may be inevitably lost As David said to Jonathan in another case concerning himself As the Lord liveth there is but a step between thee and Death 1 Sam. 20.3 So there is but a step between thy Soul and Death Nay your Souls are dead in trespasses and sins Luk. 19.10 they are lost but God hath sent his Son to seek and to save 2. The loss of your Souls is very great It is much to lose an Estate or Wife or Child but if thou losest thy Soul thou dost not lose only much but thou losest all For the whole World cannot now profit thee and though the clatter and noise that worldly things make about our Ears will not suffer us to hear or mind this yet dare but to be alone converse with thy self ask thy Heart and Conscience and it will tell thee as much especially when thou art in affliction or on a sick bed c. 3. The loss of thy Soul is never to be repaired Men may meet with losses which yet they may otherwise recover or may have something else that may countervail them but not only nothing can countervail this loss no more than dross and dung can Jewels of the greatest price but if thou doest once lose thy Soul nothing can retrieve or regain it in this case non licet bis peccare If thou once losest thy Soul in this life there is no means hereafter whereby thou mayest recover it but as the tree falls so it lyeth Thou that readest this upon this moment for ought either you or I know depends thy Eternity nunquid aut alter Christus an idem iterum crucifigi habet pro anima as Bernard asks the question Bernard Epist 54. is there says he another Christ Or do you think that he will be crucifyed again for thy Soul 4. Shall I add that this Soul is thine own and thou hast not nor never shalt have another and therefore it stands thee upon to keep it safe The Text calls our Souls ours his own Soul what shall a man be profited if he should gain the whole world and lose his own Soul Christ does not call the World or any thing in it ours but
must be damned or saved for ever might understand in things necessary to Salvation what we mean and aim and drive at it hath made me tremble to hear some soar aloft that knowing men might know their parts while the meaner sort are kept from the knowledge of Christ and put their matter in such a dress of words in such a stile so composed that the most stand looking the Preacher in the face and hear a sound but know not what he saith and while he doth pretend to feed them indeed doth starve them and to teach them keepeth them in ignorance Would a Man of any Bowels of compassion go from a Prince to a condemned man and tell him in such Language that he should not understand the conditions upon which the Prince would pardon him and the poor man lose his Life because the proud and haughty Messenger must shew his knack in delivering his message in fine English which the condemned Man could not understand but this is course dealing with a Man in such circumstances that call for pity and compassion Paul had more Parts and Learning but more self-denyal than any of these when he said 1 Cor. 2.1 And I Brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing Words of mans Wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power 2 Cor. 3.12 Seeing then we have such hope we use great plainness of speech 13. and not as Moses which put a vail over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished Some put a vail upon their words that people of mean Education that yet have Souls that must be damned or saved cannot look into those truths that shall never be abolished but what is this but a cursed preferring their own parts and praise before the Salvation of Eternal Souls and the preaching themselves and not Christ which will not be their praise but shame at the Eternal Judgment when some shall plead they stand there condemned because the Learned Preacher would not stoop to speak to them of Eternal matters in Language that they might have understood 4. This Eyeing of Eternity would stir us up to improve our Interest in God and Men for a continual succession of Men in the Ministerial Function In God by Prayer that the Lord of the Harvest would send forth Labourers into his Harvest In men whether such as have Children of pregnant parts studious and bookish serious in Religion and inclined to this Imployment that they would give them to God and give them Education in order to it which would be the Honour of Parents to have such proceed from their loins that shall be Embassadors to call the blind ungodly World to mind Eternity to escape Everlasting Damnation and obtain Eternal Life or whether they be such as have no Children so qualifyed or disposed yet have riches to be helpful to such as have such Children but not an Estate to bring them up for there is a necessity of a standing continued Ministry Men in all Ages are hasting to Eternity those that were our Ancestors in former Ages are already there and have taken up their Lodgings where they must for ever dwell and we are following after them and what a mercy is it that we have the Gospel preached unto us wherein we have directions how to escape Everlasting Torments and obtain Eternal Joyes in the other Eternal World to which we are a going and those that shall live after us when they have been upon the stage of this World awhile shall follow us and our Fathers into Eternity and give place to those that follow after them thus this World doth often change its Inhabitants What is the Life of Man but a coming into time and a going out into Eternity Oh how needful is it then that while they make their short stay on Earth they should have preaching Ministers to warn them of Eternal Misery and teach them the way to Eternal Glory Those that are now engaged in the work will shortly be all silenced by Death and Dust and how desirable is it that your Children and posterity should see and hear others preaching in their room and the Honourableness of the Office might allure young men to encline unto it is it not an Honour to be an Embassador of the great Eternal God to propound Articles of Everlasting peace between him and Everlasting Souls What is buying and selling Temporal Transitory things in comparison of a calling wherein it is mens work and business to save Souls from Eternal Misery and to bring them to the Eternal Enjoyment of the glorious God Thus in some few particulars we have shewed the Influence that the Eyeing of Eternity will have upon us in what we do Do you so Eye Eternity and the rest here for want of room omitted you shall by experience find out which will be better than knowing of them in the notion only because they are told you The Conclusion of this Discourse shall be some particular uses omitting many that it would afford 1. Is there an Eternal State Such unseen Eternal Joyes and Torments Who then can sufficiently lament the blindness madness and folly of this distracted World and the unreasonableness of those that have Rational and Eternal Souls to see them busily imployed in the matters of time which are only for time in present Honours Pleasures and Profits while they do neglect Everlasting things Everlasting Life and Death is before them Everlasting Joy or Torment is hard at hand and yet poor sinners take no care how to avoid the one or obtain the other Is it not matter of lamentation to see so many Thousands bereaved of the sober serious use of their Understandings That while they use their reason to get the Riches of this World they will not act as rational men to get the joyes of Heaven and to avoid Temporal Calamities yet not to escape Eternal misery Or if they be fallen into present Afflictions they contrive how they may get out of them if they be sick reason tells them they must use the means if they would be well if they be in pain Nature puts them on to seek after a Remedy and yet these same Men neglect all duty and cast away all care concerning Everlasting matters they are for seen pleasures and profits which are passing from them in the enjoyment of them but the unseen Eternal Glory in Heaven they pray not for they think not of Are they unjustly charged Let Conscience speak what thoughts they lye down withal upon their pillow if they wake or sleep fly from them in the silent night what a noise doth the cares of the World make in their Souls With what thoughts do they rise in the Morning of God or of the World Of the things of time or of Eternity Their thoughts are
Would you then have Communion with God you must not abide in Ignorance but read the Scriptures Enquire into the Mysteries of the Gospel and know the way of coming to God and Communion with him by Christ Jesus and to an Everlasting Communion with him in Heaven And Thirdly Truth is Light and Error is Darkness Take heed therefore of false Doctrines especially such as may tend to the obstructing this Communion with God Take heed of Socinian Doctrines in denying Christs satisfaction the Trinity and the Godhead of Christ c. Take heed of Popish Doctrines which tell you of other merits besides the merits of Christ other satisfaction other Mediation and other Headship of the Church besides Jesus Christ c. Take heed of the Leaven of Quakerism which sets up the Light of Nature for Christ and cast off the use of those Ordinances which Christ hath appointed for our Communion with God Take heed of the old Pelagian Doctrines that set up the Power of Nature and are since revived under other Names to the denyal or neglect of that help of the Spirit which is necessary to our Communion with God And lastly I said Holiness is Light and Sin and Wickedness are Darkness He therefore that would have Communion with God must break off from his Sin betake himself to a course of Godliness and Holy walking with God In the Apostles time rose up a Sect of carnal Professors who would talk high of Fellowship with God and yet walk after the Flesh and indulge their Lusts Whom he is thought especially to referr to in this Chapter that they thus walking in Darkness cannot have Fellowship with that God who is Light The next branch of the Exhortation I direct to such as are in the practice and experience of this Communion with God First Maintain it in what Constancy you can The fewer interruptions are admitted therein so much the better Take heed of violent passions take heed of distracting Cares take heed of Diversions from Duties and Ordinances you ought to attend unto Take heed of the snares of bad Company of the influence of bad Examples of the carnal Counsels of your own Heart of any Complyances against your Consciences of any doubts and disputes in your Mind about the Fundamental Principles of all Religion especially that Christian Religion that you make profession of And watch over the Levity and instability of your own minds which of it self alone may hinder our constancy in this duty Yea and the very lawful Affairs of our calling especially if much incumbred may interrupt us herein Secondly Advance it to an higher degree That your Communion with God may grow up into a greater intimacy such as the Church the Spowse of Christ is represented to have in the Book of Canticles He that can attain it let him attain it In Jacob's Ladder which stood betwixt Heaven and Earth there were many rounds In an high Mountain there are several degrees of ascent At Mount Sinai the people stood at the bottom some of the Priests and the Seventy Elders of Israel went up a little way but Moses was at the top Let us ascend this Mount as high as we can only know it is not Mount Sinai but Mount Sion we must ascend to have Communion with God And be not discouraged if you meet with some difficulties in your ascent through the Natural bent of your Hearts towards things below The sweetness and advantage you will reap herein will abundantly recompence all the labour and endeavours after it And may not some eminent degree of Communion with God be expected of such as do not only live in the times of the New Testament but have had a long standing in the Church of God that your growth herein may in some measure be proportion'd to your time and advantages for it And that which should quicken you the more is the present Complexion of the times both at home and abroad We know not what dayes are coming Mens Hearts are failing them for fear of what Evils are coming upon the Earth as our Saviour foretold Matth. 24. now nothing will so fortifie the Soul against an evil day and an hour of Temptation as this Communion with God This will sweeten a Prison sweeten Poverty sweeten Banishment sweeten the very sorrows of Death This sweetned the Martyrs sufferings of old that Fellowship they had with God in those sufferings wherein they had fellowship also with Christ in his Death Now let these things put you on to this great work And be not discouraged because of the infinite distance betwixt God and us He is come down to us in our own Nature in Christ that we may have access to him and his terror not make us afraid And hear what he speaks himself to our encouragement Isa 57. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite Spirit c. The most high God thus humbleth himself to men But God is invisible Object and how can I have Communion with one whom I see not It s true We cannot have a sensible Communion with Him Answ as Men have with one another but Spirits that are invisible have converse together as well as sensible Creatures God is a Spirit and the Soul of Man is a Spirit and so may be capeable of Communion with that God who is a Spirit Had not the Apostle Communion with invisible things when he saith We look not to the things which are seen but to the things which are not seen And doth not the Apostle Peter say Whom having not seen you love 1 Pet. 1.8 And is not Faith the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 And though in himself he is invisible yet he made himself visible in Christ who is the Image of the Invisible God Col. 1.15 Vse V V. Having spoke of this Communion with God I shall add one Use about the Communion of Saints We know it is one of the Articles of our Creed And that which the Apostle in this Chapter exhorts to These things have we written to you that ye may have Fellowship with us with us as Apostles and with us as Believers So that the fellowship of Saints comprehends their fellowship with the Father and their fellowship with the Son and their fellowship with the Apostles and from thence fellowship with one another All Saints and Churches that hold fellowship with these three ought to have fellowship among themselves To bring in new Doctrines or new Rules of Worship not delivered by the Apostles is to forsake Communion with the Apostles The terms of Communion laid by the Apostles for the Churches of Christ ought to be kept inviolable in all Churches to the end of the World and be the Foundation of their Communion among themselves And for my part I can hold Communion with any Church where these are maintained though there may be some Circumstantial differences either in