at my reproof c. Under favour my Masters this Wisdom here spoken of cannot be interpreted as a Herauld or Cryer publishing such an Oration in a City Palace or such like convention of people but it is the voyce of God fixed or proclaimed in the market place or heart of every Creature that is to say of mankind where the assembly and concourse of the affections have their place of meeting and the faculties of rationality sit in councel there the voyce of Almighty God is present by a manifestation of his Wisdom or motions of his holy Spirit reproving and condemning all adverse and repugnant intentions of our hearts in dissonancy or contrariety of his Will I pray answer me this question What is that which giveth a check to yours and my Conscience when we intend evil against God or our Neighbor and whether or no upon the commitment of sin there hath not been a voyce of God speaking in every one of our hearts this ought not to be done I think the worst of men wil acknowledg it onely such excepted who liked not to retain God in their knowledg such indeed are given up to strange delusions Rom. 1. Satan as he dealt with Eve presents the beauty of the apple but God said In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye Mark this well Satan pleaseth the fancy of the Creature the better to accomplish his ruine God informeth the judgment of man for his preservation I remember a precious expression in the Prophet Isaiah Look up unto me all ye the Isles of the earth and be saved Isaiah 45.22 Here you may perceive the plenitude of Gods Tender even unto all Nations upon the face of the earth All men every where as the Text hath it Observe my beloved Friends if God commands all men to repent and turn unto him wisheth all Nations to look up to him for Salvation certainly God hath not mental reservation but as we say speaks the Truth from his heart willing None should perish but All to partake of everlasting life Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money Isai 55.1 come ye buy and eat c. Whosoever will Rev. 22 17. let him take of the water of life freely By which Scriptures you may apprehend that Almighty God lest the Creature should plead ignorance or unworthiness maketh proclamation of his free goodness unto mankinde without restriction or exception of any as persons and that from these words Ho and Whosoever And now from this argument I thus infer If God by his wisdom which is the voyce of his Spirit to the heart within and if God by his Word or Ministry which is his outward means wooeth and inviteth all Mankinde to partake of his Love and Goodness is it not to declare the truth of the Doctrine now insisted upon viz. That it is the good will and pleasure of Almighty God that every Creature should come to the attainment of Life and Salvation The third Argument is drawn from the sorrow or complaint that Almighty God is said according to the Scripture sence to take up 3 Argument drawn from Gods sorrow or complaint Deut. 5.29 upon consideration of the deviation or destruction of the Creature Oh that there were such an heart in them Oh that my people would but harken Why will ye dye O house of Israel See here Gods expressions of love not onely desiring Israels conformity but argueth out the case Why will ye dye What reason have you to destroy your selves Is there any cause that necessitates you to perish It s strange to me it should be so As I live saith the Lord Ezek. 33.11 I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked should turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel c. Here the Lord doth declare his disaffection to the Creatures ruine by Oath which as the Apostle hath it is used for confirmation and ending of all strife As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death c. It is recorded of a Roman Emperor when he pronounced sentence against a Malefactor he used this language * Utinam nescirem Legâ—s Nero. Would to God I had not known the Laws Whether there be truth in this story or reality in the expression it matters not but most sure it is that Almighty God the great King of Heaven and Earth proceedeth not to sentence for sin without reluctancy The Prophet Jeremiah in his Lamentations readeth thus He doth not afflict WILLINGLY Lam. 3.33 nor GRIEVE the Children of men It is worthy of our serious consideration to observe what sorrow of heart and tenderness in affection our blessed Saviour expressed over Jerusalem when he sentenced their ejectment or rendred them uncapable of any further favor O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets Mat. 23 37. and stonest them that are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy Children together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens and ye * 'T is not said Ye could not Would not Behold your house is left desolate If thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes When he approached neer the holy City saith the Evangelist he wept over it Strong are those affections that break forth in Weeping and great was that LOVE that drew Tears from the Son of God I pray consider by what pertinent similitude our Saviour maketh out his Love to Jerusalem As a Hen gathereth her Chickens c. Amongst other Creatures that are indulgent for procreation the Hen is observed by great diligence to bring her brood to maturity how careful is she to cover her charge and during time departeth not therefrom unless necessitated by extream hunger when her charge is brought to perfection how doth she endevor to rally her young ones together never at rest longer then they are under covert of her own feathers and in case violence be offered to her young what creature is it that with undaunted courage she will not fly in face on Much more might be said by way of illustration but ye are to understand that the end of Similitudes or Parables is to declare not to compare as may be instanced by the Parables of the unjust Steward unjust Judg c. So here the similitude of the tenderness of the Hen over her young doth manifest something of Christs Love all comparisons in the world being too low to parallel the extent thereof Luke 15. I remember when Christ was accused by the Pharisees for having society with Publicanes and sinners taking boldness to paraphrase upon the Discourse he reasoneth after this manner Well Sirs saith he I perceive I am the object of your discontent and that in reference to my familiarity among wicked and ungodly men Come now let
us debate the matter I conclude you be sheep-masters I would see that man amongst you having an hundred sheep and losing but one of that hundred which will not leave his ninety and nine in the wilderness to seek that one sheep and having found it he rejoyceth more for the recovery of that one sheep then at the possession of ninety nine that strayed not Is this history true touching your sheep and cannot you understand this mystery All creatures in the world all men and women in the world are my heavenly Fathers if any person break the fold or wandereth in evil ways and by-paths of sin or ignorance he carefully endevoreth to regain him which if accomplished There is more joy over one sinner that repenteth then over ninety nine just persons who need no repentance I might add something touching the lost groat but I shall not multiply presidents lest I burthen your memories onely give me way to speak a word or two to the Parable of the Prodigal and then I shall proceed Although the Parables of the lost sheep and groat were sufficient to reprove the Pharisees of their harsh sentence yet our Saviour for their better conviction addeth this comparison of a man having two sons the younger demanded his portion Luk. 15.12 went into a far Country wasted his patrimony c. and when he returned home his father was so far from calling him to account for his Prodigality as that he used all expressions of love unto him met him in the way kissed him richly clothed him put shoes to his feet gold to his hand all which as also the Parable it self is of spiritual construction and when the eldest Son repined at his younger Brothers entertainment his Father silenced him with these words It is meet that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive again was lost and is found It would ask more time then I have by Gods permission to spend at this present to unfold the mystery of the whole Parable onely take notice from the grudgings of the elder brother as also the evil eye of the laborers in the vineyard upon their masters kindness to their fellow servants Matth. 20. How subject Creatures are to repine at the goodness of God conferred upon their brethren He was dead and is alive saith the Text Observe my beloved Friends the life of man doth not consist onely in exercising the faculties of Nature as breathing speaking acting c. but chiefly in the enjoyment of God without which the Creature though alive to the world yet is he really dead in himself * Simile A tree that is newly felled may have boughes and blossoms answerable unto other trees yet is truly dead as being separated from the root even so saith the Apostle they that live in pleasures are dead while they live He was lost and is found Every Soul departing from God loseth it self though never so sensible of the way it walketh in Jonah knew whither he went when he marched to Anathoth yet lost himself having received Orders for his advance to Nineveh The heart of man is a notable Sophister giving heed to Satans Logique filleth the Microsmos or little Universe of Man full of misprisions that when he thinketh he stands he falls when he thinketh he saveth his life he loseth his life when he thinketh he hath a good bargain he loseth himself in the purchase In this sence He truly buys gold too dear that winneth the world with the loss of his Soul Pardon I pray this circumlocution and take notice with me from the Parable of the Prodigal this one thing That if it be an undubitable matter of rejoycing to receive a dead childe to life or for a childe that was lost to finde the way home again the grief of both Parents in such a condition being great but especially of the latter if you have heard the sad complaint of divers in London and elsewhere who have been made sensible of such an affliction then certainly we may see what our Saviour thus methodically gives us to understand by the similitude to wit That it is well pleasing to Almighty God that every Creature should come to the attainment of Life and Salvation But methinks I hear some object and say That they cannot beleeve that Christ dyed for the World or that God is so open-handed unto all Creatures but rather according to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches that God predestinateth some to life and Salvation and of those there is an impossibility of perishing Others he hath appointed to death and destruction and of such no possibility of Salvation And for their Faith in this particular there are many warrants from Scripture viz. Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea 1 Object the wicked for the day of evil From whence it is reasoned That God acting from a principle of his own Will made all things for his glory and consequently the wicked for the day of evil that his power may be manifested Jude 4. There were certain men crept in 2 Object who of old were ordained to this condemnation From this Scripture is proved the Doctrine of Reprobation viz. That God of old or from all Eternity did ordain or appoint certain persons unto condemnation Rom. 9.13 Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated 3 Object From this Text it is manifest That God in his Decree of Election before they were born or had done good or evil did appoint Jacob and his seed to Life and Salvation Esau and his posterity to Hell and Destruction So then taking the Scriptures together First that in Prov. 16. proveth the soveraignty of God in making the wicked for the day of evil Secondly that in Jude proves That in the determinate Counsel of God certain men were appointed to Destruction Lastly that of Rom. 9. manifesteth Gods free Election in chusing Jacob and refusing Esau Which being considered how can the Doctrine be closed with that hath been delivered viz. That it is the good will and pleasure of Almighty God that every Creature should come to the attainment of Life and Salvation Now Sirs ye have heard the strength of the Objection let me crave your attention to the Reply Indeed the Scriptures produced through mis-understanding may have some seeming opposition but if rightly weighed they infer no such thing Therefore we shall answer to the several Objections in order Answer to the first Object To the first Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea the wicked for the day of wrath where from Gods plenipotency over the Creatures is argued That God made wicked men Gen. 1. and appointed them to Destruction we answer That all God made was good yea saith the Scripture exceeding good and that persons be degenerated is through prevarication of their own hearts for God made man righteous but he sought out his own inventions Therefore
doctrine could have of their Auditory * Simile Suppose you and I with four or five hundred more were slaves in Turkey if a Merchant should come and say That the States of England had taken care to release some few of us but the names of the parties to be released that was not known what could this yield to the prisoners more than a doubtful hope But if the States Agent should tell the enslaved fellow Natives Here is a Release come for you all will not every prisoner joyfully conclude If for all then for me also The Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation simply as persons leaves the creature in a continual suspence sometimes he thinketh he hath a right to Christ by election at another time he is at a stand in himself questioning what reason he hath to think so when the Doctrine of Gods Free-Grace to All gives him credence of Gods Universal Love to the World or all Mankind and consequently unto him The consideration whereof putteth him upon a duty of striving to make his Calling and Election in that love sure by good works Again Mark my beloved Friends how many Absurdities this Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation of Mankind simply as persons casteth upon Almighty GOD. 1 Absurdity First The Doctrine of Reprobation chargeth God with Injustice Abraham in capitulation with God about the destruction of Sodom gathereth this conclusion That thou shouldst destroy the righteous with the wicked that be far from thee Which words though spoken by interrogation yet contain a positive conclusion viz. That it is far from God to condemn the righteous with the wicked and the Judg of all the World will judg righteously Now if Judgment take place before the Fact or condemnation precede the being of the person is it not to charge God with male-administration of Justice And as the Apostle hath it Where there is no Law there is no Transgression and sin is variation from a rule which is transgression of a Law Secondly The Doctrine of Reprobation of men as persons chargeth God with Partiality 2 Absurdity One of the ill consequences that should follow a King in Israel was that he should make some of their sons Captains others he should make Cooks and Confectionaries without any consideration had to the qualification in persons unto such an office only such men were appointed unto such employments meerly because it was his will As great personages will dignifie one mans child with the name of his Page and others must be his Foot-Boys If you will believe Peter God is no such Respecter of persons but he that serveth him shall be accepted and whoso fancyeth Election and Reprobation in God simply considered as persons rendereth God partial and a Respecter of persons Thirdly Remisness The Doctrine of Predestination and Reprobation of men simply as persons is a Doctrine of Remisness Security and Carelesness Take a creature when he hath concluded himself to be a predestinated person and so consequently of necessity must be saved if Conscience checketh him ever so much for his uneven walking he presently flies to this Refuge The best of Gods Children are subject to fall God sees no sin in his People Whom God loves he loveth to the end all which Scriptures are true in their places but not Arguments for Remisness Again A man that concludeth himself an elected person Security though he wilfully continueth in a notorious sin upon check of Conscience which is the witness of God in us he singeth his Soul this Requiem Lot David and Peter had their gross failings yet Children of GOD and so fancieth to himself Security Once more Take a prophane person Carelesness when he hath been taught this Doctrine That some as persons were chosen to life and others appointed to death meerly out of Gods decree and without any respect had to obedience and disobedience what 〈◊〉 conclusions doth this man draw If I shall be saved I shall be saved if I was appointed to be damned I shall be damned what need I care how I spend my time Was not the Thief upon the Cross a Chosen Vessel And thus poor Soul he bolstereth himself in his careless walking which if it were taught him That God Electeth or Chooseth the Righteous man to himself and rejecteth and turneth the Ungodly into Hell he would soon endeavor to turn over a new leaf and no more take up these preposterous expressions used in our generation concerning a lewd person I am sorry God gave him no more grace and of one that committeth felo-in-se becoming his own executioner That he was born to such an end and ordained so to do but rather speak the Apostles language where he saith Rom. 1.21 That when men know God and worship him not as God hence it is that they become vain in their imaginations committing evil with greediness Lastly It contradicteth Scripture 2 Sam. 22.27 Lastly The Doctrine of Election and Reprobation simply as persons contradicteth the whole scope and generality of Scripture With the upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright with the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure with the froward thou wilt deal frowardly 1 Sam. 2 30. c. And touching Eli's sons who were of the lineage of Aaron see what God saith Them that honor me I will honor and them that despise me shall be light esteemed And as I give my judgment that Doctrine which Iohn the Baptist preached Mat 3. should be seasonable for our times Now is the ax layd to the root of the tree and every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewed down and cast into the fire And so to put men upon tryal of their faith in the Gospel by performance of Works answerable to the Gospel The Papists * Incidit in Sillam qui vult c. Silla was to set Works supereminent above Faith I wish the Protestants Charibdis be not to erect Faith without Works The Apostle Iames makes them paramount in Abraham demonstrating that Faith and Works ought to be equivalent in us Now I have done with this subject I crave my Text leading me thereto a word or two by digression In the times of this ignorance God winked c. From which observe with me the Apostles method you understand whom he spake to a Heathenish people wholy given to Idolatry yet take notice with what mildness of spirit he reproved them useth no railing at all but in love by way of argument convinceth the vanity of their worship telling them by way of encouragement that God 〈◊〉 willing to pass by or wink at their former ignorance provided now they would be changed in their mindes and repent wherein you may observe that the Gospel of Christ is to be declared by way of meekness and affable perswasions The Apostle hath an expression 2 Cor. 5.20 Now we are Embassadors of Christ we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled unto God May not this
then reprove the Legal Teachers in our generation who present the terrors of the Law to reduce persons to the obedience of the Gospel and by coercive power if they had it beat mens spirits into a conformity Christ satisfied Peter that his Kingdom was not of this world From which I apprehend we may gather That majesterial or worldly power hath no cognizance over the things of God Paul telleth Timothy who as all conclude was a famous Bishop 2 Tim. 2.24 25. The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if peradventure God will give grace to repentance How unsuitably then do those persons act who under pretence of * â—Nabâ—th blasphemed c. only a sleight to get his Vineyard Cave C. O. Heresie and Blasphemy condemn men first and give them time to repent afterwards Harken unto me ye fiery Zealots let us reason the matter suppose there were in this Congregation one that is a Jew pleading for a necessity of Sacrifices Circumcision c. Another a Turk pleading the interest of Mahomet A third of Aristotle and Pythagoras his Judgment denying both Diety and Resurrection I pray let me ask you this question Is it not more Christian-like to instruct these men then destroy them Should not these poor Souls be objects of pity rather then fury seeing they must all stand at the Judgment seat of Christ and to torment them before the time is to do that to them which as I understand Scripture Christ permited not to be done unto Devils Now if such civility is to be used unto Aliens and Forreigners who are Strangers in person and Religion will you that be fellow Natives desire Laws of cruelty to be exercised upon those that are neerer by affinity both in birth and judgment Again Coercive power at the best makes men but Hypocrites when perswasion through love maketh a change in the minde and what is it to drive the person of a man into a little outward conformity when in his minde he is always free to affect that which his judgment gives him to be truth * Simile A Lion chained is a Lion still the chain mitigateth not but exasperateth the fierceness of the creature Outward forcings onely chain the out side it is love onely that can change the minde Saint Paul exhorteth Titus to be gentle and shew all meekness unto all men and by a self-experiment he encourageth him to that duty For saith he Tit. 3. We our selves also were sometimes disobedient serving divers lusts c. but after the kindness of the love of God appeared c. Then there was an alteration If the men of our generation that stile themselves Ministers of the Gospel had labored to beget love in the people towards God by presenting the Love of God in our Saviour to the people in a gentle and meek way according to the Gospel the rent amongst themselves would not have bin so great and * Bellum episcopale hinc iliae lachrymae divisions of the people less One thing more observe from the connexion of this Discourse The precedent Verses speak that these Athenians worshipped the true God after an ignorant way As God may be truly worshiped by a form so the true God is often worshipped in a form after a false manner I pray God the whole Kingdom be not guilty of it The outward deckings and adornments of you that hear me speak forth a good time or some high * It was Easter day in the afternoons Exercise day but how fitted and prepared your hearts be for reception of the substance of these formalities God and your Consciences are your Judges The Apostle Paul telleth the Colossians of us rising with Christ as well as the rising of Christ Col. 3.1 If ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above c. To beleeve Christ in history as to be born dead and risen again at Jerusalem Rome Spain France acknowledg as much yea the Devils beleeve confess it and tremble but the Unity and participation in the mystery of this history is that which must be of Soul-concernment unto every one of you Prove your selves whether you be IN the Faith or no Know ye not that except Jesus Christ be IN you you are reprobates If you know any thing of the new-birth of Regeneration or of Christ being formed in us by a manifestation of God in Our flesh then you may keep Christmas at Mid-Lent Or if you know what it is to have your conversation in Heaven and understand that of the Apostle Col. 2.12 Buried with him in Baptism wherein also you are risen with Him by faith through the operation of God then you may keep Easter and Good Friday all of a day I know many of you here have this morning observed the solemnity of the Passeover by eating or breaking bread God forbid that I should discourage you in any thing that you apprehend to foe of God in this Form but give me leave to declare what Bread the Apostle would have the Corinthians observe the Passeover with 1 Cor. 5.8 Therefore let us keep the feast not with the Leaven of malice and wickedness but with the unleavened bread of Sincerity and Truth And further when he speaks as to wise men 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ The bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ By which expressions you may observe the Apostles drift was to fix their hearts upon the Substance which is Spirit and Life in it self and the very Soul of the Sacrament One word more to the Military part of this Auditory for whom this Discourse was more precisely intended Gentlemen having been your fellow-Soldier in the Nations cause I take the more boldness and freedom to speak a word of Exhortation to you You have heard what hath been pressed viz. Gods Goodness unto Mankinde The consideration whereof taking impression upon our spirits will be a strong motive and provocation to us for to repent and be changed in our mindes from the love of the world to the love of God If this duty be to be practised by all then more especially by you that be Soldiers I have observed one notable stratagem of Satan in transporting the minde of the creature above its proper sphere Take it for granted in the generality that those societies of men that are in most danger of death are most careless in their living * Quatuor aut septem si sit latissima â—aeda Seamen and Soldiers in what haâ—ard do they lead their lives yet how vainly do they spend their time and how improvidently fitted for death My Masters I knew the time when the hearts of wel-affected were refreshed to hear the goodness of God manifested in your meetings but how have you sadded the spirits of good men to observe so much