or in case they do not first warning reproving and as need requires threatning them but where this is in vain calling in the Magistrates help to punish such Offenders If this course do not suit all places by reason of the thinness of Magistrates in lesser Parishes the Ministers and Churchwardens conscientious discharge of their Duty in giving warning to the negligent that if they reform not they must present them to the Ordinary which would suddenly redress what some so much complain of the want of Discipline in our Church and in case they do not reform actually presenting them would undoubtedly much contribute to the remedying the publick evils we tax For by these means all sorts of persons would be brought to the publick means of Grace Knowledg would be encreased and thereby the Power of Godliness would insinuate it self into the Hearts of a multitude who live now as without God in the world Thus as to what these Orders of men may do jointly Severally also no little advance in this design may each of these in their places make I will suppose I need not tell the Ministers what they may do as well by a discreet and conscientious diligence in their Duty generally as especially 1. By conscientious Catechising the young openly in the Church as required by Law and so in the hearing of the aged Under the name of Catechising I comprehend the practical explaining and applying to the capacities of the meanest the Principles of Christian Religion out of and according to the Catechism 2. By private Visits and Admonitions 3. In taking care all of their own Family be respectively examples to others And as to Parents and Masters of Families 1. The setting up and maintaining the daily Worship of God in the Family as it would otherwise derive a Blessing upon the Family so it would certainly by degrees imprint a Reverence and Sense of Religion on the minds even of the youngest as they grow up 2. The taking care not only that all who are young but all who are ignorant learn their Catechism the keeping them some part of the Lords day and great Festivals out of Church time in reading the Bible or other good Books or else in attending to such as can read and if possible the taking account of their Behaviour Attention or Proficiency at Church would be more beneficial in this behalf than easily imaginable A very deplorable thing it is that a Family should have nothing of religious Offices amongst them but only what they have in common with the rest of the Parish one hour or two in a week at Church yet God knows how many thousand Families there are amongst us that have not and this no doubt is one reason why the Power of Godliness thrives no better I have thus briefly and familiarly set down what I think fit to say here as to those obvious methods by which the Power of Godliness may be promoted publickly or amongst the multitude § 5. But publick or Ecclesiastico-political methods were not the design of these Papers which as is plain by their Contents were calculated for mens private selves to be an help whereby each man might be able to see whether he has any thing of real Religion in himself and if he have not how he might arrive thereat And this certainly is one of the most likely and incomparably the best way to the Reformation of the Christian world that each should amend one namely himself For when many particular persons have done that all virtue being diffusive and Religion which is the greatest most so their own Hearts will naturally prompt them by all sober means to instill into all within their sphere that spiritual sense and life they feel in themselves There will be less Pragmaticalness Pride Ostentation Calumny and ill Nature in the world more of real Seriousness Peaceableness Humility Charity and conscientious exercising our selves to good works that is to say the true Power of Godliness will more prevail And the Good God make this plain hearty Discourse in some measure effectual to to the blessed end it pretends and was cordially by its Author design'd for AMEN Some ADVICE to such as own the Power of Godliness subjoyned to the foregoing Discourse about § 1. Spiritual Wickednesses § 2. Ostentation § 3. Yet Keeping a Decorum § 4. Murmuring § 5. Fears and Jealoufies § 6. Busie-bodies § 7. Giving Offence § 8. Vncharitable Opinionativeness § 9. Charitable catholick Comprehension HAving look'd over the foregoing Papers though I find many defects therein which my design of Brevity permitted not to supply yet there is one of such importance that I judged I could not discharge that Faith which I ow to the Age if I should wholly let it pass or be silent in a case in which I have here so fair an occasion to speak and in which it is so needful somebody should speak The case is this There are great numbers amongst us who pretend or own themselves and undoubtedly many of them are acted for the main by the Power of Godliness who yet by divers imprudent and inconsistent Practices to say no worse much disgrace it to whom therefore it is high time as the world goes that some very particular Advices and Admonitions adhomines should be given which Office though I am sensible my self to be very insufficient for yet having taken upon me to speak so roundly hitherto I will desire the following Supplement may be taken as proceeding from the same well-meaning with the rest of these Papers § First then I earnestly conjure all who pretend to the Power of Godliness to be with all good Conscience as before God careful that while they profess and live in an abhorrence of more gross and scandalous sins they do not allow themselves in spiritual Wickednesses Gross and scandalous Sins I call Profaneness Perjurys Treasons Oppressions Dishonesty or Injustice Vncleanness Drunkenness and the like Spiritual Wickednesses I reckon secret Pride Censoriousness Peevishness Revengefulness habitual Discontent Partiality Dissemblings Falseness and such other too frequent evils Divers of this later sort men otherwise very strict in their Lives are apt to overlook and it is well if they do not allow at least tolerate and judge tolerable in themselves But let all seriously consider the God with whom we have to do is The Searcher of Hearts and requireth Truth in the inward parts He will no more endure a conceited puff'd up waspish and uncharitable Soul than he does approve the Practices of the most profligate and debauched wretch It is the Preeminence of Christianity above all other Religions and Disciplines to purge the Heart to induce a sweet easie and humble Temper such Spirit is amiable before God and man such we are strictly obliged to as we would be blessed or like our Master and supposing we profess the Christian Faith as we do we shame the Gospel of Christ and expose the Power of Godliness if we wear not such § 2. Let all
in the world as being such upon the observance or neglect of which by the irrefragable Ordination of the God of Truth our Eternal Happiness or Misery depends It is to be lamented this is a part of Christian Knowledge not only too much wanting in the world but too little studied by the generality of Christians and no doubt not without the great prejudice of the Power of Godliness Further 3. It is necessary that in the particulars of our Life and Actions these Principles thus understood and believed be actually attended unto in order to the Governing our selves thereby For we see it too sadly true men may understand and believe what partly through infirmity and natural inadvertency partly through negligence and grossness they too little heed Therefore that Godliness may have its due power all who consider the case will easily acknowledg it indispensibly necessary men endeavour to maintain a constant attention unto or habitual sense of the Christianity they believe The Rule of Practice or Christian Law then must as neer as can be ever be set and kept before us to examine thereby all actions that pass us or the occasions and exercise whereof occur whether the Actions are good or whether evil In like manner also the great points of Faith especially such influential ones as the Nature of God his Omniscience Justice Goodness c. the certainty of Judgment to come with the like must be ever before us to incite and quicken us as well to eschew the evil as choose the good This is in Davids language having respect unto Gods Statutes continually Psalm cxix 117. And in nothing more than in this the holy sorce and effectual working of Faith and good Conscience jointly appears the Power of Godliness I mean when Conscience judges rightly according to the Divine rule what is Duty what is Sin and Faith over-aws or sways the whole man to act accordingly Both which may happily succeed or come to pass if we understand believe and in our particular practise attend unto the Principles of Godliness but never can otherwise And this I may call the truest account of Sanctification or Gods working Holiness in the Hearts of men and I may justifie my saying so from the Apostles words Acts xxvi 18. sanctified through Faith which is in Christ especially if I add hereto 4. That for the asserting Godliness into its full power it is necessary we not only in some particular instances conform our actions to the Christian Law but by constant endeavour of conscientious observance study to habituate our selves to such confirmity We must stirnp the Grace of God in us 2 Tim. 1. 6. and rowse all our strength if in any instances Duty or obeying good Conscience seem at first difficult It is Practice that makes men holy I deny not Divine assistance or Grace but rather ground all holy practice thereon This only I mean Godliness gets not its due power over us but by something of Custom and Exercise We say commonly one Act does not denominate and indeed there is great reason for neither does it much change a man He 's wicked with a witness and so bad as scarce ever Man or Devil was found who has not in some single act or other complyed with the Dictates of good Conscience but there must be frequent acts of that sort to beget either a custom or facility of such compliance So that I say if we intend Godliness shall have its power on us we must endeavour to inure our selves to such honest conscientious practice as described We must not idly expect I know not what inspiration or infusion of virtuous habits into our Souls but co-operate with the Grace of God towards the introducing them It is the Apostles Command Exercise thy self unto Godliness 1 Tim. iv 7. And we need not doubt but the method will be successful Exercise thy self to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be practising daily in it and it will obtain through the Grace of God a due power over thee The sum then of what we have said on this point is to the end Godliness may have its power over any persons it is necessary that the Principles of Godliness that is the Doctrine of Christian Faith and of Christian Life be duly by them understood be firmly believed be further particularly in practice attended to and that lastly they endeavour to inure themselves into a compliance with them and habitual observance of them for in this method and by these steps it is rationally intelligible and accountable how Godliness may obtain power over men and in any other method to expect it is a presumptuous not to say Enthusiastical though God knows too frequent an Extravagance § 3. Now by what we have thus discours'd it is easie to collect when Godliness may be said to have its due Power namely when in aman the Belief of the Doctrine of Godliness and good Conscience prevail generally to regulate and govern the mans Life and Heart or in plainer terms if plainer can be When through the Grace of God in such method as above set down the man is brought over from a worldly vain or loose life to a fix'd purpose of heart not to allow himself in the Practice of any known sin nor in the neglect of any known Duty and this purpose be firmly keeps to and puts in practice endeavouring withal to maintain perpetually such a temper of mind whence may flow a Life so regular such Persons as these there are in the World and in such as these I say and in no others let men pretend what they will is the Power of Godliness to be found All this will be most plain and together fortified by the Evidence if illustrated by an Example or two out of the Holy Scripture And first as to the prevalence of Godliness or good Conscience so as to allow a mans self in the practice of no sin A fitter instance cannot well be found than that of Joseph Genes xxxix The Temptation is well enough known and the concurrence of Circumstances such as gave it a strange recommendation His age he young His condition a Servant and she his Mistriss The advantages likely to befall him hereby Nothing already was kept from him in the house but her ver 9. This would have made him absolute Her importunity She spake to him day by day ver 10. And as to opportunity None of the men of the house were within ver 11. Now see how the power of Godliness works and so proportionably it will on such occasions wherever it is In general 1. He understood the Doctrine of Godliness and knew Adultery to be a great sin and wickedness ver 9. 2. He not only Believes it to be so but as to God believes privacy could not conceal it from God both these he expresly professes How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God 3. He particularly amidst all these conspiracies of Tempters and Temptation attends not only as
we have seen to general principles of Religion but to some personal obligations which lay on him Behold my Master hath committed all that he hath to my hand he wotteth not what is in the house with me There is none greater in this house than I Nothing is withheld from me but thee because thou art his Wife ver 8 9. And now what is the issue He hearkned to her as she spake to him day by day not so much as to be with her ver 10. 4. In other terms He conforms to the Divine Law and keeps close thereto not in a single instance or two but with Constancy nay when she offered a kind of Violence to him and caught him by his garment he fled and got him out leaving his garment in her hand ver 12. A glorious Precedent this and wherein the Power of Godliness shines with a truely heavenly lustre Again as to the Prevalence of Godliness in not allowing a man in the Neglect of any known duty we will take the Cafe of Daniel Dan. vi A royal statute and a firm Decree according to the Law of the Medes and Persians which altereth not was establisht that whosoever should ask a Petition of any God or man for thirty days save of the King should be cast into the Den of Lions v 7. What Live thirty days without Praying Why this a man ever touch'd with the power of Godliness could no more endure than he could no more endure than he could live thirty days without breathing Wheresoever there is any thing of Knowledg Belief or Attention of or to the Doctrine of Godliness this Neglect would not down nor as we shall see notwithstanding all the pleas flesh and blood might make against the Lions Den did it here It was obvious and undoubtedly not unsuggested by humane nature in Daniel might not secret or less solemn some would have thought even Mental prayer excused in this case No not in the present juncture For now not praying as he used to do and according to the then standing Rule towards the Sanctuary in Jerusalem 1 King viii 33 35 38. c. and with his windows open that he might look thitherwards would have been disowning his Religion and as the import of the Decree ran a months renouncing his God And this the good mans conscience no doubt pronounced The attending to those Dictates and complying therewith not once or again but in constant course even when He knew that the writing was signed went into his house and his windows being open in his Chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime Dan. vi 10. Behold here how the power of Godliness prevails for paying a known duty towards God against all contrary force and pleas I am not unawares The sloth and lukewarmness of the age has here an obvious pretence in defence of going much lower than this and yet satisfying the claim to the power of Godliness These precedents it will be said were extraordinary and these persons had vertue to an Heroical Degree as the term is There may be truly godly men of an inferiour order as Starrs of the sixth are no less Starrs than those of the first Magnitude But the Reply is as obvious The Degree wherein the Power of Godliness here appeared bore only due proportion to the occasion and was but such as in those junctures of Temptation to prevail We it may be meet not in our experience with frequent instances of so illustrious exertions of the Power of Godliness but neither haply with frequent instances of so violent temptations God in his merciful providence considers us He is faithful and does not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able With the temptation he makes a way to escape 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he provides with the temptation an escape 1 Cor. x. 13. But however such instances may not have fallen much into our experience yet such undoubtedly there are and it is to be hoped Godliness in us is powerful enough in case of our that is more ordinary temptations to prevail against known sins and for known duties Truly unless it be it is in vain for us to flatter our selves that Godliness has attained its power in us According to our estate such Integrity and such Constancy too generally there must be otherwise there is no sincerity Then shall I not be ashamed that is then shall I not be found an Hypocrite going about to deceive the world God and my self when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Psal cxix 6. Let this then stand as an unshaken and unmoveable truth that Wherever the Doctrine of Godliness is understood believed attended to and by honest endeavours complied with there Godliness will by Gods grace obtain such power and mastery as to prevail habitually against the Allowance of any known sin or the Neglect of any known duty § 4. Which blessed Victory will soon introduce a new face of things as I may so speak throughout the soul of such person For a little of this course of life or practice will soon naturalize holiness and render the doing Gods Will the delight and joy of a mans heart The Commandments of God are not grievous but only to those who never tryed them or at the first beginning All that difficulty which affrighted us at first ceases when by doing well and breaking off a course of Wickedness or Formality we have once tasted the pleasures of true Religion For besides that inward Peace which the practice of real Godliness and Virtue in every particular act or instance of it leaves behind the contentment and satisfaction which a man must needs conceive from reflecting upon himself and considering Quantum mutatus ab illo Qui fuit how blessedly he differs from his late odious liveless hypocritical self will be found truly surpassing all former sense of pleasure and even what he could expect And then cast in hereto the Thoughts of a reconciled God and of a most tenderly loving Saviour the prospect of enjoying these and of a blessed Resurrection and of Rewards which Eye has not seen nor Ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive cast in I say the rejoycings in and from this blessed Hope and the sum of all must needs be transporting unspeakable and deserving really the Character which the Apostle gives it 1 Pet. 1. 8. glorified joy Now I say these divine and before to such a man untasted pleasures being put into the Balance against any seeming difficulties and austerities in Religious practice will infinitely preponderate render them all as the lightest trifles and inconsiderable in a word they will make the whole of a mans duty highly eligible and therefore easie so that he shall do it out of choice with cheerfulness nay with a kind of greediness of Soul I will run the ways of thy Commandments saith the Psalmist
so addicted are they to their cursed Lusts so have they sold themselves to serve sensual brutish Appetite or a worldly Mind that notwithstanding all Remora's and Dissuasives on they run and venture Judgment and Damnation all Wrath present and to come Sometimes haply they will set their Wits to work for the palliating and extenuating the Sins they have addicted themselves to for the finding out plea's and excuses to retain them a while nay it may be for the making of them no Sins but only matters of Christian Liberty they will seek Knots in Bulrushes study little slaws in the Arguments with which Religion comes pressed upon the Souls and Practice of mankind And if any such thing they ever find Oh! how they magnifie it and insult possibly a while over Religion and Religious men In the mean while nothing do they find or can they find which can finally satisfie the daily and perhaps hourly oppositions from within but against these they proceed in a manner like Phraoh with an high hand I mean they sin deliberately and deliberately live in sin against Light and Conscience They neither would or perhaps for Wickedness scarcely could live any otherwise if they had never heard of Religion or if there were no such being as a God either to fear or worship This indeed is a dreadful sort of denying the Power of Godliness and which falls but in one point namely of Malice or Spight against God and his Gospel short of what many Protestant Divines how truly I must not here stand to speak have conceived to be the Sin against the Holy Ghost or unto Death and unpardonable Yet God knows this Practice is so frequent in the Christian World at least in some degrees of it that we can scarce find a City Parish or even Village in which some may not be found guilty of it as in the next Chapter will perhaps be urged § 4. It pleases God indeed sometimes in his just Judgment to suffer some such bold Sinners as these to go on to that height that they in a sort sin away Conscience and extinguish the Candle of the Lord which has so long been smothered by them Even as they have not liked to retain God in their knowledge ' EN 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in their acknowledgment when they knew his Nature and Will they refused to acknowledge it or yield obedience God has given them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient Rom. I. 28. They grow past feeling Ephes iv 19. they harden themselves till God at length harden them that is till he leave them to themselves and their own hardness resolving his Grace shall never have more to do with them Such as these indeed have denyed the Power of Godliness as far as in themselves it is possible for they have suppress'd it till they have destroy'd it A dreadful heighth is this Nor can we conceive any greater complement or further degree of denying the Power of Godlness to which men can proceed than this is except we shall suppose some of these desparate wretches to attempt in others what they have effected in themselves namely to endeavour the debauching other mens Consciences and as far as they can extinguishing in the World the Sense of God and all Religion It is too certain some such miscreants or monsters of men are to be found who knowing the Judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of Death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them Romans I. 32. nay have pleasure in having made them as sensless and desperate as themselves because perhaps by their being made such there are so many fewer in the World to condemn and so many more to patronize their villanous Practices But this is a denying the Power of Godliniss which will scarce consist with having so much as the Form of it and which therefore does not so properly fall under our present consideration § 5. Thus then the several ways methods or degrees by which men deny the Power of Godliness whether by obstructing hindring its coming in upon their Souls or by suppressing and overpowering its attempts where it already has some place with the particulars under each have been represented If what has been said of this Subject because thus carefully deduced and branched out should be less understood or not sufficiently comprehended by any plain Reader not used to Partitions or Distinctions the sum of all is For any man who calls himself or pretends to be a Christian to live a disorderly vitious or unchristian Life to be prophane and generally negligent of God and Religion to be unjust uncharitable and unmercisul to be impure lewd or otherwise debauched in his private manners nay though these things do not openly and scandalously appear in him yet for him betwixt God and himself secretly to allow himself in any known sin thinking lightly of Hell Torments or not prising Heavens Joys Nay to have ordinarily a vain worldly carnal Heart untouch'd and unaffected with heavenly Goods or Religious concernments for any person amongst us I say to lead such a Life or carry such an Heart is in the Apostles Language to deny or to have denyed the Power of Godliness yea though such persons should be never so often or never so long every day at his Devotions and the Apostles Terms or Language is most true and just For this Life and this Heart are as contrary as any thing can be to Godliness and even to all Religious Pretences and Offices CHAP. IV. The present Age generally guilty of Denying the Power of Godliness Sect. 1. Cautions fror preventing some Abuses which may be made of this Proof Sect. 2. The first part of the Charge proved Sect. 3. The second proved Sect. 4. Pretended Alleviations of our Guilt herein removed Sect. 5. A Corroborative of the former Proof Sect. 6. Some Reflections on the publick Manners which may vindicate the former Censure Sect. 7. A Transition to what remains § 1. TIme it is at length to put all together for the making good the Charge above laid upon the present Generality of Christians Now because there can be no due Proof in this matter without some view of the publick Manners I must here desire none be offended if I spare no Party of those who pretend to Godliness The Faithfulness I ow to the Souls of men besides the nature of my Design will not permit I should Neither let any man judge me censorious uncharitable or ill-natured either in my undertaking or way of arguing I only avow plain matter of fact notorious in the sense of all serious and judicious Christians and inser from thence what if Scripture be true and such Notoriety admitted is undeniable I judge not the Heart or Thought of any particular person but only according to my Duty reprove and warn upon what to me at least openly appears and all this with a design of amending