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A60983
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A sermon preach'd Novemb. 14, 1698 and now publish'd at the request of the societies for the reformation of manners, in the cities of London and Westminster / by John Spademan ...
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Spademan, John, d. 1708.
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1669
(1669)
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Wing S4784; ESTC R32648
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13,042
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48
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A SERMON Preach'd Novemb. 14. 1698. AND NOW Publish'd at the Request OF THE SOCIETIES FOR Reformation of Manners IN THE Cities of London and Westminster By JOHN SPADEMAN M. A. LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside MDCXCIX A SERMON Preach'd before the SOCIETIES FOR Reformation of Manners PROVERBS XXVIII 4. They that forsake the Law praise the Wicked But such as keep the Law contend with them THOUGH it be found impossible by any Human Methods to Banish and Expel Sin out of the World This Enemy is so entrench'd and fortify'd that no created Power or Skill is able totally to Vanquish and Drive him out either from particular Persons or Communities of Men The same Conclusion ought not to be made concerning open Wickedness and the visible Practice of Sin there is a possibility of Subduing this Monster As 't is found possible to ridd a Country of some Species of Rapacious Beasts tho' 't is impractable to destroy all the Vermin which lie under Ground and are hid in Holes and Dens of the Earth That Sin which is conceal'd in the Heart or is acted in secret lyeth out of the reach of Human Attempts a Divine Almighty Arm alone is able to crush and destroy it But when this Pestilence wasteth at Noon-day and appears in the places of Concourse this Case admits a Remedy and there are proper Methods which under the Divine Benediction are able to stop the Plague of Wickedness The God of the whole Earth has not abandon'd it to be wasted by this Infection without Means of resisting and removing it 'T is reasonable to conclude That He hath formed Men into Civil Societies on this Design that Order and Government Laws and Punishments might be apply'd to the restraining of Sin and Immorality For the best order'd Societies could not be either pleasing to God as the Wisest Pagans judged they were or Cicero Somn. Scip. in the issue advantageous to Men if they did only relieve the Necessities and minister to the Safety and Pleasure of Life and did not serve the higher Design of repressing Vices and purging the Impuritie that defiles the World and threatens Ruine to whole Nations We of this Nation have long experienc'd the vigilant Care and continued Kindness of Heaven which have defeated the pernicious Designs of our Enemies deliver'd us from many threatning Dangers and Crown'd us with distinguishing Mercies How inexcusable shall we be if we abuse and forfeit the Kindness of God and by doing Wickedly provoke him to Turn and Destroy us after he hath done us Good Josh 24.20 And nothing can prevent so dismal an Issue of Things but a vigorous Endeavour to check the Contagion of Vice by a constant Prosecuting of the truly Christian Design already enter'd upon of Reforming the Lives of Men and repressing the Vices which too long have reproach'd this Nation Unto which Design the instructive Words of Solomon that have been read give an encouraging Assistance For they both direct to the proper Method that is to be used and enforce that Direction by cogent Motives drawn from the infamous Character of those who praise the Wicked and the Honouring Title of those who contend with or against them They that forsake the Law praise the Wicked But such as keep the Law contend with them The latter part of this Aphorism is more directly sutable to the occasion of this Day but the former part contains an Instruction that is not improper to be seriously reflected on at this time in which I shall endeavour to assist you by I. Describing the Agents spoken of They that forsake the Law II. Explaining the Action ascribed to them Praise the Wicked III. Representing the horrid Character of both As to the I. The Agents are said to forsake the Law I take it for granted that the Divine Law is here to be understood as in two other Verses of this Chapter 7 and 9. the Law without any addition is so interpreted For it is not universally a Crime to forsake a mere Human Law which may be so framed that we are obliged to forsake and contradict it But the Divine Law has such eternal and invariable Equity and carries so unchangable Obligation that nothing can justify the forsaking of it 'T is the heaviest charge that can be drawn up against any Persons that they have forsaken the Law of God and the most dismal Punishments are threatned to such Jerem. 9.13 15 16. And the Lord saith Because they have forsaken my Law which I set before them Therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts the God of Israel Behold I will feed them even this People with Wormwood and give them Water of Gall to drink And I will send a Sword after them till I have consumed them The forsaking of the Divine Law is not a light trivial matter in the eyes of God as it is too commonly in those of Men. But this forsaking of the Law is not the mere transgressing of it by particular Omission of Duty and Commission of Sin for both these are consistent with the Favour of God and may comport with the keeping of the Law in the Evangelick Sense Forsaking of the Law in Scripture Style imports such a deserting or revolting from it as renders it useless and ineffectual for the ordering of our Actions The Divine Rule is renounced and its Yoke cast off by choosing and obeying another and contrary Law even that of Sin And though these Lawless Ones are unwilling to acknowledge their true Character and ready to profess a respect to the Law of God yet we shall certainly know 'em by their Fruits and particularly by their praising of the Wicked which is II. The Action ascribed to them who forsake the Law to understand which we must not restrain the term Praise to the narrow Sense that in common discourse we fix on it as if it denoted only a Verbal Commendation though this Sense is not excluded The Practise has been and still is too common of absolving and justifying of bad Men when 't is said to a Wicked Man Thou art righteous cap. 24.24 and of adorning with flattering Encomiums The 70 Int. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those who deserve general abhorrence How often have those Noble Things Wit and Eloquence been basely employ'd in extolling the worst Persons and Things The Auditors of a persecuting Herod applauded his Oration by this impious Acclamation It is the voice of a God and not of a Man Acts 12.22 Which Blasphemous Adulation was terribly confuted by the Divine Vengeance which condemned that Mortal God to be eaten by Worms while he liv'd and by that opprobrious Disease to end his Life Such another piece of ridiculous Blasphemy an Atheistick Poet was guilty of in praising his Master Epicurus Lucretius Lib. 5. whom he makes a God because he had boldly deny'd a Providence and a future State as if by this rare Discoverie He had been a more worthy Benefactor to
Magistrate oblig'd him to punish his own Sons and nothing could excuse his neglect or prevent the terrible proceedings of Divine Severity If there be ground which I determine not for the conjecture of our Translators who in the Margin have alter'd the word restrain into frown it intimates that the frown of a Magistrate an indication of his displeasure against Vice belongs to his Office and has an aptitude to repress that which is Evil. III. Instance of this contending with wicked Men is solemn pleading and protesting against Wickedness by those whose Office requires it A Magistrate hath many occasions of bearing a publick Testimony against Sin and Evil Courses As we read Nehemiah the Governour of the Jewish State judg'd it his duty to testify against the prophanation of the Sabbath and contended with the Nobles of Judah whose bad Examples might have corrupted others Nehem. 13.17 Such a Remonstrance made by one cloath'd with Authority is very Serviceable to repress Sin which often despises the best Reasons that are urged by those of a private Condition 'T is the unquestionable Duty of all Ministers to plead the Cause of Religion against every thing that opposeth it with an unwearied Constancy herein they are to imitate their great Master who did not silently behold the Vices of the Age and People to whom he was sent but on all proper occasions testified of the World that its Works were Evil as himself hath declared Joh. 7.7 A IV. Instance of this contending with Wicked Men is particular reproving of Sin when a just occasion is offer'd This Office of Charity is enjoin'd by the Great Law which requires every one to love his Neighbour as himself This Subject has been frequently discourst and the Duty of fraternal reproving been prest tho' 't is to be fear'd without desired success Indeed 't is found very difficut to overcome the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or culpable Modesty which generally obstructs the performance of this excellent Duty But there is another kind of reproving which hath more facility and would produce good effect viz. The with-holding of familiar Converse from vicious Persons which is expresly enjoyned by the Apostle 1 Cor. 5.11 I have written to you not to keep Company if any Man that is called a Brother be a Fornicator or Covetous or a Drunkard with such a one no not to eat I question not but the practising of this one Rule did very much contribute to the purity of the Christian Church in her Virgin Age when the Heroick Piety of Christians did adorn their Doctrine and more succescesfully vindicate the Christian Religion than the most Learned Apologies publish'd in Defence of it And indeed the strictest Discipline and Ecclesiastick Censures though a proper Method of repressing Vice can't attain their End while the Apostolick Order is neglected and those who keep the Law Xenoph. Lac. Pol. C. 9. extend their Friendship to such as openly forsake it A judicious Writer has related among the Causes which made the Lacedemonians so eminent for their Courage in War That contrary to the usage of other Nations in that City every body was asham'd to admit a Coward into the same Lodgings or so much as permit him to bear a part with them at their Games and Exercises There is is no Law that prohibits civil Commerce and negotiating with openly Vitious Persons but we can't contend with them if our Friendship embraceth their Persons which they and others will interpret a favouring of their Crimes which also spread their contagion where a Passage is opened by Familiar Converse This Consideration induced a celebrated Pagan Law-giver Diodor. S. Lib. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Charondas to enact a severe Law against Conversing with bad Men for which the guilty were to be Endited and Punish'd We may fear such Pagans will rise up in the Judgment against many professing Christians and condemn those who practice not this Method of reproving the works of Darkness V. Another Instance of contending with wicked Men is the assisting of those whose Office obligeth to the repressing of wickedness The single Eye of a Ruler can't scatter this threatning Evil if he be not assisted by the Eyes and Hands and Tongues of others I know the Name of a Delator or Informer is become odious but as might be easily evinc'd if it had not been already done this infamous Title no ways belongs to those who only witness concerning a Criminal Act which ought to be discover'd and punisht In such Cases Silence and Concealment make us Confederates with wicked Men and partakers with their Sins Surely none can fix an opprobrious Character on the Excellent Joseph of whom 't is related Gen. 37.2 That he brought to his Father the Evil report of his Brethren who unjustly hated him while he exercised a real Charity to them as well as discharg'd a Duty he owed to his Parent None has charg'd the Renowned Chrysostom Tom. 6. Hom. 44. with being an Informer though in a Sermon wherein he vehemently reproveth the Sin of Swearing He tells his Hearers that after the parting of the Assembly he would largely Discourse every one that he might know who had and who had not reform'd that Fault And if I find saith he any who have not reform'd I will make them known to those who have to the end that all the Latter may reprove and correct them who remain guilty of this Vice To publish a secret Fault may on some occasions violate the Laws of Charity and Humanity but how can it be blame-worthy to witness against those who declare their own Sin and hide not their own Shame VI. The last Instance of this contending with Wicked Men is earnest Prayer and Supplication to God to obtain success to the Methods which have been mentioned and the Divine Influence which can effectually repress all kinds of Wickedness The Divine Almighty Arm alone can destroy this many headed Hydra which often despiseth all Human Attempts David though he liv'd in a State that was provided with the best Laws against Sin yet addresseth to God in a most earnest Petition O bring the wickedness of the Wicked to an end Psal 7.9 The Jewish Writers whose words are set down by a Learned Writer of our own tell us Dr. Outram de Sacr. L. 1. C. 8. That in the short Prayer used by the High Priest on the Day of Expiation this was always one Petition Let not the Prayer of them who break the Law be gathered before Thee i. e. Let not God by granting the Requests of Wicked Men put it into their Power to act their Evil Designs When we pray Let thy Kingdom come this includes the effectual repressing of Wickedness which most directly opposeth the Kingdom of God that is a State of Purity and Righteousness It only remains that the described Duty should be press'd and recommended by a few Considerations 1. In contending with Wicked Men you imitate the best Examples This Practice is