End that must inform an Honest mind and life can have no Honesty of mind or life Now the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. But perhaps you will say that there hath been Honesty found among Heathens and therefore this doctrine cannot hold To which I answer 1. If this were true yet it is proved that there is no comparison between their Honesty and the true Christians 2. But indeed there was never true Honesty found in any ungodly man But something that is like to Honesty they may have Materially they may do the same outward acts that Honest men do and this the world accounteth Honesty that seeth not the inside and the Ends and therefore give the name to the Matter without the Form And such may be Honest secundum quid but not simplicitur An Analogical Honesty they may have â— and be less dishonest then some others And so as Robbin Whood was called an Honest thief that would rob none but the rich and sometimes bring a yoake of Oxen that he had stoln and give them to a poor that had none so may a Heathen and ungodly man be Honest But men must be Denominated and so must their actions according to what is predominant in them And therefore we must say if we will speak properly that no ungodly man is Honest If you ask How then it comes to pass that such are accounted Honest men and tâ—…neth not the Honeâ—ty â—…th in a Holy 〈…〉 Because that â—â—â— the 〈…〉 have an Enmity to Holiness And malice blindeth men that they cannot see the Good that is in those they hare 2. Because they do not know what Godliness is and therefore know not the Honesty of it appearing in its Principles Ends and Rule For it is not effectually known by any but those that have it 3. Because all carnal men do judge after the flesh and as they are to themselves their highest End so they do judge of all things else according to that End He is an Honest man with them that is for them and furthereth their commodity or answereth their desire Mark them whether they judge not those to be the Honestest men that suit themselves most to their minds and wills and say and do as they would have them And so among Thieves there is none so honest men as their companions nor among drunkards none so honest as they that will sit with them and waste their time and prate like ideots over a pot of Ale forgetting that death and judgement are posting toward them while they sit there And among Harlots their Mates seem Honest. So that dishonest men are no fit Judges of Honesty That which is suted to their corrupted mind is best with them And this is their Honesty By this time you may see if you are not willfully blind that the way of Godliness is the only Honest way and therefore you must either be Godly or Dishonest and pretend not any longer that you are Honest while you are ungodly unless you will increase your shame by your contradictions The Scripture description of one that is Honest is that in simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God he hath his conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. The Honesty which the Gospel teacheth and which God will own is this that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we live soberly righteousâ—â— and godly in this present world looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our saviour Jesus Christ Tit. 2. 12 13. A Godly Seed is opposed to the fruit of Adultery Mal. 2. 15. And when David lamenteth the decay of Honesty in the world his language tells you whom he took for Honest men Psal 12. 1. Help Lord for the Godly â—â—â— ceaseth for the faithful faile from among the Children of 〈…〉 and vers 8. you may perceive what he thinks of 〈…〉 The wicked walk on every fiâ—â—â— when the 〈◊〉 mâ—n 〈…〉 To serve God with reverence and godly fears â—◠〈…〉 Honesty Heb. 12. 28. And now choose you whether you will be Honest or ungodly but be sure that it is the Godly that are esteemed Honest and accepted by the Lord and how ever the world judgeth Know that the Lord hath set apart him that is Godly for himself as he tells you Psal 4. 3. CHAP. VIII Holiness is the most Gainfull way VVEE have certainly found out already the SAFEST Way and the HONESEST way We are next to enquire which way is most Profitable And one would think that this should be as easily resolved as the rest I am sure if God be wiser then man and his holy word to be believed the question is decided and beyond dispute Saith Paul 1 Tim. 6. 5 6. Men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth suppose that Gain is godliness or that it is better then Godliness and therefore their Godliness to be suited to their worldly gain But it is Godliness with contentment which is the great Gain Yea Godliness is profitable to all things having Promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4. 8. But to what end should I cite more words of Scripture for a point which all the Scripture proveth It is not possible that any man can be unresolved in this that understandeth and believeth the word of God But yet because I see that Commodity is so much lookt after in the world and almost all are for the Gainful way as they apprehend it and therefore its plain that Godliness is not Practically believed to be the most gainful way or else men would follow it as eagerly as they do their worldly gain I shall therefore open to you somewhat of that Gain that Godliness doth bring and if you can say that any other course will prove as gainful and make it good then take that course But if you cannot consider what you have to do and do not refuse your own Commodity 1. The first part of our Gain which is the sum of all the rest 〈◊〉 himself who is become our God through Jesus Christ He is in Covenant with all the Saints Psalm 50. 5. and this is the Covenant I will be your God and you shall be my People Jer. 7. 23. Ezek. 36. 28. Jer. 11. 4. 30. 22. Lev. 26. 45. 12. Ezek. 11. 20. 37. 23 27. 2 Cor. 6. 16. He is a God to others as a King is a King to Traytors whom he will condemn But he is a God to his People as a King is related to his faithful subjects and a Father to his dearest child When he calleth himself Our Father he speaketh so much of his childrens Happiness as is their admiration as well as their joy But when he calleth himself Our God he speaks as much as much as can be spoken To be our God is to be the Infinite
the God of the whole earth For a small moment may he forsake us but with great mercy will he gather us In a little wrath he may hide his face from us for a moment but with everlasting kindness will he have mercy on us saith the Lord our Redeemer As he swore that the waters of Noah should no more goe over the earth so hath he sworn that he will not be wroth with his people nor rebuke them For the mountains shall depart and the hills shall be removed but his kindness shall not depart from us nor the covenant of his peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on us Isa 54. 5 to 19. For his anger endureth but for a moment in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Psal 30. 5. Storms may arise that may affright us but how quickly will they all be over Come my people saith the Lord Isa 26. 20. enter into thy chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment untill the indignation be overpast And as the momentany sorrow of the Godly is forgotten in everlasting Joy so the Joy of the wicked is but for a moment and is drowned in everlasting sorrows Job 20. 4 5 6 7 8 9. Knowest thou not this of old since man was placed upon earth That the triumphing of the wicked is short and the Joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment Though his excellency mount up to the heavens and his head reach unto the clouds yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung They which have seen him shall say Where is he He shall flie away as a dream and shall not be found Yea he shall be chased away as a vision of the night the eye also which saw him shall see him no more neither shall his place any more behold him Job 21. 12 13. They take the Timbrell and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organs they spend their daies in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave It would grieve a considerate believer to look on a worldly sensual gallant in the midst of his vain-glory or any unsanctified man in his mirth and pleasure and to think where that man will shortly be and how the case will be altered with him and where his sport and mirth will leave him As it would sadden our hearts to see one of them struck dead in the place or to see the Devil fetch them away and spoil the game so should it grieve us to fore-see the stroak of death and the condemnation of their souls to everlasting misery And can that man much value the pleasure of ungodly men that doth fore-see this end Would you not laugh at him that were a Prince but for a day and must be the scorn of the world to morrow or that would choose one day of mirth and pleasure though he knew it would fill the rest of his life with pain and misery If folly and stupidity were any wonder it were a wonder that ungodly men can be merry when their consciences tell them that they are not sure to stay one hour out of Hell nor to hold on their mirth till the end of the game But while they are saying Soul take thy ease eat drink and be merry they may suddenly be told from God Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee and then whose is thy wealth and then where is thy sport and mirth Luke 12. 19 20. As the tender flowers and Roses of the Spring do fall before the nipping Frosts and will not live in Winter storms no more will your fading mirth endure the frowns of God the face of death nor scarce a serious fore-thought of the day that you are near And such matter of horrour is continually before you while you are under the wrath and curse of God in a carnal unregenerate state that you are beholden to folly security and stupidity for that ease which hindreth your everlasting ease So that all things considered I must seriously profess that however the ungodly have some pleasant dreams and may live a while in carelesness and stupidity or fleere in the face while the beginning of hell is in their consciences yet I must judge that a life of Faith and Holiness are unspeakably sweet if it were but for this that they save the Conscience from the gripes and fears and terrible thoughts that either sometime feed on the ungodly or are ready to devour their mirth and them So sad and frightful a thing it is to be unsanctified and in a state of sin that it is an high commendation of the delights of Holiness that they so much deliver us from those grievous terrours and are so powerful an Antidote to preserve the heart from the wickeds pangs and desperation Believe it when conscience death and judgement are the messengers to declare your endless sorrows you will then wish and ten thousand times wish that you had some of the Faith and Holiness of the Saints to be a Cordial to your sinking hearts and then you would take it as a matter of unspeakable joy to be found in such a state as you now count sad and melancholy Ask but a dying man whether fleshly pleasure or Godliness be the sweeter thing Now when the delusions of prosperity are gone which do men most relish and which is it that they would own By the consent of all the wise men in the world I may well conclude that a Holy life is incomparably the most pleasant BUT I know there are many things that seem to cross all this that I have spoken which will be the matter of the Objections of ungodly men and therefore must have an answer before we pass any further And the principal Objection is from the too common case of those that fear God who walk so sadly and doubt and complain and mourn so frequently and shew so little chearfulness and joy when many of the ungodly live in mirth that you will think I speak against experience when I say that a life of Holiness is so pleasant and therefore that it is not to be believed You will say Do we not see the contrary in the sadness of their faces and hear it in their sad lamenting words To this I must give many particulars in answer which when you have laid together you may see that all this makes nothing against the Pleasantness of the waies of God And 1. You must difference between the Entrance into holiness and the Progress and between a new beginner that is but lately turned from his ungodliness and one that hath had time to try and understand the wayes of God Those that are entering or but newly come in must needs have sorrow But what is the cause of it Not their Godliness but their ungodliness I mean It is their ungodliness which they lament though it be godliness that causeth them to
Happiness to the Godly and Misery to the Ungodly With fifteen Queries for the conviction of Infidels that the Gospel is the infallible Word of God p. 130 Those that have not read the second Part of my Saints Rest and Treatise against Infidelity and doubt of the Truth of the Scripture or the life to come may read this third Chapter first and so proceed to the rest of the Book Clem. Writer's Objections answered p. 157 Chap. 4. Holiness is Best for all Societies p. 159 1. It uniteth all in One head and Center p. 160 2. It hath the most uniting excellent powerful end of duty p. 161 3. It takes away the Ball of the worlds contention that breaketh Societies ibid. 4. It destroyeth selfishness which is the destroying principle p. 162 5. It hath the most righteous Laws ibid. 6. It is contrary to all disturbing evil ibid. 7. It effectually disposeth the mind to duty p. 163 8. It cleanseth the very heart and killeth secret sin 9. It cementeth Societies with unfeigned Love ibid. 10. It maketh Princes and Rulers a double blessing Manifested in five particulars p. 164 11. It maketh the most Loyal and obedient subjects For 1. it makes them know themselves p. 166. 2. And to see God in their Rulers 3. And to obey and submit for conscience sake p. 167. 4. And destroyeth self-seeking 5. And consisteth in Charity 6. Procâ—reth Divine blessings 7. And makes men meck and patient and forbearing 8. Disposeth to concord 9. Assureth of the greatest rewards of obedience 10 And confirmeth against all temptations to disobodience p. 168 Object Have not the greatest rebellions been caused by your godly men as the Waldenses Bohemians French and others nearer us Answered p. 169 170. specially to Papists p. 173 174 12. Godliness makes men true to their Covenants ibid. 13. It teacheth the true method of obeying p. 175 14. It maketh men of publike spirits 15. It maketh it their business to do good 16. It makes men love enemies and forgive wrongs 17. It interesseth Societies in the favour and protection of God p. 176 18 It is the surest way to all supplies 19. It is the Honour of Societies 20. It must be best that is so heavenly p. 177 Chap. 5. Times of Holiness are the Best Times p. 178. Those that say It never was a good world since there was so much Godliness and so much preaching are fully confuted by twenty Arguments And their cavils answered p. 181 c. Chap. 6. Holiness is the only way of safety p. 196 Chap. 7. Holiness is the only Honest way The dishonesty of the ungodly proved p. 205 Chap. 8. Holiness is the most Gainful way proved p. 219 Chap. 9. Holiness is the most Honourable way p. 232. A reproof of the reproach of Holiness in England And full proof of the Honour of a Godly life ibid. Obj. It tends to make the godly proud to tell them of their Honour Answ Many Reasons for full confutation of this Objection p. 258 The baseness of the ungodly p. 265 Chap. 10. Holiness is the most Pleasant life p. 269 Proved I. From the Nature of the thing and 1. From the Revelations of God and the Knowledge of Believers p. 270 2. From the Will and Affections the nature and operations of Grace therein p. 277 3. From the quality of External holy duties p. 282 4. From the Objects of holy Acts p. 302 303 Objections answered p. 307 308 II. From the Helps and Concomitants p. 310 From the Effects p. 312 The Aggravations of the Delights of Holiness compared with the Delights of sin p. 314 Obj. Of the sad lives of Believers Answered p. 323 Obj. Doth not God command men to fast and mourn p. 339 Use Reproof to those that can find no matter of pleasure in a holy life p. 341 The greatness of their sin and misery p. 342 Directions Shewing such graceless persons what to do that they may come to Delight in God and Godliness p. 348 Use 2 Reproof to those self troubling Christians who live as sadly as if there were little pleasure to be found in God p. 353 Considerations fit to cure this sad disease p. 354 Qu. Whether it be not Hypocritical affectation to seem conformable for fear of discouraging men from Religion Fully answered p. 359 Obj. I could rejoyce if I knew my title to the promises p. 362 Obj. I have cause of sorrow p. 363 The considerations prosecuted p. 364 Twelve Directions to sad self-troubling Christians how they may live a Joyful life and find Delight in God and Godliness p. 374. Errata PAg. 277. lin ult for Law read Love p. 35â— l. 5. for that once r. but once l. 7. r. fermentations l. ult r. sweeter p. 358. l. 30. for unanswerable r. answerable p. 367. l. 23. r. Physicion l. 38. after of r. in p. 374. l 17. for is r. are p. 375. l. 37. blot out when p. 381. l. 37. r. terrours Smaller literall errours and mispointings being not many I omit THE INTRODUCTION To all such as neglect dislike or quarrell at a life of true and serious Godliness IT hath been the matter of my frequent admiration How it can be consistent with the Natural self love and Reasonableness of man-kind and the special ingenuity of some above others for men to believe that they must die and after live in endless Joy or misery according to their preparations in this life and yet to make no greater a matter of it nor set themselves with all their might to enquire what they must be and do if they will be saved but to make as great a business and bussle to have their Wills and Pleasure for a little while in the small impertinent matters of this world as if they had neither hopes or fears of any greater things hereafter That as some melancholy persons are caetera sani as rational as other 〈…〉 all matters saving some one in which yet their deâ—… maketh them the pitty or derision of observers so many that have wit enough to avoid fire and water and to go out of the way from a wild beast or a mad man yet have not the wit to avoid damnation nor to preferre eternal life before a merry passage unto hell Yea that some that account themselves ingenuous and men of a deeper reach then the unlearned can see no further through the promises or threatnings of God then through a Prospective or a Tube and have no wit that looketh beyond a grave yea are ready to smile at the simplicity of those that care whether they live in Heaven or Hell and use but as much diligence for their salvation as they use themselves for that which Paul accounted dung Many a time I have wondered how the Devil can thus abuse a man of reason and such as think themselves no fools and how such unexpressible dotage can stand with either learning ingenuity or common understanding and what shift the Devil and these men make to keep them from
When your corpses are laid in the grave men can say Now he hath done his satisfying the flesh and following the world but never man can truly say Now he hath done suffering for it Your life of sin is passing as a dream and your honours as a shadow and all your business as a talc that is told but the life of Glory which you rejected for this would have endured for evermore Suppose as many thousand years as there are sands on the Sea or piles of grass on the whole earth or hairs on the heads of all men in the world yet when these many are past the Joy of Saints and the Torments of the wicked are as far from an end as ever they were The eternal God doth give them a duration and make them eternal When our joyes are at the sweetest this thought must needs be part of that sweetness that their sweetness shall never have an end If our short fore-taste be Joy unspeakable and full of glory what shall we call that Joy which flows from the most perfect fruition and perpetuation 1 Pet. 1. 7 8. We have Joy here but alas how seldom Alas how small in comparison of what we may there expect Some Joy we have but how oft do Melancholy or crosses or losses in the world or temptations or sins or desertions interrupt it Our sun is here most commonly under a cloud and too often in an Ecclipse and we have the night as often as the day Yea our state is usually a Winter Our dayes are cold and short and our nights are long But when the flourishing state of glory comes we shall have no Interscissioâ—s nor Ecclipses Tâ—â— path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4. 18. And the perfect day is a perpetual day that knows no interruption by the darkness of the night For there shall be no night there nor need of candle or Sun for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever Rev. 22. 5. This is the life that fears no death and this is the feast that fears no want or future famine the pleasure that knows nor fears no pain the health that knows nor fears no sickness this is the treasure that fears no moth or rust or thief the building that fears no storm nor decay the Kingdom that fears no changes by Rebellion the friendship that fears no falling out the Love that fears no hatred or frustration the Glory that fears no envious eye the possessed Inheritance that fears no ejection by fraud or force or any failings the Joy that feels or fears no sorrow while God who is Life it self is our life and while God who is Love is the fountain and object of our Love we can never want either Life or Love And whiles he feeds our Love our Joyful praises will never be run dry nor ever go out for want of fewel This is the true perpetual motion the câ—rculation of the holy blood and spirit from God to man and from man to God Being prepared and brought near him we have the blessed Vision of his face by seeing him and by the blessed emanation of his love we are drawn out perpetually and unweariedly to Love him and Rejoyce in him and from hence uncessantly to praise and honour him In all which as his blessed Image and the shining reflections of his revealed glory he taketh complacency which is the highest end of God and man and the very term of all his works and wayes I Thought here to have ended this First Part of my Discourse but yet compassion calls me back I fear lest with the most I have not yet prevailed and lest I shall leave them behind me in the bonds of their iniquity I daily hear the voice of men possessed by a spirit of uncleanness speaking against this Necessity of a holy life which Christ himself so peremptorly asserteth I hear that voice which foretelleth a more dreadful voice if in time they be not prevailed with to prevent it One saith What need all this ado This strictness is more ado then needs Another saith You would make men mad by poring so much on matters that are above them Another saith Cannot you keep your Religion to your selfe and be Godly with moderation as your neighbours be Another saith I hope God is more merciful then to damn 〈…〉 that â—â— not so precise Another saith I shall never endure so strict a life and therefore I will venture as well as others The summe of allis They are so far in love with the world and sin and so much against a holy life that they will not be perswaded to it and therefore to quiet their consciences in their misery they make themselves believe that they may be saved without it and that it is a thing of no Necessity but their coming to Church and living like good neighbours may serve the turn without it for their salvation And thus doth the malicious Serpent in the hearts of those that he possesseth rise up against the words of Christ Christ saith that this is The One thing needful And the Serpent saith It is more ado then needs and What needs all this ado Though I have fully answered this ungodly objection already in my Treatise of Conversion sect 36. pag. 284. c. and more fully in my Treatise of Rest Part 3. Chap. 6. yet I shall once more fall upon it For death is coming while poor deluded souls are loytering and if Satan by such sensless reasonings as these can keep them unready in their sin till the â—atal stroak hath cut them down and cast them into endless easeless fire alas how great will be their fall and how unspeakably dreadful will be their misery Whoever thou be whether hâ—gh or low learned or unlearned that hast disliked opposed or reproached serious godly Christians as Puritanes and too precise and that thinkest the most diligent labour for salvation to be but more ado then needs and hast not thy self yet resolvedly set upon a holy life I require at thy hands so much impartiality and faithfulness to thy own immortal soul as seriously to peruse these following Questions and to go no further in thy careless negligent ungodly course till thou art able to give such a rational answer to them as thou darest stand to now at the Barr of thine own Conscience and hereafter at the Barr of Christ Quest 1. Canst thou possibly give God more then is his due Or love him more then he deserveth Or serve him more faithfully then thâ—â— art bound and he is worthy of Art thou not his creature made of nothing and hast thou not all that thou art and hast from him and if thou give him all dost thou give him any more then what is his own If thou give him all the affections of thy soul and all the most serious thoughts of thy heart and every hour of thy time and
every word of thy mouth and every penny of thy wealth in the way that he requireth it is it any more then is his due Should not he have all that is Lord of all Quest 2. Is it not the first and great Commandment Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and might And do not heathens confess this by the light of nature And hath not thy tongue confest it many a time And doth not thy conscience yet bear witness that it is thy duty And is it possible thou shouldst thus Love him with all thy heart and soul and might and yet not seek and serve him with all thy heart and soul and might Or can the most sanctified person do any more if he were perfect Quest 3. Dost thou not confess that we are all sinners And that the best is still too bad And that he that loveth and serveth God most doth yet come exceeding short of his duty And yet wouldst thou have such men come shorter and darest thou perswade them to do less Must not the best confess their daily failings and beg pardon of them from the Lord and be beholden to the blood of Christ and lament their imperfections And yet wouldst thou have them be such odious hypocrites as to think they serve God too much already while they confess that they come so short Shall they confess their failings and reproach those that endeavour to avoid the like Shall the same tongue say Lord be merciful to me a sinner and Lord I am good enough already What need there so much ado to please and serve thee any better What would you think of such a man Quest 4. Is it not an unquestionable duty to grow in grace and to press towards perfection as men that have not yet attained it 2 Pet. 3. 18. Phil. 3. 12 13 14. And must Paul and Peter and the holyest on earth still seek to grow and labour to be more holy and shall such a one as thou say What need I be any more holy that art utterly unsanctified Quest 5. Is it not one of the two grand Principles of faith and all Religion without which no man can please God Heb. 11. 6. Whoever cometh to God must believe first that God is that there is a God most powerful wise and good secondly that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him yea this is one of natures principles It is the Diligent seekers of God that he will reward And yet dare a fleshly negligent sinner reproach the diligent seeking of God and take it for a needless thing and say What needs all this ado Are not these the Atheists seconds even next to them that deny that there is any God or that blasphemâ— him And indeed if he be not worthy of all the Love and service that thou canst give him he is not the true God! Consider therefore the tendency of thy words and tremble Quest 6. Doth not that wretch set up the flesh and the world aboâ—â— the Lord that thinks not most of his thoughts and cares and words and time and labour for the world to be too much ado and yet thinks less for God and heaven to be too much And dost thou think in thy conscience that the flesh is better worthy of thy Love and care and labour then the Lord or that earth will prove a better reward to thee then Heaven Who thinkest thou will have the better bargain in the end The fool that laid up riches for himself and was not rich to God and shall lose all at once that he so much valued and so carefully sought Luke 12. 20 21. or he that laid up his treasure in Heaven and there set his heart and sought for the never fading Crown Matth. 6. 20 21 33. and counted all as loss and dung for the excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ Phil. 3. 8. Do you think that there is any thing more worth your care and time and labour or can you more profitably lay it out Quest 7. Have you not immortal souls to save or lose And are not your bodies for their service and to be used and ruled by them And should not your souls then have more of your care and diligence then corruptible flesh that must turn to dirt Quest 8. Dare any one of you say that you are wiser then the All-knowing God Is not thy wisdom less to his then a glow-worms light is to the Sun And hath not God most plainly and frequently in his Word commanded thee a holy life Yea every part and parcell of it is nothing else but the obeying of that Word For if it be not prescribed by the Lord it is not Holiness nor that which I am pleading for And when the living God hath told the world his mind and will shall a sinful man stand up and say I am wiser then my Maker I know a better way then this What need there all this stir for Heaven What dost thou less then thus blaspheme and set up thy folly above the wisdom of the Lord when thou condemnest or reproachest the holiness which he commandeth Quest 9. Dare you say that God is not only so unwise but so unrighteous and tyranical as to give the world unnecessary Laws and set them upon a needless work What King so tyranical as would require his subjects on pain of death to go pick straws against the wind What Master or Parent so foolishly cruel as to command their servants or children to weary themselves with hunting butter-flies and following their own shadows And darest thou impute such foolish tyrannie to the God of heaven as if he had made a world and set them upon a needless work and commanded them to tire themselves in vain Quest 10. Can a man be too diligent about that work which he was made for and is daily preserved and maintained for and for which he hath all the mercies of his life Thou hadst never come into the world but on this business even to serve and please God and prepare for everlasting happiness And are you afraid of doing this too diligently Why is it thinkest thou that God sustaineth thee Why dyedst thou not many years ago but only that thou mightest have time to seek and serve him Was it only that thou mightest eat and drink and sleep and go up and down and fill up a room among the living Why beasts and fools and mad-men do all this as well as thou Why hast thou thy Reason and understanding but to know and serve the Lord Is it only to know how to shift a little for the commodities of the world Or is it not to know the way to life eternal Look round about thee on all the creatures and on all the mercies which thou dost possess every deliverance and priviledge and accommodation every bit of bread thou eatest and every hour of thy precious time are all given thee for this One thing needful And yet wilt thou
the Lord On Magistracy and Ministry and the great works of their office On prayer and preaching and Sacraments and Discipline and all other Ordinances of God and also on all the frame of the holy Scripture and also on all the workings and graces of the Holy-Ghost and tell me whether thou darest say that all or any of these are in vain and whether that Holiness which all these are appointed for can be a vain and needless thing Quest 18. Darest thou say that Christ doth more then needs in his Intercession for us with the Father now in Heaven It is he that sendeth the spirit to sanctifie us It is he that prayeth that we may be sanctified by the truth We have no grace and holiness but what we have from him And darest thou say he doth too much It is he that sends his Ministers to call men to a holy life Look into his Word and see whether the doctrine which they preach be not there prescribed to them and the duties of holiness there commended If therefore it were erroneous or excessive it would be long of Christ and not of his Messengers or Disciples that speak and do no more for holiness then he bids them but fall exceeding short Quest 19. Art thou wiser in this and more to be believed then all the antient Prophets and Apostles and servants of God in former ages and then all that are now alive on earth that ever tryed a holy life The Scripture will tell thee that Abraham Isaac Jacob David and all the rest of the Saints that were then most dear to God were so far from thinking that a holy life was more then needs that they thought they could never be holy enough and blamed their defects when they excelled such as now thou blamest as too precise And if thou wilt preferr the words and example of a worldling or of a sottish sensual man before the judgement and example of these Saints the company that thou choosest and the deceivers whom thou followest shall be also thy companions in calamity where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see the Saints from East and West from North and South sit down with Abraham Isaac Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and you and such as you thrust out Even when the last in time whom you here despised shall be equal to the first and antient Saints Luke 13. 27 28 29 30. Why do you hypocritically honour the names and memorials of the Prophets Apostles and other former Saints and keep Holy-dayes for them and yet reproach their holy course and preferr the judgement of a drunkard or a malignant enemy of godliness before theirs For so you do when you argue against a holy life Quest 20. Dost thou think that there is now one soul in Heaven or Hell that is of thy prophane opinion and would say that a diligent holy life is more ado then needs for mens salvation Certainly those in Heaven have more knowledge and experience and love to God and man and goodness then to be of so impious a mind or once to entertain such beastly thoughts And those in Hell though still â—â— holy have learned to their cost to know the great Necessity of â—…ss And would tell you if they could speak with you that the most strict and heavenly life for millions of ages were not too dear for the escaping of the everlasting misery Why else do we find one of them in Luke 16. described as so desirous that oâ—… the dead might be sent to his Brethren to warn them that they come not to that place of torment And what is it that he would have had them warned of but that they should live a holy self-denying life and with all their diligence lay up a treasure in the life to come instead of liying so sensual and voluptuous and ungodly a life as he had lived The scope of the story tells us that this would have been his message if he might have sent Quest 21. Dost thou think in thy Conscience that at the hour â—â— thy death or at least at Judgement thou shalt think thy self that Holiness was unnecessary Doth not thy heart tell thee that then thou shalt be of another mind and wish with the deepest desires of thy soul that thou hadst lived as strictly and prepared for everlasting life as seriously and served God as diligently as ever did any Saint on earth But alas those wishes will be then too late Now is thy day and now thou takest thy work to be needless And to see the Necessity when time is gone will be thy torment but not thy remedy Not one in this Congregation or Town or Countrey not one in England or in all the world but shall be forced at last whether he will or no to justifie the wisdom of the godly and the worst of you shall then with ten thousand fruitless groans desire that you had imitated the holyest persons that you knew Not a tongue then shall say What needs all this ado for heaven Not a man there dare call his neighbour Puritane nor take up a contemptuous jear against the diligent servants of the Lord. Quest 22. Is not that man at the heart against the Lord that reproacheth his serious diligent servants and counts his work a needless thing Men are more willing to please those that they love and more ready to do the works they love If your son or servant speak against your service but as you do against Gods what would you think of their affections Doubtless it is no better then a secret hatred to the holiness of God and a Serpentine eâ—â—ity to his holy wayes that causeth all these sensless cavils and impious speeches against the life that he hath commanded us to live Quest 23. Is it not most unreasonable impiety for that man â—â— speak against too strict exact obedience and against serving God â—â— much that hath served the world the flesh and the Devil in â—â— vigour and flower of his dayes and this with pleasure and never said It is too much When thou wast drinking and sporting thou wast not aweary When it comes to a matter of riches or honour or ease or pleasure to gratifie thy worldliness pride laziness and voluptuousness then thou never saist It is too much And is all too little for sin and the Devil and all too much for thy soul and God Let Conscience tell thee whether this be just Quest 24. Is it not a foolish wickedness for that man to cry out against making haste to heaven and going so fast in the wayes of God that hath loytered already till the evening of his dayes and lost so much time as thou hast done If thou hadst begun as soon as thou hadst the use of reason and remembred thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth and never lost an hour of thy time since then till now thou hadst done no more then what thy God thy soul
but while their power can enforce them They are subject to errour and injustice and are not the same in one Countrey as in another or in one age as in the former and their Rewards and punishments are but temporal and therefore though under the Laws of God they are necessary for the Government of Common-wealths yet without Gods Laws they would be utterly insufficient 6. The way of Holiness is contrary to all Evil whatsoever and therefore hath nothing to disturb a Common-wealth It is true we cannot say so of the persons because they are but imperfectly sanctified Were they in all things such as their Lord and Rule and Religion do require they would have nothing that might be injurious to any But surely as a sick man or a lame is better then a dead corps and as a man of mean understanding is better then an ideot and a mean Schollar better then the illiterate so a man imperfectly sanctified is better in a Common-wealth then the ungodly You blame not the Laws of this Land because that Thieves and Murderers break them The Laws are Good if they oblige men to nothing but what is Good though bad men break them The Rules of Christian Religion are most perfect and direct or command men nothing that is evil There may be faults in us but there is none in the holy Laws which we desire and endeavour to obey Religion therefore is the way to the perfecting and securing of all Societies and the want of it subverteth them 7. Holiness doth not only tell men of a right way and shew them their duty but also effectually Disposeth their very minds to the performance of it and causeth them to walk therein The nature of it is to be the very Right Disposition of the heart and right ordering of the life The truly gracious soul is habitually an enemy to all known sin and addicted to obey in all known Duties And surely persons thus habituated are liker to live according to their Dispositions then others to live well that hate the good in their hearts which they should practise Mens Laws can command good but cannot give men good hearts to practise it as God doth by his servants If you cannot tell whether wicked men that love sin or godly men that hate it are better members of a Common-wealth you know not what Societies are for 8. Holiness destroyeth the root of iniquity and teacheth men to hate even secret sins which are in the heart or which none can see but God alone The Laws of men restrain the Subjects but from open injuries but Holiness restraineth men from doing the most secret wrong to others or once thinking speaking or contriving any evil against them It reacheth the conscience it cleanseth the heart from whence all evil doth proceed 2 Sam. 12. 12. Deut. 27. 24. Psalm 90. 8. Eccles 12. 14. A man fearing God as such dare not deceive or wrong another though he were sure that it would never be known on earth For he knoweth that the Lord is the avenger of such things 1 Thes 4. 6. 9. Holiness cementeth the members of all Societies with the strongest cement of endeared Love It bindeth them together in the bond of Charity He is not Godly that Loveth not all men even his enemies with that common Love that is due to humanity and that Loveth not all that Fear the Lord with a special Love Psalm 15. 4. Joh. 13. 34 35. 15. 12 17. 1 Joh. 3. 14 23. 4. 7 11 12 20. Luke 6. 27. 10. Holiness maketh Princes and Rulers a double blessing to their people It maketh them the more Divine and bear the more excellent Image of God How precious is the name of a David an Hezekiah a Josiah a Constantine a Theodosius though they had all their falls in comparison of the name of a Saul a Jeroboam an Ahab a Nero a Julian O how sweet is the name of a Godly King in the Subjects mouthes Even those that are enemies to Godliness as in themselves because they cannot endure to be curbed and troubled with it do yet use to admire and honour it in their Kings and Governours Authority and Holiness conjunct are two such rayes of the Heavenly Majesty and Goodness as place man in the state of highest excellency on earth and make him so much to resemble his Creator as hath given such the highest place in the esteem and honour of the world of any mortals And it is not easie for a people to value such Holy and Pious Princes and Governours too highly or to be sufficiently thankful for them unto God 1. Holiness effectually teacheth Governours to Rule for God To set him highest and make it their work to seek his Glory and to avoid all selfish contradictory interests and to own nothing that stands at enmity with his honour but to judge that they have most happily attained the ends of their Government and lives if they have promoted the Gospel and Kingdom of Christ and the work of Holiness in the world 2. Holiness will cause Rulers to preferr Gods Laws before their own and to be examples to their Subjects of obedience to God and to desire that all men should stand in far greater awe of God then of them It will make them careful to form all their Laws and Government to the pleasing of God and promoting mens obedience to his Laws and to take heed that there be nothing in them injurious to Christ or contrary to his Will It will teach them with David to enquire of God and make him their Counsellour And with Josiah to search the Book of the Law and humble themselves when they have violated it And with Joshua Not to suffer it to depart out of their mouthes but to meditate in iâ— day and night that they may observe to do according to all that is written therein And then God hath promised to make their way prosperous and to give them good success Josh 1. 8. 3. Holiness will cause the Rulers of the world to Love those that are Holy and to promote the Communion of Saints and to be Nursing Fathers to the Church even that part of the Holy Catholick Church which they are entrusted with and to protect them from the violence of men It will keep them from the sins of Jeroboam that corrupted Gods worship and put forth his hand against the Prophet that spoke against it Whereby God will be engaged to be their Protector in Peace and War When Princes and people that fall out with Holiness and take part with the flesh and set themselves against the servants the worship and the wayes of Christ do put themselves from under his protection and put themselves under the battering and piercing stroakes of his displeasure And wo to him that striveth with his Maker and that kicks against the pricks of his severity Isa 45. 9. Acts 9. 5. 26. 14. The fatal ruine of the Kingdoms of the world or at least the