of that fulness of God which is attainable even in this life Many might have had more grace if they had not been under the delusion that they had grace enough already The dream of Perfection attained has prejudiced the perfection which is attainable As Tully observes Multi ad sapientiam pervenissent nisi eo jam se pervenisse putassent Many Men had arrived at a high degree of Wisdom had they not fondly conceited that they had already reacht the top of it The Apostle's frame was most excellent and imitable Phil. 3.12 13. Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after it that I may apprehend that for which I am apprehended of Christ Jesus He considered more what was before than what he had left behind that is he more lookt forward to what he had not yet attained than backward to what he had 2. Let us pray that we may know more of the Love of Christ to us as the proper mean to be filled more with the fulness of God in us This is the expedient of the Text and what greater encouragement can there be to love serve obey and glorifie our God than that he has so freely wonderfully loved us in Christ 3. Let us strive to keep our vessels pure and clean tho' they be small and narrow that however they are of a narrow capacity yet being pure and clean God may delight to fill us and to enlarge our hearts that we may receive more of his fulness Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God The sight of God which a pure and holy heart qualifies us for is the enjoyment of God i. e. Gods communicating his love in its sanctifying and saving effects and so we shall find if we compare John 3.3 Except a Man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God with vers 5. Except a Man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God 4. Labour to experience poverty of Spirit The way to be rich in Grace is to be poor in Spirit which poverty of Spirit does not consist in having little Grace but in a sense that whatever we have little or much it s not of or from our selves but from the fulness of God The more we empty our selves in that sense the more God will fill us Luke 3.5 Every valley shall be filled The humble valleys are often fruitful when the high hills are commonly barren self-sufficiency discharges and disobliges the all-sufficiency of God Luke 1.53 The rich he sends empty away Now as by the Rich we are here to understand such as are rich in their own conceit tho' they be really poor so by the poor in Spirit we are to understand them that are convinced of their own original indigency though by the Grace of God they are enriched and their spiritual wants supplyed Phil. 4.20 This poverty of Spirit tho' it pretend not to merit yet has a meetness for the fulness of God Jer. 31.25 I have satiated the weary Soul and I have replenished every sorrowful Soul 5. From this Spiritual poverty arises a Spiritul hunger and thirst after more of the grace of God which temper of Soul lies directly in the way of that promise Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled for 't is upon him that is thirsty that God promises to pour out water and 't is the dry ground that God promises to satisfie with the floods Isa 44.3 6. Attend in Conscience and Faith with constancy and perseverance upon all the Ordinances of the New Testament you read Zech. 4.12 of two olive branches that through the two golden pipes empty the golden oyl out of themselves Let the two Olive branches be the Person of Christ in two Natures the golden oyl will then be his precious Grace and the golden pipes the Ordinances of Christ by which he empties out of himself that precious Grace into holy and clean tho' earthen vessels Amongst many other terms which the Ancients gave to the Lords Supper they called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The perfect or the perfection so Zonoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To come to the Perfection is to come to the holy Eucharist And indeed where do believers find their choicest derivations from God their sweetest Communion with God but in that Sacred Ordinance worthily received 7. And lastly To all these we must add and with all these we must joyn fervent and believing Prayer which as it glorifies God God will glorifie it and make it the means of conveying down to our Souls such a measure of fulness as may serve us in the time of our need we can never be poor whilst we can pray He that is the Spirit of Supplication in us will be th◠Spirit of Grace to us Let us therefore pray with the Apostle Rom. 15.13 That the God of hope would fill us with joy and peace in believing Let us pray that the God of all Grace would make us perfect stablish strengthen settle us 1 Pet. 5.10 That the God of Peace would sanctifie us wholly 1 Thes 5.23 And let us pray that the same God the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ would give us to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we may be filled with all the fulness of God Quest How are the ordinary means of Grace more certainly successful for Conversion than if persons from Heaven or Hell should tell us what is done there SERMON VII Luke XVI 31. And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead WHether the Narrative of our Saviour beginning at the 19th verse of this Chapter concerning the Rich-man and Lazarus be an History relating really matter of fact or a simple Parable representing the matter by way of similitude Or an useful discourse by way of Delineation partaking of both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Just Martyr viz. a Parabolical History or Historical Parable Hath been variously determined both by the Ancients and Moderns * Voss Thes Dispt 5. One †Lomierus indeed would go further and have it to be a Prophetical Parable representing by Dives Judaism and by Lazarus Gentilism This latter as he thinks from the name Lazarus imports one before Christ came that had no help forsaken of all kept out of doors amongst the Dogs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who conceive it to be an History argue it from the proper Name of Lazarus others who judge it to be a Parable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dr. Lightfoot c. alledge that the Talmudists do frequently use Lahazar contractly for Eleazar yet here not as a proper Name but common denoting a destitute beggar indefinitely or him who of himself is bereft of help or one to whom help should be shew'd As Rachel is used Appellatively
your right eye you must pull it out The guilt of one known sin will put a sting into Death and make it very terrible to you especially in your near approaches unto it 7. You must look to it that your whole Conversation be order'd arigh◠and that it be as becomes the Gospel of Christ When all is done an upright and holy Life is one of the best Defences against the dread of Death We are told in two several Chapters of the Proverbs that Righteousness delivers from Death Prov. 10.2.11.14 Whatever other Interpretations those words will admit of I am sure this is a true one That it delivers from a slavish Fear of Death Hear how David speaks he bids you Mark the perfect man and behold the righteous or upright Psal 37.37 for the the end of that man is peace The Apostle Paul was above the Fear of Death he seem'd rather to desire than dread it as I said before and well it might be thus with him seeing he liv'd in all good Conscience and had this Testimony from his Conscience That in simplicity and godly sincerity Acts 23.1 2 Cor. 1.12 and not with fleshly wisdom but by the Grace of God he had his Conversation in the World Quest How is Gospel-Grace the best Motive to Holiness SERMON V. 2 TIM II. 19. And let every one that nameth the Name of Christ depart from Iniquity 1 Tim. 1.2 2 Tim. 1.2 THis Epistle was wrote by St. Paul to his Son Timothy whom he had begot in the Faith as his fatherly Blessing a little before his death for he was at the writing of it in bonds Ch. 1. vers 8. and he had finished his course Ch. 4. v. 7. This very Paul whom God had so miraculously delivered at Damascus 2 Cor. 11.32 Acts 16.26 and at Philippi and where not for whosoever reads the Catalogue of his sufferings 1 Cor. 11.26 may wonder how so many evils could befall any one man but as they did abound deliverance did proportionably abound yet now when God had no further work for him to do he calls his Servant home to receive his wages and being so near the end of his Race Phil. 3.14 Paul stretches out his hand for the prize of his high calling in Christ Jesus And if we cannot but allow the Children of God to grow in Grace and in Knowledge 2 Pet. 3.18 and that the Lights of God's setting up in his Church are brightest a little before they are extinguished by death Timothy and all Believers had reason to mind especially the words of this dying Man This Epistle being his last Will and Testament in which every Member of Christ's Church hath a Legacy left unto him ' more precious if understood and improved than Gold that perish In the beginning of this Chapter the Apostle requires that those things he had taught Vers 2. might be continued still to be taught and to be practis'd He knew that there was no getting into Heaven per saltum that there was no coming to Glory but by taking the degrees at least arriving at the truth of Grace and therefore here as elsewhere in all his Epistles so many Exhortations and Dehortations are to be found so many Precepts about what we are to do and Cautions about what we are to avoid The Philosopher treating of Happiness observes Arist Rhet. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Way is narrow and the Danger is great and they are the best Friends to us that bid us beware and are jealous lest we should mistake But withal the Apostle here meets with a great Obstacle a Stone or Rock of Offence which he endeavours to remove out of our way Hymenaeus and Philetus two considerable persons and probably highly accounted of in the Church for we find no such difficulty arose at the turning away of Phygellus and Hermogenes of whom mention is made Chap. 1. vers 15. Apostatiz'd from the Truth and whether they were by their Office Teachers or no is not certain but that their breath was infectious and that their words did eat as a canker is testified vers 17. That their error was in a fundamental Article denying the Resurrection is very obvious for as the Apostle says If there be no Resurrection then is our preaching vain and our believing vain 1 Cor. 15.13.14 yet such a darkness or perversness rather hath the Fall and our corruption betray'd us to that without God cause his Light to shine into us there is nothing so senceless irrational or unscriptural which we shall not embrace for truth Hence these wretches did not perish alone but overthrew the Faith of some vers 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or temporary Believers who assented to the Truths of the Gospel and were reckoned amongst the Faithfull nay and they shrewdly shak'd the Faith of others When men in a Field-battle see such fall who stood next them or were before them their hearts are apt to misgive them least the next Bullet should take them off also Especially true Believers knowing so much of the deceitfulness of their own hearts as to make them humble all their days and being so charitable towards others and apt to believe any better than themselves Their concern also being so great for their Souls Hinc lacrymae they cry we shall one day fall To such the Apostle accommodates these words Nevertheless as if he had said Granting all that any fearfull and weak but true Believers amongst you can Object that so many fall away and such as seem'd so resolute have Apostatiz'd Mat. 7.24.25 Yet the Foundation of God standeth sure Thô they who built upon the Sand with their statelyest and highest confidence fell yet every building upon the Rock should hold out all winds and weathers To prove which the Apostle offers a double security 1. From the Election and fore-knowledge of God The Lord knoweth them that are his Verba sensûs intellectus ponunt affectum effectum is a known Rule to understand Scripture by God does not only know his People as he does all other men and all other Creatures in the World but he hath a special eye upon every one of them and a special care for them as well as Love unto them and this is as it were the Privy Seal which every Child of God may take for his security 2. They have also a broad Seal their Sanctification which comparatively at least is evident for it is as a light set on a Candlestick and is visible more or less unto all at least they may have the Testimony of a good Conscience ◠Cor. 1.12 which is as a thousand Witnesses Some have thought that these words may relate to an ancient custom of putting words and sentences upon such stones as were laid for Foundations in buildings in which something of the Builder or Author or at least something thought worthy by him to be perpetuated Rom. 11.33 was inserted and what more
Gospel of the Grace of God may be carried into the dark corners of the Earth for the Conversion and Salvation of them who are ready to perish and so the Kingdom of Christ get ground in the World is I am sure a most holy and excellent design and so I recommend this also to the Prayers of Godly private Christians These few things being suggested touching those Christians who bear a Publick Character I now shall address my self to all Godly Private Christians and I must exhort and beseech them with all the fervour I can to set their hearts sincerely upon this glorious work and to bestir themselves in it with all their might This belongs to every Christian as such in what circumstances soever the Providence of God doth dispose of them whether they be High or Low Noble or Base Rich or Poor Learned or Unlearned Male or Female None are to be excluded or exempted But it is likely This may seem strange to many Private Christians That they should be charged in the Name of Christ to be helpful to promote the spreading of the Gospel all the world over Alas will one say with the Eunuch I am a dry tree and no such fruit is to be expected from me And I will another say am but a Cypher and make no Figure in the world as the Phrase goes and therefore I can signifie nothing But let me beseech all Private Christians to take heed of shifting off from themselves any Duty or Service that Christ calls them to or would employ them in And To suspend their Determination a little until I have shewed them as Christ shall enable me How and wherein Private Christians may be helpful in this Great and Good work And then I hope they will see That they may do much more therein than possibly they have hitherto apprehended The second thing mentioned is Their Duty and Work Which is To be helpful in promoting the Entertainment of the Gospel And the third thing is How or in what ways and by what means they may be most helpful in it But for dispatch sake I shall speak to both these Conjunctly Now That I may proceed herein the more clearly and profitably I think it may be useful to place Private Christians according to their several Circumstances and Capacities as to the matter now under consideration in three Ranks or Orders 1. There are many Private Christians who live very remote from such Places and People as have not the Gospel preached unto them Or at least have not hitherto entertained it 2. There are some Private Christians who may Occasionally go into or may Providentially be cast into such Places 3. There are some Private Christians who live among such people in a more fixed or constant Residence As In our Factories abroad Or In our Plantations in the Indies or other Heathen places Now Tho' it be the Duty of all Private Christians To promote the entertainment of the Gospel yet all cannot take the same Measures nor be Active in the same ways And therefore it may be to very good purpose To let each of them to see wherein their Proper work doth lie That they may contribute their assistance accordingly 1. Most of the Private Christians among us live very Remote from those People who have not as yet entertained the Gospel And so They cannot be helpful unto them by Personal instruction or counsel Neither can they attract them by the Example of their holy conversation And yet they may greatly contribute toward the promoting of the entertainment of the Gospel among them And that they may do several ways e. gr 1. They may and ought to pray in Faith That the Gospel may be sent among them That it may be Received by them And be blessed to the Conversion and Salvation of all that are ordained to Eternal life among them For such Prayers being according to the Will of God They may be confident that he heareth them 1 Joh. v. 14. And that God requireth and expecteth such Prayers from them cannot be unknown to any who acquaint themselves with the Scriptures For 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ recommendeth this matter to the Prayers of private Christians Matth. ix 37 38. Then saith he unto his Disciples The harvest truly is plenteous but the Labourers are few Pray ye therefore to the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth Labourers into his harvest Here we may take notice 1. That by the Metaphor or Allegory of an Harvest our Saviour would instruct us That as when the Corn is ripe Men use to employ Reapers to cut it down and gather it in So there are some blessed Seasons wherein God hath decreed to send the Gospel among a People and accordingly prepares and disposeth them for the Reception of it and raiseth in them a propensity and strong affection toward it Thus it was when John the Baptist came and Preached That the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand Matth. iii. 2. and it follows in verse the 5th Then went out unto him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan And our Saviour sets a special remark upon that time Matth. xi 12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force When therefore ye hear That the Day of the Gospel begins to Dawn in any of the dark corners of the Earth Then Lift up a Prayer That the Grace and Power of the Spirit may accompany it and make it successful 2. Our Saviour teacheth you to pray That the Labourers may be increased proportionably to the work as when he saith The Harvest is plenteous but the Labourers are few Pray then that God would imploy such as are Skilful and Industrious such as Paul describes 2 Tim. ii 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth And pray That God would imploy such a number of them as is sufficient for the work A Reverend Person among us hath for many years complained That in many places where there is but One to labour in the Ministerial Work there is enough for three or four tho' all of them be very industrious But it seems that Men either cannot or will not make better provision 3. Private Christians when they perceive How the case stands should be importunate with God that he would send forth Labourers into his harvest Send them by the Efficacious word of his Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut ejiciat vel extrudat Thrust them out by his Grace working in them and his Providence ordering of circumstances concerning them It is no wonder if Flesh and Blood shrink from the employment of carrying the Lord's Message to a barbarous people Moses would fain have been excused from going into Egypt and he multiplied Evasions and Pretences till the Lord was angry with him Exod. iii. 10 11 14. and Chap. iv 1 10
those who preach it at home with your prayers that they may receive grace and assistance from God and be blessed with Success And now I shall take the liberty to present another to you in the behalf of many who preach the Gospel among us your Contributions for Wales and the Collection made at Pinners-hall for the encouragement of several poor Ministers in the Country hath afforded matter of rejoicing to many And I doubt not have drawn forth many praises and prayers to God on your behalf and let me beseech you be not weary of well-doing in this Instance The Apostle found that Professors are as likely to faint and tire in works of Charity especially if they be frequent as in any Christian duty whatsoever and therefore he fixeth his Counsel and Encouragement there Gal. vi 9. And let us not be weary of well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not Bear with me if in special I commend to your care those whom the Providence of God hath disposed of in good Market-Towns and Corporations Possibly some may think that such are well enough provided for But many find that the Corinthian temper hath not left the World Even in good Towns Ministers may Preach and want I think I shall not speak beside the purpose if I shut up this with 1 Tim. v. 8. He that provideth not for his own is worse than an Infidel This may suffice to have been spoken touching the second means whereby private Christians who live remote from such places as have not entertained the Gospel may be helpful toward the bringing of it among them 3. The third way wherein private Christians who live far from those places where the Gospel is not entertained may be helpful to promote the admission of it among them is to use their interest in those who on several occasions may go to such places by importunate perswasions and pertinent directions to excite them to carry a Love and Zeal for Christ in their own hearts and from that principle to act to the uttermost of their capacity for the spreading of his Gospel and the enlargement of his Kingdom It was I think a good design of Hugo Grotius who as he tells us wrote his Book Of the verity of the Christian Religion for the use of his Country-men who Sail to the uttermost ends of the Earth to furnish them with proper Arguments which might leave a due impression thereof upon the hearts of the poor Heathen Private Christians may also write to their friends who live abroad to endeavour to convince the miserable Captives of Satan that their Idols are vanities This course did the Prophet Jeremy take to excite and direct the Jews who were in Babylon how they should deal with those among whom the providence of God had cast them Jer. x. 11. Thus shall ye say to them The Gods who have not made the Heaven and the Earth even they shall perish from the Earth and from under the Heavens It is observed by learned men that this verse is written in the Chaldee tongue tho the rest of the book be written in Hebrew whereby he doth as it were put the words into their mouths that they might speak to them in their own language so as to be understood by them and by this he doth instruct us That it is not sufficient for the worshipers of the true God to keep themselves from the pollutions of Idols but they must do more for they must make Profession of the true God and his worship The like course may private Christians take to promote the conversion of the Ignorant Earthly and Profane at home with whom they have no personal converse and that is To stir up others who have that advantage to deal with them about the everlasting concernments of their Souls Thus I have spoken something touching the case of such private Christians as come within the first Circumstance viz. Such as live remote from the places where the Gospel is not entertained and in what ways they may be helpful in order to their reception of it 2. I proceed to consider the case of such private Christians as occasionally or providentially are brought among those people which have not entertained the Gospel and to shew how they may be helpful in bringing them into acquaintance with the Doctrine of Salvation Let none pretend that because this work doth specially belong to the Ministers of Christ that thereupon private Christians are exempted or discharged from that which God hath made their Duty Let none think to excuse themselves by saying They are not learned for they are a Reproach to Christianity who have not learned the Essentials of their Religion and the enforcing and inculcating of these must lead the way in the Conversion of Infidels Let none say They have enough to do to mind their own business For I doubt not but if they minded the Interest of Christ more their own would prosper the better But if they drive on any Design that is contrary to the Faith or Precepts of the Gospel it will be found their Duty and safety to extricate themselves out of it as soon as they can If they suggest that it would be a vain thing for them to expect or attempt to do any good among Infidels That will be found to be only the sluggards Plea There is a Lion in the way Prov. xxvi 13. He who hath no heart to an undertaking will not fail to lay in his own way huge Mountains of insuperable difficulties But to prevent or remove all Evasions it shall be proved that among private Christians if we may judge by circumstances or visible appearance few or none if they really be such as they profess themselves do labour under such disadvantages or improbabilities of succeeding in their attempts of recommending Christ and his Gospel as many of those were under whom yet the Lord made use of and eventually blessed in communicating the knowledge of Himself to such as were before strangers to him To manifest this I shall produce four Examples two out of the holy Scriptures and two out of Ecclesiastical History Out of the holy Scriptures one shall be out of the Old Testament the other out of the New Out of the Old Testament it is surprizing and astonishing to observe what a glorious work the Lord brought about by the Instrumentality of a little captive Maid whom the Syrians had brought out of the Land of Israel Read 2 Kings v. 2 3. to verse 19. The brief summary whereof is this The poor little Girl waiting on her Lady dropt a few words Would God my Lord were with the Prophet in Samaria for he would recover him of his Leprosie Another takes up those words and reports them to Naaman Many such Discourses are breathed and expire in the same moment The more wonderful is the conduct of Gods Providence who worketh all things according to the counsel of his will I may accommodate to this case
it were set his Wisdom and Will against Gods Bellum cum Deo suscipit whatever he fancies to himself he undertakes and wages War with God This man sinneth against God as well as against man is a Rebel against the Majesty of Heaven as well as his Prince upon earth refusing the obedience he ows to his Ordinance and Command 3. From the evil and fatal consequence or effect of Rebellion and Resistance of which in the same verse they that resist shall receive unto themselves damnation They commit such a crime as shall most certainly and severely be revenged they had better never have done it for punishment will surely follow it and it may be with a quick and speedy pace either from the hand of the Magistrate to whom the Sword is committed with which he is to animadvert upon all disobedience or by the hand of God who will plead the cause and vindicate the honour of his Lieutenants and Vicegerents so that such Delinquents are never safe but in danger of a Temporal punishment here as Korah and his accomplices experienced and so did that unnatural wretch Absalom or an eternal one in Hell in case hearty repentance do not by an happy interposal prevent it 4. From the end of the Office and the business incumbent upon persons called to it which is singularly good and greatly necessary being designed for and tending to the preventing of vice and promoting of virtue and this is the argument used in my Text for Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Princes Magistrates they into whose hand the Sceptre is put or the Sword of Justice whether they be Supream or Subordinate whatsoever place they hold in the Political Body These are not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a terrour a scare a fright they ought not to be it doth not become them to be It is no part of their Office and place to be And so long as they act conscientiously wisely so long as they observe the rules given them and carry in their several Stations as they should they will not be a terrour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to good works or to them that do them whom they ought to defend by their power and encourage with their smiles but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to those which are evil It is the latter part of these words which falls under my present consideration My work is to take a view of Magistrates to discourse about them as they ought to be terrours unto evil works all of them so far as they come to their knowledge and fall under their cognizance The Question which I am desired to speak unto being this Quest What is the duty of Magistrates from the highest to the lowest for the suppressing of prophaneness In the handling hereof I shall observe this method First Enquire what is meant by prophaneness Secondly What is intended by the suppression of prophaneness Thirdly Prove it to be the duty of all Magistrates to imploy their Authority and power for that great and excellent end Fourthly Propound and offer sundry means which they may and should make use of in order thereunto Lastly Shut up our whole discourse with application and the great God assist in the work and bless that which shall be done Amen Our first enquiry then will be what are we to understand by prophaneness In answer whereunto we will consider the word which in Latin is prophanus and as some learned Criticks observe is as much as procul à Fano far from the Temple or holy place far from God that which is far from the mind and will of God that which God doth not approve will have nothing to do with which speaks those that love and practise it a company of persons at a distance from God The word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now saith Aretius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth pure such a purity as is in the stars of Heaven or a serene Sky and the syllable Be doth change the signification and import of the word and accordingly we do well understand by it that which is unclean impure polluted filthy So that prophaneness is uncleanness of which there are two sorts First A Ceremonial uncleanness Thus we read of defiled hands and common meats Of the former Mark 7.2 There came together unto him certain of the Pharisees and Scribes and when they saw some of his Disciples eat Bread with defiled that is to say with unwashen hands they found fault 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with common hands impure ones That was counted by them a profane action which polluted the person that did it and so you read of common meats Acts 10.13 14. Peter saw Heaven opened and a certain Vessel descending unto him as it had been a great sheet wherein were all manner of four-footed Beasts of the Earth and Wild Beasts and Creeping things and Fouls of the Air and there came a voice to him Rise Peter Kill and Eat but Peter said Not so Lord for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There common is opposed to holy it was a thing not fit for that holy people whom God had called out from the rest of the world made his own peculiar That was common unclean or prophane which was lawful to the Gentiles but prohibited the Jews by the Ceremonial Law as to instance Swines flesh That Law is now abolished with this sort of uncleanness we at present have nothing to do as not being intended in the question Secondly There is a moral uncleanness and that is it here meant That is said to be profane which is impure polluted foul loathsome and defiling and so it may be and as we find in Scripture it is applied both to persons and to things First To persons Thus in Ezek. 21.25 when the Lord by the Prophet spake to Zedekiah it was in this language Thou prophane wicked Prince of Israel His prophaneness did arise from or rather consist in his wickedness for he had grievously polluted himself with Idolatry and Perjury with cursed persecutions and the blood of the Innocents He was both a stranger and enemy to all piety and purity he ingulph'd himself in wickedness and laboured with all his might to draw others of his Subjects both noble and base into the same practices and to Plunge them as deep as himself Esau hath the same brand set upon him Heb. 12.16 Lest there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his Birth-right A prophane person qui nihil habet sacri who hath in him nothing Sacred nothing of holiness who violates neglects tramples under foot holy things who so pleaseth himself in filthiness as to wallow in it in whom the love of the world is so predominant to pleasures riches and honours he is so addicted that he prefers them before the grace of God and the Kingdom
this great World than to make the smallest Atome of it And God Redeemer saveth Mary Magdalens as well as Virgin Mary Very Sampson we are sure is in Heaven Heb. 11.32 But In respect of Things themselves and of their Appearances unto us all Effects be not of equal Facility nor all Events to be alike hoped for Much easier is the bending of a Green Twig than of an Old Oak More hopeful the cure of a Green Wound than of an Old putrifi'd Sore There is more to be done to Convert a Man of Belial than a Child of Belial and to Convert an Old Man than any other Man And we may justly expect better Success when we call unto God the Boys and Girls playing in the Streets than when we call Old Men and Women that can scarcely walk in them This I am desired to shew And I shall endeavour it in the best way unto the best end to wit the promoting of Early Piety I have fair and full occasion given me if I can take it from the Text which I therefore commend to your Observation ECCLES 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the Days of thy Youth Or as some read it Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy Choice THE Words are a Stricture of an Excellent Sermon It was preached as mine is to be unto Childhood and Youth It begins at the Ninth Verse of the former Chapter and ends at the Eighth Verse of this The Spirit of God preached it by the Wisest of Men and not the least of Kings And hath thereby taught a pair of Truths that I must wish better learnt I. The God of Heaven takes great care of our Children and sends the Holy Ghost unto Young School-Boys as well as Old Church-Members We have him here in his Sacred Oracles preaching unto Boys and Girls Yea and Blessed Bishop Vsher was neither the first or the last that was Converted by him at Ten years of Age or earlier II. The greatest Doctors need not think scorn in Christ's School to be Vshers and to teach Children the A B C of Religion Solomon thought not himself undervalued by it And he that will look on it as a Work below him he ought to prove that a greater than Solomon is he Immortal Luther preferr'd his Catechism above all his Works But I return This Sermon forepraised consists of Two Parts 1. A Dehortation from sinful Passions and Pleasures Which is edged with a most emphatick Irony or Derision Pressed with a Threat of God's damnatorie Judgment And shut up with a cooling consideration of both the feathery Lightness and the winged Transitoriness of Youthful Enjoyments Eccles 11.9 10. 2. An Exhortation unto the Choice and Prosecution of saving Religion This is in my Text Wherein it is guarded with an admirable Prolepsis preventive of all shifts and procrastinations And in the next Words and Verses is reinforced with numerous Arguments Arguments as many as Old Age hath Maladies and as Vnprepared Death hath Terrors And these all cloathed with Language hardly to be matched in all the Sacred Writings But I must confine me to my Text Wherein are obvious 1. The Duty commanded to be done 2. The Parties commanded to do it 3. The Time wheâ—ein they are commanded to do it The Duty is Conversion unto God Inchoative and Progressive Conversing Entrance into Continuance and Progress in the State of Holiness The State of Reconciliation unto and Communion with God With God the Father Son and Spirit all joyntly as One God and each distinctly as Three Persons Learned Men do judge this latter to be here designed by the Plural Number of the Hebrew Word All Interpreters acknowledge that the required Remembrance imports no less than the foresaid Conversion And it will be evident if these things be consider'd Words of Knowledge Affection and Practice do ever connote one the other Because the Faculties of our Souls be like the Links of a Chain so united that they go all together Draw one all come Wherefore when the Holy Ghost summons all he useth to name but one of them He never commands us to Know Remember Love or Serve God but he commands us to do them all Now to do all these is to Convert unto God And to do less is not to Remember our Creator as he doth require Besides The Connexion of End and Means is indispensable Where any Means are required it is certain the End of these Means is also required And it is very plain that the meer Historical Remembrance of God is but a Mean Conversion foresaid is the end of it That End without which the Remembrance of God could only make us the more like unto the Devil Who indeed doth never Forget but doth still Hate his Creator And no mind can bear the thought of Gods requiring such a Remembrance It must therefore be one efficacious unto its End that is here meant Nor is it unworthy of our Notice That the word Creator here is big with Argument And such as carries Obligation unto the very utmost of the foresaid Conversion For it speaks God's Interest in us Were we made by him Then were we also made for him and are his and not our own It expresseth also his speciality of Interest in us being as we are elsewhere told he made us in his own Image If so he made us unquestionably for his especial Service It no less setteth forth his Preservation of us too for who but he who made us should have Power or Will to maintain us Briefly it manifests his Power to destroy us and his very good Reason so to do if we do less after our Apostacy and his Provision for our Recovery than thus Convert unto him The Parties here Commanded to Convert are the same as are nominated Eccl. 11.9 Possessors of Childhood and Youth Learned Mercer saith all in a word Totam aetatem storeatem compliciitur By Childhood and Youth the Holy Ghost intends the whole flourishing Age of Life The same Hebrew word signifying Youth and Choice we take them all to be comprehended who are yet in the best and most desirable forepart of their dayes All from them whose Morning doth but yet dawn to those whose Clock hath struck Twelve and with whom its Noon The little Creatures whose Twilight doth but just serve them to read the first Principles of Religion The bigger Children whose Sun is risen higher and who can see and are set to learn secular Arts and Trades and are capable of learning farther the Art of Living unto God The Youth eminently so called whose Day is come on and their Light Heat and Activity much exceed Childhood Nor exclude I them whose Sun is at hiâ—hest and who are as Men will speak in their Prime upon whom the Afternoon begins to draw apace though they yet retain Morning Vigour and preserve the Name of Young The Original words of Age are of so large signification And as on the other hand all the Periods of breaking