variety in the Aims of these singularly learned Men Whom then shall we follow or shall we follow none shall we joyn issue with Maximus Tyrius in the Discourse above commended and say what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That God hath blown the expectation and desire of Good as a living spark into the heart of Man but hath hidden from him the Way to find it out No by no means This were no better then blasphemously to cast mans fault upon his maker God indeed for Reasons hidden from us and wrapt up in the abysse of his own secret knowledge formerly as St Paul speaks winked at the Errors and vanity of mankind imparting true wisedome and the knowledge and desire of the cheifest Good to very few But since Christ the light of the world appeared among us he hath publikly preach't these Truths First that the Enjoyment of the kingdome of Heaven is the cheifest and indeed the only considerable good Secondly that there is no way to attain this Kingdome of God without first attaining his Righteousnesse and submitting our selves according to our Sacramentall Obligations to the Rules of the Gospell Now these being laid down first as principles of eternall and unalterable Truth Our saviour giveth us in the next place the only safe advice Namely that abandoning all other foolish and idle Counsels we should give our selves to be his Disciples we should addict our selves to Christianity as to a Discipline of true Wisdome we should design no lesse then Heavenly Glory which is no doubt the cheifest Good Omnis sapientia hominis in hoc uno est ut Deum cognoscat colat Hoc nostrum Dogma haec sententia est Quanta igitur voce possum testificor proclamo denuntio Hoc est illud quod Philosophi omnes in tota sua vita quaesierunt nec unquam tamen investigare ◠comprehendere tenere valuerunt quia Religionem aut pravam tenuerunt aut totam penitus sustulerunt Facessant igitur illi omnes qui humanam vitam non instruunt sed turbant Quid enim docent aut quem instruunt qui seipsos nondum instruxerunt Quem sanare aegroti quem regere caeci possunt huc ergo nos omnes quibus est curae sapientia conferamus an expectabimus donec Socrates aliquid sciat aut Anaxagoras in tenebris lumen inveniat aut Democritus veritatem de puteo extrahat aut Empedocles dilatet animi sui semitas aut Arcesilas Carneades videant sentiant percipiant Ecce vox de caelo veritatem docens nobis sole ipso clarius lumen ostendens Quid nobis iniqui sumus sapientiam suscipere cunctamur quam clari homines contritis in quaerendo aetatibus suis nunquam reperire potuerunt Qui vult sapiens ac beatus esse audiat dei vocem discat justitiam sacramentum Nativitatis suae norit humana contemnat divina suscipiat ut summum illud bonum ad quod natus est possit adipisci Lactantius lib. 3. de falsa Sap. cap. 30. We should sell all that we have rather then to mille the buying of this pearl And when we have fixed our Eye aright we should then pursue wisely that Happinesse that we have in our Design we should endeavor after it in that way by which it is only attainable which is declared to be the way of Righteousnesse Nor is it any Righteousnesse that will lead us to this Kingdome The Righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees will not do it Our Savior hath told us in the beginning of his Sermon in the Mount that Except our Righteousnesse exceed their Righteousnesse we shall never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Originall Righteousnesse we have none at all Wee lost it God knowes assoon as we were entrusted with it Actuall Righteousnesse we have none of out own We must speak of all our Righteousnesse as the Man to the Prophet concerning his Axe when the head of it fell into the Water 2 Kings 6.5 Alas Master for it was borrowed Wee must have a Righteousnesse without us called by our Savior Matt. 6.33 Gods Righteousnesse that is a Righteousnesse given and imputed And we must have a Righteousnesse within us and that is Gods Righteousnesse also a Righteousnesse given though inherent A spirit of Righteousnesse a new Spirit and a new heart This inherent Righteousnesse giveth us an assurance that we have a title to the other The other the Righteousnesse without us that of our Savior is indeed only meritorious In the argument of merit O Christ we will make mention of thy Righteousnesse even of thy Righteousnesse only And yet we know that without holinesse without inherent holinesse no man shall see thy face No man shall have the benefit of thy Passion or any part of thy Righteousnesse that hath not thy Spirit For whatsoever hath not the Spirit of Christ they are none of his It is not the calling of our Savior Lord Lord that will give us any title to his merits without our sincere endeavor to do the will of our father which is in Heaven This I take to be a sufficiently orthodox and sense of those words seek yee first the Kingdome of God and his Righteousnesse Now if these are the principall of our Masters precepts surely we have no reason to think his Yoke uneasy or his Commandments greivous this is the summe of the burthen that he layeth on us He hath provided an Estate of unconceivable Glory and Happinesse for us And hath commanded us to seek it And further least we should erre and mistake the way that leadeth to this Estate He hath declared unto us that it must be sought in the Way of Righteousnesse for the Robe of Glory can no more become an unrighteous man then Honor can bee seemly for a fool He hath commanded us for our own sakes to seek this Kingdome of Glory but to seek it in that just proper and humble way and method that Himself hath prescribed And when you recollect and consider the Nature and Excellence of that Estate you will confesse it an Estate beyond all others infinitely worth your seeking Reflect then but with one glance of your Mind upon it as it is described in the certain Oracles of eternall Truth David first in the 16th Psalm and the last verse assureth us that in the Kingdome of Heaven or which is all one in the presence of God there is fullnesse of Joy and that at his right hand there are pleasures for evermore Now in these words there is a description of the greatest happinesse that can be or can be imagined There is nothing for its nature more desireable then Joy or delight there is no measure or proportion better then fullnesse There is no Duration better then Eternity And therefore he that hath Joy for the kind and fullnesse of that Joy for the Measure and joyes or pleasures which for the duration of them shall last not for a day or a year nor only for ten years or
the reigne of lusts p. 162 No true happinesse in the enjoyment of honour p. 163 No true happinesse in the enjoyment of pleasures p. 164 Proved by the example of King Solomon p. 165 No true happinesse in the enjoyment of riches p. 166 Pleasures of Intemperance mischeivous to the mind p. 167 Pleasures of Intemperance hurtfull to the Body p. 168 Ruinous to the estate p. 169 They are sins against society p. 170 171 Dishounourable to Man as Man p. 172 Inconsistant with religion p. 173 Most dishonourable to a Christian p. 174 The Christians Body consecrated to holinesse p. 175 The modern triumph of Vice over Christianity deplorable p. 176 The application p. 177 178 SERM III. Of the cheifest Good All men desire the chiefest good p. 182 Most seek It where t is not to be found p. 183 184 Gods rightousnesse the way p. 185 186 Christs yoke is easy p. 187 Reveiw of heaven p. 188 Infidelity of those that seek it not p. 189 Inconsideration of those that seek it not p. 190 191 Our future state more Considerable then our present p. 192 193 The beleife and life of the Atheist exposed p. 194 195 196 197 Their different Ends. p. 198 ERRATA PAg â— â—o 24 〈…〉 with God p. 13. l. 24. 〈◊〉 p. 14. l. 27. dares not trust p. 24. l 10. that great 〈…〉 the Lâ—ve p. 2 〈◊〉 13 shall after sâ—â—e periods of â—im ib. l. nâ—â— prepared for temporall â—uâ—ishment 〈…〉 and the 〈◊〉 â— 3 l. 2. â—t John saith p. 38. l. 6. Matter of l. 10 Ancients l 11. deleâ—â—â— p. 39. l. 3 〈…〉 p. 40. l. 31. shall suffer p. 47. l. 10. qui dixâ—â—unt in corde Non est Deuâ— p. 52. l. 19. of true and proper p. 62 l. â—lâ— as the Gentiles p. 63. l. 1. so their Vertue ib. l. 23. raiseth a Christians p. 70. l. 16. adâ—â—oâ—ish uâ— p. 74 l. 1. Câ—yes p. 82. l. 22 fatnesse of p. 83. l. 9. fountain of light p. 89. l. 16. Behemenisme p. 94 l. 9. pious reverence p. 98. l. 5. and with learned and good Natur'd p. 106. l. 20. not only with the Righteousnesse of Christ imputed but also with the Righteousnesse ib. l. 25. without the assistance p. 114. l. 4. conâ—ects notions l. 28 which we have not yet p. 125. l 19. or it may p. 132. l. 13. cardinall Christian p. 134. l. â— as to set a difference between Gods Glory and our Happinesse why should we not have an Eye to both or why should wee sever p. 135. l. 12. to blesse God p. 145. l. 5. and agrees ib. l. penust the vanity of p. 148. l. 25 dele and p 152. l. 4. consesse iâ— reasonable p. 171. l. 7. son of her Vomes p. 177. l. 23. smiteth and wrongeth l. 24. the day of p. 1â—2 l. 3. Hence is all p 186. l. 31. Whosoever have p. 188. l. 17. Councellors p. 196. l. 8 But yon IN MARGIN Pag 5 l. 26 lege â—â—â—â—itate l. 42. architectum p. 7. l. 4 cum tota p. â—0 l. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 18. Augustines p. 15. l. onâ—ium mortalium p. 22 l. 12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 29. l. 6. Salutem l. 7. hoc est p. 40 l. 7. ad Meanam p. 49 l. penult inter prolegâ—menaâ— p. 55. l. 12. ordinata p. 87. l. 15 sola ergo lb. l. 25 fieri coâ—um p. 9â— l. 22 non est dubitandum p 1â—9 l. 17. hac carnâ— p. 152. l. 14. quae istorum ib. l. 16. ingerâ—nt mortem l. 17 18. gaudendum ubi Virtutes ipsâ—e quibus l. 19. pericâ—lorum laborum dolorum taâ—â—o fideliora lestimonâ—a miseriarum p. 153. l. 13. quid esset ib. Sâ—e l. 14. quaesiverunt p. 168. l. 7. coena delectavatur SECTION I. THE FEAR OF GOD in Opposition TO The Atheisme of this present Age commended AND The Pains of Hell represented as the Greatest Evill In three Sermons preach't in the Cathedrall Church at Winchester By R. S. Prebendary there Pietas timore inchoatur Caritate perficitur PSAL. 34.11 Come ye children and hearken unto me and I will teach You the fear of the Lord. I will make no apologie my Christian Auditors for calling You children No man is too good for this compellation but he that is too good to goe to Heaven For our Savior hath affirmed with an Oath that Whosoever doth not receive the Kingdome of God as a little child Mar. 10.15 he shall in no wise enter therein And therefore I shall not alter the Exhortation of the Psalmist either as to the matter or as to the phrase The Matter is profitable and the phrase pathetick Come Ye children and hearken unto me and I will teach You the fear of the Lord. A good confident Demagogue saith the Atheist What! must we be children and must we hearken so diligently and must we be taught and must we be taught by Him And lastly which is worst of all must we be taught to fear and to fear Spirits things that we never saw Must this fear be the fear of a God I observe that in sermons made to our Ancestors the Preachers seldome proposed any argument to prove the existence of God or the need we have to worship and fear him without some such apology as this that though no man was so unreasonable or Ungodly as to deny the Being of a God yet that such discourses were sometimes usefull to Countermine secret and privy suggestions to Atheisme and Irreligion which by our Naturall Corruption and the Devils malice we may receive some damnage by But now the scene is alter'd we need no such Apology The Devill hath improved his Empire Insteed of denying Ungodlinesse we are ready to professe Atheisme and insteed of subduing our lusts we are ready to pamper and cherish them The Enemy hath made his inrode and shall not the Watchman give Notice that every mans blood that prepares him not to his own defence may be upon his own head It is noted by a Judicious divine Prestoâ— in his Serm. of the sensible Demonsiration of a Deity that all that Unevenesse and all those exorbitances that are found in the lives of Men do generally proceed from the weaknesse of the spring because the principles of Religion are not throughly and firmely believed Men for the generallity I speak not now of profess't Atheists will not neglect Religion altogether nor will they make their hearts perfect which God in althings The Reason is because the principles of Religion are in part believed in part not believed They say in their hearts It may be there is a God a Creator a Rewarder a Judgement to come and yet they have so much of Davids fool in them that sometimes they are ready to say in their hearts It may be there is no God Now here is a defect in the root and principle A Watch may as well go without a spring as Man live well in any degree that doth not believe that there is
preference because as St Paul doth more than once assert so great is the glory that shall be revealed that to it nothing in this present world is worthy to be compared It was the Hope of this Happinesse that made the primitive Christians leap into the Flames and suffer Martyrdome with joy Now though we through the Mercy of God have no flames of Martyrdome to seap into yet we may take this note from the Psalmist Psal 125. that those who are said to return with joy had a Time of going on their Way weeping and bearing good seed or this from St John That the Bride must have her wedding Garments prepared before hand She must not be like the foolish Virgins she must not be to provide her Ornaments when her wedding Hour is come She must be arrayed in Fine linnen and this Fine linnen is the Righteousnesse of the Saints Revel 19. We must know that Christians are to bee arrayed not only with the Righteousnesse of Saints inherent We may learn from St Paul 1 Cor. 9. That those who obtain this Crown of Glory in Heaven are temperate in all things and prepare themselves before hand and then also run and strive that they may obtain For it is so ordained that no man shall come to that great glory either with the assistance and Grace of God or without his own faithfull Endeavor Complement alone will never do it Our Savior hath protested Matth. 7.25 That not every One who professeth this Religion Not every one who saith unto Him Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of Heaven but he only who doth the will of his Father which is in Heaven Now to the king of Heaven and to the Lord our Righteousnesse by whose merits only we can have Entrance into that kingdome and to the Spirit of Holinesse who can only give us title to those merits c. SERM. IV. Of Happiness in Heaven shewing In Opposition to the Atheist The Reasons why we believe Rewards and punishments in another life The Immortality of the Soul The Resurrection of the Body I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaak and the God of Jacob God is not the God of the dead but of the living Math. 22.23 ACTS 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible that GOD should raise the Dead AS the Fear of that Punishment The Hope of the Resurrection of the Body and life everlasting the greatest Encouragement to Vertue that God hath prepared for Wicked men is apt to deter them from the continuall practices of Vice So the Christians Hope of the Resurrection of the Body and everlasting life in Heaven is the greatest encouragement to the Excercise of Religion and vertue I have allready shewed you the excellence and Glory of that Estate which we Hope for and in the next place I think it may bee seasonable in Opposition to the Atheists of our Time to clear unto you the foundation of this Hope namely the Credibility of the Resurrection it self which I propose to do in this method First to shew you that from Naturall Reason much hath been granted towards our faith in this particular Secondly that the world had reason to receive and we have reason still to continue the belief of the doctrine of our Savior delivered us in this Article All this I mean to do as it were historically by giving you the ancient state of the doctrine delivered in it and some of the old arguments that continued this belief against the Atheisticall Reasonings of former Ages And these old arguments of proof that have withstood the Batteries of Atheisme hitherto I am not only contented with but indeed I prefer them before those fine but untried ones of New Invention The existence of the law of Nature argues rewards and punishments in another life because they are not equally distributed in this First this was part of the Naturall Mans creed that there shall be hereafter in another life time and place for Blisse and Punishment This all considering persons have argued from the Notions of the Law of Nature that men generally find implanted in them If a law say they then there must be a Reward and Punishment else that Law will be to no purpose But we find a Law written in our Hearts and yet vertue hath not its Reward 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. apud Platodem in Phaed. nor vice its Punishment allwaies in this life and therefore it must bee lookt for in another How many vicious livers are there who have escaped correction from all Mortall Men and how many poor vertuous persons have there been who for their generall practice of vertue and patience in Honesty and upright dealing have received nothing but Envy Reprocah Despite and Oppression in this life V. Plutarchum de serâ numinis vindicta Platonem in Gratillo Gorgia and therefore we argue now as they did anciently that there is wanting that Order and providence in the Government of the Rationall world that is visible in all things of lesser moment unlesse as we believe there shall bee indeed another life wherein according to our merits we may receive Rewards and punishments And upon this Expectation Solid and Wise Men still held that the Practice of Honesty and the Observance of the Laws of Nature were to be defended and preferred even before the preservation of their present lives Which had been irrationall and foolish for them to have done had they been without a Reasonable Hope of a just Recompence in another life Secondly another thing that we have received from Arguments of naturall and Human Reason is the doctrine of the Immortality of our Souls And since the Soul according to the Platonique and Peripateticall and all other Philosophy Detrchere aliquid alteri hominis incommodo suum augere commodum magis est contra Naturam quam Mors quam paupertas quam dolor c. apud Ciceronem de Off. 3. Ad Carthaginem rediit Regulus cum neque ignorabat se ad crudelissimum hostem atque exquisita supplicia prosicisci quod Fidem servandam putabat Cicero eod Justum tenacem propositi virum Non civium ardor prova jubentium Non vultus instantis Tyranni Mente qualit solidâ Si fractus illabatur Orbis Impavidum ferient ruinae Hac arte Pollux vagus Hercules Innixus arces attigit igneas c. apud Horatium carm lib. 3. Ode 3. is the great constituent Principle of our Being and Individuation if that bee granted to bee immortall it must bee granted that the greatest and most considerable part of every Individuall Man is immortall And this will well conduce to expedite our other doctrine concerning the credibility of the Resurrection of the same Body It is most true Mr Hobbes's opinion considered that the Author of the Leviathan affirmeth that Men before the time of our Savior were generally possess 't of an Opinion Leviathan p. 4. p. 340.
redeemed both and we have offered and given both Let us glorify him with both Both with our bodies and with our Spirits for they are his Let us hold to that Rule of the Apostle which is or ought to bee the great Rule of every Christians life whether we eat or drink or whatsoever we doe let us do all to the Glory of God so shall we never do amisse but the peace of God shall be with us and preserve us for ever Gloria Trinuni Deo ΠΑΡΑΚΛΗΣΙΣ AN Exhortation to the pursuance of the CHEIFEST GOOD WITH A breif Review of the Opinions concerning it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. MATH VI. 19 20 33. Lay not up for your selves treasures upon Earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where theives break through and steal but lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven to which adde v. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdome of God and his Righteousnesse IT is a certain truth that in every Man there is an innate desire of good and it is as true that very few attain to the Good that they desire For as Maximus Tyrius in his 19th Discourse hath ingeniously express't it It happeneth to us in this dark and muddy Region of the lower world as it doth to those who scramble for gold or silver in a dark night who while they want a light to distinguish what they feek after and only guesse at it by deceitfull circumstances fall together by the Ears for they know not what For he that hath gotten any thing will not part with it for fear he should have already gotten the desireable thing neither will he abstain from further scrambling for fear it should be yet to seek Here is all the Tumult and the strife the Clamors and the noise the sighs and the groanes the rapine and the suits and all the hurry of the overbusy world This is the same thing that is intimated by K. David in his fourth Psalm There be many that say who will shew us any good Not Many only but All even the whole world pretend to be and really are in the pursuance of this good But as St Paul observed concerning the Jews that they obtained not to Righteousnesse because they sought it where it was not to bee found So the Masse of Mankind attain not to the Possessron of Happinesse because they seek it where it is not They search for the living among the Dead The Psalmist had observ'd concerning the Joy of the vulgar that it was such a delight as did alwayes ebbe and flow according to the increase or decrease of their Corne and Wine and Oyl For in these lay their Treasures and upon their Treasures they laid their Hearts but he had setled his Eye upon the true Joy His hope was the hope of Heaven His expectation was the Expectation of the beatifick Vision His desire was to have the face of God eternally reconciled to Him The light of Gods countenance was more to Him then was the Joy of the Worldly man When his Corne and his Wine and his Oyl increased Psalm 4.6 7 8. This was the Happinesse of David the Man after Gods own heart who had an understanding whereby He was enabled to call Good Good and Evill Evill and was guided by the Spirit of God to have his Will and affections rightly placed which the greater part of the world neither had then nor have to this Day Philosophers Historians Poets and all observers of human Manners and Nature have taken notice of a vast variety in human inclinations All pretend and all seek yet in all this variety of Pretenders and seekers few have designed few have sought the greatest good Some place their happinesse in Luxury and Ryot others in Parsimony and thrift The Merchant in his gold the Drunkard in his Wine the effeminate in his Loves The witty Man in pleasant Conversation the Orator in fine and well adorned speech the Martiall man in fights and triumphs some sportive men have been so vain as to think there could be no greater Happinesse upon Earth then to bee a renowned Victor in the Olympique Games and to get a branch of Olive as a Trophee of Mastery in those feats of Activity Sardanapalus I 'le watrant you thought himself a pretty Man and a Prince indeed when he was curl'd and dress't and richly cloath'd and shut up in his Palace among his concubines but few others have thought that a design of life well chosen for so great an Emperor Xerxes thought himself little lesse then the God he worship't if indeed his pride then allow'd him to worship any when he 〈…〉 his fetters upon the Sea and joynd Europe and Asia with a bridge not considering how short should be the Glory of that Action and that it should suddenly end in being utterly overthrown There are no things done from the great Atcheivments of Alexander and Caesar to those little Arts that are not worthy to be named in a pulpit that are not practiced with some design of good But this is the misery of our Condition that in all this variety the Ends we design are generally if not Base and Wicked yet poor and mean and yet though poor and mean and eagerly pursued are seldome notwithstanding sufficiently attained But it is more worth our Notice and Admiration that Philosophy it self the great Mistresse of Curiosity should professe to correct the Aims of the Vulgar and to design so Wisely and yet should fail as notoriously as any other profession of doing any thing worthy of all her anxious Disquisitions That it should challenge so great a Name and procure so little Good that they should erre so widely in their searches after the Summum Bonum or cheifest Happinesse For I do not find that they had the good luck to attain to any thing that might give them just Occasion to cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found it I have found it And those who seem to bee the adepti and to have gotten most considerable attainments contented themselves generally with a very mean Quarry a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maximus Tyrius Dissett 19 ad Finem Ad vos nunc refero quem sequar◠c. Cicero Academ Q. l. 4. It hath been anciently observed that Pythagoras his Learning ended in a few Musicall Iingles Thales's Wisedome in some uncertain Astronomicall Phansies Heraclitus's Contemplations concluded in solitude and weeping Socrates his renowned Philosophy led Him to the practice of unnaturall lust Diogenes his sharpenesse of wit to use his Body to endure all manner of nastinesse and course labor E. picurus's Inventions and Discourses of which he boasts so proudly set Him down contented with any kind of Pleasure We shall do Aristippus no wrong at all if we joyn Him with the more renowned Epicurus And why may not the Stoicks and Peripateticks Clubb also who are both represented to make the bare Action or vertue its own Reward Such are the Ends and so great is the
price is put into the hand of fools Our life will be unto us but Occasion of eternall Misery and it would have been better for us never to have been born Will any Man then whose faith is not asleep or in a journy will any Man I mean that believes and considers the existence of Heaven and Hell and the other doctrines of our Faith venture to commit a sin or to provoke his judge or to do any thing that may endanger the damnation of his Soul to eternall Death to save so poor a thing as this uncertain life much lesse to get Riches or Honor or any other worldly acquirement Let us not therefore halt between two Opinions If the Gospell be Gospell Let it have the power of the Gospell Fear its threatnings Entertain its encouragements Receive its Dictats If you receive not these stay no longer here to be a scandall to the best Religion Go rather to the Font where you were initiated and there publickly Renounce and disclaim your Faith Turn professedly Julians or Judas's and insted of the Apostles creed take up the loose discourse of the wicked Atheist or blasphemer as it is express't in the Second chapter of the book of Wisdome and boasted upon Occasions with a little Variety by our modern pretenders to prophane Wit we are as the ungodly wretch in that place most Cursedly expatiates born at all adventures he meanes by chance as if Men were not at all design'd or formed by the providence of God and we shall be hereafter as if we had never been For the breath of our Nostrils is as smoke or which comes very neer the Philosophy of our Modern Atheist A 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little spark in the moving of the heart Which being extinguished our Body shall be turned into ashes and our Spirit shall vanish into the soft Air And our name shall be forgotten in Time and no Man shall have our works in Remembrance For our time is a very shadow that passeth away and after our End there is no returning If you are prepared now to renounce your Religion and to agnize these Aphorismes of Atheisme to be the articles of your Faith If you are contented to be reckon'd not with the sheep but with the Goats and to have your portion with these wretches hereafter you may from the same place take the Counsell of the wicked Reasoner It is a fit Application for such a doctrine Enjoy the good things that are present and regard not the world to come Fill your selves with costly Wine and Oyntments and let none of you go without some part of his voluptuousnesse Contemn the laws of God and Nature Oppresse the poor righteous man spare not the Widdow and which is perfect Hobbisme Let your strength be the Law of Justice and what is feeble count it little worth Lay wait for the Righteous Man The man of great and just principles and resolutions he must be rid out of the way because he is not for your turn he will be sure to expose your basenesse to oppose your designes of Villany and wickednesse Examine him with Despitefullnesse Try him with Contumely thus know his meeknesse thus prove his Patience Do not only make your scoffs at Vertue but which are acts worthy a perfect Brave destroy it and root it out and then fear not to adventure upon any acts of Impiety or Insolence These are the Councels of the confirmed Reprobate in the second of Wisdome shame and Wo unto us that this noise should be heard in our streets that these Counsels should at this day be put in practice among us And you my Brethren if you have not come into the Councell of these Cains and Nimrods if these Theorems of Ranting and Hectoring do yet affright you if you dare not deny the truth of the Christian doctrine that is not only countenanced by the Analogy of other certain Truths but hath also been confirmed by Miracles from God and gifts of the holy Ghost Then as ye expect the light and life of God ye must live as children of that light as heirs of that life ye must professe and practice just contrary to the beleif and practice of these reprobated Men Ye must believe that there is an eternall Wages reserved for Temporall Righteousnesse and an everlasting Reward to blamelesse Souls And that for all the Rallery of these blasphemers Man was not so wonderfully made by chance Nor born at all adventures but that God created Man to bee immortall and to be the Image of his own Eternity as the Author of the book of Wisdome there declares in confutation of that wicked Reasoning which according the Epicurean Hypothesis he had so lively represented you are of those my Brethren that have not as I hope stood in the way much lesse sate down in the seat of those insolent Scorners at all Religion and Goodnesse You beleive that our Lord Jesus Christ shall one day come to judge the quick and the dead when as St Paul writeth to his Colossians those that have done well shall receive the Reward of an Inheritance and those that have done wrong shall receive for the wrong that they have done and there shall be no respect of persons Those who have chosen to be patrones and practicers of Atheisme and given themselves over to the suggestions of the Evill Spirit and to the Vanity of their own hearts those who have contemned the Gospell which as St Paul observes is not hid to any but those that are lost and slight the Righteousnesse that is commended to us though they are lofty now and full of their Grandeur how will their countenance fall when the sun shall become black as Sackcloth of hair and the moon shall be as blood and when the stars of heaven shall fall to the Earth as when a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs. With what boon grace will they carry themselves when they shall see the Heavens depart as a scroll that is folded together and every mountain and every Island and this of ours among the rest shall be visib'y moved quite out of their places St John telleth us what will bee their condition at that time who are wanting in Religion and good Manners though otherwise exalted in secular dignity and Estate Revel 6.15 The Kings of the Earth and the great Men and the Rich men and the cheife Captains and the bond and the free Men and all that whole Gang of wicked Men and Unbeleivers shall hide themselves in the dens and rocks of the mountains and shall say to the Mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. He whose first Advent to us was humble and mean and he that in his passion for us shewed the meeknesse of a Lamb will then appear as the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah He shall then come no more as a Preist to atone for us nor as a Prophet to Preach unto us the way of life but then only as a Judge to acquit or condemn us And the man that hath made no advantage of the first advent shall not need to wish the second There shall be no Place nor means for Redemption then But the fearfull and Unbeleiving and Abominable and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and Lyars and other such sinfull Men shall have their part in that lake of fire and Brimstone where whatsoever Socinus or Mr Hobbes have thought to the contrary the smoke of their Torment shall ascend up for ever and ever and they shall have no rest day nor night Those on the Contrary who have beleived the Gospell of our Savior and by the power of their Faith have overcome the Temptations of the world and so by reason of their Inherent Grace have a title to plead the merits of Christ and his Righteousnesse for the Remission of their sins they shall inherite all things even all the Glorious unconceivable Happinesses of Heaven To which Kingdome of Glory God Allmighty bring us through all those means and methods that he hath sanctified to that purpose Now to the King of Heaven and to the Lord our Righteousnesse by whose merits only we have entrance into that Kingdome and to the Spirit of holinesse who can only give us title to those Merits and bring us within the conditions of the Covenant of Grace to the Whole holy and ever blessed Trinity in Unity be Glory Honor and Adoration for ever FINIS