my burthen is light That is not only in respect that we have more grace in the New Testāent than there was in the Old More grace in the new Testament then in the Old though that be true but in it selfe the way by Jesus Christ the way to Heaven and salvation in obedience to Christ is a lighter burden and an easier yoke than the way that the Saints had as it were by works in the Old-Testament or that sinners now have that are out of Christ In Phil. 4.8 Finally my brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are of good report If there be any love if there be any praise think on these things Paul having taught them concerning things to be believed matters of faith he comes to matters of obedience and now he makes a generall rule as if he had said You are Saints of the New-Testament and Christ hath made you an easie yoke And it is not for me to descend much to particulars for you but I will make a generall rule If you finde any thing that is true any thing that is honest any thing that is honourable or venerable any thing that is lovely or any thing that is of good report if there be any vertue or praise think of those things lay hold on those things I will not tye you but doe you spie them out if there be any thing lovely that makes the Gospel of Christ prayse worthy or any thing that hath vertue lay hold upon those things he ties them not to particulars For they might say a thing may be pure and not lawfull it may be lovely and venerable and not lawfull O saith he talk not of lawful Not to look so much to lawfulness as expediency you should not walk so much by that rule but if it be expedient and honour God and adorne the Gospel lay hold on those things And whatsoever yee have seen me doe that doe I will propose one place more because I desire that you may understand this point 2 Cor. 9. Where Paul doth shew them by his owne example that it was not fit for them to look to lawful things only but to what is expedient for saith he may I not lead about a Sister as well as Peter and others May I not marrie as well as they and live by my preaching as well as other men Doth not the Law of God say Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne Yet I did none of these things I did not marrie nor take any thing for my paines of you Corinthians why so because he might honour the Gospel of Christ and not loose his glory in that for saith he though I be free from all men I make my selfe a servant to all that I might gaine the more to the Jews I become as a Jew that I might gaine the Jewes to them that are under the law as under the law that I might gaine them that are under the law to them that are without law as without law being not without law to God I become every thing to all men that by all meanes I might gaine some Paul would be a Jew with the Jewes and a Gentile with the Gentiles he would be strong with the strong Pauls compliance and weak with the weak how could he complie thus to win and save soules unlesse there were a latitude given by Christ wherein there is a liberty that is not determined and the Saints may apply themselves to for the glory of God and the good of others But Paul he was not without law to God that is in his soule and spirit he did keep close to God And not only so but in externals where God had determined for he would not sin to cōplie with men but it seems things were not much determined when Paul could be a Jew with the Jews a Gentile with the Gentiles as if he had not known the Jews as he saith catch them by guile Not as a cunning abominable creature but he could be wise politick for the glory of God the good of others he could be a weak professor with the weake and strong with the strong and be circumcised and shave his head and when he was among the Gentiles he could shew his freedome and win them he could be all things to all men which he could not have been if there had not been a latitude in the Gospel that people may use for the glory of God and the good of others So that we have now the lesson the truth proved Now let us open it a little The Doct. opened For the opening of it two things are to be considered The first is 1. Wherein this latitude in the new Testament is what are those things that you say are lawful now under the new Testament that were not in the Old wherein is that latitude what is admitted that was not then Then 2ly why the Lord in the new Testament hath given a larger scope for his people than God by Moses did in the Old For could not the Son of God be so faithfull as Moses that was a servant I speake with reerence why could he not be as strict as Moses Beloved not in the ten Commandmēts you are to understand that the morall Law of God that is the ten words as God calls it the ten commandments with the spirituall exposition of it through the booke of God God hath not given us more scope libertie in these than he did to them if so much As thou shalt not steale thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalt not take the name of God in vaine God doth not give us leave now to cozen and sweare and steale and be filthy this is not the meaning you are bound as much to this as ever they were Only take that with this exception So bound to obey the Commandmēts though the curse be gone that if you be Saints and borne againe new creatures you are bound to doe this I shall shew upon what grounds and motives anon but the curse and plague and damnation that should seize on you and that was to seize upon them that went to be saved by it that is remooved and gone There is no damnation to them that are in Christ But the thing it selfe stands firme Christ came not to destroy the law but to establish it heaven and earth shall passe but not one iot or tittle of it shall passe The Law the outward the Spirit the inward rule I could shew may the law of God is the outward rule and the spirit the inward rule and these are not contrarie one to another as men usually make them These rules are the same to the Saints in the new Testament as well as in the old and as a Saint under the old Testament was a Saint under the Gospel as it were
to another dutie and there is guilt ariseth from that they doe one thing when their consciences tell them they are bound to doe another As for instance it is your dutie to pray morning and evening in your families it is so and more seven times a day if you can but you make all things lawfull you will doe nothing upon expediency you make it so of necessitie that if you misse in the one or the other you sin As for instance you have taken apart your family to pray and you are called at that time to relieve a poore man and though you have done a better deed yet because you binde your selves where God hath not bound you there is guilt on your consciences So you make another law to read Chapters twice a day you have bound your selves and you sin if you doe it not but a greater dutie comes that is worth the reading often Chapters yet because you neglect that you sin and carry guilt on you So three parts of foure of your guilt it ariseth from ignorance you know not which God will have I pray when I should read or I preach when I should pray or when I should do good to my brother it comes from ignorance God hath not tied us to the number of Chapters or these things but as it may be for expediency for the glory of God and the edification of our brethren which if you did know when a greater dutie comes you would take it in hand So you make a law you must begin reading with Prayer it is sinne to read without praying It is convenient to pray at all times but if you make it an absolute law there will be guilt upon your conscience when you omit it though the occasion be never so great Labour to know your Christian liberty Shall I goe a little further Ignorance of Christian liberty hindere from wining others For the want of knowing and understanding your Christian Liberty there is this misery that you are not able to win the souls of others Why so Because you have tied your selves hand and foot that you cannot stoop to win souls Saith Paul 1 Cor. 9. To the Jew I became as a Jew and to them without law as without law I was weake to the weake I was all things to all that I might win some As if he should say Christ hath given me a great deale of liberty to this end that I might accommodate and apply my self beware of mistaking me not to accommodate my selfe to my own ends to please my lusts but he hath given me a latitude to stoop to mens dispositions and wayes to win their souls Now if Pauls religion had been as many now that is to be tied hand and foot that either all was lawfull or unlawfull he would not have bended an ace to win the world therefore let us learne to know our liberty I could give many sad instances how hence men tied knots that it is not lawfull to come into such a house as this it may be it may not be expedient but they make it absolutely unlawfull One man makes it unlawfull to come into a Pulpit it may be it is inexpedient but they will not have it lawfull and so hundreds of souls are starved they make ties where God hath made none and so we cannot do good to others for want of knowing our liberty Lastly let us studie to know our liberty for the want of knowing our Christian liberty Ignorance of Christian liberty the cause of contention is the maine cause of contention of the contentions of these times I mean How is that I will tell you how On the one side the one partie will doe nothing through the yeare but look at all as absolutely lawfull or unlawfull Wee are come to a fine passe that you must pray before you read or else you sin c. And men are so hide-bound and tied that they will not condescend to their brethren an ace We are bound to condescend to others and to be of one minde that we may doe good to such as wee were formerly but saith one I will not forgoe the truth for a world and one man calls this truth and another that Men are bound head and heeles and will not condescend one jot to others this is for want of the knowledge of our liberty Christ hath given us such a latitude take heed of abusing it of going beyond it yet take heed to studie it One the other side it makes their fingers itch to set out lawes for others to tell the Saints when they shall put out their hand and when they shall pul it in as the Preists in the Law when they shall speak with a loud voyce and when with a low when they shall be down and when up If men knew their liberty it would save a world of labour That is one dutie labour to know and understand your liberty you will be slaves and undoe your selves else The second dutie is doe not enfring your liberty 2. Not to enfring our liberty doe not lessen it As how I would not have you make lawes and ties upon your selves for every little thing where God hath not made it You will say it is true where God hath not made them we would make none but God hath given us examples Is not that a law to us and he hath given us precepts Are not those lawes Every example makes not a law It is not every example nor every precept that makes a law to the Saints Not every example if you look on the example of the Apostles they did many things that you are not to follow they killed a man and his wife Acts 5. they cast out devills they smote men with blindnesse they anointed with oyle yet presently they would not tie the Churches all the world over Look upon the Churches they did sell their lands in the beginning of the Acts and they brought the money to the Apostles and laid it at their feet this example was not a rule for the Churches after did not so but made collections and contributions therefore take heed of making examples rules Nay the example of Christ Jesus himself in many things is not a rule for he walked on the Sea and whipped the buyers and sellers out of the Temple What Christ did and did not command we are not to follow And why not the like of the Apostles what the Apostles did and commanded wee are to follow but what they did and is not commanded it may be is not warrantable Besides the Saints had feasts of love as we see in Jude These are blots in your feasts Continually when they came to the Supper every one brought his meat as we see 1 Cor. 11. Where are those examples now Be warie of examples Indeed examples with precepts make a rule and it is very commendable to follow them but where it is without a precept take heed of making it a law And then
Compare it with 1. Cor. 11. where the Apostle speaks concerning women being covered or uncovered and he shewes what he thought was fit in those countries but saith he if any be contentious we have no such custome nor the Churches of God That is if you wrangle and strive and keep a coile I will not beare you out we have no such custome nor the Churches of God to breake the peace and to make strife and contention As in the outward common-wealth so in the spirituall common-wealth of Israel let him look to it that first breaks the peace It must not be opinions and crotchets of yesterdayes making that must break the peace of the Churches day by day it is a dangerous thing therefore in 2 Thes 3.15 I beseech God by all meanes to keep peace among you the Lord of peace himself give you peace alwayes by all meanes It is three times repeated therefore surely you must eye that Thirdly look whether it tend to edification 3. To edification for all things edifie not That is doth this conduce to doe my brother good will his soul be the better for it As it must increase love between thee and him or else do it not if it break love or break peace So see if it edifie him whether it build up his soule or no will his soule be the better for it It may be thy brother is a weak Saint and thou maiest hinder his soule from growing in grace by doing a lawfull thing for saith the Apostl all things are not expedient all things edifie not Therefore see that it tend to edification But here is your religion what doe I care let it trouble him or no or better him or no Is it not lawful to do this Is it not lawfull to play at cards and dice and such things O see if it edifie or else abhorr it as if it were forbidden as the tree in Eden avoyd lawfull things if they edifie not Thirdly 3. To win those without see whether it conduce to the winning of the souls of others that are without The Lord hath put us into the world to win the Elect out of the world and wee must have an eye to that few Christians observe that the more is the miserie we onely raile and speak evil of them but wee should walk as lights in the middest of a crooked generation As Paul saith concerning marrying and taking money for his preaching I could saith he marrie as well as Peter and make you pay for every Sermon I preach for thou shalt not muzzel the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the corne but God forbid though these things be lawfull I become all things to all men that I might win some I caught you by guile saith he What was Pauls guile Not a sinfull thing it was no jesting with them nor it was not so much in necessarie duties but in lawfull things there being a latitude in the Gospel Paul did so walk and carrie himselfe as that he might win poore sinners to the Lord Jews or Gentiles But you onely looke if it be lawfull O you should look whether you offend your brethren whether you break the peace whether you doe not harden others you must walk decently to them that are without In our walking we must do nothing that may harden others There are a world more hardened by the indiscreet doing of good and the careless indecent doing of lawfull things than by the sinfull actions of the Saints as I shall shew after Fourthly and lastly thou must look whether it bring any gaine 4. To our own souls or advantage to thy own peace to thy conscience to thy self for though it be a lawfull thing yet if it trouble and gravell thy conscience thou must not doe it saith Paul I have endeavoured to keep a good conscience towards God and towards men And generally among the Saints they have more guilt in their consciences Why Christians are most troubled about the use of lawful things and more trouble in their soules about the use of lawfull things than about sinfull it is partly from their ignorance not knowing their liberty and partly indiscretion and the strength of their lusts that many times they eat when they should not or they eat more than they should or they sleep when they should not therefore you shall have poore people complaine Sir I am readie to starve my self I am such a glutton I eat so oft and I eat so many bits and of so many dishes and I cannot eat but my conscience saith it is too much whereas I should eat but one dish and so many cuts they make lawes and they break them after and make themselves guilty and then conscience checks them I confesse there is much ignorance in weak Christians not knowing their Christian liberty in meats and drinks but much is for want of discretion and because there is a great deale of unsanctifiedness in the heart in the directing and managing of lawful things for the glory of God and for their own peace and quiet for they follow their lusts and abuse lawful things that another man might doe without sin Therefore whatsoever it is say not the Minister saith it is lawfull though it be yet it may be poyson to thee for it may be inexpedient doth it trouble thy conscience get knowledge to see the lawfulnes of it or abstaine from it gall not thy conscience So then to end that you see according to the signification of the word expedient taken in the proper signification the first rule that all lawfull things are not expedient Though many things be allowed that God hath not restrained nor determined they are neither commanded nor forbidden by the word of God yet every thing is not expedient that is every thing doth not advance the glory of God and love among the Saints and peace and edification Every thing doth not conduce to win others out of the world and every thing doth not help the peace of our own conscience Decency what 1 COR. 10.23 All things are lawfull for me but all things are not expedient c. I Have observed to you from these words three things The first was this That There are divers things that are now lawfull to the Saints under the new Testament that were not to the Saints under the Old I have finished that Doctrine The second is this Though divers things be lawfull to the Saints under the new Testament yet but a few of those things are expedient and fit for a Saint to doe For the opening of it I propounded two things First what I mean by lawfull things I instanced in three sorts Secondly what is meant by EXPEDIENT The word comprehends all the rules that are to order and guide us in the use of things that are not determined that are not commanded nor forbidden It is a large word All things are not expedient That is all things are not fit all things are not
kind of thing than is the spirit of the new Testament an old Testament spirit is the same but onely it is a low spirit a childish spirit the difference is as between a childe in his coates a man of riper yeares it is the same man still but it was a lower spirit meaner principles and they walked accordingly so that for the generallity for them unlesse it were some choice spirits that were the Pen-men of the holy Ghost they were children under tutors so an old Testament spirit is a low mean spirit that walks as those godly people in their child-hood in the old-Testament that is my meaning therefore mistake me not Now when I say thou art lead by an old Testament spirit I mean thou hast a heart fitter to live under the law in the time of Moses when they were punies and babies and children under tutors than for the times of the Gospel Such a heart doth every thing as far as it is lawfull So many things are lawfull and he will doe them or so many are unlawfull and hee will avoid them For under the Law the Lord told them every thing what was lawfull and what was not and he made them little lawes as we doe to our children for feare of cutting their fingers or for going over a bridge c. But it is not so now remember the rule Phil. 4.8 If there be any thing that is lovely or of good report 3. A man may be damned for doing of lawfull things or hath praise or vertue doe that Thirdly and lastly I say this to such for thy comfort if thou wilt have it so that thou maiest loose thy soule forever and be damned in hell for doing of lawful things not for doing lawful things but for doing them in a way thou maiest go and strive to avoid ill and to doe good and in a way of doing lawful things thou maiest goe to hell much more in unlawfull my meaning is when men eye only lawfull things and never look what is convenient they may goe to hell in doing it Have you not heard of a Proverb licitis perimus c. Saith the heathen we perish in lawful things I have known many professors that have gone such wayes that men might clearely say yonder is an old back-sliding professor that goes directly to hell yet he will say convince me of evil It may be I cannot in point of lawfulness yet I know he walks not honourably he brings not glory to God as a Saint of the new Testament should he walks low and carnally and meanly every day more and more A man may avoid the reproofe of unlawfulnes and yet goe every day towards hell it is ordinarie and he is blinde that sees it not It is the case of some here I feare that the people of God generally conceive they are in a backsliding condition and one saith to such a one I feare you are going from the Lord and that you have another spirit than you had and another gives him admonition and he falls upon them all and saith convince me and so waves all reproofe and hee may doe so and be damned when he hath done It follows not that thou art in a happy condition because thou art able to wave and to winde off reproofe thou maiest keep off reproofe and yet be in a backsliding condition and going to the devill I have heard of a godly Minister that hath another expression a man may be damned and thrown to hell for doing of justice for seeking of his own As there is a man Mat. 18. though it be but a Parable his Lord forgives him his debt and he comes and takes another man by the throat and casts him into prison hee did him no wrong Why should he couzen me of my money But the Lord comes and throws the man into the place of torment not for doing unlawfull things properly for he asked but his own So many times a rich man that is worth tenthousand pound he takes a poore creature that is not able to pay any thing and throws him into Prison and then saith he oweth me so much doe I doe him any wrong have I it not in black and white shall I not ask for my own thou maiest doe right and seek thy due and yet be damned Is it not lawfull thou wilt say I cannot say but it is lawfull but thou walkest not as a Saint it is not lovely it is not decent it is not expedient I feare there are many such professors think of this Therefore now in the new Testament seek not what is lawfull only but what is venerable and pure and just and decent and comely for a Saint to doe That is one Use To conclude the next Use and the last that I shall make at this time The way of the Gospel a strict way is this Learne hence what a strict way the way of the Gospel is it is no way of liberty or loosnes you have bin thinking all this while that I have been making of a way of loosnes or liscentiousnes ◠see hence it is a strict way for though there be very many things lawfull more than you imagine yet there are but a few that are expedient and wheresoever the Gospel makes the way broader in point of lawfulnes it fetcheth it out againe in point of expediencie Take two professors the one of an old Testament spirit that lookes only to that which is lawfull and let him be as strict as hee can for his life in doing that which is lawfull and avoiding that which is unlawfull or else he shall be damned Take another Christian that out of love to Christ doth eye that which is expedient as well as that which is lawfull the latter shall outstrip the other a hundred degrees he shall be an Angel in comparison in strictnesse It is no such liscentious way as you conceive But you will say wherein will he be strict shall he doe works of supererogation shall he make duties as the papists doe if God have not bound and commanded him what pleasure hath God in that he doth I answere there are but a few things that God hath commanded in the new Testament but there are some things that he hath cōmanded that are absolutely required in themselves but when I say he is not bound I meane not to the thing simplie to take that way or to doe that thing but there is nothing in the world when it comes to be done when it comes to action and is covered with all circumstances but it is either expedient or not and when a thing becomes expedient and is so presented to a Saint then though he be not bound to the thing simplie yet he is bound to it when it becomes expedient According to discourse men say by the rule of nature much more by the law of the Gospel in two things that are both lawfull if one be more expedient than the other wee are bound to doe
be warie of making lawes for hereafter for there are few things that are expedient but may sometime or other be lawfull therefore what is expedient now to doe beware how you make it a standing law to binde men to it Nay in Civill things there is no law of the Land in an extraordinary case but if they make it an ordinarie rule a standing law it will be inconvenient So in spirituall things about six score yeares agoe in the reformation it was a great thing to come out so far as they did but the Surplice and the Crosse and kneeling at the Sacrament stayed still and the States men did well it was good that they did so much because they then could not have them all off meaning in the next age when things were setled to remoove them but they made a law and it was a point of good policie yet when that law was made there arose another King that knew not Joseph another Generation came and made the Surplice and the Crosse the ruine of good people to drive them to New-England and to imprison them Therefore it is good to be wary in making of standing lawes 5. To beware how they impose things on the consciences of the Saints Fiftly Magistrates Churches must be warie how they impose these things upon the consciences of men as necessarie things they may decide them to be expedient and so perswade them to obey but if they come to impose them as necessary as that the Surplice signifies innocency and the Crosse mortification when they impose them Jure Divino it is not right 6. Not to use rigour in determining Lastly beware of severity and rigour in determining those things that God hath not determined for in those things a poore Saint though they determine them yet if he have no measure of light he cannot in conscience do it but he is condemned by his conscience And if he use all his light and reverence the Magistrate and use all the Ordinances of God yet in some cases God gives him not light to doe it Now to goe with fire and fagot with banishment and imprisonment as they did under Episcopacie there was more rigour used for not wearing the Surplice than if a Minister had been drunk twenty times in a yeare they imposed these things with severity yet come to them and ask what good was in them the Bishops would say they were but indifferent things and yet they would punish the want of them more than the breach of the Commandments of God therefore beware of that So to that objection that this would breed confusion if every man should determine them you have foure answers I wil add one more and I shall go no farther at this time and that is if you will avoid confusion herein and follow this truth You know I have shewed you certaine rules by which you should goe to avoide confusion and they are as Land marks or as booyes in the water to guide you As for instance here is a thing that God hath not determined then cast about Is it decent is it convenient is it expedient doth it doe others or my self good Or will it trouble my conscience and make Religion evill spoken of Cast about by these rules and every one that hath tryed them shall walk safely without danger Therefore make use of those rules But it may be you will say those rules will not reach every case therefore I shall be at a stand Therefore to them I will add three or foure more and so conclude at this time You have had foure already Expediency that is one measure then decency and conveniency then commendableness or laudableness lastly Orderlinesse 5. Rule Examples of the old Saints And if those rules will not fit look on the examples of the old Saints in the book of God and putting the case alike or else it is a dangerous rule you are not in all things to follow the example of Christ himself hee did many things that are not for your example though wee may not make an absolute rule of every example yet they may be good patterns when the case is alike if we cannot judge whether this be expedient doe as the Saints of old did As for instance Paul in Act. 20. when he was taking his leave of his friends he bowed his knees and prayed on the place and called on the Lord as they parted I think not that this is an absolute rule that the Saints in all places are tyed to that they sin without they pray when they part but if you have time and other circumstances then it is commendable and safe to follow his example So to gather money for the maintenance of the poore of the Church it is a necessary dutie that God requires but when to doe it or how put the case the same according as you have opportunitie you should do well to doe it on the First-day of the week but it is not an absolute rule So if a stranger that is a Christian come to travell through the country Paul bids bring them on their way I think not that a man absolutely sins if he doe not bring a stranger on his way but put the case alike and it is safe and commendable to follow the Saints and so in a hundred things And this will help you out when you have no other light 6. To look to the custome of the Saints and Churches Secondly let me add to this a strange rule you will think it so if I cannot make it out that is this you must take notice of the customes of the Saints and of the Churches of God If you cannot finde by example and judge what is convenient and expedient and honourable in the old Saints goe to the custome of the Churches and the Saints that now are look what is the practise of the generation of the Saints and when there is no other light that will help you Custome in civill things it is the strongest law of England and in morrall things it is strong God saith a blackmore may be washed white sooner than they that are accustomed to doe evill will leave it But in this in spirituall things Custome the weakest rule in spirituall things custome is the weakest rule the customes of the Churches and of the Saints is the dimmest light yet in many cases we leave you to the customes of the Churches when there is no other light to go forward with and a Saint he may guide and steere his course well by it Therefore you shall see in Psal 73. David reasons the case why am I whipped every morning I have washed my hands in vaine and it is in vaine to be a Saint He corrects himself if I should say so besides my own foolishnesse I should condemne the Generation of the Saints God deales so with them So I remember a word between a Minister and a Gentleman the Minister disputing with the Gentleman Of
you are going to the other and it may be your neighbours house is on fire or a poor man is in want you goe and you cannot choose but then there is gall and guilt upon your soules because you have neglected prayer Whereas God hath not bound you to these things but hath left you to doe this or that according as it may be most for the honour of God the everlasting advantage of your own souls Hence if you observe and looke upon your own souls when you finde your selves in trouble you shall ordinarily see the truth of this doctrine Ask the question whence is this trouble why are your soules so sad you shall finde six times for one that the trouble and guilt ariseth from these things from making of lawes and we are not able to keep them whereas if wee would make an absolute law of nothing but what God hath made and doe the rest in expediency we might be able to let goe that and doe this that is expedient wee should doe abundance more good and with peace of conscience Christians ful of questions why And hence it is that weak Christians good people are so full of questions and cases and trouble themselves and Ministers endlessely Why so because many professors walk only by rule by law this is their religion they will avoide that which is evill and doe that which is good This is good but this is not all and seldome in my experience have I seen a spirituall heart that is spirituall indeed much troubled with those cases of conscience in outward things Spirituall Christians their carriage The reason is this because a spirituall Christian hath two eyes the other hath but one that is when a spirituall Christian falls on an action he asks first is it lawfull or unlawfull he easily resolves that but hee goes farther is it convenient doth it tend to the glory of God will any be better for it will my own soule be the better is it decent And it is six to one but he findes it expedient and he considers the lawfulnesse no farther that is gone and an inexpedient action to a spirituall man it is as abominable as an action altogether unlawfull Therefore we see Paul how resolutely he speaks of eating of flesh The earth is the Lords and the fulnes thereof and make no conscience of what is before you yet he saith if eating of flesh offend my brother mark his high language I will never eat flesh while the world standeth rather than I will offend my brother that is I would soone answer the case of conscience I will not trouble ministers or my self about that Weak Christians not minding this they ask only is it lawfull Is it lawfull to weare long haire is it lawfull to play at tables c. They goe no farther and so there comes guilt upon their soules I heard once I speak it not with prejudice of some godly women that were godly persons Baptisme doubted of they made great doubt of their baptisme and going by the rule that I told you before making a curious peice in the New-Testament and laying such stresse upon every nick that all was overthrown if that were wanting they were baptized the first and the second and the third time and still they feared there was a fault that they could not sleep in their beds for horrour of conscience least there should be a nick or flaw in the least in their baptisme and so were still studying a way to doe it better So it will be in all cases when men make lawes where God hath not made them there will trouble and guilt follow in that they are not able to performe them I speak it not to weaken or innervate any of the people of God in absolute commands but where God hath left a latitude as I have proved let us take notice of it and order all things for the glory of God and the edification of our selves and others And that is another motive Briefly Mot. 3. He that eyes not expediency cannot doe much for God the third is this to perswade you to this for I feare many doe not understand this and you are hardly brought to it because your hearts are contrary to the real principles of the Gospel whereof this is one as it is the way to end controversies among the brethren and the way to keep peace within our selves So thirdly unlesse you will receive this truth and labour to understand it if you goe by the other way taking every thing jure divino to be an absolute rule to binde people in all the world and then when you have put stresse on them and broken them you conclude there is no Church nor no believers such a soule will never be able to do much for God he will never be able to honour God much he may please himselfe as such doe and think that he is growen in grace and hath out-stripped others and he may trouble the Kingdome and rend the Churches and make debate among the Saints but take this for certaine he shall never be able to honour God much he shall doe little in his generation I mean that I may come to particulars he will neither be able to do much in wining of sinners nor in strengthening of weak Saints for in those two wayes are the greatest opportunities we have of honouring God If yee love me feed my lambes saith Christ He cannot doe it why so 1. They present religion to others as endlesse First because such a man or such a people that are set in such a way as many are in these dayes and many godly people they present Religion to others alwayes as an endlesse thing as a thing that hath no end And therefore when they perswade weak Christians to be religious they look upon their religion as a bottomlesse pit as Solomon saith The lips of a whore is a deep pit They think here is a religion indeed if we close with this people we shall not know where to stay the last moneth they were in one religion and the last yeare in another and so they seek a knot in a bulrush they seek for curiosity where God hath not laid it therefore they are ever wandering They perswade us to be of this Church and of this religion and we shall be safe say carnall men how earnest are they to have us be with them and two moneths agoe they were as earnest for another and it may be two moneths hence they will be for another and so they run from them Therefore in 2 Tim. 4. when there was a great deale of stir among the Christians about Genealogies and old wives tales and vaine stories Paul bids Timothy take heed of them Why because they were endlesse that is if a man goe to them they goe from one fancy to another he knows not where to finde them When Paul would cleare himself from an ill report they had of him among
use for salvation A second instance is this that the Gospel holds forth to sinners all the wrong wayes that they goe and all the wrong meanes that they use to save their soules this is by the light of the Gospel Man naturally is either dead in sin or asleep or if he be a little awaked he takes a thousand wayes to goe to heaven and none of them Gods way none of them the right way Every carnall man sometime or other hath some designe in his head to save his soule one man thinks to doe it by his equity and justice in his dealing and trading another by his hospitality and charity to the poore another by hearing of Sermons and performing of duties as in the time of Poperie how many yeares did they spend spent their strength and time and their money and when all came to all all was lost all their ways were the wrong way to Heaven Now the light of the Gospel discovers all these false wayes and shewes that you will come short of the glory of God and the salvation of your soules and will convince you that There is no Name under heaven by which you can be saved but only the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ Consider is not this good newes that God should come first by the Ministery of the Gospel and shew thee thy wretched condition and then when thou hast spent thy time and strength in false wayes to be reconciled to God and to save thy soule the Gospel comes and discovers all these that thou maiest go seek the true way 3. It holds forth Gods love to sinners Thridly the Gospel holds forth to poore sinners that there is a love an eternall love an infinite love in Gods breast to poore sinners before ever the world was made You know in reason a man would think that God should hate such a one as I am God foresaw what a creature I would be when I was borne and how I have lived and reason would think that love should proceed from something amiable in the object that should produce love some beautie or bountie as wee say but God sees me to be wicked and sinfull and therefore reason would think God must damne me world without end Now the Gospel comes to such a sinner and tells him the case is otherwise it is not so poore sinfull man or woman and though God hate sin above all things in heaven or hell yet God loved thee knowing what thou wouldest be God knows the reason of it we doe not it is as it is said in Deutrenomie I loved thee because I loved thee God hath an infinite speciall love to thy poore soule yet hates thy fin from before the world was made and the Mountaines were brought forth So God loved the world that he gave his Son c. There was a love in God out of which he gave his Son Jesus Christ to die for us This the Gospel and the Spirit of God in it reveales to the poore soule that when I was an enemie to God hee was my friend when I hated him he loved me nay before I was God had thoughts of an infinite eternall love to me 4. Gods love fruitful Then fourthly the Gospel holds forth to a sinner that as God had an infinite love towards him so it was not a cold love that ended in nothing but out of this love God would send his Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners This is one maine principle of the Gospel that the Father out of his love sent his own Son that was the Image of his person the Son of his love and delight into this world to lay downe his life and to die for sinners Were it not for the Ministery of the Gospel we could never know this how could we know but by the Gospel that the Lord Jesus Christ did come to die to save sinners So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that hee that believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life Fiftly 5. Christ came to work redemption breifly for I doe but give you a few touches of instances it holds out to us that as the Father out of his love seat his Son so that Jesus Christ actually and really is come into the world and took our nature upon him soule and body and the infirmities of both and sanctified our nature that he took and in that nature became our Surety a Publick person for us our Advocate a second Adam That he was conceived and born of the Virgen and that he lived here and so did the will of God and fulfilled his Law and conversed many yeares among men and that therein while he did so he gave us many blessed experiments of his love and mercy to poore sinners in healing the sick in giving sight to the blinde in raising the dead And while he conversed among men he taught and discovered in a great measure the mysteryes of his Fathers counsells to us that else we could never have known and gave us a holy patterne and example of life in humility and patience and delligence and prayer and thankfulnesse All these things are good newes and glad tidings to poore sinners every part of them Then the Gospel tells us that this Lord Jesus Christ after he had walked among men for many yeares together that then as a Publicke person 6. Christ died for us and second Adam and our Surety he did lay downe his life and die for our sins But you will say Where is the good newes from that Hence it is that poore sinners are reconciled to God they are made friends with God Hence it is that poore sinners are redeemed from all their enemies sin and death and wrath and curse and hell all these by the death of the Lord Jesus are removed Then the Gospel tells you that Jesus Christ as hee died for our sins so he rose againe for our justification he rose againe from the dead the third day 7. He roase from death whereby poor sinners are assured that they are justified and freed from all their sins and whereby they shall rise to grace here and their soules and bodies shall rise to glory hereafter with Christ and whereby they shall rise out of all afflictions also in due time For the resurrection of Christ is the ground of our resurrection out of afflictions in this world and every tittle of this is glad tidings and good newes to poore sinners Then the Gospel tells you that after his resurrection he conversed with his Disciples 8. Conversed with his discipls and not with the world and that he met with his Disciples from one mountaine to another from one Towne to another for a few dayes after and there he made many precious Prayers to his Father for them and for all that should believe in him and there he gave them instructions and directions how they should order the Churches of God
of the Gospel compare one Chapter and one Scripture with another search the Scriptures and goe to God to open the meaning of it Sixtly â— Use 6. To spread these glad tidings to others spread these glad tidings as much as you can to others You know when people receive good newes they run and tell it to others The poore shepheards Luke 2. when they heard the newes of the Messiah they left their sheep and ran to the Townes to tell it So when Christ was risen Mary runs to tell the newes to the Disciples Beloved when we understand this good newes we should endeavour to spread it People buy Diurnalls for their friends and fold them in their Letters and send them about the Kingdome let us doe so with these spirituall tidings that we may send them forth O I would to God that wee did see how the poore Countries in the North and West of England in many places in Townes they have not so much as a Service-booke not so much as reading if God settle and compose these times the Lord give you hearts to joyne together to finde out a course to send the Ministers of the Gospel to bring the glad tidings to poore people that lie in the Mountaines of darknesse and in the shadow of death Gospel-preaching not to be hindred And let us not be so curious or scrupulous as to hinder people that they should not preach the Gospel Suppose people have no degrees in the University or it may be have not the knowledge of the tongues though that were to be wished let us not pick quarrels with them to stop their mouthes and to hinder the preaching of the Gospel And let us not think so hardly in these dayes of those men that God hath raised to preach the Gospel It is strange you shall have your Pulpits ring calling them Tub-preachers and Tinkers and Coblers We should think better of them Why they are filled with good newes and they goe and tell it to others We doe so usually in other things when we have good newes we run to our friends and neighbours and comrades and make it known New light discovered in these dayes This is an age wherein God comes and fills his people with the glorious light of the Gospel and poore wretches they cannot chuse but speak what they have seen and heard therefore be not so captious and furious The Lord hath spoken who can but prophesie Amos 3.8 When God fills peoples souls with the knowledge of Christ who can keep it in It is as the new wine spoken of in Job it cannot be kept in And surely the time is comming that young men shall see visions and old men shall dreame dreames and God will poure out his Spirit upon all flesh and they shall prophesie It is prophesied in Joel and this is to be made good in the new Testament And therefore if wee see that the Lord fills young men or tradesmen c. and gives them hearts to goe and tell the good newes to others why should you be so extreamely troubled and spend your spirits in rage at it I use not to tell stories but let me tell you this one thing since I have been from you of late I have observed and seen in the Mountaines of Wales the most glorious work that ever I saw in England unlesse it were in London the Gospel is run over the Mountaines between Brecknockshire and Monmouthshire as the fire in the thatch and who should doe this They have no Ministers but some of the wisest say there are about 800 godly people and they goe from one to another They have no Ministers it is true if they had rhey would honour them and blesse God for them and shall we raile at such and say they are Tub-Preachers and they were never at the University Let us fall downe and honour God what if God will honour himself that way They are filled with good newes and they tell it to others and therefore vex not at them and say O what times are these and what will become of us Why what is the businesse O such a man he was never Master of Arts hee was never at the University and he takes upon him to preach when it may be he hath more of God in him than I and a hundred that have all this Only take two Cautions Cautions Learning not to be disparaged First I speak not to disparage learning or learned men it were to be wished that there were more godly and learned men also in England and Wales Men not run before they be sent Secondly take this Caution that because God fills many with the Gospel and they doe a great deale of good take heed least any of you run before you be sent that is that a man goe not rashly and believe his owne judgement rather than the judgement of the Saints as divers in this City they think they are fit to preach and other people of God that are better able to judge of their gifts think not so and yet they will run presently Take heed of pride and rashnesse but if God fill a man with the tidings of the Gospel and others of the people of God see it sparkle out as a vessel full of new wine who am I that I should resist if with humility hee make known this tidings to others If the Gospel be such a thing as I desire you to spend some thoughts in considering of this truth then this should comfort us Vse 7 Comfort against present troubles and help our patience a little in these trouble some times that though all be out of order and we suffer such losses yet blessed be God we have the voyce of the turtle still in the Land thou maiest say though I have hard newes at home trading is low and my stock is small yet blessed be God I have the Gospel that is I have abundance of glad tidings made known to my eares and to my soule every day This is some comfort you have lesse of outward things but more of inward I suppose then ever Another thing is this Vse 8 if this be so then it is a caution that is necessary to be observed by us that are Ministers 1 Not to corrupt the Gospel they must take heed of two things First take heed of currupting and adulterating this blessed Gospel and glad tidings with their owne wisdome it is glorious enough of it selfe every addition of humane wisdome makes it worse take heed of sophisticating the word of God of playing the hucksters as the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 3. wee are not those that play the hucksters hucksters mingle apples and peares they mingle their commodities take heed of that And then take heed of mingling the Law 2. Not to mingle Law and Gospel and the Gospel together It is true the Law is necessary and is added to the Gospel but God intends not in the new testament that
it should be mixed and mingled with the Gospel As to instance in a few many ministers undoe the soules of people I know this by experience that a Gospel-heart that is but weake in Gospel light and grace had rather lie a yeare in close prison than to be a yeare under a ministerie jumbling old and new together the Law and the Gospel for it routs and onfounds a poore soule As to preach terrour and damnation to a sinner qua a sinner properly as a sinner though we be called ministers of the Gospell yet this is a part of the ministerie of the Law for the Law brings curses for a sinner and blessings for him that doth well now when we quatinus as a sinner damme him 2. It is legall to do good or abstain from evill for fear of judgment and curse him we harden him and make him run further from God then before Secondly when men have drawen men to good or driven men from evil with judgments either spirituall or temporall this was the way of the ministery of the old testament When people shall take all the judgments of the old testament and perswade a man to do this or to take heed of that or else thou shalt have judgment fall upon thee and thou wilt bring judgment upon the Land Beloved this was the way of God certainly and the way of the ministery of the old testament but I never knew a saint a void evil or doe good for feare of such judgments Therfore looke to thy owne experience men may play at dice with the word of God that way if a mans wayes like them not they may say they will bring judgment upon the Land as Independants or as such and such men but these are but bug-beares why because in the Gospel the saints are dilivered from the hands of their enemies that they may serve God with out feare they know that in God there is no cloud God may chasten and correct them out of love but there is no danger otherwise And then againe they are delivered from men they are not the servants of men Cause of divisions I doe think for my part constantly that the mayne cause of all the divisions and stirrs and contentions among us is because there 's so much of the old testament in our ministery especially and our profession must be accordingly for our strength will be according to our meat And truly a man may be a Godly man and yet may be a minister of the old testament and if you take a man let him be a Godly man if his grace be bred in him by the ministery of the old testament and nourished in him by that and take another saint that hath grace planted and bred by the ministery of the Gospel and nourished by that the former man though he be godly must of necesity persecute the latter I pitty them when ministers rale against this man and against that and they know not why yet they may be Godly men Ishmael might be a Godly man for ought I know he was a type not of wicked men but of men under the old Covenant If ever you will have peace and comfort in the Land beg of God to remove an old testament spirit from our preachers from our prayers and our principals and to set up the new testament Jesus Christ in the Gospel and then certainly the promise shall be fulfilled we shall be all of one heart and one way and one mind but it will never be otherwise as long as some reach to the ministery of the new testament and others goe in the old as Ishmael and Isaak could not be reconciled no more will these I will conclude all only with this last word Vse 9 To receive the Gospel seeing it is cleare out of the word and so truly I hope you apprehend it through Gods grace that the whole Gospel is Good it is nothing but sweet and glad tidings to the worst of sinners much more to saints then I exhort you in the name of Jesus Christ that you receive this Gospel O there is no reason why thou shouldest be so shie of Christ when we speake faire and offer faire to your soules and beseech you earnestly and give you reasons why you should receive Christ you harken but a little and you goe away so shy there are some sinners still beloved there is no reason for it God deads plainly there is no tittle in the Gospel but it is really good and glad tidings to the worst of sinners therefore receive it What is that Indeavour to beleive it 1. To beleve it for the Lord Jesus that is the faithfull witnesse hath sayd it and children heretofore used to say it is as true as Gospel and though it be Gospel and truth yet you will not beleive it Then indeavour to imbrace it with joy 2. Embrace 〈◊〉 with joy and affection as in 1. Thess 1. see how they received the Gospel in joy with much affliction What if it bring a little affliction with it that thou be jeared receive it with joy it is joyfull and glad tidings And then resigne thy self give thy self wholy up to walk according to this blessed Gospel 3. To give up our selves to it and not to turne it into wantonnes or abuse it but that thou maiest give thy self bodie and soule as a living sacrifice to Jesus Christ that since he died for thee and hath given thee aboundant righteousnes and everlasting salvation and all blessed and glad tidings in it that thou maiest give thy self and all that thou hast and art freely to live to that Jesus Christ and to obey his blessed commands These are the uses that you and I should indeavour to make that this truth may remaine and abide with us that there is nothing in the whole ministery of the new testament but good tydings and glad newes to the worst of sinners FINIS An alphabeticall Table of the principall Heads contained in the foregoing SERMONS A ABuse see Liberty Accident Part. Page How men come to doe good by accident Part. 1. Page 148 Adoption Spirit of adoption to be laboured for Part. 2. Page 40 Full spirit of adoption wha Part. 2. Page 41 Affliction see moderated Age Decency in regard of age Part. 1. Page 82 All what meant by it Part. 1. Page 4. Angels Angels waite on the Saints Part. 2. Page 18 Ascended Christ ascended into heaven Part. 2. Page 16 B Backsliders Backsliders their course Part. 1. Page 156 Baptisme Baptisme how appointed Part. 1. Page 1◠Baptisme the substance of it only set downe Part. 1. Page 23 Baptisme the way to peace about it Part. 1. Page 100 Manner of baptisme determined by the Magistrate Part. 1. Page 108 Baptisme doubted of by some Part. 1. Page 141 Believed Believing Believing in Christ what Part. 1. Page 36 Gospel to be believed Part. 2. Page 54 Binde Not to binde others where Christ hath nor bound them