our consciences approve for good If thy enemie be of that strange temper above described and one that would scorn to be beholden to thee steal thy good in upon him and do him good so as that he shall not know from whom it came Thou art bound to minister comfort to him as a compassionate and cunning Physician doth Physick to a melancholick or distempered patient But thou wilt say so I shall lose all my thanks for all my pains and cost I answer by asking Thee is the honour or thanks that cometh from God alone of no value The Heathen could say to his friend We are each to other Theatrum satis amplum a Theater sufficiently large for matter of content and contemplation By doing So thou shalt be sure to gain The Testimonie of a good Conscience And herein thou maist justly triumph over thine enemie in that thou art better aminded towards him then thou couldst expect that he would be towards thee These are the best terms of comparison that thou canst stand upon with thine enemy if thou canst truly say That thou art A better man then he and if the mind be the man then he is truly and properly said to be The better man that is better aminded towards all men in as much as they are men This is the perfection and goodness of men as they are Civil and natural men and this is that Law of nature which St. Paul saith Rom. 2. 14. 15. was written in the Gentiles hearts For when the Gentiles which have not the law that is not the written Law of God do by nature the things of the law or contained in the Law these having not the Law are a law unto themselves which shew the effects of the Law written in their hearts their consciences alwayes bearing witness and their thoughts accusing one another or else excusing 13. But however the Heathen had this Fundamental Law of nature This Root of Righteousness as without offence I hope I may term it because it was a Relique of Gods image in them with many branches of it ingrafted in their hearts yet as their consciences might acquit them for performing many particular duties which it injoyned so might they accuse them for negligence in more For neither did they practise so much as they knew to be good nor did they know all that to be good which This Rule might have taught them to be such And albeit the better sort of them will rise up in Judgement against us and may condemn even the best sort of Christians as the world counts them now living Yet most of them we may suppose especially in later times were as negligent hearers of natures Lore as we are of the Doctrine of Grace God as the Apostle saith Rom. 1. had given some of them over to a Reprobate sense That seeing they would not practise what they knew for good they should not know Good from Bad. And as the learned observe when mankind had like Retchless unthrifts corrupted their wayes and like ungratefull Tenants to their Landlord Or undutiful subjects to their Prince had cancelled the Original instruments of their inheritance Or copie of that Law by which they were to be tried dayly defacing and blotting it by their foul transgressions and stain of sins it pleased The Lord in mercie to renew it once again in visible and material Characters ingraven in stone adding to it the commentaries of Prophets and other Holy men that so his people might once again copie out that Covenant whose Original they had lost the written law being but as the sampler or drawn work which was to have been wrought out by the law of nature and imprint it again in their harts by meditation and practise Yet once again the people of the Jewes unto whom this written Law was committed did by their false interpretations and Hypocritical glosses corrupt the true sence and meaning of Gods Law as the nations before had defaced the Law of nature by their foolish imaginations and conceited self-love Nevertheless as sin did abound in man so did Gods grace and favour superabound For when hoth the Law of nature was almost wholly lost among the Gentiles drown'd in Gentilisme as the Latin tongue is in the Italian and the Jews who should have allured others by their good example and continual prosperitic had they continued faithful in observing it to observe the written Law of God had quite corrupted it God sent his Only Son in the nature of man and Form of a Servant by infusion of Grace into mens hearts to revive the dead Root of Natures Law when it was almost perished and also to purifie and cleanse Gods written Law from the false interpretations of the Scribes and Pharisees which he performs in this seventh Chapter and in the two precedent So our Saviour saith Chap. 5. v. 17. Think not that I am come to destroy or dissolve the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy them but to fulfil them But how did Christ come to fulfil the Law Only by his own Righteousness and example No not so only but by proposing unto us the true sense and meaning of the moral Law which all that were to be his followers were to fulfil in a more spiritual and better manner then either the best of the Heathens or the most strict Sect of the Jews of that time did For they had abrogated the force and sense of sundry Commandements and stood more upon the letter then the meaning of the Law Wherefore he adds verse 20. I say unto you except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven It is evident then from our Saviours words that both the righteousnesse commanded in the moral Law and in the Prophets must be fulfilled in better measure by Christians then it was either by the Scribes or the Pharisees and that the best and most easie way of fulfilling both the Law and the Prophets is the practising of this Rule Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye so unto them For this is the Law and the Prophets 14. Let us see then what we have more from His Doctrine then from Nature for the Right Practise of this Royallest Rule By Christs Doctrine we have both the Grounds of the former Precept which Nature afforded us better fortified and confirmed unto us And also have Motives or inducements which may sway Reason against Passion to the practise of the same Rule more certain and infinitely greater then the Heathen or meer natural man had any I must request you to call to mind what was said before That the Ground of this Precept was The Equalitie of all men by nature The Heathen knew this full well That all men were of one kind all mortal all capable of Reason and consequently of right and wrong And from this knowledge even such among them as held no Creation
times seven generations as many several successions of men or families as have lived since Abels death unto this present day All this being supposed or admitted yet the Expression of Gods mercies in the same Commandement unto the children of such as love him and keep his Commandements is a lively Character of that Truth which we must believe to wit That Gods Mercie as farre exceedeth his Justice towards men as a thousand doth three or four unless they desperately make up the full measure of their own and their fore-fathers sins either by positive transgressions or by slighting or not repairing in time unto the out-stretched wings of his Mercie In this Case they provoke or pull down the heavy stroak of his out-stretched Arm of Justice 3. This difficultie in the Entry into or Barre of this narrow passage being cleared we may safely proceed by the former way proposed that is by searching the Mean or sounding the difference between these two Absolute Truths 1. God never punisheth the Children for their Fathers sins Secondly God usually visiteth the sinnes of the Fathers upon the Children c. The most punctual difference of these two undeniable Truths to my apprehension and Observation is this To punish the Children for their Fathers sins implies a punishment of some persons be they more or few without any personal guilt in them or actual transgressions committed by them And thus to do in awarding punishments temporarie whether Capital or Corporal for with punishments everlasting or in the world to come I dare not meddle or interpose my verdict were open injustice The sons of Traytors or Rebels against the Crown and dignitie of the State wherein they live are not by humane laws obnoxious to any Corporal or Capital punishment unless they be in some degree guilty of their Fathers treason or rebellion not by misprision only but by Association And however Good Laws do deprive guiltless Children of the Lands and Titles of honour which their Fathers enjoyed yet are they oftentimes upon their good demeanor restored to their blood and to the lands and dignities of their Ancestors even by such Princes as are no fit paterns of that Clemencie which becometh Princes Not so much as good foyls to set forth or commend the clemencie and benignitie of God if we consider it as it is avouched by Ezekiel in the eighteenth Chapter However earthly Princes may demean themselves towards the guiltless or well-deserving sons of Traytors or Rebels the reason or intendment of severest publick Laws in this Case provided was not to lay any punishment upon the Children but rather a Tye or bond upon their Fathers not to offend in this high kind so often as otherwise they would do save onely for the love they bear unto their Children and posterity or for the fear of tainting their blood or dishonouring their Friends and Families Of the equity or good intendment of such Laws we have the fairest patern in the fore-cited place of Ezekiel chap. 18. 31 32. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit For why will ye die O ye house of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dyeth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye 4. To visit the sins of the Fathers upon their Children alwayes supposeth some degree of personal guilt in the Children yet such a guilt or such transgressions as would not be punished so greivously either for measure or manner as usually they are unless their Fathers had set them bad Examples by sinning in the same or like kind But the Circumstances or Conditions which most aggravate or bring the heaviest visitation of Fathers sins upon the Children are these First if their Fathers have been punished citra condignum that is in a less measure or lower degree then their personal transgressions had deserved The Second if their Fathers punishments have been upon Register or Record so remarkably suited unto their sins that their Children might as they ought have taken notice of the occasions of Gods displeasure against them or punishing hand upon them To draw these Generals more close unto the Hypothesis or to joyn them together by annexing some particular Instances unto them Few here present can be so ignorant either of domestick or publick Statutes amongst us but may easily observe that the same offence being re-iterated or often committed by one and the same party is or ought to be more greivously punished for the second Turn then for the first more greivously for the third time then for the second more for the fourth then for all the three former This manner of proceeding in Colledges or Academical Societies is most agreeable to the Ancient Constitutions of this Kingdom for the manner of Processes in Courts Ecclesiastick The not appearing upon lawful Summons in Courts Ecclesiastick was for the first neglect but a mulct of Twenty pence according to the Rate of money in those dayes The second mulct for not appearing upon like Summons did double the first and so did the third the second The mulct for the fourth neglect did more then double or treble all the former For the party thus offending the fourth time in the same kind became liable to the Writ De Excommunicato Capiendo without more ado And this was an heavie punishment if it were executed according to William Rufus his Constitutions Now the Covenant of Life and Death which God made with the Seed of Abraham or with the Sons of Jacob upon their deliverance out of Aegypt afterwards in more express words with the house of David or tribe of Judah throughout their generations is the true Patern or Authentick leading Case of all Just and Legal Proceedings with One and the same Partie for often committing the same Offence especially in Case he had been solemnly fore-warned whether without any punishment at all or with some light punishment annexed for the first time Every fore-warning makes the following offence though in it self not so great a great deal more hainous and liable to more greivous punishment 5. To take a more particular view of the peculiar Aspect which these heavenly Lights Gods Laws I mean had to the Seed of Jacob or Kingdom of Israel and Judah For in respect of other Kingdoms or Nations their aspect admits some variation To keep the seed of Jacob upright in the wayes of Faithful Abraham the God of their fathers left them a Twofold Register to be perpetually continued by his Prophets or other sacred Writers The One containing their fore-fathers Good deeds and the prosperity which alwayes did attend them The Other of their Fore-fathers grossest sins or transgressions and of the calamities which pursued them The former Register was to encourage them to do that which was good and acceptable in his sight The other to deterre them from evil from turning aside from him and his Laws The
children were taught amiss to know the nature of God or of his Enemy by vulgar Pictures or Representations For so the fashion was long before and continued till his time to picture God or the blessed Trinity in some fair and beautiful form and to paint the divel in some foul loathsom or ugly shape And this good Writer to correct their error well admonished as well the parents as their children That if they would learn to know what God was they must first be taught to know what Goodness is what Justice is what Mercy is what Bounty or loving kindness is And if they desire to know what maner of creature the divel is who is the chief enemy of God they should first be taught to know what malice is what filthiness is what loathsomness is what villany or treachery is For Satan is but a Compost of these or an extract of all that children or their parents acknowledge for evil Howbeit if either children or parents could be taught to know what Iustice is what Mercy is what loving kindness is or if they could be taught to know that God is what all these are even Iustice it self even mercy it self loving kindness it self wisdom it self or Wisdom Justice Mercy and loving kindness it self truly infinite yet his wisdom his mercy and loving kindness would be to us incomprehensible unapprehensible even in that these Attributes in him are infinite We could have no true or lively apprehension either speculative to inform our understandings what were good and ought to be followed or moral to enable and qualifie our hearts and affections to imitate or express that patern of goodness or so much of it as we apprehend in God if we should look upon these Attributes as they are in God the Father only or in the Divine nature But as he that cannot look upon the Sun in its strength or brightness or at the noon day may take the model of it in the water or in the Moon at full So we that cannot behold the glory of Divine Majesty in the Godhead may safely behold the Map or Model of his incomprehensible Goodness in the Man Christ Iesus All His actions and endeavors were with such wisdom set and bent upon mercy on goodness on loving kindness that every one which saw and duly considered his maner and course of life here on Earth might collect that he truly was as himself avouched more then the Son of man the very Son of God himself who is good and gracious to all For Christ as Man went about doing good to all doing hurt to none Now as the Son of Syrach saith Ecclus. 22. 3. That an evil son is the dishonor of his father So it will follow by the Rule of Contraries That a wise or good son is the honor of his father So Solomon hath said in express terms Prov. 10. 1. A wise son maketh a glad father but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother Now Christ as we know is called The Wisdom of the onely wise immortal God his beloved Son in whom he is well pleased And well pleased with him he is for that he is the honor of his Father And as Christ by confessing God and by real expression of his Goodness in his life and actions did truly glorifie his Father as he himself expresly avoucheth John 17. So all that really confess Christ to be the Lord that is all which throughly express the Map or Model of his Goodness in their lives and conversations do truly glorifie God the Father 9. Briefly then Every tongue truly and rightly confesseth Christ to be the Lord that observes his Commandments or that observes the Commandments of God more strictly and more religiously then others do who although they profess they honor God yet do not honor him as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ or do not honor Jesus Christ as his only Son This is that special Will of the Father which is in heaven and that which must be done by all which mean to enter into Heaven that every one which honoreth the Father should also honor the Son Joh. 5. 23. Honor the Son they must not in words or title only but by performance of real Service Every one that thus honoreth the Son doth hereby glorifie God the Father Hence saith our Savior Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven And again Ioh. 15. 1. Our Savior compares himself to the Vine and his Father unto a Husbandman which expects the fruit of his vineyard So that the end why the Son of God did descend from heaven why he was planted and took root here on earth was that the sons of Adam or Abraham might be ingrafted in him and the End of our ingrafting in him was that we might bring forth fruit unto his Father But What comfort is it to have Christ Our Lord if by Allegeance to him we be more strictly bound to do the will of God then those which do not acknowledge Him their Lord I Answer 1. It is a credit by consent of Nations and repute of men naturally wise if not A Real Comfort to have him Our Lord who governs his people by the most excellent and equitable Laws Such were those which the Son of God gave the Jews What are these now refined in the Gospel All men naturally desire happiness As by those Laws God directed the Jews so by these he disciplines Us for our Good seeking occasion or Title in our obedience to exercise his bounty by rewarding us for doing good to our selves and others at his command He that sins against the laws of Christ doth it in Sui damnum sins against his own soul and by straying from them goes out of that way which only can lead him to the happiness he desireth 2. It is comfort that our Lord rules not with rigor but masters his Dominion with Equity Novit figmentum nostrum having Himself been compassed with the infirmities of mans nature all but such as did proceed from sin or lead unto sin he can by acquaintance and experience of them tell both how willing the spirit and how weak the flesh of miserable Mortals be and ready is he to give allowance accordingly But Thirdly Here is comfort indeed That as JESUS CHRIST the Righteous is our Lord so He is The Lord our Righteousness so is He our Sollicitor our Advocate our most compassionate High-Priest who ex officio negotiates on our behalf by mediation and intercession with the Father for pardon of all our transgressions negligences ignorances both of all sins committed and duties omitted or performed untowardly and amiss He made One Propitiation by his death and he lives for ever to make intercession for us Yea so gracious is This our Lord that he seems in a manner during this Acceptable Day or time of Grace to lay aside The Title
accompts to be made or of the words works or thoughts for which we are to render account From this Notion or importance of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we may take a true Notion or scantling of the Attributes or Titles given to the Word of God by St. Paul Heb. 4. and how well they consort with the Word Written or Preached as it hath reference to this Eternal Word The Word of God Written or Preached although in it self it be more powerful then any two edged Sword yet as it is managed or weilded by us his weak Instruments is but as a good sword in an Infants hand but though as uttered by us it doth not exercise its strength upon our hearers yet doth it not utterly perish or lose its efficacy but every Word spoken in his Name though for the present it have no such success as we could wish yet it is not altogether spoken in vain it returns unto him whose Word it is and in his mouth or presence the Word preached by us becomes like Scanderbegs Sword in Scanderbegs hand and shall in the last day recover strength and force from the powerful appearance of this Eternal Word or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that all the glorious Attributes given by St. Paul unto The Word of God are primarily and principally true of the Eternal Word yet secondarily and less principally of the Word preached with reference unto him 14. The Word preached is not altogether dead but lively quick powerful in its operation and shall at the last day be more piercing then any two edged sword and divide between the spirit and the soul A two edged sword may cut the bones and divide the joynts and the marrow it may divide the soul from the body or at least send the soul out of the body before the time by the course of nature allotted But between the soul and the spirit no material sword can make division The most piercing sword though it hath as the Original imports two mouthes to devour yet eyes it hath none to distinguish between the parts which it divides but cuts as it fals or as it is direrected by the eyes and hands of him which weilds it But The Word of God here principally meant seeth all the particles betwixt which it makes division it is a discerner or Judge of the thoughts and intents of the heart how secret soever they be how inseparable soever they be from the soul or spirit though our inward parts be covered with skin with flesh and bones yet are they naked and as it were anatomized for so the Original imports unto the eyes of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to whom we are to render our account In the first creation he was not only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the live Idea or patern unto whose Image men and Angels were created and of whose Excellency the whole world and all the creatures in it are but scattered and broken expressions but withal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the framer or maker of all things visible and invisible for God the Father made all things by this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without any instrumental help or service after a more excellent and expedite manner then should we suppose or could we imagine such a thing any Architect or skilful Artificer that could be supposed able to frame or make a material building or other work of his profession without any manual labour without any materials or instruments besides the patern or exemplar which he conceives in his mind or imagination In the dissolution of this world or in the erection of the world to come which shall take beginning from the day of our final accompts the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Eternal VVord of God shall manifest himself to be not only the live Idaea or patern of Gods moral or eternal Law by which all mankind shall be judged and our accompts either finally approved or disproved but to be withall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Law endued with Life with wisdom and power Nor such a Law only but a Living Wise Omnipotent Iudge All these Attributes or the things signified by them with all the rest that can be required in a Law a Rule or Iudge are in Him undivided and according to the Infinitie of perfection Yet that we may the better conceive the infiniteness of his perfection as Law and Judge it will not be amiss to consider these Attributes severally as they are found amongst us 15. Every good Law is a kind of silent Magistrate or Judge and every good and perfect Judge or Magistrate is a speaking Law So they ought to be But these Two Perfections seldom meet in the Government of any well ordered Common-weal or Church on earth In some Nations the written Laws be tolerably good or comparatively very good but the Magistrates for the most part either ignorant in the Laws or unexperienced in applying their true intent and meaning to meet with every transgression or so manacled with Golden Fetters that they have no great list or dexterity to put what they know in execution In other places the Magistrates or Judges are learned and sincere laws to themselves and fit Laws for others to be ruled by were not their good purposes restrained or pinyoned by harsh and obsolete Laws or not well consorting with the times wherein they live This Jargon between wise and wholsom Laws and unskilful or corrupt Magistrates or between religious wise and industrious Magistrates and imperfect partial or naughty Laws hath been in most Ages and Nations so common that many accurate Politicians or Observers of the course of Justice have brought the main Question concerning all State Government to this short issue and submitted it to the touch and tryal of learned dispute Whether it be better to be governed by a dead and silent or by a live and speaking Law That is whether were most expedient for all or most States that the written Law should be above the supream Magistrate or Majesty or the supream Magistrate or Majesty of every Nation above the written Laws But admitting that every Nation had Laws as perfect as the wit of man could devise such as would give contentment to every member that were to be governed by them and Magistrates to put such Laws in execution as sincere as wise as well experienced as industrious as couragious as any in former times have been or can in this life be expected yet the most perfect or absolute Law that can be made by man that can be written though made by God himself could not be able to put it self in execution or to recompence every transgression as it deserves Nor can the wisest the most sincere and industrious Magistrate possibly know every transgressor of the Law or every misdemeanor committed within a little Province or Corporation And albeit the Magistrate only can give life to the Law yet can no Magistrate give life to any Law or put it in
and wittingly keepes none truly and sincerely because He observes them not in as much as God commanded them to be kept for then He would be desirous to observe all alike or if he shew divers effects of love unto his neighbour these proceed not from the love of God for that would command all his Affections and every effect of love as well as One. He can expect no reward of God as the fruit of such love because it is not throughly rooted in the entire and sincere Love of God So that their Reasons who restrain this precept only to the second Table admit a double exception First It is not proved by them that This Precept is adaequate or only but aequivalent to that Love thy neighbour as thy self Secondly If it were yet the fulfiling of This might be Interpretativè the fulfilling of the Law seeing no man can love his neighbour but he must love God above all 3. It is as true again that no man can love God unless he love his brother also so saith St. John 1. Epist ch 4. ver 20. If any man say He loves God and hate his brother he is a lyar for how can he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen love God whom he hath not seen So that our love to God must be the motive or incitement for us to love our neighbour and yet the same love of God must be perfected and made compleat in us by practising love for his sake upon our neighbours So saith St. John verse 11. If God so loved us we ought also to love one another no man hath seen God at any time As if he had said We cannot direct our love immediatly to God himself because He dwelleth in light that none can attain unto but our love must be bestowed upon our neighbours that is upon men in whom His Image shineth and loving them in Him and for His sake we love him more then them and this is it which S. John saith in the same place If we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfect in us And in like sort when we do to men as we desire they should do unto us because this is a Duty acceptable to God and proceeds from the love we bear to him we do not only perform our duty towards men but also our duty towards God So that This Rule rightly practised is the whole Law and the Prophets and in effect equivalent to those Two Commandments Love God above all and thy neighbour as thy self as appears out of the former Collections But is more evident if we observe the Former Extent or exposition of it which was thus Whatsoever ye would should be done unto you either by God or man That do to all men as they are your fellow creatures for your Creators sake Or if we would further search out the exact Temper and constitution of mind whereat this precept aims it consists as I may so speak in Aequilibrio in the aequipoise of our desires of doing and receiving good whether the Good be to be directed immediately unto God or to our neighbours for his sake That is we should be as ready to glorifie Gods name both secretly with our hearts and by outward profession and practise of good Deeds as we are desirous to receive any blessing or benefit from him And thus it is evident that the exact performance of this Precept would be the exact fulfilling of the Law and Prophets that the performance of every part of this duty sincerely in some though not in perfect measure is in like sort the fulfilling of the Law Quoad perfectionem vel integritatem partium as the Schools say though not quoad perfectionem Graduum that is observing this Rule as it hath been expounded we shall observe every Commandment or part of the Law though none of them in that perfect and exact measure which we should but performing the former the Blood of Christ Jesus shall cleanse us from all our guilt of sin whereto we are liable if God should enter into judgment with us for not performing of the later Thus you have seen how this precept doth directly concern both the First and Second Table 4. Yet further That even that love and duty which we owe unto our neighbors doth Collaterally likewise respect every Preceept of the First Table for we are bound by this love we owe one to another every one according to his calling opportunity and ability to instruct another in the knowledge of every precept whether of the First or Second Table or any other part of the Law and to incite one another to the performance of the same and to dehort from their Breach or Transgression So saith the Lord Levit. 19. v. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart but thou shalt plainly rebuke thy neighbor and suffer him not to sin not to transgress any of Gods Commandments whatsoever The sum of all is this The Law of Nature and the Law of God teach every man to know what is good for himself and thereupon to fix his desires and this Rule of Nature whose practise is here enjoyned by our Saviour binds every man to be as willing to further his Neighbor or Fellow-Creature in pursuit of any lawful good as he is desirous of the same himself whether these desires be of things pertaining to this life or to the hopes and means of obtaining the life to come Yet against this Precept it may be Objected That it may seem to establish the Pythagorean Retaliation which was such an error in Philosophy as the present error of the Anabaptists is in Religion Both of them tending to an Equalitie of all sorts of men So may this Rule seem at first sight to make all men Equal For if every man must do to others as he would be done unto Then most the Master perform the like duties to the servant as he expects from him so must the Prince unto his Subjects the Magistrate to such as are under him the Father to the Son c. There be some common Grounds which will serve to Answer other Objections which may be made As first What-ever ye would c. must be understood of a Regulated Will A Will not tainted with any inordinate self-love or sinful desires Secondly It must be interpreted with A Salvo to all Gods other Commandments They must stand as God has set them reconciled to one another and not be set at variance by our exorbitant willes or affections Thirdly It must not be extended to the dissolving of Order and disparagement of Dignities or Powers ordained by God But this Objection may have its proper Solution two wayes First The meaning of the Precept is not that we should do the self same to every man in every estate which we expect he should do to us living in that estate wherein we are For seeing there is an Inequality of Estates there must be also
them in the dayes of Hezekiah but of Manasseh his son who pulled it down upon his own and his peoples heads For as it is registred 2 Kin. 21. 3. He went back and built the high places which Hezekiah his Father had destroyed and erected Altars for Baal and made a grove as did Ahab King of Israel and worshipped all the Hoast of Heaven and served them And as if he meant to thrust the Lord out of his own House He built Altars in it of the which the Lord said In Jerusalem will I put my Name And he built Altars for all the Hoast of Heaven in the two Courts of the House of the Lord ver 45. And besides these and many other sins wherewith he caused Judah to sin and to do evil in the sight of the Lord after the abominations of the Heathen which the Lord had cast out before them he filled Jerusalem from corner to corner with innocent blood whose cry did fill the Courts of Heaven So both he and his people are plagued for their grievous sins He is the First King of Judah that is led into Captivity yet upon his returning to the Lord his God he is restored again But his good example doth not move his peoples hearts unto like repentance as his former bad example had caused them to sin Wherefore albeit the Lord repent him of the evil which had befallen his person yet Amon his son and successor imitating his fathers sins but not his repentance 2 Chron. 33. 21. doth he not turn away from his fierce wrath wherewith he was angry against Judah albeit Josiah his vertuous Nephew or Grand-child had turned to him with all his heart and with all his soul according to all the Law of Moses Manassch's sin therefore is said to be the Cause why the Lord did cast off Judah in such a sense as the Addition of the last weight may be said to cast the scale which was inclined that way before albeit restrained from motion by a counterpoize until the last weight over-powred the Restraint God's wrath remained stil upon the Land from Salomon's and Rehoboam's reign And the weight of his judgments was daily increased more and more howsoever the final execution of them was deferred at the instant prayers of religious Kings and righteous people But now Manassch hath made up the full measure of all his fore-fathers sins the weight of God's Judgments hath so farre over-grown his Mercies that there is no hope of recovery left unless Prince Priest and People would fill Jerusalem as full with their repentant tears as Manassch had with blood and devote the whole course of their life to doing good as their fore-fathers had sold themselves to work wickedness which good Josiah for his part performs and so deads the stroke of God's judgments whilst they are in motion But his peoples hearts are not so strongly set on their God Although they joyn with him in renewing the Covenant betwixt God and them the chief strength of their zeal and fervencie is spent in the first Act of Repentance or in the Motion of their Retire to God Their Permanent Disposition and Propension is not firm Their very turning unto God is rather forced then voluntary so as they hold off God's judgments only for a time As if a man by haling and pulling with might and main should keep some heavie and mighty body from falling or some great weight from swaying the full compasse whereas the solid weight of it still remains the same and will have full sway when his actual strength fails him Thus they quickly become weary of well-doing and God's heaviest judgments take their course For however it be said 2 Chron. 34. 33. That they did not turn back from the Lord God of their fathers all the dayes of Josiah Yet was this their cleaving to him but compelled It consisted more in the outward solemnity or publick fashion then in inward sincerity and integrity They did not profess or openly practise the solemn worship of strange gods but had still a longing after foreign fashions as appears out of the Prophet Zephanie who wrote of those times Chap 1. 8 9. And it shall be in the day of the Lord's sacrifice that I will visit the Princes and the Kings Children and all such as are clothed with strange apparel In the same day also will I visit all those that dance upon the threshold so proudly which fill their Masters houses by cruelty and deceit The corruption of both the Clergy and Magistracie had continued greivous from Hezekiah's dayes wherein it cried for vengeance And this peoples repentance of these sins in Josiah's dayes was either none or but feigned and hypocritical as the same Prophet testifieth Chap. 3. ver 1 2 3 4. Wo to her that is filthy and polluted to the robbing City She heard not the voice She received not correction She trusted not in the Lord She drew not near to her God Her Princes within her are as roaring Lyons Her Judges are as Wolves in the evening which leave not the bones till the morrow Her Prophets are light and wicked persons Her Priests have polluted the Sanctuary they have wrested the Law And even for this peoples pronenesse to fulfil the measure of their fore-fathers sins was good Iosiah removed from off the earth lest Gods judgments should come upon Jerusalem in his dayes And no marvel if the fulness of Judah's sin be accomplished in Iosiah's dayes though he were the most righteous Prince of David's line For sin and iniquity may so abound in a Land and people that albeit Noah Job and Daniel lived amongst them they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness And it is one of the best notes that I have somewhere found That men should not lay all the blame on Princes where States miscarry seeing it is said that Hosea in whose dayes Israel was led into captivity was either the best or least evil of all the Kings of Israel 2 King 17. He did evil indeed in the sight of the Lord but not as the Kings of Israel that were before him ver 2. Which equity of Gods judgments in like Cases Franciscus Sforza the last Duke of that race in Millain and the far best of all his kindred except the first did with humility acknowledge before the foolish Politicians School-mistress Experience taught him the truth by the evidence of the event For when his wise and gravest Counsellors did humbly intreat him in the behalf of State and Country to suffer at least some provisions to be brought up secretly as his own lest Millain might be delivered up to some Forrainer He requested them to set their hearts at rest The unhappy family had run their race and it was impossible but that the bloody practises of his Ancestors should blot out the very name in him A Prince though otherwise in Charles the fifths esteem the wisest of all the Italian Princes
Godly men respects their former good works p. 3568. 29. Three points 1. Eternal Life the most free gift of God both in respect of the Donor and of the Donee 2. Yet doth not the sovereign Freenesse of the Gift exclude all Qualifications in the Donees rather requires better in them then in others which exclude it or themselves from it Whether the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for All or for a certain number 3. The first Qualification for grace is to become as little children A parallel of the conditions of Infants and of Christians truly humble and meek p. 3578 30. Matth. 25. 34. Then shall the King say to them on his Right hand c. Two General Heads of the Discourse 1 A Sentence 2. The execution thereof Controversies about the sentence Three conclusions in order to the decisions of those Controversies 1. The Sentence of life is awarded Secundum Opera not excluding faith 2. Good Works are necessary to salvation Necessitate Praecepti Medii And to Justification too as some say Quoad praesentiam non quoad Efficientiam The third handled in the next Chapter Good Works though necessary are not Causes of but the Way to the Kingdom Damnation awarded for Omissions Saint Augustines saying Bona Opera sequuntur Justificatum c. expounded Saint James 2. 10. He that keeps the whole Law and yet offends in one point c. expounded Why Christ in the final Doome instances only in Works of Charity not of Piety and Sanctity An Exhortation to do good to the poor and miserable and the rather because some of those duties may be done by the meanest of men p. 3587 31. Jansenius his Observation and Disputation about Merit examined and convinced of Contradiction to it self and to the truth The Definition of Merit The state of the Question concerning Merit Increase of Grace no more meritable then the first Grace A Promise made Ex Mero Motu sine Ratione dati accepti cannot found a Title to Merits Such are all Gods Promises Issues of meer Grace Mercie and Bountie The Romanists of Kin to the Pharisee yet indeed more to be blamed then He. The Objection from the Causal Particle FOR made and answered SECT VI. CHAP. 32. Matth. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you c. The misery of man of the wisest of men in their pilprimage to be Wanderers too The short way to Happiness The Pearl of the Ocean The Epitome Essence spirits of the Law and the Prophets Do as you would be done unto The Coherence the Method Christ advanceth This Dictate of Nature into an Evangelical Law Fortifies it and gives us proper Motives to practise it Two grounds of Equity in this Law 1. Actual Equality of all men by Nature 2. Possible Equality of all men in condition Exceptions against the Rule Answers to those Exceptions This Rule forbids not to invoke or wage Law so it be done with charity Whether Nature alone bind us to do good to our enemies God has right to command us to love them Plato's good communion The Compendious way to do our selves most good is to do as much good as we can to others The Application 33. Matth. 7. 12. The second General according to the Method proposed Chap. 32. Sect. 5. handled This Precept Do as ye would be done to more then equivalent to that Love thy neighbour as thy self for by good Analogy it is applicable to all the Duties of the first Table which we owe to God for our very being and all his other Blessings in all kinds bestowed on us Our desires to receive good things from God ought to be the measure of our Readiness to return obedience to his will and all other duties of dependance upon his Grace and Goodness God in giving Isaac did what Abraham desired and Abraham in offering Isaac did what God desired Two Objections made and answered 1. That this Rule may seem to establish the old Pythagorean Error of Retaliation and the new one of Parity in Estates 2. That the Magistrate in punishing offendors it seems in some Cases must of necessity either violate this Rule or some other p. 3628 34. The Impediments that obstruct the Practice of this Duty of Doing to others as we would have done to our selves are chiefly two 1 Hopes and Desires of attaining better estates then we at present have 2. Fears of falling into Worse Two readie wayes to the Dutie 1. To wean our souls into an indifferencie or vindicate them into a libertie in respect of all Objects 2 To keep in mind alwayes a perfect character of our owne afflictions and releases or comforts Two Inconveniencies arising from accersite greatness or prosperity 1. It makes men defective in performing the Affirmative part of this Duty 2. It makes them perform some part of the Affirmative with the violation of the Negative part thereof A Fallacy discovered An useful general Rule 3640 35. Jer. 45. 2 3 4 5. Thus saith the Lord unto thee O Baruch c. Little and Great termes of Relation Two Doctrines One Corollary Times and Occasions after the nature of things otherwise lawful Good men should take the help of the Anti-peristasis of bad times to make themselves better Sympathie with others in misery enjoyned in Scripture practised by Heathens Argia and Portia The Corollary proved by Instance and that made the Application of the former Doctrin 3648 36. On Jer. 45. latter part of ver 5. Thy life will I give thee for a prey The second Doctrin handled first in Thesi touching the Natural essence of Life in general 2. In Hypothesi Of the Donative of Life to Baruch as the case then stood That men be not of the same opinion about the Price of life when they be in Heat Action and Prosperity which they be of in dejection of Spirit and Adversity proved by Instances Petrus Strozius Alvares de Sande Gods wrath sharpens the Instruments and increases the terror of death Life was a Blessing to Baruch though it be shewed him all those evils from sight of which God took away good King Josiah in favour to him Baruch as a man did sympathize with the miseries of his people As a Faithful man and a Prophet of the Lord he conformed to the just will of God The Application 3663 37. On Rom. 2. 1. Therefore thou art inexcusable O man c. From what Premises the Apostles Conclusion is inferred The limitation of the Conclusion to the securing the Lawful Magistrate exercising Judicature according to his Commission and in matters belonging to his cognizance David and Abab judging persons by the Prophets Art feigned did really condemn themselves The sense of the Major Proposition improved by vertue of the Grammar Rule concerning Hebrew Participles and by Exposition of the phrase How the later Jewes judging the deeds of their forefathers did condemne themselves 3678 38. Second Sermon on Rom. 2. 1. 3690 39. Third Sermon on Rom. 2. 1. A Romish
felicity or in his application of those good Lessons which Nature did suggest unto him he found himself tyed by bond of Conscience to observe the Law of Nature The Original of his positive error was an ignorance or blindness common to him and most Heathen in some degree or other in not being able to discern the corruption of nature from Nature her self or to distinguish between the suggestions or intimations of Nature as it sometimes was and universally might have continued and the particular suggestions or longings of Nature as it was corrupted or tainted in himself or others more or less in all It was a Principle of his Doctrine as Seneca tells us That Nature which he profest to follow as his guide did abhor all vice or wickedness It seems he held those courses or habits of life onely vicious which we Christians account unnatural or prodigious vices as Tyranny Cruelty or excessive Luxury And such vices as these the most Heathens whom corruption of Nature did lead blindfold into many grievous sins and cast such a mist before their eyes as made unlawful pleasures appear unto them as parts of true happiness did by the light of Nature detest as contrary to the unapprehended Remnants or Reliques of Gods Image yet inherent in them though mingled with Corruption or much defaced with the Image of Satan But from what Grounds of Nature or Experiments did this Author or first Founder of the Sect of Epicures collect that Nature did detest all wickedness Thus he did reason and collect Quia sceleratis etiam inter tuta timor est Because he saw such as had polluted their Consciences with wicked and prodigious practises to live in fear even whilest they seemed to have safety her self for their guard against all external Occurrences whose probable assaults or annoyances humane Policy could possibly forecast And none more subject to this slavish fear which their Consciences did inwardly suggest then such as for their greatness and confidence in Tyranny and Cruelty were most terrible to others What was it then which these men did so much fear No other men nor any revenge that man could attempt upon them What then The company of themselves or solitary conference with their own Consciences Yet no mans conscience can make his heart afraid unless the conscience it self be first affrighted What is it then which the consciences of supream earthly Judges or Monarchs absolute by right of Conquest can so much fear in the height of their temporal security The Censure doubtless or check of some superior Judge If this fear had been vain or but a speculative Phansie it could not have been uinversal or general in all or most wicked men specially in such as were by nature terrible and stout and wary withal to prevent all probabilities of danger from men Yet was this check of Conscience or this unknown Doom or Censure which Conscience whilest it checkt the hearts of wicked men did so much fear so universal and constant that Epicurus a man of no scrupulous Conscience did observe it to be implanted by nature in all and upon this observation did ground his former general Principle That nature her self did abhor or detest wickedness The suggestion then or intimation of a future Judgement was natural but the apprehension or construction which Epicurus made of these suggestions was but such as ordinary men make of representations in natural Dreams before they be throughly awaked or before they consult the Philosopher or Physician The Christian Truth which nature in these Heathens being in respect of any supernatural use or end of her own suggestions altogether dumb did seek by these signs or intimations to express was that Lesson which the Author of nature great Physician of our souls hath expresly taught us Fear not them which after they have killed the body can do no more but fear him who is able to cast both body and soul into Hell fire yea I say unto you fear him Matth. 10. 28. Luke 12. 4. 14. As the wicked amongst the Heathens could not by any earthly Guard or greatness exempt themselves from that Dread or Fear which their corrupt Consciences did internally suggest So that confident Boldness which the integrity of conscience doth naturally suggest unto every man in his laudable actions was sometimes represented by the more civil and sober sort of Heathens after a manner more magnificent and in a measure more ample then it usually is by most Christians Their expressions or conceipts of such confidence as integrity of conscience doth arm men withal did as far exceed our ordinary apprehensions of it as the representations of natural Causes working within us which are made unto us in sleep or dreams do our waking apprehensions of the like workings or suggestions of nature Si Fractus illabatur orbis saith Horace a profest Disciple of Epicurus Carm. Lib. 3. Ode 3. impavidum ferient ruinae Albeit the Heavens should rend assunder above his head and this inferior world break in pieces about his ears yet a man of an intire and sound conscience would stand unmoved unaffrighted like a pillar of brass or marble when the roof which it supporteth were blown away or fallen from it This Hyperbolical expression of that Confidence which integrity of Conscience in some measure always affords was in this Heathen if he had been put upon the tryal but as the representation of a mans bodily estate made in a Dream whose true cause is unknown unto the Dreamer As in men that dream so in this Heathen Poet the apprehension of that which Nature did truly and really suggest is most full and lively but full and lively in both without Judgement without true use or right application That Confidence then is the companion of a good Conscience is a truth implanted by Nature and freely acknowledged by the oppugners of Divine Providence But from what original or fountain this truth should issue or to what comfortable Use it might serve were points which Nature could not distinctly teach or points at least which the meer natural man without help of Scriptures or instructions from those Heavenly Physicians of the soul whom God hath appointed Interpreters of this Book of life could not learn But we Christians know and believe that when the Heavens shall be gathered as a Scroul when the Elements shall melt with heat and when the earth shall be removed out of his place that even in the midst of these terrible spectacles such as have their Consciences purified by Faith shall lift up their heads for joy as knowing these and the like to be undoubted Prognosticks or fore-running signs of their Redemption drawing nigh unto them A Crisis rather a kinde of First-fruits of this Holy Confidence was most remarkably attested to have been in the Primitive Christians So Antoninus the Emperor as in our 1. Book chap. 24. out of Eusebius his 4. Book of Hist Eccles chap. 13. we did
Writers of those times But however the world had a general warning of the last Judgement in that fearful Spectacle yet may we not deny that the like or more fearful Spectacles shall be again exhibited upon or immediatly before our Savior's second coming From St. Peters Comments upon the forecited Prophecie of Ioel Acts 2. 20. there ariseth A Question The Prophet saith as the Hebrew word imports that these signs should be exhibited before the great and Terrible day of the Lord. St. Peter saith They shall be exhibited before the great and Conspicuous or notable day of the Lord So indeed the 70 Interpreters whose Translation St. Peter follows renders the Hebrew Hannora not as the Latines do horrendum or tremendum but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conspicuous And the reason why they so render it as some later Criticks think was because they took the Original word to be a Derivative or Branch of the Hebrew word Raah which signifies To see and so the Object of it should be only some visible apparition or matter of Sight whereas the later and more accurate Hebricians take the same Hebrew word to be a Branch of the root Jarah which signifieth to Fear or Dread and for this reason render it not the visible or conspicuous day but the terrible day of the Lord. But there is no necessity of conceiving any error either in the 70 Interpreters concerning the derivation of the Hebrew word Hannora or of any alteration of Rules concerning the right derivation of words between the Ancient and Modern Hebricians For the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which our English renders Notable or Conspicuous is as Grammarians say Mediae significationis that is General to any strange or uncouth apparitions in the Heavens whether they be apparitions of Horror and Dread or onely of Lightsomness or good hope Every man prayed saith the Author of the second of Maccabees chap. 5. 4. that the apparition might turn to good Yet was the Apparition then exhibited Prodigious and fearful 5. But the most lively representation of the last Judgement as well for matter of Fearful Spectacle as for matter of Terrible Sound was exhibited immediately by God himself at the promulgation of the Law upon Mount Sinai And it came to pass on the third day in the morning that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount and the voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that were in the camp trembled And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God and they stood at the neather part of the mount And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoak because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoak thereof ascended as the smoak of a Furnace and the whole Mount quaked greatly Exod. 19. 16 17 18. Our Apostle Heb. 12. 21. addeth which is not in the Old Testament exprest So terrible was the Sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake And if Moses the Man of God did so exceedingly quake at this Sight Who shall be able to stand without trembling and quaking at the like But shall Christs appearance at the last day be like to this fearful Sight at the giving of the Law Yes and a great deal more terrible What Comfort then doth the Gospel of Christ afford us Christians more then Moses his Law did the Israelites The Law being given in this Terrible manner did Prognosticate or portend their fearful end which should adhere unto it or seck salvation by it without the intercession of a Mediator who was to be the Author and Fountain of a better message and more gladsome tidings from Heaven to all such as shall seek Redemption by him or Absolution from the curse of the Law This is the Prerogative of the Gospel as it stands in opposition to the Law and this Prerogative is prosecuted at large by our Apostle in that Chapter Hebr. 12. But the benefit of this Prerogative is not absolutely Universal but Conditional It extends onely to such as shall shew better obedience unto Christ and to his Gospel then most of the Israelites did to Moses and to his Law To such as contemn or disobey the Gospel Christ shall appear a more dreadful and terrible Judge in the last day then he appeared unto Israel in Mount Sinai This point of Doctrine is fully prosecuted by our Apostle Heb. 12. 25 26 27. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on the earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven whose voice then did shake the earth but now he hath promised saying Yet once more I shake not the earth onely but also heaven And this word Yet once more signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken as of things that are made that these things which cannot be shaken may remain God as a learned Father observes did call his people at the giving of the Law unto the mountain then burning with fire to testifie unto the world what our Apostle saith in the conclusion of chap. 12. That he is a consuming fire unto the obstinate Transgressors of his Laws and that fire and smoke that burning blackness darkness and tempest shall be the everlasting portion of all such as shall not be found in Christ at the day of Judgement nor then absolved by him from the curse of the Law 6. The Point which I would commend to the Reader 's more special consideration out of the 26. verse of this Chapter is That it was the voice of Jesus Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant which did shake the earth at the giving of the Law The Apostle takes it as granted from the Common Rule of Interpretation well known in those times that the shaking of the Earth then was an Emblem or token of the mutability of the Law and of the unstability of the Earth or visible World it self The Earth being then subject to shaking or motion did thereby testifie it self to be obnoxious unto ruine and destruction And in that after this terrible commotion of the Earth at the giving of the Law when the Mountains as the Psalmist speaks Psal 114. 4. skipped like rams and the little hills like yong sheep God again by the Prophet Haggai chap. 2. ver 6. denounceth That yet once more he would suddenly shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land This intimates unto us that the second commotion of the Heavens and of the Earth which was to be once and no more should finally accomplish that which was fore-shadowed or represented by the former commotion of the earth at the giving of the Law This second commotion shall bring the Heaven and Earth to ruine and put an end to all things mutable or as our Apostle speaks it includes the removing of those things that can be shaken that those things which cannot be
execution according to the Rule of Justice unless he know the transgressor and the quality of his transgression And for this reason even those States which have comparatively the best Laws and the wisest Magistrates admit or rather require and authorize Informers And after the Information given the Magistrate must proceed secundum allegata probata according to the information given by legal and competent witnesses Now to make the Informers and Witnesses alwayes sincere the best Laws and Magistrates are not able The Law of God indeed is a Law most perfect most infallible but no living Rule to see and discern every transgression against it no speaking Rule to give information or testimony against the transgressors of it much less a living Judge to reward or punish every observer or transgressor of it But all the perfections that can be imagined in any Law in any Informer in any Witness in any Judge or manager of Justice are eminently and most perfectly contained in This Word or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with whom we have to do or to whom we are to render our accompt without any tincture or admixture of their imperfections And thus they all are in Him most perfect not by way of Union or Unition but according to most perfect and indivisible Unitie As all things were made by him without help or instrumental service So all the thoughts all the words and works of men are immediatly known unto him without any Prompter or Informer and every man shal be judged by him according to all his works without any Advocate or assistant As he is the expresse Image or full expression of his Fathers Person and himselfe as truly God as his Father is so he is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or mensura omnium the exact measure of every thing that can be known that can be done spoken or thought and the just recompence of all deserts He containes an exact proportion or disproportion to every thought word or action that hath proceeded from the heart or mind of man an exact proportion of every thought word or deed that held consort with the Law of the mind or of the spirit an exact disproportion to every rebellious motion that hath been conceived by the Law of the flesh against the Law of the mind and even in this respect he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the Original word oft times imports as much as proportion or an exact measure by which all proportion or consonancy all disproportion or dissonancy may be known or notified As if the Base or Diapason be sound and good every Note or sound of the same instrument doth notifie the measure of its consonancie or dissonancie to it by its own sound And in this sense he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a living measure or proportion And every thought or secret inclination of man that is consonant to this living Rule or Law hath more then a Geometrical proportion a live proportion or Sympathie with him And we shall need no other bliss and happines then a true Sympathie and consort with him Every thought or inclination of the flesh that is dissonant to this living Rule or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 includes more then a dead disproportion a live Antipathie to his puritie and according to the measure of every mans disproportion or Antipathie to this living Rule shall the measure of his wretchednes or infelicitie be In all these and many other respects is the Son of God enstyled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he is the Judge of quick and dead 16. But doth the Intent or Inference of the Apostle in that fourth Chapter to the Hebrews lead us unto any such apprehension or construction as hath been made of his Attributes It doth if we look not as the Jews did only into the dead Letter but dive into the live sense or meaning of the Spirit or of the Apostle himself His principal scope or aim was to admonish his hearers and in them all that confess Christ to be the Son of God and their Redeemer to be vigilant and careful whilest it is called to day that they do not incur Gods high displeasure or provoke his sentence of utter exclusion from that Eternal Rest whereof that Rest which Joshuah brought the Israelites unto when he gave them possession of the land of Canaan was but the Map or shadow The Israelites without exception had a promise of entring into the land of Canaan and under it a promise of entring into a better Rest But the word preached saith the Apostle vers 2. did not profit them not being mixed with Faith The foolish posteritie of those rebellious Fathers which were excluded by oath from entring into the land of Canaan and were consumed in the wildernes misdeemed that Gods promise of bringing that Nation into the land of their Rest had been accomplished in the conquest of it by Ioshuah or in continuance of like victorious success unto themselves And by this conceit and by the dissobedience which this conceit brought forth against the Son of God revealed the most of this Nation since his manifestation in the flesh have lived and died in a more miserable estate then their Fathers did which died in the wildernes For neither Christian charitie nor the Analogie of Christian faith will permitt us to say or think that all the Israelites which were excluded by Oath from entring into the land of Canaan or of their promised earthly Rest were also utterly excluded from entring into the Kingdom of heaven They as well as we were to render an accompt unto This Eternal Word for he it was which spake to Moses in Mount Sinai but was not then manifested in the flesh nor was the Article of his incarnation expresly or explicitly known to all or most that received benefit by it The accompt which they were to make was not so punctuall nor their examination so strict For that which St. Paul saith of the antient heathens holds true in proportion of the ancient Israelites God saith he winked at these times of ignorance Act. 17. 30 31. but now commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in which he will Judge the world in righteousnes But was not this day appointed in these times of ignorance at which God winked Yes before them but not so fully declared nor the manner of it so distinctly known as since Christs resurrection it hath been From this difference of times and from the different condition of men living since Christs Resurrection and from the diversity of the account which they must render in respect of them which lived before it St. Paul makes that inference Hebrews 4. 11. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief or disobedience The Israelites fell in the wildernes for their disobedience to Gods word written or spoken they did not so immediatly trespasse against this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
of infamy and hope of Honour were of themselves sufficient to keep most men within the compass of civilitie or moral goodness were it not generally true in all Common-wealths which Solomon had observed in his times Prov. 28. 4. That they which forsake the Law do praise the wicked and so St. Peter tells us 1 Pet. cap. 4. v. 4. That such as walked in the wayes of the Gentiles in lasciviousnesse lust excesse of wine ryotings banquettings and abominable idolatry did think it a strange thing that these late Converts to whom he wrote this Epistle did not run with them to the like excesse And for this cause as he adds they speak evil of them that is they put all the shame they could upon them As then so now Every societie of lewd or naughtie men have their usurped customs which are equivalent with them to Laws have their Parliaments whereby wo unto them Esay 5. 20. they attempt to alter or invert the Law of God and the Law of nature to establsh evil for good and to disgrace goodness as if it were evil What course of life what branch of lewdness more infamous by the Law of God then ryot or drunkenness a vice so shameful that the Fathers eye must not pity it in his Children that are tainted with it but even their natural Parents as well the Mother as the Father are bound by the Law of God Deut. 21. 20 21. to inform against them to accuse them before the Magistrate lest the shame and sin should reflect upon themselves by connivance And by the same Law the publick Magistrate is bound upon the accusation of their Parents to put them to an ignominious death And yet there is a generation of men outwardly professing the knowledge of God and of Christ which seek to put shame ignominie upon all such as will not run with them to the like excess which have their Laws and Rules for authorizing and cherishing this lawless and unruly custom God again by his written Law and by his Sentence against Cain awards death and shame to murtherers And yet the seeds of this accursed sin are more then legitimated ranked amongst the essential parts of honour made as the very touch and tryal of Gentry by men which esteem it a greater shame to indure the breath of a verbal Lie from anothers rash mouth then to tell or devise an hundred real Lies or to outface a truth by false oaths And by this corrupt custom which goes currant for a soveraign Law amongst braver Spirits as they account themselves the observance of Laws divine and humane which forbid all private Revenge all resolutions to kill or be killed is branded with the infamy of Cowardise A terrible bug-bear but to such only as are Men in maliciousness but Children in Knowledge For it is a sign of the greatest Cowardise that can be to be affrighted at the noise of vain words or to forsake the Fortress upon a false Alarm or representation of counterfeit Colors As these so every other vice hath its Baud or Advocate to give it countenance and to disgrace the contrary vertue 6. The old Serpent which beguiled the first Man by the first woman works still upon the weaker vessel and makes it his instrument to foyl the stronger He is not ignorant that this masculus pudor as the Philosopher cals it this virile or manly fear of shame whereby youth is naturally restrained from shameful courses cannot easily be vanquished but by suborning this effeminate or womanish fear of worldly or popular disgrace to betray it as Dalilah did her Husband Samson And the expelling of this masculine by this womanish fear of disgrace or reproach is as the putting out of the eyes of discretion whereby we discern good from evil So that Satan leads them up and down at his pleasure as the Philistines did Samson after he had lost his bodily eyes by the cutting off his hair We have a Saying or Proverb rather Past Shame past Grace The Heathens had the like Observation save only that they knew not what Grace meant They had no use of the word Grace in that sense which is most common and yet most proper with us A Child or man past Grace is with us as much as Filius perditus A Son of perdition Such an one as Judas was who yet was not past Grace that is not irrecoverably lost until he became impudent and obdurate in sin Now it was the observation of one and he was none of the precisest amongst the Heathen Illum ego periisse dico cui quidem periit pudor I give that man saith Plautus for lost which hath lost modestie or is past shame Our Common Proverb and the Saying of this Poet have this sure Ground in true Divinitie That want of modestie or a face uncapable of shame supposeth a great measure of iniquity in the brest That which we call a Brazen face hath alwayes for its Supporter an Iron sinew or a brawny heart Jer. 3. 3. and 5. 3. and 6. 15. and 8. 12. 7. As nothing passeth into the understanding but by the gates of sense So the true belief of that which God threatened unto sin and that was death is ushered into the heart of man by shame and confusion of face The first impression of Gods threatenings unto our first Parents was made upon this part And all the Sons of Adam even unto this day either have or might have a pledge of that which Moses relates concerning their and their eldest Sons hiding themselves and going out from the presence of the Lord. To this day it is true Qui male agit odit Lucem an evil conscience flies the light or presence of men And the face commonly bewrayes the heart as he said Heu quam difficile est crimen non prodere vultu It is an hard matter not to confess a crime or the truth although the mouth be silent Yet as some men by long custom in sin degenerate into Atheists and see no reliques of Gods image wherein they were created in themselves although the notion of a Godhead or Divine Power be naturally ingrafted in all So though shame and blushing be most natural to man when he doth evil yet some by long continuance in sin shake off this vail or covering of their nakedness Such they are of whom Jeremie spake in the Old and in the New Testament St. Jude speaks ver 10. Men that are prone to speak evil of those things which they know not but what they know naturally as bruit beasts in those things they corrupt themselves and become as impenetrable by shame as bruit beasts whom God hath deprived of reason He that is not subject to this passion participates more of the nature or disposition of collapsed Angels than of collapsed man The Divels we read do tremble at their belief or apprehension of Gods Judgments We do not read that they are ashamed of the evil which deserves it as our first
you see how the terrour of the last day or fear of everlasting death must work in us an Abstinence from evil or repentance for evil past as the Hope of Everlasting Life doth work patience and constancie in persecution Yet both parts of that brief Receipt Sustine et Abstine may be effected by our serious meditation upon either branch of our belief concerning life and death everlasting For if all the sufferings of this life be not worthy of or equivalent unto the glory which shall be revealed in us we must needs be worthy of and obnoxious to everlasting death if we do not with patience suffer persecution in this life rather then hazard our hopes of Life Eternal Again if the sufferance of everlasting death be much worse then the suffering of all persecutions possible in this life our not repentance at the Terrour of it doth make us uncapable of everlasting life Our hopes of avoiding it by repentance if they be sound and firm will animate and in a manner impell us to follow the wayes of life to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance 4. Seeing then we are thus invironed on the right hand and on the left having the hopes of Eternal Life set before us to encourage us to constancy and resolution and are so strongly beset with inevitable fear of everlasting death if like faint hearted souldiers we should retreat or revoke our vow in Baptisme may not the Lord in Justice take up that complaint against us which sometimes he did against Jerusalem and Judah What could I have done more for my vineyard that I have not done unto it Other means to make men either good men or good Citizens the old world knew none nor could the wit of the wisest Law-givers devise any besides poena et praemium Reward and punishment Now what Kingdom or Common-wealth had either so bountiful Rewards or so dreadful punishments proposed unto them as we Christians have What then is the reason why we of all others are more defective in good duties most fruitful in evil lesse observant or more desperate transgressors of our Princes Lawes then the subjects or Citizens of any other well governed Kingdoms ever were how often do we pawn our hopes of everlasting life upon less occasions then Esau did his birth-right and set Christ our acknowledged Lord and Redeemer to sale at a lower price then Judas did The original of this our desperate neglect or contempt must either be misbelief or unbelief of the Reward promised to well doing or of the Punishment threatned to evil doers And it would be a point very hard to determine Whether of such as make any conscience of their wayes especially since the reformation of Religion more have miscarried through misbelief or through unbelief of this Great Article of our Creed Everlasting life and everlasting death Our Misbelief for the most part concerns the Article of everlasting life Of everlasting death we are rather unbelievers then misbelievers Misbelief alwayes includes a strong belief but the stronger our belief the more dangerous it is if it be wrested or misplaced and the worst way we can misplace our belief of heavenly joyes is when we make our selves certain of our salvation before our time or ranke our selves amongst the elect or heirs not disinheritable of the heavenly kingdom before we have made our Election sure 5. As the absolute infallibilitie of the present Romish Church doth make up the measure of heathenish Idolatry or iniquity So the immature belief of our own salvation or Election doth make up the measure of Jewish or Pharisaical Hypocrisie The manner how it doth so is this If no covetous if no sacrilegious person if no slanderer of his brethren or reviler of his betters can enter into the Kingdom of heaven as it is certain they cannot untill they repent then no man which is certain of his salvation can perswade himself or be perswaded that he is a covetous or sacrilegious person that he is a slanderer of his brethren or a reviler of his betters and hence the Conclusion arising from the Premisses is inevitable that albeit such men as presume of their Election or salvation before their time before they be throughly sanctified do all that covetous or sacrilegious men do be continual slanderers or malicious revilers of their brethren yet it is impossible that they should suspect much less condemn themselves of these crimes until they correct their former errours and rectifie their misbelief or presumption of their immutable estate in grace Yea their errour not being corrected makes them confident in these wicked practises and causes them to mistake hatred to mens persons or envy to others good parts for zeal to Religion and stubbornness in Schisme and faction for Christian charitie or good affection unto truth And if any man of better insight in the Stratagems of Satan shall go about to detect their error or convince them by strength of Reason grounded upon Scripture that their mis-perswasions do branch into Blasphemie and can bring forth no better fruit then Pharisaical hypocrisie yet they usually requite his pains as that young Spanish spark did the Physician which had well nigh cured him of a desperate Phrensie no sooner had he brought him to know what he was indeed no more then a Page though to a great Duke or Grandee of Spain but the Youth instead of a Fee or thankful acknowledgement began to revile and curse the Physician for bringing him out of a pleasant dream of golden mountains much richer then the King of Spain had any it seemed as a kind of hell unto him to see himself to be but a Page who in his raving fits had taken upon him to create Dukes and Earls and to exercise the Acts of Royal Authoritie Very much like him in Horace Epistol Libr. 2. Ep. 2. Fuit haud ignobilis Argis Qui se credebat miros audire Tragoedos In vacuo laetus sessor plausorque Theatro Hic ubi cognatorum opibus curisque refectus Expulit helleboro morbum bilemque meraco Et redit ad sese pol me occidistis amici Non servastis ait cui sic extorta voluptas Et demptus per vim mentis gratissimus Error But with the Originals of Mis-belief besides what is said in our Fifth Book of Comments upon the Creed in this particular we shall have fitter occasion to meet hereafter And the greater part of men amongst us I am perswaded offend more in Unbelief then in Mis-belief 6. And by Unbelief lest we should be mistaken we understand somewhat less then the lowest degree of Infidelity Now of Infidels there be two degrees or ranks Infideles Contradictionis and Infideles purae Negationis He is an Infidel in the former sense that contradicts or opposeth the truth of Scriptures especially concerning Everlasting Life and Everlasting Death and such Infidels I presume there are none amongst us He is an Infidel in the Later Sense that doth not believe the
of a Rect-Angled Triangle did offer up presently a Magnificent sacrifice to the Gods or divine powers from whom he conceived this revelation came unto him Another having after long search discovered how much pure Gold the Gold-smith had taken out of the King of Scicilies Crown and made up the weight of it with silver cunningly mixed was so over wrought with joy that he ran instantly out of the Bath naked as he was forgetting his clothes crying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found it I have found it out 12. And such as at their vacant times are able but to try the conclusions which these men have found out or to contemplate the truth and use of those unfailing principles in the Mathematicks or in Naturall Philosophy which they have discovered may hence reap more pure delight and sincere joy then the enjoyment of all things temporal without such contemplation can afford Yet the most admirable principles or surest conclusions of humane Sciences are not so good at best no better then meer shadows of those solid Truthes which are contained in the Mystery of godliness Even the Law it self which God gave unto his people by Moses is but a picture of that intire truth which is contained in the knowledge of God and of his Christ Hence saith our Evangelist John 1. 17. The Law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ What shall we say then was there no truth in the Law which was given by Moses God forbid It was a Law most true Yet the truth of it was but a Picture of that live substance of Truth which is contained in the Gospel or rather in the knowledge of Christ If we did only desire that Ioy or delight which naturally ariseth from the contemplation of the agreement between the principles and conclusions in the same Art or Science The whole world besides though we had the perfect knowledge of it could not yeeld that plenty of pleasant speculations which the Harmonie or consent between the Types or Figures of the old Testament and the live substances answering unto them in the New or which the known accomplishments of the Prophetical predictions exhibit in Christ to all that will seriously meditate on them What madness is it then to be in love or to dote either on shadowes in the book of nature or in the pictures of the Law and to neglect the live Feature of that substantial truth which presents it self unto our view in the Gospel of Christ The most exact knowledge that can be had in the book of nature or in humane Sciences doth alwayes end in contemplation it is but like musick which vanisheth with the motion it leaves no permanent mirth behind it Whereas the contemplation of the mystery of godliness so it be frequent and serious doth alwayes imprint and instill the sweet influence of life and joy into our souls The knowledge of humane Sciences as it may be comprehended by the wit of man So it is terminated with this life But the knowledge of Christ or rather Christ himself who is the subject of divine knowledge is an inexhaustible fountain of truth whose Current still even in this life increaseth as our capacities to receive it increase and so shall increase in the world to come without stint or restraint For the fruit or issue of it as you heard before is everlasting life and that is a life which hath a beginning here on earth but shall have no end in heaven An Advertisement to the Reader THough it was told the Reader before Book 10. Fol. 3068. That it was the Practise of this Great Author First To deliver in Sermons that matter which he intended afterwards to weave or form into the Body of his printed Discourses Yet the Tenor of the last precedent and the next following chapter seems to require that the Reader be re-minded of The Same here again And withall it be signified That The Epocha or Commencement of These Tracts must be pitched thirtie or more years Retro as may be Collected out of a Passage in the twenty fifth Chapter And lastly that the Place where these Tracts when they were Meer Sermons were preached was The Famous Town of Newcastle upon Tine where our Author was A most Exemplarie Careful and Pious Vicar but how prosperous or successful God only knows for divers years together CHAP. XXVI ROMANS 6. 22. But now ye have your fruits unto holinesse and the end everlasting Life c. Whether the Tast of Eternal Life once had may be lost Concerning Sin against the Holy Ghost How temporal Contentments and the pleasures of sin coming in competition prevail so as to extinguish and utterly dead The Heavenly Tast both by way of Efficiencie and Demerit The Advantages discovered by which a Lesser Good gets the Better of a Greater 1. THe Fruits of Holinesse as hath been said are Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost and in the Fruition of this Peace and Joy consists that Tast of Eternal Life which in this world can be had And this Tast must be perfected and established by the Knowledge of Christ and him crucified Which Knowledge hath been the Main Subject both of my private Meditations and of my labors published in the seventh book of Commentaries upon the Creed We are now to inquire how this Tast of Eternal Life must be preserved The Rule is most true in the General That it must be preserved and perfected by the same means by which it was first planted and that is by the Knowledge of Christ So that it is but One Question how the knowledge of Christ may be perfected in us and how this Tast of eternal life may be preserved The next Particular subordinate unto this General is by what means such as either have or might have had the Tast of Eternal Life come to be deprived of it A great Question not impertinent to this inquiry hath been of late Whether Faith or Grace being once had may be lost or whether lost only for a time or for ever But as I have often told you there is more Contention about this Point amongst modern Writers then Contradiction between their Opinions if they would calmly and distinctly express their meaning That from some Degree of Faith or from some kind of Grace a man may fall no man denies That no man can fall from the Grace of Election or Predestination I do not question And further then This it is not safe for any to be peremptory in any Positive Assertion nor fit to dispute without or beyond these Lists As for such as take upon them to dispute this or the like Question in these Terms Whether a man may fall from saving Grace they bring it in the end to an issue untriable in this life at least on their parts For admit it for a truth which some do question that a man may be certain Certitudine Fidei by the
temporal A mountain of gold could not have swayed so much with St. John as thirty pieces of Silver did with Judas so unequally was the balance of his heart set that this small sum being put as it were in the one scale did over-poize his Lord and Master who was the fountain of all spiritual Graces being put in the other scale It was not then the weight of the money but the Excesse of his desire and propension to money which made him so foully to miscarry The whole art or skill of a Christian consists in these two points First In examining or finding out the strength or sway of his affections unto things temporal And secondly In abating or weakning their strength or in weaning his soul from such desires This is that which the Scripture cals the Circumcision of the heart and that is no other then a putting off of all superfluous or impertinent desires or a lopping or limiting of our natural desires that they extend not beyond our compasse A Grain of Faith or spiritual Grace may sway more in a man of moderate desires then an Ounce of the same faith or Grace can do in a man of immoderate or vast desires The first fruit of Grace is to moderate our desires or affections this is the only way to become rich in Faith and rich in Grace Thus much the heathen Philosopher had observed that the way to be truly rich was not to make continual addition to our wealth or coyn but by substraction or abatement of our desires of it Unless we use the same Method in matters spiritual we can have no certaintie of our salvation no assurance of our setled Estate in Grace albeit our apprehensions of Eternal Life through Christ be quick and lively albeit our zeal to the professors of the truth be strong and servent Though it be most true which St. John saith that Greater is he which is in us then he which is in the world that is Christ Jesus is much stronger then the Divel yet unless we hold our desires and propensions to things temporal within compass and keep our selves within the bounds which he hath set us we have no assurance of his protecting of us against his adversary who is much stronger then we are or can be without his special Protection But say we have set a short period to our desires of things temporal and brought our natural affections into a tolerable subjection unto the spirit of Grace Are we hereby freed from danger or from suffering prejudice in our spiritual Tast of Eternal Life No! Besides that moderation of our natural desires or affections in which The forsaking of all that we have consists there is required a Perpetual watchfulness over all our wayes we must carefully look to every particular step For as a Judicious Divine hath well observed albeit he which is thus far a Christian in heart be endowed with the extraordinary Graces of the spirit be like a man of an able and active body well armed and skilfull in the use of his weapons yet even such a man may quickly take the foile if his adversary encounter him upon a slippery ground For this reason as there must be An Habitual for saking of all that we have lest otherwise our own concupiscences do tempt and betray us so there must be a perpetual watchfulnesse to prevent all advantages which the great tempter never ceaseth to seek out against us hence is that other precept of our Saviour so often inculcated by himself and by his Apostles Be sober and watch watch and pray continually c. Without sobriety there can be no watchfulnesse And this sobrietie consists not only in the moderation of our meat and drink or other pleasure of the sense but in the government of our very thoughts and speeches It includes a maturitie of Judgement and deliberation in all our resolutions and undertakings It is no lesse opposed to restless or hasty furious passion then to habitual excesse in any other kind whatsoever For Celeritas semper malis conatibus addit a Comes Unruly or prodigious Acts are for the most part ushered by rashness A lesser weight if it move swiftly or be violently thrown will sway more and give a greater blow then a far greater weight which moveth slowly or with lesse violence The swiftness of Motion or violent passions will mis-sway our inclinations or propensions though in themselves moderate as far as the setled weight of an habituate inclination or Custome Now albeit we be commanded to be sober and watch to watch and pray continually yet this being an Affirmative Precept Obligat semper non ad semper though it alwayes binds us yet it doth not bind us to all times alike The due observance of it is more specially required at those times which are set a part by Gods law as the Sabbath is or at those times which are by the Church consecrated for religious meditations and performances such as is this instant time of Lent if I should term it the Holy Time of Lent I should with some men incur the censure of superstition seeing all times are alike holy Be it so if we consider them in themselves yet the time of Lent being sequestred or set apart by the Church those feastings or merry meetings which in the season of Joy lately past were not unlawful if the like should be practised or exercised in it would convince the practisers of prophanness I know there is a Doctrinal Error too well entertained in many parts of this Kingdom which much hinders the due observance of this Time but so it doth the performance of many other necessary duties The Error is this That humane Lawes or Lawes Ecclesiastick made by the Church do not bind the Conscience his Doctrine hath been maintained by some worthy and Orthodox Pastors in this Church without any Error if their meaning were rightly conceived But what they conceive not amisse is so expressed that it hath occasioned many to erre foully not in Doctrine only but in Practise Their meaning I know is no more then this That no man doth sin or wound his Conscience but by transgressing some Law of God This in Thesi is most true Yet let me request you to remember or consider what hath been told you before in the controversie between us and the Romish Church concerning Christian Obedience and Loyaltie to Princes that however no man can sin but by transgressing Gods Lawes yet an Ecclesiastick or humane Law being made this year for restraint of our liberty in things indifferent may make the same Act or practise to be a transgression of Gods Law which the year or years before had been no transgression of it But the Law concerning the observation of Lent as well in respect of dyer as of frequenting the house of God is not of this or the last years standing it hath the warrant and custome of the Ancient Church and the highest authoritie of this
of them are but Unprofitable servants 2. It was free then for God to create or not to create man but as it was his pleasure to create him so it was necessary that man being created by him he should be created good and righteous Suppose then the First man had continued in his First Estate that is righteous and good his righteousness could have merited nothing of God much lesse Eternal Life It was as free to God to have annihilated him or to have resolved him into nothing as it was to make him of nothing Indeed to have punished him with everlasting death unlesse he had wilfully and through his own default lost his Orginal righteousness could not have stood with the righteousness or goodness of God There was a morall necessity that his Creator should not punish him with everlasting death unlesse he had transgressed his Law and made himself unworthy of everlasting life But the First Man did wilfully and freely that is without any necessity transgresse the Law of his God and make himself and his posteritie unworthy of eternal life That God upon this transgression did not instantly punish him with everlasting death this was An Act of the Free Grace and mercy of God thus he might have done without any impeachment to his Justice without any disparagement to his Goodnesse That unto man thus ill deserving he made A Promise of Redemption and of Restitution to a better Estate then he lost this was An Act of his Mercie and gracious goodness a more Free Act then his first Creation For that was not deserved and therefore Free But not so Free as the Promise of his Redemption after he had justly deserved the contrary to wit condemnation unto everlasting death But this Promise of Redemption through the Womans Seed being freely made is not the performance of it on Gods part necessary Is he not bound by promise to bestow his Grace on all them to whom he promised Redemption Though he be Debter unto no man yet he is Faithful in himself and cannot deny himself or not perform what he hath promised It is true if the parties to whom he promiseth do so demean themselves as they should or as by the Second Covenant they stand bound But who is he can make this Plea with God Who is he that can truly say there was any necessity at that time when the promise was made to our first Parents in the Womans Seed that he should be begotten or born or that he was such a child of promise from the time of Adams Fall as Isaac was And if there were no necessity then that he should be born what necessity is there that he should be partaker of Grace after he is born Or what necessity is there that after the Grace of Baptism received he should come to be of the number of the Elect No man can plead any worth or merit in himself for the receiving of Grace or any necessity whereby God is tyed by promise or otherwise to bestow Grace or perseverance in Grace upon him in particular These and the like Favours must still be sought for by the Prayer of Faith that is by unfeigned acknowledgement of our own unworthinesse and of Gods Free Mercie not only in making the First Decree concerning mans Redemption but in continual dispensing the Effects of the same Decree or the means of our Salvation This is the only way To lay hold upon the General Promise 3. It was no Contradiction in Cardinal Bellarmine as some conceive it after he had strongly disputed for Merit of Works thus to conclude Tutissimum est It is the safest way to place our Confidence in the Merits of Christ This Resolution of his will truly inferre that albeit the Question concerning Merits were doubtful yet we Protestants take the more useful and safer way and the way which Cardinal Bellarmine himself in his Devotions and as I hope on his death bed did take Yet admit his Doctrine concerning Merits had been true indefinitely taken There had been no Contradiction between his Premisses and Conclusion For many things which are unquestionable in Thesi or in the General are doubtful or vncertain in Hypothesi when we come to make particular Application This Doctrine is most true in Thesi That God is faithful in all his promises that he cannot deny himself or falsifie his promise Yet is it not safe for Thee or Me thus to infer that God cannot deny eternal life to us in particular because he hath promised it as sincerely to Thee or Me as to any others The absolute and unchangeable Fidelity of God will not inferre how strongly soever we believe it That either Thou or I are faithful for the present or shall continue faithfull unto the End or until our finall victory over the divel the world and the flesh which is the True Importance of this Phrase To the End in many places of Scripture Now Gods promise of eternal Life is not immediately terminated To any mans Person or Individual Entity but unto such as continue faithful unto the End or unto such as overcome as you may observe in many places of Scripture especially in the second and third Chapters of The Revelation of St. John Now it is a great deal more easie for a man to assure himself that he is faithful for the present or victorious in respect of instant temptations then to assure himself that he shall continue victorious in respect of temptations that may befal him And yet in respect of the deceitfulness of our own hearts it is not safe for most men to make it as an Article of their Faith or point of Absolute Belief that they are so faithful for the present as that God cannot deny Eternal Life unto them though not in respect of their Merits yet in respect of his Promise if they should instantly depart this life So that such as have as full and perfect Interest in the Promises of God as others have may forfeit their Interest as well by Immature Perswasions or Presumptions that they are of the number of the Elect as by conceit of Merit or Confidence in works Both perswasions are dangerous because both prejudice the Free Mercie and Grace of God in bestowing eternal Life or in dispensing the means required unto it The Romish Church saith it was Free for God to give us Grace or ability to do the works of Grace or not to give it but this Grace being Freely given and the works performed it is not Free but Necessary in respect of Gods Justice to give eternal Life as the Reward of Works Others opposite enough to the Papists say that it was Free for God to Elect or not to Elect us unto eternal Life but being Elected it is not Free for God to deny eternal Life unto us For this in their language were to deny himself or falsifie his promise Yet by their leave If we were thus Elected from Eternity it was never Free
cruel for out of this compassionate affection towards dumb creatures they will be ready to kill a Christian man if he chance to wrong or harm them It is a good thing then to be zealous of good works but unless this zeal be uniform that is unless it proportionably if not equally respect good works of every kind partial or deformed zeal will bring forth compleat Hypocrisie 10. But it is an easie matter to tell men that their zeal must be uniform and unpartial the point wherein satisfaction will be desired is this How this uniformity of zeal in good works must be wrought and planted in men This men must learn from that fundamental Rule of our Saviour Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you so do to them for this the Law and the Prophets All of Us desire or wish that not this or that man only but that every man should deal justly friendly and kindly with us should think or speak well of us whilst we do or intend well should Judge charitably of us when they know nothing to the contrary and censure us charitably if we chance to do amisse The Rule of practise then in brief is this that we make payment by the same measure by which we borrow that is do good as occasions or abilities serve to every man as he is a man or our fellow creature though in more abundant measure unto such as are our Christian brethren and of the same Church and Religion To be charitable in word indeed in thought towards all even towards such as deserve punishment or censure Another branch of the same Rule is this If any have really shewed themselves kind unto us to do unto them as they have done If any have dealt rigidly or unkindly with us not to do as they have done but as we desired they should have done unto us for our desires to be well dealt withall are just but so were not their dealings with us And why should we make other mens unjust dealing with us rather then our own just desires of being friendly dealt withall the Rule of our future actions or dealings with the same men For God will judge us by the former Rule the Tenour whereof is this not to do as we have been done unto specially if we have been unjustly dealt withall but to do to every man as we desire they should have done unto us The same Rule may be yet further extended thus we must do to every man not only as we desire that every man should do to us but as we desire that God should do to us or for us So when we pray that God would forgive us our trespasses we must be ready to forgive them that have trespassed against us If we desire that God would relieve us in distress comfort us in sorrow or succour us in need we must be ready to relieve our neighbors in their distress to succour and comfort them as we are able in time of need not thus in some good measure qualified we do not pray in faith our prayers are not truly religious For as St. James tels us Chap. 1. verse the last Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widdows in their affliction and to keep himself unspotted of the world CHAP. XXX MATTH 25. 34 c. 41. c. Then shall the King say unto them on his Right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world FOR I was an hungred and you gave me meat c. Then shall he say also to them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed FOR I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirstie and ye gave me no drink I was a stranger sick and in prison c. Two General Heads of the Discourse 1. A Sentence 2. The Execution thereof Controversies about the Sentence Three Conclusions in order to the Decision of those Controversies 1. The Sentence of Life is awarded Secundum Opera not excluding Faith 2. Good works are necessary to Salvation necessitate praecepti Medij And to Iustification too as some say quoad praesentiam non quoad efficientiam The Third Handled in the next Chapter Good works though necessarie are not Causes of but the Way to the Kingdom Damnation awarded for Omissions St. Augustines saying Bona Opera sequuntur Justificatum c. expounded St. James 2. 10. He that keeps the whole Law and yet offends in one Point c. expounded Why Christ in the final Doom instances only in works of Charitie not of pietie and sanctitie An Exhortation to do good to the poor and miserable and the rather because some of those Duties may be done by the meanest of men 1. THis portion of Scripture is divided by our Saviour himself into These two Generals the first A Sentence which for the matter is Two-fold Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you verse 34. c. And again ver 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels But many Sentences are given which are not put in Execution Yet this being the Final Sentence that shall be given upon all men and upon all their works there is no question but it shall be put in Execution If reason grounded upon Scripture be not sufficient to inforce our belief as well concerning the Execution of the Sentence as the Equitie thereof we have an Expresse Testimonie of the Judge himself for the certaintie of this Execution ver 46. And these to wit the Goats which were placed on his left hand that is all workers of iniquitie or fruitless hearers of the word of life shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal The Sentence it self hath by the perversness of mans will or by the curiositie of some wits been made the matter of many controversies especially in latter times Of which we shall deliver our Opinion as it shall fall out in the prosecution of the Positive Truth which we are bound to believe The Positive Truthes which I would commend unto the Readers meditation are Three The First That Life everlasting shall be awarded Secundum opera or that all men shall receive their final doom according to their works The second which will necessarily follow upon this That good Works are necessarie to salvation or to the inheritance of this Kingdom here promised The third That good works are necessarie to our admission into this kingdom Non tanqnam Causa regnandi sed quia Via ad regnum not as meritorious Causes for which this kingdom is by right due to us or to any but as the necessarie Way or path by which all such as seek to enter into this Kingdom must passe To begin with the First Point That the Final reward or retribution shall be Secundum opera according to mens works
he is likewise rewarded according to his Faith We may extend that Saying of our Saviour though spoken then but to one man unto all and every man According to their faith so shall it be done unto them And our Saviour in the Parable next before This Sentence expresly avoucheth that the Final Award or retribution shall be according to Faith Matth. 25. 23. Well done thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. No man shall be rewarded for any Works unless they were the Works of Faith or done in Faith To speak properly it is the Fidelity of our Works or our Fidelity in Working which shall be rewarded As for those Hypocrites against whom St James disputes and from whose Notion or Conceit of Faith the Romish School-men for the most part take their Description of Faith they had altogether as little of Abrahams Faith as they had of Abrahams Works For if they had been partakers of Abrahams faith then as our Apostle infers Gal. 3. 7 They had been the sons of Abraham and if they had been the sons of Abraham they would by our Saviours Inference have done the works of Abraham Such faith as they made brags of could not justifie them because it was a dead and fruitlesse faith devoid of works Such works as the Romish Church doth magnifie in opposition to faith can neither justifie nor receive any Reward because they are no faithful Works but rather like seeming fruits without any Root They put their works upon their faith as we do sweet flowers upon dead Corpses Neither can give life or perfection to others The best Censure that Christian Faith or Charity will permit us to give of their doctrine Concerning the nature of faith and works is This That albeit they all profess to believe that which their Church believes yet the most of them do neither believe nor practise as the Church in these points teacheth Their ignorance in this particular is much better then their knowledge of most of the rest But to conclude the first Position Because some of our Writers exclude all works from the work of Justification some Roman Writers I dare not say all sought to be even with them by excluding faith from sharing with works in the Final Award or retribution For besides this Eagerness of extream Opposition or desire to be contrary unto us it is not imaginable what could move any learned Writer amongst them to Affirm that this final Retribution shall be according to VVorks and Deny it According to Faith 4. About the Second Position there is no Controversie betwixt us and the Romish Church we hold Good works to be as necessary to salvation as they do As necessary according to both Branches of Necessity Necessarie they are Necessitate praecepti and necessarie likewise Necessitate medii necessarie by Precept or duty for God hath commanded us to do them he hath redeemed us to the end that we should serve him in righteousness and holiness But many things which are in this sense necessary in that their Omission doth necessarily include a breach of Gods Commandement and by consequent a sin do not alwayes induce or argue a Forfeiture of our Estate in Grace or utter exclusion from the' Kingdom of heaven For this Reason we say That Good works are necessary not only Necessitate praecepti by way of Command but Necessitate medii as the way and means so necessary to salvation that without the practise of them no man can be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven Through the Omission of Good works many do forfeit that Interest which they truly had in the promises of everlasting Life In the promise it self all that are partakers of the Word and Sacrament all that acknowledge the Word revealed to be the way unto everlasting life have A true Interest Of the pledge or earnest of the blessing promised that is of justifying or sanctifying Grace none are partakers but such as are fruitful in Good works according to the means or abilities which God hath bestowed upon them Whether it be possible for such as are once estated in Grace to give over the Practise of Good works that here we leave to such as desire to exercise their wits in the controversies about Falling from Grace and the rather because we have spoke a word of that Point in the 26. Chapter of this Book Let them determine of the Categorical Affirmative or Negative as they please This Conditional is most certain If it be possible for him that hath Grace or Faith in what measure soever inherent to give over the practise of Good Works he shall thereby forfeit his present estate in Gods promises and defeat his hopes of inheriting the Kingdom of God Whosoever saith our Saviour shall break one of these Commandements and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven but whosoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven For I say unto you that except your righteousnesse shall exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. 20. Yet did these Scribes and Pharisees many Good Works and made conscience of many Duties which many Precise Ones in our dayes do not trouble their Consciences withal This notwithstanding These Scribes and Pharisees did exclude themselves from the Kingdom of Heaven as here established on earth by leaving other Good Works altogether or for the most part undone which the Law of God did no lesse require at their hands Even the Good Works which they did were not well done by them because they were not done in Faith they never came so near unto the Kingdom of Heaven as to acknowledge Christ for their Lord much lesse to be partakers of those Gifts and Graces of the Spirit which after his Ascension were bestowed on men Nor shall all they which were partakers of those Gifts and which did still acknowledge him for their Lord enter into the Kingdom which is here prepared for such as continue in well doing So saith our Saviour Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom but he that doth c. Many will then say Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out divels and in thy name done many wonderful works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you Depart from me ye workers of iniquitie Matth. 7. 21 22. 5. But in this place We see the Sentence is not awarded for Positive Works of iniquitie but for Omission of the duties of charitie He saith not Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Because ye have oppressed the poor and stranger or for that ye have robbed the Fatherless and made a prey of
in men of years and discretion Though with some abatement or allowance it holds in such as are converted to Christ upon their death beds These must apprehend Gods mercies in Christ resolve to do Good Works and leave testimonie of sorrow for their past negligence in doing Good Works For in such as are endued with knowledge of Christ and are enlightned to see their miserable estate by nature the self same Faith which apprehends Gods mercies in Christ cannot be idle it will be working that which is Good and acceptable in the sight of God In vain it it shall be for them to sue for mercie at Gods hands through the Merits of Christ unless for love to Christ whose Merits for them and Goodness towards them Faith apprehends they be ready to do the works which he hath commended unto them For as you heard before not every one that saith unto him Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of his Father which is in Heaven and his Fathers Will is that we do those things which he here commands But another special Branch of the same Will is That when we have done all this we faithfully acknowledge our selves to be unprofitable servants This our Plea for mercie as men altogether unworthy for our best Works sake to be partaker of Gods Goodness or of everlasting bliss is that justification which St. Paul so much insists upon in most of his Epistles and unto This Justification that is to our good success in making this Plea Good works are necessary and usually Precedent or as it is usually taught by Good writers Good works are necessary quoad presentiam to justification non quoad efficientiam Their presence is necessarie to Justification their Efficacy or efficiencie is not necessary for as you have heard before and shall afterwards Chap. 31. hear meritorious efficiencie they have none 7. But let us ever remember as I often put the Reader in mind when it is said VVe must renounce all our works in the Plea of Iustification or suite of Pardon for our sins This must be understood Of those good Works which we have done not of those which we have left undone For these are not ours These the Hypocrites and unbeleevers will be ready to renonnce He alone truly renounceth his Works that doth Good Works and yet when he hath done them puts no trust or confidence in them and seeks not to improve them so far as to make them meritorious but wholly relies upon Gods mercies in Christ appealing from the Law unto the Gospel Nor is it every sort of Relyance upon Gods mercies in Christ but A faithful and stedfast relyance that can avail and no man can faithfully rely upon Christs merits but he that is faithful in doing his Fathers VVill. 8. But is this Necessitie of good Works to be equally extended to all sorts of Good works So saith Saint James Chap. 2. 10 11. VVhosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guiltie of all for he that said do not commit adulterie said also do not kill Now if thou commit no adulterie yet if thou kill thou art become a transgressor of the Law His meaning is That albeit we are diligent in many points of Gods service yet if we wittingly dispense with our souls in other parts of it this is an Argument that we Truly and faithfully observe no part For if we did observe Any part of his Commandments out of Faith or sincere obedience to Gods Will we would observe as much as in us lies every branch of his Will revealed For as true Faith will not admit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Respects of Persons which was the fault in the beginning of that Chapter taxed by St. Iames and gave occasion to the Maxim or principle in the words last cited so doth it exclude all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Partialitie to Gods Commandments or branches of His Will revealed If we love and prize one we must love and value all We may not love and respect One and neglect another This is the true intent and meaning of the Apostle which some to the wounding of their brethrens weak consciences have extended too far who say expresly or at least are so defective in expressing themselves as they occasion others to think That if a man either positively or more grievously transgress in breach of Gods Negative Precepts or often fail in performance of some Positive Duties commanded by him it is all one as if he had transgressed all Gods Commandments This is more then can be gathered from St. James in this place or from any other part of Gods word which only condemnes Partialitie to Gods Commandments Now a man may trespass oftner and more grievously against some one or more of Gods commandments whether Negative or Affirmative then he doth against others and yet do all this not out of any passionate affected Partialitie towards Gods Commandments or for want of uniformitie in his Faith or Affections towards Christ but only out of the Inequalitie of his own natural or acquired inclinations to some peculiar sins or vices in respect of others Some men as well before Regeneration or knowledge of Christ as after may be naturally or out of custome more prone to wantonness then unto covetousness Others again by natural disposition or bad custome may be more prone to covetousness to ambition or unadvised anger then unto wantonness Others again by bad education may be more prone to rash oathes or causless swearing then to any the former vices One sort after their regeneration or after they come to make Conscience of their wayes may offend more often and more grievously against the third Commandment then against the sixth or seventh Another sort may offend more grievously against the sixth Commandment Thou shalt not kill then against the seventh Thou shalt not commit adulterie A third sort such as are by natural disposition or custom given to wantonness may offend more grievously against the seventh Commandment then against the sixth A fourth sort more pecularly prone to covetousness or ambition may offend more grievously and more often against the last Commandment Thou shalt not covet then against any of the former And yet none of them fall under that censure of Saint James Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one point he is guiltie of all For they may all respectively offend in some one part or few points not out of any Partialitie to Gods Law or Commandments but out of the Inequalitie of their particular or peculiar dispositions to observe them Their desires or endeavours to observe those duties which they more neglect may perhaps be Greater then their desires or endeavours to observe those wherein they are less defective However this may fall out Yet this Rule is certain that Whosoever truly observes any or more of Gods Commandments out of Faith and sincere obedience to his
that continue in well doing But that Good Works should deserve Eternal Life Only upon supposal of Gods promise some of the greatest Scholars I will not say of the best men amongst them will not yield But to take them at their Best As when they say that Good works do merit as much as God hath promised to Reward them with This is too bad For to merit in their language is a great deal more then to be Rewarded it includes a Reward due unto the works wrought not meerly given out of the mercie or bountie of him that promiseth The Rule is General Whatsoever any man hath Interest in by promise it must be expected sued for and accepted upon the same Terms that it is promised unlesse between the promise made and the performance of it we can oblige the party promising by some real service that may be profitable unto him more then was included in the Conditions to which the promise did tie us To do more then is Covenanted and promised so it be behoof-ful for either party especially if it be profitable to the Rewarding party deserves a Reward in Equity though not in Law at his hands to whom it is behoof-ful If the party which promiseth us a good Turn receive any thing from us in lieu or consideration of what he promiseth he is tyed in Law to perform his promise and is a debter till he perform it The performance is not a meer courtesie or bountie but an Act of Commutative Justice The Assuming of a shilling may bind a man to the payment of many pounds Wheresoever there is Quid pro quo or Ratio dati et accepti something as well given as taken upon mutual promise there is an Act of Commutative Justice And wheresoever there is not Ratio dati et accepti Somewhat given as well taken there can be nothing due in Justice From this ground some great Schoolmen in the Romish Church deny Justice commutative or that branch of Justice which is the Rule of all matters of bargain or sale to be properly in God because there cannot be Ratio dati et accepti any mutual giving or taking between God and his creatures For he gives us all that we have or can have we cannot possibly give him any thing which he hath not And for this reason albeit he were purposed to bestow the greatest measure of Grace upon us that any creature is capable of this could not include any Grace of merit for still the more place Grace hath in our hearts the less room there is for Merit True it is that our Lord and Saviour did merit heaven at his Fathers hands for us but the ground or foundation of this His merit was not only the fulnesse of Grace in him as man but that he being in the Form of God the Son of God equal to his Father did humble himself and become man for us and did his Father service as man he therefore did merit all graces for us because he was the Son of God not by Adoption or creation but by Eternal Generation To be the Sons of God by Adoption or to be made his sons by Grace is a blessing bestowed on us for the which we become Debters to God the Father and servants to God the Son so deeply indebted to both that albeit we should do ten times more then we do we should still be unprofitable servants we could not make the least Recompence for that which he hath done for us The manner of the Apostles Interrogation Rom. 11. 35. Quis prior illidedit who hath first given to him includes an universal negation No man hath given ought to God No man can give any thing unto him And if none can give any thing unto him none can receive any thing from him by way of merit or valuable consideration but of meer mercy and free Bounty 7. If we would scan the Tenor of all Gods promises made unto us in Scripture with such accurateness as Lawyers do Tenures of Land we should find that he only promiseth to be merciful and bountiful unto us whether we limit his promises to the First Grace which we receive from him or extend them to All after-increase of Grace or to the accomplishing of all blessings promised in this life by our admission unto life eternal in the world to come Now if Mercy and Bounty be the Compleat Object of all his promises then may we not expect performance or accomplishment of his promises as a Just recompence or merit for any service which we do him but only as the Fruit or effect of his mercy or loving kindness If a loving earthly father should allot his son a liberal Pension before he could in modestie ask it or in discretion expect it and promise him withall that if he did employ this present years Pension well he would allow him more liberally for the next year following in this case how well soever his son did either demean himself or use his present Pension yet seeing the whole profit did redound unto himself not unto his father the more bountifully his father deals with him in the years following the more still he is bound unto him An ingenuous or gracious son would not challenge the second or third years Pension as more due unto him by right or merit then the First albeit he had his fathers promise for these two years which he had not for the first For the fathers promise was only to be good and bountiful unto him so he would be dutifully thankful for his bountie Now to expect or challenge that by way of right and merit which is promised meerly out of favour or loving kindness and upon condition of dutiful demeanour is a transgression of duty an high degree of unthankfulness especially from a son unto the father For every son by the Law of God and nature owes obedience and respect unto his Father and though there be no mutual bond of Obedience yet is there a bond of mutual dutie between an earthly father and his son at least the father as well as the son owes obedience unto Gods Law and Gods Law enjoyns every father unto kind usuage of his son so he challenge it not by way of debt or merit but in love humilitie or obedience But on our heavenly Father no bond of Obedience of debt or dutie can be laid what good soever he doth unto us it is meerly from his Free Mercy and loving kindness It was his meer goodness to Create us to give our First Parents such Being as once they had This First Being could not be merited nor doth any Romanist affirm it could Having lost that goodness wherein we were created it was more then meer Goodness the abundance of mercy to make us any promise of Restauration to our First blood and Dignitie And after this promise made it is but the continuation or increase of the same abundant mercy to bestow the Grace of Adoption upon us and no more
hearing the word Life The life of man is short And The Text of the Law wherein the precepts are contained is long The Commentaries of the Prophets and sacred Histories necessarie for the Exposition thereof are voluminous and large The true sence or meaning of either in some points not easie to be found out unless we be well instructed how to seek it so as what the Jesuite saith absolutely but falsly of all Scripture is Comparatively true of This advice of Solomons It is a plain and easie way a light of mans life after it be once well learned but it is hard to Learn without a good Guide to directs us Wherefore behold a greater then Solomon Christ Jesus himself directs us in One and that a very short Line unto that Point whereunto the large discourses both of The Law and the Prophets do as it were by the Circumference Lead us Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you even so do ye unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets that is The Summe of the Law and the Prophets is contained in this short Rule 3. Because our Saviour gives it we may believe it that this is the best Epitome that ever was given of any so large a Work Or rather not an Epitome of the Law and the Prophets but the whole Substance or Essence of the Law and the Prophets Herein all their particular Admonitions are contained as Branches in their Root Out of the practise of this Principle or Precept all the Righteousness which the Law and the Prophets do teach will sooner spring and flourish much better then if we should turn over all the Learned Comments that have been written upon them without the practise of this Compendious Rule This Abridgement is a Document of His Art that could draw a Camel through the eye of a Needle that spake as never man spake Sure then if any place of Scripture besides those which contain the very Foundation of Christian Faith as Christs Incarnation Passion or Resurrection be more necessary to be learned then other then is this most necessary and most worthy the Practise Seeing all Doctrines of good Life of honest and upright Conversation are derived hence as particular Conclusions in Arts and Sciences from their Causes and Principles 4. For any Coherence of these words with any precedent or consequent we need not be sollicitous It sufficeth to know They are a principal part of our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount in which He delivered the true meaning of the Fundamental Parts of the Law purging the Text from the corrupt Glosses of the Scribes and Pharisees Every Sentence therein is a Maxim of Life and as it were an intire compleat Body of it self not a limb or member of any other particular Discourse Every full Sentence of it This Main Rule especially may be anatomized by it self without unripping any other adjoyning For which Reason some Learned have thought that St. Matthew was not curious to relate every sentence in that Rank and Order as it came from our Saviours Mouth but set them down as any one would do all the memorable good sentences he could call to mind of a good Discourse read or heard placing that perhaps first which was spoke last or that last which was spoke in the middest Yet if as in Description of Shires men usually annex some parts of the Bordering Countries any desire to have the Particular words or Speeches of our Saviour whereunto this Illative Therefore is to be referred he must look back unto the fifth Chapter of this Gospel verse 42. Give to him that asketh of thee and from him that would borrow turn thou not away For so St. Luke who is more observant of our Saviours method in this Sermon then St. Matthew in the sixth Chapter of his Gospel verse 30 31. Couples these two Sentences together which St. Matthew had set so farre asunder And immediately after the words of the Text he inferres by Arguments that Duty of loving our Enemies which he had set down the precept for before verse the 27. though St. Matthew place both Duty and Arguments immediately after the Sentence before cited viz. Give to him that asketh c. So that this Precept Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you c. as is most probable came in between the matter of that 42 and 43 verse of that fifth Chapter And yet it might be repeated again in the latter end of that Sermon by our Saviour At least for some special Use or Reason placed there by St. Matthew because being the Foundation or Principle whence all other Duties of Good Life are derived it seems the Evangelist would intimate thus much unto us That of all our Saviours Sermon which contained the very Quintessence of the Law this was the sum And for this Reason he adds that Testimonie concerning the Excellencie of this Rule which St. Luke omits namely That in it is contained the Law and the Prophets 5. The Method which I purpose by Gods Assistance to observe is This. First To set down the Truth and Equitie of the Rule it self Whatsoever ye would that men c. with the Grounds or Motives to the practise thereof Secondly To shew in what sense or how farre the Observation of it is The Fulfilling of the Law and the Prophets Doctrine with such Exceptions as may be brought against it Thirdly Of the meanes and method of putting this Rule in practise It was A Saying of the Father of Physiicans Natura est Medica let Physicians do what they can Nature must effect the Cure The Physician may either strengthen Nature when it is Feeble or ease it from the oppression of Humors But Nature must work the Cure This is in proportion true for matters of Moralitie or Good Life Natura est optima Magistra All that the best Teachers can perform in natural or moral Knowledge is but to help or cherish those natural Notions or Seeds of Truth and Goodness which are ingrafted in our Souls Art doth not infuse or pour in but rather ripen and draw out that which lay hid before And it is the skill of every instructor to apply himself to every mans nature and to begin with such Truths as every one can easily assent unto as soon as he hears them albeit without help of a Teacher he could not have found them out himself And yet the more easily we assent to any Truth the lesse we perceive how we were moved thereto and the lesse we perceive it the more ready we are to imagin that we did more then half move our selves or that we could have found out that by our selves which we have learned of others Whereas in truth there is nothing more hard then to speak to the purpose and yet so in matters of Morality and Good Life as every man of ordinary capacitie shall think upon the hearing of it that he could have invented or said the like Ut sibi
be we be but men whatsoever our estate be it is but Humane subject to chance and obnoxious to change Nature would tell us that whatsoever is evil whilest done unto us is evil also to be done to others And seeing there is no evil which we can do to others but the like may be done unto us we should be as unwilling to do any evil at all to others as we are to have any done to us For Nature it self doth as it were of course suggest a fear of being done to as men have done to others Hence springs that Negative precept Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris Again whatsoever is good whilst it is done to us the same is Good whilest done to others in like case nay as good to them as unto us And seeing All Good is to be desired we should be as desirous to do good to others as to have good done to our selves Yea seeing according to the mind of Christ Beatius est Dare quam accipere Acts 20. 36. to do good is better then to have good done to us as every action is better then Passion we should therefore be more desirous of that And hence riseth the Affirmative Precept Do as you would be done to Even the Heathen knew that it was better to give then to take Quas dederis solas semper habebis opes It was more to have a Conscience fraught with the memory of Good Turns done or benefits bestowed on others then to have store of possessions or goods and yet therewith to do little or no good 9. Yet are not these Two Rules so plain and evident unto natural Reason but natural passion and self-love will find exceptions against them There is no man will deny that these Rules were very Good in the old World or Golden Age or that they be Good now if all men would be content to observe them alike But he shall be sure to live by the losse that resolves to do better to any others then it is likely any will do to him Nay many in their heat of discontent at others bad usage of them will not stick quite to invert this Rule and think that it is just and right at least no wrong to use others as they have been used themselves Thus I have known some use more severity towards their inferiors then did well agree with their natural disposition only because they had been severely used by others whilest they were inferiors And this they think not amisse so they do it with no ill mind but only because they would not be the onely men that should be noted and marked as fit to suffer abuse and wrongs whilst their equals go Scot-free Thus sundry shut up from others by reason of infection have sought to infect others only because they would have companions in their miseries albeit it was not Man but God that brought that Bodily Evil upon them And thus many rude and barbarous Beggars being denied harbor or relief of such as might afford it them through a conceit of their own forlorn estate will seek to make others as poor or more miserable then themselves only that they may have some to be their equals or inferiors The like suggestions of evil and wrong in some degree or other will every mans Passions present unto his thoughts yet who so is but naturally wise either will not hear them or if this be too hard to put them off because passion is so familiar and intimate with the soul will not give sentence untill he have heard Reason speak which would oppose him Thus. 10. When thou wast hardly and despightfully used by others suppose abused in person disgraced in speech or indamaged in Goods c. did they well or ill that so did use thee If well why wast thou moved therewith Why dost thou complain Or rather why wouldst thou not be so well used again If evil they did why seekest thou then to imitate them in the evil which thou hatest for if it were evil in them whilst it was done to thee then will it be evil in thee whilst thou dost the like to others Yea perhaps much worse in thee because thou having suffered the like wrong before thou better knows what an heynous Fact it is to do the like For none knows none possibly can know so well what a greivous sin oppression is as he that hath been violently oppressed by others None can so distinctly perceive what an odious offence slander defamation or scurrilitie is as he that hath been scourged by scurrilous Tongues or wronged in his good Name by false accusers sly informers or envious whisperers Generally the nature and qualitie of all evil that happens to one man from another is much better known by suffering then by doing it For he that does it first perhaps scarce knows well what he doth he sees the nature of it but as it were afarre off But he that suffers it feels it at hand and knows it by experience Now the greater we know any evil to be and the more feeling touch we have of the nature and quality of it the more grievous is our sin if we practise the like Wherefore he that hath been most hardly dealt withall sins most if he deal so with others for he doth that to others which he is most unwilling should be done unto himself because he best knows the smart of the evil and according to his unwillingness of having the like done to himself will the smart of the sting of Conscience be for doing so to others Some perhaps or some mans Passions would here Reply These reasons hold true if we should so use them that never did us wrong as others have wrongfully used us but if the partie that used us ill come in our way we do him but right if we use him just so as he hath used us For Justice it self consists in Equalitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if we pay him but in the same measure that he did mete to us he is justly dealt withal It s true indeed he is but justly dealt withall because he is but done to as he had done to others So a thief or murderer is but justly dealt withall if he be hanged yet if every man that hath his goods stoln should do this which is but right unto a Thief or if every man that hath his friend or brother slain should but do that which is due and should be done unto a murderer not expecting the Judges sentence both might do themselves great wrong in doing that which was but right and due to the offenders respectively And so shall every one wrong his own soul and conscience that will prevent him in his judgements to whom vengeance belongeth by taking Revenge into his own hands and not expect his good leasure by lawful and publick means The Law of nature is Do As thou wouldst be done to not As thou hast been done to against thy will
For what-soever was evil in another whilst done to thee is evil in thee whilst thou dost the same to him Thy fact is as his fact and thy sin as his sin The evil is one and the same Only thou maist alledge that he was more prone to do the same evil because he did it without Provocation and thou dost it provoked that is as much as to say he hath overcome thee in evil but thou also art overcome of evil the evil hath overcome that which is good in Thee Thy passion overbears thy Reason and Judgement which is such an offence against the Law of nature as it would be against the Law of this Land if a Tumultuous multitude should take the Lawes as we say into their own hand and execute malefactors without the Judges or Magistrates consent 11. What then will some say shall I pocket up every wrong shall I make myself a But or mark for all to shoot at shall I prostitute my person to abuse my good name to slander my goods to spoil without redresse God forbid For vengeance is Gods and he will repay and he hath Powers on earth which bear not the sword in vain If it be an open injury by whose example if it should go unpunished others might be imboldened to do the like and if the present offendant might thereby grow insolent or retchless likely to do the like again to others as well as to thee Thou dost no way Transgresse rather Two ways observe This Rule of natures Law if thou solicit his chastisement at the Lawful Magistrates hand First Thou shalt teach the offender the practise of this Rule which before he knew not or neglected though bound thereto as well as Thou For when the Magistrate shall inflict upon him such punishment as shall be more grievous to him then the wrong that he did was to thee he will be as careful to avoid the doing as thou art to avoid the suffering of the same or like injurie This is The Rule of Publick punishments That they should alwayes be such as the party offending would be as unwilling to suffer as the party offended is to endure the wrong Secondly seeing all men naturally desire securitie from danger losse or disquietness and for this End wish that all private Disturbers of Publick Peace might either be amended or cut off Thou shalt do to others whom thou hast more reason to respect then the party offending as thou wouldst desire they should do for thee in the like case if thou seek for justice at the publick Magistrates hand whose Dutie it is to provide for all mens securitie and Peace Yea though perhaps thou do to this man offending as thou wouldst not be done to in like case yet shalt thou do to a great many others 〈◊〉 all honest men as thou wouldst that they should do to thee in the like Case Thou canst not but consider that other mens cases may be thine own and couldst be willing that if they had the like occasion of complaint and could make legal proof of wrong done they should prosecute their cause for thine and others securitie from the like For these Ends and purposes to prosecute any injurie done by any private person before a Publick Magistrate or wrongs done by an inferior Magistrate before his lawful Superior is but just and right a Dutie whereunto we are bound by the law of nature if the party offending be insolent and stub born likely to hold on his wonted course unlesse restrained by the Magistrate But if the offence be private betwixt thee and thy neighbour not likely to redound to any further publick Harm if it was an offence of infirmitie or proceeded from some natural unruly passion for which he is afterwards heartily sorie then thou art bound in conscience to remit it For if thou considerest thine own infirmities thou canst not but find thy self obnoxious to like passions and that thou maist at one Time or other be as far overseen and yet couldest wish in thine hart that such thine escapes or oversights should not be prosecuted to the uttermost but rather be pardoned upon submission or penitencie And experience doth teach us that such as are too rigid or austere censurers of other mens infirmities do oft-times fall into the like or worse themselves even into such as they are otherwise least inclined unto but in that they are men the sons of sinful Adam they are in some degree or other inclined unto any evil And therefore whilst they prosecute such as upon infirmitie or Passion fall into some Enormous crime as if they were not men but monsters or Noxious creatures of another kind their judgement is just if they themselves fall into the like that they may know themselves to be but men not altogether free from passion and infirmities Vide interpretes in 7. cap. St. Matthaei v. 1. See Plinies epist lib. 9. epist 12. 12. Thus far natural Reason may lead us in our sober thoughts That we should not do any harm to others because we would not have any other do harm to us or that we should forbear to prosecute the infirmities of others because we would have others bear with our own But yet if we consult nature alone it may seem doubtful whether a man be bound by her Lawes to do good unto his enemie as to relieve him in distresse to defend him in danger or the like This Rule of nature may seem not to bind men hereunto For many men oft-times would chuse to suffer great losse rather then to be beholden to their enemie sometimes rather to starve for hunger then to be upbraided with his Benevolence or to incur evident danger of Death rather then it should be said That his deadly enemie had preserved his life He that is thus minded the salvage and Giant-like spirit would say Bravely minded may in the Jollitie of his resolution think himself no way bound to do his enemie any good of whom he lookes for none nay of whom he would receive none though it should be thrust upon him Yet natural Reason and conscience so this man would hear them speak and abide their censure would condemn him if he refused to do good unto his enemie The Rule is mis-applyed by Passion for nature and Reason bid us That we should do that to every man which we would have any man do for us not to do that to this or that man which we expect from them alone Now there is no man so wilfull unless he be witlesse also but would be relieved in distresse delivered from danger and warranted from losse albeit not by this or that man whom he disliketh yet by some one or other whom he likes better Wherefore seeing Reason teacheth us That to do good to others as they are men is good it in self it teacheth us so we would learn of it to good unto whomsoever For why should enmitie or our enemy hinder us from doing that which
of the lost sheep and Groat His rejoycing for the recoverie of his strayed sheep was not his alone but his neighbours also Her sorrow for losse of her money was not only hers but her Gossips as after the finding it her joy was theirs too It is worth the consideration and I beseech you to consider what a madness it would seem to a wise man if because the finger did ake or pain him a mans head or heart and inward thoughts should presently resolve to cut it off or vex it more because it did vex them Yet such is our malice and madness if because our brother or fellow member in Christ so we must account all that Communicate with us in the same Sacraments doth vex or torment us we should therefore resolve to vex and torment him again This is A Symptome of such hellish Phrenzie as the Poet describes Ipse suos Artus lacero divellere morsu Certat As monstrous and pitifull a Spectacle to the eyes of Faith as it would be to the eyes of the Body to see as we have heard of some hanged quick in irons ready to starve for hunger and destitute of hopes of other food to eat the flesh of their armes to satisfie their gnawing entrals So monstrous is their sin so miserable their estate that to satiate their revengeful minds or to wreck their imbred spite do harm vex or torment their Fellow-members in Christ If you bite and devour one another saith the Apostle Gal. 5. 16. see that ye be not not consumed one of another His meaning is Whosoever doth vex or harm his brother shall feel the smart of it himself one time or other as certainly as the heart or soul that wounds or cuts an outward member shall feel the smart or want of it And again that whosoever yeelds any comfort to his distressed or comfortless brother shall as certainly be partaker of the good he does to him as the heart which directs or the hand which applies the medicine to any ill affected part shall find ease and rest by the mitigation of the sickly members pain 18. Would you then know the most certain compendious way to do your selves most good seek as far as in you lies to do good to all other men seek not your own good so much as the good of others or rather seek your own good especially by the means of doing good to others Consider that there is a great reward promised to such as do good to others but there is no promise made for doing good to our selves If we seek to inrich our selves or advance our estate we have our reward if we obtain riches or advancement but if we relieve those that be in necessitie if we assist or direct into good wayes those that for want of means may be tempted to ill courses To this double good work which both relieves the Body and rescues the soul There is appointed a great reward There is a reward promised to such as relieve the poor none to such as inrich themselves There is a reward promised to such as comfort the broken hearted none to such as solace themselves with mirth and passe their Time in pleasures There is a reward for those that raise Up them that fall none to them that being in competent estate seek to advance themselves If such as seek riches get riches if such as seek advancement get advancement verily they have their full reward But if they get or seek it to the prejudice of their poor brethren their sin is grievous And our Saviour Christ pronounceth A wo unto them Luke 6. 24. Wo unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation Is this the condition of all such as be rich no but of such rich ones as regard not understand not the poor Of such as seek to enrich themselves more then to relieve others Wo be to you that be full to wit when others are hungry and you give them not to eat Wo unto you that laugh to wit in time of Publick calamitie and wo when you should mourn with your brethren that do mourn for thus not doing unto them as you would be done unto in the like case God shall do that to you which you would not and give them their hearts desire God will turn their mourning into joy and your laughter into tears A False Balance saith Solomon is abomination to the Lord but a perfect weight pleaseth Him Pro. 11. 1. Now to be more desirous to do good to our selves then to others is as it were to buy with a greater measure and sell with a less For even this practise were no cousenage in Hucksters and marketters unless the Balance of their hearts and minds were unequally set before that is unless the measure of their desire of private gain were greater then their desire of doing good to others This is the point wherein their own Beam differs from or disagrees with Gods Balance hung up in their consciences Love thy neighbour as thy self Do as you would be done unto God that tryeth the very heart and reines doth weigh all our secret thoughts more exactly and curiously then we would weigh Gold and by how much we are more desirous to receive good from others then to do Them Good so much more shall we want of our hearts desire This is the second point wherein the Doctrine of Grace exceeds the Law of nature The Heathen had a surmise or fear that some like evil might befall them as they had done to others yet was not their expectation of punishment so certain but they thought it might be and often was prevented with policie or if they escaped unpunished in this life they thought themselves safe enough whereas we certainly know and believe that God will certainly bring all to equalitie and it shall go worst with them that go unpunished in this life for usually his punishments in this life bring men as it were to a composition with their adversaries both teaching them to do as they would be done unto and to repent for the wrongs they have committed but such as passe this life unpunished and impenitent are arrested at their first entry into the other they fall immediately into the Jaylors hands from whence there is no Redemption 19. Thus much of the First Point according to the method proposed § 5. that is Of the equitie of the Precept and of the Grounds or motives which might incite us to the performance of it either drawn from the Law of Nature or from the Law of Grace the Holy Gospel Of the Second Point that is In what sense The Observation of it is the fulfilling the Law and Prophets or How The Command it self contains the Summe of the Law and Prophets afterward Here only for A Ground to Application I take it as granted That natural Reason and the written Law teach every man what is good for himself and whereon to set his desires And this Rule of Nature and
Jonathans Death nor when the Angel of the Lord had smitten his people with the Plague of Pestilence Those against whom Amos speaks did sin in that they had their pleasant musick whilst their brethrens miseries did call them to the house of mourning These had their delightful Ditties whilst their brethren were ready to sing the Lords Song in a strange Land This was it that did so displease the Lord that they were so desirous to please themselves with these or any other delights whilst his heavy wrath was upon their neighbor Countries They drink VVine in Bowls and annoint themselves with the choice Ointments but no man is sorry for the afflictions of Joseph This was a grievous sin in Judah that they were not sorry for the affliction of Israel that is of the ten Tribes It was a grievous sin in the Princes and Nobles that they did not mourn and lament for the miseries of the mean and common People Therefore saith the Lord now shall they go Captive with the first that go captive and the sorrow of them that stretch themselves is at hand So certain it is That God will make their miserie greatest that will not equalize themselves in publick Calamities to their Brethren The Second Sermon upon this Text. CHAP. XXXIII MATTH 7. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even so unto them For this is the Law and the Prophets The Second General according to the Method proposed Chapt. 32. Sect. 5. handled This Precept Do as ye would be done to more then Aequivalent to that Love thy neighbor as thy self For by Good Analogie it is Applicable to all the Duties of the first Table which we owe to God for our very Being and all his other Blessings in all kinds bestowed on us Our desires to receive Good things from God ought to be the measure of our Readiness to return obedience to his will and all other duties of dependents upon his Grace and Goodness God in giving Isaac did what Abraham desired And Abraham in offering Isaac did what God desired Two Objections made and answered 1. That This Rule may seem to establish the Old Pythagorean Error of Retaliation and the new One of Paritie in Estates 2. That the Magistrate in punishing offendors it seems in some Case must of necessitie either violate this Rule or some other THat this Precept Do as ye would be done to doth contain as much as that Other Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self is evident to every man at the first sight For that we desire either to have any good or no evil done unto us it is from the love we bear unto our selves And if we could be as desirous to do all good and as unwilling to do any evil unto others as we are to have the one done the other not done to our selves our love to Others and Our selves would be equal And if we love others or our neighbours as our selves then we have fulfilled the Law So St. Paul saith Rom. 13. 8. Owe nothing to any man but to love one another for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law for this Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witnesse Thou shalt not covet And if there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying even in this Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self But here ariseth a Question concerning the extent of these words If there be any other Commandment The Frame or Form of Speech is Universal and may seem to import thus much If there be any other Commandment whatsoever Notwithstanding the best Interpreters usually restrain it thus If there be any Commandment of the second Table it is comprehended in this short saying Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self Whereas St. Paul had here reckoned up all the Commandments of the Second Table save only one which indeed is rather the Medius Terminus or coupling of the First and Second Table as much belonging to the one as to the other that is Honour thy Father and thy Mother More fitly might the same words be restrained thus If there be any other commandment whether one of those Ten mentioned Exod. 20. or elswhere in the Law which concerns the duty of man to man be it one or be they more they be contained in This saying Love thy neighbour as thy self But as for our duty towards God or those four Commandments of the First Table they may seem no way comprehended in the former Saying and this restraint may it seems be gathered from our Saviours Doctrine Matth. 22. ver 37. For being asked which was the greatest Commandment in the Law He answered Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart with all thy soul and with all thy mind This is the first and great Commandment As if he had said This is that Commandment which contains in it most of the Rest or all that concern our duty towards God But there is A second like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self and on these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets Hence as some collect our Saviour in my Text saith not This is the whole Law and the Prophets But This is the Law and the Prophets because This precept to their seeming is but equivalent unto That Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self which is but One and the lesse of the Two on which hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets 2. Yet may it be further Questioned In what sense These Commandments are said to be Two as whether they be as we say Primò diversa as distinct as the Commandments of Murther and Theft neither of which is any way included in the other or dependent upon it Or whether they be only so distinguished as the Old Testament and the New that is as is said Novum Testamentum velatum est in veteri et vetus Revelatum in Novo The New Testament is in the Old but invailed and the Old revealed in the New so we may say That the first and great Commandment Of loving God withall our heart and all our soul is implicitly contained in the second of loving our neighbours as our selves and the second again expressly or impulsively contained in the former Thus much is certain that no man loves his neighbour aright unless he love him for Gods sake whom He loves above all and whose love commands all other love In this sence saith St. James whosoever shall keep the whole law besides and fail in one Commandment that is wittingly and willingly or if he would grant himself an Indulgence or dispensation of breaking that one He is guiltie of all Why of all St. James adds He that said thou shalt not commit Adulterie said also thou shalt not kill His meaning is He that gave one commandment gave all and therefore he that breakes one willingly
outwardly and for fashion sake unless it be to persons of their own Rank whose evils and calamities they can apprehend as their own Secondly which is the worst of evils that can be imagined whilst they perform some Branches of the Affirmative Precept that is whilst they seek to pleasure others in their eagre desires of preferment or such things wherein they would be pleasured again they bring a necessity upon themselves of transgressing the Negative part of this Precept that is Of doing that to others which they would not have done unto themselves if they were in their Case I am perswaded That the miseries which fall upon the inferior sorts of men by the mutual desires of great men to do one to another as they would be done unto that is by pleasuring one another in their suites of honour preferment or inlarging their estates are more then all that God doth otherwise lay upon them in this life Many thousands whom God never cursed are by these meanes forced to seek their bread in stony places And is it possible that any man can perswade himself that if he were in such poor mens Cases he should be well pleased with their dealings who seek to enlarge their superfluities by the certain diminishing of other mens necessaries for life And yet who is he almost that thinks he doth not observe this Precept well enough if he be willing to do another man as good a Turn as he expects from him although he know not to whose harm it may redound If no determinate person for the present feel the smart they think Conscience hath no cause to cry As if God Almighty did not see as well what evil will hereafter insue as what is present and did not punish immoderate desires which necessarily bring on with them publick Calamities as well as outragious but private Facts 7. With this Fallacie A Dicto secundum quid ad Simpliciter we usually deceive our selves in the performance of this Dutie We think it sufficient to do as we have been done unto or if we do to some one or few as we expect from them or as we could desire to be done unto if their Case were ours Whereas we should examin it not from our affection to This or That man but by our Indifferencie of receiving and Returning good towards All. Oft-times to do one man good may be conjoyned with some others harm whom we have more reason to respect And here we may quickly mistake in the proposal of their Exigence as our own If you fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture which saith Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self ye do well saith St. James Chap. 2. 4. But if ye regard persons ye commit sin and are rebuked of the Law as Transgressors The Apostles Discourse in that place inferres as much as I have said And his meaning is that which our Saviour had taught in the Parable of the Samaritan That every man as man is our neighbor and therefore this Dutie of loving others as our selves and doing as we would be done unto was to be performed to all alike without respect of persons For that which we are to respect is the Exigence of their estate So much is Formally and Essentially included in the Dutie it self Not that we may not be more ready to do good to one man then to another for this we may do without respect of Persons Do good to all but especially to such as are of the Houshold of Faith The Object of this Dutie is man as man in his lawful desires Our love then or readiness of doing good must be increased according to the just exigencies of their desires where These are equal our desire of doing good may be augmented according to particular respects of nearness c. as To a Christian before a Turk to an English man before another For if we must love others as our selves we must be most ready to respect that in others which we in a Regular Way desire should be most respected in our selves Now next to eternal happiness life and the necessities thereof we most respect And if we stand in danger of losing the one or suffer want of the other we desire that those main Chances as we say may be secured before we begin to hunt after pleasures or superfluities If then we must Do to all men as we would be done unto without respect of persons that is excluding none we must first releive the necessities of such as want and tender the life of such as are in sickness or danger and then if occasion require we may require or deserve kindnesses in matters of innocuous pleasure as in feasting sporting furthering mens advancements or the like Otherwise to respect the pleasuring of a Dear Friend in these before the Releif of an Enemies necessities is preposterous and a breach of the Law Because it is to have respect of persons 8. The Rule is General in all Christian duties Our affections must be directed to the Adaequate Object as we term it and set not more upon one part then another but upon every essential part alike Or if any increase of affection or liking be to be made it should alwayes proceed from the increase of some Exigence essentialy included in the right Motive or Ground of our affection or from some Actual Intention of that Qualitie or Propertie in some part of the Object which is the Modus Considerandi or which is the allurement or Term of our desires or affections Otherwise setting our affections more upon one part than upon another for some Extrinsecal or Accidental Reasons not included as we say in modo Considerandi in the Formal Reason or property of the Object the observing of our duty in that part doth usually inforce a Defalcation or breach of it in some other just as uneven and irregular zeal to one or some few Commandments doth alwayes produce a dispensing with or neglect of the rest Ense Thyestaeo poenas exegit Orestes Orestes in seeking to Revenge his Fathers unnatural violent Death did no otherwise then he himself would have given the Son of his Body in charge if he had lyen upon his Death-bed But yet he ought this honour to his cruel and adulterous Mother to have let her die at least by some others Hands not to have imbrued his own in her blood not to have taken life from that body from which he received life The Poets Censure of his Fact is accute Mixtum cum pietate nefas dubitandaque Caedis Gloria maternae laudem cum crimine pensat A righteous man saith Solomon is merciful to his beast but the mercies of the wicked are cruel Pity upon dumb beasts is commanded in the Law especially to such as do man service And he that is merciful unto them upon a true respect in as much as they are partakers with us of Life and sense and communicate with us in our more general nature will be
the whole Latitude of his lawful wonted liberties were to transgress the bounds of Religious discretion yea to outrage in licentiousness So heavie were the burthens which the Lord had laid upon the mothers neck that for her best born sons not to stoop at her dejection bewrayes in them a stubborn spirit of untimely ambition 2. The least quantitie of food that could be assigned was more then this people might lawfully take during the time of their solemn fasts And the meanest external contentments which Baruch at this instant could affect must needs be deemed A great matter because too much in these dayes of publick sorrow and discomfort All he sought for was to be freed from the danger disgrace and scorn of Great Ones in whom he saw matter store of Just reproof but little hope of amendment And who will be forward to procure his own harm by free speeches without probabilitie of doing others good Baruch had once adventured to read all the Woes of this Prophecie in a solemn assembly of all sorts A task which with fair pretence of conscience might easily have been avoided by him If reading the word of God as he found it penned by others might in no Case go for preaching Unless the Lord had hid them he for reading and Jeremy for indicting had been used perhaps as the Roll was wherein this burthen was written Now the Roll Jehoiakim King of Judah did cut with his penknife and after cast it into the fire till it was consumed Jeremie 36. 23. But though the paper were subject to the flame as Christs body to use Theodorets application of this Type was unto death yet the word of the Lord endures for ever And this is the word of the Lord which came to Ieremie and which Baruch was to preach after the King had burnt the Roll and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremie Take again another roll and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll which Iehoiakim the King of Iudah burnt And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim the King of Judah Thus saith the Lord Thou hast burnt this roll saying why hast thou written therein saying that the King of Babel shall certainly come and destroy this land and shall take thence both man and beast c. 3. Baruch's late persecution and hard escape for being the imprisond prophets hand and mouth in notifying the Contents of the former Rolles unto Prince and People might well make him shrink at writing or preaching this latter being purposely replenished with the addition of many like words to the former because more personally directed to Jehoiakim Out of the abundance either of grief and sorrow during the time of his Latitation from the Kings Inquisitors or out of present fear least the Tyrants rage might be inlarged against him for undertaking this second Charge imposed upon him by Jeremy or as it is likely upon both occasions did he utter those Complaints registred in the third verse of this Chapter Wo is me now for the Lord hath laid sorrow unto my sorrow I fainted in my mourning and I can find no rest But why should it grieve him not to find what the Lord had commanded him not to seek for this is the Tenor of the message which Jeremy was to deliver unto him The Lord saith thus Behold that which I have built will I destroy and that which I have planted will I pluck up even this whole Land And seekest thou great things for thy self Seek them not c. 4. The sum of what I principally have or would have observed out of the words of this Text may be comprised in these Two Propositions 1. The desire of a faithful man specially of a publick Minister must alwayes be suited to the condition of the times wherein and of the parties with whom he lives 2. In times of publick calamitie or desolation the bare Donative of life and libertie is a priviledge more to be esteemed then the prerogative of Princes Or in other Terms thus Exemption from general plagues is more then a full recompense for all the grievances which attend our ministerial charge or service in denouncing them Unto the Former the truth of whose Doctrine must be the principal subject of my present meditations I shall add or annex this Useful Corollarie As the intemperate desire of myrth of pleasure or preferment in the dayes of publick Calamitie is in every private man preposterous So where the humor is general it is the usual Symptom of a forlorn or dying state or fearful sign that God hath forsaken the land and people wherein it raigneth Seekest thou great things for thy self Seek them not c. What were the great things which Baruch sought Excessive pleasure wealth or honour Any positive delight more then ordinary or solace greater then could agree with his calling Any exemption from tax or trouble common to all The principal if not the only fault for which he was taxed by the Prophet was his untimely desire of ordinary ease of freedom from extraordinary and thankless pains in service distastful to the present State and therefore dangerous Did ever the austerest Founder of most superstitious strict Orders tie their Followers to a more rigid Rule then Baruch here is bound unto The Predicant or begging Frier may interpret his ministerial Commission in the strictest sense He does not ride but go as bare footed as he was born to Preach the Gospel unto every Creature under heaven unto stocks and stones as St. Francis his Father they say hath fondly taught him But unto which of them was it by Rule of Founder enjoyned Or what monkish Votary did ever voluntarily undertake to proclaim Romes final desolation in St. Peters Church in the year of Jubily Or menace downfal to red Hats and the triple Crown in the Consistory Yet all together such no easier was the task which Jeremy had enjoyned Baruch Was this Injunction then given him by way of Counsel or necessary Precept Did he super-erogate ought in undertaking Or had he not grievously sinned in refusing this necessary but hard and dangerous service Surely a Necessity not from the General Law but from the particular Circumstances of the time was laid upon him and a Woe had followed it if he had not read the Prophet Jeremies Prophecie The Scholar was not greater then his Master nor his liberty more Both their liberties were alike great yet both subordinate both subject to the diversitie of times and seasons Both were free in their persons both free in their actions and choise of life yet both absolutely bound to walk as they were called 5. Had not Jeremy as good authority as Isaiah and his fellow Prophets had to have taken a Wife of the Daughters of his people Doubtless the Law was one to Both and Matrimony alike lawful to Both What then did restrain Jeremy of that liberty which Isaiah used Nothing but instant necessitie
which knows no Law could make the use of the Law unlawful to him because most unexpedient for the present So the Lord had said Jerem. 16. 9. Behold I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes even in your dayes the voice of mirth and the voyce of gladness the voyce of the Bridegroom and the voyce of the Bride And seeing the Lord at this time had determined not to pipe unto this people Ieremy had greatly offended if he had been taken in their marriage Dances He knew Children were an heritage which cometh from the Lord that the fruit of the womb was his reward and that in the multitude of sons was store of blessings Marriage he knew to be honorable amongst all but at this time unseasonable for him Good seed is well sown when it is likely the Crop may stand and prosper He planteth well that plants in hope to reap the fruits of his own Labours But who sowes wheat unto the winter floods or plants a vineyard for his fuel why then should Jeremy at this time become an Husband to beget Sons unto the sword Or take a Wife to bring forth Daughters to destruction To this purpose the Lord had inhibited Jeremy in particular But the Reason of the inhibition in like times is perpetually General Yhou shalt not take thee a VVife nor have Sons nor Daughters in this place For thus saith the Lord concerning the Sons and concerning the Daughters that are born in this place and concerning their Mothers that bear them and concerning their fathers that beget them in this Land They shall die of grievous deathes and diseases they shall not be lamented neither shall they be buried but they shall be as dung upon the earth and they shall be consumed by the sword and by famine and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and for the beasts of the earth Ier. 16. 1. The Prophets and sweet singers of Ierusalem and Iudah had sometimes brought them such joyful Ambassages of their espousals unto their God Their Princes and people had formerly known such happy dayes of joy securitie and peace that for Ieremy and Baruch to have then affected this rigid course of life which now they follow would have been but as the taking up of a sad or doleful Madrigall at a marriage feast or as the acting of some ominous direful Tragedy upon a Coronation day But seeing the glory is now departing from Israel the Bridegroom leaving their coasts their mother whom the Lord had once betrothed unto himself in surest bonds of dearest love stands liable to the sentence of final divorce The Children of the Bride-chamber specially Ieremiah and Baruch must betake themselves to fasting prayer and mourning Now to have used their wonted solace mirth or feasting would have been all one as if the one had piped the other had danced a wanton Jigge or Corranto in the Solemnities of their mothers Funerals or as if they had marcht together in a morisce-dance over their fathers Grave 6. Had that late Fugitive or other his Fellow Postillers learned thus to distinguish times and seasons The supposed difference between Precepts necessary to all and Evangelical Counsels peculiar to such as aim at Extraordinary perfection would clearly appear to be but a Dream or imagination which hath no root but ignorance Their error perhaps may thus be rectified if to discover the Original thereof be enough to rectifie it Many Divine Precepts there be from whose absolute and soveraign Necessitie no powers on earth can plead exemption and yet the practises enjoyned by them are neither necessary to all nor expedient for any at sometimes or in some places Because the Precepts themselves may be Disjunctive or opposite branches of some more General Mandate It will not follow This or That man in former Ages hath done many Good works pleasant and acceptable unto God such as not the godliest man living is bound at this time to do Ergo he did supererogate in doing them that is in plain English he did more then he was bound to do For though rebus sic stantibus no man be bound yet every man say we stands bound by the Eternal and unchangeable Law of God to do the like as often as the same external occasions shall be offered or the like internal suggestions be made unto him by The signes of the Times or disposition of Gods providence But here By the Eternal Law of God we are not bound to understand only the Ten Commandments The Decalogue if without offence Gods Words may be so compared contains only the Praedicamental Rules or Precepts of the eternal Law Other divine precepts there be more Transcendental which have the same Use in matters of Christian practise or true Observation of the ten Commandments as General maxims have in particular Sciences Such a Precept in respect of the second Table is that Love thy neighbor as thy self By this precept every man stands necessarily bound to perform more then ordinary Charitie toward his neighbour as often as his neighbours occasions to use his charitable help are more then ordinary The same Use in respect of both the Tables hath that other Precept Whatsoever ye would have done to you so do ye to others Most General likewise and most indispensable are these Two mandates Let every man walk as he is called Time must be redeemed when dayes are evil And seeing the inhabitants of every Country stand bound Jointly and severally to glorifie God by due observation of his Commandments The more licentiously others violate any one or more negative precepts his Children alwayes know themselves tyed in conscience to so much more strickt observance of the contrary Affirmatives which are alwayes understood in the Negative The measure of their sobrietie and devotion must be taken from others excess in Luxury and prophaneness Briefly the prohibitions or injunctions expresly contained in the Decalogue or others parts of the moral Law describe the General bounds or limits without which we may not within which we must continually walk Our observation of Gods Providence and signes of the times will best direct us to such particulars within those Limits as are most expedient for the present The several exigence of every season and the necessitie and conditions of the parties with whom we live will notifie the definite measure or exact quantitie of such good offices or performances as the eternal Law requireth of us To be well instructed what is most fitting for the season every man must ask counsel of his own heart but after his heart examined by the Rules of the eternal Law hath informed him what is fit and expedient it is no matter of Counsel but of necessary Precept to do it and that in such measure as the Exigence of time of place and persons require Albeit others which have not had the like occasions to consult their own hearts be not bound to do the like And some it may be
Reformation and Refining was that they made The Church which in their Language was the bodie of the Clergie A body Politick or kingdom distinct from the body of the Layetie holding even Christian Kings and Emperours to be Magistrates meerly Temporal or civil altogether excluded from medling in affairs Ecclesiastick Now this being granted the Supream Majestie of every kingdom State or nation should be wholly seated in the Clergie The greatest Kings and Christian Monarchs on earth should be but meer vassals to the Ecclesiastick Hierarchie or at the most in such subordination to it as Forraign Generals and Commanders in chief are to the States or Soveraignties which imploy them who may displace them at their pleasure whensoever they shall transgresse or not execute their instructions or Commissions For this reason as in the handling of the first verses of the 13. Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans hath been declared unto you before All the disputes or Lawes concerning the Supremacie of Kings or Free States within their own Dominions were to no purpose unlesse this Root of mischief and Rebellion be taken away which makes the Clergie a body politick or Common-weal Ecclesiastick altogether distinct from the Layetie-Christian Now this erroneous Root of mischief hath been well removed by the Articles of Religion established in this Church and Land Article the 37. wherein The same authoritie and power is expresly given to the Kings of this Realm and their successors which was in use and practise amongst the Kings of Judah and the Christian Emperors when kingdoms and Common-weales did first become Christian The Law of God and of nature will not suffer the Soveraign Power in Causes Ecclesiastick to be divorced from the Supream Majestie of any Kingdom or free Soveraigntie truely Christian But what be the contrary Errors into which such as take upon them to be Reformers of the Reformation already made have run headlong Or how do they the same things wherein they judge the Romanists The Romanists as they well observe deserve condemnation by all Christian States for appropriating the Name or Soveraign Dignitie of the Church unto the Clergie and by making the Prerogative of Priests and Prelates to be above the Prerogatives of Kings and Princes The Contrary faction of Reformers not content to deprive the Clergie of those civil Immunities and priviledges wherewith the Law of God the Law of Nations and the Fundamental Law of this Kingdom have endowed them will have them to be no true members of the Common-weale or Kingdom wherein they live Or at the best but such Inferior members of the Common-weale as the Papists make the Layetie to be of the Church men that shall have no voice in making those Coercive Lawes by which they are to be governed and to govern their flocks yea men that shall not have necessary voyces in determining controversies of Religion or in making Rules and Canons for preventing Schisme I should have been afraid to beleeve thus much of any sober man professing Christianitie unlesse I had seen A book to this purpose perused as is pretended in the Frontispice by the Learned in the Laws But the Author hath wisely concealed his own name and the names of those learned in the Lawes which are in grosâ—â— pretended for its Approbation And therefore I shall avoid suspition of ayming at any particular out of mis-affection to his person in passing this general Censure No man could have had the heart to write it no man the face to read it without blushing or indignation but he that was altogether unlearned and notoriously ignorant in the Law of God in the Law of nature and in the Fundamental points of Christianitie 6. All Errors in this kind proceed from these Originals First The Authors of them Charitie may hope by Incogitancie or want of consideration rather than out of Malice seek to subject the Clergie unto the same Rule unto which the Church was subject for the first 300. years after Christ during which time the Kings and Emperours under which the Christians lived were Heathens And whilst the chief Governours were such no Christians could exercise Coercive Authoritie as to Fine imprison or banish any that did transgresse the Lawes of God or of the Church The Apostles themselves could use no other manner of punishment besides delivering up to Satan Excommunication or inhibition from hearing the word or receiving the Sacraments Secondly the Authors of the former Errors consider not That whilest the Church was in this subjection to meer Civil and not Christian Power the Lay-Christians of what rank soever though noble men by birth were as straightly confined and kept under as were the Clergie Yea the Clergie in those times had greater authoritie over Lay-Christians then any other men had Authority much greater over the greatest then any besides the Romish Prelates do this day challenge over the meanest of their flocks But after Kings and Emperors and other supream Magistrates were once converted to the Christian Faith their dignities were no whit abated but gained this Addition to their former Titles that they were held supream Magistrates in Causes Ecclesiastick That is they had power of calling Councils and Synods for quelling Schisms and Heresies in the Church power likewise to punish the Transgressors of such Laws or Canons as had been made by former Godly Bishops or Prelates which lived under Heathen States or of such as the Bishops or Clergy which lived under their Government should make for the better Government of Christs Church Unto punishments meerly spiritual which the Apostles and Bishops had formerly only used Christian Emperors added punishments temporal as imprisonment of body loss of goods exile or death according to the nature and qualitie of the transgression But that any Laws or Canons were made by Christian Kings or Emperors for the Government of the Church or that any Controversies in Religion were determined without the Express Suffrages and Consents of Bishops and Pastors though all wayes ratified by the Soveraigntie of the Nation or State for whom such Canons were made no man until these dayes wherein we live did ever question 7. And of such as question or oppose Episcopal Authoritie in these Cases I must say as once before out of this place in like case I did If Heathen they be in heart and would perswade the Layetie again to become Heathens their Resolutions are Christian at least their conclusions are such as a good Christian living under Heathens would admit But if Christians they be in heart and profession their Conclusions are heathenish or worse For what Heathen did ever deny their Priests the chief stroke or sway in making Lawes or ordinances concerning the Rites or service of their Gods or in determining Points Controverted in Religion To conclude this Point The men that seek to be most contrary to the Romish Church and are most forward to judge her for enlarging the Prerogative of Priesthood beyond its ancient
bounds do the same things she doth by Equivalencie and run to the same End by a quite contrary way The Romish Church it cannot be denyed makes her Popes and Prelates with other Pillars of their Church plain Idols They which out of an undiscreet and furious zeal seem most to abhor this kind of Idolatry commit Sacrilege and rob God of his honour as the Romish Church doth And he that robs God of his honour doth the very same thing and no other which an Idolater doth Now they are said in Scripture to rob God of his honour and to commit an abomination more then heathenish for the heathen do not spoil their Gods which defraud him of his tithes offrings which were due unto the Priest for his ministration and service in Gods House But they rob God of his honour more immediately and more directly which despise or contemn his Embassadors not in word only but in taking that Authority from them which he hath expresly given unto them and which is worst of all in seeking to alienate it unto them over whom he hath in matter of salvation appointed them Guides and Overseers That Precept of our Apostle I am sure will stand good when all Laws or Intendments of Laws to confront it will fail Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves Heb. 13. 17. What Rule doth he mean meerly Civil or Temporal No! What then Ecclesiastick Not that only But the Rule of Government spiritual such as is proper to the Bishops of the Church For so it follows for they to whom you are to submit your selves watch for your souls as they that must give an accompt and you are therefore to obey that they may do their office with joy and not with grief for that saith the Apostle is unprofitable for you Now that in this plenty of preaching and frequencie in hearing The most hearers profit so little in the School of Christ the true Reason is for that men do not submit themselves unto their Pastors in such sort as they ought but think it his Duty or Office only to preach and their duty only to hear not to be Ruled or Governed by him whereas the ones preaching is vain and the others hearing is vain unless this duty of obedience be first planted in their hearts The Pastors Grief which ariseth from neglect or contempt of this Duty will prove in the issue the Peoples Curse 8. But the main stream of Popery from which the name of Babylon is derived unto Rome was the Absolute Infallibilitie of the Romish Church Representative The branches of this supposed absolute Infallibilitie were Two The First That the sense of Scriptures which that Church doth maintain or avouch concerning Faith or Manners is alwayes Authentick undoubted and true But whereas many Points as well of Doctrine as Practise concerning Faith and Manners were in that Church established by Prescription and Use without so much as any Pretence of warrant from Scripture They were inforced in the Second Place to maintain That the Unwritten Traditions of the Church were of equal Authoritie with the Scriptures and that the present Church was as Infallible in her Testimony of the One as in her Judgment of the other The Infallible Consequence of which supposed Infallibilitie is This That the people were absolutely to believe whatsoever that Church should propound unto them as a Point of faith or practise commendable and to abjure whatsoever that Church should condemn for heresie or ungodliness By Absolute Belief or obedience they intend a belief or obedience not only without Condition or scruple in the first undertaking but without Reservation of appeal upon any new discovery of dangers unseen unsuspected in the first undertaking The Churches Authority once declared was in their Divinity sufficient to quell or put to silence all succeeding Replies or mutterings of Conscience Both these dangerous Errors were well Reformed The later stream or puddle of Traditions in a manner drained by this Church and State For every Bishop at his Consecration doth solemnly promise or vow not to propound any thing to the people as a Point of Faith unless it be either expresly conteined in the Scripture or may be thence deduced by necessary Inference To bind or tie all Bishops thus solemnly unto the observance of this Rule the wisdom of those Times had these Reasons Not only to curb or restrain the licentious Abuse of Bishops former Authoritie but because they knew that the people were in many Cases concerning the service of God and other Christian duties bound to yeeld more credence and obedience to their Bishops and Pastors then unto men not called to Sacred or Pastoral Function It is One Thing to believe any Doctrinal Proposition as A Point of Faith necessary to salvation Another to believe it so far as we may safely adventure upon any practise or duty injoyned by superiors That is to believe it not Absolutely but Conditionally and out of such belief to obey them not absolutely but conditionally that is with reservation of freedom or libertie when either the truth shall be better discovered then now it is or greater dangers appear then for the present we do suspect The Obedience which we give unto Superiors may be Ex Fide of Faith albeit the points of doctrine or the perswasions out of which we yeeld this obedience be not De Fide No points of Faith or necessary to salvation 9. But a great many well-meaning men there were who shortly after this happy Reformation could not content themselves to stand upon such sure Termes of Contradiction unto the Romish Church as the first Reformers had done but sought in this Point which was indeed above all others to be abhorred to be most extremly Contrary unto her Wherein then doth that Contradiction to the Romish Church wherein the first Reformers of Religion did entrench themselves and wherein doth the Extream Contrarietie whereunto others more Rigid Reformers if they could have effected their Projects would have drawn this Church and Land consist The Romish Church as you heard before did make Unwritten Traditions a Part of the Rule of Faith as soveraign as the written Word of God and did obtrude those observances which had no other warrant then such Tradition as altogether necessary to salvation The First Reformers of this Error were contented to contradict them only in this And their Contradiction is expresly mainteined partly in the Articles of Religion partly in the Book of Consecration of Bishops The Contradiction is This That all things necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture which is all one as to say That the Scripture is the only Rule of Faith Yet did they not for all this utterly reject All use of Tradition or Ceremonies as you may find expressed in the thirty fourth Article in which though Rites and Ceremonies or other customs of the Church be not injoyned in particular as they take for granted by God himself
manner of Gods augmenting the punishments or plagues upon succeeding Generations which would not take warning by the punishments of their fore-fathers usually runs by the scale of seven Every man that seeth me saith Cain after the Lord had convented him for killing his brother will kill me whereas there was not a man in the world besides his father and himself But a mans Conscience as we say is a thousand witnesses And his Conscience did sufficiently convict him to have deserved Execution whereas there was neither Witness nor Executioner According to this Sentence engraven in this murtherous heart did God afterwards enjoyn Noah and gave it in express Commandement under his hand to Moses Whosoever doth shed mans blood by man shall his blood be shed If this Law were Just amongst the Israelites why was it not executed upon Cain the first Malefactor in this kind Nay why doth God expresly exempt him from it and punish him with exile only Doubtless this was from His Gracious Universal Goodness which alwayes threats before it strike offereth favour before he proceed to Judgment and mingleth Judgment with Mercie before he proceed in rigor of Justice Now Cain had no former warning how displeasant murther was to God and therefore is not so severely punished as every murtherer after him must be For so it is said Gen. 4. 15. Whosoever slayeth Cain vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold Yet for any of Seths Posteritie to have killed murtherous Cain had been a sin in its nature farre less then for Cain to murther his righteous brother yet by Rule of divine Justice to be more greivously punished then Cains murther was because in him they had their Warnings 6. The same Proportion God observes in visiting the sins of Fathers upon their Children So in that Great Covenant of Life and Death made with the Israelites Levit. 26. 14 15 16. After promise of extraordinary blessings to the Observers of his Law the Lord thus threatneth the transgressors But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these Commandements And if ye despise my Statutes or if your soul abhor my Judgments so that ye will not do all my Commandements but that ye break my Covenant I also will do this unto you I will even appoint over you terror consumption c. But if for all this they will not yet turn unto him he will plague them still with the pursuit of their enemies Nay it followeth verse 18 And if ye will not hearken unto me then will I punish you seven times more for your sins and if all this will not reclaim them these later plagues shall be seven times multiplied and this third plague three hundred forty three times greater then the first and the fourth Transgression shall likewise be multiplied by seven So that the same Apostasie or rebellion not amended after so many warnings if we may call the literal meaning to strict Arithmetical Account shall in the end be One thousand one hundred ninety seven times more severely punished then the first But it is likely that a Certain Number was put for an uncertain That the visitation of sins of Fathers upon their Children may be continued seventy Generations even from the first giving of the Law by Moses unto the worlds End is apparent from the verses following Levit. 26. 37. unto This Yet will the Lord still remember the Covenant made with Abraham c. For not putting this Rule or Law of confessing their fathers sins in practise the Children of that Generation which put our Lord and Saviour to death are punished this day with greater hardness of heart then the Scribes and Pharisees were For however They were the very Paterns of Hypocrisie yet had they so much sense or feeling of conscience that they did utterly dislike their Fore-fathers Actions and thought to super-erogate for their Fathers transgressions by erecting the Tombs or garnishing the Sepulchres of the Prophets whom their Fathers had murthered or stoned to death But these modern scattered Jews will not to this day confess their fore-fathers sins nor acknowledge that they did ought amiss in putting to death the Prince of Prophets and Lord of Life And their Fathers sins until they confess them are become their sins and shall be visited upon them To confess the sins of their Fathers according to the intendment or purpose of Gods Law implies an hearty Repentance for them and repentance truly hearty implies not only an Abstinence from the same or like transgressions wherewith their Fathers had provoked Gods wrath but a zealous Desire or Endeavour to glorifie God by constant Practise of the Contrary vertues or works of Piety This Doctrinal Conclusion may easily be inferred from the afore-cited 18. of Ezekiel 7. Sin is more catching then the Pestilence and no marvel if the plagues due for it to the Father in the course or doom of Justice seize on the Son seeing the contagion of sin spreads from the unknown Malefactor to his neighbors from the Fields wherein it is by Passengers committed into the bordering Cities or Villages unless the Attonement be made by Sacrifice and such solemn deprecation of guilt as the Law in this Case appoints Deut. 21. 1 2 c. If one be found slain in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possesse it lying in the field and it be not known who hath slain him Then thy Elders and Judges shall come forth and shall measure to the Cities which are round about him that is slain And it shall be that the City which is next unto the slain man even the Elders of that City shall take a Heifer which hath not been wrought with and which hath not drawn the yoak And that City shall bring down the Heifer into a rough valley which is neither cared nor sown and shall strike off the Heifers neck there in the valley And the Priests the sons of Levi shall come neer for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him and to bless in the name of the Lord and by their word shall every controversie and stroke be tryed And all the Elders of that City that are next to the slain man shall wash their hands over the Heiser that is to be beheaded in the valley And they shall answer and say Our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it Be merciful O Lord unto thy people Israel whom thou hast redeemed and lay not innocent blood unto thy People of Israels charge and the blood shall be forgiven them So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the Lord. The nearer unto us Actual Transgressors be the more they should provoke our zealous endeavors for performance of contrary duties otherwise Gods Justice will in time over-sway his mercie and plagues first procured by some one or few mens sins will diffuse themselves from the
plagues that shed it because never laid unto their charge it may notwithstanding exempt them and their children from hope of mercy or mitigation of punishments due unto them for other sins Or that such as since his death have pined away in their own sins and the sins of their fathers did therefore perish because he had absolutely decreed not to save them or grant them means of repentance God forbid This were more then to say They stumbled that they should fall And in as much as the riches of the world will be much greater by their fulness then by their Fall or diminution the fault is ours as well as theirs that their Conversion is not accomplished Both we and they are liable to a strict account That we would not be gathered when God would have gathered us CHAP. XLIV 2 KINGS 23. 26 27. Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Iudah because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal And the Lord said I will remove Judah also out of my sight as I have removed Israel and will cast off this City Jerusalem which I have chosen and the house of which I have said my Name shall be there 1. THe Points to be discussed are Two First How the Lord might justly punish Iudah for Manasseh's sins and sins committed in His time in the dayes of good Josiah and His Sons Secondly In what manner God proceeded to execute this his fierce wrath denounced against Iudah For your better satisfaction in the Former Point You are to consider the Nature and Tenor of Gods General Covenant with this people The miraculous Blessings and extraordinary Curses proposed unto the two several wayes of Life and Death which Moses first had set before this people are sufficiently known being most expresly set down Levit. 26. and Deut. 28. throughout the whole Chapters The like Covenant was renewed with Davids Line in the same Tenor. Psal 89. 29 c His Seed will I make to endure for ever and his Throne as the dayes of Heaven But if his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandements Then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfulnesse to fail Or Neither will I falsifie my truth This promise was Absolute for Christ Conditional for the other Sons of David and consists not in their Immunitie from punishments but in the Assurance of their recovery upon their penitencie The Tenor of both Covenants then in brief was Thus. Following the foot-steps of Abraham or David they should be blessed extraordinarily Forsaking their wayes and following the Customs of other Nations they should be punished more severely then other men yet so that if in their distress they did turn again unto the Lord for Abraham's and for David's sake they should be restored to his wonted mercie and favour So saith the Lord Levit. 26. 44 45 And yet for all that he supposeth his plagues denounced had already overtaken them When they be in the land of their enemies I will not cast them away neither will I abhorre them to destroy them utterly and to break my Covenant with them for I am the Lord their God But I will remember them according to the Covenant of old Or I will for their sakes remember the Covenant of their Ancestors whom I brought forth out of the Land of Egypt And in the 42. verse of the same Chapter when they shall confesse their iniquity before him in their distresse He saith He would remember His Covenant with Jacob and also his Covenant with Isaac and with Abraham The same Covenant is more solemnly established at the Dedication of the Temple 2 Chron. 6. by Salomon He supposed this People should be plagued for their sins as others were But yet if they turned to the Lord with all their heart and with all their soul in the Land of their captivity the effect of his Petition is That the Lords eyes should be open and his ears attent unto the prayers which they made towards the Temple which he had built And in this sense is God said to shew mercie unto thousands in such as love Him and keep his Commandements Because for Abraham and for David's sake they still enjoyed the assurance of recovering their ruinate and decayed Estate 2. Yet here we are again to consider that the Covenant was not made In capita as if it were to begin intirely with every particular Man but rather with their whole Successions in their several Generations They stood all joyntly bound to obey the Lord their God So as Posterity must make up the Arrerages of their Fathers ryot by their warie and diligent observance of those Commandements which the other had broken If the Fathers had sinned by Idolatry the Posterity must redeem their sins or break them off by preaching reformation of Religion and restoring the true Worship of God again If the Fathers had caused Gods wrath upon the Land by oppression extortion and cruelty the Children must divert it by mercie bountie and open-handedness towards the Poor and by restitution of goods ill-gotten by their Fathers unto their proper Owners or by restoring goods rightly enjoyed but imployed amiss unto their natural and right use If the Fathers have transgressed all or most of Gods neg Commandments the children are bound to rectifie their errors by practising the affirmative duties of the Law In a word as the Fathers offences have been greater either in multitude magnitude or continuance so must the Vertues and Piety of Posterity abound in Perfection of Parts Intention of Degrees and Duration of time For although it be most true that the Childrens teeth are not set on edge for their Fathers eating sour grapes but the soul that sinneth it shall die Ezek. 18. Yet is not this so to be understood but that the son may be punished for those sins which his Father only did actually commit if so he seek not to rectifie his errors by inclining to the Contrary Duties For not so doing His fathers sins are made his by participation and the Curse becomes hereditary As he that helpeth not when he may doth further or abett the evil done by others and is thereby made Accessary or part-taker of other mens sins So likewise are the Children guilty of their fathers transgressions and liable to Gods wrath caused by them if they seek not to rectifie the same by their zealous prayers speedie repentance and unfeigned turning to the Lord. So is it said Ezek. 18. 14. The Son that seeth all his fathers sins which he hath done and feareth neither doth such like but rather if the father have cruelly oppressed and spoiled his brother by violence he feeds the hungrie and clothes the naked and keeps all Gods Statutes he
of Truthes The Philosophers Rapt with Joy in Contemplation and Invention * The former of the Two Philosophers was Pythagoras The later was Archimedes Of both see Plutarch in his Book intituled Non posse hominem suaviter vivere secundum Epicurum Much more Joy in the knowledge of saving truths How this tast'd of eternal life is preserved Of questions touching falling from Grace See the Authors Opinion more fully about Sin against the Holy Ghost Book 8. Chap. 3. which Book though published 21. years since I suppose was written after This. They only enjoy and keep this Tast that diligently seek after it and truly prize it The danger of seeking to enjoy worldly Contentments together with this heavenly Tast See this Fallacie in Aristotles Rhetor. Tast of unlawful pleasures deads and looseth the heavenly Tast Unlawful pleasures and sinful acts destroy the heavenly tast both by Efficiency and Demerit How worldly pleasures and temporal contentments come to prevail against the tast of Eternal life Faculties natural and Grace Two Scales Moderating of worldly desires and natural affections necessary for gaining and preserving the heavenly tast ☜ ☜ Seneca Watchfulness and sobrietie also are necessary Sobrietie consists not only in temperance of meat and drink but in Ruling our thoughts and words The final Recompence of our doings Good or bad Chemnitius's Rule The Romanists Allegation from the force of the word merit Hor. de Arte. The Romanists second proof of Merit The Answer The Rom-third Argument Bellarmine his Reasons The Causal Particles For Because and the like imply not merit of Works And see more of them Book 8. Chap. 15. The Freenesse of the Pardon excludes not all qualification but rather requires sincere performance of good Duties Works not properly meritorious but indeed Unworthy of eternal life How Christs temporal sufferings were of infinite merit Why the pleasures of sin though temporary deserve eternal punishment See this Book Fol. 3498. Of the word Gift or Grace Whether the Grace of God or the Effects of his Eternal Favour can be merited by us See Book 10. Fol. 3285. Gods Justice and righteousness in rewarding us does not imply the merit of our works The divers acceptions of Justice or righteousness Should such a thing be our meriting derogates from Christs merits See the fourth Book Chap. 11 16. c. About merit and justification The place perhaps related to in the next paragraph Of Justification the doctrin whereof is corrupted by the doctrin of Merit ☞ How works are excluded from Justification Two rocks to be avoide here Confid in merit of Works and Praemature conceit or presumption of our Election ☞ Eternal life a most Free Gift of God Gods infinite Freedom The true way of laying hold on General Promises It follows not God cannot deny himself ergo I am in and shall persevere in the state of Salvation Equally dangerous to confide in Merit and to presume of Election See Book 10. Chap. 42. Fol. 3228. The Free Gift of eternal life excludes not due Qualifications in the receiver * This was preached at Newcastle upon Tine For whom was the Kingdom of heaven prepared See the 10. Book Chapt. 42. Fol. 3236. c. Humilitie a necessary qualification The third Point The Qualification for receiving this Free Gift Why Christ instanceth in the Scribes and Pharisees Turkish mercie See the discourses following upon that precept Do as you would be done to Two Generals 1. A sentence and that Twofold 2 The Execution thereof Controversies about the Sentence Three Positive verities or Conclusions See The Fathers cited by this Author in his fourth Book Chap. 11. c. about the inseparableness of Faith and works Good works necessary to Salvation Omission of Good Works forfeit our interest in the promises Damnation awarded for Omissions The Romanists wresting Hebr. 11. 6. to maintain merit of Works The third Positive truth mentioned §. 1. handled Chap. 31. ☞ See this Authors Treatise of Justifying Faith or fourth Book Chap. 15. See this Authors Treatise Of Justifying Faith or fourth Book Chap. 15. A Sinister exposition of Saint James 2. 10. ☞ Why Christ instances in works of Charitie rather then of Pietie ☞ ☞ * About Newcastle upon Tine where these were preached The worse the poor be the more we may be charitable unto them All neglect of the poor is sin This spiritual neglect is a sin exceeding sinful Jansenius his Observation A Catholick verity The Definition of merit The state of the Question Consider three things Increase of Grace no more merited then the First Grace About Free-will See an elaborate Treatise Book X. Chap. 24. c. A Syllogism If there be not Ratio Dati Accepti A promise is no Ground of merit How the Papists and Pharisee agree in this point rather how they exceed him The Objection drawn from the Causal Particle For in the text framed and answered Jansenius his Argument The Author his Answer See the 27th Chapter of this Book where this Argument is most fully answered and that with some variation of what is here The miserie and mistakes of man The short or summe of mans Dutie The Coherence The Authors Method Severus Two Grounds of this Rule or Law of Nature Cyrus Scipio Exceptions against these two Rules The Answer to the former Exceptions ☞ More exceptions against that Rule and Answers to them This Rule must be understood of a 〈◊〉 Will. Rigid censuring a Pronostick of falling Q. If nature alone binde men to do good to their enemies How Christ fulfilled the Law * See §. 8. Rom. 12. 20. The Application ☜ Ps 35. 13 Esai 22. 12. Ezek. 21. 10. How this Precept Do as you c containeth all the Second Table So Christ said to St. Peters Lovest thou me Feed my sheep So David said to God Psal 16 My goodness extendeth not to thee But to the Saints that are in earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight See St. Aug De Civit. Dei Lib. 10. Cap 4. and 15. Cap. 22. and Lud. vives's Comment An Objection against this precept thus improved and expounded An Answer to the Objection A Second Objection Mens affections are right balanced when they be as ready to do as to receive good A double oversight ☞ Good things are only pleasant whilst they rellish of Gods Goodness ☞ Pro. 16. 8. See the 6. Book 2 part chapt 11. page 95. Titus 2. 11 A Dutie semblable to every desire See §. 13. ☜ See St. Basil de 40. Martyr * See the Sermons upon that Text. Chapt. 35 36. The bestmeans to put the dutie in practise Keep an exact Register or Calendar of our Good and evil dayes Deu. 24. 19 ☞ ☞ Ecclus. 11. 25. 27. Psal 41. 1. Beatus qui intelligit super pauperem ☞ Two great inconveniences of wealth and greatness unduly sought See Fol. 3586. ☞ Such mixt deeds are like a Linsy-wolsey Garment or plowing with an Ox and an Ass yoked or lowing miscellan See Chap.
died for All albeit the Pardon General be proclaimed to all The best Cause or Reason I could render would be This Because All that profess they believe in Christ do not truly believe in Him For if they did They would be careful to maintain Good Works and glorifie God by being Fruitful in them The End of the Fifth Section The sixth SECTION A Transition of the Publishers WE have by Gods Good Blessing dispatched The main of this Book the Five first Sections so many Commentaries or Expositions of such Points or Articles of Christian Faith as are most proper by way of Dread and Terror to awake the Conscience and stirre the Affections To perswade men to reflect seriously upon all their Actions or Omissions Failings or Atchievements and to prepare themselves for that Account which must shortly be Rendred To God the Judge of All who will respect no Persons nor endure Pretences If these have their kindly perfect work They will Produce Judging our selves to prevent the Judgement of the Lord Repentance and Restitution of all things Circumspect walking for the Future and passing the Remnant of our Pilgrimage here in Fear To inrich the volume and to benefit the Reader I have thought good to annex this sixth Section which is A Collection of such Sermons of this Authors as I conceive likely to prove most effectual to the ends above mentioned and be most proper not only for this Place in the Body of His works but for these Times also which may perhaps be startled to see their present sins so flagrantly reproved many years ago by one who knew not any of their persons that commit them Our great Author had in his Eighth Book and third Chapter sadly complained of some that made this Great Rule of Charitie Equitie and Justice Do as you would be done unto This Law of nature and Precept of our Law-giver A nose of wax A verie Lesbian Leaden Rule He had more sadly complained in his Tenth Book Chapter 23. That not only the Practise of this Transcendent Rule was extinct amongst men But that the very Sense of it was if not utterly lost among the Learned Casuists or Expositors yet most shamefully decocted and Piteously shrunk up for want of improving and deducing it into several pipes and Branches of Good Life Lastly in the 29 Chapter of this Book amongst other useful things concerning this Rule He told us That God would Judge the world by it So then This next Discourse I mean the three Sermons upon this Text Comes not in unseasonably And I hope the next but One will follow this as sutably as a silver Thred can follow a needle of Gold And I shall endeavour to pick chuse and so place the rest that the Reader shall not deny their Consequencie to the five precedent Sections treating Of Christs Power to raise the Dead to judge the quick and dead and finally to sentence Both according to the things done in the Body be they Good or Bad. At which day God send this present sinful Generation and amongst them my Soul A Good deliverance and in order thereto a Timely unfeigned Repentance especially of their applauded and avowed transgressions This for Jesus sake who is our Ransom would be our Peace and shall be our Judge Amen The First Sermon upon this Text. CHAP. XXXII MATTH 7. 12. All things Therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you even so do ye unto them For this is the Law and the Prophets Prov. xx 22. Say not thou I will recompence Evil Wait on the Lord and He shall save thee Prov. 24. 29. Say not I will do to him as he hath done to me I will render to the man according to his work The miserie of man of the wisest of men in their Pilgrimage to be wanderers too The short way to Happiness The pearl of the Ocean The Epitome Essence Spirits of the Law and Prophets Do as you would be done unto The Cohaerence The Method Christ advanceth This dictate of nature into an Evangelical Law Fortifies it and gives us proper motives to practise it Two grounds of Equitie in this Law 1. Actual equalitie of all men by nature 2. Possible equalitie of all men in Condition Exceptions against the Rule Answers to those Exceptions This Rule forbids not to wage or invoke Law so it be done with Charitie Whether nature alone bind us to do good to our enemies God has right to command us to love them Plato 's Good Communion The compendious way to do our selves most Good is to do as much good as we can to others The Application IT is whether you list to term it A follie or A Calamitie incident to all sorts of men that when they take a perfect Survey of all their former courses they find their wandrings and digressions far larger then their direct proceedings The more excellent the End is whereat we aim the greater commonly is our Error the more our By-paths from the right way that leads unto it Because The greatest Good is alwayes hardest to come by Thus such as hunt most eagerly after the knowledge of Best matters seeing the Best are worst to find after natures Glass is almost run out and most of their spirits spent whilst they look back upon their former labors like weary Passingers that have wandred up and down in unknown coasts without a Guide desirous to see the way they missed in a Map when they come to their Journeys end begin to discern what Toyl and pains they might have saved had they been acquainted with such good Rules directions at the first as now they know Nor have we so great cause to be ashamed of our folly as to bewail The common miserie of our nature seeing the wisest among the sons of men either for Civil knowledge or speculative learning Solomon himself had almost lost himself in this Maze never finding any other issue of his Tedious course but only this All is vanitie and vexition of Spirit Untill he had almost come to the End of his dayes Then he found out That short compendious way of godly Life Eccles 12. 13. Let us hear the End of all Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole dutie of man In this is contained all we seek 2. Had Solomon in his yonger dayes fixed his eyes upon this Rule which he hath left us as the Mariner doth his upon the Pole or other Celestial sign he might have arrived in half that Time at that Haven which He hardly reached in his old Age after continual danger of Shipwrack by his wandring to and Fro. But how-so-ever This fear of God and our observation of his Commandments be the Readiest the safest and the shortest Cut that Solomon knew unto that True Happiness which all men seek but most seek amiss yet these Commandments cannot be kept unless they be known And known they cannot be without good studie and industrie either in reading or