nourishing him with the cup of pleasure and feeding him with the bread of Heaven I would fain know how he could better have express'd the Care of his Government what greater Tenderness could he possibly shew them than by Respecting them so much in this Life as to allow them a sort of Anticipation of the Blessedness hereafter X. But perhaps it will be answer'd here that 't is true that a long time ago God was thus careful of Mankind but now a days he do's not at all trouble himself with it Pray how come we to be of that Opinion Because it may be we are not every day fed with Manna as they were then when we are provided with plentiful Crops of Corn Because the Quails do not fly in our Faces to be catch'd when we are supply'd with all sorts of Birds Beasts and Cattle Because we drink not Water flowing from hardest Rocks when we have Cellars Stor'd with choisest Wines Beside I am confident that even we our selves who think they were so much the Care of God and that we are neglected by Him should he instead of what we now enjoy give us those Things they had would certainly refuse the Offer We would never part with what we have at present to be possess'd of what they had not that we have better Things now than that People then enjoy'd but because they who were thus daily fed by the hand of God and Heaven preferr'd their former Gluttony to their present Provisions grew sullen and afflicted with the base Remembrance of fleshly Dyet and lewdly hanker'd after Leeks and Onions not that their former Food was any whit the better but because they were just in the same Condition that we are now They abhorr'd what e're was present and lusted for what was not We commend the Things of that Age more than of our own not that we had rather have them if 't were put to our Choice but 't is a Vice common to Mankind our Desires are always roving after what we have not As one says well Other Men's Goods please us and â— Syrus ours please other Men. Beside 't is almost universally true of us All that there 's not one of us but is guilty of Ingratitude toward God and 't is a kind of Original Sin which taints us all we are still lessening God's love and goodness lest we should own our selves too much his Debtors But enough of this 't is time to return where I left off altho' I doubt not but I have sufficiently prov'd my Proposition yet I shall add somewhat more because I judge 't is safer to use more Proofs than what are barely needful than to destroy a Cause perhaps by being short in using too few XI The Israelites having been some time deliver'd from the Yoak of Pharaoh revolted at Mount Sinai and are forthwith corrected by the Lord for their Folly For so it is written And the Lord plagued the people because Exod. 32. they made the Calfe which Aaron made v. 35. How could God Almighty execute a more evident Judgment on the Offenders than that Punishment should immediately follow the Transgression But why since all the Congregation were guilty was not Sentence pass'd alike on all Because the God of mercy drew his Sword of Judgment against some that others might amend by their Example and that he might shew at once to all his Justice in destroying and Mercy in preserving 'T was Justice that chastis'd them and 't was Mercy that spar'd them altho' both in a different manner for Mercy here had greater share than Justice Because the Lord being always most compassionate is ever more inclind to Mercy than to Vengeance and altho' at that time in punishing part of the Jewish Host the Divine Justice made use of Judgment and Severity yet at that very time his Mercy saved by far the greater part and that out of meer Compassion to their mighty Numbers lest the Punishment should have destroy'd all whom the Guilt had infected However we read that God's Justice is inexorable toward some Persons and Families as in the Case when the People rested on the Sabaoth-day he who presum'd Numb 15. to gather Sticks was order'd to be slain v. 36. For altho' the Act it self was innocent yet the Day on which he did it made it Criminal So in the Case of two contending Parties one who blasphem'd was put to death For thus 't is written Behold the Son of an Israelitish Levit. 24. Woman whose Father was an Aegyptian v. 10. went out among the Children of Israel And this Son of the Israelitish Woman and a Man v. 11 of Israel strove together in the Camp And the Israelitish Woman's Son blasphem'd the Name of the Lord and cursed and they brought him unto Moses And a little after And they put him in ward that the mind of the Lord might be shewed v. 12. them and the Lord spake unto Moses saying Bring forth him that hath cursed without the v. 13. Camp and let all that heard him lay their hands v. 14. upon his Head and let all the Congregation stone him Is not here a plain and manifest Judgment of God and a Sentence in a heavenly Tryal pass'd according to the form of Humane Examinations For first the Offender is seis'd in the next place he is brought before the Judgment-seat then he is accus'd then sent into Prison and last of all punish'd by a Sentence from above And not only punish'd but condemn'd in a Tryal by Witnesses that it might appear that 't was Justice that convicted him and not meer Power that the Example might contribute to the Amendment of all that no one in after-times should dare to do those things that all the People had punish'd in one This is the Method and the Justice with which God does both now act and with which he ever has acted that the punishments inflicted on single Persons may tend to the Amendment of all So it was in the case of Nadab and Abihu both of the Priesthood Numb 26. v. 61. when they were consum'd with Fire in whose destruction God had a mind to manifest not only his common Judgment but a 1 Chron. 24. v. 1 2. very present sudden and unexpected one For thus saith the Scripture That when fire came out from before the Lord and consumed Levit. 9. v. 24. upon the Altar the Burnt-offering Nadab and Abihu the Sons of Aaron took either of them his Censer and put fire therein and offer'd Levit. 10. strange fire before the Lord which he commanded v. 1. them not And there went out fire from the Lord and devour'd them and they died before the Lord. v. 2. By this God would shew that his hand is always stretch'd over us and that the Sword of Vengeance hangs over our heads since we see that he punish'd the Sin of these Men in the very Act The Fact of these
by His long-suffering permitted others and pass'd a just Sentence on the rest However it may be there are some still may think that it is not sufficient for me to have prov'd my Assertion by a few single Instances let us see therefore whether I cannot prove the same thing thro' all the Race of Mankind When therefore the Number and Iniquities of Mankind were equally increas'd God seeing says the Sacred Scripture that the Wickedness of man was great in the Earth and that every imagination of the Gen. 6. Thoughts of his Heart was only evil continually it repented the Lord that he had made Man on V. 5 6 7. the Earth and it griev'd him at His heart And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from off the face of the Earth Let us consider here how much the extraordinary Care and strict Justice of the Lord is shewn in all these Particulars And first he says God seeing Secondly it grieved him at his heart Thirdly I will destroy says he man whom I have created By the Expression in this place of God's seeing all this is shewn his great Care By the other of grief his terrible Wrath By that of punishing the severity of his Justice It therefore repented God says the Scripture that he had made man on the earth Not that the Almighty is liable to such Motions or subjected to any manner of Passion but the sacred Writings that they may the more plainly convey the Meaning of the Things Recorded delivering them to us in our own way after the manner of Men by the Expression of God's repentance do demonstrate to us the Greatness of His Anger Now God's Wrath is the Punishment of the Offender But what follow'd after this When God locked upon the earth it goes on and behold V. 12 â—â— it was corrupt he said unto Noah the end of all flesh is come before me for the earth is filled with violence thro' them and behold I will V. 30. destroy them with the earth It follows The Gen. 7. v. 11. Fountains of the great deep were broken up and theÌ„ windows of Heaven were opened and the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights And a little after And all flesh died V. 21. that moved upon the earth And again And Noah only remain'd alive and they that were with him in the Ark. Here now I would fain V. 23. know from them who would have it that God is altogether regardless of Things here below whether or no at that time they think God did either regard or judge Things on the Earth For I am of Opinion that he did not only barely judge them but passed as it were a double Sentence upon them Because when on the one hand he preserv'd the Righteous he shew'd himself merciful and their Rewarder and on the orher hand by his punishing of the Ungodly he shew'd the strictness of his Justice But perhaps these things because transacted as it were in another Age before the Flood may not have so great Weight among some of the weaker Sort as they ought to have as tho' there were some other God at that time or else that He afterward grew sullen and would not take the same Trouble that he had done before I could by Divine Assistance prove what I have said thro' all Ages since the Flood but the Greatness of the Number will not admit it and besides some few of the most considerable Instances may suffice For since 't is beyond all doubt That the God of the first Men and of their Posterity is the very same that must be expected in the Government of the Posterity which we find by Instances to be true in that of our Fore-fathers VIII When therefore after the Universal The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrha Deluge God had blessed Mankind and the Fruits of that Blessing appear'd in their extraordinary Encrease The Lord called to Abraham out of Heaven and commanded him to Gen. 12. leave his own Countrey and go and find out another Here he is call'd he obeys he arrives at it is placed in it from Poverty becomes Rich from a perfect Stranger becomes Powerful from a contemptible Vagabond to be Great and Honourable But lest these things which were given him might seem to be purely the Effects of God's Bounty and not any Encouragement of his Obedience he who was thus prosperous and successful afterward underwent the Tryal of Adversity For he afterward liv'd in Trouble Hazards and Dread of his Life was tormented with Travelling from place to place fatigu'd in Banishment every where affronted depriv'd of his Wife God order'd his Son to be Sacrific'd the Father obeys and offers him as far as was possible in the Sincerity of his Intention He 's again banish'd again in fear of his Life envy'd by the Philistines robb'd by Abimelech These were mighty Misfortunes and yet his Comforts were as Great For tho' his Afflictions were many yet the Lord deliver'd him out of all In all these Transactions 't is easie to observe that God was an Overseer an Inviter a Guide was Solicitous a Promiser a Protector a Rewarder a Prover a Patron a Revenger and a Judge He was an Overseer when out of many he chose him alone whom he saw to be better than the rest An inviter when he call'd him from his own Country A guide when he brought him into an unknown Place He was solicitous when he visited him under the Tree A promiser when he assur'd him of Things to come A protector when he protected him among a strange People A rewarder when he enrich'd him A Patron and advancer when he advanced him above all A revenger when he reveng'd him of his Adversaries And a Judge because in the Act of his Vengeance he judged them To this Story of Abraham God immediately subjoyns and says The Cry of Sodom and Gomorrha is great and their Sin is Gen. 18. very grievous The Cry says he of Sodom v. 20 21. and Gomorrha is very Great The way of speaking that Sins do cry is remarkable For doubtless the Cry of Sinners must be great since it ascends from Earth to Heaven But why should he use such an Expression as that the Sins of Men do cry Because God says that his ears are wounded with the Cries of Sins to hasten the Punishment of the Sinner And a huge and mighty Cry it must be when the long-suffering of God is so overcome by the Cry of Sins that he is forc'd to inflict Punishment on the Sinner The Lord does therefore here shew how unwillingly he inflicts Punishment on the greatest Trangressors when he says that the Cry of Sodom is come up to him as much as if he had said my Mercy does mightily incline me to spare them but the Cry of their Sins does even force me to punish them But when he had said thus what was the Consequence Why Angels are
Sinners was scarce committed before the Penalty reveng'd the Sin but that is not the only remarkable Thing in this Affair since there are many others For in these Men it was not so much a wicked Heart as a too rash and unadvised Easiness that was punish'd which is a Declaration from God himself of what punishment those are worthy who dare Sin in open Contempt of the Divine Majesty when these Men are thus smitten who offended meerly for want of Consideration And how heinous a Guilt they would contract who should act expressly against God's Commands when these were so severely scourg'd who wanted nothing but a Command for their Actions Further by this God provides for our Amendment setting before us so wholesome an Example by which all of the Laiety may undestand how greatly they ought to dread the Wrath of God since neither the Merits of the Father could deliver nor the Privilege of the sacred Ministry free even the Sons of the High-Priest from immediate Punishment But why do I speak of the Inconsiderateness of these Men which in a manner affected God himself and tended to the lessening his Honour Miriam Numb 12. v. â— speaks against Moses and is punish'd and not only barely so but in a Judicial way For in the first place she is summon'd to appear in Judgment Then she is convicted and in the last place punish'd In the Reproof given her there was the force of a Sentence in her Leprosie she was put in the State of a real Offender and this Censure did not only humble Miriam but Aaron also For tho' it was not meet that the High Priest should be deform'd by Leprosie yet nevertheless the Chastisement of the Lord was upon him and not only so for Aaron as Partaker in the Crime is chastis'd in that very Punishment which Miriam suffer'd for the punishment is laid upon Miriam that Aaron may be confounded with the Guilt But that we may further understand how inexorable God is in his Judgment in some cases we shall see that he will not hearken to the Intercession even of the offended Party Thus we read that the Lord said unto Aaron and Miriam Wherefore Numb 12. v. were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses And the anger of the Lord was v. 9. kindled against them and he departed And behold Miriam became Leprous white as Snow v. 10. And Moses cry'd unto the Lord saying Heal v. 13. her now O God I beseech thee And the Lord said unto Moses if her Father had but spit in v. 14. her face should she not be ashamed seven days Let her be shut out from the Camp seven days and after that let her be receiv'd in again What I have said on this head and part of my Discourse is sufficient for it would be endless to enlarge upon all when the very naming them would be sufficiently tedious without staying to make Discourses upon them However I shall add somewhat more XII The Israelites repent that they left Aegypt they are smitten for it they murmur at the great Fatigue of their Journey they are afflicted for it They long for Flesh and are scourg'd for it Being weary of feeding every day on Manna they desire to glut themselves with Dainties their craving Appetites are gratify'd to the full but whilst their Bellies are cramm'd they are tormented For while says the Scripture the meat was yet in their mouths the heavy Wrath of God came upon Psal 78. v. 30 31. them and slew the fattest of them and smote down the chosen Men of Israel Og rebels against Deut. 3. v. 3. Numb 26. v. 9 10. Moses and is destroy'd Core reproaches him and is overwhelm'd Dathan and Abiram murmur and are swallow'd up For the Earth open'd and swallow'd up Dathan and cover'd the Congregation Psal 106 v. 17. of Abiram Two hundred and fifty Principal Men likewise as the Scripture testifies who were by name call'd to Council Numb 16. v. 2. made an Insurrection against Moses And at the time of their withstanding Moses and Aaron they said it is sufficient for us that alâ— the Congregation are holy every one of them Wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord And what followed v. 3. Why fire came out from the Lord and v. 35. consum'd the two hundred and fifty Men that offer'd Incense But after all these mighty Things they receiv'd no Advantage from Heavens care they were often under the Rod but still without Amendment For as we at this time are every day scourg'd yet are nere the better so they under all their Chastisements continued still the same For what says the Scripture The day following the whole Congregation murmured v. 41. against Moses and Aaron saying Ye have killed the People of the Lord. And what then Fourteen thousand and seven hundred Men were destroy'd in a trice by Fire from Heaven But how comes it since all the People had transgress'd that they di not all likewise share in the Punishment especially considering that in the Rebellion of Corâ—h beforementioned not a Soul escaped How comes it to pass that in that case God would destroy the whole Body of the Offenders but in this only some part of them Because God is plentiful both in Mercy and Justice and of his Essential goodness forgives many times as well as exercises Severity in Vindication of his Justice And therefore in that Case his Justice took place that by punishing all the Offenders it might tend to the Reformation of all that saw or heard it But in this he exercises Mercy lest a whole People should be destroy'd And yet when he had used them with so much Compassion and saw the often repeated Scourging of a part only of the offending Multitude had so little Success at the last he utterly destroy'd them all The Consideration of which should both make us tremble and spur us on to Amendment lest we who neglect to reform our selves from their Example come to the same miserable End that they did For what became of them is plain beyond all doubt for seeing that the Chief Design of bringing the Children of Israel out of the Land of Aegypt was purely that they might possess the Land of Promise only two holy and good Men of all that vast Body entred into it For thus says the Scripture The Lord spake unto Moses Numb 14. v. 26 27. and Aaron saying how long shall I bear with this evil Congregation which murmur against me As truly as I live saith the Lord as you have V. 28. spoken in mine ears so will I do unto you your Carcasses shall fall in this wilderness And afterward But your little ones which you v. 31. said should be a Prey them will I bring in and they shall know the Land which ye have despised But as for you your Carcasses they shall fall in this wilderness And what
to be thus slighted by our own Servants whom only the Condition of Service makes inferior to us since they are made of the same Mould with our selves how unjustly do we despise the Great God of Heaven who being but meer Men think it not fit to be despised by Creatures of our own Condition Unless it may be we are Men of that depth of Thought and Design that tho' we think it not convenient to take Affronts at our Servant's hands yet we should be very willing to have the Almighty subject to all the Abuses that may be and those very Things which we think not fit to be tolerated by our selves we judge very fitting that God should bear from us But to return If there be any by this time who think I have been speaking all this while of the harder Commandments of God and have said nothing of the more easie ones their Complaint is an idle one To what purpose is it to talk of a Preference in Duties where all are equally to be observ'd For as I said before as it is not at all fitting for the Servants of the meanest Mortal to choose out of their Master's Orders what they would have done and what left undone so we who are the Servants of our Lord ought to think it absolutely unlawful to take only those Commands at our own good liking which please us and to tread under feet with Pride and Insolence what we do not relish VIII However let us submit to those who it may be will not have us therefore mention the greater of our Lord's Commands because they fancy they fulfil the lesser not that it is sufficient to Salvation to observe the Smaller and neglect the Greater according to that of the Apostle Whosoever shall keep the James 2. v. 10. whole Law and yet offend in one Point he is guilty of all And altho' it appears by this that it is not sufficient for us to perform the lesser Commands of God yet I agree to call them lesser Commands that I may shew that the greatest part of Christians do not observe even those which are the least part of their Duty Our Saviour commands that Christian Men should Matth. 5. v. 34. not Swear But you shall find more of those who forswear themselves than of those who do not swear at all He commands like wise that no body should Curfe and yet our common Talk is made up of Curses The first Dart we throw in Passion are Curses and what we are too weak to execute we give our Passions leave to Wish And thus in every discomposure of our Minds we use these Imprecations instead of Arms. So that every one plainly shews that were it in his Power he would do all the Mischief which he wishes to his Adversary And because all of us who do not obey the Divine Commands easily get a Habit of this wicked way of Speaking we are therefore apt to think that it will as easily take place with God who gave us those Commands But the Scripture says Revilers and Evil-speakers shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven And hence Ephes 5. v 5. 1 Cor. 6. v. 10. we may perceive how heinous and destructive this sort of Evil-speaking is seeing although we do many other good Actions yet this alone will shut us out of Heaven Christ commands us to forbear all Malice and yet we envy not only Strangers but our very Neighbours 'T is not our Enemies alone we hate maliciously but our very Friends so much is this Evil riveted in all our Natures our Hunger may be satisfied but this detracting Humour never can We are always cloy'd with Meat but never with Detraction But it may be this is a Peccadillo not worth God's Notice However the holy Scripture says The Backbiter shall be rooted out A heavy Rom. 1. v. 30. and dreadful Sentence and yet it causes no Amendment for so long as one Man still persists to tear another 't is so great Pleasure to him that he do's even sacrifice himself and a just Return it is of such a Mischief that it persecutes its Author only for in comparison it hurts him not at all at whom 't is levell'd but racks and tears the Heart of him who vends it But perhaps they 'll think I doat in urging things thus and I for my part can be content to be accounted a Doatard but did our Blessed Lord himself doat when he gave Commandment by his Apostle That all Ephes 4. v. 31. Clamour and Evil-speaking be put away with all Malice Both these lodge with us perpetually and yet I think we have more of Malice than of Clamour For Clamour is not always in our Mouths but Malice always in our Hearts and for that Reason I believe that when the Power of Clamouring has left us yet Malice will remain Our Lord has likewise commanded Phil. 2. v. 14. us to be without Murmuring and Complaining But when were Mankind ever without them If it be parching Heat we complain of Drought if a rainy Season then of Drowning If the Year chance not to be over fruitful then we accuse its Barrenness if it be plentiful then the Cheapness of Things disgusts us We desire to get Abundance and when we have it then we blame it What can be more wicked and reproachful than such Dealing To fall out with God's Mercy because he sends us what we pray'd for God hath commanded his Servants to avoid all manner of Offence even that of the Eyes Matth. 5. 28. And therefore he says Whosoever looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed Adultery with her in his Heart By this we may plainly understand how chaste our Saviour would have us be who hath deny'd us the Liberty of a loose wandring Look For knowing that the Lights of the Eyes are a sort of Windows to our Hearts and that all wicked Desires enter us thro' the Eyes as thro' the natural passage he would altogether extinguish them whilst without us lest when they are entred they should take firm Root in our Hearts having first budded at the Eye And therefore our Lord warns us that the Lascivious Looks of lewd Men are not free from the Guilt of Adultery so that they who would sincerely guard themselves from that Sin should put a watch upon their Looks Our Saviour would likewise have all his Followers to have unspotted Holiness and therefore commands them to avoid the least thing that has but a Tendency to Sin That a Christian's Life should be as clean as the clearest part of the brightest Eye and as the Eye without Injury to the Sight cannot endure the smallest Dust within it so a Christian's Life should not have the most dimunitive Spot of Uncleanness in it And that is the Meaning of this following Saying of our Lords If thine eye Matth. 5. v. 29. Mark â— v. 47. offend thee pluck it out and if thine hand offend thee cut it off
evil spoken of 'T is of us that what I mention'd above is said Lo what sort of People they are who worship Christ Their Pretence of Learning only good Things is Sham and Falsehood as well as their Brags of the Excellency and Holiness of their Law For if they learn'd what was good they would be good themselves for such is the Religion as are the Professors of it Undoubtedly they are such as they have been taught to be It is plain therefore that the Prophets they have do teach uncleanness that the Apostles they read have publish'd wickedness and the Gospels they are principl'd in do instruct them in such Actions If Christ had taught them holy Things his Followers would certainly live holy Lives One may guess what a One he is who is worshipp'd by the Practice of those who worship him How can the Master ever have been good whose Disciples we see are so very bad For from him they are call'd Christians 't is him they hear and him they read Any one may easily understand the Doctrine of Christ Look and see the Christian's Actions and you 'll presently perceive what 't was that Christ taught But what wicked and base Thoughts the Heathen always had of our Lord's Religion may be learn'd from the most Cruel Tortures of their barbarous Persecutors who believ'd that in the Christian Sacrifices there was nothing but Impurity and abominable Wickedness For they thought the very beginnings of our Religion came from two of the greatest Villanies from Murder and then which is worse than Murder from Incest not from Murder and Incest only but which is still more wicked from the Incest it self and Murder from the Incest of pious Mothers and the Murder of their innocent Babes which they believ'd were not only murder'd by the Christians but eaten also and all this to pacify their God as tho' any thing could have more offended Him An odd sort of Expiation of ones Sin by another as great or greater To recommend a Sacrifice by those Things which the Lord does most abhor and as if it could be worth our while to gain eternal Life if possibly it could be compass'd by such monstrous Wickedness XVIII We may from hence perceive what sort of People the Heathen took the Christians to be who worshipp'd their God with such Sacrifices or else what sort of God it was they pray'd to who taught them such sort of Duties But how came they to have such Apprehensions of us How should it be but from those who bear the Name of Christians but in Reality are not who by their Sins and Wickedness disgrace their Religion who as the Scripture says Profess that they know God but Tit. 1. v. 16. in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate by reason of whom we read the way of Truth 2 Pet. 2. v. 2. is evil spoken of and the most holy Name of our Lord God is violated by the evil Tongues of sacrilegious Men But how heinous and particular a Sin it is to cause the sacred Name of God to be blasphem'd among the Gentiles we learn from the Example of h See Book the Second holy David who when in consideration of his many righteous Actions he was thought worthy to escape eternal Punishment by only one Confession of his Fault yet could not obtain pardon of this Sin tho' he sought it by the Mediation of Repentance For when Nathan the Prophet had said to him after he had acknowledg'd his Fault The Lord hath put away thy Sin thou shalt not die he adds immediately 2 Sam 12. v. 13. v. 14. Howbeit because by this Deed thou hast given great Occasion to the Enemies of the Lord to blaspheme the Child also that is born unto thee shall surely die And what follow'd after Why his Crown cast off and Jewels laid aside his Robes put by and all his Royal Ornaments remov'd instead of these he became Solitary Pensive shut up cloath'd in Sackcloath all moist with Tears and cover'd over with Ashes he begg'd the Life of the young Babe with such a Crowd of Lamentations and assaulted the God of Mercies with so great Prayers and Addresses but after all these Prayers and Supplications it was not to be granted when yet which is the most powerful Help in Prayer he pray'd in Faith that what he ask'd of God he should obtain By which we may see that there is scarce a Crime of deeper Dye than to give occasion to the Gentiles to blaspheme For he who sins grievously without the Blasphemy of others only draws Damnation upon himself But he who makes others to blaspheme carries them headlong with him to Destruction and 't is of necessity that he be guilty for so many as he drew with him into Sin But this is not all For whatsoever sinner do's so offend as not to cause others to blaspheme by such Sin he has only upon himself the Guilt of his own Transgression but the most holy Name of God does not suffer by the Sacrilegious Tongues of Blasphemers But he who by his Sinning causes others to blaspheme do's necessarily make his Sin above the standard of common Humane Crimes because he offers the greatest Injury imaginable to God himself by the encouraging such a Multitude of Blasphemers XIX This then as I said is a Malignity peculiar to the Christians because God is blasphem'd only by those who learn what 's good yet practise the quite contrary who as the Scripture says confess God in their Words but Tit. 1. v. 16. deny him by their Deeds who as the same Apostle says Rest in the Law and know his will Rom. 2. v. 17 18. c. approve the things that are more excellent who have the form of Knowledge and of the Truth in the Law who preach that a man should not steal and yet steal who read that a man should not commit Adultery and yet commit the Sin who make their boast of the Law and yet by breaking of the Law do dishonour God And so by this the Christians become much worse who ought to be much better For they do not give proofs of what they profess but rather contradict their Profession by their bad Morals And wickedness committed under a good Title is more Damnable and a holy Name enhances the Guilt of the Sinner So our Saviour in the Apocalypse speaks to the lukewarm Christian Rev. 3. v. 15 16. I would thou wert cold or hot so then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth Our Lord commands every Christian to be fervent in Rom. 12. v. 11. Spirit for thus says the Scripture That we may be servent in Spirit serving the Lord. 'T is in this Fervour of Spirit that the Heat of Faith and Religion is shewn he who has a great deal of this Heat is reckon'd to be fervent and faithful he who has nothing