much affected and afflicted with seeing and hearing of the wickednesse of those among whom he lived 2 Peter 2.7 8. The Greek word for vexed in verse 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to be oppressed under the wanton and wicked conversation of the ungodly Sodomites as a man that is oppressed under a heavy burden which he labours under and would fain be delivered from Or to be oppressed as the Israelites were under their cruel Aegyptian Taskmasters Ah the sins the wickednesse of others sets hard upon the hearts of the Saints The Israelites did not more labour and sigh and groan under all their loads and oppressions then many holy hearts do labour and sigh and groan under the load of wicked mens sins And the Greek word for vexed in ver 8. It is a Metaphor taken from Engines that they did torment people withall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to be tortured tormented and wracked Oh their wickednesse did torment and wrack his righteous soul he could not see nor hear of their wickednesse but his soul was as upon a wrack Pambus in Ecclesiastical History wept when he saw an Harlot take so much pains to deck and dresse her self in curious and costly apparrel and all to entertain a wanton lover and so to make work for hell Oh it cannot but grieve a gracious soul to see what pains poor sinners take to go to hell A holy heart looks upon other mens sins as great dishonours done to his Father his King And therefore he cannot but cry out with Croesus his Son who though he was born dumb yet seeing some going about to kill his Father his tongue-strings unloosed and he cried out O kill not King Croesus kill not my Father Oh kill not my God and my King Oh kill not Oh dishonour not my dear Father and Saviour saith a holy heart Such is the love and high respects that holy hearts bear to their heavenly Father that they cannot but grieve and mourn and cry out when they see others to act Treason against the Crown and dignity of heaven Elijah had rather dye then to see Ahab and Jezebel to cast contempt and dishonour upon his God 1. A holy heart mourns for sin as sin he weeps over the very nature of sin he grieves for sin as it is the breach of a holy Law He that hates a Thief as a Thief will hate a Thief in another mans house as well as in his own and as it is a dishonour to a holy God c. and therefore he cannot but mourn for other mens sins as well as his own He that hates a Toad as a Toad will hate a Toad in other mens bosoms as well as his own He that hates poison as poison will hate poison in another mans hand as well as his own So he that hates sin as sin will hate it where-ever he sees it And he that mourns over sin as sin cannot but mourn over sin where-ever he observes it 2. By other mens sins a holy man is put in mind of the badnesse of his own heart Bernard makes mention in one of his Homilies of an old man who when he saw any man sin wept and lamented for him and being asked why he grieved so for other mens sins answered Ille hodie ego cras he fell to day and I may fall to morrow the falls of others puts a holy man in mind of the roots of bitternesse that be in himself other mens actual sins are as so many glasses through which a holy man comes to see the manifold seeds of sin that be in his own nature and such a sight as this cannot but melt him and break him 3. A holy heart knows that the best way to keep himself pure from other mens sins is to mourn for other mens sins 1 Tim. 5.22 1 Cor. 5.1 2 3. Ephes 5.11 He that makes conscience of weeping over other mens sins will rarely be defiled with other mens sins he that mourns not over other mens sins is accessary to other mens sins and first or last may find them charged upon his account He that mourns not for other mens sins is in danger of being insnared by other mens sins And how then can a holy man look upon other mens sins with dry eyes 4. A holy man looks upon other mens sins as the crucifiers of his Saviour He looks upon the proud mans pride as that which set a crown of thorns upon the sacred head of Christ and this makes him figh he looks upon the swearers oaths as the nails that nailed his blessed hands and feet to the crosse and this makes him grieve He looks upon scorners as spitting upon Christ and worldlings as preferring Barabbas before Christ and this makes him groan He looks upon hypocrites as kissing and betraying of Christ and he looks upon drunkards and wantons as giving gall and vinegar to Christ and this makes him mourn He looks upon other mens sins as having a hand in all Christs torments and this puts him upon the wrack and makes his very soul heavy even to the death 5. A holy heart knows that by mourning for other mens sins he may be instrumental to keep off wrath Psalm 106. Ezek. 9.4.6 How oft did holy Moses by his tears quench the wrath of an angry God However if wrath should break forth upon a Nation Isa 26.20 yet they that mourn for the abominations of the times they shall be hid in the day of Gods publick visitation When the house is on fire the Father hath a special care to provide for the safety and security of his children when the lumber is on fire a man will be sure first to secure his box of Jewels In times of common calamity God will be sure to look after his Jewels his mourning ones Isa 43.2 3. Dan. 3.17 18 19 26 27 28. though the lumber the wicked be burnt up on every hand in the day of Gods wrath yet he will be sure to preserve his jewels in the midst of the flames Augustin coming to visit a sick man found the room full of mourners he found â—he wife sobbing the children sighing and the kindred lamenting whereupon he suddenly breathed forth this short but sweet ejaculatory prayer Lord saith he what prayers dost thou hear if not these So in times of common calamity holy hearts may look up and say Ah Lord whose sighs whose groans whose tears wilt thou hear if not ours Who are mourners in Sion and who wilt thou save and secure in this day of thy fierce indignation if not we who have laboured to drown both our own and other mens sins in penitential tears 6. A holy heart looks upon sinners sins to contribute very much towards the bringing in of sore and sad changes upon a Land and Nation Psal 107.33 34. he knows that sinners sins may turn Rivers into a wildernesse and water-springs into dry ground and a fruitfull land into a barren wildernesse
have walked cross to God and cross to one another and God has walked as cross to them you have cross't the commands of God and the truths of God and the ways of God and the works of God and the designs of God and God has cros't you in your hopes desires prayers and endeavors and God gave you warning of this before hand by a Fish by a miracle to provide for the cross but you would not and therefore 't is that the cross lies so heavy upon you this day When Mr. Bradford was told that his chain was a buying and that he must be burnt he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said I thank God for it I have looked for this along time it comes not to me suddenly but as a thing waited for every day yea every hour in the day the Lord make me worthy thereof If upon Gods warning you will but prepare for sufferings you will never fear nor faint under sufferings yea then you will be able under the greatest persecutions to bare up bravely and with holy Bradford bless the Lord that has called you to so high an honor as to count you worthy to suffer for his name But Thirdly I answer that all the troubles afflictions and persecutions that do befall you for holiness sake shall never hurt you nor harm you they shall never prejudice you nor wrong you in your main and great concernments Exod. 3.2 The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a dry bush a bramble bush and therefore it was the more strange and miraculous that it was not consumed Deut. 4.24 Heb. 12.29 And the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a Bush and he looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed Here you have a bush a dry bush a bramble bush all on a light fire and yet not consumed this burning-bush was an excellent emblem of the Church in the fire of tribulation and persecution though the Church may seem to be all on fire by reason of afflictions and persecutions yet it shall be preserved it shall not be destroyed though God be a consuming fire yet he will never consume the bramble-bush the bush was on fire and yet the fire did not in the least hurt or harm the bush it did not one whit prejudice or wrong the bush So though the Church of God be on fire by the means of fiery trials yet these fiery trials shall never hurt nor harm the Church they shall never prejudice it nor wrong it Psal 105.12 13 14 15. when they were but a few men in number yea very few and strangers in it when they went from one Nation to another from one Kingdom to another people he suffered no man to do them wrong yea he reproved Kings for their sakes saying That is the King of Egypt and the King of Gerar. Gen. 12.17 Ch. 20.3 and Ch. 35.5 Zach. 2.8 Touch not mine anointed nor do my Prophets no harme God would not suffer his anointed ones his sanctified ones so much as to be touch't hurt or harmed by those who had malice enough in their hearts and power enough in their hands not onely to hurt them but even to destroy them Sanctified persons are sacred persons and they that touch them touch the Apple of Gods eye and whosoever shall be so bold to touch the Apple of Gods eye shall dearly smart for it 't was no small affliction to have no settled habitation to flye from place to place from Kingdom to Kingdom and from Nation to Nation was without all peradventure an afflicted condition doubtless many fears and frights many hazards and dangers did attend them when they considered that they were as Lillies among the thornes and as a few Sheep among a multitude of Wolves Deut. 7.1 In the Land of Canaan there were seven mighty Nations now for the people of God who were so few in number that they might easily and quickly be told to sojourn and wander among these As David laid a charge upon his souldiers 2 Sam. 18.5 That by no means they should hurt his son Absolom so God laid a prohibition upon the enemies and persecutors of his people that they should not touch them that they should not in in the least hurt or harm them could not but be very dangerous and perilous and yet such was the love of God to them and the care of God over them that he suffered no man whether he was high or low honorable or base rich or poor civil or prophane to hurt or harm them Dan. 3.25 27. And the King answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like unto the Son of God And the Princes Governors and Captains and the Kings Councellors being gathered together saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power nor was an hair of their head singed neither were their coats changed nor the smell of fire had passed on them Though these holy men were cast into a furnace into a fiery furnace into the midst of a hot fiery furnace yet God will work a miracle yea a glorious miracle rather then the fire shall in the least hurt or harm them God gives a commission to the fire to burn those mighty men that made the fire and that cast his children into the fire and whom the King would have to be spared and saved and he lays a law of restraint upon the fire that it should not hurt nor harm them whom the King would have destroyed Those whom the King of kings will not have hurt shall not be hurt let Kings and Princes do their worst that fire that burnt their bonds had no power to burn no nor to touch their bodies God would not suffer the fire to singe a hair of their heads nor to change the colour of their coats nor to leave so much as an ill smell upon his people that those heathen Princes might see how tender he was of them and how willing he was to put forth his Almighty power rather then he would see them wronged or harmed So Chap. 6.21 22 23. Then said Daniel unto the King O King live for ever My God hath sent his Angels and hath shut the Lyons mouths that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me and also before thee O King have I done no hurt Then was the King exceeding glad for him and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the Den so Daniel was taken up out of the Den and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God Holiness innocency and integrity will preserve a man even among Lyons Daniel preferred the worship of his God before his life he made no great reckoning of his life when it stood in competition with divine glory
love is a holy love and his anger is a holy anger and his hatred is a holy hatred c. His nature is holy his attributes are holy and all his actions are holy hee is holy in punishing and holy in sparing hee is holy in justifying of some and hee is holy condemning of others hee is holy in bringing some to Heaven and holy in throwing others to Hell God is holy in all his sayings and God is holy in all his doings God is holy in what ever hee puts his hand to and hee is holy in what ever hee sets his heart to his frowns are holy and his smiles are holy his liftings up are holy and his castings down are holy when hee gives his givings are holy givings and when hee takes away his takings are holy takings c. But Fourthly As God is universally holy so God is eminently holy hee is transcendently holy hee is superlatively holy Exo. 15.11 and therefore hee is said to bee glorious in holiness there is no fathoming there is no measuring there is no comprehending there is no searching of that infinite Sea of holiness that is in God as neither Men nor Angels can set banks or bounds to Gods holiness so neither Men nor Angels can sound to the bottome of Gods holiness all that holiness that is in Angels and Men is but a spark to Gods flame t is but a drop to his sea t is but a beam to his sun t is but a mite to his millions c. O Sirs you shall as soon stop the Sun in his course and change the day into night and raise the dead and make a world and tell the stars of heaven and empty the sea with a Cockle-shell as you shall bee able either to conceive or express that transcendent holiness that is in God This glorious Name or Title the holy one of Israel is ascribed to God about thirty times in the Old Testament and all to shew that hee is most excellent and transcendent in holiness and the Seraphims which stood before the Throne cryed out three times a row Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts Isa 6.3 to shew that God is most eminently and superlatively holy for so thrice holy in some languages is most holy for holiness God is a none-such there are none to bee compared with him neither are there any among Angels or among Men yea or among the Gods that are like unto him who is like to thee among the Gods glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Gods holiness is infinite t is so super-eminent and so super-excellent that it can neither bee limited nor lessened nor augmented if men should blaspheme or reproach the Lord hee would bee never the worse he would be never the lesse holier then hee is and if men should bless him and worship him hee would bee never the better never the holier unto perfection there can be no addition a drop taken out of the sea can no waies add unto the sea Hee is exalted above all blessing and praise Nehe. 9.5 All the Angels in Heaven and all the men on earth cannot add one Ray one Beam of glory to the essence of God to the holiness of God as God is goodness in the very Abstract and justice in the very abstract and mercy in the very abstract and righteousness in the very abstract and lovingkindness in the very abstract so hee is holiness in the very Abstract so that no man can flatter him or add unto him and hence t is that God glories in the Attribute of his Holiness more than in any other Attribute For Isa 57.15 thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy when God would lift up himself in all his Glory hee doth it by declaring that his name is holy and so when God would swear by himself hee swears by his holiness Psal 89.25 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lye unto David and so in that Amos 4.2 The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness that lo the daies shall come upon you that hee will take you with hooks and your posterity with fish-hooks Look as the great men of the World are wont to swear upon their honour when they would give us the greatest assurance of what they will do because such Oath are look't upon as most sacred and inviolable so the great God swears by his holiness because his holiness is his greatest Honour and because hee hath no greater nor no better nor no choicer nor no sweeter nor no preciouser things to swear by let mee saith God bee never owned as a God nor honoured as a God nor trusted as a God nor feared as a God nor valued as a God if I do not Inviolably keep my promises and make good my threatings having sworn thereunto by my Holiness Now you know the Scripture saith when God could swear by no greater hee sware by himself Heb. 6.13 so I may say when God could swear by no greater Attribute by no greater Excellency hee swears by his Holiness that being the top and the glory of all Look as all the wisdome of the creatures compar'd with the wisdome of God is but folly and as all the goodness of the creatures compared with the goodness of God is but naughtiness and as all the fulnesse of the creature compared with the fulnesse of God is but emptiness and as all the power of the creature compared with the power of God is but weaknesse and as all the righteousnesse of the creature compared with the righteousnesse of God is but unrighteousnesse So all the holinesse of the creature compared with the holinesse of God is but unholinesse mans highest purity is but impurity when 't is compared to the purity of God yea the very holinesse of Angels compared with the holinesse of God is chargeable with folly Job 4.18 That fulnesse of holinesse that is in Angels or Saints is only the fulnesse of the Vessel but that fulnesse of holinesse that is in God is the fulnesse of the Fountain that fulnesse of holinesse that is in Angels or Saints is but the fulnesse of the Branches but that fulnesse of holinesse that is in God is the fulnesse of the Root that fulnesse of holinesse that is in Angels or Saints is but the fulnesse of Sufficiency but that fulnesse of holinesse that is in God is the fulnesse of redundancy But Fifthly As God is infinitely holy transcendently holy superlatively holy so God is originally radically and fundamentally holy the Divine Nature is the root original and spring of all holinesse and purity all that holinesse that is in Angels and men flows from God as the streams from the Fountain as the beams from the Sun as the branches from the Root and as the effect from the Cause There is no holinesse to be had but from the Holy One hee is the Author and Original of all the holinesse that
that had rather be vessels of wrath then vessels of honour and that had rather be fire-brands of hell then glorious Saints in heaven Ephes 2.12 Rom. 9.22 And so I have done with those reason◠that may satisfie the Reader concerning my Dedication of this Treatise to all sorts ranks and degrees of persons Having premised these things in the general give me leave to say That if this Treatise should fall into the hands of any of the Learned Judges of this Land or into the hands of any of the Justices of this Nation I would then take the humble boldnesse to offer this to their most serious consideration viz. That if they would discharge the duties of their places so as to give up their accounts at last with joy and cheerfulness to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords it highly concerns them to study this doctrine of holinesse yea to fall in love with holinesse and highly to prize it and earnestly to presse after it and to be restlesse in their own spirits till they have experienced the powerful operations of holinesse in their own souls for till then they will never be able so to administer Justice and Judgement as becomes those that have the name of God and the name of profession upon them and that judge themselves to be in a higher Form then those Heathens were who were famous for justice and righteousnesse Cato Fabricius Scipio Cambyses c. and yet never heard of a Christ nor salvation by him and as becomes those that would not stand trembling and quaking in the great and terrible day when Christ the Lord-chief-Iustice of heaven and earth shall passe a righteous and impartial judgement upon all the Judges and Justices that ever were on earth Joel 2.11 31. Acts 17.31 2 Tim. 4.1 2. Where justice is God is and where God is there is no want of men or fortitude said Herod at the head of his Army the better to encourage his souldiers My Lords and Gentlemen you know that the wisest Prince that ever set upon a Throne hath told us that Righteousnesse exalts a Nation Prov. 14.34 It is not valour in war but righteousnesse it is not policie in Government but righteousnesse it is not wittinesse of invention but righteousnesse it is not civility in behaviour but righteousnesse it is not antiquity of forms but righteousnesse it is not largenesse of dominion but righteousnesse nor it is not greatnesse of command Iustice is conservatrix Humanae conjunctionis quae ad beatitudinem via est c. Amos 5.24 The Hebrew word Veiiggalchat is here rendred run down is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Galal that signifies to roul down f eely plentifully plainly vigorously constantly Where justice thus rouls down all the world shall never make that Nation miserable but righteousnesse that is the honour and the safety that is the renown and the security of a Nation That Nation that exalts righteousnesse that Nation shall be certainly exalted by righteousnesse It is not Achitophels policy it is not Jeroboams calves in Dan and Bethel it is not Jehues pompous zeal it is not Goliahs sword it is not rich Mines of Gold and Silver nor Magazines nor Armies nor Counsels nor Fleets nor Forts but Justice and Righteousnesse that exalts a Nation and that will make a mean people to become a great a glorious and a famous people in the world The world is a Ring and Righteousnesse is the Diamond in that Ring The world is a body and Righteousnesse and Justice is the soul of that body Ah England England so long as judgement runs down as waters in the midst of thee and righteousnesse as a mighty stream thou shalt not die but live and bear up bravely against all gain-sayers and opposers but if injustice shall grow rampant and thou shalt brandish the sword of Justice in the behalf of the friends of Baal Balaam and Bacchus and turn the wheel upon the righteous if the sword of justice shall be a sword of protection to the desperate swearer and to the cruel oppressor and to the roaring drunkard and to the cursing monster and to the Gospel despiser and to the Christ contemner c. and shall be a devouring sword to the upright and peaceable in the Land Divine vengeance will dig thy grave and divine Justice will tumble thee into it though all the Nations of the earth should labour to prevent it It is a base and ignoble spirit to pity Cataline more then to pity Rome to pity any particular sort of men more then to pity the whole It is cruelty to the good to justifie the bad It is wrong to the sheep to animate the Wolves It is danger if not death to the Lambs not to restrain or chain up the Lyons but from all these vanities the Lord deliver all your souls And O that you would for ever remember this that as the constitution of a mans body is best known by his pulse if it stir not at all then we know he is dead if it stir violently then we know him to be in a Fever if it keep an equal stroak then we know he is sound well and whole so the estate and constitution of a Kingdom or Common-weal is best known by the manner of executing justice therein for justice is the pulse of a Kingdom if justice be violent then the Kingdom is in a Fever in a very bad estate if it stir not at all then the Kingdom is dead but if it have an equal stroak if it be justly and duely administred then the Kingdom is in a good a safe and sound condition When Vespasian asked Apollonus What was the cause of Nero 's ruine he answered That Nero could tune the Harps well but in Government he did alwayes wind up the strings too high or let them down too low The Application is easie Now having premised thus much in the general give me leave to tell you that there are eight special Rules that you are carefully and faithfully to observe in the administration of Justice and Righteousnsse And how you will be able to act sutable to those Rules without a Spirit of holinesse without principles of holinesse and without an experience of the powerful influences and operations of holinesse in your own souls I cannot for the present understand Now my Lords and Gentlemen the first Rule that you are to observe in your administring of Judgement and Justice Psalm 82.1 6. Luke 20.21 Mat. 22.16 is this You must do Justice impartially you are called Gods and in this you must be like to God who is no acceptor of persons Audi alteram partem said Lotharius the second Duke of Saxony he accepts not the rich man because of his Robes neither doth he reject the poor man because of his Rags Deut. 1.17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgement but you shall hear the small as well as the great you shall not be afraid of the face of
Judge the world in righttousness My Lords and Gentlemen give me leave to tell you Tennes the son of Cyrnus who was worshipped as a god was so strict and exact in Judgement that he caused an Ax to be held over the witnesses heads to execute them out of hand if they were taken with falshood and from thence was the Proverb Tenedia bipennis that that Judge to whom you must be responsible is no ignorant Judge nor no covetous Judge nor no partial Judge nor no fearful Judge nor no doating Judge nor no trifling Judge though such there may be in the world but he is an omniscient Judge an omnipotent Judge an impartial Judge a holy Judge a couragious Judge a serious Judge a severe Judge an unbiassed Judge a righteous Iudge and a resolute Iudge Alas Sirs it is not your scarlet Gowns nor your Titles of honour nor your great estates nor your interest in Princes nor your noble relations nor your applause among men that will stand you in stead when you shall stand before that Iudge that is a consuming fire Heb. 12. ult Well Gentlemen remember this there is never a professing Iudge nor Iustâ—ce in the world that will be able at last to give up their accounts with joy and to stand in judgement when the Lamb shall sit upon his Throne but such as have made it their great businesse to take the spirit of the Lord for their guide and to set up the glory of the Lord as their great end and to make the Word of the Lord their principal Rule and to eye the example of the Lord as their choicest and chiefest pattern and therefore it is much to be feared that the numher of such Iudges and Iustices that will be able to stand before the Iudge of all the world will be but few But Seventhly As you must do justice and judgement exactly so you must do justice to others as you would have others do justice to you For Judges and Justices to do as they would be done by is the Royal Law the golden Rule and the Standard of equity Judges and Justices should think of others as they would have others think of them and speak of others as they would have others speak of them and do to others as they would have others do to them Mat. 7.12 Severus the Emperour had this Scripture often in his mouth and whensoever he punished any of his souldiers for offering of injuries to others he still commanded this Scripture to be proclaimed by the Cryer Whatever by the light of nature or by the light of conscience or by the light of Scripture a Judge a Justice would have another do to him the same must he do to another In all just things for so this Law of Christ is only to be understood we must do to others as we would have others do to us as we would have others carry it equally justly and righteously towards us so we must carry it equally justly and righteously towards others and as we would not have others to wrong us in our names estates rights liberties lives so we must not wrong others in their names estates rights liberties lives c. This Law of Christ is the summe of all righteousnesse it is the foundation of all Justice and Equity Self-love doth so commonly blind the sons of men that to judge righteously they must change the person they must put themselves in others room All Princes Judges Justices Parents Masters Subjects Servants Children should so act in their relations as they would have others act in the correlation All injustice will be repaid one time or another and therefore men had need be just and do to others as they would have others do to them I have read of a Citizen of Comun in the Dukedom of Farrara who being cast into prison upon suspitâ—on of murder his wife could get no promise of his deliverance unlâ—sse she would give the Captain whose prisoner he was two hundred Ducats and yield her body to his pleasure which with the consent of her husband she did but after the Captain had his desire he notwithstanding put him to death The Duke Gonzala hearing of it commanded the Captain to restore the two hundred Ducats to the widow with an addition of seven hundred Crowns then he enjoyned him to marry her presently and lastly before he could enjoy his new wife the Duke caused him to be hanged for his treachery and injustice Sometimes in this life injustice is repaid upon the heads of unjust Judges My Lords and Gentlemen before I close up this head give me leave heartily to recommend to your Justice those wrongs and injuries which more immedâ—ately strike at the honour and glory of the great God God hath put his name upon you Psalm 82.6 I said that ye are gods yet it must be granted that you are gods in a smaller letter mortal gods gods that must die like mâ—n all the sons of Ish are sons of Adam And as God hath put his name upon you so he hath made you his Vice-Royes 2 Chron. 19 6. Ye judge not for your selves but for the Lord. Rom. 13.2 Exod. 16.7 8. 1 Sam. 8.7 And therefore God takes all affronts that are done to you as done to himself as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the margin together And God hath provided for your honour among men Exod. 20.28 Thou shalt not revile the gods Rom. 13.7 Josh 4.14 i. e. the Magistrates nor curse the Ruler of thy people I have read of Fabius Maximus who highly reverenced and honoured his own son being Consul this Heathen will one day rise up in judgement against all such that scorn to give to Magistrates that honour that by the fifth Commandment is due unto them 2 Pet. 2.9 10. 1 Sam. 10.2 Iude 8.2 1 Sam. 8.7 And God is very severe in revenging the wrongs that are done to you He interprets all the injuries that are done to you as done to himself And why then will you not revenge the wrongs and injuries that are done to the great God Give me leave Gentlemen in the behalf of the great God a little to expostulate with you Shall the least dishonourable word that is spoken against an earthly Prince be severely punished and shall all those horrid and hellish blasphemies by which the Prince of the Kings of the earth is dishonoured and reproached all the Nation over passe unobserved Rev. 1.5 Shall all affronts that are offered to Embassadors be deeply resented and justly censured as high indignities done to the Prince that employed them And shall the Embassadors of the great God I mean such as are called commissionated spirited gifted and graced for that high office by God himself be scorned defamed injured reviled and on all hands evilly intreated and yet no man say Why do you thus wickedly 2 Chron. 36.15 ult to provoke the great God to your own destruction Shall it be
5 6 8. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles which he did And there was great joy in that city Samaria was a very wicked corrupt place and bewitch't by the Sorceries of Simon Magus yet God had his people there Vers 14 15 16 17. and by the Ministry of Philip not Philip the Apostle but Philip the Deacon who was a persecuted brother he called them home to be partakers of his Spirit and Grace And thus the scattering of the Church was the great advantage and increase of the Church Witness Faber Farellus Ruffus and many others in France and witness our Brethren who were forced to fly to New-England the persecution of one Church may be the gathering edifying multiplying and erecting of many Churches Such Ministers who have been by persecution driven from their own Churches have been eminently instrumental in the planting of many other Churches Though the Gospel and the faithful Preachers and professors of it was by the Scribes Pharisees High Priests Elders and great council exploded blasphemed and persecuted at Jerusalem which was once the holy City yet it was with joy received in the poluted bewitched scorned and dispised City of Samaria O the Freeness O the riches of grace Persecution is the multiplication of the people of God in all ages the more the Saints have been afflicted oppressed and persecuted the more they have increased The removing of the seven Churches in Asia brought the Gospel to Europe and Affrica During the ten cruel persecutions of the Heathen Emperors the Christian faith was spread thorow all places of the Empire because the oftner they were mowen down the more they grew as Tertullian witnesseth and the more we are cut down by the sword of persecution saith the same Author the more still we increase Persecuted Saints are like Cammomile which grows and spreads by being trod upon the more persecutors tread upon the people of God the more they will spread and grow Austin has long since observed that though there were many thousand Christians put to death for professing Christ yet they were never the fewer for being slain Julian the Apostate devised all manner of torments to terrifie the people of God and to suppress them and yet they increased and multiplyed so fast that at last he thought it his best course to give over persecuting of them and this he did not out of love to them but because the more they were persecuted the more they increased In Dioclesians time under whom the last and worst of the ten persecutions fell for then Christian Religion was more desperately opposed and persecuted then ever and yet then Religion prospered and prevailed more then ever Ruffinus so that Dioclesian himself observing that the more he sought to blot out the name of Christ the more legible it was and the more he labored to block up the way of Christ the more passible it was and that whatever of Christ he though to root out it rooted the deeper and rose the higher thereupon he resolved to engage no further but retired to a private life And it is very observable that the reformation in Germany was much furthered by the very opposition that the Papists made against it yea and 't is not to be forgotten that when two Kings wrote against Luther viz. Henry the eighth of England and Ludovicus of Hungary this Kingly Title being entred into the controversie made men more diligently and curiously to examine the matter by which means there was stir'd up in men a general inclination to Luthers opinion I have read of one who observing the Christian Religion to be so furiously persecuted by bloody Nero concluded that surely that must needs be good yea very good which was so cruelly persecuted by Nero who was so bad so very bad if men would sit down and study which way to make most proselytes to such and such opinions and practices that are different from their own certainly they cannot pitch upon a better way then to persecute those that differ from them 't is the sword of the Spirit and not the sword of persecution that will reduce the erroneous when the disease lies in the head the remedy must be answerable to the disease certainly a man shall as soon conquer a Castle by Spiritual arguments as he shall conquer a conscience by club-law when our Lord Jesus Christ sent forth his Disciples to make a conquest upon an ignorant erroneous and deluded world he did not send them forth with swords pistols or any such military weapons O no but he sent them forth under the choice anointings of his Spirit and with his everlasting Gospel and by these means he turned the world upside down these were the means by which he turned sinners from darkness to light Acts 26.18 and from the power of Satan to Jesus Christ The weapons that the Apostles used were not carnal but Spiritual 2 Corinth 10.4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but Spiritual Vide Calvin Beza and Estius and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Satan had many strong holds and sin had many strong holds and carnal reason had many strong holds and the world had many strong holds in sinners hearts and yet all these strong holds Forts Towers Castles c. were not able to stand before the Apostles Spiritual weapons they all come tumbling down before the Spirit and the word of the Lord in the mouths of his faithful Ministers by these Spiritual weapons Satan was disarmed and rebellious transgressors were conquered captivated and subdued to the obedience of the Lord Jesus But Thirdly The troubles afflictions and persecutions that befall you in the pursuit after holiness may issue in the conversion and salvation of others as is evident in Acts 8. which Chapter I recommend to your most serious perusal So in that 2 Tim. 2.9 10. Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer even unto bonds but the Word of God is not bound though Paul was fettered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For this cause yet the word was free Therefore I endure all things for the Elects sakes that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory Paul for preaching of the Gospel clearly and faithfully was imprisoned at Rome and handled as if he had been a malefactor all which he was contented to suffer upon these very grounds that the Elect might be called converted saved and glorified 'T is very observable that though Paul was a prisoner yet he preacht though he was in bonds Several of Pauls
Moses by a cleare articulate voice even as one man speaks to another when they speak face to face And so when Aaron and Miriam were swell'd with pride and envy and began to bespatter Moses and to pick a hole in his Coat and to cloud eclipse and diminish his glory see at what ahigh and noble rate God speaks of Moses see how God magnifies and exalts and lifts up Moses in that 12 Num. 6 7 8. And he said heare now my words if there be a Prophet among you I the Lord will make my self known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dreame My servant Moses is not so who is faithfull in all my house with him will I speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold Wherefore then were ye not-afraid to speak against my servant Moses Now here you see how God owns Moses and stands up for Moses and pleads for Moses and tells Aaron and Miriam to their faces that Moses was the greatest favourite and that he had far greater respects for Moses then he had for them and that there was not a man in all the world that was so inward with him as Moses and that had so much of his eare and heart as Moses had God did appeare to oâ—her Prophets in Dreames and visions which were transient but with Moses God will speak mouth to mouth God will speak to him without an interpreter he will speak to Moses more familiarly and frequently then he did to others by visions and more clearely plainly and assuredly then he did to others by dreames God here engages himselfe to hold a more close familiar friendly and constant conference and correspondence with Moses then with any others in the world Moses was blest with as cleare and with as full and with as apparent sight of God and communion with God as he was able to bare and comprehend Some of the learned are of opinion that Christ did converse with Moses in a humane shape as he had done with Abraham before Gen. 18. Ch. 32.30 c. they conjecture that the Lord Jesus did very friendly and familiarly shew himselfe to Moses with that very same face and forme of humane nature which he afterwards assumed but this I dare not press upon you as an Article of your faith And whether Moses had one hundred and seventy three familiar conferences with God which none of the Prophets had lyes upon those Rabbies to prove that doe assert it but this is granted on all hands that he was a speciall favourite and a man in high communion with God and one that had very cleare and eminent discoveries and manifestations of God And so Abraham was a man of great holiness and a man eminent in his communion with God God own'd him as a friend Isa 41.8 as an honorable friend as an eminent friend as a bosome friend as a peculiar friend and as a faithful friend and therefore he made him one of his Privy Councell and open'd his heart and his secrets to him And the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I doe Gen. 18.17 Abraham is stil'd the friend of God by a specialty though God had many friends yet 't was Abraham that was his singular friend his darling friend his rare friend c. and accordingly God was most free and full and rich in the communications of his favours and secrets to Abraham 't was not enough for Abraham to be of Gods Court but he must be also of his Cabinet Councell 'T was alwayes a principle in morality that sweet and intimate friendship cannot be extended to many Friends usually goe by paires And thus you see that the more holy any man is the more communion that man shall have with God and the more communion any man has with God the more beloved shall that man be of God the highest communion is alwayes attended with the highest love But Fifthly and lastly the more holy any man is the more actually ripe and fit for heaven that man is A Christian at first conversion is but ruâ—â—e cast but as holiness is encreased Job 5.26 so he comes more and more every day to be prepared polished squared and fitted for a full and glorious fruition of God in heaven though the least degree of grace and holiness puts a man into an habitual preparedness and fittedness for heaven yet 't is only an eminency in grace and holiness that puts a man into an actuall preparedness and fittedness for heaven the richer in grace the riper for glory the higher you are in holiness the fitter you are to enter into the joy of your Lord Math. 25.19 to ver 24. though the least drop or dram of holiness is enough to keep a man from dropping into hell yet 't is only growne holiness that actually prepares and fits a man to goe to heaven Now doubtless the more actually ripe and ready any man is for heaven the more pleasure and delight God takes in him the more the vessels of grace are fitted for glory the more complacency God takes in them When God set himselfe upon the creation of the world in the close of every dayes work except the second for which the opinions of the learned are various God set to his Seale that it was good but when he had perfected and compleated the whole Creation and cast an eye upon all together then he concludes Gen. 1. ult that it was very good And God saw all that he had made and behold it was very good or extream good so some or very pleasant and delightfull so others The work of Creation was so curiously and gloriously fram'd and so full of admirable rarities and varieties that it raised delight and complacency in God himselfe Aug. in Gen. 1.31 Whereupon Augustine observes that even to every grace yea of the least degree of grace he saith it is good but when he beholds the graces of his Saints fresh and flourishing your faith acted and strengthened your repentance daily renewed your humility increased c. then he concludes that all is very good O Sirs if the Lord Jesus Christ be so ravished with one of his Spouses eyes Cant. 4.9 and with one chaine of her neck with the least drops or sips of grace or with the least grains and drams of grace and holiness O how much more will great measures of grace and holiness take him and ravish him Well for a close of this Argument remember this that as the Sun shines hotter on some Climates then it doth upon others and as the dew falls more upon one place then another and as the water over-flowes some pastures more then others so Gods love of complacency and delight shines hotter and brighter upon some Christians then it do's upon others and these I have shew'd you to be such who are most eminent and excellent in
vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further So holy Agur Prov. 30.2 3. Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not * Binath Adam the understanding of Adam the understanding of a man I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy Though all men are brutish yet holy men are most sensible of their brutishness and most affected and afflicted with it wicked men are more brutish then the beasts Isa 1.3 4. yet they see it not they bewail it not but holy Agur both sees his brutishness and bewails it Holy Agur looking upon that rare knowledge that depth of wisdom and those admirable excellencies that Adam was endued with in his integrity and innocency confesses himself to be but brutish to be as much below what Adam once was as a bruit is below a man Psalm 51. So holy David cries not Perii I am undone I shall perish but peccavi I have sinned I have done foolishly And so for his being envious at the prosperity of the foolish Psalm 73.2 3. how doth he befool and be-beast himself Psalm 73.22 So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee The Hebrew word Behemoth Therefore the Elephant is called Behemoth in Job 40.15 that is here rendred beast generally comprehends all beasts of the greater sort As an aggravation of his folly he confesseth that he was as a beast as a great beast yea as an Epiâ—ome of all great beasts So the holy Prophet Isaiah complains that he was undone Isa 6.5 that he was cut off not upon any worldly account but because he was a man of unclean lips and dwelt in the midst of a people of unclean lips Dan. 9. So holy Daniel complained not that they were reproached and oppressed but that they had rebelled So Peter Luke 5.8 Depart from me for I am a sinful man O Lord Or as the Greek hath it I am a man a sinner O Lord depart from me for I am a mixture and compound of all vileness and sinfulness Rom. 7.23 24. So holy Paul cries not out of his opposers or persecutors but of the Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his mind Pauls body of death within him put him to more grief and sorrow then all the troubles and trialls that ever befell him An holy heart laments over those sins that he cannot conquer a holy person labours to wash out all the stains and spots that be in his soul in the streams of godly sorrow that his sins may never drown his soul Zach. 2.10 Isa 59.1 2. he will do what he can to drown his sins in penitential tears A holy person looks upon his sins as the crucifiers of his Saviour and so they affect him he looks upon his sins as the great incendaries make-bates and separatist between God and his soul and so they afflict him he looks upon his fins as so many reproaches to his God blemishes to his profession and wounds to his credit and conscience and so they grieve and trouble him he looks upon his sins as those that make many a righteous soul besides his own sad whom God would not have sadded and that opens many a sinful mouth that God would have stopped Ezek. 13.22 and that strengthens many a wicked heart that God would not have strengthened and so they fetch many a sigh from his heart and many a tear from his eyes When a holy man sins he looks upwards and there he sees God frowning he looks downwards and there he sees Satan insulting he looks within himself and there he finds his conscience either a bleeding raging or accusing he looks without himself and there he finds gracious men lamenting and mourning and graceless men deriding and mocking the sense of which doth sorely and sadly afflict a gracious soul Some say that Saint Peters eyes after his great falls were alwayes full of tears insomuch that his face was furrowed with continual weeping for his horrid thoughts his desperate words his shameful shifts and his damnable deeds which made him look more like a child of hell then like a Saint whose name was written in heaven Some say of Adam that when he turned his face towards the Garden of Eden he sadly lamented his great fall Some say of Mary Magdalen that she spent thirty years in Galba in weeping for her sins Davids sins were ever before him and therefore no wonder if Tears instead of Gemms were so constantly the ornaments of his bed Wicked Pharaoh cryes out Psal 115.3 Oh take away these filthy frogs take away these dreadful judgments but holy David cryes out O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant Pharaoh cryes out because of his punishments but David cryes out because of his sin Anselm saith that with grief he considered the whole course of his life I found saith he the infancy of sin in the sins of my infancy the youth and growth of sin in the sins of my youth and growth and the ripeness of all sin in the sins of my ripe and perfect age and then he breaks forth into this patheticall expression What remaineth for thee wretched man but that thou spend thy whole life in bewailing thy whole life By all which it is most evident that holy hearts are very much affected and afflicted with their own unholiness and vileness Now certainly those persons are as far off from real holiness as hell is from heaven who take pleasure in unrighteousness who make a scoff and mock of sin who commit wickedness with greediness who talk wickedly who live wantonly who trade deceitfully who swear horribly who drink stifly who lye hideously and who die impenitently But Seventhly Real holiness naturalizes holy duties to the soul it makes religious services to be easie and pleasant to the soul 1 Pet. 1 2. Jam. 5.15 Hence prayer is called the prayer of faith because holy faith naturalizeth a mans heart to prayer it is as natural for a holy man to pray as it is for him to breath or as it is for a bird to fly or fire to ascend or a stone to descend Rom. 16.26 Psalm 119.166 And hence it is that obedience is called the obedience of faith because holy faith naturalizes a mans heart to obedience As soon as ever this plant of renown was set in the heart of Paul he cryes out Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 Gal. 3.2 And hence it is that hearing is called the hearing of faith because this holy principle naturalizes a mans heart to hearing Psalm 122.1 2. I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the Lord. And so in Isa 2.3 And many people shall go and say Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord to the house of
the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his pathes for out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the Word of the Lord from Jerusalem 1 Thes 1.3 And hence patience is called patience of hope because this holy principle of hope naturalizes a mans heart to a patient waiting upon God Rom. 8.25 But if we hope for that we see not Heb. 6.10 then do we with patience wait for it So holy love naturalizes the soul to holy service in 1 Thes 1.3 you read of the labour of love holy love is very laborious nothing makes a Christian more industrious painful and diligent in the service and waies of God then holy love holy love will make us to pray and to praise Rom. 14.7 8. 2 Corin. 12.14 15 16. it will make us wait and work it will provoke souls to study Christ to admire Christ to live to Christ to lift up Christ to spend and be spent for Christ and to break through all difficulties that it may come nearer to Christ and cleave closer to Christ As Jerom once bravely said If my father said he should stand before me my mother should hang upon me and my brethren should press about me I would break through my brethren throw down my mother tread under-feet my father that I might the faster cleave unto Christ my Saviour O the laboriousness of holy love So far as a Christian is holy so far holy services will be delightful and easie to him Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man ver 25. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God Psalm 119.16 I will delight my self in thy Statutes I will not forget thy Word Ver. 35. Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments for therein do I delight Ver. 47. And I will delight my self in thy Commandments which I have loved Ver. 92. Vnless thy Law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction Ver. 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy Commandments are my delights Sirs Honour is not more suteable delightful and pleasing to an ambitious man nor pleasure to a voluptuous man nor flatterie to a proud man nor gold to a covetous man nor excess to an intemperate man nor revenge to an envious man Psalm 27.8 Psal 81.8 ult nor pardon to a condemned man then Religious duties and services are suteable pleasing and delightful to a holy man but now unholy hearts are very averse to holy duties and services they are averse to hearing averse to praying averse to reading averse to meditating averse to self-judging averse to self-examining averse to holy worship averse to holy Sabbaths Amos 8.5 When will the new moon be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbath that we may set forth Wheat Isa 26.10 11. Jer. 5.1 6. You may sooner draw a Coward to fight or a Malefactor to the Barr or a Bear to the stake Wicked hearts are habitually averse to all that is good c. then you shall draw unholy hearts to holy services But if at any time by the strong motions of the Spirit the close debates of conscience the powerful perswasions of the Word the education of godly parents the pious example of bosom friends the rich treasures in precious promises the dreadful evils in terrible threatnings or if at any time by the displeasure of God the smarting rod the bowels of mercy the woings of love or if at any time by some flashes of hell or glimpses of heaven or by the heavy sighs the deep groans and the bleeding wounds of a dying Saviour their hearts are wrote over to Religious services Ah how soon are they weary of them What little delight or pleasure do they take in them Isa 43.22 Isa 58.1 2 3 4 5. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob that is thou hast not worshipped nor served me sincerely faithfully feelingly heartily affectionately humbly holily as thou shouldest and as thou oughtest but thou hast been weary of me O Israel that is thou hast been weary of my worship and service and thou hast counted it rather a burden then a benefit a dammage then an advantage a reproach then an honour a disgrace then a favour a vexation then a blessing and for all thy formal courtings and complementings of me thou hast been secretly weary of me So in Mal. 1.12 13. Ye say The table of the Lord is polluted and the fruit thereof even his meat is contemptible Ye said also Behold what a weariness is it and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of hosts c. They did God but little service and that they did was after the worst manner too and yet they snuff and puff and blow and sweat and swell and fall into a fustian fume as if they had been over-tyred and wearied with the burden and weight of those sacrifices which they offered up to the great God A holy heart thinks all too little that he doth for God but an unholy heart thinks every little too much that he doth for God An holy heart like the holy Angels loves to do much and make no noise but an unholy heart makes most noise when he doth least service an unsanctified soul hath a Trumpet in his right hand when he hath but a penny to give in his left hand as here But Eighthly Where there is real holiness there will be the exercise of righteousness towards men from righteous principles and upon religious accounts viz. the honour of God the command of God the will of God the credit of the Gospel c. Real holiness towards God is alwayes attended with righteousness towards men Eph. 4.24 And that ye put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness or holiness of truth Titus 2.11 12. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godlily in this present world These words contain the summ of a Christians duty to live soberly towards our selves righteously towards our neighbours and godlily towards God The common shekel is about 20. pence so then 400. shekels amount to 33. pound six shillings and eight pence after five shillings sterling the ounce And in this purchase is prophetically shewed that Abrahams posterity should have the inheritance of that land As Jeremiahs buying of his Uncles field was a sign of the Jews return and of their pollicie there again to buy and sell is true godliness indeed and the whole duty of man So holy Abraham in Gen. 23.16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth four hundred shekels of silver currant money with the Merchant It is recorded to holy Abrahams everlasting honour and fame that he paid for