Ancient Writers of the Church we find the Title of Sponsores or Sureties Tertul. de Bap. August Tom. 2. 35. d. 2. given 'em which imports them to be Persons that have given Security to God and the Church about some Matter relating to the Infants they have presented to Baptism As also they are called Fide Jussores which is a Word of the like Importance and signifies a Surety or Bondsman In the latter Ages particularly amongst the Reformed Churches where they are generally in Use and even Junius and Tremellius Calvinist Writers do derive them from Is 8.6 they came to be called Compatres and Commatres which give me leave to translate Joint-fathers and Joint-mothers with respect to their Spiritual Birth and State which seems farther to import that the Security they give to the Church with reference to those Children they present to Baptism is concerning something that belongs to Natural Parents to take care of the Words signifying 'em to be join'd with 'em in the Parental Care And lastly amongst us they are properly enough stiled Godfathers and Godmothers because this Collateral Security given by 'em in behalf of the Infants is given to God and his Church and is a Security given by these Persons styled Godfathers and Godmothers that they will be instrumental to their New Birth as their Parents were to their Natural And let this suffice as to the Importance of the Words all which put together do signifie thus much that Godfathers and Godmothers are a Collateral Security join'd together with the Natural Parents in the behalf of their Children entred into Covenant with God and that this their Security is given to God and his Church that they will be Instruments in begetting them to God II. And now let us enquire into the Nature of their Office II. The Nature of their Office imply'd in these Words They did promise and vow three things in my Name And truly the Nature of their Office seems to me to be no more nor less than this 1. An express Engagement given to Christ and his Church in behalf of those Infants they present to Baptism that so soon as they become capable to be taught they shall be instructed in the Nature of that Covenant which they their Sureties have undertook for them and 2. That they shall be admonish'd and advis'd by them to lead their Lives according to the Obligations laid upon them by that their Covenant And lastly That those Infants shall moreover after sufficient Instruction in their Covenant solemnly take upon themselves the Profession of it before the Chief Minister of Christ's Church the Bishop I say that the Office of Godfathers and Godmothers does seem to me to import no more nor less than a Security given to God and his Church that the baptized Person shall do thus shall be instructed in his Covenant shall be minded to live according to it and shall solemnly declare it that it is his sincere Intentions so to do And First It is not only as a Proxy to speak for the Child in Baptism First that he shall be instructed in his Covenant True it is these Words They did promise and vow three things in my Name do seem to import something more as if the Sureties in Baptism did not only engage for the Instruction of the Party in the Nature of his Covenant but for his actual performance of it too which as it lays a very great and weighty Charge upon Sureties too much it is thought for any one to undertake for another so I am not willing to interpret them in a sense as will be apt to deterr conscientious People from doing so charitable an Office and make others have no Care about it as a Bond they despair of ever discharging I am not therefore inclin'd to expound them in so discouraging a sense if the Expressions will fairly bear milder as I humbly conceive these will For to do a thing in ones name especially in the transacting of Covenants where Privileges and Advantages accrue thereby is to act as a Proxy in the others stead In the acting as such in any Covenant by reason of the Absence or Minority or other Incapacity of the Person mainly concerned it is very usual for the Proxy so to personate the Covenanting Party himself as if he were the Person whom he represents And thus these Words They did promise and vow three things in my Namr shall be understood to mean no more than this that I being uncapable my self by reason of my Infancy to express my Consent to my Part of the Covenant my Godfathers and Godmothers were my Mouth who did it for me Now this I do indeed take to be part of the Sense but not the whole Importance for then there would be no Engagement to any thing on the Godfathers and Godmothers part whereas they are something more than meer Proxies and are really and truly Sureties for something to be done tho' not perhaps that the Person baptized shall actually perform his Covenant yet at least that he shall be instructed in the Nature of it so as to know what he ought to perform But it imports withal a Security given to God and his Church that the Child shall be instructed in his Baptismal Covenant And this taking care of the Child's Instruction is the first part of the Duty of Godfathers and Godmothers For the best way I conceive to understand the meaning of any Author in Words more generally exprest is to consult those Expositions and Explications he makes of his own Sense elsewhere if any such can be met withal And now we have a most excellent Key for the opening of this Engagement of the Godfathers and Godmothers in the behalf of the Child baptized in the Exhortation given them after Baptism and in the Charge to bring the Baptized Person to Confirmation The Words of the Exhortation run thus Forasmuch as this Child hath promised by you that are his Sureties to renounce the Devil and all his Works to believe in God and to serve him Ye must remember that it is your Parts and Duty to see that this Infant be taught so soon as he shall be able to learn what a solemn Vow Promise and Profession he hath here made by you And that he may know these things the better ye shall call upon him to hear Sermons and chiefly ye shall provide that he may learn the Creed the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the Vulgar Tongue and all other things which a Christian ought to know and believe to his Soul's Health And that this Child may be vertuosly brought up to lead a Godly and a Christian Life remembring always that Baptism doth represent unto us our Profession which is to follow the Example of our Saviour Christ and to be made like unto him that as he dyed and rose again for us so should we who are Baptized dye to Sin and rise again unto Righteousness continually mortifying all
Deliver and Bless them that turned to him to serve him only Which seems to be his meaning when he saith he will be sanctified before the Heathen when he should gather them from among the people where they were Captives and that the Heathen should know that he was the the Lord Ezek. 20.41 and 36 23. And by this means he brought them to fear and worship the God of Israel Psal 102.13 15. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion So the Heathen shall fear the Name of the Lord and all the Kings of the Earth thy glory When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Sion they said among the Heathen The Lord hath done great things for them Psal 126.1 2. 6. The whole Law was given to be a Political Instrument of Governing the Israelites according to that state of their minority as a peculiar Republick of which God himself was the Soveraign Legislator But of this more afterward CHAP. III. Shewing by what Faith and Practice the Jews under the Law were Saved I Come now to shew by what Faith and Practice the Jews under the Law were Saved And doubtless whatever it was it became available to that end upon the account of what Christ was to suffer when he should come For as I shewed before that God's Covenant with Abraham and his Seed by virtue of which the Faithful then were saved was confirmed in Christ was established with them in reference to what he was to do and suffer as Mediator afterwards Gal. 3.17 And by means of his Death there was Redemption for the transgressions that were under the first Testament Heb. 9.15 And the Sacrifices and Priesthood were a Figure for the time then present of what Christ should afterwards do and suffer and for what end But when I say so I do not say that all that were Saved did understand so much For we see the Apostles of Christ though they did believe him to be the Messias which the Jews expected yet they did not understand or expect that he should suffer Death as a Sacrifice till he told them so Nay the thing was so far from their thoughts as that they did not understand him when he plainly foretold them of his Death Luke 18.32 And if the Doctrine touching the resemblance that is between the Priesthood of Melchizedech and the Priesthood of Christ was not in the Apostles sense Meat which Babes in Christianity could well digest in their Understandings but was Meat for strong Men Heb. 5.10 14. we may well guess by that how little the Jews understood the Typical and Spiritual sense of those Types about which they were frequently conversant and therefore it 's said that the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than John the Baptist though he was so great that there was none greater before him Hence we may see that one reason why those Jews were all their life-time under a Spirit of Bondage to fear was the great Obscurity of the Declaration of God's purpose of Grace to the World through Christ and the Way and Method of Salvation by him Moses was but a servant for a Testimony of those things which were after to be spoken and so declared afterwards as that the Typical meaning of them might be understood Heb. 3.5 In the mean while as touching those things they were shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed Gal. 3.23 It is said of the Prophets whereof Moses was one that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto us by them that have preached the Gospel to us 1 Pet. 1.12 Add we to all this Heb. 9.8 where having spoken in ver 7. of the High Priests entering alone into the Holy of Holies with the Blood of the Sacrifice in behalf of the People once every Year he saith The Holy Ghost this signifying that the way into the Holiest of all was not yet made manifest while as the first Tabernacle was yet standing By the Holiest of all here is meant Heaven signified of old by the Holy of Holies as appears ver 12 24. And the plain meaning seems to be this That the peoples entring into Heaven by the Sacrifice and Blood and Intercession of Christ was not made manifest while the Tabernacle-worship continued For Christ is our Way into Heaven to the place within the Veil by his Blood shed as a Sacrifice Heb. 10.19 20. Having therefore Brethren boldness to enter into the Holiest by the Blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the Veil that is to say his Flesh But this Way he tells us was not made manifest while the first Tabernacle was standing But as obscure as this way was as to what was to be done and suffered in particular by the Messias yet they had some general grounds of Faith and Hope That upon their Faith Repentance and sedulous Endeavours to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord they should obtain remission of their sins and a future Happiness in another World Among which gounds these were not the least 1. They had the knowledge of the Promise of Blessedness to all Nations in Abraham's Seed and of the Promise of those other Benefits which were promised to Abraham and his Seed 2. They had an addition of several other Predictions concerning the Messias both by Moses and other Prophets that perhaps were somewhat more express such as in Deut. 18.16 Isa 53. Dan. 9. and others These Promises and Predictions put them in great expectations of Special Benefits by the Messias and wrought in them a longing after his Day Upon which account our Saviour said to his Disciples Blessed are your Eyes for they see and your Ears for they hear For I say unto you that many Prophets and Kings and Righteous Men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Mat. 13.16 17. Luke 10.23 24. 3. They had large significations from God of his special Favour to them above all people as in chusing them to be his peculiar People and in declaring himself to be their God in giving visible signs of his Presence among them and excellent Laws and Promises to them and sending his Prophets amongst them and working many Wonders for them and casting out the Nations before them to make room for them and the like Deut. 7.6 7 8. and 26.18 19. Psal 147.19 20. Rom. 9.4 5. 4. They had express Declaration from God of the Goodness of his Nature and of his Compassion towards Sinners and of his readiness to Pardon such as should Repent and return to their Duty in loving him and keeping his Commandments As for instance Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed The Lord The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and
Joy in God or the eternal Joys of his Kingdom As First when we prefer 'em in our Judgments or Desires either before our spiritual Joy in God or the eternal Joys of his Kingdom which is what the Carnal Man does do Which is I say what the Carnal Man does do For while the Flesh is the prevailing Ingredient in any Man he only relishes the satisfaction of the Senses He cannot enjoy God he cannot delight in doing his Will no more than a Swine can in clean Pasture whose natural Property inclines him only to wallow in the Mire But when the Soul is clarify'd and purg'd by the great Refiner how sublime and satisfying a Pleasure does it feel in the Love of God and in his Service As in natural Feeding when the Palate is in due Temper our Tast commends our proper Food to the Appetite and the Appetite to the Stomach but a foul Stomach dis-affects the Appetite spoils the Palate and the most savoury and wholesom Meat is loathsom when the Disease is the Taster Thus if the Soul be in its due Temper the Doing the will of God would be our Meat and Drink mixt with a sweeter Pleasure than those natural Operations are but the Soul in the unregenerate Man is so Corrupt and Carnaliz'd that it has no tast of the pure Delights of Blessed Spirits in Communion with God Like the Israelites who despis'd the Bread of Angels and impatiently long'd for the Onions and Garlick and Flesh-Pots of Egypt But this must not be our Temper but with the Holy Psalmist we must be able experimentally to say The fear of the Lord is clean enduring for ever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey and the Honey-comb Psal 19.9 10. Secondly And we must Renounce it as a great sign of a sensual Spirit which relishes no Enjoyments like those of Sence II. When a Man relishes no Enjoyments like those of sence When a Person is observ'd to be wholly in a manner purveying for the Belly Cooking or Ordering his Dishes always commending or rather quarrelling with every thing he eats or drinks No the Discourses of Philosophical wise and vertuous Minds is even at the very Table of other-guess Matters than of the Excellency of that Dish the Poynancy of such a Sauce or the Flavour of such and such Liquors And with these Epicures we may justly Expostulate in the words of our Saviour Are ye yet without understanding Do ye not yet understand that whatever entereth into the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the Draught Matth. 15.17 And it is sure a sign of an Understanding below the Excellency of the Soul of Man to concern it self so much about what in few Hours will go down into the Guts the Sink and the vilest part of the Body Thirdly It must be Renounced as a high and sinful Sensuality to glut our Senses so as to surfeit on these Sweets III. When he gluts himself so as to surfeit on these Sweets There is nothing which does more decay Nature which brings upon us more desperate and incurable Diseases and does more precipitate and hasten a sudden Death than Excess in the Gratifications of Men's Lusts and Appetites But this is grosly to abuse the Creatures of God which were allow'd us only for our Use It is to make but an ungrateful Return to him for all his Bounties And is unnaturally to destroy our selves for the sake of a paultry Pleasure which vanisheth in the very Enjoyment of a Pleasure which is mixed with more bitter Ingredients than Gall and Wormwood For even in their Laughter the heart of those sensual Men is sorrowful and the end of their mirth is heaviness Prov. 14.13 Lastly The Deliciousness of those Pleasures must not cause any one to load and burthen his Nature therewith to that Degree as to render him unfit for the Duties of his Calling and Religion And lastly when the Deliciousness of these Pleasures causes him to load and burthen his Nature therewith so as to render him unfit for the Duties of his Calling and Religion in which respect those do Offend who do so immoderately indulge the Appetites in Eating and Drinking that they are drowsy and sleepy even under the Messages sent them from the King of Heaven and deliver'd them by his Ambassadors the Preachers of his Word No the End of all Pleasure as well as of Recreations is to render us not less but more vigorous and lively in the Service of God and the proper Business of our Calling Which brings me Lastly To consider Recreative Pleasures and to shew you what they are in what Sence and how far we are to Renounce those sort of Pleasures Now these are meerly of a middle and of an indifferent Nature Recreative Pleasures of a middle and indifferent Nature They are neither wholly Mental nor altogether Bodily Pleasures but may be either And they are neither necessarily Good nor Evil but either one or other according as they are used For when the Mind has been long intent upon Study and Meditation it may be very convenient to Vnbend it by giving our selves some Bodily Diversion as Walking Riding or other innocent Recreation And when the Body has been long fatigued and wearied with Labour it is requisite to give it Ease and it is no wise hurtful either to Soul or Body to fall into a chearful provided it be an innocent Conversation And indeed the moderate use of innocent Pleasures and Recreations is both useful and necessary It enlivens Nature brisks up our Spirits and renders us more able to set again about serious Business and Employment For to intermix no Gratifications nor Diversions with our more serious Affairs makes the Mind unactive dull and useless But Recreations the most innocent of 'em are to be moderately and sparingly us'd by every Christian The most Innocent thereof are to be sparingly used for he that shall much indulge himself in the allow'd Pleasures of the World shall quickly bring himself into a Frame of Spirit that will not easily endure Patience Self-denial and Mortification and other the more difficult and considerable Parts of Religion Ease and Diversions soften the Sinews dissolve the Nerves and are apt to render us Nice and Delicate and Effeminate a Temper the most unsuitable for any Souldier because it will utterly indispose him for Military Severities Ease and Pleasure therefore must be warily Indulg'd to by the Souldier of JESUS in whose Warfare there are both Conflicts and Severities far surpassing the hardest which other Wars engage us in No If you will become Excellent in Religion nay keep but within the Bounds of Innocence you must innure your selves much to Christian Severity and Reservedness and the most harmless of this World's Delights are to be more rarely us'd than is commonly thought of He that constantly eats a
the face thereof Prov. 24.30 31. Thereby the Understanding of the Scholar is over-spread with Ignorance the Manners of the Gentleman with Barbarity and Savageness and Poverty and Nakedness do enter through Sloth the Houses of Tradesmen But on the other side how comfortable are the Fruits of Industry either in Man or Woman Particularly as to the Woman's Industry there is such an Account given thereof Prov. 31. from the 10 ver to the End of that Chap. as shews the mighty Happiness to Husband Children and Servants where such a One is the Mistress of the Family and her Character ought to be got by Heart by every Person of her Sex And therefore the Effects of Sloth being so dismal and miserable but the Fruits of Industry so very advantagious and comfortable according as the Wise-man advises Eccl. 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might Well but it is enough you 'll say for those to be Industrious Idleness not allowable no not in Gentlemen who are to Live by their Calling But as for such who enjoy a sufficiency and plenty of the Necessaries Conveniencies and Superfluities of this World what occasion is there that they should be Industrious For as it is commonly said What is a Gentleman but his Pleasures But give me leave to answer in the words of an excellent Person that if this be true If a Gentleman be nothing else but this then truly he is a sad Piece the most inconsiderable the most despicable the most pitiful and wretched Creature in the World If it be his Priviledge to do nothing then it is his Priviledge to be good for nothing to be a meer Weight and Burthen upon the Earth nay the Pest and Plague of Mankind since the Soul of Man is that active Power that if it does not actuate and employ a Man in doing Good it will certainly in doing Mischief So that to say thus of the Gentleman or Man of Fortunes is highly to Reproach him But the Contrary is most certain And no Man be he in never so flourishing a State and Condition must give himself up to Idleness as being one of the greatest Temptations in the World to Sin and in it self a Life very displeasing to God It is one of the greatest Temptations in the World to Sin Idleness I say is one of the greatest Temptations in the World to Sin So great a Temptation indeed it is that the idle Person Tempts the Devil to come and Tempt him That wicked Spirit Continually walketh about the Earth seeking whom he may devour and spying a Person to be Idle he infallibly lies down before him He musters up all his Forces to beleaguer that Man sends for the like idle and licentious Persons as himself and those with all possible Allurements inveigle him to join with 'em in their wicked Courses And his Mind being taken up with no honest Cares the Devil throws into his Soul a Thousand ill Thoughts and base Designs and lewd Imaginations to corrupt him and make him yield And the greatest of Men and Saints have been overcome meerly by being found Idle as we have an eminent Instance in David 2 Sam. 11.2 Who walking on the roof of his House his Mind then roving and being untackt from honest Cares that Temptation seiz'd on him whereby he was plung'd into that woful Miscarriage in the Matter of Vriah which did create him so much Sorrow did make such a Spot in his Life as was never washt off no not with his Tears of Repentance So excellent was the Advice of the Father Be always doing something that the Devil may never find thee Idle And is it self a very great Sin Nor is the Idleness of Persons in a plentiful and flourishing Condition in it self less a Sin than it is a Temptation to other Sins These are the Persons who have Talents given 'em and their Idleness is exprest by Hiding their Talents in the Earth Mat. 25.25 which how great a Sin it is is evident from our Saviour's severe Menaces thereupon calling such an idle Person a Wicked and slothful Servant and commanding him to be cast because an unprofitable Servant into outer darkness where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth ver 30. It is remarkable that here the wicked Servant is so severely Doom'd not for mis-employing but for being Idle and not employing his Talent So that no Man's Condition be it never so Plentiful will excuse him in Idleness Lastly no man must live above his Calling The last Thing to be Renounced with reference to a Calling is the Living above it This is what the Vanity and Pride of many both Gentlemen Tradesmen and others do tempt 'em to but the issue thereof is in a short time to be Needy and Borrowing and consequently Contemptible and to meet with Scorn instead of that Respect they seek by making an outward Appearance and Flourish But the worst of it is when Men are of this Humour to live above their Calling in order to maintain their Port and Pride they are forc'd if Gentlemen to oppress their Tenants if Tradesmen to cheat and over-reach their Customers and to use all the evil Arts of Getting And as to the latter when they so far scorn the meanness of their Profession as to throw it aside it is not seldom that in the End they take to the High-way as the only means of maintaining themselves In short therefore to prevent the fatal Effects of both these last Evils Idleness and living beyond a Man's Calling my Advice to young Persons is to be Industrious till such time at least as they have laid up a Stock whereby they may afford to live more at ease and not to throw off the meanest Calling till they are able to live Creditably without it And so much for the Callings of the World and what is to be Renounced with Relation to them Secondly Let us consider amongst those Things of the World of a middle Nature the different Conditions and States of Men therein II. Amongst those things of the World of a middle Nature the different Conditions and States of men therein are to be consider'd And the greatest Part are in the State either of Masters or of Servants And the whole World are either Single or Married Persons And First as to the State and Condition of a Master there are very great Advantages and Opportunities which the Head of a Family has of doing Good amongst those of his Houshold insomuch that if he keep up an orderly and religious Discipline in his Family it will be no hard matter for him so to form the Principles and Practices of his Servants and Dependants as to be able to undertake with Joshua 24.15 that he and his House shall serve the Lord. I. A Master has great advantages of doing Good But yet this as all other Conditions of Men in this World is liable to be abused to great degrees of Dishonour to God
Laws seem most to thwart our Reason and his Dispensations seem most hard and severe Thus did Abraham the Father of the Faithful when God commanded him even to Slay his only Son Isaac he readily obey'd he did not stand to dispute the Case Gen. 22.10 And thus did Job in reference to the Dispensations of God's Providence when he was stript naked of his vast Possessions and even of his dear Children he even then blest God for it kissing as it were the Rod that stroke him The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord Job 1.21 III. III. The Affections what and how to be renounc'd The Affections in the Carnal Man do sadly degenerate into what may too properly be called the sinful Lusts of the Flesh Our Passions and Affections are indeed in themselves of singular use to the perfecting of our Natures They are the Wings of the Soul to carry it forth with eagerness in the pursuit of that which is Good and with Aversation and Flight from that which is Evil. They are variously numbred up but the Master Affections are Love and Hatred which when they are rightly governed all the rest are so too but when they are misplac'd and out of order so in the same proportion are all the others And accordingly whereas then it is that our Love is rightly fix'd 1. When we place it upon a proper Object And 2. When we steer towards the Thing we love with Desires proportionable to the Good that is in the Object that is When the best and greatest Things are pursu'd with our chiefest Passions middle Things with a less and the lowest with the least So it is that so long as a Person remains Unregenerate he either first places his Love upon that which he should Hate which is the wrong Object as upon sinful Profits and Pleasures or secondly he loves Things of an Indifferent Nature such as are Earthly Things with an over Intense Affection beyond their true Worth and Value And so on the contrary as to Hatred the Carnal Mind hates that which he should love viz. God and Vertue The Carnal Mind is Enmity against God nor is it subject to the Law of God Rom. 8.7 Or else he hates some Things as the chiefest of all Evils viz. Sufferings and Afflictions when indeed they are of that Nature that upon due Consideration a Man shall be able to say That it is good for him that he has been Afflicted And accordingly when our Affections of either kind are either misplac'd upon wrong Objects or are disproportionate to the true worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly affected in Moderate Degrees In either of these Cases I say our Affections shall become sinful Lusts of the Flesh and are necessary to be Renounced by us And 1. Those Affections of Love and Hatred must be utterly Renounc'd which we shall find our selves to have mis-plac'd upon wrong Objects I. As they are mis-plac'd upon wrong Objects that is instead of Loving we must utterly Hate and Abhor all Sin and sinful Pleasures So the Psalmist Psal 97.10 Ye that Love the Lord hate Evil. Now Sin is the greatest Evil in the World as being most directly contrary to the Holy Nature and Will of God and it is the Cause of all the Evils which befal us and therefore to take pleasure in Sin is so perverse a thing that so long as any Person remains thus wickedly Dispos'd he is an Enemy of God and no better than a Child of the Devil 1 Joh. 3.10 Thus must we not misplace our Love upon that greatest of all Evils which is Sin And so 2. Instead of Hating God and Vertue against whom the Carnal and Vnregenerate are at Enmity we must Entirely and Affectionately Love both which is so plain and palpable a Truth as needs neither Proof nor Enlargement And thus we are to Renounce the Affections of Love and Hatred whenever they are mis-plac'd upon undue Objects 2. And we must so far Renounce 'em as they are Disproportionate to the true Worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly Affected in Moderate Degrees II. As they are disproportionate to the Love Worth and Evil that is in those Objects towards which it is lawful to be well or evilly affected in moderate Degrees That is 1st We must not Love God with an inferior Degree of Affection and Worldly Things with a Superior but as God is the Supreme Good in himself and the Author of all the Good we Enjoy we must therefore Love him accordingly with the Intensest Degree of Affection that we shall be able so Matth. 22.37 Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind We must so Love him as chearfully to Renounce and Sacrifice all our Profits and Pleasures when call'd thereto that is We must deny our selves take up our Cross and follow him in Afflictions Distresses and Persecutions whenever the Cross shall be laid upon us Matth. 18.24 Nay and we must so Love him as even to Hate all others the Nearest and Dearest Relations in comparison of him Luk. 14.26 So far must we Renounce our Affections of Love as it is any wise disproportionate to the thing Beloved as it is too violently set upon perishing and worldly Goods and too cold towards God and Heavenly Things 2. And on the contrary we must also Renounce that other Affection of Hatred as it is Disproportionate to the Evil which is to be Hated There may be just occasion of Anger towards a Person and of Hatred of his ways but we must not let those Passions so far exceed their due Bounds as to degenerate into Wrath and Malice Let all Bitterness and Wrath and Anger and Clamour be put away from you with all Malice And be ye Kind one to another Tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4.31 32. 3. The Last of those Powers of our Corrupted Nature which are here to be Renounced are our Lusts and Appetites III. The Lusts and Appetites are such Sinful Lusts of the Flesh as are to be Renounc'd which in a State of Unregeneracy are indeed most directly and immediately no other than so many Sinful Lusts of the Flesh These were design'd by the God of Nature for our Preservation Our Appetites after Meat and Drink were Implanted in our Nature in order to preserve our own selves in Being and Cupidity or Lust for the Propagation and Preservation of a Posterity to succeed us But when either our Appetites or Lusts do desire 1. Vndue Objects Or 2. That which in it self is Lawful and Allowable in Vndue Measures they do then degenerate into Sinful Lusts of the Flesh and must be Renounced by us And First I. As they do desire Vndue Objects as to the Indulgence
Nor of deferring the hearing of good Advices till another time like Foelix who when St. Paul reason'd to him of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come did shift off the Apostle with a go thy way for this time when it is a more convenient Season I will call for thee Acts 24.25 On the contrary the truly resolute Christian takes David for his Pattern who having thought upon his Ways turn'd his Feet unto God's Testimonies And made haste and delay'd not to keep his Commandments Psal 119.59 60. 6. And he determines vigorously and speedily to betake himself to the Execution of all those Vows and Promises made in his Baptism The Resolute Christian makes no Exceptions of some particular Lusts some darling Sins but if there be any one more than ordinary dear to him he determines immediately to Mortifie to Cut off that tho' as near as his right Arm and to pluck it out tho' as tender as his right Eye He is not like King Agrippa whom St. Paul almost perswaded to be a Christian but he is both Almost and Altogether like St. Paul Acts 26.28 29. who held no Correspondence and Familiarity with any of the Enemies of God and his own Soul but is resolv'd to abandon them all alike to Believe every Article and to Obey every Command And thus the Resolv'd Christian determines to go on uniformly in the discharge of all his Engagements notwithstanding all Oppositions from the World the Flesh and the Devil What mighty Difficulties they will raise him how many Blocks they will put in his Way and what cunning Stratagems the Devil particularly will make use of to divert him from his Good Purposes and to make him break his Covenant with God you have already shew'd you But the Man of Resolution is a Man of Courage and will not through Fearfulness and Cowardice give way in the Day of Battle But with St. Paul is perswaded because he is Resolved That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor Things present nor Things to come nor Heighth nor Depth nor any other Creature shall be able to separate him from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8.38 39. Lastly And now to render the Christian Resolution compleat in all its Parts you must publickly declaratively and solemnly protest it to all the World that it is the full determination of your Heart and Mind to adhere faithfully to God against all his Enemies the World the Flesh and the Devil that you will neither swerve from your Faith nor flinch from your Obedience Publick and Declarative this Resolution must be upon all Just Occasions as when Prophaness and Impiety grow bold and daring and when Sinners become Impudent and Triumphant in Immodest and Immoral Courses And when the Profession of Religion is thrown off as Ridiculous and below Men of Sense and Spirit In such an Age as this I say there is occasion given to all the faithful Servants of Christ to own and declare themselves his Disciples and that they are not asham'd of him and his Doctrines And with the Noble Mattathias 1 Mac. 2.19 they must be ready to say Tho' all the Nations under the Kings Dominions shall fall every one from the Religion of their Fathers yet will I and my Sons and my Brethren walk in the Covenant of our Fathers A Noble and Heroick Resolution worthy of us Christians to follow and absolutely necessary to be put on at this time when the Publick Affronts to God and his Religion are greater than were ever in a State professing Christianity And as the Resolution must be openly and declaratively so it must be solemnly made I mean that you who are now entring into a wicked World must take the first Opportunity of an Episcopal Confirmation and must there in the Face of the World in the Presence of the chief Officer in the Church of Christ the Bishop and before the whole Assembly of Christians there met you must there I say as is prescrib'd in the Office of Confirmation with your own Mouth and Consent openly recognize ratifie and confirm the same Vow that was made for you in your Baptism The Bishop will then demand of you in these Words Do ye here in the Presence of God and of this Congregation renew the solemn Promise and Vow that was made in your Name at your Baptism ratifying and confirming the same in your own Persons and acknowledging your selves bound to believe and to do all those things which your Godfathers and Godmothers then undertook for you And to this Demand every one of you must audibly answer I do And such as this it is probable might be that good Profession which Timothy had profess'd before many Witnesses 1 Tim. 6.12 So that thus at length you see in what consists Holy Resolution the Importance of these Words I will Thirdly And I am now to shew you that such Resolution and so duly form'd as this is a very powerful means will go a great way towards the Performance of our Covenant with God And 1. The very determining of the Will with a fix'd and settled purpose has a great force in it to make us put in Execution the most difficult part of our Vows and Promises We see even in Worldly Undertakings where the Advantages are very inconsiderable in comparison what Difficulties Men will go through when they are once bent upon a Design whereas when Persons have no Will nor Mind to do a thing the Wheels of Action move but slowly and their Endeavours are very faint For why when Men are fully purpos'd and are set upon a thing then it is the Subject of their Cares they lay all their Measures and they muster up all their Forces to carry it on and what is equal with all this they provide against all Attempts that shall be laid to ruine their Designs And if those who will be Rich or Great or Honourable project a thousand ways to carry their Point leave no Stone unturn'd refuse no hazards are discourag'd at no Disappointments and cross Accidents shall not we who have infinitely more valuable Treasures laid up for us in Heaven who have Crowns of Glory propos'd to us if we excel in Vertue shall we be faint and languid in our Endeavours What can be the reason of this but that in the great Business of Religion Men are not so much in earnest so resolute and intent as in the pursuit of their Worldly Advantages and Satisfactions so resolutely bent I say upon their Improvements in Religious Perfection for this would go a great way towards their performance of their Covenant with God Particularly to be fully resolved upon it is absolutely nccessary to baffle and discourage the Devil in all his Attempts upon us whom in order to resist the Apostle bids us be stedfast or resolute in the Faith 1 Pet. 5 9. For indeed such is his Resolution to destroy Mankind and such especially is his Pride in
to do so too so long as they continued under the Jewish Dispensation From the several Instances that are given by Thorndicke Hammond Lightfoot and others skilful in Jewish Learning they were Vnscriptural Rites and meer Humane Inventions all those many Ceremonies that the Jews had introduced into their Worship in our Saviour's time But notwithstanding that the Blessed Jesus did not only himself conform to the Custom of the Church in the Use of 'em but commanded likewise others to be obedient likewise themselves to those who sat in Moses's Chair whose Constitutions therefore he would have to be observ'd as you may see Matth. 23.2 3. Saying the Scribes and Pharisees that is those of 'em who made up the Sanhedrim the highest Jurisdiction in Church-Matters amongst the Jews sit in Moses's Seat and therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do They had given him but little reason to favour their Authority as you may see in the Chapter immediately before They came to insnare him with their Questions and to trepan him into some mischievous Inconvenience if they could but however no sooner was he quit of their troublesome Company but he takes care to advertise his Disciples that such of 'em who were of the Sanhedrim were to be looked on by them as their lawful Rulers that had Authority over them succeeding Moses and the Seventy Numb 11.16 as our Bishops and Church Governours now do Christ and his Apostles and therefore he bids 'em to conform themselves to all their lawful Commands in all regular Subjection and Obedience which is a manifest proof what Observance our Saviour would have to be paid to the Governors of the Church in all their Constitutions that relating to the Worship of God do not thwart the Divine Commands True it is our Blessed Lord did in another Place Matth. 15.3 reprimand the Pharisees for their Superstitious Observance of their Traditions and for teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men Verse 9. But then it ought to be well considered what sort of Traditions and Doctrines they were whose Observance he reprov'd 'em for And what were they but such in whose Observance they did plainly violate God's express Commands or at least did undermine the force of his Laws thereby As appears by the Instance he gives which was this of denying Maintenance to their Parents in necessity under pretence of having devoted their Substance before to God by which Evasion he tells them they made the Commandment of God concerning Honour due to Parents of none effect by their Traditions Verse 6. and tells them withal that in vain they did worship him teaching thus for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. Such Constitutions indeed which did contradict or evacuate and undermine the Laws of God we see here he did reprove 'em for but what is that to the forbidding those which do no ways tend to any such thing but to the greater Order and Decency of his Worship As to such his own Doctrine of observing the Commands of those who sat in Moses's Chair and his own Practice in conforming to whatsoever they appointed of that Nature does sufficiently shew us what Power he own'd then to be in the Governours of the Church to appoint such reasonable Ceremonies and Circumstances as they should think fit for the greater Order and Decency of Divine Administrations The same Power continu'd to those else who preside in the Christian and for the better Edification of the Souls of Men. Nor did He or his Apostles afterwards retrench the Governors of the Christian Church of that Authority which then he own'd to be in â—he Jewish No He commits it to their Care that all things in the Church Assemblies should be done unto edifying 1 Cor. 14.26 or so 〈◊〉 may be most to the Benefit and Advantage of the Worshippers and Verse 40. that all things be done decently and in order which Commands being only general without particularly expressing all the ways whereby these things may be provided for must of necessity leave it to the discretion of Church-Governors to appoint what according to the Changes and Customs of Times and Places which in these things do often vary they in their Wisdom should think to be most fit decent and orderly to be observ'd And as he empower'd Governors to appoint what in their discretion they should think fit to this purpose To whose Ordinances the People are commanded to submit so he commanded the People to be obedient to 'em in such their Constitutions and Appointments Obey them that have the Rule over you Heb. 13.17 and submit yourselves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake 1 Pet. 2.13 The Apostle indeed Gal. 5.1 bids 'em stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ had made 'em free and not to be entangl'd again with the Yoke of Bondage that is not to impose upon themselves the necessity for God did not of observing Moses's Law which they were so addicted to and to disswade 'em from which was the main Design of that Epistle but then as he bids 'em preserve their Liberty from the Mosaical Rites so Peter 1 Epist. 2.10 bids 'em not to abuse their Christian Liberty and tho' free from the burden and bondage of Moses's Law which neither they nor their Fathers were able to bear yet to take care they use not their Liberty for a Cloak of Maliciousness Verse 16. to be a pretence for maliciously opposing the Ordinances of their Superiours which in the 13th Verse he had bid 'em submit to for the Lord's sake and that they might not bring a Reproach upon the Gospel of Christ by a Schismatical and refractory Stubborness Nor do such Constitutions and Appointments as do tend only to the better Order and Decency of Divine Administrations and the better Edification of the Souls of Men bring the Church-Governors under the Imputation of adding to the Book of Life which is a thing so severely threat'ned Rev. 22.18 No it is so far from adding any thing else unto that it is the very executing no other than that very Commission the Word of Life has given ' em God had entrusted Church-Governors with such Power and Authority under him committing it to their Care by a Commission running in general Terms to appoint what shall be thought decent and orderly and tending to Edification in all Divine Administrations and their particular Constitutions to that purpose well suited to Time and Place and not contradicting by their burdensome Number nor insignificant Frivolousness the Spirituality and plain Simplicity of the Gospel but being few and grave which admirably tends to Order and Edification must needs be no other than a particular executing of what they were impower'd to do by a general Command Even as an Ambassador who has a general Commission granted him by his Prince to treat on such Matters in his Negotiation does not exceed but execute his Commission in those particular Articles he does make pursuant to suâ—h his