know more fully to believe more fully Let our Faith grow more stable and fix'd at the Root by clear Evidence and powerful Arguments water'd with the Dew of Heaven until it come to a Demonstration of the Spirit and full Assurance of Faith Let it be like the spreading Vine stretching it self and by its tendrel Fingers laying hold of every Promise Let it flourish in Comforts and fructify like the Clusters of Eshcol that were planted by the upper and nether Springs To have a more full and perfect Patience until we are capable to possess our Souls and our Souls possess us in Want and Weariness in Reproach and Flattery that the things of the World and Persons too may still be an Obiter in Comparison To have a more full Practice do not say like Balaam Let me die the Death of the Righteous come let us live their Life a holy Life a penitential Life a self-deny'd Life a Life not like others The World's Custom and Course is the high way to Hell If we do his Will then shall we know the Doctrine But let us look to the Earth's excellent Ones its few Names who forget all that is past and counted the Victories over Temptations already attain'd nothing the Knowledg nothing Diligence nothing and therefore they pressed on to what was before never with Laodicea crying I am rich and full and need nothing no the Blessing is to them that hunger and thirst This is to follow the Lord fully to grow in Grace and in the Knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ to pierce the Sun with Eagles Eyes and soar towards him with Eagles Wings Lastly A feeling Sense of our Defectiveness this necessarily flows from the former Who will ever follow hard after what he feels no want of Will ever the Man that thinks he knows all the Scriptures cry out at a new Discovery I rejoice at thy Word as one that findeth great Spoil Psal 119. or under Darkness and Difficulties Lord teach thou me thy Statutes make me understand thy Law No he flattereth himself in his own Eyes and refuseth to understand He that sees not his own Sin as odious and troublesome as the Burden of a Twin-Carcase already dead will never cry out Who will deliver me from this Body of Death It is a true Saying of a Blush that it is malae Causae bonum Signum or as Homer phrases it an honest Heart has a weak Forehead He that is acquainted with the Deceitfulness of his own Heart is jealous he may be guilty he is conscious of so much Guilt Is it I Lord is it I says every honest Disciple O let my Heart be upright in thy Statutes says an upright David and elsewhere When thou takest away the wicked like Dross my Flesh trembles for fear of thee and I am horribly afraid of thy Judgments When Men can look back on their Sins as Lombard's Mother on her three Bastards with Pleasure she could not repent of the Act which had such brave Effects and Fruits it is very sad and forward on their Duties like Dreamers who find flying as easy as walking it is very dangerous Heal me for I have sinned my Bones are broken with it help me for I am weak is the Language of him who follows the Lord fully I come now to the second Part of the Text the Reward and 5th Member in the Subdivision proposed for a General Head Him will I bring into the Land whereinto he went Here is a poor indigent Jacob travelling with his Staff in his Hand and a Stone for his Pillow made two nay twenty Troops Here is a mean Caleb not all Heart as Fuller says for then it would be Calleb mean in Name mean in Birth the youngest of three mean in Possession mean in Place a Spy he has first gotten his Portion carved out to him and a large one too several Cities several Kingdoms Hebron one Debir one Bethlehem one the very Possessions of old Abraham Isaac and Jacob the Oaks of Mamre and the Wells of the South viz. Isaac's are all his and the Title the best in the World he holds of none but God but in Gratitude or by way of quit-rent he gives the Priests a large Share with him Here is a great Lesson for Men advanced from Poverty to Riches a low Estate to Honour a private Caleb to be the greatest Prince of Judah nay the greatest Part of Judah * I find the Body of the Tribe of Judah came of him by this Calculation Judah had but two Sons Pharez and Zerah who had any Posterity 2ly Pharez had but two Sons Hezron and Hamul and Hamul had no Posterity 3ly Hezron had but three Sons the third was Caleb in short by Birth he was the tenth Part or at least the twelfth Part as Judah was of Israel But then half of these were cut off when all above twenty Years of Age were cut off 2ly A 10th part were cut off when Achor the Troubler of Israel was destroyed and this may be further confirmed from the Genealogies of his Offspring containing more Families than all the Tribe of Judah beside for it was his Inheritance 1 Sam. 30.14 We made an Invasion upon the South of the Cherethites i. e. Philistins upon that of it which belonged to Judah or which is the South of Caleb Indeed his elder Brother Ram or Aram got the Honour of the Crown David's Line came from that Root yet Caleb wanted not the Honour to have Judges of Israel of his Posterity even in his own Day Othniel his Son-in-law It was not the first time the younger Brother became the better Man for Time and Eternity too but the Lesson we are taught is not to forget our Original and to remember it came through the gracious Promises not meritorious Purchase or Birth-right to remember Psal 113.7 that he raiseth up the Poor out of the Dust and lifteth the Needy out of the Dunghil that he may set him with Princes To remember the Pit out of which we were digged and the Rock from whence hewen This might be a great Remedy to some Peoples haughty Spirits their insolent Looks towards their own Flesh and Blood their imperious scornful Carriage towards others not long ago their Fellows if not Superiours or Supporters lest they hear of God as Saul When thou wast mean I advanced thee he had better have kept Asses all his Days than to have been a King his End was lower than before so will be thine pitiful not pitied the Subject of Misery and Object of Mockery miserable without Commiseration envied now and odious then if Humility of Mind attend not the Advancement of thy Condition and a faithful Improvement of thy Stewardship If I had Room for Inlargement there are here two Rivulets like the Brook Bezors that encompass the most fertil Land of Caleb or Subjects that meet in my Text one is the Pregnancy of the Promise the Bountifulness of the Blessing The 2d is the Proportion or
Worship of an unknown God and a blind Sacrifice are both alike unacceptable to him What a Nullity does Christ put upon the Samaritan Worship when he told them they worshipt they knew not what And as it cannot do good it cannot receive Good Faith is the Soul's Hand but a Hand without the Conduct of an Eye may lay hold on that which never will support it It 's by Knowledg many are justified it 's by Knowledg eternal Life is begun It is necessary in our Days if we would be able to defend the Truth or withstand the Gainsayers to be not only acquainted with the Fundamentals of Religion and the way of a Sinner's Salvation but to extend our Pains to the uttermost Compass of things contained within Sacred Writ for surely what God thought fit to reveal and record in a peculiar manner for our use it becomes us to study we cannot count it mispent time to learn when Omniscience condescends to be Teacher But besides there is this peculiar Reason for it because the Deists and they who deny the Divinity of the Scriptures derogate so far from them as to leave uncertain what 's Divine what not of this kind are Eben Esra Hobs Spinosa Father Simon the Author of the Five Letters c. for the Grounds of their Unbelief are generally built upon the Circumstances in * F. Simon finds three Authors to the five Books of Moses 1. Himself Author of the Law and Ceremonies 2. The Publick Scribes Authors of the History 3. Of many Additions which he falsly concludes to be since added or altered the later Scribes who compendized the publick Records From whence he concludes we know not what is his what not Or as Du Verse divides the Scripture 1. Some Divine i. e. where it says so 2. Some Humane 3. Some Prophane as David's Curses Scripture least minded by Translators or Interpreters as being of little Moment some apparent Contradictions in Time Place Genealogies or Titles for Instance Gen. 12.6 And the Canaanite was then in the Land hence would they infer that Moses was not the Author of all wrote in these Books that bear his Name and what is superadded by we know not whom is not to be received as infallible But there is no Foundation in the Text for their Conclusion for what Absurdity is it for Moses to tell us the Canaanite was in the Land when Abraham passed through it neither is Reason wanting for it viz. to give account of God's Fidelity to him in protecting of him when he passed even through it to take Seizin of it though the Canaanite was there whom he came to disinherit A 2d Ingredient in this singular Temper of Mind was Faith ver 11. How long will it be ere they believe Heb. 3.18 To whom sware he that they should not enter into his Rest but to them that believed not But Caleb was not of that Spirit V. 9. Their Defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us fear them not Heb. 3.16 Howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses did provoke and disbelieve And Heb. 4.3 They which believed did enter into Rest He could not follow the Lord fully without Faith nor was his Courage against so powerful an Enemy founded on any other Bottom by human Eyes they were like a David before Goliah nay in their own Esteem and in the Esteem of the Anakims their Enemies they were like Grashopers Chap. 13.33 But by the Eye of Faith he saw God as a sufficient Confederate and Assistant against all the Strength of Canaan the Anakims were like Grashopers in comparison of God and the meanest Worm he assists Caleb's Knowledg was qualified or specified by Faith It is a common Axiom that Knowledg may be without Faith but not Faith without Knowledg they are related as a living Creature and a rational Creature â—â—e may live without Reason but not exert Reason without Life This was a Grace in my Parallel not only well rooted but well fruited the Service she delighted in could only receive its Reward in the other Life Jesus Christ was at once the Object of her Love and Trust her Lot with the most of Believers had its wildersome Circumstances and through it she travelled leaning on her Beloved The sacred Oracles which are the Directors and Grounds of Faith were the Objects of her daily Study Peace with God as the Mediator's Purchase was the great Expectation of her Hope together with the seeing King Solomon with the Crown upon his Head glorified in his Saints and admired of all that believe through whom her Faith was finally and ultimately terminated on God as a faithful Creator from whom originally all Fulness flowed on the Head and Members of the Church which she longed to see presented without Spot or Wrinkle This is what of necessity we must imitate our Caleb in without Faith there is no pleasing of God they that believe not are condemned already Heb. 12.1 not only this but all the Elders from Abel are proposed as the Cloud in the Wilderness to follow nor is Adam and Eve to be excluded from being Drops of that dewy Cloud for though on Marriage he called his Wife Ishah of Man or Woeman yet after the Promise of the Redeeming Seed of the Woman he calls her Eve the Mother of him that quickens or enlivens all and the like Faith she professes and writes on her eldest Son Cain I have gotten that Seed the Man the Lord I have born Immanuel Gen. 4.1 as the most Critical do interpret the Words The only Exception about this universal Necessity at least among whom I have now to do is Infants it is supposed many of them are saved but questioned if Faith have any Instrumentality in their Salvation since Faith supposes Knowledg nay the Apostle Rom. 10. says it comes by Hearing which supposes not only the Exercise of a Spirit but of bodily Organs I shall say the more to it having just now received a Letter about it and two days ago another beside Visits I do profess it to be my Opinion but not a necessary Foundation no not to any Doctrine I then proposed for Charity for their Salvation through the Righteousness of Christ which the Letter grants is sufficient for all the Intents I mentioned it for however I shall shew my Opinion is neither singular nor wants Probability As to the first it 's the common Opinion of the Papists as we may see from Bellarmine and Gregorius de Valentia on Baptism so Suarez on Thomas and the Conference at Ratisbon they deny that Infants have actual Faith but grant habitual which is sufficient for my Intent but if we go to the Lutheran Churches they universally ascribe an actual Faith to Infants their Arguments are that the Spirit of God which asserts that they that have not Faith are in a State of Condemnation Mark 16.16 John 3.18 does assert that little ones have Faith Mat. 18.6 Whoso shall offend one of those
Candlesticks for others Churches are set up out of Loyalty to Christ but what is the End but the Growth of one another and the Conversion of Strangers I should say more than would be believ'd by Srangers if I should give account of this Woman's Charity to Souls and as there was a Fulness with respect to the End so to the Principle tho harmless as a Dove yet not like Ephraim a silly Dove without Heart Her Comfort under her Crosses her Constancy under Discouragements her conscientious Subjection to Ordinances in the World's Esteem and bulk of Professors too vile and contemptible her Courage under Persecutions her Contentment under Circumstances that would have fill'd hundreds with anxious Care her Charity never abating upon Temptations from straitning Difficulties at home which at last her Faith may be said to conquer more than her Pains no Hypocrite could ever paint the Fruits of the Spirit to such a Life Heat and Motion never yet were drawn by any Pencil Her Pulse and Zeal Warmth and Works left no may be 's in any Soul that had the Spirit of discerning One of her Christian Sisters had assurance without Clouds tho with a most painful torturing Distemper 40 years together Her own Life of Faith wanted neither Joy nor Peace I wish that some poor Earth-worm some covetous Miser might lay to Heart the Ease and Pleasure that consists in being a faithful Steward that the rampant Prodigal would consider that tho he may rebel the Godly only doth rejoice Theirs is like the crackling of Thorns under a Pot a Noise not very harmonious nor delightful and the end is Ashes but the Joy of the Believer is all his Life is in his Death Death 's Ghostly looks his severe Blows his tormenting Wracks cannot imbitter this Cup of Joy as I am inform'd it was with her my Joy in the end is Joy without end This is another Ingredient of Fulness a Fulness in degree a Fulness of Joy when all our Sorrow flows only from want of more Holiness when with Lot it 's only from the Sins of the Sodomites we live among our Tears with David are either because the Wicked transgress the Law of God or our own Infirmities prevail into Deformities Consider O secure Sinner that every converted one is a Child of Light begotten of the Father of Lights and the Seed of Grace is a Seed of Light Now the meanest Light in the World will dispel Darkness from it self and in some measure communicate it to others the Stars will sparkle in the darkest Night a Candle will conquer a large Room of Darkness nay the faintest Light of a dri'd or scaly Fish or rotten Wood will remain invincible against all the Power of Darkness there is no Faith without some Assurance nor no Grace without some secret Joy If our Joy and our Hopes be in the serene Air of Heaven the Tempests below cannot extinguish it 3ly A following the Lord uniformly and proportionably is a following the Lord fully 1 Tim. 5.21 That thou observe all these things without preferring one before another and that thou do nothing partially The new Creature is neither maim'd nor monstrous there is a comely Symmetry in a Christian's Growth all his Zeal and Devotion is not terminated on one Ordinance according to the Weight and Moment of the Matters of the Law they are of Value with him he is no Pharisee to neglect the weightier Matters he values an Interest in Christ above all next an holy Life he esteems a Profession under all Marks of Christianity and is jealous of every other Mark lest it be the Beast's and Dragon's he prefers a whole Set and Species of Precepts and Ordinances to the Mode of one that may be debatable too The Churches Hedg has many Stakes in it the neglect of that is not the neglect of one Command but of a whole Series and the Means of quickning and giving Life to all 4ly A following the Lord fully is to follow him in all Places and Times whether the Company be for Truth or against it they are for it not imprudently casting Pearls before Swine But Truth is then like a Fire in the Breast and a Flame shut up in the Bones when derided and oppos'd and when Season requires is defended and vindicated Religion rules the Conversation in the Shop or Market Court or Kitchin as well as in Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 says Aristotle in his Ethics A Caleb is a true Cube throw him where you will he falls on a Square True Gold wastes not in the Fire rusts not in the Water He is not a Pharisee good in open view nought in secret nor of the vain Religion James speaks of that lies all in the Tongue and yet not able to govern or steer that aright He always minds an over-looking and over-hearing God he fears continually and his Faith and Love keep pace with his Fear 5ly A following the Lord fully consists in a constant Desire and Endeavour after a Fulness fully and following after will consist without repugnancy in no other sense We find the Angels following after Knowledg prying and searching into Divine Mysteries and we read of them rejoicing in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 's I have found him I have found him 4000 Years after their Creations at least Eph. 3. And shall the Angels in the triumphing Church above run to and fro for the Increase of Knowledg and the Angels below stand at a stay and say it is enough Did the Prophets in the Old Testament search into Brim and Bottom Time and Place Manner and Matter of their own Prophecies and shall not we A thriving Ministry would make a thriving People and a thriving People would make a diligent Ministry Do not cry to your Ministers Pray preach easy things and smooth things do not satisfy your selves only with old repeated things when it 's the Command of Christ that the Scribe be Learned and able to bring forth New and Old Make your Pastors live without Care in caring for them in worldly things that their Care may be alone spent in providing Food for your Souls It is not to be told in Gath what Grashopers we are in comparison of our Fathers by this very thing Heb. 6.1 how pathetically does Paul exhort the converted Hebrews to leave the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ and go on to Perfection Is there not some Truth in the false Calumnies of the Profane who spend their Sabbaths in the Fields Beds or Taverns who say We can tell all that we shall hear at Church we know more than we can do But new Arguments might make them believe that more firmly and if they believ'd what they pretend to know their Faith would make a new Life Did they believe that the Lord is good to those that wait on him and to the Soul that seeketh him they would not slight such a gainful Trade Let us then through Hearing Reading Praying and Meditating follow on to
which the great Gerard has this Note Paul says he calls himself the Servant of Jesus Christ or Slave from the Calling to his Office not from the Work for he calls himself Minister Steward Ambassador in that respect but from the Title Christ had to him and his Work Christ had the Title of Conquest he was a Slave of War he came sub Gladio going to Damascus 2ly the Title of Purchase he was not his own nor any thing could he call his Property Christ paid the Price of precious Blood for him he cost him more than Silver and Gold could be any Standard to or Measure in Value of Such a Slave was Caleb a Son of Abraham brought to the Foot of God following him like a Dog Name and Temper agreeing following him fully This is one Reason why I have chosen this Parallel of Caleb and the Deceased Mrs. Ward as Plutarch illustrates Princes by Parallels I by Divine Warrant may set forth a Person mean in the Heraldry of the World yet precious honourable in the Sight of God and it is to encourage you mean Persons poor in the World rich in Faith not to be discouraged from serving God his Church or People with the scanty Talents and small things that lie within the Compass of your Power or Station it will bring in as rich a Reward and as illustrious Honour as if it were of 10000 times more Value it 's not the Greatness but Goodness not the Sumptuousness but Sincerity of Actions renders them acceptable to God he has a Diary for Dorcas's Coats she used to make for the Poor for Nathaniel's secret Prayers under the Tree a Cup of cold Water given to one under the Name of a Disciple shall not lose its Reward nor the Widow's Mite cast into the sacred Treasury escape the watchful Eye of our Lord Jesus Christ He will bottle up every Tear that drops from a penitent Eye the Widow's Cake and Cruise the Shunamite's Table Stool Bed and Candlestick must have Monumental Room in sacred Records for ever as Christ said of the Woman who poured the Ointment on his Head Mat. 26. Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole World there shall also this that this Woman hath done be told for a Memorial of her And not only Actions immediately terminating on Christ shall be recorded but also a Servant Elizer's Fidelity to his Master Abraham and old Deborah Rebecca's Nurse for her Faithfulness and tender Care in the Family shall not only have her Dust mingled with the Tears of the Family but her Funerals recorded by the Spirit of God Allon Baccuth the Oak of weeping and yet a Matter apparently of lesser Moment than that viz. of the Children that accompanied Christ to Jerusalem with their Boughs and Hosannas Psal 8. the Praise from the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings shall not only be historically reported but prophetically foreseen and foretold it was in his Thoughts from all Eternity Surely there is no less reason to think the good Deeds of this Woman her Pains and Travel Night and Day for many Years together sheltring the Exil'd relieving the Distressed hiding them in Danger supplying them in want venturing her Neck as Priscilla and Aquila not only for a Paul but them that were not worthy to carry his Books with Timothy * 2 Tim. 4.13 Bring not the Cloak as our English hath it but the Desk says Chrys Homil. 10. on this Ep. Others say the Bark used in the East for Paper the proper Signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A 3d say the Coverings either by Syn. for Books or because of loose Papers tied up in them 4ly In great Probability they who turned it Cloak read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Penula for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 She was a true Phoebe a Succourer of many and my self also Rom. 16.2 She has had a Hand at many such a Basket as that which help'd Paul over the Walls of Damascus She has often hid David's Spies with the good Woman of Baburim and Joshua's with Rahab she will never want an Interest in the Scarlet Thread of Salvation from the Window or Passover-Blood over the Door And why may not the Mercy be of as spreading a nature as Rahab's to all within the House to all her Father's and Brethrens Houshold if they will come under the same Protecting Roof I do not at all doubt that she is now a canonized Saint without the least Influence against the most powerful Anathema's from Popish Authority I shall end this Cloud of Witnesses as Paul Heb. 11.34 with Rahab for time would fail to heap together all the Instances of this kind Job's Perfection Obedmelech's visiting Jeremiah in the Dungeon and bringing him up with old cast Clouts under his Arm-pits or Obadiah's hiding the Prophets by fifties in Caves and feeding them Let us then suppose it sufficiently prov'd or granted that when Godliness is so powerful as to break forth in Acts of Charity Courage or publick Usefulness though in mean Persons it deserves to be praised to be solemnized with Memorials to be imitated as a Pattern And 2ly let us suppose that this Person was so indued what can be done for her the Canon is now compleated there is no more an Authentic Accompt from Heaven what Persons are enfranchiz'd above all Scripture as it was wrote was put in a Chest by the Side of the Ark Deut. 31.24 First the five Books of Moses called the Law Luke 24.44 2ly What added by Samuel 1 Sam. 10.25 and Joshua 24.26 3ly It 's likely Daniel came by Jeremiah's Prophecy thus that Chest being carried to Babylon thither he sent his MSS. as he had his Deeds of Anathoth in Faith of a safe Return Rom. 3.2 unto them were those Records committed called by the Name of Scripture by way of Eminency in the New Testament in their room now the Gentile Churches being engrafted are become the Pillars and Ground of all inspired Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 which was concluded by the Apostles All Writings since are Apocryphal not put in that sacred Place Epiphan de pond Lib. 4. speaking of Wisdom and Siracides says they are not in the Number of read Books viz. every day some part neither were they put in the Ark. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. Damas Panar Dorsh Huet say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is understood and the Author had reason to know the Truth his Father being a Samaritan A second Honour due that she was deprived of was Martyrdom two may be out of one Congregation was too much It is well known her Guilt and her Sister Gaunt's were of the same kind Guilt shall I call it or Glory I am confident just Thoughts of that Affair would fright few that believe in Christ and have a solid and clear Conscience about the Cause they suffer for a natural Death as it is called for all Death is violent generally having more Pain and Tediousness attending it and often wanting that Exercise
of Thought and Grace that is a grand Support to the tearing and rending the Bruises and Breaches suffer'd under the parting of a Soul from a Body These Negatives may help us to conclude this Positive That keeping within Bounds of Decency becoming her Station in the World we cannot be easily guilty of transgressing in the Excess especially if we again consider it was not a vertuous Action but a Life of Actions 2. The Actions were not mean but great by Exercise she attained a Capacity of doing more for a Saint in Distress and for more in number than it lay in the Power of Persons having twenty times her Estate to do We should come short of the Hypocrites who build Tombs for dead Prophets when they persecuted the Living if we should leave her without a Record in our Apocrypha's we should wrong our selves if we keep not a living Idea of that Knowledg Faith Loving Temper delighting in doing Good Sweetness in Conversation a living Idea of that living Root of Grace and Vertue daily fructifying and flourishing in her and deeply radicated through Humility soon seen by all but her self In sacred things the Church her Verdict is next to Christ's a Priest's Lips is the Church's Tongue this she ought to have 2. It 's an Honour to have a great Train many Followers this she deserves It would be the Happiness of many selfish covetous narrow Spirits to set her as a Pattern her Publick Spirit has done more Good than they who have left 30000 l. at their Death to build Hospitals and Alms-houses besides she had always in her Eye the especially of the Houshold of Faith Love to Christ was the Spring really it blows up a Flame in me to think of the Loyalty to Jesus Christ they * She and Mrs. Gaunt gloried in the Longing for the Glory of his Kingdom that rent their Breasts the Sagacity they searched the Scriptures with about it allayed with the Patience and Prudence they moderated it with and the Arms of spiritual Love they imbraced his poor and distressed Members I hope the Reader will pardon this I cannot but say what I have seen heard felt and am able to answer for Excepting one yet alive long may it be before she meet with her due Honour I think few Names have a more radicated Esteem among Nobillity Gentry Ministers Christians of all kind in Scotland Nor is the Savour of her Ointment contained within or confined to these 3 Kingdoms Holland Germany Sweedland Denmark Poland have heard of her But if we be wanting and deficient in our Duty below all is now made up to her above those Angels that rejoice at a Soul's Conversion how will they welcome her Entrance into Glory All the Earth below is but a Point to the Countrey where her Fame will sound and her Glory shine But I 'm sure she 'll be so much entranc'd in admiring and adoring that King of Glory that she will be a self-denied Person amidst all her Enjoyments I was blam'd for not speaking more to her Praise indeed 't was not for want of Matter Thought or Words on this Subject I had always a Heart to indite enough on this and like Subjects But I shall proceed to the next Subject lest the next Person say my Pen wants a Bridle if my Tongue had one The second thing in the Words is the greatest Particle of Connection in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it 's the Word from whence Jacob comes the Word that signifies Heel Gen. 3.15 He shall bruise thy Heel The Subject it affords to be discours'd on is the relation between a Believer's Work and Reward it 's translated because he was of another Spirit Indeed I find our Translation favouring a Conditionality often without just Ground Deut. 30.9 10. The Lord will again rejoice over thee for good If thou shalt hearken to the Voice of the Lord thy God the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because thou shalt hearken to the Voice it is a Chain of Promises one upon another not the Relation between Duty and Promise And again in the same Verse If thou turn unto the Lord it 's because thou shalt turn unto the Lord and the grand Reason follows Ver. 11 12. from the preventing Grace of God bringing the Commandment nigh to them which is Old-Testament-Language for being mix'd with Faith in the Heart Rom. 10. Paul calls it the Word of Faith and a Word about Gospel-Righteousness i. e. the Word revealing Christ's going to Hell for us or bearing equivalent Sufferings the Curse of the Law the Word revealing Christ's going to Heaven for us satisfying Divine Justice and appeasing Divine Anger as God is the Rector of the World by the first Adamical Constitution This Word being engrafted in the Heart by Faith becomes a Spring of obeying the Commands of God and both together renders the Soul an harmonious tun'd Instrument for Joy and amiable for Delight There is a double Cover in the Text I might in prudence hide my Opinion in this Affair in a Day or rather Night of Controversy which is more prosecuted by Passion than Pains to understand that necessary Question One is the Word that is as often a Noun as a Particle and signifies either the consequential End of Means Psal 119.33 112. Keep thy Statutes even unto the end so this will be the Sense The end of his being of another Spirit and following me fully shall be my bringing him into the Land c. Or 2ly It signifies the Course and Walk of a Person Cant. 1.8 the Footsteps of the Flock Psal 56.6 they mark my Steps so this will be the Sense The Course and Walk of my Servant Caleb was from another Spirit that was with him for he follow'd after me A 2d might be the Matter it was not pardon of Sin or Inheritance among the Saints in Heaven but a Part of or Portion in the Land of Canaan But the Difficulty in point of Merit consists not meerly in what Proportion there may be between Work and Reward but also in the Relation and Proportion between the Persons Caleb could not merit one Furrow of Land from his God I shall therefore out of Choice give my Opinion in the Affair and 1st That there is a near Connection between Holiness and Happiness is without all Controversy and the Agreement in that one Point that without Holiness no Man shall see the Lord whosoever names Jesus as pretending to an Interest in him must depart from Iniquity would and should allay disturbing and dividing Passions about the Point But that intolerable Extremity of counting Sin a Disease of meer natural Infirmity and having God for its Author as much as he is the Author of judicial Punishment or fatherly Chastisement deserves Exilement from Human Society as well as Excommunication from Sacred it having the same absurd Consequences with Atheism attending it for the Belief or Unbelief rather of the Non-existence of a God and of his not
Neighbour but disjunctive in the Threat Do all or die Mat. 23.32 This ought you to have done and not left the other undone respects the Rule of our Practice and Profession he was not for half-work almost a Christian he was for all the Parts of our Duty to God and Man a sound Faith a holy Life pure Worship and appointed Government Search most of Professors and you will find them lame in some of these But I must say of this good Woman she was good at this too though she was of large Charity to others she laid strict Bonds on her own Neck and was faithful to the Light God gave her And this is a singular thing in our Day many think Doctrine and Practice are to be minded but the other two especially Church-Government is a Matter of Indifferency and yet it 's visibly from a Defect in that that this Nation is so full of Unholiness the sacred Privileges proper to Believers being thrown to worse than Dogs before whom such Pearls are not to be cast I shall propose to every conscientious Christian the Method of Turetin's defending the Reformation from Popery It pleased God says he to open the Eyes of some who saw themselves instead of being in a Church of Christ to be in a Society that had Error in its Doctrine Idolatry in its Worship Tyranny in its Government it was unlawful to live in that and unlawful to live without publick Worship to prevent Sin in either Extreme we did confederate into Societies for publick Worship and called whom God had enabled and sent to publick and sacred Office for administring Ordinances and Discipline among us The like says Mr. Claud on the same Subject Strauchus adds that the Civil Comitia of Spire had no Power over them in Matters of Faith or Worship and therefore the Protestants tho fewer in Number acted nothing repugnant to the Constitution of the Empire Nor has a Synod to do with any thing but the Churches they represent in the Affairs that are sacred * The Clergy's intermedling with the National Affairs has provoked nursing Fathers to be cruel Step-fathers The Church's grand Apostacy began together with her Inroads upon the Civil Power and indeed where two Powers are of equal Extent that which governs the Mind most is like to command most if the one promise Heaven and threaten Hell and render it credible to the ignorant the other only promise Protection from a foreign Power who will let him be Cobler still if he live peaceably and threatens only a temporal Death that sometime shortly he must suffer we may easily guess and hundreds of Years Experience hath evinced who shall be Slave who Governour Pope or Emperour King or Synod It is true this Affair is but a Hedg but we have a most doleful Prospect of the Flock's Condition by its Removal or never being built See you that design the Good of your own Souls or Posterities who value Loyalty to Christ as King who would do as much as you can to reform a Nation get into or build up Church-Societies with Walls of Government Doors or Ways of Entrance to the Good all the really Good and thundring Exits to profane Hypocrites when their Vileness discovers them It is neither the Interest nor the Duty of a Magistrate to meddle in this they sweam on the Peoples Inclination the Sin lies at the Door of Well-wishers to Reformation the hunting out of bad Houses is a good thing but it will never do the 10th part of Service tho it should succeed that this will This may be my last Sermon too and I leave it as my Advice nay the Counsel of Jesus is rejected in the neglect of it You have here a double Pattern a Caleb in the old Church in the Egyptian Wilderness contending for Obedience to the Theocracy they were under and a Parallel of exact Conscientiousness to our Gospel-Christocracy Civil Government is but human in comparison of its Divinity The Church at first had her Customs 1 Cor. 11.16 and these were copied from Paul's 1 Cor. 4.17 that were uniform in every Church and Paul's from Christ 1 Cor. 11.23 The Form of the one is Arbitrary for the Good of the People the Form of the other settled by him that is the Wisdom of God and cannot err in what Means conduce most to Souls Good his is the only way of correcting abounding Offences the Magistrate's Sword is the Medicine for Injuries Let us leave Sin to God's alone immediate Government Against thee thee only have I sinned * The Popish Abuse of pretending to pardon arose from the primitive Practice of absolving from Offences the Church thereby signifying her Satisfaction but it 's Blasphemy for Man to pretend the other and Folly for the Sinner to multiply Offences by Confession when he only violates God's Law and offends his Holy Eye Let us be like Zachariahs and Elizabeths walking in all the Ordinances of God blamelesly this is our Lord Jesus Christ's great Ordinance Mat. 18. at large If I be off of my Subject I am in in my Duty as is every one that loves our Lord Jesus Christ And though the Person I speak of was a Woman I may say I know not whether her Skill her Zeal or Conscience did most outshine in this very thing And when I again consider I stand amaz'd to see Men of grey Hairs good Men serious Men that excepting hearing a Sermon or going to Prayer never make Conscience of any other Ordinance as if the rest had been appointed by some other Authority they pray and cry for the Seal of the Spirit but will want it before they subject to a sealing Ordinance they are griev'd for abounding Scandals while their Slight and Contempt of Ordinances is as influencive an Offence as Whoring or Drinking Surely says a young Convert there is little Religion or Acceptableness with God in such Duties else such and such a good Man would not contemn them so Such Professors in neighbouring Nations would be counted Atheists however we esteem them here He that dare to pick and choose may on the same bottom throw off all My Judgment leaves a great Bulk of the Nation 's Profanity at such Mens Doors whatever they think of it 2ly A fulness in following the Lord comprehends true Principles and Ends in our Profession and Practice Israel was an empty Vine bringing forth Fruit to her self A selfish End makes an empty Action This is chiefly to be regarded in our Profession for a Man 's own Soul is not edified by that it 's to glorify God in the Edification of others A good Man is satisfied from within himself A Soul is strengthned increas'd in Knowledg Holiness Heavenliness comforted assur'd in Faith by the Ideas and Thoughts God raises up within the Soul but the publick Show or Appearance a Believer makes by his profess'd Subjection to every Ordinance of Christ's Appointment is to edify others God makes Men Lights to be set in