passing by a tree which Nature was cleaving did thrust in his hand to increase the breach whereupon providence suddenly closing the breach did there hold the man by the hand as an act of revenge Though I dare not assert the truth of this Story yet I make this morall Doubtlesse there are Jesuiticall spirits who haunt these coasts who walk in this City and it is suspected by many that they have a speciall hand in some of the pamphlets published to increase the flames of unbrotherly divisions I heartily wish that they might be apprehended by some good hand to be made exemplary It 's reported that the Pythagoreans did set a note of infamy upon the number of two because it was the first which dared to depart from Unity Solomon saith He that soweth discord among brethren is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 6. 16. 19. And this reacheth more then Jesuites in this Kingdome yea in this City For how many make it their businesse to make breaches not only among private brethren but also between the two Kingdoms of England and Scotland notwithstanding the solemn brotherly Covenant Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ Ro. 16. 17 18. I humbly move cautiousnesse in regard of Malignants that those mischief-workers who now as report speaks are moving homeward may not inconsiderately upon too easie tearms be entertained and trusted It is my daily prayer that God would convert and pardon those who expresse the most malignity against the work of Reformation so happily begun amongst us and my soul saith God forbid that any who are sincerely changed should by our sournesse be sent back again into our enemies quarters Notwithstanding I must tell you Abundans cautela non nocet When Saul was come to Jerusalem he assayed to joyn himself to the Disciples but they were all afraid of him Act. 9. 26. Fals-hearted ones amongst our selves may doe us much more wrong then known adversaries at a distance And is it not a just ground of complaint made by our friends when foes who have forsaken City and Parliament shall make their peace at such easie rates that they suffer lesse in their outward estates upon their return then approved friends have done if their Assessements and voluntary contributions be considered I undertake not to direct in this case but I intreat God to make the Parliament and City wise and circumspect in this particular 4 I most earnestly importune your care for the better and stricter observation of the Sabbath and I heartily commend worthy Nehemiah as your patern of imitation in this practice The waies and courses whereby he witnessed his holy zeal in this kinde lie open in the History I shall not need to specifie them I beseech your Lordship to see to the suppression of buying selling and sporting upon the Lords day I have often thought upon a speech of that famous servant of Christ and Minister in this City learned humble holy publike hearted Dr Staughton which I had from him in private conference in those times when the Sabbath and the observation thereof was decried by the Prelates and profane sort of men His speech was this Should any man give up a Castle of such concernment to this Kingdome as the fourth Commandment is to the safety of Christian Religion he would deserve to die many deaths As you love the Lord and the life of Religion regard the Sabbath and let your heart and hand be against those doctrines and practices which tend to the profanation of it 5. I entirely Petition your utmost towards the compounding of our miserable divisions about Church affairs There are not only Congregations of Anabaptists Antinomians and Brownists in this City connived at but as it is commonly and credibly reported also companies of men who deny the Deity of Christ and divine authority of the Scriptures I remember that when Gallio was Deputy of Achaia there was insurrection made in Corinth against Paul and there were wofull confusions in the City but it is added Act. 18. 17. And Gallio cared for none of those things God forbid that either your Lordship or any other Magistrate in this City should be thus regardlesse of our present distractions When there was a great breach made in the ground by an earth-quake at Rome and notice was given that the gods would not be pacified except something of speciall worth was cast into the breach Marcus Curtius did cast himself in in love to his Countrey And I believe that there are very many amongst our selves in this City both Ministers and others who could be content to sacrifice their lives in this service to reconcile dissenting brethren For alas alas Doe not divisions threaten dissolution A Kingdom divided cannot stand My soul desires that London may in waies of truth and holinesse be like Jerusalem A City compact together or as others render the phrase A City that is joyned to it self together Psal 1 22. 3. For the effecting whereof I make it my last request that with all your might as God may be pleased to give opportunity you would promote the speedy setling and exercise of Church-government Were the Church blessed with the use of that Discipline which is according to the minde of Christ in this posture it would be terrible as an Army with banners Cant. 6. 10. By this means profanenesse would be crushed superstition suppressed errours checked Malignancy discountenanced the Sabbath better observed holy Ordinances more purely administred and our breaches well healed Here are motives enough to move every right bred son of Sion to set head heart and hand unto this work Conscientious zealous care in this kinde will contribute very much to your honour here and your comfort hereafter Good Nehemiah thus pleads for himself before the Lord having been industrious in this service Remember me ô my God concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds my kindenesses that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof Nehem. 13. 14. Now in this case the counsell of Gods faithfull Ministers is to be considered The words of Artaxerxes are notable Ezr. 7. 21. Whatsoever Ezra the Priest the Scribe of the Law of the God of heaven shall require of you let it be done speedily Some it may be will catch at this sentence and say This discovers the drift of Presbyterian spirits you desire to exercise dominion over your brethrens consciences and therefore would have all things managed according to your minde But I must take the boldnesse to answer That this is a notorious slander For we petition nothing but that which in our consciences is according to the minde of Jesus Christ and professe our selves willing with the least and lowest of Saints to submit unto the Scepter of our Lord and Saviour not requesting favour in any thing repugnant unto the holy Scripture This is that advice which in faithfulnesse and with humility I present unto your Lordships consideration and I doe it with the more confidence because in all particulars it speaks the language of our solemn Nationall League and Covenant which should never be forgotten And now to conclude all I beseech you all both right Worshipfull Aldermen and right worthy Citizens to consider seriously how far my counsell directed to the Lord Major concerneth you every one O that God would give you all with one heart to say unto his Lordship as it was once spoken to Ezra to quicken a work of Reformation Arise for this matter belongeth unto thee we also will be with thee Be of good courage and doe it Ezr. 10. 4 For my part I shall use no more words but those of David to Solomon relating to Temple-work 1 Chron. 22. 16. Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with thee FINIS
by the decrees of Gods dominion which are often called the ordinances of Heaven So all mans operations should be ordered and limited by his Commandments 2. A Portion Prov. 31. 15. She giveth a portion to her Maidens And truly Gods commands are a good portion to his people I have esteemed the words of his mouth saith Job more then my necessary food Job 23. 12. And Thy testimonies saith David are my heritage for ever Psal 119. 111. Unto a gracious heart Gods work is wages and imployment is preferment The second word is Laws The originall word is most ordinarily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used to signifie the morall law the Decalogue that constant standard or standing law by which all Nations in all ages of the world have been and shall be bound to order their conversations before God Thus much of the words used to expresse Gods revealed will to guide mans course It follows that I explain those words which suggest mans regular respect thereunto The first is Observe which imports 1. either to minde or reserve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in memory As old Jacob is said to observe the sayings the dreams of Joseph Gen. 37. 11. 2. Or to preserve in safety In this sense the same Jacob used the word in his prayer or vow Gen. 28. 20. If God will be with me and keep me in this way that I go c. And this sense answers the true meaning of the next word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Keep which properly signifies to keep with care and vigilancie as ammunition is preserved from fire and false hands when an enemy is expected Nahum 2. 1. He that dasheth in pieces is come up before thy face keep the munition watch the way Now these notions from the originall are not vain they are both profitable and such as answer the more open language of the holy Ghost elsewhere The laws of the Lord should be treasured up in the cabinet of mans heart and memory Prov. 3. 1. My sonne forget not my Law but let thine heart keep my Commandments And all the precepts of God should be secured from violence that no breach be made upon them Keep my Commandments and live and my Law as the apple of thine eye Prov. 7. 2. These things I only touch as I passe forward to that point on which I purpose to pitch both because it is the main intended in the Text and also being most seasonable for the service of the day Doct. That mans regular observation of all Gods Commandments is the end of all his glorious administrations for mans comfort More short The end of Gods bounty is mans duty Or thus in reference to the instances of the Psalm and the experiences of our times Therefore the Lord taketh vengeance upon his adversaries and therefore the Lord worketh the deliverance of his servants that they might observe his statutes and keep his laws My beloved Who can number up in order the great things which our God hath done for us now of late as heretofore Our friends have been relieved our foes have been routed our prayers have been heard our hopes revived our forces prospered our enemies discomfited I pray you fill your thoughts with the particulars which this day have been mentioned and upon other occasions specified And then adde unto the remembrance of all this Doctrine which now I am to deal in That Gods end and aim in all is this That we might observe his statutes and keep his Laws In the handling of this weighty point well worth our serious considerations I shall according to my accustomed plainnesse endeavour two things 1. The explanation of the truth that it may be rightly understood 2 The application of it that it may be fruitfully improved I begin with the former wherein I will be but short lest I should want time to speak unto the later which I chiefly intend it being of greatest and most seasonable concernment And here by way of caution to prevent mistake in this matter under hand I wish that these four things may be observed 1. Mans obedience is the end of Gods gracious providences in regard of his precept though not alwaies in regard of his secret eternall purpose I well remember the words of the Psalmist Psal 92. 7. When the wicked doe spring as the grasse and the workers of iniquity doe prosper it is that they shall be destroyed for ever But here I speak not of Gods end in regard of his everlasting righteous decree which he is pleased to keep close within his own bosome As for the end of his command revealing his pleasure to the children of men the words of Moses that man of God are plain and pregnant to our purpose Deut. 10. 12 13. where after an enumeration of various marvellous favours vouchsafed unto Israel he speaks thus And now O Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his waies and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul To keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes 2. It is the end of God in the fore-mentioned intention though too too seldome in execution God having engaged man to obedience by his bounties he expecteth an obedientiall improvement though his Majesties expectations are commonly disappointed The Lords sad complaint of his vineyard Isa 5. expresseth this fully What could have been done more to my vineyard that I have not done in it Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wilde grapes ver 4. He looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousnesse but behold a cry ver 7. And our God hath very much occasion of the like lamentation in this Land yea in this City at this day notwithstanding the admirable deliverances and victories wrought for us Alas alas how few how very few do any where answer the expectations of his highnesse in reformation of their waies and in obedience unto his holy Laws 3. Although mans observation of Gods statutes be one end yet is it not the only end of his manifold favours For amongst many other aims which are alwaies in his majesties eye such is his fatherly indulgence unto his people that he doth give out cordials on purpose to cheer their drooping spirits and to facilitate their passage thorow the wildernesse of this world Let the Lord be magnified who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants Psal 35. 27. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his people for the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity Psal 125. 2 3. 4. Mans serviceable subjection unto divine injunctions is not Gods last and chiefest end in all his glorious dispensations The ultimate the supreme end of all Gods purposes and providences is his own honour He doth all things
for himself Prov. 16 4. In them who are not obedientially conquered by his kindenesses he will be glorified Proud hard-hearted Pharaoh stubbornly withstood all the assaults of God made upon himself and his people both by plagues and deliverances yet God saith Exod. 14. 4. I will be honoured upon Pharaoh and upon his host And those who are made obedientially fruitfull by the showres and Sun-shine of divine indulgence they being filled with the fruits of righteousnesse are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God Phil. 1. 11. So that all administrations doe at last determine and center in the honour of the most high God who is the authour and orderer of them Yea beyond the duties of obedience the welfare and happinesse of them who are sincerely obedient both here and hereafter is ordained and intended by God himself as an end subordinate unto his own eternall praise Oh that there was such an heart in them saith the Lord that they would keep all my commandments alwaies that it might be well with them Deut. 5. 29. And the Apostle having provoked the believing Romans unto the work of sanctification addeth these words Ye have your fruit unto holines and the end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. Having premised these cautions these propositions to prevent misapprehensions and that the meaning of my Text and Doctrine might be truly understood I proceed unto the Application thereof which is the second thing promised in the prosecution of the point The improvement of this seasonable instruction thus far unfolded Vse is that which I had principally in mine eye in the choice of this Text and I pray God so to assist me in this last and the greatest part of my Sermon that I may reach your hearts unto your edification and spirituall advantage All that I shall say by way of Use I will give in under these three heads 1. Information 2. Reprehension 3. Exhortation The two former sorts of Uses I shall dispatch quickly but I shall crave leave to enlarge the last because most profitable and most pertinent unto this Congregation and most conducing to promote the realizing of those praises which this day we present unto our God Hence it naturally and necessarily follows That the disobedience Information of those persons is most abominable and inexcusable who have been under the most and best administrations of the Almighty Such offenders doe not only violate the Laws of Soveraignty but of Amity Their neglects their miscarriages are not only undutifulnesses but unthankfulnesses and unkindnesses It is here considerable how the holy Ghost doth ordinarily cast this circumstance as a loading aggravation upon the sins both of Nations and persons to break their hearts in the deepest humiliation and to justifie God in his sharpest corrections Thus Samuel 1 Sam. 12. 6. sets upon unsubdued Israel 1 Sam. 12. 6. And Samuel said 7. unto the people It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt Now therefore stand still that I may reason with you before the Lord of 8. all the righteous acts of the Lord which he did to you and to your fathers When Jacob was come into Egypt and your fathers cried unto the Lord then the Lord sent Moses and Aaron which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell 11. in this place c. And the Lord sent Jerubbaal and Bedan and Jephthah and Samuel and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side and ye dwelled safe Here is the commemoration of mercies Now follows the sin therby aggravated And 12. when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you ye said unto me Nay but a king shall reign over us when the Lord your God was your king Beloved I may not spend time in paralleling these passages with Gods providences towards this poor Kingdom and this Kingdoms miscarriages towards the Lord. Do it your selves I pray you and I doubt not but the serious doing of it will be advantagious both in the advancing of our God and in the abasing of our selves before him Englands deliverances and mercies Londons deliverances and mercies have been more and greater then of other Kingdoms and Cities therefore Englands sins and Londons sins are more hainous horrid high provocations of the most high God And as the evils of a people are thus aggravated by the Lord so are the offences of particular persons also In this manner Samuel greatens the disobedience of King Saul 1 Sam. 15. 16. 1 Sam. 25. 16. 17. Then Samuel said unto Saul Stay and I will tell thee what the Lord said unto me this night When thou wast little in thine own sight wast not thou made the head of the tribes of Israel and the Lord anointed thee King over Israel And the Lord sent 18. thee on a journey and said Go and utterly destroy the sinners the Amalekites and fight against them till they be consumed VVherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord but 19. didst flie upon the spoyl and didst evil in the sight of the Lord I will not glosse upon this Scripture which might truly be applied unto many of the richest and chiefest rank in this City but I humbly beseech you to remember from what low and little beginnings the Lord hath advanced many of you and then reflecting upon your lives consider what account you can give unto his Majestie for your obedience or for your disobedience rather to his holy Commandments Yea this course God hath been wont to take with his own dearest servants to work them unto true repentance Davids scandalous fals are well known I might say they are ill known by too many who thence take encouragement to offend and I believe you are not ignorant of that course which his God took by Nathans ministery to present his sins as very sinfull in his own sight 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I anointed thee king over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul And I 2 Sam. 12. gave thee thy Masters house and I gave thee the house of Israel 7. and of Judah and if that had been too little I would moreover 8. have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord to doe evil in his sight 9. c. Herein herein lies the aggravation Wherefore hast thou Thou so preserved thou so preferred How canst thou answer this Give me leave to touch one instance more which I doe the rather adde because it concerneth men of mine own cloth and calling that you may be convinced We Ministers desire to aggravate our own faults by the self-same circumstances whereby we greaten yours Eli his sinfull indulgence to his wicked sons is notorious now mark how a Messenger from the Lord paints out this his
endeavour to discomfit Israel lest I should seem over-tart Neither would I be thus interpreted in that I have spoken as though I purposed to strike secretly any who labour in the sincerity and simplicity of their spirits to make Jesus Christ glorious in the world Let my tongue rather cleave to the rooff of my mouth for ever then that I dare to utter one word wittingly and wilfully against the honour of our Lord Christ Jesus Now I come to the last Use which is to perswade us all Vse 3 unto a double duty and accordingly is to be divided into two Exhortation branches First We are hence to be moved to praise God for this his Branch 1 indulging providence in that he is pleased by means of kindenesses to seek the winning and working of our hearts unto his holy obedience This inference is made to my hand in the words immediately following the Text Praise ye the Lord. Now to quicken our hearts unto the admiration and adoration of God in this regard let these following short meditations be seriously considered 1. That mans obedience makes no whit at all unto Gods advantage Can a man be profitable to God Is it any gain to him that thou makedst thy waies perfect Job 22. 2 3. If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he at thine hand Job 35. 7. These interrogations carry along with them vehement negations That it is not possible to profit God in the least measure by our best obedientiall endeavours Men hire servants because their work tends to enrich them But in references to the Almighty Alsufficient God all must say When we have done all those things that are commanded we are unprofitable servants Luk. 17. 10. My well-doing saith David though a man according to Gods own heart doth not extend unto thee Psal 16. 2. For unto that which is infinite and perfect no possible addition can be made 2. That mans disobedience doth not in any degree prejudice God If thou sinnest what dost thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiplied what dost thou unto him Job 35. 6. The Sun is not obscured by mans refusing to behold it or to commend the light of it The self-same beauties perfections happinesse which the Lord enjoyed in himself from eternity he shall possesse for ever though no creature should serviceably attend upon him Amongst men it is otherwise for a stock cannot be traded a trade cannot be managed many necessary works would be undone if we had not the assistance of servants The Crown needs the Plow the chiefest could not subsist but by the support of the meanest The feet uphold the head and the whole body 3. That Gods rich meer mercy did move him to make manifest his minde unto man that man might understand what carriage would content his blessed Majestie and in this regard if God had not added any further motive to obedience we are obliged to honour his highnesse He sheweth his Word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his judgements they have not known them Praise ye the Lord Psal 147. 19 20. What if the Lord had left us all in our naturall darknesse as Heathens unacquainted with his Commandments yet should we not have had any occasion to except against his Majestie But how great is our engagement to our God who having given some light of knowledge doth liberally give in favours to move the obedientiall improvement thereof 4. Suppose that the Lord suspending all waies of love and liberality towards us should only by threats and blows have endeavoured our obedience yet in that respect there would have been cause of thankfulnesse for it is much better to be beaten to Gods work then to neglect it David was of this minde Psalm 119. 67 68. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy Word Thou art good and dost good And vers 71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Therefore the waies of fairnesse and fatherly indulgence whereby God seeks to conform our hearts and lives unto his Commandments should endear him to our hearts and draw forth our souls in thanksgiving 5. The worke and worship of the Almighty which we take in hand is alwaies more or lesse defiled Gods excellencies are much obscured his name sundry ways dishonoured by our imperfections which ever attend our best performances There is iniquity in our holy offerings All our righteousnesses are like unsightly rags Isa 6. 6. when good Nehemiah reviewed his famous services for God and his house upon the discovery of his sinfulnesses he cries out Neh. 13. 22. Lord pardon me according to thy great mercies Now all this God knows yea he fore-knew all our future aberrations when he showered down favours to move our obedience Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy countenance Psal 90. 8. And David testifieth Psal 139. 2. That God knows his thoughts afarre off Is it not therefore to be very much admired that the Lord should by renewed and multiplied favours labour to prevail with our hearts To observe his statutes and to keep his laws 6. Lastly as though all that I have spoken were too little the Lord hath herein further manifested and magnified his unsearchable grace that he hath undertaken abundantly to recompence all our obedience In keeping of his Commandments there is great reward Psal 19. 11. Every self-knowing Christian who is wont with any seriousnesse to compare his returns to God with his receits from God will freely acknowledge that he is alwaies infinitely behinde hand with his Majesty therefore considering his former favourable providences to perswade obedience together with future precious promises to crown obedience we have all reason to call upon our selves Praise we the Lord and to say unto one another Praise ye the Lord. The second branch of my Exhortation follows which I have Branch 2 had principally in my minde and aim all this while To perswade your conscientious care to improve all Gods favourable providences unto the promoting and bettering of obedience according to his purpose and appointment I beseech you Rom. 12. 1. therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service If my Exhortation upon this ground be not reasonable lay it aside I speak as unto wise men judge ye what I say Beloved I am very serious in this my message being not only seasonable but of exceeding great concernment and shall be very unwilling to goe off with a deniall unto this my reasonable request which I make in the Name of God for your good Manifold examples might be produced to presse this Exhortation Motive 1. That double that treble resolution of Israel raised from this consideration is notable God forbid that we should