CHAPTER I. The occasion of this Vow of Vows in general their Use what should be the Matter of them and how necessary it is to keep them THE Occasion of Iacob's making this Vow was this his Parents had sent him away to Padan-aram for fear of his being corrupted by the Inhabitants of Canaan where they lived and enticed to take one of their daughters to wife like as his Brother Esau had done Now as he was on his journey he happened upon a certain place afterwards called Bethel where he tarried all night the Sun having set upon him before he came thither and the Canaanites not being so courteous as to invite him into their houses he was necessitate to lodge in the open field but though men denied him entertainment yet he found what was much better and more comfortable that he was highly favoured of GOD for there He appeared to him in a dream and made him the promise of large and great blessings as you may see in the 13 14 15 Verses Upon which when Iacob awakened and considered it the fear and dread of GOD fell upon him and to testifie his gratitude and thankfulness to GOD who had thus graciously appeared unto him he spake these words and vowed this Vow by which he bound and oblidged himself to serve honour and worship GOD if so be that he did these things which were promised This vow was not made rashly and inconsideratly but upon serious and mature deliberation nor is the matter thereof light and trivial but weighty and important It is certainly worthy our consideration and hereby we may be instructed in very matterial points viz. Wherein our felicity consists what is the thing we should aim at while in this world and what is our duty towards GOD What Iacob asked teacheth the one and what he promised sheweth the other as will appear afterwards But first we will take occasion to treat of Vows in general as to their matter use and observance and thereafter we shall handle this vow of Iacob's in particular First then in general a Vow is an holy and religious promise made to GOD either for some mercy and favour or upon the desire of some blessing as here And there be many instances in Scripture of Prayers put up to GOD by way of Vows when our Prayers are accompanied with Vows it doth be-speak a belief of power and good-will and particular knowledge on GOD'S part and earnestness importunity and a gratefull Disposition on ours which are things GOD very much delights in And this may be the reason why they are ordinarily so effectuall and so succesfull For 't is observable that such Prayers prevaile very much with GOD and do almost alwayes obtain not only a Blessing but even the very same thing prayed for Thus Iacob obtained his whole desire Thus Iephthah however rash in the matter of his Vow yet out of a Devout Acknowledgement having vowed to the LORD got a Victory over the Ammonites So likewise Hannah received a Child of the LORD after that She had made a Vow And thus we have read and heard of many who upon their Vows have been delivered from great Straits and Difficulties recovered of sore and Dangerous Sicknesses and been Blessed with signal Mercies and Favours All which teacheth us that in cases of great need or the threatning of Dangers upon the various and great changes of our Life in all great and weighty enterprises whose success doth very much concern us and in all our most solemn Approaches to GOD I say that in these or the like cases it may not be amiss but good and proper to back and strengthen our Prayers by some Pious and Religious Vow For hereby we testifie that we believe GOD able to grant what we ask and that we our selves will retain a grateful sense of His Kindness if so be he do it and besides this will awaken our minds to a due and serious attention and add Fervour and Earnestness to our Devotions which endeareth both us and them to GOD and so probably will wrest a Blessing from Him We should never offer to ask any thing of GOD without resolving to serve him better or glorifie Him more upon the granting our Desires and Requests as we would wish him to do us good so we should lay obligations upon our selves to do him all Acceptable Service and it is but impudence and mockery to endeavour to get God to befriend us without thinking to become thereby the more dutiful to him Wherefore every one of our Prayers and Addresses to GOD do contain vows implicity although we make no express mention of them for they imply alwayes a promise and resolution to endeavour to please God without which they were but meer abominations unto him But as it is good sometimes to make particular Vows when we pray for any special blessing and alwayes necessary upon all our Addresses to GOD to resolve in the general to serve him and to do His will so it is not good to be rash and inconsiderat in making of Vows There is nothing about which we should deliberat more and therefore it is that young Persons and such as are not come to maturity of age or understanding are discharged by all Casuists from the making of vows because their ignorance and want of knowledge may make them readily erre in this matter and Vow what is not lawfull or convenient to be vowed Good Religious and lawful vows doe honour GOD and are very acceptable to him But if they be rash inconsiderat and in matters either not lawfull or not fit and proper they do but displease him If we be to Vow then we must both use all Caution and Prudence in the making of them and likewise see carefully to the observing of them otherwise we had better not Vow at all First in the making of Vows we should shun all rashness and inconsideration and ought to take heed that both the thing we promise to GOD and that which we make the Condition of it be Lawfull and Agreeable to his will for if this be wanting we offer but the Sacrifice of Fooles and both our Prayers and Vows become an abomination unto GOD. What we aske must either be something he hath commanded or Allowed us to seek It must neither thwart his Will nor be unworthy of Him to grant and how earnest soever we be yet our desires must always be attended with a Submission to his Holy Will and Pleasure for 't is then only that we are to be confident GOD will hear us when we ask according to his Will And as we must thus use Modesty and Caution in our Prayers taking heed that what we pray for be not offensive to GOD so we ought to shew great Prudence and Discretion in these Vows Promises we make to God upon the granting our Prayers we must see that the thing promised be both Warrantable in it self and convenient for us in particular Many have brought themselves with
such and the like cases and circumstances We are all ready enough to make Vows and Promises I know not if we be all as ready to perform and accomplish them It 's to be feared that too many are like bad Debitors who either altother refuse the payment of their debt or else shift it off from day to day and thereby do declare their folly and disingenuity and monstruous ingratitude If GOD hath been so gracious as to hear us should not we also be faithful in keeping the Promises we made to Him following Davids practice Psalm 66. 13. where he saith I will go into thy house with burnt offerings I will pay Thee my Vows which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble And again Psalm 116. 12. having asked himself What shall I render unto the LORD for all His benefits towards me His answer resolution was I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the LORD I will pay my Vows unto the LORD in the presence of all His People See and consider then I pray you what have been your particular Vows and Promises at any time and labour now to keep them faithfully Did you promise to be more Holy to have a greater Love and Zeal for GOD Did you Vow to be more studious to advance his Glory to be more Just and Honest in your Dealings more kind to your Neighbours and more Charitable to the Poor Did you at any time pass your word that you would Pray oftner and more fervently in privat by your selves and take a care that the Worship of GOD be observed in your Family That you would forbear Swearing and Drinking loose and prophane company did you promise greater Sobriety temperance Did you engage to bridle your passion To be watchfull against Anger and Wrath and to study Calmness and Peace Did you engage to be more contented with your Allowances and more thankfull for them Did you vow to keep the Church better To be a more Devout and attentive Hearer of GOD'S Word and of the Instructions of his Servants Have ye devoted any particular time for privat retirements and Converse with GOD or any particular Moity of your Estates for Pious uses Whether these or whatever else have been the matter of your Vows see that ye both Remember them and also give diligence to observe them neither mince thy Vows nor defer the paying of them Let it not be said that thou art liberall in thy promises but sparing in thy performances Like him who when he was in Hazard of perishing at Sea promised a rich offering but when he came to land put it off with a penny matter Keep thy Word to GOD and doe it chearfully without grudging Let not our present Ease and Prosperity blot out the Sense and Memory of his past Loving Kindness neither let us account any thing too good for God or too much to be given him We can give him nothing but what is his own for all that we have we received from him and we can do nothing to him but what is our bounden duty And withall let us Remember that we may have yet need of his Kindness We may yet fall into straits and trouble be seized with Sickness and in fear of Death and then how much will it concern us to have him our friend but how and with what confidence can we cry unto him if we now deal deceitfully with God and break the word which we have uttered That therefore we may avoid the Divine Vengeance and Displeasure and also have GOD to be our refuge and a present help in the time of trouble let us Vow and pay our Vows unto the LORD and keep every thing which hath gone out of our lips Thus we have spoken of Vows in Generall have shewed the Nature of them what Obligation there is on us to make them what Caution should be used in the making of them and what care to keep them when they are made CHAP. II. Of Jacob's Requests Mens Wisdom discernable by the matter of their Desires GOD deny's no Requests but what are unreasonable and improper all that is necessary to compleat ones Happiness is contained in the particulars which Jacob here askes of the first viz. the Divine Presence what it is and how excellent a Blessing with an Exhortation to seek after it HAving taken occasion in the former Chapter upon Iacobs Vowing to speak of Vows in general we come next to treat of this Vow in particular in which we have to consider these two things viz. What he promised unto GOD and what he craves of him as the condition of the Performance of that Promise This last stands first in the Text and therefore we shall handle it first Now Iacob craves here three things of GOD first that GOD would be with him that is his Presence Secondly that he would keep him in his way which is his Protection Thirdly that he would afford him his necessary maintenance of Food and Raiment these are his desires And in the fourth place you have the end for which he asks these things and it is that he may be brought back to his Fathers house in peace Iacob may seem at first to ask no great matter his requests look not very big and 't is true they are modest and reasonable But yet if they be duely considered and seriously canvass'd they will be found to comprehend all that is necessary to compleat ones Happiness There is nothing that discovers men more than their Requests and Petitions for they do certainly speak out the sentiments of their mind and what it is their Hearts set most value upon It was once wittily said to a young man speak that I may see thee thereby signifying that we know Men better by their Words than by their Faces But this especially holds true when their Words express their Desires A Fool may be known by his desires and a Wise man by his For by these we may perceive easily what Knowledge and Understanding one hath and what Inclinations and Dispositions whether they have taken up right Measures of things and do judge according to their true Nature or only according to their outward appearance Fools look only to the outward appearance and if a thing glister or make any big or splendid shew they covet it whatever it be in it self But Wise men peirce through into the inward nature of things seek only what is Solide and Substantial Good and Useful like as the Patriarch did here For in that he sought these and no other things from GOD it shews him to have been Wise and Understanding that he had e're this time weighed and pondered all things as they relate to Man and found out what was Good Proper and necessary for him And truely would we restrain our Desires to these things Iacob here mentions if we would make these all we aime at in reference to this Life we should both Act
Pleasure and more Satisfaction than Excess and Abundance What is superfluous and redundant commonly turns to our Hurt and Dammage breeds Surfeitings and Loathings Pains and Diseases and doth Violence even to our Natural Complexions and so tendeth to the shortning of our dayes But farther a State of Mediocrity or Competency proportioned unto our Necessities is far more desirable than Great or Superfluous Abundance because this condition is more safe and secure and less subject to changes and alterations A man in this State as is well expressed by the Excellent Lord Justice Hales will not be so readily disquieted through the malice and envy of others as he who is in an Estate of External Grandeur Wealth and Power For he who is in the former State hath nothing that others do covet or desire but the latter hath gotten the Golden Ball that the generality of mankind are fond to have and restless till they have gotten it which makes the Man's estate unquiet and unsafe because he hath many competitours for what he enjoys which are continually endeavouring to trip up his Heels Just as we see when a Bird hath gotten a booty or prey all other birds of prey are following and catching after it and ever molesting him that hath it He that enjoys much either of Honour or Wealth or Power is the object of the envy of other men which is a busie restless pernicious Humor and ever picking Quarrels and finding Faults and studying and endeavouring the ruine of its object Whereas a State of Mediocrity is a state of Quietness and free frâ—…m the Assaults and Shafts of this Pestilent Companion The great Difference of these two states may be well â—…een in Iacob the Person in the Text for whilst he had nothing but his Staff his Bread to eat and his Raiment to put on the necessary supplies of Nature he was in great Quiet and Safety but so soon as Wealth encreased upon him his Uncle and his Sons first envied him and then plâ—…tted against him so that he saw no other Security but to fly for it And how many such instances may we collect from the present Age and even too within this Isle Hâ—…w many lived Happily and Contentedly until they were raised unto places of Dignity and Advantageous Emolument How hath this engaged them into a life of Strife and Debate they have been so far from Augmenting even their temporal happiness that many have losed it altogether their Enemies not being content to take away what was so much envyed by their ambition and covetousness unless they also reduced them to circumstances worse than their former that they might not be in a capacity of revenging themselves Besides all this such a competent Condition as we are speaking of is of it self by far perferrable to any other because there is less care and trouble attending it and it affords a man time and leasure for acquiring knowledge vertue and for minding and waiting upon the Great Concerns of another World He that either wants what he stands in need of or hath much more both of them are often necessitat to be a drudge to this life all their thoughts cares are for the most part about the World and the things of the World which debaseth a man very much and is a stouping of him far below the designe of his Creation he was created for the enjoyment of GOD for converse with his Maker and the Exercise of Divine vertues which both a state of want and a state of superfluity and abundance doth very much hinder and divert him from This made Agur pray against both give me saith he neither poverty nor riches not Riches left I be full and deny thee and say who is the LORD Nor yet poverty left I put forth my hand and steal and take the Name of my GOD in vain There be a great many Temptations in both States but more in a state of plenty and fulness than in want They that will be rich saith S. Paul fall into a temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull Lusts which drown men in Destruction and Perdition 1 Tim 6. 9. This Crates that Pagan Philosopher had some sense of when he threw his money into the Sea declaring that he would drown it lest it should drown him he might indeed have found many better and more Vertues Wayes of disposing it for preventing the mischief thereof But however this shews that even Natural Wisdom teacheth that there be more inconveniency in Having then in Wanting riches Of all Conditions in the World saith that excellent Personage formerly mentioned a redundant and over plentifull condition is most subject to the most Dangerous and Pernicious Temptations in the World As namely forgetfulness of GOD Self-Dependence Pride Insolence Oppression Injustice Unquietness of Mind Excess Luxury Intemperance contempt of others I have very often saith he known these persons that have carried themselves steddily and commendably in a Condition of Mediocrity nay have been able to bear with Victory the shocks of these Temptations that arise from want and Poverty yet when in the late times being advanced to Wealth Power and Command they were lost and could not bear the Temptations that attended Grandeur Wealth and Power So that the sun of wealth and Prosperity quickly disrobed them of that mantle of Innocence Piety and vertue that they keept about them against the Stormes of Wants and necessities And perhaps there be few but from our experience we may learn and observe the like Though Men little regard it yet certainly it merits our consideration seeing it was spoken by our Saviour Verily verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and again I say unto you it is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle then for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of GOD Mat. 19. Thus you see what Reason and Wisdom there is in this Request of Iacob's and how much it doth really concern us to bound measure our Desires thereto Food and Raiment we may and ought to seek because without this we cannot live conveniently and comfortably but to ask more as it is Insolent and Immodest in regard of GOD so it is Vain and Unreasonable in it self unsafe in respect of others and very Dangerous for our selves Quod nimium est fugito parvo gaudere memento Tuta mage est puppis modico quae flumine fertur Despice divitias si vis animo esse beatus Quas qui suspiciunt mendicant semper avari Fly what 's too great be with small things content That Ship 's most safe to which small gales are sent Wouldst happy be For wealth do not much care Who it affect Beggars and greedy are Wherefore let every one in the first place sit down and wisely consider what is their competency their convenient Food as Agur terms it for it is certain that this varies according
inconsistent with the Purest love of GOD but only Subordinate thereunto But as for the Temporal things of this World it is Unlawful to make them our Chief and Ultimat End or to propose them to our selves as any main Motive inducement to the Observance of GOD or his Laws for we should resolve to cleave to GOD whither he gives us these things or no Nay though he should leave us altogether Destitute of all Worldly Help and Comfort yet it should be our Resolution never to forsake him saying with holy Iob though he slay me yet will I trust in him Iob. 13. 15. Now as to Iacob's case in Particular it doth not appear that he swerved from these General positions which we have laid down yea it seems evident that he kept close to them He makes 't is true his Requests for himself first but his Serving and Honouring of GOD might be the chief thing he had before him If he had Aimed more at his own Private Interest than at the Glory of GOD he would not have been so Modest in his Desires nor yet contented himself with so small a Portion as Food and Raiment he would certainly have sought more but that he did not seek more makes it clear that he gave himself freely to GOD without Respect to his Benefits GOD had been promising him the whole land of Canaan for a possession to him and his Posterity and he to let see that it was not upon that Account he tied himself to GOD and Resolved to become his Servant he asked no more but Food and Raiment As if he had said though thou do not so great things if thou grant but Food and Raiment If thou wilt but bring me back to my Fathers house in peace though I should never brook this Land as my Property and Possession yet thou shalt be my God Thus Iacob loved GOD for himself like a Friend and not for his Benefits like a Merchant Could Iacob have passed by Food and Rayâ—…ent as well as he did all other good Benefits of GOD he would not have given himself thus unto GOD upon Composition but absolutely and without Condition Now he is constrained to fall upon the Condition of Food and Raiment for without this he could not love his GOD because without this he could not Subsist nor have his Being by which he evidently witnesses that he therefore and for no neither End desired to be but only to Love and Serve his GOD. It was an excellent speech of Crispus Passienus a witty Gentleman of Rome quorundam se judicium malle quam Beneficium quorundam Beneficium malle quam judicium that is Some Mans Respect and good Opinion is more to be esteemed then another Man's Benefit and one saith that Iacob here doth express the same Conceit for when he came to compound with Laban he made his Bargain in another manner he would not serve him for Bread and Raiment only but fourteen years for his Daughters and sex years for his Flock by which Means he became Rich and Wealthy and the Reason why he Covenanted thus differently with GOD and with Laban was because with Laban he sought his own commodity but with GOD only his Acceptance and Favour From this Example of Iacob's we should all of us learn this Lesson to aim at the Glory of GOD in all our Desires when we make any Requests for any Particular Favours the chief thing which should Prompt us thereto should be that we may have the occasion of serving GOD some way or other more eminently Thus Hannah when she Prayed for a Son she at the same time vowed to devote him to GOD. And David besought the LORD earnestly to have mercy upon him and to consider the trouble which he suffered of them which hate him and the end why he desired this was that I may saith he shew forth all thy Praise in the gates of the Daughter of Zion Psal. 9. 13 14. Whither we call for Spiritual or Temporal Blessings we should seek them not for themselves or to rest in the meer enjovment of them but to reflect Honour on GOD that we having such things may be capacitated and enabled to do him greater Service we must not let the Reins loose to our Desires and be over anxious for the enlargement of our State for oftentimes there is as much of Vanity and seeking our own Praise in this as any other thing Whither we have little or much what ever our Condition be be it great or small we may yet have opportunities enough of Glorifying GOD Iacob sought here but Food and Raiment and supposing he should get no more yet he devoted himself to GOD and resolved to own and acknowledge Him CHAP. II. Shewing the Importance of the Words The LORD shall be my GOD. SECTION I. The True Sense of the Words is given and a Proposal of the Particulars to be Treated on under this head WE come now to the particular Consideration of what the Patriarch vowed and promised here He puts up three Requests unto GOD and here also he makes three express and particular Promises the first of which is that the LORD shall be his GOD. Some render these words otherwise then we have them in our Translation and put another sense upon them they have it cumque fuerit Dominus mihi Deus making it a fourth Petition importing as much as if he had said if the LORD indeed will be to me a GOD which is indeed a very great and comprehensive Request and doth include all desirable Hapiness for what can One ask more then that GOD should manifest his Wisdom his Power his Goodness and all his other Glorious Perfections for his particular behoof and benefit Wherefore the Psalmist having prayed for the flourishing of their State That their Sons may be as Plants grown up in their Youth and their Daughters as Corner-stones polished after the similitude of a Palace that their Garners may he full affording all manner of Store that their Sheep might bring forth thousands and ten thousands in their streets their Oxen strong to labour that there be no breaking in or going out nor any complaining in the Streets Having I say prayed for this and being much taken with the Consideration of that Happiness he cryes out Happy is that People that is in such a case but presently he checks himself and upon second thoughts cryes Yea happy is that People whose GOD is the LORD Psal. 144. 15. intimating thereby to us that the LORDS interessing himself in any People and becoming their GOD was a greater Happiness then all that which he had formerly spoken of did amount to But how great and Desireable soever this be in it self yet we see no Reason why we should interpret the words in this sense especially seeing they should by this means coincide with the first petition for the LORD to be with One and to be Ones GOD is one and the same thing and it is not likely that
even those who as yet deny a God will acknowledge the necessity of Worshipping One if he be found And in Truth it is hard to tell which of the two are most unreasonable he who denies there is a GOD or he who refuses to worship the GOD whom he believes If Prudence and Interest do oblidge Men to Honour and Obey Kings and Monarchs that under their Favour they may enjoy Safety and Peace should not every one for that same very Reason adore and do homage to the great King to whom all the Princes and Potentates of the World must submit and bow themselves Though he sit in the Heavens yet His Dominion reacheth over all the whole World is filled with his Presence he ruleth the Children of Men and there is no safety but in his Protection nor any Security but in his Favour The LORD saith the Psalmist is a great GOD and a great King above all Gods In his Hand are the deep places of the Earth The Strength of Hills is his also The Sea is His and he made it And his Hands formed the dry-land Therefore he infers and that rightly O come let us Worship and bow down Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker for he is our God and we are the People of his Pasture and the Sheep of his Hand Ps. 95. 3 c. If Men needed not either care for the Divine Favour or much to fear his Wrath they might be somewhat excusable though they did not highly regard GOD but seeing it is utterly impossible that ever they can be in such a Condition wherein they stand in no need of GOD or may easily protect themselves from the effects of his Anger it is the most unaccountable madness to neglect him and to be careless to please him It is even such and greater madness as 't would be for a poor Peasant or other mean Fellow to slight or shew a contempt of some mighty Monarch while under his Power and within his Reach None have less Reason to make Pretensions to wit then those who slight Piety and cast off all regard to GOD because none act more contrary to common Prudence and the Principles of Reason Contempt or carelesness of the Divine Worship can never be justified unless Men could be certainly assured that there is no God which the greatest Atheist never yet pretended to nor can he or else that they could extricate themselves from all dependence upon GOD which as it is not desireable so neither is it possible And therefore it is absolutely necessary that all Men concern themselves in the Worship of GOD and that they be carefull while they live to Own and Acknowledge Him which who so Refuseth shall not pass Unpunished They who will not willingly Own and Submit themselves to Him shall certainly fall under the dint of his Fury Now therefore consider this ye that forget GOD lest He tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal. 50. 22. SECTION III. What Care should be had to Direct our Worship to the True GOD Rules how to do it Where also the Idolatry of the Romish Church is considered AS thus you see it is necessary we Worship God so by the same Reason it becomes no less necessary that we Worship the True GOD which was the Second particular we promised to speak to As there is a GOD so there is but One True GOD to whom and to none else we must direct our Worship and our Religious Services For if we adore any other then him or make any Partner of our Worship with him we are guilty of a Crime which is not easily pardoned for it is a dethroning of GOD. And therefore Iob saith If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness And my heart hath been secretly enticed or my mouth hath Kissed my hand That is if ever he was guilty of Worshipping the Sun or the Moon he acknowledgeth that this were an iniquity to be punished by the Iudge For thereby saith the he I should have denied the GOD that is above Job 31. 26. 27. 28. Sceptra non ferunt socium Kings can endure no Copartners nor will God suffer any Rival with him he will not endure that any should share in that Honour which is due to himself alone I am the LORD saith he that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another neither my Praise to graven Images Isa 42. 8. Idolatry or the Worship of false GODS is such an abomination and doth so highly provoke the True GOD that nothing will or can excuse it neither is there any thing which he is more Jealous of A Man's Serousness or Sincerity will never endear his Worship and render it acceptable Unless it be directed to the right Object Though one be a favourer of Monarchy in the general more than any other Government yet he can never be counted Loyal if he neglect his True Prince and follow an Usurper no more then he who is for no King at all Even so though one be never so Devout and Serious in his way yet unless it be the True GOD whom he Adores he is not to be esteemed a Friend and Lover of GOD he cannot be Reckoned otherwise then as an Enemy as well as those who are altogether Irreligious and Profane We must be sure then that we Worship the True GOD and none else otherwise it is to no purpose to Worship any For to worship none and to Worsh a False GOD will be alike profitable that is certainly they will be both of them hurtfull and pernicious for either of them will incense the true GOD and make him set himself against us to destroy us Now as it concerneth us to worship the true GOD and none else so that we may be sure to worship him and none other let us first Labour to get right Apprehensions of the Divine Nature and Attributes Let us be carefull to keep in mind how he is the Supreme Being Eternal Infinit and Independent from all others that he is Almighty most wise most just and good and Holy A pure Spirit who is not only free from all imperfections but who is infinitlie excellent beyond what can be apprehended and who is every where present For as the Apostle saith he is not far from every one of us in him we all live move and have our beeing 'T is this and nothing else which we call GOD He and none other hath these Properties and Excellencies And therefore not only what we Worship must be such but also we must be carefull to Worship Him under the consideration of a being thus infinitly excellent and glorious or else we Worship we know not what Instead of the True GOD we do but set up an Idol which our own Fancie hath devised 'T is true an adequat Comprehensive Knowledge of God or of any of his Attributes is not possible for he dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto whom no
or to set up them as Images of him To whom saith the Prophet will ye liken GOD or what likeness will ye compare unto him Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and metted out the Heaven with his span and comprehended the dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in seales and the hills in a Ballance He sitteth upon the circle of the earth and the Inhabitants thereof are before him as grashoppers he stretcheth out the Heavens as a Curtain and spreadeth them as a tent to dwell in By what figures and similitudes then can he be represented As St. Paul saith we ought not to think that the God-head is like unto Gold or Silver or Stone graven by Art and Mans device And as there is no truth in these resemblances which men make of GOD so by making them they dishonour GOD and occasion people to intertain mean and dishonourable thoughts of Him they who set up visible representations of the Deity are said to have changed the Glory of the Incorruptible GOD and thereby also the true dread of God came to be taken away from among men For by the meannesse and foolishness of Images men came to despise the Deity which they represented as some of the wiser and sober Heathens have observed Farther the use of Images is attended with the grossest Idolatrie For who are accustom'd to Worship them fancie something of Divinity in them for they think good luck attends them and that it bods ill when they want them as appears by Micah's speech to those who stole away his Images ye have taken away my Gods which I made and what have I more But though one should never be so Cautious in the use of Images and guard never so well against these abuses of them yet certainly it is not lawfull to have them with a Design to Worship them seing GOD hath expresly forbidden it and that he hath declared he will not own that Worship which is given in and by an Image or any visible form and representation Now by the two last Particulars it doth easily appear how corrupt the Church of Rome is and how much guilty of Idolatry for though that Church profess the knowledge of the One true GOD yet She both hath other Gods besides whom She Worshippeth and also Worshipped the True GOD for the most part in that way which he hath expresly discharg'd and which by his word we are assured he will not own First the Church of Rome holdeth other GODS besides the True for I may well call these People's Gods to whom they pay'd Divine Homage and Worship And so Angels the Blessed Virgin and other departed Saints Crucifixes Images the Host or consecrated Bread and other Reliques are Gods to the Papists for they pay to them Divine worship and Service even all that is usual to be payed to the true GOD himself they fall down before them make Prayers and Vows unto them Sacrifice and burn Incense build Temples and keep Festivals in honour of them and in a Word there is scarce any Testimonie of respect payed to GOD himself which is not also given to them and the service of these is very little if any thing different from the service of GOD. Certainly some few subtile Distinctions which of late they have set up will not put any essentiall difference betwixt the Worship of GOD and the Worship of these other persons and things so long as they are the same upon the matter Nay though I should say that they served these more then GOD I would not calumniat them I would but speak the truth For they pray oftner to the Saints particularlie to the Virgin Mary then they do to GOD She hath ten Aves for a every Pater Noster there be more Temples built to Her and the other Saints and many more dayes kept to their Memory then what are consecrat for the Honour of GOD their Altars and Shrines are more frequented and greater offerings made at them and by many instances it might be made appear that greate Priviledges as Indulgences c are bestowed by the Pope for their devotion to the Virgin and other Saints then for the acknowledgement of GOD and of JESUS CHRIST Thus what St. Paul said of the Gentiles is applicable to them even that they Worship and serve the creature more then the Creator who is Blessed for ever These practises are so palpably Idolatrous so contrary to GODS word and so inconsistant with the honour and worship due to Almighty GOD that it is a Wonder indeed how men who pretend to Learning and Reason should go about to excuse them They are so gross that the very Ignorant Vulgar could discern them if they were allowed the use of the Light But alas poor People they are therefore Industriously keept in the dark and the word of GOD is hid from them which would teach them the Haynous abomination of these things and how highly displeasing they are to GOD. How little these Practises of the Papists in Worshipping of Angels the Virgin Mary departed Saints c are to be justified yea how much to be abominated will presenty appear by considering the ground they are built on and the reason pretended for the defence of them First That whereon all Saints and Angel-Worship is founded is the Supposition that they are Agents and Mediatours betwixt GOD and Man by whose moyen and Meanes both Temporal and Spiritual good things are dispensed Remove but this supposition and the the whole frame of this Service will fall and prove an idle ridiculous foppery Now as to this first we say it is the same pretence which the Heathens made for the Worshipping of their severall Deities as doth clearly appear from their Writings for we must not think that they believed all whom they Worshipped to be Gods in the strictest sense of the word No indeed they believed but One Supreme LORD One real GOD who created and ruled all whom therefore they called the Father of Gods and Men. But besides him they held several others to whom they gave the name of Gods not that they thought them Uncreated and not Subordinat to the great GOD but because they were superiour to Man by their Nature and made use of by the Great GOD in the Government of the world and the disposal of Humane Affairs Not having right apprehensions of the infinite nature of GOD they thought that he either could not or that it was below him to superintend all things himself but that he did all things by the intercourse of these Inferiour Deities to each of whom they assign'd Particular offices giving to one the charge of the Earth to another the Sea to a third Fire some they appointed to be the Guardians of Cities and whole Countreys others of particular Men and some were set over Beasts in a word there was no Art nor Trade nor Disease incident to Man or Beast nor Passion nor Vertue nor Vice which
pay the same Adoration when it is no Sacrament as when it is for without any scruple they worship alwayes and every where the Bread which is pretended to be Consecration when it is certain sometimes nay oftimes it is not Transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of JESUS CHRIST because of the want of those necessary conditions which infer that change And when it is but simple Bread will it take off the guilt of Idolatry to say I worship thee if thou art CHRIST Which is as if a Woman should pretend to excuse her Adultery by saying when she admitted a stranger I do this if thou art mine Husband A woman is not honest and faithfull if she embrace another upon light pretences and appearances she should be alwayes certain that he is her real Husband to whom she payes the duty of a wife in like manner none are faithfull to God who throw away the worship due to him only upon uncertain objects He is a jealous GOD as jealous of his glory as any earthly Husband is of his honour and therefore will never be pleased with us if we worship rashly when we are not sure that it is him we worship Thus though it were granted that the Bread and Wine should be turned into the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ yet seing it is so uncertain when it is de facto thus turned it is much safer not to worship then to worship because there is no crime in not worshipping but by worshipping we may run the hazard of Idolatry No King would find fault with one that were blind or half blind for not falling down and paying homage to him when he were Ignorant of his presence But if such a one upon presumption of the King's presence should prostrat himself before the empty Chair of State or mistake a Courteour for the King and accoast him with all the Titles of Soveraignity and pay him all the respect proper to Kings both he should render himself ridiculous in the sight of all and also what he did would be altogether vain and unprofitable for it would find no acceptance with the King nay would very readily displease and incense him because it would imply that the Majesty of the King were as much to be seen in others as in himself The case is the same in the Sacrament which any one may easily apply But lastly we shall suppose in general that the doctrine of Transubstantiation is true and also in particular that the Sacrament it self is duely consecrat so that the Bread and Wine is actually transubstantiated into the Body and Bloud of Iesus Christ yet it will not from hence follow that the Sacrament is to be adored for which there is neither precept nor example in all Scripture Our Saviour did not enjoyn it himself nor yet the Apostles after him neither did they look upon themselves as oblidged to this for we read that at the first institution of the Sacrament they received it in the same manner they did their other common Meals And we cannot conclude that the Eucharist should or may be adored because it is said this is my Body even understanding the words literally for if this reason hold good it would follow that all things might be adored The body of Iesus Christ is only the object of adoration because of its union with the God-head wherefore if we may worship the Sacrament because it contains that which is united to the divine nature we may and also ought to worship every other thing where the essence of God is and therefore every Stone and Tree and Animal all Animat and Inanimat Creatures should be worshipped for God is in them all But to worship God in and by the Creature is flat Idolatry God is not to be worshipped with a particular reverence to any thing but either when it is expresly commanded or when he sheweth there visible rayes of Majesty and Glory and even then we are not to worship the thing it self but God who sheweth himself thus present at it as the Israelites worshipped not the Ark but toward the Ark and as Moses worshipped God who manifested himself in the burning bush but not the bush it self But where God or Christ is not present by such visible rayes of Majesty there worship should not be payed we are sure Christ dwelleth in all the faithfull but I hope none will say that every believer should be worshipped so though Christ should be really present in the Sacrament yet it will not follow that the Elements whereof it is constitute should be adored no more then the Manger wherein Christ lay or the Cloaths which covered his Body and therefore the Papists who adore the Sacrament it self that which they see feel and taste with their bodily senses they adore the creature with the Creator and commit as great absurdity that is to say as gross Idolatry as they who should have ador'd Christ's garments as well as his person Thus whatever way we consider the Sacrament and the words of its institution whither we take them Figuratively as certainly they should or even Literally as the Papists would be at it is clear that the Sacrament is no object of adoration and they who religious adore it do service to that which by nature is no God which is down right Idolatry And as the Papists are most unreasonable in looking upon the Sacrament as a due object of Adoration and by entertaining no less esteem of it then they do of JESUS CHRIST himself so they commit gross absurdity and are guilty of unaccountable stupidity in eating chewing and digesting and consequently letting forth to the draught what they have such a high Opinion of to believe it to be no less then the GOD whom they should adore and yet at the same time to treat it thus seems most disagreeable and inconsistant For this is both to elevat and to depress it to raise it as high as is possible and at the same time to debase it as much as can be Adoration is the highest honour which can be payed but it speaks out the greatest contempt of a thing to eat and devour it Wherefore I think it would be very agreeable to the tenets of the Romish Church that the Pope should interpose his Authority to discharge people to treat the Lord Iesus Christ as they do common food which is to put upon him the greatest indignity 'T is true Christ hath said take eat this but that needs be no hinderance to the Pope to enjoya the contrary who pretends to have power to alter and dispence with Divine Commands Christ said of the Cup too drink ye all of it and yet this hath not hindred the Pope to take it away from the People and there cannot be alledg'd greater inconveniences in giving the Cup then in giving the Bread to be eaten and chew'd If the People saw the Host only in the Priests hands when it is elevat their respect and esteem thereto might be
the more easily keept up but nothing may occasion more the vilifying thereof then the allowing them Liberty to use it as they do the most Despicable food It is said that GOD commanded the Israelites to eat what was usuallie adored in Egypt that the Egyptians thereby might be undeceived in their Opinion of the Deity of these things And if it may convince one that a thing is no God when he sees it eaten by another how much more may he be reasoned out of that Belief when he is accustomed to eat it himself For as the Heathen Oratour speaks is any man so mad as to believe that which he eats to be God The Church of Rome therefore should either let go the Doctrine of Transubstantiation or they should abolish the Custome of Feeding upon what they say and profess to believe to be changed into the Body of their LORD for these two seems not to agree well together There can be nothing more brutish then to adore what they eat and to eat what they adore whereby they make themselves and their Religion lyable to the greatest contempt and Derision A proof of which we have in that known speech of Averoes the Arabian Philosopher I have travelled says he over the World and have found diverse Sects but so sottish a Sect or Law I never found as is the Sect of the Christians Because with their own Teeth they devour their God whom they Worship By these Instances which we have adduced the Idolatry of the Church of Rome doth clearly appear it is evident that that Church both teacheth to adore as GOD what is not GOD and also alloweth to have Compartners in the Worship of the True GOD Which we have the longer insisted on both because it was pertinent to our subject and also seasonable to the times when Rome is likelie to be so active by its Emissaries to re-establish its Authority among us and that so many fair and plausible things are pretended for the inclining Men to embrace its principles and practices but whatever specious pretncees be used we may see by what hath been said that there is all reason to avoid the communion of that Church whose communion cannot be keept without drawing on our selves the guilt of Idolatry and the having accession thereto in others Now that we may draw to a Conclusion of this Section seing the Knowledge and Worship of the True GOD is so necessary and that all Worship is in vain which is not particularly directed to Him what matter of Thankfulness have we that our Lot hath been in these Times and in these places where we may so easily come to the Knowledge of the true GOD and what way to find acceptance in his sight If we had been born in former Times or in many other Places of the World we might have remained for ever without the true knowledge of GOD and so without all Hopes of true Felicity It was once matter of Praise to a Poor-man when he passed by a Toad or some other Venemous Creature that GOD had made him a Man and not so Vile a Beast But truly it should stir up greater Thankfulness in us that GOD hath not left us to wander after the Foolish and Ignorant Devices of our own Hearts nor to be involved into the Idolatrous Abominations of such as know not GOD which should have Deformed and Debased our Natures and rendred us more ugly and loathsome in the sight of GOD then such Vile creatures are in our sight Blessed be GOD who hath sent us the Light of the Gospel which hath dispelled the Darkness of Heathenish superstition and Idolatry and drawn us from the Service of those who by Nature are no gods which could have been no wayes Profitable to us but many wayes Hurtfull This is a Blessing for which we can never be enough Thankfull and if we have a right Sense thereof we will value it above all Blessings Many Heathens and Infidels indeed enjoy a Pleasanter soil their Countrey perhaps affoords them rich Mines of Gold and Silver and aboundance of Wines and Spices which we want But yet we have no reason to envy them upon that account or to think them happier then we seing we have that which brings us better then a Temporal Happiness even Eternal Life for this is Life Eternal that they might know thee the only true GOD and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Iohn 17 3. Now if we look upon this Knowledge of the true GOD as any Happiness let us Praise and Highly esteem it and testifie the same first by taking a care to get and to keep this Knowledge for they slight and despise a thing who are careless of it and readie to prefer any other thing to it It might have been expected that there should have been no need of exhorting People to seek after the knowledge of GOD but that ere this time every one both Old and Young Great and Small would have abundantly known Him seing we have so many good Occasions of acquiring this Knowledge But alas the contrary is very much to be seen our knowledge of God is not answerable to the means of instruction we have amongst us some can give so little account of what is known of God either by Nature or Revelation that one might imagine they had been alwayes tedder'd in the deserts of Arabia and not bred up in the green Pastures of Brittain There is generally gross ignorance of God and little desire to know him every thing even the most trifling shufles aside and diverts from the knowledge of GOD and all things are hotly pursued except this which though People will not avow it yet do speak out a contempt and undervaluing thereof The Prophet tells us that God had a controversie with Israel because there was not knowledge of God in the Land Hos 4 1. and surely we have reason to think that his controversie with us will be no lesse seeing besides our lake of this knowledge we do but despise it in that we neither much desire it nor endeavour after it God hath given clear manifestations of himself but some will not believe them and others are careless to be acquainted with them loving darkness rather then light which in Truth is to love their Miâ—…ery rather then their Happiness For certainly this inner darkness of the Mind will bring on outer and Eternall darkness who are without the knowledge of God here shall be debarred His presence hereafter especially considering that their ignorance is wilfull and without excuse 2ly As we ought to shew our regard for and estimation of the True GOD by taking care to get and maintain the same so likewise by walking worthy of it in studying to Glorifie Him whom we thus profess to know otherwayes we shall but make our guilt and condemnation the greater It will not avail us much to profess GOD with our Mouths if we deny him by our works to acknowledge him with our tongues but not with
be superadded to natural Light both to confirm it and to supply its defects And what was thus necessary GOD hath not withholden from Men but as he made Particular Manifestations of himself to distinguish himself from the False Deities which Men had devised as was shewed above So he hath given expresse Revelation of his Mind concerning the way how he will be Worshipped that Men may not be to seeke herein nor yet make an offer of what is Abominable in his Sight The Worship of GOD is not now left to Mens uncertain conjectures and unless they be Perverse and Obstinate they need not perplex their Minds long with such enquiries wherewith shall I come before the LORD and bow my self before the high GOD Shall I come before him with burnt offering with Calves of a year old if we be truely Serious we may soon come to a resolution for as Micah saith He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord do inquire of thee He hath given a sure plain and fixed rule which to use the words of Moses is not hidden from thee neither is it far of it is not in Heaven that thou shouldest say who shal go up for us to learn and bring it unto us that we may hear it and doe it Neither is it beyond the Sea that thou shouldest say who shall go over the Sea for us and bring it unto us that we may hear it and do it but the Word is very nigh unto thee in thy Mouth and in thy heart that thou mayest doe it Deut 30. 11. The holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of God as is witnessed by the Divine Testimonies of Miracles Prophecies and the like which could only come from God who ever also considers impartially and attentiâ—…ely the Matter of them and Manner of expression cannot but acknowledge they are of Divine Inspiration For as to their matter they both teach things not discernable by naturall light and also the dictates of human reason could not be so purely and with such evidence held forth by any meer man sure all the writings of the Philosophers come farr short of them even in this particular and as to their Style and expression it is so fitted to teach men and yet at the same time so becoming God and so sutable to the divine Majesty that the Spirit of God only could joyne these two together and it is impossible for the Greatest Master of Eloquency to counterfeit them So that there be many evidences of the Scriptures being from God and as they are his word so the Designe of them is to direct us in the Worship of GOD and to prescribe that Service which is due to him and will be accepted by him Wherefore who would be informed of the true Worship of GOD ought to consult these Holy books especially the N. T. even as a Subject to know his Devoir to his Soveragine would do best to consult the publick acts and statutes of the Kingdom and who would Worship GOD acceptably must do it according to the direction of the Scriptures as he who would shew himself a Loyal and dutifull Subject must doe it by a careful observance of the Laws and Statutes of his Prince Some will be ready to ask here wither any service will be acceptable besides what is enjoyned in the Scripture which I shall study to answer plainly and in few words First it is certain that it is not lawfull to exchange the divine appointments with our own divices for nothing which we can doe will excuse the neglect of Commanded duties nor will be received in compensation of them we then truly adore GOD and own him when we heartily and readily comply with his holy will and pleasure and as this will please him better then an Ox or Bullock that hath horns and hoofs yea better then thousands of oblations and burnt offerings so though we would doe never so much or so many things it would not please him if that were left undone as Samuel said to Saul hath the Lord as great pleasure in Sacrifices and burnt offerings as in obeying the voice of the Lord behold to obey is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Lambs â—… Sam. 15. 22. Secondly if we make the acts of Religion and Devotion which are of our own Devising of equall weight and value with what is Commanded they are Abominable Superstition But Thirdly if these two be garded against it cannot be said to be unlawfull or displeasing to GOD to do things not expressely or particularly enjoined especially if the end and Reason of doing them be mainly to help forward that Service which is enjoined This matter will be farther cleared by the following Example if some Capricious and Conceited Person should either counteract or slight the established Statutes of the King and resolve to expresse His Loyalty by new ways of his own it is evident that he would not find acceptance with the King though his aime be good But on the other hand if one duely observe the King's laws and pay the Homage required and moreover out of the greatness of his Affection will doe more or something else then what by the Lawes he is tyed to the King will not be displeased with him yea cannot but highly favour him The very same may be said to the present question only there is this difference that all humane laws are imperfect so that a Man may out-doe them his Actions often may be better then the Law by which he may pretend to merit at the King's hand but the Law of God is most perfect and reacheth to all things good and commendable either in themselves or in Order to other things and none have Reason to plead Merit before GOD upon the account of any thing they doe For their Actions which are commanded fall short of the Perfection required and if they do any thing not expresly or particularly required if it be Good or Usefull any wise it comes under some general Command if it be not Good and Usefull it is but a vain and unreasonable service which GOD doth not value or regard Thus having shewed that GOD hath prescrib'd the Worship he would have in the holy Scriptures and that they do not worship in an acceptable manner who do it not as they are there directed It comes next to be considered what that Worship is which is there required by which we testify that we own the true GOD to be our God Now in discoursing hereof we shall begin with that which indeed must have the first place in our Addresses to God viz. Faith in Iesus Christ both as he is a Mediator and a Propitiation for sin Without this the Scripture tells us it is impossible to please God Heb 11. 6. And the reason thereof is clear for seing we have offended God and thereby made him our enemy it is necessary that our peace be first made before either our
natural light and usually called the Moral law The observance whereof is required by the very Order of Nature for if we act rationally we ought to follow this Law as closely as the Brute Creature do their Natural instinct But besides the commands of this first kind there be others Meerly Arbitrary which God hath enjoined cheifly to hold out his absolute Soveraginity over us and to prove our Subjection to him These Divines ordinarly term Positive Precepts and they are only known by Revelation GOD never suffered Man to be without some command of this Nature the Iews had many such but Christians have few and those few too are made very serviceable to the great ends of Religion the perfection of our souls and their Union with God How ever though 't were otherwise they ought to be observed if we would have it appear that we serve and Worship God for if it be a part of Divine Worship to own Gods Authority as we have made it appear then we ought to observe positive Precepts as well as the Duties of the Moral Law seing thereby we signifie a true respect to the Authority of GOD because there is no other Reason which induceth us to such an Observance Our chief motive to the obedience of the Moral Law should be the Will and Authority of GOD otherwise it is no Act of Religious worship but it cannot appear that our Obedience to that Law is for GOD if we refuse to observe the positive Precepts of Scripture for that Obedience is no true Obedience which consider rather the Reason of the thing then the authority of the Injoyner Indeed if Moral and positive Duties come at any time in Competition together then these last should give place to the first for this is the Will of GOD according to that Rule I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice that is rather then Sacrifice But when there is no such Reason for suspending them it is a great sin and contempt of GOD to slight or neglect them It was by the breach of a positive precept that our first Parents revolted from GOD and which brought all this Masse of Sin and Misery upon Mankind Which shews Divine Authority is affronted by small things as well as great and that the Wrath of GOD may be provock'd by the neglect of positive Commands no lesse then of What is Moral Wherefore they are grosely mistaken who think they are only concern'd to be what we call Moral good Men and that it is little matter whither they observe the positive Ordinances of the Scripture He is indeed no true servant of God nor a right Worshipper of him who is Vicious and whose Conversation is not Honest and Righteous for that is a Weighty matter of the Law but neither can He be said to Worship God who makes no Conscience of doing these Acts of Religion which God hath been pleased to enjoyne to shew his Authority and to try what regard we have thereto One may be Chaste Temperate Iust Bountifull c Not for God's cause but for his own because 't is agreeable to his Constitution and for his Health Interest Reputation c but who is all these also carefull to expresse his devotion those otherwayes which are peculiar to the Scripture gives a true proof that he owns God and doeth what he doeth only for him Thus wee have given a General View of thaâ—… Worship and Service which is Due to GOD. To condescend to Particulars and to treat of them Severally would be a tedious Taske who are desirous must be at the pains to gather them from the Scripture and they may be much helped herein by that Excellent Book The whole Duty of Man But for the present we shall only speak to one or two points which may help to a farther understanding of the Nature of Gods Worship SECTION V. Of the Fear of GOD. THAT we may shew more Particularlie how and wherein GOD is to be Worshipped and Acknowledged we shall instance first that of Fear And here we shall not need to prove from Scripture that GOD should be feared it being so known and manifest a thing that all who have ever acknowledged a GOD have also Acknowledged that he ought to be feared so that not only in Scripture but even amongst all Nations all Religion and Divine Worship is frequently expressed by this one particular he Fear of the LORD And indeed it would be very strange if any should think GOD ought not to be Feared a greater Parodox was never vented among Men Fear ye not Me saith the Lord Will ye not tremble at my Presence which have placed the sand for the bound of the Sea by a perpetuall decree that it cannot pass it and though the Waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevaile though they rear yet can they not pass over it Ier 5. 22. And again as the same Prophet hath it Chap. 10. 6. 7. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee O Lord thou art great thy Name is great in might who would not fear thee O King of Nations For to thee doth it appertain yea it is a saying of that excellent Roman Oratour quis non timeat amnia providentem cogitantem animadvertentem omnia ad se pertinere putantem curiosum plenum negotii Deum That is who would not fear that GOD who sees and takes notice of all things so carefull and full of business as to have a Particular concern for every Action and Person in the World But as it is certain that GOD is to be feared so by this we do not mean that servile and slavish fear which makes Men only apprehensive of the hurt and evil which GOD may do them and which such have who consider GOD only as a Being of great Might and Power which he useth Arbitrally without considering that his Power is alwayes managed by his Wisdom and determined by his Goodness This Kind of Fear ingendereth Superstition and doth as oft avert a Man's mind from GOD as incline it to him Plutarch observeth in his Treatise of Superstition that this ordinarly turneth to Atheism and nourisheth it such was the Fear of the Israelites when they saw the Lightnings and heard the thunderings from Mount Sinai as we read Exod. 20. 18. for it is said there when the People saw these things they removed and stood a far off and they said unto Moses speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die It was this fear also which possessed our First Parents after they had eaten the forbidden fruit they were afraid of God and therefore they hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the Garden Gen. 3. 8. Nay the Divels themselves are seased with this Fear they also fear and tremble but by doing so they do not please God nor find any acceptance with him The True and Commendable fear of God is what we call
Disstance which is betwixt Him and us And so we read that Abraham and Moses and David and all the Prophets and Servants of GOD in the Scripture used to bow down and fall upon their Face to the Ground when they appeared before GOD or that he appeared unto them Yea GOD himself expresly required this of Moses and Ioshua at these Manifestations of his presence unto them which we find Exod. 3. 5. Iosh 5. 15. For there he commanded them to put off their shoes from off their feet which according to the custom of the Eastern Nations was then a Testimonie of Respect and Reverence And indeed seing we bear no proportion to the Greatness of God there is nothing more Proper or Reasonable then that we should Reverence and Exalt him by such depressing of our selves and humbling of our Bodies in his Sight The very Angels these Glorious Spirits are said to vail and cover their faces when they appear before God And how much more Reason is it that we be abashed and humbled who dwell in houses of clay and whose foundation is in the dust Certainly if there be any Gesture or Posture more humble then anoher it becomes us to use it and it doth bespeak little Reverence to God to use that Gesture and Carriage when we speak to him or he speaks to us which we would not make use of but when we were conversing with our Equals or Inferiours Sitting therefore at Prayer and having the head covered when Divine Worship is performed are very undecent and unbecoming things I wonder how ever this creept in or came to be in fashion amongst us and I think it yet more strange that there should be some who take upon them to defend that which is condemned not only by the practice of all the Saints and Servants of God we read of in Scripture but also by the Custome of all Nations whatsoever For even the very Heathens would account it irreverence towards their False Gods which many Christians in this Country are not ashamed to do towards the True and Living God What the Lord saith by the Prophet Malachy in another case will be very applicable here a Son honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master if then I be a Father where is my honour and if I be a Master where is my fear offer this now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee or accept thy Person saith the Lord of Hosts Mal 1. 6. 8. Nay to pass Kings and Princes and those of the best quality even the meaner sort of Gentlemen would look upon themselves as affronted and uncivilly Treated if they had not greater respect payed them then what some shew to God who would not be incens'd and provock'd if his Tennent or any other Poor mean Fellow should thrust into his presence without uncovering his Head and sit down and talk with him I doubt not but there are some who would be ready to cause kick such all manner'd Persons to the doore and I cannot see how that can be reckoned as reverence and a sign of devotion to God which men look upon as rudenesse and incivility There be some which very much mistake that place of the Prophet Isai. 29. 13. Where the Lord complains of his People of Old that they drew near Him with their Mouth and that they honoured him with their lips as if that were a discharge of all externall Worship or of outward reverence therein whereas it is not the outward honour and reverence which the Lord there finds fault with but only that their hearts were far from him God values not the Body without the Soul for then it is but a dead Carcase he cares not for our outward reverence and Prostrations when the inward Spirit of devotion is wanting but as he calls chiefly for the Heart and Mind because it is the better part of Man so he expects that having the inward the outward man will follow and indeed what God hath joyned together should not be put asunder The Apostle enjoyns the honouring of God outwardly as well as inwardly when he saith Glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods 1 Cor 6. 20. ' Tits true superstition is a fault but it is not the best way to redresse it to turn Profane and irreverent God is not pleased with the humblest postures of our bodies when our hearts and souls do not accompany them but to make up that want we must not turn away from the necessary and becoming testimonies of devotion and reverence What our Saviour said on another occasion to the Scribes and Pharises I may well apply here these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Matth 23. 23. As hypocrisie may be joyned to the outward acts and expressions of humility and reverence so it is as certain that there is little true sense of God within when the outward behaviour is not Grave modest and Humble wherefore it is the saying of One I will as sure believe him temperat who is staggering in the Streets with drink and him chaste whose eyes are full of Adultery him mercifull whose hands are imbru'd in blood as that he can truely fear God who sheweth no outward reverence in his worship The outward reverence of the Body is not only necessary to testifie the inward respect of the mind but it is also requisite for the quickning and stiring it up as the outward Pomp and Grandeur of Princes and Magistrats is necessary to put People in mind of their Power and Authority which otherwayes they would be readie to forget or to be too bold with so the outward Humiliation of our Bodies serves to cherish and to keep up in us the sense of God's greatness and Glory which otherwayes perhaps would slip out of our minds Thus we have spoken to that reverence both Inward and Outward which is due to GOD which is always One of the fruits of his fear The other effect thereof consists in a great care and circumspection not to offend or displease him And indeed if this be wanting there is no true Fear of GOD nor will any Reverence which we shew towards him find acceptance with him As Children who truly honour and respect their Parents are alwayes very loath to give them any manner of offence and as they are grieved when at any time they chance to do it though they do not Fear nor apprehend to be chastised so such as are sincerly acted with the Fear of GOD will carefully watch against all manner of sin and will have an aversion from it though there where no ground to dread Hell or other punishments but even because that this is contrarie to him whom they intirely love and honour And when they have sinned the consideration of the offence which is given GOD thereby will afflict them more then these bitter fruits which sin alwayes produceth Therefore the True fear of GOD doth alwayes restrain Men from doing these
things that are Evil in his sight and doth incline them to that which is good the fear of the LORD saith the wise Man is to hate evil Prov 8 13 And again by the fear of their Lod men depart from evil Chap. 16 6. This is a great Aw band over men will crub them more then all humane Laws and Authority For such as are possessed with the Fear of GOD will not only for bear gross and open transgressions which may make them lyable to punishment from Men but even also as much as possible Secret and lesser Faults which the World takes no notice off Thus Ioseph would not yeeld to the enticements of his Mistress though perhaps he might have done it without being in hazard of a discovery for he feared GOD How shall I saith he do this great wickedness and sin against GOD. Gen. 39. 9. And when his Brethren were seased with Panick fear because of that rough and severe countenance which he put on towards them he encouraged them with this consideration that he feared GOD as if he had said Though I have all power and Authority here in Egypt yet you have no reason to be afraid of me for I am not one who will abuse my Authority and wrest my power to do Men hurt and prejudice for I fear GOD Gen. 42. â—…8 When Men are not very carefull to avoid sin and to do good it is certain there is little or no Fear of GOD before their eyes and they do in vain pretend it How impertinent and unreasonable a thing is it to say we Fear that Person whom we nevery study to please whom we are careless whither we offend or not There cannot truly be greater signs and evidences of contempt and disrespect then this and it is impossible that we should both Fear and Despise Slight and Reverence the same Person at one and the same time And hence it appears how little of the true fear of God is in the World even among us who are called Christians seing there are so small endeavours to please God Nay such a forwardness to displease him by doing these things which he hates and Abhors and which he hath so often expresly forbidden It is a sad but a certain Truth that the Mogul and Cham of Tartar nay some of the Petty Indian Princes are not only more honoured feared by their own proper Subjects but also may be said to be had in greater Reverence by many Christians then the true and everliving GOD is because they do not slight them so much as they do Him their laws they do not so often violat their power and Authority they do not so frequently bafle and trample upon as they do Gods and it is certain their name is not so much nor so often profaned and derided as the Name of the Great GOD for some nay many both Old and Young amongst us are come to this now that they cannot open their mouths without prophaning the holy Name of God though he hath said expresly that he will not hold them guiltless who take his Name in vain Judge I pray you if this be to fear the Lord or if it be not rather to mock him and to have him in Derision for certainly though Men would set themselves to affront Him they could hardly do it more effectually And is this then fair and equall dealing by such as profess themselves Friends and Servants Did every Nation or People â—…reat the God whom they worshipped at this rate Men have not cared to scorn and dishonour these Dieties whom they did not own but was there ever such a strange and absurd thing as this That People should profess and acknowledge One to be the true GOD and yet carry no respect towards him neither shew any care to please him but dayly and hourly live in the greatest contempt of him These things are so unworthy and so inconsistant that I neither know how any can excuse them nor can I find out any similitude or comparison proper and sufficient to set off the madness and unacountable absurdity thereof To convince Men hereof I would ask them what they do mean by being thus careless to please God and why they do so easily offend Him Do they think Him ignorant of their Actings Say they as Eliphaz speaketh how doth God know can he judge through the dark Clouds Iob 22 13. And with these Atheists in the 94. Psal. who say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Iacob regard it If so hearken to what the Psalmist there teacheth understand ye brutish among the People and ye fools when will ye be wise He that planted the ear shall be not hear He that formed the eye shall he not see He that chastiseth the Heathen shall not be correct He that teacheth men knowledge shall not he know The Lord knoweth the thoughts of Man â—…ea he spieth them out a far off he is privy to all our wayes and there is nothing that we do hid from him how therefore dare any presume to offend and to provoke Him For God is a terrible GOD and of great power if he but touch the Mountains they smoke when the voice of his thunder was in the Heaven the lightnings lightned the World the Earth trembled and shook At the rebuke O GOD of Iacob saith the Psalmist both the Chariot and the Horse are east into a dead sleep thou therefore even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry Psal 76 â—… 7. If God arise his enemies shall be scattered they also that hate Him shall flee before him as smoke is driven away so shall be drive them away as wax melteth before the fire so shall the wicked perish at the presence of God Psal 68 1. 2. 'T is strange to see how warry Men will be of offending those who may ruine their Fortune or take away their Lives or make them miserable here and yet at the same time to find them not in the least afraid of exasperating God who besides the punishments he can inflict in this World is able to render one eternally miserable and what a folly is it then to fear any more then him and to be more careful to shun a small evil then that which is unspeakeably great I shal conclude with these words of our Saviour I say unto you my Friends be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can doe but I will forewarn you whom you shall fear fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell yea I say unto you fear him Luke 12. 4. SECTION VI. Of Walking with GOD. 'T Is the Errour of some that they think the whole of Religion consists in some few Externall Acts and Performances which having done they think they have acquitted themselves sufficientlie of the Worship of GOD Thus for Example they make Religion to be to Fast and
done to God when we regard Man more then him And do we not regard man more then God when we are more desirous of applause from Men then to find favour in the Eyes of GOD And when we withdraw our selves from the eyes of Men lest they should know our evil Actions but never value God's sight and knowledge thereof He who doth thus hath not taken the Lord to be his God he doth not own and acknowledge him he bows only to Men to his own Credit or Homour and hath set up these for his GOD. Wherefore who would not be guilty of such gross Idolatry as to worship the Creature more then the Creator and and who would testifie and make it appear that they indeed adore the true GOD let them not slight or despise the Divine Presence but let them alwayes eye and consider it and be carefull to carry themselves alwayes as before so Great and Glorious a Majesty And seing that God is every where and hath his eye alway upon us let us in private and in publick at home and abroad at all times and in all places walk wisely and circumspectly let us not be guilty of such incivility towards God as to do any unworthy thing before him but let us labour so to behave our selves that he may think us worthy of that testimony which he gave unto Iob whom he said was a perfect and upright man One that feared GOD and eschewed evil Iob 1. and 1 Of Observing GOD'S Wayes and Actions In the second place Walking with GOD implies a carefull observance of whatsoever he doth For it is usuall for such as are in company together to watch and take Notice of one anothers Words and Actions and if one be more eminent for Wisdom and Ver. tue or any other excellency then such a are with him are the more oblidg'd to eyes his Motions and and Behaviour Nothing which Excellent and Worthy Persons speake or doe should fall to the Ground un-observ'd and it doth speake out some contempt of one to think that what they do or say is not worth the noticing as therefore out of respect to Great and Eminent personages we ought seriously to consider them their Speeches Actions and to count them worthy our remembrance so much more should our eyes be fixed upon God and it is much more our dutie to consider him what he hath done and what he dayly doth in the World that the consideration thereof we may return Him due praise and glory For this end GOD endued us with Rational Spirits and with understanding Faculties that we might be capable of Contemplating himself and his workes And therefore when we turn away our eyes from such Contemplations or neglect them we do in so farr swerve from the Design of our Creation and do disappoint GOD of that Tribute of Praise which is due unto him yea in steed of honouring him we do actually dishonour him by slighting the Effects and Products of his infinite Wisdom Power and Goodness All GOD'S Actings are like himself and do shew forth his Admirable Perfections there is no part even of the Material world but is stamped with some impression of his Almighty power and unsearchable wisdom and Infinite goodness And therefore what the Psalmist sayes of the Heavens Psal. 19. 1. May be said of all GOD'S other works they all declare the glory of GOD i. e. As a Curious engine or Fine Piece of Work doth hold out the Skill and Cunning of him that made it so all the Works of GOD have in them what doth set forth and proclaime how wise how great and good he is And as the External and Material World doth contain Visible Characters of the Divine greatness and Perfections so GOD hath created Rational and Intellectual Beeings viz. Angels and Men capable to discern and read them that by so doing they may sound forth his Praise The Contemplation and Admiration of God's works and Wayes is our proper and should be our constant imployment And if it had not been for this there would not have been bestowed upon us such Powers and Capacities Wise and Understanding Persons will not Expend more upon any thing then it is worth they will not reare up stately fabricks meerly to lodge Swine nor will they buy fine Silk and Carpet to Wipe shoos and Dishes and neither would GOD have endued us with understanding Souls Immortal Spirits if we had been only destin'd to the Acts of a Brutish and Sensuall life for then what Iudas said impertinently when the Box of Oyntment was powred upon our LORD might have been here put as a very pertinent question What needed all this Cost For something less then Reason and Spirit a meer Animal Sagacity might have served and been sufficient for finding out and taking care of Bodily Pleasures and Accommodations GOD and his Works therefore are the only sutable object for our thoughts to be imployed about these indeed are answerable to the capacities of our Soul and as the considerations thereof tendeth to the Honour of GOD so it clevats our selves to a proper and becoming Dignity whereas the most of other things are so far below us and so much within our reach that it is a debasing of our Natures too much to mind or to be taken up with them However it is certain all the Saints and Servants of GOD have ever thought it their Duty and a proper and necessary Testification of their Respect unto GOD to be taken up with the Contemplation of his Works both of Creation and Providence and to set a part sometime dayly for this purpose We are told that it was Isaac's custome to go out to the Field and meditate about even-tide Gen. 24 63 and no doubt his Meditations were such as we are speaking of The Book of Iob shews how much that holy Man and his Friends were accustomed to the consideration of GOD ' S Works and Wayes for all their Discourse and Reasonings are taken thence Yea when GOD himself appeared unto Iob he calls him to a particular consideration of his great and wonderful Works and does therefore largely display them before him in the 38. and following Chapters Nay what are all the Psalms but as so many devout Meditations of GOD'S Works or Pious Hymns composed in memory of them The Works of the LORD saith the Psalmist are great and they are sought out of all them that have pleasure therein His Work is honourable and Glorious and he hath ordained his wonderfull Works to be remembred Psal. 111. 2. 3. And again he saith All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall blesse thee That is as his works contain the matter of his Praise so the Saints shall publish and Declare it by admiring and magnifying of them they shall as he goeth on speake of the Glory of thy Kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the Sons of Men his mighty Acts and the Glorious Majesty of his Kingdom Psal.
145. 10. c Thus it appears that the observing of GOD'S wayes and works makes a great part of his Worship and that hereby we do truely acknowledge him to be what he is not only of great Majesty but also a GOD of Infinite Wisdom and Power Because by so doing we declare that He does nothing in Vain nothing that is not infinitly Worthy of our most Serious Consideration and that our thoughts can never be better imployed them in the Contemplation of what he hath done and dayly doth in the World Let us therefore frequently betake our selves to the Contemplation of GOD ' S Works both of Nature and Providence Let us sit down and seriously and devoutly consider them and Admire and Adore that Wisdom Power and Goodnesse which appears in them It will become us to take notice how manifold the works of the LORD are and in what Wisdom he hath made them all How he hath reared up this vast fabrick of the World out of nothing and Wonderfully beautified adorned it How he hath stretched out the Heavens like a curtain and in them hath set a Tabernacle for the Sun which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a strong man to run a race whose going forth is from the end of the Heaven and his circuit to the ends of it and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof What a wise and admirable contrivance is the Scituation and Motion of the Sun whereby all the parts of the world are equally enlightned For what any part wants at one time it hath at another those places which are longest without the Sun have him also longest with them so that his Presence alwayes equals his Absence And the dispensing his presence thus differently is much more usefull and convenient then if it had been otherwise it is visibly better that the Sun moves now betwixt the two Tropicks not in a straight or direct Line then if it had rolled regularly upon the Equator for then those under the Line or near it would have had all the Advantage and his influence upon the rest of the World would have been very faint like to that in March and September which is not sufficient to produce and ripen the various fruits of the Earth which are usefull both for our Support and Pleasure But when we have our eyes lifted up to the Heavens the Sun is not all which is worthy to be observed there we ought likewise to consider the Moon which GOD hath appointed for the Distinguishing Seasons and hath placed as a Lamp to give light in the night that those whose necessities call to travell then may be derected and see their way We ought to view the Stars also these admirable Embellishments of the Heavenly Frame which we have reason to think vastly bigg beyond their appearance else how would they be seen at such a distance And seeing Reason teacheth them to be so great in quantity and that our eyes shew them to be many in number and Art yet farr more we 〈◊〉 well conclude that the work of GODS Creation is great magnificent above the reach of our Apprehensions And therefore it may fill us with wonder and astonishment that GOD should take such notice of Man who bears so small a proportion to the rest of the Creation When I consider the Heavens saith David the work of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him Or the Son of Man that thou visitest him Psalm 8. 3. 4. The Earth is to the rest of the World as a point to a great glob or a grain of sand to a high mountain and yet it affords many instances both of the Wisdom and Power of GOD. It hangs upon nothing as Iob speaks and yet as the Psalmist hath observed he hath so laid the Foundations thereof that it cannot be removed for ever the Earth is ordained a Temporary abode for Man and it is made most usefull and convenient for it affords not only Necessaries but Comforts it yelds not only Food to sustain our Life but also pleasures to affect our fenses there are proper objects to every appetite and things sutable to all the ends and purposes of our Present Condition Every place gives the necessaries of Life and what is else desireable is wisely 〈◊〉 so that they who live in the severall parts of the world may be engaged to entertain mutual Commerce together Though the State of things be not now as 't was at the beginning because sin hath altered the order and beauty of them by reason thereof every creature groaneth and travelleth with pain yet we may easily discern that GOD designed us all content and satisfaction even here below For with what variety of delights hath he replenished this world What a multitude of living Creatures of diverse kinds hath he put therein for our use and service And how wisely are they all disposed The Cattel go upon the mountains the wild beasts-lodge in Forests Fowls nest in Trees the high hills are a refuge for Goats and the rocks for the Coneys And though our sins do provock GOD to turn the earth into a barren Wilderness yet he still visits and watereth it and greatly enricheth it he Watereth the ridges thereof abundantly and setteth the furrows thereof he maketh it soft with showers blesseth the springing thereof He crowns the Year with his Goodness and his paths drop Fatness they Drop upon the Pastures of the Wilderness and the little hills rejoyce on every side the Pastures are cloathed with flocks and the valleys also are covered with Corn. He causeth grasse to grow for the Cattel and Herb for the service of Man that he may bring forth food out of the Earth and and Wine that maketh glad the heart of Man and Oyl to make his face to shine and bread which strengthneâ—…h Mans heart The earth is full of the Riches of the LORD so is the great and wide Sea wherein are things creeping innumerable both small and great Beasts who herd together in Companies as well as those upon the Land at their appointed Moneths and Seasons they ascend from the bottom of the Deep and walk upon the Surface of the Waters that they may be catcht by the Children of Men to serve for Food and other necessaries There goe the Ships there is that Leviathan whom GOD hath made to play therein By his neesings a light doth shine and his eyes are like the eye lids of the Morning out of his mouth go burning lamps and sparks of fire leap out out of his nostrils go smoke as out of a seething Pot or Cauldron He maketh the deep to boyle like a Pot and the Sea to be as a Pot of Oyntment he maketh a path to shine after him so that one would think the Deep to be hoarâ—… Upon the Earth there is not his like so that one may be cast down at
Congregation or meeting not of Mens meeting but of GOD'S meeting with Men. The like Promise our LORD gives us Mat. 18. 20. Where he saith where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the midst of them And that he is also present the other way viz. by the attendance of his Angels and Heavenly Host was not only the constant Opinion of the Iews concerning their Temple but is also expressed plainly by Solomon Eccl. 5. 6. When he sayes concerning our behaviour in the House of GOD Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin neither say thou before the Angels that it was an errour And in like manner St. Paul pleads against the undecency of Womens being uncovered in the Church because of the presence of Angels for this cause saith he ought the Woman to have power over her head because of the Angels 1 Cor. 11. 10. Christ telleth us Mat. 23. 21 That God dwelleth in his Temple and how can he be said to do it more there then else where but this way Now that we may make what hath been said usefull to direct our practice we will proceed to draw some inferences And first it teacheth us that it is the duty of all those who would Worship GOD aright and who would manifest themselves to be his Devoted Servants to take care to consecrate places for his Service and to erect Churches for his Worship where there are none and to contribute chearfully to the maintaining and keeping them up where they are for the Honour and Glory of God requires it and Nature as well as Scripture teacheth this to be a proper Act of Homage and acknowledgement due to GOD. It is the Duty of all who own and believe in him to meet frequently together to Worship Him and that Worship which is due unto him can never be rightly performed with requisite solemnity and decency unlesse there be particular places Consecrate for it And if there be no care taken what sort of places these are if they be suffered to be Mean Nasty Sordide and Slovenly it will very much lessen Peoples esteem for GOD and his Service for whilst Men are in this World they will be still creatures of Sense and their Apprehension of things will be alwayes according to the outward impression they make upon their Senses How comes it that the meanner sort especially are lesse awed in the Church then when they are in the houses of Lords and Gentlemen but because in these they see something of Grandeur but in the other nothing finer then what they have at home in their own silly Cottages Secondly what Iacob Vowed and resolved on here may be a fit Patern and Precedent to all the great Ones of the World whose Quality and Condition makes it requisite for them to have great and Magnificent dwellings viz. That they allow some particular room in these their Dwellings and Palaces for a private Chappel and House of GOD wherein they and their Family may dayly meet together to Worship Him If they do not think their houses and dwellings convenient or answerable to their Grandeur unlesse there be in them several Apartments for severall Offices me thinks also they should judge them defective if they cannot allow one spare Room to be reserved for GOD and his dayly service We would not have any believe us so Superstitious as to think no Prayers acceptable but such as are made in the House of GOD or consecrated Places for without doubt God will hear all who call upon him in sincerity truth wheresoever they are but yet there is great conveni ency decency in appropriating one particular place for the performance both of our private and more Solemn Devotions with the rest of the Family for then we are not so lyable to disturbance and distractions therefore if our state condition allow it it were commendable to set apart some particular room of our house for this end only It is not to be expected that the generality can win to to this yet those of the best Quality I think may and if they may they ought too if they would thus give GOD an Interest in their Houses and dwelling Places we may very confidently say 't would be their best security Except the Lord keep the house they labour in vain that keep it and he would not fail to preserve and maintain that House and Family where he is so highly Honoured and devotely served But alas this is little looked to now a dayes There be very few who regard much the interessing God in their houses by the consecrating them or any part of them to him and which is farr worse who take any care to have Him Worshipped in their Families either inseparate or comon Rooms This part of Religion is but little in request amongst the Grandees of the World it is laid aside as an Antick and unfashionable thing and as their practice in other things is too ordinarly a Law unto the inferiour Sort of People so 't is very much to be regrated that it is so here How seriously the Heads of Families Worship GOD in their Closets we do not and we cannot know but 't is too apparent that there is but little care taken to have him Worshipped decently by all the Family together nay this is now scarce lookt upon by any as their Duty Ioshua thought it incumbent upon him when he said as for me and my house we will serve the LORD as if he had said not I in my single capacity but I also with my whole Family and not I only by my self alone in private but I also with all my House we shall be carefull to serve Him and Devotely to call upon Him which certainly every one whose heart is sincere with GOD will endeavour to imitate Family Worship becomes now the more necessary that there is no publick Worship Evening and Morning in our Churches if this were Masters of Families should with their Families attend it and so the want of the other might be much excused but seing we are not so happy as to have a dayly publick worship every Family should serve God apart And though as we have said there be some reason for setting apart particular Rooms for the exercise of Family Worship by such as can do it conveniently yet the want of such conveniency needs neither be a hinderance to this necessary serving of GOD nor will it excuse the neglect thereof When we cannot serve God as we would we ought to do it as we may when we honour him as far as we are able he will not impute the want of what is without our reach as a sin to us Though there be no Room nor apartment in our house but what of necessity must be put to common use yet let us not neglect to offer unto GOD Evening and Morning the Sacrifices of Prayer and Thanksgiving and they shall certainly find acceptance in his Sight By
do not communicate when they come up to Church to hear so doe those Canons which carry the name of Apostolical Thus it appears that the participation of the Lord's Supper was look'd upon as a necessary part of Divine service which could not be well omitted and there can be no reason given why the use of this Sacrament at least every LORDS Day was left off but the decay of Piety The Zeal and Devotion of the Apostolick Ages wore out and so men became careless of giving this expression thereof Or out off a Superstitious regard to their chief Festivals they would only communicate on these days that they might seem to do them the greater honour But as for the present custome of communicating only once or twice a year it is so unaccountable and speaks out so little true love to GOD and the memory of our Saviour that Calvin had good reason to call it Diabolicum inventum a meer device of Satans to stiffle Piety and to keep back Peoples endeavours after Godliness This is a piece of Worship peculiar to the Christian Religion which our LORD hath expreslly enjoined It 's a great testimony of our Faith a solemn act of Adoration payed both to the Father and Son and a visible commemoration of the Mystery of the Cross which as S. Paul speaketh is both the Wisdom of GOD and the Power of GOD In a word the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is the Chief Rite of our Religion which in a manner comprehends all others parts thereof and by the serious participation of this Sacrament we truely glorify GOD and bring good to our selves for CHRIST hath ordained it to be the instrument of our union with him and the conveyance of the benefits of his death And therefore this Sacrament should be often administrate and who would testifie their love to GOD should as frequently partake thereof It is alledged against frequent communicating first that 't would take away much of the esteem due to this Sacrament But if this Reason were good 't would follow also that we should seldome think on GOD Pray read the Scriptures and perform other Acts of Religion It is no true esteem which ariseth only from the consideration of the rarity of the thing and certainly acquaintance with Spiritual actions frequent exercising them begets the highest esteem of them and delight in them He Prays best and with most pleasure who Prays oftnest and so of other things Another pretence is that if men Communicate frequently they would not have leasure to prepare themselves But this runs upon a mistake of the nature of the Sacrament and of the preparation requisit thereto A Cessation from sin is alwayes necessary but not from our civil business especially if we had any occasion of Communicating He who firmly believes the Gospel heartily repents of his sins and is resolved to live according to the Gospel is truely disposed for the Sacrament any day and every day and who is not thus disposed for the Sacrament neither is he fit to pray or to go about any other Religious exercise and so is in a state of enmity with GOD. If a Person once understand the Nature and Design of the Sacrament and daylie exercise himself in Prayer as we have shewed in the former Section if his Life be a continual walking with GOD he is ever sutablely prepar'd for it And if we ought to be alwayes thus prepar'd therefore the want of preparation will not excuse the Ommission of this Duty the Omission whereof doth of it self imply though People are loath to acknowledge it a renunciation of the Christian Religion Thus we have gone through the several parts of publick Worship shewed the necessity of them and let see the right manner of going about them And by what account we have given which certainly will hold true it appears that the publick Worship in all Reformed Churches is Proper and Acceptable so that none have any just Reason to withdraw from it and who doe it are undoubtedly guilty of Schisme 't is true in some Places perhaps and particularly among our selves there would need some Rectification for the more Grave Decent and Orderly performance of Divine service but however neither we nor any other of our Protestant Brethren want any essential part of Worship nor have we or they any thing disagreeable to GOD or which destroyes the end of Worship so that they are without all excuse who refuse to have Communion with this or any other Reform'd Church But as this must be acknowledg'd for all Reformed Churches so the quite contrary is true of the Worship in the Church of Rome For it neither answers the end nor agrees to the right rules of GOD'S Worship it is not it cannot be acceptable to GOD for it is full of Abominations For First in generall the Popish Service is neither Spiritual nor Reasonable Though we do not consider it in Retail but in Gross it must be acknowledg'd an ignorant brutish service a service which is not conform to the Scriptures nor doth it tend to the Glory of GOD or the Edification of Men because it cannot be understood being performed in an unknown Tongue As the Learned D. Taylor sayeth we may as soon reconcile Adultery with the seventh Command as the service in a Language which cannot be understood with the 14. of first Ep. to the Corinthians and if publick Worship need not be understood neither needs it be pronounced at all for if the Priest speaks not to let Men understand him he needs not speak to inform God and so a Dumb Priest is even as good as one whom the People doth not understand This practice of the Church of Rome is both contrary to the practice of all the World is condemned by common Sense so that the Papists in defending themselves use a deal of impertinent nonsence and vent intolerable absurdities which render Religion ridiculous and destroy the very Nature and Design of it What an Absurdity is it to teach People to use Prayers only as Charms To think ignorant prating as acceptable to GOD as the sincere desires of the Soul and that judgement and discretion are useless in Religion though it be the great end of our Creation and though for it especially we were endued with Reasonable Faculties I shall conclude this point with what a late Popish Writer hath Moyens confessed It is necessary to have the pub surs par lick service in the common language of la converthe Country for it is certain that this is de Hereagreeable to the Holy Scripture The tiques Mysteries of GOD are not as those of 147. Pagans these behoved to be hid from People because they were shameful and ridiculous but GOD would have his Children instructed fully in his There cannot be greater reproach thrown upon Religion then to say as some do that Faith without Knowledge is best He must be an Impostour and Seducer who speaketh so for St. Paul commands nothing
more then that we should encrease in knowledge The reading of the Holy Scripture should be recommended to People according to the practice of all the Fathers It was not the People who wrested the Scripture and spread Heresies they were the Bishops and Doctors and Persons of the Clergy Arrius Macedonius Nestorius Eutyches Pelagius were all Church-men 2ly The Worship of the Roman Church has not a Resemblance to the Christian Religion because it wants the purity and simplicity thereof to make Worship look like Christian as we formerly shewed it should be Plain and Simple that is free of Ceremonies except what are requisite to Excite and Fix the attention should chiefly consist of Actions which are Grave and Serious and which do properly expresse the Divine Majesty and Glory But the Worship of the Papists is meerly Pomp Pageantry a vain external Shew of Ceremonies fitter for the Theatre then the Church Their Churches are dressed with Gaudy Scenes like Play-Houses and like them too they use not the light of the Sun but the dazling deceiving light of Lamps and Wax-Candles their Priests are sumptuously decked with various kinds of Garments and as for the Service it self it consists in sprinkling of holywater kindling Perfumes Kneeling and bowing and often crossing Turning to the Right or Left Hand according to the Sign given the Elevating and Lowing of the Voice at certain Times the vain repetition of unintelligible Words and in a multitude of impertinent and insignificant Ceremonies which chock the very Spirit of Religion and which would render what is read or spoken to no purpose though it could be understood For 't is impossible that the mind can be attentive or make any Serious application where there is such a multitude of external performances The Worship enjoyn'd and practised in the Church of Rome has more resemblance to Paganisme then the Christian Religion it contains indeed Acts and Instances of the true Worship of GOD but so buried in Heathnish Superstition that they lose their Efficacy both with GOD and Man Their Sprinklings Processions Scourgings Pilgrimages and in a word the most of their Ceremonies both in their Ordinary and Extradinary Devotions are derived from ancient Paganisme and are indeed more suited to Pagan tempers then Christian minds for such as understand the Gospel know that GOD taketh no pleasure in such Actions The hour cometh saith Christ and now is that the true Worshippers of GOD shall Worship Him in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to Worship Him 3ly Popish worship is not only full of Superstition but Idolatry it not only is made up of many foolishly and uselesse Actions which can pretend to no Shadow of Reason or Divine Authority But it contains also many things expresly forbidden as the Invocation and Adoration of Angels and Saints c. What St. Paul said of Rome Pagan holds true of Rome Christian they have changed the truth of GOD into a lie and Worship the creature more then the Creator For the most of their Worship is not tendred to GOD and JESUS CHRIST but to Angels the blessed Virgin and other departed Saints to Images Reliques that is the Bones Ashes and other forged appurtenances of their supposed Saints I say supposed for their is no evidence for the most of them but the Popes Cannonization which is very unsufficient 'T is laid on the name of one Pope Gregory that he should have said multorum corpora venerantur in terris quorum animae cruciantur in infernis that is many are Worshipped as Saints who are damned in Hell The Papists in their publick Worship are required to adore Bread as GOD to Pray to the Dead and for the Dead and to do several other things which not only have no warrant in Scripture but are quite contrary thereto and therefore GOD can be pleased neither with such a worship nor those who offer it more then he was with the Nations whom the King of Assyria planted in Samaria of whom it is said that they feared the LORD and served other Gods besides 4ly The Mass which is the chiefest part of their Worship is the highest abomination For it is used in stead of the Holy Sacrament which our LORD instituted that night wherein he was betrayed but in Truth it is is quite another thing because they have added to it and pared from it and use it in another sense and to other purposes then what that Sacrament was design'd for First they withhold the Cup which is the one half of the Sacrament though it be clear that our Saviour commanded All to drink of it as both the Councill of Constance and Trent acknowledge in their Acts which prohibite the use of the Cup to the Laity And as for the other part of the Sacrament besides that their Wafers cannot be counted Bread they do not use the rite of breaking it which is so essential that this Sacrament is ordinarly denominat by it in Scripture Indeed what the Priest takes to himself he breaks in three pieces one whereof is cast into the Cup another is left upon the Altar until the end of the Service and the third he puts in his own Mouth but this doth not answer to that breaking which our LORD used and which is necessary to hold Forth the purport of the Sacrament That this Action may be agreeable to our LORD'S institution it is necessary that all the Communicants eat and have distribute to them one broken Bread 2ly Our LORD ordain'd the Bread in this Sacrament to be only a symbol of his Body but they give it out to be His very self and command Divine Adoration to be payed thereto which is the greatest absurdity and the grossest Idolatry imaginable as we have formerly made out 3ly Our LORD designed this Sacrament to be only a memorial of his Death and of that satisfaction was given thereby to the Iustice of GOD for the sins of men but they teach and command under pain of damnation to be believed that in the Masse there is a real propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and the dead because according to them Iesus Christ is dayly Sacrificed and Offered therein Which Doctrine contains a heap of Absurdities and makes their Mass a Blasphemous action and most injurious to the Sacrifice of the Cross. For hereby it would follow that Christ was Sacrificed before he was Crucified viz. when he instituted this Sacrament that his Death was no sufficient Attonement there being such necessity for repeating it so frequently and that St. Paul erred grossely in thinking it absurd that he should offer himself often in saying he was but once offered to bear the sins of many and in preferring that one Oblation of IESUS CHRIST upon the Cross to all the legal Sacrifices because they behoved to be offered year by year continually to shew their insufficiency whereas he by one offering hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified see Heb. 9. 25. 28. 10. 1.
and 't is very long before they can be drawn to the Performance some never think it time to bequeath any of their Goods to Pious and Charitable uses till Death that 't is impossible for them to hold them any longer This Pievish and nigardly disposition towards the Service of GOD is very far contrary to what the holy Patriarch Iacob sheweth here where we see that as he devoted himself to GOD so heartily and freely the Tenth of all that he possessed By giving this portion to GOD we are to understand the allotting and Setling a part the same for such Ends and Uses as tendeth to the Honour and Glory of GOD such as to the maintenance of his House and his service therein and to the relief of the Poor and Indigent for whatsoever is imployed this way is given unto GOD We cannot reach himself immediatly with our Presents Gifts nor stands he in any need of them but the LORD is pleased to take that as done to himself which is done for the publick good of Mankind particularly for the relief and comfort of such as are in Poverty and Distress Verily I say unto you saith our Saviour in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Mat 25. 40. I doubt not but upon the first view of the title of this Book it will be apprehended that we intend to assert the Churches Right to the Tithes but as this is a Doctrine which few are disposed to hear so the entering upon this Question would but oblidge us to enlarge this Treatise beyond what we design'd it and seing a discourse of this head is fitter to be addressed to Publick States than to private particular persons for whose use only we have intended this therefore we resolve not to meddle with this Question However by the by we cannot but say that whatever may be pretended by the Law of Nature or the Written Law of GOD it is certain that our Tithes were Sacred and Consecrate things by the Donation and Charity of Men and therefore ought never to have been aliâ—…nated to any profane use 'T is true indeed they were most vilely abused by such as possessed them but their abuse of them did not neither could annul and cut off GOD'S right unto them The abuse might have been rectified without taking away the use of the things themselves and certainly the Sacrilegious robbing of GOD of what was so Solemnly and for so many Years Devoted unto him is such a stain upon our Reformation as that our Orthodox Faith and the soundness of our Judgements in other Particulars Will never attone or sufficiently wipe away these words of St. Paul seem to touch us very nearly thou that abhorests Idols dost thou commit Sacriledge Rom 2 22 The brasen Censers which Corah and his complices made use of though their use of them was not only unwarrantable but even contrary to the expresse command of GOD yet the LORD would not suffer them to be cast away or to be turned unto any other use than that of the Sanctuary but commanded to make of them Broade plates for a covering of the Altar For saith he they offered them before the Lord therefore they are hallowed Numb 16. 38. So notwithstanding the great abuse of those things which the Church possessed in the times of Poperie yet being they were once dedicaâ—… unto the Lord therefore they ought never to have been imployed to other than Sacred uses I say sacred uses and not the Ministers of the Gospel only for I confess the appropriating all that Wealth to the present small number of the Clergy and to their particular use allennarly were neither Reasonable nor Convenient But as this Kingdom would require a greater number to serve in the Ministry so it would be fit and proper to bestow a better Maintenance upon some then what they enjoy People testifie their respect to GOD when they Honour His Servants in allowing them a Liberal Maintenance and indeed as a liberal Share is first due to the Ministers of the Gospel and such as officiat about Holy Things so this might have been given out of what the Church formerly possessed and enough besides for other pious uses Out of what remained Hospitals might have been maintained for Sick and Diseased Persons and for a Refuge for such as were decayed through Age or other Infirmitie and thereby rendred unable for any Calling or Office there might have been an Allowance for Widows and Orphans and the training up Children in Lawful Trades and some Charitable Banks erected for lending Supplies to such as were broken in their Fortunes whereby they might Recruite themselves and be enabled to set up again I am confident the former Church Revenues and consecrated Lands would have been almost sufficient for these things and this use thereof will I think be acknowledged more for the publick good then what they were imployed unto And as this would have made less complaining in our Streets so it would been more for the Honour of our Reformation and would have stoped the mouthes of our Adversaries whereas now they Cry out that the Zeal for the Reformation was not Sincere but that there was more regard to the spoiles of the Church then to the taking away the corruptions thereof for which the Pious Mr. Mede and some others are very confident GOD will some time or other signifie his displeasure by some signal judgement and indeed Sacriledge seldome or never passed unpunished But enough of this What we intend at present is First to shew that every Particular Person owes to GOD a part of his Estate and Fortune and that GOD doth require and expect it from him 2ly we shal consider what Proportion or Quality every one should think themselves oblidged to give And Thirdly we shall propose some Motives for pressing home and stirring up to the Practice of this necessary but I suppose much neglected Duty As to the First that every one owes a part of his estate and fortune to be thus imployed in the exercise of Charity towards Men is a thing which will easily appear by the Laws of Justice and Gratitude for all that we have is from GOD what ever we possess comes from His Bounty and is the effects of his Goodness by whatsoever Means and Methods it hath come unto us Was thy inheritance intail'd upon the By birth thou art nevertheless oblidged to GOD allennerly for it for it was his Providence who Ordered thee to be born in Lawful Wedlock of such Rich and Wealthy Parents it was he alone that cared thus for thee before thou hadst a beeing and before thou could'st make any choice for thy self Is all the Fruit of thy Labour and industry Though it be so yet it doth not lessen they Obligation to GOD for he gave thee the Wit and the Head by which thou hast contrived and the hands by which thou hast wrought and laboured
and his Wisdom did appoint and find out all those Favourable Circumstances which have been the occasion of they Prosperity and success and it is his Providence alone which hath prevented those many Casualities which might have devested thee of all so that if it had not been for Him thou mightest long agoe been stript naked and reduced to a piece of Bread How many have gone to Bed rich and wealthy and have awakned poor and Miserable have we not seen persons turned out of their possessions and rob'd of all their Wealth and who have not been so dealt with must ascribe it to the Goodness and Care of GOD toward them Certainly what ever Wealth or Riches Honour or Advantages any man enjoyeth is still to be considered as the Gift and Gratuity of Almightie GOD as Iacob doth here For he saith not all that I have or shall have but all that thou shalt give me Acknowledging thereby that whatsoever should accrew to him by whatsoever means would be nevertheless GOD'S doings But when I say by whatsoever means it is still to be understood of lawfull means for what cometh by unlawfull wayes as by fraud and violence c. Is not from GOD but from him who promised to our Saviour All the Kingdoms of the World if he would fall down and Worship him And though a man should give all this to the Poor and in Charitable uses it would not be accepted it would be but an abomination But to return if all be owing to the Divine bountie it is just and reasonable and our bound Duty to allot and consecrate a part to his Glory We are unworthy receivers of his Benefits if we do not thanfully acknowledge his Goodness in bestowing them and without such an acknowledgement we cannot pretend to a right or sanctified use of them For the Apostle tells us every Creature of GOD is good if it be received with thanksgiving and not otherwayes which thankfull acknowledgment must be made not only verbally by Speeches and Expressions but by real works deeds viz. by devoting a certain part of what we enjoy to such pious uses as he hath appointed As Tenements own their Land-Lords by paying their yearly rent and Subjects their Soveraigne by yeelding tribute so it is no leâ—…s our Duty to Honour GOD with our substance as Solomon enjoyneth Prov. 3. 9. It was thus to honour GOD by acknowledging him to be the LORD and Giver of all that David with the Princes and Captains of Israel made these great offerings for building the Temple of the LORD and the service of the Sanctuary which we find 1. Chron. 29. for verse 11. David saith thine O LORD is the greatness and the Power and the Glory and the Victory and the Majestie for all that is in the Heaven and Earth is thine thine is the Kingdom O LORD and thou art exalted as Head above all both Riches and Honour come of thee and thou Reignest over all and in thy hand is power and might and in thy Hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all now therefore our GOD we thank thee and praise thy Glorious Name and of thine own have we given thee Now as Reason teacheth it to be just thus to honour and acknowledge GOD by consecrating a part of our Substance to his Glory and for his use so there never was a time wherein GOD did not particularly require it In the State of Innocency there was not occasion for almes or other such pious uses as now but the tree of knowledge in the midst of the Garden was reserv'd to GOD as holy in token that he was Lord of the Garden and therefore was man cast out of Paradise and had the earth cursed for his sake because he had violated the sign of his Fealtie unto the LORD of Heaven and Earth After the fall untill the Law of Moses we do not indeed find any expresse particular precept for making such offering out of our substance to GOD but yet all holy men did it Iacob you see here vowed it and Abraham gave the tenth of his Spoil to Melchisedeck the high Priest of GOD. And though reason and the meer light of nature might teach them that something was due and proper to be given yet we cannot conjecture how they could come to condescend so generally upon such a Particular Portion without learning it by Divine revelation In the law of Moses the Tithes of all things are expresly Commanded to be payed as an acknowledgment of GOD'S being the Proprietar of the whole Earth and that men hold their possessions only by his bounty and good will therefore Deut 26. As there is a Command for paying Tithes and bringing the First Fruits as an offering unto the house of the LORD so there is set down the particular confession to be made at these Offerings in which is shewed the reason for requiring them viz That even GOD ' S Tittle to the whole land might be acknowledged and that he might thereby be moved to bless the possession thereof to them seing that they thus own him to be their LORD and GOD. Now as for the Gospel this Precept is not renewed in it and the Ceremonies of Bringing up to the house of GOD the first Fruits of our encrease and what is due out of our Substance doth not much concern us But though the Ceremonial part of this Precept be not now obligatorie yet the Moral thereof is for CHRIST hath not taken away our Obligation to these moral observances which the Honour of GOD calls for think not saith he that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfil Matth. 5. 17. There is not indeed in the New Testament such frequent and particular mention of making these offerings by way of Tribute unto GOD because there we are not considered as in a Servile State by the Gospel GOD hath exalted us to the Nobler State of Friends and Children and deals with us as such which yet doth not take away our obligation from paying necessary Duties whereof the thing we are now speaking about is one And though as we have said the Devoting some portion of our Goods be not now called so by way of Tribute as from Servants or Subjects yet the thing it self is very often injoyned and inculcated viz. of Almes giving Beneficencie and Works of Charity Mercie though the phrase of giveing Almes be generally used yet it is so spoken of as to let us understand that it is a debt due unto GOD which we are unjust if we do not pay for it is usually Styled Iustice or Righteousness as Mat. 25. We must not think that GOD hath now under the Gospel quit his Right and Tittle to our Goods and Possessions or that he doth not require any acknowledgment of them from us we are much mistaken if we think so He requires this now as much as ever and therefore to this end it
away the curse upon them So it rendreth our enjoyment of them Lawful and Sweet We may freely use the Creatures may Eat our Meat with gladness and Singleness of heart when we have discharged the Debt lying thereon and payed the tribute of Gratitude we owe to GOD But without this our enjoyments can have no Delicious Relish nor afford true satisfaction They are attended with remorse and sting of Conscience as the feasting of Bankrupts or the riotous living of Tennents who have not payed their Masters rent 'T is not Lawfull to sit down to full Tables to be alwayes Eating the fat and drinking the Sweet whiles there is no regard of those who are at the point of starving 't is not Lawfull for any to ruffle it out in Silke to hang their rooms with Arras other costly hangings whiles they see any perish for want of Cloathing or any Poor without covering and will not offer to help them that their Loins may Blesse them as Iob speaks 'T is an heinous crime which will not pass unpunished to cast the Childrens Bread to Dogs and are not they guilty of it who spend much on Dogs Hawks and other idle sports but give nothing to the Supply of the Poor the Fatherless and Widow But as the Enjoyments and pleasures of uncharitable Persons are unlawful and accursed so who exerciseth Charity may lawfully indulge his desires and allow himself what Innocent Comforts and conveniences this World affords Secondly Charity is profitable for securing and preserving the Good things a Man hath Every days experience may teach us the uncertainty of Earthly things one may have much and soon come to Poverty Fire Violence Treachery and a thousand other Accidents to which all are exposed may very easily devest a man of his Wealth and Possessions and 't is impossible to prevent this by our Foresight Care and Industry our chief yea only security is in the Divine Providence which we may lean to if we testify our thankfulness by acts of Charity and Bounty to the Poor By giving to the Poor we clip the wings of Riches so that they can not flee so fast from us But if the Poor be not the better of our Wealth it wants the Divine protection and so is altogether defenceless it hath no sure hedge about it By denying the Tribute of Charity we break our Tacks forfeit our right by which we hold our Possessions And as Masters use to turn out those Tennents who pay not their Rent so GOD taketh away the good things of this World from them who do not use them to his Glory not make any acknowledgment to him for them or if he let them keep them 't is because he reserves them to a Heavier judgement Thirdly Charity is profitable because it tendeth to the encrease of our Wealth and Estate As 't is the best means to preserve our Fortune so 't is the likliest way to enlarge it The Blessing of the LORD it maketh Rich and he addeth no sorrow with it Prov 10. 22. Which Blessing is particularly entailed on the Charitable Man and therefore Moses having commanded to pay the Triennial Tithes to the Poor addeth for an encouragment That the LORD thy GOD may blesse thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest Deut 14 29 Some are ready with Iudas to count all lost which comes not into heir own bagge but what is given in Charity is so far from losse that 't is great Gain it returns with Usury He that hath pity on the Poor lendeth to the LORD and that which he hath given will he pay him again Prov 19. 17. And that more may be expected then what is laid out we learn from many Texts in Scripture The liberal Soul shall be made fat and he that wattereth shall also be wattered himself Prov. 11 25. Alms and Charitable Deeds may seem to impoverish us but really they do it no otherwise then the Husband Mans throwing his Seed upon the Ground which after some Moneths he receives with encrease There is that Scattereth saith Solomon and yet encreaseth and there is that withholdeth more then is meet but it tendeth to Poverty And because Charity contributes as much to Wealth as the ordinary way and Arts of Thriving therefore he adviseth to use it In the morning saith he sow thy seed and in the evening withhold not thine hand for thou knowest not whither shall prosper either this or that or whither they both shall be a like good Ecel 11 6. Men indeed ought not to use Charity with this Design to be Rich but neither need they be Discouraged from the Exercise thereof for fear of redacting themselves to Poverty for this is the ready way not only to prevent Poverty but to ensure Wealth if the Word of GOD may be rested on And who but Infidels will not rely on it GOD'S hand is both tâ—…e surest and most profitable Bank to put our Money in other Persons and States may and we see dayly do break and fail but he will never fail nor turn unable to repay us with Advantage he hath promised perhaps to try Mens sincerity GOD will keep up for some timeâ—… this gain of Charity but they shall receiâ—… 〈◊〉 one time or another Many instanâ—…s might be produced of these Advantagious returns of Charity but I choose rather to let every one recollect their reading and Experience in this point then to detain them farther What doest thou know they are the words of a dear Friend but those showres which did lately refresh thy corn that prosperous gale which brought home thy commodity unto the desired haven that advantagious bargain which thou hast made that plea of of Law which thou hast gain'd may have been designed as a recompence of which thou hast bestowed However I am sure that no Man shall have occasion to complain that he is a loser at GOD'S hands and that he hath been decieved by that promise that he who giveth to the Poor shall not lack Fourthly Charity is profitable in that it either prevents the days of evil or procures us solide Comfort in them Man is born to trouble as the sparks flee upward we are but of few dayes but we are lyable to many Troubles and therefore every wise Man should provide against them but the best Provision we can lay up against the evil day of affliction is to be liberal and Charitable in Prosperity When Daniel laid before Nebuchadnezar the disasters of his Dâ—…eam he advised him to take this coursâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…vent them O King said he let my counsâ—… acceptable unto thee and breake off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the Poor if it may be a lengthning if thy Tranquility Dan. 4. 27. But if Charity doth not altogether prevent Calamity and Affliction 't will be sure to lighten them and to give us Comfort in them even solide Comfort the Consolations of GOD. Riches proâ—… little in the dayes of evil friends may
thâ—…â—…nd 〈◊〉 or if they come near all they can do is to weep and waile true and certain comfort cometh only from above which a Charitable Man is sure of For Blessed is he that considereth the Poor the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble The LORD will preserve him kâ—…ep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the Earth and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness Psal. 41. 1. 2. 3. If saith the Prophet Isaiah thou draw out thy Soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted Soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy Darkness be as noon day and the LORD shall guide thee continually and satisfy thy Soul in drought and make fat thy bones and thou shalt be like a wattered Garden and like a spring of Watters whose watters fail not Isa. 58. 10 Fifthly the profite of Charity 〈◊〉 â—…rther then Earth it reacheth to Heaven and gets us an interest there 'T is true Heaven is not merited by any deed of ours we must not entertain any such thought but certainly such good Deeds are followed with Heaven happiness of the other Life How much respect GOD will have to Acts of Charity and Mercy in bestowing Heaven we may see from Mat. 25. and therefore St. Paul would 〈◊〉 â—…he Rich to do Good to be rich in good works ready to distribut willing to communicate thereby laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim 6 18. 19. Here is the greatest advantage of Charity and here we may see that the most profitable way of expending our Wealth is to lay it out upon Works of Charity For the profit of all other Works is limited to this life the good of them as to us expires with our Breath and 't is but seldom that it lasteth so long when a man dies he carries nothing away of all that he hath done otherwayes except perhaps a troubled Conscience for being imployed so much to so little purpose But the profit of good and Charitable Works accompanieth a man to the Grave nay followeth him to the othâ—… 〈◊〉 and purchaseth Friends there Friends 〈◊〉 never die and which receive and welcome him to their everlasting Habitations And seeing it is so what senselesness is it to neglect Charity How much do they sit in their own light who give not all diligence to abound in Good Works nill we will we we must remove hence here we cannot stay alwayes sometime or other we will be forced to pack to another World and should we not then before hand secure a Habitation and Endeavour that it may be well with us there if we were to be banished this Kingdom or saw any necessity of leaving it we Would take care to Transport our goods whither we intended to take up our residence or we would make money of them and carry bills thither that we may have wherewith to sustain and comfort our selves Now what madness is it not to be as provident for our Souls as for our Bodies why do we not distribute our Goods to the use of the Poor and needy that we may have Treasures in Heaven And that when this Earthly tabernacle is dissolved we may be lodged in glorious and Eternal mansions 'T is strange to see how fond Men are upon Possessions here below they will give all they are Worth nay contract for more though it Make their Life burdensome to get an Heritage upon Earth notwithstanding they are perswaded that they cannot abide with it Now a Purchase iu Heaven may be had easilier it needs not all nor half nor the Fourth part of our goods to this a Tenth part Devotely disposed will do the businesse And is it not Wisdom then to lay out money rather upon this which may be had so easily which is best in it self which is of Eternal Advantage A Charitable Person of all others is the Wisest and Happiest for he both enjoyeth the good things of this present life and also has the better things of the Life to Come reserved for him 6ly The profite of Charity is not confined to the Persons of the Charitable Man it descendeth to his children it entails a Blessing upon his Posterity and it goeth well with them for his sake His seed shall be mighty upon Earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed Wealth and Riches shall be in his house For such as be blessed of him shall inherite the Earth and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off All Parents that are noâ—… unnaturall wish their Children well and desire they may have wherewith to live honestly in the World after themselves are gone now the best course for this is to be Charitable for Charity secures to them the Favour of GOD and the Providence of the Almighty which is the Chiefest Treasure this makes GOD their Tutor and Curator who is best abâ—…e to manage their interest and without him others can do but little How many have left great Summes behind them and much riches whose Childrâ—…n have been Vagabounds running up and down Seeking Bread The Blessing of the LORD is the best Inheritance 'T is the best Portion Parents can leave their Children and Charitable Persons may bequeath it confidently The bountiful Man needs not be troubled that he hath Little to leave among his Children for GOD will Blesse that little and make it sufficient A little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Psal 37. 16. That is it goeth farther doth more good and is more profitable for the Owners And though he hath no means at all to bestow yet he has no Reason to vex himself upon that account For GOD will then surely â—…e their Provisor GOD will repay to his Children what he lent to the Poor I have been young saith the Psalmist and now aâ—… Old yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Nor his Seed begging Bread Psalm 37. 25. I shall not say no instance to the contrary can be shewed but truely I believe very few let Men look abroad the World observe themselves and ask at others and they shall find it generally true that the Children of the Good and Merciful have mett with singular Providences do not therefore excuse thy self from Charitable Deeds because thou hast a numerous Family and many Children this is but to mock GOD and deceive thy self Thou should rather take Pity on the Poor that mercy and compassion may be shewed to thine that when Father and Mother forsake thy Children the LORD may take them up What would People say or do if they were in the Widow of Zareptha's Circumstance who had not a cake but an handful of Meal in a Barrel and a little Oile in a cruse and that too in the dayes of great Famine
I suppose many would think they had Reason to deny even a Prophet himself but did she loss by giving a Morsel to Elijah Did she prejudge her self or her Son If she had refused the Prophet she and her Son would have eaten all at one meale and then died But because she fed the Prophet therefore the word of the LORD was that the barrel of Meal shall not wast neither shall the cruse of Oyl fail untill the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the Earth 1. King 17. 14. Learn by this Example to obey the LORD who hath commanded thee to give bread to the Hungry and Drink to the Thristy Grudge not because thy Substance is small trust in GOD believe and obey his Word and he will cause thy small Quantity of Meal and Oyle to last and to be sufficient for â—…hee and thy Children In the Last place it may engage us to be Charitable to consider the Wretched state and circumstances of Uncharitable and hard Hearted Persons Their Betters despise them their Neighbours and Equals value them not and the Poor envy and curse them people talk of their Misfortunes and Disasters with Complacency and murmure at any good which befall them They have not the Love and Goodwill of the Generation they live in and when they die their name die with them or it is unsavourie and remembred with disgust But this is the least part of their misery they are no lesse odious to God then to Man he hates abomi nates them because they violate his Laws despise his Authority abuse his Mercies and are unthankful for his Goodness they counteract the Methods of his Providence keep People from discerning the Beauty and Wisdom thereof yea occasion many to Blaspheme his Name therefore his Soul abhorreth them And as Blessings are upon the head of the Righteous and Mercifull so curses are heap'd upon such wicked and hard hearted Persons If GOD blast not their Fortune altogether it is keept to their hurt as they harden their Hearts against the Poor so the LORD shutteth their own Bowels upon themselves so that they can as little allow themselves as others the necessary Supplies of Nature he hath but useth it as little as they who have nothing which certainly is a great plague and curse Behold saith Solomon it is good and comely for one to Eat and to Drink and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the Sun all the dayes of his Life whicâ—… GOD giveth him for it is his Portion Every man also to whom GOD hath given Riches and Wealth and hath given him power to eat thereof and to take his Portion and to rejoice in his Labour this is the gift of GOD. But saith he There is an evil which I have seen under the Sun and it is common among Men and indeed among none so common as among Uncharitable Men. A man to whom GOD hath given Riches Wealth and Honour so that he wanteth nothing for his Soul of all that he dâ—…sireth yet GOD giveth him not power to eat thereof but a stranger eateth it this is vanity and it is an evil disease Eccl. 5. 18 19. 6. 12. Farther it may be observed that GOD often deprives such persons of the comfort of Children or if they have them for the most part they have little comfort in them The Children of such ordinarly are graceless and debauch'd they are averse from all Honest Callings and use to lavish away what their Parents sordidely hoorded up But as often they want Children and he who hath Means and wanteth Children hath but little satisfaction in his means and far less in his Relations and Acquaintances for he is filled with Jealousies and Suspicions against them that they look greedily after his â—…state and wish him dead that they may grasp it ' therefore he is ever altering and renewing his will partly through jealousie partly through his peevishness he puts off the mâ—…king a wise disposition of his goods he cannot think on it till his death which surprising him hence it is that what he so anxiously gathered and keept often falls into the hands of those he little thought on or cared for which foolish end is all the subject of discourse at his Funeral and every Bodies sport and laughter then and afterwards Finally let us follow the Uncharitable Man unto the other World and we shall see his case yet sader there he stands more despicably then ever the Poor here did at his own door and cryes for help to as little purpose GOD hath no Mâ—…rcy upon him Angels and Saints stand aloof he hath no Testificats from the Poor can produce no Letters of Advice from these Factors of their here below to recommend him and so those Heavenly inhabitants declarâ—… they know him not they will not receive hiâ—… to their Everlasting Habitations and thus he is forced to lodge with Devils and Damned Spirits where there is weeping and wailing and gâ—…shing of Teeth Thus we have proposed some Mâ—…tives to Charity more might have been laid before you but these are sufficient he who is not excited by these would not be moved by other Considerations and he must be strangely hardened who is not convinc'd and perswaded by them If what hath been said has any influence on the Reader if he thereby find his Bowels moved and his heart inclined to Charity I shall only say this farther to him that he delay not the expressing his Charity till his Death as too many do the time and manner of thy Death is very uncertain do good therefore whiles thou hast Health leave not this work to thy Heirs or Executors for thou knowst not how faithfull they will be exerce Acts of Charity in thine own Time give Alms with thine own Hand and thereby thy Sincerity shall the better appear and thou also shall have the greater Satisfaction thereof The end of the Second Part THE CONCLUSION I Have now gone through both Parts of Jacob's Vow and illustrated them by the Light of the Gospel thereby to demonstrate where our true Happiness lyeth and by what Means we may compasse it The Reason why Jacob's Vow was pitched on to afford Instructions in these Material Points was because I judged it very propper and that such Instructions as are drawn from Examples are the most convincing Now that I may summ-up all which hath been said As all will acknowledge that 't is of the greatest importance to be rightly informed about Felicity and the Means of accomplishing it so every one may learn this necessary knowledge here In the First Part is laid out the Folly of being fond on the things of this World of thinking Happiness depends on Wealth and Worldly greatness For as the pursuit hereof is certain Slavery Toile and Vexation and of very uncertain success so when one is arrived to a more then ordinary Measure of these things what is he the better He is as far from being Happy as he