and servants in the way wherein they should go Prov. 22. 6. as if they did believe the Devils old saying A young Saint and an old Devil O how careless many Professors be of preparing those who shall survive them to hold forth the name of Christ in a holy manner to his honour and the credit of his Gospel 2. Many Professors do suffer very much frothy vain idle foolish corrupt communication not tending to edification to proceed out of their mouths 3. Many Professors do profane and mispend much of the holy Salbaths For which sin and Idolatry especially as the Jews about two hundred years since have said the Lord did reject their Fore-fathers so that as they then said they could not take the Christians of those days to be the servants of the true Messias because they did live in those two sins 4. Many Professors be so full of pride under this Dispensation that by reason of it and the fruits of it men of knowledge can hardly get charity enough to think there is any fear of God before their eyes 5. It is a common thing with Professors to be silent at the sins one of another Which five things joyned together do amount to a foul heap of iniquity Part. 8. I come now to some down-right Reasons for this my belief that the greatest cause of the afflictions peculiar to Professors and the greatest impediment of their prayers for some good things expedient for them u the sins and iniquities of Professâ—rs R. 1. And first Gods Kingdom Wisdom and Power being such as it is and all mens hearts and times being in his hand Prov. 21. 1. Psal 31. 15. he might have established our King in all his Dominions and yet given us favour with him and his Parliaments as Gen. 39. 4 5 6 21 22 23. Dan. 1. 6. and bowed their hearts to confirm us in the places which we held 1659. with the means and liberty which we then enjoyed excepting the Kings revenue and some high Offices Neither hath it been at any time such a hard thing for God to better our Estates instead whereof notwithstanding Gods-love to his children which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 19 and that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much with him Jam. 5. 16. c. yet it hath pleased him in his infinite wisdom to afflict Professors in divers kinds wherein he hath not afflicted others yea to afflict us in our worldly Estates and to encrease the means of growing rich to others yea to augment the worldly Estates of others by diminishing ours to deprive us of our Benefices Offices and Preferments to make room for others yea ye know that since 1659. notwithstanding we have carryed our selves not seditiously but peaceably and quietly yet our condition is by degrees and steps grown from good to bad and from bad to worse Which sorry changes of our condition to what others may make a shift to impute them I know not but in my judgment they are to be ascribed to our sins who are called Professors of whom I believe many are not yet born again and many Sons and Daughters have and do by their sins provoke our heavenly Father to chastise and correct them For R. 1. Although the Lord scourgeth every Son and Daughter whom he receiveth Prov. 3. 12. Heb. 12. 6. yet he doth not afflict or grieve so much as one man or woman meerly for his pleasure Lam. 3â— 33. and when he judgeth and afflicteth any of his children his judgements are right he afflicts them in faithfulness Psal 119. 57. because according to his just and wise Method of making men meet to partake of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12 13. there is as Peter calls it 1 Pet. 1. 6. need either because they be not duly careful and diligent to find out their sins or because they be so far from hating sin as they ought as not to be throughly careful to humble themselves for and to cease from some of those sins whereof they be guilty Exod. 34. 6 7. or else for that they do not use due care and diligence to reach and attain some other end which they ought to seek if this clause doth contain any thing which the former clauses do not R. 2. A sinful agreement between Professors About forty years since if the Commonalty did mis-behave themselves and the Magistrates did not punish them for it nor the Ministers reprove them for it this they who were taught of God did look on as a fore runner of Gods wrath even as a sign that it was near at hand The reason of which opinion must of necessity be this that such a conspiracy is too like Jer. 5. 30 31. and doth provoke the LORD of Hosts unto great wrath Acts 5. 9. Which if it be true as I believe it is then we may well receive this for a truth that the nearer we Professors come to such a hellish consent the more probable it is that the wrath of God will seize upon us if it be not already upon us and if it be that this our consent hath brought it upon us or at least as much of it as is peculiar to us And the very truth is the sinful agreement which is between many of us is too like such a conspiracy as the holy Prophet Jeremy in that Chapter ver 30. calls a wonderful and horrible thing For 1. In the time of the Interruption I took notice wherein O. Cromwel and our Parliaments Armies Commitees Commissioners and Assembly of Divines and particular persons Round-heads c. did miss the right and did what they ought not to have done among other things over-recompensing their members for their losses one Father and Son as I have heard with 5000 l. for the pure loss of about or less than 5 l. 2. Since that time the Covetousness Pride and Iniquity of many Professors hath been very considerable 1. Whereof hath been no small part the Fashionmonging of Professors and particularly the gay Lady-like attire and ornaments of shop-keeping women in London But it is said concerning them that London doth allow what other Towns do not It may be so howsoever and although London hath been my Benefactor yet I shall not justifie the proudest of the Londoners in taking an Ell yea or half an Ell or a quarter of an Ell when they be allowed but an inch especially at such a time of Adversity as this is I had rather they would consider seriously concerning Apparel and Ornaments that which is written by Paul 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. and by Peter 1 Pet. 3. 3 4 5. praying and taking good heed lest they be weighed in the ballances and found wanting Dan. 5. 27. it may be to be nothing Gal. 6. 3. lest London be reduced to the state of some other Cities and that they fare as was prophesied Zeph. 1. 8. Es 3. 17. to the 24. 2. The children and servants of many religious Families
15. and his mâ—rcy infinite and as our Advocate Jesus Christ doth appear in the presence of the Father for all his people always 1 John 2. 1 2. Heb. 9. 24. and the Father heareth him always Joh. 11. 41. so his fatherly love is if I may so speak mingled with wisdom Prov. 13. 24. to train up his Children in the way wherein they should go Pro. 23. 6. to do his will and thâ—t not only by instructing them but also by correcting and chastening them it may be with sharp Rods Acts 14. 22. that at length they may do his will perfectly in Heaven without any correction tears or sorrow 3. Ye are not ignorant of that which the Prophets have spoken concerning the sins and iniquities of Gods Covenant servants separating between their God and them withholding good things from them bringing afflictions on them and hindring their prayers Your iniquities saith Esay have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that HE WILL NOT HEAR chap. 59. 1 2. your iniquities saith Jeremy have turned away these things from you the former and the latter rain and the appointed weeks of the Harvest and your sins have withholden good things from you chap. 5. 24 25. and Lam. 3. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins 4. The great God who formed all things is not such a one as the ungodly man thinks him to be Ps 50. 21 22. one to whom it is all one whether his holy just good and wise Law be observed or not In my opinion it agrees not with the infinite wisdom of God to suffer any man to gain by any of his sins unless a man may be said to gain godly Repentance or the like by them c. 5. But that we may judge the better of this matter let us consider as exactly as we can if I may so call it the Method which God hath used and will use in distributing punishments and afflictions to humble and reform his people c. 1. God hath said he doth and will render to every man according to his works Job 34. 11. Ps 62. 12. Pr. 24. 12. Jer. 32. 19. Ezek. 33. 20. Mat. 16. 27. Rom. 2. 6. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Eph. 6. 8. Col. 3. 24 25. Rev. 22. 12. In which Scriptures by works and deeds we must understand actions and acts of the heart and tongue and the gestures of the body as well as the works which we do with our hands feet swords c. and God is All-sufficient to perform whatsoever he hath spoken and cannot deny himself Ps 36. 5. 57. 10. 108. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 13. nor lie Tit. 1. 2. Ezek. 1 2. 28. 26. 5. 28. 10. 2. God is no respecter of persons Deut. 10. 7. 2 Chron. 19. 17. Rom. 2. 11. He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more than the poor Job 34. 19. nor men of one Nation more than those of another Nation Act. 10. 34 35. nor the Master more than the servant nor men of one calling more than those of other callings Eph. 6. 9. Col. 3. 25. nor men who are highly esteemed in the Church more than those who are not Gal. 2. 6. nor those who call him Father and call on him as their Father no not those who are indeed his children by the grace of adoption as to corrections more than others He is not like those foolishly indulgent parents that do spare the rod and spoil the child Prov. 13. 24. If ye call him Father or call on the Father saith Peter who without respect of persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your sojeurning here in fear And what doth Gods judging every man and women according to their works without respect of persons import in that place Verily if the Apostles Inference be good as doubless it is then it imports this namely that God will not spare his adopted sons and daughters in this world meerly by reason of their adoption but deal with them as he teacheth earthly parents to deal with their natural children driving their foolishness when there is cause with rods of correction far from them c. Prov. 13. 21. 19. 18. 23. 13 14. 22. 15. 3. So that if ye would know what sort of persons it is probable God will afflict whilst they be living in this world rather than and first before men and women of other sorts I answer 1. Those whom he knoweth that is owneth for his own people You only saith the Lord have I known of all the Families of the earth therefore I will visit upon you punish you for all your iniquities Amos 3. 2. Such shall not escape with impunity when others shall 2. Those who come nigh him For this is that which JEHOVAH spake unto Moses I will be sanctified said he in them who come nigh me and before all the people I will be glorified Lev. 10. 1 2 3. Which words are as if God had said They who come nigh me who am most holy in the ministration of my holy Ordinances or in the profession of my Religion which is holy must above others acknowledge and witness the belief and estimation which they have or ought to have of my Holiness in both words and deeds in that way and after that manner which I have chosen even according to the prescript rules of my word and if they do not so I will avow my own Holiness and make it appear that my justice and severity is without partiality and respect of persons by executing just vengeance against their transgressions that others may fear to offend 3. Those whom God the Father hath given to the Son For R. 1. What saith wise Solomon Whom the LORD loveth saith he he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth Prov. 3. 12. which Heb. 12. 6. is expressed thus Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth From whence is made this inference v. 7 8. If ye endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sons But if ye be without chastisement whereof all sons are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons R. 2. In the holy Scriptures our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is compared and that partly in respect of the tribulations which his members must endure before they come to their everlasting Rest to a Physician or Mediciner Mat. 9. 12. to a Refiner Mal. 3. and to a Fanner or Winnower of Wheat Mat. 3. 12. 1. He is the great Physician of the soul Mal. 4. 1 2. and such a friend to his people as loves them more than any man loves his friend 1 Joh. 4. 19. Joh. 3. 16 17. 15. 13. Rom. 5. 6 7 8 10 and a most faithful Physician and Friend to them and therefore will minister to them according to his transcendent wisdom such Medicinals as they have need of and when need
not be withus as it is It is the causa sine qua non of our c. 4. If you desire worse dayes and greater troubles I need not teach you what to do The way to attain your desire is but to hold fast your dear Friends your sins For then ye may with good reason expect times of greater troubles and dangers But methinks understanding and wise persons cannot see any sufficient cause to desire such times 5. The issue is this either attend to the instructions of faithful Ministers and reform and take heed to thy waies according to the word of God Psal 119. 9. or else look not for deliverance c. but additional afflictions and punishments according to the threatenings Lev. 26. 14. to the 39. and get a very strong faith and much humility that thou mayest possess thy soul under the Plows and Harrows in patience which one who is not thoroughly reformed will hardly attain Let me here answer some Arguments which may occasion some Professors to look on a more compleat Reformation than that which is wrought already as needless For peradventure it will be objected and said 1. That upon Abab's external humiliation God did not bring the evil upon his house in his daies but in the daies of his son 1 King 21. 29. A. Art thou content to have thy whole portion of good things as wicked men have theirs Psal 17. 14. in this life and to go whither Ahab went at the time of his death and to have the heads of 70 of thy sons within a few years after put into baskets 2 King 10. I think thou art not 2. That God hearkened to King Hezekiah's prayer and healed the people who were not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2 Chron. 30. 18 19 20. A. Is this any thing to thee He prayed only for those who prepered their hearts to seek God the Lord God of their Fathers v. 18 19. so that they did prepare their hearts and the only thing which they wanted was a ceremonial cleansing which also they wanted not because they were not willing to perform it but because they wanted time to perform it and he whose heart is prepared will not neglect the preparing of his waies And as for thee if thy heart be duly prepared to seek the Lord thou mayest really resolve to amend thy carriage as far forth as it is faulty as it were in a moment yea know that thy heart is not duly prepared unless thou be willing and careful to find out thy sins and to reform all the parts of thy conversation 3. That God seeing what the Ninevites did turned from his fierce wrath and did not destroy them A. It was much which they did more than some Professors do they believed God observed a Fast very solemnly cried mightily unto God and turned from their evil waies Chap. 3. 5. c. Go and do thou likewise Luke 10. 37. And yet God did but suspend the execution of his sentence against them for their City was destroyed I think some say about 40 years after and many of you would be loth to have your own houses destroyed forty years hence 4. That doubtless exceeding many of the Israelites were great sinners when they came out of Egypt yet God wrought for them miraculously c. A. Therein they were I think so a Type of Christ's peoples deliverance out of the bondage of Satan as it is of free grace 1 Tim. 1. 15 16. and yet withal they suffered as many of us would be loth to suffer the carcases of all their Males of 20 years old excepting Joshua and Caleb must fall in the wilderness and none of those enter into the Land of promise and when they and the rest be come near to it they must all turn back toward the Sea of Edom called the red Sea adjoyning to Egypt and so the younger sort have wandred forty years in the wilderness c. Num. 14. 21. to 35. 5. That God would have spared Sodom if there had been but ten righteous persons in it Gen. 18. 32. A. But he hath not bound himself by a Law to deal with all other places according to that rate 6. That Professors do pray A. They may ask and not have 1. John 5. 14 15. Jam. 4. 3. If thou dost regard iniquity in thy heart the Lord will not hear thee Psal 66. 18. O but our forms of godliness are long and beautiful A. Forms never brought any man to Heaven nor never will without the power of Godliness and this is part of those perillous times wherein there would be great plenty of such empty and sorry Christians 2 Tim. 3. 1 5. even a brave and Court like form is but a brave Bribe and Gods mouth will not be stopt nor his hand staid with Bribes See Marg. 94. 95 96. c. 101. 102 103. Ob. But we have prevailed for peace already A. Friends ye have heard of a Lightening before Death and Learned men do account the long-continued stillness of the Air a forerunner and sign of an Earthquake following it Let my counsel be acceptable to you be thankful for what ye have and amend whatsoever is amiss that it may be the lengthening of your tranquillity For God hath sometimes deferred the punishment of those who have sinned against him for a time in such a manner that in the holy Scriptures it is called a pardon and yet for all that in due time hath punished them as the Israelites Num. 14. 20 21 22 23. Psal 99. 8. Exod. 32. 34 35. 7. But some peradventure think God will spare them that they may teach their children Religion c. A. Verily some Professors do bestow little care or pains on this business 8. But we have many Professors to stand in the gap to keep out Gods wrath Ezek. 22. 30 31. A. But sometimes God is weary of repenting as he was Jâ—r 15. 6. There is a time when the wrath of the Lord doth arise against his people untill there is no remedy 2 Chron. 36. 16 17. c. When if Noah Daniel and Job were in the Land they should deliver but their own souls by their own righteousness no not so much as their own Sons or Daughters Ezek. 14. 14. to 20. yea God did forbid Jeremy to pray for the Jews chap. 7. 16. and 11. 14. and 14. 11. and I remember Dr. Usher the Bishop of Armagh told Mr. Froysell and me in Oxford when the Scots were in New-castle that his heart was bound up as he called it when he went to pray for England Take heed therefore to your spirits in your prayers Although some of them who seemed to be somewhat have done enough of late to strike them out of the gap as David once did 2 Sam. 24. 1. yet I hope we have still some Intercessors which are of great power with God and do pray unto him withall their might but how long they will be able to hold his hands from
But very many Professors do little think how many sins of others they be partakers of and how much their iniquity is encreased through their sinful silence Apol. But Sir will some say in their hearts I fear it is so with many although they speak it not with their Tongues Psal 14. 1. if I should reprove N. I should lose the help of his purse A. How long hast thou been a Professor that thou hast so little Charity For he ought to love thee the more for thy Faithfulness Prov. 27. 5 6. and the rather to make thee one of the Mrs. of his purse And why art thou so foolish and so slow to believe what the Scripture hath spoken Doth not the spirit of truth by Solomon say Prov. 28. 23. that He who rebuketh a man shall afterwards find more favour than he who flattereth with the Tougue and Prov. 16. 7. that when a mans ways please the Lord he maketh his enemies to be at peace with him And will he then suffer thy Friends when thou dost thy duty to do them good to shew themselves unkind and as no Friends to thee Be not faithless but believing trust in God Howsoever the favour and loving kindness of God is better than life Psal 63. 3. Take heed God look not on thee as a man-pleaser and none of the servants of Christ Gal. 1. 10. Obj. But is it not enough that I do frequently and earnestly pray for the Reformation of Professors A. That indeed is more than most Professors do I think so and that they do not judge that there is need of any great Reformation Yet that is but part of thy duty This thou oughtest to do and not to omit reproof And it may be God hath not heard thy prayers for them because thou dost not reprove them Apol. But peradventure one or two will say they be not throughly reformed themselves A. Whose fault is that Why dost thou delay to cleanse thy ways according to Gods rule Psal 119. 9. Neither do Christs words Mat. 7. or any other Scripture import that unreformed or poorlyreformed Professors be freed from the duty of exhorting and reproving others So that thy silence at other mens faults doth encrease thine iniquity It is indeed better to sweep before thy own door first but if thou be so foolish as not to sweep there necessity is laid upon thee to consider and reprove other Professors and wo may come to thee if thou dost not Obj. But if I do tell others of their faults then belike they will upbraid me with mine A. I could wish all thy near Neighbours and acquaintance would tell thee of them then it may be thou wouldst amend them which would be far better for thee than to suffer in Hell fire for them Vse 2. Receive then this Admonition reprove those Professors that are fit to be reproved and to move thee thereunto consider It is the will of God and thy duty therefore do it 1 Thes 5. 18. yea it is said Lev. 7. 19. 17. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer sin upon him which words do import that we must do it as we say by all means and not suffer other affairs and matters to keep us from doing it Thou hast authority to do it Hath not God commanded thee It is a debt which thou owest to such as need it pay that thou owest withhold not good from them to whom it is due Rom. 13. 8. Prov. 3. 27. It tends to Gods honour and glory Do it for his sake And to the healing and good of the blind lame sleepy c. Do it also for their sakes Do it also for thy own sake that thou bear not sin for thy Neighbour So some render the last clause Lev. 19. 17. that is that thou be not punished for not rebuking him Keep thy self pure be not partaker of other mens sins 1 Tim. 5. 22. and partaker for certain thou art with him or her whom thou oughtest to reprove either of those trespasses for which thou oughtest to reprove them or of the trespasses in sins of the same kind which they commit after or of both One thing more some have inferred from the Coherence of the words Lev. 19. 17. viz. that not to reprove is to hate which inference whether it be right or not yet if he who spareth his rod doth in the Language of the Holy Ghost hate his Son as he doth for that 's the expression Prov. 13. 24. then in the Language of the Holy Ghost he who spareth words of reproof when he ought to reprove hateth those whom he ought to reprove his Neighbours Friends Benefactors Professors and of what sort soever they be And I would not that Professors should hate one another but reprove offenders as the LORD himself did Sarah Gen. 18. 12 15. the Son of God Martha Luke 10. 41 42. and the Angels the Churches of Asia Rev. 2. and 3. and the Holy Ghost doth the World John 16. 8 9. Nathan David 2 Sam. 12. and Paul his fellow Apostle Peter Gal. 2. In a word do ye desire to walk purely and wisely Tread then in the steps of Paul and other godly persons as they did in the steps of God and Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. Now that the fore-mentioned causes of our sinful silence may not be of force to destroy or weaken our holy Resolution to admonish reprove c. Consider what it is for a man to love himself aright 2. Stir up in thy heart very much love of God and much filial fear of God and a strong Affiance in God and much brotherly love toward Professors and the Church of God especially in respect of their spiritual welfare For if these five things be really in thee and do abound they will make thee that thou shalt neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 8. and particularly whatsoever more may be said of them they will move thee effectually to do what I would fain have thee to do to labour to reform to reprove c. and that as thy duty and also for the service and honour of God and for the good of Professors and Gods Church and of offendors and for thy own good And Affiance in God will drive away Affiance in man and the love of God and his people will drive away carnal self-love and the fear of God and Affiance in God will drive away carnal and worldly feats of men of the loss of the love of men of the anger and ill will of men of poverty of mens shutting up their bowels of compassion from us contrary to 1 John 3. 17. And what saith David Psal 31. 19. O how great saith he unto God is thy goodness which thou hast laid up in store Sure it is a very great measure of Happiness which he speaks of And for whom hath God laid it up in store Verily for them who fear God and for them who