the throne thou shalt be greater 3. We make Religion our businesse when our thoughts are most busied about Religion while others are thinking how they shall do to get a living our thoughts are how we shall do to be saved David did muse upon God Psal 139.3 While I was musing the fire burned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. Thoughts are as passengers in the soul when we travell every day to the City of God and are contemplating glory and eternity this is to make Religion our businesse Theophilact calls holy contemplation the gate and portall by which we enter into Heaven a Christian by divine soliloquies and ejaculations is in Heaven before his time he is wrapd up into Paradise his thoughts are all packd up and gone 4. We make Religion our businesse when our main end and scope is to serve God he is said to make the world his businesse whose great design is to get the world St Pauls ultimate end was that Christ might be magnified and the Church edified Phil. 1.20 2 Cor. 12 19. our aimes must be good as well as our actions Many make use of Religion for sinister ends like the Eagle while she flies aloft her eye is upon her prey Hypocrites serve God propter aliud they love the Temple for the gold they court the Gospell not for its beauty Mat. 23.17 but for its Jewels these do not make Religion their businesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys but a politick trick and artifice to get money but then we make Religion our businesse when the glory of God is mainly in our eye and the very purport and intent of our life is to live to him who hath died for us 2 Cor. 5.15 God is the center and all the lines of our actions must be drawn to this center 5. We make Religion our businesse when we do trade with God every day Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in Heaven The greek word for conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies commerce and traffique our merchandize is in Heaven a man may live in one place and drive his trade in another a Saint though he lives in the world Vt municipes coelorum nos gerimus yet he trades above the Moon he is a merchant for the Pearl of price This is to make Religion our businesse when we keep an holy intercourse with God there 's a trade driven between us and Heaven 1 Joh. 1.3 Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sonne Jesus God comes down to us upon the wing of his Spirit and we go up to him upon the wing of prayer 6. We make Religion our businesse when we redeem time from secular things for the service of God a good Christian is the greatest monopolizer he doth hoard up all the time he can for Religon Psal 119.62 at midnight will I rise and praise thee Those are the best hours which are spent with God and David having tasted how sweet the Lord was would borrow some time from his sleep that he might take a turn in Heaven It well becomes Christians to take time from worldly occasions sinfull dressings idle visits that they may be the more intent upon the matters of Religion I have read of an holy man who being tempted by his former evil companions to sin he made this answer I am so busie in reading in a little book with three leaves that I have no leisure so much as to mind my other businesse and being asked afterward whether he had read over the book replyed this book with three leaves are of three severall colours red white and black which contain such deep misteries that I have resolved with my self to read therein all the daies of my life in the first leaf which is red I meditate on the pretious bloud of Christ which was shed for my sins in the white leaf I meditate on the pure and â—elitious joyes of Heaven in thâ— black leaf I contemplate the hideous and dreadfull torments of Hell prepared for the wicked to all eternity This is to make Religion our businesse when we are so taken up with it that we have scarce any leisure for other things Christian thou hast a God to serve and a soul to save and if thou hast any thing of Religion in thee thou wilt take heed of the thieves of time and wilt engrosse all opportunities for the best things How far are they from Christianity who justle out holy duties instead of borrowing time from the world for prayer they steal time from prayer that they may follow the world 7. We make Religion our businesse when we serve God with all our might our strength and spirits are drawn forth about Religion we seck sweat strive bestir our selves as in a matter of life and death and put forth not only diligence but violence 2 Sam. 6.14 David danced before the Lord with all his might This is to make Religion our businesse when we shake off sloath and put on zeal as a garment We must not only pray but pray fervently Jam. 5.16 we must not only repent but be zealous and repent Rev. 3.9 we must not only love but be sick of love Cant. 2.5 Horat. multa tulit sudavit alsit This is to be a Christian to purpose when we put forth all our vigour and fervour in Religion Matth. 12.11 and take the Kingdom of God as it were by storm 'T is not a faint velleity will bring us to Heaven there must not only be wishing but working and we must so work as being damned if we come short Vse 1 Vse 1. Information Information Branch 1 1. Branch Hence learn that there are but few good Christians oh how few make Religion their businesse is he an Artificer that never wrought in the trade is he a Christian that never wrought in the trade of godlinesse How few make Religion their businesse 1. Some make Religion a complement but not their businesse they court Religion by a profession and if need be Religion shall have their letters of commendation but they do not make Religion their business Many of Christs Disciples who said Lord evermore give us this bread yet soon after basely deserted Christ Ioh. 6.34 and would follow him no longer Joh. 6.66 From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him 2. Others make the world their business Phil. 3.19 Who mind earthly things The earth puts out the fire So the love of earthly things puts out the fire of heavenly affections It was a judgement upon Korah and Dathan Numb 16.22 the earth swallowed them up Thus it is with many the world swallows up their time thoughts discourse they are swallowed up alive in the earth There is a lawfull use of these things but the sin is in the excess The Bee may suck a little honey from the leaf but put it in a Barrell of honey and it is drown'd How many ingulph themselves in
Did ever any read hear or pray so much but he might have read heard and pray'd more Jehoram might have waited on the Lord longer 2 Kings 6. ult 5. Conclus Humane endeavours are not required to co-operate with Gods grace and so make it effectual but his grace makes their endeavours effectual when he pleaseth Physical means make not Gods power effectual but his power makes them effectual and so it s in mens endeavours It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9.16 6. Conclus All that men do before Conversion is not in vain fruitless and to no purpose When Rehoboam and the Princes humbled themselves at the preaching of Shemaiah they were reprieved and delivered from destruction 2 Chro. 12.12 Ahabs humiliation did adjourn the judgement 1 King 21.27.29 The Ninivites found favour with God upon their fasting and repentance Jon. 3.8 9 10. 7. Conclus All the Actings and endeavours of men whatsoever they be are not formaliter dispositions or preparations to conversion so that conversion must necessarily follow upon them For there is no necessary connexion between the actings of Men and divine Grace The Lord hath no where said if you act so far or be so disposed qualified or prepared I will convert you If Gods grace did depend upon mens Actings then those that are most Civil and Moral must be taken and those who are profane and rebellious must be left but Pharisees were excluded when Publicans and Harlots were admitted Great sinners sometimes are brought in who did nothing towards their conversion when those did much are shut out Mary Magdalen a great and infamous sinner is taken when the foolish Virgins were refused they were Virgins free from the spots and pollutions of the world they had lamps professions they did much they went out to meet the Bride-groom they gat oyle into their lamps they went to the door and they cryed Lord Lord open to us Haec sunt opera preparatoria quibus se effert Paulus Jun. in locum and there was no opening to them What preparations had Paul to this work of conversion he was a blasphemer a persecuter and an injurious person these were his dispositions and preparatory works he had towards his conversion 1 Tim. 1.13 8. Conclu Those that live under the means of grace the administrations of Law and Gospel have some operations and gifts of the Spirit which some call common preventing and exciting Grace whereby they are inabled to do many things towards and in order to conversion The Scribe that was teachable and answered Christ discreetly was not farre from the kingdome of God Mark 12.32 34. He was nearer unto it than those had not the means The preaching of the Gospel is to make the converted meet for Glory and the unconverted meet for Grace to prepare and bring them to regeneration I have begotten you through the preaching of the Gospel saith Paul to the Corinthians 1 Epist 4.15 The preaching of it wrought much in them before conversion it selfe was wrought Balaam living under the Law and amongst or nigh the people of God was much inlightned and greatly convinced insomuch that he desired to die the death of the righteous 9. Conclus No actings of men or qualifications in men are causes of conversion do merit it or make them congruous for it They are not antecedent causes or so much as Causae sine quibus non but the Lord doth according to his Prerogative work sometimes where they are not as Ezek. 16. When thou wast in thy bloud I said unto thee live There was no cause condition or qualification in them to beget affection or move the Lord to do ought for them It was the time of his love and he said live 10. Conclus What ever the endeavours and dispositions of men be they are only by way of order before Conversion they are only antecedaneous thereunto on mans part not necessary on Gods part who can and oft doth work where there be no such previous acts or dispositions as in the dry bones in Ezekiel they had no disposition or power in them to rattle and come together neither had the dead womb of Sarah any power or vertue in it to conceive 11. Conclus Acts of men towards Conversion are not to be rested in as any satisfaction for sinne as making the person acceptable to God or as inducements of God towards conversion Qui nobis ipsis nihil a deo meriti sumus quibus deus nullam gratiam nullam mercedē debet se si jure nobiscum agat juxta conditionē servorū Brugensis in loc but we must acknowledge our selves unprofitable servants when we have done all that is commanded us Luke 17.10 12. Conclus Mans quickning believing repenting or turning are not acts of man in part and partly of God but they are wholly of God and from God You hath he quickned Ephes 2.1 they were dead and could not quicken themselves it was He the Lord So no man can come to me except the Father draw him John 6.44 This drawing or causing the soule to believe in Christ is wholly the Fathers work Nisi donum dei esset ipsa ad deum nostra conversio non ei diceretur Deus virtutum converte nos Aug. de gra lib. Arb. Jam. 1.17 August And Ephraim saith Turn thou me and I shall be turned Jer. 31.18 he could not turne himselfe if the Lord had not done it it would never have been done Paul saith It 's not in him that wills c. but in God c. The will and deed are of him not of man Phil. 2.13 It is the Lord who is causa totius entis Every good and perfect gift comes downe from above it 's not a perfect gift if man contribute to it The saying of the Father is sound Velle habemus sed bene velle in parte in toto est a gratia 13. Conclus Man in the first act of conversion is meerly passive Those who believe are borne not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God nothing of mans will comes in Not ultimum dictamen intellectus did set the will on work here but the Lord begat them of his owne will Jam. 1.18 So that mans will is not semiviva semimortua but penitus extincta ad bonum spirituale and so ad hoc to this of Conversion as the vitall faculty is gone in a dead man 14. Conclus Mans will being first converted to God and by God himselfe converts it selfe also unto God acta agit as a childs hand in writing being acted by the Masters hand it writes Hence man may be said to turn himself for the will being healed and made good of unwilling willing it hath an intrinsecal principle of willing good and so dominion over its own acts whereby it turneth it selfe to God Where there is the Fathers drawing first there is presently the
the only begotten Son of the eternall God had flesh lusting in them unto sin Which is as convincing an Argument that humane nature is blemished and infected that it hath received a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stain and venome as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of a pestential disease whose breakings out display the contagion within If the Carbuncle and the Tokens proclaim the Plague or the spots discover a pestilential feaver or the Variolae those postulous efflorescencies which we commonly name the Small Pox argue the praecipitation of the blood by some latent malignity Certainly the lustings of the flesh in all men demostrate that the very nature of man on Earth is now blasted and corrupted Methinks the Divine perfection and our owne imperfection are the two greatest Sensibles in the world both of them equally that is immensely clear and discernable For the former is no lesse illustriously undenyable then is the being light and beauty of the Sun in the Firmament at noon day And the later is no lesse evident and conspicuous than the obscurity and horrour of Midnight-darknesse Not to see the one is to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without God in the world and not to feel the other for it is like the Aegyptian darknesse Exod. 10.21 that may be felt by all that are not past feeling is to be without or besides ones self Now since all the reason in the world consents to the truth of that Aphorisme of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the best and most excellent mind is the parent of the Universe Hierecles most divinely concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Carm. Isa 57.20 and an Almighty everliving goodnesse is the Source and root of all things since heaven and earth say Amen and again Amen Hallelujah to that Oracle of the Psalmist The worke of God is honourable and glorious Psal 111.3 And all that God made was very good Gen. 1.31 No wonder if it puzzled all philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence humane nature came to be thus vitiated and debauched What are the fountains of this great Deep of sinne within us which like the troubled Sea is perpetually thus casting out mire and dirt Sure enough so universall an effect as this calamity of mankind must have a cause as universal The Sâ—cinians here and others will have us believe that we all are born as innocent as Adam in Paradise that is say they in an aequilibrium and perfect indifferency to good and evill assigning no other cause of the generall corruption of mens lives and manners but the infection of example and evill custome which is methinks as wise a guesse as to affirm the Wolf and Vulture to be bred and hatch't with as sweet and harmlesse a nature as the innocent Lamb or loving Turtle but only the naughty behaviour and ill example of their auncestors and companions have debauched them into ravennousnesse and ill manners The Manichees as St. Austin tels who was himselfe for severall years before his conversion of that heresie thought that all the evill in the world sprang from an Almighty and an eternall principle of evill counter-working and over-bearing God whom they held the opposite eternal principle of goodness But since the very formall notion of God involveth infinite perfection and that of sin meer imperfection it is a perfect contradiction that evill should be infinite if good be so It were to make imperfection perfect and meer impotency Omnipotent Therefore there can be but one God who is Almighty goodnesse And as possible it is that the Sun should darken the world by shining as Almighty goodness should do any hurt in the world or make any evill God is the Author of all the good in the world but sin and misery are of our making Hos 13.9 Much wiser than either of the two former was the conjecture of the Pythagoreans and Platonists though Heathens who having nothing else to consult as wantâ—ng the divine Revelation of holy Scripture but their own faculties embraced the conceit that all humane souls were created in the beginning upright and placed by God in happier mansions in purer and higher regions of the Universe untill at length they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hierocles phraseth it i. e. till they fell from the divine life and became inhabitants of earthly Tabernacles bringing their fallen and degenerate natures along with them This opinion had of old the generall consent of the Jewes as appeareth Jo. 9.2 and yet hath as Men. Ben Israel in his Book De Resurrectione mortuorum witnesseth Among the Christians Origen is in the number of it's Sectaries in his books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some few of the Ancients But as much as is necessary for us to know about this great enquiry God hath blessed be his goodnesse sufficiently revealed in the three first Chapters of Genesis compared with Psal 51.5 Eccles 7.29 Rom. 12 5 c. And he is as wise as he need be in so great a point that knows how to understand these Scriptures according to the Analogie of Faith and consistently with the Divine perfections and that so believeth them as to put that and no other sense and interpretation upon them which is worthy of the glorious attribute and excellent Majesty of the living God Although some difficulties will remain perhaps insuperable to us in this our present estate on earth Use 2 Exhortat I have already in some measure discovered the Mysteries and secrets of this blessed art of checking sin in the beginnings of it Let me now perswade the practise of these holy Rules let us resolve in the strength of Christ to resist these lustings of the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Take the exhortation of the Apostle watch ye stand fast in the faith quit your selves like men 1 Cor. 16.13 Let me press this with a few considerations 1. The more thou yeeldest the more thou mayest Sin is unsatiable it will never say it is enough Give it an inch it will take an ell See the sad example of Peter denying his Lord Matth 26. 1. He was only timerous he follows afar off vers 58. 2. At the next step he denies his Lord openly before them all vers 70. 3. He adds an oath to it vers 72. And lastly vers 74. he falls a cursing and swearing as if he meant to out-sin the vilest there It is no wisdome to try conclusions between fire and Gun-powder in the heap Who but a fool would unlock the door of his house when it is beset with Thieves and excuse it he did but turn the key that was all Why he need do no more to undo himself they will easily do all the rest 2. It is the quarrel of the Lord of Hosts in which thou fightest Caesarem vehis fortunam caesaris let thy courage rise in proportion to the goodnesse of thy cause and the honour of that great Prince Captain under whose
upon a sick bed and it is God that must do it even in health and to speak truly and strictly although the means of repentance be more probable and the truth of repentance more discernable in health then in sickness yet the practise of repentance is as hard a work in health as in sickness seeing in both cases it is the great work of the omnipotent God who hath ever challenged it as his royal prerogative to give repentance whatever those hostes gratiae Christi as Austin cals them say to the contrary so that in short with men repentance is always impossible can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil Jer. 13.23 but with God it is always possible And yet to prevent the abuse of this by a presumptuous putting off repentance to the time of sickness and death upon this pretence I must add that such as put off repentance on such a pretext do seldom meet with it God doth seldom give repentance to such persons and it is a general observation of all serious Divines that late repentance is seldom true though true repentance is never late it being the just judgement of God that they that intend to mock God by putting off repentance should deceive themselves and die without repentance 2. That it is a work of great difficulty might easily be demonstrated but that will appear in the further prosecution of it all along only there are two Arguments which the Text suggests 1. That it is a work which God hath put into the hands of his chief Officers his Ministers who ought to be the most accomplished persons of all others c. this is one of those works for which God hath vouchsafed such singular gifts unto his Messengers 2. That it is not every Minister neither who is fit for this work and therefore here it is required that he be one of a thousand But this I shall pass over and come to that which is allotted to me the resolution of this great and important case of Conscience How Ministers or Christian friends may and ought to apply themselves to sick persons for their good and the discharge of their own consciences I take it to be one of the hardest parts of the Ministerial works to make seasonable applications to such persons I shall therefore endeavour to answer it though not so fully as the point deserves yet so far as the brevity of this Exercise will permit in these eight Propositions or Directions 1. Endeavour must be used to understand the state of the sick person As Physicians do by sick persons they enquire into the manner of their life diet c. it is a great step to the cure to know the Patients temper because as bodily so spiritual Physick must be suted to the temper and disposition and condition of the Patient And as Physicians take pains in this by conference with friends and by examining the Patient so should Ministers by discourse with religious acquaintance and by searching conference with the sick person endeavour to find out the truth for why should not men be as accurate in healing mens souls as their bodies since the very Heathen could say That all our care should be translated from the things of the body to the soul so Epictetus in his 6 Chapter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and as for the body men prize those Physicians most that best know their temper c. so should sick persons prefer caeterîs paribus that faithful Minister that hath most knowledge of them c. 2. The great business is to bring the sick man to a true sight of his state and condition indeed this is an happy thing whatever his condition be if his conditio be sound and good then it is an happiness to know it that he may have the comfort of it if it be bad yet it is an happiness to know it that a man may be capable of counsel and put into the way to amend it it is true evil men like persons much in debt care not to look into their books and understand their debts but they must be brought to it And the worse thy condition is the more art thou concerned to discover it for to be ignorant of thy condition if it be good only hinders thee from comfort but if it be bad it hinders thee from salvation you and they must both consider that as the heart is always deceitful so then especially for three reasons amongst others 1. Then men are impotent and unable to examine themselves their natural parts are weakned the eyes of their mind clouded their mind is diverted by bodily paines that it cannot attend and so may sooner be cheated 2. Then men are sloathful and listless as to all spiritual exercises if even good men are sloathful in their most healthful times how much more evil men in times of sickness the listlesness of the body generally makes an answerable impression upon the faculties of the soul that being a received truth amongst Physicians and Philosophers ratified by daily experience that mores animi sequuntur temperames 〈◊〉 tum corporis 3. In times of sickness men are greedy of comfort and so will catch even at a shadow c. upon all these grounds there needs the more caution to set before his eyes the folly and misery of self-deceit especially in everlasting matters 3. Ministers and others must take great heed lest while they avoid one extream they run upon another which is a common errour in practise some for the prevention of despair have made such unseasonable applications of comfort as have begotten presumptuous hopes Others again to prevent presumption have so indiscreetly aggravated things as to render them hopeless and so careless c. there must therefore be a prudent contemperation of things together as the wise Physician mixeth several ingredients he puts in indeed things of a sharpe and corroding nature which may eat out or remove the noxious humours but addeth to them things of a more gentle temperature which by their leuity may correct the acrimony of the former God himself sets us a copy by the mouth of Samuel 1 Sam. 12.20 You have done all this wickedness there is the corrosions he faithfully discovers that and doth not dawbe with them yet lest the disease should rather be exasperated then removed he addes this healing counsel yet turn not a side from following the Lord this Cordial v 22. The Loâ—d will not forsake his people and Ezra follows it Ezra 10.2 We have trespassed against God and have taken strange wives yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this now therefore let us make a covenant with God 4. The same methods are not to be used to all sick persons you might as well give the same pill to all diseased persons whereas that which would cure one will kill another you may as well make one suit for all bodies
gods did mightily draw the people to imitate their wantonness and Augustine gives the reason Magis intuebantur quid fecerat Jupiter quam quid docuit Plato They more minded what Jupiter did than what Plato taught Jeroboam the Son of Nebat is said to make Israel to sin that 's his brand How did hee make Israel to sin why by his Law hee commanded them to sin but by his practice and Example hee made them to sin hee set up Calves in Dan and Bethel and whole herds of people ran a lowing after them So it is said of St. Peter that hee compelled the Gentiles to Judaize Gal. 2.14 Epistola Hieronymi intra opera Augustini Epist 11. Why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews How did St. Peter compel the Gentiles to Judaize not by any thing hee preacht to them saith Hierome but by his Example non docentis imperio sed conversantis exemplo A stone you know thrown into the water makes it self but one circle aye but that one perhaps begets a score or an hundred so it is here hee that sets an evil Example sins not alone hee draws hundreds it may bee into sin after him Hee is like a man that sets his own house on fire it burns many of his neighbours and hee is to bee answerable for all the ruines 6. By inference from a bad Example or by imitation so a man is guilty of another mans sin not onely by Pattern in setting bad Examples but also by Practice in following bad Examples and thus that man that will bee drunk because another was drunk or that breaks the Sabbath because others do the like hee is not onely guilty of his own particular sin but hee is guilty also of their sins whom hee imitates and follows and the reason is because bad Examples are not Land-marks for us to go by but they are Sea-maâ—ks for us to avoid Hence you shall finde in Scripture mention made of Children by imitation as well as by nature and people by imitation as well as by nation and Kings by imitation as well as by succession I le give you an instance of all these Look into that Judges 18.30 The children of Dan set up the graven Image and Jonathan the Son of Gershom the Son of Manasseh hee and his Sons were Priests to the Tribe of Dan. Here Jonathan an Idol-Priest is called the Son of Gershom the Son of Manasseh i. e. the Grand-childe of Manasseh Now it is clear in Scripture that Gershom was the Son of Moses and not of Manasseh Exod. 2.22.18.3 1 Chron. 23.15 And so Jonathan must bee the Grand-childe of Moses and not of Manasseh But the Jews and learned Criticks tell us that hee is called the Grand-childe of Manasseh for a double reason 1. Because the Scripture consulting the honour of Moses did conceal his pedigree as to Moses for it had been a disgrace to Moses to have had upon record an Idol-Priest in his linage And 2. Which is to my purpose hee is called the Grand-childe of Manasseh and that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and anticipation because hee followed him in his Idolatry hee was no whit like Moses but rather imitated Manasseh and so hee is called his Grand-childe For the other instance see Isa 1.10 Hear the Word of the Lord yee Rulers of Sodome and give ear unto the Law of our God yee people of Gomorrah Why beloved these that the Prophet speaks to they were the people of Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Why does the Prophet call them the people of Gomorrah even for this reason they did imitate those filthy Sodomites and Gomorrhites in wickedness and wanâ—onness and looseness and so became guilty of their sins and worthy of their names The last instance you have in 2 Châ—on 28.19 The Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz King of Israel Ahaz all know was King of Judah and not King of Israel but hee is called King of Is ael because hee imitated the wicked and Idolatrous Kings of Israel hee was not so by succession but hee was so by imitation Hence it is that God is said to visite the iniquity of the Fathers upon the children because they make themselves guilty by imitation and this may bee a key to unlock that place of the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.13 Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse deceiving and being deceived Deceivers are worse but the deceived are worse if they see a bad example and will not avoid it but copy it they are worse than worse The deceiver is guilty of the deceived's sin by Instigation and the deceived is guilty of the deceivers sin by imitation And this is the woful intricate perplexed Labrinth into which sin doth precipitate careless and ungodly Sinners If thou committest that sin which none before committed but thee thou art guilty of all the sins of future Generations by thy Example as Adam was in the World and Jeroboam in Israel And if thou committest any sin because others have committed it before thee thou art guilty of all the sins of former Generations by thy imitation and so sin never goes alone a single sin is as great a soloecism in Divinity as a single thank is in Grammar and Morality and that you may know Christians I do not speak without Book in so saying witness that dreadful place Mat. 23.34 35 36. Wherefore behold I send unto you Prophets and wise men and Scribes and some of them yee shall kill and crucifie and some of them yee shall scourge in your Synagogues and persecute from City to City Mark that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the Earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias the Son of Barachias whom yee slew though slain in Jehoash reign almost nine hundred years before yet yee slew between the Temple and the Altar Verily I say unto you all these things shall come upon this Generation and why because they sinned after the similitude of their Fathers transgression Oh what matter of humiliation is this to every soul that continues in any known sin 7. By countenance by delightful society and company with wicked men to countenance them so wee become partakers of their sins 1 Cor. 5.11 compared with 13. But now I have written to you not to keep company If any man that is called a Brother bee a Fornicator or Covetous or an Idolater or a Railer or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such a one no not to eat Therefore put away from among your selves that wicked person As you would avoid the sin avoid the sinner Eating does denote intimate fellowship and familiarity and wee cannot bee intimate with such without contracting their guâ—â—t to our own souls 'T is true indeed all commerce with such is not forbidden for then as the Apostle saies wee must go out of the World vers 10. but intimate society is upon this account And therefore the Apostle or at
in no wise lose kis reward If in special it be demanded what profit is there of Charity I answer as the Apostle did of Circumcision much every way Yea Rom. 3.12 I may say of Charity as the Apostle doth of Piety 1 Tim. 4.8 It is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come In this life is promised 1. Sufficiency Hee that giveth to the poor shall not lack that is Pâ—ov 28.27 hee shall be secured from want and penury God will not suffer him to be brought to penury who hath been charitable to the poor 2. Not only sufficiency but likewise abundance For saith the Wise-man Honour the Lord with thy substance Pâ—ov 3.9 10. by giving freely and chearfully to charitable and pious uses So shall thy barns bee filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new Wine which is an hyperbolical expression implying plenty and abundance 3. Good success in what hee enterprizeth According to that of Moses Deut. 15.10 Thou shalt surely give him because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thy hand unto 4. Deliverance out of trouble For saith the Psalmist Psal 41.1 Blessed is hee that considereth the poor the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble 5. Protection against enemies as it followeth in the next verse Vers 2. Thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies 6. Succour in sickness as the Prophet goes on Vers 3 The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing that is the Lord will comfort and support him in his sickness and at length restore his strength again Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness that is thou wilt give him ease and rest as they do to sick men that make their beds 7. To pass by other particulars Blessedness which comprizeth under it all manner of Commodities is promised to the charitable person Prov. 22.9 And in Psal 41.2 It is said Hee shall bee blessed upon the earth yea and at the resurrection of the just Luk. 14.14 8. This promise is extended to his postetity for his seed shall bee blessed Psal 37.26 These and other like promises of temporal spiritual and eternal blessings being made by the Lord God of Truth may with much confidence be rested upon For Gods words are deeds his promises performances Mat. 25.34 In the life to come merciful men shall inherit the Kingdome prepared for them from the foundation of the world There are among others two Metaphors often used by the Holy Ghost in setting our Alms-giving which do much amplifie the commodity thence arising One is taken from lending The other from sowing 1. Alms-giving is set forth in Scripture by lending yea to such a lending whereby wee have not only the principal restored but with great increase And whereas such as put forth their mony unto men can expect but six in the hundred If wee in obedience to the command of God shall freely part with our mony to the use of the poor for their relief wee shall receive an hundred for six yea an hundred for one Mark 10.30 and eternal life to boot And wee need not to doubt of the payment for though the poor be never so unable yet wee have an all-sufficient Surety even God himself who hath undertaken to pay whatsoever is thus put forth Prov. 19.17 according to that of the Wise-man Hee that hath pitty upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which hee hath given will hee pay him again Where you have Gods counter-bond to save you harmless in which hee both acknowledgeth the debt and promiseth payment And what better security can any man desire than a bond under Gods own hand The consideration whereof should mee-thinks make us willing to embrace any opportunity of putting out our mony to this great advantage 2. As for the other Metaphor of sowing it is in Scripture applied to Alms-giving Psal 112.9 under this phrase Hee hath dispersed As the Husbandman disperseth his seed which hee soweth in the earth so doth the Alms-giver his Alms therefore this is added by way of exposition Hee hath given to the poor The Apostle also applieth unto Alms-giving this proverbial speech Hee which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly 2 Cor. 9.6 and hee which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Now what is it that ordinarily bringeth forth a greater increase than sowing seed in fertile ground It is said of Isaac that hee sowed in the Land Gen. 26.12 and received in the same year an hundred-fold And Christ saith that good ground beareth fruit some an hundred-fold some sixty-fold Mat. 13.8 some thirty-fold Now Alms-giving is one of those things that shall receive an hundred-fold and shall inherit everlasting life If therefore profit and advantage may be a Motive to stir us up unto any thing surely it should be a Motive to incite us unto liberality in Alms-giving to be bountiful in contributing to the relief of the poor For it is a most certain truth that giving to the poor is the suâ—est and safest way of getting For though Husband-men may sometimes lose the benefit of their seed sowen through mill-dews or unseasonable weather and such as put their mony to use may come short of their principal yet hee who with an honest and sincere heart giveth to the poor shall in no wise lose his reward For as the Wise-man speaketh There is that scattereth and yet encreaseth Prov. 11.24 intimating unto us that this scattering is the best way of encreasing And indeed so it is for hath not our Saviour promised Luk. 6.35 That if wee give it shall bee given unto us good measure pressed down and shaken together Here God gives us as it were a bill of his hand and enters into bond and becomes Surety with the poor that what wee give shall be repayed with advantage This is a Paradox to worldly men that giving should bee the surest and safest way of getting and encreasing yet nothing more clearly laid down in the Scripture and found to be true by the experience of all Gods people 4. The fourth Motive and Inducement is the dammage which may ensue upon the neglect of Alms-giving Though it argue a kinde of servile disposition to be moved with fear of loss or pain to a duty yet of that disposition are many and in that respect this may be added as an Inducement to the duty The dammage that may arise upon the neglect of Charity when it ought to be shewed is in the kinde thereof as large as the fore-mentioned benefits of performing the duty in the kinde of it For neglect of the duty doth not only cause a forfeiture of all the forementioned benefits arising from the performance thereof but also pulleth upon the neglectors head many evils Where the Wise-man saith The merciful man
in our love towards them 1 John 2.15 Love not the World neither the things that are in the World by taking too much complacency and delight in them nor our rejoycing Eccles 11.9 if thou dost know for all these things God will bring thee to Judgment Nay our Saviour when the Disciples returned with joy that the Devils were subject to them Luk. 10.17 which was a divine and extraordinary gift calls them off and shews them a fit matter of rejoycing wherein they could not exceed not absolutely forbidding but limiting them with a rather but rather rejoyce that your names are written in heaven Ver. 20. nor in our glorying in them Jer. 9.23 24. Oh what need of moderation here In our eating drinking sleeping lawful recreations rayment in the using of our parts Learning Riches Honours and other Creature comforts If the enjoyment of these outward things had been so considerable think you our blessed Saviour who could have commanded them would have wanted them What are the best of them Are thy Riches any thing but of the earth and earthly Thy Pleasures any thing but a little titillation of the flesh of no permanent nature lives but one instant and dies as fast Thy Honour any thing besides a hollow eccho or noyse that like the circle of the water is but of little circumference and soon gone Doth not every cross wind or wave break and dash it away Is not he that 's great in this City scarce known in the next He that 's King in one nation unknown to many other nations How short lived I pray Have there not been many great ones we never heard of Those we read do we not skip their names often not troubling our selves with the thought or remembrance of them If we do what are they the better Read Psal 103.14 15 16 17 18. Nay have not the greatest judgments of God followed excess in things lawful I will trouble you with none but a few Scriptural Examples Two of the greatest the World ever knew the flood and destruction of Sodom and the rest of the Cities of the Plain to what are they ascribed but Security and Excess They did eat they drank they married Wives they were given in marriage What follows The flood came and destroyed them all Luk. 17.27 Likewise in the daies of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded all again things lawful in themselves but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all v. 28 29. If David too much pride and glory in the number of his people and fall to numbring them God quickly follows with Pestilence and makes them decrease seventy thousand 1 Chron. 21.14 If Nebuchadnezzar will vaunt Is not this great Babylon that I have built by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty While the word is in his mouth there falls a voice from heaven The Kingdom is departed from thee and he is turned to grass with the Oxen Dan. 4.30 33. And his Son Belshazzars great Feast fills up the measure for which he was that night slain and his Kingdom taken Dan. 5.1 30 31. If the rich man will think thus and so will I do and say Soul thou hast goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry He is not only stigmatized for a fool but this night shall thy soul be required of thee follows Luk. 12.19 20. Nay if the wicked servant begin to eat and drink with the drunken his Lord will come unexpectedly and cut him asunder and appoint his portion with the hypocrites Mat. 24.49 51. How great then this sin is Gods judgments being alwaies equal and proportioned to our offences what slight thoughts soever we may have of it you cannot but by these Examples perceive Nay rather what a big-bellied Monster is it Full of many deadly sins full of Atheism unbelief idolatry carnal security preferring these things before God Christ heaven and happiness Take heed and beware therefore herein lest while they speak thee fair they wound thy heart ◠Towards the evills of this life 1. We must moderate our fears of these befalling us according to the good they threaten to deprive us of As we must not fear these groundlesly so when there is just cause and apparent danger we should not be senseless and secure nor fear all alike or over-fear any Security is the fore-runner to destruction 1 Thes 5.3 which these should awake us out of but not so affect us or affright us as to put us past our selves and our duty when the storm threatens us we must not with Jonah be asleep but praying and endeavouring as the poor Marriners for preservation Or as the Disciples Lord save us we perish though they were too fearful in regard of Christs being with them who was sufficient security for their safety There is a provident fear that opens our eyes to foresee dangers and quickens us in the use of lawful means for their prevention such was the good Patriarch Jacobs of Esau his destroying him and his company that makes him pray send presents to his brother divide his bands and use all prudent means of preservation Gen. 32. This we must have for security and putting far away the evill day when God threatens us even with temporal judgments is a great sin and hath a woe pronounced upon it Amos 6. whereas this makes us wisely serve the providence of God But then there is a diffident fear that distracts us and cuts all the nerves and sinews of lawful care and endeavours that brings a snare with it Prov. 29.25 and often drives us upon unwarrantable means or makes us sit down in despair This we must beware of by a due moderating our fears according to the impendent evill which must be judged by its opposite good Not fearing all evils alike the loss of some wealth like the loss of our health because health is the better good no nor all evils of the same kind alike not a Tertian Ague like the Stone this by its exquisite pain depriving us more of the natural comfort of health and more endangering our lives And not over-fearing the greatest viz. Death called by Job The King of terrors 15. and 14. and by the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of all terribles the most terrible which our Saviour as man feared with a natural fear yet chargeth we should not over-fear it Mat. 10.28 Luk. 12.4 Ye◠though we should fear political or publike evils as Wars Famine Pestilence more than our own personal of which you see I speak only all along in regard those are greater the publick good being be ter and to be preferred before any private yet not these too much 2. We must moderate our grief trouble for these according to the good we want or lose by them There are imaginary evils that are of our own creation begot brought up
main and principall weapon of their warfare is quick and powerfull Heb. 4.12 a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and it casts down imaginations and brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ Therefore while we have this Word and Spirit 2 Cor. 10.5 it is possible though difficult to discover the hypocrisie of our own spirits and to direct others to find out theirs It is not a poor souls fearing and doubting his hypocrisie accusing Caution 3 and charging himself with it crying out of himself as a wretched man by reason of it that concludes and determines he is such See David in Psal 51.10 11 12. charging himself so and the Church accusing her self of erring from Gods wayes and having their hearts hardned from his fear Isa 63.17 and yet their own expressions in the Verses before Vers 15 16. manifest the frame of their spirits to be exceeding tender and humble Holy Mr Bradford would many times subscribe himself in his Letters John the hypocrite and a very painted Sepulchre Fox his Acts and Alon. Agur one of the wisest men living condemns himself for being more bruitish than any man and not having the understanding of a man Prov. 30.2 And David one of the holiest and devoutest men living upon an ordinary temptation viz. the prosperity of the wicked was very apt to charge the wayes of God with unprofitablenesse Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency Psal 73.13 but afterwards seeing his errour he chargeth it so upon himself that he upbraids and condemns himself for foolish and ignorant Vers 22. and a very beast before God It is usuall with the best men to have the worst thoughts of themselves 1. Partly because as God will give most grace to the humble so there is great need of giving more humility to those that have most grace 2. Partly because where there is true grace there is an insatiable desire of more The children of God have never enough of communnion with God nor of conformity to him they seldome look back and say this thou hast but still presse forward to this thou hast not and this thou maist and this thou must have Phil. 3.12 13. 3. And partly because as there is much difference between faith in its direct and its reflected act between knowing God and knowing that we know him between believing and knowing that we believe so there is between having sincerity and finding a feeling of it constantly between not being hypocrites and a constant confidence of it which would amount to no lesse than full assurance This is not granted to all and seldome to any at all times that so there may be a season for the exercise of other graces humility fear and trembling fear of sollicitude Phil. 2.12 2 Pet. 1. and diligence in making our calling and election sure And this is to be remembred and observed viz. That God likes us never the worse that Satan is so much our enemy but much the better that by humility lowlinesse of mind and self-denial we seem to be our own enemies 4. Nor are they foul failings nor dangerous fallings into grosse Caution 4 sins if a man die not impenitently in them that do constitute an hypocrite indeed raigning sin doth The falls of Gods people may be Horrendae tempestates flenda naufragia The greivous falls of Gods people do evidence there is hypocrisie in them but not that they are hypocrites David was guilty of adultery and murther and puft up with exceeding pride and vain-glory in the multitude of his Subjects and strength of his Kingdome but Davids repenting and rising again cleared him from being an hypocrite so that the spirit of God testifies from his own mouth that he was upright and kept himself from his iniquity Psal 18. i. e. from the raign and continuance of it and after his fall he was called a man after Gods own heart Thou hast not been as my servant David who kept all my Commandments and followed me with all his heart to do that only which was right in my sight 1 King 14.8 The Lord overlookt his adultery and murther for indeed he had put away his sin or made it passe over as it is in the Original that is to Christ Hezekiahs heart was lifted up and he renderd not according to the benefit done unto him 2 Chron. 32.25 26. 2 Chron. 29.2 but Hezekiah was humbled and the wrath of God came not upon him all his dayes he was not an hypocrite no he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his father David had done So Peter denied and forswore his Master after many warnings and many promises to the contrary yet he repented and wept bitterly his fall shewd him to be a weak frail man but proved him not a hypocrite Job confessed himself a sinner Iob 13.23 and that many were his iniquities and transgressions but Job would never confesse himself an hypocrite Iob 27.5 6. no he would keep his integrity till he died for it is not the falling into sin or the being guilty of it Psal 66.18 but regarding iniquity in the heart that denominates an hypocrite otherwise all men were hypocrites for certainly all men are sinners Rom. 3. all shut up under sin Caution 5 5. Nor is it backsliding into the same sinnes that makes a man an hypocrite David had gotten into a way of lying to save his life viz. 1 Sam. 21. in the 2d verse he told one lye in the end of the verse another and in the 8th verse another He prayes that God would take from him the way of lying And the promise of mercy and pardon is not only to sinnes but backslidings I will heal their backslidings Hos 14.4 Ier. 3.22 And such are invited to return to God Return thou backsliding Israel and I will heal your backslidings Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Indeed to be bent to backsliding is a dangerous sign of prevailing hypocrisie and yet some in this case shall turn and walk after the Lord. Hos 11.2 8 9.10 We do not read of the people of God that they did revolt and backslide into the same grosse sinnes after repentance nor David into adultery nor Peter to faintheartednesse nor Paul to persecution But yet this may be so and provision is made in that case by the promise of healing backslidings Though it cost them dear to recover their peace after revolting into grosse sinnes after pardon and peace spoken and it will lye upon their consciences as an heavy aggravation of their sinne and â—olly 1 King 11.9 Psal 85.8 But yet it doth not conclude that all was done in hypocrisie before and that they were but meer hypocrites no more than Solomons falling and Idolatry which he repented of witnesse the book of Ecclesiastes