genuine 1. There is a zeal and activity meerly Natural which is the effect of an active temperature of body 2. There is an affected zeal which is hypocritical about things that are good when men speak and make an outward stir as if they were truly zealous when it is not so 3. There is a selfish zeal when a proud and selfish person is fervent in any matter that concerneth himself for his own opinions his own honour his own estate or friends or interest or any thing that is his own 4. There is a partial factioâ—s zeal when errour or pride or worldliness hath engaged men in a party and they think it is their duty or interest at least to side with the Sect or Faction which they have chosen they will be zealous for all the Mat. 23. 15. Opinions and wayes of their espoused Party 5. There is a superstitious Childish carnal zeal for small indifferent inconsiderable things Like that of the Pharisees and all such hypocrites for their Washings and Fastings and other ceremonious Observances 6. There is an envious malicious zeal against those that have the precedency and cross your desires or cloud your honour in the World or that contradict you in your conceits and ways such is that at large described Iam. 3. 7. There is a pievish contentious wrangling zeal that is assaulting every man who is not squared just to your conceits 8. There is a malignant zeal against the Cause and Servants of the Lord which carryeth men to persecute them See that you take not any of these or any such like for holy zeal § 3. If you should so mistake these mischiefs would ensue 1. Sinful zeal doth make men The mischiefs of false zeal doubly sinful As holy zeal is the fervency of our grace so sinful zeal is the intention and fervency of sin 2. It is an honouring of sin and Satan as if sin were a work and Satan a Master worthy to be fervently and diligently followed 3. It is the most effectual violent way of sinning making men do much evil in a little time and making them more mischievous and hurtful to others than other sinners are 4. It blindeth the judgement and maketh men take truth for falshood and good for evil and disableth Reason to do its office 5. It is the violent resister of all Gods means and teacheth men to rage against the truth that should convince them It stops mens ears and turns away their hearts from the Counsel which would do them good 6. It is the most furious and bloody persecutor of the Saints and Church of Jesus Christ It made Paul once exceeding mad against them Act. 26. 10 11. and shut them up in Prison and punish them in the Synagogues See Jam. 3. and câ—mpel them to blaspheam and persecute them even unto strange Cities and vote for their death Thus concerning zeal he persecuted the Church Phil. 4. 6. 7. It is the turbulent disquieter of all Societies A destroyer of Love a breeder and fomenter of contention and an enemy to order peace and quietness 8. It highly dishonoureth God by presuming to put his name to sin and errour and Rom. 10. 2. Act. 21. 20 22. to entitle him to all the wickedness it doth Such zealous sinners commit their sin as in the Name of God and fight against him ignorantly by his own pretended or abused authority 9. It is an impenitent way of sinning The zealous sinner justifieth his sin and pleadeth reason or Scripture for it and thinketh that he doth well yea that he is serving God when he is murdering his Servants Ioh. 16. 2. 10. It is a multiplying sin and maketh men exceeding desirous to have all others of the sinners mind The zealous sinner doth make as many sin with him as he can Yea if it be but a zeal for small and useless things or about small Controversies or Opinions in Religion 1. It sheweth a mind that 's lâ—mentably strange to the tenour of the Gospel and the mind of Christ and the practice of the great substantial things 2. It destroyeth Charity and peace and breedeth censuring and abusing others 3. It dishonoureth holy zeal by accident making the prophane think that all zeal is no better than the foolish passion of deceived men 4. And it disableth the persons that have it to do good even when they are zealous for holy truth and duty the people will think it is but of the same nature with their erroneous zeal and so will disregard them § 4. The signs of holy zeal are these 1. It is guided by a right Judgement It is a zeal for The signs of holy zeal Truth and Good and not for falshood and Evil Rom. 10. 2. 2. It is for God and his Church or cause and not only for our selves It consisteth with meekness and self-denyal and patience as to our own concernments and causeth us to prefer the interest of God before our own Numb 12. 3. Exod. 32. 19. Gal. 4. 12. Act. 13. 9 12. 3. It is always more careful of the substance than the circumstances It preferreth great things before small It contendeth not for small Controversies to Mat. 23. 22 23. Tit. 2. 14. the loss or wrong of greater truths It extendeth to every known truth and duty but in due proportion being hottest in the greatest things and coolest in the least It maketh men rather zealous of good works than of their controverted Opinions 4. Holy Zeal is alway charitable It is not cruel 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. â—â—â—â—k 9. 4. 1 Cor. 5. and bloody nor of a hurting disposition Luk. 9. 55. but is tender and merciful and maketh men burn with a desire to win and save mens souls rather than to hurt their bodies 1 Cor. 13. Zeal against the sin is conjunct with Love and pity to the sinner 2 Cor. 12. 21. 5. Yet it excludeth that foolish pity which cherisheth the sin Rev. 2. 2. 1 King 15. 13. 6. True zeal is tender of the Churches Unity and Peace It is not a dividing tearing zeal It is first pure and then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits Jam. 3. 17. 7. True zeal is impartial and is Gâ—n 38. 24. 2 Sam. 12. 5. as hot against our own sins and our Childrens and other relations sins as against anothers Mat. 7. 4. 8. True zeal respecteth all Gods Commandments and is not hot for one and contemptuous of another It aimeth at perfection and stinteth not our desires to any lower degree It maketh a man desirous to be like to God even Holy as he is Holy It consisteth principally in the fervour of our Love to God when false Zeal consisteth principally in censorious wranglings against other mens actions or opinions It first worketh towards good and then riseth up against the hindering-evil 9. It maketh 2 Cor. 8. 3. Act 18. 25. Exod. 36. 6. a man laborious in holy duty to God and diligent in
hope they are in a penitent pardoned state Even the haters of God will say they love him and the scorners at godliness will say that they are not ungodly and that it is but hypocrisie and singularity that they deride And it were well for them if saying so would go for proof and he that will be their Judge would take their words But God will not be deceived though foolish men are wise enough to deceive themselves Wickedness will be wickedness when it hath cloathed it self with the fairest names God will condemn it when it hath found out the most plausible pretences and excuses Though the Ungodly think to bear it out in pride and scorn and think to be saved by their hypocritical lip-service as soon as the most holy Worshippers of the Lord yet shall they be like chaff which the wind driveth away they shall not be able to stand in judgement nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous Psal. 1. 4 5 6. And if God know better than foolish men then certainly the flock is little to whom the Father will give the Kingdom Luke 12. 32. And wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat because strait is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it Matth. 7. 13. When Christ was asked Lord are there few that be saved he answered Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luke 13. 23 24. But alas we need no other information than common experience to tell us whether the greatest part of men be Holy and Heavenly and Self-denying that seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and Love God above all and will forsake all they have for the sake of Christ And undoubtedly none but such are saved as you may see Heb. 12. 14. Matth. 6. 20 21 33. Luke 14. 33. § 2. Seeing then the Godly are so few and the Ungodly so many and that God will take nothing for Holiness that is not such indeed and seeing it is so terrible a thing to any man that hath his wits about him to live one day in an unconverted state because he that dyeth so is lost for ever methinks it should be our wisdom to be suspicious of our selves and careful lest we be deceived in so great a business and diligent in searching and examining our hearts whether they are truly sanctified or not because it can be no harm to make sure work for our salvation whereas presumption carelesness and negligence may betray us to remediless misery and despair § 3. I do not here suppose the Reader to have any such acquaintance with his heart or care of his salvation or obedient willingness to be taught and ruled by Jesus Christ as is proper to those that are truly sanctified For it is Ungodly persons that now I am speaking to And yet if I should not suppose them to have some capacity and disposition to make use of the Directions which I give them I might as well pass them by and spare my labour I tell thee therefore Reader what it is that I presuppose in thee and expect from thee and I think thou wilt not judge me unreasonable in my suppositions and expectations § 4. 1. I suppose thee to be a Man and therefore that thou hast Reason and Natural-free-will that Presupposed 1. That â—â—â—â— are a man is the natural faculty of Choosing and Refusing which should keep thy sensitive appetite in obedience and that thou art capable of Loving and Serving thy Creator and Enjoying him in Everlasting Life § 5. 2. I suppose that thou knowest thy self to be a man and therefore that thy sensitive part or 2. That thou knowest this and what a man is flesh should no more rule thee or be ungoverned by thee than the Horse should rule the Rider or be unruled by him And that thou understandest that thou art made on purpose to Love and Serve thy Maker and to be happy in his Love and Glory for ever If thou know not this much thou knowest not that thou art a man or else knowest not what a man is § 6. 3. I suppose thee to have a Natural self-love and a desire of thy own preservation and happiness 3 Thaâ— thou hast self-love and a â—â—sâ—re to be happy and that thou hast no desire to be miserable or to be hated of God or to be cast out of his favour and presence into Hell and there to be tormented with Devils everlastingly Yea I will suppose that thou art not indifferent whether thou dwell in Heaven or Hell in Joy or Torment but wouldst fain be saved and be happy Whether thou be Godly or Ungodly wise or foolish I will be 4 That thou madâ—st not thy selâ— and that the first cause of aâ—l the Bâ—iâ—g Power Wisdom and Goodness of all the creatures haâ—h formally oâ—â—minenâ—ly more than all they And therefore that there is a God Cum despâ—â—â—â—râ— câ—â—iâ—us â—â—â—â—tire quid siâ—us quid ab animantiâ—us caeteris differamus tum ea iâ—sâ—qui incipiâ—mus ad quâ— nati sâ—mus Câ—cero 5. de finâ—â— See the proof of the God-head and that God is the Governour of the world and that there is another life for man in the beginning of my Holy Common-wealth Chap. 1 2 3. Commoâ—a qâ—ibus â—â—ioâ—â— lucem quâ—â—râ—imur spâ—â—iâ—um quem ducimus à Deo nobis dari impartiâ—i videmus Cicero pro Ros. Qâ—is â—st taâ—â— vâ—coâ—s qui cum sâ—speâ—erâ—â— in coeluâ— dâ—os esse non sâ—ntiat â—a quae tanta meâ—te fiunt ut vix quisquam arte ulla ordinem rerâ—m â—tqâ—e viâ—issitâ—diâ—em perâ—eqâ—i possit caâ—u fieri puteâ— Cicero de Resp. Arusp. Read Gaâ—en'â— Hymnâ— to the Creator Li. de usâ— partium pâ—aecipuè l. 3. cap. 10. Nâ—lla gâ—ns est tam immansâ—â—ta neque tam â—eâ—rea quae non etiamsâ— ignoret qualem Deum habere deceat tamen habendâ—m sciat Cicero 1. de Leg. Omâ—ibus â—nnatum quasi iâ—scâ—â—tâ—m est esse Dâ—os Id. de Nat. Deor. Agâ—â—â—â—imus Deum â—x opeâ—ibus â—jus Cicero 1. Tusâ—ul Nullâ—m est aâ—imal â—raetâ—â— hâ—minâ—m quod habet ullam notitiam Dei Cicero 1. de Legib. Nulla gâ—â—s tam sâ—ra cujus meâ—tem non imbâ—eâ—it dâ—orum opinio Cicero 1. Tuscul. I had rather believe all the Fables in the Legends Talmud Alcoran than that this universal frame is without a mind Lord Bacon Essay 16. A little Philosophy inclineth mans mind to Atheiâ—m but depth in Philosophy bringeth mens minds about to Religion Lord Bacon Essay 16. Stoâ—ci dicunt uâ—um Deum esse iâ—sâ—mque mâ—ntâ—m â—atum Iovem dicunt Principio illum cum esset aâ—ud se substantiam onnem per aerem in â—qâ—am coâ—vertisse Qâ—od aâ—â—em faciat Vâ—â—bâ—m Deum esse quod in ipsa sit Hunâ—
the world Rom. 8. 1 5 6 7 8 10 13 14. Whether all that were baptized are such as these when they come to age judge you § 4. It is true also that if you truly Repent you are forgiven But it is as true that true Repentance is the very Conversion of the soul from sin to God and leaveth not any man in the power of sin It is not for a man when he hath had all the pleasure that sin will yield him to wish then that he had not committed it which he may do then at an easie rate and yet to keep the rest that are still pleasant and profitable to his flesh Like a man that casts away the bottle which he hath drunk empty but keeps that which is full Or as men sell off their barren Kine and buy milch ones in their stead This kind of Repentance is a mockery and not a cure for the soul. If thou have true Repentance it hath so far turned thy heart from sin that thou wouldst not commit it if it were to do ☞ again though thou hadst all the same temptations And it hath so far turned thy heart to God and Holiliness that thou wouldst live a holy life if it were all to do again though thou hadst the same temptations as afore against it Because thou hast not the same heart This is the nature of true Repentance such a Repentance indeed is never too late to save but I am sure it never comes too soon § 5. Mark now I beseech you what a state of sin and what a state of Holiness is He that is in a state of sin hath habitually and predominantly a greater love to some pleasures or profits or honours of this world than he hath to God and to the glory which he hath promised He preferreth and seeketh and holdeth if he can his fleshly prosperity in this world before the favour of God and the happiness of the world to come His heart is turned from God unto the creature and is principally set on things on earth Thus his sin is the blindness and madness and perfidiousness and Idolatry of his soul and his forsaking of God and his salvation for a thing of nought It is that to his soul which poyson and death and sickness and lameness and blindness are to his body It is such dealing with God as that man is guilty of to his dearest friend or Father who should hate him and his company and love the company of a Dog or a Toad much better than his and obey his enemy against him And it is like a mad mans dealing with his Physicion who seeks to kill him as his enemy because he crosseth his appetite or will to cure him Think of this well and then tell me whether this be a state to be continued in This state of sin is something worse than a meer inconsiderate act of sin in one that otherwise liveth an obedient holy life § 6. On the other side a state of Holiness is nothing else but the Habitual and predominant devotion Nulla Religio vera est nisi 〈◊〉 virâ—â—t justitiâ— constat Id. ibid. and dedication of soul and body and life and all that we have to God An esteeming and loving and serving and seeking him before all the pleasures and prosperity of the flesh Making his favour and everlasting Happiness in Heaven our End and Jesus Christ our way and referring all things in the world unto that end and making this the scope design and business of our lives It is a turning from a deceitful world to God and preferring the Creator before the creature and Heaven before Earth and Eternity before an inch of Time and our souls before our corruptible bodies and the authority and Laws of God the Universal Governour of the world before the word or will of any man how great soever and a subjecting our sensitive faculties to our Reason and advancing this Reason by Divine Revelation and living by faith and not by sight In a word it is a laying up our treasure in Heaven and setting our hearts there and living in a Heavenly conversation setting our affections on the things above and not on the things that are on earth and a rejoicing in hope of the glory to come when sensualists have nothing but transitory bruitish pleasures to rejoyce in This is a state and life of Holiness when we perswade you to be Holy we perswade you to no worse than this When we commend a life of Godliness to your Choice this is the life that we mean and that we commend to you And can you understand this well and yet be unwilling of it It cannot be Do but know well what Godliness and Ungodliness is what Grace and Sin are and the work is almost done Direction 3. TO know what a life of Holiness is believe the Word of God and those that have Direct 3. tryed it and believe not the slanders of the Devil and of ungodly men that never tryed or knew the things which they reproach § 1. Reason cannot question the reasonableness of this advice Who is wiser than God or who is to be believed before him And what men are liker to know what they talk of then such as speak from their own experience Nothing more familiar with wicked men than to slander and reproach the holy wayes and servants of the Lord. No wisdom no measure of Holiness or righteousness will exempt the Godly from their malice Otherwise Christ himself at least would have been exempted if not his Apostles or other Saints whom they have slandered and put to death Christ hath foretold us what to expect from them John 15. 18 19 20 21. If the world hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you If you were of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Remember the word that I said unto you The servant is not greater than the Lord If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you if they have kept my sayings they will keep yours also § 2. The truth is wicked men are the seed and children of the Devil and have his image and obey him and think and speak and do as he would have them And the Godly are the seed and members of Christ and bear his Image and obey him And do you think that the Devil will bid Victor utic saith that the Arrian Goths tormented the devoted Virgins to force them to confess that their Pastors had committed fornication with them but no torment prevaâ—â—ed with them though manâ— were killed with it pag. 407 408. lib. 2. Terrent praecepâ—â—s â—â—ralibus ut in medio Vandalorum nostri nâ—llatâ—â—us respirarent Neâ— usâ— quaâ—â—e orandi aut immolandi conâ—edâ—retâ—r gâ—mâ—ntibus locus Nam diversae calumniae non dâ—erant quotidie etiam illis sacerdotibus qui in his
carrieth thee to the place No one forceth thee to sin If thou do it it is because thou wilt do it and lovest it If thou be in good earnest with God and wilt be saved indeed and art not content to part with Heaven for thy cups and company away with them presently without delay § 4. Hast thou lived in wantonness fornication uncleanness gluttony gaming pastimes sensuality to the pleasing of thy flesh while thou hast displeased God O bless the Patience and Mercy of the Lord that thou wast not cut off all this while and damned for thy sin before thou didst repent And as thou lovest thy soul delay no longer but make a stand and go no further not one step further in the way which thou knowest leads to Hell If thou knowest that this is the way to thy damnation and yet wilt go on what pity dost thou deserve from God or man § 5. If thou have been a Covetous Wordling or an Ambitious seeker of honour or preferment in the world so that thy gain or rising or reputation hath been the game which thou hast followed and hath taken thee up instead of God and life eternal away now with these known deceits and hunt not after Vanity and Vexation Thou knowest before hand what it will prove when thou hast overtaken it and hast enjoyed all that it can yield thee and how useless it will be as to thy comfort or happiness at last § 6. Surely if men were willing they are able to forbear such sins and to make a stand and look before them to prevent their misery Therefore God thus pleadeth with them Isa. 1. 16 17 18. Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well c. Isa. 55 2 3. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you V. 6 7. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found Call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Christ supposeth that the foresight of judgement may restrain men from sin when he saith Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee John 5. 14. 8. 11. Can the presence of men restrain a Fornicator and the presence of the Judge restrain a Thief yea or the foresight of the Assizes And shall not the presence of God with the foresight of judgement and damnation restrain thee Remember that impenitent sin and damnation are conjoyned If you will cause one God will cause the other Choose one and you shall not choose whether you will have the other If you will have the Serpent you shall have the sting Direction 15. IF thou have sincerely given up thy self to God and consented to his Covenant shew it Direct 15. by turning the face of thy endeavours and conversation quite another way and by seeking Heaven more fervently and diligently than ever thou soughtest the world or fleshly pleasures § 1. Holiness consisteth not in a meer forbearance of a sensual life but principally in living unto God The principle or heart of Holiness is within and consisteth in the Love of God and of his Word and Wayes and Servants and Honour and Interest in the world and in the souls delight in God and the Word and Wayes of God and in its inclination towards him and desire after him and care to please him and lothness to offend him The expression of it in our lives consisteth in the constant diligent exercise of this internal life according to the directions of the Word of God If thou be a believer and hast subjected thy self to God as thy absolute Soveraign King and Judge it will then be thy work to obey and please him as a Child his Father or a Servant his Master Mal. 1. 6. Do you think that God will have Servants and have nothing for them to do Will one of you commend or reward your servant for doing nothing and take it at the years end for a satisfactory answer or account if he say I have done no harm God calleth you not only to do no harm but to love and serve him with all your heart and soul and might If you have a better Master than you had before Aâ—osta faith that the Iâ—aiaâ—s are so addicted to their Idolatry and unwearied in it that he knoweth not what words can sufficiently declare how totally their minds are transformed into it no Whâ—re monger having so mad a love to his Whore as they to their Ido's so that neither in their idleness or their business neither in publick or in private will they do any thing till they have first used their Superstition to their Idols They will neither rejoyce at Weddings or mourn at Funerals neither make a Feast or partake of it not so much as move a foot out of doors or a hand to any work without this Heathemsh Sacriledge And all this they do with the greatest secrefie lest the Christians should know it Lib. 5. c. 8. p. 467. See here how nature teacheth all men that there is a Deity to be worshipped with all possible love and industry And shall the Worshippers of the true God then think it unnecessary preciseness to be as diligent and hearty in his service you should do more work than you did before Will you not serve God more zealoussy than you served the Devil Will you not labour harder to save your souls than you did to damn them Will you not be more zealous in good than you were in evil What fruit had you then in those things whereof you are now ashamed For the end of those things is death Rom. 6. 21 22. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God you have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life If you are true Behâ—vers you have now laid up your hopes in Heaven and therefore will set yourselves to seek it as worldlings set themselves to seek the world And a sluggish wish with heartless lazy dull endeavours is no fit seeking of eternal joyes A creeping pace beseemeth not a man that is in the way to Heaven especially who went faster in the way to Hell This is not running as for our lives You may well be diligent and make haste where you have so great encouragement and help and where you may expect so good an end and where you are sure you shall never in life or death have cause to repent of any of your just endeavours and where every step of your way is pure and
sinned not You have got the victory and are more than Conquâ—r 〈…〉 Rom. 8. 37 38 39. Doth it sâ—â—m strange to you that few rich men are saved when Christ telleth you it is so hard as to be impossible with men Luke 18. 27. Mar. 10. 27. Or is it strange that Rich men should be the ordinary Rulers of the Earth Or is it strange that the wicked should hate the godly and the world hate them that 〈◊〉 châ—sen out of the world What of all this should seem strange Expect it as the common lot oâ— the fâ—â—thful and you will be better prepared for it § 2. Sâ—e therefore that you resist not evil by any Revengeful irregular violence Mat. 5. 39. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers and not resist leâ—t they receive damnation Rom. 13. 1 2 3. Imitate your Lord that When he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed all to him that judgeth righteously leaving us an ensample that ye should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21 23. An angry zeal against those that cross and hurt us is so â—asily kindled and hardly suppâ—essâ—â— that it appâ—areth there is more in it of corrupted nature than of God We are very râ—â—dy to think that we may call for fire from heaven upon the enemies of the Gospel But you know not what manner of Spirit ye are then of Luke 9. 55. But Christ â—aith unto you Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them that despi 〈…〉 htfully use you and persecute you that ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5. 44 45. You find no such prohibition against patient suffering wrong from any Take heed of giving way to secret wishes of hurt to your adversaries or to reproachful words against them Take heed of hurting your self by pâ—ssion or sin because others hurt you by slanders or persecutions Keep you in the way of your duty and leave your names and lives to God Be careful that you keep your innocency and in your patience possess your souls and God will keep you from any hurt from enemies but what he will cause to work for your good Read Psal. 37. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy judgement as the noon-day Rest in the Lord and wait patienly for him fret not thy self because of him that prâ—spereth in his way because of the man that bringeth wicked devices to pass Cease from anger and forsake wrath fâ—et not thy self in any wise to do evil Vers. 5. 6 7 8. Direct 10. WHen you are repenting of or avoiding any extream do it not without sufficient Direct 10. fear and caution of the contrary extream § 1. In the esteem and Love of God your Ultimate End you need not fear over-doing Nor any Extreams in Religion where when impediments and backwardness or impotency do tell you that you can never do too much But sin lyeth on both sides the Rule and Way And nothing is more common than to turn from one sin to another under the name of duty or amendment Especially this is common in matter of opinion Some will first believe that God is nothing else but Mercy and after take notice of nothing but his Justice First They believe that almost all are saved and afterwards that almost none First That every Profession is credible and next that none is credible without some greater testimony First that Christ satisfied for none at all that will not be saved and next that he dyed for all alike First that none are now partakers of the Holy Spirit and next that all Saints have the Spirit not only to illuminate and sanctifie them by transcribing the written Word upon their hearts but also to inspire them with new Revelations instead of Scripture First they think that all that Papists hold and do must be avoided and after that there needed no reformation at all Now they are for Legal bondage and anon for Libertinism To day for a liberty in Religion to none that agree not with them in every circumstance and to morrow for a liberty for all This year all things are lawful to them and the next year nothing is lawful but they scruple all that they say or do One while they are all for a Worship of meer shew and Ceremony and another while against the determination of meer circumstances of order and decency by man One while they cry up nothing but Free-grace and another while nothing but Free-will One while they are for a Discipline stricter than the Rule and another while for no Discipline at all First for timerous complyance with evil and afterwards for boysterous contempt of Government Abundance such instances we might give you § 2. The remedy against this disease is to proceed deliberately and receive nothing and do nothing rashly and unadvisedly in Religion For when you have found out your first error you will be affrighted from that into the contrary error See that you look round about you as well to the error that you may run into on the other side as into that which you have run into already Consult also with wise experienced men And mark their unhappiness that have fallen on both sides and stay not to know evil by sad experience True mediocrity is the only way that 's safe Though negligence and lukewarmness be odious even when cloked with that name Direct 11. I Et not your first Opinions about the controverted difficulties in Religion where Scripture Direct 11. For Modesty in your first Opinions is not very plain be too peremptory confident or fixed But hold them modestly with 〈…〉 your unâ—ipe understandings and with room for further information supposing it possible 〈…〉 that upon better instruction evidence and maturity you may in such things change yâ—ur minds § 1. I know the factions that take up their Religion on the credit of their party are against this Direction thinking that you must first hit on the right Church and then hold all that the Church doth hold and therefore change your mind in nothing which you this way receive I know also that some Libertines and half-believers would corrupt this Direction by extending it to the most plain and necessary truths perswading you to hold Christianity it self but as an uncertain probable Opinion But as Gods foundation standeth sure so we must be surely built on his foundation He that believeth not the Essentials of Christianity as a certain necessary revelation of God is not a Christian but an Infidel And he that believeth not all that which he understandeth in the Word of God believeth nothing on the credit of that Word Indeed faith hath its weakness in those that are sincere and they are fain to lament the râ—mnants of unbelief and cry Lord increase
head-strong Horse that must be kept in at first and is hardly restrained if it once break loose and get the head If you are bred up in temperance and modesty where there are no great temptations to gluttony drinking sports or wantonness you may think a while that your natures have little or none of this concupiscence and so may walk without a guard But when you come where baits of lust abound where Women and Playes and Feasts and Drunkards are the Devils snares and tinder and bellows to enflame your lusts you may then find to your sorrow that you had need of watchfulness and that all is not mortified that is asleep or quiet in you As a man that goeth with a Candle among Gunpowder or near Thatch should never be careless because he goeth in continual danger so you that are young and have naturally eager appetites and lusts should remember that you carry fire and Gunpowder still about you and are never out of danger while you have such an enemy to watch § 2. And if once you suffer the fire to kindle alas what work may it make ere you are aware James 1. 14 15. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Little knoweth the Fish when he is catching or nibling at the bait that he is swallowing the hook which will lay him presently on the bank When you are looking on the cup or gazing on alluring beauty or wantonly dallying and pleasing your senses with things unsafe you little know how far beyond your intentions you may be drawn and how deep the wound may prove how great the smart or how long and difficult the cure As you love your souls observe Pauls counsel 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee youthful lusts Keep at a full distance Come not near the bait If you get a wound in your consciences by any wilful heinous sin O what a case will you be in How heartless unto secret duty afraid of God that should be your joy deprived of the comforts of his presence and all the pleasure of his wayes How miserably will you be tormented between the tyranny of your own concupiscence the sting of sin the gripes of conscience and the terrors of the Lord How much of the life of faith and love and heavenly zeal will be quenched in a moment I am to speak more afterwards of this and therefore shall only say at present to all young Converts that care for their salvation Mortifie the flesh and alwayes watch and avoid temptations Direct 15. BE exceeding wary not only what Teachers you commit the guidance of your souls unto Direct 15. Nam si falsi solo nomine tumidi non modo non consulendi sed vitandi sunt quibus nihil est importunius nihil insu siâ—s c. Pâ—tâ—a câ— Dâ—al 117. li. 2. but also with what company you familiarly converse That they be neither such as would corrupt your minds with error or your hearts with viciousness profâ—neness lukewarmness or with a feavorish factious zeal But choose if possible judicious holy heavenly humble unblameable self-denying persons to be your ordinary companions and familiars but especially for your near Relations § 1. It is a matter of very great importance what Teachers you choose in order to your salvation In this the free grace of God much differenceth some from others For as poor Heathens and Infidels have none that know more than what the Book of Nature teacheth if so much so in the several Nations of Christians it is hard for the people to have any but such as the Sword of the Magistrate forceth on them or the stream of their Countreys Custom recommendeth to them And it is a wonder Scientiâ— est posse dâ—cere Provâ—â—b Sub indocto tamen doctus evadâ—re potes â—fflaâ—u aliquo divino ut Ciâ—â—ro loquitur Augustinus de seipso testatur cui non omnia credere nefas est quod Aristotelicas Categorias quae inter difficillima numerantur artes liberales quas singulas a praeceptoribus didicisse magnum dicitur nullo tradeâ—te omnes intellexit â—â—â—â—ardus item vir doctrina sanctitate clarissimus omnes suas literas quarum inter cunctos sui temporis abundantissimus fuâ—â— in sâ—lvis in agris didicit non hominum magisterio sed meditando orando nec ullos unquam alios praeceptores habuit quam quercus sagos Pâ—trâ—â—ch li. 2. Dialog 40. if pure Truth and Holiness be countenanced by either of these But when and where his mercy pleaseth God sendeth wise and holy Teachers with compassion and diligence to seek the saving of mens souls so that none but the malignant and obstinate are deprived of their help § 2. Ambitious proud covetous licentious ungodly men are not to be chosen for your Teachers if you have your choice In a Nation where true Religion is in credit and hath the Magistrates countenance or the Major Vote some graceless men may joyn with better in preaching and defending the purity of doctrine and holiness of life And they may be very serviceable to the Church herein especially in expounding and disputing for the truth But even there more experienced spiritual Teachers are much more desirable They will speak most feelingly who feel what they speak And they are fittest to bring others to faith and love who believe and love God and holiness themselves They that have life will speak more lively than the dead And in most places of the world the ungodliness of such Teachers makes them enemies to the Truth which is according to godliness Their natures are at enmity to the life and power of the doctrine which they should preach And they will do their worst to corrupt the Magistrates and make them of their mind And if they can but get the Sword to favour them they are usually the cruellest persecutors of the sincere As it is notorious among the Papists that the baits of Power and Honour and Wealth have so vitiated the body of their Clergy that they conspire to uphold a worldly Government and Religion and in express contradiction to Sense and Reason and to Antiquity and the judgement of the Church and to the holy Scriptures they captivate the ignorant and sensual to their tyranny and false worship and use the seduced Magistrates and multitude to the persecuting of those that will not follow them to sin and to perdition Take heed of proud and worldly Guides § 3. And yet it is not every one that pretendeth Piety and Zeal that is to be heard or taken for a Teacher But 1. Such as preach ordinarily the substantial Truths which all Christians are agreed in 2. Such as make it the drift of their preaching to raise your souls to the Love of God and to a holy heavenly life and are zealous against confessed sins 3. Such as contradict not the
for the soul is that which least endangereth it by being over-pleasing to the Body and in which the flesh hath the smallest interest to set up and plead against the Spirit Not but that the largest stock must be accepted and used for God when he trusteth us with it for when he setteth us the hardest work we may expect his greatest help But a dwelling as in Tents in a constant unsetledness in a moveable condition having little and needing little never feeling any thing in the creature to tempt us to say Soul take thy Rest this is to most the safest life which giveth us the freâ—st advantages for Heaven § 5. Take heed therefore as you love your souls of falling into the snare of worldly Hopes and laying designs for rising and riâ—hâ—s and pleasing your selves in the thoughts and prosecution of these things â—â—r then you are in the readiest way to perdition even to idolatrous worldliness and apostacy of heart from God and opening a door to every sin that seems but necessary to your worldly ends and to odious Hypocrisie for a cloke to all this and to quiet your guilty minds with something that is like Religion When once you are saying with worldly security as he Luke 12. 17 18. 19. I will pull down my barn and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and goods and I will say to my soul Soul thou hast much goâ—ds laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and â—e mercy you are then befooling your selves and near being called away as fools by dâ—â—th â— 20 21. And when without a sense of the uncertainty of your lives you are saying as those in â—ames 4. 13 14. To day or to morrow we will go into such a City and continue there a year and buy and sell and get gain whereas you know not what will be on the morrow You forget what your lives are that they are a vapour appearing a little while and then vanishing away Ver. 14. Boast not thy self therefore of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Prov. 27. 1. Direct 20. SEe that your Religion be purely Divine and animated all by God as the Beginning the Direct 20. D 〈…〉 ma 〈…〉 dâ—â—â—â—â—â—bat â—iaâ—◠〈…〉 nem 〈◊〉 â—e◠〈◊〉 â—eâ—i 〈◊〉 sufficere quâ—dem ad bene beateque vivendum â—aeâ—erum instrumentis indigere corporis bonis robore sanitate integritate 〈◊〉 c. Exterioribus etiam opiâ—â—â—â— genâ—ris claâ—itate gloria c. Ea si non affluerint nihilominus tamen beatum foâ—â—â—apiâ—â—tem Arbitratur Deos humana câ—rnere atque curare daemones esse Porro in dialogâ—â— justitiam Divinâ—m legem â—â—bitratus est ut ad juâ—e agendum poâ—entius persuâ—deret nè post mortem poenas improbi luerent Laert. in Plaâ— .. Way and the End and that first upon thy Soul and then upon all that thou hast or dost there be written HOLINESS TO THE LORD and that thou corrupt not all with an inordinate hypâ—critical respect to man § 1. To be Holy is to be Divine or devoted to God and appropriated to Him and his Will and Use and that our Hearts and Lives be not Common and Unclean To be Godly is to Live to God as those that from their hearts believe that he is God indeed and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him that he is our God All-sufficient our shield and exceeding great reward Heb. 11. 6. Gen. 15. 1. 17. 1. And that Of Him and Through Him and To Him are all things that all may give the Glory for ever unto him Rom. 11. 36. As God is infinitely above all Creatures so Living upon God and unto God must needs advance us above the highest sensual life And therefore Religion is transcendently above all Sciences or Arts so much of God as is in you and upon you so much you are more excellent than the highest worldly perfection can advance you to GOD should be the First and Last and All in the mind and mouth and life of a believer God must be the Principal Matter of your Religion The Understanding and Will must be exercised upon him When you awake you should be still with him Psal. 139. 8. Your Meditatiâ—ns of him should be sweet and you should be glad in the Lord Psal. 104. 34 Yet creatures under Him may be the frequent less principal matter of your Religion but still as referred unto Him God must be the Author of your Religion God must institute it if you expect he should accept it and reward it God must be the Rule of your Religion as Revealing his Will concerning it in his Word God must be the Ultimate End of your Religion It must be intended to Please and Glorifie Him God must be the continual Motive and Reason of your Religion and of all you do you must be able truly to fetch your Reason from Heaven and to say I do it because it is his will I do it to please and glorifie and enjoy him God must be taken as the Soveraign Iudge of your Religion and of you and of all you do And you must wholly look to his Justification and approbation and avoid what ever he condemneth Can you take God for your Owner your Soveraign your Saviour your sufficient Protector your Portion your All If not you cannot be godly nor be saved If his Authority have not more Power upon you than the authority of the Greatest upon earth you are Atheistical Hypocrites and not truly Religious whatever you pretend If HOLINESS TO THE LORD be written upon you and all that 's yours you are devoted to him as his Own peculiar ones If your Names be set upon your Sheep or Plate or Clothes you will say if another should take them They are mine Do you not see my mark upon them Slavery to the Flesh the World and the Devil is the mark that is written upon the ungodly upon the foreheads of the prophane and upon the Hearts of Hypocrites and all and Satan the world and the flesh have their service If you are Conseerated to God and bear his Name and Mark upon you tell every one that would lay claim to you that you are His and resolved to live to Him to Love Him to Trust Him and to stand or fall to him alone Let God be the very Life and Sense and End of all you do § 2. When once Man hath too much of your regard and observation that you set too much by his favour and esteem or eye him too much in your profession and practice when mans approbation too much comforteth you and manâ— displeasure or dispraise doth too much trouble you when your fear and love and care and obedience are too much taken up for Man You so far withdraw your selves from God and are becoming the servants of men and friends of the world and turning back to bondage and forsaking your Rock and Portion and
things and greatest interest of our souls being there will greatly raise us to the Love of God if any thing will do it To foresee how near him we shall be ere long and what a glorious proof we shall have of his good will and how our souls will be ravished everlastingly with his Love To think what hearts the blessed have that see his glory and live with Christ How full of love they are and what a delight it is to them thus to love must needs affect the heart of a Believer Lift up thy head poor drowsie sinner Look up to Heaven and think where thou must live for ever Think what the holy ones of God are doing Do they love God or do they not Must it not be then thy life and work for ever And canst thou forbear to love him now that is bringing thee to such a world of Love Thou wouldst love him more that would give thee security to possess a Kingdom which thou never sawest than him that giveth thee but some toy in hand And let it not seem too distant to affect thee The time is as nothing till thou wilt be there Thou knowest not but thou maist be there this night There thou shalt see the Maker of the worlds and know the mysteries of his wonderous works There thou shalt see thy blessed Lord and feel that love which thou readest of in the Gospel and enjoy the fruits of it for ever There thou shalt see him that suffered for thee and rose again whom Angels see and worship in his glory Thou shalt see there a more desirable sight than those that saw him heal the blind and lame and sick and raise the dead or those that saw him in his transfiguration or than those that saw him on the Cross or after his resurrection or than Stephen saw when he was stoned or Paul when he was converted yea more than it is like he saw when he was in his rapture in the third Heavens O who can think believingly on the life which we must there shortly live the glory which we must see the love which we must receive and the love which we must exercise and not feel the fire begin to flame and the Glass in which we see the Lord become a burning-glass to our affections CHRIST and HEAVEN are the Books which we must be often reading the Glasses in which we must daily gaze if ever we will be good proficients and practitioners in the Art of holy Love § 34. Direct 13. Exercise your souls so frequently and diligently in this way of Love that the Method Direct 13. of it may be familiar to you and the means and motives still at hand and you may presently be able to fall into the way as one that is well acquainted with it and may not be distracted and lâ—st in generals as not knowing where to fix your thoughts I know no Methods alone will serve to raise the dead and cause a carnal senseless heart to love the Lord But I know that many honest hearts that have the Spirit of Love within them have great need to be warned that they quench not the Spirit and great need to be directed how to stir up the grace which is given them and that many live a more dull or distracted uncomfortable life than they would do if they wanted not Skill and Diligence The soul is most backward to this highest work and therefore hath the greater need of helps And the best have so much need as that it is well if all will serve to keep up Loving and Grateful thoughts of God upon their minds And when every Trade and Art and Science requireth diligence exercise and experience and all are Bunglers at it at the first can we reasonably think that we are like to attain any high degrees with sleight and short and seldom thoughts § 35. Direct 14. Yet let not weak-headed or melâ—ncholly persons set themselves on those Methods Direct 14. or lengths of Meditation which their heads cannot bear lest the Tempter get advantage of them and abate their Love by making Religion seem a torment to them but let such take up with shorter obvious Meditations and exercise their Love in an active obediential way of living That is the best Physick that is fitted to the Patients strength and case And that 's the best Shoo that is meetest for the foot and not that which is the biggest or the finest It is a great design of Satan to make all duties grievous and burdensome to us and thereby to cast us into continual pain and fear and trouble and so destroy our delight in God and consequently our Love Therefore pretend not to disability for carnal unwillingness and laziness of mind but yet marr not all by grasping at more than you are able to bear Take on as you are able and increase your work if God increase your strength If a melancholly person crack his brain with immoderate unseasonable endeavours he will but disable himself for all § 36. Direct 15. Keep clear and hold fast the Evidences of thy Sincerity that thou maist perceive Direct 15. thy interest in the Love of God and resist the temptations which would hide his Love to thee and cause thee to doubt of it or deny it Satan hath not his end when he hath troubled thee and robbed thee of thy peace and comfort It is worse that he is seeking to effect by this His malice is more against God than against thee and more against God and thee in this point of Love than in any other grace or duty He knoweth that God esteemeth this most And he knoweth if he could kill thy love he kills thy soul. And he knoweth how natural it is to man to love those that love him and hate those that hate him be they never so excellent in themselves And therefore if he can perswade thee into despair and to think that God hateth thee and is resolved to damn thee he will not despair of drawing thee to hate God Or if he do but bring thee to fear that he loveth thee not he will think accordingly to abate thy love I know that a truly gracious soul keepeth up its love when it loseth its assurance and mourneth and longeth and seeketh in love when it cannot triumph and rejoyce in love But yet there are some prints left on the heart of its former apprehensions of the love of God And such souls exceedingly disadvantage themselves as to the exercises of love and make it a work of wondrous difficulty O it will exceedingly kindle love when we can see Gods surest Love-tokens in our hearts and look to the promises and say They are all mine and think of Heaven as that which shall certainly be our own and can say with Thomas My Lord and my God and with Paul that The life which I live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God that loved me and gave himself for
thou but say This man is more powerful than God Or God cannot deliver me out of his hands If it be want or sickness or death which thou fearest what dost thou but say in thy heart that God either knoweth not what is best for thee so well as thou knowest thy self or else is not Powerful or Gracious enough to give it nor true enough to keep his promise He that believeth not makes God a lyar 1 Iohn 5. 10 11. § 13. Direct 6. Remember that Trusting God doth as it were oblige him and distrusting him doth Direct 6. greatly disoblige him especially when any thing else is trusted before him If any man trust you upon any encouragement given him by you you will take your selves obliged to be trusty to him and not to fail any honest trust But if he trust you not or trust another you will turn him off to those that he hath trusted God may say to thee Let them help thee whom thou hast trusted Thou trustedst not in me and therefore I fail not thy trust when I forsake thee § 14. Direct 7. Remember that thou must trust in God or in nothing For nothing is more sure Direct 7. nor more frequently experienced than that all things else are utterly insufficient to be our help Shall we choose a broken reed that we know before hand will both deceive and pierce us Wo to the man that hath no surer a foundation for his Trust than Creatures The greatest of them are unable and the Best of them are untrusty and deceitful How sad is thy case if God turn thee off to these for help in the hour of thy extremity Then wilt thou perceive that it is better to trust in the Lord than to put any confidence in Princes Psal. 118. 8 9. The righteous shall see and fear and laugh at him Lo this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthned himself in his wickedness Psal. 52. 6 7. But they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion that cannot be removed but abideth for ever Psal. 125. 1. Creatures will certainly deceive thy trust but so will not God § 15. Direct 8. Believe and remember the particular providence of God which regardeth the falling Direct 8. of a Sparrow on the ground and numbereth the very hairs of your heads Matth. 10. 30. And can you distrust him that is so punctually regardful of your least concernments that is alway present and watcheth over you You need not fear his absence disregard forgetfulness or insufficiency Doth he number your hairs and doth he not number your groans and prayers and tears How then doth he wipe away your tears and put them all as in his bottle Psal. 56. 8. Rev. 7. 17. § 16. Direct 9. Compare God with thy dearest and most faithful friend and then think how boldly Direct 9. thou caust trust that friend if thy life or wellfare were wholly in his hand and how much more boldly thou shouldst trust in God who is more wise and kind and merciful and trusty than any mortal man can be When thou art in want in prison in sickness and in pain expecting death think now if my life or health or liberty were absolutely in the power of my surest friend how quietly could I wait and how confidently could I cast away my fears though I had no promise what he would do with me For I know he would do nothing but what is for my good And is not God to be trusted in much more Indeed a friend would ease my pain or supply my wants or save my life when God will not But that is not because God is less kind but because he is more wise and better knoweth what tendeth to my hurt or good My friend would pull off the Plaister as soon as I complain of smart but God will stay till it have done the cure But sure God is more to be trusted for my real final good though my friend be forwarder to give me ease All friends may fail but Gâ—d 〈◊〉 faileth § 17. Direct 10. Make use of the natural Love of quietness and thy natural weariness of tormenting 〈◊〉 10. câ—res and feaâ—â— and sâ—rrows to move thee to cast thy self on God and quiet thy soul in trusting on him For God hath purposely made thy self and all things else insufficient unsatisfactory and vâ—xatious to theâ— that thou mightst be driven to rest on him alone when nothing else affords theâ—â—â—st Cares and fears and unquietness of mind are such Thorns and Bryars as nature cannot love â—â— be content with And you may be sure that you can no way be delivered from them but by trusting upon God And will you choose care and torment when so sure and cheap a way of case is sâ—t before you Who can endure to have fears torment him and cares feed daily upon his heart that may safely be delivered from it An ulcerated fâ—stered pained mind is a greater calaâ—ity than any bodily distress alone And if you be cast upon your own care or committed to the trust of any creature you can never rationally have peace For your own ease and comfort then betake your selves to God and cast all your care and burden on him who careth for you and knoweth perfectly what you want 1 Pet. 5. 7. Matth 6. 32. Read often Matth. 6. from â— 2â— How sweet an â—ase and quietness is it to the mind that can confidently trust in God How quiet is he from the storms of trouble and the sickness of mind which others are distressed with Isâ— 26. 3 4. Thou wilâ— keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thâ—e Trust â—â— in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jâ—hovah is everlasting strength Psal. 112. 7 8. He shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord His heart is established â—e shall not be afraid Psal. 31. 19 20. O how great is thy goodness which thou hast lâ—id up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the Sons of men Thâ—u shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man thou shalt keep them secretly in thy pâ—viliâ—n from the strife of tongues 24. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart â—â— ye that hope in the Lord Psal. 56. 3 4. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee In God I will prâ—ise his word In God have I put my trust I will not fear what flesh can do unto me How easie and sweet a life is this § 18. Direct 11. Remember that Distrust is a pregnant multiplying sin and will carry thee to all iniquity Direct 11. and miseâ—y if thou suffer it to prevail Distrusting God is but our entrance upon a life of error sin and wo It presently sets us on idolatrous confidence on
flesh and sinful shifts and stretching conscience It deludeth our judgements and maketh every thing seem Lawful which seems necessary to our safety and welfare and every thing seem necessary without which man cannot accomplish it All sinful complyances and temporizings and man-pleasing and believing sinful means to be no sin proceed from this Distrust of God § 19. Direct 12. Suffer not distrustful thoughts and reasonings in thy mind but cast them out and Direct 12. command them to be gone Cogitations are the instruments of good and evil in the mind of man They cannot be acted but by Thoughts And the will hath more command of the Thoughts than it hath immediately of the passions themselves If you cannot Trust God so quietly as you would noâ— keep under every fearful apprehension yet keep out or cast out the Thoughts which exercise your sin and turn your thoughts to something else If thoughts do not actuate it your distrustful fears and cares will vanish What are your cares but the turmoiling of your thoughts continually feeding upon difficulties and trouble and tiring themselves with hunting about for help Cast away the thoughts and the cares are gone You may do much in this if you will though it be difficult Matth. 6. 25. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your bâ—dies what ye shall put on 27 28. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature And why take ye thought for raiment § 20. Direct 13. When commands will not prevail rebuke and chide thy unbelieving heart and reason Direct 13. it out of its distrustful cares and fears and sorrows Say to it as David oft Psal. 42. 43. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thâ—u so disquieted within me Trust in God for I shall yet give him thanks who is the health of my counâ—enance and my God O foolish soul Hast thou yet learned no better to know thy God Doth he support the Heavens and the Earth and the whole Creation and yet canst not thou rely upon him Is he not wise enough to be trusted with the conduct and disposal of thee Is he not good and gracious enough to be trusted with thy life estate and name and welfare Is he not great and powerful enough to be trusted against the greatest danger or difficulties or opposition that ever can befall thee Is â—e not true and faithful enough to be trusted whatever improbabilities may arise before thee Where dwelt the man and what was his name that ever trusted him in vain or was ever failed or deceived by him Are not his Son and Spirit and Covenant and Oath sufficient pledges of his love for thy security How oft hath he performed his promises to thee and heard thy cryes and helpt and saved thee in thy distress How oft hath he confuted thine unbelief and shamed thy distrustful fears and cares And then thou couldst resolve to trust him better in the next distress And shall all his wonders of mercy be forgotten and all thy contessions thanksgivings and promises be now repented of contradicted or recanted by thy renewed distrust and unbelief Is he not the same God that hath so frequently and abundantly had mercy on thee Is he not the same God that hath saved all that trusted in him and wrought such wonders for his servants in the earth and brought so many safe to Heaven Our Fathers trusted in him they trusted and he delivered them they cryed to him and were delivered they trusted in him and were not confounded Psal. 22. 4 5. And is he not sufficient for thee that is sufficient for all the world Who ever sped ill that trusted in him or who hath prospered by trusting in themselves or any other without him or against him Unworthy soul Wilt thou Atheistically deny the sufficiency or truth or goodness of thy God Shall thy distrust deny him or blaspheme him Wilt thou Idolatrously set up a Worm above him Is there more in man or any thing else to hurt or ruine thee than in God to save thee Whom wilt thou trust if thou trust not God Darest thou think that any other is fitter for thy confidence Thou wouldst be quiet and confident if thy dearest friend had thy life or welfare in his hands and art thou troubled now it is in the hands of God Is he enough to be our endless happiness in Heaven and not to be thy confidence on earth Canst thou trust him to raise thy body from the dust and not raise thy state or name or troubled mind Either take him for thy Rock and hope or never pretend to take him for thy God If thou trust not in him thou must despair or trust against him And who wilt thou trust to save thee from him Hadst thou no more encouragement to trust him but this that he hath bid thee trust him thou mightst be sure he never would deceive thee Lament therefore thy disquietment and self-tormenting fears Lament thy injurious distrust of thy most dear All-mighty Father Choose not vexation when the harbour of his Love is open to secure thee If men or Devils are against thee say as those believers Dan. 3. 16 17. We are not careful to answer thee in this matter our God whom we serve is able to deliver us Go on with Daniel 6. in praying to thy God and trust him with the Lions Jaws Commit thy way unto the Lord Trust in him and he shall bring it to pass Psal. 37. 5. Some trust in Chariots and some in Horses but I will remember the name of the Lord our God Psal. 20. 7. Trust in him for he is thy Help and Shield Psal. 115. 9 10 11. § 21. Direct 14. Take not the sayings of the Tempter or thy own distrustful heart for the sayings of Direct 14. God or for any reason against thy confidence in him Some take all the malicious suggestions of the Devil for reasons of their disquietness and fears as if it were the Spirit of God that raised all the terrors and molestations in them which are raised by the enemy of God and them And they fear when Satan bids them thinking it is the Spirit of God and they dare not Trust God when he commandeth them for fear leâ—t it be the will of Satan Some are so strongly affected with their own conceits and fancies that they think God saith all that their hearts or fancies say and make one fear the reason of another Thy Heart is not so wise or good as that thou shouldst take all its words for the words of God Thy flesh and thy heart may fail thee when God who is the Rock of thy heart and thy portion will never fail Psal. 73. 26. Thy heart may say I have no grace no help no hope when God never said so Psal. 77. 7 8 9 10. Thy heart may say I am a reprobate forsaken of God he will not hear
and all the secrets of the heart Psalm 44. 21. 94. 11. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. His understanding is infinite Psalm 147. 5. What praise doth that Goodness and Mercy deserve which is diffused throughout all the world and is the life and hope and happiness of men and Angels His Mercy is Great unto the Heavens and his Truth unto the Clouds Psalm 57. 10. O how great is his Goodness to them that fear him Psalm 31. 10. and therefore how great should be his Praise Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord and who can shew forth all his Praise Psalm 106. 2. For great is the Glory of the Lord Psalm 138. 5. § 15. 2. It is the end of all Gods wondrous works and especially the end which man was made for that all things else might Praise him Objectively and men and Angels in estimation and expression that his Glorious excellency might be visible in his works and be admired and extolled by the rational creature For this all things were created and are continued For this we have our understanding and our speech This is the fruit that God expecteth from all his works Deny him this and you are guilty of frustrating the whole creation as much as in you lieth You would have the Sun to shine in vain and the Heavens and Earth to stand in vain and man and all things to live in vain if you would not have God have the praiâ—e and Glory of his works Therefore Sun and Moon and Starrs and Firmament are called on to Praise the Lord Psalm 148. 2 3 4. as they are the matter for which he must by us be praised O praise him therefore for his mighty acts Praise him according to his excellent greatness Psalm 150. 2. O that men would praise the Lord for his Goodness and declare his wondrous works for the children of men Psalm 107. 8 c. Yea it is the end of Christ in the Redemption of the world and in saving his elect that God might in the Church in Earth and Heaven have the praise and glory of his grace Ephes. 1. 6 12 14. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that iâ— the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name Heb. 13. 15. And let the redeemed of the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever Psalm 107. 2. For this all his Saints are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people that they should shew forth the praises of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. § 16. 3. The Praise of God is the highest and noblest work in it self 1. It hath the highest object even the glorious excellencies of God Thanksgiving is somewhat lower as having more respect to our selves and the Benefits received But Praise is terminated directly on the perfections of God himself 2. It is that work that is most immediately neerest on God as he is Our end And as the end as such is better than all the means set together as such so are the final duties about the end greater than all the mediate duties 3. It is the work of the most excellent creatures of God the holy Angels They proclaimed the coming of Christ by way of Praise Luke 2. 13 14. Glory to God in the highest on earth peace Good-will towards men Psalm 103. 20. 148. 2. And as we must be equal to the Angels it must be in equal Praising God or else it will not be in equality of Glory 4. It is the work of Heaven the place and state of all perfection And that is best and highest which is nearest Heaven Where they rest not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Allmighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 8. 10. Rev. 19. 5. A voice came out of the throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that fear him both small and great verse 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Allelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready § 17. 4. It beseemeth us and much concerneth us to learn and exercise that work which in Heaven we must do for ever and that is to Love and joyfully Praise the Lord. For earth is but the place of our apprentiship for Heaven The preparing works of mortifying repentance must in their place be done but only as subservient to these which we must ever do When we shall sing the new song before the Lamb Thou art worthy For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us Kings and Priests unto our God Rev. 5. 9 10. Therefore the Primitive Church of believers is described as most like to Heaven Luke 24. 53. with great joy they were continually in the Temple Praising and blessing God O Praise the Lord therefore in the congregations of the Saints Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King Psalm 149. 1 2. Let the Saints be joyful in glory Let the high praises of God be in their mouths verse 5 6. § 18. 5. Though we are yet diseased sinners and in our warfare among enemies dangers and perplexities yet Praise is seasonable and suitable to our condition here as the greatest part of our duty which all the rest must but promote Pretend not that it is not fit for you because you are sinners and that humiliation only is suitable to your state For the design of your redemption the tenour of the Gospel and your own condition engage you to it Are they not engaged to Praise the Lord that are brought so near him to that end 1 Pet. 2 5. 9. that are reconciled to him To whom he hath given and forgiven so much 1 Tim. 1. 15. Tit. 3. 3 5. Psalm 103. 1 2 3. that have so many great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. that are the Temples of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in them and sanctifieth them to God That have a Christ interâ—â—ding for them in the highest Rom. 8. 33 34. That are allways safe in the arms of Christ that are guarded by Angels and Devils and enemies forbidden to touch them further than their father sâ—eth necessary for their good That have the Lord for their God Psalm 33. 12. 4. 8. That have his Saints for their companions and helpers That have so many ordinances to help their souls And so
many creatures and comforts for their bodies That live continually upon the plenty of his Love That have received so much and are still receiving Should we not bless him every day with Praise that blesseth us every day with benefits Should we not praise the bridge that we go over The friend that we have tryed so oft And resolve as Psalm 145. 2. Every day will I bless thee I will praise thy name for ever and ever Psalm 63. 3 4. Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee Thus will I bless thee while I lâ—â—e I will lift up my hands in thy name Are they not bound to praise him on earth that must reign with Christ for ever in Heaven Rom. 8. 17 33. Rev. 1. 5 6. Col. 1. 12. 1 Pet. 1. 4. 6. The Praises of God do exercise our highest Graces Praise is the very breath of Love and Ioy and Gratitude It tendeth to raise us above our selves and make our hearts to burn within us while the glorious name of God is magnified It hath the most pure and spiritual and elevating effect upon the soul and therefore tendeth most effectually to make us more holy by the encrease of these graces § 19. 7. To be much employed in the Praise of God doth tend exceedingly to the vanquishing of all hurtful doubts and fears and sorrows Ioy and Praise promote each other And this it doth 1. By keeping the soul near to God and within the warmth of his love and goodness Psal. 140. 13. 2. By the exercise of Love and Joy which are the cordial reviving strengthning graces Psal. 94. 19. 116. 1. 3. By dissipating distrustful vexing thoughts and diverting the mind to sweeter things Psal. 104. 34. 4. By keeping off the Tempter who usually is least able to follow us with his molestations when we are highest in the praises of our God 5. By bringing out the Evidences of our sincerity into the light while the chiefest graces are in exercise 2 Cor. 3 18. 6. And by way of Reward from God that loveth the Praises of his meanest servants And here I would commâ—nd this experiment to uncomfortable troubled souls that have not found comfort by long searching after evidence in themselves Exercise your selves much in the Praises of God This is a duty that you ☜ have no pretence against Against Thanksgiving for his grace you pretend that you know not that you have received his grace But to praise him in the excellency of his perfections his power and wisdom and goodness and mercy and truth is the duty of all men in the world While you are doing this you will feel your graces stir and feel that comfort from the face of God which you are not like to meet with in any other way whatsoever Evidences are exceeding useful to our ordinary stated peace and comfort But it is oft long before we confidently discern them and they are oft discerned when yet the soul is not excited to much sense of comfort and delight and we quickly lose the sight of evidences if we be not very wise and careful But a life of praise bringeth ☜ comfort to the soul as standing in the Sunshine bringeth light and warmth Or as labouring doth warm the body or as the sight and converse of our dearest friend or the hearing of glad tydings doth rejoyce the heart without any great reasoning or arguing the case This is the way to have comfort by feeling to be much in the hearty praises of the Lord When we come to Heaven we shall have our Joy by immediate Vision and the delightful exercise of Love and Praise And if you would taste the Heavenly Joyes on earth you must imitate them in Heaven as near as possibly you can And this is your work of nearest imitation § 20. 8. To live a life of praising God will make Religion sweet and easie to us and take off the wearisomness of it and make the work of God a pleasure to us Whereas they that set themselves only to the works of humiliation and leave out these soul-delighting exercises do cast themselves into exceeding danger by making Religion seem to them a grievous and undesirable life This makes men backward to every duty and do it heartlesly and easily yield to temptations of omission and neglect if not at last fall off through weariness whereas the soul that is daily employed in the high and holy Prayses of his God is still drawn on by encouraging experience and doth all with a willing ready mind § 21. 9. No duty is more pleasing to God than the cheerful Praises of his Servants He loveth your prayers tears and groans but your Praises much more And that which pleaseth God most must be most pleasing to his servants For to please him is their End This is the End of all their labour that whether present or absent they may be accepted of him 2 Cor. 5 9. So that it is a final enjoying and therefore a delighting duty § 22. 10. To be much employed in the Praises of God will acquaint the world with the nature of true Religion and remove their prejudice and confute their dishonourable thoughts and accusations of it and recover the honour of Christ and his holy wayes and servants Many are averse to a holy life because they think that it consisteth but of melancholly fears or scrupulosity But who dare open his mouth against the joyful praises of his Maker I have heard and read of several enemies and murderers that have broke in upon Christians with an intent to kill them or carry them away that finding them on their knees in prayer and reverencing the work so much as to stay and hear them till they had done have reverenced the persons also and departed and durst not touch the heavenly worshippers of God This life of praise is a continual pleasure to the soul clean contrary to a Melancholly life It is recreating to the Spirits and healthful to the body which is consumed by cares and fears and sorrows It is the way that yieldeth that mirth which doth good like a medicine and is a continual feast Prov. 17. 22. 15. 15. Therefore saith the Apostle Iames 5. 13. Is any merry Let him sing Psalms He cannot better exercise mirth than in singing praises to his God This keeps the soul continually on the wing desiring still to be nearer God that it may have more of these delights And so it overcomes the sense of persecutions and afflictions and the fears of death and is a most excellent cordial and companion in the greatest sufferings Was it not an excellent hearing to have been a witness of the joy of Paul and Silas when in the Prison and Stocks with their backs sore with scourges they sang at midnight the praises of the Lord Acts 16. 25. so that all the doors were opened and all the prisoners bonds were loosed that had been their auditors so great was Gods
unprofitable way § 33. Direct 7. Remember what a pittiful reward you seek Verily saith our Lord concerning Direct 7. hypocrites and man-pleasâ—rs they have their reward Matth. 6. 25. O miserable reward The thought and breath of mortal men Instead of God instead of Heaven this is their reward Their happiness will be to lye in Hell and remember that they were well spoken of on earth and that once they were accounted religious learned wise or honourable and to remember that they preferred this â—eward before everlasting happiness with Christ If this be not gain your labour is all lost which you â—â—y out in hunting for applause If this be enough to spend your time for and to neglect your Gâ—d â—oâ— and to lâ—se your souls for rejoyce then in the Hypocrites Reward § 34. Direct 8. And remember that honour is such a thing as is found sooner by an honest contempt Direct 8. of it than by an inâ—rdinate affectation of it and seeking it It is a shaddow which goeth from you if you follow it and follows you as fast as you go from it Whose names are now more honourable upon earth than those Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs and Preachers and holy mortified Christians who in their dayes set lightest by the approbation of the world and were made the scorn or foot-ball of the times in which they lived Those that have been satisfied with the approbation of their heavenly Father who saw them in secret have been rewarded by him openly It is even in the eyes of rational men a far greater honour to live to God above worldly honour than to seek it And so much as a man is perceived to affect and seek it so much he loseth of it For he is thought to need it and men perceive that he playes a low and pitiâ—ul game that is so desirous of their applause As they would contemn a man that should lick up the spittle of every man where he comes so will they contemn him that liveth on their thoughts and breath and honour him more that lives on God § 35. Direct 9. If nothing else will cure this disease at least let the Impossibility of pleasing men and Direct 9. attaining your ends suffice against so fruitless an attempt And here I shall shew you how impossible it is or at â—east a thing which you cannot reasonably expect § 36. 1. Remember what a multitude you have to please and when you have pleased some how many Unus mihi pro populo est populus pro uno Sâ—â— â—p 7. â—x Demoâ—â— Satis sunt mihi paucâ— satis est unus satiâ— est nullâ—â— Sâ—â—eâ— Epist. 7. 〈…〉 was câ—ndemned by â—he voâ—â—â—â— of more against him of his Judges than those that absolved him and they would not suffer Plâ—to to speak for him His sentence waâ— Jura violat Socraâ—es quâ—s ex majorum instiâ—uto suscepit civitas deos esse negans alia vero nova daemonia inducens 〈…〉 in Soâ—â—at more will be still unpleased and how many displeased when you have done your best Alas we are insufficient at once to observe alâ— those that observe us and would be pleased by us You are like one that hath but twelve pence in his purse and a thousand Beggars come about him for it and every one will be displeased if he have it not all If you resolve to give all that you have to the poor if you do it to please God you may attain your end But if you do it to please them when you have pleased those few that you gave it to perhaps twice as many will revile or curse you because they had nothing The Beggar that speeds well will proclaim you liberal and the Beggar that speeds ill will proclaim you niggardly and unmerciful And so you will have more to offend and dishonour you than to comfort you by their praise if that must be your comfort § 37. 2. Remember also that all men are so selfish that their expectations will be higher than you are able to satisfie They will not consider your hinderances or avocations or what you do for others but most of them look to have as much to themselves as if you had no body else to mind but them Many and many a time when I have had an hour or a day to spend a multitude have every one expected that I should have spent it with them When I visit one there are ten offended that I am not visiting them at the same hour When I am discoursing with one many more are offended that I am not speaking to them all at once If those that I speak to account me courteous and humble and respectful those that I could not speak to or but in a word account me discourteous and morose How many have censured me because I have not allowed them the time which God and Conscience commanded me to spend upon greater and more necessary work If you have any Office to give or benefit to bestow which one only can have every one thinketh himself the fittest and when you have pleased one that hath it you have dipleased all that went without it and mist of their desires § 38. 3. You have abundance to please that are so ignorant unreasonable and weak that they take Quâ—â—gâ—â—â—io populus nâ—n prâ—bat quâ— pâ—â—â—â—at populuâ— ego nesâ—â—o Sâ—â— â—â—â—â— 29. Impâ—â—â—â—tia in omnibâ—s majâ—â—â—â— eâ— parte dominaâ—â—r multitudo verborum Câ—obâ—â—as iâ— Laâ—rt your greatest vertues for your faults and know not when you do well or ill And yet none more bold in censuring than those that least understand the things they censure Many and many a time my own and others Sermons have been censured and openly defamed for that which never was in them upon the ignorance or heedlesness of a censorious hearer Yea for that which they directly spoke against because they were not understood especially he that hath a close style free from tautology where every word must be marked by him that will not misunderstand shall frequently be misreported § 39. 4. You will have many factious Zealots to please who being strangers to the Love of Holiness Christianity and Unity are ruled by the interest of an Opinion or a Sect And these will never be pleased by you unless you will be one of their side or party and conform your self to their opinions If you be not against them but set your selves to reconcile and end the differences in the Church they will hate you as not promoting their opinions but weakning them by some abhorred Syâ— crâ—tisms As in Civil so in Ecclesiâ—stical Wars the Fire-brands cannot endure the Peaceable If you will be Neuters you shall be used as enemies If you be never so much for Christ and Holiness and Common Truth all 's nothing unless you be also fâ—r them and their câ—nceits § 40. 5. Mâ—â—t of the world are hâ—ters of holiness and have a serpentine enmity to the Image of God being
than they are 11. He is one that is not subject to the passions of men which blind their minds and carry them to injustice 12. He is one that will not be moved by tale-bearers whisperers or false-accusers nor can be perverted by any misinformation § 61. Consider also the Benefits of taking up with the Pleasing of God 1. The Pleasing of him is your Happiness it self The matter of pure and full and constant comfort which you may have continually at hand and no man can take from you Get this and you have the end of man Nothing can be added to it but the perfection of the same Which is Heaven it self § 62. 2. What abundance of disappointments and vexations will you scape which tear the very hearts of man-pleasers and fill their lives with unprofitable sorrows § 63. 3. It will guide and order your cares and desires and thoughts and labours to their right and proper end and prevent the perverting of them and spending them in sin and vanity on the creature § 64. 4. It will make your lives not only to be Divine but this Divine life to be sweet and easy while you set light by humane censures which would create you prejudice and difficulties When others glory in wit and wealth and strength you would glory in this that you know the Lord. Jer. 9. 23 § 65. 5. As God is above man thy heart and life is highly ennobled by having so much respect to God and rejecting inordinate respect to man This is indeed to walk with God § 66. 6. The sum of all graces is contained in this sincere desire to please thy God and contentedness in this so far as thou findest it attained Here is faith and humility and love and holy desire and trust and the fear of God concentered You sanctifie the Lord of hosts himself and make him your fear and dread and Sanctuary Isa. 8. 13 14. § 67. 7. If humane approbation be good for you and worth your having this is the best way to it for God hath the disposal of it If a mans wayes please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him Prov. 16. 7. Appeasing their wrath or restraining them from intended evil or doing us good by that which they intend for hurt § 68. See therefore that you live upon Gods approbation as that which you chiefly seek and will suffice Signs you Which you may discover by these signs 1. You will be most careful to understand the Scripture to know what doth please and displease God 2. You will be more careful in the doing of every duty to fit it to the pleasing of God than man 3. You will look to your Hearts and not only to your actions To your ends and thoughts and the inward manner and degree 4. You will look to secret duties as well as publick and to that which men see not as well as unto that which they see 5. You will reverence your consciences and have much to do with them and will not slight them When they tell you of Gods displeasure it will disquiet you When they tell you of his approbation Non est idonâ—uâ— Philosopâ—â—ae discipuluâ— quâ— sâ—ultum pudâ—â—em nâ—n possit contemnâ—re Id. ioâ—d p. 728. it will comfort you 6. Your pleasing men will be charitable for their good and pious in order to the pleasing of God and not proud and ambitious for your honour with them nor impious against the pleasing of God 7. Whether men be pleased or displeased or how they judge of you or what they call you will seem a small matter to you as to your own interest in comparison of Gods judgement You live not on them You can bear their displeasure censures and reproaches if God be but pleased These will be your evidences PART V. Directions against Pride and for Humility § 1. PRIDE being reputed the great sin of the Devil by which he sell is in the name and Of this subject read the preface to my Book of self-denial and Chap. 41. to Chap. 51. general notion of it infamous and odious with allmost all but the nature of it is so much unknown and the sin so undiscerned by the most that it is commonly cherished while it is commonly spoke against Therefore the chief Directions for the conquering of it are those that are for the full discovery of it For when it is seen it is shamed and to shame it is to destroy it § 2. Direct 1. Understand aright the nature of Pride that you may neither ignorantly retain it nor Direct 1. oppose your duty as supposed to be Pride Here I shall tell you 1. What Pride is and what commandment it is against And what Humility is which is its contrary 2. Some seemings or appearances like Pride which may make men censured as Proud for that which is not Pride 3. The counterfeits of Humility which may make a Proud man seem to himself or others to be Humble § 3. I. PRIDE is an inordinate self-exalting or a lifting up our selves above the state or degree Pride what appointed us It is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it is an appearing to our selves and a desire to appear to others above what we are or above others of our quality It is a branch of SELFISHNESS and containeth man-pleasing as before described and produceth Hypocrisie and is its original and life It containeth in it these following acts or parts 1. A will to be higher or greater than God would have us be 2. An overvaluing of our selves or esteeming our selves to be Greater Wiser or Better than indeed we are 3. A desire that others should think of us and speak of us and use us as greater or wiser or better than we are 4. An endeavour or seeking to rise above our appointed place or to be overvalued by others 5. An ostentation of our inordinate self-esteem in outward signs of speech or action Every one of these is an act of Pride The three first are the inward acts of it in the Mind and Will and the two last are its external acts § 4. As the Love of God and man are the comprehensive duties of the Decalogue expressed most Against what Commandment in the first and last Commandment but yet extending themselves to all the rest so SELFISHNESS and PRIDE which is a principal part of it are the opposite sins forbidden principally in the first and last Commandment as contrary to the Love of God and man but so as it is contrary to the rest They are sins against the very Relation it self that God and man do stand in to us and not only against a particular Law They are against the very constitution of the Kingdom of God and not only against the Administration It is Treason or Idolatry against God and a setting up our selves in some part of his prerogative And it is a monstrous extuberancie in the Body and a rising of one
through a Needles eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God And they that heard it said Who then can be saved And he said The things which are impossible with men are possible with God So Luke 6. 24 25. But wo unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation Wo unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Make but sense of these and many such like Texts and you can gather no less than this from them that Riches make the way to Heaven much harder and the salvation of the ☜ rich to be more difficult and rare proportionably than of other men And Paul saith 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called And the Lovers of riches though they are poor must remember that it is said 1 Tim. 6. 10. That the Love of money is the root of all evil And 1 John 2. 15. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Do you believe that here lyeth the danger of your souls and yet can you so love and choose and seek it Would you have your salvation more difficult and doubtful and impossible with men You had rather choose to live where few dye young than where most dye young and where sicknesses are rare than where they are common If you were sick you had rather have the Physicion and Medicines and Dyet which cure most than those which few are cured by If the Countrey were beset with Thieves you had rather go the way that most scape in than that few scape in And yet so it may but please your flesh you will choose that way to Heaven that fewest scape in and you will choose that state of life which will make your salvation to be most hard and doubtful Doth your Conscience say that this is wisely done I know that if God put Riches into your hand by your Birth or his blessing on your honest labours you must not cast away your Masters talents because he is austere but by a holy improvement of them you may further his service and your salvation But this is no reason why you should ovâ—r-love them or desire and seek so great a danger Believe Christ heartily and it will quench your Love of Riches § 28. Direct 7. Remember that the more you have the more you have to give account for And Direct 7. â—f the day of Judgement be dreadful to you you should not make it more dreadful by greatning your own accounts If you desired Riches but for the service of your Lord and have used them for him and can tâ—uly give in this account that you laid them not out for the needless pleasure or pride of the flâ—sh but â—o furnish your selves and families and others for his service and as near as you â—â—uld employ them according to his will and for his use then you may expect the reward of good and faithful servants But if you desired and used them for the pride and pleasure of your selves while you lived and your posterity or kindred when you are dead dropping some inconsiderable â—râ—ms for God you will then find that Mammon was an unprofitable Master and Godliness with content Pâ—â—v 3. 14 1 â—â—m 6 â— 6. would have been greater gain § 29. Direct 8. Remember how dear it costeth men thus to hinder their salvation and greaten their Direct 8. danger and accounts What a deal of precious Time is lost upon the world by the Lovers of it which might have been improved to the getting of Wisdom and Grace and making their calling and election 〈…〉 2 sure If you had believed that the gain of holy wisdom had been so much better than the gaining of Gold as Solomon saith Prâ—v 3. 14. you would have laid out much of that time in labouring to understand the Scriptures and preparing for your endless life How many unnecessary Thoughtâ— have you cast away upon the world which might better have been laid out on your greater concernments How many â—ares and vexations and passions doth it cost men to overload themselves with worldly provisions Like a foolish travellâ—r who having a dayes journey to go doth spend all the day in gathering together a load of mâ—at and clothes and money more than he can carry for fear of wanting by the way or like a foolish runner that hath a race to run for his life and spends Saith Plutarâ—h 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—n Alexanâ—er wept because he was not Lord of the world when Câ—atâ—s having but a Wall â—â— and a thred-bare Cloke spent his whole life in mâ—râ—h and joy as if it had been a continual festival holy-day Psal. 37. 16. Prov 16. 8. the time in which he should be running in gathering a burden of pretended necessaries You have all the while Gods work to do and your souls to mind and judgement to prepare for and you are tiring and vexing your selves for unnecessary things as if it were the top of your ambition to be able to say in Hell that you dyed rich 1 Tim. 6. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Godliness with contentment is great gain For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out And having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be Rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred or been seduced from the â—aith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Piercing sorrows here and damnation hereafter are a very dear price to give for money For saith Christ himself What shall it profit a man to gain all the world and lose his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul that is What money or price will recover it if for the love of gain he lose it Mark 8. 36 37. Prov. 15. 27. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house but he that hateth gifts shall live Do you not know that a godly man contented with his daily bread hath a far sweeter and quietter life and death than a self-troubling worldling You may easily perceive it Prov. 15. 16. Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith § 30. Direct 9. Look much on the life of Christ on earth and see how strangely he condemned worldliness Direct 9. by his example Did he choose to be a Prince or Lord or to have great possessions lands or money or sumptuous buildings or gallant attendance and plentiful provisions His housing you â—uke 9 58. may read of Matth. 8. 20. Fâ—xes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay
think how madly they consumed their lives and wasted the only Time that was given them to prepare for their salvation Do those in Hell now think them wise that are idling or playing away their time on earth O no! their feeling and experience sufficiently confuteth all that Time-wasters now plead for their â—ottish prodigality I do not believe that thou canst at once believe the Word oâ— God concerning the state of damned souls and yet believe that thy idle and vain expence of Time would not vex thy conscience and make thee even rage against thy self if ever sin should bring thee thither O then thou wouldst see that thou hadst greater matters to have spent thy time in and that it deserved a higher estimation and improvement O man beseâ—ch the Lord to prevent such a conviction and to give thee a heart to prize thy time before it is gone and to know the worth of it bâ—â—ore thou know the want of it Tit. 2. Directions Contemplative for Redeeming Opportunity Seâ— the many aggravaâ—ions oâ—â—inâ—ul Dâ—lay in my Dirâ—ctions for â—ound Convâ—â—sion § 28. OPportunity or Season is the flower of Time All Time is precious but the season is most precious The present Time is the season to works of present necâ—ssity And for others they have all their particular seasâ—ns which must not be let slip Direct 1. Remember that it is the great difference between the happy Saint and the unhappy world Direct 1. that one is wise in time and the other is wise too late The godly know while knowledge will do good The wicked know when knowledge will but torment them All those that you see now so exceedingly contrary in their judgement to the godly will be of the very same opinion shortly when it will do them no good Bear with their difference and contradiction for it will be but a very little while There is not one man that now is the furious enemy of holiness but will confess ere long that Holiness was best Do they now despise it as tedious fantastical hypocrisie They will shortly know that it was but the cure of a distracted mind and the necessary duty to God which Religion and right reason do command Do they now say of sin What harm is in it They will shortly know that it is the poyson of the soul and worse than any misery or death They will think mâ—re highly of the worth of Christ of the necessity of all possible diligence for our souls of the preciousness of Time of the wisdom of the Godly of the excellencies of Heaven and of the Word of God and all holy Means than any of those do that are now reproached by them for being of this mind But what the better will they be for this No more than Adam for knowing good and evil No more than it will profit a man when he is dead to know of what disease he dyed No more than it will profit a man to know what is poyson when he hath taken it and is past remedy The Thief will be wise at the Gallows and the Spendthrift-prodigal when all is gone But they that will be safe and happy must be wise in Time The godly know the worth of Heaven before it is lost and the misery of damnation before they feel it and the necessity of a Saviour while he is willing to be a Saviour to them and the evil of sin before it hath undone them and the preciousness oâ— Time before it is gone and the worth of mercy while mercy may be had and the need of praying while praying may prevail They sleep not till the door is shut and then knock and cry Lord open to us as the foolish ones Matth. 25. They are not like the miserable world that will not believe till they come where Devils believe and tremble nor Repent till torment force them to repent As ever you would escape the dear-bought experience of fools be wise in time and leave not Conscience to answer all your cryes and moans and fruitless wishes with this doleful peal Too late Too late Do but know now by an effectual faith what wicked men will know by feeling and experience when it is too late and you shall not perish Do but live now as those enemies of Holiness will wish they had lived when it is too late and you will be happy Now God may be found Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will â—ave mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa. 55. 6 7. Read but the doleful lamentation of Christ over Ierusalem Luke 19. 41 42. and then bethink you what it is to neglect the season of mercy and salvation He beheld the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at lest in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace But now they are hidden from thine eyes § 29. Direct 2. Remember that the neglecting of the season is the frustrating and destroying of the Direct 2. work When the season is past the work cannot be done If you sow not in the time of sowing it will be in vain at another time If you reap not and gather not in harvest it will be too late in Winter to hope for fruit If you stay till the Tide is gone or take not the Wind that fits your turn it may be in vain to attempt your Voyage All works cannot be done at all times Christ himself saith I must walk while it is day the night cometh when none can work John 9. 4. Say not then The next day may serve the turn The next day is for another work and you must do both § 30. Direct 3. Consider that if the work should not be impossible yet it will be difficult out of Direct 3. season when in its season it might be done with ease How easily may you swim with the Tide and sail with the Wind and form the Iron if you hammer it while it is hot How easily may many a disease be cured if it be taken in Time which afterwards is uncurable How easily may you bend a tender Twig and pluck up a Plant which will neither be pluckt up nor bended when it is grown up to be a Tree When you complain of difficulties in Religion bethink you whether your loss of the fittest season and acquainting your selves no sooner with God be not the cause § 31. Direct 4. Consider that your work out of season is not so good or acceptable if you could Direct 4. do it Every thing is beautiful in its season Eccles. 3. 11. To speak a word in season to the weary Numb 9. 2 3 7 13. Exod. 13. 10. is the skill of the faithful messengers of peace Isa. 50. 4. When out of season good may be turned into
thoughts Can you expect that the Drunkard should rule his Thoughts whilst he is in the ALE-house or Tavern and seeth the drink Or that the Glutton should rule his thoughts while the pleasing dish is in his sight Or that the Lustful person should keep chast his thoughts in the presence of his enamouring toy Or that the wrathful person rule his thoughts among contentious passionate words Or that the Proud person rule his thoughts in the midst of honour and applause Away with this fuel Fly from this infectious air if you would be safe § 6. Direct 5. At least make a Covenant with your senses and keep them in obedience if you Direct 5. will have obedient thoughts For all know by experience how potently the senses move the thoughts Iob saith I made a Covenant with my eyes why then should I think upon a Maid Mark how the Covenant with his eyes is made the means to rule his thoughts Pray with David Turn away my eyes from beholding vanity Psalm 119. 37. Keep a guard upon your eyes and ears and tast and touch if you will keep a guard upon your thoughts Let not that come into these outer parts which you desire should go no further Open not the door to them if you would not let them in § 7. Direct 6. Remember how near kin the Thought is to the deed and what a tendencie it hath to Direct 6. it Let Christ himself tell you Matth. 7. 22. But I say unto you that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the Iudgement vers 28. I say unto you that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart A malicious thought and a malicious deed are from the same spring and have the same nature Only the deed is the riper serpent that can sting another when the Thought is as the younger serpent that hath only the venemous nature in it self A lustful thought is from the same defiled puddle as actual filthiness And the thought is but the passage to the action It is but the same sin in its minority tending to maturity § 8. Direct 7. Keep out or quickly cast out all inordinate passions For Passions do violently press Direct 7. the thoughts and forcibly carry them away If anger or grief or fear or any carnal Love or joy or pleasure be admitted they will command your thoughts to run out upon their several objects And when you rebuke your thoughts and call them in they will not â—aer you till you get them out of the crowd and noise of passion As in the heat of civil wars no Government is well exercised in a Kingdom And as violent storms disable the marryners to govern the ship and save it and themselves so passions are too stormy a Region for the Thoughts to be well Governed in Till your souls be reduced to a calm condition your thoughts will be tumultuating and hurryed that way that the tempests drive them Till these warrs be ended your Thoughts will be licentious and partakers in the rebellion § 9. Direct 8. Keep your souls in a constant and careful obedience unto God Observe his Law Be Direct 8. continually sensible that you are under his Government and awed by his authority Man judgeth not your Thoughts If you are subject to man only your Thoughts must be ungoverned But the Heart is the first Object of Gods Government and that which he principally regardeth His Laws extend to all your thoughts And therefore if you know what Obedience to God is you must know what the obedience of your Thoughts to him is For he that obeyeth God as God will obey him in one thing as well as another and will obey him as the Governor and Iudge of Thoughts The powerful searching word of Christ is a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart and as a two-edged sword is sharp and quick and will pierce and cut as deep as the very soul and spirit Heb. 4. 12 13. It casteth down every imagination and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor. 10. 5. Therefore David saith to God search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Psalm 139. 23 24. And you find Gods laws and reproofs extending to the thoughts Isa. 59. 7. Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity The fools heart-atheism is rebuked Psalm 14. 1. He reproveth a rebellious people for walking in a way that is not good after their own thoughts Isa. 65. 2. See how Christ openeth the heart Matth. 15. 9. He chargeth them Deut. 15. 9. to beware that there be not a thought in their wicked hearts against the mercy which they must shew to the poor Psalm 49 11. He detecteth the inward thought of the wâ—â—ldâ—ing that their hâ—uses shall continue for ever Psalm 24. 9. He â—aith The thought of foolishness iâ—â—â—â—â— The old world was â—â—ndemnâ—d because the imaginations of their hearts were only evil continually Gâ—n 6. 5 And when God calleth a sinner to conversion he saith Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteâ—us man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upâ—n him Isa. 55. 6 7. You see then if you are subject to God your Thoughts must be obedient § 10. Direct 9. Remember Gods continual presence that all your thoughts are in his sight He Direct 9. seâ—th evâ—ry â—ilthy thought and every covetous and proud and ambitious thought and every uncharitable malitious thought If you be not Atheists the remembrance of this will somewhat check and controul your thoughts that God beholdeth them He understandeth your thoughts afar off Psalm 139 â— Dâ—th not â—e that pâ—ndereth the heart consider it Prov. 24. 12. Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts â—aith Christ Matth. 9. 4. § 11. Direct 10. Bethink you seriously what a Government you would keep upon your thoughts if Direct 10. they were but written on your foreheads or seen to all that see you yea or but open to some person whom â—â—u reverence O how ashamed would you then be that men should see your filthy thoughts your malitious thoughts your covetous and deceiving thoughts And is not the eye of God ten thousand times more to be reverenced and regarded And is not man your God if you are awed more by mâ—n than by God And if the eye of man can do more to restrain you § 12. Direct 11. Keep tender your Consciences that they may not be regardless or insensible of the Direct 11. smallest sin A tender Conscience feareth evil and idle thoughts and will smart in the penitent review â—â— thoughts But a â—eared Conscience feeleth nothing except some grievous crying sins A â—â—nder Conscience obeyeth that precept Prov. 30. 32. If thou hast done foolishly in lifting
thy meditations And though these thoughts be not the sweetest 8. 〈…〉 and wants yet thy own folly hath made them necessary If thou be dangerously sick or but painfully sore thou canst scarce forget it If poverty afflict thee with pinching wants thy Thoughts are taken up with cares and trouble day and night If another wrong thee thou canst easily think on it And hast thou so often wronged thy God and Saviour and so unkindly vilified his mercy and so unthankfully set light by saving Grace and so presumptuously and securely ventured on his wrath and yet dost thou find a scarcity of matter for thy meditations Hast thou all the sins of thy youth and ignorance to think on and all the sins of thy rashness and sensuality and of thy negligence and sloth and of thy worldliness and selfishness ambition and pride thy passions and thy omissions and all thy sinful thoughts and words and yet art thou scanted of matter for thy thoughts Dost thou carry about thee such a body of death so much selfishness pride worldliness and carnality so much ignorance unbelief averseness to God and backwardness to all that is spiritual and holy so much passion and readiness to sin and yet dost thou not find enough to think on Look over the sins of all thy life see them Thus Evil may be made the object and occasion of good It is good to meditate on evil to hate it and avoid it Keep acquaintanâ—â— with Conscience and read over its Books and it will furnish your thoughts with humbling matter in all their aggravations as they have been committed against knowledge or means and helps against mercies and judgements and thy own vows or promises in prosperity and under affliction it self in secret and with others in thy general and particular calling and in all thy relations in every place and time and condition that thou hast lived in thy sins against God directly and thy injuries or neglects of man sins against holy duties and sins in holy duties in prayer hearing reading Sacraments meditation conference reproofs and receiving of reproofs from others thy negligent preparations for death and judgement the strangeness of thy soul to God and Heaven Is not here work enough for thy Meditations certainly if thou think so it is because thy heart never felt the bitterness of sin nor was ever yet acquainted with true Repentance but the time is yet to come that Light must shew thee what sin is and what thou art and what thou hast done and how full thy heart is of the Serpents brood and that thy sin must find thee out Dost thou not know that thy sins are as the Sands of the Shore or as the hairs upon thy head for number and that every sin hath deadly poyson in it and malignant enmity to God and holiness and yet are they not enough to keep thy Thoughts from being idle Judge by their language whether it be so with penitents Psal. 51. 2 3. Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Psal. 40. 12. For innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Psal. 119. 57. I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies True Repentance is thus described Ezek. 36. 31. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your own iniquities and for your abominations Yea Gods forgiving and forgetting your sins must not make you forget them Ezek. 16. 60 61 62 63. I will establish to thee an everlasting Covenant Then thou shalt remember thy ways and be ashamed And I will establish my Covenant with thee That thou maist remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God of Hosts § 9. Direct 9. Be not a stranger to the methods and subtleties and diligence of Satan in his Temptations Direct 9. to undo thy soul and thou wilt find matter enough to keep thy thoughts from idleness He is 9. Satans Temptations thinking how to deceive thee and destroy thee and doth it not concern thee to think how to defeat him and escape and save thy self If the hare run not as fast as the dog he is like to dye for it O that thy eyes were but opened to see the snares that are laid for thee in thy nature in thy temperature and passions in thy interests thy relations thy friends and acquaintance and ordinary company in thy businesses and possessions thy house and goods and lands and cattel and tenants and servants and all that thou tradest with or hast to do with in thine apparel and recreations in thy meat and drink and sleep and ease in prosperity and adversity in mens good thoughts or bad thoughts of thee in their praise and in their dispraise in their benefits and their wrongs their favour and in their falling out in their pleasing or displeasing thee in thy thinking and in thy speaking and in every thing that thou hast to do with Didst thou but see all these temptations and also see to what they tend and whither they would bring thee thou wouldst find matter to cure the idleness or impertinencies of thy thoughts § 10. Direct 10. The world and every creature in it which thou daily seest and which revealeth to Direct 10. thee the great Creator might be enough to keep thy Thoughts from idleness If Sun and Moon and Stars if Heaven and Earth and all therein be not enough to employ thy thoughts let thy idleness have some excuse I know thou wilt say that it is upon some of these things that thou dost employ them Yea but dost thou not first destroy and mortifie and make nonsense of that on which thou meditatest Dost thou not first separate it from God who is the life and glory and end and meaning of every creature Thou killest it and turnest out the soul and thinkest only on the Corps or on the Creature made another thing as food for thy sensual desires As the Kite thinketh on the Birds and Chickens to devour them to satisfie her greedy appetite Thus you can think of all Gods works so far as they accommodate your flesh But the World is Gods book which he set man at first to read and every Creature is a Letter or Syllable or Word or Sentence more or less declaring the name and will of God There you may behold his wonderful Almightiness his unsearchable Wisdom his unmeasurable Goodness mercy and compassions and his singular regard of the sons of men Though the ungodly proud and carnal wits do but play with and study the shape and comeliness and order
of Christs Body and Blood aright But besides all these what a deal of duty have you to perform to Magistrates Pastors Parents Masters and other superiours to subjects people children servants and other inferiours to every neighbour for his soul his body his estate and name and to do to all as you would be done by And besides all this how much have you to do directly for your selves for your souls and bodies and families and estates Against your ignorance infidelity pride selfishness sensuality worldliness passion sloth intemperance cowardize lust uncharitableness c. Is not here matter for your thoughts § 15. Direct 15. Overlook not that life full of particular mercies which God hath bestowed on your Direct 15. selves and you will find pleasant and profitable matter for your thoughts To spare me the labour of 15. All our particular Mercies repeating them look back to Chap. 3. Dir. 14. Think of that mercy which brought you into the world and chose your Parents your place and your condition which brought you up and bore with you patiently in all your sins and closely warned you of every danger which seasonably afflicted you and seasonably delivered you and heard your Prayers in many a distress which hath yet kept the worst of you from death and Hell and hath Regenerated justified adopted and sanctified those that he hath fitted for eternal life How many sins he hath forgiven How many he hath in part subdued How many and suitable helps he hath vouchsafed you From how many Enemies he hath saved you how oft he hath delighted you by his word and grace what comforts you have had in his Servants and ordinances in your relations and callings His mercies are innumerable and yet do your meditations want matter to supply them If I should but recite the words of David in many thankful Psalms you would think Mercy found his Thoughts employment § 16. Direct 16. Foresee that exact and righteous judgement which shortly you have to undergo Direct 16. and it will do much to find you employment for your thoughts A man that must give an account to 16. The account at Judgement God of all that he hath done both good and evil and knoweth not how soon for ought he knows before to morrow me thinks should find him something better than vanity to think on Is it nothing to be ready for so great a day To have your justification ready your accounts made up Your Consciences cleansed and quietted on good grounds To know what answer to make for your selves against the accuser To be clear and sure that you are indeed Regenerate and have a part in Christ and are washed in his blood and reconciled to God and shall not prove hypocrites and self-deceivers in that trying day when it is a sentence that must finally decide the question whether we shall be saved or damned and must determine us to Heaven or Hell for ever and you have so short and uncertain a time for your preparation will not this administer matter to your Thoughts If you were going to a Judgement for your lives or all your estates you would think it sufficient to provide you matter for your thoughts by the way How much more this final dreadful judgement § 17. Direct 17. If all this will not serve the turn it 's strange if God call not home your thoughts Direct 17. by sharp afflictions and methinks the improvement of them and the removal of them should find some 17. Our Afflictions employment for your thoughts It 's time then to search and try your ways and turn again unto the Lord Lam. 3. 4. To find out the Achan that troubleth your peace and know the voice of the rod and what God is angry at and what it is that he calleth you to mind To know what root it is that beareth these bitter fruits and how they may be sanctified to make you conformable to Christ and partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. Besides the exercise of holy patience and submission there is a great deal of work to be done in sufferings to exercise faith and honour God and the good cause of our suffering and to humble our selves for the evil cause and to get the benefit And if you will not meditate of the Duty you shall meditate of the pain whether you will or not and say as Lam. 3. 17 18 19 20. I forgate prosperity and I said My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall My soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me Put not God to remember you by his spur and help your meditations by so sharp a means Psal. 78. 33 34 35. Therefore did he consume their days in vanity and their years in trouble when he â—lew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer § 18. Direct 18. Be diligent in your callings and spend no time in idleness and perform your labours Direct 18. with holy minds to the glory of God and in obedience to his commands and then your thoughts will 18. The business of your Calling have the less leisure and liberty for vanity or idleness Employments of the body will employ the Thoughts They that have much to do have much to think on For they must do it prudently and skillfully and carfully that they may do it successfully and therefore must think how to do it And the urgency and necessity of business will almost necessitate the thoughts and so carry them on and find them work Though some employments more than others And let none think that these Thoughts are bad or vain because they are about worldly things For if our Labours themselves be not bad or vain then neither are those thoughts which are needful to the well-doing of our work Nor let any worldling please himself with this and say My thoughts are taken up about my calling For his calling it self is perverted by him and made a carnal work to carnal ends when it should be sanctified That the thoughts about your labours may be good 1. Your Labours themselves must be good performed in obedience to God and for the good of others and to his glory 2. Your Labours and thoughts must keep their bounds and the higher things must be still preferred and sought and thought on in the first place And your Labours must so far employ your thoughts as is needful to the well-doing of them but better things must be thought on in such labours as leave a vacancy to the Thoughts But diligence in your calling is a very great help to keep out sinful thoughts and to furnish us with thoughts which in their place are good § 19. Direct 19. You have all Gods spiritual helps and holy ordinances to feed your meditations Direct 19. and
crime 12. Their Consciences are quick in telling them of sin and putting them upon any dejection as a duty but they are dead to all duties that tend to consolation as to Thanksgiving for mercies Praises of God meditating on his Love and grace and Christ and promises Put them never so hard on these and they feel not their duty nor make no conscience of it but think it is a duty for others but unsuitable to them 13. They alway say that they cannot believe and therefore think they cannot be saved Because that commonly they mistake the nature of faith and take it to be a Believing that they themselves are forgiven and in favour with God and shall be saved And because they cannot believe this which their disease will not suffer them to believe therefore they think that they are no believers whereas saving faith is nothing but such a Belief that the Gospel ☜ is true and Christ is the Saviour to be trusted with our souls as causeth our Wills to Consent that he be ours and that we be his and so to subscribe the Covenant of Grace Yet while they thus consent and would give a world to be sure that Christ were theirs and to be perfectly holy yet they think they believe not because they believe not that he will forgive or save them 14. They are still displeased and discontended with themselves just as a pievish froward person is apt to be with others see one that is hard to be pleased and is finding fault with every thing that they see or hear and offended at every one that comes in their way and suspicious of every body that they see whispering and just so is a Melancholy person against himself suspecting displeased and finding fault with all 15. They are much addicted to solitariness and weary of company for the most part 16. They are given up to fixed musings and long poring thoughts to little purpose so that deep musings and thinkings are their chief employments and much of their disease 17. They are much averse to the labours of their callings and given to idleness either to lye in bed or sit thinking unprofitably by themselves 18. Their thoughts are most upon themselves like the mill-stones that grind on themselves when they have no grist so one thought begets another Their thoughts are taken up about their thoughts when they have been thinking irregularly they think again what they have been thinking on They meditate not much on God unless on his wrath nor Heaven nor Christ nor the state of the Church nor any thing without them ordinarily but all their thoughts are contracted and turned inwards on themselves self-troubling is the sum of their thoughts and lives 19. Their thoughts are all perplexed like ravelled Yarn or Silk or like a man in a maze or wilderness or that hath lost himself and his way in the night He is poring and groping about and can make little of any thing but is bewildred and moithered and entangled the more full of doubts and difficulties out of which he cannot find the way 20. He is endless in his scruples afraid lest he sin in every word he speaketh and in every thought and every look and every meal he eateth and all the Cloaths he weareth And if he think to amend them he is still scrupling his supposed amendments He dare neither travel nor stay at home neither speak nor be silent but he is scrupling all as if he were wholly composed of self perplexing scruples 21. Hence it comes to pass that he is greatly addicted to superstition to make many Laws to himself that God never made Col. 2. 18 19 20 21 22 23. him and to ensnare himself with needless Vows and resolutions and hurtful austerities Touch not taste not handle not and to place his Religion much in such Outward self-imposed tasks to spend so many hours in this or that act of devotion to wear such cloaths and forbear other that are finer to forbear all dyet that pleaseth the appetite with much of the like A great deal of the Perfection of Popish devotion proceeded from Melancholy though their Government come from Pride and Covetousness 22. They have lost the power of Governing their thoughts by Reason so that if you convince them that they should cast out their self-perplexing unprofitable thoughts and turn their thoughts to other subjects or be vacant they are not able to obey you They seem to be under a necessity or constraint They cannot cast out their troublesome thoughts They cannot turn away their minds They cannot think of Love and mercy They can think of nothing but what they do think of no more than a man in the Tooth-ache can forbear to think of his pain 23. They usually grow hence to a disability to any private prayer or meditation Their thoughts are presently cast all into a confusion when they should pray or meditate They scatter abroad a hundred wayes and they cannot keep them upon any thing For this is the very point of their disease a distempered confused fantasie with a weak reason which cannot govern it Sometime terrour driveth them from Prayer they dare not hope and therefore dare not pray and usually they dare not receive the Lords Supper here they are fearfullest of all And if they do receive it they are cast down with terrours fearing that they have taken their own damnation by receiving unworthily 24. Hence they grow to a great aversness to all holy duty Fear and dispair make them go to prayer hearing reading as a Bear to the stake And then they think they are haters of God and Godliness imputing the effects of their disease to their souls when yet at the same time those of them that are Godly would rather be freed from all their sins and be perfectly holy than have all the riches or honour in the world 25. They are usually so taken up with busie and earnest thoughts which being all perplexed do but strive with themselves and contradict one another that they feel it just as if something were speaking within them and all their own violent thoughts were the pleadings and impulse of some other And therefore they are wont to impute all their fantasies either to some extraordinary actings of the Devil or to some extraordinary motions of the spirit of God And they are used to express themselves in such words as these It was set upon my heart or it was said to me that I must do thus and thus and then it was said I must not do this or that and I was told I must do so or so And they think that their own imagination is something talking in them and saying to them all that they are thinking 26. When Melancholy groweth strong they are almost alwayes troubled with hideous Blaspheamous temptations against God or Christ or the Scripture and against the immortality of the soul which cometh partly from their own fears which make them think most against their
not tarry Now the Iust shall live by faith but if any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him § 10. Direct 10. When you are delivered from the power of the Devil himself what cause have you Direct 10. to fear his instruments Can they do more than he If Goliah the Champion and the General be overcome the common Souldiers are not like to overcome us § 11. Direct 11. Are you better than your Lord Look to him and be confirmed Matth. 10. 24. Direct 11. The disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master and the servant as his Lord. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold Heb. 12. 1 2 3. Let us run with patience the race that is set before us looking to Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds § 12. Direct 12. Be of good cheer our Lord hath overcome the world John 16. 33. And shall we Direct 12. fear mordinately a conquered world Yea he overcame it by suffering to shew us that by suffering we shall overcome it He triumphed over principalities and powers greater than mortals on the Cross Col. 2. 15. And therefore all power in Heaven and Earth is given to him Matth. 28. 19. and he is Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. and is made head over all things to the Church Ephes. 1. 21 22. And so though for his sake we be killed all the day long and counted as sheep to the slaughter yet in all these things we are more than conquerours through him that loved us that is we have a nobler victory than if we conquered them by the sword § 13. Direct 13. Think how little your suffering is in comparison of what your sin deserved and Direct 13. your Lord hath freely saved you from Should a man grudge at the opening of a Vein for his health who deserved to have lost his life Can you remember Hell which was your due and yet make a great matter of any thing that man can do against you § 14. Direct 14. Remember that to sin through fear of suffering is to leap into Hell to scape a Direct 14. little pain on earth Are you afraid of man Be more afraid of God Is not God more terrible It is a fearful thing to fall into his hands for he is a consuming fire Heb. 10. 31. 26 27 29. Heb. 12. 29. O hear your Lord Luke 13. 4 5. And I say to you my friends Be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that have no more that they can do 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 It their fire be hot remember that Hell is hotter and that God is the best friend and the dreadfullest enemy § 15. Direct 15. Remember that you shall suffer and it s like as much even here from God if you Direct 15. scape by sin your sufferings from men If you sin to scape death you shall dye when you have done And O how quickly And how much more joyful is it to dye for Christ than a little after unwillingly to part with that life which you denyed to part with for your Lord And what galls will you feel in your guilty conscience both in life and at your death So that even in this life your fear would drive you into greater misery § 16. Direct 16. Think of the dangerous effects of your immoderate fear It is the way with Peter Direct 16. to deny your Lord Yea the way to Apostasie or any wickedness which men shall drive you to by terrors If you were where the Turk is now tyrannizing among Christians if you overcome not your fear he might overcome your fidelity and make you turn from Jesus Christ And that is the sin Qui propter â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—iâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prodâ—â—â—â— est 〈…〉 Dâ—alâ—g de Statu Eccl. which the Apostle so dreadfully describeth Heb. 10. 26 27 29. If we sin wilfully that is wilfully renounce our Lord after the acknowledgement of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a fearful looking for of judgement and fire which shall devour the adversary O how many have been drawn by the fear of men to wound their consciences neglect their duties comply with sin forsake the truth dishonour God and undo their souls And often in this life they do as poor Spira did who by sinning through the fear of man did cast himself into melancholy and self-murdering despair Your fear is a more dangerous enemy to you than those that you fear are Prov. 29. 25 26. The fear of man bringeth a snare but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe Many seek the Rulers favour but every mans judgement cometh of the Lord. Fear is given to preserve you Use it not to destroy you § 17. Direct 17. Believe and remember Gods special providence extending to every hair of your Direct 17. head and also the guard of Angels which he hath set over you Matth. 10. 29 30. Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father But the very hairs of your head are numbered Fear ye not therefore ye are of more value than many Sparrows O that this were well believed and considered Psal. 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them § 18. Direct 18. Think what a vile dishonour it is to God to have his creature even breathing dirt Direct 18. to be feared more than him As if he were less powerful to do good or hurt to you than man and Sâ—e Isa. 7. 4. 35 4 41. 1â— 13. 42. 2 â— 54 4. â—er 5. 22. were not able or willing to secure you so far as to see that no man shall ever be a loser by him or any thing which he suffereth for his cause Isa. 57. 11. And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared that thou hast lyed and hast not remembred me nor laid it to thy heart Have I not held my peace even of old and thou fearest me not How did Daniel and the three Confessors honour God but by fearing him more than the King and the flaming Fornace Saying We are not careful to answer thee in this â—â—â—â—s dicam tanto est melius juâ—â—e etiam damnari quam injuste ab 〈…〉 i quanto est pâ—jus impuniâ—um crimen quam pumtum in
pardonable and may consist with true grace so a Venial sin may be in an unsanctified person materially where it is not pardoned that is e. g. his wandering thought or passion is a sin of that sort that in the Godly is consistent with true grace But as Venial signifieth a sin that is pardoned or pardonable without a regeneration or conversion into astate of life from astate of death so Venial sin is in no unregenerate unjustified person but is only the Infirmities of the Saints and thus I here speak of it In a word that sin which actually consisteth with habitual repentance and with the hatred of it so far that you had rather he free from it than commit or keep it and which consisteth with an unfeigned consent to the Covenant that God be your Father Saviour and Sanctifier and with the Love of God above all is but an infirmity or venial sin But to know from the nature of the sin which those are requireth a Volume by it self to direct you only § 19. Direct 8. Understand how necessary a faithful Minister of Christ is in such cases of danger and Direct 8. difficulty to be a guide to your Consciences and open your case truly to them and place so much confidence in their judgement of your state as their office and abilities and faithfulness do require and set not up your timerous darkened perplexed judgements above theirs in cases where they are fitter to judge Such a Guide is necessary both as appointed by Christ who is the Author of his office and in regard of the greatness and danger and difficulty of your case Do you not feel that you are insufficient for your selves and that you have need of help sure a soul that 's tempted to Despair may easily feel it You are very proud or blindly self conceited if you do not And you may easily know that Christ that appointed them their office requireth that they be both used and trusted in their office as far as Reason will allow And where there is no office yet Ability and faithfulness deserve and require credit of themselves Why else do you trust Physicions and Lawyers and all artificers in their several professions and arts as far as they are reputed able and faithful I know no man is to be believed as infallible as God is but man is to be believed as man And if you will use and trust your spiritual guide but so far as you use and trust your Physicion or Lawyer you will find the great benefit if you choose aright § 20. Direct 9. Remember when you have sinned how sure and sufficient and ready a remedy you have Direct 9. before you in Iesus Christ and the Covenant of grace and that it is Gods design in the way of Redemption not to save any man as innocent that none may glory but to save men that were first in sin and misery and fetch them as from the gates of hell that Love and mercy may be magnified on every one that is saved and grace may abound more by the occasion of sins abounding Rom. 5. 15 20. Not that any should continue in sin because Grace hath abounded God forbid Rom. 6. 1. But that we may magnifie that grace and mercy which hath abounded above our sins and turn the remembrance of our greatest sins to the admiration of that great and wonderful mercy To magnifie mercy when we see the greatness of our sin and to Love much because much is forgiven this is to please God and answer the very design and end of our Redemption But to magnific sin and extenuate mercy and to say My sin is greater than can Luk. 7. 47. be forgiven this is to please the Dâ—vil and to cross Gods design in the work of our Redemption Is your disease so great that no other can cure it It is the fitter for Christ to honour his office upon and God to honour his Love and mercy on Do but come to him that you may have life and you shall find that no greatness of sin past will cause him to refuse you nor no infirmities which you are Joh. 5. 40. Luk. 15. 20 22 23. willing to be rid of shall cause him to disown you or cast you out The Prodigal is not so much as upbraided with his sins but finds himself before he is aware in his Fathers arms cloathed with the best Robes the Ring and Shooes and joyfully entertained with a Feast Remember that there is enough in Christ and the promise to pardon and heal all sins which thou art willing to forsake § 21. Direct 10. Take heed of being so blind or proud in thy humility as to think that thou Direct 10. canst be more willing to be a servant of Christ than he is to be thy Saviour or more willing to have grace than God is to give it thee or more willing to come home to Christ than he is to receive and wellcome thee Either thou art willing or unwilling to have Christ and grace to be sanctified and freed from sin If thou be willing Christ and his grace shall certainly be thine Indeed if thou wouldst have pardon without Holiness this cannot be nor is there any promise of it But if thou wouldst have Christ to be thy Saviour and King and his spirit to be thy sanctifier and hadst rather be perfect in Love and Holiness than to have all the Riches of the World then art thou in sincerity that which thou wouldst be in perfection Understand that God accounteth thee to be what thou truly desirest to be The great work of Grace lyeth in the renewing of the will If the will be sound the Man is sound I mean not the conquered uneffectual Velleity of the wicked that wish they could be free from Pride sensuality gluttony drunkenness lust and covetousness without losing any of their beloved honour wealth or pleasure that is when they think on it as the way to Hell they like not their sin but wish they were rid of it but when they think of it as pleasing their fleshly minds they love it more and will not leave it because this is the prevailing thought and will So Iudas was unwilling to sell his Lord as it was the betraying of the innocent and the way to Hell but he was more willing as it was the way to get his hire So Herod was unwilling to kill Iohn Baptist as it was the murder of a Prophet but his willingness was the greater as it was the pleasing of his Damosel and the freeing himself from a troublesome reprover But if thy willingness to have Christ and perfect Holiness be more than thy unwillingness and more than thy willingness to keep thy sin and enjoy the honour wealth and pleasures of the world than thou hast an undoubted sign of uprightness and that Love to Grace and desire after it which nothing but Grace it self doth give And if thou art thus willing it is
unacquainted with the particular weaknesses and dangers of your own hearts or Direct 9. any of your sinful inclinations That when you know where the wall is weakest you may there make the best defense That wanton word will set a wanton heart on fire which a sober mind doth hear with pity as a bedlam kind of speech A pievish passionate heart is presently disturbed and kindled with those words which are scarce observed by a well-composed soul. § 10. Direct 10. Hear every sinful word as dictated by the Devil and suppose you saw him all Direct 10. the while at the speakers elbow putting each word into his mouth and telling him what to say For it is as verily the Devil that doth suggest them all as if you saw him Suppose you saw him behind the rayler hissing him on as boys do dogs in fighting and bidding him Call him thus or thus Suppose you saw him at the malignants ear bidding him Revile a holy life and speak evil of the ways and servants of the Lord Suppose you saw him behind the wanton bidding him use such ribbald talk or on the stage suggesting it to the actors or at the ear of those that would provoke you to passion to tell them what to say against you This just supposition would much preserve you § 11. Direct 11. Suppose you heard the end annexed to every speech As when you hear one Direct 11. tempting you to lust suppose he said come let us take our pleasure a while and be damned for ever So also in every word that tempteth you to any other sin if the Tempter put in the sin do you put in Gods wrath and Hell and separate not that which God hath adjoyned but with the serpent see the sting § 12. Direct 12. Observe when the infection first seizeth on you and presently take an antidote to Direct 12. expel it if yâ—u love your souls The signs of infection are 1. When your zeal abateth and you grow more indifferent what you hear 2. Next you will feel some little inclination to it 3. Next you will a little venture upon an imitation 4. And lastly you will come to full consent and so to ruine If you feel but a remitting of your dislike and hatred or any filth or tincture left on your thoughts and fantasie go presently and shake them off Bewail it to God in true Repentance and wash your souls in the blood of Christ and cast up the poison by holy resolutions and sweat out the remnant by the servent exercises of Love and Holiness PART IV. Directions for Governing the Tast and Appetite Tit. 1. Directions against Gluttony § 1. THE most that is necessary to be said to acquaint you with the Nature and Evil of this sin is said before in Chap. 4. Part 7. against Flesh-pleasing But something more particularly must be said 1. To shew you what is and what is not the sin of Gluttony 2. To shew you the Causes of it 3. The odiousness of it and 4. To acquaint you with the more particular Helps and Means against it § 2. I. Gluttony is a Voluntary excess in eating for the pleasing of the Appetite or some other carnal So the Israâ—lites Num 11. loathing Manna because they must have change of dyet waâ— a sin of gulâ—sity or gluttony being more for Appetite than Health end Here note 1. The Matter 2. The end or effect of this excess 1. It is sometime an excess in quantity when more is eaten than is meet 2. Or else it may be an excess in the Delicious quality when more regard is had of the Delight and sweetness than is meet 3. Or it may be an excess in the frequencie and ordinary unseasonableness of eating When men eat too oft and sit at it too long 4. It may be an excess in the costliness or price when men feed themselves at too high rates 5. Or it may be an excess of curiosity in the dressing and sawâ—ing and ordering of all 2. And it is usually for some carnal end whether it may be properly called Glttony if a man should think that at a Sacrifice or thanksgiving he were bound to eat inordinately and so made the service of God his end we need not enquire though I see not but it may have that name For that 's a case that is more rare and it is undoubtedly a sin And it is Gluttony if it be done for the pleasing of Even fruitful land saith Plâ—tarch enricheth not if it cost too much the manuring So here others that are importunate with you But the common Gluttony is when it is done for the pleasing of the Appetite with such a pleasure as is no help to Health or Duty but usually a hurt to Body or Soul the Body being hurt by the excess the soul is hurt by the inordinate Pleasure § 3. Yea it is a kind of Gluttony and excess when men will not fast or abstain when they are required from that which at other times they may use with abstinence and without blame If a man use not to eat excessively nor deliciously yet if he will not abstain from his temperate dyet either at a publick fast or when his lust requireth him to take down his body or when his Physicion would dyet him for his health and his disease else would be encreased by what he eateth this is an inordinate eating and excess to that person at that time Or if the Delight that the appetite hath in one sort of meat which is hurtful to the body prevail against reason and health so with the person that he will not forbear it it is a degree of Gulosity or Gluttony though for quantity and quality it be in it self but mean and ordinary § 4. By this you may see 1. That it is not the same quantity which is an excess in one which is in another A labouring man may eat somewhat more than one that doth not labour and a strong and healthful body more than the weak and sick It must be an excess in quantity as to that particular person at that time which is when to please his appetite he eateth more than is profitable to his health or duty 2. So also the frequency must be considered with the quality of the person For one person may rationally eat a little and often for his health and another may luxuriously eat ofter than is profitable to health Eccles. 10. 16 17. Wo to thee O land when thy King is a child and thy Princes eat in the morning Blessed art thou O land when thy King is the son of Nobles and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness 3. And in point of costliness the same measure is not to be set to a Prince and to a plow-man that is luxurious excess in one which may be temperance and frugality in another But yet unprofitable cost which all things considered would do more good another way is
melodious praise § 34. Quest. 5. Doth not your Conscience tell you that your delight is more in your plays and Quest. 5. games than it is on God And that these sports do no way increase your delight in God at all but more unfit and undispose you And yet every blessed mans delight is in the Law of the Lord and in it he meditâ—teth day and night Psal. 1. 2. And do you do so § 35. Quest. 6. Do you bestow as much Time in Praying and reading the word of God and meditating Quest. 6. on it as you do in your sports and recreations Nay do you not shuffle this over and put God off with a few hypocritical heartless words that you may be at your sports or something which you love better § 36. Quest. 7. Doth not Conscience tell thee that this pretious Time might be much better Quest. 7. spent in the works that God hath appointed thee to do And that thy sinful soul hath need enough to spend it in far greater matters Doth it become one that hath sinned so long and is so unassured of pardon and salvation and near another world and so unready for it to sit at Cards or be hearing a Stage-play when he should be making ready and getting assurance of his peace with God § 37. Quest. 8. Wouldst thou be found at Cards or Plays when Death cometh If it were this Quest. 8. day hadâ—â— thou not rather be found about some holy or some profitable labour § 38. Quest. 9. Will it be more comfort to thee when thou art dying to think of the time which Quest. 9. thou spentst in Cards and Plays and Vanity or that which thou spentst in serving God and preparing for eternity § 39. Quest. 10. Darest thou pray to God to bless thy Cards and Dice and Plays to the good of Quest. 10. thy soul or body Would not thy Conscience tell thee that this were but a mocking of God as praying for that which thou dost not intend and which thy pleasures are unfit for And yet no recreation is lawful which you may not thus lawfully pray for a blessing on § 40. Quest. 11. If you were sure your selves that you sin not in your games or sports are you Quest. 11. sure that your Companions do not That they have no lust or vanity of mind at Stage-plays no Covetousness or sinful pleasure or passion at Cards or Dice If you say we are not bound to keep all other men from sin I answer You are bound to do your best towards it And you are bound not to contribute willingly to their sin And you are bound to forbear a thing indifferent though not a duty to avoid Rom. 14. 21. 1 Cor. 8. 13. the scandalizing or tempting of another If Paul would never eat flesh while he lived rather than make a weak person offend should not your sports be subject to as great Charity He saith It is good neither to eat flesh nor to drink wine nor any thing whereby thy weak brother stumbleth or is offended or made weak Object Then we must give over our meat and drink and cloaths and all Answ. It followeth not that we must forsake our Duty to prevent another mans sin because we must forsake our pleasure in things indifferent If you knew what sin is and what it is to save or lose ones soul you would not make a sport of other mens sin nor so easily contribute to their damnation and think your sensual pleasure to be a good excuse Rom. 15. 1 2 3. In such cases we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak that is to compassionate them as we do children in their weakness and not to please our selves to their hurt Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification that is prefer the edifying of anothers soul before the pleasure of your bodies For even Christ pleased not himself If Christ lost his life to save men from sin will not you lose your sport for it § 41. Quest 12. What kind of men are they that are most addicted to thy games and plays and Qâ—â—â—â— 12. 〈…〉 what kind of men are they that avoid them and are against them Are there not more Fornicators Drunkards Swearers Cursers Coveters of other mens mony and prophane neglecters of God and their souls among Gamesters and Players than among them that are against them Judge by the fruits § 42. And what I say to idle Gamesters is proportionably to be said to Voluptuous Youths that run after Wakes and May-games and Dancings and Revellings and are carried by the Love of sports and pleasure from the Love of God and the care of their Salvation and the Love of Holiness and the Love of their Callings and into idleness riotousness and disobedience to their Superiors For the cure of this Voluptuousness besides what is said Chap. 4. Part 9. Consider § 43. 1. Dost thou not know that thou hast higher delights to mind And are these toyes beseeming a noble soul that hath Holy and Heavenly matters to delight in § 44. 2. Dost thou not feel what a plague the very pleasure is to thy affections How it bewitchâ—th thee and befooleth thee and maketh thee out of Love with Holiness and unfit for any thing that 's good § 45. 3. Dost thou know the worth of those pretious hours which thou playest away Hast thou no more to do with them Look inwards to thy soul and forward to eternity and bethink thee better § 46. 4. Is it sport that thou most needest Dost thou not more need Christ and Grace and Pardon and preparation for Death and Judgement and assurance of Salvation Why then are not these thy business § 47. 5. Hast thou not a God to obey and serve And doth he not allway see thee And will He Eccles. 11. 9. not judge thee Alas thou knowest not how soon Though thou be now merry in thy youth and thy Heart cheer thee and thou walk in the ways of thy heart and the sight of thy eyes yet know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement § 48. 6. Observe in Scripture what God judgeth of thy ways Tit. 3. 3. We our selves were 1 Pâ—â—â— 14 15. 2. 11 12. sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures 2 Tim. 2. 22. Fly youthful lusts but follow after righteousness faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart Read 1 Pet. 4. 1 2 3 4. 2 Pet. 3. 3. 1 Tim. 3. 4. Lovers of pleasure more than Lovers of God § 49. 7. You are but preparing for your future sorrow either by Repentance or destruction And the greater is your pleasure now the greater will be your sorrow and shame in the review Having spoken this much for the cure of sinful sports I proceed to direct the more sober in their recreations § 50. Direct 2. When you
will draw them to your mind to be Godly Are you stronger in grace than they are in sin 2. If you know well what Grace is and what a sinful unrenewed soul is you would not think it so easie a matter to convert a soul. Why are there so few converted if it be so easie a thing You cannot make your selves better by adding higher degrees to the grace you have much less can you make another better by giving them the grace which they have not 3. It 's true that God is able to convert them when he will and it 's true that for ought I know it may be done But what of that Will you in so weighty a case take up with a meer possibility God can make a beggar Rich and for ought you know to the contrary he will do it And yet you will not therefore marry a Beggar Nor will you marry a Leper because God can heal him why then should you marry an ungodly person because God can convert him see it done first if you love your peace and safety § 50. Quest. But what if my Parents command me to marry an ungodly person Answ. God having Quest. forbidden it no Parent hath authority to command you to do so great a mischief to your self no more than to cut your own throats or to dismember your bodies § 51. Quest. But what if I have a necessity of marrying and can get none but an ungodly person Quest. Answ. If that be really your case that your necessity be real and you can get no other I think it is lawful § 52. Quest. But is it not better have a good natured person that is ungodly than an ill natured person Quest. that is religious as many such are And may not a bad man be a good husband Answ. 1. A bad man may be a good Taylor or Shoomaker or Carpenter or Seaman because there is no moral virtue necessary to the well-doing of their work But a bad man cannot be simply a good Magistrate or Minister or Husband or Parent because there is much moral Virtue necessary to their duties 2. A bad nature unmortified and untamed is inconsistent with true Godliness such persons may talk and profess what they please but if any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is vain Jam. 1. 26. 3. I did not say that Godliness alone is all that you must look after Though this be the first yet more is necessary § 53. Direct 7. Next to the fear of God make choice of a nature or temperament that is not too much Direct 7. unsuitable to you A crossness of dispositions will be a continual vexation and you will have a domestick War instead of Love Especially make sure of these following qualities 1. That there be a Loving and not a selfish nature that hath no regard to another but for their own end 2. That there be a Nature competently quiet and patient and not intolerably froward and unpleasable 3. That there be a competency of wit for no one can live lovingly and comfortably with a fool 4. That there be a competent humility For there is no quietness to be expected with the proud 5. That there be a power to be silent as well as to speak For a babling tongue is a continual vexation § 54. Direct 8. Next to Grace and Nature have a due and moderate respect to Person Education Direct 8. and Estate 1. So far have respect to the Person as that there be no unhealthfulness to make your condition over-burdensome nor no such deformity as may hinder your affections 2. And so far have respect to Parentage and Education as that there be no great unsuitableness of mind nor no prejudicate opinions in Religion which may make you too unequal Differing opinions in Religion are much more tolerable in persons more distant than in so near relations And those that are bred too high in idleness and luxury must have a through work of grace to make them fit for a low condition and cure the Pride and sensuality which are taken for the honourable badges of their Gentility And it is scarce considerable how Rich such are For their pride and luxury will make even with all and be still in greater want than honest contented temperate poverty § 55. Direct 9. If God call you to marriage take notice of the helps and comforts of that condition as Direct 9. well as of the hinderances and troubles that you may chearfully serve God in it in the expectation of his blessing Though mans corruption have filled that and every state of life with snares and troubles yet from the beginning it was not so God appointed it for mutual help and as such it may be used As a married life hath its temptations and afflictions so it hath its peculiar benefits which you are See Eccles. 4. 10 11 12. thankfully to accept and acknowledge unto God 1. It is a mercy in order to the propagating of a people on earth to love and honour their Creatour and to serve God in the world and enjoy him for ever It is no small mercy to be the Parents of a Godly seed and this is the end of the institution of marriage Mal. 2. 15. And this Parents may expect if they be not wanting on their part however sometimes their Children prove ungodly 2. It is a mercy to have a faithful friend that loveth you entirely and is as true to you as your self to whom you may open your mind and communicate your affairs and who will be ready to strengthen you and â—ivide the caâ—es of your affairs and family with you and help you to bear your burdens and comfort you in your sorrows and be the daily companion of your lives and partaker of your joys and sorrows 3. And it is a mercy to have so near a friend to be a helper to your soul to joyn with you in prayer and other holy exercises to watch over you and tell you of your sins and dangers and to stir up in you the grace of God and remember you of the life to come and cheerfully accompany you in the wayes of holiness Prov. 19. 14. A prudent wife is from the Lord. Thus it is said Prov. 18. 22. Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favour of the Lord. See Prov. 31. 10 11 12 c. § 56. Direct 10. Let your Marriage Covenant be made understandingly deliberately heartily in the Direct 10. fear of God with a fixed resolution faithfully to perform it Understand well all the duties of your relation before you enter into it And run not upon it as boys to a play but with the sense of your duty as those that engage themselves to a great deal of work of great importance towards God and towards each other Address your selves therefore before hand to God for Counsel and earnestly
unclean use and to devote it God to be employed in his service To alienate this from God or not to use it for God when it is dedicated to him or sanctified by his own election and separation of it from common use is Sacriledge God hath a double Right of Creation and Redemption to all persons But a treble Right to the sanctified Ananias his fearful judgement was a sad example of Gods wrath on those that withhold from him what was devoted to him If Christian families as such be sanctified to God they must as such worship him in their best capacity That Christian families are sanctified to God I prove thus 1. A Society of holy persons must needs be a holy Society But a family of Christians is a society of holy persons Therefore 2. We find in Scripture not only single persons but the societies of such sanctified to God Deut. 7. 6. Thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God he hath chosen thee to be a special people to himself above all people that are upon the face of the earth So Deut. 14. 20 21. So the body of that Commonwealth did all jointly enter into Covenant with God and God to them Deut. 29. 30. 26. 17 18 19. Thou hast vouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes And the Lord hath vouched thee this day to be his peculiar people that thou maist be an holy people to the Lord. So 28. 9. Dan. 8. 24. 12. 7. Josh. 24. devoteth himself and his house to the Lord I and my house will serve the Lord. And Abraham by Circumcision the Covenant or seal of the Covenant of God consecrated his whole houshold to God and so were all families after him to do as to the Males in whom the whole was consecrated And whether besides the typifying Intent there were not somewhat more in the sanctifying of all the first born to God who if they lived were to be the heads of the families may be questioned The Passeover was a family duty by which they were yet further sanctified to God Yea it is especially to be observed how in the New Testament the Holy Ghost doth imitate the language of the old and speak of Gods people as of holy societies as the Iews were As in many Prophesies it was foretold that Nations and Kingdoms should serve him of which I have spoken more in my Book of Baptism and among those who should mourn over him whom they have pierced in Gospel times when the Spirit of grace and supplication is powred forth are the family of the House of David apart and their Wives apart the family of the house of Nathan apart and their Wives apart Every family even all the families that remained apart and their Wives apart Zach. 11. 12 13 14. So Christ sendeth his Disciples to baptize Nations having discipled them and the Kingdoms of the World shall become the Kingdoms of the Lord and his Christ. And as Exodus 19. 5 6. saith of the Jews Ye shall be êa peculiar treasure to me above all people and ye shall be unto me a Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation so doth Peter say of all Christians 1 Pet. 2. 5 6 7 9. Ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house a holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ V. 9. But ye are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a peculiar people that you should shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light Mark how fully this Text doth prove all that we are about It speaks of Christians Collectively as in Societies and in societies of all the most eminent sorts A Generation which seems especially to refer to Tribes and Families A Priesthood Nation People which comprehendeth all the orders in the Nation oft times And in all these respects they are holy and peculiar and chosen to shew that Gods people are sanctified in these Relations and Societies And then mark the End of this sanctification V. 5. to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. V. 9. to shew forth the praises of him that hath called you c. Yea it seems that there was a special dedication of families to God And therefore we read so frequently of housholds converted and baptized Though none at age were baptized but such as seemed believers yet when they professed faith they were all together initiated as A Houshold And it seems the Masters Interest and Duty were taken to be so great for the conversion of the rest that as he was not to content himself with his own Conversion but to labour presently even before his Baptism that his houshold should joyn with him that so the whole family at once might be devoted to God so God did bless this his own Order and Ordinance to that End And where he imposed Duty on Masters he usually gave success so that commonly the whole family was Converted and Baptized with the Ruler of the family So Acts 18. 8. Crispus believed on the Lord with all his house and they were Baptized And Acts 16. 32. Paul promiseth the Gaoler Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house and he and all his were Baptized straight way for he believed in God with all his house Ver. 33 34. And Lydia is described a Worshipper of God Acts 16. 14. ver 15. She was Baptized and her houshold And the Angel told Cornelius that Peter should tell him words whereby he and all his houshold should be saved Acts 11. 14. who were Baptized accordingly And 1 Cor. 1. 16. Paul baptized the houshold of Stephanus And Christ told Zacheus Salvation was come that day unto his house and he and all his houshold believed So that Noble man John 4. 53. Therefore when Christ sâ—nt â—orth his Disciples he â—aith If the house be worthy let your peace come upon it but if it be not worthy lâ—t yâ—ur peace return to you So that as it is apparently the Duty of every Christian Soveraign to do what he is able to make all his peâ—ple Gods people and so to dedicate them to God as a Holy Nation in a National Covenant as the Israelites were So is it the unquestionable Duty of every Christian Ruler of a family to improve his interest power and parts to the uttermost to bring all his family to be the people of Christ in the Baptismal Covenant and so to dedicate all his family to Christ. Yet farther I prove this in that believers themselves being all sanctified to God it must needs follow that all their Lawful Relations and especially all commanded states of Relation are also sanctified to God for when themselves are dedicated to God it is absolutely without reserve to serve him with all that they have and in every Relation and Capacity that he shall set them It were a
children speaking of them when thou â—ittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up and thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thy house and upon your Gates that your dayes may be multiplyed and the dayes of your children The like words are in Deut. 6. 6 7 8. where it is said And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children So Deut. 4. 9. Teach them thy sons and thy sons sons Here there is one part of Family Duty viz. Teaching children the Laws of God as plainly commanded as words can express it Arg. 2. From these texts which commend this Gen. 18. 18 19. All the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed in him for I know him that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord and it was not only a command at his death what they should do when he was dead For 1. It cannot be imagined that so holy a man should neglect a Duty all his life time and perform it but at death and be commended for that 2. He might then have great cause to question the efficacy 3. As God commandeth a diligent inculcating precepts on Children so no doubt it 's a practice answerable to such precepts that is here commended And it is not bare teaching but commanding that is here mentioned to shew that it must be an improvement of Authority as well as of knowledge and elocution So 2 Tim. 3. 15. Of a child Timothy knew the Scripture by the teaching of his Parents as appeareth 2 Tim. 1. 5. Arg. 3. Eph. 6. 4. Bring them up in the nurture and admontion of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated nurture signifieth both Instruction and Correction shewing that Parents must use both Doctrine and Authority or force with their Children for the Matters of the Lord and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated admonition signifieth such Instruction as putteth Doctrine into the mind and chargeth it on them and fully storeth their minds therewith And it also signifieth chiding and sometimes correction And it 's to be noted that Children must be brought up in this The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying carefully to nourish importeth that as you feed them with milk and bodily food so you must as carefully and constantly feed and nourish them with the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It is called the nurture and admonition of the Lord because the Lord commandeth it and because it is the Doctrine concerning the Lord and the Doctrine of his teaching and the Doctrine that leadeth to him Arg. 4. Prov. 22. 6. Train up a child in the way where he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Arg. 5. From all those places that charge Children to hearken to the instructions of their Parents Prov. 1. 8. My Son hear the Instruction of thy Father and forsake not the law of thy Mother Prov. 6. 20. is the like and 3. 22. with many the like Yea the Son that is stubborn and rebellious against the Instruction and Correction of a Father or Mother in Gluttony Drunkenness c. was to be brought forth to the Magistrate and stoned to death Deut. 21. 18 19 20. Now all the Scriptures that require Children to â—ear their Parents do imply that the Parents must teach their Children for there is no hearing and learning without teaching But lest you say that Parents and Children are not the whole family though they may be and in Abrahams case before mentioned the whole houshold is mentioned the next shall speak to other relations Arg. 6. 1 Pet. 3. 7. Likewise ye Husbands dwell with them your wives according to knowledge and Eph. 5. 25 26. Love your Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctifie and cleanse it And this plainly implies that this knowledge must be used for the Instruction and sanctification of the Wife 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. Women must keep silence in the Church for it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are to be under obedience as also saith the Law If they will learn any thing let them ask their Husbands at home Which shews that at home their Husbands must teach them Arg. 7. Col. 3. 22 23 24 25. Eph. 6. 5 6 7 8. Servants must be obedient unto their Masters as unto Christ and serve them as serving the Lord Christ and therefore Ministers must command in Christ. Arg. 8. A fortiori fellow Christians must exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin much more must the Rulers of families do so to Wives Children and Servants 1 Pet. 4. 11. If any speak it must be as the Oracles of God much more to our own Families Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another and much more must a man do this to Wife Children and Servants than to those more remote Arg. 9. Those that are to be chosen Deacons or Bishops must be such as Rule their own Children and their own houshold well 1 Tim. 3. 4 12. Now mark 1. That this is one of those Christian virtues which they were to have before they were made Officers therefore other Christians must have and perform it as well as they 2. It is a Religious Holy Governing such as a Minister is to exercise over his flock that is here mentioned which is in the things of God and salvation or else the comparison or argument would not suit ver 5. For if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he rule the Church of God But of this more before I would say more on this point but that I think it is so clear in Scripture as to make it needless I pass therefore to the next Prop. 3. Family Discipline is part of Gods solemn Worship or Service appointed in his Word This is Prop. 3. not called Worship in so near a sense as some of the rest but more remotely yet so it may well be called in that 1. It is an Authoritative Act done by commission from God 2 Upon such as disobey him and as such 3. And to his Glory yea and it should be done with as great solemnity and reverence as other parts of worship The Acts of this discipline are first denying the ungodly entrance into the family 2. Correcting 3. Or casting out those that are in I shall be but brief on these 1. The first you have 2 Ioh. 10. If there come any to you and bring not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds 2. The Duty of correcting either by corporal sensible punishment or by withdrawing some benefit is so commonly required in Scripture especially towards Children that
in the sense of your natural sin and misery to stir up the lively sense of the wonderful Love of God and our Redeemer and to spend all the day in the special exercises of Faith and Love And seeing it is the Christian weekly festival or day of Thanksgiving for the greatest mercy in the world spend it as a day of Thanksgiving should be spent especially in Ioyful Praises of our Lord and let the huâ—bling and instructing exercisâ—s of the day he all subordinate to these laudatory exercises I know that much time must be spent in teaching and warning the ignorant and ungodly because their poverty and labours hinder them from other such opportunities and we must speak to them then or not at all But if it were not for their meer necessity and if we could as well speak to them other dayes of the Week the Churches should spend all the Lords Day in such praises and thanksgivings as are suitable to the ends of the institution But seeing that cannot be expected methinks it is desirable that the antient custome of the Churches were more imitated and the morning Sermon being fuited to the state of the more ignorant and unconverted that the rest of the day were spent in the exercises of Thanksgiving to the Joy and encouragement of believers and in doctrine suited to their state And yet I must add that a skilfull Preacher will do both together and so declare the Love and Grace of our Redeemer as by a meet application may both draw in the ungodly and comfort those that are already sanctified and raise their hearts in Praise to God § 4. Direct 4. Remember that the Lords day is appointed specially for publick worship and personal Direct 4. Communion of the Churches therein see therefore that you spend as much of the day as you can in this publick worship and Church-communion especially in the celebration of that Sacrament which is appointed for the memorial of the death of Christ untill his coming 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. This Sacrament in the Primitive Church was celebrated every Lords day yea and ofter even ordinarily on every other day of the week when the Churches assembled for Communion And it might be so now without any hinderance to Preaching or Prayer if all things were ordered as they should be For those Prayers and instructions and exhortations which are most suited to this Eucharistical action would be the most suitable Prayers and Sermons for the Church on the Lords dayes In the mean time sâ—e that so much of the day as is spent in Church-communion and publick worship be accordingly improved by you and be not at that time about your secret or family services but take only those hours for such private duties in which the Church is not assembled And remember how much the Love of Saints is to be exercised in this Communion and therefore labour to keep alive that Love without which no man can celebrate the Lords day according to the end of the institution § 5. Direct 5. Understand how great a mercy it is that you have leave thus to wait upon God for the receiving and exercise of grace and to cast off the distracting thoughts and businesses of the world and Direct 5. what an opportunity is put into your hand to get more in one day than this world can affâ—rd you all your lives And therefore come with gladness as to the receiving of so great a mercy and with desire after it and with hope to speed and not with unwillingness as to an unpleasant task as carnal hearts that Love not God or his Grace or Service and are aweary of all they do and glâ—d when it is done as the Ox that is unyoaked Isa. 58. 13 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath from doing thy pleasure on my holy day and call the Sabbath a Delight the holy of the Lord honourable and shalt honour him not doing thine own waies nor finding thine own pleasuâ—e nor speaking thine own words then shalt thou delight thy self in the Lord The affection that you have to the Lords day much sheweth the temper of the heart A holy person is glad when it cometh as loving it for the holy exercises of the day A wicked carnal heart is glad of it only for his carnal ease but weary of the spiritual duties § 6. Direct 6. Avoid both the extreams of Prophaneness and Superstition in the point of your external rest And to that end Observe 1. That the work is not for the day but the day for the holy Direct 6. work As Christ saith Mark 2. 27. The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath It is appointed for our good and not for our hurt 2. The outward rest is not appointed for it self but as a means to the freedom of the mind for inward and spiritual employments And therefore all those outward and common labours and discourses are unlawful which any way distract the mind and hinder either our outward or inward attendance upon God and our edification 3. And whatever it was to the Jews no common words or actions are unlawful which are no hinderance to this communion and worship and spiritual edification 4. Yea those things that are necessary to the support of nature and the saving of the Life or health or estate and goods of our selves or our neighbours are needful duties on that day Not all those works which are truly charitable for it may be a work of mercy to build Hospitals or make Garments for the poor or Till their ground but such works of mercy as cannot be put off to another day and such as hinder not the duties of the day 5. The same word or action on the Lords day which is unlawful to one man may be lawful to another as being no hinderance yea a duty to him As Christ saith The Priests in the Temple break or prophane the Sabbath that is the outward rest but not the command and are blameless Matth. 12. 15. And the Cook may lawfully be employed in dressing meat when it were a sin in another to do it voluntarily without need 6. The Lords day being to be kept as a day of Thanksgiving the dressing of such meat as is fit for a day of Thanksgiving is not to be scrupled The primitive Christians in the Apostles time had their Love-feasts constantly with the Lords Supper or after on the Evening of the day And they could not feast without dressing meat 7. Yet that which is lawful in it self must be so done as consisteth with care and compassion of the souls of servants that are employed about it that they may â—e deprived of no more of their spiritual benefit than needs 8. Also that which is lawful must sometimes be forborn when it may by scandal tempt others that are loose or weak to do that which is unlawful not that the meer displeasing of the erroneous should put us out of the right
conference or meditation or reading or hearing as formerly they had But though they are as much as ever Resolved for God against sin and Vanity yet they are colder and duller and have less zeal and fervency and delight in holy exercises 4. When age or weakness or melancholy hath decayed or confounded their Imaginations and ravelled their Thoughts so that they cannot order them and command them as formerly they could 5. And when age or melancholy hath weakened their parts and gifts so that they are of flower understandings and unabler in prayer or preaching or conference to express themselves than heretofore All these are but bodily changes and such hinderances of the soul as depend thereon and not to be taken for signs of a soul that declineth in holiness and is less accepted of God § 18. Direct 2. When you know the Marks of a Backslider come into the light and be willing to Direct 2. know your selves whether this be your condition or not and do not foolishly cover your disease Enquire whether it be with you as in former times when the light of God did shine upon you and you delighted in his wayes when you hated sin and loved holiness and were glad of the company of the heirs of life when the Word of God was pleasant to you and when you poured out your souls to him in prayer and thanksgivings When you were glad of the Lords day and were quickned and confirmed under the teaching and exhortation of his Ministers when you took worldly wealth and pleasures as childish toyes and fooleries in comparison of the contents of holy souls when you hungred and thirsted after Christ and righteousness and had rather have been in Heaven to enjoy your God and be free from sinning than to enjoy all the pleasures and prosperity of this World And when it was your daily business to prepare for death and to live in expectation of the everlasting Rest which Christ hath promised If this were once your case enquire whether it be so still or what alterations are made upon your hearts and lives § 19. Direct 3. If you find your selves in a Backsliding case by all means endeavour the awakening of your souls by the serious consideration of the danger and misery of such a state To which end I shall here set some such awakening thoughts before you For security is your greatest danger § 20. 1. Consider that to fall back from God was the sin of the Devils They are Angels that Direct 3. kept not their first estate but left their own habitations and are now reserved in chains under darkness to the judgement of the great day Jud. 6. And shall they entise you into their own condemnation § 21. 1. It was the sin of our first Parents Adam and Eve to revolt from God and lose their holiness And is there any sin that we should more carefully avoid than that which all the world hath so much suffered by Every one of the Creatures that you look on and every pain and misery you feel doth mind you of that sin and and call to you to take heed by the warning of your first Parents that you suffer not your hearts to be drawn from God § 22. 3. It is a part of Hell that you are choosing upon earth Depart from me ye cursed is the sentence on the damned Matth. 25. 41. 7. 23. And will you damn your selves by departing from God and that when he calleth you and obligeth you to him To be separated from God is one half the misery of the damned § 23. 4. You are drawing back toward the case that you were in in the dayes of your unconverted state And what a state of darkness and folly and delusion and sin and misery was that Iâ— it were good or tolerable why turned you from it and why did you so lament it and why did you so earnestly cry out for deliverance But if it were as bad as you then apprehended it to be why do you again turn towards it Would you be again in the case you were would you perish in it or would you have all those heart-breakings and terrours to pass through again May I not say to you as Paul to the Galatians O foolish sinners who hath bewitched you that you are so soon turned back who have seen that of sin and of God and of Christ and of Heaven and of Hell as you have done Gal. 3. 1 2 3 4. § 24. 5. Yea it is a far more doleful state that you are drawing towards than that which you were in before For the guilt of an Apostate is much greater than if he had never known the truth And his recovery is more difficult and of smaller hope Because he is twice dead and pluckt up by the root Jud. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 20 21 22. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the later end is worse with them than the beginning For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb The Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Heb. 10. 26 27. For if we sin wilfully by Apostacy after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries I know this speaketh only of total apostacy from Christ such being worthy of fâ—r sorer punishment than he that despised Moses Law v. 28 29. But it is a terrible thing to draw towards so desperate a state A habit is easier introduced upon a negation than a privation in him that never had it than in him that hath totally lost it § 25. 6. What abundance of Experience do you sin against in your Backsliding You have had experience of the evil of sin and of the smart of repentance and of the deceitfulness of all that can be said for sinning and of the goodness of God and of the safety and sweetness of Religion And will you sin against so great experience If your horse fall once into a quicksand he will scarce be forced into it again And will you be less wise § 26. 7. What abundance of promises and Covenants which you have made to God do you violate in your backsliding How often in your fears and dangers and sicknesses at Sacraments and dayes of humiliation have you bound your selves afresh to God! And will you forget all these and sin against them § 27. 8. By what multitudes of mercies hath God obliged you mercies before your repentance and mercies that drew you to repent and mercies since How mercifully hath he kept
know by your own experience thâ—se Joyes or Torments which the wicked will not know by faith And O what a preparation doth such a change require II. You are next to know what persons they are and how they differ who must abide for ever in these different states As we are the Children of Adam we are all corrupted our minds are carnal and set upon this world and savour nothing but the things of the flesh And the further we go in sin the worse we are being strangers to the Life of faith and to the Love of God and the Life to come taking the prosperity and pleasure of the flesh for the felicity which we most desire and seek The name of this state in Scripture is Carnal and ungodly and unholy because such men live in a meer flâ—shly nature or disposition for fleshly ends in a fleshly manner and are not at all Devoted to God and carryed up to Heavenly Desires and Delights but live chiefly for this life and not for the life to come And though they may take up some kind of Religion in a second place and upon the by for fear of being damned when they can keep the world no longer yet is it this world which they principally value love and seek and their Religion is subject to their worldly and fleshly interest and delights And though God hath provided and offered them a Saviour to teach them better and reclaim and sanctifie them by his word and spirit and forgive them if they will believe in him and return yet do they sottishly neglect this mercy or obstinately refuse it and continue their worldly fleshly lives till time be past and mercy hath done and there is no remedy These are the men that God will condemn and this is the true description of them And it will not stand with the Governing-Justice and Holiness and truth of God to save them But on the other side all those that God will save do heartily believe in Iesus Christ who is sent of God to be the Saviour of souls and he maketh them know by his word and spirit their grievous sin and misery in their state of corrupted nature and he humbleth them for it and bringeth them to true Repentance and maketh them loath themselves for their iniquities and seeing how they have cast away and undone themselves and are no better than the slaves of Satan and the heirs of hell they joyfully accept of the remedy that is offered them in Christ They heartily take him for their Saviour and King and give up themselves in Covenant to him to be justified and sanctified by him whereupon he pardoneth all their sin and further enlighteneth and sanctifieth them by his spirit He sheweth them by faith the infinite Love of God and the sure everlasting Holy Ioyes which they may have in Heaven with him and how blessed a life they may there obtain through his purchase and gift with all the blessed Saints and Angels He maketh them deliberately to compare this offer of Eternal Happiness with all the pleasures and seeming commodities of sin and all that this deceitful world can do for them And having considered of both they see that there is no comparison to be made and are ashamed that ever they were so mad as to prefer Earth before Heaven and an inch of Time before Eternity and a dream of pleasure before the Everlasting Ioyes and to love the pleasures of a transitory world above the presence and favour and Glory of God! And for the time to come they are firmly Resolved what to do Even to take Heaven for their only Happiness and there to lay up their Hopes and Treasure and to live to God as they have done to the flesh and to make sure of their salvation whatever become of their worldly interest And thus the spirit doth dwell and work in them and renew their Hearts and give them a hatred to every sin and a Love to every holy thing even to the holy word and worship and wayes and servants of the Lord and in a word he maketh them New Creatures and though they have still their sinful imperfections yet the bent of their Hearts and Lives is Holy and Heavenly and they long to be perfect and are labouring after it and seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and live above the world and flesh And shortly Christ will make them perfect and Iustifie them in the day of their judgement and give them the Glorious end of all their faith obedience and patience These are the persons and none but these among us that have the use of Reason that shall live with God III. Now this being the infallible truth of the Gospel and this being the true difference between the Righteous and the wicked the Iustified and Condemned souls O how neerly doth it now concern you to try which of these is your own condition Certainly it may be known For God will judge the world in righteousness by the same Law or Covenant by which he Governeth them Know but whom the Law of Christ condemneth or justifieth and you may soon know whom the Judge will condemn and justifie For he will proceed according to this Law If you should die in an unrenewed state in your sins your Hopes of Heaven would all die with you And if you should think never so well of your self till death and pretend never so confidently to trust on Christ and the Mercy of God one hour will convince Mat. 18. 3. Heb. 12. 14. Joh. 3. 3 5 6. you to your everlasting woe that Gods mercy and Christs merits did never bring to Heaven an unsanctified soul. Self flattery is good for nothing but to keep you from Repenting till time be past and to quiet you in Satans snares till there be no remedy Therefore presently as you love your soul examine your self and try which of these is the condition that you are in and accordingly judge you self before God judge you May you not know if you will whether you have most minded Earth or Heaven and which you have preferred and sought with the highest esteem and Resolution and whether your Worldly or Heavenly interest have born sway and which of them it is that gave place unto the other Cannot a man tell if he will what it is which his very soul hath practically taken for his chief concernment and what it is that haâ—â— had most of his Love and Care and what hath been next his heart and which he hath preferred wheâ—â—hey came to the parting and one was set against the other Cannot you tell whether you have lived principally to the flesh for the prosperity of this world and the pleasures of sin or whether the spirit of Christ by his word hath enlightned you and shewed you your â—in and misery and humbled you for it and shewed you the Glory of the life to come and the happiness of living in the Love of God and hereupon hath
and endeavours do contain the seed of life eternal and are such a preparation for it as cannot be in vain Would God concurr thus with any word which is not true and holy and good to make it effectual for the renovation of so many millions of souls Have you not found that his work of Grace is earryed on by heavenly Wisdom Love and Power and is a witness of his special providence and containeth his own Image upon the soul And shall we then question the Author of the seal when we see that the Image and superscription which it imprinteth is Divine And have you not had such experiences your 5. self of the fulfilling of this word in the answer of prayers manifest both on mens souls and bodies which are enough to confute the Tempter that would shake your faith when he seeth you in your weakness unfit to call up all those Evidences which at another time you have discerned For my own part I must bear this witness to the truth that I have known and felt and seen and heard such wonders wrought upon servent prayer as have many a time convinced me of the truth of the promises and the special providence of God to his poor petitioners I have oft known the Acute and Chronical Diseases of afflicted ones relieved by prayer without any natural means Some of the most violent cured in an hour and some by more slow degrees Besides the effects upon mens souls and estates and publick affairs which plainly demonstrated the means and cause And shall a promise thus sealed to us be ever questioned again Nay have you not the Witness in your self 6. 1 John 5. 10 11 12. Even the Spirit of Christ which is the pledge and earnest of your inheritance and the seal and mark of God upon you In a word it is an unquestionable truth that the rational 7. world neither is nor ever was nor can be governed agreeably to its nature without an End to move and rule them which is beyond this life and without the Hopes and fears of a Reward and Punishment hereafter Were this but taken out of the world man would no longer live like man but as the most odious noxious creature upon earth And it is as sure that it agreeth not with the Omnipotence Wisdom and Goodness of God to Govern so noble a Creature by a lye and to make a Nature that must be so governed And it is as certain that all other Revelation is defective and that Life and Immortality the end and the way were never so brought to light as they are in the Gospel by 2 Tim. 1. 10. Christ and by his Spirit Say then to the malitious Tempter The Lord rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke theâ— Zech. 3. 2. O full of all subtilty and mischief thou enemy of God and righteousness Wilt thou not cease to be a lying Spirit and to pervert the truth and right wayes of the Lord Act 13. 10. Lift up your soul to God and say I believe Lord help mine unbelief Though Satan stand to resist me at my right hand am I not a brand pluckt out of the fire Am I not thine and have I not resigned this soul to thee and didst thou not accept it in thy holy Covenant O then defend it as thine own Plead thou my Cause and confirm thy work and justifie both thy truth and me against the malitious enemy of both O let the intercession of my Saviour prevail that my faith fail not And take away the filthy garments from me Zech. 3. 3 4. and cause mine iniquities to pass away And though my soul be troubled what shall I say Father save me from this hour But then what passage shall I have into thy presence I was born a mortal wight John 12. 23 27 28. John 17. 1. and go but the way as all Generations have gone before me and follow my Lord and all his Saints Father receive and glorifie thy servant that thy servant may glorifie thy name for ever Receive O Father the soul which thou hast made Receive O Saviour the soul which thou hast so dearly bought and loved to the death Acts 7. 59. and washed in thy blood Receive the soul which thou hast regenerated by thy Spirit and in some measure quickned Psal. 39. 5 7 8 11. Psal. 32. 1 2 3. Rom. 4. 7 8. 24. Psal. 25. 7. Psal. 19. 12 13. 1 Pet. 2. 22. Matth. 3. 15. Heb. 9. 26. Isa. 53. 10. 3 4 6 7 8 9. Matth. 3 17. 17. 5. 12. 18. Rom. 5. 1 2 3 5 10. Ephes. 2. 14. Heb. 10. 10 12 14 18. Heb 7. 26 2â— Ephes. 1. 6 7 11 13. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Phil. 3. 9 10 11. Eph. 5. 26 27. Psal. 139. 16 17 18. Psal. 16. 6 7. Psal. 6â— 9. Psal. 46. 4. Psal. 42. 3 4. Psal. 89. 15. Psal. 36. 8. John 4. 10 13 14. Psal. 42. 4. Psal. 107. 6. 13. Psal. 107. 17 14. by the immortal seed Behold thou hast made my dayes as an hand breadth my age before thee is as nothing and every man at his best estate is vanity When thy rebukes correct us for iniquity thou makest our beauty to câ—nsume as a nâ—oth And now O Lord what wait I for Is not my hope alone in thee Deliver me from my transgressions and impute not to me the sins which I have done Remember not against me the sins of my youth and forgive the iniquities of my riper years Charge not upon me my grieving of thy Spirit and neglects and resistances of thy grace Forgive my sins of ignorance and of knowledge my sins of slâ—thfulness rashness and presumption especially those which I have wilfully committed against thy warnings and the warnings of my Conscience Who can understand his errors Cleanse thou me from secret sins O pardon my unprofitableness and abuse of thy mercies and my sluggish loss of pretious time that I have served thee no better and loved thee no more and improved no better the day of grace Though folâ—y and sin have darknâ—d my light and blemished my most holy services and my transgressions have been multiplyed in thy sight yet is the Sacrifice sufficient which thou hast accepted from our great High Priest who made his soul an offering for sin In him thou art well pleased He is our peace In him I trust He was holy harmless undefiled and separate from sinners He did no iniquity He fulfilled all Righteousness and by once offering of himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified He is able to save to the utmost them that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Accept me O Father in him thy well beloved Let my sinful soul be healed by his stripes who bare our sins in his body on the Cross. Let me be found in him not having any Legal righteousness of my own but that which
5. 9 10. Rev. 4. 11 8. Rev. 15. 3. Heb. 12. 9. Matth. 6. 13. thâ—u not said Behold I come quickly Even so Come Lord and let the great Marriage day of the Lamb make haste when thy Spouse shall be presented spotless unblamable and glorious and the glory of God in the New Jerusalem shall be Revealed to all his holy ones to delight and glorifie them for ever In the mean time Remember Lord thy promise Because I live therefore shall ye live also And let the dead that dye in thee be blessed And thou that art made a quickning Spirit and art the Lord and Prince of life and hast said that not a hair of our heads shall perish Gather our departing souls unto thy self into the Heavenly Jerusalem and Mount Zion the City of the living God and to the Myriads of holy Angels and to the general Assembly and Church of the first born and to the perfected Spirits of the just where thou wilt make us Kings and Priests to God whom we shall See and Love and Praise for ever For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things and for his pleasure they are and were created And O thou the blessed God of Love the Father of Spirits and King of Saints receive this unworthy Member of thy Son into the heavenly Chore which sing thy Praise who rest not saying night and day Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty who Is and Was and Is to Come For Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen The End of the Second TOME A Christian Directory The Third Part. Christian Ecclesiasticks OR DIRECTIONS TO PASTORS PEOPLE About Sacred Doctrine Worship and Discipline and their mutual Duties With the Solution of a multitude of Church-Controversies and Cases of Conscience By RICHARD BAXTER 1 Cor. 12. 25 27 28. That there should be no Schism in the body but the Members should have the same care one for another Now ye are the Body of Christ and Members in particular And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles c. Eph. 4. 3 4 12 c. Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the SPIRIT in the bond of Peace There is one Body one Spirit one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptism Not One Ministerial Head one God * And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ Till we all come into the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of doctrine by the cogging or sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive But keeping the Truth in Love may grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ From whom the whole body compacted and cemented together by every joynt of supply according to its power in proportion of each part worketh increase of the body to the edifying of it self in Love 1 Tim. 3. 15. That thou maist know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God which is the Church of the living God as A pillar and basis of the truth 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. We beseech you brethren to know them which labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their work sake and be at peace among your selves LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons at the Sign of the Princes-Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1673. Reader THat this part and the next are Imperfect and so much only is written as I might and not as I would I need not excuse to thee if thou know me and where and when I live But some of that which is wanting if thou desire thou maist find 1. In my Universal Concord 2. In my Christian Concord 3. In our Agreement for Catechising and my Reformed Pastor 4. In the Reformed Lyturgie offered to the Commissioned Bishops at the Savoy Farewel A Christian Directory TOM III. Christian Ecclesiasticks CHAP. I. Of the Worship of God in general § 1. THAT God is to be Worshipped solemnly by man is confessed by Qui totos dies precabantur immolabant ut sui liberi sibi superstites essent Superstitiosi sunt appellati quod nomen paâ—uit postea latius Qui autem omnia quae ad cultum Deorum pertinerent diligenter pertractarent tanquam relegerent sunt dicti Religiosi ex relegendo ut elegantes ex eligendo à diligendo diligentes ex intelligendo intelligentes Superstitiosi Religiosi alterum vitii nomen alterum laudis Cicer. nat Deor. lib. 2. pag. 73 74. all that acknowledge that there is a God But about the Matter and Manner of his Worship there are no small dissensions and contentions in the world I am not now attempting a reconciliation of these contenders The sickness of mens minds and wills doth make that impossible to any but God which else were not only possible but easie the terms of reconciliation being in themselves so plain and obvious as they are But it is Directions to those that are willing to worship God aright which I am now to give § 2. Direct 1. Understand what it is to worship God aright lest you offer him Vanity and sin for Direct 1. Worship The worshipping of God is the direct acknowledging of his Being and Perfections to his honour Indirectly or consequentially he is acknowledged in every obediential act by those that truly obey and serve him And this is indirectly and participatively to worship him And therefore all things are Holy to the Holy because they are Holy in the use of all and Holiness to the Lord is as it were written upon all that they possess or do as they are Holy But this is not the worship which we are here to speak of but that which is Primarily and Directly done to glorifie him by the acknowledgement of his excellencies Thus God is worshipped either inwardly by the soul alone or also outwardly by the body expressing the worship of the soul. For that which is done by the Body alone without the concurrence of the Heart is not true worship but an Hypocritical Image or shew of it equivocally called Worship The inward worship of the Heart alone I have spoken If they that serve their God with meer word and ceremony and mimâ—ca actions were so served themselves they might be â—ilâ—â—ced with Aristâ—ppâ—â— his defence of his gallantry and sumptuâ—uâ— fare Si vituâ—â—randum ait hoc essâ—t in celebritatibus deorum profectò non fieret Laert. iâ— Aristip. So Plato allowed drunkenness only in the Feasts oâ— Baâ—châ—s of in the former Tome The outward or expressive worship
iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. It is a purified peculiar holy people that Christ hath redeemed to be the worshippers of God and as Priests to offer him acceptable Sacrifice Tit. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 5. 9. If you will receive the Kingdom that cannot be moved you must have grace in your hearts to serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear for our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 28 29. I know an ungodly person as soon as he hath any repenting thoughts must express them in Confession and Prayer to God But as no Prayers of an ungodly man are profitable to him but those which are acts of his penitent return towards God so no worship of God hath a promise of Divine acceptance but that which is performed by such as sincerely return to God and such are not ungodly The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15. 8. I know the wicked must seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near but it must be in forsaking his way and thoughts and turning to the Lord Isa. 55. 6. 7. Simon Magus must first Repent of his wickedness and then pray that the thoughts of his heart may be forgiven him Act. 8. 22. O come not in thy unholy carnal state to Worship God unless it be as a penitent returner to him to lament first thy sin and misery that thou maist be sanctified and reconciled and fit to Worship him § 17. Direct 6. Yet take it not as sufficient that thou art in a state of sanctification but also particularly Direct 6. sanctifie thy self to every particular address to God in holy worship Even the Child of a King will not go rudely in dirt and filthiness into his fathers presence Who would not search his heart and life and cleanse his soul from his particular pollution by renewed Repentance and purposes of reformation before he venture to speak to God Particular sins have made sad breaches between God and his Children and made soul work in souls that the blood of Christ had cleansed Search therefore with fear lest there should be any reviving sin or any hidden root of bitterness or any transgression which thou winkest at or wilfully cherishest in thy self that if there be such thou maist bewail and hate it and not come to God as if he had laid by his hatred of sin § 18. Direct 7. Whenever thou comest to worship God labour to awaken thy soul to a reverent apprehension Direct 7. of the presence and Greatness and holiness of his Majesty and to a serious apprehension of the Greatness and excellency of the holy work which thou takest in hand Remember with whom thou hast to do Heb. 4. 13. To speak to God is another kind of work than to speak to the greatest Prince on earth yea or the greatest Angel in Heaven Be holy for the Lord your God is holy To sanctifie the name of God and come in Holiness before him is to apprehend him as infinitely advanced above the whole Creation and to come with Hearts that are separated from common things to him and elevated above a common frame A common frame of heart in worship such as we have about our common business is meer prophaneness If it be common it is unclean Look to your feet when you go to the house of God Eccl. 5. 1. Put off the shooes of earthly common unhallowed affections when ever you tread on holy ground that is when you are about holy work and when you draw near the Holy God In reverent adoration say as Iacob Gen. 28. 17. How dreadful is this place this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of Heaven See Isa. 6. 1 3 5. § 19. Direct 8. In the worship of God remember your communion with the holy Angels and with all Direct 8. the hosts of Heaven You are the servants of the same God and though you are yet far below Luk. 20. 36. See Eccl. 5. 5. Psal. 138. 1. Isa. 6. 2. them you are doing that which tendeth towards their dignity for you must be equal with them You work is partly of the same kind with theirs It is the same Holy Majesty that you admire and praise though you see him yet but as in a glass And the Angels are some of them present with you and see you though you see not them 1 Cor. 11. 10. you are commanded to respect them in your behaviour in Gods worship If the eye of faith were so far opened as that in all your Worshipping of God you saw the blessed companies of Angels though not in the same place and See Mr. Ambrose his Book of Communion with Angels And Zanchy on the same subject and Mr. â—awrenâ—e and Dr. Hammonds Annotat. on 1 Cor. 11. manner with you yet in the same worship and in communion with you admiring magnifying extolling and praising the most Glorious God and the Glorified Redeemer with flaming fervent holy minds it would sure do much to elevate your souls and raise you up to some imitation and resemblance of them You find that in Gods publick worship it is a great help to the soul in holy cheerfulness and fervour to joyn with a full Assembly of holy fervent cheerful worshippers and that it is very difficult to the best to keep up life and fervent cheerfulness in so small or ignorant or prophane a company as where there is is no considerable number to concur with us O then what a raising help would it be to praise God as within the sight and hearing of the Heavenly praises of the Angelical chore You see how apt men are to be comformed to the company that they are in They that are among Dancers or gamesters or tiplers or filthy talkers or scorners or railers are apt to do as the company doth or at least to be the more disposed to it And they that are among Saints in holy worship or discourse are apt to imitate them much more than they would do in other company And what likelier way is there to make you like Angels in the Worshipping of God than to do it as in the communion of the Angels and by faith to see and hear them in the consort The Angels disdain not to study our studies and to learn by the Church the manifold wisdom of God Eph. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 1. 12. They are not so far from us nor so strange to us and our affairs as that we should imagine our selves to be out of their communion Though we may not worship them Col. 2. 18. we must worship as with them § 20. Direct 9. Take special care to the Matter of your Worship that it be such as is agreeable to the Direct 9. will of God to the holiness of his nature and the directions of his word and such as hath a promise of Adulterium est impium est
here is not meant the substance of the Christian belief or any one necessary Article of it But a Belief of the indifferency of such things as Paul spake of in meats and drinks If thou know these things to be Lawful when thy weak brother doth not and so thou be wiser than he thank God for thy knowledge and use it to thy own salvation but do not proudly or uncharitably contend for it and use it uncharitably to the danger of anothers soul much less to the wrong of the Church and Gospel and the hinderance of greater truths 2 Tim 2. 14. Of these things put them in remembrance that is of the Saints hope in Gods faithfulness charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit but the subverting of the hearers Yet for the faith we must earnestly contend Jude 2 3. So 2 Tim. 2. 2. 23 24. But foolish and unlearned questi 〈…〉 avoid knowing that they do gender strife And the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all men § 8. But that which is the chiefest matter of our Profession is The being and perfections of God himself His love to man and power over him and mans subjection and obligations unto God The person and office and works and benefits of our Redeemer with all the duty that we owe to him in perfect holiness and all the hopes that we have in him the happiness of the Saints the odiousness of sin and the misery of the wicked These and such as these are things that we are called to Profess yet so as not to deny or renounce the smallest truth § 9. Direct 3. Understand also the manner how we must make Profession of Religion 1. There is Direct 3. a Professing by words and a professing by Actions 2. There is a solemn profession by Gods publick ordinances and an occasional or privater profession by conference or by our conversations And all these wayes must Religion be professed § 10. Direct 4. Understand also the season of each sort of Profession that you omit not the season nor do it Direct 4. unseasonably 1. Profession by Baptism Lords Supper and Church-assemblies must be done in their season which the Church-guides are the conducters of 2. Profession by an innocent blameless obedient life is never out of season 3. Profession by private conference and by occasional acts of piety must be when opportunity inviteth us and they are likely to attain their ends 4. The whole frame of a Believers life should be so Holy and Heavenly and mortified and above the world as may amount to a serious profession that he liveth in confident hope of the life to come and may shew the world the difference between a Worldling and an heir of Heaven between corrupted nature and true grace The Professors of Godliness must be a peculiar people zealous of good works and adorned with them Tit. 2. 14. 1 Tim. 2. 10. § 11. Direct 5. Take special care that your Profession be sincere and that you be your selves as good Direct 5. as you profess to be Otherwise 1. Your profession will condemn your selves 2. And it will dishonour the truth which you deceitfully profess There can scarce a greater injury befall a good cause than to have a bad and shameful patron to defend it Rom. 2. 3. And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and dost the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God Vers. 13. to 25. Thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God For the name of God is blaspheamed among the Gentiles through you § 12. Direct 6. Let not your profession be so much of your own sincerity as of God and his excellencies Direct 6. Boast not of your selves but of God and Christ and the promise and the Hope of true believers and do it to Gods praise and not for your own Be sure that in all your profession of Religion you be seeking honour to God and not unto your selves And then in this manner he that doubteth of his own sincerity yet may and must make profession of Christ and true Religion when you cannot proclaim the uprightness of your own hearts you may boldly proclaim the excellencies of Religion and the happiness of Saints § 13. Direct 7. Live upon God alone and trust his Alsufficiency and abhor that pusillanimity and Direct 7. baseness of spirit which maketh men afraid or ashamed openly to own the truth Remember the example of your Lord who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession 1 Tim. 6. 13. who came for this end into the world to bear witness to the truth Fear not the face of man whose breath is in his Joh. 18. 37. The Arrians under Valens and the Vandal◠still silenced the Orthodox Preachers and forbad their meetings and yet the people adhered to their Pastors and kept their meetings while they could Saepius prohibitum est ut sacerdotes vestri conventus minime celebrarent nec sua seditione animas subverterent Chistianas Praecept Hunner in Victor◠uticers p. 414. nostrils and is perishing even while he is threatning If thou believe not that Christ can secure thee from the rage of man thou believest not indeed in Christ If thou believe not that Heaven will satisfie for all that by scorns or cruelties thou sufferest from sinners thou hast not indeed the hope of a believer And no wonder if thou profess not that which thou believest not But if thou believe that God is God and Christ is Christ and Heaven is Heaven and the Gospel is true thou hast enough in thy Belief to secure thee against all the scorns and cruelties of man and to tell thee that Christ will bear thy charges in all that thou sufferest for his sake O what abundance are secretly convinced of the truth and their Consciences bear witness to the wisdom of the Saints and a holy life and yet they dare not openly own and stand to the truth which they are convinced of for fear of being mockt by the tongues of the profane or for fear of losing their places and preferments O wretch dost thou not tremble when thou art ashamed of Christ to think of the day when he will be ashamed of thee Then when he comes in Glory none will be ashamed of him Then where is the tongue that mockt him and his servants Who then will deride his holy wayes Then that will be the greatest Glory which thou art now ashamed of Canst thou believe that day and yet hide thy profession through cowardly fear or shame of man Is man so great and is Christ no greater in thine eyes than so If he be not more regardable than man believe not in him If he be regard him more and let not a worm be preferred before thy Saviour § 14. Direct 8. If any doubt arise whether thou shouldst now make particular Profession of
my word to man and those Oaths or Vows where God is also made either only or conjunct with man the party to whom I primarily oblige my self For in the first case man can dispense with my Oath or Vow by remitting his own right and releasing me from my promise but in the second case no created power can do it As e. g. if I promise to pay a man a summ of money or to do him service and swear that I will perform it faithfully if upon some after bargain or consideration he release me of that promise God releaseth me also as the Witnesses and Iudge have nothing against a man whom the Creditor hath discharged But if I Swear or Vow that I will amend my life or reform my family of some great abuse or that I will give so much to the poor or that I will give up my self to the work of the Gospel or that I will never marry or never drink Wine or never consent to Popery or Error c. No man can dispense with my Vow nor directly disoblige me in any such case because no man can give away Gods right All that man can do in any such case is to become an occasion of Gods disobliging me If he can so change the case or my condition as to bring me under some Law of God which commandeth me the contrary to my Vow then God disobligeth me or maketh it unlawful to keep that Vow And here because a Vow is commonly taken for such a Promise to God in which we directly bind our selves to him therefore we say that a Vow thus strictly taken cannot be dispensed with by man though in the sense aforesaid an Oath sometimes may § 48. The Papists deal most perversly in this point of Dispensing with Caths and Vows For they give that Power to the Pope over all the Christian world who is an Usurper and none of our Governour which they deny to Princes and Parents that are our undoubted Governours The Pope may disoblige Vassals from their Oaths of Allegiance to their Princes as the Council of Lateran before cited but no King or Parent may disoblige a man from his Oath to the Pope nay it a Child vow a Monastical life and depart from his Parents they allow not the Parents to disoblige him § 49. Rule 29. In the determining of controversies about the Obligation of Oaths and Vows it is Rule 29. safest to mark what Scripture saith and not to presume upon uncertain pretences of Reason to release our selves where we are not sure that God releaseth us § 50. Rule 30. That observable Chapter Numb 30. about dispensations hath many things in it that Rule 30. are plain for the decision of divers great and usual doubts But many things which some do collect and conclude as consequential or implyed are doubtful and controverted among the most judicious Expositors and Casuists § 51. 1. It is certain that this Chapter speaketh not of a total Nullity of Vows ab initio but of a Relaxation or disannulling of them by superiours For 1. Bare silence which is no efficient cause doth prove them to be in force 2. It is not said She is bound or not bound but Her Vow and bond shall stand v. 4. 7 9 11. or shall not stand v. 5. 12. and He shall make it of none effect And si infringendo infregerit ea vir eju◠v. 12. Vir ejus infregit ca. v. 13. v. 8. The Hebrew vers 5. signifieth Quia annihilavit pater ejus illud And v. 8. Et si in die audire virum ejus annihilaverit illud infregerit votum ejus 3. It is expresly said that she had bound her soul before the dissolution 4. It is said The Lord shall forgive her v. 5 8 12. which signifieth a Relaxation of a former bond Or at the most the Parents silence is a confirmation and his disowning it hindereth only the confirmation So the Chaldee Paraphrase the Samaritan and Arabick Non erunt confirmata The Syriack Rata vel irrita erunt 2. It is certain that a Father hath the Power of relaxation here mentioned as to an unmarried daughter in her youth living in his house and a Husband over his Wife For it is the express words of the Text. 3. It is certain that this power extendeth to Vows about all things in which the inferiour is not sui juris but is under the superiours care and oversight and cannot perform it in case there had been no Vow without the superiours consent 4. It is certain that it extendeth not only to matters concerning the Governours themselves but concerning Vows to God as they are good or hurtful to the inferiours 5. It is certain that there are some Vows so necessary and clearly for the inferiours good that in them he is sui juris and no superiour can suspend his Vows As to have the Lord for his God and not to commit Idolatry Murder Theft c. No superiour can disoblige us here For the power of superiours is only for the Inferiours indempnity and good 6. It is certain that the superiours recall must be speedy or in time before silence can signifie a consent and make a confirmation of the Vow 7. It is certain that if the superiour have once ratified it by silence or consent he cannot afterwards disannull it 8. It is agreed that if he a while dissent and disannull it and afterward both inferiour and superiour consent again that it remaineth ratified 9. It is agreed that the superiour that can discharge the Vow of the inferiour cannot release himself from his own Vows If the Pope could release all men who shall release him § 52. 2. But in these points following there is no such Certainty or Agreement of judgements because the Text seemeth silent about them and men conjecture variously as they are prepared 1. It is uncertain whether any but Women may be released by vertue of this Text 1. Because the Text expresly distinguishing between a man and a woman doth first say Si Vir If a man Vow a Vow unto the Lord or swear an Oath to bind his soul with a bond he shall not break his word he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth And 2. Because women are only instanced in when Scripture usually speaketh of them in the Masculine Gender when it includeth both Sexes or extendeth it to both 3. And in the recapitulation in the end it is said by way of recital of the contents v. 16. These are the Statutes which the Lord commanded Moses between a Man and his Wife between the Father and his daughter in her youth in her Fathers house As it he would caution us against extending it any further And though many good Expositors think that it extendeth equally to Sons as to Daughters in their minority because there is a parity of reason yet this is an uncertain conjecture 1. Because God seemeth by the expression to
Tim. 1. 4. James 3. 1 Cor. 3. 3. For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among you envying zeal and strife and divisions or parties or factions are ye not carnal and walk as men For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos are ye not carnal Phil. 2. 1 2 3 4. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same Love of one accord of one mind Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves Rom. 16 17 18. Now I beseech you brethren mark them which cause divisions or parties and offences or scandals contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned and avoid them Abundance more such Texts may be recited § 49. II. The great Benefits of the Concord of Christians are these following 1. It is necessary The Benefits of Concord to the very Life of the Church and its several members that they be all One Body As their Union with Christ the Head and Principle of their life is principally necessary so Unity among themselves is secondarily necessary for the conveyance and reception of that Life which floweth to all from Christ. For though the Head be the Fountain of Life yet the nerves and other parts must convey that life unto the members And if any member be cut off or separated from the Body it is separated also from the Head and perisheth Mark well those words of the Apostle Ephes. 4. 3. to 16. Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace There is one Body and one Spirit even as ye are called in one Hope of your calling One Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all But unto every one of us is given Grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And be gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangeliâ—ts and some Pastors and Teachers For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of Christ till we all come in the Unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God to a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ that speaking the truth in Love we may grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ From whom the whole Body fitly joyned together and compacted by every joynt of supply according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the Body to the edifying of it self in Love See here how the Churches Unity is necessary to its life and increase and to the due nutrition of all the parts § 50. 2. The Unity of the Church and the Concord of Believers is necessary to its strength and safety for Christ also strengtheneth as well as quickneth them by suitable means Wo to him that is alone But in the Army of the Lord of Hosts we may safely march on when straglers are catcht up or killed by the weakest enemy A threefold cord is not easily broken Enemies both spiritual and corporal are deterred from assaulting the Church or any of its members while they see us walk in our Military Unity and Order In this posture every man is a blessing and defence unto his neighbour As every Souldier hath the Benefit of all the conduct wisdom and valour of the whole Army while he keepeth in his place so every weak Christian hath the use and benefit of all the Learning the Wisdom and Gifts of the Church while he keepeth his station and walketh orderly in the Church The hand the eye the ear the foot and every member of the Body is as ready to help or serve the whole and every other particular member as it self But if it be cut off it is neither helpful nor to be helped O what a mercy is it for every Christian that is unable to help himself to have the help of all the Church of God their directions their exhortations their Love their prayers their liberality and compassion according to their several abilities and opportunities As infants and sick persons have the help of all the rest of the family that are in health § 51. 3. Unity and Concord as it proceedeth from Love so it greatly cherisheth and increaseth Peace containeth infinite blessings I strengtheneth faith It kindleth Charity The outward peace of the Church distilleth into peace of conscience and it turneth the writing and reading of Controversies into treatises of Mortification and Devotion Id. ibid. Against procuring Unity by sanguinaâ—y persecutions see Lord Bacon Essay 3. Surely there is no better way to stop the rising of new Sects and Schisms than to reform abuses to compound the smaller differences to proceed mildly and not with sanguinaâ—y persecutions and rather to take off the principal authors by winning and advancing them than to â—nrage them by violence and bitterness Lord Bacon in his Essay 58. Ita hominis non implet justitiam Dei And it was a notable observation of a wise Father that those which held and persuaded pressure of Consciences were commonly interessed there in themselves for their own ends Id. Ess. 3. p. 19. Love even as the laying of the Wood or Coals together is necessary to the making of the fire which the separating of them will put out Holy Concord cherisheth holy converse and communion And holy communion powerfully kindleth holy Love When the servants of Christ do see in each other the lustre of his Graces and hear from each other the heavenly language which floweth from a Divine and heavenly mind this potently kindleth their affections to each other and maketh them close with those as the sons of God in whom they find so much of God Yea it causeth them to Love God himself in others with a reverent admiring and transcendent Love when others at the best can Love them but as men Concord is the womb and soil of Love although it be first its progeny In quietness and peace the voice of peace is most regarded § 52. 4. Unity and Concord is the Churches Beauty It maketh us amiable even to the eye of nature and venerable and terrible even to the eye of malice A concord in sin is no more honour than it is for conquered men to go together in multitudes to prison or captivity or for beasts to go by droves unto the slaughter But to see the Churches of Christ with one heart and soul acknowledging their Maker and Redeemer and singing his Praise as with one voice and living together in Love and Concord as those that have one Principle one Rule one nature one work one Interest and Hope and End this is the truly beauteous symmetry and delectable harmony Psal. 133. Behold how good
carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to his Law nor can be Rom. 8. 7. And they that are in the flesh cannot please God v. 8. And you may easily conceive what work will be made in the Ship when an enemy of the Owner hath subtilly possessed himself of the Pilots place He will charge all that are faithful as mutineers because they resist him when he would carry all away And if an enemy of Christ shall get to be Governour of one of his Regiments or Garrisons all that are not Traytors shall be called Traytors and cashiered that they hinder not the treason which he intendeth And as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now But what saith the Scripture cast out the bond-woman and her son c. Gal. 4. 29 30. It is not the sacred office of the Ministry nor the profession of the same religion that will cure the enmity of a carnal heart against both Holiness and the Holy seed The whole business of the world from age to age is but the management of that war proclaimed at sins first entrance into the World between the seed of the woman and the Serpent And none of the serpents seed are more cruel or more successful Gen. 3. 15. than those of them that creep into the Armies of Christ and especially that get the conduct of his Regiments Neither Brotherhood nor Unity of profest Religion would hold the hands of Poetae nunquam perturbarunt Respublicas Oratores non raro Buchoâ—tz malignant Cain from murdering his Brother Abel The same Religion and father and family reconciled not scoffing Ishmael to Isaac or prophane Esau to his brother Iacob The family of Christ and an Apostles office did not keep Iudas from being a Traytor to his Lord. If carnal men invade the Ministry they take the way of ease and honour and worldly wealth and strive for Dominion and who shall be the greatest and care not how great their Power and Iurisdiction is nor how little their profitable work is and their endeavour is to fit all matters of Worship and discipline to their ambitious covetous ends and the spiritual Worshipper shall be the object of their hate And is Acosta l. 6. c. 23. p. 579. Nothing so much hurteth this Church as a rabble of hirelings and self-seekers For what can natural men that scarce have the Spirit do in the cause of God A few in number that are excellent in vertue will more promote the work of God But they that come hither being humble and lovers of souls taking Christ for their pattern and bearing in their bodies his Cross and death shall most certainly find heavenly treasures and inestimable delights But when will this be When men cease to be men and to savour the things of men and to seek and gape after the things of men With men this is utterly impossible but with God all things are possible Because this is hard in the eyes of this people shall it therefore be hard in my eyes saith the Lord Zech. 10. pag. 580. I may say to some Ministers that cry out of the schismatical disobedience of the people as Acosta doth to to those that cryed out of the Indians dulness and wickedness It is long of the Teachers Deal with them in all possible love and tenderness away with Covetousness Lordliness and Cruelty give them the example of an upright life open to them the way of truth and teach them according to their capacity and diligently hold on in this way who ever thou art that art a Minister of the Gospel and saith he as ever I hope to enjoy thee O Lord Jesu Christ I am perswaded the harvest will be plentiful and joyful l. 4. p. 433. passim But saith he we quickly cease our labours and must presently have hasty and plenteous fruit But the Kingdom of God is not such Verily it is not such but as Christ hath told us like seed cast into the earth which groweth up by degrees we know not how p. 433 434. Hieroms case is many anothers Concivit odia perditorum Oderunt eum haeretici quia eos impugnare non desinit Oderunt Clerici quia vitam eorum insectatur crimina Sed plane eum boni omnes admirantur diligunt Posthumianus in Sulp. Severi Dialog 1. And Dial. 2. Martinus in Medio caetu conversatione populorum inter Clericos dissidentes inter Episcopos saevientes cum fere quotidianis scandalis huic atque inde premeretur inexpugnabili tamen adversus omnia virtute fundatus stetit Nec tamen huic crimini miscebo populares soli illum Clerici soli nesciunt Sacerdotes nec immerito Nosce illum invidi noluerunt quia si virtutes illius nossent suorum vitia cognovissent it any wonder if the Churches of Christ be torn by Schism and betrayed to prophaneness where there are such unhappy guides § 85. Direct 8. In a special manner take heed of pride Suspect it and subdue it in your selves Direct 8. and do what you can to bring it into disgrace with others Only by Pride cometh contention Prov. How the Jesuites have hereby distracted the Church read Mariana Archiâ—pisc Pragensis Censur de Bull. Iesâ—it Daâ— Hospital ad Reges c. Auâ— Ardingbelli Paradoxa Iesuitica Galindus Giraldus c. Arcana Iesuit 13. 10. I never yet saw one schism made in which Pride conjunct with Ignorance was not the cause nor never did I know one person forward in a schism to my remembrance but Pride was discernably his disease I do not here intend as the Papists to charge all with Schism or Pride that renounce not their understandings and choose not to give up themselves to a beastial subjection to Usurpers or their Pastors he that thinks it enough that his Teacher hath Reason and be a man instead of himself and so thinketh it enough that his Teacher be a Christian and Religious must be also content that his Teacher alone be saved But then he must not be the Teacher of such a damning way But by Pride I mean a plain over-valuing of his own understanding and Conceits and Reasoningâ— quite above all the Evidences of their worth and an undervaluing and contempt of the judgements and reasonings of far wiser men that had evidence enough to have evinced his folly and â—rror to a sober and impartial man Undoubtedly it is the Pride of Priests and people that hath so lâ—mensably in all ages â—orn the Church He that readeth the Histories of Schisms and Church-confusions and marketh the effects which this age hath shewed will no more doubt whether Pride were the cause than whether it was the wind that blew down Trees and houses when he seeth them one way overturned by multitudes where the tempest came with greatest force Therefore a Bishop must be no Nâ—vice lâ—st being lifted up with pride 〈◊〉
Church it is done by a double consent to the double relation By baptism he professeth his consent to be a member of Christ and his universal Church and additionally he consenteth to be guided by that particular Pastor in that particular Church which is another Covenant or Consent Quest. 33. Whether Infants should be Baptized I have answered long agoe in a Treatise on that Subject Also What Infants should be Baptized And who have Right to Sacraments And whether Hypocrites are univocally or equivocally Christians and Church-members I have resolved in my Disput. of Right to Sacraments Quest. 34. Whether an unbaptized person who yet maketh a publick profession of Christianity be a member of the Visible Church And so of the Infants of Believers unbaptized Answ. 1. SUch persons have a certain Imperfect irregular kind of profession and so of Membership Their Visibility or Visible Christianity is not such as Christ hath appointed As those that are Marryed but not by Legal Celebration and as those that in cases of necessity are Ministers without Ordination so are such Christians as Constantine and many of old without Baptism 2. Such persons ordinarily are not to be admitted to the Rights and Communion of the Visible Church because we must know Christs sheep by his own mark But yet they are so far visible Christians as that we may be perswaded nevertheless of their salvation As to visible Communion they have but a remote and incompleat jus â—d rem and no jus in re or legal investiture and possession 3. The same is the case of unbaptized Infants of believers because they are not of the Church meerly as they are their natural seed but because it is supposed that a person himself devoted to God ☞ doth also devote his Children to God Therefore not nature only but this supposition arising from the true nature of his own dedication to God is the reason why believers Children have their right to Baptism Therefore till he hath Actually devoted them to God in Baptism they are not legally members of the Visible Church but only in fieri and imperfectly as is said Of which more anon Quest. 35. Is it certain by the Word of God that all Infants Baptized and dying before actual sin are undoubtedly saved Or what Infants may we say so of Answ. I. 1. WE must distinguish between certainty objective and subjective or plainlyer the Since the writing of this there is come forth an excellent Book for Infant Baptism by Mr. Ioseph Whistoâ— in which the Grounds of my present Solutions are notaâ—â—y cleared Reality or Truth of the Thing and the certain apprehension of it 2. And this certainty of apprehension sometime signifieth only the Truth of that apprehension when a man indeed is not deceived or more usually that clearness of apprehension joyned with Truth which fully quieteth the mind and excludeth doubting 3. We must distinguish of Infants as Baptised Lawfully upon just title or unlawfully without title 4. And also of Title before God which maketh a Lawful claim and Reception at his bar and Title before the Church which maketh only the Administration lawful before God and the Reception lawful only in foro ecclesiae or externo 5. The word Baptism signifieth either the external part only consisting in the words and outward action or the Internal Covenanting of the heart also 6. And that internal Covenant is either sincere which giveth right to the benefits of Gods Covenant or only partial reserved and unsound such as is common to hypocrites Conclus 1. God hath been pleased to speak so little in Scripture of the case of Infants that modest men will use the words Certainly and Undoubtedly about their case with very great Caution And many great Divines have maintained that their very Baptism it self cannot be Certainly and undoubtedly proved by the Word of God but by Tradition Though I have endeavoured to prove the contrary in a special Treatise on that point 2. No man can tell what is objectively certain or revealed in Gods Word who hath not subjective certainty or knowledge of it 3. A mans apprehension may be True when it is but a wavering opinion with the greatest doubtfulness Therefore we do not usually by a Certain apprehension mean only a True apprehension but a clear and quieting one 4. It is possible to baptize Infants unlawfully or without any Right so that their Reception and baptizing shall be a great sin as is the misapplying of other Ordinances For instance one in America where there is neither Church to receive them nor Christian Parents nor Sponsors may take up the Indians Children and Baptize them against the Parents wills Or if the Parents consent to have their Children outwardly Baptized and not themselves as not knowing what Baptizing meaneth or desire it only for outward advantages to their Children Or if they offer them to be Baptized only in open derision and scorn of Christ such Children have no Right to be received And many other instances neerer may be given 5. It 's possible the person may have no Authority at all from Christ who doth Baptize them And Christs part in Reception of the person and Collation and Investiture in his benefits must be done by his Commission or else how can we say that Christ doth it But open Infidels Women Children madmen scorners may do it that have none of his Commission 6. That all Infants baptized without title or right by mis-application and so dying are not undoubtedly saved nor any word of God doth certainly say so we have reason to believe on these following grounds 1. Because we can find no such Text nor could ever prevail with them that say so to shew us such an ascertaining Word of God 2. Because else gross sin would certainly be the way to salvation For such mis-application of Baptism by the demanders at least would certainly be gross sin as well as mis-applying the Lords Supper 3. Because it is clean contrary to the tenour of the new Covenant which promiseth salvation to none but penitent Believers and their seed What God may do for others unknown to us we have nothing to do with But his Covenant hath made no other promise that I can find 〈…〉 d we are â—ertain of no mans salvation by Baptism to whom God never made a promise of it If by the Children of the faithful be meant not only their Natural seed but the Adopted or bought also of which they are true Proprietors yet that is nothing to all others 4. To add to Gods words Especially to his very Promise or Covenant is so terrible a presumption as we dare not be guilty of 5. Because this tyeth Grace or salvation so to the outward washing of the body or opus operatum as is contrary to the nature of Gods Ordinances and to the tenour of Scripture and the judgement of the Protestant Divines 6. Because this would make a strange disparity between the two Sacraments of the same
Ministers of Christ or Lay men If Lay men their actions are unlawful If Ministers they are Commissioned officers of Christ themselves and it is the work of their own office which they do and it is they that shall have the reward or punishment But if preaching to all these Churches or giving to all these persons in a thousand Parishes the Sacraments c. were the Bishops or Archbishops work that is which they are obliged to do then they would sin in not doing it But if they are the Governours only of those that are obliged 〈◊〉 do it and are not obliged to do it themselves then Governing the doers of it is only their work And therefore it is but equivocally said that the work is theirs which others and not they are obliged to do and that they do their work per alios when they do but Govern those others in doing their own work Of this read the Lord Bacons Considerations and Grotius de Imper. summ Potest Cirâ—a Sacra who soundly resolve the case against doing the Pastoral work per alium Quest. 59. May a Lay man preach or expound the Scriptures Or what of this is proper to the Pastors office Answ. 1. NO doubt but there is some Preaching or Teaching and Expounding which a Lay man may use So did Origen so did Constantine so may a King or Iudge on the Bench so may a Parent to his Children and a Master to his family and a Schoolmaster or Tutor to his Scholars 2. It is not any one Method or Sermon-fashion which is proper to a Minister and forbidden to a Lay man That Method which is most meet to the Matter and hearers may be used by one as well as by the other 3. It is not the meer publickness of the Teaching which must tell us what is unlawful for a Lay man For Writing and Printing are the most publick wayes of Teaching And these no man taketh to be forbidden the Laity Scaliger Causabon Grotius Erasmus Constantine King Iames the Lord Bacon and abundance more Lay men have done the Church great service by their Writings And Judges on the Bench speak oft Theologically to many But that which is proper to the Ministers or Pastors of the Church is 1. To make a stated office of it and to be separated set a part devoted or consecrated and appropriated to this sacred work and not to do it occasionally only or sometimes or on the by but as their Calling and the Employment of their lives 2. To do it as Called and Commissioned Ministers of Christ who have a special nunciative and Teaching Authority committed to them And therefore are in a special manner to be heard according to their special Authority 3. To be the stated Teachers of particular Churches as their Pastors and Guides Though they may sometime permit a Lay man when there is cause to Teach them pro tempore These three are proper to the Ministerial and Pastors office But for the regulating of Lay mens Teaching 1. They must statedly keep in their families or within their proper bounds 2. They must not presume to go beyond their abilities especially in matters dark and difficult 3. They must not thrust themselves without a just call and need into publick or numerous meetings as Teachers nor do that which savoureth of Pride or Ostentation or which tendeth to cherish those vices in others 4. They must not live or Preach as from under the Government of the Church Pastors But being members of their flocks must do all as under their lawful oversight and guidance much less must they proudly and schismatically set up themselves against their lawful Pastors and bring them into Act. 20. 30. Heb. 13 7 17 24. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. 1 Tim. 5. 17. contempt to get themselves reputation and to draw away Disciples after them 5. Times and places must be greatly distinguished In Infidel or grosly ignorant Countreys where through the want of Preachers there is a true necessity men may go much further than in Countreys where Teachers and knowledge do abound Quest. 60. What is the true sense of the distinction of Pastoral power in foro interiore exteriore rightly used Answ. 1. NOt as if the Pastors had any power of the sword or outward force or of mens Bodies or Estates immediately For all the Pastoral power is Immediately on the soul and but secondarily on the body so far as the perswaded soul will move it Reason and Love and the Authority of a messenger of Christ are all the power by which Bishops or Pastors as such can work in foro interiore vel exteriore They Rule the body but by Ruling the soul. 2. But the true use of the distinction is only to serve instead of the usual distinction of Publick and personal obligation It is one thing to satisfie a mans private Conscience about his own personal case or matters And another thing to oblige the whole Church or a particular person of his duty as a member of the society to the rest When the Pastor Absolveth a penitent person in foro interiore that is in his own Conscience he delivereth him a discharge in the name of Christ on Condition he be truly penitent Else not But in foro exteriore he actually and absolutely restoreth him to his visible state of Church Communion The rest of the members perhaps may justly think this man unlike to prove a true penitent And then in foro interiore they are not bound to believe him certainly penitent or pardoned by God But in foro exteriore that he is restored to Church Communion and that for order sake they are bound to hold Communion with him they are bound internally to believe So that it comes neer the sense of the distinction of the secret Iudgement of God and Conscience and Church judgement Quest. 61. In what sense is it true that some say that the Magistrate only hath the External Government of the Church and the Pastors the Internal Answ. 1. NOt as External and Internal are opposed in the nature of the Action For the Voice of the Pastor in Preaching is External as well as the Kings 2. Not as they are opposed in the manner of Reception For the Ears of the Auditors are external Recipients from the Preacher as well as from the King 3. Not as distinguishing the parts that are to obey the duties commanded and the sins forbidden as if the King ruled the Body only and the Pastor the soul. For the soul is bound to obey the King or else the Body could not be bound to obey him unless by cords And the Body must obey the Preacher as well as the soul. Murder drunkenness swearing lying and such other external Vices are under the Pastors power to forbid in Christs name as well as the Kings 4. Not as if all the external parts or actions of Religion were exempted from the Pastors power For preaching praying reading Sacraments Church-assemblies are external parts
cannot dispense with us for not Loving our Neighbours or not shewing mercy to the poor oâ— saving the lives of the neâ—dy in 〈◊〉 and diâ—â—ress Else they that at last shall hear I was hungry aâ—d yâ—â—â—â—â— mâ— not I was nâ—ked and ye 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— I was in prison and ye visited me not might oft say â—â—â—◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 Magistrates for bad â—s Yet a lâ—ssâ—r Moral duty may be forbidden by the Magistrate for the sake of a greater because then it is no duty indeed and may be forborn if he forbid it not As to save one manâ— liâ—â— iâ— it would prove the death of a multitude or to save one mans house on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—o woâ—lâ—â—â—â—â—â—any Therefore 10. Iâ— is lawful and â— dâ—â—â—â— to for â—â—â—â— some certain â—â—â—â— or number of Sermons Prayers or Sacraments c. when â—â—â—â—er the present â—se of them would apparently pâ—oâ—â—re more hâ—rt than good o◠〈…〉 forbear 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â— like to prâ—â—â—â—â— moâ—â— good than the doing of them For they are all for our Edification and are made for man and not man for them though for God As if forbearing this dâ—y 〈◊〉 pâ—â—â—â—uâ—â—â—â—â—â— liâ—â—â—â—y for many dayes serviâ—e afterward c. 〈…〉 at the 〈◊〉 oâ—â—an to forsake or forbear our Calling and duty when it is to bâ— judged Necessary to the honour of God to the good of the Church and of mens souls that is whâ—n aâ—â—in 〈◊〉 case Dan. 6. our Religion it self and our owning the true God doth seeâ— suspended by the suspence of our duty Or when the multitude of ignorant hardened â—â—godly souls and the want of fit men for number and quality doth put it past Controversie that our work is greatly necessary 12. Those that are not Immediately called by Christ as were the Apostles but by men being yet Mat. â—8 20. Râ—m 10. 14. 1 â—or 9. 16. â—â—â—â— â— 4â— 10. 4â— â—â—â—m 4 1 2. â—â—â—â— 8 4 12. 1â— 3â— statedly obliged to the death when they are called may truly say as Paul Necessity is laid upon me and woe â—e to me if I preach not the Gospel 13. Papists and Protestants concurr in this judgement Papists will preach when the Law forbids them And the judgement of Protestants is among others by Bishop Bilson of subjection and Bishop Andrews Tortur Tort. plainly so asserted 14. But all that are bound to preach are not bound to do it to the same number nor in the same manner as they have not the same opportunity and call Whether it shall be in this place or that to more or fewer at this hour or that are not determined in Scripture nor alike to all 15. The Temples tythes and such adjuncts of Worship and Ministry are at the Magistrates dispose and must not be invaded against his Laws 16. Where any are obliged to Preach in a forbidden discountenanced state they must study to do it with such prudence caution peaceableness and obedience in all the Lawful circumstantials as may tend to maintain peace and the honour of Magistracy and to avoid temptations to sedition and unruly passions Quest. 81. May we lawfully keep the Lords day as a fast Answ. NOt ordinarily Because God hath made it a day of thanksgiving And we must not pervert it from the use to which it was appointed by God But in case of extraordinary necessity it may be done As 1. In case that some great judgement call us so suddenly to humiliation and fasting as that it cannot be deâ—erred to the next day As some sudden invasion fire sickness c. Luk. 6. 5. 13. â—â— Maâ— 2. In case by persecution the Church be denyed liberty to meet on any other day in a time when publick fasting and prayer is a duty 3. In case the people be so poor or servants Children and Wives be so hardly restrained that they cannot meet at any other time It is lawful in such cases because Positives give way to Moral or Natural duties caeteris paribus and lesser duties unto greater The Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath Quest. 82. How should the Lords day be spent in the main Answ. I Have so far opened that in the Family-directions that I will now only say 1. That Eâ—charistical worship is the great work of the day And that it should be kept as a day of publick Psal. 92. 1 2 3 4 5. Psal. 118. 1 2 3 15 19 23 24 27 28 29. Act. 20. 7 9. Rev. 1. 10. Act. 24. 14 25 26 c. Psal. 16. 7 8 9 10. 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Thanksgiving for the whole work of Redemption especially for the Resurrection of our Lord. 2. And therefore the celebration of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was alwayes a chief part of its observation in the primitive Churches Not meerly for the Sacrament sake but because with it was still joyned all the Laudatory and Thanksgiving worship And it was the Pastors work so to pray and praise God and preach to the people as tendeth most to possess their souls with the liveliest sense of the Love of the Father the Grace of the Son and the Communion of the holy Spirit on the account of our Redemption 3. Though confession of sin and humiliation must not be the chief work of the day yet it may and must come in as in due subordination to the chief 1. Because there are usually many persons present who are members only of the visible Church and are not fit for the Laudatory and rejoycing part 2. Because while we are in the flesh our sâ—lvation is imperfect and so are we and much sin still remaineth which must be a grief and burden to believers And therefore while sin is mixt Psal. 2. 9 10 11. Heb. 12. 28 29. with grace Repentance and sorrow must be mixed with our Thanksgivings and we must rejoyce with trembling And though we receive a Kingdom which cannot â—e moved yet must our acceptable service of God be with reverence and Godly fear because our God is a consuming fire 3. Our sin and misery being that which we are saved from doth enter the definition of our salvation And without the sense of theâ— we can never know aâ—ight what mercy is nor ever be truly glad and thankful But yet take heed that this subordinate duty be not pretended for the neglecting of that Thanksgiving which is the work of the day Quest. 83. May the people bear a Vocal part in Worship or do any more than say Amen Answ. YEs The people should say Amen that is openly signifie their consent But the meaning 1 Cor. 14. Psal. 150. 81 2 3. 98. 5. 94. 1 2 3 c. 105. 7. 2 c. 145. thoughout Col. 3 16. is not that they must do no more nor otherwise express their consent saving by that single word For 1. There is no Scripture which forbiddeth more 2. The people bear an equal part in singing the Psalms which are prayer and praise
more congruously and it seems with less offence than we Saith the Geographia Nubiensis aptly There is a certain King dwelling at Rome called the Pope c. when he goeth to describe him Nothing well suites with our function but the pure Doctrine of Salvation Let States-men and Lawyers mind the rest Two things I must apologize for in this Part 1. That it 's maimed by defect of those Directions to Princes Nobles Parliament-men and other Magistrates on whose duty the happiness of Kingdoms Churches and the World dependeth To which I answer that those must teach them whom they will hear while my Reason and experience forbid me as an unacceptable person to speak to them without a special invitation I can bear the Censures of Strangers who knew not them or me I am not so proud as to expect that men so much above me should stoop to read any Directions of mine much less to think me fit to teach them Every one may reprove a poor servant or a beggar It 's part of their priviledge But Great men must not be so much as admonished by any but themselves and such as they will hear At least nothing is a duty which a man hath reason to think is like to do much more harm than good And my own judgement is much against pragmatical presumptuous Preachers who are over-forward to meddle with their Governours or their affairs and think that God sendeth them to reprove persons and things that are strange to them and above them and vent their distastes upon uncertain reports or without a Call 2. And I expect to be both blamed and mis-understood for what I hear say in the Confutation of Mr. Richard Hooker his Political Principles and my Citation of B. Bilson and such others But they must observe 1. That it is not all in Mr. Hookers first and eighth Book which I gainsay but the principle of the Peoples being the fountain of Authority or that Kings receive their Office it self from them with the consequents hereof How far the people have in any Countrys the power of Electing the Persons Families or Forms of Government or how far nature giveth them propriety and the consequents of this I meddle not with at all 2. Nor do I choose Mr. Hooker out of any envy to his name and honour but I confess I do it to let men know truly whose Principles these are And if any causelesly question whether the eighth imperfect Book be in those passages his own let them remember that the sum of all that I confute is in his first Book which is old and highly honoured by you know whom And I will do him the honour and my self the dishonour to confess that I think the far greater number of Casuists and Authors of Politicks Papists and Protestants are on his side and fewest on mine But truth is truth On the subjects duty I am larger because if they will not hear at least I may boldly and freely instruct them If in the later part there be any useful Cases of Conscience left out it is because I could not remember them Farewell A Christian Directory TOM IV. Christian Politicks CHAP. I. General Rules for an Upright Conversation § 1. SOLOMON saith Prov. 10. 9. He that walketh uprightly walketh surely And Perfection and Uprightness are the characters of Iob Chap. 1. 1 8. 2. 3. And in the Scripture to be Upright or Righteous and to walk uprightly and to do righteously are the titles of those that are acceptable to God And by Uprightness is meant not only sincerity as opposed to Hypocrisie but also Rectitude of Heart and Life as opposed to crookedness or sin and this as it is found in various Degrees of which we use to call the lowest degree that is saving by the name of sincerity and the highest by the name of Perfection § 2. Concerning Uprightness of life I shall I. Briefly tell you some of those blessings that should make us all in love with it and II. Give you some necessary Rules of practice § 3. I. Uprightness of heart and life is a certain fruit of the Spirit of Grace and consequently a mark of our Union with Christ and a proof of our acceptableness with God Psal. 7. 10. My defence is of God who saveth the upright in heart Psal. 11. 7. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness and his countenance doth behold the upright It is a title that God himself assumeth Psal. 25. 8. Good and upright is the Lord. Psal. 92. 15. To shew that the Lord is upright He is my rock and no unrighteousness is in him And God-calleth himself the Maker the Director the Protector and the Lover of the upright Eccl. 7. 29. God made man upright Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Psal. 25. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord him will he teach in the way that he shall choose Prov. 2. 7. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly 2. The Upright are the Pillars of humane society that keep up Truth and Iustice in the world without whom it would be but a company of lyers deceivers robbers and enemies that live in constant rapine or â—ostility There were no Trust to be put in one another further than self-interest did oblige men Psal. 15. 1 2. Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle Who shall dwell in thy holy hill He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart Therefore the wicked and the enemies of Peace and destroyers of Societies are still described as Enemies to the upright Psal. 11. 2 3. For lo the wicked bend their bow they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart If the foundations be destroyed what can the righteous do Job 12. 4. The just and upright man is laughed to scorn Psal. 37. 14. The wicked have drawn out the sword to slay such as be of upright conversation And indeed it is for the uprights sake that societies are preserved by God as Sodom might have been for ten Lots At least they are under the protection of Omnipotency themselves Isa. 33. 15 16. He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he that despiseth the gain of oppression that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes that stoppeth his ear from hearing of blood that shutteth his eyes from seeing evil He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munitions of rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty they shall behold the Land that is very far off Prov. â—8 10. The upright shall have good things in possession Prov. 14. 11. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish 3. Uprightness affordeth Peace of Conscience and quietness and holy security to the soul. This was Pauls rejoycing the testimony
of his conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had had his conversation in the world and not in fleshly wisdom 2 Cor. 1. 12. And this was Davids comfort 2 Sam. 22. 22 23 24. For I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God For all his judgements were before me and as for his Statutes I did not depart from them I was also upright before him and have kept my self from mine iniquity Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness with the merciful thou wilt shew thy self merciful and with the upright thou wilt shew thy self upright Yea peace is too little exceeding joy is the portion and most beseeming condition of the upright Psal. 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Psal. 33. 1. Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright Psal. 64. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and trust in him and all the upright in heart shall glory Psal. 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart The Spirit that sanctifieth them will comfort them 4. As the Upright so their upright life and duties are specially delightful and acceptable to God Prov. 15. 8. The prayer of the upright is his delight Psal. 15. 2. Therefore God blesseth their duties to them and they are comforted and strengthened by experience of success Prov. 10. 29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity Mic. 2. 7. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly 5. No carnal policies no worldly might no help of friends nor any other humane means doth put a man in so safe a state as Uprightness of heart and life To walk uprightly is to walk surely because such walk with God and in his way and under his favour and his promise And if God be not sufficient security for us there is none Psal. 140. 13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name the upright shall dwell in thy presence Prov. 11. 3 6. The integrity of the upright shall guide them but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness 6. Lastly The failings and weaknesses of the Upright are pardoned and therefore they shall certainly be saved Rom. 7. 24 25. 8. 1. The upright may say in all their weaknesses as Solomon 1 Chron. 29. 17. I know also my God that thou tryest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness As for me in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things God will do good to them that are good and to them that are upright in their hearts Psal. 125. 4. The Upright love him Cant. 1. 4. and are loved by him No good thing will he withhold from them Psal. 84. 11. The way to right comforting the mind of man is to shew to him his uprightness Job 33. 23. And who so walketh uprightly shall be saved Prov. 28. 18. For the high way of the upright is to depart from evil and he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul Prov. 16. 17. I conclude with Psal. 37. 37. Mark the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace § 4. II. The true Rules of an Upright life are these that follow Psal. 73. 25. 63. 3. 1 Cor. 4 3 4. Phil. 3. 8 9 18 19. Psal. 4. 7 8. Luke 12. 4. Mat. 6. 1 2 3. 1. He that will walk uprightly must be absolutely devoted and subjected unto God He must have a God and the true God and but one God not notionally only but in sincerity and reality He must have a God whose word shall be an absolute Law to him A God that shall command himself his time his estate and all that he hath or that he can do A God whose will must be his will and may do with him what he please and who is more to him than all the world whose Love will satisfie him as better than life and whose approbation is his sufficient encouragement and reward Luke 14. 26 27 33 34. Luke 18. 22. Mat. 6. 19 20. 1 John 2. 15. Phil. 3. 18 21. 2. His Hope must be set upon Heaven as the only felicity of his soul He must look for his Reward and the End of all his labours and patience in another world and not with the Hypocrite dream of a felicity that is made up first of worldly things and then of Heaven when he can keep the world no longer He that cannot that doth not in heart quit all the world for a heavenly treasure and venture his all upon the Promise of better things hereafter and forsaking all take Christ and everlasting happiness for his portion cannot be upright in heart or life 3. He must have an Infallible Teacher which is only Christ and the encouragement of pardoning John 12. 16. Joh. 15. 1 c. grace when he faileth that he sink not by despair And therefore he must live by faith on a Mediator And he must have the fixed principle of a Nature renewed by the Spirit of John 3. 5 6. Rom. 8. 8 9. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Isa. 8. 20. 1 Thess. 5. 12. Isa. 33. 22. James 4 12. Heb. 8. 10 16. Neh. 9. 13 14. Psal. 19. 7. 119. 1 2 3. Christ. 4. He that will walk uprightly must have a certain just infallible Rule and must hold to that and try all by it And this is only the Word of God The teachings of Men must be valued as helps to understand this Word and the judgements of our Teachers and those that are wiser than our selves must be of great authority with us in subordination to the Scripture But neither the Learned nor the Godly nor the Great must be our Rule in co-ordination with the Word of God 5. He that will walk uprightly must have both a solid and a large understanding to know things truly as they are and to see all particulars which must be taken notice of in all the cases which he must determine and all the actions which his integrity is concerned in 1. There is no walking uprightly Prov. 1. 5. 10. 23. 17. 27. 3. 4. Psal. 111. 10. Ephes. 1. 18. Acts 26. 18. Col. 1. 9. 2. 2. 2 Tim. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 14 15 20. Luke 24. 45. Mat. 15. 16. Ephes. 5. 17. 1 Tim. 1. 7. Prov. 8. 5. John 12. 40. 2 Pet. 2. 12. Rom. 3. 11. Mat. 13. 19 23 Isa. 52. 13. Hos. 14. 9. Prov. 14. 15 18. 18. 15. 22. 3. 8. 12. Ephes. 5. 15. Psalm 101. 2. in the dark Zeal will cause you to go apace but not at all to go Right if Judgement guide it not Erroneous zeal will make
will be governed on no other terms But if the contract limit them not but they be chosen simply to be the summae Potestates without naming any particular powers either by concession or restraint than as to Ruling they are Absolute as to men and limited only by God from whose highest Power they can never be exempt who in Nature and Scripture restraineth them from all that is impious and unjust against his Laws and honour or against the publick happiness and safety And here also remember that if any shall imagine that God restraineth a Magistrate when it is not so and that the commands of their Governours are contrary to the Word of God when it is no such matter their error will not justifie their disobedience Though I have answered these Passages of this Reverend Author it is not to draw any to undervalue his learned Writings but to set right the Reader in the Principles of his Obedience on which the Practice doth so much depend And I confess that other Authors of Politicks say as much as Mr. Hooker saith both Papists and Protestants but not all nor I think the soundest I will instance now in Alstedius only an excellent person but in this mistaken who saith Encyclop l. 23. Polit. c. 3. p. 178. Populus Universus dignior potior est tum magistratu tum Ephoris Hinc recte docent Doct. Politici populum obtinere regnum jura Majestatis proprietate dominio Principem Ephoros Usu administratione whereas the people have not the Regnum vel jura Majestatis any way at all Si administratores efficium suum facere nolint si impia iniqua mandent si contra dilectionem Dei proximi agant populus propriae salutis curam arripiet imperium male utentibus abrogabit in locum eorum alios substituet Porro Ephori validiora ipso Rege imperia obtinent Principem enim constitâ—â—nt deponunt id quod amplissimum est praeeminentiae argumentum Atque haec prerogativa mutuis pactis stabilitur Interinâ— princeps summam potestatem obtinere dicitur quatenus Ephori administrationem imperii cumulum potestatis ipsi committunt Denique optimatum universorum potestas non est infinita absoluta sed certis veluti rhetris clathris definita utpote non ad propriam libidinem sed ad utilitatem salutem populi alligata Hinc illorum munia sunt Regem designare constituere inaugurare constitutum consiliis auxiliis juvare sine consensu approbatione Principis quamdiu ille suum officium facit nihil in Reipublicae negotiis suscipere Nonnâ—â—quam conventum inscio Principe agere necessitate reipublicae exigente Populum contra omnis generis turbatores violatores defendere I suppose Mr. Hookers Principles and Alstedius's were much the same I will not venture to recite the Conclusion cap. 12. pag. 199. R. 5. de resistendo Tyranno Many other Authors go the same way and say that the people have the Majestas Realis both Papists and Protestants and Heathens But I suppose that what I have said against Hooker will serve to shew the weakness of their grounds Though it is none of my purpose to contradict either Hooker or any other so far as they open the odiousness of the sin of Tyranny which at this day keepeth out the Gospel from the far greatest part of the world and is the greatest enemy to the Kingdom of Christ nor yet as they plead for the just Liberties of the People But I am not for their Authority § 24. Direct 2. Begin with an Absolute Universal resolved Obedience to God your Creator and Redeemer Direct 2. who is your Soveraign King and will be your final righteous Iudge As he that is no loyal Subject to the King can never well obey his Officers so he that subjecteth not his soul to the Original Power of his Creator can never well obey the Derivative Power of earthly Governours Object But you may say experience teacheth us that many ungodly people are obedient to their superiours as well as others I answer Materially they are but not Formally and from a right principle and to right ends As a Rebel against the King may obey a Justice of Peace for his own Ends as long as he will let him alone or take his part But not formally as he is the Kings Officer So ungodly men may flatter Princes and Magistrates for their own ends or on some low and by account but not sincerely as the Officers of God He is not like to be truly obedient to man that is so foollish dishonest and impious as to rebel against his Maker nor to obey that authority which he first denyeth in its Original and first efficient cause What ever Satan and his servants may say and however some hypocrites may contradict in their practices the Religion which they profess yet nothing is more certain than that the most serious godly Christians are the best subjects upon earth As their principles themselves will easily demonstrate § 25. Direct 3. Having begun with God obey your Governours as the Officers of God with an obedience Direct 3. ultimately Divine All things must be done in Holiness by the Holy That is God must be Greg. Nazianz. cited by Bilson of Subject p. 361. Thou reignest together with Christ Thou rulest with him Thy Sword is from him Thou art the Image of God discerned obeyed and intended in all And therefore in Magistrates in a special manner In two respects Magistrates are obeyed or rather flattered by the ungodly First as they are men that are able to do them corporal good or hurt As a Horse or Dog or other Bruit will follow you for his belly and loveth to be where he fareth best Secondly As the Head of his Party and encourager of him in his evil way when he meets with Rulers that will be so bad Wicked men Love wicked Magistrates for being the servants of Satan But faithful men must Honour and Obey a Magistrate as an Officer of God Even a Magistrate as a Magistrate and not only as Holy is an Officer of the Lord of all Therefore the fifth Commandment is as the hinge of the two Tables Many of the Antients thought that it was the last Commandment of the first Table and the Moderns think it is the first Comandment of the last Table For it commandeth our duty to the noblest sort of men but not meerly as men but as the Officers of God They debase Magistrates that look at them meerly as those that master other men as the strongest Beast doth by the weaker Nothing will make you sincere and constant in your honouring and obeying them but taking them as the Officers of God and remembring by whose commission they rule and whose work they do that They are Ministers of God to us for good Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5. If you do not this 1. You wrong God whose servants they are For he
many a Common-wealth When every one is shifting for himself and saving his own and murmurring at the charge by which their safety must be defended as if Kings could fight for them without men and money this selfishness is the most pernitious enemy to Government and to the common good Tribute and Honour must be paid to whom it doth belong Rom. 13. 6 7. For they are Gods Ministers attending continually on this very thing And none of your Goods or Cabins will be saved if by your Covetousness the Ship should perish § 60. Direct 31. Resist not where you cannot actually obey And let no appearance of probable Direct 31. good that might come to your selves or the Church by any unlawful means as Treason Sedition or Rebellion Bâ—â—â—â—oâ—â—â— Sâ—bâ—â—â—â— p. 236. Princes have no right to call oâ— confirm Prâ—achers but to recâ—ive such as be seâ—t of Gâ—d and give them liberty for their preaching and security for their persons And if Princes refuse so to do Gods labourers must go forward with that which is commanded them from â—â—â—â—ven not by disturbing Princes from their Thrones nor invading their Realms as your Holy Father doth and 〈…〉 may do but by miâ—â—lly submiâ—ting themselves to the powers on earth and meekly suffering for the defence of the Truth what they shall inflict So â—e ever tempt you to it For evil must not be done that good may come by it And all evil means are but palliate and deceitful Cures that seem to help a little while but will leave the malady more perillous at last than it was before As it is possible that lying or perjury might be used to the seeming service of a Governour at the time which yet would prepare for his after danger by teaching men perâ—idiousness even so Rebellions and Treasons may seem at present to be very conducible to the ends of a people or party that think themselves opprest But in the end it will leave them much worse than it found them § 61. Object But if we must let Rulers destroy us at their pleasure the Gospel will be rooted out of the Object earth When they know that we hold it unlawful to resist them they will be emboldned to destroy us and sport themselves in our blood As the Papists did by the poor Albigenses c. Answ. All this did signifie something if there were no God that can easilier restrain and destroy Answ. them at his pleasure than they can destroy or injure you But if there be a God and all the world is in his hand and with a word he can speak them all into dust and if this God be engaged to protect you and hath told you that the very hairs of your head are numbered and more regardeth his Honour and Gospel and Church than you do and accounteth his servants as the apple of his eye and hath promised to hear them and avenge them speedily and forbid them to avenge themselves then it is but atheistical distrust of God to save your selves by sinful means as if God either could not or would not do it Thus he that saveth his life shall lose it Do you believe that you are in the hands of Christ and that men cannot touch you but by his permission and that he will turn all your sufferings to your exceeding benefit and yet will you venture on sin and Hell to scape such sufferings from men Wolves and Bears and Lyons that fight most for themselves are hated and destroyed by all so that there are but few of them in the Land but though a hundred sheep will run before a little Dog the master of them taketh care for their preservation And little Children that cannot go out of the way from a Horse or Cart every one is afraid of hurting If Christians behaved themselves with that eminent Love and Lowliness and Meekness and Patience and Harmlesness as their Lord hath taught them and required perhaps the very cruelty and malice of their enemies would abate and relent and when a mans wayes please God he would make his enemies to be at peace with him But if not their fury would but hasten us to our Joy and Glory Yet note that I speak all this only against Rebellion and unlawful Arms and Acts. Prov. 16. 7. § 62. Direct 32. Obey inferiour Magistrates according to the authority derived to them from the Supream Direct 32. but never against the Supream from whom it is derived The same reasons which oblige you to obey the personal commands of the King do bind you also to obey the lowest Constable or other Officer for they are necessary instruments of the Soveraign Power and if you obey not them the obedience of the Soveraign signifieth almost nothing But no man is bound to obey them beyond the measure of their authority much less against those that give them their authority § 63. Direct 33. No humane Power is at all to be obeyed against God For they have no power but Direct 33. what they receive from God And all that is from Him is for Him He giveth no power against Himself Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4. Rom. 11. 36. He is the first efficient the chief dirigent and ultimate final cause of all It is no act of Authority but Resistance of his Authority which contradicteth his Law and is against him All humane Laws are subservient to his Laws and not co-ordinate much less superiour Therefore they are ipso facto null or have no obligation which are against him Yet is not the Office it self Null when it is in some things thus abused nor the Magistrates power null as to other things No man must commit the least sin against God to please the greatest Prince on earth or to avoid the greatest corporal Si aliquid juâ—â—eâ—iâ— Procoâ—ful aliud jubeat Imperator nunquid dubitatur illo contempto illi esse serviendum Ergo si aliud Imperator aliud jubeat Deus quid judicatur Major potestas Deâ—s da veniam O Imperator Aug 〈…〉 de Verb. Domin Matth. Serm. 6. suffering Luke 12. 4. Fear not them that can kill the body and after that have no more that they can do but fear him who is able to destroy hoth body and soul in Hell yea I say unto you fear him Acts 5. 29. Whether we ought to obey God rather than men judge ye Heb. 11. 27. Not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him that is invisible Ver. 35. Others were tortured not accepting deliverance c. Dan. 3. 18. Be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the Golden Image c. § 64. Object If we are not obliged to obey we are not obliged to suffer For the Law obligeth Object primarily to obedience and only secondarily ad poenam for want of obedience Therefore where there iâ— no primary obligation to obedience there is no secundary obligation to punishment Answ.
serious Direct 5. words about their souls and the life to come in such a plain familiar manner as tendeth most to the awakening of their Consciences and making them perceive how greatly what you say concerneth them A little such familiar serious discourse in an interlocutory way may go to their hearts and never be forgotten when meer forms alone are lifeless and unprofitable Abundance of good might be done on Children if Parents and Schoolmasters did well perform their parts in this § 6. Direct 6. Take strict account of their spending the Lords day How they hear and what they Direct 6. remember and how they spend the rest of the day For the right spending of that day is of great importance to their souls And a custome of play and idleness on that day doth usually debauch them and prepare them for much worse Though they are from under your eye on the Lords day yet if on Munday they be called to account it will leave an awe upon them in your absence § 7. Direct 7. Pray with them and for them If God give not the increase by the dews of Heaven Direct 7. and shine not on your labours your planting and watering will be all in vain Therefore prayer is as suitable a means as Teaching to do them good and they must go together He that hath a heart to pray earnestly for his Scholars shall certainly have himself most comfort in his labours and it is likely that he shall do most good to them § 8. Direct 8. Watch over them by one another when they are behind your backs at their sports or Direct 8. converse with each other For it is abundance of wickedness that Children use to learn and practise which never cometh to their Masters ears especially in some great and publick Schools They that came thither to learn sobriety and piety of their Masters do oftentimes learn profaneness and ribaldry and cursing and swearing and scorning deriding and reviling one another of their ungracious School-fellows And those lessons are so easily learnt that there are few Children but are infected with some such debauchery though their Parents and Masters watch against it and perhaps it never cometh to their knowledge So also for gameing and robbing Orchards and fighting with one another and reading Play-books and Romances and lying and abundance other vices which must be carefully watcht against § 9. Direct 9. Correct them more sharply for sins against God than for their dulness and failing at their Direct 9. books Though negligence in their learning is not to be indulged yet smart should teach them especially to take heed of sinning that they may understand that sin is the greatest evil § 10. Direct 10. Especially curb or cashier the leaders of impiety and rebellion who corrupt the rest Direct 10. There are few great Schools but have some that are notoriously debauched that glory in their wickedness that in filthy talking and fighting and cursing and reviling words are the infecters of the rest And usually they are some of the bigger sort that are the greatest fighters and master the rest and by domineering over them and abusing them force them both to follow them in their sin and to conceal it The correcting of such or expelling them if incorrigible is of great necessity to preserve the rest For if they are suffered the rest will be secretly infected and undone before the Master is aware This causeth many that have a care of their Childrens souls to be very fearful of sending them to great and publick Schools and rather choose private Schools that are freer from that danger It being almost of as great concernment to Children what their companions be as what their Master is CHAP. VII Directions for Souldiers about their duty in point of Conscience THough it is likely that few Souldiers will read what I shall write for them yet for the sake of those few that will I will do as Iohn Baptist did and give them some few necessary Directions and not omit them as some do as if they were a hopeless sort of men § 1. Direct 1. Be careful to make your peace with God and live in a continual readiness to dye Direct 1. This being the great duty of every rational man you cannot deny it to be especially yours whose calling setteth you so frequently in the face of death Though some Garrison Souldiers are so seldom if ever put to fight that they live more securely than most other men yet a Souldier as such being by his place engaged to fight I must fit my Directions to the ordinary condition and expectation of men in that employment It is a most irrational and worse than beastly negligence for any man to live carelesly in an unpreparedness for death considering how certain it is and how uncertain the time and how unconceivably great is the change which it inferreth But for a Souldier to be unready to dye who hath such special reason to expect it and who listeth himself into a state which is so near it this is to live and fight like beasts and to be Souldiers before you understand what it is to be a Christian or a Man First therefore make sure that your souls are regenerate and reconciled unto God by Christ and that when you dye you have a part in Heaven and that you are not yet in the state of sin and nature An unrenewed unsanctified soul is sure to go to Hell by what death or in what cause soever he dyeth If such a man be a Souldier he must be a coward or a mad man If he will run upon death when he knoweth not whither it will send him yea when Hell is certainly the next step he is worse than mad But if he know and consider the terribleness of such a change it must needs make him tremble when he thinks of dying He can be no good Souldier that dare not dye And who can expect that he should dare to dye who must be damned when he dyeth Reason may command a man to venture upon death but no reason will allow him to venture upon Hell I never knew but two sorts of valiant Souldiers The one was Boyes and bruitish ignorant sots who had no sense of the concernments of their souls and the other who only were truly valiant were those that had made such preparations for Eternity as at least perswaded them that it should go well with them when they dyed And many a debauched Souldier I have known whose Conscience hath made them Cowards and shift or run away when they should venture upon death because they knew they were unready to dye and were more afraid of Hell than of the Enemy He that is fit to be a Martyr is the fittest man to be a Souldier He that is regenerate and hath laid up his treasure and his hopes in Heaven and so hath overcome the fears of death may be bold as a Lyon and ready for
knoweth what he is and what he hath done and what he hath deserved and in what a dangerous case his soul yet standeth must needs have his soul habituated to a humble frame Every penitent soul is vile in its own eyes and doth loath it self for its inward corruptions and actual sins And he that loatheth himself as vile will not be very desirous to have his sinful corruptible body seem fine nor by curious ornaments to attract And no wonder when the light of Nature reduced the serious sort of Philosophers to so plain a Garb no Socrates Zenocrates with almost all the Stâ—icks and Cyâ—â—ks and many of the Academicks and Pythagoreans the eyes of vain spectators How oft have I seen a proud vain Gallant suddenly cast off their bravery and gawdy gay attire and clothe themselves in plainness and sobriety as soon as God hath but opened their eyes and humbled their souls for sin and made them better know themselves and brought them home by true Repentance So that the next week they have not seemed the same persons And this was done by meer Humiliation without any arguments against their fashions or proud â—ttire As old Mr. Dod said when one desired him to preach against long hair Preach them once to Christ and true Repentance and they will cut their hair without our preaching against it As Pride would be seen in Proud apparel so humility will appear in a dress like it self though it desire not to be seen Maâ—k 1 Pet. 3. 3 4 5. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair or of wearing of Gold or of putting on of apparel that is curious dressing for adorning the body beyond plain simplicity of attire But let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which in the sight of God is of great price For after this manner that is with inward Holiness and outward plainness in the old time the holy women also who trusted in God adorned themselves being in subjection to their own husbands O that God would print those words upon your hearts 1 Pet. 5. 5. Yea all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility For God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble Plainness among Christians is a greater honour than fine clothing Jam. 2. 2 3 4 5. 1 Tim. 2. 9 10. In like manner also that women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefasteness and sobriety not with broidered hair or Gold or Pearl or costly array but which becometh women professing godliness with good works I intreat those that are addicted to bravery or curiosity to read Isa. 3. from ver 16. to the end § 21. Direct 12. Make not too great a matter of your clothing but use it with such indifferency as a Direct 12. thing so indifferent should be used Set not your hearts upon it For that is a worse sign that the excess in it self Take no thought wherewith ye shall be cloathed but remember how God clotheth the Lillies of the field Matth 6. 28. If you have food and rayment be therewith content though it be never so plain 1 Tim. 6. 8. § 22. Direct 13. Be not too censorious of others for different fashions of apparel Be as plain and Direct 13. modest your selves as you can But lay no greater stress on the fashions of others than there is cause If they be grosly impudent disown such fashions and seek to reform them But to carp at every one that goeth â—â—â—â—â— than your selves or to censure them as proud because their fashions are not like yours may be of worse signification than the fashions you find fault with I have oft observed more pride in such censures than I could observe in the fashions which they censured When you have your eye upon every fashion that is not according to your breeding or the custom of your rank or place and are presently branding such as proud or vain it sheweth an arrogant mind that steppeth up in the judgement seat and sentenceth those that you have nothing to do with before they are heard or you know their reasons Perhaps their fashion was as common among the modest sort where they have lived as your fashion is among those that you have converst with Custom and common opinion do put much of the signification upon fashions of apparel I Should next have given you special Directions about the Using of your Estates about your Of the proportion of our Estates to be given see my Letter to Mr. Goâ—ge Dwellings about your Meat and Drink and about your Honour or good Name But being loth the Book should prove too tedious I shall refer you to what is said before against Covetousness Pride and Gluttony c. and what is said before and after of Works of Charity and Family-Government AS to Sacred Habits and the different Garbs Laws Orders of Life Dyet c. of those called Religious Orders among the Papists Regular and Secular whether and how far such are lawful or sinful they are handled so largely in the Controversies of Protestants and Papists that I shall pass them by Only remembring the words of the Clergy of Ravenna to Carolus Iunior King of France inter Epist. Hincmari Rhemensis Discernendi à plebe vel caeteris sumus doctrina non veste conversatione non habitu mentis puritate non cultu Docendi enim potius sunt populi quam ludendi nec imponendum est eorum oculis sed mentibus praecepta sunt infundenda The End of the first Tome A Christian Directory Or A SUMM of PRACTICAL DIVINITY THE SECOND PART VIZ. Christian Oeconomicks OR THE FAMILY DIRECTORY Containing Directions for the true Practice of all Duties belonging to Family Relations with the Appurtenances By RICHARD BAXTER Josh. 24. 15. And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve But as for Me and my House we will serve the Lord. Deut. 6. 6 7 8. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thy heart And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy House and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up c. Dan. 6. 10. When Daniel knew that the Writing was signed he went into his House and his Window being open in his Chamber towards Jerusalem he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and Prayed and gave thanks before his God as he did aforetime Acts 10. 1. 2. Cornelius a devout man and One that feared God with all his House which gave much Alms to the people and Prayed to God alwayes Ephes. 6. 4. Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Psal. 101. 6 7. He that walketh in a perfect way
he shall serve me He that worketh Deceit shall not dwell within my House He that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight Prov. 3. 33. The Curse of the Lord is in the House of the wicked but he blesseth the Habitation of the Iust. LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons at the Sign of the Princes-Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1673. To all that fear God in the Burrough and Parish of Kederminster in Worcestershire Dear Friends YOU are the Only People that ever I took a special Pastoral Charge of And Gods blessing and your Obedience to his Word do make the remembrance of my Labours and Converse with you to be sweet It was neither by Your Will or Mine that we have been this twelve years separated nor that we yet continue so I thank our most Gracious God who maugre all the Serpents Malice hath Inwardly and Outwardly so well provided for you above most others as that I hope you will be no losers by any thing which hath yet befallen you That I have hitherto survived so many of my departed Friends both with you and elsewhere after all that you have known is my own wonder as well as yours And what I have been doing in this time of our separation I have formerly told you in part by some other Writings and now tell you more by this which was written about five or six years ago though it found not passage into the world till now I live not yet Idle But whether this be the way of my chiefest service to the Church of God in my present case some distant Censurers have questioned If it be not my Ignorance of my duty and of what will be most useful to others is the cause and not my Love of Ease or my obeying Man rather than God I judge that my chief duty which I think is likest to do most good I am glad that once more before I dye I have opportunity to speak to you at this distance and to perswade you to and Direct you in that Family Holiness and Righteousness which hath been so much of your Comfort and Honour and will be so while you faithfully continue it O how happy a state is it to have God dwell in your Families by his Love and Blessing and Rule them by his Word and Spirit and Protect them by his Power and Delight in them and they in Him as his Churches preparing for the Coelestial Delights O how much of the Interest of true Religion must be kept up in the world by the Holiness and Diligence of Christian Families How happy a supply doth it afford where there are sad defects in the Teaching Holiness and Discipline of the Churches O that the Rulers of Families who are silenced by no others did not silence themselves from that Instructing and Prayer which is their work I should be sorry that this Directory is so Voluminous that few of you can buy it but that more Ends than One in such works must be intended If any of you which God forbid shall shew by an ungodly life that you have forgotten the Doctrine which was taught you or if more yet shall traduce the Doctrine of your once unworthy Teacher Posterity shall here see what it was in this Record which may remain and preach when I am yet more silenced in the dust The Lord whom we have served though with lamentable defects and in whom though alas too weakly we have trusted preserve us in the Life of Faith Hope and Love in Sincerity Zeal and patient Constancy to the Glorious Life where we hope to behold in Perfect Love without the fear of death or separation our most Blessed Head and God for ever Amen Totteridge near Barnet Feb. 10. 1671 2. Your Servant in Willingness Richard Baxter A Christian Directory TOM II. Christian Oeconomicks CHAP. I. Directions about Marriage for Choice and Contract AS the Persons of Christians in their privatest capacities are Holy as being Dedicated and separated unto God so also must their Families be HOLINESS TO THE LORD must be as it were written on their Doors and on their Relations their Possessions and Affairs To which it is requisite 1. That there be a Holy Constitution of their Families 2. And a holy Government of them and discharge of the several duties of the Members of the Family To the right constituting of a Family belongeth 1. The right contracting of Marriage and 2. The right choice and contract betwixt Masters and their Servants For the first § 2. Direct 1. Take heed that neither lust nor rashness do thrust you into a marryed condition before Direct 1. you see such Reasons to invite you to it as may assure you of the Call and approbation of God For 1. It is God that you must serve in your Marryed state and therefore it is meet that you take his counsel before you rush upon it For he knoweth best himself what belongeth to his service 2. And it is God that you must still depend upon for the blessing and comforts of your relation And therefore there is very great reason that you take his advice and consent as the chief things requisite to the match If the Consent of Parents be necessary much more is the Consent of God § 3. Quest. But how shall a man know whether God call him to Marriage or consent unto it Hath Quest. he not here left all men to their liberties as in a thing indifferent Answ. God hath not made any Universal Law commanding or forbidding Marriage but in this Answ. Whether Marriage be indifferent regard hath left it indifferent to mankind yet not allowing all to marry for undoubtedly to some it is unlawful But he hath by other General Laws or Rules directed men to know in what cases it is lawful and in what cases it is a sin As every man is bound to choose that condition in which he may serve God with the best advantages and which tendeth most to his spiritual welfare and increase in Holiness Now there is nothing in Marriage it self which maketh it commonly inconsistent with these benefits and the fulfilling of these Laws And therefore it is said that He that Marrieth doth well that is he doth that which of it self is not unlawful and which to some is the 1 Cor 7. 7 3◠most eligible state of life But there is something in a single life which maketh it especially to Preachers and persecuted Christians to be more usually the most advantagious state of life to these Ends of Christianity And therefore it is said that He that marrieth not doth better And yet to individual persons it is hard to imagine how it can choose but be either a duty or a sin at least except in some unusual cases For it is a thing of so great moment as to the ordering of our hearts and lives that it is hard to imagine that it should ever be indifferent as a means to our main end but
of Psal. 23. 5. 92. 10. theirs but by former custome of the Countreys where they lived As 1. Anointing Luke 7. 46. Matth. 6. 17. Amos 6. 6. Psal. 89. 20. Lev. 16. 32. Luke 16. in Iudaea was like Bathing at Rome It was taken in those scorching Countreys for a wholsome and easing and comforting thing And therefore used to refresh the weary limbs of travellers and to comfort the sick 2. And it was the long accustomed Ceremony also used on Officers accounted sacred Kings and Priests who were anointed at their entrance and investiture 3. White Cloathing and Purple were then and there taken for the noblest attire Not appropriated Rev. 3 4 5. Thâ—y shall walk with me in white to sacred things and persons but as Scarlet lately in England the garb only of great men On which account not as a Sacred Vestment but as an honourable cloathing when the Bishops began to be advanced they were allowed to wear White Cloathing not only when they officiated but at other times 4. The Milk and Honey were there highly esteemed for food and accounted the character of the James 5. 14. Mark 6 13. Land of Promise 2. Hereupon by application the Churches used these signs in the Sacred Ordinance of baptism Not by new institution of the signification I say but by application of the old well known signification 3. As Natural Signs are commonly allowed to be applyed to holy things so signs whose signification is of old and commonly stated and well known by Agreement or Custome do seem in this not to be different from Natural Signs Such are all Words as signs of our minds No word signifying any thing Naturally but by Agreement or Custome only And such is kneeling in prayer and being uncovered and many the like About some of which Paul appealeth to the custome of the 1 Cor. 11. 16. Churches of God 4. It is most probable that these two things together brought in Anointing 1. The common use of Anointing then in both the foresaid Cases Common Refreshment and Sacred Investiture 2. And the mistake of all those Scripture Texts which command or mention Anointing Metaphorical Rev. 1. 6. 5. 10. 20. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. As 1 John 2. 27. The Anointing which you have received teacheth you all things Ezek. 16. 9. I washed thee I anointed thee with Oyl c. Psal. 105. 15. 1 Chron. 16. 22. Touch not mine anointed Rev. 3. 18. And withal reading that we are made Kings and Priests to God and a Royal Priesthood they thought this might be signified by the usual honourary signs of such as well as by words to be called such So that they took it as if in our age the baptized should be set in a Chair of State and sumptuously apparelled and a â—east made to solemnize it as they do at Weddings and the baptized person set at the upper end c. which are significant Actions and Ceremonies But they intended them not as new Sacraments or any part of the Sacrament but as a pompous celebration of the Sacrament by such additional ceremonial accidents 5. And you must remember that they lived among Infidels where their profession was made the common scorn which tempted them by such ostentation and pomp to seek to make it honourable and to shew that they so accounted it and to encourage those who were discouragable by the scorn On which account also they used the Cross and the Memorials of the Martyrs 6. Yet some yea many afterwards did seem to take the Anointing for a Sacramental Action When they read that the Laying on of hands was the sign of Giving the Holy Ghost as distinct from baptism and that the Spirit is called in Scripture the Anointing they joyned both together and made that which they now call the Sacrament of Confirmation 7. Whether the Anointing Milk and Honey and the White Garment were then sinful in themselves to the users I determine not But certainly they proved very ill by accident whilest at this door those numerous and unlawful Ceremonies have entered which have so troubled the Churches and corrupted Religion and among the Papists Greeks Armenians Abassines and many others have made the sauce to become the meat and the lace to go for cloathing and turned too much of Gods Worship into Imagery shadows and pompous shews Quest. 51. Whether it be necessary that they that are baptized in Infancy do solemnly at age renew and own their Baptismal Covenant before they have right to the state and priviledges of adult members And if they do not Whether they are to be numbered with Christians or Apostates Answ. 1. CHurch-membership is the same thing in Infants and in the Adult 2. Infants are naturally uncapable of doing all that in baptism which the adult must do As to understand profess c. themselves 3. The baptism of the Adult being the most compleat because of the maturity of the receivers is made the standing pattern in Scripture For God formeth his Ordinances to the most perfect ordinary receivers 4. Though an Infant be devoted acceptably to God by his Parents will yet when he is at age it must be done by his own will 5. Therefore a bare Infant title ceaseth when we come to age and the persons title ceaseth unless it be renewed by himself or his own Consent The reason is because the Conditions of his Infant Title then cease For his Parents will shall go for his no longer 6. Regularly and ad bene esse the transition out of the state of Infant-membership into the state of See the proofs of all in my Treatise of Co firmation Adult-membership should be very solemn and by an understanding personal owning of the Baptismal Covenant 7. There needeth no other proof of this than 1. That God in Scripture never gave adult persons title to his Covenant but by their own personal consent And at the first institution of baptism both went together Personal profession and baptism because the receivers were adult 2. And that Infants are capable of baptism but not of personal profession 3. Therefore though they are not to repeat baptism which was done before yet they are bound to make that profession at age which they never made before 8. Where this solemn Owning of their Covenant cannot be had by reason of Church corruptions and Magistrates prohibition there the persons ordinary joyning with the Church in the publick profession and worship is to be taken for an owning it 9. He that being baptized in infancy doth no way at full age own his Baptismal Covenant is to be taken for an Apostate 1. Because his Infant title ceaseth 2. And he notoriously violateth his Covenant 3. Because he can be no adult Christian that no way owneth Christ. 10. But this is to be understood of those that have opportunity For one in a Wilderness among Heathens only cannot joyn in publick Worship nor give testimony of his Christianity to the
Church 11. Though the Sacrament of the Lords Supper be appointed for the renewing of our Covenant at age yet is it not the first owning of the Covenant by the aged For that Sacrament belongeth neither to Infants nor Infidels And he that claimeth it must be an adult Church-member or Christian which those are not who at full age no way ever owned their baptismal Covenant nor made any personal profession of Christianity But of this I have written purposely in a Treatise of Confirmation long ago Quest. 52. Whether the Universal Church consist only of particular Churches and their members Answ. NO Particular Churches are the most Regular and noble parts of the Universal Church but not the whole no more than Cities and Corporations be all the Kingdom 1. Some may be as the Eunuch baptized before they can come to any particular Church or as Acts 8. 37 c. Acts 9. 17 18 19 20 26 27 28. Paul before they can be received 2. Some may live where Church-tyranny hindereth them by sinful impositions As all that live among the Papists 3. Some may live in times of doubting distraction and confusion and not know what Church ordinarily to joyn with and may providently go promiscuously to many and keep in an unfixed state for a time 4. Some may be Wives Children or Servants who may be violently hindered 5. Some may live where no particular Churches are As Merchants and Embassadours among Mâ—hometans and Heathens Quest. 53. Must the Pastor first Call the Church and aggregate them to himself or the Church first Congregate themselves and then choose the Pastor Answ. THe Pastors are in order of Nature if not in time first Ministers of Christ in general before they are related to a particular Charge 2. As such Ministers they first make men fit to be congregate and tell them their duty therein 3. But it is a matter variable and indifferent Whether the Minister first say All that will joyn with me and submit to me as their Pastor shall be my particular Charge Or the people before Congregated do call a man to be their Pastor Quest. 54. Wherein doth a particular Church of Christs institution differ from a Consociation of many Churches Answ. 1. IN that such a particular Church is a company of Christians associated for personal immediate Acts 2. 1 24 44 46. 4. 32. 5. 12. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. 1 Cor. 14. 19 23 24 28 35. Acts 14. 23. Titus 1. 5. Acts 11. 26. James 2. â— Communion in Gods worship and in holy living Whereas Consociations of Churches are combined for mediate distinct Communion or by Delegates or Representatives as in Synods 2. Such a particular Church is constituted of one or more Pastors with the people officiating in the Sacred Ministry among them in Doctrine Worship and Discipline in order to the said personal Communion But a Consociation of Churches hath no particular Head as such of divine institution to Constitute and Govern them as one In Ignatius's time every particular Church was characterized or known by two marks of Unity 1. One Altar that is one place of assembling for holy communion 2. One Bishop with the Presbyters and Deacons And two Altars and two Bishops proved two Churches 3. A particular Church under one Bishop or the some Pastors is a Political holy Society But a combination of many Churches consociate is not so but only 1. Either a Community agreeing to live in Concord as neighbour Kingdoms may 2. Or else a humane Policy or Society and not of Divine immediate institution So that if this Consociation of Churches be called a Church it must be either equivocally or in a humane sense Quest. 55. Whether a particular Church may consist of more Assemblies than one Or must needs meet all in one place Answ. 1. THe true distinguishing note of a particular Church is that They be associated for holy Communion in Worship and holy living not by Delegates nor distâ—ntly only by owning the same faith and loving one another as we may do with those at the Antipodes but Personally in presence 2. Therefore they must necessarily be so near as to be capable of personal present Communion 1 Cor. 14. 19 23. Acts 11. 26 c. as before cited 3. And it is most convenient that they be no more than can ordinarily meet in the same Assembly at least for Sacramental Communion 4. But yet they may meet in many places or Assemblies as Chappels or Oratories or other subordinate meetings which are appointed to supply the necessity of the weak and aged and them that cannot travail far And in times of persecution when the Church dare not all meet in one place they may make up several smaller meetings under several Pastors of the same Church But they should come all together as oft as they can 5. And it is to be considered that all the persons of a family can seldome go to the Assembly at one time especially when they live far off Therefore if a Church-place would receive but ten thousand yet twenty thousand might be members while half meet one day and half another or another part of the day 6. Two Congregations distinctly associated for personal Worship under distinct Pastors or having statedly as Ignatius speaketh two Bishops and two Altars are two particular Churches and can no otherwise be one Church than â—s that may be called One which is a Consoâ—iation of divers Quest. 56. Is any Form of Church Government of Divine Institution Answ. YEa There are two Essentially different Policies or Forms of Church Government of Christs Eph. 1 22. 23. 5. 25 26 c. 4. 4 5 6 16. Heb. 10. 25. 1 Cor. 14. Acts 14. 23. Titus 1 5. 1 Tim. 5. 17. 1 Thess. 5. 12 13. 1 Tim 3 3 4 6. 1 Pet 5. 1 2 3. Acts 20 28. Phil. 1. 1 2. own Institution never to be altered by man 1. The form of the Universal Church as headed by Christ himself which all Christians own as they are Christians in their Baptism 2. Particular Churches which are headed by their particular Bishops or Pastors and are parts of the Universal as a Troop is of an Army or a City of a Kingdom Here it is of Divine Institution 1. That there be holy Assemblies for the Publick Worship of God 2. That these Assemblies be Societies constituted of the people with their Pastors who are to them as Captains to their Troops under the General or as Mayors to Cities under the King 3. That these Pastors have the power of the Keyes or the special Guidance and Governance by the Word not by the Sword of their own particular charge in the matters of Faith Worship and holy living and that the flocks obey them And when all this is Iure divino why should any say that No form of Government is jure divino 3. Moreover it is of Divine appointment that these Churches hold the nearest Concord and help each other
stander be the Iudge For a selfish passionate distempered mind is very unlikely to judge aright And most men have so much of these diseases that they are very unfit to be Judges in their own case Ask first some wise impartial man whether it be best for thee to be malitious and revengeful against such a one that thou thinkest hath greatly wronged thee or rather to love him and forgive him § 6. Direct 6. Take time to deliberate upon the matter and do nothing rashly in the heat of Direct 6. passion against another Wrath and Malice will vanish if you bring the matter into the light and use but those effectual Considerations which will shew their sinfulness and shame I shall therefore next here set down some such Considerations as are most powerful to suppress them § 7. Consid. 1. Remember first That whoever hath offended you hath offended God by greater injuries Consid. 1. and if God forgive him the greater why should not you forgive the less The same fault which he did against you is a greater crime as against God than as against you And many a hundred more hath he committed It s a small matter to displease such a Worm as man in comparison of the displeasing of Almighty God And should not his children imitate their Heavenly Father Doth he remit the pains of Hell and cannot you forbear your passionate revenge Let me ask you Whether you desire that God should forgive him his sins or not both that and all the rest which he hath committed If you say No you are Devilish and inhumane who would not have God forgive a sinner If you say Yea you condemn yea and contradict your selves While you say you would have God forgive him and yet your selves will not forgive him I speak not of necessary Correction but Revenge § 8. Consid. 2. Consider also that you have much more your selves to be forgiven by God or you Consid. 2. are undone for ever There is no comparison between other mens offences against you and your offences against God either for the number of them or the greatness or the desert Dost thou owe to God ten thousand talents and wilt thou lay hold on thy Brother for an hundred pence See then thy doom Matth. 18. 34. The tormenters shall exact thy debt to God Doth it beseem that man to aggravate or revenge his little injuries who deserveth damnation and forfeiteth his soul every day and hour And hath no hope of his own salvation but by the free forgiveness of all his sins § 9. Consid. 3. Either thou art thy self a member of Christ or not If not thou art yet under the Consid. 3. guilt of all the sins that ever thou didst commit And doth it beseem that man to be severe and revengeful against others that must for ever be damned for his own transgressions if a speedy conversion do not prevent it Sure you have somewhat else to think on than of your petty injuries from men But if thou be indeed a member of Christ thy sins are all pardoned by the price of thy Redeemers blood And canst thou feel the sweetness of so great a mercy and not feel a strong obligation on thee to forgive thy Brother Must Christ be a Sacrifice for thy offences And must thy Brother who offended thee be sacrificed to thy wrath § 10. Consid. 4. Thou art not forgiven of God if thou dost not forgive For 1. If ever the Love of Consid. 4. God and the blood of Christ had come in power upon thy heart they would undoubtedly have caused thee to forgive thy Brother 2. Yea God hath made thy forgiving others to be a condition without which he will not finally or plenarily forgive thee Thou hast no warrant to pray or hope for pardon upon any lower terms but Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us For if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Matth. 6. 14 15. Likewise saith Christ shall my heavenly Father do also unto you even deliver you to the tormentors if from your hearts ye forgive not every one his Brother their trespasses Matth. 18. 35. For he shall have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against judgement James 2. 13. § 11. Consid. 5. Remember also that you have need of forgiveness from others as well as they Consid. 5. have need of it from you Have you wronged none Have you provoked none Have you not passions which must be pardoned And a nature which must be born with Can so corrupt a creature as man is be no annoyance to those he liveth with Sure all the sins which burden your self and displease the Lord must needs be some trouble to all about you And he that needeth pardon is obliged the more to pardon others § 12. Consid. 6. Nay it is the unhappiness of all mankind that their corruptions will in some measure Consid. 6. be injurious to all that they have to do with and it is impossible for such distempered sinners to live together and not by their mistakes or selfishness or passions to exercise the patience and forbearance of each other Therefore you must either be malitious and revengeful against all mankind or else against none on such accounts as are common to all § 13. Observe also how easily you can forgive your selves though you do a thousand fold more against Consid. 7. your selves than ever any enemy did It is not their wrongs or offences against you that you are in any danger of being damned for You shall not suffer for their sins but for your own In the day of judgement it is not your sufferings from others but your own offences against God that will be charged upon you and if ever you be undone it will be by these Men or Devils can never do that against you which by every sin you do against your selves No robber no oppressor no persecutor no deceiver can ever hurt you so much as you hurt your selves And yet how gently do you take it at your own hands How easily do you pardon it to your selves How lovingly do you think of your selves So far are you from malice or revenge against your selves that you can scarce endure to hear plainly of your sins But are more enclined to bear malice against those that do reprove you Judge whether this be equal dealing and loving your neighbours as your selves § 14. Consid. 8. Consider how great a crime it is for a Worm to usurp the authority of God and Consid. 8. censure him for not doing justice and to presume to anticipate his judgement and take the Sword as it were out of his hands as all do that will be their own avengers It is the Magistrate and not you that beareth the Sword of publick Justice and what he doth not God will do in his time and way Dearly beloved avenge not
your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance it mine I will repay saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head Be not overcome of evil that is the evil that is done against you but overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 19 20 21. He that becometh a Revenger for himself doth by his actions as it were say to God Thou art unjust and dost not do me justice and therefore I will do it for my self And shall such an impatient blaspheming Atheist go unpunished § 15. Consid. 9. Consider how much fitter God is than you to execute revenge and justice on your Consid. 9. enemies He hath the highest authority and you have none He is impartial and most just and you are unrighteous and perverted by selfishness and partiality He is Eternal and Omniscient and seeth to the end and what will be the consequent and therefore knoweth the fittest season and degree But you are short sighted creatures that see no further than the present day and know not what will be to morrow and therefore may be ignorant of an hundred things which would stop you and change your counsel if you had foreseen them He is most Wise and Good and knoweth what is fit for every person and how to do good with as little hurt as may be in the doing of it But you are ignorant of your selves and blinded by interest and passion and are so bad your selves that you are inclined to do hurt to others At least for ought you know you may miscarry in your passion and come off with guilt and a wounded conscience but you may be sure that God will not miscarry but will do all in perfect Wisdom and Righteousness and Truth § 16. Consid. 10. Do you not understand that your passion malice and revenge 1. Do hurt your Consid. 10. selves much more than they can hurt another and 2. Much more than any other can hurt you Would you be revenged on another And will you therefore hurt your selves The stone of reproach which you cast at him doth fly back into your face and wound your selves Do you not feel that the fire of â—assion and malice are like a scorching Feavor which overthrow your health and quietness and fill you full of restlesness and pain And will you do this against your selves because another hath abused you Did not he that offended you do enough against you If you would have more why are you offended with him If you would not have more why do you inflict it on your selves If you love disquietness why do you complain of him that doth disquiet you If you do not why do you disquiet your selves and that much more than he can do He that wrongeth you toucheth but your estates or bodies or names It may be it is but by a blast of wind the words of his mouth And will you therefore wound your selves at the very heart God hath lockt up your Heart from others None can touch that but your selves Their words their wrongs cannot reach your Hearts unless you open them the door yea unless it be your own doing Will you take the Dagger which pierced but your skin and pierce your own hearts with it because another so much wronged you If you do blame no one for it so much as your selves Blame them for touching your estates or names but blame your selves for all that is at your hearts And if you might desire anothers hurt it is folly to hurt your selves much more and to do a greater mischief to your selves that so you may do a less to him If you rail at him or slander or defame him you touch but his reputation If you trouble him at Law you touch but his estate If you beat him it reacheth but to his flesh But the passion and guilt is a fire in your own hearts and the wrath of God which you procure doth fall upon your souls for ever I have heard but of a few that have said openly I am contented to be damned so I may but be avenged But many thousands speak it by their deeds And O how just is their damnation who will run into Hell that they may hurt another Even as I have heard of some passionate Wives and Children who have hanged themselves or cut their throats to be revenged on their Husbands or Children by grieving them § 17. Consid. 11. Remember that malice and hurtfulness are the special sins and Image of the Devil Consid. 11. All sin is from him as the Tempter but some sins are so eminently his own that they may be called the Nature and Image of the Devil and those are principally Rebellion against God Malignity or enmity to good Pride or self-exaltation Lying and Calumny and Malice Hurtfulness and Murder These are above the sins of meer sensuality or carnality and most properly denominate men in whom they prevail the Serpents seed I speak but as Christ himself hath spoken Iohn 8. 44. to those that were esteemed the wisest and most ceremoniously religious of those times Ye are of your father the Devil and the lusts of your father ye will do He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him When he speaketh a Lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it And what pity is it that a man that should bear the Image of God should be transformed as it were into an incarnate Devil and by being like to Satan and bearing his Image § 18. Consid. 12. The person that you are angry with is either a child of God or of the Devil and Consid. 12. one that must live either in Heaven or Hell If he be a child of God will not his Fathers interest and image reconcile you to him Will you hate and hurt a member of Christ If you have any hope of being saved your selves are you not ashamed to think of meeting him in Heaven whom you hated and persecuted here on earth If there were any shame and grief in Heaven it would overwhelm you there with shame and grief to meet those in the Union of those blessed joyes whom you hated and abused Believe unfeignedly that you must dwell with them for ever in the dearest intimacy of Eternal Love and you cannot possibly rage against them nor play the Devils against those with whom you must live in Unity before God But if they be wicked men and such as must be damned as malice will make you easily believe are they not miserable enough already in being the slaves of sin and Satan And will they not be miserable time enough and long enough in Hell Do you thirst to have them tormented before the time O cruel men O devillish malice Would you wish them more punishment than Hell fire Can you not patiently endure to