anulled take it considered as a Covenant those again that speak of the Law as if it were still in force take it considered as a Rule The Law as a Covenant is rigorous and under that rigour we now are not if we be in Christ but the Law as a Rule is equal and under that equity we still are though we be in Christ. The Law as a Rule only sheweth us what is good and evill what we are to do and not to do He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord requireth of thee without any condition annexed either of reward if we observe it or of punishment if we transgress it But the Law as a Covenant exacteth punctual and personal performance of every thing that is contained therein with a condition annexed of Gods acceptance and of blessing if we perform it to the full but of his wrath and curse upon us if we fail in any thing Now by reason of transgression we having all broken that Covenant the Law hath his work upon us and involveth us all in the curse so as by the Covenant of the Law no flesh living can be justified Then cometh in Christ who subjecting himself for our sakes to the Covenant of the Law first fulfilleth it in his own person but in our behalf as our surety and then disanulleth it and in stead thereof establisheth a better Covenant for us even the Covenant of Grace So that now as many as believe are free from the Covenant of the Law and from the Curse of the Law and set under a Covenant of Grace and under promises of Grace There is a translation then of the Covenant but what is all this to the Rule That still is where it was even as the nature of good and evil is still the same it was And the Law considered as a Rule can no more be abolished or changed than can the nature of good and evil be abolished or changed It is our singular comfort then and the happiest fruit of our Christian liberty that we are freed by Christ and through faith in him from the Covenant and Curse of the Law but we must know that it is our duty notwithstanding the liberty that we have in Christ to frame our lives and conversations according to the Rule of the Law Which if we shall neglect under the pretence of our Christian Liberty we must answer for both both for neglecting our duty and for abusing our liberty And so much for the first way The second way whereby our liberty may be used for a cloak of maliciousness is when we stretch it in the use of things that are indeed indifferent beyond the just bounds of sobriety Many men that would seem to make conscience of their way will perhaps ask the opinion of some Divine or other learned man whether such or such a thing be lawful or no and if they be once perswaded that it is lawful they then think they have free liberty to use it in what manner and measure they please never considering what caution and moderation is required even in lawful things to use them lawfully Saint Gregories rule is a good one Semper ab illicitis quandoque à licitis things unlawful we must never do nor ever lawful things but with due respect to our calling and other concurrent circumstances Wine and musick and gorgeous apparel and delicate fare are such things as God in his goodness hath created and given to the children of men for their comfort and they may use them lawfully and take comfort in them as their portion but he that shall use any of them intemperately or unseasonably or vainly or wastfully abuseth both them and himself And therefore we shall often finde both the things themselves condemned and those that used them blamed in the Scriptures The men of Israel for stretching themselves upon their couches and eating the lambs out of the flock and chaunting to the sound of the Vial and drinking Wine in bowls Amos 6. And the women for their bracelets and ear-rings and wimples and crisping pins and their other bravery in Esay 3. And the rich man for faring deliciously and wearing fine linnen in the Parable Luk. 16. Yea our Saviour himself pronounceth a woe against them that laugh Luk. 6. And yet none of all these things are or were in themselves unlawful it was the excess only or other disorder in the use of them that made them obnoxious to reproof Though some in their heat have said so yet who can reasonably say that horse-matches or playing at cards or dice are in themselves and wholly unlawful And yet on the other side what sober wise man because the things are lawful would therefore approve of that vain and sinful expence which is oftentimes bestowed by men of mean estates in the dieting of Horses and wagering upon them or of that excessive abuse of gaming wherein thousands of our Gentry spend in a manner their whole time and consume away their whole substance both which ought to be far more precious unto them I might instance in many other things in like manner In all which we may easily erre either in point of judgement or practice or both if we do not wisely sever the use from the abuse Many times because the abuses are common and great we peevishly condemn in others the very use of some lawful things And many times again because there is evidently a lawful use of the things we impudently justifie our selves in the very abuses also That is foolish preciseness in us and this prophane partiality by that we infringe our brethrens liberty by this pollute our own The best and safest way for us in all indifferent things is this to be indulgent to others but strict to our selves in allowing them their liberty with the most but taking our own liberty ever with the least But is not this to preach one thing and do another ought not our Doctrine and our Practice to go together It is most true they ought so to do Neither doth any thing I have said make to the contrary What we may doctrinally deliver to be absolutely necessary we may not in our own practice omit and what we may doctrinally condemn as simply unlawful we are bound in our own practice to forbear But things of a middle and indifferent nature we may not doctrinally either impose them as necessary neither forbid as unlawful but leave a liberty in them both for other men and our selves to use them or not to use them as particular circumstances and occasions and other reasons of conveniency shall lead us And in these things both we must allow others a liberty which for some particular reasons it may not be so fit for us to take and we may also tye our selves to that strictness for some particular reasons which we dare not to impose upon others It was a foul fault and blame-worthy
any thing I know at all to trouble this place any more hereafter Let us all now humbly beseech Almighty God to grant a blessing to what hath been presently taught and heard that it may work in the hearts of us all charitable affections one towards another due obedience to lawfull authority and a conscionable care to walk in our severall callings faithfully painfully and peaceably to the comfort of our own souls the edification of Gods Church and the glory of the ever-blessed Trinity the Father Son and Holy Ghost three Persons and one God To whom be ascribed by us and the whole Church as is most due the Kingdome the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen AD CLERUM The Second Sermon At a Visitation at Boston Lincoln 24. Apr. 1621. ROM 3.8 And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Let us do evil that good may come whose damnation is just A Little before at the fourth verse S. Paul had delivered a Conclusion sound and comfortable and strengthened it from Davids both experience and testimony in Ps. 51. A place pregnant and full of sinews to enforce it The Conclusion in effect was that Nothing in man can anull the Covenant of God Neither the originall unworthinesse of Gods Children through the universall corruption of nature nor their actuall unfaithfulnesse bewrayed through frailty in particular trials can alienate the free love of God from them or cut them off from the Covenant of Grace but that still God will be glorified in the truth and faithfulnesse of his promises notwithstanding any unrighteousnesse or unfaithfulnesse in man But never yet was any Truth so happily innocent as to maintain it self free from Calumny and Abuse Malice on the one hand and Fleshlinesse on the other though with different aimes yet doe the same work They both pervert the Truth by drawing pestilent Corollaries from sound Conclusions as the Spider sucketh poyson from medicinable herbs But with this difference Malice slandereth the Truth to discountenance it but Fleshlinesse abuseth the Truth to countenance it selfe by it The cavilling Sophister he would faine bring the Apostles gracious Doctrine into discredit The carnall Libertine he would as faine bring his own ungracious behaviour into credit Both by making false yet colourable Inferences from the former Conclusion There are three of those Inferences but never a good The first If so then cannot God in reason and justice take vengeance of our unrighteousnesse The Colour for why should he punish us for that which so much magnifieth and commendeth his righteousnesse But if our righteousnesse commend the righteousnesse of God what shall we say Is God unrighteous that taketh vengeance The second Inference If so then it is injust either in God or Man to condemne us as sinners for breaking the Law The Colour for why should that action be censured of sin which so abundantly redoundeth to the glory of God For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lye unto his glory why yet am I also judged as a sinner The third and last and worst Inference If so then it is a good and wise resolution Let us sin freely and boldly commit evil The Colour for why should we fear to do that from which so much good may come in this verse of my Text And not rather let us do evil that good may come This last cavilling Inference the Apostle in this Verse both bringeth in and casteth out again bringeth in as an objection and casteth out by his answer An answer which at once cutteth off both it and the former Inferences And the Answer is double Ad rem Ad hominem That concerneth the force and matter of the objection this the state and danger of the objectors Ad rem in the former part of the Verse And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say let us do evil that good may come Ad hominem in the latter end Whose damnation is just In the former part there is an Objection and the Rejection of it The Objection And not rather Let us do evil that good may come The Rejection thereof with a Non sequitur implying not onely the bare inconsequence of it upon the Apostles conclusion but withall and especially the falsenesse and unsoundnesse of it taken by it self As we be slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say Let us do evil c. My aime at this present is to insist especially upon a Principle of practick Divinity which by joynt consent of Writers old and new Orthodox and Popish resulteth from the very body of this verse and is of right good use to direct us in sundry difficulties which daily arise in vita communi in point of Conscience The Principle is this We must not do any evil that any good may come of it Yet there are besides this in the Text divers other inferiour observations not to be neglected With which I think it will not be amisse to begin and to dispatch them first briefly that so I may fall the sooner and stay the longer upon that which I mainly intend Observe first the Apostles Method and substantiall manner of proceeding how he cleareth all as he goeth how diligent he is and carefull betimes to remove such cavils though he step a little out of his way for it as might bring scandall to the Truth he had delivered When we preach and instruct others we should not think it enough to deliver positive truths but we should take good care also as near as we can to leave them clear and by prevention to stop the mouths of such as love to pick quarrells at the Truth and to bark against the light It were good we would so far as our leisure and gifts will permit wisely forecast and prevent all offence that might be taken at any part of Gods truth and be carefull as not to broach any thing that is false through rashnesse errour or intemperance so not to betray any truth by ignorant handling or by superficiall slight and unsatisfying answers But then especially concerneth it us to be most carefull herein when we have to speak before such as we have some cause before-hand to suspect to be through ignorance or weaknesse or custome or education or prejudice or partiall affections or otherwise contrary-minded unto or at leastwise not well perswaded of those Truths we are to teach If the wayes be rough and knotty and the passengers feeble-joynted and dark-sighted it is but needfull the guides should remove as many blocks and stones out of the way as may be When we have gone as warily as we can to work Cavillers if they list will take exceptions it is our part to see we give them no advantage lest we help to justifie the principals by making our selves Accessories Those men are ill-advised how ever zealous for the Truth that stir in controversed points and
reward for the service he did against Tyrus because therein though he neither intended any such thing nor so much as knew it he yet was the instrument to work Gods purpose upon and against Tyrus And then how much more will God reward temporally the service and obedience of such as purposely and knowingly endeavour an outward conformity unto the holy will and pleasure of God though with strong and predominant mixture of their owne corrupt appetites and ends therewithall Now the Reasons why God should thus outwardly reward the outward works of Hypocrites are First the manifestation of his own Goodnesse that we might know how willing he is to cherish the least spark of any goodness in any man be it natural or moral or whatever other goodnesse it be that he might thereby encourage us so to labour the improvement of those good things in us as to make our selves capable of greater rewards Secondly his Iustice and equity in measuring unto Sinners and Hypocrites exactly according to the measure they mete unto him They serve him with graces which are not true graces indeed he rewardeth them with blessings which are not indeed true blessings Somewhat they must do to God and therefore they affoord him a little temporary obedience and there is all the service he shall have from them Somewhat God will do for them and in requitall alloweth them a little temporary favour and there is all the reward they must look for from him Here is Quid pro Quo. They give God the outward work but without any hearty affection to him God giveth them the outward benefit but without any hearty affection to them For want of which hearty affection on both sides it cometh to passe that neither is the outward work truly acceptable to him nor the outward benefit truly profitable to them A third reason of Gods thus graciously dealing even with Hypocrites may be assigned with reference to his own dear Children and chosen for whose good especially next under his own glory all the passages of his divine providence both upon them and others are disposed in such sort as they are as for whose comfort this manner of proceeding maketh very much and sundry wayes as I shall by and by touch in the Inferences from this Observation whereunto I now come because it is time I should draw towards a Conclusion And first by what hath been already said a way is opened for the clearing of Gods Holinesse in these his proceedings If sometimes he temporally reward Hypocrites is it not either for their own or for their works sake as if he either accepted their Persons or approved their Obedience No it is but Lex Talionis he dealeth with them as they deal with him They do him but eye-service and he giveth them but eye-wages Indeed God can neither be deceived nor deceive yet as they would deceive God in their service with such obedience as falleth short of true obedience so they are deceived in their pay from him with such blessings as fall short of true blessings And all this may well stand with Gods both Iustice and Holinesse Secondly it appeareth from the premises that Gods thus dealing with wicked and unsanctified men in thus rewarding their outward good things giveth no warrant nor strength at all either to that Popish corrupt doctrine of Meritum congrui in deserving the first grace by the right use of Naturals or to that rotten principle and foundation of the whole frame of Pelagianisme Facienti quod in se est Deus non potest non debet denegare gratiam We know God rewards his own true and spirituall graces in us with increase of those graces here and with glory hereafter we see God rewardeth even false and outward and seeming graces natural and moral good things with outward and temporal favours And all this is most agreeable to his infinite both Iustice and Mercy and may stand with the infinite Purity and Holinesse of his nature But this were rather to make God an unjust and unholy God to bind him to reward the outward and sinfull works of Hypocrites for the best natural or moral works without grace are but such with true saving grace and inward sanctification Other Inferences and uses more might be added as viz. Thirdly for our Imitation by Gods example to take knowledge of and to commend and to cherish even in wicked men those natural or moral parts that are eminent in them and whatsoever good thing they do in outward actual conformity to the revealed will and law of God And fourthly for Exhortation to such as do not yet find any comfortable assurance that their obedience and good works are true and sincere yet to go on and not to grow weary of well doing knowing that their labour is not altogether in vain in as much as their works though perhaps done in Hypocrisie shall procure them temporal blessings here and some abatement withall I adde that by the way of stripes and everlasting punishment hereafter But I passe by all these and the like Uses and commend but one more unto you and that is it which I named before as one Reason of the point observed viz. the Comfort of Gods dear Children and Servants and that sundry wayes First here is comfort for them against a Temptation which often assaulteth them and that with much violence and danger arising from the sense and observation of the prosperity and flourishing estate of the wicked in this world We may see in the Psalmes and elsewhere how frequently and strongly David Iob and Ieremy and other godly ones were assailed with this temptation For thy instruction then and to arm thee against this so common and universal a temptation if thou shalt see fooles on horseback ungodly ones laden with wealth with honour with ease Hypocrites blessed with the fat of the earth and the due of heaven and abundance of all the comforts of this life yet be not thou discomforted at it or disquieted with it Do not fret thy self because of the ungodly neither be thou envious at evil doers Thou expectest for thine inward obedience an unproportionable reward in the life to come do not therefore grudge their outward obedience a proportionable reward in this life Some good things or other thou mayest think there are in them for which God bestoweth those outward blessings upon them But consider withall that as they have their reward here so they have all their reward here and whatsoever their present prosperity be yet the time will come and that ere long be when The hope of the Hypocrite shall wither and The end of the wicked shall be cut off Again here is a second Comfort for the godly against temporal afflictions and it ariseth thus As Gods love and favour goeth not alwayes with those temporal benefits he bestoweth so on the other side Gods wrath and displeasure goeth not alwayes with
certainly these sins of Presumption are the greatest of the three because the wilfullest and those of Ignorance the least because there is in them the least disorder of the will which doth its office in some measure in following the guidance of the understanding the greater fault being rather in the understanding for misguiding it And of sins of Ignorance compared one with another that is ever the least wherein the defect is greater in the understanding and in the will lesse From this Principle do issue sundry material conclusions and namely amongst many other most pertinently to our purpose these two The one that all Error and Ignorance doth not alwaies and wholly excuse from sin The other that yet some kinde of Ignorance and Error doth excuse from sin sometimes wholly but very often at least in part The whole truth of both these conclusions we may see in this one action of Abimelech in taking Sarah into his house In him there was a twofold Error and thence also a twofold Ignorance The one was an Error in universali Ignorantia Iuris as they call it concerning the nature of Fornication which being an heynous sin he took to be either none at all or a very small one The other was an error in particulari Ignorantia facti concerning the personal condition and relation of Sarah to Abraham whose sister he thought her to be and not wife though she were both That former Ignorance Ignorantia juris in Abimelech was in some degree voluntary For Abimelech had in him the common Principles of the Law of nature by the light whereof if he had been careful to have improved it but even so far as right reason might have led a prudent and dispassionate naturall man he might have discerned in the most simple Fornication such incongruity with those Principles as might have sufficiently convinced him of the unlawfulnesse thereof It is presumed that all Ignorance of that which a man is bound to know and may know if he be not wanting to himself is so far forth wilful Now Abimelech was bound to know that all carnal knowledge of man and woman out of the state of Wedlock was simply unlawful and so much if he had not been wanting to himself in the use of his Naturals he might have known and therefore it was a kinde of wilful ignorance in him in some degree that he did not know it And therefore further he cannot be wholly excused from sin in taking Sarah notwithstanding both that and his other ignorance for although he did not know her to be Abrahams wife yet he knew well enough she was not his own wife and being not so to him whatsoever she was to Abraham it skilled not he should certainly not have taken her To plead Ignorance that he knew not Fornication to be a sin would little help him in this case For men must know they stand answerable unto God for their Actions not meerly according to the present knowledge they actually have but according to the knowledge which they ought and might to have had those means considered which he had afforded them of knowledge Those means even where they are scantest being ever sufficient at the least thus farre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1. to leave the transgressor without excuse and to make void all pretensions of Ignorance That Error then did not wholly excuse Abimelech from sin because his Ignorance was partly wilful yet we may not deny but even that error did lessen and extenuate the sinfulnesse of the Action something and so excuse him in part a tanto though not a toto Because it appeareth by many evidences that his ignorance therein was not grosly affected and wilful and look how much measure you abate in the wilfulnesse so much weight you take off from the sin The light of Nature though to a man that could have made the best of it it had been sufficient to have discovered the vicious deformity and consequently the moral unlawfulnesse of Fornication yet was it nothing so clear in this particular as in many other things that concerned common equity and commutative Iustice. Besides common Opinion and the Custome of the times and Consent though corrupt consent of most nations in making but a light matter of it might easily carry him with the stream and make him adventure to do as most did without any scruple or so much as suspicion of such foul wickednesse in a course so universally allowed and practised These respects make his wilfulnesse lesse his ignorance more pardonable and his sin more excusable And I make no question the premises considered but that Abrahams sin in denying Sarah to be his wife notwithstanding the equivocating trick he had to help it was by many degrees greater than was Abimelechs in taking her as being done more against knowledge and therefore more wilfully Abimelechs sin in taking her though with some degrees of wilfulnesse being yet a sin rather of Ignorance whereas Abrahams sin in denying her was a sin of Infirmity at the least if not much rather a sin of Presumption Now although this former Errour Ignorantia Iuris could not wholly excuse Abimelech from sin in what he had done but in part only for he sinned therein by giving way to unchaste desires and purposes against the seaventh Commandement yet that other Error of his Ignorantia facti in mistaking a married woman for a single doth wholly excuse his fact from the sins of injustice in coveting and taking another mans Wife against the eighth and the tenth Commandements He had not the least injurious intent against Abraham in that kinde and degree and therefore though he took his wife from him indeed yet not knowing any such matter by her especially having withall made ordinary and requisite enquiry thereafter it must be granted he did it unwittingly and therefore unwilfully and therefore also unsinfully as to that species of sin St. Augustine saith truly Peccatum ita est voluntarium ut si non sit voluntarium non est peccatum without some consent of the will no compleat actual sin is committed Such ignorance therefore as preventeth à toto and cutteth off all consent of the will must needs also excuse and that à toto the Actions that proceed there-from from being sins It is clear from the words of my Text that Abimelechs heart was sincere in this action of taking Sarah from any injury intended to Abraham therein although de facto he took his wife from him because he did it ignorantly By what hath been spoken we may see in part what kinde of Ignorance it is that will excuse us from sin either in whole or in part and what will not Let us now raise some profitable Inferences from this observation First our Romish Catholiques often twit us with our fore-elders What say they were they not all down-right Papists believed as we believe worshipped as we worship You will not say they all lived
himself to continue and persist in any known ungodlinesse And thus much for our second Observation I adde but a Third and that taken from the very thing which Abimelech here pleadeth viz. the integrity of his heart considered together with his present personal estate and condition I dare not say he was a Cast-away for what knoweth any man how God might after this time and even from these beginnings deal with him in the riches of his mercy But at the time when the things storied in this chapter were done Abimelech doubtlesse was an unbeleever a stranger to the covenant of God made with Abraham and so in the state of a carnal and meer natural man And yet both he pleadeth and God approveth the innocency and integrity of his heart in this businesse Yea I know that thou diddest this in the integrity of thine heart Note hence That in an unbeleever and natural man and therefore also in a wicked person and a cast-away for as to the present state the unregenerate and the Reprobate are equally incapable of good things there may be truth and singlenesse and integrity of heart in some particular Actions We use to teach and that truly according to the plain evidence of Scripture and the judgement of the ancient Fathers against the contrary tenet of the later Church of Rome that all the works of unbeleevers and natural men are not only stained with sin for so are the best works of the faithful too but also are really and truly sins both in their own nature because they spring from a corrupt fountain for That which is born of the flesh is flesh and it is impossible that a corrupt tree should bring forth good fruit and also in Gods estimation because he beholdeth them as out of Christ in and through whom alone he is well pleased St. Augustines judgement concerning such mens works is well known who pronounceth of the best of them that they are but splendida peccata glorious sins and the best of them are indeed no better We may not say therefore that there was in Abimelechs heart as nor in the heart of any man a legal integrity as if his person or any of his actions were innocent and free from sin in that perfection which the Law requireth Neither yet can we say there was in his heart as nor in the heart of any unbeleever an Evangelical integrity as if his person were accepted and for the persons sake all or any of his actions approved with God accepting them as perfect through the supply of the abundant perfections of Christ then to come That first and legall integrity supposeth the righteousnesse of works which no man hath this latter and Evangelical integrity the righteousnesse of Faith which no unbeliever hath no mans heart being either legally perfect that is in Adam or Evangelically perfect that is out of Christ. But there is â— third kinde of integrity of heart inferiour to both these which God here acknowledgeth in Abimelech and of which only we affirm that it may be found in an unbeliever and a Reprobate and that is a Natural or Moral integrity when the heart of a meer natural man is careful to follow the direction and guidance of right reason according to that light of Nature or Revelation which is in him without hollownesse halting and hypocrisie Rectus usus Naturalium we might well call it the term were fit enough to expresse it had not the Papists and some other Sectaries by sowring it with the leaven of their Pelagianism rendred it suspicious The Philosophers and learned among the Heathen by that which they call a good conscience understand no other thing then this very Integrity whereof we now speak Not that an Unbeliever can have a good conscience taken in strict propriety of truth and in a spiritual sense For the whole man being corrupted through the fall of Adam the conscience also is wrapped in the common pollution so that to them that are defiled and unbeleeving nothing is pure but even their minde and conscience is defiled as speaketh S. Paul Tit. 1. and being so defiled can never be made good till their hearts be sprinkled from that pollution by the bloud of Christ who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God and till the Conscience be purged by the same bloud from dead works to serve the living God as speaketh the same Apostle Heb. 9. and 10. But yet a good Conscience in that sense as they meant it a Conscience morally good many of them had who never had Faith in Christ nor so much as the least inckling of the Doctrine of Salvation By which Not having the Law they were a Law unto themselves doing by nature many of the things contained in the Law and chusing rather to undergo the greatest miseries as shame torment exile yea death it self or any thing that could befall them than wilfully to transgresse those rules and notions and dictates of piety and equity which the God of Nature had imprinted in their Consciences Could heathen men and unbeleevers have taken so much comfort in the testimony of an excusing Conscience as it appeareth many of them did if such a Conscience were not in the kinde that is Morally Good Or how else could St. Paul have made that protestatâ—on he did in the Councel Men and Brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God untill this day At least if he meant to include as most of the learned conceive he did the whole time of his life as well before his conversion as after Balaam was but a cursed Hypocrite and therefore it was but a copy of his countenance and no better for his heart even then hankered after the wages of unrighteousnesse when he looked a squint upon Balaks liberal offer with this answer If Balak would give me his house full of gold and silver I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God to do lesse or more But I assure my self many thousands of unbeleevers in the world free from his hypocrisie would not for ten times as much as he there spake of have gone beyond the Rules of the Law of Nature written in their hearts to have done either lesse or more Abimelech seemeth to be so affected at least in this particular action and passage with Abraham wherein God thus approveth his integrity Yea I know that thou diddest this in the integrity of thy heart The Reason of which moral integrity in men unregenerate and meerly natural is that Imperium Rationis that power of natural Conscience and Reason which it hath and exerciseth over the whole man doing the office of a Law-giver and having the strength of a law They are a law unto themselves saith the Apostle Rom. 2. As a Law it prescribeth what is to be done as a Law it commandeth that what is prescribed be done as a Law it proposeth rewards and punishments accordingly
Is it any thanks to our selves Nor that neither we have neither number to match them nor policy to defeat them nor strength to resist them weak silly little flock as we are But to whom then is it thanks As if a little flock of sheep escape when a multitude of ravening Wolves watch to devour them it cannot be ascribed either in whole or in part either to the sheep in whom there is no help or to the Wolf in whom there is no mercy but it must be imputed all and wholly to the good care of the shepherd in safe guarding his sheep and keeping off the Wolf so for our safety and preservation in the midst and in the spight of so many Enemies Not unto us O Lord not unto us whose greatest strength is but weaknesse much lesse unto them whose tenderest mercies are cruel but unto thy Name be the glory O thou Shepheard of Israel who out of thine abundant love to us who are the flock of thy Pasture and the sheep of thy hands hast made thy power glorious in curbing and restraining their malice against us Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men Wonders we may well call them indeed they are Miracles if things strange and above and against the ordinary course of Nature may be called Miracles When we read the stories in the Scriptures of Daniel cast into the den among the Lions and not touched of the three children walking in the midst of the fiery furnace and not scorched of a viper fastning upon Pauls hand and no harm following we are stricken with some amazement at the consideration of these strange and supernatural accidents and these we all confesse to be miraculous escapes Yet such Miracles as these and such escapes God worketh daily in our preservation notwithstanding we live encompassed with so many fire-brands of hell such herds of ravening Wolves and Lions and Tygers and such numerous generations of vipers I mean wicked and ungodly men the spawn of the old Serpent who have it by kinde from their father to thirst after the destruction of the Saints and servants of God and to whom it is as natural so to do as for the fire to burn or a viper to bite or a Lion to devour Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for this his goodnesse and daily declare these his great wonders which he daily doth for the children of men Secondly since this restraint of wicked men is so only from God as that nothing either they or we or any Creature in the world can do can with-hold them from doing us mischief unlesse God lay his restraint upon them it should teach us so much wisdome as to take heed how we trust them It is best and safest for us as in all other things so in this to keep the golden mean that we be neither too timorous nor too credulous If wicked men then threaten and plot against thee yet fear them not God can restrain them if he think good and then assure thy self they shall not harm thee If on the other side they colloague and make shew of much kindnesse to thee yet trust them not God may suffer them to take their own way and not restrain them and then assure thy self they will not spare thee Thou maist think perhaps of some one or other of these that sure his own good nature will hold him in or thou hast had trial of him heretofore and found him faithfull as heart could wish or thou hast some such tye upon him by kindred neighbourhood acquaintance covenant oath benefits or other natural or civil obligation as will keep him off at least from falling foul upon thee all at once Deceive not thy self these are but slender assurances for thee to abide upon Good nature alas where is it since Adam fell there was never any such thing in rerum natura if there be any good thing in any man it is all from Grace nature is all naught even that which seemeth to have the preheminence in nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is stark naught We may talk of this and that of good natured men and I know not what But the very truth is set grace aside I mean all grace both renewing and restraining grace there is no more good nature in any man than there was in Cain and in Iudas That thing which we use to call good nature is indeed but a subordinate means or instrument whereby God restraineth some men more than others from their birth and special constitution from sundry outragious exorbitancies and so is a branch of this restraining Grace whereof we now speak And as for thy past Experience that can give thee little security thou knowest not what fetters God layed upon him then nor how he was pleased with those fetters God might full sore against his will not only restrain him from doing thee hurt but also constrain him to do thee good as sometimes he commanded the Ravens to feed Eliah a bird so unnatural to her young ones that they might famish for her if God did not otherwise provide for them and therefore it is noted in the Scripture as a special argument of Gods providence that he feedeth the young Ravens that call upon him But as nothing that is constrained is durable but every thing when it is constrained against its natural inclination if it be let alone will at length return to his own kinde and primitive disposition as these Ravens which now fed Eliah would have been as ready another time to have pecked out his eyes so a Natural man is a natural man still howsoever ouer-ruled for the present and if God as he hath hitherto by his restraint with-held him shall but another while withhold his restraint from him he will soon discover the inbred hatred of his heart against good things and men and make thee at the last beshrew thy folly in trusting him when he hath done thee a mischief unawares And therefore if he have done thee seven courtesies and promise fair for the eighth yet trust him not for there are seven abominations in his heart And as for whatsoever other hanck thou maiest think thou hast over him be it never so strong unlesse God manacle him with his powerful restraint he can as easily unfetter himself from them all as Sampson from the green wit hs and coards wherewith the Philistines bound him All those fore-mentioned relations came in but upon the bye and since whereas the hatred of the wicked against goodness is of an ancienter date and hath his root in corrupt nature and is therefore of such force that it maketh void all obligations whether civil domestical or other that have grown by vertue of any succeeding contract It is a ruled case Inimici domestici A mans enemies may be