horrible Combustion of Conscience or at the least Inquietude and Uneasiness of Mind any thing but Satisfaction Joy and Rest Of such Men I say as Gen. 49.6 Oh my Soul come not thou into their Secret unto their Assembly mine Honour be not thou united And now Oh my Soul what is thy Trouble and Sorrow and Anxiety of Mind Or what are thy Desires Cares Delight Joy Contrivances Counsels Activity concern'd about Canst thou feed upon thy sweet Morsels alone and glory in the Affluence of Personal or Domestick Blessings while the Gates of Sion mourn Are any in Affliction imprisoned persecuted for Righteousness sake and wiltest not thou bear a part in their Dolours Remembring those in Bonds as bound with them and them which suffer Adversity as being thy self also in the Body Heb. 13.3 Dost thou not partake of that common Spirit of Goodness Compassion Charity which as good Blood diffuses it self and circulates through all the Members of that one Body ingenerating an universal Fellow-feeling and Care of mutual and general Concerns in all and every one that lives by the Life of the Head in Heaven Art thou weak with the Weak and with the Offended dost thou burn 2 Cor. 11.29 Canst thou bear every ones burthen and so fulfill the Law of Christ and restore those overtaken with Infirmities considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Gal. 6.1 2. See the Apostle prosecuting this Argument fully 1 Cor. 12.12 to 27. If thou be acted by the private strait-lac'd selfish Spirit of the generality who can neither give a jot of ease to themselves under their Personal Straits and Sorrows by a serious Reflection on the Welfare of the Church of God nor will in the least imbitter their Joys with any Considerations of the Afflictions of Joseph suspect thy self to be an Alien from the Life and the Catholick Body of Jesus Christ which subsists by a Vital Union with him What now are the Measures by which thou actest in thy Station and with respect to the Members of Christ If thou espouse and tenaciously adhere to only the Sentiments of some Particular Party or Sect farewel all publick Spiritedness Thou professest a Belief of the Communion of Saints as in one Catholick Church which is indeed an Invisible Thing as are all Objects of Faith in its distinction from Sense Does this Faith work by Love Thou ownest also one Universal Body seen in its parts visible in its whole extent throughout the World actually by the Eyes of its Head seen in its Unity at once and potentially by Man Which is not a Chaos of every thing in confusion but an Organical Body that in diversity of useful comely Members Parts Congregations the least of the denomination Countries and Kingdoms makes up a lovely Community Not a Rope of Sand but a Golden Chain where every very Link has its Beauty Preciousness Connexion Suitableness A Garden enclosed where variety of Walks Beds c. constitute a fair delicious Paradise One Spouse of Christ one Body for one Head Does thy Fancy or Partiality here make Restrictions Can'st thou dar'st thou chop and mangle this Body Tear off a Limb of this Spouse Break the golden Chain for one Link And dote upon these without regard to the rest Can thy Love walk no where but in little Severals and petty Enclosures In this sence I cannot disallow that Saying of a Great Person viz. That the Church of Christ is neither Rome nor a Conventicle There may be some Part of it there but confin'd to either it cannot be exclusively to the rest of the World Art thou a Christian Then must Christianity command the freest Motions of thy Affections the Interest of that thou must and shalt respect honour promote and love not as it is pretended or conceitedly monopolized by any distinct Party but as like the Sun it diffuses its efficiency vertue and influence every where and shines with a lovely radiancy and glory in any Man whatsoever Seest thou one that in the judgment of rational Charity makes Religion his principal Business above all labouring that it may have a prevalent Interest in his Heart Cleave to this Man embrace him in thy most near and intimate Affections be he of what Party soever Dost thou find any diligently searching the Word of God to know him in all his Perfections not meerly for Notion sake but that his inward Soul and outward Conversation may be under the Dominion and Command of what he knows A Man that maintains a high and honourable esteem of the ever blessed Redeemer of the World the only begotten Son of God as the alone Saviour of Mankind taking the greatest care to gain a true and full Understanding of his Excellency Undertaking Offices and Benefits that he may entirely devote himself to him A Man that is daily acquainting himself how much it is his Interest to live under the Conduct of the Holy Ghost and therefore studies his inspired Writings to attain right Apprehensions concerning his Nature Gifts Graces Comforts that he may aspire after them inwardly feel them in their power and accordingly engages his Mind Will Affections Conscience executive Power all within and without him in an universal Subjection to this Holy Trinity in Unity and with a reverend Awefulness minggled with Love demeans himself under the Government of that ever Adoreable Majesty as one that hath present powerful Sensations of its immediate Presence Oversight and perfect Cognizance of the most secret recesses of his Soul A man that understanding his relation to God owns Him pants after Him with insatiable Ardour cleaves unto Him with full purpose of heart in a singular Complacency fears praises glorifies trusts chooses embraces acknowledges Him in all His ways as His chief Good and Happiness and would not willingly displease Him for a World And having with a Holy Religious Veneration observ'd approves of is singularly well pleas'd with that Wonder of all Wonders the Grace of Almighty God revealed by the Gospel in giving His Eternal Son to be the Redeemer of Lost Mankind God in our Flesh manifested in the fulness of time to do and suffer whatever Justice required that our Sins might be pardon'd our Persons accepted sanctified and glorified And Looking unto Jesus doth heartily acquiesce in the Method of Salvation ordain'd by God thro' him intirely yields up himself to him to be and do and suffer whatever he pleases sincerely accepts of him as an All-sufficient Saviour submits to his Government in all things never can be satisfied but is in a restless Agony day and night till he gain some good Evidence that Christ is his and he Christ's spontaneously chearfully with a self-denying humble penitent Heart venturing his All upon him for ever in believing in him hoping for his Sake to obtain the Love and Favour of God in Justification Reconciliation and Eternal Blessedness and therefore deliberately freely with all readiness of mind engages himself to Christ by the Renewal of his Baptismal Covenant with
Mortification living in a never-ceasing Combate with Satan and this present inticeing World as affraid of breathing in the Devils Air or walking upon his Ground or within his Pale with a Religious wariness observing every step least it should be upon a Snare or into a Precipice as became a Man after God's own Heart whose whole course of Life was designedly a walk with God Would not a Man of this Constitution with a singular Providence and Caution eschew all appearances or occasions of or Temptations to Evil of every kind both Spiritual and Carnal since both alike are visible to that God who hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Eye every where to direct his Vengaence ver 9 10. Psal 10.14 Would nor this complexion of Soul oblige his utmost endeavours and diligence circumspectly to keep his Heart and engage the assistance and care of Almighty Grace to be his security against whatever might entangle or defile it I do not question but that with the highest solicitude and Conscience he attended the just and watchful Government of his Actions under the command of these Perceptions he entertain'd of the invisible Eye ver 9. and of his most secret imperceptible Thoughts upon the Sensations he retain d of God's intuition and censure of all humane Cogitations ver 10 11. Which may be thus rendred He that teacheth Adam Knowledge the LORD knowing the thoughts of Adam because they are Abel Vanity The Septuagint translate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not participially but verbally and Adam Abel appellatively and so they ought and Adam plurally Abel not in the Abstract but Concrete thus The LORD knoweth the Thoughts of Men that they are vain which the Apostle follows in all but the version of Adam which with him is the Wise 1 Cor. 3.20 The Lord knoweth the Thoughts or Reasonings as 't is rendred Luk. 9.46 of the Wise who of all Men have the greatest skill and cunning to hide their Thoughts and the highest abilities to solidate improve direct and govern their reasoning and thinking Powers that if any Mens their Cogitations and Discourses one would think might be above the brand of the Text. The reason of this change I cannot determine 't is satisfactory that it was made by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost who best knew his own meaning But shall I offer a Conjecture The Appellative Adam points to the first Man from whom the denomination is drawn And before his fall no doubt Adam was possest of a degree of Wisdom paramount to all his Posterity Solomon not excepted and this Name was impos'd upon him when he flourish'd in the glory of that excellent Spirit I do not question but that even in his collapsed Nature a degree thereof was preserv'd superiour to all in his Successors unto whom 't is derived very much rebated partly though corruption partly through feminine imbecility For the difference of natural abilities in Man and Man or Man and Woman arises not from the spiritual part all Souls being equal in Nature Faculties and Power But the defect of Vital Flame or Natural Heat and Spirits causing an indisposition of Organs in their first Formation with a coolness and torpidness in the Animal Spirits the Souls Vehicle and immediate Instrument in its Operations ad extra is the true Origin of all those Imperfections visible in the Intellectuals both of that cooler Sex and the other and all may be encreased by the Immorality and Intemperance of Parents or other accidental Causes Diseases Passions External Occurrents c. Now may not St. Paul in translating Adam the wise allude or have some respect to the incomparable Wisdom of that source of Humane Nature However it was most accommodate to the tenour of his Discourse there and not aliene from the scope of Place here For undoubtedly those he calls Brutish and Fools ver 8. and Proud ver 2. had no humble apprehensions of their own Abilities but did imagin that in their Oppressions they dealt wisely as the Aegyptians Exod. 1.10 Atheists Deists Persecutors generally conceiting themselves the wisest of Men and the profoundest of Politicians but the rest of the World only a knot of Addle Eggs. Yet the Holy Ghost who best knows and never can be out in his Judgment of Men both here and other where even in this Book calls them by their proper Names as Psal 14. and 53. Folly Atheism Persecution are both in Scripture and Nature individual inseparable Companions and no marvel For if a Man can be such a Fool as to turn God out of the World and Being in his Thoughts no wonder if he be such a Barbarian as to turn Men who are most God-like out of the World with his Hands and again if a Man can be so bestially Savage as to embrew his Hands in the Blood of Innocents 't is his Interest to be so foolish as to believe there is no Providence and God I therefore again demand whether it be possible for a Man living under the dominion of these most rational Notions of God and the folly brutishness and madness of working Iniquity to contradict all the Principles of Sense Reason and Religion in so high a degree as to invoive himself in the same Condemnation Could a Man sensible of Divine observance of and animadversion upon vain Thoughts indulge such in his own Mind and if not vain sure much less vile and wicked Will a Man confidently believing and asserting the all-intelligent Nature of God here represented under the Metaphor of Hearing dare to permit his Tongue to take an unbecoming Parrhesy or liberty of bolting out any thing Shall that Mouth spit froth or filth in the Face of Heaven which professes that 't is all Ear and Eye Lastly How can he who is so thorowly perswaded of God's inspection with an avenging Eye as to account those brutish and Fools that disbelieve it Be so impudently daring and flagitious as like that Blasphemous Dicer in Fincelius with impious and accursed Hands to throw his Dagger against Heaven and stick it in the Heart of God Oh Hellishness Oh Horror I mean be wicked in his Works which is Deicide or God-killing Indeed a Man i. e. one endowed with intelligent and reasoning Powers who can proportion his Sensations to the nature of things much more a Christian Man that borrows his Light and Eyes too in a more especial manner from Heaven must needs behold more uglyness and odiousness in Sin than any thing imaginable For we do not take our measures of Privatives from themselves meerly but that positive Being and Goodness to which they are opposed and the excellency of the Subject wherein they are seated Blindness therefore in Man the most noble Creature endowed with Sense is a greater evil than in a Brute especially since Man is capable of using sight to more worthy and eximious purposes Sin is a privation of Holyness which is the only mean to bring Man to the possession of infinite Goodness Heb. 12.14 Without Holiness no
and Sacrifice the Creature to thy Sense or Sensuality To be happy in Exteriour Things relatively to God making a Deference to him whenever that which he hath shed abroad of his Goodness upon them meets with thine Appetite in any agreeable Harmony is a part of Happiness indulged to Mortality but to hunt after Sensitive Pleasure for pleasures sake and Profits for profits sake and Honours for honours sake taking up an absolute Rest in them as if the ultimate end of Life and advancing them to a Competition with if not Preference before all-sufficient Goodness this is the greatest Debauchery of Humane Nature a step of Degeneracy below the Diabolical For though the Temperament of this admit of some hot and dry fiery and aery Sins as Pride Revenge Malice c. yet does it not of all the Four Elements of Sensuality Fiery Lust Aery Ambition Watery Drunkenness and Earthy Covetousness against which Oh my Soul it concerns thee to Fortifie and Arm thy self with the contrary Elements of Godliness viz. Watery Repentance Earthy Humility Fiery Zeal and Love Aery or Aethereal Hope and Heavenly Mindedness and that which as the Heavens is the Magistery and Quintessence of all Faith Vnfeigned This is the Grace which will carry thee aloft above all restless Visibles and possess thee of an Everlasting Sabbatisme and Rest in the Invisible God through the ever Blessed Jesus Oh therefore take heed of changing the Truth of God into a Lye worshipping and serving the Creature more than the Creator who is Blessed for ever Amen Rom. 1.25 Let thy sweetest Enjoyments be so far from creating an Acquiessence and Cessation of those ever active Desires which nothing but Infiniteness can satiate as to envigorate and heighten their Motions toward that Supreme and Soveraign Goodness where as in a Center yet Uncircumscribed Unlimited all the Rays of inferiour Excellency meet all the unquiet Pulsations and Palpitations of troubled Hearts are terminated in a perpetual and inviolable Stability and Rest Cease from the Creature Man thy self and be fill'd with God The Divine Majesty cannot with patience endure to be cast in the Balance with Vanity 't is a high affront and disparagement And what is it that in thy Appetite doth so oft Counter-balance the Felicity to be enjoy'd in him Behold and Judge The whole Earth is but as an invisible indivisible Point to the Heavens What is it then to God And what a point of this Point do the most Potent scramble for And how unspeakably less still is the utmost possibility of thy Quantum But then again how large may thine Empire be in thine own mind if God be Soveraign there How unbounded thy Lot in the Jerusalem that is above How Unfathomable Incomprehensible Unlimitable Inestimable Incomparable thy Portion in God If thy undervaluing it and over-valuing that which deserves not to be nam'd the same Day Age Eternity with it do not forfeit it Here thy mind shall be not only Illuminated but Invested Cloathed with the Sun of substantial Wisdom and Truth thy Will and Appetite dwell in the very affluence and fulness of unboundable and everlasting Love Goodness and Righteousness thy Heart even overwhelmed with a perpetual Torrent and Inundation of Prosperity Peace and Joy unspeakable and full of Glory in the Fountain of all Perfection the One only God in Three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost to whom be Majesty Dominion Adoration Blessing and Praise in the Church and thee Oh my Soul throughout all Ages World without end Amen Thus far the Character CHAP. XI The Nature and Quality of the Psalmist's Thoughts 2. I Have obliged my self next to give some account of the Thoughts the excellent Pen-man of this Psalm thus decyphered was cumbred with under which he could find no redress on this side Heaven In this Inquiry we shall gain little assistance from the proper signification of the Original Word It is but by guess that Interpreters render it Thoughts no necessity from either the Word it self or the scope of the two places where 't is used here and Psal 139.23 does determine it for Thoughts properly so call'd any more than other Actings of the Soul Of the Inclinations of the Affections of the Will it may be understood as well as the Mind and its Motions Any thing proceeding from any of the Faculties and Powers of the Soul that resembles the Branchings of a Tree whether it appertain to the Head or Heart or both may be included in the sense of it Therefore we must not exclude any thing within deny no workings either of Understanding or Appetite or Conscience to appertain to the meaning of the Word But since the Translation confines us to Thoughts and the Original inforces no sense but what relates to the Physical quality of such like operations of the Mind in general which resemble the Ramifications or spreading dividing Branches of a Tree whereas 't is their moral Nature we are chiefly concern'd about in this disquisition hence are we again put upon a search into the Context and Scope of the Psalm and the Psalmist's present case that we may obtain a more clear and distinct Idaea of them Now I take it for granted that in some part or other of the Psalm these Thoughts are exprest in Words or at least plainly imply'd and hinted Therefore shall I survey it as impartially as may be to find them out and not clog my Discourse with Impertinencies 1. In General The Thoughts were such as in their Nature did enforce a necessity of Comfort and that from God himself as the Text evinces There seem to be insinuated a contrariety betwixt his Thoughts and Comforts that the latter were absolutely needful to antidote the former Had they been good and delightful cogitations they would have carried a spring of Satisfaction in their own Bowels Had they been sinfully evil he would not have said IN the multitude c. which supposes a continuance of the Thoughts even whilst the Comforts were apply'd as a remedy to remove the Malignity of them But sinful Thoughts are not to be oppos'd with Comforts that will permit them to continue but with Contrition Repentance Grace Conversision Holy Thoughts which will immediately eject and discontinue them Yet may I admit that the Thoughts might be such as were occasion'd by Sin Sin might be the object of some of them the cause of others yet the form of none They were without all peradventure Uncomfortable Undelightful Unpleasing Thoughts therefore does he derive his Comforts from another Sourse and Spring His Thoughts though a broad spreading Tree with multitudes of Branches yet did not bear a dram of this Fruit. No he never looks for it there but steps into Paradise and takes it from the Tree of Life Thy Comforts We therefore will suppose that they were not such as did corrupt his Mind but disquiet it sinless they were but saddening they induced no guilt but only Grief they did not avert his Mind from God
Tables and bleed a little over poor Sufferers not as accusing Laws of Government but personal darkness and short sightedness Infirmity and Iniquity especially as the meritorious cause whose Intellects and Consciences may seem to be formed under an inauspicious Star not Mercurial enough to be born before the Wind but of a genius too set and Saturnine which exposes to the censure of being morose obstinate Melancholists c. But let 's see whether any place be left for Pity and Commiseration It is acknowledged just and reasonable that all publick Constitutions should be garded with strong impregnable Sanctions that the honour of the Publick Magistrate which must necessarily and in Conscience be upheld and is as highly concerned in his Laws as any thing may not be at the mercy of every wanton Head or waspish Heart 'T is the general and acknowledged sence of all Nations and has been of all Ages and I think of all Persons that Religion must and ought to be established by Law So is the Protestant Profession with us and our Neighbours And there is not a People upon Earth nor ever was but would have Religious Concerns kept sacred and inviolable Travel through the Protestant World alone and you shall experimentally find that the Church of no Nation no not of New England it self will endure that its Constitution should be disgrac'd its Fellowship disown'd its Worship disavow'd its Ministry disannul'd its Discipline contemn'd its Government condemn'd but will entertain all affronts of this Nature with a severe Indignation No wonder therefore that the like obtains amongst our selves and even those that are most sharp upon the Church of England in that very thing give a Testimony how patient a reception any thing must have that shall depreciate their own particular Models and therefore may in Justice grant liberty to every Mother to be fondest of her own Children For my part I profess ingenuously I like something in all Faces but all in none yet will not spit in any If Men will so far forget their Reason and Religion not to say common Sense as to speak evil of Rulers though unjust Jude 8. Acts 23.5 Despise Dominion Blaspheme Glories or Dignities I will not justifie them but the Law that condemns them Yet there is a Chancery to moderate the rigours which otherwise may be just and reasonable in some cases and this will with a sweet and decorous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and temper distinguish of Persons and Causes No Man is all Devil no Party all God The Heaven of Heavens only is all Sun The void spaces in the Firmament are larger than those fill'd with Stars Even those that out of a larger Sphere or Church form to themselves a little Epicycle have dark as well as bright matter in it The Sun it self hath spots We therefore must make a difference betwixt the Religious and their mimical Apes the Persons that are in good earnest in their way and such as do but act a part and personate those they are not Men that have throughly imbibed the tincture and others that are but lightly smutted with it 1. Then it shall not be dissembled but bewailed that amongst the Dissenters there are some Venal Souls that upon base Principles and for sinister Ends fall in here as being disgusted by or having a peck against some conformable Man or hoping for a plentiful Trade or bountiful Contributions or to piece again a crack'd Reputation c. Others owe their intromission to the Principles of their Education or customary Converse with others particular Employment amongst such the persuasions of Company c. Some astonish'd by the seeming imminency of Death or awak'd by some dreadful Calamity bring hither an akeing Conscience to be stroak'd with a gentle Hand into a secure but fallacious Peace and conjure down those Terrors which a a form of Godliness is able to deal with Some lastly in the simplicity of their Hearts having tender and scrupulous Consciences finding more of strictness and savour than where 't was their lot to converse before are pleas'd with the agreeableness thereof to their Spirit and Temper though they understand little of the way and might as well have been led by the Heart to the Church as to a Conventicle had it been their hap to have met with the like relish in their Entertainments and Company These are the most innocent of this rank For some of the rest are ordinarily the Hectors of the several Parties from whom all the Libels and Raileries except such as common Enemies forge in their Names have their Origin Better Men have better Work they are not taught the manners of the Court of Heaven who dare bring an Accusation or Judgment of Blasphemy against the Devil himself Jude 9. much less they who do it against Christian Churches and States But 2. There are also a number of serious sober Persons who have no greater design than to be truly good and promote the interest of real Christianity in the main substantials of Faith and Good Life who by their Modesty Gravity Harmlessness Honesty Simplicity Self-denial Loyalty Humility c. do sufficiently distinguish themselves from the other to the Eye of any prudent impartial Observer yet cannot in the use of such means as yet are administred receive satisfaction in the matters of difference therefore are exposed to the severities of Law These I am concern'd that a Court of equity should make relief for 1. They entertain a high Veneration for the Holy Scriptures as a lively Portraicture and Representation of that Eternal Truth and Goodness which is the Nature of God and the Schools make the Hypostasis of the Second and Third Persons in the ever blessed Trinity This with them is the Book of Books which they do not read as other Writings with a liberty to assent and consent as they please but with a full resignation of mind and will to its infallible Dictates intirely to subjugate all to its Doctrines Counsels Mandates as the most perfect indefective guide of Thoughts Words and Actions in the matters of Salvation and to receive from it a sentence of Life and Death This Word of God is their daily Companion Meditation Desire Joy Delight their all From these Divine Oracles they derive all their Sentiments by them regulate all their Worship in them seek their Comfort to them as an Instrument ascribe their Spiritual Life with them arm themselves against all their Spiritual Enemies and adverse Occurrents and for them are ready to sacrifice their Liberties Wealth Ease Honour yea their very Lives 2. From this reverence to the Bible and diligent frequent converses with it arises that awful feeling terrifying sence they have of the exceeding sinfulness of Sin as Paul Rom. 7.13 For being brought to the Scriptures with a mind to yield up all the Powers of their Souls to the Mind and Will of God therein revealed the Holy Ghost effectually sets home the Truths and Laws and Threatnings and Promises