love Man and he who rightly loveth Man must love God Now what I would establish in mens minds is the conduciveness of this connected and comprehensive Love to the worthy and happy estate of all Societies be they Kingdoms Churches or Families c. which I shall endeavour to do by representing the matter as it stands 1 In the Ordination of God 2 In the Government of God 3 In its own nature and effects By all which it will appear that the Society and no other but that where love presides is worthy and happy 1 As it stands in the Ordination of God Gen. 20.4 Exod. 20.5 Deut. 7.9.19 and 11.13 c. and 30.6 c. Joshua 23.11 c. Judges 5.31 Psal 14.7 and 29.11 and 33.11 and 85.8 and 94.14 and 105.24 43 and 122.6 and 125.2 and 145.15 20 and 148.14 and 149.4 and 119.132.165 Prov. 14.34 and 8.17 21 and 15.17 Isai 26.1 2 3 and 51 and 58.12 and 60.12 and 65.8 to 25 and 66.10 14. Jer. 18.7 9. Rom. 8.28 God hath settled the matter past all peradventure as will appear if you consult the fore-cited and other Scriptures 2 God's righteous Government requires that good success and happiness should attend such Communities because there being no Kingdoms or States c. hereafter there are no rewards there for them so that they would go without recompence should it be omitted in this life which is inconsistent with God's righteous and gracious Government to admit therefore it is here if any where that Nations are thereby exalted Prov. 14.34 3 The nature and effects of love Happiness is connatural with love they are inseparable Whilst love presides the Nation must cease to be before it can be other than happy by it Societies are so formed that all their parts are made blessed thereby For what is it that settleth a Nation or makes it prosperous but what results from or is the contrivance of Love and the things which reproach and ruin a Kingdom are contrary thereunto Where a Kingdom is founded and governed by Love how pleasant looks it even like the description given Psal 133. Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in Vnity c. which the aforesaid Poet thus Paraphraseth I. Blest day wherein I live to see The Tribes like Brethren all agree Like Brethren striving who shall my best Subjects be II. God has by them restor'd my Crown And they secur'd what was their own For what on me they pour'd upon themselves fell down III. Th' Anointing Oil they on me spent On them in Acts of Favour went As if for them as much as me the Oil was meant IV. Like that which on the High-Priest shed At first it only wet his Head But then o're Beard and Clothes and all was quickly spread V. Or like those Mists which from the Main The Sun draws up to send again In Dews first on the Hills and then the humble Plain VI. With such th' Almighty loves to dwell And Souls agreed his Praise can tell How on them blessings when on others vengeance fell Where Love disposeth to associate with what pleasant gusts do they go thereto and so soon as they be gathered it binds them fast together so united as none dare to offend them and so inoffensive as not to provoke others The foundation of their Concord is the root or stock of Peace yea Isai 30.27 of quietness and assurance for ever being An Obediential Faith and Affiance in God as he in Christ is reconciling the World to himself extended in great Righteousness true Charity Purity and Humility these good things they learn of God these are their business and delight and by these they continually walk with him Micah 6.8 They establish their Union by such Principles and Rules as will make all concerned in the State understand that their interest is cared for The Union appears to be Common Benefit so settled as fore-seeing the whole cannot be happy where any part is miserable In a word they unite and abide as Members one of another Therefore if any be afflicted they like good blood run to the wounded parts relief Their Magna Charta is to love God above all and to love others as themselves Their Petition of Right to do as they would be done unto and on these hang all their Precepts Which alwaies are no more than are needful and are such as every man's Conscience and Reason approves and are also for Publick good Being 1 Such as stop the main Springs of Calamity 2 Such as direct or assist to growth in Vertue and Peace The former is done by prohibiting and watchfully suppressing all Vice especially those which are most noxious to Publick Order and Interest Such as Atheism Prophaneness Contempt of God and Religion Covetousness Ambition Peevish moroseness and Flattery Also Revenge excepting that of Forgiveness if the Injury be private and when publick that prosecution publick Justice and general Good requires to bring Traytors against King or State to just punishment Yet herein so as if one part of the Government differ in desire or opinion as to the execution of just vengeance on Persons they will charitably compound taking in full satisfaction for the blood of the Traytor such Laws as will sufficiently secure against or put an end unto like Treasons for future the gentlest way so it effectually secure the Government and promote the ends thereof they alwaies choose There is one other evil they prohibit and carefully suppress viz. Suspicion and though about this they have some explanatory Proviso's to prevent unreasonable Credulity and Supineness c. especially when the Head and thereby the whole Body is in apparent or immanent danger yet their general Rule is this To believe our Neighbour is good or to hope he will be so As they thus prohibit to stop Vice so 2 They enact for growth in Vertue This is done by commanding two things 1 Personal Inspection Reformation and Watchfulness And then 2 Neighbourly in order to this latter They bear their Infirmities and cover their Faults until they can be shewn them in private and there they do it with greatest sweetness They never reprove Sinners publickly but for most weighty causes and then so do it that the Guilty may see their love is fervent and may be awakened not through lowdness and noise but by the smart though yet sweet penetration of Reason and Love which shines so clearly in his Corrections that the Offender cannot but grieve for himself when he sees the Reprover was sorry for him first They command Seriousness without Morosity and enjoyn Chearfulness without Levity They prescribe Patience whereby to secure Self-possession against Moral-slavery and loss And that no excellencies may escape their notice and aspirings they have one act which hath more than ordinary Sanction you will find it Verbatim thus Finally Phil. 4.8 Brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things
which they continue in and would not part with and as hard on the other hand is it to bring them to see that particular thing to be their interest and duty which they have no mind to do they will be still in thoughts and hopes that what they like at present may prove much better than God hath ordained or any before them have found so dangerous and hardning is the deceitfulness of Sin Well may the Apostle be in such earnest and haste as he is in his calls to us Hebr. 3. when hardning by the Deceitfulness of Sin is so near us ver 13. But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Having by this Text produced the Supream KING's Warrant under his Hand and Signet for what I have herein already done or intend to do I may justly expect for his sake some regard from you as also for that I intend to propose for Common good only i.e. to make our King and People a perfect and happy Church and State And as means thereunto shall suggest nothing but what will recommend itself to every man's Conscience and evidence itself as most loyal and most affectionate to the Person of his Majesty his Government in Church and State his Subjects of all sorts so most conducing to Peace and most subservient to the Interest of the whole as my next Chapter will shew CHAP. III. I Intend nothing more than to bring us to these two most edifying and saving things 1 To do our Own business 2 To Love On these shall hang as I intend all my following Discourse Section I. 1 To do our Own business which cannot well if at all be done without knowledge especially the doing I am now upon which respects a great Kingdom and the Salvation thereof Are the blind the ignorant or erroneous fit for this business There is then as I conceive a four-fold knowledge requisite hereunto 1 Knowledge of God in the Incommunicable and Communicable perfections of the Divine Nature also a being fixt in belief of the reality and excellency of his Being And though Unity be necessary thereto yet that there are Three subsisting therein which doctrine of the Trinity is not so mysterious as I once took it to be and to the pure and humble Inquirer after God will be found that which renders Christian Religion the more reasonable and worthy of all acceptation in that it gives light and beauty to all other parts of that Institution The Socinian then by denying this shews himself a false pretender to Reason having it not in truth if he hath any it is so gross and material that it exceeds not the Animal State or Life among men when he meddleth with Divine Mysteries But to return The knowledge of God in himself as I have said is a requisite hereunto so is that what he is to us and to the Societies of men 2 Another requisite is to know Our selves i.e. to know what we are or have with respect to our own Nation i.e. as we are Men and Christians now living in England That you may see in short what this knowledge of God and Our selves is I will present the Heads thereof to your view in this order GOD Father Spirit The First Good A Being of all possible perfection Son Spirit Supream Good A Being of all possible perfection 1. Incommunicable proper to him alone which he gives to none Absolute Simplicity Essential Unity Immutability Infiniteness of Place Time Immensity Eternity 2. Communicable of which he gives to Creatures belonging either to the Divine 1. Understanding Knowledge Wisdom Particular Providence 2. Will namely his Goodness Justice Faithfulness 3. Faculties of acting his Power or Omnipotence Dominion over us in this life Distributing future Rewards and Punishments This GOD is the Universal and Supream LORD of all Beings by Creation and Prefervation Owner Ruler Benefactor of England Redemption Teacher Expiator Head of England Renovation Restorer Reassumer In-dweller of England MAN Reasonable Created In England to be known and considered 1. Naturally Spirit i.e. Highest Pure Divine Good Soul i.e. Middle Solicited by Flesh and Spirit to evil or good Body i.e. Base Sensitive Bruitish bending always to Matter and Earth to which when the Soul yields it is carnal or evil 2. Providentially in 1. Relatives Governing Supream Real King Lords Commons Parliament 1. Relatives Governing Supream Personal King 1. Relatives Governing Subordinate Magistrates 1. Relatives Governed People 2. Religion Revealed Naturally in Law of Nature Supernaturally in Holy Scriptures 3. Constitutions Humane Civil Ecclesiastical Laws 4. Riches 5. Times Ordinary or Extraordinary Prosperous Adverse Reforming Degenerating Uniting Discordant 6. Examples Good Bad at Home Abroad of Superiours Equals Inferiours 7. House or Family Governour Parent Master 7. House or Family Governed Child Servant The other Relations in Churches and Schools I leave you to supply MAN discovered in Supernatural Revelation to be 1. Created upright Spiritual To Rule Animal Sensitive To Obey and Apt for temptation A Free Agent Animal Sensitive To Obey and Apt for temptation Lord over God's Works Animal Sensitive To Obey and Apt for temptation Put into Paradise Bliss 2. In Covenant with God which contained benefits on God's part made over to Adam as Root or Head of Mankind and On Man's part Duty required by God Absolute on God's part to Man Law Natural for him as Spirltual To be without sin and to do all required Strength Absolute on God's part to Man Law Positive for him as Animal Sensitive To be without sin and to do all required Strength Internal viz. Rectitude in all his parts Virtuous qual External viz. Divine Communications Laws their Sanctions Conditional Continuance of Light to direct Strength to assist Conditional The gift of Eternal life or felicity with God for ever On Man's part required by God Walking in the Light Using the Strength Perfect Obedience 3. Tempted to Sin by an Apostate Angel 4. Disobedient to God in eating forbidden Fruit and so fell and Mankind with him from Happiness into a state of Sin and Misery Sin Guilt Darkness Corruption Impotence Obduracy The Law of Sin wrought in his Body Sin reigned therein No good thing dwelling there the Law of his Members being predominant Rom. 7.23 not possible to be without Sin Misery Privative Good withdrawn God's Spirit Privative Good withdrawn Happiness Positive Evil inflicted Captivated by our Enemies evil or foul Spirits Positive Evil inflicted Tortured by Lusts Passions Positive Evil inflicted Subjected to the Base and to our Servant or Subject Positive Evil inflicted Pains c. Death present future A state of all this i. e. very extensive and out of which Man cannot recover himself Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am and that thou art who can or who shall deliver thee from the body of this death ver 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord whom he hath provided to be a Saviour GOD
are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things These are some hints at the State of Love which may suffice to prove that whereever it doth preside or prevail it settleth and secureth happiness It is true the number who inhabit this Canaan are too few yet this is to be said they are all choice i. e. Chosen Ones and though not as an Earthly or Temporal state yet as single Inhabitants who are to live for ever they have in their eye and go step by step daily towards an exalted place and to a more numerous Company which in perfection and glory excel Humane conception One caught up thither for a moments view or some other like him hath told us so far as he could of these unutterable things that it is Mount Sion and the City of the living God Heb 12.22 23 24. the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first-born which are written in Heaven and to God the judge of all and the Spirits of Just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of Sprinkling that speaking better things than that of Abel To this they move not in uncertainty for they are on the foundation of God 2 Tim. 2.19 which standeth sure having this Seal the Lord knoweth them to be his and they depart from iniquity Beside there the fore-runner is for them entred Heb 6.19 20. 1 Cor. 15. Joh. 14.1 2 3. Acts 1.11 1 Thess 4.14 c. even JESVS who became a-kin to them to purchase it and was the first-begotten from the dead as to assure them of it so to go before to make the way accessible to them and to prepare a place for them And hereafter as an Harbinger to come back again and meet them in most glorious manner and so lead them thither Which hope they have and use as an anchor of the Soul Heb. 6.19 both sure and stedfast i.e. keeps them from being tost or shipwreckt with the billows of the World and which entreth into that within the Veil as being able thereby to see through afflictions and to see beyond them daies of Peace and release here and further to see into the eternal and far more exceeding weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. that holy and happy place whereinto none but the true Christian enters One would forego any Lust and use the utmost diligence to be imbodied with these men who practise and hope as you have heard See how in troops they march Woodford Psal 84. till all at length To Sion come and there renew their strength Object But do we not find the contrary Are not the Religious and Vertuous oft despised oppressed c. Answ 1 True they are so but with it they have to over ballance it to weigh it down so that those you call Oppressions c. are light and as but for a moment to them for they are chosen of God Jam. 2.5 1 Cor. 1.20 27 c. rich in Faith supported and comforted by invisible and Divine assistances as St. Paul was 2 Cor. 4.8 c. Answ 2 So far as they for Vertues sake are afflicted they gain thereby having therefore those supports and strong Consolations here and the farther degrees of glory hereafter which without them they would not have had Answ 3 Sometime their Troubles come on them through their own defect in Religion In that case Vertue is not to be charged but Sin as the culpable and procuring cause of them Answ 4 This objected is not to my Argument being directable only to single persons I challenge any to name the time wherein any People were distressed or despised who were united to God and to each other as I have described a Nation to be whose temper is Love Section II. Of such force is Love's tendancy to Happiness though there be many in a State who in temper are as Spirits created or used for Vengeance to punish or destroy yet if one Principal therein be Goodness or Love he soon changeth or soon subdueth them under him Psal 47.9 One Shield of the Earth of this temper in his Dominion will quench in a moment all the fiery darts of the wicked Of these Impiety and Ill-will are not the least which like poysonous Darts inflame the parts that are wounded with them and once removed comes ease and pleasure in their stead Oh happy Nation when thus cured and most blessed of God is the Royal Physician who so healeth us Having spoken this I purpose to make it good i.e. to prove it true so well as with my designed brevity I can And in truth I think it needs no forreign aid Behold the sense of the Proposition and it will confirm it self I am well assured no one of Mr. Serjants Self-evidencing Principles comes near this Self-evident thing No other appearance now in Flesh can be more a God and is it hard to come at this Notion that Almighty and all Goodness and all Bliss is in him I am most satisfied that this is the Thing which shall go on conquering and to conquer if God use any thing Humane to bring in Everlasting Righteousnes and Peace unto the Nations For what below God can do more thereto in the Kingdoms of Men than a King 1 Sincerely Pious without the enforcement either of Adversity or of some regard of State 2 Preferrer of the Publick weal before all other respects whatsoever Like the Saviour of the World who though he was rich yet became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich I presume my Reader to be a Man i.e. one who takes in the sense and not the sound of these words I intend not to put meanness or poverty into his Character but that of Grace like to what St. Paul saith we know to be in Christ 1 Cor. 8.9 a King who is forward and sincere in Love always giving testimony thereof in his dealings towards his Subjects who is disposed to exhaust himself when necessary to common salvation whereby his love becomes his liberality and bounty to them He that finds this King is come to the procurer of general peace and quiet He may as one saith err and must die but Fame will free him from both errour and from death both with and without the help of Time Because Generals may not sufficiently impress I will come to particular evidence hereof 1 From the Ordination of God 2 The Government of God 3 Happiness is connatural to his temper and practice who as Head causeth it to be so unto the whole Body To the two first of these enough hath been said already I will more particularly though very briefly discourse the latter But before we enter thereon let us refresh our selves a little by singing with tuneable hearts to God's glory and in