but also that you may Use it And it is fit that we Direct you how to Use it before we direct you how to know that you have it because it is Grace in exercise that you must discern and Habits are not perceived in themselves but by their Acts And the more lively and powerful the exercise is the more easily is Grace perceived So that this is the nearest and surest way to a Certainty of our own sincerity He that Useth Grace most and best hath most Grace And he that hath most and useth it most may most easily be Assured that he hath it in sincerity and truth In these Directions I shall begin with those great internal duties in which the very Life of all Religion doth consist and the General Practice of these Principles and Graces and all these Generals shall be briefly set together for the easiness of Understanding and Remembring them And then I shall give you such Particular Directions as are needful in subordination to those Generals DIRECT I. Labour to understand well the Nature Grounds Reason and Order of Faith and Gr. Dir. 1. Godliness and to Believe upon such grounds so well understood as will not suffer For a well-grounded Faith you to stagger or entertain a contrary belief § 1. IGnorance and ungrounded or ill-grounded perswasions in matters of Religion are the cause that abundance of people delude themselves with the empty name and dead profession of a Faith and Religion which they never were indeed possessors of I know there are low degrees of knowledge comparatively in many that are true believers and that there may be much Love and Holiness where knowledge is very small or narrow as to the objective extent of it And that there is a knowledge that puffeth up while Charity edifieth And that in many that have the narrower knowledge there may be the fastest faith and adherence to the truth which will conquer in the time of tryal But yet I must tell you that the Religion which you profess is not indeed your own Religion if you know not what it is and know not in some measure the true Grounds and Reasons why you should be of that Religion If you have only learnt to say your Creed or repeat the words of Christian Doctrine while you do not truly understand the sense or if you have no better Reasons why you profess the Christian faith than the custom of the Countrey or the command of Princes or Governours or the Opinion of your Teachers or the example of your Parents friends or neighbours you are not Christians indeed You have a humane belief or opinion which objectively is true but subjectively in your selves you have no true divine belief I confess there may be some insufficient yea and erroneous Reasons which a true Believer may mistakingly make use of for the proof of certain fundamental truths But then that same man hath some other Reason for his reception of that truth which is more sound and his faith is sound because of those sound infallible principles though there be a mixture of some other Reasons that are unsound The true Believer buildeth on the Rock and giveth deep rooting to the holy seed Matth. 7. 24. 13. 5 8. Though some deluded men may tell you that Faith and Reason are such enemies that they exclude each other as to the same object and that the less Reason you have to prove the truth of the things believed the stronger and more laudable is your faith yet when it cometh to the tryal you will find that Faith is no unreasonable thing and that God requireth you to believe no more than you have sufficient reason for to warrant you aâ—â— bâ—â—r you out and that your faith can be no more than is your perception of the Reasons why you should believe and that God doth suppose Reason when he infuseth Faith and useth Reason in â—â—e usâ— of faith They that Believe and know not why or know no sufficient Reason to warâ—ant their Belief do take a fansie an Opinion or a dream for faith I know that many honest hearted Christians are unable to dispute for their Religion or to give to others a satisfactory account of the Reasons of their faith or hâ—pe But yet they have the true apprehension of some solid Reasons in themselves and they are not Christians they know not why And though their knowledge be small as to the number oâ— propositions known yet it doth alwayes extend to all that is essential to Christianity and Godliness and they do not believe they know not what And their knowledge is greater intensively and in its value and operation than the knowledge of the learnedst ungodly man in the world § 2. Though I may not here digress or stay so long as largely to open to you the Nature Grounds Reason and Method of Faith and Godliness which I am perswading you to understand yet I shall first â—â—y before you a few Propositions which will be useful to you when you are enquiring into these things and then a little open them unto you Prop. 1. A life of Godliness is our living unto God as God as being absolutely addicted to him 2. A life of Faith is a living upon the unseen everlasting Happiness as purchased for us by Christ with all the necessaries thereto and freely given us by God 3. The contrary life of sense and unbelief is a living in the prevalency of sense or flesh to this present world for want of such believing apprehensions of a better as should elevate the soul thereto and conquer the fleshly inclination to things present 4. Though man in innocency needing no Redeemer might live to God without faith in a Redeemer yet lapsed man is not only unable to Redeem himself but also unable to live to God without the grace of the Redeemer It was not only necessary that he satisfie Gods justice for us that he may pardon and save us without any wrong to his Holiness Wisdom or Government but also that he be our Teacher by his Doctrine and his Life and that he Reveal from Heaven the Fathers will and that Objectively in him we may see the wonderful condescending Love and Goodness of a Reconciled God and Father and that effectually â—e illuminate sanctifie and quicken us by the operations of his Word and Spirit and that he protect and govern justifie and glorifie us and be the Head of Restored Man as Adam was the Root of lapsed man and as the lapsed Spirits had their Head And therefore we must wholly Live upon him as the Mediator between God and man and the only Saviour by Merit and by â—fficacy 5. Faith is a knowledge by certain credible Testimony or Revelation from God by means supernatural or extraordinary 6. The knowledge of things naturally revealed as the cause by the effect c. is in order before the Knowledge or Belief of things revealed supernaturally 7. It is matter of natural Revelation
that the Preacher would have marked and because the understanding of that will much help you to understand all the rest which dependeth on it and relateth to it § 6. Direct 6. Mark most those things which are of greatest weight and â—nâ—eâ—â—ent to your souls And Direct 6. do not â—ix upon some little sayings and by discourses or witty sentences like Children thâ—â— bring home some scraps and words which they do but play with § 7. Direct 7. Learn first your Catechisms at home and the great Essential points of Religion Direct 7. contained in the Creâ—d the Lords Prayer and the Ten Commandments And in your Hearing first labour to get a clearer understanding of these And then the lesser branches which grow out of these will be the better understood You can scarce bestow too much care and pains in learning these great essential points It is the fruitfullest of all your studies Two things further I here advise you to avoid 1. The hasly climbing up to smaller points which some call Higher before you have well received these and the receiving of those higher points independently without their due respect to these which they depend upon 2. The feeding upon dry and barren Controversies and delighting in the chaffe of â—ingling words and impertinent unedifying things or discourses about to â—â—aliâ—â—es and circumstances § 8. Direct 8. Meditate on what you hear when you come home till you better understand it Direct 8. Psal. 1. 2. § 9. Direct 9. Enquire where you doubt of those that can resolve and teach you It sheweth a Direct 9. careless mind and a contempt of the Word of God in most people and servants that never come to ask the resolution of one doubt from one weeks or years end to another though they have Passors or Masters that have ability and leisure and willingness to help them Matth. 13. Mark 4. 10. When Christ was alone they that were about him with the twelve asked him the meaning of his Parable § 10. Direct 10. Read much those holy Books which treat best of the doctrine which you would Direct 10. understand § 11. Direct 11. Pray earnestly for wisdom and the illumination of the spirit Ephes. 1. 18. Act. Direct 11. 26. 18. Jâ—m 1. 5. § 12. Direct 12. Conscionable Practising what you know is an excellent help to understanding Direct 12. Joh. 7. 17. Tit. 2. Directions for Remembering what you Hear THat want of Memory which cometh from Age and decay of Nature is not to be cured Nor should any servant of Christ be overmuch troubled at it Seeing Christ will no more cast off his servants for that than he will for age or any sickness But for that want of memory which is curable and is a fault I shall give you these Directions following § 1. Direct 1. It greatly helpeth Memory to have a full Understanding of the matter spoken which you would remember And ignorance is one of the greatest hinderances to Memory Common experience telleth you this how easily you can remember any discourse which you throughly understand For your very knowledge by invention will revive your memory And how hard it is to remember any words which are insignificant or which we understand not Therefore labour most for a clear understanding according to the last Directions § 2. Direct 2. A deep awakened affection iâ— a very powerful help to memory We easily remember any thing which our estates or lives lye on when trifles are neglected and soon forgotten Therefore labour to get all to your hearts according to the next following Directions § 3. Direct 3. Method is a very great help to memory Therefore be acquainted with the Preachers Method And then you are put into a path or tract which you cannot easily go out of And therefore it is that Ministers must not only be Methodical and avoid prolix confused and involved discourses and that malicious pride of hiding their Method but must be as oft in the use of the same method as the Subject will bear and choose that method which is most easie to the hearers to understand and remember and labour to make them perceive your tract § 4. Direct 4. Numbers are a great help to memory As if the Reasons the Uses the Motives the Signes the Directions be six or seven or eight when you know just the number it helpeth you much to remember which was the first second third c. § 5. Direct 5. Names also and signal words are a great help to memory He may remember one word that cannot remember all the sentence And that one word may help him to remember much of the rest Therefore Preachers should contrive the force of every Reason Use Direction c. as much as may be into some one emphatical word And some do very profitably contrive each of those words to begin with the same Letter which is good for memory so it be not too much strained and put them not upon greater inconveniences As if I were to direct you to the chiefest Helps to your salvation and should name 1. Powerful Preaching 2. Prayer 3. Prudence 4. Piety 5. Painfulness 6. Patience 7. Perseverance though I opened every one of these at large the very names would help the hearers memory It is this that maketh Ministers that care more for their peoples souls than the pleasing of curious ears to go in the common road of Doctrine Reason Uses Motives Helps c. and to give their Uses the same titles of Information Reproof Exhortation c. And yet when the Subject shall direct us to some other method the hearers must not be offended with us For one Method will not serve exactly for every Subject and we must be loth to wrong the Text or Matter § 6. Direct 6. It is a great help to memory often in the time of hearing to call over and repeat to your selves the names or heads which have been spoken The mind of man can do two things at once You may both hear what is said and recall and repeat to your selves what is past Not to stand long upon it but oft and quickly to name over e. g. the Reasons Uses Motives c. To me this hath been next to understanding and Affection the greatest help of any that I have used For otherwise to hear a Head but once and think of it no more till the Sermon is done would never serve my turn to keep it § 7. Direct 7. Grasp not at more than you are able to hold lest thereby you lose all If there be more particulars than you can possibly remember lay hold on some which most concern you and let go the rest Perhaps another may rather take up those which you leave behind Yet say not that it is the Preachers fault to name more than you can carry away For 1. Then he must leave out his enlargement much more and the most of his Sermon for it 's like you leave
for the edification of many persons At least those that cannot otherwise do so well Therefore those persons must use a form Full experience doth prove the Minor and nothing but strangeness to men can contradict it Quest. 72. Are Forms of Prayer or Preaching in the Church lawful Answ. YEs Most Ministers study the Methodical form of their Sermons before they preach God gave forms of preaching to Moses and the Prophets See a large form of prayer for all the people Deut. 26. 13 14 15. And so elsewhere there are many them And many write the very words or study them And so most Sermons are a form And sure it is as lawful to think before hand what to say in praying as in preaching 1. That which God hath not forbidden is lawful But God hath not forbidden Ministers to study their Sermons or Prayers either for matter method or words and so to make them many wayes a form 2. That which God prescribed is lawful if he reverse it not But God prescribed publick forms of prayer As the titles and matter of many of the Psalms prove which were daily used in the Jewish Synagogues Object Psalms being to be sung are more than Prayers Answ. They were Prayers though more They are called Prayers and for the Matter many of them were no more than prayers but only for the measures of words Nor was their singing like ours now but liker to our saying And there are many other prayers recorded in the Scripture 3. And all the Churches of Christ at least these thirteen or fourteen hundred years have taken publick forms for lawful which is not to be gainsayed without proof Quest. 73. Are publick Forms of mans Devising or Composing lawful Answ. YEs 1. The Ministers afore mentioned throughout the Christian world do devise and compose the form of their own Sermons and Prayers And that maketh them not unlawful 2. And who ever speaketh ex tempore his words are a form when he speaketh them though not a premeditated form 3. And when Scripture so vehemently commandeth us to search meditate study the Scriptures and take heed to our selves and unto doctrine c. What a person is that who will condemn prayer or preaching only because we before hand studied or considered what to say As if God abhorred diligence and the use of reason Men are not tyed now from thinking before hand what to say to the Judge at the Bar for estate or life or what to say on an Embassage or to a King or any man that we converse with And where are we forbidden to forethink what to say to God Must the people take heed how they hear and look to their foot when they go into the house of God And must not we take heed what we speak and look to our words that they be fit and decent Object Forms are Images of prayer and preaching forbidden in the second Commandment Answ. Prove it and add not to the Word of God 1. Then Scripture and Gods servants even Christ himself had broken the second Commandment when they used or prescribed forms 2. Forms are no more Images than extemporate words are as they signifie our minds Are all the Catechisms printed and written Sermons and Prayers Images or Idols All forms that Parents teach their children O charge not such untruths on God and invent not falshoods of his Word while you cry down mans inventions Quest. 74. Is it lawful to Impose Forms on the Congregation or the people in publick Worship YEs and more than Lawful It is the Pastors duty so to do For whether he fore-think what to pray or not his prayer is to them a form of words And they are bound in all the lawful parts to concur with him in Spirit or desire and to say Amen So that every Minister by Office is daily to impose a form of prayer on all the people in the Congregation Only some men impose the same form many times over or every day and others impose every day a new one Quest. 75. Is it lawful to use Forms Composed by man and imposed not only on the people but on the Pastors of the Churches Answ. THe question concerneth not the Lawfulness of Imposing but of using forms imposed And 1. It is not unlawful to use them meerly on that account because they are imposed or commanded without some greater reason of the unlawfulness For else it would be unlawful for any other to use imposed forms as for a Scholar or Child if the Master or Parent impose them or for the Congregation when the Pastor imposeth them which is not true 2. The using of Imposed forms may by other accidents be sometimes good and sometimes evil as the Accidents are that make it so 1. These accidents may make it evil 1. When the form is bad for matter or manner and we voluntarily prefer it before that which is better being willing of the imposition 2. When we do it to gratifie our slothfulness or to cover our wilful ignorance and disability 3. When we voluntarily obey and strengthen any unlawful usurping Pastors or powers that impose it without authority and so encourage Church-tyranny 4 When we choose a singular form imposed by some singular Pastor and avoid that which the rest of the Churches agree in at a time when it may tend to division and offence 5. When the weakness and offence of the Congregation is such that they will not joyn with us in the imposed form and so by using it we drive them from all publick Worship or divide them 2. And in the following circumstances the using of an imposed form is lawful and a duty 1. When the Minister is so weak that he cannot pray well without one nor compose so good a one himself 2. Or when the errors or great weakness of the generality of Ministers is such as that they usually corrupt or spoil Gods Worship by their own manner of praying and no better are to be had and thereupon the wise and faithful Pastors and Magistrates shall impose one sound and apt Liturgy to avoid error and division in such a distempered time and the Ablest cannot be left at liberty without the relaxing of the rest 3. When it is a means of the Concord of the Churches and no hinderance to our other prayers 4. When our hearers will not joyn with us if we use them not For error and weakness must be born with on one side as well as on the other 5. When obedience to just Authority requireth it and no command of Christ is crost by it 6. When the imposition is so severe that we must so worship God publickly or not at all and so all Gods publick Worship will be shut out of that Congregation Countrey or Nation unless we will use imposed prayers â—7 In a word when the good consequents of Obedience Union avoiding offence Liberty for Gods publick Worship and preaching the Gospel c. are greater than the bad consequents which are
a Zeal against Error and for Truth Object V. Are all these Numerous Directions to be found in Scripture Shew us them in Scripture or you trouble the Church with your own inventions Answ. 1. Are all your Sermons in the Scripture And all the good Books of your Library in the Scripture 2. Will you have none but Readers in the Church and put down Preachers Sure it is the Reader that delivereth all and only the Scripture 3. Are we not Men before we are Christians And is not the Light and Law of Nature Divine And was the Scripture written to be instead of Reason or of a Logick or other subservient Sciences Or must they not all be sanctified and used for Divinity 4. But I think that as all good Commentaries and Sermons and Systems of Theology are in Scripture so is the Directory here given and is proved by the evidence of the very thing discourst of or by the plainest Texts Object VI. You confound your Reader by Curiosity of distinctions Answ. 1. If they are vain or false shame them by detecting it or you shame your selves by blaming them when you cannot shew the error Expose not your selves to laughter by avoiding just distinction to escape confusion that is avoiding knowledge to escape Ignorance or Light to escape darkness 2. It is ambiguity and confusion that breedeth and feedeth almost all our pernitious Controversies And even those that bring in error by vain distinction must be confuted by better distinguishers and not by ignorant Confounders I will believe the Holy Ghost 2 Tim. 2. 14 15 16. that Logomachie is the plague by which the hearers are subverted and ungodliness increased and that Orthotomie or right dividing the Word of Truth is the Cure And Heb. 5. 15. Discerning both good and evil is the work of long and well exercised senses Object VII Is this your reducing our faith to the primitive simplicity and to the Creed What a toilsome task do you make Religion by overdoing Is any man able to remember all these numberless Directions Answ. 1. I pray mistake not all these for Articles of Faith I am more zealous than ever I was for the reduction of the Christian faith to the primitive simplicity and more confident that the Church will never have Peace and Concord till it be so done as to the test of mens Faith and Communion But he that will have no Books but his Creed and Bible may follow that Sectary who when he had burnt all his other Books as bumane inventions at last burnt the Bible when he grew Learned enough to understand that the translation of that was Humane too 2 If men think not all the Tools in their Shops and all the Furniture of their Houses or the number of their Sheep or Cattle or Lands nor the number of Truths received by a Learning intellect c. to be a trouble and toil why should they think so of the number of Helps to facilitate the practice of their duty If all the Books in your Libraries make your Studies or Religion toilsome why do you keep them and do not come to the Vulgar Religion that would hear no more but Think well speak well and do well or Love God and your neighbour and do as you would be done by He that doth this truly shall be saved But there goeth more to the building of a house than to say Lay the foundation and raise the superstructure Universals exist not but in individuals and the whole consisteth of all the parts 3. It is not expected that any man remember all these Directions Therefore I wrote them because men cannot remember them that they may upon every necessary occasion go to that which they have present use for and cannot otherwise remember In summ to my quarrelsome Brethren I have two requests 1. That instead of their unconscionable and yet unreformed custome of backbiting they would tell me to my face of my offences by convincing evidence and not tempt the hearers to think them envious and 2. That what I do amiss they would do better and not be such as will neither laboriously serve the Church themselves nor suffer others and that they will not be guilty of Idleness themselves nor tempt me to be a slothful servant who have so little time to spend For I dare not stand before God under that guilt And that they will not joyn with the enemies and resisters of the publication of the Word of God And to the Readers my request is 1. That what ever for Quantity or Quality in this Book is an impediment to their regular universal obedience and to a truly holy life they would neglect and cast away 2. But that which is truly Instructing and Helpful they would diligently Digest and Practice And I encourage them by my testimony that by long experience I am assured that this PRACTICAL RELIGION will afford both to Church State and Conscience more certain and more solid Peace than contending Disputers with all their pretences of Orthodoxness and Zeal against Errors for the Truth will ever bring or did ever attain to I crave your pardon for this long Apology It is an Age where the Objections are not feigned and where our greatest and most costly services of God are charged on us as our greatest sins and where at once I am accused of Conscience for doing no more and of men for doing so much Being really A most unworthy Servant of so good a Master RICHARD BAXTER THE CONTENTS OF THE First TOME Christian Ethicks The Introduction page 1 2. CHAP. I. DIrections to Unconverted graceless sinners for the attainment of saving Grace § 1. What is presupposed in the Reader of these Directions p. 3 Containing Reasons against Atheism and Ungodliness § 2 Twenty Directions p. 6 § 3. Thirty Temptations by which Satan hindereth mens conversion p. 26 Ten Temptations by which he would perswade men that their heinous mortal sins which prove them unconverted are but the pardoned infirmities of the penitent p. 33 CHAP. II. Directions to weak Christians for their establishment and growth p. 36 Direct 1. Against receiving Religion meerly for the Novelty or Reputation of it ibid. Direct 2. Let Judgement Zeal and Practice go equally together p. 38 Direct 3. Keep a short Method of Divinity or a Catechism still in your memory p. 39 Direct 4. Certain Cautions about Controversies in Religion Heb. 6. 1. opened p. 40 Direct 5. Think not too highly of your first degrees of Grace or Gifts Time and diligence are necessary to growth How the Spirit doth illuminate The danger of this sin p 41 Direct 6. Let neither difficulties nor oppositions in the beginning discourage you Reasons p. 43 Direct 7. Value and use a Powerful faithful Mininistry Reasons Objections answered p. 45 Direct 8. For Charity Unity and Catholicism against Schism Pretences for Schism confuted p. 47 Direct 9. Let not sufferings make you sin by passion or dishonouring authority p. 49 Direct 10. Take
p. 199 CHAP. XXXI Cases and Directions about Confessing sins and injuries to others Tit. 1. The Cases p. 201 Q. 1. When must we confess wrongs to those that we have wronged Q. 2. What will excuse us from such Confessions Q. 3. Must I confess a purpose of injury which was never executed Q. 4. When must sins against God be confessed to men Tit. 2. The Directions for just confessing sin to others p. 202 CHAP. XXXII Cases and Directions about satisfaction and Restitution p. 203 Tit. 1. The Cases Q. 1. What is Satisfaction what Restitution and when a duty Q. Why did they restore fourfold by the Law of Moses Q. 2. How far is Satisfaction and Restitution necessary Q. 3. Who are bound to make it Q. 4. To whom must it be made Q. 5. What Restitution is to be made for dishonouring Rulers or Parents Q. 6 How must Satisfaction be made for Slanders and Lyes Q. 7. And for tempting others to sin and hurting their souls Q. 8. And for Murder or Man-slaughter Q. 9. Iâ— a Murderer bound to offer himself to justice Q. 10. Or to do execution on himself Q. 11. What Satisfaction is to be made by a Fornicator or Adulterer Q. 12. In what cases is a man excused from Satisfaction and Restitution Q. 13. What if Restitution will cost the Restorer more than the thing is worth Q. 14. What if confessing a fault will turn the rage of the injured person against me to my ruine p. 203 Tit. 2. The Directions for Practice p. 206 CHAP. XXXIII Cases and Directions about our obtaining pardon from God p. 206 Tit. 1. The Cases Q 1. Is there Pardon to be had for all sin without exception Q. 2. What if one oft commit the same heinous sin Q. 3. Is the day of Grace and Pardon ever past in this life Q. 4. May we be sure that we are pardoned Q. 5. Can any man pardon sins against God and how far Q. 6. Is sin forgiven before it be committed Q. 7. Are the Elect Pardoned and Iustified before Repentance Q. 8. Is Pardon or Iustification perfect before Death Q. 9. Is our pardon perfect as to all sins past Q. 10. May Pardon or Iustification be lost or reversed Q. 11. Is the pardon of my own sin to be Believed â—ide Divina and is it the meaning of that Article of the Creed Q. 12. May one in any kind Trust to his own Faith and Repentance for his Pardon Q. 13. What are the Causes and Conditions of Pardon p. 208 Tit. 2. Directions for obtaining Pardon from God p. 209 CHAP. XXXIV Cases and Directions about self-judging p. 210 Tit. 1. The Cases Q. 1. What are the Reasons Vses and Motives of Self-judging Q. 2. What should ignorant persons do whose capacity will not reach to so high a work as true self-examination and self-judging Q. 3. How far may a weak Christian take the judgement of his Pastor or others about his sincerity and justification Tit. 2. Directions for judging of our Actions p. 211 Tit. 3. Directions for judging of our estates to know whether we are Iustified and in a state of life p. 212 c READER Thou art desired to mend the following Errata with thy Pen especially those markt with a Star Some more false Spellings false Pointings c. there are but too slight to give thee any trouble PAg. 26. l. antepen r. have lived p. 48. l. 7. r. if they p. 44. l. 20. r. once * listed p. 4â— l. 31. r. 〈◊〉 to p. 55. l. 30. r. in the practice p. 59. l. 13. del not l. 43. r. from them that p. 63. l. 46. del not p. 99. l. 50. r. â—ew reâ—â— not fit p. 105. Sect. 11. l. 2. r. â—â—â—â— serves v. 120 â—â— 12â— l. 36. r. * â—â—arl sâ—â—ss p. 150. l 29. r. * world 〈◊〉 p. 154. Sect. 37. l. anteâ— r. 2 * Chron. p. 165. l. 1. r. before them p. 180. l. 3. r. * that clearly p. 219. Sect. 11. l. 1. r. câ—â—jâ—â—es p. 233. Sect. 16. l. ult r. 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â— p. 238. Sect. 50. l. 3. r sound p. 244. l. 21. r. their shame p. 261. l 13. r. * a dâ—â—p p. 323. Sect. â—9 l. 6. r. i◠〈◊〉 p. 325. l. 5â— â— * Dury p. 33. Title r. sinful Desires p. 354. l. 33. r. love him p. 380. Sect. 63 l. 6. r. loath p. 384. l. 4â— r * senseless 〈◊〉 p 386. l. 6. r. * most defile p. 397 Sect. 14. l. 11. r. yet of p. 398. Sect. 19. l. 2. r. sights p. 404. Sect 3 l. 7. r. * present 〈◊〉 p. 410. l 9. r. * mod p. 433. l. 51. r. sermonum l. 53. r. * aftercations p. 437. l. 18. r. General to get p. 4â—â— l. antep r. their â—â—ot p. 442. l. 41. r. give thee p. 445. l. 7. r. contented l. 42. r. got p. 452. l. 26. r. * best employment l. 6. del best p. 460. Title r. â—â—â—â— Zeal Lust. r. in the world p. 461. Sect. 16. l. 2. r. unprofitable * prating p. 462. l. 37. r. 〈…〉 l. 4â— r. othâ—â—s l. 52. r. using them p. 495. l. 8. r. Gods p. 496. l. 45. r. Riâ—ht of propriety p. 500. l. 37. r. Psalms of praise p. 503. l. 33. r. 1 Câ—r l. â—4 r. 〈◊〉 â—oâ— tâ—â—ir house l. 35. r. thy house l. pen. r. Therefore p. 506. l. 56. r. the faith p. 507. l. 37. r. â—it to oâ—â— p. 523 l. â—2 del it ibid. r. this heat p. 536. l. 26. r. will do p. 550. l. ult r. heart-breaking p. 551. l. 39. r evâ—◠〈◊〉 p. 557. l. 46. r. hath * not given p. 599. l 30. r. shorter p. 625. l. â— r. * not wholly p. 635. l. 39. r. * not able p 641. l. 39. r. your 〈◊〉 p. 676. Sect. 19. l. 4. â— Your work p. 692. l. 17. r. himself p. 695. l. 1. r. arctius nobis p. 701. l. 24. r. wicked hands p. 705. Prop. 8. l. 5â—6 del half each line p. 711. l. 42. r. in force l. 58. r. needeth it * not p 713. l. 38. r. by a faâ—se p. 720. l. 3. r. Here note p. 722. l. 19. r. Sâ—â— p. 724. Sect. 3. l. 5. del you p. 727. Sect. 19. l. 10. r. ask p. 745. Sect. â—4 l. r. del of intrusions p. 756. l. antep r. would â—idâ— p. 757. l. 55. r. imitate them p. 759. l. 10. r. murder p. 771. l. ult r. to all p 798. l. 34. r. Oâ—â—â—â—ined as p. 812. Q. 36. l. 5. r. as such unknown p 844. l. 9. r. to * remove p 885. l. 12. r. * not to institute p 898 l. 10 11. r. Gomarus * Somnius p. 900. l. antep r. bare witness p 915. l. 17. r 2 Some things p. 919. l. antep r. see that * aptâ—ntâ—r p. 921. l. 22 r. 〈◊〉 * 〈◊〉 maâ—â— l. 39. r. after * the Scriptures which Paul is commonly supposed to mean and some of it after he â—ud so p. 922. l. 25. r. Hotâ—â—kis l. 46. r. * Sâ—ccaâ—i l.
obedience shall be rewarded and disobedience punished The worst that ever Infidel could say was that He thinketh there is no other life None of you dare deny the Possibility of it nor can with any reason deny the probability Well then Let this be remembred while we proceed a little further with you § 14. 11. I suppose or expect that you have so much Use of sense and reason as to know the Breâ—ity 11. That yâ—u are sure of the brevity and vanity of this life And that the probability or possibility of an endless Joy or misery should command all the care and diligence of a Rational Creature against all that can be set against â—â— and Vanity of all the glory and pleasures of the flesh and that they are all so quickly gone that were they greater than they are they can be of no considerable value Alas what is Time How quickly gone and then it 's nothing and all things then are nothing which are passed with it So that the Ioyes or Sorrows of so short a life are no great matter of Gain or Loss I may therefore suppose that thou canst easily conclude that the bare probability or possibility of an Endless Happiness should be infinitely preferred before such transitory Vanity even the greatest matters that can be expected here And that the probability or possibility of endless misery in Hâ—ll should engage us with far greater care and diligence to avoid it than is due for the avoiding any thing that you can think to scape by sinning or any of the sufferings of this momentany life If you see not this you have lost your Reason that the meer probability or possibility of a Heaven and Hell should much more command our care and diligence than the fading vanities of this dreaming transitory life § 15. 12. Well then We have got thus far in the clearest light You see that a Religious holy life is every mans duty not only as they owe it to God as their Creator their Owner Governour and Benefactor but also because as Lovers of our selves our Reason commandeth us to have ten thousand fold 12. Therefore that a holy life is â—â—â—â—ry mans duty were it but on the account of such a possibility or probability And therefore that realâ—y there is such a joy and misery hereafter because God doth not make our faculties in vain nor make us to follow deceiâ—s and lies more regard of a Probable or Possible Ioy and Torment which are Endless than of any that is small and of short continuance And if this be so that a Holy Life is every mans duty with respect to the life that is to come then it is most evident that there is such a life to come indeed and that it is more than probable or possible even certain For if it be but Mans duty to manage this life by the Hopes and Fears of another life then it must follow that either there is such a life to come or else that God hath made it mans duty to hope and fear and care and labour and live in vain and that he himself doth Tantalize and Cheat his creatures and rule the world by Motives of deceit and make Religion and Obedience to our Maker to be a life of â—olly delusion and our loss And he that believeth this of God doth scarce believe him to be God Though I have mentioned this Argument in another Treatise I think it not unmeet here to repeat it for thy benefit § 16. 13. And seeing I suppose thee to be convinced of the Life to come and that mans Happiness and Misery is there I must needs suppose that thou dost confess that all things in this life whether prosperity or adversity honour or dishonour are to be esteemed and used as they referr to the life to come For nothing is more plain than that the Means are to have all their esteem and use in order to their End That only is Good in this life which tendeth to the Happiness of our Endless life And that is Evil indeed in this life that tendeth to our endless hurt and to deprive us of the everlasting 13. That all tâ—e matters of this transitory life are to be estimated as they refer to the life to come Good And therefore no price or motive should hire us to sin against God and to forfeit or hinder our endless happiness § 17. 14. I may suppose if thou have reason that thou wilt confess that God cannot be too much loved nor obeyed too exactly nor served too diligently especially by such backward sinners that have scarce any mind to Love or Worship him at all and that no man can make too sure of Heaven or pay too dear for it or do too much for his salvation if it be but that which God hath appointed 14. That no man can love God too much nor make too sure of his salvation him to do And that you have nothing else that is so much worth your Time and Love and Care and Labour And therefore though you have need to be stopt in your love and care and labour for the world because for it you may easily pay too dear and do too much yet there is no need of stopping men in their love and care and labour for God and their salvation which is worth more than ever we can do and where the best are apt to do too little § 18. 15. I also suppose thee to be one that knowest that this present life is given us on tryal to 15. That this life is given us for tryal and preparation to the life to come Noâ— temerè nâ—â— sortuiâ—o sati crâ—ati sâ—mus sed profecto â—uit quaedam vis quae generi consuleret humano 〈…〉 aut alâ—ret quod cum exantlavisset omnes labores tum iâ—cideret iâ— moâ—tis malâ—m sâ—mpiterâ—un Cic. 1. Tus. uâ— Nec unquam bono quicquam mali evâ—â—iâ—e potest nec vivo nec mortâ—o Nec â—es ejus à Diâ—s â—â—gâ—â—â—â—untur Idem 1. Tus. prepare for the life that shall come after and that as men live here they shall speed for ever and that time cannot be recalled when it 's gone and therefore that we should make the best of it while we have it § 19. 16. I suppose thee also to be easily convinced that seeing man hath his Reason and life for 16. That mans thoughts should be serious and frequent about his future state 17. That you can tell or may do which way your hearts and diligence are bâ—â—â—â— whether â—â—â—â— for this lâ—â—â—â— or for that to come matters of everlasting consequence his Thoughts of them should be frequent and very serious and his Reason should be used about these things by retired sober deliberation § 20. 17. And I suppose thee to be a man and therefore so far acquainted with thy self as that thou maist know if thou wilt whether thy Heart and Life do answer thy convictions and whether they are
regionibus versabantur quae palatio triouta pendebaâ—t Et si forsitaâ— quisâ—â—aâ— ut moris est duâ— Dei popâ—lum admoâ—cret Pharaonem Nabuchodonosor Holosernum aut aliquem similem nominasâ—â—t Objiciebatâ—r illi quod in personam Râ—gâ—s ita dixissâ—t staâ—im exilio trad batur Hoâ— enim tempore persâ—cutionis genus agebatur hic apâ—rtè alibi occultè ut piorum nomen talibus insidiis inteâ—iret NB. Victor Uticens p. miâ—i 382. Abundance of Pastors were then banished from their Churches and many tormented and Augâ—stine himself dyed with fear saith Victor ib. p. 376. when he had written saiâ—h he two hundred thirty two Books besides innumerable Epistles Homilies Expositions on the Psalms Evangelists c. his children speak well of the wayes or followers of Christ I must confess till I had found the truth of it by experience I was not sensible how Impudent in belying and cruel in abusing the servants of Christ his worldly malicious enemies are I had read oft how early an Enmity was put between the Womans and the Serpents seed and I had read and wondered that the first man that was born into the world did murder his Brother for worshipping God more acceptably than himself because his own works were evil and his brothers righteous 1 John 3. 12. I had read the inference ver 13. Marvel not my brethren if the world hate you But yet I did not so fully understand that wicked men and Devils are so very like and so near of kin till the words of Christ Iohn 8. 44. expounded by visible demonstrations had taught it me Indeed the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 3. 12. that Cain was of that wicked one that is the Devil But Christ saith more plainly 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 Here note that cruel murdering and lying are the principal actions of a Devil and that as the Father of these he is the Father of the wicked who are most notoriously addicted to these two courses against the most innocent servants of the Lamb. How just is it that they dwell together hereafter that are here so like in disposition and action even as the Righteous shall dwell with Christ who bore his image and imitated his holy suffering life § 3. I conclude then that if thou wilt never turn to God and a holy life till wicked men give over belying and râ—proaching them thou maist as well say that thou wilt never be reconciled to God till the Devil be first reconciled to him and never love Christ till the Devil love him or bid thee love him or never be a Saint till the Devil be a Saint or will give thee leave and that thou wilt not be saved till the Devil be willing that thou be saved Direction 4. THat thy understanding may be enlightned and thy heart renewed be much and serious Direct 4. in Reading the Word of God and those Books that are fitted tomen in an unconverted state and especially in hearing the plain and searching preaching of the word § 1. There is a heavenly light and power and Majesty in the Word of God which in the serious Reading or hearing of it may pierce the heart and prick it and open it that corruption may go out and grace come in The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul The testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart Psal. 19. 7 8. Moreover by them it is that we are warned and in keeping of them there is great reward ver 11. The Eunuch was Reading the Scripture when Philip was sent to expound it to him for his conversion Acts 8. The preaching of Peter did prick many thousands to the heart to their conversion Acts 2. 37. The heart of Lydia was opened to attend to the preaching of Paul Acts 16. 14. The word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit Heb. 4. 11. These weapons are mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 5. Hâ—st thou often read and heard already and yet findest no change upon thy heart Yet read and hear again and again Ministers must not give over preaching when they have laboured without success Why then should you give over hearing or reading As the Husbandman laboureth and looketh to God for rain and for the blessing so must we and so must you Look up to God remember it is his Word in which he calleth you to Repentance and offereth you mercy and treateth with you concerning your everlasting happiness Lament your former negligence and disobedience and beg his blessing on his Word and you shall find it will not be in vain § 2. And the serious Reading of Books which expound and apply the Scriptures suitably to your case may by the blessing of God be effectual to your conversion I have written so many to this use my self that I shall be the shorter on this subject now and desire you to read them or some of them if you have not fitter at hand viz. A Call to the Unconverted A Treatise of Conversion Now or Never Directions for a sound Conversion A Saint or a Bruit A Treatise of Iudgement A Sermon against making light of Christ A Sermon of Christs Dominion Another of his Soveraignty c. Direction 5. F thou wouldst not be destitute of saving Grace let thy Reason be exercised about the Direct 5. matters of thy salvation in some proportion of frequent sober serious Thoughts as thou art convinced the weight of the matter doth require § 1. To have Reason is common to all men even the sleepy and distracted To use Reason is common to 1 Cor. 1â— 5. Pâ—a 4. 4 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 11. 28. The word â—t sâ—lf exciteth Reason and Preachers are by Reason to shame all sin as a thing unreasonâ—ble And the want of such exâ—â—tation by 〈…〉 and plâ—â—n instructing and the persons considering is a great cause of the worlds undoing For those Preachers that lay all the blame on the peoples stupidity or maligâ—â—â—â— I desire them to read a satisfactory answer in Acosta the Jesuite li. 4. c. 2 3 4. Few souls perish comparatively where all the means is used which should be used by their superiours for their salvation If every Parish had holy skilful laborious Pastors that would publickly and privately do their part great things might be expected in the world But saith Acosta Itaque praecipâ—a causa ad Ministros par
〈…〉 Quaeâ—amque est praedicatio nostra quae fiducia signa certè non edimus vitae sanctitate non eminemus beneficentia non invitamus 〈…〉 â—pâ—â—itâ—s essiâ—â—cia non pâ—râ—uademus lachrymis ac precibus à Deo non impetramus immo ne magnopere quidem câ—ramus Quae ergo nostra 〈◊〉 est quae tanta Iudorum accusatio An ingeruous confession of the Roman Priesthood And such Priests can expect no better success But having seen another sort of Ministers through Gods mercy I have seen an answerable fruit of their endeavours lib. â— p. 365. all that have their senses awake and fit to serve their Minds To use Reason in the greatest matters is proper to wise men that know for what end God made them Reasonable Inconsiderate men are all ungodly men For Reason not used is as bad as no Reason and will prove much worse in the day of reckoning The truth is though sinners are exceeding blind and erroneous about the things of God yet all Gods precepts are so Reasonable and tend so clearly to our joy and happiness that if the Devil did not win most souls by silencing Reason and laying it asleep or drowning its voice with the noise and crowd of worldly business Hell would not have so many sad inhabitants I scarce believe that God will condemn any sinner that ever lived in the world that had the use of Reason no not the Heathens that had but one talent but he will be able to say to them as Luk. 19. 22. Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee thou wicked servant Thou knewest c. To serve God and labour diligently for salvation and prefer it before all worldly things is so Reasonable a thing that every one that Repenteth of the contrary course doth call it from his heart an impious madness Reason must needs be for God that made it Reason must needs be for that which is its proper End and Use. Sin as it is in the Understanding is nothing but Unreasonableness a blindness and error a loss and corruption of Reason in the matters of God and our salvation And Grace as in the understanding doth but cure this folly and distraction and make us Reasonable again It is but the opening of our eyes and making us wise in the greatest matters It is not a more unmanly thing to love and plead for blindness madness and diseases and to hate both sight and health and wit than it is to love and plead for sin and to hate and vilifie a holy life § 2. Grant me but this one thing that thou wilt but soberly exercise thy Reason about these great important questions Where must I abide for ever What must I do to be saved What was I created and Redeemed for And I shall hope that thy own understanding as erroneous as it is will work out something that will promote thy good Do but withdraw thy self one hour in a day from company and other business and Consider but as soberly and seriously of thy end and life as thou knowest the nature and weight of the matter doth require and I am perswaded thy own Reason and Conscience will call thee to Repentance and set thee at least in a far better way than thou wast in before When thou walkest alone or when thou wakest in the night remember soberly that God is present that time is hasting to an end that judgement is at hand where thou must give account of all thy hours of thy lusts and passions and desires of all thy thoughts and words and deeds and that thy endless joy or misery dependeth wholly and certainly on this little time Think but soberly on such things as these but one hour in a day or two and try whether it will not at once recover thee to wit and godliness and folly and sin will vanish away before the force of Considering Reason as the darkness vanisheth before the light I intreat thee now as in the presence of God and as thou wilt answer the denyal of so Reasonable a request at the day of Judgement that thou wilt but resolve to try this course of a sober serious Consideration about thy sin thy duty thy danger thy hope thy account and thy everlasting state Try it sometimes especially on the Lords dayes and do but mark the result of all and whither it is that such sober consideration doth point or lead thee Whether it be not towards a diligent holy heavenly life If thou deny me thus much God and thy Conscience shall bear witness that thou thoughtst thy salvation of little worth and therefore maist justly be denyed it § 3. Would it not be strange that a man should be penitent and Godly that never once thought of the matter with any seriousness in his life Can so many and great diseases of soul be cured before you have once soberly considered that you have them and how great and dangerous they are and by what remedies they must be cured Can grace be obtained and exercised while you never so much as think of it Can the main business of our lives be done without any serious thoughts when we think it fit to bestow so many upon the trivial matters of this world Doth the world and the flesh deserve to be remembred all the day and week and year and doth not God and thy salvation deserve to be thought on one hour in a day or one day in a week Judge of these things but as a man of reason If thou look that God who hath given thee Reason to guide thy Will and a Will to command thy actions should yet carry thee to Heaven like a Stone or save thee against or without thy will before thou didst ever once soberly think of it thou maist have leisure in Hell to lament the folly of such expectations Direction 6. SUffer not the Devil by company pleasure or worldly business to divert or hinder thee Direct 6. from these serious Considerations § 1. The Devil hath but two wayes to procure thy damnation The one is by keeping thee from any sober Remembrance of spiritual and eternal things and the other is if thou wilt needs think of them to deceive thee into false erroneous thoughts To bring to pass the first of these which is the most common powerful means his ordinary way is by diversion finding thee still something else to Even learning and honest studies may be used as a diversion from more necessary things Saith Petrarch in vita â—ua Iâ—gâ—nio sui ad omne boâ—um salâ—bâ—â— sâ—udiâ—m apto sed aâ— moâ—aâ—â—m pâ—aeâ—â—pâ—e phiâ—oâ—â—phiaâ— ad poeticam prono Quam ipsam pâ—ocessu temporis neglexi sacris literis delectatus in quibus seâ—si â—ulcedinem abditam quam aâ—â—uaâ—do 〈…〉 ram pâ—eticis literis noâ— nisi ad ornamentum reservatis do putting some other thoughts into thy mind and some other work into thy hand so that thou canst never have leisure for any sober thoughts of God
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
your excellency The soul of Religion is departing from you and it is dying and returning to the dust And if once Man get the preheminence of God and be preferred and set above him in your hearts or lives and feared trusted and obeyed before him you are then dead to God and alive to the world and as Men are taken for your Gods you must take up with such a salvation as they can give you If your Alms and Prayers are done to be seen of men and to procure their good thoughts and words if you get them make your best of them For verily your Judge hath said unto you You have your reward Matth. 6. 1 2 3. Not that man is absolutely to be contemned or disregarded No under God your Superiours must Aâ—te 〈◊〉 sâ— voles aâ—â— haâ—e sedâ—m ae 〈…〉 am domum contuâ—â—t re 〈…〉 Sermoâ—â—bâ—s vuâ—gâ— dedeâ—â—s te nec in praeviâ—s humamanis â—pem posueris rerum tuarum suis te illecebrâ—s oportet ipsa viâ—tâ—s trahat ad verum dâ—â—uâ— Ciâ—râ— somâ— Sâ—â—p Cael stia sâ—mper â—pâ—â—tato â—â—â—â—a humana contemnito Id. Ibid. be obeyed you must do wrong to none and do good to all as far as in you lyeth you must avoid offence and give good example and under God have so much regard to men as to become all things to all men for their salvation But if once you set them above their rank and turn your selves to an inordinate dependance on them and make too great a matter of their opinion or words concerning you you are losing your godliness or divine disposition and turning it into man-pleasing and hypocrisie When man stands in competition with God for your first and chief regard or in opposition to him or as a sharer in co-ordination with him and not purely in subordination to him he is to be numbred with things to be forsaken Even good men whom you must love and honour and whose communion and help you must highly value yet may be made the object of your sin and may become your snare Your honouring of them or love to them must not entice you to desire inordinately to be honoured by them nor cause you to set too much by their approbation If you do you will find that while you are too much eying man you are losing God and corrupting your Religion at the very heart And you may fall among those that how Holy soever may have great mistakes in matters of Religion tending to much sin and may be somewhat censorious against those that are not of their mind and so the retaining of their esteem and the avoiding of their censures may become one of the greatest temptations of your lives And you will find that man-pleasing is a very difficult and yet unprofitable task Love Christ as he appeareth in any of his servants and be followers of them as they are followers of Christ and regard their approbation as it agreeth with Christs But O see that you are able to Live upon the favour of God alone and to be quietted in his acceptance though man despise you and to be Pleased so far as God is pleased though man be displeased with you and to rejoyce in his Justification though men condemn you with the odiousest slanders and the greatest infamy and cast out your names as evil doers See that God be taken as Enough for you or else you take him not as your God Even as Enough without man and Enough against man That you may be able to say If God be for us who can be against us Who is he that condemneth it is God that justifieth Rom. 8. 31 33 34. Do I seek to please men For if I yet pleased men I should not be a servant of Christ Gal. 1. 10. Jer. 17. 5. Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord For he shall be like the Heath in the Desert and shall not see when good cometh Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is for he shall be as a Tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the Rivers and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils for wherein is be to be accounted of Isa. 2. 22. § 3. HAving given you these Directions I must tell you in the Conclusion that they are like foed that will not nourish you by standing on your Table or like Physick that will not cure you by standing in the Box They must be taken and digested or you will find none of the benefit It is not the Reading of them that will serve the turn to so great use as the safe proceeding and confirmation of beginners or Noâ—ices in Religion It will require humility to perceive the need of them and labour to learn digest and practise them Those slothful souls that will refuse the labour must bear the sad effects of their negligence There is not one of all these Directions as to the Matter of them which can be spared Study them Understand them and Remember them as things that must be done If either a senselesness of your necessity or a conceit that the Spirit must do it without so much labour and diligence of your own do prevail with you to put off all these with a meer approbation the consequent may be sadder than you can yet foresee Though I suppose you to have some beginnings of Grace I must tell you that it will be comparatively a sad kind of life to be erroneous and scandalous and troublesome to the Church or full of doubts and fears and passions and to be burdensome to others and your selves Yea it is reason that you be very suspicious of your Sincerity if you desire not to increase in grace and be not willing to use the means which are necessary to your encrease He is not sincere that desireth not to be perfect And he desireth not sincerely who is not willing to be at the labour and cost which is necessary to the obtaining of the thing desired I beseech you therefore as you love the happiness of prudent strong and comfortable Christians and would escape the misery of those grievous diseases which would turn your lives into languishing unserviceableness and pain that you seriously study these Directions and get them into your minds and memories and hearts and let the faithful practice of them be your greatest care and the constant employment of your lives CHAP. III. The General Grand Directions for Walking with God in a Life of Faith and Holiness Containing the Essentials of Godliness and Christianity I Am next to Direct you in that Exercise of Grace which is common to all Christians Habits are for Use Grace is given you not only that you may have it
love of Christ and one another and 1 John 3. 16. that we forgive and pray for them that persecute us 24. In all this suffering from men he feels also so much of the fruit of our sin upon his soul that he cryeth out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me To teach us if we fall into such calamity of soul as to think that God himself forsaketh us to remember for our support that the Son of God himself before us cryed out My God why hast thou forsaken me And that in this also we may expect a tryal to seem to our selves Forsaken of God when our Saviour underwent the like before us I will instance in no more of his example because I would not be tedious Hither now let believers cast their eyes If you love your Lord you should love to imitate him and be glad to find your selves in the way that he hath gone before you If He lived a worldly or a sensual life do you do so If He was an enemy to preaching and praying and holy living be you so But if he lived in the greatest contempt of all the wealth and honours and pleasures of the world in a life of holy obedience to his Father wholly preferring the Kingdom of Heaven and seeking the salvation of the souls of others and patiently bearing persecution derision calumnies and death then take up your Cross and follow him in joyfully to the expected Crown § 7. Direct 6. If you will Learn of Christ you must Learn of his Ministers whom he hath appointed Direct 6. under him to be the Teachers of his Church He purposely enableth them enclineth them and sendeth them to instruct you Not to have dominion over your faith but to be your spiritual Fathers and the Ministers by whom you believe as God shall give ability and success to every one as he pleases to plant and water while God giveth the encrease to open mens eyes and turn them from darkness to light and to be labourers together with God whose husbandry and building you are and to be helpers of your joy See 2 Cor. 24. Acts 26. 17 18. 1 Cor. 3. 5 6 7 8 9. 4. 15. Seeing therefore Christ hath appointed them under him to be the ordinary Teachers of his Church he that heareth them speaking his message heareth him and he that despiseth them despiseth him Luke 10. 16. And he that saith I will hear Christ but not you doth say in effect to Christ himself I will not hear thee nor learn of thee unless thou wilt dismiss thy Ushers and teach me immediately thy self § 8. Direct 7. Hearken also to the secret Teachings of his Spirit and your consciences not as makeing Direct 7. you any new Law or Duty or being to you instead of Scriptures or Ministers but as bringing that truth into your Hearts and practices which Scriptures and Ministers have first brought to your eyes and ears If you understand not this how the office of Scripture and Ministers differ from the office of the Spirit and your Consciences you will be confounded as the Sectaries of these times have been that separate what God hath joyned together and plead against Scripture or Ministers under pretence of extolling the Spirit or the Light within them As your meat must be taken into the stomach and pass the first concoction before the second can be performed and chilification must be before sanguification so the Scripture and Ministers must bring truth to your eyes and ears before the Spirit or Conscience bring them to your Hearts and Practice But they lye dead and uneffectual in your brain or imagination if you hearken not to the secret teachings of the Spirit and Conscience which would bring them further As Christ is the principal Teacher without and Ministers are but under him so the Spirit is the principal Teacher within us and Conscience is but under the Spirit being excited and informed by it Those that learn only of Scriptures and Ministers by hearing or reading may become men of Learning and great ability though they hearken not to the sanctifying teachings of the Spirit or to their Consciences But it is only those that hearken first to the Scriptures and Ministers and next to the Spirit of God and to their Consciences that have an inward sanctifying saving knowledge and are they that are said to be Taught of God Therefore hearken first with your ears what Christ hath to say to you from without and then hearken daily and diligently with your hearts what the Spirit and Conscience say within For it is their office to preach over all that again to your Hearts which you have received § 9. Direct 8. It being the office of the present ordinary Ministry only to expound and apply the doctrine Direct 8 of Christ already recorded in the Scriptures believe not any man that contradicteth this recorded doctrine what Reason Authority â—r Revelation soever he pretend Isa. 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimâ—ny if they speak not according to these it is because there is no Light in them No Reason can be Reason indeed that is pretended against the Reason of the Creator and God of Reason Authority pretended against the Highest Authority of God is no Authority God never gave Authority to any against himself nor to deceive mens souls nor to dispense with the Law of Christ nor to warrant men to sin against him nor to make any supplements to his Law or Doctrine The Apostles had their â— Câ—â— 10 8. â—â—â—â—â— 1â— â—â— Power only to â—diâ—ication but not to destruction There is no Revelation from God that is contrary to his own Revelation already delivered as his perfect Law and Rule unto the Church and therefore none supplemental to it If an Apostle or an Angel from Heaven per possibile vel impossibile shall Evangelize to us besides what is Evangelized and we have received he must be held accursed Gal. 1. 6 7 8. § 10. Direct 9. Come not to Learn of Christ with self conceitedness pride or confidence in your prejudice 〈◊〉 9. and errors but as little Children with humble teachable tractable minds Christ is no Teacher for those that in their own eyes are wise enough already unless it be first to teach them to become fools in their own esteem because they are so indeed that they may be wise 1 Cor. 3. 18. They that are prepossessed with false opinions and resolve that they will never be perswaded of the contrary are unmeet to be Scholars in the School of Christ. He resisteth the proud but giveth more grace unto the 1 Pâ—â— 5. â— humble Men that have a high conceit of their own understandings and think they can easily know truth from falshood as soon as they hear it and come not to learn but to censure what they hear or read as being able presently to judge of all these are fitter for the School of the Prince of Pride and
to fight against his cause and work which is by fighting against the World and the Flesh and for the glory of God § 13. In opening to you this holy War I shall 1. Shew you what we must do on the Offensive part The Mâ—â—â—â—d 2. What on the Defensive part And here I shall shew you I. What it is that the Tempter aimeth at as his End II. What matter or ground he worketh upon III. What are his Succours and Assistants IV. What kind of Officers and Instruments he useth V. What are his Methods and actual Temptations 1. To actual sin 2. Against our duty to God § 14. 1. Our offensive arms are to be used 1. Against the power of sin within us and all its advantages and helps For while Satan ruleth and possesseth us within we shall never well oppose him without 2. Against sin in others as far as we have opportunity 3. Against the credit and honour of sin in the world As the Devils Servants would bring Light and Holiness into disgrace so Christs Servants must câ—si disgrace and shame upon sin and darkness 4. Against all the Reasonings of sinners and their subtile fallacies whereby they would deceive 5. Against the passions and violent lusts which are the causes of mens other sins 6. Against the holds and helps of sin as false Teachers prophane Râ—vilers ignorance and dâ—câ—it Only take heed that on this pretence we step not out of our ranks and places to pull down the powers of the world by rebellions For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal 2 Cor. 10. 4. § 15. 2. As to our Defence I. The ends of the Tempter which must be perceived are these 1. In general his aâ—m is at our utter ruine and damnation and to draw us here to dishonour God as much as he can But especially his aim is to strengthen the great heart-sins which are most mortal and are the root and life and spawners of the rest Especially these 1. Ignorance which is the friend and cloke to all the rest 2. Error which will justific them 3. Unbelief which keeps off all that should oppose them 4. Atheism prophaneness unhâ—liness which are the defiance of God and all his Armies 5. Presumption which emboldneth them and hides the danger 6. Hardness of heart which fortifieth them against all the batteries of Grace 7. Hypocrisie which maketh them serve him as Spies and Intelligencers in the Army of Christ. 8. Disaffection to God and his wayes and servants which is the Devils colours 9. Unthankfulness which tends to make them unreconcileable and unrecoverable 10. Pride which commandeth many Regiments of lesser sins 11. Worldliness or love of money and wealth which keepeth his Armies in pay 12. Sensuality Voluptuousness or flesh-pleasing Animi molles aetate fluxâ— doâ—â—s hâ—ud dâ—fficulter câ—pâ—untur which is the great Commander of all the rest For selfishness is the Devils Lieutenant General which consisteth chiefly in the three last named but especially in Pride and Sensuality Some think that it is outward sins that bring all the danger but these twelve heart-sins which I have named to you are the twelve Gates of the infernal City which Satan loveth above all the rest § 16. II. The Matter and Grounds of his Temptations are these 1. The Devil first worketh upon the outward sense and so upon the sensitive appetite He sheweth the Cup to the Drunkards eye and the bait of filthy lust to the fornicator and the riches and pomp of the world to the covetous and proud The Glutton tasteth the sweetness of the dish which he loveth Stage-playes and tempting sports and proud attire and sumptuous buildings and all such sensual things are the baits by which the Devil angleth for souls Thus Eve first saw the fruit and then tasted and then did eat Thus Noah and Lot and David sinned Thus Achan saith Josh. 7. 21. I saw the Garments Silver and Gold I coveted them and I took them The sense is the door of sin § 17. 2. The Tempter next worketh on the Fantasie or Imagination and prints upon it the loveliest image of his bait that possibly he can and engageth the sinner to Think on it and to rowl it over and over in his mind even as God commandeth us to Meditate on his Precepts § 18. 3. Next he worketh by these upon the Passions or affections which fantasie having enflamed they violently urge the Will and Reason and this according to the nature of the passion whether fear or hope sorrow or joy love or hatred desire or aversation but by none doth he work so dangerously as by Delight and Love and Desire of things sensual § 19. 4. Hence he proceedeth to infect the Will upon the simple apprehension of the understanding to make it inordinately cleave to the temporal good and to neglect its duty in commanding the understanding to meditate on preserving objects and to call off the Thoughts from the forbidden thing It neglecteth to rule the Thoughts and Passions according to its office and natural power § 20. 5. And so he corrupteth the understanding it self first to omit its duty and then to entertain deceit and to approve of evil And so the servant is put into the Government and the commanding powers do but serve it Reason is blinded by sensuality and passion and becomes their servant and pleads their cause § 21. By all this it appeareth 1. That Satans first bait is ordinarily some sensible or imaginary good set up against true spiritual good 2. That his first assault of the Reason and Will is to tempt them into a sluggish neglect and neutrality to omit that restraint of Sense Thought and Passion which was their duty 3. And that lastly he tempteth them into actual complyance and committing of the sin And herein 1. The bait which he useth with the understanding is still some seeming Truth And therefore his art and work is to colour falshood and make it seem Truth For this is the deceiving of the mind And therefore for a sinner to plead his mistake for his excuse and say I thought it had been so or so I thought it had been no sin or no duty this is but to confess and not to excuse It is but as much as to say my Understanding sinned with my Will and was deceived by the Tempter and overcome 2. And the bait which he useth with the Will is alwayes some appearing good And self-love and love of good is the principle which he abuseth and maketh his ground to work upon as God also useth it in drawing us to good § 22. III. The Succours and Auxiliaries of the Devil and his principal means are these 1. He doth what he can to get an ill tempered Body on his side For as sin did let in bodily distempers so do they much befriend the sin that caused them A cholerick temper will much help him to draw men to passion malice murder cruelty and revenge A sanguine and bilious
and Pardon Holiness and Heaven are in the other Which now wilt thou prefer If the Devil have more to give thee and bid â—â—r thee than Christ let him take thee § 27. Tempt 2 The Tempter laboureth to keep God and Christ and Heaven out of sight that they Tempt 2. 〈…〉 t the splendor of his bait and to hide those potent reasons from them by which they might eaâ—â—ly râ—pâ—l the temptation so that though they are well known and sure and Scripture be full of them they shall nâ—ne of them be ready at hand to use when the temptation cometh so that to them they shall be all as nothing and this he doth by unbelief and inconsiderateness § 28. Direct 2. Live by faith see that God the Father the Redeemer and the Holy Spirit Direct 2. dwell within you and take up your hearts and your hopes be placed all on Heaven and that these be â—our very Life and business and then you will allways have that at hand which may refâ—l the Tempter A heart taken up with God and Christ conversing in Heaven is allwaies fortified and prepared to meet every Temptation with abhorrence Let your souls be still possessed with as constant apprehensions of the evil of sin the danger of sinning the presence authority and holiness of God the wrong that sin doth him the hurt it doth our selves and others and what it did to Jesus Christ as you have of the danger of fire and water and poyson and then the Tempter will not speed § 29. Tempt 3. It is the great care of the Devil to keep out of sight that he be not seen himself Tempt 3. in the Temptation As the Angler keepeth himself behind the bush and the Fowler hideth himself from the birds or else they would fear and fly and escape so doth the Devil use all his art to hide himself from the sinners observation that the deluded soul shall little think that the Devil is so near him and hath so great a hand in the business If the ambitious or Covetous worlding saw the Devil offer him the bait and heard him say All this will I give thee he would have the smaller list to take the bait If the Devil appeared to the Whoremonger and brought him his Whore and encouraged him to his filthiness it would cool his lust Or if he appeared to the drunkard and presented him the cup he would have but little list to drink If the proud and the malicious saw the Devil at their backs rejoycing in their sin and putting them on it might affright them half into their wits Therefore the great endeavour of the Devil is to perswade men that it is not he that makes the motion to them It is such a friend or such a neighbour or gentleman or minister or wise man it is not the Devil Till the Fish is catcht and the bird is in the net and then the author of all appeareth to kill them and carry them away without any concealment § 30. Direct 3. Mark but the tendency and the manner of the Temptations and you may perceive Direct 3. the Author Who else is it that is so much against God and against your everlasting happiness Who else is it that would so abuse your Reason to preferr things temporal before things eternal and the bruitish pleasures of a corruptible flesh before the interest of immortal souls Who else so contradicteth all the word of God Read Gods warnings and he will tell you who it is Take every Temptation then whoever be the messenger as if thou sawest the Devil standing by and making the motion to thee and heardest himself exhort thee to the sin suppose you saw him conducting you to the Whore-house the Play-house the ALE-house and making you entertainment as the Master of the game How then would you take it And what would you do Would you go and be angry at the precise Preacher that would hinder you And would you take the Devils part No nature hath possessed you with a fear of him and an enmity to him use it for your safety It cannot be good for you that comes from him He hath a fouler face to appear to you in than ever yet you saw when you have done his work and are where he would have you O know with whom you have to do § 31. Tempt 4. The Tempter is most careful also to hide from men the nature and tendency of the Tempt 4. Temptation it self that they shall not know that it is a Temptation when they are tempted but shall have nothing in sight but the bait which they desire The Angler doth not only hide himself from the fish but also his rod and line and hook as much as he can The Fowler covereth his nets so that either the fish and bird shall not see the snare or shall not know what it is and what it is there laid for so when the bait of pleasure and honour and wealth is presented by the Devil to the fornicator gamester proud or covetous they shall not see what the Devil is doing now and what a game he is playing for their souls They shall not perceive the connexion that there is between the pleasure and the sin and the sin and the threatning and the threatning and the judgement and the judgement and the everlasting punishment when Judas was bargaining with the Pharisees he knew not that the Devil was in him driving on the match § 32. Direct 4. Be wise and suspicious Blindness or fool-hardiness will lead you into the snare Direct 4. Be wise that you may know the tendency of every thing that is presented to your thoughts and may be able to perceive a danger Be suspicious and cautelous that you may make a sufficient trial and go upon sure grounds and avoid the very appearance of evil when it is Hell that you fear come not too near Play not as the fly about the Candle salvation is necessary but preferment or wealth or liberty or credit or life it self are not necessary to you Prove all things Flatter not your selves into the snares by foolish hopes and judging of things as the flesh would have them to be rather than as they are It no danger appear turn up all coverings and search and see that none be hidden The Devil hath his gun-powder-plots and mines which may blow you up before you are aware Not only Lawfullness and Indifferency but great Good is the pretence for greatest evil § 33. Tempt 5. It is the Tempters care to bring the tempting object near enough or draw the â—â—nner Tempt 5. near enough to it The net must come to the fish or the fish to the net The distant fire will not burn the wâ—â—d The Devils chief confidence is in the sensitive appetite which worketh strongliest at hand If he get the drunkard into the ALE-house and shew him the cup he hath half conquered him allready But if he â—e scrupulous and
keeping a good house and a good table tipling is called drinking a cup with a friend Lust and filthiness is called Love worldliness is called thriftiness and good husbandry Idleness and loss of Time is called the leasure of a Gentleman slothfulness is called a nâ—t being too worldly Time wasting sports are called Recreations Pride is called Decency and Handsomness Proud revenge is called Honour and Gallantry Romish cruelty and persecution and 〈…〉 ing the Church is called keeping up order obedience and unity Disobedience to superiors is câ—llâ—d not â—â—aâ—ing mâ—n Church-divisions are called strictness and zeal 2. Specially if a sâ—n be not iâ— dis 〈…〉 among the stricter sort it greatly prepareth men to commit it As breaking the Lords day beyond sâ—â— in many râ—fâ—rmâ—d Churches And at home spiritual pride cens riousâ—â—ss baâ—kâ—iting disobedience â—â—d Church-divisions are not in half that disgrace among many professors of strictness as they deserve and as swearing c. is § 100. Direct 38. Remember that what ever be the Name or Cloak God judgeth righteously 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the truth Names may deceive us but not our Iudge And sin is still in disgrace with God however it be with men Remember the comlier the paint and cover is the greater is the danger and the more watchful and cauâ—â—lous we should be It is not imperfect man but the perfect Law of God which must be our Rule The great succâ—ss of this Temptation should deterr uâ— from entertaining it What abundance of mischief hath it done in the world § 101. Tempt 39. Sometime the Devil tempteth men to some â—â—ynous sin that if he prevail not at Tempt â—9 lâ—â—st he may draw them into a less As cheating chafferers will ask twice the price of their commodity that by abating much they may make you willing to give too much He that would get a little must ask a great deal He will tempt you to drunkenness and if he draw you but to tipling or time-wasting he hath got something If he tempt you to fornication and he get you but to some filthy thoughts or immodest lascivious talk or actions he hath done much of that which he intended If he tempt you to sâ—me horrid cruelâ—y and you yield but to sâ—me less degree or to some unjust or uncharitable censures you think you have conquered when it 's he that conquereth § 102. Direct 39. Remember that the least degree of sin is sin and death the wages of it Direct 39. Romans 6. 23. Think not that you have scapt well if your heart have taken any of the infection â—r if you have been wounded any where though it might have been worse If the Tempter had tempted you no further but to a lustful malicious or proud thought or word you would perceive that if he prevail he conquereth so may you whâ—n he getteth this much by a shameless asking more § 103. Tempt 40. He tempteth us sometime to be so fearful and carefull against one sin or Tempt 40. about sâ—me â—ne danger as to be mindless of some other and lie open to his temptation Like a Fâ—â—â—â—r that will seem to aime all at one place that he may strike you in another while you are guarding that Or like an enemy that giveth all the allarm at one end of the City that he may draw the people thither while he stormeth in another place So Satan makes some so afraid of worldliness that they watch not against Idleness or so fearful of hard-heartedness and deadness and hypocrisie that they watch not against Passion neglect of their callings or dejectedness or so fearful of sinning or being deceived about their salvation that they fear not the want of Love and Joy and Thankfulness for all the mercy they have received nor the neglect of holy Praise to God § 104. Direct 40. Remember that as obedience must be entire and universal so is Satans Direct 41. temptation against all parts of our obedience and our care must extend to all if we will escape It would cure your inordinate fear in some one point if you extended it to all the â—â—â—â—t § 105. Tempt 41. Sometime by the suddenness of a temptation he surprizeth men before they are Tempt 41. aware § 106. Direct 41. Be never unarmed nor from your watch especially as to Thoughts Direct 41. or sudden Passions or rash words which are used to be committed for want of deliberation § 107. Tempt 42. Sometime he useth a violent earnestness especially when he getteth Passion on Tempt 42. his side So that Reason is born down and the sinner saith I could not forbear § 108. Direct 42. But remember that the very eager unruliness of your passion is a sin it self Direct 42. and that none can compel you to sin and that Reason must deliberate and rule or else any murder or wickedness may have the excuse of urgent passions § 109. Tempt 43. Sometime he useth the violence of men They threaten men to frighten them Tempt 43. into sin § 110. Direct 43. But is not God and his threatnings more to be feared Do men Direct 43. threaten imprisonment or death or ruine And doth not God threaten everlasting misery And can he not defend you from all that man shall threaten if it be best for you See the portion of the fearful Rev. 21. 8. § 111. Tempt 44. Sometime variety of temptations distracteth men that they do not look to all at Tempt 44. once § 112. Direct 44. Remember that one part of the City unguarded may lose the whole in a general Direct 44. assault § 113. Tempt 45. Sometime he ceaseth to make us secure and lay by our armes and then Tempt 45. surpriseth us § 114. Direct 45. Take heed of security and Satans ambushments Distinguish between cessation Direct 45. and conquest You conquer not every time that you have rest and quietness from temptation Till the sin be hated and the contrary grace or duty in practice you have not at all overcome And when that 's done yet trust not the Devil or the flesh nor think the warr will be shorter than your lives For one assault will begin where the former ended Make use of every cessation but to prepare for the next encounter § 115. Tempt 46. He will tempt you to take striving for overcoming and to think because Tempt 46. you pray and make some resistance that sin is conquered And because your Desires are good all is well § 116. Direct 46. But all that fight do not overcome If a man strive for Masteries yet is he Direct 46. not crowned except he strive lawfully 1 Tim. 2. 5. Many will seek to enter and shall not be able Luke 13 24. § 117. Tempt 47. He followeth the sinner with frequency and importunity till he weary him and Tempt 47. make him yield § 118. Direct 47. Remember that Christ is as importunate with thee to
took thee into his favour and adopted thee for his son and an heir of Heaven He will glorifie thee with Angels in the presence of his Glory How should such a friend as this be loved How far above all mortal friends Their love and friendship is but a token and message of his Love Because he Loveth thee he sendeth thee kindness and mercy by thy friend and when their kindness ceaseth or can do thee no good his kindness will continue and comfort thee for ever Love them therefore as the messengers of his Love but Love him in them and love them for him and love him much more § 40. Direct 17. Think oft how delightful a life it would be to thee if thou couldst but live in the Direct 17. Love of God And then the complacencie will provoke desire and desire will turn thy face towards God till thou feel that thou lovest him The Love of a friend hath its sweetness and delight and when we Love them we feel such pleasure in our Love that we Love to Love them How pleasant then would it be to Love thy God O blessed joyful life if I could but love him as much as I desire to love him How freely could I leave the ambitious and the covetous and the sensual and voluptuous to their doting delusory swinish love How easily could I spare all earthly pleasures How near should I come to the Angelical life Could I love God as I would love him it would fill me with continual pleasure and be the sweetest feast that a soul can have How easily would it quench all carnal love How far would it raise me above these transitory things How much should I contemn them and pitty the wretches that know no better and have their portion in this life How readily should I obey And how pleasant would obedience be How sweet would all my Meditations be when every thought is full of Love How sweet would all my prayers be when constraining Love did bring me unto God and indite and animate every word How sweet would Sacraments be when my ascending flaming love should meet that wonderful descending love which cometh from Heaven to call me thither and in living bread and spiritful wine is the nourishment and cordial of my soul How sweet would all my speeches be when Love commanded them and every word were full of Love How quiet would my Conscience be if it had never any of this accusation against me to cast in my face to my shame and confusion that I am wanting in Love to the blessed God O could I but Love God with such a powerful Love as his Love and Goodness should command I should no more question my sincerity nor doubt any more of his Love to me How freely then should I acknowledge his grace and how heartily should I give him thanks for my justification sanctification and adoption which now I mention with doubt and fear O how it would lift up my soul unto his praise and make it my delight to speak good of his name What a purifying fire would Love be in my breast to burn up my corruptions It will endure nothing to enter or abide within me that is contrary to the will and interest of my Lord but hate every motion that tendeth to dishonour and displease him It would fill my soul with so much of Heaven as would make me long to be in Heaven and make death welcome which is now so terrible Instead of these withdrawing shrinking fears I should desire to depart and to be with Christ as being best of all O how easily should I bear any burthen of reproach or loss or want when I thus Loved God and were assured of his Love How light would the Cross be And how honourable and joyful would it seem to be imprisoned reviled spit upon and buffeted for the sake of Christ How desirable would the flames of Martyrdom seem for the testifying of my love to him that loved me at dearer rates than I can love him Lord is there no more of this blessed life of Love to be attained here on earth When all the world reveals thy Goodness when thy Son hath come down to declare thy love in so full and wonderful a manner When thy word hath opened us a window into Heaven where afar off we may discern thy Glory yet shall our hearts be clods and ice O pitty this unkind unnatural soul This dead insensible disaffected soul Teach me by thy spirit the art of Love Love me not only so as to convince me that I have abundant cause to Love thee above all but Love me so as to constrain me to it by the magnetical attractive power of thy Goodness and the insuperable operations of thy omnipotent Love § 41. Direct 18. In thy Meditations upon all these incentives of Love preach them over earnestly to Direct 18. thy Heart and expostulate and plead with it by way of soliloquy till thou feel the fire begin to burn Do not only Think on the Arguments of Love but dispute it out with thy Conscience and by expostulating earnest reasonings with thy heart endeavour to affect it There is much more moving force in this earnest talking to our selves than in bare cogitation that breaks not out into mental words Imitate the most powerful Preacher that ever thou wast acquainted with And just as he pleadeth the case with his hearers and urgeth the truth and duty on them by reason and importunity so do thou in secret with thy self There is more in this than most Christians are aware of or use to practise It is a great part of a Christians skill and duty to be a good preacher to himself This is a lawful and a gainful way of preaching No body here can make question of thy call nor deny thee a License nor silence thee if thou silence not thy self Two or three sermons a week from others is a fair proportion but two or three sermons a day from thy self is ordinarily too little Therefore I have added soliloquies to many of these Directions for Love to shew you how by such pleadings with your selves to affect your hearts and kindle Love § 42. And O that this might be the happy fruit of these Directions with thee that art now reading or hearing them That thou wouldst but offer up thy flaming Heart to Jesus Christ our Great High-Priest to be presented an acceptable sacrifice to God! Or if it flame not in Love as thou desirest yet give it up to the Holy Spirit to increase the flames Thou little knowest how much God setteth by a Heart He calleth to thee himself My son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. Without it he cares not for any thing that thou canst give him He cares not for thy fairest words without it He cares not for thy lowdest prayers without it He cares not for thy costliest alms or sacrifices if he have not thy heart If thou give all thy goods to
in our practice 99. For it is specially to be noted that the Doctrinal or Objective means of Love which Christ doth use and his internal spiritual influx do concur And his way is not to work on us by his spirit alone without those objects nor yet by the objects without the spirit nor by both distinctly and dividedly as producing several effects But by both conjunctly for the same effect The spirits influx causing us effectually to improve the objects and reasons of our Love As the hand that useth the seal and the seal it self make one impression 100. As Christ began to win our Love to God by the excitation of our self love multiplying and revealing Gods mercies to our selves so doth he much carry it on to increase the same way For while every day addeth fresh experience of the greatness of Gods Love to us by this we have a certain Tast that God is Love and Good in Himself and so by degrees we learn to Love him more for himself and to improve our notional esteem of his Essential Goodness into Practical 101. Though Faith it self is not wrought in us without the Holy Ghost nor is it if sincere a common gift yet this operation of the spirit drawing us to Christ by such arguments and means as are fitted to the work of believing is different from the Consequent Covenant-right to Christ and the spirit which is given to Believers and from the spirit of Adoption as recovering us as aforesaid to the Love of God 102. In this last sense it is that the Holy Ghost is said to dwell in Believers and to be the new name the pledge the earness the first fruits of life eternal the witness of our right to Christ and life and Christs agent and witness in us to maintain his cause and interest 103. Even as a man that by sickness hath lost his Appetite to meat is told that such a physicion will cure him if he will take a certain medicinal food that he will give him And at first he taketh it without appetite to the food or medicine in it self but meerly for the Love of health but after he is doubly brought to Love it for it self First because he hath tasted the sweetness of that which he did but see before and next because his health and appetite is recovered so is it with the soul as to the Love of God procured by believing When we have tasted through the perswasion of self-love our tast and recovery cause us to Love God for himself 104. When the soul is risen to this Habitual predominant Love of GOD and Holiness as such for their own Goodness above its own felicity as such though ever in conjunction with it and as his felicity it self then is the Law written in the Heart and this Love is the virtual fullfilling of all the Law And for such it is that it is said that the Law is not made that is In that measure that they Love the Good for it self they need not be moved to it with threats or Promises of extrinsick things which work but by self-love and fear Not but that Divine Authority must concur with Love to produce obedience especially while Love is but imperfect but that Love is the highest principle making the commanded Good connatural to us 105. And I think it is this spirit of Adoption and Love which is called The Divine Nature in us as it inclineth us to Love God and Holiness for it self as Nature is inclined to self-love and to food and other necessaries Not that the specifick essential Nature that is substance or form of the soul is changed and man Deified and he become a God that was before a man But his humane Soul or Nature is elevated or more perfected as a sick man by health or a blind man by his sight by the spirit of God inclining him habitually to God himself as in and for himself And this is all which the publisher of Sir H. Vanes notions of the two Covenants and two Natures can soundly meâ—n and seemeth to grope after 106. By all this you see that as the Love of God hath a double self-love in us to deal with so it dealeth variously with each 1. Sensual inordinate self-love it destroyeth both as it consisteth in the inordinate Love of sensual pleasure and in the inordinate love of self or life 2. Lawful and just self-love it increaseth and improveth to our further good but subjecteth it to the highest purest Love of God 107. By this you may gather what a confirmed Christian is even one in whom the pure Love of God as God and all things for God is predominant and more potent than not only the vicious but also the good and lawful and necessary love of himself 108. Though Christians therefore must study themselves and keep up a care of their own salvation yet must they much more study God his Greatness Wisdom and Goodness as shining in his works and word and in his Son and as foreseen in the Heavenly Glory And in this knowledge of God and Christ is life eternal And nothing more tendeth to the holy advancement and perfection of the soul than to keep continually due apprehensions of the Divine Nature Properties and Glorious appearances in his works upon the Soul so as it may become a constant course of contemplation and the habit and constitution of the mind and the constant guide of Heart and Life 109. The attainment of this would be a tast of Heaven on Earth Our wills would follow the will of God and Rest therein and abhor reluctancy All our duty would be both quickned and sweetned with Love Self-interest would be disabled from either seducing us to sin or vexing us with griefs cares fears or discontents We should so far trust soul and body in the Will and Love of God as to be more comforted that both are at his will than if they were absolutely at our own And GOD being our All the constant fixing satisfying object of our Love our souls would be constantly fixed and satisfied and live in such experience of the sanctifying grace of Christ as would most powerfully conquer our unbelief and in such foretasts of Heaven as would make Life sweet Death wellcome and Heaven unspeakably desirable to us But it is not the meer Love of personal Goodness as our own perfection that would do all this upon us 110. The soul that is troubled with doubts whether he Love God as God or only as a means of his own felicity in subordination to self-love must thus resolve his doubts If you truly believe that God is God that is the Efficient Dirigent and Final cause the just end of every rational agent the Infinite Good and chiefly to be loved in comparison of whom you are vile contemptible and as nothing If you feelingly take your self as lothsome by sin If you would not take up with an everlasting sensual pleasure alone without Holiness if you could
Unbelief is one of the Causes of them and the sinfullest Cause § 2. And that the Article of Remission of sin is to be Believed with application to our selves is certain The Article of Remission of sin to be believed applyingly But not with the application of Assurance Perswasion or Belief that we are already pardoned but with an applying Acceptance of an offered pardon and Consent to the Covenant which maketh it ours We believe that Christ hath purchased Remission of sin and made a Conditional Grant of it in his Gospel to all viz. if they will Repent and Believe in him or take him for their Saviour or become Penitent Christians And we consent to do so and to accept it on these terms And we believe that all are actually pardoned that thus consent § 3. By all this you may perceive that those troubled Christians which doubt not of the truth of the Word of God but only of their own sincerity and consequently of their Justification and Salvation do ignorantly complain that they have not faith or that they cannot believe For it is no act of unbelief at all for me to doubt whether my own heart be sincere This is my ignorance of my self but it is not any degree of unbelief For Gods Word doth no where say that I am sincere and therefore I may doubt of this without doubting of Gods Word at all And let all troubled Christians know that they have no more unbelief in them than they have doubting or unbelief of the truth of the Word of God Even that despair it self which hath none of this in it hath no unbelief in it iâ— there be any such I thought it needful thus far to tell you what unbelief is before I come to give you Directions against it And though the meer doubting of our own sincerity be no unbelief at all yet real unbelief of the very truth of the Holy Scriptures is so common and dangerous a sin and some degree of it is latent in the best that I think we can no way so much further the work of Grace as by destroying this The weakness of our faith in the truth of Scriptures and the remnant of our unbelief of it is the principal cause of all the languishings of our Love and Obedience and every Grace and to strengthen faith is to strengthen all What I have â—ullier written in my Saints Rest Part 2. and my Treatise against Infidelity I here suppose § 4. Direct 1. Consider well how much of Religion Nature it self teacheth and Reason without Direct 1. supernatural Revelation must needs confess as that there is another life which man was made for and that he is obliged to the fullest Love and Obedience to God and the rest before laid down 〈…〉 in the world are perpetual visible Evidences in my eyes of the truth of the Holy Scriptures 1 That there should be so Universal and implacable a hatred against the godly in the common sort â—f unrenewed men in all Agâ—â— and Nations of the Earâ—h when thâ—se men deserve so well of them and do them no wrong â—s a visible proof of Adams fall and he 〈◊〉 of a Saviour and a Sanctifier 2 That all those who are seriously Christians should be so far renewed and recovered from the common corruption as their heavenly â—inds and lives and their wonderful difference from other men sheweth this is a visible proof that Christianity is of God 3. That God doth â—o â—lainly shew a particular special Providence in the converting and confirming souls by differencing Grace and work on the soul as the sanctified feel doth shew that indeed the work is his 4. That God doth so plainly grant many of his Servants prayers by special Providences doth prove his owning them and his 〈◊〉 5. That God suffereth his Servants in all times and places ordinarily to suffer so much for his Love and Service from the world and flâ—sh dâ—â—h shew that there is a Judgement and Rewards and Punishments hereafter Or else our highest duty would be our greatest losâ— and thâ—n how should his Government of men be just 6. That the Renewed Nature which maketh men better and therefore is of God doth wholly look at the life to come and lead us to â—t and live upon it this sheweth that such a life there is or else this would be delusory and vain and Goodness it self would be a deceit 7. When it is undenyable that de facto esse the world is not Governed without the Hopes and Fears of another life almost all Nations among the Heathens believing iâ— and shewing by their very worshipping their dead Heroes as Gods that they believed that their soulâ— did live and even the wicked generally being restrained by those hopes and fears in themselves And also that de posse it is not pâ—â—â—â—ible the world should be governed agreeably to mans rational nature without the hopes and fears of another life But men would be wâ—â—se than Beasts and all Villanies would be the allowed practice of the world As every man may feel in himself what he were like to be and do if he had no such restraint And there being no Doctrine or Life comparable to Christianity in their tendency to the life to come All these are visible staâ—ding evidences assisted so much by common sense and reason and still apparent to all that they leave Infidelity without excuse and are ever at hand to help our faith and resist temptations to unbelief 8. And if the world had not had a Beginning according to the Scriptures 1. We should have found Monuments of Antiquity above sâ—x thousand years old 2. Arts and Sciences would have come to more perfection and Printing Guns c. not have been of so late invention 3. And so much of America and other parts of the world would not have been yet uninhabited unplanted or undiscovered Of Aâ—heâ—sm I have spoken before in the Introduction and Nature so clearly revealeth a God that I take it as almost needless to say much of it to sober men in the Introduction And then observe how congruously the doctrine of Christ comes in to help where Nature is at a loss and how exactly it suits with Natural Truths and how clearly it explaineth them and fully containeth so much of them as are necessary to salvation and how suitable and proper a means it is to attain their Ends and how great a testimony the Doctrines of Nature and Grace do give unto each other § 5. Direct 2. Consider that mans End being in the life to come and God being the righteous and Direct 2. merciful Governour of man in order to that End it must needs be that God will give him sufficient means to know his will in order to that end And that the clearest fullest means must needs demonstrate most of the Government and Mercy of God § 6. Direct 3. Consider what full and sad experience the world hath of its pravity and great
is meant by Flesh here And 2. What flesh-pleasing it is that is unlawful and what sensuality is 3. Wherein the Malignity of this sin consisteth 4. I shall answer some Objections 5. I shall shew you the Signs of it 6. The Counterfeits of the contrary 7. And the false Signs which make some accused wrongfully by themselves or others § 2. I. Because you may find in Writings between the Protestants and Papists that its become a Controversie whether by flesh in Scripture where this sin is mentioned be meant the Body it What is meant by â—lesh self or the soul so far as it is unregenerate I shall briefly first resolve this question When we speak of the unregenerate part we mean not that the soul hath two parts whereof one is regenerate and the other unregenerate But as the purblind eye hath both Light and Darkness in the same subject so is it with the soul which is regenerate but in part that is in an imperfect degree And by the unregenerate part is meant the whole soul so far as it is unregenerate The word flesh in its primary signification is taken for that part of the Body as such without respect to sin and next for the whole body as distinct from the soul. But in respect to sin and duty it is taken 1. Sometime for the sensitive appetite not as sinful in it self but as desiring that which God hath obliged Reason to deny it 2. More frequently for this sensitive appetite as inordinate and so sinful in its own desires 3. Most frequently for both the inordinate sensitive appetite it self and the Rational powers so far as they are corrupted by it and sinfully disposed to obey it or to follow inordinately sensual things But then the Name is primarily taken for the sensual appetite it self as diseased and but by participation for the Rational powers For the understanding of which you must consider 1. That the appetite it self might innocently even in innocency desire a forbidden object when it was not the Appetite that was forbidden but the Desire of the Will or the actual taking it That a man in a Feavor doth Thirst for more than he may lawfully drink is not of it self a sin But to Desire it by Practical Volition or to Drink it is a sin For it is these that God forbids and not the Thirst which is not in our power to extinguish That Adam had an Appetite to the forbidden fruit was not his sin but that his will obeyed his appetite and his mouth did eat For the Appetite and sensitive nature is of God and is in nature antecedent to the Law God made us Men before he gave us Laws And the Law commandeth us not to alter our selves from what he made us or any thing else which is naturally out of our power But it is the sin of the will and executive powers to do that evil which consisteth in obeying an innocent Appetite The Appetite is necessary and not free and therefore God doth not direct his commands or prohibitions to it directly but to the Reason and free-will 2. But since mans fall the Appetite it self is corrupted and become inordinate that is more impetuous violent and unruly than it was in the state of Innocency by the unhappy distempers that have befallen the Body it self For we find now by experience that a man that useth himself to sweet and wholsom temperance hath no such impetuous strivings of his Appetite against his reason if he be healthful as those have that are either diseased or used to obey their appetites And if Use and Health make so great alteration we have cause to think that the Depravation of Nature by the Fall did more 3. This inordinate appetite is sin by Participation so far as the Appetite may be said to be Free by participation though not in it self Because it is the Appetite of a Rational free-agent For though sin be first in the will in its true form yet it is not the will only that is the subject of it though primarily it be but the whole man so far as his acts are Voluntary For the will hath the Command of the other faculties and they are Voluntary acts which the will either commands or doth not forbid when it can and ought To lye is a voluntary sin of the man and the tongue partaketh of the guilt The will might have kept out that sin which caused a disorder in the appetite If a Drunkard or a Glutton provoke a venerous inordinate appetite in himself that lust is his sin because it is voluntarily provoked 4. Yet such additions of inordinacy as men stir up in any Appetite by their own actual sins and customs are more aggravated and dangerous to the soul than that measure of distemper which is meerly the fruit of original sin 5. This inordinateness of the sensitive Appetite with the meer Privation of Rectitude in the Mind and Will is enough to cause mans Actual sin For if the Horses be headstrong the meer weakness sleepiness negligence or absence of the Coachman is enough to concur to the overthrow of the Coach So if the Reason and Will had no Positive inclinations to evil or sensual objects yet if they have not so much Light and Love to higher things as will restrain the sensual appetite it hath positive inclination enough in it self to forbidden things to ruine the soul by actual sin 6. Yet though it be a great controversie among Divines I conceive that in the Rational Powers themselves there are Positive habitual inordinate inclinations to sensual forbidden things For as actually its certain the Reason of the Proud and Covetous do contrive and oft approve the sin and the Will embrace it so these are done so constantly in a continued stream of action by the whole man that it â—eems apparent that the same faculties which run out out in such strong and constant action are themselves the subjects of much of the inclining Positive habits And if it be so in additional acquired sin its like it was so in Original sin 7. Though sin be formally subjected first in the Will yet Materially it is first in the sensitive appetite at least this sin of Flesh-pleasing or sensuality is The flesh or sensitive part is the first Desirer though it be sin no further than it is voluntary 8. All this set together telleth you further that the word flesh signifieth the sensual inclinations of the whole man but first and principally the corrupted sensual appetite and the Mind and Wills whether Privative or Positive concurrence but secondarily and as falling in with sense The Appetite 1. Preventeth Reason 2. And resisteth reason 3. And at last corrupteth and enticeth Reason and Will to be its servants and purveyors § 3. And that the name flesh doth primarily signifie the sensitive appetite it self is evident in the very notation of the name Why else should the Habits or Vices of the Rational powers be called Flesh
You will not leave it nasty and unclean You will not leave it common to every dirty unsuitable companion to intrude at pleasure and disturb your friend So Love and Pleasure will be readily and composedly careful to keep clean the heart and shut out vain and filthy thoughts and say This room is for a better guest Nothing shall come here which my Lord abhorreth Is he willing so wonderfully to condescend as to take up so mean a habitation and shall I streighten him or offend him by letting in his noysome enemies Will he dwell in my heart and shall I suffer thoughts of pride or lust or malice to dwell with him or to enter in Are these fit companions for the spirit of grace Do I delight to grieve him I know as soon as ever they come in he will either resist them till he drive them out again or he will go out himself And shall I drive away so dear a friend for the love of a filthy pernicious enemy Or do I delight in warr Would I have a continual combat in my heart Shall I put the spirit of Christ to fight for his habitation against such an ignominous foe Indeed there is no true cure for sinful vain unprofitable thoughts but by the contrary by calling up the thoughts unto their proper work and finding them more profitable employment And this is by consecrating the Heart and them entirely to the Love and service of him that hath by the wonders of his Love and by the strange design of his purchase and merits so well deserved them Let Christ come in and deliver him the Key and pray him to keep thy heart as his own and he will cast out buyers and sellers from his temple and will not suffer his house of prayer to be a den of thieves But if you receive Christ with reserves and keep up designs for the world and flesh marvel not if Christ will be no partners with them but leave all to those guests which you would not leave for him Tit. 2. Directions to furnish the Mind with good Thoughts 〈…〉 TO have the mind well furnished with Matter for holy and profitable thoughts is necessary to all that have the use of Reason though not to all alike But I shall here present you only with such materials as are necessary to a holy life and to be used in our daily walk with God and not meddle with such as are proper to Pastors Magistrates or other special callings though I may give some general Directions also for Students in the End of this § 1. Direct 1. Understand well your own Interest and great Concernments and be well resolved what Direct 1. you live for and what is your true felicity and End and then this will command your Thoughts to 1. Our own Interest and End serve it The End is it that the Means are all chosen for and used for A mans estimation directeth his Intention and designs And his Intention and designs command his thoughts These will certainly have the first and chiefest the most serious and practical and effectual thoughts though some by thoughts may run out another way As the Miller will be sure to keep so much water as is necessary to grind his grist though he may let that run by which he thinks he hath no need of As you gather in all your Corn and Fruit for your selves at harvest though perhaps you will leave some scatterings which you do not value much for any that will to gather so whatever a man taketh for his ultimate end and true felicity will have the store and stream of his cogitations though he may scatter some few upon other things when he thinks he may do it without any detriment to his main design As a travellers face is ordinarily towards his journeys end though so far as he thinks it doth not stop him he may look behind him or on each side so our main end will in the main carry on our thoughts And therefore unholy souls that know not practically any higher end than the prosperity and pleasure of the flesh and the plenty and honour of the world cannot possibly exercise any holy Government over their thoughts but their minds and consciences are defiled and their thoughts made carnal as is their end Nor is there any possibility of curing their vicious wicked thoughts and of ordering them acceptably to God but by curing their worldly carnal minds and causing them to change their designs and ends And this must be by understanding what is their interest Know well but what it is that is most Necessary for you and Best for you and it will change your hearts and save your souls Know this and your Thoughts will never want matter to be employed on nor will they be suffered to wander much abroad Therefore it is that the expectation of death and the thought of coming presently to judgement do use more effectually to supply the mind with the wisest and most useful thoughts than the learnedst Book or ordinary means can That which tells a man best what he hath to do doth best tell him what he hath to think on But the approach of death and the appearance of eternity doth best tell a dull and fleshly sinner what he hath to do This tells and tells him roundly that he must presently search his heart and life and judge himself as one that is going to the final judgement and that it is high time for him to look out for the remedy for his sin and misery c. And therefore it will command his thoughts this way Ask any Lawyer Physicion or Tradesman what commands his Thoughts and you will find that his Interest and his Ends and work command them Know what it is to have an immortal soul that must live in Joy or Wo for ever and what it is to be alwayes so near to the irreversible determining sentence and what it is to have this short uncertain time and no more to make our preparation in and then its easie to foretell which way your thoughts will go A man that knoweth his house is on fire will be thinking how to quench it A man that knoweth he is entring into a mortal sickness will be thinking how to cure it There is no better way to have your Thoughts both furnished and acted aright than to know your Interest and right End § 2. Direct 2. Know God aright and behold him by the eye of an effectual faith and you shall never Direct 2. want matter for holy thoughts His Greatness and continual presence with you may command your 2. God thoughts and awe them and keep them from masterless vagaries His wisdom will find them continual employment upon the various excellent and delectable subjects of his natural and supernatural revelation but no where so much as upon himself In God thou maist find matter for thy cogitations and affections most high and excellent delighting the mind with
to quicken them which should be used when your minds grow dull or barren When your minds 19. All Ordinances and Means of Grace are empty and you cannot pump up plentiful matter for holy thoughts the reading of a seasonable book or conference with a full experienced Christian will furnish you with matter so will the hearing of a profitable Sermon and sometime prayer will do more than meditation And weak-headed persons of small knowledge and shallow memories must fetch the matter of their meditations thus more frequently from reading and conference than others need to do As they can hold but a little at a time so they must go the ofter As he that goeth to the Water with a Spoon or a Dish must go ofter than they that go with a more capacious vessel Others can carry a store-house of meditation still about them but persons of very small knowledge and memory must have their meditations fed by others as infants by the spoon Therefore a little and often is the best way both for their Reading or hearing and for their holy thoughts How great a mercy is it that weak Christians have such store of helps that when their heads are empty they have books and friends that are not empty from whence they may fetch help as they want it and that their hearts are not empty of the Love of God which enclineth them to do more than their parts enable them to do § 20. Direct 20. If all these do not sufficiently furnish your meditations look through the world Direct 20. and see what a multitude of miserable souls do call for your compassion and daily prayers for their relief 20. The miserable sinful world Think on the many nations that lie in the darkness of Idolatry and Infidelity It is not past the sixth part of the world that are Christians of any sort The other five parts are Heathens and Mahometans and some few Jews And of this sixth part it s but a small part that are Reformed from Popery and such corruptions as the Eastern and Southern Christians also are too much defiled with And in the Reformed Churches how common is profaneness and worldliness and how few are acquainted with the power of Godliness What abundance of ignorant and ungodly persons be there who hate the power and practice of that Religion which they profess themselves they hope to be saved by as if they hoped to be saved for hating persecuting and disobeying it And among those that seem more serious and obedient how many are hypocrites And how many are possest with pride and self-conceitedness which breaketh forth into unruliness contentions and uncharitableness factions and divisions in the Church How many Christians are ignorant passionate weak unprofitable and too many scandalous And how few are judicious prudent heavenly charitable peaceable humble meek laborious and fruitful who set themselves wholly to be good and to do good And of these few how few are there that are not exercised under heavy afflictions from God or cruel persecutions from ungodly men What tyranny is exercised by the Turk without and the Pope within upon the sincerest followers of Christ. Set all this together and tell me whether thy compassionate Thoughts or thy Prayers do need to go out for want of fewel or matter to feed upon from day to day Tit. 3. Directions how to make good Thoughts effectual or General Directions for Meditation HEre some Directions are preparatory and some about the Work it self § 1. Direct 1. Be sure that Reason maintain its authority in the command and government of Direct 1. your thoughts and that they be not left masterless to fancy and passion and objects to carry them which way they please Diseased melancholy and crazed persons have almost no power over their own Thoughts They cannot command them to what they would have them exercised about nor call them off from any thing that they run out upon but they are like an unruly horse that hath a weak rider or hath cast the rider or like a masterless dog that will not go or come at your command Whereas our Thoughts should be at the direction of our Reason and the command of the will to go and come off as soon as they are bid As you see a student can rule his Thoughts all day he can appoint them what they shall meditate on and in what order and how long So can a Lawyer a Physicion and all sorts of men about the matters of their arts and callings And so it should be with a Christian about the matters of his soul All Rules of Direction are to little purpose with them whose Reason hath lost its power in governing their thoughts If I tell a man that is deeply melancholy Thus and thus you must order your thoughts He will tell me that he cannot His thoughts are not in his power If you would give never so much he is not able to forbear thinking of that which is his disturbance nor to command his thoughts to that which you direct him nor to think but as he doth even as his disease and trouble moveth him And what good will precepts do to such Grace and doctrine and exhortation work by Reason and the commanding will If a holy person could manage his practical heart-raising meditations but as orderly and constantly and easily as a carnal covetous Preacher can manage his thoughts in studying the same things for carnal ends to make a gain of them or to win applause how happily would our work go on And is it not sad to think that carnal ends should do so much more than spiritual about the same things § 2. Direct 2. Carefully avoid the disease of melancholy for that dethroneth Reason and disableth it Direct 2. to rule the thoughts Distraction wholly disableth but melancholy disableth only in part according to the measure of its prevalencie and therefore leaveth some room for advice § 3. Direct 3. Take heed of sloth and negligence of the will whereby the directions of Reason will be Direct 3. unexecuted for want of Resolution and command and so every temptation will carry away the thoughts A lazy coachman will let the horses go which way they list because he will not strive with them and will break his neck to save his labour If when you feel unclean or worldly thoughts invade your minds you will not give your wills the allarm and rise up against them and Resolutely command them out you will be like a lazy person that lieth in bed while he seeth Thieves robbing his house and will let all go rather than he will rise and make resistance A sign that he hath no great riches to lose or else he would stir for it And if you see your duty on what your Thoughts should be employed and will not resolutely call them up and command them to their work you will be like a sluggard that will let all his servants lie in bed as
well as he because he will not speak to call them You see by daily experience that a mans Thoughts are much in the power of his will and made to obey it If money and honour or the delight of knowing can cause a wicked Preacher to command his own thoughts on good things as aforesaid you may command yours to the same things if you will but as resolutely exercise your authority over them § 4. Direct 4. Use not your Thoughts to take their liberty and be ungovered For use will make them Direct 4. â—ead-strong and not regard the voice of Reason and it will make Reason careless and remiss Use and custome hath great power on our minds where we use to go our path is plain but where there is no use there is no way Where the water useth to run there is a chanel It s hard ruling those that are used to be unruly If use will do so much with the tongue as we find in some that use to curse and swear and speak vainly and in others that use to speak soberly and religiously in some that by use can speak well in conference preaching or praying many hours together when others that use it not can do almost nothing that way why may it not much prevail with the thoughts § 5. Direct 5. Take heed lest the senses and appetite grow too strong and master Reason for if they Direct 5. do they will at once dispâ—ssess it of the government of the thoughts and will bruiâ—ishly usurp the power themselves As when a rebellious army deposeth a King they do not only cast off the yoak of subjection themselves but dissolve the Government as to all other subjects and usually usurpe it themselves and make themselves Governors If once you be servants to your fleshly appetites and sense your Thoughts will have other work to do and another way to go when you call them to holy and necessary things Especially when the entising objects are at hand You may as well expect a clod to ascend like fire or a swine to delight in temperance as a glutton or drunkard or fornicator to delight in holy contemplation Reason and Flesh cannot both be the Governors § 6. Direct 6. Keep under passions that they depose not Reason from the Government of your thoughts Direct 6. I told you before how they cause evil thoughts and as much will they hinder good Four passions are especial enemies to meditation 1. Anger 2. Perplexing Grief 3. Disturbing Fear 4. But above all excess of Pleasure in any worldly fleshly thing Who can think that the mind is fit for holy contemplation when it flames with wrath or is distracted with grief and care or trembleth with fear or is drunk with pleasure Grief and fear are the most harmless of the four yet all hinder Reason from governing the thoughts § 7. Direct 7. Evil habits are another great hindrance of Reasons command over our thoughts Labor Direct 7. therefore diligently for the cure of this disease Though Habits do not necessitate they strongly encline And when every good thought must go against a strong and constant inclination it will weary Reason to drive on the soul and you can expect but small success § 8. Direct 8. Urgent and oppressing busyness doth almost necessitate the thoughts Therefore avoid Direct 8. as much as you can such urgencies when you would be free for meditation Let your thoughts have as little diverting matter as may be at those times when you would have them entire and free for God § 9. Direct 9. Crowds and ill company are no friends to meditation Choose therefore the quietness Direct 9. of solitude when you would do much in this As it is ill studying in a croud and unseasonable before a multitude to be at secret prayer except some short ejaculations so is it as unmeet a season for holy meditation The mind that is fixedly employed with God or about things spiritual had need of all possible freedom and peace to retire into it self and abstract it self from alien things and seriously intend its greater work § 10. Direct 10. Above all take heed of sinful Interests and designs for these are the garison of Satan Direct 10. and must be battered down before any holy cogitations can take place He that is set upon a design of rising or of growing rich hath something else to do than to entertain those sober thoughts of things eternal which are destructive of his carnal design § 11. Direct 11. The impediments of Reasons authority being thus removed distinguish between your Direct 11. occasional and your stated ordinary course of thoughts And as your hands have their ordinary stated course of labour and every day hath its employment which you fore-expect so let your Thoughts know where is their proper chanel and their every daies work and let holy prudence appoint out proportionable time and service for them What a life will that man live that hath no known course of labour but only such as accidentally he is called to His work must needs be uncertain various unprofitable and uncomfortable and next to none And he that hath not a stated course of employment for his thoughts will have them do him little service Consider first how much of the day is usually to be spent in common busyness And then consider whether it be such as taketh up your thoughts as well as your hands or such as leaveth your thoughts at liberty as a Lawyer a Physicion a Merchant and most Tradsemen must employ their Thoughts to the well-doing of their work And these must be the more desirous of a seasonable vacant hour for meditation because their thoughts must be otherwise employed all the rest of the day But a Weaver a Taylor and some other Tradsemen and day-labourers may do their work well and yet have their thoughts free for better things a great part of the day These must contrive an ordinary way of employment for their thoughts when their work doth not require them and they need no other time for meditation The rest must entertain some short occasional meditations intermixt with their busyness but they cannot then have time for more solemn meditation which differeth from the other as a set prayer from a short ejaculation or a Sermon from an occasional short discourse They that have more time for their thoughts must before-hand prudently consider how much time it is best to spend in meditation for the increase of Knowledge and how much for the exercise of holy affections and on what subject and in what order and so to know their ordinary work § 12. Direct 12. Lay your selves under the urgencie of necessity and the power of those motives which Direct 12. should most effectually engage your thoughts In the foresaid instance what is it that makes a wicked preacher that he can study Divine things orderly from year to year but that he is still under the
the Christian faith and in taking better Rooting than you had at your first believing and in growing upward into a greater knowledge of God and into greater Love of him and heavenly mindedness and then in growing up to greater skill and ability and readiness to do him service in the world Know as much as you can know of the works of God and of the languages and customs of the world but still remember that to know God in Christ better is the growth which you must daily study And when you know them most you have still much more need to know better these great things which you know already than to know more things which you never knew The Roots of faith may still increase and the branches and fruits of Love may be still greater and sweeter As long as you live you may still know better the Reasons of your Religion though not better Reasons and you may know better how to use your knowledge And whatever you know let it be that you may be led up to Know God more or Love him more or serve him better § 11. Direct 5. With fear and detestation watch and resolve against all carnal worldly ends and see that your hearts be not captivated by your fleshly interest nor grow not to a high esteem of the pleasures or profits or honours of this world nor to relish any fleshly accommodations as very pleasant and desirable but that you take up with God and the hopes of Glory as your satisfying portion and follow Christ as Cross-bearers denying your selves and dead to the world and resolved and prepared to forsake all for his sake § 12. These are words that you can easily say your selves but these are things that are so hardly Direct 5. learnt that many of the most Learned and Reverend perish for want of being better acquainted with them And I shall never take that man to be wisely learned that hath not learnt to scape damnation Christs Cross is to be learned before your Alphabet To impose the Cross is quickly learnt but to learn to bear it is the difficulty To lay the Cross on others is to be the followers of Pilate but to bear it when it is laid on us is to be the followers of Christ. If you grow corrupted with a love of honour and riches and preferment and come to the study of Divinity with a fleshly worldly mind and End you will but serve Satan while you seem to be seeking after God and damn your souls among the doctrines and means of salvation and go to God for materials to chain you faster to the Devil and steal a nail from Divinity to fasten your ears unto his door And you little know how Iudas's gain will gripe and torment the awakened Conscience and how the rust will witness against you and how it will eat your flesh as fire Iam. 5. 3. § 13. Direct 6. Digest all that you know and turn it into holy Habits and expect that success Direct 6. first on your selves which if you were to Preach you would expect in others Remembring that knowing Primum contemplativae sapientiae rudimentum est meditati condisceâ—e loquitari dediscere Paul Scalig. Thes. p. 730. is not the end of knowing but it is as eating to the body where health and strength and service is the end § 14. Every Truth of God is his candle which he sets up for you to work by It is as food that is for Life and action You lose all the knowledge which ends in knowing To fill your head and common-place-book is not all that you have to do But to fortifie and quicken and enflame your hearts Good habits are the best provision for a Preacher The habits of the Mind are better than the best library But if the Habits of Heavenly love and life in the heart do not concur the Heart and life of a Preacher and a Scholar is wanting still for all your knowledge Study Pauls words 1 Cor. 8. 1. Knowledge pusseth up but charity edifieth If he had said that knowledge edifieth others and charity saveth our selves he would have said nothing that is strange But even as to edification charity hath the precedency § 15. Direct 7. Yea see that you excell the unlearned as much in Holiness as you do in knowledge Direct 7. unless you will perswade them that your knowledge is a useless worthless thing and unless you would be judged as unprofitable servants § 16. Every degree of Knowledge is for a further degree of Holiness Ten Talents must be improved to ten more They that know and do not are beaten with many stripes The Devils Schoars look on the godly that are unlearned with hatred and disdain and preach to their discouragement and disgrace and strive to set and keep true Godliness in the stocks But Christs Ministers love Holiness where ever they see it and are ashamed to think that the unlearned should be more holy and heavenly than they and strive to go beyond them as much in the use and ends of knowledge as in knowledge it self And with Austin lament that while the unlearned take Heaven by violence the learned are thrust out into Hell as thinking it is their part to know and teach and other mens to practise § 17. Direct 8. Cast not away a moment of your pretious time in idleness or impertinencies but Direct 8. follow your work diligently and with all your might § 18. I mean not that you should over-do and overthrow your brains and bodies nor forbear such sober exercise as is most necessary to your health For a sick body is an ill companion for a Student and much more a crazed brain But time-wasters are Lovers of pleasure or idleness more than of knowledge and holiness And wisdom falleth not into idle sluggish dreaming souls If you think it not worth your painfullest and closest studies you must take up with idle ignorance and go abroad with swelling Titles and empty brains as the deceivers and the scourges of the Church § 19. Direct 9. Keep up a Delight in all your studies and carry them not on in an unwilling weariness Direct 9. And if it be not by notable error in matter or method gratifie your delight with such things as you are best pleased with though they bring some smaller inconvenience because else your weariness may bring much more § 20. I know that a delight in sin and vanity is not to be gratified and force must be used with a backward mind in cases of necessity and weight But if it be but in the variety of subjects and the choice of pleasing studies which are profitable though simply some other might be fitter something is to be yielded to delight But especially the heart must be got to a delight in holy things And then time will be improved the memory will be helped much will be done and you will persevere And it will preserve the mind from temptations
you breed your own sorrow § 19. Object 5. But there is none that will not be angry sometime no not the best of you all Object 5. Answ. The sin is never the better because many commit it And yet if you live not where grace is Answ. a stranger you may see that there are many that will not be angry easily frequently furiously nor miss-behave themselves in their anger by railing or cursing or swearing or ill language or doing wrong to any § 20. Object 6. Doth not the Apostle say Be angry and sin not let not the Sun go down upon your Object 6. wrath Ephes. 4. 26. My wrath is down before the Sun therefore I sin not Answ. The Apostle never said that anger is never sinful but when it lasteth after Sun-setting Answ. But entertain no sinful anger at all but if you do yet quickly quench it and continue not in it Be not angry without or beyond cause and when you are yet sin not by uncharitableness or any evil words or deeds in your anger nor continue under the justest displeasure but hasten to be reconciled and to forgive These Reasons improved may rule your Anger Directions Practicall against sinful Anger § 1. Direct 1. The principal help against sinful anger is in the right habituating of the soul that Direct 1. you live as under the Government of God with the sense of his authority still upon your hearts and in the sense of that mercy that hath forgiven you and forbeareth you and under the power of his healing and assisting grace and in the life of Charity to God and man Such a Heart is continually fortified and carrieth its preservatives within it self as a wrathful man carrieth his incentives still within him There is the main cause of Wrath or Meeâ—ness § 2. Direct 2. Be sure that you keep a humbled soul that overvalueth not it self for Humility Direct 2. is patient and aggravateth not injuries But a proud man takes all things as â—einous or intolerable that are said or done against him He that thinks meanly of himself thinks meanly of all that is said or done against himself But he that magnifieth himself doth magnifie his provocations Pride is a most impatient sin There is no pleasing a proud person without a great deal of wit and care and diligence You must come about them as you do about Straw or Gunpowder with a Candle Prov. 13. 10. Only by pride cometh contention Prov. 28. 25. He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strise Prov. 21. 24. Proud and haughty scorner is his name who dealeth in proud wrath Psal. 31. 18. Let the lying lips be put to silence which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous Humility and meekness and patience live and dye together § 3. Direct 3. Take heed of a worldly covetous mind for that setteth so much by earthly things Direct 3. that every loss or crâ—ss or injury will be able to disquiet him and enflame his passion Neither neighbour nor child nor servant can please a covetous man Every little trespass or crossing his commodity toucheth him to the quick and maketh him impatient § 4. Direct 4. Stop your Passion in the beginning before it go too far It s easiest moderated at Direct 4. first Watch against the first stirrings of your wrath and presently command it down Reason and Will can do much if you will but use them according to their power A spark is sooner quenched than a flame and this Serpent is easiliest crushed in the spawn § 5. Direct 5. Command your tongue and hand and countenance if you cannot presently quiet or Direct 5. command your passion And so you will avoid the greatest of the sin and the passion it self will quickly be stifled for want of vent You cannot say that it is not in your power to hold your tongue or hands if you will Do not only avoid that swearing and cursing which are the marks of the prophane but avoid many words till you are â—itter to use them and avoid expostulations and contending and bitter opprobious cutting speeches which tend to stir up the wrath of others And use a mild and gentle speech which favoureth of Love and tendeth to asswage the heat that 's kindled Prov. 15. 1. A soft answer turneth away wrath but grievous words stir up anger And that which mollifieth and appeaseth another will much conduce to the appeasing of your selves § 6. Direct 6. At least command your self into quietness till Reason be heard speak and while you Direct 6. deliberate Be not so hasty as not to think what you say or do A little delay will abate the fury and give Reason time to do its office Prov. 25. 15. By long forbearing is a Prince perswaded and a soft answer breaketh the bone Patience will lenifie anothers wrath and if you use it but so long as a little to stay your selves till reason be awake it will lenifie your own And he is a fury and not a man that cannot stop while he considereth § 7. Direct 7. If you cannot easilier quiet or restrain your selves go away from the place and company Direct 7. And then you will not be heated by contending words nor exasperate others by your contending When you are alone the fire will asswage Prov. 14. 7. Go away from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge You will not stand still and stir in a Wasps Nest when you have enraged them § 8. Direct 8. Yea ordinarily avoid much talk or disputes or business with angry men as far as Direct 8. you can without avoiding your duty and avoid all other occasions and temptations to the sin A man that is in danger of a Feavor must avoid that which kindleth it Come not among the infected if Unicuique pertinacius contendenti justam habere causam permitte tacendoque contumaci cede sic uterque quieâ—i imperturbaâ—i paermanebitis Thauâ—er flor pag. 84. you fear the Plague Stand not in the Sun if you are too hot already Keep as far as you can from that which most provoketh you § 9. Direct 9. Meditate not on injuries or provoking things when you are alone suffer not your Direct 9. thoughts to feed upon them Else you will be Devils to your selves and tempt your selves when you have none else to tempt you and will make your solitude as provoking as if you were in company And you will be angring your selves by your own imaginations § 10. Direct 10. Keep upon your minds the lively thoughts of the exemplary meekness and patience of Direct 10. Iesus Christ who calleth you to learn of him to be meek and lowly Matth. 11. 28 29. Who being reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21 23. Who hath pronounced a special blessing on
that toucheth not the heart neither Is it loss of children or friends or is it pain and sickness I confess these are sore but yet they do not touch the heart If they come thither it is your doing and though thither they should come moderately if they are immoderate it is your own sinful doing It is you that grieve and make the heart ake God and man did but make the flesh ake If others hurt your bodys will you therefore vex your minds Will you pierce through your hearts because they touch your name or goods If so remember which part of your sorrow is of their making and which is of your own And can you for shame go beg of Gâ—d or man to ease the grief which you your selves are causing and willfully continue it while you pray against it And why lament you that which you cause and choose It is a shame to be willfully your own tormentâ—r◠§ 20. Direct 14. Abhor all that tendeth to take down the power and government of Reason that is Direct 14. all fâ—â—bleness and câ—wardize of mind and a melancholy a piâ—vish passionate disposition and labour to keep up the authâ—rity of Reason and to keep all your passions subject to your wills which must be done by Christian faith and fortitude If you come once to that childish or distracted pass as to grieve and say I cannot help it I know it is sinful and immoderate but I cannot choose if you say true you are out of the reach of counsel advice or comfort You are not to be preacht to nor talkt to nor to be written for we do not write Directions to teach men how to touch the Stars or explain the Asperites or inequalities of the Moon or the Opacous parts of Saturn or to govern the Orbs or rule the Chariot of the Sun If it be become a natural impossibility to you Doctrine can give you no remedy But if the impossibility be but Moral in the weakness of your Reason and want of consideration it may by Doctrine Consideration and Resolution be overcome You can do more if you will than you think you can How come you to lose the command of your Passions Did not God make you a rational creature that hath an understanding and will to rule all Passions How come you to have lost the Ruling power of Reason and will You would take it for a disparagement to be told that you have lâ—st the use of your Reason And is it not a principal use of it to Rule the passions and all other inferior subject powers You say you cannot choose but grieve But if one could give you that creature which you want or desire then you could choose You could rejoyce if one could restore you that Child that Friend that Estate which you have lost But God and Christ and Heaven it seems are not enough to cure you if you must have but theâ— you cannot choose but grieve And what hearts have you then that are thus affected Should not those hearts be rather grieved for God will sometime make you see that you had more power than you used § 21. Direct 15. Observe the mischiefs of excessive sorrow that you may feel what reason you have Direct 15. to avoid it While you know not what hurt is in it you will be the more remiss in your resisting it I shall briefly name you some of its unhappy fruits § 22. 1. It is a continual pain and sickness of the mind This you know by feeling 2. It is a The ill effects of sinful grieâ— destroyer of bodily health and life For worldly sorrow worketh death 2 Cor. 7. 10. Prov. 17. 22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine but a broken spirit dryeth the the bones 3. It putteth the soul out of relish with its mercies and so causeth us to undervalue them and consequently to be unthankful for them and not to improve them 4. It destroyeth the sense of the Love of God and lamentably undisposeth the soul to Love them And therefore should be abhorred by us were it but for that Even Anaâ—agoâ—as a Philosopher could say â—o one that asked him Nullâ—m tibi paâ—riae â—ura est Mihi quidem pâ—â—â—â—iae cura est quidem summa digitum 〈…〉 lum intendâ—ns Laâ—rt p 85. one effect 5. It destroyeth the joy in the Holy Ghost and unfitteth us to obey that command of God Rejoyce continually 6. It contradicteth a Heavenly mind and conversation and hindereth us from all foreâ—asts of the everlasting joys 7. It undisposeth us to the excellent work of Praise Who can ascend in the Praises of God while Grief doth oppress and captivate the soul 8. It destroyeth the sweetness of all Gods Ordinances Hearing Reading Prayer Sacraments we may force our selves to use them but shall have no delight in them 9. It hindreth the exercise of Faith and raiseth distrust and sinful doubts and fears within us 10. It causeth sinful discontents and murmurings at God and man 11. It maketh us impatient pievish froward angry and hard to be pleased 12. It weakneth the soul to all that 's good and destroyeth its fortitude and strength For it is the Ioy of the Lord that is our strength Neh. 8. 10. 13. It hindreth us in the duties of our callings who can do them as they should be done under the clog of a disquiet mind 14. It maketh us a grief and burden to our friends and robs them of the comfort which they should have in and by us 15. It maketh us unprofitable to others and hindreth us from doing the good we might when we should be instructing exhorting and praying for poor sinners or minding the Church of God we are all taken up at home about our own afflictions 16. It maketh us a stumbling block and scandal to the ungodly and hindreth their conversiion while the Devil setteth us before the Church doors to keep away the ungodly from a holy life as men set scar-crows in their fields and gardens to frighten away the birds 17. It dishonoureth Religion by making men believe that it is a melancholy vexatious self-tormenting life 18. It obscureth the Glory of the Gospel and crosseth the work of Christ his Spirit and Ministers who all come upon a message of Great joy to all Nations and proclaim Glad tidings to the worst of sinners much more to the sons of God and heirs of life 19. It misrepresenteth God himself as if we would perswade men that he is a hard and cruel master that none can please though they do all through a Mediator upon a covenant of grace and that it is worse with us since we served him than before and that he delighteth in our grief and misery and is against our peace and joy and as if there were no joy nor pleasure in his service Such hideous doctrine do our lives preach of God when those that profess to fear and seek him do live in such immoderate
Direct 6. It must be well considered how powerful and dangerous things sensible are and how Direct 6. high and hard a work it is in this our depraved earthly state to live by faith upon things unseen and to rule the sense and be carryed above it that so the soul may be awakened to a sufficient fear and watchfulness and may fly to Christ for assistance to his faith It is no small thing for a man in flesh to live above flesh The way of the souls reception and operation is so much by the senses here that its apt to grow too familiar with things sensible and to be strange to things which it never saw It s a great work to make a man in flesh to deny the pleasures which he seeth and tasteth and feeleth for such pleasures as he only heareth of and heareth of as never to be enjoyed till after death in a world which sense hath no acquaintance with O what a glory it is to faith that it can perform such a work as this How hard is it to a weak believer And the strongest find it work enough Consider this that it may awake you to set upon this work with that care that the greatness of it requireth and you may live by faith above a life of sight and sense For it is this that your Happiness or misery lyeth on § 9. Direct 7. Sense must not only be kept out of the Throne but from any participation in the Government Direct 7. and we must take heed of receiving it into our counsels or treating with it or hearing it plead its cause and we must see that it get nothing by striving importunity or violence but that it be governed despotically and absolutely as the Horse is governed by the Rider For if the Government once be halved between sense and reason your lives will be half bestial And when Reason ruleth not Faith and Grace ruleth not For faith is to reason as sight is to the eye There are no such Beasts in humane shape who lay by all the use of Reason and are governed by sense alone unless it be idcots or madmen But sense should have no part of the Government at all And where it is chief in power the Devil is there the unseen Governour You cannot here excuse your selves by any plea of necessity or corstcaint For though the sense be violent as well as entising yet God hath made the Reason and Will the absolute Governours under him and by all its rebellion and violence sense cannot depose them nor force them to one sin but doth all the mischief by procuring their consent Which is done sometime by affecting the fantasâ—e and passions too deeply with the pleasure and alluring sweetness of their objects that so the higher faculties may be drawn into consent and sometime by wearying out the resisting mind and will and causing them to remit their opposition and relax the reins and by a sinful privatiâ—n of restraint to permit the sense to take its course A head-strong Horse is not so easily ruled as one of a tender mouth that hath been well ridden And therefore though it be in the power of the Rider to rule him yet sometime for his own case he will loose the reins and a Horse that is used thus by a slothful or unskilful Rider to have his will when ever he striveth will strive when ever he is crossed of his will and so will be the Master As ill-bred Children that are used to have every thing given them which they cry for will be sure to cry before they will be crost of their desire So is it with our sensitive appetite If you use to satisfie it when it is eager or importunate you shall be mastered by its eagerness and importunity And if you use but to regard it over much and delay your commands till sense is heard and taken into counsel it s two to one but it will prevail or ar least will be very troublesome to you and prove a traytor in your bosome and its temptations keep you in continual danger Therefore be sure that you never loose the reins but keep sense under a constant government if you love either your safety or your ease § 10. Direct 8. You may know whether Sense or Faith and Reason be the chief in Government by Direct 8. knowing which of their objects is made your chiefest End and accounted your Best and loved and delighted in and sought accordingly If the objects of sense be thus taken for your Best and End then certainly sense is the chief in Government But if the objects of faith and Reason even God and life eternal be taken for your Best and End then faith and reason are the ruling power Though you should use never so great understanding and policy for sensual things as Riches and honour and worldly greatness or fleshly delights this doth not prove that Reason is the ruling power but proveth the ☜ more strongly that sense is the Conquerour and that Reason is depraved and captivated by it and truckleth under it and serveth it as a voluntary slave And the greater is your learning wit and parts and the nobler your education the greater is the victory and dominion of sense that can subdue and rule and serve it self by parts so noble § 11. Direct 9. Though sense must be thus absolutely ruled its proper power must neither be disabled Direct 9. prohibited nor denyed You must keep your Horse strong and able for his works though not head-strong and unruly And you must not keep him from the use of his strength though you grant him not the Government Nor will you deny but that he may be stronger than the Rider though the Rider have the ruling power He hath more of the power called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 natural power though the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be yours So is it here 1. No man must destroy his bodily sense The quickest sense is the best servant to the soul if it be not headstrong and too impetuous The Body must be stricken so far as to be kept under and brought into subjection 1 Cor. 9. 27. but not be disabled from its service to the soul 2. Nor must we forbid or forbear the exercise of the senses in subordination to the exercise of the interior senses Heb. 4. 14. It is indeed a smaller loss to part with a right hand or a right eye than with our salvation But that proveth not that we are put to such streights as to be necessitated to either unless persecution put us to it 3. Nor must we deny the certainty of the sensitive apprehension when it keepeth its place as the Papists do that affirm it necessary to salvation to believe that the sight and taste and smell and feeling of all men in the world that take the Sacrament are certainly deceived in taking that to be Bread and Wine which is not so For if all the senses of all
stealeth from beauty and ornaments a spark to kindle that fire which prepareth for everlasting fire 3. Take heed of a greedy covetous eye which with Achan and Gehezi looketh on the bait to tempt you to unlawful love and desire and to bring you by their sin unto their ruine 4. Take heed of a Luxurious Gluttonous and Drunken eye which is looking on the forbidden fruit and on the tempting dish and the delicious cup till it have provoked the appetite of that greedy worm which must be pleased though at the rate of thy damnation 5. Take heed of a gazing wandring eye which like a vagrant hath no home nor work nor master Prov. 4. 25. but gaddeth about to seek after death and find out matter for temptation Prov. 17. 24. Wisdom is before him that hath understanding but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth Prov. 21. 10. See Dr. Hammoâ—d on Mat. 6. 22. Prov. 22. 9. Ezek. 16. 5. 6. Take heed of an envious eye which looketh with dislike and discontent at the prosperity of others especially such as stand cross to your own interest Matth. 20. 15. Is thine eye evil because I am good It is the envious eye that in Scripture most usually is called by the name of an evil eye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is an eye that would see evil rather than good upon another as Deut. 15. 9. Lest thy eye be evil against thy poor brother c. Prov. 23. 6. it is an eye that grudgeth another any thing that is ours So Prov. 28. 22. Mar. 7. 22. 7. Take heed of a passionate cruel eye that kindleth the hurting or reviling Isa. 23. 18. Prov. 28. 27. fire in thy breast or is kindled by it that fetcheth matter of rage or malice from all that displeaseth thee in another 8. Take heed of a self-conceited and censorious eye that looketh on all the actions of Maâ—th 7. 3. â—uk 6. 41. another with quarrelling undervaluing censure or reproach 9. Take heed of a fond and fanciful eye that falls in Love too much with Houses or Friend or Child or Goods or whatsoever pleaseth it 10. Take heed of a sleepy sluggish eye that is shut to good and had rather sleep than watch and read Prov. 6. 4. Psal. 35. 21. Psal. 10 8. Psal. 36. 1. and pray and labour 11. Abhor a malignant eye which looketh with hatred on a godly man and upon the holy assemblies and communion of Saints and upon holy actions and can scarce see a man of exemplary zeal and holiness but the heart riseth against him and could wish all such expelled or cut off from the earth This is the heart that hath the Image of the Devil in most lively colours he being the Father of such as Christ calleth him Iohn 8. 44. 12. Abhor an Hypocritical eye which Maâ— 6 22 23. Luk. 11. 34. is lifted up to Heaven when the heart is on earth on lusts on honours on sports or pleasure or plotting mischief against the just Know the evil and danger of all these diseases of the eye § 3. Direct 3. Remember that the eye being the noblest and yet the most dangerous sense must have Direct 3. the strictest watch Sight is often put in Scripture for all the senses And living by sight is opposed to living or walking by faith 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith not by sight And a sensual life is called a walking in the ways of our heart and in the sight of the eyes Eccles. 11. 9. An ungoverned eye doth shew the power of the ungoverned senses Abundance of good or evil entreth by these doors All lieth open if you guard not these § 4. Direct 4. Remember that as your sin or duty so your sorrow or joy do depend much on the government Direct 4 of your eyes And their present pleasure is the common way to after sorrow What a flood of grief did David let in to his heart by one unlawful look § 5. Direct 5. Remember that your eye is much of your honour or dishonour because it is the index of Direct 5. your minds You see that which is next the mind it self or the most immediate beam of the invisible Prov. 23. 29. soul when you see the eye How easily doth a wandring eye a wanton eye a proud eye a luxurious eye a malitious eye a passionate eye bewray the treasure of sin which is in the heart Your soul lyeth opener to the view of others in your eye than in any other part your very reputation therefore should make you watch § 6. Direct 6. Remember that your eye is of all the senses most subject to the will and therefore there Direct 6. is the more of duty or sin in it For Voluntariness is the requisite to Morality both good and evil Your will cannot so easily command your feeling tasting hearing or smelling as it can your sight so easily can it open or shut the eye in a moment that you are the more unexcusable if it be not governed For all its faults will be proved the more voluntary C ham was cursed for not turning away his eyes from his Fathers shame and Shem and Iapheth blessed for doing it The righteous is thus described Isa. 33. 15. He that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil he shall dwell on high c. Mens Idols which they are commanded to cast away are called The abomination of their eyes Ezek. 20. 7. Covetousness is called The lust of the eyes 1 John 2. 16. It 's Psal. 6. 7. Lam. 3. 48 49 51 said of the unclean that they have eyes full of adultery 2 Pet. 2. 14. And as sin so punishment is placed on the eye Isa. 5. 15. The eyes of the lofty shall be humbled Yea the whole bodys of the daughters of Zion are threatned to be dishonoured with nakedness scabs and stink and shame because they walked with wanton eyes haughtily and mincing as they go c. Isa. 3. 16. § 7. Direct 7. Therefore let believing reason and a holy resolved fixed will keep a continual Law upon Direct 7. your eyes and let them be used as under a constant government This Iob calleth the making a covenant with them Job 31. 1. Leave them not at liberty as if a look had nothing in it of duty or sin or as if you might look on what you would Will you go to foolish tempting plaies and gaze on vain alluring objects and think there is no harm in all this Do you think your eye cannot sin as well as your tongue undoubtedly it 's much sin that is both committed by it and entereth at it Keep away therefore from the bait or command your eye to turn away § 8. Direct 8. Remember still how much more easie and safe it is to stop sin here at the gates and out-works Direct 8. than to beat it out again when it is
excess in whomsoever 4. And in curiosity of dyet a difference must be allowed The happier healthful man need not be so curious as the sick And the happy Plowman need not be so curious as state and expectation somewhat require the Noble and the Rich to be 5. And for length of time though unnecessary sitting out time at meat be a sin in any yet the happy poor man is not obliged to spend all out so much this way as the Rich may do 6. And it is not all delight in meat or pleasing As Isaac's pleasant meat Gen. 27. 7. the appetite that is a sin But only that which is made mens end and not referred to a higher end even when the Delight it self doth not tend to health nor alâ—crity in duty nor is used to that end but to please the flesh and tempt unto excess 7. And it is not necessary that we measure the profitableness of quantity or quality by the present and immediate benefits but by the more remote sometimes so merciful is God that he alloweth us that which is truly for our good and forbiddeth us but that which doth us hurt or at least no good 8. All sin in eating is not Gluttony but only such as are here described § 5. II. The causes of Gluttony are these 1. The chiefest is an inordinate appetite together with a Non potest temperantiam laudare is qu summum bonum ponit in voluptate Est enim temperantia libidinum inimica Cicero Saith Aristotle He is temperate that takes pleasure to deny fleshly pleasure but he is intemperate that is troubled because he cannot have them Ethic. l. 2. c. 3. fleshly mind and will which is set upon Flesh-pleasing as its felicity They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh Rom. 8. 6 7. This Gulosity which Clemens Alexandrinus calleth The Throat-Devil and the Belly-Devil is the first cause § 6. 2. The next cause is The want of strong Reason faith and a spiritual appetite and mind which should call off the Glutton and take him up with higher pleasures even such as are more manly and in which his real Happiness doth consist They that are after the spirit do mind the things of the spirit Rom. 8. 6. Reason alone may do something to call up a man from this felicity of a beast as appeareth by the Philosophers assaults upon the Epicures but faith and love which feast the soul with sweeter delicates must do the cure § 7. 3. Gluttony is much increased by Use when the Appetite is used to be satisfied it will be the more importunate and impetuous whereas a custome of Temperance maketh it easie and makes excess a matter of no delight but burden I remember my self that when I first set upon the use of Cornario's and Lessius dyet as it is called which I did for a time for some special reasons it seemed a little hard for two or three dayes but within a week it became a pleasure and another sort or more was not desirable And I think almost all that use one dish only and a small quantity do find that more is a trouble and not a temptation to them so great a matter is use unless it be with very strong and labouring persons § 8. 4. Idleness and want of diligence in a calling is a great cause of Luxury and Gluttony Though labour cause a healthful appetite yet it cureth a beastly sensual mind An idle person hath leisure to think of his guts what to eat and what to drink and to be longing after this and that whereas a man that is wholly taken up in lawful business especially such as findeth employment for the mind as well as for the body hath no leisure for such thoughts He that is close at his studies or other calling hath somewhat else to think on than his appetite § 9. 5. Another incentive of Gluttony is the Pride of Rich men who to be accounted good House-keepers Socrates dixit eos qui praecocia magno emerent desparere se ad maturitatis tempus perventuros Laâ—rt ia Socrat Cum vocasset ad coenam divites Zantippâ—n modici puderet apparatus Bono inquit esto animo Nam siqui em modesti erunt frugique mensam non aspernabuntur sin autem intemperantes nulla nobis de hisce cura fuâ—rit Idem ibid. Arebat alios vivere ut ederent se autem edere ut vivat Ibid. and to live at such rates as are agreeable to their Grandure do make their houses shops of sin and as bad as Ale-houses making their Tables a snare both to themselves and others by fullness variety deliciousness costliness and curiosity of Fare It is the honour of their Houses that a man may drink excessively in their Cellars when he please and that their Tables have excellent provisions for gluttony and put all that sit at them upon the tryal of their Temperance whether a bait so near them and so studiously fitted can tempt them to break the bounds and measure which God hath set them It is a lamentable thing when such as have the rule of others and influence on the common people shall think their honour lieth upon their sin yea upon such a constant course of sinning and shall think it a dishonour to them to live in sweet and wholsome Temperance and to see that those about them do the like And all this is either because they over-value the esteem and talk of fleshly Epicures and cannot bear the Censure of a Swine or else because they are themselves of the same mind and are such as Glory in their shame Phil. 3. 18 19. § 10. 6. Another incentive is the custome of urging and importuning others to eat still more and more as if it were a necessary act of friendship People are grown so uncharitable and selfish that they suspect one another and think they are not welcome if they be not urged thus to eat And those that invite them think they must do it to avoid the suspicion of such a sordid mind And I deny not but it is fit to urge any to that which it is fit for them to do and if we see that modesty maketh them eat less than is best for them we may perswade them to eat more But now without any due respect to what is best for them men think it a necessary complement to provoke others more and more to eat till they peremptorily refuse it But amongst the familiarest friends there is scarce any that will admonish one another against excess and advise them to stop when they have enough and tell them how easie it is to step beyond our bounds and how much more prone we are to exceed than to come short And so custome and complement is preferred before temperance and honest fidelity You 'll say what will men think of us if we should not perswade them to eat much more if we should desire them to eat no more I
when their appetite desireth it to the hindring of concoction and the increase of Crudities and Catarhs and to the secret gradual vitiating of their humours and generating of many diseases and this without any true necessity or the approbation of sound Reason or any wise Physicion Yet they tipple but at home where you may find the pot by them at unseasonable times § 12. 3. The third degree are many poor men that have not drink at home and when they come to a Gentlemans house or a feast or perhaps an ALE-house they will pour in for the present to excess though not to Drunkenness and think it is no harm because it is but seldom and they drink so small drink all the rest of the year that they think such a fit as this sometimes is medicinal to them and tendeth to their health § 13. 4. Another rank of Bibbers are those that though they haunt not ALE-houses or Taverns yet have a throat for every health or pledging Cup that reacheth not to drunkenness and use ordinarily to drink many unnecessary cups in a day to pledge as they call it those that drink to them And custom and complement are all their excuse § 14. 5. Another degree of Bibbers are common ALE-house haunters that love to be there and to sit many hours perhaps in a day with a pot by them tipling and drinking one to another And if they have any bargain to make or any friend to meet the ALE-house or Tavern must be the place where Tippling may be one part of their work 6. The highest degree are they that are not apt to be stark Drunk and therefore think themselves less faulty while they sit at it and make others drunk and are strong themselves to bear away more than others can bear They have the Drunkards appetite and measure and pleasure though they have not his giddiness and loss of wit § 15. 3. And of those that are truly Drunken also there are many degrees and kinds As some will be drunk with less and some with more so some are only possessed with a little diseased Levity and talkativeness more than they had before Some also have distempered eyes and stammering tongues Some also proceed to unsteady reeling heads and stumbling feet and unfitness for their callings Some go further to sick and vomiting stomachs or else to sleepy heads and some proceed to stark madness quarrelling railing bawling hooting ranting roaring or talking non-sense or doing mischief the furious sort being like mad dogs that must be tyed and the sottish prating and spewing sort being commonly the derision of the boys in the streets § 16. II. Having told you what Tipling and Drunkenness is I shall briefly tell you their causes But briefly because you may gather most of them from what is said of the Causes of Gluttony 1. The first and grand causes are these three concurrent A beastly raging appetite or gulosity A weakness of Reason and Resolution to rule it And a want of Faith to strengthen Reason and of Holiness to strengthen Resolution These are the very cause of all § 17. 2. Another cause is their not-knowing that their excess and tipling is really a hurt or danger to their health And they are ignorant of this from many causes One is because they have been bred up among ignorant people and never taught to know what is good or bad for their own bodys but only by the common talk of the mistaken vulgar Another is because their Appetite so maiâ—â—reth their very Reason that they can choose to believe that which they would not have to be true Another reason is because they are of heathful bodies and therefore feel no hurt at present and presume that they shall feel none hereafter and see some abstemious persons weaker than they who began not to be abstemious till some chronical disease had first invaded them And thus they do by their Bodys just as wicked men do by their souls They judge all by present feeling and have not wisdom enough to take things foreseen into their deliberation and accounts That which will be a great while hence they take for nothing or an uncertain something next to nothing As Heaven and Hell move not ungodly men because they seem a great way off so while they feel themselves in health they are not moved with the threatning of sickness The cup is in their hands and therefore they will not set it by for fear of they know not what that will befall them you know not when As the thief that was told he should answer it at the day of judgement said he would take the other Cow too if he should stay unpunished till then so these Belly-Gods think they will take the other cup if they shall but stay till so long hence And thus because this temporal punishment of their gulosity is not speedily exercised the hearts of men are fully set in them to please their appetites § 18. 3. Another cause of Tipling and Drunkenness is a wicked Heart that loveth the company Why Gregory set up Wakes and Church-Ales and Meetings on Holy-days in England you may see Li. 10. Regist. Ep. 71. in policy to win the heathens Qui boves solent multos in sacrificio daemonum occideâ—e debet his etiam de hac re aliqua solemnitas immutari ut die dedicationis vel natalitiis martyrum tabernacula sibi circa easdem ecclesias quae ex fanis commutatae sunt de ramis aborum faciant religiosis conviviis solennitatem celebrenâ— Nec Diabolo jam animalia immolent sed ad laudem Dei in esu suo animalia occidant donatori omnium de satietate sua gratias agant c. But do Christians need this as heathens did when we see the sad effects of such riotings Lâ—gâ— Aâ—ost l. 3. c. 34. of wicked men and the foolish talk and cards and dice by which they are entertained One sin ticeth down another It is a delight to prate over a pot or rant and game and drive away all thoughts that savour of sound Reason or the fear of God or the care of their salvation Many of them will say It is not for love of the drink but of the company that they use the ALE-house An excuse that maketh their sin much worse and sheweth them to be exceeding wicked To love the company of wicked men and love to hear their lewd and idle foolish talk and to game and sport out your time with them besides your tipling this sheweth a wicked fleshly heart much worse than if you loved the drink alone Such company as you love best such are your own dispositions If you were no Tiplers or Drunkards it is a certain sign of an ungodly person to love ungodly company better than the company of wise and godly men that may edifie you in the fear of God § 19. 4. Another cause of Tipling is Idleness when they have not the constant employments of their
for fear of punishment These wishes and purposes will never save thee It must be a renewed Nature Loving God and hating the sin that must make thee capable of salvation But yet in the mean time it is necessary that thou forbear thy sin though it be but through fear for thou canst not expect else that the Holy Ghost should renew thy Nature Therefore I will give thee Directions how to forbear thy sin most surely and easily if thou be but willing and withall to promote thy willingness it self with the performance Practical Directions against Tipling and Drunkenness § 76. Direct 1. Write over thy bed and thy chamber door where thou maist read it every morning Direct 1. before thou goest forth some Text of holy Scripture that 's fit to be thy Memorandum As 1 Cor. 6. 10. Drunkards shall not inherit the Kingdom of God and Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if by the Spirit you mortifie the deeds of the body you shall live And read it before thou goest out of thy doors § 77. Direct 2. Also fall down on thy knees to God and earnestly beg of him to keep thee that day Direct 2. from temptations and ill company and from all thy fleshly desires and excess and especially that he would renew thy nature and give thee a hatred of the sin § 78. Direct 3. Keep thy self in the constant employments of thy Calling and spend not one quarter of Direct 3. an hour in idleness and allow not leisure to thy thoughts so much as to think of thy drink and pleasure much less to thy body to follow it God hath commanded thee whoever thou art to labour six days and in the sweat of thy brows to eat thy bread and hath forbidden idleness and negligence in thy calling Avoid this and it will help thee much § 79. Direct 4. Reckon not upon long life but think how quickly death will come and that for Direct 4. ought thou knowest thou maist dye that day and how dreadful a case it would prove to thee to be found among Tiplers or to dye before thou art truly converted Think of this before thou goest out of thy doors and think of it as thou art going to the ALE-house Look on the Cup and the Grave together The dust of those bones will be wholsom Spice to thee Remember when thou seest the Wine or Ale how unlike it is to that black and lothsom liquor which thy blood and humours will be turned into when thou art dead Remember that the hand that taketh the Cup must shortly be scattered bones and dust and the mouth that drinketh it down must shortly be an ugly hole and the Pallate and Stomach and Brain that are delighted by it must shortly be stinking puddle and that the Graves of Drunkards are the Field or Garden of the Devil where Corpse are sowed to â—ise at the resurrection to be fewel for Hell § 80. Direct 5. When thou art tempted to the Ale-house call up thy Reason and remember that there Direct 5. is a God that seeth thee and will judge thee and that thou hast an endless life of joy or torment shortly to possess and that thou hast sinned thus too long already and that without sound Repentance thy case is desperate and that thou art far from true Repentance while thou goest on in sin Ask thy self Have I not sinned long enough already Have I not long enough abused mercy Shall I make my case remediless and cast away all hope Doth not God stand by and see and hear all Am I not stepping by death into an endless world Think of these things and use thy Reason if thou be a man and hast Reason to use § 81. Direct 6. Exercise thy self daily in Repenting for what is past and that will preserve thee Direct 6. for the time to come Confess thy former sin to God with sorrow and beg forgiveness of it with tears and groans If thou make light of all that 's past thou art prepared to commit more Think as thou goest about thy work how grievously thou hast sinned against thy knowledge and conscience in the sight of God against all his mercies and how obstinately thou hast gone on and how unthankfully thou hast rejected mercy and neglected Christ and refused grace Think what had become of thee if thou hadst dyed in this case and how exceedingly thou art beholden to the patience of God that he cut thee not off and cast thee not into Hell and that he hath provided and offered thee a Saviour and is yet willing to pardon and accept thee through his Son if thou wilt but resolvedly return and live in faith and holiness These penitent thoughts and exercises will kill thy sin and cure thee Fast and humble thy self for what thou hast done already As the holy Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4. 1 2 3 4 5. For asmuch as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts excess of wine revellings banquetting abominable idolatries wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of ryot speaking evil of you who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead § 82. Direct 7. Keep from the place and company Ephes. 5. 7 11. Be not partakers with them Direct 7. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them Thou canst not deny but thou art able to do this if thou wilt Canst thou not stay at home and come not near them If thou be willing to escape run not into the snare § 83. Direct 8. Stop at the first cup be not drawn on by little and little As the sluggard saith Direct 8. Yet a little more sleep so the drunkard saith yet a little more drink I will take but one cup more Understand thy due measure that thou maist know what is excess To an ordinary healthful body that doth not very much labour and sweat a quart in a day is enough To cold and flegmatick persons it is too much The old Rule was Prima ad sitim secunda ad hilaritatem tertia ad voluptatem quarta ad insaniam The first Cup is for thirst the second for mirth the third for sensual pleasure the fourth for madness Especially you that have drunk too much so long should rather drink less than other men Your soul requireth it for penitence and for prevention Your bodies require it to cure the crudities already heaped up § 84. Direct 9. Avoid the tempting ceremonies of drunkards such as
drinking healths or urging Direct 9. others to pledge them or drink more Plutarch saith that when Agesilaus was made the Master of a Feast and was to prescribe the Laws for drinking his Law was If there be Wine enough give every one what he asketh for if not enough divide it equally By which means none were tempted or urged to drink and the intemperate were ashamed to ask for more than others As among Witches so among Drunkards the Devil hath his Laws and Ceremonies and its dangerous to practise them § 85. Direct 10. Go to thy sinful companions to their houses and tell them plainly and seriously Direct 10. that thou repentest of what thou hast done already and that thou art ashamed to remember it and that now thou perceivest that there is a righteous God and a day of judgement and an endless punishment to be thought on and that thou art resolved thou wilt be voluntarily mad no more and that thou wilt not sell thy soul and Saviour for a merry cup And beseech them for the sake of Christ and of their souls to joyn with thee in repentance and reformation but let them know that if they will not thou comest to take thy leave of them and art resolved thou wilt no more be their companion in sin lest thou be their companion in Hell If thou art willing indeed to Repent and be saved do this presently and plainly and stick not at their displeasure or reproach If thou wilt not say thou wilt not and say no more thou canst not but say I will keep my sin and be damned For that 's the English of it § 86. Direct 11. Suppose when the Cup of excess is offered thee that thou sawest these words Direct 11. Sin and Hell written upon the Cup and sawest the Devil offering it thee and urging thee to drink and sawest Christ bleeding on the Cross and calling to thee O drink not that which câ—steth so dear a price as my blood Strongly imprint this supposition on thy mind And it is not unreasonable For certainly sin is in thy Cup and Hell is next to sin and it is the Devil that puts thee on and its Christ unseen that would disswade thee § 87. Direct 12. Suppose that there were mortal poyson in the Cup that is offered thee Ask thy Direct 12. self Would I drink it if there were poyson in it If not why should I drink it when sin is in it and Hell is near it And the supposition is not vain It s written of Cyrus that when Aâ—tiages observed that at a Feast he drank no Wine and asked him the reason he answered because he thought there was poyson in the cup for he had observed some that drunk out of it lost their speech or understanding and some of them vomited and therefore he feared it would poyson him However its poyson to the soul. § 88 Direct 13. Look soberly upon a drunken man and think whether that be a desirable plight Direct 13. for a wise man to put himself into See how ill-favouredly he looks with heavy eyes and a slabbering mouth stinking with drink or vomit staggering falling spewing bawling talking like a mad man pitied by wise men hooted at by Boyes and madly reeling on towards Hell And â—â—thal look upon some wise and sober man and see how composed and comely is his countenance and gesture how wise his words how regular his actions how calm his mind envied by the wicked but reverenced by all that are impartial And then bethink thee which of these it is better to be like Saith Basil Drunkenness makes men sleep like the dead and wake like the sleeping It turneth a man into a useless noysome filthy hurtful and devouring Beast § 89. Direct 14. If all this will not serve turn if thou be but willing I can teach thee a cheap Direct 14. restraint and tell thee of a medicine that is good against Drunkenness and Excess Resolve that after every Cup of excess thou wilt drink a Cup of the juyce of Wormwood or of Carduus or Centaury or Germandâ—r at least as soon as thou comest home and growest wiser that this shall be thy penance And hold on this course but a little while and thy appetite will rather choose to be without the drink than to bear the penance Do not stick at it if thy Reason be not strong enough for a manly â—ure drench thy self like a Beast and use such a cure as thou art capable of and in time it may bring thee to be capable of a better And I can assure thee a bitter draught is a very cheap remedy to prevent a sin § 90 Direct 15. If all this will not serve I have yet another remedy if thou be but Willing Direct 15. Confess thy self unfit to govern thy self and give up thy self to the government of some other thy Wife thy Parents or thy friend And here these things are to be done 1. Engage thy Wife or Friend to watch over thee and not to suffer thee to go to the Ale-house nor to drink more than is profitable to thy health 2. Deliver thy Purse to them and keep no money thy self 3. Drink no more at home but what they give thee and leave it to them to judge what measure is best for thee 4. When thou art tempted to go to the Ale-house tell thy wife or friend that they may watch thee Even as thou wouldst call for help if Thieves were robbing thee 5. Give leave to thy Wife or friend to charge the Ale-sellers to give thee no drink And go thy self when thou art in thy right mind and charge them thy self to give thee none and tell them that thou art not thy self or in thy right wits when thou desirest it If these means seem now too hard to thee and thou wilt sin on and venture upon the wrath and curse of God and upon Hell rather than thou wilt use them remember hereafter that thou wast damned because thou wouldst be damned and that thou chosest the way to Hell to scape these troubles and take that thou gettest by it But do not say thou couldst not help it for I am sure thou canst do this if thou wilt Thou wilt lock thy door against Thieves Lock thy mouth also against a more dangerous Thief that would rob thee of thy Reason and salvation Saith Basil If his Master do but box or beat his servant he will run away from the strokes And wilt thou not run away from the drink that would break thy brains and understanding § 91. Direct 16. But the saving remedy is this Study the love of God in Christ and the riches of Direct 16. Grace and the eternal glory promised to holy souls till thou be in Love with God and Heaven and Holiness Read Eph. 5. 18 and hast found sweeter pleasure than thy excess and then thou wilt need no more Directions PART V. Tit. 1. Directions against
holy things should be preferred as on the Lords day or at the time of publick worship or when the company occasion or opportunity call for holy speeches Worldlings are talking as Saul of their Asses when they should talk of a Kingdom 1 Sam. 9. 10. To speak about your Callings and common affairs is lawful so it be moderately and in season But when you talk all of the world and vanity and never have done and will scarce have any other talk in your mouths and even on Gods day will speak your own words Isa. 58. 13. this is prophane and sinful speaking § 23. 12. Another common sin of the Tongue is a tempting and perswading others to sin enticing them to gluttony drunkenness wantonness sornication or any other crime as men that not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them Rom. 1. 32. This is to be the instruments and servants of the Devil and most directly to do his work in the world The same I may say of unjust excusing extenuating or defending the sins of others or commanding alluring affrighting or encouraging them thereto § 24. 13. Another is a carnal manner of handling the sacred things of God as when it is done with lightness or with unsuitable curiosity of words or in a ludicrous toyish manner especially by the Preachers of the Gospel themselves and not with a style that 's grave and serious agreeable to the weight and majesty of the truth § 25. 14. Another is an imprudent rash and slovenly handling of holy things when they are spoken Didy 〈…〉 on 〈◊〉 3. of 〈◊〉 the Toâ—gue saith Non putandum est de peccato prolativi sermonis quae solaecismos barbatismos quidam vocant haec fuisse dicta of so ignorantly unskilfully disorderly or passionately as tendeth to dishonour them and frustrate the desired good success § 26. 15. Another sin of the tongue is the reviling or dishonouring of superiours When Children speak unreverently and dishonourably to or of their Parents or Subjects of their Governours or servants of their Masters either to their faces or behind their backs 2 Pet. 2. 10. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities Jud. 8. § 27. 16. Another is the imperious contempt of inferiours insulting over them provoking and discouraging them Ephes. 6. 4. Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath § 28. 17. Another sin of the Tongue is Idle talk and multitude of useless words a babling loquacity or unprofitableness of speech when it is speech that tendeth to no edification nor any good use for mind or body or affairs § 29. 18. Another sin is Foolish talk or jeasting in levity and folly which tendeth to possess the minds of the hearers with a disposition of levity and folly like the speakers Ephes. 5. 4. Foolish talking and jeasting are things not convenient Honest mirth is lawful and that is the best which is most sanctified as being from a holy principle and about a holy matter or to a holy end as Rejoycing in the Lord always Phil. 4. 4. If any be merry let him sing Psalms Jam. 5. 13. But such a light and frothy jeasting as is but the vent of habitual levity by idle words is not allowable But especially those persons do most odiously abuse their tongues and Reason who counterfeit ideots or fools and use their wit to cover their jeasts with a seeming folly to make them the more ridiculous and make it their very profession to be the jeasters of great men They make a trade of heynous sin § 30. 19. Another sin is Filthy speaking Ephes. 5. 4. Obscene and ribbald talk which the Apostle calls corrupt or rotten communication Ephes. 4. 29. when wanton filthy minds do make themselves merry with wanton filthy speeches This is the Devils preparative to whoredom and all abominable uncleanness For when the tongue is first taught to make a sport of such filthy sins and the ear to be delighted in it or be indifferent to it there remaineth but a small step to actual filthiness § 31. 20. Another sin of the tongue is cursing when men wish some mischief causlesly or unwarrantably to others If you speak but in passion or jeast and desire not to them in your hearts the hurt which you name it is nevertheless a sin of the tongue as it is to speak blasphemy or treason in a passion or in jeast The tongue must be ruled as well as the heart But if really you desire the hurt which you wish them it is so much the worse But it is worst of all when passionate factious men will turn their very prayers into cursings calling for fire from Heaven and praying for other mens destruction or hurt and pretending Scripture examples for it as if they might do it unwarrantably which others have done in other cases in a warrantable manner § 32. 21. Slandering is another sin of the tongue when out of malice and ill will men speak evil falsly of others to make them odious or do them hurt Or else through uncharitable credulity do easily believe a false report and so report it again to others or through rashness and unruliness of tongue divulge it before they try it or receive either just proof or any warrantable call to mention it 5. 33. 22. Another sin is Backbiting and venting ill reports behind mens backs without any warrant Be the matter true or false as long as you either know it not to be true or if you do yet vent it to make the person less respected or at least without a sufficient cause it is a sin against God and a wrong to men § 34. 23. Another sin is rash censuring when you speak that evil of another which you have but Existimant loquacitatem esse facundiam maledicere omnibus bonae conscientiae signum arbritrantur Hieron Cont. Helâ—id an uncharitable surmise of and take that to be probable which is but possible or that to be certain which is but probable against another § 35. 24. Another sin is Railing reviling or passionate provoking words which tend to the diminution of charity and the breach of peace and the stirring up of discord and of a return of railing words from others contrary to the Love and patience and meekness and gentleness which becometh Saints § 36. 25. Another sin is cheating deceiving over-reaching words when men use their tongues to defraud their Neighbours in bargaining for their own gain § 37. 26. Another sin of the tongue is false witness-bearing and false accusing a sin which crys to God for vengeance who is the justifier of the innocent § 38. 27. Another sin of the tongue is the passing an unrighteous sentence in judgement when Rulers absolve the guilty or condemn the just and call evil good and good evil and say to the Righteous Thou art wicked Prov. 24. 24. § 39. 28. Another sin of the Tongue is Flattery which is the more heynous by how much more hurtful And it
of the world III. If laying the hand on the Book and Kissing it be unlawful for any special matter or manner forbidden more than other significant acts it is for some of the reasons named by you which now I will answer I. Object It savoureth of the Romish superstition Answ. 1. Not at all Prove that if you can 2. Superstition is the feigning of things to be Pleasing or Displeasing to God which are not and using or disusing them accordingly whatever be the Etymologie of the word Superstitum Cultus or supra Statutum c. it is certain that the common use of it among Heathens as Plutark at large and Christians was for an erroneous undue fear of God thinking this or that was displeasing or pleasing to him to be done or to be avoided which was not so but was the conceit of a frightned mistaking mind Therefore to say that God is displeased with this signification of the mind when it is not so nor can be proved is superstition And this is not the solitary instance of Satans introducing superstition under pretense of avoiding superstition 3. The sense of the Law is to be judged of by the Law and by the notorious doctrine and profession of the Law-makers and of the Land which here renounceth the superstitious use of it But I confess I was more afraid that the Papists had too much derogated from the Scripture than given too much to it And they profess that they swear not by a creature Vid. Perer. ubi sup in Gen. 24. 2. Object But Paraeus c. in Gen. 24. 2. saith Non absque superstitione fit cum super crucifixum aut codicem Evangelii digitis impositis juratur ut fit in Papatu Answ. 1. But that same Act which in Papatu is superstitious because of superstitious conceits and ends is not so in all others that have none such 2. It is no new thing to be quick in accusing our adversaries But Paraeus addeth not a syllable of proof And if he had it must have been such as toucht not us or else invalid Object Some good men have scrupled it Answ. 1. Ten thousand to one such have not scrupled it 2. They are not our Gods nor Law 3. The Quakers and the old Anabaptists and they say Origen scrupled yea condemned all swearing or all imposed Oaths And if we avoid all as sin which some good men have scrupled we shall make superstition a great part of our Religion And when on the same grounds we have but practised all as Duty which some good men have taken for Duty we shall quite out-go the Papists He that readeth Beda Boniface and abundance such pious writers will soon see that Godly or Fanatical Religious persons dreams visions strict opinions confident assertions and credulous believing one another with the hope of improving such things against Pagans and Jews for Christianity brought in almost all the Legends and superstitions of the Papists II. Object 2. Our Common-Law Commissions that give authority to examine persons direct it to be Object done super sacramenta sua per sancta Dei evangelia fideliter prestanda And in the form of Administrations in Ecclesiastical Courts the words are Ad sancta Dei Evangelia rite legitime jurati Whether these forms do not infer that in their first use at least persons either swore by the Evangelists or offended in that mode of swearing And our Common-Law calls it a Corporal Oath from touching the Book Answ. 1. To know the sense of our present Law it is not necessary that we know the sense of the Answ. first users of the form For the Law is not now the Kings Law that first made it He hath no Law that hath no Government but the Kings Law that now Reigneth and beareth his sense 2. To justifie our obedience to a Law it is not necessary that we prove every phrase in that Law to be fitly expressed 3. But examine it well and try whether it be not also fit and laudable 1. There are three things conjoyned in the Oaths in question 1. A testimony assertory or a promise 2. An Oath 3. An Imprecation The Assertory Testimony here is the first thing intended and the Oath and Imprecation are but as a means to make that Testimony or Promise valid 2. The published Doctrine of England in the 39. Articles the book of Ordination c. is that the Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to Salvation as being Gods Law or Rule of our Faith and Life All our Duty to God is there commanded All the promises on which we hope are there contained All the punishments which the perjured or any sinner must feel and should fear are there threatned Therefore 3. The Laying on the hand and Kissing the book is an Action directly related to the Imprecation and not to the Oath but only by consequence as the Imprecation is subservient to the Oath as the Oath is to the Assertion So that this is the plain paraphrase of the whole I do believe that God the Ruler of all the world is the Iudge of secrets which are above mans judgement the searcher of hearts and the hater and avenger of perjury according to this his holy word by which he governeth us And to this God I appeal as to the truth of this my testimony consenting my self to lose all the benefit of his promises to the just and to bear all the punishments here threatned to the Perjured if I lie And what could be said more fitly 1. To own the Protestant doctrine that the Scripture is Gods perfect word that the evil to be feared and the good to be hoped for is all there contained and is all the fulfilling of that word 2. And to put the word in its due subordination to God And our ordinary form of swearing sheweth this So help you God and the Contents of this Book Whether you will call this swearing upon or by the Gospel or call it a corporal Oath or a spiritual Oath is only de nomine and is nothing to the matter thus truly described Sacramentum signifieth the Oath it self and Ad sancta evangelia is a fit phrase or if super sacramenta signifie the two Sacraments of the Gospel it can mean no more than As one that by the reception of the Sacrament doth profess to believe this Gospel to be true I do renounce the benefits of it if I lie And in this sense it hath been some mens custom to receive the Sacrament when they would solemnly swear III. Object Some seem to object against kissing the Book as having the greater appearance of giving Object too much to it or putting some adoration on it and because this Ceremony of kissing is held to be of later date than laying on the hand Answ. The Ceremony signifieth that I love and approve the Gospel and place the hope of my salvation Answ. in it And the publick Doctrine of the Kingdom before cited sheweth as a
Ghost should dwell and Ephes. 4. 29. Ephes. 5. 4. work in so filthy a room and with such filthy company Darest thou go pray or read the Scripture or speak of any holy thing with those lips that talk of filthy ribaldry Dost thou find thy self fit to go to prayer after such discourse Or rather dost thou not allow all that hear thee to think that thou renouncest God and Godliness and never usest any serious Worship of God at all And if thou do pretend to Worship him with that filthy tongue what canst thou expect in answer to thy prayers but a vengeance worse than Nadab and Abihu's Lev. 10. 1 2 3. Shall sweet water and bitter come from the same fountain Jam. 3. 11. Dâ—st thou bless God and talk filthily with the same tongue and think he will not be avenged on thy hypocrisie § 7. Direct 7. Consider how thou bidst defiance also to common civility Thou dost that which civil Direct 7. Heathens would be ashamed of As if thou hadst a design to reduce England to the Customs of Cannibals and Savages in America that go naked and are past shame § 8. Direct 8. Observe what service thou dost the Devil for the corrupting of others as if he had Direct 8. hired thee to be a Tutor in his Academy or one of his Preachers to draw the minds of the hearers 1 Cor. 15. 33. from modesty and prepare them for the Stews Especially people can scarce have more dangerous Wild-fire cast into their fantasies than by hearing rotten filthy talk And wilt thou be one of Venus's Priests § 9. Direct 9. Remember how little need there is of thy endeavour Is not lust and filthiness so natural Direct 9. and the minds of all unsanctified and uncleansed ones so prone to it that they â—eed no Tutor nor instigator nor pander to their lusts This fire is easily kindled The Bellows of thy sâ—urrility are needless to make such Gunpowder burn § 10. Direct 10. Presently lament before God and man the filthiness that thy tongue hath been guilty Direct 10. of and wash heart and tongue in the blood of Christ and â—â—y from the company and converse of the obscene as thou wouldst do from a Pâ—st-house or any infectious pestilential â—ire And if thou hear such rotten talk râ—prove it or be gone and let them see that thou hatest it and fearest God § 11. Obj. But saith the filthy mouth I think no harm may we not jeast and be merry Obj. Answ. What! hast thou nothing to jeast with but dung and filth and sin and the defilement of Answ. souls and the offending of God Wouldst thou be unclean before the King or cast dung in mens faces and sâ—â— I think no harm but am in jeast § 12. Obj. But saith he those that art so demure are â—â— bad in secret and worse than we Obj. Answ. What! is a chaste tongue a sign of an unchaste life Then thou maist as equally take a Answ. meek and quiet tongue to be a sign of an angry man or a lying tongue to be a sign of a true man Would the King take that excuse from thee if thou talk Treason openly and say Those that do not are yet in secret as bad as I I trow he would not take that for an excuse Tit. 6. Directions against Prophane deriding scorning or opposing Godliness § 1. TO prevent the Replyes or excuses of the scorner I must here tell you 1. That by Godliness The Explication I mean nothing but an entire devotednes to God and living to him The doctrine and practice which is agreeable to the holy Scripture I mean no fansies of mistaken men nor the private opinions of any sect but the practice of Christianity it self § 2. 2. And yet I must tell you that it is the common practice of these scorners to fasten more upon the concrete than the abstract the person than the bare doctrine and to oppose Godly persons as such when yet they say that they oppose not Godliness The Reasons of this are these 1. Because they dare be bolder with the person than with the Rule and doctrine of God himself If they scorn at the Bible or at Godliness directly as such they should so openly scorn at God himself that the world would cry shame on them and Conscience would worry them But as Godliness is in such a neighbour or such a Preacher or such a man so they think they may reverence it less and that what they do is against the person and not the thing 2. In men they have something else to pretend to be the matter of their scorn Godliness in men is latent invisible unprovable as to the sincerity of it and obscure as to the exercise If he that scorneth a Godly man say He is not Godly but an Hypocrite in this world there is no perfect Justification to be had against such a calumny but the probable evidence of Profession and a Godly life is all that can be brought But Godliness as it is in Scripture lyeth open to the view of all and cannot be denyed there but by denying the Scriptures themselves 3. Godliness as in the Rule or holy Scripture is perfect without any blemish that may give a scorner a pretence But Godliness in men is very imperfect and mixt with sins with faults which the world may oft discern and the Godly themselves are forwardst to confess And therefore in them a scorner may find some plausible pretense And when he derideth these Professours of Godliness as being all Hypocrites he will not instance in their vertues but in their faults as in Noahs drunkenness and Lots incest and Davids Adultery and Murder and Peters denying Christ Yet so as the dart shall be cast at Piety it self and the Conclusion shall not be to drive men from drunkenness adultery or any â—in but from serious Godliness it self 4. Godliness as in the Rule is to them a more unobserved dormant thing and doth not so much annoy them for they can shut their Bibles or make nothing of it but as a few good words But Godliness in the Godly existent in their Teachers and Neighbours is more discernable to them and more active and more troublesome to them and so more hated by them In a dead letter or dead Saint that troubleth them not they can commend it but in the living they are molested by it And the nearer it is to them the more they are â—xasperated against it The word is the seed of Godliness which least offendeth them till it spring up and bring forth the fruit which condemneth their wicked lives § 3. 3. And as opposers and scorners do usually strike at Godliness through the person and his faults so they use to strike at the particular parts of Gods Worship through some modes or circumstances or imperfections of men in the performance It is not Preaching or Praying that they scorn if you believe
little harm to most men if they do but by convenient interposed bodily labour keep all the humours in their just temperament when by a sluggish walk now and then instead of labour and sweat they defraud themselves If the world knew but the benefit of TEMPERANCE and LABOUR to the maintaining of mans health and life and the mischiefs of EXCESS of meat and drink and IDLENESS the love of health and life would do that with them which Gods authority will not do § 12. 8. Labour and diligence do keep the mind upon a lawful employment and therefore keep out many dangerous temptations and keep the thoughts from vanity and sin And also keepeth out vain words and preserveth the soul from many sins which a life of idleness and sloth doth cherish It helpeth even unlearned persons more effectually to restrain their thoughts and words from sin than the greatest knowledge and diligent watchfulness can do in an idle kind of life § 13. 9. Diligent labour mortifieth the flesh and keepeth under its luxurious inclinations and subdueth that pride and lust and brutish sensuality which is cherished by an idle life § 34. 10. Lastly It is Gods appointed means for the getting of our daily bread And as it is a more reall honour to get our bread our selves than to receive it by the gift of our friends or Parents so is it more comfortable to a well informed mind We may best believe that we have our food and provisions in mercy and that they shall be blest to us when we have them in Gods appointed way who hath said If any man will not work neither should be eat 2 Thess. 3. § 15. Direct 2. As labour is thus necessary so understand how needful a stated Calling is for the Direct 2. right performance of your labours A Calling is a stated ordinary course of labour This is very needful for these Reasons 1. Out of a Calling a mans labours are but occasional or unconstant and so more time is spent in idleness than in labour 2. A man is best skilled in that which he is used to 3. And he will be best provided for it with instruments and necessaries 4. Therefore he doth it better than he could do an other work and so wrongeth not others but attaineth more the ends of his labour 5. And he doth it more easily when a man unused and unskilled and unfurnished toyleth himself much in doing little 6. And he will do his work more orderly when another is in continual confusion and his business knoweth not its time and place but one part contradicts another Therefore some certain Calling or Trade of life is best for every man § 16. Quest. 1. May not a man have a Calling consisting of occasional uncertain works Answ. He that Quest. 1. can have no better may do thus so be it they are consistent works which he is able for As a Footman may go of various Errands and a Day-labourer may do many sorts of works But great variety will be a great inconvenience to him § 17. Quest. 2. May a man have divers Trades or Callings at once Answ. Yes no doubt if it be for Quest. 2. the common good or for his own and no injury to any other nor so inconsistent as that one shall make him unfaithful in the other Then God forbids it not The Question Whether a man may change his Calling I answered before Chap. 3. Direct 10. § 18. Direct 3. Think not that a Calling can be lawful when the work of it is sin nor that you or Direct 3. your labour or your gain in an unlawful Calling shall be blest An unlawful act is bad enough But an unlawful Calling is a life of sin To make sin a mans Trade and Work and Living is a most horrid desperate course of life As mercinary Soldiers that for their pay will fight against authority right or innocency and murder men for half a Crown a day and those that live by cheating stealing oppressing whoring or by resetting such or upon the sin of such or of Drunkards Gamesters or other sensual vices which they knowingly and willingly maintain § 19. Direct 4. Think not that because a work is lawful that therefore it is lawful to make a Direct 4. Calling of it It is lawful to jeast in time and measure but not lawful to be a Ieaster as a Trade of life If in some cases it should prove lawful to act a Comoedy or Tragoedy it will not follow that therefore it is lawful to be by Trade a Stage player If a Game at Cards or Dice may be in some cases lawful it follows not that it is lawful to be a Gamester by Trade The like I may say of many others § 20. Direct 5. It is not enough that the work of your Calling be lawful nor that it be necessary Direct 5. but you must take special Care also that it be safe and not very dangerous to your souls The Calling of a Vintner and Ale-seller is lawful and needful and yet it is so very dangerous that unless it be in an extraordinary place or case a man that loveth his soul should be loth to meddle with it if he can have a safer to get his bread by They get so little by sober people and their gain dependeth so much upon mens sin that it is a constant temptation to them to be the maintainers of it And frail man that can so hardly stand on firm ground should be loth for a little money to walk still upon the Ice and to venture his soul in a life of such temptations For its twenty to one but they will prevail § 21. Direct 6. The first and principal thing to be intended in the choice of a Trade or Calling for your Direct 6. selves or children is the service of God and the publick good And therefore caeteris paribus that Calling which most conduceth to the publick good is to be preferred The Callings most useful to the publick good are the Magistrates the Pastors and Teachers of the Church Schoolmasters Physicions Lawyers c. Husbandmen Plowmen Grasiers and Shepheards and next to them are Marriners Clothiers Booksellers Taylors and such other that are employed about things most necessary to mankind And some Callings are employed about matters of so little use as Tobacco-sellers Lace-sellers Feather-makers Periwig-makers and many more such that he that may choose better should be loth to take up with one of these though possibly in it self it may be lawful It is a great satisfaction to an honest mind to spend his life in doing the greatest good he can and a prison and constant calamity to be tyed to spend ones life in doing little good at all to others though he should grow rich by it himself § 22. Direct 7. When two Callings equally conduce to the publick good and one of them hath the Direct 7. advantage of riches and the other is more advantagious
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
to be believed Either you have not done your best or else you are not under a necessity And your urgency being your own fault seeing you should subdue it God still obligeth you both to subdue your Vice and to obey your Parents 3. But if there should be any one that hath such an incredible necessity of marriage he is to procure some others to sollicite his Parents for their consent and if he cannot obtain it some say it is his duty to marry without it I should rather say that it is minus malum the lesser evil and that having cast himself into some necessity of sinning it is still his duty to avoid both and to choose neither but it is the smaller sin to choose to disobey his Parents rather than to live in the flames of lust and the filth of unchastity And some Divines say that in such a case a Son should appeal to the Magistrate as a superior authority above the Father But others think 1. That this leaveth it as difficult to resolve what he shall do if the Magistrate also consent not And 2. That it doth but resolve one difficulty by a greater it being very doubtful whether in Domestick cases the authority of the Parent or the Magistrate be the greater § 11. 3. The same answer serveth as to the third Question when Parents forbid you to marry the persons that you are most fond of For such fondness whether you call it Lust or Love as will not stoop to reason and your Parents wills is inordinate and sinful And therefore the thing that God bindeth you to is by his appointed means to subdue it and to obey But if you cannot the accidents and probable consequents must tell you which is the lesser evil § 12. Quest. But what if the Child have promised marriage and the Parents be against it Answ. If Quest. the Child was under the Parents Government and short of years of discretion also the promise is void for want of capacity And if the child was at age yet the promise was a sinful promise as to the promising act and also as to the thing promised during the Parents dissent If the actus promittendâ— only had been sinful the promise making the promise might nevertheless oblige unless it were null as well as sinful But the materia promissa being sinful the matter promised to marry while Parents do dissent such a child is bound to forbear the fullfilling of that promise till the Parents do consent or die And yet he is bound from marrying any other unless he be disobliged by the person that he made the promise to because he knoweth not but his Parents may consent hereafter And whenever they consent or die the promise then is obligatory and must be performed § 13. The 3. Chap. of Num. enableth Parents to disoblige a Daughter that is in their house from a Vow made to God so be it they disallow it at the first hearing Hence there are two doubts arise 1. Whether this power extend not to the disobliging of a promise or contract of Matrimony 2. Whether it extend not to a Son as well as a Daughter And most expositors are for the affirmative of both cases But I have shewed before that it is upon uncertain grounds 1. It is uncertain whether God who would thus give up his own right in case of Vowing will also give away the right of others without their consent in case of Promises or Contracts And 2. It is uncertain whether this be not an indulgence only of the weaker sex seeing many words in the Text seem plainly to intimate so much And it is dangerous upon our own presumptions to stretch Gods Laws to every thing we imagine there is the same reason for Seeing our imaginations may so easily be deceived and God could have exprest such particulars if he would And therefore when there is not clear ground for our inferences in the Text it is but to say Thus and thus God should have said when we cannot say Thus he hath said We must not make Laws under pretense of â—xpounding them whatsoever God commandeth thee take heed that thou do it thou shalt â—â—â—â— nothing thereto nor take ought therefrom Deut. 12. 32. § 14. Quest. If the Question therefore be not of the sinfullness but the nullity of such Promises of Quest. children because of the dissent of Parents for my part I am not able to prove any such nullity It is said that They are not sui juris their own and therefore their promises are null But if they have attained Object to years and use of discretion they are naturally so far sui juris as to be capable of disposing even of Answ. their souls and therefore of their fidelity They can oblige themselves to God or man Though they are not so far sui juris as to be ungoverned For so no child no Subject no Man is sui juris seeing all are under the Government of God And yet if a man promise to do a thing sinful it is not a nullity but a sin not no promise but a sinful promise A nullity is when the Actus promittendi is Reputativè nullus vel non actus And when no Promise is made then none can be broken § 15. Quest. But if the Question be only how far such Promises must be kept I answer by summing Quest. up what I have said 1. If the child had not the use of Reason the want of Natural â—apacity proveth the Promise null Here ignorantis non est consensus 2. If he was at age and use of Reason then 1. If the Promising act only was sinful as before I said of Vows the Promise must be both repented of and kept It must be repented of because it was a sin It must be kept because it was a real Promise and the matter lawful 2. If the Promising act was not only a sin but a nullity by any other reason then it is no obligation 3. If not only the Promising act be sin but also the matter Promised as is marrying without Parents consent then it must be repented of and not performed till it become lawful Because an oath or promise cannot bind a man to violate the Laws of God § 16. Quest. But what if the parties be actually Married without the Parents consent Must they live Quest. together or be separated Answ. 1. If Marriage be consummated per carnalem concubitum by the carnal knowledge of each other I see no reason to imagine that Parents can dissolve it or prohibit their cohabitation For the Marriage for ought I ever saw is not proved a nullity but only a sin and their concubitus is not fornication And Parents cannot forbid Husband and Wife to live together And in Marriage they do really though sinfully forsake Father and Mother and cleave to each other and so are now from under their Government though not disobliged from all obedience 2. But if
that our own advantage falls in but impliedly and in evident subordination Such are the blessed works of praise and thanksgiving which we here begin and shall in Heaven perpetuate Yet see a most admirable Mystery of true Religion We indeed receive more largely from God and enjoy more fully our own felicity in him in these acts of worship that give all to God than in the other wherein we more directly seek for somewhat from him And those are the second sort of worship-actions viz. When the substance or matter of the work is a seeking or receiving somewhat from God or delivering something Religiously in his name and so is more directly for our selves though yet it 's God that should be our ultimate end in this too You may perceive I make this of three sorts Whereof the first consisteth in our religious addresses to God for something that we want And is called Prayer The 2. consisteth in our religious addresses to God to receive somewhat from him viz. 1. Instructions precepts promises threatnings from his mouth Messengers c. 2. The Sacramental signs of his grace in Baptism and the Lords Supper The 3. is when the Officers of Christ do in his name solemnly deliver either his Laws or Sacraments His Laws either in general by ordinary Preaching or by a more particular application in Acts of discipline 2. The Word Solemn signifies sometimes any thing usual and so some derive it Solenne est quod fieri solet Sometimes that which is done but on one set day in the year and so some make solenne to be quasi solum semel in anno But vulgarly it is taken and so we take it here for both celebre usit â—tum that is a thing that is not accidentally and seldom but statedly and ordinarily to be done and that with such Gravity and Honourable seriousness as beseems a business of such weight 3. By family we mean not a tribe or stock of kindred dwelling in many houses as the word is taken oâ—t in Scripture but I mean a houshold Domus familia a Houshold and family are indeed in Oeconomicks somewhat different notions but one thing Domus is to familia as civitas to respublica the former is made the subject of the latter the latter the finis internus of the former And so Domus est societas naturae consentanea e personis domesticis vitae in dies omnes commode sustentandae causa collecta Familia est ordo domus per Regimen Patris-familias in personas sibi subjectas Where note that to a compleat family must go four Integral parts Pater familias Mater familias Filius Servus A Father Mother Son and Servant But to the essence of a family it sufficeth if there be but the pars imperans pars subdita one head or Governor either Father Mother Master or Mistress and one or more governed under this head Note therefore that the Governour is an essential part of the family and so are some of the governed viz. that such their be but not each member If therefore twenty children or servants shall worship God without the Father or Master of the family either present himself or in some Representative it is not a family worship in strict sense But if the head of the family in himself or Delegate or Representative be present with any of his children or servants though all the rest be absent it is yet a family duty though the family be incompleat and maimed and so is the duty therefore if culpably so performed 4. When I say in and by a family I mean not that each must do the same parts of the work but that one either the head or some one deputed by him and representing him be the mouth and the rest perform their parts by receiving instructions or mentally concurring in the Prayers and praise by him put up Lastly by Divine appointment I mean any signification of Gods will that it is mens duty to perform this Whether a signification by natural means or supernatural directly or by consequence so we may be sure it is Gods will The sum of the Question then is Whether any Sacred Actions religiously and ordinarily to be performed to Gods honour by the head of the family with the rest be by Gods appointment made our duty My thoughts of this Question I shall reduce to these heads and propound in this order 1. I shall speak of family worship in General 2. Of the sorts of that worship in special 3. Of the time I. Concerning the first I lay down my thoughts in these Propositions following for limitation and caution and then prove the main conclusion Prop. 1. It is not all sorts of Gods worship which he hath appointed to be performed by families as Prop. 1. such There being some proper to more publick Assemblies 2. More particularly the Administration of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lords Supper are proper to the Ministerial or Organized Churches and not common to families for as they are both of them committed only to Ministers of the Gospel and have been only used by them for many hundred years in the Church except that some permitted others to baptize in case of necessity So the Lords Supper was appointed for a Symbole and means of a more publick communion than that of families And though some conjecture the contrary from its first institution and think that as there is a family prayer and Church prayer family teaching and Church teaching so there should be family Sacraments and Church Sacraments yet it is a Mistake For though Christ administred it to his family yet it was not as a family but as a Church For that which is but one family may possibly be a Church also This exposition we have from the Doctrine and practice of the Apostles and constant custom of all the Churches which have never thought the Lords Supper to be a family duty but proper to larger assemblies and administrable only by ordained Ministers Nor will the reasons drawn from circumcision and the passeover prove the contrary both because particular Churches were not then instituted as now and therefore families had the more to do and because there were some duties proper to families in the very institution of those Sacraments And because God gave them a power in those which he hath not given to Masters of families now in our Sacraments 3. Many thousands do by their own vitiousness and negligence disable themselves so that they cannot perform what God hath made their duty yet it remains their duty still Some disability may excuse them in part but not in whole I shall now prove that the Solemn Worship of God in and by families as such is of Divine appointment Argument 1. If Families are Societies of Gods Institution furnished with special advantages and opportunities for Gods solemn Worship having no prohibition so to use them then the solemn Worship of God in and by families as such is of
as well as they are from him For of him and through him and to him are all things This Argument I draw from Nature which can have no beginning but God nor any end but God The 2. I draw from the Divine intention in the fabrication and ordination of all things God made all things for himself and can have no Ultimate end below himself The 3. I draw from his Ius dominii his right of Propriety which he hath over all things and so over families as such they are all absolutely his own alone And that which is solely or absolutely a mans own should be for his use and employed to his honour and ends much more that which is Gods seeing man is not capable of such a plenary propriety of any thing in the world as God hath in all things 4. I argue à Iure Imperii from Gods Right of Government If he have a full right of Government of families as families then families as families must honour and worship him according to their utmost capacities But he hath a full Right of absolute Government over families as families Therefore The consequence of the Major is grounded on these two things 1. That God himself is the end of his own Government this is proper to his Regiment All Humane Government is said by Polititians to be terminated ultimately in the Publick good of the society But Gods Pleasure and Glory is the end of his Government and is as it were the Publick or Universal good 2. In that Nature teacheth us that Supream Honour is due to all that are Supream Governours therefore they are to have the most honourable Titles of Majesty Highness Excellency c. and actions answerable to those Titles Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Father where is mine honour If I be a Master where is my fear Fear is oft put for all Gods Worship If then there be no family whereof God is not the Father or Founder and the Master or Owner and Governour then there is none but should honour him and fear or worship him and that not only as single men but as families because he is not only the Father and Master the Lord and Ruler of them as men but also as Families Honour is as due to the Rector as Protection to the Subjects and in our case much more God is not a meer Titular but Real Governour All Powers on earth are derived from him and are indeed his power All Lawful Governours are his Officers and hold their places under him and act by him As God therefore is the proper Soveraign of every Commonwealth and the Head of the Church so is he the Head of every family Therefore as every Commonwealth should perform such Worship or Honour to their Earthly Soveraign as is Due to Man So each Society should according to their Capacities perform Divine Worship and Honour to God And if any object That by this Rule Commonwealths as such must meet together to worship God which is impossible I answer They must worship him according to their Natural Capacities and so must Families according to theirs The same General Precept obligeth to a divers manner of duty according to the divers capacity of the Subject Commonwealths must in their Representatives at least engage themselves to God as Commonwealths and worship him in the most convenient way that they are capable of Families may meet together for prayer though a Nation cannot As an Association of Churches called a Provincial or National Church is obliged to worship God as well as particular Congregations yet not in one place because it is impossible Nature limiteth and maketh the difference And that the obligation of families to honour and worship God may yet appear more evidently Consider that Gods Right and Propriety and Rule is twofold yet each Title plenary alone 1. He is our Owner and Ruler upon his Title of Creation 2. So he is by his Right of Redemption By both these he is not only Lord and Ruler of persons but families all societies being his And the Regiment of persons being chiefly exercised over them in societies All power in Heaven and Earth is given unto Christ. Matth. 18. 18. and all judgement committed unto him John 5. 22. and all things delivered into his hands John 13. 3. and therefore to him shall every knee bow both of things in Heaven and things in earth and things under the earth either with a bowing of Worship or of forced acknowledgement and every tongue shall confess that Iesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Phil. 2. 10. Bowing to and confessing Christ voluntarily to Gods glory is true Worship All must do this according to their several capacities And therefore families according to theirs A third Consideration which I thought to have added but for Illustration may well stand as an argument it self and it s this Argument 3. If besides all the forementioned opportunities and obligations families do live in the presence of God and ought by faith to apprehend that presence then is it Gods Will that families as such should solemnly Worship him But the former is true therefore the latter The Consequence of the Major which alone requires proof I prove by an Argument à fortiori from the honour due to all earthly Governours Though when a King a Father a Master are absent such actual honour to be presented to them is not Due because they are not capable of receiving it further than Mediante aliqua persona vel re which beareth some representation of the Superiour or Relation to him yet when they stand by it is a contemptuous subject a disobedient Child that will not perform actual honour or humane Worship to them Now God is ever present not only with each person as such but also with every family as such As he is said to walk among the Golden Candlesticks in his Churches so doth he in the families of all by his common presence and of his servants by his gracious presence This they easily find by his directing them and blessing the affairs of their families If any say We see not God else we would daily worship him in our families Answ. Faith seeth him who to sense is invisible If one of you had a Son that were blind and could not see his own Father would you think him therefore excusable if he would not honour his Father when he knew him to be present We know God to be present though flesh be blind and cannot see him Argument 4. If Christian families besides all the forementioned advantages and obligations are also societies sanctified to God then is it Gods Will that families as such should solemnly worship him But Christian families are societies sanctified to God Therefore The Reason of the Consequence is because things sanctified must in the most eminent sort that they are capable be used for God To sanctifie a person or thing is to set it apart and separate it from a common or
also is your Authority Your Authority over your Wife is but such as is necessary to the order of your Family the safe and prudent management of your affairs and your comfortable cohabitation The power of love and complicated interest must do more than Magisterial commands Your authority over your Children is much greater But yet only such as conjunct with Love is needful to their good education and felicity Your authority over your servants is to be measured by your contract with them in these Countreys where there are no slaves in order to your Service and the honour of God In other matters or to other ends you have no Authority over them For the maintaining of this your Authority observe these following Subdirections § 3. Direct 1. Lâ—t your family understand that your Authority is of God who is the God of Order Direct 1. and that in obedience to him they are obliged to obey you There is no power but of God And there is none that the intelligent Creature can so much reverence as that which is of God All bonds are easily broken and cast away by the soul at least if not by the body which are not perceived to be Divine An illightned Conscience will say to ambitious usurpers God I know and his Son Jesus I know but who are ye § 4. Direct 2. The more of God appeareth upon you in your knowledge and holiness and unblameableness Direct 2. of life the greater will your Authority be in the eyes of all your inferiours that fear God Sin will make you contemptible and vile And Holiness being the Image of God will make you Honourable In the eyes of the faithful a vile person is contemned but they honour them that fear the Lord. Psal. 15. 4 Righteousness exalteth a Nation and a person but sin is a reproach to any people Prov. 14. 34. Those that honour God he will honour and those that dâ—spise him shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2. 30. They that give up themselves to vile affections and conversations Rom. 1. 26. will seem vile when they have made themselves so Eli's Sons made themselves vile by their sin 1 Sam. 3. 13. I know men should discern and honour a person placed in Authority by God though they are morally and naturally vile But this is so hard that it is seldom well done And God is so severe against Proud offenders that he usually punisheth them by making them vile in the eyes of others at least when they are dead and men dare freely speak of them their names will rot Prov. 10. 7. The instances of the greatest Emperours in the World both Persian Roman and Turkish do tell us that if by whordom drunkenness gluttony pride and especially persecution they will make themselves vile God will permit them by uncovering their nakedness to become the shame and scorn of men And shall a wicked Master of a family think to maintain his authority over others while he rebelleth against the authority of God § 5. Direct 3. Shew not your natural weakness by passions or imprudent words or deeds For if Direct 3. they think contemptuously of your persons a little thing will draw them further to despise your words There is naturally in man so high an esteem of Reason that men are hardly perswaded that they should rebel against Reason to be governed for orders sake by folly They are very apt to think that rightest Reason should bear rule And therefore any silly weak expressions or any inordinate passions or any imprudent actions are very apt to make you contemptible in your inferiours eyes § 6. Direct 4. Lose not your Authority by a neglect of using it If you suffer Children and Servants Direct 4. but a little while to have the head and to have and say and do what they will your Government will be but a name or image A moderate course between a Lordly rigour and a soft subjection or neglect of exercising the power of your place will best preserve you from your inferiours contempt § 7. Direct 5. Lâ—se not your authority by too much familiarity If you make your children and servants your playfellows or equals and talk to them and suffer them to talk to you as your companions they will quickly grow upon you and hold their custom and though another may govern them they will scarce ever endure to be governed by you but will scorn to be subject where they have once been as equal § 8. 11. Gen. Direct Labour for Prudence and Skillfullness in Governing He that undertaketh Of skill in governing to be a Master of a family undertaketh to be their Governour And it is no small sin or folly to undertake such a place as you are utterly unfit for when it is a matter of so great importance You could discern this in a case that 's not your own as if a man undertake to be a Schoolmaster that cannot read or write or to be a Physicion who knoweth neither diseases nor their remedies or to be a Pilot that cannot tell how to do a Pilots work And why cannot you much more discern it in your own case § 9. Direct 1. To get the skill of holy governing it is needful that you be well studied in the Direct 1. word of God Therefore God commandeth Kings themselves that they read in the Law of God all the days of their lives Deut. 17. 18 19. and that it depart not out of their mouths but that they meditate in it day and night Josh. 1. 8. And all Parents must be able to teach it their children and talk of it both at home and abroad lying down and rising up Deut. 6. 6 7. 11. 18 19. All Government of men is but subservient to the Government of God to promote obedience to his Laws And it is necessary that we understand the Laws which all Laws and precepts must give place to and subserve § 10. Direct 2. Understand well the different tempers of your inferiors and deal with them as they Direct 2. are and as they can bear and not with all alike Some are more intelligent and some more dull Some are of tender and some of hardened impudent dispositions Some will be best wrought upon by love and gentleness and some have need of sharpness and severity Prudence must fit your dealings to their dispositions § 11. Direct 3. You must much difference between their different faults and accordingly suit your reprehensions Direct 3. Those must be most severely rebuked that have most willfulness and those that are â—aulty in matters of greatest weight Some faults are so much through meer disability and unavoidable â—railty of the flesh that there is but little of the will appearing in them These must be more gently handled as deserving more compassion than reproof Some are habituate vices and the whole nature is more desperately depraved than in others These must have more than a particular correction They must be
but desired in this life but not attained Much less for others 3. When the principal causes co-operate not with us and we are but subservient Moral Causes We can but perswade men to Repent Believe and Love God and goodness We cannot save men without and against themselves Their hearts are out of our reach Therefore in all these cases we are naturally unable to hinder sin II. It is not in our power to do any thing which God forbiddeth us That which is sinful is to be accounted out of our power in this sense To cure the sin of a Wife by such cruelty or harshness as is contrary to our Conjugal Relation and to the office of necessary Love is out of our power because forbidden as contrary to our duty and so of other III. Those actions are out of our power which are acts of higher authority than we have A subject cannot reform by such actions as are proper to the Soveraign nor a Lay-man by actions proper to the Pastor for want of Authority So a Schoolmaster cannot do that which is proper to a Patient Nor the Master of a family that which is proper to the Magistrate as to punish with death c. IV. We have not power to do that which a Superiour power forbiddeth us unless it be that which God indisponsibly commandeth us The Wife may not correct a Child or Servant or turn him away when the Husband forbiddeth it Nor the Master of a family so punish a sin as the King and Laws forbid on the account of the publick interest V. We have not Power to do that for the cure of sin which is like to do more hurt than good yea perhaps to prove a perniâ—ious mischief If my correcting a servant would make him kill me or set my house on fire I may not do it If my sharp reproof is like to do more hurt or less good than milder dealing If I have reason to believe that correction will make a servant worse I am not to use it because we have our power to edification and not to destruction God hath not tyed us just to speak such and such words or to use this or that correction but to use reproofs and corrections only in that time measure and manner as true reason telleth us is likest to attain their end To do it iâ— it would do never so much hurt with a fiat Iustitia etsi pereat Mundus is to be Rightâ—ous overmuch Yea great and heynous sins may be endured in families sometimes to avoid a greater hurt and because there is no other means to cure them For instance A Wife may be guilty of notorious Pride and of malignant dâ—riding the exercises of Religion and of railing lying slandering back-biting covetousness swearing cursing c. and the Husband be necessitated to bear it not so far as not to reprove it but so far as not to correct her much less cure her Divines use to say that it is unlawful for a man to beat his Wife But the reason is not that he wanteth Authority to do it But 1. Because he is by his relation obliged to a Life of Love with her and therefore must so Rule as tendeth not to destroy Love And 2. Because it may often do otherwise more hurt to her self and the family than good It may make her furious and desperate and make her contemptible in the family and diminish the reverence of inferiours both to Wife and Husband for living so uncomely a life Quest. But is there any case in which a man may silently bear the sins of a Wife or other inferiour without reproof or urging them to amend Answ. Yes In case 1. That Reproof hath been tryed to the utmost 2. And it is most evident by full experience that it is like to do a great deal more hurt than good The Rule given by Christ extendeth as well to families as to others not to cast Pearls before Swine nor to give that which is holy to dogs because it is more to the discomposure of a mans Matâ—h 7. 6. own pâ—ace to have a Wife turn again and all to rend him than a stranger As the Church may cease admonishing a sinner after a certain time of obstinacy when experience hath ended their present hopes of bringing the person to Repentance and thereupon may excommunicate him so a Husband may be brought to the same despair with a Wife and may be disobliged from ordinary reproof though the nearness of the Relation forbid him to eject her And in such a case where the family and neighbourhood knoweth the intractableness and obstinacy of the Wife it is no scandal nor sign of approbation or neglect of duty for a man to be silent at her sin Because they look upon her Psâ—l 81. 11. c. Râ—v 22 10 11. Prov. 1. 24 25. as at present incorrigible by that means And it is the sharpest Reproof to such a one to be unreproved and to be let alone in her sin as it is Gods greatest judgement on a sinner to leave him to himself and say Be filthy still And there are some Women whose Phantasies and Passions are naturally so strong as that it seemeth to me that in many cases they have not so much as Natural Free-will or power to restrain them but if in all other cases they acted as in some I should take them for meer Bruites that had no true reason They seem naturally necessitated to do as they do I have known the long professiâ—n of piâ—ty which in other respects hath seemed sincere to consist in a Wife with such unmastered furious passion that she could not before strangers forbear throwing what was in her hand in her Husbands face or thrusting the burning Candle into his face and slandering him of the filthiest sins and when the passion was over confess all to be false and her rage to be the reason of her speech and actions And the man though a Minister of more than ordinary wit and strength yet fain to endure all without returns of violence till her death They that never knew such a case by tryal can tell how all might be cured easily but so cannot they that are put upon the Cure And there are some other women of the same uncurable strength of Imagination and Passion who in other respects are very pious and prudent too and too wise and conscionable to wrong their Husbands with their hands or tongues who yet are utterly unable to forbear an injury of the highest nature to themselves but are so utterly impatient of being crossed of their wills that it would in all likelihood cast them into Melancholy or Madness or some mortal sickness And no reason signifieth any thing to abate such passions In case of Pride or some sinful custome they are not able to bear reproof and to be hindered in the sin without apparent danger of distraction or death I suppose thâ—se cases are but few but what to do in such
her discontent yet the case must be resolved by such considerations And a prudent man that knoweth what is like to be the consequent on both sides may and must accordingly determine it 4. But ordinarily the life health or preservation of so proud luxurious and passionate a woman is not worth the saving at so dear a rate as the wasting of a considerable estate which might be used to relieve a multitude of the poor and perhaps to save the lives of many that are worthier to live And 1. A mans duty to relieve the poor and provide for his family is so great 2. And the account that all men must give of the use of their Talents is so strict that it must be a great reason indeed that must allow him to give way to very great wastfulness And unless there be somewhat extraordinary in the case it were better deal with such a Woman as a Bedlam and if she will be mad to use her as the mad are used than for a steward of God to suffer the Devil to be served with his masters goods Lastly I must charge the Reader to remember that both these cases are very rare and it is but few Women that are so lyable to so great mischiefs which may not be prevented at cheaper rates And therefore that the Indulgence given in these decisions is nothing to the greater part of men nor is to be extended to ordinary Cases But commonly men every where sin by omission of a stricter Government of their families and by Eli's sinful indulgence and remisness And though a Wife must be Governed as a Wife and a Child as a Child yet all must be governed as well as servants And though it may be truly said that a man cannot hinder that sin which he cannot hinder but by sin or by contributing to a greater hurt yet it is to be concluded that every man is bound to hinder sin whenever he is able lawfully to hinder it And by the same measures Tolerations or not-hindering Errours and sins about Religion in Church and Common-wealth is to be judged of None must commit them or approve them nor forbear any duty of their own to cure them But that is not a duty which is destructive which would be a duty when it were a means of edifying CHAP. X. The Duties of Parents for their Children OF how great importance the wise and holy Education of Children is to the saving of their souls and the comfort of the Parents and the good of Church and State and the happiness of the World I have partly told you before but no man is able fully to express And how great that calamity is which the World is faln into through the neglect of that duty no heart can conceive But they that think what a case the Heathen Infidel and ungodly Nations are in and how rare true piety is grown and how many millions must lie in Hell for ever will know so much of this inhumane negligence as to abhor it § 1. Direct 1. Understand and lament the corrupted and miserable state of your Children which they Direct 1. have derived from you and thank fully accept the offers of a Saviour for your selves and them and â—bsolutely See my Treat for Infant Baptism resign and dedicate them to God in Christ in the sacred Covenant and solemnize this Dedication and Covenant by their Baptism And to this end understand the command of God for entring your Children solemnly into Covenant with him and the Covenant-mercies belonging to them thereupon Rom. 5. 12 16 17 18. Ephes. 2. 1 3. Gen. 17. 4 13 14. Deut. 29. 10 11 12. Rom. 11. 17 20. Joh. 3. 3 5. Mat. 19. 13 14. You cannot sincerely dedicate your selves to God but you must dedicate to him all that is yours and in your power and therefore your Children as far as they are in your power And as Nature hath taught you your Power and your duty to enter them in their infancy into any Covenant with man which is certainly for their good and if they refuse the conditions when they come to age they forfeir the benefit so nature teacheth you much more to oblige them to God for their far greater good in case he will admit them into Covenant with him And that he will admit them into his Covenant and that you ought to enter them into it is past doubt in the evidence which the Scripture giveth us that from Abrahams time till Christ it was so with all the Children of his people Nay no man can prove that before Abrahams Time or since God had ever a Church on Earth of which the Infants of his servants if they had any were not members dedicated in Covenant to God till of late times that a few began to scruple the lawfulness of this As it is a comfort to you if the King would bestow upon your Infant-Children who were tainted by their Fathers treason not only a full discharge from the blot of that offence but also the titles and estates of Lords though they understand none of this till they come to age so is it much more matter of comfort to you on their behalf that God in Christ will pardon their Original sin and take them as his Children and give them title to everlasting life which are the mercies of his Covenant § 2. Direct 2. As soon as they are capable teach them what a Covenant they are in and what are Direct 2. the benefits and what the conditions that their souls may gladly consent to it when they understand it and you may bring them seriously to renew their Covenant with God in their own persons But the whole order of Teaching both Children and Servants I shall give you after by it self and therefore shall here pass by all that except that which is to be done more by your familiar converse than by more solemn teaching § 3. Direct 3. Train them up in exact obedience to your selves and break them of their own Direct 3. wills To that end suffer them not to carry themselves unreverently or contemptuously towards you but to keep their distance For too much Familiarity breedeth contempt and emboldeneth to disobedience The common course of Parents is to please their Children so long by letting them have what they crave and what they will till their wills are so used to be fulfilled that they cannot endure to have them denyed and so can endure no Government because they endure no crossing of their wills To be Obedient is to renounce their own wills and be ruled by their Parents or Governours wills To use them therefore to have their own wills is to teach them disobedience and harden and use them to a kind of impossibility of obeying Tell them oft familiarly and lovingly of the excellency of obedience and how it pleaseth God and what need they have of Government and how unfit they are to govern themselves and how dangerous it is to Children
that they themselves dislike and so possess them with the same dislike from generation to generation Woe to them that call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Isa. 5. 20. § 8. Direct 8. Let it be the principal part of your care and labour in all their education to make Direct 8. Holiness appear to them the most Necessary Honourable gainful pleasant delightful amiable state of life and to keep them from apprehending it either as needless dishonourable hurtful or uncomfortable Especially draw them to the Love of it by representing it as lovely And therefore begin with that which is easiest and most grateful to them as the History of the Scripture and the lives of the Martyrs and other good men and some short familiar lessons For though in restraining them from sin you must go to the highest step at first and not think to draw them from it by allowing them the least degree for every degree disposeth to more and none is to be allowed and a general reformation is the easiest as well as absolutely necessary Yet in putting them upon the Practice of Religious duties you must carry them on by degrees and put them at first upon no more than they can bear either upon the learning of doctrines too high and spiritual for them or upon such duty for quality or quantity as is over-burdensome to them For if you once turn their hearts against Religion and make it seem a slavery and a tedious life to them you take the course to harden them against it And therefore all Children must not be used alike as all stomachs must not be forced to â—at alike If you force some to take so much as to become a surfet they will loath that sort of meat as long as they live I know that nature it self as corrupt hath already an enmity to Holiness and I know that this enmity is not to be indulged in Children at all But withall I know that mis-representations of Religion and imprudent Education is the way to increase it and that the enmity being in the Heart it is the change of the Mind and Love that is the overcoming of it and not any such constraint as tendeth not to reconcile the Mind by Love The whole skill of Parents for the Holy education of their Children doth consist in this to make them conceive of Holiness as the most amiable and desirable life which is by representing it to them in words and practice not only as most Necessary but also as most Profitable Honourable and Delightful Prov. 3. 17. Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace c. § 9. Direct 9. Speak often to them of the bruitish baseness and sinfulness of flesh-pleasing sensuality Direct 9. and of the greater excellency of the Pleasures of the mind which consist in wisdom and in doing good For your chiefest care must be to save them from Flesh-pleasing which is not only in general the sum of all iniquity whatsoever but that which in special Children are most prone to For their flesh and sense is as quick as others and they want not only faith but clear Reason to resist it And so besides their natural pravity the custome of obeying sense which is in strength without Reason which is in infancy and almost useless doth much increase this pernicious sin And therefore still labour to imprint in their minds an odious conceit of a fleshpleasing life speak bitterly to them against Gluttony and drunkenness and excess of sport and let them often hear or read the parable of the Glutton and Lazarus in the 16 of Luke And let them learn without book Rom. 8. 1 5 6 7 8 9 13. Rom. 13. 13 14. and oft repeat them Direct 10. § 10. Direct 10. To this end and also for the health of their bodies keep a strict guard upon their appetites which they are not able to guard themselves Keep them as exactly as you can to the rules of reason both in the quantity and quality of their food Yet tell them the Reason of your restraint or else they will secretly strive the more to break their bounds Most Parents that ever I knew or had any good account of in that point are guilty of the great hurt and danger of their Childrens health and souls by pleasing and glutting them with meat and drink If I should call them Devils and Murderers to their own Children they would think I spake too harshly But I would not have them give so great occasion for it as by destroying as far as lyeth in them the souls and bodies of their Children They destroy their souls by accustoming them to gluttony and to be ruled by their appetites which all the teaching in the world will hardly ever after overcome without the special grace of God What is all the vice and villany in the world but the pleasing of the desires of the flesh And when they are habituated to this they are rooted in their sin and misery And they destroy their Bodies by suffering them to please their appetites with raw fruits and other hurtful things but especially by drowning and overwhelming nature by excess And all this is through that beastly ignorance joyned with self conceitedness which maketh them also overthrow themselves They think that their appetite is the measure of their eating and drinking and that if they drink but when they are thirsty as some Drunkards are continually and eat but when they are hungry it is no excess And because they are not presently sick or vomit it not up again the Beasts think it doth them no harm but good You shall hear them like mad people say I warrant them it will do them no harm to eat and drink when they have list it will make them strong and healthful I see not that those that are dyeted so strictly are any healthfuller than others When as all this while they are burdening nature and destroying digestion and vitiating all the humours of the body and turning them into a dunghill of flegm and filth which is the fewel that breedeth and feedeth almost all the diseases that after seize upon them while they live and usually bringeth them to an untimely end as I have fullyer opened before Tom. 1. in the Directions against Gluttony If therefore you love either the souls or Bodies of your Children use them to temperance from their infancy and let not their appetites or craving wills but your own reason be the chooser and the measure of their dyet Use them to eat sparingly and so it moderately please their appetite or be not such as nature loatheth let it be rather of the courser than the finer sort of dyet see it measured to them your selves and suffer no servant to give them more nor to let them eat or drink between meals and out of season And so you will
and shalt deliver his soul from Hell Prov. 19. 18. Chasten thy Son while there is hope and let not thy soul spare for his crying Ask him whether he would have you by sparing him to disobey God and hate him and destroy his soul. And when his reason is convinced of the reasonableness of correcting him it will be the more sucessful § 18. Direct 18. Let your own example teach your children that holiness and heavenliness and Direct 18. blamelessness of tongue and life which you desire them to learn and practise The example of Parents is most powerful with children both for good and evil If they see you live in the fear of God it will do much to perswade them that it is the most necessary and excellent course of life and that they must do so too And if they see you live a carnal voluptuous and ungodly life and hear you curse or swear or talk filthily or railingly it will greatly embolden them to imitate you If you speak Direct 19. never so well to them they will sooner believe your bad lives than your good words § 19. Direct 19. Choose such a Calling and course of life for your children as tendeth most to the saving of their souls and to their publick usefulness for Church or State Choose not a Calling that is most lyable to temptations and hinderances to their salvation though it may make them rich but a Calling which alloweth them some leisure for the remembring the things of everlasting consequence and fit opportunities to get good and to do good If you bind them Apprentices or Servants if it be possible place them with men fearing God and not with such as will harden them in their sin § 20. Direct 20. When they are marriageable and you find it needful look out such for them as are Direct 20. suitable betimes When Parents stay too long and do not their duties in this their children often choose for themselves to their own undoing For they choose not by judgement but blind affection § 21. Having thus told you the common duties of Parents for their children I should next have Direct 1. told you what specially belongeth to each Parent but to avoid prolixity I shall only desire you to remember especially these two Directions 1. That the Mother who is still present with children when they are young be very diligent in teaching them and minding them of good things When the Fathers are abroad the Mothers have more frequent opportunities to instruct them and be still speaking to them of that which is most necessary and watching over them This is the greatest service that most women can do for God in the world Many a Church that hath been blessed with a good Minister may thank the pious education of Mothers And many a thousand souls in Heaven may thank the holy care and diligence of Mothers as the first effectual means Good women this way by the good education of their children are ordinarily great blessings both to Church and State And so some understand 1 Tim. 2. 15. by Child-bearing meaning bringing up children for Direct 2. God but I rather think it is by Maries bearing Christ the promised seed 2. By all means let children be taught to read if you are never so poor and what ever shift you make or else you deprive them of a singular help to their instruction and salvation It is a thousand pities that a Bible should signifie no more than a Chip to a rational creature as to their reading it themselves and that so many excellent Books as be in the world should be as sealed or insignificant to them § 22. But if God deny you children and save you all this care and labour repine not but be thankful believing it is best for you Remember what a deal of duty and pains and hearts grief he hath freed you from and how few speed well when Parents have done their best what a life of misery children must here pass through and how sad the fear of their sin and damnation would have been to you CHAP. XI The special Duties of Children towards their Parents THough Precepts to Children are not of so much force as to them of riper age because of their natural incapacity and their childish passions and pleasures which bear down their weak dâ—gree of Reason yet somewhat is to be said to them because that measure of Reason which they have is to be exercised and by exercise to be improved and because even those of riper years while they have Parents must know and do their duty to them and because God useth to bless even children as they perform their duties § 1. Direct 1. Be sure that you dearly love your Parents Delight to be in their company Be not Direct 1. like those unnatural children that love the company of their idle play-fellows better than their Parents and had rather be abroad about their sports than in their Parents sight Remember that you have your Being from them and come out of their loins Remember what sorrow you have cost them and what care they are at for your education and provision and remember how tenderly they have loved you and what grief it will be to their hearts if you miscarry and how much your happiness will make them glad Remember what Love you owe them both by Nature and in Iustice for all their Love to you and all that they have done for you They take your Happiness or Misery to be one of the greatest parts of the Happiness or Misery of their own lives Deprive them not then of their Happiness bâ— depriving your selves of your own Make not their lives miserable by undoing your selves Though they chide you and restrain you and correct you do not therefore abate your Love to them For this is their Duty which God requireth of them and they do it for your good It is a sign of a wicked child that loveth his Parents the less because they correct him and will not let him have his own will Yea though your Parents have many faults themselves yet you must love them as your Parents still § 2. Direct 2. Honour your Parents both in your Thoughts and speeches and behaviour Think Direct 2. not dishonourably or contemptuously of them in your hearts Speak not dishonourably rudely unreverently or sawcily either to them or of them Behave not your selves rudely and unreverently before them Yea though your Parents be never so poor in the world or weak of understanding yea though they were ungodly you must honour them notwithstanding all this Though you cannot honour them as Rich or Wise or Godly you must honour them as your Parents Remember that the fifth Commandment hath a special promise of temporal blessing Honour thy Father and Mother that thy dayes may be long in the land c. And consequently the dishonourers of Parents have a special curse even in this life And the Justice of
some notable yea or ordinary providence which did lately occurr 5. Or of some examples of good or evil that are fresh before you 6. Or of the right doing of the duty that you are about or any such like helps Direct 5. § 7. Direct 5. Talk not of vain unprofitable controversies nor often of small circumstantial matters that make but little to edification For there may be idle talking about matters of Religion as well as about other smaller things Especially see that the quarrells of the times engage not your thoughts and speeches too far into a course of unprofitableness or contention § 8. Direct 6. Furnish your selves before hand with matter for the most edifying discourse and never Direct 7. go abroad empty And let the matter be usually 1. Things of weight and not small matters 2. Things of certainty and not uncertain things Particularly the fittest subjects for your ordinary discourse are these 1. God himself with his Attributes Relations and Works 2. The great mysterie of mans Redemption by Christ His person office sufferings doctrine example and work His resurrection ascension glory intercession and all the priviledges of his Saints 3. The Covenant of Grace the promises the duties the conditions and the threatnings 4. The workings of the Spirit of Christ upon the soul and every grace of the Spirit in us with all the signs and helps and hinderances of it 5. The wayes and wiles of Satan and all our spiritual enemies the particular temptations which we are in danger of what they are and how to avoid them and what are the most powerful helps against them 6. The corruption and deceitfulness of the heart The nature and workings effects and signs of ignorance unbelief hypocrisie pride sensuality worldliness impiety injustice intemperance uncharitableness and every other sin with all the helps against them all 7. The many duties to God and man which we have to perform both internal and external and how to do them and what are the chiefest hindrances and helps As in reading hearing meditating prayer giving alms c. And the duties of our Relations and several places with the contrary sins 8. The Vanity of the world and deceitfulness of all earthly things 9. The powerful Reasons used by Christ to draw us to holiness and the unreasonable madness of all that is brought against it by the Devil or by wicked men 9. Of the sufferings which we must expect and be prepared for 10. O◠death and the preparations that will then be found necessary and how to make ready for so great a change 11. Of the day of judgement and who will be then justified and who condemned 12. Of the joyes of Heaven the employment the company the nature and duration 13. Of the miseries of the damned and the thoughts that then they will have of their former life on earth 14. Of the state of the Church on earth and what we ought to do in our places for its welfare Is there not matter enough in all these great and weighty points for your hourly meditation and conference § 9. Direct 7. Take heed of proud self-conceitedness in your conference Speak not with supercilious Direct 7. censorious confidence Let not the weak take on them to be wiser than they are Be readier to speak by way of Question as Learners than as Teachers of others unless you are sure that they have much more need to be taught by you than you by them It 's ordinary for novices in Religion to cast all their discourse into a Teaching strain or to make themselves Preachers before they understand It is a most loathsome and pitiful hearing and yet too ordinary to hear a raw self-conceited ungrounded unexperienced person to prate magisterially and censure confidently the doctrine or practices or persons of those that are much better and wiser than themselves If you meet with this proud censorious spirit rebuke it first and read to them Iam. 3. and if they go on turn away from them and avoid them for they know not what manner of spirit they are of they serve not the Lord Jesus whatever they pretend or think themselves but are proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and making divisions in the Church of God and ready to fall into the condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3. 6. 6. 3 4 5 Rom. 16. 17. Luk. 9. 55. Direct 8. § 10. Direct 8. Let the wisest in the company and not the weakest have most of the discourse But yet if any one that is of an abler tongue than the rest do make any determinations in doubtful controverted points take heed of a hasty receiving his judgement let his reasons seem never so plausible or probable but put down all such opinions as doubts and move them to your Teachers or some other impartial able men before you entertain them Otherwise he that hath most wit and tongue in the company might carry away all the rest into what errour or heresie he please and subvert their faith when he stops their mouths § 11. Direct 9. Let the matter of your speech be suitable to your end even to the good of your Direct 9. selves or others which you seek The same subject that is fit for one company is very unfit for others Learned men and ignorant men pious men and prophane men are not fit for the same kind of discourse The medicine must be carefully fitted to the disease § 12. Direct 10. Let your speech be seasonable when prudence telleth you it is not like to do more Direct 10. harm than good There is a season for the prudent to be silent and refrain even from good talk Amos 5. 17. Psal. 39. 1 2. Cast not Pearls before Swine and give not holy things to Dogs that you know will turn again and rend you Matth. 7. 6. Yea and among good people themselves there is a time to speak and a time to be silent Eccles. 3. 7. There may possibly be such excess as tendeth to the tiring of the hearers and more may be cram'd in than they can digest and surfetting may make them loath it afterwards You must give none more than they can bear And also the matters of your business and callings must be talkt of in their time and place § 13. Direct 11. Let all your speech of holy things be with the greatest seriousness and reverence Direct 11. that you are able Let the words be never so good yet levity and rudeness may make them to be prophane God and holy things should not be talkt of in a common manner But the gravity of your speech should tell the hearers that you take them not for small or common matters If servants and others that live near together would converse and speak as the Oracles of God how holy and heavenly and happy would such families or societies be CHAP. XVII Directions for each particular member of the Family how to spend every ordinary day of
and Sanctifier of souls and in what order he doth all this by the Ministry of the Word 12. In the next open to them the office and use and duty of the ordinary Ministry and their duty toward them especially as Hearers and the nature and use of publick Worship and the nature and Communion of Saints and Churches 13. In the next open to them the Nature and use of Bâ—pâ—ism and the Lords Supper 14. In the next open to them the shortness of life and the state of souls at death and after death and the day of Judgement and the Justification of the Righteous and the Condemnation of the wicked at that day 15. In the next open to them the Joyes of Hâ—aven and the miseries of the damned 16. In the next open to them the vanity of all the pleasure and profits and honour of this World and the method of Temptations and how to overcome them 17. In the next open to them the reason and use of suffering for Christ and of self denyal and how to prepare for sickness and death And after this go over also the Lords Prayer and the Ten Commandments § 13. Direct 13. After all your instructions make them briefly give you an account in their own Direct 13. words of what they understand and remember of all or else the next time to give account of the fâ—rmer And encourage them for all that is well done in their endeavours § 14. Direct 14. Labour in all to keep up a â—akened serious attention and still to print upon their Direct 14. hearts the greatest things And to that end For the Matter of your teaching and discourse let nothing be so much in your mouths as 1. The Nature and Relations of God 2. A Crucified and a Glorified Christ with all his grace and priviledges 3. The operations of the spirit on the soul. 4. The madness of sinners and the vanity of the world 5. And endless Glory and Joy of Saints and misery of the ungodly after death Let these five points be frequently urged and be the life of all the rest of your discourse And then for the Manner of your speaking to them let it be alwayes with such a mixture of familiarity and seriousness that may carry along their serious attentions whether they will or no Speak to them as if they or you were dying and as if you saw God and Heaven and Hell § 15. Direct 15. Take each of them sometime by themselves and there describe to them the work Direct 15. of Renovation and ask them whether ever such a work was wrought upon them Shew them the true Marks of Grace and help them to try themselves Urge them to tell you truly whether their Love to God or the Creature to Heaven or Earth to Holiness or Flesh-pleasing be more and what it is that hath their hearts and care and chief endeavour And if you find them regenerate help to strengthen them If you find them too much dejected help to Comfort them And if you find them unregenerate help to convince them and then to humble them and then to shew them the remedy in Christ and then shew them their duty that they may have part in Christ and drive all home to the end that you desire to see But do all this with Love and gentleness and privacy § 16. Direct 16. Some pertinent Questions which by the answer will engage them to teach themselves Direct 16. or to judge themselves will be sometimes of very great use As such as these Do you not know that you must shortly dye Do you not believe that immediately your souls must enter upon an endless life of joy or misery Will worldly wealth and honours or fleshly pleasures be pleasant to you then Had you then rather be a Saint or an ungodly sinner Had you not then rather be one of the holiest that the World despised and abused than one of the greatest and richest of the wicked When Time is past and you must give account of it had you not then rather it had been spent in holiness and obedience and diligent preparation for the life to come than in pride and pleasure and pampering the flesh How could you make shift to forget your endless life so long Or to sleep quietly in an unregenerate state What if you had died before conversion what think you had become of you and where had you now been Do you think that any of those in Hell are glad that they were ungodly or have now any pleasure in their former merriments and sin What think you would they do if it were all to do again Do you think if an Angel or Saint from Heaven should come to decide the Controversie between the Godly and the Wicked that he would speak against a Holy and Heavenly life or plead for a loose and fleshly life or which side think you he would take Did not God know what he did when he made the Scriptures Is he or an ungodly scorner to be more regarded Do you think every man in the World will not wish at last that he had been a Saint what ever it had cost him Such kind of Questions urge the Conscience and much convince § 17. Direct 17. Cause them to learn some one most plain and pertinent text for every great Direct 17. and necessary duty and against every great and dangerous sin and often to repeat them to you As Luk. 13. 3 5. Except ye Repent ye shall all perish Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born again of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven So Mat. 18. 3. Rom. 8. 9. Heb. 18. 14. Ioh. 3. 16 Luk. 18. 1 c. So against lying swearing taking Gods name in vain flesh-pleasing Gluttony pride and the rest § 18. Direct 18. Drive all your Convictions to a Resolution of Endeavour and amendment and Direct 18. make them sometime promise you to do that which you have convinced them of And sometimes before witnesses But let it be done with these necessary Cautions 1. That you urge not a promise in any doubtful point or such as you have not first convinced them of 2. That you urge not a promise in things beyond their present strength As you must not bid them promise you to Believe or to Love God or to be tender-hearted or heavenly-minded but to do those duties which tend to these as to hear the Word or read or pray or meditate or keep good company or avoid temptations c. 3. That you be not too often upon this or upon one and the same strain in the other methods lest they take them but for words of course and custome teach them to contemn them But seasonably and prudently done their promises will lay a great engagement on them § 19. Direct 19. Teach them how to pray by formes or without as is most suitable to their â—ase and Direct 19. parts And either your self or
among those that cannot pray Iohn and Christ taught their Disciples Mat. 6. Luk. 11. to pray Tit. 4. Special Directions for secret Prayer § 1. Direct 1. LET it be in as secret a place as conveniently you can that you may not be Direct 1. disturbed Let it be done so that others may not be witnesses of it if you can avoid it and yet take it not for your duty to keep it unknown that you pray secretly at all for that will be a snare and scandal to them § 2. Direct 2. Let your voice be suited to your own help and benefit if none else hear you If it be Direct 2. needful to the orderly proceeding of your own thoughts or to the warming of your own affections you may use a voice But if others be within hearing it is very unfit § 3. Direct 3. In secret let the matter of your prayers be that which is most peculiarly your own Direct 3. concernment or those secret things that are not fit for publick prayer or are there passed by Yet never forgetting the highest interest of Christ and the Gospel and the World and Church § 4. Direct 4. Be less sollicitous about words in secret than with others and lay out your care about Direct 4. the heart For that 's it that God most esteemeth in your prayers § 5. Direct 5. Do not through carnal unwillingness grow into a neglect of secret prayer when you Direct 5. have time Nor yet do not superstitiously tye your selves to just so long time whether you are fit or at leisure from greater duties or not But be the longer when you are most fit and vacant and the shorter when you are not To give way to every carnal backwardness is the sin on one side and to resolve to spend so long time when you do but tire your selves and sleep or business or distemper maketh it a lifeless thing is a sin on the other side Avoid them both § 6 Direct 6. A melancholy person who is unfit for much solitariness and heart-searchings must be much Direct 6. short if not also seldomer in secret prayers than other Christians that are capable of bearing it And they must instead of that which they cannot do be the more in that which they can do As in joyning with others and in short ejaculations besides other duties but not abatâ—ing their piety in the main upon any pretence of curing melancholy CHAP. XXIV Brief Directions for Families about the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ. OMitting those things which concern the publick administration of this Sacrament for the Reasons before intimated Tom 2. I shall here only give you some brief Directions for your private duty herein § 1. Direct 1. Understand well the proper ends to which this Sacrament was instituted by Direct 1. Christ and take heed that you use it not to ends for which it never was appointed The true ends Q. What are the Ends of the Sacramâ—nâ— Matth. 26. 28. Mar. 14. â—4 Luâ— â—2 â—0 1 Cor. 11. 25. Heb. 9. 15 16 â—â— 1â— 1 Cor. 10. 16 24. Joh. 6. 32 35 51 58. are these 1. To be a solemn commemoration of the Death and Passion of Jesus Christ to keep it as it were in the eye of the Church in his bodily absence till he come 1 Cor. 11. 24 25 26. 2. To be a solemn renewing of the holy Covenant which was first entred in Baptism between Christ and the Receiver And in that Covenant it is on Christs part a solemn delivery of Himself first and with Himself the Benefits of Pardon Reconciliation Adoption and right to life eternal And on mans part it is our solemn acceptance of Christ with his Benefits upon his terms and a Delivering up our selves to Him as his Redeemed ones even to the Father as our Reconciled Father and to the Son as our Lord and Saviour and to the Holy Spirit as our Sanctifier with Professed Thankfulness for so great a benefit 3. It is appointed to be a lively objective means by which the spirit of Christ should work to stir up and exercise and increase the Repentance Faith Desire Love Hope Ioy Thankfulness and new-obedience of Believers by a lively Representation of the evil of sin the infinite Love of God in Christ the firmness of the Covenant or promise the greatness and sureness of the mercy given and the blessedness purchased and promised to us and the great obligations that are laid upon us And that herein Believers might be solemnly called out to the most serious exercise of all these 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 31. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 â—1 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. 2 Cor. 6. 14. Act 2 42 46. 20. 7. graces and might be provoked and assisted to stir up themselves to this Communion with God in Christ and to pray for more as through a sacrificed Christ. 4. It is appointed to be the solemn profession of Believers of their Faith and Love and Gratitude and obedience to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost and of continuing firm in the Christian Religion And a badge of the Church before the world 5. And it is appointed to be a signe and means of the Unity Love and Communion of Saints and their readiness to communicate to each other § 2. The false mistaken ends which you must avoid are these 1. You must not with the Papists think that the end of it is to turn Bread into no bread and Wine into no wine and to make them Really the true Body and blood of Jesus Christ. For if sense which telleth all men that it is still Bread and wine be not to be believed then we cannot believe that ever there was a Gospel or an Apostle or a Pope or a man or any thing in the world And the Apostle expresly calleth it Bread three times in three verses together after the consecration 1 Cor. 11. 26 27 28. And he telleth us that the use of it is not to make the Lords Body really present but to shew the Lords death till be come that is As a visible representing and commemorating sign to be instead of his bodily presence till he come § 3. 2. Nor must you with the Papists use this Sacrament to sacrifice Christ again really unto the Father to propitiate him for the quick and dead and ease souls in Purgatory and deliver them out Rom. 6. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 3. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Heb. 9. 26. 10. 12 26. Heb. 9. 24. of it For Christ having dyed once dyeth no more and without killing him there is no sacrificing him By once offering up himself he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified and now there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Having finished the sacrificing work on earth he is now passed into the Heavens to appear before God for his Redeemed ones § 4. 3. Nor is it any better than odious impiety to receive the Sacrament to
of soul and Body have special need of help and counsel As 1. The Doubting troubled Christian. 2. The Declining or Backsliding Christian 3. The See Tom. 1. Ch. 7. Tit. 10. Of despair Poor 4. The Aged 5. The Sick 6. And those that are about the sick and dying Though these might seem to belong rather to the first Tome yet because I would have those Directions lye here together which the several sorts of persons in Families most need I have chosen to reserve them rather to this place The special duties of the Strong the Rich and the Youthful and Healthful I omi◠because I find the Book grow big and you may gather them from what is said before on several such subjects And the Directions which I shall first give to doubting Christians shall be but a few brief memorials because I have done that work already in my Directions or Method for Peace of Conscience and spiritual comfort And much is here said before in the Directions against Melancholy ☞ and Despair § 2. Direct 1. Find out the special cause of your doubts and troubles and bend most of your endeavours Direct 1. to remove that cause The same Cure will not serve for every doubting soul no nor for every one that hath the very same doubts For the Causes may be various though the doubts should be the same and the doubts will be continued while the cause remaineth § 3. 1. In some persons the chief cause is a timerous weak and passionate temper of body and mind which in some especially of the weaker Sex is so Natural a disease that there is no hope of a total cure Though yet we must direct and support such as well as we are able These persons have so weak a Head and such powerful passions that Passion is their life and according to Passion they judge of themselves and of all their duties They are ordinarily very high or very low full of joy or sinking in despair But usually Fear is their predominant Passion And what an enemy to quietness and peace strong fears are is easily observed in all that have them Assuring evidence will not quiet such fearful minds nor any Reason satisfie them The Directions for these persons must be the same which I have before given against Melancholy and Despair Especially that the Preaching and Books and means which they make use of be rather such as tend to inform the judgement and settle the will and guide the Life than such as by the greatest servency tend to awaken them to such passions or affections which they are unable to manage § 4. 2. With others the Cause of their Troubles is Melancholy which I have long observed to be the commonest cause with those godly people that remain in long and grievous doubts Where this is the cause till it be removed other remedies do but little But o◠this I have spoken at large before § 5. 3. In others the Cause is a habit of discontent and pievishness and impatiency because of some wants or crosses in the world Because they have not what they would have their Minds grow ulcerated like a Body that is sick or sore that carryeth about with them the pain and smart And they are still complaining of the pain which they feel but not of that which maketh the sore and causeth the pain The cure of these is either in Pleasing them that they may have their will in all things as you rock children and give them that which they cry for to quiet them 〈…〉 or rather to help to cure their impatiency and settle their minds against their childish sinful discontents of which before § 6. 4. In others the Cause is errour or great ignorance about the tenour of the Covenant of Grace and the Redemption wrought by Jesus Christ and the work of Sanctification and evidences thereof They know not on what terms Christ dealeth with sinners in the pardoning of sin nor what are the infallible signes of Sanctification It is sound Teaching and diligent learning that must be the cure of these § 7. 5. In others the cause is a careless life or frequent sinning and keeping the wounds of Conscience still bleeding They are still fretting the sore and will not suffer it to skin either they live in railing and contention or malice or some secret lust or fraud or some way stretch and wrong their Consciences And God will not give his peace and comfort to them till they reform It is a mercy that they are disquieted and not given over to a seared Conscience which is past feeling § 8. 6. In others the Cause of their doubts is Placing their Religion too much in humiliation and in a continual poreing on their hearts and overlooking or neglecting the high and chiefest parts of Religion even the daily studies of the Love of God and the riches of Grace in Iesus Christ and hereby stirring up the soul to Love and Delight in God When they make this more of their Religion and business it will bring their souls into a sweeter relish § 9. 7. In others the Cause is such weakness of parts and confusion of thoughts and darkness of mind that they are not able to examine themselves nor to know what is in them When they ask themselves any question about their Repentance or Love to God or any grace they are fain to answer like strangers and say they cannot tell whether they do it or not These persons must make more use than others of the judgement of some able faithful guide § 10. 8. But of all others the commonest cause of uncertainty is the weakness or littleness of Grace When it is so little as to be next to none at all no wonder if it be hardly and seldome discerned Therefore § 11. Direct 2. Be not neglecters of self-examination but labour for skill to manage aright so Direct 2. great a work But yet let your care and diligence be much greater to get grace and use it and increase it than to try whether you have it already or not For in examination when you have once taken a right course to be resolved and yet are in doubt as much as before your over-much poreing upon these trying questions will do you but little good and make you but little the better but the time and labour may be almost lost whereas all the labour which you bestow in Getting and Using and Increasing grace is bestowed profitably to good purpose and tendeth first to your safety and salvation and next that to your easier certainty and comfort There is no such way in the world to be certain that you have grace as to get so much as is easily discerned and will shew it self and to exercise it much that it may come forth into observation When you have a strong Belief you will easily be sure that you believe When you have a fervent Love to Christ and Holiness and to the word and wayes and servants
the truth Direct 8. as in the presence of scorners or when required by magistrates or others c. let not the advise or interest Mat. 10. 18 23 32 33 38 39. 12. 14 15. 14. 13. Joh. 10. 39. Heb. 11. 27. Act. 9. 25. of the flesh have any hand at all in the resolving of the case but let it be wholly determined as the interest of Christ requireth Spare thy self when the interest of Christ requireth it not for thy self but for him But when his interest is most promoted by thy suffering rejoice that thou art any way capable of serving him § 15. Direct 9. Though sometimes a particular profession of the faith may be unseasonable yet you Direct 9. must never make any profession of the contrary either by words or actions Truth may be sometimes silenced but a Lye may never be professed or approved § 16. Direct 10. If any that Profess Christianity reproach you for the profession of Holiness and Diligence convince them that they Hypocritically profess the same and that Holiness is essential to Christianity Open their Baptismal Covenant to them and the Lords Prayer in which they daily pray that Gods will may be done on earth even as it is in Heaven which is more strictly than the best of us can reach The difference between them and you is but this whether we should be Christians hypocritically in jeast or in good earnest CHAP. V. Directions about Vows and particular Covenants with God Tit. 1. Directions for the right making such Vows and Covenants § 1. Direct 1. UNderstand the Nature of a Vow and the Use to which it is appointed What a Vow is A Vow is a Promise made to God 1. It is not a bare Assertion or Negation 2. It is not a meer Pollicitation or expression of the purpose or resolution of the mind For he that saith or meaneth no more than I am purposed or resolved to do this may upon sufficient reason do the contrary For he may change his mind and resolution without any untruth or injury to any 3. It is not a meer Devoting of a thing to God for the present by actual resignation For the present actual Delivery of a thing to Sacred Uses is no Promise for the future Though we usually joyn them both together yet Devovere may be separated from Vovâ—re 4. It must be therefore a Promise which is A voluntary obliging ones self to another de futuro for some Good 5. It is therefore implyed that it be the Act of a Rational creature and of one that in that act hath some competent use of Reason and not of a fool or ideot or mad man or a child that hath Viris gravibus vehementer displicere animadveâ—ti quod ab Indis testimonium jurejurando exigitur cum constet eos facillime pejeraâ—e utpote qui neque juramenti vim sentiant neque veritatis studio tanganâ—ur sed testimonium eo modo dicant quâ— credunt Judici gratissimum fore â—ut a primo suae factionis homine edocti sunt Hos igitur jurare compellere ipsis exitiosum propter perjuria c. Aâ—osta p. 345. not reason for such an act no nor of a brainsick or melancholy person who though he be caetera sanus is either delirant in that business or is irresistibly born down and necessitated by his Disease to Vow against the sober deliberate conclusion of his reason at other times having at the Time of Vowing Reason enough to strive against the Act but not self-government enough to restrain a passionate Melancholy Vow 6. Whereas some Casuists make Deliberation necessary it must be understood that to the Being of a Vow so much Deliberation is requisite as may make it a rational humane act it must be an act of Reason but for any further Deliberation it is necessary only to the well-being and not to the being of a Vow and without it it is a Rash Vow but not No Vow 7. When we say It must be a Voluntary Act the meaning is not that it must be totally and absolutely Voluntary without any fear or threatning to induce us to it but only that it be really Voluntary that is an act of choice by a free agent that considering all things doth choose so to do He that hath a Sword set to his breast and doth Swear or Vow to save his life doth do it Voluntarily as choosing rather to do it than to dye Man having free-will may choose rather to dye than Vow if he think best His will may be moved by fear but cannot be forced by any one or any means whatsoever 8. When I say that a Vow is a Promise I imply that the Matter of it is necessarily some real or supposed good to be good or to do good or not to do evil Evil may be the matter of an Oath but it is not properly a Vow if the matter be not supposed good 9. It is a promise made to God that we are now speaking of Whether the name of a Vow belong to a promise made only to man is a question de nomine which we need not stop at § 2. A Vow is either a simple Promise to God or a Promise bound with an Oath or imprecation The sorts of Vows Some would appropriate the Name of a Vow to this last sort only when men swear they will do this or that Which indeed is the most formidable sort of vowing but the true nature of a Vow is found also in a simple self-obliging Promise § 3. The true Reason and Use of Vows is but for the more certain and effectual performance of The Use of Vows our Duties not to make new Laws and Duties and Religions for us but to drive on the backward lingering soul to do its duty and to break over difficulties and delayes that by strengthening our bonds and setting the danger before our eyes we may be excited to escape it § 4. It is a great question whether our own Vows can add any new obligation to that which before The Obligation of Vows lay upon us from the command of God Amesius saith Cas. Consc. l. 4. c. 16. Non addituâ— prâ—prie in istis nova obligatio neque augetur in se prior sed magis agn scitur recipitur a nobis Passive in istis aeque fuimus antea obligati sed activa recognitione arctivùs nobis applicatur a nobismeâ—ipsis Others commonly speak of an additional obligation And indeed there is a double obligation added by a Vow to that which God before had laid on us to the Matter of that Vow Premising this distinction between Obligatio imponentis a Governing obligation which is the effect of Governing right or Authority and obligatio consentientis a self-obliging by voluntary consent which is the effect of that dominion which a Rational free agent hath over his own actions I say 1. He that ☜ voweth doth oblige himself who before was obliged
juris remaining still the same if a Parish omit for divers years to choose any Constable or Church-warden yet the next time they do choose one according to Law the Law doth authorize him nevertheless though there was an interruption or vacancy so long And so in Corporations unless the Law or Charter say the contrary so is it in the present case 1. It is the established Law of Christ which describeth the office determineth of the degree and kind of power and Granteth or Conveyeth it when the person is determined of by the Electors and Ordainers though by Ordination the Delivery and Admission is regularly to be solemnized which actions are of just so much necessity as that Law hath made them and no more 2. And if there were never so long an interruption or vacancy he that afterward entereth lawfully so as to want nothing which the Law of Christ hath made necessary to the Being of the office doth receive his power nevertheless immediatly from the Law of Christ. And Bellarmine himself saith that it is not necessary to the people and to the validity of Sacraments and offices to them to know that their Pastors be truly called or ordained And if it be not necessary to the validity of Sacraments it is not necessary to the validity of Ordination And W. Iohnson confesseth to me that Consecration is not absolutely necessary See my Disput. with him of the successive Vâ—sibility of the Church p. 336. ad esse officii to the Pope himself no nor any one sort of Electors in his Election p. 333. And in his Repl. Term. Expl. pag. 45. he saith Neither Papal nor Episcopal jurisdiction as all the Learned know depends of Episcopal or Papal ordination nor was there ever interruptions of successions in Episcopal jurisdiction in any see for want of that alone that is necessary for consecrating others validly and not for jurisdiction over them You see then how little sincerity is in these mens disputations when they would perswade you to reject your lawful Pastors as no true Ministers of Christ for want of their Ordination or Succession § 11. Direct 4. Though the Sacraments and other ministerial offices are valid when a Minister is qualified Direct 4. in his abilities and call but with so much as is essential to the office though he be defective in degree of parts and faithfulness and have personal faults which prove his own destruction yet so great is the difference between a holy heavenly learned judicious experienced skilful zealous laborious faithful Minister and an ignorant ungodly idle unskilful one and so highly should every wise man value the best means and advantages to his eternal happiness that he should use all lawful means in his power to enjoy and live under 〈…〉 8. P 〈…〉 Domâ—ni is a peccatore Praepo 〈…〉 separate sâ— debâ—â— Wâ—iâ—â— Gâ—otius 〈…〉 Imâ—â—â—â— p. 230. â—iting saith Jubentur eâ—im singulâ— multo magâ—s universi â—avere prophetas faâ—soâ— alâ—â—num Pastorâ—m 〈…〉 ar qui dissâ—â—â—â— faâ—iunt â—â—fâ—â— sâ—â— câ—nt a doâ—â—â—â—inam 2. Imperatur â—â—delibus familiarem eorum consuâ—tudinem declinare qui Fratres c. 2 Cor. 5. Rom. 16. 17. Joh. 10. 2 Tim. 3 6. 2 Thes. 3. 6 14. 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. such an able godly powerful ministry though he part with his worldly wealth and pleasure to attain it I know no evil must be done for the attainment of the greatest helps For we cannot expect that God should bless a sinful course or that our sin should tend to the saving of our souls And I know God can bless the weakest means when they are such as he appointeth us to use and can teach us by Angels when he denyeth us the help of men But Scripture reason and experience telleth us that ordinarily he worketh morally by means and fitteth the means to the work which he will do by them And as he doth not use to light men by a cold or stone but by a Candle nor by a rotten post or Glow-worm so much as by a Torch or Luminary so he doth not use to work as much by an ignorant drunken idle person who despiseth the God the Heaven the Christ the Spirit the Grace the sacred Word which he Preacheth and vilifieth both his own and other mens souls as he doth by an able and compassionate Minister And the soul is of so much more worth than the Body and Eternal things than temporal that a little commodity to the soul in order to the securing of our salvation must be preferreâ— before a great deal of worldly riches He that knoweth what his soul hiâ— Sâ—viour and Heaven is worth will not easily sit down contented under such a dark and dull and stâ—rving Minister 〈…〉 feeleth he can but little profit by if better may be had on lawful terms Hâ— that feeleth no difference between the Ministry of these two sorts of men it is because he is a stranger to the work of the Gospel on the soul And if the Gospel in its truth or worth or use be â—id it is â—id to them that â—re lost the †Saâ—a 〈…〉 r their own worldly advantages saith Dr. Haâ—moâ—d Dan. 1. 12 13. Ezâ—k 4. 12 15. Read c. 3. Aâ—osta 〈◊〉 rebuking the nâ—gligence of their Priâ—sts that taught the Indians the Catechism idly and without explication or callâ—ng them to account about the sensâ— and then laid all the fault on the blockishness of the people when Tota 〈…〉 ratio â—rat umbâ—atilis 〈…〉 iâ—qâ—it si hominâ—s iâ—â—câ—iâ— aâ—â—riâ—â—o discendi percupidi tales praeceptores 〈…〉 liud quem ut duplo 〈…〉 a biâ—rarâ—r Olim in symbolo addiscendo intelligendo mysteriisque 〈…〉 noscendis viri ingeâ—o praestaâ—tes â—â—â—â—eratura celebrâ—s diu in catechumâ—norum ordine tenebantur cum Ecclesiastica disciplina vigeret Neque ante ad fideâ— Sacramentum admittâ— bantur quam multas ab Episâ—opo de sâ—mbolo conciones audissent diu multum cum Caâ—echista contu issâ—nt post quas omnes cuâ—aâ— medâ—â—aâ—ionâ—â— magnum erat si recta sentirent consentanea responderent c. And he addeth pag. 360 Equidem sic opinioâ— neque ab ea opinione avelli unquam potero quin peâ—â—imo praeceptori omnes esse auditores â—ebetes creâ—â—m A bad Teacher hatâ— a wayâ—s bad Schollars Even in the Roman Church how little their authority can do against prophaneness and negligence the same Aâ—osta sheweth l. 6. c. 2. p. 519. Cum in provinciali Concilio Lim nsi ab omnibus Peruenâ—bus Episcopis caeterisque gravibus viris ad ea viâ—ia emendanda multum operae studii collatum sit atque edita extent egregia decreta de reformatione permulâ—a nihil tamen amplius perfectum est quam si ab otiosis nautis de republica moderanda consultatum esset â—oâ—isiâ— Moâ—â—â—â— Ep. 3. mentioneth iâ— as the errour of a new sprung sâ—ct that heynous sinners even so continuing mâ—y be Priests And Ep. 73. it 's said No
3. Else there should be seldome any Church in the world for want of a Head yea never any For I have proved there and to Iohnson that there never was a true General Council of the Universal See also in my Reasons of Christian Religion Coâ—s 2. of the Interest of the Church Church But only Imperial Councils of the Churches under one Emperours power and those that having been under it had been used to such Councils And that it is not a thing ever to be attempted or expected as being unlawful and morally impossible Quest. 13. Whether there be such a thing as a Visible Catholick Church And what it is THe Antients differently used the terms A Catholick Church and The Catholick Church By the first they meant any particular Church which was part of the Universal By the second 1 Cor. 12. 12. and throughout they meant the Universal Church it self And this is it that we now mean And I answer Affirmatively There is a Visible Universal Church not only as a Community or as a Kingdom distinct from the King but as a Political Society 2. This Church is the Universality of Baptized Visible Christians Headed by Iesus Christ himself Eph. 4. 1 5 6 7 16. There is this and there is no other upon earth The Papists say that this is no Visible Church because the Head is not Visible I answer 1. It is not necessary that he be seen but visible And is not Christ a Visible person 2. This Church consisteth of two parts the Triumphant part in Glory and the Militant part And Christ is not only Visible but seen by the triumphant part As the King is not seen by the ten thousandth part of his Kingdoms but by his Courtiers and those about him and yet he is King of all 3. Christ was seen on earth for above thirty years and the Kingdom may be called visible in that the King was once visible on earth and is now visible in Heaven As if the King would shew himself to his people but one year together in all his life 4. It ill becometh the Papists of any men to say that Christ is not visible who make him see him taste him handle him eat him drink him digest him in every Church in every Mass throughout the year and throughout the world And this not as divided but as whole Christ. Object But this is not quatenus Regent Answ. If you see him that is Regent and see his Laws and Gospel which are his Governing instruments together with his Ministers who are his Officers it is enough to denominate his Kingdom visible 5. The Church might be fitly denominated Visible secundum quid if Christ himself were invisible Because the Politick Body is visible the dispersed Officers Assemblies and Laws are visible But sure all these together may well serve for the denomination Quest. 14. What is it that maketh a Visible Member of the Universal Church And who are to be accounted such 1. BAptism maketh a Visible member of the Universal Church and the Baptized as to entrance Matth. 28. 19. 〈…〉 1â— 16. unless they go out again are to be accounted such 2. By Baptism we mean open devotion or dedication to God by the Baptismal Covenant in which the adult for themselves and Parents for their Infants do Profess Consent to the Covenant of Grace which includeth a Belief of all the Essential Articles of the faith and a Resolution for sincere obedience and a Consent to the Relations between God and us viz. that he be our Reconciled Father our Saviour and our Sanctifier 3. The Continuance of this Consent is necessary to the continuance of our visible membership 4. He that through ignorance or incapacity for want of water or a Minister is not baptized and yet is solemnly or notoriously dedicated and devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost in the same Covenant though without the outward Sign and professeth openly the same Religion is a visible Christian though not by a compleat and regular visibility As a Souldier not listed nor taking his Colours or a Marriage not regularly solemnized c. 5. He that forsaketh his Covenant by Apostacy or is totally and duly excommunicated ceaseth to be a visible member of the Church Quest. 15. Whether besides the Profession of Christianity either Testimony or Evidence of Conversion or Practical Godliness be necessary to prove a man a Member of the Universal Visible Church 1. AS the Mediator is the way to the Father sent to recover us to God so Christianity includeth John 14. 6. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 6 3 11. Godliness And he professeth not Christianity who professeth not Godliness 2. He that professeth the Baptismal Covenant professeth Christianity and Godliness and true Conversion 2 Pet. 1. 3. And therefore cannot be rejected for want of a Profession of Conversion or Godliness 3. But he that is justly suspected not to understand his own profession but to speak general words without the sense may and ought to be examined by him that is to baptize him And therefore though the Apostles among the Jews who had been bred up among the Oracles of God did justly presume of so much understanding as that they baptized men the same day that they professed to believe in Christ yet when they baptized converted Gentiles we have reason to think that they Acts 2. 38 39. first received a particular account of their Converts that they understood the three essential Articles of the Covenant 1. Because the Creed is fitted to that use and hath been ever used thereunto by the Churches as by tradition from the Apostles practice 2. Because the Church in all ages as far as Church History leadeth us upward hath used catechising before baptizing yea and to keep men as Catechumens some time for preparation 3. Because common experience telleth us that multititudes can say the Creed that understand it not If any yet urge the Apostles example I will grant that it obligeth us when the case is the like And I will not fly to any conceit of their heart-searching or discerning mens sincerity When you bring us to a people that before were the Visible Church of God and were all their life time trained up in the knowledge of God of sin of duty of the promised Messiah according to all the Law and Prophets and want nothing but to know the Son and the Holy Ghost that this Iesus is the Christ who will reconcile us to God and give us the sanctifying Spirit then we will also baptize men the same day that they profess to believe in Iesus Christ and in the Father as reconciled by him and the Holy Ghost as given by him But if we have those to deal with who know not God or sin or misery or Scripture Prophecies no nor natural verities we know no proof that the Apostles so haâ—â—ily baptized such Of this I have largely spoken in my Treatise of Confirmation 4. It is
meant either that Government formally Ecclesiastical which constituteth a Church of Christs making or else some Government about the Matters of the Church which is formally either Magistratical or humane by contract c. 4. So by Church Officers are meant either such as are accounted essential to a Church in the pure Christian sense or Integral at least as Deacons Or else such as are accounted but Accidental to it and Essential only to the humane form And so I answer 1. As there are some things circa sacra or Accidents of Gods special Church Worship which are left to humane prudence to determine of so the same humane prudence may determine who shall do them As e. g. Who shall repair the Buildings of the Church the Windows the Bells the Pulpits the Tables c. who shall keep the Clock who shall keep the Cups Cloaths and other Utensils who shall be the Porter the keeper of the Books c. Who shall call the people to Church or ring the Bells or give them notice of Church assemblies who shall make bread for the Sacrament or provide Wine or bring Water for baptism who shall make the Graves and bury the Dead or attend Marriages or Baptizings c. Who shall set the Tune of the Psalm or use the Church-Musick if there be any who shall summon any of the people on any just occasion to come to their Pastors or who shall summon the Pastors to any Synod or lawful Assembly and give them notice of the time and place When they are to meet who shall be called first and who second Who shall sit highest and who lowest Who shall take the Votes or moderate or guide the Disputations of the Assembly Who shall be the Scribe and record what is done Who shall send abroad their Agreements and who shall be the Church-messenger to carry them The Agents of such Circumstantials may be chosen by the Magistrate or by the Churches or Pastors as is most convenient Though I doubt not but in the beginning the Deacons were meer servants to the Pastors to do as much of such circumstantial work as they were able of which serving at Tables and looking to the poor and carrying Bread and Wine to the absent c. were but parts And all went under the name of Ministring to the Pastors or Churches And therefore they seem to be but such an Accidental Office appointed by the Apostles on such common reasons as Magistrates or Churches might have appointed them if they had not 2. If one will call all or many of thâ—se Church-Officers and another will not it is but a strife about Names which one will use more largely and the other more narrowly or strictly 3. If Magistrates by authority or the Churches by Agreement shall distribute the Countrey for conveniency into Parishes not making all to be Church-members that dwell in those Prâ—cincts but determining that all persons that are fit in those proximities and they only shall be members of that particular Church and then shall denominate the Church from this accident of place it is but what is left to their discretion 4. And if the said Magistrates or Churches shall divide a Kingdom into Provinces and say that whereas God commandeth us the use of correspondencies mutual advice and Synods for the due help concord and communion of Churches and all things must be done in order and to edification therefore we determine that so many Churches shall make up such a Synod and the Churches of such a district shall make up another Synod and so shall be specially related to each other for Concord as advisers all this is but the prudent determining of Church circumstances or accidents left to man 5. And if they shall appoint that either a Magistrate or one Pastor shall be for Order sake the appointer of the times and places of meeting or the President of the Synod to regulate and order proceedings and keep peace as is aforesaid it is but an Accident of the Sacred Work which man may determine of Therefore a Lay-man may be such a President or Regulater 6. And if they will call this man by the Name of a Church-Governour who doth but a common part therein and from thence will call this Association or Province by the name of a Church which is but a company of Churches associated for Concord and Counsel the Name maketh it not another thing than it is without that name And the name may be lawful or unlawful as times and probable consequents make it fit or unfit as to use 7. So much of Church matters as is left to the Magistrates Government may be under Monarchy Aristocracy or Democracy and under such subordinate Officers as the Supream Ruler shall appoint 8. And if the Magistrate will make Assemblies or Councils of Pastors to be his Councils and require them frequently to meet to advise him in the performance of his own trust and work about Religion and the Church he may accordingly distribute them into Provinces for that use or order such circumstances as he please 9. And if a Province of Churches be called one Church because it is under one Magistrate or a Nation of Churches called a National Church because it is under one King or many Kingdoms or an Empire called one Catholick Church because they are all under one Emperour it must be confessed that this question is but de nomine and not de re And further 1. That in sacred things that which is of Divine and primary institution is the famosius analogatum and not that which is but formed by man 2. That when such an ambiguous word is used without explication or explicating circumstances it is to be taken for the famosius analogatum 3. That in this case the word Church or Church-form is certainly ambiguous and not univocal 4. That â— National Imperial or Provincial Church as Headed by a King Emperour Magistrate or any head of mans appointment is another thing from a Church of Christs institution and is but an Accident or adjunct of it and the Head of the Humane form if called the Head of the Church of Christ is but an Accidental Head and not Constitutive And if Christs Churches be denominated from such a Head they are denominated but from an accident as a man may be denominated cloathed or uncloathed cloathed gorgeously or sordidly a neighbour to this man or that c. It is no formal denomination of a Church in the first acception as it signifieth the famosius analogatum though otherwise many kind of societies may be called Ecclesiae or Coetus But Divines should not love confusion 10. It seemeth to me that the first distribution of Churches in the Roman Empire into Patriarchal Primates Metropolitical Provincial Diocesan were only the determination of â—â—ch adjuncts or extrinsick things partly by the Emperours and partly by Churches Consent upon the Emperours permission And so that these new Church Governments were partly Magistratical or by
ridiculous to ask whether we may give Gods proper Worship to a creature And so I answer 1. By way of distinction 2. Of solution 1. We must distinguish between the honour or worshiping acts of the mind and of the Body 2. Between Idolatry as against the first Commandment and Idolatry or scandal as against the second Af. Prop. 1. There is due to every creature a true estimation of it according to the degree of its dignity or goodness And a Love proportionable As also a Belief a Trust a Fear proportionable to every mans credibility fidelity power c. 2. There is an eminent degree therefore of estimation reverence and Love and trust due to Good men above bad and to those in Heaven above those on earth And a peculiar honour to Rulers as such Psal. 15. 4. which is not due to their inferiours 3. This is to be expressed by the Body by convenient actions 4. The highest honour which we owe to any is for the Image of God in them viz. 1. His Natural Image as men 2. His moral Image as Saints 3. His Relative Image of supereminency as superiours And so it is God in them first and they next as the Images of God who are to be honoured 5. There is no honour to be given to any Creature but that of which God himself is the End viz. as it referreth to his Glory 6. Therefore all honour given to men must be thus far Religious honour or worship For as all 1 Tim. 4. 5. Tiâ— 1. 15. 1 Cor. 10. 14. 1 Pet. 4. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. 17. Rev. 21. 8. 2â— 15 Act. 17. 16. Gal. 5. 20. 2 Commandment Rev. 22. 8 9. Rev. 2. 14 20. 1 Cor. 8. 10. 19 28. 1 Joh. 5. 21. Dan. 3. things are sanctified to and by Saints so all things that Religious men do must be Religiously done 7. As Persons so places books words utensils times c. must be honoured for Gods sake as they are Related to God with such estimations and expressions as are suitable to their Relations Neg. 1. No Creature must be esteemed to be a God nor any of Gods proper attributes or honour given to any Creature whatsoever 2. No Creature must be esteemed better or greater or wiser than it is As far as we have means to know it 3. Whatsoever outward expressions of honour by word or deed are appropriated to the true God 1. By Divine Institution 2. Or by nature 3. Or by received usage that expression of honour ought not to be used to a creature were the heart never so free from honouring it 1. Because it is bodily Idolatry 2. And scandal as being Idolatry interpretatively in the just sense of others 4. Whatsoever outward expressions of honour Idolaters have used and do use to signifie their inward Idolatry or taking a Creature or a fiction to be God and so make it a tessara or symbol or Professing sign of that their Idolatry if those actions are so used or esteemed among us or within the notice of our actions It is unlawful for us to use the like to any Creature Because the use of their expression maketh it to be a Profession of Idolatry by us and so to be interpretative Idolatry and scandal For to use Professing symbols is to profess Except when there is some notorious reason to use the same words or actions to another lawful signification which is of greater weight than the scandal And we make it as publick to obviate the scandal that we do it not to the Idolaters intents For example If the Mâ—hometans make it a symbole of their Religion to say God is but one upon a false supposition that the Christians make more Gods than one yet it is lawful for us to use that symbolical word to a better end But if they add to their symbol And Mahomet is his Prophet we may not use that because it 's 1. Symbolical of a false Religion 2. And a falshood of it self So if they make it a distinctive note of their religious meetings to congregate the people by Voice and not by Bells when it will be taken for a professing their Religion to do the same we must avoid it But not when there is great cause for it as if we have no other means and the reason against it or scandal may be well avoided 5. Image Worship or bowing or otherwise worshipping towards an Image as an object in the time of Divine worship or when we otherwise pretend to be worshiping God is so gross an appearance of inward Idolatry either as visibly describing God to be like a Creature or else as seeming to mean what Idolaters did by that action that God hath thought meet to forbid it to all mankind by a special Rom. 11. 4. 1 King 19. 18. Rev. 22. 8 9. Jos. 23. 7. 2 King 17. 35. Exod. 20. 5. Law Command 2. 6. The scandal of seeming Idolatry is a heynous sin and not to be excused by the contrary meaning of the heart no more than lying Idolatrous professions are Because to blaspheam God as if he were like a Creature or to tell the World by our actions that a creature is God are both very heynous And so is it to murder our brethrens souls by tempting them to the like 7. It is no appearance of Idolatry to kneel to a King or a Father or Superiour when we are professing Gen. 27. 29. 32. 10. 44. 8. Exod. 11. 8. â—2 King 5. 18. Gen. 41. 43. Ruth 2. 10. 1 Sam. 25. 23 41. nothing but to Honour them with due honour But when the Church assembleth professedly to Worship God if then they mix expressions of veneration to Angels and Saints in Heaven or to a King or any Creature in their Worshipping of God without a very notorious signification of sufficient difference it will seem a joyning them in part of the same Divine honour 8. So we may put off our hats to the Chair of state or Kings Image yea and kneel towards it as to him if he command it in due time and place when it is humane Worship only which we profess But to kneel or bow as an act of honour towards the Image of King Saints or Angel in the time of our professed Worshipping of God is scandalous and an appearance that we give them a part of that which we are giving to God 9. Yet it is not unlawful even in the sacred Assemblies to bow to our Superiour at our entrance or going out or in the intervals of Gods Worship because the time and custome and manner may sufficiently notifie the distinction and prevent the scandal 10. If any presumptuous Clergy men on pretence of their Authority will bring Images into the Churches and set them before us in Divine Worship as objects only of Remembrance and means of exciting our affections to God that they may shew quam proxime se accedere posse ad peccatum sine peccato how neer
14. of good and evil as is unsavoury and tendeth to tempt men to fiction and false speaking 3. There are usually such multitudes of vain words poured out on the Circumstantials as are a sin themselves and tempt the hearers to the like 4. They usually mix such amorous or other such ensnaring expressions or actions as are fitted to kindle mens sinful lusts and to be temptations to the evils which they pretend to cure 5. A great deal of precious Time is wasted in them which might have been much better spent to all the lawful ends which they can intend 6. It is the preferring of an unmeet and dangerous Recreation before many fitter God having allowed us so great choice of better it cannot be lawful to choose a worse The body which most needeth exercise with most of the Spectators hath no exercise at all And the mind might be much more fruitfully recreated many wayes by variety of Books of Converse by contemplating God and his works by the fore-thoughts of the heavenly Glory c. So that it is unlawful as unfitted to its prâ—â—ended ends 7. It usually best suiteth with the most carnal minds and more corrupteth the affections and passions as full experience proveth Those that most love and use them are not reformed by them but commonly are the most loose ungodly sensual people 8. The best and wisest persons least relish them and are commonly most against them And they are best able to make experiment what doth most help or hurt the soul. Therefore when the sensual say We profit by them as much as by Sermons they do but speak according to their sense and lust As one that hath the Green-Sickness may say Câ—als and Clay and Ashes do me more good than meat because they are not so fit to judge as those that have a healthful state and appetite And it John 6. 12. 1 Pet. 4. 10. Matth. 18. 23. Rom. 14. 12. Phil. 4. 17. Psal. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2. seldome pleaseth the Conscience of a dying man to remember the time he spent at Stage-playes 9. Usually there is much cost bestowed on them which might be better employed and therefore is unlawful 10. God hath appointed a stated means of instructing souls by Parents Ministers c. which is much more fit and powerful Therefore that time were better spent And it is doubtful whether Play houses be not a stated means of mans institution set up to the same pretended use as the Church and Ministry of Christ and so be not against the second Commandment For my part I cannot defend them if any shall say that the Devil hath apishly made these his Churches in competition with the Churches of Christ. 11. It seemeth to me a heinous sin for Players to live upon this as a Trade and Function and to be educated for it and maintained in it That which might be used as a recreation may not alwayes be made a Trade of 12. There is no mention that ever such Playes were used in Scripture times by any godly persons 13. The Primitive Christians and Churches were commonly against them Many Canons are yet to be seen by which they did condemn them Read but Dr. Io Reignolds against Albericus Gentilis and you shall see unanswerable testimonies from Councils Fathers Emperours Kings and all sober antiquity against them 14. Thousands of young people in our time have been undone by them Some at the Gallows and many Apprentices who run out in their accounts neglect their Masters business and turn to Drunkenness and Whoredom and Debauchery do confess that Stage-playes were not the last or least of the temptations which did overthrow them 15. The best that can be said of these Playes is that they are controverted and of doubtful lawfulness But there are other means enow of undoubted and uncontroverted lawfulness for the same honest ends And therefore it is a sin to do that which is doubtful without need Upon all these reasons I advise all that Love their time their souls their God and happiness to turn away from these nurseries of vice and to delight themselves in the Law and Ordinances of their Saviour Psalm 1. 2 3. Quest. 115. Is it ever unlawful to use the known Symbols and Badges of Idolatry Answ. 1. ORdinarily it is unlawful as being the thing forbidden in the second Commandment For he that useth them 1. Is corporally Idolatrous what ever his secret thoughts may be 2. And he is interpretatively an Idolater and actually perswadeth others to be so 2. But yet though no man may ever use such symbols of Idolatry formaliter qua tales as such yet materially he may use them in some cases As 1. When an Idolater will take an Ordinance of God and an appointed duty and turn it into a symbol of his Idolatry As in the foregoing instance of the Mahometans We may not therefore forsake that duty but we must do it in such a manner as may sufficiently disclaim the Idolaters use of it As if any Idolaters will mâ—â—â—â—e a symbol of some Scripture Texts or of the Lords Day or of the Sacramental Bread and Wine c. we must not therefore disuse them 2. When a thing Indifferent is made an Idolatrous symbol or badge though I must not use it as Idolaters do yet if any act of Divine Providence make it become Necessary as a Moral duty I may be obliged to use it disclaiming the Idolaters manner and end And then it will be known that I use it not as their symbol As if a man by famine or a swoon were dying in an Idols Temple I might give him meat or drink there to save his life though such as was a badge of their Idolatry while I disclaim their ends and use The reason is 1. Because at such a time it is a natural duty and therefore may not be omitted for fear of scandal or seeming sin which at that time is no sin 2. Because Christ hath taught us in the instance of himself and his disciples that Positive Commands give place to natural caeteris paribus And that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for Matth. 9. 13. 12. 7. Mat. 2. 27. the Sabbath And that we must learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice And if we must break the Rest of the Sabbath for the life yea the feeding of an Ox or Ass much more of a man And the Positives of the second Commandment must be regulated as the Positives of the fourth 3. And the scandal in such a case may be avoided by declaring that I do disclaim their use and ends In a Countrey where kneeling or being uncovered to the Prince is a Civil honouring Custome if the Prince should be a Caligula and command the subjects to worship him and his Image as a God and make bowing kneeling or being uncovered the badge or symbol of it Here I would ordinarily avoid even that which before was a duty
because it was but by Accident a duty and now interpreted a heinous sin But in case that the Life of any man lay on it or that the scandal on Religion for my denying Civil honour to the Prince would be greater and of more perillous consequence than the scandal of seeming Idolatry I would perform that Civil honour which I did before and which God enjoyneth me to perform to my Prince But I would avoid the scandal by open protesting seasonably against the Idolatry Quest. 116. Is it unlawful to use the Badge or Symbol of any Error or Sect in the Worship of God Answ. 1. IT is unlawful to use it formally as such 2. But not materially when 1. There are just and weighty reasons for it 2. And I Every Sect of erring Christians accordingly useth to err in worship and have some badge and symbol of their Sect and error may disown the error For 1. All Sects and Erroneous persons may turn holy words and duties into symbols of their errors 2. All Christians in the world being imperfect do sometime err in matter or manner in their worship And he that will materially avoid all the badges or symbols of their errors shall have no communion with any Church or Christian. 3. As we must do our best so to avoid all their errors that we choose them not and make them not formally our own practice as tautologies vain repetitions disorders unfit phrases c. We must our selves when we are the speakers do as much better as we can So we must not therefore separate from them that do use them nor deny them our Communion when they use them Else we must separate from all others and all others from us 4. But when we are present with them our minds must disown all the faults of the holiest prayer in the world which we joyn in We may be bound to stay with them and joyn in all that 's good and warrantable and yet as we go along to disown in our minds all that we know to be amiss Quest. 117. Are all Indifferent things made unlawful to us which shall be abused to Idolatrous Worship Answ. YOu must distinguish 1. Of the symbols of Idolatry before spoken of and other by-abuses 2. Oâ— an abuse done in former ages or remote Countreys and in our own age and Countrey 3. Of the Reasons inviting us to use them whether necessary or not 1. The Case of Symbols or Badges is not here spoken of but other abuses 2. An abuse committed in the age and place we live in or any other which will be the scandal embolden others to the like may not be complyed in without so great reason as will notably preponderate the evil consequents 3. But yet in many cases such abused Indifferent things may after be lawfully used by believers For instance 1. Names may be things indifferent abused to Idolatry and yet lawfully used by us As the name God Deus Lord Holy Just Good Temple Altar Sacrifice Priest Heaven Sun Moon Iupiter Saturn and a hundred such I mean these Letters and Syllables in these languages That these names are all in themselves indifferent appeareth in that they are neither Naturally necessary nor by Gods Institution but arbiâ—rary signs of humane invention and choice For we may easily and lawfully make new words to signifie all the same things that these do And that they are abused to Idolatry is notoriously known And that yet they are lawfully used the practice of all Christians English and Latin even the most scrupulous themselves doth judge 2. And the use of Temples these individuals which have been used to Idolatry is lawful 3. So also of Bells Pulpits Cups Tables and Fonts and other Utensils 4. The Bible it self as it is this individual Book rather than another is a thing indifferent Yet it may be read in after it hath been abused to Idolatry 5. If the King would give not only the Garments but the Money Lands Lordships Houses which have been Consecrated or otherwise abused to Idolatry to any poor people or most of the scrupulous they would think it lawful to receive and use them yea it s lawful to dedicate the same Lands and Money afterwards to holy uses and to maintain Religious Worship 6. Otherwise it were in the power of any Idolater when ever he pleased to deprive all the Christian world of their Christian liberty and to make nothing indifferent to us seeing they can abuse them all 7. Yea almost nothing is then already indifferent there being few things that some person in some time and place hath not abused to Idolatry 8. If the question be only of all Individual things abused to Idolatry the decision now given will hold good But if it be also of all species of such things it will be a dishonour to a mans reason to make a question of it Quest. 118. May we use the names of Week dayes which Idolatry honoured their Idols with as Sunday Munday Saturday and the rest And so the Moneths Answ. 1. IT were to be wished that the custome were changed 1. Because the names have been so grosly abused 2. And we have no need of them 3. And as the Papists say Our Monuments Temple-names and other Relicts among you prove ours to be the old Religion and keep possession for us till it be restored So the Heathens say to all the Christians Your very names of your dayes and moneths prove our Religion to be elder than yours and keep possession for us till it be restored 2. It is meet that we wisely do our duty toward the reformation of this abuse 3. But yet long custome and sound doctrine hath so far taken away the scandal and ill effects that rather than be an offence to any by seeming singularity it is as lawful still to use these names as it was to Luke to use the names of Castor and Pollux Iupiter and Mercury historically 4. In such cases the true solution of the question must be by weighing accidents and foreseen consequents together wisely and impartially And he that can foresee which way is likely to do most good or hurt may satisfactorily know his duty Quest. 119. Is it lawful to pray secretly when we come first into the Church especially when the Church is otherwise employed Answ. 1. THis is a thing which God hath given us no particular Law about but the General Laws must regulate us Let all be done decently in order and to edification 2. Our great and principal business in coming to the Church assembly is to joyn with them in the publick Worship And this is it that accordingly as our great business we must intend and do 3. In a place where superstition makes ignorant people think it a matter of necessity so to begin with secret prayer when the Church is otherwise employed the use of it is the more scandalous as encouraging them in their error 4. It is the best way to come before the publick worship begin
â—3 Rom. 8. 9. 1 John 3. 24. John 3. 5 6. Many Romish Priests and others do so without the Ministry of man to preserve deliver translate expound and preach it to the people 5. And those that think it sufficient to sanctifie men without the concourse of the Spirits illumination vivification and inward operation to that end 6. And they that say that no man can be saved by the knowledge belief love and practice of all the substantial parts of Christianity brought to him by Tradition Parents or Preachers who tell him nothing of the Scriptures but deliver him the Doctrines as attested by Miracles and the Spirit without any notice of the Book 7. And those that say that Scripture alone must be made use of as to all the History of Scripture Times and that it is unlawful to make use of any other Historians as Iosephus and such others 8. And they that say no other Books of Divinity but Scripture are useful yea or lawful to be read of Christians or at least in the Church 9. And they that say that the Scriptures are so Divine not only in Matter but in Method and Style as that there is nothing of humane inculpable imperfection or weakness in them 10. And those that say that the Logical Method and the phrase is as perfect as God was able to make them 11. And they that say that all passages in Scripture historically related are Moral Truths And so make the Devils words to Eve of Iob to Christ c. to be all true 12. And they that say that all passages in the Scripture were equally obligatory to all other places and ages as to those that first received them As the kiss of peace the Vails of women washing feet anointing the sick Deaconesses c. 13. And they that make Scripture so perfect a Rule to our belief that nothing is to be taken for certain that cometh to us any other way As natural knowledge or historical 14. And those that think men may not translate the Scripture turn the Psalms into Metre tune them divide the Scripture into Chapters and Verses c. as being derogatory alterations of the perfect Word 15. And those that think it so perfect a particular rule of all the Circumstances Mâ—des Adjuncts and external expressions of and in Gods Worship as that no such may be invented or added by man 1 Cor. 14. 33 40. 26. that is not there prescribed As Time Place Vesture Gesture Utensils Methods Words and many other things mentioned before 16. And those that Jewishly feign a multitude of unproved mysteries to lye in the Letters Orders Numbers and proper Names in Scriptures though I deny not that there is much mysterie which we little observe 17. They that say that the Scripture is all so plain that there is no obscure or difficult passages in them which men are in danger of wresting to their own destruction 18. And they that say that All in the Scripture is so necessary to salvation even the darkest Prophecies Heb. 5. 10 11 12. that they cannot be saved that understand them not all or at least endeavour not studiously and particularly to understand them 19. And they that say that every Book and Text must of necessity to salvation be believed to be Canonical and true 20. And those that say that God hath so preserved the Scripture as that there are no various readings Of which see Lud. Capellus Crit. Saâ—â— and doubtful Texts thereupon and that no written or printed Copies have been corrupted when Dr. Heylin tells us that the Kings Printer printed the seventh Commandment Thou shalt commit adultery All these err in over-doing III. The dangers of the former detracting from the Scripture are these 1. It injureth the Spirit who is the author of the Scriptures 2 It striketh at the foundation of our faith by weakning the Records which are left us to believe And emboldneth men to sin by diminishing the authority of Gods Law And weakneth our Hopes by weakning the promises 3. It shaketh the universal Government of Christ by shaking the anthority or perfection of the Laws by which he governeth 4. It maketh way for humane Usurpations and Traditions as supplements to the holy Scriptures And leaveth men to contrive to amend Gods Word and Worship and make Co-ordinate Laws and Doctrines of their own 5. It hindereth the Conviction and Conversion of sinners and hardneth them in unbelief by questioning or weakning the means that should convince and turn them 6. It is a tempting men to the Cursed adding to Gods Word IV. The dangers of over-doing here are these 1. It leadeth to downright Infidelity For when men find that the Scripture is imperfect or wanting in that which they fansie to be part of its perfection and to be really insufficient e. g. to teach men Physicks Logick Medicine Languages c. they will be apt to say It is not of God because it hath not that which it pretends to have 2. God is made the Author of defects and imperfections 3. The Scripture is exposed to the scorn and confutation of Infidels 4. Papists are assisted in proving its imperfection But I must stop having spoke to this point before in Quest. 35. and partly Quest. 30. 31. 33. more at large Quest. 167. How far do good men now Preach and Pray by the Spirit Answ. 1. NOt by such Inspiration of new matter from God as the Prophets and Apostles had which indited the Scriptures 2. Not so as to exclude the exercise of Reason Memory or Diligence which must be as much and more than about any common things 3. Not so as to exclude the use and need of Scripture Ministry Sermons Books Conference Examples Use or other means and helps But 1. The Spirit indited that Doctrine and Scripture which is our Rule for prayer and for preaching 2. The Spirits Miracles and works in and by the Apostles seal that doctrine to us and confirm Heb. 2. 3 4. 1 Peâ— 1. 2 22. 2 Thess. 1. 13. John 3. 5 6. Rom. 8. 9. Rom. 8. 15 16 26 27. 2 Tim. 1. 7. Nehem. 9. 20. Isa. 11 â— Ezek. 36. 26. 37. 14. Gal. 4. 6. Zech. 12. 10. Ezek. 18. 31. 11. 19. Rom. 7. 6. John 4. 23 24. 7. 38 39. 1 Cor. 2 10 11. 1 Cor. 6. 11 17. 2 Cor. 4. 13. Gal. 5. 5 16 17 18 25. Ephes. 3. 16. 5. 9 18. 6. 18. 1 Thess. 5. 19. our faith in it 3. The Spirit in our faithful Pastors and Teachers teacheth us by them to pray and preach 4. The Spirit by Illumination Quickning and Sanctification giveth us an habitual acquaintance with our sins our wants with the word of precept and promise with God with Christ with Grace with Heaven And it giveth us a Habit of holy Love to God and Goodness and Thankfulness for mercy and faith in Christ and the life to come and desires of perfection and hatred of sin And he
that hath all these hath a constant Habit of prayer in him For prayer is nothing but the expression with the tongue of these Graces in the heart So that the Spirit of Sanctification is thereby a Spirit of Adoption and of Supplication And he that hath freedom of utterance can speak that which Gods Spirit hath put into his very heart and made him esteem his greatest and nearest concernment and the most necessary and excellent thing in all the world This is the Spirits principal help 5. The same Spirit doth incline our hearts to the diligent use of all those means by which our abilities may be increased As to read and hear and confer and to use our selves to prayer and to meditation self-examination c. 6. The same Spirit helpeth us in the use of all these means to profit by them and to make them all effectual on our hearts 7. The same Spirit concurreth with Means Habits Reason and our own endeavours to help us in the very act of praying and preaching 1. By illuminating our minds to know what to desire and say 2. By actuating our Wills to Love and holy desire and other affections 3. By quickning and exciting us to a liveliness and â—ervency in all And so bringing our former habits into acts the Grace of prayer is the heart and soul of gifts And thus the Spirit teacheth us to pray Yea the same Spirit thus by common helps assisteth even bad men in praying and preaching giving them common habits and acts that are short of special saving grace Whereas men left to themselves without Gods Spirit have none of all these forementioned helps And so the Spirit is said to intercede for us by exciting our unexpressible groans and to help our infirmities when we know what Rom. 8. 26. to ask as we ought Quest. 168. Are not our own Reasons Studies Memory Strivings Books Forms Methods and Ministry needless yea a hurtful quenching or preventing of the Spirit and setting up our own instead of the Spirits operations Answ. 1. YEs if we do it in a conceit of the sufficiency of our selves our reason memory John 15 1 3 4 5 7. studies books forms c. without the Spirit Or if we ascribe any thing to any of these which is proper to Christ or to his Spirit For such proud self-sufficient despisers of the Spirit cannot reasonably expect his help I doubt among men counted Learned and Rational there are too many such * Even among them that in their Ordination heard Receive yâ— the Holy Ghost and Oveâ— which the Holy Gâ—â—â—â—â—ath made you 〈…〉 that know not mans insufficiency or corruption nor the necessity and use of that Holy Ghost into whose name they were baptized and in whom they take on them to believe But think that all that pretend to the Spirit are but Phanaticks and Enthusiasts and self-conceited people when yet the Spirit himself saith Rom. 8 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his And Gal. 4. 6. Because we are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts whereby we cry Abba Father 2. But if we give to Reason Memory Study Books Methods Forms c. but their proper place in subordination to Christ and to his Spirit they are so far from being quenchers of the Spirit that they are necessary in their places and such means as we must use if ever we will expect the Spirits help For the Spirit is not given to a Bruit to make him a man or rational nor to a proud despiser or idle neglecter of Gods appointed means to be instead of means nor to be a Patron to the vice of pride or idleness which he cometh chiefly to destroy But to bless men in the laborious use of the means which God appointeth him Read but Prov. 1. 20 c. 2. 3. 5. 6. 8. and you will see that knowledge must be laboured for and instruction heard And he that will lye idle till the Isa. 64. 7. Mat. 7. 13 14. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Spirit move him and will not stir up himself to seek God nor strive to enter in at the streight gâ—â—e nor give all diligence to make his Calling and Election sure may find that the Spirit of sloth hath destroyed him when he thought the Spirit of Christ â—ad been saving him He that hath but two Articles in his Creed must make this the second For he that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. Quest. 169. How doth the Holy Ghost set Bishops over the Churches Answ. 1. BY making the Office it self so far as the Apostles had any hand in it Christ himself Acts 20. 28. having made their Office 2. The Holy Ghost in the Electors and Ordainers directeth them to discern the fitness of the persons Acts 1. 24. Act. 13. 2. 15. 28 c. 14. â—3 elected and ordained and so to call such as God approveth of and calleth by the Holy Ghost in them Which was done 1. By the extraordinary gift of discerning in the Apostles 2. By the ordinary help of Gods Spirit in the wise and faithful Electors and Ordainers ever since 3. The Holy Ghost doth qualifie them for the work by due Life Light and Love Knowledge Willingness and Active ability and so both enâ—lining them to it and marking out the persons by his gifts whom he would have elected and ordained to it Which was done 1. At first by extraordinary gifts 2. And ever since by ordinary 1. Special and saving in some 2. Common and only fitted to the Churches instruction in others So that who ever is not competently qualified is not called by the Holy Ghost When Christ ascended he gave gifts to men some Apostles Prophets and Evangelists 1 Cor. 12. 12 13 28 29. some Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of his body c. Eph. 4. 7 8 9 10. Quest. 170. Are Temples Fonts Utensils Church-lands much more the Ministers holy And what reverence is due to them as holy Answ. THe question is either de nomine whether it be fit to call them holy or de re whether they have that which is called Holiness I. The word Holy signifieth in God essential transcendent Perfection and so it cometh not into our question In creatures it signifieth 1. A Divine nature in the Rational Creature Angels and Men by which it is made like God and disposed to him and his service by Knowledge Love and holy Vivacity which is commonly called Real saving Holiness as distinct from meer Relative 2. It is taken for the Relation of any thing to God as his own peculiar appropriated to him so Mar. 6. 20. Col. 1. 22. Tit. 1. 8. 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. 3. 5. 2 Pet. 3. 11. Exod. 22. 31. 1 Cor. 1. 1 2 3. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. Heb. 12.
12. 12. Col. 4. 15. people that make the Church 2. That God may be acceptably Worshipped in all places when it is our duty 3. That the ancient Churches and Christians in times of persecutions ordinarily met in secret against the Rulers wills and their meetings were called Conventicles and slandered which occasioned Pliny's examination and the right he did them 4. That no Minister must forsake and give over his work while there is need and he can do it Mat. 18. 20. 1 Cor. 9. 10. 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. Act. 4. 19. See Dr. Hammoâ—d in ioc 1 Tim. 2. 8. Act. 8. 4. 1 Joh. 3. 17. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. Hâ—b 10. 25. 5. That where there are many thousands of ignorant and ungodly persons and the publick Ministers either through their paucity proportioned to the people or their disability or unwillingness or negligence or all are insufficient for all that publick and private Ministerial work which God hath appointed for the instruction perswasion and salvation of such necessitous souls there is need of more Ministerial help 6. That in cases of real not counterfeit necessity they that are hindered from exercising their Ministerial Office publickly should do it privately if they have true Ordination and the call of the peoples necessity desire and of opportunity so be it they do it in that peaceable orderly and quiet manner as may truly promote the interest of Religion and detract not from the lawful publick Ministry and work 7. That they that are forbidden to Worship God publickly unless they will commit some certain See much of this case handled before Q. 109. and Q. 110. sin are so prohibited as that they ought not to do it on such terms 8. That the private meetings which are held on these forementioned terms in such cases of necessity are not to be forsaken though prohibited Though still the honour of the Magistrate is to be preserved and obedience given him in all Lawful things And such Meetings are not sinful nor dishonourable to the assemblers For as Tertullian and Dr. Heylin after him saith Cum pii cum boni cocunt non factio dicenda est sâ—d curia When pious and good people meet especially as aforesaid it is not to be called a faction but a Court. Thus far I think we all agree And that the Church of England is really of this mind is certain 1. In that they did Congregate in private themselves in the time of Cromwells Usurpation towards the end when he began to restrain the use of the Common Prayer 2. In that they wrote for it see Dr. Hide of the Churcâ— in the beginning 3. Because both in the reign of former Princes since the Reformation and to this day many laborious conforming Ministers have still used to repeat their Sermons in their Houses where many of the people came to hear them 4. Because the Liturgie alloweth private Baptism and restraineth not any number from being present nor the Minister from instructing them in the use of Baptism which is the sum of Christianity 5. Because the Liturgie commandeth the visitation of the sick and alloweth the Minister there to pray and instruct the person according to his own ability about Repentance faith in Christ and preparation for death and the life to come and forbiddeth not the friends and neighbours of the sick to be present 6. Because the Liturgie and Canons allow private Communion with the sick lame or aged that cannot come to the assembly where the nature of that holy work is to be opened and the Eucharistical work to be performed And some must be present and the number not limited 7. And as these are express testimonies that all private meetings are not disallowed by the Church of England so there are other instances of such natural necessity as they are not to be supposed to be against As 1. For a Captain to Pray and read Scripture or good Books and sing Psalms with his Souldiers and with Marriners at Sea when they have no Minister 2. There are many thousands and hundred thousands in England that some live so far from Church and some are so weak that they can seldome go and some Churches have not room for a quarter of the Parish and none of the thousands now meant can read and so neither can help themselves nor have a Minister that will do it And thousands that when they have heard a Sermon cannot remember it but lose it presently If these that cannot Read or Remember nor teach their own families nor go to Church do take their Families many of them to some one Neighbours house where the Sermon is repeated or the Bible or Liturgie read methinks the Church should not be against it But it must be still remembred that 1. Rulers that are Infidels Papists Hereticks or persecutors that restrain Church-meetings to the injury of mens souls must be distinguisht from pious Princes that only restrain Hereticks and real Schismaticks for the Churches good 2. And that times of Heresie and Schism may make private meetings more dangerous than quiet times And so even the Scottish Church forbad private meetings in the Separatists dayes of late And when they do more hurt than good and are justly forbidden no doubt in that case it is a duty to obey and to forbear them as is aforesaid Quest. 173. What particular Directions for Order of Studies and Books should be observed by young Students § 1. BEcause disorder is so great a disadvantage to young Students and because many have importuned me to name them some few of the best Books because they have no Time to read nor money to buy many I shall here answer these two demands § 2. I. The Order of their studies is such as respecteth their whole lives or such as respecteth every Day It is the first which I now intend § 3. Direct 1. The knowledge of so much of Theologie as is necessary to your own Duty and Salvation is the first thing which you are to learn when you have learnt to speak Children have souls to save and their Reason is given them to use for their Creators service and their salvation 1. They can never begin to Learn that too soon which they were made and Redeemed to Learn and which their whole lives must be employed in practising And that which absolute Necessity requireth and without which there is no salvation 3. And that which must tell a man the only ultimate end which he must intend in all the moral actions of his life For the right Intention of our end is antecedent to all right use of means And till this be done a man hath not well begun to Live nor to use his Reason nor hath he any other work for his Reason till this be first done He liveth but in a continual sin that doth not make God and the publick good and his salvation his end Therefore they that would not have Children begin with Divinity would have them
Acosta de Convers. Bâ—eganius de Theol. Gentil Vossius de Idolol Vâ—ssius de Theol. natur Collius de Animabus paganorum Eugubinus Fotherby Mersennus in Genesin XVI Cates of Conscience more Filliucius Tolet de sacerdot Reginald Cajetane Navarrus See Montaltus against the Jesuits Casuists and the Iesuits Morals Downames and Whateleys Tables on the Commandments Sanderson de Iuramento Fragoso aforenamed XVII Of Councils more and Canonists and Liturgies Ius Orientale Graecorum per Leunclavium Bochelli Decreta Gallic Sirmondi Concil Gall. Longus Actus Conventus Thorunensis Formula Concordiae Germ The Westminster Assemblies Acts. English Canons Fasti Siculi Morini exercit Eccles. Zepper Polit. Eccles. Hammond Le strange of Liturgies Antiqâ—itates Liturgicae Cassanders Works Claud. Sainctes Gavantus de Ritibus Vicecomes XVIII More of the Fathers I need not name If you can get and read them you may find their names e. g. in Bellarmin de Script Eccles. Get the Bibliothec. Patrum of de la Bigne and Macarius Hom. Ephrem Syâ—us plain honest things Theodoret Cyril Hieros Cyril Alexand. Isidore Pelusiota Theophilact Occumenius Sâ—dulius Primasius Remigius Beda c. But many of them are very weak and dry The chief use of the Fathers is to know Historically what Doctrine was then taught XIX Schoolmen more Bonaventure Alensis Cajetane Bannez Biel Cameracensis Franc. Mayro Capreolus Ri. Armachanus Bradwardine Faber Faventinus Hervaeus Ioh. Fr. Pici Mirandul Fr. Victoria Suarâ—z Vasquez Albertinus in Thom. Aquila Scottellus Ripalda nameth more if you would have more XX. Antipapists Pappus of their Contradictions Gentiletus Mortons Apology and Grand Imposture He that would have more Books may see Voctiâ—s Bibliother and many other Catalogues Buckeridge Râ—ffeusis for Kings Crakenthorpe Paraeus cont Bellarm. Iunius on Bellar. Birkbeck's Protestants Evidence Hunnii Eccles. Rom. non est Christ. Hottoman Brutum fulmen c. Eusebius Captivus Ioh. Crocius de schismate Iewel all Whitaker Andrews Tortura Torti Wotton Dr. Ier. Tailors Disswasive But they are almost numberless Note 1. THat these may seem too many though they are few to a full and rich Library 2. That it is not my advice that you read over all these or half For that would but make them a snare for sinning and waste of time But a Minister of the Gospel should have more Books by him than he can read over for particular uses and to see the Authors judgement occasionally and to try other mens Citations 3. That a Minister must neither study the matter without the help of other mens studies by Reading much nor yet Read much without studying the Thing it self 4. That though a man must not speak or write before he knoweth what and how yet thus Exercising the Knowledge that we have doth greatly increase it And no Minister must be studying when he should be Preaching Praying Catechizing or visiting or instructing his flock 5. It is but few men that are born with an acumen fit for Writings and Controversies Those few must read the more to be fit for it The rest may take up with such Preparations as they have use for and exercise them viz. in the Pastoral oversight of the flocks and propagating plain and necessary truths And therefore though I am one that have been thought to burden mens understandings with Methods distinctions directions and controversies it is but few that I perswade to use them and am as much as any for most mens adhering to plain fundamentals and truths of daily use and Love and honour those that go no further and are faithful in this work so be it they have not the Pride to think that they know more than they do and to wrangle against that which they understand not and set not the Church on fire as ancient Ignorance did by accusing those of Heresie that knew more than themselves when they got but the Throne or the Major Vote 6. That though I chiefly commend Systemes of Theologie I know not one whose method satisfieth me as well agreeing with Scripture and the matter else I had not troubled my self so much to seek a right method and propose what I found And I think no common Method more genuine than theirs that expound the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue and the Sacraments as the sum of all 7. I mention none of my own Writings for it will seem vanity But as many as they are I wrote none which I thought needless at the time of writing them 8. Though none should have so great fitness for the holy education of Children and Government of Families as Ministers yet so great is the work of Overseeing the flock requiring more time and parts than all that we have and so great are the matters of our studies and labours requiring our total and most serious thoughts that I earnestly advise all that can possibly to live single and without a Family lest they marr their work by a divided mind For nunquam bene fit quod fit prae-occupato animo saith Hierome truly The whole man and whole time is all too little in so great a work The End of the third TOME A Christian Directory Or A SUMM of PRACTICAL DIVINITY By Way of DIRECTION The Fourth Part. Christian Politicks CONTAINING All the Duties of the Six last Commandments in our Political Relations and towards our Neighbours With the principal CASES of CONSCIENCE about them By RICHARD BAXTER Rom. 13. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers For Rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil For he is the Minister of God to thee for good Matth. 17. 27. Lest we should offend them give unto them for me and thee Matth. 19. 19. Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self Matth. 7. 12. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them For this is the Law and the Prophets LONDON Printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons at the Sign of the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1673. READER THink not by the title of this Part that I am doing the same work which I lately revoked in my Political Aphorisms Though I concluded that Book to be quasi non scriptum I told you I recanted not the Doctrine of it which is for the Empire of God and the Interest of Government Order and honesty in the World This is no place to give you the Reasons of my revocation besides that it offended my Superiours and exercised the tongues of some in places where other matters would be more profitable Pass by all that concerneth our particular State and Times and you may know by that what principles of Policy I judge Divine And experience teacheth me that it is best for men of my Profession to meddle with no more but leave it to the Contzeus the Arnisaeus's and other Jesuits to promote their cause by Voluminous politicks The Popes false-named Church is a Kingdom and his Ministers may write of Politicks
that despiseth despiseth not man but God 2. You wrong the Magistrate as much as you should do an Ambassador if you took him to be the messenger of some Iack Straw or some fellow that signifieth no more than his personal worth importeth 3. And you wrong your selves For while you neglect the Interest and authority of God in your Rulers you forfeit the acceptance protection and reward of God Subjects as well as servants must learn that great lesson Col. 3. 23. 24 25. And whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he hath done and there is no respect of persons So Eph. 6. 5 6 7 8. Magistrates are as truly Gods Officers as Preachers And therefore as he that heareth Preachers heareth him so he that obeyeth Rulers obeyeth him The exceptions are but the like in both cases It is not every thing that we must receive from Preachers nor every thing that we must do at the command of Rulers But both in their proper place and work must be regarded as the officers of God and not as men that have no higher Authority than their own to bear them out § 26. Direct 4. Let no vices of the person cause you to forget the dignity of his office The authority Direct 4. of a sinful Ruler is of God and must accordingly be obeyed Of this read Bishop Bilson at large in his excellent Treatise of Christian Subjection against the Papists that excommunicate and depose Princes whom they account Hereticks or favourers of them Those sins which will damn a mans soul and deprive him of Heaven will not deprive him of his Kingdom nor disoblige the subjects Victor utic saith of Victorianus Proconsul of Carthage that even to an Arrian persecuting usurping Tyrant Pro rebus sibi commissis semper fidelissimus habebatur and the like of Sebastian and others p. 460. from their obedience An Infidel or an ungodly Christian that is an Hypocrite is capable of being a Prince as well as of being a Parent Husband Master And the Apostle hath taught all as well as servants their duty to such 1 Pet. 2. 18 19 20 21. Servants be subject to your Masters with all fear and not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure grief suffering wrongfully For what glory is it if when you are buffeted for your faults you take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God For even hereunto were ye called Though it be a rare mercy to have Godly Rulers and a great judgement to have ungodly ones it is such as must be born § 27. Direct 5. Do not either divulge or aggravate the vices of your Governours to their dishonour Direct 5. For their Honour is necessary to the publick good If they have not care of their own honour yet their subjects must have a care of it If once they be dishonoured they will the more easily be contemned hated and disobeyed Therefore the dishonouring of the Rulers tendeth to the dissolution of the Government and ruine of the Common-wealth Only in two cases did the ancient Christians aggravate the wickedness of their Governours 1. In case they were such cruel monsters as Nero who lived to the misery of mankind 2. In case they were not only open enemies of the Church of Christ but their Honour stood in competition with the Honour of Christianity piety and honesty as in Iulians case I confess against Nero and Iulian both living and dead and many like them the tongues and pens of wise and sober persons have been very free But the fifth Commandment is not to be forgotten Honour thy Father and Mother And 1 Pet. 2. 17. Fear God Honour the Mark 7. 10. 10. 19. King Though you must not call evil good yet you may conceal and hide evil Cham was cursed for opening his fathers nakedness Though you must flatter none in their fins nor hinder their Repentance but further it by all righteous means yet must you speak Honourably of your Rulers and endeavour to breed an Honourable esteem of them in the peoples minds and not as some that think they do well if they can secretly make their Rulers seem odious by opening and aggravating their faults § 28. Direct 6. Subdue your passions that no injuries which you may suffer by them may Direct 6. disturb your reason and make you dishonour them by way of revenge If you may not revenge your selves on private men much less on Magistrates And the Tongue may be an unjust revenger as well as the hand Passion will provoke you to be telling all men Thus and thus I was used and to perswade you that it is no sin to tell the truth of what you suffered But remember that the publick good and the honour of Gods officers are of greater value than the righting of a particular person that is injured Many a discontented person hath set Kingdoms on fire by divulging the faults of Governours for the righting of themselves Obj. But shall cruel and unrighteous or persecuting men do mischief and not hear of it nor be humbled for it Answ. 1. Preachers of the Gospel and others that have opportunity may privately tell them of it to bring them to repentance if they will endure it without dishonouring them by making it publick 2. Historians will tell posterity of it to their perpetual infamy if repentance Lamprid. saith of Alex. Severus that Amavit literatos homines vehementer eos etiam reformidans nequid de se asperum scriberent uâ—lversal Histor p. 132. Tiberius bellua luto sanguine macerata sui tegendi peritissimus artifex totus tamen posteritatis oculis patuit Deo hypocrisim detractione larvae plectente and well-doing recover not their honour Flatterers abuse the living but Truth will dishonour their wickedness when they are dead For it is Gods own decree that the memory of the just is blessed but the name of the wicked shall rot Prov. 10. 7. 3. And God himself will fully be avenged upon the impenitent for ever having told you that it were better for him that offendeth one of his little ones that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the Sea And is not all this enough without the revenge of your passionate tongues * Matth. 18. 6. Mark 9. 42. Luk. 17. 2. Jud. 7. 8 9. To speak evil of dignities and despise dominion and bring railing accusations are the sins of the old licentious Hereticks Christ left us his example not to revile the meanest when we are reviled 1 Pet. 2. 23. If you believe that God will justifie the innocent and avenge
to pull them down on pretence of setting up him that hath appointed them whose Kingdom personal is not of this world § 42. Direct 18. When you are tempted to dishonourable thoughts of your Governours look over the Direct 18. face of all the earth and compare your case with the nations of the world and then your murmurings may be turned into thankfulness for so great a mercy What cause hath God to difference us from other nations and give us any more than an equal proportion of mercy with the rest of the world Have we deserved to have a Christian King when five parts of the world have Rulers that are Heathens and Mahometans Have we deserved to have a Protestant King when all the world hath but two more How happy were the world if it were so with all nations as it is with us Remember how unthankfulness forfeiteth our happiness § 43. Direct 19. Consider as well the Benefits which you receive by Governours as the sufferings Direct 19. which you undergo And especially consider of the common benefits and value them above your own He that knoweth what man is and what the world is and what the Temptations of Great men are and what he himself deserveth and what need the best have of affliction and what good they may get by the right improvement of it will never wonder nor grudge to have his earthly mercies mixt with crosses and to find some salt or sowreness in the sawce of his pleasant dishes For the most luscious is not of best concoction And he that will more observe his few afflictions than his many benefits hath much more selfish tenderness of the flesh than ingenuous thankfulness to his benefactor It is for your good that Rulers are the Ministers of God Rom. 13. 3 4 5. Perhaps you will think it strange that I say to you what I have oft said that I think there are not very many Rulers no not Tyrants and persecutors so bad but that the Godly that live under them do receive from their Government more good than hurt and though it must be confest that better Governours would do better yet almost Dicunt Stoici sapientes non modo liberos este verum Reges cum sit Regnum imperium nemini obnoxium quod de sapientibus soliâ— asseritur Statuere eâ—im oportere principem de bonis malis haec autem malorum scire neminem Similiter ad Magistrarus judicia oratoriam solos illos idoneos neminemque malorum Laâ—rt in Zenone the worst are better than none And none are more beholden to God for Magistrates than the Godly are however none suffer so much by them in most places of the world My reason is 1. Because the multitude of the needy and the dissolute Prodigals if they were all ungoverned would tear out the throats of the more wealthy and industrious and as Robbers use men in their houses and on the high way so would such persons use all about them and turn all into a constant war And hereby all honest industry would be overthrown while the fruit of mens labours were all at the mercy of every one that is stronger than the owner and a robber can take away all a night which you have been labouring for many years or may set all on fire over your heads And more persons would be killed in these wars by those that sought their goods than Tyrants and persecutors use to kill unless they be of the most cruel sort of all 2. And it is plain that in most Countreys the universal enmity of corrupted nature to serious Godliness would inflame the rabble if they were but ungoverned to commit more murders and cruelties upon the Godly than most of the persecutors in the world have committed Yet I deny not that in most places there are a sober sort of men of the middle rank that will hear reason and are more equal to Religion than the Highest or the Lowest usually are But suppose these sober men were the more numerous yet is the vulgar rabble the more violent and if Rulers restrained them not would leave few of the faithful alive on earth As many volumes as are written of the Martyrs who have suffered by persecuters I think they saved the lives of many more than they murdered Though this is no thanks to them it is a mercy to others As many as Queen Mary Martyred they had been far more if She had but turned the rabble loose upon them and never meddled with them by Authority I do not think Nero or Dioclesian Martyred near so many as the people turned loose upon them would have done Much more was Iulian a protector of the Church from the popular rage though in comparison of a Constantine or Theodosius he was a plague If you will but consider thus the benefits of your common protection your thankfulness for Rulers would overcome your murmurings In some places and at some times perhaps the people would favour the Gospel and flock after Christ if Rulers hindered them not But that would not be the ordinary case and their unconstancy is so great that what they built up one day in their zeal the next day they would pull down in fury § 44. Direct 20. Think not that any change of the form of Government would cure that which is Direct 20. caused by the peoples sin or the common pravity of humane nature Some think they can contrive such Eam Rempublicam optimam dicunt Stoici quae sit mixta ex regno populari dominatu optimor umque potentia Laâ—rt in Zenone forms of Government as that Rulers shall be able to do no hurt But either they will disable them to do good or else their engine is but glass and will fail or break when it comes to execution Men that are themselves so bad and unhumbled as not to know how bad they are and how bad mankind is are still laying the blame upon the form of Government when any thing is amiss and think by a change to find a cure As if when an Army is infected with the Plague or composed of Cowards the change of the General or form of Government would prove a cure But if a Monarch be faulty in an Aristocracy you will but have many faulty Governours for one and in a Democracy a multitude of Tyrants § 45. Direct 21. Set your selves much more to study your Duty to your Governours than the duty Direct 21. of your Governours to you as knowing that both your temporal and eternal happiness dependeth much more upon your selves than upon them God doth not call you to study other mens duties so much as Bad people make bad Governours In most places the people are so willful and tenacious of their sinful customes that the best Rulers are not able to reform them Yea many a Ruler hath cast off his Government being wearyed with mutinous and obstinate people Plato would not meddle
truly signifieth the Rulers Will. 2. That it is the Act of a Power derived from God and therefore no further bindeth than it is the exercise of such a power 3. That it is given 1. Finally for Gods glory and pleasure and for the Common Good comprehending the Honour of the Ruler and the welfare of the society ruled And therefore obligeth not when it is 1. Against God 2. Or against the Common Good 2. And it is subordinate to Gods It is not Mr. Humphâ—â—y alone that hath written that Laws bind not in conscience to obedience which are against the Publick Good The greatest Casuists say the same excepting the case of scandal He that would see this in them may choose but these two special Authors Bapt. Fragos de Regimine Reipublicae Greg. Sayrus in his Clavis Regia and in them he shall find enow more câ—â—ed Though I think some further Cautions would make it more satisfactory own Laws in Nature and Scripture and therefore obligeth not to sin or to the violation of Gods Law 4. You must note that Laws are made for the Government of Societies as such universally and so are fitted to the Common Case for the Common Good And it is not possible but that a Law which prescribeth a duty which by accident is so to the most should meet with some particular subject to whom the case is so circumstantiated as that the same act would be to him a sin And to the same man it may be ordinarily a duty and in an extraordinary case a sin Thence it is that in some cases as Lent Fasts Marriages c. Rulers oft authorize some persons to grant dispensations in certain cases And hence it is said that Necessity hath no Law Hereupon I conclude as followeth 1. It is no sin to break a Law which is no Law as being against God or not authorized by him as of a Usurper c. See R. Hooker Conclus Lib 8. 2. It is no Law so far as it is no signification of the true Will of the Ruler what ever the words be Therefore so far it is no sin to break it 3. The Will of the Ruler is to be judged of not only by the Words but by the Ends of Government and by the Rules of Humanity 4. It being not possible that the Ruler in his Laws can foresee and name all exceptions which may occur it is to be supposed that it is his Will that the Nature of the thing shall be the notifier of his Will when it cometh to pass And that if he were present and this case fell out before him which the sense and end of the Law extendeth not to he would say This is an excepted Case 5. There is therefore a wide difference between a General Law and a personal particular Mandate As of a Parent to a Child or a Master to a Servant For this latter fully notifieth the Will of the Ruler in that very case and to that very person And therefore it cannot be said that here is any exception or that it is not his Will But in an Universal or General Law it is to be supposed that some particular excepted Cases will fall out extraordinarily though they cannot be named And that in those Cases the Rulers will dispenseth with it 6. Sometimes also the Ruler doth by the meer neglect of pressing or executing his own Laws permit them to grow obsolete and out of use And sometimes he forbeareth the execution of them for some time or to some sort of persons And by so doing doth notifie that it was not his Will that â—t such a time and in such cases they should oblige I say not that all remissness of execution is such a sign But sometimes it is And the very word of the Law-giver may notifie his dispensation or suspending will As for instance Upon the burning of London there were many Laws about coming to Parish Churches and relief of the poor of the Parish and the like that the people became uncapable of obeying And it was to be supposed that the Rulers will would have been to to have excepted such Cases if foreseen and that they did dispense with them when they fell out 7. Sometimes also the penalty of violating a Law is some such Mulct or service which the Ruler intendeth as a Commutation for the duty so that he freely leaveth it to the choice of the subject which he will choose And then it is no sin to pay the Mulct and omit the Action because it crosseth not the Law-givers will 8. Sometimes also the Law may command this principally for some mens sake which so little concerns others that it should not extend to them at all were it not lest the Liberty of them should be an impediment to the obedience of others and consequently of the common good In which case if those persons so little concerned do but omit the action secretly so as to be no scandal or publick hurt it seemeth that they have the implicite Consent of the Rulers 9. Sometimes particular duties are commanded with this express exception Unless they have just and reasonable impediment As for coming every Lords Day to Church c. which seemeth to imply that though in cases where the publick good is concerned the person himself shall not be Judge nor at all as to the penalty yet that in actions of an indifferent nature in themselves this exception is still supposed to be implyed Unless we have just and reasonable impediments of which in private Cases as to the Crime we may judge 10. I need not mention the common natural exceptions As that Laws bind not to a thing when it becometh naturally impossible or cessante materia vel capacitate subjecti obligati c. 11. Laws may change their sense in part by the change of the Law-giver For the Law is not formally to us his Law that is dead and was once our Ruler but his that is alive and is now our Ruler If Henry the eighth make a Law about the outward acts of Religion as for coming to Church c. and this remain unrepealed in King Edwards Queen Maries Queen Elizabeths King Iames his dayes c. even till now As we are not to think that the Law-givers had the same sense and will so neither that the Law hath the same sense and obligation For if the general words be capable of several senses we must not take it as binding to us in the sense it was made in but in the sense of of our present Law-givers or Rulers because it is their Law 12. Therefore if a Law had a special Reason for it at the first making as the Law for using Bows and Arrows that Reason ceasing we are to suppose the Will of the Law-giver to remit the obligation if he urge not the execution and renew not the Law 13. By these plain principles many particular difficulties may be easily resolved which cannot be foreseen and named e.
blesseth those that furthered him 1 Sam. 23. 21. Blessed be ye of the Lord for ye have compassion on me He justifieth himself in murdering the Priests because he thought that they helped David against him and Doeg seemeth but a dutiful subject in executing his bloody command 1 Sam. 22. And Shimei thought he might boldly curse him 2 Sam. 16. 7 8. And he could scarce have charged him with more odious sin than to be a bloody man and a man of Belial If the Prophet speak against Ieroboams political Religion he will say Lay hold on him 1 King 13. 4. Even Asa will be rageing wrathful and imprison the Prophet that reprehendeth his sin 2 Chron. 16. 10. Ahab will feed Michaiah in a Prison with the Bread and Water of affliction if he contradict him 1 King 22. 27. And even Ierusalem killed the Prophets and stoned them which were sent to gather them under the gracious wing of Christ Matth. 23. 37. Which of the Prophets did they not persecute Act. 7. 52. And if you consider but what streams of blood since the death of Christ and his Apostles have been shed for the sake of Christ and righteousness it will make you wonder that so much cruelty can consist with humanity and men and Devils should be so like The same man as Paul as soon as he ceaseth to shed the blood of others must look in the same way to lose his own How many thousands were murdered by Heathen Rome in the ten persecutions And how many by the Arian Emperours and Kings And how many by more Orthodox Princes in their particular distasts And yet how far hath the pretended Vicar of Christ out-done them all How many hundred thousands of the Albigenses Waldenses and Bohemians hath the Papal rage consumed Two hundred thousand the Irish murdered in a little space 〈…〉 o outgo the thirty or forty thousand which the French Massacre made an end of The sacrifices offered by their fury in the flames in the Marian persecution here in England were nothing to what one day hath done in other parts What Volumes can contain the particular Histories of them what a Shambles was their Inquisition in the Low-Countries and what is the employment of it still so that a doubting man would be inclined to think that Papal Rome is the murderous Babylon that doth but consider how drunken she is with the blood of the Saints and the Martyrs of Iesus and that the blood of Saints will be found in her in her day of tryal Rev. 17. 6. 18. 24. If we should look over all the rest of the World and reckon up the the torments and murders of the innocent in Iapan and most parts of the World where ever Christianity came it may increase your wonder that Devils and men are still so like Yea though there be as lowd a testimony in humane nature against this bloodiness as almost any sin whatsoever and though the names of persecutors alwayes stink to following Generations how proudly soever they carryed it for a time and though one would think a persecutor should need no cure but his own pride that his name may not be left as Pilates in the Creed to be odious in the mouths of the Ages that come after him Yet for all this so deep is the Enmity so potent is the Devil so blinding a thing is sin and interest and passion that still one Generation of persecuters doth succeed the others and they kill the present Saints while they honour the dead ones and build them Monuments and say If we had lived in the dayes of our fathers we would not have been partakers with them in the Prophets blood Read well Matth. 23. 29. to the end What a Sea of righteous blood hath malignity and persecuting zeal drawn out § 5. 4. Another cause of Murder is Rash and unrighteous judgement When Judges are ignorant or partial or perverted by passion or prejudice or respect of persons But though many an innocent hath suffered this way I hope among Christians this is one of the rarest Causes § 6. 5. Another way of murder is by oppression and uncharitableness when the poor are kept destitute of necessaries to preserve their lives Though few of them die directly of famine yet thousands of them dye of those sicknesses which they contract by unwholsome food And all those are guilty of their death either that cause it by oppression or that relieve them not when they are able and obliged to it Iam. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. § 7. 6. Another way and cause of murder is by Thieves and Robbers that do it to possess themselves of that which is another mans when riotousness or idleness hath consumed what they had themselves and sloath and pride will not suffer them to labour nor sensuality suffer them to endure want then they will have it by right or wrong what ever it cost them Gods Laws or mans the Gallows or Hell shall not deter them but have it they will though they rob and murder and are hang'd and damn'd for it Alas how dear a purchase do they make How much easier are their greatest wants than the wrath of God and the pains of Hell § 8. 7. Another cause of murder is Guilt and Shame When wicked people have done some great disgraceful sin which will utterly shame them or undo them if it be known they are tempted to murder them that know it to conceal the crime and save themselves Thus many a Whoremonger hath murdered her that he hath committed fornication with And many a Whore hath murdered her Child before the birth or after to prevent the shame But how madly do they forget the day when both the one and the other will be brought to light and the righteous judge will make them know that all their wicked shifts will be their confusion because there is no hiding them from him § 9. 8 Another cause is Furious anger which mastereth Reason and for the present makes them mad And Drunkenness which doth the same Many a one hath killed another in his fury or his drink So dangerous is it to suffer Reason to lose its power and to use our selves to a Bedlam course And so necessary is it to get a sober meek and quiet spirit and mortifie and master these turbulent and beastly vices § 10 9. Another cause of Murder is Malice and Revenge When mens own wrongs or sufferings are so great a matter to them and they have so little learnt to bear them that they hate that man that is the cause of them and boile with a revengeful desire of his ruine And this sin hath in it so so much of the Devil that those that are once addicted to it are almost wholly at his command He maketh witches of some and Murderers of others and wretches of all who set themselves in the place of God and will do Justice as they call it for themselves as if God were not just enough to
to find them out so that the blood-thirsty man doth seldome live out half his dayes The Treatises purposely written on this subject and the experience of all Ages do give us very wonderful Narratives of Gods judgements in the detecting of murderers and bringing them to punishment They go about awhile like Cain with a terrified Conscience afraid of every one they see till seasonable vengeance give them their reward or rather send them to the place where they must receive it 3. For it is eternal torment under the wrath of God which is the final punishment which they must expect If very great Repentance and the blood of Christ do not prevent it There are few I think that by shame and terrour of Conscience are not brought to such a Repentance for it as Cain and Iudas had or as a man hath that hath brought calamity on himself and therefore wish they had never done it because of their own unhappiness thereby except those persecutors or murderers that are hardened by Errour pride or power But this will not prevent the vengeance of God in their damnation It must be a deep Repentance proceeding from the Love of God and man and the hatred of sin and sense of Gods displeasure for it which is only found in sanctified souls And alas how few Murderers ever have the grace to manifest any such renovation and repentance Tit. 2. Advice against Self-murder THough Self-murder be a sin which Nature hath as strongly inclined man against as any sin in the World that I remember and therefore I shall say but little of it yet experience telleth us that it is a sin that some persons are in danger of and therefore I shall not pass it by The prevention of it lyeth in the avoiding of these following Causes of it § 1. Direct 1. The commonest cause is prevailing Melancholy which is neer to madness therefore Direct 1. to prevent this sad disease or to cure it if contracted and to watch them in the mean time is the chief prevention of this sin Though there be much more hope of the salvation of such as want the use of their Understandings because so far it may be called involuntary yet it is a very dreadful case especially so far as reason remaineth in any power But it is not more natural for a man in a Feaver to thirst and rave than for Melancholy at the height to incline men to make away themselves For the disease will let them feel nothing but misery and despair and say nothing but I am forsaken miserable and undone and not only maketh them aweary of their lives even while they are afraid to dye but the Devil hath some great advantage by it to urge them to do it so that if they pass over a Bridge he urgeth them to leap into the Water If they see a Knife they are presently urged to kill themselves with it and feel as if it were something within them importunately provoking them and saying Do it Do it now and giving them no rest In so much that many of them contrive it and cast about secretly how they may accomplish it Though the cure of these poor people belong as much to others care as to their own yet so far as they yet can use their reason they must be warned 1. To abhor all these suggestions and give them not room a moment in their minds And 2 To avoid all occasions of the sin and not to be neer a Knife a River or any instrument which the Devil would have them use in the execution And 3. To open their case to others and tell them all that they may help to their preservation 4. And especially to be willing to use the means both Physick and satisfying Counsel which tends to cure their disease And if there be any rooted cause in the mind that was antecedent to the Melancholy it must carefully be lookt to in the cure § 2. Direct 2. Take heed of worldly trouble and discontent for this also is a common Cause Direct 2. Either it suddenly casteth men into Melancholy or without it of it self overturneth their reason so far as to make them violently dispatch themselves Especially if it fall out in a mind where there is a mixture of these two Causes 1. Unmortified love to any Creature 2. And an impotent and passionate mind there discontent doth cause such unquietness that they will furiously go to Hell for ease Mortifie therefore first your worldly lusts and set not too much by any earthly thing If you did not foolishly overvalue your selves or your credit or your wealth or friends there would be nothing to feed your discontent Make no greater a matter of the world than it deserveth and you will make no such great matter of your sufferings And 2. Mortifie your turbulent passions and give not way to Bedlam fury to overcome your reason Go to Christ to beg and learn to be meek and lowly in spirit and then your troubled minds will have rest Matth 11. 28 29. Passionate Women and such other feeble spirited persons that are easily troubled and hardly quietted and pleased have great cause to bend their greatest endeavours to the curing of this impotent temper of mind and procuring from God such strengthening grace as may restore their Reason to its power § 3. Direct 3. And sometimes sudden passion it self without any longer discontent hath caused Direct 3. men to make away themselves Mortifie therefore and watch over such distracting Passions § 4. Direct 4. Take heed of running into the guilt of any heynous sin For though you may Direct 4. feel no hurt from it at the present when Conscience is awakened it is so disquieting a thing that it maketh many a one hang himself Some grievous sins are so tormenting to the Conscience that they give many no rest till they have brought them to to Iudas's or Achitophel's End Especially take heed of sinning against Conscience and of yielding to that for fear of men which God and Conscience charge you to forbear For the case of many a hundred as well as Spira may tell you into what Calamity this may cast you If man be the master of your Religion you have no Religion For what is Religion but the subjection of the soul to God especially in the matters of his Worship And if God be subjected to man he is taken for No-God When you Worship a God that is inferiour to a man then you may subject your Religion to the will of that man Keep God and Conscience at peace with you if you love your selves though thereby you lose your peace with the World § 5. Direct 5. Keep up a Believing foresight of the state which Death will send you to and then if Direct 5. you have the use of Reason Hell at least will hold your hands and make you afraid of venturing upon death What Repentance are you like to have when you dye in the very
when it is not like to do more hurt than good either directly of it self or by mens abuse when Religion or the soul of any man or any ones body or estate or name is not like to lose more than my gain or any other benefits will compensate When all these concurr its lawful to go to Law § 29. Quest. 5. Is it lawful to defend my person life or estate against a Thief or Murderer or unjust Quest. 5. Invader by force of arms Answ. You must distinguish 1. Between such Defence as the Law of the Land alloweth and such as it forbiddeth 2. Between Necessary and Unnecessary actions of defence Prop. 1. There is no doubt but it is both lawful and a duty to defend our selves by such convenient means as are likely to attain their end and are not contrary to any Law of God or Man We must defend our Neighbour if he be assaulted or oppressed and we must love our neighbours as our selves Prop. 2. This Self-defence by force is then lawful when it is Necessary and other more gentle means have been uneffectual or have no place supposing still that the means be such as the Law of God or man forbiddeth not Prop. 3. And it is necessary to the Lawfulness of it that the means be such as in its nature is like to be successful or like to do more good than harm § 30. But on the other side Prop. 1. We may not defend our selves by any such force as either the Laws of God or our Rulers thereto authorized by him shall forbid For 1. The Laws are made by such as have more power over our lives than we have over them our selves 2. And they are made for the good of the Common-wealth which is to be preferred before the good or life of any single person And what ever selfish Infidels say both nature and grace do teach us to lay down our lives for the welfare of the Church or State and to prefer a multitude before our selves Therefore it is better to be robbed opprest or killed than to break the peace of the Common-wealth Prop. 2. Therefore a private man may not raise an Army to defend his life against his Prince or lawful Governour Perhaps he might hold his hands if personally he went about to murder him without the violation of the publick peace But he cannot raise a War without it Prop. 3. We may not do that by blood or violence which might be done by perswasion or by any lawful gentle means Violence must be used even in defence but in case of true necessity Prop. 4. When Self-defence is like to have Consequents so ill as the saving of our selves cannot countervail it is then unlawful finis gratia and not to be attempted Prop. 5. Therefore if Self-defence be unlikely to prevail our strength being inconsiderable and when the enemy is but like to be the more exasperated by it and our sufferings like to be the greater Nature and reason teach us to submit and use the more effectual lawful means § 31. Quest. 6. Is it lawful to take away anothers life in the defending of my purse or estate Quest. 6. Answ. 1. You must again distinguish between such defence as the Law of the Land alloweth and such as it forbiddeth 2. Between what is Necessary and what is Unnecessary 3. Between a life less worth than the prize which he contendeth for and a life more worth than it or than mine own 4. Between the simple defence of my purse and the defence of it and my life together 5. Between what I do with purpose and desire and what I do unwillingly through the assailants â—emerity or violence 6. And between what I do in meer defence and what I do to bring a Thief or Robber unto legal punishment And so I answer Prop. 1. You may not defend your purse or your estate by such actions as the Law of the Land forbiddeth Unless it go against the Law of God Because it is to be supposed that it is better a mans estate or purse be lost than Law and publick order violated Prop. 2. You may not against an ordinary Thief or Robber defend your purse with the probable hazard of his life if a few good words or other safe and gentle means which you have opportunity to use be like to serve turn without such violence Prop. 3. If it might be supposed that a Prince or other person of great use and service to the Common-wealth should in a frolick or otherwise assault your person for your estate or purse it is not lawful to take away his life by a defensive violence if you know it to be he Because though in some Countreys the Law might allow it you yet finis gratia it is unlawful because his life is more necessary to the common good than yours Prop. 4. If a pilfering Thief would steal your purse without any violence which hazardeth your life ordinarily you may not take away his life in the defending of it Because it is the work of the Magistrate to punish him by publick Justice and your defence requireth it not Prop. 5. All this is chiefly meant of the voluntary designed taking away of his life and not of any lawful action which doth it accidentally against your will § 33. On the other side Prop. 1. If the Law of the Land allow you to take away a mans life in the defending of your purse it removeth the scruple if the weight of the matter also do allow it Because it supposeth that the Law taketh the offendor to be worthy of death and maketh you in that case the executioner of it And if indeed the crime be such as deserveth death you may be the executioner when the Law alloweth it Prop. 2. And this is more clear when the Robber for your money doth assault your life or is like for ought you see to do it Prop. 3. And when gentler means will not serve the turn but violence is the only remedy which is left you which is like to avail for your defence Prop. 4. And when the person is a vile offender who is rather a plague and burden to the Common-wealth than any necessary member of it Prop. 5. If you desire not and design not his death but he rush upon it himself in his fury while you lawfully defend your own the case is yet less questionable Prop. 6. If a Thief have taken your purse though you may not take away his life after to recover it because it is of less value nor yet in revenge because that belongeth not to private men yet if the Law require or allow you to pursue him to bring him to a judicial tryal if you kill him while he resisteth it is not your sin because you are but suppressing sin in your place according to the allowance of the Law § 34. Quest. 7. May I kill or wound another in the defence or vindication of my honour or good name
is in two cases viz. 1. If they commit such capital crimes as God and man would have punished with death its fit they dye and then they are silenced For in this case it is supposed that their lives by their impunity are like to do more hurt than good 2. If their Heresie insufficiency scandal or any fault what ever do make them more hurtful than profitable to the Church it is fit they be cast out If their Ministry be not like to do more good than their faults to do harm let them be silenced But if it be otherwise then let them be punished in their bodies or purses rather than the peoples souls should suffer The Laws have variety of penalties for other men Will none of those suffice for Ministers But alas What talk I of their faults Search all Church History and observe whether in all ages Ministers have not been silenced rather for their duties than their faults or for not subscribing to some unnecessary opinion or imposition of a prevailing party or about some wrangling controversies which Church disturbers set afoot There is many a poor Minister would work in Bridewell or be tyed to shovell the Streets all the rest of the Week if he might but have liberty to preach the Gospel And would not such a penalty be sufficient for a dissent in some unnecessary point As it is not every fault that a Magistrate is deposed for by the Soveraign but such as make him unfit for the place so is it also with the Ministers § 39. Direct 18. Malignity and Prophaneness must not be gratified or encouraged It must be considered Direct 18. how the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to his Law nor can be Rom. 8. 7 â— Gen. 3. 15. And that enmity is put between the Womans and the Serpents seed and that the whole business of the world is but the prosecution of the War between the Armies of Christ and Satan And that malignity inclineth the ungodly world to slander and reproach the servants of the Lord and they are glad of any opportunity to make them odious or to exasperate Magistrates against them And that their silencing and fall is the joy of the ungodly And if there be any Civil differences or sidings the ungodly rabble will take that side be it right or wrong which they think will do most to the downfal of the godly whom they hate Therefore besides the merits of the particular cause a Ruler that regardeth the interest of the Gospel and mens salvation must have some care that the course which he taketh against godly Ministers and people when they displease him be such as doth not strengthen the hands of evil doers nor harden them increase them or make them glad I do not say that a Ruler must be against what ever the ungodly part is for or that he must be for that which the major part of godly men are for I know this is a deceitful rule But yet that which pleaseth the malignant rabble and displeaseth or hurteth the generality of godly men is so seldome pleasing to God that its much to be suspected § 40. Direct 19. The substance of faith and the Practice of Godliness must be valued above all opinions Direct 19. and parties and worldly interests And Godly men accounted as they are caeteris paribus the best members both of Church and State If Rulers once knew the difference between a Saint and a sensualist a vile person would be contemned in their eyes and they would honour them that fear the Lord Psal. 15. 4. And if they honoured them as God commandeth them they would not persecute them And if the promoting of practical Godliness were their design there were little danger of their oppressing those that must be the instruments of propagating it if ever it prosper in the World § 41. Direct 20. To this end Remember the neer and dear relation which every true believer standeth Direct 20. in to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost They are called by God his peculiar treasure his jewels Exod. 19. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 9. Tit. 2. 14. 2 Cor. 6. 16 17 18. Mal. 3. 17 18. â—â—h 3. 17. 1 Cor. 3. 16. 2 Tim. 1. 14. 1 Joh. 4 15 16. his Children the members of Christ the Temples of the Holy Ghost God dwelleth in them by Love and Christ by faith and the Spirit by all his sanctifying gifts If this were well believed men would more reverence them on Gods account than causelesly to persecute them Zech. 2. 8. He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye § 42 Direct 21. Look not so much on mens infirmities as to overlook or make light of all that is good in them But look as much at the good as at the evil And then you will see reason for lenity as well as for severity and for love and tenderness rather than for hatred and persecution And you will discern that those may be serviceable to the Church in whom blinded malice can see nothing worthy of honour or respect § 43. Direct 22. Estimate and use all lesser matters as means to spiritual worship and practical holiness Direct 22. If there be any thing of worth in Controversies and Ceremonies and such other matters of inferiour rank it is as they are a means to the power of Godliness which is their end And if once they be no otherwise esteemed they will not be made use of against the interest of Godliness to the silencing of the Preachers and persecuting the professours of it § 44. Direct 23. Remember that the Understanding is not Free save only participative as it is Direct 23. subject to the will It acteth of it self per modum naturae and is necessitated by its object further than as it is under the power of the will A man cannot hold what opinion he would himself nor be against what he would not have to be true much less can he believe as another man commandeth him My understanding is not at my own command I cannot be of every mans belief that is uppermost Evidence and not force is the natural means to compell the mind even as Goodness and not force is the natural means to win mens Love It is as wise a thing to say Love me or I will kill thee as to say Believe me or I will kill thee § 45. Direct 24. Consider that it is essential to Religion to be above the authority of man unless as Direct 24. they subserve the authority of God He that worshippeth a God that is subject to any man must subject his Religion to that man But this is no Religion because it is no God whom he worshippeth But if the God whom I serve be above all men my Religion or service of him must needs be also above the will of men § 46. Direct 25. Consider that an obedient disposition towards Gods Laws and a tender Conscience
this time may become at this time no duty but a sin by the evil consequents which I may foresee as if another man will make it an occasion of his fall So that this may oblige me to defer a duty to a fitter time and place For all such duties as have the nature of a means are never duties when they cross the interest of their chief ends and make against that which they are used to effect And therefore here Christian prudence foreseeing consequents and weighing the Good and Evil together is necessary to him that will know a duty from a sin and a scandal from no scandal § 7. III. The several wayes of scandalizing are these following 1. Scandal is either intended The sorts of scandalizing or not intended either that which is done malitiously of set purpose or that which is done through negligence carelesness or contempt Some men do purposely contrive the fall or ruine of another and this is a Devillish aggravation of the sin And some do hurt to others while they intend it not yet this is far from excusing them from sin For it is Voluntary as an Omission of the Will though not as its positive choice That is called Voluntary which the will is chargeable with or culpable of And it is chargeable with its Omissions and sluggish neglects of the duty which it should do Those that are careless of the consequent of their actions and contemn the souls of other men and will go their own way come of it what will and say let other men look to themselves are the commonest sort of scandalizers and are as culpable as a servant that would leave hot water or fire when the children are like to fall into it or that would leave Straw or Gunpowder near the fire or would leave open the doors though not of purpose to let in the Thieves § 8. 2. Scandal is that which tendeth to anothers fall either directly or indirectly immediately or remotely The former may easily be foreseen but the latter requireth a large foreseeing comparing understanding Yet this kind of scandal also must be avoided and wise men that would not undo mens souls while they think no harm must look far before them and foresee what is like to be the consequent of their actions at the greatest distance and at many removes 3. Scandals also are Aptitudinal or Actual Many things are Apt to Tempt and occasion the ruine of another which yet never attain so bad an end because God disappointeth them But that is no thanks to them that give the scandal § 9. 4. Scandal also as to the Means of it is of several sorts 1. By Doctrine 2. By perswasion 3. By alluring Promises 4. By Threats 5. By Violence 6. By Gifts 7. By Example 8. By Omission of duties and by silence By all these wayes you may scandalize § 10. 1. False Doctrine is directly scandalous for it seduceth the judgement which then mis-guideth the will which then misruleth the rest of the Faculties False Doctrine if it be in weighty practical points is the pernitious plague of souls and Nations § 11. 2. Also the sollicitations of seducers and of tempting people are scandalous and tend to the ruine of souls when people have no reason to draw a man to sin they weary him out by tedious importunity And many a one yields to the earnestness or importunity or tediousness of a perswasion who could easily resist it if it came only with pretence of reason § 12. 3. Alluring promises of some gain or pleasure that shall come by sin is another scandal which doth cause the fall of many The course that Satan tryed with Christ All this will I give thee was but the same which he found most successful with sinners in the world This is a bait which sinners will themselves hunt after if it be not offered them Iudas will go to the Pharisees with a What will ye give me and I will deliver him unto you Peter saith of the scandalous Hereticks of his time They allure through the lust of the flesh through much wantonness those that were clean escaped from them who live in error While they promise them liberty they themselves are the servants of corruption 2 Pet. 2. 18 19. § 13. 4. Threatnings also and scorns are scandals which frighten unbelieving souls into sin Thus Rabshekah thought to prevail with Hezekiah Thus Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 3. thought to have drawn those three Worthies to Idolatry Thus the Pharisees thought to have frightned the Apostles from preaching any more in the name of Christ Acts 4. 17 21. Thus Saul thought to have perverted the Disciples by breathing out threatnings against them Acts 9. 1. § 14. 5. And what words will not do the ungodly think to do by force And it enrageth them that any should resist their wills and that their force is patiently endured What cruel torments What various sorts of heavy sufferings have the Devil and his instruments devised to be stumbling blocks to the weak to affright them into sin § 15. 6. Gifts also have blinded the eyes of some who seemed wise Exod. 23. 8. As oppression maketh a wise man mad so a gift destroyeth the heart What scandals have preferments proved to the world and how many have they ruined Few are able to esteem the reproach of Christ to be greater riches than the treasures of the world § 16. 7. And evil examples are the commonest sort of scandals not as they offend or grieve or Feb. 11. 26. are apparently sinful but as they seem good and therefore are temptations to the weak to imitate them So apt are men to imitation especially in evil that they will do what they see another do without examining whether it be justifiable or not Especially if it be the example either of Great men or of Learned men or of men reputed eminently Godly or of a Multitude any of these the people are apt to imitate This therefore is the common way of scandal When people do that which is evil as if it were good and thereby draw the ignorant to think it good and so imitate them Or else when they do that which is lawful it self in such a manner as tendeth to deceive another and draw him to that which is indeed unlawful or to hinder him in any thing that is good § 17 8. Lastly Even Silence and Omissions also may be scandalous and draw another into error and sin If by silence you seem to consent to false doctrine or to wicked works when you have opportunity to controll them hereby you draw others to consent also to the sin Or if you omit those publick or private duties which others may be witnesses of you tempt them to the like omission and to think they are no duties but indifferent things For in evil they will easily rest in your judgement and say that you are wiser than they But they are not so ductile and flexible to good § 18. 5. Scandals
also are distinguishable by the effects which are such as these 1. Some Scandals do tempt men to actual infidelity and to deny or doubt of the truth of the Gospel 2. Some scandals would draw men but into some particular error and from some particular Truth while he holds the rest 3. Some scandals draw men to dislike and distaste the way of Godliness and some to dislike the servants of God 4. Some scandals tend to confound men and bring them to utter uncertainties in Religion 5. Some tend to terrifie men from the way of Godliness 6. Some only stop them for a time and discourage or hinder them in their way 7. Some tend to draw them to some particular sin 8. And some to draw them from some particular duty 9. And some tend to break and weaken their spirits by grief or perplexity of mind 10. And as the word is taken in the Old Testament the snares that malitious men lay to entrap others in their lives or liberties or estates or names are called scandals And all these wayes a man may sinfully scandalize another § 19. And that you may see that the scandal forbidden in the New Testament is alwayes of this nature let us take notice of the particular Texts where the word is used And first to scandalize is used actively in these following Texts In Matth. 5. before cited and in the other Evangelists citing the same words the sense is clear That the offending of a hand or eye is not displeasing nor seeking of ill report but hindering our salvation by drawing us to sin So in Matth. 18. 8. Mar. 9. 42 43. where the sense is the sâ—mâ— In Matth. 17. 27. Lest we should offend them c. is not only Lest we displease them but lest we give them occasion to dislike Religion or think hardly of the Gospel and so lay a stumbling bloâ—k to the danger of their souls So Matth. 18. 6. Mark 9. Who so shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me c. that is not who shall displease them but who so by threats persecutions cruelties or any other means shall go about to turn them from the faith of Christ or stop them in their way to Heaven or hinder them in a holy life Though these two Texts seem nearest to the denyed sense yet that is not indeed their meaning So in Joh. 6. 6. Doth this offend you that is Doth this seem incredible to you or hard to be believed or digested Doth it stop your faith and make you distaste my doctrine So 1 Cor. 8. 13. If meat scandalize my brother our Translators have turned it If meat make my brother to offend So it was not displeasing him only but tempting him to sin which is the scandalizing here reproved § 20. View also the places where the word Scandal is used Mat. 13. 41. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all scandals translated all things that offend doth not signifie all that is displeasing but all temptations to sin and hinderances or stumbling blocks that would have stopt men in the way to Heaven So in Matth. 16. 23. a Text as like as any to be near the denyed sense yet indeed Thou art a scandal to me translated an offence doth not only signifie Thou displeasest me but Thou goest about to hinder me in my undertaken Office from suffering for the redemption of the world It was an Aptitudinal scandal though not effectual So Matth. 18. 7. It must be that scandals come translated Offences that is that there be many stumbling blocks set before men in their way to Heaven So Luke 17. 1. to the same sense And Rom. 9. 33. I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and a rock of scandal translated of offence that is such as will not only be displeasing but an occasion of utter ruine to the unbelieving persecuting Jews according to that of Simeon Luke 2. 34. This child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Rom. 11. 9. Let their table be made a snare a trap and a stumbling block The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not signifie a displeasure only but an occasion of ruine So Rom. 14. 13. expoundeth it self That no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his Brothers way The Greek word is or a scandal This is the just So Rev. 2. 14. Balaam did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lay a scandal or stumbling block before the Israelites that is a temptation to sin exposition of the word in its ordinary use in the New Testament So Rom. 16. 17. Mark them which cause divisions and scandals translated offences that is which lay stumbling blocks in the way of Christians and would trouble them in it or turn them from it So 1 Cor. 1. 23. To the Iews a stumbling block that is a scandal as the Greek word is as before expounded So Gal. 5. 11. The scandal of the Cross translated the offence doth signifie not the bare reproach but the reproach as it is the tryal and stumbling block of the world that maketh believing difficult So 1 John 2. 10. There is no scandal in him translated No occasion of stumbling These are all the places that I remember where the word is used § 21. The passive Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be scandalized is used often As Matth. 11. 6. Blessed is Luke 7. 23. he that is not scandalized translated offended in me that is who is not distasted with my person and doctrine through carnal prejudices and so kept in unbelief There were many things in the person life and doctrine of Christ which were unsuitable to carnal reason and expectation These men thought to be hard and strange and could not digest them and so were hindered by them from believing And this was being offended in Christ So in Matth. 13. 57. Mar. 6. 3. They were offended in or at him that is took a dislike or distaste to him for his words And Matth. 13. 21. Mark 6. 3. When persecution ariseth by and by they are offended that is they stumble and fall away And Mark 4. 17. Matth. 15. 12. The Pharisees were offended or scandalized that is so offended as to be more in dislike of Christ. And Matth. 24. 10. Then shall many be offended or scandalized that is shall draw back and fall away from Christ. And Mat. 26. 31 33. Mar. 14. 27 29. All ye shall be offended because of me c. Though all men shall be offended or scandalized yet will I never be scandalized that is brought to doubt of Christ or to forsake him or deny him or be hindered from owning their relation to him So John 16. 1. These things have I spoken that ye should not be offended that is that when the time cometh the unexpected trouble may not so surprize you as to turn you from the faith or stagger you in your obedience or hope Rom. 14. 21. doth exactly expound it It
12. Dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul having your conversation honest among the Gentiles that whereas they speak against you as evil doers they may by your good works which they shall behold glorifie God in the day of Visitation And it was the aggravation of the Hereticks sin that many shall follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. O then how carefully should Ministers and all that are Godly walk The blind world cannot read the Gospel in it self but only as it is exemplified by the lives of men They judge not of the Actions of men by the Law but of the Law of God by mens actions Therefore the saving or damning of mens souls doth lie much upon the lives of the Professours of Religion because their liking or disliking a holy life doth depend upon them Saith Paul of young Women I will that they give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully for some are already turned aside after Satan 1 Tim. 5. 14 15. Hence it is that even the appearance of evil is so carefully to be avoided by all that fear God left others be drawn by it to speak evil of Godliness Every scandal truly so called is a stab to the soul of him that is scandalized and a reproachful blot to the Christian cause I may say of the faults of Christians as Plutark doth of the faults of Princes A wart or blemish in the face is more conspicuous and disgraceful than in other parts § 42. Direct 20. Let no pretence of the evil of Hypocrisie make you so contented with your secret innocency Direct 20. as to neglect the edification and satisfaction of your neighbours When it is only your own interest that is concerned in the business then it is no matter whether any man be acquainted with any good that you do And it is a very small matter how they judge or what they say of you The approbation of God alone is enough No matter who condemneth you if he justifie you But when the vindication of your innocency or the manifestation of your virtue is necessary to the good of your neighbours souls or to the honour of you Sacred profession the neglect of it is not sincerity but cruelty CHAP. XIII Directions against Scandal-taken or an aptness to receive hurt by the words or deeds of others § 1. IT was not only an admonition but a prophesie of Christ when he said Wo to the world because of offences It must be that offence come And Blessed is he that is not offended or scanlized in me He foreknew that the errors and misdoings of some would be the snare and ruine of many others And that when damnable herefies arise many will follow their pernicious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of 2 Pet. 1. 2. Like men in the dark where if one catch a fall he that comes next him falls upon him There are four sorts of persons that use to be scandalized or hurt by the sins of others § 2. 1. Malignant enemies of Christ and Godliness who are partly hardned in their malice and partly rejoyced at the dishonour of Religion and insult over those that give the offence or take occasion by it to blaspheme or persecute 2. Some that are more equal and hopeful and in greater possibility of conversion who are stopt by it in their desires and purposes and attempts of a godly life 3. Unsound Professors or hypocrites who are turned by scandals from the way of Godliness which they seemed to walk in 4. Weak Christians who are troubled and hindered in their way of piety or else drawn into some particular error or sin though they fall not off § 3. So that the effects of scandal may be reduced to these two I. The perverting of mens judgements to dislike Religion and think hardly either of the doctrine or practice of Christianity II. The emboldning of men to commit particular sins or to omit particular duties or at least the troubling and hindering them in the performance Against which I shall first give you distinctly some Meditative Directions and then some Practical Directions against them both together § 4. I. Direct 1. Consider what an evident sign it is of a very blind or malicious soul to be so apt Direct 1. to pick quarrels with God and godliness because of the sins of other men Love thinketh not ill of those we love Ill will and malice are still ready to impute what ever is amiss to those whom they hate Enmity is contentious and slanderous and will make a crime of virtue it self and from any Topick fetch matter of reproach There is no witness seemeth incredible to it who speaketh any thing that is evil of those they hate An argument a baculo ad verber◠is sufficient Thus did the Heathens by the primitive Christians And will you do thus by God Will you terrifie your own consciences when they shall awake and find such an ugly Serpent in your bosome as Malice and Enmity against your Maker and Redeemer It is the nature of the Devil even his principal sin And will you not only wear his livery but bear his image to prove that he is your Father and by community of natures to prove that you must also have a communion with him in condemnation and punishment And doth not so visible a mark of Devilisme upon your souls affright you and make you ready to run away from your selves Nothing but devilish malice can charge that upon God or godliness which is done by sinners against his Laws Would you use a friend thus If a murder were done or a slander raised of you or your house were fired or your goods stollen would you suspect your friend of it Or any one that you honoured loved or thought well of You would not certainly but rather your enemy or some lewd and dissolute persons that were most likely to be guilty You are blinded by malice if you see not how evident a proof of your devilish malice this is to be ready when men that profess Religion do any thing amiss to think the worse of Godliness or Religion for it The cause of this suspicion is lodged in your own hearts § 5. Direct 2. Remember that this was the first Temptation by which the Devil overthrew mankind Direct 2. to perswade them to think ill of God as if he had been false of his word and had envyed them their felicity Gen. 3. 4 5. Ye shall not surely dye For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evil And will you not be warned by the calamity of all the world to take heed of thinking ill of God and of his Word and of believing the Devils reports against him § 6
and that all strict Religion is but hypocrisie or at least to refuse their help and counsels Even Plutark noted that It so comes to pass that we entertain not virtue nor are â—apt into a desire of imitating it unless we highly honour and love the person in whom it is discerned And if they see or think the Preacher to be himself of a loose and careless and licentious life they will think that the like is very excusable in themselves and that his doctrine is but a form of speech which his office bindeth him to say but is no more to be regarded by them than by himself Two wayes is mens damnation thus promoted 1. By the ill lives of hypocritical ungodly preachers who actually bring their own persons into disgrace and thereby also the persons of others and consequently their sacred work and function 2. By wicked Preachers and people who through a malignant hatred of those that are abler and better than themselves and an envy of their reputation do labour to make the most zealous and faithful Preachers of the Gospel to be thought to be the most hypocritical or erroneous or factious and schismatical § 5. 5. The neglect of Ministerial duties is a common cause of sin and of mens damnation When they that take the charge of souls are either unable or unwilling to do their office when they teach them too seldome or too unskilfully in an unsuitable manner not choosing that doctrine which they most need or not opening it plainly and methodically in a fitness to their capacities or not applying it with necessary seriousness and urgency to the hearers state When men preach to the ungodly who are neer to damnation in a formal pase like a School-boy saying his lesson or in a drowsie reading tone as if they came to preach them all asleep or were afraid of wakening them When they speak of sin and misery and Christ of Heaven and Hell as if by the manner they came to contradict the matter and to perswade men that there are no such things The same mischief followeth the neglect of private personal inspection When Ministers think that they have done all when they have said a Sermon and never make conscience of labouring personally to convince the ungodly and reclaim offenders and draw sinners to God and confirm the weak And the omission much more the perversion and abuse of sacred Discipline hath the like effects When the Keys of the Church are used to shut out the good or not used when they ought to rebuke or to shut out the impenitent wicked ones nor to difference between the precious and the vile it hardeneth multitudes in their ungodliness and perswadeth them that they are really of the same family of Christ as the Godly are and have their sins forgiven because they are partakers of the same Holy Sacraments Not knowing the difference between the Church mystical and visible nor between the judgement of ministers and of Christ himself § 6. 6. Parents neglect of instructing Children and other parts of holy education is one of the greatest causes of the perdition of mankind in all the World But of this elsewhere § 7. 7. Magistrates persecution or opposition to Religion or discountenancing those that preach it or most seriously practise it tendeth to deceive some who over-reverence the judgement of superiours and to affright others from the obedience of God § 8. 8. Yea the negligence of Magistrates Masters and other Superiours omitting the due rebuke of sinners and due correction of the offenders and the due encouragement of the good is a great cause of the wickedness and damnation of the World § 9. 9. But above all when they make Laws for sin or for the contempt or dishonour or suppression of Religion or the serious practice of it this buildeth up Satans Kingdom most effectually and turneth Gods Ordinance against himself Thousands under Infidel and ungodly Princes are conducted by Obedience to damnation and their Rulers damn them as honourably as the Physicion kill'd his Patients who boasted that he did it secundum artem according to the rules of art § 10. 10. The vulgar example of the multitude of the ungodly is a great cause of mens impiety and damnation They must be well resolved for God and holiness who will not yield to the major Vote nor be carryed down the common stream nor run with the rabble to excess of ryot When Christianity is a Sect which is every where spoken against it proveth so narrow a way that Act. 2. 8. few have a mind to walk in it Men think that they are at least excusable for not being wiser and better than the multitude Singularity in honour or riches or strength or health is accounted no crime but singularity in godliness is at least thought unnecessary What! will you be wiser than all the Town or than such and such superiours is thought a good reprehension of Godliness where it is rare Even by them who hereby conclude their superiours or all the Town to be wiser than God § 11. 11. Also the vulgars scorning and deriding Godliness is a common cause of Murdering souls Because the Devil knoweth that there cannot one Word of solid Reason be brought against the Reason of God and so against a Holy life he therefore teacheth men to use such weapons as they have A Dog hath teeth and an Adder hath a sting though they have not the Weapons of a man A fool can laugh and jeer and rail and there is no great wit or learning necessary to smile or grin or call a man a Puritan or precisian or Heretick or Schismatick or any name which the malice of the age shall newly coin Mr. Robert Bolton largely sheweth how much the malignity of his age did vent it self against Godliness by the reproachful use of the word Puritan When Reason can be bribed to take the Devils part either natural or literate reason he will hire it at any rate But when it cannot he will make use of such as he can get Barking or hissing may serve turn where talking and disputing cannot be procured Drum and Trumpets in an Army serve the turn instead of Oratory to animate cowards and drown the noise of dying mens complaints and groans Thousands have been mocked out of their Religion and salvation at once and jeered into Hell who now know whether a scorn or the fire of Hell be the greater suffering As Tyrants think that the Greatest and Ablest and wisest men must either be drawn over to their party or destroyed so the Tyrant of Hell who ruleth in the Children of disobedience doth think that if Reason Learning and wit cannot be hired to dispute for him against God they are to be suppressed silenced and disgraced which the noise of rude clamours and foolish jeers is fit enough to perform § 12. 12. Also idle sensless prating against Religion as a needless thing doth serve turn to deceive the simple Ignorant people
that are yet to recieve their deepest impressions § 9. Direct 9. Keep them from the most dangerous baits opportunities and temptations to sensuality Direct 9. Withdraw the Tinder and Gunpowder from the fire There is no curing a drunkard ordinarily in an Ale-house or Tavern or a Fornicator while he is near the objects of his lust nor a Glutton at a full enticing table Set them at a farther distance from the danger if you would have them safe Nemo diu tutus periculo proximus Senec. § 10. Direct 10. Take the advantage of their personal afflictions or any other notable warnings that Direct 10. are near them Keep them oft in the house of mourning where death may be as in their sight And keep them out of the house of foolish mirth The time of sickness is an awakening time and powerfully openeth the ear to counsel The fight of the dead or dying persons the hearing of sick mens wishes and complaints the sight of Graves and dead mens bones if not too oft to make it customary doth often force the most foolish and obstinate to some man-like profitable thoughts When the noise of foolish mirth and sports at rabble meetings and Stage-playes and May-games and ryotings or immoderate rude or tempting Playes do kill all sober saving motions and undispose the mind to all that 's good Though seasonable and useful delights are lawful yet such as are unseasonable immoderate ensnaring scandalous or unprofitable are pernicious and poyson to the soul. § 11. Direct 11. Engage them in the reading of the holy Scriptures and of such Books of practical Direct 11. Divinity as do at once most plainly acquaint them with the Principles of Religion and piercingly set them home upon the conscience that judgement and affection head and heart may be edified at once Such suitable Books may be daily their companions and it is a great advantage to them that they may have a powerful Sermon when they please and read over the same things as oft as the frailty of their memories do require Such private innocent companions have saved many a soul. § 12. Direct 12. Engage them in a constant course of prayer whether it be with a Book or Direct 12. form or without according to the parts and condition of the person For the often approaching to God in so holy a work will affright or shame a man from sin and stir him up to serious thoughts of his salvation and engage him to a godly life § 13. Direct 13. If you would have all these means effectual to mens conversion and salvation shew Direct 13. them all hearty love and kindness and do them all the good you can Men are naturally more easily sensible of the good of their bodies than of their souls And a kindness to the body is thankfully received and may prepare them to receive a greater benefit What you are unable to do for them your selves solicite those that are able to do Or if you cannot do that neither at least shew your pity and good will Love is the most powerful Preacher in the world § 14. Direct 14. Be sure that you have no fallings-out or quarrels with any that you would do good upon Direct 14. And to that end usually it is the best way to have as little to do with them in buying and selling or any worldly matters where Mine and Thine may come into competition as possibly as you can Or if you cannot avoid it you must be content to part with somewhat of your right and suffer some wrongs for fear of hurt to your neighbours soul. Even godly persons yea Parents and Children Brethren and Sisters usually fall out about Mine and Thine And when self-interest hath bred the quarrel they usually think ill of the person who is supposed to injure them And then they are made uncapable of receiving any spiritual good by him And if he seem Religious they are oft alienated from Religion for his sake And all unconverted persons are selfish and usually look that you should fulfill their desires and suit your selves to their interest without respect to right or wrong or to your own sufferings Yet such as these must be pitied and helpt And therefore it is usually best to avoid all chaffering or worldly dealings with them left you lose them And when that cannot be you must judge a little departing from your own right to be a very cheap price to procure the good of a neighbours soul. § 15. Direct 15. See that in matters of Religion you neither run too far from such men in things Direct 15. lawful nor yet do any thing sinful in complyance with them By concurring with them in any sin you will harden them and hinder their conversion And so you will by singular or violent opposition in things indifferent Those persons are quite mistaken who think that Godly men must go as far from the ungodly as ever they can in lawful things and say The ungodly do thus and therefore we must do otherwise Paul was of another mind and practice when he circumcised Timothy and became all things to all men to save some To place Religion in things indifferent and to cry out against lawful things as sinful or to fly from others by needless singularities is a great cause of the hardning and perdition of multitudes turning their hearts against Religion and making them think that it is but unnecessary scruple and that Religious persons are but self-conceited brainsick people that make to themselves a duty of their superstition and condemn all that be not as humorous as they Lay not such stumbling blocks before any whose souls you desire to save CHAP. XVI Special Directions for Christian Conference Exhortation and Reproof Tit. 1. Motives to Christian Conference and Exhortation THE right use of Speech being a duty of so great importance as I have before shewed about the Government of the Tongue and it being a way of Communication by which we are all obliged to exercise our Love to one another even in the greatest matter the saving of souls I shall first endeavour to perswade them to this duty who make too little conscience of it and that by these following considerations § 1. Mot. 1. Consider that it is the exercise of our Humanity Reason and Speech do difference us from Bruites If by being Reasonable we are men then by using Reason we live as men And the first communicative use of Reason is by speech By thinking we exercise Reason for our selves By speaking we exercise it first for others Therefore if our Reason be given us for the highest uses to our selves to know God and eternal life and the Means thereto then certainly our Speech is also given us for the same highest uses by way of Communication unto others Use therefore your tongues to those nobles Ends for which they were given you Use them as the tongues of men to the Ends which humane nature is
am I bound to exercise this charity in not-taking use Answ. As I said before 1. When ever you have no more urgent and necessary and excellent work to lay out that money on which you are so to receive 2. Yea though another work may be in it self better as to relieve many poorer better men with that money yet when you cannot take it without the utter undoing of the debtor and bringing him into as bad a case as any single person whom you would relieve it is the safer side to leave the other unrelieved unless it be a person on whom the publick good much dependeth rather than to extort your own from such a one to give another Because that which you cannot get without a scandalous appearance of cruelty is quoad jus in re not yours to give till you can better get possession of it And therefore God will not expect that you should give it to another § 27. In all this I imply that as you must prefer the lives of others in giving Alms before your own conveniencies and comforts and must not say I cannot spare it when your necessity may spare it though not your pleasure So also in taking Use of those that you are bound to shew charity to the same rule and proportions must be observed in your charity § 28. Note also that in all this it appeareth that the case is but gradually different between taking the Use and taking the principal For when the reason for remitting is the same you are as well bound to remit the principal as the Use. § 29. But this difference there is that many a man of low estate may afford to lend freely to a poorer man for a little time who cannot afford to give it And prudence may direct us to choose one man to lend freely to for a time because of his sudden necessity when yet another is fitter to give it to § 30. Quest. 13. Is lending a duty If so must I lend to all that ask me or to whom Quest. 13. Answ. Lending is a duty when we have it and our brothers necessity requireth it and true prudence telleth us that we have no better way to lay it out which is inconsistent with that And therefore rich men ordinarily should both lend and give as prudence shall direct But there is an imprudent and so a sinful lending As 1. When you will lend that which is anothers and you have no power to lend 2. When you lend that which you must needs require again while you might easily foresee that the borrower is not like to pay Lend nothing but what you have either great probability will be repayed or else which you are willing to give in case the debtor cannot or will not pay or at least when suing for it will not have scandalous and worse effects than not lending For it is very ordinary when you come to demand it and sue for it to stir up the hatred of the debtor against you and to make him your enemy and to break his charity by your imprudent charity In such a case if you are obliged to relieve him give him so much as you can spare rather than lend him that which you cannot spare but must sue for In such cases if Charity go not without Prudence nor prudence without charity you may well enough see when to lend and how much § 31. Quest. 14. Is it lawful to take upon Usury in necessity when the Creditor doth unjustly or unmercifully Quest. 14. require it Answ. Not in case that the consequents by encouraging sin or otherwise be like to do more hurt than the money will do you good Else it is lawful when it is for your benefit As it is lawful to take part of your wages for your work or part of the worth of your commodity when you cannot have the whole And as it is lawful to purchase your rights of an enemy or your life of a Thief as is aforesaid A man may buy his own benefit of an unrighteous man § 32. Quest. 15. Doth not contracting for a certain summ of gain make Usury to be in that case unlawful Quest. 15. which might lawfully be taken of one that 's free Answ. Yes in case that contracting determine an uncertain case without sufficient cause As if you agree that whether the borrower gain or lose and be poor or rich I will have so much gain that is Whether it prove merciful or unmerciful I will have it But then in that case if it so prove unmerciful it may not be taken without contracting if freely offered No contract may tye the debtor to that which is against Justice or Charity And no contract may absolutely require that which may prove uncharitable unless there be a tacite condition or exception of such a case implyed Otherwise I see no Scripture or reason why a contract altereth the case and may not be used to secure that increase which is neither unrighteous nor unmerciful It may be the bond of equity but not of iniquity As in case of a certain gain by the borrower a certain use may be contracted for And in case of an uncertain gain to the borrower a conditional contract may be made Yea in case of Merchandize where mens poverty forbiddeth not such bargains I see not but it is lawful to sell a greater uncertain gain for a smaller certain gain and so to make the contracts absolute As Amesius â—as Consc. on this question sheweth As all oppression and unmercifulness must be avoided and all men must do as they would judiciously be done by So it is a bad thing to corrupt Religion and fill the world with causeless scruples by making that a sin which is no sin Divines that live in great Cities and among Merchandize are usually fitter Judges in this case than those that live more obâ—curely without experience in the Countrey Tit. 5. Cases of Conscience about Lusory Contracts § 1. Quest. 1. IS it lawful to lay Wagers upon the credit or confidence of one anothers opinions or Quest. 1. assertions in discourse As e. g. I will lay you so much that I am in the right Answ. Yes if these three things concurr 1. That the true end of the Wager is to be a penalty to him that shall be guilty of a rash and false assertion and not to gratifie the Covetousness of the other 2. That it be no greater a summ than can be demanded and paid without breach of Charity or too much hurt to the looser as above the proportion of his error 3. That it be no other but what both parties are truly willing to stand to the loss of if either of them lose And that before hand they truly seem so willing to each other § 2. Quest. 2. Is it lawful to lay Wagers upon Horse-races Dogs Hawks Bear-baitings or such Quest. 2. Games as depend on the activity of Beast or Man Answ. Yes upon the two last exprest
and Dice and Stage-playes and so much on Hounds and needless pleasures c. Or rather So much to promote the preaching of the Gospel so much to set poor children to Prentice or to School so much to relieve distressed families c. Let Matth. 25. be well read and your account well thought on § 27. Direct 5. Keep an account of your expences and peruse them before a Fast or a Sacrament Direct 5. and ask conscience how it judgeth of them Yea ask some holy prudent friend Whether such proportions are allowable before God and will be comfortable to you in the day of your extremity If you are but willing to be cured such means as these will not be in vain CHAP. XXII Cases and Directions against injurious Law-Suits Witnessing and Iudgement Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about Law-Suits and Proceedings Quest. 1. IN what cases is it lawful to go to Law with others Quest. 1. Answ. 1. In case of necessary defence when the Plaintiff doth compell you to it 2. When you are entrusted for Orphans or others whom you cannot otherwise right 3. When your Children or the Church or poor whom you should do good to are like to suffer iâ— you recover not your talent that God hath trusted you with for such uses from the hands of unjust men And they refuse all just arbitrations and other equal means which might avoid such suits 4. When your own necessity constraineth you to seek your own which you cannot get by easier means 5. When your forbearance will do more hurt by encouraging Knaves in their injustice than it will do good 6. When ever your cause is just and neither Mercy peace nor the avoiding of scandal do forbid it That is when it is like to do more good than harm it is then a lawful course But it is unlawful to go to Law 1. When you neglect just arbitrations patience and other needful means to avoid it 2. When your Cause is unjust 3. When you oppress the poor by it 4. When it is done in Coveâ—ousness revenge or pride 5. When the scandal or hurt to your Brother is like to be a greater harm than the righting of your self is like to do good Then must you not go willingly to Law Quest. 2. May I sue a poor man for a debt or trespass Quest. 2. Answ. 1. If he be so poor as that he cannot pay it nor procure you satisfaction the Suit is vain and tendeth but to cruelty 2. If he have no means to pay but that which will deprive him of food and rayment and the necessaries of his life or comfort you may not sue him unless it be for the supply of as great necessities of your own or in a trust for Orphans where you have no power to remit the debt yea and for them no cruelty must be used 3. If your forbearance be like to make him ableâ— by his diligence or other means you should forbear if possible 4. But if he be competently able and refuse to pay through knavery and injustice and you have better wayes to use that money if scandal forbid not you may seek by Law to recover your own from him Quest. 3. May I sue a Surety whose interest was not concerned in the case Quest. 3. Answ. If his poverty make it not an act of cruelty nor scandal prohibite it you may Because he was willing and declared his consent that you should have the debt of him if the principal pay not To become Surety is to consent to this And it is no injury to receive a mans money by his own consent and Covenant He knew that you had not lent it but on those terms and you had reason to suppose that he who would undertake to pay another mans debt had sufficient reason for it either in relation or counter-security But as you must use mercy to the principal debtor in his poverty so must you also to the surety Quest. 4. May I sue for the use of money as well as for the principal Quest. 4. Answ. This dependeth on the Case of Usury before resolved In those cases in which it may not be taken it may not be sued for Nor yet when the scandal of it will do more harm than the money will do good But in other cases it may be sued for on the terms as the Rent of Lands may Quest. 5. May Law-Suites be used to disable or humble an insolent wicked man Quest. 5. Answ. You may not take up an ill cause against him for any such good end But if you have a good cause against him which otherwise you would not have prosecuted you may make use of it to disable him from doing mischief when really it is a probable means thereto and when neither scandal nor other accidents do prohibite it Quest. 6. May a rich man make use of his friends and purse in a just cause to bear down or tire Quest. 6. out a poorer man that hath a bad cause Answ. Not by bribery or any evil means For his proceeding must be just as well as his cause But if it be an obstinate knave that setteth himself to do hurt to others it is lawful to make use of the favour of a righteous Judge or Magistrate against him And it is lawful to humble him by the length and expensiveness of the Suit when that is the fittest means and no unjust action is done in it Still supposing that scandal prohibit it not But let no proud or cruel person think that therefore they may by purse and friends and tedious Law-Suits oppress the innocent and attain their own unrighteous wills Quest. 7. May one use such forms in Law-Suits as in the literal sense are gross untruths in Declaratitions Quest. 7. Answers or the like Answ. The use of words is to express the mind And common use is the interpreter of them If they are such words as the notorious common use hath put another sense on than the literal one they must be taken in the sense which publick use hath put upon them And if that publick sense be true or Quest. 8. false accordingly they may or may not be used Quest. 8. May a guilty person plead not guilty or deny the fact Answ. Common use is the interpreter of words If the common use of those words doth make their publick sense a lye it may not be done But if the forinsick common use of the denyal is taken to signifie no more but this Let him that accuseth me prove it I am not bound to accuse my self or In foro I am not guilty till it be proved then it is lawful to plead Not-guilty and deny the fact except in cases wherein you are bound to an open confession or in which the scandal will do more hurt than the denyal will do good Quest. 9. Is a man ever bound to accuse himself and seek Iustice against himself Quest. 9. Answ. 1. In many cases a
to God who needeth fewest things for himself and doth most good to others And Christ telleth us that universal charity extending even to them that hate and persecute us doth make us as his Children like our heavenly Father Matth. 5. 44 45 46 48. As Hating and Hurting their neighbours is the mark of the Children of the Devil Iohn 8. 44. so Loving and Doing Good is the mark of the Children of God And it is observable that no one treateth so copiously and pathetically of Love both of Christs love to us and ours to him as the blessed Disciple whom Jesus is said to have eminently Loved as Iohn 13. 14 15 16. 17. 1 Iohn shew It hath often pleased me to hear how dearly you were beloved by that exceeding great and populous Parish where lately you were Preacher for your eminent Charity to their souls and bodies And to see that still you take it for your work and calling to be a provoker of others to Love and to Good Works Heb. 10. 24. whilest many that are taken for good Christians do deal in such works as Rarities or Recreations only a little now and then upon the by and whilest Satans Ministers are provoking others to Hatred and to Hurtfulness Your Labour is so amiable to me that it would contribute to my comforts if I were able to contribute any thing to your assistance You desire me to give you my judgement of the quota pars What proportion it is meet for most men to devote to Charitable uses Whether the Tenth Part of their increase be not ordinarily a fit proportion The reason why I use not to answer such Questions without much distinguishing when lazy impatient Readers would have them answered in a word is because the real difference of particular cases is so great as maketh it necessary unless we will deceive men or leave the matter as dark and unresolved as we found it I. Before I answer your Question I shall premise that I much approve of the way which you insist upon of setting so much constantly apart as is fit for us to give that it may be taken by us to be as a devoted or consecrated thing And methinks that there is much of a Divine Direction for the time in 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. together with the practice of the antient Church That upon the first day of the week every one lay by him in store as God hath prospered him And it will do much to cure Pharisaical Sabbatizing when the Lords Day is statedly used in this with holy works and will teach Hypocrites to know what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice Matth. 9. 13. and 12. 7. And that works of Charity are an odour a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable and well pleasing to God who of the riches of his Glory in Christ will supply all the need of such as bring forth such fruit to abound unto their account Phil. 4. 17 18 19. So it be done without any ensnaring vows or rash engagements to unnecessary things this constant setting apart a certain proportion for pious and charitable uses will have these advantages 1. Our distribution will be made deliberately and prudently when before-hand we study a due proportion and determine accordingly whereas they that give only occasionally as some object suddenly inviteth them will do it at randome without due respect to their own accounts whether the proportion given be answerable to their own estate and duty 2. This stated way will make mens charity much more extensive When objects of charity are not in their sight they will inquire after them and they will seek for the needy if the needy seek not unto them because they have so much by them to dispose of which is devoted to God But those who give but as occasional objects draw it from them will give to none but those that crave or will pass by many as needy whom they see not while they relieve only those few that they hap to see 3. And it will make mens charity also to be more constant and done obediently as a Christians daily work and duty when occasional charity will be more rarely and unconstantly exercised In a word as the observation of the Lords Day which is a stated proportion of time secureth the holy improvement of our time much better than if God be served but occasionally without a stated time and as a constant stated course of Preaching excelleth meer occasional exhortations even so a constant course of Giving wisely stated will find out objects and overcome temptations and discharge our Duty with much more integrity and success And if we can easily perceive that occasional Praying will not so well discharge the duty of prayer as a constant stated course will do why should we not think the same of occasional Giving if men did but perceive that Giving according to our ability is as sure and great a duty as Praying Now to your Question of the Proportion of our gifts II. We must distinguish 1. Between them that have no more than will supply their own and their families true necessities and those that have more 2. Between them that have a stock of money which yieldeth them no increase and those that have more increase by their labour but little stock 3. Between them whose increase is like to be constant and theirs that is uncertain sometime more and sometime less 4. Between them that have many children or near kindred that nature casteth upon them for relief and those that have few or no children or have a competent provision for them and have few needy kindred that they are especially obliged to relieve 5. Between those that live in times and places where the necessities of the poor are very great or some great works of Piety are in hand and those that live where the poor are in no great necessity and no considerable opportunity for any great work of Piety or Charity doth appear These distinctions premised I answer as followeth 1. It is certain that every true Sanctified Christian hath Devoted himself and all that he hath to God to be used in obedience to his will and for his glory 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. 1 Cor. 10. 31. Luke 18. 33. The Question therefore is not Whether the Tenth part of our estate should be devoted to and employed in the service of God one way or other as he directeth us For it is out of Question that all is his and we are but his stewards and must give account of our stewardship and of all our receivings Matth. 25. But the Question is only what proportion is best pleasing to God in our giving to others 2. A Christian being unseignedly thus resolved in the General to lay out that he hath or shall have as God would have him and to his glory as near as he can his next enquiry must be for finding out the will of God to know in the ordinary course of his distribution where
is not For 1. All the punishment is not removed 2. The final absolving sentence is to come 3. The pardon which we have is as to its continuance but conditional And the tenour of the Covenant would cease the pardon even of all sins past if the sinners faith and repentance should cease I speak not de eventu whether ever any do fall away but of the tenour of the Covenant which may prevent falling away Now a pardon which hath much yet to be done as the condition of its continuance is not so perfect as it will be when all those things are performed Quest. 10. May Pardon or Iustification be reversed or lost Quest. 10. Answ. Whether God will eventually permit his true servants to fall so far as to be unjustified is a Controversie which I have written of in a fitter place 2. But quoad robur peccatoris it is alas too easie to fall away and be unjustified 3. And as to the tenour of the Covenant it continueth the promise and threatning conditionally and supposing the sinner defectible doth threaten damnation to them that are now justified if they should not persevere but apostatize Col. 1. 33. Rom. 11. 22. Iohn 15. 9. Quest. 11. Is the pardon of my own sins to be believed fide divina And is it the meaning of that Quest. 11. Article of the Creed I believe the pardon of my sins Answ. I am to believe fide divina that Christ hath purchased and enacted a conditional pardon which is universal and therefore extendeth to my sins as well as to other mens And that he commandeth his Ministers to offer me this and therein to offer me the actual pardon of all my sins to be mine if I truly repent and believe And that if I do so my sins are actually pardoned And I am obliged accordingly to believe in Christ and take him for my Saviour for the pardon of my sins But this is all the meaning of the Creed and Scripture and all that is of Divine belief 2. But that I am actually pardoned is not of Divine faith but only on supposition that I first believe which Scripture telleth not whether I do or not In strict sense I must first believe in Christ for pardon And next in a larger sense I must believe that I am pardoned that is I must so conclude by an act of reason one of the premises being de fide and the other of internal self-knowledge Quest. 12. May a man trust in his own faith or repentance for his pardon and justification in Quest. 12. any kind Answ. Words must be used with respect to the understanding of the hearers And perilous expressions must be avoided lest they deceive men But de re 1. You must not trust to your faith or repentance to do that which is proper to God or to Christ or to the Gospel or for any mâ—re than their own part which Christ hath assigned them 2. You must trust to your faith and repentance for that which is truly their own part And should you not trust them at all you must needs despair or trust presumptuously to you know not what For Christ will not be instead of faith or repentance to you Quest. 13. What are the several causes and conditions of pardon Quest. 13. Answ. 1. God the Father is the principal efficient giving us Christ and pardon with and through him 2 Christs person by his Sacrifice and Merits is the Meritorious Cause 3. The Gospel Covenant or Promise is the Instrumental Cause or Gods pardoning Act or Grant 4. Repentance is the Condition sine qua non necessary directly gratiâ finis in respect to God to whom we must turn 5. Faith in Christ is the Condition sine qua non directly gratiâ medii principalis in respect to the Mediator who is thereby received 6. The Holy Ghost worketh us to these conditions Tit. 2. Directions for obtaining Pardon from God Direct 1. UNderstand well the Office of Iesus Christ as our Redeemer and what it is that he Direct 1. hath done for sinners and what he undertaketh further to do For if you know not Christs Office and undertaking you will either be ignorant of your true remedy or will deceive your selves by a presumptuous trust that he will do that which is contrary to his Office and Will Direct 2. Understand well the tenour of the Covenant of Grace for there it is that you must Direct 2. know what Christ will give and to whom and on what terms Direct 3. Understand well the nature of true faith and repentance or else you can neither tell how Direct 3. to obtain pardon nor to judge of it Direct 4. Absolutely give up your selves to Christ in all the Office of a Mediator Priest Prophet Direct 4. and King And think not to be justified by one act or part of Christianity by alone believing in Christ as a sacrifice for sin To be a true Believer and to be a true Christian is all one and is the faith in Christ which is the condition of justification and salvation Study the Baptismal Covenant For the Believing in God the Father Son and Holy Ghost there meant is the true faith which is the condition of our pardon Direct 5. Be sure that your Repentance contain in it a Desire to be perfectly holy and free from all Direct 5. sin and a Resolution against all known and wilful sinning and particularly that you would not commit the same sins if you had again the same temptations supposing that we speak not of such infirmities as good men live in which yet you must heartily desire to forsake Direct 6. Pray earnestly and believingly for pardon through Christ Even for the continuance of Direct 6. your former pardon and for renewed pardon for renewed sins For prayer is Gods appointed means and included in faith and repentance which are the summary conditions Direct 7. Set all right between you and your neighbours by forgiving others and being reconciled Direct 7. to them and confessing your injuries against them and making them restitution and satisfaction For this also is included in your repentance and expresly made the condition of your pardon Direct 8. Despise not the Sacramental delivery of pardon by the Ministers of Christ For this belongeth Direct 8. to the full investiture and possession of the benefit Nor yet the spiritual consolation of a skilful faithful Pastor nor publick absolution upon publick repentance if you should fall under the need of such a remedy Direct 9. Sin no more I mean Resolvedly break off all that wilful sin of which you do repent Direct 9. For repentings and purposes and promises of a new and holy life which are uneffectual will never prove the pardon of your sins but shew your Repentance to be deceitful Direct 10. Set your selves faithfully to the use of all those holy means which God hath appointed Direct 10. for the overcoming of
ordinary § 3. Prop. 2. It is not alway in the power of the Magistrate to remit the temporal punishment of beynous crimes against the common-good Because it is ordinarily necessary to the common good that they be punished and his power is for the common good and not against it The enemies of the publick peace must by punishment be restrained § 4. Prop. 3. Much less is it in the power of a private man to remit a penalty to be inflicted by a Magistrate And what I say of Magistrates holdeth of Parents and other Governours caeteris paribus according to the proportion of their Authority § 5. Prop. 4. I may by just means exact satisfaction for damages to my self in my reputation or estate when the Ends of Christianity even the honour of God and the publick good and the benefit of mens souls requireth it that is when I only vindicate these by lawful means as they are the Talents which God hath committed to me for his service and for which he will call me to account It may fall out that the vindicating of a Ministers or other Christians name from a slander may become very needful for the interest and honour of Religion and for the good of many souls And if I have an estate which I resolve to use for God and a Thief or a deceiver take it from me who will do no good with it but hurt I may be bound to vindicate it that I may be enabled to do good and may give God a comfortable account of my Stewardship besides the suppressing of thievery and deceit as they are against the common good § 6. Prop. 5. When my estate is not entirely my own but Wife or Child or any other is a sharer in it it is not wholly in my power to remit any debt or dammage out of it but I must have the Consent of them that are joynt-owners Unless I be entrusted for them § 7. Prop. 6. If I be primarily obliged to maintain Wife and Children or any others with my Estate I am bound on their behalf to use all just means to vindicate it from any that shall injuriously invade it Otherwise I am guilty of their sufferings whom I should maintain I may no more suffer a thief than a dog to go away with my Childrens meat § 8. Prop. 7. And as I must vindicate my Estate for others to whom I am entrusted to Administer it by God so must I for my self also so far as God would have me use it my self For he that hath charged me to provide for my Family requireth also that I famish not my self And he hath required me to love my Neighbour but as my self And therefore as I am bound to vindicate and help my Neighbour if a Thief or Oppressour would rob him according to my place and power so must I do also for my self In all these seven cases I am not obliged to forgive § 9. But on the other side in all these Cases following I am bound to forgive and let go my right Prop. 1. As the Church may declare to penitent sinners the remission of the eternal punishment so may it remit the temporal punishment of excommunication to the penitent Yea this they are obliged by Christ to do ministerially as under him § 10. Prop. 2. When the Repentance and satisfaction of the sinner is like to conduce more to the publick good and the honour of God and other Ends of Government than his punishment would do a private man may not be obliged to prosecute him before the Magistrate and the Magistrate hath power to forgive him as to the penalty which it belongeth to him to inflict Though this may not â—xtend to the remitting of crimes ordinarily and frequently nor to the remitting of some sort of heynous crimes at all because this cannot attain the ends of Government as aforesaid § 11. Prop. 3. All personal wrongs so far as they are meerly against my self and disable me not from my duty to God and my Neighbour I may and must forgive For my own interest is put more in my own power and here it is that I am commanded to forgive If you say that I am bound to preserve my own life and soul as much as anothers I answer It 's true I am bound to preserve my own and anothers ultimately for the service and glory of God and Gods interest in me I cannot remit or give away As there is no obligation to duty but what is Originally from God so there is none but what is Ultimately for God even to Please and Glorifie him Obj. But if this be all I shall forgive no wrongs for there is none which doth not some way hinder me in my duty Answ. Yes there may be many to your body your estate and name which yet may be no disablement or hinderance to you except you make it so your self As if you receive a box on the Ear or be slandered or reviled where none heareth it but your self or such as will make no evil use of it or if a little be diminished injuriously out of a superfluous estate or so as to be employed as well as you would have done 2. But I further answer this objection in the next propositions § 12. Prop. 4. If my patient suffering a personal injury which somewhat hindereth me from my duty be like to be as great a service to God or to do more good than by that duty I should do I ought to pass by and forgive that injury Because then Gods interest obligeth me not to vindicate my right § 13. Prop. 5. If when I am injured and thereby disabled from doing some good which I should else have done I am not able by seeking reparation or the punishment of the person to recover my capacity and promote the service of God I am bound to pass by and remit that injury I speak not of the criminal part but the injury as such For a man may be bound to bring a Thief to punishment on the account of Gods honour and the common Good though else he might forgive the injury to himself § 14. Prop. 6. If it be probable that he that defraudeth me of my Estate will do more good with it than I should have done I am not bound to vindicate it from him for my own interest Though as he is criminal and the crime is hurtful as an ill example to the common good so I may be bound to it Nay were it not for the said criminal respect I am bound rather to let him take it than to vindicate it by any such means as would break Charity and do more hurt than good § 15. Prop. 7. If I am absolutely trusted with the Person or Estate of another I may so far forgive the wrongs done to that other upon sufficient reasons as well as against my self § 16. Prop. 8. A private man may not usurp the Magistrates power or do any act which is proper to his
office nor yet may he break his Laws for the avenging of himself He may use no other means than the Law of God and his Soveraign do allow him Therefore he may not rail or revile or slander or rob or strike or hurt any unless in case of defence as afterward nor take any other prohibited course § 17. Prop. 9. No rigor or severity must be used to right my self where gentler means may probably do it but the most harmless way must first be tryed § 18. Prop. 10. In general All wrongs and debts and damages must be forgiven when the hurt is like to be greater which will come by our righting our selves than that which by forbearance we shall sustain And all must be forgiven where Gods Law or mans forbiddeth us not to forgive Therefore a man that will here know his duty must conduct his actions by very great prudence which if he have not himself he must make use of a guide or Counsellour and he must be able to compare the Evil which he suffereth with the evil which will in probability follow his Vindication and to discern which of them is the greater Or else he can never know how far and when he may and must forgive And herein he must observe § 19. 1. The hurt that cometh to a mans soul is greater than the hurt that befalleth the body And therefore if my suing a man at Law be like to hurt his soul by uncharitableness or to hurt my own or the souls of others by scandal or disturbances I must rather suffer any meer bodily injuries than use that means But if yet greater hurt to souls would follow that bodily suffering of mine the Case is then altered the other way So if by forgiving debts or wrongs I be liker to do more good to the soul of him whom I forgive or others than the recovery of my own or the righting of my self is like any way to equal I am obliged to forgive that debt or wrong § 20. 2. The good or hurt which cometh to a community or to many is caeteris paribus to be more regarded thâ—n that which cometh to my self or any one alone Because many are of more worth than One and because Gods honour caeteris paribus is more concerned in the good of many than of one Therefore I must not seek my own right to the hurt of many either of their souls or bodies unless some greater good require it § 21. 3. The good or hurt of publick persons Magistrates or Pastors is caeteris paribus of more regard than the good or hurt of single men Therefore caeteris paribus I must not right my self to the dishonour or the hurt of Governours no though I were none of their charge or subjects because the publick good is more concerned in their honour or wellfare than in mine The same may be said of persons by their Gifts and interests more eminently serviceable to God and the common good than I am § 22. 4. The good or hurt of a neer relation of a dear friend of a worthy person is more to be regarded by me caeteris paribus than the good or hurt of a vile unworthy person or a stranger And therefore the Israelites might not take Usury of a poor brother which yet they might do of an aliene of another Land The Laws of nature and Friendship may more oblige me to one than to another though they were supposed equal in themselves Therefore I am not bound to remit a debt or wrong to a Thief or deceiver or a vile person when a neerer or a worthier person would be equally damnified by his benefit And thus far if without any partial self-love a man can justly estimate himself he may not only as he is neâ—rest himself but also for his real worth prefer his own commodity before the commodity of a more unworthy and unserviceable person § 23. 5. Another mans Necessities are more regardable than our own superfluities as his life is more regardable than our corporal delights Therefore it is a great sin for any man to reduce another to extremity and deprive him of necessaries for his life meerly to vindicate his own right in superfluities for the satisfaction of his concupiscence and â—ensual desires If a poor man steal to save his own or his Childrens lives and the rich man vindicate his own meerly to live in greater fulness or gallantry in the World he sinneth both the sin of sensuality and uncharitableness But how far for the common good he is bound to prosecute the Thief as criminal is a case which depends on other circumstances And this is the most common case in which the forgiving of debts and damages is required in Scripture viz. when the other is poor and we are rich and his necessities require it as an act of Charity And also the former case when the hurt by our vindication is like to be greater than our benefit will countervail § 24. Quest. 2. What is the meaning of those words of Christ Matth. 5. 38 39 40 41 42. Quest. 2. Ye have heard that it hath been said An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say unto you that ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek turn to him the other also and if any man will sue thee at the Law and take away thy Coat let him have thy Cloak also And whosoever shall compell thee to go a mile go with him two Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away Answ. The meaning of the Text is this as if he had said Because you have heard that Magistrates are required to do justice exactly between man and man and to take an eye for an eye c. therefore you may perhaps believe those Teachers who would perswade you that for any man to exact this satisfaction is no fault But I tell you that duties of Charity must be performed as well as Iustice must be done And though it be the Magistrates duty to do you this Iustice it is not your duty alwayes to require it but Charity may make the contrary to be your duty Therefore I say unto you overvalue not the concernments of your flesh nor the trifles of this world but if a man abuse you or wrong you in these trifles make no great matter of it and be not presently inflamed to revenge and to right your selves but exercise your patience and your Charity to him that wrongeth you and by a habituated stedfastness herein be ready to receive another injury with equal patience yea many such rather than to fly to an unnecessary vindication of your right For what if he give you another Stroke Or what if he also take your Cloke or what if he compel you to another mile for him Let him do it Let him take it How small is your hurt What inconsiderable things are these Your resistance and
flesh that I may have to do good with and trust God for my provision and reward for if there be a readiness to will there will be a performance also out of that which you have 2 Cor. 8. 11. 12. Such a holy self-denying Charitable heart with the help of prudence is the best Iudge of the due Proportion which we should give For this willing readiness being supposed Prudence will discern the fittest objects and the fittest time and the fittest measure and will suit the means unto the end When once a mans heart is set upon doing good it will not be very hard to perceive how much our selves our families the poor and religious uses should have for if such a person be Prudent himself he hath alwayes with him a constant Counsellor with a general Rule and directing Providence If he want Prudence sufficient to be his own Director he will take Direction from the Prudence of others 13. Such a truly willing mind will not be much wanting in the General of doing good but one way or other will serve God with his estate and then if in any particulars he should come short it will comparatively be a very small sin when it is not for want of willingness but of skill The will is the chief seat of all moral good and evil There is no more virtue than there is will nor no more sin or vice than there is will He that knoweth not how much he should give because he is not willing to give it and therefore not willing to know it is indeed the miser and sinfully ignorant but if it be not for want of a willing mind that we mistake the proportion it will be a very pardonable mistake 14. Your proportion of the Tenth part is too much for some and much too little for others but for the most I think it as likely a proportion as it is fit for another to prescribe in particular with these following explications 1. He that hath a full stock of money and no increase by it must give proportionably out of his stock when he that hath little or no stock but the â—ruits of his daily industry and labour may possibly be bound to give less than the other 2. It is not the Tenth of our increase deducting first all our families provision that you mean when you direct to give the Tenth for it is far more if not all that after such provision must be given But it is the Tenth without deduction that you mean Therefore when family necessaries cannot spare the Tenth it may be too much else even the Receivers must all be Givers But when family necessities can spare much more than the Tenth then the Tenth is not enough 3. In those places where Church and State and poor are all to be maintained by free gift there the Tenth of our increase is far too little for those that have any thing considerable to spare to give to all these uses This is apparent in that the Tenths alone were not thought enough even in the time of the Law to give towards the publick worship of God For beside the Tenths there were the first fruits and oblations and many sorts of sacrifices and yet at the same time the Poor were to be maintained by liberal gifts beside the Tenths And though we read not of much given to the maintenance of their Rulers and Magistrates before they chose to have a King yet afterwards we read of much And before the charges of wars and publick works lay upon all In most places with us the publick Ministry is maintained by Glebe and Tythes which are none of the peoples gift at all for he that sold or leased them their lands did suppose that Tythes were to be payed out of it and therefore they paid a Tenth part less for it in Purchase Fines or Rents than otherwise they should have done so that I reckon that most of them give little or nothing to the Minister at all Therefore they may the better give so much the more to the needy and to other charitable uses But where Minister and Poor and all are maintained by the peoples contribution there the Tenths are too little for the whole work but yet to most or very many the Tenths to the Poor alone besides the maintenance of the Ministry and State may possibly be more than they are able to give The Tenths even among the Heathens were given in many places to their Sacrifices Priests and to Religious Publick Civil works besides all their private Charity to the Poor I find in Diog. Laertius lib. 1. mihi 32. that Pisistratus the Athenian Tyrant proving to Solon in his Epistle to him that he had nothing against God or man to blame him for but for taking the Crown tâ—lling him that he caused them to keep the same Laws which Solon gave them and that better than the popular Government could have done doth instance thus Atheniensium singuli decimas frugum suarum separant non in usus nostros consumendas verum sacrificiis publicis commodisque Communibus si quando bellum contra nos ingruerit in sumpius deputandas that is Every one of the Athenians do separate the Tythes of their fruits not to be consumed to our uses but to defray the charge in publick sacrifices and in the common profits and if war at any time invade us And Plautus saith Ut decimam solveret Herculi Indeed as among the Heathens the Tythes were conjunctly given for Religious and Civil uses so it seems that at first the Christian Emperours setled them on the Bishops for the use of the poor as well as for the Ministers and Church-service and utensils For to all these they were to be divided and the Bishop was as the guardian of the poor And the glebe or farmes that were given to the Church were all employed to the same uses And the Canons required that the Tythes should be thus disposed of by the Clergy non tanquam propriae sed domino oblatae And the Emperour Iustinian commanded the Bishops ne ea quae ecclesiis relicta sunt sibi adscribant sed in necessarios Ecclesiae usus impendant l. 43. c. de Epise Cler. vid. Albert. Ranâ—z Metrop l. 1. c. 2. sax l. 6. c. 52. And Hierom ad Damas. saith Quoniam quicquid habent clerici pauperum est domus illorum omnibus debent esse communes susceptioni peregrinorum hospitum invigilare debent Maxime curandum est illis ut de decimis oblationibus caenobiis Xenodochiis qualem voluerint potuerint sustentationem impendant Yet then the paying of Tythes did not excuse the people from all other charity to the poor Austin saith Qui sibi aut praemium comparat aut peccatorum desiderat indulgentiam promereri reddat decimam etiam de novem partibus studeat eleemosynam dare pauperibus And in our times there is less reason that Tythes should excuse the people from their
works of charity both because the Tythes are now more appropriate to the maintenance of the Clergy and because as is aforesaid the people give them not out of their own I confess if we consider how Decimation was used before the Law by Abraham and Iacob and established by the Law unto the Iews and how commonly it was used among the Gentiles and last of all by the Church of Christ it will make a considerate man imagine that as there is still a Divine Direction for one day in seven as a necessary proportion of Time to be ordinarily consecrated to God besides what we can spare from our other dayes so that there is something of a Divine Canon or direction for the Tenth of our revenews or increase to be ordinarily consecrated to God besides what may be spared from the rest And whether those Tythes that are none of your own and cost you nothing be now to be reckoned to â—rivate men as any of their Tenths which they themselves should give I leave to your consideratiâ—â— Amongst Augustines works we find an opinion that the Devils were the Tenth part of the Angels and that man is now to be the Tenth order among the Angels the Saints filling up the place that the Devils fell from and there being nine orders of Angels to be above us and that in this there is some ground of our paying Tenths and therefore he saith that Haec est Domini justissima consuetudo ut si tu illi decimam non dederis tu ad decimam revocaberis id est daemonibus qui sunt decima pars angelorum associaberis Though I know not whence he had this opinion it seemeth that the devoting of a tenth part ordinarily to God is a matter that we have more than a humane Direction for 15. In times of extraordinary necessities of the Church or State or Poor there must be extraordinary bounty in our Contributions As if an enemy be ready to invade the Land or if some extraordinary work of God as the Conversion of some Heathen Nations do require it or some extraordinary persecution and distress befall the Pastours or in a year of famine plague or war when the necessities of the poor are extraordinary The tenths in such cases will not suffice from those that have more to give Therefore in such a time the Primitive Christians sold their possessions and laid down the price at the feet of the Apostles In one word an honest charitable heart being presupposed as the root or fountain and prudence being the discerner of our duty the Apostles general Rule may much satisfie a Christian for the proportion 1 Cor. 16. 2. Let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him And 2 Cor. 8. 12. According to that a man hath though there be many intimations that ordinarily a Tenth part at least is requisite III. Having thus resolved the question of the quota pars or proportion to be given I shall say a little to the question Whether a man should give most in his life time or at his Death Answ. 1. It is certain that the best work is that which is like to do most good 2. But to make it best to us it is necessary that we do it with the most self-denying holy charitable mind 3. That caeteris paribus all things else being equal the present doing of a good work is better than to defer it 4. That to do good only when you dye because then you can keep your wealth no longer and because then it costeth you nothing to part with it and because then you hope that this shall serve instead of true Repentance and Godliness this is but to deceive your selves and will do nothing to save your souls though it do never so much good to others 5. That he that sinfully neglecteth in his life time to do good if he do it at his death from true repentance and Conversion it is then accepted of God though the sin of his delay must be lamented 6. That he that delayeth it till Death not out of any selfishness backwardness or unwillingness but that the work may be the better and do more good doth better than if he hastened a lesser good As if a man have a desire to set up a Free School for perpetuity and the money which he hath is not sufficient if he stay till his Death that so the improvement of the money may increase it and make it enough for his intended work this is to do a greater good with greater self-denial For 1. He receiveth none of the increase of the money for himself 2. And he receiveth in his life time none of the praise or thanks of the work So also if a man that hath no Children have so much Land only as will maintain him and desireth to give it all to charitable uses when he dyeth this delay is not at all to be blamed because he could not sooner give it and if it be not in vain-glory but in love to God and to good works that he leaveth it it is truly acceptable at last So that all good works that are done at death are not therefore to be undervalued nor are they rejected of God but sometimes it falleth out that they are so much the greater and better works though he that can do the same in his life time ought to do it IV. But though I have spent all these words in answering these Questions I am fully satisfied that it is very few that are kept from doing good by any such doubt or difficulty in the case which stalls their judgements but by the power of sin and want of grace which leaveth an unwillingness and backwardness on their hearts Could we tell how to remove the impediments in mens wills it would do more than the clearest resolving all the cases of Conscience which their judgements seem to be unsatisfied in I le tell you what are the impediments in your way that are harder to be removed than all these difficulties and yet must be overcome before you can bring men to be like true Christians rich in good works 1. Most men are so sensual and so selfish that their own flesh is an insatiable gulf that devoureth all and they have little or nothing to spare from it to good uses It is better cheap maintaining a family of temperate sober persons than one fleshly person that hath a whole litter of vices and lusts to be maintained So much a year seemeth necessary to maintain their pride in needless curiosity and bravery and so much a year to maintain their sensual sports and pleasures and so much to please their throats or appetites and to lay in provision for Feavers and Dropsies and Coughs and Consumptions and an hundred such diseases which are the natural progeny of gluttony drunkenness and excess and so much a year to maintain their Idleness and so of many other vices But if one of these persons have the Pride