Sacrilege The latter Prophets tax them much for that Crime The Jewish Form still is hatred of Idolatry in-so-much that they think that all the Plagues that come upon them is for the Idolatry of their Fathers especially in the siâ— of the Golden Calf in the Wilderness and translate the Scene of their Repentance far enough from themselves that they may not see their present Sins both in breaking the moral Law and despising Christ. And every Party is observâ—d to have their Form one special Commandment which they stuck unto which they are zealous for whilst they neglect the rest The reproaches of our Enemies saith the Pharisee are only for the fourth Commandment but neglect the rest zealous for the Sabbath but unconscionable all the week after Oh let 〈◊〉 be no occasion for this Others sâ—em to make little reckoning of other Commandments and insist only upon the fifth obedience to Superiors The Charge is sometimes carried between the third and sixth Commandment they will not swear but will lie and slâ—nder their Neighbours I mention these things to shew what need we have to be uniform in our Obedience unto God I will mention but one Motive They that do not obey all will not long obey any but where their Interest or Inclinationsâ— require it will break all As Herod did many things but one Command stuck with him his Herodias and that bringeth him to murder God's Prophet Mark 6. 20. One Sin keepeth possession for Satan and that one Lust and Corruption may undoe all A Bird tied by the Leg may make some shew of escape so do many think themselves at liberty but the Fowler hath them fast enough 2. Let us not rest in outward Duties of Worship and place our Zeal there for that is an ill Spirit that doth so 'T is the Badg of Pharisaism they keep a fair correspondence with God in the outward Duties of his Worship but in other things deny their subjection to him the main reason is because Externals of Worship are more easy than the denial of Lusts. The sensual Nature of Man is such that 't is loth to be crossed which produceth prophaneness Wherefore do Men ingulph themselves in all manner of sensuality but because they are loth to deny their Natural Appetites and Desires and to row against the stream of Flesh and Blood and so to walk in the way of his own Hâ—art and the sight of his Eyes Eccles. 4. 8. If Nature must be crossed it shall be crossed only for a little and in some slight manner they will give God some outward thing which lieth remote from the subjection of the Heart to him therefore be zealous for Externals and this produceth Hypocrisy gross Hypocrisy and Dissembling whereby we deceive othâ—rs and get a good Name among others by a zeal and fervency for God's outward Iâ—stitutions And this close Hypocrisy or Partiality of Obedience is that whereby we deceive our selves exceeding in External Actions and Duties while we neglect those Substantials wherein the Heart and Life of Religion most lieth such are the Love of God Contempt of the World Mortification of the Flesh the Heavenly Mind and Holy Constitution of the Soul â—irmly set to please God in all things Once more That this Deceit may be more strong Men are apt to exceed in outward Observances or By-laws of their own and this produceth Superstition either Negative in condemning some outward things which God never condemned as those Ordinances of Men which the Apostle speaketh of Col. 2. 19. Touch not taste not handle not Or positive in doing many things as Duties and crying them up as special Acts and Helps of Religion which God never instituted to that end and purpose Mark 7. 7 8. Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. The Spirit and Genius of Superstition lieth in this neglecting many things which God commandeth but multiplâ—ing Bonds and Chains of their own making Sacrifices enow God shall have any thing for the Sin of their Souls Micah 6. 6 7. Thus these three great Evils Prophaneness Hypocrisy and Superstition do all grow upon the same Stem and Root First Men must have an easy Religion where the Flesh is not crossed but no mortifying of Lusts no exercising our selves to Godliness They can deny themselves in parting with a Sacrifice but the weighty things of Piety Justice and Mercy are neglected God shall have Prayers enow Hearing enough if the Humor and Temper of the Body will suit with it They can fast and gash themselves like Baal's Priests whip their Bodies but spare their Sins but the Heart is not subdued to God They can part with any thing better than their Lusts and disturb the present Ease of the Body by attending on long and tedious Duties rather than any solid and serious Piety II. The next Lesson which we learn is The Guise of Hypocrites for our Lord intimateth that these Pharisees had great need to learn the Importance of that Truth as being extreamly faulty I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice 1. The first thing notable in Hypocrites is a partial Zeal they have not an Uniform Conscience are very exact in some things but exceeding defective and faulty in others The good Conscience is intire and universal Heb. 13. 18. We trust that we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly The sincere Purpose and Intention of his Heart was to direct his Life according to the Will of God in all things Tho' every one hath his failings yet the Will and constant Endeavour of a sincere Heart is to govern himself universally according to the Will of God in all points of Duty whether they concern God or Man as 't is said of Zechary and Elizabeth Luke 1. 6. That they walked in all the Ordinances and Commandments of the Lord blameless The renewed Conscience doth approve all and the renewed Will which is the Imperial Power in the Soul the first Mover and Principle of all Moral Actions is bent and inclined to obey all and the New Life is spent in striving to comply with all But 't is not so with Hypocrites they pick and chuse out the easiest part in Religion and lay out all their Zeal there but let other things go In some Duties that are of easy digestion and nourish their Disease rather than cure their Soul none so zealous as they none so partial as they Now a partial Zeal for small things with a plain neglect of the rest is direct Pharisaism all for Sacrifice nothing for Mercy Therefore every one of us should take heed of halving and dividing with God If we make Conscience of Piety let us also make Conscience of Justice if of Justice let us also make Conscience of Mercy 'T is harder to renounce one Sin wherein we delight than a greater which we do not equally affect A Man is wedded to some special Lusts and is loth to hear of a divorce from them We have our tender and sore places in
partly that we may not rest in them as the better part of our Duty If Men submit never so much to external Institutions about Religion and Worship and think to satisfy their Consciences therewith yet they will not at all be accepted and approved of God No he looketh more to moral Obedience than positive Commands concerning the Externals of Religion And therefore you have Morals of the First-Table or the Second often compared with and preferr'd above the Externals of Religion as 1 Sam. 15. 22. Hath the Lord any delight in Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices To obey is better than Sacrifices and to hearken than the Fat of Rams Rebellion is as the Sin of Witchcraft and Stubbornness as Idolatry 'T was spoken upon the occasion of Saul's sparing Agag and the Fat of the Cattel for Sacrifice when he was to destroy Man and Beast At other times 't is compared with Duties of the Second-Table The Moral Duties of the Second-Table are better than the Ceremonial Duties of the first If we be scanty in the one and abound in the other 't is a Note of an Hypocrite Rom. 14. 17 18. The Kingdom of God standeth not in Meats and Drinks but in Righteousness Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost If a Man do these things he shall be accepted of the Lord and approved of Men. There are two Expositions of that place both equally probable the one more general That Righteousness is taken for all new Obedience and Peace for Peace of Conscience resulting from the Rectitude of our Actions and Joy in the Holy Ghost for supernatural Comfort which the Holy Ghost puts into our Hearts by reflecting on our Priviledges by Christ and the Hopes of the World to come Now Christianity lieth not in outward Observances but in solid Godliness The other Exposition is in a more limited sense That by Righteousness is meant just dealing by Peace a peaceable harmless inoffensive sort of living by Joy in the Holy Ghost a delight to do good to one another not dividing from or hating censuring excommunicating one another for meer Rituals but pleasing one another to Edification These Morals are more acceptable to God and approved of Men than a furious Zeal for lesser things which belong to the ritual Part or external Order of Religion It 's an Argument of a better Spirit to be more zealous for Morals and Substantials than Rituals certainly without them we shall be of no account with God And partly to that when Moral Duties come in competition with Ceremonial the Moral Duties at that time must take place of the other and all positive Commands concerning the Externals of Religion give way to them The Lord never appointed the Ceremonies of the First-Table to hinder Works of Mercy prescribed in the Second therefore the Mercy must be done and the Sacrifice left undone as the Sabbath is both broken and kept when there is an evident necessity of preserving the Creature When David fainted 't was a Moral Duty to relieve him though there were no Bread at Hand but the Shew-bread 1 Sam. 21. 4. There is no common Bread under my Hands And Christ urgeth that Mat. 12. 3 4. Have ye not read what David did when he was an hungred how he entred into the House of God and did eat the Shew-bread which was not lawful for him to eat nor for them which were with him but only for the Priests In an extraordinary case of Necessity the Shew-bread is as common Bread Now the Reason is plain because Positives bind only in certain Cases but we are everlastingly obliged to things Moral Therefore Externals must give way both to Obedience and Mercy Internal Acts of Worship are never dispensed with 5. Sacrifices come under a double Consideration as they relate to Christ the substance of them all or as External Performances rested in by that People 1. In the first Consideration their Gospel lay much in Sacrifices and the main Duties of Godliness were exercised about them as brokenness of Heart Psal. 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise And Faith in Christ Heb. 9. 13 14. For if the Blood of Bulls and Goats and the Ashes of an Heifer sprinkling the Vnclean sanctifyeth to the purifying of the Flesh How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the living God And Covenanting with God Psalm 50. 5. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by Sacrifice And Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Brethren by the Mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service In the second Consideration The outward bare Offering considered in it self without Faith and Repentance so God disclaimeth it Isa. 1. 11. Bring no more vain Oblations And Isa. 66. 2 3. He that killeth an Ox is as if he slew a Man He that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a Dog's Neck He that offereth an Oblation as if he offered Swines Blood He that burneth Incense as if he blessed an Idol Their great Confidence was in their Sacrifices God therefore sheweth how loathsome these things were to him without that disposition of Soul which should accompany them being such Persons as those were he would take no Offering at their hands The Lord in all Ages is Uniform and like himself in approving and injoining Duty and in disliking Sin Morals are always prized by him before Externals and an impartial respect to necessary Duties was more to him than the greatest pomp of outward Worship 'T was so then and 't is so now Pride and Malice and Envy are greater Evils than Ceremonial Uncleanness and to fear God and work Righteousness a greater Duty than the best Sacrifices The performance of External Duties is not and never was a sufficient Testimony of true Piety nay without the Love of God and Men and an uniform Obedience to his Holy Will is meer Hyprocrisy 6. When the breach of a Ceremonial Precept bringeth with it the Transgression of a Moral Precept and is without any absolute necessity imposed in negâ—lect and contempt of the Law of God then we are to run all Hazards rather than to transgress in the smallest Externals because tho the Matter enjoined be but small yet the Contempt of God is a great Sin and our Sincerity and Obedience to God is a great Matter As for Instance When Antiochus pressed the Jews to eat Swines-Flesh which in case of great Extremity no question they might do yet when he pressed them out of Contempt of the Law they chose rather to be tortured to Death than to yield to it And for this they are registred Martyrs Heb. 11. 35. They were tortured not accepting Deliverance that they might receive a better Resurrection There is a plain Allusion to the Story
Lord would not answer their Cases about the Fasts Some of which were needless and superfluous but would have them break off their known Sins Hitherto may be reduced the Harlot in the Proverbs that inticed the young Man to Adultery and yet she had her Peace-Offerings I have Peace-Offerings with me this day Prov. 7. 14. with the 18 th Made Conscience of her Sacâ—ifices but not of her Honesty and Chastity Yea also we may reckon to this rank of Conscience the Instance of Bathsheba Even the Children of God have much Hypocrisy and an odd kind of Conscience when they give way to wilful and hainous Sin The Passage is 2 Sam. 11. 4. David took her and committed Adultery with her for she was purified from her Vncleanness That Uncleanness was Ceremonial only but in the mean time she was committing a Moral Uncleanness from which she was not so careful to keep her self Well then the Consciences of Men being of such a make well might God say I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice Substance and not Ceremony And we have all need to take heed to our selves that we do not boggle and startle at a Shadow when in the mean time we are stupid and sensless in Sins of another nature and deeper dye and preserve a tenderness in lesser things when we give way to Injustice and Oppression 2. The Reasons why Hypocrites never find their Consciences awake so much as in Matters Ceremonial I shall give these two 1. Because these are of easiest digestion and will sooner satisfy the Conscience Slight Duties suit best with an Heart that is unwilling to come under the Power of Religion Conscience is like the Stomach which naturally desireth to fill its self and when it cannot digest solid Food it sucketh nothing but Wind. They that place their Confidence in their own Righteousness presently fly to their External Shows The right stating of the Duties of the Law according to their due weight would convince them of their Mistake Therefore that the Ell may be no longer than the Cloth they confine their Obedience to External Observations and so make their Religion as commodious for themselves as they can Adultery is nothing to eating Flesh in Lent or breaking some External Rule The Apostle saith going about to establish their own Righteousness they have not submitted to the Righteousness of God Rom. 10. 3. Not to the way of Solid Righteousness and broken-hearted acceptance of Christ but an external appearance of Duty is most for their Interest 2. To put the better Pretence upon their vile Practices therefore they must have some External Ceremonies to countenance them Thus the Pharisees to countenance their Oppressions for a pretence make long Prayers Mat. 23. 14. That made them be trusted by the destitute Widows whom they deceived As Iezebel would have the formality of a Fast for the better colour of her impiety in destroying Naboth In days of Fasts they were wont to enquire after heinous Offenders to execute the Law upon them as you may see Numb 15. 7 8. and Psalm 106. 30. so to stop God's Wrath. So some expound that Ioel 1. 14. Sanctify a Fast call a Solemn Assembly gather the Elders That is Call a Court who may enquire into Offâ—â—dersâ— that they may be punished and reformed So Iezebel calls a Fast for the beâ—ter 〈◊〉 of a Court to take cognizance of Naboth's Sin 4. They make Conscience not only of Externals instituted by God but mostly of those that are devised by themselves This very Abstinence from converse with Publicans was a thing not forbidden by the Law but an Institution of their own because of their frequent converse with Heathens they looked upon them as a polluted sort of Men and unworthy of their converse So that this helpeth us to another Character of Hypocrites they are zealous for Humane Traditions but Transgressors of Divine Commands God's Precepts are little regarded and so prefer their own Institutions before the Laws of God So Mat. 15. 3. By your Traditions ye transgress the Commands of God Namely by holding that if a Man had devoted his Estate to God he might chuse whether he would relieve his Parents Men are mightily in love with their own Customs and place much Religion in Man's Injunctions and care not how they loosen or weaken the Obligation of God's Law by their Impositions The Pharisees great Fault was they would outdo the Law in Externals and then when they had set their Post by God's Post they were more zealous for Man's Inventions than for God's Ordinances And this Zeal is shewn either by imposing upon themselves or others Imposing upon their own Consciences when they lie in Chains of their own making On others when they make their own Practice the Rule of others Mat. 9. 14. The Pharisees fast John ' s Disciples fast thy Disciples fast not To this Head we may reduce Saul's rash restraining the People by his Injunction and Oath 1 Sam. 24. 32. with vers 38. The People had gotten a great Victory and Saul out of his Hypocritical Zeal commandeth them to fast till Evening Now what was the Issue The People through Faintness could not pursue the Enemy Ionathan that heard nothing of this Curse and Oath was in danger of his Life and the People being hunger-starv'd for greediness did eat the Flesh and the Blood together contrary to God's Law Gen. 9. 4. Levit. 17. 13 14. Mark there though Hunger could not force to transgress Saul's Commandment for fear of Death yet it forced them to break God's express Commandment in eating the Blood which was so expresly forbidden And at Night when God answered him not Saul thought somewhat was in the Matter he goeth to â—ast Lots and the Lot had found out Ionathan Saul never thinketh of the breach of God's Law first by himself in imposing a rash and sinful Oath or of the Peoples sin in eating the Blood with the Flesh and presumeâ—h it must needs be the breach of that Oath which he had imposed and so like an Hypocrite preferreth his own groundless Command before the Law of God and of punishing this with rigour when the other is never spoken of I have brought this Story to shew you how zealous Men are for their own Impositions on themselves and others and how easily they can dispense with God's Laws to comply with their own And how Drunkenness Whoredom and Fornication do not seem such odious Crimes as violating Man's Customs and Institutions and private Rules of their own 5. Hypocrites have a Conceit of their own Righteousness and a Disdain of others This was the very Case in the Text they were angry because Christ entred into the House of Matthew a Publican and did eat Meat there though he had converted him And else-where 't is made the Characteristick Note of the Pharisees Luke 18. 9. They trusted in themselves that they were Righteous and despised others Men that fly to Externals are soon puffed up and nothing humbleth
without seeking the reconciling and renewing Grace of the Redeemer Luke 18. The proud Pharisee pleadeth his own Merits rather than God's Grace but the Publican pleaded Mercy 'T was long e're Paul was brought to count all but Dung and Dross for the Excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Phil. 3. 7 8 9. But on the other side a Christian though he maketh progress in Holiness yet from first to last cherisheth a broken-hearted sense of his own Wants and a thankful remembrance of his Redeemer's Love who is all in all with him both for Justification and Sanctification Before Pardon the Sinner is weakned and humbled with a sense of his lost Condition and then there is a constant watchfulness with Repentance and brokenness of Heart which followeth Pardon loving much because much is forgiven Luke 7. 47. And loathing himself in his own sight because of his vileness and sinfulness after God is reconciled to him Ezek. 16. 63. This is the frame of Heart which suiteth with the Gospel-state III. I come to the third Thing the value of Mercy I shall not speak of it at large but only with respect to this Scripture 1. 'T is better than Sacrifice To sacrifice is to serve God but to shew Mercy is to be like God Luke 6. 36. Be ye therefore merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Now Conformity to God is more noble than Subjection to God it hath more of Perfection and Blessedness in it especially than a particular external mode and way of subjection to God 2. As 't is preferred before Sacrifice so 't is preferred before the external Observation of the Sabbath The Sabbath is the great Institution conducing to the enlivening of other Duties Mercy not only to the Souls of Men as here or Bodies of Men but Mercy to the Bodies of the to help a Beast out of a Pit is a Sabbath-days work Mat. 12. 11 12. 3. 'T is more than Gospel-Externals of Worship The Apostle had spoken of being not hearers of the Word only but doers also Jam. 1. 25. Then saith Vers. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction and keep himself unspotted from the World Is this Religion to come to Church to hear the strictest Preachers Doth the Apostle reckon this another part of Religion No but to visit the Fatherless and Widows They who are truly Religious have such a deep sense of God's Mercy to them that they are changed into the Divine Nature that they cannot but pity the miserable and afflicted Now the Ordinances of the Gospel are rational not so carnal and servile as the Ordinances under the Law 4. 'T is more excellent than all the Gifts of the Gospel The Gifts of the Gospel were glorious Things Gifts of Tongues Gifts of Healing Gifts of Knowledg and Utterance 1 Cor. 12. 31. Covet earnestly the best Gifts and yet I shew you a more excellent way What is that Love Charity Mercy Though Abilities are excellent Things to be able to edify and instruct others yet no way to be compared with the Grace of Charity and the performing all our Duties to our Brethren out of love to God 5. I cannot say 't is above the Graces of the Gospel Faith and Love to God yet this I can say that those Graces are not real unless accompanied with Charity 1 John 4. 20. If a Man say he loveth God and hateth his Brother he is a liar for if a Man hateth his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen He speaketh there of Love to Christ vers 19. We love him because he loved us first There may be a great deal of Hypocrisy in professing and pretending Love to Christ and so he doth certainly who doth malign and persecute Christians or not shew Mercy to them in their Distresses We daily converse with Men meet with Objects of Charity whom we should pity but if we do not this which is the more easy we will not do that which is more difficult 6. 'T is the Qualification of finding Mercy Mat. 5. 7. ` Blessed are the Merciful for they shall obtain Mercy Compassion to other Mens Bodies and Souls gives this hope and confidence of finding Mercy with the Lord and that is all our Hope It will be inquired into at the Day of Judgment Mat. 25. 35 36 37 38 39 40 41. For I was an hungred and ye gave me Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took me in Naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in Prison and ye came unto me Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee Drink When saw we thee a Stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee Or when saw we thee sick or in Prison and came unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Oh then let us make Conscience of this Duty more than ever we have done A DESCRIPTION of the True Circumcision PHIL. 3. 3. For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the Flesh. AMong those that entertain thoughts of Religion there ever have been and will be many Contests who are the True Church and People of God The Lazy place their Plea and Claim in External Observations The Serious look to the Vitals and Heart of Religion and cannot satisfy themselves in an outward Form without the Life and Power This was the very difference between the True Christians and a certain sort of Persons who took upon them to be the Circumcision The Jews are often called the Circumcision Therefore Christ is said to be a Minister of the Circumcision as being sent to the People that were to be Circumcised Rom. 15. 8. And Peter is called the Apostle of the Circumcision Gal. 2. 7 8. as being appointed to deal with that People Now these Judaizing Christians who had a zeal for the Ceremonies of the Law did falsely boast themselves to be the only People of God and the true Circumcision This was the difference between them Who were to be accounted the true Circumcision the Jewish Zealots who placed their Justification in the Ceremonies of the Law or those who adhered to Christ only and looked for the Mercy of God through him We are the Circumcision say they excluding the other and better sort of Christians The one had the Form and the other the Effect and Power The one were circumcised outwardly the other spiritually The Apostle judgeth for the latter the former were
Blood of his Cross but vanquished our Spiritual Enemies and triumphed over them Col. 2. 14 15. Long enough might we have lain in Prison before the utmost Farthing had been paid or done any thing to procure our deliverance if our compassionate Redeemer had not taken the Work in hand had he turned us to any Creature we had been helpless 'T was he purchased Grace to overcome the Devil the World and the Flesh that quickned you when you were dead in Sin that put Satan out of Office and delivered us from the present evil World Gal. 1. 4. And is not this matter of rejoicing to us 3. That hereby he hath not only abolished Death but brought Life and Resurrection to Life 2 Tim. 1. 10. By entring into that other World after his Sufferings He hath given us a visible Demonstration of the Reality of the World to come and in his Gospel discovered a Blessedness to us which satiateth the Heart of Man and salveth the great Sore of the whole Creation If God had made nothing richer than the World the Heart of Man would have been as Leviathan in a little Pool 2. In the Promises of Christ there is matter of Joy In the general God is your God and that 's more than to have all the World to be yours compare Gen. 17. 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and thy Seed after thee With Psal. 144. 15. Happy is that People whose God is the Lord. We have an Eternal and Allsufficient God to live upon and from whom to derive our Joy and Comfort A God infinite in Power Wisdom and Goodness to be our Portion And where is Matter of Joy and Comfort if not in God Behold the difference between Carnal Men and the Children of God The World is their Portion and God is ours and who is better provided for More especially we are told 1 Tim. 4. 8. That Godliness hath the Promises of this Life and that which is to come Heaven and Earth are laid at the Feet of Godliness what would you moreâ— Surely we have full Consolation offered to us in the Promises of the Gospel He can want nothing to his Comfort whoâ— hath an Interest in them To instance in the lowest Blessings those which concern this Life God is our God that can cure all Diseases overcome all Enemies supply all Wants deliver in all Dangers and will do it so far as is for our good and desires of any thing beyond this are not to be satisfied but mortified Psal. 84. 11. But then for the more Excellent Promises of the New Covenant which concern another World such as the pardoning of our Sins the healing our Natures and the glorifying of our Persons 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the World through lust The pardon of all our Sins which are the great trouble and burden of the Creatures Who will rejoice like the pardoned Sinner who is discharged of his Debt eased of his Burthen and hath his Filth covered Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is the Man whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin iâ— covered O the blessedness of the Manâ— He is like one fetched back from Execution Then the taking away of the stony Heart and the giving of an Holy and Heavenly Heart Oh what Matter of Joy is this to have all things necessary to Life and Godliness What 's the trouble of a gracious Heart but the Relicts of Corruption Rom. 7. 24. Paul groaneth sorely but yet blesseth God for his Hopes by Christ Vers. 25. Renewing Grace is dearly bought and plentifully bestowed Titus 3. 5 6. and graciously offered to those that will seek after it Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my Reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you And this promise to be fulfilled by a Divine Power 2 Pet. 1. 3. Oh what a Comfort is the Redeemer's Grace to a Soul that hath been long exercised in subduing Sin 'T is true it groans while 't is a doing yet the very groans of the Sick shew that Life and Health is sweet Healing renewing Grace maketh other Things sweet as your whole Duty to God It maketh it become your Delight But the great Promise is Eternal Life 1 John 2. 25. And this is the Promise that he hath promised us even Eternal Life That 's a Matter of Joy indeed What! to live for ever with God! the fore-thought of it reviveth us the fore-taste of it is a kind of Heaven upon Earth 1 Pet. 1. 8. The certain hope of it will swallow up all Grief and Sorrow Rom. 5. 2 3. So that there is no question but that in the Promises of Christ there is Matter of great Joy 3. The Enjoiments of Christianity are very pleasing I add this to shew you that it is not all in expectation if we consider not only what we shall be but what we are For the present 1. We have peace of Conscience Rom. 5. 1. Mat. 11. 29. Phil. 4. 7. Rest for our Souls is anxiously sought after in other things but only found in Christ's Religion and living according to the Precepts and Institutions thereof As Noah's Dove found not a place whereon to rest the sole of her Foot so we flutter up and down but never have any firm peace of Heart and Conscience till we submit to Christ and take his counsel 2. A sence of the Love of God Rom. 5. 5. Because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Spirit given unto us And 1 Pet. 2. 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious 3. God's Presence with us and our Communion with him 1 Iohn 1. 3 4. And truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ that your Ioy may be full And Iohn 8. 29. 4. Access to God with assurance of Welcome and Audience John 16. 24. Whatsoever ye ask in my Name ye shall receive that your Ioy may be full 5. The Fore-tastes of the Life to come Rom. 8. 23. and 2 Cor. 3. 5. So that all is to stir up this Delight and Joy in the Lord Jesus Christ. 4. The Precepts of Christ shew that we have Matter of Rejoicing in him What are the great Duties required To love God! Now what pain is it to delight in the Lord as our All-sufficient Portion To be mindful of him and meditate of his Excellencies and Benefits Psal. 104. 34. My Meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. Is it any toilsome thing to come in a childish manner and unbosome our selves to him and beg the renewed Testimonies of his Love to us especially when set awork by the Holy Ghost Gal. 4. 6. To believe in Christ 't is difficult but pleasant to consider
will catch hold of any thing Judg. 17. 13. Now I know God will bless me because I have a Levite to my Priest giving him Meat and Drink and about fifty Shillings per Annum So willing are we to justify our selves by something in our selves or done by our selves Therefore that the Ell may be no broader than the Cloth they devise a short Exposition of the Law that they may entertain a large Opinion of their own Righteousness 4. There is another Reason Interest External Forms of Religion draw an Interest after them Therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 2. 29. Whose praise is not of Men but of God And Gal. 1. 10. If I yet please Men I were not the Servant of Christ. And Rudiments of the World Col. 2. 10. It maketh a Man to be applauded and countenanced by the World Let a Man betake himself to such a Religion there are these which will back him and stand by him and their disfavour and displeasure he shall incur iâ— he forsake it And where the false Worshippers are the prevailing Party he runneth great hazard by contradicting such Form and Opinions Therefore the Heart of that Man that is set on Externals takes up with the Religion of his Country whether true or false 2. They place their Confidence therein Every Man that hath a Conscience must have something to trust unto Now what feedeth his Confidence but the Religion which he hath chosen There are two things which detain Men from God and Christ Some false Imaginary Happiness and some Counterfeit Righteousness and wherein they please themselves The False Happiness is as their God and the Counterfeit Righteousness is as their Christ and Mediator and so they are secure and sensless and 'till God open their Eyes they neither seek after another Righteousness nor trouble themselves about the way whereby they may attain it That Men set a false Happiness is evident for ever since Man fell from God he ran to the Creature Ier. 2. 13. Left the Fountain for the Cistern And if we can make a shift to patch up a sorry Happiness apart from God we never care for him nor will not come at him Ier. 2. 31. Our Pleasure our Profit our Honour that is our God And if we can enjoy these things without any rubs and checks we look no farther and will not seek our Happiness in an invisible God nor wait to injoy it in an invisible World But the second Error is That there is something instead of Christ to us to keep the Conscience quiet Our Happiness is to satisfy our Dâ—sires our Righteousness to allay our Fears Now here we run to a 〈◊〉 Religion or something External which is diversified according to 〈…〉 Pagans to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. 15. Jews to the Observances of the Law Christians to Baptism outward 〈◊〉 or some strict Form without the Power under which we shelter our 〈◊〉 and by which we bolster up our Confidence till God convince us of our 〈◊〉 And so Christ and his renewing and reconciling Grace is neglected 〈…〉 certainly not cordially accepted as our Redeâ—mer and Saviour I come now to shew 3 dly Why a good Christian should have no Confidence in the Flesh. 1 Because till we are dead to the Law we cannot live to God Now to be dead to the Law is nothing else but to have our Confidence in the Flesh or External 〈◊〉 mortified You hear often of 〈◊〉 dead to Sin and dead to the World you must be also dead to the Law or otherwise you cannot 〈◊〉 in Christ and bring forth Fruit unto God Gal. 2. 19. For I through the Law am dead to the Law that I may live unto God And Rom. 7. 4. By the Body of Christ ye are become dead to the Law that ye may be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead We grow dead to the Law when thereby we understand our sinful miserable Estate without Christ and how unable we are to help our selves By the convincing Power of the Law we know our Sins by the condemning Power of the Law we know the misery and curse we are subject unto by the irritating Power of the Law we find that the Righteousness which the Law requireth is not in us nor can it be found in us Now in one of those places we are said by the Law to be dead to the Law and in the other by the Body of Christ. By the Law it self we are said to be dead to the Law as it maketh us to despair of Righteousness by that Covenant By the Body of Christ that is by the crucified Body or Death of Christ so we are dead to the Law as we are invited to a better Hope or Covenant which Christ hath established by bearing our Sins on his Body on the Tree or enduring the Curse of the Law for us Be it by the one or the other or both none will value the Grace of Christ till they be dead to the Law Men will shift as long as they can patch up a sorry Righteousness of their own mingle Covenants turn one into another make one of both chop change mangle and cut short the Law of God do any thing rather than come upon their Knees and beg Terms of Grace in a serious and broken-hearted manner None can partake of Christ but those that have their legal Confidence mortified who are first driven then drawn to him None but they who are convinced of Sin â—ly to Christ for Righteousness none but they who are left obnoxious to Wrath and the Curse prize his delivering us from Wrath to come none but those who are made sensible of their impotency will seek after his Renewing Grace But will still keep to their base shifts mingling and blending Covenants resting in a little Superficial Righteousness or half-Covenant of Works or mingling a little Grace with it are not brought in an humble penitent and broken-hearted manner to sue out their Pardon in the Name of Christ and so regularly to pass from Covenant to Covenant 2. The Superficial Righteousness doth not only keep Men from Christ but set them against Christ his Way his Servants and true Interest in the World These were Dogs evil Workers to whom the Apostle opposeth the true Christians usually they that are for the Form oppose the Power Gal. 4. 29. He that was born after the Flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit They that have but the Form and Shadow of Godliness no more than the Power of Nature carrieth them unto will persecute those that have the Reality and Truth that is the renewing and reconciling Grace of Jesus Christ partly because the true Spiritual Worshippers by their serious Godliness disgrace and condemn those that lazily rest in an empty Form and therefore they cannot endure them At the bottom of their Hearts they have an enmity and hatred against God and vent it on his People 1 John 3. 12. Not as Cain who
was of that wicked One and slew his Brother And wherefore slew he him Because his own Works were Evil and his Brother 's Righteous Partly Because there is in them a Spirit of Envy and Emulation Both are Rivals for the Favour of God The Spiritual Worshippers take the right way and the Formalists the wrong way to obtain it The first are received the latter rejected And they being at such great pains and costs in their wrong way cannot endure that any should be preferred before them witness Cain and Abel Where carnal Confidence is there is bitterness of Spirit against sincerity 3. Because they have so much to do with God They that look to Men may rest in an outward appearance but one whose Business lieth mainly with God must look to the frame of his Heart that it be right set towards Holiness Now this is the course of a thorow Christian 'T is God's Wrath that he feareth God's Favour that is his Life and Happiness God's Presence into which he often cometh God's Mercy from whom he expecteth his Reward and with God he hopeth to live for ever Now bare Externals arâ— of no account or worth with God John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth 1 Sam. 16. 7. But the Lord said unto Samuel Look not on his Countenâ—nce or on the heighth of his Stature because I have refused him for the Lord seeth not as Man seeth for Man looketh on the outward Appearance but the Lord looketh on the Heart Prov. 16. 2. All the ways of a Man are clean in his own Eyes but the Lord weigheth the Spirit Men judg after the outward Appearance but God weigheth the Spirits 4. Because of the Nature of Gospel-Worship which is simple spiritual and substantial therefore called Spirit often in opposition to the Ceremonies of the Law and the ministration of the Spirit unto Life 2 Cor. 3. 8. The Law is called Letter and the Gospel Spirit Now for a Christian to turn the Ordinances of Christ into Flesh which were appointed to be the Ministration of the Spirit this is to alter the nature of Things and turn the Gospel by which is all our Claim and Hope into a dead Letter 5. This Confidence should not be cherished by a Christian because it can bring no solid Peace to the Conscience for the present External Justificiaries are uncertain the Man that kept all these things from his youth saith What lack I yet Mat. 19. 20. He asketh as a Man unsatisfied for our Bondage doth not wear off with External Duties but is increased rather till we are justified in the Name of Christ and sanctified by his Spirit But suppose it satisfieth blind Conscience for the present yet afterwards Men whose Hearts are not sound in God's Statutes fall into sad Complaints and are involved in a Maze and Labyrinth of Doubts and Troubles whence they know not how to extricate themselves They have so much sense of Religion as to understand their Duty and yet are so little brought under the Power of it as not to be able to make out their claim But if this be not the case of all when the hour of death cometh we shall find all is but froth 1 Cor. 5. 56. If we have not minded the Redeemer's Grace his whole Grace the Imputation of his Righteousness and the Regeneration of his Spirit and lived in obedience to his sanctifying Motions Then we shall be filled with horror and amazement The 1. Use is Caution Take heed of having Confidence in the Flesh of placing Religion and valuing your Interest in God by External Observances but look to this That your Hearts be upright with God in the New Covenant To this end 1. Take heed of a false Happiness The Wisdom of the Flesh which is natural to us doth incline us to it Iames 3. 15. doth only prompt us to Pleasure Profit and Honour We set our Hearts on vain Delights and are wholly carried to them value our Happiness by them Whilst we indulge this sensual Inclination the Soul careth not for God other things are set up instead of God The Belly is God Phil. 3. 10. Whose God is their Belly Mammon is their God Mat. 6. 24. And Honour and worldly Greatness is another Idol which Men set up while they value the praise of Men more than the praise of God Iohn 12. 42. Carnal Self-love maketh Idols and sets up other Gods instead of the True God Now therefore make it your first Work to return to God as your Rightful Lord and Chief Happiness as your Soveraign Lord. If you make it your business and purpose to worship God in the Spirit you will rejoice in Christ and have no Confidence in the Flesh. Spiritual Worship convinceth us of Defects and you will see a need of Christ's renewing and reconciling Grace Our Treasure and Happiness is our God Now therefore do you value your Happiness by the Favour of God and not by woâ—ldly Things 2. In the next place Take heed of a Superâ—icial Righteousness For this is plain Confidence in the Flesh. This maketh you sensless and ignorant of your Danger and careless of the means of your recovery and so your Conviction and Conversion is more difficult And therefore Christ saith That Publicans and Harloâ—s enter into the Kingdom of God before Pharisees and Self-Justiciaries Mat. 21. 31. No Condition is more dangerous than to be poor and proud corrupt and yet conceited and confident The most vicious are sooner wrought upon than those that please themselves in External Observances without real internal Holiness or change of Heart This is Two-fold 1. Outward Ordinances 2. Partial Morality 1. Outward Ordinances To rest in your attendance upon and use of these Consider how displeased God was with those that submitted to Sacraments without Reformation 1 Cor. 10. 1 2 3 4 5. With many of them God was not well-pleased but they were overthrown in the Wilderness Spiritual Meat and Spiritual Drink could not keep them from Destruction when they murmured when they fell from Christ to Idolatry when they lusted after Quails when they tempted Christ And will he be more favourable to you Oh! rest not then in the outward use of the Ordinances of Christ God may vouchsafe you this Favour and yet not be well-pleased with you Many that have eaten and drunk in his Presence yet are finally rejected for their sins Luke 13. 26. Many prize the Seal yet tear the Bond that is break the Covenant yet seem to value the Seal of the Covenant that they may have Confidence in the Flesh in the bare external Performance 2. Partial Morality Those that live fairly and plausibly but want the true Principle the Spirit of Christ the true Rule the Word of God the true End the Glory of God that are in with one Duty and out with another fail in their Duties to God or Men Are much in Worship but defective in
Christi est ubi religio ignobilem facit Coguntur esse mali neviles habeantur Religion makes them base and Men are compelled to be evil that they may not be scorned and disgraced Now we should resolve to be more vile for God 1 Sam. 6. 22. 3. Though Men be not distasted against Christianity in whole yet in part though they be not offended in Christ altogether yet they take offence at some of his ways wherein his Glory and Interest is concerned In the Age that we live in many of those things that fâ—ll within the Conscience and compass of our Duty may be under a cloud and disesteem Now they that have received light about these things should not be offended though the generality of the World decry and oppose them Christ gets up by degrees and where the Main of Religion is received yet all the parts and branches of it are not received which must be required in their place and though we are not always bound to the positive profession of lesser things yet we are bound negatively we must do nothing against the Truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. We must not renounce a Truth because it is run down by vulgar Prejudice but in all meekness of Wisdom own the better way Such constancy of mind is expected from a good Man who consults with Conscience rather than Interest 4. The World may not be able to bear the owning of these Truths and therefore those who set them afoot may be disgraced afflicted and reproachfully used but the knowledg of an hated Truth is a greater Argument of God's Favour than the prosperity of the World Prov. 3. 32. Envy thou not the Oppressor and chuse none of his ways for the Froward is an abomination unto the Lord but his Secret is with the Righteoâ—s 5. There is no Man in the World but if he run up his refusal of Christ or his impenitency and unbelief to its proper Principle he will find it to be some offence or dislike either because of the inward constitution of his Mind or the external state of Religion in the World Either he cannot bring his Heart to suit with the strictness purity and self-denial of Christ's Religion or Christ's Religion to suit with his Heart As the young Man Mark 10. 22. He was sad at that saying and went away grieved for he had great Possessions Or else if both suit the World liketh not the Match so that it cometh to this Point That he must be an Enemy to God or the World James 4. 4. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the World is enmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World is the Enemy of God 2. What is likely to offend since Christ's exaltation of his Person in Heaven and his Religion in the Word 1. The many Calamities which attend the Profession of it Iohn who was his forerunner was now in Prison when Christ spake these words and Christ foretelleth grievous Troubles and Afflictions Mat. 24. 10. And then many shall be offended And he foretelleth us that we may not be offended John 16. 1. These things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended that is scandalized by the Hazards which attend Christ's Service or take occasion to alienate themselves from him yet all will not do Mat. 13. 21. When Persecution ariseth for the Word by and by he is offended A Man is offended when he findeth that which he did not look for Many promise themselves ease and peace in Christianity and when it falleth out otherwise they dislike what they formerly seemed to prize 2. They may take offence at Christ's Doctrine at the Purity the Self-denial the Simplicity the Mysteriousness of it 1. The Purity of it To Holy Men this is an Argument of Love Psal. 119. 140. Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it But to the Carnal of dislike and offence John 3. 20. Every one that doth evil hateth the Light neither cometh he to the Light lest his Deeds should be reproved They have somewhat to conceal somewhat which they are loth to part with And so lest they should be found faulty and engaged to reform themselves they cannot endure the Light of the Gospel and are offended at Christ's strict Doctrine as sore Eyes are at the brightness of the Sun This Light is not only shining but scorching 2. The Mortification and Self-denial of it Mortification respects our Lusts and Self-denial our Interest Our Worldly Interests are the Baits of our Carnal Desires or Lusts Now to crucify the Flesh or deny the World are both distastful to Flesh and Blood And therefore they are apt to say This is an hard saying And what strange Doctrine is this 1 Pet. 4. 4. They think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of riot 'T is matter of great admiration that others should abandon their course of Life The sweetness of Christ's Service is wholly hidden from them therefore they hate that Religion which they do profess and all that are serious in it They think strange God should plant desires in them which he would not have to be satisfied But they do not distinguish between what Nature craveth and Corruption lusteth after That the inordinacy is from themselves and therefore have a secret dislike of Christ in their Souls because they would do what they list not what they ought They would not be fettered by any of his Laws or look upon that Fruit as forbidden which corrupt Nature hath a longing unto as if all necessary restraint were a kind of Prison to them 3. The simplicity and plainness of the Gospel void of humane Wisdom and excellency of words It is a plain thing teaching the way how Sinners may return to God and Blessedness This Doctrine is clad in the simple attire of a vulgar stile and this was the offence of the Gentiles who would be gratified with Eloquence and profound Knowledg 1 Cor. 1. 22. The Iews require a Sign and the Greeks seek after Wisdom that is the Jews who were trained up in extraordinary Dispensations they would have Miracles and Prodigies from Heaven The Gentiles look for profound Philosophy in the Gospel and scorn it because they find it not there Their offence was because they found not matter of Dispute but Practice for they were altogether bred up in the uncertain Debates of their Philosophers But little did these mind that there was a sublimity of Wisdom in this plain Doctrine 1 Cor. 2. 6. We speak wisdom among them that are perfect yet not the Wisdom of this World c. as discovering the true way of easing the Conscience and the nature of true Happiness which were the two things about which the wisest and profoundest of them spent all their Thoughts and Speculations Nor did they mind this That Laws would lose their Authority if not delivered in a plain stile nor would our Duty so clearly be stated by
and the Practice the Form and the Power The Form Manner or Model of Truth may be compleat though the virtue of this Religion doth not prevail over all those that come under the profession of it 'T is against all Reason that the excellency of Christ should stand to the courtesy of Man's Obedience The Art is not to be judged by the bungling of the Artist And then for the other The Love of the Brethren will not permit them that they should judg of all the rest by a few and those the worser part This is as if a Man should judg of a Street by the Sink or Kennel or throw away the whole cluster or bunch of Grapes for one or two rotten ones Shall the Apostles be judged of by Iudas or the good Angels by the Bad or Abraham's Family by Ishmael If some make shipwrack of a good Conscience others keep up the Honour and Majesty of Religion as well as they disgrace it 3. The troublesome Poverty and mean outside of those that profess the Gospel and their many Troubles and Calamities As in Christ's time the Grandees and learned Rabbies did not own Christ. Have any of the Pharisees or Rulers believed in him That is Persons of eminency and place Celsus the Heathen maketh the Objection Should a few Mariners meaning Fisher-men prescribe to the World But God never intended that Truth should be known by Pomp nor condemned or disallowed for Troubles that accompany it The drift of Christianity is to take us off from the hopes and fears of the present World therefore he that liketh Christ and his Promises is not likely to be separated from him by Persecution Rom. 8. â—7 He is held to him not only by the Head but by the Heart Now the use that we should make of this is Caution Take heed of being offended in Christ. I shall 1. shew you who are in danger of it 2. I shall shew you the hainousness of it 3. What we should do to avoid it 1. Who are in danger of it I Answer 1. All such as are hardned in malice and opposition against those that profess Godliness and have a male Talent against Strictness and are glad when it meeteth with any trouble or disgrace The clearest Evidence will not convince these Men. Such were the froward obstinate Jews who were hardned and believed not but spake evil of that way Acts 19. 9. Again There are some that are more moderate but are discouraged in their first attempts of a godly Life and so give over through despondency The Bullock is most unruly at the first yoaking The Fire at first kindling casts forth most smoke this they cannot bear therefore give it over as hopeless And then partly the insincere whose League with their Lusts was never dissolved And again weak Christians who are not fortified and rooted in the Love of God and the Faith and Hope of the Gospel 2. I shall shew you the hainousness of it 1. 'T is unreasonable whatsoever hindreth any Man from coming to Christ or embracing the Gospel 't is an Offence not given but taken There is nothing in Christ to make us stumble and be offended at him Jer. 2. 5. What Iniquity have your Fathers found in me that they are gone far from me and have walked after Vanity and are become vain But every thing that may draw our desire or delight towards him yet by Mens blindness and ignorance 't is very frequent Luke 19. 42. They do not know the things which belong to their peace in this their day 2. 'T is very natural we are apt to set stumbling-blocks in our own way and matter of offence before our own feet And take up every obvious pretence to excuse our selves to our selves from hearkning to the Offers of the Gospel Flesh and Blood will stumble in God's plainest ways Hosea 14. 9. The ways of the Lord are right the Iust shall walk therein but the Transgressors shall fall in them They will count every Mole-hill a Mountain and offended at every thing which concerneth God and their Duty and Obedience to him 3. A prejudicate Opinion and Malice is always apt to pick quarrels at Truth and Goodness Acts 17. 5 6. The Iews which believed not moved with Envy took unto them certain lude Fellows of the baser sort and gathered a Company and set all the City on an uproar and assaulted the House of Jason and sought to bring them out to the People and when they found them not they drew Jason and certain Brethren unto the Rulers of the City crying These which have turned the World upside down are come hither also So Chap. 18. 6. They opposed themselves and blasphemed 4. 'T is a dangerous Sin If we continue to be offended in Christ Christ will be offended at us at the last day We get nothing by dashing against the Corner-Stone we hurt not Christ but our selves Mat. 21. 44. Whosoever shall fall on this Stone shall be broken but on whomsoever it shall fall it will grind him to pouder 3. What shall we do to avoid it 1. Get a clear Understanding or a Zeal according to Knowledg Rom. 10. 2. and Iohn 9. 39. For judgment I am come into the World that they which see not might see and they which see might be made blind This will be the effect of my coming that the Ignorant will be enlightned and learned Men will not see the things before their eyes they were hardned and left to their own prejudices 2. Get a good measure to mete things withal The Jews were offended in Christ because they were leavened with a notion of a pompous Messiah and so judged of all things concerning Christ as they suited with that conceit So Iohn 7. 24. Iudg not according to appearance but judg righteous Iudgment We judg according to appearance but judg not righteous Judgment This is no good measure but an Idol of our Hearts Many are in an evil way but yet want not their pretences As the Tradition of the Elders Matth. 19. 2. And Succession Iohn 8. 33. The Novelty of Christ's Doctrine Mark 1. 27. What new Doctrine is this The vile abject condition of Christ and his Disciples They never enter into the merits of the Cause but determine it by prejudicate Opinions A good measure therefore is necessary there is mensura mensurans and mensura mensurata a measure measuring and the measure that is measured the measure that is measured is an upright unbiassed Mind 3. Labour to get a mortified Heart They are most apt to be scandalized that have a carnal biass upon their Hearts a contrariety of affections to the Gospel Luke 16. 14. Iohn 5. 44. and Iohn 12. 42 43. who are leavened with covetousness jealousy of reputation fear of disgrace and the like 4. Get a fervent Love Psal. 119. 165. Great peace have they which love thy Law and nothing shall offend them 'T is want of a true and hearty love that maketh us so easy and
by which we own God in Christ for our God So the assembling our selves together for publick Worship is a part of this Profession and must not be omitted for fear Heb. 10. 23 with 25. Let us hold fast the profession of our Faith without wavering How vers 25. Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is These Assemblies were instituted for publick converse with God testifying their Union and Agreement in the same Faith and Worship Indeed in lesser Truths that fall within the latitude of allowable differences in the Church Profession is not always a Duty for in some cases we may have Faith to our selves But a denying of God or being ashamed of him is always a sin When called to give an account we are with boldness to own our Profession Acts 4. 10. Be it known unto you all and to all the People of Israel that by the Name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him doth this Man stand here before you whole And Dan. 3. 17 18. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King But if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up 3. This Profession must be honoured and recommended to others by an holy Conversation But now what kind of conversation honoureth Religion 1. Such as is carried on with diligence and seriousness As Noah Heb. 11. 7. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his House by the which he condemned the World and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith They behaved themselves as those that in earnest believed a Flood when they made such thorow preparation which was a just reproof to the security and incredulity of the carnal World Whâ—n we do as we say in good earnest make preparation for another World otherwise Religion is but suspected as a vain pretense and empty talk Then we look after Heaven indeed then we believe it when we do the things that belief bindeth us unto A carnal Man that is all talk and no practice he doth not Religion so much honour in his words as he doth dishonour it in his works He liveth down his Profession while he seemeth to cry it up Titus 1. 16. They profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and unto every good work reprobate Contrary motions are an implicite denial of the Faith 1 Tim. 5. 8. But laziness and negligence do also foment and breed Atheism and we carry on the life of Godliness coldly and faintly and so our Conversations which should be a confirmation of the Gospel prove a confutation rather Those that are Disciples in Name only the Word of God cometh to them in Word only The careless Practicer is as bad as he that is haunted with actual doubts about the Truth of Christianity The troubled Doubter mindeth his business but these never regard it and do in effect say That Christ and his Salvation is not worth the looking after As 't is said of the Israelites Psal. 106. 24. They despised the good Land they believed not his Word Those that resolved to give over the pursuit of Canaan are said to doubt of his Promise So they that neglect Salvation do not believe the truth of it Heb. 2. 3 4. and tho they talk high they secretly propagate their infidelity The strength of our Faith should appear by the diligence of our Lives the seriousness of our Endeavours and the fervor of our Duties Practices do more express the Image of our Minds than Words The Faith that issueth out into Works doth most commend it self to others 2 Thess. 1. 11 12. That you may fulfil the Work of Faith with Power that Christ Iesus may be glorified in you and you in him Then is Christ glorified when you live answerably to your Profession and do by the Power of God carry on an Holy Life upon the incouragements of the Promises of the Gospel 2. Such as is governed by the respects of the other World When we are patient and joyful under the Cross and full of hope and comfort in great straits and delight in our Work which the World hateth and discountenanceth and hope against Hope and live in the Promises Psal. 119. 111. Thy Testimonies have I taken as an Heritage for ever for they are the rejoicing of my heart Then we justify Wisdom and commend our Faith to others God was angry with Moses and Aaron Numb 20. 12. Because ye believed not to sanctify me in the Eyes of the Children of Israel We are not only firmly to believe our selves but to sanctify him in the eyes of others and that is done by the labour of our Faith the patience of our Hope our joyfulness and delight in God when we have but little in hand and the readiness of our Obedience even under deep Sufferings When the Thessalonians had received the Word in much Assurance and 〈…〉 and much joy in the Holy Ghost The Apostle telleth 1 Thess. 1. 5 6 7. They were â—â—samples to all that believed in Achaia and Macâ—donia and from them sounded out the Word of God to other places Thus we propagate our Faith and commend the Truth of God to others The Life of Faith is a glorious Thing but the Life of Sense or Reason hath no glory in it or a Life carried on meerly upon external Probabilities When we can contemn this World both the good and evil things of it in hopes of a better and part with all that is dear to â—s in this World upon the Conscience of our Duty then we justify Wisdom 3. By an exact purity and holiness or a full conformity to all God's Precepts and Institutes and by a faithful discharging all Duties to God and Men. Every true Christian should be a transcript of his Religion 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ written not with Ink but with the Spirit An Epistle is that wherein a Man hath written his Mind our Conversations should be Religion exemplified a real Sermon Phil. 2. 16. Holding forth the Word of Life The Wax hath an impression and stamp left upon it according to what is engraven upon the Seal Then we honour Religion when the impression and print of it is left upon our Hearts and Lives and we are cast into this Mould More particularly Duties of Relations which are visible and easily observed justify and honour Religion Titus 2. 10. and 1 Pet. 2. 15. So is the Will of God that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish Men. These conduce to the good of humane Societies are most regarded and make the ways of God
amiable Thus how Wisdom is to be justified I now come to shew you 2. Why. 1. Because of the charge that is put upon us to testify for God and justify his Ways Isa. 43. 10. Ye are my Witnesses saith the Lord. They that are most acquainted with God can most witness for him So Wisdom's Children can most justify Her They are acquainted with her Promises and Precepts and have experience of the virtue and power of them in comforting and changing the Heart A report of a report is a cold thing they that have felt somewhat in their Hearts that which they have seen and felt they can speak of The World needeth some Witnesses for God some Testimony and preparative inducement to invite them to embrace the ways of God Miracles served for that use heretofore Acts 5. 32. And we are his witnesses of those things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him And in the place of Miracles there succeeded good conversation or the wonderful effects of his Spirit Grace in the Heart and Lives of his Children this is apt to beget wonder as Miracles did 1 Pet. 4. 4. When they can renounce the Lusts which most are mastered by and grow dead to worldly Interests live in the World above the World in the Flesh contrary to the Flesh. A Miracle strikes a little wonderment at first but this sinketh and soaketh to the Heart When Men are so strictly Holy so ravishingly Heavenly and bear up upon the hopes and incouragements of the other World and are so conscientious in all Duties to God and Man you shew that Religion is not a Notion or an Imagination 2. Wisdom deserveth to be justified by us What is there in all the Christian Religion but what is justifiable or that we should be ashamed of Is it the hopes of it The hopes of it are such as are fit to be propounded to Man sought after by all the World but no where discovered with such certainty and distinctness as in the Gospel Nothing doth resine and enâ—ble the Heart so much as these hopes the heavenly Spirit that can support it self with the hopes of an unseen Glory is the only true sublime Spirit an earthly Spirit is a base Spirit so a sensual the dregs of Mankind Amongst Men the ambitious who aspire to Crowns and Kingdoms and aim at perpetual Fame by their Heroick Virtues and Exploits are judged Persons of far greater Gallantry than covetous Muckworms or brutish Epicures yet they are poor base spirited People in their highest Thoughts and Designs to that noble and divine Spirit which worketh in the breast of those who sincerely and heartily seek Heavenly Things For what is the honour of the World to approbation with God temporal Trifles to an everlasting Kingdom Is it the way and means the first the terms of setling our Souls in the way of Faith and Repentance What more Rational Should we return to our Creator's Service without acknowledging our Offence in straying or humbling our selves for our Errors and purposing for the future to live in his Love and Obedience Or can we expect Mercy without returning Reason will say our case is not compassionable Or should God quit his Law without satisfaction Or should we not own our Benefactor the 〈◊〉 satisfying certainly there is 〈…〉 reasonable So also for new 〈◊〉 Therefore Wisdom deserveth 〈…〉 by us 3. Those that condemn Wisdom yet do in some measure at the same time justify it They condemn it with their Tongues but justify it with their Consciences They hate and fear strictness Mark 6. 20. Herod feared John because he was a just Man and an holy and observed him They scoâ—f at it with their Tongues but have a fear of it in their Consciences They revile at it while they live but what mind are they of when they come to die Then all will speak well of an holy Life and the strictest obedience to the Laws of God Numb 23. 10. Let me die the death of the Righteous and let my last end be like his And Mat. 25. 8. Give us of your Oil for our Lamps are gone out Oh that they had a little of that holiness and strictness which they scoâ—fed at whilst they were pursuing their Lusts How will they desire to die As carnal and careless Sinners or as mortiâ—ied Saints They approve it in Thesâ— and condemn it in Hypothesi All the opposers and scoffers at Godliness within the Pale of the visible Church have the same Bible Baptism Creed and pretend to believe in the same God and Christ which they own with those whom they oppose All the difference is the one are real Christians the other are nominal some profess at large others practise what they profess the one have a Religion to talk of the other to live by they approve it in the Form but hate it in the Power A Picture of Christ that is drawn by a Painter they like and the forbidden Image of God made by a Carver they will reverence and honour and be zealous for but the Image of God framed by the Spirit in the Hearts of the Faithful and described in the lives of the heavenly and the sanctified this they scorn and scoff at 4. If we do not justify Religion we justify the World It must needs be so for these two are opposites the carnal World and Wisdom the carnal World must be condemned and Religion justified or Religion will be condemned and the World justified Some condemn the World Heb. 11. 7. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his House by the which he condemned the World and became Heir of the Righteousness which is by Faith Some justifie the World as Israel justified Sodom Ezek. 16. 51. But thou hast multiplied thy Abominations more than they and hast justified thy Sisters in all thine Abominations which thou hast done Their Sin seemeth more excusable you either upbraid their security and carelesness or countenance it by your own practice your seriousness is a real rebuke to the carnal World your working out your Salvation in fear and trembling upbraideth their security and carelesness your rejoicing in God condemneth their carnal delight When you are troubled about a vain Thought and are watchful against a light Word you condemn them for their loosness and wallowing in all silthiness but if not you justify the World and harden the Wicked in their Prejudices and cause them to hold up their course with the greater pretence When you are wrathful proud sensual turbulent self-seeking you are an occasion of stumbling unto them Cyprian in his Book de duplici Martyro bringeth in the Heathens thus speaking Ecce qui jacâ—ant se Redemptos à Tyraâ—â—idae Sathanae qui prâ—â—dicant se mortuos mundo nihilo minus vincuntur à cupiâ—itatibus suis quam nos quos dicunt teneri sub Regno Sathanâ—e quid
Pride and Arrogancy and Self-willedness in all the Sons and Daughters of Adam which makes them uncomfortable in their Relations A Wife would soon prove a Iezabel and not an Abigail and a Husband a Nabal and not a David by Satan's Malice and our own Corruption an Help would soon become a Snare They that would perform the Duties of this Relation need strongly to be supported with the Assistance of God's Spirit Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the Power of his Might Ephes. 6. 10. So that since God giveth all surely his Providence must be owned and acknowledged and you ought to say This is the Wife God hath chosen for me and this is the Husband God hath chosen for me II. Why is this so necâ—ssâ—ry a Duty It doth in a great measure appear from what is said already But farther 1. It will be a great engagement upon us to give God all the Glory of the Comfort we have in such a Relation when you do more sensibly and explicitly take one another out of God's Hands We are apt to look to second Causes he that sendeth the Present is the giver not he that bringeth it to us The Romans were wont once a Year to cast Garlands into their Fountains by that superstition owning the benefit they had by them However it hath a good Moral to us in the Bosom of it that we should own the Fountain of our Blessings and not ascribe them to our own Wisdom and Foresight but the Grace and Favour of God who in the meer Lottery and Chance of humane Affairs was pleased to chuse so well for us Iacob owned his Fountain when he was become two Bands Gen. 32. 10. So should we of him through him to him do mutually infer one another What we have from God must be used for God God is very jealous that we will not look to the Original and first cause of our Mercies Hos. 2. 8. She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplied her Silver and Gold and therefore will I return and take away my Corn and Wine and Oil and Flax c. It is the way to lose our Comforts when we do not own and acknowledg God's Hand in them We are drowned in sense inured and accustomed to second Causes so that God's Hand is invisible and little regarded we know it not or heed it not Now that we may look up and own the first Cause and give him his due Honour it is good to have explicit and actual thoughts in the receiving of our Mercies so as to take them out of God's Hand to draw aside the Vail and Covering of the Creature that you may remember the Giver 2. That we may carry our selves more holily in our Relations it is good to see God's Hand in them Every Relation is a new Talent wherewith God intrusteth us to trade for his Glory and to that end we must make Conscience to use it In Mat. 25. the Master delivered to every one his Goods apart and they that had the Benefit received the Charge We are often pressed to do things as in and to the Lord upon religious and gracious Reasons It hath been the credit of Religion Dent tales Mercatores tales Maritos tales Exactores fisci c. Let History shew such Husbands such Wives c. The Christian Religion maketh a Man conscientiously careful and tender of his Duty to Man not from a natural Principle or from our own Ease Peace and Credit but from the Conscience of our Duty to God Now it must not lose this Credit by you God puts us into Relations to see how we will glorify him in them there is something more required of you then as single Christians God that puts a Man into the Ministry requireth that he should honour him not only as a Christian but as a Minister And God that calleth a Man into Magistracy requireth that he should honour him as a Magistrate So to be a Master of a Family and a Wife or Husband there is another Talent to be accounted for An Ambassador that is sent into a Foreign Country about special Business must give an account not only as a Traveller but as an Ambassor of the Business he was intrusted with God will have honour by you as a Wife or as a Husband you have a new opportunity to make Religion amiable that the unbelieving World may see how profitable the heavenly Life is to humane Society 3. That we may more patiently bear the Crosses incident to this state of Life if God call us to them They that launch forth into the World sail in a troublesome and tempestuous Sea and cannot expect but to meet with a Storm before they come to the end of their Voyage The married Life hath its Comforts and also its Encumbrances and Sorrows Now it will sweeten all our Crosses incident to this Condition when we remember we did not rashly enter into it by our own choice but were led by the fair directure and fair invitation of God's Providence we need not much be troubled at what overtaketh us in the way of our Duty and the Relations to which we are called that Hand that sent the Trouble will sanctify it or he will over-rule things so that they shall work for our good If God call us into this Estate â—he will support us in it It is a great satisfaction to you that you are acting that part in the World which God would have you act that you can say I am there where God hath set me and therefore will bear the Troubles that attend that state and condition of Life If a Man run on his own Head and Inconveniences arise they are more uncomfortably born It is true that God doth fetch off his People from the Afflictions they have brought upon themselves by their Sin and Folly such is the indulgence of his Grace yet those Sufferings are the more uncomfortable that take us out of the way of our Duty and God hath undertaken only to keep us in all our Ways but not out of our Duty Psalm 91. 11. The Promises are not to foster Men in their running after Folly but to encourage them in their several Callings and state of Life wherein God hath set them there we may abide with comfort and expectation either of God's Blessing or his Support We tempt God when we venture upon a state of Life which he hath not called us to and have not his Warrant but when it is not good for us to be alone and the Lord sends an help-meet for us he will not forsake us 4. We may with the more confidence apply our sâ—lves to God and depend on him for a Blessing upon a Wife of God's chusing or an Husband of God's chusing We have access to the Throne of Grace with more hope because we have given up our selves to his Direction Prov. 3. 6. In all thy ways acknowledg him and he shall direct