asking what thou wouldest have Oh poor sinner return this answer Not the Form only but the power of godliness also As Luther protested God should not put him off with any thing on this side himself So let it be thy Resolution not to be put off with any thing on this side the power of godliness To quicken you hereunto consider these Motives 1. The Disesteem your meer shews have with God as Psal 73. 20. When thou awakest thou shalt despise their Image All the pomp and glory of the World is but as an Image or fancy in a dream When the Lord awakes to Judgment he will contemn the bravery of the World So he will despise and disrespect thy Form of Godliness Is 1. 11. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices to me said God to the formal Jews I delight not in the blood of Bulls or of Lambs or of he-Goats v. 12. When ye come to appear before me who required this at your hands to tread my Courts when yet he himself required it v. 13. Bring no more vain oblations to me incense is an abomination to me the New-moons and Sabbaths the calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn meeting and yet these things were expresly prescribed them by the Lord. But now for sincere hearts Psal 102. 17. He will regad the prayer of the destitute of poor shrubs as the word signifies he will not despise their prayer whose hearts are honest though never so weak for Psal 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Mark a broken heart is not a Sacrifie only but Sacrifices i. e. instead of all Sacrifices and that of God i. e. not only of Gods appointment but approbation and acceptance also Therefore he saith Is 66. 2. To this man will I look q. d. He that made heaven and earth seems to overlook all other things and persons and casts a loving look on him that is poor that hath the power of Godliness 2. The Dammage you will sustain Luke 8. 18. from him shall be taken that which he seemeth to have a counterfeit complexion will not last long That is a strange word 2 John 8. Take heed you lose not those things ye have wrought If thou hast but a Form of godliness thou art in danger to lose all thy praings hearings fastings receivings of the Lords Supper c. All the Prayers thou hast said all the Sermons thou hast heard all the Chapters thou hast read all the Fasts thou hast kept all the Sacraments thou hast received c. And what an unutterable and intolerable loss will this be I may say and allude to Psal 39. 6. Surely every man walketh in a vain shew so most men live in a vain form of Religion or I may say on better grounds and I hope with a better heart Matth. 26. 8. To what purpose is all this waste The Swan was in the Law rejected for Sacrifice because it had a black skin under white feathers 3. The Damnation you are obnoxious unto Luke 20. 47. Who for a shew make long Prayers the same shall receive greater damnation with Matth. 23. 14. for a pretence make long Prayer therefore ye shall receive greater damnation Observe by the way long Prayers are not condemned as simply unlawful in themselves for Solomon made a long Prayer at the Dedication of the Temple and so did they in a solemn day of humiliation spending the fourth part of the day in confession and supplication c. and our Saviour Christ himself continued all night in Prayer to God Luke 6. 12. but great Devotion was pretended when grievous Destruction was intended when they did colour their foul sins with fair shews the strength of their iniquities with the length of Prayer These formal Pharisees did palliate their covetousness and cruelty with seeming Piety devouring whole houses there was their covetousness and of widdows which could not relieve themselves there is their cruelty All which was the worse in endeavouring to make the holy and pure God the Author or at least fautour of their impiety Such mens condemnation shall be greater for dissembled Sanctity is double Iniquity I shall now propound to you some Directions 1. Give credit to the Doctrine delivered and that meer profession will not bring a Soul to Salvation Matth. 7. 21. Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven yea though he prayes with a seeming zeal as the doubling of the word Lord Lord seems to import Judas gave a kiss to Christ yet is gone to his own place i. e. to Hell Acts 1. 25. For I do not think that the clause of that vers is to be referred to Matthias as some would have it for then the words foregoing must be put in a Parenthesis which is uncouch and that by place is understood his Province office or Ministry suits not with the stream of Expositors nor with the language of the Scripture elsewhere and Scripture must expound Scripture A kiss then of Profession may be attended with damnation in Hell None are kept out of Heaven for lamented badness but for supposed goodness A Ship ca'ld the Safeguard or Good-speed have been shipwrackt This Historical Faith hath been the beginning of conversion to some as the needle for the thread 2. Get Christ and union with him Let him be formed in thy heart Gal. 4. 15. Be in Christ and be a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. See Ephes 2. 12. To be without Christ is the Van and to be without God is the Rear of all Misery There may be saith Austin a visible form of a branch without the Vine but it cannot have the life of the invisible root except it be in the Vine 3. Go to the publick Ministry of the Word wear the threshold of the Sanctuary wait on God in that Ordinance As Christ said to his Disciples Luke 24. 49. Tarry ye in Jerusalem until ye be indued with power from on high indued or cloathed this word answers that Hebrew word in Judg. 6. 34. which the Septuagint translate cloathed At Jerusalem the Gospel began to be preached v. 47. according to that Gospel-Prophet Is c. 2. 3. Out of Zion shall go forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Therefore say I miss not a Sermon Without the power of Religion the poor Soul is in a naked condition and here is the Wardrop whence this cloathing may be had Grieve and groan that thou hast lived so long in a Form of Devotion without the power and pray as well as thou canst for the Spirit of power 2 Tim. 1. 7. We cannot pray without the Spirit and yet we are allowed to pray for the Spirit and God hath promised to give the Spirit to them that pray Luke 11. 13. Much more shall the Heavenly Father give
were marching towards Canaan Pyrats will not set upon an empty Pinnace but a Merchants Ship laden with gold and silver and rich commodities from the Indies A Thief will not break into an empty barn but into an house furnished with good houshold-stuff and money Now carnal men are told of this and therefore they are resolved against the power of godliness 3. For both together Some have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof Because of 1. The Wofull depravation of mans corrupted nature It is agreeable to mans naughty heart to have a form and to deny the power of godliness He hath in him so much imperfect goodness as that makes him to receive the Form of holiness and yet withall so much predominant badness as makes him to deny the power of holiness Psal 12. 2. a double heart An heart in shew for God and goodness an heart indeed for sin and Satan as that man of sin is rightly called Antichrist the Praeposition signifies pro con In shew he is for Christ in substance against Christ So that it is no more a wonder to see some have a Form and deny the power of Godliness then to see a Crow black 2. The Wily disposition of Satan who is very busie to water and cherish the seeds of Formality of godliness and of enmity against the power of godliness He was a glorious Angel by Creation and is become an ugly Devil by his defection and being fallen from heaven he maligns the happiness of poor souls He is therefore content that men should carry Gods Livery on their backs so that they will wear his favour in their bosoms He is content that men should be Gods servants in shew so that they will be his slaves indeed Thus it was with Ananias and Saphira who seemed to be as forward and charitable Christians as the best but out of base fear and diffidence least they should want in their old age kept back part of the price being said therefore to be filled with Satan this is that spirit Eph. 2. 3. that works effectually in the children of disobedience The heart is the Fort-royall and if he can keep that he cares not much for the outworks 3. The Wise dispensation of God who doth justly punish a number of men that live within the pale of the Church giving them up to Satan and to their own naughty hearts to be deluded with new forms that he might avenge himself on them for neglecting the seasons of grace and rejecting the blood of Christ tendred in the Gospel 2 Thes 2. 11. He gave them up to strong delusion Rom. 1. 18. who hold imprison and impound the truth in unrighteousness God doth this holily and justly but man unholily and unjustly Information 1. There is a godliness not only in words and complements but in deed and in truth There is good coyn though some bad There is a faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1. 5. a Love without dissimulation Rom. 12. 9. wisdom without hypocrisie Jam. 3. 17. an obedience from the heart Rom. 6. 17. 2. The goodness and excellency of Religion because the worst of men will have the form of it That must needs be good it was wont to be said that Nero persecuted and godliness must be good when vile men assume the form of it There was sure some worth in Samuel in whose mantle and likeness the Devil appeared Gold and silver are pretious things because they are counterfeited Wisdom is the principal thing Prov. 4. 7. and wisdom is good with an inheritance Eccles 7. 11. and it is sad also without it Men may hate in heart to be reformed in their life when yet they take Gods Covenant in their mouths Psal 50. 16 17. 3. Wherein the excellency of Religion lies not in the form but in the power of godliness Religion consists not in profession but in power and practice Jam. 1. 26. 27. If any man seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue this mans religion is in vain Pure Religion is to visit the fatherless c. Faith without works is dead Jam. 2. 17. Col. 2. 23. a shew of wisdom But the power of Religion is the substance and sinews as Theoph. calls it 4. Who are Hypocrites Some think the Papists are Dissemblers in Religion that have but a form and shew of Religion and deny and detest the power of it that pray for pureness and holiness of life but their hearts rise up in a secret Antipathy against it 5. Who are Fanatiques our ears are filled with the sound of that word which comes from a Greek word that signifies to appear or seem to be what they are not Now in Gods Name let them be taken for Fanatiques even in the sense of the Irish Dialect who have a Form of godliness but deny the power of it 2. For instruction 1. Let us examine our selves narrowly and impartially Whether we have a form of godliness and deny the power of it To quicken us hereunto consider Mot. 1. There are such in the bosom of the visible Church Of four sorts of ground there was but one good Mat. 13. 8. 23. 7. 47 48. The kingdom of heaven is like a Net that gathers bad as well as good fish Christ floor hath chaff in it as well as wheat his field hath Goats in it as well as Sheep his visible body hath rotten members in it fit to be cut off as well as sound to be cherished There is a Jew outward as well as inward Rom. 2. 28 29. and Rom. 9. 6. They are not all Israel who are of Israel It is good therefore to try whether we be the persons that live in the visible Church having a Form only 2. There are such even in Gospel times if this may be distinguished from the former ver 1. in the last days that is in Gospel-times of the New-Testament Some say when an end of time is meant then the singular number is used as four times in Joh. 6. 39 40 44 54. and I will raise him up at the last day But when continuance of time is meant it s used in the plural number as 2 Pet. 3. 3. there shall come in the last days scoffers which have lasted these 1600. years and shall till Christ come again to Judgement But this is not currant if you read 1 Joh. 2. 18. the last time twice in that verse and Jam. 5. 3. Ye have heaped up treasure together for the last dayes Howsoever without doubt here by the last days are meant Gospel times It is good therefore to examine whether we have but a Form for if there was a Judas among twelve in Christs family who was so good a Master what may we think now 3. Men may be guilty of gross sin and yet have a form of godliness Some conceive these words are to be referred to the 18. particulars aforementioned Men shall be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient
to parents unthankfull and which is strange unholy ver 2. and yet have a form of godliness without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers Divels as the word signifies c. ver 3. and yet have a form Traytors c. ver 4. and yet have a form of godliness Such were those Israelites who are called Rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrha Isa 1. 10. to 16. Such were they mentioned Jer. 7. 9 10. Who did steal murder commit adultery swear falsely and burn incense to Baal yet they did stand before the Lord in his house Such were they in Ezek. 33. 31 32. It s good therefore to try whether we be not the men and women having but a Form But secondly I must premise these Rules or Cautions 1. It is not simply sinful to have a form All shews of Religion are not unwarrantable but where there is no substance Though all is not gold that glisters yet true gold will glister A man cannot carry a candle in a Lanthorn except a dark one but the light will be seen through the horns of it There is a Spanish Proverb Three things cannot be kept in viz. a Cough Fire and Love to which you may well add grace of which shews are not only allowed but commanded Matth. 5. 16. Let your light so shine c. Phil. 2. 16. holding forth the word of life as the Admiral-ship holds out its Lanthorn behind that the rest of the Fleet in a foggy day or dark night may steer their course accordingly 1 Pet. 2. 9. that ye should shew forth the praises or vertues of him But to be a shell without a kernel as they say of Halifax-nuts that is naught 2. I deny not but there may be some Reality even in Formality as to the third ground Matth. 13. 20. there was a real cause viz. the Spirit of God though by an inferior and common operation and a real effect joy though it was but temporary and a real subject an hearer a rational creature Indeed a Picture of a man hath no life though it seem to see c. but comparisons run not as they say on four feet Real I say in opposition to imaginary not to hypocritical I confess it is very hard to distinguish between the form and power of godliness The Tares mentioned Matth. 13. were so like the Wheat in those Countries that it was no easie matter to distinguish them therefore Christ would not have them pulled up True Balsom cannot at least for a while be distinguished from counterfeit Is 1. 25. and take away thy Tin Tin we know is so like to Silver that some are deceived therewith so is the form like to the power There is a likness between a Bristol and an Indian Diamond yet a skilful Jeweller can distinguish if I fall short impute it to want of skill not of will The Characters now are branched into Negative and Affirmative 1. Negative which are five in Number He hath but a form of godliness where there is 1. No Sense of the burden of sin or of Gods wrath or the woful condition of man by nature If he never felt any trouble of mind any affliction of spirit for a state of unregeneracy or for some special corruption he hath but a form I know that Matthew without any trouble of spirit that we read of was called from the receit of Custom and God opened the heart of Lydia without sensible pangs and Timothy it's thought suckt in grace together with his mothers milk but this is not Gods ordinary way The Lord himself humbled Adam Gen. 3. before he preached the Gospel the promised seed to him Peters hearers Acts 2. 37. were pricked at heart as with the Pâ—ntosa needle or dagger before they were comforted Paul himself was unhorst and laid level with the ground before he had a principle of grace insused Therefore the Spirit is called the Spirit of bondage Rom 8. 15. because it is the work of the Spirit to convince a sinner of his bondage to sin Satan and Gods wrath before he becomes a Spirit of Adoption 2. No Serving the Lord in private and secret Good Joshua resolved that he and his house would serve the Lord. Cornelius Acts 10. 2. a devout man and prayed to God alwaies Look the Title of the 30th Plalm at the dedication of the house of David teaching us that our houses should be little Sanctuaries and Oratories for the Worship of God To prove Job an Hypocrite it was charged though falsely on him that he did restrain Prayer before God A true Christian hath secret sins to bewail and secret mercies to beg and there Christ is held by the Soul in the Galleries What is Prayer but a friendly conference a familiar talk with God Now thou canst pray thou saist in the Church but no Prayer at all in thy house in thy closet When did Jesus Christ see thee upon thy knees in secret Thou art a meer stranger to God and com'st not at him 3. No Seeking the Lord for himself but for a mans own self Isal 9. 13. neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts with Hos 7. 10. nor seek him the Lord for all this I dout not but they prayed and sought the Lord that plough was not to stand still but it was for themselves Zach. 7. 5 6. When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh moneth 〈…〉 all fast unto me even unto me when you did eat and drink did ye not eat for your selves and drink for your selves It should be to Gods glory 1 Cor. 10. 31. that is the ultimate end The Hawk may sore high but he hath an eye on the prey below Self and nothing but self is sought as the last and highest end by him that hath but a form He looks asquint at his own credit profit c. as those slaunting Preachers did Phil. 1. 15 16. or â—s Israel who was an empty Vine bringing forth fruit to her self being the plenty was bestowed on their Altars as next words shew and so on themselves 4. No Stability in any good course or company James 1. 8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes Mark a double-minded man in allusion to Psal 12. 2. A double heart a heart and an heart is unstable as a bowl on a smooth table ready to run with every tick of the finger Off and on in duty up and down in Religion in good company he seems to be demure in bad company debaucht perhaps like water that conforms it self to the figure of the vessel whereinto it is put True it is a good man may be disadvantaged by the society with the bad but this is not usual and it is lamented sadly Ps 120. 5. Woe is me that I sojourn in Mesech Is 6. 5. Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwelt in the midst of a People of unclean lips which brings me to the last
5. No Sorrow for sin specially for distractions in Gods Worship It 's the disposition of him that hath the form only to rove in his mind from God in his service and that without regret of spirit without remorse of 〈◊〉 Is 29. 13. with Matth. 15. 8. This people draweth nigh to me with their mouth but have removed their heart far from me As Dinah would needs be gadding abroad to see the fashions of the Country but came home ravished Luther speaking with sadness of distractions in Prayer a Countryman hearing him said he could pray without a distracted thought to whom Luther said Deal truly with me and if thou canst say the Lords Prayer without a distracted thought I will give thee my horse The Countryman said A match Sir hear what follows with pitty and patience and not with laughter and irreverence When he was come to the middle of the Lords Prayer he said But shall I have the bridle and saddle too Oh woful and convincing Instance of distractions Believe it Sirs this man is not alone he hath too many fellows whose hearts never smot them kindly for their roving imaginations in Gods Service He that hath the power of godliness indeavours to keep his heart close to God in duty 2. Sam. 7. 27. thy servant hath found in his heart to pray this Prayer that is to say he hath gathered together all his thoughts and affections and recalled them from the errors of the World to unite and imploy them all in making this Prayer before thee He labours conscientiously to come up to that command 1 Cor. 7. 25. to attend upon the Lord without distraction for he knows that a torn beast must not be eaten Exod. 22. 31. nor distracted services will be well-pleasing to the Lord. God would not have a Foal offered in sacrifie to be divided Levit. 1. 17. to teach us to take heed of distractions in Gods Service But if the heart be wandring as who can say he is pure as to this he mourns unseignedly for it and with the woman pours out tears Luke 7. 38. to admiration Behold Earth waters Heaven whereas Heaven was wont to water the Earth as Chrysologus said So that if thou didst never feel the burden of sin nor seek God for himself nor makest Conscience to pray to him in secret nor indeavourest to keep an even tenour in good courses and company nor mournest for sin specially for the rovings and wandrings of thy mind in Gods Worship as sure as can be thou art the man thou art the woman that hast a form of godliness and deniest the power of it Thus of the Negative Signs I come now to the Affirmative but I must take notice of one Character that is obnoxious to just Question It hath been preached within a mile of an Oak that They who are against forms of Prayer have but a form of godliness An uncharitable unscriptural unsavoury expression a very false mark For 1. It doth not appear that our Saviour Christ used a form of Prayer though it be said Matth. 26. 44. He prayed the third time saying the same words For the last clause might be referred to the Disciples to whom he spake the same words as seems to be hinted by Dr. Hammond He left them without saying MUCH TO THEM But if that Clause is to be refer'd to Prayer There is no necessity to understand it of Christs reciting the self-same words as is observed to my hand Nor indeed is there verity in it for if you compare v. 39. with v. 42. its clear that he did not use the same words without variation and sure the Evangelist did not contradict himself It should be then translated for it is in the singular number the same Reason Motive or Argument in Prayer and then the meaning is that Jesus Christ did in Prayer press and urge his Father with the same Reason or Argument the third time not that he used the self-same words in a stinted Form And had Christ the form of godliness and not the power This is little less then blasphemy 2. Though the Lords Prayer be a form of Prayer as I will not deny yet it hath not been and I suppose cannot be proved that the Apostles ever used it as such The Scripture is silent and where God hath not a Tongue to speak we are not bound to believe And had the Apostles a form of godliness only and not the power 3. The Primitive Church had no form of Prayer till Gregory the Great 600 years after Christ and his Form was not imposed till 800 years after Christ under Charles the Great And had these Christians in the purest Primitive times the form of godliness and and not the power 4. Add hereunto if you will distinguish an undoubted Testimony out of Cocrates according to Christophorsons Translation Apud omnes Religionum sectarum formas nusquam reperire peteris duas quae in precandi more inter se consentiant i. e. Amongst all the forms of Religions and Sects a man could nowhere find two of them to agree in the same manner of praying And had none of them the power but the form of godliness only I pray you do me that Favour nay that Justice to bear me witness that I do not preach against a Form of Prayer that is not my business I own a Form of knowledge Rom. 2. 20. read even now in the second Lesson where the same word is used and a Form of wholsome words 2 Tim. 1. 13. though it be not the same word with that in my Text and a form of Doctrine Rom. 6. 17. where the Word is compared to a Mould and Hearers to melted mettal cast into it and Forms of Prayers and praises mentioned in the Scripture yea and Forms of Confession of Faith and of singing Psalms in the publick Assembly c. but my Design is to shew the weakness and falshood of that Assertion not long since delivered in a great Congregation as aforesaid Thus I have made some way to 〈…〉 Signs He that hath but a Form of Religion 1. Sets out himself of purpose to the shew doing his work of purpose to be seen of men when as he might conceal the knowledge of them and that for the applause of the World not for the approbation of God As the formal Pharisees Matth. 23. 5. All their works they do for to be seen of men which is evident in three Instances as in Alms Matth. 6. 2. and in prayer v. 5. and in Fasting v. 16. Thus Jehu could not be zealous but Johonadab must take notice of it 2 Kings 10. 16. And he said Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord Like Agrippa and Berniâ—â— that came with great pomp the phrase is with much fancy all this outward pomp is but a fancy or as Stage-players that act their parts on a Stage to be seen and applauded That is