bloud to cast up thy accounts truly what good thou hast done or what thou hast got by such and such contentions and on the other side cast up what the hurt thou hast done what sin hath been committed what evill hath got into thy spirit I fear you will have little cause to boast of or rejoyce in your gains To be freed from that expence that comes in by strife is not a little gain says Ambrose In strife you will finde there is a very great expence of time of gifts and parts Many men in regard of the good gifts God hath given them might have proved shining Lights in the Church but by reason of their contentious spirits they prove no other then smoaking firebrands It may be by all the stirre you keep you shall never get your minde if you do it will not quit cost the charge you have been at for it comes to much more then it is worth God deliver me from having my minde at such a dear rate The fifth joyning Consideration The strongest hath need of the weakest LEt not the hand say it hath no need of the foot nor the eye it hath no need of the hand God hath so tempred the body that every member hath need of every member It was a sweet spirit in Peter that great Apostle writing to the scattered Christians he begins his Epistle thus Simon Peter a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us Little nayles may be usefull where great wedges can do no good Little chips may help to set great logs on fire The sixth Consider when any thing falls out that occasions strife it may be this is but for a triall this is a temptation WHen men provoke us we are ready to flye upon them looking no further then the men with whom we are displeased But if you look a little further perhaps you may see the Devill is on the other side of the hedge and hath been the chief agent in this business Augustine presseth this by a most excellent similitude When a Fowler saith he hath set his net to catch Birds he sets it at a distance from the hedge and when he has done he takes stones and throwes at the hedge upon this the Birds flye out and flutter about The Fowler does not intend any hurt to the hedge neither does he think to hit any Birds with his stones but that which is in his eye is the net on the other side of the hedge he hopes to drive the Birds in there So sayes he the Devill prepares his net to catch men in he raises up contentions and causes much trouble to be in Churches and among brethren you think all the evill is in the trouble of your present contentions Oh no the Devill is behinde he intends to bring some of you into some great sin by these he hath set his net for you when you are troubled and vexed by such contentions the Devill sees you fit for a temptation now I hope I shall get him to do such and such things which otherwise I could never have got him to Oh that we had hearts when we find contentions stirring to consider But is there not a temptation in them The seventh Consider how the heart of God is set upon making peace with us and what it cost him GOd was in Christ reconciling the world to himself this work hath taken up the thoughts councels heart of God from all eternity above any thing that ever he did this is the chief master-piece of all the works of God There is more of the glory of God in this then in all that God hath done This is and shall be the object of the admiration of Angels and Saints the matter of their praises to all eternity The heart of God was so in this that he was resolved to have it whatsoever it cost him it cost the dearest that ever any thing in this world did yea the price of it was more then ten thousand worlds are worth it was no lesse then the bloud of the Sonne of God of him who is the second person in Trinity God blessed for evermore Col. 1. 14. In whom we have redemption through his bloud who is the image of the invisible God the first borne of every creature by him were all things created he is before all things by him all things consist in him all fulnesse dwels and having made peace through the bloud of his Crosse ver 20. What God hath done for peace with us cals aloud to us to prize peace one with another It is the Apostles argument 1 Joh. 3. 16. He laid down his life for us we ought to lay downe our lives for the brethren It cost his life to make our peace with God We should be willing to do any thing we are able even to the hazard of our lives to make peace among the Saints Christ laid down his life even for this peace also Ephes 2. 14. For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broke downe the middle wall of partition betweene us having abolished in his flesh the enmity to make in himselfe of twaine one new man so making peace and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the Crosse Christ reconciles both unto God but how it is in one body Lay this Consideration warm at your hearts and it will comfort your hearts and so preserve and encrease peaceable dispositions in you towards one another The eighth Consider how unworthy we were when Jesus Christ received us into union with himselfe WHat uncomely what loathsome creatures we were yet Christ took us into his bosome into his heart and resolved that never any thing should seperate us from him againe But that those embracements of his should be everlasting and yet shall every trifle take us off from one anothers hearts shall every jealous spusitious conceit every little difference be enough to seperate us and that almost irreconcileably Have we the spirit of Christ in us is the same minde in us that was in Christ Jesus The ninth Consider that we are called to Peace GOD hath called us to peace 1 Cor. 7. 15. That case upon which the Apostle mentions our calling to peace is as difficult a case to preserve peace in as any can fall out in ones life It was the case of man and wife unequally yoaked one is a Beleever the other an Infidell yet being man and wife the Apostle determines that the Beleever must be content to live with the unbeleever as it becomes a wife or a husband except he or she of themselves will depart but they should give them no occasion of departing but rather by their holy humble conversation seek to convert them this no question was accounted a hard task but it must be sayes the Apostle and upon this he grounds it for God hath called us to peace There is another case almost as difficult as
of closing common gifts are of a middle nature between nature and grace as the spirits of a man are neither of the same nature with the soule nor of the body but between both and serve to unite the soule and body together which otherwise are of natures very different The common gifts that men who are not yet sanctified have may and should cause some union between the godly and them while they live in this world so far as to be usefull one to another in what God hath given them The second joyning Consideration Let us consider how farre we can agree VVE differ thus and thus but what doe we agree in doe we not agree in things enough wherein we may all the dayes of our lives spend all the strength we have in glorifying God together Many men are of such spirits as they love to be altogether busied about their brethrens differences their discourse their pens and all their wayes are about these and that not to heale them but rather to widen them You shall not hear them speak of or meddle with their agreements their strength is not bent to heighten and strengthen them if at any time they do take notice of their agreements it is to make advantage of them to render their disagreements the more odious or to strengthen themselves in what they differ from them they desire to get in men and to get from them only to serve their owne turnes upon them this is an evill spirit No marvaile therefore though some be so loath to discover to them how near they can come to him Pliny tells us of Apelles that drawing the face of Antiochus the King who had but one eye that he might hide this deformity he devised to paint him turning his visage a little away so he shewed but the one side of his face and from him sayes Pliny came the invention first of concealing the defects and blemishes of the visage But the Painters of 〈◊〉 time are quite in another way if there be any deformity or defect on any side they will be sure to paint that side in all the linâ—â—ments of it that must be set forth fully to the view of all men yea if it may be made to look more ugly and monstrous then it is all the skill they have shall be improved to do it But my brethren this ought not to be God doth not so with us he takes notice of the good of his children but conceals their evill There was but one good word in Sarahs speech to Abraham Gen. 18. 12. she called him Lord the speech otherwise was a speech of unbelief yet the holy Ghost speaking afterwards of her in reference to that speech 1 Pet. 3. 6. conceals all the evill in it and mentions only that reverend title she gave to her husband commending her for it Thus should we do had we peceable hearts thus we would do all the good of our brethren we would improve to the uttermost and what is evill so far as with a good conscience we might we could conceal When I shall see this temper in mens spirits I shall hope there will be peace The third joyning Consideration Let us consider of mens tempers spirits temptations education yeeres gifts THere must be a due consideration of all these and we must indulge something to them all This would allay much strife as we read Numb 31. 23. Every thing that may abide the fire ye shall make it goe thorough the fire and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make goe thorough the water We must deal with every man according to his temper Some men are by their complexions of a more harsh and rugged temper then others Consider what is the best way of dealing with such in the main they are faithfull and usefull they will joyn with you there and spend their lives for you if the harshness of their natures cause some excrescencies unpleasing carriages consider their tempers though no evill in them is to be justified yet deal tenderly with them indulge them what lawfully you may Some mens spirits though upright to God and you yet they have a fervor in them that is not qualified with that wisdome meekness humility as they ought do not presently take these advantages against them that they in their heat may perhaps give you do not fly upon them as if those unjustifiable expressions that com from them came from a spirit of malignity You know the man and the manner of his communication pass by weaknesses accept of uprightnesse Some mens temptation are very strong it may be their hearts are pressed with disappointments it may be they are pricked with the want of many comforts you have they have family-temptations and personall temptations that you are freed from you do not know what you might doe if you were under the like temptations Blesse God that you are delivered from them but do not adde to your brethrens affliction by taking advantages against them but according to the rule of the Apostle Gal. 6. 1. If a man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekness considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted Beare ye one anothers burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ Consider their education Some men have been brought up altogether amongst Prelaticall men perhaps among Papists some all their dayes have lived in wicked families they never were acquainted with the society of the Saints with that way of godlinesse that hath the most strictnesse and power in it You must not deale with them for all things you see amisse in them in the same way you would deale with such who have had godly education who have had acquaintance with the most strict and powerfull wayes of godlinesse but now manifest a spirit against them Consider mens yeares old age looks for respect and justly especially such as have gone through the brunt and suffered much for your good though some infirmities should break forth that are incident to old age we must cover and passe by what we can not forgetting that reverent respect that is due to the hoary head found in the way of godlinesse Consider mens gifts it may be they are not able to rise to your height to understand what you do thank God for your strength but be not angry with your brother because he is weaker This was one of the arguments for peace that Constantine in that forementioned Letter of his to Alexander and Arius used we are not in all things like minded neither have we all the same nature and gift engrafted in us The fourth joyning Consideration What we get by contention will never quit cost A Merchant thinks it an ill venture if when he casts up his accounts he finds the charge of his voyage rises to more then his incomes If thou hast so much command of thy spirit if thou canst so farre overcome thy passions as to get a time in coole
should not agree that they may be like the witnesses that came against Christ who could not agree in their testimony Paul cast a bone of dissention between the Pharisees and Sadduces But when men love division and desire the continuance of it First to maintain that which is evill Secondly to aime at their owne ends not regarding what publike mischiefes come so their own private advantages may be served not caring what house be on fire so their eggs may be rosted if they may have some poor pedling private benefit by them 3ly Not caring what the divisions are whether against good or against evill so be it their turn may be served This is abominable and cursed is that man that wishes for or rejoyces in or seeks the continuance of divisions for these base ends Yea that man is not worthy to breath in so good a Land as England is who would not willingly lay downe his his life to cure the present divisions and distractions that are amongst us who would not desire with Nazianzen as formerly Jonah to be cast into the Sea himself so be it all might be calm in the Publique Oh cruell hard-hearted man who for his own private advantage is not sensible of the woful miseries of Church and State yea of that dreadfull dishonour to the name of God caused this day by our sad divisions miserable distractionsâ— just it were that such a man should be separated to evil and that his name should be blotted out from under heaven But if things were setled in Church and State some men should not have such liberties as now they have therefore they are willing enough to have our differences continued their plot is to lengthen them out First That which thou callest seeking to lengthen out divisions it may be God now accounts and will another day call seeking after the nearest union with himselfe and the firmest union of his Saints Secondly the liberties these men seek for are either evill or good If evill oh how dearly do they buy that which is evill with bringing the guilt of all that evil that comes from our divisions upon themselves you need not wish any enemy more evil upon his head then this certainly such a man hath load enough upon him But if those liberties they seek be good or but supposed by them to be so why then should they feare a right setling of things what ever is good can be no enemy unto good That Scripture Rom. 13. 3. is enough to keep their hearts from fearing the right ordered power of authority especially from fearing it so farre as by the feare of it to be driven into such a desperate guilt of wickednesse as this is to desire or endeavour the continuance of such publique mischiefe for their own ends Rulers saith the Text are not a terrour to good works but to evil wilt thou then not be afraid of their power doe that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same Surely then the power was as formidable to any thing a christian heart could suppose good as now any power is like to be that we have to deale with Thirdly it is a sign of a very poor low unworthy spirit to think that any in whom thou hast any perswasion there is any feare of God or interest in Christ should have no higher thoughts for their support and encouragement in what they conceive good according to the mind of Christ but such as the hopes or desires of continuance of such wofull evils in the divisions of Church and State raiseth in them if they did believe that Christ took no more care of them then so but left them to such miserable supports as these are their condition were sad indeed 4ly If such basenesse of spirit as this is were ruling in them which hath in it the malignity of all the dregs of an evil spirit surely you would find it working in them in some other thing save only in that wherein they differ from you For certainly it is impossible but that man that is so left of God to such dregs of evill must needs break out to some other vile evils in a little time It were strange if such horrid wickednesse of a mans heart should break out in nothing else The Lord therefore be Judg between his servants and those men yea those men professing godlinesse who have such hard thoughts of them and the Lord convince them of all their hard speeches and hard writings in this thing CHAP. XI The fifth dividing Principle That every man is bound to professe and practice alwayes what he apprehends to be truth THis hath the greater strength because it comes under a shew of exact godlinesse I do not mean an hypocriticall shew but an appearance to mens consciences It is very dividing For first if while many things lye in mens owne thoughts they cause much strife within themselves their reasonings are very divers Though they have all the some tincture from the same affections and are swayed by the same ends then when these things come abroad before others who have not the same reasonings nor the same affections to give them such a tincture but reasonings and affections running quite another way nor the same ends to sway them but quite different to poyse them a cross way there must needs be much strife such divisions as will be hard to reconcile If men sometimes can hardly prevail with their own thoughts to agree notwithstanding the sway of their own affections and ends how are they like to agree with others whose affections and ends are so various from theirs Secondly if men doe presently professe and practice what they conceive to be right they must necessarily professe and recant recant and professe for in many things what they apprehend to be true at one time they suspect yea see cause to deny at another and what confusion disorder would there be in matters of Religion if continually by some or other there should be profession of things as true and good and calling the same things presently into question yea within a while denying and renouncing them And if not so then 3. If a man hath once made profession of what he conceives to be a truth differing from others if it proves to be a misapprehension there lies a great temptation upon him to stand out in it to strive to make it out to the utmost for nothing is more contrary to a mans nature then to acknowledg himself to be mistaken in his understanding and to lye down in the shame of rashnesse and inconsideratenesse in his actions therefore whatsoever mens own thoughts be within in their own spirits they had need take heed what they doe when they come to make open profession and practice what they apprehend and engage themselves thereby to maintaine there are not many who attaine to Augustines self denyall to publish retractations to all the world Now if a man through the strength of
portion of some soules in the Congregation they dared not mention them 4ly When your profession of some truths will take off mens hearts from other that are more weighty and necessary The rule of the Apostle Rom. 14. 1. holds forth this Receive not those men who are weake in faith to doubtfull disputations this may hinder them in the great things of the Kingdome of God Righteousnesse peace joy in the holy Ghost vers 17. As if the Apostle should say Let them be wel established in them but these doubtfull disputations will hinder them in such things as these are Fiftly when my profession at this time in this thing is like to hinder a more useful profession at another time in another thing Prov. 29. 11. A foole uttereth all his mind he that is wise keeps it in till afterward It was the wisdome of Paul when he was at Athens not presently to break out against their Idols hee staid his due time and yet all the time hee kept in his uprightnesse in the hatred of Idolatry as much as ever Sixtly when our profession will cause publick disturbance and that to the godly the disturbance of mens corruptions who will oppose out of malice is not much to be regarded When it was told Christ the Pharisees were offended he cared not for it but he made a great matter of the offence of any of his little ones When men who love the truth as well as wee shall not only be against what we conceive truth but shall be offended and that generally at it if we have discharged our own consciences by declaring as we are called to it what we conceive the mind of God we should sit down quietly and not continue in a way of publique offence and disturbance to the Saints The rule of the Apostle will come in here Let the spirit of the Prophets be subjects to the Prophets wee should wait till God will some other way or at some other time have that prevaile in their hearts and consciences of his people which we conceive to be truth and they are now so much offended at There could never be peace continued in the Church if every man must continually upon all occasions have liberty openly to make profession of what he apprehends to be a truth never have done with it though the Church which is faithfull and desires unfeignedly to honour Christ and his truth be never so much against it In divers of these cases the consideration of that Text Eccl. 7. 16. is very sutable Be not righteous over much neither make thy selfe over wise why shouldst thou destroy thy selfe Amongst other things this is included in the scope of the Holy Ghost when you apprehend a thing to be a truth do not think that you are bound all times upon all occasions to the utmost profess practise promote that truth without any consideration of others being carried on with this apprehension it is a truth come of it what will whatsoevâ— becomes of me whatsoever trouble shall follow upon it I must and will professe it and publish it again and again to the death In this you had need look to your spirit in this you may be over-just and make your self over-wise though there may be some uprightnesse in your heart some love to Christ and his truth yet there may be mixture of your own spirit also you may stretch beyond the rule this is to be over-righteous to think out of a zeal to God and his truth to goe beyond what God requires It is true at no time upon no occasion though thy life and all the lives in the world lay upon it thou must not deny any the least truth but there may be a time when God doth not require of thee to make profession of every thing thou believest to be a truth You will say This tends to loosness to lukewarmness to time-serving men pretending and pleading discretion grow loose and remisse and so by degrees fall off from the truth Vers 17. Let men take heed of that too Be not over-much wicked neither be thou foolish As you must be carefull not to goe beyond the rule so take heed you fall not off from it so you may grow wicked and foolish yea very wicked over-wicked God will meet with you there too Wherefore vers 18. It is good thou shouldst take hold of this yea also from this withdraw not thine hand Take both be carefull of thy self in both but especially mark the last clause of the 18. vers He that feareth God shall come forth of them all The feare of God possessing thy heart will help thee in these straits thou shalt by it be delivered from being ensnared by thy indiscreet sinfull zeale and it shall likewise keep thee from bringing misery upon thy selfe by falling as farre on the other hand to looseness and time-serving The fear of God will ballast thy soul even it will carry thee on in a way that shall be good in the eyes of the Lord and of his Saints There is a natural boldnes and a mixed zeal in many who are godly that carries them on in those ways that causes great disturbance to others and brings themselves into great straits and snares and these men are very ready to censure others of nesse and loosenesse who do not as themselves do but this Scripture reproves them shewing that it is not through fleshly wisdome and providing for ease that is the cause others do not as they do but the fear of God in a right way ballasting their spirits God will own his fear to be in their hearts ordering them aright when thy disorderly mixed zeale shall receive rebuke from Christ But doth not Christ say Hee came into the world to witnesse to the truth and is not every truth more worth then our lives That man who in the former five cases wherein profession is shewed to be our duty shall witness to the truth he shewes that truth is indeed precious to him and gives that testimony to the truth that he was born for although in the six latter he shall forbear But when these latter cases shall fall out how shall the truth be maintained will it not suffer much prejudice 1. Christ will not be beholding to mens weaknesses for the maintenance of his truth 2. If every man according to his place to deliver his own soule shall declare observing the rules we shall speak to presently what he conceives to be the mind of God though he shall not either in words or practice continually hold forth the same yet thereby the truth is maintained 3. The truth is maintained by forbearing that practice which those opinions of men that are contrary to the truth puts them upon not doing as they do is a continual witnesse against them and so a witnesse for the truth this is a Christians duty at all times although I must never upon any ground do that which my conscience sayes is in
having used sometimes in their Families to take a Scripture and speak something out of it upon this they think it is a better thing to be exercised in preaching Gods word then to fit in a shop all day at some meane worke or selling out wares therefore they thinke they are bound to give over their Callings which they look at as too low mean things and be Preachers of the Word not regarding those due ways that Christ would have men come into such an employment by Although I do not think but that Tradesmen who have good knowledg in the Scripture and are gifted by God to speak the Word to people for their edification when there is a want of able men who have been all their lives preparing for such a work and are set apart for it rather then people should continue in ignorance and so perish if those who are able and fit to judg shal judg them meet for such a work they may be employd to make Christ known to them yet for every man that takes himself to be a gifted man and it may be is so judged by some who are willing to flatter him to take upon him of himselfe or by the advice of two or three of his friends to leave his other employment for the work of the Ministry because that is a more noble and excellent work this is not a way of God but a way of confusion and disorder Again it is in it selfe a better thing to enjoy a Ministry of the most eminent gifts and graces then one of lower but if this should be made a rule that a man who is under a Pastor who is faithfull and in some good measure gifted upon another mans coming into the Countrey that is more eminent he should forsake his Pastor and joyn to the other and if after this still a more eminent man comes he should leave the former and joyn to him and by the same Law a Pastor who hath a good people yet if others be more likely to receive more good he may leave his own people and goe to them what confusion and disorder would there be continually in the Church Men must consider not only what the thing is in its own nature but what it is to them how it stands in reference to their relations If you be joyned to a Pastor so as you believe he is set over you by Christ to be a Pastor to you not because the Bishop hath sent one or an old Usurer dyes and leaves the Patronage of a living to some Ostler or Tap-wench in an Alehouse and he or she shall send one by vertue of their right to the patronage this cannot tie a mans conscience to depend upon him for the ordinances of Christ all his days in case he cannot remove his dwelling but if you cannot but look upon the man as the Pastor that Christ hath set over you Though this man hath meaner gifts then others and it would be more comfortable to you to have another Pastor yet this is not enough to cause you to diseâ—t him whom Christ hath set over you and if people may not leave their Pastors because others have more eminent gifts then surely Pastors must not leave their people because others have more eminent Livings To instance yet further that you may see how this Principle disturbs mens spirits Many being in the works of their Calling have some thoughts come into their mind that prayer is a better work more noble and spirituall then to be employed as they are therefore they must needs presently leave their worke and go toe prayer How many have been perplexed with temptations this way by which their lives have been made very uncomfortable Prayer in it selfe is better but is it better at this time for me all things considered am not I about that which God hath called me to do By this Principle many decive and trouble themselves in respect of their souls as some by a conceit of the like nature deceive bring great trouble to themselves in respect of their bodies some who have sickly bodies their flesh is decayed they think such and such things have most nourishment in them such things are hot and full of spirits and juyce therefore they will eate and drink altogether such things leaving their ordinary dyet by this means thâ—y many times overthrow their bodies for though a man wants flesh yet the way for him to have it it may be is not to take nourishing things but purging and though he be troubled with faintness it may be the way to get good spirits is by eating ordinary dyet and cooling his body that so some distemper may be cured and he may get his veyns filled with good blood and spirits got from it rather then by drinking hot waters that are full of spirits which perhaps burns his heart and dries his body that there is no good blood generated from his dyet It is not enough therefore to say the thing is in it selfe better but is it better in all the references I have and it hath is it better in regard of others in regard of the publique for the helping me in all my relations May it not help one way and hinder many ways If a Physitian should come to a man and see his disease is hot and shoâ—ld therefore presently cool him by giving him water the man may like it for the present why is it not better to be cool then so burning hot but thus the Physitian discovers his folly and the Patient loses his life A Physitian in prescribing some physick had need have forty considerations in his head at once how one part stands affected to the other of what yeers the man is of what complexion how long the disease bath been upon him what was last done to him c. So it should be in the duties of Religion a Christian who desires to walk orderly to beautifie and honour his profession to enjoy communion with God peace in his own soul and be useful to the publique had need have his wits about him not presently to fall upon a work because it is now presented as good to him in a single consideration he must compare one thing with another and see what it is in all its references or otherwise he will but enterfeir hee will but hack and hew and bungle and disturb himselfe and others in the ways of Religion he will make Religion tiresome to himselfe and others he will be in danger in time to cast off strictnesse and to grow so much the more loose then others by how much more streightned he hath been in a disorderly way then others I believe some of you have known those who in their young time have been very strict and tender whatsoever they have conceived to be better then other they have presently followed it with all eagernesse never considering circumstances references or consequences but the thing is good it must be done yet being wearied with
this they have after grown loose in as great an excesse the other way yea it may be have vanished and come to nothing CHAP. XIII The seventh Dividing Principle It is obstinacy for a man not to be convinced by the judgement of many more learned and godly then himselfe THe making this to be the rule to judg obstinacy by hath in all ages caused great divisions by exasperating the spirits of â—â—en one against another In times of Popery what rage did it raise against men who were most conscientious the generality of men thought they did God good service in persecuting those who would not yeeld to the judgment of others who had the repute of learning and piety and those who were conscientious could not yeeld to their determinations not seeing the truth of God in them and this made the stir VVhile men appear obstinate by the rule of Christ we are not to bear with them and this Principle sets thousands of godly peaceable men in the seat of the obstinate these cannot in conscience yeeld and others cannot but in conscience oppose them what reconciliation then can there be hoped either men must captivate their consciences cause them in a sordid way to bow down to slavery or else there must needs be continuall division and opposition where this prevailes I confesse such a Principle as this is would make for union amongst those who either think they need not or through carelesnesse regard not to searth out truth but with an implicite faith take in all that shall be imposed upon them who think ignorance of Gods mind and conscience slavery to be no great evil this is never urged with violence but either by those who have given up their consciences to be serviceable to the ease and content of the flesh or those who have or hope to have power in their hands to bring others in subjection to them Because the right informing our judgments in this may much conduce to peace I shall endeavour 1. To shew you what due respect is to be given to mens judgments who are learned and godly 2. Yet not so much as to make their judgments the rule to judg men obstinate if they differ from them 3. VVhat then should be the rule by what should we judg a man to be obstiate For the first Certainly much respect is to be given to the learning and godlinesse of men There is a great delusion in many mens hearts that makes them thinke it to be halfe Popery to give any respect to Learning although the abuse of Learning hath done much evill against that much hath been and may be said but I dare avow this that never since the beginning of the world could a man be found to speak against earning but an ignorant man neither is it like nay I may aver it is impossible that any but such will be found to the end of the world Learning hath so much of God in it that it never had nor will have any enemy but ignorance 1. Tim. 4. 13. Give attendance to reading to exhortation to doctrine Ver. 15. Give thy selfe wholly to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be in them And when we see grace added to Learning it should adde much to our esteem of such a man it is the orient pearl in the gold ring it is a great testimony to a way that it is the way of good men Prov. 2. 20. That thou maist walke in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous The judgement and counsell of such is to be received with very great respect especially if the eminencie of their grace appears in the tenderness of their spirits that we may see much of the feare of God in them Ezra 10. 3. Now let us make a covenant according to the counsell of my Lord and of those that tremble at the commandement of our God And when not only some few godly men are of this mind but when it is that which God hath sealed in the hearts of the Saints generally very high respect is to be given unto it Wherefore he that differs in his judgment from wise learned godly men had need First spend much time in Prayer and Humiliation before the Lord. There is a notable expression of Basil cited in an Appendix of an Epistle of Luther to the Ministers of Norimberg who were at variance one from another He who will separate him selfe from his brethren had need consider many things even to anxiety he had need break his sleep many nights and seeke of God with many teares the demonstration of the truth 2ly You must even then when you cannot subject to their judgments preserve due reverence in your heart and shew due respects to men of learning and grace according to their worth We have a notable relation of that holy man Mr. Greenham in a Letter of his to the Bishop of Ely in whose Diocesse he lived the Bishop seeking to bring him to conformity objected thus unto him Why will not you yeeld Luther approved of these things are you wiser then he His sober and gracious answer was I reverence more the revealed will of God in teaching that worthy instrument of God Mr. Luther so many necessary things to salvation then I search into his secret will why hee kept backe from his knowledge other things of lesse importance 3ly If those things wherein we differ from the judgments of learned and godly men be not matters of duty they only may bring us to some suffering we should silently yeeld for peace sake and out of respect to them not opposse 4ly In all things wherein you may have any helpe from them you should repair to them and desire to partake of the benefit of those gifts and graces God hath bestowed upon them 5ly In all things wherein you can agree you should be the more carefull to manifest all possible observance and respect to them in blessing God for any help he grants to you by them either in making known his truth to you or at least in further confirming you in it by them 6ly And in what still your consciences will not suffer you to agree with them you are to take it as your affliction and to account that way you are in to want a great lustre and most desireable encouragement in that so many learned and godly mens judgments and practices are against it We are to raise our respects to men of learning and godliness thus high but if we should go so high as to give up our judgment and consciences to them we should in honouring them dishonour Christ yea they would account themselves to be dishonoured Such as are truly godly and wise do rather account it their honor to carry a loving respect to those who differ from them then desire that men should blindfold before they see their grounds follow them Prelaticall spirits indeed account it their honour to force men to be of their mind it is
shift for himself In mens lusts there are contradictions no vertue is contrary to another but vices have nothing but contrarieties and contradictions in them Mens lusts oppose and fight against one another in mens hearts no marvail then when there are such stirs within though they break forth into quarrels and contentions without If a man be quarrelsom in his family no wonder if when he comes abroad he quarrels and contends with his neighbours also Sixtly In mens lusts there is violence violence and peace cannot stand together Isa 60. 18. God promises peace and there promises that violence should be no more heard in their Land Mens lusts are boisterous and unruly especyally when they have been acting a while at the first venting they seem to be fair but after a while they grow outragious violent and boisterous dispositions are unfit for society You shall find in experience men who seem to be of weake spirits of softly tempers very remisse in what they do ordinarily yet let the lusts of these men be engaged in any cause to any side O how violent and impetuous will they be they care not what they say or do they will divide from God from the publique from their dearest friends from their neerest relations from what themselves have made profession of heretofore from their credit profit from their own peace from any thing and all to serve a lust engaged in such a businesse it is a dangerous thing to have a mans lust engaged nothing can stand against an engaged lust a man runs on head-long he will break his conscience he will desperately endanger his eternall breaking to maintain the engagement of his lust 7ly In the lusts of mens hearts there is an antipathy against God against his wayes purity of his Ordinances his Saints Gen. 3. 15. I will put enmity between thee and the woman between thy seed and her seed In Antipathy the opposition is 1. In the nature of the things therefore it s deeply rooted it comes not in accidentally you may find two sheep fighting upon some accident but the natures are not opposite like the Wolfe and the Sheep 2. The cause of this opposition is secret wicked men have their spirits rise against the godly but they are not able to say why The husband loved his wife while she was carnall now God hath turned her heart she is more obedient then ever she seeks to give him content in all things more then before she is more usefull to him in all occasions more faithfull every way more lovely then before only she is godly now and was not so before but his heart is now quite off from her he dares not say that it is for her godlinesse if he hath any conviction himself but so it is that now he looks upon her with an evil eye an estranged heart So a wicked Father or Mother who loved their child exceedingly before God was pleased to work upon him yet now the child is more dutiful then he was but the heart of the father or mother is taken off from him can hardly endure him ready to take any exception against him their countenances are lowring and sadd towards him they can give no reason for this their change but as they were wont to say of Christians Such a man is a good man but he is a Christian Bonus vir Caius Seius sed Christianus non amo te I love you not but I can give no reason Hoc tantum possum dicere Non amo te all that I can say is this that I do not love you 3. It is a setled constant opposition This hath been in all generations the great cause of division between the men of the world and the Saints and still it continues the same you may see the same spirit of the old opposers of godlinesse and godly men working in our days the names of things may be changed but the same kind of men for the same things are opposed and hated now in the same manner as in former generations 4. It is very strong ungodly men are exceedingly imbittered against the Saints Ezek. 26. 6. Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoyced in heart with all thy despight against the Land of Israel This spirit of bitternesse and indignation that was in them against the people of God is seminally at least in all wicked men 5ly The enmity of Antipathy is incurable it can never be taken away except one ceases to be in its nature what it was there can be no compounding things that are so contrary one of them must cease to be or turned into another nature or else the â—pposition will be everlasting The great divisions amongst us are those that are between the seed of the woman and the seed of the Serpent some division there are between those who are the seed of Christ but the great stirs in the Kingdom come from the evill spirit there is in the seed of the Serpent against the godly in the Land In the beginning of the Parliament when mens liberties and estates being involved in one there was good agreement all men rejoyced generally the countenances of those who were not Popish and Prelaticall were serene they had comfortable aspects one upon another but when those whose spirits were opposite to the power of godlinesse saw how the godly amongst them rejoyced how their heads were lifted up how their hearts were filled with hopes of good dayes wherein Religion should be countenanced and honoured that Antipathy that was in their hearts against the ways of God boy-led in them though they were glad that they should be freed from some burdens yet to see those whom they hated in their hearts to rejoyce so much they could not beare but their spirit rose against them and in opposition to them they have raised these stirs they have made these woful distractions that are amongst us Lastly the lusts of mens hearts are the cause of our divisions because God requires every man according to his place to make opposition against them the cause of the strife lyes not in those who oppose them they do but their duty but in in those who nourish such lusts within them yet we finde it ordinarily that those who are most corrupt will cry out against those who oppose them in their wicked wayes as the cause of strife and divisions as if they were the troublers of Israel whereas indeed themselves the wicked lusts of their own hearts are the troublers of Israel those who oppose their lusts desire all good to their persons I remember Augustine in his Book about the unity of the Church hath this passage The Son doth more grievously persecute his father by living naughtily then the father him by chastising him duely Sarahs Maid did more trouble her by her wicked pride then shee her Maid by her deserved correction Those men who are most faulty are the men who are to be charged to be the
slanderer being asked why he spake evil of such and such men Because sayes he I can doe no evill to them If there be any good done that she seeks to blast together with the instruments of it if any evil that she rakes into and feeds upon like that Bird Ibis in Africa that eats Serpents Luther sayes envious men feed upon the dung of other men they are like flies that love to be upon sores Erasmus tels of one who collected all the lame defective verses in Homer and passed over all that were so excellent When you see a man seeking to rake and gather together all he can of any distempers disorders mistakes miscarriages by hear-sayes letters or any way so be it he may fill up his dung-cart and for the good the graces or gifts of God in men those are laid aside or slightly passed over if at all mentioned it is with some dirt mingled Surely this is an envious man fitted for strife and debate whom God permits to be an affliction to his people in raising up a spirit of strife and contention and causing divisions amongst them like the Kite who passes over faire Medowes and pleasant fields not regarding them till she meets with a carrion there she fals and fastens now she is upon her prey where she would be How pleasant is it to some men to hear of or find out evil in others whom they doe not love To say no worse you know how it hath been an old practise to seek to get any thing by reports or any other wayes that might blast the professors of Religion and how glad were they how did it please them at the heart if they could meet with any thing that might serve their turne This is a very shamefull distemper some men will upon occasion confesse they fear other men and others that they love not other men or that they contemn others but no man will acknowledge that he envies others there is too much shame in this to be owned by any The impiety and wickednesse is not lesse it is a monstrous wickednesse for a man to complaine of God that he made the world no better and yet such wickednesse there is in some mens hearts but what is it then to complaine of and quarrel with God that he hath made the World or any part of it so well This the envious man doth An envious man cannot endure to see others better then himselfe or to have more respect then himself It is reported of Licinius an intimate familiar with Constantine the Great who also married his sister but fell off to be a desperate enemy against Christians alledging this to be the reason because in their Assemblies they prayed for Constantine and not for him Envious men whether they deserve respect or no yet if others have it and not themselves they rage and are mad There is no vice but hath some kind of opposition to some other as covetousnesse to prodigality c. but Envy only opposeth that which is good and all good therefore there is nothing in it but evil and an universal evil Gulielmus Parisiensis brings in Gregory saying That all the poyson in the old Serpent is in this sinne as if it had emptied it selfe of its poyson and vomited it in this sinne so much venome there is in it Is it not a very evill thing that in mens opposition against what they see others desire they should give this reason why it should not be suffered because if it be the greater part of the most godly people in all places will joyn with it This brings to mind what I have read in Ecclesiasticall History in the Second Century The Emperour Adrian would have build a Church for the honour of Christ void of Images because such was the custome of the Christians but his friends disswaded him saying If he did so all men would forsake the Temples of the gods and become Christians I find in that learned piece of Voetius Desperata causa papatus a notable story of Rayâ—erius a Popish Inquiâ—â—tor he exclaims against the Waldenses those poor men of Lioâ—s as he calls them He sayes there was never any more pernicious Sect then that and I pray why He gives 3. reasons First That it is very ancient Some say says he it hath continued from the time of Sylvester others from the times of the Apostles Secondly It is so generall there is scarce any Countrey but this hath got into it Thirdly whereas others are guilty of blasphemy against God upon which they are abhorred these appeare to be holy men they live justly their beliefe of God is right they believe all the Articles in the Creed We can finde no fault with them either for their lives or for their Doctrine onely they are against the Church of Rome in which the people are ready to joyne with them These are strange accusations for do not they themselves make all these the signs of the true Church and yet are these poor men so vile because such things are found amongst them Surely it is Envy that imbitters the spirits of men against others because they see in them those things which they cannot but acknowledg to be good and herein the great evill of Envy that malignity of it by which it causeth such great contentions does appear they are angry they can find no evill in them whereby they may get advantage against them The holy Ghost say that envy is rottennesse to the bones the same learned man Guliel Paris applyes this to such as are chief in Church and Common-wealth who are as it were the bones the strength the support of the societies whereof they are Envy says he is often found amongst them and it is rottennesse to them This vile sin hath caused a rot in many men of eminent abilities and places who might otherwise have done much service for God his people in Church and Common-wealth oh it is a michievous sin Take away envy says Augustine and what is mine you have take away envy and what is yours I have We read Acts 11. of Barnabas that hee was a good man and fuâ—l of the holy Ghost and he was a man of a cleaving disposiâ—ion of an uniting temper ver 23. He exhorted them that with full purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord This man was free from envy for the Text sayes when he had seen the grace of God he was glad He rejoyced in and blessed God for the grace he saw in his Saints Do you envy for my sake says Moses I would to God all the people of the Lord did prophesie Moses was a fit man for publike service who was so void of envy No men are so fit for publike employment as such who can bles God that he is pleased to make use of others as wel as yea beyond themselves It was a good speech of that gracious holy old Disciple Mr. Dod lately deceased I would to God says he I
This would strike as great a terror into the hearts of our Adversaries as the victory hath done Lastly we had need take heed of breaches lest God should be provoked to change his administrations toward us if there be so much choller in the stomack that sweet meats are turned into choller it were just with God to come with bitter and sowr pils to purge out our choller We read Jude ver 5. The Lord saved the people out of the land of Egypt yet afterward he destroyed them that believed not the Lord hath granted us a great salvation from our Enemies who would have brought us into Egyptian bondage We have been singing the song of Moses we have been praising God according to that Apoc. 15. 3. but let us take heed that yet God be not provoked against us for we are not out of all danger as they by not believing so we by not agreeing but contending and quarrelling may at lâ—st be destroyed You know how the Lord of that servant to whom 10000. talents were given tooke it that he should presently go to his fellow-servant who ought him but a hundred pence and lay hands on him and take him by the throat and say Pay that thou owest and cast him into prison Mat. 18. 28. If men be not mollified by this mercy they will be hardened they will use their brethren worse then they did before the rather because they would declare to all the world that they make no such interpretation of this mercy as that God would have them have further tender regard towards to seek union and peace with to beare with or yeeld unto their Brethren more then before it is not unlikely but temptation may be suggested to do some act the more against them either now or within a while to wipe away any conceit of any such an interpretation of this gracious work of God for us But those who are of gracious peaceable spirits should take the hint of this and goe to all they know who have been at distance one from another of whom they may have hope to doe good and seek to mollifie their spirits to know what it is they have one against another what prejudices what hard thoughts have been entertained by them and by all meanes they are able to remove them that so we loving delighting in one another the Lord may love us and delight in us nad shew mercy to us yet more and more CHAP. XIX The fifth Dividing Distemper Rigidnesse the sixth Rashnesse the seventh Wilfulnesse the eighth Vnconstancy RIgid harsh sowre crabbed rough-hewn spirits are unfit for union there is no sweetness no amiableness no pleasingnesse in them they please themselves in a rugged austereness but are pleasing to none else in all their ways they will abate nothing of their own nor yeeld any thing to others this is against the rule of the Apostle Rom. 15. 1 2 3. We must not please our selves but let every one please his Neighbour for his good to edification and this according to the example of Christ who pleased not himselfe This is the duty not of weake men only who had need please others because they have need of others but ver 1. those that are strong ought not to please themselves but seek to please others Men who are of austere spirits affecting a gravity which turns to a dull sullen sternnesse they think it to be the commendations of the strength of their spirits that they can carry themselves as they doe towards others seeking altogether content to themselves without any yeeldableness to others no that is but lightnesse and weaknes in men they are of a more staid and strong temper then to do so These men by their wisdome do very much sinn against the wisdome of the holy Ghost in this Scripture yea and against the example of Jesus Christ who as in his whole course manifested tenderness gentleness affableness amiableness towards weak ones who were infinitely beneath him and here is set forth unto us to be one who pleased not himself far from this rigid harsh temper Those swords are not of the best tempered metall who will not bend but stand stiff but such as yeeld and bend with most ease and stand streight again neither are those dispositions the best who are the stiffest but such as are most yeeldable and yet stand streight too This harsh and rigid spirit makes mens gifts and graces to be very unuseful When Plato saw Xenocrates of an austere rigid temper he advised him to sacrifice to the Graâ—es that he might have more mildnesse fearing that otherwise his parts and learning would be unprofitable The Jews observe upon Exo. 25. 3. That no Iron was in the stuffe of the Tabernable rigid iron spirits are very unfit for Church work Levit. 17. 7. They shall no more sacrifice to Devills The word translated Devils signifies rough ones Devils had their names from thence this is the name of a Satyr Isa 34. 14. The rough one The Spirit of God is a Dove-like sweet spirit but the spirit of the Devill is a rough harsh spirit the spirit of a Satyr Prov. 11. 17. He that is cruell troubleth his owne flesh That word here translated cruell the Septuagint elsewhere translates it by a word that signifies rigid stiffe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 30. 14. Men of such tempers are very troublesome to themselves to their families to all with whom they converse If a Smith would joyn two pieces of iron he must first file them or beat them smooth If the Joyner would joyn two pieces of wood he must plain them Except our spirits be filed beaten smooth or plained they are unfit for joyning The sixth dividing Distemper Rashnesse ACts 19. 36. Ye ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly Doing thingâ— rashly and quietnesse are opposed 1. Rashnesse makes men engage themselves suddenly in businesse before they have examined it well This causes much trouble for if a man be engaged he lies under a temptation to goe on in it As 2 Chron. 25. 9. When the man of God came to Amaziah to take him off from a businâ—sse he was engaged in O but says he what shall I do for the hundred Talents I have given out already thus many answer to the truth of God that would take them off from what they are engaged in but what shall I do for my credit that lyes engaged 2ly Rashnesse causes men suddenly to provoke others whereas did they consider what ill consequences might come of it they would forbear Rash men quickly take hold of the sword of Justice to hack and hew they think that what they do is according to reason but they do not wisely weigh things in the ballance of Justice Remember Justice 〈◊〉 a Ballance as well as a Sword Prov. 29. 11. A foole uttereth all his mind The Sept. translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 utters all his anger Rash fools by uttering their anger
oh how does it delight the traveller when he goeth forth â— and truly such were the serene countenances of our brethren towards us but within a while the clouds over-cast the sky looks lowring gusts of wind arise yea thunder-bolts of terrible words flye about our eares and the flashes of their anger strike upon our faces Tantae ne animis coelestibus irae Unconstancy is evill and a cause of division Stoutnesse is evil and a cause of division A man must not be one thing one day and another another day not like a weather-cock carried up and down with every wind neither must he be wilfull and stout not like a rusty lock that will not be stirred by any key Now then how shall we know when a man is neither fickle nor stout For except some rules of discerning be given this temptation may be before me I must not be fickle unsetled and unconstant I will therefore stifly stand to maintain what I have professed You may know whether your ficklenesse be avoyded by true setled constancy of spirit or by stoutnesse by these five notes First true constancy and setlednesse of spirit is got by much prayer and humiliation before the Lord Establish me Lord with thy free spirit unite my heart to feare thy Name When after thy heart-breakings and meltings and heart-cryings and pourings forth Lord shew mee what thy will is in this thing keep mee from miscarrying let me not settle upon any errour instead of the truth but what is thy truth fasten my soule in it that what ever temptations come I may never be taken off from it Tell God in Prayer what the thing is and what hath perswaded thy heart to embrace it open thy heart fully to God in all thy aimes and if by this meanes the heart be fixed now it is delivered from ficklenesse and not faln into stoutnesse 2ly Where true constancy is attained by the Spirit of God and not by the stoutnesse of thine owne there is exercise of much grace and growing up in grace as faith humility love meeknesse patience c. 1 Pet. 3. 17 18. Take heed ye fall not from your stedfastnesse but grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Hearts stout and wilfull are dry and saplesse 3ly If the more a man hath to do with God the more setled he is in his way when he hath the most full converse and sweetnesse of communion with God he is then the most fully setled satisfied established in such a truth which he before conceived to be of God Many men are very stiffe and wilful unmoveable when they have to deal with men they seem then to be the most confident men in the world but God knows and their consciences know when they solemnly set themselves in the presence of God and have the most reall sight of God and have to deale most immediately with him then they have ms-giving thoughts they have feares that things may not prove so sure as they bore others in hand they apprehended them to be But if Gods presence and thy dealings with him confirms thee in this thy conscience may give thee an assurance that as thou art not fickle and wavering so not stout and wilfull 4ly When there is a proportion in mens constancie if a man be resolute and constant in one thing but very fickle and easily turned aside in others there is cause to suspect his constancy is rather from stiffnesse then from grace for grace works proportionably through the whole soule and in the whole course of a mans life 5ly If the more reall the presence of death and judgment appear to a man the more setled he is in that way this likewise may be a good evidence to him that his setlednesse in such a way is right CHAP. XX. The ninth dividing Distemper A spirit of jealousie The tenth A spirit of contention The eleventh Covetousnesse The twelfth Falsenesse ENvy strife railings evill surmisings 1 Tim. 6. 4. Strife and evill surmisings are neer of kin If contentious men can get nothing against their brethren they will surmise there is something if they can find nothing in their actions to judge they will judg their hearts if there be nothing above-board they wil think there may be something under-board from thinking there may be something they will think it is very likely there is something and from likely there is they will conclude there is Surely there is some plot working But this is against the law of Love for it thinketh no evill all the good that they see in their Brethren is blasted by their suspition of evil Love would teach us rather by what appears to judg the best of what appears not then by what appeares not to judg the worst of what appears Suspition is like some jelly stuffe that is got between the joynts if the bone be out of joynt and any jelly be got in though it be but a little soft stuffe it will hinder the setting of the bone I confess in these times because we have been so extreamly deceived in those who have been used in publike place in whom we so much confided there is a great deal of reason that we should be very wary of men and believe till we have very good grounds of confidence with trembling I remember Melchior Adam in the life of Bucholcerus tels of a witty counsel of his to his friend Hubnerus who being to goe to the Court to teach the Prince Electors children at their parting I will give you says he one profitable rule for your whole life he lissening what it should be I commend saith he to you the faith of the Devills At which Hubnerus wondring Take heed sayes he how you trust any at the Court beleeve their promises but warily but with feare you may feare they will never come to any thing But in the mean time while we are thus fearful of one another while we cannot trust one another we cannot joyn one with another I have read of Cambyses he did but dream his brother should be King of Persia and he put him to death Many amongst us do but dream of men with whom our hearts are not that they have some plots working and how do our spirits work against them Groundlesse jealousies arise from much baseness in our owne hearts Those who have no principle of faithfulnesse in themselves are suspitious of every one but as for those who suffer causelesly in this thing let them be of good comfort God will reward them good for what evill they suffer Wee read Numb 5. 28. that if a man were jealous of his wife so that he brought her to the tryall by drinking the water of jealousie if she were clear she should not onely be freed from hurt by that water but she should conceive seed if she went barren before the Lord would recompence her sorrow and trouble shee suffered by her husbands
suspition of her And Paulus Fagius upon the place says the Jewes had a tradition not only that she should conceive but it should be a man-child if shee had any disease she should be freed and if she brought forth before with difficulty she should bring forth now with ease Let not men therefore who are of publike use having their consciences clear yet because they are under suspition throw off all in an anger Such a temptation many lye under but let them know this temptation cannot prevail but upon the distemper of their hearts the exceeding sinfull frowardnesse of their spirits they should trust God with their names their esteem their honour and go on in their work The only way to deliver themselves from suspition is their constant industry and faithfulnesse in all opportunities of service God puts into their hands and with the more quietnesse of spirit with the lesse noyse they go on the sooner will the suspitions they were under wash off and vanish to nothing God will make their names break forth as the light those weeds having no ground to take root will wither and dye away The tenth dividing Distemper A spirit of contention AS in some there is a strong inclination a vehement impetus to whoredom which the Prophet cals a spirit of whoredome so there is in others a vehement strong disposition of heart to contention these have a spirit of contention these are like Salamanders who love and live in the fire They thirst after the waters of Massah and Meribah their temper is such as if they drank no other drink then w ht was brewed of those waters Contentions and strifes that are as tedious to other men as death are their delight they are most in their element when they are over head and ears in them A contentious spirit will always find matter for contention Prov. 26. 21. As coals to burning coals and wood to fire so is a contentious man is kindle strife they are ready to put their hands to any strife they meet with yet Prov. 26. 17. Hee that medleth with strife belonging not to him is like one that holdeth a dog by the cares Many men have no mettal in any thing but contentions like many jades who are dull in travell they have mettal only to kick and to play jadish tricks If thou hast any spirit any zeal and courage it is pitty it should be laid out in quarrels reserve it for the cause of God to strengthen thee in contending for the truth the publike The eleventh Distemper Covetousnesse THis is the root of all evill then of this there is no greater plague to friendship then desire of money sayes Laelius apud Cicer. A covetous man is witty to foresee wayes of gaine and he is stiffe in holding fast what may be for his advantage Yet know what a stir Demetrius and his fellows made in Ephesus when their profit was endangered they had rather set all in a tumult then let their gain go 1 Tim. 4. 5. Envy strife railings c. perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds destitute of the truth supposing that gaine is godlinesse How will some object against men withdraw from them deprive themselves of the benefits of the gifts of God in them of much good they have heretofore acknowledged they have got by them all merely to save their purses that in a poor pedling way What a stir hath this Meum and Tuum made in the world The sweetnesse of gaine amongst men is like honey cast amongst Beares they will fight rend and tear out one anothers throat for it They that will be eich fall into temptations and a snare and into many and hurtfull lusts 1 Tim. 6. 9 10. They pierce themselves and others too with many sorrowes VVhen divisions arose in Germany upon Luthers Doctrine men of base covetous spirits judging Luther by themselves thought that Luther made all this stir to get gaine Why therefore sayes one do you not stop the mans mouth with gold or silver Another answers Oh this German Beast cares not for money The twelfth dividing distemper Falsenesse NOthing more firmly unites and holds together the Common-wealth then fidelity sayes Cicero Truth is a girdle Stand therefore having your loynes girt with truth Ephes 6. 14. Truth binds and Falseness loosenâ— The Apostle Eph. 4. 25. exhorts to put away lying and every man to speak trueth to his neighbour upon this ground because we are members one of another The Romans esteemed so much of truth for uniting men into societies that they built a Temple to it as to a Goddesse in which Temple all Leagues Covenants Truces and important bargains were made which were so religiously observed that whosoever broke them was held for a cursed damned creature unfit for humane society Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy murther debate deceit malignity A man were better be true to false principles then be false to true ones Those who are false are also mischievous they care not what mischief they do to any so they may but uphold themselves and repair that credite which formerly they had but now through their base falsenesse is crackt and if they have wronged any by their falsnesse they seek to keep such downe if not to ruine them fearing lest their falsenesse should hereafter be revenged and if they cannot get them down by force they will seek to do it by adding yet more falsenesse by flattering them whom their hearts hate and would gladly ruine That Scripture Prov. 26. 28. is very remarkable for this A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it and a flattering mouth worketh ruine Psal 72. 14. He shall deliver their soule from deceit and violence If men who are false cannot compasse their ends by deceit they will seeke to doe it by violence God hath his time to deliver his Saints from both Come Lord Jesus come quickly CHAP. XXI Dividing Practices The first The Practice of the Tongue The second Needlesse Disputes PRovoking bitter language is a great divider An evill tongue in Scripture is compared to swords Arrowes Razors to poyson of Aspes â—ire yea to the fire of hell which sets all the world on fire to wild beasts it is an unruly member that cannot be tamed When a Philosopher saw two women of ill fame talking together he said By this speech the Aspe takes in poyson from the Viper which it seems was a proverbiall speech in Tertullians time he inveighing against Marcion the Heretique Let the Heretique sayes he cease borrowing poyson from the Jew according to the Proverbe the Aspe from the Viper Many men of moderate spirits if let alone yet meeting with men who tell them stories and speak ill of those men that heretofore they had a good opinion of yet now before they have examined what the truth is there is a venome got into their spirits before they are aware their hearts
begin to be hot and to rise against those men they hear such things of their thoughts are altered concerning them their spirits alienated breaches are made and men who are innocent wonder from whence all comes O take heed of these men of evill tongues especially at your tables for while you are warme with mirth and good cheere you are in greater danger to take downe the discourse of such as are at table with you some poyson may get into your spirits and you not think of it Saint Augustine could not endure such guests at his table he caused therefore these two verses to be writ over his Table it were well they were over some of yours Quisquis amat dictis absentum rodere vitam Hanc mensam vetitam noverit ipse sibi To speak ill of the absent forbeare Or else sit not at Table here But if men of evill tongues doe so much hurt to men of moderate spirits what hurt doe they doe one to another when two or three or more of them meet together having all of them bitter spirits and evill tongues what hot burning venome doe they infuse one into another inflaming one another with malice That proverbiall speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is true of these men if one Serpent did not eate another there would bee no Dragon by taking in one anothers poyson they grow to bee fiery Dragons flying up and downe from place to place with their fiery stings Destroy O Lord and divide their tongues for I have seen violence and strife in the City Psal 45. 9. The same letters in the Hebrew word that is to signifie verbum a word is also for pestis the plague an evill tongue hath the pestilence in it The whisperings of an evill tongue causes divisions Rom. 1. 29. Full of envy debate malignity whisperars 2 Cor. 1â— 20. Debates envyings wraths strifes whisperings Many of fidling paltry dispositions goe up and down whispering they speak very secretly to you you must tell no body by any means and yet themselves tell it to a second a third a tenth and any one they meet with with whom they desire to ingratiate themselves and to every body they speak yet still they must tell no body they doe not love to be brought forth as the authors they tell you as a friend what they heare and thus carrying tales up and downe in a secret way they doe what in them lyes to blast the names of their Brethren jealousies suspitions envyings displeasure anger is raised and the parties against whom all this is wonder what is the matter they being no wayes conscious to themselves of any miscarriage towards such from whom they finde such strange carriage at last some nibling whispering Mouse is found to be the cause of all These whispering Tale-bearers have such an art as to cause what they thus speak in secret to sinke very deeply into mens hearts They professe themselves very sorry for what they tell you but it is too true and with a deep sigh they mischiefe their Neighbour Et sic cum vultu maesto procedit maledictio Bern. But let men take heede of them for they strike they wound them as much if not more then they doe those against whom they speak for they know nothing of it and though they suffer yet they doe not sinne but you may not only be troubled and that causelesly it may be and for nothing lose the sweetnesse of your love to your friend and the enjoyment of his to you but withall you may entertain sinne into your heart and so be wounded Prov. 18. 8. The words of a tale-bearer are as wounds and they goe downe into the innermost parts of the belly beware therefore of such Prov. 20. 19. He that goeth about as a tale-bearer revealeth secrets therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lippes Hee may come glavering and fawning and smiling to you as if he accounted you a speciall friend and therefore would not tell every body but meddle not with him if you shall hug and embrace him you have received a wound even in the innermost parts of the belly Prov. 26. 20. Where no wood is there the fire goeth out so where there is no tale-bearer the strife ceaseth Prov. 16. 28. A whisperer seperateth chiefe friends Those who have lived in entire friendship many yeares sometime by some whispering woman have their hearts very much estranged the beauty of their friendship darkened and the sweetnesse of it almost lost Whispering tale-bearing tongues is the cause of strife take heed of it And so is a censuring tongue I can compare this to nothing better then to a candle whose tallow is mixed with brine as soone as you light it it spits up and down the roome Thus many have salt brine in their spirits which when they get a little knowledge they spit here and there in hard and bitter censures which are exceedingly provoking to the spirits of men though the censures should prove true yet the mixture of so much salt brine in them cannot but exasperate cause mens hearts to fret but much more if they prove to be meere slanderers Jer. 9. 4. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour and trust ye not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbour will walke with slanders and c. 6 28. They are all grievous revolâ—ers walking with slanders they are brasse and iron they are all corrupters And yet more if this be a raging tongue Hos 7. 16. Their Princes shall fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue Discontents rise high first by too much liberty of the tongue then higher by the bitternesse of it but when it comes to the rage of it by this many times they rise so high that great men yea Princes come to fall by the sword There is a story in the Tripartite History of a Christian who professed he had beene seven and thirty yeares learning that lesson Psal 39. 1. I said I will take heed to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue and yet had not learned it I feare there are many amongst us who have beene Professors these seven and thirty yeares and yet have not learned this lesson notwithstanding the Scripture saith If a man bridleth not his tongue hee deceiveth his owne heart this mans Religion is in vaine James 1. 26. The second dividing practice Needlesse Disputes WHen men have got a little knowledge they thinke it a fine thing to be arguing and disputing in matters of Religion unnecessary disputes are their necessary practice for otherwise they shall be accounted as no body if they have not something to object against almost every thing but in this way of theirs they shall bee accounted knowing men men who have an insight into things who understand more then ordinary men doe hence they turne all their Religion into disputes and by them they grow giddie Wine is good when it goes to the heart to
cheere it but when it fumes all up into the head it makes it giddy Knowledge is good when the strength of it gets to the heart to comfort it there to breed good spirits for the strengthning it in the waies of holinesse but when it flies up all into the head it fills it with thousands of phansies it causes pride and giddinesse Disputes draw the best spirits from the heart by which it weakens it It is a very ill signe in a man to have a contradicting spirit to get into a veine of disputing against any thing though it be good I have read of Gregory Nazianzen that he told his friends that Julian would prove to be a notorious wicked man he gave this reason Because be tooke such delight in disputing against that which was good Disputes are seldome without much heart-distemper if they continue long they cause snarling one at another and no marvaile though those who snarle so often doe bite at last A man shews most parts in the matter of truth but most grace in the manner of handling it with reverence holinesse and modesty Rom. 14. 1. Receive not the weake in faith to doubtfull disputations Here is a direct injunction against those disputes I am speaking of Let no man say every truth is precious the least truth is more worth then our lives we must contend for every truth The least truth is so precious that we must rather lose our lives then deny it you must doe and suffer much to maintaine truth but this in an orderly way First you must be grounded in the maine Fundamentalls of Religion you must be strong in the faith and after that labour to edifie your selves in all the truths of God so as one may be helpfull to another It is not for every one who hath but little time little knowledge little meanes little strength to tyre out himselfe and others in doubtfull disputes The Scripture is so much against this as nothing can be more 1 Tim. 1. 4. Which minister questions rather then edifying To aske and discourse of questions about the great things that concerne thy soule thy eternall estate how thou maist live further to the honour of God is good when you meet together to confer one with another what God hath done for your soules to tell each other the experiences of your owne hearts and Gods dealings with you what temptations ye meet with and how God helps you against them such things as these would edifie But when your questions are about things that you are never like to understand and if you did understand they little concerne you they would not be helpfull to you one whit in the wayes of godlinesse these the holy Ghost would not have you spend your time in Eccles 7. 29. Man was made upright and he hath found out to himselfe many inventions Miscuerit se infinitis questionibus so the old Latine reads it he hath mingled himselfe in infinite questions If we had but that great question more amongst us What shall wee doe to be saved it would cause many unprofitable questions to vanish Never such ignorance came upon the Christian world as in that age when the Schoolmen were in the highest esteeme all Religion then was turned into Questions both the mystery and the power of godlinesse was lost The things of Religion are rather to be beleeved then disputed We beleeve Fishermen not Logitians sayes Ambrose The Devill at this day seekes to darken the glory of Religion this way he sees that in regard so much light hath broke forth he cannot get men presently off it by prophaneness therefore he labours to eat out the strength of it by busying them and getting them to delight in multitudes of questions and that about things of lesser concernment 1 Tim. 6. 4. Hee is proud and knoweth nothing but doting about questions and strife of words whereof commeth envie strife railings evill surmises perverse disputings of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth These men conceit they have more knowledge then other men but the holy Ghost saies they know nothing they cry out much of the truth and they contend for the truth but the holy Ghost saies they are destitute of the truth 2 Tim. 2. 22 23. Follow charity peace but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they doe gender strifes but the servant of the Lord must not strive And Titus 3. 8. 9. This is a faithfull saying these things I will that thou affirme constantly that they which have beleeved in God might be carefull to maintaine good workes these things are good and profitable unto men but avoid foolish questions and Genealogies and contentions and strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vaine The question about the Law whether a man be justified by it or by free grace in Christ this is not one of those foolish questions and needlesse strivings this is a great question this we are to contend for our life is in it but there are other questions about the Law which cause striving rather then edifying as whether the Law be a rule for our lives as it was given by Moses That we are bound to doe what is required in the Law this is generally acknowledged as to love God not worship Images c. but whether we be bound to doe it as it was the Law delivered by Moses upon Mount Sina this question troubles many mens heads that we are bound to doe the same things as they are delivered by Christ in the hand of that Mediator is acknowledged by any that understand themselves in any measure Now then let these two things be granted about the Law First that we are not justified by it but by the free grace of God in Christ Secondly that what duties of holiness are set downe in the Law we are bound to them by the most strong obligations what neede we contend further about the Law Let us be established in these two and it will be sufficient for our edifying It is like when Paul wrote this Epistle to Titus the heads of the people were troubled about some such kinde of questions about the Law as are amongst us therefore sayes he Avoid foolish questions and strivings about the Law But now the questions about the Law are driven on to such a dangerous issue that we have cause not onely to be carefull to avoid them but even to tremble at the thought of them It is now accounted a legall thing against the grace of the Gospel to confesse sin to be humbled for sin to make conscience of duty or to be troubled in conscience for neglect of it No they thank God they are delivered from such things in respect of God whether they sin or not it is all one yea these things prevaile with those who have beene forward in profession of Religion who seemed to walke strictly now are growne loose That saith is easily wrought which teacheth men to beleeve well of
false opinion as if he had the malignity of those thousand evill things in his spirit I finde our Divines who have been of peaceable spirits have condemned very much this fastening of dangerous consequences of mens opinions upon those who hold the opinions and yet whose hearts are as much against such consequences as possibly may be deduced from them as any In their giving rules for peace they advise to take heed of this as a thing which makes Brethren who are different in their opinions unlikely ever to become one Davenant sayes It is abhorrent to charity and right reason that any because of consequences from what he holds neither understood nor granted by him should be thought to deny or reject a fundamentall Article which he firmly beleeves expresly asserts and if he were called to it whould seale the truth of it with his bloud Truer and more gentle sayes he is the judgment of that great and peace-making Divine Bucer who sayes It is our part not to look at what may follow from an opinion but at what followes in the consciences of those who hold it The eleventh dividing Practice To commend and countenance what we care not for in opposition to what we dislike WHen such as professe godlinesse shall make much of wicked men shall commend them joyne with them embrace them yea be well pleased with the bitternesse boisterousnesse boldnesse of their daring spirits because there may be use made of them against those men and wayes they differ from this is an evill which brings guilt upon themselves and makes the division between them and their Brethren very great If your hearts be right and your cause be good you need not make use of any thing that is evill to comfort your hearts or to maintaine your cause The Lord will not be beholding to the evill the bitternesse of mens spirits for the furtherance of his cause and why should you God will not take the wicked by the hand neither shouldest thou Are not your spirits strengthned against your adversaries when you see them calling in Papists and all manner of the refuse of men wicked and treacherous Can you thinke that these are the most likely to maintaine the Protestant Religion and the liberty of the Subject Why doe you seek to strengthen your selves by stirring up vile men to joyne with you such as heretofore your hearts were opposite to How comes it to passe you can close so lovingly now You can smile one upon another and shake hands together How comes it to passe you doe rejoyce the hearts of evill men they encourage you and you encourage them Those unsavoury bitter expressions that come from them you can smile at and be well pleased with because they are against such as differ from you blow up that sparkle of ingenuity that heretofore hath been in you lay your hands upon your hearts bethinke your selves is it the Spirit of Jesus Christ that acts us in such a way wherein we are Surely this is not the way of peace but of division and confusion The last dividing Practice The Practice of Revenge WHen any provoke you you say you will be even with him there is a way whereby you may be not even with him but above him that is forgive him Practising revenge is the way to continue divisions to the end of the world such offend me therefore I will offend them and therefore they offend me againe mee againe and I them and so it may run in infinitum they deny mee a kindnesse therefore I will deny them and therefore they will deny mee so these unkindnesses run on endlesly divisions will have a line of succession where will it where can it stop if this be the way of men Paulus Fagius in his Notes upon Leviticus cap. 19. v. 18. sayes If Reuben should say to Simeon Lend me thy Axe and he should answer I will not the next day Simeon hath need of an Axe and he comes to Reuben and sayes I pray lend me your Axe and Reuben answers No you would not lend me yours yesterday the Jewes accounted this to be Revenge There is much more malignity in our revengefull practices one upon another then this Basil invelghing against requiting evill for evill in his tenth Sermon speakes thus to a revengefull heart Doe not make your Adversary your Master doe not imitate him whom you hate be not you his looking-glasse to present his forme and fashion in your selfe Revenge God challengeth to himselfe as his presume not to encroach upon Gods proprietie to get up into Gods seate and doe his worke thou hast enough to doe of thine owne And it is very observable how God stands upon his challenge of revenge as his owne as that which he by no meanes will suffer others to meddle with in those Scriptures where this is mentioned the challenge is doubled yea sometimes trebleâ— as Psal 94. 1. O Lord God to whom vengeance belongeth O God to whom vengeance belongeth So Nahum 1. 2. The Lord revengeth the Lord revengeth the Lord will take vengeance on his Adversaries Heb. 10. 30. Vengeance belongeth to me I will recompence saith the Lord and againe the Lord will judge his people You must not think revenge to be so light a matter How unbeseeming are revengefull practices to Christian profession Many of the Heathens were above such things Plutarch reports of Phocion That when he had done notable service for the Athenians yet was put to death by them but being asked a little before his death whether he had any thing to say to his sonne Yes sayes he that I have I require of thee my sonne that thou never wishest ill to the Athenians for this they doe to me How farre are most of us from this we can hardly passe by an ill looke without revenge but if we conceive our selves to be wronged in words or actions then revenge rises high such things must not be born A Gentleman of very good credit who lived at Court many yeeres told me that himselfe once heard a great man in this Kingdome say He never forgave man in his life and I am moved the rather to beleeve it to be so because I have been told by some other Gentlemen that the same man would when he was walking alone speake to himselfe and clap his hand upon his breast and sweare by the Name of God that he would be revenged hee would be revenged and that she who lay in his bosome was wont to sit alone and sing to her selfe Revenge Revenge O how sweet is Revenge If they get power into their owne hands and are so uxorious as they must needs give way to have things managed according to the will of their revengefull wives what peace what security is there like to be Sir Walter Rawleigh in his History of the World tells of the sad case of the Lacedemonians when Nabis having power in his hands having a wife Apega a woman full of
cruelty and revenge her husband delighting in her caused her Image to be made lively representing her and apparelled with costly garments but indeed it was an Engin to torment men withall he made use of it thus when he could not have his will upon men by his owne perswasions he tooke them by the hand telling them that perhaps his wife Apega who sate by in a chaire could perswade more effectually so he led them to the Image that rose up and opened the armes as it were for embracement those armes were full of sharpe iron nayles the like whereof were also sticking in the brests though hidden with her clothes and herewith she griped these men to death At which Nabis standing by laughed to see the cruell death of these miserable men The Lord deliver us from revengefull spirits CHAP. XXVII The evill of Divisions They hinder much good EVsebius reports of Constantine That he was more troubled with the dissentions of the Church then with all the warres in his dominions that he took them so to heart that he could not sleep quietly for them yea although he had a spirit full of heroick valour yet the dissentions of the Church were such evils to him as to cause him to cry and sob Thus he writes in an Epistle to Alexander and Arius Let me enjoy the dayes in peace and the nights without molâ—station that the pleasure which riseth out of the pure light of concord and quiet life may henceforth inviolably be conserved if it otherwise happen it behoveth us to sob and sigh and to shed many a salt teare What heart that hath any tendernesse in it bleeds not in the sense of those sore dreadful heart-divisions there are amongst us The evill there is in them is beyond what tongue or pen can expresse Take a view of it under these three Heads 1. The good they hinder 2. The sinne they cause 3. The misery they bring First the quiet comfort sweetnesse of our spirits is hindered by divisions They put the spirit out of tune men who heretofore have had sweet spirit full of ingenuity since they have interessed themselves in these Divisions have lost their sweetnesse their ingenuity is gone When the Bee stings she leaves her sting behinde her and never gathers Honey more men by stinging one another doe not lose their stings but they lose their honey they are never like to have that sweetnesse in their hearts that heretofore they had Shall I lose my sweetnesse sayes the Fig-tree and goe to be promoted over the trees Why doest thou not reason thus with thy spirit Shall I lose my sweetnesse in contending to get my will to be above others God sorbid There was a time that both my my selfe and others found much sweetnesse in the temper of spirit there was nothing but peaceablenesse quiet calmnesse contentednesse in it and how comfortable was such a temper of spirit me thought when my spirit was in that sweet frame all things were sweet to me but since I have been interested in quarrels and contentions it hath beene farre otherwise with me Prov. 15. 4. Perversnesse in the tongue causes a breach in the spirit Contentions cause much perversnesse in mens tongues and this causes a breach in their spirits Your contending costs you deare though it were in nothing else yet the losse of this sweetnesse of spirit makes it very costly to you All the wrong that you should have put up if you had not contended had not been so great an evil to you as this one thing is There is nothing more contrary to ingenuity then quarrelsomnesse It is reported of Melancthon that when he was to dye he had this speech and Strigelius at his death had the same I desire to depart this life for two causes First that I may enjoy the desired sight of the Sonne of God and the Church in heaven Secondly that I may be delivered from the fierce and implacable hatred of Divines There was much disputing contending quarrelling in those times which was so tedious to the spirits of these good men as it made them the willinger to dye that they might be where their souls should be at rest That Saint of God old M. Dod never loved to meddle with controversies he gave that reason He found his heart the worse when he did Men seldome come away from hot disputes or any other contentions but their spirits are altered for the worse They finde it so and others finde it in them If a man has beene abroad and met with company with whom he hath been contending his wife children servants finde that he comes not home with the same spirit that he went out with Secondly they hinder the freedome of a mans spirit which a wise man sets a high price upon the strength of many mens spirits is spent in contentions they have no command of them to any thing else When a man is once engaged in a contest he knows not how to get off Contention is a great snare to a man he wishes he had never medled with it he is weary of it but knowes not how to come off fairely I have read of Francis the first King of France consulting with his Captaines how to lead his Army over the Alpes into Italy whether this way or that way Amarill his Foole sprung out of a corner where he sate unseene and bad them rather take care which way they should bring their Army out of Italy back again It is easie for one to interest himselfe in quarrels but the difficulty is to be disengaged from them when you are in Thirdly they hinder the good of the body many men contending with their Brethren are so full of stomach that they have no stomach they hinder their sleep men lye tossing up downe a great part of the night sometimes whole nights musing plodding and contriving how they may make their party good what advantages they may get of those they contend with Have the thoughts about the breach sinne hath made between God and thy soul broke thy sleep so much as the thoughts of breaches between thee and thy neighbours and brethren We reade of Moses Deut. 34. 7. that he was an hundred and twenty yeeres old when he died his eye was not dimme nor his naturall force abated Some give this to be one reason of such a wonderfull preservation of his health and strength the meeknesse of his spirit God witnesses of him Numb 12. 3. That he was the meekest man upon the face of the earth That good old man Mr. Dod came very neere to Moses in the one and in the other Fourthly they hinder mens judgements if the water be muddie we cannot see what lies at the bottome These dissentions disturb the medium of our sight you cannot weigh gold in the middest of blustring windes you cannot consider and give a judgement upon truth except the heart be calme Gregory Nazianzen hath this similitude As the
earth sayes he is fixed to men whose braines and eyes are sound but to those who have a vertigo in their heads it seems to turne round so we are deceived in our apprehensions of things we have not the same judgment of things when we love and when we doe not love Fiftly they hinder the sweetnesse of Christian converse and communion you know your communion with the Saints was wont to be farre more sweet then now it is ye were wont to have your hearts spring at the sight of one another Ipse aspectus boni viri delectat sayes Seneca The very sight of a good man delights the sight of a godly man was wont to delight us otherwise then now it does you look one upon another now sowrely with lowring countenance and withdraw from one another your comforts were wont to be double treble seven fold an hundred fold according to that society of Saints you conversed withall one godly man accounted it the joy of his heart that he had any thing that he could communicate to another godly man and the other had the like joy that he had any thing to communicate to him thus comforts were multiplyed but now your comforts are single Oh the sweetnesse the sutablenesse there was wont to be in the spirits of Christians Shall I say sutablenesse it was a blessed onenesse of heart they did as it were exchange soules one with another every day their soules did close claspe one with and cleave one to another Oh how did they love to open their hearts one to another what delight was there in pouring forth their spirits one into another What cheerfulnesse was there wont to be in their meeting they eate their bread together with singlenesse of heart and joy praising the Lord. There were no such merry meetings in the world as the meetings of the Saints were wont to be They parted one from another with their soules bound up one in another their hearts warmed enlarged resolved strengthened in Gods waies But now they cannot meet together but they fall a jarring contending one with another and part with spirits estranged from sowred and imbittered one against another their hearts weakned and more unsetled in the things of God then before Heretofore when they were absent one from another yet the remembrance one of another was joyfull but these dayes seeme to be gone Where is there that opening of secrets one to another as formerly every one is afraid of another What sweet visits were there wont to be what bearing one anothers burdens what heart-encouraging Letters It was with the Saints as in Tertulliâ—ns time Christians called Brethren and were ready to dye for one another but now they are burdens to one anothers spirits they bring evils one upon another Those who heretofore were forward Professors whose society was onely amongst the Saints now they can suit well enough with those who are carnal they close with them their converse is most amongst them Oh Lord what fire is it that is kindled amongst us The nature of fire is Congregare homogenea segregare heterogenea to gather things of a like nature together and separate things of a different but our fire does quite contrary it separates things that are Homogeneall and joyns things Heterogeneall Surely this is no other then the fire of hell Sixthly they hinder our time Abundance of time is spent about our divisions which we are not able to give account to God for When men are engaged in contentions they will follow them night and day whatsoever business be neglected to be sure that must not yea the choice of our time that was wont to be spent in meditation reading prayer is now spent in contending and wrangling Those retired times that we were wont to converse with God in are now spent in the workings of our thoughts about our divisions and when we come abroad then a great part of our time is taken up in going first to this body and then to the other to help forward and foment matter of division Of all the time of a mans life that time that is spent in lawing and quarrelling is the worst and happy it were for many that it might not be reckoned amongst the days weeks or moneths of their lives Seventhly they hinder our prayers If two or three agree together touching any thing they shall aske it shall be done for them by my Father sayes Christ Mat. 18. 18. 1 Tim. 2. 8. I will that men pray lifting up their hands without wrath When Daniel was in a strait he goes to his companions and desires them to lift up prayers to God for him Dan. 2. 17. There was a a sweet agreement between them Hence their stock and trade in prayer went in common but divisions do exceedingly hinder prayer either one with another or one for another 1 Pet. 3. 7. the Apostle giving rules for a peaceable loving life between man wife the woman must be meek and the man live with his wife as a man of knowledge and they must walk together as the heires of life Why so That your prayers may not bee hindred Private contentions in families are great hindrances of family-prayers So our publick divisions and contentions are the great hindrances of the prayers of Christians in a more publick way How were they wont to pour forth their hearts in prayer together then their hearts closed but now it is otherwise Men do not walk now together as the heirs of life therefore their prayers are hindred God accepts not of our gift if we offer it when our hearts are at a distance from our brethren When breaches continue and we are not reconciled you know Christ requires us to leave our gift at the Altar till reconciliation be made It is the Spirit of God in the Saints that is the spirit of prayer now Gods Spirit is a Dove-like meek quiet and peaceable spirit Eighthly they hinder the use of our gifts When Vessels are sowred with vinegar they spoil liquor that is poured into them they make it good for nothing Many men have excellent gifts but they are in such sowre vinegar spirits that they are of little or no use in Church and Common-wealth 1. In these times of division many men exercise their gifts and parts in little or nothing else but in matters of division do you think that God hath given you such parts for no other end but this 2. They have no hearts to impart to their Brethren their gifts in counselling admonishing strengthning comforting No their hearts are estranged from them they care not to have any thing to do with them but do you think that you are so far your own men that you may keep in or imploy your talents as you please Are you not the Stewards of Christ are they not given to you for the edification of your Brethren as well as for good to your selves Can this satisfie your consciences such a one differs from you he hath
angred you therefore though you have opportunity of being useful to him yet you refuse it as if it were at your liberty to lay out your abilities for good or not Certainly this is not according to the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 12. 7. The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall 3. If you do make use of your gifts for the good of others yet dissentions between you will hinder the profit of them you are not like to do any good by them except they be carryed on by the oyl of love they wil not soak into mens hearts When did you ever know a wrangling contentious Minister though his gifts were never so excellent do good amongst his people And what comfort can a man have of his life if he be laid aside by God as a useless man 4. These divisions cause men to make the gifts of others useless to themselves whereas God puts opportunity into mens hands to get much good by those excellent gifts their Brethren have yet if there be any difference between them either they will not acknowledge the gifts of GOD in them or otherwise they have no mind to receive from them that good they might have because their hearts are not with them Ninthly they hinder our graces how little of God and Christ little spiritualness appears in Professours of Religion since these rents and divisions have been amongst us in comparison of what in former times hath appeared As the members of the body sayes Augustine are not quickned except they be joyned so even the members of Christ do not receive of the quickning vertue of Christ except they be joyned Here is the reason of the deadness coldness emptiness barrenness vanity of your spirits you are not joyned O where are the heavenly Christians that were wont to be those humble those holy gracious soules who lived by faith who were able to deny themselves their whole lives were nothing else but a continuall exercise of self-denyall who were not onely patient but joyfull under afflictions Where are those watchfull Christians who walked close with God who enjoyed such spirituall communion with him as made their faces shine in their holy heavenly conversations Where are those tender broken-hearted Christians that were wont to be who lived upon the Word to whom the Word was more sweet then honey and the honey comb Now there is another kind of face of Professours of Religion as if there were godliness in these dayes not of the same kind with that which was formerly If our fore-fathers who were the most holy and gracious should rise againe they would not own those for Professours of Religion who now make a great noyse keep a great stirr about Religion as if they had got up higher then their fore-fathers had and yet are loose vain frothy false in their way Certainly those holy gracious Saints whom these new Professours sleight were they alive they would abominate them as the great disgrace of and dishonour to Jesus Christ and his Saints Take but away their disputes and for any else how empty and dry are they If they ever had any grace it is under a deal of rubbish we cannot see it and can these men be any other but an empty vine seeing their hearts are so divided The graces that they seemed to have had are quite blasted and if there were any in truth they are exceedingly weakned Vinegar will dissolve Pearls Pliny tells of Cleopatra Queen of Egypt that in her wanton bravery at a Supper she made for Marcus Antonius she dissolv'd a Pearl in Vinegar and drank it off and prepared another both which were valued worth neer five thousand pounds Oh the many precious Pearls worth thousands of gold and silver that are dissolv'd by the Vinegar sowreness of mens spirits in these sharp dissentions that are amongst us Our Divisions hinder the breaking forth of the lustre the shine of Religion in the beauty and glory of it The fire of our contentions raises such a smoak that it all besmothers us it takes away our comliness it makes us look black no amiableness appears in the wayes of Religion to convince men of the excellency of them Scratch'd faces rent and torn garments we account a shame to us distracted divided spirits rending and tearing one another and from one another in our divided wayes O how uncomely doth it render us and that profession of Religion that we take upon us The Turks were wont to wonder much at our English men for pinking and cutting their clothes counting them little better then mad men for making holes in whole cloth which time of it self would tear too soon the cuts rents slashes that are in our spirit in our divisions at this day are much more uncomely and may justly render us foolish and mad in the eyes of all that do behold us Our Divisions hinder our strength If you untwist a Cable how weak is it in the severall parts of it a threefold cord is not easily broken but a single one is Divide a strong current into severall rivelets and how shallow and weak will the course of the water be That act that Plutarch reports to the King of Scythia Scilurus toward his Sons hath been very famous to set out how divisions weaken wheresoever they are he sayes he had eighty Sons and when he was near death he caused a bundle of Arrows to be brought and given them one by one bidding each of them to break it they all answered it was impossible for any man to do it then he causes the Arrows to be taken out one by one and bade one of his Sons break them this any of them could easily do upon this he speaks to his Sonnes thus If ye agree together ye shall abide strong and unconquerable but if ye divide your selves contending one with another ye will be weak and easily overcome They hinder our doing good in publick that which concerns many must be done by many But how can two much less many walk together if they be not agreed that which one does the other seeks to undo Now although God can turn whatsoever is contrary to his work to the furtherance of it yet man cannot do so When God would hinder the work of building Babel he comes down and confounds their tongues so as they could not joyn together in it Thus when the Devill would hinder the work of Jerusalem he knows no way more likely then by dividing the hearts of those who are employed if he can possibly that thereby he might bring confusion They hinder our own ends none are more crossed in their ends and designes then contentious people we have not the mutuall benefits of one anothers Estates Houses the many ways of accommodation and help for one another as heretofore we were wont to have now every man shifts for himselfe scarce any man who knew what the heartiness of friendship meant enjoyes those outward accommodations as
another so as one would think it impossible that ever in this world there should have been that distance between them that now there is How often have we prayed Oh that once we might be blessed with such a mercy as to worship God according to his own mind that we might be delivered from conscience oppression from spirituall bondage Oh that we might be delivered from the inventions of men in the service of God that the Saints might joyn and serve the Lord with one shoulder There were never such hopes that the Saints should enjoy their prayers so as of late there hath been and yet never were they so divided as now they are they now seek to bring one another in bondage If five or six years since when many of us were praying together making our moans to God for that oppression we were under God should have then presented as in a Map such times as these are to our view could we have beleeved that it were possible that there should be such a distance in our spirits as now there is Fourthly our Divisions are very dishonourable to Jesus Christ were it that they darkned our names onely it were not so much but that which darkens the glory of Jesus Christ should goe very neere unto us I have read of Alexander Severus seeing two Christians contending one with another commanded them that they should not presume to take the name of Christians upon themselves any longer For sayes he you dishonour your Master Christ whose Disciples you professe to be It is dishonour to a General to have his Army routed and run into confusion The Devill seems to prevaile against us in these our divisions so as to rout us John 17. 21. 23. is a notable Scripture to shew the sinfulnesse of our divisions in the dishonour they put upon Christ and it may be as strong an argument against them as any I know in the Book of God Christ praying to the Father for the union of his Saints uses this argument O Father let this be granted that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me And againe ver 23. Let them be perfect in one that the world may know that thou hast sent me If they be not united one to another in love and peace but have a spirit of Division ruling amongst them what will the world thinke surely that thou didst not send me that I who am their head their teacher and Lord never came from thee for thou art wisdom holiness and love if I had come from thee then those who own me to be theirs and whom I own to be mine would hold forth in their conversations something of that spirit of holinesse wisdome and love there is in thee but when the world does not see this in them but the clean contrary they will never beleeve that I came from thee those truths that I came into the world to make known as from thee O Father will not be beleeved but rather persecuted if those who professe them by their divisions one from another and oppositions one against another shew forth a spirit of pride folly envy frowardnesse therefore O Father let them be one as thou and I am one if this Petition be not granted how shall I look the world in the face I shall be contemned in the world what am I come down from thee for such glorious ends as indeed those were for which I came into the world and when I should come to attaine those ends for which I came shall there be such a carriage in those who doe professe my Name that by it the world shall perswade themselves that thou didst never send me O what a sore evill would this be surely any Christian heart must needs tremble at the least thought of having a hand in so great an evill as this is Fifthly Divisions are sinfull because they grieve the holy Spirit of God Ephes 4. 30 31. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed to the day of redemption Surely there is no godly heart but will say O God forbid that I should doe any thing to grieve the good spirit of God it is the Spirit that hath enlightned me that hath revealed the great mysteries of God of Christ of eternall life unto me it is that Spirit that hath drawn my Soul to Jesus Christ that hath comforted it with those consolations that are more to me then ten thousand worlds the Spirit that hath strengthned me that helpes me against temptations that carries me through difficulties that enables me to rejoyce in tribulations the Spirit that is an earnest to assure me of Gods electing love the spirit thet hath sealed me up to the day of Redemption and now shall I be gâ—ily of so great a sinne as to grieve this blessed Spirit of the Lord If I did but know wherein I have grieved it it could not but make my soul to bleed within me that I should have such a wretched heart to grieve this holy Spirit by whom my soule hath enjoyed so much good I hope should for ever hereafter take heed of that thing I would rather suffer any griefe in the world to mine owne spirit then be any occasion of grief to that blessed Spirit of God But would you know what it is that hath grieved it and what it is that is like to grieve it further mark what followes ver 31. Let all bitternesse wrath anger clamour and evill speaking be put away from you with all malice And would you doe that which may rejoyce it Oh! God knowes it would be the greatest joy in the world for me to doe it then ver 32. Be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Sixthly these divisions doe grieve and offend our Brethren this should not be a light matter to us Christ accounts it a great evill to offend one of his little ones We may thinke it a little matter to give offence to some of Gods people who are poore and meane in the world so long as we have the bravery of it and the countenance of great men no matter for them But friend whatsoever slight thoughts thou hast of it Christ thinks it a great matter you may look upon them as under you the times favour you more then them but if you shall give them cause to goe to God to make their moanes to him of any ill usage they have had from you Lord thou knowest I was for peace to the uttermost that I could so farre as I was able to see thy Word for my guide but these who heretofore were as Brethren to me now their spirits are estranged their hearts are imbittered their words their carriages are very grievous and all because I cannot come up to what their opinions their ways are certainly this would prove very ill to you regard it as lightly as you will it may be when others carry themselves towards you
honey but out of the perversnesse of their spirits they despised that Land and Egypt now in this froward humour of theirs must be the Land that flowed with milke and honey Oh the perversenss of mens hearts if they be but a little crossed how hard is it for God or man to please them how unworthy are such froward spirâ—ts as these to live in such a time as this to see the great work of God that he hath done for his people It is true heretofore men seemed to be more united then now there appears more differences in mens opinions and wayes then formerly but whence was it that men formerly were not at such a distance was it not because they were chained together two prisoners chained to a block keep together all day long men that are at liberty walk in the streets at a distance if the prisoners should commend their life as more comfortable then yours because they keep closer together all the day then you do would you envy their happinesse time hath been that a tyrannicall chain hath been upon us we dared not then discuss any matters of differerence with freedom if a Convocation determined it there was a chain upon us to fasten us to it now God hath given us more liberty to debate things freely that we may finde out the truth more clearly and though men while they are in their debates be at some distance one from another do not say it was better with us heretofore then it is now thou dost not speak wisely concerning this thing Surely these men who are so desirous of former times are ad servitudinem nati born to be slaves it is pitty but they should have their eares bored for slaves Secondly the ill use that others make of these divisions is to cry out of Religion preaching since there hath been so much profession and preaching we never had good world there was more love and unity before all things were more quiet neighbours were more at peace one with another This is no other then if men when Christ lived amongst them should have objected against him Since this Christ hath come amongst us we have had more trouble then we or our fore-fathers heretofore have known we were not wont to heare of men possest with the Devill so as now we do now what a noyse is there in all the countrey of men possessed with evill spirits we do not read of such things before Christs time yet do you think this was a good argument why men should wish that Christ had never come If the Devill be put into a rage now more then before it is a signe he is more opposed then he was before he possessed all in quiet before but now his Kingdome begins to shake Thirdly because of these divisions many resolve they will stand Neuters they see it is doubtfull which way things may goe seeing there are such differences we will stand by and look on till we see how they will agree by this means they do not only disert the publick Cause that is now on foot but they are in danger to be for any thing at the last or to turn Atheists Chrysostome in his Sermons upon the Acts Chap. 15. inveighs against such men as these he there makes an Apologie for the dissentions of the Christians the Heathens objected We would come to you but we know not to whom we should come one is of one mind another is of another we cannot tell what you hold you are so different from your selves Chrysostomes answer is This is but a cavill for first this hinders you not in other matters where there is difference amongst men yet you will take paines and enquire which is the right Yea secondly if you did know what you should hold yet you would not embrace it for you doe know what you should do and yet you do not do it do what you know and then aske of God and he will reveale more to you Fourthly others cry out against these men that have been most active in this common Cause putting forth themselves venturing their estates and lives and putting on others at the first these men were honoured but men did not then see what would follow they did not think that such troubles would have attended such undertakings as now they have found upon this their hearts rise against those who were the most publique spirited Had it not been say they for a few hot fiery spirited men who know not what they would have things had never come to this passe we might have been quiet These men are by some yea many looked upon as no other then disturbers men of turbulent unquiet spirits and yet they have been the means of preserving you and your posterity from slavery and of continuing the Gospell amongst you This is an ill requitall of all that willingnesse of theirs to hazard their estates and lives for your good You have cause to blesse God seeing you were of such low narrow timerous spirits your selves unfit for such a work as God had to do in the beginning of the change of these times that he raised up others and gave them enlarged resolved spirits fit for such a publique work accompanied with so many difficulties as attended upon this did they break the ice for you and do you thus requite them This is like a froward perverse patient who flies in the face of his Physitian because his Physick makes him sick Fiftly others seeing much evill come of the divisions amongst us they think there is no way to help them but by violence forcing men to yeeld to what they think is right They think they do God good service in compelling men to the same judgement and way that themselves are of This is a very ill use of them It is a new and unheard-of way of preaching sayes Gregory to require men to beleeve by blowes To go from the Divine Word to an iron Sword from the Pen to the Halbert to perswade men to beleeve is a way that Gerard. confess Cath. l. 1. p. 809. exclaims against Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall History lib. 3. cap. 21. reports of the Macedonians petitioning Jovianus the Emperour for the banishing of those who were not of their judgement in matters of religion of great moment The Emperour receiving their supplication gave them no other answer but this I tell you truly I cannot away with contention but such as embrace unity and concord I do honour and reverence them Tertullian in his book ad Scapulam cap. 2. sayes It is not the way of Religion to compell Religion which ought to be taken up willingly not by force If you should compell us sayes he to sacrifice what did you in this for your gods none desire sacrifice from those who are unwilling but such as are contentious but God is not contentious I finde in Thuanus his History lib. 16. a notable passage in a writing that the Senat of
otherwise it must needs therefore enrage others at them The good uses that we are to make of our Divisions WHy may not meat come out of the eater and sweet out of these bitter things The Heavens can draw up salt vapours from the Sea and send them down againe in sweet refreshing showres Why may not heavenly hearts change the very nature of these sowre brinish things and make them sweet to themselves and others This is the excellency of grace it does not only preserve the soule from the evill of temptations but it gets advantage by them it turnes the evill into good Luther upon the Galat. c. 5. v. 17. hath a notable expression to set forth the power of grace By this a Christian sayes he comes to be a mighty workman and a wonderfull creator who of heavinesse can make joy of terrours comfort of sinne righteousnesse of death life And why may not I adde of division and contention peace and union Wherefore First by these Divisions men may come to see the vilenesse and the vanity of their own hearts what were the thoughts of men heretofore Oh had we but liberty and opportunity to be instrumentall for God we hope we should improve all to the uttermost for him now God hath granted these to us we abuse them we grow wanton we jarre one against another we are like some Marriners who are calme in a storme But storme in a calme Surely every man is vanity The untowardnesse of the spirits of those who heretofore longed after ordinances freed from these defilements they mourned under when they have their desires in great measure satisfied discovers so much evill in the hearts of men that it justifies those whom themselves have had hard thoughts of men who seemed carnall and naught that you looked upon as very evill men of bitter spirits against good men you thought such things apparently argued them void of grace and yet when you are got into Church-fellowship that way of freedome that your soules mourned after a long time now though you be joyned in covenant one to another yet if your brethren differ any thing from you though they be otherwise godly what a bitternesse of spirit is there in some of you against them what pride what frowardnesse doe you manifest against them Oh what a poor creature is man if once he gets power and liberty what a deale of filth appears in him we may learn by this to have charitable thoughts of some of whom we have had hard thoughts before we see if these men have any grace grace may be in a mans heart lying under much corruption Secondly learne to be humbled for that dishonour which comes to God by these divisions thou spendest thy time in vexing and fretting at in crying out against these breaches but when was thy heart broken with the dishonour that God hath by them Thirdly let these divisions confirme us in the maine and settle us there more then ever for do we not see that those many sorts of men who are divided who oppose one another much yet they all joyn in the things of the greatest consequence they all witnesse against the common enemy This sayes Nazianzen is the greatest argument of the truth that it is not overcome by time neither can enmity one against another put out that little sparke of the love of it that is in us c. If a mans house stands after many shakings of strong windes he concludes the foundation is good this satisfies him though some tiles be shaken off Fourthly let us blesse God who hath carryed on the work of Reformation thus farre notwithstanding our divisions we were afraid that these differences not so much betweene the good and bad but betweene the good and good would have undone all and yet behold the Lord beyond our thoughts how infinitely beyond our deserts hath carryed on the work hitherto so as it gets ground though it be not so speedily brought to an issue as we would have it Fiftly let us hence raise our hopes in this that Satans time is not long his raging and foming so violently doth evidence it to us Surely Christ our Prince of Peace is at hand he will tread down Satan under our feet shortly Sixtly let us from these stirs without be put upon the labouring to make and to confirm peace within Oh consider is the breach between man and man so grievous how grievous is that which is between God and the Soul I find it hard and doubt whether it be possible to be at peace with men in this world I find them of such froward peevish selfish wilfull spirits even many who seem to be good men otherwise but God gives many encouragements to poor souls to come unto him he is a God of love and mercy he delights not to grieve the children of men to crush under his feet the prisoners of the earth he is willing to be reconciled to sinners there is nothing that his heart is more set upon then reconciliation with wretched sinfull souls Oh that in these sad dayes of miserable dissentions I might be blessed with the comforts of the reconciliation of my soul with God! if this were I hope I should be able contentedly to bear and with strength to pass through all those heart-sadning evils caused by these breaches and dissentions there are amongst us This were a good use indeed made of such evill things if mens contending with you shall thus further your peace with God what he once said of Adams sin it was Faelix peccatum a happy sin because it occasioned so much good in Mans Redemption So I may say of that strife and contention there is among us it is faelix contentio a happy contention that God hath turned to so much good unto you I have read of Robert Holgate who was Arch-Bishop of York because he could not peaceably enjoy his small living in Lincolne-shire in regard of the litigiousnesse of a neigbouring Knight comming to London to right himselfe he came into the favour of King Hen. the 8. and so got by degrees the Archbishoprick of York he thought he got well by the litigiousnesse of this Knight but if the strifes of men shall put thee upon those providences and duties which shall be so blessed unto thee as to further thy getting into the favour of the high God and the enjoyment of the soule-satisfying sweetnesse there is in peace with him what cause shalt thou have of admiring free grace which hath brought to thee so great a good from so great an evil and if these strifes have been a meanes to move thy heart Godward for thy making thy peace with him let them also put thee on still to further to confirme to settle to maintaine thy peace with him VVhen the winde and storme rises the Traveller plucks his cloak the closer about him these dividing times are stormy times labour to get your souls to the harbour under shelter labour to make sure
of that one thing necessary the more strangely men looke upon you let your hearts be stirred up to seek with the more strength the face of God that you may never look upon it but with joy You hear harsh notes abroad such things as grieve you at the heart labour so much the more to keep the bird alwayes singing in your bosome 7. If your peace be made with God blesse God for it It is a great mercy for a man in these times of trouble to have rest in his own spirit while others are tossed up and down in the waves of contention you sit quietly in the Arke of a good conscience blessing the Lord that ever you knew him and his wayes 8. Labour to make up your want of that good and comfort you heretofore had in Christian communion with a more close and constant communion with the Lord who hath been pleased to speak peace unto you Although I have not that comfort in communion with the streams yet I may find it fully made up in the fountain 9. By way of Antiperistas let us labour to be so much the more united with the Saints by how much we see others to be divided Men make void thy Law sayes David therefore doe I love it above gold We use to put a price upon things that are rare what makes Jewels to be of that worth but for the rarity of them Unity hearty love sweetness of communion among brethren is now a very rare thing a scarce commodity let us prize it the more and you who do enjoy it bless God for it 10. The more confused broken and troublesome we see things to be the more let our hearts be stirred up in prayer to God putting him in mind of all those gracious promises that he hath made to his Church for peace and union Lord is it not part of thy Covenant with thy people that thou wilt give them one heart hast thou not said that they shall serve thee with one shoulder hast thou not told us that thou wilt make Jerusalem a quiet habitation that thou wilt take away violence that there should be no pricking bryar nor grieving thorn 11. Those whose consciences can witnesse to them that it hath been their great care not to enwrap themselves in the guilt of these divisions but they can appeale to God that they have endeavoured after peace so far as they could with a good conscience let them bless God for this mercy it is a great deliverance to be delivered from the guilt of those divisions Deut. 33. 8. Of Levi he said Let thy Vrim and Thummim be with thy holy One whom thou didst prove at Massah and with whom thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah Massah signifies tentation and Meribah contention Places and times of contention are places and times of tentation Now if God shall prove us at those places in those times and we be found upright this will bring a blessing upon us At those waters where the people murmured contending even with God himselfe Aaron though there was some weaknesse in him yet kept himselfe from being involved in the guilt of that sinne of contending with God And Sol-Jarchi with other of the Hebrewes say that the Levites were not in that sinne neither which they thinke that place Malachie 2. 5. refers unto My covenant was with him of life and peace for the feare wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name The feare of God was upon Levi at that time he dared not contend as then others did and therefore my covenant of life and peace was and is with him We have been these three or foure yeeres at these waters of Massah and Meribah God hath tryed us How happy are those who have held out who have kept their consciences free upon whom the fear of God hath been and through that feare of his have walked before him in the wayes of truth and equity The blessing of the Covenant of Life and Peace be upon them for ever CHAP. XXXI The Cure of our Divisions VVHat gracious heart is not cut asunder with griefe for those sore and fearfull evils that there are in and come from our divisions and is not even the second time cut asunder with carefull thoughts in it selfe what may be done to heal them Mat. 6. 25. Christ forbids that carking care that cuts our hearts when it is in matters concerning our selves yea for our lives 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 take no thought for your life so it is in your bookes but the word signifies Doe not take such thought as should cut your hearts asunder so v. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why doe you divide your hearts and ver 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and ver 34. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 again But though this charge of Christ be doubled and doubled againe against our carefull dividing cutting thoughts about our selves yet for the uniting the hearts of the Saints together for the good of the Church this heart-cutting care is not onely allowed but required 1 Cor. 12. 25. That there should be no schisme in the body but that the members should have the same care one for another The words are That the members may care the same thing one for another and that with dividing cutting care that there might be no schisme in the body The word that is here for care is the same that in the former places in the 6. of Mat. is forbidden The expressions of my thoughtfull cares about this work is the subject at this time When I set my self about it my heart doth even ake within me at the apprehension of the difficulty of it There are some diseases that are called opprobria medicorum the disgraces of Physitians because they know not what to say or doe to them or if they do any thing it is to little purpose If there be any soule-disease that is opprobrium Theologorum the disgrace of Divines it is this of contention and division How little has all that they have studied and endeavoured to do prevailed with the hearts of men What shall we do Shall we but joyn in this one thing to sit down together and mourn one over another one for another till we have dissolved our hearts into teares and see if we can thus get them to run one into another Oh that it might be what sorrow soever it costs us We read Judges 2. 12. 3 4 5. the Lord sent an Angell from Gilgal to the men of Israel who told them how graciously he had dealt with them yet they had contrary to the command of God made a league with the inhabitants of the Land for which the Lord threatned that they should be as thorns in their sides When the Angell spake these words to the children of Israel the people lift up their voice and wept And they called the name of that place Boehim a place of tears Their sin was too much joyning joyning in league where God
is done our work is done for this world The second joyning Principle That shall never be got by strife that may be had by love and peace VVE would all fain have our wills now that which lies uppermost upon many mens hearts that which is the first thing they do if their wills be crossed is presently to strive and contend but this should be the last thing after all other means are tried this should never be made use of but in case of pure necessity We should first think Is there any way in the world whereby it is possible we may have our desires satisfyed with peace let us try this and another way a third a fourth yea a hundred wayes if they lye between us and the way of strife before we come to meddle with that This rule you will find of very great use to order all our businesses in Churches Common-wealths of Townes Families yea whatsoever concernes any of your persons in reference to any other The Apostle 1 Cor. 12. rebuking the divisions of that Church of which they are guilty more then any for they had many among them of raised parts of eminent gifts and therefore puffed up more then others Except God joynes eminency of grace men of eminent gifts joyne lesse then others whose gifts are meaner Among those meanes he directs for union when he speakes of love I will shew you sayes he a more excellent way ver last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a way of the highest excellency beyond any expression The way of love of the engaging hearts one to another is the only way to bring men to unity of judgement yea the only way when all is done for men to have their wills I may give you this or the other rule to bring you to think and do the same thing but that which hath an excellency in it with an Hyperbole is the way of love If you could get your mindes by other wayes certainly you cannot enjoy it with that sweetnesse and comfort as you may if you have got it this way Marcus Cato repented that ever he went by sea when he might have gone by land it seems the skill of those times for Navigation was not great but certainly there is no man living but hath cause to repent him that ever he got that by strife contention that he might have got by love peace What hinders why soft and gentle words may not prevaile as well as hard and bitter language Why may not a loving winning carriage do as much as severe rigid violence If it may thou providest ill for thine own peace and comfort to leave this way and betake thy self to the other Tell me were it a signe of valour in a man to draw his sword at every Whappet that comes near him yea at every Fly that lights upon him Were it not folly and madnesse Why he may by putting forth his finger put them off from him Thy froward cholerick spirit is ready to draw at every thing that thou likest not This is thy folly thou mayest with lesse adoe have what thou hast a minde to If I would put a Feather from me I need not strike violently at it a soft gentle breath will do it better Why should a man labour and toyle till he sweats again to take up a pin Have none of you sometimes made a great stirre in your families about that which when the stir is a little over you plainly see you might have had as well with a word speaking and hath not your heart secretly upbraided you then Try the next time what you can do by faire and gentle meanes Why should we let the strength of our spirits run waste Let this be a constant rule never make use of severity till you have tryed what clemency will do there is more power in that to conquer the hearts of men you would faine have yeild to you then you are aware of Plutarch reports of Philip of Macedon that when one Arcadion railed on him the Courtiers would have had him dealt severely with but Philip took another course he sends for him and spake gently to him and shewed great love and respect to him upon this Arcadions heart was turned so as there was no man in the world that Arcadion spoke more honourably of then of Philip wheresoever he came After a while Philip met with those who would have him to have revenged himself upon Arcadion What say you now of Arcadion sayes he How doth he now behave himself There is no man living say they speaks better of you now then he Well then sayes Philip I am a better Physitian then you my physick hath done that which yours never would have done The like he reports of Fabius who was called the Romans Target When he heard of a souldier who was valiant yet practised with some others to go and serve the enemy he calls him to him and in stead of dealing with him in rigour tels him he had not had recompense according to his desert and gives him honourable gifts and so gaines him to be faithfull for ever And sayes he As Hunters Riders of Horses and such as tame wilde beasts shall sooner make them leave their savage and churlish nature by gentle usage and manning of them then by beating and shackling them so a governour of men should rather correct by patience gentlenesse and clemency then by rigour violence and severity None but a cruell harsh sordid spirited man will say I had rather men should fear me then love me God prizes most what he hath from us by love The third joyning Principle It is better to doe good then to receive good ACtive good is better then passive only God himselfe his Angels and Saints do good all creatures can receive good This principle would quickly joyne us for if this were in mens hearts they would study to do all the good they could to one another and so gaine upon one anothers hearts and the more good we doe to any the more will our hearts be inclinable to love them The very communication of goodnesse if it be out of a good spirit carryes the heart along with it to the subject this good is communicated to the more good God doth to any the more he loves them God hates nothing that he hath made but loves what there is in any thing of his work but when he communicates his grace his Spirit when he gives his Christ in these gifts he gives his heart they do not only come from love but they make the subject further lovely in his eyes So it is with us in our proportion if you take a poore childe from the dunghill or out of the Almes-house and make him your heyre you do not only do this good to him because you love dim but you also love him more because you look upon him as an object of your goodnesse as one raised by you Titus accounted that day lost a day
wherein he had not raigned if he had done no good This principle would make men great as well as good It is the glory of God that he does so much good And if men could account this greatnesse satisfying greatnesse the most and greatest contentions that are in the world would be layd down for what do men contend so much for as for greatnesse The fourth joyning Principle The good of other men is my good as well as theirs VVE are all of one body whatsoeuer good others have it is the good of the body it makes them some way able to doe that good that we would have done or at least that we should desire to have done Plutarch sayes that Solon made a law whereby every man was enabled to sue whosoever wronged his neighbour as if he had wronged himself he gave this reason for it There is no good that one man has in a Common-wealth but it is another mans as well as his Community in the Church is more 1 Cor. 3. 22. Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours you are Christs and Christ is Gods If you be godly you have an interest in all the eminent godly men in the world in all their gifts their graces in all they have or do all that is in the world that hath any good in it is yours yea what is evill shall be serviceable to you for good This is brought by the Apostle to quiet the jarrings and contentions that were amongst the Corinthians One would be for Paul another for Apollos sayes the Apostle What need this contention who you are for and who another is for they are all yours all the excellency there is in them is the good of every one of you A speciall reason why men contend so much is they think the good that other men have is their evill therefore they must either get it to themselves or darken it in those that have it But such men acted by such a principle are poore low-spirited men A man of a raised enlarged spirit opens his heart that it may be filled with that infinite good in which there is all good Now if it be that good my soul closeth with and is satisfied in then whatsoever hath any goodnesse in it be it where it will it flowes from this Infinite Ocean of good that my soul is launched into and some way or other flows into this againe though thorough mens corruptions there may be windings and turnings in the course of it yet hither it comes at last and therefore it is mine as really and truly as any I have in mine own hand my soul then shall rejoyce in all the good I see my brethren have in all they do I will blesse God for it and seek the furtherance of it what I can Surely this man must needs be a man of peace and love The fifth joyning Principle My good is more in the publique then in my selfe THe strength safety excellency of a Cabbin in a Ship consists not so much in the boards of the Cabbin or the fine painting of it as in the strength and excellency of the ship It is because we have such private spirits that there are such contentions among us were we more publique spirited our contentions would vanish When I read of what publique spirits many of the Heathen were I am ashamed to look upon many Christians Paulus Aemilius hearing of the death of his children spake with an un aunted courage thus That the Gods had heard his prayer which was that calamities should rather befall his family then the Common-wealth The publikeness of his spirit made it very sweet and lovely the story sayes of him he intreated them gently and graciously whom he had subdued setting forward their causes even as they had bin his confederates very friends and neer kinsmen Publique spirited men are men of sweet and peaceable spirits The sixth joyning Principle What I would have others doe to me that will I endeavour to doe to them VVOuld not I have others beare with me I then will bear with them I would have others do offices of kindnesses to me I will then do offices of kindnesses to them I would have the carriages of others lovely amiable to me mine shall be so to them I would have others live peaceably with me I will do so with them This rule of doing to others as I would be done to is a law of justice such justice as keeps the peace Alexander Severus the Roman Emperour was much taken with this he sayes he learned it from the Christians if he had to deal with his common Souldiers that did wrong he punished them but when he had to deal with men of worth and dignity he thought it sufficient to reprove them with this sentence Do as ye would be done by Chrysostome in his 13. Sermon to the people of Antioch makes use of this principle thus After Christ had spoken of many blessednesses sayes he then he sayes Those things you would have others to do to you do you to them as if he should say There needs not many words let thine own will be thy law would you receive benefits bestow benefits then would you have mercy be mercifull then would you be commended commend others would you be loved then love Be you the Judge your selfe be you the Law-giver of your owne life That which you hate doe not to another Cannot you endure reproach doe not you reproach others Cannot you endure to have others envy you doe not you envy others Cannot you endure to be deceived do not you deceive others The seventh joyning Principle It is as great an honour to have my will by yeelding as by overcomming MAny men in their anger will say I will be even with him I will tell you a way how you may be above him forgive him By yeilding pardoning putting up the wrong you shew you have power over your self and this is a greater thing then to have power over another Numb 14. 17 18. Now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people ver 19. and by this thou maist honourably prevaile with thy Brother hereby shalt thou heap coals of fire upon his head I have read of two famous Philosophers falling at variance Aristippus and Aeschines Aristippus comes to Aeschines Shall we not be friends sayes he Yes with all my heart saith Aeschines Remember saith Aristippus that though I am your elder yet I sought for peace True saith Aeschines and for this I will alwayes acknowledge you the more worthy man for I began the strife and you the peace The eighth joyning Principle I will never meddle with any strife but that which shall have peace to the end of it NO war is good upon any terms taken up upon the justest ground except it aymes at peace Bellum minime
be willing to cut our cloathes to binde them up when the evill of them is such as either does or should cut our hearts But though peace be a rich merchandize yet we must not saile too far for it not so farre as to sinne We read 2 Kings 23. 13. Mount Olivet is called the Mount of corruption because of the Idolatry committed upon it Though we are to prize Mount Olivet at a very high rate with the Olives growing upon it yet we must take heed that we make it not a Mount of corruption We may give peace to buy truth but we may not give truth to buy peace We may be bold with that which is our own to purchase peace but not with that which is Gods yet we must not be base in our yielding in things naturall or civill for peace sake that is First we must not for our own private peace yield to that which is like to prove publique disadvantage and disturbance There is a notable story of a Turkish Emperour perceiving his Nobles people to be offended that he was so strongly in love to his Concubine Irene his heart vvas so taken vvith her that he grevv remiss in his regard to the Stern of the State Nothing must be done but as Irene vvould have it vvhatsoever resolutions there vvere of any good to the State yet Irene must be consulted vvithall before they were put in execution if they pleased not her all was dashed so much did he dote upon Irene This the Nobles and State could not bear he therefore at last so far considered the publique as he overcame his doting affections He brought Irene before them and sayes That ye may see how much I prize the content of my people I sacrifice her to them and so drew his sword and slew her with his own hands before their eyes If according to her demerits for drawing his heart away from the good of the Common-wealth she had bin given up to the sword of justice it might have satisfied as well But lest I be thought to be too literall give me leave to allegorize upon this Irene Her name is a Greek name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies peace we must not so dote upon our Irene our private peace that the publique should suffer for the sake of it This is baseness let her be sacrificed for publick good this is true generousness Secondly that is baseness when our yeilding is thorough ignorance cowardize base fear not from a principle of wisdome and understanding not so much out of true love to peace as a foolish ignorant sottish sordid spirit of our own whereas had we had a spirit of wisdome and courage we might have peace upon more honourable terms Indeed many think every kinde of yeilding basness but they are for the most part such as are not put to any great triall themselves But when our consciences tell us that what we do is what the rule allowes us it is not because we would avoyd trouble but we find thorough Gods grace our hearts in some measure prepared for suffering if God were pleased to call us to it in any thing wherein he may have glory and the publick may be benefited But because all things duly considered we see that God in such a way shall have more glory and our brethren generally more good therefore whatsoever becomes of our particular in regard of esteem or other wayes we are willing to yeild and in this we finde our hearts as much closing with God enjoying Communion with him in all holinesse and godly fear and in other things that go as near to us we are able to deny our selves as much as ever in this we may have comfort that it is not baseness that makes us yeild but rather the grace of God enabling us to rule over our own spirits The peace that we thus purchase with the suffering much in our names and the loss of many comforts does not cost us too dear CHAP. XXXII Joyning Considerations The first The consideration of the many things wherein God hath joyned us GOd hath joyned us together as we are men we are not dogs not wolves let us not be so one to another Act. 7. 26. Moses speaks thus to those who strove one with another Sirs ye are brethren why do yee wrong one another The words in the Greek are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men yet are brethren There is a consideration in this that ye are men if there were no more yet ye should not strive one with another but much more considering ye are brethren If we be men let us be humane What is the meaning of humanity but courteousness gentleness pleasantness in our carriages one towards another But still the consideration growes higher as we are the same Country-men of old acquaintance in the same imployment of the same family and kindred but above all joyned in such a blessed root the fountain of all love and peace Ephes 4. 4. presents this consideration most fully to us The reason the Apostle gives why we must keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace is because there is one body and one spirit ye are called in one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father of all Here you have seven Ones together in two or three lines It is very much that the spirit of God should joyn so close together seven Ones surely it is to be a strong argument for us to unity First one Body The meanest member yet it is in the body Is it comely for the body of Christ to be rent and torn any reference to Christ might perswade unity but union with Christ as the members with the body what heart can stand against the strength of this What can cause one member to tear and rend another but madness 2. One Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 11. that one and the self same spirit he does not only say The same spirit but The self same spirit and as if that not enough he addes One to the self same and that yet not enough he sayes That one all this is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The repeating the Article hath a great elegancy in it And is not this one Spirit the Spirit of love and meeknesse What does a froward contentious spirit do in thee who professt thy self to be a Christian What sayes Cyprian does the fierceness of Wolves the madnesse of Dogs the deadly poyson of Serpents the bloudy rage of Beasts in a Christians breast 3. Called in one hope Are not you heyres joynt heyres of the same Kingdome and do you contend as if one belonged to the kingdome of light and the other to the kingdome of darknesse 4. One Lord. You serve the same Lord and Master Is it for the credit of a Master that his servants are alwayes wrangling and fighting one with another Is it not a tedious thing in a family that the servants can never agree Mark how ill
tale of such and such your heart is hot presently but do you understand the matter You begin to make a stirre but can you give account of it Be silent forbeare take heed what you do meddle not in way of strife till you understand where the controversie lyes and that from both parties The fifth joyning Practice Be ingenious 1. do not lye at the catch to take advantages 2. make the best interpretation of things you can IF God should catch advantages against us what would become of us This is most unseemly when men are seeking to finde out truth if then they shall piddle about words catch at phrases get hold of expressions and seek to make their advantages out of them and in this shall be the greatest strength of their answer though this may have a specious shew before men who are willing to receive any thing which makes against what they would have crushed yet this will not abide before the throne of Christ We reade Matth. 4. Christ had a great dispute with the Devill in which he had him at great advantage in his quotation of a Scripture ver 6. He shall give his Angells charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall beare thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stoue This was quoted out of the 91. Psal ver 11. there it is He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes Yet Christ did not catch this advantage he did not so much as upbraid him for leaving out that passage which he might justly have done but he answers to the thing Yea Christ might have taken a further advantage against the Devill for the words following in the Psalm are a prophesie of Christ destroying the power of the Devill Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and Adder the young Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou trample under thy feet Christ did not take the advantage of this neither and upbraid him with it he had enough against him in the thing it selfe he brought It is a signe that men have lesse advantage in the matter when they seek so much to catch at all the advantages they can in the manner of the expressions of those whom they oppose 2. Make the best interpretation of things you can 1 Cor. 13. 5. Love thinkes no evill It may be if you meet with a man in the streets if he stayes not to talk with you if he takes not speciall notice of you you presently think it is his pride his sleighting disregarding you this is the worst interpretation that can be Why is it not possible that it may be thorough multitude of businesse in his head that you know not of May it not be that his eyes and thoughts were another way he did not take notice of your passing by him is it not thus often with your selfe in respect of others Againe perhaps such a man you find not in his behaviour towards you when you are with him looking so smilingly upon you carrying himselfe in that familiar affable way as you expected you presently think and say Surely it is his pride and surlinesse whereas it may be it is because his head is fuller then yours which may afterwards be for your good if you would be but patient a while it may be it is from some trouble of his spirit at that time it may be it is from the temper of his body his constitution or some weaknesse in it at that time if such a faire interpretation may be made why should not an ingenuous candid spirit make it This very exception I find was taken against Basilius Magnus and Nazianzen in one of his Orations in which he highly commends Basil answers it and justifies him It is hard to keep unity love and peace with men who are of exceptious carping dispositions if God were strict to mark what we doe amisse what would become of us God is strict to mark what good there is in his Saints if there be any little good in the midst of much imperfection Gods way is to passe by the imperfection and take notice of the good but our way is often if there be a little bad though but through a very pardonable mistake in the midst of much good to passe by all the good and to seize upon the mistake to make it the seed of contention to brood over it and so beget the brats of contention from it Certainly this ought not thus to be The sixt joyning Practice So farre as Reason and Conscience will give way yeeld to those whom you contend withall THat standing at a distance with those that dissent from us even to the utmost is the way of many but certainly it is a false way God is not in it It may be some yea many will judge this yeelding to be a faire handsome turning about to the other side take heed of such bold censures Is every difference from that rigid stout spirit of thine a warping from the truth a sinfull temporizing for private ends The Lord judge between you and his servants Some men who have been of yeelding spirits in things that God would have them have stood out undauntedly when God hath called them to witnesse to his truth when those who have been stout and harsh in their owne wayes have basely betrayed it when they have beene tryed with greater sufferings Ambrose was a man of a sweet and moderate spirit witnesse amongst other things that notable saying of his If that end of vertues be the greatest that looks at publique good Moderation is of all the most beautifull Ay but I warrant you Ambrose was a man who saw which way the times went he was loth to hazard himself in standing out against men who had power in their hands this temper of his made him thus plead for moderation No Ambrose was a man of an invincible spirit in the wayes of God In all Ecclesiasticall Story we read not of a braver spirit then his contesting with men of power in the cause of Christ For when Theodosius the Emperour had been the cause of a great slaughter in Thessalonica though provoked to it by a sedition there the Emperour a while after comming to Milan where Ambroses charge was after the usuall manner he came to the Church Ambrose meets him and forbids him entrance reproving him before all the people Doe you not know oh Emperour sayes he the barbarousnesse of that vile fact of yours or doe you not remember we have another Emperour above you what bold impiety is thiâ— doe you not feare to bring those feet of yours polluted with the blood of innocents into this holy place or to stretch forth those hands of yours wet yea dropping with blood to take the most holy body of the Lord or to put that mouth of yours which forgetting not onely the clemency which belongs to an Emperour but the justice gave out the sentence for the killing so many innocent men
to the precious blood of the Lord Away therefore will you adde impiety to your sinne doe not think much to come under that discipline which the Lord commands Upon this the Emperour goes back to his Palace with sighing and teares and spent eight moneths in mourning and lamentation and yet after this he was not received by Ambrose till againe being sharply reprehended he cast himselfe downe in the porch upon the pavement bewailing his sinne and rising up he was about to sit in the Chancel where the Emperours seat was he was required to goe forth into the place of penitents With the like yea more boldnesse he dealt with Ruffinus a great Courtier the Master of the Emperours Horse Here behold a man of a moderate quiet spirit yeeldable in what he could yet when he conceived himselfe interessed in the Cause of Christ his courage raises him above the feares or favours of men The seventh joyning practice If you will needs be striving strive who shall doe one another most good who shall engage one another in the most and greatest offices of love THis is a good combate such striving as this is God and his blessed Angels looke upon and take much delight in I find a notable story in the life of Alexander the Great which may put on and encourage Christians in such a combat as this There was a great King in India his name was Taxiles who on a time came to salute Alexander and said unto him What should we need to fight and make Wars one with another if thou commest not to take away our water and our necessary commodity to live by for which things men of judgement must needs fight as for other goods if I be richer then thee I am ready to give thee of mine and if I have lesse I will not think scorn to thank thee if thou wilt give me some of thine Alexander being pleased to hear him speak thus wisely embraced him and said unto him Thinkest thou that this meeting of ours can be without fight for all these goodly fair words No no thou hast won nothing by them for I will fight and contend with thee in honesty and curtesie because thou shalt not exceed me in bounty and liberality So Alexander took divers gifts of him but gave more to him Oh that our contentions were turned into such contentions as these are Let us rejoyce in any opportunity of doing any office of love to those we differ from yea to those who have wronged us It was wont to be said of Arch-Bishop Cranmer If you would be sure to have Cranmer doe you a good turne you must doe him some ill one for though he loved to doe good to all yet especially he would watch for opportunities to doe good to such as had wronged him Had we but a few leading men of such spirits among us how great a blessing of peace might we enjoy The eighth joyning Practice Let every man be diligent in that work that God calls him to STudy to be quiet and to doe your owne businesse and to worke with your owne hands as we commanded you 1 Thess 4. 11. It is not an arbitrary thing the command of God lyes upon it I am verily perswaded that many of our divisions in opinion and otherwise our hard thoughts one of another are raised and fomented by such as want imployment Hence they go about from place to place arguing disputing jangling about things they understand not and yet think themselves to have a deeper insight then ordinary I would be loath to adde to the affliction of those who by the rage of the enemy have been put out of their imployments and are come for shelter amongst us God forbid that I should willingly grieve them their case is to be pittied we are to succour comfort and helpe them what we can but yet I desire them withall to take heed of a temptation they may be under and think not of it in this their want of imployment now they are here they meet with variety of company with all sorts of people and having too much time to spare the Devill may soon and unawares to them prevaile to cause an itching desire in them after this opinion and the other this and the other way which having taken their hearts they carry up and down what they heare and what apprehensions they have of things and persons pleading and arguing for that they have but sleight and sudden apprehensions of and by arguing the thing gets down into their spirits before it be thoroughly examined and understood and being got down there then it must needs be maintained and so a spirit of contention rises in them and seeds of contention are sowne among others It may be some of your callings are low and mean and that may possibly be your discouragement but let it not be so for there may be as much obedience to God in thy faithfulness in that mean calling of thine as in the highest and most honourable imployment upon earth yea thy reward may be as great for God looks at faithfulnesse in the work not the greatnesse of the work Let every man know sayes Luther that his work in any godly kind of life is a divine worke because it is the worke of a divine call having Gods command for it The ninth In all strivings with men have a care that due respect to their persons be kept as much as may be IT is very observable when God in the manifestation of his displeasure against the Devill in the Serpent cursed him Then he sayes cursed be thou but when he would manifest it against Simeon and Levi it is not Cursed be ye or Cursed be they but Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell You may be bitter against mens sinne so be it you show due respect to their persons by denying that respect you might and ought to give to mens persons you deprive your self of that liberty which otherwise you might take in opposing their sinne which is the thing you say you ayme only at The tenth Labour to get good by the wrongs that are done us IF we found God blessing them to us for good our hearts will be very moderate towards those that have done them The over-ruling providence of God turning the wrong that Josephs brethren had done him to so much good took off Iosephs spirit from practising any evill against them but when this good shall come to us by the exercise of our own graces it will be more prevalent to quiet and moderate our spirits Philip of Macedon thanked some great men of Athens who had brought up ill reports of him because both in speech and life he was the better labouring by words and deeds to prove them liars the best answer to ill reports is to live contrary to them The eleventh Turne your zeale from working one against another to zeale for God YOu will say Are workes of
beaten out by the Flints striking together Many sparks of light many truths are beaten out by the beatings of mens spirits one against another If light be let into a house there must be some trouble to beat down a window A child thinks the house is beating downe but the father knowes the light will be worth the cost and trouble If you will have the cloth woven the Woofe and Warpe must be cast crosse one to another If you will have truths argued out you must be content to bear with some opposition for the time Those who are not willing to bear some trouble to be at some cost to find out truth are not worthy of it Those who love truth will seek for it for truths sake those who love victory yet because the truth is the strongest will seek after truth that they may get victory Dan. 12. 4. Many shall runne to and fro and knowledge shall be encreased To some these divisions darken truths to others they enlighten them We may well behold mens weaknesse in these divisions but better admire Gods strength and wisdome in ordering them to his glory and his childrens good Be not discouraged ye Saints of the Lord at these divisions your Father hath a hand in them he wil bring good out of them Yea Christ who is the Prince of peace hath a â—and in them Matth. 10. 34 35. he sayes Thinke not that I am come to send peace on the earth I came to bring a sword I am come to set a man at variance against his Father and the Daughter against her Mother One would think it to be the strangest speech that could be to come from the mouth of him who is the great peace-maker Oh blessed Saviour must we not think that thou art come to send peace Thou art our peace Is not thine Embassage from thy Father an Embassage of peace True peace with my Father but not peace on the earth not an earthly peace do not think that I came from heaven to work this for men that they should live at ease in plenty and pleasure that they should have no disturbance no trouble to the flesh no the event of my comming you will finde to be a sword divisions and that between those of the nearest relation A child who is wicked will despise and break with his godly father and the daughter with her godly mother And Luke 12. 53. the carnall father and mother will have their hearts rise against their godly sonne and daughter I am come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be already kindled Let it kindle as soone as it will I am contented I know much good will come of it These Scriptures are enough to take away for ever the offence of divisions First Christ himselfe is the greatest offence to wicked men that ever was in the world he is the stumbling stone and rock of offence thousand thousands being offended at him miscarry everlastingly Christ foreseeing how many would be offended at him Mat. 11. 6. blesseth the man who shall not be offended Some are offended at what they see in Christ others apprehend whatsoever is in him to be most excellent and lovely that which they cannot but defend and stand for to the death He is disallowed of men rejected by the builders a stone of stumbling to them but to the Saints the chief corner stone elect precious 1 Pet. 2. 4 5 6 7 8. Such different apprehensions of Christ must needs divide men 2. Christ comes to make the greatest alteration that ever was or can be in the world and do we not finde that troubles accompany alterations and above all alterations alterations in government and especially such a government as gives no composition yeelds no compliance with any thing else When Christ comes he brings his fanne in his hand he must have his floore throughly purged he gathers his wheat into his garner severs the chaffe to be burnt in unquenchable fire If he comes thus who shall abide his comming Mal. 3. 2. Who shall stand when he appeares for he is like a Refiners fire and Fullers sope he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver he shall purifie the sons of Levi. Certainly there will be much adoe when they come to be purified No men in the world are like to make so much stirre when they come to be purified as the Clergy will Christ comes to cast out Devils they will fome fret vex rend and teare when they are a casting out The Gospel likewise divides The word of the Gospell is a dividing word Heb. 4. 11. It is quicke powerfull sharper then a two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit of the joints and marrow It divides in a mans own heart and divides between man and man The light of it divides The first division we ever read of was of Gods making Gen. 1. 3 4. When he said Let there be light and God divided the light from the darkness The doctrine of the Gospel shews the spiritualness of Gods commands the sinfulnesse of thoughts of the first stirrings of sin Mat. 5. this touches to the quick The heat of the Gospel divides it is like fire when it comes Is not my word like fire The preaching of the Gospel with power heaps coales of fire upon mens heads which will either melt them or burn them In it there is a separation of the precious from the vile The Ordinances of the Gospel divide they difference men Some they will receive others they will not They must bring men to a higher to a stricter way then the sluggish dead vain slight drossie hearts of men are willing to come up unto The godlinesse that is in Christ Jesus divides therefore whosoever will live godly so must expect to suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. 1. Those who hold forth the life and power of godlinesse seem to challenge a more speciall peculiar interest in God then others which cannot be endured 1 Joh. 5. 19. We are of God and the whole world lyes in wickednesse 2. Their lives condemne others which they cannot abide as Noah is said to condemne the world Heb. 11. 7. 3. In godlinesse there is an excellency They whose hearts are naught cannot look upon that hath any appearance of excellency without a spirit of envy If they judge men only to be conceited with it as an excellency but for their parts they think it not to be so then they look upon them with a spirit of indignation 4. Godlinesse makes men zealous in such things as others can see no reason why they should They think they do incalescere in re frigida and that the ground of their zeal is vanity and turbulency of spirit 5. It makes men constant nothing can turn them out of their way The Son yeelds not to his Father the Servant not to his Master this is judged to be stoutnesse and wilfulnesse though God knowes it is far