had not thought Professors wanted it 6. Another Preacher of Bristow at a Meeting in his Sermon or Prayer I heard speak of profane Professors that was his word 7. A Woman of a high way in Religion being in company with other professors some of them spake of the Changes since 1659. Whereupon she said I think affliction would do me good and some of you also 8. I have also heard divers Professors say as their own words or words which they did approve of uttered by other Professors If â— were as ready or ripe or fit some such word for mercy as our Adversaries be for wrath we should soon be delivered And I believe it is somewhat common with Professors to speak such words but who endeavours diligently and strenuously to reform Professors Part. 5. Fifthly I believe many of us are as yet without Christ utterly void of true grace wholly flesh altogether carnal and fleshly and stark dead in trespasses and sins John 3. 6. Eph. 2. 1 11 12. so that they do never serve God in faith or humility never in love or with any filial fear or godly reverence never worship God in the spirit never do any thing well in a holy manner never serve God acceptably so as to have their persons or services accepted with God John 15. 5. Heb. 12. 28. This is true of every one of them so that their iniquity must needs be very great Only I shall somewhat confidently hope that if God shall keep them constantly to the means of Regeneration any long time that then he will beget them again hereafter and not suffer them to die in their sins That there be such Professors see Marg. 125 126 127 128. Part. 6. Sixthly The iniquity and sins of such professors and of those who have true grace as well as of others is greatned many ways but with some difference As 1. By the multitude of the kinds of sin wherein they trespass And by the greatness of some of them such as have been Feasting and Musick with dancing in the night which I account Revelling Gal. 5. 20 21. 1. Pet. 4 3. and one Frolick in the presence of five Non-conforming Ministers part of them having a hand in it And by persevering in some sins adding one trespass to another without taking care and using diligence to cease from such practises And by trespassing in the presence of irreligious persons as it were publishing their naughtiness in Gaâ—h and Askelon without shame or fear so giving occasion to laugh and scoff at them in secret and to think and speak evil of the holy servants and right wayes of the Lord 2 Sam. 12. 14. Ezek. â—6 20 23. Rom. 2. 24. and to harden their hearts against his holy word O how much as it were air water earth wood dust dirt dung and filth some Professors have within them which doth issue forth in their conversings 2. By the foul and base work which sin makes For by it we do transgress a most holy just and good Law trespass against the Kingdom and Authority of the most high God pollute his holy name which we ought to sanctifie Mat. 6. 9. defiâ—e his image as it were by casting dung dirt or dust upon it grieve his holy and good spirit Eph. 4. 29 30. Who is our all-sufficient Teacher and guide John 16. 3. by whom also we are sealed unto the day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. and disgrace the Gospel of Christ and the right wayes of the Lord yea Professors thereby do in a special manner pollute Gods name and discredit the true Religion and every one of us Professors disgrace that way in Religion the credit whereof ought to be very dear to him because he esteems it the best and most excellent of all ways 3. By the many benefits which our most gracious God hath been and is still pleased to bestow upon us For by them he obligeth and as it were hireth us to serve and obey him universally according to his word and the more plentifully he extends his goodness to us in giving us blessings of any sort and the more excellent or necessary the blessings be which he vouchsafeth to bestow on us the greater and stronger is the engagement God's goodness calls on us to fear God and leads us to amendment of life Psal 130. 4. Rom. 2. 4. and consequently â—ggravates the iniquity of our disobedience so we are to underâ—â—â—nd â—â—r 9. 13 14. Quest But what are these benefits For none of us all do remember them so frequently and weigh them so exactly as we ought Answ They are 1. Life Food Raiment Harbour Physick Surgery Liberty and Peace of the Body Health Strength and Nimbleness of the body the good state and use of our Limbs and Senses inward and outward Books and writings of many sorts the faculties of the soul understandiâ—â—â— memory invention conscience power to will humane wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arts and Sciences worldly wealth 2. The holy Scriptures godly Sermons Expositions of the Scriptures and other godly Books Gods promises and threatnings rebukes and checks by the conscience and men Ministers or not Ministers Psal 141. â—â— the company and good examples of godly persons and conference with them their love and prayers with us and for us Exercises and Meetings the Sacraments and all the holy Ordinances the knowledge of spiritual things of things belonging to our Peace and the right manner of Gods service of God and our selves a conscience awakened the fatherly love of God our Adoption Justification and pardons Es 55. 7 our being members of Christs Mystical body and Heirs of Heaven our sorrow for sin and stock of Grace Faith Hope love toward God love toward men godly and ungodly friends and enemies filial fear of God Humility Zeal c. our spiritual strength Jesus Christ dwelling in us by faith Eph. 3. 17. and the holy spirit of God dwelling in us to teach us and to guide and rule all the 〈◊〉 of our souls all the days of our Pilgrimage and spiritual warfare Note 1. Of the aforesaid good things some God gives to men of all sorts Mat. 5. 45. Luke 6. 35. some are peculiar to true believers 2. But whosoever is partaker of Gods goodness in good things of any sort the iniquity of his disobedience is thereby exaggerated according to the measure of the bounty 3. The fuller and clearer any mans light is as to the discerning of spiritual things by so much the greater is his iniquity if he doth not make such use as he ought of his Light 4. If a Professor who hath no grace doth think he hath some and that he is justified from all his sins and that God is his Father and the like I believe this his conceit doth aggravate his sins 5. By all the means of grace and amendment of life and obedience And such as are all the benefits blessings and good things which God gives us Acts 17. 25. But the destruction and vengeance from the Almighty
measure for some Governours but as for our selves as many of us have enjoyed more liberty and peace than some of our Brethren for which I fear we have not been duly thankful to our heavenly Father nor made such use of our liberty unto the promoting of Christ's interest and the welfare of his people as we ought to have done Jam. 4. 3. so none of the Plows or Gears are broken Psal 129. 3 4 So many Summers and Harvests are past and there is not a general and full deliverance yea the causes of our dangers and fears are augmented at length so many of our Ministers must bid farewel to Cities and Corporations And thus much of the seventh particular which we ought to consider 8. In the eighth place If ye desire to know why God hath not heard our prayers to the full and put an end to our sufferings It is because he hath not yet attained all those ends which he hath aimed at and doth yet aim at in afflicting us See Marg. 25. For Professors have not yet thoroughly believed and feelingly acknowledged and duly considered his Kingdom and Power and Providence and the threatnings of his Law and Gospel and the Judgment to come and learned to fear God in regard of small sins They have not duly studied and endeavoured to be sensible of the comforts and benefits and use of true grace and of the assurance of God's fatherly love and of the evils of being without those good things nor constantly and seriously used all God's means to get them nor duly sought his mercy and favour in prosperity and adversity nor made such use as they ought of their liberty peace prosperity and opportunities for their own spiritual good and the good of others especially of God's people They have not accomplished a diligent search to find out all their sins old forgotten secret c. nor humbled themselves under the mighty hand of God for them with godly inward and deep sorrow and mourning and so particularly as they ought to have done nor cast all their pride and spiritual filthiness out of their hearts and ceased to do evil and learned to do each man and woman his and her whole duty nor duly endeavoured without exceptions and reservations so to do They have not wiâ—h due care and diligence tried thâ—iâ— graces and spiritual gifts and endeavoured to know their election of God and to grow in all graces especially Faith Hope Humility and Meekness to bear the wrath of God and rage of men with a quiet spirit and in spiritual gifts and to be rooted and established in Jesus Christ the Lord and in the knowledge and love of his Truths and invincibly resolved to cleave in love to him and them for ever They have trusted in themselves and in the world expecting without any good cause favour and peace from it Under crosses and being in trouble they have not shewn themselves patient and calm-spirited and so valiant for Christ and his Truths as they ought to have been some not at all puting their seals to the Truths and Righteousnesses of the Gospel some complying with the world basely They have not been duly thankful to God for their liberty and peace and the comforts helps and deliverances which he hath vouchsased them in distresses and dangers nor prayed and given thanks for one anothers comforts under the Cross deliverances and peace at least as they ought to have done and should have done if we had been knit together with brotherly love Col. 2. 2. They have not exercised and shewn forth their graces and spiritual gifts as they should have done for the encreasing of them and the honour of Christ especially their Faith Zeal for God and his people Humility and Patience They have not prayed mightily for the destruction of Babylon and of the Kingdom of Antichrist They have not used all due diligence to find and know all the naughty things which are in their hearts nor taken due care to know which of those he hath and doth most favour and endeavoured very seriously to beat it down My meaning is that of the said sins and faults some Professors be guilty of these and some of those and some of many The truth is Professors be so sanity in their Hair and the Apparel and the Ornaments of the body and concerning other matters that it is a very difficult thing for us Ministers the Lord be merciful to us to learn how to do our duty in seeking to reform them 9. So that in the ninth and last place if we would know what it concerns us to do towards the bettering of our estates the way is every Professor to amend thoroughly of the sins and faults before mentioned as many as he himself is guilty of and to perform every duty which is contrary to any of them But to speak more fully and more plainly concerning at least some matters and concerning some not before spoken of First we may do well to consider what enemies the true Religion hath on this side and beyond the Seas and that now some think they have a Plot to destroy it universally and what hath been done of late at Sea and at home what hath befallen London Norwich Colchefter Portsmouth c. and the distress and dangers wherein we yet are and what signs we see in Heaven or on earth c. of our liberty and peace hereafter Ye also know there was a time when there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36. 16. The consideration whereof without any morâ— words should be of force enough to move us unless we be content to suffer with Gedaliab the son of Ahikam Jer. 40. with 41. to put away our folly and negligence and to use all lawful and fit addresses unto the higher Powers whereby to better our condition especially to prevail with God to better it Neh. 2. 17. Exod. 10. 7. Prov. 6. 6. 12. 24. Heb. 2. 3. 2. I would not have you think that the continuance of our forms of godliness how specious and large soever they be will serve the turn For we have used them a long time already and our estate is such as I have told you Neither do I think that the amplifying of our forms would do it For in my younger years when some godly persons in and neer Shrew bury did enter into a Resolution to enlarge their Forms to pray oâ—tner than formerly to fast oftner and to win others to do the like where of as I in those dayes heard a godly Ministers Wife said They had found out a way to kill the Devil Yet the practises of Professors suitable to thâ—t Resolution did not so much as keep the Devil from rising higher and higher To what should we impute this rather than to our sinful silence at the aberrations one of anoâ—her and suffering sin one upon another our not instructing admonishing reproving and encouraging and giving good counsel one to another and the Elder Professors not being good Examples to
things shall come upon thee Prov. 24. 25. That is thou shalt be glad that thou hast kept thy conscience clear and God will bestow good things of one kind or other on thee and so some do interpret Jam. 5. 20. 3. He who rebuketh a man shall afterward find more favour than he who flattereth him with his lips Prov. 28. 23. Howsoever the wounds of a friend are faithful Prov. 27. 5. Use All which notwithstanding for I now come to reprove for not reproving it is not an easie thing to find a faithful man Prov. 20. 6. and the duty of reproving as Mr. E. H. of Br. said is generally neglected O how common this sin is A. neglecting the education of his children B. speaks of it behind his back but not a word to his face C. in his prayer at a Meeting makes such a confession of sins and corruptions as if the Company were excepting outward acts of gross sins the worst persons in all the City and yet speaks so in his Sermon as if they had scarce any sin at all fit to be spoken of D. preacheth of sins under the notion of the devils dainties and instanceth in none but oppression of which belike none of the Hearers were guilty And men of dainty expressions have foolish wisdom enough to pass by the sins of their Hearers and to find out other matters enough to spend the time on There were of old three sorts of Prophets true and faithful Prophets false Prophets and faulty Prophets Jer. 23. 13 14. to 17. But they also who are not Preachers are guilty of much sinful silence I would have them and the Preachers to take great heed lest Christ look on them for it as he did on those Mark 3. 4 5. with anger For many professing men and women through want of due admonition and rebuke do go on still in their trespasses to the dishonour of Christ and the grieving of his holy Spirit and the disgrace of Religion even opening the mouths of profane persons to blaspheme the right wayes of the Lord and at least to the loss and damage if not utter destruction of both the parties of them whose behaviour calls for reproof and of them that do not pay it 1 Cor. 3. 15. and to the lengthening of that which we call our afflictions And is all this nothing to you who esteem your selves the children of God and members of Jesus Christ and say that ye are taught of God and that Jesus Christ loved you and gave himself for you Is Christ's dishonour and the polluting of God's name nothing to you The grieving of the good Spirit of God nothing The discredit of the true Religion nothing and the continuance of the Saints afflictions nothing Is all this nothing to you Is it possible that a man or woman should be a new creature and not be grieved at the heart 〈◊〉 that these things have come to pass through his or her sinful silence But O how few Professors do duly consider of whose sins and of which of their sins they be guilty and partakers 1 Tim. 5. 22. And from whence comes this our sinful silence Even from our carnal self-love affiance in men carnal and worldly fears and want at least in part of love towards God affiance in God filial fear of God and brotherly love towards one another Consider I pray you what I say that ye may the more abhor this pernicious kind of silence and humble your selves for it and hereafter not hold your peace from good and fit words but as there is cause and occasion open your mouths and reprove c. Apologies But here it may be these dumb Professors Ezck. 3. 16. will say 1. One that reproving belongs to Ministers A. But I say that it appertains also unto them who are not Ministers as ye may see Lev. 19. 17. Mat. 18. 15. Luke 17. 3. 1 Thes 5. 14. Heb. 3. 12 13. and 10. 24 25. 2. Another that he abstains from reproving Professors because their sins be few or little and that some of them have but one â—ault A. Indeed Friend the Faults of some Professors are many And for those who have but few knowest thou not that as a few dead flies do cause the ointment of the Apothâ—cary to send forth a stinking savour so a little folly doth him who is in reputation for wisdom and honour Eccl. 10. 1. Art thou content that Professors should use to trespass against the most high God in a few little sins to defile his name whom thou callest thy heavenly Father a little to grieve his holy spirit a little to disgrace his Gospel a little and to make the ointment and reputation of Professors stink a little yet all this thou art guilty of by keeping silence Why man our Lord Jesus Christ being the eternal Wisdom and the word of God having against the Angels of the Churches of Pergames and Thyatira against either of them but a few things and against the Angel of the Church of Ephesus only his leaving of his first love yet he saw cause to reprove them all for their few Faults as well as to praise them for their good works as ye may see Rev. 2. and also that part of their iniquities was the suffering of evil works Take heed then thou be not rent and torn as accessary to other mens sins Hos 5. 14. For I have already shewn thee that there is no little sin because there is no little God The true God is infinitely great and worthy and every sin is committed against him therefore every sin is great See Marg. 30. 31. Moreover I fear many Professors do make nothing of some of their little Trespasses and doth not this make them in Gods esteem far the greater Verily it doth And what do they that do not reprove them what do they make of their sins Truly the offender and non-reprover are in that too like one another Beside many little sins do yied but little seeming good fruit and that greatens them that we dare trespass against the most high God and his holy just and good Commandments for such poor matters for trifles And I have spoken unto you of the Professors which in that great day shall be set on Christs left hand of the greater part of them that they shall be damned for little sins and sins about things indifferent Take heed therefore ye who use liberty as an occasion to the flesh and ye who are silent at such mens sins take heed I say lest ye be torn in pieces together when there is none to deliver Psal 50. 22. Repl. But some Professors use to practise as far as I see only one sin it may be rotten or frothy talk I hope it is no fault in me to let them alone in one sin A. No fault Why man for how many and what faults did Jesus Christ in the time of his low estate reprove Martha Lu. 10. 41 42. I think it was not for many nor