whit lesse religious then others In euery corner likewise a company of damnable Atheists vpon euery trisling occasion darting out hellish oathes which makes our land to mourne wounds the eares of the very hauens themselues and cries loud vnto the high throane of iustice for speedy vengeance Hither likewise doth oftentimes resort those cruell oppressors that make themselues gorgeous by the ruins of their poore Tenants Cloathing themselues with the flesh of their poore brethren how sure are they to finde the reward of Diues that so little regard the wants of poore Lazarus And lastly for I cannot stay to repeate all particulars whereas the outward deportment of a Christian should be nothing more then a louely representation of grace and modestie why now both men and women are generally for the most part so farre transported beyond themselues by pride that they turne Apes and antickes dauncing through the streetes as if they knew not whose feete they stand on so ridiculously vaine and so strangely witlesse and phantasticall are men in these times as that which almost I am ashamed to speake they are growne proud of their very iangling of the strappes of their bootes Good God! what mans wit is able to sinke the depth of those ridiculous follies wherein to vaine man would plunge himselfe if either the shame of men did not withhold him or the seueritie of strict lawes restraine him at least-wise if the awefull respect and feare of Gods almighty power and presence did not in some meansure bridle and pull backe the head-strong and violent current of his irregular desires And in fine you may here see the seauen deadly sinnes withall their attendants driuen all along before the Diuelto their euerlasting confusion So that Satan marcheth with his hellish troupes through the Church of God without controule and the enemie flourisheth his coulours amidst our forces and yet there is none that riseth vp against him Surely the Prophet in this place doth enioyne all men of all conditions in what they are able to endeauour to stoppe and stay the passages of sinne The priuate therefore should endeauour by such meanes as are in their power by holy prayers and brotherly admonitions the Minister by discouering vnto men their sinnes and reprouing their transgressions Indeede this none of vs can say but for the most part it s faithfully discharged but Reason saith one is a good Orator when it hath force to backe it and therefore in the third place without the diligence and faithfulnesse of the Magistrate all that we can say will little auaile Now the office of euery ciuill Magnistrate euen such as know not God is to looke to the markets and to heare and redresse the complaints of all disturbances of the ciuill peace but of a Christian Magistrate to see that God be not blasphemed and dishonoured that Religion be not dishartned nor disgraced but that with all his might hee doe oppose and discountenance euen all suspicions of prophanenesse and dishonour vnto God and as farre as his authoritie will extend seuerely to punish all offenders in that kinde that as he beares not the sword for nought so being the Minister of God hee may be a reuenger to execute wrath vpon all that doe euill Romanes 13.4 But now it s growne to such a passe that if a man haue risen to any place of respect in this Citie hee groweth after a manner incontrouleable hee may sweare and blaspheme hee may slaunder or oppresse the poore by forestalling the Markets he may oppose the Priestly office of Christ in the power of the keyes hee may reuell be drunke or commit any disorder when hee will and his Worship shall secure him from incurring any danger of punishment But alas beloued shall the poore honours of a Citie priuiledge any man to dishonour his GOD and can wee thinke that the angrie eyes of GOD lookes not vpon such courses as these Surely there will not alwaies be a time of mercie but at length the Lord will burst out into vengeance for though the Lord suffer long and much yet wee reade not that hee suffers alwaies but at length as the Prophet speakes in the day of his fierce anger will hee visite vs with the roddes of his wrath and will poure out his furie like fire And howsoeuer some men doe thinke this Citie to be greatly reformed from what it hath beene yet if they looke vpon it with a lesse indulgent eye they shall see but little reformation therein onely the same or worse sinnes masked ouer with more plausible and colourable pretences that its Gods wonderfull goodnesse wee are not as Sodome and Gomorrah When as the beastly bezeling sinne of drunkennesse is become the onely sinewes of good-fellowshippe the filthy pollution of the Temples of the holy Ghost at the mention whereof the heart of euery true Christian should euen nauseate and rise with indignation is generally for the most part accounted but as a youthfull recreation and laughed at When fearefull oathes are become meere phrases of gallantrie and the vnbrotherly contentions of carnall minded men are conceited to be Religion and Pictie When as oppression is accounted forecast and frugalitie and Pride esteemed as comelinesse Lying held as pollicie Idlenesse pretended pouertie and the voluptuous and immoderate wallowing in natures superfluities defended by a pretence of Christian libertie and all these the most hatefull and abhominable in the eyes of Almighty God of all others to passe and escape vnregarded and vnpunished Surely O Lord wee haue iust cause to admire thy long sufferance aboue all thy mercies The Lord for his infinite mercies sake by that almighty power by which hee is able to subdue all things to his owne will breake these stonie hearts of ours that wee may alwaies stand in awe and feare of that dreadfull Maiestie that so forsaking the crooked waies of sinne and iniquitie wee may hold on our course in such pathes as are agreeable to his holy will vntill such time as it shall please him to transplant vs from this vale of miserie and make vs glorious inhabitants of those sacred pallaces where nothing but light and blessed immortalitie no shaddow of matter for teares discontentments feares or any vncomfortable passions to worke vpon but all ioy tranquilitie and peace euen for euer and euer doe dwell Vnto which place the Lord in his due time bring vs all for Christ Iesus sake to whom with the Father and his most blessed and holy Spirit be Glorie and Maiestie and Dominion and Power both now and for euer Amen FJNJS Errata PAge 17 line 28. for These commit reade That is commits p. 20. l. 36 for timer sinne p. 21. l. vls for whereby r. where
Apostle calls spiritum Seruitutis the spirit of Bondage Rom. 8.15 and the filiall feare from that which hee calls spiritum Adoptionis the spirit of Adoption For we haue not saith hee receiued the spirit of Bondage to fear again but we haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father Both of them the good worke of Gods most holy spirit the filiall feare he worketh onely in his elect children the seruile feare both in the elect and the reprobate though not vnto the same end But in the reprobate as a pledge and beginning of future and greater punishments and in his elect as it is an entrance into grace whereby the seruant of God is admonished to forbeare sinne for inasmuch as a Christian man is an Hypostasis consisting of two natures which the Scripture notes out by the Flesh and the Spirit the Old man and the New and such like therfore are both of these feares required the one to restraine the power of sinne the other to set forwards the powers of righteousnesse Yet not both in the same degree of respect For although in a Christian the seruile feare cannot be wanting because that as in a bad way wee haue as much if not more neede of a bridle then a spurre so wee as it were riding on through the rough and thorny paths of sinne haue in that respect more neede of that feare to hold vs backe yet for all that it is not to be paralelld with the filiall feare nor to be accounted a true and essentiall part of Gods worship and honour but onely as a remouer of his dishonor and a preparatiue vnto the filiall feare In which respect one of the Fathers compares seruile feare to a Needle and filiall feare to a Thred so that as the needle doth enter into the cloth not to stay there but to draw in the thred after it so is the seruile feare required in euery Christian not as a thing acceptable in the sight of God but onely as a preparatiue vnto that filiall feare wherein his true seruice doth especially consist From the consideration of which things wee may gather this obseruation and carefully lay it vp in our memories as a lesson necessary to be learned of all men That so long as we feare the iudgements of God wee may deeme our selues the seruants of God but wee are neuer the sonnes of God vntill we feare him for his goodnesse The seruant feares his Master but why because that if hee doe not well hee will punish him but the sonne feares his Father because he loues him and therefore is fearefull to displease him hauing more regard vnto his Fathers griefe then his owne punishment respecting more the losse of his Fathers loue then the incurring Gal. 4.30 and the induring of his owne paine Now the seruant abides not in the house for euer saith the Scripture but they which haue receiued the adoption of sonnes shall onely inherit Why because hee feares not God for God but onely for himselfe which properly is not true feare because the obiect of it is not truely euill For malum poenae the euill of punishment which seruile feare onely respects is not simply euill not euill suo genere as the Schooles speak nor sua natura in it owne nature for it is a worke of the pure and exact Iustice of God but onely malum secundum not euill in respect of vs Whereas on the other side the childe-like feare is the onely true feare because onely its obiect is truely euill For malum culpae the euill of sinne which it chiefly respects is sua natura in it owne nature euill although our corrupted nature account it as bonum secundum nos secming good vnto vs and therefore doth our inclination so much desire to commit it And howsoeuer the feare of sonnes may be said also to respect malum poenae the euill of punishment yet is it not that punishment which the other lookes at for seruile feare lookes onely at that which is called poenae sensus that punishment which it sensiblie shall feele but the filiall feare at that which is called poena damni the punishment of losse fearing more to lose the loue and fauour of God and the promised ioyes of Heauen then to be iustly punished by God and to endure all the torments of Hell Let vs therefore consider that so long as we do feare God onely for his iudgements we are but seruile the seed of the bond-woman but vntill we feare him for his goodnesse we are not the sonnes of the free-woman not the true adopted sonnes of God By the one we are still vnder the Law but by the other we are vnder Grace The one is wrought in vs by the threatnings of the Law the other by the sweet promises of the Gospell In summe The true childe of God is more afraide to deserue punishment then to suffer punishment Now for the second that God onely is to be feared it may be also doubted that in as much as the Lord hath commanded vs in his word to feare our Parents Leuit. 19.3 Rom. 13.4.7 Ephes 6.5 to feare the Magistrates the Gouernours which hee hath set ouer vs How is he said onely to be feared and what proportion is there between that feare which we owe vnto God and that which we are to giue vnto men what difference is there betweene the one and the other To which I answer that God onely and no other besides him is to be feared in these two respects and limitations Simpliciter and per se simply and by himselfe For first God alone and neyther Angell Deuill nor any other creature besides is to befeared simpliciter simply because he onely hath a simple and an absolute power ouer vs. For howsoever the creature may haue power to doe that euill which we may feare yet is not its power absolute nor ouer all and euery part of vs but limited vnto our bodies and goods onely Whereas Gods power is vnlimited and absolute both ouer soule and body goods and all and is able to destroy all In which respect our blessed Sauiour admonisheth his Disciples not to feare them which kill the body Math. 10.28 but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him who is able to destroy both soule and body in hell And the reason why wee are to feare the Magistrate the Apostle giues in the 13. of his Epistle to the Romanes because he heares not the Sword for nought Rom. 13.4 But the power of the sword is limited eyther to our goods or bodies or liues and cannot extend vnto the soule and conscience and therefore is hee not to be feared absolutely as God is because hee hath not that absolute power that God hath Secondly God onely is to be feared per se for his owne sake for himselfe without any reference at all to any other creature For although both Angells Men and Diuells haue power in some things
to hurt vs yet haue they it not originally from themselues nor according to their owne wills but onely from God and according to his will Neyther haue they it alwaies nor in what measure it pleaseth themselues but both how much how long it pleaseth God And for that cause our Sauiour answered Pilate boasting that he had power eyther to loose him Iohn 10.11 or put him to death Thou couldest haue no power at all ouer mee saith hee vnlesse it were giuen thee from aboue Yea the Diuell himselfe whom the Scripture stiles by the name of the Prince of this world had no power to touch so much as any the least thing that was Iobs further then the Lord permitted and gaue leaue Although therefore we are by the precept of Almighty God to feare our Parents and Gouernours yet are wee not to feare them for themselues but as they haue power and commission from God Rom. 13.1 for there is no power saith the Apostle but of God God therefore hauing all power both in himselfe and of himselfe and vniuersall and absolute ouer all and at all times is onely simply and by himselfe to be feared and all other but vnder him or from him and as farre as he permits and commands So that as by strong euidence of reason we see that it cannot be denied by any man but that hee is to referre and yeeld all feare onely and especially vnto God So also doth the consent of Scripture sound altogether that way exacting it as one of the chiefest dueties that a christian is to performe namely at all times to stand in awe and continuall feare of the Maiesty of Almighty GOD. Oh that there were such a hart in my people saith the Lord that they would feare me and keepe all my commandements alwaies that it might be well with them and their children for euer Deut. 5.29 Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Deutro 10.20 And in the 12. verse And now O Israel what doth the Lord require of thee but to feare the Lord thy God to walke in his waies c. I haue giuen you a Land for which you did not labour and Cities which yee built not and yee dwell in them of the Vineyards and Orchards which ye planted not doe you eate now therefore feare the Lord Iosu 24.14 And I say vnto you my friends saith our blessed Sauiour in the 12. of S. Lukes Gospell be not afraid of them that kill the body and after that haue no more that they can doe But I will forewarne you whom you shall feare Feare him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say vnto you feare him Feare God and honour the King saith S. Peter And Feare God and giue glorie vnto him saith the Angell that had the euerlasting Gospell to preach vnto all the earth Apoc. 14.7 And the Scriptures doth not only abound in precepts to this effect but also is plentifull in examples hereof As Abraham Gen. 22.12 Lay not thy hand saith the Lord vnto him vpon the childe nor doe him any hurt for now I know that thou fearest me because that for my sake thou wouldst not haue spared thine onely Sonne Ioseph also witnesseth the same of himselfe For I feare God saith he Gen. 42.17 The Aegyptian Mid-wiues likewise are memorable for their feare of God in the first of Exodus and therefore did they dare to breake that barbarous and bloudy commandement of King Pharaoh wherby they were appointed to kill all the male children of the Hebrewes Obadiah the Ruler of King Ahabs houshold in the 1. of the Kings 18.3 is said to haue feared God greatly and therefore did he hide a hundred of the Lords Prophets from the cruelties of Iezabel Iob also approued by the mouth of God himselfe for his feare Iob. 1.8 The Prophet Dauid in the fift Psalme In thy Feare O Lord will I euer worship towards thy holy Temple And in the New Testament Zachary and Elizabeth Simeon Cornelius Ananias and many others are recorded to their perpetuall praise for their feare of God Yea the whole Scripture doth runne throughout that Gods people haue euer beene a fearefull people that Gods generation is a trembling generation And no maruell Because they cannot serue their God vnlesse they doe feare him feare being the onely and chiefe part of his worship For the feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome saith the Prophet in the III. Psalme All religion begins in feare And it s the end of all things saith Salomon in the last chapter of Eccles The end of all things saith hee is to feare God and keepe his commandements Yea it s both the beginning and ending and the continuance of a Christian life for worke out your saluation in feare and trembling saith the Apostle in the second to the Philippians And blessed is the man that feareth alwaies Prou. 28.1 I will teach you saith Samuel in the twelfth chapter of his first booke and the 21. verse the good and right way Onely feare the Lord and serue him in truth with all your heart for consider how great things hee hath done for you There is no action therefore that proceeds from a Christian through the whole course of his life but should receiue such a tincture from Religion and the feare of God as should make it remarkeable for a godly deede that if we speake it should be in feare if we worke it should be in feare whether we wake or sleepe or whatsoeuer else we doe all should be done in feare Nay the true childe of God takes not so much time as to eate his meate without feare For indeede when as the Lord hath once truely and throughly shaken the heart and conscience of a man with the terrours of death and hell for sinne and hath also seasoned his heart with a sweet apprehension and feeling of the comforts of his holy spirit when he hath once as it were giuen him a touch of the sorrowes of hell and taste of the ioyes of heauen he is euer after fearefull least he againe either incurre the danger of the one or loose the happinesse of the other As the skinne of that place that is once burned will euer after bee more tender then the rest The life of a Christian therefore is not a life of security a life of dissolutenesse and sensualitie but a life of terrour a life of feare a life of continuall and awfull respect of the presence and maiestie of almighty God Not according to the fashion of these times wherein men account it a small thing to cozen and deceiue to extort and opporesse to lie and slaunder to quarrell and contend to carouse and reuell as if there were no God in heauen that doth behold them The onely cause hereof can surely be no other then that of the Prophet in the 36 Psame Non est timor Deiante oculos eorum they haue not the
to dresse it to digge and furrow vp those thorny knots by repentance and plant it againe by faith and cause it to bring forth fruits of Loue then will hee againe make it his habitation yet cannot such a cursed ground as is the soule of man be so dressed but there will still be lest a disposition to bring forth weedes if it be not looked vnto it will still heere and there sprout out and if wee be altogether carelesse it will soone be ouergrown againe and quite extinguish the grace of God Now what is the issue hereof Why thus that if the Lord hauing now ridde this Garden from the weeds of ignorance and sin and planted it againe with the graces of his holy spirit doe commit it vnto our care and charge to dresseit and keepe it so and yet wee againe doe giue eare to the subtle baites and enchantments of Satan and defile it any more with sin the second error shall be worse then the first Weed it therfore and keep it cleane and if thou dost discouer at any time any vnruly passion of impatience in thy selfe or any inordinate desire of pride to immitate the fantasticke and fanaticke fashions of these wanton times or whatsoeuer irregular affection shall spring out from that filthy vnholsome fountaine within plucke it vp Let the feare of God checke and with-hold it Standin awe and sinne not So that hauing I thinke sufficiently explaned the Prophets meaning in the simple prohibition of sinne I will proceed vnto the manner of proposing it which is indesinitely and that in two respects both in respect of the persons and also in respect of the time In respect of the persons it includes all without exception comprehending in it both singula generum and genera singulorum For although it were primarily directed to the enemies of Dauid in the person of Christ yet now the partition wall being taken away and being all one spiritually it is to be referred vnto all men none excepted as being naturally the children of wrath and enemies to Christ As it contains in it singula generum there is no man liuing in his particular that can be exempted by any priuiledge from this inhibition of not sinning but euery Christian man is bound to looke to his owne person that he sinne not neyther against God nor man As it containes genera singulorum it likewise bindes euery man in his speciall place and condition to be carefull he sinne not for as euery man is to be carefull in his owne particular to obserue the generall rules of Christianity that therein hee transgresse not so are all men to looke principally vnto such dueties as concerne their speciall calling as they are such and such Christians eyther Ministers Magistrates Trades-men Artificers or whatsoeuer that therein especially they sinne not And the higher the place is the more care and feare should accompany him that is in it especially the Minister and the Magistrate because their negligence and vnfaithfulnesse are not sinnes that goe alone but draw a thousand after them and therefore are they incident to as much more punishment For next vnto the wickednesse of the Deuill is the vnfaithfulnesse of the Minister and the Magistrate Secondly in respect of the sinne it likewise excludes none but wee are inhibited all manner of sinne Now for the kindes of sinne it is by diuers men reduced into diuers heads As there are sinnes against the first Table concerning the seruice of God And there are sins against the second Table transgressing our duties towards men Againe there are sins of Omission and sinnes of Commission Which diuision the Apostle makes in the seuenth to the Romanes whereby hee saith the good that I would I doe not Rom. 7.15 meaning thereby sinnes of Omission but the euill that I would not doe that doe I intimating thereby sinnes of Commission Againe sinne is described by others to be eyther mentall or verball or actuall So St. Augustine defineth it Peccatum est dictum vel factum vel cogitatum contra legem Dei In fine how many heads of sinne soeuer there may be I cannot now stand to enumerate they are all heere forbidden So that all manner of persons of all manner of conditions whether male or female rich or poore bond or free noble or ignoble of publique or priuate imployment whether in Church or Common-wealth are to auoide all kindes of sinne whether of ignorance or of conscience of neglect or contempt of omission or commission of weakenesse or wilfulnesse of action or affection by word or by worke there is no person exempted nor no sinne excepted but by expresse iniunction from the Lord of all all manner of persons are to forbeare all manner of sinnes But now beloued if wee apply this vnto our selues wee shall finde no small difference betweene that which the Lord requires of vs and that we returne vnto him betweene our duties what we should doe and our practises what we doe betweene forbearing all sinne and forbearing no sinne For let any man begin at one end of this city and goe to the other and but take speciall notice and diligent suruey of the carriages of men and its a hundred to one if hee discouer not almost all kinde of sinne As happily in the suburbs hee shall see some lurking Adulterer come creeping out of one of the brothels of hell who through the false vnfaithfulnesse of those that should informe and will not or the mercilesse lenity of them that should reforme and doe not continueth in his filthinesse and is hardned in his sinfull and wicked practises Next of all without perhaps he shall see many of the swinish sonnes of Bacchus come reeling out of the schooles of drunkennesse breathing and belching out nothing but the froth of Ale diuellish and fearefull blasphemies to the euerlasting shame and reproach of man to the scandall of the holy profession of Christianity to the certaine corrupting and euill example of others to the great dishonour of almighty God Goe forward and you may see swarmes of lazie and idle Drones the very shame of this Land whose profession amongst our reformed Laitie is not farrevnlike the mortified Mendicants in the Romish Cleargie euen wilfull pouertie desiring rather to begge or stease yea starue then worke and liue by the comfortable fruites of honest labour Here also are not wanting those desperate Ruffines with whom there is no more then a word and a blow making no more reckoning of a mans life then if it were to kill a dogge Cursed be their wrath for it is fierce Gen. 49.7 and their rage for it is cruell Againe you may heare meete those fatted Epicures whose eyes stand out for fatnesse that eate and drinke to sleepe and rise vp to play onely for fashion they sometimes take the Church in their way such there haue beene are and will be vnto the end of the world and yet doe they take it as a wrong if they be accounted any