yet 't is not ordinarily done without our Concurrence Men are Instruments in this blessed Work tho' God only be the Author of it So the Apostle exhorts his Hearers to save themselves from that untoward Generation Acts 2. 40. and St. Paul tells Timothy that in so doing he should save himself and those that heard him 1 Tim. 4. 16. The Salvation here spoken of is from Sin the Cause and Judgments here and Damnation hereafter the dismal Consequents of it What should not any of us be willing to do or suffer to promote so blessed a Work With Fear i. e. Either with Fear lest we miscarry in our Vndertaking and so with Prudence Caution and Circumspection So the Apostle exhorts us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. Where the Consequence is so important the Care cannot be too much Or With Fear i. e. By means of Fear Labouring to stir up in the Sinners we would reclaim an Holy Fear of the Divine Majesty and of his most terrible and no less righteous Judgements both in this Life and that which is to come Thus the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 5. 11. Knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade men Hardened Sinners are not ordinarily to be dealt with by Arguments of Love but of Fear They must have Hell-fire flash'd in their Faces they must be dealt plainly and roundly with a mild Reproof doth but harden them The Tenders of Mercy too often embolden them in Sin They must be made to know that God is a Just and a Holy God and that he hath ordained Tophet of old he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof of fire and much wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Isa 30. 33. Impenitent Sinners must be acquainted that the Punishments that await them are insupportable and eternal that God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. And if any of them be so hardened as through Infidelity or Inconsideration to slight and disregard all this they must be made to feel the present Smart of their Sin and Folly by the strict Execution of just Laws against their Impieties and Impurities that a Stop may be put to the growing Contagion of their pernicious Examples and they themselves may be awakened to remember and shew themselves Men Isa 46. 8. till they see what Beasts they have hitherto made themselves Pulling them out of the fire This Expression notes the Zeal with which we must endeavour the reforming of heinous Offenders They are like Children or Epileptick or Frantick Persons fallen into the Fire that cannot or will not help themselves 'T is a barbarous thing to let them lie there and not lend them an hand for their Rescue And here we are taught that our Endeavours of this kind must be speedy lest our help come too late we must be active and industrious that our help may be effectual and all our Endeavours must proceed from Love as prompted by a Desire to save the Life the Soul of our offending and endangered Brother III. We have here The Rule of Caution Hating even the Garment spotted by the Flesh We must so deal with others for their Good as to take heed we our selves receive no hurt from them at least not of that kind we would save them from A Physician will not visit a Pest-house without fortifying his Spirits by some proper and sufficient Antidote before-hand We must labour so to converse with Bad Men for their Good as to see that we our selves become not Bad thereby We must therefore stir up in our Souls a settled Hatred of all that Sin which we would dissuade others from and not only so but of all the Appearances of it and likewise of all that may be an Occasion Allurement or Inducement to it This I take to be in short the meaning of the Expression the Apostle here makes use of viz. Hating even the garment spotted by the flesh Waving therefore many other Particulars which might be fitly gathered from the Words we shall summ up their main Scope and Import especially with respect to the present Occasion in the following Proposition or Point of Doctrine viz. That it is the Duty of every Christian so to endeavour the saving of Others from Error and Impiety and the dreadful Consequences of both as to see that himself be not intangled in either In speaking to which Proposition I shall with what Plainness and Brevity I can treat on these Three Heads following viz. I. Of the Duty to be performed II. Of the Manner of its Performance III. Of the Obligations we are under to such Performance I. Let us enquire concerning the Duty to be performed Now in order to the right stating this Duty Of endeavouring to save Others from Error and Impiety and the Destruction consequent thereupon let me desire your attentive Consideration of the following Particulars 1. Error in the Fundamentals of Religion and Impiety or Loosness of Conversation do certainly expose those who live and die in them to utter Destruction The Apostle assures us Rom. 6. 23. that the wages of sin is death And Heb. 12. 14. that without holiness no man shall see the Lord. See also Eph. 5. 3 4 5 6. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness let it not be once named among you as becometh Saints Neither filthiness nor foolish talking nor jesting which are not convenient but rather giving of thanks For this ye know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an idolater hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Phil. 3. 19. They whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things their end is destruction 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God Be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind Nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God Rom. 1. 18. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness There is nothing plainer in the Word of God than that a lewd and vicious Life impenitently persisted in will certainly issue in the utter Destruction both of Soul and Body They that live like Beasts on Earth must certainly be the Companions of Devils in Hell The Burnings of Lust here prepare for the unquenchable Burnings of 〈◊〉 hereafter There are few will seem to doubt of it though few live as if they believed any thing of it But that Errors in the Fundamentals of Religion are of like Fatal Influence will hardly be admitted by many Yet the Apostle Paul reckons Heresies among the Works of the Flesh Gal. 5. 20 and assurâ—s us the Word of suâ—h
eateth as a Canker 2 Tim. 2. 17. and bids us beware of such as we love our Souls Tit. 3. 10. 'T is little considered by many that a sound Faith is as necessary to Salvation as a good Life nay these two are indeed inseparable If the Plague of Leprosie be in the Head the whole Person is thereby rendred unclean Lev. 13. 44. He is in danger of perishing himself and his Society becomes infectious I know this Matter hath been carried too far by some who have rashly haereticated their Brethren See the Postscript and boldly usurped the Title of Orthodox to themselves and not knowing what Spirit they are of would cast out of the Church and if it were in their Power ouâ— of Heaven too all that cannot glibly pronounce their Shibboleth Yet if some reel into one Extreme it doth not follow that therefore we must reel into the other We are to contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. And the Corrupters of that Faith are to be looked upon as the most dangerous Enemies Religion hath Such as deny the Divine Authority of the Scripture as the Deists such as interpret away its vital Sense and Meaning as the Socinians such as subject it to a private Interpretation allowing no gloss but what their own Infallibility stamps upon it as the Romanists abroad and our modern Enthusiasts at home All these lay dangerous Snares for the Souls of ignorant and unstable Men. If our Faith be blind our Practice will be lame and both the one and the other of these will sadly find at last that they have but deceived themselves or been deceived by others with vain words Eph. 5. 6. 2. Yet while we are in the present probationary State there is hope that those who are involved in these Snares of Death may be rescued from them The great Shepherd and Bishop of Souls came to seek and to save that which was lost Luk. 19. 10. And the great Design of the Gospel is to publish Pardon and Life to the Penitent without Exception Jesus Christ the Apostle acquaints us came into the world to save sinners not excluding the very chief 1 Tim. 1. 15. And it is often seen that Publicans and Harlots enter in before proud Pharisees and confident Self-justitiaries Matth. 21. 31. Where the Gospel is duly preached it is glad tidings of great joy to all people Luke 2. 10. 'T is a black Catalogue to which the Apostle subjoins such were some of you 1 Cor. 6. 11. They who as to their external Conversation have been most blameless tho' that be commendable are not to be flattered as if they needed no Repentance or might get to Heaven without Regeneration and Faith in the Death and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ nor are the most guilty and abominable to be treated as if there were no hope for them upon true Repentance and Faith in the Redeemer There is certainly a great deal of Truth in that Assertion of sundry of our old English Divines viz. That all Men naturally have a strong Inclination to a Covenant of Works and would be as little beholden to the Redeemer and his Grace as ever they can True it is Great Transgressions call for deep Humiliation Yet we must take heed we think not of washing away our Guilt in our own Tears 't is only the Redeemer's Blood can do that And by virtue of that Blood together with the sanctifying Influence of the Divine Spirit purchased by it and dispenced by our ascended Redeemer there is hope that the vilest Sinners may become first justified and then glorified Saints 3. There are Means appointed by God and usually attended with his Blessing for the saving of Sinners from the Guilt Defilement and Dominion of Sin and from the Temporal and Eternal Judgments due to it God hath declared upon Oath That he hath no pleasure in the death of him that dieth Ezek. 18. 32. and ch 33. 11. And the long Exercise of his Patience towards guilty Sinners may abundantly assure us of it much more when we consider the Gifts that our risen and ascended Lord hath given to men Eph. 4. 8. the Ordinances he hath seâ—tled in his Church the Charge he hath entrusted every Man with not only of his own but likewise of his Brother's Soul So that the Preaching of the Word the Administration of Sacraments the Wise and Spiritual Management of Discipline Fraternal Correption the Shining Light of a Good Example Providential Chastisements are all so many proper Helps to reduce Sinners from the Error of their Ways and prevent that Ruine which will else certainly and speedily overtake them 4. It is the unquestionable Duty of Christian Magistrates and that by virtue of their Office to punish Vice and Profaneness The Magistrate is a Minister of God to us for Good a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil and one who beareth not the Sword in vain Rom. 13. 4. Whether or how far Errors even the most dangerous are punishable or restrainable by the Magistrate's Sword is a Question that hath been boldly ventilated but whether accurately decided or no of late I shall not determine But that the punishing of Vice and Profaneness is his Duty is what no body doth or can dispute All the Difficulty is to get Men to the Discharge of a Plain and Necessary Duty to the Performance of which they are under all the Obligations of Loyalty both to their Heavenly and Earthly King of Conscience to their Solemn Oaths of Interest if the Peace of their Consciences and their good Reputation among Men be looked upon by them as any part of their Interest But while the gratifying of a Friend or which is worse a deadly Enemy a base Lust is of more value with them as with some it most evidently is than all the above-mentioned Obligations there is but too much Cause to fear that the so necessary so much desired and so hopefully-begun Work of Reformation of Manners will die in their hands And then what Outcries their Consciences and their Posterity will e're long make against them I leave them to think I pray God they may in time 5. It is also the Duty of Ministers by sound Doctrine by serious Exhortation and by the shining Light of an Exemplary Behaviour to give all the Check they can to growing Error and Impiety This is their Office-Work to which they are specially to attend as called and consecrated thereunto They are in a peculiar manner the salt of the earth and the light of the world Matth. 5. 13 14. They are sent on this very Errand To turn men from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. It ought to be their whole Business to save themselves and those that hear them 1 Tim. 4. 16. The Epistles to Timothy and Titus do thoroughly acquaint them with the Weight of their Work Obligations and Account On the heedful Reading whereof where is he to
Blood and the Hurt they may do by their infectious Example to the Souls of others upon our own Heads if by a foolish Pity we be tender of their Credit Profit or Ease to the hardening them in their Sins and giving them the Advantage of recommending Vice to others by their own Impunity Where Warnings and Reproofs signifie nothing the Smart of Punishment may awaken or at least restrain What tho' such for the present count us their Enemies perhaps they will not do so always However 't is better bearing the Efforts of their Anger than the Burthen of their Guilt 7. With Zeal A cold Reproof is a palliating and in a sort a praising of Sin Thus Eli reproved his Sons but because he did it coldly and restrained them not God chargeth the Guilt and exacteth the Punishment of their Impieties on his Person and whole Posterity vide 1 Sam. 3. 11 12 13 14. True Zeal will make us speedy in our Endeavours to reclaim Sinners lest the proper Season for it be lost active and industrious both to discover Sin and bring the Sinner to just Shame and Punishment that our Sloth occasion not the Growth of Impiety and the Spreading of this Fire till all be devoured by it And above all we must see that our Zeal be not of an earthly much less an hellish Original that it be not owing either to our Self-love or our Envy to or Hatred of our Brethren But that it be wholly of a Divine and Heavenly Extract altogether animated by a Principle of Love to God and to the Souls of Men and then we may well be clad with Zeal as a Cloak and to be eaten up by it Isa 59. 17. Joh. 2. 17. will be our Commendation at present and the Occasion of our receiving a full Reward at last 8. And Lastly with due Caution as to our selves We are to love our Neighbour as our selves and therefore our selves in the first place especially this is to be observed in Matters of a spiritual nature and wherein the Health and Happiness of our Souls is concerned And 't is this which as I take it we are here taught When the Apostle had been giving Rules for our Behaviour towards others in order to their Recovery and Reformation he subjoins hating even the garment spotted by ihe flesh Here then we must with a careful Eye look to these thimgs 1. Lest we render our selves guilty by our Endeavours to reform others for want of due regard to our Principles from which our Ends for which and the Means by which we act in so good a Work God requires of us not only that what we do be good but that we do it well Else Prayer may become Sin Sacrifice an Abomination and the Execution of Justice Murther as it was in Jehu's Case Hos 1. 4. See then that the Love of God and Christ and Souls constrain us that we have no Squint-regards to our own Credit or Secular Advantage much less that we be not puffed up with the haughty Pride of thinking more highly of our selves than is meet to think that our Looks and Gesture do not say what we would be ashamed our Tongue and Lips should Stand off I am holier than thou Isa 65. 5. But let our Hearts and Consciences bear us witness that we sincerely aim at the Glory of God the Salvation of Men the Good of the present Age and Posterity and the keeping our selves from partaking of the Sins of the Times and Places where we live that so we may shun the Punishment due to them And farther we must see that all the Means we use to so good Ends be just and allowable Id solum possumus quod jure possumus God needeth not my lie to his glory Rom. 3. 7 8. nor must I go out of my place tho' it were to stay his Ark when ready to fall 2 Sam. 6. 6 7 8. Blessed be God we want not warrantable Means enough to promote the good Ends of Reformation that we should need to betake our selves to unlawful or doubtful ones Nor do I in the least suspect your combining into Societies or the Magistrates concealing the Names of Informers especially in some Cases for such They have both of them been so fully vindicated by abler hands that I need say nothing of them here 2. We ought to take heed lest the frequent conversing with gross and notorious Sinners as we think with a Design to reform them do gradually and insensibly abate our Abhorrence of Sin and infect us with its Contagion that we partake not of other Mens Sins nor become like those whose Reformation and Amendment we profess to desire and endeavour It is sometimes seen that a Physician catcheth the Disease he was sent for to cure If we choose bad Men for our Companions it is a sign we are such our selves and if we are cast into their Company be the Occasion what it will we are to look upon it as an Hour of Temptation and accordingly to double our Watch by awakening the Fear of God and the Hatred of Sin in our Souls It is a dreadful thing to behold Sin with an unconcerned Indifferency of Spirit or to hear the Name of God blasphemed without being moved with inward Horror and Remorse We ought to enter a solemn Protest in the Secret of our Souls against all that Impiety we are constrained to be Witnesses to yea and to make our inward Displeasure against it visible and evident by all proper and prudent Methods Thus we read Just Lot vexed his righteous soul from day to day in seeing and hearing the ungodly deeds of the impure Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 8. We must keep as far as we can from the contagious Breath of impudent Sinners And even while Their and the Common Good obligeth us to converse with them our own must engage us to be upon our Guard We must have no fellowship with those unfruitful works of darkness which we are called to reprove and suppress Eph. 5. 11. Our corrupt Natures are like Tinder apt to catch Fire at every Spark and therefore tho' we may be jealous over others with a godly jealousie 2 Cor. 11. 2. yet it must be so as ever in the first place to maintain the same Jealousie over our selves He forfeits his Innocency and his Peace two of the most precious Jewels in the World that grows bold with Temptation Let us therefore be sober and vigilant because our Adversary the Devil goeth about as a roaring Lion seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. The better we are or seem to be and the more excellent and useful the Work we are engaged in is the greater is Satan's Malice against us and therefore the more strict should be our Care and Vigilance over our selves III. I should now proceed to the Third General Inquiry the Import whereof is to set before you the Obligations we lie under to endeavour the Reformation of others and to save them with Fear pulling