of our Religion and Government These Arts of Leger-demain are expresly forbidden in Scripture and are particularly censur'd in Iezebel as a Badge of her Whorish Impudence 2 King 9.30 The Idolater is compar'd by the Prophet to an Adultereres who Paints her face to tempt and ensnare her Lovers See the Prophet Isaiah more fully to this purpose chap. 3. from the 16 to the end The ancient Fathers declaim passionately against it as most offensive and dishonourable to God and a scandal to the Modesty of Christians Tertullian boldly affirms Tertul. de cultu Mulich That Women by their artificial Dressings as Painting Patching Persuming c. do allure and invite Men to Lust and open a Door to those Temptations which should rather be shut out And since saith he God did not create them in those Forms which they so unwarrantably assume it would be enquir'd whether they be willing to appear in this Disguise that God should not know them for his at the day of Judgement Again this is not only a defileing of God's Temples and a correcting of his handy-work for which he has threatn'd to destroy them In Ep. ad Furcam de vid. Servand In Epist ad Possid but the foremention'd Arts saith St. Hierom are certain Signs of an unchast mind and incentives to Lust St. Aug. is yet more express upon the point where he tells us That the wearing of Gold and precious Stones or the putting on of Costly Apparel are not forbidden to Persons of the best Rank and Quality of the female Sex But for Women to paint and patch to colour or discolour their Faces or to make 'em either more or less white or red then the God of Nature has form'd them is a fallacious kind of Adultery from which it may be reasonably infer'd that they will not be backward when a fit Opportunity presents to make Shipwrack of their Virginity or betray their own Husbands To avoid the Scandal then and dangerous Consequences of those Sins which are inseparable from pompous and immodest Apparel look back to the forecited Passage of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 3.16 17 18 c. and there you 'l see God's dreadful Resentment of it in plain and legible Characters Besides what Reason has any Man or Woman to be proud of or glory in that which is the Badge and Cognizance of their Sin and Slavery But on the Contrary how should we rather study to beautifie our Souls with the precious and lovely Ornaments of Grace and Virtue which can only stand us in stead when all the pompous and phantastical Gaieties of this World do expire and vanish These are the rich Wedding Garments which through the imputative Righteousness of Christ will render our Persons and Performances acceptable to God Rom. 13.14 1 Pet. 3.3 4 5. and so become the chifest Ornaments to us and our Religion We proceed 4thly To those Virtues of Moderation requir'd in our Sleep and Recreations And because the Excess in both is expensive of that precious Talent of Time which should be dearer to us than all things in the World besides therefore we shall treat of them under the same Head of Discourse Now there 's no Man who subscribes to the Truth of the Christian Religion but he will readily acknowledge The Prudent Management of our Time 1 Tim. 6.19 that the great Business we have to do in this World is to lay up for our selves a good Foundation against the Time to come that both our Souls and Bodies may be happy for ever This is the great Task which lies upon our Hands and if it be not diligently and discreetly manag'd we are eternally undone But alas we have but a short Time for the accomplishment of this great Work our hands are very slow in the doing of it and the infinite Justice of God will take a strict and severe account of our Administrations Therefore it must highly import us to be industrious and vigilant in the conscientious Management of all the Duties of our Christian Calling that we may be able to appear before his just and impartial Tribunal with Joy and not with Grief But the Time of our present Life is so uncertain that there 's no one part of it that we can call our own but the present which is yet scarce in our power to dispose of For the Time past cannot be recal'd and how God will be pleased to shorten the remaining part of our Days we are not able to prognosticate Princes and Monarchies have their Periods and Revolutions as well as private Persons and Families What 's become of the Assyrian Persian Graecian and Roman Monarchies Where are those famous Conquerors Cyrus Alexander the great c. and where are their triumphant Wreaths and their other Enfigns of Honour devouring Time has swallow'd 'em all up And our Being here is so transient and uncertain that for any thing we know the next Morning may waft us hence and determine our final Doom and that Eternity which we 've now in our hands may slip through our Fingers before to morrow morning Who then dares be so bold and imprudent as to adventure his eternal Salvation on such a fortuitous Contingency And why should any man neglect that Work one Minute which all will acknowledge is necessary to be done But besides 't is highly considerable that we are now contesting with our potent subtile and mortal Enemies of all sorts and we are fighting for an immarcessible Crown of Glory which cannot be obtain'd without great Diligence Prudence and Watchfulness as well as Courage It behoves us therefore if we desire and hope for the comfortable Success of our Endeavours in this pious Adventure to be temperate in all things 1 Cor. 9.25 and to spend as little of our precious Time as possible either in immoderate Sleep or unnecessary Recreations And 1st We are under many pressing Obligations to be very moderate in our Sleep Temperance in Sleep nor should we desire any more than may fit us for our civil Callings and dispose us for the Business of Religion We must not comply with our Appetites and Passions but consult our Reason and Conscience as to the Measures of our Repose And tho' some Tempers may require more Sleep than others yet in passing our Judgements we must always have an eye to the great Concernments of Eternity This will be the best Expedient to keep both our Souls and Bodies awake and whilst careless and inconsiderate Men are lull'd fast asleep upon the Bed of carnal Security those that are truly watchful having their Lamps burning and Lights shining will be in a fit Posture to meet the Bridegroom with joy at his coming Matth. 25.1 2 c. either by his private Messenger Death or in a general Judgement And as we are thus oblig'd to be moderate in our Sleep So 2dly And in our Recreations In our Recreations There 's no question but seasonable Refreshments are allow'd
by other Means and Methods For a few days before his Ascension into Heaven he gave Commissions to Matt. 28.19 20. and invested his Apostles and Disciples with Power and inspir'd them with Abilities to Preach this Doctrine of Salvation to and propagate it in the World And this was not the least Miracle in it that a few Persons of the lowest Extract slender Education and arm'd with no external Power the most of 'em being poor Mechanicks as Tent-makers Carpenters Fishermen and such like should be able to withstand all the Authority Wit Learning Policy and Eloquence of the greatest Monarchs Politicians and Philosophers on Earth and all the Devils and damned Spirits in Hell which were combin'd against them and in despight of Malice it self to establish a Religion which did so much check and control the Ambitions Interests Pleasures and Appetites of the greatest Princes and their Adherents and was so directly Opposite to the then Temper and Inclinations of Mankind that they must offer Violence to their dearest Lusts and deny themselves the sensual Enjoyment of their most ravishing and transporting Pleasures ere they could become Proselites to it And yet notwithstanding all these Obstacles the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord had wonderful Success in Establishing the Gospel triumphing over and trampling upon the greatest Oppositions and did defend it and its Excellent Author with the highest Manifestations of Zeal and Integrity tho' continual Reproaches and Contumelies Racks and Prisons Flames and Martyrdoms did await 'em in every place where they came For we 've a certain account from Ecclesiastical History that eleven of the twelve Apostles and many Thousands of the Primitive Christians suffer'd violent Deaths by the hands of those who persecuted them meerly for their Religion And what rational Motive could carry 'em through such an hazardous Imployment that Christians alone should seem so fond of sufferings that they forgot Humanity it self indured Torments and abode the Flames not only with Patience and Magnanimity but with joy For tho' this Christian Courage was lookt on by the most to be either the folly or Phrensie of a distemper'd Brain yet doubtless it could be no less than the absolute conviction of their Minds and Consciences of the Truth and certainty of the Doctrine which they deliver'd with a comfortable Prospect of those inconceivable Rewards which should await 'em in another World Thus Christianity has been always hitherto and shall be ever propagated by Arguments rather than Arms by submission and sufferings rather than force and Violence And has far beyond all humane conceit been attended with such wonderful Succcess and Prevalency without any kind of Power or Earthly Authority to back it and not so much as one Sword except that of St. Peter Matth. 27.52 53. for which our blessed Saviour severely reprov'd him has been drawn in the defence of it Insomuch that 't was impossible that any thing but Truth it self which has an Omnipotent and over-ruling force in it could by such weak and improbable Means and Methods have so soon subdu'd mankind to the Faith and obtain'd a Victory over the hearts of Men in so great a part of the World And thanks be to God our Religion has not only captivated a few of the Meaner sort but the greatest of all Ranks and degrees even Kings and Emperors have submitted to Christ's Scepter and many of 'em have become nursing Fathers of his Church The greatest Philosophers Orators Rhetoricians c. such were Justin Martyr Athenagoras Tertullian Origen Clemens Alexandrinus and many others who neither wanted Wit Learning Eloquence nor Authority to defend and maintain their Heathenish Principles and Opinions yet became Proselites to the Christian Faith and zealous Preachers and Defenders of it with their very Lives and Fortunes And to our great comfort and satisfaction our Religion rides on prosperously still to conquer Nations far remote and there have been few Ages since our Saviours Exhibition in the Flesh wherein the Boundaries of his Church have not been enlarg'd with new Productions 5 The Truth and Excellency of the Christian Religion is evicted and confirm'd By the Miraculous Effusions of God's holy Spirit upon the Apostles c. by the Miraculous Effusions and gracious Influences of God's Holy and Blessed Spirit according to Christ's promise concerning it Not only on the Day of Pentecost but in many thousand instances besides to the wonder and astonishment of all Beholders And tho' the most of the Apostles and Disciples of our Lord were men of very obscure Fortunes mean Capacities as I hinted before and altogether unskil'd in humane Learning yet they were furnish'd in a moment with such an extraordinary measure of inspir'd Wisdom and Knowledge Acts 2.2 c. Acts 10.44 that the greatest Doctors among the the Jews and Philosophers among the Gentiles stood in a Maze at them were baffl'd and overcome by the Dint of their Arguments and afterwards became zealous Champions for the Defence and active Instruments in the Propagation of the Gospel All which Gifts were bestow'd by the Spirit of God for their perfect Guidance and Instruction for their Support and Comfort in the great Temptations and Pressures which they underwent and to inable 'em to convince the obstinate and unbelieving Jews and Gentiles of their Legal and Heathenish Superstitions and to convert them from their Sins and Errors to the Belief and Practice of this Excellent Religigion of the holy and Eternal Jesus 6 Upon the first publishing and promulgation of the Gospel By silencing the Heathen Oracles at our Saviours coming into the World all the Heathen Oracles were silenc'd cleombrotus Demetrius c. as Plutarch relates tho' they had been formerly very zealous Champions for them yet at Christ's coming in the Flesh they neither could nor durst speak one Word in the defence of them Ablata est Pythii Vox haud revocabilis ulli Temporibus longis Eternim jam cessit Apollo Clavibus occlusus silet ergo ritè peractis Discedens Patriae redeas ad lumina sacris Porphyr Vt citatur Lib. 5. Cap. 8. Eus de Preparat Evangelicâ Vltima Cumaei venit jam Carminis aetas Magnus ab integro seclorum nascitur Ordo Virg. Eccl. Sybils Oracles then drew their last breath and in them all others On which the same Poet sweetly Jam redit Virgo redeunt Saturnia Regna Jam nova Progenies Coelo demittitur alto And the Devil himself who was the Father and Founder of all those illusive Dreams and false Prophesies received a deadly Blow so that not only Christ himself has obtain'd an absolute Victory over him But all sincere Christians of which more fully afterwards thro' the assistance of his Grace are more then Conquerors over him and all his Agents 7 The Christian Religion in the New Omnia quae Scriptae sunt ad unum Christum referuntur nec saepit vetâ—â— scripturae nisi Christus in ea intelligatur Aug. in Ps 51. Id. in
Second and Last Adam from the First 1 Cor. 15.22 45. Lastly That General Name of Christians His Name Christ whence we are call'd Christians comprehends all his other Titles by which we are distinguisht from all other Religions in the World is deriv'd from his Name Christ In which all the Names and Appellations attributed to him in holy Scripture are eminently comprehended CHAP. II. Of our Saviour's God-head HAving treated thus distinctly of the Quid Nominis Of Christ's Divine Nature of the Names and Titles of Christ for the prevention of all future Mistakes which might occur concerning ' em We shall proceed to discourse in the next Place of our Saviour's Divine Nature which being an Article of our Christian Faith is most demonstratively evinc'd from Scripture the Truth whereof will evidently appear in these following Particulars As 1st Arguments for it He is dignified with the same Titles and Appellations equal with God the Father which I 've hinted before and is often stil'd in Scripture The great God The true God The Lord Jehovah The Son of God and the only begotten Son of God From whence we must necessarily infer That our Lord Jesus Christ is the true God as the Father is and hath the same Nature Essence Will and Power with him 2dly The same Attributes and Properties of God are frequently ascrib'd to him For he is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 6.8 and doth clearly discern all the Thoughts and Imaginations of Men. Heb. 13.8 He was from Eternity without beginning and shall continue to Eternity without end Mat. 28.20 By the Immensity of his Power and Presence He is Omnipotent and Omnipresent Joh. 1.3 Col. 1.16 Mat. 8.25 Joh. 0.19 All the Works of the Deity as the Works of Creation Providence Sanctification Illumination Justification and the Remission of Sins are attributed to Him All the Creatures even the most boisterous and unruly the most malignant and Rebellious contrary to their Natures and against their Wills did obey his Commands All the Miracles done by Him were real Demonstrations of his Divinity and to them he appeals to evict the reality of His Godhead Ioh. 14.11 Believe me saith he that I am in the Father and the Father in me or else believe me for the very Works sake And in his Answer to John the Baptist's Disciples Mat. 11.3 4 5 6. Go saith he and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see the blind receive their sight and the Lame walk the Lepers are cleansed and the Deaf hear the Dead are raised up c. The only Argument which he made use of at that Time to convince 'em That he was the true Messiah and Saviour of the World 3dly Divine Worship and Honour are every where given unto him Ioh. 3.16 Acts 7.55 59. Matth. 28.18 Phil. 2.9.10 For in him we Believe to him we Pray in his Name we are Baptiz'd and God has given him a Name above every Name that at the Name of fesus every knee should bow of things in Heaven and things in Earth and things under the Earth 4thly We have the undeniable Testimony of God himself and the concurrent Suffrage both of Good and Bad Angels to confirm us in the belief of this important and saving Truth Matth. 3.17 and 1.27 Mark 5.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecumen ad Locum In him saith the Apostle dwelleth the fulness of the Godhead bodily that is really and substantially See to this Purpose Col. 2.9 1 Tim. 3 1◠Heb. 1.3 8. 1 John 5.20 Hence 't is fully Evident from the undoubted Testimony of holy Scripture that Christ is God truly and properly so call'd even one and the same God co-essential co-equal and co-eternal with the Father Thus the Doctrine of our Saviour's Divinity Equality and Consubstantiality with the Father being sufficiently evicted and consirm'd We shall now seriously apply this Point by considering what Influence this saving Doctrine should have upon the Lives and Practices of Men. And 1st We may learn from the Consideration of our Saviour's God-head and the Excellency of his Divine Nature What Influence this Doctrine should have upon Practice what Honour Respect and Reverence is due to him Even the same Homage is to be given and the same Adoration to be paid joyntly and equally to the Father and the Son For all men should honor the Son Ioh. 5.23 1 Ioh. 2.23 even as they honor the Father And whosoever denieth the Son the same hath not the Father Again the eternal Son of God is not only preser'd in Scripture to Abraham Moses David c. but to the holy Angels themselves being much better Heb. 1.4 5 6. and having a more excellent Name then they and therefore he saith let all the Angels of God worship him These Considerations lay a sure Foundation for our Duty do justifie our Practice in worshipping our Lord and may exceedingly animate and encourage us to be faithful and zealous devour and constant in all the Instances of Prety and Religion For we 've full Assurance from the Premisses that our blessed Redeemer knoweth all our Necessities and he neither wants Will nor Power to save supply and bless us to the uttermost if we Believe in Worship and Obey him 2dly Hence we may be encourag'd to have Recourse unto Christ and be comforted in all the Straits and Difficulties of this Life and hereon we may ground our stedfast Hope that God for his sake will supply all our Wants with the Abundance of his Grace and Favour Ioh. 3.16 Rom. 8.32 For he that gave us his only begotten Son will not be unwilling to bestow whatever to his Wisdom shall appear needful and convenient for us Seing then we have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heavens Jesus the Son of God Heb. 4.14 16. let us hold fast our Profession and come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in time of need 3dly Let us always bear in Mind those important Obligations the great Majesty of Heaven and Earth has laid upon us in sending his own Son into the World to mediate a Peace for us that we who were Enemies by wicked works should be reconcil'd unto Him Col. 1.21 How should this consideration affect our hearts with a passionate Sense of his Goodness How should we Love him who has been so exceeding gracious and meeciful to us What thankful Acknowledgements with our Mouths and what a dutiful Observance in all our Actions do such wonderful Expressions of Majesty and Mercy deserye and require from us And lastly Let our Faith and Hope c. in the eternal Son of God be sounded in Humility of all which more fully in the following Chapters with a Suitable Behaviour and awful sense of Mind most becoming his gracious yet dreadful Presence And therefore 4thly We should be extrèmely careful above all things lest
perplexing Impediments in our way thither For the Captain of our Salvation was not advanc'd to the Crown of Glory at his Father's right hand By the example of himself till he had compleated all his Agonies and receiv'd his Consummatum est upon the Cross By which Means he has made our Ingress into that state of eternal Happiness more feasiable and certain Wherefore it should be matter of the greatest Joy to us when we bear his Cross and suffer Persecution for Righteousness sake especially if we consider that this light Affliction which is but for a Moment Cor. 4.17 shall work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory and this wet Seed-time of Sorrow shall be recompenc'd with a Harvest of Joy If we now go on our Way weeping and bear it patiently we shall return with Joy Psal 126.5.6 and bring our Sheaves with us Besides if our innocent Redeemer indured so many Troubles and Tortures not for himself but us how should we willingly and chearfully submit to the Wisdom of divine Providence when we suffer most justly for our manifold Transgressions Was he Meek and Patient under those many Injuries and Affronts which he every where met with in his Life and at his Death 'T was doubtless for this very end and purpose that we should be so 〈◊〉 Did the intolerable Burden of the Cross â—â—â—ce him to Sweat both Water and Blood Joh. 19.34 He has taught us hereby to take up ours which are less burdensom and afflictive and follow him that by Suffering with him we may be also glorified together Rom. 8.17 18. But to convince us throughly of the Practicableness of this Doctrine And the Example of his Followers and to encourage us to be earnest and affectionate zealous and uniform in our active and passive Conformity to the Laws and Example of Christ We have a Cloud of Witnesses as Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors and holy Men in all Ages of the Gospel who by their virruous Lives and innocent and patient Sufferings have tract the Way before us Rom. 2.7 Who are now all entred into Bliss and shall eternally inherit the comfortable and saving Fruits of their Christian Patience and Perseverance in Well-doing All which divine and excellent Examples may influence our Spirits with the most powerful Encouragments and Incentives to Goodness For we are most certain that we may be eternally happy upon the same Terms that they are if we Fight this good Fight 2 Tim. 4.7 8. finish our Course and keep the Faith henceforth without all peradventure is laid up for us a Crown of Righteousness We may be certainly happy upon the same Terms c. Let us ride on prosperously then because of this Word of Truth and Righteousness For there 's nothing in our Religion but what 's possible to be perform'd and the greatest Difficulties which attend it may be conquer'd and overcome by Diligence and Endeavour Now it would be of singular Use and Advantage to have the heroic Vertues and pious Examples of those holy Men often in our Thoughts which are gone to Heaven before us For these have commonly a greater and more lasting Influence than their Precepts and Counsels we are not so easily convinc't by Mens Words and Reasonings as their Lives and Actions But when their Conversations are answerable to their Callings 't is beyond dispute they are earnest and the most conclusive Argument to perswade others that their Doctrine is true To conclude this Point Christ has taught us all things which are necessary to be known and practic'd 2 Cor. 4.3 There 's nothing can be more evident then this That Christ our great Prophet has taught us all the Truths which are necessary to be known and practiced with that undeniable Evidence and Satisfaction that if this Doctrine be hid 't is hid to those that are lost Again he has enforc't the Belief and Practice of this excellent Religion so clearly reveal'd to the Sons of Men by his own Example and Authority in all the Instances of his active and passive Obedience and in compliance with all the Laws and Constitutions of the Gospel Whereunto might be added the Experiences and Success of all his faithful Servants in all Ages By all which without any further Enlargement we may in a great measure understand what it is that God has been pleas'd to reveal to us by the Spirit of his Son that we may live comfortably die happily and reign with him eternally Which brings me to the 2d Branch of our Saviour's Prophetical Office Which imports the reciprocal Returns of Love and Duty which he Expects and requires from Vs Our blessed Saviour herein complying with the Frailties of our Nature has reduc'd all the Fundamental Principles The Returns of Duty which Christ expects and requires from us and Duties of Christianity to these two Common Heads of Repentance and Faith Both which are not only the necessary Conditions of our present and future happiness but do eminently comprehend all those Gospel-Graces and Virtues which must qualifie and dispose us for the regular discharge of all the Duties of our Religion in the Rewards consequent to ' em And for the prevention of future Mistakes these may be consider'd either generally or particularly And 1st In general As Repentance By Repentance in general we must understand the Conversion of the whole Man from Darkness unto Light Acts 26.18 and from the Power of Satan unto God Or 't is a passing from Death unto Life 11.18 Rev. 20.6 that we may have part in the first Resurrection over whom the second Death shall have no power But more particularly This Duty of Repentance consists in the Conversion of a Sinner unto God That is when the Penitent is truly humbled by a hearty sense of and a well grounded sorrow for all his Sins he applies himself wholly to the Mercies of God and the Merits of Christ by the exercise of a true and lively Faith for their Pardon and Forgiveness And hereupon he resolves by the assistance of God's Grace to use his utmost Endeavours against all Sin and Temptation for the future and to obey all the Commandments of God in every Action and Circumstance of his Life This Duty of Repentance must be often repeated This Duty must be often repeated not only before but after our Conversion and 't is a necessary Principle and Ingredient in the whole Series of a Christian Conversation since there 's something of Obliquity and Defect in every Work and Duty which we do 2dly Faith which comprehends all other Duties The other Head of Evangelical Doctrine is Faith a most comprehensive Term and often us'd in Scripture for the whole of Christianity But the holy Apostle describes it to be a vital and active Principle of Grace which worketh by love Gal. 5.6 And in this sense all the Duties of Christianity are by our blessed Saviour
Justice which has a peculiar Reference to the Estates of other men is either 1 Commutative or 2 Distributive Justice Both which do necessarily imply a constant Will Desire and Endeavour to give to every One Superiors Equals Inferiors what by a just Right and Title becomes their due whether they be Friends or Enemies virtuous or vitious all Persons whatsoever are comprehended in it and have a right to it We begin 1 With Commutative Justice 1. Commutative which is wholly conversant in the ordinary Transaction of Business between Man and Man This obligeth all Men mutually to consult their own Neighbours Advantage in their Commerce and Conversation with them That fundamental Law of Nature which our blessed Lord has adapted into the Christian Religion of dealing with others bona fide as we desire to be dealt with our selves must be kept inviolable in our whole Intercourse with one another Every Mans Conscience should be a private Chancery and Court of Equity in his own Bosom And unless we make this Golden Rule the Standard to regulate our Affairs by all other acts of Piety c. are no better than painted Hypocrisie Mic. 6.11 and most abominable in the sight of God and all good Men. Those Gentlemen have been no great Friends to the Christian Religion who so eagerly dispute against Morality as they pretend for the advancement of free Grace As if both sides of this Contradiction could be true that a Man might be godly and dishonest at the same time and be a pure Disciple of the first whilst he 's an open Enemy to and transgressor of the Commandments of the second Table so that no man in their sense can be Evangelically righteous unless he be Morally unrighteous But if they would examine the whole Christian Doctrine impartially they may be satisfied if they please that an honest upright Carriage speaking Truth to our Neighbour the keeping of a Man's Word performing Oaths and Promises the acting sincerely and conscientiously in all our Dealings with other Men is a considerable part of that Religion which our blessed Saviour came to preach and propagate in the World But I would studiously avoid all Controversie and shall only desire them and all Christians to consider that this excellent Religion which we profess does oblige us to be candid and ingenuous to measure all our Words by our Meaning so that we neither pretend what 's false nor conceal what 's true but make Truth and Equity Justice and Honesty the Common Basis and Standard of all humane Transactions For to lye and swear and dissemble for the promoting of Mens Interests in this World are Stratagems which the Devil has always made use of to allure and entrap all inconsiderate and worldly-minded Men. And indeed 't is highly incongruous and most inconsistent with the Genius and Spirit of Christianity to dissemble and deny the Truth and every sincere Christian will abhor and abandon those Methods of maintaining his secular Interests by Lyes and Falshood Again this Justice does oblige us to perform all our Promises and Contracts which are neither unlawful nor impossible to be kept tho' to our greatest prejudice and unless these be faithfully observ'd as the Government we live under may be endanger'd So no Man can be safe either in his Person or Possessions Nor should we wilfully transgress any of those Laws of Justice and Sincerity nor make use of any Man's Necessity Ignorance Passion c. to enrich our Selves or advance our Estates in this World Thus I have given you a short Specimen of this positive part of Commutative Justice wherein we should be as tender of other Mens Interests as our own But our Obligations herein will more evidently appear if we consider the Negative part of this Duty which forbids all Entrenchment on other men's Rights in taking away their Cattle Money Houses Lands c. either by Fraud or Violence And this Injustice is either 1 of the Heart which is extended to all those several Objects mention'd before which we should not Covet nor desire and a Sin expresly contradictory to and forbidden in the tenth Commandment 2 There 's the Injustice of the Mouth As in using deceitful Words and false Pretences to cheat and over-reach one another in buying and selling or in perswading an Heir by false and flattering Speeches to quit his Interest in all or any part of his Estate or when a Widow is wrought on by Fraud or Force to transfer the Title of that Inheritance which of right belong'd to the Children of the first to those of her second Husband Or lastly when Schismatical and Seditious Persons by their smooth and deceitful Language do not only allure and perswade others to substract their Obedience from their lawful Superiors but do decoy them by degrees to joyn with 'em in all their vile and unwarrantable Practices of Faction and Rebellion 3 There 's the Injustice of the Hand which consists in taking away the Estates of other Men or any part of them by Fraud or Injustice or in detaining the just Wages of Labourers or Servants or in not restoring the Pledge upon the payment of the Money for which that was the Lender's Security or in defrauding the Prince of his Honour and Tribute or in corrupting the Justice of the Nation for Bribes or lastly when a man appropriates those things to himself which have been dedicated by his pious Ancestors to the service of God and the maintainance of his Ministers As in the detention of Tyths and Offerings or in the selling of Ecclesiastical Livings c. All which several kinds of Injustice are expresly contradictory to and forbidden by the Law of Nature the Law of Nations and the positive Laws of God both in the Old and New Testaments And whosoever offends in all or any of these Instances without Repentance and Restitution in most Cases and a thorow Reformation of Life seldom escape Punishment even in this World De male quaesitis vix gaudet tertius hares and do with their ill gotten Estates entail a Curse on their miserable Posterity of which we have seen many lamentable Instances in our Days But if they should hold whilst they live what they have basely got by their Deceit and Rapine God's Justice and Vengeance will certainly meet with them in the other World Know ye not saith the Apostle that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Adulterers who violate the Chastity of their Neighbours Wives and Daughters the greatest injustice that can be committed nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven For the wrath of God is reveal'd from Heaven against all unrighteousness of men Rom. 1.18 Thus all those several kinds of Injustice which I have given you an account of are censur'd and condemn'd by the just Laws of God and the infallible Decree of Heaven from whence there can be no appeal