two distinct Natures in one Person That Virginity should Conceive Eternity be Born Immortality Die and Mortality rise from Death to Life That there should be a finite and mortal God or an infinite and immortal Man What are all these and many other more of like intricacy but so many Riddles 16. In all which that I may from the Premisses infer something of Use we should but cum ratione insanire should we go about to make our Reason the measure of our Faith We may as well think to grasp the Earth in our fists or to empty the Sea with a Pitcher as to comprehend these heavenly Mysteries within our narrow understanding Puteus altus the Well is deep and our Buckets for want of Cordage will not reach near the bottom We have use of our Reason and they are unreasonable that would deny us the use of it in Religion as well as in other things And that not only in Agendis in matters of Dâ—ty and Morality wherein it is of a more necessary and constant use as the standard to regulate our judgments in most cases but even in Credendis too in such points as are more properly of Faith in matters Doctrinal and Dogmatical But then she must be employed only as an handmaid to Faith and learn to know her distance Conferre and Inferre those are her proper tasks to confer one Scripture with another and to infer Conclusions and deduce Instructions thence by clear Logical Discourse Let her keep within these bounds and â—he may do very good service But we mar all if we suffer the handmaid to bear too great a sway to grow petulant and to perk above the Mistress 17. It hath been the bane of the Church and the Original of the most and the most pernicious Errors and Heresies in all Ages that men not contenting themselves with the simplicity of believing have doted too much upon their own fancies and made Reason the sole standard whereby to measure both the Principles and Conclusions of Faith It is the very fundamental error of the Socinians at this day No less absurdly than as if a man should take upon him without Mathematical Instruments to take the just dimensions of the heavenly bodies and to pronounce of Altitudes Magnitudes Distances Aspects and other appearances only by the scantling of the Eye Nor less dangerously than as if a Smith it is St. Chrysostoms comparison should lay by his tongs and take the Iron hot from the Forge to work it upon the Anvil with his bare hands Mysteries are not to be measured by Reason That is the first Instruction 18. The next is That forasmuch as there are in the Mystery of Christianity so many things incomprehensible it would be safe for us for the avoiding of Errors and Contentions and consequently in order to those two most precious things Truth and Peace to contain our selves within the bounds of Sobriety without wading too far into abstruse curious and useless speculations The most necessary Truths and such as sufficed to bring our fore-fathers in the Primitive and succeeding times to heaven are so clearly revealed in Scripture and have been so universally and constantly consented unto by the Christian Church in a continued succession of times as that to doubt of them must needs argue a spirit of Pride and Singularity at least if not also of Strife and Contradiction But in things less evident and therefore also less necessary no man ought to be either too stiff in his own private opinion or too peremptory in judging those that are otherwise minded But as every man would desire to be left to his own liberty of Iudgment in such things so should he be willing to leave other men to their liberty also at least so long as they keep themselves quiet without raising quarrels or disturbing the peace of the Church thereabouts 19. As for example Concerning the Entrance and Propagation of Original sin the Nature Orders and Offices of Angels The Time Place and Antecedents of the last judgment The Consistency both of Gods immutable decrees with the contingency of second Causes and of the efficacy of Gods grace with the freedom of Manswill c. In which and other like difficult points they that have travelled farthest with desire to satisfie their own curiosity have either dasht upon pernicious Errors or involved themselves in inextricable difficulties or by Gods mercy which is the happiest loose from such fruitless studies have been thereby brought to a deeper sense of their own ignorance and an higher admiration of the infinite Majesty and wisdom of our great God who hath set his Counsels so high above our reach made his ways so impossible for us to find out That is our second Instruction 20. There is yet another arising from the consideration of the greatness of this Mystery That therefore no man ought to take offence at the discrepancy of opinions that is in the Churches of Christ amongst Divines in matters of Religion There are men in the world who think themselves no babes neither so deeply possest with a spirit of Atheism that though they will be of any Religion in shew to serve their turns and comply with the Times yet they are resolved to be indeed of none till all men be agreed of one which yet never was nor is ever like to be A resolution no less desperate for the soul if not rather much more than it would be for the body if a man should vow he would never eat till all the Clocks in the City should strike Twelve together If we look into the large Volumes that have been written by Philosophers Lawyers and Phisicians we shall find the greatest part of them spent in Disputations and in the reciting and confuting of one anothers opinions And we allow them so to do without prejudice to their respective professions albeit they be conversant about things measurable by Sense or Reason Only in Divinity great offence is taken at the multitude of Controversies wherein yet difference of opinions is by so much more tolerable than in other Sciences by how much the things about which we are conversant are of a more sublime mysterious and incomprehensible nature than are those of other Sciences 21. Truly it would make a religious heart bleed to consider the many and great distractions that are all over the Christian world at this day The lamentable effects whereof scarce any part of Christendom but feeleth more or less either in open wars or dangerous seditions or at the best in uncharitable censures and ungrounded jealousies Yet the infinite variety of mens dispositions inclinations and aims considered together with the great obscurity that is in the things of God and the strength of corruption that is in us it is to be acknowledged the admirable work of God that these distractions are not even much more and greater and wider than they are and that amid so many Sects as are in the world there should be yet such
Mystery that driveth at all this must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the highest degree the great mystery of Godliness That for the scope 27. Look now secondly at the parts and parcels the several pieces as it were whereof this mystery is made up those mentioned in this verse and the rest and you shall find that from each of them severally but how much more then from them altogether joyntly may be deduced sundry strong motives and perswasives unto Godliness Take the material parts of this Mystery the Incarnation Nativity Circumcision Baptism Temptation Preaching Life Death Burial Resurrection Ascension Intercession and Second coming of Christ. Or take if I may so call them the formal parts thereof our eternal Election before the World was our Vocation by the Preaching of the Gospel our Iustification by Faith in the merits of Christ our Sanctification by the Spirit of grace the stedfast Promises we have and hopes of future Glory and the rest It would be too long to vouch Texts for each particular but this I say of them all in general There is not one link in either of those two golden chains which doth not straitly tye up our hands tongues and hearts from doing evil draw us up effectually unto God and Christ and strongly oblige us to shew forth the power of his Grace upon our souls by expressing the power of Godliness in our lives and conversations That for the parts 28. Thirdly Christian Religion may be called the Mystery of Godliness in regard of its Conversation because Godliness is the best preserver of Christianity Roots and Fruits and Herbs which let alone and left to themselves would soon corrupt and putriâ—ie may being well condited with Sugar by a skilful Confectioner be preserved to continue for many years and be serviceable all the while So the best and surest means to preserve Christianity in its proper integrity and power from corrupting into Atheism or Heresie is to season it well with Grace as we do fresh meats with salt to keep them sweet and to be sure to keep the Conscience upright Holding the mysteries of faith in a pure Conscience saith our Apostle a little after at verse 9. of this Chapter and in the first Chapter of this Epistle vers 19. Holding faith and a good Conscience which latter some having put away concerning faith have made shipwrack Apostasie from the faith springeth most an end from Apostasie in manners And he that hath but a very little care how he liveth can have no very fast hold of what he believeth For when men grow once regardless of their Consciences good affections will soon languish and then will noysom lusts gather strength and cast up mud into the soul that the judgement cannot run clear Seldom is the head right where the heart is amiss A rotten heart will be ever and anon sending up evil thoughts into the mind as marish and fenny grounds do foggy mists into the air that both darken and corrupt it As a mans taste when some malignant humour affecteth the organ savoureth nothing aright but deemeth sweet things bitter and sowre things pleasant So where Avarice Ambition Malice Voluptuousness Vain-glory Sedition or any other domineering lust hath made it self master of the heart it will so blind and corrupt the judgment that it shall not be able to discern at any certainty good from evil or truth from falshood Wholsome therefore is St. Peters advice to add unto faith Vertue Vertue will not only keep it in life but at such a height of vigour also that it shall not easily either degenerate into Heresie or languish into Atheism 29. We see now three Reasons for which the Doctrine of Christianity may be called The mystery of Godliness because it first exacteth Godliness and secondly exciteth unto Godliness and is thirdly best preserved by Godliness From these Premisses I shall desire for our nearer instruction to infer but two things only the one for the trial of Doctrines the other for the bettering of our lives For the first St. Iohn would not have us over-forward to believe every spirit Every spirit doth he say Truly it is impossible we should unless we should believe flat contradictions Whilst one Spirit saith It is another Spirit saith It is not can a man believe the one and not disbelieve the other if he hear both Believe not every spirit then is as much in St. Iohn's meaning as if he had said Be not too hasty to Believe any Spirit especially where there appeareth some just cause of Suspicion but try it first whether it be a true spirit or a false Even as St. Paul biddeth us prove all things that having so done we may hold fast what upon trial proveth good and let the rest go 30. Now holy Scripture is certainly that Lapis Lydius that Test whereby this trial is to be made Ad legem ad testimonium when we have wrangled as long as we can hitherto we must come at last But sith all Sectaries pretend to Scripture Papists Anabaptists Disciplinarians All yea the Devil himself can vouch Texts to drive on a Temptation It were good therefore we knew how to make right applications of Scripture for the Trial of Doctrines that we do not mistake a false one for a true one Many profitable Rules for this purpose our Apostle affordeth us in sundry places One very good one we may gather from the words immediately before the Text wherein the Church of God is said to be the pillar and ground of truth The Collection thence is obvious that it would very much conduce to the guiding of our judgments aright in the examining of mens doctrines concerning either Faith or Manners wherein the Letter of Scripture is obscure or the meaning doubtful to inform our selves as well as we can in credendis what the received sence and in agendis what the constant usage and practice of the Church especially in the ancient times hath been concerning those matters and that to consider what conformity the Doctrines under trial hold with the principles upon which that their sence or practice in the Premisses was grounded The Iudgment and Practice of the Church ought to sway very much with every sober and wise man either of which whosoever neglecteth or but slighteth as too many do upon a very poor pretence that the mystery of iniquity began to work betimes runneth a great hazard of falling into many errors and Absurdities If he do not he may thank his good fortune more than his forecast and if he do he may thank none but himself for neglecting so good a guide 31. But this now mentioned Rule although it be of excellent use if it be rightly understood and prudently applied and therefore growing so near the Text I could not wholly baulk it without some notice taken of it it being not within the Text I press it no farther but come to another that springeth out of the very Text it self And
is such a Restraint 33 34 2. That it is from God 35 3. That it is from the mercy of God and therefore called Grace 36 Inferences from the Consideration of God's Restraint 37 I. As it lyeth upon others 1. toobless God for our Preservation 38 2. not to trust wicked men too far 39 3. nor to fear them too much 40 4. to endeavour to restrain others from Sinning 41 II. As it lyeth upon our selves 1. To be humble under it 42 2. to entertain the means of such Restraint with Thankfulness 43 3. to pray that God would restrain our Corruptions 44 4. but especially to pray and labour for sanctifying Grace Sermon VII Ad Populum on 1 Pet. 2. 16. Sect. 1 2 THE Occasion Scope of the TEXT 3 5 Coherence and of the TEXT 6 Division of the TEXT 7 8 OBSERVATION I Christian Liberty to be maintained 9 12 with the Explication 13 17 and Five Reasons thereof 18 20 Inferences I. Not to usurp upon the Liberty of others 21 24 II. Nor to betray our own 25 Observation II. Christian Liberty not to be abused 26 28 The words explained and thence 29 31 Three Reasons of the Point 32 34 Four abuses of Christian Liberty viz. I. by casting off the Obligation of the moral Law 35 36 II. by exceeding the bounds of Sobriety 37 III. by giving Scandal to others 38 IV. by disobeying lawful Superiours 39-40 The Grounds and Objections of the Anti-Ceremonians 41-46 propounded and particularly answered 47-50 How mens Laws bind the Conscience 51-52 OBSERVATION III. We being the Servants of God Which is of all other 53-54 1. the most Just Service 55 2. the most Necessary Service 56-57 3. the most Easie Service 58 4. the most Honourable Service 59 5. and the most Profitable Service 60 Ought to carry our selves as his Servants with all 61-63 I. Reverence to his Person in 3 branches 64-66 II. Obedience to his Will both in Doing and Suffering 67-70 III. Faithfulness in his Business in 3 branches 69 The Conclusion AD CLERUM The first Sermon ROM 〈◊〉 _ Meats accounting them Clean or Unclean and of Days accounting them Holy or Servile according as they stood under the Levitical Law These latter St. Paul calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Weak in the Faith those former then must by the Law of Opposition be strong in the Faith It would have become both the one sort and the other notwithstanding they differed in their private Iudgments yet to have preserved the common Peace of the Church and laboured the edification not the ruine one of another the strong by affording faithful instruction to the Consciences of the weak and the weak by allowing favourable construction to the actions of the strong But whilst either measured other by themselves neither one nor other did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as our Apostle elsewhere speaketh Walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Faults and offences there were on all hands The Strong faulty in contemning the Weak the Weak faulty in condemning the Strong The Strong proudly scorned the weak as silly and superstitious for making scruple at some such things as themselves firmly believed were Lawful The weak rashly censured the Strong as Prophane and Irreligious for adventuring on some such things as themselves deeply suspected were unlawful The blessed Apostle desirous all things should be done in the Church in love and unto edification aequâ lance and eódem Charitatis moderamine as Interpreters speak taketh upon him to arbitrate and to mediate in the business and like a just Umpire layeth his hand upon both parties unpartially sheweth them their several oversights and beginneth to draw them to a fair and honourable composition as thus The strong shall remit somewhat of his superciliousness in disesteeming and despising the Weak and the Weak he shall abate something of his edge and acrimony in judging and condemning the Strong If the Parties will stand to this Order it will prove a blessed agreement for so shall brotherly Love be maintained Scandals shall be removed the Christian Church shall be edified and God's Name shall be glorified This is the scope of my Text and of the whole Chapter In the three first Verses whereof there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first Verse the Proposal of a general Doctrine as touching the usage of weak ones with whom the Church is so to deal as that it neither give offence to nor take offence at the weakness of any Him that is weak in the Faith receive you but not to doubtful Disputations Next there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second Verse a Declaration of the former general Proposal by instancing in a particular case touching the difference of Meats There is one man strong in the Faith he is infallibly resolved there is no meat unclean of it self or if received with thankfulness and sobriety unlawful and because he knoweth he standeth upon a sure ground 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is confident he may eat any thing and he useth his Liberty accordingly eating indifferently of all that is set before him making no question for Conscience sake One man believeth he may eat all things There is another man weak in the Faith he standeth yet unresolved and doubtful whether some kinds of Meats as namely those forbidden in the Law be clean or he is rather carried with a strong suspicion that they are unclean out of which timorousness of Judgment he chuseth to forbear those Meats and contenteth himself with the fruits of the Earth Another who is weak eateth Herbs This is Species facti this is the case Now the question is In this case what is to be done for the avoidance of scandal and the maintainance of Christian Charity And this question my Text resolveth in this third Verse wherein is contained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Paul's judgment or his counsel rather and advice upon the Case Let not him that eateth despise c. The remainder of the Verse and of the Chapter being spent in giving reasons of the judgment in this and another like case concerning the difference and observation of days I have made choice to intreat at this time of St. Paul's advice as useful for this Place and Auditory and the present Assembly Which advice as the Parties and the faults are is also two-fold The Parties two He that eateth that is the Strong and he that eateth not that is the Weak The Faults likewise two The strong mans fault that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 despising of his brothers Infirmity and the weak mans fault that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 judging of his Brothers liberty Proportionably the parts of the advice accommodated to the Parties and their Faults are two The one for the Strong that he despise not Let not him that eateth despise him that
eateth not The other for the Weak that he judge not Let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth Of which when I shall have spoken somewhat in their general use I shall by Gods assistance proceed by way of Application to inquire how far the differences in our Church for conforming and not conforming agree with the present case of eating and not eating and consequently how far forth St. Pauls advice in this case of eating and not eating ought to rule us in the cases of conforming and not conforming in point of Ceremony And first of the former Rule or Branch of the Advice Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not The terms whereby the Parties are charactered He that eateth and he that eateth not have in the opening of the Case been already so far unfolded as that I shall not need any more to remember you that by him that eateth must be understood the strong in Faith and by him that eateth not the weak And so reducing the words ab Hypothesi ad Thesin this part of the advice Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not beareth sense as if the Apostle had said Let not the strong in Faith despise the weak Weak ones are easily despised Strong ones are prone to despise and yet despising is both a grievous sin in the despiser and a dangerous scandal to the despised In all which respects it was but needful the Holy Ghost should lesson us not to despise one anothers weakness Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not Weakness and Smallness be it in what kind soever is the fittest object to provoke contempt As we travel by the way if a fierce Mastiff set upon us we think it time to look about and bestir our selves for defence but we take no notice of the little Currs that bark at us but despise them When Goliah saw little David make towards him 1 Sam. 17. the Text saith He disdained him for he was but a Youth And St. Paul charging Timothy so to behave himself in the Church of God as that none should despise his Youth implieth that Youth is obvious to contempt and like enough to be despised And though Wisdom is better than Strength yet Solomon tells us The poor mans Wisdom is despised and his words are not heard Eccles. 9. I am small and of no reputation saith David Psal. 119. And our Saviours Caveat in the Gospel is especially concerning little ones as most open to contempt Take heed that ye despise not any of these little ones But of all other that weakness is most contemptible which is seen in the faculties of the understanding Soul when men are indeed weak in Apprehension weak in Iudgment weak in Discretion or at leastwise are thought so Far from any real weakness this way or any other was our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ In whom were hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge yet because upon conference with him he seemed such unto Herod not answering any of his questions nor that expectation which the fame of his Miracles had raised of him in Herod Herod took him for some silly simple fellow and accordingly used him for he set him at nought and mocked him and put him in a white Coat as if he had been some Fool and sent him back as he came Luke 23. And of this nature is the weakness my Text hath to do withal a weakness in Iudgment or as it is Verse 1. a weakness in Faith Where by Faith we are not to understand that justifying Faith whereby the heart of a true Believer layeth fast hold on the gracious promises of God and the precious merits of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins nor by weakness in Faith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherewith the Apostles are sometimes charged when the Faith of a true Believer is sore shaken with temptations of incredulity and distrust But by Faith we are to understand an Historical Faith only which is nothing else but a firm and secure assent of the judgment unto Doctrinal Truths in matter of Faith or Life and by weakness in such Faith a doubtfulness and irresolution of Judgment concerning some divine truths appertaining unto the doctrine of Faith or Life and namely concerning the just extent of Christian Liberty and the indifferent or not indifferent nature or use of some things Which weakness of Judgment in Faith bewraying it self outwardly in a nice and scrupulous and timorous forbearance of some things for fear they should be unlawful which yet in truth are not so but indifferent doth thereby expose the Person in whom such weakness is to the contempt and despisings of such as are of more confirmed and resolved judgments and are stronger in the Faith Weakness then is in it self contemptible yet not more than Strength is contemptuous Passive contempt is the unhappiness of the weak but active the fault of the strong They that find truly or but overweeningly conceit in themselves abilities either of a higher nature or in a greater measure than in other men be it in any kind whatsoever It is strange to see with what scornful state they can trample upon their weaker and inferiour Brethren and look upon them if yet they will at all vouchsafe a look from alost as upon things below them which is properly and literally to despise For so much the very words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greeks and among the Latins despicere do import The Pharisee it is like cast such a disdainful look upon the poor Publican when in Contempt he called him Iste Publicanus Sure I am that Parable was spoken of purpose concerning such as trusted in their own Righteousness and despised others Luk. 18. And they are ever the likeliest thus to despise others that conceit something in themselves more than others Wealth honour strength beauty birth friends alliance authority power wit learning eloquence reputation any trifle can leaven our thoughts partial as they are towards our selves and swell us and heave us up above our Brethren and because we think we do over-top them we think we may over-look them too and despise them as vulgar and contemptible Agar could despise Sarah the Bond-servant the Free-woman the Maid her Mistress only for a little fruitfulness of the Womb beyond her because She saw that she had conceived and her Mistress was Barren Gen. 16. All strength and eminency then we see be it in any little sorry thing is apt to breed in men a despising of their weaker and meaner Brethren but none more than this strength of Knowledge and of Faith wherewith we now deal It should be quite otherwise our knowledge should praeserre facem hold the light before us and help us for the better discovery of our ignorance and so dispose us to humility not pride But Pride and self-love is congenitum malum it is a close and
despised it were enough without God's singular mercy and support to make him repent his late conversion and revolt from the Faith by fearful and desperate Apostacy And he that by such despising should thus offend though but one of the least and weakest of those that believe in Christ a thousand times better had it been for him that he had never been born yea ten thousand times better that a mill-stone had been hung about his neck and he cast into the bottom of the Sea ere he had done it Despising is a grievous sin in the despiser in the strong and despising is a grievous scandal to the despised to the weak Let not therefore the strong despise the Weak Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not And thus much for the former branch of St. Paul's advice The other followeth Let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth Faults seldom go single but by couples at the least Sinful men do with sinful provocations as Ball-players with the Ball when the Ball is once up they labour to keep it up right so when an offence or provocation is once given it is tossed to and fro the receiver ever returning it pat upon the giver and that most times with advantage and so betwixt them they make a shift to preserve a perpetuity of sinning and of scandalizing one another It is hard to say who beginneth oftner the Strong or the Weak but whether ever beginneth he may be sure the other will follow If this judge that will despise if that despise this will judge either doth his endeavour to cry quittance with other and thinketh himself not to be at all in fault because the other was first or more This Apostle willing to redress faults in both beginneth first with the Strong and for very good reason Not that his fault simply considered in it self is greater for I take it a certain truth That to judge one that is in the right is a far greater fault considered absolutely without relation to the abilities of the persons than to despise one that is in the wrong But because the strong through the ability of his Judgment ought to yield so much to the infirmity of his weak Brother who through the weakness of his Judgment is not so well able to discern what is fit for him to do What in most other contentions is expected should be done in this Not he that is most in fault but he that hath most wit should give over first Indeed in reason the more faulty is rather bound to yield but if he will be unreasonable as most times it falleth out and not do it then in discretion the more able should do it As Abraham in discretion yieldeth the choice to his Nephew Lot upon the contention of their Herdsmen which in reason Lot should rather have yielded unto him But where both are faulty as it is not good to stand debating who began first so it is not safe to strain courtesie who shall end and mend first In the case of my Text both were faulty and therefore our Apostle would have both mend He hath school'd the Strong and taught him his Lesson not to despise anothers infirmity Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not Now the Weak must take out his Lesson too not to judge anothers Liberty Let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth I will not trouble you with other significations of the word to judge as it is here taken is as much as to condemn and so the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often taken in the worser sense for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tropically by a Synecdoche generis say Scholiasts and they say true But it is a Trope for which both in this and in divers other words we are not so much beholden to good Arts as to bad Manners Things that are good or indifferent we commonly turn to ill by using them the worst way whence it groweth that words of good or indifferent signification in time degenerate so far as to be commonly taken in the worst sence But this by the way The fault of these weak ones in the case in hand was that measuring other mens actions and consciences by the model of their own understandings in their private Censures they rashly passed their Iudgments upon and pronounced peremptory Sentence against such as used their Liberty in some things concerning the lawfulness whereof themselves were not satisfied as if they were loose Christians carnal Professors nomine tenus Christiani men that would not stick to do any thing and such as made either none at all or else very little conscience of their actions This Practice my Text disalloweth and forbiddeth and the rule hence for us is plain and short We must not judge others The Scriptures are express Iudge not that ye be not judged Matth. 7. Iudge nothing before the time c. 1 Cor. 4. Thou art inexcusable O Man whosoever thou art that judgest Rom. 2. And If thou judgest thou art not a doer of the Law but a Iudge James 4. Not that it is unlawful to exercise civil Iudgment or to pass condemning sentence upon persons orderly and legally convicted for such as have Calling or Authority thereunto in Church or Common-wealth for this Publick Politick Iudgment is commanded in the Word of God and Reason sheweth it to be of absolute necessity for the preservation of States and Common-wealths Nor that it is unlawful secondly to pass even our private censures upon the outward actions of men when the Law of God is directly transgressed and the transgression apparent from the evidence either of the Fact it self or of some strong signs and presumptions of it For it is Stupidity and not Charity to be credulous against sense Charity is ingenuous and will believe any thing though more than Reason but Charity must not be servile to believe any thing against Reason Shall any Charity bind me to think the Crow is white or the Blackamoor Beautiful Nor yet thirdly that all sinister suspicions are utterly unlawful even there where there wanteth evidence either of Fact or of great signs if our suspicions proceed not from any corrupt affections but only from a charitable Iealousie of those over whom we have special Charge or in whom we have special Interest in such sort as that it may concern us to admonish reprove or correct them when they do amiss so was Iob suspicious of his Sons for sinning and cursing God in their hearts But the judgment here and elsewhere condemned is either first when in our private thoughts or speeches upon slender presumptions we rashly pronounce men as guilty of committing such and such sins without sufficient evidence either of fact or pregnant signs that they have committed them Or secondly when upon some actions undoubtedly sinful as Blasphemy Adultery Perjury c.
evil c. My aim at this present is to insist especially upon a Principle of practick Divinity which by joynt consent of Writers old and new Orthodox and Popish resulteth from the very body of this Verse and is of right good use to direct us in sundry difficulties which daily arise in vita communi in point of Conscience The Principle is this We must not do any evil that any good may come of it Yet there are besides this in the Text divers other inferior Observations not to be neglected With which I think it will not be amiss to begin and to dispatch them first briefly that so I may fall the sooner and stay the longer upon that which I mainly intend Observe first the Apostle's Method and substantial manner of proceeding how he cleareth all as he goeth how diligent he is and careful betimes to remove such cavils though he stept a little out of his way for it as might bring scandal to the Truth he had delivered When we Preach and instruct others we should not think it enough to deliver positive Truths but we should also take good care as near as we can to leave them clear and by prevention to stop the mouths of such as love to pick quarrels at the truth and to bark against the light It were good we would so far as our leisure and gifts will permit wisely forecast and prevent all Offence that might be taken at any part of God's Truth and be careful as not to broach any thing that is false through rashness errour or intemperance so not to betray any truth by ignorant handling or by superficial slight and unsatisfying answers But then especially concerneth it us to be most careful herein when we have to speak before such as we have some cause before hand to suspect to be through ignorance or weakness or custom or education or prejudice or partial affections or otherwise contrary minded unto or at leastwise not well perswaded of those Truths we are to teach If the ways be rough and knotty and the passengers be feeble joynted and dark-sighted it is but needful the Guides should remove as many blocks and stones out of the way as may be When we have gone as warily as we can to Work Cavillers if they list will take exceptions it is our part to see we give them no advantage lest we help to justifie the Principals by making our selves Accessories Those men are ill advised however zealous for the Truth that stir in controverted points and leave them worse than they found them A Stomach will not bear out a matter without strength and to encounter an adversary are required Shoulders as well as Gall. A good cause is never betrayed more than when it is prosecuted with much eagerness but little sufficiency This from the Method Observe secondly the Apostles manner of speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Translators render it As we are wrongfully blamed As we are slandered As we are slanderously reported And the word indeed from the Original importeth no more and so Writers both profane and sacred use it But yet in Scriptures by a specialty it most times signifieth the highest degree of Slander when we open our mouths against God and speak ill or amiss or unworthily of God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and properly the sin we call Blasphemy And yet that very word of Blasphemy which for the most part referreth immediately to God the Apostle here useth when he speaketh of himself and other Christian Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we are slandered nay as we are blasphemed A slander or other wrong or contempt done to a Minister qua talis is a sin of an higher strain than the same done to a Common Christian. Not at all for his persons sake for so he is no more God's good creature than the other no more free from sins and infirmities and passions than the other But for his Calling's sake for so he is Gods Embassadour which the other is not and for his works sake for that is Gods Message which the others is not Personal Slanders and Contempts are to a Minister but as to another man because his person is but as another mans person But slanders and contempts done to him as a Minister that is with reference either to his Calling or Doctrine are much greater than to another man as reaching unto God himself whose person the Minister representeth in his Calling and whose errand the Minister delivereth in his Doctrine For Contempt S. Paul is express elsewhere He that despiseth despiseth not man but God And as for Slanders the very choice of the word in my Text inferreth as much The dignity of our Calling inhaunceth the sin and every slander against our regular Doctrines is more than a bare Calumny if no more at least petty blasphemy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we are slandered as we are blasphemed That from the word Observe Thirdly the wrong done to the Apostle and to his Doctrine He was slanderously reported to have taught that which he never so much as thought and his Doctrine had many scandalous imputations fastened upon it whereof neither he nor it were guilty As we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say The best Truths are subject to mis-interpretation and there is not that Doctrine how firmly soever grounded how warily soever delivered whereon Calumny will not fasten and stick slanderous imputations Neither Iohn's Mourning nor Christ's piping can pass the Pikes but the one hath a Devil the other is a Glutton and a Wine-bibber Though Christ come to fulfil the Law yet there he will accuse him as a destroyer of the Law Matth. 5. And though he decide the question plainly for Caesar and that in the case of Tribute Matth. 22. Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's yet there be that charge him as if he spake against Caesar Iohn 19. and that in the very case of Tribute as if he forbad to give Tribute to Caesar Luk. 23. Now if they called the Master of the House Beelzebub how much more them of his Houshold If Christ's did not think we the Doctrine of his Ministers and his Servants could escape the stroke of mens tongues and be free from calumny and cavil How the Apostles were slandered as Seducers and Sectaries and vain Bablers and Hereticks and Broachers of new and false and pestilent Doctrines their Epistles and the Book of their Acts witness abundantly to us And for succeeding times read but the Apologies of Athenagoras and Tertullian and others and it will amaze you to see what Blasphemous and Seditious and Odious and Horrible Impieties were fathered upon the Ancient Christian Doctors and upon their Profession But our own experience goeth beyond all Sundry of the Doctors of our Church teach truly and agreeably to Scripture the effectual concurrence
of God's Will and Power with subordinate Agents in every and therefore even in sinful actions God's free Election of those whom he purposeth to save of his own grace without any motives in or from themselves the immutability of God's Love and Grace towards the Saints Elect and their certain perseverance therein unto Salvation the Iustification of sinners by the imputed righteousness of Christ apprehended and applyed unto them by a lively faith without the works of the Law These are sound and true and if rightly understood comfortable and right profitable Doctrines And yet they of the Church of Rome have the forehead I will not say to slander my Text alloweth more to blaspheme God and his Truth and the Ministers thereof for teaching them Bellarmine Gretser Maldonat and the Jesuits but none more than our own English Fugitives Bristow Stapleton Parsons Kellison and all the Rabble of that Crew freely spend their mouths in barking against us as if we made God the author of sin as if we would have men sin and be damned by a Stoical fatal necessity sin whether they will or no and be damned whether they deserve it or no as if we opened a gap to all licentiousness and profaneness let them believe it is no matter how they live Heaven is their own cock-sure as if we cryed down good works and condemned charity Slanders loud and false yet easily blown away with one single word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These imputations upon us and our Doctrine are unjust but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them that thus mis-report us know that without repentance their damnation will be just It would be time not ill spent to discover the grounds of this observation and to press the uses of it something fully But because my aim lyeth another way I can but point at them and pass If seldom Truth scape unslandered marvel not the reasons are evident On God's part on Man's part on the Devil's part God suffereth Man raiseth and the Devil furthereth these slanders against the Truth To begin ordine retrogrado and to take them backwards First on the Devil's part a kind of Contrariety and Antipathy betwixt him and it He being the Father of Lyes and Prince of darkness cannot away with the Truth and with the Light and therefore casteth up slanders as Fogs and Mists against the Truth to bely it and against the Light to darken it Secondly on Mans part And that partly in the understanding when the judgment either of it self weak or else weakned through precipitancy prejudice or otherwise is deceived with fallacies instead of substance and mistaketh seeming inferences for necessary and natural deductions Partly in the Will when men of corrupt minds set themselves purposely against the known truth and out of malicious wilfulness against the strong testimony of their own hearts slander it that so they may disgrace it and them that profess it Partly in the Affections when men overcome by carnal affections are content to cheat their own souls by giving such constructions to God's Truth as will for requital give largest allowance to their practices and so rather choose to crooken the Rule to their own bent than to level themselves and their affections and lives according to the Rule Thirdly on God's part who suffereth his own truth to be slandered and mistaken Partly in his Iustice as a fearful judgment upon wicked ones whereby their hard hearts become yet more hardened and their most just condemnation yet more just Partly in his goodness as a powerful fiery trial of true Doctors whose constancy and sincerity is the more approved with him and the more eminent with men if they flee not when the Wolf cometh but keep their standing and stoutly maintain God's Truth when it is deepliest slandered and hotly opposed And partly in his Wisdom as a rich occasion for those whom he hath gifted for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to awaken their zeal to quicken up their industry to muster up their abilities to scour up their spiritual armour which else through dis-use might gather rust for the defence and for the rescue of that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that precious truth whereof they are depositaries and wherewith he hath entrusted them These are the Grounds The Uses for instruction briefly are to teach and admonish every one of us that we be not either first so wickedly malicious as without apparent cause to raise any slander or secondly so foolishly credulous as without severe examination to believe any slander or thirdly so basely timorous as to flinch from any part of God's truth for any slander But I must not insist This from the slander Observe fourthly how peremptory the Apostle is in his censure against the slanderers or abusers of holy truths Whose damnation is just Some understand it with reference to the slanderers As we be slander ously reported and as some affirm that we say whose damnation is just that is their damnation is just who thus unjustly slander us Others understand it with reference to that ungodly resolution Let us do evil that good may come whose damnation is just that is their damnation is just for the evil they do who adventure to do any evil under whatsoever pretence of good to come of it Both expositions are good and I rather embrace both than prefer either I ever held it a kind of honest spiritual thirst where there are two sences given of one place both agreeable to the Analogy of Faith and Manners both so indifferently appliable to the words and scope of the place as that it is hard to say which was rather intended though there was but one intended yet to make use of both And so will we Take it the first way and the slanderer may read his doom in it Here is his wages and his portion and the meed and reward of his slander Damnation And it is a just reward He condemneth God's truth unjustly God condemneth him justly for it whose damnation is just If we be countable and we are countable at the day of Judgment for every idle word we speak though neither in it self false nor yet hurtful and prejudicial unto others what less than damnation can they expect that with much falsehood for the thing it self and infinite prejudice in respect of others blaspheme God and his holy Truth But if it be done on purpose and in malice to despight the Truth and the professors thereof I scarce know whether there be a greater sin or no. Maliciously to oppose the known Truth is by most Divines accounted a principal branch of that great unpardonable sin the sin against the holy Ghost by some the very sin it self I dare not say it is so nor yet that it is unpardonable or hath final impenitency necessarily attending it I would be loth to interclude the hope of
Repentance from any sinner or to confine God's Mercy within any bounds Yet thus much I think I may safely say it cometh shrewdly near the sin against the holy Ghost and is a fair or rather a foul step toward it and leaveth very little hope of pardon That great sin against the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost it self in the Scriptures chuseth rather than by any other to express by this name of Blasphemy Matth. 12. And whereas our Apostle 1 Tim. 1. saith That though he were a Blasphemer yet he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbelief he leaveth it questionable but withal suspicious whether there may be any hope of Mercy for such as blaspheme maliciously and against knowledge If any mans be certainly such a mans damnation is most just But not all Slanderers of God's Truth are of that deep dye not all Slanderers sinners in that high degree God forbid they should There are respects which much qualifie and lessen the sin But yet allow it any in the least degree and with the most favourable circumstances still the Apostles sentence standeth good Without Repentance their damnation is just Admit the Truth be dark and difficult and so easily to be mistaken admit withal the man be weak and ignorant and so apt to mistake his understanding being neither distinct through incapacity to apprehend and sort things aright nor yet constant to it self through unsettledness and levity of judgment Certainly his misprision of the Truth is so much lesser than the others wilful Calumny as it proceedeth less from the irregularity of the Will to the judgment And of such a man there is good hope that both in time he may see his errour and repent expresly and particularly for it and that in the mean time he doth repent for it implicite and inclusively in his general contrition for and confession of the massie lump of his hidden and secret and unknown sins This Charity bindeth us both to hope for the future and to think for the present and S. Paul's example and words in the place but now alledged are very comfortable to this purpose But yet still thus much is certain He that through ignorance or for want of apprehension or judgment or by reason of whatsoever other defect or motive bringeth a slander upon any divine Truth though never so perplexed with difficulties or open to cavil unless he repent for it either in the particular and that he must do if ever God open his eyes and let him see his fault or at leastwise in the general it is still a damnable sin in him His damnation is just We have the very case almost in terminis laid down and thus resolved in 2 Pet. 3. In which are some things hard to be understood observe the condition of the things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable observe also the condition of the persons unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures to their own destruction Where we have the matter of great difficulty hard to be understood the persons of small sufficiency unlearned and unstable and yet if men even of that weakness wrest and preveâ—t truths though of that hardness they do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to their own destruction saith S. Peter there 〈◊〉 their own just damnation saith S. Paul in my Text. This from the Censure in the first sence Take it in the other sence with reference to this ungodly resolution Let us do evil that good may come it teacheth us that no pretension of doing it in ordine ad Deum for God's glory to a good end or any other colour whatsoever can excuse those that presume to do evil but that still the evil they do is damnable and it is but just with God to render damnation to them for it Whose damnation is just And thus understood it openeth us away to the consideration of that main Principle whereof I spake and whereon by your patience I desire to spend the remainder of my time namely this We must not for any good do any evil For the farther opening and better understanding whereof since the rule is of infinite use in the whole practice of our lives that we may the better know when and where and how far to apply it aright for the direction of our Consciences and Actions we must of necessity unfold the extent of this word evil and consider the several kinds and degrees of it distinctly and a part We must not do evil that good may come First evil is of two sorts The evil of fault and the evil of punishment Malum delicti and Malum supplicii as Tertullian calleth them or as the more received terms are Malum Culpae and Malum Poenae The evil we commit against God and the evil God inflicteth upon us The evil we do unjustly but yet willingly and the evil we suffer unwillingly but yet justly In a word the evil of sin and the evil of pain Touching evils of pain if the Case be put When two such evils are propounded and both cannot be avoided whether we may not make choice of the one to avoid the other The resolution is common and good from the old Maxim E malis minimum we may incur the less to prevent the greater evil As we may deliver our purse to a Thief rather than fight upon unequal terms to save it and in a tempest cast our wares into the Sea to lighten the ship that it wreck not and endure the lancing and searching of an old sore to keep it from festering and spreading And this Principle in my Text is not a rule for that Case that being propounded concerning evils of pain whereas my Text is intended only of the evils of sin We are here hence resolved that we are not to do any evil that good may come of it for all which yet we may suffer some evil that good may come of it Although to note that by the way the common answer è malis minimum even in the evils of pain is to be understood as most other practical conclusions are not as simply and vniversally but as commonly and ordinarily true For as one saith well perhaps there are Cases wherein two evils of Pain being at once propounded it may not be safe for us to be our own carvers But I must let pass the Questions concerning the evils of Pain as impertinencies The evils of sin are of two sorts Some are evil formally simply and per se such as are directly against the scope and purpose of some of Gods Commandments as Polytheism against the first Idolatry against the second and so against the rest Blasphemy Prophaneness Disloyalty Cruelty Adultery Injustice Calumny Avarice and the like all which are evil in their own nature and can never positis quibuscunque circumstantiis be done well Othersome are evil only respectively and by accident but otherwise
will do more mischief in a night than a thousand of them in a twelve-month And as sure he is a sorry Magistrate that stocketh and whippeth and hangeth poor Sneaks when they offend though that is to be done too but letteth the great Thieves do what they list and dareth not meddle with them like Saul who when God commanded him to kill all the Amalekites both man and beast slew indeed the rascality of both but spared the greatest of the men and the fattest of the Cattel and slew them not The good Magistrate should rather with Iob here break the jaws of the wicked and in the spight of his heart pluck the spoil out of his teeth Thus have you heard the four duties or properties of a good Magistrate contained in this Scripture with the grounds and reasons of most of them opened They are 1. A Love and Zeal to justice 2. Compassion to the poor and distressed 3. Pains and Patience in examination of causes 4. Stoutness and Courage in execution of justice The Uses and Inferences of all these yet remain to be handled now in the last place and altogether All which for order and brevities sake we will reduce unto three heads accordingly as from each of the four mentioned Duties or Properties or Rules call them which you will there arise Inferences of three sorts First of Direction for the choice and appointment of Magistrates according to these four properties Secondly of Reproof for a just rebuke of such Magistrates as fail in any of these four Duties Thirdly of Exhortation to those that are or shall be Magistrates to carry themselves therein according to these four Rules Wherein what I shall speak of Magistrates ought also to be extended and applied the due proportion ever observed to all kinds of Offices whatsoever any way appertaining unto Iustice. And first for directions S. Paul saith The powers that are are ordained of God and yet S. Peter calleth the Magistracy an humane ordinance Certainly the holy Spirit of God which speaketh in these two great Apostles is not contrary to it self The truth is the substance of the power of every Magistrate is the Ordinance of God and that is S. Paul's meaning but the Specification of the circumstances thereto belonging as in regard of places persons titles continuance jurisdiction subordination and the rest is as S. Peter termeth it an humane ordinance introduced by Custom or positive Law And therefore some kinds of Magistracy are higher some lower some annual or for a set time some during life some after one manner some after another according to the several Laws or Customs whereon they are grounded As in other circumstances so in this concerning the deputation of the Magistrates person there is great difference some having their power by Succession others by Nomination and other some by Election As amongst us the Supreme Magistrate the King hath his power by Succession some inferiour Magistrates theirs by Nomination or special appointment either immediately or mediately from the King as most of our Iudges and Iustices some again by the elections and voices of the multitude as most Officers and Governours in our Cities Corporations or Colleges The Directions which I would infer from my Text cannot reach the first kind because such Magistrates are born to us not chosen by us They do concern in some sort the second but most nearly the third kind viz. Those that are chosen by suffrages and voices and therefore unto this third kind only I will apply them We may not think because our voices are our own that therefore we may bestow them as we list neither must we suffer our selves in a matter of this nature to be carried by favour faction spite hope fear importunity or any other corrupt and partial respect from those rules which ought to level our choice But we must confer our voices and our best furtherance otherwise upon those whom all things duly considered we conceive to be the fittest and the greater the place is and the more the power is we give unto them and from our selves the greater ought our care in voycing to be It is true indeed when we have used all our best care and proceeded with the greatest caution we can we may be deceived and make an unworthy choice For we cannot judge of mens fitness by any demonstrative certainty all we can do is to go upon probabilities which can yield at the most but a conjectural certainty full of uncertainty Men ambitious and in appetite till they have obtained their desires use to dissemble those vices which might make a stop in their preferments which having once gotten what they fished for they bewray with greater freedom and they use likewise to make a shew of that zeal and forwardness in them to do good which afterwards cometh to just nothing Absalom to steal away the hearts of the people though he were even then most unnaturally unjust in his purposes against a farther and such a farther yet he made shew of much compassion to the injured and of a great desire to do justice O saith he that I were made a Iudge in the Land that every man that hath either suit or cause might come unto me and I would do him Iustice. And yet I doubt not but if things had so come to pass he would have been as bad as the worst When the Roman Soldiers had in a tumult proclaimed Galba Emperor they thought they had done a good days work every man promised himself so much good of the new Emperor But when he was in he proved no better than those that had been before him One giveth this censure of him Omnium consensu capax imperii nisi imperasset he had been a man in every mans judgment worthy to have been Emperor if he had not been Emperor and so shewed himself unworthy Magistratus indicat virum is a common saying and a true We may guess upon likelihoods what they will be when we choose them but the thing it self after they are chosen sheweth the certainty what they are But this uncertainty should be so far from making us careless in our choice that it should rather add so much the more to our care to put things so hazardous as near as we can out of hazard Now those very Rules that must direct them to Govern must direct us also to choose And namely an eye would be had to the four Properties specified in my Text. The first a zeal of justice and a delight therein Seest thou a man careless of the common good one that palpably preferreth his own before the publick weal one that loveth his ease so well that he careth not which way things go backward or forward so he may sit still and not be troubled one that would divide honorem ab onere be proud of the honour and Title and yet loth to undergo the envy and burthen
Promises of God they are true but yet conditional and so they must ever be understood with a conditional clause The exception there to be understood is Repentance and the Condition here Obedience What God threatneth to do unto us absolutely in words the meaning is he will do it unless we repent and amend and what he promiseth to do for us absolutely in words the meaning is he will do it if we believe and obey And for so much as this Clause is to be understood of course in all God's Promises we may not charge him with breach of Promise though after he do not really perform that to us which the letter of his Promise did import if we break the condition and obey not Wouldst thou know then how thou art to entertain God's Promises and with what assurance to expect them I answer With a confident and obedient heart Confident because he is true that hath promised Obedient because that is the condition under which he hath promised Here is a curb then for those mens Presumption who living in sin and continuing in disobedience dare yet lay claim to the good Promises of God If such men ever had any seeming interest in Gods Promises the interest they had they had but by Contract and Covenant and that Covenant whether either of the two it was Law or Gospel it was conditional The Covenant of the Law wholly and à priori conditional Hoc fac vives Do this and live and the Covenant of the Gospel too after a sort and à posteriori Conditional Crede vives believe and live If then they have broken the Conditions of both Covenants and do neither Believe nor Do what is required they have by their Unbelief and Disobedience forfeited all that seeming interest they had in those Promises God's Promises then though they be the very main supporters of our Christian Faith and Hope to as many of us as whose Consciences can witness unto us a sincere desire and endeavour of performing that Obedience we have covenanted yet are they to be embraced even by such of us with a reverend fear and trembling at our own unworthiness But as for the unclean and filthy and polluted those Swine and Dogs that delight in sin and disobedience and every abomination they may set their hearts at rest for these matters they have neither part nor fellowship in any of the sweet Promises of God Let dirty Swine wallow in their own filth these rich Pearls are not for them they are too precious let hungry Dogs glut themselves with their own vomit the Childrens bread is not for them it is too delicious Let him that will be filthy be filthy still the Promises of God are holy things and belong to none but those that are holy and desire to be holy still For our selves in a word let us hope that a Promise being left us if with Faith and Obedience and Patience we wait for it we shall in due time receive it but withal let us fear as the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 4. lest a Promise being left us through disobedience or unbelief any of us should seem to come short of it Thus much of the former thing proposed the magnifying of God's Mercy and the clearing of his Truth in the revocation and suspension of threatned Iudgments by occasion of these words I will not bring the evil There is yet a Circumstance remaining of this general part of my Text which would not be forgotten it is the extent of time for the suspending of the Judgment I will not bring the evil in his days Something I would speak of it too by your patience it shall not be much because the season is sharp and I have not much sand to spend I will not bring the evil in his days The Judgment denounced against Ahab's house was in the end executed upon it as appeareth in the sequel of the story and especially from those words of Iehu who was himself the Instrument raised up by the Lord and used for that Execution in 4 King 10. Know that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab for the Lord hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah which were enough if there were nothing else to be said to justifie God's truth in this one particular That which Ahab gained by his humiliation was only the deferring of it for this time I will not bring the evil in his days As if God had said This wretched King hath provoked me and pulled down a Curse from me upon his house which it were but just to bring upon him and it without farther delay yet because he made not a scoff at my Prophet but took my words something to heart and was humbled by them he shall not say but I will deal mercifully with him and beyond his merit as ill as he deserveth it I will do him this favour I will not bring the Evil that is determined against his house in his days The thing I would observe hence is That when God hath determined a Iudgment upon any People Family or Place it is his great mercy to us if he do not let us live to see it It cannot but be a great grief I say not now to a religious but even to any soul that hath not quite cast off all natural affection to fore-think and fore-know the future Calamities of his Country and Kindred Xerxes could not forbear weeping beholding his huge Army that followed him only to think that within some few scores of years so many thousands of proper men would be all dead and rotten and yet that a thing that must needs have happened by the necessity of Nature if no sad Accident or common Calamity should hasten the Accomplishment of it The Declination of a Common-wealth and the Funeral of a Kingdom foreseen in the general corruption of manners and Decay of Discipline the most certain Symptoms of a tottering State have fetched Tears from the Eyes and Blood from the Hearts of heathen Men zealously affected to their Country How much more grief then must it needs be to them that acknowledge the true God not only to foreknow the extraordinary Plagues and Miseries and Calamities which shall befal their Posterity but also to fore-read in them God's fierce wrath and heavy displeasure and bitter vengeance against their own sins and the sins of their Posterity Our blessed Saviour though himself without Sin and so no way accessary to the procuring of the evils that should ensue could not yet but weep over the City of Ierusalem when he beheld the present security and the future ruine thereof A Grief it is then to know these things shall happen but some Happiness withal and to be acknowledged as a great Favour from God to be assured that we shall never see them It is no small Mercy in
health ease profit delight or otherwise with due sobriety and other requisite conditions nothing is to be refused By which Refusal the Apostle meaneth not a bare forbearance of the things for that we both may and in many cases ought so to refuse some of the Creatures shall anon appear but the thing he forbiddeth is the forbearance of the Creature as upon immediate tye of Conscience viz. either out of a superstitious opinion of the unlawfulness of any creature for some supposed natural or legal uncleanness in it or out of a like superstitious opinion of some extraordinary perfection or operative and effectual holiness in such refusal The Point is this All the Creatures of God are lawful for us to use so as it is against Christian liberty either to charge the use of them with sin or to place holiness in the abstaining from them Our Apostle often teacheth this Point In Rom. 14. at vers 20. All things are pure and at vers 14. there he delivereth it as a certain truth and upon knowledge I know and am perswaded by the Lord Iesus that there is nothing unclean of it self and therefore he imputeth it as an error and weakness in judgment to them that refused some kind of meats out of a superstitious opinion or but timorous fear of their unlawfulness at vers 2. One believeth he may eat all things another who is weak eateth herbs And in 1 Cor. 10. Whatsoever is sold in the Shambles that eat asking no question for Conscience sake and anon vers 27. If an unbeliever bid you to a feast and you be disposed to go Whatsoever is set before you eat asking no question for Conscience sake And to the end we might know the liberty he there giveth to extend to all other Creatures as well as meats he pronounceth of them all universally at vers 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things are lawful for me And so he doth in Tit. 1. 15. universally too Omnia munda mundis To the pure all things are pure From all which Testimonies we may conclude there is no unlawfulness or impurity in any of the Creatures but that we may with security of conscience freely use them without sin If we use them doubtingly against Conscience or indiscreetly against Charity or otherwise inordinately against Sobriety they become indeed in such cases sinful unto us But that is through our default not theirs who sinfully abuse that which we might lawfully use And that abuse of ours neither defileth the things themselves nor ought to prejudice the liberty of another that may use them well And as there is no sin in the use so neither is there any Religion or perfection to be placed in the refusal of any of Gods Creatures Rather on the contrary to abstain from any of them out of a conceit of any such perfection or holiness is it self a sinful superstition Our Apostle ranketh it with Idolatrous Angel worship and condemneth it as sinful and superstitious Col. 2. from Verse 16. to the end of the Chapter The subjecting of our selves to those and such like ordinances Touch not Taste not Handle not though it may have a shew of Wisdom in Will-worship and in a voluntary humility and neglecting of the body yet it is derogatory to that liberty wherein Christ hath set us free and reviving of those rudiments of the world from which we are dead with Christ. Every Creature of God is good and nothing to be refused out of a superstitious either fear of unlawfulness or opinion of holiness Now the Ground of this our Right or Liberty unto the Creatures is double the one Gods Ordinance at the first Creation the other Christs purchace in the work of Redemption At the Creation God made all things for mans use as he did man for his own service and as he reserved to himself his absolute Soveraignty over Man so he gave unto man a kind of limited Soveraignty over the Creatures in Gen. 1. He hath put all things in subjection under our feet saith David Psal. 8. Which Dominion over the Creatures was one special branch of that glorious Image of God in us after which we were created and therefore was not nor could be absolutely lost by sin but only decayed and defaced and impaired as the other branches of that Image were So that albeit man by sin lost a great part of his Soveraignty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as speaketh St. Chrysostome especially so far as concerneth the execution of it many of the Creatures being now rebellious and noysom unto Man and unanswering his commands and expectations yet the Right still remaineth even in corrupt nature and there are still to be found some tracings and Characters as in man of superiority so in them of subjection But those dim and confused and scare legible as in old Marbles and Coins and out-worn Inscriptions we have much ado to find out what some of the Letters were But if by sin we had lost all that first title we had to the Creature wholly and utterly yet as God hath been pleased graciously to deal with us we are fully as well as before God the Father hath granted us and God the Son hath acquired us and God the Holy Ghost hath sealed us a new Patent By it whatsoever Defect is or can be supposed to be in our old Evidence is supplied and by virtue of it we may make fresh challenge and renew our claim unto the Creatures The blessed Son of God Having made peace through the blood of his Cross hath reconciled us to his Father and therein also reconciled the Creatures both to us and him reconciling by him saith our Apostle Col. 1. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things not men only unto himself For God having given us his Son the Heir of all things hath he not with him given us all things else Hath he not permitted us the free use of his Creatures in as ample Right as ever If the Son have made us free we are free indeed And as verily as Christ is Gods so verily if we be Christs all things are ours This Apostle setteth down the whole series and form of this spiritual Hierarchy if I may so speak this subjection and subordination of the Creatures to Man of Man to Christ of Christ to God 1 Cor. 3. All are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Strengthened with this double title what should hinder us from possession Why may we not freely use that liberty which was once given us by God and again restored us by Iesus Christ Why should we not stand fast in and contend earnestly for the maintenance of that liberty wherewith Christ hath set us free by rejecting all fancies opinions and Doctrines that any way trench upon this our Christian Prerogative or seek either to shorten or to corrupt our freedom unto
doctrine of Christian Liberty to them in such a manner as might frame them withal to yield such Reverence and Obedience to their Governours as became them to do And therefore St. Peter beateth much upon the point of Obedience But he no where presseth it more fully than in this Chapter Wherein after the general exhortations of subduing the lusts that are in their own bosoms vers 11. and of ordering their conversation so as might be for their credit and honesty in the sight of others ver 12. when he descendeth to more particular duties he beginneth first with and insisteth most upon this duty of subjection and obedience to Authority in the greatest remaining part of the Chapter The first Precept he giveth in this kind is set down with sundry Amplifications and Reasons thereunto belonging in the next verses before the Text submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake And then he doth by way of Prolepsis take away an Objection which he foresaw would readily be made against that and the following Exhortations from the pretext of Christian liberty in the words of the Text As free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness but as the servants of God Conceive the words as spoken in answer to what those new converts might have objected We have been taught that the Son of God hath made us free and then we are free indeed and so not bound to subject our selves to any Masters and Governours upon Earth no not to Kings but much rather bound not to do it that so we may preserve that freedom which Christ hath purchased for us and reserve our selves the more entirely for Gods service by refusing to be the servants of men This Objection the Apostle clearly taketh off in the Text with much holy wisdom and truth He telleth them that being indeed set at liberty by Christ they are not therefore any more to enthral themselves to any living soul or other creature not to submit to any Ordinance of man as slaves that is as if the ordinance it self did by any proper direct and immediate virtue bind the conscience But yet all this notwithstanding they might and ought to submit thereunto as the Lords free-men and in a free manner that is by a voluntary and uninforced both subjection to their power and obedience to their lawful commands They must therefore take heed they use not their liberty for an occasion to the flesh nor under so fair a title palliate an evil licentiousness making that a cloak for their irreverent and undutiful Carriage towards their Superiours For albeit they be not the servants of men but of God and therefore owe no Obedience to men as upon immediate tie of conscience and for their own sake but to God only yet for his sake and out of the conscience of that Obedience which they owe to his command of honouring of father and mother and of being subject to the higher powers they ought to give unto them such honour and obedience as of right belongeth unto them according to the eminency of their high places As free and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness but as the servants of God From which words thus paraphrased I gather Three Observations all concerning our Christian Liberty in that branch of it especially which respecteth human◠Ordinances and the use of the creatures and of all indifferent things Either 1. in the Existence of it As free or 2. in the Exercise of it And not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness or 3. in the End of it but as the servants of God The first Observation this We must so submit our selves to superiour Authority as that we do not thereby impeach our Christian Liberty As free The second this We must so maintain our liberty as that we do not under that colour either commit any sin or omit any requisite office either of charity or duty and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness The third this In the whole exercise both of the liberty we have in Christ and of the respects we owe unto men we must evermore remember our selves to be and accordingly behave our selves as those that are Gods servants but as the servants of God The sum of the whole Three Points in brief this We must be careful without either infringing or abusing our liberty at all times and in all things to serve God Now then to the several points in that order as I have proposed them and as they lie in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As free Which words have manifest reference to the Exhortation delivered Three Verses before the Text as declaring the manner how the duty there exhorted unto ought to be performed yet so as that the force of them stretcheth to the Exhortations also contained in the Verses next after the Text. Submit your selves to publick Governours both supreme and subordinate be subject to your own particular Masters honour all men with those proper respects that belong to them in their several stations But look you do all this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as slaves but as free do it without impeachment of the liberty you have in Christ. Of which liberty it would be a profitable labour but that I should then be forced to omit sundry other things which I deem needful to be spoken and more nearly pertinent to the points proposed to discover at large the Nature and Parts and Causes and Effects and Adjuncts that we might the better understand the amplitude of that power which Christ hath setled upon his Church and thence learn to be the more careful to preserve it But I may not have time so to do it shall therefore suffice us to know that as the other branches of our liberty whether of glory or grace whether from the guilt of sin in our justification or from the dominion of sin in our sanctification with the several appendices and appurtenances to any of them so this branch of it also which respects the use of indifferent things First is purchased for us by the blood of Christ and is therefore usually called by the name of Christian liberty Secondly is revealed unto us outwardly in the preaching of the Gospel of God and of Christ which is therefore called the Law of liberty And thirdly is conveyed unto us inwardly and effectually by the Operation of the Spirit of God and of Christ which is therefore called a free spirit O stablish thou me with thy free spirit because where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Now this liberty so dearly purchased so clearly revealed so firmly conveyed it is our duty to maintain with our utmost strength in all the parts and branches of it and as the Apostle exhorteth to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and not to suffer
confident that friend will not fail to assist him therein to his utmost power Now if a man be bold to do but what he may and should do and that withal he have some good ground for his confidence from the consideration of his friends ability the experience of his love some former promises on his friends or merit on his own part or other like so as every man would be ready to say he had reason to presume so far of his friend this is a good reasonable and warrantable presumption But if he fail in either respect as if he presume either to do unlawful unworthy or unbefitting things or to do even lawful things when there appeareth no great cause why any man should think his friend obliged by the laws of friendship to assist him therein then is such his presumption a faulty and an evil presumption And whatsoever may bear the name of a Presumptuous sin in any respect is some way or other tainted with such an evil irrational presumption 9. But we are further to note that presumption in the worser sence and as applied to sin may be taken either Materially or Formally If these terms seem obscure with a little opening I hope the difference between these two will be easily understood Taken materially the sin of presumption is a special kind of sin distinguished from other species of sins by its proper Object or Matter when the very matter wherein we sin and whereby we offend God is Presumption and so it is a branch of Pride When a man presuming either upon his own strength or upon Gods assisting him undertaketh to do something of himself not having in himself by the ordinary course of nature and the common aid which God affordeth to the actions of his creatures in the ordinary ways of his providence sufficient strength to go through therewithal or expecteth to receive some extraordinary assistance from the Mercy Power c. of God not having any sufficient ground either from the general Promises contained in the Scriptures or by particular immediate revelation that God will certainly so assist him therein 10. All those men that over-value themselves or out of an overweening conceit of their own abilities attempt things beyond their power That lean to their own understandings as Solomon That mind high things and are wise in their own conceits as St. Paul That exercise themselves in great matters and such as are too high for them as David expresseth it All those that perswade themselves they can persist in an holy course without a continual supply of Grace or that think they can continue in their sins so long as they think good and then repent of them and forsake them at their leisure whensoever they list or that doubt not but to be able by their own strength to stand out against any temptation All these I say and all other like by presuming too much upon themselves are guilty of the sin of Presumption ' 'To omit the Poets who have set forth the folly of this kind of Presumption in the Fables of Phaethon and Icarus A notable example we have of it in the Apostle Peter and therein a fair warning for others not to be high-minded but to fear who in the great confidence of his own strength could not believe his Master though he knew him to be the God of truth when he foretold him he would yield but still protested that if all the world should forsake him yet he would never do it 11. Nor only may a man offend in this kind by presuming upon himself too much but also by presuming even upon God himself without warrant He that repenteth truly of his sins presuming of Gods mercy in the forgiveness thereof or that walketh uprightly and conscionably in the ways of his Calling presuming of Gods Power for his protection therein sinneth not in so presuming Such a presumption is a fruit of Faith and a good presumption because it hath a sure ground a double sure ground for failing first in the Nature and then in the Promise of God As a man may with good reason presume upon his Friend that he will not be wanting to him in any good Office that by the just Laws of true friendship one friend ought to do for another But as he presumeth too much upon his friend that careth not into what desperate exigents and dangers he casteth himself in hope his friend will perpetually redeem him and relieve him at every turn So whosoever trusteth to the Mercy or to the Power of God without the warrant of a Promise presumeth farther than he hath cause And though he may flatter himself and call it by some better name as Faith or Hope or Affiance in God yet is it in truth no better than a groundless and a wicked Presumption Such was the Presumption of those Sons of Sceva who took upon them but to their shame and sorrow to call over them that had evil spirits the name of the Lord Iesus in a form of adjuration Acts 19. when they had no calling or warrant from God so to do And all those men that going on in a wretched course of life do yet hope they shall find mercy at the hour of death All those that cast themselves into unnecessary either dangers or temptations with expectance that God should manifest his extraordinary Power in their preservation All those that promise to themselves the End without applying themselves to the means that God hath appointed thereunto as to have Learning without Study Wealth without Industry Comfort from Children without careful Education c. forasmuch as they presume upon Gods help without sufficient Warrant are guilty of the sin of Presumption taken in the former notion and Materially 12. But I conceive the Presumptuous sins here in the Text to belong clearly to the other notion of the word Presumption taken formally and as it importeth not a distinct kind of sin in it self as that Groundless Presumption whereof we have hitherto spoken doth but a common accidental difference that may adhere to sins of any kind even as Ignorance and Infirmity whereunto it is opposed also may Theft and Murther which are sins of special kinds distinguished either from other by their special and proper Objects are yet both of them capable of these common differences inasmuch as either of them may be committed as sometimes through Ignorance and sometimes through Infirmity so also sometimes through Wilfulness or Presumption 13. The distribution of Sins into sins of Ignorance of Infirmity and of Presumption is very usual and very useful and compleat enough without the addition which some make of a fourth sort to wit Sins of Negligence or Inadvertency all such sins being easily reducible to some of the former three The ground of the distinction is laid in the Soul of man wherein there are three distinct prime faculties from which all our actions flow the Understanding the Will and the sensual
the stuff or fashion so it were but raiment to cover nakedness and to keep off heat and cold Neither doth St. Paul speak of any choicer or costlier matters Having food and raiment saith he let us be therewith content 1 Tim. 6. He saith not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delicates but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 food nor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ornaments but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raiment coverings Any filling for the belly any hilling for the back would serve his turn 47. Thirdly since it is a point of the same skill to do both to want and to abound we should do well whilst the Lord lendeth us peace and plenty to exercise our selves duly in the Art of abounding that we be the better able to manage the Art of wanting if ever it shall please him to put us to it For therefore especially are we so much to seek and so puzled that we know not which way to turn us when want or afflictions come upon us because we will not keep within any reasonable compass nor frame ourselves to industrious thrifty and charitable courses when we enjoy abundance It is our extreme insolency and unthankfulness when we are full that maketh our impatience and discontentedness break forth with the greater extremity when the Lord beginneth to empty us Quem res plus nimio delectavere secundae Mutatae quatient As in a Feaver he that burneth most in his hot fit shaketh most in his cold so no man beareth want with less patience than he that beareth plenty with least moderation if we would once perfectly learn to abound and not riot we should the sooner learn to want and not repine 48. But how am I on the sudden whilst I am discoursing of the Nature fallen upon some of the Rules of the Art of Contentment And yet not besides the Text neither the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 containeth that too Yet because to lay down the grounds and method of that Art and to do it to purpose another hours work would be but little enough I shall therefore forbear to proceed any further at this time Now to God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Ghost c. AD AULAM. The Sixth Sermon OTELANDS JULY 1637. Philip. 4. 11. for I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content 1. TO omit what was observed from the Apostles Protestation in those first words of the verse not that I speak in respect of want from these words in the latter part of the verse we have proposed formerly to speak of two things concerning Christian Contentment first of the Nature of it and wherein it consisteth and then of the Art of it and how it may be attained The Nature of it hath been not long since somewhat opened according to the intimations given in the Text in three particulars Wherein was shewn that man only liveth truly contented that can suffice himself first with his own estate secondly with the present estate thirdly being his own and the present with any estate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I am now by the Laws of good Order and the tie of a former promise to proceed to the like discovery of the Art of contentment by occasion of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have learned in whatsoever state I am to be therewith content 2. St. Paul was not framed unto it by the common instinct of nature neither had he hammered it out by his own industry or by any wise improvement of nature from the Precepts of Philosophy and Morality nor did it spring from the abundance of outward things as either an effect or an appurtenance thereof It was the Lord alone that had wrought it in his heart by his saving and sanctifying Spirit and trained him up thereunto in the School of Experience and Afflictions The sum is that true contentedness of mind is a point of high and holy learning whereunto no man can attain unless it be taught him from above What the Apostle saith of Faith is true also generally of every other Grace and of this in particular as an especial and infallible effect of Faith Not of your selves it is the gift of God And of this in particular the Preacher so affirmeth in Eccles. 5 Every man also to whom God hath given riches and wealth and hath given him power to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoyce in his labour this is the gift of God 3. Neither is it a common gift like that of the Rain and Sun the comforts whereof are indifferently afforded to good and bad to the thankless as well as the thankful but it is a special favour which God vouchsafeth to none but to those that are his special favorites his beloved ones he giveth his beloved sleep Psal. 127. whiles others rise up early and go to bed late and eat the bread of sorrows restlesly wearing out their bodies with toyl and their minds with care they lay them down in peace and their minds are at rest They sleep But it is the Lord only that maketh their rest so soft and safe he giveth them sleep And the bestowing of such a gift is an argument of his special love towards them that partake it He giveth his beloved sleep It is indeed Gods good blessing if he give to any man bare riches but if he be pleased to second that common blessing with a farther blessing and to give contentment withal then it is to be acknowledged a singular and most excellent blessing as Solomon saith The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it In Eccles. 2. the same Solomon telleth us that contentment cometh from none but God and is given to none but the Godly For saith he God giveth to a man that is good in his sight and that is the godly only wisdom and knowledge and joy But as for the sinner none of all this is given to him What is his portion then Even as it there followeth But to the sinner he giveth travel to gather and to heap up The sinner possibly may gather as much together as the godly or more and raise to himself more and greater heaps of worldly treasure but when he hath done he hath but his travel for his pains He hath not wisdom and knowledge to understand the just valuation and the right use of that which he hath gathered together he taketh no joy he taketh no comfort in those heaps he findeth nothing in them but cares and disquietness and vexation of spirit All his days are sorrows and his travel grief yet his heart taketh not rest in the night It is not therefore without cause that our Apostle so speaketh of contentment as of the hand maid unto godliness But Godliness with contentment is great Gain 1 Tim. 6. 4. The truth whereof will yet farther appear unto us if we
never rightly perform our duties either to God or man That therefore the agreement may be as it ought to be we must resolve to be patient not towards some but towards all men 1 Thes. 5. to be gentle not unto some but unto all men 2 Tim. 2. to shew all meekness not to some but to all men Titus 3. 2. The Concord should be Universal 36. It should likewise be Mutual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth that also either part being ready for charity sake to contemperate and accomodate themselves to other so far as reason requireth But herein also as in the former mens corrupt partiality bewrayeth it self extremely The strong Romans like enough could discern a censorious spirit in the weaker ones and the weak ones perhaps as easily a disdainful spirit in them But neithér of both it is to be doubted were willing enough to look into the other end of the wallet and to examine throughly their own spirits We use to say If every man would mend one all would be well Yea would How cometh it to to pass then that all hath not been well even long ago For where is the man that is not ready to mend one One said I Yea ten yea a hundred why here it is every man would be mending one but not the right one He would be mending his brother but he will not mend himself Ut nemo in sese tentat descendere O saith the strong we should soon agree but that he is so censorious and yet himself â—louteth as freely as ever he did We should hit it very well saith the weak were not he so scornful and himself judgeth as deeply as ever he did Oh the falseness and hypocrisie of mens hearts blinded with self-love how it abuseth them with strong delusions and so filleth the world with divisions and offences 37. For this our blessed Saviour who hath best discovered the malady hath also prescribed the best remedy The Disease is Hypocrisie The Symptoms are One to be cat-eyed outward in readily espying somewhat the smallest mote cannot escape in a brothers eye another to be bat-eyed inward in not perceiving be it never so great a beam in a mans own eye a third a forwardness to be tampering with his brothers eye and offering his service to help him out with the mote there before he think a thought of doing any thing towards the clearing of his own eye The Remedy is to begin at home do but put the things into their right order and the business is done Tu conversus confirma fratres Strengthen thy Brethren what thou canst it is a good office and would not be neglected But there is something more needful to be done than that and to be done first and before that and which if it be first done thou wilt be able to do that much the better then shalt thou see clearly and that is to reform thy self be sure first thy self be converted and then in Gods name deal with thy weak Brother as thou seest cause and strengthen him 38. Let them that are so forward to censure the actions of others especially of their Superiors and are ever and anon complaining how ill things are carried above but never take notice of their own frauds and oppressions and sacriledges and insolencies and peevishnesses and other enormities let them turn their eye homeward another while observe how their own pulses beat and go learn what that is Thou hypocrite cast out first the beam out of thine own eye We deal not like Christians no nor like reasonable men if we expect all men should come to our bent in every thing and we our selves not relent from our own stiffness in the least matter for their sakes Believe it we shall never grow to Christian Unanimity in any tolerable measure so long as every man seeks but to please himself only in following his own liking and is not desirous withal according to our Apostles exhortation ver 2. to please his neighbour also by condescending to his desires where it may be for his good in any thing that is not either unlawful or unreasonable The inclinations to agreement should be mutual that so we might be like-minded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 39. And then all this must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the other qualification in the Text and now only remaineth to be spoken of According to Christ Iesus Which last clause is capable of a double interpretation pertinent to the scope of the Text and useful for our direction in point of practice both and therefore neither of both to be rejected Some understand it as a Limitation of that Unity which was prayed for in the former words and not unfitly For lest it should be conceived that all the Apostle desired in their behalf was that they should be like-minded one towards another howsoever he might intend by the addition of this clause to shew that it was not such an Unity as he desired unless it were according to Truth and Godliness in Christ Jesus There may be an agreement in falso when men hold together for the maintenance of one and the same Common Error Such as is the agreement of Hereticks of Schismaticks of Sect aries among themselves And there may be an agreement in malo when men combine together in a confederacy for the compassing of some mischievous design as did those forty and odd that bound themselves with a curse to destroy Paul Such is the agreement of Thieves of Cheaters of Rebels among themselves Such agreements as these no man ought to pray for indeed no man need to pray for The wisdom of the flesh and cunning of the Devil will bring men on fast enough to those cursed agreements without which he and his know well enough his Kingdom cannot stand The servants of God have rather bent themselves evermore by their prayers and endeavours to dissolve the glue and to break the confederacies of the ungodly Destroy their tongues O Lord and divide them is holy Davids prayer Psal. 55. And St. Paul when he stood before the Sanhedrim at Ierusalem to take off his malicious accusers the better perceiving both the Iudges and by-standers to be of two different factions some Pharisees who believed a Resurrection and other some Sadduces who denied it did very wisely to cast a bone among them When by proclaiming himself a Pharisee and professing his belief of the Resurrection he raised such a dissention between the two factions that the whole multitude was divided insomuch as the chief Captain was fain to use force to get Paul from amid the uproar and to carry him away by which means all their intended proceedings against him were stopt for that time 40. But the Unity that is to be prayed for and to be laboured for in the Christian Church is a Christian Unity that is to say a happy concord in walking lovingly together in the same
how qualified he should assume in partem curae to assist him in his Pastoral charge for the service of Gods Church and the propagation of the Gospel Which having done at large from the beginning of the Chapter unto the end of ver 13. he rendreth a reason at vers 14. why he had insisted so long upon that argument even lest the Church of God in his absence should be destitute of sufficient help for the work of the Gospel At Ephesus the hand of God had opened a wide door 1 Cor 16. but withal Satan as his manner is had stirred up many adversaries and some of them very mild ones more like savage beasts than men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word for it 1 Cor. 15. It was at Ephesus that he fought with beasts in the shape of men Witness Demetrius the Silver-smith and that Bellua multorum capitum the mad giddy multitude in a tumultuous assembly all in an uproar and no man well wist for what Acts 19. Here was work enough to be done The door must be held open to let converts in but must be well mann'd and maintain'd too to keep adversaries out All this not to be done but with many hands The harvest being great the labourers had not need be few 2. The only thing that might perhaps make Timothy put off Ordination somewhat the longer might be the expectation of the Apostles coming to whom he might think fit to reserve that honour as to one able by reason of his Apostolick spirit to make choice of meet persons for the Churches service with better certainty than himself could do The Apostle therefore telleth him for that That true it is he had an earnest desire of a long time and still had a full purpose if God would to be with him ere long Yet because of the uncertainty of future events that was not a thing for him to rely upon so as in expectance thereof to delay the doing of any service needful for the Church of Christ. For who could tell how it might please God tâ— dispose of him Or whether the necessities of other Churches might not require his personal presence and pains rather elsewhere He would not therefore he should stay for him but go in hand with it himself with all convenient care and speed All this appeareth in the two verses next before the Text These things I wrote unto thee hoping to come unto thee shortly But if I tarry long that yet thou maist know how to behave thy self in the house of God which is the Church of the living God the pillar and ground of Truth 3. This seemeth to be the Scope and Contexture of the whole foregoing part of the Chapter and then immediately fall in the words of the Text And without all controversie great is the mystery of Godliness c. Which seem to have but a very slender dependance upon the foregoing discourse and indeed no more they have For the Apostle having in the end of the fifteenth verse and that but incidentally neither mentioned the word Truth he thereupon taketh occasion in this sixteenth verse a little and briefly to touch upon the Nature and Substance of that holy Truth The whole verse containeth Evangelii Encomium Compendium A brief description of the Nature in the former part and a brief summary of the Doctrine of the Gospel in some remarkable heads thereof in the latter part of the verse 4. With that latter I shall not now meddle In that former part we may observe Quid Quantum and Quale First Quid what is Christianity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a mystery But there are greater and there are lesser Mysteries Quantum therefore Of the bigger sort sure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by all confessions and without all contradiction or controversie Great But the greater the worse if it be not good as well as great Quale therefore What a kind of Mystery is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a mystery of Piety or Godliness CHRISTIANITY IS THE GREAT MYSTERY OF GODLINESS That is the Tota Now to the Parts and first of the Quid The Gospel a Mystery But then first What is a Mystery For the Quid Nominis and then why the Gospel a Mystery For the Quid Rei The Word first then the Thing 5. For the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I find sundry conceits ready collected to my hand by learned men out of the writings of the Greek Fathers and out of the Commentaries of Grammarians and Criticks both ancient and modern whereof I spare the recital because it would neither much conduce to my present purpose nor profit the present Auditory The word is clearly of a Greek Original from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shut the eye or mouth Of all the mysterious rites used among the Heathens the Eleusinia sacra were the most ceremonious and mysterious insomuch as that when in their Writings the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used by it self without any farther specification it is ordinarily conceived to be meant of those Eleusinian mysteries These none might be present at but they that were solemnly initiated thereunto who upon their first admission which yet was but to the outer and lesser mysteries were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And if after a sufficient time of probation a twelve-month was the least they were adjudged meet to be admitted to the greater and more secret mysteries they were then called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereto there seemeth to be some allusion as there is frequently to sundry other customs and usages of the Heathens even in the holy Scriptures themselves But whether they were admitted to their lesser or the greater mysteries strait order was evermore taken with them by Oaths Penalties and otherwise as strong as could be devised that they should by no means reveal any of the passages or rites thereunto belonging to those that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not initiated whom in that respect they counted prophane To do otherwise was reputed so heinous a crime that nothing could be imagined in their superstition more irreligious and piacular than that Quis Cereris ritus audet vulgare profanis He knew not where to find a man that durst presume so to do Vetabo qui Cereris sacrum vulgâ—rit arcanae sub iisdem Sit trabibus He would be loth to lodge under the same roof or to put to Sea in the same vessel with him that were guilty of such an high provocation as the divulging abroad of the sacred mysteries lest some vengeance from the offended Deities should overtake them for their impiety and him for company to their destruction It was in very deed the Devils cunning one of the depths of Satan and one of the most advantageous mysteries of his arts by that secrecy to hold up a reverent and religious Esteem of those mysteries which
man by the light of Nature or strength of humane discourse should have been able to have found out that way which Almighty God hath appointed for our salvation if it had not pleased him to have made it known to the world by supernatural revelation The wisest Philosophers and learnedst Rabbies nor did nor could ever have dreamt of any such thing till God revealed it to his Church by his Prophets and Apostles This mystery was hid from Ages and from Generations nor did any of the Princes of this world know it in any of those Ages or Generations as it is now made manifest to us since God revealed it to us by his Spirit As our Apostle elsewhere speaketh 11. The Philosophers indeed saw a little dimly some of those truths that are more clearly revealed to us in the Scriptures They found in all men a great proâ—livity to Evil and an indisposition to Good but knew nothing at all either of the true Causes or of the right Remedies thereof Some apprehensions also they had of a Deity of the Creation of the World of a divine Providence of the Immortality of the Soul of a final Retribution to be awarded to all men by a divine justice according to the merit of their works and some other truths But those more high and mysterious points especially those two that of the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead and that of the Incarnation of the Son of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greek Fathers use to call them together with those appendices of the latter the Redemption of the World the Iustification of a sinner the Resurrection of the body and the beatifical Vision of God and Christ in the Kingdom of Heaven not the least thought of any of these deep things of God ever came within them God not having revealed the same unto them 12. It is no thanks then to us that very children among us do believe and confess these high mysterious points whereof Plato and Aristotle and all the other grand Sophies among them were ignorant since we owe our whole knowledge herein not to our own natural sagacity or industry wherein they were beyond most of us but to divine and supernatural revelation For flesh and bloud hath not revealed them unto us but our Father which is in Heaven We see what they saw not not because our eyes are better than theirs but because God hath vouchsafed to us a better light than he did to them Which being an act of special grace ought therefore to be acknowledged with special thankfulness Our Saviour hath given us the example I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Mat. 11. 25. 13. Truly much cause we have to bless the holy Name of God that he hath given us to be born of Christian Parents and to be bred up in the bosom of the Christian Church where we have been initiated into these Sacred Mysteries being catechised and instructed in the Doctrine of the Gospel out of the holy Scriptures even from our very Childhood as Timothy was But we are wretchedly unthankful to so good a God and extremely unworthy of so great a blessing if we murmur against our Governours and clamour against the Times because every thing is not point-wise just as we should have it or as we have fancied to our selves it should be Whereas were our hearts truly thankful although things should be really and in truth even ten times worse than now they are but in their conceit only yet so long as we may enjoy the Gospel in any though never so scant a measure and with any though never so hard conditions we should account it a benefit and mercy invaluable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so St. Paul esteemed it the very riches of the grace of God for he writeth According to the riches of his grace wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence having made known to us the mystery of his will Eph. 1. If he had not made it known to us we had never known it aad that is the second Reason why a Mystery 14. There is yet a Third even because we are not able perfectly to comprehend it now it is revealed And this Reason will seâ—ch in the Quantum too For herein especially it is that this Mystery doth so far transcend all other Mysteries 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great marvellous great Mystery In the search whereof Reason finding it self at a loss is forced to give it over in the plain field and to cry out O altitudo as being unable to reach the unfathomed depth thereof We believe and know and that with fulness of assurance that all these things are so as they are revealed in the holy Scriptures because the mouth of God who is Truth it self and cannot lie hath spoken them and our own Reason upon this ground teacheth us to submit ourselves and it to the obedience of Faith for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that so it is But then for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nichodemus his question How can these things be it is no more possible for our weak understanding to comprehend that than it is for the eyes of Bats or Owls to look stedfastly upon the body of the Sun when he shineth forth in his greatest strength The very Angels those holy and heavenly spirits have a desire saith St. Peter it is but a desire not any perfect ability and that but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither to peep a little into those incomprehensible Mysteries and then cover their faces with their wings and peep again and cover again as being not able to endure the fulness of that glorious lustre that shineth therein 15. God hath revealed himself and his good pleasure towards us in his holy Word sufficient to save our souls if we will believe but not to solve all our doubts if we will dispute The Scriptures being written for our sakes it was needful they should be fitted to our capacities and therefore the mysteries contained therein are set forth by such resemblances as we are capable of but far short of the nature and excellency of the things themselves The best knowledge we can have of them here is but per speculum and in aenigmate 1 Cor. 13. as it were in a glass and by way of riddle darkly both God teacheth us by the eye in his Creatures That is per speculum as it were by a glass and that but a divine one neither where we may read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some of the invisible things of God but written in small and out-worn Characters scarce legible by us He teacheth us also by the Ear in the preaching of his holy Word but that in aenigmate altogether by riddles dark riddles That there should be three distinct Persons in one Essence and
an universal concurrence of judgment as there is in the main fundamental points of the Christian Faith And if we were so wise as we might and should be to make the right use of it it would not stumble us a whit in the belief of our Religion that Christians differ so much as they do in many things but rather mightily confirm us in the assurances thereof that they agree so well as they do almost in any thing And it may be a great comfort to every well meaning soul that the simple belief of those certain truths whereon all parties are in a manner agreed may be and ordinarily is sufficient for the salvation of all them who are sincerely careful according to that measure of light and means that God hath vouchsafed them to actuate their Faith with Piety Charity and good Works so making this great Mystery to become unto them as it is in its self Mysterium Pietatis a Mystery of Godliness Which is the last point proposed the Quale to which I now pass 22. As the corrupt Doctrine of Antichrist is not only a Doctrine of Error but of Impiety too called therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mystery of iniquity 2 Thes. 2. So the wholsom doctrine of Christ is not only a doctrine of Truth but of Piety too and is therefore termed here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Mystery of Godliness Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Godliness since there appeareth not any great necessity in the Context to restrain it to that more peculiar sence wherein both the Greek and English word are sometimes used namely to signifie the right manner of Gods Worship according to his word in opposition to all idolatrous superstitious or false Worships practised among the Heathens I am the rather enclined to understand it here as many Interpreters have done in the fuller Latitude as it comprehenderh the whole duty of a Christian man which he standeth bound by the command of God in his Law or of Christ in his Gospel to perform 23. Verum and Bonum we know are near of kin the one to the other And the spirit of God who is both the Author and the Revealer of this Mystery as he is the spirit of truth Joh. 14. so is he also the spirit of holiness Rom. 1. And it is part of his work to sanctific the heart with grace as well as to enlighten the mind with knowledge Our Apostle therefore sometimes mentioneth Truth and Godliness together teaching us thereby that we should take them both into our care together If any man consent not to the words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is after Godliness 1 Tim. 6. And Tit. 1. according to the Faith of Gods Elect and acknowledging of the Truth which is after Godliness And here in express terms The Mystery of Godliness And that most rightly whether we consider it in the Scope Parts or Conservation of it 24. First the general Scope and aim of Christianity is by the mercy of God founded on the merits of Christ to bring men on through Faith and Godliness to Salvation It was not in the purpose of God in publishing the Gospel and thereby freeing us from the personal obligation rigour and curse of the Law so to turn us loose and lawless to do whatsoever should seem good in our own eyes follow our own crooked wills or gratifie any corrupt lust but to oblige us rather the faster by these new benefits and to incite us the more effectually by Evangelical promises to the earnest study and pursuit of Godliness The Gospel though upon quite different grounds bindeth us yet to our good behaviour in every respect as deep as ever the Law did if not in some respects deeper allowing no liberty to the flesh for the fulfilling of the lusts thereof in any thing but exacting entire sanctity and purity both of inward affection and outward conversation in all those that embrace it The grace of God appearing in the revelation of this mystery as it bringeth along with it an offer of salvation to all men so it teacheth all men that have any real purpose to lay hold on so gracious an offer to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live righteously and soberly and godly in this present world 25. It is not to be wondered at if all false Religions give allowance to some ungodliness or other when the very Gods whom they worship give such encouragements thereunto by their lewd examples The Gods of the Pagans were renowned for nothing so much most of them as for their vices Mars a bloody God Bacchus a drunken God Mercury a cheating God and so proportionably in their several kinds all the rest Their great Capital God Iupiter guilty of almost all the Capital vices And where the Gods are naught who can imagine the Religion should be good Their very mysteria sacra as they called them were so full of all wickedness and filthy abominations as was already in part touched but is fully discovered by Clemens Alexandrinus Lactantius Arnobius Tertullian and other of the Ancients of our Religion that it was the wisest point in all their Religion to take such strict order as they did for the keeping of them secret 26. But it is the honour and prerogative of the Christian Religion that it alone alloweth of no wickedness But as God himself is holy so he requireth an holy Worship and holy Worshippers He exacteth the mortification of all evil lusts and the sanctification of the whole man body soul and spirit and that in each of these throughout Every one that nameth himself from the name of Christ doth ipso facto by the very taking of that blessed name upon him and daring to stile himself Christian virtually bind himself to depart from all iniquity nor so only but to endeavour also after the example of him whose name otherwise he unworthily usurpeth to be just merciful temperate humble meek patient charitable to get the habits and to exercise the acts of these and all other holy graces and vertues Nay more the Gospel imposeth upon us some moral strictnesses which the Stoicks themselves or whoever else were the most rigid Masters of Morality never so much as thought of Nay yet more it exalteth the Moral Law of God himself given by Moses to the People of Israel to a higher pitch than they at least as they commonly understood the Law took themselves thereby obliged unto That a man should forsake all his dearest friends yea and deny his own dearest self too for Christs sake and yet for Christs sake at the same time love his deadliest enemies That he should take up his Cross and if need were lay down his life not only for his great Master but even for the meanest of his fellow-servants too That he should exult with joy and abound in hope in the midst of tribulations of persecutions of death it self Surely the
wrestings of holy Scripture wherewith such books are infinitely stuff'd he shall find that little poor remainder that is left behind to contain nothing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vain words and empty arguments For when these great undertakers have snatcht up the bucklers as if they would make it good against all comers that such and such things are utterly unlawful and therefore ought in all reason and conscience to bring such proofs as will come up to that conclusion Quid dignum tanto Very seldom shall you hear from them any other arguments than such as will conclude but an Inexpediency at the most As that they are apt to give Scandal that they carry with them an appearance of evil that they are often occasions of sin that they are not commanded in the Word and such like Which Objections even where they are just are not of force no not taken all together much less any of them singly to prove a thing to be utterly unlawful And yet are they glad many times rather than sit out to play very small game and to make use of Arguments yet weaker than these and such as will not reach so far as to prove a bare inexpediency As that they are invented by Heathens that they have been abused in Popery and other such like Which to my understanding is a very strong presumption that they have taken a very weak cause in hand and such as is holy destitute of sound proof For if they had any better Arguments think ye we should not besure to hear of them 27. Marvel not therefore if I charge them with Ignorance although in their Writings some of them may shew much variety of reading and other pieces of learning and knowledge For if their knowledge were even much more than it is yet if it should not hold pace with their zeal but suffer that to out-run it there should be still in them that disproportion that before I spake of and they might so far forth be ranked with those silly women our Apostle speaketh of for such disproportion is very incident to the weaker Sex that are ever learning but are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth And this kind of ignorance is evermore very troublesome and hath been the raiser of most of those stirs that so much disquiet either whole Churches or particular Congregations as the lame horse ever raiseth the most dust and the faster he putteth on still the more dust Have you observed any men to be fuller of molestation in the places where they live than those that have been somewhat towards the Law or having some little smattering therein think themselves for that a great deal wiser than the rest of their Neighbours Although such busie spirits for the most part make it appear to the World before they have done that they had but just so much Law as would serve them to vex their neighbours withal in the mean time and undo themselves in the end Zeal is a kind of fire An excellent creature Fire as it may be used but yet may do a great deal of mischief too as it may be used as we use to say of it that it is a good Servant but an ill Master A right zeal grounded upon certain knowledge and guided with godly discretion like fire on the hearth is very comfortable and serviceable but blind or undiscreet zeal like fire in the thatch will soon set all the house in a combustion 28. So much for Ignorance the first great Fountain of Error the other is Partiality And this is causa causarum much of that ignorance and ill-governed zeal from which so many other errors spring doth it self spring from this corrupt Fountain of Partiality Which maketh the Error so much the worse and the judgment so much the more unrighteous For where an Error proceedeth merely from weakness though it cannot be therefore excused much less ought to be therefore cherished yet may it be even therefore pitied horum simplicitas miserabilis and the rather born with for a time But if it shall once appear that partiality runneth along with it or especially that it proceedeth from partiality this renders it odious both to God and Man St. Paul therefore well knowing what mischiefs would come of it if Church Governours in the administration of their weighty callings should be swayed with partial affections either for or against any layeth a great charge upon Timothy whom he had ordained Bishop of Ephesus and that with a most deep and solemn obtestation by all means to beware of Partiality I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ and the elect Angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality 1 Tim. 5. 29. And reason good there being scarce any thing more directly contrarious to the Rules of Charity Equity and Iustice than Partiality is as might be easily shewn if we had time for it And yet as unjust unequal and uncharitable as it is the world aboundeth with it for all that Not to instance in the writing of Histories handling of Controversies distribution of Rewards and Punishments and other particulars Take but a general view of the ordinary passages of most mens lives either in the carriage of their own or in the censuring of other mens actions and you shall find partiality to bear no little sway in most of the things that are done under the Sun The truth is we are all partial and shall be as long as we live here more or less For Partiality is the Daughter of Pride and Hypocrisie both which are as universally spread and as deeply and inseparably rooted in our nature as any other corruptions whatsoever Pride ever maketh a man to look at himself and his own party with favour and at the opposites either with envy if they be above him or if below him with scorn and how can such a man chuse but be partial And Hypocrisie ever leaneth on a nail it will make a man halt before his best friends and when fainest he would be thought to go upright The spying of motes in our brothers eye and baulking of beams in our own which is Partiality our Saviour therefore chargeth with Hypocrisie Thou Hypocrite first cast the beam out of thine own eye Luk. 6. And St. Iames coupleth them together as things that seldom go asunder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without partiality and without Hypocrisie 30. Besides these two internal causes Pride and Hypocrisie from within which first breed it there are sundry other external causes of Partiality from without which after it is bred help to feed it and increase it One whereof is the great force of Education and Custom which commonly layeth such strong anticipations upon the judgment that it is a matter of great difficulty to work out those first impressions afterwards by any strength of reason or but so much as to bring us to
but is often used by our Apostle in his Epistles with application ever to the Church of God and the spiritual Building thereof The Church is the House of the living God All Christians Members of this Church are so many Stones of the Building whereof the House is made up The bringing in of Unbelievers into the Church by converting them to the Christian Faith is as the fetching of more Stones from the Quarries to be laid in the Building The Building it self and that is Edification is the well and orderly joyning together of Christian men as living Stones in truth and love that they may grow together as it were into one entire frame of Building to make up the House strong and comely for the Master's Use and Honour 25. I know not how it is come to pass in these later times that in the popular and common Notion of this Word in the Mouths and Apprehensions of most men generally Edification is in a manner confined wholly to the Understanding Which is an Error perhaps not of much consequence yet an Error though and such as hath done some hurt too For thereon is grounded that Objection which some have stood much upon though there be little cause why against instrumental Musick in the Service of God and some other things used in the Church that they tend not to edification but rather hinder it because there cometh no instruction nor other fruit to the understanding thereby And therefore ought such things say they to be cast out of the Church as things unlawful A Conclusion by the way which will by no means follow though all the Premises should be granted for it is clear both from the Words and Drift of the Text that Edification is put as a meer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indeed of Expediency but not so of Lawfulness And therefore from the Unserviceableness of any thing to Edification we cannot reasonably infer the Unlawfulness thereof but the Inexpediency only But to let go the inconsequence that which is supposed in the Premises and laid as the ground of the Objection viz. that where the Understanding is not benefited there is no Edification is not true The Objectors should consider that whatsover thing any way advanceth the Service of God or furthereth the growth of his Church or conduceth to the increasing of any Spiritual Grace or enlivening of any holy Affection in us or serveth to the outward Exercise or but Expression of any such Grace or Affection as Ioy Fear Thankfulness Chearfulness Reverence or any other doubtless every such thing so far forth serveth more or less unto Edification 26. The building up of the People in the right knowledge of God and of his most holy Truth is I confess a necessary part of the Work and no man that wisheth well to the Work will either despise it in his heart or speak contemptibly of it with his mouth yet it is not the whole Work though no nor yet the chiefest part thereof Our Apostle expresly giveth Charity the preheminence before it Knowledge puffeth up but Charity edifieth And for once he speaketh of Edification in his Epistles with reference to Knowledge I dare say he speaketh of it thrice with reference to Peace and brotherly Charity or Condescension The Truth is that Edification he so much urgeth is the promoting and furthering of our selves and others in Truth Godliness and Peace or any Grace accompanying Salvation for the common good of the whole Body St. Iude speaketh of building up our selves and St. Paul of edifying one another And this should be our dayly and mutual study to build up our selves and others in the knowledge of the Truth and in the practice of Godliness but especially to the utmost of our powers within our several Spheres and in those Stations wherein God hath set us to advance the Common Good by preserving Peace and Love and Unity in the Church 27. The Instructions Corrections or Admonitions we bestow upon our private Brethren the good Examples we set before them our bearing with their Infirmities our yielding and condescending from our own power and liberty to the desires even of private and particular men is as the chipping and hewing and squaring of the several Stones to make them fitter for the Building But when we do withal promote the publick Good of the Church and do something towards the procuring and conserving the Peace and Unity thereof according to our measure that is as the laying of the Stones together by making them couch close one together and binding them with Fillings and Cement to make them hold Now whatsoever we shall find according to the present state of the Times Places and Persons with whom we have to do to conduce to the Good either of the whole Church or of any greater or lesser portion thereof or but of any single Member belonging thereunto so as no prejudice or wrong be thereby done to any other that we may be sure is expedient for that time 28. To enter into Particulars when and how far forth we are bound to forbear the exercise of our lawful Liberty in indifferent things for our Brother's sake would be endless When all is said and written in this Argument that can be thought of yet still as was said much must be left to mens Discretion and Charity Discretion first will tell us in the general that as the Circumstances alter so the Expediency and Inexpediency of things may alter accordingly Quaedam quae licent tempore loco mutato non licent saith Seneca There is a time for every thing saith Solomon and a season for every purpose under Heaven Hit that time right and whatever we do is beautiful but there is no Beauty in any thing we do if it be unseasonable As Hushai said of Ahitophel's Advice The Counsel of Ahitophel is not good at this time And as he said to his Friend that cited some Verses out of Homer not altogether to his liking and commended them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholesome counsel but not for all men nor at all times If any man should now in these times endeavour to bring back into the Church postliminio and after so many years cessation thereof either the severity of the ancient Canons for publick Penances or the enjoyning of private Confessions before Easter or some other things now long disused he should attempt a thing of great Inexpediency Not in regard of the things themselves which severed from those Abuses which in tract of time had through mens corruption grown thereunto are certainly lawful and might be as in some former times so now also profitable if the times would bear them But in regard of the condition of the times and the general aversness of mens minds therefrom who having been so long accustomed to so much indulgence and liberty in that kind could not now brook those severer impositions but would cry
not titular and by a naked profession only whatsoever he is taken for is clearly the wiser man And he that is no more than worldly or carnally wise is in very deed and in Gods estimation no better than a very fool Where is the Wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this World Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of the World saith the Apostle That Interrogative form of speech is more emphatical than the bare Categorical had been it signifieth as if it were so clear a truth that no man could reasonably deny it What Solomon saith in one place of the covetous rich man and in another place of the sluggard that he is wise in his own conceit is true also of every vicious person in every other kind Their wisdom is a wisdom but in conceit not in truth and that but in their own conceit neither and of some few others perhaps that have their judgments corrupted with the same lusts wherewith theirs also are Chrysippus non dicit idem Solomon sure had not that conceit of their wisdom and Solomon knew what belonged to wisdom as well as another man who putteth the fool upon the sinner I need not tell you indeed I cannot tell you how oft in his writings 34. His judgment then is clear in the point though it be a Paradox to the most and therefore would have a little farther proof for it is not enough barely to affirm Paradoxes but we must prove them too First then true saving wisdom is not to be learned but from the Word of God A lege tuâ intellexi By thy Commandments have I gotten understanding Psal. 119. it is that word and that alone that is able to make us wise unto salvation How then can they be truly wise who regard not that word but cast it behind their backs and despise it They have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdom is in them saith Ieremy Again The fear of the Lord is the begining of Wisdom and a good understanding have they that do thereafter Psal. 111. How then can we allow them to pass for wise men and good understanding men that have no fear of God before their eyes that have no mind nor heart to do thereafter that will not be learned nor understand but are resolvedly bent to walk on still in darkness and wilfully shut their eyes that they may not see the light 35. Since every man is desirous to have some reputation of wisdom and accounteth it the greatest scorn and reproach in the world to be called or made a fool it would be very well worth the labour but that it would require as it well deserveth a great deal more labour and time than we dare now take to illustrate and enlarge this point which though it seem a very Paradox as was now said to the most is yet a most certain and demonstrable truth That godliness is the best of wisdom and that there is no fool to the sinner I shall but barely give you some of the heads of proof and refer the enlargement to each mans private meditation He that first is all for the present and never considereth what mischiefs or inconveniencies will follow thereupon afterwards that secondly when both are permitted to his choice hath not the wit to prefer that which is eminently better but chuseth that which is extremely worse that thirdly proposeth to himself base and unworthy ends that fourthly for the attaining even of those poor ends maketh choice of such means as are neither proper nor probable thereunto that fifthly goeth on in bold enterprises with great confidence of success upon very slender grounds of assurance and that lastly where his own wit will not serve him refuseth to be advised by those that are wiser than himself what he wanteth in wit making it up in will no wise man I think can take a person of this character for any other than a fool And every worldly or ungodly man is all this and more and every godly man the contrary Let not the worldly-wise man therefore glory in his wisdom that it turn not to his greater shame when his folly shall be discovered to all the world Let no man deceive himself saith St. Paul but if any among you seem to be wise in this world let him become a fool that he may be wise That is let him lay aside all vain conceit of his own wisdom and learn to account that seeming wisdom of the world to be as indeed it is no better than folly that so he may find that true wisdom which is of God The God of light and of wisdom so enlighten our understandings with the saving knowledge of his truth and so inflame our hearts with a holy love and fear of his Name that we may be wise unto salvation and so assist us with the grace of his holy Spirit that the light of our good works and holy conversation may so shine forth both before God and men in the mean time that in the end by his mercy who is the Father of lights we may be made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in the light of everlasting life and glory and that for the merits sake of Iesus Christ his only Son our Lord. To whom c. AD AULAM. Sermon XVI Newport in the Isle of Wight Novemb. 1648. Heb. 12. 3. Consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself that ye be not wearied and faint in your minds 1. THere is scarce any other provocation to the performance of any duty so prevalent with men as are the examples of such as have performed the same before them with glory and success Because besides that the same stirreth up in them an emulation of their glory and cheereth them on with hopes of like success it also clean taketh off that which is the common excuse of sloth and neglect of duty the pretension of Impossibility The Apostle therefore being to confirm the minds of these Hebrews with constancy and patience in their Christian course against all discouragements whatsoever setteth before them in the whole former Chapter a multitude of examples of the famous worthies of former times who by the strength of their faith had both done and suffered great things with admirable patience and constancy to their immortal honour upon earth and eternal happiness in heaven To the end that compassed with such a cloud of Witnesses they might think it a shame for them to hang back and not to dare especially having wâ—ithal so rich a Crown laid ready at the Goal for them to invite them thereunto to run with all possible chearfulness that race when they had seen so many so happily to have run before them vers 1. of this Chapter 2. Yet this great cloud of examples they were but to look through as the Medium at another and higher Example that of the bright Son of
by striving against the current to no purpose Now in such times if he do not always lend his help to those that are hardly dealt withal in that measure which perhaps they expect his inability to do them good may be a reasonable excuse for him But is not this to teach the Magistrate to temporize or may be slug in his office or desert his bounden duty for fear of Bugbears or by pretending there is a Lyon in the way Nothing less God forbid any Man that occupieth the place of the Lords Messenger should utter a syllable of encouragement to any Magistrate to make himself a slave to the Times either by running with a multitude to do any evil action for the winning of their favour or by forbearing out of a base fear and a faint heart to do any good whereunto his power and opportunity will serve him 20. But the thing I say is this It is a point of Christian wisdom for a Magistrate or any other Man if the Lord cast him upon evil times to yield to the sway of the times so far provided ever that it be done without sin as not wilfully to deprive himself of the power and opportunities of doing the good he can by striving unseasonably to do more good than he can The reason whereof is grounded upon that well known Maxim so generally allowed of by all Divines That affirmative precepts such as this of delivering the oppressed is do not oblige ad semper at all times and in all places and with all circumstances as negative precepts do But for exercising the offices of such affirmative precepts there must be a due consideration had of the end and of all requisite Circumstances to be laid together one against another in the ballance of prudence and according to the exigence thereof the duty is for that time to be either performed or omitted Solomon telleth us Eccles. 3. that there is a time for every thing and that every thing is beautiful in its Time implying withal that taken out of the right time nothing is beautiful He faith there also that there is a time to keep silence and a time to speak And surely the evil time is the proper time for keeping silence Therefore the prudent shall keep silence in that time for it is an evil time 21. Now seeing that by so many several ways as these which I have already mentioned most of which do frequently happen besides infinite more which may happen according to the infinite variety of particular occurrents Magistrates and others may be excused for not helping those to right that suffer wrong it should make us all very watchful over our speeches and sparing in our censures wherein yet for the most part we take to our selves a marvellous Liberty a great deal more than becometh us concerning the actions and dealings of our Governours It is no wonder to hear light-headed people and such as can look but a little way into the affairs of the world clamourous as shallowest brooks run with the greatest noise and the emptiest vessels give the loudest sound Nor is it a new thing to see such men as by their own unconscionable dealings help to make the times as bad as they are to set their mouths wide open in bitter invectives against their betters and to be evermore declaiming against the iniquites of the times But it grieveth my very soul when I see Men otherwise discreet and such as are in some reputation for vertue and godlinss sometimes to forget themselves so much as they do and to be so far transported beyond the bounds of sobriety and duty as to speak their pleasure of those that are in place either of supreme or of high though subordinate authority as if all were naught every Man looked only after his own ease or his own gain or his own advancement but none regarded to amend any thing amiss or took to heart the wrongs and sufferings of poor Men. 22. To see the manifold oppressions that are done under the Sun even in the best times Solomon's Reign was a time blessed with peace and plenty yet did he complain of the oppressions of the poor in his days but for all that large measure both of power and wisdom wherewith God had endowed him he could not remedy all will stir up in every Man that hath any holy warmth in him a just indignation there-against But commonly such is our selfishness we are most fiery when the mischief lighteth upon our selves or upon those that stand in some near relation to us Therefore I cannot in charity but impute the excesses of such Men not to their zeal of justice and indignation against those that either pervert it or but neglect it but heightned through the violence of the perturbation to the distemper of Fury Which maketh me now and then to think of those words of Solomon which perhaps have another meaning yet are very fitly applied this way in Eccles. 7. Surely oppression maketh a wise Man mad For as a Man who whilst he was master of his reason was quiet and companiable fallen afterwards raging mad raileth and striketh and flingeth stones about him sparing none that cometh within his reach be he never so good little otherwise doth a wise-Man mis-behave himself in his language towards his betters when he is but a little as it were out of his right wits through the distemper of some violent perturbation of mind by a misnomer called zeal 23. It would be some bridle both to our tongues and passions seriously to consider that it becometh not the servant of God to speak evil of Governments or Goverours openly though some things should be much amiss in the Land and little done in order to the amending thereof for that is a kind of blasphemy for so the Apostles word is Openly did I say I did so because too often Men do so But the truth is the servant of God is not allowed by his Master to speak evil of dignities no not in his private chamber more yet not so much as in his private thoughts Much less to proclaim the infirmities of his Governours to the wide world for fear Cham's curse should light upon him over which he ought rather with blessed Sem and Iaphet to cast the mantle of Charity to hide their nakedness from the eyes of Scorners Least of all to sinite Princes for Equity and to cry out upon them as Men that make no conscience of the discharge of their duty in that their high calling so long as they are careful in the generality to promote the execution of justice within their territories only for suffering those evils which they cannot so easily remedy as we can observe and for not doing that good which is not altogether in their power to do So long as God is pleased to suffer noisom corruptions to remain in the hearts of the best and strong lusts to reign in the hearts of the