exult in the apprehension of it v. 9. Then the people rejoiced and David the King also rejoiced with great joy because they had offered willingly and with a perfect heart unto the Lord. They looked upon this work as a thing that was very well pleasing to God and an honour to their Nation and consequently a just occasion of joy and triumph to all the People When Nehemiah Chap. 13.14 had with great industry and success promoted the rebuilding of the Temple he doth upon the reflection of it break out into this expression Remember me O my God concerning this and wipe not out the good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the Officers thereof It seems he believed his care and activity in this work to be a thing very acceptable to God which makes him desire that it might be recorded and kept in remembrance to his advantage I might further confirm this Observation by several Reasons I shall mention only two 1. From the suitableness of such kind of duties unto the moral and more substantial parts of Religion The Apostle tells us that the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteusness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and they who in these things serve Christ shall be accepted with God and approved of men Rom. 14.17 18. The word Righteousness is frequently used in the Scripture-phrase for the virtue of beneficence and bounty By peace is meant that gentle and charitable disposition whereby a man is inclined to promote the quiet of Societies and good will amongst men And by the joy in the Holy Ghost we are to understand an ability to rejoice in an afflicted estate These are the things recommended to us as being the more weighty and essential parts of Religion 'T is no difficult matter for a man to be zealous about meats and drinks he may do it to gratifie his contentious humour and to endear himself to a Party Nor is it hard for a man to pretend a zeal for Religion by some good wishes or kind words which are cheap things and will cost him nothing but to give testimony of it by bountiful actions that others may see our good works this is that which will make them glorifie God in our behalf and acknowledg that he is in us of a truth It was an humour in the Apostolical times as well as since that men set up for reputation in Religion by their zeal about some Opinions in lesser matters Against which the Apostle cautions Titus This I will that thou affirm constantly that they which believe in God be careful to maintain good works For which he gives this reason For these things are good and profitable unto men Contentions and disputes may please and gratifie mens present humours and passions but they are these works of Piety and Bounty that must promote the more lasting and publick welfare and the general good of mankind 2. Persons thus qualified are supposed to be of an higher rank and degree above other men It is in Religion as in other Professions there are some of a Vulgar sort of an ordinary and common standard and there are others of a taller stature of a higher form and attainments from whom it may be expected that they should adorn and add a luster to their Profession And they are the Virtues of this kind namely a bountiful and charitable disposition towards any publick good work that must raise men to this higher pitch of esteem above others When Araunah offered David freely his threshing-floor and oxen and threshing instruments for Sacrifice 't is said that he did it as a King 2 Sam. 24.23 in a royal and princely manner and David on the other side refused it as a King thinking it unworthy of him to offer unto God of that which cost him nothing v. 24. I shall add nothing further at present by way of confirmation of this Point that which I chiefly aim at is the Application of it I have purposely made choice of this Subject as having a peculiar suitableness to the present state of things in this place God hath been pleased by his late severe dispensations first to destroy the inhabitants of this City by the noisome pestilence and since to lay waste our habitations by a dreadful fire wherein his own Houses those that were dedicated to his Worship did not escape But the devouring fire in the phrase of the Psalmist did come into his Sanctuaries casting down the dwelling places of his name to the ground burning up the Synagogues of God And amidst the other dismal ruins of this place 't is one of the saddest spectacles to behold so many Sacred Structures the Monuments of our Forefathers devotion and bounty laid in the dust I suppose it needless to prove the necessity of Religion to Government or the necessity of Places for publick Worship to the keeping up of Religion Those things are in themselves so plain and obvious that no reasonable man can have any just cause to doubt of them That which I aim at is to excite others by this example of the Centurion to such a love of their Nation and City as may engage them to some effectual care for the building up of our Synagogues And in order to this I would speak something 1. Particularly to such as are Magistrates 2. Generally to all sorts of people 1. To you that are Magistrates of this City 'T is one of the styles belonging to your Offices to be repairers of breaches Publick things ought to be taken care of by publick persons You have already made some provision to preserve mens Proprieties in their grounds to enlarge the passages and avenues whereby the City may be rendered more safe beautiful and convenient for Trading which are good works and such as become worthy Magistrates But these things concern you as you are men and Citizens there are other things to be provided for as you are Christians And I would crave leave to be your remembrancer that some effectual care may be taken for the rebuilding of the Places for publick Worship It would be very convenient that as several Parishes are built up so the repair of Churches should be in some forwardness to which the Inhabitants might resort for the duties of Religion The doing of this will perhaps prove a matter of too great charge to be defrayed by the contribution of the Inhabitants considering their particular losses But if any considerable help could be procured for it from the Publick which there is no reason to doubt of the remainder might be made up by particular Charities And both together might prove sufficient for this great work Nor is there any reason to question but if this business were seriously consulted and vigorously pursued such ways might be offered as might prove effectual both for the building of such a number of Churches as shall be thought sufficient and likewise for the providing of a sufficient maintenance for them
never work them over to a hearty conviction and make them true friends With what reason can any man expect those counsels should be effectual which are delivered in such a way as to argue a hatred and contempt of the persons whom we would perswade Though a man be supposed to have the truth on his side and should be able to urge very cogent and strong arguments for the proof of it yet if they should be pressed with scorn and harshness and bitterness the reason of them will not so much enforce as the passion of them will weaken and disparage them It will undoubtedly be the most effectual way to put hard arguments into soft words 2. From the nature of Lenity and gentleness whose property it is to insinuate it self into the hardest things 'T is compared to Oyle which will penetrate and supple more than any other liquor He that goes about to convince and perswade another if he doth so manage it that it may appear he intends kindness to the person whom he would prevail upon that he hath a love for him and doth heartily desire his welfare his work is half done That prophecy Psal. 45.4 Ride on prosperously because of the word of truth and meekness doth refer to the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Kingdom of Christ which by the meekness of its professors was first propagated and became triumphant through the Heathen World The true nature of things may be more clearly distinguished when there are no mists or clouds stirred up by the heat of contention Many differences might be half reconciled if they were but mildly debated It was not perhaps without some mystery that Noahs dove brought an Olive branch in her mouth to shew the mutual dependance betwixt these two mildness and peace 'T is the end of anger to bring men to a sense of their fault or be revenged upon them for it now a meek submission is one way of satisfying this end Besides that mild and gentle carriage will discover the weakness and deformity of rage and fierceness and in that respect may be a means to break it in others This expression in the Text concerning the hardest things being broken by the softest may perhaps contain in it an allusion to that ordinary experiment of breaking of Flint upon a Pillow and a Sword upon a Feather-bed when the concussion of a blow is more equally dispersed into all the parts of the body so as to operate upon the weakest It is Hippocrates his counsel that a Physician should alwayes be provided with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lenitives gentle mollifying applications as being of frequent use and great efficacy and they are so no less to the minds and passions of men than to their bodily diseases Before I come to the Application of this Point there are these three Questions to be spoken unto for the clearer stating of it How this Doctrine may consist with 1. Those Imprecations 2. Those severe Increpations 3. The duty of zeal and reproving 1. For the Imprecations and Curses We have frequent example of these in Scripture not only against sin in general as those pronounced in Mount Ebal but likewise against particular persons They are frequent in the Psalms and especially that 109. Psalm and in the New Testament likewise St. Peter to Simon Magus Acts 8.20 Thy Money perish with thee St. Paul to Elymas Acts 13.10 and elsewhere to Alexander the Copper-smith 2 Tim. 4.14 and he wishes they were cut off that trouble the Church Gal. 5.12 Besides the many woes which are denounced by our Saviour himself against the Scribes and Pharisees Now the Question is How these examples may consist with this Doctrine concerning soft words To this several things may be said by way of Answer and Solution which the time will not permit me to insist upon I shall only mention these few 1. Diverse of these Imprecations in Scripture though they are pronounced optatively yet are they to be understood declaratively as being declarations of the true state and condition of such persons They are Verba praedicentium non vota imprecantium as St. Austin speaks The Hebrew Phrase in those places which are rendred as Imprecations being as well capable of the Indicative future as the Imperative Mood and sense 2. Those who used these Imprecations were such as were extraordinary Persons endowed with the Spirit of discerning whereby they were enabled to judge of the incurable state of those with whom they conversed There are some that are cursed Children as the Apostle speaks 2 Pet. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filii maledictionis execrandi homines and to such curses are reserved as their due portion And therefore no wonder though such as had an extraordinary Spirit of discerning their true state do use imprecations against them which yet can be no warrant for other persons to imitate As none but the Magistrate may use the Sword for revenge because of his publick station and calling whereby he is authorized for it so none but extraordinary Prophetical men should use these maledictions If others shall presume upon it because of their example they will justly fall under the rebuke of our Saviour Luke 9.55 You know not what Spirit ye are of The ordinary rule prescribed for mens practice is that of Matth. 5.44 Rom. 12.14 Bless I say and curse not 3. We are to consider the motive or affection upon which such imprecations as we read of have proceeded which were not carnal or rash anger or desire of revenge in reference to any particular hurt or injury against themselves the usual occasions of them in other men but Spiritual and Divine respecting the interest and cause of God and zeal for his glory In our own cases we are taught to be patient and long suffering praying for our persecutors 4. The wishing of evil directly to any under the notion of evil must needs be malice and can never be lawful Not but that 't is lawful to pray for such things as by way of consequence will necessarily imply a blasting and kind of malediction upon the attempts of others which is no way inconsistent with the true happiness of their persons The wishing of such kind of temporal evils as tend to the preventing of greater evils or else are to be inflicted by way of correction and vindicating of Divine Justice are not opposite to the rules of Charity 'T is lawful for us to wish conditionally some temporal evils upon our selves by way of correction and restraint from sin that God would rather afflict us than suffer sin upon us and consequently we may wish the same to others the love of our selves being the rule and measure of our love to others Of this nature was that petition Psal. 83.16 Fill their faces with shame O Lord that they may seek thy name This is not to pray against them but for them We may likewise pray against the unjust actions and attempts of our enemies Acts 4.29 And
Apostolical authority to have stated the difference and to have rebuk'd the offending party but he rather chuseth this more effectual way of entreaty and perhaps they were both in fault I beseech Euodias and I beseech Syntiche that they be of the same mind in the Lord Phil. 4.2 But the great power and efficacy of this will better appear by the several instances and examples to this purpose recorded in Scripture Gen. 32. we have a story of Esau's meeting his brother Iacob Esau was a rough man as well in his inward disposition as his outward behaviour and way of living and 't is probable by his bringing four hundred men with him that he came with a purpose of being revenged and killing his brother Iacob according to his former resolution Gen. 27.41 but those mild and humble expressions of Iacob in styling him Lord and himself a Servant that message he sent by the men who were to convey the droves ver 20. Behold thy servant Iacob is behind us for he said I will appease him with a present and afterwards I will see his face peradventure he will accept of me These speeches did so soften the rugged and inflexible disposition of Esau that instead of taking revenge he offers his brother kindness Iudg. 8.1 when the men of Ephraim did enter into a high contest with Gideon and did chide with him sharply as the Text hath it he did by his mild and gentle answer allay their heat Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer then their anger was abated towards him when he said that v. 3. 1 Sam. 1. Old Eli who was mild more than enough towards his wicked Sons yet very severe in his censuring of Hannah when he tells her she was drunk v. 14. she might have replied that he wronged her and that she was no more drunk than himself but she rather chuses to answer Not so my Lord I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the Lord count not thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial ver 15 16. Upon this mild answer of hers the old Prophet saw himself mistaken and for his rebuking he now blesses her Go in peace and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition v. 17. What a kind of temper Saul was of how full of passion and fierceness and cruelty doth appear by several instances what an enmity he had against David with what ardor and impatience he did desire his ruin may likewise be evident from his secret underminings and his open pursuit of him and yet this harsh and cruel disposition of his is strangely wrought upon by the mild and humble carriage of David When he had cut off the skirt of his garment 1 Sam. 24. and thereby testified his fidelity to him in that he had refused an opportunity of hurting him when it was in his power styling him My Lord and my Father the Lords Anointed the King of Israel in comparison to whom himself was but as a dead dog or a flea v. 14. 'T is said this did immediately so melt and dissolve that stony heart of Saul that he lift up his voice and wept Animum sanguinis caedis sitientem repente ad lamenta ejulatus compulit saith one of the Fathers Whereas before he thirsted for nothing so much as blood and slaughter now he is so effectually wrought upon by this mildness as to break out into tears of kindness and pity And now he returns him a gentle answer Is it thy voice my son David v. 16. Whom before he prosecuted as his chiefest enemy now he acknowledges for a Son and commits to him as if he were his dearest friend the care of his posterity V. 21. Swear now therefore unto me that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me nor destroy my name out of my Fathers house 1 Sam. 25. There is another pregnant example to this purpose When David was in a great chafe and fury against Nabal and in the heat of his passion had taken an Oath to kill all that belonged to him v. 22. for that churlish and taunting answer returned by his Messengers then doth Abigal by her soft and gentle speeches mollifie and allay this passion she fell at his feet and said Let thy handmaid I pray thee speak in thine audience v. 24. She acknowledges the fault that he had deserved better from Nabal beseeches his pardon and tells him that it will hereafter be no grief or offence of heart unto my Lord that thou hast not shed blood causeless or avenged thy self V. 31. By which she presently reduced him to a coolness and temper made him gentle as a Lamb who was before fierce as a Lyon When our Saviour called the Caananitish Woman Dog We know how her humble and gentle answer prevailed with him for the success of her petition And it may be pertinent to this purpose though it be in a Parable what we read Matth. 18.23 of a certain King who called his Servants to an account and finding that one of them owed him ten thousand Talents commanded him to be sold with his Wife and Children and all that he had who thereupon fell down and worshipped him saying Lord have patience with we and I will pay thee all Ye know the issue of this humble demeanour 't is said His Lord was moved with compassion towards him and forgave him his debt v. 27. Thus much shall serve for Scripture Testimonies and examples to this purpose I proceed to the further confirmation of this truth by two Reasons 1. From the nature of these fierce passions and this obduracy or hardness of temper which are increased by opposition and consequently must be abated by gentleness and yielding The collision of two bodies that are hard will be apt to strike fire betwixt them which cannot be done when one of them is soft Wrath is oftentimes compared to fire now the way to extinguish fire is not by blowing it or adding fewel to it but rather by withdrawing that by which it is supplyed And it was a wise saying of the Son of Sirach Ecclesiasticus 8.3 He that striveth with a man of tongue heaps wood upon his fire and again chap. 28.12 If thou blow the spark it shall burn if thou spit upon it it shall be quenched and both these come out of the mouth i. e. such words may be spoken as may either inflame the anger of others or extinguish it and of what kind these must be may be easily known by what I have been discoursing I appeal to every mans experience did you ever know any man convinced or converted by this wrathful boistrous way doth it not rather alienate mens minds and set them at a further distance true indeed it may be a means to fright some meaner timerous spirits to a seeming feigned compliance to make them disguise their enmity but it will