you have the wisdom which is from above if you be first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and hypocrisie James 3. 17. But if you have hitter envying and strife in your hearts glory not and lye not against the truth as if this were the wisdom from above which glorifieth God For this wisdom descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual and devilish v. 14 15. A mâ—â—k and quiet Spirit is of great price in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3 4. An Ornament commended to women by the Scripture which is amiable in the eyes of all § 39. Direct 8. It honoureth God and your profession when you abound in love and in good works Direct 8. Loving the godly with a special love but all men with so much love as makes you earnestly desirous of their wâ—lâ—aâ—e and to love your enemies and put up wrongs and to study to do good to all and hurt to none To be abundant in love is to be like to God who is LOVE it self 1 Iohn 4. 7 11. and shâ—wâ—th that God dwelleth in us v. 12. All men may know that we are Christs Disciples if we love one another Iohn 13. 35. This is the new and the great commandment The fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 10. John 15. 12 17 13. 34. You will be known to be the children of your heavenly Father if you love your enemies and bless them that curse yâ—u and pray for them that hate and persecute you and dâ—spightfully use you Matth. 5. 44. Do all the good that possibly you can if you would be like him that doth good to the evil and whose mercies are over all his works Shew the world that you are his workmanship created to good works in Christ Iesus which he hath ordained for you to walk in Eph. 2. 10. Herein is your Father glorified that ye bring forth much fruit John 15. 8. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5. 16. Honour God with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thy increase Prov. 3. 9. And thâ—se that honour him he will honour 1 Sam. 2. 30. When barren worldly hypocrites that honour God only with their lips and flattering words shall be used as those that really dishonour him § 40. Direct 9. The Unity Concord and Peace of Christians doth glorifie God and their profession Direct 9. when their divisions contentions and malicious persecutiâ—ns of one another doth heinously dishonour him Men reverence that faith and practice which they see us unanimously accord in And the same men will despise both it and us when they see us together by the ears about it and hear us in a Babel of confusion one saying This is the way and another That is it one saying Lo here is the true Church and Worship and another saying Lo it is there Not that one man or a few must make a Shoo meet for his own foot and then say All that will not dishonour God by discord must wear this Shâ—â— Think as I think and say as I say or else you are Schismaticks But we must all agree in believing and obeying God and walking by the same rule so far as we have attained Phil. 3. 15 16. The strong must bear the infirmities of the weak and not please themselves but every one of us please his neighbour for good to edification and be like minded one towards another according to Christ Iesus that we may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God Receiving one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God Rom. 15. 1 2 5 6 7. § 41. Direct 10. Iustice commutative and distributive private and publick in bargainings and in Direct 10. Government and Iudgement doth honour God and our profession in the eyes of all when we do no wrong but do to all men as we would they should do to us Matth. 7. 12. That no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter for the Lord is the avenger of all such 1 Thess. 4 6. That a mans word be his Master and that we lye not one to another nor equivocate or deal subtilly and deceitfully but in plainness and singleness of heart and in simplicity and godly sincerity have our conversation in the world Perjured persons and Covenant-breakers that dissolve the bonds of humane society and take the name of God in vain shall find by his vengeance that he holdeth them not guiltless § 42. Direct 11. It much glorifieth God to worship him rationally and purely in Spirit and in truth Direct 11. according to the glory of his wisdom and goodness and it dishonoureth him to be worshipped ignorantly and carnally with spells and mimical irrational actions as if he were less wise than serious grave underderstanding men The worshippers of God have great cause to take heed how they behave themselves Lest they meet with the reward of Nadab and Abihu and God tell them by his judgements that he will be sanctified in all them that come nigh him and before all the people he will be glorified Lev. 10. 1 2 3. The second Commandment is enforced by the Iealousie of God about his Worship Ignorant rude unseemly words or unhansome gestures which tend to raise contempt in the auditors or levity of speech which makes men laugh is abominable in a Preacher of the Gospel And so is it to pray irrationally incoherently confusedly with vain repetitions and tautologies as if men thought to be heard for their babling over so many words while there is not so much as an appearance of a well composed serious rational and reverent address of a fervent soul to God To worship God as the Papists do with Images Agnus Dei's Crucifixes Crossings Spittle Oyl Candles Holy Water kissing the Pax dropping Beads praying to the Virgin Mary and to other Saints repeating over the Name of Iesus nine times in a breath and saying such and such sentences so oft praying to God in an unknown Tongue and saying to him they know not what adoring the consecrated Bread as no Bread but the very flesh of Christ himself choosing the tutelar Saint whose name they will invocate fasting by feasting upon Fish instead of Flesh saying so many Masses a day and offering Sacrifice for the quick and the dead praying for souls in Purgatory purchasing Indulgences for their deliverance out of Purgatory from the Pope carrying the pretended bones or other Relicts of their Saints the Popes canonizing now and then one for a Saint pretending Miracles to delude the people going on Pilgrimages to Images Shrines or Relicks offering before the Images with a multitude more of such parcâ—lls of Devotion do most heinously dishonour God and as the Apostle truly saith do make unbelievers say They are mad 1 Cor. 14. 23. and that they are children in understanding and not men v.
it as some of a higher degree The thing pretended by Eminent Hypoâ—â—ites is to be zealous eminent Christians or at least to be sincere in a special manner while they discern the common Hypocrite not to be sincere 2. The cloak of seeming or pretense by which they would be thought to be what they are not is any thing in gâ—neral that hath an appearance of Godliness and is apt to make others think them godly And thus there are diverse sorts of Hypocrites according to the variety of their cloaks or ways of dissimulation though hypocrisie it self be in all of them the same thing As among the very Mahometanes and Heathens there oft arise some notable Hypocrites that by pretended Revelations and austerity of life profess themselves as Mahomet did to be Holy persons that had some extraordinary familiarity with God or Angels So among the Papists there are besides the common ones as many sorts of Hypocrites as they have self-devised Orders And every where the cloak of the common Hypocrite is so thin and transparent that it sheweth his nakedness to the more intelligent sort And this puts the Eminent Hypocrite upon some more laudable pretense that is not so transparent As for instance the Hypocrisie of common Papists whose cloak is made up of penances and ceremonies of saying over latine words or numbering words and beads for prayers with all the rest of their trumpery before named Chap. 3. Gr. Dir. 15. Dir. 11. is so thin a cloak that it will not â—atisfie some among themselves but they withdraw into distinct societies and orders the Church and the profession of Christianity being not enough for them that they may be Religious as if they saw that the rest are not Religious And then the common sort of ungodly Protestants have so much wit as to see through the cloak of all the Popish Hypocrisie and therefore they take up a fitter for themselves and that is the name of a Protestant Reformed Religion and Church joyned to the Common Profession of Christianity The Name or Profession of a Christian and a Protestant with going to Church and a heartless lip-service or saying their Prayers is the cloak of all ungodly Protestants Others discerning the thinness of this cloak do think to make themselves a better and they take up the strictest opinions in Religion and own those which they account the strictest party and own that which they esteem the purest and most spiritual worship The cloak of these men is their opinions pâ—rty and way of worship while their carnal lives detect their Hypocrisie Some that see through all these pretenses do take up the most excellent cloak of all and that is An appearance of serious spirituality in Religion with a due observation of all the outward parts and means and a Reformation of life in works of piety Iustice and charity I say An appearance of all these which if they had indeed they were sincere and should be saved in which the Godly Christian goeth beyond them all § 4. By this it is plain that among us in England all men that are not Saints are Hypocrites because that all except here or there a Jew or Infidel profess themselves to be Christians and every true Christian is a Saint They know that none but Saints or Godly persons shall be saved And there is few of them that will renounce their hopes of Heaven and therefore they must pretend to be all godly And is it not most cursed horrid hypocrisie for a man to pretend to Religion as the only way to his salvation and confidently call himself a Christian while he hateth and derideth the power and practice of that very Religion which he doth profess Of this see my Treat of The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite When Pâ—â—â—â— in vita sua speaketh of others extolling his eloquence he addeth his own neglect of it Ego modo bene vixisâ—em qualiter dixisâ—em parvi sacerem Venâ—osa gloria est de solo verborum splendore famam quaerere Conscientiam potius quam famam attende Falli saepe poterit fama Conscientia nunquam Seâ—ec § 5. The Hypocrites Ends in his pretenses and dissemblings are not all the same One intendeth the pleasing of Parents or some friends on whom he doth depend that will else be displeased with him and think ill of him Another intendeth the pleasing of the higher powers when it falls out that they are friends to Godliness Another intends the preserving of his esteem with religious persons that they may not judge him wicked and prophane Another intendeth the hiding of some particular villany or the success of some ambitious enterprise But the most common end is to quiet and comfort their guilty souls with an Image of that Holiness which they are without and to steal some peace to their Consciences by a lie And so because they will not be Religious indeed they will take up some shew or image of Religion to make themselves as well as others believe that they are Religious § 6. Direct 1. To escape Hypocrisie understand well wherein the life and power of Godliness doth consist Direct 1. and wherein it differeth from the lifeless Image or Corps of Godliness The life of Godliness is expressed in the 17 Grand Directions in Chap. 4. It principally consisteth in such a faith in Christ as causeth us to Love God above all and obey him before all and prefer his favour and the hopes of Heaven before all the pleasures or profits or honours of the world and to worship him in spirit and truth according to the direction of his word The Images of Religion I shewed you before § 3. Take heed of such a lifeless Image § 7. Direct 2. See that your chief study be about the Heart that there Gods Image may be planted Direct 2. and his interest advanced and the interest of the world and flesh subdued and the Love of every sin cast out and the Love of Holiness succeed and that you content not your selves with seeming to do goâ—d in outward acts when you are bad your selves and strangers to the great internal duties The first and Sic vivendum est quaâ—i in coâ—â—â—â—ctu â—â—â—amuâ— Sic cogitandum tanquam aliquis pectus intimum prospicere poâ—â—iâ— Senec. Rem dâ—â—am ex qua mâ—â—â—â—s a stimes nâ—straâ— Vix quempiam invenâ—es qui possit aperto ostiâ—â—ivâ—re jâ—â—itores conscientia nostra suposuit sic vivimus ut deprehendi sit sabiâ—â— aspici Senec. Ep. 96. great work of a Christian is about his heart There it is that God dwelleth by his spirit in his Saints And there it is that sin and Satan reign in the ungodly The great duties and the great sins are those of the heart There is the root of Good and Evil The tongue and life are but the fruits and expressions of that which dwelleth within The inward habit of sin is as a second nature And a sinful nature is worse than a sinful
that they are zealous for the faith when they are but contending for their honour or conceits Passion covers much deceit from the passionate § 22. Direct 17. Suspect your selves most among the great the wise the learned and the godly or Direct 17. any whose favour opinion or applause you most esteem It is easie for an arrant Hypocrite to despise the favour or opinion of the vulgar of the ignorant of the prophane or any whose judgement he contemneth It is no great honour or dishonour to be praised or dispraised by a child or fool or a person that for his ignorance or prophaness is become contemptible But Hypocrisie and Pride do work most to procure the esteem of those whose judgement or parts you most admire One most admireth worldly greatness and such a one will play the Hypocrite most to flatter or please the great ones he admireth Another that is wiser more admireth the judgement of the wise and learned and he will play the Hypocrite to procure the good esteem of such though he can sleight a thousand of the ignorant and his pride it self will make him sleight them Another that is yet wiser is convinced of the excellency of Godly men above all the Great and Learned of the world And this man is more in danger of Pride and Hypocrisie in seeking the good opinion of the Godly and therefore can despise the greatest multitudes of the ignorant and prophane Yea pride it self will make him take it as an addition to his glory to be vilified and opposed by such miscreants as these § 23. Direct 18 Remember the perfections of that God whom you worship that he is a Spirit and Direct 18. therefore to be worshipped in Spirit and in truth and that he is most great and terrible and therefore to be worshipped with sâ—ri usnâ—ss and reverence and not to be dallyed with or served with toyes or lifeless lip-service and that he is most holy pure and jealous and therefore to be purely worshipped and that â—e is still present with you and all things are naked and open to him with whom we have to do The knowledge of God and the remembrance of his all-seeing presence is the most powerful means against Hypocrisie Christ himself argueth from the Nature of God who is a Spirit against the hypocritical ceremoniousness of the Samaritans and Iews Iohn 4. 23 24. Hypocrites offer that to God which they know a man of ordinary wisdom would scorn if they offered it to him If a man knew their hearts as God doth would he be pleased with words and complements and gestures which are not accompanied with any suitable seriousness of the mind Would he be pleased with affected histrionical actions One that seeth a Papist Priest come out in his Formalities and there lead the people in a Language which they understand not to worship God by a number of Ceremonies and canting repeated customary words would think he saw a Stage-player acting his part and not a wise and holy people seriously worshipping the most holy God And not only in worship but in private duties and in converse with men and in all your lâ—ves the remembrance of Gods presence is a powerful rebuke for all hypocrisie It is more foolish to sin in the sight of God because you can hide it from the world than to steal or commit adultery in the open Market-place before the crowd and be careful that Dogs and Crows discern it not If all the world see you it is not so much as if God in secret see you Be not deceived God is not mocked Gal. 6. 7. § 24. Direct 19. Remember how Hypocrisie is hated of God and what punishment is appointed for Direct 19. Hypocrites They are joyned in torment with unbelievers and as wicked mens punishment is aggravated by their being condemned to the fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels so the punishment of ordinary ungodly persons is aggravated by this that their portion shall be with hypocrites and unbelievers How oft find you the Lamb of God himself denouncing his thundering Woes against the hypocritical Scribes and Pharisees How oft doth he inculcate to his Disciples Be not as the Hypocrites Matth. 6. 2 5 16. And no wonder if Hypocrites be hateful to God when they and their services are lifeless Images and have nothing but the Name and outside of Christianity and some antick dress to set them off and humane ornaments of Wit and Parts as a Corpse is more drest with Flowers than the living as needing those Ceremonies for want of life to keep them sweet And a Carrion is not amiable to God And the Hypocrite puts a scorn on God as if he thought that God were like the Heathens Idols that have eyes and see not and could not discern the secret dissemblings of his heart or as if he were like fools and children that are pleased with fair words and little toyes God must needs hate such abuse as this § 25. Direct 20. Come into the Light that your hearts and lives may be throughly known to you Direct 20. Love the most searching faithul Ministry and Books and be thankful to reprovers and plain dealing friends Permanent tepidi â—gnavi neglâ—gâ—ntes Vaâ—â— leves voluptâ—â—si delâ—caâ—â— commoda corporis supersâ—ua sectantur suâ—m compendium in omnibus quaeâ—unt ubicunque honoâ—em existimationem nominis sui integra seâ—vaâ—e possunt Iâ—â—us prâ—priae voluntaâ—â— perâ—â—nacâ—ter addâ—â—â—â— irreâ—â—gnâ—â— minime abnegati superbi curiosi contumaces sunt in omnibuâ— licet â—â—terne coram hominibus bene mâ—â—ati videantur In tentationibus impatientes amari procaces iracundi â—risâ—es aliis molestâ— verbis tamen ingenioque seâ—â—â—â— In prosperis nimium eâ—aâ—i hilaâ—es In adversis nâ—mâ—um turbaâ—i sunt pusilâ—animes Aâ—iorum temeraâ—â—â—â— sunt judices aliorum vitia accuratissime perscrutari de aliorum defectibus frequenter gaâ—â—â—â—re aâ— gloâ—â—ari egregium putant Ex istis simiâ—â—bus operibus facillime cognosci poterunt nam moribus gestibusque suis câ—u sorex quispiam suopte sâ—met judicio produâ—â— Thaâ—le â—loâ— pag. 65 66. Darkness is it that cherisheth deceit It is the office of the Light to manifest Justly do those wretches perish in their hypocrisie who will not endure the light which would undeceive them but fly from a plain and powerful Ministry and hate plain reproof and set themselves by excuses and cavils to defend their own deceit § 26. Direct 21. Be very diligent in the examining of your hearts and all your actions by the Word Direct 21. of God and call your selves often to a strict account Deceit and guilt will not endure strict examination The Word of God is quick and powerful discovering the thoughts and imaginations of the heart There is no Hypocrite but might be delivered from his own deceits if by the assistance of an able Guide he would faithfully go on in the work of self-trying without partiality oâ— sloth § 27. Direct
by the examples of your blameless humble holy lives O how abundantly would this course promote the success of the publick preaching of the Gospel If you would cause those men to see the glory and power of the Gospel in your holy and heavenly lives who cannot see it in it self Then many that would not be won by the Word might be won without it to seek after it at least by your conversations Thus all must preach and be helpers of the Ministers of Christ. § 35. Direct 10. Forsake not your faithful Pastors to follow deceivers but adhere to them who spend and are spent for you Defend their innocency against false accusers and refuse them not such maintenance as is needful to their entire giving up themselves to that holy work to which they are devoted Read and study well Ephes. 4. 13 14 15. Acts 20. 30. It is for your sakes that your faithful 2 Tim. 2. 10. 2 Cor. 4. 15. 1 Thess. 3. 9. 1 Thess. 1. 5. Matth. 26. 56. 2 Tim. 4. 16. Gal. 6. 6 10. 1 Cor. 9. Col. 1. 24. Pastors are singled out in the world to bear the slanders and contradictions of the wicked and to lead the way in the fiery tryal If they would forsake you and that sacred truth and duty that is needful to your salvation and sell you up into the hands of cruell and deceitful men it were as easie for them to have the applause of men and the prosperity of the world as others It is perfidious ingratitude to forsake them in every tryal that must lose their lives and all the world rather then forsake you or betray your souls Or to grudge them food and rayment that lay by the gainful employments of the world that they may attend continually on the service of your souls CHAP. VII Directions for the discovery of the Truth among Contenders and the escape of Heresie and Deceit § 1. THough Truth be naturally the Object of mans Understanding to which it hath a certain Niâ—ebatur Socrates summo ingenii acumine non tam illos ex sententia reâ—ellere quam ipse quid verum esset invenâ—re inclination and though it be a delightful thing to know the truth yet that which is saving meeteth with so much opposition in the flesh and in the world that while it is applauded in the general it is resisted and rejected in particulars And yet while the Use of holy truth is hated and obstinately cast away the name and the barren profession of it is made the matter of the glorying of hypocrites and the occasion of reproaching dissenters as Hereticks and the world is filled with bloody persecutions and inhumane implacable enmities and divisions by a wonderful zeal for the Name of Truth even by those men that will rather venture on damnation than they will obey the Truth which they so contend for Multitudes of men have Laert. iâ— Socrat. tormented or murdered others as Hereticks who themselves must be tormented in Hell for not being Christians It concerneth us therefore to deal very wisely and cautelously in this business § 2. Direct 1. Take heed lest there be any carnal interest or lust which maketh you unwilling to Direct 1. receive the truth or inclineth you to error that it may serve that interest or lust It is no small number of men that are strangers or enemies to the truth not because they cannot attain the knowledge of it but because they would not have it to be truth And men of great learning and natural parts are frequently thus deceived and led into error by a naughty carnal byassed heart Either because that error is the vulgar opinion and necessary to maintain their popular reputation and avoid reproach or because it is the way of men in power and necessary to their preferment and greatness in the world or because the Truth is contrary to their fleshly lusts and pleasures or contrary to their honour and worldly interest and would hazard their reputations or their lives How loth Heb 12. 14. 2 Cor. 5. 17. Rom. 8. 9 13. is a sensual ungodly man to believe that without Holiness none shall see God and that he that is in Christ is a new creature and that if any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his and that if they live after the flesh they shall dye How loth is the ambitious Minister to believe that the way of Christs service lyeth not in worldly pomp or ease or pleasures but in taking up the Cross and following Christ in self-denyal and in being as the servant of all in the unwearied performance of careful oversight and compassionate exhortations unto all the flock Let a controversie be raised about any of these points and the mind of lazy ambitious men doth presently fall in with that part which gratifieth their fleshly lusts and excuseth them from that toilsome way of duty which they already hate The secret lusts and vices of a false hypocritical heart are the commonest and the powerfullest arguments for error And such men are glad that Great men or Learned men will give so much ease to their consciences and shelter to their reputations as to countenance or make a Controversie at least of that which their lusts desire to be true Above all therefore see that you come not to enquire after Truth with an unsanctified heart and unmortified lusts which are a byass to your minds and make you warp from the truth which you enquire after For if the carnal mind neither is nor can be subject to the Law of God you may easily perceive that it will be loth to believe it when in so doing they believe their own condemnation An honest sanctified heart is fittest to entertain the truth § 3. Direct 2. Seek after the truth for the love of truth and love it especially for its special use as Direct 2. it formeth the heart and life to the Image and Will of God and not for the fanciful delight of knowing Socrates de Ethâ—ce in Offiâ—inis in publico quotidie Philosophans ea potius inquirenda hortabatur quae mores instruerent quorum usus nobis domi esset necessarius Laert. in Socrat. much less for carnal worldly ends No means are used at all as means where the End is not first determined of And to do the same thing materially to another end is not indeed to do the same For thereby it s made another thing Your Physicion will come to you if you you seek to him as a Physicion but not if you send to him to mend your Shoos So if you seek knowledge for the true ends of knowledge to fill your hearts with the Love of God and guide your lives in holiness and righteousness God is engaged to help you in the search But if you seek it only for to please your pride or fansie no wonder if you miss of it and it is no great matter
seen the Direct 18. fruits of the various courses of professors of Religion than of the young unripe unexperienced hot-headed sort Zeal is of great use to execute the resolutions of a well-informed man And the Zeal of others is very useful to warm the hearts of such as do converse with them But when it comes to matter of Iudgement once to decide a case of difficulty aged experience hath far the advantage And in no cases more than in those where Peace and Concord are concerned where rash hot-headed youth is very prone to precipitant courses which must be afterward repented of § 102. Direct 19. When fervent self conceited people would carry down all by censoriousness and passion Direct 19. it is time for the Pastâ—â—s and the aged and riper sort of Christians openly to rebuke them and appear against them and stand their ground and not to comply with the mis-guided sort to escape their censures Nothing hath more caused schisms in the Church except the Pride and ambition of the Clergie than that the riper and more judicious sort of people together with the Ministers themselves have been so loth to lye under the bitter censures of the unexperienced younger hotter sort and to avoid such censures and keep in with them they have followed those whom they should have led and have been drawn quite beyond their own understandings God hath made WISDOM to be the Guiâ—e of the Church and ZEAL to follow and diligently execute the commands of Wisdom Let ignorant well-meaning people censure you as bitterly as they please yet keep your ground and be not so proud or weak as to prefer their good esteem before their benefit and before the pleasing of God Sin not against your knowledge to escape the censure of the ignorant If you do God will make those men your scourges whom you so much over-valued And they shall prove to their spiritual Fathers as cockered children like Absalom do to their natural fathers and perhaps be the breaking of your hearts But if the Pastors and the riper experienced Christians will stand their ground and slick together and rebuke the exorbitancies of the censorious younger-ones they will maintain the credit of the Gospel and keep the truth and the Churches Peace and the hott spurs will in time either repent and be sober or be shamed and disabled to do much hurt § 103. Direct 20. Take heed how you let loose your zeal against the Pastors of the Church lest you Direct 20. bring their persons and next their effice into contempt and so break the bâ—nds of the Churches Unity and Peace There is no more hope of maintaining the Churches Unity and Concord without the Ministry than of keeping the strength or Unity of the members without the Nerves If these nerves be weak or labour of a Convulsion or other disease it is curing and strengthening them and not the cutting them asunder that mâ—st prove to the welfare and safety of the body Middle with the faults of the Ministry only so far as tendeth to a cure of them or of the Church but not to bring them into disgrace and weaken their interest in the people and disable them from doing good Abhor that proud rebellious spirit that is prone to set up it self against the officers of Christ and under pretence of greater Wisdom or Holiness to bring their Guides into contempt and is picking quarrels with them behind their back to make them a scorn or odious to the hearers Indeed a Minister of Satan that doth more harm in the Church than good must be so detected as may best disable him from doing harm But he that doth more good than hurt must so be disswaded from the hurt as not to be disabled from the Good My brethren be not many Masters or Teachers knowing that ye shall receive the greater Jam. 3. 1. condemnation § 104. Direct 21. Look more with an eye of Charity on what is Good in others and their worship of Direct 21. God than with an eye of malice to carp at what appeareth evil Some men have such distempered eyes that they can see almost nothing but faultiness in any thing of another party which they look at envy and faction maketh them carp at every word and every gesture And they make no Conscience of aggravating every failing and making Idolatry of every mistake in Worship and making Heresie or Blaspheamy of every mistake in judgement and making Apostacy of every fall nay perhaps the truth it self shall have no better a representation As Dr. H. More well noteth It would do much more good in the world if all parties were forwarder to find out and commend what is good in the doctrine and worship of all that differ from them This would win them to heaâ—ken to reforming advice and would keep up the credit of the common truths and duties of Religion in the world when this envious snarling at all that others do doth tend to bring the world to Aâ—hâ—ism and banish all reverence of Religion together with Christian Charity from the Earth § 105. Direct 22. Keep not strange to those from whom you differ but be acquainted with them Direct 22. and placidly hear what they have to say for themselves Oâ— else converse with them in Christian Love in Read the next Chap. 24. Sect. 20. all thâ—se duties in which you are agreed and this if you never talk of your differences will do much to reconcile you in all the rest It is the common way of division uncharitableness yea and cruelty ☜ at last to receive hard reports of those that differ from us behind their backs and to believe and aggravate Prince Frederick of Moâ—pelgard being instructed into a distaste of the Reformed Protestants when he had been at Câ—â—â—â—a and Hâ—â—vâ—tia was went to far Gâ—â—â—â— â—â— Hâ—lvetia viâ—i multa de qâ—ibus nihil paâ—â— coâ—â—â—â—â— quibus sâ—â—e aâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—t Tossaâ—us ad â—â—â—â—lium â—â—â—â—te Sâ—ult to iâ— Curric p 26. all and proceed to detraction and contention at a distance and in the dark and never be familiarly acquainted with them at all There is something in the apprehension of places and persons and things by the eye sight which no reports are able to match And so there is that satisfaction about men by familiar acquaintance which we cannot attain by hearsay from any how judicious soever All factions commonly converse together and seek no familiar converse with others but believe them to be any thing that 's naught and then report them to be so before they ever knew the persons of whom they speak I am perswaded this is one of the greatest feeders of enmity uncharitableness contention and slanders in the world I speak it upon great observation and experience I have seldom heard any man bitterly oppose the servants of Christ but either the grosly wicked or those that never had much acquaintance with them And I see commonly how bitter soever
the world Rom. 8. 1 5 6 7 8 10 13 14. Whether all that were baptized are such as these when they come to age judge you § 4. It is true also that if you truly Repent you are forgiven But it is as true that true Repentance is the very Conversion of the soul from sin to God and leaveth not any man in the power of sin It is not for a man when he hath had all the pleasure that sin will yield him to wish then that he had not committed it which he may do then at an easie rate and yet to keep the rest that are still pleasant and profitable to his flesh Like a man that casts away the bottle which he hath drunk empty but keeps that which is full Or as men sell off their barren Kine and buy milch ones in their stead This kind of Repentance is a mockery and not a cure for the soul. If thou have true Repentance it hath so far turned thy heart from sin that thou wouldst not commit it if it were to do ☞ again though thou hadst all the same temptations And it hath so far turned thy heart to God and Holiliness that thou wouldst live a holy life if it were all to do again though thou hadst the same temptations as afore against it Because thou hast not the same heart This is the nature of true Repentance such a Repentance indeed is never too late to save but I am sure it never comes too soon § 5. Mark now I beseech you what a state of sin and what a state of Holiness is He that is in a state of sin hath habitually and predominantly a greater love to some pleasures or profits or honours of this world than he hath to God and to the glory which he hath promised He preferreth and seeketh and holdeth if he can his fleshly prosperity in this world before the favour of God and the happiness of the world to come His heart is turned from God unto the creature and is principally set on things on earth Thus his sin is the blindness and madness and perfidiousness and Idolatry of his soul and his forsaking of God and his salvation for a thing of nought It is that to his soul which poyson and death and sickness and lameness and blindness are to his body It is such dealing with God as that man is guilty of to his dearest friend or Father who should hate him and his company and love the company of a Dog or a Toad much better than his and obey his enemy against him And it is like a mad mans dealing with his Physicion who seeks to kill him as his enemy because he crosseth his appetite or will to cure him Think of this well and then tell me whether this be a state to be continued in This state of sin is something worse than a meer inconsiderate act of sin in one that otherwise liveth an obedient holy life § 6. On the other side a state of Holiness is nothing else but the Habitual and predominant devotion Nulla Religio vera est nisi 〈◊〉 virâ—â—t justitiâ— constat Id. ibid. and dedication of soul and body and life and all that we have to God An esteeming and loving and serving and seeking him before all the pleasures and prosperity of the flesh Making his favour and everlasting Happiness in Heaven our End and Jesus Christ our way and referring all things in the world unto that end and making this the scope design and business of our lives It is a turning from a deceitful world to God and preferring the Creator before the creature and Heaven before Earth and Eternity before an inch of Time and our souls before our corruptible bodies and the authority and Laws of God the Universal Governour of the world before the word or will of any man how great soever and a subjecting our sensitive faculties to our Reason and advancing this Reason by Divine Revelation and living by faith and not by sight In a word it is a laying up our treasure in Heaven and setting our hearts there and living in a Heavenly conversation setting our affections on the things above and not on the things that are on earth and a rejoicing in hope of the glory to come when sensualists have nothing but transitory bruitish pleasures to rejoyce in This is a state and life of Holiness when we perswade you to be Holy we perswade you to no worse than this When we commend a life of Godliness to your Choice this is the life that we mean and that we commend to you And can you understand this well and yet be unwilling of it It cannot be Do but know well what Godliness and Ungodliness is what Grace and Sin are and the work is almost done Direction 3. TO know what a life of Holiness is believe the Word of God and those that have Direct 3. tryed it and believe not the slanders of the Devil and of ungodly men that never tryed or knew the things which they reproach § 1. Reason cannot question the reasonableness of this advice Who is wiser than God or who is to be believed before him And what men are liker to know what they talk of then such as speak from their own experience Nothing more familiar with wicked men than to slander and reproach the holy wayes and servants of the Lord. No wisdom no measure of Holiness or righteousness will exempt the Godly from their malice Otherwise Christ himself at least would have been exempted if not his Apostles or other Saints whom they have slandered and put to death Christ hath foretold us what to expect from them John 15. 18 19 20 21. If the world hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you If you were of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you Remember the word that I said unto you The servant is not greater than the Lord If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you if they have kept my sayings they will keep yours also § 2. The truth is wicked men are the seed and children of the Devil and have his image and obey him and think and speak and do as he would have them And the Godly are the seed and members of Christ and bear his Image and obey him And do you think that the Devil will bid Victor utic saith that the Arrian Goths tormented the devoted Virgins to force them to confess that their Pastors had committed fornication with them but no torment prevaâ—â—ed with them though manâ— were killed with it pag. 407 408. lib. 2. Terrent praecepâ—â—s â—â—ralibus ut in medio Vandalorum nostri nâ—llatâ—â—us respirarent Neâ— usâ— quaâ—â—e orandi aut immolandi conâ—edâ—retâ—r gâ—mâ—ntibus locus Nam diversae calumniae non dâ—erant quotidie etiam illis sacerdotibus qui in his
When ever the Spirit of God knocks at thy door thou art so taken up with other company or other business that thou canst not hear or wilt not open to him Many a time he hath been ready to teach thee but thou wast not at leisure to hear and learn Many a time he secretly jog'd thy conscience and checkt thee in thy sin and called thee aside to consider soberly about thy spiritual and everlasting state when the noise of foolish mirth and pleasures or the busles of encumbring cares and business have caused thee to stop thy ears and put him off and refuse the motion And if the abused Spirit of God depart and leave thee to thy beloved mirth and business and to thy self it is but just And then thou wilt never have a serious effectual thought of Heaven perhaps till thou have lost it nor a sober thought of Hell till thou art in it unless it be some despairing or some dull uneffectual thought § 2. O therefore as thou lovest thy soul do not love thy pleasure or business so well as to refuse to treat with the Spirit of God who comes to offer thee greater pleasures and to engage thee in a more important business O lay by all to hear a while what God and conscience have to say to thee They have greater business with thee than any others that thou conversest with They have better offers and motions to make to thee than thou shalt hear from any of thy old companions If the Devil can but take thee up a while with one pleasure one day and another business another day and keep thee from the work that thou camest into the world for till time be gone and thou art slipt unawares into damnation then he hath his desire and hath the end he aimed at and hath won the day and thou art lost for ever § 3. It 's like thou settest some limits to thy folly and purposest to do thus but a little while But when one Pleasure withereth the Devil will provide a fresh one for thee and when one business is over which caused thee to pretend Necessity another and another and another will succeed and thou wilt think thou hast such Necessity still till time is gone and thou see too late how grosly thou wast deceived Resolve therefore that whatever company or pleasure or business would divert thee that thou wilt not be befooled out of thy salvation nor taken off from minding the One thing Necessary If Company plead an interest in thee know of them whether they are better company than the Spirit of God and thy Conscience If Pleasure would detain thee enquire whether it be more pâ—re and durable pleasures than thou maist have in Heaven by hearkening unto grace If business still pretend Necessity enquire whether it be a greater business than to prepare thy soul and thy accounts for judgement and of greater Necessity than thy salvation If not let it not have the precedency If thou be wise do that first that must needs be done and let that stand by that may best be spared What will it profit thee to win all the world and lose thy soul. At least if thou durst say that thy Pleasure and business is better than Heaven yet might they sometime be forborn while thou seriously thinkest of thy salvation Direction 7. IF thou wouldst be converted and saved be not a malicious or pievish enemy to those Direct 7. that would convert and save thee Be not angry with them that tell thee of thy sin or duty as if they did thee wrong or hurt § 1. God worketh by instruments When he will convert a Cornelius a Peter must be sent for and willingly heard When he will recall and save a sinner he hath usually some publick Minister or private friend that shall be a messenger of that searching and convincing truth which is fit to awaken them enlighten them and recover them If God furnish these his instruments with compassion to your souls and willingness to instruct you and you will take them for your enemies and pievishly quarrel with them and contradict them and perhaps reproach them and do them a mischief for their good will what an inhumane barbarous course of ingratitude is this Will you be angry with men for endeavouring to save you from the fire of Hell Do they endeavour to make any gain or advantage by you or only to help your souls to Heaven Indeed if their endeavours did serve any ambitious 1 Pet. 5. 2 3 4. 2 Cor. 10. 4. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. 2 Cor. 1. 24. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor. 3 6. 11. 23. Joel 1. 9 13. 2 Cor 4. 5. Mark 10 44. Matth. 10. 27. â—uke 22. 24 25 26. design of their own to bring the world as the Pope and his Clergy would do under their own jurisdiction you had reason then to suspect their fraud But the truth is Christ hath purposely appointed his greatest Church-Officers to be but Ministers even the servants of all to rule and save men as Volunteers without any coercive Power by the Management of his powerful Word upon their consciences and to beseech and intreat the poorest of the flock as those that are not Lords over Gods heritage nor masters of their faith but their servants in Christ and helpers of their joy that so when ever we deliver our message to them they may see that we exercise not dominion over them and aim at no worldly honours or gain or advantage to our selves but at the meer conversion and saving of their souls whereas if he had allowed us to exercise authority as the Kings of the Gentiles and to be called Gracious Lords and to incumber our selves with the affairs of this life our doctrine would have been rejected by the generality of the world and we should alwayes have come to them on this great disadvantage that they would have thought that we sought not them but theirs and that we preached not for them but for our selves to make a prize of them As the Jesuites when they attempt the conversion of the Indians do still find this their great impediment the Princes and people suppose them to pretend the Gospel but as a means to subjugate them and their Dominions to the Pope because they tell them that they must be all subject to the Pope if they will be saved Now when Christ hath appointed a poor self-denying intreating Ministry against whom you can have none of these pretences to sloop to your feet with the most submissive intreaties that you would but turn to God and live you have no excuse for your own barbarous ingratitude if you will fly in their faces and use them as your enemies and be offended with them for endeavouring to save you You know they can hold their Tythes and Livings by smoothing and cold and general preaching as well as by more faithful dealing if not better You know they can get no worldly advantage by
that will rule them and not â—e ruled by them that will not suffer them to take their pleasure nor enjoy their riches but hold them to a life which they cannot endure and even undo them in the world he is then no longer a guest for them Whereas if Christ had been received as Christ and Truth and Godliness deliberately entertained for their welldiscerned Excellency and Necessity the deep rooting would have prevented this Apostacie and cured such Hypocrifie § 4. But alas poor Ministers find by sad experience that all prove not Saints that flock to hear them and make up the crowd nor that for a season rejoyce in their light and magnifie them and take their parts The blossom hath its beauty and sweetness but all that blossometh or appeareth in the bud doth not come to perfect fruit Some will be blasted and some blown down some nipt with â—â—osts some eaten by Worms some quickly fall and some hang on till the strongest blasts do cast them down some are deceived and poysoned by false Teachers some by worldly cares and the deceitfulness of riches become unfruitful and are turned aside The lusts of some had deeper rooting then the Word And the friends of some had greater interest in them than Christ and therefore they forsake him to satisfie their importunity some are corrupted by the hopes of preferment or the favour of man some feared from Christ by their threats and frowns and choose to venture on damnation to scape persecution And some are so worldly wise that they can see reason to remit their zeal and can save their souls and bodies too and prove that to be their duty which other men call sin if the end will but answer their expectations And some grow weary of truth and duty as a dull and common thing being not supplyed with that variety which might still continue the delights of Novelty § 5. Yet mistake not what I have said as if all the affection furthered by Novelty and abated by Commonness and use were a sign that the person is but an Hypocrite I know that there is something in the Nature of man remaining in the best which disposeth us to be much more passionately affected with things when they seem New to us and are first apprehended than when they are old and we have known or used them long There is not I believe one man of a thousand but is much more delighted in the Light of Truth when it first appeareth to him than when it is trite and familiarly known and is much more affected with a powerful Minister at first than when he hath long â—ate under him The same Sermon that even transported them at the first hearing would affect them less if they had heard it preach'd an hundred times The same Books which greatly affected us at the first or second reading will affect us less when we have read them over twenty times The same words of Prayer that take much with us when seldom used do less move our affections when they are daily used all the year At our first conversion we have more passionate sorrow for our sin and love to the godly than we can afterwards retain And all this is the case of learned and unlearned the sound and unsound though not of all alike Even Heaven it self is spoken of by Christ as if it did participate of this when he saith that Joy shall be in Heaven over One sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance Luke 15. 7 10. And I know it is the duty of Ministers to take notice of this disposition in their hearers and not to dull them with giving them still the same but to profit them by a pleasant and profitable variety Not by preaching to them another Christ or a new Gospel It is the same God and Christ and Spirit and Scripture and the same Heaven the same Church the same faith and hope and repentance and obedience that we must preach to them as long as we live Though they say we have heard this an hundred times Let them hear it still and bring them not a new Creed If they hear so oft of God and Christ and Heaven till by Faith and Love and Fruition they attain them as their end they have heard well But yet there is a grateful variety of subordinate particulars and of words and methods and seasonable applications necessary to the right performance of our Ministry and to the profitting of the flocks Though the Physicion use the same Apothecaries Shop and Dispensatory and Drugs yet how great a variety must he use of compositions and times and manner of administration § 6. But for all this though the best are affected most with things that seem new and are dulled with the long and frequent use of the same expressions yet they are never weary of the substance of their Religion so as to desire a change And though they are not so passionately affected with the same Sermons and Books or with the thoughts or mention of the same substantial matters of Religion as at first they were Yet do their Iudgements more solidly and tenaciously embrace them and esteem them and their wills as Resolvedly adhere to them and use them and in their lives they practise them better than before Whereas they that take up their Religion but for Novelty will lay it down when it ceaseth to be New to them and must either change for a Newer or have none at all § 7. And as unsound are they that are Religious only because their education or their friends or the Laws or judgement of their Rulers or the Custom of the Countrey hath made it necessary to their Reputation These are Hypocrites at the first setting out and therefore cannot be saved by continuance in such a carnal Religiousness as this I know Law and Custom and education and friends when they side with Godliness are a great advantage to it by affording helps and removing those impediments that might stick much with carnal minds But truth is not your own till it be received in its proper evidence nor your faith divine till you believe what you believe because God is true who dâ—th reveal it nor are you the Children of God till you Love him for himself nor are you truly Religious till the Truth and Goodness of Religion it self be the principal thing that maketh you Religious It helpeth much to discover a mans sincerity when he is not only Religious among the Religious but among the prophane and the enemies and scorners and persecutors of Religion And when a man doth not pray only in a praying family but among the prayerless and the deriders of fervent constant prayer And when a man is heavenly among them that are earthly and temperate among the intemperate and riotous and holdeth the truth among those that reproach it and that hold the contrary When a man is not carried only by a stream of
of flesh and blood which maketh you pretend Moderation and Peace and that it is a sign that you are hypocrites that are so lukewarm and carnally comply with error and that the cause of God is to be followed with the greatest zeal and self denyal And all this is true if you be but sure that it is indeed the cause of God and that the greater works of God be not neglected on such pretences and that your Zeal be much greater for Faith and Charity and Unity than for your opinions But upon great experience I must tell you that of the zealous contenders in the world that cry up The Cause of Consuming 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 use at 〈◊〉 â—o 〈◊〉 up the owners of it Whatever tâ—â—y say oâ— do against others in theâ—â— inâ—â—mperaâ—e violâ—nce they teach otherâ— at last to say and do against them when they have opportunity How the Orâ—â—odox taught the Aâ—â—iaâ—s to use severity against them may be sâ—en in Victor utic p. 447 448 449. in the Edict of Hunneâ—yâ—hus â—â—gem quam dudum Christiani Imperatores nostri contra eos alios haereticos pro honorisicentia Ecclesiae Catholiâ—ae dedâ—runâ— adversus nos illi proponere non eâ—ubuerunt v. g. Rex Hun. c. Triumphalis Majestatis Regiae probatur esâ—e virtutis mâ—â—a in autores conâ—lia retorquere Quisquis enim pravitatis aliquid invenerit sibi imputet quod incurrit Nullâ—s 〈◊〉 homâ—usion Saceâ—doâ—es assumanâ— nec aliquid mysteriâ—â—um quae magis polluunt sibi vendicenâ— Nullam habeant oâ—dinandi licentiam Quod ipsaâ—um legum continentia demonstratur quas induxiâ—â—e Imperaâ—oâ—ibuâ— c. viz. Ut nulla exceptâ—s superstiti 〈…〉 s suae â—nâ—stibus Ecclesia pateret nuâ—lâ—s liceret aliis aut convictus agere aut exercere convâ—ntâ—s nec Ecclesias auâ— in uâ—â—iâ—â—â—â— aut in quibuâ—dam 〈◊〉 locis God and Truth there is not one of very many that understandeth what he talks of but some of them cry up the Cause of God when it is a brat of a proud and ignorant brain and such as a judicious person would be ashamed of And some of them are rashly zealous before they have parts or time to come to any judicious tryal and some of them are mis-guided by some person or party that captivateth their minds and some of them are hurried away by passion and discontent and many of the ambitious and worldly are blinded by their carnal interests and many of them in meer pride think highly of an Opinion in which they are somewhat singular and which they can with some glorying call their Own as either invented by them or that in which they think they know more than ordinary men do And abundance after longer experience confess that to have been their own erroneous cause which they before entitled the Cause of God Now when this is the case and one cryeth Here is Christ and another There is Christ one saith This is the cause of God and another saith That is it no man that hath any care of his Conscience or of the honour of God and his profession will leap before he looketh where he shall alight or run after every one that will whistle him with the name or pretence of truth or a good cause It is a sad thing to go on many years together in censuring opposing and abusing thâ—se that are against you and in seducing others and mis-imploying your zeal and parts and time and poysoning all your prayers and discourses and in the end to see what mischief you have done for want of knowledge and with Paul to confess that you were mad in opposing the truth and servants of God though you did it in a zeal of God through ignorance Were it not much better to stay till you have tryed the ground and prevent so many years grievous sin than to scape by a sad repentance and leave behind you stinking and venemous fruits of your mistake And worse if you never repent your selves Your own and your Brethrens souls are not so lightly to be ventured upon dangerous untryed wayes It will not make the Truth and Church amends to say at last I had thought I had done well Let those go to the Wars of disputing and 〈◊〉 and câ—nsuâ—ing and siding with a Sect that are riper and better understand the cause Wars are not for Children Do you suspend your judgement till you can solidly and certainly inform it and serve God in Charity quietness and peace And it s two to one but you will live to see the day that the contenders that would have led you into their Wars will come off with so much loss themselves as will teach them to approve your peaceable course or teach you to bless God that kept you in your place and duty § 3. In all this I deny not but every truth of God is to be valued at a very high rate and that he that shall carry himself in a neutrality when Faith or Godliness is the matter in controversie or shall do it meerly for his worldly ends to save his stake by temporizing is a false-hearted hypocrite and at the heart of no Religion But withal I tell you that all is not matter of Faith or Godliness that the Autonomian-Papist the Antinomian-Libertine or other passionate parties shall call so And that as we must avoid contempt of the smallest Truth so we must much more avoid the most heinous sins which we may commit for the defending of an error And that some Truths must be silenced for a time though not denyed when the contending for them is unseasonable and tendeth to the injury of the Church If you were Masters in the Church you must not teach your Scholars to their hurt though it be truth you teach them And if you were Physicions you must not cramm them or Medicate them to their hurt Your power and duty is not to Destruction but to Edification The good of the Patient is the end of your Physick All Truth is not to be spoken nor all Good to be done by all men nor at all times He that will do contrary and take this for a carnal principle doth but call folly and sin by the name of zeal and duty and set the house on fire to rost his Egg and with the Pharisees prefer the outward rest of their Sabbath before his Brothers life or health Take heed what you do when Gods honour and mens souls and the Churches peace are concerned in it § 4. And let me tell you my own observation As far as my judgement hath been able to reach the men that have stood for Pacification and Moderation have been the most judicious and those that have best understood themselves in most controversies that ever I heard under debate among good Christians And those that suriously censured them as lukewarm or corrupted have been men that had least judgement and most passion pride and foul mistakes in the points in question § 5. Nay I will tell you
head-strong Horse that must be kept in at first and is hardly restrained if it once break loose and get the head If you are bred up in temperance and modesty where there are no great temptations to gluttony drinking sports or wantonness you may think a while that your natures have little or none of this concupiscence and so may walk without a guard But when you come where baits of lust abound where Women and Playes and Feasts and Drunkards are the Devils snares and tinder and bellows to enflame your lusts you may then find to your sorrow that you had need of watchfulness and that all is not mortified that is asleep or quiet in you As a man that goeth with a Candle among Gunpowder or near Thatch should never be careless because he goeth in continual danger so you that are young and have naturally eager appetites and lusts should remember that you carry fire and Gunpowder still about you and are never out of danger while you have such an enemy to watch § 2. And if once you suffer the fire to kindle alas what work may it make ere you are aware James 1. 14 15. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death Little knoweth the Fish when he is catching or nibling at the bait that he is swallowing the hook which will lay him presently on the bank When you are looking on the cup or gazing on alluring beauty or wantonly dallying and pleasing your senses with things unsafe you little know how far beyond your intentions you may be drawn and how deep the wound may prove how great the smart or how long and difficult the cure As you love your souls observe Pauls counsel 2 Tim. 2. 22. Flee youthful lusts Keep at a full distance Come not near the bait If you get a wound in your consciences by any wilful heinous sin O what a case will you be in How heartless unto secret duty afraid of God that should be your joy deprived of the comforts of his presence and all the pleasure of his wayes How miserably will you be tormented between the tyranny of your own concupiscence the sting of sin the gripes of conscience and the terrors of the Lord How much of the life of faith and love and heavenly zeal will be quenched in a moment I am to speak more afterwards of this and therefore shall only say at present to all young Converts that care for their salvation Mortifie the flesh and alwayes watch and avoid temptations Direct 15. BE exceeding wary not only what Teachers you commit the guidance of your souls unto Direct 15. Nam si falsi solo nomine tumidi non modo non consulendi sed vitandi sunt quibus nihil est importunius nihil insu siâ—s c. Pâ—tâ—a câ— Dâ—al 117. li. 2. but also with what company you familiarly converse That they be neither such as would corrupt your minds with error or your hearts with viciousness profâ—neness lukewarmness or with a feavorish factious zeal But choose if possible judicious holy heavenly humble unblameable self-denying persons to be your ordinary companions and familiars but especially for your near Relations § 1. It is a matter of very great importance what Teachers you choose in order to your salvation In this the free grace of God much differenceth some from others For as poor Heathens and Infidels have none that know more than what the Book of Nature teacheth if so much so in the several Nations of Christians it is hard for the people to have any but such as the Sword of the Magistrate forceth on them or the stream of their Countreys Custom recommendeth to them And it is a wonder Scientiâ— est posse dâ—cere Provâ—â—b Sub indocto tamen doctus evadâ—re potes â—fflaâ—u aliquo divino ut Ciâ—â—ro loquitur Augustinus de seipso testatur cui non omnia credere nefas est quod Aristotelicas Categorias quae inter difficillima numerantur artes liberales quas singulas a praeceptoribus didicisse magnum dicitur nullo tradeâ—te omnes intellexit â—â—â—â—ardus item vir doctrina sanctitate clarissimus omnes suas literas quarum inter cunctos sui temporis abundantissimus fuâ—â— in sâ—lvis in agris didicit non hominum magisterio sed meditando orando nec ullos unquam alios praeceptores habuit quam quercus sagos Pâ—trâ—â—ch li. 2. Dialog 40. if pure Truth and Holiness be countenanced by either of these But when and where his mercy pleaseth God sendeth wise and holy Teachers with compassion and diligence to seek the saving of mens souls so that none but the malignant and obstinate are deprived of their help § 2. Ambitious proud covetous licentious ungodly men are not to be chosen for your Teachers if you have your choice In a Nation where true Religion is in credit and hath the Magistrates countenance or the Major Vote some graceless men may joyn with better in preaching and defending the purity of doctrine and holiness of life And they may be very serviceable to the Church herein especially in expounding and disputing for the truth But even there more experienced spiritual Teachers are much more desirable They will speak most feelingly who feel what they speak And they are fittest to bring others to faith and love who believe and love God and holiness themselves They that have life will speak more lively than the dead And in most places of the world the ungodliness of such Teachers makes them enemies to the Truth which is according to godliness Their natures are at enmity to the life and power of the doctrine which they should preach And they will do their worst to corrupt the Magistrates and make them of their mind And if they can but get the Sword to favour them they are usually the cruellest persecutors of the sincere As it is notorious among the Papists that the baits of Power and Honour and Wealth have so vitiated the body of their Clergy that they conspire to uphold a worldly Government and Religion and in express contradiction to Sense and Reason and to Antiquity and the judgement of the Church and to the holy Scriptures they captivate the ignorant and sensual to their tyranny and false worship and use the seduced Magistrates and multitude to the persecuting of those that will not follow them to sin and to perdition Take heed of proud and worldly Guides § 3. And yet it is not every one that pretendeth Piety and Zeal that is to be heard or taken for a Teacher But 1. Such as preach ordinarily the substantial Truths which all Christians are agreed in 2. Such as make it the drift of their preaching to raise your souls to the Love of God and to a holy heavenly life and are zealous against confessed sins 3. Such as contradict not the
your salvation Take heed lest it turn into carnal security and a perswasion of your good estate upon ill grounds or you know not why 4. Have you the Hope of glory Take heed lest it turn into a careless venterousness of your soul or the meer laying aside of fear and cautelous suspicion of your selves 5. Have you a Love to them that fear the Lord Watch your hearts lest it degenerate into a carnal or a partial Love Many unheedful young persons of different Sexes at first love each other with an honest chaste and pious Love but imprudently using too much familiarity before they were well aware it hath turned into a fleshly Love which hath proved their snare and drawn them further into sin or trouble Many have honoured them that fear the Lord who insensibly have declined to honour only those of them that were eminent in wealth and worldly honour or that were esteemed for their parts or place by others and little honoured the humble poor obscure Christians who were at least as good as they Forgetting that the things that are highly esteemed among men are abomination in the sight of God Luke 16. 15. and that God valueth not men by their places and dignities in the world but by their graces and holiness of life Abundance that at first did seem to Love all Christians as such as far as any thing of Christ appeared in them have first fallen into some Sect and over admiring their party and have set light by others as good as them and censured them as unfound and then withdrawn their special Love and confined it to their party or to some few and yet thought that they loved the godly as much as ever when it was degenerate into a factious Love 6. Are you zealous for God and truth and holiness and against the errors and sins of others Take heed lest you lose it not while you think it doth increase in you Nothing is more apt to degenerate than zeal In how many thousand hath it turned from an innocent charitable peaceable tractable healing profitable heavenly zeal into a partial zeal for some Party or Opinions of their own and into a fierce censorious uncharitable scandalous turbulent disobedient unruly hurting and destroying zeal ready to wish for fire from Heaven and kindling contention confusion and every evil work Read well Iames 3. 7. So if you are meek or patient take heed lest it degenerate into stupidity or contempt of those you suffer by To be patient is not to be meerly insensible of the affliction but by the power of faith to bear the sense of it as over-ruled by things of greater moment § 3. How apt men are to corrupt and debase all duties of Religion is too visible in the face of the far greatest part of the Christian world Throughout both the Eastern and the Western Churches the Papists the Greeks the Armenians the Abassines and too many others though the Essentials of Religion through Gods mercy are retained yet how much is the face of Religion altered from what it was in the dayes of the Apostles The ancient simplicity of Doctrine is turned into abundance of new or private opinions introduced as necessary Articles of Religion and alas how many of them â—alse So that Christians being too proud to accept of the ancient test of Christianity cannot now agree among themselves what a Christian is and who is to be esteemed a Christian and so they deny one another to be Christians and destroy their Charity to each other and divide the Church and make themselves a scom by their divisions to the Infidel world And thus the Primitive Unity Charity and Peace is partly destroyed and partly degenerate into the Unity Charity and Peace of several Sects among themselves The primitive simplicity in Government and Discipline is with most turned into a â—orâ—â—ble Secular Government exercised to advance one man above others and to satisfie his will and lusts and make him the Rule of other mens lives and to suppress the power and spirituality of Religion in the world The primitive simplicity of Worship is turned into such a Masque of Ceremony and such a task of formalities and bodily exercise that if one of the Apostolical Christians should come among them he would scarce think that this is the same employment which formerâ—y the Church was exercised in or scarce know Religion in this antick dress So that the amiable glorious face of Christianity is so spotted and defiled that it is hidden from the Unbelieving world and they laugh at it as irrational or think it to be but like their own And the principal hinderance of the conversion of Heathens Mahometans and other Unbelievers is the corruption and deformity of the Churches that are near them or should be the instruments of their conversion And the probablest way to the conversion of those Nations is the true Reformation of the Churches both in East and West which if they were restored to the ancient spirituality rationality and simplicity of Doctrine Discipline and Worship and lived in charity humility and holiness as those whose hearts and conversations are in Heaven with all worldly glory and honour as under their feet they would then be so illustrious and amiable in the eyes even of Heathens and other Infidels that many would flock in to the Church of Christ and desire to be such as they And their light would so shine before these men that they would see their good works and glorifie their heavenly Father and embrace their faith § 4. The commonest way of the degenerating of all Religious duties is into this dead formality or lifeless Image of Religion If the Devil can but get you to cast off the spirituality and life of duty he will give you leave to seem very devout and make much ado with outward actions words and beads and you shall have so much zeal for a dead Religion or the Corpse of Worship as will make you think that it is indeed alive By all means take heed of this turning the Worship of God into lip-service The commonest cause of it is a carnality of mind Fleshly men will think best of the most fleshly Religion or else a slothfulness in duty which will make you sit down with the easiest part It is the work of a Saint and a diligent Saint to keep the soul it self both regularly and vigorously employed with God But â—o say over certain words by rote and to lift up the hands and eyes is â—asie And hypocrites that are conscious that they are void of the life and spirituality of Worship do think to make all up with this formality and quiet their consciences and delude their souls with a hansome Image Of this I have spoken more largely in a Book called The Vain Religion of the Formal Hypocrite § 5. Yet run not here into the contrary extream as to think that the Body must not worship God as well as the soul or that the
grace which he hath given us 2. And by shewing us the truth of the Promise made to all believers 3. And by helping us from those Promises to conclude with boldness that we are the children of God 4. And by helping us to rejoyce therein § 12. II. I have been the longer though too short in acquainting you with the Office of the Holy Ghost supposing your Belief that he is the third person in the Trinity because it is an Article of grand importance neglected by many that profess it and because there are so many and dangerous errors in the world about it Your great care now must be 1. To find this Spirit in you as the Principle of your operations and 2. To obey it and follow its motions as it leadeth you up to communion with God Of the first I have spoken in the first Chapter For the second observe these few Directions § 13. Direct 1. Be sure you mistake not the Spirit of God and its motions nor receive instead of Direct 1. them the motions of Satan or of your passions pride or fleshly wisdom It is easie to think you are obeying the Spirit when you are obeying Satan and your own corruptions against the Spirit By these fruits the Spirit of God is known 1. The Spirit of God is for Heavenly Wisdom and neither for Foolishness or treacherous craftiness Psal. 19. 7. 94. 8. Jer. 4. 22. 1 Cor. 2. 4 5 6 7. 2. The Spirit of God is a Spirit of Love delighting to do good its doctrine and motions are for Love and tend to Good abhorring both selfishness and hurtfulness to others Gal. 5. 21 22. 3. He is a Spirit of Concord and is ever for the Unity of all believers abhorring both Divisions among the Saints and carnal complyances and â—onfederacies with the wicked 1 Cor. 12. Ephes. 4. 3 4 5 6 13. 1 Cor. 1. 10. Nâ—mo magnus sine aâ—iquo afflaâ—â— Dâ—vâ—â—o â—nquam suit â—â—â—â— 2. â—â— Nâ—â— Dâ—o 3. 3. Rom. 16 17 18. 4. He is a Spirit of humility and self-denyal making us and our knowledge and gifts and worth to be very little in our own eyes Abhorring pride ambition self-exalting boasting as also the actual debasing of our selves by earthliness or other sin Matth. 18. 3. Eph. 4. 2. 5. He is a Spirit of meekness and patience and â—orbearance Abhorring stupidity and inordinate passion boisterousness tumult envy contention reviling and revenge Math. 11. 28 29. Ephes. 4. 2. Iames 3. 1 Pet. 2. 20 21 23. Gal. 5. 20. Rom. 12. 18 19 20. Eph. 4. 31. Col. 3. 8. 6. He is a Spirit of zeal for God resolving men against known sin and for known truth and duty Abhorring a furious destroying zeal and also an indifferency in the cause of God and a yielding complyance with that which is against it Gal. 4. 18. Numb 25. 11 13. Titus 2. 14. Iames 3. 15. 17. Luke 9. 55. Rev. 3. 16. 7. He is a Spirit of Mortification crucifying the flesh and still conâ—ending against it and causeing men to live above all the Glory and Riches and Pleasures of the world Abhorring both carnal licentiousness and sensuality and also the destroying and disabling of the Body under preâ—ence of true mortification Rom. 8. 1. 13. Gal. 5. 17. Rom. 13. 13 14. 1 Cor. 9. 27. 2 Pâ—t 2. 19. Col. 2. 18 21 23. 8. The Spirit of Christ contradicteth not the doctrine of Christ in the holy Scripture but moveth us to an exact conformity thereto Isa. 8. 20. This is the sure Rule to try pretences and motions of every Spirit by For we are sure that the Spirit of Christ is the Author of that word and we are sure he is not contrary to himself 9. The motions of the Spirit do all tend to our Good and are neither Ludicrous impertinent or hurtful finally They are all for the perfecting of sanctification obedience and for our salvation Therefore unprofitable trifles or despair and hurtful distractions and disturbances of mind which drive from God unfit for duty and hinder salvation are not the motions of the Spirit of God 2 Tim. 1. 7. Rom. 8. 15. Isa. 11. 2. Gal. 5. 22. Zech. 12. 10. 1 Pet. 4. 14. 2 Cor. 3. 6. 10. Lastly The Spirit of God subjecteth all to God and raiseth the heart to him and maketh us spiritual and divine and is ever for Gods glory 1 Iohn 4 5 6. 1 Cor. 6. 11. 17 20. Ephes. 2. 18 22. Phil. 3. 3 19 20. 1 Pet. 1. 2. 4 6. Examine the Texts here cited and you will find that by all these fruits the Spirit of God is known from all seducing Spirits and from the fancies or passions of self-conceited men § 14. Direct 2. Quench not the Spirit either by wilful sin or by your neglecting of its offered help Direct â— It is as the spring to all your spiritual motions as the Wind to your Sails You can do nothing without it Therefore reverence and regard its help and pray for it and obey it and neglect it not When you are sure it is the Spirit of God indeed that is knocking at the door behave not your selves as if you heard not 1. Obey him speedily Delay is a present unthankful refusal and a kind of a denyal 2. Obey him throughly A half obedience is disobedience Put him not off with Ananias and Saphira's gift the half of that which he requireth of you 3. Obey him constantly not sometime hearkning to him and more frequently neglecting him but attending him in a learning obediential course of life § 15. Direct 3. Neglect not those means which the Spirit hath appointed you to use for the receiving Direct 3. of us help and which be useth in his holy operations If you will meet with him attend him in his own way and expect him not in by-wayes where he useth not to go Pray and meâ—itaâ—e and hear and read and do your best and expect his blessing Though your plowing and sâ—winâ— will not give you a plentiful harvest without the Sun and Rain and the blessing of God yet these will not do â—t neither unless you plow and sow God hath not appointed a course of means in Nature or Morality in vain nor will he use to meet you in any other way § 16. Direct 4. Do most when the Spirit helpeth you most Neglect not the extraordinary measures Direct 4. of his assistance If he extraordinarily help you in prayer or meditation improve that help and break not â—st so soon as at other times without necessity Not that you should omit duty till you seel his help For he useth to come in with help in the performance and not in the neglect of duty But tire not out your self with affected length when you want the life § 17. Direct 5. Be not unthankful for the assistance he hath given you Deny not his grace Direct 5. Ascribe it not to nature Remember it to encourage your future expectations
Father of lyes and error than for the School of Christ. Except Conversion make men as little children that come not to caâ—p and cavil but to learn they are not meet for the Kingdom of Christ. Matth. 18. 3. John 3. 3 5. Know how blind and ignorant you are and how dull of learning and humbly beg of the Heavenly Teacher that he will accept you and illuminate you and give up your understandings absolutely to be informed by him and your Hearts to be the Tables in which his Spirit shall write his Law Believing his doctrine upon the bare account of his infallible Veracity and resolving to obey it and this is to be the Disciples of Christ indeed and such as shall be taught of God § 11. Direct 10. Come to the School of Christ with honest willing hearts that Love the truth and Direct 10. â—ain would know it that they may obey it and not with false and byassed hearts which secretly hinder the understanding from entertaining the truth because they love it not as being contrary to their carnal inclinations and interest The word that was received into Honest hearts was it that was as the seed that brought forth plentifully Matth. 13. 23. When the Heart saith unfeignedly Speak Lord for thy servant heareth Teach me to know and do thy will God will not leave such a Learner in the dark Most of the damnable ignorance and error of the world is from a wicked heart that perceiveth that the Truth of God is against their fleshly interest and lusts and therefore is unwilling to obey it and unwilling to believe it lest it torment them because they disobey it A will that 's secretly poysoned with the Love of the world or of any sinful lusts and pleasures is the most potent impediment to the believing of the truth § 12. Direct 11. Learn with quietness and peace in the School of Christ and make not divisions and Direct 11. meddle not with others lessons and matters but with your own Silence and quietness and minding your own business is the way to profit The turbulent wranglers that are quarrelling with others and are religions contentiously in envy and strife are liker to be corrected or ejected than to be edified Read Iames 3. § 13. Direct 12. Remember that the School of Christ hath a Rod and therefore learn with fear and Direct 12. reverence Heb. 12. 28 29. Phil. 2. 12. Christ will sharply rebuke his own if they grow negligent and oftend And if he should cast thee out and forsake thee thou art undone for ever See therefore that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they sâ—aped not that refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we if we refuse him that is from Heaven Heb. 12. 25. For how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at first began to be spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that â—eard him God also bearing them witness both with signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will Heb. 2. 3 4. Serve the Lord therefore with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son left he be angry and you perish in the kindling of his wrath Psal. 2. 11 12. DIRECT VIII Gr. Dir. 6. To obev Christ as our Physicion in his healing work and his Spirit in its cleansing mortifying work Remember that you are Related to Christ as the Physicion of your souls and to the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier Make it therefore your serious study to be cured by Christ and cleansed by his Spirit of all the sinful diseases and defilements of your hearts and lives § 1. THough I did before speak of our Believing in the Holy Ghost and using his help for our access to God and converse with him yet I deferred to speak fully of the Cleansing and Mortifying part of his work of Sanctification till now and shall treat of it here as it is the same with the Curing work of Christ related to us as the Physicion of our souls it being part of our Subjection and Obedience to him to be Ruled by him in order to our cure And what I shall here write against sin in general will be of a twofold use The one is to help us against the inward corruptions of our hearts and for the outward obedience of our lives and so to further the work of Sanctification and prevent our sinning The other is to help us to Repentance and Humiliation habitual and actual for the sins which are in us and which we have already at any time committed § 2. The General Directions for this curing and cleansing of the soul from sin are contained for the most part in what is said already and many of the particular Directions also may be fetcht from the sixth Direction before going I shall now add but two General Directions and many more Particular ones Direct 1. I. The two General Directions are these 1. Know what corruptions the soul of man is naturally Direct 1. defiled with And this containeth the knowledge of those faculties that are the seat of thâ—se corruptions and the knowledge of the corruptions that have tainted and perverted the several faculties Direct 2. 2. Know what sin is in its nature or intrinsick evil as well as in the effects Direct 2. How the several faculties of the soul are corrupted and diseased § 3. 1. The Parts or faculties to be cleansed and cured are both the Superiour and Inferiour 1. The Understanding though not the first in the sin must be first in the cure For all that is done upon the Lower faculties must be by the Governing power of the will And all that is done upon the will ac cording to the order of humane nature must be done by the Understanding But the Understanding hath its own diseases which must be known and cured It s malady in general is Ignorance which is not only a privation of actual knowledge but an undisposedness also of the understanding to know the truth A man may be deprived of some actual knowledge that hath no disease in his mind that causeeth In what cases a sound understanding may be ignorant it as in case that either the object be absent and out of reach or that there be no sufficient Revelation of it or that the mind be taken up wholly upon some other thing or in case a man shut out the thoughts of such an object or refuse the evidence which is the act of the will even as a man that is not blind may yet not see a particular object 1. In case it be out of his natural reach 2. Or if it be night and he want extrinsick light 3. Or in case he be wholly taken up with the observation of other things 4. Or in case he wilfully either shut or turn away his eyes It is a very hard question to resolve how far and wherein the
do They cause them to Blaspheme and reproach the godly for their sakes and say These are your Religious men You see now what their strictness is And they hinder the conversion and salvation of others They grieve the godly and wrong the Church and Cause of God much more than the sins of others do 20. Lastly They please the Devil more than the sins of other men How busie is he to have drawn a Iob to sin and how would he have boasted against God and his grace and his servants if he had prevailed when he boasted so much before in the false presumption of his success As if he could make the godly forsake God and be as bad as others if he have leave to tempt them § 19. II. I shall next give you some particular Directions besides those fore-going to help you to think of sin as it is that you may hate it For your cleansing and cure consisteth in this so far as you hate sin it is mortified and you are cured of it And therefore as I have anatomized it that you may see the hatefulness of it I shall direct you to improve this for your cure § 20. Direct 1. Labour to know God and to be affected with his Attributes and alwayes to live as Direct 1. How to hate sin in his sight No man can know sin perfectly because no man can know God perfectly You can no further know what sin is than you know what God is whom you sin against For the formal malignity of sin is Relative as it is against the Will and Attributes of God The godly have some knowledge of the malignity of sin because they have some knowledge of God that is wronged by it The wicked have no practical prevalent knowledge of the malignity of sin because they have no such knowledge of God They that fear God will fear sinning They that in their hearts are bold unreverently with God will in heart and life be bold with sin The Atheist that thinketh there is no God thinks there is no sin against him Nothing in the world will tell us so plainly and powerfully of the evil of sin as the knowledge of the Greatness Wisdom Goodness Holiness Authority Justice Truth c. of God The sense of his presence therefore will revive our sense of sins malignity § 21. Direct 2. Consider well of the office the bloodshed and the holy life of Christ His office is Direct 2. to expiate sin and to destroy it His blood was shed for it His Life condemned it Love Christ and thou wilt hate that which caused his death Love him and thou wilt love to be made like him and hate that which is so contrary to Christ. These two great Lights will shew the odiousness of darkness § 22. Direct 3. Think well both how Holy the office and work of the Holy Ghost is and how great Direct 3. a mercy it is to us Shall God himself the Heavenly light come down into a sinful heart to illuminate and 〈◊〉 it and yet shall I keep my darkness and defilement in opposition to such wonderful mercy Though all sin against the Holy Ghost be not the unpardonable blasphemy yet all is aggravated hereby § 23. Direct 4. Know and consider the wonderful Love and Mercy of God and think what he hath Direct 4. dâ—ne for you and you will hate sin and be ashamed of it It is an aggravation which makes sin odious even to common reason and ingenuity that we should offend a God of infinite Goodness who hath filled up our lives with Mercy It will grieve you if you have wronged an extraordinary friend His Love and kindness will come into your thoughts and make you angry with your own unkindness Here look over the Catalogue of Gods mercies to you for soul and body And here observe that Satan in hiding the Love of God from you and tempting you under pretence of humility to deny his greatest special mercy doth seek to destroy your repentance and humiliation also by hiding the greatest aggravation of your sin § 24. Direct 5. Think what the soul of man is made for and should be used to even to Love obey Direct 5. and glorifie our Maker and then you will see what sin is which disableth and perverteth it How excellent and high and holy a work are we created for and called to and should we defile the Temple â—â— God and serve the Devil in filthiness and folly where we should entertain and serve and magnifie our Creator § 25. Direct 6. Think well what pure and sweet delights a holy soul may enjoy from God in his Direct 6. holy service and then you will see what sin is which robbeth him of these delights and preferreth fleshly lusts before them O how happily might we perform every duty and how fruitfully might we serve our Lord and what delights should we find in his Love and acceptation and the foresight of everlasting blessedness if it were not for sin which bringeth down the soul from the doors of Heaven to wallow with Swine in a beloved Dunghill § 26. Direct 7. Bethink you what a life it is which you must live for ever if you live in Heaven Direct 7. and what a life the Holy ones there now live and then think whether sin which is so contrary to it be not a vile and hateful thing Either you would live in Heaven or not If not you are not those I speak to If you would you know that there 's no sinning No worldly mind no pride no passion no fleshly lust or pleasures there O did you but see and hear one hour how those blessed Spirits are taken up in loving and magnifying the glorious God in purity and holiness and how far they are from sin it would make you lothe sin ever after and look on sinners as on men in Bedlam wallowing naked in their dung Especially to think that you hope your selves to live for ever like those holy Spirits and therefore sin doth ill beseem you § 27. Direct 8. Look but to the state and torment of the damned and think well of the difference Direct 8. betwixt Angels and Devils and you may know what sin is Angels are pure Devils are polluted Holiness and sin do make the difference Sin dwells in Hell and holiness in Heaven Remember that every temptation is from the Devil to make you like himself as every holy motion is from Christ to make you like himself Remember when you sin that you are learning and imitating of the Devil and are so far like him John 8. 44. And the end of all is that you may feel his pains If Hell fire be not good then sin is not good § 28. Direct 9. Look alwayes on sin as one that is ready to dye and consider how all men judge of Direct 9. it at the last What do men in Heaven say of it And what do men in Hell say of
above in a Heavenly conversation and then your souls will be alwayes Direct 11. in the light and as in the sight of God and taken up with those businesses and delights which put them out of rellish with the baits of sin § 43. Direct 12. Let Christian watchfulness be your daily work And cherish a preserving though Direct 12. not a distracting and discouraging fear § 44. Direct 13. Take heed of the first approaches and beginnings of sin Oh how great a matter Direct 13. doth a little of this fire kindle And if you fall rise quickly by sound repentance whatever it may cost you § 45. Direct 14. Make Gods Word your only Rule and labour diligently to understand it Direct 14. § 46. Direct 15. In doubtful Cases do not easily depart from the unanimous judgement of the generality of the most wise and godly of all ages § 47. Direct 16. And in doubtful Cases be not passionate or rash but proceed deliberately and Direct 15. prove things well before you fasten on them § 48. Direct 17. Be acquainted with your bodily temperature and what sin it most enclineth you Direct 16. to and what sin also your Calling or converse doth lay you most open to that there your watch may be the stricter Of all which I shall speak more fully under the next Grand Direction § 49. Direct 18. Keep in a life of holy Order such as God hath appointed you to walk in For Direct 18. there is no preservation for straglers that keep not Rank and File but forsake the order which God commandeth them And this order lyeth principally in these points 1. That you keep in Union with the Universal Church Separate not from Christs body upon any pretence whatever With the Church as Regenerate hold spiritual communion in faith love and holiness with the Church as Congregate and Visible hold outward Communion in Profession and Worship 2. If you are not Teachers live under your particular faithful Pastors as obedient Disciples of Christ. 3. Let the most godly if possible be your familiars 4. Be laborious in an outward Calling § 50. Direct 19. Turn all Gods Providences whether of prosperity or adversity against your sins If Direct 19. he give you health and wealth remember he thereby obligeth you to obedience and calls for special service from you If he afflict you remember that it is sin that he is offended at and searcheth after and therefore take it as his Physick and see that you hinder not but help on its work that it may purge away your sin § 51. Direct 20. Wait patiently on Christ till he have finished the cure which will not be till this Direct â—â— trying life be finished Persevere in attendance on his Spirit and Means for he will come in season and will not tarry Hos. 6. 3. Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord His going forth is prepared as the morning and he shall come unto us as the rain as the later and former rain upon the earth Though you have oft said There is no healing Jer. 14. 19. He will heal your back-slidings and love you freely Hos. 14. 4. Unto you that fear his name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4. 2. And blessed are all they that wait for him Isa. 30. 18. Thus I have given such Directions as may help for Humiliation under sin or hatred of it and deliverance from it DIRECT IX Spend all your dayes in a skilful vigilant resolute and valiant War against the Flesh Gr. Dir. 9. Our Warfare under Christ against the Tempter the World and the Devil as those that have covenanted to follow Christ the Captain of your Salvation § 1. THe Flesh is the End of Temptation for all is to please it Rom. 13. 14. and therefore is Sâ—e my Trea 〈…〉 the greatest enemy The world is the Matter of Temptation And the Devil is the first mover or efficient of it and this is the Trinity of enemies to Christ and us which we renounce in Baptism and must constantly resist Of the world and flesh I shall speak Chap. 4. Here I shall open the Methods of the Devil And first I shall prepare your understanding by opening some presupposed truths § 2. 1. It is presupposed that there is a Devil He that believeth not this doth prove it to others by shewing how grosly the Devil can befool him Apparitions Witchcrafts and Temptations are full proofs of it to sense besides what Scripture saith § 3. 2. It is supposed that he is the deadly enemy of Christ and us He was once an Angel and â—f the Temptations to hinder Conversion see before Chap. 1. sell from his first estate by sin and a world of evil Spirits with him and it is probable his envy against mankind might be the greater as knowing that we were made to succeed him and his followers in their state of glory For Christ saith that we shall be equal with the Angels Luke 20. 36. He shewed his enmity to man in our innocency and by his temptation caused our fall and misery But aâ—ter the fall God put an enmity into the nature of man against Devils as a merciful preservative against temptation so that as the whole nature of man abhorreth the nature of Serpents so doth the soul abhor and dread the diabolical nature And therefore so far as the Devil is seen in a temptation now so far it is frustrated till the enmity in nature be overcome by his deceits And this help nature hath against temptation which it seems our nature had not before the fall as not knowing the malice of the Devil against us § 3. There is a Natural enmity to the Devil himself put into all the womans natural seed But the moral enmity against his sinful temptations and works is put only into the spiritual seed by the Holy Ghost except what remnants are in the light of Nature I will be brief of all this and the next having spoken of them more largely in my Treatise against Infidelity Part. 3. page 190. § 13 c. § 4. The Devils names do tell us what he is In the Old Testament he is called 1. The Serpent Gen. 3. 2. The Hebrew word translated Devils in Levit. 17. 7. and Isa. 13. 21. signifieth Viâ— Pools Sy 〈…〉 Levit. 1. 77 Iâ—â—hese later 〈…〉 th the 〈◊〉 disposition which Satan as a Tempter causeth and so he is known by it as his Off-spring â—â—iâ—y as Satyrs are described and sometime Hee-goats Because in such shapes he oft appeareth 3. He is called Satan Zech. 3. 1. 4. An evil Spirit 1 Sam. 18. 10. 5. A lying Spirit 1 Kings 22. 22. For he is a lyar and the Father of it John 8. 44. 6. His off-spring is called A Spirit of uncleanness Zech. 13. 2. 7. And he or his Spawn is called A Spirit of fornication Hos. 4. 12. that is
it § 52. Direct 14. If God so much regard us as to make us and preserve us continually and to become Tempt 14. our Governour and make a Law for us and judge us and Reward his servants with no less than Heaven than you may easily see that he so much regardeth us as to observe whether we obey or break his Laws He that so far careth for a Clock or Watch as to make it and wind it up doth care whether it go true or false What do these men make of God who think he cares not what men do Then he cares not if men beat you or râ—b you or kill you for none of this hurteth God And the King may say if any murder your friends or children why should I punish him he hurt not me But Iustice is to keep order in the world and not only to preserve the Governour from hurt God may be wronged though he be not hurt And he will make you pay for it if you hurt others and smart for it if you hurt your self § 53. Tempt 15. The Tempter laboureth to extenuate the sin and make it seem a little one and if Tempt 15. every little sin must be made such a matter of you 'll never be quiet § 54. Direct 15. But still remember 1. There is deadly poyson in the very nature of sin as Direct 15. there is in a Serpent be he never so small The least sin is worse than the greatest pain that ever man selt and would you choose that and say its little The least sin is odious to God and had a hand in the death of Christ and will damn you if it be not pardoned and should such a thing be made light of And many sins counted small may have great aggravations such as the knowing deliberate wilful committing of them is To love a small sin is a great sin specially to love it so well that the remembrance of Gods Will and Love of Christ and Heaven and Hell will not suffice to resolve you against it Besides a small sin is the common way to greater James 1. 14 15. When lust hath conceived it brings forth sin and sin when it is finished brings forth death James 3. 5. Behâ—ld how great a matter a little fire kindleth The horrid sins of David and Peter had small beginnings Mortal sicknesses seem little matters at the first Many a thousand have sinned themselves to Hell that began with that which is accounted small § 55. Tempt 16. Also the Devil draweth on the sinner by promising him that he shall sin but once Tempt 16. or but a very few times and then do so no more He tells the Thief and the Fornicator that if they will do it but this once they shall be quiet § 56. Direct 16. But O consider 1. That one stab at the heart may prove uncurable God may Direct 16. deny thee time or grace to repent 2. That it is easier to forbear the first time than the second For one sin disposeth the heart unto another If you cannot deny the first temptation how will you deny the next When you have lost your strength and grieved your helper and strengthened your enemy and your snare will you then resist better wounded then now when you are whole § 57. Tempt 17. But when the Devil hath prevailed for once with the sinner he makes that an argument Tempt 17. for a second He saith to the Thief and Drunkard and Fornicator It is but the same thing that thou hast done once already and if once may be pardoned twice may be pardoned and if twice why not thrice and so on § 58. Direct 17. This it is to let the Devil get in a foot A spark is easier quenched than a flame Direct 17. but yet remember that the longer the worse the oftner you sin the greater is the abuse of the Spirit of God and the contempt of grace and the wrong to Christ and the harder is repentance and the sharper if you do repent because the deeper is your wound Repent therefore speedily and go no further unless you would have the Devil tell you next It 's now too late § 59. Tempt 18. The Tempter maketh use of the greater sins of others to perswade men to venture Tempt 18. upon less Thou hearest other men curse and swear and rail and dost thou stick at idle talk How many in the world are enemies to Christ and persecute his Ministers and Servants and dost thou make so great a matter of omitting a Sermon or a prayer or other holy duty § 60. Direct 18. As there are degrees of sin so there are degrees of punishment And wilt thou Direct 18. rather choose the easiest place in Hell than Heaven How small soever the matter of sin be thy wilfulness and sinning against conscience and mercies and warnings may make it great to thee Are great sinners so happy in thy eyes that thou wouldst be as like them as thou darest § 61. Tempt 19. Also he would embolden the sinner because of the Commonness of the sin and Tempt 19. the multitude that commit either that or worse as if it were not therefore so bad or dangerous § 62. Direct 19. But remember that the more examples you have to take warning by the more Direct 19. unexcusable is your fall It was not the number of Angels that fell that could keep them from being Devils and damned for their sin God will do Justice on many as well as on one The sin is the greater and therefore the punishment shall not be the less Make the case your own Will you think it a good reason for any one to abuse you beat you rob you because that many have done so before He should rather think that you are abused too much already and therefore he should not add to your wrongs If when many had spit in Christs face or bufletted him some one should have given him another spit or blow as if he had not enough before would you not have taken him to be the worst and cruellest of them all If you do as the most you 'll speed as the most § 63. Tempt 2â— â—â— is a dangerous Temptation when the Devill propâ—seth some very good end and â—â—â—â—t 2â— mâ—kâ—t◠〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 or the necessary means to accomplish it when he blindâ—th men sâ— farr as tâ—â—â—â—â—k tâ—â—â—â— it is necessary tâ— their salvation or to other mens or to the wellfare of the Church or pro 〈…〉 oâ— the pleasing of God then sâ—n will be commited without regret and continued in â—â—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 Oâ— this account it is that â—â—reâ—â—e and will-worship and superstition are kept up â—â—â—â— 2. 18 21 22 23. Having a shew of wisdom in will-worship and humility and neglecting the body It is for God that much of the wickedness of the world is done against God It s for the Church aâ—â— Truth that Papists have murdered and persecuted so
zeal and delight remembring that you are engaged to God as servants to their Lord and Master and are entrusted with his talents of the improvement whereof you must give account § 1. THe next Relation between Christ and us which we are to speak of subordinate to that of King and Subjects is this of MASTER and SERVANTS Though Christ saith to the Apostles John 15. 5. Henceforth I call you not servants but friends the meaning is not that he calleth them not servants at all hut not meer servants they being more than servants having such acquaintance with his counsels as his friends For he presently verse 20. bids them Remember that the servant is not greater than the Lord. And John 13. 13. Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am And Matth. 23. 8. One is your Master Christ and all ye are brethren So Ver. 10. And the Apostles called themselves the servants of Iesus Christ Rom. 1. 1. 1 Cor. 4. 1. Phil. 1. 1. and of God Tit. 1. 1 c. § 2. He is called our Master and we his servants because he is our Rector ex pleno dominio with What it is to be Christâ— Servants absolute propriety and doth not give us Laws to Obey while we do our own work but giveth us his work to do and Laws for the right doing of it And it is a service under his eye and in dependance on him for our daily provisions as servants on their Lord. God hath WORK for us to do in the world and the performance of it he will require God biddeth his Sons Go work to day in my Vineyard Matth. 21. 28. and expecteth that they do it Ver. 31. His Servants are as Husbandmen to whom he entruâ—â—â—â—th his Vineyard that he may receive the fruit Ver. 33 34 41 43. Faithful servants shall be made Rulers over his houshold Matth. 24. 45 46. Christ delivereth to his servants his talents to improve and will require an account of the improvement at his coming Mat. 25. 14. GOOD WORKS in the proper comprehensive sense are all actions internal and external that are morally good But in the narrâ—weâ— acception they are Works not only formally good as acts of Obedience in general but also materially good such as a servant doth for his Master that tend to his advantage or the proâ—it of some other whose welfare he regardeth Because the doctrine of GOOD WORKS is controverted in these times I shall first open it briefly and then give you the Directions § 3. 1. Nothing is more certain than that God doth not need the service of any creature and that he receiveth no addition to his perfection or felicity from it and consequently that on terms of commutative Iustice which giveth one thing for another as in selling and buying no creature is capable of meriting at his hands 2. It is certain that on the terms of the Law of Works which required perfect obedience as the condition of life no sinner can do any work so good as in point of distributive governing Iustice shall merit at his hands 3. It is certain that Christ hath so fulfilled the Law of Works as to Merit for us 4. The Redeemed are not Masterless but have still a Lord who hath now a double Right to govern them And this Governour giveth them a Law And this Law requireth us to do good works as much as we are able though not so terribly yet as obligingly as the Law of Works And by this Law of Christ we must be Iudged And thus we must be judged according to our works and to be judged ☜ is nothing else but to be Iustified or Condemned Such works therefore are Rewardable according to the Distributive Iustice of the Law of Grace by which we must be Iudged And the antient Fathers who without any opposition spoke of Good works as Meritorious with God meant no more but that they were such as the Righteous Iudge of the world will Reward according to the Law of Grace by which he judgeth us And this doctrine being agreed on as certain truth there is no controversie left with them but whether the word Merit was properly or improperly used And that both Scripture and our common speech alloweth the Fathers use of the word I have shewed at large in my Confession 5. Christ is so far from Redeeming us from a necessity of good works that he dyed to restore us to a capacity and ability to perform them and hath new-made us for that end Tit. 2. 14. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Ephes. 2. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus to good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them 6. Good works opposed to Christ or his satisfaction merit righteousness mercy or free-grace in the matter of Justification or Salvation are not good works but proud self-confidence and sin But good works in their due subordination to Gods mercy and Christs merits and grace are necessary and Rewardable 7. Though God need none of our works yet that which is good materially pleaseth him as it tendeth to his glory and to our own and others benefit which he delighteth in 8. It is the communicating of his goodness and excellencies to the creature by which God doth glorifie himself in the world and in Heaven where is the fullest Communication he is most glorified Therefore the praise which is given to the creature who receiveth all from him is his own praise And it is no dishonour to God that his creature be honoured by being good and being esteemed good Otherwise God would never have created any thing lest it should derogate from himself Or he would have made them bad lest their goodness were his dishonour and he would be most pleased with the wicked and least pleased with the best as most dishonouring him But madness it self abhorreth these conceits 9. Therefore as an act of Mercy to us and for his own Glory as at first he made all things very good so he will make the new creature according to his Image which is Holy and Iust and Good and will use us in good works and it is our honour and gain and happiness to be so used by him As he will not communicate Light to the world without the Sun whose glory derogateth not from his honour So will he not do good works in the world immediately by himself only but by Vir bonus est qui prodest quibus potest nocet autem nemiâ—â— P. Scalig. Ne pigeat Evangelicum Ministrum aegâ—otum visitare xenio aliquo recreare famelicum cibario saltem pane pascere nuâ—um operire paupâ—râ—m cuâ— non est adjutor a divitum calumniis potentia eripere pro afflictis principem magistratumve convenire râ—m familiaâ—em câ—nsili augegere morientibus sedulo benigne astare lites dissidia
Answ. tween the Being of a duty and the Knowledge of a duty and remember that the first Question is whether this be my duty and the next How I may discern it to be my duty And that God giveth it the Being by his Law and Conscience is but to know and use it And that God changeth not his Law and our duty as oft as our opinions change about it The obligation of the Law is still the same though our Consciences err in apprehending it otherwise Therefore if God command you a duty and your opinion be that he doth not command it or that he forbids it and so that it is no duty or that it is a sin it doth not follow that indeed God commands it not because you think so Else it were no error in you nor could it be possible to err if the thing become true because you think it to be true God commandeth you to Love him and to worship him and to nourish your children and to obey the higher powers c. And do you think you shall be discharged from all these duties and allowed to be prophane or sensual or to resist authority or to famish your children if you can but be blind enough to think that God would have it so 2. Your error is a sin it self And do you think that one sin must warrant another or that sin can discharge you from your duty and disannull the Law 3. You are a subject to God and not a King to your self and therefore you must obey his Laws and not make new ones § 33. Quest. 2. But is it not every mans duty to obey his Conscience Quest. Answ. Answ. No It is no mans duty to obey his Conscience in an error when it contradicteth the command of God Conscience is but a Discerner of Gods command and not at all to be obeyed strictly as a Commander but it is to be obeyed in a larger sense that is to be followed where ever it truly discerneth the command of God It is our duty to lay by our error and seek the cure of it till we attain it and not to obey it § 34. Quest. 3. But is it not a sin for a man to go against his Conscience Quest. Answ. Answ. Yes Not because Conscience hath any authority to make Laws for you but because interpretatively you go against God For you are bound to obey God in all things and when you think that God commandeth you a thing and yet you will not do it you disobey formally though not materially The Matter of Obedience is the thing commanded The form of obedience is our doing the thing because it is commanded when the Authority of the Commander causeth us to do it Now you reject the Authority of God when you reject that which you think he commandeth though he did not Quest. § 35. Quest. 4. Seeing the form of obedience is the being of it and denominateth which the Matter doth not without the form and there can be no sin which is not against the authority of God which is the formal cause of obedience is it not then my duty to follow my Conscience Answ. Answ. 1. There must be an integrity of causes or concurrence of all necessaries to make up Obedience though the want of any one will make a sin If you will be called Obedient you must have the matter and form because the true form is found in no other matter You must do the thing commanded because of his Authority that commandeth it If it may be called really and formally Obedience when you err yet it is not that obedience which is acceptable For it is not any kind of obedience but obedience in the thing commanded that God requireth 2. But indeed as long as you err sinfully you are also wanting in the form as well as the matter of your obedience though you intend Obedience in the particular act It is not only a willful opposing and positive rejecting the Authority of the Commander which is formal disobedience but it is any Privation of due subjection to it when his Authority is not so regarded as it ought to be and doth not so powerfully and effectually move us to our duty as it ought Now this formal disobedience is found in your erroneous Conscience For if Gods Authority had moved you as it should have done to diligent enquiry and use of all appointed means and to the avoiding of all the causes of error you had never erred about your duty For if the error had been perfectly involuntary and blameless the thing could not have been your particular duty which you could not possibly come to know Quest. § 36. Quest. 5. But if it be a sin to go against my Conscience must I not avoid that sin by obeying it Would you have me sin Answ. Answ. You must avoid the sin by changing your judgement and not by obeying it For that is but to avoid one sin by committing another An erring judgement is neither obeyed nor disobeyed without sin It can make you sin though it cannot make you duty It doth ensnare though not oblige If you follow it you break the Law of God in doing that which he forbids you If you forsake it and go against it you reject the authority of God in doing that which you think he forbids you So that there is no attaining to innocence any other way but by coming first to Know your duty and then to do it If you command your servant to weed your corn and he mistake you and verily think that you bid him pull up the corn and not the weeds what now should he do Shall he follow his judgement or go against it Neither but change it and then follow it and to that end enquire further of your mind till he be better informed and no way else will serve the turn § 37. Quest. 6. Seeing no man that erreth doth know or think that he erreth for that 's a contradiction Quest. how can I lay by that opinion or strive against it which I take to be the truth Answ. It is your sin that you take a falshood to be a truth God hath appointed means for the Answ. cure of blindness and error as well as other sins or else the world were in a miserable case Come into the light with due self-suspicion and impartiallity and diligently use all Gods means and avoid the causes of deceit and error and the Light of Truth will at once shew you the Truth and shew you that before you erred In the mean time sin will be sin though you take it to be duty or no sin § 38. Quest. 7. But seeing he that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with Quest. 〈…〉 â—e that knoweth it not with few is it not my duty chiefly to avoid the many 〈…〉 against my Conscience or Knâ—wledge Answ. 1. Your duty is to avoid both and if
flesh and sinful shifts and stretching conscience It deludeth our judgements and maketh every thing seem Lawful which seems necessary to our safety and welfare and every thing seem necessary without which man cannot accomplish it All sinful complyances and temporizings and man-pleasing and believing sinful means to be no sin proceed from this Distrust of God § 19. Direct 12. Suffer not distrustful thoughts and reasonings in thy mind but cast them out and Direct 12. command them to be gone Cogitations are the instruments of good and evil in the mind of man They cannot be acted but by Thoughts And the will hath more command of the Thoughts than it hath immediately of the passions themselves If you cannot Trust God so quietly as you would noâ— keep under every fearful apprehension yet keep out or cast out the Thoughts which exercise your sin and turn your thoughts to something else If thoughts do not actuate it your distrustful fears and cares will vanish What are your cares but the turmoiling of your thoughts continually feeding upon difficulties and trouble and tiring themselves with hunting about for help Cast away the thoughts and the cares are gone You may do much in this if you will though it be difficult Matth. 6. 25. Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your bâ—dies what ye shall put on 27 28. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature And why take ye thought for raiment § 20. Direct 13. When commands will not prevail rebuke and chide thy unbelieving heart and reason Direct 13. it out of its distrustful cares and fears and sorrows Say to it as David oft Psal. 42. 43. Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thâ—u so disquieted within me Trust in God for I shall yet give him thanks who is the health of my counâ—enance and my God O foolish soul Hast thou yet learned no better to know thy God Doth he support the Heavens and the Earth and the whole Creation and yet canst not thou rely upon him Is he not wise enough to be trusted with the conduct and disposal of thee Is he not good and gracious enough to be trusted with thy life estate and name and welfare Is he not great and powerful enough to be trusted against the greatest danger or difficulties or opposition that ever can befall thee Is â—e not true and faithful enough to be trusted whatever improbabilities may arise before thee Where dwelt the man and what was his name that ever trusted him in vain or was ever failed or deceived by him Are not his Son and Spirit and Covenant and Oath sufficient pledges of his love for thy security How oft hath he performed his promises to thee and heard thy cryes and helpt and saved thee in thy distress How oft hath he confuted thine unbelief and shamed thy distrustful fears and cares And then thou couldst resolve to trust him better in the next distress And shall all his wonders of mercy be forgotten and all thy contessions thanksgivings and promises be now repented of contradicted or recanted by thy renewed distrust and unbelief Is he not the same God that hath so frequently and abundantly had mercy on thee Is he not the same God that hath saved all that trusted in him and wrought such wonders for his servants in the earth and brought so many safe to Heaven Our Fathers trusted in him they trusted and he delivered them they cryed to him and were delivered they trusted in him and were not confounded Psal. 22. 4 5. And is he not sufficient for thee that is sufficient for all the world Who ever sped ill that trusted in him or who hath prospered by trusting in themselves or any other without him or against him Unworthy soul Wilt thou Atheistically deny the sufficiency or truth or goodness of thy God Shall thy distrust deny him or blaspheme him Wilt thou Idolatrously set up a Worm above him Is there more in man or any thing else to hurt or ruine thee than in God to save thee Whom wilt thou trust if thou trust not God Darest thou think that any other is fitter for thy confidence Thou wouldst be quiet and confident if thy dearest friend had thy life or welfare in his hands and art thou troubled now it is in the hands of God Is he enough to be our endless happiness in Heaven and not to be thy confidence on earth Canst thou trust him to raise thy body from the dust and not raise thy state or name or troubled mind Either take him for thy Rock and hope or never pretend to take him for thy God If thou trust not in him thou must despair or trust against him And who wilt thou trust to save thee from him Hadst thou no more encouragement to trust him but this that he hath bid thee trust him thou mightst be sure he never would deceive thee Lament therefore thy disquietment and self-tormenting fears Lament thy injurious distrust of thy most dear All-mighty Father Choose not vexation when the harbour of his Love is open to secure thee If men or Devils are against thee say as those believers Dan. 3. 16 17. We are not careful to answer thee in this matter our God whom we serve is able to deliver us Go on with Daniel 6. in praying to thy God and trust him with the Lions Jaws Commit thy way unto the Lord Trust in him and he shall bring it to pass Psal. 37. 5. Some trust in Chariots and some in Horses but I will remember the name of the Lord our God Psal. 20. 7. Trust in him for he is thy Help and Shield Psal. 115. 9 10 11. § 21. Direct 14. Take not the sayings of the Tempter or thy own distrustful heart for the sayings of Direct 14. God or for any reason against thy confidence in him Some take all the malicious suggestions of the Devil for reasons of their disquietness and fears as if it were the Spirit of God that raised all the terrors and molestations in them which are raised by the enemy of God and them And they fear when Satan bids them thinking it is the Spirit of God and they dare not Trust God when he commandeth them for fear leâ—t it be the will of Satan Some are so strongly affected with their own conceits and fancies that they think God saith all that their hearts or fancies say and make one fear the reason of another Thy Heart is not so wise or good as that thou shouldst take all its words for the words of God Thy flesh and thy heart may fail thee when God who is the Rock of thy heart and thy portion will never fail Psal. 73. 26. Thy heart may say I have no grace no help no hope when God never said so Psal. 77. 7 8 9 10. Thy heart may say I am a reprobate forsaken of God he will not hear
and all the secrets of the heart Psalm 44. 21. 94. 11. Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world Acts 15. 18. His understanding is infinite Psalm 147. 5. What praise doth that Goodness and Mercy deserve which is diffused throughout all the world and is the life and hope and happiness of men and Angels His Mercy is Great unto the Heavens and his Truth unto the Clouds Psalm 57. 10. O how great is his Goodness to them that fear him Psalm 31. 10. and therefore how great should be his Praise Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord and who can shew forth all his Praise Psalm 106. 2. For great is the Glory of the Lord Psalm 138. 5. § 15. 2. It is the end of all Gods wondrous works and especially the end which man was made for that all things else might Praise him Objectively and men and Angels in estimation and expression that his Glorious excellency might be visible in his works and be admired and extolled by the rational creature For this all things were created and are continued For this we have our understanding and our speech This is the fruit that God expecteth from all his works Deny him this and you are guilty of frustrating the whole creation as much as in you lieth You would have the Sun to shine in vain and the Heavens and Earth to stand in vain and man and all things to live in vain if you would not have God have the praiâ—e and Glory of his works Therefore Sun and Moon and Starrs and Firmament are called on to Praise the Lord Psalm 148. 2 3 4. as they are the matter for which he must by us be praised O praise him therefore for his mighty acts Praise him according to his excellent greatness Psalm 150. 2. O that men would praise the Lord for his Goodness and declare his wondrous works for the children of men Psalm 107. 8 c. Yea it is the end of Christ in the Redemption of the world and in saving his elect that God might in the Church in Earth and Heaven have the praise and glory of his grace Ephes. 1. 6 12 14. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that iâ— the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name Heb. 13. 15. And let the redeemed of the Lord say that his mercy endureth for ever Psalm 107. 2. For this all his Saints are a chosen generation a royal priesthood a holy nation a peculiar people that they should shew forth the praises of him that hath called them out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 5 9. § 16. 3. The Praise of God is the highest and noblest work in it self 1. It hath the highest object even the glorious excellencies of God Thanksgiving is somewhat lower as having more respect to our selves and the Benefits received But Praise is terminated directly on the perfections of God himself 2. It is that work that is most immediately neerest on God as he is Our end And as the end as such is better than all the means set together as such so are the final duties about the end greater than all the mediate duties 3. It is the work of the most excellent creatures of God the holy Angels They proclaimed the coming of Christ by way of Praise Luke 2. 13 14. Glory to God in the highest on earth peace Good-will towards men Psalm 103. 20. 148. 2. And as we must be equal to the Angels it must be in equal Praising God or else it will not be in equality of Glory 4. It is the work of Heaven the place and state of all perfection And that is best and highest which is nearest Heaven Where they rest not day nor night saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God Allmighty which was and is and is to come Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 8. 10. Rev. 19. 5. A voice came out of the throne saying Praise our God all ye his servants and ye that fear him both small and great verse 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude and as the voice of many waters and as the voice of mighty thundrings saying Allelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Let us be glad and rejoyce and give honour to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his wife hath made herself ready § 17. 4. It beseemeth us and much concerneth us to learn and exercise that work which in Heaven we must do for ever and that is to Love and joyfully Praise the Lord. For earth is but the place of our apprentiship for Heaven The preparing works of mortifying repentance must in their place be done but only as subservient to these which we must ever do When we shall sing the new song before the Lamb Thou art worthy For thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation and hast made us Kings and Priests unto our God Rev. 5. 9 10. Therefore the Primitive Church of believers is described as most like to Heaven Luke 24. 53. with great joy they were continually in the Temple Praising and blessing God O Praise the Lord therefore in the congregations of the Saints Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King Psalm 149. 1 2. Let the Saints be joyful in glory Let the high praises of God be in their mouths verse 5 6. § 18. 5. Though we are yet diseased sinners and in our warfare among enemies dangers and perplexities yet Praise is seasonable and suitable to our condition here as the greatest part of our duty which all the rest must but promote Pretend not that it is not fit for you because you are sinners and that humiliation only is suitable to your state For the design of your redemption the tenour of the Gospel and your own condition engage you to it Are they not engaged to Praise the Lord that are brought so near him to that end 1 Pet. 2 5. 9. that are reconciled to him To whom he hath given and forgiven so much 1 Tim. 1. 15. Tit. 3. 3 5. Psalm 103. 1 2 3. that have so many great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1. 4. that are the Temples of the Holy Ghost who dwelleth in them and sanctifieth them to God That have a Christ interâ—â—ding for them in the highest Rom. 8. 33 34. That are allways safe in the arms of Christ that are guarded by Angels and Devils and enemies forbidden to touch them further than their father sâ—eth necessary for their good That have the Lord for their God Psalm 33. 12. 4. 8. That have his Saints for their companions and helpers That have so many ordinances to help their souls And so
Unbelief is one of the Causes of them and the sinfullest Cause § 2. And that the Article of Remission of sin is to be Believed with application to our selves is certain The Article of Remission of sin to be believed applyingly But not with the application of Assurance Perswasion or Belief that we are already pardoned but with an applying Acceptance of an offered pardon and Consent to the Covenant which maketh it ours We believe that Christ hath purchased Remission of sin and made a Conditional Grant of it in his Gospel to all viz. if they will Repent and Believe in him or take him for their Saviour or become Penitent Christians And we consent to do so and to accept it on these terms And we believe that all are actually pardoned that thus consent § 3. By all this you may perceive that those troubled Christians which doubt not of the truth of the Word of God but only of their own sincerity and consequently of their Justification and Salvation do ignorantly complain that they have not faith or that they cannot believe For it is no act of unbelief at all for me to doubt whether my own heart be sincere This is my ignorance of my self but it is not any degree of unbelief For Gods Word doth no where say that I am sincere and therefore I may doubt of this without doubting of Gods Word at all And let all troubled Christians know that they have no more unbelief in them than they have doubting or unbelief of the truth of the Word of God Even that despair it self which hath none of this in it hath no unbelief in it iâ— there be any such I thought it needful thus far to tell you what unbelief is before I come to give you Directions against it And though the meer doubting of our own sincerity be no unbelief at all yet real unbelief of the very truth of the Holy Scriptures is so common and dangerous a sin and some degree of it is latent in the best that I think we can no way so much further the work of Grace as by destroying this The weakness of our faith in the truth of Scriptures and the remnant of our unbelief of it is the principal cause of all the languishings of our Love and Obedience and every Grace and to strengthen faith is to strengthen all What I have â—ullier written in my Saints Rest Part 2. and my Treatise against Infidelity I here suppose § 4. Direct 1. Consider well how much of Religion Nature it self teacheth and Reason without Direct 1. supernatural Revelation must needs confess as that there is another life which man was made for and that he is obliged to the fullest Love and Obedience to God and the rest before laid down 〈…〉 in the world are perpetual visible Evidences in my eyes of the truth of the Holy Scriptures 1 That there should be so Universal and implacable a hatred against the godly in the common sort â—f unrenewed men in all Agâ—â— and Nations of the Earâ—h when thâ—se men deserve so well of them and do them no wrong â—s a visible proof of Adams fall and he 〈◊〉 of a Saviour and a Sanctifier 2 That all those who are seriously Christians should be so far renewed and recovered from the common corruption as their heavenly â—inds and lives and their wonderful difference from other men sheweth this is a visible proof that Christianity is of God 3. That God doth â—o â—lainly shew a particular special Providence in the converting and confirming souls by differencing Grace and work on the soul as the sanctified feel doth shew that indeed the work is his 4. That God doth so plainly grant many of his Servants prayers by special Providences doth prove his owning them and his 〈◊〉 5. That God suffereth his Servants in all times and places ordinarily to suffer so much for his Love and Service from the world and flâ—sh dâ—â—h shew that there is a Judgement and Rewards and Punishments hereafter Or else our highest duty would be our greatest losâ— and thâ—n how should his Government of men be just 6. That the Renewed Nature which maketh men better and therefore is of God doth wholly look at the life to come and lead us to â—t and live upon it this sheweth that such a life there is or else this would be delusory and vain and Goodness it self would be a deceit 7. When it is undenyable that de facto esse the world is not Governed without the Hopes and Fears of another life almost all Nations among the Heathens believing iâ— and shewing by their very worshipping their dead Heroes as Gods that they believed that their soulâ— did live and even the wicked generally being restrained by those hopes and fears in themselves And also that de posse it is not pâ—â—â—â—ible the world should be governed agreeably to mans rational nature without the hopes and fears of another life But men would be wâ—â—se than Beasts and all Villanies would be the allowed practice of the world As every man may feel in himself what he were like to be and do if he had no such restraint And there being no Doctrine or Life comparable to Christianity in their tendency to the life to come All these are visible staâ—ding evidences assisted so much by common sense and reason and still apparent to all that they leave Infidelity without excuse and are ever at hand to help our faith and resist temptations to unbelief 8. And if the world had not had a Beginning according to the Scriptures 1. We should have found Monuments of Antiquity above sâ—x thousand years old 2. Arts and Sciences would have come to more perfection and Printing Guns c. not have been of so late invention 3. And so much of America and other parts of the world would not have been yet uninhabited unplanted or undiscovered Of Aâ—heâ—sm I have spoken before in the Introduction and Nature so clearly revealeth a God that I take it as almost needless to say much of it to sober men in the Introduction And then observe how congruously the doctrine of Christ comes in to help where Nature is at a loss and how exactly it suits with Natural Truths and how clearly it explaineth them and fully containeth so much of them as are necessary to salvation and how suitable and proper a means it is to attain their Ends and how great a testimony the Doctrines of Nature and Grace do give unto each other § 5. Direct 2. Consider that mans End being in the life to come and God being the righteous and Direct 2. merciful Governour of man in order to that End it must needs be that God will give him sufficient means to know his will in order to that end And that the clearest fullest means must needs demonstrate most of the Government and Mercy of God § 6. Direct 3. Consider what full and sad experience the world hath of its pravity and great
adversaries for Hypocrisie as if he were not an Hypocrite himself Because he can accuse them of a Heart-sin without any visible control If he called them Drunkards or Swearers or Persecutors or Oppressors all that know them could know that he belyeth them but when he speaks about matters in the It is one of Thaâ—es sayings in Laâ—â—t Q. Quomodo optime ac justissime vâ—vemus Resp. si quae in aliis reprehendimâ—s ipsi non faciamus To judge of our selves as we judge of others is the way of the since re dark he thinks the reputation of his lies have more advantage Many a word you hear from him how bad his adversaries are but if such hypocritical talk did not tell you he would not tell you how bad he is himself § 15. Direct 10. Be impartial and set your selves before your consciences in the Case of others Direct 10. Think with your selves How should I Judge of this in such and such a man that I use to blame What should I say of him if my adversary did as I do And is it not as bad in me as in him Is not the sin most dangerous to me that is nearest me And should I be more vigilant over any mans faults than my own My damnation will not be caused by his sin but by my own it may Instead of seeing the gnat in his eye I have more cause to cast out a gnat from my own than a camel from his § 16. Direct 11. Study first to be whatever judiciously you desire to seem Desire a thousand Direct 11. times more to be Godly than to seem so and to be liberal than to be thought so and to be blameless Cato homo virtuâ—â— simillimus qui nunquam rectè fecit ut facere videretur sed quia aliter faceâ—e non poterat cuique id solum visum est rationem habere quod haberet justitiam Veleâ—us Patâ—râ—â—l l. 2. from every secret or presumptuous sin than to be esteemed such And when you feel a desire to be accounted good let it make you think how much more necessary and desirable it is to be good indeed To be godly is to be an heir of Heaven Your salvation followeth it But to be esteemed Godly is of little profit to you § 17. Direct 12. Overvalue not man and set no more by the approbation or applause of his thoughts Direct 12. or speeches of you than they are worth Hypocrisie much consisteth in overvaluing man and making too great a matter of his thoughts and words The Hypocrites Religion is Divine in Name but Humane Jâ—m in ecclesiis ista quâ—tuntur omissa Apâ—sâ—olicorum simplicitaâ—e puritate verborum quasi ad Athenaeâ—nâ— ad auditoria converitus ut plauâ—us circumstantiuâ— suscitentur ut oratio rhâ—toâ—icae artis facata mendacio quasi quaedam meretricula procedaâ— in publiâ—um non tam eâ—udâ—tura populos quam favorem populi quaesiâ—uâ—a Hi. oâ— iâ— prâ—s l. 3. in Galat. in deed It is man that he serveth and observeth most and the shame of the world is the evil which he most studiously avoideth And the high esteem and commendation of the world is his Reward O think what a silly worm is man And of how little moment are his thoughts or speeches of you in comparison of the Love of God His thoughts of you make you not the better or the worse And if they either lift you up or trouble you it is your proud and foolish fantasie that doth it when you might choose If you have not lost the key and government of your hearts shut you the door and keep all thence and let mens reproaches go no further than your ears and then what the worse will you be for all the liyâ—s and slanders of the world And besides the pleasing of an effeminate mind what the better are you for their applause § 18. Direct 13. Look upon all men that you converse with as ready to die and turn to dust and Direct 13. passing into that world where you will be little concerned in their censure or esteem of you If you do any thing before an infant you little care for his presence or observation of you Much less if it be before the dead If you knew that a man were to die to morrow though he were a Prince you would not be much sollicitous to avoid his censure or procure his applause because his thoughts all perish with him and it is a small matter what he thinks of you for a day Seeing therefore that all men are hasting to their dust and you are certain that all that applaud or censure you will be quickly gone how little should you regard their judgement Look that man in the face whose applause you desire or whose censure you fear and remember that he is a breathing clod of clay and how many such are now in the grave whose thoughts you once as much esteemed and this will make you more indifferent in the case § 19. Direct 14. At least remember that you are passing out of the world your selves and look every Direct 14. moment when you are called away and certainly know that you shall be here but a little while And is it any great matter what strangers think of you as you are passing by You can be contented that your name and worth and vertues be concealed in your Inn where you stay but a night and that they be unknown to travellers that meet you on the road The foolish expectation of more time on earth than God hath given you warrant to expect is the cause that we overvalue the judgement of man as well as other earthly things and is a great maintainer of every sensual vice § 20. Direct 15. Set your selves to the mortifying of Self-love and Pride For Hypocrisie is but Direct 15. the exercise of these Hypocrisie is dead so far as Pride is dead and so far as self-denial and humility prevail Hypocrisie is a proud desire to appear better than you are Be throughly humbled and vile in your own eyes and Hypocrisie is done § 21. Direct 16. Be most suspicious of your hearts in cases where self-interest or Passions are engaged Direct 16. For they will easily deal deceitfully and cheat your selves in the smoke and dust of such distempers Interest and Passion so blind the mind that you may verily think you are defending the truth and serving God in sincerity and zeal when all the while you are but defending some error of your own and serving your selves and fighting against God The Pharisees thought they took part with Gods Law and truth against Christ The Pope and his Cardinal and Prelates think as in charity I must think that it is for Christ and Unity and Truth that they endeavour to subject the world to their own power And what is it but Interest that blindeth them into such Hypocrisie So passionate disputers do ordinarily deceive themselves and think verily
it We must not only contemn it as compared to the approbation and favour of God but we must value it but as other transitory things in it self considered estimating it â—s a means to some higher end the service of God and our own or other mens greater â—â—â—â—d And further than it conduceth to some of these it must be allmost indifferent to us what men â—â—â—â—â— or say of us And the displeasure of all men if unjust must be reckâ—ned with our light afâ—flâ—â—â—â—iâ—ns § 17. 6. One truth of God and the smallest duty must be preferred before the pleasing and favor of all the men in the world Though yet as a means to the promoting of a greater truth or duty the favor and plâ—â—sing of men must be preferred before the uttering of a lesser truth or doing a lessâ—r â—â—od at that â—â—â—â— because it is no duty then to do it § 18. 7. Our hearts are so â—â—lâ—â—sh and deceitful naturally that when we are very sollicitous about â—â—â—◠〈…〉 we must carefully watch them lest self be intended while God is pretended And w◠〈◊〉 take special care that we be sure it be the honour of God and Religion and the good of soulâ—â—◠〈◊〉 greater benefit than honour it self that we value our honour and reputation for § 19. 8. Mans nature is so prone to go too far in valuing our â—steem with men that we should more fâ—â—r â—â—â—â— we â—rr on that hand than on the other in undervaluing it And it is far safer to do too little than too much in the vindicating of our own reputation whether by the magistrates justice or by dâ—sâ—uting or any contentious means § 20. 9. Wâ— must not wholy rest on the judgement of any about the state of our souls nor take their judgement of us for inâ—â—llible but use their help that we may know our selves § 21. 10. If Ministers or Councils called General do err and contradict the word of God we must do our best to discern it and discerning it must desert their error rather than the truth of God As Calvin and after him Paraeus on 1 Cor. 4. 3. say We must give an account of our doctrine to all men that require it especially to Ministers and Councils But when a faithful Pastor perceiveth himself oppressed with unrighteous and perverse designs and factions and that there is no place for equity and truth he â—ught to be careless of mans esteem and to appeal to God and fly to his tribunal And if we see our selves condemned our cause being unpleaded and judgement passed our cause being unheard let us lift up our minds to this magnanimity as despising mens judgement to expect with boldness the judgement of God and say with Paul With me it is a smal matter to be judged of you or of mans judgement I have one that judgeth me even the Lord. § 22. 11. God must be enough for a gracious soul and we must know that in his favour is life Psalm 30 5. Psalm 63. 3. 2 Câ—â— â— 9. Rom. 8. 33 34. and his loving kindness is better than life it self and this must be our care and labour that whether living or dying we may be accepted of him and if we have his Approbation it must satisfie us though all the world condemn us Therefore having faithfully done our duty we must leave the matter of our reputation to God who if our waies please him can make our enemies to be at peace with us or be harmless to us as if they were no enemies As we must quietly leave it to him what measure of wealth we shall have so also what measure of honour we shall have It is our duty to Love and Honor but not to be beloved and honoured § 23. 12. The prophesie of our Saviour must be still believed that the world will hate us and his Mâ—â— 10. â—â—â—â—n 15. Maâ— 27. Hâ—b 12. 1 2 3. â— Pet. 2. 21 22. example must be still before our eyes who submitted to be spit upon and scorned and buffeted and slandered as a traytor or usurper of the Crown and made himself of no reputation and indured the Cross and despised the shame leaving us an example that we should fâ—llow his steps who did no sin neither was guile found in his mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but câ—mmitted all to him that judgeth righteously This is the usage that must be the Christians expectation and not to be well spoken of by all nor to have the applause and honor of the world § 24. 13. It is not only the approbation of the ignorant and ungodly that we must thus set light We must go further than Sâ—â—â—â—ca who said Maâ—e dâ— mâ— loqâ—â—â—â—â— â—ed mâ—lâ—â— mâ—â—eâ—er si de me Mâ—â— Caâ—e si â—â—â—â—s sapiens si duo Scipioâ—es ista loquerentur nunc malis disâ—â—â—â—ceâ—e â—audari est by but even of the most Learned and Godly themselves so as to bear their censures as an easie burden when God is pleased this way to try us and to be satisfied in God alone and the expectation of his final judgement § 25. Direct 2. Remember that the favour and pleasing of man is one of your snares that would Direct 2. prevail against your pleasing God Therefore watch against the danger of it as you must do against other earthly things § 26. Direct 3. Remember how silly a creature man is and that his favour can be no better than Direct 3. himself The thoughts or words of a mortal worm are matters of no considerable value to us § 27. Direct 4. Remember that it is the judgement of God alone that your life or death for ever Direct 4. doth depend upon and how little you are concerned in the judgement of man 1. An humbled soul that hath felt what it is to have displeased God and what it is to be under his curse and what it is to be reconciled to him by the death and intercession of Jesus Christ is so taken up in seeking the favour of God and is so troubled with every fear of his displeasure and is so delighted with the sense of his Love as that he can scarce have while to mind so small a matter as the favour or displeasure of a man Gods favour is enough for him and so precious to him that if he find that he hath this so small a matter as the favour of a man will scarce be mist by him § 28. 2. God only is our supream judge and our Governors as Officers limited by him But for others if they will be usurpers and set themselves in the throne of God and there let fly their censures upon things and persons which concern them not why should we seem much concerned in it If a beggar step up into a seat of judicature and there condemn one and fine another will you fear him or laugh at him Who art thou that judgest another mans servant To
member above and so against the rest either superiors and so against the fifth command or equals against the rest § 5. HUMILITY is contrary to pride and therefore consisteth 1. In a contentedness with Humility what that degree and state which God hath assigned us 2. In mean thoughts of our selves esteeming our selves no Greater Wiser or Better than we are 3. In a willingness and desire that others should not think of us or speak of us or use us as greater or wiser or better than we are that they should give us no more honour praise or Love than is our due the redundancie being but a deceit or lie and an abuse of us and them 4. In the avoiding of all inordinate aspiring endeavors and a contented exercise of our assigned offices and doing the meanest works of our own places 5. In the avoiding of all ostentation or appearance of that greatness wisdom or goodness which we have not and fitting our speeches apparel provisions furniture and all our deportment and behaviour to the meanness of our parts and place and worth This is the very Nature of Humility The more particular signs I shall open afterwards § 6. II. Pride lying in the heart is oft mis-judged of by others that see but the outward appearances The Inward se â—â—nâ—â— of Pride that are noâ—â—â— and sometime by the person himself that understandeth not the nature of it The inward appearances that are mistaken for pride and are not it are such as these 1. When a man in power and Government hath a spirit suitable to his place and work This is not Pride but vertue 2. When natural strength and vigor of spirits expelleth pusillanimity especially when faith beholding God expelleth all inordinate respect to men and fear of all that they can do this is not pride but Christian magnanimity and fortitude and the contrary is not humility but weakness and pusillanimity and cowardize 3. When a wise man knoweth in what measure he is wise and in what measure other men are ignorant or erroneous and when he is conscious of his knowledge and delighted and pleased in it through the love of truth and thankful to God for revealing it to him and blessing so far his studies and endeavours all this is mercy and duty and not pride For truth is amiable and delectable in it self And he that knoweth must needs know that he knoweth as he that seeth doth perceive by seeing that he seeth And if it be a fault to know that I know it must be a fault to know at all Bâ—t some knowledge is necessary and unresistible and we cannot avoid it And that which is good â—â—â—â—t be vâ—lued and we must be thankful for it Humility doth no more require that a wise man think â—â—â—â— knowledge equal with a fools or ignorant mans than that a sound man take himself to be sick â—â— When a wise man valueth the useful knowledge which God hath given him above all the glory and vanities of the world which are indeed of lower worth this is not Pride but a due estimation of things 5. When a wise man desireth that others were of his mind for their own good and the propagating of the truth this is not Pride but Charity and love of truth Else preachers were the 〈…〉 Hâ—mâ—lâ—aâ— enim ut reliquae virâ—utes opus est voluntatis Nam sicut virtutes per ra ionem cognoscimus ita per di 〈…〉 nobis sâ—â—â—â—unt Tâ—â—â—â—â— â—â—â—â— c. 7 p 103 104. prâ—udest men and Paul had done ill in labouring so much for mens conversion and saying to Agripâ—a Aâ—â—s 2â— 29. I would to God that not only thou but also all that hear me this day were both allmost aâ—d allâ—â—â—â—ther such as I am except these â—onds 6. When an innocent man is conscious of his innocency and a holy person is conscious of his holiness and assured of his state in grace and rejoyceth in it and is thankful for it this is not Pride but an excellent priviledge and duty If Angels rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner Luke 15. the sinner hath reason to rejoyce himself And iâ— it be a sin to be unthankful for our daily bread much more for grace and the hope of Glory 7. When we value our good name and the honour that is indeed our due as we do other outward common mercies not fâ—r themselves but so far as they honour God or tend to the good of others or the promoting of truth or piety among men desiring no more than is indeed our due nor over-valuing it as that which we cannot spare but submitting it to the will of God as that which we can be without this is not Pride but a right estimation of the thing § â— The outward seemings which are oft mistaken for the signs and fruits of Pride by others are The outward appâ—aâ—anâ—eâ—â—â— Pride that are not it such as these 1. When a Magistrate or other Governour doth maintain the honour of his place which is necessary to his succesful Government and liveth according to his degree When Princes and Rulâ—rs and Masters and Parents do keep that distance from their subjects and servants and scholars and children which is meet and needful to their good it is usually mis-judged to be their Pride 2. When a sinner is convinced of the necessity of Holiness in a time and place where it is rare and infidelity or prophaness and ungodliness is the common road the necessary singularity of such a one in giving up himself to the will of God is commonly charged on him as his pride As if he were proud that cannot be contented to be damned in Hell for company with the most or to despise salvation if most despise it and to forsake his God when most forsake him and to serve the Devil when See 〈◊〉 Tâ—act How a man may â—â—aâ—se himself without 〈◊〉 bâ—ame 〈…〉 304. most men serve him If you will not swear and be drunk and game and spend your time even the Lords day in vanity and sensuality as if you were afraid of being saved and as if it were your busyness to work out your damnation the world will call you proud and singular and think it strange that you run not with them to excess of riot speaking evil â—f you 1 Pet. 4. 4. You shall quickly hear them say What will you be wiser than all the Town What a Saint What a holy precisian is this When â—â—t was grieved for the filthiness of Sodom they scorn him as a proud controller Gen. 19. 9. This one fellow came in to sâ—journ and he will needs be a Iudge And what thought they of Noaâ— that walked with God in so great singularity when the world was drowned in and for their wickedness When David humbled his soul with fasting they turned it to his reproach Psalm 69. 10. 35. 13. Especially when any of the servants of Christ do press towards the highest degree of holiness
all that he hath to do with If there were Laws or Canons to be made he would have the making of them He would have all men take his counsel as an Oracle He would have all the world of his opinion and sets more by those that thus esteem him and are of his opinion and yield to all that he saith and doth than by those that most earnestly desire to conform their minds to the Word of God and differ from him in the understanding of any part of it He loveth them better that enquire of him and take his word than them that enquire of the Word of God Though he cannot deny but it is Gods Prerogative to be infallible and the Rule of the world § 27. Sign 17. A proud man affecteth the reputation of Gods Immutability as well as his Infallibility Sign 17. He will stand to an error when once he hath vented it and resist the Truth when once he hath appeared against it to avoid the dishonour of being accounted Mutable or one that formerly was deceived His pride keepeth him from Repenting of any fault or error that he can but find a cloak for If he have done wrong to God and mischief to the Church he will do as much more to make it good and justifie it by any cruelty or violence If he have once done you wrong he will do more for fear of seeming to have wronged you If he have slandered you he will stab or hang you if he can to justifie his slander rather than seem so mutable as to retract it § 28. Sign 18. A proud man affecteth a participation of Gods Omniscience and is eager to know Sign 18. more than God revealeth if he be an enquiring man whose pride runneth this way Thus our first Parents sinned by desiring to be as God in knowledge This hath filled the world with proud contentions and the Church with divisions while proud Wits heretically make things unrevealed the matter of their ostentation imposition censures or furious disputes while humble souls are taken up in studying and practising things revealed and keep themselves within Gods bounds as knowing that God best knoweth the measure fittest for them and that knowledge is to be desired and sought but so far as it is useful to our serving or enjoying God and the Good which Truth revealeth to us and that knowledge may else become our sorrow Eccles. 1. 1 8. and Truth the instrument to torment us as it doth the miserable souls in Hell § 29. Sign 19. A proud man is discontented with his Degree especially if it be low He would be Sign 19. higher in power and honour and wealth yea he is never so high but he would fain be one step higher If he had a Kingdom he would have another and if he had the Dominions of the Turkish or Tartarian Emperour he would desire to enlarge them and to have more and would not be satisfied till he had all the world Men feel not this in their low condition They think If I had but so much or so much I would be content But this is their ignorance of the insatiable Pride that dwelleth in them Do you not see the greatest Emperours on Earth still seeking to be greater Every man naturally would be a Pope the Universal Monarch of the world And every such Pope would have both Swords and have Princes and people wholly at their will And when they have no mind to hurt they would have power to hurt that all the world might hold their Estates and Liberties and Lives as by their clemency and gift and they might be as God to other men And if they had attained this Pride would not stop till it had caused them to aspire to all the prerogatives of God and to depose him and dethrone him of his Godhead and Majesty that they might have his place § 30. Sign 20. A proud man would fain have Gods Independency Though need make him stoop Sign 20. yet he would willingly be beholden to none Not only because in prudence he would keep his liberty and not be unnecessarily the servant of men nor under obligations to serve them in any evil way For so the humblest would fain be Independant But because he would be so great and high as to scorn to lean on any other Thus you see how Pride is that great Idolatry that sets up man as in the place of God Signs of the next Degrees of Pride as against God § 31. Sign 1. A Proud heart is very hardly brought to see the greatness of its sins or to know its Sign 1. emptiness of Grace or to be convinced of its unpardoned miserable state or of the Justice of God Men sick in mind as witless fools and loose persons and unjust and injurious think noâ— that that they do amâ—ss and sin c. Plutarâ—h Tract thaâ— Maladies oâ— the mind are worse than those of the body if he should damn it to everlasting torments Concerning others it may confess all this but hardly of it self It s own unbelief and aversness from God and holiness seemeth to it a small and tollerable fault It s own pride and lust and worldliness and sensuality seem not to be so bad as to deserve damnation Much less the smallest sin which it committeth Though customarily they may say that God were just if he did condemn them yet they believe it not at the heart The most convincing Preacher shall have much ado to bring a proud man heartily to confess that he is an enemy to God a child of wrath and under the guilt of all his sins and sure to be condemned unless he be converted He will confess that he is a sinner or any thing else which the most godly must confess or which doth not conclude him to be in a damnable unrenewed state But to make an ungodly man know that he is ungodly and an impenitent person know that he is impenitent and and unsanctified person know that he is unsanctified is wonderful hard because that Pride hath dominion in them Are we blind also Say the proud incorrigible Pharisees to Christ Ioh. 9. 40. § 32. Sign 2. A proud heart doth so much overvalue all that is in it self that every common Sign 2. grace or duty doth seem to it to be a state of godliness Their common knowledge seemeth to them to be saving illumination Every little sorrow for their sin or wish that they had done better when they have had all the sweetness of it doth go with them for true Repentance Their heartless lip-labour goes for acceptable prayer Their Image of Religion seemeth to them to be the life of godliness They take their own presumption for true faith and their false expectation for Christian Hope and their carnal security and blockish stupidity for spiritual peace of conscience and their desperate venturing their souls upon deceit they take for a Trusting them with God If they forbear but such
22. 3. A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself but the simple pass on and are punished § 41. Sign 11. Pride maketh men murmure if the work of God be never so well done if they Sign 11. had not the doing of it and sometimes by contending to have the honour of doing it they destroy the work If they are officers of Christ they look more at the Power than their obligation at the Dignity than at the Duty and at what the people owe to them than what they owe to God and to the people They are like dogs that snarl at any other that would partake with them or come into the house They say not as Moses would all the Lords people were prophets Yea the peace and unity of Church and state is often sacrificed to this cursed pride § 42. Sign 12. Pride makes men ashamed of the service of God in a time and place where it is Sign 12. disgraced by the world and if it have dominion Christ and holiness shall be denyed or forsaken by them rather than their honour with men shall be forsaken If they come to Jesus it is as Nicodemus did by night They are ashamed to own a reproached truth or scorned cause or servant of Christ If men will but mock them with the nick-names or calumnies hatcht in Hell they will do as others or forbear their duty A scorn will do more to make them forbear praying in their families to God than the Lyons den would do with Daniel or the fiery-furnace with the three Confessors Dan. 3. 6. Especially if they be persons of honour and greatness in the world then God must be merciful to them while they bow down in the house of Rimmon As the Rich man Luke 18. 23. when he heard Christs terms was very sorrowful for he was very rich so these because their honours and dignities are so great do think them too good to let go for the sake of Christ Had they but the proportion of the obscure vulgar to lay down they could forsake it but they cannot forsake so fair a portion nor endure the reproach of so honourable a name But O what contemptible things are these to a humble soul He marvelleth what dreaming worldlings find in the doting thoughts and breath of fools which men call Honour that they should prefer it before the honour of God and their real honour When Christ hath told them Mark 8. 38. That whosoever shall be ashamed of him and his words in an adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with his holy Angels I now proceed to the signs of Pride in particular duties The Signs of Pride in and about Religious duties § 43. Sign 1. A Proud person is most sollicitous in and about that part of duty which is visible to Sign 1. man and tendeth to advance him in mens esteem And therefore he is more regardful of the outside His ergo qui loquendi arte caeteris hominibus excellere videntur sedulo monendi sunt ut humilitate induti Christianâ discant non contemnere quos cognoverint morum vitia quam verbâ—rum amplius devitare Aug. de Cat. â—udib c. 9. than of the inside of the words than of the heart He taketh much pains if he be a preacher to cast his sermon into such a form as tendeth to set forth his parts according to the quality of them that he would please If he live where wit is valued above grace or pedantick gingling above a solid clear judicious masculine discourse he bends himself to the humour of his auditors and acts his part as a stage-player for applause If he live where serious earnest exhortations are in more request he studieth to put an affected fervency into his stile which may make the hearers believe that he believes himself and to seem to be what indeed he is not and to feel what he feeleth not But all this while about his Heart he is little sollicitous and takes small pains to affect it with the reverence of God and with a due estimation of his truth and a due compassion of mens souls and indeed to believe and feel what he would seem to believe and feel So also in prayer and discourse his chief study is to speak so as may best procure applause And it is seldom that he is so cunning as to hide this his design from the observation of judicious men that know him They may usually perceive that he is the Image of a Preacher or Christian by affectation forcing himself to that which he is not truly serious in He is sounding brass a tinkling Cymbal a bladder full of wind a skin full of words wise and devout in publick on the stage but at home and with his companions in his ordinary converse he is but common if not unclean He is the admiration of fools and the compassion of the wise An Oracle at the first congress to those that know him not and the pity of those that have seen him at home and without his mask He is like proud Gentlewomen that bestow a great part of the morning in mundifying and adorning themselves when they are to be seen and go abroad but at home are very homely And usually the Proud being Hypocrites are secret haters of the most serious and judicious Christians because these are more quick-sighted than others to see through the cloak of their Hypocrisie Unless as their Charity constraining them to conceal their fears and jealousies may reconcile the Hypocrite to them § 44. Sign 2. Proud men art apt to put on themseves to any publick duty which may tend to magnifie Sign 2. them or set out their parts and think themselves fitter to be preferred before others and imployed than indeed they are They are forward to speak in preaching or praying among others or Non potest non indoctus esse qui se doctum credit Hermar Barbarus in ordinary talk A little knowledge maketh them think that they are fit to be preachers Whereas the humble say with Moses who am I that I should go unto Pharaoh c. Exod. 3. 11. I am not eloquent but slow of speech O my Lord send I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt send Exod. 4. 10 13. Or as Isaiah 16. 5. Wâ— is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips c. or as Paul 2 Cor. 2. 16. Who is sufficient for these things How many a Sermon hath Pride both studied and preached And how many a prayer hath it formed And how well are they like to be heard of God § 45. Sign 3. The Proud are loath to be clouded by the greater abilities of others They are content Sign 3. that weaker men pray or preach with them that will not obscure but put off their parts that they Pliny saith In commending another you
and appear before the Holy God When the Bell is ready to toll for thee and thy Winding-â—heet to be fâ—tcht out and thy Coffin prepared and the Bier to be fetcht to carry thee to tâ—â— Grave and leave thee in the dark with worms and rottenness Wilt thou then be proud Where then â—re your high looks and lofty minds and splendid ornaments and honours Then will you be climbing into higher rooms and seeking to be revenged on those that did eclipse your honour Saith David even of Princes and all the sons of men Psal. 146. 3 4. His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish § 100. Direct 19. Look on the lamentable effects of Pride about you in the world and that will help Direct 19. you to see the odiousness and perniâ—â—ous nature of it Do you not see how it setâ—eth the whole world on 〈…〉 â—ow it raisâ—r Wars and ruineth Kingdoms and draweth out mens blood and filleth the world with malice and haâ—â—ed and cruelty 〈…〉 nd injustice and treasons and rebellions and destroyeth mercy truth and honesty and all that is 〈◊〉 of God upon the mind of man Whence is all the confusion and calamity all the câ—nsoriousneâ—â— reviliâ—gs and cruelties which we have seen or felt or heard of but from Pride What is it that hath trampled upon the Intâ—â—â—â—st of Christ and his Gospel through the world but pride What else is it that hath burnt his Martyrs and made havock of his sâ—â—vants and distracted and divided his Church with Schisms and set up so many Sect-masters and Sects and câ—usâ—d them almost all to set against others but this cursed unmorâ—â—fied Pride He that hath seen but what Pride hath been doing in England in this age and yet discerneth not its hatefulness and perniciousness is strangely blind Every proud man is a plague or burden to the place he liveth in If he get high he is a Nabal a man can scarce speak to him He thinks all under him are made but to serve his will and honour as inferiour creatures are made for man If he be an iâ—â—â—â—riour he scorneth at the honour and government of his Superiours and thinks they take too much upon them and that it is below him to obey If he be rich he thinks the poor mu 〈…〉 bow to him as to 〈…〉 Golden Calf or Nebuchadnezzars Golden Image If he poor he envieth the rich and is impatâ—â—nt of the state that God hath set him in If he be learned he thinks himself an Oracle â—â— uâ—learned he dâ—spiseth the knowledge which he wanteth and scorneth to be ta 〈…〉 What staâ—â— soâ—ver he is in he is a very Salamander that liveth in the fire he troubleth House a 〈…〉 own and Counâ—â—â—â— if his power be answerable to his heart he is an unpolished stone that will never lye even in any building he is a natural enemy to quietness and peace § 101. Direct 20 Consider well how God hath designed the humbling of all that he will save in his Direct 20. â—â—â—â—le con 〈…〉 nce of the work of our Redemption He could have saved man by keeping him in his prâ—â—itive innocency if he had pleased Though he causeth not sin he knoweth why he permitteth it He thought it 〈◊〉 enough that man should have the thought of creation to humble him as being taken from the dust and made of nothing but he will also have the sense of his moral nothingness and sinfulness to humble him He will have him beholden to his Redeemer and Sanctifier for his new life and his salvation as much as to his Creator for his natural life He is permitted first to undo himself and bring himself under condemnation to be a child of death and near to Hell before he is ransâ—med and delivered that he may take to himself the shame of his misery and ascribe all his hopes and recovery to God No flesh shall be justified by the works of the Law or by a righteousness of his own performance but by the satisfaction and merits of his Redeâ—mer that so all boasting may be excluded and that no flesh might glory in his sight and that man Rom. 3. 19 20 â—â— 27 4. â— 1 Cor. 1. 29. â—phes 2. 9. might be humbled and our Redeemer have the praise to all eternity And therefore God prepareth men for faith and pardon by humbling works and forceth sinners to condemn themselves before he will justifie them § 102. Direct 21. Read over the character which Christ himself giveth of his true Disciples and you will Direct 21. see what great self-denyal and humility he requireth in all In your first conversion you must become as little children Matth. 18. 3. Instead of contending for superiority and greatness you must be ambitious of being servants unto all Matth. 23. 11. 20. 27. You must learn of him to be meek and lowly of heart Matth. 11. 28 29. and to â—â—oop to wash your brethrens feet Iohn 13. 5. 14. Instead of revenge or unpeaceable contending for your right you must rather obey those that injuriously Luke 22. 26. Mark 10. 44. Maâ— 9 35 36 2 Tim. 2. 24. command you and turn the other cheâ—k to him that smiteth you and let go the rest to him that hath injuriously taken from you and bless them that curse you and pray for them that huâ—t and persecuâ—e you and dâ—spightfully use you Matth. 5. 39 40 41 44. These are the followers of Christ. § 103. Direct 22. Remember how Pride contradicteth it self by exposing you to the hatred or contempt Direct 22. of all All men abhor that Pride in others which they cherish in themselves A humble man is well thought of by all that know him and a proud man is the mark of common obloquy The rich disdain him the poor envy him and all hate him and many deride him This is his success § 104. Direct 23. Look still unto that dismal end which Pride doth tend unto It threatneth Apostasie Direct 23. If God forsake any one among you and any of you forsake God his Truth and your Consciences and be made as Lots Wife a monument of his vengeance for a warning unto others it will be the proud and self-conceited person It maketh all the mercies of God your duties and parts and objectively your very graces to be its food and fewel It is a sign you are near some dreadful fall or heavy judgement For God hath given you this prognostick Luke 14. 11. 1. 51. Prov. 15. 25. 16. 5. Isa. 2. 11 12. An Ahab is safer when he humbleth himself and an Hezekiah is falling when he is lifted up They are the most hardned sinners scorning reproof and therefore ordinarily forsaken both by God and man and left to their self-delusion till they perish § 105. Direct 24. Converse with humbled and afflicted persons and not with proud secure worldlings Direct 24. Be much in the house of
into the causes of all the oppressions rapines cruelties and inhumanity which have made men so like to Devils Look into the corrupted lacerated Churches and enquire into the cause of their contentions divisions usurpations malignity and cruelty against each other And you will find that Pride and Worldliness are the Causes of all When men of a Proud and Worldly mind have by fraud and friendship and Simony Usurped the Pastorship of the Churches according to their Minds and Eâ—ds they turn it into a Malignant Domination and the Carnal worldly part of the Church is the great enemy and Persecutor of the spiritual part and the fleshly Hypocrite as Cain against Abel is filled with envy against the serious believer even out of the bitter displeasure of his mind that his deceitful Sacrifice is less respected What Covetousness hath done to the advancement of the pretended Holy Catholick Church of Rome I will give you now but in the words of an Abbot and Chronicler of their own Abbas Urspergens Chron. p. 3â—â— Vix remansit aliquis Episcopatus sive dignitas Ecclesiastica vel etâ—am Parochialis Ecclesiae quae ron fieâ—et litigâ—osa Romam deduceretur ipsa causa sed non manu vacua Gaude mater nostra Roma quonâ—am aperiuntur cataractae thesaurorum in teâ—ra ut ad te consâ—uant rivi aggeres nummoâ—um in magna copia Laetare super iniquitate filiorum hominum quonâ—am in recompensationem tantorum malorum datur tibi precâ—um Jocundare super adjutrice tua discordia quia erupit de puteo infernalis abyssi ut accumulentur tibi multa pecuniaâ—um praemia Habes quod semper sitisti decanta Canticum quia per malitiam hominum non pâ—â— tuam Religionem orbem vicistâ— Ad te trahit homines non ipsorum devotio aut pura Conscientia sed sâ—â—lerum multiplicium perpetratio litium decisio precio comparata Foâ—tun Galindas speaking of Pope Paul the fifth his love to the Iesuites for helping him to money saith Adeo praestat acquirendarum pecuniarum quam animarum studiosum peritum esse apud illos qui cum animarum Christi sanguine redemptarum in se curam receperint vel quid anima sit nesciunt vel non pluris animam hominis quam piscis faciunt quod credo suum officium Piscatum quendam esse aliquando per strepitum inaudierint quibus propterea gratior fuerit qui Animam auri cum Paracelso quam animam Saxoniae Electoris invenisse nuntiet Arcan Soci Iesu. pag. 46. Lege ibid. Iâ—struct secret de Iesuitarum pâ—axi Et Ioh. Sarisbur l. 7. c. 21. de Monach. Potentiores ditiores favore vel mercede recepta facilius absolutione exâ—nerant peccatis alienis humeros supponentes jubent abire in tunicas vestes pullas quicquid illi se commisisse deplorant Si eis obloquetâ—s Religionis inimicus veritatis diceris impugnator hand It is the departing of the heart from God to creatures See the malignity of it before Good men have been overtaken with heinous sins but its hard to find where Scripture calleth any of them Covetous A heart secretly cleaving most to this present world and its prosperity is the very killing sin of every hypocrite yea and of all ungodly men 2. Worldliness makes the Word unprofitable and keepeth men from believing and repenting and coming home to God and minding seriously the everlasting world What so much hindereth the Conversion of sinners as the love and caâ—es of earthly things They cannot serve God and Mammon Their treasure and hearts cannot be chiefly be both in Heaven and Earth They will not yield to the terms of Christ that love this world They will not forsake all for a treasure in Heaven In a word as you heard The love of money is the root of all evil and the Love of the Father is not in the lovers of the world 3. It destroyeth holy meditation and conference and turneth the thoughts to worldly things And it corrupteth Prayer and maketh it but a means to serve the flesh and therefore maketh it odious to God 4. It is the great hinderance of mens necessary preparation for death and judgement and stealeth away their hearts and time till it is too late 5. It is the great cause of contentions even among the nearest relations and the cause of the Wars and calamities of Nations and of the woful divisions and persecutions of the Church when a worldly generation think that their worldly interest doth engage them against self-denying and spiritual principles practices and persons 6. It is the great cause of all the injustice and oppression and cruelty that rageth in the world They would do as they would be done by were it not for the love of money It maketh men perfidious and false to all their friends and engagements No vows to God nor obligations to men will hold a Lover Iâ—m â— 1. 2 3 4 5. 1 Iohn â— â—â— of the world The world is his God and his worldly interest is his rule and law 7. It is the great destroyer of Charity and Good works No more is done for God and the poor because the Love of the world forbids it 8. It disordereth and proâ—aneth families and betrayeth the souls of Children and Servants to the Devil It turneth out prayer and reading the Scripture and good books and all serious speeches of the liâ—e to come because their hearts are taken up with the world and they have no relâ—sh of any thing but the provisions of their flesh Even the Lords own Day cannot be reserved for holy works nor a duty performed but the world is interposing or diverting the mind 9. It tempâ—eth mâ—n to sin against their knowledge and to forsake the truth and fit themselves to the rising side and save their bodies and estates whatever become of their souls It is the very price that the Dâ—vil gives for souls With this he bought the soul of Iudas who went to the Pharisâ—es with a What will you give me and I will deliver him to you With this he attempted Christ himself 2 Tim 4. 10. Matth. 4. 9. All these will I give thee if thâ—u wilt fall down and worship me It is the cause of Apâ—â—â—â—acy and unfaithfulness to God And it s the price that sinners sell their God their Conscience and their salvation for 10. It depriveth the soul of holy communion with God and comfort from 1 â—im 6. 17 1â— him and of all foretaste of the life to come and finally of Heaven it self For as the Love of the world keepeth out the Love of God and Heaven it must needs keep out the hopes and comforts Christs Sheep mark is 〈◊〉 on the Sheep that are shorâ— When the Hâ—ece groweth long the Mark wears out which should arise from holy love It would do much to cure the love of money and of the world if you knew how pernicious a sin it is § 35.
didst omit Thou hast an offended God to be reconciled to and for thy estranged soul to know as thy Father in Jesus Christ what abundance of Scripture truths hast thou to learn which thou art ignorant of How many holy duties as Prayer Meditation holy conference c. to learn which thou art unskilful in and to perform when thou hast learned them How many works of Justice and Charity to mens souls and bodies hast thou to do How many needy ones to relieve as thou art able and the sick to visit and the naked to cloath and the sad to comfort and the ignorant to instruct and the ungodly to exhort Heb. 3. 13. Heb. 10. 25. Ephes. 4. 29. what abundance of duty hast thou to perform in thy Relations to Parents or Children to Husband or Wife as a Master or a Servant and the rest Thou little knowest what sufferings thou hast to prepare for Thou hast Faith and Love and Repentance and patience and all Gods graces to get and to exercise daily and to increase Thou hast thy accounts to prepare and assurance of salvation to obtain and Death and Judgement to prepare for what thinks thy heart of all this work Put it off as lightly as thou wilt it is God himself that hath laid it on thee and it must be done in time or thou must be undone for ever And yet it must not be thy toyl but thy delight This is appointed thee for thy chiefest recreation Look into the Scripture and into thy Heart and thou wilt find that all this is to be done And dost thou think in thy Conscience that this is not greater business than thy gawdy dressings thy idle visits or thy needless sports which is more worthy of thy Time § 10. Direct 3. Remember how gainful the Redeeming of Time is and how exceeding comfortable Direct 3. in the review In Merchandize or any trading in husbandry or any gaining course we use to say of a man that hath grown rich by it that he hath made use of his Time But when Heaven and communion with God in the way and a life of holy strength and comfort and a death full of joy and hope is to be the gain how cheerfully should Time be Redeemed for these If it be pleasant for a man to find himself thrive and prosper in any rising or pleasing employment How pleasant must it be continually to us to find that in redeeming Time the work of God and our souls do prosper Look back now on the Time that is past and tell me which part is sweetest to thy thoughts However it be now I can tell thee at death it will be an unspeakable comfort to look back on a well spent life and to be able to say in humble sincerity My time was not cast away on worldliness ambition idleness or fleshly vanities or pleasures but spent in the sincere and laborious service of my God and making my calling and election sure and doing all the good to mens souls and bodies that I could do in the world It was entirely devoted to God and his Church and the good of others and my soul What a joy is it when going out of the world we can in our place and measure say with our blessed Lord and pattern John 17. 4 5. I have Glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do and now O Father glorifie me with thy self Or as Paul 1 Tim. 4. 6 7 8. I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Iudge shall give And 2 Cor. 1. 12. For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdâ—m we have had our conversation in the world It s a great comfort in sickness to be able to say with Hezekiah Isa 38. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight O Time well spent is a precious cordial to a soul that is going to its final sentence and is making up its last and general accounts Yea the reviews of it will be joyful in Heaven which is given though most freely by the Covenant antecedently yet as a Reward by our most righteous judge when he comes to sentence men according to that Covenant § 11. Direct 4. Consider on the contrary how sad the review of ill spent time is and how you will Direct 4. wish you had spent it when it is gone Hast thou now any comfort in looking back on thy despised hours I will not so far wrong thy understanding as to question whether thou know that thou must die But thy sin alloweth me to ask thee Whether at thy dying hour it will be any comfort to thee to remember thy pastimes And whether it will then better please thee to find upon thy account so many hours spent in doing good to others and so many in prayer and studying the Scriptures and thy Heart and in preparing for death and the life to come so many in thy calling obediently managed in order to eternity or to hear so many hours spent in idleness and so many in needless sports and plays hawking and hunting courting and wantonness and so many in gathering and providing for the flesh and so many in satisfying its greedy lusts Which reckoning doth thy Conscience think would be most comfortable to thee at the last I put it to thy own Conscience if thou were to die to morrow how thou wouldst spend this present day Wouldst thou spend it in idleness and vain pastimes Or if thou were to die this day where wouldst thou be found and about what exercises Hadst thou rather death found thee in a Play-house a Gaming-house an A L E house in thy fleshly jollity and pleasure Or in a holy walking with thy God and serious preparing for the life to come Perhaps you 'l say that If you had but a day to live you would lay by the labours of your calling and yet that doth not prove them sinful But I answer There is a great difference between an evil and a small unseasonable Good If death found thee in thy honest calling holily managed Conscience would not trouble thee for it as a sin And if thou rather choose to die in prayer it is but to choose a greater duty in its season But sure thou wouldst be loth on another account to be found in thy Time-wasâ—â—ing pleasures And Conscience if thou have a Conscience would make thee drâ—ad it as a sâ—n Thou wilt not wish at death that thou hadst never laboured in thy lawful calling though thou wouldst be found in a more seasonable work But thou wilt wish then if thou
the Holy Ghost to lead men by obedience to felicity Behold it with reverence as a Letter or Message sent from Heaven and as a thing of grand importance to your souls When you meditate of any Grace think on it as a part of the Image of God implanted and actuated by the Holy Ghost to advance the soul into communion with God and prepare it for him When you meditate on any Duty remember who commandeth it and whom you are chiefly to respect in your obedience and what will be the end of obeying or disobeying When you meditate on any sin remember that it is the defacing or privation of Gods image and the rebell that riseth up against him in all his attributes to depose him from the Government of the soul and of the world and foresee the End to which it tendeth Take in God if you would feel Life and Power in all that you meditate on § 21. Direct 7. Let your ordinary Meditations be on the Great and Necessary things and think Direct 7. less frequently on the less Necessary matters Meditation is but a means to a further end It is to work some good upon the soul Use therefore those subjects which are most powerful and fit to work it Great truths will do great works upon the heart They are usually the surest and most past controversie and doubt There is more weight and substance and power in one Article of the Creed or one Petition in the Lords Prayer or one Commandment in the Decalogue to benefit the soul than in abundance of the controverted opinions which men have troubled themselves and others with in all ages As one purse of Gold will buy more than a great quantity of Farthings Meditating on Great and weighty truths makes Great and weighty Christians And meditating inordinately on light and controverted opinions makes light opinionative contentious professors Little things may have their time and place but it must be but little time and the last place except when God maketh any little thing to be the matter of our lawful calling and employment as all the common matters of the world are little And then they may have a larger proportion of our time though still they must have the lowest place in our estimation and in our hearts § 22. Direct 8. When ever you are called to meditate on any smaller truth or thing see that you Direct 8. take it not as separated from the greater but still behold it as connexed to them and planted and growing in them and receiving their life and beauty from them so that you may still preserve the life and interest of the greatest matters in your hearts and may not mortifie the least and turn it into a deceit or idol We are to climb upwards and not to descend downwards and therefore we begin at the body of the Tree and so pass up to the few and greatest boughs and thence to the smaller numerous branches which as they are hard to be discerned numbred and remembred so are they not all strong enough to bear us but are fitted rather to be looked on than trodden and rested on But if you take them not as growing from the greater boughs but cut them off they lose their life and beauty and fruitfulness If all the Controversies in the Church had been managed with due honour and preservation of Holiness Charity Unity Peace and greater truths and if all the circumstantials in Religion had been ordered with a salvo and due regard and just subsâ—rviency to the power and spirituality of holy Worship the Christian world would have had more Life and strength and fruitfulness and less imagery unholy ludicrous complement and hypocrisie § 23. Direct 9. Let the end and order of your meditations be first for the setling of your judgements Direct 9. and next for the resalving and setling of your wills and thirdly for the reforming and bettering of your lives and but in the fourth place after all these for the raising of your holy passions or lively feeling which must have but its proper room and place But indeed where some of these are done already they may be supposed and we may proceed to that which is yet to do As if you know what is sin and duty but do it not your meditation must be not to make you know what you knew not but first to consider well of what you know and set the powerful truth before you and then labour hereby to bring your wills to a fixed Resolution of obedience But if it be a Truth whose principal use is on the Will and Affections as to draw up the heart to the Love of God by the meditating on his attractive excellencies then the most pains must there be taken Of which see Chap. 3. Direct 11. § 24. Direct 10. Turn your cogitations often into soliloquies methodically and earnestly preaching Direct 10. to your own hearts as you would do on that subject to others if it were to save their souls As this will keep you in order from rambling and running out and will also find you continual matter Of this see the third part of my Saints Rest more fully For method is a wonderful help both to invention memory and delight so it will bring things soonest to your affections An earnest pleading of convincing reasons with our own Hearts is a powerful way to make the fire burn and to kindle desire fear love hatred repentings shame sorrow joy resolution or any good effect Convictions upbraidings expostulations reprehensions and self-perswasions may be very powerful when a dull way of bare thinking is but like a dull way of preaching without any lively application which little stirs the hearers Learn purposely of the liveliest Books you read and of the best and liveliest Preachers you hear to preach to your hearts and use it orderly and you will find it a most powerful way of meditating § 25. Direct 11. Turn your meditations often into ejaculatory prayers and addresses unto God For Direct 11. that will keep you reverent serious and awake and make all the more powerful because the more Divine When you meditate on sin turn sometimes to God by penitent lamentation and say Lord what a wretch and rebell was I to entertain such an enemy of thine into my heart and for nothing to offend thee and violate thy Laws O pardon O cleanse me O strengthen me Conquer and â—ast out this odious enemy of thee and me So when you are seeking to excite or exercise any grace send up a fervent request to God to shew his Love and power upon thy dead and sluggish heart and to be the principal agent in a work which is so much his own Prayer is a most holy duty in which the soul hath so nearly to do with God that if there be any holy seriousness in the heart it will be thus excited A dull and wandring mind will bear some reverence to God and therefore
the chief part of this sin is to be cured according to the Directions in the first Chapter as a state of wickedness is and more I shall say anon about the Worship of God and Chap. 3. Direct 11. containeth the cure also Only here I shall add a few Directions to a God-hating Generation § 2. Direct 1. The first thing you have to do is to discover this to be your sin For you are confident Direct 1. that you love God above all while you hate him above all even above the Devil You will confess that this is horrid wickedness where it is found and well deserveth damnation Take heed lest thy own confession judge thee Remember then that it is not the bare Name that we now speak of I know that Gods Name is most honoured and the Devils name is most hated Nor is it every thing in God that is hated None hateth his Mercifulness and Goodness as such Nor is it every thing in the Devil that is loved None love his hatred to man nor his cruelty in tormenting men But the Holiness of God which is it that man must receive the Image of and be conformed to is hated by the unholy And the Devils unholiness and friendship to mens sin and sensuality is loved by the sensual and unholy And this hatred of God and Love of the Devil one would think you might casily perceive § 3. 1. In that you had rather God were not so Iust and Holy you had rather he had never commanded you to be Holy but leâ—t you to live as your flesh would have you you had rather God were indifferent as to your sins and would give you leave to follow your lusts Such a God you would have And a God that will damn you unless you be Holy and hate your sins and forsake them you like not you cannot abide but indeed do hate him § 4. 2. Therefore you will not Believe that God is such a holy sin-hating God Because you would Malunâ— nescire quia jam oderunt Tertul. Apoâ—get c. â— not have him so you will not believe he is so and so hate his nature while you believe that you love him and love but an Idol of your unholy fantasies Psal. 50. 21 22. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtst that I was altogether such a one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thy eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver § 5. 3. You love not the Holiness of the Word of God which beareth his Image You love not these strict and holy passages in it Ioh. 3. 3 5. Luke 14. 26 33. Matth. 18. 3. Rom. 8. 13. Col. 3. 1 2 3 4. 2 Cor. 5. 17. with abundance more You had rather have had a Scripture that would have left your ambition covetousness lust and appetite to their liberties and that had said nothing for the absolute necessity of Holiness nor had condemned the ungodly § 6. 4. You love not the holiest Ministers or servants of Christ that most powerfully preach his holy Word or that most carefully seriously and zealously obey it your hearts rise against them when they bring in the Light which sheweth that your deeds and you are evil Iohn 3. 19 20. They are an eye-sore to you your hearts rise not so much against Whoremongers Swearers Lyars Drunkards Atheists or Infidels as against them What sort of persons on the face of the earth are so hated by the ungodly in all Nations and of all degrees and used by them so cruelly and pursued by them so implacably as the holiest servants of the Lord are § 7. 5 You love not to call upon God in serious fervent spiritual prayer praises and thanksgiving You are quickly weary of it you had rather be at a Play or Gaming or a Feast your hearts rise against holy Worship as a tedious irksome thing § 8. 6. You love not holy edifying discourse of God and of heavenly things Your hearts rise against it and you hate and scorn it as if all serious talk of God were but hypocrisie and God were to be banished out of our discourse § 9. 7. You cannot abide the serious frequent Thoughts of God in secret but had rather stuff your minds with thoughts of your Horses or Hawks or bravery or honour or preferments or sports or entertainments or business and labours in the world So that one hour of a thousand or ten thousand was never spent in serious delightful thoughts of God his holy truths or works or Kingdom § 10. 8. You love not the blessed day of Judgement when Christ will come with his holy Angels to judge the world to justifie his accused and abused servants to be glorified in his Saints and admired in all them that do believe 2 Thess. 1. 8 9 10 11. And can you be so blind after all this as not to see that you are HATERS OF GOD § 11. Direct 2. Know God better and thou canst not hate him especially know the beauty and Direct 2. glorious excellency of that Holiness and Iustice which thou hatest Should the Sun be darkned or disgraced because sore eyes cannot endure its light Must Kings and Judges be all corrupt or change their Laws and turn all men loose to do what they list because Malefactors and licentious men would have it so § 12. Direct 3. Know God and Holiness as they are to thee thy self and then thou wilt know them not only to be Best for thee as the Sun is to the world and as life and health is to thy body but to be thy only good and happiness and then thou canst not choose but love them Thy prejudice and false conceits of God and Holiness cause thy Hatred § 13. Direct 4. Cast away thy cursed unbelief If thou believe not what the Scripture saith of God Direct 4. and man and of the souls immortality and the life to come thou wilt then hate all that is Holy as a deceit and needless troubler of the world But if once thou believe well the Word of God and the life everlasting thou wilt have another heart § 14. Direct 5. Away with thy beastly blinding sensuality While thou art a slave to thy flesh Direct 5. and lusts and appetite and its interest reigneth in thee thou canst not choose but hate that Holiness which is against it and hate that God that forbiddeth it and tells thee that he will judge thee and damn thee for it if thou forsake it not This is the true cause of the Hatred of God and Pene omnis sermâ— Div nus habet aemuloâ— suos Quot genera prâ—â—â—ptorum sunt â—â—t adversa â—oâ—um si larg 〈…〉 esse 〈…〉 buâ— juâ—â—t Dominus avarus irascitur si parsimomam eâ—gâ—â— prodigus execratur Sermones sacros improbi hostes suos dicunt Salvian li. 4 ad Eccles. Cath. Non ego tibi
Idolatry of the Israelites it is as they feared their Idols of Wood and Stone To fear them shewed that they took them for their Gods 2 Kings 17. 38 39. Dan. 6. 26. § 7. Direct 7. Consider that it is a folly to be inordinately fearful of that which never did befall Direct 7. thee and never befalleth one of many hundred thousand men I mean any terrible appearance of the Devil Thou never sawest him nor hearest credibly but of very few in an age that see him besides Witches This fear therefore is irrational the danger being utterly improbable § 8. Direct 8. Consider that if the Devil should appear to thee yea and carry thee to the top of Direct 8. a Mountain or the pinnacle of the Temple and talk to thee with blasphemous temptations it would be no other than what thy Lord himself submitted to who was still the dearly beloved of the Father Matth. 4. One sin is more terrible than this § 9. Direct 9. Remember that if God should permit him to appear to thee it might turn to thy very Direct 9. great advantage by killing all thy unbelief or doubts of Angels and Spirits and the unseen world It would sensibly prove to thee that there is indeed an unhappy race of Spirits who envy man and seek his ruine and so would more convince thee of the evil of sin the danger of souls the need of godliness and the truth of Christianity And it is like this is one cause why the Devil no more appeareth in the world not only because it is contrary to the ordinary Government of God who will have us live by faith and not by fight but also because the Devil knoweth how much it would do to destroy his Kingdom by destroying Infidelity Atheism and security and awakening men to faith and fear and godliness The Fowler or the Angler must not come in sight lest he spoil his Game by frighting it away § 10. Direct 10. If it be the spiritual temptations and molestations only of Satan which you fear Direct 10. remember that you have more cause to fear your selves for he can but tempt you and if you do not more against your selves than all the Devils in Hell can do you will never perish And if you are willing to accept and yield to Christ you need not inordinately fear either Satan or your selves For it is in the name and strength of Christ and under his conduct and protection that you are to begin and finish your warfare And the Spirit that is in us is greater and stronger than the Spirit that is in the world and that molesteth us 1 Iohn 4. 4. And the Father that giveth us to Christ is greater than all and none can pluck us out of his hands John 10. 29. And the God of peace will tread down Satan under our feet Rom. 16. 20. If it were in his power he would molest us daily and we had never escaped so far as we have done Our daily experience telleth us that we have a Protector Directions against the sinful fear of men and sufferings by them § 1. Direct 1. Bottom thy soul and hopes on Christ and lay up thy treasure in Heaven be not a Direct 1. worldling that liveth in hope of happiness in the creature and then thou art so far above the fear of men Omma Christe tuâ— superant tormenta ferendo Tollere quae nâ— queunt haec toleraâ—e queunt His vita â—aruisse fâ—uâ— est posâ—isse potiri Et superasse paâ—â— est superesse mori as knowing that thy treasure is above their reach and thy foundation and fortress safe from their assaults It is a base hypocritical worldly heart that maketh you immoderately afraid of men Are you afraid lest they should storm and plunder Heaven Or lest they cast you into Hell or lest they turn God against you or lest they bribe or over-awe your Judge No no these are none of your fears No you are not so much as afraid lest they hinder one of your prayers from prevailing with God nor lest their Prison walls and chains should keep out God and his Spirit from you and force you from your communion with him You are not afraid lest they forcibly rob you of one degree of grace or heavenly mindedness or hopes of the life to come If it be lest they hinder you from these by tempting or affrightning you into sin which is all the hurt they can do your souls then you are the more engaged to cast away the fears of their hurting your bodies because that is their very temptation to hurt your souls No it is their hurting of your flesh the diminishing your estates the depriving you of your liberty or worldly accommodations or of your Ad tribunal aeternum judicis justâ— provocatio salva est â—â— solet is perperam judicata resemderâ— Pâ—tra â—h Dial. 66. li. 2. lives which is the thing you fear And doth not this shew how much your hearts are yet on earth and how much unmortified worldliness and fleshliness is still within you and how much yet your hearts are false to God and Heaven O how the discovery should humble you to find that you are yet no more dead to the things of the world and that the Cross of Christ hath yet no more crucified it to you to find that yet the fleshly interest is so powerful in you and the interest of Christ and Heaven so low That God seemeth not enough for you and that you cannot take Heaven alone for your portion but are so much afraid of losing earth O presently search into the bottom of this corruption in your hearts and lament your worldliness and hypocrisie and work it out and set your hearts and hopes above and be content with God and Heaven alone and then this inordinate fear of man will have nothing left to work upon § 2. Direct 2. Set God against man and his wisdom against their policy and his Love and mercy Direct 2. against their malice and cruelty and his power against their impotency and his truth and omniscience and righteousness against their slanders and lies and his promises against their threatnings and then if yet thou art inordinately afraid of man thou must confess that in that measure thou believest not in God If God be not wise enough and good enough and just enough and powerful enough to save thee so far as it is â—est for thee to be saved then he is not God Away with Atbeism and then fear not man § 3. Direct 3. Remember what man is that thou art afraid of He is a bubble raised by Providence Direct 3. to 〈…〉 ut the world and for God to honour himself by or upon He is the meer product Joâ— 13. â—5 Psal. 1. 5 6. 68. 2. Psal. 73 20. Job 20. 8. Victor uticâ—â—â—â— saith of Au gustine that he dyed of fear Nunc illud eloquentiae quod ubertim per omnes
great wrong to Christ to doubt of his willingness For 1. He is a greater lover of Holiness than thou art and therefore cannot come behind thee in being willing of thy Holiness 2. He is more merciful to thee than thou art to thy self His Love and mercy is beyond thy measure 3. He hath begun to thee and fully shewed his willingness first He dyed to prepare thee a full remedy He hath drawn up the Covenant He hath therein expressed his own consent and intreateth thine He is the first in consenting and is a suiter to thee Never sinner did yet begin to him in the world Never any was willing of the match before him His general offer of mercy and Covenant tendered to all doth shew his willingness before they can shew theirs by their acceptance Never man over-went him in willingness and was more willing than he Take this sinner as Gods infallible truth If the match break between Christ and thee and thou be lost it shall not be through his refusal but through thine And it cannot break any other way no not by the craft or force of all the Devils in Hell but either because Christ is unwilling or because thou art unwilling And on Christs part it shall never break And therefore if thou be willing the match is made and there is no danger but lest thy heart draw back If thou art not willing why complainest thou for want of that which thou wouldst not have If thou art willing the Covenant is then made for Christ is more willing and was willing first § 22. Direct 11. Write out these sentences that contain the sense and substance of the Gospel and Direct 11. often read them Write them on thy very chamber walls and set them still before thine eyes and try whether Deut. 6. 6 7 8. 11. 18 19 20. they agree with the words of him that tempteth thee to despair such as these which I here transcribe for thee Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life v. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil 1 Joh. 5. 10 11 12. He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a lyar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life Joh. 1. 11 12. He came unto his own and his own received him not but to as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God to them that believe on his name Rev. 22. 17. Let him that is athirst come And whoever will let him take the water of life freely Joh. 5. 40. And ye will not come unto me that ye may have life Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 7. 37. If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Luk. 14. 17. Come for all things are now ready And read oft Luk. 15. § 23. Direct 12. Distinguish between sin seen and felt and sin reigning unto death that you may Direct 12. not be so blinded as to think your sin greatest or your condition worst when your sight and feeling of it Eph. 4. 19. is greatest To see and feel your sin and misery is at least the ordinary preparation for recovery To be dead is to be past feeling They that are most forsaken of God are most willing of their present condition and most love their sin and hate holiness and all that would reform them and if they have power will persecute them as enemies § 24. Direct 13. Think not that the troublesome strivings and temptations which weary you are the Direct 13. worst condition or a sign of the victory of sin It is rather a sign that you are not yet forsaken of God while he beareth witness in you against sin and is yet following you with his disswasives Paul saith Gal. 5. 15. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Read Rom. 7. from 14. to the end § 25. Direct 14. Understand the difference between weak grace and no grace that you may not Direct 14. think every want of grace is a sign of total gracelesness When you have opened in your complaints a long Catalogue of weaknesses consider whether yet there be not a true desire to be better and some degree of life with all these § 26. Direct 15. Think well of the excellency of the least degree of special grace that it is a seed of glory Direct 15. the beginning of life eternal the Divine nature and the image of God and of greater worth than all the learning wealth and honour in the world And be not unthankful for so great a mercy because you have not more § 27. Direct 16. Make Conscience of observing the grace and mercy received as well as the wants Direct 16. remaining and the sins committed and of the thankful remembrance and mention of mercy as much as the humble mention of sin Think as oft of mercy as of sin Talk of it as much to others and mention it to God as much in prayer This is your plain duty If you will not do it your wilfull unthankfulness for what you have received may well leave you in distress without the comfort of it § 28. Direct 17. Let your thoughts of Gods Goodness hear some proportion with your thoughts of his Direct 17. Knowledge and his Power And then you will not be so apt to entertain false suspicions of it and think of him as a man-hater like the Devil nor to run away from him that is the infinite most attractive Good § 29. Direct 18. Record the particular kindnesses to thy self by which God hath testified his particular Direct 18. love to thee that they may stand as neer and constant witnesses of his mercy and readiness to do thee good against thy excessive fearfulness and despair § 30. Direct 19. Think how few there are in the world so likely for mercy as thy self Look not Direct 19. only on a few that are better than thy self but think how five parts of the world are open Infidels and Heathens and of the sixth part that are Christians how few are Reformed from Popish and Barbarous ignorance and superstition and among Protestants how small is the number of them that are less in Love with sin than thy self I know that many wicked men abuse
of the world III. If laying the hand on the Book and Kissing it be unlawful for any special matter or manner forbidden more than other significant acts it is for some of the reasons named by you which now I will answer I. Object It savoureth of the Romish superstition Answ. 1. Not at all Prove that if you can 2. Superstition is the feigning of things to be Pleasing or Displeasing to God which are not and using or disusing them accordingly whatever be the Etymologie of the word Superstitum Cultus or supra Statutum c. it is certain that the common use of it among Heathens as Plutark at large and Christians was for an erroneous undue fear of God thinking this or that was displeasing or pleasing to him to be done or to be avoided which was not so but was the conceit of a frightned mistaking mind Therefore to say that God is displeased with this signification of the mind when it is not so nor can be proved is superstition And this is not the solitary instance of Satans introducing superstition under pretense of avoiding superstition 3. The sense of the Law is to be judged of by the Law and by the notorious doctrine and profession of the Law-makers and of the Land which here renounceth the superstitious use of it But I confess I was more afraid that the Papists had too much derogated from the Scripture than given too much to it And they profess that they swear not by a creature Vid. Perer. ubi sup in Gen. 24. 2. Object But Paraeus c. in Gen. 24. 2. saith Non absque superstitione fit cum super crucifixum aut codicem Evangelii digitis impositis juratur ut fit in Papatu Answ. 1. But that same Act which in Papatu is superstitious because of superstitious conceits and ends is not so in all others that have none such 2. It is no new thing to be quick in accusing our adversaries But Paraeus addeth not a syllable of proof And if he had it must have been such as toucht not us or else invalid Object Some good men have scrupled it Answ. 1. Ten thousand to one such have not scrupled it 2. They are not our Gods nor Law 3. The Quakers and the old Anabaptists and they say Origen scrupled yea condemned all swearing or all imposed Oaths And if we avoid all as sin which some good men have scrupled we shall make superstition a great part of our Religion And when on the same grounds we have but practised all as Duty which some good men have taken for Duty we shall quite out-go the Papists He that readeth Beda Boniface and abundance such pious writers will soon see that Godly or Fanatical Religious persons dreams visions strict opinions confident assertions and credulous believing one another with the hope of improving such things against Pagans and Jews for Christianity brought in almost all the Legends and superstitions of the Papists II. Object 2. Our Common-Law Commissions that give authority to examine persons direct it to be Object done super sacramenta sua per sancta Dei evangelia fideliter prestanda And in the form of Administrations in Ecclesiastical Courts the words are Ad sancta Dei Evangelia rite legitime jurati Whether these forms do not infer that in their first use at least persons either swore by the Evangelists or offended in that mode of swearing And our Common-Law calls it a Corporal Oath from touching the Book Answ. 1. To know the sense of our present Law it is not necessary that we know the sense of the Answ. first users of the form For the Law is not now the Kings Law that first made it He hath no Law that hath no Government but the Kings Law that now Reigneth and beareth his sense 2. To justifie our obedience to a Law it is not necessary that we prove every phrase in that Law to be fitly expressed 3. But examine it well and try whether it be not also fit and laudable 1. There are three things conjoyned in the Oaths in question 1. A testimony assertory or a promise 2. An Oath 3. An Imprecation The Assertory Testimony here is the first thing intended and the Oath and Imprecation are but as a means to make that Testimony or Promise valid 2. The published Doctrine of England in the 39. Articles the book of Ordination c. is that the Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to Salvation as being Gods Law or Rule of our Faith and Life All our Duty to God is there commanded All the promises on which we hope are there contained All the punishments which the perjured or any sinner must feel and should fear are there threatned Therefore 3. The Laying on the hand and Kissing the book is an Action directly related to the Imprecation and not to the Oath but only by consequence as the Imprecation is subservient to the Oath as the Oath is to the Assertion So that this is the plain paraphrase of the whole I do believe that God the Ruler of all the world is the Iudge of secrets which are above mans judgement the searcher of hearts and the hater and avenger of perjury according to this his holy word by which he governeth us And to this God I appeal as to the truth of this my testimony consenting my self to lose all the benefit of his promises to the just and to bear all the punishments here threatned to the Perjured if I lie And what could be said more fitly 1. To own the Protestant doctrine that the Scripture is Gods perfect word that the evil to be feared and the good to be hoped for is all there contained and is all the fulfilling of that word 2. And to put the word in its due subordination to God And our ordinary form of swearing sheweth this So help you God and the Contents of this Book Whether you will call this swearing upon or by the Gospel or call it a corporal Oath or a spiritual Oath is only de nomine and is nothing to the matter thus truly described Sacramentum signifieth the Oath it self and Ad sancta evangelia is a fit phrase or if super sacramenta signifie the two Sacraments of the Gospel it can mean no more than As one that by the reception of the Sacrament doth profess to believe this Gospel to be true I do renounce the benefits of it if I lie And in this sense it hath been some mens custom to receive the Sacrament when they would solemnly swear III. Object Some seem to object against kissing the Book as having the greater appearance of giving Object too much to it or putting some adoration on it and because this Ceremony of kissing is held to be of later date than laying on the hand Answ. The Ceremony signifieth that I love and approve the Gospel and place the hope of my salvation Answ. in it And the publick Doctrine of the Kingdom before cited sheweth as a
Laws for the preservation of so excellent a thing as Truth he should not secure the happiness of the world As to the securing of mens lives it is not enough to make a Law that you shall not kill men without just cause though that be all that the Law intendeth to attain for then every man being left to judge would think there were just cause whenever his passion or interest told him so But the Law is You shall not kill at all without the judgement of the Magistrate So if the Law against Lying did intend no more than the securing men from the injuries of errour and deceit yet would it not have been a sufficient means to have said only You shall not injure men by Lying for then men would have judged of the injury by their own interests and passions But much more is it needful to have a stricter Law when Truth it self is the thing that God intendeth to secure as well as the interest of men In the eyes of Christians and Heathens and all mankind that have not unmand themselves there appeareth a singular beauty and excellency in Truth Aristotle could say that the Nature of man is made for Truth Cicero could say that Qâ—â—d verum simplex sincerumque est id naturae bominis accommodatissimum est Verity and Virtue were ever taken as the inseparable perfections of man Pythagoras could say that to Love Truth and do Good were the two things that made man likest to God and therefore were his two most excellent gifts Plato could say that Truth was the best rhetorick and the sweetest oration Epictetus could say that Truth is a thing immortal eternal of all things most precious better than friendship as being less obnoxious to blind affections Iamblichus could say that as Light naturally and constantly accompanyeth the Sun so Truth accompanyeth God and all that follow him Epaminondas is praised for that he would not Lye no not in jeast Pomponius Atâ—icus was so great a hater of a lye that all his friends were desirous to Trust him with their â—â—â—â—y lye iâ— evil and to be avoided saâ—â—h Aristot. Eâ—hâ—c l 4 See Psal. 5. â— Prov. 6 17 19. 12. 22. 19. 5 9. 21 18 Rev. 21. 27. 22 15. Joh. 8. 44. Col. 3. 9. business and use him as their Counsellor He knoweth not what use mans understanding or his tongue were made for that knoweth not the excellency of Truth Let a Pilate only ask as a stranger what is Truth Joh. 18. 38. as Pharaoh asked who is the Lord For this end Christ himself came into the world to bear witness to the Truth and every one that is of the Truth will hear him Joh. 18. 37. He is the Truth Joh. 14. 6. and full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. Grace and Truth came by him Joh. 1. 17. His spirit is given to guide his servants into the Truth Joh. 16. 13. and to sanctifie them by the truth Joh. 17. 19. that knowing the truth it might make them free Joh. 8. 32. The fruit of the spirit is in all truth Ephes. 5. 9. His Ministers can do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. Truth is the girdle that must gird our loins Ephes 6. 14. The Church is the pillar and ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. The faithful are they that believe and know the Truth 1 Tim. 4. 3. Speaking the truth in Love is the way of the Churches growth and edification Ephes. 4. 15. Repentance is given men to the acknowledging of the Truth that they may escape out of the power of the Devil 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. The dullards are they that are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3. 7. They are men of perverse minds that resist the Truth 2 Tim. 3. 8. They that receive not the Truth in the Love of it cannot be saved 2 Thes. 2. 10. All they are damned that believe not the Truth 2 Thes. 2. 12 13. You see what Truth is in the judgement of God and all the sober world Therefore a Lye that is contrary to Truth as darkness to Light must be equally odious as truth is amiable No wonder therefore if it be absolutely forbidden of God § 21. 3. You may the easilyer perceive this by considering that other faults of the tongue as idle talk swâ—aring and such like are forbidden not only because they are a hurt to others but for the intrinsical evil in the thing it self Great reason therefore that it should be so in this § 22. 4. Lying is a vice which maketh us most unlike to God For he is called the God of truth Psal. 31. 5. Deut. 32. 4. All his ways are mercy and truth Psal. 25. 10. His judgement is according to truth Rom. 2. 2. It is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6. 18. Tit. 1. 2. His word is the word Numb 23. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 29. 1 Joh. 5. 10. of truth Psal. 119. 43. Col. 1. 5. 2 Tim. 2. 15. Jam. 1. 15. 2 Cor. 6. 7. And who shall dwell in his Tabernacle but thâ—se that speak the truth in their hearts Psal. 15. 2. The disconformity of the soul to God then being its greatest dâ—formity in things wherein it is made to be conform to him it may hence appear that Lying is an odious sin And this may the easilyer appear if you consider what a case the world were in if God could lye and were not of undoubted truth we should then be sure of nothing and therefore could have no sure information by his word no sure direction and guidance by his precepts and no sure consâ—lation in any of his promises Therefore that which maketh us so unlike to the true and holy God must needs be odious § 23. 5. Lying is the Image or work of the Devil and Lyars are his Children in a special sort For Christ telleth us that he abode not in the truth for there is no truth in him when he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his own for he is a lyar and the father of it Joh. 8. 44. The Proud the Malicious and 1 King 22. 22 23. I will be a lying spirit in the moâ—â—hâ— of all his Prophets 2 Chron 18. 21 22. the Lyars are in a special sort the Children of the Devil for these three are in Scripture in a special manner made the Devils sins Therefore sure there is an intrinsical evil and odiousness in a lye It was Satan that filled the hearts of Ananias and Saphira to Lye to the Holy Ghost Act. 5. 3. To change the Truth of God into a lye and to make God a lyar are therefore the most odious sins Rom. 1. 25. 1 Joh. 5. 10. because it is a feigning him to be like the Devil And should we make our selves like him then by the same vice If you love not the Devils sin and image love not a lye § 24. 6. Lying destroyeth humane converse and bringeth
most pernicious confusion into the affairs of mankind Iâ— Truth be excluded men cannot buy and sell and trade and live together It would It was one of the Roman Lawâ— â—aâ— 12. Qui â—aâ—sâ—m tâ—stâ—monium dâ—â—â—â—se convictus erit e saâ—o Taâ—pâ—iâ— dejiciatur be sufficient to destroy their rational converse if they had no tongues But much more to have false tongues Silence openeth not the mind at all Lying openeth it not when it pretendeth to open it and falsly representeth it to be what it is not And therefore though you say that your Lyes do no such hurt yet seeing this is the nature and tendency of Lying as such it is just and merciful in the Righteous God to banish all Lying by the strictest Laws As the whole nature of Serpents is so far at enmity with the nature of man that we hate and kill them though they never did hurt us because it is in their nature to hurt us so God hath justly and mercifully condemned all lying because it 's nature tendeth to the desolation and confusion of the World and if any indulgence were given to it all iniquity and injustice would presently like an inundation overwhelm us all § 25. 7. Lying tendeth directly to perjury it self It is the same God that forbiddeth them both And when once the heart is hardened in the one it is but a step further to the other Cicero could observe that He that is used to lye will easily be perjured A sâ—ared Conscience that tollerateth one will easily be brought to bear the other § 26. 8. There is a partiality in the Lyar that condemneth himself and the sin in another which in himself he justifieth For there is no man that would have another lye to him As Austin saith Hic autem homâ—nes fallunâ— falluntur Misericres suâ—t cum mentiendo fallunt quam cum mentientibus credendo falluntur Uâ—que adeo tamen rationalis natura refugit falsitatem quantum potest devitat errorem ut falli nolint etiam quicunque amant fallere August Enchyrid c. 17. I have known many that would deceive but never any that would be deceived If it be good why should not all others lye to thee If it be bad why wilt thou lye to others Is not thy tongue under the same Law as theirs Dost thou like it in thy Children and in thy Servants If not it should seem much worse to thee in thy self as thou art most concerned in thy own actions § 27. 9. Iudge what lying is by thy own desire and expectation to be believed Wouldst thou not have men believe thee whether thou speak truth or not I know thou wouldst For the Lyar loseth his end if he be known to lye and be not believed And is it a reasonable desire or expectation in thee to have men to believe a Lye If thou wouldst be believed speak that which is to be believed § 28. 10. Lying maketh thee to be always incredible and so to be useless or dangerous to others For he that will lye doth leave men uncertain whether ever he speak truth unless there be better Evidence of it than his credibility As Aristotle saith A Lyar gets this by Lying that no body will believe him when he speaks the truth How shall I know that he speaketh true to day who lyed yesterday unless open Repentance recover his credibility Truth will defend it self and credit him that owneth it at last But falshood is indefensible and will shame its Patrons Saith Petrarch excellently Petrarâ—h l 1. de vit solit As Truth is immortal so a fiction and lye endureth not long Dissembled matters are quickly opened as the hair that is combed and set with great diligence is ruffled with a little blast of wind and the paint that is laid on the face with a deal of labour is washed off with a little sweat the craftyest lye cannot stand before the truth but is transparent to him that neerly looketh into it every thing that is covered is soon uncovered shadows pass away and the native colour of things remaineth It is a great labour to keep hidden long No man can long live under water he must needs come forth and shew the face which he concealed At the farthest God in the day of judgement will lay open all § 29. Direct 2. If you would avoid lying take heed of guilt Unclean bodies need a cover Direct 2. and are most ashamed to be seen Faultiness causeth Lying and Lying increaseth the fault When Sâ—epe delinquentibus promptissimum est mentiri Ciâ—â—r men have done that which they are afraid or ashamed to make known they think there is a necessity of using their art to keep it secret But wit and craft is no good substitute for honesty such patches make the rent much worse But because the corrupted heart of man will be thus working and flying to deceitful shifts prevent the cause and occasion of your lying Commit not the fault that needs a lye Avoiding it is much better than hiding it if you were sure to keep it never so close As indeed you are not for commonly truth will come to light It is the best way in the World to avoid lying to be innocent and do nothing which doth fear the light Truth and honesty do not blush nor desire to be hid Children and Servants are much addicted to this crime when their folly or wantonness or appetites or slothfulness or carelesness hath made them faulty they presently study a lye to hide it with which is to go to the Devil to intreat him to defend or cover his own works But wise and obedient and careful and diligent and conscionable Children and Servants have need of no such miserable shifts § 30. Direct 3. Fear God more than man if you would not be Lyars The excessive fear of man Direct 3. is a common cause of Lying This maketh Children so apt to lye to escape the rod and most persons Iâ—â—e veâ—â—tatâ—â— Defeâ—â—or esse debeâ— quâ— cum râ—cteâ—â—â—â—ntâ— loquâ— non metuâ—t nec erubeâ—â—â—â—t Ambâ— â—yarâ— are â—aliant against God cowardâ— against men Montaâ—â—a â—sâ— that are obnoxious to much hurt from others are in danger of Lying to avoid their displeasure But why fear you not God more whose displeasure is unspeakably more terrible Your Parents or Master will be angry and threaten to correct you But God threatneth to damn you and his wrath is a consuming fire No mans displeasure can reach your souls and extend to eternity will you run into Hell to escape punishment on Earth Remember whenever you are tempted to escape any danger by a lye that you run into a thousand fold greater danger and that no hurt that you escape by it can possibly be half so great as the hurt it bringeth It 's as foolish a course as to cure the tooth-ach by cutting off the head § 31. Direct 4. Get down your Pride and overmuch regard
genuine 1. There is a zeal and activity meerly Natural which is the effect of an active temperature of body 2. There is an affected zeal which is hypocritical about things that are good when men speak and make an outward stir as if they were truly zealous when it is not so 3. There is a selfish zeal when a proud and selfish person is fervent in any matter that concerneth himself for his own opinions his own honour his own estate or friends or interest or any thing that is his own 4. There is a partial factioâ—s zeal when errour or pride or worldliness hath engaged men in a party and they think it is their duty or interest at least to side with the Sect or Faction which they have chosen they will be zealous for all the Mat. 23. 15. Opinions and wayes of their espoused Party 5. There is a superstitious Childish carnal zeal for small indifferent inconsiderable things Like that of the Pharisees and all such hypocrites for their Washings and Fastings and other ceremonious Observances 6. There is an envious malicious zeal against those that have the precedency and cross your desires or cloud your honour in the World or that contradict you in your conceits and ways such is that at large described Iam. 3. 7. There is a pievish contentious wrangling zeal that is assaulting every man who is not squared just to your conceits 8. There is a malignant zeal against the Cause and Servants of the Lord which carryeth men to persecute them See that you take not any of these or any such like for holy zeal § 3. If you should so mistake these mischiefs would ensue 1. Sinful zeal doth make men The mischiefs of false zeal doubly sinful As holy zeal is the fervency of our grace so sinful zeal is the intention and fervency of sin 2. It is an honouring of sin and Satan as if sin were a work and Satan a Master worthy to be fervently and diligently followed 3. It is the most effectual violent way of sinning making men do much evil in a little time and making them more mischievous and hurtful to others than other sinners are 4. It blindeth the judgement and maketh men take truth for falshood and good for evil and disableth Reason to do its office 5. It is the violent resister of all Gods means and teacheth men to rage against the truth that should convince them It stops mens ears and turns away their hearts from the Counsel which would do them good 6. It is the most furious and bloody persecutor of the Saints and Church of Jesus Christ It made Paul once exceeding mad against them Act. 26. 10 11. and shut them up in Prison and punish them in the Synagogues See Jam. 3. and câ—mpel them to blaspheam and persecute them even unto strange Cities and vote for their death Thus concerning zeal he persecuted the Church Phil. 4. 6. 7. It is the turbulent disquieter of all Societies A destroyer of Love a breeder and fomenter of contention and an enemy to order peace and quietness 8. It highly dishonoureth God by presuming to put his name to sin and errour and Rom. 10. 2. Act. 21. 20 22. to entitle him to all the wickedness it doth Such zealous sinners commit their sin as in the Name of God and fight against him ignorantly by his own pretended or abused authority 9. It is an impenitent way of sinning The zealous sinner justifieth his sin and pleadeth reason or Scripture for it and thinketh that he doth well yea that he is serving God when he is murdering his Servants Ioh. 16. 2. 10. It is a multiplying sin and maketh men exceeding desirous to have all others of the sinners mind The zealous sinner doth make as many sin with him as he can Yea if it be but a zeal for small and useless things or about small Controversies or Opinions in Religion 1. It sheweth a mind that 's lâ—mentably strange to the tenour of the Gospel and the mind of Christ and the practice of the great substantial things 2. It destroyeth Charity and peace and breedeth censuring and abusing others 3. It dishonoureth holy zeal by accident making the prophane think that all zeal is no better than the foolish passion of deceived men 4. And it disableth the persons that have it to do good even when they are zealous for holy truth and duty the people will think it is but of the same nature with their erroneous zeal and so will disregard them § 4. The signs of holy zeal are these 1. It is guided by a right Judgement It is a zeal for The signs of holy zeal Truth and Good and not for falshood and Evil Rom. 10. 2. 2. It is for God and his Church or cause and not only for our selves It consisteth with meekness and self-denyal and patience as to our own concernments and causeth us to prefer the interest of God before our own Numb 12. 3. Exod. 32. 19. Gal. 4. 12. Act. 13. 9 12. 3. It is always more careful of the substance than the circumstances It preferreth great things before small It contendeth not for small Controversies to Mat. 23. 22 23. Tit. 2. 14. the loss or wrong of greater truths It extendeth to every known truth and duty but in due proportion being hottest in the greatest things and coolest in the least It maketh men rather zealous of good works than of their controverted Opinions 4. Holy Zeal is alway charitable It is not cruel 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. â—â—â—â—k 9. 4. 1 Cor. 5. and bloody nor of a hurting disposition Luk. 9. 55. but is tender and merciful and maketh men burn with a desire to win and save mens souls rather than to hurt their bodies 1 Cor. 13. Zeal against the sin is conjunct with Love and pity to the sinner 2 Cor. 12. 21. 5. Yet it excludeth that foolish pity which cherisheth the sin Rev. 2. 2. 1 King 15. 13. 6. True zeal is tender of the Churches Unity and Peace It is not a dividing tearing zeal It is first pure and then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits Jam. 3. 17. 7. True zeal is impartial and is Gâ—n 38. 24. 2 Sam. 12. 5. as hot against our own sins and our Childrens and other relations sins as against anothers Mat. 7. 4. 8. True zeal respecteth all Gods Commandments and is not hot for one and contemptuous of another It aimeth at perfection and stinteth not our desires to any lower degree It maketh a man desirous to be like to God even Holy as he is Holy It consisteth principally in the fervour of our Love to God when false Zeal consisteth principally in censorious wranglings against other mens actions or opinions It first worketh towards good and then riseth up against the hindering-evil 9. It maketh 2 Cor. 8. 3. Act 18. 25. Exod. 36. 6. a man laborious in holy duty to God and diligent in
subscribed if afterwards you will question that account again you must take as full a time to do it and that when you are as calm and vacant as before and not unsettle an exact account upon a sudden view or a thought of some one particular Thus must you trust to no examinations and decisions about the state of your souls but those that in long and calm deliberation have brought it to an issue § 16. Direct 7. And in doing this neglect not to make use of the assistance of an able Direct 7. faithful Guide so far as your own weakness makes it necessary Your doubting sheweth that you are not sufficient to dispatch it satisfactorily your selves The Question then is What help a wiser man can give you Why he can clearlier open to you the true nature of Grace and the marks that are infallible and the extent of the Grace and tenour of the Covenant and he can help you how to trace your hearts and observe the discoveries of good or evil in them he can shew you your mistakes and help you in the application and tell you much of his own and others experiences And he can pass a strong Conjecture upon your own Case in particular if he be one that knoweth the course of your lives and is intimately acquainted with you For Sin and Grace are both expressive operative things like Life that ordinarily will stir or Fire that will be seen Though their judgement cannot be infallible of you and though for a while Hypocrisie may hide you from the knowledge of another yet ficâ—a non diâ— c. ordinarily Nature will be seen and that which is within you will shew it self so that your familiar acquaintance that see your lives in private and in publick may pass a very strong conjecture at your state whether you sâ—t your selves indeed to please God in sincerity or no. Therefore if possible choose such a man to help you as is 1. Able 2. Faithful and 3. Well acquainted with you And undervalue not his judgement § 17. Direct 8. When you cannot attain to a Certainty of your case undervalue not and Direct 8. neglect not the Comforts which a bare probability may afford you I know that a Certainty in so weighty a case should be earnestly desired and endeavoured to the uttermost But yet it is no small comfort which a likelihood or hopefulness may yield you Husband and Wife are uncertain every day whether one of them may kill the other And yet they can live comfortably together because it is an unlikely thing and though it be possible it is not much to be feared All the comforts of Christians dependeth not on their Assurance It is but few Christians in the world that reach to clear Assurance For all the Papists Lutherans and Arminians are without any Certainty of their salvation because they think it cannot be had And all those Jansenists or Protestants that are of Augustines judgement are without Assurance of salvation though they may have assurance of their Justification and Sanctification Because their judgement is that the justified and sanctified though not the Elect may fall away And of those that hold the Doctrine of Perseverance how few do we find that can say they are certain of their sincerity and salvation Alas not one of very many And yet many thousands of these do live in some peace of Conscience and quietness and comfort in the hopefulness and probabilities to which they have attained § 18. Direct 9. Resolve to be much in the great delightful duties of Thanksgiving and the Direct 9. Praise of God and to spend a considerable part ordinarily of all your prayers herein especially to spend the Lords Day principally in these And thus you will have three great advantages 1. The very actings of Love and Thanks and Joy will help you to comfort in a nearer way than arguments and self-examination will do even in a way of feeling as the fire maketh you warm 2. The custome of exercising those sweetest graces will habituate your souls to it and in time wear out the sadder impression 3. God will most own you in those highest duties § 19. Direct 10. Mark well how far your doubtings do help or hinder you in your sanctification Direct 10. So far as they turn your heart from God and from the Love and sweetness of a holy life and unfit you for thankfulness and chearful obedience so far you may be sure that Satan is gratified by them and God displeased and therefore they should be resisted But so far as they keep you humble and obedient and make you more tenderly afraid of sin and quicken your desires of Christ and grace so far God useth them for your benefit And therefore be not too impatient under them but wait on God in the use of his means and he will give his comforts in the fittest season Many an one hath sweet assurance at his death or in his sufferings for Christ when he needed it most that was fain to live long before without it Especially take care 1. That you miss not of Assurance through your own neglect 2. And that your doubtings work no ill effects in turning away your hearts from God or discouraging you in his service and then you may take them as a tryal of your patience and they will certainly have a happy end CHAP. XXVI Directions for Declining or Backsliding Christians and about Perseverance THe case of Backsliders is so terrible and yet the mistakes of many Christians so common in thinking unjustly that they are backsliders that this subject must be handled with the greater care And when I have first given some Directions for the Cure I shall next give some to others for Prevention of so sad a state § 1. Direct 1. Understand well wherein Backsliding doth consist the sorts and the degrees of it that so you may the more certainly and exactly discern whether it be indeed your case or not To this end I shall here open to you I. The several sorts of Backsliders II. The several steps or degrees of backsliding III. The signs of it § 2. I. There are in general three sorts of Backsliders 1. Such as decline from the Truth by the error of their Understanding 2. Such as turn from the Goodness of God and Holiness by the corruption of their Will and Affections 3. Such as turn from the Obedience of God and an upright conversation by the sinfulness of their lives The first sort containeth in it 1. Such as decline to Infidelity from Faith and doubt of the Truth of the Word of God 2. Such as decline only to error about the meaning of the Scriptures though they doubt not of the Truth of them This corrupted Iudgement will presently corrupt both Heart and Life § 3. The second sort Backsliders in Heart containeth 1. Such as only lose their Affections to Good their complacency and desire and lose their averseness and zeal against
here is not meant the substance of the Christian belief or any one necessary Article of it But a Belief of the indifferency of such things as Paul spake of in meats and drinks If thou know these things to be Lawful when thy weak brother doth not and so thou be wiser than he thank God for thy knowledge and use it to thy own salvation but do not proudly or uncharitably contend for it and use it uncharitably to the danger of anothers soul much less to the wrong of the Church and Gospel and the hinderance of greater truths 2 Tim 2. 14. Of these things put them in remembrance that is of the Saints hope in Gods faithfulness charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit but the subverting of the hearers Yet for the faith we must earnestly contend Jude 2 3. So 2 Tim. 2. 2. 23 24. But foolish and unlearned questi 〈…〉 avoid knowing that they do gender strife And the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle to all men § 8. But that which is the chiefest matter of our Profession is The being and perfections of God himself His love to man and power over him and mans subjection and obligations unto God The person and office and works and benefits of our Redeemer with all the duty that we owe to him in perfect holiness and all the hopes that we have in him the happiness of the Saints the odiousness of sin and the misery of the wicked These and such as these are things that we are called to Profess yet so as not to deny or renounce the smallest truth § 9. Direct 3. Understand also the manner how we must make Profession of Religion 1. There is Direct 3. a Professing by words and a professing by Actions 2. There is a solemn profession by Gods publick ordinances and an occasional or privater profession by conference or by our conversations And all these wayes must Religion be professed § 10. Direct 4. Understand also the season of each sort of Profession that you omit not the season nor do it Direct 4. unseasonably 1. Profession by Baptism Lords Supper and Church-assemblies must be done in their season which the Church-guides are the conducters of 2. Profession by an innocent blameless obedient life is never out of season 3. Profession by private conference and by occasional acts of piety must be when opportunity inviteth us and they are likely to attain their ends 4. The whole frame of a Believers life should be so Holy and Heavenly and mortified and above the world as may amount to a serious profession that he liveth in confident hope of the life to come and may shew the world the difference between a Worldling and an heir of Heaven between corrupted nature and true grace The Professors of Godliness must be a peculiar people zealous of good works and adorned with them Tit. 2. 14. 1 Tim. 2. 10. § 11. Direct 5. Take special care that your Profession be sincere and that you be your selves as good Direct 5. as you profess to be Otherwise 1. Your profession will condemn your selves 2. And it will dishonour the truth which you deceitfully profess There can scarce a greater injury befall a good cause than to have a bad and shameful patron to defend it Rom. 2. 3. And thinkest thou this O man that judgest them which do such things and dost the same that thou shalt escape the judgement of God Vers. 13. to 25. Thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the Law dishonourest thou God For the name of God is blaspheamed among the Gentiles through you § 12. Direct 6. Let not your profession be so much of your own sincerity as of God and his excellencies Direct 6. Boast not of your selves but of God and Christ and the promise and the Hope of true believers and do it to Gods praise and not for your own Be sure that in all your profession of Religion you be seeking honour to God and not unto your selves And then in this manner he that doubteth of his own sincerity yet may and must make profession of Christ and true Religion when you cannot proclaim the uprightness of your own hearts you may boldly proclaim the excellencies of Religion and the happiness of Saints § 13. Direct 7. Live upon God alone and trust his Alsufficiency and abhor that pusillanimity and Direct 7. baseness of spirit which maketh men afraid or ashamed openly to own the truth Remember the example of your Lord who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession 1 Tim. 6. 13. who came for this end into the world to bear witness to the truth Fear not the face of man whose breath is in his Joh. 18. 37. The Arrians under Valens and the Vandal◠still silenced the Orthodox Preachers and forbad their meetings and yet the people adhered to their Pastors and kept their meetings while they could Saepius prohibitum est ut sacerdotes vestri conventus minime celebrarent nec sua seditione animas subverterent Chistianas Praecept Hunner in Victor◠uticers p. 414. nostrils and is perishing even while he is threatning If thou believe not that Christ can secure thee from the rage of man thou believest not indeed in Christ If thou believe not that Heaven will satisfie for all that by scorns or cruelties thou sufferest from sinners thou hast not indeed the hope of a believer And no wonder if thou profess not that which thou believest not But if thou believe that God is God and Christ is Christ and Heaven is Heaven and the Gospel is true thou hast enough in thy Belief to secure thee against all the scorns and cruelties of man and to tell thee that Christ will bear thy charges in all that thou sufferest for his sake O what abundance are secretly convinced of the truth and their Consciences bear witness to the wisdom of the Saints and a holy life and yet they dare not openly own and stand to the truth which they are convinced of for fear of being mockt by the tongues of the profane or for fear of losing their places and preferments O wretch dost thou not tremble when thou art ashamed of Christ to think of the day when he will be ashamed of thee Then when he comes in Glory none will be ashamed of him Then where is the tongue that mockt him and his servants Who then will deride his holy wayes Then that will be the greatest Glory which thou art now ashamed of Canst thou believe that day and yet hide thy profession through cowardly fear or shame of man Is man so great and is Christ no greater in thine eyes than so If he be not more regardable than man believe not in him If he be regard him more and let not a worm be preferred before thy Saviour § 14. Direct 8. If any doubt arise whether thou shouldst now make particular Profession of
to a more edifying Church that useth all the publick Ordinances of God unless the publick good forbid or some great impediment or contrary duty be our excuse § 36. 11. If a true Church will not cast out any impenitent notorious scandalous sinner though 2 John 10. 11. 2 Tim. 3. 5. Rom. 16. 17. 1 Cor. 5. 11. I am not to separate from the Church yet I am bound to avoid private familiarity with such a person that he may be ashamed and that I partake not of his sin § 37. 12. As the Church hath diversity of members some more holy and some less and some of whole sincerity we have small hope some that are more honourable and some less some that walk Mat. 13. 41 30. Jer. 15. 19. 1 Cor. 12. 23 24. blamelesly and some that work iniquity So Ministers and private members are bound to difference between them accordingly and to honour and love some far above others whom yet we may not excommunicate And this is no sinful separation § 38. 13. If the Church that I live and communicate with do hold any tolerable error I may differ therein from the Church without a culpable separation Union with the Church may be continued with all the diversities before mentioned D. 3. § 10. § 39. 14. In case of persecution in one Church or City when the servants of Christ do flye to another having no special reason to forbid it this is no sinful separation Matth. 10. 23. § 40. 15. If the publick service of the Church require a Minister or a private Christian to remove to another Church if it be done deliberately and upon good advice it is no sinful separation § 41. 16. If a Lawful Prince or Magistrate command us to remove our habitation or command a Minister from one Church to another when it is not notoriously to the detriment of the common interest of Religion it is no sinful separation to obey the Magistrate § 42. 17. If a poor Christian that hath a due and tender care of his salvation do find that under one Minister his soul declineth and groweth dead and under another that is more sound and clear and lively he is much edified to a holy and heavenly frame and life and if hereupon preferring his salvation before all things he remove to that Church and Minister where he is most edified without unchurching the other by his censures this is no sinful separation but a preferring the One thing needful before all § 43. 18. If one part of the Church have leisure opportunity cause and earnest desires to meet ofter for the edifying of their souls and redeeming their time than the poorer labouring or careless and less zealous part will meet in any fit place under the oversight and conduct of their Pastors and not in opposition to the more publick full assemblies as they did Acts 12. 12. to pray for Peter at the house of Mary where many were gathered together praying and Acts 10. 1 c. this is no sinful separation § 44. 19. If a mans own outward affairs require him to remove his habitation from one City or Countrey to another and there be no greater matter to prohibite it he may lawfully remove his local communion from the Church that he before lived with to that which resideth in the place he goeth to For with distant Churches and Christians I can have none but Mental Communion or by distant means as writing messengers c. It is only with present Christians that I can have local personal communion § 45. 20. It is possible in some cases that a man may live long without local personal communion with any Christians or Church at all and yet not be guilty of sinful separation As the Kings Embassadour or Agent in a Land of Infidels or some Traveller Merchants Factors or such as go to convert the Infidels or those that are banished or imprisoned In all these twenty cases some kind of separation may be lawful § 46. 21. One more I may add which is when the Temples are so small and the Congregations so great that there is no room to hear and joyn in the publick Worship or when the Church is so excessively great as to be uncapable of the proper ends of the society in this case to divide or withdraw is no sinful separation When one Hive will not hold the Bees the swarm must seek themselves another without the injury of the rest By all this you may perceive that sinful separation is first in a censorious uncharitable mind condemning Churches Ministers and Worship causelesly as unfit for them to have communion with And Secondly it is in the personal separation which is made in pursuance of this censure But not in any local removal that is made on other lawful grounds § 47. Direct 4. Understand and consider well the Reasons why Christ so frequently and earnestly Direct 4. presseth Concord on his Church and why he so vehemently forbiddeth Divisions Observe how much the Scripture speaketh to this purpose and upon what weighty Reasons Here are four things distinctly to be represented to your serious consideration 1. How many plain and urgent are the Texts that speak for Unity and condemn Division 2. The great Benefits of Concord 3. And the mischiefs of Discord and Divisions in the Church 4. And the Aggravations of the sin § 48. I. A true Christian that hateth fornication drunkenness lying perjury because they are forbidden in the Word of God will hate Divisions also when he well observeth how frequently and vehemently they are forbidden and Concord highly commended and commanded John 17. 21 22 23. That they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also See Rom. 14. throughout Rom. 15. 12. 5 6 7. may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One and that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as Ephes. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. thou hast loved me Here you see that the Unity of the Saints must be a special means to convince the Infidel world of the truth of Christianity and to prove Gods special Love to his Church and 1 Pet. 3. 6. 1 Cor. 12. throughout Phil. 3. 15 16. Acts 2. 1 46. 4. 32. also to accomplish their own perfection 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Iesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions or Schisms among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement For it hath been declared to me of you my brethren that there are contentions among you Rom. 12. 4 5. Psalm 133. 1 Cor. 8. 1
unheard or upon rash presumption Prop. 12. Christianity and Heresie being personal qualities and no where found but in individuals Ezek. 18 17. Gen. 18 3 24 â—5 nor one man guilty of anothers error it followeth that it is single persons upon personal guilt that must be judged Prop. 13. Any man may judge another to be a Christian or Heretick by a private judgement of 1 Cor. â—0 1â— Acts 1. 19. 1 Cor. â— 3 4 5. 1 Cor. 11. 3. Mat. 5. 11 12. John 16. 2. discerning or the reason which guideth all humane actions But only Church Rulers may judge him by that publick Judgement which giveth or denyeth him his publick priviledges and Communion Prop. 14. If by notorious injustice Church Rulers condemn Christians as no Christians though they may thereby deny them communion with those publick Assemblies which they govern yet do they not oblige the people to take such injured persons for no Christians Else they might oblige all to believe a lye to consent to malicious injuries and might disoblige the people from Truth Righteousness and Charity Prop. 15. There is no one Natural or Collective Head and Governour of all the Churches in the 1 Cor. 12. 27 28 29. world the Universal Church but Jesus Christ And therefore there is none that by such Governing power can excommunicate any man out of the Universal Church And such Usurpation would Eph. 4. 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 1. 12 13 3. 22 23. be Treason against Christ whose Prerogative it is Prop. 16. Yet he that deserveth to be excommunicated from one Church deserveth to be Ephes. 5. 23. 4 15. excommunicated by and from all if it be upon a Cause common to all or that nullifieth his Christianity Col. 1. 18. 2. 19. Prop. 17. And where neighbour Churches are Consociate and live in Order and Concord he that 3 John is orderly excommunicate from one Church and it be notified to the rest should not be taken into the communion of any of the rest till he be cleared or become fit for their communion But Ephes. 5. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 1â— this obligation ariseth but from the Concord of Consociate Churches and not from the Power of one over the rest And it cannot reach all the world where the person cometh not nor was ever known but only to those who through neighbourhood are capable of just notice and of giving or denying communion to that person Prop. 18. From all this it is clear that it is not either Papists alone or Greeks alone or Protestants alone or any party of Christians who are the Universal Church seeing that Church containeth All 1 Cor. 1â— 12. John 13. 3â— 1 Cor. 13 1 2 c. Christians And that reviling others yea whole Nations as Hereticks Schismaticks and no Christians or Churches will no more prove the Revilers to be the only Church or Christians than Want of Love will prove a man to be one of Christs Disciples who by Love are known to all men to be his Prop. 19. It is therefore the shameful language of distracted men to cry out against other Christian Nations It is not you but we that are the Catholick or Universal Church And our shameful Controversie which of them is the Catholick is no wiser than to question Whether it be this house or that which is the Street Or this Street or that which is the City Or whether it be the 1 Cor. 12. 12. 1 Cor. 6. 17. 10. 17. Kitchin or the Hall or the Parlour which is the House Or the Hand or Foot or Eye which is the Man O when will God bring distracting Teachers to Repentance and distracted people to their wits Ephes. 4. 3 c. Prop. 20. There is great difference in the Purity or soundness of the several parts of the Universal Church some being more Orthodox and holy and some deâ—â—led with so many Errours and sins Gal. 4. 11 12. as to make it difficult to discern whether they do not deny the very essentials Prop. 21. The Reformed Churches are the soundest and purest that we know in the world and Rev. 3 8 9 10 11 12. 2 10 11. Act. 14 22. Tit. 1 5. Rom. 16. 4 16. 1 Cor. 7 17. 11. 16. 14. 3â— 34. 2 Thes. 1. 4. Rev. 2. 23. therefore their priviledge exceeding great though they are not all the Universal Church Prop. 22. Particular Churches consisting of Lawful Pastors and Christian people associated for personal Communion in Worship and holy living are societies or true Churches of Christâ— institution and the chief parts of the Universal Church As Cities and Corporations are of the Kingdom Prop. 23. There are thousands of these in the world and a man may be saved in one as well as in another Only the purest give him the best advantages for his salvation And therefore should be preferred by all that are wise and love their souls so far as they are free to choose their Communion Prop. 24. The case then being easily resolved which is the true Church viz. All Christians ☜ as Christians are the Catholick or Universal Church and All Congregations afore described of 1 Cor. 1. 13. Rom. 16. 17. Act. 20. 30. true Pastors and Christians being particular true Churches differing only in degrees of purity he is to be suspected as a designing deceiver and troubler of the world that pretending to be a Learned man and a Teacher doth still perplex the Consciences of the ignorant with this frivolous question and would muddy and obscure this clear state of the case lest the people should rest in the discerned truth Prop. 25. The Papal Church as such being no true Church of Christs institution of which by it self anon it followeth that a Papist as a Papist is no member of the Church of Christ that is Acts 2. 44. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. no Christian. But yet whether the same person may not be a Papist and a Christian and so a member of the Catholick Church we shall anon enquire Prop. 26. There are many things which go to make up the fitness and desireablness of that particular Heb. 10. 25. 1 Tim. 3. 7. 3 Joh. 12. Church which we should prefer or choose for our ordinary personal Communion As 1. That it be the Church of that place where we dwell If the place be so happy as to have no divided Churches that it be the sole Church there However that it be so neerâ—â— to be fit for our Communion 2. That it be a Church which holdeth Communion with other neighbour Churches and is not singular or divided from them Or at least not from the Generality of the Churches of Christ nor Act 16 32 34. Act 10. 2. 22. Act. 18. 8. Col. 4. 15. differeth in any great matters from those that are most pure 3. That it be under the Reputation of soundness with the other Churches aforesaid
Rom. 10. 15 1â— translate it Age it is the Age of the Church of the Messiah incarnate which is all one 4. Because it was a small part of the world comparatively that heard the Gospel in the Apostles dayes And the far greatest part of the world is without it at this day when yet God our Saviour would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth 5. Even where the Gospel hath long continued for the most part there are many still that are in infidelity And so great a work is not left without an appointed suitable means for its performance And if an Office was necessary for it in the first age it is not credible that it is left to private mens charity ever since 6. Especially considedering that private men are to be supposed insufficient 1. Because they are not educated purposely for it but usually for something else 2. Because that they have other Callings to take them up 3. Because they have no special obligation And that which is no mans peculiar work is usually left undone by all II. The peoples Call or Consent is not necessary to a Ministers reception of his Office in General nor for this part of his work in special But only to his Pastoral Relation to themselves 1. It is so in other functions that are exercised by skill The Patients or People make not a man a Physicion or a Lawyer but only choose what Physicion shall be their Physicion and what Lawyer shall be their Counsellor 2. If the peoples Call or Consent be necessary it is either the Infidels or the Churches Not the Infidels to whom he is to preach for 1. He is Authorized to preach to them as the Apostles were before he goeth to them 2. Their Consent is but a Natural-consequent-requisite for the Reception and success of their Teaching but not to the Authority which is pre-requisite 3. Infidels cannot do so much towards the making of a Minister of Christ. 4. Else Christ would have few such Ministers 5. If it be Infidels either all or some If some why those rather than others Or is a man made a Minister by every Infidel auditory that heareth him 2. Nor is it Christian people that must do this much to the making of a General Minister For 1. They have no such Power given for it in Nature or the Word of God 2. They are generally unqualified and unable for such a work 3. They are no where obliged to it nor can fitly leave their Callings for it Much less to get the abilities necessary to judge 4. Which of the people have this power Is it any of them or any Church of private men Or some one more than the rest Neither one nor all can lay any claim to it There is some reason why this Congregation rather than another should choose their own Pastors But there is no Reason nor Scripture that this Congregation choose a Minister to convert the World III. I conclude therefore that the Call of a Minister in General doth consist 1. Dispositively in the due Qualifications and â—nablement of the person 2. And the Necessity of the people with opportunity is a providential part of the Call 3. And the ordainers are the Orderly Electors and determineâ—s of the person that shall receive the power from Christ. 1. For this is part of the power of the Keyes or Church-Government 2. And Paul giveth this direction for exercising of this power to Timothy which sheweth the ordinary way of Calling 2 Tim. 2 Tim. 3. 6 7. Tâ—t 1. 5 6. 2. 2. And the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Act. 13. 1 2 3. There were in the Church at Antioch certain Prophets As they ministred to the Lord the Holy Ghost said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they sent them away And they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed In this whether it be to be called an Ordination or rather a Mission there is somewhat Ordinary that it be by men in office and somewhat extraordinary that it be by a special inspiration of the Holy Ghost And Timothy received his Gifts and Office by the Imposition of the hands of Paul and of the Presbytery 1 Tim. 4. 14. 2 Tim. 1. 6. 1 Tim. 5. 22. Lay hands suddenly on no man These instances make the case the clearer 1. Because it is certain that all that Governing power which is given by Christ to the Church under the name of the Keyes is given to the Pastors 2. Because there are no other competitors to lay a reasonable claim to it Quest. 19. Wherein consisteth the Power and Nature of Ordination And to whom doth it belong And is it an Act of Iurisdiction And is Imposition of hands necessary in it I. THis is resolved on the by before 1. Ordination performeth two things 1. The designation election or determination of the person who shall receive the Office 2. The Ministerial Investiture of him in that office which is a Ceremonial delivery of Possession As a servant doth deliver possession of a house by delivering him the Key who hath before received the power or Right from the Owner 2. The office delivered by this Election and Investiture is the sacred Ministerial office in General to be after exercised according to particular Calls and opportunities As Christ called the Apostles and the Spirit called the ordinary general Teachers of those times such as Barnabas Silas Silvanus Timothy Epaphroditus Apollo c. And as is before cited 2 Tim. 2. 2. As a man is made in General a Licensed Physicion Lawyer c. 3. This Ordination is Ordinis gratiâ necessary to order and therefore so far necessary as Order is necessary which is Ordinarily when the greater interest of the substantial duty or of the Thing Ordered is not against it As Christ determined the case of Sabbath keeping and not eating the Shew-bread As the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath and the end is to be preferred before the separable means so ordination was instituted for order and order for the thing ordered and for the work of the Gospel and the good of souls and not the Gospel and mens souls for that Order Therefore when 1. The death 2. Distance 3. Or malignity of the Ordainers depriveth a man of Ordination these three substitutes may notifie to him the Will of God that he is by him a person called to that office 1. Fitness for the works in Understanding Willingness and Ability 2. The Necessity of souls 3. Opportunity II. The power of ordaining belongeth not 1. To Magistrates 2. Or to private men either single or as the body of a Church but 3. To the Senior Pastors of the Church whether Bishops or Presbyters
by decisive Iudicial â—entence Nor any Universal Civil Monarch of the world 2. The publick Governing Decisive judgement obliging others belongeth to publick persons or Officers Eph. 4. 7 13 14 15 16. of God and not to any private man 1 Cor. 12. 28 29. 17. 3. The publick decision of Doubts or Controversies about Faith it self or the true sense of Gods Word and Laws as obliging the whole Church on Earth to believe that decision or not gainsay it Acts 15. See my Key for Catholicks because of the Infallibility or Governing authority of the Deciders belongeth to none but Jesus Christ Because as is said he hath made no Universal Governour nor Infallible Expositor It belongeth to the Law-giver only to make such an Universally obliging Exposition of his own Laws 4. True Bishops or Pastors in their own particular Churches are Authorized Teachers and Guides in Expounding the Laws and Word of Christ And the people are bound as Learners to reverence their Teaching and not contradict it without true cause yea and to believe them fide humanâ in things pertinent to their Office For oportet discentem credere 5. No such Pastors are to be Absolutely believed nor in any case of notorious Error or Heresie where the Word of God is discerned to be against them 6. For all the people as Reasonable creatures have a judgement of private discerning to judge what they must Receive as Truth and to discern their own duty by the help of the Word of God and of their Teachers 7. The same power of Governing-Iudgement Lawful Synods have over their several flocks as a Pastor over his own but with greater advantage 8. The power of Judging in many Consociate Churches who is to be taken into Communion as Orthodox and who to be refused by those Churches as Hereticks in specie that is what Doctrine they will judge sound or unsound as it is Iudicium discernendi belongeth to every one of the Council â—ingly As it is a Iudgement obliging themselves by Contract and not of Governing each other it is in the Contracters and Consenters And for peace and order usually in the Major Vote But with the Limitations before expressed 9. Every true Christian believeth all the Essentials of Christianity with a Divine faith and not by a meer humane belief of his Teachers though by their Help and Teaching his faith is generated and confirmed and preserved Therefore no essential Article of Christianity is left to any obliging decision of any Church but only to a subservient obliging Teaching As whether there be a God a Christ a Heaven a Hell an Immortality of souls whether God be to be believed loved feared obeyed before man Whether the Scripture be Gods Word and true Whether those that contradict it are to be believed therein Whether Pastors Assemblies publick Worship Baptism Sacrament of the Lords Supper be Divine institutions And the same I may say of any known Word of God No mortals may judge in partem utramliâ—et but the Pastors are only Authorized Teachers and helpers of the peoples faith And so they be partly to one another 10. If the Pope or his Council were the Infallible or the Governing Expositors of all Gods Laws and Scriptures 1. God would have enabled them to do it by an Universal Commentary which all men should be obliged to believe or at least not to contradict For there is no Authority and Obligation given to men yea to so many successively to do that for the needful decision of Controversies which they never have Ability given them to do For that were to oblige them to things impossible 2. And the Pope and his Council would be the most treacherous miscreants on earth that in so many hundred years would never write such an Infallible nor Governing Commentary to end the differences of the Christian world Indeed they have judged with others against Arrius that Christ is true God and one with the Father in substance c. But if they had said the contrary must we have taken it for Gods truth or have believed them 11. To judge who for Heresie or Seandal shall be punished by the Sword belongeth to none but the Magistrate in his own dominions As to judge who shall have Communion or be excommunicated from the Church belongeth as aforesaid to the Pastors And the said Magistrate hath first as a man his own Iudgement of discerning what is Heresie and who of his subjects are guilty of it in order to his publick Governing Judgement 12. The Civil Supream Ruler may Antecedently exercise this Judgement of Discerning by the Teaching of their proper Teachers in order to his consequent sentences on offenders And so in his Laws may tell the subjects what Doctrines and practices he will either Tolerate or punish And thus may the Church Pastors do in their Canons to their several flocks in relation to Communion or non-communion 13. He that will condemn particular persons as Hereticks or offenders must allow them to speak for themselves and hear the proofs and give them that which justice requireth c. And if the Pope can do so at the Antipodes and in all the world either per se or per alium without giveing that other his essential claimed power let him prove it by better experience than we have had 14. As the prime and sole-universal Legislation belongeth to Jesus Christ so the final Judgement universal and particular belongeth to him which only will end all Controversies and from which there is no appeal Quest. 29. Whether a Parents power over his Children or a Pastor or many Pastors or Bishops over the same Children as parts of their flock be greater or more obliging in matters of Religion and publick Worship THis being toucht on somewhere else I only now say 1. That if the case were my own I would 1. Labour to know their different Powers as to the matter commanded and obey each in that which is proper to his place 2. If I were young and ignorant Natural necessity and natural obligation together would give my Parents with whom I lived such an advantage above the Minister whom I seldome see or understand as would determine the case de eventu and much de jure 3. If my Parents commanded me to hear a Teacher who is against Ceremonies or certain Forms and to hear none that are for them natural necessity here also ordinarily would make it my duty first to hear and obey my Parents And in many other cases till I came to understand the greater power of the Pastors in their own place and work 4. But when I come to Church or know that the judgement of all Concordant Godly Pastors condemneth such a thing as damnable Heresie or Sin which any Father commandeth me to receive and profess I would more believe and follow the Judgement of the Pastors and Churches Quest. 30. May an Office Teacher or Pastor be at once in a stated Relation of a Pastor and a
cannot do with greater assemblies yea and to omit some assemblies for a time that we may thereby have opportunity for more which is not formal but only material obedience 4. But if it be only some circumstances of Assembling that are forbidden us that is the next case to be resolved Quest. 110. Must we obey the Magistrate if he only forbid us Worshiping God in such a place or Countrey or in such numbers or the like Answ. WE must distinguish between such a determination of Circumstances modes or accidents What if we be forbidden only Place Numbers c. as plainly destroy the worship or the end and such as do not For instance 1. He that â—aith You shall never assemble but once a year or never but at midnight or never above six or seven minutes at once c. doth but determine the circumstance of Time But he doth it so as to destroy the worship which cannot so be done in consistency with its ends But he that shall say You shall not meet till nine a clock nor stay in the night c. doth no such thing So 2. He that saith You shall not assemble but at forty miles distance one from another or you shall meet only in a room that will hold but the twentieth part of the Church or you shall never Preach in any City or popular place but in a Wilderness far from the inhabitants c. doth but determine the circumstance of Place But he so doth it as tends to destroy or frustrate the work which God commandeth us But so doth not he that only boundeth Churches by Parish bounds or forbâ—deth inconvenient places 3. So he that â—aith You shall never meet under a hundred thousand together or never above five or six doth but determine the accident of Number But he so doth it as to destroy the work and end For the first will be impossible And in the second way they must keep Church assemblies without Ministers when there is not so many as for every such little number to have one But so doth not he that only saith You shall not meet above ten thousand nor under ten 4. So he that saith You shall not hear a Trinitarian but an Arrian or you shall hear only one that cannot preach the essentials of Religion or that cryes down Godliness it self or you shall hear none but such as were ordained at Ierusalem or Rome or none but such as subscribe the Council of Trent c. doth but determine what person we shall hear But he so doth it as to destroy the work and end But so doth not he that only saith You shall hear only this able Minister rather than that 2. I need not stand on the application In the later case we owe formal obedience In the former we must suffer and not obey For if it be meet so to obey it is meet in obedience to give over Gods worship Christ said when Mat. 10. 13. Maâ— 16. 15. Maâ— 28. 19. 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. 4. 1 2 â— they persecute you in one City flee to another But he never said If they forbid you Preaching in any City or populous place obey them He that said Preach the Gospel to every Creature and to all Nations and all the World and that would have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth doth not allow us to forsake the souls of all that dwell in Cities and populous places and Preach only to some few Cottingers elsewhere No more than he will allow us to Love pity and relieve the bodies only of those few and take none for our Neighbours that dwell in Cities but with Priest and Levite to pass them by Quest. 111. Must Subjects or servants forbear weekly Lectures Reading or such helps above the Lords dayes worship if Princes or Masters do command it Answ. 1. THere is great difference between a meer subject or person governed and a servant slâ—ve or child 2. There is great difference between such as are hindered by just cause and real necessities and such as are hindered only through prophane malignity 1. Poor people have not so much leisure from their callings as the Rich And so providing for their families may at that time by necessity become the greater and the present duty 2. So may it be with Souldiers Judges and others that have present urgent work of publick consequence when others have no such impediment 3. He that is the child or slave of another or is his own by propriety is more at his power than he that is only a subject and so is but to be Governed in order to his own and the common good 4. A servant that hath absolutely hired himself to another is for that time neer the condition of a slave But he that is hired but with limitations and exceptions of Liberty exprest or understood hath right to the excepted liberty 5. If the King forbid Judges Souldiers or others whose labours are due to the publick to hear Sermons at the time when they should do their work Or if Parents or Masters so forbid Children and servants they must be obeyed while they exclude not the publick Worship of the Lords own day nor necessary Prayer and duty in our private daily cases 6. But he that is under such bondage as hindereth the needful helps of his soul should be gone to a freer place if Lawfully he can But a Child Wife or such as are not free must trust on Gods help in the use of such means as he alloweth them 7. A Prince or Tutor or Schoolmaster who is not a Proprietor of the person but only a Governour is not to be obeyed formally and for Conscience sake if he forbid his Subjects or Scholars such daily or weekly helps for their salvation as they have great need of and have no necessity to forbear such as are hearing or assembling with the Church on the week dayes at convenient time Reading the Scriptures daily or good Books accompanying with men fearing God praying c. Because God hath commanded these when we can perform them Quest. 112. Whether Religious Worship may be given to a Creature and what Answ. WHile the terms of the Question remain ambiguous it is uncapable of an answer 1. By Worship is meant either Cultus in genere any honour expressed to another Or some special act of honour We must understand the Question in the first General sense or else we cannot answer it till men tell us what Acts of honouring they mean 2. By Religious is meant either in general that which we are bound to by God or is done by virtue of a Religious that is a Divine obligation and so is made part of our Religion that is of our obedience to God Or else by Religious is meant Divine or that which is properly due to God The question must be taken in the first general sense or else it is no question but
Deut. 29. 22. Eâ—â—d 12. 26. Jos. 4. 6. 22. 22. 24 25. and not only to the Countrey where he liveth Many things seem necessary for some present strait or work that we would do which in the next age may be of mischievous effects Especially in Ecclesiastical and Political professions Covenants and impositions we must look further than our present needs And many things seem necessary for a local narrow interest which those at a distance will otherwise esteem 17. He that will walk uprightly must be able to bear the displeasure of all the world when the interest of truth requireth it yea to be rejected of learned and good men themselves and account 1 Cor. 4. 3 4. John 5. 44. Luke 14. 26. Gal. 2. 13. 14. Acts 11. 2 3. mans favour no better than it is Not to despise it as it is a means to any good but to be quite above it as to his own interest Not that uprightness doth use to make a man despised by the upright but that it may bring him under their censure in some particulars which are not commonly received or understood to be of God 18. He must make it a great part of the work of his life to kill all those carnal desires which the Col. 3. 4 5. Rom. 6 1 c. 13. 12 13. 8. 13. sensual make it their work and felicity to please That Appetite sense and lust and self-will may not be the constant pervertâ—rs of his life As a fool in a Dropsie studyeth to please his Thirst and a wise man to cure it 19. He must live a life of constant and skilful watchfulness apprehending himself in continual Matth. 24. 42. â—5 1â— Mat. 13. 37. 1 Tâ—ess 5. 6. 1 Pet. 4. 7. 1 Cor. 1â— 13. Matth. 6. 13. 26. 41. danger and knowing his particular Corruptions Temptations and Remedies He must have a tender conscience and keep as far as possible from temptation and take heed of unnecessary approaches or delightful thoughts of sin O what strong Resolutions what sound knowledge have the near-baits of seâ—suality meat drink lust and pleasures overcome Never think your selves safe among neartemptations and opportunities of sinning 20. Live as those that are going to the grave Dye daily and look on this world as if you did look on it out of the world to which you go Let Faith as constantly behold the world unseen as Eccles. 7. 2 3 4 5 6. 2 Cor. 4. 16. 5. 1 7 8. Luke 12. 17 18 19 20. 16. 20 c. Matth. 25. 3 4 5 6 7 8. Acts 7. 56 60. your eye seeth this Death and Eternity make men wise We easily Confess and Repent of many things when we come to dye which no Counsels or Sermons could make us penitently confess before Death will answer a thousand objections and temptations and prove many vanities to be sin which you thought the Preacher did not prove Dying men are not drawn to drunkenness filthiness or time-wasting sports nor flattered into folly by sensual baits Nor do they then fear the face or threats of persecuters As it is from another world that we must fetch the Motives so also the Defâ—nsative of an Upright life And O happy are they that faithfully practise these Rules of Uprightness THough it be my judgement that much more of the Doctrine of Politicks or Civil Government Among the Jews it was all one to be a Lawyer and a Divine but not to be a Lawyer and a Pâ—iest belongeth to Theology than those men understand who make Kings and Laws to be meer humane Creatures yet to deliver my Reader from the fear lest I should meddle with matters that belong not to my Calling and my Book from that reproach I shall over-pass all these points which else I should have treated of as useful to Practice in Governing and Obeying 1. Of Man as sociable and of Communities and Societies and the Reason of them of their Original and the Obligation on the members 2. Of a City and of Civility 3. Of a Republick in general 1. Of its Institution 2. Of its Constitution and of its parts 3. Of its Species 4. Of the difference between it 1. And a Community in general 2. A Family 3. A Village 4. A City 5. A Church 6. An accidental Meeting 5. Of its Administration 6. Of the Relation between Gods Government and Mans and Gods Laws and Mans and of their difference and between Mans Judging and Gods Judging Nay I will not only gratifie you by passing over this and much more in the Theory but also as to the Practical part I shall pass over 1. The Directions for Supream Governours 2. And for inferiour Magistrates towards God and their Superiours and the people 3. And the Determination of the Question How far Magistrates have to do in matters of Religion Whether they be Christian or Heathen 4. How far they should grant or not grant Liberty of Conscience as it is called viz. of Judging Professing and Practising in matters of Religion with other such matters belonging to Government And all the Controversies about Titles and Supremacy Conservations Forfeitures Decayes Dangers Remedies and Restorations which belong either to Politicians Lawyers or Divines All these I pretermit save only that I shall venture to leave a few brief Memorandums with Civil Governours instead of Directions for securing the Interest of Christ and the Church and mens salvation Yet assuring the Reader that I omit none of this out of any contempt of the matter or of Magistracy or as if I thought them not worthy of all our Prayers and Assistance or thought their office of small concernment to the welfare of the world and of the Church but for those Reasons which all may know that know me and the Government under which we live and which I must not tell to others CHAP. II. Memorandum's to Civil Rulers for the interest of Christ the Church and mens Salvation § 1. Memor 1. REmember that your power is from God and therefore for God and not against Memor 1. God Rom. 13. 2 3 4. You are his Ministers and can have no power except it be Finis ad quem Rex principaliter intendere debet in sâ—ipso in subditis est aeâ—erna beatitudo quae in visione Dei consistit Et quia ista visio est perfectissimum bonum maxime movere debet Regem quemcunque Dominum ut hunc finem subditi consequantur Lib. de Regim Principum Thomae adscript Grot. de Imper. sum Pot. p. 9. Even Aristotle could say Polit. 7. c. 1 2. Eudem fine that each mans active and contemplative life is the end of Government and not only the publick peace and that that is the best life which conduceth most to our consideration of God and that is the worst which calleth us off from considering and worshiping him Vide Grot. de Imper. sum Pot. p. 10. Quam multa injuste fieri possunt
Sword in their own hands and not have put it into the Clergies hands to fulfill their wills by For 1. By this means the Clergy had escaped the odium of usurpation and domineering by which atheistical Politicians would make Religion odious to Magistrates for their sakes 2. And by this means greater unity had been preserved in the Church while one faction is not armed with the Sword to tread down the rest For if Divines contend only by dint of Argument when they have talkt themselves and others aweary they will have done But when they go to it with dint of Sword it so ill becometh them that it seldom doth good but the party often that trusteth least to their Reason must destroy the other and make their cause good by Iron arguments 3. And then the Romish Clergy had not been armed against Princes to the terrible concussions of the Christian world which Histories at large relate if Princes had not first lent them the Sword which they turned against them 4. And then Church Discipline would have been better understood and have been more effectual which is corrupted and turned to another thing and so cast out when the Sword is used instead of the Keys under pretence of making it effectual None but Consenters are capable of Church-communion No man can be a Christian nor Godly nor saved against his will And therefore Consenters and Volunteers only are capable of Church-discipline As a Sword will not make a Sermon effectual no more will it make Discipline effectual which is but the management of Gods Word to work upon the conscience So far as men are to be driven by the Sword to the use of means or restrained from offering injury to Religion the Magistrate himself is fittest to do it It is noted by Historians as the dishonour of Cyrill of Alexandria though a famous Bishop that he was the first Bishop that like a Magistrate used the Sword there and used violence against Hereticks and dissenters 5. Above all abuse not the name of Religion for the resistance of your lawful Governours Religion must be defended and propagated by no irreligious means It is easie before you are aware to catch the feavor of such a passionate zeal as Iames and Iohn had when they would have had fire from Heaven to consume the refusers and resisters of the Gospel And then you will think that any thing almost is lawful which doth but seem necessary to the prosperity of Religion But no means but those of Gods allowance do use to prosper or bring home that which men expect They may seem to do wonders for a while but they come to nothing in the latter end and spoil the work and leave all worse than it was before § 101. Direct 40. Take heed of mistaking the nature of that Liberty of the people which is truly Direct 40. valuable and desirable and of contending for an undesirable Liberty in its stead It is desirable to have 1 Pet. 2. 16. Gal. 5. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 19. Gal. 4. 26. 2 Cor. 3. 17. Liberty to do good and to possess our own and enjoy Gods mercies and live in peace But it is not desirable to have Liberty to sin and abuse one another and hinder the Gospel and contemn our Governours Some mistake Liberty for Government it self and think it is the peoples Liberty to be Governours And some mistake Liberty for an exemption from Government and think they are most free when they are most ungoverned and may do what their list But this is a misery and not a mercy and therefore was never purchased for us by Christ. Many desire servitude and calamity under the name of liberty Optima est Reipublicae forma saith Seneca ubi nulla Libertas deest nisi licentia pereundi As Mr. R. Hooker saith Lib. 8. p. 195. I am not of opinion that simply in Kings the Most but the Best limited power is best both for them and the people The Most limited is that which may deal in fewest things the best that which in dealing is tyed to the soundest perfectest and most indifferent Rule which Rule is the Law I mean not only the Law of Nature and of God but the National Law consonant thereunto Happier that people whose Law is their King in the greatest things than that whose King is himself their Law Yet no doubt but the Law-givers are as such above the Law as an Authoritative instrument of Government but under it as a man is under the obligation of his own Consent and Word It ruleth subjects in the former sense It bindeth the summam Potestatem in the later § 102. Direct 41. When you have done all that you can in just obedience look for your reward Direct 41. from God alone Let it satisfie you that he knoweth and approveth your sincerity You make it a holy work if you do it to please God and you will be fixed and constant if you take Heaven for your Reward which is enough and will not fail you But you make it but a selfish carnal work if you do it only to please your Governours or get preferment or escape some hurt which they may do you and are subject only in flattery or for fear of wrath and not for conscience sake And such obedience is uncertain and unconstant For when you fail of your hopes or think Rulers deal unjustly or unthankfully with you your subjection will be turned into passionate desires of revenge Remember still the example of your Saviour who suffered death as an enemy to Caesar when he had never failed of his duty so much as in one thought or word And are you better than your Lord and Master If God be All to you and you have laid up all your hopes in Heaven it is then but little of your concernment further than God is concerned in it whether Rulers do use you well or ill and whether they interpret your actions rightly or what they take you for or how they call you But it is your concernment that God account you Loyal and will judge you so and justifie you from mens accusations of disloyalty and reward you with more than man can give you Nothing is well done especially of so high a nature as this which is not done for God and Heaven and which the Crown of Glory is not the motive to I have purposely been the larger on this subject because the times in which we live require it both for the setling of some and for the confuting the false accusations of others who would perswade the world that our doctrine is not what it is when through the sinful practices of some the way of truth is evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2. 2. Tit. 2. A fuller resolution of the Cases 1. Whether the Laws of men do bind the Conscience 2. Especially smaller and Penal Laws THe word Conscience signifieth either 1. In general according to the notation of the word The knowledge of our own
named 3. What are the particular wayes and sorts of scandal 4. The greatness of this sin 5. Directions to avoid it § 2. I. I shall not need to stand upon the Etymologie of the word Scandal whether it come Scandal what it is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 claudico as Erasmus thought or from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 curvum c. Martinius Stephanus Lyserus c. have sufficiently done it whither I referr you As for the sense of the word it is past doubt that the ordinary use of it in Scripture is for a stumbling block for a man to fall upon or a trap to ensnare a man And in the Old Testament it is oft used for a stumbling stone on which a man may fall into any corporal calamity or a snare to hurt or ruine a man in the world As Exod. 10. 7. 1 Sam. 18. 21. 25. 31. Psal. 119. 165. Ezek. 7. 19. Sept. But in the New Testament which speaketh more of spiritual hurts it is taken for a stumbling block or temptation by which a man is in danger of falling into sin or spiritual loss or ruine or dislike of Godliness or any way to be turned from God or hindered in a Religious holy way And if sometimes it be taken for Grieving or Troubling it is as it hereby thus hindereth or ensnareth So that to scandalize is sometimes taken for the doing of a blameless action from which another unjustly taketh occasion to fall or sin or be perverted But when it signifieth a sin as we take it in this place then to scandalize is By something unlawful of it self or at least unnecessary which may occasion the spiritual hurt or ruine of another 1. The matter is either something that is simply sinful and then it is a double sin or something Indifferent or unnecessary and then it is simply the sin of scandal 2. It must be that which may occasion anothers fall I say occasion For no man can forcibly cause another man to sin but only occasion it or tempt him to it as a Moral Cause § 3. II. By this you may see 1. That to scandalize is not meerly to displease or grieve another What is not Scandal that is by many so called For many a man is displeased through his folly and vice by that which tendeth to his good and many a man is tempted that is scandalized by that which pleaseth him When Christ saith If thy right eye or hand offend or scandalize thee pluck it out or cut it off c. Mat. 5. he doth not by offending mean displeasing or grieving For by so offending it may profit us But he plainly meaneth If it draw thee to sin or else he had never added that it is better to enter maimed into life than having two eyes or hands to be cast into Hell That is in a word Thy damnation is a greater hurt than the loss of hand or eye and therefore if there were no other way to avoid it this would be a very cheap way So pedem offendere in lapidem is to stumble upon a stone The most censorious and humorous sort of men have got a notion that what ever offendeth or displeaseth them is scandalous And they think that no man must do any thing which grieveth or displeaseth them lest he be guilty of scandal And by this trick who ever can purchase impatiency and pievishness enough to be alwayes displeased with the actions of others shall rule the world But the truth is the ordinary way of scandalizing these men is by pleasing them § 4. I will give you one instance of scandal in Scripture which may help this sort of people better to understand it Gal. 2. 10. to 16. Peter there giveth true scandal to the Jews and Gentiles He walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel but laid a stumbling block before the Jews and Gentiles And this was not by displeasing the Jews but by pleasing them The Jews thought it a sin to eat with the Gentiles and to have communion with uncircumcised men Peter knew the contrary but for fear of them of the circumcision lest they should be offended at him as a sinner he withdrew and separated himself This scandal tended to harden the Jews in their sinful separation and to seduce the Gentiles into a conceit of the necessity of circumcision and Barnabas was carryed away with the dissimulation Here you may see that if any think it a sin in us to have communion in such or such Congregations with such persons in such worship which God alloweth us not to separate from it is a sin of scandal in us to separate to avoid these mens offence We scandalize them and others even by pleasing them and by avoiding that which they falsly called scandalous And if we would not scandalize them we must do that which is just and not by our practice hide the sound doctrine which is contrary to their separating error § 5. 2. And it is as apparent that to scandalize another is not as is vulgarly imagined by the ignorant to do that which is commonly reputed sinful or which hath the appearance of a sin or which will make a man evil thought of or spoken of by others Yet commonly when men say This is a scandalous action they mean it is an action which is reproachful or of evil report as a sin And therefore in our English speech it is common to say of one that slandereth another that he raised a scandal of him But this is not the meaning of the word in Scripture Materially indeed scandal may consist in any such thing which may be a stumbling block to another But formally it is the Tempting of another or occasioning his fall or ruine or hurt which is the nature of scandalizing And this is done more seldome by committing open disgraceful sins and doing that which will make the doer evil spoken of For by that means others are the more assisted against the temptation of imitating him But scandal is most commonly found in those actions which are under least reproach among men or which have the most plausible appearance of good in them when they are evil For these are apter to deceive and overthrow another § 6. 3. And it is also apparent that it is no sinful scandalizing to do a duty or necessary action which I have not power to forbear though I know that another will be offended or fall by it into sin If God have made it my duty even at this time I must not disobey him and omit my duty because another will make it an occasion of his sin It must be either a sinful or an indifferent action that is scandal or something that is in my own power to do or to forbear Yet this must be added that Affirmatives binding not ad semper to all times and no duty being a duty at every moment it may oft fall out that that which else would have been my duty at
created for § 2. Mot. 2. There is no subject so sublime and honourable for the Tongue of man to be imployed about as the matters of God and life eternal Children will talk of childish toyes and Countreymen talk of their Corn and Cattel and Princes and Statesmen look down on these with contemptuous smiles as much below them But Crowns and Kingdoms are incomparably more below the business of a holy soul The higher subjects Philosophers treat of the more honourable if well done are their discourses But none is so high as God and glory § 3. Mot. 3. It is the most profitable subject to the hearers A discourse of Riches at the most can but direct them how to grow rich A discourse of Honours usually puffeth up the minds of the ambitious And if it could advance the auditors to Honour the fruit would be a vanity little to be desired But a discourse of God and Heaven and Holiness doth tend to change the hearers minds into the nature of the things discourst of It hath been the means of converting and sanctifying many a thousand souls As learned discourses tend to make men learned in the things discourst off so holy discourses tend to make men holy For as natural Generation begetteth not Gold or Kingdoms but a Man so speech is not made to communicate to others directly the wealth or health or honours or any extrinsecal things which the speaker hath but to communicate those Mental Excellencies which he is possest of Prov. 16. 21 22. The sweetness of the lips increaseth learning Understanding is a well-spring of life to him that hath it Prov. 10. 13 21. In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found The lips of the righteous feed many Prov. 15. 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge but the heart of the foolish doth not so Prov. 20. 15. There is Gold and a multitude of Rubies but the lips of knowledge are a precious Iewel Prov. 10. 20. The tongue of the just is as choice Silver the heart of the wicked is little worth § 4. Mot. 4. Holy discourse is also most profitable to the speaker himself Grace increaseth by the exercise Even in instructing others and opening truth we are oft times more powerfully led up to further truth our selves than by solitary studies For Speech doth awaken the intellectual faculty and keepeth on the thoughts in order and one truth oft inferreth others to a thus excited and prepared mind And the tongue hath a power of moving own our hearts When we blow the fire to warm another both the exercise and the fire warm our selves It kindleth the flames of holy love in us to declare the praise of God to others It increaseth a hatred of sin in us to open its odiousness to others We starve our selves when we starve the souls which we should cherish § 5. Mot. 5. Holy and Heavenly discourse is the most delectable I mean in its own aptitude and to a mind that is not diseased by corruption That which is most Great and Good and Necessary is most delectable What should best please us but that which is best for us And best for others And best in it self The excellency of the subject maketh it delightful And so doth the exercise of our Graces upon it And serious conference doth help down the truth into our hearts where it is most sweet Besides that Nature and Charity make it pleasant to do good to others It can be nothing better than a subversion of the appetite by carnality and wickedness that maketh any one think idle jeasts or tales or plays to be more pleasant than spiritual Heavenly conference and the talking of Riches or Sports or Lusts to be sweeter than to talk of God and Christ and grace and glory A holy mind hath a continual feast in it self in meditating on these things and the communicating of such thoughts to others is a more Common and so a more pleasant feast § 6. Mot. 6. Our faithfulness to God obligeth us to speak his praise and to promote his truth â—â—d plead his cause against iniquity Hath he given us tongues to magnifie his name and set before us the admirable frame of all the World to declare his Glory in And shall we be backward to so sweet and great a work How precious and useful is all his holy word What light and life and comfort may it cause And shall we bury it in silence What company can we come into almost where either the bare-faced committing of sin or the defending it or the opposition of truth or Godliness or the frigidity of mens hearts towards God and supine neglect of holy things do not call to us if we are the servants of God to take his part and if we are the Children of light to bear our testimony against the darkness of the World and if we love God and truth and the souls of men to shâ—w it by our prudent seasonable speech Is he true to God and to his cause that will not open his mouth to speak for him § 7. Mot. 7. And how precious a thing is an immortal soul and therefore not to be neglected Did Christ think souls to be worth his Mediation by such strange condescension even to a shameful death Did he think them worth his coming into flesh to be their teacher And will you not think them worth the speaking to § 8. Mot. 8. See also the greatness of your sin in the negligence of unfaithful Ministers It is easie to see the odiousness of their sin who preach not the Gospel or do no more than by an hours dry and dead discourse shift off the serious work which they should do and think they may be excused from all personal oversight and helping of the peoples souls all the Week after And why should you not perceive that a dumb private Christian is also to be condemned as well as a dumb Minister Is not profitable conference your duty as well as profitable preaching is his How many persons condemn themselves while they speak against unfaithful Pastors being themselves as unfaithful to Families and Neighbours as the other are to the flock § 9. Mot. 9. And consider how the cheapness of the means doth aggravate the sin of your neglect and shew much unmercifulness to souls Words cost you little Indeed alone without the company of good works they are too cheap for God to accept of But if an Hypocrite may bring so cheap a sacrifice who is rejected what doth he deserve that thinketh it too dear What will that man do for God or for his Neighbours soul who will not open his mouth to speak for them He seemeth to have less love than that man in Hell Luk. 16. who would so fain have had a messenger sent from another World to have warned his brethren and saved them from that place of torment § 10. Mot. 10. Your fruitful conference is a needful help to the ministerial work When