to do evil Eccles. 8. 11. § 31. Direct 15. But alas how short is the prosperity of the wicked Read Psal. 73. 37. Delay Direct 15. is no forgiveness They stay but till the Assize And will that tempt you to do as they How unthankfully do sinners deal with with God! If he should kill you and plague you that would not please you And yet if he forbear you you are emboldened by it in your sin Thus his patience is turned against him But the stroke will be the heavier when it falls Dost thou think those men will alwayes flourish Will they alway domineer and revell Will they alwayes dwell in the houses where they now dwell and possess those Lands and be honoured and served as now they are O how quickly and how dreadfully will the case be changed with them O could you but foresee now what faces they will have and what heavy hearts and with what bitter exclamations they will at last cry out against themselves for all their folly and wish that they had never been deceived by prosperity but rather had the portion of a Lozarus If you saw how they are but fatted for the slaughter and in what a dolorous misery their wealth and sport and honours will leave them you would lament their case and think so great a destruction were soon enough and not desire to be partners in their lot § 32. Tempt 16. Another temptation is their own prosperity They think God when he prospereth Tempt 16. them is not so angry with them as Preachers tell them And it is a very hard thing in health and prosperity to lay to heart either sin or threatnings and to have such serious lively thoughts of the life to come as men that are wakened by adversity have and specially men that are familiar with death Prosperity is the greatest temptation to security and delaying repentance and putting off preparation for eternity Overcome prosperity and you overcome your greatest snare § 33. Direct 16. Go into the Sanctuary yea go into the Church-yard and see the End And Direct 1◠〈…〉 judge by those Skulls and Bones and dust if you cannot judge by the fore-â—â—â—â—ings of God what prosperity is Judge by the experience of all the world Doth it not leave them â—â—â—â— in sorrow at last Wo to the man that hath his portion in this life O miserable health and wealth and honour which procureth the death and shame and utter destruction of the soul Was not he in as prosperous a case as you Luke 16. that quickly cryed out in vain for a drop of water to cool his Tongue There is none of you so sensless as not to know that you must dye And must you dye Must you certainly dye and shall that day be no better prepared for Shall present prosperity make you forget it and live as if you must live here for ever Do you make so great difference between that which is and that which will be as to make as great a matter of it as others when it comes and to make no more of it when it is but coming O man what is an inch of hasty time How quickly is it gone Thou art going hence apace and almost gone Doth God give thee the mercy of a few dayes or years of health to make all thy preparations in for eternity and doth this mercy turn to thy deceit and dost thou turn it so much contrary to the ends for which it was given thee Wilt thou surfeit on Mercy and destroy thy soul with it Sense feeleth and perceiveth what now is but thou hast Reason to foresee what will be Wilt thou play in Harvest and forget the Winter § 34. Tempt 17. Another great Temptation to hinder Conversion is the example and countenance of Tempt 17. Great Ones that are ungodly when Landlords and men in power are sensual and enemies to a holy life and speak reproachfully of it their inferiours by the reverence which they bear to worldly wealth and greatness are easily drawn to say as they Also when men reputed Learned and Wise are of another mind and especially when subtile enemies speak that reproach against it which they cannot answer § 35. Direct 17. To this I spake in the end of the first Part of this Chapter No man is so great Direct 17. and wise as God See whether he say as they do in his word The greatest that provoke him can no more save themselves from his vengeance than the poorest beggars What work made he with a Pharaâ—h and got himself a name by his hard heartedness and impenitency He can send Worms to eat an arrogant Herod when the people cry him up as a God! Where are now the Caesars and Alexanders of the world The Rulers and Pharisees believed not in Christ Iohn 7. 48. Wilt not thou therefore believe in him The Governour of the Countrey condemned him to dye and wilt thou condemn him The Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and his anointed saying let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Psal. 2. 2 3. Wilt thou therefore joyn in the Conspiracy When he that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision He will break them with an iron rod and dash them in pieces like a Potters Vessel unless they be wise and kiss the Son and serve the Lord with fear before his wrath be kindled and they perish Psal. 2. 4 9 10 11 12. If thy Landlord or Great ones shall be thy God and be honoured and obeyed before God and against him trust to them and call on them in the hour of thy distress and take such a salvation as they can give thee Teach not God what choice to make and whom to reveal his mysteries to He chooseth not alwayes the Learned Scribe nor the mighty man Christ himself saith Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Read Mr. 〈…〉 sermon â—n 1 â—â—â—â— 1. 2â— Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight If this reason satisfie you not follow them and speed as they If they are Greater and Wiser than God let them be your Gods 1 Cor. 1. 26. You see your calling how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty and base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen and things that are not to bring to nought things that are It is another kind of Greatness Honour and Wisdom which God bestoweth on the poorest Saints than the world can give Worldlings will shortly be aweary of their portion
those places where I have opened the difference between Mortal reigning sins and Infirmities At present take this brief solution 1. It is a thing of too great difficulty to determine just how many acts of a great sin may consist with a present state of grace that is of right by Covenant to Heaven 2. All sin which consisteth with an habitual predominant Love of God and Holiness consisteth with a state of Life and no other 3. He that seldom or never committeth such external crimes and yet Loveth not God and Heaven and Holiness above all the pleasures and interests of the flesh is in a state of death 4. It is certain that his Love to God and Holiness is not predominant whose carnal Interest and Iust hath ordinarily in the drift and tenor Rom 6. 16. of his life more power to draw him to the wilfull committing of known sin than the said Love of God and Heaven and Holiness have to keep him from it For his servants men are whom they obey whether it be sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness 5. Therefore the way to know whether sin be mortified or mortal is 1. By feeling the true bent of the will whether we Love or hate it 2. By observing the true bent and tenor of our lives whether Gods Interest in us or the contrary be predominant when we are our selves and are tempted to such sins 6 He that will sin thus as oft as will stand with saving grâ—ce shall never have the assurance of his sincerity or the peace or comfort of a sound believer till he repent and lead a better life 7. He that in his sin retaineth the spirit of Adoption or the Image of God or habitual divine Love hath also Habitual and Virtual Repentance for that very sin before he actually Repenteth Because he hath that Habitual Hatred of it which will cause actual Repentance when he is composed to act according to his predominant habits 8. In the mean time the state of such a sinner is neither to be unregenerate Carnal unholy as he was before Conversion and so to lose all his Right to Life nor yet to have so full a Right as if he had not sinned But a bar is put in against his claim which must be removed before his Right be full and such as is ripe for present possession 9. There are some sins which all men continue in while they live As defect in the degrees of faith hope love c. vain thoughts words disorder passions c. And these sins are not totally involuntary Otherwise they were no sins Yea the Evil is prevalent in the will against the Good so far as to commit those sins though not so far as to vitiate the bent of heart or life 10. There are some sins which none on earth do actually Repent of viz. Those that they know not to be sins and those that they utterly forget and those faults which they are guilty of just at the time of dying 11. In these cases Virtual or Implicite or Habitual Rom 7. 20 21 22 23. Repentance doth suffice to the preventing of damnation As also a Will to have lived perfectly sufficeth in the case of continued imperfections 12. Things work not on the Will as they are in themselves but as they are apprehended by the understanding And that which is apprehended to be either of doubtful evil or but a little sin and of little danger will be much less resisted and ofter committed than sins that are clearly apprehended to be great Therefore where any sort of Lye is apprehended thus as of small or doubtful evil it will be the oftner committed 13. If this apprehension be wrong and come from the predominancy of a carnal or ungodly heart which will not suffer the understanding to do its office nor to take that to be evil which he would not leave then both the Iudgement and the Lye are mortal and not mortified pardoned sins 14. But if this misapprehension of the understanding do come from natural impotency or unavoidable want of better information or only from the fault of a vicious inclination which yet is not predominant but is the remnant of a vice which is mortified in the main then neither the errour nor the often lying is a mortal but a mortified sin As for instance If false Teachers as the Jesuits should perswade a justified person that a lye that hurteth no man but is officious is but a venial or no sin it is possible for such a person often to commit it though he err not altogether innocently 15. Though it is true that all good Christians should not indulge the smallest sin and that true Grace will make a man willing to forsake the least yet certain experience telleth us that some constant sinning aforenamed doth consist with grace in all that have it upon earth And therefore that Lesser sins as thoughts passions are not resisted so much as greater be and therefore that they are more indulged and favoured or else they would not be committed No good men rise up with so great and constant watchfulness against an idle thought or word or a disorder in prayer c. as they do against a heynous sin He that would have this and and all such Cases resolved in a word and not be put on trying the Case by all these distinctions must take another Casuist or rather a Deceiver instead of a Resolver For I cannot otherwise resolve him Quest. 2. Is it not contrary to the light of Nature to suffer e. g. a Parent a King my Self my Quest. 2. Country rather to be destroyed than to save them by a harmless lie Answ. No Because 1. Particular good must give place to common And if once a Lie may pass Answ. for Lawful in cases where it seemeth to be good it will overthrow humane converse and debauch mans nature and the world 2. And if one evil may be made a means for good it will infer that other may be so too and so will confound good and evil and leave vitious man to take all for good which he thinks will do good That is not to be called a harmless Lie which is simply evil being against the Law of God against the order of nature the use of humane faculties and the interest and converse of the sociable world 3. The error of the objectors chiefly consisteth in thinking that nothing is further hurtful and morally evil than as it doth hurt to some men in corporal respects Whereas that is evil which is against the universal Rule of Rectitude against the will of God and against the nature and perfection of the agent much more if it also tend to the hurt of other mens souls by giving them an example of sinning 4. And though there may sometimes be some humane probability of such a thing yet there is no certainty that ever it will so fall out that a Lie shall save the Life of â—ing Parent or
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
Holy Ghost Read Luke 19. 27. Some think it strange that any men should be called Haters of God And I believe you will find it hard to meet with that man that will confess it by himself till converting Grace or Hell constrain him And indeed if God himself had not charged men with that sin and called them by that name we should scarce have found belief or patience when we had endeavoured to convince the world of it Intreat but the worst of men to repent of Hating God and try how they will take it Yet they may read that name in Scripture Rom. 1. 30. Psal. 81. 15. Luke 19. 14. Did not the Iews hate Christ think you when they murdered him and when they hated all his followers for his sake Matth. 10. 22. Mar. 13. 13. And doth not Christ say that they shall be hated for his sake not only of the Jews but also of all Nations and all men Matth. 24. 9. 10. 22. Even by the world Iohn 17. 14. 15 17 18 19 c. And this was a hating both Christ and his Father Iohn 15. 23 24. But you will say It is not possible that any man can hate God I answer How then come the Devils to hate him Yea every ungodly man hateth God Indeed no man hateth him as Good or as Merciful to them But they hate him as Holy and Iust as one that will not let them have the pleasure of sin without damning them as one engaged in justice to cast them into Hell if they dye without conversion and as one that hath made so pure and precise a Law to govern them and convinceth them of sin and calls them to that repentance and Holiness which they hate Why did the world hate Christ himself He tells you John 7. 7. The world cannot hate you but me it hateth because I testifie against it that the works thereof are evil John 3. 19. This is the condemnation that Light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil Nay it is a wonder of blindness that this God-hating world and age should not perceive that they are God-haters while they hate his servants to the death and implacably rage against them and hate his holy wayes and Kingdom and bend all their power and interest in most of the Kingdoms of the world against his interest and his people upon earth While the Devil fighteth his battels against Christ through the world by their hands they will yet confess the Devils malice against God but deny their own as if he used their hands without their hearts Well poor wretched worms instead of denying your enmity to him lament it and know that he also taketh you for his enemies and will prove too hard for you when you have done your worst Read Psal. 2. and tremble and submit This is especially the case of persecutors and open enemies but in their measure also of all that would not have him to reign over them And therefore Christ came to Reconcile us unto God and God to us and it is only the sanctified that are Reconciled to him See Col. 1. 21. Phil. 3. 18. 1 Cor. 15. 25. Rom. 5. 10. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. Mark that Text well § 2. 2. As long as you are unsanctified you are unjustified and unpardoned you are under the guilt of all the sins that ever you committed Every sinful thought word and deed of which the least deserveth Hell is on your score to be answered for by your self And what this signifieth the threatnings of the Law will tell you See Acts 26. 18. Mar. 4. 12. Col. 1. 14. There is no sin forgiven to an impenitent unconverted sinner § 3. 3. And no wonder when the unconverted have no special interest in Christ. The pardon and life that is given by God is given in and with the Son God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5. 10 Rom. 8. 9. 11 12. Till we are members of Christ we have no part in the pardon and salvation purchased by him And ungodly sinners are not his members So that Jesus Christ who is the hope and life of all his own doth leave thee as he found thee and that is not the worst for § 4. 4. It will be far worse with the impenitent rejecters of the grace of Christ than if they had never heard of a Redeemer For it cannot be that God having provided so precious a Remedy for sinful miserable souls should suffer it to be despised and rejected without encreased punishment Was it not enough that you had disobeyed your Great Creator but you must also set light by a most Gracious Redeemer that offered you pardon purchased by his blood if you would but have come to God by him Yea the Saviour that you despised shall be himself your judge and the Grace and Mercy which you set so light by shall be the heaviest aggravation of your sin and misery For how shall you escape if you neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 3. And of how much sorer punishment then the despisers of Moses Law shall they be thought worthy who have trodden under foot the Son of God c. Heb. 10. 29. § 5. 5. The very prayers and sacrifice of the wicked are abominable to God except such as contain their returning from their wickedness So that terror ariseth to you from that which you expect should be your help See Prov. 15. 8. 21. 27. Isa. 1. 13. § 6. 6. Your common Mercies do but increase your sin and misery till you return to God Your carnal hearts turn all to sin Tit. 1. 15. Unto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled § 7. 7. While you are unsanctified you are impotent and dead to any holy acceptable work when you should redeem your time and prepare for eternity and try your states or pray or meditate or do good to others you have no heart to any such spiritual works your minds are byassed against them Rom. 8. 7. And it is not the excusable impotency of such as would do good but cannot but it is the malicious impotency of the wicked the same with that of Devils that cannot do good because they will not and will not because they have blind malicious and ungodly hearts which makes their sin so much the greater Tit. 1. 16. § 8. 8. While you have unsanctified hearts you have at all times the seed and disposition unto every sin And if you commit not the worst it is because some providence restraining the Tempter hindereth you No thanks to you that you do not daily commit Idolatry Blasphemy Theft
minded man being denominated from what is predominant in him And yet because he knoweth that he must dye and for ought he knows he may then find against his will that there is another life which he must enter upon leâ—t the Gospel should prove true he must have some Religion And therefore he will take up as much as will stand with his temporal welfare hoping that he may have both thaâ— and Heaven hereafter and he will be as Religious as the predominant interest of the flesh will give him leave He is resolved rather to venture his soul than to be here undone and that 's his first principle But he is resolved to be as godly as will stand with a worldly fleshly life that 's his second principle And he will hope for Heaven as the end of such a way as this that 's his third Therefore he will place most of his Religion in those things which are most consistent with worldliness and carnality and will not cost his flesh too dear as in being as this or that opinion Church or party whether Papist Prot 〈…〉 t or some smaller party in adhering to that party and being zealous for them in acquiring and usiâ—g such parts and gifts as may make him highly esteemed by others and in doing such good works as cost him not too dear and in forbearing such sins as would procure his disgrace and shame and cost his flesh dearer to commit them than forbear them and such other as his flesh can spare This is his fourth principle And he is resolved when tryal calleth him to part with God and his conscience or with the world that he will rather let go God and Conscience and venture upon the pains hereafter which he thinks to be uncertain than to run upon a certain calamity or undoing here At least he hath no Resolution to the contrary which will carry him out in a day of tryal This is his fifth principle And his sixth principle is That yet he will not torment himself or blot his name with confessing himself a temporizing worldling resolved to turn any way to save himself And therefore he will be sure to believe nothing to be Truth and duty that is dangerous but will furnish himself with Arguments to prove that it is not the will of God and that sin is no sin Yea perhaps conscience and duty shall be pleaded for his sin It shall be out of tenderness and piety and charity to others that he will sin and will charge them to be the sinners that comply not and do not wickedly as well as he He will be one that shall first make a Controversie of every sin which his flesh calls necessary and of every Duty which his flesh counts intollerably dear And then when it is a Controversie and many reputed Wise and some reputed Good are on his side he thinks he is on equal terms with the most honest and sincere He hath got a burrow for his Conscience and his Credit He will not believe himself to be an Hypocrite and no one else must think him one lest they be uncharitable For then the censure must fall on the whole party and then it is sufficient to defend his reputation of piety to say Though we differ in opinion we must not differ in affection and must not condemn each other for such differences A very great Truth where rightly applyed But what is it O Hypocrite that makes thee differ in cases where thy flesh is interessed rather than in any other And why wast thou never of that mind till now that thy worldly interest requireth it And how cometh it to pass that thou artâ— alwayes on the self-saving opinion And whence is it that thou consultest with those only that are of the opinion which thou desirest should be true and either not at all or partially and slightly with those that are against it Wast thou ever conscious to thy self that thou hast accounted what it might cost thee to be saved and reckoned on the worst and resolved in the strength of grace to go through all Didst thou ever meddle with much of the self-denying part of Religion or any duties that would cost thee dear May not thy Conscience tell thee that thou never didst believe that thou shouldst suffer much for thy Religion that is thou hadst a secret purpose to avoid it § 3. O Sirs take warning from the mouth of Christ who hath so oft and plainly warned you of this sin and danger and told you how necessary self-denyal and a suffering disposition is to all that are his Disciples and that the worldly fleshly principle predominant in the Hypocrite is manifest by his self-saving course He must take up his Cross and follow him in a Conformity to his sufferings that will indeed be his Disciple We must suffer with him if we will reign with him Rom. 8. 17 18. Mat. 13. 20 21 22. He that received the seed in stony places the same is he that heareth the word and anon with joy receiveth it yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful If thou have not taken Heaven for thy part and art not resolved to let go all that would keep thee from it I must say to thy Conscience as Christ to one of thy Predecessors Luke 18. 22. Yet lâ—ckest thou one thing and such a One as thou wilt find of flat necessity to thy salvation And it 's likely some trying time even in this life will detect thine Hypocrisie and make thee Go away sorrowful for thy riches sake as he ver 23. If godliness with contentment seem not sufficient gain to thee thou wilt make thy Gain go instead of Godliness that is thy Gain shall be next thy heart and have the precedency which Godliness should have and thy gain shall choose thee thy Religion and over-rule thy Conscience and sway thy life O Sirs take warning by the Apostates and temporizing hypocrites that have lookt behind them and with Demas for the world forsaken their duty and are set up by Justice as Pillars of Salt for your warning and remembrance And as ever you would make sure work in turning to God and escape the too late repentance of the hypocrite see that you go to the root and resign the world to the will of God and reckon what it may cost you to be followers of Christ and look not after any portion but the favour of God and life eternal and see that there be no secret reserve in your hearts for your worldly interest or prosperity and think not of halfing it between God and the world nor making your Religion complyant with the desires and interest of the flesh Take God
named Chap. 3. Dir. 8. § 16. and the aggravations § 17 18. If the Devil can but once perswade you that sin is harmless all Faith all Religion all Honesty and your souls and all are gone For then all Gods Laws and Government must be fictions Then there is no work for Christ Psal. 40. 12. Psal. 51. as a Saviour or the Spirit as a Sanctifier to do Then all Ordinances and Means are troublesome Vanities and Godliness and Obedience deserve to be banished from the earth as unnecessary troublers of mankind Then may this poyson be safely taken and made your food But O how mad a conceit is this How quickly will God make the proudest know what harm it was to refuse the Government of his Maker and set up the Goverment of his beastly appetite and misguided will and that sin is bad if Hell be bad § 32. Tempt 26. The Devil also tempteth them to think that though they sin yet their good works Tempt 26. are a compensation for their bad and therefore they pray and do some acts of Pharisaical devotion to make God amends for what they do amiss § 53. Direct 26. Against this consider that if you had never so many good works they are all Direct 26. but your duty and make no satisfaction for your sin But what good works can you do that shall save a wicked soul and that God will accept without your Hearts Your hearts must be first cleansed See Prov. 28 9 Prov. 15 26 8 Prov. 21. 27. Isa. 1. 13. 14. and your selves devoted and sanctified to God For an evil Tree will bring forth evil fruit First make the Tree good and the fruit will be good It is the Love of God and the hatred of sin and a holy and heavenly life which are the good works that God chiefly calleth for and Faith and Repentance and Conversion in order to these And will God take your lip-labour or the leavings of your â—â—â—â—sh by way of alms while the world and fleshly pleasure have your hearts Indeed you do no work that 's truly good The matter may be good but you poyson it with bad Principles and Ends. The carnal mind is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be but is enmity to God Rom. 8. 6 7. § 54. Tempt 27. Some are tempted to think that God will not condemn them because they are poor Tempt 27. and afflicted in this life and have their sufferings here And that he that condemneth the rich for not shewing merâ—y tâ— the pâ—â—r will himself shew them mercy § 55. Direct 27. Hath he not shewed you mercy And is it not mercy which you vilifie and reâ—â—se Direct 27. Even Christ and his Spirit and holy communion with God Or must God shew you the mercy of Glory without the mercy of Grace Which is a contradiction Strange that the same men that will not be intreated to accept of mercy nor let it save them are yet saying that God will be merciful and save them And for your poverty and suffering is it not against your will You cannot deny it And will God save any man for that which is against his will You would have riches and honour and pleasure and your good things in this life as well as others if you could tell how You love the world as well as others if you could get more of it And to be carnal and worldly for so poor a pittance and to have the world when you suffer in it doth make you more unexcusable than the rich The Devils have suffered more than you and so have many thousand souls in Hell And yet they shall be saved never the more If you are poor in the world but rich in faith and holiness then you may well expect salvation Iames 2. 5. But if your sufferings make you no more holy they do but aggravate your sin § 56. Tempt 28. Also the Devil blindeth sinners by keeping them ignorant of the nature and power Tempt 28. of Holiness of heart and life They know it not by any experience And he will not let them see it and judge of it in the Scripture where it is to be seen without any mixed contraries but he points them only to professors of holiness and commonly to the weakest and the worst of them and to that which is worst in them and sheweth them the miscarriages of hypocrites and the falls of the weaker sort of Christians and then tells them This is their Godliness and Religion They are all alike § 57. Direct 28. But it 's easie to see how these men deceive and condemn themselves This is Direct 28. as if you should plead that a Beast is wiser than a man because some men are drunk and some are passionate and some are mad Drunkenness and passions which are the disturbances of Reason are no disgrace to Reason but to themselves Nor were they a disgrace themselves if Reason which they hinder were not honourable So no mans sins are a disgrace to Holiness which condemneth them nor were they bad themselves if holiness were not good which they oppose It is no disgrace to the day-light or Sun that there is night and darkness Nor were darkness bad if light were not good Will you refuse health because some men are sick Nay will you rather choose to be dead because the living have infirmities The Devils reasoning is foolisher than this Holiness is of absolute necessity to salvation If many that do more than you are as bad as you imagine what a case then are you in that have not near so much as they If they that make it their greatest care to please God and be saved are as very Hypocrites as the Devil would perswade you what a hopeless case then are you in that come far short of them If so you must do more than they and not less if you will be saved Or else out of your own mouths will you be condemned § 58. Tempt 29. Another way of the Tempter is by drawing them desperately to venture their souls Tempt 29. Come on them what will they 'le put it to the venture rather than live so strict a life § 59. Direct 29. But O man consider what thou dost and who will have the loss of it and Direct 29. how quickly it may be too late to recall thy adventure What should put thee on so mad a resolution Is sin so good Is Hell so easie Is thy soul so contemptible Is Heaven such a trifle Is God so hard a Master Is his work so grievous and his way so bad Doth he require any thing unreasonable of you Hath God set you such a grievous task that it 's better venture on damnation than perform it You cannot believe this if you believe him to be God Come near and think more deliberately on it and you will find you might better run from your food your friend your life than from your
hold it with any that will drive us from it unless we will commit some sin Statedly we must hold it with the Church which regularly we are joyned to and live with and Occasionally we must hold it with all others where we have a call and opportunity who in the substance worship God according to his Word and force us not to sin in conformity to them It is not Schism to lament the sins of any Church or of all the Churches in the world The Catholick Church on earth consists of sinners It is not Schism to refuse to be partaker in any sin of the purest Church in the world Obedience to God is not Schism It is not Schism that you joyn not Bodily with those Congregations where you dwell not nor have any particular call to joyn with them Nor that you choose the pureâ—â— and most edifying Society rather than one that is less pure and profitable to you â—aeteris paribus supposing you are at liberty nor that you hold not Bodily Communion with that Church that will not suffer you to do it without sinning against God Nor that you joyn not with the purest Church when you are called to abide with one less pure But it is worse than Schism to separate from the Universal Church To separate from its Faith iâ— Apostasie to infidelity To separate from it in some one or few essential Articles while you pretend to hold to Christ the Head is Heresie To separate from it in Spirit by refusing Holiness and not loveing such as are truly holy is damning ungodliness or wickedness To differ from it by any error of judgement or life against the Law of God is sin To magnifie any one Church or party so as to deny due Love and Communion to the rest is Schism To limit all the Church to your Party and deny all or any of the rest to be Christians and parts of the Universal Church is Schism by a dangerous breach of Charity And this is the principal Schism that I here admonish you to avoid It is Schism also to condemn unjustly any particular Church as no Church And it is Schism to withdraw your Bodily Communion from a Church that you were bound to hold that Communion with upon a false supposâ—tion that it is no Church or is not lawfully to be communicated with And it is Schism to make Divisions or parties in a Church though you divide not from that Church Thus I have briefly told you what is Schism § 4. 1. One pretence for Schism is Usurped Authority which some one Church may claim tâ— Command others that owe them no subjection Thus Pride which is the Spirit of Hell having crepâ— into the Church of Christ and animated Usurpations of Lordship and Dominion and contending for superiority hath caused the most dangerous Schisms in the Church that ever it was infested with The Bishop of Rome advantaged by the Seat and Constitution of that Empire having claimed the Government of all the Christian world condemneth all the Churches that will not be his subjects And â—o hath made himself the Head of a Sect and of the most pernicious Schism that ever did rend the Church of Christ And the Bishop of Constantinople and too many more have followed the same Method in a lower degree exalting themselves above their Brethren and giving them Laws and then condemning and persecuting them that obey them not And when they have imposed upon other Churches their own usurped Authority and Laws they have laid the plot to call all men Schismaticks and Sectaries that own not their tyrannical Usurpation and that will not be Schismaticks and Sectaries with them And the cheat lyeth in this that they confound the Churches Unity with their pretended Authority and Schism with the refusal of subjection to them If you will not take them for your Lords they cry out that you divide from the Church As if we could hold Communion with no Churches but those whose Bishops we obey Communion with other Churches is maintained by Faith and Charity and Agreement in things necessary without subjection to them As we may hold all just Communion with the Churches in Armenia Arabia Russia without subjection to their Bishops so may we with any other Church besides that of which we are members Division or Schism is contrary to Unity and Concord and not to a Usurped Government Though disobedience to the Pastâ—rs which God hath set over us is a sin and dividing from them is a Schism Both the Pope and all the lower Usurpers should do well first to shew their Commission from God to be our Rulers before they call it Schism to refuse their Government If they had not made better advantage of Fire and Sword than of Scripture and Argument the world would but have laughed them to scorn when they had heard them say All are Schismaticks that will not be our Subjects Our Dominion and will shall be necessary to the Unity of the Church The Universal Church indeed is One united under One Head and Governour but it is only Jesus Christ that is that Head and not any Usurping Vicar or Vice-Christ The Bishops of particular Churches are his Officers but he hath Deputed no Vicar to his own Office as the Universal Head Above all Sects take heed of this pernicious Sect who pretend their Usurped Authority for their Schism and have no way to promote their Sect but by calling all Sectaries that will not be Sectaries and Subjects unto them § 5. 2. Another pretence for Schism is the Numbers of the Party This is another of the Papists motives As if it were lawful to Divide the Church of Christ if they can but get the greater party They say We are the most and therefore you should yield to us And so do others where by the Sword they force the most to submit to them But we answer them As many as they are they are too few to be the Universal Church The Universal Church containing all true professing Christians is much more than they The Papists are not a third part if a fourth of the whole Church Papists are a corrupted Sect of Christians I will be against Dividing the Body of Christ into any Sects rather than to be one of that Sect or divided party which is the greatest § 6. 3. Another pretence for Schism is the soundness or Orthodoxness of a Party Almost all Sects pretend that they are wiser and of sounder judgement than all the Christian World besides yea those that most palpably contradict the Scriptures as the Papists in their half-communion and unintelligible service and have no better reason why they will so Believe or Do but because others have so Believed and Done already But 1. The greatest pretenders to Orthodoxness are not the most Orthodox 2. And if they were I can value them for that in which they excell without abating my due respect to the rest of the Church 3. For the whole Church is Orthodox in
as you have no need § 5. As for Play books and Romances and idle Tales I have already shewed in my Book of Self-dâ—nyal how pernicious they are especially to youth and to frothy empty idle wits that know not what a man is nor what he hath to do in the world They are powerful baits of the Devil to keep more necessary things out of their minds and better Books out of their hands and to poyson the mind so much the more dangerously as they are read with more delight and pleasure and to fill the minds of sensual people with such idle fumes and intoxicating fancies as may divert them from the serious thoughts of their salvation And which is no small loss to rob them of abundance of that precious time which was given them for more important business and which they will wish and wish again at last that they had spent more wisely I know the fantasticks will say that these things are innocent and may teach men much good like him that must go to a Whore-house to learn to hate uncleanness and him that would go out with Robbers to learn to hate Theevery But I shall now only ask them as in the presence of God 1. Whether they could spend that time no better 2. Whether better Books and practices would not edifie them more 3. Whether the greatest Lovers of Romances and Playes be the greatest Lovers of the Book of God and of a holy life 4. Whether they feel in themselves that the Love of these vanities doth increase their love to the Word of God and kill their sin and prepare them for the life to come or clean contrary And I would desire men not to prate against their own experience and reason nor to dispute themselves into damnable impenitency nor to befool their souls by a few silly words which any but a sensualist may perceive to be meer deceit and falshood If this will not serve they shall be shortly convinced and answered in another manner Direct 17. TAke heed that you receive not a Doctrine of Libertinism as from the Gospel nor conceive Direct 17. of Christ as an encourager of sin nor pretend free grace for your carnal security or sloth For this is but to set up another Gospel and another Christ or rather the Doctrine and works of the Devil against Christ and the Gospel and to turn the Grace of God into wantonness § 1. Because the Devil knoweth that you will not receive his doctrine in his own Name his usual Siquis est hoc robore aniâ—â—t atque hoc indole virtuâ—s aâ— continentiâ— ut respâ—at omnes vo 〈…〉 omnemâ—â—â— vitae â—uae â—â—rsâ—m â—aâ—â—â—â— co 〈…〉 aequalium fludia non â—udi non convivia delectant nihil in vita expeâ—endum putet nisi quod est cum laude honore conjunâ—tum hunc mea sententia divinis quibusdam bonis instructum atque ornatum puto Ciâ— pâ—o Cal. method is to propound and preach it in the name of Christ which he knoweth you reverence and regard For if Satan concealed not his own Name and Hand in every temptation it would spoil his game And the more excellent and splendid is his pretence the more powerful the temptation is They that gave heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils no doubt thought better of the Spirits and the Doctrines especially seeming strict for the Devil hath his strictnesses as forbidding to marry and abstinence from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving 1 Tim. 4. 1 3. But the strictnesses of the Devil are alwayes intended to make men loose They shall be strict as the Pharisees in Traditions and vain Ceremonies and building the Tombs of the Prophets and garnishing the Sepulchres of the Righteous that they may hate and murder the living Saints that worship God in Spirit and in truth Licentiousness is the proper Doctrine of the Devil which all his strictness tendeth to promote To receive such principles is pernicious but to father them upon Christ and the Gospel is blasphemous § 2. The Libertines Antinomians and Autonomians of this age have gathered you too many instances The Libertine saith The Heart is the man therefore you may deny the truth with your tongue you may be present at false Worship as at the Mass you need not suffer to avoid the speaking of a word or subscribing to an untruth or error or doing some little thing but as long as you keep your hearts to God and mean well or have an honest mental reservation and are forced to it by therâ— rather than suffer you may say or subscribe or swear any thing which you can your selves put a lawful sense upon in your own minds or comply with any outward actions or customs to avoid â—ffence and save your selves The Antinomians tell you that The Moral Law is abrogated and that the Gospel is no Law and if there be no Law there is no Governour nor Government no duty no sin no judgement nâ— punishment no before they are born or repent or believe that their sin is pardoned 〈…〉 that God tâ—â—k them as suffering and fulfilling all the Law in Christ as if it had been they that diâ— iâ— in â—iâ— that we are justified by faith only in our consciences that justifying faith iâ— but t 〈…〉 we are justified that every man must believe that he is pardoned that he may 〈…〉 ed in â—is câ—â—science and this he is to do by a Divine faith and that this is the sense of the Aâ—tiâ—le I beliâ—â—â—â— the forgiveness of sins that is that my sâ—ns are forgiven and that all are forgi 〈…〉 it that it is legal and sinful to work or do any thing for salvation that sin once pa 〈…〉 ssed and lamented or at least we need not ask pardon of sin daily or of one 〈…〉 t that 〈◊〉 are no punishments and yet no other punishment is threatned to believers for their sins and consequently that Christ hath not procured them a pardon of any sin after believing but prevented all necessity of pardon and therefore they must not ask the pardon of them nor do any thing to obtain it that fear of Hell must have no hand in our obedience or restraint from sin And some add that he that cannot repent or believe must comfort himself that Christ repented and believed for him 〈…〉 a contradiction Many such Doctrines of Licentiousness the abusers of Grace have brought forth And the Sect which imitateth the Father of Pride in affecting to be from under the Government of God and to be the Law-givers and Rulers of themselves and all others which I therefore call the Antonomians are Licentious and much more They equally contend against Christs Government and for their own They fill the world with Wars and bloodshed oppression and cruelty and the ears of God with the cryes of the Martyrs and oppressed ones and all that the spiritual and holy Discipline of Christ may be suppressed and
thus you must do The eye maketh an easier and deeper impression on the imagination and mind than the ear doth Therefore Christs example should be much preached and studied It will be a very great help to us to have still upon our minds the Image of the Holy Life of Christ that we be affected as if we always saw him doing the holy actions which once he did Paul calls the Galathians foolish and bewitched that obeyed not the truth when Christ had been set forth as crucified among them evidently before their eyes Gal. 3. 1. Papists think that Images serve well for this turn But the Records of Scripture and the living Images of Christ whom they persecute and kill are farr more useful How much example is more operative than doctrine alone you may perceive by the enemies of Christ who can bear his holy doctrine when they cannot bear his holy Servants that practise that doctrine before their eyes And that which most stirs up their enmity hath the advantage for exciting the believers piety Let the Image of Christ in all his holy examples be allways lively written upon your minds 1. Let the great ones of the world remember that their Lord was not born of such as bore rule or were in worldly pomp and dignity but of persons that lived but meanly in the world however they were of the royal line How he was not born in a pallace but a stable and laid in a manger without the attendance or accommodations of the rich 2. Remember how he subjected himself unto his reputed Father and his Mother to teach all Children Luke â— 51. subjection and obedience 3. And how he condescended to labour at a Trade and mean imployment in the world to teach us that our Bodies as well as our Minds must express their obedience and have their ordinary imployment and to teach men to labour and live in a calling and to comfort poor labourers with assurance that God accepteth them in the meanest work and that Christ himself lived so before them and chose their kind of life and not the life of Princes and Nobles that live in Pomp and Ease and Pleasure 4. Remember how he refused not to submit to all the ordinances of God and to fullfil all righteousness and to be initiated into the solemn administration of his office by the Baptism of Iohn Mat. 3. 15 1â— 17. which God appoved by sending down upon him the Holy Ghost To teach us all to expect his Spirit in the use of his ordinances 5. Remember how he voluntarily begun his work with an encounter with the Tempter in the Wilderness upon his fasting and suffered the Tempter to proceed till he moved him to the most odious sin even to worship the Devil himself To teach us that God loveth tryed Servants and expecteth that we be not turned from him by temptations especially those that enter upon a publick ministry must be tryed men that have overcome the Tempter and to comfort tempted Christians who may remember that their Saviour himself was most blasphemously tempted to as odious sins as ever they were and that to be greatly tempted without consenting or yielding to the sin is so farr from being a sin in it self that it is the greatest honour of our obedience and that the Devil who molesteth and haunteth us with his temptations is a conquered enemy whom our Lord in person hath overcome 6. Remember how earnestly and constantly he preached not stories or jingles or subtile controversies but Repentance and faith and self-denial and obedience So great was his Love to souls that when he had auditors he preached not only in the Temple and Synagogues but in mountains and in a ship and any other convenient place and no fury of the Rulers or Pharises could silence him till his hour was come having his Fathers Commission And even to particular persons he vouchsafed by conference to open the Mysteries of Salvation To teach us to love and attend to John 3. 4. the plain and powerful preaching of the Gospel and not to forbear any necessary means for the honour of God and the saving of souls because of the enmity or opposition of malitious men but to work while it is day seeing the night is coming when none can work John 9. 4. 7. Remember how compassionate he was to mens bodys as well as to their souls going up and down with unwearied diligence doing good healing the blind and lame and deaf and sick and possessed and how all his miracles were done in charity to do good and none of them to do hurt So that he was but living walking LOVE and MERCY To teach us to know God in his Love and Mercy and to abound in Love and Mercy to our brethren and to hate the spirit of hurtfulness persecution and uncharitableness and to lay out our selves in doing good and to exercise our compassion to the bodys of men as well as to their souls according to our power 8. Remember how his Zeal and Love endured the reproach and resisted the opposition of his friends who went to lay hold on him as if he had been besides himself And â—ow he bid Peter Get Mat 3. 20 21 Mat. 16. 22 23. behind me Satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savourest not the things of God but those of men when in caâ—nal Love and wisdom he rebuked him for resolving to lay down his life saying Be it farr from thee this shall not be unto thee To teach us to expect that carnal Love and Wisdom in our nearest friends will rise up against us in the work of God to discourage us both from duty and from sufferings and that all are to be shaken off and counted as the instruments of Satan that would tempt us to be unfaithful to our trust and duty and to savour our selves by a sinâ—ul avoiding of the sufferings which God doth call us to undergo 9. Remember how through all his life he despised the Riches of the world and chose a life of poverty and was a companion of the meanest neither possessing nor seeking sumptuous houses or great attendance or spacious lands or a large estate He lived in a visible contempt of all the wealth and splendor and greatness of the world To teach us how little these little things are to be esteemed â—nd that they are none of the treasure and portion of a Saint and what a folly it is to be fond of â—â—â—â—h snares and diversions and temptations which make the way to Heaven to be to us as a needlâ—â—s â—yâ— 10. Observe how little he regarded the honour and applause of men how he made himself of no 〈…〉 6. 15 refutation 〈◊〉 took upon him the form of a Servant refusing to be made a King or to have a Kingdom of this â—â—â—â—ld Though he told malignant Blasphemers how greatly they sinned in dishonouring him yet did he not seek the honour of the world To teach
us how little the Thoughts or Words of ignorant men do contribute to our happiness or are to be accounted of And to turn our eyes from the unpertinâ—nt censures of flesh and blood to the judgement of our Almighty Soveraign to whom it is that we stand or fall 11. Remember also how little he made provision for the flesh and never once tasted of any immoderate sinful pleasure How farr was he from a life of voluptuousness and sensuality Though his avoiding the formal fastings of the Pharisees made them slander him as a gluttonous person and a Mat. 11. 19. wine bibber as the sober Christians were called Carnivori by those that thought it unlawful to eat flesh yet so farr was he from the guilt of any such sin that never a desire of it was in his heart You shall never find in the Gospel that Christ spent half the morning in dressing him choosing rather to shorten his time for prayer than not to appear sufficiently neatified as our empty worthless painted Gallants do Nor shall you ever read that he wasted his time in idle visitations or Cards or Diâ—e or in reading Romances or hearing Stage-plays It was another kind of example that our Lord did leave for his disciples 12. Mark also how farr Christ was from being guilty of any idle or lascivious or foolish kind of talk And how holy and profitable all his speeches were To teach us also to speak as the oracles of God such words as tend to edification and to administer grace unto the hearers and to keep our tongues from all prophane lascivious empty idle speeches 13. Remember that Pride and Passion are condemned by your pattern Christ bids you Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest unto your souls Mat. 11. 28 29. Therefore he resolveth that except men be converted and become as little children they shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18. 3. Behold therefore the Lamb of God and be ashamed of your fierce and ravenous natures 14. Remember that Christ your Lord and pattern did humble himself to the meanest office of love even to â—â—sh the feet of his disciples Not to teach you to wash a few poor mens feet as a Ceremony once a year and persecute and murder the servants of Christ the rest of the year as the Roman Vice-Christ doth But to teach us that if he their Lord and Master washed his disciples feet we also should stoop as low in any office of love for one another Iohn 13. 14. 15. Remember also that Christ your pattern spent whole nights in prayer to God so much was he for this holy attendance upon God To teach us to pray allwayes and not wax saint Luke 18. 1. And not to be like the impious God-haters that Love not any near or serious addresses unto God nor those that use them but make them the object of their cruelty or scorn 16. Remember also that Christ was against the Pharisees out-side hypocritical ceremonious worship consisting in lip-labour affected repetitions and much babling their Touch not Taste not Handle â—â—â—â— and worshiping God in vain according to their Traditions teaching for doctrines the commandments of men He taught us a serious spiritual worship not to draw nigh to God with our mouth Maâ— 15 6 7 â— 9. and honour him with our lips while our hearts are farr from him but to worship God who is a Spirit in Jâ—h â— 23 24 Spirit and Truth 17. Christ was a sharp reprover of Hypocritical blind ceremonious malitious Pharisees and Maâ— â—â— warneth his disciples to take heed of their leven When they are offended with him he saith every plant which my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind c. Mat. 15. 12 13 14. To teach us to take heed of Autonomous Supercilious domineering formal Hypocrites and false teachers and to difference between the shepheards and the wolves 18. Though Christ seems cautelously to avoid the owning of the Romans Usurpation over the Jews yet rather than offend them he payeth Tribute himself Mat. 17. 25 26 27. and biddeth them Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods Mat. 22. 21. The Pharisees bring their controversie to him hypocritically Whether it be lawful to give Tribute to Caesar or not For that Caesar was a Usurper over them they took to be past controversie And Christ would give them no answer that should either ensnare himself or encourage usurpation or countenance their sedition Teaching us much more to pay tribute chearfully to our lawful Governours and to avoid all sedition and offence 19. Yet is he accused condemned and executed among Malefactors as aspiring to be King of the Iews and the Judge called None of Caesars friend if he let him go Teaching us to expect that the most innocent Christians should be accused as enemies to the Rulers of the world and mistaken Governours be provoked and engaged against them by the malicious calumnies of their adversaries and that we should in this unrighteous world be condemned of those crimes of which we are most innocent and which we most abhorr and have born the fullest testimonies against 20. The furious rowt of the enraged people deride him by their words and deeds with a Purple â—â—â—â—â— a Scepter of Reed a Crown of Thorns and the scornful name of King of the Iews They 〈…〉 n his face and buffet him and then break jeasts upon him And in all this being reviled he reâ—â—â—â— not again but committed all to him that judgeth righteously 1 Pet. 2. 21 22 23. Teaching us to expect the rage of the ignorant Rabble as well as of deluded Governours and to be made the scorn of the worst of men and all this without impatience reviling or threatning words but quiâ—tting our selves in the sure expectation of the righteous judgement which we and they must shortly find 21. When Christ is urged at Pilates Barr to speak for himself he holds his peace Teaching us to expect to be questioned at the Judgement Seat of man and not to be over-careful for the vindicating of our Names from their most odious calumnies because the Judgement that will fully justifie us is sure and near 22. When Christ is in his Agony his Disciples fail him when he is judged and crucified they Matth. 26. 56. forsook him and fled To teach us not to be too confident in the best of men nor to expect much from them in a time of tryal but to take up our comfort in God alone when all our nearest friends shall fail us 23. Upon the Cross he suffereth the torments and ignominy of death for us praying for his Murderers Leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2. 21. and that we think not life it self too dear to part with in obedience to God and for the
life in sickness or danger when you may after have time to seek the saving of his soul. Not only works of mercy may be thus preferred before sacrifice but the ordinary conveniences of our lives as to rise and dress us and do other business may go before prayer when Prayer may afterwards be done as well or better and would be hindered if these did not go before § 22. Direct 19. Though caeteris paribus the duties of the first table are to be preferred before Direct 19. those of the second yet the Greater duties of the second table must be preferred before the lesser duties of the first The Love of God is a greater duty than the Love of man and they must never be separated But yet we must preferr the saving a mans life or the quenching of a fire in the Town before a Prayer or Sacrament or observation of a Sabbath David eat the shew bread and the Disciples rubbed out the corn on the Sabbath day because the preserving of Life was a greater duty than the observing of a Sabbath or a positive ceremonial law And Christ bids the Pharisees Go learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice The blood of our brethren is an unacceptable means of pleasing God and mainteining piety or promoting mens several opinions in religion § 23. Direct 20. Choose that employment or calling so far as you have your choice in which Direct 20. you may be most serviceable to God Choose not that in which you may be most Rich or Honourable in the world but that in which you may do most good and best escape sinning § 24. Quest. But what if in one calling I am most serviceable to the Church but yet have most Quest. â— doing goâ—d or avoidâ—â—g sin to be â—â—st â—â—â—â—â— at in our choice oâ—â—aâ—lings Answ. temptations to sin And in another I have least temptations to sin but am least serviceable to the Church which is the ordinary difference between men in Publick places and men in solitude which of these should I choose Answ. 1. Either you are allready engaged in your Calling or not If you are you must have greater reasons to desert it than such as might require you at first not to choose it 2. Either the Temptations to sin are such as good men ordinarily overcome or they are extraordinarily great You may more warrantably avoid such great ones as you are not like to overcome than small or ordinary ones 3. Either you are well furnished against these temptations or not If not you must be more cautelous in approaching them But if you are you may trust God the boldlier to help you out 4. Either they are temptations to ordinary humane frailties in the manner of duty or temptations to more dangerous sin The first will not so much warrant you to avoid doing good for to escape them as the latter will 5. The service that you are called to being supposed great and necessary to be done by somebody is either such as others will do better or as well if you avoid it or not If the Church or common good receive no detriment by your refusal you may the more insist on your own preservation But if the necessities of the Church or State and the want of fitter instruments or any apparent call of God do single you out for that service you must obey God whatever the difficulties and temptations are For no temptation can necessitate you to sin and God that calleth you can easily preserve you But take heed what you thrust your selves upon § 25. Quest. But may I change my calling for the service of the Church when the Apostle bids Quest. â—â—â—â—â—ing may be changed Answ. every man abide in the calling in which he was called Cor. 7. 20. Answ. The Apostle only requireth men to make no unlawful change such as is the forsaking of a Wife or Husband nor no unnecessary change as if it were necessary as in the case of circumcision But in the next words he saith Art thou called being a servant Care not far it But if thou maist be made free use it rather He bids every man abide with God in the place he is called to but forbids them not to change their state when they are called to change it verse 24. He speaks more of relations of single persons and married servants and free c. than oâ— trades or offices And yet no doubt but a single person may be marryed and the marryed must be separated and servants may be free No man must take up or change any calling without sufficient cause to call him to it But when he hath such cause he sinneth if he change it not The Apostles changed their Callings when they became Apostles and so did multitudes of the Pastors of the Church in every age God no where forbids men to change their employment for the better upon a sufficient cause or call § 26. Direct 21. Especially be sure that you live not out of a calling that is such a stated course Direct 21. of employment in which you may best be serviceable to God Disability indeed is an unresistible impediment Otherwise no man must either live idely or content himself with doing some little charres Who excused from â— calling as a recreation or on the by But every one that is able must be statedly and ordinarily imployed in such work as is serviceable to God and the common Good Quest. But will not wealth excuse us Answ. It may excuse you from some sordid sort of work by making you more serviceable in other but you are no more excused from service and work of one kind or other than the poorest man Unless you think that God requireth least where He giveth most Quest. Will not age excuse us Answ. Yes so farr as it disableth you but no further Object But I am turned out of my calling Answ. You are not turned out of the service of God He calleth you to that or to another Quest. But may I not cast off the world that I may only think of my salvation Answ. You may cast off all such excess of worldly cares or business as unnecessarily hinder you in spiritual things But you may not cast off all bodily employment and mental labour in which you may serve the common Good Every one that is a member of Church or common-wealth must employ their parts to the utmost for the good of the Church and common-wealth Publick service is Gods greatest service To neglect this and say I will pray and meditate is as if your servant should refuse your greatest work and tie himself to some lesser easie part And God hath commanded you some way or other to labour for your daily bread and not to live as drones on the sweat of others only Innocent Adam was put into the Garden of Eden to dress it And fallen man must eat his bread in the sweat of his brows Gen. 3.
Heaven and audience with God and is dearly beloved by him in Christ. Thou seest in flesh a companion of Angels and one that hath the Divine Nature and must shortly be above the Stars in glory and must be with Christ and must love and magnifie God for ever And is not the amiableness of God apparent in such mercy bestowed upon sinful man And should we not now begin to admire him in his Saints and glorifie him in believers who will câ—me with thousands of his Angels to be glorified and admired in them at the last 2 Thess. 1. 10. O the abundant deliverances preservations provisions encouragements which all his servants receive â—â—â—â— God! Who ever saw the just forsakâ—n even while they think themselves forsaken For the Lâ—rd 〈…〉 h judâ—â—ment and forsaketh not his Saints they are preserved fâ—r ever The Law of his God is in â—â—s heart none of his steps shall slide Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end â—â— that man is peace Psal. 37. 25 28 31 37. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Psâ—lm 116. 15. Ye that love the Lord hate evil he preserveth the souls of his Saints be delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked Light is sowen for the righteous and gladness for the upriâ—ht in heart Psal. 97. 10 11. O love the Lord all his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the prâ—ud doer Psal. 31. 23. § 32. Direct 11. Insist not so much on your desires after vision as to undervalue the lower apprehensions Direct 11. of Faith but love God by the way of Faith as in order to the Love of Intuition We are exceeding â—pt to be over-desirous of sight and to take nothing as an object fit to affect us which sense perceiveth not When we have the surest evidence of the truth of things unseen it hardly satisfieth us unless we may see or feel And hereupon our Love to God is hindered while we think of him as if he were not or take the apprehensions of faith as if they were uncertain and little differed from a dream Yea it proveth the ground of most dangerous temptations to Infidelity it self While we take that knowlâ—dge which we have of God in the way of Faith the Love and Communion which is exercised thereby to be as nothing we are next tempted to think that there is no true knowledge of God and communion with him to be attained And when we have been searching and striving long and find that we can reach no more we are tempted to think that the soul oâ— man is made but as the beasts for present things and is uncapable of those higher things which are revealed in the Gospel and that if there were indeed a life to come and man were made to enjoy his God we should get nearer to him than we are and know him more and love him better But is it nothing O presumptuous soul to see God in a Glass in order to a nearer sight Is it nothing to have the Heavenly Ierusalem described and promised to thee unless thou see it and possess it Wilt thou travel to no place but what thou seest all the way Wouldst thou have no difference betwixt Earth and Heaven What canst thou have more in Heaven than immediate intuition Wouldst thou have no life of tryal in the obedience of faith before the life of fruition and reward Or canst thou think that a life of sight and sense is fit for tryal and preparation to shew who is meet for the rewarding life Unthankful soul Compare thy state with that of bruits Is it nothing for thee to know thy Maker in the Works of his Creation and Providence and in the revelations of grace and the belief of promised immortality unless thou presently see him in his glory When these thy fâ—llow creatures know him not at all Compare thy self now with thy self as heretofore in the dayes of thy ignorance and carnality Hadst thou then any such knowledge of God as thou now undervaluest or any such communion with him as thou now accountest next to none When the Light first shined in thine eyes and thou hadst first experience of the knowledge of God thou thoughtst it something and rejoycedst in the light If then thou couldst have suddenly attainâ—d but to so much as thou hast now attained wouldst thou have called it Nothing Would it not have seemed a greater treasure to thee than to have known both the Indies as thine own O be not unthankful for the little which thou hast received when God might have shut thee out in that darkness which the greatest part of the world lyeth in and have left thee to thy self to have desired no higher knowledge than such as may feed thy fansie and pride and lust Art thou so far drowned in flesh and sense as to take Intellectual apprehensions for dreams unless thy sense may see and feel Wilt thou take thy soul thy self for nothing because thou art not to be seen or felt Shall no Subjects honour and obey their King but they that have seen his Court and him Desire the fullest and the nearest sight the purest and the strongest Love and desire and spare not the liâ—e where all this will be had But take heed of being too hasty with God and unthankful for the mercies of the way Know better the difference betwixt thy travail and thy home And know what is fit for passengers to expect Humbly submit to an obedient waiting in a life of faith And make much of the Testament of Christ till thou be at age to possess the inheritance Thou must live and love and run and fight and conquer and suffer by saith if ever thou wilt come to â—â—â—â— and to possess the Crown § 33. Direct 12. It is a powerful means to kindle the Love of God in a believer to foresee by faith Direct 12. the glory of Heaven and what God will be there to his Saints for ever And thus to behold God in his Read 〈…〉 his Prognostiâ—on Si in â—â—â—â—lis sâ—de 〈…〉 haâ— sâ—â—vatur â—aeâ—editus 〈…〉 quaedam tâ—pida pâ—oserunâ— aliqui putantes eam se percipere in teâ—rena Jerusalem Mille ann's existimant esse deliâ—iarum praemia proprietatâ— recâ—pturâ—â— Qui iâ—â—rrogandi sunt quomodo astruant delicias corporales dum dicatur hanc haereditaâ—em nec corrum â—i posse nec marcesceâ—e Didymâ— Alexand. i. Petr. 1. câ—â—â—â— Millâ—nar GLORY is the use of GRACE Though the manner of knowing him thus by faith be far short of what we there expect yet it is the same God and glory that now we believe which then we must more openly behold And therefore as that Apprehension of Love will unconceivably excel the highest which can be here attained so the fore-thoughts of that doth excell all other arguments and means to affect us here and will raise us as high as means can raise us The greatest
great Direct 13. a part of thy duty Is it not the sweetest employment in the world to be alwayes thinking on so sweet a thing as the mercies of God and to be mentioning them with glad and thankful hearts Is not this a sweeter kind of work than to be abusing mercie and casting it away upon fleshly lusts and sinning it away and turning it against us Yea is it not a sweeter work than to be groaning under sin and misery If God had as much fixt your thoughts upon sadning heart-breaking objects as he hath by his commands upon reviving and delighting objects you might have thought Religion a melancholly life But when sorrow is required but as preparatory to delight and chearful Thanksgiving is made the life and sum of your Religion who but a Monster will think it grievous to live in Thankfulness to our great Benefactor To think thus of the sweetness of it will do much to incline us to it and make it easie to us § 16. Direct 14. Make conscience ordinarily of allowing Gods mercies as great a room in thy Direct 14. Thoughts and Prayers as thou allowest to thy sins and wants and troubles In a day of humiliation or after some notable fall into sin or in some special cases of distress I confess sin and danger may have the greater share But ordinarily mercy should take up more time in our remembrance and confession than our sins Let the Reasons of it first convince you that this is your duty And when you are convinced hold your selves to the performance of it If you can not be so Thankfull as you desire yet spend as much time in the confessing of Gods Mercy to you as in confessing your sins and mentioning your wants Thanksgiving is an effectual petitioning for more It sheweth that the soul is not drowned in selfishness but would carry the fruit of all his mercies back to God If you cannot think on mercy so thankfully as you would yet see that it have a due proportion of your thoughts This course of allowing mercy its due time in our Thoughts and Prayers would work the soul to greater thankfulness by degrees Whereas on the contrary when men accustom themselves to have ten words or twenty of Confession and Petition for one of thanksgiving and ten thoughts of sins and wants and troubles for one of mercies this starveth thankfulness and turneth it out of doors You can command your words and thoughts if you will Resolve therefore on this duty § 17. Direct 15. Take heed of a proud a covetous a fleshly or a discontented mind for all Direct 15. these are enemies to Thankfulness A proud heart thinks it self the worthiest for more and thinks diminutively of all A covetous heart is still gaping after more and never returning the fruit of what it hath received A fleshly mind is an insatiable gulf of corporal mercies like a greedy Dog that is gaping for another bone when he hath devoured one and sacrificeth all to his belly which is his God Phil. 3. 18. A discontented mind is alwayes murmuring and never pleased but findeth something still to quarrel at and taketh more notice of the denying of its unjust desires than of the giving of many undeserved mercies Thankfulness prospereth not where these vices prosper § 18. Direct 16. Avoid as much as may be a Melancholy and over-fearful temper for that Direct 16. will not suffer you to see or taste your greatest mereits nor to be glad or thankful for any thing you have but is still representing all things to you in a terrible or lamentable shape The Grace of Thankfulness may be habitually in a timerous melancholly mind And that appeareth in their valuation of the Mercy How glad and thankful would they be if they were assured that the Love of God is towards them But it is next to impossible for them ordinarily to exercise thankfulness because they cannot believe any thing of themselves that is good and comfortable It is as natural for them to be still fearing and despairing and complaining and troubling themselves as for froward children to be crying or sick men to groan Befriend not therefore this miserable disease but resist it by all due remedies § 19. Direct 17. Take heed of all unthankful doctrines which teacheth you to deny or undervalue Direct 17. mercy Such is 1. The Doctrine of the Pelagians whom Prosper calleth the Ungratefull that denyed faith and special grace to be any special gift of God and that teach you that Peter is no more beholden to God than Iudas for his differencing grace 2. The Doctrine which denyeth general grace which is presupposed unto special and tells the world that Christ dyed only for the Elect and that all the mercy of the Gospel is confined to them alone and teacheth all men to deny God any thanks for Christ or any Gospel mercy till they know that they are elect and justified and would teach the wicked on Earth and in Hell that they ought not to accuse themselves for sinning against any Gospel mercy or for rejecting a Christ that dyed for them 3. All Doctrine which makes God the physical efficient predeterminer of every act of the creature considered in all its circumstances and so tells you that saving grace is no more nor no otherwise caused of God than sin and every natural act is and our thanks that we owe him for keeping us from sin is but for not irresistible pre-moving us to it Such Doctrines cut the veins of thankfulness and being not doctrines according to godliness the life of grace and spiritual sense of believers is against them § 20. Direct 18. Put not God off with verbal Thanks but give him thy self and all thou hast Direct 18. Thankfulness causeth the soul to enquire What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Psal. 116. 12. And it is no less than thy self and all thou hast that thou must render that is thou must give God not only thy Tythes and the Sacrifice of Cain but thy self to be entirely his servant and all that thou hast to be at his command and used in the order that he would have thee use it A thankful soul devoteth it self to God This is the living acceptable Sacrifice Rom. 12. 1. It studieth how to do him service and how to do good with all his mercies Thankfulness is a powerful spring of obedience and makes men long to be fruitful and profitable and glad of opportunities to be serviceable to God Thus Law and Gospel Obedience and Gratitude concur A thankful obedience and an obedient thankfulness are a Christians life Psal. 50. 14 15 23. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy Vows to the Most High And call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Who so offereth praise glorifieth me and to him that ordereth his conversation aright I will shew the salvation of God
20. Insomuch as it sâ—â—mâ—th one of the greatest impediments to the Conversion of the Heathen and Mahomâ—tan world and the chiefest means of confirming them in their Iâ—â—â—â—delity and making them hate and scorn Christianity that the Romish and the Eastern and Southern Churches within their view do worship God so dishonourably as they do as if our God were like a little Child that must have pretty toyes bought him in the Fair and brought home to please him Whereas it the unreformed Churches in the East West and South were Reformed and had a Learned Pious Able Ministry and clearly preached and seriously applyed the Word of God and worshipped God with understanding gravity reverence and serious spirituality and lived a holy heavenly mortified self-denying conversation this would be the way to propagate Christianity and win the Infidel world to Christ. § 43. Direct 12. If you will glorifie God in your lives you must be above a selfish private narrow Direct 12. mind and must be chiefly intent upon the publick good and the spreading of the Gospel through the world A selfish private narrow soul brings little honour to the cause of God It s alwayes taken up about it self or imprisoned in a corner in the dark to the interest of some Sect or Party and seeth not how things go in the world Its desires and prayers and endeavours go no further than they can see or travel But a larger soul beholdeth all the earth and is desirous to know how it goeth with the Cause and Servants of the Lord and how the Gospel gets ground upon the unbelieving Nations and such are affected with the state of the Church a thousand miles off almost as if it were at hand as being members of the whole body of Christ and not only of a Sect. They pray for the Hallowing of Gods Name and the coming of his Kingdom and the doing of his will throughout the Earth as it is in Heaven before they come to their own necessities at least in order of esteem and desire The prosperity of themselves or their Party or Countrey satisfieth them not while the Church abroad is in distress They live as those that know the Honour of God is more concerned in the welfare of the whole than in the success of any party against the rest They pray that the Gospel may have free course and be glorified abroad as it is with them and the Preachers of it be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men 2 Thess. 3. 1 2. The silencing the Ministers and suppressing the interest of Christ and souls is the most grievous tydings to them Therefore they pray for Kings and all in authority not for any carnal ends but that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3. Thus God must be glorified by our Lives DIRECT XVI Let your life on Earth be a conversation in Heaven by the constant work of Gr. Dir. 16. Faith and Love even such a faith as maketh things future as now present and the unseen world as if it were continually open to your sight and such a Love as makes you long to see the glorious face of God and the glory of your dear Redeemer and to be taken up with blessed Spirits in his perfect endless Love and Praise MY Treatise of The Life of Faith and the fourth Part of The Saints Rest being written wholly or mostly to this use I must refer the Reader to them and say no more of it in this Direction DIRECT XVII As the soul must be carried up to God and devoted to him according to all the Gr. Dir. 17. foregoing Directions so must it be delivered from carnal selfishness or flesh-pleasing I pass not this by as a small matter to be passed by also by the Reader For I take the Love of God kindled by Faith in Christ with the full Denyal of our carnal selves to be the sum of all Religion But because I would not injure so great a duty by saying but a little of it And therefore desire the Reader who studieth for Practice and needeth such helps to peruse the mentioned Books of Self-denyal and Crucifying the World which is the grand enemy to God and Godliness in the world and from the three great branches of this Idolatry viz. the Love of sensual pleasures the Love of worldly wealth and the proud desire and Love of worldly honour and esteem And the mortifying of these must be much of the labour of your lives OF this also I have written so much in a Treatise of Self-denyal and in another called The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ that I shall now pass by all save what will be more seasonable anon under the more Particular Directions in the fourth Tome when I come to speak of Selfishness as opposed to the Love of others I Have now given you the General Grand Directions containing the very Being and Life of Godliness and Christianity with those particular sub-directions which are needful to the performance of them And I must tell you that as your life and strength and comfort principally depend on these so doth your success in resisting all your particular sins And therefore if you first obey not these General Directions the more particular ones that follow will be almost useless to you even as branches cut off from the Stock of the Tree which are deprived thereby of their support and life But upon supposition that first you will maintain these Vital parts of your Religion I shall proceed to Direct you first in some particulars most nearly subordinate to the forementioned duties and then to the remoter branches APPENDIX The true Doctrine of LOVE to GOD to HOLINESS to OUR SELVES and to OTHERS opened in certain Propositions Especially for resolving the Questions what self-love is lawful What sinful Whether God must be loved above our own felicity And how Whether to Love our felicity more than God may stand with a state of saving grace Whether it be a middle state between sensuality and the Divine nature to Love God more for our selves than for Himself Whether to Love God for our selves be the state of a Believer as he is under the promise of the New Covenant And whether the spirit and sanctification promised to Believers be the Love of God for himself and so the Divine nature promised to him that chooseth Christ and God by him out of self-love for his own felicity How God supposeth and worketh on the principle of self-love in mans Conversion With many such like To avoid the tediousness of a distinct debating each Question THough these things principally belong to the Theorie and so to another Treatise in hand called Methodus Theologiae yet because they are also Practical and have a great influence upon the more Practical Directions and the right understanding of them may help the Reader himself to determine a multitude of Cases of Conscience the
that we can use to help them and none but the Almighty can cast him out and deliver them Let Husband or Wife or Parents or the dearest friends intreat a hardned sinner to be converted and he will not hear them Let the learnedst or wisest or holiest man alive both preach and beseech him and he will not turn At a distance he may reverence and honour a great Divine and a learned or a holy man especially when they are dead But let the best man on earth be the Minister of the place where he liveth and intreat him daily to repent and he will either hate and persecute him or neglect and disobey him What Minister was ever so learned or holy or powerful a Preacher that had not sad experience of this When the Prophet Isa. 53. 1. cryeth out Who hath believed our report And the Apostles were fain to shake off the dust of their feet against many that rejected them and were abused and scorned and persecuted by those whose souls they would have saved Nay Jesus Christ himself was refused by the most that heard him And no Minister dare compare himself with Christ. If our Lord and Master was blasphemed scorned and murdered by sinners what better should his ablest Ministers expect St. Augustine found drunkenness so common in Africk that he motioned that a Council might be called for the suppression of it But if a General Council of all the Learned Bishops and Pastors in the world were called they could not convert one hardned sinner by all their Authority Wit or diligence without the power of the Almighty God For will they be converted by Man that are hardned against God What can we devise to say to them that can reach their hearts and get within them and do them good Shall we tell them of the Law and Judgements of the Lord and of his wrath against them Why all these things they have heard so often till they sleep under it or laugh at them Shall we tell them of Death and Judgement and Eternity Why we speak to the posts or men asleep They hear us as if they heard us not Shall we tell them of endless Ioy and Torments They feel not and therefore fear not nor regard not They have heard of all these till they are a weary of hearing them and our words seem to them but as the noise of the Wind or Water which is of no signification If Miracles were wrought among them by a Preacher that healed the sick and raised the dead they would wonder at him but would not be converted For Christ did thus and yet prevailed but with few Iohn 11. 48. 53. And the Apostles wrought Miracles and yet were rejected by the most Acts 7. 57. 22. 22. Nay if one of their old companions should be sent from the dead to give them warning he might affright them but not convert them for Christ hath told us so himself Luke 16. 31. Or if an Angel from Heaven should preach to them they would be hardned still as Balaam and others have been Christ rose from the dead and yet was after that rejected We read not of the Conversion of the Souldiers that watcht his Sepulchâ—e though they were affrighted with the sight of the Angels but they were after that hired for a little money to lye and say that Christs Disciples stole him away If Magistrates that have power on their bodies should endeavour to bring them to Godliness they would not obey them nor be perswaded King Hezekiahs messengers were but mocked by the people David and Solomon could not convert their hardned subjects Punish them and hang them and they will be wicked to the death Witness the impenitent Thief that dyed with Christ and dyed reproaching him Though God afflict them with rod after rod yet still they sin and are the same Psal. 78. Hâ—s 7. 14. Amos 4. 9. Ier. 5. 3. Isa. 1. 5. Let death come near and look them in the face and let them see that they must presently go to judgement it will affright them but not convert them Let them know and confess that sin is bad that Holiness is best that death and eternity are at hand yet are they the same and all will not win their hearts to God Till Grace take away their stony hearts and give them tender fleshy hearts Ezek 36. 26. § 8. Direct 6. Take notice of the doleful effects of hard heartedness in the world This fills the Direct 6. world with wickedness and confusion with Wars and bloodshed and leaveth it under that lamentable desertion and delusion which we behold in the far greatest part of the Earth How many Kingdoms are left in the blindness of Heathenism and Mahometanism for hardning their hearts against the Lord How many Christian Nations are given up to the most gross deceits of Popery and Princes and people are enemies to Reformation because they hardned their hearts against the light of truth What vice so odious even beastly filthiness and bitterest hatred and persecution of the wayes of God which men of all degrees and rancks do not securely wallow in through the hardness of their hearts This is the thing that grieves the godly that wearieth good Magistrates and breaks the hearts of faithful Ministers when they have done their best they are fain as Christ himself before them to grieve for the hardness of mens hearts Alas we live among the dead Our Towns and Countreys are in a sadder case than Aegypt when every house had a dead man Even in our Churches it were well if the dead were only under ground and most of our seats had not a dead man that sitteth as if he heard and kneeleth as if he prayed when nothing ever pierced to the quick We have studied the most quickning words we have preached with tears in the most earnest manner and yet we cannot make them feel As if we cryed like Baals worshippers O Baal hear us or like the Irish to their dead Why wouldst thou dye and leave thy house and lands and friends So we talk to them about the death of their souls and their wilful misery who never feel the weight of any thing we say we are left to ring them a peal of lamentation and weep over them as the dead that are not moved by our tears we cast the seed into stony ground Matth. 13. 5 20. It stops in the surface and it is not in our power to open their hearts and get within them I confess that we are much too blame our selves that ever we did speak to such miserable souls without more importunate earnestness and tears and it is because the stone of the heart is much uncured in our selves for which God now justly layeth so many of us by But yet we must say our importunity is such as leaveth them without excuse we speak to them of the greatest matters in all the world we speak it to them in the name of God we shew them his
in a divided heart and Direct 2â— life See therefore that you serve God in singleness of heart or simplicity and integrity as being â—â—s alone Think not of serving God and Mammon A deep reserve at the heart for the world â—â—ile Matth. 23 â—â— â—â—â—â—h 4. 2 3 4 5. Luke 1â— 4â— Matth. 6. 4â— 2 Pet. 1. 1â— Joh. 6. 27. they seem to give up themselves in Covenant to God is the grand Character of an Hypocrite Live as those that have One Lord and Master that all power stoopeth to and One End or Scâ—pe to which all other are but means and One work of absolute Necessity to do and one Kingdom to seek first and with greatest care and diligence to make sure of and that have your hearts and faces still one way and that agree with your selves in what you think and say and do A double heart and a double tongue is the fashion of the Hypocrite Psal. 12. 2. 1 Tim. 3. 8. He hath a heart for the world and pride and lust which must seem sometimes to be lifted up to ask forgiveness that he may sin with quietness and hope of salvation you would not think when you see him drop his Beads or lift up his hands and eyes and seem devoutly to say his prayers how lately he came from a Tavern or a Whore or a Lie or from scorning at serious godliness As Bishop Hall saith He seemeth to serve that 〈…〉 m 2. 5. Jaâ—â—es 4. 1â— Hoâ— 10. 2. God at Church on Holy-dayes whom he neglecteth at home and â—â—weth at the Name of Jesus and sweareth prophanely by the Name of God Remember that there is but one God one Heaven for us one Happiness and one Way And this one is of such moment as calls for all the intention and attention of our souls and is enough to satisfie us and should be enough to call us off from all that would divert us A divided heart is a false and self-deceving heart Are there two Gods or is Christ divided While you grasp at both God and the world you will certainly lose one and it is like you will lose both To have two Gods two Rules two Heavens is to have no God no true Rule no Heaven or happiness at all Halt not therefore between two opinions If God be God obey him and love him If Heaven be Heaven be sure it be first sought But if thy Belly be 〈…〉 3. â—â— thy God and the World be thy Heaven then serve and seek them and make thy best of thâ—m § 31. Direct 26. Take heed of all that fleshly policy or craft and worldly wisdom which is contrary 〈…〉 26. to the wisdom of the Word of God and would draw thee from the plain and open heartedness which godly sincerity requireth Let that which was Pauls rejoycing be yours that in simplicity and godly sincerity nâ—t in fleshly wisdom you have had yâ—ur conversation in the world Christianity renounceth not wisdom and â—â—nest self-preservation But yet it maketh men plain-hearted and haters of crafty â—â—â—â—dulent minds What is the famous hypocritical Religion superadded to Christianity and called â—â—â—â—â—â— but that which Paul feared in his godly jealousie for the Corinthians lest as the Serpent begâ—â—leâ— â—â—ve by his sâ—btility so their minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. A forsaking thâ— Christian simplicity of DOCTRINE DISCIPLINE WORSHIP and CONVERSATION is the Hypocrisie of Religion and of liâ—e Equivocating and dishonest â—hiâ—â—s and hiding beseemeth those that have an ill cause or an ill conscience or an ill Master whom they dâ—â—â—â— not trust and not those that have so good a cause and God as Christians have § 32. Direct 27. Remember how much of sincerity consisteth in seriousness and how much of Hypocrite Direct 27. the 〈…〉 pleaâ—â—â—â—g and â—â—â—â—al Riâ—es and Ceremo 〈…〉 of outward and 〈◊〉 holiness Over-great 〈…〉 of traditions which â—aâ—â— of but â—ad â—he Church The 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 an◠〈…〉 aâ—d lucâ—â— The 〈…〉 goâ—d in 〈◊〉 which openeth a gate to 〈…〉 and noveltieâ— Lord 〈…〉 describeth â—â—â—â—ila that he was a de 〈◊〉 of â—lesh and â—â—â—â— â—â—nd yet Religione persuasion 〈◊〉 basque de Dâ—s a gente sua 〈◊〉 usque ad sâ—perstitionem addictâ—◠〈…〉 3â—9 Pâ—al 78 37. 2 Cor. 7. 11. consisteth in seeming and dreaming and trifling in the things of God and our salvation see therefore that you keep your souls awake in a sensible and seriâ—us frame Read over the fifty Considerations which in the third Part of my Saints Rest I have given to convince you of the necessity of being serious See that there be as much in your faith as in your Creed and as much in your Hearts and Lives as in your Belief Remember that seeming and dreaming will not mortifie deep-rooted sâ—s nor conquer strong and subtile enemies nor make you acceptable to God nor save your sâ—â—ls from his revenging justice Remember what a mad kind of prophaneness it is to jâ—â—st and â—â—ifle about Heaven and Hell and to dally with the great and dreadful God Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conâ—â—â—â—sation and godliness 2 Pet. 3. 11. You pray for an obedience answering the pattern of the heavenly society when you say Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven And will you be such Hypocrites as to pray that you may iâ—itate Saints and Angels in the purity and obedience of your hearts and lives and when you have done take up with shews and seemings and saying a few words and a lifeless Image of that Holiness which you never had yea and perhaps deride and persecute in others the very thing which you daily pray for O horrible abuse of the All-seeing God! Do you no more believe or fear his justice When the Apostle saith Gal. 6. 7. Be not deceived God is not mocked he intimâ—â—â—â—th that Hypocrites go about to put a scorn on God by a Mock-religion though it is not he but themselves that will prove mocked in the end They offer God a deaf Nutt or an empty Shell or Caâ—k for a Sacrifice An Hypocrite differeth from a true Christian as a Fencer from a Souldier He playeth his part very formâ—lly upon a Stage with much applause but you may perceive that he is not in good sadness by his tâ— flâ—ng and formality and never killing any of his sins Would men shew no more of the great everlasting matters of their own proâ—est Belief in any seriousness of affection or endeavour than most men do if they were not Hypocrites Would they hate and scorn men for doing but that and part of that which they pray and profess to do themselves if they were not hypocrites Wo to the world because of Hypocrisie Wo to the carnal members of the Church Wo to Idol Shepheards and the seeming 〈◊〉 lifeless Christians of what Sect soever For God will not be mocked They
are Christians but it is with a Mock-Christianity while their souls are strange to the true esteem and use of Christ. They are Believers but with a mock belief described Iames 2. They believe God should be loved above all but they love him not They believe that Holiness is better than all the pleasures of sin yet they choose it not but hate it They are Religious with a seeming vain Religion which will not so much as humble them nor bâ—idle their tongues Iam. 1. 26 They are wise with a mock-wisdom They are wise enough to prove their sins to be all lawfull or but venial sins And wise enough to cast away the Medicine that would â—eal them and to confuâ—e the Physicion and to answer the learnedst Preacher of them all and to scapâ— salvation and to secure themselves a place in Hell and keep themselves ignorant of it till they are there They are converted but with a mock-conversion which leaveth them as carnal and proud and worldly as before being born of Water but not of the Spirit and being sensual still Iohn 3. 5 6. Iude 19. They Repent but with a mock-repentance They Repent but they will not leave their sin nor confess and bewail it but hate reproof and excuse their sin They are Honest but with a mock honesty Though they swear and curse and rail and slander and backbite and scorn at piety it self yet they mean well and have honest hearts Though they receive not the Word with deep roâ—â—ing in their hearts but are abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate they are honest for all that â—uâ—e 8. 15. Tit. 1. 16. They Love God above all though they love not to think or speak of him seriously but hate his Holiness and Justice his Word and holy wayes and servants and are such as the Scripture calleth hâ—ters of God and keep nor his Commandments nor live not to his glory 〈…〉 â—5 4 6 â— 8 20 â— 3. Matâ—h 10 37. They Love the servants of God but they care not if the world were rid of them all and take them to be but a company of self conceited troublesome fellows and as very hypocrites as themselves And the poor Christians that are cruelly used by them think they are neither in good sadness nor in â—east when they profess to love the worshippers of God They love not their money nor lands noâ— lusts with such a kind of love I am sure They have also alwayes good desires but they are such mock-desires as those in Iames 2. 15. that wished the poor were sed and clothed and warmed but gave them nothing towards it And such good desires as the sluggard hath that lyeth in bed and wisheth that all his work were done Prov. 21. 25. The desire of the sluggard killeth him because his hands refuse to labour They pray but with mock-prayers you would little think that they are speaking to the most holy God for no less than the saving of their souls when they are more serious in their very games and sports They pray for grace but they cannot abide it They pray for Holiness but they are resolved they 'll have none of it They pray against their sin but no entreaty can perswade them from it They would have a Mock-ministry a Mock-discipline a Mock-Church a Mock-Sacrament as they make a Mock-profession and give God but a Mock-obedience as I might shew you through all the particulars but for being tedious And all is because they have but a Mock-faith They believe not that God is in good earnest with them in his commands and threatnings and fore-telling of his judgements As Lâ—t to his Sons-in-law Gen. 19. 14. He seemeâ—â— to them as one that mocked and therefore they serve him as those that would mock him O wretched hypocrites Is this agreeable to your holy profession You call your selves Christians and profess to believe the doctrine of Christ Is this agreeable to Christianity to your Creed to the ten Commandments to the Lords Prayer and to the rest of the Word of God Had you none but The similitude of â—uperstition to Religion maketh â—t the more dâ—â—ormed And as who som meat corrupteth into little Worms so good forms and orders corrupt into a number of pâ—tty observances Lord Bacon Essay of Supeâ—st the holy Jealous God to make a mock of Had you nothing less than Religion and matters of salvation and damnation to play with Do you serve God as if he were a child or an Idol or a man of straw that either knoweth not your hearts or is pleased with toyes and complements and shews and saying over certain words or acting a part before him as on a stage Do you know what you offer and to whom His Power is Omnipotency his Glory is ten thousand fold above that of the Sun his Wisdom is infinite Millions of Angels adore him continually He is thy King and Judge he abhorreth hypocrites If thou didst but see one glimpse of his glory or the meanest of his Angels the sight would awake thee from thy dreaming and dallying and frighten thee from thy canting and trifling into a serious regard of God and thy everlasting sâ—ate Mal. 1. 8. Offer this now to thy Governour Will he be pleased with thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hâ—sts If your servants set before you upon your Table the Feathers instead of the Fowl and the Hair and Wooll instead of the Flesh and the Scales instead of the Fish would you not think they rather mockt than served you How dear have some paid even in this life for mocking God Let the case of Aarons Sons Lev. 10. 1 2 3. and of Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. inform you If with the big-tree Matth. 21. 19. you offer God Leaves only instead of fruit you are nigh unto cursing and your end is to be burnt Do you not read what he saith to the Church of Laodicea Rev. 3. 15 16. I would thou were cold or hot Because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth that is either be an open Infidel or a holy downright zealous Christian But because thou callest thy self a Christian and hast not the life or zeal of a Christian but coverest thy wickedness and carnality with that holy name I will cast thee away as an abominable vomit It would make the heart of a believer ake to think of the Hypocrisie of most that usurp the name of Christians and how cruelly they mock themselves What a glory is offered them and they lose it by their dallying What a price is in their hands What mercy is offered them and they lose it by their dallying What danger is before them and they will fall into it by their dallying Doth not the weight of your salvation forbid this trifling You might better set the Town on fire and make a jeast of it than jeast your souls into the fire of Hell Then you
say you are hypocrites and do it for applause If you do it secretly that no one know of it they will say you are covetous and have no good works and though you make a greater profession of Religion you do no good and others shall be censured so also for your sakes If you be pleasant and merry they will censure you as light and vain If you be more grave and sad they will say you are melancholly or discontent In a word whatever you do be sure by some it will be condemned and do or not do speak or be silent you shall certainly displease and never escape the censures of the world § 50. 15. There is among men so great a contâ—ariety of judgements and dispositions and interests that they will never agree among themselves and if you please one the rest will be thereby displeased When the Diviâ—eâ— of Hieldesoâ—â—ge appointed Pâ—tisâ—us to wâ—ite his Irâ—â—icoâ— his very writing for Peace and to perswade the Reformed from Apologies and Disâ—utes did give occasion of renewed â—â—â—â—s to the Saâ—ons and Swedish Divines to tell men that they could have no peace with uâ— Scâ—lâ—et â—â—â—â—iâ— p. 46. He that you please is an enemy to another and therefore you displease his enemy by pleasing him Sometime State-differences divide Kingdoms into parties and one party will be displeased with you if you be of the other and both if you are neuters or dislike them both and each party think their cause will justifie any accusations they can charge you with or odious titles they can give you if not any sufferings they can bring upon you Church-differences and Sects have been found in all ages And you cannot be of the opinion of every party When the world aboundeth with such variety of conceits you cannot be of all at once And if you be of one party you must displease the rest If you are of one side in controverted opinions the other side accounteth you erroneous And how far will the supposed interest of their cause and party carry them One half of the Christian world at this day condemneth the other half as Schismatical at least the other half doing the like for them And can you be Papisâ—s and Protestants and Greeks and every thing If not you must displease as many as you please Yea more if mutable men shall change never so oft they will expect that you change as fast as they and whatever their contrary interests require you must follow them in One year you must swear and another you must unswear all again whatever cause or action they engage in be it never so devillish you must approve of it and countenance it and all that they do you must say is well done In a word you must teach your tongue to say or swear any thing and you must sâ—ll your innocency and hire out your consciences wholly to their service or you cannot please them Michaiah must say with the rest of the Prophets Go and prosper or else he will be hated as not prophesying good of Ahab but evil 1 Kings 22. 8. And how can you serve all interests at once It seems the providence of God hath as of purpose wheeled about the affairs of the world to try and shame man-pleasers and temporizers in the sight of the Sun It is evident then that if you will please all you must at once both speak and be silent and verifie contradictions and be in many places at once and be of all mens minds and for all mens wayes For my part I mean to see the world a little better agreed among themselves before I will make it my ambition to please them If you can reconcile all their opinions and interests and complexions and dispositions and make them all of One Mind and Will then hope to please them § 51. 16. If you excell in any one Virtue or Duty even that shall not excuse you from the contrary defamation so unreasonable are malicious men Nothing in the world can secure you from censorious slanderous tongues The perfect holiness of Jesus Christ could not secure him from being called Theâ— that saw Stâ—â—â—â—â—s face as it had been the face of an Angel and heard him tell them that he saw Heaven opâ—ned yet stored him â—o death as a Blaâ—pheamer Acts 6. 15. 7. 55 56 57 58 59 60. a gluttonous person and a wine-bibber and a friend of publicans and sinners His wonderful contempt of worldly dignities and honours and his subjection to Caesar could not secure him from being slandered and crucified as Caesars enemy The great piety of the antient Christians excused them not from the vulgar calumny that they met together for filthiness in the dark nor from the cry of the rabble Tolâ—ite impios away with the ungodly because they were against the worshipping of Idols I have known those that have given all that ever they had to the poor except their food and necessaries and yet though it was to a considerable value have been reproached as unmerciful by those that had not what they expected Many a one hath been defamed with scandalous rumours of uncleanness that have lived in untainted chastity all their lives The most â—minent Saints have been defamed as guilty of the most horrid crimes which never entered into their thoughts The principal thing that ever I bent my Studies and care about hath been the reconciling Unity and peace of Christians and against unpeaceableness uncharitableness turbulency and division And yet some have been found whose interest and malice hath commanded them to charge me with that very sin which I have spent my dayes my zeal and study against How oft have contrary factions charged me with perfectly contrary accusations I can scarce remember the thing that I can do in all the world that some will not be offended at Nor the duty so great and Sâ—crateâ— primus de vite raâ—â—â—â—ne diâ—seâ—uit ac primus Phâ—â—osophorum damnatus moritur â—â—â—â—râ—ius iâ— Socâ—at p. 9â— Mulâ—a priuâ— de immortalitate animarum ac prâ—râ—â—ara dâ—â—â—â—eâ—tus Ibid. clear that some will not call my sin Nor the self-denyal so great to the hazard of my life which hath not been called self-seeking or something clean contrary to what it was indeed Instead therefore of serving and pleasing this malicious unrighteous world I contemn their blind and unjust censurès and appeal to the most righteous God § 52. 17. If you have a design for a name of honour when you are dead consider what power a prevailing faction may have to corrupt the History of your life and represent you to posterity perfectly contrary to what you are and how impossible it is for posterity to know whose History is the product of malicious sâ—â—meless lies and whose is the narrative of impartial truth What contrary Histories are there of particular persons and actions written by men of the â—ame Religion as of Pope Gregory the seventh and the Emperours that contended
mourning where you may see the end of all the living and be made better by laying it to heart and let not your hearts be in the house of miâ—th Eccles. 7. 2 3 4. Delight not to converse with men that be in â—â—nâ—ur and understand not but are like the beasts that perish for though they think of perpetuating their houses and call their lands after their own names yet they abide not in their honour and this their way is their folly though yet their posterity approve their sayings Psal. 49. 20. 12. 13 14. Converse with penitent humbled souls that have seen the odiousness of sin and the wickedness and deceitfulness of the heart and can tell you by their own feeling what cause of humiliation is still before you With these are you most safe § 106. I have been the larger against PRIDE as seeing its prevalency in the world and its mischievous effects on souls and families Church and State and because it is not discerned and resisted by many as it ought I would fain have God dwell in your hearts and peace in your societies and fain have you stand fast in the hour of temptation from prosperity or adversity and fain have affliction easie to you But none of this will be without humility I am loth that under the mighty 1 Pet. 5. 6. Lam. 3. 29. 2. 19. Amos 3. 8. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Iames 4. 6. Dan. 5. 22. 2 Châ—â—n 34. â—â— hand of God we should be unhumbled even when judgements bid us lay our mouths in the dust The storms have been long up the Cedars have fallen It is the Shrubs and bending Willows that now are likest to scape I am loth to see the prognosticks of wrath upon your souls or upon the Land I am loth that any of you should through Pride be unhumbled for sin or ashamed to own despised godliness or that any should through Pride be unhumbled for sin or ashamed to own despised godliness or that any that have seemed Religious should prove seditious unpeaceable or Apostates And therefore I beseech you in a special manner take heed of pride be little in your own esteem Praise not one another unseasonably be not offended at plain reproofs Look to your duties and then leave your reputations to the will of God Rebuke pride in your children Use them to mean attire and employments Cherish not that in them which is most natural now and most pernicious God dwelleth with the Humble and will take the Humble to dwell with him Isa. 57. 15. Job 22. 29. Put on humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another Col. 3. 12 13. Be clothed with humility Serve the Lord with all humility of mind and â—e will exalt you in due time Acts 20. 19. 1 Pet. 5. 6 7. PART VI. See an excellenâ—â—ract a◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 3. 〈…〉 Pat. though 〈…〉 Directions against Covetousness or Love of Riches and against worldly Cares I Shall say but little on this subject now because I have written a Treatise of it already called The Crucifying of the World by the Cross of Christ in which I have given many Directions in the Preface and Treatise against this sin § 1. Direct 1. Understand well the Nature and Malignity of this sin both what it is and why it is so great and perillous I shall here shew you 1. What Love of Riches is lawful 2. What it is Direct 1. that is unlawful and in what this sin of Covetousness or Worldliness doth consist 3. Wherein the Malignity or Greatness of it lyeth 4. The Signs of it 5. What Counterfeits of the contrary vertuâ— do hide this sin from the eyes of worldlings 6. What false appearances of it do cause many to be suspected of Covetousness unjustly § 2. I. All love of the creature the world or riches is not sin For 1. The works of God are I 〈…〉 all Good as such and all Goodness is amiable As they are related to God and his Power and Wisdom and Goodness is imprinted on them so we must love them even for his sake 2. All the impressions of the Aâ—tributes of God appearing on his works do make them as a Glass in which at this distance we must see the Creator and their sweetness is a drop from him by which his Goodness and Love â—s tasted And so they were all made to lead us up to God and help our minds to conâ—â—â—â— with him and kindle the Love of God in our breasts as a Love-token from our dearest friend And thus as the means of ouâ— communion with God the Love of them is a duty and not a sin 3. They are naturally the means of sustaining our bodies and preserving life and health and alâ—â—â—â—ty And as such our sensitive part hath a Love to them as every Beast hath to their food And this Love in it self is not of moral kind and is neither a vertue nor a vice till it either be used in obedience 〈…〉 Reason and so it is good or in disobedience to it and so it is evil 4. The creatures are necessary means to support our bodies while we are doing God the service which we owe him in the world And so they must be Loved as a means to his service Though we cannot say properly that Riches are ordinarily thus necessary 5. The Creatures are necessary to sustain our bodies in our journey to Heaven while we are preparing for eternity And thus they must be loved as remote helps to our salvation And in these two last respects we call it in our prayers our daily bread 6. Riches may enable us to relieve our needy brethren and to promote good works for Church or State And thus also they may be loved so far as we must be thankful for them so far we may Love them For we must be Thankful for nothing but what is Good § 3. II. But Worldliness or sinful Love of Riches is 1. When Riches are loved and desired and Covâ—â—ousness what Phâ—l 3. 7 8 9. â—am 1. 10. Phil. 4. 11. 1 â—â—m â— 8. Prâ—v 23 4. â—abour not to be Riâ—h sought more for the Flesh than for God or our Salvation even as the matter or means of our worldly prosperity that the flesh may want nothing to please it and satisfie its desires Or that Pride may have enough wherewith to support it self by gratifying and obliging others and living at those rates and in that splendour as may shew our Greatness or further our Domination over others 2. And when we therefore desire them in that proportion which we think most agreeable to these carnal ends and are not contented with our daily bread and that proportion which may sustain us as passengers to Heaven and tend most to the securing of our souls and to the service of God So that it is the end by which a sinful Love of Riches is principally to be discerned when they are lâ—ved for pride or flesh-pleasing as they are the matter
peaceably seek their right and let not the unjust and covetous wrong them at their pleasure It s true we must let go our right when ever the recovering of it will do more hurt to others than it will do us good But yet the Laws are not made in vain Nor must we encourage men in covetousness thievery and deceit by letting them do what they list Nor must we be careless of our masters talents If he intrust us with them we must not let every one take them from us to serve his lusts with § 23. Direct 2. Seriously consider of your everlasting state and how much greater things than Riches Direct 2. you have to mind Behold by faith the endless joys which you may have with God and the endless misery which worldlings must undergo in Hell There is no true cure for an earthly mind but by shewing it the far greater matters to be minded by acquainting it better with its own concernments and with the greater miseries than poverty or want which we have to scape and the greater good than worldly plenty which we have to seek It s want of faith that makes men worldlings They see not what is in another world They say their creed but do not heartily believe the day of Iudgement the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting There is not a man of them all but if he had one sight of Heaven and Hell would set lighter by the world than ever he did before and would turn his covetous cares and toil to a speedy and diligent care of his salvation If he heard the joyful praises of the saints and the woful lamentations of the damned but one day or hour he would think ever after that he had greater matters to mind than the scraping together a heap of wealth Remember man that thou hast another world to live in and a far longer life to make provision for and that thou must be in Heaven or Hell for ever This is true whether thou believe it or not And thou hast no time but this to make all thy preparation in And as thou believest and livest and labourest now it must go with thee to all eternity Thâ—se are matters worthy of thy care Canst thou have while to make such a pudder here in the dust and care and labour for a thing of nought while thou hâ—st such things as these to care for and a work of such transcendent consequence to do Can a man that understands what Heaven and Hell is find room for any needless matters or time for so much unnecessary work The providing for thy salvation is a thing that God hath made thy own work much more than the providing for the flesh When he speakes of thy Body he saith Tâ—kâ— no thought for your life what you shall eat or drink nor for your body what you shall put on for your father knoweth that ye have need of all these things Math. 6. 25 32. Be careful for nothing Phil. 4. 6. Cast all your care upon him for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. But when he speaks of your salvation he bids you work it out with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. and give diâ—igence to make your calling and election suâ—e 2 Pet. 1. 10. and strive to enter in at the strait gate Mat. 7. 13. Dâ—is maâ—ime pr 〈…〉 us qui mi 〈…〉 â—gâ—â—â—â— Soâ—â—â—â—t i 〈…〉 Luke 13. 24. Labour not for the meâ—t that perisheth but for that which endureth to everlasting life John 6. 27. That is Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you Mat 6. 33. Look up to Heaven man and remember that there is thy Home and there is thy Hopes or else thou art a man undone for ever and therefore it is for that that thou must care and labour Believe unâ—eignâ—dly that thou must dwell for ever in Heaven or Hell as thou makest thy preparation here and consider of this as becometh a man and then be a worldling and covetous it thou cansâ— Riches will seem dust and chast to thee if thou believe and consider thy everlasting state Write upon the doors of thy Shop and Chamber I must be in Heaven or Hell for ever or This is the time on which my endless life dependeth and methinks every time thou readest it thou shouldst feel thy covâ—tousness stabbed at the heart O blinded mortals that love like worms to dwell in earth would God but give you an eye of faith to foresee your end and where you must dwell to all eternity what a change would it make upon your earthly minds Either faith or sense will be your guides Nothing but Reason sanctified by Faith can govern sense Remember that thou art not a beast that hath no life to live but this Thou hast a Reasonable Immortal soul that was made by God for higher things even for God himself to admire him Love him serve him and enjoy him If an Angel were to dwell a while in flâ—sh should he turn an earth-worm and forget his higher life of glory Thou art like to an incarnate Angel and maist be equal with the Angels when thou art freâ—d from this sinful flâ—sh Luke 20. 36. O beg of God a Heavenly light and a Heavenly mind and look often into the word of God which tells thee where thou must be for ever and worldliness will vanish away in shame § 24. Direct 3. Remember how short a time thou must keep and enjoy the wealth which thou hast Direct 3. gotten How quickly thou must be stript of all Canst thou keep it when thou hast it Canst thou 1 Cor. 7. 31. make a covenant with Death that it shall not call away thy soul Thou knowest beforehand that thou art of short continuance and the world is but thy Inn or passage and that a narrow grave for thy flesh to rot in is all that thou canst keep of thy largest possessions save what thou laiest up in Heaven by laying it out in obedience to God How short is lâ—â—e How quickly gone Thou art allmost dead and gone allready What is a few days or a few years more And wilt thou make so much ado for so short a life And so careful a provision for so short a stay Yea how uncertain is thy time as well as short Thou canst not say what world thou shalâ— be in tomorrow Remember man that Thou must die Thou must die Thou must quickly die Thou knowest not how soon breath yet a few breaths more and thou art gone And yet canst thou be covetous and drown thy soul with earthly cares Dost thou soberly read thy Saviours warning Luke 12. 19 20 21. Is it not spoken as to thee Thou â—â—ol this night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which Remember G 〈…〉 Iuâ—â—â—â— Aâ—aâ—ias and Saphiâ—a Dâ—metrius Demas Jer. 6. 1â— Jer. 8. 10. Maxime vâ—tuperanda est avaâ—â—tia
through a Needles eye than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God And they that heard it said Who then can be saved And he said The things which are impossible with men are possible with God So Luke 6. 24 25. But wo unto you that are rich for you have received your consolation Wo unto you that are full for ye shall hunger Make but sense of these and many such like Texts and you can gather no less than this from them that Riches make the way to Heaven much harder and the salvation of the ☜ rich to be more difficult and rare proportionably than of other men And Paul saith 1 Cor. 1. 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called And the Lovers of riches though they are poor must remember that it is said 1 Tim. 6. 10. That the Love of money is the root of all evil And 1 John 2. 15. Love not the world nor the things that are in the world For if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Do you believe that here lyeth the danger of your souls and yet can you so love and choose and seek it Would you have your salvation more difficult and doubtful and impossible with men You had rather choose to live where few dye young than where most dye young and where sicknesses are rare than where they are common If you were sick you had rather have the Physicion and Medicines and Dyet which cure most than those which few are cured by If the Countrey were beset with Thieves you had rather go the way that most scape in than that few scape in And yet so it may but please your flesh you will choose that way to Heaven that fewest scape in and you will choose that state of life which will make your salvation to be most hard and doubtful Doth your Conscience say that this is wisely done I know that if God put Riches into your hand by your Birth or his blessing on your honest labours you must not cast away your Masters talents because he is austere but by a holy improvement of them you may further his service and your salvation But this is no reason why you should ovâ—r-love them or desire and seek so great a danger Believe Christ heartily and it will quench your Love of Riches § 28. Direct 7. Remember that the more you have the more you have to give account for And Direct 7. â—f the day of Judgement be dreadful to you you should not make it more dreadful by greatning your own accounts If you desired Riches but for the service of your Lord and have used them for him and can tâ—uly give in this account that you laid them not out for the needless pleasure or pride of the flâ—sh but â—o furnish your selves and families and others for his service and as near as you â—â—uld employ them according to his will and for his use then you may expect the reward of good and faithful servants But if you desired and used them for the pride and pleasure of your selves while you lived and your posterity or kindred when you are dead dropping some inconsiderable â—râ—ms for God you will then find that Mammon was an unprofitable Master and Godliness with content Pâ—â—v 3. 14 1 â—â—m 6 â— 6. would have been greater gain § 29. Direct 8. Remember how dear it costeth men thus to hinder their salvation and greaten their Direct 8. danger and accounts What a deal of precious Time is lost upon the world by the Lovers of it which might have been improved to the getting of Wisdom and Grace and making their calling and election 〈…〉 2 sure If you had believed that the gain of holy wisdom had been so much better than the gaining of Gold as Solomon saith Prâ—v 3. 14. you would have laid out much of that time in labouring to understand the Scriptures and preparing for your endless life How many unnecessary Thoughtâ— have you cast away upon the world which might better have been laid out on your greater concernments How many â—ares and vexations and passions doth it cost men to overload themselves with worldly provisions Like a foolish travellâ—r who having a dayes journey to go doth spend all the day in gathering together a load of mâ—at and clothes and money more than he can carry for fear of wanting by the way or like a foolish runner that hath a race to run for his life and spends Saith Plutarâ—h 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—n Alexanâ—er wept because he was not Lord of the world when Câ—atâ—s having but a Wall â—â— and a thred-bare Cloke spent his whole life in mâ—râ—h and joy as if it had been a continual festival holy-day Psal. 37. 16. Prov 16. 8. the time in which he should be running in gathering a burden of pretended necessaries You have all the while Gods work to do and your souls to mind and judgement to prepare for and you are tiring and vexing your selves for unnecessary things as if it were the top of your ambition to be able to say in Hell that you dyed rich 1 Tim. 6. 5 6 7 8 9 10. Godliness with contentment is great gain For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain that we can carry nothing out And having food and raiment let us be therewith content But they that will be Rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil which while some coveted after they have erred or been seduced from the â—aith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows Piercing sorrows here and damnation hereafter are a very dear price to give for money For saith Christ himself What shall it profit a man to gain all the world and lose his own soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul that is What money or price will recover it if for the love of gain he lose it Mark 8. 36 37. Prov. 15. 27. He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house but he that hateth gifts shall live Do you not know that a godly man contented with his daily bread hath a far sweeter and quietter life and death than a self-troubling worldling You may easily perceive it Prov. 15. 16. Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith § 30. Direct 9. Look much on the life of Christ on earth and see how strangely he condemned worldliness Direct 9. by his example Did he choose to be a Prince or Lord or to have great possessions lands or money or sumptuous buildings or gallant attendance and plentiful provisions His housing you â—uke 9 58. may read of Matth. 8. 20. Fâ—xes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay
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.
any more than Spirit or any thing else If it were only in respect of their object they should be called the World also because that is their object It is a certain Rule that That faculty is most predominant in man whose Object is made his chiefest End Sensitive delights being made the felicity and end of the unsanctified it followeth that the sensitive faculties are predominant which being called Flesh by a nearer Trope the Mind from it receives the denomination The Scriptures also shew this plainly I remember not any one place in the Old Testament where there is any probability that the word flesh should signifie only the Rational soul as unrenewed Matth. 16. 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee that is mortal man hath not revealed it Matth. 26. 41. The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak that is your Bodies are weak and resist the willingness of your souls For sinful habits are not here called weak John 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh that is Man by natural Generation can beget but natural man called Flesh from the visible part and not the spiritual life which nature is now destitute of Rom 7. 25. With my flesh I serve the Law of sin that is with my sensitive powers and my mind so far as captivated thereto Rom. 8. 1 5. Flesh and Spirit are oft opposed They that are of the flesh mind the things of the flesh c. that is They in whom the sensitive interest and appetite are predominant For it is called the Body here as well as the flesh v. 10 11 13. The mind is here included but it is as serving the flesh and its interest Gal. 5. 16 17 19. Flesh and Spirit are in the same manner opposed And 2 Pet. 2. 18. the Lusts of the flesh are in this sense mentioned And Ephes. 2. 3. Rom. 7. 18. Rom. 13. 14. 1 Cor. 5. 5. 1 Pet. 2. 11. in which there is mention of fleshly lusts which fight against the Spirit and fleshly wisdom making provision for the flesh c. And Col. 2. 18. there is indeed the name of a fleshly mind which is but a mind deceived and subservient to the flesh so that the flesh it self or sensitive interest and appetite are first signified in all or most places and in some the Mind as subservient thereto § 4. It is of the greater consequence that this be rightly understood lest you be tempted to imitate the Libertines who think the flesh or sensitive part is capable of no moral good or evil and therefore all its actions being indifferent we may be indifferent about them and look only to the superiour powers And others that think that the Scripture by flesh meaneth only the Rational soul ☜ as unâ—enewed do thereupon cherish the Flesh it self and pamper it and feed its unruly lusts and never do any thing to tame the body but pray daily that God would destroy the flesh within them that is their sinful habits of Reason and Will while they cherish the cause or neglect a chief part of the cure And on the contrary some Papists that look only at the Body as their enemy are much in fastings and bodily exercises while they neglect the mortifying of their carnal minds § 5. II. How far flesh-pleasing is a sin I shall distinctly open to you in these propositions What Flesh-pleasing is a sin 1. The Pleasing or displeasing of the sensitive appetite in it self considered is neither sin nor duty good or evil but as commanded or forbidden by some Law of God which is not absolutely done 2. To please the flesh by things forbidden is undoubtedly a sin and so it is to displease it too Therefore this is not all that is here meant that the Matter that pleaseth it must not be things forbidden 3. To overvalue the Pleasing of the Flesh is a sin And to prefer it before the Pleasing of God and the holy preparations for Heaven is the state of carnality and ungodliness and the common cause of the Damnation of souls The Delight of the Flesh or Senses is a Natural Good and the natural desire of it in it self as is said is neither vice nor vertue But when this little natural Good is preferred before the Greater Spiritual Moral or Eternal Good this is the sin of Carnal minds which is threatned with death Rom. 8. 1 5 6 7 8 13. 4. To buy the pleasing of the flesh at too dear a rate as the loss of time or with care and trouble above its worth and to be too much set on making provisions to please it doth shew that it is overvalued and is the sin forbidden Rom. 13. 14. 5. When any desire of the Flesh is inordinate immoderate or irregular for matter or manner quantity quality or season it is a sin to please that inordinate desire 6. When Pleasing the flesh doth too much pamper it and cherish filthy lusts or any other sin and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aâ—â—â—â—o sufficiâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— satâ—s est â—â—â—â—um â—â—â—â—pus namque propter animi servitium seciffe naturam nemo tam corporis servus est qui nesciat Id si proprio munere fungitur quid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quid ampâ—ius requiras Petraâ—ch li. 2 Dial. 2 Vires corporis sunt vires carceris ut Petrarch li. 1. Dial. 5. What mean you to make your prison so strong said Plato to one that over-pampered his flesh Mars Ficin iâ— Vita Plat. is not necessary on some other account as doing greater good it is a sin But if Life require it lust must be subdued by other means 7. When pleasing the flesh doth hurt it by impairing health and so making the body less fit for duty it is a sin And so almost all intemperance tendeth to breed diseases And God commandeth Temperance even for the Bodies good 8. When unnecessary Flesh-pleasing hindereth any duty of Piety Justice Charity or self-preservation in thought affection word or deed it is sinful 9. It any Pleasing of the Flesh can be imagined to have no tendency directly or indirectly to any moral Good or Evil it is not the Object of a moral Choosing or Refusing but like the winking of the eye which falls not under deliberation it is not within the compass of morality 10. Every Pleasing of the flesh which is capable of being referred to a higher end and is not so referred and used is a sin And there is scarce any thing which is eligible which a vacant waking man should deliberate on but should be referred to a higher end even to the glory of God and our salvation by cheering us up to Love and Thankfulness and strengthening or fitting us some way for some duty This is apparently a sin 1. Because else Flesh-pleasing is made our ultimate end and the Flesh an Idol if ever we desire it only for it self when it may be referred to a higher end For though the sensitive Appetite of it self hath no intended end yet
this to encrease and multiply your pleasure Is not health and friends and food and convenient habitation much sweeter as the â—ruit of the Love of God and the fore-tastes of everlasting mercies and as our helps to Heaven and as the means to spiritual comfort than of themselves alone All your mercies are from God He would take nâ—ne from you but sanctifie theâ— and give you more § 26. Direct 5. See that Reason keep up its authority as the Governour of sense and appetite And Direct 5. so take an accounâ— whatâ—ver the Appetite would have of the Ends and Reasons of the thing and to what it doth câ—â—duce Take nothing and do nothing meerly because the sense or appetite would have it but because you have Reason so â—â— do and to gratifie the appetite Else you will deal as Brutes if Reason be laid by in humane acts § 27. Direct 6. Go to the Gâ—ave and see there the end of fleshly pleasure and what is all that it Direct 6. will do for you at the last One would think iâ— should cure the mad desire of plenty and pleasure to see where all our wealth and mirth and sport and pleasure must be buryed at last § 28. Direct 7. Lastly be still sensible that flesh is the grand Enemy of your souls and flesh-pleasing Direct 7. the greatest hinderance of your salvation The Devils enmity and the worlds are both but subordinate to this of the Flesh For its Pleasure is the End and the world and Satans temptations are both but the means to attain it Besides the malignity opened before consider 1. How contrary a voluptuous life is to the blessed example of our Lord and of his servant Paul The enmity of the Flesh. and all the Apostles Paul tamed his body and brought it into subjection left having preached to others himself should be a castaway 1 Cor. 9. 27. And all that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. This was signified in the antient manner of baptizing and so is still by Baptism it self when they went over head in the water and then rose out of it to signifie that they were dead and buried with Christ Rom. 6. 3 4. and rose with him to newness of life This is called our being Baptized into his death And seems the plain sense of 1 Cor. 15. 29. of being Baptized for the dead that is for dead or to shew that we are dead to the world and must dye in the world but shall rise again to the Kingdom of Christ both of Grace and Glory 2. Sensuality sheweth that there is no true belief of the life to come and proveth so far as it prevaileth the absence of all grace 3. It is a home-bred continual traytor to the soul A continual tempter and nurse of all sin The great withdrawer of the heart from God and the common cause of Apostacy it self It still fighteth against the Spirit Gal. 5. 17. And is seeking advantage from all our Liberties Gal. 5. 13. 2 Pet. 2. 10. 4. It turneth all our outward mercies into sin and strengthneth itself against God by his own benefits 5. It is the great cause of our afflictions For God will not spare that Idol which is set up against him Flesh rebelleth and flesh shall suffer 6. And when it hath brought affliction it is most impatient under it and maketh it seem intollerable A flesh-pleaser thinks he is undone when affliction depriveth him of his pleasure 7. Lastly It exceedingly unfitteth men for Death For then Flesh must be cast into the dust and all its pleasure be at an end O doleful day to those that had their good things here and their portion in this life When all is gone that ever they valued and sought and all the true felicity lost which they brutishly contemned If you would joyfully then bear the dissolution and ruine of your flesh O master it and mortifie it now Seek not the ease and pleasure of a little walking breathing clay when you should be seeking and fore-tasting the everlasting pleasure Here lyeth your danger and your work Strive more against your own flesh than against all your Enemies in Earth and Hell If you be saved from this you are saved from them all Christ suffered in the flesh to tell you that it is not pampering but suffering that your flesh must expect if you will reign with him CHAP. V. Further Subordinate Directions for the next great duties of Religion necessary See the Directions how to spend every day Tom. 2. Chap. 17. to the right performance of the former Directions for REDEEMING or well improving TIME § 1. TIME being Mans opportunity for all those works for which he liveth and which his Creator doth expect from him and on which his endless life dependeth the REDEEMING or well improving of it must needs be of most high importance to him And therefore it is well made by holy Paul the great mark to distinguish the Wise from fools Ephes. 5. 15 16. See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise Redeeming the time So Col. 4. 5. I shall therefore give you special Directions for it when I have first opened the nature of the duty to you and told you what is meant by Time and what by Redeeming it § 2. Time in its most common acception is taken generally for all that space of this present life What 's meant by Time which is our opportunity for all the works of life and the measure of them Time is often taken more strictly for some special Opportunity which is fitted to a special work which we call the season or the fittest time In both these senses Time must be Redeemed § 3. As every work hath its season which must be taken Eccles. 3. 1. So have the greatest works What are the special seasons of duty assigned us for God and our souls some special seasons besides our common time 1. Some Times God hath fitted by Nature for his service So the Time of Youth and health and strength is specially fit for holy work 2. Some Time is made specially fit by Gods Institution As the Lords Day above all other dayes 3. Some Time is made fit by Governours appointment as the hour of publick Meeting for Gods Worship and Lecture-dayes and the hour for family-worship which every Master of a family may appoint to his own houshold 4. Some Time is made fit by the temper of mens Bodies The Morning hours are best to most and to some rather the Evening and to all the Time when the Body is freest from pain and disabling weaknesses 5. Some Time is made fit by the course of our necessary natural or civil business as the day is fitter than the sleeping time of the night and as that hour is the fittest wherein our other imployments will least disturb us 6. Some Time is made fit by a special showr of Mercy publick
for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed The night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light let us walk honestly as in the day not in ryoting and drunkeness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying but put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof 3. Time must be Redeemed from things indifferent and lawful at another time when things necessary do require it He that should save mens lives or quench a fire in his house or provide for his family or do his Masters work will not be excused if he neglect it by saying that he was about an indifferent or a lawful business Natural rest and sleep must be parted with for Time when necessary things require it Paul Preached till midnight being to depart on the morrow Act. 20. 7. The Lamenting Church calling out for Prayer saith Arise cry out in the night in the beginning of the watches pour out thy heart like water before the fac◠of the Lord Lam. 2. 19. Cleanthes Lamp must be used by such whose Sun-light must be otherwise employed 4. Time must be Redeemed from worldly business and commodity when matters of greater weight and commodity do require it Trades and Plow and profit must stand by when God calls us by necessity or otherwise to greater things Martha should not so much as trouble her self in providing meat for Christ and his followers to eat when Christ is offering her food for her soul and she should with Mary have been hearing at his feet Luk. 10. 42. Worldlings are thus called by him Isa. 55. 1 2 3. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the water Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfyeth not hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness 5. Time must be Redeemed from smaller Duties which in their season must be done as being no duties when they hinder Greater duty which should then take place It is a duty in its time and place to shew respect to neighbours and superiours and to those about us and to look to our family affairs but not when we should be at Prayer to God or when a Minister should be Preaching or at his necessary studies Private Prayer and Meditation and visiting the sick are duties But not when we should be at Church or about any greater duty which they hinder The Directions contemplative for Redeeming Time § 8. Direct 1. Still keep upon thy Heart by Faith and Consideration the lively sense of the Greatness Direct 1. and absolute necessity of that work which must command thy Time remembring who setteth thee on work and on what a work he sets thee and on what terms and what will be the end It is God that calleth thee to labour And wilt thou stand still or be doing other things when God expecteth duty from thee Moses must go to Pharaoh when God bids him go Ionas must go to Nineve when God bids him go yea Abraham must go to Sacrifice his Son when God bids him go And may you go about your fleshly pleasures when God commandeth you to his service He hath appointed you a work that is worth your Time and all your labour to know him and serve him and obey him and to seek everlasting life How diligently should so excellent a work be done and so blessed and glorious a master be served especially considering the unutterable importance of our diligence we are in the race appointed us by our Maker and are to Run for an immortal Crown It 's Heaven that must be now won or lost And have we Time to spare in such a race We are fighting against the enemies of our salvation The question is now to be resolved whether the Flesh the World and the Devil or We shall win the day and have the victory And Heaven or Hell must be the issue of our warfare And have we Time to spare in the midst of such a fight when our very loss of Time is no small part of the enemies conquest Our most wise Omnipotent Creator hath been pleased to make this present life to be the trying preparation for another resolving that it shall go with us all for ever according to our preparations here And can we play and loyter away our Time that have such a work as this to do O miserable sensless souls do you believe indeed the Life everlasting and that all your lives are given you now to resolve the question whether you must be in Heaven or Hell for ever Do you believe this Again I ask you Do you believe this I beseech you ask your Consciences over and over whether you do indeed believe it Can you believe it and yet have Time to spare what find Time to play away and game away and idle and prate away and yet believe that this very Time is given you to prepare for life eternal and that salvation or damnation lyeth on the race which now even now you have to run Is not such a man a Monster of stupidity If you were asleep or mad it were the more excusable to be so sensless But to do thus awake and in your wits O where are the brains of those men and of what metal are their hardened hearts made that can idle and play away that Time that little Time that only Time which is given them for the everlasting saving of their souls Verily firs if sin had not turned the ungodly part of the world into a Bedlam where it is no wonder to see a man out of his wits people would run out with wonder into the Streets to see such a monster as this as they do to see mad men in the Country where they are rare and they would call to one another Come and see a man that can trifle and sport away his Time as he is going to Eternity and is ready to enter into another world Come and see a man that hath but a few dayes to win or lose his soul for ever in and is playing it away at Cards and Dice or wasting it in doing nothing Come and see a man that hath hours to spare and cast away upon trifles with Heaven and Hell before his eyes For thy souls sake consider and tell thy self If thy estate in the world did lye upon the spending of this day or week or if thy life lay on it so that thou must live or dye or be poor or rich sick or well as thou spendest it wouldst thou then waste it in dressings or complement or play and wouldst thou find any to spare upon impertinent triflings Or rather wouldst thou not be up betime and about thy business and turn by thy games and thy diverting company and disappoint thy idle visiters
to quicken them which should be used when your minds grow dull or barren When your minds 19. All Ordinances and Means of Grace are empty and you cannot pump up plentiful matter for holy thoughts the reading of a seasonable book or conference with a full experienced Christian will furnish you with matter so will the hearing of a profitable Sermon and sometime prayer will do more than meditation And weak-headed persons of small knowledge and shallow memories must fetch the matter of their meditations thus more frequently from reading and conference than others need to do As they can hold but a little at a time so they must go the ofter As he that goeth to the Water with a Spoon or a Dish must go ofter than they that go with a more capacious vessel Others can carry a store-house of meditation still about them but persons of very small knowledge and memory must have their meditations fed by others as infants by the spoon Therefore a little and often is the best way both for their Reading or hearing and for their holy thoughts How great a mercy is it that weak Christians have such store of helps that when their heads are empty they have books and friends that are not empty from whence they may fetch help as they want it and that their hearts are not empty of the Love of God which enclineth them to do more than their parts enable them to do § 20. Direct 20. If all these do not sufficiently furnish your meditations look through the world Direct 20. and see what a multitude of miserable souls do call for your compassion and daily prayers for their relief 20. The miserable sinful world Think on the many nations that lie in the darkness of Idolatry and Infidelity It is not past the sixth part of the world that are Christians of any sort The other five parts are Heathens and Mahometans and some few Jews And of this sixth part it s but a small part that are Reformed from Popery and such corruptions as the Eastern and Southern Christians also are too much defiled with And in the Reformed Churches how common is profaneness and worldliness and how few are acquainted with the power of Godliness What abundance of ignorant and ungodly persons be there who hate the power and practice of that Religion which they profess themselves they hope to be saved by as if they hoped to be saved for hating persecuting and disobeying it And among those that seem more serious and obedient how many are hypocrites And how many are possest with pride and self-conceitedness which breaketh forth into unruliness contentions and uncharitableness factions and divisions in the Church How many Christians are ignorant passionate weak unprofitable and too many scandalous And how few are judicious prudent heavenly charitable peaceable humble meek laborious and fruitful who set themselves wholly to be good and to do good And of these few how few are there that are not exercised under heavy afflictions from God or cruel persecutions from ungodly men What tyranny is exercised by the Turk without and the Pope within upon the sincerest followers of Christ. Set all this together and tell me whether thy compassionate Thoughts or thy Prayers do need to go out for want of fewel or matter to feed upon from day to day Tit. 3. Directions how to make good Thoughts effectual or General Directions for Meditation HEre some Directions are preparatory and some about the Work it self § 1. Direct 1. Be sure that Reason maintain its authority in the command and government of Direct 1. your thoughts and that they be not left masterless to fancy and passion and objects to carry them which way they please Diseased melancholy and crazed persons have almost no power over their own Thoughts They cannot command them to what they would have them exercised about nor call them off from any thing that they run out upon but they are like an unruly horse that hath a weak rider or hath cast the rider or like a masterless dog that will not go or come at your command Whereas our Thoughts should be at the direction of our Reason and the command of the will to go and come off as soon as they are bid As you see a student can rule his Thoughts all day he can appoint them what they shall meditate on and in what order and how long So can a Lawyer a Physicion and all sorts of men about the matters of their arts and callings And so it should be with a Christian about the matters of his soul All Rules of Direction are to little purpose with them whose Reason hath lost its power in governing their thoughts If I tell a man that is deeply melancholy Thus and thus you must order your thoughts He will tell me that he cannot His thoughts are not in his power If you would give never so much he is not able to forbear thinking of that which is his disturbance nor to command his thoughts to that which you direct him nor to think but as he doth even as his disease and trouble moveth him And what good will precepts do to such Grace and doctrine and exhortation work by Reason and the commanding will If a holy person could manage his practical heart-raising meditations but as orderly and constantly and easily as a carnal covetous Preacher can manage his thoughts in studying the same things for carnal ends to make a gain of them or to win applause how happily would our work go on And is it not sad to think that carnal ends should do so much more than spiritual about the same things § 2. Direct 2. Carefully avoid the disease of melancholy for that dethroneth Reason and disableth it Direct 2. to rule the thoughts Distraction wholly disableth but melancholy disableth only in part according to the measure of its prevalencie and therefore leaveth some room for advice § 3. Direct 3. Take heed of sloth and negligence of the will whereby the directions of Reason will be Direct 3. unexecuted for want of Resolution and command and so every temptation will carry away the thoughts A lazy coachman will let the horses go which way they list because he will not strive with them and will break his neck to save his labour If when you feel unclean or worldly thoughts invade your minds you will not give your wills the allarm and rise up against them and Resolutely command them out you will be like a lazy person that lieth in bed while he seeth Thieves robbing his house and will let all go rather than he will rise and make resistance A sign that he hath no great riches to lose or else he would stir for it And if you see your duty on what your Thoughts should be employed and will not resolutely call them up and command them to their work you will be like a sluggard that will let all his servants lie in bed as
nothing to disturb you or carry you into sin § 7. Direct 3. Dwell in the delightful Love of God and in the sweet contemplation of his Love in Christ Direct 3. and â—owl over his tender mercies in your thoughts and let your conversation be with the Holy ones in Heaven and your work be Thanksgivings and Praise to God And this will habituate your souls to such a sweetness and mellowness and stability as will resist sinful passion even as heat resisteth cold § 8. Direct 4. Keep your Consciences continually tender and then they will check the first appearance Direct 4. of sinful passions and will smart more with the sin than your passionate natures do with the provocation A scared Conscience and a hardened senseless heart is to every sin as a man that 's fast asleep is to thieves They may come in and do what they will so they do not waken him But a tender Conscience is always awake § 9. Direct 5. Labour after wisdom strength of Reason and a solid judgement for Passion is cherished Direct 5. by folly Children are easily overthrown and leaves are easily shaken with every little wind when men keep their way and rocks and mountains are not shaken Women and children and old and weak and sick people are usually most passionate If a wise man should have a passionate nature he hath that which can do much to controle it When folly is a weathercock at the winds command § 10. Direct 6. See that the will be confirmed and resolute and then it will soon command down Direct 6. passion Men can do much against Passion if they will Nature hath set the will in the Throne of the soul It is the sinful connivance and negligence of the will which is the guilty cause of all the rebellion As the connivance of the commanders is the common cause of mutinies in an Army The will Sâ—e 〈◊〉 of Tranquility of mind either consenteth or is remisâ— in its office and in forbidding and repressing the rage of passion When I say you can do it if you will you think this is not true because you are willing and yet passion yieldeth not to your wills command But I mean not that every kind of willingness will serve It is not a sluggish wish that will do it But if the will were resolute without any compliance or connivance or negligence in its proper office no sinful passion could remain For it is no further sin than it is voluntary either by the wills compliance or omission and neglect Therefore let most of your labour be to waken and confirm the will and then it will command down passion § 11. Direct 7. Labour after holy fortitude courage and magnanimity Great minds are above all Direct 7. troubles desires or commotions about little things A poor base low and childish mind is never quiet longer then it is rockt asleep or flattered § 12. Direct 8. Especially see that you want not self-denial and that worldliness and fleshly-mindedness Direct 8. be throughly mortified For sinful passion is the very breath and pulse of a selfish fleshly worldly mind It is not more natural for dogs to fight about a bone than for such to snarl and quarrel or be in some distempered Passion about their selfish carnal-interest Covetousness will not let the mind be quiet It s as natural for a selfish man to be under the power of sinful Passions as for a man to shake that hath an ague or to fear that is melancholy Fleshly men have a Canine appetite and feaverish thirst continually upon them after some flesh-pleasing toy or other § 13. Direct 9. Keep a Court of Iustice in your souls and call your selves daily to account and Direct 9. let no passion scape without such a censure as is due If Reason and Conscience thus exercise and maintain their authority and passion be every day soundly rebuked it will wither like a plant that is cropt as fast as it springeth § 14. Direct 10. Deliberate and foresee the end examine whether passion tend to that which will be Direct 10. approveable when its past Looking to the end doth shame all sinful passions They are blind and moved only by things present They cannot endure the sight of the time to come nor to be examined whether they go or where is their home § 15. Direct 11. Keep a continual apprehension of the danger and odiousness of sinful passions by Direct 11. knowing how full they are of the spawn of many other sins See the evil of them in the effects Mark what passion doth in others and your selves what abundance of evil thoughts and words and deeds do come from sinful passions § 16. Direct 12. Observe the immediate troublesome effects and the disorders of your soul and so Direct 12. turn the fruit of passions against themselves Mark how they discompose you and disturb your Reason and make your minds like muddyed waters and breed a diseased unquietness in you unfitting you for your work and breaking your peace so that you can neither know nor use nor enjoy your selves § 17. Direct 13. Let Death look your passions frequently in the face It hath a mortifying vertue Direct 13. and as it sheweth us the vanity of the creature so it taketh down those passions which creature-interest and deceit have caused It exciteth reason and restoreth it to its dominion and silenceth the rebellion of the senses A man that is to die to morrow and knoweth it would easilier repell to day a temptation to lust or covetousness or drunkenness or revenge than at another time he could have done One look into eternity will powerfully rebuke all carnal passions § 18. Direct 14. Remember still that God is present Will you behave your selves passionately before Direct 14. him When the presence of your Prince would calm you Shall God and his holy Angels see thee like a Bedlam lay by thy reason and mis-behave thy self § 19. Direct 15. Have still some pertinent scripture ready to rebuke thy passions That thou mayst Direct 15. say as Christ to Satan Thus it is written Speak to it in the name and word of God Though the bare words will not charm these evil spirits yet the authority will curb them For this word is quick 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. and powerful a discerner of the throughts Heb. 4. 12. mighty though God to the pulling down of stroâ—â— holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. § 20. Direct 16. Set Christ continually before you as your pattern who calleth you to learn of him Direct 16. to be meek and lowly Matth. 11. 29. Who desired not the wealth or glory of the world who loved his own that were in the world but loved not the things of the world who never was lifted up or sinfully
against or perswading you to mortifie § 17. Direct 5. Look on the worst of the creature with the best and foresee what it will be when it Direct 5. withereth and what it will appear to you at the last I have applyed this against worldliness before Chap. 4. Part 6. and I shall afterwards apply it to the lustful love Bring your beloved creature to the grave and see it as it will appear at last and much of the folly of your Love will vanish § 18. Direct 6. Understand well the most that it will do for you and how short a time you must Direct 6. enjoy it and flatter not your selves with the hopes of a longer possession than you have reason to expect If men considered for how short a time they must possess what they dote upon it would somewhat cool their fond affections § 19. Direct 7. Remember that too much Love hath the present trouble of too much care and the future trouble of too much grief when you come to part with what you love Nothing more createth Direct 7. care and grief to us than inordinate Love You foreknow that you must part with it and will you now be so glued to it that then it may tear your flesh and heart Remember you caused all that your selves § 20. Direct 8. Remember that you provoke God to deprive you of what you overlove or to suffer it Direct 8. to grow unlovely to you Many a mans horse that he over-loved hath broke his neck And many a mans child that he over-loved hath dyed quickly or lived to be his scourge and sorrow And many a Husband or Wife that was over-loved hath been quickly snatcht away or proved a thorn or a continual grief and misery § 21. Direct 9. If there be no other means left prudently and moderately embitter to thy self the creature which thou art fond on which may be done many ways according to the nature of it By Direct 9. the seldomer or more abstemious use of it or by using it more to benefit than delight or by mixing some mortifying humbling exercises or mixing some self-denying acts and minding more the good of others c. § 22. Direct 10. In the practice of all Directions of this nature there must abundance of difference be made between a carnal voluptuous heart that is hardly taken off from sensual Love and a mortified Direct 10. melancholy or over-scrupulous person who is running into the contrary extream and is afraid of every bit they eat or of all they possess or wear or use and sometime of their very children and relations and ready to over-run their mercies or neglect their duties suspecting that all is too much loved And it is a very hard thing for us so to Write or Preach to one party but the other will mis-apply it to themselves and make an ill use of it All that we can write or say is too little to mortifie the fleshly mans affections And yet speak as cautelously as we can the troubled soul will turn it into gall to the increase of his trouble And what we speak to his peace and settlement though it prove too little and uneffectual yet will be effectual to harden the misapplying sensualist in the sinful affections and liberty which he useth Therefore it is best in such cases to have still a wise experienced faithful guide to help you in the application in cases of difficulty and weight Tit. 3. Directions against sinful Desires and Discontent § 1. I Shall say but little here of this subject because I have already treated so largely of it in my Read Mâ— â—â—â—â—roughs excellent â—reat called Tâ—â—â—â—â—â— of Coâ—tâ—ntâ—â—â—â—t And that excellent Tract of a Heathen Plutarch de tranquillitate animi Book of self-denyal and in that of Crucifying the World and here before in Chap. 4. Part 6. 7. against worldliness and Flesh-pleasing and here against sinful Love which is the cause § 2. How sinful Desires may be known you may gather from the discoveries of sinful Love As 1. When you Desire that which is forbidden you 2. Or that which will do you no good upon a misconceit that it is better or more needful than it is 3. Or when you desire it too eagerly and must needs have it or else you will be impatient and discontented and cannot quietly be ruled and disposed of by God but are murmuring at his providence and your lot 4. Or when you desire it too hastily and cannot stay Gods time 5. Or else too greedily as to the measure being not content with Gods allowance but must needs have more than he thinks fit for you 6. Or speciall when your desires are perverse preferring lesser things before greater desiring bodily and transitory things more than the mercies for your souls which will be everlasting 7. When you desire any thing ultimately and meerly for the flesh without referring it to God it is a sin Even your daily bread and all your comforts must be desired but as Provender for your Horse that he may the better go his journey even as Provision for your bodies to fit them to the better and more cheerful service of your souls and God 8. Much more when your desires are for wicked ends as to serve your lust or pride or covetousness or revenge they are wicked desires 9. And when they are injurious to others § 3. Direct 1. Be well acquainted with your own Condition and consider what it is that you have Direct 1. most need of and then you will find that you have so much grace and mercy to desire for your souls Meâ—â—em nullis imaginibus depâ—ctam habeat Nam si corde mundus ab universis imaginibus liber esse cupit nil penitus cum amore possidere nulli hommi per voâ—â—ntarium affectum singulaâ—â— familiaritatâ— nulluâ— ipsi adhaerâ—re debet Omnis namque familiaritas aut conversatio pure propter Dei amorem non inita variis imaginibus inficit perturbat hominum mentes cum non ex Deo sed ex carne originâ—m ducat Quisquis in virum spiritualem divinum proficere cupit is carnali vitâ penitus renunciata Deo â—oli amore adhaereat eundemque interiori homine suo peculiariter possideat quo habito mox omnis multiplicitas omnes imagines omnis inordinaâ—us erga creaturas amor fortâ—ter ab eo prostigabuntur Deus quippe per amorem intus possesso protinus ab universis homo imaginibus liberatur Deus spiritus est cujus imaginem nemo proprie exprimere aut â—ffigiare potest Thaulerus flor pag. 79 80. without which you are lost for ever and that you have a Christ to desire and an endless life with God to desire that it will quench all your thirst after the things below This if any thing will make you wiser when you see you have greater things to mind A man that is in present danger of his life will
use And though I cannot say that Grace immediately maketh any alteration on the senses yet mediately it doth by altering the mind and so the Will and then the imagination and so the sensitive appetite and so in exercise the sense it self We see that Temperance and Chastity do not only restrain but take down the appetite from the rage and violence which before it had Not the natural appetite but the sensitive so far as it is sinful § 2. The Sanctifying and Government of the senses and their appetite lyeth in two parts First In guarding them against the entrance of sin and Secondly In using them to be the entrance of good into the soul. But this latter is so high a work that too few are skilled in it and few can well perform the other § 3. Direct 1. The principal part of the work is about the superiour faculties to get a well informed Direct 1. judgement and a holy and confirmed will and not about the sense it self Reason is dethroned by sin and the will is left unguided and unguarded to the rapes of sensual violence Reason must be restored before sense will be well governed for what else must be their immediate Governour It is no sin in Brutes to live by sense because they have not Reason to rule it And in man it is ruled more or less as reason is more or less restored When Reason is only cleared about things temporal as in men of worldly wisdom there sense will be mastered and ruled as to such temporal ends as far as they require it But where Reason is sanctified there sense is ruled to the ends of sanctification according to the measure of grace § 4. Direct 2. It is only the high eternal things of God and our salvation objectively setled in the Direct 2. mind and will and become as it were connatural to them and made our Ruling End and interest that can suffice to a true and holy Government of the senses Lower things may muzzle them and make men seem temperate and sober as far as their honour and wealth and health and life require it But this is but stopping a gap while most of the hedge lyeth open and an engaging the sense to serve the Flesh the World and the Devil in a hansome calm and less dishonoured way and not so filthily and furiously as others § 5. Direct 3. The main part of this Government in the exercise is in taking special care that no Direct 3. sensitive good be made the ultimate End of our desire nor sought for it self nor rested in nor delighted in too much but to see that the soul having first habitually fixed on its proper higher end and happiness dâ— direct all the actions of every sense so far as it falls under deliberation and choice to serve it remotely to those holy ends For the sense is not sanctified if it be not used to a holy end and its object is not sanctified to us if it be not made serviceable to more holy objects A meer negative restraint of sense for common ends is but such as those ends are for which it s done When the eyes and ears and taste and feeling are all taught by reason to serve God to his glory and our salvation then and never till then they are well governed § 6. Direct 4. To this End the constant use of a lively belief of the Word of God and the things unseen Direct 4. of the other world must be the first and principal means by which our Reason must govern every sense bâ—th aâ— to their restraint and their right employment And therefore living by sight and living by faith are opposed in Scripture 2 Cor. 5. 7. For we walk by faith not by sight that is sight and sense is not our principal guiding faculty but subservient to faith nor the objects of sight the things which we principally or ultimately seek or set by but the objects of faith As it is before expounded 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Therefore Faith is described to be the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 12. 1. Believing is to a Christian instead of seeing because he knoweth by Gods testimony that the things believed are true though they are unseen And you know that the objects of sense are all but trifles to the great astonishing objects of faith Therefore if faith be lively it must needs prevail and over-rule the senses because its objects utterly cloud and make nothing of the transitory objects of sense Therefore the Apostle Iohn saith 1 John 5. 4. Whatsoever is bâ—rn of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith And Moses by seeing him that is invisible overcame the desires of Aegypts treasures and the fear of the wrath of the King Heb. 11. 26 27. having respect to the recompence of reward Stephen easily bore his cruel death when he saw Heaven opened and Christ standing at the right hand of God Acts 7. 56. I dare appeal to that man that is most sensual and saith I am nâ—t able to deny my appetite or rule my senses whether he would not be able if he did but see at the same time what 's done in the other world If he saw Heaven and Hell the glorified and the damned and saw the Majesty of that God who commandeth him to forbear would he not then be able to let alone the Cup the Dish the Harlot the Sport which is now so powerful with him I would not thank the most beastly sensualist among you to live as temperately as to the act as the strictest Saint alive if he did but see the worlds which departed souls now see It is not possible but it would overpower his sensual desires yea and call off those senses to serve him in some enquiry what he should do to be saved Therefore if Believing the unseen world be instead of seeing it with our eyes its most certain that the means to overcome sensuality is faith and lively Belief must rule our senses § 7. Direct 5. The more this Belief of God and glory doth kindle Love to them the more effectual in Direct 5. will be in the Government of the senses Our common Proverb saith Where the Love is there is the Fye How readily doth it follow the heart Love will not alter the sense it self but it commandeth the Use of all the senses It will not clear a dimm decayed sight but it will command it what to look upon As the stronger love of one dish or one sport or one company will carry you from another which you love more faintly so the Love of God and Heaven and Holiness will carry you from the captivity of all sensual things § 8.
that many turne from other sects to the Epicureans but none from the Epicureans to any other sect The reason was because nature is inclined to sensuality in all and when it is confirmed by use and doctrine Philosophy is too weak to master it But Christ calleth and saveth Epicures and Publicans and Harlots and hath cleansed many such by his grace which teacheth men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in the world Philostratus tells us of a sudden change upon one Isaeus that turned him from Luxury to exceeding temperance so that when one asked him Is not yonder a handsom woman he answered The diseases of my eyes are cured when they askt him which dish was the pleasantest he answered Desii curare I have done regarding such things and told them the reason that marvelled at his change Because he found that he did but gather fruits out of Tantalus garden They are deceitful lusts Eph. 4. 22. And Satan himself will reproach thee for ever if he can deceive thee by them As Alexander when he had taken Darius his gallantâ—y and sumptuous Houses and Furniture reproaches him with it saying Hoccine erat imperare was this to rule so Satan would shew thee thy lusts and say was this to be a Christian and seek salvation PART VI. Directions against sinful Excess of Sleep § 1. OF this something is said already Chap. 5. Part 1. § 51. and more afterwards in the Directions against Idleness Therefore I shall say but little now 1. I shall shew you when sleep is excessive 2. Wherein the sinfulness of it consisteth 3. What to do for the Cure of it § 2. I. Sleep is given us for the necessary remission of the animal operations and of the labour or motion of the exteriour parts by the quieting of the senses or shutting them up that the Natural and Vital operations may have the less disturbance It is necessary 1. To our Rest 2. To Concoction Therefore Weariness and want of Concoction are the chief indications to tell us how much is needful for us Sleep is sinfully excessive 1. When it is Voluntarily more than is needful to our health 2. When it is unseasonable at forbidden times § 3. It is not all weariness or sleepiness that maketh sleep lawful or needful for some is contracted by laziness and some by many diseases and some by other constant causes which make men almost alwayes weary Nor is it all want of concoction that sleep is a remedy for some may be caused by excess of eating which must be cured a better way and many diseases may cause it which require other cure Therefore none must indulge excess upon these pretences Nor must a present sense of the pleasure of sleeping or the displeasure of waking be the judge For sluggards may think they feel it do them good and that early rising doth them hurt but this good is but their pleasant ease and this hurt is but a little trouble to their head and eyes and lazy flesh just at the time But Reason and experience must judge what Measure is best for your Health and that you must not exceed To some five hours is enough To the ordinary sort of healthful persons six hours is enough To many weak valetudinary persons seven hours is needful To sick persons I am not to give Directions § 4. 2. Sleep is excessive at that particular Time when it is unseasonable As 1. When we are asleep when we should be doing some necessary business which calls for present dispatch 2. Or when we should be hearing the Sermon or praying in publick or private In a word when it puts by any greater duty which we should then perform As when the Disciples slept when Christ was in his agony Could ye not watch with me one hour watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Matth. 26. 40 41. § 5. It is a foppery and abuse of God and our selves to think that the breaking of our sleep is a thing that of it self pleaseth God or that rising to pray at midnight is more acceptable to God than at another hour usually such rising to pray is sinful 1. Because it is done in an erroneous conceit that God accepts it better than in the day time 2. Because they waste time in dressing and undressing 3. Or else hurt their health by cold in the Winter and so lose more time than they redeem by shortning their lives 4. And usually they are more drousie and unfit But to rise in the night to prayer is meet on some extraordinary occasion that calls for it as to pray with or for a dying person or such like or when an extraordinary fervour and fitness prepareth us for it and when we can stay up when we are up and not lose time in going to bed again But ordinarily that way is to be chosen that best Redeemeth time and that is to consider just how much sleep our health requireth and to take it if we can together without interruption and to rise then and go about our duties But those that cannot sleep in the Night must redeem that Time as discretion shall direct them § 6. It is the Voluntariness of the excess that the sinfulness principally consisteth in And therefore the more voluntary the more sinful In a Lethargie or Caros it is no sin And when long watching or some bodily weakness or distemper make it almost unavoidable the sin is the smaller Therefore in case of long watching and heaviness Christ partly excused his Disciples saying The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak Matth. 26. 41. But when it cometh from a flesh-pleasing sloth or from a disregard of any holy exercise that you are about it is a grievous sin And though it be involuntary just at the time and you say I would fain forbear sleeping now if I could yet if it be Voluntary remotely and in its Causes it is your sin You would now forbear sleeping but you would not forbear that pampering your body and stuffing your Guts which causeth it you would not deny the flesh its ease to avoid it § 7. II. The sinfulness of excess of sleep lyeth in these particulars 1. That it is a sinful wasting Nil temporis tam perit de vita nostra quam quod somno deputatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of every minute of that time which is consumed in it And this is a very grievous thing to a heart that is sensible of the pretiousness of time when we think how short our lives are and how great our work is it should tell us how great a sin it is to cast away any of this little time in needless sleep And yet what abundance of it with many is thus spent Almost half their whole lives is spent in bed by many drones that think they may sleep because they are Rich and have not a necessity of labouring to supply their wants I was never tempted that
holy things should be preferred as on the Lords day or at the time of publick worship or when the company occasion or opportunity call for holy speeches Worldlings are talking as Saul of their Asses when they should talk of a Kingdom 1 Sam. 9. 10. To speak about your Callings and common affairs is lawful so it be moderately and in season But when you talk all of the world and vanity and never have done and will scarce have any other talk in your mouths and even on Gods day will speak your own words Isa. 58. 13. this is prophane and sinful speaking § 23. 12. Another common sin of the Tongue is a tempting and perswading others to sin enticing them to gluttony drunkenness wantonness sornication or any other crime as men that not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them Rom. 1. 32. This is to be the instruments and servants of the Devil and most directly to do his work in the world The same I may say of unjust excusing extenuating or defending the sins of others or commanding alluring affrighting or encouraging them thereto § 24. 13. Another is a carnal manner of handling the sacred things of God as when it is done with lightness or with unsuitable curiosity of words or in a ludicrous toyish manner especially by the Preachers of the Gospel themselves and not with a style that 's grave and serious agreeable to the weight and majesty of the truth § 25. 14. Another is an imprudent rash and slovenly handling of holy things when they are spoken Didy 〈…〉 on 〈◊〉 3. of 〈◊〉 the Toâ—gue saith Non putandum est de peccato prolativi sermonis quae solaecismos barbatismos quidam vocant haec fuisse dicta of so ignorantly unskilfully disorderly or passionately as tendeth to dishonour them and frustrate the desired good success § 26. 15. Another sin of the tongue is the reviling or dishonouring of superiours When Children speak unreverently and dishonourably to or of their Parents or Subjects of their Governours or servants of their Masters either to their faces or behind their backs 2 Pet. 2. 10. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities Jud. 8. § 27. 16. Another is the imperious contempt of inferiours insulting over them provoking and discouraging them Ephes. 6. 4. Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath § 28. 17. Another sin of the Tongue is Idle talk and multitude of useless words a babling loquacity or unprofitableness of speech when it is speech that tendeth to no edification nor any good use for mind or body or affairs § 29. 18. Another sin is Foolish talk or jeasting in levity and folly which tendeth to possess the minds of the hearers with a disposition of levity and folly like the speakers Ephes. 5. 4. Foolish talking and jeasting are things not convenient Honest mirth is lawful and that is the best which is most sanctified as being from a holy principle and about a holy matter or to a holy end as Rejoycing in the Lord always Phil. 4. 4. If any be merry let him sing Psalms Jam. 5. 13. But such a light and frothy jeasting as is but the vent of habitual levity by idle words is not allowable But especially those persons do most odiously abuse their tongues and Reason who counterfeit ideots or fools and use their wit to cover their jeasts with a seeming folly to make them the more ridiculous and make it their very profession to be the jeasters of great men They make a trade of heynous sin § 30. 19. Another sin is Filthy speaking Ephes. 5. 4. Obscene and ribbald talk which the Apostle calls corrupt or rotten communication Ephes. 4. 29. when wanton filthy minds do make themselves merry with wanton filthy speeches This is the Devils preparative to whoredom and all abominable uncleanness For when the tongue is first taught to make a sport of such filthy sins and the ear to be delighted in it or be indifferent to it there remaineth but a small step to actual filthiness § 31. 20. Another sin of the tongue is cursing when men wish some mischief causlesly or unwarrantably to others If you speak but in passion or jeast and desire not to them in your hearts the hurt which you name it is nevertheless a sin of the tongue as it is to speak blasphemy or treason in a passion or in jeast The tongue must be ruled as well as the heart But if really you desire the hurt which you wish them it is so much the worse But it is worst of all when passionate factious men will turn their very prayers into cursings calling for fire from Heaven and praying for other mens destruction or hurt and pretending Scripture examples for it as if they might do it unwarrantably which others have done in other cases in a warrantable manner § 32. 21. Slandering is another sin of the tongue when out of malice and ill will men speak evil falsly of others to make them odious or do them hurt Or else through uncharitable credulity do easily believe a false report and so report it again to others or through rashness and unruliness of tongue divulge it before they try it or receive either just proof or any warrantable call to mention it 5. 33. 22. Another sin is Backbiting and venting ill reports behind mens backs without any warrant Be the matter true or false as long as you either know it not to be true or if you do yet vent it to make the person less respected or at least without a sufficient cause it is a sin against God and a wrong to men § 34. 23. Another sin is rash censuring when you speak that evil of another which you have but Existimant loquacitatem esse facundiam maledicere omnibus bonae conscientiae signum arbritrantur Hieron Cont. Helâ—id an uncharitable surmise of and take that to be probable which is but possible or that to be certain which is but probable against another § 35. 24. Another sin is Railing reviling or passionate provoking words which tend to the diminution of charity and the breach of peace and the stirring up of discord and of a return of railing words from others contrary to the Love and patience and meekness and gentleness which becometh Saints § 36. 25. Another sin is cheating deceiving over-reaching words when men use their tongues to defraud their Neighbours in bargaining for their own gain § 37. 26. Another sin of the tongue is false witness-bearing and false accusing a sin which crys to God for vengeance who is the justifier of the innocent § 38. 27. Another sin of the tongue is the passing an unrighteous sentence in judgement when Rulers absolve the guilty or condemn the just and call evil good and good evil and say to the Righteous Thou art wicked Prov. 24. 24. § 39. 28. Another sin of the Tongue is Flattery which is the more heynous by how much more hurtful And it
full exposition what we ascribe to it But as some scrupulous Brethren in Scotland gratifie the Papists by rejecting the Oath of Supremacy which is the most thorny hedge against them and this while they cry out against Popery so others would gratifie the Papists by suggesting that we give too much to the Bible and adore it when the very sum of Englands Protestantism is their just ascribing to the Holy Scriptures its sufficiency as to all things necessary to salvation Thus Satan undoeth still by overdoing IV. Object Laying on the hand and kissing the Book seem of the same nature with the Cross in Object Baptism and other significant Ceremonies And an Oath is part of the Worship of God Therefore not to be taken with these Ceremonies or else will seem to justifie the other Answ. 1. Significant words gestures or actions are not therefore evil because they are significant Answ. unless bruitishness be a Vertue Nor because any call them by the name of Ceremonies else that name might be put on any thing by an enemy to deprive us of our liberty Therefore I can judge of no Ceremony by that General name alone till it be named it self in specie 2. Of the Cross in Baptism see my Disputations of Church-Government of Ceremonies written long ago There are these notorious differences in the Case 1. The Cross is an Image used in Gods Worship Though not a Permanent yet a Transient Image and used as an Image of the Cross of Christ though but in Water or Oyle And God hath more specially forbidden Images used in his Worship than he hath done a Professing significant Word Gesture or Action which is no Image nor used as such 2. The Cross seemeth to be a third Sacrament of the Covenant of Grace while it is used as a Symbol of Christianity and a dedicating Sign as the Canon calleth it by which before the Church there is made a solemn self-obligation as Sacramentally to Renounce the Devil the World and the Flesh and manfully to fight under Christs banner as his faithful servants and souldiers to our lives end Implying our trust and hope in Christ crucified for the benefits of his death So that if it be not a compleat third Sacrament it hath so much of that which is proper to a Sacrament like the Sacramentum Militare whence the name came into the Church that for my part I dare not use it though I presume not to censure those that do nor to condemn all other uses of the Cross which the Antients abounded in as sudden particular professing Signs much below this solemn covenanting use And as I think the King would not take it well when he hath made the Star the Badge of the Knights of the Garter if any Subject will presume to make another Symbolum Ordinis though yet many a significant Gesture or Act may be used without offence So I fear Christ would not take it well of me if I presume to make or use another Symbole or Tessera of Christianity Especially with so much of a Covenanting Sacramental Nature But what 's this to things or Gestures significant of no such kind You see then the difference of these Cases But if you were able to prove the Cross as harmless as the Swearing Ceremony I would be for the Cross and not against the laying the hand on the Book and kissing it For 1. I am not of their mind that form their judgment of other particulars to suit with their preconceived opinions of things of the same rank or quality nor make the Interest of my former conceptions to be the measure of my after judging 2. Nor do I think it so great an honour to be strict in my opinions as dishonour to be superstitious and to add to Gods Law by saying that he forbiddeth what he doth not or to be affectedly singular in denying lawful things with a Touch not taste not handle not c. Nor do I esteem him to be the wisest best or holiest person who is narrowest or strictest in his opinions but who is Rightest nor him that maketh most things to be sins but him that committeth least sin which is such indeed nor him that maketh most Laws to himself and others but him that best obeyeth Gods Laws Quest. 1. MAy one that scrupleth thus swearing himself yet Commissioned give an Oath thus to another Quest. that scrupleth it not Answ. 1. If the thing be as is proved lawful his scruple will not make him innocent in neglecting Answ. the duty of his place 2. If the substance of the Oath were lawful and only the Mode or Ceremony were sinful as suspected then 1. If the Commissioner must himself particularly command that Mode it were unlawful for him to do it 2. But if he only command and give the Oath as an Oath leaving the Mode without his Approbation or Command to the Taker and the Law he may so give the Oath And thus Christians in all Ages have taken it for Lawful to make Covenants even with Infidels and Idolaters and to take a Turks Oath by Mahomet when it is only the Oath that we demand and the Mode is his own which we had rather be without and give no approbation of And if a King may thus demand an Infidels or Idolaters Oath as God himself doth mens duty when he knoweth that they will sin in doing it much more may one do so in case of a doubtful Ceremony which he is neither the author nor approver of But I think this in question is lawful fit and laudable § 7. III. As to the case of Taking Gods Name in vain which for brevity I joyn with swearing How Gods Name is taken in vain it is done 1. Either in the grossest and most hainous sort 2. Or in a lower sort 1. The grossest sort of taking Gods Name in vain is by Perjury or calling him in for witness to a lye For among the Jews Vanity and a Lye were words frequently taken in the same signification 2. But the lower sort of taking Gods Name in vain is when it is used lightly unreverently contemptuously jeastingly or See Dr. Haâ—â—oâ—ds Pract. Catâ—ch on the thâ—rd Commandment Jer. 5. 2. Lev. 19. 12. without just cause And in these also there is prophaneness and a very great sin which is aggravated according to the Degree of the contempt or prophanation It is a great sin unreverently in common talk to make a by-word of saying O Lord or O God or O Iesus or God help us or Lord have mercy on us or God send this or that or any way to take Gods Name in vain But to use it in jears and scorns at Religion or make Play-books or Stage-playes with such prophane contemptuous jears is one of the greatest villanies that mans tongue can be guilty of against his Maker Of which anon § 8. IV. Direct 1. For the avoiding of all this prophaneness in swearing and taking the Name of
2. 1â— see God and that Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that obey not his Gospel and that all they shall be damned that obey not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness when God hath resolved that Hell shall be the wages of ungodliness dost thou not desire them to damn themselves when thou desirest them to be ungodly If thou believe that there is any Hell at all then tell me what its possible for any man to do to murder his soul and damn himself but only to be ungodly If this way do it not there is no danger of any other Tell me dost thou think that the Devil deserveth to be called A Murderer of souls If not it seems thou wilt openly take the Devils part But if he do deserve it then the reason of all the World be judge whether that man deserve it not much more that will do much more against himself than the Devil ever did or can do The Devil can but tempt but thou wouldst have men do the thing that he tempts them to and actually to sin and neglect a holy life And which is the worse he that doth the evil or he that only perswadeth them to it If the Devil be called Our Adversary that like a roaring Lyon goeth about night and day seeking whom he 1 Pâ—t 5. 8. may devour what should that man be called that doth far more against himself than all the Devils in Hell do against him Sure he is a devourer or destroyer of himself Tell me thou distracted scorner Is the Devils work thinkest thou Good or Bad If it be Good take thy part of it and boast of it when thou seest the end If it be Bad to deceive souls and entise them to sin and Hell why wouldst thou have men do worse by themselves He that sinneth doth worse than he that tempteth Tell me what way doth the Devil take to do men hurt and damn their souls but only by drawing them to sin He hath no other way in the World to undoe any man but by tempting him to that which thou temptest men to even to sin against God and to neglect a Holy life So that it 's plain that thou scornest and opposest men because they will not be worse than Devils to themselves § 19. 13. Moreover thou opposest men for not forsaking God! What is it to forsake God but to refuse to Love and honour and obey him as God He hath told us himself that He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. And is it not this diligent seeking him that thou deridest It 's plain then that thou wouldst scorn men away from God and have them forsake him as thou hast done § 20. 14. Thou scornest men for not being Hypocrites Because they will be that in good earnest which thou hypocritically callest thy self and wouldst be thought Thou callest thy self a Christian and what is it but for being serious Christians that thou deridest them Thou takest on thee to believe in God and what is it but for obeying and serving God that thou deridest them Thou takest on thee to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God And what is it but for following the holy Scriptures that thou deridest them Thou saist thou believest the Communion of Saints and deridest them that hold the Communion of Saints in practice Thou saist thou believest that Christ shall judge the world and yet scornest them that are serious in preparing for his judgement Thou prayest that Gods name may be hallowed and his Kingdom come and his will-be done on Earth as it is in Heaven And yet thou deridest them that Hallow his name and are Subjects of his Kingdom and endeavour to do his will O wretched Hypocrite And yet that tongue of thine pretendeth that it is their Hypocrisie for which thou hatest and deridest them when thou dost it because they be not such blind and sensless Hypocrites as thy self Can there be grosser Hypocrisie in the World than to hate and scorn the serious practice of thy own profession and the diligent living according to that which thy own tongue professeth to believe If thou say that it is for doing too much and being too strict I answer thee If it be not the will of God that they do though I would not deride them I would seek to change them as well as thou But if it be the will of God then tell me dost thou think they do more than those that are in Heaven do or do they live more strictly than those in Heaven If they do then oppose them and spare not If not why prayest thou that Gods will may be done on Earth as it is in Heaven § 21. 15. Thou deridest men for doing that which they were made for and that which they have their Reason and will and all their faculties for Take them off this and they are good for nothing A Beast is good to serve Man and the Plants to feed him But what is Man good for or what was he made for but to serve his Maker And dost thou scorn him for that which he came into the World for Thou maist as well hate a Knife because it can cut or a Sythe for Mowing or a Clock for telling the hour of the day when it was made for nothing else § 22. 16. Thou deridest men for being saved by Christ and for imitating his example What came Christ for into the World but to destroy the works of the Devil and to save his people from 1 Joh. Matth. 1. 21. Tit. 2. 12. their sins and to redeem us from all iniquity and Purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works And hath Christ to the astonishment of men and Angels come down into flesh and lived among men and given them his holy doctrine and example and suffered death for them and all this but to bring men to zealous Purity and darest thou make a scorn of it after this What is this but to scorn thy Saviour and scorn all the work of Redemption and tread under foot the Son of God and despise his blood his life and precepts § 23. 17. Thou scornest men for being renewed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost What is the work of the Holy Ghost on us but to sanctifie us And what is it to sanctifie us but to cleanse us from sin and cause us entirely to devote our souls and lives to God Dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost or not If thou do what is that but to Believe in him as the sanctifier of Gods Elect. And what didst thou take Sanctification to be but this purity and holiness of heart and life And yet darest thou deride it § 24. 18. Thou deridest men for imitating those ancient Saints whose names thou seemest thy self to honour and in honour of whom thou keepest Holy-days Thou takest on thee
to honour the names of Peter and Paul and Stephen and Iohn of Augustin Hierom Chrysostom and other such saints of God And yet wilt thou make a scorn of those that strive to imitate them Search and see if any of these men did after their conversion live in luxury carding dicing prophaneness and if any of them was against a Holy life against much Praying Hearing Reading the Scriptures meditating exact obedience to God then let not the shame be thine but mine He that is most unlike them let him have the scorn § 25. 19. Thou deridest men for Repenting of their former sins and for accepting that mercy which Christ hath purchased and God hath offered them and sent his messengers to intreat them to accept Can they Repent of their former ungodliness and not turn from it and amend If thou knewest what they know thou wouldst repent thy self and not deride men for repenting If thou knewest the gift of God thou wouldst beg it and gladly accept of it thy self and not deride them that accept it § 26. 20. Thou scornest men for keeping that Covenant which thou also madest with God in thy Baptism thy self At the same time thou speakest against the Anabaptists that will not have their children baptised and deridest those that keep their Covenant which in baptism they made What a monster of contradictions is an ungodly Hypocrite Didst thou not in Baptism renounce the flesh the world and the Devil and give up thy self in Covenant to God the Father Son and Holy-Ghost And dost thou not yet know what thou didst But scorn them that perform it What is it to be given up to God in Baptism but to take him for thy God thy Saviour and Sanctifier whom thou must Love and seek and obey in Holiness with all thy Heart and Soul and Might He is a Covenant-breaker indeed that hates the keeping of it I have hitherto been shewing thee what it is that thou opposest and deridest I shall now tell thee further what thou dost in shewing thee the Aggravations of thy sin and its importance § 27. 2. Consider in all this what an open enemy thou art to God and an open Souldier for the Devil What canst thou do more against God and do thy worst than make a scorn of all his work and sâ—â—vants He feareth not thy power or rage thou canst not hurt him How many millions of such woâ—ms as thou can he tread to Hell or destroy in a moment It is in his servants and service that he is honoured or opposed here and that mortals shew their Love or hatred to him And how canst thou devise if thou wouldst do thy worst to serve the Devil more notoriously than by opposing and deriding the service of God If such be not Satans Servants he hath none § 28. 3. Consider what a terrible badge of misery thou carriest about thee thou bearest the mark of Satan Death and Hell in thy forehead as it were If there were any doubt whether a Swearer or drunkard or Fornicator may be in a state of Grace yet it is past all doubt that a Scorner of Godliness is not It were strange indeed for that man to be Holy that derideth Holiness There is scarce any sort of men in the world that are more undoubtedly in a state of damnation than thou art It is dark to us what God will do with Infidels and Heathens that never had the means of salvation But what he will do with all the unbelieving and ungodly that have had the means we know past doubt much more what he will do with those that are not only void of Holiness but deride it I deny not but yet if thou be converted thou maist be saved And O that God would give the repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that thou mightest escape out of the Devils snares who leads thee captive at his will 2 Tim. 2. 25. 26. It is written of Basil that by his prayers he caused the Devil to give back a writing by which a wretched man had sold his soul to him that he might enjoy his Masters daughter and that the man repented and was delivered If thou maist be so recovered it will be a happy day for thee But till then it is as sure as the Scripture is sure that thou art a miserable creature and an undone â—â—â—â—iâ—â—us Arriaâ—â—â—â—um Episâ—â—â—â—uâ— Hâ—â—nâ—riâ—â—m Râ—gâ—m pâ—rsâ—â—sit non pâ—sâ—â— pacaâ—um atque longaevum obtinere regnum nisi nomen perderet innocentum Qui tamen Dei judicio post non mulâ—os dâ—es turpâ—ssâ—ma moâ—te prâ—ventus scateâ—s vermibus expiravit Victor Vâ—ic p. 369. man if thou die in that condition that thou art in O with what fear shouldst thou rise and lie down if thou hadst thy wiâ—s about thee lest thou shouldst die before thou art converted § 29. 4. To scorn at Holiness is a defiance of grace as if thou didst renounce Gods mercy Thou dost thy worst to drive away all hope and make thy case uncurable and desperate For if ever thou be saved it must be by this gâ—â—ce and Holy life which thou deridest And is scorning grace the way to get it And is it likely that the Holy-Ghost will come and dwell in the man that scorneth his sanctifying works § 30. 5. To scorn at Godliness is a daring of God to give over his patience and presently to execute his vengeance on thee Canst thou wonder if he should make thee a monument of his Justice and set thee up for all others to take warning by Who is fitter for this than the scornful opposers of his grace and service Hasten not vengeance man it will come time enough Will a worm defie the God of Heaven § 31. 6. How little dost thou understand of all that thou opposest Didst thou ever try a holy life If thou hadst thou wouldst not speak against it If thou hadst not art thou not ashamed to speak evil of that which thou dost not understand It is a thing that none can througly know without experience Try it a while and then speak thy mind § 32. 7. Didst thou ever consider how many judgements are against thee and whom thou dost contradict and scorn 1. If thou scorn at serious Godliness at Preaching hearing reading Praying Meditating and strict avoiding sin thou contradictest God himself for none in all the world is so Holy or so much for Holiness as he And therefore ultimately it is him that all thy malice is against even God the Father and the Redeemer and the Sanctifier 2. Thou settest thy self against all the evidence of Scripture 3. And against all the works of God For all conspire to call the world to Holiness and strict obedience to God 4. And thou contradictest all the Prophets and Apostles and all the ancient Fathers of the Church and all the Martyrs and Saints of God that ever were in the world and all the learned faithful Ministers and Pastors of the Church that are
beg his guidance and his blessing and run not without him nor before him Reckon upon the worst and foresee all temptations which would diminish your affections or make you unfaithful to each other and see that you be fortified against them all § 57. Direct 11. Be sure that God be the ultimate end of your marriage and that you principally Direct 11. choose that state of life that in it you may be most serviceable to him and that you heartily devote your selves and your families unto God that so it may be to you a sanctified condition It is nothing but making God our Guide and End that can sanctifie our state of life They that unfeignedly follow Gods counsel and aim at his Glory and do it to please him will find God owning and blessing their relation But they that do it principally to please the flesh to satisfie lust and to increase their estates and to have Children surviving them to receive the fruits of their Pride and Covetousness can expect to reap no better than they sow and to have the Flesh the World and the Devil the masters of their family according to their own desire and choice § 58. Direct 12. At your first conjunction and through the rest of your lives remember the Direct 12. day of your separation And think not that you you are settling your selves in a state of Rest or felicity or continuance but only assuming a companion in your travels Whether you live in a married or an unmarried life remember that you are hasting to the everlasting life where there is neither marrying nor giving in marriage You are going as fast to another world in one state of life as in the other 1 Cor â— 29 30. You are but to help each other in your way that your journey may be the easier to you and that you may happily meet again in the Heavenly Hierusalem When worldlings marry they take it for a settling themselves in the world And as Regenerate persons begin the world anew by beginning to lay up a treasure in Heaven so worldlings call their Marriage their beginning the world because then as engaged servants to the world they set themselves to seek it with greater diligence than ever before They do but in marriage begin as seekers that life of foolery which when he had found what he sought that Rich man ended Luk. 12. 19 20. with a This I will do I will pull down my barnes and build greater and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods And I will say to my soul Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry But God said unto him Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided If you would not dy such fools do not marry and live such worldlings Tit. 2. Cases of Marriage Quest. 1. WHat should one follow as a certain Rule about the prohibited degrees of Consanguinity or Quest. 1. affinity Seeing 1. The Law of Moses is not in force to us 2. And if it were it is very The case of Pâ—lâ—gamy is â—â— fully and â—â—ainly resolved by Christ that I take it not to be necessary to decide it especially while the Law of the Land doth make it death dark Whether it may by parity of reason be extended to more degrees than are named in the text 3. And seeing the Law of nature is so hardly legible in this case Answ. 1. It is certain that the prohibited degrees are not so statedly and universally unlawful as that such marriage may not be made lawful by any necessity For Adams sons did lawfully marry their own Sisters 2. But now the world is peopled such necessities as will warrant such marriages must needs be very rare and such as we are never like to meet with 3. The Law of nature is it which prohibiteth the degrees that are now unlawful And though this Law be dark as to some degrees it is not so as to others 4. The Law of God to the Jews Lev. 18. doth not prohibit those degrees there named because of any reason proper to the Jews but as an exposition of the Law of nature and so on reasons common to all 5. Therefore though the Jewish Law cease yea never bound other nations formally as that political national Law yet as it was Gods exposition of his own Law of nature it is of use and consequential obligation to all men even to this day For if God once had told but one man This is the sence of the Law of nature it remaineth true and all must believe it and then the Law of nature it self so expounded will still oblige 6. The world is so wide for choice and a necessity of doubtful marriage is so rare and the trouble so great that prudence telleth every one that it is their sin without flat necessity to marry in a doubtful degree And therefore it is thus safest to avoid all degrees that seem to be equal to those named Lev. 18. and to have the same reason though they be not named 7. But because it is not certain that indeed the unnamed cases have the same reason while God doth not acquaint us with all the reasons of his Law therefore when the thing is done we must not censure others too deeply nor trouble our selves too much about those unnamed doubtful cases We must avoid them before hand because else we shall cast our selves into doubts and troubles unnecessarily But when it is past the case must be considered of as I shall after open Quest. 2. What if the Law of the Land forbid more or fewer degrees than Lev. 18. doth Quest. 2. Answ. If it forbid fewer the rest are nevertheless to be avoided as forbidden by God If it forbid more the forbdiden ones must be avoided in obedience to our Rulers Quest. 3. Is the marriage of Cousin Germanes that is of brothers children or sisters children or brothers Quest. 3. and sisters children unlawful Answ. I think not 1. Because not forbidden by God 2. Because none of that same rank are forbidden that is none that on both sides are two degrees from the Root I refer the Reader for my Reasons to a Latin Treatise of Charles Butler on this Subject for in those I rest As all the Children of Noahs Sons did marry their Cousin Germanes for they could not marry in any remoter degree so have others since without reproof and none are forbidden 3. But it is safest to do otherwise because there is choice enough beside and because many Divines being of the contrary opinion may make it matter of scruple and trouble afterwards to those that venture upon it without need Quest. 4. What would you have thâ—se do that have married Cousin Germanes and now doubt whether it Quest. 4. be lawful so to do Answ. I would have them cast away such doubts
on to Heaven All your labour must be as the labour of a traveller which is all for his journeys end And all your respect or affection to any place or thing in your way must be in respect to your attainment of the end as a Traveller loveth a good Way a good Horse a good Inn a dry Cloak or good Company But nothing must be loved here as your end or home Lift up your hearts to Heaven and say If this work and way did not tend thither directly or indirectly it were no work or way for me Whatever you do do all to the Glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. § 8. Direct 8. Follow the labours of your calling painfully and diligently From hence will follow Direct 8. many commodities 1. You will shew that you are not sluggish and servants to your flesh as those that cannot deny its ease And you will further the mortification of all fleshly lusts and desires which are sed by â—ase and idleness 2. You will keep out idle thoughts from your mind which swarm in the minds of idle persons 3. You will scape the loss of pretious Time which idle persons are daily guilty of 4. You will be in a course of obedience to God when the slothful are Eph. 4 28. Prov. 10 4. 12. 24 27. 13 4. 21. 5. 22. 29. 18. 9. 21. 25. 24. 30. in a constant sin of omission 5. You may have the more time to spare for holy exercises if you follow your labour close when you are at it when idle persons can have no time for Prayer or Reading because they lose it by loitering at their work and leave their business still behind hand 6. You may expect Gods blessing for the comfortable provision for your selves and families and to have to give to them that need when the slothful are in want themselves and cast by their want into abundance of temptations and have nothing to do good with 7. And it will also tend to the health of your bodies which will make them the fitter for the service of your souls When flothfulness wasteth time and health and estate and wit and grace and all § 9. Direct 9. Be throughly acquainted with your Corruptions and Temptations and watch against Direct 9. them all the day especially the most dangerous sort of your corruptions and those Temptations which Antequam domo quit exeat quid acturus sit apud se pertractâ—â— Rursus â—â—m redier â—â— quid â—gâ—â—i recogâ—et Câ—eobulus iâ— Laâ—t p. 59. your company or business will unavoidably lay before you Be still watching and working against the master radical sins of Unbelief Hypocrisie Selfishness Pride Sensuality or flesh-pleasing and the inordinate Love of earthly things Take heed lest under pretence of diligence in your Calling you be drawn to earthly mindedness and excessive cares or covetous designs for rising in the World If you are to trade or deal with others take heed of selfishness which desireth to draw or save from others as much as you can for your selves and your own advantage Take heed of all that savoureth of Injustice or Uncharitableness in all your dealings with others If you converse with vain talkers be still provided against the temptation of Vanity of talk If you converse with angry persons be still fortified against their provocations If you converse with wanton persons or such as are tempting those of the other Sex maintain that modesty and necessary distance and cleanness of speech which the laws of Chastity require If you have servants that are still faulty be so provided against the temptation that their faults may not make you faulty and you may do nothing that is unseemly or unjust but only that which tendeth to their amendment If you are poor be still provided against the Temptations of Poverty that it bring not upon you an evil far greater than it self If you are Rich be most diligent in fortifying your hearts against those more dangerous temptations of Riches which very few escape If you converse with flatterers or those that much admire you be fortified against swelling Pride If you converse with those that despise and injure you be fortified against impatient revengeful Pride These works at first will be very difficult while sin is in any strength But when you have got an habitual apprehension of the poisonous danger of every one of these sins and of the tendency of all Temptations your hearts will readily and easily avoid them without much tiring thoughtfulness and care even as a man will pass by a house infected with the Plague or go out of the way if he meet a Cart or any thing that would hurt him § 10. Direct 10. When you are alone in your labours improve the time in practical fruitful not Direct 10. speculative and barren meditations especially in Heart-work and Heaven-work Let your chiefest meditations be on the Infinite Goodness and perfections of God and the life of Glory which in the Love and praise of him you must live for ever And next let Christ and the mysteries of Grace in mans Redemption be the matter of your thoughts And next that your own hearts and lives and the rest before expressed Chap. 16. Dir. 6. § 8. If you are able to manage meditations methodically it will be best But if you cannot do that without so much striving as will confound you and distract you and cast you into Melancholy it is better let your Meditations be more short and easie like ejaculatory prayers But let them usually be operative to do some good upon your hearts § 11. Direct 11. If you labour in company with others be provided with Matter Skill Resolution Direct 11. and Zeal to improve the time in profitable conference and to avoid diversions as is Directed Chap. 16. § 12. Direct 12. Whatever you are doing in company or alone â—â—eâ— the day be spontâ—in the inward Direct 12. excitation and exercise of the Graces of the soul as well as in external bodily duties And to that end know that there is no external duty but must have some internal grace to animate it or else it is but an image or carkass and unacceptable to God When you are praying and reading there are the Graces of Faith Desire Love Repentance c. to be exercised there when you are alone Meditation may help to actuate any Grace as you find-most needful when you are conferring with others you must exercise Love to them and Love to that truth about which you do confer and other Graces as the subject shall require When you are provoked or under suffering you have patience to exercise But especially it must be your principal daily business by the exercise of faith to keep your hearts warm in the Love of God and your dear Redeemâ—â— and in thâ—â—â—ipâ—m and delightful thoughts of Heaven As the means are various and admit of deliberation and châ—ice because they are to
that you must there exercise II. What there is objectively presented before you in the Sacrament to exercise all these Graces III. At what seasons in the administration each of these inward works are to be done § 47. I. The Graces to be exercised are these besides that holy fear and reverence common to all Worship 1. A humble sense of the odiousness of sin and of our undone condition as in our selves and a displeasure against our selves and loathing of our selves and melting Repentance for the sins we have committed as against our Creator and as against the Love and Mercy of a Redeemer and against the holy Spirit of Grace 2. A hungring and thirsting desire after the Lord Jesus and his Grace and the favour of God and communion with him which are there represented and offered to the soul. 3. A lively faith in our Redeemer his death resurrection and intercession and a trusting our miserable souls upon him as our sufficient Saviour and help And a hearty Acceptance of him and his benefits upon his offered terms 4. A Ioy and gladness in the sense of that unspeakable mercy which is here offered us 5. A Thankful heart towards him from whom we do receive it 6. A fervent Love to him that by such Love doth seek our Love 7. A triumphant Hope of life eternal which is purchased for us and sealed to us 8. A willingness and resolution to deny our selves and all this world and suffer for him that hath suffered for our Redemption 9. A Love to our Brethren our neighbours and our enemies with a readiness to relieve them and to forgive them when they do us wrong 10. And a firm Resolution for future obedience to our Creator and Redeemer and Sanctifier according to our Covenant § 48. II. In the naming of these Graces I have named their Objects which you should observe as distinctly as you can that they may be operative 1. To help your Humiliation and Repentance you bring thither a loaden miserable soul to receive a pardon and relief And you see before you the sacrificed Son of God who made his soul an offering for sin and became a Curse for us to save us who were accursed 2. To draw out your Desires you have the most excellent gifts and the most needful mercies presented to you that this world is capable of Even the Pardon of sin the Love of God the Spirit of Grace and the hopes of Glory and Christ himself with whom all this is given 3. To exercise your Faith you have Christ here first represented as crucified before your eyes and then with his benefits freely given you and offered to your Acceptance with a Command that you refuse him not 4. To exercise your Delight and Gladness you have this Saviour and this Salvation tendered to you and all that your souls can well desire set before you 5. To exercise your Thankfulness what could do more than so great a Gift so dearly purchased so surely sealed and so freely offered 6. To exercise your Love to God in Christ you have the fullest manifestation of his attractive Love even offered to your eyes and taste and heart that a soul on earth can reasonably expect in such wonderful condescension that the greatness and strangeness of it surpasseth a natural mans belief 7. To exercise your Hopes of Life Eternal you have the price of it here set before you you have the Gift of it here sealed to you and you have that Saviour represented to you in his suffering who is now there reigning that you may remember him as expectants of his Glorious Coming to judge the world and glorifie you with himself 8. To exercise your self-denyal and resolution for suffering and contempt of the world and fleshly pleasures you have before you both the greatest Example and Obligation that ever could be offered to the world when you see and receive a Crucified Christ that so strangely denyed himself for you and set so little by the world and flesh 9. To exercise your Love to Brethren yea and enemies you have his example before your eyes that Loved you to the death when you were enemies And you have his holy servants before your eyes who are amiable in him through the workings of his Spirit and on whom he will have you shew your Love to himself 10. And to excite your Resolution for future Obedience you see his double Title to the Government of you as Creator and as Redeemer and you feel the obligations of Mercy and Gratitude and you are to renew a Covenant with him to that end even openly where all the Church are witnesses So that you see here are powerful objects before you to draw out all these Graces and that they are all but such as the work requireth you then to exercise § 49. III. But that you may be the readier when it cometh to practice I shall as it were lead you by the hand through all the parts of the administration and tell you when and how to exercise every grace and those that are to be joyned together I shall take together that needless distinctness do not trouble you 1. When you are called up and going to the Table of the Lord exercise your Humility Desire and Thankfulness and say in your hearts What Lord dost thou call such a wretch as I What! me that have so oft despised thy mercy and wilfully offended thee and preferred the filth of this world and the pleasures of the flesh before thee Alas it is thy wrath in Hell that is my due But if Love will choose such an unworthy guest and Mercy will be honoured upon such sin and misery I come Lord at thy call I gladly come Let thy will be done and let that mercy which inviteth me make me acceptable and gratiously entertain me and let me not come without the wedding garment nor unreverently rush on holy things nor turn thy mercies to my bane § 50. 2. When the Minister is confessing sin prostrate your very souls in the sense of your unworthiness and let your particular sins be in your eye with their heinous aggravations The whole need not the Physicion but the sick But here I need not put words into your mouths or minds because the Minister goeth before you and your hearts must concurr with his Confessions and put in also the secret sins which he omitteth § 51. 3. When you look on the Bread and Wine which is provided and offered for this holy use remember that it is the Creator of all things on whom you live whose Laws you did offend and say in your hearts O Lord how great is my offence who have broken the Laws of him that made me and on whom the whole Creation doth depend I had my Being from thee and my daily bread and should I have requited thee with disobedience Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son § 52. 4. When the
when the next sickness cometh to remember that they were unthankful for their last recovery and how falsly they dealt with God in the breaking of their promises Foresee this that you may prevent it Tit. 3. Directions for a Comfortable or Peaceable Death COmfort is not desirable only as it Pleaseth us but also as it strengtheneth us and helpeth us in our greatest duties And when is it more needful than in sickness and the approach of death I shall therefore add such Directions as are necessary to make our departure comfortable or peaceful at the least as well as safe Direct 1. Because I would make this Treatise no longer than I needs must in order to overcome Direct 1. the fears of Death and get a chearful willingness to dye I desire the sick to read over those twenty Considerations and the following Directions which I have laid down in my Book of Self-denyal And when the fears of death are overcome the great impediment of their comfort is removed § 2. Direct 2. Misunderstand not sickness as if it were a greater evil than it is but observe how Direct 2. great a mercy it is that Death hath so suitable a harbinger or fore-runner That God should do so much before he taketh us hence to wean us from the world and make us willing to be gone that the unwilling flesh hath the help of pain and that the senses and appetite languish and decay which did draw the mind to earthly things and that we have so lowd a call and so great a help to true Mr. Vinâ—s Mr. Capell Mr. Holli gâ—orth Mr Aâ—hhâ—ost Mr A bâ—osâ— M 〈…〉 Bâ—raell c. repentance and serious preparation I know to those that have walked very close with God and are alwayes ready a sudden death may be a mercy as we have lately known divers holy Ministers and others that have dyed either after a Sacrament or in the Evening of the Lords Day or in the midst of some holy exercise with so little pain that none about them perecived when they dyed But ordinarily it is a mercy to have the flesh brought down and weakned by painful sickness to help to conquer our natural unwillingness to dye § 3. Direct 3. Remember whose Messenger sickness is and who it is that calleth you to dye It is Direct 3. he that is the Lord of all the world and gave us the Lives which he taketh from us And it is he that must dispose of Angels and Men of Princes and Kingdoms of Heaven and Earth and therefore there is no reason that such Worms as we should desire to be excepted You cannot deny him to be the Disposer of all things without denying him to be God It is he that Loveth us and never meant us harm in any thing that he hath done to us that gave the life of his Son to Redeem us and therefore thinketh not Life too good for us Our sickness and death are sent by the same Love that sent us a Saviour and sent us the powerful Preachers of his Word and sent us his Spirit and secretly and sweetly changed our hearts and knit them to himself in Love which gave us a life of pretious mercies for our souls and bodies and hath promised to give us life eternal And shall we think that he now intendeth us any harm Cannot he turn this also to our good as he hath done many an affliction which we have repined at § 4. Direct 4. Look by faith to your dying buryed risen ascended glorified Lord. Nothing will Direct 4. more powerfully overcome both the poyson and the fears of Death than the believing thoughts of him that hath triumphed over it Is it terrible as it separateth the soul from the body So it did by our Lord who yet overcame it Is it terrible as it layeth the body in the grave So it did by our Saviour though he saw not corruption but quickly rose by the power of his Godhead He dyed to teach us believingly and boldly to submit to death He was buried to teach us not overmuch to fear a grave He rose again to conquer death for us and to assure those that rise to newness of life that they shall be raised at last by his power unto glory and being made partakers of the first resurrection the second death shall have no power over them He liveth as our Head that we might live by him and that he might assure all those that are here risen with him and seek first the things that are above that though in themselves they are dead yet their life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear with him in glory Col. 3. 1 2 4 5. What a comfortable word is that John 14. 19. Because I live ye shall live also Death could not hold the Lord of life Nor can it hold us against his will who hath the keyes of death and Hell Rev. 1. 18. He loveth every one of his sanctified ones much better than you love an eye or a hand or any other member of your body which you will not lose if you are able to save it When he ascended he left us that message full of comfort for his followers John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and your God which with these two following I would have written before me on my sick-bed John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there also shall my servant be And Luke 23. 43. Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise O what a joyful thought should it be to a Believer to think when he is dying that he is going to his Saviour and that our Lord is risen and gone before us to prepare a place for us and take us in season to himself Iohn 14. 2 3 4. As you believe in God believe thus in Christ and then your hearts will be less troubled Ver. 1. It is not a stranger that we talk of to you but your Head and Saviour that loveth you better than you love your selves whose office it is there to appear continually for you before God and at last to receive your departing souls and into his hand it is that you must then commend them as Stephen did Acts 7. 59. § 5. Direct 5. Choose out some Promises most suitable to your condition and roll them over and over Direct 5. in your mind and feed and live on them by faith A sick man is not usually fit to think of very many things and therefore two or three comfortable promises to be still before his eyes may be the most profitable matter of his thoughts such as those three which I named before If he be most troubled with the greatness of his sin let it be such as these Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world
united your Heart unto himself and turned it from sin to Holiness from the world to God and from Earth to Heaven and made you a new creature to live for Heaven as you did for earth Surely this is not so small and indiscernable a work or change but he that hath felt it on himself may know it It is a great work to bring a sinner to feel his unrighteousness and misery and to apply himself to Christ for Righteousness and life It is a great work to take off the heart from all the felicity of this world and to set it unfeignedly upon God and to cause him to place and seek his happiness in another world what ever become of all the prosperity or pleasure of the flesh It is thus with every true Believer for all the remnant of his sins and weaknesses And may you not know whether it be thus or not with you One of these is your case And it 's now time to know which of them it is when God is ready to tell you by his judgement If indeed you are in Christ and his Spirit be in you and hath renewed you and sanctified you and turned your heart and life to God I have then nothing more than Peace and Comfort to speak to you as in the following Exhortation But if it be otherwise and you are yet in a carnal state and were never renewed by the spirit of Christ Will you give me leave to deal faithfully with you as is necessary with one in your condition and to set before you at once your sin and your Remedy and to tell you what yet you must do if you will be saved IV. And first will you here lay to heart your folly and unfeignedly lament your sinful life before the Lord Not only this or that particular sin but principally your fleshly heart and life that in the main you have lived to this corruptible flesh and loved and sought and served the world before your God and the happiness of your soul. Alas friend did you not know that you had an immortal soul that must live in joy or misery for ever Did you not know that you were made to Love and serve and honour your maker and that you had the little time of this life given you to try and prepare you for your endless life and that as you lived here it must go with you in heaven or hell for ever If you did not believe these things why did you not come and give your Reasons against them to some judicious Divine that was able to have shewed you the Evidence of their truth If you did believe them alas how was it possible that you could forget them Could you believe a Heaven and a Hell and not regard them or suffer any transitory worldly vanity to be more regarded by you Did you know what you had to do in the world and yet is it all undone till now Were you never warned of this day Did never Preacher nor Scripture nor book nor friend nor conscience tell you of your end and tell you what would be the fruit of sin and of your contempt and slighting of Christ and of his grace Did you know that you must Love God above the world if ever you would be saved and that you must to that end be partaker of Christ and renewed by his spirit and yet would you let out your heart upon the world and follow the bruitish pleasures of the flesh and never earnestly seek after that Christ and spirit that should thus renew and sanctifie you Do you not think now that it had been wiser to have sought Christ and grace and set your affections first on the things above and to have made sure work for your soul against such a day as this than to have hardened your heart against Gods grace and despised Christ and Heaven and your salvation for a thing of nought You see now what it was that you preferred before Heaven what have you now got by all your sinful Love of the world where now is all your fleshly pleasure Will it all now serve turn to save you from death or the wrath of God and everlasting misery will it now go with you to another world Or do you think it will comfort a soul in Hell to remember the wealth which he gathered and left behind him upon earth would it not now have been much more comfortable to you if you could say My dayes were spent in Holiness in the Love of my dear Redeemer and in the hearty service of my God in praising him and praying to him in learning and obeying his holy word and will My business in the world was to please God and seek a better world and while I followed my lawful trade or calling my eye was chiefly on eternal life Instead of pleasing the flesh I delighted my soul in the Love and praise and service of my Redeemer and in the hopes of my eternal blessedness and now I am going to enjoy that God and happiness which I believ'd and sought Would not this be more comfortable to you now than to look back on your time as spent in a worldly fleshly life which you preferred before your God and your salvation Christ would not have forsaken you in the time of your extremity as the world doth if you had cleaved faithfully to him You little know what peace and comfort you might have found even on earth in a holy life How sweet would the word of God have been to you How sweet would prayer and meditation and holy conference have been Do you think it is not more pleasant to a true Believer to read the promises of eternal life and to think and talk of that blessed state when they shall dwell with God in Ioy for ever than it was to you to think and talk of worldly trash and vanity If you had used the world as a traveller doth the necessaries of his journey the thought of heaven would have offorded you solid rational comfort all the way O little do you know the sweetness of the Love of God in Christ and how good a Christian findeth it when he can but exercise and increase his knowledge and faith and Love to God and thankfulness for mercy and hopes of Heaven and walk with God in a heavenly conversation Do you not wish now that this had been your course But that which is done cannot be undone and time that is past can never be called back But yet there is a sure Remedy for your soul if you have but a heart to entertain and use it God so loved the world Joh. 3. 16 18. that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever Believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Iesus Christ being God and Man is the Mediator between God and man His death is a sufficient Sacrifice for our sins It is his Office to save all those that come to God by him Do but unfeignedly
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he fall into the condemnation of the Devil 1 Tim. 3. 6. And if such Starrs fall from Heaven no wonder if they bring many down headlong with them Humble souls dwell most at home and think themselves unworthy of the communion of their brethren and are most quarrelsome against their own corruptions They do nothing in grife and vain glory but in lowliness of mind each one esteemeth other better than themselves Phil. 2. 2 3. and judge not lâ—st they he judged Matth. 6. 1. And is it likely such should be Dividers of the Church But Proud men must either be great and domineer and as Diotrephes 3 John 9 10. love to have the preheminence and cast the Brethren out of the Church and prate against their faithfullest Pastors with malitious words or else must be noted for their supposed excellencies and set up themselves and speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them and think the brethren unworthy of their Communion and esteem all others below themselves and as the Church of Act. 20. 30. Rome confound Communion and Subjection and think none fit for their Communion that obey them not or compâ—y not with their opinion and will There is no hope of Concord where Pride hath power to prevail § 86. Direct 9. Take heed of singularity and narrowness of mind and unacquaintedness with the Direct 9. former and present state of the Church and world Men that are bred up in a corner and never read nor heard of the common condition of the Church or world are easily mislead into Sschism through ignorance of those matters of fact that would preserve them Abundance of this sort of honest people that I have known have known so little beyond the Town or Countrey where they lived that they have thought they were very Catholick in their Communion because they had one or two Congregations and divided not among themselves But for the avoiding of Schism 1. Look with pity on the Unbelieving world and consider that Christians of all sorts are but a sixth part of the whole earth And then 2. Consider of this sixth part how small a part the reformed Churches are And if you be willing to leave Christ any Church at all perhaps you will be lothe to separate yet into a narrower party which is no more to all the world than one of your Cottages is to the whole Kingdom And is this all the Kingdom on earth that you will ascribe to Christ Is the King of the Church the King only of your little party Though his flock be but a little flock make it not next to none As if he câ—â—e into the World on so low a design as the gathering of your sect only The less his stock is the more sinful it is to rob him of it and make it lesser than it is It is a little flock if it contained all the Christians Protestants Greeks Armenians Abassines and Papists on the Eâ—â—th Be singular and separate from the unbelieving world and spare not And be singular in Hâ—liness from Prophane and nominal hypocritical Christians But affect not to be singular in opinion or practice or separated in Communion from the universal Church or generality of sound believers or if you forsake some common errour yet hold still the Common Love and Communion with all the faithful according to your opportunities 3. And it will be very useful when you are tempted to separate from any Church for the defectiveness of its manner of Worship to enquire how God is worshipped in all the Churches on Earth and then consider whether if you lived ☞ That â—oâ— above that knoweth the heart dâ—â—â—â— disâ—ern that frail mâ—n â—â— some of theâ—r conâ—radictions iâ—tâ—nâ— the same thing and aâ—â—eâ—â—eth bâ—th I. Vâ—â—â—â— â—sâ—aâ— 3. 7. 15. among them you would forsake Communion with them all for such defects while you are not forced to justifie or approve them 4. And it is very useful to read Church history and to understand what Heresies have been in times past and what havock Schisms have caused among Christians For if this much had been known by well-meaning persons in our dayes we should not have seen those same Opinions applauded as new light which were long agoe exploded as old Heresies nor should we have seen many honest people taking that same course to reform the Church now and advance the Gospel which in so many ages and Nations hath heretofore destroyed the Church and cast out the Gospel A narrow soul that taketh all Christs interest in the world to lye in a few of their separated meetings and shutteth up all the Church in a Nutshell must needs be guilty of the foulest schisms It is a Catholick spirit and Catholick principles loving a Christian as a Christian abhorring the very names of Sects and Parties as the Churches wounds that must make a Catholick indeed § 87. Direct 10. Understand well the true difference between the visible Church and the world Direct 10. lest you should think that you are bound to separate as much from a corrupted Church as from the world It is not True faith but the Profession of true faith that maketh a man fit to be acknowledged a member of the Visible Church If this Profession be unsound and accompanied with a vitious life it is the sin and misery of such an Hypocrite but it doth not presently put him as far unrelated to you as if he were an infidel without the Church If you ask what advantage have such unsound Church-members I answer with the Apostle Rom. 3. 1 2. Much every way chiefly because unto them are committed the Oracles of God Rom. 9. 4. To them pertaineth the Adoption and the glory and Covenants and the giving of the Law and the service of God and the promises Till the Church find cause to cast them out they have the external priviledges of its Communion It hath made abundance to incur the guilt of sinful separation to misunderstand those Texts of Scripture that call Christians to separate from Heathens Infidels and Idolaters As 2 Cor. 6. 17. Wherefore come out frâ—m among them and be ye separate saith the Lord c. The Text speaketh only of separating from the world who are Infidels and Idolaters and no members of the Church and ignorant people ordinarily expound it as if it were meant of separating from the Church because of the ungodly that are members of it But that God that knew why he called his people to separate from the World doth never call them to separate from the Church universal nor from any particular Church by a mental separation so as to unchurch them We read of many loathsome corruptions in the Churches of Corinth Galatia Laâ—dicea c. but yet no command to separate from them So many abuse Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her my people As if God commanded them to come out of a true Church because of its corruptions or imperfections because
Si quisquam Dei cultâ—rum pepercit Apostatis sint vera quae dicis de nobis and so he heapeth up as many Texts for rough dealing with offending Kings I give this one instance to shew the fruits of violence as pretended for peace and unity Of the persecutions of the faithful in most ages even by professed Christians themselves and Gods disowning that Spirit of Cruelty by his special Providences all Church History maketh mention And how the names of such persecuting hypocrites have stunk in the nostrils of all sober men when their tragoedy was fully acted and understood Especially the poor Churches called Waldenses Piccards and Albigenses have felt the grievousest effects of this tyranny and yet have the Testimony of the best and wisest men to have been the purest and nearest to the Apostlick simplicity in all the world and the memory of their enemies and persecutors is an abhorrence to the Sons of Charity and Peace Read Lasitius and Commenius of their Discipline and Bishop Usher de Eccles. succes statu I will recite one notable passage mentioned by Thuanus and Commenius the one Hist. l. 36. the other de Bono Unit. Ord. Discipl p. 59. Maximilian that good and moderate Emperour being one day in the Coach with Ioh. Crato only his chief Physicion and a learned Protestant lamenting the divisions of Christians asked Crato which sort he thought came nearest to the Apostolick simplicity He answered He thought that honour belonged to the Brethren called Picards The Emperour said He thought so too which Crato acquainting them with encouraged them to dedicate to him a Book of part of their devotions For the year before God had thus marvellously saved him from having a hand in their blood Ioachimus a Nova Domo Chancellor of Bohemia went to Vienna and gave the Emperour no rest till he had procured him to subscribe a Mandate for the reviving of a former persecuting Mandate against them Having got his Commission and passing just out of the Gates of Vienna as he was upon the Bridge over the Danubius the Bridge brake under him and he and all his retinue fell into that great and terrible water and all were drowned except six horsemen and one young Nobleman who seeing his Lord in the Waves catcht hold of his Gold Chain and hold him till some Fishermen came in Boats but found him dead and his Box with the Commission sunk past recovery This Noble man who survived was sensible of Gods judgement and turned to the Brethren in Religion and the Mandate was no further prosecuted Such another story Bishop Usher was wont to tell how Ireland was saved from persecution in Queen Mary's dayes But it is the most heinous cruelty when as in Daniels case there are Laws of impiety or iniquity made of purpose to intrap the innocent by them that confess We shall find no fault against this Daniel except it be concerning the Law of his God And then men must be taken in these Spiders webs and accused as schismatical or what the contrivers please And especially when it is real Holiness which is hated and Order Unity Concord Peace or Obedience to our Pastors is made the pretence for the malitious oppression of it Gildas and Salvian have told Church Governours of this at large And many of the persecuted Protestants have more largely told the Roman Clergy of it It is a smart complaint of him that wrote the Epist. de malis Doctoribus ascribed to P. Sixtus 3. Hujus doctrinae causa pro sanctitate scilicet paucos amicos conquirunt plures inimicos Necesse est enim eos qui peccatorum vitia condemnant tantos habere contrarios quantos exercere vitia delectat In de est etiam quod iniquis impiis factionibus opprimuntur quod criminibus falsis appetuntur quod haeresis etiam perfunduntur infamia quod hic omnis inimicorum suorum sermo ab ipsorum sumit obtrectatione materiam Sed quid mirum ut flagitiosis haeresis videatur doctrina justitiae Quibus tamen haeresis Ipsorum secretum patet tantum inimicis cum si fides dictis inesset amici illud potius scire potuissent c. The cause is saith Prosper de vit contempl l. 1. cap. 20. ex eo Hilitgarius Camarac l. 5. c. 19. Sed nos praesentibus delectati dum in hac vita commoda nostra honores inquirimus non ut meliores sed ut ditiores non ut sanctiores sed ut honoratiores sunus caeteris festinamus Nec gregem domini qui nobis pascendus tuendusque commissus est sed nostras voluntates dominationem divitias caetera blandimenta carnaliter cogitamus Pastores dici volumus nec tamen esse contendimus Officii nâ—s vitamus laborem appetimus dignitatem Immundorum spirituum feras a grege dilacerandâ— non pellimus quod eis remanserat ipsi consumimus Quando peccantes divites vel potentes non solum nâ—â— arguimus sed etiam veneramur ne nobis aut munera solita offensi non dirigant aut obsequia desiderata subducant ac sic muneribus eorum obsequiis capti immo per haec illis addicti loqui eis de peccato suo aut de futuro judicio formidamus Ad hoc tantum Potentes effecti ut nobis in subjectos dominationem tyrannicam vindicemus non ut afflictos contra violentiam potentum qui in eos serarum more saeviunt defendamus Inde est quod tam a Potentibus hujus mundi quam a nobis quod pejus est nonnulli graviter fatigati deperâ—uâ—t quos se de manu nostra Dominus requisiturum terribiliter comminatur Sulp. Severus also toucheth the sore when he saith Hist. l. 2. Certatim gloriosa in certamina ruebatur multoque avidius tum martyria gloriosis mortibus quaerebantur quam nunc Episcopatus pravis ambitionibus appetuntur But when he saith ibid. after Constantines delivery of the Church Neque ulterius persecutionem fore â—redimus nisi eam quam sub fine jam saeculi Antichristus exercebit either he was very grosly mistaken or else those are the instruments of Antichrist that are not thought so It is a most notable instance to our purpose which Severus ends his History with of the mischievous zeal of Orthodox Ithacius and Idacius against Priscillian and his Gnosticks and worthy of the study of the Prelates of the Church Idacius sine modo ultra quam oportuit Istantium sociosque ejus lacessens facem nascenti incendio subdidit ut exasperaverit malos potius quam compresserit In summ they got the Magistrate to interpose and banish the Gnosticks who quickly learned by bribing Court Officers to turn the Emperour against the Orthodox for themselves Till the zeal of Idacius and Ithacius grew so hot as to accuse even the best men yea St. Martin himself of favouring the Gnosticks And at last got another Tyrannical Emperour to put Priscillian and many other Gnosticks to death Though they
every qualified person for a member of that Church where his habitation is called a Parish and to which he ordinarily resorteth the Pastor that undertaketh that charge doth thereby seem to consent to be Pastor to all such persons in that Parish And there Cohabitation and ordinary conjunction with the Church may go for a signification of consent and instead of more particular Contract or Covenant by virtue of the exposition of the said Laws and Customs Yet so that a man is not therefore to be taken for a member of the Church meerly because he liveth in the Parish For so Atheists Infidels Hereticks and Papists may do But because he is 1. A Parishioner 2. Qualified 3. Joyning with the Church and actually submitting to the Ministry 12. Where there is this much only it is a sinful slander to say that such a Parish is no true Church of Christ however there may be many desirable orders wanting to its better being Who hath the power of trying and receiving we shall shew anon Quest. 17. Wherein doth the Ministerial Office essentially consist THe Office of the Sacred Ministry is a mixt Relation not a simple 1. As the Minister is related to Christ he is His Servant or Minister by Office that is one Commissioned by him for that John 20. 21. 13 20. Luke 10 3 Rom. 10. 15. Acts 20 28. sacred work where there is 1. The Commission it self which is not Particular but General in a General Law applicable to each singular person when qualified 2. The determination of the individual person who is to receive it which consisteth in the Call which I have opened before and therefore repeat not Only note again that by virtue of the General Commission or Institution of the Office in specie the power is conveyed from Christ to the Individual person and that the Church Electors or Ordainers are not the Donors Authorizers or Obligers but only instruments of designing an apt recipient and delivering him possession 2. That by virtue of this Institution Charter or Law-Commission it is that the acts of a man seemingly or visibly called are valid to the Church though Phil 1. 15 16 17. really he were not ordained or truly called but deceived them by hypocritical intrusion Matth. 7. 22 Rom. 15. 14. Eâ—â—â—â—s 4. 7 8. 2 Tim 2 2. â— Tim 1. 5 7. Ephes. 6. 19. Col. 4. 3. 2 â—or â— 4 5. Tâ—tuâ— 1. â— 2 Cor. 3 6. 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. Tâ—tus 1. 7. 2. The Causation or Efficiency of Christ in the making any one a Minister is 1. Dispositive makeing him a qualified fit recipient 2. Then Applying the General Commission to him or giving him the Function it self 1. The Dispositive acts of Christ are 1. Giving him competent Knowledge for a Minister 2. Giving him competent Goodness that is Love to God Truth and Souls and willingness for the work 3. Giveing him competent Power or Abilities for Execution which is principally in Vtterance and so qualifying his Intellect Will and Executive Power 2. The Immediate Conveyance or act of Collation is 1. An Obligation laid on the person to do the work 2. Authority given him to warrant him and to oblige others That is a Ius docendi gubernandi c. 3. The form of the Relation is denominated 1. From the Reception of these Efficiencies in general 2. From the subordination which hereby they are placed in to Christ as their Relation is denominated a Termino 1. Formally the Office consisteth in 1. An Obligation to do the work of the Office 2. Authority to do it and to oblige others to submit to it 2. These make up an Office which being denominated also from the Terminus is considered 1. As to the nearest term which is the work to be done 2. The remote which is the object of that work 2 Tâ—m 2. 2. 3 2. 4. 11. â— 2 3. 1 â—â—â—â—ss 5. 12 13. The work is 1. Teaching 2. Ruling 3. Worshipping And so it is essentially An Obligation and Power of Ministerial Teaching Ruling and Worshipping God 2. As to the object it is 1. The world to be Converted 2. The Converted to be Baptized and Congregated or ordered into particular Societies so far as may be 3. The Baptized and Congregate to be Heb. 13. 7 17 Acts 6. 4. Acts 9. 40. Acts 20. 36. Mal. 2. 7. Heb. 10. 11. Rev. 1. 6. 5 10. 20. 6. â— Pet. 2. 5 6. 1. Taught 2. Ruled 3. Guided in Worship From all which resulteth an Office which is Ministerially subordinate to Christ as 1. The Prophet or Teacher 2. The Ruler 3. The High Priest and Lover of his Church And it may be aptly called both a Teaching Ministry a Ruling Ministry not by the Sword but by the Word and a Priesthood or Priestly Ministry II. As the Pastor is related to the Church he is 1. A Constitutive part of particular Political Churches 2. He is Christs Minister for the Church and for Christ that is to Teach Rule and Worship with Rom. 1. 1â— Col. 4. 12. 2 Pet. 11. 1. 1 Cor. 4. 1 2. 3. 5. 2 Cor. 3. 6. 6. 4. 11. 23 Matth. 24. 45 46 48. the Church He is Above the Church and Greater than it as to Order and Power and not the Minister of the Church as the Efficient of the Ministry But he is less and worse than the Church Finally and Materially and is finally the Churches Minister as the Physicion is the Patients Physicion not made a Physicion by him but chosen and used as his Physicion for his cure So that to speak properly he is not from them but for them He is Christs Minister for their good As the Shepherd is his Masters Servant for his Flock and so finally only the servant of the Sheep The whole uncontrovertible work of the Office is laid down in my small Book called Universal 1 Cor. 9. 19. Concord to which I must refer you Quest. 18. Whether the Peoples Choice or Consent is necessary to the Office of a Minister in his first work as he is to Convert Infidels and Baptize them And whether this be a work of Office And what Call is necessary to it I Conjoyn these three distinct Questions for expedition I. That it is part of the Ministers Office-work to Teach Convert and Baptize men to bring them out of the world into the Church is undenyable 1. In Christs express Commission Mat. 28. 19 20. Go disciple me all Nations baptizing them 2. In the execution of this Commission 2. That this was not peculiar to the Apostles or their age is proved 1. Because not an extraordinary work like Miracles c. but the first great business of the Gospel and Ministry in the world 2. Because others as well as the Apostles did it in that age and ever since 3. Because the promise is annexed to the Office thus described I am with you alway to the end of the world Or if you
was not And so I answer 1. He that seemed Ordained and indeed was not is not Re-ordained when he is after Ordained 2. It is needful therefore to know the Essentials of Ordination from the Integrals and Accidentals 3. He that was truly Ordained before may in some cases receive again the Repetition of the bare words and outward Ceremonies of Ordination as Imposition of hands Where I will 1. Tell you in what Cases 2. Why. 1. In case there wanted sufficient witnesses of his Ordination and so the Church hath not sufficient means of notice or satisfaction that ever he was ordained indeed Or if the witnesses die before the notification Whether the Church should take his word or not in such a case is none of my question but Whether he should submit to the Repetition if they will not 2. Especially in a time and place which I have known when written and sealed Orders are often counterfeited and so the Church called to extraordinary care 3. Or if the Church or Magistrate be guilty of some causeless culpable incredulity and will not believe it was done till they see it done again 4. Or in case that some real or supposed Integral though not essential part was omitted or is by the Church or Magistrate supposed to be omitted And they will not permit or receive the Minister to exercise his office unless he repeat the whole Action again and make up that defect 5. Or if the person himself do think that his ordination was insufficient and cannot exercise his Ministry to the satisfaction of his own Conscience till the defect be repaired 1. In these cases and perhaps such others the outward Action may be repeated 2. The Reasons are 1. Because this is not a being twice ordained For the word Ordination signifieth a Moral action and not a Physical only As the word Marriage doth c. And it essentially includeth the new Dedication and Designation to the Sacred office by a kind of Covenant between the Dedicated person and Christ to whom he is consecrated and devoted And the external words are but a part and a part only as significant of the action of the mind Now the oft expressing of the same mental dedication doth not make it to be as many distinct dedications For 1. If the Liturgy or the persons words were tautological or at the Ordination should say the same thing often over and over or for confirmation should say often that which else might be said but once this doth not make it an often or multiplyed Ordination It was but one Love which Peter expressed when Christ made him say thrice that he Loved him nor was it a threefold Ordination which Christ used when he said thrice to him Feed my Lambs and Sheep 2. And if thrice saying it that hour make it not three Ordinations neither will thrice saying it at more hours dayes or months or years distance in some Cases For the Time maketh not the Ordinations to be many It is but one Moral Action But the common errour ariseth from the custom of calling the outward action alone by the name of the whole moral Action which is ordinarily done to the like deceit in the case of the Baptismal Covenant and the Lords Supper 3. The common judgement and custome of the World confirmeth what I say If persons that are marryed should for want of witness or due solemnity be forced to say and do the outward action all over again it is by no wise man taken in the proper moral full sense for a second Marriage but for one marriage twice uttered And if you should in witness bearing be put to your Oath and the Magistrate that was absent should say Reach him the Book again I did not hear him swear The doing it twice is not Morally two witnessings noâ— Oaths but one only twice Physically uttered If you Bind your Son Apprentice or if you make any Indentures or Contract and the Writings being lost or faulty you write and sign and seal them all again this is not morally another Contract but the same done better or again recorded And so it is plainly in this case 4. But Re-ordination morally and properly so called is unlawful For 1. It is or implyeth a lyâ— viz. that we were not truly Dedicated and Separated to this office before 2. It is a Sacrilegious renunciation of our former dedication to God whereas the Ministerial dedication and Covenant is for Life and not for a tryal which is the meaning of the Indelible Character which is a perpetual Relation and obligation 3. It is a taking the Name of God in vain thus to do and undoe and do again and to promise and renounce and promise again and to pretend to receive a power which we had before 4. It tendeth to great confusions in the Church As to make the people doubt of their Baptism or all the Ministerial Administrations of such as are re-ordained while they acted by the first Ordination 5. It hath ever been condemned in the Churches of Christ as the Canons called the Apostles and the Churches constant practice testifie 5. Though the bare Repetition of the outward Action and words be not Re-ordination yet he that on any of the forementioned occasions is put to repeat the said words and actions is obliged so to do it as that it may not seem to be a Re-ordination and so be a scandal to the Church Or if it outwardly seem so by the action he is bound to declare that it is no such thing for the counterpoising that appearance of evil 6. When the Ordainers or the common estimation of the Church do take the Repetition of the words and Action for a Re-ordination though the Receiver so intend it not yet it may become unlawful to him by this accident because he scandalizeth and hardeneth the erroneous by doing or receiving that which is Interpretative Re-ordination 7. Especially when the Ordainers shall require this Repetition on notoriously wicked grounds and so put that sense on the action by their own doctrines and demands As for instance 1. If Hereticks should as the Arrians say that we are no Ministers because we are not of their Heresie or Ordained by such as they 2. If the Pope or any proud Papal Usurpers shall say You are no Ministers of Christ except we ordain you And so do it to establish a trayterous usurped Regiment in the Church It is not lawful to serve such an usurpation As if Cardinals or Arch-bishops should say none are true Ministers but those that we Ordain Or Councils or Synods of Bishops or Presbyters should say None are true Ministers but those that we Ordain Or if one Presbyter or one Bishop without Authority would thus make himself master of the rest or of other Churches and say You are no Ministers unless I Ordain you we may not promote such Tyranny and Usurpation 3. If Magistrates would usurp the power of the Keys in Ecclesiastical Ordination and say that
Covenant of Grace When a man Receiveth the Lords Supper unworthily in scorn in drunkenness or impenitency much more without any right as Infidels he doth eat and drink damnation or judgement to himself and maketh his sin greater Therefore he that gets a Child Baptized unworthily and without right doth not therefore infallibly procure his salvation 7. Because the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 7. 14. Else were your Children unclean but now are they holy and the Scripture giveth this priviledge to the Children of the faithful above others whereas the contrary opinion levelleth them with the seed of Infidels and Heathens as if these had right to salvation by meer Baptism as well as the others 8. Because else it would be the greatest act of Charity in the world to send Souldiers to catch up all Heathens and Infidels Children and Baptize them which no Christians ever yet thought their duty Yea it would be too strong a temptation to them to kill them when they had done that they might be all undoubtedly saved Obj. But that were to do evil that good might come by it Answ. But God is not to be so dishonoured as to be supposed to make such Laws as shall forbid men the greatest good in the World and then to tempt them by the greatness of the benefit to take it to be no evil As if he said If Souldiers would go take up a million of Heathens Children and Baptize them it will put them into an undoubted state of salvation But yet I forbid them doing it And if they presently kill them lest they sin after they shall undoubtedly be saved but yet I forbid them doing it I need not aggravate this temptation to them that know the power of the Law of nature which is the Law of Love and good works and how God that is most Good is pleased in our doing good Though he tryed Abraham's obedience once as if he should have killed his Son yet he stopt him before the execution And doth he ordinarily exercise mens obedience by forbidding them to save the souls of others when it is easily in their power Especially when with the adult the greatest labour and powerfullest Preaching is frequently so frustrate that not one of many is converted by it 9. Because else God should deal with unaccountable disparity with Infants and the Adult in the same ordinance of Baptism It is certain that all Adult persons Baptised if they dyed immediately should not be saved Even none that had no right to the Covenant and to Baptism such as Infidels Heathens Impenitent persons Hypocrites that have not true Repentance and faith And why should Baptism save an Infant without title any more than the Adult without title I still suppose that some Infants have no title and that now I speak of them alone Obj. But the Church giveth them all right by Receiving them Answ. This is to be farther examined anon If you mean a particular Church perhaps they are Baptized into none such Baptism as such is a Reception only into the Universal Church as in Eunuchs case Act. 8. appeareth If you mean the Universal Church it may be but one single ignorant man in an Infidel Countrey that Baptizeth And he is not the Universal Church Yea perhaps is not a lawfully called Minister of that Church However this is but to say that Baptism giveth Right to Baptism For this Receiving is nothing but Baptizing But there must be a Right to this Reception if baptism be a distinguishing Ordinance and all the world have not right to it Christ saith Matth. 28. 19. Disciple me all Nations baptizing them They must be initially made Disciples first by Consent and then be Invested in the visible state of Christianity by Baptism 10. If the Children of Heathens have right to baptism and salvation thereby it is either 1. As they are men and all have right or 2. Because the parents give them right 3. Or because remote ancestors give them right 4. Or because the universal Church gives them right 5. Or because a particular Church giveth them right 6. Or because the Sponsors give them right 7. Or the Magistrate 8. Or the Baptizer But it is none of all these as shall anon be proved II. But as to the second question I answer 1. It will help us to understand the case the better if we prepare the way by opening the case of the Adult because in Scripture times they were the most famous subjects of Baptism And it is certain of such 1. That every one outwardly Baptized is not in a state of salvation That no hypocrite that is not a true penitent believer is in such a state 2. That every true penitent believer is before God in a state of salvation as soon as he is such And before the Church as soon as he is baptized 3. That we are not to use the word Baptism as a Physical term only but as a moral Theological term Because words as in Law physick c. are to be understood according to the art or science in which they are treated of And Baptism taken Theologically doth as Essentially include the Wills consent or Heart-Covenanting with God as Matrimony includeth marriage consent and as a man containeth the soul as well as the body And thus it is certain that all truly Baptized persons are in a state of salvation that is All that sincerely consent to the Baptismal Covenant when they profess consent by Baptism but not hypocrites 4. And in this sense all the Ancient Pastors of the Churches did concur that Baptism did wash away all sin and put the baptized into a present right to life eternal as he that examineth their Writings will perceive not the outward washing and words alone but when the inward and outward parts concur or when by true faith and repentance the Receiver hath right to the Covenant of God 5. In this sense it is no unfit language to imitate the Fathers and to say that the truly baptized are in a state of Justification adoption and salvation unless when mens misunderstanding maketh it unsaâ—e 6. The sober Papists themselves say the same thing and when they have said that even ex opere operato Baptism saveth they add that it is only the meet Receiver that is the penitent believer and no other of the adult So that hitherto there is no difference 2. Now let us by this try the case of Infants concerning which there are all these several opinions among Divines 1. Some think that all Infants baptized or not are saved from Hell and positive punishment but are not brought to Heaven as being not capable of such joyes 2. Some think that all Infants dying such are saved as others are by actual felicity in Heaven though in a lower degree Both these sorts suppose that Christs death saveth all that reject 〈…〉 not and that Infants reject it not 3. Some think that all unbaptized Infants do suffer the poenam damni and are shut out
power derived from the Emperours and partly meer Agreements or Contracts by degrees degenerating into Governments And so the new forms and names are all but accidental of adjuncts of the true Christian Churches And though I cannot prove it unlawful to make such adjunctive or extrinsick constitutions forms and names considering the Matter simply it self yet by accident these accidents have proved such to the true Churches as the accident of sickness is to the body and have been the causes of the Divisions Wars Rebellions Ruines and Confusions of the Christian world 1. As they have served the covetousness and ambition of carnal men 2. And have enabled them to oppress simplicity and sincerity 3. And because Princes have not exercised their own power themselves nor committed it to Lay-Officers but to Church-men 4. Whereby the extrinsick Government hath so degenerated and obscured the Intrinsick and been confounded with it that both going under the equivocal name of Ecclesiastical Government few Churches have had the happiness to see them practically distinct Which tempâ—eth the Erashans to deny and pull down both together because they find one in the Pastors hands which belongeth to the Magistrate and we do not teach them to untwist and separate them Nay few Divines do clearly in their Controversies distinguish them Though Marsilius Patavinus and some few more have formerly given them very fair light yet hath it been but slenderly improved 11. There seemeth to me no readier and directer way to reduce the Churches to holy Concord and true reformation than for the Princes and Magistrates who are the extrinsick Rulers to re-assume their own and to distinguish openly and practically between the properly-Priestly or Pastoral intrinsick Office and their extrinsick part and to strip the Pastors of all that is not Intrinseeally their own It being enough for them and things so heterogeneous not well consisting in one person And then when the people know what is claimed as from the Magistrate only it will take off most of their scruples as to subjection and consent 12. No mortal man may abrogate or take down the Pastoral Office and the Intrinsick real power thereof and the Church-form which is constituted thereby seeing God hath instituted them for perpetuity on earth 13. But whether one Church shall have one Pastor or many is not at all of the Form of a particular Church but it is of the Integrity or gradual perfection of such Churches as need many to have many and to others not so Not that it is left meerly to the will of man but is to be varied as natural necessity and cause requireth 14. The nature of the Intrinsick Office or power anon to be described is most necessary to be understood as distinct from the power of Magistrates by them that would truly understand this The number of Governours in a Civil State make that which is called a variety of Forms of Common-wealths Monarchy Aristocracy or Democracy Because Commanding Power is the thing which is there most notably exercised and primarily magnified And a wiser and better man yea a thousand must stand by as Subjects for want of Authority or true Power which can be but in One Supream either Natural or Political person because it cannot consist in the exercise with self-contradiction If one be for War and another for Peace c. there is no Rule Therefore the Many must be one Collective or Political person and must consent or go by the major Vote or they cannot govern But that which is called Government in Priests or Ministers is of another nature It is but a secondary subservient branch of their Office The first parts are Teaching and Guiding the people as their Priests to God in publick Worship And they Govern them by Teaching and in order to further Teaching and Worshipping God And that not by Might but by Reason and Love Of which more anon Therefore if a Sacred Congregation be Taught and conducted in publick Worship and so Governed as conduceth hereunto whether by one two or many it no more altereth the Form of the Church than it doth the Form of a School when a small one hath one Schoolmaster and a great one four Or of a Hospital when a small one hath one Physicion and a great one many seeing that Teaching in the one and Healing in the other is the main denominating work to which Government is but subservient in the most notable acts of it 15. No mortal man may take on him to make another Church or another Office for the Church as a Divine thing on the same grounds and of the same nature pretendedly as Christ hath made those already made The case of adding new Church Officers or Forms of Churches is the same with that of making new Worship Ordinances for God and accordingly to be determined which I have largely opened in its place Accidents may be added Substantials of like pretended nature may not be added Because it is an usurping of Christs power without derivation by any proved commission and an accusing of him as having done his own work imperfectly 16. Indeed no man can here make a new Church Officer of this Intrinsick sort without making him new work which is to make new Doctrine or new Worship which are forbidden For to do ☞ Gods work already made belongs to the Office already instituted If every King will make his own Officers or authorize the greater to make the less none must presume to make Christ Officers and Churches without his Commission 17. No man must make any Office Church or Ordinance which is corruptive or destructive or contrary or injurious to the Offices Churches and Oâ—dinances which Christ himself hath made This Bellarmine confesseth and therefore I suppose Proâ—estants will not deny it Those humane Offices which usurp the work of Christs own Officers and take it out of their hands do malignantly fight against Christs institutions And while they pretend that it is but Preserving and not Corrupting or Opposing additions which they make and yet with these words in their mouths do either give Christs Officers work to others or hinder and oppress his Officers themselves and by their new Church-forms undermine or openly destroy the old by this expression of their enmity they confute themselves 18. This hath been the unhappy case of the Roman frame of Church innovations as you may observe in the particulars of its degeneracy 1. Councilâ— were called General or Oecumenical in respect to one-Empire only And they thence grew to extend the name to the whole world when they may as well say that Constantine Martiaâ— c. were Emperours of the whole world seeing by their authority they were called 2. These Councils at first were the Emperours Councils called to direct him what to setle in Church orders by his own power But they were turned to claim an imposing authority of their own to command the Churches as by commission from God 3. These Councils at first
by a Pars Gubernans gubernata If not it 's no Church save equivocally If so should not the Pars regens which is constitutive have been put in If private men joyn together c. it makes but a community 2. A right to Gospel Ordinances is supposed but need not be in the definition 3. The enjoying of them is not essential to a Church The Relation may continue when the enjoyment is a long time hindered 4. Among them is a very ambiguous word Is it among them in the same place or in the same Countrey or Kingdom or in the same world If you difference and define them not by Relation to the same Bishops or Pastors and by intended Personal holy Communion your description confoundeth the universal Church as well as the National with a Particular Church For the whole Christian world is a Society of men joyning together in the visible profession of the true faith having a right to and enjoying among them the Ordinances of the Gospel Obj. A Nation joyning in the profession of Christianity is a true Church of God whence it evidently followeth that there must be a form of Ecclesiastical Government over a Nation as a Church as well as of Civil Government over it as a society governed by the same Laws For every society must have its Government belonging to it as such a society And the same reason that makes Government necessary in any particular Congregation will make it necessary for all the particular Congregations joyning together in one visible society as a particular national Church For the unity and peace of that Church ought much more to be looked after than of any one particular Congregation c. Answ. 1. From one absurdity many follow our Controversie before was but of the Name If an Accidental Royal or Civil Head may equivocally denominate an ecclesiastical society and we grant you the use of an equivocal name or rather the abuse you will grow too hard upon us if thence you will gather a necessity of a real Ecclesiastical policy besides the Civil Names abused insert not the things signified by an univocal term 2. You must first prove the form of Government and thence inferr the denomination and not contrarily first beg the name and then inferr the Government 3. If yet by a form of Ecclesiastical Government you meant nothing but the Kings extrinsick Government which you may as well call also a form of School-Government of Colledge Government c. we would grant you all But if I can understand you you now speak of Ecclesiastical Government as distinct from that And then 4. You are now grown up from a may be to a must be and necessity And a greater necessity of one National Ecclesiastical Government than of a Particular Church Government which being undeniably of Christs Institution by the Holy Ghost in the Apostles you do not make all forms to be indifferent or deny this to be jure divino What! necessary and more necessary than that which is jure divino and yet indifferent and not jure divino If you say It is necessary only on supposition that there be a national Church I answer But your reasons evidently inferr that it is also necessary that there be such a National Church where it may be had Though you deny the necessity of Monarchical Government by one High Priest in it But I know you call not this a form of Government unless as determinately managed by one many or most But why a national spiritual Policy as distinct from Congregational may not be called a form of Government as well as One mans distinct from two over the same people I see not But this is at your liberty But your Necessity of such a National Regiment is a matter of greater moment In these three senses I confess a National Church 1. As all the Christians in a Nation are under one Civil Church Governour 2. As they are Consociated for Concord and meet in Synods or hold correspondencies 3. As they are all a part of the universal Church cohabiting in one Nation But all these are equivocal uses of the word Church the denomination being taken in the first from an Accident In the second the name of a Policy being given to a Community agreeing for Concord In the third the name of the whole is given to a small integral part But the necessity of any other Church headed by your Ecclesiastical national Governour personal or Collective Monarchical Aristocratical or Democratical I utterly deny and find not a word of proof which I think I have any need to furnish the Reader with an answer to 5. And your judgement in this is downright against the constitution Canons and judgement of the National Church of England For that they use the Word in the senses allowed by me and not in yours is proved 1. From the visible constitution in which there is besides the King no distinct Ecclesiastical Head For the Arch-bishop of Canterbury is not the proper Governour of the Arch-bishop of York and his Province 2. From the Canons Can. 139. A National Synod the Church Representative Whosoever shall affirm that the Sacred Synod of this Nation in the name of Christ and by the Kings authority assembled is not the true Church of England by representation let him be excommunicated c. so that the Synod is but the Representative Church And therefore not the Political Head of the Church whether it be the Laity or the whole Clergy or both which they Represent Representation of those that are no National Head maketh them not a National Head 3. From the ordinary judgement of Episcopal Divines maintained by Bishop Bilson and many others at large against the Papists that all Bishops jure divino are Equal and Independant further than humane Laws or Agreements or difference of Gifts may difference them or as they are bound to consociation for Concord 6. How shall I deny not only the Lawfulness but the necessity of such a Papacy as really was in the Roman Empire on your grounds I have proved against W. Iohnson that the Pope was then actually but the Head of the Imperial Churches and not of all the World And if there must be one National Ecclesiastical Head under one King why not one also in one Empire And whether it be one Monarch or a collective person it is still one Political person which is now in question Either a Ruling Pope or a Ruling Aristocracy or Democracy which is not the great matter in Controversie 7. And why will not the same Argument carry it also for one Universal visible Head of all the Churches in the World at least as Lawful At least as far as humane capacity and converse will allow And who shall choose this Universal Head And who can lay so fair a claim to it as the Pope And if the form be indifferent why may not the Churches by consent at least set up one man as well as many
they call Ecclesiastical and keep the people in dependance on their dictates and teach them to disobey upon pretence that God is against the matter of their obedience And also by contending for their Opinions or for superiority and domination over one another they fill Kingdoms with quarrels and break them into sects and factions and are the chief disturbers of the publick peace Ans. We cannot deny but that carnal ignorant worldly proud unholy Pastors have been and are Answ. the great calamity of the Churches But that is no more disgrace to their Office or to Divinity than it is to Philosophy or reason that Philosophers have been ignorant erroneous divided and contentious nor then it is to Government that Kings and other Rulers have been imperfect bad contentious and filled the World with wars and bloodshed Nay I rather think that this is a proof of the excellency of Divinity As the reason of the foresaid imperfections and faultiness of Philosophers and Rulers is because that Philosophy and Government are things so excellent that the corrupt imperfect nature of man will not reach so high as to qualifie any man to manage them otherwise than with great defectiveness so also Divinity and the Pastoral office are things so excellent and sublime that the nature of lapsed man will not reach to a capacity of being perfect in them So that the faultiness of the nature of man compared with the excellency of the things to be known and practised by Divines is the cause of all these faults which they complain of And natures vitiâ—siâ—y if any thing must be blamed Certainly the Pastoral office hath men as free from ignorance worldliness pride and unquietness as any Calling in the World To charge the faults of nature upon that profession which only discovereth but never caused them yea which would heal them iâ— they are to be healed on earth judge whether this dealing be not foolish and injurious and what will be the consequents if such unreasonable persons may be heard And therefore though Leviathan and his Spawn among all that is good bring down Divines and the zealots for Democracy have gloried of their new forms of Common-wealths as inconsistent with a Clergie their glory is their shame to all but Infidels Let them help us to take down and cure the ignorance pride carnality worldliness and contentiousness of the Clergie and we will be thankful to them but to quarrel with the best of men for the common pravity of nature and to reproach the most excellent science and function because depraved nature cannot attain or manage them in perfection this is but to play the professed enemies of mankind § 78. Obj. 6. These Atheists or Infidels also do spit their venome against Christianity and Godliness it Object 6. self and would make Princes believe that the principles of it are contrary to their interest and to Government and peace And they fetch their cavils 1. From the Scriptures contemptuous expressions of worldly wealth and greatness 2. From its prohibition of revenge and maintaining our own right 3. From the setting it above all humane Laws and by its authority and obscurity filling the minds of men with scrupulosity 4. From the divisions which Religion occasioneth in the world and 5. From the testimonies of the several sects against each other I shall answer them particularly though but briefly § 79 Obj. 1. Say the Infidel Politicians How can subjects have honourable thoughts of their superiours Object 1. when they believe that to be the Word of God which speaketh so contemptuously of them As Just such accusaâ—ions as Papists bring against the Reformers did the Heathens bring against the Christians as you may see in Eâ—napius in Aedesio At egregii illi viri bellicosi confusis perturbatisque rebus omnibus debellasse Deos incruentis quidem sed ab avaritiae crimine non puris manibus gloriabantur sacrilegium impietatis crimen laudi sibi assumentes Iidem postea in Sacra loca invexerunt Monachos sic dictos homines quidem speciè sed vitam turpem porcorum more exigentes qui in propatulo infinita infanda scelera committebant quibus tamen pietatis pars videbatur sacri loci reverentiam proculcari O partiality Luk. 6. 24. Woe to you that are rich for ye have received your consolation Jam. 5. 1 2 3. Go to now ye rich men weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you ver 5 6. Ye have lived in pleasure on earth and been wanton Ye have condemned and killed the just Luk. 12. 21. Luk. 16. The Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus is spoken to make men think of the Rich as miserable damned creatures Ezek. 21. 25. Thou prophane wicked Prince of Israel Prov. 25. 5. Take away the wicked from before the King Prov. 29. 12. If a Ruler hearken to lies all his servants are wicked The contempt of Greatness is made a part of the Christian Religion Ans. 1. As if there were no difference between the contempt of Riches and worldly prosperity Answ and the contempt of Government He is blind that cannot see that Riches and Authority are not the same Yea that the over-valuing of Riches is the cause of seditions and the disturbance of Governments when the contempt of them removeth the chief impediments of obedience and peace 2. And may not Governours be sufficiently honoured unless they be exempted from the Government of God and unless their sin must go for virtue and unless their duty and their account and the danger of their souls be treacherously concealed from them God will not flatter dust and ashes Great and small are alike to him He is no respecter of persons When you can save the greatest from death and judgement then they may be excepted from all those duties which are needful to their preparation 3. And is it not strange that God should teach men to contemn the power which he himself ordaineth and which is his own Hath he set officers over us for the work of Government and doth he teach us to despise them There is no shew of any such thing in Scripture There are no principles in the world that highlyer advance and honour Magistracy than the Christian principles unless you will make Gods of them as the Roman Senate did of the Antonines and other Emperours § 80. Obj. 2. How can there be any Government when men must believe that they must not resist evil Object 2. Rom. 12. 17 19 20. Luk. 6. 28 29 30. Matth. 5. 39 40 41. Luk. 22. 25 26. but give place to wrath and turn the other cheek to him that smiteth them and give their Coat to him that taketh away their Cloke and lend asking for nothing again Is not this to let thieves and violent rapacious men rule all and have their will and go unpunished What use is there then for Courts or Iudges And when Christ commandeth his disciples that
and have Consciences still objecting something or other against their obedience and are so obstinate in their way as thinking it is for their salvation that all Ages and Nations have been fain to govern them by force as beasts which they have called persecution Answ. 1. There is no doctrine in the world so much for Love and Peace and Concord as the doctrine Answ. of Christ is What doth it so much urge and frequently inculcate What doth it contain but Love and peace from end to end Love is the sum and end of the Gospel and the fulfilling of the Law To Love God above all and our neighbours as our selves and to do as we would be done by is the Epitome of the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles 2. And therefore Christianity is only the occasion and not the Cause of the divisions of the earth It is mens blindness and passions and carnal interests rebelling against the Laws of God which is the make-bate of the world and filleth it with strife The wisdom from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits It blesseth the peace-makers and the meek But it is the rebellious wisdom from beneath that is earthly sensual and devillish which causeth envy and strife and thereby confusion and every evil work Iam. 3. 15 16 17. Matth. 5. 6 7 8. So that the true genuine Christian is the best subject and peaceablest man on earth But seriousness is not enough to make a Christian A man may be passionately serious in an errour Understanding must lead and seriousness follow To be zealous in errour is not to be zealous in Christianity For the errour is contrary to Christian verity 3. As I said before it is a testimony of the excellency of Religion that it thus occasioneth contention Dogs and Swine do not contend for Crowns and Kingdoms nor for sumptuous houses or apparel nor do Infants trouble the world or themselves with Metaphysical or Logical or Mathematical disputes Ideots do not molest the World with Controversies nor fall thereby into Sects and parties Nor yet do wise and learned persons contend about chaff or dust or trifles But as excellent things are matter of search so are they matter of Controversie to the most excellent wits The hypocritical Christians that you speak of who make God and their salvation give place to the unjust commands of men are indeed no Christians as not taking Christ for their Soveraign Lord And it is not in any true honour of Magistracy that they are so ductile and will do any thing but it is for themselves and their carnal interest and when that interest requireth it they will betray their Governours as Infidels will do If you can reduce all the world to be Infants or Ideots or Bruits yea or Infidels they will then trouble the State with no contentions for Religion or matters of salvation But if the Governed must be bruitified what will the Governours be 4. All true Christians are agreed in the substance of their Religion There is no division among them about the necessary points of faith or duty Their agreement is far greater than their disagreement which is but about some smaller matters where differences are tolerable Therefore they may all be Governed without any such violence as you mention If the common Articles of faith and precepts of Christian duty be maintained then that is upheld which all agree in and Rulers will not find it needful to oppress every party or opinion save one among them that hold the common truths Wise and sober Christians lay not mens salvation upon every such Controversie nor do they hold or manage them unpeaceably to the wrong of Church or State nor with the violation of Charity peace or justice 5. Is there any of the Sciences which afford not matter of Controversie If the Laws of the Land did yield no matter of Controversie Lawyers and Judges would have less of that work than now they have And was there not greater diversity of Opinions and Worship among the Heathens than ever was among Christians What a multitude of sects of Philosophers and Religions had they And what a multitude of Gods had they to Worship And the number of them still increased as oft as the Senate pleased to make a God of the better sort of their Emperours when they were dead Indeed one Emperour of the Religion of some of these Objectors Heliogabalus bestir'd himself with all his power to have reduced all Religion to Unity that is he would have all the Worship brought to his God to whom he had been Priest Saith Lampridius in his life Dicebat Iudaeâ—rum Samaritanorum religiones Christianam devotionem illue transferendam c. And therefore he robbed and maimed and destroyed the other Gods id agens ne quis Romae Deus nisi Heliogabalus coleretur But Jactavit caput inter praecisos phanaticos genitalia sibi devinxit c. Lamprid. as the effect of his monstrous abominable filthiness of life was to be thrust into a privy killed and drag'd about the streets and drowned in Tybur so the effect of his desired Unity was to bring that one God or Temple into contempt whereto he would confine all Worship The differences among Christians are nothing in comparison of the differences among Heathens The truth is Religion is such an illustrious noble thing that diffentions about it like spots in the Moon are much more noted by the world than about any lower common matters Men may raise Controversies in Philosophy Physick Astronomy Chronologie and yet it maketh no such noise nor causeth much offence or hatred in the World But the Devil and corrupted nature have such an enmity against Religion that they are glad to pick any quarrel against it and blame it for the imperfections of all that learn it and should practise it As if Grammar should be accused for every errour or fault that the Boyes are guilty of in learning it Or the Law were to be accused for all the differences of Lawyers or contentions of the people or Physick were to be accused for all the differences or errours of Physicions or meat and drink were culpable because of mens excesses and diseases There is no doctrine nor practice in the World by which true Unity and Concord can be maintained but by seriousness in the true Religion And when all contention cometh for want of Religion it 's impudence to blame Religion for it which is the only cure If Rulers will protect all that agree in that which is justly to be called the Christian Religion both for doctrine and practice and about their small and tolerable differences will use no other violence but only to compell them to live in peace and to suppress the seditious and those that abuse and injure Government or one another they will find that Christianity tendeth not to divisions nor to the hindrance or disturbance of Government or
proved and let him be admonished and censured as it deserves Censured I say not for not subscribing more than Scripture but for corrupting the Scriptures to which he hath subscribed or breaking Gods Laws which he promised to observe § 59. Direct 37. The Good of men and not their ruine must be intended in all the Discipline Direct 37. of the Church Or the good of the Church when we have but little hope of theirs If this were done it would easily be perceived that persecution is an unlikely means to do good by § 60. Direct 38. Neither unlimited Liberty in matters of Religion must be allowed nor unnecessary Direct 38. force and rigour used but Tolerable differences and parties must be tolerated and intolerable ones by the wisest means supprest And to this end by the Counsel of the most prudent peaceable Divines the Tollerable and the Intollerable must be statedly distinguished And those that are only Tolerated must be under a Law for their Toleration prescribing them their terms of good behaviour and those that are Approved must moreover have the Countenance and Maintenance of the Magistrate And if this were done 1. The advantage of the said Encouragement from Governours 2. With the regulation of the the toleration and the Magistrates careful Government of the Tolerated would prevent both persecution and most of the divisions and calamities of the Church Thus did the ancient Christian Emperours and Bishops And was their experience nothing The Novatians as good and Orthodox men were allowed their own Churches and Bishops even in Constantinople at the Emperours nose Especially if it be made the work of some Justices 1. To judge of persons to be tolerated and grant them Patents 2. And to over-rule them and punish them when they deserve it No other way would avoid so many inconveniences § 61. Direct 39. The things intolerable are these two 1. Not the believing but the Direct 39. preaching and propagating of principles contrary to the essentials of Godliness or Christianity or Government Iustice Charity or Peace 2. The turbulent unpeaceable management of those opinions which in themselves are tollerable If any would Preach against the Articles of the Creed the Petitions of the Lords Prayer or any of the Ten Commandments he is not to be suffered And if any that is Orthodox do in their separated meetings make it their business to revile at others and destroy mens Charity or to stir men up to rebellion or sedition or contempt of Magistracy none of this should be endured § 62. As for those Libertines that under the name of Liberty of Conscience do plead for a liberty of such vitious practices and in order thereto would prove that the Magistrate hath nothing to do in matters of Religion I have Preached and wrote so much against them whilest that Errour raigned and I find it so unseasonable now the constitution of things looks another way that I will not weary my self and the Reader with so unnecessary a task as to confute them Only I shall say that Rom. 13. telleth us that Rulers are a terrour to them that do evil and that Hereticks and turbulent firebrands do evil therefore Rulers should be a terrour to them And that if all things are to be done to the Glory of God and his interest is to be set highest in the World then Magistrates and Government are for the same end And if no action which we do is of so base a nature as ultimately to be terminated in the concernments of the flesh much less is Government so vile a thing when Rulers are in Scripture called Gods as being the Officers of God § 63. Direct 40. Remember Death and live together as men that are neer dying and must live Direct 40. together in another world The foolish expectation of prosperity and long life is it which setteth men together by the ears When Ridley and Hooper were both in Prison and preparing for the flames their contentions were soon ended and Ridley repented of his persecuting way If the persecutors and persecuted were shut up together in one house that hath the Plague in the time of this lamentable Contagion it 's two to one but they would be reconciled When men see that they are going into another World it takes off the edge of their bitterness and violence and the apprehensions of the righteous judgement of God doth awe them into a patience and forbearance with each other Can you persecute that man on Earth with whom you look to dwell in Heaven But to restrain a man from damning souls by Heresie or turbulencie or any such course my Conscience would not forbid it me if I were dying § 64. Direct 41. Let the Proud themselves who will regard no higher motives remember how Direct 41. fame and History will represent them to posterity when they are dead There is no man that desireth his name should stink and be odious to future Generations There is nothing that an ambitious man desireth more than a great surviving name And will you knowingly and wilfully then expose it to perpetual contempt and hatred Read over what History you please and find out the name of one Persecutor if you can that is not now a word of ignominy and doth not rott as God hath threatened If you say that it is only in the esteem of such as I or the persecuted party neither your opinion shall be judge nor mine but the opinion and language of Historians and of the wisest men who are the masters of fame Certainly that report of Holy Scripture and History which hath prevailed will still prevail And while there are Wise and Good and Merciful men in the World the Names and Manners of the Foolish and Wicked and Cruel will be odious as they continue at this day § 65. I have wrote these Directions to discharge my duty for those that are willing to escape the guilt of so desperate a sin But not with any expectation at all that it should do much good with any considerable number of persecutors For they will not read such things as these And God seldom giveth professed Christians over to this sin till they have very grievously blinded their minds and hardened their hearts and by malignity and obstinacy are prepared for his 2 Tim. 3. 11 12. Mat 5. 11 12. Luk. 14. 26 33. sorest judgements And I know that whoever will live Godly in Christ Iesus It is not said Who professeth to believe in Christ Iesus but to live Godly shall suffer persecution and that the Cross must still be the passage to the Crown CHAP. XII Directions against Scandal as given § 1. SCandal being a murdering of souls is a violation of the general Law of Charity and of the sixth Commandment in particular In handling this subject I shall 1. Shew you what is true scandal given to another 2. What things go under the Name of Scandal which are not it but are falsly so
in opinion in matters of Religion they are presently enclined to deride them for something in their Worshipping of God! And while they deride a man as an Anabaptist as an Independant as a Presbyterian as Prelatical they little know what a malignant tincture it may leave upon the hearers mind and teach carnal persons to make a jeast of all alike § 37. Direct 15. Impute not the faults of men to Christ and blame not Religion for the faults of Direct 15. them that sin against it This is the malignant trick of Satan and his blinded instruments If an Hypocrite miscarry or if a man that in all things else hath walked uprightly be overthrown by a temptation in some odious sin they presently cry out These are your Professours your Religious people that are so precise and pure and strict Try them and they 'll appear as bad as others If a Noah be once drunk or a Lot be overthrown thereby or a David commit adultery and murder or a Peter deny his Master or a Iudas betray him they presently cry out They are all alike and turn it to the scorn of Godliness it self Unworthy beasts As if Christs Laws were therefore to be scorned because men break them and Obedience to God were bad because some are disobedient Hath Christ forbidden the sins which you blame or hath he not If he have not blame them not for they are no sins If he have commend the justness and holiness of his Laws Either the offenders you blame did well or ill If they did well why do you blame them If they did ill why do you not commend Religion and the Scripture which condemneth them Either it is best for all men to live in such sins as those which these lapsed persons or hypocrites committed or it is not If it be why are you offended with them for that which you allow If it be not why do you sooth up the wicked in their sins and excuse an ungodly life because of the falls of such as seem Religious There is no common ingenuity in this but malicious spite against God and holiness of which more in the next Chapter § 38. Direct 16. Make not use of Civil quarrels to lay an odium upon religion It is ordinary with Direct 16. ungodly malicious men to labour to turn the displeasure of Rulers against men of integrity and if there be any broiles or Civil Wars to snatch any pretence how false soever to call them Traytors and Enemies to Government If it be but because they are against a Usurper or because some Fanatick persons whom they oppose have behaved themselves rebelliously or disobediently a holy life which is the greatest friend to Loyalty must be blamed for all And all is but to gratifie the Devil in driving poor souls from God and holiness § 39. Direct 17. When you think it your duty to speak of the faults of men that profess a Godly life Direct 17. lay the blame only on the person but speak as much and more in commendations of Godliness it self and commend that which is good in them while you discommend that which is evil Is their Praying bad Is their instructing their families and sanctifying the Lords day bad Is their fearing sin and obeying God bad If not why do you not say as much to commend them for these or at least to commend these in themselves as you do to discommend them for their faults Why do you not fear lest the hearers should be drawn to dislike a Godly life by your disgracing persons accounted Godly and therefore warn them to think never the worse of Godliness for this You that give the poyson should in reason give an Antidote if it be not your design to poyson souls Is it really your design by speaking against men accounted Godly to draw the hearers to the hatred of Godliness or is it not If it be you are incarnate Devils If it be not why do you endeavour it by making odious the persons under the name of Professâ—urs and Godly men And why do you not speak more to draw people to a Godly life And to imitate them in that which is good while they disclaim them in that which is evil Direct 18. § 40. Direct 18. Be especially tender of the reputations of those that the souls of men have most dependance Iâ—a comparatum est ut virtutem non suspiciâ—mus neque ejus imitandae studio corripimur nisi eum in quo ea conspicitur summo honore amore prosequamur Plutar. in Cat. Uâ—ic on As the Preachers of the Gospel and the eminentest men for Knowledge and Religiousness Not that I desire that sin should be the better thought of for being theirs or that evil should be called good in any But experience hath told the World since God and the Devil had their several wayes and servants upon earth that it hath been the Devils most usual successful course to wound Religion through the sides of the Religious and to blame the persons when he would turn men from the way For he knoweth that Religious persons have their faults and in them his malice may find somewhat to fasten on but Religion hath no fault and malice it self is seldome so impudent as to speak directly against a Holy Heavenly life But the way is to make those disgraceful and odious who are noted to lead such a life and then secretly to infer If those that seem Godly be no better you need not be Godly you are as well as you are This Religion is but a fansie a needless if not a troublesome hurtful thing Seeing therefore that the Devil hath no blow at Religion so fair as by striking at the persons of the Preachers and professours of it every friend of Christ must be acquainted with his design and must not serve him in it but counterwork him and preserve the reputation even of the persons of the Religious Not so much in Charity to them but for the peoples souls and the honour of Christ. § 41. Direct 19. Let all that preach and profess the Gospel and a Godly life be sure that they live Direct 19. according to their profession That the name of God be not evil spoken of among the wicked through their misdoings Rom. 2. It was the aggravation of Davids sin which God would not quite forgive that he made the enemies of the Lord blaspheam 2 Sam. 12. 14. Servants must count their masters worthy of all honour that the name of God and his doctrine be not blaspheamed 1 Tim. 6. 1. The duties Rom. 2. 24. of good women are particularly named by the Apostle Tit. 2. 3 4 5. with this motive to the practice of them that the word of God be not blaspheamed Obedience to Government is commanded with this motive 1 Pet. 2. 15. For so is the will of God that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men And vers 11
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
rend us Much more if it be some potent enemy of the Church who will not only rend us but the Church it self if he be so provoked Reproving him then is not our duty 3. Particularly When a man is in a passion or drunk usually it is no season to reprove him 4. Nor when you are among others who should not be witnesses of the fault or the reproof or whose presence will shame him and offend him except it be only the shaming of an incorrigible or malicious sinner which you intend 5. Nor when you are uncertain of the fact which you would reprove or uncertain whether it be a sin 6. Or when you have no witness of it though you are privately certain with some that will take advantage against you as slanderers a reproof may be omitted 7. And when the offenders are so much your superiours that you are like to have no better success than to be accounted arrogant A groan or tears is then the best reproof 8. When you are so utterly unable to manage a reproof that imprudence or want of convincing reason is like to make it a means of greater hurt than good 9. When you foresee a more advantageous season if you delay 10. When another may be procured to do it with much more advantage which your doing it may rather hinder In all these cases that may be a sin which at another time may be a duty § 18. But still remember 1. That pride and passion and slothfulness is wont to pretend such reasons falsly upon some sleight conjectures to put by a duty 2. That no man must account another Gen. 20. 36. a Dog or Swine to excuse him from this duty without cogent evidence And it is not every wrangling opposition nor reproach and scorn which will warrant us to give a man up as remediless Job 31. 13. Heb. 13. 22. 2 Pet. 1. 13. 2 Tâ—m 2. 25 26. and speak to him no more but only such 1. As sheweth a heart utterly obdurate after long means 2. Or will procure more suffering to the reprover than good to the offender 3. That when the thing is ordinarily a duty the reasons of our omission must be clear and sure before they will excuse us § 19. Quest. Must we reprove Infidels or Heathens What have we to do to judge them that are without Answ. Not to the ends of excommunication because they are not capable of it which is meant Deut. 22. 1. 1 Cor. 5. But we must reprove them 1. In common compassion to their souls What were the Apostles and other Preachers sent for but to call all men from their sins to God 2. And for the defence of truth and godliness against their words or ill examples CHAP. XVII Directions for keeping Peace with all men § 1. PEace is so amiable to Nature it self that the greatest destroyers of it do commend it and those persons in all times and places who are the cause that the world cannot enjoy it will yet speak well of it and exclaim against others as the enemies of peace as if there were no other name but their Own sufficient to make their adversaries odious As they desire salvation so do the ungodly desire Peace which is with a double error one about the Nature of it and another about the Conditions and other Means By Peace they mean the quiet undisturbed enjoyment of their honours wealth and pleasures that they may have their lusts and will without any contradiction And the Conditions on which they would have it are the complyance of all others with their opinions and wills and humble submission to their domination passions or desires But Peace is another thing and otherwise to be desired and sought Peace in the mind is the delightful effect of its internal harmony as Peace in the body is nothing but its pleasant health in the natural position state action and concord of all the parts the humours and spirits And Peace in Families Neighbourhoods Churches Kingdoms or other Societies is the quietness and pleasure of their order and harmony and must be attained and preserved by these following means § 2. Direct 1. Get your own hearts into a humble frame and abhor all the motions of Pride and Direct 1. self exalting A humble man hath no high expectations from another and therefore is easily pleased or quieted He can bow and yield to the pride and violence of others as the Willow to the impetuous winds His language will be submissive his patience great he is content that others go before him He is not offended that another is preferred A low mind is pleased in a low condition But Pride is the Gun-powder of the mind the family the Church and State It maketh men ambitious and setteth them on striving who shall be the greatest A proud mans Opinion must alwayes go for truth and his will must be a Law to others and to be sleighted or crossed seemeth to him an unsufferable wrong And he must be a man of wonderful complyance or an excellent artificer in man-pleasing and flâ—ttery that shall not be taken as an injurious undervaluer of him He that overvalueth himself will take it ill of all that do not also overvalue him If you forgetfully go before him or overlook him or neglect a complement or deny him something which he expected or speak not honourably of him much more if you reprove him and tell him of his faults you have put fire to the Gun-powder you have broke his peace and he will break yours if he can Pride broke the Peace between God and the apostate Angels but nothing unpeaceable must be in Heaven and therefore by self-exâ—lting they descended into darkness And Christ by self-humbling ascended unto Glory It is a matter of very great difficulty to live peaceably in family Church or any society with any one that is very Proud They expect so much of you that you can never answer all their expectations but will displease them by your omissions though you never speak or do any thing to displease them What is it but the lust of Pride which causeth most of the wars and bloodshed throughout the World The Pride of two or three men must cost many thousands of their subjects the loss of their Peace Estates and Lives Delirant Reges plectuntur Achivi What were the Conquests of those Emperours Alexander Caesar Tamerlane Machumet c. but the pernicious effects of their infamous Pride Which like Gun-powder taking fire in their breasts did blow up so many Cities and Kingdoms and call their Villanies by the name of Valour and their Murders and Robberies by the name of War If one mans Pride do swell so big that his own Kingdom cannot contain it the Peace of as much of the World as he can conquer is taken to be but a reasonable sacrifice to this infernal vice The lives of thousands both Subjects and Neighbours called enemies by this malignant spirit must be cast
away meerly to make this one man the Ruler of the rest and subdue the persons of others to his will Who perhaps when he hath done will say that he is no Tyrant but maketh the Bonum publicum his end and is kind to men against their wills and killeth and burneth and depopulateth Countreys for mens corporal well-fare as the Papists poison and burn and butcher men for the saving of souls Cuncta ferit dum cuncta timet desaevit in omnes They are the turbines the Herricanes or Whirlwinds of the World whose work is to overturn and ruine Tantum ut noceat cupit esse potens Whether they burn and kill by right or wrong is little of their enquiry but How many are killed and how many have submitted to their pride and wills As when Q. Flavius complained that he suffered innocently Valerius answered him Non sua re interesse dummodo periret That was nothing to his business or concernment so he did but perish Which was plainer dealing than these glorious Conquerours used but no whit worse He that cannot command the putrid humours out of his Veins nor the Worms out of his bowels nor will be able shortly to forbid them to crawle or feed upon his face will now damn his soul and shed mens blood to obtain the predomination of his will And when he hath conquered many he hath but made him many enemies and may find that in tot populis vix una fides A quiet man can scarce with all his wit tell how to find a place where he may live in peace where pride and cruelty will not pursue him or the flames of War will not follow him and find him out And perhaps he may be put to say as Cicero of Pompey and Caesar Quem sugiam sâ—io quem sequar nescio And if they succeed by Conquest they become to their Subjects almost as terrible as to their Enemies So that he that would approach them with a petition for justice must do it as Augustus spake to a fearful petitioner as if he did assem dare Elephanto Or as if they dwelt in the inaccessible light and must be served as God with tear and trembling And those that flatter them as glorious Conquerours do but stir up the fire of their pride to make more ruines and calamities in the Earth and do the work of a rageing Pestilence As an Athenian Orator said to the men of Athens when they would have numbered Alexander with the Gods Cavete ne dum Coelum liberaliter donetis terram domicilia propria amittatis Take heed while you so liberally give him Heaven lest he take away your part of Earth And when their Pride hath consumed and banished Peace What have they got by it That which a Themistâ—cles after tryal would prefer a grave to Si una via ad solium duceret altera ad sepulchrum That which Demosthenes preferred banishment before That which the wisest Philosophers refused at Athens The great trouble of Government Inexpertus ambit expertus odit Cyneas asked Pyrrhus when he was preparing to invade the Romans What shall we do when we have Conquered the Romans He answered We will go next to Sicily And what shall when we do when Sicily is Conquered said he Pyrrhus said We will go next to Africk And what shall we do next said the other Why then said he We will be quiet and merry and take our ease And said Cyneas If that be last and best Why may we not do so now It is for quietness and peace that such pretend to fight and break peace But they usually die before they obtain it as Pyrrhus did And might better have permitted Peace to stand than pull it down to build it better As one askt an old man at Athens Why they called themselves Philosophers who answered Because we seek after Wisdom Saith he If you are but seeking it at this age when do you think to find it So I may say to the proud Warriers of the World If so many men must be kill'd and so many Conquered in seeking peace when will it that way be found But perhaps they think that their wisdom and goodness is so great that the World cannot be happy unless they govern it But what could have perswaded them to think so but their pride Nihil magis aegris prodest quam ab eo curari à quo voluerint saith Seneca Patients must choose their own Physicions Men use to give them but little thanks who drench them with such benefits and bring them the potion of peace so hot as that the touch of the Cup must burn their lips and who in their goodness cut the throats of one part that their Government may be a blessing to the survivers In a word it is Pride that is the great incendiary of the World whether it be found in high or low It will permit no Kingdom family or Church to enjoy the pleasant fruits of peace § 3. Direct 2. If you would be Peaceable be not covetous lovers of the World but be contented with Direct 2. your daily bread Hungry Dogs have seldome so great plenty of meat as to content them all and keep them from falling out about it If you overlove the World you will never want occasions of discord Either your neighbour sâ—llâ—th too dear or buyeth too cheap of you or over-reacheth you or gets before you or some way or other doth you wrong as long as he hath any thing which you desire or doth not satisfie all your expectations Ambitious and Covetous men must have so much room that the World is not wide enough for many of them And yet alas too many of them there are And therefore they are still together by the ears like Boyes in the Winter nights when the Bâ—d cloaths are too narrow to cover them One pulleth and another pulleth and all complain You must be sure that you trespass not in the smallest measure not incroach on the least of his commodity that you demand not your own nor deny him any thing which he desireth nor get any thing which he would have himself no nor ever give over feeding his greedy expectations and enduring his injustice and abuse if you will live peaceably with a worldly-minded man § 4. Direct 3. If you will be Peaceable Love your neighbours as your selves Love neither imagineth Direct 3. nor speaketh nor worketh any hurt to others It covereth infirmities It hopeth all things It endureth all things 1 Cor. 13. Selfishness and want of Love to others causeth all the contentions in the World You can bear with great faults in your selves and never fall out with your selves for them But with your Neighbours you are quarrelling for those that are less Do you fall out with another because he hath spoken dishonourably or slightly of you or slandered you or some way done you wrong You have done a thousand times worse than all that against your selves and yet can
the cost which is laid out for needless pomp and Inst. 6. oâ—tentation of greatness or curiosity in keeping a numerous retinue and in their gallantry and in keeping many Horses and costly furniture and attendance Quest. 7. When is a costly retinue and other pompous furniture to be accounted Prodigality Quest. 7. Answ. Not when they are needful to the honour of Magistracy and so to the Government of the Common-wealth Nor when it is made but a due means to some lawful end which answereth the cost But when it is either the fruits and maintenance of Pride or exceedeth the proportion of mens estates or especially when it expendeth that which better and more necessary uses call for It is a most odious and enormous crime to waste so many hundred or thousand pounds a year in the vanities of pomp and fruitless curiosities and need-nots while the publick uses of the State and Church are injured through want and while thousands of poor families are rackt with cares and pinched with necessities round about us § 13. Inst. 7. Another way of Prodigality is that which is called by many keeping a good house Inst. 7. that is in unnecessary abundance and waste of meat and drink and other provisions Quest. 8. When may great house-keeping be accounted prodigality Quest. 8. Answ. Not when it is but a convenient work of charity to feed the poor and relieve the distressed or entertain strangers or to give such necessary entertainment to equals or superiours as is before described But when the truest relief of the poor shall be omitted and it may be poor Tenants wracked and opprest to keep up the fame and grandeur of their abundance and to seem magnificent and praised by men for great house-keepers The whole and large estates of many of the rich and great ones of the world goeth this way and so much is devoured by it as starveth almost all good works § 14. Inst. 8. Another way of Prodigality is Cards and Dice and other gaming in which whilest Inst. 8. men desire to get that which is anothers they lose and waste their own § 15. Inst. 9. Another act of Prodigality is giving over-great portions wiâ—h children It being a Inst. 9. sinful waste of our Masters stock to lay it out otherwise than he would have us and to serve our pride and self-interest in our children instead of him Quest. 9. When may our childrens portions be accounted prodigality or too great Quest. 9. Answ. Not when you provide for their comfortable living according to your estates and give them that due proportion which consisteth with the discharge of other duties But when all that men can get is thought little enough for their children and the business of their lives is to live in fulness themselves as long as they can and then to leave that to their posterity which they cannot keep themselves When this gulf of self-pampering and providing the like for children devoureth almost all that you can gather and the poor and other needful uses are put off with some inconsiderable pittance And when there is not a due proportion kept between your provision for your children and the other duties which God requireth of you Psal. 49. 7 8 9 11 13. Their inward thought is that their houses shall be perpetuated and their dwelling places to generations they call their Lands after their own names This their way is their folly yet their posterity approve their sayings Psal. 73. 12. Behold these are the Ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches Psal. 17. 14. They have their portion in this life They are full of children or their children are full and they leave the rest of their substance to their babes A Parent that hath an heir or other children so wise religious and liberal as that they are like to be more charitable and serviceable to good uses than any other whom he can trust with his estate should not only leave such children sufficient for themselves but enable them as much as he can to do good For they will be more faithful Trustees to him than strangers But a Parent that hath but common and untrusty children should do all the good he can himself and what he would have done when he is dead he must commit to them that are more trusty and allow his children but their proper maintenance And Parents that have debauched wicked ungodly children such as God commanded them to cause to be put to death Deut. 21. should allow them no more than their daily bread if any thing at all which is their own to dispose of § 16. Inst. 10. Also to be careless in many small expences or losses because they are but little things Inst. 10. and to let any such thing be cast away is sinful prodigality Quest. 10. How far is it a duty to be frugal in small matters and the contrary a sin Quest. 10. Answ. We must not over-value any thing great or small nor be sparing out of covetousness nor yet in an imprudent way which seemeth to signifie baseness and worldliness when it is not so Nor must we be too tinking in bargaining with others when every pâ—â—ny which we get by it is lost to one that needeth it more But we must see that nothing of any â—â—â—â— be lost through satiety negligence or contempt For the smallest is part of Gods gifts and talents given us not to cast away but to use as he would have us And there is nothing that is good so small but some one hath need of it or some good use or other may be made of it Even Christ when he had fed thousands by a miracle yet commanded his Disciples to gather up the broken bread or fragments that nothing be lost John 6. 12. which plainly sheweth that it is a duty which the richest man that is is not exempted from to be frugal and a sin in the greatest Prince to be wasteful of any thing that is good But this must not be in sordid covetousness but in obedience to God and to do good to others He is commendable who giveth liberally to the poor out of his abundance But he is much more commendable who is a good husband for the poor as worldlings are for themselves and frugally getteth and saveth as much as he can and denyeth all superfluities to himself and all about him that he may have the more to give to pious and charitable uses § 17. Inst. 11. Idleness also and negligence in our Callings is sinful wastefulness and prodigality Inst. 11. When either the pride of Gentility maketh people think themselves too good to labour or to look after the matters of their families or slothfulness maketh them think it a life too toilsome for their flesh to bear Prov. 18 9. He that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster These drones consume that which others labour for but are no
true pleasure as his life and labours are successful in doing good I know that the Conscience of honest endeavours may afford solid comfort to a willing though unsuccessful man and well-doing may be pleasant though it prove not a doing good to others But it is a double yea a multiplyed comfort to be successful It is much if an honest unsuccessful man a Preacher a Physicion c. can keep up so much peace as to support him under the grief of his unsuccessfulness But to see our honest labours prosper and many to be the better for them is the pleasantest life that man can here hope for 7. Good works are a comfortable evidence that faith is sincere and that the heart dissembleth not with God When as a faith that will not prevail for works of Charity is dead and uneffectual and the image o◠carkass of faith indeed and such as God will not accept Iam. 2. 8. We have received so much our selves from God as doubleth our obligation to do good to others Obedience and Gratitude do both require it 9. We are not sufficient for our selves but need others as well as they need us And therefore as we expect to receive from others we must accordingly do to them If the eye will not see for the body nor the hand work for the body nor the feet go for it the body will not afford them nutriment and they shall receive as they do 10. Good works are much to the honour of Religion and consequently of God and much tend to mens conviction conversion and salvation Most men will judge of the doctrine by the fruits Mat. 5. 16 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven 11. Consider how abundantly they are commanded and commended in the word of God Christ himself hath given us the pattern of his own life which from his first moral actions to his last was nothing but doing good and bearing evil He made Love the fulfilling of his Law and the works of Love the genuine fruits of Christianity and an acceptable sacrifice to God Gal. 6. 10. As we have opportunity let us do good to all men especially to them of the houshold of faith Heb. 13. 16. To do good and communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou constantly affirm that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works These things are good and profitable to men 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 Tit. 2. 14. To purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Act. 20. 35. So labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Iesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive Ephes. 4. 28. Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth You see poor labourers are not excepted from the command of helping others In so much that the first Church sold all their possessions and had all things common not to teach levelling and condemn propriety but to shew all after them that Christian Love should use all to relieve their brethren as themselves 12. Consider that God will in a special manner judge us at the last day according to our works and especially our works of Charity As in Matth. 25. Christ hath purposely and plainly shewed and so doth many another text of Scripture These are the Motives to works of Love Quest. 2. What is a good work even such as God hath promised to reward Quest. 2. Answ. 1. The matter must be lawful and not a sin 2. It must tend to a good effect for the benefit of man and the honour of God 3. It must have a good end even the pleasing and Glory of God and the good of our selves and others 4. It must come from a right principle even from the Love of God and of man for his sake 5. It must be pure and unmixed If any sin be mixt with it it is sinful so as to need a pardon And if sin be predominant in it it is so far sinful as to be unacceptable to God in respect to the person and is turned into sin it self 6. It must be in season or else it may sometimes be mixt with sin and sometimes be evil it self and no good work 7. It must be comparatively good as well as simply It must not be a lesser good instead of a greater or to put off a greater As to be praying when we should be quenching a fire or saving a mans life 8. It must be good in a convenient degree Some degrees are necessary to the Moral being of a good work and some to the well being God must be loved and worshipped as God and Heaven sought as Heaven and mens souls and lives must be highly prized and seriously preserved some sluggish doing of good is but undoing it 9. It must be done in confidence of the merits of Christ and presented to God as by his hands who is our Mediator and Intercessour with the Father Quest. 3. What works of Charity should one choose in these times who would improve his masters talents Quest. 3. to his most comfortable account Answ. The diversity of mens abilities and opportunities make that to be best for one man which is 〈◊〉 the Pre 〈…〉 e to my 〈…〉 ok called 〈◊〉 Crucifying 〈…〉 he world impossible to another But I shall name some that are in themselves most beneficial to mankind that every man may choose the best which he can reach to 1. The most eminent work of Charity is the promoting of the Conversion of the Heathen and Infidel parts of the world To this Princes and men of power and wealth might contribute much if they were willing especially in those Countreys in which they have commerce and send Embassadours They might procure the choicest Scholars to go over with their Embassadours and learn the languages and set themselves to this service according to opportunity Or they might erect a Colledge for the training up of Students purposely for that work in which they might maintain some Natives procured from the several Infidel Countreys as two or three Persians as many Indians of Indostan as many Tartarians Chinenses Siamites c. which might possibly be obtained and these should teach students their Countrey languages But till the Christian world be so happy as to have such Princes something may be done by Volunteers of lower place and power As Mr. Wheelock did in translating the New Testament and Mr. Pococke by the Honourable Mr. Robert Boile's procurement and charge in translating Grotius de Verit. Christ. Relig. into
is meant by Flesh here And 2. What flesh-pleasing it is that is unlawful and what sensuality is 3. Wherein the Malignity of this sin consisteth 4. I shall answer some Objections 5. I shall shew you the Signs of it 6. The Counterfeits of the contrary 7. And the false Signs which make some accused wrongfully by themselves or others § 2. I. Because you may find in Writings between the Protestants and Papists that its become a Controversie whether by flesh in Scripture where this sin is mentioned be meant the Body it What is meant by â—lesh self or the soul so far as it is unregenerate I shall briefly first resolve this question When we speak of the unregenerate part we mean not that the soul hath two parts whereof one is regenerate and the other unregenerate But as the purblind eye hath both Light and Darkness in the same subject so is it with the soul which is regenerate but in part that is in an imperfect degree And by the unregenerate part is meant the whole soul so far as it is unregenerate The word flesh in its primary signification is taken for that part of the Body as such without respect to sin and next for the whole body as distinct from the soul. But in respect to sin and duty it is taken 1. Sometime for the sensitive appetite not as sinful in it self but as desiring that which God hath obliged Reason to deny it 2. More frequently for this sensitive appetite as inordinate and so sinful in its own desires 3. Most frequently for both the inordinate sensitive appetite it self and the Rational powers so far as they are corrupted by it and sinfully disposed to obey it or to follow inordinately sensual things But then the Name is primarily taken for the sensual appetite it self as diseased and but by participation for the Rational powers For the understanding of which you must consider 1. That the appetite it self might innocently even in innocency desire a forbidden object when it was not the Appetite that was forbidden but the Desire of the Will or the actual taking it That a man in a Feavor doth Thirst for more than he may lawfully drink is not of it self a sin But to Desire it by Practical Volition or to Drink it is a sin For it is these that God forbids and not the Thirst which is not in our power to extinguish That Adam had an Appetite to the forbidden fruit was not his sin but that his will obeyed his appetite and his mouth did eat For the Appetite and sensitive nature is of God and is in nature antecedent to the Law God made us Men before he gave us Laws And the Law commandeth us not to alter our selves from what he made us or any thing else which is naturally out of our power But it is the sin of the will and executive powers to do that evil which consisteth in obeying an innocent Appetite The Appetite is necessary and not free and therefore God doth not direct his commands or prohibitions to it directly but to the Reason and free-will 2. But since mans fall the Appetite it self is corrupted and become inordinate that is more impetuous violent and unruly than it was in the state of Innocency by the unhappy distempers that have befallen the Body it self For we find now by experience that a man that useth himself to sweet and wholsom temperance hath no such impetuous strivings of his Appetite against his reason if he be healthful as those have that are either diseased or used to obey their appetites And if Use and Health make so great alteration we have cause to think that the Depravation of Nature by the Fall did more 3. This inordinate appetite is sin by Participation so far as the Appetite may be said to be Free by participation though not in it self Because it is the Appetite of a Rational free-agent For though sin be first in the will in its true form yet it is not the will only that is the subject of it though primarily it be but the whole man so far as his acts are Voluntary For the will hath the Command of the other faculties and they are Voluntary acts which the will either commands or doth not forbid when it can and ought To lye is a voluntary sin of the man and the tongue partaketh of the guilt The will might have kept out that sin which caused a disorder in the appetite If a Drunkard or a Glutton provoke a venerous inordinate appetite in himself that lust is his sin because it is voluntarily provoked 4. Yet such additions of inordinacy as men stir up in any Appetite by their own actual sins and customs are more aggravated and dangerous to the soul than that measure of distemper which is meerly the fruit of original sin 5. This inordinateness of the sensitive Appetite with the meer Privation of Rectitude in the Mind and Will is enough to cause mans Actual sin For if the Horses be headstrong the meer weakness sleepiness negligence or absence of the Coachman is enough to concur to the overthrow of the Coach So if the Reason and Will had no Positive inclinations to evil or sensual objects yet if they have not so much Light and Love to higher things as will restrain the sensual appetite it hath positive inclination enough in it self to forbidden things to ruine the soul by actual sin 6. Yet though it be a great controversie among Divines I conceive that in the Rational Powers themselves there are Positive habitual inordinate inclinations to sensual forbidden things For as actually its certain the Reason of the Proud and Covetous do contrive and oft approve the sin and the Will embrace it so these are done so constantly in a continued stream of action by the whole man that it â—eems apparent that the same faculties which run out out in such strong and constant action are themselves the subjects of much of the inclining Positive habits And if it be so in additional acquired sin its like it was so in Original sin 7. Though sin be formally subjected first in the Will yet Materially it is first in the sensitive appetite at least this sin of Flesh-pleasing or sensuality is The flesh or sensitive part is the first Desirer though it be sin no further than it is voluntary 8. All this set together telleth you further that the word flesh signifieth the sensual inclinations of the whole man but first and principally the corrupted sensual appetite and the Mind and Wills whether Privative or Positive concurrence but secondarily and as falling in with sense The Appetite 1. Preventeth Reason 2. And resisteth reason 3. And at last corrupteth and enticeth Reason and Will to be its servants and purveyors § 3. And that the name flesh doth primarily signifie the sensitive appetite it self is evident in the very notation of the name Why else should the Habits or Vices of the Rational powers be called Flesh
not every one that committeth a sin after admonition who is here to be understood but such as are impenitent in some mortal or ruling sin For some may sin oft in a small and controverted point for want of ability to discern the truth and some may live in daily infirmities as the best men do which they condemn themselves and desire to be delivered from And even the most impenitent mans sins must not be medled with by every one at his pleasure but only when you have just cause Quest. 9. What if it be one whom I cannot speak to face to face Quest. 9. Answ. You must let him alone till you have just cause to speak of him Quest. 10. When hath a man a just cause and call to open anothers faults Quest. 10. Answ. Negatively 1. Not to fill up the time with other idle chatt or table-talk 2. Not to second any man how good soever who backbiteth others no though he pretend to do it to make the sin more odious or to exercise godly sorrow for other mens sin 3. Not when ever interest passion faction or company seemeth to require it But Affirmatively 1. When we may speak it to his face in love and privacy in due manner and circumstances as is most hopeful to conduce to his amendment 2. When after due admonition we take two or three and after that tell the Church in a case that requireth it 3. When we have a sufficient cause to accuse him to the Magistrate 4. When the Magistrate or the Pastors of the Church reprove or punish him 5. When it is necessary to the preservation of another As if I see my friend in danger of marrying with a wicked person or takeing a false servant or trading and bargaining with one that is like to over-reach him or going among cheaters or going to hear or converse with a dangerous Heretick or Seducer I must open the faults of those that they are in danger of so far as their safety and my charity require 6. When it is any treason or conspiracy against the King or Common-wealth where my concealment may be an injury to the King or damage or danger to the Kingdom 7. When the person himself doth by his self-justification force me to it 8. When his reputation is so built upon the injury of others and slanders of the just that the justifying of him is the condemning of the innocent we may then indirectly condemn him by vindicating the just As if it be in a case of contention between two if we cannot justifie the right without dishonour to the injurious there is no remedy but he must bear his blame 9. When a mans notorious wickedness hath set him up as a spectacle of warning and lamentation so that his crimes cannot be hid and he hath forfeited his reputation we must give others warning by his fall As an excommunicate person or malefactor at the Gallows c. 10. When we have just occasion to make a bare narrative of some publick matters of fact as of the sentence of a Judge or punishment of offenders c. 11. When the crime is so heinous as that all good persons are obliged to joyn to make it odious as Phinehas was to execute judgement As in cases of open Rebellion Treason Blasphemy Atheism Idolatry Murders Perjury Cruelty Such as the French Massacre the Irish far greater Massacre the Murdering of Kings the Powder Plot the Burning of London c. Crimes notorious should not go about in the mouths or ears of men but with just detestation 12. When any persons false reputation is a seducement to mens souls and made by himself or others the instrument of Gods dishonour and the injury of the Church or State or others though we may do no unjust thing to blast his reputation we may tell the truth so far as justice or mercy or piety requireth it Quest. 11. What if I hear dawbers applauding wicked men and speaking well of them and extenuating Quest. 12. their crimes and praising them for evil doing Answ. You must on all just occasions speak evil of sin But when that is enough you need not meddle with the sinner no not though other men applaud him and you know it to be false For you are not bound to contradict every falshood which you hear But if in any of the twelve fore-mentioned cases you have a call to do it as for the preservation of the hearers from a snare thereby as if men commend a Traytor or a wicked man to draw another to like his way in such cases you may contradict the false report Quest. 12. Are we bound to reprove every backbiter in this age when honest people are grown to Quest. 12. make little conscience of it but think it their duty to divulge mens faults Answ. Most of all that you may stop the stream of this common sin Ordinarily when ever we can do it without doing greater hurt we should rebuke the tongue that reporteth evil of other men causelesly behind their backs For our silence is their encouragement in sin Tit. 2. Directions against Backbiting Slandering and Evil Speaking Direct 1. MAintain the life of brotherly Love Love your neighbour as your self Direct 1. Direct 2. Watch narrowly lest interest or passion should prevail upon you For Direct 2. where these prevail the tongue is set on fire of Hell and will set on fire the course of nature Iam. 2. Selfishness and passion will not only prompt you to speak evil but also to justifie it and think you do well yea and to be angry with those that will not hearken to you and believe you Direct 3. Especially involve not your selves in any faction Religious or Secular I do not mean Direct 3. that you should not love and imitate the best and hold most intimate communion with them But that you abhor unlawful divisions and sidings and when error or uncharitableness or carnal interest hath broken the Church into pieces where you live and one is of Paul and another of Apollo and another of Cephas one of this party and another of that take heed of espousing the interest of any party as it stands cross to the interest of the whole It would have been hardly credible if sad experience had not proved it how commonly and heinously almost every Sect of Christians do sin in this point against each other And how far the interest of their Sect which they account the interest of Christ will prevail with multitudes even of zealous people to belye calumniate backbite and reproach those that are against their opinion and their party Yea how easily will they proceed beyond reproaches to bloody persecutions He that thinketh that he doth God service by killing Christ or his Disciples will think that he doth him service by calling him a deceiver and one that hath a Devil a blasphemer and an enemy to Caesar and calling his Disciples pestilent fellows and movers of
Sedition among the people and accounting them as the filth and off-scouring of the world That zeal which murdered and destroyed many hundred thousand of the Waldenses and Albigenses and thirty thousand or forty thousand in one French Massacre and two hundred thousand in one Irish Massacre and which kindled the Marian Bonefires in England and made the Powder Mine and burnt the City of London and keepeth up the Inquisition I say that zeal will certainly think it a service to the Church that is their Sect to write the most odious lyes and slanders of Luther Zuinglius Calvin Beza and any such excellent servants of the Lord. So full of horrid impudent lyes are the writings of not one but many Sects against those that were their chief opposers that I still admonish all posterity to see good evidence for it before they believe the hard sayings of any factious Historian or Divine against those that are against his party It is only men of eminent conscience and candour and veracity and impartiality who are to be believed in their bad report of others except where notoriety or very good evidence doth command belief above their own authority and veracity A siding factious zeal which is hotter for any Sect or party than for the common Christianity and Catholick Church is alwayes a railing a lying and a slandering zeal and is notably described Iames 3. as earthly sensual and devilish causing envy strife and confusion and every evil work Direct 4. Observe well the Commonness of this sin of backbiting that it may make you the more afraid Direct 4. of falling into that which so few do scape I will not say among high and low rich and poor Court and Countrey how common is this sin but among men professing the greatest zeal and strictness in Religion how few make conscience of it Mark in all companies that you come into how common it is to take liberty to say what they think of all men yea to report what they hear though they dare not say that they believe it And how commonly the relating of other mens faults and telling what this man or that man is or did or said is part of the chatt to waste the hour in And if it be but true they think they sin not Nay nor if they did but hear that it is true For my part I must profess that my conscience having brought me to a custome of rebuking such backbiters I am ordinarily censured for it either as one that loveth contradiction or one that defendeth sin and wickedness by taking part with wicked men And all because I would stop the course of this common vice of evil-speaking and backbiting where men have no call And I must thankfully profess that among all other sins in the world the sins of SELFISHNESSE PRIDE and BACKBITING I have been most brought to hate and fear by the observation of the commonness of them even in persons seeming godly Nothing hath fixed an apprehension of their odiousness so deeply in me nor engaged my heart against them above all other sins so much as this lamentable experience of their prevalence in the world among the more Religious and not only in the prophane Direct 5. Take not the honesty of the person as sufficient cause to hear or believe a bad report of Direct 5. others It is lamentable to hear how far men otherwise honest do too often here offend Suspect evil speakers and be not over-credulous of them Charity thinketh not evil not easily and hastily believeth it Lyars are more used to evil speaking than men of truth and credit are It is no wrong to the best that you believe him not when he backbiteth without good evidence Direct 6. Rebuke backbiters and encourage them not by hearkning to their tales Prov. 25. 23. Direct 6. The north wind driveth away rain So doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue It may be they think themselves religious persons and will take it for an injury to be driven away with an angry countenance But God himself who loveth his servants better than we is more offended at their sin and that which offendeth him must offend us We must not hurt their souls and displease God by drawing upon us the guilt of their sins for fear of displeasing them Tell them how God doth hate backbiting and advise them if they know any hurt by others to go to them privately and tell them of it in a way that tendeth to their repentance Direct 7. Use to make mention of the good which is in others except it be unseasonable and will Direct 7. seem to be a promoting of their sin Gods giâ—ts in every man deserve commendations And we have allowance to mention mens vertues oftner than to mention their vices Indeed when a bad man is praised in order to the disparagement of the good or to honour some wicked cause or action against truth and godliness we must not concur in such malitious praists But otherwise we must commend that which is truly commendable in all And this custome will have a double benefit against backbiting It will use your own tongues to a contrary course and it will rebuke the evil tongues of others and be an example to them of more charitable language Direct 8. Understand your selves and speak often to others of the sinfulness of evil speaking and Direct 8. backbiting Shew them the Scriptures which condemn it and the intrinsecal malignity which is in it as here followeth Direct 9. Make conscience of just reproof and exhorting finners to their faces Go tell them of Direct 9. it privately and lovingly and it will have better effects and bring you more comfort and cure the sin of backbiting Tit. 3. The Evil of Backbiting and Evil Speaking § 1. 1. IT is forbidden of God among the heinous damning sins and made the character of a notorious wicked person and the avoiding of it is made the mark of such as are accepted of God and shall be saved Rom. 1. 29 30. it is made the mark of a reprobate mind and joyned with murder and hating God viz. full of envy debate deceit malignity whisperers backbiters Psal. 15. 2 3. Lord who shall abide in thy tabernacle Who shall dwell in thy holy hill He that backbiteth not with his tongue nor doth evil to his neighbour nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour And when Paul describeth those whom he must sharply rebuke and censure he just describeth the factious sort of Christians of our times 2 Cor. 12. 20. For I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not Lest there be debates envyings wraths strifes backbitings whisperings swellings tumults Ephes. 4. 31. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be kind one to another and tender hearted § 2. 2. It is