destroy Natural Liberty Where the Spirit does not find sinners willing by his sweet Methods he makes them willing Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power a day of power yet willing Even the Spirits Drawing is managed with all consistency to the freedom of the will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys he draws but 't is one that he makes willing to follow Hos 2.14 Behold I will allure her ay there 's the Spirits leading This being the constant and avowed Doctrine of the Protestants and †Ductus spiritus non est impulsus violentus quo rapimur inviti ut stipites sed est efficax persuasio quâ ex nolentibus efficimur volentes Par. with many others particularly their Explication of the Spirits leading in the Text how injurious and invidious are the Popish Writers in their traducing and calumniating of them as if they asserted the Spirit in This or any Other Act to work with Compulsion or in a way destructive to mans Essential Liberty 'T is a vile scandal And yet how do Esthius Salmeron Contzen upon the Words charge our Divines with it We perfectly concurr with Blessed St. * Enchirid. Cap. 64. de verbis Apostol Serm. 13. c. 11 12. Austin in that excellent passage of his cited by the Rhemists As many as are led by the Spirit he meaneth not says he that the Children of God are violently compelled against their Wills but that they be sweetly drawn moved or induced to do good But no more of this IV. The Extent of this Leading of the Spirit The Extent of it A threefold account may be given of that 1. In regard of the Subject or person led So it extends to the Whole Man First to the Interior Acts of the Soul in its several Faculties Vnderstanding Will and Affections And then to the Exterior Acts of the Body yea to the whole Conversation For all these are comprehended within and fall under the Spirits Leading For as his Sanctifying Operation extends to all of these the God of Peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole Spirit Soul and Body be preserved blameless unto the coming of Christ 1 Thes 5.23 So does his Guiding Operation also these two being Commensurate and Coextensive This might be made out in Particulars was I not afraid of too much prolixity 2. In regard of the Object or Matter that the Spirit leads unto So it extends to the whole Duty of a Christian to all that he is to Know Believe and Do. Look as the Word in its External Leading guides us in all things that concern Faith and Practice it being a compleat and perfect Rule 2 Tim. 3.16 17. so 't is with the Spirit in his Internal Leading too Joh. 14.26 For Knowledge and Faith the Promise is But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you John 16.13 And again Howbeit when he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth see 1 John 2.20 27. And so 't is as to Holiness also this Spirit directs those who have him to and in the Practice of Holiness in its full and utmost Extent and Latitude Tit. 2.12 As the Grace of God the Gospel Without teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live soberly righteously godly in this present world which is the summe of all Duty towards God towards Men and towards our selves So the Spirit Within teaches guides inclines to all these His Gracious Conduct is not confin'd to does not terminate in this or that particular Duty of Religion no but it extends to every Duty to the whole Obedience of a Christian 3. In regard of the Degree and Measure of it Concerning which 't is clear that this Leading of the Spirit in the Directing Inclining Governing Notions of it is not as to Degree equal in all God's Children All have the Thing in the Necessary and Substantial part of it yet so as that there is a Gradual Difference in their having of it Some having more and some less He being a Free and Arbitrary Agent does proportion this Act of his Grace to different Persons as he pleases And he making Some more ductil to his Leadings than Others accordingly he vouchsafes more of Them to Those than he does to Others But in None does it reach so high as to render them perfect here For although we should grant which I do not that the Spirit should advance his Guidance consider'd in it self and as it comes from Him to such a Degree and Pitch as to lay the Foundation of Perfection in Saints here below yet considering what the Capacity of the Subjects of this Act is here they being Flesh as well as Spirit 't is not imaginable that de Facto and in Eventu they should ever here be perfect upon it Wherefore it must be bounded and limited though not from what the Spirit could do yet from what he is pleased to do in Believers in their present imperfect state He shall guide you into all Truth what so as to make Saints Omniscient or Infallible He guides unto all Holiness what so as to render them sinless and impeccable here on Earth we must by no means carry it thus high It therefore must be qualified thus He shall guide you into all Truth i. e. into the Knowledge of all Necessary and Fundamental Truths And he shall guide you into all Holiness i. e. so far as your present state admits of and so far as is necessary for your future Glory Beyond this Measure we must not extend or heighten the Spirits Leading For the truth is if we take it in this bounded Notion we secure the Thing but if we go higher we totally undermine and nullifie it as all Experience proves And by the way Observe that this Guidance of the Spirit in the General and that Guidance of His in Particular in the Duty of Prayer do much stand upon the same level Insomuch that as the Former the Spirits immediate Guiding of Believers in the Matter and Manner of their Actions does not thereupon render Them or Their Actions perfectly Holy and free from all mixtures of sin So neither does the Latter the Spirits immediate Guidance and Assistance in the Matter and Manner of Prayer render the Prayers of such infallible or of equal Authority with the Scriptures as some Object Because as to Both this Agency of the Spirit is to be limited partly from the Consideration of the present State of the subject in whom it is exerted and partly from the Spirits Aim and End therein 'T is true to obviate a bad Inference that may be drawn from hence the Apostles themselves considered as but Men and as men in the State of Imperfection so they were fallible as we are But as they had in matters of Faith
without 'em a Prov. 1.32 The Prosperity of Fools destroyes ' em What doth Religion in this Case The Truth is there needs a great exercise of Religion to carry us safe thrô Freedom from Affliction b Job 1.5 Jobs extraordinary devotion upon his Childrens ordinary rejoycing in their prosperous Condition may Convincingly instruct us that there 's more danger in Freedom from Affliction than we are willing to suspect and it is more difficult to love and fear and trust God when we have the world than when we want it so that without Serious Godliness 't is impossible to withstand the insinuating and pleasing Temptation of flattering Prosperity and unless Faith be in Exercise we cannot do it with it What then is an afflicted Condition to be preferr'd Some that have had experience of both say Yes they have been afraid to come from under their Afflictions some sick Persons have been even afraid of Health thô they desir'd it lest what they got in their Sickness they should lose in their Health But yet the continuance of Afflictions breaks the Spirits and hinders that chearful serving and praising of God which is or should be the Life of a Christian thô many are better'd by Afflictions yet none are allowed to pray for Afflictions but against them and use all good means to avoid or remove them 't is one thing makes Heaven desirable the putting an end to all our Afflictions In short c Heb. 12.11 no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous whatever be the after-fruit of it This therefore is clogg'd with Vanity But what doth Religion in this Case Serious Godliness by Afflictions becomes more Serious God makes great use of Afflictions for the working and promoting of Piety and in this I think all experienced Christians are agreed they reckon sanctified Afflictions among the choicest Providences of their lives I commend the enlargement of this by your own Thoughts out of your own experiences And thus including these three Cases as in a large Parenthesis there 's one Case more that I would cautiously speak to which the Church Catholick truly so called may have more cause than ever tremblingly to consider and to seek more satisfying resolution than I can give for it's determination VI. What man upon Earth can peremptorily assert whether Peace or Persecution be just at such a time infallibly best for the Church of Christ 'T is easily granted that we must at all times pray for and endeavour the universal both outward and spiritual Peace of the Church and this that we may at all times do any thing but Sin to avoid or put an end to Persecution but let 's consider each as in the former instances That the Peace of the Church is beyond Expression desirable he is no Christian that denyes it those that are the greatest troublers of the Churches Peace do usually proclaim their Friendship to it calling their Affection to a party Love to the Church and the welfare of their party the Peace of the Church Now thô their Charity is too narrow to contract the Church into a party their Notion of Peace is large enough they would have it commensurate with the Church So that I need not be large to prove what no body denies Outward Prosperity was so much the Blessing of the Old Covenant that some confine it to that but others upon better Grounds expect more under the Gospel for d Luk. 1.74 75. this was no inconsiderable end of Christs coming into the World to deliver us out of the hands of our worldly Enemies to serve him without affrighting fears of men in Holiness before God and Righteousness before men all the dayes of our Life Which Prosperity when the Church hath enjoyed according to Christs purchase and Promise then they have walkt in the filial fear of the Lord and in the encouraging e Acts 9.31 Comforts of the Holy Ghost were multiplyed in number of Converts and increase of their Graces that were formerly converted But here as we use to say of pleasant weather 'T is pity fair weather should do any harm so 't is pity the Churches Prosperity should do any harm But alas the Church of Christian as little bear continual Prosperity as long Adversity a Calm is sometimes as dangerous as a Storm Many are the Temptations and Snares of a Prosperous condition it breeds Hypocrites Errors and Heresies spring up like Weeds in rank ground Professors are apt to grow Remiss and Careless Wanton and Secure to be too fond of the Present and to hanker after more Temporal Happiness than God judges good for them How hardly were the very Apostles awakened from dreaming of Christs temporal Kingdom and the very best of 'em from suing for great Offices at Court O the Divisions among Brethren when Pride makes them quarrelsome When the World favours the Church the Church slides into the World then their worldliness spoils their Christianity and their Christianity palliates their worldliness and so those things are mixt which can never be compounded But now Serious Godliness is the best Preservative against Surfeiting on Prosperity 'T is Grace in the Exercise and Growth that powerfully enables and necessarily provokes to improve the Churches Peace to all Spiritual advantages The Church of the Jews was never in such a flourishing condition as in Solomon's Reign and is it not well worthy our observation that the Posterity of his Servants who became Proselytes to the Jewish Religion were several Ages after his death doubly recorded by a Neh. 7.57.60 the Spirit of God above the Proselytes of former Ages 'T is Serious Godliness that keeps them humble and always upon their Watch against flattering Temptations that keeps them low in their own eyes and from despising others and what on this side great Grace could make David who had a b 1 Chron. 22.14 greater Summe of ready Money than ever any had in the World either before or since preferr that little of Scripture that was penn'd in his time before an innumerable Treasure c Psal 119.72 He had also a List of Worthies d 2 Sam. 23. never the like in the World yet he e Psal 16.3.119.63 preferrs the Communion of Saints before ' em To have our Conversation in Heaven when 't is best with us upon Earth this can only be effected by the Power of Godliness believe it Christians this is no easie matter What then Is a State of Persecution more Eligible Before I dare speak a word to this I must premise this Caution Let not Persecutors take encouragement to be more outragious in their Persecution and then scornfully tell you this is good for 'em their Pastors tell 'em 't is sometimes better for 'em than Peace This is like Julian who in every thing he did with a deep Reach and greater Malice than former Emperors to undermine and worm out the Christian Religion he still twitted the Christians with some advice
best time do more for his People than their present Faith and Hope can grasp and as we need the understanding of these dark Scriptures God will unriddle them to us But at present the Churches Persecution is grievous to it and that upon many accounts In times of Persecution Hell seems to be let loose as to all manner of Wickedness when nothing but the Service of God is Criminal the Service of the Devil seems Meritorious Some will be frighted from the entertainment of the Gospel and dye in their Infidelity and they are lost for ever Others so far shrink that they lose their Peace thô they do not lose their Souls and never recover it more And the Spirits of the strongest will be apt to faint if the Sufferings be sharp and long t Dan. 7.25 They shall wear out the Saints of the most high When Persecution comes to its height u Mat. 24.21 except those dayes should be shortned there should no flesh be saved but for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortned But what 's to be done at that time that what 's intolerable to flesh and blood may be born with triumph that we may be so far from stumbling at the Cross of Christ that we may humbly glory in it †Act. 5.41 Rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer Shame for his Name In a word How may the time of their Persecution be the best time of their life By Serious Godliness by a more vigorous Exercise of all the Graces of the Holy Ghost When we feel what there is in that life of Faith we have at other times but talkt of What thô the Furnace be heated seven times hotter than ordinary may we be but seven times more purified than ordinary Christians let this be your great care never to suffer as evil doers but so walk that your Enemies may despair of ever finding any occasion against you except they find it against you concerning the Law of your God Persecutors will never own it that they inflict evil upon Persons for doing good but always pretend something Criminal As when Paul and Silas preacht Christ at Thessalonica y Acts 17.5 6 7. the Jews which believed not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a Company and set all the City in an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the People and when they found them not they drew Jason and certain Brethren unto the Rulers of the City crying These that have turned the World up-side down are come hither also and these all do contrary to the Decrees of Caesar When Paul was afterwards taken and arraigned z Act. 23.1.9 he earnestly beholding the Council he could look them boldly in the face said Men and Brethren I have lived in all good Conscience before God untill this day And thô this Plea enraged some of his Persecutors others became his Advocates saying We find no evil in this man therefore let us not fight against God And when he was afterwards in this Process brought before a Heathen Magistrate corrupt enough and thereby prejudiced against him yet there a Acts 24.25 as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperence and Judgment to come Felix trembled Nothing so ruffles the Consciences of Persecutors as the uncontrollable blamelesness of Sufferers As Job told his prejudiced Friends b Job 19.28 Ye should say Why persecute we him seeing the root of the matter is found in me I 'le close all these Propositions with Job's resolution which I request may be this c Job 27.5 6. Till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live And now thô I have thus made out what I proposed in behalf of Serious Godliness yet I am sensible 't is not done beyond contradiction I shall therefore next endeavour to remove the Objections that are of moment and leave the Cavils to die of themselves Object 1 If our present Condition be for ought we can possibly know best for us why should we seek to alter it why should we seek Health when we are sick or right our selves when we are wrong'd or why should we seek peace of Conscience when we are under trouble of Conscience This seems to make a confusion in our very Prayers to hinder praying and to stagger our Faith in Prayer for our Prayers are for the altering of things for the better that is the Summe of all our Petitions Now if we be wavering in our minds about what is good for us how can we think to receive any thing of the Lord d James 1.6 7 8. A double-minded unresolved man is unstable uncertain in all his wayes Answ This is so far from hindering or confounding our Prayers that next to the Spirit of God 't is our best Guide and Instructor for Prayer This will teach us that our Petitions are not to direct God what to do nor may we expostulate with God in a quarrelling manner as if God wrong'd us if he do not humour us Whatever we pray for that cannot but be good for us e. g. Renewing strengthening stablishing Grace these cannot but be good for us for these we may insist with so much earnestness as not to be contented with a denial God hath no where made it our Duty to be willing to be damn'd to be his Enemies to hate him and Blaspheme him for ever And therefore herein if a pretended Angel from Heaven for God never sent any holy Angel upon such an errand should tell us as from God that God would not hear us nor bestow his Grace upon us we might tell him God never denied his Grace to any that were not willing to be denied and therefore where God hath by preventing Grace so far engaged the Will restlesly to desire Grace he hath given a token for good that he is plâ—ased with our Importunity and therefore peremptorily to resolve humbly to lye at Gods foot and to live and dye with this Petition for Grace your endeavours being answerable to your Prayers you may comfortably believe never any perisht that did it But now in things not necessary to Salvation and of such things is the question we must pray in another manner we are to consider our Circumstances the Promises that suit them how far God useth to fulfill such Promises in the Letter of them how in his wise Love he fulfills a Spiritual Promise when they are earnest for a Temporal and we shall never have hard thoughts of God thô he deny us any thing in this world for which we are most earnest And the truth is let but serious praying Christians deeply reflect upon their own hearts how they have been differently affected in Prayer according to the things they pray'd for and they will certainly find that whatever their expressions
plundered him of all lifting up his Eyes to Heaven said Lord thou knowest where I have laid up my Treasure * By this delighting in God we may undoubtedly know he is our Reward What shall we do to get God to be our Reward Quest Let us see our need of God We are undone without him Lift not Direct 1 not up the Crest of Pride Beware of the Laodicean temper Revel 3.17 Thou saist I am rich and have need of nothing God will never bestow himself on them that see no want of him Let us beg of God to be our Reward 'T was Austin's Prayer Lord Direct 2 give me thy self b Da mihi te Domine Aug. O do not put me off with Common Mercies Give me not my Portion in this life †Psal 17.14 Make over thy self by a Deed of Gift to me Be earnest Suitors and God cannot find in his Heart to deny you Prayer is the Key of Heaven which being turned by the hand of Faith opens all Gods Treasures Live every day in the Contemplation of this Reward Be in the Altitudes Branch 3 Think what God hath prepared for them that love Him c Nihil in hac vita dulcius sentitur nil ita mentem ab amore mundi seperat nil sic animam contra tentationes roborat nil hominem ita ad omne bonum opus excitat quam Gratia contemplationis Bern. O that our thoughts could ascend The higher the Bird flies the sweeter it sings Let us think how Blessed they are who are possessed of their Heritage If one could but look a while through the chinks of Heaven-door and see the Beauty and Bliss of Paradise if he could but lay his Ear to Heaven and hear the Ravishing Musick of those Seraphick Spirits and the Anthems of Praise which they Sing how would his Soul be Exhilerated and Transported with Joy O Christians meditate of this Reward Slight transient thoughts do no good They are like breath upon Steel which is presently off again but let your thoughts dwell upon Glory till your Hearts are deeply affected What Lord is there such an Incomprehensible Reward to be bestowed upon me Shall these Eyes of mine be blessed with Transforming Sights of thee O the love of God to Sinners Stand at this Fire of Meditation till your Hearts begin to be warm How would the reflection on this inmense Reward conquer Temptation and behead those unruly Lusts that have formerly conspired against us What is there a Reward so sure so sweet so speedy and shall I by sin forfeit this Shall I to please my Appetite lose my Crown O all ye pleasures of Sin be gone let me no more be deceived with your sugered Lies wound me no more with your Silver Darts Th◠stolen Waters are sweet yet the Water of Life is sweeter No stronger Antidote to expell Sin than the Fore-thoughts of the Heavenly Remunerations It was when Moses was long out of sight that Israel made an Idol to worship Exod. 32.1 So when the future Reward is long out of our mind then we set up some Idol-lust in our Hearts which we begin to worship Branch 4 This may content Gods People though they have but little Oyl in the Cruse and their Estates are almost boyled away to nothing their Great Reward is yet to come Thô your Pension be but small your Portion is large If God be yours by Deed of Gift this may rock your hearts quiet God lets the wicked have their Pay before-hand Luk. 6.24 Ye have received your Consolation A wicked man may make his Acquittance and write Received in full Payment But the Saints Reward is in reversion the Robe and the Ring is yet to come May not this tune their Hearts into contentment Christian what thô God denies thee a Kid to make merry f Luk. 15.31 if he will say Son all I have is thine is not this sufficient Why dost thou complain of the Worlds emptiness who hast Gods Fulness Is not God Reward enough Hath a Son any cause to complain that his Father denies him a Flower in the Garden when he makes him Heir to his Estate g Quid ultrà quaerit cui omnia suus conditor fit Prosper The Philosopher comforted himself with this that thô he had no Musick or Vine-Trees yet he had the Houshould Gods with him * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Christian thô thou hast not much of the World yet thou hast God and he is an inexhaustible Treasure It was strange that after God had told Abraham I am thy exceeding great Reward yet that Abraham should say vers 2. Lord what wilt thou give me seeing I go Childless Shall Abraham ask Lord what wilt thou give me when he had given himself Was Abraham troubled at the want of a Child who had a God was not God better than Ten Sons h Quid homini sufficit cui ipse conditor non sufficit Aug. Who should be content if not he who hath God for his Portion and Heaven for his Haven Let this exceeding Great Reward stir up in us a Spirit of Activity for God Our Head should Study for him our Hands work for him our Feet run in the way of his Commandements Alas how litle is all we can do Our Work bears no Proportion with our Reward Mercedi an tantae par Labor esse potest †Verinus The thoughts of this Reward should make us rise off the Bed of Sloth and Act with all our might for God i Spes proemii solatium fit laboris Hierom. It should add Wings to our Prayers and Weight to our Alms. A slothful Person stands in the World for a Cipher and God writes down no Ciphers in the Book of Life Let us abound in the work of the Lord. 1 Cor. 15.58 As Aromatical Trees sweat out their precious Oyls So should we Sweat out our strength and Spirits for Christ Saint Paul knowing what a Splendid Reward was behind brought all the Glory he could to God 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more abundantly than they all He outwrought all the other Apostles Saint Pauls Obedience did not move slow as the Sun on the Dial but Swift as the Sun in the Firmament * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Did Plato and Demosthenes undergo such Herculean Labours and Studies who had but the dim Watch-light of Nature to see by and did but Fancy the pleasures of the Elizian Fields after this Life and shall not Christians much more put forth all their Vigour of Spirit for God when they are sure to be Crowned nay God himself will be their Crown If God be so great a Reward let such as have an Interest in him Branch 5 be chearful God loves a Sanguine Complection k Acceptior est Deo grata laetitia quam querula tristitia Bucholcer Chearfulness credits Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The goodness of the
his principal end is himself degenerated into a Beast The inferior and subordinate end is the good of the Communities the happiness and welfare of the whole Country the peace comfort and prosperitie of all the People over whom Governours are set The supreme Magistrate is to his Dominions what the Head is to the body natural and so influence belongs to him as well as preeminence he is engaged to think contrive study care order and provide for the comfort of the body and all the members of it Paul saith Rom. 13 4. He is the Minister of God to thee for good for a fourfold good as learned Partus saith 1. In bonum naturale for natural good that he may secure thy person and life from danger and thy outward Liberty comforts and enjoyments from the Sons of violence 2. In bonum morale for moral good that he may curb thy unruly passions and base lusts and restraine or hinder them from breaking out into vitious and enormous practices 3. In bonum civile for civil good that he may preserve publick Society and keep up common honesty and Justice 4. In bonum spirituale for spiritual good that he may defend the true Religion that which is pure and undefiled before God and the Father and keep up and encourage the Worship of God which is warranted by the Scripture And all this is according to the word which doth direct and command that we should pray for Kings and all that are in Authority that under them we might lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty So that the end of Government is the securing peace and quietness and the encouraging of honesty and godliness 2. In all Government there is supposed a power sufficient for the ordering of things unto these ends not only natural power but also moral Authority lawfully come by for without that there can be no just right and good Government Magistrates therefore are called Powers Rom. 13 1. Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained by God Lawful Governours are invested with Authority and Power there are put into their hands the Scepter to rule and the Sword to protect and punish as there is cause They have a legislative Power to make Laws and issue out commands which shall oblige their Subjects they have a right to do this so they use their power rightly and obedience is due from their People obedience to all their just and lawful commands they ought to rule in the fear of God and their Subjects ought to obey in the fear of God Rom. 13 5. Ye must needs be subject and that not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake as knowing that this is the will of God concerning you and when any wilfully fail herein they contract guilt and break their own peace And as there is an Authority to enact Laws so a Power to suppress the Rebellions and animadvert on those that are refractorie and stubborn and also to defend reward and encourage all persons studious and careful of performing their duty Where all this Power is not there is a miserable defect in the Government which will in time dwindle and come to nothing and confusion and every evil work step up in its place 3. In Government this Power is reduced into act there is a prudent seasonable exerting and putting forth of the Power in order to the attaining of these ends This is the complement of all for it is folly for any to make that his end which is quite out of his reach and that Power is in vain which always lyes dorment Power is not put into the Rulers hand meerly for ornament but for use It is no other than a trust committed to him therefore though he be a Magistrate over men yet he is a Minister of God and is obliged to serve his great Lord according to the best of his skill and to act toward the end formerly mentioned As he is advanced to high and honourable places so he is engaged to great and excellent work Rom. 13 4. He is not to bear the Sword in vain and it may be said He weareth not the Crown in vain he holdeth not the Scepter in vain not for nothing not for a meer shew an empty Pageantry but for a good end for excellent and noble purposes The Crown and Scepter are not so glorious as that for which he is advanced the Sword committed to him must be drawn against the enemies of God and truth and holiness he must be an Avenger to execute wrath not upon the pious and peaceable that would be an abuse of his Power but upon them that do evil Thus have I shewed you what Government is Viz Using of lawful Power for excellent ends The second thing propounded was to prove and evidence to you that God doth Govern the world As he made it at first so he doth still uphold and order it In a Nation you know there are many inferiour Magistrates and under-Officers yet it followeth not but the King is supreme who authorizeth influences directs and limits them by his Laws There are upon Earth many Governours various forms of Government yea the Angels in Heaven are ministring Spirits employed in special and weighty matters But all of them are set up and set forth by God and fulfil his pleasure God himself sits at the helm and steers the course he overrules and orders all from the highest to the lowest For the evidenceing hereof take these following particulars 1. First the light of nature hath discovered this and by the glimmering thereof though it burn dimly as a Candle in the Socket many among the Heathens have been led to the knowledg of it and constrained to acknowledg it It must be granted that they groped and were exceedingly in the dark differing much one from another in their Sentiments about the Deitie and his Providence Some plainly denyed a God some owned and asserted the being of a God but denyed the creating of the World but that it was from everlasting or rose up through a fortuitous concurse of atomes Some granted that the World was of God as of the first cause yet he did not see nor observe what is done in it among men Some held he doth indeed see all things that are and be done in the world but he is only an insignificant idle Spectator who minds and regards nothing Some were of opinion that God doth not attend to the meaner and inferiour Creatures nor take any cognizance of small inconsiderable matters but only superintended the affairs and concernments of mankind Doth God take care of Oxen Some did again assert that God did look after and care for all things yet he acted only in a way of common general influences and by second causes doing nothing immediately and by himself Others again on the contrary side did affirm that God doth immediately and by himself so work all
the more weighty and momentous affairs of their Dominions and leave things of smaller importance to their inferiour Officers But this is not the manner of the God of Jacob nor doth he count his care of the meanest and most minute beings to be any reflexion upon him unless it be of honour and glory Therefore he expresly tells us in his Word that the young Lyons seek their meat of God that he giveth to the Beasts their food and to the young Ravens when they cry He cloathes the Lillies and Sparrows are not forgotten by him not one of them falls to the ground without him the vâ—ry hairs of our head are numbered he knoweth our wanderings counteth our steps and puts our â—â—ar into his Bottle And what dishonour can all or any of this be to him is it possible that his doing so should render him cheap to the children of men nay it is not enough to commend him to all wise and thinking persons that he is so great a God as that he can extend his care to so many millions of Objects and so graciously condescending as to look after the lowest of the works of his hands Surely since iâ— was not unworthy of his divine Power to make the meanest Creature it cannot be unworthy of his goodness to maintain and order it If his eternal Power and Godhead are clearly seen in the things that are made then his goodness doth likewise display it self in providing for them and his wisdom in Governing and directing them It is true he humbles himself when he beholds those things which are above much more when he regards those that are here below but that humbling of himself is glorifying of himself and it doth deservedly commend and endeare him to his People Psalm 36 6 7. O Lord thou preservest man and beast how excellent is thy loving kindness 5. Lastly Our God is abundant in mercy and goodness He is the Father of mercies and a God of compassions and as that doth render him fit to Govern the world so it may work in us an assurance that he doth and will do it Shall we fancy him like unto the Ostrick concerning which it is said Job 39 14. That she leaveth her Eggs in the Earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgetteth that the foot may crush them or that the wild beasts may break them she is hardned against her young ones as if they were not hers Thus to do is utterly inconsistent with the divine goodness to fancie such a thing of God would be to blaspheme him He hath a love and kindness for the works of his hands as such and that will carry him out to a caring for them and ordering of them The world will love its own and doth not God much more A good Prince who is the Father of his Country and deserves that name will to the best of his skill guide and rule his Kingdom at the helm whereof Providence hath placed him that his own honour and his peoples welfare might be secured and promoted That man deserves not the place nor name of a Master who neglects to make provision for his own Family and keep up order in it That is an unnatural Father unworthy indeed to be called man who doth not according to his best knowledg and abilitie mind his children and Govern them Now tampius nemo tam Pater nemo none is so good as God none such a Father as God no love comparable to his love All that love which may be found in the Creatures is but a drop from his Ocean a spark from his flame and as I have said all the world is his own and all that is therein the works of his hands He built this huge and stately Fabrick and he furnished it with all its Inhabitants from the highest and most glorious Angel to the meanest and most contemptible Insect and how can we possibly think otherwise but that the pitty and love which he hath for the works of his own hands will draw out his wisdom and power and care for the ruling and directing of them For any one to deny this care nay to hesitate about it would be an unworthy base disparagement dishonour and affront to him The third thing we have to do is to shew how our belief of Gods Governing the world may support us in all worldly distractions this is a great question very seasonable and of singular use and that we may draw out the sweetness of this truth and fetch comfort from it we must consider these following particulars 1. Gods accomplishment for the work 2. The extent of his Government 3. The properties thereof 4. Several things relating to the Church and its living Members First God is most fit and accomplished for this great work It is indeed a business too hard for a Creatures hand to dispatch and a burden too heavy for a created shoulder to bear up under some ambitious Princes have been and are said to be aspiring afteâ— an Universal Monarchy which they never did nor never shall attain it is bigger than their graspe a thing too high and too hard for them And indeed those Princes which rule well and mind their work and duty find the Crowns which they have are lined with cares enough to make their heads ake and their hearts too sometimes But to Govern the world is a thing utterly impossible to a created Being not only to the wisest man on Earth but also to the highest Angel in Heaven None can Govern the whole world but He that did create it Creation is peculiar to God the greatest Angel cannot create the smallest spire of grass nor a contemptible flea no not the least atome The most minute drop of being can proceed only from him who is the Original and Fountain of all Being So the Government of the whole world is peculiar to God because there is so much contraritie in it so many antipathies things lye so cross men have unruly passions they interfere in their several interest and while they are carrying of them on quarrel and jossle one another and who but God can order all and direct them to most noble and excellent ends who but God can take these several scattered sherds and unite them together in one curious and amiable piece of workmanship who but God can take these jarring discords and turn them into an admirable and delightful harmonie That God is perfectly accomplished for the work so that he can not only do it but the doing thereof will be no pain nor trouble to him may thus appear 1. He is an immense Being Heaven is his Throne and the Earth his footstool Those that have many Irons in the fire business scattered up and down must needs suffer some of those Irons to cool some of that business to lye by neglected because they themselves are confin'd and limited Creatures Some things may be amiss and out of order under the Government of the most prudent and pious Prince
or to come though it alwaies was and will be plainly to every capacity might this be thus adapted if you look backwards you cannot think of any one moment wherein God was not if you look forwards you cannot think of any one moment when God shall not be for if there had been one moment when God was not no thing could ever have been neither God nor Creature unless that which is nothing could make it self something which is impossible because Working supposeth Being and a contradiction because it infers the Being of a thing before it was for in order of time or Nature the Cause must be before the Effect Neither can you conceive any one moment beyond which God should cease to be because you cannot imagine any thing in God or distinct from him that should be the cause of his ceasing to be The Object then of Believers looking is the unseen Eternal God as their Happiness objectively considered which is so Eternal as to be without beginning and end and the enjoyment of this unseen Eternal God in the invisible Heavens which fruition being their happiness formally considered hath a beginning but no ending Should I follow the signification of the Greek word as looking at a mark we aim at or an end which we desire to obtain I should limit my Discourse only to unseen Eternal good things but if it be taken in a more extended sense to take heed to mark and diligently consider I might bring in the unseen evils in the World to come and indeed to keep our Eye fixt upon invisible things both good and bad that make Men Eternally miserable or Everlastingly Blessed Would have a powerful influence upon every step we take in our dayly travels to the unseen Eternal World To look at unseen Eternal Evil things that we might not fall into them To look at unseen Eternal Good things that we might not fall short of them Which is the design of the question propounded from this Text viz. How we should Eye ETERNITY that it may have its due influence upon us in all we do Which question will be more distinctly answered by resolving these following questions contained in it Q. 1. Whether there be an Eternity into which all men must enter when they go out of Time That we might not only suppose what too many deny and more doubt of and some are tempted to call into question but have it proved that no man might rationally deny the Eternity of that state in the unseen World for upon this lyes the strength of the reason in the Text why Believers look at things unseen because they are Eternal and the object must be proved before we can rationally urge the exerting of the act upon that object Q. 2. How we should Eye Eternity or look at Eternal things For if they be unseen how shall we see them And if they be to us in this World invisible how shall we look at them Q. 3. What influence will such a sight of and looking at Eternity have upon our Minds Consciences Wills and Affections in all we do Q. 1. Whether there be an Eternity of Happiness that we should look at to obtain and of Misery to escape Doth any question this Look at Mens Conversations see their neglect of God and Christ their frequent yea constant refusals of remedying Grace their leading a sensual flesh-pleasing Life their seldom thoughts of Death and Judgment their carelesness to make preparation for another VVorld their minding only things Temporal and then the question may be who do indeed believe that there is such an Eternal state Yet the real existence and certainty of Eternal things may be evidently manifested by Scripture and by Arguments 1. If you give assent to the Divine Authority of the Scripture you cannot deny the certainty of another World nor the Eternal state of Souls therein though this be now unseen to you Luk. 20.34 Jesus said the Children of this World marry 35. but they that shall be accounted worthy of that World and the Resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor are given in marriage 36. Neither can they dye any more for they are equal to the Angels Is not here plain mention of This and That World and the different state in both In this Men marry and die in that they neither marry nor die yea Christ himself affirms that in That World they cannot die and whatsoever words the Scripture borrows from the best things of this World to help our conceptions of the Glorious state of Holy ones in the other World some word denoting the Eternal duration of it is annexed to them all Is it called a Kingdom It is an Everlasting Kingdom 2 Pet. 1.11 a Crown It is a Crown incorruptible 1 Cor. 9.25 that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 is it called Glory is it Eternal Glory 1 Pet. 5.10 2 Cor. 4.17 an Inheritance it is incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.4 Eternal Heb. 9.15 an House it is Eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Salvation it is Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 Life it is Eternal Life Matth. 25.46 No less certain is the Eternity of the state of the Damned by the Scriptures adding some note of Everlasting duration to those dreadful things by which their misery is set forth is it by a Furnace of fire Matth. 13.42 by a Lake of fire Rev. 21.8 it is fire Eternal and Unquenchable Matt. 3.12 Matt. 25.41 by a Prison 1 Pet. 3.19 from thence is no coming forth Matth. 5.25 26. by darkness and blackness of darkness it is for ever Jude ver 13. by burning it is Everlasting burning Isa 33.14 by torment Luk. 16.23 the smoak of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever Rev. 14.11 and 20.10 by Damnation it is Eternal Damnation Mar. 3.29 by Destruction it is Everlasting Destruction 2 Thess 1.9 by Punishment it is Everlasting Punishment Matth. 25.46 by the gnawings of the Worm it is such that never dyeth Mar. 9.44.46 48. by wrath that is to come Matt. 3.7 1 Thess 1.10 When it comes it will abide Joh. 3.36 Is any thing more fully and plainly asserted in the Scripture than that the things in the other World now unseen are Eternal things those that enjoy the one in Heaven and those that now feel the other in Hell do not cannot doubt of this and a little while will put all those that are now in time quite out of all doubting of the certainty of the Eternity of the state in the unseen world 2. The Eternity of the unseen things in Heaven and Hell the Everlasting Happy or Everlasting Miserable state after this Life may be evidenced briefly yet clearly by these following Arguments I. God did from Eternity chose some to be fitted in time to partake of happiness to all Eternity Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and being made holy shall be happy in obtaining that Salvation to which he chose us 2
sober Wisdom and the Devils cannot deny it and all Damned Souls in Hell and all the Wicked upon Earth as fast as they go down to them and feel what now they do not believe and fear shall not deny it to be Wisdom in them that escaped that and got to a better place in the Eternal World 10. In Eternity there will be no mixture In the other World there is all pure Love or all pure Wrath all Sweet or all Bitter without all Pain or without all Ease without all Misery or without all Happiness not partly at Ease and partly in Pain partly Happy and partly Miserable but all the one or the other This Life is a middle place betwixt Heaven and Hell and here we partake of some good and some Evil No Judgment on this side Hell upon the worst of Men but there is some Mercy mixed with it for it is Mercy they are yet on this side Hell and no Condition on this side Heaven but there is some Evil mixed with it for till we get to Heaven we shall have sin in us In Heaven all are good in Hell all are bad on Earth some good but more bad In Hell Misery without mixture of Mercy or of Hope they have no Mercy and that is bad and they can hope for none and that is worse while they be in time they are pityed God doth pity them and Christ doth pity them and good Men doth pity them their Friends and Relations do pity them pray for them and weep over them but when time is past all pity will be past and they in Misery without pity to all Eternity Rev. 14.10 The same shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11. and the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no rest day nor night No! then for the Lords sake for your Souls sake as upon my knees I beseech you if you have any dread of God any fear of Hell any desire of Heaven any care whither you must go take no rest night nor day in time till you have secured your Everlasting happy state that you might have Everlasting rest night and Day in Eternity or that you might pass into that Eternity where it is alwayes day and no night and not into that where it shall be alwaies night and never day Sirs what say ye What are ye resolved upon to sin still or to repent that ye have already sinned and by the Grace of God to sin so no more To work in time for things of time or in time to prepare for Eternity Will ye obey my message or will ye not Speak in time or I will not say hold your peace for ever but repent in time or ye shall cry and roar for ever The time of this Sermon is out and the time of your Life will be quickly out and I am afraid I shall leave some of you as unfit for Eternity as I found you and my heart doth tremble least Death should find you as I shall leave you and the Justice of God and the Devils of Hell should find you as Death shall leave you and then vengeance shall never leave you and the Burning Flames Tormenting Devils and the Gnawing Worm shall never leave you Will ye then work it upon your Hearts that ye came into Time unfit to go into Eternity that in time ye have made your selves more unfit that the only remedy is the Lord Jesus Christ that in the fulness of time did dye that Sinners might not be damned for ever that this Crucifyed Christ will not save you from Eternal Misery nor take you to Eternal Glory except ye do perform the Conditions of the Gospel without which his Death puts no Man into an actual state of Happiness ye must Repent and be Converted ye must take him for your Saviour and your Lord ye must be Holy sincerely Hate Sin universally love Christ superlatively or else the Saviour will not save you Mercy it self will not save you from Everlasting Misery Ye must persevere in all this to the end of your time and then ye shall be Happy in Eternity to Eternity Otherwise ye shall not give audience Sirs otherwise ye shall not be Happy Happy no ye shall be Miserable If the loss of God and Christ and Heaven will make you Miserable for ever ye shall be Miserable for ever If the pains of Hell the company of Devils the stingings of Conscience the terrors of Darkness total final despair of having any end of your damned condition will make you miserable ye shall be miserable If all that God can lay upon you if all that Devils can torment you with if all that Conscience can for ever accuse you for if all that is in Hell can make you miserable except you repent in time and believe on Christ in time and be sanctifyed in time ye shall be miserable for ever O my God! be thou my Witness of this Doctrine All ye that fear God that hear me this day bear me witness that I have published this in the Ears of all that hear me Thou Conscience that art in that Man that is yet going on in Sin and posting with speed to Eternal Misery bear me witness now and at the day of Judgment that I told him what must be done upon him in him and by him if he would escape Eternal Torments If he will not hearken nor obey while he is in time Conscience I bespeak thy witness against him and that thou bring thy Accusation against him and upbraid him to the Confusion of his face among all the Devils in Hell and all that shall be damned with him that he was told he could not keep his sins and be kept out of that place when he dyed he could not reject Christ and finally refuse him and be saved for ever Sinner carest thou not wilt thou still on Good God! must we end thus Must I come down without hopes of his Repenting and he dye with foolish hopes of being saved and after Death be cast into that Eternity where the Worm dyeth not and the Fire is not quenched But in those Endless Flames shall cry out and roar oh cursed Caitif what did I mean all the while I was in time to neglect preparation for Eternity Oh miserable Wretch this is a doleful dreadful state and still the more because it is Eternal Wo is me that I cannot dye nor cease to be Oh that God would cut me off Oh that Devils could tear me into a Thousand Thousand pieces or that I could use such violence to my self that I might be no longer what I am nor where I am But alas I wish in vain and all these desires are in vain for though the union of my Soul and Body in
kindness to Men as to communicate himself to them as I said before and to admit men to make such near approaches to himself both these manifest his great goodness II. Take notice wherein Christianity excels Philosophy properly Vse II so call'd The one directs us the way to Communion with God which the other cannot do Philosophy speaks nothing of the Mediator the Man Christ Jesus by whom alone we can draw nigh to God Philosophy improves the Principles of meer Nature but cannot confer a new Nature doth not infuse such Principles as the Gospel doth to lead men into Communion with God Philosophy whether Natural or Moral hath an excellency in it in its proper Sphaere but yet falls far short of Christianity the Principles of the Gospel and the Mysteries of Faith wherein Men are led to the true knowledge of God and fellowship with him III. This may be matter of Lamentation in this prophane and Apostate Vse III Age that there is so little of this Communion with God to be found among men Some understand not what it is some desire it not nor seek after it some have lost what once they had And some deride and scoff at it as a foolish fancy a dream a delusion of some fanatick people Though some may pretend to it that have it not yet God forbid we should deny it The Apostle in the Text asserteth it and the experience of real Christians in all Ages bears witness to it And if it be not a fancy but a real thing I am sure it is the most solemn and important thing in the whole World Q. But why are there so few that attain it A. 1. Some are under an evil heart of unbelief whereby they depart from the living God Heb. 3.12 And what stands opposite to Communion with him more than departing from him 2. Others walk in Hypocrisie and have only External Communion with the Church and Ordinances of it but for want of true Grace and sincerity in their hearts have no real Communion with God 3. Others walk in Pride and God resisteth the proud knoweth him afar off and all Communion with God is intercepted hereby 4. Others are in such friendship with the World which as the Apostle saith is Enmity against God and where there is Enmity there can be no Communion 5. Others are under the disturbance of head-strong Passions and Communion with God requires a quiet serene and sedate frame of Spirit 6. Others concern themselves only about Disputes and Controversies in Religion and mind not that wherein the Life and Power of it consisteth which is Communion with God 7. Others satisfie themselves with notions and speculations with fine Language strains of Rhetorick well compiled forms of devotion and look no farther 8. Others give way to wandring thoughts and serve God with a distracted mind whereby their Hearts are carryed from God even while they are serving of him 9. Others make Religion meer matter of Discourse please themselves to talk of it and that 's all 10. And Lastly Others are fall'n into down right Atheism question Gods very Being and indeed are of no Religion at all and can have no Communion with the Deity which they doubt of or deny Now is not this to be lamented for Men to have no Communion with that God who gave them their Being that God in whose favour is their Life that God in whom is treasured up the true felicity of Man God is a Fountain of Living water a Spring of endless Pleasure an Ocean of all Perfection and Holiness but what is this to him that hath no Communion with him and hath not a drop of all this falling upon himself But in stead of this Communion with God have not these Men Fellowship with unrighteousness and the unfruitful works of darkness which the Apostle forbids Eph. 5.11 Fellowship with the Adulterer or Adulteress in Uncleanness with the Swearer in Prophane Oaths with the Unjust in Unrighteousness with the deceiver in his frauds the Lyer in false Speaking the Drunkard iâ— riotous and intemperate Drinking which Men call good Fellowship c. And I could wish that the Fellowship that men call clubbing at Taverns and Coffee-houses at unseasonable hours whereby the duties of their Families are neglected were forborn at this day Certainly a more circumspect walking is required of us especially such as pretend to Religion in a day wherein God is visiting the Nation and rebuking his own people for their Iniquities And many in stead of Fellowship with God have Fellowship with the Devil I mean not so much Witches Sorcerers or such as Confederate expresly with him but such as do his Lusts and carry on his work in the World What is the Devils great work Is it not to propagate Wickedness to persecute the Church to obstruct the Gospel to foment Divisions to corrupt the Truth with Error and to sow Tares among the Wheat And how many are there that have Fellowship with the Devil in such works as those But they little think of the Fellowship they are in danger to have with him in his Torments who at present have this Fellowship with him in these works of Wickedness IV. I shall next proceed to exhort men to seek after this Communion Vse IV with God And I shall first speak to such as are meer strangers to it have lived many years in the World and in a Land where the Gospel hath been long preached and yet know nothing of it 1. Let me perswade them that there is really such a thing and that all that is spoken of it is not meer canting and vain pretence 2. Let me perswade them seriously to seek it and to make it the great work of their lives and their great scope and end in all Religion to attain unto it 3. As the Gospel invites sinners to Christ let them make haste to him that in him they may have their peace made with God and receive that Grace whereby they may be capable of Communion with him 4. Let them no longer walk in darkness For if we say we have Fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth as the Apostle speaks in this Chapter And here remember what I spake in the opening of the Text. Wisdom is Light and Folly is Darkness Knowledge is Light and Ignorance is Darkness Truth is Light and Error is Darkness Holiness is Light and Sin and Wickedness are Darkness Let Men then first walk wisely and not as Fools Wisdom lyes in choosing to a Mans self a good end and in fitting means sutable to that end let Men do this Wisdom lies in preferring things according to their true worth and value let Men do so Wisdom lies in embracing of Seasons and redeeming of Time let Men practise this Wisdom lies in looking to things in their End and Issue and not only how they appear at the present let Men do this also And secondly I said Knowledge is Light Ignorance is Darkness