may be cast out of our spirits by the testimony of Jesus nor is it possible to work for every one to make the application of these Remedies unto himself yet in a more speciall manner the Ministers of the Gospel should hold forth these testimonies by their own practise unto others and by their word of Exhortation and Instruction chiefly when it is their Lot as now it is mine to reflect upon the waies of men wherein a competition of greatnes doth appear and for this cause I have been somewhat larger and freer as speaking to a matter which is necessary to be laid to heart by all at this time which is most fit to lay the ground of Peaceablenes and Moderation amongst Christs Disciples and which is most sutable to my aime and designe which is to seek out and hold forth the Rules of Truth in Love without partiality towards all men And would to God that all our debates could be brought to disquiries of this nature at least amongst those that are called Ministers For if they who are so called and think themselves professedly appointed to go before others and to lead them in the waies of Christianity do neither mind the offering of undeniable Rules unto all nor set themselves to walk in the light thereof How can it be expected that they should be healers or that they whose engagements lie wholly about the affaires of the World should be moved either affectionately to mind or effectually to follow the same We that are made remembrancers of others should first mind our selves of these Duties but if in stead of reclaiming others from the passions of flesh and blood in the World we our selves intermeddle with State-affaires if out of the way of our calling we make our selves in any kind competitors with the Magistrate in his employments towards the people and so cast our selves upon the objects which yeild temptations unto Envy Pride and into the snares of outward affaires How can we take others off from their distempers of this nature How can we set them right in aspirituall way We may find easily as well by reason of our own frailty as by the subtilty of Satan our adversary that more objects and occasions of mutuall envy are suggested unto us within the Sphere of our own employment then we are well able to decline Why then should we take up extrinsecall matters and ferment our own spirits with the thoughts of State-Envy or foment the same in the apprehensions of any one against another Is it not our proper work to allay and suppresse all the motions of this kind in every one Is not this most sutable to the employment of the Messengers of the Prince of Peace And doth not Christ expect at our hand that our whole work in his service should be nothing else but to Teach Exhort and perswade all men to present themselves as a living sacrifice unto him in following his foot-steps that is denying ungodlines worldly lusts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present World And if this be all our work how shall we answer unto him for our inter-medling with other matters wherein we take upon us to rule the interests of this World and to walk as men in serving the passions of men therein But I am loath to insist any longer upon this Theme The Lord grant that all Christians may see the depth of Satans wiles in this matter of Envy to avoid his snares and that above all men Ministers and Magistrates may be faithfull to Christ in their Stewardships without desire Gal. 5. 26 of vaine glory without provoking one another or enviousnes against one another And thus much concerning the Cure of Envy wherein the Cure of all the other distempers is contained which hath made me insist the more upon it For if this affection of our disease be fully removed the other causes thereof will not much trouble us Yet it will be expedient to speake somewhat of every one of them at least so farre as to point at the speciall Remedies thereof The Remedy of that which is amisse in State jealousies and feares First a spirituall jeallousie over our selves As concerning State-jealousies and feares the true discovery of their nature doth manifest the remedy of that which is amisse therein we have seen that some jealousies and feares are not onely lawfull but expedient and even necessary to those that over-see the wayes of others nay except a man be truly jealous and fearfull over his own soul he is not faithfull to it nor to the charge which God hath given him of it In this respect happy is the man that feareth alway saith Solomon he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe Prov. 28. 14. And although it was an aggravation of Jobs misery in one respect Job 3. 25. that the thing which he had greatly feared came upon him and that which he had been afraid of came unto him yet in another Vers 26. respect it was a ground of comfort unto him that at the same time he was able to say with a good conscience I was not in safety neither had I rest neither was I quiet that is I was not in security concerning mine own condition I did not think my selfe safe but was alwayes watchfull over mine own soule to prevent the causes of trouble viz. the sinfull inclinations thereof and yet for all this trouble is come upon me Some jealousies and fears then are essentiall to all duties of charge and trust for without the thoughts thereof there can be no prudentiall fore-sight nor use of watchfulnesse to prevent evils And truly the onely cure of all carnall corrupt jealousies and feares over others is this spirituall jealousie and feare over our owne soules in the presence of God For as Aarons Serpent 2 Cor. 11. 28 29. swallowed up the Serpents of the Magicians of Egypt so this spirituall feare and jealousie will overcome and subdue the corrupt feares and jealousies of this world For when a man knowes what to suspect himselfe of as dangerous to his owne safety he thereby will be taught how to prevent or rectifie that which is evill in others The Apostle speaking of the care which did lie upon him of all the Churches sayes of himselfe Who is weak and I am not weak Who is offended and I burn not Secondly a circumspect tryall of all things to put nothing to hazard And as in spirituall jealousies over our selves and others to prevent offences so in civill government the maxime of State is true Fiso res periit diffiso salva remansit a circumspect mistrusting of all things lest they be liable to corruption till by a full tryall of their soundnesse they be approved and all danger prevented is one of the main pillars of true State-wisdome To put nothing at an adventure which may be secured is a fundamentall Rule of publick safety And to be more suspitious and fearfull lest our own undertakings
exalted above all creatures and imaginable qualities infinitely and unconceiveably beautifull in all perfections so that in him and in all his wayes there is hath been and shall be nothing but pure and perfect goodnesse for ever and ever without any shadow of turning This property of the Divine Nature we are made partaker of by Christ for of his fulnesse we receive all and grace for grace and in him the 1 Pet. 1. 15 16 Father doth call upon us to be holy as he is holy Holinesse then in us is the conformity of our spirit and state unto God in this property of his nature whereby we become pure and undefiled set a part unto him from all uncleannesse and exalted above the causes of disorder and lustfulnesse in the creatures that we may have communion with him for without this conformity unto him in his nature there can be no fellowship between him and us for what communion hath purity with uncleannesse or light with darknesse for which cause also the Apostle addes this doctrinall clause to his exhortation that without holinesse no man shall see God both to stir us up the more to follow after it as that which is so absolutely necessarie for our salvation that the want thereof doth inevitably threaten a separation between God and us for ever And also to intimate an implyed promise that if we follow holinesse with all men we shall be made fit to see God as well in his works here in time towards all men as in himself face to face hereafter for ever It is evident then by this that the following of Holines with all men doth make us peaceable towards all men because it takes us off from the occasions of carnall strife and unites us unto God in the puritie of the Divine nature but where the heart is not cleansed and made above all things carefull in serving God acceptably to walk in the sphere of a pure life above the defilements of creature concernments there it cannot attain to a peaceable disposition neither within it self nor towards others And without scruple we may conclude thus that wheresoever men are not raised unto that universall peaceablenesse of spirit which is here required there they come also far short of the duty of Holinesse which is here recommended unto them Let therefore no men deceive themselves and lye against the Truth whosoever do take up a resolution rather to strive and contest with some men about the affairs of this world for their own sake then to follow Peace and Holinesse with all men for Gods sake are not in a case to see God or to serve him acceptably in all things because the passion of lust for themselves which is the cause of all strife between them and others is inconsistent with that reverence and fear which is requisite to serve him acceptably The Negative Duties How to prevent failing of the grace of God and the springing up of the roots of bitternesse Thus we see what the Positive Rules whereby our disorders and distempers may be cured are and how they depend one upon another Concerning the Negative Duties which follow I shall be very brief for if these former be carefully observed there will be no difficulty in the practise of the latter but with ease and safetie they will fall in of themselves For he that followeth holinesse with all men must needs follow it by the Truth which is the ground of that performance Now the Truth which doth beget Holinesse in all those that are sanctified is the Grace of God which hath appeared and bringeth salvation unto all men teaching us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in tgis present world looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works The truth of this Doctrine is the Grace which bringeth salvation unto all men and this it doth by teaching them the way to true holinesse in and by Christ Jesus he then that doth follow this namely Holinesse with all men must needs look after that namely Truth in every one lest any fail of it for if the knowledge of this saving Truth should fail and be cast off by any as then he will be taken off from the way of Holinesse so he will be set to follow the imaginations of his own heart which can send forth nothing but seeds of corruption which will beget roots of bitternesse whereby many will be defiled The way therefore to prevent the growing up of these roots is to keep the heart possest with these principles of saving knowledge which are the fundamentals of all Gospel faith and hope for Grace and to do this there is none other direct means but to hold forth the testimony of Jesus so as to commend the truth thereof to the conscience of all men in the sight of God which is done by manifesting the light of life which is in Christ with sound speech that cannot be condemned that he who is of the contrary party may be ashamed having no evill thing to say of us or of our testimony Whence I shall infer this that the way to maintain Religion by the shaken reed of meer humane authority and to beat down the errors of the minde with the club-law of corporall punishments which some have endeavoured to do is no part of Gods counsell for that which hath upheld and will uphold the Truth of Religion without yea and against all the might of the world is nothing else but the evidence and the demonstration of the spirit and power and that which hath beaten down and will beat down heresies and errors is nothing else but the armour of Righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left by which all the imaginations of men and strong holds of Satan in them are cast down and every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ The method then both to prevent and to correct errors is this that we should take care that the faithful word which hath been taught and as it hath been taught by the Apostles and Prophets be held fast and held forth that by the sound doctrine thereof we may be inabled both to exhort those that stand in the Truth that they take heed lest they fall from it and to convince the gainsayers whose mouthes must be stopped by religious dealing and rationall conferences with them If then we should apply our selves to dig up the roots of bitternesse which are sprung up amongst us for to prevent the rising of them is too late we see that the way to be taken is this that on the one hand Catechetecall Truths should be fundamentally taught and according to the form of sound words enlarged upon and opened and on the other hand orderly conferences should be set afoot and
doth evince that in the 5. verse there must be instead of one which in our ordinary translation is expressed a double interrogation whereof the latter must run in this sense Doth the Spirit dwelling in us lust to envie as if he had said by no means 3. That the Spirit which is in the friends of the world doth lust to envy For it is clear that all worldlings are bent to lust after that which they would have so as that they envy others to have it it besides themselves and that is the thing which the Apostle here doth presuppose whereupon the question denying it to befall unto the spirit which dwelleth in the Saints is raised We must observe then that as the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world are opposite so their lusts tend to different ends and what is denyed of the one is affirmed of the other Whence we must further observe that the corruption and infection of our spirit in nature making our lust disorderly and contentious is originally self-love as it taketh us off from the love of our neighbour that is as it perverteth our intention from desiring that he may partake of that good which we wish for our selves for self-love is not otherwise vicious but as it confineth our intentions within our selves alone It is no sin to love ones self if we love our neighbour as our self The object of it Now the imaginary good thing which naturally between all parties as they are parties is the object of their mutuall envie is the Preeminencie for which they strive in comparison one of another that either they may subject others unto their will or at least exempt themselves from being subject to the will of others both which are most opposite unto the spirit of Christianity which doth not at all affect any dominion over others but rather doth set it self to serve and please others through love Even as Christ Jesus served us and pleased not himself but others to their edification Gal. 5. 13. Rom. 15. 3. Therefore his way and aime was was when hee walked amongst men not to joyne himselfe to any of the parties that then were a foot amongst his countrey men the Jewes but to walke indifferently and by one Rule towards all Nay he was not averse from conversing with the Samaritans themselves whom all other Jews did abhor as is apparent by I 〈◊〉 h 4. v. 5. till 45. that he might impart himself unto all freely in that which was good without envying the enjoyment thereof unto any It is therefore evident that if professours live in envie strife and division one with another they are not to be counted Christians that is spirituall but carnall And at the best they are no more but babes in Christ because therein they walk not as his disciples but as men all parties 1 Cor. 3. 2 〈◊〉 and partialities are amongst men as men of this world and not amongst men as Christians and their aime in the world is to deprive others of that good which they pretend to possesse as due unto themselves rather then to others Now as I said before the Imaginary good which a party as a party doth pretend unto in comparison of others who do oppose it is nothing else but to have the preeminencie in that where it is opposed Nor can men as men walk by any other rule but this because they can see no reason why they should deny themselves to give others the preeminencie above themselves none but Christians as Christians can understand that they ought to deny themselves take up a crosse and preferre the benefit of others to their own conveniencies onely because Christ did so towards us because this is the badge of his disciples and because by the new covenant we are bound to be conformable unto his image and to follow his footsteps Therefore no naturall man can say from his heart as the Apostle did to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4. 8 Now ye are full now ye are rich ye haue reigned as Kings without us and would to God ye did reign and again I pray to God that ye do no evil not that we should appear approved but that ye should do that which is honest though we be as Reprobates for we are glad when we are weak and ye are strong 2. Cor. 13. 7. 9. And again To the weak I became as weak 1 Cor. 9. 22. But it is otherwise amongst men for all strive to get strength in their own hand and make others weak all strive for the preeminence as in riches and in glory so for that which doth bring these things with it which is the trust to manage power and government in this world and truly if we look upon our selves as in the presence of God to see what we have been doing as men in this kind we cannot be so senselesse of our naturall inclinations as to think that we have not acted as parties one against another nor so unconscionable as not to be convicted and willing to confesse that in such actings the object of our partialitie and envie hath been the gaining of preeminencie to manage the trust of power and goverment above others or at least before them Our practise about that object It is not my work to judge of State affairs I am directly endeavouring to take off others to whom it doth not belong from the partiall judgements which they make thereof nor do I intend to please or displease any partie in the State for I hate partialitie with a perfect hatred as by that which I have here said may appear nor do I for any private designe seek to humour any body behold God is my witnesse in that which I shall say but intending at this time to drive this nail to the head I must not seem so stupid and brutish as not to take notice of Gods work and hand over us and not to see what the changes are which the Almighty hath brought upon this Kingdome and State which have given occasion to the spirit of envie to become active among us We cannot then but see that God hath permitted him in whose hand before these troubles the chief trust of government and power was to be deprived of the same and by what means this is come to passe is apparent unto all for first the management of affairs which he used being judged very prejudiciall to the safetie of the State by those unto whom the publick Reformation thereof was intrusted it then fell out that the trust of Government and Power was devolved by degrees upon those whom God did suffer in their places to act against him How this fell out I think none can be ignorant who hath been able to observe any thing For after that God had set up those who acted against him in their places by a right which the King himself conferred upon them to sit as long as they thought fit to manage their trust after that they were engaged
composition of it from the Apostles doctrine to the Hebrews who in his 12. Chapter having exhorted the professors of Christianity to follow Jesus Christ and the cloud of witnesses which are gone before them in hearing the Crosse and the contradiction of sinners v. 1 2 3. and not to faint under the fatherly rod and chastisements of the Lord through afflictions knowing that they are the effects of his care over them and that they will bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse to them that are exercised thereby v. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11. He doth infer from thence this direction and admonition Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down the knees that are loosened or out of joynt v. 12. And make straight paths for your feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed v. 13. Follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. v. 14. Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled v. 15. Lest there be any fornicator or profane person as Esau who for one morsell of meat sold his birth-right v. 16. The complicated Remedy thereof in the words of the holy Ghost Which are opened in the twofold scope thereof This Apostolicall counsell doth presuppose a people in a condition such as we are in under a triall of afflictions and chastisements for their sins his scope is twofold first to encourage them to make a right use of their afflictions in bearing them patiently and without faint-heartednesse for the end for which God doth send them which is that thereby they should be drawn to lay aside sin and the weight of earthly things which doth beset them v. 1. to resist sin unto the blood striving against it v. 4. to look upon God as their Father in afflictions v. 7 8. to be in subjection to him thereby v. 9. and to hope to partake of his holinesse and of the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse when they are exercised thereby v. 10 11. His second scope is to direct them how to free themselves from sin that in the performance of necessarie duties they may concur with Gods working by his chastisements to work out their own salvation To which effect he lets them see what they ought to do and what they ought to avoid he exhorts them to that which they should do in v. 12 13 14. and admonisheth them of that which is to be avoided v. 15 16. And applyed First in the conformity of our State to that of the Hebrews Now to make a distinct Application of this advice to our present condition let us consider two things first what conformitie is between our state and that state wherein the Apostle doth finde them to be secondly how the duties which they are enjoyned to perform that they might be delivered from the sinfulnesse of their state should be set upon by us that we may be freed from the same evils attending our State The conformity of that State wherein they are found to to be with ours is in these particulars 1. They were under the chastising and reforming hand of God so are we 2. Their afflictions did occasion in their spirits a want of courage and resolution to undertake cheerfully the good works of the holy profession and in the way of their proceeding there was an unevennesse and lamenesse of their course out afflictions have wrought the same indispositions upon our spirits and upon the course of our proceedings for in our spirits we finde not that alacrity amongst most men which should be to set upon the work of a compleat Reformation and which is necessarie to carrie it on as it is begun but the hands of many hang down and their knees are loosned and out of joynt through the apprehension of discouragements and in our proceedings we finde the course of many very uneven and lame and of some so much perverted that they are even turned quite out of the way 3. From this faintnesse of spirit which was upon the Hebrews in undertaking the works of their profession and the inequalitie of their wayes in prosecuting that which they did undertake did arise strife and debate and with it much uncleannesse and defilements of the flesh and spirit which naturally go along with variance We are here in the same case for on the one hand our want of true zeale and forwardnesse in necessary duties on the other the crooked and perverse courses which we have followed have multiplied matters of private and publick quarrels amongst us and these have been fruitfull in manifold disorders wherein our corruptions have mightily broke forth and manifested the uncleannesse which is in us 4. The Hebrews by reason of their strivings and of the defilements following thereupon were under a threefold danger First that amongst them there might be a falling away from the grace of God that is from the saving truth which they had received Secondly that upon their defection a root of bitternesse might spring up and defile many Thirdly that amongst such as might be defiled fornicators and profane persons such as Esau was might be found Now to us all these dangerous evils are befallen as the results of our filthinesse in our quarrels For it is clearly manifest that although the grace of God which bringeth salvation hath been more powerfully revealed unto this nation then unto any in the world since the discoverie of Poperie yet it is as fully apparent as any thing can be that amongst us now there is a more apparent defection of many from the grace which we have received then amongst any that have attempted a Reformation in these latter times So the first thing whereof they were in danger is come effectually upon us As for the second would to God that there were but one root of bitternesse sprung up amongst us but alas there are so many that they can hardly be named and they have defiled so many that they cannot be numbered Instead of acknowledging God to be the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent a root of bitternesse is sprung up whereby men do Deifie themselves instead of the holy Scriptures they make their own reason or fancie a rule of truth and instead of Ordinances of holy worship they rest upon the pretence of the spirit and the private motions thereof to enjoy God Some instead of Repentance and Faith and the exercise of all vertues maintain that the practise of all vices is the onely way to happinesse and some instead of denying themselves in the world and submitting to the superiour powers which God hath set over them therein maintain that all government is to be abolished and that the right to possesse all things doth belong to none but unto themselves And because these defilements have spread themselves in the hearts of many therefore the last of the evils whereof
I shall leave to all those not onely that have the Spirit of Christ but that morally are rationall to judge and yet in effect this is the speech and plain English of this pretended scruple and practise so far as I can make sense of it wherein I shall desire that three things may be yet further noted First what the pernicious effect is of looking back with carnall discontentednesse upon the offences which we suppose are given by others rather then of looking forward with uprightnesse and simplicitie upon the good which we ought to do our selves here we may see how farre this is able to pervert our way from the truth of Christianity for in true Christianity we are taught not to be overcome with evill but to overcome evil with good Rom. 12. ver 21. But such back-looking suggestions as these lead us to the resolutions of a quite contrary nature which make us a verse unto that which is good and forwardly yeelding to that which is evil and from what spirit this doth proceed it is easie to judge Secondly herein we may see how deeply and deceitfully the corruption of humane passions can insinuate it self under the apprehensions of Religiousnesse into our conscience before we we are aware thereof which doth undiscernably fall out when we suffer our humane affaires and considerations to mixe themselves with spirituall concernments in our thoughts and the latter of these to be acted by the sense which we have of the former whereas we ought to have no thoughts of the former but such as are subordinate and commensurable unto the latter Thirdly we may see also herein what the danger is of letting our spirits loose unto strife for if we once come to be engaged as men with a designe rather to oppose other mens persons hatefully then as Christians lovingly to endeavour to rectifie that which is amisse in them and in their wayes we can hardly ever suffer our selves to be disingaged again because we know not where to stop our course of opposition in respect of new provocations dayly offered by others Nor are we naturally inclined to get hold of the reins of our own passions to recover our way to a peaceable disposition towards them I remember that I have read the Acts of one of the generall Synods of the Churches of Polenia Synod Cravon Actu sexto wherein the spirit of opposition against the Anabaptists and Arrians did so farre transport those otherwise godly men that they did make a Decree not to observe the custom of fitting which undoubtedly is most agreeable to the institution of Christ in the Lords Supper notwithstanding that they acknowledge in the same Act that Ceremonies should be set free onely because those their adversaries did make use of that custom as if the way of Christs Institution of that Ordinance might be laid aside rather then that we should seem to agree therein with Hereticks So that the hatred of these adversaries and the desire to be found opposite unto them did blot out of their mindes in that matter the love of Christ Jesus and the righteous desire to be united unto him in all his imitable wayes I hope that the spirits of these Brethren are not yet so farre transported but that upon the discoverie of this snare of Satan they will quickly recover themselves out of it therefore to cure this distemper and mistake of the way in such as are not incurable and desire not to erre obstinately I shall intreat them in reference to the case in hand to ask of their own conscience these two questions Whether at any time and in any case whatsoever it be lawfull for a Christian to oppose that which is truly good in any or to doe evill that good may come of it Secondly whether Jesus Christ who did declare in the dayes of his flesh that his Kingdome was not of this world and the Apostle Paul who in the course of his Ministery did professe that he became all things unto all men in that which was lawful If these were now amongst us at this time would upon matters of earthly circumstances and outward changes of humane concernments in State-affaires proceed thus in the worke of their Ministery and suffer their consciences about the duties thereof to be intangled into such wordly considerations The Apostle saith I am made all things to all men that I 1 Cor. 9. 22. might by all meanes save some And shall we say in our hearts the contrary thus I shall be made nothing to these men that by all meanes I may help to destroy them God forbid Such a perswasion cannot come from him who hath called us The Apostle saith again concerning his Ministery Though we walke in the flesh yet we doe not war after the flesh And shall we under a pretence of walking after the Spirit in our Ministeriall employment make the chiefe ground of our proceedings therein towards the publick a State-jealousie and accordingly wage warre in spirituall matters after the manner of men in the flesh Shall we that are sent to teach all men godly simplicity meeknesse harmlesnesse and how to deny this world and the wisdome thereof become the chiefe leaders of the men of the world to mutuall provocations and irritations and encourage them to manage opposite interests about State-matters with the breach of Christian unity Is it lawfull for us to intend the displeasing of one party to please another rather then to intend the reconciling of them to each other in the love of Christ May we make the vindication of wrongs supposed to be done by one party against another in outward matters the proper work of our employment It might be tollerable in Samson a man raised extraordinarily to picke quarrels with the inveterate enemies of the Church of God being provoked by some of them with injuries to say Now I Judg. 15. 3. shall be more blamelesse than the Philistines though I doe them a displeasure But in us to take up a resolution to displease any man is wholly against this Rule of Christ Doe good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you And the Apostles Matth. 5. 44. practice We give no offence in any thing that the Ministery be not blamed 2 Cor. 6. 3. As for Samson he doth not exempt himselfe from blame all tbat he pretends for his justification was that his enemies deserved more blame than he for he sought as an enemy some advantage against them to quarrell and seeing they had done him wrong first he was resolved neither to beare it nor to be behinde-hand with them in matters of displeasure But that the ordinary messengers of Gods love towards all men and the Disciples of the Crosse of Christ should upon any provocation whatsoever be moved to take up such a resolution is as farre below the dictates of a good conscience in following Christs example as Samsons calling to be a Judge of Israel was of a
of Love of Peace and of Holinesse are to be applied as a remedy unto publick diseases and afflictions when Gods chastisement is upon us When we have set the positive remedies a-work we ought then also to be cautious lest the effect of all our endeavours be made void by reason of dangerous evils which may be incident to our state if we take not heed thereunto The most dangerous of all evils is to faile of the grace of God either by falling from the Truth or by losing the sense thereof for if this be lost or that be cast off nothing that is good can be found in us or remain with us Therefore this is the first evill which is to be prevented which we are directed to v. 15. Looking diligently lest any man faile of the grace of God Then the second is a consequence of this defection and therefore to be lookt unto in the second place that it may be observed and prevented namely the fructifying of our naturall corruption within our selves or others and the uncleannesse which doth spread it selfe abroad from thence whereof we are warned in the latter part of verse 15. Lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you and thereby many be defiled As the former evill separates us from the life of God and the enjoyment of the meanes of salvation so this doth bring us under the power of Satan and the guilt of condemnation That doth relate principally to the truth of faith this to the power of godlinesse lest both first that and then this be lost amongst us whereupon the third evill which may in the last place follow is also to be prevented which is an open denying of the publick profession of Religion through love to the World of which we are taught to beware v. 16. Lest there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for a morsell of meat sold his Birth-right Thus we have a briefe yet a very substantiall and full directory both in respect of matter and order for the regulating of all Christian but chiefly Ministeriall proceedings in the cure of these our evils If now I should give way to my affection to enter upon the distinct consideration of every one of the ingredients of this compound spirituall Antidote to shew what influence it hath to cure our distempers and how suitable it is to our present occasions I might be very large and easily engaged to shew that in the parts thereof if taken severally we have as it were a dispensatory of Receipts fit for all the Symptomes of our diseases and that in the whole if taken in the composition we have a most provident course of Physick or medicinall method prescribed for the regular prosecuting of the cure but I shall contract my thoughts and observe onely that which is mainly considerable and may be obvious to every ones capacity The duty of spirituall resolution First then in the duty whereby we are directed to order our selves towards the workes of our employment which is To lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees I observe this That the indisposition which most remarkably seaseth upon all mens spirits when they are brought under the rod of affliction is a faint-heartednesse which by reason of the astonishment of our thoughts and the dulnesse and flatnesse of our courage doth deprive us of resolution what to doe for our selves by which meanes our hands the instruments of action hang down in a lazy posture and our knees the supporters of the whole body for motion are loosned as it were out of joynt and without strength The hands and knees in the spirituall man are the moving and acting faculties of the soule which are the imaginative apprehending objects and the will and affections moving thereon these faculties hang down and are loosned from action when we are out of heart with businesses and discouraged to undertake the works of our employment This indisposition is very frequent in these our times upon all the unexpected changes and turnings of affaires wherein of a sudden men know not where to find themselves as being at a losse and the worst is that they who should by instructing many strengthen the weak hands and Job 4. 3 4. whose words should uphold him that is falling doe adde unto the discouragements by their complaints and scruples But against this faint-heartednesse and the grievous thoughts which some suggest unto drooping spirits the Apostolicall exhortation is in this place a Cordiall prescribing unto them a draught of resolution from above which will inable them if they receive it to lift up their heads their hands and their knees to the duties of their calling upon the consideration of the comfortable effects of their chastisements which is the peaceable fruit of righteonsnesse which it will yeeld unto them that are exercised thereby Wherefore saith he lift up your hands c. and be of good cheere and resolute because the end of your triall is for peace and righteousnesse onely be not wanting to your selves fall to the workes of your employment and raise your affections to be active therein for in so doing your duty there is hope your confidence and courage in well-doing is not to be cast away because it hath a great recompence of reward Heb. 10. 35. In the worst times of Israel when their Leaders caused them to erre and destroyed the way of their paths even then the Prophet was commanded to say unto the Righteous that it should be well with him because he should eat the fruit of his doing The worser the times are the work of courage in our Calling is the more commendable and the fruit thereof the more usefull pretious and glorious There be some that make it their work to make the times worse then indeed they are by prepossessing the spirits of the multitude against the constitution of the State and the wayes of their Rulers These men by their suggestions discourage the plain-hearted from the resolutions of walking chearfully in their wayes as bcometh Christians and set them out of their Sphere upon discontent and fearfulnesse Let such then who make themselves instrumentall to stagger the hearts and weaken the hands of their Brethren by disquieting their affections upon doubtfull considerations of things which are extrinsecall to the stations of private men and whereof they are no competent Judges look well to it that the evill which they occasion to procure unto the times overtake them not For in the same place where the Prophet Isaiah in evill times is commanded to comfort the righteous with promise he denounceth a heavy threatning to the wicked which is due to the practise of these men Wo saith he unto the wicked it shall be Isai 3. 11. ill with him for the reward of his hands shall be given him Such therfore as refuse to lift up their hands without wrath and doubting to God in prayer for the obtaining of publick mercies or in praises for the
their charge bring guilt upon them and make them accessary to sin except they represse and reprove the evill which they find in them nnd shew their hatred against all those that turne aside from the direct way of godlinesse and honesty of justice and sobriety Then also in the persons of others 7. That Magistrates walk not in a perfect way in respect of their places although they free both themselves and their attendants from evill except they also take notice of others that are without to oppose the vicious and advance the vertuous both in private and publick occasions This axiome is evident from the whole matter of Davids profession especially from ver 4. till the end and the reason of it will appear if the nature and motion of a perfect way be compared with the nature motion of a Magistrates place for the place of a Magistrate is wholly relative and towards others except therefore his way be perfect against evill and for good in teference to others it doth not answer his place and except it be so as well in private as in publick it is not perfect for although a good man may be an ill Magistrate for want of Ruling parts yet no man that is ill can be a good Magistate though his parts be never so eminent Because an evill man as he makes no conscience of sin in private so he will never be zealous for vertue nor against vice in publick All that he will do will be onely for himself to save his owne credit that he may not be cryed out against For if his heart be evill he hath no love to Judgement and Mercy as they are works good to all as they are acceptable to God who hath commanded them and as they are proper to his place of Rule but onely as they make a shew before men and serve ro keep up his reputation amongst them By cutting off the incorrigible 8. That by opposing vice in others privatly and publickly Magistrates do not enough to remove the wicked from places of Trust and to shew their dislike of men except also they use meanes to cut them off from the society over which they are set and especially if they be found incorrigible This is plainly Davids resolution in his perfect way of walking as appears by ver 5. 7. 8. Especially of foure sorts 9. That Magistrates walking in their places in a perfect way should take notice as well of those that plot perverse designes as of those that put them in execution but amongst all these the slanderer the proud the deceiver and the lyar are especially to be hunted out of all places of trust and cast out of the Common-wealth for these foure may be compared to the wheeles of Satans Chariot on which he rides through the societies of mankind to disturbe the Peace and Happinesse by the corruption of our nature which Magistrates are appointed to curb and resist This is that which David resolves upon in ver 4. 5. 7. and by experience we find that without the discovery and removall of these foure sorts of wicked men there can be no Peace and quietnesse in humaine Societies By seeking out and calling the vertuous to places of employment 10. That the way of a Magistrate is not perfect although he thus oppose vice except he also seek out those that are vertuous and make use of them for privat and publick occasions of employment This is manifestly Davids resolution in ver 6. and the perfect way of Magistracy can no more subsist without the use of good instruments than consist with the employment of evill ones as therefore the removing of the one is necessary so is the finding out and calling of the other nor can there be a greater cause of corruption in Civill Government than the want of care to finde out and employ vertuous men therein 11. That no man ought to be intrusted with any accesse or privacy about the Magistrate but he that is faithfull in the Land and no man employed by him in any service but he that is upright in his way And how that should be done These are the two Characters of persons whom David resolves to seek out and call to himself ver 6. and till Magistrates make it a chief maxime of State to follow his example herein it will never go well with them in their Government It is not he who commends himself that is offered by the solicitation of friends unto a place but he whom God commends by his abilities and such Characters as these who is fit to be employed it were greatly to be wished if it could also be hoped that these who have the disposall of places would make it an unalterable maxime of State to reject all sutors for places and to admit of none but whom they themselves should chuse and call upon the discovery of their abilities and of these Characters found in them Namely that they are faithfull in the Land and perfect in their way He is faithfull in the Land who is true to the publick good thereof who hath not sought his own private advantage before the interest of the Common-wealth such a one may be trusted with a publick place that he will not abuse it for his own ends and he is perfect in his way whose course of life is sincere and conscionable and who is carefull to maintain his integrity without offence towards all If none but such were sought out for publick places the affairs of States and Common-wealths would indeed be successfull but as long as the maximes and interests of factions and parties which all along destroy humane societies are followed and private aimes bear rule over the spirits of those that rule in a State these characters of men fit for places will never be regarded nor the course to chuse and call thereunto taken up by any 12. That the aime of a godly and wise Magistrate is not to serve himself in his place but others nor his ultimate end to serve others so much in their temporall conveniences as to protect the City of God and free it from the disturbance of Gods service and all causes of trouble And why he ought mainly to intend this This is professedly Davids end in ver 8. and if we first look upon a Magistrate as Gods substitute and Deputy and then if we grant that no Deputy can be counted faithfull to him that hath deputed him except he mainly intend that which his Superiour doth aime at then this cannot be denied that the Magistrates ultimate end must needs be the safety and prosperity of the City of the Lord for God having created all for his own glory hath given the world unto Christ and Christ having Redeemed all for the glory of his Father hath given all to his Church where God doth dwell with men So that for the Churches sake which is the City of God all Government is maintained and appointed by God